“You want to make them pay for what they did to you?” Lionsgate has debuted the first official trailer for a new crime thriller titled Bent, from NYC-raised director Bobby Moresco, based on the novel titled “Deadly Codes“. Bent stars Karl Urban as a shamed former cop now working as a private investigator. He ends up in over his head following a government conspiracy involving rogue agents from a top spy agency. The full cast includes Sofía Vergara, Andy Garcia, Vincent Spano, John Finn, Grace Byers, Tonya Cornelisse, and Patrick Brennan. As cool as this sounds, it looks like pretty much every other gritty ex-cop crime thriller, which is a shame, because Urban deserves better roles than this. Not sure it’s going to be any good. ›››
“We have to tell Allie the truth.” Magnet Releasing has unveiled a new official trailer for the supernatural horror thriller film Marrowbone, which is the feature directorial debut of Spanish writer Sergio G. Sanchez, who previously wrote the scripts for The Orphanage and The Impossible. The film is about four siblings who seek refuge in an old home after the death of their mother, only to discover that the house has another, more sinister, inhabitant. George MacKay (seen in Captain Fantastic) stars, along with Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Heaton, Mia Goth, Nicola Harrison, and Matthew Stagg. This looks like it has some impressive cinematography to top off a chilling ghost story. Another solid horror that is worth a look. ›››
If you’re a fan of the SMG in Fortnite‘s Battle Royale mode, you should get some time in with the game now. Epic Games plans to at least temporarily remove it from the popular online shooter on PC, PS4, and Xbox One, although some variants of it will remain usable for the time being.
As part of its recent development update, Epic shared some plans it has for the game, including a 60 FPS mode on consoles and the introduction of new items. It also noted that a specific gun–the SMG–will be put into the “Vault.” The developer has since expanded on what this means exactly.
Effectively, the SMG will be gone completely from the game, though it will return in the future. “As we add more weapons, consumables, and other item types, we want to make sure that the balance of itemization isn’t ruined,” an Epic representative wrote on Reddit. “Expect more items to be released (and likewise vaulted!) in the future. And of course, items will often come back out of the Vault when the timing is right.”
It’s important to note that this change specifically involves the basic SMG; another post from Epic on Reddit confirmed, “Tactical SMG and the Suppressed SMG will still drop.” Unfortunately there’s no indication provided of just how long a stay in the Vault may last, be it days, weeks, or months.
Fortnite’s new update just added a weapon type in the Crossbow, which is silent and features unlimited ammo. New weapons and consumables are also in the works, Epic confirmed in its development update, though it also teased, “Additionally, we’re looking to add different types of items down the road (beyond just weapons and consumables) that will allow for exciting new ways to play.”
Beyond that, Epic also has plans for many new Limited-Time Modes. Among those on the way in the near future are a modified version of 50v50, Blitz (where matches are shorter), and one where there is less time between circles. The studio is also listening to feedback regarding proposed changes to Fortnite’s matchmaking.
We’re still coming to grips with how Monster Hunter World will engage players long-term with its endgame. New monsters to fight and new video game-themed gear are on the way, but in the meantime, Capcom will provide a regular supply of new limited-time quests and bounties to keep players busy. Here’s what’s new this week on PS4 and Xbox One.
In terms of event quests, the next batch of three have rotated into the game and will be available until February 15. All of them involve hunting multiple monsters, but the first two are five-star quests that can be taken on starting at Hunter Rank 8. Kirin the Myth, as the name suggests, involves slaying two Kirin in Coral Highlands; there is a faint limit of three, a 50-minute time limit, and a reward of 14,400 Zenny. Wicked Wildspire Warfare has the same failure conditions but a reward of 9,360 Zenny (plus some Armor Spheres). You’ll have to hunt two Barroths and a Diablos to emerge victorious.
Those looking for a higher-end challenge can take on the Triple Threat Throwdown event quest. This is a Special Arena mission where you’ll have to hunt a Great Girros, Great Jagras, and Dodogama. You again have 50 minutes to complete this and will fail after three faints, and you’ll need to reach HR 13 in order to take this on. The reward is 14,040 Zenny in addition to unspecified decorations.
