Before Apex Legends Season 3 even started (which adds new character Crypto), Respawn may have teased Apex Legends' twelfth playable character, who would assumably be put into the battle royale at the start of Season 4. It wouldn't be too far-fetched for the developer, which has long been including hints to new characters and weapons ahead of their official release. It's easy for the studio to do, with several new weapons and maps designed months in advance and certain characters already tentatively scheduled for the next few seasons.In the Apex Legends Season 3 launch trailer, we finally see Crypto interacting with his fellow Legends as the group is transported to and have their first fight on World's Edge, a brand-new map located on a new planet. Before the Legends drop, they divide into four teams of three. Of course, that should create a discrepancy. Crypto is the eleventh Legend. But on closer inspection, you can see that there are twelve figures in the room. In the trailer, which is embedded below, pause the action at 0:51 and you'll see twelve characters.On the left, there's a squad composed of Pathfinder, Caustic, and Octane. In the foreground, Bloodhound, Gibraltar, and Bangalore form a squad. In the background, we see Lifeline, Crypto, and Mirage together. That leaves the group on the right, which is Wraith, Wattson, and some other figure whose back is partially turned towards us. The figure seems to be on the larger side (matching Caustic and Gibraltar), is encased in armor, and wears what appears to be some sort of mask or helmet.Respawn has done teases like this before, where a new character or weapon is seen in a trailer months ahead of their official announcement. For example, in the gameplay deep dive trailer (released on the day Apex Legends was both announced and launched), you can see the shadow outlines of both Season 1's Octane and Season 2's Wattson at 5:30. And in the Apex Legends Season 1 gameplay trailer, a Pathfinder is shooting at Bangalore with an L-Star--a weapon that wouldn't be added to the game until Season 2.So although we can't definitively say that the mysteriously-masked figure in the Season 3 launch trailer is the twelfth character for Apex Legends, we can probably assume that it is. Respawn does have a track record now. But we'll just have to wait and see.Info from Gamespot.com

It's been over three years since Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson appeared on WWE programming. However, finally The Rock has come back home. Johnson announced himself, via Twitter, that he will appear on the first episode of Smackdown on Fox, which airs live on Friday, October 4, and serves as the 20th anniversary celebration of the show."There's no greater title than [The People's Champ] and there's no place like home," Johnson wrote. He also offered to buy everyone tequila after the show. Don't get your hopes up, though, as the likelihood of him driving to every house with a bottle of his own special brew is unlikely.FINALLY...I come back home to my @WWE universe. This FRIDAY NIGHT, I’ll return for our debut of SMACKDOWN!LIVE on @FOXTV.There’s no greater title than #thepeopleschamp.And there’s no place like home.Tequila on me after the show 😈🥃#IfYaSmell🎤 #Smackdown#RocksShow #FOX pic.twitter.com/V5i4cxqIqH — Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) September 30, 2019The Rock's appearance is only one of many special things WWE had planned for the first episode of Smackdown on Fox. Also scheduled to cameo on the show are Kurt Angle, Lita, Mick Foley, Booker T, Hulk Hogan, Trish Stratus, Goldberg, Jerry Lawler, Mark Henry, Ric Flair and Sting.Additionally, WWE has lined up quite a card of matches for the evening. WWE Champion Kofi Kingston will defend his title against Brock Lesnar in Lesnar's first non-PPV match since 2004. The show will also see Kevin Owens take on Shane McMahon in a ladder match and Roman Reigns go head-to-head with Erick Rowan. The final match announced thus far features WWE Raw Women's Champion Becky Lynch teaming with Charlotte Flair to take on the team of WWE Smackdown Women's Champion Bayley and Sasha Banks.WWE Smackdown premieres Friday, October 4, at 8 PM ET on Fox.Info from Gamespot.com

