Author - Jerry Paxton

HBO Max Unveils “Halloween is Here” Programming

Get ready for spooky season with HBO Max! Today, the streamer launched “Halloween is Here,” a spotlight page bringing together all your favorite spooky, scary, chilling and thrilling Halloween films and series for easy streaming. The “Halloween is Here” page will be available on HBO Max for the entire month of October, featuring a rotating roster of movies, series and Halloween-themed TV episodes, hand-picked by HBO Max’s dedicated editorial team and grouped in themes like Terrifying TV, Scares for All Ages, Foreign Frights and Creepy Cult Classics. HBO Max will boast over 140 curated movies and episodes, coming to over 300 hours of Halloween related programming on any given day to keep you entertained all month long.

Hit horror movies you won’t want to stream alone like The Invisible ManUsIt: Chapter 2, and Doctor Sleep, creepy cult classics Night of the Living Dead, Eraserhead and Scanners, and psychological thrillers like The Haunting, Glass, and Dolores Claiborne will be available to stream alongside TV series such as Lovecraft Country, True BloodThe Outsider, and Raised by Wolves, and scares for all ages such as Scooby-Doo! Haunted Holidays, Gremlins 2, Spooky Buddiesand Adventure Time.

In addition, HBO Max is pulling together a collection of Halloween-themed episodes from fan-favorite series like Friends, Euphoria, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, The Big Bang Theory, South Park, and more.

You can also find costume inspiration on the Halloween-themed page from hits like The Matrix trilogy, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and HBO Max’s extensive DC library like Batman, and Wonder Woman  movies and iconic series like Game of ThronesDoctor Who, Watchmen, Rick and Morty, Harley Quinn, and more.

Below is a list of the Halloween programming on HBO Max this October.

Hit Horror Movies:
Annabelle Comes Home, 2019 (HBO)
Black Christmas, 2019 (HBO) – Available Starting October 31
The Blob, 1958
The Brood, 1979
Child’s Play 2, 1990 (HBO)
Child’s Play 3, 1991 (HBO)
The Curse of La Llorona, 2019 (HBO)
Devil, 2010 (HBO)
Doctor Sleep, 2020 (HBO)
Final Destination 5, 2011 (HBO)
The Invisible Man, 2020 (HBO)
It, 2017 (HBO) – Available Starting October 27
It: Chapter 2, 2019 (HBO)
Jaws, 1975 (HBO)
Jaws 2, 1978 (HBO)
Jaws 3, 1983 (HBO)
Jaws the Revenge, 1987 (HBO)
Jeepers Creepers, 2001 (HBO)
Jeepers Creepers 2, 2003 (HBO)
Leprechaun, 1993 (HBO)
Leprechaun 2, 1994 (HBO)
Leprechaun 3, 1995 (HBO)
Leprechaun 4: In Space, 1997 (HBO)
Leprechaun: Origins, 2014 (HBO)
Night of the Living Dead, 1968
Piranha, 1978 (HBO)
Prometheus, 2012 (HBO)
Ready or Not, 2019 (HBO)
Red Riding Hood, 2011
The Thing, 2011 (HBO)
Us, 2019 (HBO)

Terrifying TV:
The Alienist
Bedlam
Inside No. 9
The Leftovers (HBO)
Los Espookys (HBO)
Lovecraft Country (HBO)
The Outsider (HBO)
Raised by Wolves
The Third Day (HBO)
True Blood (HBO)
True Detective (HBO)
The Fades
Spawn (HBO)

Halloween Episodes
Friends – “The One with the Halloween Party”
Big Bang Theory – “The Good Guy Fluctuation”
South Park – “Korn’s Groovy Pirate Ghost Mystery”
Pretty Little Liars – “The First Secret”
Young Sheldon – “Seven Deadly Sins and a Small Carl Sagan”
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air – “Hex and the Single Guy”
Euphoria — “The Next Episode”
Curb Your Enthusiasm – “Trick or Treat”

