April 2020

The 50 most important American independent movies

3 years 11 months ago

What makes an independent film? The question has never had a straightforward answer, and the cultural criteria that define an indie has changed over the decades. But by and large, it has always been something that couldn’t have been made within the Hollywood system. In our attempt to assemble a list of the most…

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The A.V. Club on Film, shared by Riley MacLeod to Kotaku

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Twitch Just Made It Harder To Be A Jerk In Chat

3 years 11 months ago

A good Twitch chat is like a serene sea: always welcome, but all too rare a respite from the choppier waters of the internet. Over the years, Twitch has given chat moderators tools to lock out ugliness-spewing ne’er-do-wells, but a number of loopholes have allowed dedicated trolls to slip back under the gates with…

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Author
Nathan Grayson

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Inside Final Fantasy VII Remake documentary spotlights new take on classic combat

3 years 11 months ago

Square Enix has released the third part of its Inside Final Fantasy VII Remake documentary series which, funnily enough, takes you inside the remake of Final Fantasy VII, which launches in just over a week's time... Are you excited yet?

Following on from the previous chapters - an introduction to the series and a look at its famous characters - The third chapter of Inside Final Fantasy VII Remake turns its attention toward the combat and action setpieces that link each dramatic adventure scene with the next.

As always, project heads including director Tetsuya Nomura, producer Yoshinori Kitase, and battle designers Kosuke Sakane and Tomotaka Shiroichi offer their insights on the creation of this important release. As noted before, people who wish to go into Final Fantasy VII Remake "blind" would do well to leave these videos to one side, as your mileage on what constitutes a spoiler may vary.

Final Fantasy VII Remake launches on PS4 April 10. A demo is available to download now from the PlayStation Store.

Inside Final Fantasy VII Remake documentary spotlights new take on classic combat screenshot

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Author
Chris Moyse

(Update) Jedi Academy Switch studio intends to fix an oversight that allows PC players to wipe the floor with Switch users

3 years 11 months ago

[Update: Aspyr Media has updated Jedi Academy "on all platforms" in regards to the below multiplayer fiasco. Update 1.02 has "implemented additional multiplayer security code," "resolved various multiplayer issues" and naturally, provides "minor bug fixes."]

Just recently something wondrous happened: we got a Nintendo Direct...Mini!

It was an incredible all-of-a-sudden-this-is-happening thing with no warning, and we got a lot of "it's out right now!" announcements out of it. One of those projects was a Switch port of Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, but something really hilarious or frustrating has been happening with online play, depending on which side of the table you're sitting at.

You see, an oversight has allowed PC players to essentially infiltrate Switch lobbies, allowing them to totally annihilate brand new Switch players. Not only do they have the benefit of a different control scheme, but it seems as if this mishap has attracted all sorts of veteran PC players to jump in and destroy brand new players who are experiencing the game for the first time. It's become so widespread of a problem that multiple communities have lit the beacons, and now, the developer is fully aware of the situation.

Author
Chris Carter

Indivisible update brings New Game Plus and Couch Co-Op modes

3 years 11 months ago

Lab Zero Games has prepped a fresh new update for its gorgeous action-adventure Indivisible. The free update, which goes live across all platforms tomorrow, April 2, will add new modes and balance tweaks to Ajna's mythic adventure.

New Game + will finally be available, offering players who have completed the main quest to re-run it once again, complete with their current character levels and skills, as well as a full roster of heroes. That's the whole crew, from the cackling Baozhai, botanist Ginseng and Honey, the superheroic Naga Rider and everyone in-between. Indivisible will also receive a (much-needed) difficulty boost to keep the adventure challenging.

Also coming is a new Couch Co-Op mode, which will allow four players to take up the role of a party member and join in on the platforming and combat action with "jump in/jump out" gameplay. That sounds like a lark, and will definitely make for some chaotic battles, but I really wouldn't like to face Indivisible's super-twitchy platforming sections with pals leaping all over the place! Dibs on Razmi, by the way.

I reviewed Indivisible when it launched in October 2019. While I was instantly besotted with its amazing cast of characters, fantastic artwork, and heartfelt storytelling, I was disappointed by its empty world, technical problems, and complete lack of challenge from an AI. Since then, Indivisible has received numerous updates, so I'll probably dive back in this weekend for some NG+ action and see what the current state of play is. Ajna and friends deserve a second chance.

Author
Chris Moyse

Nioh 2 is nerfing a few stages and enemies again as select players continue to struggle

3 years 11 months ago

There's something about blazing through a 1.0 edition of a game like Dark Souls or Nioh, pre-release, that's immensely satisfying.

