The Best-Reviewed Movies of 2015
There were many films that came out in 2015 that IGN reviewed, as superheroes fought dangerous enemies and emotions taught us the range of our feelings and beloved franchises came back, better and more relevant than ever. But of those many movies that hit theaters, these 10 are the ones that we considered the best of the best.
You'll see some overlap with IGN's Best Movie of 2015 nominees, as these films listed below are our 10 best-reviewed movies of the past year. From returning to a galaxy far, far away to an inside look into one of the 21st century's best innovators, here are the projects that got our ringing endorsement.
Mass Effect Andromeda Director Leaves BioWare
Mass Effect Andromeda director Chris Wynn has announced he's parting ways with BioWare.
Wynn, who served as the senior development director on BioWare's highly anticipated role-playing game, confirmed his departure in a post on Twitter:
It is with a heavy heart today to say that I am moving on from BioWare and Mass Effect: Andromeda, and returning to the USA.
— Chris Wynn (@The1Wynn) December 22, 2015
Top Comics to Buy This Week
We all want the best of the best, so let us point out the hottest comics released each week. We spotlight our favorite comics that we know are money-well-spent and new books that look cool and are backed by some top-tier talent.
Check out our picks, then take to the comments to let us know what looks good to you!
Written by Tom Taylor & Drawn by Bruno Redondo | DC
While the fifth and final volume of Injustice: Gods Among Us has already kicked off in digital form, the storyline truly begins with this standalone issue. Unlike previous annuals, Injustice: Year Four Annual isn't content to merely tell a small side-story. Instead, it's setting the stage for Year Five's "year of the villains" status quo as it sheds more light on how Superman's regime have dealt with the world's incarcerated supervillains and brings an entirely new player into the fold.
Rock Band 4 Celebrates the New Year With 6 New Tracks
Rock Band developer Harmonix announced in a blog post today that six new tracks will be coming to the Rock Band 4 storefront on December 29, to celebrate the new year.
Among the announced tracks are new songs from Coldplay and Weezer, as well as some newcomers to Rock Band, like pop sensations One Direction. This adds to the significant number of tracks available both through the store and imported songs from prior Rock Band titles, like Rock Band 3.
Check out the full tracklist below:
The Invention of the Game Cartridge
Ever wonder how those game cartridges you used to have stacked on top of your TV were made? FastCompany.com has put out an in-depth retrospective on the very first video game console to use cartridges, the Fairchild Channel F.
Coming out in November 1976, just before the Atari 2600 and RCA Studio II, the Fairchild Channel F was gamers' first introduction to the bulky black cartridges that would be the industry's medium of choice well into the 1990s.
Until cartridges were introduced, games were severely held back by memory limitations and the lack of an easy way to switch out software.
Mads Mikkelsen Will Play Doctor Strange’s Mystery Villain
Mads Mikkelsen will play the primary villain in Marvel's upcoming Doctor Strange film, according to executive producer Stephen Broussard.
The news comes via Broussard and Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. The pair revealed the Hannibal star's role opposite Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange, saying only that he will play a rogue magician looking to open Earth to the mystical realm.
“Mads’ character is a sorcerer who breaks off into his own sect,” said Feige. “
Hardy, Branagh and Rylance Up for Nolan’s Dunkirk Epic
Christopher Nolan's next project is indeed the reported World War II epic Dunkirk, and the Dark Knight director is in talks with top-notch Hollywood talent to join the film.
According to Variety, Mark Rylance, Kenneth Branagh and Tom Hardy are all in negotiations for roles in the movie. Dunkirk's cast will reportedly be led by unknown actors, with Nolan and his casting department testing teens in London for the leading parts. Nolan is said to have wanted to lock in the movie's handful of adult roles before the holiday season.
Fallout 4, Black Ops 3 Top Amazon’s List of Holiday Best-Sellers
Amazon has announced its best-selling games this holiday season: Call of Duty: Black Ops III, Fallout 4, and Star Wars Battlefront.
The retailer's game sales are part of Amazon's record-setting holiday season, with its busiest day ever on Christmas Eve. Amazon also revealed that "if every Just Dance 2016 video game purchased by Amazon customers this holiday season was played to completion by one person, he or she would be dancing until 2081." That's one tired customer.
Another fun fact from the full holiday sales: Amazon customers bought enough Jurassic World DVDs to equal the height of more than 2,700 Tyrannosaurus Rex.
Out This Week: Hitman: Agent 47, Kill the Plumber
With so many new games and movies coming out, it can be hard to keep up. Lucky for you, IGN is here to help with a weekly round-up of the biggest releases each and every week. Check out the latest releases for this week, and be sure to come back next Monday for a new update.
Note: The prices and deals compiled below are accurate at the time we published this story, but all are subject to change.
‘Real Burning Lightsaber’ Created Using Chemistry
With Star Wars: The Force Awakens now in theaters, nearly everyone's getting into the Star Wars spirit, including one science-savvy individual who's managed to craft his very own fuel-powered lightsaber.
YouTube user Sufficiently Advanced has managed to build such a device by filling a silver handle casing—complete with a valve control at the top and nichrome ignition along the side—with a fuel mixture of methanol and acetone, topping it off with butane as a propellant.
The result is a "real burning lightsaber," which you can see in action below. In fact, the guy takes out a few Stormtrooper balloons and concludes the video by setting Jar Jar Binks ablaze.