After finishing The Evil Within 2 I was exhausted, like I’d been through an ordeal. Thinking back on my 20 hours with it, I had. The Evil Within 2 is an ambitious, genuinely tense, and at times brutally difficult experience, but one that left me exhilarated. Like the original before it, The Evil Within 2 may not know how to deliver convincing dialogue or maintain a consistent tone, but it does know that the mark of pure survival horror is to leave you feeling like you only just survived, time after time after time.
Developer Tango Gameworks has done a good job at a cleaner set-up this time around by sending protagonist Sebastian Castellanos to rescue his thought-dead daughter from The Evil Within’s version of the Matrix, called STEM – adding some vital emotional stakes that were lacking in the original. Sebastian himself, on the other hand, is somehow even more dull three years later. Despite having gone through all this once before, he still regularly quips mundanities at the weirdness of it all. Pedestrian lines like “What the hell?” and “Ugh, who comes up with this stuff?” break the horror spell, and most of the time I just wanted him to shut up and let the creepy world around him speak for itself.
2K Sports has announced a new patch for NBA 2K18. Out now on PlayStation 4 and due soon for Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC, the patch adds new content, and also makes changes and fixes many bugs. Starting with the new content this update
Adds “classic” uniforms for the Buckets, Hornets, Lakers, and Suns. Additionally, five new shoes are now in the game, including Lonzo Ball’s Big Baller Brand’s ZO2: Prime, along with the Kobe A.D. NXT, among others. The new customisation options don’t end there, however, as 18 new beard styles (!!!) are added, along with a pair of moustaches. There are also eight facial stubble styles you can choose from.
As for gameplay changes, 2K has introduced “more variety to the types of injuries that can occur in-game.” Thankfully, 2K did not go into further specifics. We hope a Kevin Ware-style injury is not among the new additions. Please no. In other injury update news, the number of left ankle injuries is now “greatly reduced” in user-played games. Yes, it’s really that specific.
Other gameplay changes include making catching passes in the corner more reliable, along with a fix for a dribbling issue. Another change is a pretty funny one: this patch fixes an issue where a player on the losing team would celebrate with the winning team. Whoops!
The Classic Edition uniforms for the Bucks, Hornets, Lakers, and Suns have been added to the game. Look for these to be released in the next roster update!
Five new shoes have been added to the game: BBB ZO2: Prime, Jordan CP3.X AE, Jordan Super.Fly 2017, Nike Foamposite One, and Kobe A.D. NXT. Look for these to be released in the next roster update!
Improvements to the CAP/Lab user interface.
New CAP facial hair: 18 new beards, 2 new mustaches, and introducing 8 facial stubble styles that can be mixed & matched with our various hair styles.
Girth now changes when adjusting weight in roster Create-A-Player.
Added eyebrows and eye colors to the roster Create-A-Player.
Detroit Pistons court floor updated has been updated to their new Platinum Equity floor.
Orlando Magic court floor has been updated.
Player names are no longer cutoff in the uniform editor when creating a uniform.
(Switch) Game no longer suspends when pressing the home button while in a Play With Friends locker room. This will prevent the accidental disconnects reported to us.
(PC) Coaches Clipboard timeout prompt will no longer appear off-screen on 21:9 monitors.
(PC) Mouse support has been added to the MyCOURT Customization menu.
Gameplay
The number of left ankle injuries should now be greatly reduced during user-played games.
Added more variety to the types of injuries that can occur in-game.
Attempting icon passing while posting up will no longer disengage you from post.
More responsive triple threat moves when crowded by a defender.
Fixed a dribbling issue that would cause escape crosses and hesitations to sometimes face sideways.
Made catching passes in the corner more reliable.
Made some improvements to the screen system to improve reliability and user control.
Edited several off-ball ride/deny animations to improve user control and visual fidelity.
Fixed an issue with putback layups that would sometimes cause them to hit the front rim or bottom of the backboard.
Fixed a bug that would cause defenders to pop to a stand while lying on the ground after a hard foul.
Various improvements to the Teammate Grading system.
Fixed issues where defenders were set to GAP, ignoring user and ACE settings.
Fixed a hang that could occur when the ball boy picked up the ball while it’s in play.
“After Foul” animations updated to prevent hands from clipping into the head of another player.
When the offensive team wins a jump ball, the shot clock should now be reset.
Addressed a case where defensive settings inside the Coaches Clipboard were not sticking after being changed.
Fixed an issue where a player on the losing team would sometimes celebrate with the winning team when his team lost the game.
MyCAREER
On-Court shoes are now free for the given shoe company your MyPLAYER has a contract with.
