Good or bad taste is difficult to define, but easy to point out, and Alien: Romulus, from Uruguayan director Fede Álvarez (who famously delivered a fantastic Evil Dead flick over a decade ago), offers a bizarre mix of both. It’s clear that Álvarez wants to hearken back to the analog, tactile sci-fi vibes of the…
This month, the latest entry in the long-running Alien sci-fi franchise hits theaters. Alien: Romulus, starring Cailee Spaney (Civil War) and Isabela Merced (Madame Web) from noted horror director Fede Álvarez, debuts August 14, and from the trailers and early reactions, it looks like a fantastic entry in the…
Our natural fear of the unknown immediately makes us keen on blending Science Fiction with Horror, but the combination isn't all that easy to pull off. For every Alien, you get ten movies like The Happening, and, well, the Alien sequels.
Here are ten movies that did the formula justice, some of which even pushed the genre forward by adding surprisingly effective, fresh new elements.
Movies about big monsters ravaging through a city rarely fail to entertain, no other did it better than Cloverfield, the only film courageous enough to ask people to experience all the fear and devastation in first person perspective.
The found footage genre can go from scarily horrifying to incredibly good at putting you to sleep. After The Blair Witch Project, Cloverfield is likely the most interesting attempt at this genre — and one of the best Kaiju films ever made.
If you want to see a truly messed-up alternative to the father-and-child dynamic of The Last Of Us and Logan, you can do no better than The Myst. Instead of a bunch of people who get more than they bargained for by venturing where they shouldn't, The Myst tells the story of a family just going about their business when their town gets engulfed by a mysterious mist that, you guessed it, is hiding scary things within.
There's no lack of cool jumpscares and monster designs here, but The Myst never stops being about family, a family that ends up having to face making a decision that you'll never forget.
The Fly references in more popular media are so prevalent that younger audiences might attribute the accidental mix between a person and an insect to a surprisingly popular trope, not a specific film. Still, David Cronenberg's The Fly is much more than the imagining of one of humanity's (apparent) greatest fears.
Though we tend to remember the scene of the accident and the very gory climax of the film, the entire deterioration of Jeff Goldblum's character is more than worthy of everyone's time.
Spring ups the Sci-Fi Horror ante by inviting Romance in. Yes, even though it features spooky monsters and scientific concepts are thrown around, those take the backseat to a surprisingly great love story between a regular guy and a mysterious Italian woman. Spring would've been an interesting experiment even if it had failed in the daunting task it set out to achieve, but it doesn't.
It's heartbreaking that not many people know about this one, and there's only one way to fix that.
While it's only natural to think of George A. Romero's movies or Resident Evil when you think about Zombies, it's hard to deny how much 28 Days Later revitalized the genre.
Running infected were some of the most divisive movie monsters when we first saw them, but now we can all admit they're much scarier than the classic zombie type. Also, 28 Days Later doesn't just rest upon this update, as it weaves a personal and at some points even heartwarming tale of survival in an outbreak-ravaged England that you'll never forget.
Aniara invites viewers to see what an interstellar cruise ship trip might look like, too bad it picks the worst possible voyage to promote this cool new type of travel. Aniara doesn't feature the space equivalent of an Iceberg crash that quickly leads to the sinking of a ship. Instead, it masterfully shows the slow descent into madness of a ship's crew that accidentally strayed off course and has to come to terms with the possibility of never reaching the destination.
While Aniara doesn't feature jumpscares, it's hard to ignore all the existential dread it fills viewers with by constantly giving them new hope and squashing it in front of their eyes.
As far as low-budget sci-fi horror goes, I doubt you can do better than Cube — In fact, some of its darkest aspects are so well-conceived that you'll have a hard time noticing it was even low-budget.
Cube invites viewers to experience a reality where a bunch of people are seemingly put at random into a megastructure composed of cubes that lead into other cubes, some of which feature deadly traps. The movie offers no answers, which helps the incredible violence of Cube feel extremely alien — or something late-stage capitalist humans would totally come up with.
