Quiet family man and hard-working snowplow driver Nels is the lifeblood of a glitzy resort town in the Rocky Mountains because he is the one who keeps the winter roads clear. He and his wife live in a comfortable cabin away from the tourists. The town has just awarded him “Citizen of the Year.” But Nels has to leave his quiet mountain life when his son is murdered by a powerful drug lord. As a man who has nothing to lose he is stoked by a drive for vengeance. This unlikely hero uses his hunting skills and transforms from an ordinary man into a skilled killer as he sets out to dismantle the cartel. Nels’ actions ignite a turf war between a manically unpredictable gangster known as Viking and a rival gang boss. Justice is served in one final spectacular confrontation that will leave (almost) no one unscathed.
In early 2017, the film was refused a permit to shoot in Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada. The explanation given was that Parks Canada objected to the antagonist of the film being an aboriginal Canadian. Even the actor playing the role, popular aboriginal Canadian Tom Jackson, could not sway the government agency’s opinion, and the production was moved out of the park. See more »
Goofs
In the final gun battle, many of the guns exhibited muzzle flashes, but there was no action in the gun, i.e. hammer did not release, gun slide did not move, etc. See more »
Crazy Credits
This film has no opening credits, except for the title itself. All throughout the entire film, immediately after a character is killed, the screen cuts to black, and the character’s name, and nickname, is displayed. See more »
I Wish I Had a Girl
Written by Henry Lee Summer
Published by BMG Rights Management UK Ltd., a BMG Company
Performed by Henry Lee Summer
Courtesy of Sony Music Entertainment
Licensed by Sony Music Entertainment UK Ltd. See more »
Gloria finds a power she never knew she had when she is drawn into a dangerous world of cross-border crime. Surviving will require all of her cunning, inventiveness, and strength. Based on the Spanish-language film.
A woman is boxed out by the male sports agents in her profession, but gains an unexpected edge over them when she develops the ability to hear men’s thoughts.
An ordinary LEGO construction worker, thought to be the prophesied as “special”, is recruited to join a quest to stop an evil tyrant from gluing the LEGO universe into eternal stasis.
A cooler-than-ever Bruce Wayne must deal with the usual suspects as they plan to rule Gotham City, while discovering that he has accidentally adopted a teenage orphan who wishes to become his sidekick.
When Hiccup discovers Toothless isn’t the only Night Fury, he must seek “The Hidden World”, a secret Dragon Utopia before a hired tyrant named Grimmel finds it first.
Director:
Dean DeBlois
Stars:
Jay Baruchel,
America Ferrera,
F. Murray Abraham
Teen Miles Morales becomes Spider-Man of his reality, crossing his path with five counterparts from other dimensions to stop a threat for all realities.
It’s been five years since everything was awesome and the citizens are facing a huge new threat: Lego Duplo invaders from outer space, wrecking everything faster than they can rebuild.
Bruce Willis‘ 4th theatrically released animated film, after Beavis and Butt-Head Do America (1996), Rugrats Go Wild (2003) and Over the Hedge (2006), as well as his 2nd Fully CGI Film with the latter being the first as well as his first not to be distributed by Paramount Pictures (although the latter film was produced by DreamWorks Animation, it was still distributed by Paramount at the time of release). See more »
Goofs
[All goofs for this title are spoilers.] See more »
Like in The Lego Movie (2014), Will Forte was billed as “Orville Forte” due to a typo. Forte’s actual first name (his full name is Orville Willis Forte IV) rather than his professional name was listed on a form used when compiling the end credits. Thus, the voice of “Abraham Lincoln” remained credited to “Orville Forte.” See more »
Choosing the best Android phone for you is a big decision. The Android universe teems with options, from super-expensive flagship phones, to affordable models that make a few calculated compromises, to models expressly designed for, say, great photography.
Chances are that whichever phone you buy, you’ll keep it for at least two years. So we’ve made picks for the best Android phone in categories spanning a variety of needs. Check out our summary list below, or keep reading for the details on each one.
Android phone cheat sheet
Our quick-hit recommendations:
At the bottom of this article, we also list all our recent Android phone reviews—in case you have your eye on a model that didn’t make our cut.
