The basic concept for Final Fantasy 7 Remake’s boss battles originated in Yonkama Manga, a classic comic style based around telling a story in four panels.
The insight was revealed as part of the Inside Final Fantasy VII Remake docu-series, a set of videos from Square Enix that offer a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the development of the Remake project.
Near the end of the video, Lead Battle Designers Tomotaka Shiroichi and Kosuke Sakane talk about how the boss battles in Final Fantasy 7 Remake were inspired by Yonkama, a four-panel manga style from Japan.
Yonkoma is usually seen as a comic style made up of four panels in a vertical column, which follows a famous structure known as Kishotenketsu. As Shiroichi explains, the core parts of this structure include an introduction, a middle part, a development and a conclusion.
The developers go on to explain how this works in the context of Final Fantasy, their words supplemented by footage of the Abzu boss fight from Final Fantasy 7 Remake. In the footage, the player encounters the beast and is on the back foot, but then studies its special moveset and counters with targeted attacks, leading to its defeat.
“Encounter the enemy and start the battle in Phase 1, show each other’s hand and the boss takes lead in Phase 2, In Phase 3, the boss shows you the signature attacks and the players start fighting back,” Shiroichi explains. “That’s when bosses start revealing their weaknesses – Phase 4 is the climax and introduces the next part of the storyline!”
The battle designers note that the boss battles in Final Fantasy 7 Remake follow this pattern and as such, connect key events within the story by following those four steps from Yonkama manga.
According to Shiroichi, each phase should also display Jo-Ha-Kyu, a Japanese concept of movement that he describes as a “slow start, swift break, and rapid end.” The video contains a number of other details about how the team behind Final Fantasy 7 Remake approached the game’s combat, including a section interviewing the game’s director Tetsuya Nomura about balancing the old-school hallmarks of Final Fantasy 7’s ATB system with the demands of a modern audience.
Rockstar Games has announced that it will donate 5% of its online revenue to COVID-19 relief efforts.
The news was revealed in a post from the Rockstar Games Twitter account, where the company explained that, from April 1, 5% of in-game purchases in GTA Online and Red Dead Online will go towards COVID-19 relief. The donation period will last until the end of May.
This means that a percentage of the price of Rockstar’s in-game microtransactions like Gold Bars in Red Dead Online and Shark Cards in GTA Online will go towards helping aid those who have been affected by COVID-19.
“These funds will be used to help local communities and businesses struggling with the impacts of COVID-19, both directly and by supporting some of the amazing organizations who are on the ground,” the statement reads.
The decision was made after the team had noticed that communities around Rockstar offices in “North America, the UK, India and beyond” were facing hardship due to the pandemic, with small businesses closing doors and those who need government support unable to access it. “The road ahead will be challenging, and we want to help where we can,” the statement reads.
You know the name, but how much do you really know about Blade? Marvel’s sunglasses-clad vampire hunter has been slaying bloodsuckers in comic book pages since 1973. He hit the mainstream with the release of his Wesley Snipes-starring horror-action film in 1998, although the character went through quite a few changes from his comic counterpart in that adaptation. Two more blockbuster movies would cement his status as the monster who scares the monsters.
At 2019’s San Diego Comic-Con, Marvel set Hall H ablaze with the news that Mahershala Ali would be taking over the iconic character in the MCU. So let’s learn more about Blade and his comic book roots to get an idea of where a new direction might take him in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. These are the topics we’ll be covering here:
Blade, whose real name is Eric Brooks, was practically born a vampire slayer. His mother was turned into a vampire mere moments before his birth, which granted him supernatural abilities including long life and immunity to vampire bites. He became a hunter of the undead with the driving desire to claim vengeance on Deacon Frost, the monster that bit his mother.
“For me, it’s only ever been about makin’ them pay,” he said in Blade: Crescent City Blues. “I’m a vampire hunter. I never claimed to be a hero.”
His quest for revenge would not only lead him to Frost, but ultimately into fights against the undead and other supernatural horrors alongside allies like Doctor Strange, Wolverine, Gwenpool, the X-Men, and the Avengers.
In 1929, Eric was born in England to a woman named Tara Brooks. (His father was Lucas Cross, a Latverian dissident who was arrested for treason; he had sent his wife away for her safety.) Eric’s mother died in childbirth when the “doctor” called in to assist with labor drained her of blood instead—with the help of two very sharp fangs. The fiend’s name? Deacon Frost.
