Now that Altered Carbon has arrived on Netflix, giving fans of the books the chance to watch the streaming service's adaptation, it's time to look at the major differences between the two interpretations. With any adaptation, changes happen between the source material and what ends up on the screen, and Altered Carbon is no different.
That's not necessarily a bad thing, though. There are times when a setting or story idea isn't able to be fully realized on the page, while a film or TV series may be able to devote time to it. When it comes to something like Altered Carbon, which is as hardcore as sci-fi can get, there's so much world to explore that it should come as no surprise that Netflix made some changes to make their adaptation stand out even more.
Are the changes for the better, though? That's up to the viewers. However, GameSpot's Lucy James has dug deep into the new Netflix series--and the books they are based on--to find the five biggest differences between the two. Some of them--and their reasoning--may come as a bit of a surprise.
Take a look at the video above, then sound off in the comments about whether you like the changes made. Altered Carbon is streaming on Netflix now. You can check out GameSpot's review if you're on the fence about the series.
Pokemon Go players now have a new update to download. It doesn't introduce any major new features or new Pokemon, but it does have some minor improvements and bug fixes for the popular game that you can now try out.
Perhaps most notably, the in-game search feature through the Pokemon Collection screen has a new option to look specifically for Shiny Pokemon. That'll save you the trouble of having to manually track them down, assuming you're fortunate enough to have actually captured one. The patch also makes unspecified improvements to the News section located in-game. And, as always, the patch makes "various bug fixes and performance updates," though developer Niantic doesn't highlight any in the official patch notes, which you can see below.
This update is available on both iOS (version 1.61.1) and Android (version 0.91.1). It comes just before the next Pokemon Go Community Days event, which is scheduled for February 24. The first of these took place in January and gave players a chance to capture a special Pikachu that can use Surf. The February event features Dratini with a special move, though just which one it will be has not been announced.
A larger Pokemon Go update released recently that introduced new Gen 3 Pokemon. More recently, the customization items available for trainers expanded to have some new options, though you'll need to meet some requirements before being able to get your hands on them.
Civilization VI players don't have long to wait until the Rise and Fall expansion for the PC game comes out, and now 2K and Firaxis Games have announced another new civilization that will be playable. The Zulu civilization and its leader, Shaka, will be part of the game when Rise and Fall releases on February 8, one of eight new civs and nine new leaders.
As you can see in the trailer above, the Zulu are very military-oriented, and playing as Shaka will give you a leg up in many battles. Their special unit is the Impi, a powerful Pikeman replacement with an increased flanking bonus, a lower cost than other combat units of the same era, a low maintenance cost, and the ability to earn XP faster.
These units are especially effective when you factor in the Zulu's unique civ ability and Shaka's special leader ability. The Zulu's Isibongo ability allows the civ to gain bonus Loyalty from a city it's conquered, as long as a unit is garrisoned there. Conquering a city with a unit will upgrade it into a Corps or Army, if the proper Civics are unlocked. Shaka's special leader ability, Amabutho, allows Zulu players to form Corps (Mercenaries Civic) and Armies (Nationalism Civic) earlier. Amabutho also provides an additional Base Combat Strength to both Corps and Armies.
Meanwhile, the Zulu's Unique District is the Ikanda, pictured above. The Zulu homestead replaces the encampment. It provides additional housing, and once the Civic or Technology prerequisites are met, it can build Corps and Armies, leading to faster creation of these military units.
Other civs that have been announced are The Cree, Mongolia, and the Netherlands, while India will gain Chandragupta as an alternate leader. The expansion aims to change the late game, adding a new Loyalty system, new types of alliances, Governor characters, and more. Follow GameSpot's coverage of Civilization VI: Rise and Fall for the latest news and updates on the game as it's released.
