A Soviet-era TV adaptation of The Lord of the Rings has suddenly, and quite delightfully, popped up on YouTube thanks to Russia's Channel 5. Titled Keepers, this version of the famous Lord of the Rings saga was filmed at a Leningrad television studio 30 years ago, and then believed to have only been broadcast once before disappearing until recently.Keepers is perhaps best viewed with an understanding that it will vary considerably from Peter Jackson's polished version with incredible production values and effects. Newsweek, translating Russian fantasy and sci-fi website World of Fantasy, is indicating that this version was based on a Russian translation of the original text by Vladimir Muravyov and Andrey Kistyakovsky. It also starred Viktor Kostetsky as the wizard Gandalf, Georgy Shtil as Bilbo Baggins, and Valery Dyachenko as Frodo--World of Fantasy also notes that this adaptation, unlike Jackson's, features the enigmatic and memorable Tom Bombadil. Thankfully, it is watchable with YouTube auto-translating subtitles.As a franchise, Lord of the Rings is still very much alive and well. Amazon is producing a TV series, which has reportedly finished filming recently. Despite that, there are still some twists and turns with the show--actor Tom Budge recently announced on Instagram that he has left the series over creative differences. To get up to speed on all the latest, check out our rundown of everything we know so far about the fantasy series.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

If you're in the market for a new gaming monitor, there's a high chance that most listings you'll be looking at will have three recognizable letters listed as a feature: HDR. High-dynamic range is a relatively new display technology that has gone through numerous iterations on TVs. Gaming monitors are far behind what is capable on living room displays, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't be considering it when shopping for a monitor.We've put together a guide on everything you need to know about HDR on PC monitors, including exactly what HDR is, all the different specifications, and what to look out for when buying a display, especially a gaming monitor. While we will touch on HDR in TVs, this won't be the primary focus of this guide.What is HDR?High-dynamic range (HDR) is a specification that determines whether a display can render an image that has deeper contrast, a wider color gamut, and generally better representation of brightness than that of a standard-dynamic range (SDR) display. This means that with content that supports HDR and a correctly calibrated display, you will often be able to spot more details in both brighter and darker scenes while also enjoying an image that can look slightly more saturated or color-accurate, depending on the implementation.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

The optimal PC gaming resolution and refresh rate is a divine meeting between 1440p and 144Hz. Graphics cards keep getting stronger, capable of pushing even higher and faster, but with new tech like ray tracing, sticking with 1440p allows you to crank up the settings and keep that frame rate high. The LG 27GL850 gaming monitor provides those perks so you can enjoy that impressive visual experience while still backing it up with a speedy frame rate that's both smooth and responsive. It sports a gorgeous image that pops with beautifully vibrant colors, and it's relatively affordable for a monitor of its class.Display and performanceCompetitive shooters excel on the LG 27GL850's IPS display thanks to the fluid movements and twitch aiming accuracy that the 144Hz refresh rate provides. Jumping from 60Hz to 144Hz, I noticed a jump in my K/D in Rainbow Six Siege immediately. I was able to catch enemies peeking around corners more effectively, picking them off before they could get an eye on me--and when an enemy would rush the objective, I was able to react more quickly and take action accordingly.This performance boost extends to PC games locked at 60fps as well. The monitor's response time is quick, getting as low as 1ms when set to its "Faster" mode. That 1ms response time is nice, though you may notice some very noticeable ghosting while using it--the slightly slower "Fast" setting works well, and I never found myself wanting for more. The 27GL850 is a great gaming monitor for both multiplayer and single-player experiences because of this adept blend of responsiveness and smoothness. In games that demand the utmost accuracy from its players, such as Sekiro, this gaming display handles it deftly. I noticed a big increase in my performance when I switched from my LG CX OLED TV to the 27GL850 monitor, easily parrying samurai swords and monkey arms as well as dispatching enemies that were previously kicking my butt handily.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Outriders, the new shooter/RPG hybrid from developer People Can Fly and publisher Square Enix, is out now. If you're just picking up the game, you'll likely notice that it's fairly straightforward and there isn't too much complexity to grapple with. That said, there are a few features and mechanics that the game quickly glosses over or never explains, and they're quite helpful. So, we've outlined nine tips below to help you become a top-tier Outrider.Alongside these tips, we've put together plenty of other Outriders guides. Be sure to check them out if you're looking for more information on Outriders, which is available for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, PC, and Stadia. (The game is also playable via Xbox Game Pass.)Outriders GuidesContinue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Netflix has unveiled the first trailer for the samurai anime Yasuke, which is produced by anime house Mappa and lands on the streaming service on April 29. It arrives alongside a host of other films and shows this month, including Concrete Cowboy with Idris Elba and the doc-series Worn Stories about why people hold onto stuff.The series tells the story of the first Black samurai who served under Oda Nobunaga. While it's a historical retelling of a real ronin, Yasuke leans into the fantastical by combining various elements like magic and mechs.Honor has a new name. pic.twitter.com/kT6JxjDsc5 — NX (@NXOnNetflix) April 2, 2021Gallery A six-episode series, Yasuke is produced by Jujutsu Kaisen animator Mappa. It is directed by Cannon Busters originator LeSean Thomas, with the titular character voiced by Judas and the Black Messiah actor LaKeith Stanfield.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Actor Regé-Jean Page has announced he will not be returning for Season 2 of Bridgerton, Netflix's hit TV show from Shonda Rhimes. Earlier this year, the streaming service had confirmed the show had been renewed for another season, and Page, one of the show's breakout stars, has confirmed via Twitter he will not be a part of those episodes.Pleasure and a privilege! An honour to be a member of the family - on and off screen, cast, crew and incredible fans - the love is real and will just keep growing ❤️💫 https://t.co/YBk4RvKNpx — Regé-Jean Page (@regejean) April 2, 2021News first came from the official Bridgerton Twitter account, which in part said, "Dear Readers, while all eyes turn to Lord Anthony Bridgerton's quest to find a Viscountess, we bid adieu to Regé-Jean Page, who so triumphantly played the Duke of Hastings." The announcement, stylized as a printed note on Lady Whistledown's stationary (Bridgerton's scandalous newsletter columnist), promised that "the upcoming social season" will have "more intrigue and romance than my readers may be able to bear."A previous, similar announcement indicated that the next season will focus on the character Anthony Bridgerton, who is played by Jonathan Bailey. Netflix said Anthony will "dominate" the season, but no further specifics or elaborations were divulged. Production on Season 2 is expected to begin sometime in the spring.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

