RandomlyRandom67 Member Jul 7, 2023 2,364 The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered on Steam Explore Cyrodiil like never before with stunning new visuals and refined gameplay in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion™ Remastered. store.steampowered.com System Requirements Minimum: Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system OS: Windows 10 64-bit Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 2600X, Intel Core i7-6800K Memory: 16 GB RAM Graphics: AMD Radeon RX 5700, NVIDIA GeForce 1070 Ti DirectX: Version 12 Storage: 125 GB available space Recommended: Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system OS: Windows 10 64-bit Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 3600X, Intel Core i5-10600K Memory: 32 GB RAM Graphics: AMD Radeon RX 6800XT or NVIDIA RTX 2080 DirectX: Version 12 Storage: 125 GB available space When posting how the game runs on your rig please include the following: PC specs including: CPU, amount of RAM, GPU, if game is running on SSD, and if you are using Gsync/Freesync. All in game settings (screenshots or type it out) FPS being experienced with the setup/settings posted above. Since it's become such a huge issue on PC games please post if you are experiencing any stuttering.   Terbinator Member Oct 29, 2017 13,116 Oblivion RemastutterStruggle   newphoria Skimreading Aficionado Member Nov 20, 2024 439 Would this game have ultrawide support?   MacheteSquadSteve Member Jan 6, 2025 188 Installing now, won't be able to play until lunch. Will capture the opening sequence with CapFrameX.   Custódio Member Oct 25, 2017 2,094 Brazil, Unaí/MG Probably not fit for the Steam Deck, right?   Shokunin Member Oct 25, 2017 7,061 The city beautiful Just here to see if there is native ultra wide support.   Punished Dan Member Oct 27, 2017 4,512 Custódio said: Probably not fit for the Steam Deck, right? Click to expand... Click to shrink... Be interesting to know and I'd also like to see how the Legion Go fares with it too.  OryxTheBakinKing Member Feb 4, 2018 1,905 newphoria said: Would this game have ultrawide support? Click to expand... Click to shrink... The original game has UW support so I'd be shocked if it isn't on offer here   Toiletduck Member Dec 10, 2017 1,822 Custódio said: Probably not fit for the Steam Deck, right? Click to expand... Click to shrink... It shows as verified on the Steam page. I'm surprised considering the PC requirements.   Zurch Member Sep 23, 2023 264 OryxTheBakinKing said: The original game has UW support so I'd be shocked if it isn't on offer here Click to expand... Click to shrink... Wait so Bethesda went BACKWARDS with UW support in Fallout 4?   xpownz ▲ Legend ▲ Member Feb 13, 2020 2,873 hovering on recommended specs, hopefully it is a good 1080p experience   hlhbk Member Oct 25, 2017 3,604 I'll be watching this thread. I'll be buying on steam if it runs well. I have my concerns with it being unreal 5.   TheTrain Member Oct 27, 2017 643 Custódio said: Probably not fit for the Steam Deck, right? Click to expand... Click to shrink... It's Verified on Deck, we'll see in a couple of hours i guess   Frankie MacDonald Member Jun 15, 2024 43 Shader preloading :-)   Spinky Member Oct 25, 2017 5,585 London Can't wait for the stutters   Pimienta Member Oct 25, 2017 1,947 I'm keeping a real close eye on this thread. Depending on the perfomance it is a must buy for me or a get in a few years type of deal.   Cugel ▲ Legend ▲ Member Nov 7, 2017 4,662 Steam Deck verified? Willing to take the risk. Bought!  Doskoi Panda One Winged Slayer Member Oct 27, 2017 17,060 A PC performance thread? That must mean that the game runs terrible on PC. ~ person who doesn't game on PC Bout to boot this up, just finished installing.  Ruck Member Oct 25, 2017 2,968 UE5 games have a reputation for being stuttery right? I hope that isn't true here but I'm waiting until we know for sure   Freelance Brian Member Oct 25, 2017 2,154 Got 5 more minutes on my download   JonnyDBrit God and Anime Member Oct 25, 2017 12,923 Downloading via Game Pass right now, so should be able to give some impressions soon. Running an Ryzen 7 5800X, RTX 3080, and 32GB of DDR4   hlhbk Member Oct 25, 2017 3,604 Ruck said: UE5 games have a reputation for being stuttery right? I hope that isn't true here but I'm waiting until we know for sure Click to expand... Click to shrink... Sadly they do. That's why I'm holding of on my purchase until I see results.  construct Saw the truth behind the copied door Member Jun 5, 2020 10,875 𖦹 i have a feeling this game will perform pretty well   Frankie MacDonald Member Jun 15, 2024 43 Real quick on settings—FOV sliders, up scaling including frame gen, ray tracing   Oreoleo Avenger Oct 25, 2017 2,249 Ohio UE5's reputation for stutter is the only reason I didn't insta-buy this. Eagerly awaiting impressions.   