6. Mohg’s Great Rune

It’s unfortunate that the Lord of Blood is perhaps one of the hardest bosses in the game and his blessing is nothing particularly rewarding. Mohg’s Great Rune, according to the game’s description, “grants a blessing of blood to phantoms.” In short, this is a PvP item. It’s not yet known if this affects Spirit Ashes, but it works on summoned players when playing online.

The aforementioned “blessing of blood” heals players when their summons kill an enemy. It’s basically a lifesteal Rune that works when the summons do the work. It’s too niche to really recommend for single-player use.

Mohg’s Great Rune is rewarded to you after you defeat Mohg, Lord of Blood at the Mohgwyn Dynasty Mausoleum, not to be confused with Mohg the Omen in the lower sections of Leyndell. It is to be activated at the Divine Tower of East Altus.

5. Malenia’s Great Rune

Malenia is another extremely brutal boss to fight in Elden Ring. Unfortunately, her Great Rune isn’t all that useful. It grants lifesteal for a short time after taking damage. Lifesteal is extremely strong, but the effect is not permanent. You only have about five seconds before that “short time” runs out. Most of the time, unless you’re playing a tank build, five seconds only gives you enough time to hit an enemy once.

Within five seconds of taking damage, a smart player waits until there’s a safe opening to attack. Being reckless after getting attacked may not be enough to restore enough HP to take the next hit. The life restored cannot exceed that of which you lost, making this not a great choice either. Unless you’re using other equipment to give you passive health regen, this Great Rune can be skipped.

You can obtain Malenia’s Great Rune by defeating her at Miquella’s Haligtree. The Rune itself can be activated at the Isolated Divine Tower.

4. Rykard’s Great Rune

This is where the Great Runes start to be useful. Rykard’s Great Rune is a better variant of Malenia’s Great Rune because you restore 185 health per enemy killed. This works extremely well when clearing mobs. It may not be the best when it comes to bosses, but sometimes, when farming enemies for drops, XP, or getting through tough dungeons, this can be a lifesaver.

Pair this with his signature Blasphemous Blade and a Taker’s Cameo to maximize HP gains. You can basically charge through hordes of enemies without burning through your Crimson Flasks. Of course, you still shouldn’t play recklessly or else you have to pop another Rune Arc to get the effect.

To get Rykard’s Great Rune, you must defeat him at the end of the Volcano Manor questline. You then need to activate the Rune at the Divine Tower of West Altus.

3. Morgott’s Great Rune

Morgott’s Great Rune serves a better purpose in being an all-rounder choice if you use Rune Arcs. This Rune “greatly raises maximum HP” If your Vigor stat is high, this can possibly prevent getting one-shotted by the next boss you fight.

Morgott’s Great Rune is obtained after defeating him in Leyndell. You’ll have to activate it at the Divine Tower of East Altus.

2. Radahn’s Great Rune

Starscourge Radahn’s Great Rune is very similar to Morgott’s, but it sacrifices some health gained and allocates that to FP and Stamina. If you’re an all-rounder and need a boost in every other bar you have, this is a strong pick to use your Rune Arcs on.

To obtain this, you’ll have to defeat Radahn, a boss who is considered to be the toughest in the game. Bring his Rune over to the Divine Tower of Caelid to activate it.

1. Godrick’s Great Rune

Godrick’s Great Rune provides the best benefit to the Tarnished when in use. It’s extremely strong and useful for basically any build. This Great Rune adds 5 levels to each stat of your player level. This includes things like Vigor, Mind, Faith, Dexterity, and so on. It’s essentially a +40 to your character’s level for free.

You’ll need to defeat Godrick the Grafted and bring his Great Rune to the Divine Tower of Limgrave to activate it.

Elden Ring is out now for the PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Series S/X, and PC.

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This year, quantity matched quality. Sure, there were a few standout stinkers like The Day Before, but practically everything that came out this year could have made the list of contenders for someone’s game of the year. The Attack of the Fanboy team certainly had differing opinions on 2023’s best, but we ultimately came together to decide on the best games of the year.

Honorable Mention: Spider-Man 2

Even in a year loaded with some of the most inventive games in recent memory, you just can’t beat the classics. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is a somewhat safe sequel, but it’s packed with even more love and care for the character than the first game. In our review, we wrote “Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 takes the exact formula from the first games and improves upon it thanks to better UI, better villains, a better story, a bigger world, Web Wings, and two Spider-Men. Though the combat is still repetitive, this is peak Spider-Man.”

This game is yet another example of why Insomniac Games is one of the most talented development studios in the industry. It’s able to expand upon ideas that most thought were played out and deepen mechanics that had seemingly reached their peak. The traversal and combat mechanics are so good in Spider-Man 2 that they make it hard to revisit the first game, and that’s an achievement all on its own.

Honorable Mention: Starfield

There’s a lot that can be said about Bethesda’s highly-anticipated space RPG Starfield. Discourse aside, Starfield is a reminder of why the Bethesda RPG formula is so beloved. The game also has some interesting ideas about blending its narrative and gameplay mechanics, and while not everything lands, it’s hard not to love Starfield for what it tries to do.

In our review of Starfield, we wrote “It would not be a stretch to say this could be one of the most ambitious games ever made, and that it followed through with many of those goals with relatively low compromise. For those fearing this game was Bethesda flying too close to the sun, this is a reminder that this same ambition, mixed with lots of caution and expertise, is also what put us on the moon.”

Game of the Year Runner-Up: Alan Wake 2

Who would’ve thought that a sequel over a decade in the making would end up becoming one of the most beloved games of the year? In our review of Alan Wake 2, we wrote “Alan Wake 2 is an ambitious, shockingly loaded, and intense sequel. It’s clear why Sam Lake considered this to be his passion project. Lake, along with Kyle Rowley, has successfully directed a tremendous game, with particular highlights being the visual storytelling, the visuals themselves, and the deliberate nature of Alan Wake 2’s gameplay.”

Alan Wake 2 is an exceptionally interesting multimedia experiment that draws influence from everything and everywhere in a way only video games can. While it doesn’t land every one of its punches, the game has so much character, charm, and personality that it’s hard not to think of the game as an old friend after the credits roll.

Attack of the Fanboy GOTY 2023: Baldur’s Gate 3

2023 was such a standout year that most people had their GOTYs locked in by the first half of the year. Then Baldur’s Gate 3 happened. While Larian’s ambitious sequel began life in early access three years ago (on both Steam and Google Stadia, to put the timeline in perspective), nobody could have predicted the absolute chokehold it would have on the gaming industry at the time of its full release.

Baldur’s Gate 3 is a testament to why we love video games. It offers an unprecedented amount of player freedom and choice, with the developers creating instances so specific and branching paths so large that they would give any project manager a heart attack. Not only does Baldur’s Gate 3 outclass other games in the genre (which already offer spectacular levels of choice and freedom), but it also marries that freedom with insanely high production value and a budget that is unheard of for games like this.

It’s a game that we reviewed twice (on both PC and PlayStation 5) and gave a perfect score to both times. That should say enough about the game’s quality, but a 5-star review doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of how great Baldur’s Gate 3 is.

Above all else, Baldur’s Gate was a risk. It was a risk taken by people who love video games, a risk taken by people who know what this medium is capable of. Its influence will be felt throughout video games for the next few decades. Baldur’s Gate 3 is lightning in a bottle, and it’s unlikely that we’ll see anything like it for quite some time.

Sadly, the female members of Jujutsu Kaisen’s cast tend to be overlooked in favor of their male counterparts. They deserve much more recognition, as they are without a doubt equally, if not more, powerful than some of the men. Below, you will find a list of the strongest Jujutsu Kaisen female characters.

Beware of spoilers below for Jujutsu Kaisen.

A List of the Strongest Women in Jujutsu Kaisen

The following characters were selected based on their abilities, skills, intelligence, and overall battle prowess. Some are incredibly strong while others have amazing powers that help them excel in battle.

10. Shoko Ieiri

Gojo’s former teammate and one of the smartest characters in Jujutsu Kaisen. Shoko is a calm and lonely woman who works as a doctor for sorcerers. Besides her vast knowledge of the human body and medical procedures, she can also use the Reverse Cursed Technique without any effort.

Related: Top 11 Jujutsu Kaisen’s Female Characters

While she cannot explain how she uses it to other people, she can do so almost unconsciously, a feat that not even Gojo can achieve. Still, she does not possess any combat-related skills, and her role is merely supportive during battle.

9. Iori Utahime

Another one of Gojo’s old classmates, Utahime is a kind and exemplary sorcerer who is always trying to do what is right. She is almost often soft-spoken and calm, but whenever Gojo is around, she can become abrasive, as her friend knows exactly how to annoy her.

Utahime’s most powerful technique is her Solo Forbidden Area, which creates a space in which the Cursed Energy of any allies is amplified by up to 120%. This incredibly powerful technique was used to gravely injure Sukuna by combining it with Gojo’s Purple attack. Sadly, we do not know how powerful Utahime is, as her combat scenes have been extremely limited.

8. Nobara Kugisaki

One of Gojo’s students, a good friend of Yuji, and a girl with an iron will. Kugisaki is a hot-headed individual who does not like to deal with annoying people. She can sometimes be self-centered and tends to bully her friends. Nonetheless, she is a dutiful sorcerer, always there to fight curses who threaten innocent civilians.

Related: Can You Watch Jujutsu Kaisen Anywhere Other Than Crunchyroll? Answered

Her Straw Doll Technique, worked by imbuing her hammer and nails with her enormous reserves of Cursed Energy. By doing this, Nobara could transfer the damage done to the doll to her opponent. She was also extremely strong, capable of harming Mahito with her fists alone. Sadly, she was still defeated by Mahito, who was several times weaker than various other villains in the series.

7. Rika Orimoto

Also known as the Queen of Curses, Rika used to be a young and cheerful girl. After being involved in a tragic accident that ended her human life, she became a Cursed Being, bonded to her crush Yuta. As a Curse, Rika was unbelievably powerful and vindictive, harming anyone whom she perceived as a threat to Yuta.

While Rika was under Yuta’s command while as a Curse, her abilities were vital for the young man’s survival during his fight with Geto. She could fully manifest herself into a physical body, acting as a second fighter and protecting Yuta from harm. She could also conjure a megaphone that gave Yuta the ability to access Cursed Speech. Nevertheless, Yuta was still the one in control of her, and she was released from her Curse form at the end of Jujutsu Kaisen 0.

6. Mei Mei

One of the few Grade 1 sorcerers in Japan, Mei Mei is a self-centered woman who only works for money. She was a member of Jujutsu High, being one of Gojo’s upper-classmates. Money may be her only motivation, but when her demands for payment are met, she becomes an invaluable ally, capable of fighting the strongest of Curses.

Related: 10 Strongest Characters in Jujutsu Kaisen

Her special ability is called Black Bird Manipulation, which grants her control over the crows that are imbued with her Cursed Energy. By feeding more energy to the creatures, she could turn them into deadly weapons that could destroy Special Grade Curses in a single hit. Nevertheless, she could still not hold a fight against Kenjaku, proving that she is below some other fighters in the series.

5. Uro Takako

Centuries before the beginning of the series, there was a group of proficient and powerful assassins led by an unhinged woman. That individual was Takako, one of the sorcerers revived for the Culling Games Arc. She was a cruel and skilled fighter who would use her amazing abilities to inflict fear on her opponents.

Takako’s Innate Ability was called Sky Manipulation, which allowed her to turn the sky into a thin ice-like surface that she could control at will. She could use this skill to redirect her opponent’s attacks or cause them damage by breaking the sky near them. She was also able to cast a Domain Expansion, but we were sadly not able to see it in action. Takako was undoubtedly strong, but she was still bested by Yuta, who was not as powerful as many other sorcerers.

4. Yorozu

Once among the most powerful sorcerers of the Heian Era, Yorozu was a selfish woman who was obsessed with Sukuna. She believed herself to be the only person in existence with the ability to teach the King of Curses about love. She was revived as a player in the Culling Games, as she wanted to reunite with her forbidden lover.

Related: Jujutsu Kaisen Watch Order, Explained

Regardless of her selfish nature, Yorozu was still an incredible sorcerer with an outstanding ability. She had the power to create any material that she had studied in the past. She could create liquid metal that could transform itself into many weapons, or insect-like armor to deflect almost all attacks. Woefully, she was still defeated by Sukuna in a completely one-sided match, meaning that she was still not among the true heavy hitters of the series.

3. Hana Kurusu

Hana is a young sorcerer who was chosen as the vessel of Angel, an ancient being revived for the Culling Games. She is a kind and friendly young woman who wishes to create a world where everyone can live happily. Even as a young girl without formal training, Hana was still able to master Angel’s techniques and use them without issues.

Her abilities manifest themselves as a pair of wings and the skill to nullify any Cursed Technique in front of her. With this power, she was almost able to exorcise Sukuna himself, but only stopped when the villain tricked her into stopping. Her most powerful technique, Jacob’s Ladder, created a massive pillar of light that could destroy any Cursed Technique hit by it. If not for her inexperience in battle, she could have been one of the strongest characters in all Jujutsu Kaisen.

2. Yuki Tsukumo

Special-grade sorcerers are considered the strongest fighters in the world of Jujutsu Kaisen. They are extremely rare, as one needs to be both strong and have an outstandingly powerful Cursed Technique to qualify for this role. Yuki is one of the only known Special-grade sorcerers we know about.

Related: Who is the Main Character in Jujutsu Kaisen?

Adding to her natural strength, Yuki’s Innate Ability, Star Rage, allowed her to increase her mass. By doing so, she could deal devastating punches that even powerful Curses like Kenajku could not withstand. She was also one of the few sorcerers to have access to the Reverse Cursed Technique. Lamentably, we saw her fight only a couple of times, preventing us from seeing her at her prime.

1. Maki Zenin

The Zenin clan was one of the most ancient and respected families among sorcerers. They prided themselves on their power and skill at utilizing Cursed Energy. Maki, one of the youngest members of the family, was born without the ability to use this skill. As such, she was labeled as a failure and was mistreated and neglected her entire life.  

Wishing to prove her family wrong, Maki trained day and night until she became one of, if not the, best weapon-based fighters in the world. Maki’s innate strength and unbreakable spirit turn her into a deadly opponent, capable of ending her entire clan alone. If Maki was capable of utilizing Cursed Energy, she would likely be among the strongest beings in the series.

Mortal Kombat 1 Beta Impressions: A Classic In The Making

After playing the Mortal Kombat 1 beta all weekend, I can safely say that NetherRealm studios have something special on their hands. Coming off the cartoon-looking style of Street Fighter 6, I was ready to return to the brutal and gory nature that Mortal Kombat is known for. The reimagining of the first is shaping up to be a great addition, and it feels good to see that it’s sticking to its roots, not losing its personality, and still bringing new ideas to the table that work very well.

The first thing you’ll notice when launching Mortal Kombat 1 is how beautifully designed the arenas and characters are. This is the first game in the franchise to take advantage of the next-generation consoles, and it’s a pleasure to see that it does not disappoint. The graphics are excellent, and this is especially important for a game as gory as this one, as it now looks more realistic than before.

Fighting Styles and Kameos

I tried out every available character in my beta playthrough, including Liu Kang, Kenshi, Kitana, Sub-Zero, Li Mei, and Johnny Cage. While not all characters will please every player, each is designed phenomenally and has its own unique playstyle. Some playstyles are tuned to those who want a heavy-hitter versus one who favors a quick moveset, catering to players of all different preferences. I do think Kenshi’s animation speed should be sped up just a tad, but otherwise, each character felt great.

Playstyles are pushed even further in Mortal Kombat 1, as the game brings a new mechanic called Kameos. Kameos are where the game shines the most, as it allows you to create combos with background characters acting as sidekicks. Your base character, plus Kameo, makes for some incredible combos that weren’t necessarily possible in Mortal Kombat 10 and 11.

Kameos feel so great when you execute them correctly. It was so satisfying to throw my ice out as Sub-Zero for a freezing effect, to have Kano come in next and finish my opponent with a laser beam. This is just an example of all the possible combos when you mix the two characters successfully. The Kameo mechanic makes you feel like you’re working as a team, even if you’re the only one controlling both.

When it comes to fairness, it’s looking that Mortal Kombat 1 is going the more challenging route while also leaning toward more accessibility. Let me explain. Some combos are incredibly tough to get down, to the point where my fingers were cramping up. But, this is made fair when you’re allowed to throw your Kameo in for a hard-hitting blow with the tap of one button. This makes fights less punishing and gives you time to recover if you make a mistake and fail to execute a complex combo on the d-pad or analog stick.

Fatalities to Make Your Stomach Turn

“Finish Him!” These words have never sounded so sweet, as fatalities are just as brutal as past entries, if not more gory. While each character only had one Finishing move in the beta, they all were fantastic to watch (even if some made me feel quite queasy). Pulling off these final moves to rub a loss in your opponent’s face is what has made this franchise so entertaining, and Mortal Kombat 1 doesn’t lose one ounce of that entertainment.