Best overall phone
The Galaxy S9 isn’t the visual or engineering marvel that the Galaxy S8 was, but even with a recycled design, a similar camera, and the same screen, it’s still the best phone you can buy. At $720, it’s actually a few dollars cheaper than the S8 was last year, and you get the latest processor and a couple of fun new features.
Our biggest complaint with the S8 (our only one, really) was the placement of the fingerprint sensor. For whatever reason, Samsung decided to put it next to the camera rather than below it, which ensured missed readings and excessive fingerprints on the lens. The S9 thankfully rights this wrong, putting the sensor in a much more logical position below the camera.
Speaking of the camera, the S9 has the same 12MP sensor as the S8, but Samsung has made a series of small, meaningful changes to what was already a great system. While it doesn’t have a second camera like the S9+, it does have a dual-aperture feature that switches between f/1.5 and f/2.4. There’s also a Super Slo-mo setting that records up to 960fps with motion detection so you won’t miss a trick. Without a dual camera, you won’t get true portrait shots, but Samsung’s selective focus does a fine job of mimicking the effect.
Granted, if you just got a new phone last year, the S9 probably isn’t worth it (unless you’re on an upgrade plan). But if your S7-era handset is looking a little worse for wear and you don’t need a 6-inch screen, this is the phone to buy.
Best overall phone: Runner-up
Huawei isn’t the world’s No. 2 phone maker for nothing. The Mate 10 Pro is more than a good phone from a Chinese manufacturer—it’s one of the best handsets of the year.
Because we already know the tri-camera P20 won’t be making landfall in the U.S., the Mate 10 Pro is Huawei’s only North America model. However, while AT&T and T-Mobile customers will be able to use it, Verizon and Sprint subscribers are out of luck, as it’s GSM-only.
However, if you fit the carrier criteria, the Mate 10 Pro will be a fantastic phone. With a 6-inch Full HD 1080×2160 screen, AI-infused camera, and custom chip, the Mate 10 Pro is a fantastic phone that can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Galaxy S9 and Pixel 2 XL.
Best phone for photographers
The original Google Pixel produces amazing images, but the Pixel 2 takes photography to a whole new level. Its camera is the best in an Android phone this year, and it’s also raised the bar for the entire smartphone industry.
The first thing you’ll notice about the Pixel 2’s camera is its specs. Like last year, Google hasn’t gone with a dual camera set-up, and in fact it hasn’t really upgraded the hardware much at all. Check out this specs comparison:
As always, however, specs don’t tell the whole story. For one, optical image stabilization makes a huge difference in both low-light situation and motion pics, but what’s most impressive is what Google is doing behind the scenes. In the Pixel 2, Google is using its AI and machine-learning engines to amplify its image processing prowess, and the results are simply stellar. For example, even without a second camera, the Pixel 2 phones take some of the best portraits this side of an DSLR, even besting Apple’s iPhone X.
This space has been occupied by the latest Galaxy Note for the past few years, but its excessive price tag is too much to bear this year. For more than $100 less than the Note 9, you can get a phone with the same storage (128GB), RAM (6GB), processor (Snapdragon 845), and camera (dual 12MP), and you’re not giving up too much elsewhere.
The S9+ has a 6.2-inch screen versus the Note 9’s 6.4 inch one, and a slightly smaller battery (3,500mAh vs 4,000mAh). That’s pretty much it as far as differences go, save for the lack of an S-Pen. The screen on the S9+ is gorgeous, the fingerprint sensor has been moved to a more logical location below the camera, and the dual camera (a step-up feature from the smaller S9) is one of the best you can buy. You’ll get an assortment of fun and professional features—adjustable Dual Aperture (f/1.5 to f/2.4) for excellent low-light photos, Super Slo-mo mode, Live Focus, AR Emoji—that will make your photos and videos pop like never before.
Pocketable, powerful, and long-lasting, the Galaxy S9+ is Samsung’s sweet spot for 2018, offering top-of-the-line specs without completely breaking the bank.