Obsidian's upcoming Fallout-like game, The Outer Worlds, is less than a month away from release, and if you want to save some money on a pre-order for the PC version, then Green Man Gaming has a deal for you. With voucher code "AUTUMN15," you can save 15%, bringing The Outer Worlds' price down to $51 USD / $68 CAD / £42.50. This deal is for the Epic Games Store version, so you will need the appropriate account to redeem the game at release--The Outer Worlds isn't coming to Steam, but there will be a Windows 10 version on the Microsoft Store.The Outer Worlds for PC - discount code: AUTUMN15See at Green Man GamingMake sure to add the code after clicking on your basket to see the discount applied to your order. This voucher is valid until October 15, ten days before release on October 25. While this is a great deal, it's important to note that The Outer Worlds will be a part of Xbox Game Pass for Console and PC on day one, so there's no reason to pre-order if you're subscribed or plan to be when the game launches. You can subscribe to Xbox Game Pass for PC at just $1 for your first month.Obsidian Entertainment developed Fallout: New Vegas, one of the most beloved entries in Bethesda's post-apocalyptic series. In many ways, The Outer Worlds is seen as somewhat of a spiritual successor. In addition to it being an FPS RPG, The Outer Worlds' has a cast of colourful companions that may just be the best part of the game.The Outer Worlds is also set to release for PS4 and Xbox One on October 25, with a Switch version coming later. The Nintendo Switch port is being developed in partnership with Virtuos, the studio behind other Switch ports like Dark Souls Remastered and Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age, both of which were excellent conversions of those classic games.Info from Gamespot.com

Respawn has released the overview look of Apex Legends Season 3's new map, World's Edge. The map will replace Kings Canyon at the start of Season 3, which is scheduled to begin on October 1.Based on the overview, it's difficult to tell just how much bigger World's Edge is to Kings Canyon, though after playing on the new map we estimate it's about two to three times larger. The map is divided into three parts, with the top right portion of the map themed around ice--the Epicenter operating as the major landmark. The bottom part of the map is themed around fire, with two major landmarks: Thermal Station and The Dome.Starting planning your drops. #ApexLegends #Season3 pic.twitter.com/Vj7WeOYaeO — Rodney Reece (@RodneyReece7) September 30, 2019Snaking between both sections, and extending from the top left of the map down to the middle right, is an urban-like environment. It's here that you'll find the train that travels throughout the map--providing a means for squads to bunker down while still remaining on the move. The train seems to travel between Skyhook (teased in Cryptos' first in-game appearance), Capital City, and Sorting Factory with about a half-dozen smaller landmarks scattered along the track.A new map isn't the only piece of content dropping into Respawn's battle royale during Season 3. Apex Legends is also getting a new playable character (Crypto), weapon (the Charge Rifle), hop-up attachments, golden armor effects, and battle pass. The content won't stop there, though, as Respawn has already hinted at an upcoming Halloween-themed limited-time event. The developer has also teased Apex Legends' twelfth character, who is likely scheduled to release at the start of Season 4.Apex Legends is available for Xbox One, PS4, and PC.Info from Gamespot.com

While Call of Duty: Modern Warfare's October 25 release on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One approaches, publisher Activision has announced that a mobile version of its popular first-person shooter is available now on iOS.Call of Duty (Mobile) is a free-to-play CoD experience “brimming with content” from both the Black Ops and Modern Warfare series, according to a press release from earlier this month. It is said to feature a fully-customizable control scheme, multiple game types, well-known characters and weapons, and a Battle Royale mode. The game is currently available now on iOS devices, with Android launching sometime soon. Activision previously stated that Call of Duty: Mobile will launch on both Android and iOS on October 1, so Android users should expect it soon.Game modes like Gun Game, Search and Destroy, and Team Deathmatch will all make an appearance in Call of Duty: Mobile. Additionally, maps such as Hijacked and Nuketown will be playable in the game.Call of Duty: Mobile ships with a Battle Royale mode on a "huge and unique open map." You can play in Single-, Duo-, or Quad-player squads in either first- or third-person. The Battle Royale mode will feature locales from across the Call of Duty universe and you will be able to select one of six available classes before jumping in.The game launched in Australia earlier this summer. We were able to sit down with Activision's Vice President of Mobile, Chris Plummer, to talk about the company's intentions with CoD Mobile, its general position on mobile games, and the ever-contentious microtransactions present in gaming.Info from Gamespot.com