Support for subtitles has been added for the on-court interviews following a played NBA game.
The user’s VC balance will now correctly display the current VC total in the post-game recap following a played NBA game where the received teammate grade was D+ or lower.
XB1 Silver and PS4 Non-Plus users can now play MyCOURT drills with AI players they invite over.
The in-game framerate will no longer hiccup when the ‘My Matchup’ overlay is on the screen.
Fixed a hang that could occur when the coach caught the ball during a live practice.
The shot meter will now display when taking shots outside of the court while playing HORSE in your MyCOURT.
Logos for the events on the event calendar app on the 2K phone should now always appear alongside the correct event.
The Karl Anthony-Towns pre-game scene will no longer repeat every time you play him.
Fixed a hang that would occur when selecting the “I’m always in rhythm” answer upon David Aldridge asking you how you were able to find your rhythm during the current game.
Neighborhood / Playground
New Player Edition NBA Nike Jerseys (and more!) in the NBA Store: Wade, Carmelo, I. Thomas, D. Rose, K. Thompson, D. Green, A. Wiggins, B. Ingram.
The displayed VC balance should now correctly match what was earned after a played Playground game (the earned VC was there all along, but the balance was not always getting refreshed).
A number of performance and stability improvements for the Ruffles event.
Controllers Settings should now apply to Playground games.
Gamertags will no longer cover the turbo meter in Playground games.
Fixed a stutter that would occur when people are playing on the courts and someone levels up.
The correct score will now be attributed to the correct team during in-progress Playground games when queued up on a Got Next spot.
Shots will no longer queue up when playing the mini-basketball game in the 2K Zone, making it easier to develop a smooth rhythm.
The Who To Guard indicator has been re-designed to make it easier for you to quickly identify the offensive player you should be guarding in Playground games.
Player signature walks that incorporated a basketball will now correctly draw the ball when performed in the Playground area of the neighborhood.
(XB1) Fixed an issue where the game became unstable when a team attempted to use custom Pro-Am Away uniforms.
(PC) The shot release text will now provide accurate feedback when using a keyboard to shoot ball in the mini-basketball game located in the 2K Zone.
Pro-Am
Resolved Pro-Am Accessory issues that prohibited them from showing up correctly in the closet.
Users will no longer earn progress toward their badges and cap breakers while the AI plays for them after fouling out in Pro-Am games.
Fixed a case where users were not getting paid their full VC amount after Pro-Am games.
When a team quits out of a Pro-Am game, the remaining team will no longer obtain the badge progress and progress of the team that quit out.
The team overall will now calculate correctly on the loading screen of a Pro-Am game when there is at least one CPU player on the team.
Fixed the issue where arena changes would fail to be applied the first time ‘Save Changes and Exit’ was selected when attempting to make changes to your Pro-Am Team Arena.
MyTEAM
Users can now use strategy cards in Super Max games in MyTEAM.
Strategy cards are now stackable, in quantities of 20.
Non-NBA balls will now properly appear in your home court when set in the Edit Franchise menu.
Users will no longer be automatically taken to the Edit Lineups menu after upgrading a player’s badge.
Users that excessively foul in online multiplayer MyTEAM games will now get kicked and given a loss.
The “Replace Player” option has moved from the Edit Player menu to the Edit Lineup menu for usability improvements.
MyGM/MyLEAGUE
To satisfy a popular community request, the NBA logo has been removed from the created uniform template in MyGM/MyLEAGUE.
The CPU will no longer override user-made decisions during the Qualifying Offers offseason time period.
CPU teams will now be more conscientious of when they should renounce the rights to their players during the offseason.
Fixed a hang that would occur for some users when they were signing a two-way player for the remainder of the season.
Fixed a soft hang during the draft in MyGM/MyLEAGUE when the user attempted to negotiate a trade.
Addressed a fantasy draft issue where certain players were being incorrectly omitted from the selected player pool.
Fixed a case where we were incorrectly determining that a user was trying to maintain the rights to too many Draft & Stash players (it would force you to release a player you should have been able to sign).
Addressed a case where a Draft & Stash player would appear on a G-League roster prior to his signing an NBA contract.
Identified and corrected an issue that would lead to the inability to load your MyGM file. For those previously affected by this, your save will now properly load.
Baskets will now count for the correct amount of points when the league approves the rule change that grants automatic points to be granted on shooting fouls (in lieu of free throws).
Attendance will no longer show as 0% for playoff games in the financial information menu of MyGM.