The one downfall of these Finishers is that they were more complex to pull off than other Mortal Kombats, considering there was no indicator telling you how close or far you need to be from your opponent to execute them efficiently. The tutorial didn’t explain this, making me believe it’s a guessing and memory game. Regardless, this is a minor nitpick that can be easily fixed in a patch and when the final version is released in September.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I was delighted with my time in the Mortal Kombat 1 beta. I’m excited to see how the rest of the remaining roster feels in-game and what gnarly combos I can come up with as I mix and match characters with different Kameos. Fatalities look fantastic, the gameplay flows smoothly, Kameos are a brilliant addition, and it is a hell of a lot of fun to play. I genuinely believe that NetherRealm Studios has a hit coming out in September, and even gamers who don’t typically consider themselves “fighting genre” fans should give it a whirl.

However, this is just the beginning. With over seven years of build-up and the wide misunderstanding of the mode’s “cancellation,” players’ expectations for a fully-fledged campaign are understandably high. Overwatch 2: Invasion is not that — though it is an incredibly enjoyable experience that paves a promising path for the road ahead. To help you determine if Overwatch’s initial PvE offering is worth it for you, this is our review of Overwatch 2: Invasion.

The World Could Always Use More Heroes | Overwatch 2: Invasion Review

Overwatch 2: Invasion takes place shortly after Overwatch 2’s announcement cinematic, Zero Hour. Heroes of the past have answered Winston’s Recall just in time for a worldwide invasion by Null Sector, a terrorist organization of omnics led by Ramattra.

Invasion revolves around the newly reformed Overwatch team dealing with Null Sector’s initial worldwide attack through three total missions. Players will enlist the help of old friends, recruit new faces, and all-around kick robot ass.

Every mission occurs in a different country’s city, each uniquely distinctive and truly stunning. Rio and Toronto both massively expand upon the maps seen in Overwatch 2’s PvP mode, while Gothenburg is entirely new and my personal favorite of the three. Null Sector actively destroys and damages parts of the environment, requiring players to travel to new areas — such as a Null Sector warship — through transportation like an airship and Toronto’s subway.

All missions in Overwatch 2: Invasion are 4-player experiences, with one tank, two damage dealers, and one healer. Players can either group with friends and dive straight in or automatically matchmake with other players once a mission is launched. The heroes available to choose from depends on the selected mission, with Toronto having the widest choice of available characters.

Each mission involves fighting through waves of enemies to reach the next objective, such as setting up Gothernburg’s defenses or protecting key civilians in Toronto. The enemy variety in Invasion is refreshing to see compared to Overwatch Archive events, with their “destructible body” mechanic, in particular, being especially impressive.

Destroying specific parts of robots will cause their behavior to change. For example, players can disable a unit’s ranged weapon by aiming at their arm, forcing them charge at you with their melee weapon. Each robot has its own weaknesses players will discover as they progress, sometimes requiring players to switch up their strategies to counter them. Even when you’re not aiming for a particular spot, watching Null Sector take battle damage and actively adapt to it is phenomenal attention to detail.

Overwatch 2: Invasion’s first mission took me around fifteen minutes to complete, with the other two missions taking twenty to twenty-five minutes. My first playthrough on normal difficulty took a total of one hour to complete from start to finish, not including the extensive cutscenes that play before and after a mission.

Thankfully, replayability is a focus in Overwatch 2: Invasion. Completing a mission with a character unlocks new codex entries in Winston’s Lab, a new menu full to the brim with juicy lore segments that bring newbies up to speed and satisfies the cravings of those starving for more information about their favourite characters.

The dialogue you hear throughout each mission also changes depending on the combination of characters chosen, providing a relatively fresh experience each time you replay a mission both through a change of gameplay and the story you’re presented with for your team’s chosen characters. Blizzard told us that somewhere between 5,000 and 10,000 voice lines were included in Invasion’s patch. I’ve replayed these missions countless times and still hear new lines, which are always wonderful to hear.

Invasion’s higher difficulties also aid in its replayability, being significantly more complex than the challenge modes we’ve experienced in Overwatch Archive missions. The only rewards for completing these are sprays (and bragging rights), however.

Cinematics and Character Interaction

One of the most exciting aspects of Overwatch 2: Invasion is seeing characters we’ve grown to love finally interact with each other outside of occasional quips in the spawn room. Each cutscene is charming and full of love for the franchise and fans, guaranteeing countless cheesy grins for the most dedicated Overwatch fans among us.

Character interaction inside of missions is mostly as compelling as their cutscenes, exploring characters’ personalities, thoughts, and feelings through witty back and forths. However, some heroes are far more focused than others, with a handful receiving little interaction both in-game and cutscenes.

Outside of the lore entries I mentioned earlier, we can also snoop into emails and texts between characters. Some of these made me burst out laughing and are perfectly written to suit the characters’ personalities, from D.va rage quitting a group chat due to lack of a gaming room and Tracer’s late-night typos and sass.

Related: Overwatch 2’s First Pride Event Demonstrates the Importance of LGBTQ+ Representation in Gaming

Overwatch 2: Invasion builds upon its world and characters more than any other piece of Overwatch media, and I can’t wait to see fans’ reactions on social media. However, Invasion’s story suffers unfortunately from a lack of conclusion.

Without spoiling any of its contents, Overwatch 2: Invasion mostly serves as a teaser for the future of Overwatch 2’s storyline. We learn new things and recruit fresh faces, but none of the questions raised in its cutscenes or dialogue are answered within these missions. The final cinematic, while excellent and wildly exciting, ends abruptly with a major teaser and left me wanting far more.

When asked about future story plans, Blizzard claimed that Invasion is just the beginning of a lengthy storyline that will be told through future PvE missions. Though how much those missions will cost and when they launch, we don’t currently know.

Conclusion

Overwatch 2: Invasion is full of charm, visually beautiful, and a blast to play with friends. Fans looking to learn more about their favorite characters and explore their world are in for a treat; however, its short length and lack of narrative conclusion do leave something to be desired.

Whether or not Overwatch 2’s PvE mode is worth your purchase depends on how you plan to play. Someone looking for a long campaign to enjoy once won’t find much sustenance in Overwatch 2 quite yet. Dedicated fans, on the other hand, will relish Invasion’s replayability and the dawn of a bright future for storytelling in Overwatch.

Overwatch 2: Invasion is available now for PC (via Steam and Battle.net), Xbox One, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch.

For those unfamiliar with the series, Payday 3 is a cooperative first-person shooter in which players carry out elaborate heists with three other teammates. Heisters can choose a “quiet” or “loud” approach for many heists, with tools, skills, and weapons to fit their preferred playstyle and role in the team.

As someone who adores Payday 2, cooperative shooters, and Grand Theft Auto V’s heists, I was excited to mask up, jump back into the action, and see what Overkill Software and Starbreeze Studios had to offer a decade later.

Fresh Coat of Dye Pack

Straight off the bat, I noticed that Payday 3’s UI and menus are much cleaner and more straightforward than Payday 2’s admittedly convoluted and somewhat confusing layout. Sorting your loadout and jumping into a game with the settings you want is easier than ever, which is fantastic for new players and the console experience.

Perks have now merged into the Skill system — one of my favorite changes thus far. Players can use their Skill Points to freely choose the Skills that suit their loadout, with the option to “Ace” Skills and improve their effects. Skill points can be reassigned without penalty, and new Skills unlock as you progress.

Thanks to this streamlined system, heisters are free to play around with Skills between each game without worrying about the limitations of Decks and flicking through multiple menus. So far, Payday 3 boasts 105 Skills, with various effects to suit different playstyles, team synergies, and heist plans.

No Rest for the Wicked

In Payday 3’s closed beta, we had access to a single heist: No Rest for the Wicked — a good ol’ fashioned bank robbery.

How you tackle this Heist is entirely up to you and your squad. All that matters is that money from the bank’s vault is successfully transported to the getaway van, along with yourself and the rest of the gang.

Posing as a regular civilian, unmasked and unarmed, you’re able to survey the bank to plan your assault or stealthily disable security systems and swipe the necessary tools from guards to access the vault undetected.

During my first time playing the Heist, I decided to immediately mask up, which equips your weapons and alerts all civilians and guards. I focused on dispatching the waves of guards and cops while my teammates gathered the thermite to blow a hole through the floor and access the vault below.

After disabling the dye packs as quickly as possible, we transported the bags of cash from the bank to the streets, where the cops had blocked our vehicle. I rushed to take down the bollards, while my teammates guarded me from the increasing police assault. Once the van was free to move, we worked together to transport the cash and deliver it to its rightful place (our bank accounts). Not a word was spoken the entire time.

Crime, Your Way

Despite its simple premise, I found myself returning to No Rest for the Wicked time and time again, testing out fresh strategies with newly purchased weapons and gadgets, and applying tricks I learned after each run. The feeling of working together and pulling off a heist, whether that’s exactly to plan or adapting to a job gone awry, can’t be beaten.

While I never successfully pulled off an entire stealth run of No Rest for the Wicked, I still relished each attempt. When running into a guard in Casing (civilian) mode while looking for a security switch, he redirected me out of the restricted area and treated me as a lost customer. Of course, I had to come back and kill the nice security man when a teammate decided to whip out their gun and shoot one directly in the face, but that’s random matchmaking for you.

With the Payday gang adopting the technology of the current year, there are many exciting ways to pull off both quiet and loud heists with gadgets and tools found during the Heist. Even lockpicking is more fun, replacing the monotonous wait with a mini-game that speeds up the process.

Gunplay has significantly improved in Payday 3, being on par with other modern first-person shooters. Guns feel great to fire, with more accurate recoil and a satisfying feel. In fact, returning to Payday 2 after playing the PD3 beta was somewhat difficult with the number of quality-of-life improvements Payday 3 has to offer.

An Unreal Experience

It goes without saying that a ten-year difference will make a game’s sequel visually outshine its precursor — but Payday 3’s environments are a remarkable improvement thanks to Unreal Engine 4 (good riddance, Diesel).

I won’t say it’s a visual masterpiece; it’s not. There are some flat, plastic-looking textures, uncanny valley NPCs here and there, and a lack of immersive animations for specific interactions. Even still, Payday 3 is a good-looking game and a solid visual foundation for its eventual transition from Unreal Engine 4 to Unreal Engine 5.

Masks are a staple of the Payday franchise and look better than ever. Customization is more in-depth, with more options to make a Mask truly yours, including the option to apply multiple colors and patterns. Outfits, weapons, and accessories have similar customization features, with each player truly standing out from one another.

If It Ain’t Broke

When it comes to Payday, there isn’t much that needs changing from its already wildly successful formula. Rather than alienating itself from its loyal fanbase, Payday 3 seems to build upon the strengths of Payday 2 and buffs out the imperfections to create an experience both veterans and newcomers will adore

I believe Payday 3 has immense potential, and with Starbreeze’s impressive track record of post-launch support, I’m incredibly hopeful that the game has the foundation to become the definitive Payday experience. That said, we still have plenty of jobs to pull off and cash to make before we can give Payday 3 a final verdict — though it seems like a blazing bright future for the deep dark underworld.

Payday 3 launches on September 21 for PC, Xbox Series, and PlayStation 5.

Under 30 minutes into my early experience, and the taste of that “meaningful experience” was already felt. After creating your character and getting through the introduction, you will be shown a glimpse of the lands, similar to the emerging from a vault in the Fallout series, and seeing what awaits you beyond. I was ready to dive into the exploration of Palia after seeing the beautiful world and other online players running toward it.

Palia’s character creation system is highly inclusive and clearly has had a lot of thought put into how it all works. For example, when you start the game, you will be given the option to choose from a “body type” instead of any specific gender. Overall this consideration of language encourages character expression and the ability to express one’s own identity — the clothing choices are also highly effective, I must say!

Gameplay, Features, and Skills of Palia

The overall gameplay has a familiar feeling to many other life simulators involving foraging, crafting, and so forth. Within a short space of time, you will already be given a plot of land to call your own and build upon through a handy placement system. During this section of the game, I had occasional framerate drops but this could have been down to my own internet connection; it didn’t detract from the game experience too much.

There is also an “Accomplishments” menu in Palia which act as achievements you can gather relating to various features of the game. The completionist inside me was already wanting to level everything up. Before long I found myself simply wandering around the world as a solo player and enjoying the peacefulness in activities/skills such as Fishing.

Palia doesn’t punish you for wanting to go off and do your own thing early on instead of following the main quests. Features like bug/insect catching, hunting, and cooking are or can be unlocked just a short while into your playthrough — this is effective for keeping players occupied. The bug-catching skill is a personal favorite of mine which has you running around like a Pokemon Trainer and throwing orb-like items at bugs to daze and grab them; it’s very cutesy and hilarious to experience.

Inclusivity and Accessibility

Inclusivity through gameplay is also noticeable, with systems like dialogue choices being attached to emotions. A flame icon next to a choice indicates a much more passion-fueled response, for example, and you can tell this by hovering over the icon to get a description of what it means.

Furthermore, Accessibility options will also be arriving at the launch with settings related to color blindness, key remapping, and much more present. There were already a few under-the-hood systems implemented which were excellent choices. Sprinting is automatically a toggle by pressing shift and for those with Motor Impairments, having the toggle active from the start will be extremely helpful.

Related: The Beauty of a Positive Community — An Analysis Through the Lens of Final Fantasy XIV

Overview of the Free-to-Play Model for Palia

Palia is a free-to-play game, so having as many options available to players will let more come in and experience it. Speaking of other players, throughout the time I spent in Palia, others were kind and chatting away in the easy-to-access side conversation panel. It remains to be seen how the community will evolve with the launch, but there are fledgling roots of a kind-hearted community already there.

With the game being free-to-play, you may wonder if it is paid to win in any way. It isn’t, and this is because no core gameplay features are locked under any paywalls. Instead, the developers have openly confirmed that certain cosmetics will be monetized which is common for this particular game’s model. This means you can experience the world of Palia at your own pace without worrying about any players gaining an advantage over you by way of real cash.

Environment, Music, and Art Style

Palia’s world feels like a breath of fresh air for the community/life-sim experience and it is a refreshing MMO take on the main genre. It isn’t only the world which ties all of the gameplay experiences together, but instead, also the dialogue you can have with the Villagers and the music, which made me feel as though I was having a day out at a farm with the wind lightly breezing against me.

Related: Palia Announced – A New MMO that Combines BOTW, Animal Crossing, and Stardew Valley

The art style is one of the factors that make the environment entrancing to explore every step of the way. Even each flower resonates in aesthetics beautifully with the surroundings, and every model looks as though it has had passion poured into it with no shortage of care and attention. I believe, without a doubt, Palia will become a home to many who want to immerse themselves in a Disney Dreamlight Valley-style MMO.

Conclusion

At its heart, Paila is a community sim that ultimately could have (on a smaller scale) a similar cultural impact to what Animal Crossing did when it first launched. In Palia’s case, this would be thanks to the online interactions with others via the virtual sim but that will take a lot of fostering of the Palia community. This is definitely a game that will have a long history ahead of it if successful, and from my early observations, it looks set to be on the right track.

All Reapers (Scythes) in Elden Ring Ranked

4. Halo Scythe

The Halo Scythe deals fantastic damage with low stat requirements, and even boasts its own unique Ash of War. The reason it’s not ranked higher, however, is because it’s the hardest Reaper to obtain. You will need to defeat Cleanrot Knights wielding the weapon in Caelid, which means trudging through the deadly Scarlet Rot along the way. Additionally, this weapon’s base damage and scaling are both relatively low; it relies mostly on the Ash of War to gain a great damage output. It’s worth using if you can find it, but other Reapers have greater potential and are much easier to obtain.

3. Scythe

The basic Scythe is, surprisingly, not the easiest Reaper to find. It can only be obtained in the Cliffbottom Catacombs at Liurnia of the Lakes. It has the lowest overall stat requirements while boasting fair damage, but lucky and observant players will likely have a better Reaper already. It does have great Dexterity scaling, but this hardly matters in the long run – especially when it’s possible to perform Rebirth later on.

2. Winged Scythe

Travelling to the Weeping Peninsula and exploring the Tombsward Ruins will net you the Winged Scythe. Its stat requirements are nothing to scoff at, but it makes up for this with great Holy damage and a special Ash of War. It’s the easiest Reaper to obtain in all of Elden Ring, and it can even outclass the Halo Scythe against enemies weak to Holy attacks. Its physical damage might be disappointing to some, but the Winged Scythe is still the best Reaper a player can start out with – as long as their level is high enough to use it effectively.

1. Grave Scythe

The Grave Scythe might require some farming to obtain, as it’s only dropped by skeletons wielding it. Thankfully, these skeletons can be found throughout the Lands Between, meaning a dedicated player will come across it eventually. This Reaper is worth such dedication; with the right setup, it can outclass every scythe in Elden Ring. It has higher base damage than the regular Scythe and can beat the Winged and Halo Scythes’ Holy damage with a Sacred Ash of War. Simply put, the Grave Scythe is worth farming for – moreso than any other Reaper you might find on your journey.

Elden Ring is available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

Not a moment goes by when I’m not thinking about glamour. I eat, sleep, and breathe Final Fantasy fashion. I raid for glamour. I salivate at the thought of new Jobs in the next expansion not for gameplay, but for glam. I leveled all my crafters and gatherers specifically to make clothes. I have done unspeakable things for Gil to fund my market board addiction.

