Below we run down some of the highlights of the issue. UK readers, don’t forget: you can use this store locator (opens in new tab) to find a stockist near you, or order a copy online (opens in new tab) for the same price it is in the shops.  

Prey

A young Comanche woman faces off against a Predator in the year 1719 in the latest addition to the franchise. In our eight-page feature, we speak to director Dan Trachtenberg, star Amber Midthunder and producer Jhane Myers. 

She-Hulk: Attorney At Law

The MCU puts a superhero spin on the workplace sitcom in this new series, in which Bruce Banner’s cousin acquires some unwelcome powers after a blood transfusion. Showrunner Jessica Gao and star Tatiana Maslany tell us more. 

Nope

Jordan Peele is back, with a stab at “the great American UFO film”, in which a ranch-owning brother and sister try to capture video evidence of one of the mysterious craft. The writer/director explains how it comments on “the insatiable human addiction to spectacle”; we also chat with his leads, Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer.  

The Sandman

It feels like an adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s classic comic has been in development hell forever. Now it’s finally coming to Netflix, with a 10-episode first series. Executive producer David Goyer tells us how they tackled the tricky task of bringing such an offbeat creation to the small screen.

The Dalek Movies

Dr Who & The Daleks and Daleks’ Invasion Earth 2150AD, the two ’60s Doctor Who movies starring Peter Cushing, have recently been revived for theatrical double-bills and 4K Blu-ray. We look back at the making of both films in the company of assistant director Anthony Waye. 

The Midwich Cuckoos

If you saw Sky’s recent adaptation of John Wyndham’s classic 1957 novel, you might be interested to learn that there was an earlier attempt to turn it into a TV series. We speak to writer Stephen Gallagher about a 2001 pitch which failed to hatch. 

And that’s not all, features-wise: we also get showrunner Andrew Dabb to spill the beans on the new Resident Evil TV show, take a trip on the Jurassic World velocicoaster, have a Deep conversation with The Boys’ Chase Crawford, profile novelist Silvia Moreno-Garcia, and get Tim Lebbon to fill in our author questionnaire. 

Red Alert

And the big features are just the tip of the iceberg! As ever, our news section, Red Alert, is crammed with insights into yet more movies, TV shows, comics and books. In the spotlight this month: animated movies DC League Of Super-Pets and Luck, the TV show of comic Paper Girls, new Doctor Who novelisations by TV writers James Moran and Rona Munro, Radio 4 vampire horror English Rose, season four of What We Do In The Shadows, the final batch of Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous, and the latest Batman and 2000 AD developments. 

Reviews

The SFX verdict on Thor: Love And Thunder kicks off 25 pages of searing critical analysis, as we inform you which of the latest films, TV shows, books, comics, audio plays, and video games are worth splashing your hard-earned cash on!

Buy this issue as a digital edition

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Having trouble finding a print copy?

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The post Enter the Upside Down world of Stranger Things with the new SFX appeared first on Game News.

Award-winning writer Anna Megill was already part of Fable 4 (opens in new tab)‘s writing team, but confirmed on Friday that she had recently been promoted from lead writer to narrative lead on the highly-anticipated reboot.

Megill boasts an exceptional back catalog of story-driven games on her resume, and has been part of the writing teams for Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, Murdered, Guild Wars 2, and the excellent Dishonored: Death of the Outsider

She was also the narrative lead on Remedy’s mind-bending Control, too.

Some exciting news to end the week. I’m now the Narrative Lead on #Fable. Wooo! 🧚‍♂️💫 (Let’s just pretend I did one of those little title-change videos) pic.twitter.com/Ab2DyXhIIaJuly 8, 2022

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In case you missed it, one of Fable 4’s senior producers recently clarified why the game’s ongoing development had been “scaled down” due to technical difficulties (opens in new tab).

After claims online that Fable 4’s development had to be scaled down as the team was having trouble with the engine, a senior producer on Fable 4 took to Twitter to “clear up” that scoping “is a normal, necessary, and healthy part of game development,” which they guarantee is something any AAA game goes through as part of natural development. 

Crunch and delays occur when games haven’t been scoped correctly, Amie Loake explained, and as developers managing an ongoing project want to avoid this wherever possible, scoping is intended to bring focus to the game and streamline the entire project.

Playground Games’ Fable reboot first surfaced back in July 2020 and while highly anticipated, it’s been very quiet on that front since then. We do, however, know that Fable 4 is coming to Xbox Series X and is being developed on the same engine that brought us Forza Motorsport.

For all the very latest Fable-flavored news, you should keep an eye on our guide to everything we know so far about the new Fable game (opens in new tab).

Read up on our new games 2022 (opens in new tab) guide for a complete look over all the other games launching over the next few months.