Duffking Banned Oct 27, 2017 6,593 UE5 as a render layer only might make this run a bit better than expected as it should be quite lightweight underneath all the bells and whistles still. Fingers crossed.   Belvedere Member Oct 27, 2017 2,850 Need to know about loading screens lol.   Toiletduck Member Dec 10, 2017 1,822 I have an RTX 2070 laptop with 16GB of ram/9750h i7. Not sure if I want to get this on my laptop or PS5. Decisions... I know if I go the laptop route, I'll likely be playing this on slow settings, 1080p.   logash Member Oct 27, 2017 6,138 Oh good, a place to complain about stutter. I am at 38% on my download. I don't have high expectations for performance but also, I really want this to run well.   Danim Member Oct 26, 2017 537 Hoping for the best, expecting the worst. If this is one of the rare UE5 games that doesn't run like dog eggs I'm definitely picking this up.   Toiletduck Member Dec 10, 2017 1,822 Frankie MacDonald said: Real quick on settings—FOV sliders, up scaling including frame gen, ray tracing Click to expand... Click to shrink... DLSS?   Ramathevoice Member Oct 26, 2017 3,445 Paris, France This is going to be a stuttery mess, isn't it?   Frankie MacDonald Member Jun 15, 2024 43 Toiletduck said: Yes.  Raigor Member May 14, 2020 16,009 MS UE games have performed always well compared to other UE titles, but this one is Bethesda, let's see and hope for the best.   KeyboardThug Member Oct 27, 2017 319 Wide screen support?   Carian Knight Member Oct 27, 2017 2,136 Turkey newphoria said: Would this game have ultrawide support? Click to expand... Click to shrink... I hope both the game and cutscenes are also supported. I hate UW supported games having also pillarboxed cutscenes. (Assuming there are cutscenes, I haven't played the original despite my old ass age - 33)  Freelance Brian Member Oct 25, 2017 2,154 Shader compilation step taking a while on my i7 12700K   ApexNorth Member Oct 27, 2017 1,232 Do we know what the resolution is for recommended?   Mr Swine The Fallen Oct 26, 2017 6,883 Sweden Does it have FSR 3.1/4 support?   shodgson8 Shinra Employee Member Aug 22, 2018 5,145 Ramathevoice said: This is going to be a stuttery mess, isn't it? Click to expand... Click to shrink... Potentially. It is why I haven't picked it up yet. Really looking forward to hearing impressions.  data Member Oct 25, 2017 5,269 Barely meet the minimum let's gooo   shodgson8 Shinra Employee Member Aug 22, 2018 5,145 Freelance Brian said: Shader compilation step taking a while on my i7 12700K Click to expand... Click to shrink... To be fair, good to hear there is shader compilation!  Freelance Brian Member Oct 25, 2017 2,154 shodgson8 said: To be fair, good to hear there is shader compilation! Click to expand... Click to shrink... yeah, hopefully it eliminates all shader comp stutter   hlhbk Member Oct 25, 2017 3,604 Carian Knight said: I hope both the game and cutscenes are also supported. I hate UW supported games having also pillarboxed cutscenes. (Assuming there are cutscenes, I haven't played the original despite my old ass age - 33) Click to expand... Click to shrink... Not many cutscenes. Also 33 old lmao. I am 43.  Ramathevoice Member Oct 26, 2017 3,445 Paris, France shodgson8 said: Potentially. It is why I haven't picked it up yet. Really looking forward to hearing impressions. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Then again, now that I think about it, Avowed was UE5 and honestly wasn't too bad outside of some traversal stutter.   Mr X Avenger Oct 25, 2017 1,306 Virginia / US Following the thread with great interest over the next couple days 🤞   Frankie MacDonald Member Jun 15, 2024 43 At least, in the opening sequence I'm getting 120 fps locked with no stutters at 4K on a 5090. Trying to rush to get outdoors.  Cats_Schrodinger Member Oct 29, 2017 3,984 I hope lumen and nanite is in, especially nanite foliage.   Zexen Member Oct 27, 2017 556 Shader compiling right now. 7900x - 32 GB - 3090. CPU barely doing anything, 50% comp in 10 minutes, more or less. EDIT: Finished when it reached 53% or so. Weird.  Skel1ingt0n Member Oct 28, 2017 11,253 Frankie MacDonald said: At least, in the opening sequence I'm getting 120 fps locked with no stutters at 4K on a 5090. Trying to rush to get outdoors. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Good to hear a $3K GPU can handle it!! /s ;p I'm kidding. Legit good to hear that it DOES handle it... means at the very least this is probably somewhat decently optimized if you have the hardware. Let's see how it scales down. 