Ever since the release of Aliens, fans have been arguing over which is the best between the two original Alien films. Aliens fits more neatly in the sci-fi action category, and, as for the main reason why it's not featured on this list, well, I just don't think it measures up to the original.
The original Alien from 1979 set an incredibly high bar for Sci-Fi horror by introducing us to a story equal parts Sci-Fi and Gothic Horror. Unlike Aliens, Alien revels in its buildup, and the moments we spend trying to understand what's happening and watching the Xenomorph grow are as enthralling as the moments we spend being afraid once this perfect killing machine reaches maturity.
If you like the action of Die Hard, Terminator, or even Commando, Predator has that for you, but what sets it apart is a brilliant genre subversion. Predator follows a group of soldiers led by Arnold Schwarzenegger, who are naturally the biggest and baddest dudes in the world — but not in the Universe.
After a mission in which Arnie's squad kills an entire battalion like it was a video game tutorial, they start dropping one by one in a gruesome fashion. Out of nowhere, what you thought would be another celebration of testosterone, turns into a slasher where the hopeless victims are all badasses you'd think each could've carried their own horror movies. On top of all the beautifully well-realized Sci-Fi and Horror crossover, Predator cements Arnie as the greatest action hero of them all by showing how the man isn't afraid of getting slapped around by something bigger and stronger that forces him to use his wits to come out on top.
What makes The Thing special isn't the evil shapeshifting alien that hunts down the members of a likable crew one by one — though it features the best practical effects ever seen in cinema history. It's the sense of dread you cannot shake by having to constantly wonder who's the monster and who's just an equally dangerous human on the verge of losing it.
John Carpenter's loose remake of Howard Hawks's The Thing From Another World was a critical and commercial flop upon release, with Roger Ebert seeing it as little more than " a gross-out movie in which teenagers can dare one another to watch the screen". Still, I believe there's no better possible laurel for a sci-fi work than coming out ahead of its time, and The Thing was quick to get a cultural reappraisal that propelled it into the podium of sci-fi horror, which it hasn't left since.
The post 10 best Sci-Fi horror movies appeared first on Destructoid.
Cancellation Watch: Status updates for the sci fi and fantasy shows on the broadcast networks, cable channels, and streaming services as well as breaking news on the currently airing, returning, and upcoming genre entries.
3 Body Problem (Netflix, Status: Renewal Possible): This series repeated at Number 1 in the Nielsen Streaming rankings for a third week in a row. It has also now spent seven weeks in the Netflix charts, five in the Top 5. It is an expensive show to produce, and the showrunners want to go even bigger with its second season with hopes that it will last four years total. Whether Netflix will let it go that long remains to be seen, but I consider a second-season renewal to be a good bet at this point.
Resident Alien (Netflix, Status: On the Bubble): Deadline is reporting that Resident Alien is unlikely to get a fourth season at Syfy and that it could move over to sister cable network USA which is considering getting back into the scripted programming game. However, that move could come with a budget cut of $500K per episode. The show only averaged a 0.06 rating based on same-day viewing for the 18-49 demo in its third year, and Syfy in general has been having trouble drawing viewers to its original series. Resident Alien did see pretty strong viewership on Netflix when its first two seasons were released there in February, and there are also talks of the show possibly moving to that streamer. For now, though, I am shifting it to Bubble status and fans should definitely make some noise on the social networks to support this series.
Dead Boy Detectives (Netflix, Status: Renewal Possible): This show slipped to Number 3 in the Netflix charts for its second week, but viewership improved to 34 million hours across 4.7 million households. Its numbers are not as strong as other recent genre entries from the streamer like 3 Body Problem or the live-action One Piece, but it is likely not nearly as expensive to produce as either of those shows. However, Netflix does tend to cut bait pretty quickly on shows it considers to be underperformers, so fans should probably make some noise on the social networks to bring this one more attention.
Not Dead Yet (ABC, Status: On the Bubble): The prognosis for this supernatural comedy has not been good this season with its episode order getting truncated and its ratings slipping year over year. And ABC has announced the status of most of its shows while remaining silent on this one so far. We should know its fate by next week when the network unveils its 2024-25 schedule at the Upfronts, and right now is the time for fans to stage a Call to Action to help its chances of getting a third season.
