An entry for Outlast 2 listed on the Australian Government’s Classification Board website has confirmed that on March 21st 2017, Outlast was given the R18+ rating, with warnings of “high impact horror themes, violence, blood, gore, and sex.”
The ruling comes roughly a week after the game’s initial classification refusal, which stated that Outlast 2 was found to: “depict, express or otherwise deal with matters of sex, drug misuse or addiction, crime, cruelty, violence or revolting or abhorrent phenomena in such a way that they offend against the standards of morality, decency and propriety generally accepted by reasonable adults to the extent that they should not be classified.”
In a report obtained by Kotaku, it appeared as if scenes of “implied sexual violence” were a significant factor in the board’s original decision to refuse classification.
It’s unclear what caused the Classification Board to alter their original decision, but what we do know is that the contents of Outlast 2 were not altered in any way during resubmission, and that Australia will receive the same game as everyone else.
In a statement provided to Press-Start, developer Red Barrels confirmed: “Outlast 2 has been rated R18+ by the Classification Branch in Australia and will be released 26th April 2017. There will be only one version of Outlast 2 available worldwide.”
The Power Rangers are finally back on the big screen, and instead of being a camp, kiddie focused feature, this newest incarnation is like The Breakfast Club meets The Avengers, mixing a teen drama in a superhero origin story. Jason (Dacre Montgomery), the school’s star football player meets Billy (RJ Cyler) and Kimberly (Naomi Scott) in Saturday detention. Billy is a technical genius, while Kimberly is a cheerleader on the outs with her squad. The ragtag group soon are joined by Zack (Ludi Lin), a reckless classmate who rarely attends school, and Trini (Becky G), the “new girl” and outsider in their their hometown of Angel Grove. The first two acts of the movie centers around the teens getting to know each other as they’re chosen to become Power Rangers in order to protect the world from the villainous Rita Repulsa (Elizabeth Banks).
During the group’s journey to become true Power Rangers, we learn more about this band of misfits and the complications they face in their lives. The movie successfully establishes the team as flawed and makes them more relatable, compared to the uninspiring versions in the original series. The same could even be said for the Power Rangers’ mentor, Zordon (Bryan Cranston), who the team find trapped inside an ancient spaceship. In part due to his slightly different backstory, Zordon comes across as a little harsh to the teens due to Rita’s threat to the world and a surprisingly selfish motive on his part.
While the film is less campy than the original series, it’s not a completely dreary movie. The chemistry between the actors is palpable, and there are plenty of moments of levity as they interact with each other and learn how to adjust to their new Power Rangers abilities. The inclusion of the quirky robot Alpha 5 (voiced by Bill Hader) further provides comedic relief as he helps train the Rangers.
Surprisingly, there’s really only a few action scenes in the film, and there’s also a lack of meaningful exploration of the character of Rita Repulsa. Having less action than expected in a big blockbuster movie and not fully fleshing out a villain are risky moves, but it does offer a strong payoff in the end here. A big-action movie like this needs an over-the-top villain like Rita, but it’s the characters’ bonds that carry the story in the film. Rita’s motives are never fully explained–other than a villain’s typical lust for ultimate power. Rita’s character feels closer to the original TV incarnation instead of having a deeper take similar to the teens, Zordon, and Alpha 5. Elizabeth Banks delivers a fine performance with what she has to work with, though this Rita simply isn’t a compelling villain.
The fight-scene visuals are heavy with CG elements–and a big departure from the original series’ low-budget scenes. The CG scenes sometimes contain too much CG, giving an unbalanced feel when compared to those taking place in the teens’ home and school. The effects to shine when the team morphs into their Power Rangers armor. Seeing the in-costume Rangers fighting Rita’s Putty Patrollers does an excellent job of balancing the old-school cheesy vibe with modern movie visuals. The days of spandex clad and rubber creatures are over. The Rangers’ hand-to-hand combat can also be displayed with more flare and on a grander scale compared to the past incarnations.