Principal Magic: The Gathering designer Gavin Verhey announced that some cards are now legal to play once more in Commander, the trading card game’s most popular multiplayer format. Five cards in total were unbanned by publisher Wizards of the Coast. Conspicuously absent from that list, however, were the cards involved in last year’s controversial bans — Dockside Extortionist, Jeweled Lotus, Mana Crypt, and Nadu, Winged Wisdom. Those cards are still banned, and will almost assuredly remain so until at least 2026. The announcement was made in a blog post on the game’s official website.The newly unbanned cards are Gifts Ungiven; Sway of the Stars; Braids, Cabal Minion; Coalition Victory; and Panoptic Mirror. Verhey said that all of these cards will now be included on the Game Changers List, which is part of an ongoing beta test of the so-called Commander Brackets system. The newly unbanned cards are each emblematic of different strategies, techniques, and styles of play. He said it’s the team’s hope that these unbans will excite the community and lead to interesting adaptations in the beloved Commander format.He also acknowledged that not acting further on Dockside Extortionist, Jeweled Lotus, and Mana Crypt in particular are not going to make everyone happy. (Apparently it’s assumed that everyone still hates Nadu, though.) He also provided quite a lot of the reasoning given by members of the new Commander Format Panel for not acting on those cards at this time:Opinions from the Commander Format Panel varied. Some believe Commander is more fun without them, others would like more time to see how the Commander Bracket system is adopted before doing anything here, and others felt it’s too soon to do anything with these cards. There were a few people who were open to doing something with Jeweled Lotus now, but that was not the majority opinion. The overwhelming majority of the panel did not want to do anything with any of these cards at this time.I will be transparent and say that I believe if any of these are ever to return, the most likely one is Jeweled Lotus due to its one-shot nature, iconic feel, and ability to help support high-mana value commanders. I want to be clear, this is not me saying that will ever happen, but that was the one among the panel with the most traction.In closing Verhey said that, as a nod toward returning stability to the format, there would be “no further changes to the banned list for the rest of this year.” The one caveat being, of course, that “if a new or unbanned card begins to become generally reviled [...] we can break that seal and act earlier.”See More:

Author Started a hobbiest lightweight game engine for Androi / iOS phone and tablets called imagine. Looking for anyone who wanted to join a c++ project in their spare time. The engine has a oop onject interface with patterns and mathematics foundation then is composed of 5 layers. System, syntax, libraries, project and imagine are the layers with a small project development tool and loader / linker (although it will make standalones targets to your project too). Email charlesm@scruthut.com if you want to join.

Owners of the Expansion Pass will still be able to access the DLC on the upgraded version of the game.

The studio filed for insolvency last November.