Eric was born with an immunity to a vampire’s bite thanks to his dual nature of both human and vampire, but he was already an orphan. His mother’s friends raised the young boy until he was old enough to learn how to fight under the tutelage of Jamal Afari. The elder vampire hunter taught him everything he knew about the undead, investigation, and close combat. Eventually his prowess with weapons earned young Eric the nickname Blade.
True to his name, Blade brandished blades of all types, from teak wood daggers for staking to a lethal double-edged sword. He used them without mercy against any vampire who got in his way, whether the undead was an ancient horror or a recently turned innocent child.
Blade’s Powers and Abilities
Due to his dual nature as a dhampir — also called a Daywalker — Blade has a heightened awareness of the supernatural and he cannot be turned into a vampire. While not immortal, Blade ages much more slowly than a human.
Morbius and Blade clashed on more than one occasion; Morbius bit the hunter on the arm in one confrontation (Peter Parker: Spider-Man #8). Blade was not immune to the living vampire’s unique physiology. As a result, Blade gained even more vampiric abilities like super strength and agility and regenerative healing, but also fangs and a thirst for blood.
He is highly trained in martial arts and is an expert marksman—especially with silver bullets locked and loaded.
Blade vs. Dracula
Blade’s Signature Villains
No matter the vampire he faced, Blade was undaunted. As he hunted Frost, Blade crossed paths with vampires from the smallest lackey all the way to Dracula himself. He took out the Lord of Vampires more than once. The two have a long history of facing off (and even occasionally teaming up) ever since Blade’s original appearance in 1973, including as part of the X-Men event Curse of the Mutants and in the 2019 Avengers storyline War of the Vampires.
But he remained single-minded in his pursuit of Deacon Frost. The vampire had the unique ability to create doppelgängers of anyone he had turned and was capable of making a decoy of himself as well. Any doppelgänger he created was under his complete control. Blade would battle against copies of himself, his friends, and Frost before their final confrontation in 2005’s Tomb of Dracula #4.
Later, in the aftermath of the Infinity storyline, Eric Brooks joined the Mighty Avengers to fight against an old foe, the immortal Deathwalkers. He wished to remain anonymous so his undead enemies wouldn’t find him; he donned a store-bought Spider-Man costume and posed as “Spider Hero.” Later he would find Ronin’s costume in a box that belonged to Clint Barton and assume that masked identity for a time. He revealed his face to both his foes and readers in Mighty Avengers #9.
Most moviegoers picture Blade in the form of Wesley Snipes thanks to his incredibly successful trilogy of explosive movies that began in 1998. In the film version of the character, Blade was born with all of the vampire powers such as super strength and reflexes but with none of their weaknesses. He was born in Detroit, and, true to his comics history, his mother was bitten by Frost while pregnant.
In another nod to his comics past, Blade works with an older mentor in the trilogy. Eventually he teams up with other bad-ass vampire hunting allies, including Hannibal King (played by Ryan Reynolds), a classic Marvel character that originally made his debut in the Tomb of Dracula comics alongside Blade.
The Blade films are often credited with electrifying audiences and kicking off the superhero movie surge that has dominated the box office in recent years.
Wesley Snipes played Blade in three films, beginning in 1998.
Marvel’s Blade in TV and Games
TV: A short-lived Blade TV series made its debut on Spike TV in 2006 following the third movie. In the series, Blade’s roots are again in Detroit, where he hunts a vampire named Marcus Van Sciver with the help of a new vampire named Krista. Only twelve episodes of the action-packed series were produced. Blade has appeared in animation as well, from the 1990s Spider-Man cartoon to Ultimate Spider-Man and Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. ( where he was voiced by Terry Crews). He even starred in his own anime.
Games: He’s also shown up in several Marvel video games, including movie tie-in games, Marvel Ultimate Alliance, Marvel Puzzle Quest, Marvel Heroes, Marvel Contest of Champions, Lego Marvel Super Heroes 1 and 2, and most recently Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order.
As Marvel wrapped up another earth-shattering panel in Hall H at the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con, they had one last surprise for the ecstatic audience. Mahershala Ali joined Kevin Feige on the stage to announce that a new Blade film is in the works for the near future. While the vampire hunter probably won’t be joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe until after Phase 4 is complete, excitement is already growing for his introduction.