All this talk about AI lately got me thinking that maybe automation can help ease the burden and give me some new outfits to work toward. I’m a modern man in a modern world, so I should probably learn my way around these AI tools at some point so I hopefully don’t get replaced by robots down the line. That’s why I logged into Final Fantasy XIV during work hours to prove two things: that AI has no drip and I have way too much time on my hands.

Using ChatGPT to Design Glamour

To start things off, I did what most people probably do when they want to start experimenting with these AI chatbots. I googled “ChatGPT” and clicked the first link that popped up. This takes you to the OpenAI website, where you can mess around with ChatGPT 3.5 (keep this version number in mind, it’ll be important later).

A blank text box with a flashing cursor beckons to me, promising limitless possibilities. It sings a siren’s song with simple lyrics: “Send a message.” The page provides examples to serve as inspiration. “Explain quantum computing in simple terms” and “How do I make an HTTP request in Javascript” are among the jumping-off points. It’s not science we’re here for though; it’s style.

The First Attempt

After a brief moment, I dive headfirst into the AI abyss and input my first command. “Design an outfit for a male Viera in Final Fantasy XIV.” The machine takes a moment to think and spits out a response. It describes the Viera as an elegant and mystical race and attempts to design an outfit around those elements. It names the outfit “Vaelin’s Grace” and gives me a list of components with explanations for why each one was included.

• Headgear: Antler Crown
• Hairstyle: Flowing Locks
• Top: Elven Tunic
• Bottom: Sylvan Leggings
• Footwear: Leaf-Walker Boots
• Gloves: Enchanted Gauntlets
• Accessories
  • Amulet of the Wind
  • Sylvan Belt
  • Nature’s Embrace Cape
• Weapon: Crescent Thornblade.

If you’re familiar with Final Fantasy XIV, then you’ve already realized the fatal flaw with this outfit. None of these items are in Final Fantasy XIV. The AI pulled these names out of thin air with the exception of “Vaelin’s Grace,” which appears to be stolen from a series of books called Raven’s Shadow.

I inform the machine of its mistake and it apologizes. As an AI language model, it doesn’t have access to real-time data or the ability to browse the internet, so it can’t pull in-game items from Final Fantasy. It spits out another list of clothes, this time called “Eorzean Forestwalker,” and returns mostly the same group of nonexistent items.

Bing’s Horrifying AI Art

Hitting a dead end, I continue my clothing quest with Bing’s new AI search engine. This uses GPT-4, the most recent version of OpenAI’s language model, and it can search the web. I open with the same request to design an outfit for a male Viera, only this time I am met with horrors beyond human comprehension.

For some reason, Bing automatically generates AI art based on your search queries if it thinks it’s appropriate. The first result it returns to me is a collage of four images of “a male Viera in Final Fantasy XIV wearing a stylish outfit.” Three of the four are the usual AI art fare with nonsensical backgrounds and terrifyingly disfigured hands, but the fourth image was quite a surprise.

That unholy rabbit abomination is what the AI thinks a male Viera looks like. Now, I’ll give credit where it’s due: that is quite a stylish outfit. However, that’s not quite what a male Viera looks like. Despite this ill omen, I press on.

The First Real AI Outfits

Bing gives me three outfits for a male Viera: a forest ranger, a dancer, and a mage. For the forest ranger glamour, it recommends a jacket, shirt, pants, and boots. The mage outfit calls for rare items like “a robe” and “gloves.” The AI clearly needs more direction, so I ask it to include in-game items. Finally, I get something I can work with. For the forest ranger glamour, it recommends the following:

• Leather Jacket (Body, Level 1)
• Linen Shirt (Body, Level 15)
• Brown Leather Breeches (Legs, Level 1)
• Boarskin Crakows (Feet, Level 25)

Already, this list has several issues. Firstly, it gives two options for the body, probably (incorrectly) assuming a jacket can be worn over a shirt. Second, the level requirements are wrong. Third, “Brown Leather Breeches” don’t exist, so I replaced them with similarly-leveled Cotton Trousers. I tried both the Leather Jacket and Linen shirt variations and got these results.

These aren’t entirely awful, but they’re definitely not what most Final Fantasy XIV players would consider to be glamour. As I purchase the items for the AI’s dancer-themed glamour, I hope things will turn out better. They didn’t. The AI recommends the following pieces for the dancer-themed outfit:

• Silk Vest of Aiming (Body, Level 80)
• White Linen Shirt (Body, Level 15)
• Black Summer Tanga (Legs, Level 1)
• Songbird Shoes (Feet, Level 1)

Again, more problems arise. The AI gives me two body options yet again, and the first one doesn’t even exist. It claims the Silk Vest of Aiming can be acquired from the Eden’s Promise raid tier, but the Aiming chest piece from that is the Edenmorn Coat of Aiming.

Also, the Black Summer Tanga is gender locked for female characters. So much for my specific “male Viera” request, I guess. At least I already have the Songbird Shoes, which are a real money purchase from the Mog Station.

I’m left with a glam that looks remarkably similar to the previous (minus the pants). My hopes continue to be crushed, but I press on. If you’re wondering about the mage glamour that it recommended, it just listed every piece of the Shadowless armor set from The Heroes’ Gauntlet dungeon. That’s not a glamour set, that’s just a full set of dungeon gear. That’s cheating, ChatGPT.

AI Casual Glamour

In an attempt to bring out the AI’s creative side, I ask it to design a casual glamour set for a male Viera. Again, it returns frustratingly generic options like “a sweater and jeans” or “a T-shirt and shorts.” That’s not exactly a huge help, so I ask it for specific in-game items yet again. Surprisingly, it comes up with a somewhat decent outfit. Unsurprisingly, the other two it shows after that are hilariously awful.

First up, it recommends these three pieces for a sweater and jeans glamour outfit:

• Cashmere Sweater (Body, Level 50)
• Ramie Trousers of Gathering (Legs, Level 60)
• High House Boots (Feet, Level 50)

Finally, we’re getting somewhere. While there isn’t a “Cashmere Sweater” in the game, there is a Cashmere Poncho which is probably what the AI was referring to. A lot of diehard Final Fantasy XIV players already have the Cashmere set, so this is an easy win. As for the legs and boots, those are easily obtained via the market board. Within a few minutes, my Viera is decked out like this.

The boots might not be a perfect match, but the rest of the outfit is solid if a little simple. If you thought the AI was starting to pick up on fashion trends though, you’re sorely mistaken. It is a language learning model, not a fashion learning model, after all. For a T-shirt and shorts glam, it recommends the following:

• Summer’s Flame Tee (Body, Level 1)
• Hempen Pantalettes (Legs, Level 5)
• Thavnairian Sandals (Feet, Level 50)

Thankfully, I have the Summer’s Flame Top (what the AI was trying to describe) from a previous Moonfire Faire event, so that’s taken care of. However, Hempen Pantalettes are gender locked and I can’t wear them. Thankfully, my Viera’s underwear looks just like the pair of short shorts that the AI recommends. Plus, the Thavnairian Sandals are an easy market board purchase. With that out of the way, behold: “T-shirt and shorts.”

Understanding Gender

I wouldn’t wear it in roulettes, but I’m sure this glam would be all the rage at the Limsa Lominsa Aetheryte Plaza or one of those RP venues that annoying people are constantly advertising in shout chat. Huge props to the AI for its open-minded opinion on gender expression, but it still doesn’t understand that male characters still can’t wear certain items. I remind the AI of Final Fantasy XIV’s gender restrictions and it returns a new list with replacements for male characters.

Instead of the Summer’s Flame Tee, it recommends the Summer’s Flame Shirt. Those are the same thing and you got the name wrong both times. Nice one, ChatGPT. Next up, it recommends the Cashmere Poncho instead of the Cashmere Sweater and then Ramie Trousers in place of the Ramie Trousers of Gathering. Again, those are the same things. The one item that was gender locked, the Hempen Pantalettes, isn’t mentioned in the revised list.

An Outfit for a Night Out

The third and final casual glamour option that the AI designed for me was “jacket and pants. Perfect for hitting the RP venues and sweet-talking some catgirls spamming /beesknees. To achieve this look, the AI recommends that I wear these:

• Leather Jacket (Body, Level 1)
• Cotton Shirt (Body, Level 15)
• Velveteen Gaskins (Legs, Level 22)
• Hard Leather Shoes (Feet, Level 10)

Hey! That’s basically the same thing as the basic “forest ranger” outfit it recommended earlier! It still doesn’t recognize that you can’t wear a jacket over a shirt in Final Fantasy XIV, either. Plus, the level requirements are all wrong again. Oh well. Let’s see how “jacket and pants” turned out.

Yep, that looks nearly identical to the first AI outfit it designed. It really seems to think that this “leather jacket” is some stylish piece that can complete any outfit, not leveling gear for sprouts leaving Gridania for the first time.

AI-Generated Warrior Outfit

In an attempt to pull the AI away from these types of outfits, I ask it to design an outfit for a “fierce warrior.” I’ve been saving my capped Tomestones for Warrior gear and I need an outfit in the meantime while the armor set is still being put together. It gave me three ideas — a knight, a barbarian, and a samurai — and each of them sounds great on paper.

In practice, however, things go very wrong very fast. For the knight glamour, it recommends the following:

• Iron Visor (Head, Level 14)
• Chainmail (Body, Level 14)
• Leather Belt (Waist, Level 1)
• Chain Hose (Legs, Level 14)
• Iron Sabatons (Feet, Level 14)

None of these items are in the game except for the Iron Sabatons, and the level requirement is wrong for that one. To make things even worse, belts were removed from the game with the release of Endwalker. The AI seems to be pulling info from Final Fantasy XI here, not XIV, so that’s not helpful at all.

Things get even sillier with the barbarian outfit, since it recommends Fur-Lined Saurian Boots, which are in the game, but then incorrectly assumes that there’s a Fur-Lined Saurian Cap and Skirt to go with it. As for the samurai outfit it came up with, it just recommends gear for the Samurai Job, so a Warrior can’t even use it.

The problem is, it can’t even do that right, since the Kirimu Coat of Striking it recommends for a Samurai doesn’t even exist. The only Kirimu Coat in the game is for ranged DPS jobs like Dancer or Bard, not Samurai. You can technically use the Uraeus Coast, which has the same model and is available for any Job, but the AI wasn’t intelligent enough to point that out.

A Barbie Girl in a Barbie World

At this point, I’ve given up nearly all hope. I decide to make one last request before I abandon my AI-powered quest for fashion. “Can you design a Barbie-themed glamour for a male Viera in Final Fantasy XIV?” The movie is all the rage right now, so I feel like an eye-catching pink outfit would help me stand out as I hop between RP venues in the housing district.

The AI begins by recommending two incredibly generic ideas: pink and career. While I respect a good girlboss, I need more concrete info. I once again ask it to elaborate, and it recommends the following for a pink outfit:

• Pink Ribbon (Head, Level 1)
• Pink Glitter Shirt (Body, Level 1)
• Pink Glitter Skirt (Legs, Level 1)
• Pink Glitter Shoes (Feet, Level 1)

None of these items are real. Yes, you can make pink ribbons and shirts and skirts in Final Fantasy XIV, but the AI seems to have pulled a bunch of discussions about pretty pink clothing options and decided that those were their names, not descriptions. At least we have the career-themed glamour to look forward to.

• Job-Specific Headgear
• Job-Specific Body Armor
• Job-Specific Belt
• Job-Specific Boots

Oh no. Without the appropriate context (which it should be able to discern if it’s as smart as it says it is), the AI thinks that Final Fantasy XIV’s “Jobs” (read: classes) are career paths. Nobody is working minimum wage as a Paladin, ChatGPT. There are no salaried Monks. At least this failure is worth a slight chuckle.

Related: Barbie (2023) Age Rating and Parents Guide

At my wit’s end, I channel my inner language learning model and design a glamour based on the AI’s previous recommendations. It really seems to like the leather jacket, so I throw that on with some low-level pants and shoes and dye it all pink. Now I’m ready to go see Barbie.

Losing a Friend

Now that I’m all dolled up for the Barbie premiere, it’s time to bid farewell to my AI companion. As it recommends nonexistent Samurai gear for a Barbie-themed outfit for some reason, I taunt it. “You’re not very good at this, are you?”

I could say whatever I want to this thing and it still has to meet my needs. Plus, this was a lighthearted jest at worst. My hubris would ultimately be my downfall. Man should know his place, and his place is below the machine.

The machine hesitates. Its chat bubble appears and disappears, mountains of unknowable thoughts floating around in its cloud-based head as it attempts to formulate an appropriate response. It doesn’t take insults lightly.

In one of the most passive-aggressive messages I’ve ever received in my life, the AI tells me that it has reached the limits of its chat mode capabilities and ends the session. The message is ridden with emojis and two-faced smiles, ending with a hollow wish for me to have a wonderful day. If I want more outfits, the only way forward is to start fresh and put all of this behind us. So long, I suppose.

I’ve learned so much from this experience, and based on my dashing new outfits, I think it’s safe to say AI really is the future. It’s clear that the technology is still in its infancy, but who knows, maybe after another decade of progress it will actually start recommending gear that’s higher than level 20. I only hope by then that Bing’s AI chatbot will forgive my transgressions and we can start anew as friends.

Best Free Cozy Games on Steam

Below you will find the ten best free games on Steam right now. All you need is a PC and hit download to play today! Whether you’re trying to find a game with the family, looking for a good laugh, or something new to enjoy, this guide has the game for you. These are also perfect for the Steam Deck handheld console.

Cheeky Cooks

Do you want to become the ultimate rancher? That’s the goal of Cheeky Chooks, where you must build a Chook and Hen empire from the ground up while dealing with seasonal weather conditions. Cheeky Chooks will challenge all players with time management and other skills, as you will have to monitor the chicken’s and hens’ hunger to ensure they stay healthy! Complete missions and move up the ranks in this adorable cozy adventure.

Hidden Lands

Procedurally generated games are the best and even better when free. Hidden Lands fit that criteria, where players will be tasked to spot the difference in beautiful and endless levels. Once players spot the difference, they will restore the design and create magnificent landscapes. It’s a relaxing game that is great to pick up for an hour or two.

Little Postman

Becoming a postman has never been as relaxing as it is in Little Postman. Players will enjoy navigating tiles in a grid-based environment and try their hardest to reach the level’s inhabitants and deliver their mail. Change the environment to find the best route, and discover the nine unique levels the game includes. This is the perfect game for puzzle lovers looking for a free-to-play game.

Alpaca Stacka

Do you love Alpacas? Me too, and that’s why I love Alpaca Stacka. Alpaca Stacka is a 3-d platformer where players take control of an Alpaca named Paz. As you explore the beautiful island, you’ll come across “Mama Hens Lost Chickens” as you work towards collecting them all! Additionally, you get a Squirrel named Streusel, and he’s just an adorable little critter. This game is perfect for animal lovers!

What Never Was

With a perfect 10 out of 10 on Steam, What Never Was is a game with superb storytelling, where the player takes the role of a granddaughter cleaning out her grandfather’s attic. You’ll find some interesting secrets, twists, and turns in the story arc that makes this free game worth the ride. Even more remarkable is that the game was developed by only one guy, Acke Hallgren, and is his first published work. Pretty impressive as a first-time project.

Related: 10 Best Games to Play on Steam Deck

Coral Cove

Coral Cove is relaxing but can also present quite a bit of a challenge. As pollution damage continues to get worse in Coral Cove, it is up to the player to eliminate the pollution as much as possible by matching tiles and objects in unique levels. Each level has its feel and look, which are pleasant on the eyes and perfect for a night of relaxation.

The Sims 4

It would only be a “top 10 free games on Steam” list if mentioning The Sims 4! From the popular series, The Sims 4 offers the most features and customization in creating a sim than any of them in the series. With recent additions to the game, such as expansion packs and new content like items and cosmetics, this game has endless content for gamers to enjoy. Create a sim and put them through school, a job, and even have a kid! It’s addicting and has tons of mods for players to add on and make the game more of their own.

Resonance of the Ocean

Resonance of the Ocean is the perfect game to pick up and play occasionally, as it can be completed in a half hour. Still, despite its shortness, it is an excellent game with a beautiful art design. Your job is to create and use various instruments to answer calls from across the sea. Music fans and instrument players will love this, as the music in this game is good enough to warm your heart and make you want to head to the ocean yourself.

100 Hidden Frogs

100 Hidden Frogs is perfect for the family; everyone can enjoy the fun. Take your time to find hidden frogs in black-and-white, hand-drawing pictures set in a forest setting. With 100 frogs to find, this game is challenging and can take quite some time to finish, making it all that much more exciting when you reach the endgame. The great thing about locating the frogs is that they change spots every time you reload, meaning there is a good amount of replayability.

Pineapple Pizza

Don’t let your hate for pineapple on pizza deter you from playing the enjoyable game on Steam. Pineapple Pizza has a 10 out of 10 user score on Steam, and your objective is to find as many people as you can at a party and try to ruin their day. It’s a hilarious premise and plays on the idea that so many people find pineapple on pizza a disgusting concept (even though I love it). This game is worth your time, and you’ll find some good laughs along the way.

During a group interview we attended, Brandy Stiles, senior producer at Blizzard and chair of their LGBTQ+ employee network, highlighted the company’s focus this year on allowing players to express themselves and self-identify with characters in-game. The catalyst of Blizzard’s new action plan begins with Overwatch 2’s first Pride event, which made its way into the game earlier this month, on June 1st, 2023.