Senior HR Generalist (Temporary) - BlizzardBlizzard EntertainmentAustin Texas 78717 United States of America40 minutes agoApplyTeam Name:Human ResourcesJob Title:Senior HR Generalist (Temporary) - BlizzardRequisition ID:R025233Job Description:Your MissionActivision Blizzard has an immediate opening for a Human Resources Generalist. As an HR Generalist you’re an extraordinary human resource professional. Your skills, curiosity, and motivation are a perfect fit for any HR department in nearly every industry. Every company has employee relations issues, benefits, and the usual slew of HR functions, so why come to Activision Blizzard? We offer one of the most fast-paced, dynamic, and progressive environments for HR professionals to ply their craft. Our HR staff ranks among the most hardworking and professional in any industry, but they also place a high value on creative thinking and unique approaches. For those of you with an adventurous spirit and a desire for knowledge-sharing and growing, we want to add you to our team!The ideal candidate is highly responsible, organized, flexible and has the ability to maintain a strict code of confidentiality. You have a proven skill for working well with people, and the desire to jump in and contribute to an agile, fun, and fast-paced environment. You will be responsible for assisting in all functional areas of human resources.Priorities can often change in a fast-paced environment like ours, so this role includes, but is not limited to, the following accountabilities:Answer day-to-day queries from employees and managers regarding benefits, payroll, policies, and procedures, and leave of absence.Respond and facilitate employee relations issues as they arise.Provide coaching to employees, supervisors, and managers to resolve conflicts, enhance team effectiveness, and ensure support of organization changes and business plans.Partner with employees and management to interpret and administer various human resources policies, procedures, laws, and state and federal legislation.Coordinate performance reviews, merit increases, performance / potential matrices, and leadership planning.Take ownership of onboarding for technology organization new hires and offboarding for departing employees.Provide HR Partners and respective client groups with reporting and special projects as required.Support the Tech Org HR team with administrative tasks including creating team meeting agendas, planning team events, filing, and other administrative tasks as they arise.Player ProfileMinimum Requirements:A minimum of 3 years’ experience in a human resources role or related roleBachelor’s degree or equivalent experienceExperience with labor relationsSelf-motivation; can work independently with an understanding of when to call out issuesExcellent organizational and analytical skillsProfessional and maintain utmost confidentialityStrong self / time management skillsSolid understanding of employee attraction, engagement, and retention strategiesOutstanding interpersonal and communication skills (both written and verbal)Able to work well in a dynamic and constantly evolving environmentExtra Points:Human resources experience in an entertainment, production or technology companyProven proficiency in Excel and PowerPointSolid understanding of California employment lawPHR / SPHR certificationOur WorldActivision Blizzard, Inc., is one of the world's largest and most successful interactive entertainment companies and is at the intersection of media, technology and entertainment. We are home to some of the most beloved entertainment franchises including Call of Duty®, World of Warcraft®, Overwatch®, Diablo®, Candy Crush™ and Bubble Witch™. Our combined entertainment network delights hundreds of millions of monthly active users in 196 countries, making us the largest gaming network on the planet!Our ability to build immersive and innovative worlds is only enhanced by diverse teams working in an inclusive environment. We aspire to have a culture where everyone can thrive in order to connect and engage the world through epic entertainment. We provide a suite of benefits that promote physical, emotional and financial well-being for ‘Every World’ - we’ve got our employees covered!The videogame industry and therefore our business is fast-paced and will continue to evolve. As such, the duties and responsibilities of this role may be changed as directed by the Company at any time to promote and support our business and relationships with industry partners.We love hearing from anyone who is enthusiastic about changing the games industry. Not sure you meet all qualifications? Let us decide! Research shows that women and members of other under-represented groups tend to not apply to jobs when they think they may not meet every qualification, when, in fact, they often do! We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and strongly encourage you to apply.We are committed to working with and providing reasonable assistance to individuals with physical and mental disabilities. If you are a disabled individual requiring an accommodation to apply for an open position, please email your request to accommodationrequests@activisionblizzard.com. General employment questions cannot be accepted or processed here. Thank you for your interest.We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status, among other characteristics.RewardsWe provide a suite of benefits that promote physical, emotional and financial well-being for ‘Every World’ - we’ve got our employees covered! Subject to eligibility requirements, the Company offers comprehensive benefits