Ubisoft fans have a lot of things happening at the moment. Not only is there a brand new Assassin’s Creed game to play with the release of Mirage, but other series are getting new entries very soon. Outside of that, however, XDefiant was bringing together multiple Ubisoft franchises into one shooter. If you were into any kind of Tom Clancy game released by the company, XDefiant was right up your alley. But it looks like a major change is happening that might bring everything to a halt.
In a post made on Twitter by the XDefiant team at Ubisoft San Francisco, the game is being put on indefinite hold. In the post, the team stated that multiple inconsistencies had surfaced following recent public test sessions that needed to be addressed. The game was planned to be released in October 2023.
In a follow-up post from XDefiant director and executive producer Mark Rubin, he stated that some issues were brought up in playtesting that the team wouldn’t have found without it. He then went on to thank fans for their continued support.
“I know it’s a bummer that we are moving the date, especially since we seemed so close, and that for many the game is great and they can’t wait to play, but I’d rather ship a game that is better for everyone. Our intent for this game is to be something that players can return to for many years and to do that we have to build this game with the community.”
XDefiant is a game that was being compared to the Call of Duty series because of its fast-paced gameplay. Various characters from a number of Ubisoft franchises were set to appear in the game, along with gameplay that was designed to have a classic feel and be focused on objective-driven modes. The game was planned for release on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC.
What do you think of the news about XDefiant being delayed indefinitely? Were you interested in the game beforehand, or were you not looking at it? Share all of your thoughts about the news below in the comment section!
Gaming software company Unity has taken a beating in the public eye recently. Many game developers and those following on social media were vocally upset after Unity was under fire for trying to set new fees for developers making games with Unity. The backlash was so severe that it caused the company to walk back some of its statements about the policy, mostly due to various game companies being open about using different software to build their games moving forward. Now after the tumultuous reaction to Unity, their CEO is now stepping down.
According to a press release sent out by Unity, CEO John Riccitiello is stepping down from the company after first stepping up to lead it in 2014. The press release states that he will still support the company from afar. “It’s been a privilege to lead Unity for nearly a decade and serve our employees, customers, developers, and partners, all of whom have been instrumental to the Company’s growth… I look forward to supporting Unity through this transition and following the Company’s future success.”
Within the same press release, Unity president Roelof Botha shared some thoughts about John and his time at Unity. “Working with Unity under John’s leadership has been one of the highlights of my career. John joined the Unity Board in 2013 and stepped in to lead the Company in 2014, at a time when we faced significant challenges… John has led Unity through incredible growth over the last nearly 10 years, helping us transition from a perpetual license to a subscription model, enabling developers to monetize, building other game services to serve our creator community, leading us through an IPO, and positioning us as a pioneer in the developer community. Unity would not be where it is today without the impact of his contributions…”
The rest of the press release goes on to discuss more about the company under John Riccitiello and how much of a positive impact he had. As far as who will be the next one to fill the position of Unity CEO, not a lot is expanded upon in the press release. John Riccitiello’s time at Unity wasn’t without its fair share of controversy, which included questionable statements that were highlighted by a number of outlets at various times. John was infamously known for stating developers were idiots for not thinking about monetization early on in the development process for a game. The statement had a big backlash for a time and led to John apologizing about the whole ordeal. The most recent controversy with Unity’s attempt at redoing their licensing policy received much more blowback from people, which may or may not have factored into John’s decision to step down.
What do you think of John Riccitiello leaving Unity? Who is someone who can be the next CEO of the company and how will it affect game development? Let us know your thoughts about everything in the comment section below.
The 90s were filled with first-person shooter games that were heavily inspired by the success of games like the original DOOM on PC. Many saw its overwhelming popularity and over the years tried to emulate its formula many times over. This trend continues even today, with a variety of games attempting to recapture the fun and appeal of DOOM, even if tweaked mildly. Rise of the Triad is another DOOM-like clone that mixes things up with a new setting and cast of characters but has the same essential characteristics of an FPS from the 90s. The original game was released back in 1994, but the new Ludicrous Edition compiles every expansion with the original release together. While there are some good aspects to Rise of the Triad: Ludicrous Edition (for PS5 and other platforms) for those who love the genre, it comes with all of the bad or archaic issues that consistently plague games like it. Same problems, different day and age.