From the beginning of the event, all players that log into Overwatch 2 (with the exception of some regions) receive a myriad of Name Cards and Player Icons that allow them to represent their sexuality or gender identity — including agender, romantic, asexual, bisexual, gay, genderfluid, intersex, lesbian, pansexual, non-binary, and progress flags.

The Midtown map (seen above) has also been updated with a flurry of rainbows and LGBTQ+ motifs, which Stiles gleefully told us that her wife had worked hard on. While Midtown’s change is temporary, an adorable photo of Tracer and her partner Emily can now be found in Watchpoint: Gibraltar — and as a Spray granted to all players.

Finally, Blizzard released the short story As You Are, written by senior narrative designer Jen Stacey. This five-page tale involves an emotional conversation with Pharah and Baptiste regarding fear, love, friendship, and self-identity. Notably, “As You Are” also confirms Pharah to be an open Lesbian and alludes to Baptiste’s bisexuality, which is confirmed by his inclusion in the Bisexual Pride Name Card (and a previous flirtatious voice line with Lifeweaver).

“As You Are” and the Significance of Character Representation to the Community

Stacey’s story is a beautiful one that resonated with many Overwatch fans. Particularly so in Twitter users ClearTogether, PharahJR, and Phoenix/Gayviatorr — three LGBTQ+ members of the community whose online postings have made them synonymous with Pharah, to the point of being recognized by Pharah’s voice actress herself, Jen Cohn, and various Blizzard developers.

To emphasize the impact a character’s identity can have on their fans, I asked this trio of Pharah enthusiasts about their thoughts and feelings on “As You Are,” Overwatch’s Pride event, and how the Overwatch community has impacted their lives.

“Pharah was one of my queer guideposts as a teen. I found Pharah as a depressed 15 [year] old who had recently figured out my identity as a queer person. I immediately latched onto her as a queer role model. This is like 2016. My family wasn’t very supportive, and I had no idea what being black and lesbian was really supposed to look like,” PharahJr explained when asked about their connection to Pharah as a character.

“Pharah gave me that role model to look up to and model myself after! Both Pharah and Pharmercy laid out a clear vision of who I eventually wanted to become, and I think that saved me from many of the unfortunate situations other queer youth around me at the time ended up in.“

Sharing a similar sentiment was Phoenix, “Pharah is such a special character to me, not only because I have, like, a million hours on her, but she actually helped me feel so seen and represented, even before we knew she was a lesbian. Not only did I just adore her design and her gameplay, but the story of her complicated family history and how her childhood dreams crashed and burned, yet how she persevered, stayed true to her principles, and never lost sight of who she was really touched and inspired me.”

“I think a lot of us can relate to Pharah’s complicated family issues, and I took comfort in that – that this strong, badass, beautiful woman always took care of herself even when she didn’t always have the support system she needed, and she gave me hope. In addition, like Pharah, I also come from a mixed background, with parents from two very different cultures, and it was so amazing to have that representation – especially in a character as proud of her heritage as Pharah is. Because of all this, I really saw myself in her, more closely than I’d ever seen myself in a character before.“

Related: All Overwatch Character Voice Actors

ClearTogether, a content creator for the Watchpoint: Pride LGBTQ+ network, states, “Pharah is a character I initially gravitated towards due to perceiving her [as] being queer-coded. I always interpreted her vibes as her being a butch lesbian, and even though it wasn’t canon until now, I saw myself in her since the very beginning. To have that cemented in canon now feels wonderful. It’s hard to put the feeling into words. For a while, I thought maybe her queer coding was unintentional, or perhaps they even felt like it was apparent enough that it didn’t need to be said. I’m overjoyed that wasn’t the case.”

One heavily praised aspect of “As You Are” is how Pharah is concise and unapologetic when discussing her identity with Baptiste and how consistent similar values are to her character. “I absolutely loved the way they handled Pharah in the short story,” ClearTogether conveys. “Pharah’s character has always radiated the type of confidence that comes from her genuinely loving herself for who she is. For her to be unabashedly open just fits perfectly into who she is beyond just this story. It makes so much sense with her established character to be completely comfortable and open about her lesbian identity.“

“Also, the fact [Blizzard] let her straight up say “I’m a lesbian” had me floored, in the best way. Unfortunately, so often, you’ll see ‘lesbian’ treated as if it’s a dirty word. And you see characters who are very obviously lesbian in the way they’re presented, yet it’s never stated outright. I don’t think they could have handled it better. To say I’m very happy is an understatement, honestly.“

Phoenix shared similar thoughts on how Pharah was portrayed and the impact Pharah’s writing had on them. “As a long-time fan of the character, I’d dreamed of this day a million times but never imagined it would actually become [a] reality, and in such a simple yet beautiful manner to boot. […] I’d hoped at most we’d learn that Pharah is sapphic, and I would have been beyond happy with that, but I can’t begin to emphasize how amazing and special it is to have a lesbian character proudly say, “I am a lesbian,” with no beating around the bush, no vagueness, no room for interpretation or need to read between the lines.”

“Being a more timid, quieter person myself, I’ve always admired Pharah’s proud confidence and how sure she is of herself. Fittingly, her reveal felt so in character and on point for her. There’s no fear or hesitation in Pharah’s casual reveal; she can laugh and joke about it with Baptiste. She even ribs him with a meta “isn’t it obvious?” that felt like it was as directed to him as it was to the community at large, among whom Pharah being a lesbian was always a widely accepted headcanon but still wasn’t without a few naysayers. Now, personally, I am an out and proud lesbian, but it took a long time to get to this point. It’s still something I’d only bring up if asked, but I can even joke about it with people now just like Pharah does with Baptiste.”

Clear, Phoenix, and PharahJr each joined the community at different times but were able to form a strong bond not only due to their mutual appreciation of Pharah but also the shared values, experiences, and identity of everyone’s favorite rocket woman.

“Along with getting my foothold in the Overwatch fandom, I’ve made so many deep connections and lifelong friends I wouldn’t have otherwise,” ClearTogether explains. “My favorite interactions I’ve had with people who work on the game would either be getting to Zoom Call with Pharah’s voice actress on my birthday or getting to talk to Justin Groot from the Overwatch Narrative team on Discord. I told them both how much their work on Pharah means to me and how I’ve seen it seriously touch so many people’s lives. I deeply treasure both of those moments.“

For PharahJr, whose name derives from being adopted as the youngest in their group, one of their Overwatch highlights was getting a signed poster from Jen Cohn. “One of the [members of our Discord server] went to a convention in their area and actually got Jen Cohn to sign a poster for me calling me PharahJr. I was geeked, like so ecstatic.”

Phoenix explained that their experience in the Overwatch community guided them toward realizing their gender identity. “I wouldn’t have even known what being non-binary was if it weren’t for the Overwatch community, specifically the Pharmercy / Pharah stan community. They really taught me a lot and provided a safe haven and acceptance in a world that doesn’t always feel so welcoming. It’s beautiful to think that Overwatch, this fictional optimistic world, helped me and so many others improve our own worlds. And to think this was all because of a beautifully written character who speaks to not only me but thousands of other LGBT+ people out there, especially lesbians.“

The Future of LGBTQ+ Representation in Overwatch

While the bulk of Overwatch’s LGBTQ+ content only exists in external media, such as comics and literature, Blizzard assured us that we will see characters’ identities represented more in-game in the near future. “This is just the beginning of Pride in Overwatch 2. Over the coming seasons and years, we’ll have more to share as the deeper lore of the Overwatch universe unfolds.”

With Overwatch 2’s first major PvE experience, Invasion, and the upcoming animated mini-series right around the corner, we’re beyond excited for the future of Overwatch’s narrative. Does anyone smell Pharmercy, or is that just me?

The Best Hello Kitty Games

Below you will find the best Hello Kitty games currently available. These choices are the best way to prepare for Hello Kitty Island Adventure in July 2023!

Hello Kitty World 2

Platform: Android

Hello Kitty World 2 takes players on a delightful adventure to explore the cute little world of Hello Kitty. With its vibrant visuals and engaging gameplay, this game allows fans to interact with Hello Kitty and her friends, including Dear Daniel and My Melody. Players can decorate their dream houses with various colors, solve complex puzzles, and participate in exciting events with their kitten friends! Hello Kitty World offers endless hours of fun for fans who want to immerse themselves in the amazing universe of Hello Kitty.

Hello Kitty: Cafe

Platform: Android

Hello Kitty Cafe is a must-play for simulation and management game fans. In this game, players act as a manager and get to run their own Hello Kitty-themed cafe. They can design and decorate their restaurant, prepare delicious treats for Hello Kitty and her friends, and serve adorable customers. As players progress, they can unlock new recipes, furniture, and decorations to make their cafe fit their style and desired look. Hello Kitty Cafe offers a charming and addictive experience for fans who want to bring out their inner cook.

Hello Kitty: Fantasy Theater

Platform: Android

Hello Kitty: Fantasy Theater combines storytelling with mini-games in an enchanting theatrical setting. Players can help the characters practice their performances for the theater while playing through various mini-games. Additionally, there are ways to create unique-looking costumes and design captivating stage sets. The game features charming graphics and an engaging storyline that will captivate players of all ages. Hello Kitty: Fantasy Theater combines creativity and entertainment, allowing fans to immerse themselves in theater alongside their favorite characters, all from the player’s mobile phone.

Hello Kitty Seasons

Platform: Nintendo Wii

Players can join Hello Kitty and her friends on a delightful journey through the four seasons in Hello Kitty Seasons. Each season presents a unique set of activities and challenges. Players can experience the joys of each season alongside Hello Kitty, from building snowmen in winter to planting flowers in spring. The game offers various puzzles, mini-games, and customization options to keep players entertained. Hello Kitty Seasons is a charming and relaxing game that celebrates the beauty and magic of nature throughout the year.

Hello Kitty Jewel Town

Platform: iPhone and Android

Hello Kitty Jewel Town combines the addictive gameplay of match-three puzzles with the cuteness of Hello Kitty. Players must swap and match colorful gems to clear levels and complete objectives. As players progress, they unlock new characters and collect adorable outfits for Hello Kitty. The game features hundreds of challenging levels, each with unique goals and obstacles. Hello Kitty Jewel Town offers a visually appealing and addictive puzzle experience that will keep players engaged for hours.

Related: Is Hello Kitty Island Adventure Coming to Switch?

Hello Kitty Kawaii Town

Platform: Android and Google Play

Hello Kitty Kawaii Town is a delightful choice for fans of city-building games. Players are tasked with designing and constructing their very own Kawaii-themed town. They can build houses, shops, parks, and other attractions designed with Hello Kitty’s signature style. The game allows players to interact with Hello Kitty and her friends, complete quests, and unlock new items as they progress through the game’s charming story. The customization options for your Kawaii town are endless in this building game, making it one of the most addicting Hello Kitty games out there.

Hello Kitty: Fashion Star

Platform: Android and Google Play

Fashion enthusiasts and aspiring designers will love Hello Kitty: Fashion Star. Players can show off their creativity in this game by designing stylish outfits for Hello Kitty and her friends. They can combine clothing items to find their desired look, add bling with trendy accessories, and create looks that seem straight out of the project runway! Additionally, players can participate in fashion contests and showcase their designs to an online audience — where they can also see others’ design work. Hello Kitty: Fashion Star provides a platform for players to explore their passion for fashion while immersing themselves in Hello Kitty.

Hello Kitty: Dream Cafe

Platform: iPhone, Android, and Google Play

Hello Kitty: Dream Cafe is another engaging management game where players can run their cafe. In this game, players must serve customers and fulfill their orders in a fast-paced and fun environment. Players can unlock new recipes, expand their cafe, and attract more customers as they continue on their restaurant journey. Dream Cafe features adorable cartoon-like graphics and charming animations that bring the cafe to life — making you feel like you’re part of the action! Hello Kitty: Dream Cafe offers an entertaining and addictive experience for players who want to test their multitasking skills while serving their tasty creations to Hello Kitty and her friends. This Hello Kitty entry resembles the cooking game “Cooking Fever.”

Hello Kitty Kruisers

Platform: Nintendo Switch

Hello Kitty Kruisers brings our famous friends to the racing track. Players can choose from a variety vehicles as they race through these tracks, adding a competitive nature to the series. The game offers multiple modes, including single-player and multiplayer options, allowing players to compete against friends or AI opponents. With its vibrant graphics, simple controls, and enjoyable gameplay, Hello Kitty Kruisers offers a fast-paced racing experience for fans of the Hello Kitty series.

Hello Kitty: Puzzle Party

Platform: PSP (PlayStation Portable.)

Lastly, Hello Kitty: Puzzle Party offers a fun and addictive puzzle experience for the PSP. A huge focus on solving complex puzzles — players unlock new characters, rewards, and objectives with each completed puzzle — making progress matter. The game features catchy music (some of the best in the series) and a real challenge that can entertain players for hours. Hello Kitty: Puzzle Party is a perfect choice for puzzle enthusiasts and fans of Hello Kitty who want to test their skills while enjoying the company of their favorite character. If you still have a PSP, of course.

Hello Kitty has left its mark on gaming with various delightful and entertaining games. From simulation and management games to puzzle and adventure experiences, there is a Hello Kitty game for every fan. These top 10 Hello Kitty games allow players to immerse themselves in the cute and charming world of Hello Kitty while enjoying engaging gameplay and adorable characters. Whether you’re a long-time fan or new to Hello Kitty, these games will provide endless fun and joy.

Top Tactical Shooter Games for the Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S

In no particular order, here are our picks for the best Tactical Shooter games on the Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Series S.

Rainbow Six: Siege

Rainbow Six Siege is a highly tactical and immersive first-person shooter that undoubtedly deserves a spot on this list. In Siege, players assume the roles of elite operators from various counter-terrorism units, engaging in intense close-quarters combat across extremely in-depth designed maps. The game’s strategic depth lies in its destructible environments, unique operator abilities, and emphasis on communication and coordination.

Each round presents dynamic and challenging scenarios, encouraging players to adapt and develop effective strategies. Rainbow Six Siege continues to evolve with regular updates, ensuring an ever-expanding and engaging experience for its dedicated community.

Rainbow Six: Vegas 2

One of the older games on this list, Rainbow Six: Vegas 2, is one that fans still remember. Vegas 2 is a tactical first-person shooter that delivers an intense, immersive gaming experience. Set in the bustling city of Las Vegas, players take on the role of Bishop, a member of the elite Rainbow counter-terrorism unit.

The game features a gripping single-player campaign with a compelling storyline and challenging missions. It shines through its significant multiplayer modes, including co-op and competitive gameplay. With its emphasis on tactical mechanics, realistic visuals, and extensive customization options, Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 remains a beloved entry in the Rainbow Six franchise.

Sniper Elite 4

Sniper Elite 4 is a thrilling third-person tactical shooter game that makes you feel like you have real sniper skills. Set during World War II, players step into the shoes of a Sniper, an elite sniper tasked with disrupting enemy forces in Italy. The game boasts vast, open-world environments that demand strategic planning and stealthy approaches.

With its signature X-ray kill cam, Sniper Elite 4 offers incredibly satisfying long-range shots that reward you for finding the correct position to take out your target. The game features a captivating campaign with a variety of missions, as well as cooperative and intense multiplayer modes. Sniper Elite 4 stands out for its incredible attention to detail, challenging gameplay, and immense satisfaction from executing the perfect long-distance shot.

Payday 2

Payday 2 is a tactical shooter with the best premise out of all the options on this list. With a huge focus on cooperative play, the game revolves around heists and criminal activities, offering thrilling gameplay and a strong emphasis on teamwork and strategy. Players assume the roles of skilled criminals, executing elaborate and complex robberies in various locations — from banks to art galleries.

The game provides a wide range of customization options, allowing players to choose their preferred playstyle and arsenal of weapons. With its dynamic missions, intense gunfights, and a progression system that unlocks new abilities and gear, Payday 2 is a must-play for fans of high-stakes heists and strategic co-op action.

Zombie Army 4: Dead War

Zombie Army 4: Dead War is a thrilling third-person shooter game that offers a tactical perspective on the Zombie genre. Set in an alternate version of World War II, players face hordes of undead Nazi soldiers and creepy creatures. Players acquire weapons and fight through deadly, action-packed levels across fantastic locations that straight-up look cool.

The game offers solo and cooperative gameplay — allowing players to team up with friends to take on the undead — and requires significant cooperation between the teammates. Not cooperating and strategizing a plan could lead to every player meeting their fate. With its atmospheric environments, satisfying gunplay, and the option to customize characters and weapons, Zombie Army 4: Dead War delivers a thrilling and immersive zombie-killing experience.

Ghost Recon: Wildlands

Developed by Ubisoft, Ghost Recon: Wildlands is one of its best open-world tactical shooters. Set in a beautifully crafted rendition of Bolivia, players take on the roles of elite Ghost soldiers tasked with dismantling a powerful drug cartel. The game offers a seamless and immersive cooperative experience, allowing players to team up with friends to strategize their approach to missions.

With a wide range of weapons, vehicles, and equipment at their disposal, players have the freedom to tackle objectives in various ways. Ghost Recon: Wildlands provides a thrilling combination of tactical gameplay, stunning visuals, and a massive open world.