Samsung’s Galaxy Note has always been an expensive phone, but this year’s model has pushed it into the stratosphere. Starting at $1,000 and topping off at $1,250, the Note 9 represents the very best of Android, but you’re going to pay for it.
There’s no 64GB option for the Note 9, so your $1,000 will get you 128GB, a Snapdragon 845 processor, 6 GB of RAM, and a dual 12MP camera. If those specs sound familiar, it’s probably because you just read them in the Galaxy S9+ entry above. The two phones are extremely similar, thought the 6.4-inch Note 9 has squarer edges and taller body.
The big change this year is the S Pen, which is now Bluetooth powered. You can still use it as before to take notes, translate text, and circle screenshots, but it’s also a remote control now, so you can take pictures and advance slides by pressing a button on the side. The battery life is short, but it charges incredibly fast, taking about 40 seconds to go from 0 percent to full.
So if you’re a Note lover, have a thousand dollars to spend, and absolutely have to have the most powerful and feature-packed Android phone ever made, then get a Note 9. Otherwise, the S9+ is cheaper and just as good.
Best budget phone ($300 or less)
There was a time when the words “budget” and “Android” conjured images of disposable, plastic phones with small screens.
The Moto G5 Plus punches way above its weight with a quality 5.2-inch 1080p display, metal body, fingerprint sensor, and a very decent camera for its price. For $230 you get 32GB of storage and 2GB of RAM with a Snapdragon 625 processor, or for $300 you can bump that up to 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. It’s also fully 4G LTE compatible on all four major U.S. carriers—something that few budget phones can claim.
The phone has its drawbacks, including a lack of NFC. Also, the camera is just adequate—it doesn’t hold up against top-end phones.
As a complete package, though, the build quality, specs, performance, battery life, and software experience here is way better than what we’re used to seeing in the $200-$300 price range.
While the Moto G5 Plus offers a fantastic near-stock Android skin, there’s no guarantee that you’ll be getting updates this time next year. With the Nokia 6.1 you will, and that makes it a budget phone well worth considering.
The specs of the 5.5-inch Nokia 6.1 are fairly average for a phone in this price point: Snapdragon 630 processor, 4GB of RAM, 3,000mAh battery, and a 16 MP f/2.0 main camera, However, Nokia offers something its competitors don’t: Android One. That means you’re getting a near-stock version of Android, without a single extra app or UI tweak, plus a guarantee of three years of security updates and two years of version upgrades. That’s Android P and Android Q, a promise other phones in this price range simply can’t deliver.
While Nokia doesn’t make any guarantees on the speed of the updates, Android One means the company works directly with Google to ensure they’re delivered in a timely manner. And they’ll definitely arrive quicker than with other phones in this range. For example, the Moto G5 Plus is still waiting for its Oreo update, nearly 10 months after it released.
Unfortunately the usual GSM caveats apply here, so Verizon and Sprint customers are out of luck. But AT&T and T-Mobile subscribers looking for the pure Android experience should give Nokia a long, hard look.
Best bang for the buck
OK, it’s getting to the point where this category should just be Most recent OnePlus release. For years, the company’s handsets have dominated the value category, with premium specs and design for hundreds less than its competitors. And the OnePlus 6 only widens the gap.
Its predecessor, the OnePlus 5T, introduced a 6-inch, 18:9 OLED display with a slim-bezel design and no home button, and the 6 continues on that vein, upping the display size to 6.25 inches and adding a notch at the top of the screen to cur down on the footprint even more. The result is one of the largest Android phones this side of the Note 8 in a package that’s still very holdable.
With a Snapdragon 846 processor, 6GB of RAM, and a 3,300mAh battery, the OnePlus 6 is just as beautiful on the inside. It runs a delightfully minimal version of Android Oreo complete wit gesture-based navigation, and is packed with little features that enhance the experience. The camera still isn’t as good as its competitors such as the S9 or the Pixel 2 XL, but it keeps getting better. This year’s model brings optical image stabilization to its 16MP/20MP dual-camera array, and the results are much improved with low-light and motion shots.
But the best part of the OnePlus 6 is still the price. While it’s the first OnePlus phone to top $500, at $529 it’s still several hundred dollars cheaper than the Galaxy S9 and Pixel 2 XL.