Like other first-person shooters built from the same cloth, the story in Rise of the Triad is pretty shallow. A group of special operatives under the name HUNT are sent to an island to infiltrate a cult planning to destroy Los Angeles. They have to blast their way through legions of enemies after being stranded on the island where the cult is stationed, without help from the outside world. It’s up to HUNT to stop the cult’s plans before thousands of people in Los Angeles are devastated.
Although there are brief cutscenes that detail the plot of Rise of the Triad, the story itself is pretty basic. Despite there being multiple playable characters, each of them is still very much like the main character in DOOM, where there’s little to no detailed story about them individually. Most of this is by design, which keeps the focus on gameplay above everything else. For many, this will be totally fine. But for others who want a deeper, more developed story in their experience, you won’t find it here.
But if gameplay is your concern, this is about as 90s FPS-style as you can get. Rise of the Triad: Ludicrous Edition has every expansion that was released after the original game came out, as well as a new episode with content that was developed by Night Dive Software and Apogee Software. You can choose one of five characters at the start, each with small perks to them, and dive into an episode of the game.
Some characters have more health than others, while others have better accuracy with their shots or move faster while running around. While noticeable in some instances, these small differences don’t become a major factor in later portions of the game when enemies get stronger and appear in greater numbers. Everybody’s weapons that are used are the same as well.
Are the levels and scenarios still fun to play through? If you’re already accustomed to 90s FPS titles, then you should feel right at home. Others who haven’t engaged with these kinds of games may not be so thrilled, however. Aiming your weapons will take some getting used to, and patience with hitboxes when some bullets don’t land will be necessary. The same goes for platforming and getting around obstacles that can obstruct your view or look awkward with how they block your movement. A lot of Rise of the Triad has you checking and re-checking areas for new pathways and collectibles.
You can find a number of power-ups and items besides weapons, which sometimes give you brief abilities that are interesting at first but don’t last long. You can find boots that allow you to fly around to higher areas, as well as a spell that can annihilate enemies within a room. But you can also find a dog bone that turns you into a dog for a short time, allowing you to run faster and damage enemies without granting access to your weapons. A lot of it is very gimmicky in the same way that power-ups in the DOOM series can be, which only factor into your shootouts for a brief time. Often you won’t be using them since there are multiple weapons you’ll have on hand.
The bigger issues with Rise of the Triad come with its level design, which can look awkward and messy for those who don’t indulge in retro FPS games often. Most areas on a stage will look repeated and can be difficult at times to navigate without getting a little lost. There is a map that you can use to help you roam the area, but it won’t help much when you run into groups of enemies. Some stages will also require you to use springs and walk up elevated platforms, which can look awkward because of how rough the visuals can be. It might take a moment or two when moving around as you try to reorient yourself. This can be made worse if you find yourself near the edge of a platform or the stage itself, where the perspective can get skewed and inadvertently lead you to fall off the map.
While all of this is going on, you also need to be conscious of saving frequently. Like most games of the era, losing a life will force you back to the beginning of a stage regardless of your progress. No checkpoints or excuses, you’ll have to do everything again from scratch if you die. Reloading a save helps with this, but you’ll need to remember to save often after getting far if you’re worried about dying for any reason.
It can get very frustrating in later stages when health is more scarce and enemies are more aggressive or placed in chokepoints to damage you heavily. You might end up finding yourself annoyed and aggravated in some places if you get shot by enemies you can’t see, only to die and have to restart the stage over again. For some, this retro characteristic might be totally fine, but for others, it will be a very big point of frustration.
Rise of the Triad: Ludicrous Edition is good for those who like this style of first-person shooter or want to relive their past growing up with them. If you played the original release of Rise of the Triad, then this is the best version of the game with all of its related expansions in one spot. But for others who are more familiar with modern FPS titles, this package won’t be anything special. You can still play through it and get some enjoyment from the experience, but it will require a lot more patience and understanding than those already familiar with 90s FPS games. If you can’t do that, you won’t find yourself having fun with Rise of the Triad in any capacity.