Given Blade’s early stories with Doctor Strange, the two could make for a magical movie team-up that adds supernatural horror to the MCU. Blade also has a long comics history with both Spider-Man and Morbius, easily opening the way for his entry into the Sony side of the Marvel movies. No matter who he takes along on his blood-filled quest for vengeance, we can’t wait to see how his introduction will change the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Kelly Knox is a freelance writer who also contributes to StarWars.com, DCComics.com, Nerdist, and more. Follow her on Twitter at @kelly_knox to talk Star Wars, Dungeons & Dragons, and comics.
April has arrived, and Niantic is kicking off the month with a new event in Pokemon Go. The Tricky Pokemon event is underway for a limited time, and it introduces a new Gen 5 Pokemon to the game, as well as a couple of new Shiny forms.
Until 10 PM local time on April 7, Pokemon that specialize in mimicry–such as Voltorb, Ditto, Sudowoodo, and Foongus–will appear in the wild more often than normal. You’ll also have a chance of finding Shiny versions of Sudowoodo and Croagunk during the event.
Are you a class clown? 🤡 A trickster? 🤪 A jokester? 🃏 An event featuring some well-known Pokémon pranksters and masters of disguise is coming your way, Trainers! https://t.co/bhKRMZANRApic.twitter.com/88DNNwpikY
The first seasonal event in Switch’s just-released Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Bunny Day, is now live. The game’s take on Easter involves acquiring eggs hidden all around your island, acquiring new recipes, and crafting new furniture and decorations. Bunny Day is available as part of a free update released just prior to launch; simply make sure your game is up-to-date and you’ll be able to dive in when you open the game.
Zipper T. Bunny has appeared on the island and will be sticking around through April 12, which marks Bunny Day itself. Speaking with him will reward you with a DIY recipe and get you the basic details of what’s going on during the event. You can acquire eggs in a variety of ways, including:
Leaf egg — trees
Stone eggs — rocks
Water eggs — fishing
Sky eggs — popping Bunny Day-colored balloons
Earth eggs — digging up fossil-style cracks
Wood eggs — hitting trees with an axe
Recipes you obtain–which include the Bunny Day fence, stool, bed, and glowy garland–are crafted using eggs you catch. Zipper teases that if you’re able to acquire every recipe and craft its corresponding item, he’ll have a special gift for you. More recipes will be hidden during the event, so it sounds as if you won’t be able to necessarily complete your collection on the first day.
Bethesda’s vast library of games total thousands, if not tens of thousands, of hours of gameplay. Just think about how much time you’ve dropped into Skyrim over the years, and multiply that by the total number of open-world RPGs in Bethesda’s library to get a rough idea of how you can spend the next 3 months of your life.
Green Man Gaming currently has a sale on Bethesda games, including Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Wolfenstein, Doom and way more. If you want to immerse yourself in the sometimes-janky, but content-full worlds of Bethesda games, now is an awesome time to add a few more to your library.
The Green Man Gaming Bethesda Easter Sale runs from now until April 14, so you have a good amount of time to decide if you really want to drop $5 on Oblivion. For me personally? I’m definitely considering it, although I’ve heard it doesn’t hold up all these years later. Still, I really loved Oblivion and the price is right, so maybe I’ll roll the dice?
Now’s the perfect time to bring a little Bethesda into your life, since it just announced it won’t be holding a digital E3 conference.
In the last update for Season 2 of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, developer Infinity Ward is bringing back an intense spin on Gunfight, introducing a new variant to Cyber Attack, and having a little fun with April Fools’ Day.
Gunfight will see the return of a Snipers-Only 3v3 playlist, which is pretty self-explanatory. The regular 2v2 mode will add another play to each team and cycle through snipers only, making the cramped and quick matches a real test of precision.
Cyber Attack is also getting a new spin with a Pro variant, which removes the need to revive teammates and automatically respawns them back into the game. This should give the mode a much more chaotic feel, as players can return to the action a lot faster than before.
If you’re signed up for a ComiXology Unlimited subscription and want to read the best Batman stories the service has to offer, then you’re in the right place. We’ve compiled a list of the greatest Batman comics and graphic novels available to read right now with a subscription.