Despite convincing performances during the character bonding moments from the Power Rangers actors, the lack of big-action scenes are a letdown. Diehard fans will want to see the Rangers’ Zords or the Megazord vehicles fighting giant monsters but that action is mostly contained in the climactic battle. The franchise is known for its over the top action, and there just isn’t enough here.
Minimal gigantic Megazord action aside, Power Rangers may be just another big-budget Hollywood reboot, but unlike some like 2001’s Planet of the Apes or 2010’s Clash of the Titans, it’s got plenty of charm. It’s an appealing blend that captures the source material’s essence while simultaneously making sure it stands on its own–and with characters you’ll want to see return in a potential sequel.
Tomorrow Nintendo kicks off the “global testfire” event for its upcoming Switch shooter Splatoon 2, but you can get an early look at the game’s weapons in action through the videos below (via the official Splatoon blog).
Inkjet
Tenta Missiles
Splashdown
Sting Ray
Splat Dualies
Splattershot
Splat Roller
Splat Charger
Curling Bomb
You can check out the full list of (very limited) opportunities to try out the game yourself during the testing phase here, but the demo version of the game is available on the Nintendo Switch eShop for download right now. And in case you won’t get a chance to play it yourself, you can watch us livestream the game on Friday, March 23 at noon PST by checking out our homepage.
Splatoon 2 is a Nintendo Switch exclusive, and it currently has a tentative release date of “summer” 2017.
Neither Pokemon Go developer Niantic nor publisher The Pokemon Company have mentioned that shiny versions of their popular critters would be coming to the game soon, despite both a recent patch and new Water-type event. However, since the only shiny Pokemon sighted so far have been this Water-type pairing, it may be that these rare versions are tied into that event. It remains to be seen whether yellow Magikarp and red Gyarados will be available once the events ends on March 29.
Shiny Pokemon were first introduced in Pokemon Gold and Silver. Red Gyarados played a major part in those games, and it’s catchable for every player at the Lake of Rage. Most shiny Pokemon are extremely rare in the mainline series, however: the probability of a random creature being shiny is around 1 in 8000.
In Pokemon Go, it’s apparently not made clear on the game’s overworld whether a Pokemon is shiny–you’ll only discover its color once you enter battle. Be warned, however: one user reported sighting a shiny Magikarp, only for it to be revealed as a regular pink Ditto. Heartbreaking.
In addition to shiny variants, fans have been requesting legendary Pokemon to be introduced for some time now. Niantic has responded by saying legendaries will be available to catch by the end of the year, though how rare they’ll be remains to be seen.
Kids undergoing treatment at Seattle Children’s Hospital have new reason to smile: Gamers Outreach has donated 10 next-generation gaming kiosks with the help of Xbox.
Each medical-grade ‘GO Kart’ (Gamers Outreach Kart) includes a Xbox One console, monitor, controllers, and several games. The hospital says the kiosks go a long way in providing a distraction for the kids, helping them feel “normal” and giving them a fun, social environment.
The kiosks also come with a mechanical lift so they can lowered and played from a child’s bedside.
Courtesy: Xbox
“It’s amazing to see this project come to life after a year of planning,” said Zach Wigal, founder of Gamers Outreach.
“With our next generation of GO Karts, we’re able to deliver these kiosks more efficiently, and ultimately have a much greater impact in the lives of the kids and families going through hospitalization,” he said.
So far, Gamers Outreach (with donations from the Xbox community) has donated 36 ‘GO Karts’ to 19 hospitals in the US. Wigal says the charity’s goal is to put a gaming kiosk in every children’s hospital across the country.
Next month, Gamers Outreach will hold its annual fundraiser Gamers For Giving. The two-day LAN party will bring thousands of players and supports to Michigan, with the aim of raising $200,000 to get more ‘GO Karts’ into hospitals by the end of the year.