What are your thoughts about Rise of the Triad: Ludicrous Edition? Are you a big fan of retro games and classic-style FPS titles? Tell us about everything down below in the comment section!
Ya’ll want some barbeque? Trick Or Treat Studio has announced two new lines of 5″ retro-style action figures.
The first set we’ll look at includes a complete diorama recreating the infamous dinner scene from Tobe Hooper’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
The collection contains the dinner table, chairs, and five action figures:
Sally Hardesty
The Hitchhiker (Nubbins Sawyer)
The Cook (Drayton Sawyer)
Grandpa (Ungle Sawyer)
Leatherface in his pretty woman outfit
Each action figure appears to have seven points of articulation. The image shown is a prototype. So, things may change. Head over to Trick Or Treat Studios to sign up for announcements.
Photo Credit: Trick Or Treat Studios
“In celebration of the milestone 50th Anniversary of the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre film, comes the all new 5″ Action Figure Collection. The Sawyer family is all here The Cook, The Hitchhiker and Leatherface in his 2 iconic looks. Plus you can complete your display with the Dinner Playset that includes Grandpa and Sally!”
Fast forward a few decades in the horror genre, and we’re at R. L. Stine’s Goosebumps. Although not as violent as the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Goosebumps managed to frighten a whole generation of young readers when the book series launched in 1992.
Trick Or Treat Studios will soon offer a whole series of 5″ tall action figures based on the books and their iconic cover art. The characters look to have five points of articulation, but things may change since these are only prototypes.
R. L. Stine’s Goosebumps action figure collection will include:
The Scarecrow
The Mummy
The Mud Monster
The Haunted Mask
Slappy
Photo Credit: Trick Or Treat Studios
“Reader Beware! You’re In for a Scare! Right from the pages of everyones favorite spooky stories comes the all new 5″ Goosebumps Action Figure Collection! The monsters are all here; The Scarecrow, The Mummy, The Mud Monster, The Haunted Mask, and Slappy! Each figure will come with a trading card and holder stand. Plus collect them all to build the iconic Goosebumps mascot Curly!”
The X-Men careen toward the Fall of X. Captain America and Wolverine are teaming up. The Avengers are dealing with the Impossible City and Doctor Otto Octavius returns as the Superior Spider-Man.
“Superior Spider-Man web-slings again in this week’s Marvel Comics,” Marvel Comics said about revisiting the arc. “The spider-team that redefined AMAZING SPIDER-MAN returns to celebrate the ten year anniversary of the most monumental and shocking Spidey story in a generation with SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN RETURNS (2023) #1! Dan Slott. Ryan Stegman. Mark Bagley. Giuseppe Camuncoli. Humberto Ramos. Peter Parker. Doc Ock. Together again for a Spider-Man story SUPERIOR to all others!”
