1. Following Iron Fist’s cancellation, all eyes are on Daredevil season 3 to bring the Marvel Netflix-verse back to its former glory
Poor Danny Rand. After cooking up a cultural firestorm and receiving critical backlash in 2017 with Iron Fist season 1, the living weapon came back fighting for Iron Fist season 2, only to be shortly cancelled by Netflix a month later. It turns out the immortal Iron Fist isn’t so immortal after all. Daredevil, on the other hand, has been continually killing it since 2015. Early reception to Daredevil season 3 - out this week - have been promising, with the return of Kingpin and the introduction of fan favourite character Bullseye all suggesting great things for the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen. His future may look uncertain in the face of Disney’s upcoming streaming service, but Daredevil’s always been a strong poster child for the raison d’etre of Marvel’s Netflix-verse, so here’s hoping season 3 maintains the character’s reputation for mature, sophisticated storytelling, and then some. Alex Avard
What: Daredevil season 3
Where: Netflix
When: October 19
2. Will the new Halloween movie finally give us the worthy sequel we’ve all been waiting for?
More often than not, when an iconic movie franchise is resurrected after 40 years for yet another sequel, the results are more than a little disappointing. So you could be forgiven for apprehensively awaiting the release of the new Halloween movie this week, which sees scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis reprise her role as Laurie Strode from the 1978 original. The good news is, I’ve seen it and it’s great. Hardcore horror purists might take issue with it’s more action-based ending, but I personally loved it, and even though it never reaches the dizzying heights of the legendary original (how could it?), there’s lots for fans to love. Whether it’s nods and call backs to the first film, or finding out what became of Laurie after those horrific events, Halloween promises to give us a sequel John Carpenter would be proud of. And all it took was 40 years… Lauren O’Callaghan
What: Halloween
When: October 19, 2018
Where: Cinemas
3. Now's the time for a quick catch-up of everything that's happened between part one and two of Making a Murderer
A lot has happened since Making a Murderer filled our minds and eyes with the story of Steven Avery, his nephew Brendan Dassey and the murder of Teresa Halbach back in 2005. Back when season one launched in December 2015, questions of police planting evidence to frame Avery, manipulated Dassey to create false statements and more, all created quite the fervour around the case, and everyone involved in it. Since then though, there have been… developments. For one, prominent Chicago-based lawyer, Kathleen Zellner, has joined the defense, who has since filed a motion for additional scientific testing and a new trial - which was denied by a Sheboygan County Judge. Twice. As for Dassey though, in August 2016, his conviction was overturned on the grounds that he constitutional rights had been violated and he'd been manipulated during questioning. However, he remained in prison while the ruling was appealed, and in December 2017 the court narrowly ruled against Dassey, keeping his conviction in place. The Supreme Court declined to hear his appeal in June 2018, meaning it's looking very likely he'll have to serve the entirety of his life sentence, with eligibility for parole in 2048, unless his lawyers can convince a judge that there's new evidence in the case… It's likely that Making a Murderer season two will cover all these events in detail, but I'm carving a groove into my sofa already with the thought that the new TV show will cover more than just these events. The world is waiting for more answers in this crazy case, and thankfully Netflix might just be about to provide us with some. Sam Loveridge
What: Making a Murderer Part 2
When: Out now
Where: Netflix
- Best Netflix horror movies to scare yourself silly with
4. Dark Souls on Switch makes dying on the go way more fun than it should be
That particular kind of hard that only Dark Souls can do is finally arriving on the Switch, meaning you can gently grind your teeth through tough areas and boss fights anywhere now. Yay! In all seriousness though seeing From Software’s test of skill running on Nintendo’s handheld is a marvel - it’s crisp and feels great to control, something that’s vital considering the precision required not to get stomped under a monster’s foot, or gutted by skeletons. The portability of having it on the Switch actually makes the challenge far more approachable in a way, as wel. It’s far easy to pick it up, play for a bit and put it down and come back later; breaking long stressful sections into more bite size worries. Leon Hurley
What: Dark Souls Remastered
Where: Nintendo Switch
When: October 19
- Get some help surviving with our Dark Souls Remastered guide: every area, boss, secret and more
5. Fallout 76 closed beta is on Xbox One from October 23, and judging from the Stress Test get ready to expect good things
What should we expect from the Fallout 76 beta? Well, judging from the Fallout 76 Stress Test, good things. Really good things, actually. The Stress Test had most people praising things from the size of the map (which apparently takes about 2 hours to traverse if you don’t get distracted) to how nice it was to buddy up with a complete stranger and take on the wasteland together. Aww. But with most of the impressions under a strict NDA - one Twitch streamer got taken off air because he streamed the Stress Test - you’re going to have to wait until the Fallout 76 beta hits Xbox One to find out whether the Wasteland is really for you. So far so good, as previews (like the one from our own Rachel Weber) have been praising the fact that it still feels like Fallout but with friends, so whether you want to go it alone or find friendship in the radioactive wastelands, keep those irradiated fingers crossed for the beta.