ComiXology is a digital comics platform where you can purchase and read comics on your device of choice — desktop, laptop, tablet, or smart phone. ComiXology Unlimited is a subscription service where for a monthly fee you’re granted access to a library of over 25,000 select titles (and for a limited time there’s a 60-day free trial period). Note that ComiXology Unlimited is only available in the U.S.
Before you dive into our list, know that in some cases only part of a series is available to read on ComiXology Unlimited, meaning you’ll have to pay for the rest if you want to continue reading the whole story. We’ll point that out where appropriate and offer our best suggestions on how to proceed from there.
You can check out the list by flipping through the slideshow below or keep scrolling to read it as an article.
For what’s arguably the best Batman story of the past decade, it may come as a shock that The Black Mirror doesn’t even feature Bruce Wayne under the cowl. That’s right, this articulately structured thriller follows Dick Grayson during his time as the Dark Knight and shows him faced with a pair of mysteries as complex as they are horrifying. This tale not only proves without a doubt that Dick deserved to take up Bruce’s mantle but adds exciting new aspects to Gotham City and the Gordon family, making for a fresh and enthralling read. The final page still manages to leave us with chills every. single. time.
Batman: Hush
By Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee
If you’ve never set aside the time to read Hush, now’s your chance. The complete story is on ComiXology Unlimited and is considered a modern Batman classic. Introducing a new villain that’s just as formidable and intriguing as any member of the Rogues Gallery you already know and love, Batman: Hush is an incredibly personal tale for the Dark Knight rendered with gorgeous visuals. -Kelly Knox
Batman: The Long Halloween
By Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale
Another Batman classic that you can read in its entirety, The Long Halloween takes place during Bruce Wayne’s early days as the Dark Knight. A mysterious foe known as Holiday only kills once per month on, you guessed it, holidays. Batman races against time to find the killer before another victim is claimed in this timeless thriller that features numerous iconic Batman foes. -Kelly Knox
Batman: Year One
By Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli
Maybe THE Batman book, Frank Miller’s Batman: Year One is a retelling of the Dark Knight’s origin in a gritty Gotham. Bruce Wayne, only 25 years old, returns home at the same time police officer Jim Gordon moves to Gotham with his wife. Bruce dons the cape and cowl to take on mob boss Carmine Falcone. -Kelly Knox
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
By Frank Miller
The most iconic and influential Batman comic of all time, The Dark Knight Returns shows an aged Bruce Wayne coming out of retirement to battle the corruption of his beloved Gotham City. A must read for any new Batman fan (and a must re-read if you’re a longtime fan and it’s been a while). Only two of four issues are available on ComiXology Unlimited and we must say it’s worth grabbing the other two to finish the tale.
Batman: White Knight
By Sean Gordon Murphy
What if Joker was the hero and Batman was the villain? This inventive spin on the familiar Batman formula takes place in an alternate universe where nothing is as it seems and will make you question everything you’ve ever thought about these two iconic characters and what makes them tick. Only two of eight issues are available on ComiXology Unlimited, so use that as a sampler to see if you enjoy this strange spin before committing to the whole thing.
Batman: Knightfall
By various artists and writers
One of Batman’s most memorable defeats came when Bane broke his back. This is that story. At this point in time, Bane was a newly introduced character, as was Azrael, so reading this comic will take you back to when both characters were fresh to readers and no one knew what to expect or how they would forever impact Batman’s legacy. Knightfall is the first volume in a trilogy that can be enjoyed by itself, but you’ll need to shell out for Knightquest and KnightsEnd for the full story.
Batman: The War of Jokes and Riddles
By Tom King and Mikel Janin
This story sees Batman finally pop the big question to Catwoman, but before she answers, he wants to confess his darkest secret, so he tells her the story of his role in a massive turf war between the Joker and the Riddler aptly called “The War of Jokes and Riddles” that took place after his first year as Batman. Even though this is an eight-part storyline in the middle of Tom King’s long-running Batman series, it can easily be read by itself as a standalone graphic novel because it tells a concise story featuring a younger Batman towards the beginning of his crime fighting career and all of the villains appear in their most iconic form. This story is the highlight of King’s Batman run and is gorgeously drawn by master artist Mikel Janin, making it a modern Batman classic.