What to look for in a phone
While most smartphones might look pretty much the same, buying one is a very personal experience. We all have unique needs, a unique budget, and personal preferences. You might need to access secure corporate email and documents with a phone that works on lots of networks around the world. Or you might spend all your time chronicling your life on Snapchat. That said, there are major features of all smartphones that you should compare before making a purchase decision.
Display: A good display has a high-resolution, retina-style display (1920×1080 for smaller phones, 2650×1440 for larger phones), so even fine text is crisp and legible. Nearly every premium phone has moved into a 18:9 aspect ratio, bringing more height to the display while making it easier to hold. You’ll want a screen that accurately displays colors when looking at it from any angle. A high contrast ratio and maximum brightness will make it easier to see in bright sunlight.
Christopher Hebert/IDG
With excellent brightness, color-handling, and contrast, the Galaxy S9’s display might be the best in the business.
A woman is boxed out by the male sports agents in her profession, but gains an unexpected edge over them when she develops the ability to hear men’s thoughts.
Director:
Adam Shankman
Stars:
Taraji P. Henson,
Kristen Ledlow,
Josh Brener
The true story of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, her struggles for equal rights, and the early cases of a historic career that lead to her nomination and confirmation as U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice.
Gloria finds a power she never knew she had when she is drawn into a dangerous world of cross-border crime. Surviving will require all of her cunning, inventiveness, and strength. Based on the Spanish-language film.
The Incredibles hero family takes on a new mission, which involves a change in family roles: Bob Parr (Mr Incredible) must manage the house while his wife Helen (Elastigirl) goes out to save the world.
Director:
Brad Bird
Stars:
Craig T. Nelson,
Holly Hunter,
Sarah Vowell
During her family’s move to the suburbs, a sullen 10-year-old girl wanders into a world ruled by gods, witches, and spirits, and where humans are changed into beasts.
Six years after the events of “Wreck-It Ralph,” Ralph and Vanellope, now friends, discover a wi-fi router in their arcade, leading them into a new adventure.
A Lion cub crown prince is tricked by a treacherous uncle into thinking he caused his father’s death and flees into exile in despair, only to learn in adulthood his identity and his responsibilities.
Directors:
Roger Allers,
Rob Minkoff
Stars:
Matthew Broderick,
Jeremy Irons,
James Earl Jones
The special bond that develops between plus-sized inflatable robot Baymax, and prodigy Hiro Hamada, who team up with a group of friends to form a band of high-tech heroes.
Aspiring musician Miguel, confronted with his family’s ancestral ban on music, enters the Land of the Dead to find his great-great-grandfather, a legendary singer.
Directors:
Lee Unkrich,
Adrian Molina
Stars:
Anthony Gonzalez,
Gael García Bernal,
Benjamin Bratt
Miles Morales is a New York teen struggling with school, friends and, on top of that, being the new Spider-Man. When he comes across Peter Parker, the erstwhile saviour of New York, in the multiverse, Miles must train to become the new protector of his city. Written by Tom Daly
In the fight between the Spider-Men and the villains at Aunt May’s House, Aunt May knocks Tombstone outside with a bat. Seconds later he can be seen briefly in the background fighting in the house again. See more »
Quotes
[first lines]
Peter Parker:
[narrating]
Alright, let’s do this one last time. My name is Peter Parker. I was bitten by a radioactive spider and for ten years I’ve been the one and only Spider-Man. I’m pretty sure you know the rest. I saved a bunch of people, fell in love, saved the city, and then I saved the city again and again and again… And, uh… I did this.
[shot of Spidey doing the emo dance from “Spider-Man 3”]
Peter Parker:
We don’t really talk about this. Look, I’m a comic book, I’m a cereal, did a Christmas album…
The Columbia Pictures, Marvel, Sony Pictures Animation and Pascal Pictures logos are affected by the Super Collider device, causing them each to shift between various alternate versions. See more »
Mumble Rap
Written by Belly (as Ahmad Balshe) and Danny Schofield
Performed by Belly
Courtesy of Roc Nation Records
Under License from Universal Music Enterprises See more »
The first locks date back more than a thousand years, and while traditional lock-and-key systems have improved over time, the basic mechanism hasn’t really changed: A piece of metal that is just the right shape pushes pins inside a lock into the proper position, allowing the lock mechanism to turn. As a society, it’s been tough to replace a system that has worked reasonably reliably for literally a millennium.