There's no meta. There's no guides to consult. And the developers made their decisions already with no live feedback for the full game: it's a wild experience that might not always translate to a good time for a lot of people. But now that hindsight is part of the equation, Team Ninja is walking back some of their choices for Nioh 2.

The latest update is 1.07, following 1.05's heavy changes, and the biggest alteration has to be the following: "Weakened the attacks of some non-boss enemies. Previously, though the player could be above the recommended level, some enemies would kill the player in one hit." I thought that was a feature, not a bug?!

Surprisingly, Nioh 2 has a lot of those enemies strolling around, even on regular difficulty. I'd frequently come across someone who looked like a regular dude and then smack, I'd be dead in a hit, despite being a few levels over the recommended parameters. It was occasionally frustrating yet par for the course: but I totally get that not everyone wants to dance around "no-hit runs" in the middle of an otherwise balanced experience.

Team Ninja also adjusted the difficulty of several sub-missions and buffed the drop rate of Smithing Text and The Art of Combat (nice, alleviating grinding I can get behind). You can find the meat of the patch notes below, and miscellaneous bug fixes here.

Author
Chris Carter

Half-Life: Alyx's level editor “is the team's focus now”

3 years 11 months ago

Sandboxes are made for playing in and it’s no wonder players are eager to get their hands dirty. Half-Life: Alyx has some of the most satisfying physics, and the level-editing tools Valve had planned to release with the VR game are sure to inspire some creativity. The Hammer editor didn’t launch with Alyx as intended, but a Valve member has shared that it’s the team’s next priority.

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Author
Lauren Morton

Bethesda aren't planning a digital announce-o-rama for June

3 years 11 months ago

June is typically a big month for gaming announcements but as with many other things, the Covid-19 coronavirus is putting a hold on that. Whether at E3 proper or in the week leading up to it, big publishers like Bethesda use the month to show off plans for the year. E3 is cancelled, as are many other gaming events, and according to Bethesda it won’t be replacing their usual E3-concurrent presentation with a digital version.

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Author
Lauren Morton

Animal Crossing Players Are Very Scared of Zipper the Bunny and Are Trying to Unzip Him

3 years 11 months ago

It’s the first day of April which means that it’s now officially Bunny Day in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. What does that exactly mean, you say? Well, I’m glad you asked.

For a couple of days, you will start to see hidden eggs all over the place on your deserted island. They’ll be hidden in trees, in the water posing as fish, and even disguised as rare fossils. And once you get ahold of them, you can take them to a terrifying bunny named Zipper that might not be an actual animal…

You see, Zipper says its a bunny but there’s a zipper on its back and players are trying to figure out just who the heck is inside of the costume. Is it Isabelle dressing up to appease the villagers? Is it Timmy and Tommy standing on top of each other? Is it a murderous animal that has snuck its way into your town?

The latter is more likely.

Anyways, this whole Bunny Day thing is all fun and everything but Zipper is absolutely frightening and I’m not the only one who thinks so. I found a bunch of people on Twitter who want him out of their island and are figuring out ways to get close to that zipper of his.

Author
Greysun Morales

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Totally Reliable Delivery Service Free on Epic Games Store

3 years 11 months ago

Physics-based delivery game Totally Reliable Delivery Service is free on the Epic Games Store for a limited time.

The game launches today for PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Game Pass, iOS, and Android platforms. It is also available on PC through the Epic Games Store and “coming soon” to Steam.

Totally Reliable Delivery Service is about delivering packages within certain restrictions, such as a time limit or without damaging it, whether on foot, in a car, over water, or in the air. It supports up to four players locally or online.

Similar to Human Fall Flat, the player has individual control over both arms and grip with each hand. The ragdoll physics of handling boxes, vehicles, or controlling the character can be somewhat unpredictable and lends to hilarity/frustration.

The game is available for free on the Epic Games Store today for one week only until Wednesday, April 8 at 11 a.m. ET.

Meanwhile, Epic Games Store users can still grab the weekly free games of World War Z, Figment, and Tormentor x Punisher until tomorrow, April 2. The next free offer of games will be Gone Home and Hob, which can be downloaded beginning tomorrow through Thursday, April 9.

The post Totally Reliable Delivery Service Free on Epic Games Store appeared first on Twinfinite.