Marvel released the entire list on their website:
New Comics
AVENGERS (2023) #6
BLADE (2023) #4
CAPTAIN MARVEL: ASSAULT ON EDEN (2023) #1
CAPWOLF & THE HOWLING COMMANDOS (2023) #1
DAREDEVIL 183 FACSIMILE EDITION (2023) #183
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY (2023) #7
MAGNETO (2023) #3
MOON KNIGHT VS. WEREWOLF BY NIGHT: MARVEL TALES (2023) #1
MOON KNIGHT: CITY OF THE DEAD (2023) #4
SILVER SURFER REBIRTH: LEGACY (2023) #2
SPIDER-MAN: INDIA (2023) #5
STAR WARS: DARK DROIDS (2023) #3
STAR WARS: THE MANDALORIAN SEASON 2 (2023) #5
SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN RETURNS (2023) #1
THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (2022) #35
VENOM (2021) #26
WOLVERINE (2020) #38
X-MEN RED (2022) #16
New Collections
CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE TRIAL OF CAPTAIN AMERICA OMNIBUS HC MARKO DJURDJEVIC COVER [NEW PRINTING]
CAPTAIN MARVEL: GENIS-VELL BY PETER DAVID OMNIBUS HC CHRISCROSS COVER
GHOST RIDER VOL. 2: SHADOW COUNTRY TPB
GHOST RIDER: DANNY KETCH EPIC COLLECTION: VENGEANCE REBORN TPB
HAWKEYE BY FRACTION & AJA: THE SAGA OF BARTON AND BISHOP TPB ALEX ROSS COVER
MARVEL AGE OMNIBUS VOL. 1 HC GAMMILL COVER
STAR WARS: DARTH VADER BY GREG PAK VOL. 7 – UNBOUND FORCE TPB
WHAT IF?: INTO THE MULTIVERSE OMNIBUS VOL. 1 HC MILGROM COVER
X-FORCE BY BENJAMIN PERCY VOL. 7 TPB
X-MEN: X-VERSE – X-VILLAINS GN-TPB
Marvel Unlimited
CAPTAIN AMERICA (2023) #750
CLOBBERIN’ TIME (2023) #5
DAREDEVIL (2022) #13
DOCTOR STRANGE (2023) #5
EDGE OF SPIDER-VERSE (2023) #4
EXTREME VENOMVERSE (2023) #4
FANTASTIC FOUR (2022) #9
SPIDER-MAN (2022) #10
STAR WARS (2020) #36
STAR WARS: YODA (2022) #9
THOR ANNUAL (2023) #1
VENOM (2021) #22
VENOM: LETHAL PROTECTOR II (2023) #5
X-23: DEADLY REGENESIS (2023) #5
X-MEN (2021) #24
X-MEN: BEFORE THE FALL – SINISTER FOUR (2023) #1
These titles will be available on October 11, 2023 for print or digital purchase.
Sentai Filmworks is premiering the sci-fi romance anime film ‘The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes’ in American theaters for a limited run on November 3, 2023. They have also announced that they are producing an English dubbed version and released a trailer to promote it.
“Kaoru Touno’s family is falling apart. After the death of a sibling and his parents’ divorce, he no longer feels any peace at home. Following a heated confrontation with his father, Kaoru runs out of his house and finds himself before a mysterious tunnel, which pulls him in. Bewildered by what he sees inside, he rushes to the exit, picking up a bird that looks identical to his deceased pet on his way out.
Upon emerging outside, Kaoru realizes that, despite him spending just a few minutes inside the tunnel, an entire week has passed. The bizarre experience leads him to remember the rumors of “Urashima Tunnel”—a passage that grants wishes in exchange for one’s lifespan. Given the resurrection of his pet bird, Kaoru cannot help but wonder if another visit can help fix his messed up life.
However, when he returns to the entrance of the mysterious tunnel, Kaoru realizes that he has been followed by Anzu Hanashiro, a new transfer student in his class. She also knows about the rumors and asks him to help her with an experiment—it turns out that she, too, has a wish that only the tunnel can grant.”
The film is based on a light novel series written by Japanese author Mei Hachimoku.
Fresh Monkey Fiction is expanding the Naughty or Nice action figure line beyond the realm of Santa Claus. The holiday-themed action figures will soon include Halloween characters. Of course, we have to start with pumpkin heads.
Petor, Patch, and the Hauntlings will kick off this first wave of The Bizarre World of Naughty or Nice. Like the Christmas counterparts, the figures are overflowing with theming and accessories.
“In a quaint village, nestled between mist-covered hills, lived two peculiar brothers named Petor and Patch Pumpkin. Their heads were carved from enchanted pumpkins, which glowed with a warm, otherworldly light. Every Halloween night, the brothers embarked on their special mission.“
Like the otherNaughty or Nice action figures we’ve covered, Fresh Monkey Fiction needs a certain number pre-ordered from the Big Bad Toy Store before they go into production. As of the time of writing this, Petor and Patch are close to the halfway point. Each figure needs a minimum of 500 pre-orders. The smaller Hauntlings are well below that point.
Patch and Petor are 6.5″ tall and feature 20+ points of articulation and various accessories. The main characters are $36.99 each.