What: Fallout 76 Xbox One B.E.T.A.
When: October 23
Where: On your Xbox One
- The Fallout 76 beta dates have been revealed, here's when you can play
6. Can Stardew Valley prove that turning a console / PC game into a mobile marvel can work?
Stardew Valley is en route to becoming the next Minecraft with its slow takeover of every platform possible, right behind dear old Fortnite of course. But seriously though, it's coming to iOS on October 24, and its fairly complex UI is getting the touchscreen treatment. I'm yet to find a mobile game port that manages to work perfectly, whether it's issues with on-screen joysticks, a cluttered UI or just the general unresponsiveness of a touchscreen for gaming. But the developer behind this iOS port - The Secret Police - has quite the talented team, including Ian Livingstone (co-founder of Eidos) and Ric Moore (co-founder of Bossa Studios). Fingers crossed then that Stardew's mobile port and its "fully redesigned UI" built specifically for touchscreen controls really works. It'll be a work of art if they do. Sam Loveridge
What: Stardew Valley arrives on iOS
When: October 24
Where: The iOS App Store
- Stardew Valley tips for getting started in year one
7. Fable 2 is 10 years old, so can we just get Fable 4 already please?
Kicking chickens, running around with angel wings protruding from your back, trying not to get mentally scarred by a young child turning into monster: Fable 2 is one hell of a memorable game. After Fable 3 came out, and then Fable: The Journey, and then the ill-fated Fable: Legends, I have one thing to say in regards to the long-awaited Fable 4: gimme. Peter Molyneux may have had the habit of hyping up his games and then falling short of actually fulfilling those promises (like the pledge that if you planted an acorn, over the span of the game it would grow into a tree), but surely now, in 2018, it’s more possible than ever to live up to those grand promises. If in Vampyr murdering NPCs affects other characters, and you can be hunted by NPCs in Red Dead Redemption 2 for killing their family, there’s definitely scope for the reactive, almost blindly colourful fantasy world of Molyneux’s dreams to be realised in Fable 4. Yeah, Lionhead Studios is no more (sob), but earlier this year Eurogamer wrote that Fable 4 is in development by Playground Games (the team that makes the Forza Horizon series), and honestly, our next outing into Albion can’t come soon enough. Zoe Delahunty-Light
What: Fable 2 - 10 Year Anniversary
When: October 21
Where: Xbox One via the joy of backwards compatibility
- Fable 4 is happening, it’s story-focused, and everything else we know so far
8. Start the road to glory in Fortnite’s first open tournament this week
If you rate yourself as a Fornite player then now’s your chance to prove it with a new in-game competition that starts this week. You can find it in the Game Mode selection screen under the ‘Alpha Tournament’ option, which is solo this week. You can play from now until Sunday 21 and it’ll be against players of a similar level, based on the points you score so hopefully everyone will have a chance. The reward for all your Victory Royale efforts? “A Shiny Pin’... and, no, no one’s entirely sure what that is. From what Epic has said these pins can either be used to claim prizes or to advance to the next stage. There are another four rounds to go between now and November 1, mixing up solo, duo and squad tournaments but to compete in all of them you'll need to start here.
What: Fortnite Alpha Tournament
Where: PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch
When: October 16 - 21
- Get a competitive edge with our Fortnite tips, covering everything from combat, construction and more
8 Things to Watch This Week picks the best games, movies and shows of the next seven days every Friday at 9am PDT / 5pm BST.