Ahead of the presumed release of the PlayStation 5 in 2020, one of PlayStation's top executives, Shawn Layden, has announced he's leaving the company.Layden is Sony Interactive Entertainment's Chairman for Worldwide Studios. He is leaving PlayStation at some point in the future, though a specific date wasn't shared.Sony said it wishes Layden "success in his future endeavours," whatever they may be. "Thanks for everything, Shawn!" PlayStation said."It is with great emotion that we announce that Worldwide Studios Chairman Shawn Layden will be departing SIE," Sony said in a statement on the PlayStation Twitter account. "His visionary leadership will be greatly missed. We wish him success in future endeavors and are deeply grateful for his years of service. Thanks for everything, Shawn!"Layden started at Sony in 1996, where he worked out of Sony's Tokyo office as a producer for international software development until January 1999. He was then promoted to vice president of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, a position he held for eight years and nine months.In October 2007, Layden became the president of Sony Computer Entertainment Japan. He worked in that role for two years and six months before he moved to the San Francisco Bay Area to become the Chief Operating Officer of PlayStation until March 2014. His latest promotion was to Chairman of SIE Worldwide Studios, a position he held from April 2016 until now. All of this information comes from Layden's LinkedIn profile.Sony is expected to launch its next-generation PS5 console in 2020 alongside the release of Microsoft's own new console, Scarlett. The PS4 has been a massive success, shipping 100 million consoles by Sony's latest count.Info from Gamespot.com

343 Industries has released new videos that show how the audio team captured some of sounds in the upcoming Xbox One and PC game Halo Infinite. The videos are fantastic and offer an illuminating look into the way sounds for creatures, weapons, and vehicles are captured.The star of the show is Gyoza. That's the little pug that 343 brought into the studio to sniff and scruff and make all kinds of guttural noises. We can only imagine what these noises will be turned into in Halo Infinite. "Meet our favorite pug, Gyoza," reads a post from 343 on Instagram. The best friend of our studio's Technical Art Director, his grunts, breaths, and excitement are sure to make for some... interesting sounds in Halo Infinite."The videos, which originally date back to August and were reposted on YouTube by AI, also show the team firing all kinds of weapons, including high-power automatic rifles and shotguns. Additionally, we get a peek at some of the stranger sounds made with various torches, buckets, and baking pans.The Halo Infinite audio team also fired rockets and drove vehicles around test tracks to capture additional audio for the game.Halo Infinite releases in Holiday 2020 as a launch title for Microsoft's next-generation console, Scarlett. The game will also be playable on Xbox One.A beta for Halo Infinite will be held prior to launch through a "flighting" program. In other news, 343 described Halo Infinite's microtransactions as a "AAA player investment experience," while Halo Infinite's creative director left 343 in August. Info from Gamespot.com

Like the Smithsonian in America, a well-known Australian preservation group has announced it will begin collecting video games for "archival preservation."The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia is collecting games released between 1982 and 2019 to be displayed in Canberra at an exhibit called Game Masters: The Exhibition.The exhibit honors Australian-made games, and these include the following eight games in the initial wave of inductees:The Hobbit (Beam Software, 1982)Halloween Harry (Interactive Binary Illusions / Sub Zero Software, 1985/1993)Shadowrun (Beam Software, 1993)L.A. Noire (Team Bondi, 2011)Submerged (Uppercut Games, 2015)Hollow Knight (Team Cherry, 2017)Florence (Mountains, 2018)Espire 1: VR Operative (Digital Lode, 2019)The NFSA in Canberra will have these titles on display in the Game Masters exhibit until March 2020. In addition to serving as a venue for people to come see Australian-made games, the NFSA is actually digitally preserving the games, which is a big deal for the older games that were not initially released on digital formats.Attendees can also see storyboards, artwork, soundtracks, and marketing materials for the games on display. The NFSA said it aims to "paint a complete picture of the game's creative