Eager to learn even more about your favorite video game franchises, consoles, and the history behind them? If so, you’re going to love Every Ever, our encyclopedic series that takes a deep dive into the most iconic titles, characters, and series in all of gaming, and breaks them down with expert analysis.
Join us in Episode 3 as we take a comprehensive look at the incredible history of Mario, who appeared in over two hundred games. The beloved Nintendo mascot, who’s revitalized an industry and saved the Mushroom Kingdom a hundred times over, has led the Nintendo library for nearly as long as the company’s made video games.
Saudi Arabia has just granted citizenship to Sophia, the Hanson Robotics robot.
As reported by TechCrunch, the announcement was made during the Future Investment Initiative conference in Saudi Arabia.
While the announcement lacked details on what that citizenship might mean, this is the first time citizenship has been granted to an artificial life-form.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is set to expand in some interesting new directions with the release of Thor: Ragnarok. Not only are we basically getting a Planet Hulk adaptation squeezed into our Thor sequel, the film is tackling one of the most fascinating pieces of Thor’s mythology – Ragnarok. This is very fertile ground for the MCU. Ragnarok is a vital piece of Thor’s story, and it’s been at the heart of many of the best Thor storylines over the past few decades.
While I recommend reading Arnold Blumberg’s Ragnarok Explained feature for more on this particular Thor trope, the gist is that Thor and his fellow gods are constantly under the threat of extinction. As in classic Norse mythology, the gods of Asgard are bound by a cycle of death and rebirth that unfolds every couple thousand years. The exact catalyst and circumstances may change, but the end result is usually the same.
The decision to close Visceral Games and refocus the studio’s Star Wars project wasn’t made because it was a single-player title, according to Electronic Arts executive vice president Patrick Söderlund.
“This truly isn’t about the death of single-player games—I love single-player, by the way—or story and character-driven games,” Söderlund told Kotaku. “Storytelling has always been part of who we are, and single-player games will of course continue.”
He went on to note that the publisher’s decision to refocus the project also “isn’t about needing a game that monetizes in a certain way.”
Visceral’s now-defunct version of a Star Wars game would have a heist story with a focus on “scoundrels in space,” according to a new report.
Kotaku’s new report on the production and eventual shutdown of both Visceral Games and its untitled Star Wars project, codenamed Ragtag, delves into vision for gameplay and story director Amy Hennig and the studio attempted to create. According to the report, which involved the input of nearly a dozen former Visceral employees, the game would have followed Dodger, a “‘cracked mirror version’ of Han Solo” in a story of crime families, heists, and more.
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If you were to write down what specs a dream gaming laptop would have, that list and the MSI GT83VR 7RF Titan SLI (See it on Amazon) would match perfectly. With one exception: your budget. The MSI GT83VR 7RF Titan SLI doesn’t care about budget. It just crams every single possible wish list feature under the sun into one heavy (but technically still portable) package. MSI took every high-end component it had on-hand and stuffed them into a portable housing without worrying about the cost. After the dust settled, the total came to $5,399. Talk about sticker shock.
Spoilers for Stranger Things 2, up through Episode 4, “Will the Wise,” below
The effects of Will’s encounter with the Shadow Monster were less immediate than one might have thought from watching the giant smoke-spider violently invade his body at the end of Stranger Things Season 2, Episode 3. That’s a symptom of this season of Stranger Things‘ larger ailment up to now: It’s slowed down considerably since its blast of an opener.
Granted, at Season 2, Episode 4, “Will the Wise,” we’re just shy of halfway done. But where Stranger Things Season 1 had a desperate urgency in every episode past the series premiere, Season 2 is a much slower burn. There’s no single catalyst driving its various plots and subplots forward, like Will’s disappearance in Season 1. In turn, there’s less of an impetus to keep watching–that “just one more” fishhook that sinks deep into our brains with the best the age of streaming has to offer.
In other ways, Stranger Things Season 2’s more deliberate pacing can be a strength, as it gives the show room to breathe and develop things more fully. The Shadow Monster’s effects on Will are growing, and the visions he’s seeing now may only be a precursor to what’s coming. They may also prove useful, especially as Hopper puts spade to soil and leaps down into the tunnels.