Are smart locks really better?
You can thank the hospitality industry for finally pushing locks into the digital age. Hotels learned long ago that keys are easily lost, expensive to replace, and simple to bypass, as thieves can pick locks or simply make copies of a key to allow for unfettered future access. On the flipside, hotel guests have readily accepted key cards (and in some cases, smartphone-based solutions) as the primary means of getting into their room. The electronic solution is just so much simpler. Lost hotel key card? Replacing it is no big deal.
But the biggest benefit of electronic entry systems is that they are highly configurable. Digital locks can be changed at a moment’s notice (which is why that old hotel key card in your wallet isn’t good for anything), and the property owner can generate a record of when each door was opened. In a more advanced setting, different keys can be generated for the same lock, so a homeowner can tell when each member of the family came in, or when the housekeeper arrived. Whether you have a teenager that tends to break curfew or merely want to give temporary access to houseguests, service providers, or Airbnbers, smart locks are an incredible upgrade over the old way of doing things.
Ready to make the jump to smart lock technology? Here are our top picks of the market at the moment. We’ll be adding more reviews to this story as time goes by.
Best smart lock overall
The Schlage Sense smart lock may not win any awards for attractiveness—or ease of installation, given the two dense instruction manuals that must be followed—but if you really want to secure your home with a smart lock, and have faith that it’s actually working, this is the product to get.
What if you’ve lost your phone? You can open the lock via an illuminated, smudgeproof numeric keypad or with a physical key. A recent update added the ability to unlock the door with a voice command (you’ll need to speak a PIN code you set up to complete the action). Schlage added the same feature to the similar Schlage Connect.
Runner-up
A close runner-up to the Schlage Sense is the very similar Kwikset Premis, which also offers a touchscreen keypad, keyed entry, and HomeKit compatibility. Even without an Apple TV, you can use Siri to tell the Premis to open and close; this all gets set up during the initial installation. The app is simple and streamlined, though that comes at the expense of more advanced features, like geofencing and the ability to set individual access schedules. The Premis feels a touch less sturdy than the beefy Schlage, but if a less obtrusive (and a bit more simplistic) lock is more to your style, it’s a no-brainer.
Best retrofit smart lock
Our clear favorite for retrofitting an existing deadbolt with a smart lock is the brand-new August Smart Lock Pro. Like the original August Smart Lock, the Pro is a classy, post-modern piece of hardware—the Nest of the smart lock space—that doesn’t just look impressive on your door, it actually does an awful lot, too. (Nest has since partnered with Yale to produce the Nest x Yale Lock.)
Just pop off your old deadbolt and affix the Kevo Convert in its place, and voila! Your smart home’s lock is upgraded. The Kevo Convert isn’t as easy to install as the August Smart Lock, but it does offer some upgrades in the form of a more familiar interior deadbolt design and plenty of app-driven features, such as keys that expire after a preset time.
Unfortunately, the Kevo Convert is a Bluetooth-only affair, so it can’t be hooked into a smart home network—though a $100 add-on called Kevo Plus can at least let you check your lock’s status and open it when you’re not at home. On the whole, if your needs are simpler (and your existing lock is compatible), the Kevo Convert is a reasonable way to get started with smart lock tech.
What to consider when shopping
How do you pick a smart lock? (No pun intended.) This is a young and wildly immature space, and many products on the market are still extremely rough around the edges. Even top products can balk when dealing with old or stiff deadbolts, doors that don’t shut well, or environments where non-standard fixtures are in use. The bottom line is that it’s tough to declare that any product is universally perfect for every home. That said, here are some key considerations to take into account to help you narrow down your shopping list.