The Hauntlings are 4″ tall but only have 5 points of articulation. Due to their size and simplified details, these guys are only $19.99.
The upcoming fantasy anime film ‘The Concierge at Hokkyoku Department Store’ is set to be released in Japanese theaters on October 20, 2023, but it will debut in the United States in 2024.
“Welcome in! Crunchyroll has officially announced it has acquired the rights to The Concierge, the latest anime movie from PRODUCTION I.G (PSYCHO-PASS) in North America, teaming up with Sony Pictures Entertainment to release the film in 2024,” Crunchyroll reported on their website.
They said, “The Concierge is an adaptation of The Concierge at Hokkyoku Department Store from Tsuchika Nishimura. The story centers around Akino, a concierge-in-training in a store with a unique customer base — animals, of which extinct species are held in the highest regard.”
Aniplex will distribute the film to Japanese cinemas.
“Directed by Yoshimi Itazu (Welcome to the Ballroom) at PRODUCTION I.G, The Concierge stars Natsumi Kawaida (Diary of Our Days at the Breakwater) as Akino, Takeo Otsuka (Oshi no Ko) as Elulu and Kenhiro Tsuda (JUJUTSU KAISEN) as Woolly,” Crunchyroll continued.
You can watch the trailer below:
The Concierge at Hokkyoku Department Store’ won the Silver Audience Award for Best Animated Feature at the 27th Fantasia International Film Festival.
“That’s just one of the demanding rules that Akino must abide by in her new job as a saleswoman at the elegant and expansive Hokkyoku Department Store. It’s a very special store — the customers are all animals, and the most valued among them are of extinct species. Sea minks, laughing owls, Japanese wolves, even an enormous mammoth — that’s Mr. Woolly, the celebrated sculptor whose works are showcased at the store. It’s still a luxury retail space, though, and anxious Akino finds her hands full with the customers’ challenging requests. These range from hard-to-find merchandise to more complicated matters of the heart. Can the inexperienced Akino fulfill their whims and meet their expectations? If she wants to keep her job, she’ll have to succeed while under constant observation by the fussy floor manager Mr. Toudou, a creepy consultant eager to downsize the staff, and the store’s enigmatic president (who is not a penguin, by the way!).”
The movie had its premiere at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival.
The 1974 sci-fi anime ‘Chargeman Ken’ is notorious among fans for “being so bad it’s good.” While its popularity waned over time, it was rediscovered in the twenty-first century and has since become a cult classic. Discotek Media plans on releasing the entire series on Blu-ray for the first time in the United States.
Created by Eiji Tanaka and Tetsuji Suzukawa, the Japanese animation studio Knack Productions (now ICHI Corporation) released all sixty-five episodes which were directed by Noboru Miura. The score was handled by Kunio Miyauchi and the episodes were written by Masaaki Wakuda, Toyohiro Andō, and Yoshio Tamado.
Discotek plans on releasing the Blu-ray on November 28, 2023, though it is currently available for pre-order on the Right Stuf Anime website.
You can take a look at the DVD box set below:
The series stars Setsuko Takemoto, Fuyuki Takahashi, Kiyoshi Kawanishi, Yuki Aida, and Noboru Sato.
“It is the year 2074. In a world threatened by aliens… an unlikely hero emerges! Ken Izumi may look like an ordinary 10-year-old boy, but he secretly possesses weapons, armor, and accessories that transform him into the superheroic Chargeman Ken. Ken protects his mom, dad, little sister Caron, robot pal Barican, and the rest of mankind from the diabolical Juralians, shape-shifting alien invaders bent on terrorizing the earth with flesh-eating butterflies, booby-trapped scientists, an evil doll, a prison break, alien mummies, a kid that sets stuff on fire, a song that makes you die… basically, they have about 65 plans for world domination.
The only thing standing between the fragile human race and conquest by the Juralians is Chargeman Ken and his unquenchable thirst for fiery, atomic justice!”
The Japanese publisher Tokuma Shoten released a manga version in 1974, followed by a second edition from Akita Shoten.