process from concept to finished product."An opening night to remember! If you're visiting #GameMastersNFSA (and you must!), don't forget to share your photos and selfies and add the official hashtag.Tickets: https://t.co/AYxOJDsdJk pic.twitter.com/bDKnRtl1uI — NFSA -National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (@NFSAonline) September 27, 2019 Outside of the eight games, the Game Masters exhibit features 80 total playable games, along with other elements such as "never-before-seen" concept art, and a display of vintage consoles and collectable items."The collection represents the cultural diversity and breadth of experience of all Australians, and it is constantly evolving just like our creative industries," NFSA CEO Jan Muller said in a statement. "We aim to be the national leader in collecting multimedia and new media content, and it would be impossible to accurately represent modern life without games. It is essential that games be collected alongside other audiovisual media, to ensure their continued preservation and access."Muller went on to say that this selection of games is just the "initial" wave, suggesting more may be added to the exhibit over time. The NFSA worked with Australian trade groups the Interactive Games And Entertainment Association and the Game Developers' Association of Australia on the Game Masters exhibit.IGEA CEO Ron Curry said, "It's very exciting to see a national collecting institution acknowledging the increasingly important role of video games in the life of all Australians. Games are a major part of contemporary popular culture; an artistic, storytelling and technological achievement, as well as an industry that contributes hundreds of millions of dollars to the Australian economy. We look forward to working with the NFSA as they start adding games to their vast collection."Game Masters is also hosting special events, including Local Heroes of Gaming (November 22) and the Women and Non-Binary Gamers' Club (November 29). More details on the Game Masters exhibit, including ticket information, can be found on the event's website. Info from Gamespot.com

Mobile giant Zynga has acknowledged a data breach by "outside hackers" that has reportedly resulted in the personal information of 200 million accounts becoming exposed.In a statement, Zynga said cyber attacks are "one of the unfortunate realities of doing business today." The FarmVille and Words With Friends studio said it recently became aware that "certain player account information" might have been "illegally" obtained by hackers.The San Francisco-based company said it launched an investigation "immediately" and brought on outside forensic teams to help. Additionally, Zynga said it has been in contact with law enforcement officials regarding the breach.Zynga said it believes no financial information was obtained in the hack, though some "account information" was exposed. The company said it already launched security campaigns on behalf of accounts that might have been compromised, and right now seems like a good time to change your Zynga password if you have an account there."The security of our player data is extremely important to us. We have worked hard to address this matter and remain committed to supporting our community," Zynga said.The company added that Facebook, iOS, and Android passwords were likely not exposed in this breach because Zynga does not collect these passwords in the first place.According to Hacker News, a hacker from Pakistan has claimed responsibility for the Zynga breach, which specifically targeted Words With Friends and Draw Something. As part of the breach, the hacker reportedly gained access to more than 218 million user accounts. Players names, email addresses, login IDs, passwords, phone numbers, and more information might have been accessed in the breach.Check out this Zynga support page to find out how to change your password. Info from Gamespot.com

When looking at the recent trailer for The Last of Us Part II, it's clear that Ellie is in for a tough fight against the new threat coming from the Wolves. Add Clickers on top and there's certainly a lot for her to deal with. But she won't always be alone in her struggle as, just like in the original game, Ellie will encounter a variety of characters who will join her on her journey.Unique characters are part of what made The Last of Us such a stellar game from a storytelling perspective. However, it was a common occurrence during combat situations that companion characters weren't as helpful as they could have been. In The Last of Us Part II, the developers at Naughty Dog wanted to address this concern from the original. Speaking