How smart is it? An important caveat to consider first: Some “smart locks” don’t work with a smartphone app or any smart home networking hubs at all; they’re really just electronic locks that use a code instead of a key to open up. One step up from that, you’ll find Bluetooth-only locks. These work with a smartphone app, but can’t be monitored remotely or via a smart home system. That’s fine if you’re looking to get rid of the keys in your pocket, but less impressive if you want to make your entrance portals a true part of your home network.
Replace or retrofit? You’re forgiven if you don’t want to replace your antique doorknob on your vintage Victorian with a metallic device that looks like it would be more at home keeping people out of a strip mall bank branch. A sizeable number of smart lock products don’t require you to replace all your existing hardware. Instead, they are installed on the inside of the door only, replacing only the interior part of the deadbolt. You can continue to use a standard key from the outside or open the lock via a smartphone app.
Samsung
Smart home hub integration If you have an existing hub like the Wink Hub 2, Samsung SmartThings, or an Apple TV, you’ll want to ensure your chosen smart lock is compatible from the start. Many smart locks support Bluetooth, so they work with your phone, but lack the technology needed to connect with your home network. Some Bluetooth locks, like the Yale Assure system and the August Smart Lock, offer a radio module as an add-on to connect to your home network. If you’re using a smart home hub like the Samsung SmartThings or Wink Hub, look for a lock that supports Z-Wave or ZigBee, instead.
Alternate entry means Forgot your phone at the office? How will you get in the house? Physical key? Numeric keypad? Wait for your spouse to arrive? Myriad different approaches are available.
Power backup What do you do if the batteries inside the lock die—and you’re stuck outside? Some locks allow for emergency power to be applied should this happen. Yale’s Real Living locks feature external posts to which you can connect a 9-volt battery, giving you enough juice to get the door open. Other models retain the traditional key cylinder for backup.
Geofencing Bad about manually locking the door when you leave? A geofencing system automatically locks the door when it detects your phone has left the vicinity, and can be set to automatically open up when it finds you’ve come home.
Guest access features Most smart locks let you set up temporary keys for houseguests, which you can delete when they’ve returned home. Smarter systems even let you set time restrictions around when each access code can be used.
On the run in the year of 1987, Bumblebee finds refuge in a junkyard in a small Californian beach town. Charlie, on the cusp of turning 18 and trying to find her place in the world, discovers Bumblebee, battle-scarred and broken.
Director:
Travis Knight
Stars:
Hailee Steinfeld,
Jorge Lendeborg Jr.,
John Cena
The Avengers and their allies must be willing to sacrifice all in an attempt to defeat the powerful Thanos before his blitz of devastation and ruin puts an end to the universe.
Directors:
Anthony Russo,
Joe Russo
Stars:
Robert Downey Jr.,
Chris Hemsworth,
Mark Ruffalo
T’Challa, heir to the hidden but advanced kingdom of Wakanda, must step forward to lead his people into a new future and must confront a challenger from his country’s past.
Director:
Ryan Coogler
Stars:
Chadwick Boseman,
Michael B. Jordan,
Lupita Nyong’o
A failed reporter is bonded to an alien entity, one of many entities who have invaded Earth. But the entity takes a liking to Earth and decides to protect it.
Foul-mouthed mutant mercenary Wade Wilson (AKA. Deadpool), brings together a team of fellow mutant rogues to protect a young boy with supernatural abilities from the brutal, time-traveling cyborg, Cable.
Director:
David Leitch
Stars:
Ryan Reynolds,
Josh Brolin,
Morena Baccarin
Thor is imprisoned on the planet Sakaar, and must race against time to return to Asgard and stop Ragnarök, the destruction of his world, at the hands of the powerful and ruthless villain Hela.
Director:
Taika Waititi
Stars:
Chris Hemsworth,
Tom Hiddleston,
Cate Blanchett
As Scott Lang balances being both a Super Hero and a father, Hope van Dyne and Dr. Hank Pym present an urgent new mission that finds the Ant-Man fighting alongside The Wasp to uncover secrets from their past.
Fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman’s selfless act, Bruce Wayne enlists the help of his new-found ally, Diana Prince, to face an even greater enemy.
When a pilot crashes and tells of conflict in the outside world, Diana, an Amazonian warrior in training, leaves home to fight a war, discovering her full powers and true destiny.