Earlier this week, Bungie announced that the higher-difficulty version of Destiny 2‘s Raid was delayed eight days due to an exploit it discovered. The exploit would’ve made it impossible to know which team legitimately completed the Prestige Raid first.
Today, Bungie stated that the fix for the exploit won’t go live in time for the Raid’s rescheduled launch. However, the Raid isn’t going to be delayed again–Bungie found a way to verify that teams did not use the exploit to complete the Raid.
There’s no word yet on when the patch for the exploit will be ready, though. “A safe fix is still being investigated for this issue,” Bungie community manager Chris “Cozmo” Shannon wrote. “Our current plan is to deploy it as part of a future update. We’ll give you more details before it’s ready to go.”
The Prestige Raid launches on October 18 at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET / 6 PM BST.
Cozmo also revealed that the studio will share more details about Raid Challenges next week. Presumably, these Challenges will be variations on all or parts of the Raid that’ll give players different encounters and obstacles to overcome. The Challenges “have been designed to make you rethink familiar encounters,” according to Cozmo.
Middle-earth: Shadow of War launched on Tuesday, and just about 24 hours after release, the game’s PC edition had its DRM mechanism cracked, opening it up for free sharing online. According to Eurogamer (via DSOGaming), the PC version uses Denuovo’s DRM system, and it was cracked just a day after launch.
Denuvo’s anti-tampering system, and others, are used to help address piracy. By comparison, Eurogamer reported that Mass Effect: Andromeda‘s DRM system was cracked in 10 days, while Resident Evil 7‘s was brought down in a little under a week.
The Chinese cracking group 3DM said in 2016 that it believed anti-piracy measures on PC games would become so advanced that there might be an end to pirated games by 2018. It doesn’t look like that is going to be the case, however. The technology world is in a state of constant change, with new advancements made all the time.
Shadow of War is out now for PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4. GameSpot’s Shadow of War review scored it a 7/10. Reviewer Justin Haywald wrote, “At its core, it’s a fun experience with brilliant moments that provide fascinating insight into some of the untold stories of Middle-earth. I just wish it had known when to stop.
It was inevitable that “Fallout” was going to be a bit of a letdown. Arrow is coming off its best episode ever, a dramatic finale that culminated with the destruction of Lian Yu and the potential deaths of nearly everyone close to Oliver Queen. There was never any chance that the writers would truly embrace that development and kill off the show’s entire supporting cast. Nor was this episode likely to continue the incredible momentum of “Lian Yu.” But that all being said, I was at least hoping for a stronger start to Season 6 than this episode delivered.
The various casting announcements and set photos of the past few months made it pretty clear that few members of Team Arrow actually met their end on Lian Yu. But you’d think the writers would make at least one or two big sacrifices in order to ensure that Adrian Chase’s master plan had real, lasting consequences for these characters. But as it turns out, only one character is confirmed to have died in the massive explosion – Samantha. And despite being caught in a blast powerful enough to have vaporized her completely, Samantha managed to stay alive and conscious long enough to give Ollie the old “Take care of our son” speech.
In the month since Destiny 2‘s release, fans have already spent countless hours exploring its world and completing all the activities. One of the biggest criticisms of the game that’s arisen is that its endgame isn’t deep or involved enough to support its most dedicated fans. It’s too easy to hit the level cap, the argument goes, and there’s not enough high-level content to keep players going.
In its Weekly Update, Bungie revealed that it has heard this critique and it’s taking it to heart. Although it didn’t provide any specific details, the developer nonetheless said that discussions about endgame improvements are happening internally. Further, Bungie will talk more in depth about its plans to address the problem soon.
“Right now, these discussions are also happening in our studio,” community manager Chris “Cozmo” Shannon wrote. “We are listening, but need time to digest everything and draw up the best plans for the future. We will have more to say on this soon. Please stay tuned, and keep the conversation rolling.”
Russia’s efforts to influence the United States were, and are, expansive, according to the American Intelligence Community and government officials. As we learn more, we are discovering that the scale of the interference efforts is much larger than previously thought–and even Pokemon Go was targeted.
According to a new report from CNN, Russian-linked accounts leveraged the popularity of the mobile game in an effort to play up a divisive topic. Across Tumblr, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter accounts, actors linked to the Kremlin-backed Internet Research Agency posted under the name “Don’t Shoot Us.” The posts and videos all related to police brutality.
The name “Don’t Shoot Us” is likely a reference to “Hand’s Up, Don’t Shoot,” a slogan popularized after the fatal shooting of Michael Brown. The slogan became widespread among Black Lives Matter and social justice activists. According to CNN, the Russian accounts probably hoped to galvanize black activism–and thus possibly spark a counter-reaction against black activists.