including:Medical, dental, vision, health savings account or health reimbursement account, healthcare spending accounts, dependent care spending accounts, life and AD&D insurance, disability insurance;401(k) with Company match, tuition reimbursement, charitable donation matching;Paid holidays and vacation, paid sick time, floating holidays, compassion and bereavement leaves, parental leave;Mental health & wellbeing programs, fitness programs, free and discounted games, and a variety of other voluntary benefit programs like supplemental life & disability, legal service, ID protection, rental insurance, and others;If the Company requires that you move geographic locations for the job, then you may also be eligible for relocation assistance.Eligibility to participate in these benefits may vary for part time and temporary full-time employees and interns with the Company. You can learn more by visiting https://www.benefitsforeveryworld.com/ .In the U.S., the standard base pay range for this role is $72,720.00 - $134,460.00 Annual. These values reflect the expected base pay range of new hires across all U.S. locations. Ultimately, your specific range and offer will be based on several factors, including relevant experience, performance, and work location. Your Talent Professional can share this role’s range details for your local geography during the hiring process. In addition to a competitive base pay, employees in this role may be eligible for incentive compensation. Incentive compensation is not guaranteed. While we strive to provide competitive offers to successful candidates, new hire compensation is negotiable. Create Your Profile — Game companies can contact you with their relevant job openings. Apply

Senior Director, Marketing Strategy & PlanningBlizzard EntertainmentIrvine California 92618 United States of America40 minutes agoApplyTeam Name:MarketingJob Title:Senior Director, Marketing Strategy & PlanningRequisition ID:R025219Job Description:YOUR MISSIONBlizzard Entertainment is seeking a Senior Director, Marketing Strategy & Planning to strengthen our global marketing efforts across legendary franchises like Warcraft, Overwatch, and Diablo. This leader will be responsible for defining Blizzard’s short-to-long-term marketing frameworks, ensuring our campaigns and live service marketing are insight-driven, audience-focused, and built for sustained franchise growth.Reporting to the VP of Product Marketing & Strategy, this role will collaborate closely with product marketing, brand & creative marketing, social & content marketing, international, growth, analytics, finance, product, and development teams to establish strategic frameworks and rituals, optimize marketing investments, and improve campaign effectiveness.RESPONSIBILITIESLead global marketing strategic planning across Blizzard’s portfolio, ensuring alignment with business goals and franchise priorities.Define and implement multi-year marketing strategies, identifying opportunities for innovation, audience expansion, and competitive differentiation.Establish clear marketing frameworks that guide annual planning, campaign execution, and performance optimization.Collaborate with analytics to establish marketing KPIs and measurement frameworks, ensuring campaigns are data-driven and performance-oriented.Collaborate with analytics, finance, and business operations to optimize marketing investment strategies across Blizzard’s portfolio.Drive strategic insights, executive marketing reviews, and reporting to inform decision-making and continuously refine marketing effectiveness.Leverage industry trends, competitive positioning, and player insights to identify new opportunities for marketing impact.Build, lead, and mentor a high-performing marketing strategy & planning team, fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and accountability.Serve as a thought leader within Blizzard Leadership, influencing senior leadership on marketing priorities, budget allocation, and strategic bets.PLAYER PROFILEThe ideal candidate will have deep consumer marketing experience in the gaming, entertainment or tech industries. They have demonstrated strategic prowess, as well as business acumen. This position requires an expert in marketing who is a proactive self-starter constantly looking to push the envelope with innovative and clever ideas to grow and delight global player communities.REQUIREMENTS15+ years of experience in strategy, planning, strategy consulting, or FP&A within gaming, entertainment, or consumer tech.Expertise in portfolio management, multi-channel marketing execution, and audience segmentation.Strong analytical mindset, with experience using data-driven insights to optimize marketing investments and performance.Deep understanding of the gaming landscape, including player behaviors, industry trends, and competitor strategies.Exceptional leadership and cross-functional collaboration skills, with a track record of influencing stakeholders across complex organizations.Experience with live-service game marketing.Expertise in global marketing planning across key international markets.Passion for Blizzard games and a deep appreciation for player-first marketing.OUR WORLDAt Blizzard Entertainment, we pour our hearts and souls into everything we create. Best known for iconic video game universes including Warcraft, Overwatch, Diablo, and StarCraft, we’ve been creating genre-defining games for millions of players around the world for more than 30 years. We’re on a quest: bring our dreams to life and craft the most epic entertainment experiences…ever. Hard work, iteration and polish