Author
Tom Meyer

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Atelier Developer Gust Has Unannounced Games From Other IP in Development

3 years 11 months ago

Today’s issue of Weekly Famitsu included an interview with Koei Tecmo president Hisashi Koinuma alongside Gust producers Junzo Hosoi, Keisuke Kikuchi, and Akira Tsuchiya about the future of the developer popular for the Atelier series.

A rather big change is happening for Gust, which is moving its head office from Nagano to the ultra-modern Minato Mirai 21 district in Yokohama, closing the physical distance with its parent company Koei Tecmo, which acquired the developer over eight years ago.

At the end of the interview, Hosoi-san mentions that among the unannounced games Gust has in development there aren’t just Atelier games, but also from other IP.

While he did not mention it explicitly, the rest of the interview focuses a lot on the importance of the creation of new IP, so it’s quite possible that we can expect something like that in the future.

That being said, cherishing the Gust-like flavor of the game was also mentioned as important.

Kikuchi-san added that in the first four years after Gust joined the Koei Tecmo group, the creation of new IP was a major mission for the developer. In the latter four years, he has focused on both expanding and creating at the same time. He aims to keep growing while cherishing each IP.

Tsuchiya-san mentioned that he’s thinking about how to provide entertainment that lets fans talk to each other. This also includes the importance of enabling various ways to have fun like events and related merchandise.

Last, but not least, Koinuma-san explained that starting this month, Hosoi-san will take on the role of Gust’s studio head, while Kikuchi-san will continue to support him as deputy studio head. As for himself, he’s really happy to have Gust as part of the team.

Author
Giuseppe Nelva

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Mortal Shell Is an Action-RPG Like Dark Souls and Bloodborne

3 years 11 months ago
Cold Symmetry and Playstack have announced Mortal Shell, a soulslike action-RPG in the vein of Dark Souls and Bloodborne that will be released on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC in Q3 2020. Mortal Shell, which was previously known as Dungeonhaven, is being developed by a core team of 15 people who all have experience working on some of the biggest AAA games in the world. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/01/mortal-shell-announcement-trailer"] “For a small team like ours, developing this title in many ways felt like crossing an ocean on a paddle board,” the studio’s three co-founders — Andrew McLennan-Murray, Anton Gonzalez, and Vitaly Bulgarov — said in a joint statement. “To finally announce Mortal Shell is one of the most exciting and terrifying experiences we’ve had in our lifetimes. The last two years have been a time of non-stop growth, full of shocking revelations of sheer complexity that goes into creating a video game that you, yourself, would really enjoy playing.” Mortal Shell allows players to discover and occupy different Mortal Shells from their vanquished enemies. Each shell provides its own mastery of skills and weapon upgrades and allows for different playstyles. Combat, like others in the soulslike genre, is very strategic and delibrate and requires much of the player. Mortal Shell's non-linear campaign will test the skills of any who undertake its challenge across marsh-infested lowlands, a gargantuan cathedral of obsidian rock, and an ancient crypt frozen into the crest of a mountain. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=mortal-shell-screenshots&captions=true"] The official description for Mortal Shell is as follows:
"Awakening as an empty vessel, you will enter into a shattered and twisted world where the remains of humanity wither and rot.
Author
Adam Bankhurst

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Spiral Director Darren Lynn Bousman's Stuck at Home Binge List

3 years 11 months ago
Many of us are spending this extra time at home catching up on shows we’ve long been meaning to binge-watch, movies we’ve been wanting to stream, books we’ve been meaning to read, or video games to play. And with the film industry on hiatus for the foreseeable future, that means even usually busy filmmakers now have time to catch-up on their streaming queues and reading lists. We reached out to director Darren Lynn Bousman -- the filmmaker behind the upcoming Saw franchise revisitation Spiral as well as Saw II-IV and Repo! The Genetic Opera -- to see what he’s doing to keep himself entertained these days.

What Is the Last Thing You Finished Watching?

Netflix’s Tiger King. I love true crime docs. I could literally watch nothing but them. I had no idea how bonkers this was gonna get. It was next level crazy, and honestly, very very fun to boot. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=best-true-crime-shows-and-movies-to-watch-online&captions=true"]

What Are You Watching Right Now?

Bingeing Peaky Blinders currently. I love Mafia, crime syndicate tales. This one is great, with an insanely talented cast. Cillian Murphy is outstanding, but in my opinion, it’s Paul Anderson (Arthur) that steals the show.

What Is Your Go-to Comfort Watch?

Schitt’s Creek, Family Guy, and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Shit is dark right now. I love going to entertainment that makes me laugh. No matter how depressed or sad I am, watch those three together, BOOM, comic cocktail.