Chucky (Syfy, Status: Renewal Possible): There has been no word on a fourth season of this horror/comedy yet, but creator Don Mancini has already made a pitch to Syfy for where the show can go next. In addition, fans have an opportunity to support the show by calling 1-201-500-3347 to demand more adventures from Chucky. Its numbers dropped off with its season finale last week, but perhaps this one could stick around for another year if the fans lobby for it.
Krapopolis (FOX, Status: Renewed): The same-day ratings for this animated fantasy comedy have dropped notably during the second half of its first season without a lead-in from football to boost its viewership. But is it performing about on par with FOX’s other animated comedies on Sunday nights and it has already been renewed through its third season, so it is safe for now.
You can see the status of all the shows from the current season at our Cancellation Watch Page.
There were no renewal or cancellation announcements this past week, though I expect to hear the fate of several shows (particularly ABC’s Not Dead Yet and Syfy’s Resident Alien and Chucky) by next week during the Upfronts when several of the networks and streamers will be revealing their schedules for the coming season. The score currently stands at 23 renewed sci fi and fantasy entries (40% of shows tracked) vs. 11 cancelled and ending (19%). Below are this season’s numbers, and you can see the list of shows and keep up with the score throughout the week at our Cancellation Watch Page.
| Show Count | 57 | ||
| Cancelled | 6 | 10.5% | |
| Ending | 5 | 8.8% | 19.3% |
| Renewed | 23 | 40.4% | |
| On the Bubble | 6 | 10.5% | |
| Renewal Possible | 17 | 29.8% | |
| Mini-Series | 6 |
Be sure to follow the Cancelled Sci Fi Twitter Site for breaking news and updates. And for the latest news and discussions on sci fi and fantasy television, follow r/SciFiTV
Follow our Sci Fi TV Schedule for all the currently airing and upcoming sci fi and fantasy television shows, and you can see the premieres for all the upcoming genre entries at this link.
The post Cancellation Watch: 3 Body Problem Continues to Top the Nielsen Charts, Resident Alien Could Be on the Move, and More appeared first on Cancelled Sci Fi.
In celebration of the seminal sci-fi horror movie Alien’s 45th anniversary, Ridley Scott’s film is back in movie theaters. I saw it over the weekend, and even though it’s a movie I’ve seen countless times—on a laptop, on a plane, on TV—but this was my first time seeing it on the big screen. Almost half a century after…
Cancellation Watch: Status updates for the sci fi and fantasy shows on the broadcast networks, cable channels, and streaming services as well as breaking news on the currently airing, returning, and upcoming genre entries.
Resident Alien (Syfy, Status: Renewal Possible): This show improved for its season finale, pulling a 0.08 rating based on same-day viewing for the 18-49 demographic with 622K total viewers. Its third-year numbers have been nowhere near where it was in its first season and the first half of its second season, but it did see an upward trend the last couple of weeks. The first two seasons just started streaming on Netflix and have performed well there, and that could be boosting the viewership. That could also help it get to a fourth season, and the showrunners do have plans for where the show will go next, but some help from fans on the social networks would give it a boost as well.
Fallout (Prime Video, Status: Renewal Possible): This show premieres today on Amazon’s Prime Video and it may already be headed to a second-season renewal. Word is that it has been offered a $25 million tax credit to relocate filming from New York to California. That does not guarantee that a second season will happen, but it will certainly act as a strong incentive, especially as the streaming services try to keep costs down. We will have to see how this much-anticipated show performs in viewership, but consider its prospects good at this point.
Halo (Paramount+, Status: Renewal Possible): This video-game-based series has wrapped up its second season, and it had a four-week run in the Nielsen Streaming Rankings, averaging an estimated 377 million minutes of viewing per week. That is good for a Paramount+ entry and should help get this one to a third-season renewal.