The post Fable reboot appoints a new narrative lead appeared first on Game News.

As we explained at the time the beta went live, fans over on the Overwatch and Mercy Mains subreddits complained that the healer now feels clunky and awkward to play (opens in new tab). 

One of the main parts of Mercy’s kit targeted was her Guardian Angel ability, which allows her to fly over 30 meters to a companion swiftly. Since the changes came in, however, you’ll automatically be launched upwards if you float the entire distance, and an animation cancel that you could use for a big vertical boost has been canned.

Turns out the changes weren’t quite what the team had in mind, however, not least because Mercy’s super jump was “completely unintentional” in the first place.

“Guardian Angel gives Mercy important mobility that is key to her survivability,” Blizzard explained in the post. “Over time, players learned that if you jump during the ability at a specific time, you could launch Mercy up into the air. This is super cool; however, it was completely unintentional. Mercy’s ‘super jump’ was the result of a bug that occurred during Guardian Angel, but players made it a part of her utility.”

However, Blizzard soon realized that this change had “some issues” during the first week of the beta, and has now decided it will be “changing up the ability in the mid-cycle patch” and give players more control over Guardian Angel.

“We liked the idea of a bug turned into a feature, so the changes to Mercy in this beta were meant to make the super jump more reliable and consistent,” the blog explained.

Instead of launching Mercy immediately into the air, players will now see a meter that charges when the ability is active and when canceling Guardian Angel with Jump, Mercy will “now be launched into the direction she is facing”. The more charged the meter, the more momentum she’ll get during her jump.

Mercy wasn’t the only hero to get a tweak, either. Symmetra “didn’t quite fit into the play space Overwatch 2’s changes were defining” and whilst the team had hoped the tweaks made to her Teleporter and secondary fire projectile speed would make up for some of this, Blizzard admits it “overshadowed these with other nerfs”.

Consequently, Symmetra will now have her secondary fire projectile size reverted to as it was before, and the charge time reduced to one second. Her Teleporter cooldown has been cut by 25 per cent, too, so it now takes 12 seconds, not 16.

Last but definitely not least, the update confirmed that tank queue times have now improved as players rushed to try the new hero, but as she’s still early in the testing phase, Blizzard is “going to continue to watch how she performs in the beta to prepare her for our launch”.

“The first week of the Overwatch 2 Beta is behind us – time flies when you’re having fun!” the studio added. “The team has been hard at work compiling player feedback, squashing bugs, and gearing up for the mid-cycle patch.

“There are some other heroes we are watching, like Zenyatta and Sojourn, who may need to be tuned down a little prior to launch. We like the direction of Roadhog’s ultimate changes in the beta, and we’re now working on making it feel more intuitive and polished.”

Fancy getting involved? Here’s how to get into the Overwatch 2 beta. (opens in new tab)

The post Overwatch 2 beta update will address Mercys controversial changes appeared first on Game News.

The new Criterion Collection Blu-ray of the film comes with a host of bonuses, including a conversation between the director and producer Dooho Choi, interviews with two of the cast, and interviews with crew members about the cinematography, visual effects, costume design and production design.

The Criterion Collection edition of Okja is available to buy from 18 July. We have five copies to give away. To put your name in the hat for the chance to win one, simply answer the question below.  

The post Win a Blu-ray of Okja appeared first on Game News.

Publisher 2K acknowledged (opens in new tab) that there was a problem “causing the Hard Pass achievement/trophy to not be rewarded as intended” a couple of weeks ago now, although a fix has yet to materialize in any of the game’s subsequent updates, much to the frustration of some completionist players.

Whilst the accolade is supposed to be gained by ignoring the advice of our mysterious guide, Eliza, the game doesn’t seem to be saving these choices, meaning that even if you do everything right, the trophy/achievement still may not pop for some. In the meantime, however, JovialTrash4335 (opens in new tab) has a solution. 

To unlock the achievement, make sure you grab a Tarot card in every chapter and select “move on” when prompted, as before. However, as soon as you’ve made your choice, you need to pause, save, and then quit your game. 

Do this, and you should find that Eliza notices that you keep ignoring her this time, and the achievement/trophy should pop (thanks, ScreenRant (opens in new tab)). 

“While it’s slow to start, or pick up pace, by the time The Quarry ended I had enjoyed its inconsistent journey,” Leon wrote in his GamesRadar+ The Quarry review (opens in new tab), which got 3 out of 5 stars. “There are some good sections and great moments, and there’s a nice collectible element where interlinked clues expand and fill out the backstory if you find related items, and I enjoyed trying to second guess what was going on. 