Creepy Cult Classics
Alien, 1979 (HBO)
Aliens, 1986 (HBO)
Alien 3, 1992 (HBO)
Alien Resurrection, 1997 (HBO)
AVP: Alien vs. Predator, 2004 (HBO)
Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem, 2007 (HBO)
An American Werewolf in London, 1982 (HBO)
The Brood, 1979
Carnival of Souls, 1962
The Curse of Frankenstein, 1957
Dracula Has Risen from the Grave, 1969
Eraserhead, 1977
Eyes Without a Face, 1962
Equinox, 1970
The Frighteners, 1996 (HBO)
Horror of Dracula, 1958
House, 1977
Kwaidan, 1965
The Mummy, 1959
Puppetmaster, 1985 (HBO)
Scanners, 1981 (HBO)
The X From Outer Space, 1967

Foreign Frights:
Coyote Lake, 2019 (HBO)
Lullaby, 2019 (HBO)
El Pacto (AKA The Pact), 2020 (HBO)
Fantasmagorias (HBO)
Folklore (HBO)
Grace (HBO)
Halfworlds (HBO)
Haxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages, 1929
House, 1977
Kwaidan, 1965
Perseguida (Persecuted), 2019 (HBO)
Shadows, 2019 (HBO)
The Testament of Dr. Mabuse, 1933
Vampyr, 1932

Psychological Thrillers
The Butterfly Effect, 2004
Cronos, 1993
Deerskin, 2020 (HBO)
Diabolique, 1955
Dreamcatcher, 2003
Dolores Claiborne, 1995
Glass, 2019 (HBO)
Gothika, 2003
The Haunting, 1999
Incarnate, 2016 (HBO)
Insomnia, 2002
The Invisible Man, 2020 (HBO)
Lights Out, 2016 (HBO)
Open Water, 2004 (HBO)
Open Water 2: Adrift, 2007 (HBO)
Se7en, 1995
Sisters, 1972
Unbreakable, 2000 (HBO)

Scares for All Ages:
Adventure Time
Adventure Time: Distant Lands
Craftopia – Halloween Episodes Available Starting October 22
Ghosts (S1)
Ghosts (S2) – Available Starting October 27
Beautiful Creatures, 2013
Godzilla: King of Monsters, 2019 (HBO)
Gremlins 2, 1990
Little Shop of Horrors, 1986 (HBO)
Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase, 2019 (HBO)
The Scooby Doo Show
Scooby Doo, Where Are You?, 1969
Scooby-Doo! Haunted Holidays, 2012
Scooby-Doo, 2002
Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed, 2004
Scoob!, 2020
Spooky Buddies, 2011 (HBO)
Teen Witch, 1989 (HBO)
Where the Wild Things Are, 2009
Victor and Valentino

Disney+ Hallowstream Lineup Announced

This October, Disney+ invites fans and families to celebrate its first ever “Disney+ Hallowstream” whenever and wherever they want with a spellbinding collection of some of the most popular Halloween movies, specials, and episodes of all time. With beloved holiday traditions like “Hocus Pocus,” “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” and “Halloweentown,” the best Disney Channel and Disney Junior Halloween episodes, and 30 episodes of “The Simpsons” iconic “Treehouse of Horror” franchise, Disney+ is the ultimate streaming destination for family frights and wicked delights for all ages.

Beginning today, Disney+ subscribers can stream the new Halloween collection of movies, shorts, specials and themed episodes. The full collection includes:

Halloween Movies:

  • “Don’t Look Under the Bed”
  • “Frankenweenie” (2012)
  • “Girl vs Monster”
  • “Halloweentown”
  • “Halloweentown High”
  • “Halloweentown II: Kalabar’s Revenge”
  • “Haunted Mansion”
  • “Hocus Pocus”
  • “Mom’s Got A Date With A Vampire”
  • “Mr. Boogedy”
  • “Phantom of the Megaplex”
  • “Return to Halloweentown”
  • “The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad”
  • “The Ghost of Buxley Hall”
  • “The Nightmare Before Christmas”
  • “The Scream Team”
  • “Twitches”
  • “Twitches Too”
  • “ZOMBIES”
  • “ZOMBIES 2”