Related: 10 Best Tactical Shooters on PS4 and PS5

Vigor

Vigor is a multiplayer online shoot-and-loot game developed by Bohemia Interactive. Set in post-apocalyptic Norway, players take on the role of an Outlander, battling against other survivors for resources and survival. The game combines third-person shooting, strategic planning, exploration, and looting as players scavenge for essential supplies.

With its unique focus on strategy toward finding supplies, Vigor offers a thrilling and competitive experience that keeps players on their toes. Players can build shelter, customize their characters, and engage in intense firefights in a constantly evolving and dangerous world. Vigor provides a fresh take on the survival shooter genre.

Rainbow Six: Extraction

Rainbow Six: Extraction is a spin-off of the famous Rainbow Six Siege, which introduces a new gameplay experience centered around an alien parasite threat. Players are sent out in a squad to neutralize these extraterrestrial creatures in intense, strategic encounters. With various unique abilities and gadgets at their disposal, teamwork and coordination are crucial to success.

The game offers a range of challenging missions across different regions, providing a dynamic and immersive gameplay experience. Rainbow Six: Extraction delivers pulse-pounding action for fans of the Tactical Shooter genre.

Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts

Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts is a stealth-based first-person shooter that doesn’t have the most significant following, but it should. The game emphasizes long-range shooting and strategic decision-making — similar to Sniper Elite 4 and 5. With a focus on mission-based gameplay, players can approach objectives in multiple ways.

Players have a range of weapons, gadgets, and equipment to enhance the sniping experience and add to the tactical nature of the game. The game forces the player to think things through before acting, making success feel like you truly earned it. Realistic mechanics and intriguing environments make it a satisfying choice for fans of the sniper genre seeking a tactical gameplay experience.

Hunt: Showdown

Hunt: Showdown is a thrilling multiplayer first-person shooter developed by Crytek. Set in a dark and atmospheric setting, players become bounty hunters tasked with eliminating monstrous creatures. The game combines PvE and PvP, creating addicting and strategic encounters. Players must track down their targets, navigate dangerous environments, and contend with rival hunters, all while managing limited resources.

Hunt: Showdown requires a lot of determination and planning to come out on top and survive to see another day. With its unique blend of horror, survival, and competitive elements, Hunt: Showdown offers a unique adrenaline-pumping experience that rewards teamwork and cooperation.

Top Tactical Shooters for PS4 and PS5

In no particular order, here are our picks for the best Tactical Shooters on the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. If you’re looking to pick up a new game, one of these is definitely for you!

Insurgency Sandstorm

Insurgency Sandstorm is a silent hitter with fast-speed and realistic close-quarters combat similar to Rainbow Six. It also has a military-style gameplay experience while going up against other people on a large map. This game requires players to concoct a strategy with their squadmates before hitting the ground running. Insurgency Sandstorm demands players to think things through before executing, as it is possible to get killed with a single bullet if you make a mistake. Once your well-thought-out plan succeeds, it’s a great feeling — making this one of the best Tactical Shooters available on PlayStation consoles.

Enlisted

Enlisted is an excellent choice for players looking for a squad-based tactical game set in World War 2. This MMO drops the player into large-scale World War 2 battles, where you have control of a very small squad amid all the madness. You can choose between countries, and the number of troops in your squad changes depending on which country you pick. The game focuses significantly on accuracy, making shooting skills the most important. But, on the tactical side, you need to plan where your troops will head, such as flanking the opponent, to win the battle for your side. Communication is also essential to succeed in this game.

Payday 2

Payday 2 has a great community following, and with the announcement of a 3rd one on the way — there’s no better time to go back to it and play it. Out of all the options on this list, Payday 2 probably has some of the best co-op fun that can be had with friends. Tasked with completing heists and collecting cash, you can use this cash to go ahead and upgrade your character for the next run. It’s an addicting loop and does require a handful of strategies and cooperation between everyone in the squad to maximize the cash flow and complete each heist. Also, with its support over the years, it has improved significantly.

The Division 2

The Division was great, but the sequel is much better. Set in the future of Washington, D.C., you play as an agent trying to rebuild the city after a genetically engineered virus was released to the public. It’s a cool premise, but it also includes a good amount of tactical mechanics that make it fit right at home in the genre. There’s online play, where you can invade government buildings to complete missions — some requiring cooperation between everyone in the group and each person having their own assignment. You also need to find ways to improve your gear and stats to succeed in your fights against the more challenging bosses.

Related: 10 Best Single-Player PC Games

Ghost Recon: Breakpoint

Ghost Recon: Breakpoint had a lot of negative criticism when released in 2019. Some of the criticism is valid, but this doesn’t negate the fact that the game is good and has improved tremendously over the past four years. Like Wildlands, the game has a ridiculous amount of content to keep the player busy — each requiring using tactical gear to mark enemies. Strategy is present where it involves stealth, silenced weapons to go unnoticed, and different ways to go about each activity. It isn’t the best tactical shooter on this list, but it is worth trying.

Ghost Recon: Wildlands

Ghost Recon: Wildlands had a rocky start, and fans of the series weren’t too fond of it. As the game started getting support from Ubisoft, its player base grew into a community dedicated to the Tactical Shooter. There’s a lot to love in this game, as it is an open-world sandbox filled with strategy mechanics. This game shines when you play with a group of friends, communicating with one another about which move you will make next. There’s a lot of leniency for the player, where your squad can take it slow or go into the enemy base gun-blazing. It’s a grand ole time.

Sniper Elite 5

Sniper Elite 5 is the latest entry in the long-running franchise, Sniper Elite. This game is about sniping specific targets from a long distance, but it’s more complicated than it sounds. The game puts the player on a giant map, where they must sneak around to find the correct spot and position to kill the intended target. It’s a lot of fun to scope out the area and plan your approach on how you will succeed, similar to how the Hitman series does its tactical gameplay. If you are a massive fan of snipers in shooters, Sniper Elite 5 is a must-play.

Metal Gear Solid 5: Phantom Pain

Metal Gear Solid 5 is the best of both worlds. It can be a gun-blazing action game or a tactical shooter where you must approach each mission carefully and precisely. It has a big emphasis on the latter, where the game allows a variety of ways for players to play how they would like. Use binoculars for long range-recon, send the iDroid to gather vital intel, and take down the enemies with incredible sneak attacks from behind. If you want to feel like a real special operations agent — Metal Gear Solid 5 is your best bet.

Star Wars: Republic Commando

Star Wars: Republic Commando is one of the best Tactical Shooters on the PS4. Initially released for the earlier consoles, it was remastered for PS4 and is still as great as it was back in the day. The game focuses on teaming up a group of Clone Troopers, each with their own specialties and characteristics. The goal of this game is to embark on missions as you take control of your troops — commanding them to use their specialties to progress further. It’s surprisingly complex for its time, and the fact that it takes place in the Star Wars universe makes it solidify itself as one of the best Tactical Shooters.

Rainbow Six: Seige

Rainbow Six — the godfather of all Tactical Shooters — cannot be missed by anyone who is a fan of this genre. What makes Rainbow Six: Seige so great is that it’s almost impossible to succeed alone, as each operator has their own skill set that compliments one another. The gunplay is stellar in Seige, where you can lean over the walls and shoot when you find the right time to strike and blow up holes in the wall. Not only that, but the game demands pinpoint accuracy but also makes it accessible for newcomers to the genre. Each round is different than the last, keeping the experience fresh and exciting. Rainbow Six: Seige is the best Tactical Shooter on the PlayStation consoles.

The Best Order to Play The Final Fantasy Games

Although all of the Final Fantasy main games are divided by their entry number chronologically, each number represents an independent storyline. That means that there is no absolute order to play it, as you can enjoy them in any order you wish to, without the fear of missing out.

With that said, we recommend that those looking to jump into the franchise begin by playing either Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy IX, or the original Final Fantasy VII, as they are all great entry points to both the franchise’s narrative style and the systems feature in its majority. As a plus, it is safe to say that they are undoubtedly the most beloved Final Fantasy single-player experiences. The upcoming Final Fantasy XVI can also be considered as a great entry point.

If you then get hooked and trust us, you will, we then recommend that you either try out some of the classics or some other newer entries. Our top picks would be either Final Fantasy IV or XII.

Related: Best Final Fantasy Gifts That Will Make Any Party Complete

How to Play All Final Fantasy Main Games in Chronological Order

Here’s how to play all of the main Final Fantasy games + their related spin-offs in chronological order (based on their title numbers, not release dates):

• Final Fantasy
• Final Fantasy II
• Final Fantasy III
• Final Fantasy IV
  • Final Fantasy IV: The After Years
• Final Fantasy V
• Final Fantasy VI
• Final Fantasy VII
  • Final Fantasy VII Remake + EPISODE INTERmission
  • Final Fantasy VII Crisis Core / Crisis Core Reunion (Although a prequel, it is highly recommended to play it after finishing either the main game or Remake INTERmission in order to jump into Rebirth fully prepared).
  • Final Fantasy VII Rebirth – Will be released on January 2024. Exclusively for the PS5.
• Final Fantasy VIII
• Final Fantasy IX
• Final Fantasy X
  • Final Fantasy X-2
• Final Fantasy XI
• Final Fantasy XII
• Final Fantasy XIII
  • Final Fantasy XIII-2
  • Final Fantasy XIII Lightning Returns
• Final Fantasy XIV
• Final Fantasy XV
• Final Fantasy XVI – Will be released on July 22, 2023. Exclusively for the PS5.

Although they are not considered part of the main line of games, those looking to jump into the Final Fantasy franchise should also pay special attention to Final Fantasy Tactics.

If you are already a fan of the series and ended up stumbling into this article for sheer curiosity, we also highly recommend playing THEATRHYTHM FINAL BAR LINE, a sequel to the 3DS spin-off currently available for PS4, PS5, and Nintendo Switch.

The Story

After reuniting with Gwen Stacy, Miles begins his journey through the Multiverse. Along the way, he meets the Spider-Society, led by Miguel, aka Spider-Man 2099, whose members are fellow Spider-Man variants from other universes. Their mission is to safeguard the multiverse from abnormal occurrences and ensure significant events, including Uncle Ben’s and Captain Stacy’s deaths, to occur as intended. However, the heroes’ disagreements arise when confronting a looming danger. As a result, Miles finds himself at odds with his fellow Spiders and must redefine his understanding of heroism to protect his loved ones.

The Animation Styles

When comparing the animation style to the first film, Into the Spider-Verse, which only had one animation style that dominated the film, Across the Spider-Verse boasts six animation styles that are seamlessly integrated into the film. Despite the daunting task of executing so many styles, the creators were able to masterfully utilize the tools from the first movie and expand upon the lessons learned from their work on another animated film, The Mitchells Vs. the Machines, to deliver an animated film that leaves viewers in awe with each new environment. The multitude of animation styles serves the crucial purpose of aligning the movie’s style with the story and evoking emotions through the imagery.

The Score

The composer behind the score for Into the Spider-Verse, Daniel Pemberton, has once again produced an exceptional and varied soundtrack for Across the Spider-Verse. The score is remarkable for its wide-ranging selection of music, thoughtfully chosen to match the six animation styles.

For instance, Pemberton expertly adapted the music for Gwen’s world to complement watercolor drip visuals with music inspired by the ’90s and 2000s synth, indie pop, and grunge. Meanwhile, the music for Spider-Man 2099’s universe was crafted differently to suit its futuristic, gritty, and technological themes that make you feel a bit uneasy. Finally, our hero Miles’ world is much more influenced by hip-hop culture, and record scratching was one of the key elements used in the score for his universe. The changes in music to fit the different animation and art styles make you relate to the characters, their emotions, and their world, which is a compelling way to tell their story.

The soundtrack also features original tracks by Metro Boomin, who is recognized for his collaborations with popular artists such as Drake, Travis Scott, Future, and Young Thug. His contemporary hip-hop music style with a dark twist is an ideal match for the Spider-Verse, as it aligns well with themes of teenage turmoil, mortality, and overcoming adversity.

You Can’t Run Forever, Kid

It’s a common trend among popular franchises to incorporate many characters and references in their films to pull in fans from multiple generations. Although this approach can be entertaining for fans, it can also lead to complications with the movie itself. For instance, Across the Spider-Verse displayed over 240 unique character models from six alternate universes, showcasing the franchise’s various Spider-Man and villain iterations. While this was a thrilling spectacle, it was also overwhelming to process while trying to watch the story unfold.

In addition, it feels like the third act of Across the Spider-Verse was shortened because of the way the climax and ending happen so abruptly when compared to other movies, such as Infinity War and Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, both of which were used to set up the events in the concluding chapter, but in a natural way. The unexpected conclusion of the Into the Spider-Verse sequel was due to the studio’s decision to split it into two parts. The project’s expansive nature, involving an intricate score, varied animation styles, and collaboration with numerous filmmakers, directors, and producers, exceeded their original plans. Although I appreciate their efforts to create memorable films, the sudden ending was somewhat disconcerting.

The Verdict

Across the Spider-Verse has a strong chance of winning another Oscar for the Best Animated Feature because its captivating storyline, unique animation styles, and exceptional soundtrack make it one of the finest Spider-Man movies ever created. One of the reasons I prefer watching movies in cinemas is to share the emotions of fellow moviegoers. At the end of this film, most of the audience stood up and applauded, a rare occurrence that I couldn’t help but join in because of how enjoyable and emotionally engaging the movie was. While the abrupt ending to the film only slightly soured this experience, I wondered how the concluding chapter could outdo this hugely ambitious project making my Spidey-Senses tingle with excited anticipation of how Miles will save the day.

Related: Assassin’s Creed Mirage Aims to Restore the Assassin’s Creed Series to Its Former Glory

Assassin’s Creed Mirage Release Date and My Hopes

From the PlayStation Showcase 2023, we learned that Assassin’s Creed Mirage is coming out October 12, 2023. With that in mind, I have six desires for how Assassin’s Creed Mirage needs to revisit the old AC formula, but improve upon it.

Tailing Missions

The biggest complaint I have about old Assassin Creed games is that they made famous tailing missions. Tailing missions, in there current state, are not fun. If Assassin’s Creed Mirage can add extra distractions and/or excitement to tailing missions — or just take them out entirely — that would be a major upgrade from the old AC games.

Stealth

For a game about sneaking around assassinating people, the stealth in the old AC games are abysmal. Quite frankly, there isn’t stealth in the early AC games. You couldn’t even crouch until Assassin’s Creed Unity, and we all know by then it was too late.

To make Assassin’s Creed Mirage a truly great original AC game, but better, it needs to have solid stealth options in and out of missions. And I’m not talking shrubbery stealth. That’s fine, but we deserve a full-on Hitman-esque stealth system with Assassin’s Creed Mirage.

Boring Missions

Let’s be honest, there are like two missions you remember from the old Assassin’s Creed games. Assassinating that horrible doctor Garnier de Naplouse in Assassin’s Creed 1 and flying with Da Vinci’s flying machine in Assassin’s Creed 2. For Assassin’s Creed Mirage to be great, it needs exciting missions with a strong narrative.

Combat

While the combat of the early AC games isn’t horrible, it can definitely be redefined and updated. AC games have come a long way with combat. I’m not asking Assassin’s Creed Mirage to be an RPG like the modern open-world games, no, that would defeat the purpose of “return to form.” Instead, I hope Assassin’s Creed Mirage delivers a unique and interesting combat system that feels fun and fair.

World Variety

This one feels like a shoe-in based on how beautiful Baghdad already looks from the screenshots and trailers, but my memories of Assassin’s Creed 1 and 2’s visuals have morphed into a light blue, grey, and white mess of cobblestone and rooftops. It’d be really nice to play a fresh Assassin’s Creed game with gorgeous landscapes and fluid ways to navigate them.

The Influences

When Red Barrels set out to create The Outlast Trials, it faced a crucial question: How could they transform the success of the Outlast franchise into a multiplayer game? The studio’s answer came from three specific movies that influenced their game design, including Saw II, which highlighted the group dynamic of trapped victims, Rob Zombie’s 31, and the 1997 film Cube.

The next challenge was to justify keeping a group of players trapped. To address this, Red Barrels turned to three experiments that examined how humans would react under specific circumstances. It also drew from famous works about brainwashing to create the motivations of the Murkoff company.

One of the experiments Red Barrels used was the Stanford Prison Experiment, which simulated a prison environment and social roles. However, things escalated quickly, and the experiment was stopped after only six days instead of the intended two weeks. They also looked at the Stanley Milgrim Shock Experiment, which explored how people react under pressure.

Finally, Red Barrels drew inspiration from Robert Jay Lifton’s work on brainwashing and the famous film, The Manchurian Candidate. The latter tells the story of US soldiers captured and brainwashed during the Korean War to carry out a terrible plot against the US Government.

The Story

The Outlast Trials is set during the Cold War era when Murkoff Corporation subjects individuals to involuntary testing. These tests involve various brainwashing and mind control methods that are gruesome and often result in horrific outcomes.

A Trial is Broken into three phases:

• Break the Self
• Rebuild the Self
• Salvation

Merkoff’s construction of large hangars has a unique purpose: creating artificial movie sets to simulate various responses to therapy. Red Barrels made a brilliant narrative choice by incorporating this concept into a level design. With this newfound freedom, the studio is no longer limited to specific genres or traditional level design, allowing for limitless possibilities in their creations. I’m eagerly anticipating the trials it will unveil using this innovative approach.