Not Dead Yet (ABC, Status: On the Bubble): The numbers for this supernatural comedy have been slipping, and it hit a series-low 0.15 rating in the demo with 1.4 million total viewers with its latest episode. It is also losing a fair amount of the audience each week from its lead-in The Conners. It is firmly On the Bubble and fans will certainly want to make some noise on the social networks to support it if they hope for it to stick around for a third season.
American Horror Story (FX, Status: Renewed): This horror anthology barely registered in the ratings with its return for the second half of its twelfth season, posting a series low 0.03 rating in the demo with 243K total viewers. This was once among the top-rated shows on cable, but its audience has certainly diminished over the years. It has been renewed through its thirteenth season, but could be wrapping up at that point.
3 Body Problem (Netflix, Status: Renewal Possible): This sci fi entry held at Number 1 in the Netflix Top 10 for a second week in a row, but its viewership dropped almost in half from week to week, from 116 million hours to 61 million hours. That may suggest that the completion rate is not where Netflix execs want it to be, and this is an expensive show to produce. But it is also a high-profile series, so the streamer will have an incentive to keep it going if the cost can be justified.
You can see the status of all the shows from the current season at our Cancellation Watch Page.
NBC announced last week that its Quantum Leap revival will not be continuing to a third season (more on that at this link). That brings the current score to ten cancelled and ending sci fi and fantasy entries (20% of shows tracked) vs. twenty renewals (39%). Below are this season’s numbers, and you can see the list of shows and keep up with the score throughout the week at our Cancellation Watch Page.
| Show Count | 51 | ||
| Cancelled | 6 | 11.8% | |
| Ending | 4 | 7.8% | 19.6% |
| Renewed | 20 | 39.2% | |
| On the Bubble | 5 | 9.8% | |
| Renewal Possible | 16 | 31.4% | |
| Mini-Series | 5 |
Be sure to follow the Cancelled Sci Fi Twitter Site for breaking news and updates. And for the latest news and discussions on sci fi and fantasy television, follow r/SciFiTV
Follow our Sci Fi TV Schedule for all the currently airing and upcoming sci fi and fantasy television shows, and you can see the premieres for all the upcoming genre entries at this link.
The post Cancellation Watch: Resident Alien Improves for Season Finale, Fallout May Be Headed to a Second Season, and More appeared first on Cancelled Sci Fi.
Title: Alien: Isolation
Developer: Creative Assembly
Publisher: Sega
Released: October 7, 2014
Platforms Available: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC, Linux, macOS, Nintendo Switch
Platform Reviewed: PlayStation 4
Article Reading Time: 10 minutes
After a disappointing attempt with Aliens: Colonial Marines, newer great tactics Alien: Dark Descent, This older take – Alien: Isolation pleasantly surprised me, so here’s my review!
As a fan of the Alien franchise, I was thrilled to feel my blood rushing as I tried to survive against a ruthless Xenomorph. I must also credit the developers at Creative Assembly, who, despite their lack of experience with this type of game, managed to create the best video game based on Ridley Scott’s renowned film.
The story of Alien: Isolation focuses on Amanda Ripley, the daughter of Ellen Ripley from the original movie Aliens. Based on some information about the missing ship, Nostromo, Amanda decides to join an expedition to investigate the events surrounding the ship’s disappearance. As part of this, Amanda attempts to discover what happened to her mother. But as you can guess, nothing goes according to plan, and the expedition turns into a fight for her life.
The thing is that after arriving at the Sevastopol, which is identical in type to the Nostromo, which stopped at the last coordinates of the missing ship and trying to get on board, an explosion occurs, and you find yourself on board. However, you immediately realize that something is wrong on board. Not only are there barely any lights shining, there are rivers of blood all over the walls and floor and crazy noises echoing around the ship, and the last survivors are defending their lives tooth and nail. Soon, you will also see why the fear of life is sown in the eyes of the entire crew. Of course, you’ll also realize that the company wants nothing more than a living xenomorph organism, and they don’t really care about you.