Shorts and Specials:

  • “Frankenweenie” (1984)
  • “Lonesome Ghosts”
  • “Mater and the Ghostlight”
  • “Trick or Trea

Disney Channel Halloween Episodes (Episodic Set):

  • “Big City Greens”: Blood Moon Part 1 / Blood Moon Part 2
  • “Even Stevens”: A Very Scary Story
  • “Girl Meets World”: Girl Meets World of Terror
  • “Good Luck Charlie”: Scary Had a Little Lamb
  • “Hannah Montana”: Torn Between Two Hannahs
  • “Jessie”: The Whining
  • “K.C. Under Cover”: All Howls Eve
  • “Kim Possible”: October 31st
  • “Lizzie McGuire”: Night of the Day of the Dead
  • “Phil Of The Future”: Halloween
  • “Phineas and Ferb”: Terrifying Tri-State Triliogy of Terror (Part 1 and 2)
  • “Raven’s Home”: Switch-Or-Treat
  • “Shake It Up”: Haunt It Up
  • “Sonny With A Chance”: A So Random Halloween Special
  • “That’s So Raven”: Don’t Have a Cow
  • “The Proud Family”: A Hero For Halloween
  • “The Suite Life of Zack & Cody”: Ghost of 613
  • “Wizards of Waverly Place”: Halloween

Disney Junior Halloween Episodes: 

  • “Doc McStuffins”: Boo-Hoo to You! / It’s Glow Time
  • “Doc McStuffins”: Hallie Halloween / Don’t Fence Me In
  • “Doc McStuffins”: Mirror, Mirror On My Penguin / Hide and Eek!
  • “Fancy Nancy”: Nancy’s Costume Clash / Nancy’s Ghostly Halloween
  • “Handy Manny”: Halloween / Squeeze’s Magic Show
  • “Henry Hugglemonster”: Halloween Scramble / Scouts Night Out
  • “Henry Hugglemonster”: Huggleween Moon
  • “Imagination Movers”: A Monster Problem
  • “Imagination Movers”: Haunted Halloween
  • “Jake and the Never Land Pirates”: Escape from Ghoat Island / The Island of Doctor Undergear
  • “Jake and the Never Land Pirates”: Night of the Golden Pumpkin / Trick or Treasure!
  • “Jake and the Never Land Pirates”: Phantoms of Never-Nether Land / Magical Mayhem
  • “Jake and the Never Land Pirates”: Pirate Ghost Story / Queen Izzybella
  • “Jake and the Never Land Pirates”: Tricks, Treats and Treasure! / Season of the Sea Witch
  • “Little Einsteins”: A Little Einsteins Halloween
  • “Mickey and the Roadster Racers”: Goof Mansion / A Doozy Night of Mystery
  • “Mickey and the Roadster Racers”: The Haunted Hot Rod / Pete’s Ghostly Gala
  • “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse”: Mickey’s Monster Musical Part 1 (Part 1 of 2)
  • “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse”: Mickey’s Monster Musical Part 2 (Part 2 of 2)
  • “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse”: Mickey’s Treat
  • “Miles from Tomorrowland”: Ghost Moon / Stormy Night in a Dark Nebula
  • “Muppet Babies”: Happy Hallowocka! / The Teeth-Chattering Tale of the Haunted Pancakes
  • “Puppy Dog Pals”: Return to the Pumpkin Patch / Haunted Howl-oween
  • “Sherriff Callie’s Wild West”: The Great Hallow
  • “The Lion Guard”: Beware the Zimwi
  • “Vampirina”: Hauntleyween / Frankenflower

Hallowstream on Disney+ will complement the incredible new original content coming to the service in October including “The Right Stuff” premiering on October 9, “Clouds” and “Meet the Chimps” premiering on October 16, “Once Upon a Snowman” premiering on October 23, and “The Mandalorian season two premiering on October 30.

