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First ‘Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus’ Gameplay Let Me Torch Nazis in New Orleans!

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A couple weeks back I got to check out Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus at a gameplay event Bethesda put on here in Los Angeles. Even though I’m a huge fan of both “Wolfenstein: The New Order” and “Wolfenstein: The Old Blood,” I was a little nervous going in. When “Wolfenstein 2” was announced back at E3 this year, I was happy that Machine Games was taking the story in a bigger, bolder direction… I was just a little wary that they might forget that the reason “The New Order” was a hit (one that inspired 2016’s incredible “DOOM” reboot in many ways), was thanks to incredible gameplay first and foremost. After getting to sit down and dig into an admittedly short 35-minute long chapter, my fears are mostly gone.

The name of the game in “Wolfenstein 2” is more. There’s more of a story, more of the excellent gameplay, more of the post-WWII world where Hitler and his Nazi regime won the war and more options to clear levels how you see fit. Surprisingly, I couldn’t find one negative to the increase in, well, everything Wolfenstein 2 has to offer. The side characters especially, both new and returning plastered a smile on my face every time they were on screen. Grace, the American resistance group’s leader is an awesome character. She’s smart, resourceful and she isn’t afraid to push B.J. around a little bit.

The chapter I got to play began with Grace giving B.J. a mission where he would head to New Orleans via a stolen Nazi submarine and recruit the town’s preacher and/or resistance leader, Horton. Before the mission started, I was presented with both Fergus and Wyatt which was weird seeing as I was pretty sure one of them died in “The New Order.” Either way, choosing one or the other’s path results in acquiring one of two insanely cool guns. One is a laser blaster that absolutely melts Nazi’s, and the other one seemed like a gas-powered rivet gun but I wasn’t able to try playing with both. The weapon mod system also returns in “Wolfenstein 2,” and I was given ample parts to upgrade my weapons how I saw fit which was pretty cool.

The actual level was absolutely full of new additions to the series. First up, B.J. has a pair of stilts at his disposal which can be activated at any time by double tapping “A” or “X.” I really liked this because just like in “The New Order,” if I stopped moving for even a second I’d get shot to bits by bad guys. The stilts not only propelled me up above the battle to get some cheap shots in, but it let me scan the area for new pieces of cover and for new branching paths to make my way through.

Countering the stilts is a slightly less cool ability that lets B.J. slide through air vents by literally compressing his body. I got to see both in practice after clearing the first wave of Nazi soldiers and being lead into a factory. At first, I used the air vents, and I died five times thanks to officers seeing me and alerting more soldiers to come. I obviously got sick of that pretty quick so I used the stilts to enter through the second floor which put me right in front of both of the building’s officers. I took them out quickly with my pistol and vualá, I was ready to advance.

Speaking of the weapons, it felt like by this chapter I had nearly, if not all of the weapons the game had to offer and while it was a nice mix there wasn’t anything that stood out from “The New Order” or its expansion “The Old Blood.” It felt familiar, but more fine-tuned (in a good way). The machine gun on hand in Wolfenstein 2 is more of a SMG than a full-on AR, and I didn’t like it as much as the AR in “The New Order” or “The Old Blood,” but that’s my only complaint as far as weapon variety goes.

After clearing out the warehouse and finding Horton, a cutscene between the two characters played and I was hooked on Horton instantly. He has an ultra cool Deep South 70’s vibe that was acted incredibly (below), and his reservations towards helping B.J. and his friends were legitimately understandable. They argue about who served their country better since B.J. went overseas to fight and Horton hung back to build people’s morale, and the cutscene itself was well lit, insanely well directed and it leads into the next section perfectly.

Naturally, B.J. and Horton come to an agreement, but Horton only agrees on the condition that B.J. ride through the streets of New Orleans on a re-programmed giant metal Nazi wolf that breathes fire. I’m not going to lie, after fighting those guys a bunch in “The New Order” and “The Old Blood,” it was awesome to have the tables turned. The wolf also controlled really well and the fire effects looked great. The level itself was kind of a breeze thanks to my over-powered friend, but it was fun nonetheless.

I think that’s the biggest thing “Wolfenstein: The New Colossus” has going for it. Despite its extremely dark subject matter (especially in the current political climate), it still manages to stay fun and be chock full of hope. These characters are going up against, well, a colossus but they manage to find the good in the unfortunately bleak world they’re in and that helps the game keep a great pace. On the other hand, while I had an absolute blast with the demo, the level I got to play packed a ton of variety into a relatively short amount of time so it was a little hard to focus on whether or not certain aspects would remain fun over multiple hours of gameplay. At the end of the day though I enjoyed my time with “Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus,” and I’m really excited to play more of the game when it releases for PS4, Xbox One and PC on October 27th, 2017.

Jimmy Champane is a horror YouTuber who loves Halloween. You can find him on Twitter and Instagram @jimmychampane.

Movies

4 New Horror Movies Releasing This Week Including ‘Insidious: The Red Door’

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Insidious: The Red Door

Prepare to head back into the Further this week. The long Fourth of July Weekend means a lighter week ahead for new horror releases, but there’s still plenty to keep you busy. That includes a highly anticipated horror sequel arriving in theaters this week and a home release for one of the year’s funniest horror comedies.

Here’s all the new horror releasing July 3– July 7, 2023!

For daily reminders about new horror releases, be sure to follow @HorrorCalendar.


 

bad girl boogey slasher

Alice Maio Mackay’s acclaimed slasher film Bad Girl Boogey released on digital platforms July 4 with a DVD release on July 11.