with The Last of Us Part II co-director Anthony Newman, he explained why allies would have a more significant impact during combat in the sequel."I can't get too much into the exact ratio of time you spend alone. I'd say the game is definitely a blend of being by yourself as you were in the second part of the demo, and being with an ally," he said. "Allies are at the core of Naughty Dog games. We get a lot of great stuff out of them in terms of this back and forth as you were pointing out. The Last of Us 2 News The Last Of Us Part 2 Is "Meant To Be Unsettling" How The Last Of Us 2 Will Make You Feel Bad About Killing Enemies You'll Kill A Lot Of Dogs In The Last of Us Part 2 The Last Of Us 2 Includes Two Ridiculous NSFW Easter Eggs "I think, as you may have noticed in the first part of the demo interacting with Dina, our allies can do a lot of pretty exciting new stuff where they can get stealth kills independently. They have their own pretty nuanced melee system where they can interact with enemies in melee and also help you out and rescue as they did in the first game. They're a little bit more flexible and nuanced this time around."In our recent hands-on impressions of The Last of Us Part II, editor Phil Hornshaw talked about how handy the companions were during the many fights he got himself into. In one instance, he noticed that shots from companions posed a more tangible threat to enemies. In these cases, he'd rely on their shots landing, which allowed him to finish off the weakened enemies with his attacks. There seems to be a lot more nuance to how the companions operate, which is undoubtedly appreciated this time around.Info from Gamespot.com

Code Vein establishes its own identity from the outset. It may latch onto a Dark Souls formula that has come to define a generation of action-RPGs, but Bandai Namco's latest manages to set itself apart from the rest by presenting a post-apocalyptic world filled with what are essentially anime vampires. Interesting concepts and mechanics filter out from this central blood-soaked idea, resulting in a game that feels familiar yet wildly different from its inspiration. Yet it's the parts that are most recognisable, such as its combat, where Code Vein stumbles.After an apocalyptic cataclysm ravages the world, those who died are brought back to life as immortal beings called Revenants. The only price they have to pay for reincarnation is an insatiable thirst for blood. There's no neck biting, disintegrating in sunlight, or anything else you would usually associate with traditional vampires here. If a Revenant goes for too long without satisfying its thirst for blood, however, they lose their humanity and transform into grotesque creatures known as the Lost. Fortunately, Revenants don't have to feed on the last remaining humans to survive. Blood Beads grow on plants throughout the world and function as suitable substitutes for human blood, nourishing a Revenant's bloodlust in much the same way. The problem is, Blood Beads are becoming increasingly scarce, so you have to find the source and hopefully attain a steady supply. That's the basic plot, anyway, but it doesn't take long to deviate into other areas and introduce world-ending stakes.In stereotypical protagonist fashion, you begin the game by waking up with amnesia before finding out you're the chosen one. You see, each Revenant in Code Vein has a class known as a Blood Code. Your created character is special due to the fact they're not confined to a single Blood Code like everyone else is. This malleability allows you to swap between various classes whenever you feel like it, with your arsenal of available Blood Codes expanding the further you progress through the game.Blood Codes are tailored to a specific style of play that often fits into a typical RPG class template--think warrior or mage. Gifts are Code Vein's version of abilities, granting you access to a wide range of passive and active skills that are tied but not limited to each Blood Code. You're able to mix and match Gifts to a certain degree, with the most exciting ones letting you unleash flashy special attacks in melee combat. That's not all they're capable of, however, as others allow you to fire projectiles of piercing Ichor, boost your attack power, temporarily add a stun effect to your weapon, and many more. The character creator is already comprehensive enough, but Code Vein provides a plethora of options when it comes to finding a playstyle that suits you.Killing enemies earns Haze that can be spent on levelling up your character, purchasing weapon and armor upgrades, or attaining various items like poison cures and throwing daggers. When you