Call of Duty is once again revisiting familiar territory with the upcoming release of the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III remake. And while the full game, campaign and all, will be out in November 2023, eager players who want to get their multiplayer fix got a chance to hop online with the early access beta and play Modern Warfare 3 standard multiplayer games. For some, it might feel like whiplash to jump into Call of Duty multiplayer after playing Warzone for so long, but for others, it will feel like revisiting home. Despite this Call of Duty being a remake, however, you shouldn’t expect a lot of differences from what you may already know from the original game. That includes everything you loved about it, and everything you may have hated about it too.
Call of Duty multiplayer can be frantic and frustrating at times, often depending on how you’re winning or losing. If you had the chance to play Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 multiplayer back in the day, you’ll already be familiar with the maps game modes included with the online beta. But unlock that version of the game, everything about the pre-game lobby and menus is designed like more recent games in the series, particularly Call of Duty Warzone. You can still customize your loadouts and player card, although the options in the beta are limited for the moment.
For weapons, there’s a good amount of guns and equipment, but you have even more options to try out beyond that. Choosing which gloves, boots, and extra equipment gives you additional perks that you don’t get from weapons, which can further boost your emphasis on attributes like mobility, endurance, and even highlighting enemy equipment. It’s a good way to tinker with your character further and be unique among the rest of the lobby. How far it goes is entirely dependent on your skill level and actions in a matchup, but there are plenty of options to unlock and experiment with as you play.
For the beta, there are three main maps for the Mosh Pit playlist, which include Estate, Skidrow, and Rust. Mosh Pit has your standard Team Deathmatch, Kill Confirmed, Domination, and Hardpoint game types. For just about anyone, this will be the playlist you spend the most time in with the beta, as it’s the multiplayer mayhem you know very well.
The Ground War playlist has one large map, the Popov Power Plant, that puts many players into one big battle. In Ground War, you struggle for control of key points and assist your team with spawn points, which can get pretty intense as the game goes on. Depending on how you select your loadouts beforehand, some matches may be easier to win than others, especially if you’re coordinating with your teammates enough or being a lone wolf.
Like every other Call of Duty game with multiplayer, Modern Warfare III feels very good to control and get into the action. The game runs at a high framerate on consoles and PCs and has a ton of details on every map and character you see. It’s par for the course with Call of Duty, which almost always has a high level in its presentation. At this point in the franchise history, it shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone that Call of Duty looks and sounds very good. But does that also match up with the amount of fun you get when playing it? For the most part, yes it does. A lot of the complaints people have with Call of Duty multiplayer always stem from personal skill and scenarios online, which never paints the full picture of the game itself. At its core, Modern Warfare 3 multiplayer is very solid in nearly every aspect you expect it to be, with a lot of small quality-of-life aspects from things like Warzone to sweeten the package.
Matchmaking online in the beta is pretty good. Granted there are only so many players that will join in the early access and open beta for Modern Warfare 3, but the speed at which you find new matches is very good. Per usual, there are moments you’ll get thrown into a game already in progress, but it’s not a regular occurrence, which may or may not change when the full game is out. Pre-game lobbies allow you to vote on which map to play on next, with tied votes being a random selection.
If you are worried about getting thrown into a game type that you dislike multiple times, you’ll be happy to know Modern Warfare III doesn’t repeat previous matches often. Things will always be changing up as you play more and more games. And if you do not like what you see, jumping out and going back into matchmaking can help you find a brand new group pretty fast. While the beta is limited, hopefully, the full game will have more filter options to tailor what types of matches you can get placed in.
Despite what anyone will say, Call of Duty Modern Warfare III multiplayer is looking pretty good. It has the essence of what you want from the original game, but with a few tweaks to make it feel fresh enough to be released now. There are many unlockables and options to change up your character and loadout that can be unlocked over an extensive period of time, with much more that will be in the final release. Although the beta only covers the multiplayer aspect of Modern Warfare III, there’s still much more to enough within in the full package when the game finally releases on November 10th, 2023.
What do you think about Call of Duty multiplayer? Will you be picking up Modern Warfare III when it’s finally out? Share your thoughts about everything down below in the comment section!