“But I did spend most of my time playing waiting for things to get properly going only for it to end almost as soon as it did. There’s a decent stab here at a slasher movie-style Horny Teen Murder Simulator but one that feels unbalanced by the size of its cast. Less people might have actually allowed the final act, where all the best stuff happens, to open more but as it stands there’s a lot more setup than there is payoff.”

Horror isn’t just for Halloween, you know – here are our tips of the very best horror games (opens in new tab).

The post The Quarrys broken achievement can be unlocked using this workaround appeared first on Game News.

A recent post (opens in new tab) in the excellent roguelike card game’s subreddit (via Nintendo Life (opens in new tab)) pointed out that developer MegaCrit had recently updated its Twitter bio to state that the team is “working on our next game.”

That’s not come as too much of a surprise, since Slay the Spire initially released back in 2017 and had its last significant update in 2020 with the introduction of fourth playable character The Watcher. Since then, the developer has also been working on a move to the Steam Deck, but there’s presumably been plenty of time to start on something new.

If you’re not familiar with Slay the Spire, then you’ve been missing out on one of the best card games of recent years. Starting out with a selection of simple moves expressed as different cards, the game tasks you with climbing up its titular tower, cultivating a deck with every run. Lose to any of its monsters, and you’ll have to start again from the bottom floor.

It’s a marvel, easily one of my most-played games of the past few years across PC, Switch, and mobile. Punishing to begin with, for sure, but as you get to know its intricacies, its unfurls into a machine of feast or famine; a single card might turn a useless deck into a ruthlessly efficient one. Years of balancing work mean despite that potential power, there’s a constant fine line to tread between success and failure.

MegaCrit hasn’t offered any kind of hint as to what its next game might be, although fans are riffing on Slay the Spire’s name while considering a possible – if very much unconfirmed – sequel. 

Slay the Spire’s success essentially spawned its own genre. The roguelike deckbuilder is one of the bigger indie trends of recent years, with other well-received titles like Monster Train, Dicey Dungeons, and Fights in Tight Spaces all fitting the bill. If you want to try the game out for yourself, it’s currently an absolute steal on Steam, at 66% off during the summer sale (opens in new tab).

Luck of the draw? If you’re looking for something tactile, here are our best card games.

The post The team behind one of the last decades greatest card games is working on something new appeared first on Game News.

Footage of the swanky new remaster was shown off in a new trailer during Final Fantasy 7’s 25th anniversary stream. You’ll be able to get your hands on the Crisis Core remaster when it launches this Winter.

Final Fantasy 7: Crisis Core was initially released on the PSP in 2007, expanding the classic JRPG’s universe through the eyes of Cloud’s Soldier comrade Zack Fair. Square Enix hasn’t released it on anything besides the PSP, so it’s not the most accessible game to get your hands on. 

While Zack is a significant background character in the original Final Fantasy 7, he plays a more prominent role in the remake thanks to some narrative rejigging in the game’s late stages. As such, it looks like he may even play a more prominent role in Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2. 

Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part Two isn’t due to come out until next winter, so playing a Crisis Core remaster is a neat way to pass the time and learn more about a character who could be playing a big role.

Check out our Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth guide to keep up to date with the upcoming game.

The post Final Fantasy 7: Crisis Core remaster launching this Winter appeared first on Game News.

Earlier today at not-E3, Xbox and Bethesda Game Showcase debuted around the world for viewers. At the very end of the showcase, the infographic below briefly flashed up on screen. While there might not appear to be anything there with Stalker 2 at first glance, you can actually see the game sat below the “2023” section.

✨ VIDEO GAMES ✨ pic.twitter.com/r48l1xE9lnJune 12, 2022

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This would appear to confirm that the game has slipped out of its intended release window of later this year in 2022. Up until now, developer GSC Game World had stuck with the initial release date of December 2022, but now, in the face of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it would appear the Kyiv-based studio has changed its plans.

Just last month in May, the official Discord community for Stalker 2, which is run by GSC Game World, apparently notified users that development on the sequel had resumed. This actually followed an unconfirmed report that GSC Game World had shifted to working in the Czech Republic in the aftermath of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It seems like we’ll be waiting a little longer for the highly anticipated sequel, per the information from the Xbox showcase.

If you want to help the people of Ukraine, consider donating to The Ukrainian Red Cross, which is providing vital aid on the ground; Doctors Without Borders, a group working with local volunteers and healthcare professionals; and The Kyiv Independent, a Ukraine-based English-language newspaper which is keeping the world informed of what’s happening on the ground.

The post Stalker 2 has been delayed to 2023 appeared first on Game News.