die, you lose all of the Haze you had accrued up to that point unless you can return to the location of your demise and pick it back up. Haze is relatively easy to accumulate, though, so walking around with pockets full of the stuff never feels as stressful as it maybe should. Levelling up your character is also simplistic to a fault because it doesn’t let you min-max your stats. Everything it tied to Blood Codes so it’s unclear why information such as your character's strength and dexterity is even surfaced.Either way, incorporating Gifts amid regular attacks makes for some satisfying combos, and there's a gratifying heft behind each slash and crunch of Code Vein's melee combat. Defeating enemies is based on rationing light and heavy attacks, and you have access to a decent array of weaponry, too, cycling through the usual assortment of broadswords, halberds, giant hammers, and spears. Most of them are ludicrously large in typical anime fashion as well. There's not a lot of variety between each moveset within a weapon's specific class, but bouncing around between weapon types offers some tangible deviation.Each Gift consumes from a pool of Ichor that's replenished by simply defeating enemies or refilled in larger doses by performing drain attacks, parries, and backstabs. This incentivizes you to use Gifts regularly, approaching each enemy with an offensive mindset to unleash a bevy of special attacks and then quickly regain any lost Ichor. You need to pick the right moment to use a drain attack because of its lengthy windup, but backstabs are relatively easy to pull off, while parries require precise timing.Wailing on enemies is satisfying, and Gifts spruce up each fight with their inherent flexibility, yet combat is a disappointingly by-the-numbers affair because of the AI's shortcomings. There's an adequate variety of enemy types, but this variety generally only applies to their visual design as opposed to their behavior and movesets. They're surprisingly static, spending most of their time simply idling instead of reacting to your attacks. Each weapon you wield is usually able to stagger enemies on the first or second hit, allowing you to dispatch each foe with almost no resistance, and this remains true throughout the entirety of the game. There are a few enemies that break away from this mould, requiring you to actually dodge and make use of your Gifts, but they're an anomaly amid a sea of one-sided slugfests. Bosses aren't quite as easy to take down, but they're not far from it. There's no need to learn patterns or delicate back-and-forths that require you to engage with every aspect of Code Vein's combat. It's simple enough to beat each boss on your first or second attempt by simply manoeuvring behind them. This only deviates as you approach the end credits and bosses receive a sudden difficulty spike as they rely on powerful area of effect attacks and homing projectiles.Code Vein doesn't have to adhere to Dark Souls' challenging difficulty, but it also misses the mark by never forcing you to learn or deepen your understanding of the game to progress. Combat devolves into a mindless task where the only thing you need to watch out for is enemy placement and quantity. Difficulty is contrived by throwing numerous enemies at you at once which feeds into a focus on cooperative play. You can traverse through Code Vein's world with another player or by using one of its many AI companions. The latter can more than hold their own in a fight, proving especially useful when you're overwhelmed by multiple enemies--though their presence against singular opponents doesn't do much to quell the simplistic routine of defeating them.Exploring each environment is engaging, at least. The level design has a tendency to wrap in and around itself, offering secret paths and capturing the elation that's derived from opening a shortcut or discovering a new checkpoint to rest at and spend the Haze you just acquired. One sprawling area even borrows Anor Londo's distinct Il Duomo-inspired aesthetic, reimagining the pearly white castle as a labyrinthine maze. It's just a shame the visual design is regularly pedestrian. You spend the vast majority of your time traversing through bland post-apocalyptic streets and damp caves where rubble is Code Vein's most distinguishing feature. The addition of fire and sand shakes up the typical dilapidated cityscape, but it's not nearly enough to shake the feeling that you've seen it all before. There's even a late area that adopts the Anor Londo aesthetic for a second time, with the only difference being that it's now inside and slightly darker. Evoking memories of Dark Souls' most memorable location doesn't do it any favours.Code Vein adopts the Souls-like formula in its structure, presenting a familiar cycle of progression and basic combat similarities, and there are some interesting ideas here, too, built around the use of various Blood Codes and their distinct Gifts. You can see the fragments of a fantastic game hidden within these systems and its meaty combat feedback, but the mundanity of its enemies and the effect they have on nullifying the combat's enjoyment prevent Code Vein from ever realizing its potential.Info from Gamespot.com