“Bad Girl Boogey follows Angel, whose mother was brutally murdered one Halloween night when blood was shed by a deranged killer wearing a parasitic mask cursed with black magic and bigotry. Sixteen years later, when Angel’s best friend is slaughtered by a killer with the same mask, they must overcome their personal struggles, fight their fear, and find the masked killer before he, or it, slaughters everyone they hold dear.”

The cast includes Lisa Fanto (‘Love, Guns & Level Ups’), Iris Mcerlean, Chris Asimos, Toshiro Glenn, Lewi Dawson, and Kate Bonney, with a featured voiceover cameo from horror icon Bill Moseley (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, The Devil’s Rejects).

In her review, Michelle Swope called the film “an intense, bloody slasher that features compelling performances, gruesomely creative kills, and profound commentary on the deadly consequences of allowing bigotry and hatred to go unchecked.”


Tearsucker

After making its debut at the Chattanooga Film Festival, Tearsucker brings its David Lynch-like surrealism home to rent/own on all digital HD internet, cable, and satellite platforms, as well on DVD, starting on July 7, 2023, through Freestyle Digital Media.

Tearsucker tells “the dark and surreal story of emotionally vulnerable women who are preyed on by a charming psychopath who wants to suck their tears. The lead character, Lilly (Allison Walter), is an emotionally vulnerable trauma survivor who is desperate to heal and get on with her life. Despite the support of her best friend Deb (Danielle Mcrae Spisso), Lilly is completely isolated. When she crosses paths with a charming stranger, Tom (Sam Brittan), at the park, she feels hope for the first time in months. Tom sweeps Lilly off her feet and invites her on a romantic weekend getaway. However, things take a disturbing turn when Lily discovers that Tom has an unusual appetite for tears… and will stop at nothing to get them.”

The film was directed by Stephen Vanderpool, written by Sam Brittan, and produced by Brittan, Robert Campbell, and Stephen Vanderpool.


The Red Door dalton

Ty Simpkins in Screen Gems Insidious: The Red Door Photo credit: Boris Martin

Tiptoe through the tulips… one more time. Sony Pictures is heading back into The Further with Insidious: The Red Door this week.

Insidious: The Red Door will release in theaters everywhere on July 7, 2023.

The horror franchise’s original cast is back in Insidious: The Red Door, directed by and starring Patrick Wilson. Family secrets will be revealed as the Lamberts head back into The Further one more time, encountering demons from the past as well as brand new terrors.

In the film, “To put their demons to rest once and for all, Josh (Patrick Wilson) and a college-aged Dalton (Ty Simpkins) must go deeper into The Further than ever before.”

The original cast from Insidious is back with Patrick Wilson (also making his directorial debut), Ty Simpkins, Rose Byrne, Andrew Astor and Lin Shaye.


The Blackening Antoinette Robertson and Sinqua Walls

Antoinette Robertson as Lisa and Sinqua Walls as Nnamdi in The Blackening. Photo Credit: Glen Wilson

After scaring up an estimated $7 million in theaters over Juneteenth weekend, director Tim Story‘s The Blackening is now headed home to Premium Video On Demand outlets this Friday, July 7!

The Blackening, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, centers around a group of Black friends who reunite for a Juneteenth weekend getaway only to find themselves trapped in a remote cabin with a twisted killer. Forced to play by his rules, the friends soon realize this ain’t no motherf****** game.

Directed by Tim Story (Ride Along, Think Like A Man, Barbershop) and co-written by Tracy Oliver (Girls Trip, Harlem) and Dewayne Perkins (“The Amber Ruffin Show,” “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”), The Blackening skewers genre tropes and poses the sardonic question: if the entire cast of a horror movie is Black, who dies first?

The Blackening stars Antoinette Robertson, Dewayne Perkins, Sinqua Walls, Grace Byers, X Mayo, Melvin Gregg, Jermaine Fowler, Yvonne Orji, and Jay Pharoah.


The Deep Web Murdershow

Take a deep, dark dive into the internet with The Deep Web: Murdershow, making its debut on Tubi on July 8, 2023.

Dan Zachary wrote and directed The Deep Web: Murdershow.

The film “takes viewers on a dark ride when a journalist’s search for clues to his sister’s murder leads him to a disturbing crypto currency torture website inside the deep web called The Murdershow. As those close to him disappear, he must find and stop this reign of terror.”

The horror movie’s cast includes Josh Blacker (“Elysium”, “See”), Aiden Howard (“Riverdale”, “Firefly Lane”), and Kimi Alexander (“A Million Little Things”, “Tribal”).


The Horror of Dolores Roach review

On the TV front, Amazon Original Series “The Horror of Dolores Roach,” based on the hit Gimlet podcast, debuts on Prime Video on July 7, 2023.

The eight-episode, half-hour series is a contemporary Sweeney Todd-inspired tale, a macabre urban legend of love, betrayal, weed, gentrification, cannibalism, and survival of the fittest.

In the series, “Dolores Roach is released from prison after 16 years and returns to a severely gentrified Washington Heights with $200 and the clothes on her back. Her boyfriend missing, her family long gone, Dolores reunites with an old stoner buddy, Luis, who gives her room and board and lets her give massages for cash in the basement under his dilapidated storefront, Empanada Loca, the only remnant of her former life. When the promise of her newfound stability is quickly threatened, ‘Magic Hands Dolores’ is driven to shocking extremes to survive, and in the face of unexpected professional success, Dolores and Luis become dangerously symbiotic, and Luis must unleash his own peculiar predilections.”

“The Horror of Dolores Roach” stars Justina Machado, Alejandro HernandezKita Updike, and K. Todd Freeman. Plus Cyndi LauperMarc Maron (“Glow”), Jean Yoon (Kim’s Convenience), Judy Reyes (SmileBirth/Rebirth), and Jeffery Self (“Search Party).

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