In July 2016, the “Don’t Shoot Us” Tumblr account held a competition, which tasked its audience to go out to the locations where alleged police brutality took place and to catch Pokemon in Pokemon Go. They would then have to name their Pokemon after a victim of police brutality–the account used a Hypno named Eric Gardner as an example.
“It’s clear from the images shared with us by CNN that our game assets were appropriated and misused in promotions by third parties without our permission,” developer Niantic told CNN in a statement.
It’s worth reading CNN’s full report; the Don’t Shoot Us account owners have been linked to several other interference efforts, as well. You can check it out here.
Research has discovered accounts and individuals linked to the Russian government and other powerful Russian actors which have attempted to sow discord and divisiveness within Internet communities, with the bulk of the efforts happening before the 2016 Presidential election.
Over the past few weeks, it has become clear that social media giants Facebook, Google, and Twitter were specifically targeted by the interference efforts–and that Russian-linked advertisements were shown to users during the election season. Representatives from these companies will testify in front of the Senate and House of Representatives Intelligence Committees on November 1.
Innovating within the bounds of horror’s familiar tropes and rules is a difficult task, but one that The Evil Within 2 handles with grace. Developer Tango Gameworks cleverly introduces old-school horror design within the confines of a semi-open world that ultimately makes for a refreshing trip into a world of nightmares.
Picking up several years after the first game, we find the former detective Sebastian Castellanos in dire straits, still wracked with guilt over the loss of his family and haunted by his last visit into a nightmare version of reality. When a shadowy organization gives him the chance to set things right with his past and rescue his daughter from the dangerous and unstable world of Union, he willingly re-enters the haunting realm despite his residual trauma.
Right from the beginning, there’s a sense of deja vu as Sebastian wanders the eerie and unreal locations in Union. Despite being one of the few survivors from the first game, he oddly finds himself falling for the same tricks and set-ups that the world and its inhabitants lay out for him. While this could be chalked up to a simple retread, much of these instances make a point of illustrating some key differences from this game and the last.
There’s generally more of an adventurous feel compared to the original’s isolated levels. With more side characters to interact with–opening up moments of dialogue that flesh out the story–and optional events scattered around the world, there’s a level of freedom and variety in The Evil Within 2 that was largely absent from the first game. However, there are a few notable sections where backtracking is required, which slows the pacing and sense of progression to a crawl.
Despite this, exploration is consistently enjoyable, rewarding treks to the places tucked away, where you can find details about Union’s history and meet other characters looking to survive the nightmare. With so many little details that add a lot to atmosphere, there’s a clear respect for The Evil Within’s world. The many nods to original game feel more impactful for it, giving a renewed appreciation for Sebastian’s previous adventure.
Compared to its predecessor’s singular levels in unique chapters, The Evil Within 2 possesses a more organic and interconnected set of places to explore–focusing on several large maps with multiple points of interest. While there’s still plenty of mind-bending and perspective-skewing set pieces, such as a tentacle creature with a large camera for an eye, the explorable spaces are the real standout. In many ways, it’s like traversing through a demented amusement park filled with hideous creations, forcing yourself to face past horrors. Adventuring to places not marked on the map often yields valuable resources, and also leads to some surprising encounters with obsessive ghosts and multiple unnerving, fourth-wall breaking events.
It takes more than just going for the head to take out some of the tougher enemies.
Over time, environments descend into chaos when Union inevitably grows unstable, turning a small town into a horrifying and unnerving shell of its former self. Streets vertically upend, and fire and blood exude from places they shouldn’t. The visual design of The Evil Within 2 successfully juxtaposes vastly different settings and aesthetics, and presents them in a bizarre package that illustrates the erratic and unpredictable nature of the world.
While Sebastian felt more like a mere sketch of a hardened and weary protagonist in his first outing, he feels better realized and more grounded in this sequel, giving a certain gravitas to his struggle. Showing bewilderment and confusion throughout the first game, he’s more confident and determined this time, even throwing in some fitting one-liners that poke fun at some of the dangers in the last game. The supporting cast of villains also feel more active in the ongoing events, and have a greater sense of place this time around–particularly with the eccentric serial killer artist who photographs his victims upon their deaths.
The Evil Within 2 successfully juxtaposes vastly different settings and aesthetics, and presents them in a bizarre package that illustrates the erratic and unpredictable nature of the world.
While there’s occasional moments of cheese and humor throughout–such as the inclusion of a goofy shooting range and collectible toys related to other Bethesda games–the levity never feels out of place, which is an accomplishment considering the game’s pervasive macabre atmosphere.