Peter Parker balances his life as an ordinary high school student in Queens with his superhero alter-ego Spider-Man, and finds himself on the trail of a new menace prowling the skies of New York City.
Director:
Jon Watts
Stars:
Tom Holland,
Michael Keaton,
Robert Downey Jr.
Arthur Curry, half human half from Atlantis, goes on a trip of a lifetime. Not only does this adventure compel him to come to terms with his real identity, but it also forces him to discover whether he is entirely worthy of fulfilling his own destiny: becoming a king. Written by Domingo Alvarez
Nicole Kidman, who plays Aquaman’s mother Queen Atlanna, had declined the role of Queen Hippolyta in Wonder Woman (2017) (in the comics, Diana Prince/Wonder Woman was Aquaman’s ally and sometimes love interest). See more »
Goofs
Queen Atlanna’s trident isn’t really a trident because it has five tines. By definition a “tri”dent only has three tines. See more »
Safari Song
Written by Daniel Wager, Joshua Kiszka, Samuel Kiszka and Jacob Kiszka
Performed by Greta Van Fleet
Courtesy of Lava Music / Republic Records
Under license from Universal Music Enterprises See more »
What did I miss? Sorry, I’ve been locked in a room for the last week or so, finishing up our reviews of Metro Exodus, Far Cry New Dawn, and Crackdown 3. Was there news this week? Does anything exist, outside those three games?
Apparently so. There’s a Hollow Knight sequel in the works, EA’s got Neill Blomkamp to make a spiffy live-action Anthem trailer, and Harmonix has a new VR game, plus some brief notes about this week’s ugly Activision layoffs to wrap it up.
This is gaming news for February 11 to 15.
For the patient antiterrorist
Not jumping on any of this week’s releases? There’s still something for you to play this weekend, namely Rainbow Six Siege. Yes, Ubisoft is running yet another free Siege weekend in tandem with this weekend’s Six Invitational. There’s also a new map, Outback (below), and two new operators—plus Ubisoft’s reworked the pricing structure, so you can get the standard base version of Siege as cheap as $20. There’s never been a better time to get into the best shooter of this generation.
The Hollowest Knight
Big sequel news this week, at least if you’re a fan of Hollow Knight. Just about two years after the initial release, Team Cherry’s announced a sequel, titled Hollow Knight: Silksong. This time around you’ll be playing as Hornet, fellow needle-wielder from the original, as she flips and twirls through a new bug kingdom. And even wilder, anyone who backed the original Hollow Knight on Kickstarter will receive Silksong for free.
Anthem of Creation
Do you like live-action trailers? Because EA shelled out a lot of cash for this one, I imagine. Titled Conviction, EA enlisted the help of District 9 director Neill Blomkamp to put this four-minute short together. It’s very pretty, albeit light on substance. Maybe EA’s trying to see if there’s any interest in a feature-length film?
Ghibli-esque indeed
Speaking of films, Ni No Kuni is getting the big-screen treatment later this year. Developer Level-5 is working on an animated film set in the same universe, which is a fascinating development given Studio Ghibli helped out on the cutscenes for the original game. It’s like the concept’s come full circle now. The Japanese release is planned for this summer, so keep an eye out.
Once more unto the breach
Verdun sequel Tannenberg released this week, a fact you might’ve missed amid all the commotion around much larger games. Why they chose this of all weeks to emerge from early access, I don’t know, but you can grab the realistic World War I shooter from Steam now, or check out the trailer below. I’m hoping to get around to this one once things calm down a bit, though with small multiplayer games like these it’s always best to get into them at the start, when the population’s a bit higher. Otherwise you might miss your chance.
We’re all THQ now
THQ Nordic continues its path to games industry domination, this week snapping up Kingdom Come: Deliverance developer Warhorse Studios. That’s it. That’s all the news, really. It’s not much of a surprise, given Deep Silver (and therefore THQ Nordic) published Kingdom Come, but hopefully this means another well-funded and well-supported game from Warhorse in the near-ish future.
And now we wait, hmm, probably two weeks to hear who or what THQ Nordic’s acquiring next.