WRC 9 Review

The World Rally Championship, or, “WRC” racing game series has been around since 2001 and it has come a long way since then – positioning itself as one of the top rally games on the market. WRC 9 is the series’ latest installment – will it move the series to the top of the pack or does it fall behind? Read on to find out!

The game puts players in the real-life FIA World Rally Championship racing series throughout a variety of rallies around the globe – including new rallies in Kenya, New Zealand, and Japan! Graphically, the rally locations look great. While WRC 9 still lacks HDR and features some jagged foliage, it boasts enhanced lighting and that makes a difference. One thing to note is that NACON plans to release an upgraded version of WRC 9 for both the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X platforms. I can’t wait to see how that version looks in comparison.

In-game audio is also good, with tons of vehicular noises to absorb as you scream around corners and over rough terrain. We did find some audio issues which hopefully can be patched at some point. Hearing our co-driver was very difficult despite adjusting audio settings. At other times the sound of my vehicle’s engine would lose all bass and become muted – very odd. But, again, these might be patchable – I hope.

WRC 9 features a variety of race modes – including local split-screen for when your friend comes over for a quick race. That feature alone is worth the price of admission as so few games allow that option anymore – but, I digress… WRC 9 features a career mode very similar to the one found in WRC 8 and the model still works great. In career mode, you’ll be in charge of managing everything from your crew to your finances and a lot more. You can even put money into researching new tech/parts for your vehicles.

One of the biggest upgrades to be found in WRC 9 is the vehicle handling mode. Vehicle suspension seems so much more realistic and, which driving never felt bad in WRC 8, something just feels more “right” about it this time around. I have always been at a disadvantage in racing games like this – I need more situational awareness and realism to drive effectively. I cannot begin to tell you how many times I jumped into a Gran Turismo race only to find myself lodged against a wall after spinning out. WRC 9 cars drive so much more like a real car does – and that made me such a better player as the muscle memory of the real-world activity of driving has a place in the game. Of course, WRC 9 is compatible with most USB racing controllers, and I got the chance to play my copy of the game with a setup from Fanatec. The added immersion factor provided by pedals and a wheel are incredible and I highly recommend at least using some sort of wheel with the game – you’ll thank me!

Overall, WRC 9 keeps the venerable racing series a serious contender for the racing game crown with incredible gameplay, vehicle handling, rallies, and a lot more. WRC 9 is out now on the PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch platforms. It retails for $49.99 for the standard game and $59.99 for the deluxe edition, which includes the Toyota Corolla 1999, the Barcelona Super Special Stage (SSS) and a career development boost.

Evike and Sig Sauer Announce Exclusive Collaboration Agreement

SIG SAUER, Inc. is pleased to announce that its SIG AIR Division has officially joined forces with Evike Manufacturing Group (EMG) for future product development, and continued product distribution of SIG AIR airgun and airsoft products in the U.S. through Evike.com.

“This exciting collaboration between SIG AIR and EMG is a result of the increasing popularity and demand we are seeing in the marketplace for SIG AIR airguns and airsoft products,” said Tom Taylor, Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President, Commercial Sales, SIG SAUER, Inc. “This new partnership with EMG will allow us to increase our product development capabilities allowing us to bring more SIG AIR products to consumers worldwide.”

The SIG AIR product line includes a series of traditional CO2 pellet and BB rifles and pistols, that are designed to imitate the look, weight, balance, and handling characteristics of their traditional firearms counterparts. Additionally, SIG AIR offers a line of training products with the PROFORCE line of airsoft pistols, rifles, and accessories. Designed and developed from the ground up to deliver a realistic training experience that allows the user access to achieve a new level of performance potential.

“The team at Evike.com and EMG are excited for the opportunity to join forces with SIG AIR to create new products, expand the SIG AIR product line, and provide a new dealer experience for SIG AIR products,” added Evike Chang, CEO of Evike.com and President of EMG, Inc. “We are completely aligned with the SIG SAUER brand to bring the best-in-class airgun and airsoft experience to the SIG AIR product line.”