This week's episode of The Falcon And The Winter Soldier, ominously titled "Power Broker," had not one, but three major MCU character returns, two of them from Captain America: Civil War, and one from Black Panther. The latter was a member of the Dora Milaje, while the former were Zemo, the man partially responsible for pulling the strings that led to the collapse of the Avengers, and Sharon Carter, who was last seen giving Steve Rogers a little post-treason smooch and then, apparently, driving off into the sunset.That last one requires some serious unpacking, so let's handle Zemo first.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Disney has established a new animation studio called 20th Television Animation that's focused on maintaining current and developing new adult animation shows.The studio, a rebranding of the Fox Television Animation unit which was consolidated when Disney and Fox merged in 2019, will be led by veteran Fox employee Marci Proietto. 20th Television Animation will be responsible for currently airing shows like Family Guy and The Simpsons, according to Deadline.This also means that shows produced by 20th Television, including American Dad and Bob's Burgers, will now come out of the 20th Television Animation unit.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

The first part of Final Fantasy XIV's 5.5 content update will arrive on April 13, and Square Enix shared a new trailer for the patch along with other details during its latest Letter from the Producer broadcast.Patch 5.5, titled Death Unto Dawn, is being divided up into two parts and will pave the way for the game's big Endwalker expansion, which is slated to release this fall. Part 1 of the patch will introduce the third chapter of the game's YoRHa: Dark Apocalypse crossover alliance raid series, The Tower at Paradigm's Breach. It will also add new main scenario quests, as well as a new trial against the formidable Diamond Weapon.On top of that, the first part of Patch 5.5 introduces a new main story dungeon, Paglth'an. The Save the Queen questline is also being updated with a new field area called Zadnor and an increased resistance rank cap, and there will be numerous other changes and additions to the MMO, including new PvP rewards, new mounts, job adjustments, and more. You can watch a new trailer for Patch 5.5 above and read more details here.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

James Gunn turned Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy from an obscure, mostly-forgotten superhero team into a billion-dollar property. That seems to have given him some cachet with Warner Bros., because Gunn says he had his pick of the litter when writing Suicide Squad.Gunn took to Twitter on April 1st to tweet out the upcoming film's theatrical trailer, noting that "the only joke here is on the supervillains who agreed to work for Amanda Waller." Alongside the tweet, Gunn answered a bunch of fan questions. One of the most interesting concerns who he was able to include in the movie. Warner Bros. has typically been a picky about how much freedom creators can take with characters, particularly on the television side. For Gunn, though, that wasn't a problem.No. I got every character I asked for, even though sometimes they were like WTF? https://t.co/5yDvi0TirM — James Gunn (@JamesGunn) April 1, 2021"Was there any DC characters they wouldn't let you have?" asked one fan.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