Right off the bat, I must admit that the atmosphere in this adaptation of Alien is really choppy, and you’ll soon find out why. Alien: Isolation is a survival horror in every sense. Much of the credit for this goes to the superbly executed graphic design in which the play of lights and shadows plays a significant role… primarily the shadows. Moving around the corridors of the Sevastopol evokes a sense of anxiety. If you decide to play the game ideally at night, you should prepare your spare underwear and defibrillator. The game even evokes such an atmosphere that after a while, you feel that you are really there and that your life is at stake. But this was only achieved because this game was given more care, and besides the graphics, the game was not brought to such a level by the perfect soundtrack, which takes the atmosphere even further.
I must not forget another important element in the game: the NPC characters, who are also at a reasonable level and fulfill their roles as they should. Even when it comes to the androids of the company, they don’t want anything about the existence of this creature to get out. If you break any company’s orders and visit forbidden areas, these “joes” will destroy you without mercy. And, of course, we have the central character of the game – the Xenomorph. He is finally in this game what he was always meant to be, a ruthless killing machine with high intelligence that is not easy to kill.
I could basically divide the game into two parts. The first part is before the first contact when you don’t really have to concentrate on not being heard anyway, but believe me, you’ll resort to that anyway with the atmosphere, and then after the first contact with the intruder, when the game takes on a whole different vibe. You must be careful with everything you do because even if the intruder is unknown, you’ll still hear something moving behind you through the vents. Even after you get the motion sensor, you’ll constantly face the fear of where that “black pig” is going to jump out at you.
Thus, in the game, it is crucial to plan your movements, be very careful, and, if possible, not draw too much attention to yourself, as the intruder reacts to noise. What’s also great about the game is that if you lock the room with the intruder with the emergency button by the door, forget about resting. The Alien doesn’t need a door to get into the room, and more than once, I found myself trying to save the game, and more than once, the Alien’s tail ran through my body. Saving here is an entirely different thing from most games. You have to save the game on the so-called phone, where there is also an input to the card, which you insert here and hold for three seconds; during this process, you are highly vulnerable; you can not defend yourself, and you even have a limited view around you.
The artificial intelligence in the game works flawlessly most of the time. The human opponents in the game are primarily scared and concerned with their survival; it’s a good idea to avoid direct confrontation if possible, even if you have a revolver or flamethrower later in the game. The intruder isn’t just after you; the crew can be used as bait to escape. However, if you shoot someone, count on the fact that you will not only get the attention of other people but also of the bloodthirsty monster.
Other enemies you may encounter are androids. Right away, it must be said that dragging them with a wrench on the head from behind once is not enough, and from the front, you wound cover. The android stops for a moment, but even after a few moments, it is on the move again. So you’d better avoid confrontation again or use a firearm or flamethrower, but it’s best to save that for the worst bitch present – whoever that is…
Now for the worst part… The Alien here is truly a beast, and directly confronting it means guaranteed death without a flamethrower. If you encounter it, take cover immediately and avoid the noise. Overall, the Alien can react to many things and will find you even in manholes or if you hide in closets, so don’t use the motion sensor as it reacts to his beeps. You can still get around the intruder and hide from it; even if you hide around a corner and the intruder doesn’t look, you can let it go and sneak away.
The developers should also be commended for the fact that the game doesn’t just have you running through corridors and trying to survive by zigzagging between enemies but that you can use the environment to overcome various traps. So, enemies can be bypassed by venting. Hiding under desks, in closets, and various other places. It’s also possible to turn off room lights to let smoke out of the ventilation or unlock and lock particular doors or shafts. Panels on the walls are used for this purpose. In the game, it is also possible to get through locked doors in other ways, such as picking external locks, hacking an electronic lock, or cutting the lock with a plasma torch.
As you navigate through the treacherous landscape, it is imperative that you not only arm yourself with weapons but also learn to craft various toys that can help you survive. These toys include medipacks to heal yourself, smoke bombs to obscure your enemies’ vision, flashbangs to disorient them, electro-mines to shock them, and sound traps to lure them away from your location. To create these items, you must scour your surroundings for materials and conduct diligent research to acquire the schematics or blueprints necessary to build or upgrade them. So, be sure to keep an eye out for useful components and note any valuable information that can aid you in your journey to safety.