For more information about SIG AIR products visit sigsauer.com.

FUSER Unexpected DJs Trailer

This week, NCSOFT will launch a fully integrated ad campaign for FUSER™, a DJ video game from award-winning developer Harmonix, that’s a never-ending virtual music festival for music lovers, content creators and gamers. The upcoming game lets players create their perfect DJ personas, customize their performance stages, and then mix over 100 songs different artists, genres and generations. Thanks to FUSER, you no longer need fancy turntables or years of training to be a DJ—now anyone can headline their own virtual music festival.

And NCSOFT and Harmonix mean anyone: The campaign, titled “Unexpected DJs,” features David Hasselhoff (DJ Hoff), Jonathan Van Ness (DJ YasKween), Chloe Kim (DJ 1080) and other unexpected celebs. The effort includes online films, a site that lets users create their own DJ persona, unexpected brand partnerships, and even the chance to have a DJ battle against Diplo online. Each element will reinforce how easy it now is to feel like a DJ while igniting the creativity of FUSER’s core audience.

“FUSER redefines the music game genre. It’s driven by creativity, originality and expression. It empowers players to be at the center of creating culture by developing and then sharing mixes using various pieces of some of the world’s most iconic songs,” said Tim Granich, vice president of marketing at NCSOFT.

Today, FUSER will release a long-form online film that unveils the unexpected-DJ lineup one by one and invites viewers to become DJs too. Shot entirely during the COVID-19 pandemic, the film takes place in each unexpected DJ’s home, illustrating how FUSER can transform any living room into an epic festival stage—even Diplo makes a cameo from his home studio. The 90-second spectacle was directed by music-video super duo BRTHR and features an impressive array of VFX as well as tracks from the game.

“My favorite part about FUSER is how it really gave me the feeling of DJ’ing a festival,” said David Hasselhoff. “Anyone at home can step into a world of epic music, colors, lights and be a legitimate DJ. It’s a wonderful thing and a lot of fun.”

But the DJ announcements won’t stop with the film. To help fans and brands join in on the fun too, a UGC tool built for social sharing called “DJ DNA” will live on DJDNATEST.com, allowing gamers to generate their own Unexpected-DJ personas and then share them with the world. Additionally, users of the tool will then have the opportunity to enter for a chance to battle with superstar DJ Diplo online. NCSOFT will be releasing more details on that event later.

The campaign is the first work from NCSOFT’s new ad agency, Goodby Silverstein & Partners. “This game is about bringing together the most unexpected collaborations. Our ad needed to do the same,” said Laura Petruccelli, GS&P creative director. “But we didn’t want this to be about influencers only. The DJ DNA Test allows anyone to turn into a DJ– allowing gamers to create a piece of music culture before they ever start playing FUSER. It’s an epic game demo wrapped in a commercial.”

No word yet on if Hoff’s DJ career will continue after the campaign. We really, really hope it does.

Cyberpunk 2077 Seize the Day Commercial Starring Keanu Reeves

CD PROJEKT RED has released a brand new Cyberpunk 2077 commercial featuring Keanu Reeves, who also portrays a major character in the game.

The promotional video was broadcast during game 1 of this year’s NBA Finals between Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat. In the commercial, Keanu Reeves invites players to join his character, Johnny Silverhand, in Night City when the game releases in November.

Cyberpunk 2077 will release November 19th, 2020, for PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4, with the version for Google Stadia set to launch the same year. The game will also be playable on Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 consoles when available. At a later date, a free upgrade to Cyberpunk 2077, taking full advantage of next-gen hardware, will become available for owners of the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 versions respectively.

For more information regarding the game, followFacebook,Twitter, and visit cyberpunk.net.

Friday the 13th 40th Anniversary Hits Cinemas Oct 4, 6, 7

Start off your Halloween month right and go see “Friday the 13th 40th Anniversary” as it hits selected cinemas this weekend, Sun., Oct. 4, and on Tues., Oct. 6, and Wed., Oct. 7.