Going it alone
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Starbreeze ducked out of a publishing deal this week, selling the rights to System Shock 3 back to OtherSide Entertainment. Starbreeze is of course undergoing some massive financial troubles of its own, so I’m sure this cash influx (however small) comes in handy at the moment. We’ll have to see whether OtherSide finishes System Shock 3 on its own or seeks out a publisher, especially in light of last year’s disastrous Underworld Ascendant launch.
The war has been delayed
We just wrote about Total War: Three Kingdoms less than a month ago, and I’d started to feel the smallest bit of excitement about its romantic take on Chinese history. Temper that excitement though, as Creative Assembly announced this week that Three Kingdoms is delayed. Originally set to release a few weeks from now on March 7, it’s now scheduled for waaaaay out on May 23. Hopefully the extra wait means a smooth and polished launch though, as that’s been a notorious thorn with Total Wars past.
It’s been a while since we’ve heard anything from Harmonix, but apparently the studio (now independent) is continuing to explore virtual reality. Its next game Audica seems similar to Audioshield, Soundboxing, or the insta-hit Beat Saber, swapping out shields/boxing gloves/we-can’t-call-them-lightsabers for guns but keeping the same “Hit targets in time with the beat” mechanic. I’m curious to give it a try, though hopefully there’s support for custom soundtracks. Otherwise it’s hard to imagine it dethroning some of the more established genre favorites.
Lake lurker
Barely a week after the release of Apex Legends, players have already uncovered an Easter egg. Like Titanfall before it, Apex Legends has some fun with Nessie, the creature at the bottom of Loch Ness. Shoot the ten tiny Nessie dolls hidden around the map (in a specific order, no less) and a full-sized Nessie appears. So that’s cool. Check out the clip from GarbageKogMain below. (Via PC Gamer)
Pour one out
And finally, let’s take a moment to consider the hundreds of people laid off by Activision this week. It’s dismal, and unconscionable. Activision CEO Bobby Kotick literally started this week’s earnings call by saying “Our financial results for 2018 were the best in our history,” and then within minutes came news the company was laying off about eight percent of its workforce—a number that amounts to about 800 people total—all so Activision could reach its “full potential.”
So yeah, there’s other Activision news this week. That same earnings call had some stuff about Diablo in it, as well as Call of Duty. But you’ll have to find that news elsewhere, because at least for this week we’re going to focus on the workers at Activision, the people who helped make those games for years and were let go because, I don’t know, the shareholders needed 2019 to be a record year too or whatever.
Even in an industry plagued by instability, this is perhaps the biggest middle finger I’ve ever seen a company give its own workers—right up there with last year’s Telltale disaster, at the very least. Best of luck to everyone affected, and might I recommend an alternate path?
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In 1962, Tony “Tony Lip” Vallelonga, a tough bouncer, is looking for work with his nightclub is closed for renovations. The most promising offer turns out to be the driver for the African-American classical pianist Don Shirley for a concert tour into the Deep South states. Although hardly enthused at working for a black man, Tony accepts the job and they begin their trek armed with The Negro Motorist Green Book, a travel guide for safe travel through America’s racial segregation. Together, the snobbishly erudite pianist and the crudely practical bouncer can barely get along with their clashing attitudes to life and ideals. However, as the disparate pair witness and endure America’s appalling injustices on the road, they find a newfound respect for each other’s talents and heart to face them together. In doing so, they would nurture a friendship and understanding that would change both their lives. Written by Kenneth Chisholm (kchishol@rogers.com)
Tony talks to the stage manager in Indiana and complains about the piano not being a Steinway. Tony mentions Dr. Shirley’s name and tells him he is the performer. The stage manager says “who is that?” and then makes a racial slur a few seconds later, but no one told him Dr. Shirley was black. See more »
Quotes
Johnny Venere:
He had a great job at the Sanitation Department. You shouldn’t have punched out the foreman.
“Larry the Crow” gets a mention. This was an actual crow that Viggo Mortensen found injured near the set, and tried in vain to nurse back to health. He was no doubt named for Viggo’s favorite soccer team, San Lorenzo (Saint Lawrence in Spanish). The team nickname is “The Crows”. See more »
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