Alien: Isolation is undoubtedly the best game created based on the legendary movie prequel. It boasts an immersive atmosphere that draws players into the game’s world. The story is well-crafted and keeps players on the edge of their seats as they progress through the game. The game’s terrifying moments are so well-executed that players will feel genuinely stalked by the deadly Xenomorph. The sound design is perfect, with every creak and hiss adding to the game’s suspenseful atmosphere. The stunning visuals, with attention to detail, immerses players in the game’s world. Finally, the Alien is perfected visually and behaviorally, making it a true masterpiece. In short, Alien: Isolation is a dream come true for fans of this alien beast and a must-play for any gamer looking for a thrilling horror and immersive experience.
Creative Assembly Website: Alien: Isolation Official Website
Game info page PlayStation Store: Alien: Isolation on Playstation Store (PS4)
Xbox: Buy Alien: Isolation on Xbox
Steam: Alien: Isolation on Steam (PC)
Epic Games Store: Alien: Isolation on Epic Games Store (PC)
GOG Store: Alien: Isolation on GOG (PC)
Nintendo Store: Buy Alien Isolation for Nintendo Switch
The post Alien: Isolation – Excellent Survival Horror and Xenomorph Terror appeared first on WePlayGames.net: Home for Top Gamers.
Welcome to Next Week on Xbox! This weekly feature presents you with all the games that are arriving soon on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows, and Game Pass! You can see more information about these upcoming games below and click on their profiles for more details (release dates may vary). Let’s begin!
Classified: France ’44 – March 5
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
Classified: France ‘44 is a new turn-based strategy game, set in World War II during the desperate months leading up to the Allied invasion of France in June 1944. Take charge of a special-ops team of Allied commandos and French resistance fighters. Recruit elite operatives to build your squad, then engage in a sweeping campaign of sabotage and destruction.
Expeditions: A Mudrunner Game – March 5
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
Embark on ever-rewarding scientific expeditions as you adapt to nature’s challenges and unravel the mysteries of uncharted lands. Lead research missions as you drive a variety of all-terrain vehicles through treacherous paths, using advanced technologies and high-tech tools to overcome obstacles. Build and manage your base and equip your vehicles with essential gadgets like drones or scanners to ensure your success in the wild. Hire a team of top-notch experts to improve your skills in the field, unlocking new possibilities for exploration.
Mediterranea Inferno – March 5
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery
Three young men in their early 20s reconnect after two years of forced isolation, hoping to rekindle their friendship; an exceptional bond that made the trio truly special! A mythological force well beyond the sum of its parts! Or so they think…
The Outlast Trials – March 5
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery
Red Barrels invites you to experience mind-numbing terror, this time with friends. Whether you go through the trials alone or in teams, if you survive long enough and complete the therapy, Murkoff will happily let you leave… but will you be the same? Pre-order now to get the Legendary Grizzly Hazmat outfit!
10 Seconds to Win! – March 6
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery
Take the role of an agile little blonde hero as he leaps and dashes his way to glory in 10 Seconds to Win! This is a precision platformer where you only have 10 seconds to complete each single-screen challenge. Run, jump, and air dash to avoid spikes, spinning saw blades and more as you try to reach a trophy cup on the far side of the stage.
Cat and the Ghostly Road – March 6
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
An atmospheric point-and-click quest in which you play as a wise white cat. One day the artist saved a cat that was in trouble, and they began to live together. There were no signs of trouble until one day an evil spirit attacked the artist. After this, the artist became seriously ill and now the wise white cat must help his friend and save him from death.
Hex Gambit: Respawned – March 6
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery
Bounce over the strangely elastic heads of your opponents to advance. Swat characters clear across the map. Inspire teammates with an operatic blast from a guy with a giant speaker for a head. Command a squad of minions in this quirky turn-based strategy game for 1-4 players. Hex Gambit is a perfect game night staple: easy for new players to pick up, with tons of creative tactics to explore!