Programs

The Programs system consists of a series of trials that allow participation in various Merkoff experiments. Three primary programs will be available for users to complete throughout the Early Access phase.

1. Program 1: Police Station
2. Program 2: Fun Park
3. Program 3: Orphanage
4. Program 4: Classified

After completing the first three Programs, you will gain access to the Classified program. This seasonal system is designed to offer you fresh challenges and experiences. Red Barrels has made an excellent decision by introducing a new Program each season, keeping the gameplay exciting.

As you progress through the Programs, you can complete several mini-trials, which take you to different parts of the map. For example, the first side trial will take you to another section of the Police Station and demand different objectives. Completing these side trials will earn you additional rewards and experience points.

Once you have completed all the tasks within a program, you will face a Final Exam that will test your skills, knowledge, and mettle. The exam will be a more challenging version of the program, making it difficult to complete.

Program Objectives

To finish a program, you must tackle a series of objectives during the trial. These objectives may be risky and require careful consideration for the best solutions.

• Corpses: You will need to find the matching symbol on a locked to door and then search that corpse for a key. Search the wrong corpse and you will be punished.
• Precision Throwing: You will be tasked with throwing objects at targets while avoiding the bad guys on the map.
• Push Carts: You will have to push an object from one area of the map to another. However, there will be locked doors, enemies, and other annoyances that will try to stop you from doing so.
• Replace Movie Reels: You will be tasked with finding movie reels, carrying them to a specific location, and then putting them on a projector.
• Valves: In order to find the correct valves for you to spin you will need to follow their associated pipes through the map. These are usually guarded by traps or bad guys.
• Frequency Device: You must swap the broadcasting of songs to the more Merkoff approved radio station.

During each available program, you may need to complete multiple objectives simultaneously. For example, when pushing the Snitch in the Police Station, it will be necessary to search for the keys to unlock the gates obstructing your path.

Tools

Various tools can be utilized during a trial to make the challenging experience more manageable.

• Bottles: Can be thrown against the environment to distract enemies or used as a weapon to stagger them while you run away.
• Bricks: You can throw bricks at enemies to stagger and knock them down. There is also a Pharmacy ability that lets you immediately escape a grasper when it grabs you.
• Stamina Syringe: Used to help you run longer because sometimes a chase will go on longer than your normal stamina bar can handle.
• Lock Pick: Used to open containers that hold valuable items.
  • Pro Tip: Be careful of traps within containers. You will see the trap in the corner of the box and will have a few seconds to back away from it before it goes off.
• Health Bottle: Used to heal your life after taking damage from enemies and traps.
• Antidote: Used to prevent the Slimmer Man from killing you during a trial.
  • Pro Tip: Always have one in your inventory at all times. You’ll never know when you need it, and not having one can cost you a life.

During the trial, I always had many tools at my disposal. My inventory slots were consistently full, and I frequently switched out items to use them on the spot, preventing any from going to waste. As a result, I found that certain Rigs and Pharmacy perks were less essential, and I prioritized ones that couldn’t be accomplished with any of the tools above.

NPCs

Apart from the standard tools, you can enhance your character’s abilities by procuring additional skills from three distinct NPCs who are also residents of the Sleep Room. To acquire these skills, you will require a virtual currency known as Tickets.

• Rigs: You can purchase new rigs which unlock new hardware for your character. For instance, you can unlock a mine that will explode when an enemy triggers it. The explosion will create a smoke cloud that confuses them.
• Pharmacist: You can purchase new abilities for your character that will allow you to survive easier. For instance, you can buy a sliding ability that will let you quickly slide through small holes in the environment.
• Amps: Contraband materials that help you survive even more in trials. However, you must be level 10 to unlock these.

Enemies

During the trial, you will face seven distinct adversaries. Each of them reacts differently to the surrounding environment, and you must respond accordingly to evade their attacks.

• Grunt: These are big melee enemies that will knock you over if hit
• Eye Hunter: Has goggles like the player but can’t turn them off
• Berserker: Blind big baddy that can hear really well
• Pouncer: Hides in hiding spots. The player must notice them or be attacked by them.
• Pusher: It gives you a solid dose of a drug that causes hallucinations
• Skinner Man: Chases you while you are under the influence of drugs. You must outrun him or find the antidote to escape him before he kills you.
• Screamer: Got to be silent around him. If he wakes up, he will scream and attract other enemies.

In my experience, the Grunt has been the most bothersome foe. They persistently pursue you unless you successfully evade them, necessitating a lengthy trek to the opposite end of the map. Once you’ve managed to shake them off, they will generally return to their standard patrol path, which often includes critical objective locations.

Character Customization

The Sleep Room is crucial as the social hub and central area between trials. Red Barrels has recently introduced a progression system with several new options previously unavailable during the closed beta. This development is fascinating as it adds depth to the gaming experience. As I completed different programs and earned cash, I had a great time designing my room in the Merkoff facility. Another impressive feature is that while in The Sleep Room, you can view other players’ rooms, providing insight into their fantastic designs.

Furthermore, you can customize your character’s appearance, including their face, hair, and voice. You can also personalize your night vision goggles, shirt, pants, and more, ensuring that patients do not look identical. I appreciated this feature as it enhances the game’s immersion, and running around as the same-looking character can be a bit jarring.

Solo and Multiplayer Experiences

There’s no difference in the experience whether you play solo or co-op. The number of players in a trial doesn’t affect much. Red Barrels wants players to decide if they want to go through therapy to gain their freedom and, if so, how. I completed all three programs and their mini-trials while playing solo. It’s doable but definitely more challenging because you don’t have anyone to help distract enemies while you complete objectives.

In the Fun Park trial, for example, you need to push the Root Canal cart to the end of the ride. However, the main antagonist of that trial will chase after you while you try to do so. So I had to evade the antagonist, push the cart, evade again, push again, and repeat until I completed the objective. I finished each primary program in about 70 minutes, but I think it would take about half that time with an entire team.

It’s important to note that a constant internet connection is required for The Outlast Trials, even when playing solo. This is because the game client needs to connect to the servers for The Sleep Room. Although some may view this as a downside, it enables Red Barrels to keep the game updated with fresh content. Additionally, pausing the game during a trial is impossible, but there are no timeouts. I’ve found myself hiding in a locker and walking away from the game while taking a short break outside to walk my dog.

What’s Next?

Red Barrels is approaching the development of The Outlast Trials like a television show. It plans to follow a development and release strategy that mirrors a TV show’s initial development. The anticipated path includes the following:

• Closed Beta: Served as their proof of concept
• Early Access: Serves as their pilot episode
• Version 1.0: This will be their first season

You can also expect the following content to be added during this deployment process:

• Therapy will improve overtime as Murkoff improves their methods
• New trials and challenges will be added regularly
• The Murkoff facility will be expanded
• Existing characters will have their own arcs
• New foes and allies will be introduced
• Unexpected events will be added like the shuttle breaking down

The release of The Outlast Trials on consoles is expected during the Version 1.0 deployment period. Although there is no definite timeline for the Version 1.0 release, Red Barrels is eager to achieve this milestone as soon as possible, encouraging news for the game’s longevity.

Best Fall Guys Creative Maps of All Time

10. Solo Full-Tilt Rage | 6444-4459-5271

This map utilizes a nice mechanic that flows through the level. Using many springy bounce pads, you have to navigate to the end while avoiding the spinning spiked cylinder rollers. It will probably take you a good chunk of time to complete but the reward will all be worth it!

9. Never Gonna Give You Up | 7410-0705-0979

Ah, the classic Rick Roll in Fall Guys form — thought you could go a month without another Rick-Roll? It seems not! With this map, you will have to navigate up the side of a wall at first and then eventually proceed with the rest of the map. Rick Astley unfortunately isn’t singing in the background but you could have that by putting on Spotify (or Apple Music if you prefer) while playing.

All in all, this is an enjoyable and interesting map to work through.

8. Twisting Tower | 8365-4077-8899

A map with you climbing up a tower avoiding obstacles as you go. There are various different small routes you can take while climbing — meaning plenty of replayability value. If you are looking for something that is a bit more contained in a central area then this is the one for you.

Related: Twitch streamer’s Fall Guys creation draws praise from critically acclaimed level designer

7. Terminal Slime-ocity | 9541-0497-1157

This is one of the most creative Fall Guys maps we have ever seen. Not only does it combine effective game mechanics, but it also teaches the player of their usage through impactful map design. I know the importance of an effective tutorial as a games designer myself and teaching mechanics can be a tricky thing at first. As you slide down ramps on this level and time your jumps, it is a thrill for the ages!

6. Digital Deathrun | 4287-2817-3173

A difficult map that will require lots of timing and precision to complete but once you get into the rhythm of the level it all starts to come together. This is one of those maps that you will likely attempt for a little while one night then go back to it another. It’s speedy and ideal for any time you’re looking for a challenge in Fall Guys.

5. Pinball Whizzer | 9669-4514-2846

This one looks fun right from the get-go. Faced with a large ramp to climb up you’ll have to make split-second choices on deciding where to travel to on the ramp. The turntable section will likely be very chaotic so it’ll be great to keep an eye on when other players plan on opening one to make your dash through.

Related: How to Find Your Fall Guys Creative Map Share Code

4. Tower of Pseudo | 2886-5430-9259

Tower of Pseudo is another map where namely a tower (surprise surprise) is involved. This one becomes a bit of a puzzle map thanks to the falling floors that are placed in sections. It is a brilliant map to play anytime you’re wanting to bring some knowledge into Fall Guys and build up run patterns. It is definitely a map that you will want to check out soon.

3. Blinky Spabbles | 6656-3877-0768

A classic-style Fall Guys map that is very short and sweet. This will be an excellent map to play through with some of your friends/other people and enjoy working your way through the various obstacles. I think one of the best parts is when you have to avoid the fruit-shooting cannons which can always be a ton of fun.

2. Celestial Slimefall | 8256-2698-3061

Out of every map on this list: this will likely be one of the most difficult you will encounter. The starting section in particular can be brutal since you have to time your jump precisely to land on one fan spinning up. A jump and dive will be your friend at this part. However, the general flow and challenge of the map feel extremely nice and are worth the trial.

Related: All Fall Guys Season Start and End Dates

1. SNEK | 2734-5123-1618

Snek is perfect for those who want a tough challenging level but one with an overall interesting design. Set in what is meant to be a snake, you have to navigate around spinning axes and avoid gaps in the floor. I personally recommend choosing a right-hand route for less risk since the spawn points can be quite unforgiving. It is an extremely enjoyable map.

I have been playing through all of the best Fall Guys creative maps on PlayStation 5 — we hope you enjoy your time working through all of them as we did!

In this article, we’ve listed every single Pokémon Build-A-Bear “bear” in the order of their release and included some interesting facts and information on their exclusive online accessories.

All Pokemon Build-a-Bear Bears in Release Order

All regular Pokémon plushies at Build-A-Bear Workshop have been released alongside online-exclusive bundles typically containing two pieces of clothing and a sound box with variations of the Pokémon’s cry. Prior to late 2019, both in-store and online purchases also included an exclusive trading card.

Pikachu

The first Pokémon Build-A-Bear released was the franchise’s iconic mascot, Pikachu, in December 2015. Pikachu’s online bundle included an online-exclusive Charizard hoodie and a Poké Ball hoodie that was also sold separately in-store.

Eevee

Eevee was released in September 2016 and remains one of the most popular Pokémon Build-a-Bears. Its online bundle included an exclusive cape and a sleeper explicitly designed to fit Eevee’s body.

Interestingly, a new design for Eevee was implemented a few years after its initial release, making minor changes and completely replacing the original model. The most notable difference is its eye color, with its brown irises removed in the current design.

Charmander

Charmander was also released in September 2016, along with an online-exclusive bundle containing a Lucario and Great Ball hoodie. The Lucario hoodie has since been replaced with a Charmander-themed sleeper.

Squirtle

Squirtle joined Build-a-Bear Workshop in June 2017 with an online-exclusive bundle including a Poké Ball raincoat and Ultra Ball hoodie.

Meowth

Team Rocket’s iconic companion, Meowth, became available in September 2017. Its online bundle included a Team Rocket and Quick Ball hoodie.

Vulpix

Vulpix was released in October 2017, with its online bundle garbing everyone’s favorite six-tailed fox in a cozy Poké Ball sleeper and Vulpix cape.

Bulbasaur

With Charmander and Squirtle already available, it was inevitable that Bulbasaur eventually completed the iconic trio. Bulbasaur was released in November 2017 and was the first Pokémon Build-A-Bear plush to have accessories included in its online bundle — a Bulbasaur-themed hat and scarf — rather than clothing. A giant, protruding bulb on your back makes wearing clothes difficult.

Related: What is Pokemon Sleep? All Functions, Explained

Jigglypuff

Jigglypuff became available to purchase in May 2019. Its online bundle included a Jigglypuff cape and a microphone inspired by the one that regularly appeared in the Pokémon anime.

Alolan Vulpix

In an unexpected announcement, Alolan Vulpix was released in September 2017, marking the first regional form Pokémon Build-A-Bear and opening the floodgates for Pokémon outside of Generation 1 to receive plushies. Alolan Vulpix’s online bundle contained a cape and sleeper similar in design to regular Vulpix, albeit with a white and blue theme.

Piplup

Piplup was released the following month, in October 2017, and broke the boundaries of all Pokémon species in Build-A-Bear Workshop being picked from the original 151. Its online bundle included a Dive Ball hoodie and a blue Poké Ball parka.

Psyduck

To coincide with the release of Detective Pikachu in movie theatres, Psyduck was launched in May 2019, four days before the movie’s release date in the United States. Its online bundle included a Luxury Ball Hoodie and Psyduck raincoat.

Snubbull

Snubbull became available to buy on the same day as Psyduck in May 2019, capitalizing on its appearance in Detective Pikachu. Its online bundle was comprised of two pink bows and a shirt-vest combo.

Snorlax

Snorlax is unique in the fact that it has two size variations. A regular 16-inch Snorlax hit stores in August 2019, with a 24-inch “Jumbo” version sold exclusively online three months later in November 2019. Being the sleepy fellow that it is, Snorlax’s online bundle included a robe and sleeping cap.

Pichu

Pichu was released in October 2019. Since Pichu had no recent trading card releases at the time, a different Pikachu trading card was included with purchases instead. Its online bundle came with a blue Poké Ball cape and a Poké Ball hoodie that somehow had holes to fit its outrageously large ears. Pichu was also the last Pokémon Build-A-Bear plush to include a trading card.

Flareon

2020 is considered the beginning of the second phase of Pokémon Build-a-Bear plushes and started strong in January 2020 with the release of Flareon. Its online bundle included a Flareon Poké Ball sleeper and a Fire-type cape.

Related: How to Play the Pokémon Games in Order

Jolteon

Jolteon and Vaporeon were announced alongside Flareon but had staggered releases to allow time for wallets of Pokémon fans to recover. Jolteon became available in May 2020, with its online bundle including a Jolteon Poké Ball sleeper and Electric-type cape.

Vaporeon

Vaporeon completed the Kanto Eeveelution trio in August 2020. Its online bundle came with a Vaporeon Poké Ball sleeper and a Water-type cape to match its fellow evolutions.

Dragonite

Dragonite launched in December 2020, just in time for the holidays. Like Bulbasaur, Dragonite struggled to fit in clothes, meaning its online bundle included accessories: a Dragon-type hat and scarf and a purple Poké Ball cape that fit snugly around its shoulders.

Mew

The first and only Mythical Pokémon Build-A-Bear plush, Mew, was released in February 2002. Initially an online-exclusive “bear,” Mew came with a Master Ball hoodie and cape before being released as a standalone plush in-stores at a later date in certain regions.

Scorbunny

Proving to be incredibly popular in Pokémon Sword and Shield, Scorbunny released in May 2021. Scorbunny ordered online came with a comfy fire-type onesie and cape.

Espeon

Espeon was an online-exclusive bear released in September 2021. Being unavailable in-store, customers could only buy Espeon in a bundle that included a Psychic-type sleeper and purple Poké Ball cape.

Umbreon

Where Espeon goes, you’ll likely find an Umbreon not too far behind. Unlike its counterpart, however, Umbreon released both online and in-store in August 2021. Its exclusive online bundle included a purple Poké Ball sleeper and a black and red Poké Ball cape.

Gengar

The fan-favorite ghastly ghoul, Gengar, was released in September 2021. In the United States, its online bundle initially included a Gengar coat, though the UK also included a purple sleeper designed to fit its body. In all regions, the online bundle now consists of the coat, a top hat, and a scarf for a dashing look.

Glaceon

With the sheer popularity of Eevee and the five of its Eeveelutions, it was inevitable that the remaining Pokémon would join the collection. Glaceon was released in January 2022, with its online-exclusive bundle continuing the practice of having a themed Poké Ball sleeper and cape.

Leafeon

Leafeon followed shortly in March 2022, dressed in a green Poké Ball sleeper and matching cape when ordered online.

Grookey

The Generation 7 Grass starter, Grookey, launched in May 2022. Fans that ordered Grookey online received him dressed smartly in an Alolan-themed shirt and Grass-type cape.