What Book Are You Reading? / What Is The Last Book You Read?

The Glorious Deception by Jim Steinmeyer.
Author
Jim Vejvoda

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Pokemon Go Landorus: Weaknesses And Best Counters

3 years 11 months ago

Landorus, the third and final member of the Forces of Nature trio from Pokemon Black and White, has finally arrived in Pokemon Go. The Legendary Abundance Pokemon will be available until 1 PM PT / 4 PM ET on April 21, so you'll only have a limited time to capture it. If you're hoping to add one to your collection before it leaves the game, we've rounded up some tips on how to battle and catch Landorus below.

How To Find Landorus

Landorus

The most common way to encounter Landorus is in Gyms as a five-star Raid. While the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has made it difficult to physically travel to one of these Raids, Niantic has temporarily doubled the distance from which you can interact with Gyms, and it will soon roll out an option to participate in Raids from home.

Author
Kevin Knezevic

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Xbox Game Pass's Next Free Game Is Out Now On Xbox One And PC

3 years 11 months ago

Xbox Game Pass subscribers of both the Standard and Ultimate tiers have a brand-new quirky ragdoll game to play on Xbox One with the release of Totally Reliable Delivery Service.

The multiplayer physics game--which just launched on Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One for $15--tasks you and up to three friends either online or offline with delivering packages across an expansive world using any means necessary. This includes taking to the skies in a helicopter, traversing the ocean on a speedboat, darting around the world on a rocket, and more.

Author
Jeremy Winslow

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PlayStation Store's 2020 Spring Sale is worth a look

3 years 11 months ago

[Update: More deals were added now that we're midway through the Spring Sale. Here are some recommendations to consider: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare ($44.99), Spider-Man: Game of the Year Edition ($19.99), Sekiro ($38.99), Hunt: Showdown ($27.99), Batman: Return to Arkham ($5.99), Overcooked 2 ($14.99), Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy ($19.99), and Spyro Reignited Trilogy ($19.99).]

Sony is running the 2020 PlayStation Store Spring Sale until April 29, 2020, at 8:00 a.m. Pacific.

The PlayStation Store takes a quantity-over-quality approach to deals, to the point where a "Spring Sale" doesn't necessarily carry as much weight as it would on other digital game storefronts, but this one is worth looking at, I think. I would've happily paid some of these prices for some of these games.

I've included the PlayStation Blog's list at the bottom of this post, but here's what stood out to me:

Author
Jordan Devore

That sweet Mario manga is finally getting localized this year

3 years 11 months ago

Several years ago, Japan got a compilation of select Mario manga releases in an anniversary book, which collected the works of a CoroCoro comic that's been running for nearly 30 years. It was a pretty big deal for a lot of Mario fans, but it never came westward: until now.

Yes folks, the beloved Super Mario-kun manga is coming west by way of a localization from media giant Viz. Super Mario-Kun is known far and wide as a lovely, carefree child-oriented adaptation of various games, and even made a cameo appearance in Super Mario Maker. It's that big!

If you've been completely stone-faced this entire time, you probably won't be in "late 2020" when the tome is scheduled to arrive. Viz has even opened up pre-orders for the paperback now, which is going for $10 with a December 8, 2020 date that may or may not be a placeholder.

As a reminder, this is not a full omnibus of the entire three-decade-ish run of the comic. It's literally a translated version of the aforementioned compilation that was already released in Japan. Nintendo seems to be doing Mario's anniversary in style this year!

Viz [Twitter]

That sweet Mario manga is finally getting localized this year screenshot

Author
Chris Carter

Jedi Academy will fix the “loophole” letting PC players grief new console players

3 years 11 months ago

I am both surprised and not at all surprised. Star Wars Jedi Knight – Jedi Academy, a game from the year 2003, has recently been ported to the Nintendo Switch and PS4. That’s all well and good but apparently players who’ve been mastering the blade for 17 years have found a way to worm into console players’ multiplayer lobbies. You’ll not be shocked to hear that they aren’t delivering gifts when they do so. Aspyr Media say a fix against invading PC players is incoming.

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Author
Lauren Morton

Someone's recreated Zelda: A Link to the Past's map in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

3 years 11 months ago

While some of us have spent the start of Bunny Day frantically launching projectiles into the air as if in the midst of some apocalyptic invasion (although actually just because we really want those flying eggs), other Animal Crossing: New Horizons players have been putting their indoor time to far more productive use - with one such person turning their entire island into a surprisingly convincing recreation of Zelda: A Link to the Past's iconic overworld map.