The first image of Brandon Routh suiting up as the Man of Steel in The CW's upcoming Arrow-verse crossover has arrived. In the five-part Crisis on Infinite Earths event, the Legends of Tomorrow star will appear as a version of Superman inspired by the Kingdom Come storyline.Routh first teased his playing this role at San Diego Comic-Con, but this is the first time we've actually seen him in the costume. That said, it's not his first time playing Superman. He previously played the character on the big screen in 2006's Superman Returns.Photo credit: Jordon NuttallRouth won't be the only Superman appearing in Crisis on Infinite Earths. Tyler Hoechlin, who appears in the role on Supergirl, will also suit up for the crossover. Additionally, it was recently announced that Smallville star Tom Welling will be reprising his role from that series, playing yet another take on Superman.The Crisis crossover is loaded with special appearances. Beyond the many Supermans (Supermen?), the event will also see Elizabeth Tullock (Supergirl) and Erica Durance (Smallville) appearing as two versions of Lois Lane, Kevin Conroy (Batman: The Animated Series) as Bruce Wayne, and Burt Ward (Robin in the 1960s Batman series) in an undisclosed role. It's also been revealed by TV Line that Ashley Scott will pop up playing Huntress, the role she first played in 2002's short-lived Birds of Prey series.The Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover will play out over five episodes of TV in December and January. Here's when you'll be able to watch the events unfold on The CW:Supergirl, December 8 at 8 PM PTBatwoman, December 9 at 8 PM PTThe Flash, December 10 at 8 PM PTArrow, January 14 at 8 PM PTDC's Legends of Tomorrow, January 14 at 9 PM PT Info from Gamespot.com

True Fiction is a show about the real-life inspirations behind the pop culture we love. In the first episode, we explored the real murder that led to the creation of Twin Peaks. For episode two, we're taking a look at the origins of Godzilla, arguably the most iconic movie monster of all time. Godzilla was born in a world where the threat of nuclear warfare was very real and present. What the monster represents is both a representation of those fears and the inner-most beliefs of the movie's director, Ishiro Honda. You can check out True Fiction episode two below and on the GameSpot Universe YouTube channel, where new episodes will be released every Sunday.Along with the episode, we've also got some insight from Kurt Indovina, who writes and presents True Fiction, about his personal connection with Godzilla as a franchise and the process of making this episode.Kurt: Some people were obsessed with superheroes growing up--I, on the other hand, was obsessed with Godzilla.In my eyes, Godzilla was always the hero of his own films. He’d trudge from the depths of the ocean to stand in the way of the world’s demise at the hands of monstrous foes like Ghidorah, Gigan, or Megalon. He’d belt his iconic screeching roar, and launch into a fight that would result in an entire Japanese city being decimated. But still, triumphant music would swell as he’d victoriously march back into the sea, and then the credits would roll.Godzilla was undoubtedly portrayed as the hero in the majority of the 32 films he starred in. So much so, that it’s sometimes easy to forget about the grim and satirical origins he was founded on.I am, of course, referring to the 1945 nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki--the very events that Godzilla's creation was inspired by. But beyond those tragic affairs, another origin not as well known is that of the first film's director, Ishiro Honda.While researching this episode, I read through Ishiro Honda's biography 'A Life in Film, from Godzilla to Kurosawa' by Steve Ryfle and Ed Godziszewski, and learned about Ishiro's deep anti-war sentiment, his draft into WWII, and the uphill struggle he faced to put his life back together again.Despite experiencing the horrors of war first hand, including the aftermath of the Hiroshima and Nagaski bombings, he emerged determined to continue his life, to tell stories, and be a good person. After all, at the end of all his scripts, he’d write a Chinese proverb that read:Read good booksSay kind wordsDo good deedsBe a good personMaking this episode helped me see Godzilla as something more than just a big monster punching other big monsters, but as a symbol of our history. A symbol spawned from tragedy, that somehow managed to transcend into something of a positive force that, in a way, connected Japanese and American cultures. And now when I see Godzilla, I’m reminded of a new hero of mine: Ishiro Honda. Info from Gamespot.com

