Yearly Archives: 2018
Betrayal Legacy Makes a Fantastic Horror Game Even Better
Betrayal at House on the Hill was already a well-loved board game, but its upcoming Legacy version from designer Rob Daviau has somehow made it even better. It takes the original’s randomized haunted house mechanics and centers them around the story of a single house that shifts (and gets considerably more spooky) over nearly 400 years of history.
Daviau was kind enough to sit down with us and play Betrayal Legacy’s first two scenarios ahead of its release next month. You can watch that playthrough in the video at the top of the page, though be wary that there will be spoilers for the prologue and first chapter of its 13 chapter campaign.
Netflix Renews Castlevania for Season 3
Netflix has given us a spooky Halloween treat and renewed Castlevania for Season 3 a few days after Season 2 debuted on the streaming service.
The series will expand from eight episodes to 10 in the upcoming season. There are no details on the plot of Season 3 so far, but the show will once again be written by Warren Ellis and directed by Sam Deats. Ellis serves as executive producer alongside Adi Shankar, Fred Seibert and Kevin Kolde.
Read our Season 2 review of Castlevania, which we call one of the best video game adaptations of all time, and check out our interviews with Shankar in which he discusses adapting Symphony of Night, and why Dracula is such a tragic and effective antagonist.
Netflix Renews Castlevania for Season 3
Netflix has given us a spooky Halloween treat and renewed Castlevania for Season 3 a few days after Season 2 debuted on the streaming service.
The series will expand from eight episodes to 10 in the upcoming season. There are no details on the plot of Season 3 so far, but the show will once again be written by Warren Ellis and directed by Sam Deats. Ellis serves as executive producer alongside Adi Shankar, Fred Seibert and Kevin Kolde.
Read our Season 2 review of Castlevania, which we call one of the best video game adaptations of all time, and check out our interviews with Shankar in which he discusses adapting Symphony of Night, and why Dracula is such a tragic and effective antagonist.
Horror Movies by the Decade: A Century of Classics for Halloween
It’s the best time of year, and that means time to watch lots of horror movies. But while there are so many options these days – streaming services, Blu-rays, whatever TCM is airing – you might want to seek out some historic titles, and the “Doctor of the Dead” is here to help with some suggestions that cover an entire century of cinematic horror!
But look, I knew the job was dangerous when I took it. Trying to pick just one single horror movie to represent every decade from the 1910s to the present is an impossible task, so – in keeping with the spirit of the season – I’m just going to go with my gut. This list doesn’t invalidate your own picks, nor do I mean to say there aren’t plenty of equally valid options. But we only have so much time together, so let’s get started, and maybe a few of these might inspire you to go on your own Halloween season viewing binges that will last well into November and beyond.
The History of Broly
Broly has become a cult favorite villain for many Dragon Ball fans, and the upcoming Dragon Ball Super: Broly movie (which hits theaters on Jan. 16) has a lot of people talking about the Legendary Super Saiyan.
Broly has only appeared in three Dragon Ball Z films; Broly - The Legendary Super Saiyan, Broly - Second Coming, and Bio-Broly. While the character was designed by Dragon Ball series creator, Akira Toriyama, Toriyama did not write the story of any of those three films.
Because Broly has only appeared in films and manga side-stories until now, he is not considered part of the official Dragon Ball canon, although with Toriyama writing Dragon Ball Super: Broly (which will serve as an effective reboot of the character), that is about to change.
The History of Broly
Broly has become a cult favorite villain for many Dragon Ball fans, and the upcoming Dragon Ball Super: Broly movie (which hits theaters on Jan. 16) has a lot of people talking about the Legendary Super Saiyan.
Broly has only appeared in three Dragon Ball Z films; Broly - The Legendary Super Saiyan, Broly - Second Coming, and Bio-Broly. While the character was designed by Dragon Ball series creator, Akira Toriyama, Toriyama did not write the story of any of those three films.
Because Broly has only appeared in films and manga side-stories until now, he is not considered part of the official Dragon Ball canon, although with Toriyama writing Dragon Ball Super: Broly (which will serve as an effective reboot of the character), that is about to change.
Sword Art Online Returns with a Bigger Arc and Bigger Threats in Alicization
Sword Art Online has been a long and exciting journey ever since it aired back in 2012. What started out as a tense mystery to find out why main hero Kazuto Kirito and many others could not log out of a game spiraled into a multi-chapter franchise as Kirito embarked with many other characters to investigate other forms of virtual MMORPGs. Now, six years later, A-1 Pictures brings us back to the world of swords and online play with the latest installment, Alicization. But is it worth the wait? And is it a reason to return to the series if you dropped it previously?
So far, Sword Art Online has been a mix of adaptation and original story. Check out the slideshow below for a brief overview of the story leading up to Alicization.
Sword Art Online Returns with a Bigger Arc and Bigger Threats in Alicization
Sword Art Online has been a long and exciting journey ever since it aired back in 2012. What started out as a tense mystery to find out why main hero Kazuto Kirito and many others could not log out of a game spiraled into a multi-chapter franchise as Kirito embarked with many other characters to investigate other forms of virtual MMORPGs. Now, six years later, A-1 Pictures brings us back to the world of swords and online play with the latest installment, Alicization. But is it worth the wait? And is it a reason to return to the series if you dropped it previously?
So far, Sword Art Online has been a mix of adaptation and original story. Check out the slideshow below for a brief overview of the story leading up to Alicization.
PlayStation Plus Free Games for November 2018 Announced
Sony has revealed the free games PlayStation Plus subscribers will receive in November 2018, with Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition and Yakuza Kiwami leading the charge as the free PlayStation 4 games for the month..
Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition is a remastered version of the over-the-top first-person shooter from People Can Fly and Epic Games, with 4K support on PS4 Pro. All previous pieces of DLC are included in the Full Clip Edition, as well. In our Bulletstorm: Full Clip review, we appreciated the visual boost but found the additional content to be underwhelming.
Yakuza Kiwami, meanwhile, is a remake of the original Yakuza, built from the ground-up using a more recent engine. IGN's Yakuza Kiwami review saw it as a great way to experience the first story in the series, though it couldn't match the most recent mainline Yakuza games. Sega has given fans no shortage of choice as of late, with Yakuza 6, Yakuza 0, and Yakuza Kiwami 2 all coming to the West within the last few years.
PlayStation Plus Free Games for November 2018 Announced
Sony has revealed the free games PlayStation Plus subscribers will receive in November 2018, with Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition and Yakuza Kiwami leading the charge as the free PlayStation 4 games for the month..
Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition is a remastered version of the over-the-top first-person shooter from People Can Fly and Epic Games, with 4K support on PS4 Pro. All previous pieces of DLC are included in the Full Clip Edition, as well. In our Bulletstorm: Full Clip review, we appreciated the visual boost but found the additional content to be underwhelming.
Yakuza Kiwami, meanwhile, is a remake of the original Yakuza, built from the ground-up using a more recent engine. IGN's Yakuza Kiwami review saw it as a great way to experience the first story in the series, though it couldn't match the most recent mainline Yakuza games. Sega has given fans no shortage of choice as of late, with Yakuza 6, Yakuza 0, and Yakuza Kiwami 2 all coming to the West within the last few years.