One of the most popular horror franchises of all time celebrates 40 years, with the original terrifying film that started it all, restored and remastered on the big screen. In this still-scary shocker, the new owner and several young counselors gather to reopen Camp Crystal Lake. Years ago, a young boy named Jason Voorhees drowned, and a series of vicious murders occurred thereafter. Despite locals’ warnings that the place has a death curse, the new crew continues on to relaunch the camp. One by one they find out how unlucky Friday the 13th can be, as they are stalked by a violent killer.

Event attendees will also be treated to a special featurette, “Secrets Galore Behind the Gore.” Join revolutionary special-effects and makeup artist Tom Savini for a look at some of the groundbreaking gory great moments in the original “Friday the 13th” (directed by Sean S. Cunningham and written by Victor Miller).

WHEN: Sunday, October 4 at 7 p.m. local time.
Tuesday, October 6 at 7 p.m. local time.
Wednesday, October 7 at 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. local time.

WHERE: Tickets for “Friday the 13th 40th Anniversary” are available now at FathomEvents.com and participating theater box offices. For a complete list of theater locations, visit the Fathom Events website (theaters and participants are subject to change based on local cinema openings).

Elite Dangerous: Odyssey “Forging Your Path” Trailer

Frontier Developments plc (AIM: FDEV) revealed today “Forging Your Path”, the second in the series of Elite Dangerous: Odyssey Developer Diaries. In this latest instalment, Game Director Piers Jackson, Art Director Chris Gregory, Lead Designer Gareth Hughes, Principal Audio Designer Matthew Florianz and Principal Animator Felix Ilsley explores how you can shape your own narrative in Elite Dangerous: Odyssey with the choices you make.

Offering players freedom of choice to forge their own careers while soaring across the galaxy has always been part of Elite Dangerous. With the arrival of Elite Dangerous: Odyssey in early 2021, Commanders can now set foot on the surface of billions of planets for the first time, even those with thin atmospheres, and can explore new planetary outposts and bases.

The dev diary looks at a new approach to missions, station interiors, different spacesuits, and gives a taste of how commanders can interact with a vast range of new characters on foot, and how the game can work even without owning your own ship.

Elite Dangerous: Odyssey launches in early 2021 on PC, the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, and the Xbox One all-in-one games and entertainment system. Stay tuned for the next Development Diary in the near future, exploring combat from a first person perspective. For more information, follow Elite Dangerous on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

Torchlight III Launch Date Announcement

Perfect World Entertainment and Echtra Games are excited to announce that Torchlight III, the light-hearted and fast-paced dungeon crawler, will exit Steam Early Access and officially launch on Steam, Xbox One and PlayStation®4 on October 13 – and release on Nintendo Switch later this year – for $39.99.  Players who have been hacking and slashing their way through the Steam Early Access version of Torchlight III will automatically be granted access to the full version. In addition, all versions of the game will include an exclusive Fairy pet for each platform.

“The full release of Torchlight III wouldn’t have been possible without all of the incredible work from the entire Echtra team and our excellent community of Early Access players,” said Max Schaefer, CEO of Echtra Games and co-founder of the Torchlight franchise. “We’ve put our heart into this new adventure and it has been awesome getting so much support from players while the game has been in live development. With the significant changes we’ve made throughout Torchlight III’s journey in Early Access, we have done our best to meaningfully integrate players’ feedback as much as possible into the game as we march toward launch. Next month, we can’t wait to welcome all players to the Frontier!”

Torchlight III will feature all of Torchlight’s signature mechanics, including satisfying hack- and-slash combat, a charming and vibrant world, online 4-player cooperative multiplayer and offline single-player, and the beloved pet system that captured the hearts of ARPG fans. This grand adventure will also introduce new features, such as three epic acts, unique Relic subclasses, fully customizable forts, a challenging end-game experience “Fazeer Shah’s Dun-Djinn”, the multi-tiered progression system “Contracts” that lets players earn Fame and unlock elite items, along with a myriad of quests and boss battles across randomly-generated areas filled with epic loot drops.