Naughty Dog has described The Last of Us Part II as one of the most ambitious games it has ever made. One of the major new additions is something that may not be immediately apparent, but will no doubt have a big impact on the game: a new traversal animation system.Admittedly, "a new traversal animation system" may not sound exciting, but the implications of it certainly do. GameSpot attended a hands-on event for The Last of Us Part II and spoke to co-director Anthony Newman, who highlighted "motion matching" as one of the key new additions to the game."It's this technology for characters moving through a space like running, walking, jumping, and that kind of thing," Newman explained. "In all our previous games there's been this really distinct state machine where we say, 'Play a run animation. Then play a turn left animation. Then play a turn right animation.' The way motion matching works is it takes this massive bucket of animation, just hundreds and hundreds of animations, and chops them into little tiny bits. When you define the path that a player or an enemy wants to take, rather than saying, 'Play this and then play that and then play that,' the system actually looks at the bucket of animations, finds the ones that matches the path that you're already taking, and blends them together frame-by-frame." The Last of Us 2 News The Last Of Us Part 2 Is "Meant To Be Unsettling" How The Last Of Us 2 Will Make You Feel Bad About Killing Enemies You'll Kill A Lot Of Dogs In The Last of Us Part 2 The Last Of Us 2 Includes Two Ridiculous NSFW Easter Eggs The effect of this is, as Naughty Dog says, much smoother, more natural movement to characters. "It's this totally new way of doing traversal," Newman continued. "I think, as you play the game, you must have noticed just how fluid the player feels. With every foot plant, every turn, there's as little blending as possible. That's applied to our NPCs. That's applied to the horses. That's applied to the dogs. We even have these dogs and horses and mocap suits running around getting the data that we needed for this really intricate system."A new gameplay video for The Last of Us Part II was shown during Sony's recent State of Play event. The video provides fleeting glimpses at some of the action scenes where this kind of movement will become most evident. More importantly, however, the trailer confirmed a release date for The Last of Us Part II.We also learned that The Last of Us Part II will come on two discs, which is something of a rarity for PlayStation 4 titles. If you splash out for one of the special editions of the game, you'll get a note from co-director Neil Druckmann. You can read the heartfelt message from The Last of Us Part II's director in advance, however.For more on the game, read our hands-on impressions for The Last of Us Part II. Info from Gamespot.com

GameSpot and Sony Pictures are excited to give readers the chance to win tickets to see Zombieland: Double Tap, the anticipated follow-up to the 2009 cult classic.A decade after Zombieland became a hit film and a cult classic, the lead cast (Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Abigail Breslin, and Emma Stone) have reunited with director Ruben Fleischer (Venom) and the original writers Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick (Deadpool) for Zombieland: Double Tap.In the sequel, written by Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick and Dave Callaham, through comic mayhem that stretches from the White House and through the heartland, these four slayers must face off against the many new kinds of zombies that have evolved since the first movie, as well as some new human survivors. But most of all, they have to face the growing pains of their own snarky, makeshift family.We have 15 in-season double passes to give away to GameSpot readers! To be in the running, all you have to do is fill in the form below, and answer just one simple trivia question. Good luck! Entries close on October 13, 2019. ©2019 Columbia TriStar Marketing Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.Info from Gamespot.com