Science-Fiction Weekly – Assassin's Creed, No Man's Sky, Rogue One, Dawn of Andromeda

My friends in Hollywood are convinced Assassin's Creed will be THE difference maker for video game movies. They say that it's tracking remarkably well, and could be the springboard release that sets up a promising future for video games on the silver screen. I told them that one successful film won't change anything. Game stories are markedly different than movie stories, and with the exceptions of Assassin's Creed, BioShock, or a handful of other games, I don't see that many options resonating well as films, unless the source material is dramatically altered. We'll have to wait and see what happens, but regardless of how Assassin's Creed turns out, I will continue to utter the Star Wars line "I have a bad feeling about this," whenever I hear of games like Portal or Watch Dogs getting optioned for film.

My two cents aside, 20th Century Fox released a new video focused specifically on Assassin's Creed's science-fiction elements. The short clip highlights Michael Fassbender's exceptional acting skills, but mostly shows how different the Animus is when stacked up against its video game counterpart, which was basically a glorified operating table or chair. The new Animus looks to connect directly to the central nervous system, and allows for full freedom of movement, meaning we'll see Fassbender's character, Callum Lynch, actually perform the same moves of his Spanish ancestor, the assassin Aguilar de Nerha. The new Animus is a silly looking device, but it makes sense to a degree. We'll likely see Lynch act out all of the moves of his primogenitor. Let's just hope he doesn't make love to anyone. Actually, I'm not sure if that action would clear out the theater or sell more tickets. Assassin's Creed opens in theaters on December 21, and is directed by Justin Kurzel. 

In the week leading up to this release, you had best be heading to your local cinema to see Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. This is a friendly reminder that tickets went on sale two days ago, so if you want to see it on day one (which is actually December 15, starting at 7 p.m.) you had best order them now. I sadly didn't get into the first showing, but will be seeing it just a half hour later at 7:30. Even if you don't have interest in Rogue One, I think you'll get a kick out of the latest teaser video, which is synced up to Darth Vader's iconic breathing. The scream at the end of it gave me shivers. Enjoy! This is one of the coolest Star Wars trailers yet.

And here's your obligatory SPOILER warning about Star Wars: Episode VIII. Take this with a grain of salt, but rumor has it a line of Luke Skywalker dialogue from the forthcoming film has leaked. Well-known Star Wars news guru, Mike Zeroh, says that numerous sources have confirmed it to be true, but he's still looking for more concrete backing. At one point in the film, Luke supposedly tells Rey "you contain the spark that will rekindle the fire." Mark Hamill, who reprises his role as Luke Skywalker, has previously said that Episode VIII is loaded with great dialogue that he could see turned into t-shirts. I wouldn't necessarily say this is a fantastic line; it's a bit clichéd, but it does get me excited for Rey's potential, and it does sound like something Luke would say. Time will tell on this one. The line is supposedly going to be spoken during the first trailer, which is rumored to hit early next year.

If you enjoyed the recent Ghostbusters reboot by Paul Feig, the odds of seeing a direct sequel are slim, but it sounds like the property's flame continues to burn bright. In an interview on the Mr. Wavy podcast, Ivan Reitman says that we can expect plenty of news in the coming years. “There’s going to be many other Ghostbusters movies, they’re just in development right now," he said. I would love to see Reitman at the helm again, but that might be as much of a stretch as getting a sequel with Jillian Holtzmann and company again.

The only gaming news this week is actually quite huge. No Man's Sky, the most talked about and complained about game of the year, received a significant upgrade this week. Hello Games quietly ushered in update 1.1, also known as "Foundation." From the outset of play, players can now enter two new modes: Survival, a more challenging experience, and Creative, an avenue of play that provides unlimited resources and no building costs. Even if you are continuing your current game, new building options are available in this update. You can build save points, farm over a dozen new elements, and even claim a home planet where you can build a base. Hello Games has added more variety to the planet types, which now include locations devoid of life, such as moons. The base can be outfitted with bio-dependent crops that replenish over time, and you can recruit aliens to help out with farming, engineering, or other needs. The base can be expanded upon, customized, and tinkered with whenever you return home (and if you have the needed resources). The update offers a wealth of new content, making No Man's Sky a more robust experience. Is that enough to get you to come back? I'm going to give it another shot after the holiday blitz of new releases comes to an end, but I'm still wary of the mission path and what lies at the center of the universe. That breadcrumb trail doesn't interest me at all. The video below does a nice job of detailing the improvements in the patch.

It turns out Mass Effect isn't the only game exploring the Andromeda galaxy. Dawn of Andromeda, a new 4x game from Iceberg Interactive, launches on Steam on December 1. In a twist, the game's story doesn't focus on mankind exploring a new galaxy, but rather its original home. That's right, Andromeda is where mankind originated in this game. We're returning to reclaim it. The game features a mix of pre-designed and randomly generated races, complete with unpredictable A.I., giving each playthough a unique taste. Players can also play as any faction, each offering different victory conditions and paths through the galaxy. The game weighs heavily on the expand and exterminate elements of 4x gaming. Diplomacy systems, technology upgrades, and a wealth of governing options are available. You can even bring in A.I. to help govern the micromanaging of specific systems. The trailer below sets the stage for the adventure that hits in just a couple of days.

And that's it for me this week. Thanks again for the support on the column, and please let me know if there are any games you want me to investigate further. I'll be at PlayStation Experience this week, and should have a report card on the upcoming science-fiction gaming for PlayStation 4 next Tuesday.