Also new are the latest set of Limited Bounties. If you’re unfamiliar with these, they’re bounties which are automatically assigned to you from the Resource Center and provide specific challenges to complete during the week. (The exact timing for the reset seems to differ between Xbox One on Thursday and PS4 on Friday, US time.) All three Limited Bounties are Ecology Surveys that call for you to hunt specific monsters (or categories of monsters). You’ll have to hunt three Great Girros, four Rathalos, and five Elder Dragons. Completing each of these objectives rewards you with some combination of Research Points, Armor Spheres, and trade-in items, and completing all three nets you an additional reward. Here’s exactly what’s on tap:
Ecology Survey: Hunt Great Girros
350 Research Points
2 Armor Sphere+
1 First Wyverian Print
Ecology Survey: Hunt Rathalos
450 Research Points
4x Armor Sphere+
1x Steel Wyverian Print
Ecology Survey: Slay Elder Dragon (high rank)
600 Research Points
4x Hard Armor Sphere
1x Silver Wyverian Print
General: Limited Bounty
500 Research Points
1x Gold Wyverian Print
1x Golden Egg
Finally, there’s a limited-time mission–Challenge Quest 1: Beginner–which you can access from the Arena Counter in the Gathering Hub once you hit HR 2. You’ll have to slay a Kulu-Ya-Ku and Pukei-Pukei with one of a handful of weapons, with the goal being to finish as quickly as possible. The faint limit is nine, and the reward is 1,080 Zenny.
Also of note right now is a new update that’s been released on both platforms. It makes some balance changes to Bowguns, resolves Squad issues on PS4, and addresses various other issues. That includes fixing an issue that prevented some players from accessing the free 5 Million Celebration Item Pack; as a result, its availability has been extended through February 22. There’s also a new pack now available to celebrate the game’s 6 million milestone; you can grab both by playing online and claiming your Daily Login Bonus.
Capcom has announced that the next DLC character for Street Fighter 5 is Blanka and he’ll be available from February 20. A new trailer for the character provides us with a showcase of the latest iteration of the beast, whose visual design looks mostly the same, other than some longer arm and leg hair.
“In SFV: AE, Blanka is living peacefully with his mother, and has adapted well to being introduced back into society,” Capcom explains on its website. “One day, a suspicious salesman approaches him and offers a way to make Blanka famous by mass producing a doll made in Blanka’s likeness. Will it work? Find out in his character story mode.”
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He’s also as savage as ever in battle, biting, head butting, clawing at enemies. His Coward Crouch ability is now his V-Skill and, according to Capcom, can be used to “avoid many attacks, including fireballs.” After the Coward Crouch, Blanka can execute either Wild Lift with a punch button or Raid Jump with a kick button. The former will move Blanka forward while attacking to launch the opponent into the air. The latter, meanwhile, allows Blanka to leap into the air “where he can use any mid-air attack to advance.”
His V-Trigger I is called Jungle Dynamo and is a roll attack that does more damage can then be followed up by additional attacks, including the Critical Art. Additionally, Jungle DynamoIt “powers up his Electric Thunder and changes the animation so Blanka steps forward while unleashing the electric current.” If it hits, the enemy is popped into the air and can be hit with a Blanka ball.
His V-Trigger II is Lightning Beast, which “unlocks a special move, Rolling Cannon (Direction + HP+HK), which can be performed after using Rolling Attack, Back Step Rolling, and Vertical Rolling.” This new move can extend combos or move Blanka into more advantageous positions. Finally, his Dynamic Rolling Critical Art combines electricity with rolling for devastating results. Check him out in the video above.
Blanka is available for $6/£6 or 100,000 Fight Money. For those who have the Season 3 Character Pass he’s available at no additional cost. The pass also includes Sakura (available now), Falke, Cody, G, and Sagat, who will become available at a later date. If you purchase Blanka is purchased as part of the Season 3 Character Pass or with real money, his Battle Costume with colors 3-10 and default costume colors 3-10 are also included.
Square Enix has released new screenshots for Kingdom Hearts 3, showing off more of the gameplay from its upcoming action RPG, as well as the new characters and worlds it revealed recently. During the D23 event held on February 12, a new trailer confirmed there will be a Monsters Inc. world in Kingdom Hearts, complete with Mike, Sully, and Boo making an appearance. The new screenshots below feature these iconic characters, in addition to monster versions of Sora, Donald, and Goofy.
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There’s also another look at The Little Mermaid’s Ariel, who looks to appear in the game as a summon. Traditionally, summon characters can be called into battle to lend a hand, similar to the way they’re used in Final Fantasy. The screenshots also include scenes from the Tangled world, where Sora, Donald, and Goofy team up with Rapunzel. If you’d like to see all this in motion, instead of static screenshots, you can watch the latest Kingdom Hearts 3 trailer at the top of the page.