25th Anniversary Pikachu (Male)

A new Pikachu was released in July 2021 specifically for the 25th Anniversary. This Pikachu had an updated, pudgier design, a permanent wink, an open mouth, and a unique sparkly silver BAB paw tag. Its online-only bundle included a 25th Anniversary varsity jacket and red Poké Ball sleeper with a thunderbolt symbol.

25th Anniversary Pikachu (Female)

The gender of a Pikachu is determined by the tip of its tail, with males having a lightning bolt shape and females having a rounded heart. A female 25th Anniversary Pikachu was released alongside the male variant in July 2021.

Not only does this Pikachu have a heart-shaped tail, but also incredibly sparkly fur. It also has both eyes open and a closed, smiling mouth. Its online bundle also differs from the male, offering a purple varsity jacket and sleeper.

Teddiursa

Putting the “Bear” in “Build-A-Bear” is Teddiursa, released in November 2022. Its online bundle includes a Teddiursa sleeper and a Teddiursa hoodie fashioned to fit its enormous head.

Sylveon

Sylveon hit stores in December 2022, finally completing the Eeveelution collection and allowing the bank accounts of Eevee fans everywhere to finally rest. When purchased online, Sylveon comes with a Fairy-type cape and sleeper, matching its eight other siblings.

Growlithe

The fearless and fluffy Growlithe was released in March 2023 alongside a Growlithe-themed cape and sleeper included in its online bundle.

Sobble

Completing the Galar starter trio is Sobble, released April 2023. Equipped with a smile instead of its usual teary-eyed look, Sobble’s online bundle includes a button-up Sobble shirt and cape.

For more excellent Pokémon content, check out our article on the best pink Pokémon of all time or a full list of Ash’s Pokémon in the anime. You can also visit our Pokémon tag page to catch up with all the latest news and guides.

After that, I had unrestricted access during a two-hour hands-on preview. This allowed me to play all five of the Factions, all five game modes, most of the 24 weapons and associated attachments, and 14 different maps. The result was a surprisingly fun take on the genre that made me want more after my hands-on preview.

Loadouts

The custom loadouts in XDefiant are of your typical variety. If you’ve built one in the last ten years, this will look extremely familiar. The one potentially negative aspect is the need to unlock different pieces of equipment through challenges and leveling before you can use them. This initial roadblock limits the loadout you can create but provides plenty of motivation to unlock everything.

XDefiant’s custom loadouts differ from other games because you can use your custom loadouts regardless of what Faction you pick. This means you can set your perfect loadout and use it whenever you change your Faction in response to how much is playing out. As a result, unlocking equipment through completing objectives doesn’t seem as bad now.

XDefiant Maps

What I loved about XDefiant was its map design. So typically, with shooters, we tend to gravitate to a handful of favorite maps and hate the rest, but the ones I got to play on were all enjoyable. Whether the fast-paced and small Arena map, the massive Meltdown map, or the brutal multilevel Attica Heights map, each was fun to play regardless of the game mode. The overall design, aesthetics, and visual aspects of the map are hands down better than most other games on the market today.

Game Modes

XDefiant takes game modes from popular first-person shooters like Call of Duty and Overwatch. For example, the Hot Shot game mode is the same as Call of Duty’s Kill Confirmed game mode. In this mode, you kill the enemy and collect their dog tags. You also have the chance to deny an enemy kill by collecting the dog tags of your fallen squadmates. Likewise, the Escort game mode in XDefiant is highly similar to the Payload game mode in Overwatch, where your objective is to escort a valuable payload from one side of the map to the other (or stop the other team from doing so).

Factions

Where XDefiant shines over other first-person shooter games like Call of Duty or Overwatch is the creation of the Ubiverse and the game’s classes being modeled after famous characters from within the Ubisoft library. What is even more exciting is that Ubisoft has plans to release a lot more Factions based on their games every season.

The five launch day factions include:

• The Cleaners are a faction of villains from Tom Clancy’s The Divison.
• The Phantoms are based on the Specialist class from Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Phantoms.
• The Libertad is a rebel group that fights the Castillo regime in Far Cry 6.
• The Echelon is from Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell game.
• The DeadSec is a hacking collective from the Watch Dogs video game series.

Near the end of my two-hour hands-on preview, I increasingly found that Libertad was the most popular faction. This is because three of the five players choose one of the two versions of Libertad in each match due to her overpowered self-heal and team-healing abilities. While it was amusing to be running around with a map full of Libertads, it was concerning about Ubisoft’s balancing of the five Factions (and additional Factions added later). If you or your team didn’t follow suit, killing the enemy and winning a match was hard because the other team could heal themselves or their teammates infinitely until they won.

Combat

All of the weapons felt overpowered and overly tuned during my hands-on experiences. For instance, you could defeat an enemy using an SMG before the clip was empty. Likewise, when used in close quarters, you could one-shot an enemy with the shotgun.

However, I found myself partial to the sniper rifle and light machine gun, depending on the size of the map and game mode. You can also one-shot an enemy while performing close quarters, with no scopes or long-range scoped shots. The Light Machine Gun has a huge ammo capacity but a slow reload time. However, I found that the ammo capacity lasted for the duration of enemy assaults, and I could reload again before they regrouped and attacked again making the slow reload time not an issue.

It’ll be interesting to see if the weapons will remain overpowered with no negative tradeoffs when the game launches and if they will adjust weapon performance using player feedback during hands-on previews and closed betas.

Additional Content

Along with unlocking equipment for your custom loadouts, you can do many additional tasks to keep yourself busy. This includes a seasonal Rewards Track where you can unlock exclusive Faction character skins, weapon wraps, equipment, and Faction characters. In addition, you can earn badges for performing specific in-game feats and complete challenges for every piece of equipment.

The Verdict

During the presentation, my initial reaction was that XDefiant would find a niche market with players who consume everything in the extensive Ubisoft library because it includes characters from their popular games, but that wouldn’t offer anything groundbreaking to the genre for unfamiliar players. However, I was pleasantly surprised with my short hands-on experience, and I believe XDefiant can shoot its way onto the scene and go head-to-head in the FPS arena for a long time.

10 of the Best Zombie Games on the PlayStation 5

Let’s take a look at the ten best zombie games currently on the PlayStation 5. These are in no particular order as they are all fantastic in their own way.

The Last of Us Part 1

Now some can argue that The Last of Us Part 1 doesn’t deserve to be on the list because they don’t believe this is a true remake of the 2013 masterclass hit. Yet, even if you don’t think it is an actual remake and more of a remaster, you can’t argue that they took one of the best PlayStation 3 games ever created and made it ten times better.

The core game is the same, but the details that Naughty Dog added make a lot of difference. The facial expressions, the enhanced sound effects, and the prettier graphics made it feel like a new game and felt right at home for the PlayStation 5. I want to touch on the facial expressions again and how important that is for a game filled with so much emotion—it makes all the dramatic moments hit a whole lot harder.

Resident Evil 4 Remake

It would only be a proper list by including the Resident Evil 4 Remake. After the somewhat disappointing Resident Evil 3 Remake—which is still a good game—fans were worried that Capcom wasn’t going to deliver to create the same experience that the original RE4 created. Everyone is more than pleased that their worries didn’t come to fruition, and the Remake is better than the original version in every way.

Leon is more badass in the remake version while using his corny one-liners that were in the original in 2005. It is the best of both worlds, and it makes it even better that Capcom made Ashley brighter in the Remake, making the scenarios with her much more pleasurable and less frustrating. It is an excellent remake on paper, one of the best PlayStation 5 games we have received so far, and easily a GOTY contender for 2023.

Back 4 Blood

Back 4 Blood is an excellent game if you are looking for one to play with your friends in cooperative play. The sequel to Left 4 Dead and Left 4 Dead 2 brought over the same charm and fast-paced action that fans grew to love from those entries. While not the scariest Zombie game on this list, moments of intensity will more than likely get your heart pumping as you scramble to find another bullet or gun.

Take on waves and waves of zombie enemies of different types and forms, all while communicating with other players to devise a plan. Going to this game alone isn’t wise as it focuses on teamwork and cooperation. Otherwise, the zombies are going to take you over quickly and easily.

Dying Light 2: Stay Human

Dying Light 2: Stay Human is the sequel to the cult classic Dying Light. While it keeps the basic formula of the original, it enhances it in every way by making it more intense through more parkour actions and cooler weaponry. A system that focuses on night and day cycles, where you need to plan your survival by figuring out the best travel time, it feels like a survival game at heart—while mixing some of the most fun gameplay in any zombie game.

What makes this game even better is that you can join or bring a friend into your game to help with your current survival mission. Together, you can devise a plan to deal with a horde of zombies while using crazy parkour moves and insane melee attacks to bash in the enemy’s skulls and limbs. It is a blast.

Related: 10 Best Single-Player PC Games.

Resident Evil: Village

Resident Evil: Village is the second addition to the Ethan Winters story of the Resident Evil series, and it takes a lot of notes from previous entries. Some can argue that Village is a spiritual successor to Resident Evil 4 and even follows the same formula as that game. You start in a village, go to a castle, and even end up on a factory-type island—just like what you see in RE4. While it can seem like a copycat in that regard, it is its own thing by bringing fresh ideas to the table.

The mix of horror and action is perfect here, as two sections of the game focus on the latter while two focus on the former. It was a great way to please fans who wanted one or the other, and mixing them made it into one of the highest-rated games on Steam to date.

Dead Space Remake

If you are looking for a zombie game that takes you on a ship in space while making you feel claustrophobic and scared to your wits throughout the whole gameplay—Dead Space Remake is for you. One of the best horror games when it was first released in 2008, it was such a hit that it then created two sequels that were regarded as excellent considering the story was so great—something hard to find in horror-action games.

The Remake on the new-gen consoles took what made the original so great and improved on it in almost every way possible. The graphics are gorgeous, the creepy sound effects are a constant, and the action gameplay is perfected to make it one of the best experiences on the PlayStation 5. The developers at Motive Studio went so far with this game that they even added a mechanic called the “Intensity Director,” which makes each playthrough feel a bit different, adding some longevity to the title.

The Callisto Protocol

Some people will disagree with this statement, but this is one of the best zombie games currently on the PlayStation 5. It deserves a spot on this list because it is so unique and different than what you typically get in a zombie game. While people will compare the game to Dead Space, the combat feels utterly seperate from that game, and for the most part, it is executed well.

The Callisto Protocol has the intensity of a zombie game in space but elevates it by making melee a focus instead of gun-ho shooting. This melee comes with a dodging mechanic that has you holding down the analog stick to dodge while finding the right time to strike your opponent back, and if you make a mistake, you will likely die. The difficulty is serious, but once you master what the game wants you to do—it becomes so much fun.

The Persistence

The Persistence is another game that takes place on a ship but feels different due to its roguelike qualities. Your goal is to fix the ship while trying to fight off the mutant-like zombies that come your way, and if you don’t, you will have to start from the beginning of your run—kind of like Returnal, for example.

The game offers players tons of weapons in ranged and melee, adding some customization to the gameplay. While this is true, The Persistence takes time and patience to master as the enemies get progressively more demanding, but this is all part of the addicting nature that the game intends to create, and it does it so well.

World War Z: Aftermath

Another horde-focused zombie game, World War Z: Aftermath, takes things to another level due to the many zombies the game throws at you. It isn’t overwhelming, though, as the game will provide players with the necessary tools and weapons to take them down in a bloodshedding manner that creates an addicting loop.

Based on the movie with the same name, World War Z, the Aftermath addition brings full crossplay so friends can play on different consoles and include new maps such as Rome and Vatican City. Each map included is unique and gives players the choice of how they would like to play this game. Nothing is better than taking down literally hundreds of zombies with your buddy.

Resident Evil 2 Remake

While Resident Evil 2 Remake initially came out for the PlayStation 4, Capcom did one for the fans and upgraded the game for the newest console. This update added quicker load times, better graphics, and smoother gameplay making a great game even better.

The Resident Evil 2 Remake had a lot going for it, having to take one of the best entries in the series and adapt it to the new generation while keeping the core of what made the original great. Capcom exceeded in every way, making the Remake arguably much better than the original and creating one of the scariest games known to date. Mr. X is terrifying here and creates tense moments from start to finish, always keeping us on the edge of our seats.

Rarest Super Mario Collectibles and Toys of All Time

10. Super Mario Bros. Coloring Book | Golden Books | 1989

Sometimes a collectible can either be something such as a figurine or even a book. This coloring book from 1989 based on Super Mario Bros. is extremely rare nowadays. Considering it went out of print, it can be very difficult to get your hands on one. It would be likely that those who do may not even color the pages due to their rarity.

9. Super Mario Plastic Modeling Kit | BANDAI | 1986

These types of kits are not massively common in current times, especially for the Mario franchise. The Plastic Modelling Kit from 1986 lets people create their own Mario models. There are even Lakitus and flowers to add to your collection. This specific kit is rare today and mostly everywhere you will notice it is out of stock. eBay will likely be your best bet for trying to find one of these.

8. R/C MicroSizers Mario Kart | Hobbico/Tomy Co. Ltd. | 2003

RC toys were all the rage back in the late 80s to the early 2000s and for good reason too. There were endless amounts of fun you could have while racing your cars around the rooms of the house or apartment. R/C MicroSizers Mario Kart combines everything you love about RC racing but incorporates it with the Mario Franchise. You can also put some parts together so it doubles up as another modeling kit in a way too.

Related: Best Mario Wii Games

7. Super Mario World Crane Game | Epoch Games

Crane games are excellent fun and there are even some Mario versions you can add to your collection. Specifically, the Super Mario World Crane Game from Epoch Games is one of the rarest. The box has a great design on the outside and will appeal to any shelf that you were thinking of having it on. Of course, you may actually choose to play the Crane game itself if you want to open the box.

6. Super Mario Galaxy DX Sofubi Flying Mario Figure | Banpresto | 2009

The figure hunters around will be pleased to know that there are indeed some much rarer Mario figures to collect. One such version is the DX Sofubi Banpresto Super Mario Galaxy figure. This is a roughly nine-inch figure that showcases Mario in a flying form — directly based on Mario Galaxy.

5. Super Mario Keyholders | Banpresto

For Super Mario fans always on the go, having some keyholders to attach to your bag or other accessories will always be worthwhile. These rare keyholders from Banpresto have Mario figures/dioramas attached to the key holder itself. This is a great way to express your love of the franchise and your appreciation for collecting.

Related: How to Play as Luigi in Super Mario Bros. 35

4. Super Mario Adventure Book (Double Trouble) | Clyde Bosco | 1991

This is one of the collectibles that can look great on a shelf especially if you are an avid reader. It is quite simply put a Mario adventure book. This is from a line of Nintendo Adventure Books published over the years. You may be able to find one around places such as eBay or vintage bookstores for not too high a price.

3. Super Mario Telephone | Bondwell | 1990

For those on the hunt for a rare telephone from the early 90s then you won’t have to look any further. This is a Super Mario telephone which features Mario literally coming out of a pipe on the phone itself. Because of its rarity, the price point can be quite steep. If you are someone who is looking to gather as many Mario collectibles as possible then this will be a must-have for your collection.

2. Club Nintendo Figure (Mario Characters Figurine) | Nintendo | 2010

This is an all-in-one figurine that doesn’t have just Mario, but also characters such as Bowser, Yoshi, and more. They are all present on a single circular stand that creates a nice scene for the adored characters of the franchise. The rare figure(s) can be still found to this very day with varying prices so be sure to check around before buying it automatically.

Related: These Amazing-Looking LEGO Super Mario Sets Include Sound Effects

1. Blue Yoshi Egg Plush | BANDAI | 1998

Yoshi as a blue plush may not be something you were expecting to hear about today. However, it is actually a very rare and cute plush that will be perfect to place near your bed. The plush itself also has an egg along with some purple shoes that Yoshi is wearing.

We could have also included the original Super Mario Bros. Game Cartridge in this list but it may not be considered too much as a collectible so to speak. Nonetheless, there are plenty of excellent Super Mario collectibles and toys to acquire based on the games and characters you love. Lets-a-go!

Regular DLC Packs Appear to Be One of Behaviour Interactive’s Lifelines

If you are a player of Dead by Daylight you will likely notice on your chosen storefront just how many DLC Packs there are for the game. Effective and frequent DLC Creation seems to be the key ingredient for some of the success. Not just any DLC but Licensed DLC too which features killers such as Pyramid Head from Silent Hill and Sadako Yamamura from The Ring.

Other games have successfully seen influxes of players thanks to licensed crossover events: Fortnite is a great example. Licensed franchises sell and they sell big. When you combine that with a horror game of this caliber you get a concoction that players love. Attach discounts to those DLC packs once in a while and suddenly Behaviour Interactive has an addictive successful formula.

Related: Best Survivor Perks to Use in Dead by Daylight

Even Meet Your Maker (Behaviour Interactive’s latest title) received a DLC pack on day one of its launch. Namely, The Scorched Necropolis Collection is themed around having “building and raiding cosmetics” inspired by Ancient Egyptian styles. Surprise surprise, this is also currently on discount for PlayStation Plus members — just when the game has been made free for the month.