Worlds Without a Justice League #1-5 comprise a series of one-shots that take place on alternate worlds where the dead Justice League members are being held hostage in what Williamson describes as “happiness prisons.” Each hero has a different experience on their particular world, but one thing remains true for them all: Their essence is the core of their world, which means they’ll be trapped forever – or at least as long as Pariah wants to keep them in his clutches. 

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Williamson began laying the groundwork for Worlds Without a Justice League in Infinite Frontier #6, wherein Barry Allen meets Pariah and is consequently killed. Pariah uses Barry’s essence to create a Silver Age-like world, and during Dark Crisis, Wally West will take the entire Flash family to attempt to rescue Barry. According to Williamson, all members of the dead Justice League now have their own worlds – but escape or rescue won’t be so easy.

“[Pariah is] warned that Justice League Incarnate is going to bring back heroes from Earth-0 to fight him, and he says that’s what he wants. He basically Crisis’ed out the Justice League, so he killed them but then he takes their essences to build all these new worlds. That’s what all these one-shots are,” Williamson explains. 

“You have Superman’s world, Batman’s world, Wonder Woman’s, Green Lantern’s, and so on and so forth. Everyone has these fully fleshed-out worlds and it allows us to tell stories on those worlds, like: Do some of them realize they’re trapped there? What happens when they realize it? Are some so happy there they never want to leave? There are some who realize what’s going on and they remember dying, so they’re like, ‘Is this heaven for me?’ All the characters explore in different ways.

“I told all the [Worlds Without a Justice League anthology] writers, ‘Just have fun. Don’t be sad. Have fun and maybe put some new toys in there and explore some stuff.'” Williamson continues, “They’re happiness prisons, so there’s a twist to it, right? It can’t just be simple. It can’t be easy. In some cases, they’re trying to escape them, so when they try to escape, those worlds turn on them. … They are the world. It’s not just a matter of grabbing and yanking them and dropping them someplace.”

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So on a surface level, the Justice League is dead. But in actuality, their essences are being used to power entire worlds, where some version of them also exists, and can potentially escape or be rescued. Williamson says readers will be surprised by where the Justice League ends up at the end of Dark Crisis, but it seems likely the team will be returned to Earth-0 – older and more traumatized, to be sure, but likely whole.

Worlds Without a Justice League: Superman #1 kicks off the one-shot anthology series in July. Stay tuned for more coverage of Dark Crisis and what really happened to the Justice League.

How will Dark Crisis rank amongst every DC Crisis event ever? 

The post The Justice League lives … in essence appeared first on Game News.

That’s according to a new report from GameSpot (opens in new tab), which states that several people close to director Hasan Kahraman say “there is no game” and that he has allegedly privately admitted that Abandoned is “on hold and he first needs to fund its development with a playable prologue, which our sources indicate he doesn’t seem to be in a hurry to create”.

Kahraman was recently taken by surprise when fans started speculating that a rash of deleted social media posts (opens in new tab) at the beginning of April meant that the beleaguered game had been canceled or… well, abandoned. 

Kahraman says that the team deleted these tweets in an effort to erase outdated information about the game and expressed his surprise that the studio’s actions led to uncertainty over Abandoned’s future.

However, Gamespot purports that interviews with “more than half a dozen people who have had close contact with Kahraman since September 2021” have detailed a game “in disarray and a developer who promises a lot, including paid work for fans, but delivers very little”.

A private Discord server – the members of which were hand-picked by Kahraman and asked to sign an NDA – was used to shared “screenshots, animations, and even a page of the game’s script”, but if any member challenged or questioned anything, they’d get kicked or a new group would be created that excluded them. Some members reportedly describe Kahraman as “duplicitous and prone to mood swings”.

“Kahraman used to tell the group he was actively working on Abandoned, but as time went on, he would fail to show much of anything that seemed genuine or compelling, often even missing self-imposed deadlines,” the report states. “For instance, after saying he had a reveal planned for a day of the week, that day would come and go without a new development.”

Blue Box has responded to the allegations, telling PC Gamer: (opens in new tab) “It is in development, all of this is just out of context resulted by angry fans who did not see the game, the article written by Gamespot is just based on what these angry users speculate. One of them is pretending to be an [sic] business partner.

“The Prologue will be released whenever we are ready. We are not letting speculation force us to ‘prove’ the game.”

Abandoned caused a bit of a ruckus last year when rumors began to swirl that the game was possibly linked to the canceled Silent Hills game and Hideo Kojima (opens in new tab). Blue Box was quick to deny the reports but has since acknowledged that the game was “announced too soon” (opens in new tab), and will not be called Abandoned at all when it’s eventually released.

Horror isn’t just for Halloween, you know – here are our tips for the very best horror games (opens in new tab).

The post New reports allege survival horror Abandoned is “in disarray” appeared first on Game News.