For a hearty comics meal to binge, check out the New 52 run on Batman by writer Scott Snyder and artist Greg Capullo. This run pits Batman against the deadly and mysterious Court of Owls, the Joker, and the Riddler in a series of epic arcs that push the Dark Knight to the breaking point. This run has been heralded as one of the most introspective and fresh takes on Batman over his many years. The first six volumes of this 10-volume run are available to read on ComiXology Unlimited, which is more than enough to deliver a satisfying experience.
All-Star Batman
By Scott Snyder, John Romita Jr, Jock, Tula Lotay and Giuseppe Camuncoli
If you’re looking for a more focused and action-packed read, then try out All-Star Batman. The first volume features a story where Batman must escort Two-Face across the nation in order to finally restore the villain’s scarred face, only for virtually every assassin in DC canon to show up and try to stop him. It’s like Max Max: Fury Road set in the DC Universe. The second volume shows Batman going up against Mr. Freeze. Poison Ivy, and Mad Hatter to stop an apocalyptic scheme from destroying the world. There’s a third volume of All-Star Batman that’s not included in ComiXology Unlimited. Each volume is fairly self-contained, plus the third volume features new characters you may not be familiar with (Nemesis and The First Ally).
Batman: Detective Comics – Rise of the Batmen
By James Tynion IV, Eddy Barrows and Alvaro Martinez
Batman and Batwoman are the two most experienced crime fighters in Gotham City, but they know they won’t last forever, so this story sees them training the next generation of heroes. The team consists of Tim Drake/Red Robin, Stephanie Brown/Spoiler, Cassandra Cain/Orphan, and, in a surprisingly delightful twist, a reformed Basil Karlo/Clayface looking for redemption. This is a suspenseful and emotional read that ups the stakes for the Bat-family and explores their complicated and often conflicting views on how to live the life of a vigilante. There are seven volumes in this run, but strangely on ComiXology Unlimited after volume one it jumps to volumes four, five and six, so you’ll have to purchase the middle volumes yourself.
Batman R.I.P.
By Grant Morrison and Tony S. Daniel
While everything else on this list can easily be picked up and enjoyed regardless of your comics-reading experience, Batman RIP is infamous for being one of the most challenging comics even for longtime Batman readers. As the ominous title implies, the story shows what would happen if Batman were no more, leaving the Club of Villains to ransack an all-but defenseless Gotham City. But what follows is a great deal more complicated as we witness Bruce Wayne’s mental breakdown and dive headfirst into a nightmarish fever dream composed of decades-old Batman references and a merging of plot threads from across Morrison’s long-running Batman saga. We said it was challenging! But while some fans consider it one of the worst Batman stories to date, others regard it as one of the most ingenious. If you’ve got ComiXology Unlimited, may as well take a shot at it to see what you think.
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Want even more out of your ComiXoloy Unlimited subscription? Check out this list of the best bingeable comics available on the service:
Joshua is Senior Features Editor at IGN. If Pokemon, Green Lantern, or Game of Thrones are frequently used words in your vocabulary, you’ll want to follow him on Twitter @JoshuaYehl and IGN.
With the COVID-19 pandemic forcing much of the world into self-isolation, being able to find affordable respite has rarely been a more pressing concern. Today we take a look at three recent indie games that deliver us relief, letting us escape to a better place and refocus on finding a connection with others.
WWE 2K20 and some of the brand’s most iconic wrestlers are coming together to entertain you during your coronavirus (COVID-19) quarantine. The WWE Dream Match Mania event will simulate matches between some of the biggest wrestlers in history, and it will have commentary from real WWE superstars to back it up.
Airing April 2 at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET on WWE’s platforms as well as YouTube, Twitter, Twitch, and Facebook, WWE Dream Match Mania will consist of six simulated matches.
Roman Reigns vs. The Rock with commentary from Jimmy and Jey Uso
Sasha Banks vs. Trish Stratus with commentary from Sasha Banks and Bayley
John Cena vs. Hulk Hogan with commentary from R-Truth and Drake Maverick
Seth Rollins vs. Rick Flair with commentary from Johnny Gargano and Adam Cole
Charlotte Flair vs. Beth Phoenix with commentary from both wrestlers
Goldberg vs. Big E with commentary from Big E and Kofi Kingston
Alongside WWE Network and its own platforms, you’ll be able to watch the event on UpUpDownDown’s social media platforms. UpUpDownDown is the gaming channel run by Xavier Woods, otherwise known as WWE superstar Xavier Woods.