During D23 Square Enix said development of Kingdom Hearts is split into three sections: early, middle, and late. The early phase worlds are around 90 percent complete, while middle section worlds are at roughly 60 percent done. The company didn’t confirm what stage the end section is at, but Tetsuya Nomura, director of the series, said it was “something he’s always wanted to do and put into Kingdom Hearts, ever since the days of working on Final Fantasy.”
Although it is expected to launch in 2018, Kingdom Hearts 3’s release date hasn’t been confirmed yet. Nomura–who is also working directing the Final Fantasy VII Remake—explained the extremely long wait last year, saying there were numerous factors, including a change in engines. As for directing the two games at once, he actually thinks it’s proven advantageous for him.
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For fans of the music in the Kingdom Hearts series, Square Enix confirmed that Utada Hikaru will be returning for the third game’s theme song, which is called “Don’t Think Twice.” You can hear the song in this second new Kingdom Hearts 3 trailer released at D23.
After a strong 2017 with prequel title Yakuza 0 and Yakuza: Kiwami, Sega is continuing Kazuma Kiryu’s journey through the Japanese underworld in Yakuza 6: The Song of Life this year. The game picks up some time after the events of Yakuza 5, with Kiryu returning to the Sunflower Orphanage to find Haruka is missing. Naturally, Kiryu takes it upon himself to solve the mystery of her disappearance, which inevitably embroils him in Yakuza politics once again.
We recently got to spend some hands-on time with Yakuza 6 and have put together a video of the first 30 minutes of gameplay for you to watch. It must be clarified that this isn’t actually the opening of the game, as much of that is spent recounting the events of previous titles and catching players up on the various characters that have been involved in Kiryu’s journey so far. This is instead the first significant chunk of gameplay that becomes available to the player.
As you’ll be able to tell, it’s a familiar setup to previous titles in the series, with players exploring a large, detailed depiction of Kamurocho to find missions, fight gangs of no-goodniks, engage in weird but entertaining side stories, and pump hours into activities such as bowling and karaoke. In the video, we get a decent look at a small slice of the game, mainly focused on combat and exploration, as well as an introduction to the main antagonists.
Early impressions are good, Kamurocho looks better than ever, there’s a greater amount of voiced dialogue, and the game is overflowing with that eccentric Yakuza charm that fans love. Combat has also been streamlined to place less of an emphasis on switching styles, but still feels rewarding and, most importantly, brutal.
“Who are we, if we can’t protect them? We have to protect them…” Paramount has unveiled another official trailer for the sci-fi thriller A Quiet Place, from director John Krasinski, who also stars in this. While there is more footage in this latest trailer, thankfully it doesn’t give anything big away (yet) – they’re still keeping most of it a mystery. Which is perfect because I don’t want it all spoiled. The film is about a family living quietly on a farm, keeping to themselves. Some kind of monsters have taken over the world but they only hunt by sound, so if you stay quiet they can’t find you. Emily Blunt also stars, along with Noah Jupe and Millicent Simmonds (who you may recognize as the deaf actress from Wonderstruck). This has quickly become one of my most anticipated films this year, the little touches in it make all the difference. Can’t wait. ›››
“He’s not just any dog – he’s Benji.” Netflix has debuted the full-length trailer for their new Benji movie, an update/remake of the original classic dog hero movie from the 70s. We posted a short teaser trailer for this last week, but this full trailer actually looks great. The story of Benji follows one orphaned puppy and Carter and Frankie, two capricious New Orleans school kids who strike up a friendship with the tenacious street dog. When they end up kidnapped by robbers who are in over their heads, Benji and his scruffy sidekick come to the rescue. The film stars Kiele Sanchez, Gabriel Bateman, and Darby Camp. It’s directed by Brandon Camp, whose father Joe Camp created the original. This looks quite adorable, really want to see it. ›››
We’re close to wrapping up the awards season with almost all the statutes & prizes handed out, only a few more left – next up are the biggest screenplay awards. The Writers Guild of America has announced the winners of the 2018 WGA Awards. Last year, the big WGA winners were Moonlight (Original), written by Barry Jenkins, and Arrival (Adapted), written by Eric Heisserer adapted from Ted Chiang’s short story; plus Command and Control winning the award for Best Documentary. What have fellow writers determined to be the best scripts of 2017? The winners are Get Out (Original), written by Jordan Peele, plus Call Me By Your Name (Adapted), written by James Ivory adapted from André Aciman’s novel. Brett Morgen also won the Best Documentary award for Jane. These are some of my favorite films, so this is wonderful. ›››