In Torchlight III, it’s been a century since the events of Torchlight II, where the great heroes of old defeated The Dark Alchemist and sealed the Netherlord’s heart inside the Clockwork Core. The heroes brought peace to the world of Novastraia, but now the Ember Empire finds itself on the brink of collapse as it’s under threat of invasion by the Netherim and its allies. To save Novastraia, Torchlight III players will need to gather their wits and brave the frontier in search of fame, glory and new adventures to become the legends the world needs them to be.

Below is a detailed list of features for the full release of Torchlight III:

  • Travel the Frontier: Players can explore the wilderness, party with friends, gather materials to craft loot, use magical maps to enter unknown dungeons, or show off their spoils in town! There’s always something to do in the new frontier.

  • Build & Upgrade Your Fort: It’s time to rebuild! Players will enjoy their very own account-based fort, where they can upgrade gear, and make renovations to show it off to their friends and the world. The game allows them to build monuments of power, pet stables, and more!

  • Choose a Relic: Relics are objects of great power that grant players a suite of active skills and passive skills. Players will choose one of five of these at the beginning of their journey and use skill points to unlock or enhance their relic’s abilities. The relic is an important part of a character’s strategy – choose wisely!

  • Collect Epic Gear: Suit up in a robust variety of armor and weapons found across the frontier including charming hats, pet apparel, and unique locomotion options. Players can select from a wide array of weapons that suit their playstyle and class build. With over a hundred Legendary items, players can permanently acquire their special abilities in order to make themselves more unique and powerful.

  • Pets are Back: Players can fight their way to fame and glory with loyal companions! Each of the many species comes in a myriad of colors and styles so adventurers shouldn’t settle for the first one they find. They can make these trusty pets stronger by adding skills, equip them with gear to make them hardier, and together battle enemies as a team. Pets also have their own vast inventory for items, and players have the option to have their pets sell items directly in town.

  • Build Your Hero: With four classes to choose from, along with 20 class and Relic combinations — each combination offering a unique playstyle — and a wide range of choices of where to place skill points at, players can utilize class-specific mechanics to maximize damage and their odds of survival. Torchlight III lets them gather epic gear, select your Relic powers, and customize loadouts to create a unique combat style for their heroes.

Each version of Torchlight III will come with the following exclusive Fairy pet:

  • Steam: Violet Glittersprite

  • Xbox One: Verdant Glittersprite

  • PlayStation®4: Azure Glittersprite

  • Nintendo Switch: Ashen Glittersprite

Torchlight III features four diverse hero classes and five powerful relics with unique abilities and strengths:

Classes

  • The Dusk Mage is an enchanter who harnesses the power of light and dark energy to conjure devastating attacks.

  • The Forged is a powerful robot who relies on an arsenal of weaponry to build up heat and unleash explosive assaults.

  • The Railmaster is a locomotive savvy powerhouse who steams into combat with a massive hammer and heavily armed battle train.

  • The Sharpshooter is a powerful and nimble ranged character who uses incredible skill with ranged weapons and magical trinkets to take on enemies from afar.

Relics

  • Bane – Summons a cluster of spiders and casts forth volleys of deadly poison.

  • Blood Drinker – Heals a player’s wounds while enemies bleed.

  • Coldheart – Controls crowds by freezing, slowing, or knocking back immoderate threats.

  • Electrode – Unleashes an unpredictable surge of electricity.

  • Flaming Destroyer – Consistently burns enemies and sets things ablaze.

Torchlight III is the latest successor to the ARPG cult classics, Torchlight I & II, originally developed by Runic Games. This fast-paced dungeon crawler brings fans back to the beloved Torchlight universe to hack and slash their way through a brand new world filled with hordes of goblins, undead and other dangerous Netherim creatures. Adventurers can party up with friends or venture into the vast wilderness alone, where they will find loot, explore dungeons, collect epic gear and build their very own fort to show off to the world. Torchlight III features four unique hero classes (Dusk Mage, Forged, Railmaster and Sharpshooter), plus a myriad of new and familiar combat pets to help players fight their way to fame and glory.