go into the Blizzard “secret recipe,” but the most important ingredients come from talented people who share our vision. If that sounds like you, join us.The videogame industry and therefore our business is fast-paced and will continue to evolve. As such, the duties and responsibilities of this role may be changed as directed by the Company at any time to promote and support our business and relationships with industry partners.We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status, among other characteristics.RewardsWe provide a suite of benefits that promote physical, emotional and financial well-being for ‘Every World’ - we’ve got our employees covered! Subject to eligibility requirements, the Company offers comprehensive benefits including:Medical, dental, vision, health savings account or health reimbursement account, healthcare spending accounts, dependent care spending accounts, life and AD&D insurance, disability insurance;401(k) with Company match, tuition reimbursement, charitable donation matching;Paid holidays and vacation, paid sick time, floating holidays, compassion and bereavement leaves, parental leave;Mental health & wellbeing programs, fitness programs, free and discounted games, and a variety of other voluntary benefit programs like supplemental life & disability, legal service, ID protection, rental insurance, and others;If the Company requires that you move geographic locations for the job, then you may also be eligible for relocation assistance.Eligibility to participate in these benefits may vary for part time and temporary full-time employees and interns with the Company. You can learn more by visiting https://www.benefitsforeveryworld.com/ .In the U.S., the standard base pay range for this role is $164,800.00 - $304,800.00 Annual. These values reflect the expected base pay range of new hires across all U.S. locations. Ultimately, your specific range and offer will be based on several factors, including relevant experience, performance, and work location. Your Talent Professional can share this role’s range details for your local geography during the hiring process. In addition to a competitive base pay, employees in this role may be eligible for incentive compensation. Incentive compensation is not guaranteed. While we strive to provide competitive offers to successful candidates, new hire compensation is negotiable. Create Your Profile — Game companies can contact you with their relevant job openings. Apply

Start SlideshowStart SlideshowImage: Compulsion Games The Great Tapestry, according to South of Midnight, wraps around the entire world, a place where every person’s story is just one tiny thread, and it’s up to weavers like our dear trackstar heroine Hazel to smooth out the knots when they happen. But while South of Midnight presents us with a half-dozen lurid tales of the tiny town of Prospero, and the American South in general, pop culture doesn’t exactly do our own home-grown myths justice, at least not with the very unique tone and timbre Compulsion Games’ crafted into South of Midnight, and especially not when brown folks are involved. There are at least a few movies that get close, though, and if you’re not in a hurry to leave Prospero just yet after Hazel’s adventures tracking down her mom, we’ve got a few captivating little stories that’ll at least get you close to feeling like you’re weaving again. Previous SlideNext SlideList slidesBeasts of the Southern WildList slidesBeasts of the Southern WildScreenshot: Fox Searchlight Pictures Probably the straightest of straight lines can be drawn from South of Midnight to Beasts of the Southern Wild. Despite Hushpuppy being much much younger than Hazel, this is one set of crochet hooks away from being the South of Midnight film you want. It’s a genuinely beautiful love letter to a world that still holds magic, even when Mother Nature regularly wipes the slate clean, and poverty strands its inhabitants in whatever hope, horror, or despair they had before. But more importantly, it’s a film told by people who’ve lived through it. They may be completely untrained as actors, but these are faces of people who’ve survived the worst. That sense of perseverance can’t be taught. Previous SlideNext SlideList slidesWendell and WildList slidesWendell and WildScreenshot: Monkeypaw ProductionsIf you’re looking for something to match up to South of Midnight’s stop-motion aesthetic visually, who better to come running to than Henry Selick, the man behind Nightmare Before Christmas–no, Tim Burton didn’t actually direct it, and don’t you forget it—and Coraline. It’s a wild little death trip of stop-motion characters trekking back and forth between Earth and the Underworld, while a pair of demon brothers tries to hustle their way up the demonic food chain. At the heart of it, though, is Kat, an orphaned black girl who grows up with a massive chip on her shoulder, and a hell of a lot of black rock/punk/metal artists screaming in her ears. There’s nobody quite like her in all cinema, let alone in what’s ostensibly a kids’ film. You’re gonna love her.Previous SlideNext SlideList slidesEve’s BayouList slidesEve’s BayouScreenshot: ChubbCo FilmThere is no shortage of stories about how deeply dysfunctional black families can be in the Deep South, but much, much there are fewer that manage to mix in some good old southern superstition and witchcraft into the mix. Eve’s Bayou has plenty of both, playing out like a sweatier, dirtier, black variant of Pan’s Labyrinth than, say, your average Toni Morrison adaptation. Come for Samuel L. Jackson playing a unique kind of complex, severely