Reveil – March 6
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
In Reveil, you’ll be immersed into a world designed with attention to detail, where the boundaries between reality and illusion become blurred. The setting is an authentically orchestrated environment inspired by the circus of the ‘60s, which soon takes on surreal features.
ABRISS – build to destroy – March 7
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Xbox Play Anywhere
ABRISS is an atmospheric physics-destruction building game. Build structures from parts to let them crash into your targets. Unlock new parts, destroy more, witness entropy at its worst in digital-brutalist cityscapes.
Dungeons of Shalnor – March 7
Xbox Play Anywhere
A tactical roguelike featuring turn-based combat along with a “turn the camera” mechanic that also turns all monsters and projectiles, causing interesting outcomes like monsters walking into traps; or attacking one another.
Greed: The Mad Scientist – March 7
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery
Dr. Ralph Goodwin invented a miracle cure to heal the world from almost all types of diseases and he is going to present his elixir to the audience at a press conference the next day. But today his research laboratory was destroyed, and the elixir seems lost forever. His daughter Sara jumps into action, searching the laboratory for any clues about the whereabouts of the elixir. She was not prepared to uncover the dark events of her own past. Amid mad scientists and ruthless assassins, will you be able to find the elixir?
It’s time to dust off your overalls and hitch on your toolbelt in Manic Mechanics – a chaotic couch co-op game where you and up to three fellow grease monkeys pay a visit to the car-obsessed Octane Isle. No two games are the same as you work your way through 30 unique garage levels, each one more challenging than the last.
A retro arcade racer that puts you in the driving seat as you take control of your own motorsport team and compete at thrilling and iconic racing circuits around the world from the 1980s to the present day. Upgrade your car, choose your race perks and pit strategy, and battle a grid of CPU opponents and ever-changing weather conditions to win the championship and unlock the next decade of racing!
Sokobalien – March 7
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery
In Sokobalien, you take on the role of a fearless alien determined to create a farm of epic proportions. Your mission is to push cows, sheep, pigs, and chickens, ensuring that the UFO beams abduct them. Be prepared for increasingly complex challenges as you will need to use your strategic skills and problem-solving abilities to overcome obstacles and achieve success.
Taxi Life: A City Driving Simulator – March 7
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
Climb into the driver’s seat of your car and your business, transport passengers across Barcelona and grow your company! After arriving in the city with nothing but a car and a dream, drive around the busy streets and transport passengers while offering them impeccable service across 286 miles (460 km) of roads in a large area of Barcelona reproduced at 1:1 scale.
Top Racer Collection – March 7
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery
Top Racer Collection brings back the 90s classics in one incredible package, bringing together three iconic games from the renowned racing franchise. The Top Racer Collection features classic titles such as Top Racer, Top Racer 2, and Top Racer 3000.
Horror Gallery – March 7
Xbox One X Enhanced
You have been hired to solve the mystery of a missing caretaker and a scary female ghost that has been seen in the Waterfront gallery. On arrival you start searching for the ghost but slowly but surely are being pulled into her own world. Before you know it, you find yourself in a crazy world that represent the thoughts of the dead woman. However, you are determined to find her, figure out why she can’t leave the world of living and finally bring her peace. Will you be able to succeed?
Stolen Realm features an innovative turn-based combat system where simultaneous turns allow every team to take their actions at once, creating quick combat encounters that blend the tactical depth of titles like Divinity: Original Sin with the thrill of a fast-paced action RPG. Every battle scales based on the number of players involved, so you can easily jump in and out of the game even in the same playthrough!
Perfect Ninja Painter 2 – March 8
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery
This ninja master is back in action and this time he’s bringing a friend along. Help them complete their missions while they take the art of the ninja to a whole new level.
WWE 2K24 – March 8
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
WWE 2K24 boasts a star-studded roster featuring WWE Legends like “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Undertaker, and Andre the Giant, alongside current WWE Superstars “The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes, John Cena, Rhea Ripley, and Roman Reigns, whose larger-than-life entrances and signature moves are heightened by ultra-realistic graphics.