Learn more about Torchlight III at Torchlight3.com.

Razer BlackWidow V3 Pro Wireless Gaming Keyboard Review

Razer’s new wireless suite of products runs the gamut of device types: Keyboard, mouse, and headphones. The BlackWidow V3 Pro is the keyboard part of that triad (and Razer’s first wireless mechanical keyboard ever), featuring dark, classy style and high build quality. The body of the Razer BlackWidow V3 Pro is sturdy and feels like it was built to last. The included wrist rest is comfy and, better yet, detachable for your discretion. The wrist rest features a very plush leatherette feel and will definitely help protect your typing posture. On the upper right side of the typing surface, you’ll find a multi-functional rotary control similar to the one found on Razer’s Huntsman Elite keyboard. I prefer to keep this set to controlling the volume, but you can do quite a bit with it if you program it.

The Razer BlackWidow V3 Pro allows gamers to connect it to their computers and devices with three different methods. The first is by way of Razer HyperSpeed Wireless. This mode is enabled by using the special dongle included in the BlackWidow V3 Pro’s box.. The second means of connection is wired, by way of a USB-C cable. Lastly, the final means of connecting the keyboard is with Bluetooth and you can pair it with up to 3 devices! The wireless capability is really where the BlackWidow V3 Pro shines – afterall, if you didn’t want to connect wirelessly, you would just be purchasing a dedicated, wired keyboard.

Of course, the Razer BlackWidow V3 Pro is completely compatible with Razer’s Synapse configuration software and allows the user to customize its lighting profiles as well as key profiles. However, there is a strange issue that occurs when you change the connection method of the keyboard with Synapse running. Synapse will, for lack of a better word, “forget” that the keyboard is plugged in, forcing the user to exit out of the program and restart – sometimes Synapse will actually crash altogether. Hopefully, this is a software issue that can be patched out.

The clicky, tactile feel of Razer’s green key switches is pronounced, making both playing games as well as typing documents a satisfying experience. I should note that the keys don’t feel nearly as crisp as the optical-mechanical key switches found on the Huntsman series  – although that series does not have a wireless offering (yet). The BlackWidow V3 Pro is also available with Razer’s new yellow key switches providing a less-clicky/less-tactile typing experience. I have met people who love both kinds of mechanical keys (clicky and quiet) and I love that Razer has made each available for consumers. No matter what kind of key switch you select, the key caps on the BlackWidow V3 Pro are made with Razer’s “Doubleshot” ABS molding technique. The key caps are made from two different layers of plastic. The outer layer is the colored shell while the inner layer is transparent and allows for maximum light transmission. I recently upgraded my Huntsman’s keycaps to the Doubleshot ABS ones and would never go back – the feel is so much better than traditional key caps.

The price point on the Razer BlackWidow V3 Pro wireless keyboard comes in at a hefty $229.99. This is actually the biggest detractor of the BlackWidow V3 Pro. It’s high price point is especially painful when considering that it doesn’t come with the latest optical-mechanical key switches.

Unlike many wireless products, Razer has kept the Chroma RGB lighting functions on this keyboard. Of course, it does affect the keyboard’s battery life, but Razer has been very forthcoming with its predicted battery life. With full lighting enabled, Razer predicts the BlackWidow V3 Pro will last anywhere from 5 to 13 hours of use depending on the lighting mode. If you decrease the Chroma RGB brightness to 50%, you can get anywhere from 14 to 25 hours from the keyboard. If you want to stretch your battery life out and turn off all the lighting, you can get a staggering 192 hours out of the BlackWidow V3 Pro! That’s 24 days with 8 hours of use each day!

Overall, the Razer BlackWidow V3 Pro wireless gaming keyboard is a solid choice for your keyboard-clicking needs, but the price may keep some away. If you don’t absolutely need wireless capability, you should also look at Razer’s Huntsman line.