The Trials of Osiris are back for the weekend--alongside Exotics vendor Xur--in Destiny 2, giving you a few days to try to get some of the best weapons in the game. This week, you can snag the powerful shotgun Astral Horizon just for putting in some time. Here's what map you have to deal with and what rewards you can earn this week.There's also a whole lot of new gear in Trials this season, including new armor and cosmetics. This weekend's Trials event actually continues to the Tuesday weekly reset on April 6, so you've got a little extra time to earn rewards and spend tokens with Saint-14.Trials of Osiris Map And Rewards (April 2-6)Map: Javelin-43 wins -- Astral Horizon, Kinetic shotgun5 wins -- Hunter, Warlock, or Titan Chest Armor: Pyrrhic Ascent Vest, Vestment, or Plate7 wins -- Hunter, Warlock, or Titan Gauntlets: Pyrrhic Ascent Grasps, Gloves, or GauntletsFlawless run -- Astral Horizon (Adept), Kinetic shotgunIf you've been hesitant about Trials in the past, it's still worth playing in the mode to earn new gear. You don't even have to get wins, because the End Game bounty from Saint-14 will give you the three-win reward just for playing Trials in general. You can also snag another weapon drop for completing a new Seasonal Challenge if you can win a total of seven rounds (as opposed to complete matches).Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

"I think me and survival games have some unfinished business," Dean Hall told me as we looked over the truly terrible, ramshackle wood hut I'd just built. We were standing beside a pristine river running through a forested valley, ringed by mountains cutting across a cloudless blue sky. This is the planet Icarus in the upcoming survival game of the same name from Hall's studio, Rocketwerkz, although it looks more like Yosemite National Park than an alien world.Rocketwerkz recently gave GameSpot a chance to play about an hour of an early build of Icarus with Hall, the creator of DayZ. He showed off a bunch of the game's elements, including its tech tree, building capabilities, wildlife, and weather systems."I think there is an innate human understanding of the need to survive, and I think that that's a fascinating and under-looked-at area," Hall continued, explaining what keeps drawing him back to the survival genre. "I also think that a lot of people haven't taken it seriously because they haven't had the resources, and this is a real serious attempt--a long-term attempt to have an ability to build a survival platform where we can introduce different experiences while still linking you with this broad progression."Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

The Mandalorian and the Book of Boba Fett are both a ways off, but if you're looking to get a Star Wars fix right now, Disney+ has you covered with the new Star Wars Vintage Collection, which arrives on the service today.The collection includes a bunch of old, out-of-print movies and series. That includes projects like the 1984 television movie, Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure, a live-action movie in which Ewoks help a pair of siblings find and rescue their parents. There's also Ewoks: The Battle for Endor. Also a television movie, this 1985 movie is a sequel to the Caravan of Courage and stars the character Cindel from the first movie; her parents and brother are killed by marauders in the opening moments. Maybe you're interested in the 1985-1986 Ewoks animated series, developed by beloved Batman: The Animated Series writer Paul Dini. Lucasfilm went really hard on Ewoks for a little bit there. The Story of the Faithful Wookiee, from the 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special, features the first instance of that tuning-fork-shaped Pulse Gun used by Din Djarin in The Mandalorian.There are a few other titles as well, so here's the whole list:Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

In what might be an elaborate April Fools prank, the toy company Kidrobot has announced a new vinyl figure based on the "Stupid Sexy Flanders" meme from The Simpsons. The figure shows Ned Flanders in his ski suit, displaying his butt and leaving very little to the imagination just as he did in the January 2000 Season 11 episode. In the scene, Flanders informed Homer that the suit was so comfortable that it "feels like I'm wearing nothing at all.""This iconic scene from The Simpsons has burned its place in our hearts and become a beloved meme-worthy moment that will be forever captured in your collection," reads a line from its description.FIRST LOOK! PRE-ORDERS START NOW AT https://t.co/GtaVKIwXBU AND SELECT RETAILERS!Kidrobot is excited to present The Simpsons Stupid Sexy Flanders 8" Vinyl Figure.#kidrobot #arttoy #arttoys #vinyl #limitededition #skisuit #artoftheday #vinyltoy #flanders #stupidsexyflanders pic.twitter.com/8Oj5m83l8B — Kidrobot (@Kidrobot) March 29, 2021The figure is coming sometime in 2021 in both the red-and-blue outfit from the show and a neon version. Both sell for $70 USD and pre-orders are open now.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Outriders, the latest shooter from studio People Can Fly, is out today for both consoles and PC. But if you were hoping to enjoy some cross-platform multiplayer action, you might have to wait for a while.Outriders has had its cross-platform multiplayer between PC and console players turned off as People Can Fly investigates an issue with backend synchronization. The bug is causing parties consisting of players both PC and console to eventually kick players out one by one, which doesn't make it a feasible solution for long sessions.In a Reddit post, People Can Fly explained that you can still manually bypass matchmaking and invite players from different platforms, but that you'll eventually run into the issue regardless. Thankfully, cross-play between Steam and Epic Games Store players is working correctly, and cross-play between just console players seems unaffected, too.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com