The brains behind this ambitious endeavour goes by the name of VaynMaanen on Reddit, and unveiled the fruits of their terraforming toils, which apparently took four days to complete, in a series of screenshots to the Animal Crossing subreddit earlier today.

As the comparison image below shows, the similarities are striking, even accepting the creative compromises required for those Zelda elements tricky to accurately recreate in-game. All waterways and elevated terrain are present and correct, including the looming (or as looming as New Horizon's height restrictions allow, at least) Death Mountain, and there's even a recreation of Kakariko Village to the west, formed from a huddle of islander homes.

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Dead or Alive Xtreme: Venus Vacation Celebrates Anniversary on Steam with Triple SSR Rate

3 years 11 months ago

The Steam version of Dead or Alive Xtreme: Venus Vacation launched on April 10, 2019, and Koei Tecmo is celebrating its anniversary.

The “crown jewel” of the celebration is a gacha including half of the girls with a tripled SSR chance, meaning 3.3% to get something actually useful. To sweeten the deal, the first roll is free. 

The rest of the girls will be featured with a different SSR dress in the second part of the event next week.

That being said, there are plenty more freebies in store, including special daily login bonuses.

It’s worth mentioning once more that this is only for the version of the on Steam. The original game released by DMM is ahead in content by over a year, which means that it had this event a long time ago.

If you’re unfamiliar with this version of the game is the only one that includes English support, but paradoxically, it cannot be easily accessed outside of South East Asia, while the DMM version in Japanese has no restrictions. 

That being said, there are loopholes that let you grab it, like the use of a VPN. Once it’s active on your Steam account, you won’t have any further issues. 

Incidentally, this may be a good time to jump into the game, considering that Dead or Alive Xtreme: Venus Vacation is going to become the only source of new content for the fans since Koei Tecmo is halting DLC releases for Dead or Alive 6.

Author
Giuseppe Nelva

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All DIY Recipes In Animal Crossing: New Horizons' Bunny Day Event So Far

3 years 11 months ago

Animal Crossing: New Horizons' Bunny Day event revolves around collecting eggs in a variety of ways, and while you can eat them like fruit, their primary purpose is to be used in crafting. If you're able to craft all of the new items from the event, Zipper T. Bunny promises a special gift of some sort, so there's a reason to make even items you may not care for.

There are a ton of new DIY recipes you'll earn during the course of the event, and they all call for the use of eggs. But how do you get recipes, and which ones are there to collect? We've assembled some tips on where to find recipes and amassed a list of every one we've seen so far so you can cross-reference with your own crafting list and see how many you might still need to hunt down.

How To Get Bunny Day Recipes

Much like eggs, recipes are acquired in a number of ways that mostly align with regular activities. You'll want to scavenge your beaches each day, as you may find a special message-in-a-bottle with a recipe inside. Likewise, your neighbors may have some to share--if one of them excitedly approaches you, be sure to chat with them. You'll make their day and potentially get something to show for it.

Continue Reading at GameSpot
Author
Chris Pereira

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An Awesome RTX 2070 Graphics Card Is Discounted Right Now

3 years 11 months ago

With all of the visually stunning games on the way this year, such as Resident Evil 3 and Cyberpunk 2077, upgrading your PC can sound rather enticing, especially now that most of us are stuck inside. Over the past couple of weeks, Newegg has had a number of great deals that help with that, and their latest is one of the best. The Gigabyte RTX 2070 8GB is currently $380 with promo code 4NFJSPC54.

The RTX 2070 is great for 1440p gaming and shines at 1080p, especially if you're looking for frame rates that exceed 60 FPS. I currently have a comparable RTX 2070 and run the vast majority of games at High to Ultra settings at 1440p with frame rates ranging from 60-144 FPS. Of course, performance will vary based on the rest of your PC's hardware. Gigabyte's RTX 2070 features three DisplayPort outputs and a fourth for HDMI, so make sure you have the appropriate cables if you're looking to hook up multiple monitors.

Gigabyte RTX 2070 8GB

$380 with promo code 4NFJSPC54

Continue Reading at GameSpot
Author
Mat Paget

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Animal Crossing's Bunny Day Mascot Is A Lot To Deal With Right Now

3 years 11 months ago

The passage of time is a big deal in the Animal Crossing series. New Horizons players were today treated to a ton of changes as their islands transition into spring, which brought with it new critters to catch and cherry blossom trees to diversify the landscape. But with the game’s first holiday right around the…

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Author
Ian Walker

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