fucked-up father figure; stay for a black girl’s beautifully executed coming-of-age story. Previous SlideNext SlideList slidesTales from the Crypt: Demon KnightList slidesTales from the Crypt: Demon KnightScreenshot: Crypt Keeper ProductionsNow, technically, Demon Knight takes place in New Mexico over the course of one dark and stormy night, but there’s still this air about it It tells the story of a battle between ancient forces of good and evil converging to fight on the unlikeliest stage imaginable, surrounded by dirt poor locals just barely getting by in their little nowhere town. It feels like trashy southern gothic pulp even though it’s more southwestern, is the point. But also, it absolutely rules, with some wild bespoke biblical mythology, truly gnarly monster designs. Special focus on Jada Pinkett as one of the best take-no-shit final girls in horror history, but especially Billy Zane putting in an all-timer performance as The Collector. It’s also directed by Ernest Dickerson, who was the cinematographer behind everything Spike Lee did up through Malcolm X. We weren’t getting a lot of horror helmed by black folks in the ‘90s, so this is a major stand out in that regard too.Oh, and you don’t get to hear much of it in the film, but the soundtrack rips. Pantera? Ministry? Machine Head? Sepultura? After the Cryptkeeper intro, the proper movie starts with Filter’s Hey Man Nice Shot. They so don’t make ‘em like that anymore. Previous SlideNext SlideList slidesBig FishList slidesBig FishScreenshot: Columbia PicturesNo, I swear this isn’t just because there’s also a giant fish in South of Midnight. Big Fish’s big fish doesn’t talk, anyway. No, mostly this one’s maybe the most traditional of films to go seek out, just on the strength of some undeniably captivating tall tales, and some really wonderful performances backing them up. It helps that this is Tim Burton still on his A-game, still not giving into his worst instincts, but imbuing all the magical elements with a distinct brand of weirdness. Where it most links up with South of Midnight, though, is in the town of Spectre, a seemingly perfect Southern purgatory where sunshine, flowers and lemonade are all you need, despite also giving our dear hero William Bloom the tiniest glimpse to the other side of reality. That material is the strongest in the film by far, but it’s a small part of a genuinely wonderful whole. Previous SlideNext SlideList slidesThe Gift (2000)List slidesThe Gift (2000)Screenshot: Lakeshore EntertainmentOn the other side of the coin, you have Sam Raimi’s The Gift, a harrowing slice of small-town Southern life, barely hanging together on the strength of Cate Blanchett’s Annie Wilson, a psychic medium whose visions land her right in the middle of her tiny town’s worst drama. Some of the best supernatural stories involve putting one occult element in the middle of stark reality, and treating it seriously, much like one of the major threads in South of Midnight involves Bunny Flood looking for supernatural solutions to her unending grief. Not only is The Gift a prime example of that—a genuine hidden gem in Sam Raimi’s filmography—but also, even with an absurdly stacked cast, there is one major jaw-dropper of a performance: Keanu Reeves bringing his A-game playing a complete monster of an abusive redneck husband to Hilary Swank. He’s utterly–and believably–terrifying in the role, and probably for obvious reasons, he’s never played anything like it since.Previous SlideNext SlideList slidesCandyman (2021)List slidesCandyman (2021)Screenshot: Universal PicturesSure, we could’ve picked the original just for the synergy–there’s more of Daniel Robitaille’s NOLA past explored in it for sure. However, we’re gonna run with the 2021 remake, because above all else, like South of Midnight, it’s a story about stories, the ones that don’t just travel through communities, scaring them shitless into acting right, but also the ones that promise that the wrongs of this world will be avenged, and the dead have a say in that, no matter how the 21st century might try to bury them. That’s a hell of an angle for what’s ultimately the third sequel to only one good movie, and it’s a powerful one in practice. Also, not for nothing, but the shadow play performance during the credits isoutstanding grace note to the whole thing. Previous SlideNext SlideList slidesSinnersList slidesSinnersScreenshot: Warner Bros. Pictures / Proximity MediaCoincidentally, maybe the best recommendation is the one that’s in theaters right this second. Sinners and South of Midnight feel like they’re in perfect dialogue together, with a few elements (hoodou, haints, music connecting to the ancestors) shared between them but approaching from different standpoints. For South of Midnight, it’s through the lens of healing and community and forgiveness for hurt people hurting people. For Sinners, though, it’s through a lens of survival, of the power the marginalized have even in times of powerlessness, and the ways that power reverberates through generations. As brilliant as South of Midnight is, as wonderfully as it uses music, Sinners one-ups it with its best, most beautiful sequence, where a virtuoso blues player’s music conjures the spirit of communal joy from our African ancestors all the way up to modern hip hop and metal. Of course, that’s not to sidestep the fact that it also functions as a big, brutal period piece vampire movie that plays like a sexier, southern-fried From Dusk Till Dawn. It’s got something for literally everybody, but the broadest wavelength of this flick is speaking directly to BIPOC folks.