Something down there is “growing, spreading, and killing,” according to Will. Hopefully it doesn’t get Hopper, although the show is hinting at the possibility. Halfway feels early for a major character death, but who knows? Either way, Stranger Things 2 gets extra points for its creative use of certain sets, especially the Byers house, which once again seems in danger of being totally trashed.
In psychic brat land, Eleven’s foray into the wider world unfortunately didn’t last long, and in “Will the Wise” she found herself back in the cabin once more. It’s great that Stranger Things is building anticipation toward her reunion with the rest of the cast, but by now her cabin fever is getting contagious–I’m starting to feel it too. Unless they’re really going to drag it out until the very end, it’s time to get her back into the main story.
Unfortunately, that’s looking less and less likely. Comparing Hopper to Dr. Brenner–“Papa”–did nothing for her relationship with her makeshift guardian, and their paths are clearly diverging. Hers is taking her toward her mother, and his is taking him underground, possibly to a gruesome death by Demogorgon or worse.
By the way, wasn’t the camera slowly spinning upside-down as he lowered himself into the tunnel a fantastic touch?
Elsewhere, Dustin continues to act incredibly stupid with his “pet.” The rest of the kids are convinced that finding d’Artagnan might enable them to help Will–or at least provide some clues–but Dustin is being unrealistically stubborn. Not to mention, he’s breaking the rules of friendship: “Friends don’t lie.” That’s not working well for Hopper and Eleven, and it’s not going to end well for “the party” either. Poor Mr. Mews.
One last complaint: The Billy and Max subplot has, so far, yielded nothing of substance. Steve vs. Billy is becoming the real rivalry of the season, but what purpose does Billy actually serve in the larger story? With zero character development, is he really just a pure villain? Dr. Brenner and his government spooks served that purpose last season, but they were actually sinister, not to mention relevant to the plot. Billy is just an a-hole.
And is he racist too? What’s his issue with Lucas? “There are certain types of people in this world that you stay away from,” he tells Max. “That kid is one of them.” So, yeah. It seems like he’s racist, too.
Sadie Sink is trying her best as Max, but the show is simply giving her nothing to work with. Given that we still know literally nothing about her, she seems to exist less as an actual character and more as a plot device to cause strife among the group.
Stranger Things Season 2 has spent an abundance of time setting certain things up–the poisoned pumpkins, Will’s visions, Eleven’s situation–with little payoff so far. In other ways it’s totally failed at set-up, like the one-dimensional new characters Max and Billy, who both feel wedged into the story with inadequate context or characterization.
On the bright side, these waves have to start crashing soon. With Hopper underground, Will infected/possessed by the Shadow Monster, Eleven digging for answers, and Dustin forced to acknowledge that d’Artagnan is a monster, Stranger Things Season 2 might finally get moving again.
Oh, and Nancy and Jonathan were smarter than I gave them credit for. What can they accomplish with that recording? Hopefully we’ll find out soon.
Best reference or easter egg:
The brief basketball face-off between Steve and Billy is straight out of an ’80s cheese-fest high school sports drama. Loved it.
Head back to our Stranger Things 2 hub for more episode reviews, theories, references, easter eggs, and more!
The third and final Injustice 2 character in Fighter Pack 2 is just a few weeks away from release. Hellboy, the biggest surprise character of the DLC additions so far, releases on November 21, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment announced today.
Coinciding with the news of when he’s coming, WB shared a new gameplay trailer that showcases what Hellboy plays like. As you’d expect, he makes ample use of his gun, giant fist, and sassy attitude; the difference in attitude between him and Galactus, whom he fights for much of the video, is quite big. We also get a look at his Super; whereas many characters take to the sky for theirs, Hellboy and his unfortunate opponent head deeper into the Earth.
Even with Hellboy still a few weeks away, we already know who’s next for Injustice 2: Atom. The character is due out in December and is the first of three coming as part of Fighter Pack 3.
Sophia (courtesy of Hanson Robotics)