For the first time ever, E3 is opening its doors to the public at the Los Angeles Convention Center on June 13-15th. You can enter for a chance to win two passes to the premier event for computer, video and mobile games, plus $2,000 towards accommodations and airfare.
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. MUST BE 21+ TO ENTER. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. Open to legal residents of the United States and Washington DC (EXCLUDING RESIDENTS OF ALASKA, HAWAII, MICHIGAN, PUERTO RICO, RHODE ISLAND, OVERSEAS MILITARY INSTALLATIONS, AND OTHER U.S. TERRITORIES). Sweepstakes begins at 12:00 p.m. ET on 3/22/2017 and ends at 11:59:59 p.m. ET on 4/28/2017. ARV: $2,498. No. of Winners: 1. Certain restrictions may apply. Odds of winning depend upon number of entries received. Sponsor: Glixel LLC, 1290 Avenue of the Americas, Floor 2, New York, NY 10104.
After it was confirmed last week that Sony is making a Spider-Man spinoff focused on Venom, it’s now been reported that another spinoff, centered around Silver Sable and Black Cat, is in the works.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Thor: Ragnarok writer Chris Yost is working on the script. He’s reportedly expanding on an earlier version penned by Westworld co-creator Lisa Joy.
“The studio is hoping to go to directors soon with an eye on a fall start date,” THR said.
The female characters Silver Sable and Black Cat have been friends and enemies of Spider-Man over the years. You can learn more about them on GameSpot sister site Comic Vine’s character pages: Silver Sable, Black Cat.
There is no word yet on a title for the film or a release date. We’ll report back with more details as they become available.
The next Spider-Man movie is this summer’s Spider-Man: Homecoming, which stars Tom Holland as the web-slinger. There is already a sequel in the works.
After a few teasers, the first full-length trailer for Fargo Season 3 has arrived–and it’s pretty great.
Posted on Twitter, the video focuses on the two characters that actor Ewan McGregor plays. As you can see, the brothers Ray and Emmit are two very different people. Something bad is going to happen, as what begins as sibling rivalry escalates to murder, according to an official description for Season 3 posted by Deadline. It also appears that Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s character will play a central role.
Other new cast members for Fargo Season 3 include David Thewlis (Harry Potter series), Michael Stuhlbarg (A Serious Man), Carrie Coon (Gone Girl), and comedian Jim Gaffigan.
Production on Fargo Season 3 took place in Calgary. The show was created by Noah Hawley (Bones, Legion); Joel and Ethan Coen, the directors of Fargo the movie, are executive producers.
Rogue One already closes out by setting up the beginning of Star Wars: A New Hope, but one person has gone through the trouble of more directly connecting the two.
The video below from Vimeo user Barre Fong seamlessly blends about nine minutes of the two movies into one extended sequence. This is the second version of the video, featuring a modified music mix and an added sound effect for leaving hyperspace.
Update: The Dropshot update is out now. You can see the full patch notes here.
Original story: Psyonix’s soccer-with-cars game Rocket League grows today with the launch of a new update that adds the cool-looking Dropshot mode that basically reinvents the game. Specifically, the free update lands at 3 PM PT / 6 PM ET / 10 PM GMT, Psyonix said on Twitter.
Dropshot sounds like craziest of the bunch so far, at least in terms of setup. As we reported when the mode was announced earlier this month, matches take place in a hexagonal arena that’s divided down the middle and overlaid with a grid of smaller hexagons. There are no fixed goals or scoring areas; instead, players must break through the floor on their opponents’ half of the field by knocking the ball downward.
Rocket League’s new update today also adds Easter-themed items, including an Easter Egg Antenna, Easter Basket Topper, and the Bunny Ears Topper. These items will be distributed randomly as post-game drops for all online playlists, but only until April 17.
Psyonix also confirmed that the game’s third competitive season ends today at 2:30 PM PT / 5:30 PM ET / 9:30 PM GMT, immediately preceding the launch of the update.
