1. This Bayonetta and Vanquish bundle is all about bangs for your buck
Bayonetta and Vanquish helped cement Platinum Games as the king of modern action games, and even after all these years, Bayonetta is still the second-best beat-’em-up around – second only to Bayonetta 2, that is – and Vanquish is still the only third-person shooter to feature rocket knees, which is a damn shame. They’re in totally different genres, but both of these games deliver the frenetic gameplay and absurdist B-movie camp that Platinum Games is known for, so they wind up feeling oddly familiar in the best way possible. They were exceptional on PS3 and Xbox 360, and they’ll be even better on PS4 and Xbox One, especially with 4K video support for pro consoles.
What: Bayonetta & Vanquish 10th Anniversary Bundle
When: February 18
Where: PS4 and Xbox One
2. Fortnite Chapter 2 Season 2 is finally happening, and we still know precious little about it
Less than a week away from the start of Fortnite Chapter 2’s second season, and your guess is as good as mine as to what’s in store. Normally, at least by now, we’d have a pretty good idea of what to expect from the next season thanks to a wealth of leaked information from the Fortnite data-mining community, but that’s not the case for season 2. Either Epic Games has seriously beefed up their cybersecurity or something is very, very wrong. Either way, after not one, but two delays to the impending update, the anticipation is building, especially as Chapter 2 hasn’t yet proven to be quite as game-changing as its initial launch suggested. Finger’s crossed Epic has something truly groundbreaking in store for the island, and its millions of inhabitants.
What: Fortnite Chapter 2 Season 2
When: February 20
Where: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android
3. Bust out your bonnet for a 2020 take on Emma
Move over Gwyneth Paltrow, because Anya Taylor-Joy looks ready to make Jane Austen’s Emma all her own. This latest adaptation of the classic novel also stars Johnny Flynn, Bill Nighy and Mia Goth, and is directed by Autumn de Wilde. It’s de Wilde’s first feature film – she made her name in photography and music videos – and her cool kid sensibilities look like they’re going to make for a fresher and feistier Emma than we’ve seen before. Don’t worry though, there are still plenty of bonnets to blush under and perfectly enunciated insults to keep traditional Austen fan’s hearts a-fluttering.
What: Emma
When: February 21
Where: Movie theaters
4. Get some Mandalorian methadone with Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Season 7 on Disney Plus
If you’re jonesing for new Star Wars stories, then you’ll want to make sure you’re signed up for Disney’s streaming service this week. Season 7 of the animated series will explore the Clone Force 99 – AKA Bad Batch – storyline fans have been waiting for, and see Ahsoka learning to live in Coruscant’s seedy Level 1313. James Arnold Taylor plays Obi-Wan Kenobi, with Katee Sackhoff as Bo-Katan, and Sam Witwer as Maul.
The show has had a bumpy ride to get to this season with a cancellation and stories still untold in its past, and supervising director Dave Filoni is happy to get a chance to share them. “Any opportunity to put the final pieces of the story in place is meaningful as a storyteller. I’m happy for the opportunity to define these things and the end of this part of the Clone War.”
What: Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Season 7
When: February 21
Where: Disney Plus (opens in new tab)
5. Better Call Saul can finally overtake Breaking Bad in season 5
Asking whether Better Call Saul was better than Breaking Bad just a few years ago was tantamount to trusting Slippin’ Jimmy with your credit card – simply put, not a smart proposition. Now, though, the prequel has a bonafide claim to not only match Walt and Jesse’s adventures but surpass it entirely. Not only has the show gotten stronger and stronger in recent seasons, but it also helps matters, too, that the end is finally in sight.
Season 5 marks the penultimate stop for Bob Odenkirk’s shady, yet somehow lovable lawyer. There are plenty of questions that need to be answered: what happens to Kim? Does Nacho squirm his way out of his Salamanca-shaped hole? And will we find out what happened to Cinnabon Gene after the events of Breaking Bad? Chances are, each explosive answer will inch it closer and closer to a spot atop prestige TV’s Mount Rushmore.
What: Better Call Saul
When: February 23
Where: AMC (US) Netflix (UK)
Release Radar picks the best games, movies, and shows of the next seven days every Monday at 11am GMT.