Season 2 of Marvel Rivals is here, and there are quite a few balance changes and additions to mark its arrival. A new battle pass, the Flower of Krakoa, is here alongside an incredible new character, Emma Frost. Let’s go over what’s changed in the meta for this wildly popular superhero shooter.Suggested ReadingDiablo IV - Bear Bender Build Share SubtitlesOffEnglishview videoSuggested ReadingDiablo IV - Bear Bender Build Share SubtitlesOffEnglishThe development team made a few changes to help characters out and give them places where they would become strong, or remain strong, without being too dominant (but there are some exceptions). Screenshot: Marvel Games / KotakuWith the addition of Emma, who counters dive, the dive meta starting with the end of Season 1.5 has already kind of come to an end. While you can certainly still play dive-heavy comps, you’ll need team coordination; it’s not the dominant force the community anticipated. So what else is leading the pack? Either the classic “2/2/2” or the new Triple Vanguard, one Duelist, and two Strategist line-up.[Rocket Raccoon] is in the running for ‘best Strategist’ in the game.Other notable balance changes include new team-ups for Emma/Magneto/Psylocke, Bucky and Cap, Namor and Hulk, Dr. Strange and Scarlet Witch, and the removal of team-ups for Bucky and Rocket, Namor and Luna, Storm and Thor, Magneto and Scarlet Witch, and Magik and Psylocke.Rocket has always been great, but with vastly improved single-target healing and a two-for-one Ultimate that both boosts damage and negates several ‘one-shot’ combos that kill through other support ults, he is a borderline must-play character now and, for my money, in the running for “best Strategist” in the game.Screenshot: Marvel Games / KotakuScarlet Witch is also stronger with her team-up with Dr. Strange, although he has fallen from grace a bit with his lowered damage and increased survivability (his high damage set him further apart from Magneto previously). Moon Knight is also in a better spot, as his projectiles and grappling hook are faster, and he gains bonus health from his secondary fire. Peni Parker and Mr. Fantastic are also better in this patch, shoring up the weaknesses in Peni’s health pool and Reed’s ultimate, respectively. Although I always knew he was good, the recent Human Torch buffs have also turned him into a meta pick, countering powerful new characters like Emma even if he still has the same ‘cheaper townhome’ problems the rest of us do with the new and improved Iron Fist. Hulk got some love, too, which is nice, but it doesn’t bring him back into ‘hard meta’ just yet, partially because he has well-known and easy counterplay, and there are simpler or more robust, ‘just-as-powerful’ options in Thing and Emma.Black Widow, Hawkeye, and Human Torch have also been buffed, and Hela got some tweaks to reduce her survivability slightly, which amounts to a slap on the wrist for the always-meta character. Winter Soldier also got some slight nerfs to his ultimate, and with the Rocket team-up removed he is weaker, but don’t let that fool you. Expert players will still run circles around opponents with his kit. Overall, the meta is in a good spot, with opportunities for all kinds of characters, and counterplay for almost everyone. Get out there, pick your favorite character, and make some plays.