Science-Fiction Weekly – Westworld, The Dark Tower, Black The Fall

HBO's official Discover Westworld website has been updated with a cryptic tease for the forthcoming (and still undated) season two. As the site loads, an employee or visitor within the park frantically writes "Is anybody out there? Something's gone wrong? We need help, can you hear the.." The message cuts off, the system is overtaken, and a different "registered user" writes "All is well. Celebrations continue." We also see the words "Journey into Night" appear. That's the name of Dr. Robert Ford's final program. We heard him talk about it to the Delos board in Escalante. He also activated this  program before the rebellion. The first episode of season two is believed to be titled "Journey Into Night." Rumors swirling in fan groups suggest this second season will focus on the guests trapped in the park. We'll find out exactly what's happening when the show returns in 2018.

The second trailer for the movie adaptation of Stephen King's sci-fi fantasy western The Dark Tower provides better framework for the battle between the last Gunslinger and the Man in Black. We see Roland Deschain (Idris Elba) do everything in his power to stop Walter O'Dim (Matthew McConaughey) from destroying the Dark Tower, which holds reality intact. I love the casting, and this trailer makes it apparently clear Sony Pictures Entertainment is taking this beloved series of novels in a slightly different direction. Given just how crazy these books get, that may not be a bad decision for the sake of continuity on the big screen, but as a fan of King's books, I can't help but be a little worried by this direction. I'm still excited beyond belief; I just hope it doesn't end up being a straight-up action film. You can take a look at the trailer below:

Over in games, Sand Sailor Studio and Square Enix's Black the Fall released on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC today. In the vein of games like Limbo and Inside, Black the Fall is a side-scrolling action game loaded with puzzle segments. The game follows a machinist who is fed up with the Communist regime and wants out. As he plots his escape, he befriends an odd companion, a robotic dog. They'll need to work together to escape.

I can't wait to get my hands on this title. I'm currently drowning in huge games like Persona, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and Prey. I need a nice, little palate cleanser of an experience, and Black the Fall should do nicely. I'll chime in my with final thoughts on the game next week, but be sure to keep an eye out for Game Informer's official review in the days ahead.

The final post for this week's column gives us a look at scrapped alien designs from Ridley Scott's Alien: Covenant. The art shows us that Scott was toying with the idea of veering off of the beaten path with the creatures in this film, including one that looks somewhat like a crab or spider. All of these designs line up with the xenomorphs that come later. The crab looks somewhat like the queen, and you can see the iconic soldier design emerging from some of these concepts. The squid-like beast is the most out there, but it does bring back thoughts of the facehugger. These early looks come from MPC Concepts, a studio that worked closely on designing and storyboarding Alien: Covenant. MPC shared dozens of images from the film, including gruesome new takes on the chest-bursting process. Check them out here.