Putting a greater emphasis on the survival aspect of survival horror, The Evil Within 2 demands resource management and bravery in its relatively spacious world. While common enemies are fewer in number compared to the original game, they’re far more threatening alone and can easily manhandle Sebastian. There’s a thoughtful approach to engagement and progression this time around, which means you’ll have to think twice about whether or not to engage a group of enemies. With that said, you have a sizable arsenal of weapons and gear–including the return of the Crossbow with six different ammo types–to take on the enemies as you see fit.
Some encounters will pull out all the stops to prevent Sebastian from making progress.
Throughout his journey, Sebastian carries a communication device, allowing him to keep track of main objectives, along with points of interest and intel on the fates of side characters in the area. How you go about dealing with these characters and exploring is up to you. Similarly, whether you avoid conflict with enemies or take out as many as possible along the way is down to your preferred playstyle. The Evil Within 2 accommodates those that prefer action as much as those that like to be stealthy. Combat is robust, thanks to improved weapon handling and character upgrading that allows you to focus on the specific areas of Sebastian’s skillset to enhance stealth, combat, and athleticism.
Sebastian can return to the safe haven of his mind to upgrade weapons and skills, and review case files and intel on various characters. With the Green Gel collected from fallen enemies–and the new Red Gel that unlocks upper tier upgrades–the core upgrading system has been greatly improved. Going beyond simply increasing damage of melee strikes and stamina length, new special perks can be unlocked such as the ever-useful Bottle Break skill that uses bottles as self-defense items when grabbed by enemies. Along with the expanded weapon upgrade system, using only weapon parts, the systems of progression feel far more nuanced and open.
Sebastian will have to scavenge for supplies and other materials to make up for the lack of ammo boxes and health items. While this may seem like it can make things easy, efficient crafting can only be done at dedicated workbenches, whereas crafting in the field via the radial inventory menu should be done a last resort as it costs twice as many materials. This crafting element adds a bit of a survivalist feel to The Evil Within 2, where you’re scrounging around corners to find materials, all while avoiding packs of enemies looking to pummel you.
Though the game is challenging even on its standard difficulty level, it’s not unfair, and there are options for multiple playstyles. The standard Survival difficulty mode is manageable, and you won’t find yourself hitting a way due to lack of resources. However, the Nightmare mode raises the stakes, featuring slightly altered combat encounters, harder enemies, and fewer resources to find. If you’re up for a challenge of a different kind, the unlockable Classic mode will disable auto-saves, upgrades, and limit you to a finite amount of saves. In addition to extra unlockables for completing the tougher difficulties, the experiences they offer is more in keeping with the true survival horror experience, where resources are hard to come by, and the enemies are deadlier than before.
There’s a clear respect for the horror genre in The Evil Within 2, with a number of references to classic films and games. The game channels that style and tone into combat that feels brutal and raw, stealth that has an air of suspense, and unsettling confrontations with dangerous, otherworldly creatures. The Evil Within 2 doubles down on the core of what makes survival horror games great: the focus on disempowerment and obstacles, and the ensuing satisfaction that comes with surviving a harrowing assault.
Though there’s some occasional technical hiccups that result in some particularly frustrating moments and weird pacing issues, this horror sequel elevates the tense and impactful survival horror experience in ways that feel fresh and exciting. What this cerebral horror game does isn’t totally new, but it rarely feels routine, and offers plenty of surprises. Coming in at a lengthy and surprisingly packed 15-hour campaign, the sequel does an admirable job of ratcheting up the tension and scares when it needs to, while also giving you the freedom to explore and proceed how you want. It’s a tough thing to balance, but The Evil Within 2 does it remarkably well, and in a way that leaves a strong and lasting impression after its touching conclusion.
Penned by Gotham star Ben McKenzie, who’s previously stepped behind the camera to direct an episode, “The Demon’s Head” felt like a run-of-the-mill chase episode for the series (someone’s being hunted, Jim has to find someone, etc) with the exception that Ra’s al Ghul was the one doing the chasing (or, his dog-man Anubis was at least) and the outcome seemed to hold serious consequences for Bruce.
Admittedly, as soon as I saw that the story pivoted around the fate and well-being of a young boy (in this case, Benjamin Stockham’s Alex), I expected the worse. But not only did Alex help us see just how much Bruce had changed and hardened, for a teen his age, compared to his peers, but we also heard from Alex what all the other kids think of him. That he’s some sort of reclusive “weirdly cool” Howard Hughes-type who just holes up in his mansion all day and ditches school. Yes, the fact that Bruce doesn’t go to school got a nice shout-out.