Xatrom Command – March 8
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery
A top-secret government laboratory experiment went wrong, and now invading aliens have infested the military base. Time to clean things up! Grab your weapon, recruit a friend, and start blasting wave after wave of alien scum into oblivion.
The post Next Week on Xbox: New Games for March 4 – 8 appeared first on Xbox Wire.
Cancellation Watch: Status updates for the sci fi and fantasy shows on the broadcast networks, cable channels, and streaming services as well as breaking news on the currently airing, returning, and upcoming genre entries.
Resident Alien (Syfy, Status: Renewal Possible): This sci fi dramedy returned for its third season last week and posted a 0.06 rating based on same-day viewing for the 18-49 demographic with 465K total viewers. That is down from its second season average but above what the network has been seeing for its scripted originals so far this season. When the third year of this show was cut back to eight episodes, I took that as an indication that the current season could be its last, and that is still possible. But the first two seasons just started streaming on Netflix and it premiered in the Top 10, so that could help it stick around for a while longer. Fans may want to make some noise on the social networks to give this one a boost, though.
Ghosts (CBS, Status: Renewal Possible): This supernatural comedy returned for its third season last week and posted a 0.67 rating in the demo with 7.1 million total viewers. That is a 14% improvement on its second-season ratings and it outperformed its lead-in Young Sheldon. The show was already pretty much guaranteed a fourth-season renewal because CBS is looking at a syndication run at this point (where shows really turn a profit), but these ratings alone should keep it going.
Echo (Disney+, Status: Mini-Series): This MCU entry dropped out of the Nielsen Streaming Rankings the second week after its premiere. It released all five of its first season episodes at one time, but the expectation is that shows stick around for at least a couple of weeks in the Top 10. It was billed as a mini-series, but a second season could have happened if the viewership was strong enough. There is still a possibility for that, but I don’t expect to see it on the schedule anytime soon.
Chucky (Syfy, Status: Renewal Possible): I previously had this show at Bubble status because it only averaged a 0.04 rating based on same-day viewing in the demo for its airings on Syfy in Fall (it was also simulcast on the USA Network). But with SurrealEstate getting a renewal after only averaging a 0.02 score, I am moving Chucky back to Renewal Possible. It returns for the second half of its third season April 10th and I will see how it tracks then, but since this is a major franchise for the network, perhaps it will stick around for another year or so despite the lagging viewership.
Sanctuary: A Witch’s Tale (AMC+, Status: Renewal Possible): This supernatural drama premiered on AMC’s streaming service in January and has been receiving a fair amount of promotion. The Nielsen Streaming Rankings do not track AMC+, so no viewership numbers are available for the show at this point. It is based on the V. V. James novel Sanctuary: A Novel of Suspense, Witchcraft, and Small Town Secrets and it is unclear if there are plans to go beyond that story at this point. But if it performs well for the streamer, it could stick around for another year.
You can see the status of all the shows from the current season at our Cancellation Watch Page.
With last week’s cancellation of Evil (it will be ending after its upcoming fourth season) and SurrealEstates‘ renewal for a third season, that brings the score for the current season to seven cancelled and ending sci fi and fantasy entries (16% of shows tracked) vs. eighteen renewals (42%). Below are this season’s numbers, and you can see the list of shows and keep up with the score throughout the week at our Cancellation Watch Page.
| Show Count | 43 | ||
| Cancelled | 5 | 11.6% | |
| Ending | 2 | 4.7% | 16.3% |
| Renewed | 18 | 41.9% | |
| On the Bubble | 4 | 9.3% | |
| Renewal Possible | 14 | 32.6% | |
| Mini-Series | 4 |
Be sure to follow the Cancelled Sci Fi Twitter Site for breaking news and updates. And for the latest news and discussions on sci fi and fantasy television, follow r/SciFiTV
Follow our Sci Fi TV Schedule for all the currently airing and upcoming sci fi and fantasy television shows, and you can see the premieres for all the upcoming genre entries at this link.
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