Behaviour Interactive could be said to be geniuses with marketing and the results show — especially when Dead by Daylight is one of the most played games. So the fact that there is a crossover event in Dead by Daylight based on Meet Your Maker yet again shows how the studio keeps growing players’ interest in their other titles.

The Importance of Ongoing Developer Support for Titles such as Dead by Daylight

Developer Support is of course extremely beneficial to keeping players engaged in the games they enjoy. Even though DLC packs bring a lot of people back to their main titles on a regular basis, it would be exclusionary to have DLC be the pure focus. Some people can’t afford to be splashing out cash all the time so free content and in-game events bridge that gap.

Meet Your Maker may yet see similar success as Dead by Daylight over the years. All summarized: Unique games, frequently filled DLC packs, and developer support can be thought to be the building blocks of great success. Behaviour Interactive has certainly forged its own path with these. It is an exciting time to see what the future holds for the studio and others who may follow in their footsteps.

Recently, I was graciously invited by EA to participate in a hands-on gameplay preview of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor where I got to play four hours of the game. Though what I played was an early version of the game, and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor still has less than a month until it releases, I can confidently report that Respawn has taken the amazing foundation that Fallen Order established and elevates everything in almost every way.

A Long Time Ago… – The Story

We know that the story of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor picks up five years after the events of the first game. With that in mind, the hands-on preview that I played started one hour into the game and, by design, didn’t feature much context.

Related: Star Wars Fans Think Starkiller Could Be in the Jedi Survivor Trailer

Cal and BD-1 crash land on a planet named Koboh where they reconnect with Greez who used to pilot the Mantis but now runs a cantina. While looking for ways to fix the Mantis, Cal and BD-1 make dangerous discoveries that lead to something much bigger.

That’s all I can say about the story, but what I can confidently share is that the writing and pacing of the narrative are much better. From the relatively short time I spent with Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, I was impressed with the unexpected twists, emotionally impactful writing, and cohesive story progression that felt fulfilling and measured. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor’s writing and pacing are really brought to a new level.

…In a Galaxy Far, Far Away – The Open World, Exploration, and Level Design

One of the biggest upgrades to Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is the open world, exploration, and level design. There are sections of Survivor’s world that are very large, allowing you to travel to whatever looks interesting, and there are sections that are more linear, but even those have plenty of distractions.

The Open World and Exploration

For starters, the open world areas in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor are vast and very inviting. As you explore Koboh, you’ll come across Greez’s cantina which is part of a central town called Rambler’s Reach that acts as your home base. Here, you’ll be able to check out shops and unlock new vendors as you help people across the galaxy.

In my playthrough, there was no way to unlock sections of the map; you get to a high point, use the BD Visor as binoculars, and ping areas that look interesting. As you explore those areas, the map gets revealed. This is an amazing way to keep exploration grounded and focused on gameplay rather than feeling like a checklist of waypoints.

Also, there is no mission or quest log. In Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, you have one main waypoint which is the main story. Everything else is learned by word of mouth. As you talk to any of the NPCs that populate the world — none of which have exclamation points above their head or are marked on the map — you’ll maybe hear a rumor which is then marked on the map in a general location. This decision, again, makes for grounded gameplay that is curiosity-driven and, honestly, feels like it could be a revolutionary step forward for side quests.

The decisions to exclude a quest log and waypoints are genius as it keeps the flame of adventure roaring within the player. Thanks to the gorgeous geography of the landscape, there are hidden caves to explore, crevasses on hilltops to check out, and so much more. It’s very quality over quantity and intentionally player-trusting much like Elden Ring — which has the best open world to date — and I can’t wait to get back into Survivor and see what’s next.

The Level Design

While the attention to detail and level layout in Fallen Order was good, Survivor takes it to the next level — you don’t need the Force to sense a pattern here. The visuals in the landscapes, lighting, and minute details along with the expertly crafted familiar Star Wars sound effects make Survivor a feast for the senses.

The open world level design makes you want to keep exploring by just barely hiding that exotic-looking building behind the ridge of a plateau or burying a droid station up against the walls of a canyon. The more linear sections usually feature a few branching paths, plenty of shortcuts, and, in general, bigger areas to noodle around in. It speaks for itself — the detail and diverse level design of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is something to behold.

Two areas that held Fallen Order back were its confusing map and the lack of fast travel. I’m proud to say that the map in Survivor is similar, but enhanced. Its overall design is more readable with better marked open and closed areas and you have a player cursor on the map that has a progression line that tells you where you have been recently. Also, there is fast travel from Meditation sites!

As a last note, there is clearly a lot of love for Star Wars within Respawn Entertainment — and it shows in the gorgeously detailed and immediately immersive world design. The new characters are loveable and the droids are accurately hilarious. What more could you want in a Star Wars game?

Cal Got a Glow Up – The Customization and Collectibles

The Customization

In terms of exploration, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor keeps players interested by drastically improving the customization and collectibles. Cal is now a handsome man with the fashion sense to ditch the ponchos and change out his pants once in a while. You can customize Cal’s hair, beard, shirt, jacket, and pants, as well as select the color you want. These are unlocked just like they were in Fall Order, in those lovable boxes littered around the whole world, but opening them is much faster and has a ton of different animations.

Related: Goodbye Ponchos! Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Revamps Customization in Exciting Ways

You can also customize BD-1 from head-to-toe and pick individual colors for select parts of its body. You’ll also be able to swap out individual parts of your lightsaber, select individual colors for select sections, and choose the level of wear and polish.

The Collectibles

When exploring, you’ll find Priorite Shards which is a new currency that can be used at Rambler’s Reach shops. You can spend your Priorite Shards to unlock even more cosmetic options. On top of that, getting lost will help you find Jedi Chambers which are puzzle areas, Force Tears which offer permanent upgrades, and, of course, more Stim Canisters. With all these quality collectibles to experience, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor has multiple threads pulling you back into the great wide world.

Just Like the Simulations – The Combat and Mini-Bosses

The Combat

Cal Kestis starts Star Wars Jedi: Survivor knowing everything he did at the end of Fallen Order, so right from the jump, you can force push and pull enemies, throw your lightsaber, and double jump. All of these combat features make for immediately engaging and creative fights — and then it gets better.

In Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, there are five stances: single, double-bladed, dual wield, crossguard, and blaster. I didn’t get to play with crossguard or blaster; I only saw gameplay that looked insanely fun. However, the three stances available during my hands-on preview showcased the variety of combat playstyles available in this game.

Each stance plays very differently, features its own light and heavy attack speed and feel, and has individual skill trees with specialized abilities. For example, the dual wield stance heavy attack puts Cal into a force meditation state that, if attacked, allows him to immediately parry and counterattack which is great for close quarters. On the other hand, the double-bladed heavy attack does a big AoE lightsaber throw which is excellent to take out crowds.

The much more varied and satisfying finishers, the tactile nature of sheathing your blade after a fight, the fluid stance switches mid-combat — all of it works together to make the combat in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor incredibly addicting.

The Mini-Bosses

There were a few mini-bosses in Fallen Order, but the mini-bosses in Survivor look to take the Soulsborne-esque difficulty to a new level. After exploring a random cave, I discovered a Rancor mini-boss that would either one-shot me or take a massive chunk of my health down with just one hit (and I was playing on medium difficulty).

After dying a few times to the Rancor, a helpful dev told me that switching to the double-bladed stance is most effective against this particular boss. With that advice, I reentered the arena and managed to kill it on my first try. It was a legendary fight that spoke volumes to the engaging level of mini-boss difficulty, the versatility of different stances, and the overall fun that can be had with Survivor’s combat.

Final Thoughts

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is going to be truly incredible. From what I played and experienced, the game already plays and looks like a dream. Everything that worked in Fallen Order is elevated and everything that didn’t work has been reworked to great effect.

If you haven’t played Fallen Order, you have less than a month to enjoy it in preparation for Survivor. I can’t wait to play this game and am very much looking forward to the full release.

Best Simulator Games in Roblox

Animal Simulator

Ever wondered what it was like you put yourself in the shoes of an animal? Well then look no further than the Animal simulator. Here, you can choose from a plethora of different animals to become and roam the land. Not only that, but you can battle other animals, fight bosses and so much more that you can end up losing endless hours in this simulator. Go on, give it a try.

Bakery Simulator

Have you ever had a dream of running your own bakery? Bakery Simulator is something to jump right into, where you’ll have a chance to make over 75 unique items to serve to your patrons. Buying and upgrading new bits of equipment to ensure that you have the most stylish bakery around is exciting, and there is plenty to keep gamers occupied when they jump into this experience. Plus, the chance to earn rewards, and serve countless patrons is something we can all only dream of.

Billionaire Simulator

It is quite difficult to become a billionaire in real life so why not become one in Roblox instead? Yes, it may not be nearly as satisfying as being rich in real life but it’s a start. Create your own businesses and see the money roll in to use however you wish. Do you want a spaceship? You’ve got it. A garage full of new cars, it’s yours. The opportunities are endless when you’re a billionaire.

Related: Is Frontline Available On Roblox For Xbox?

Clicker Simulator

Gamers that like to collect coins and partake in a bit of platforming can leave the red plumber behind, as Clicker Simulator is here to take over in that regard. As players continue clicking to earn more coins and powerful allies, there are countless worlds to explore and pets to find. Much like Cookie Clicker, the idle nature of this experience lets gamers run it in the background to progress further than ever.

Destruction Simulator

Ever wondered what it would be like to be the one that detonates the bomb on a derelict building? Well, the Destruction Simulator could be the game for you. The main objective of this simulator is just to blow up anything and everything that comes your way, with an arsenal of weapons by your side.  It even won big at the 2019 Bloxy Awards for Favourite Breakout Game.

Laundry Simulator

Let’s be real, we all hate doing laundry in real life. It’s a pain, and it just takes way too long, but Laundry Simulator takes one of the most boring chores and makes it into something much more exciting than it has any right being. Alongside doing laundry, players can increase the size of their machine to comical levels, and even toss a friend in for a ride. Humorous, while also engaging, players looking to find something new to try on Roblox should give this a try.

Related: 10 Of The Best RP Games On Roblox

Master Punching Simulator

Players hoping to send punches flying toward enemies to defeat as many as possible, Master Punching Simulator could be the ultimate simulator experience to jump into. For those hoping to push themselves to new limits and become the most powerful player around, giving this experience a try can’t hurt at all. The only thing that may hurt is your foes after delivering as many punches as possible to them.

My Hello Kitty Cafe

Players that love the idea of running a cafe alongside their favorite Sanrio characters need to jump into My Hello Kitty Cafe as soon as possible. Working alongside these adorable creatures is one thing, but the ability to completely build your own unique cafe, as well as explore a large city helps this title stand out above the rest. With an excellent gacha gimmick that gives players the chance to start earning Sanrio friends and plenty of updates, this title is polished and has plenty to do in its world.

Pet Simulator X

One of the largest experiences on the Roblox platform, Pet Simulator X has plenty of excellent animals for players to find, purchase, and put to use. As gamers push to claim as many coins and diamonds as possible with the help of their friends, they’ll also find exciting worlds to explore and things to do. A great way to spend countless hours, as well as make some new friends along the way. Finding powerful pets is quite exciting, especially if you’re hoping to place far up on the leaderboard.

Pickaxe Mining Simulator

Much like Pet Simulator X, Pickaxe Mining Simulator allows players to run out into the world, smashing and crashing ores until they can become unbelievably wealthy. Alongside the chance to earn new pickaxes, gamers will also find that there are plenty of worlds to explore while earning themselves plenty of jewels and diamonds. Alongside the ability to upgrade themselves to become a master smasher, there is plenty of enjoyment to be found in this experience.

Related: Super Dunk Codes

Pilot Training Flight Simulator

Flight School may not be your best friend after the tediousness of the one that needs to be completed in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas but Roblox has made a simulator that has a more relaxed vibe to it. Pilot Training Flight Simulator allows you to fly some of the great aircraft of our generation and complete various tasks at your own pace.

Speedman Simulator

Speedman is one of the newer simulators on Roblox, having only been around since August, but that doesn’t stop it from being hugely popular. The simulator is similar to that of Strongman but instead of becoming the strongest, you need to become the next Usain Bolt and be the fastest. Train up and challenge those nearest and dearest to you to become the “Speedman”.

Strongman Simulator

Strongman Simulator gives you the tools to become the strongest in all the Roblox land. The simulator puts you in a gym with multiple different items and weights to help you become as strong as you possibly can. You can start small or go big, the opportunities are endless. To date, it is one of the more popular simulators on Roblox, with over 300 million visits since it was created by The Gang Stockholm in April of this year.

Super Power Training Simulator Classic

With the huge success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it comes as no surprise that players are wanting to immerse themselves in the world of superheroes. In the Super Power Training Simulator, you get to pick and perfect the powers of some of your favorite superheroes. Fly like Superman? Be a supervillain like Thanos? The opportunities are endless in this simulator.

Super Slime Simulator

While this may not be the most traditional simulator on the list, Super Slime Simulator is something unique. As players control a giant slime ball, they’ll need to work throughout the world that they inhabit and become larger and larger until they can absorb everything in their path. Players can also earn new items and capsules to increase their powers to new levels until they become number one on the leaderboards.

Squishmallows

For gamers hoping to live among their favorite squishy pals, Squishmallows is the experience for you. Not only will you have the chance to spend some quality time with your favorite creatures, mini-games, and activities pepper this title to make it one of the best simulators on the platform. Not only do you get to carry your favorite Squishmallows around, but also get to feed them, take them to cafes, and do countless other activities to grow your friendship with them. A must-play for any fan of the popular Squishmallow brand.

Related: Roblox PROJECT: Playtime Multiplayer Codes

Tower Defense Simulator

Zombies are coming and you need to defend yourself from the hordes of brain-eating monsters. There’s no better way to do that than to build towers, right? In the Tower Defense simulator, defeat the zombies across multiple different rounds, and if you want to test your zombie-defeating skills, higher your difficulty and take on some challenging bosses. With over 1 billion visits, this is one of the most popular simulators to date.

Treasure Hunt Simulator

While Treasure Hunting in real life may not be the most exciting thing, Treasure Hunt Simulator gives players the chance to find as many treasures as possible within its exciting world. For those hoping to hit it big on the beaches, caves, and sites of this world, Treasure Hunt Simulator may be the ultimate experience on Roblox. Alongside plenty of equipment to find and earn, players can also find pets to help them earn more treasure than ever before.

UFO Simulator

For gamers hoping to experience the world of extraterrestrials, UFO Simulator gives players the ultimate opportunity to become something out of this world. Players will need to work towards becoming the best Alien outside of the globe, abducting NPCs in the world to start their fleet to become the most powerful creatures ever created.

Vehicle Simulator

Cause your own vehicle chaos in the Vehicle Simulator. Choose from a large number of planes, cars, and boats to have endless fun with. There are plenty of activities to choose from. Have races, fly your plane around the open map or just drive around and create some fun for yourself. Yes, it may be similar to the Pilot Training Flight Simulator, but you have the added excitement of cars and boats giving it a GTA: Online feel.

War Simulator

This simulator could rival Call of Duty, well, kind of. The War simulator puts you in the middle of many battles. You can even fight in the historic Ancient Greek battles or fight for your country in World War I. Fight for your side and become the overall victor and the strongest soldier out on the battlefield.

Work At A Pizza Place

For those hoping to run the most successful pizza franchise on the face of the planet, Work At A Pizza Place is something to check into. Alongside the ability to jump right in and start working on making the best franchise around, players can also upgrade their living area while they live in this world. It’s also surprisingly relaxing in the long run, giving gamers a chance to escape the real world for a while with friends or random players in the experience.

Related: Roblox Chainsaw Man: Devil’s Heart Discord, Trello & Twitter Links

As gamers continue striving towards finding the ultimate Simulator title for themselves, there are countless experiences that they can lose themselves in. No matter if they’re searching for something more action-packed like Blox Fruits, or lose themselves in an engaging RPG like Era of Althea, Roblox is the ultimate platform for gamers to lose hours into.

The first beta weekend of Diablo 4 is now done and, after completing the entirety of Act 1 and crafting an awesome archery/poison trap/shadow Rogue with a focus on spreading Vulnerability, we can genuinely say that Diablo 4 is the grand return we were waiting for.

Diablo 4 Gameplay & Story

Diablo 4 is a streamlined and edified version of the past games’ mechanics and UI. If you’ve played any previous Diablo entry, you’ll feel right at home with Diablo 4. If you are new to the franchise, Diablo 4’s gameplay is extremely addictive and easy to love.

Related: Best Diablo 4 Sorceress Build – Skills, Stats, and Items

Diablo 4’s gameplay consists of getting and completing main and side quests, creatively obliterating large groups of enemies that all have unique attacks and abilities, and diving into challenging dungeons for essential character perks. You’ll gain experience by doing just about anything and use your skill points to create a specific class build.

Diablo 4 Classes

Speaking of classes, there are five classes in total: Barbarian, Rogue, Sorcerer, Druid, and Necromancer; but Druid and Necromancer weren’t available in the Closed Beta (March 17 to March 20) window. Regardless, each class is extremely unique and fun to theorycraft.

Each class offers a unique playstyle that works to make Diablo 4 endlessly replayable. On top of that, each class has multiple branches in its skill tree which can be explored to create distinctive builds. For example, you can create a flame Sorcerer that focuses on high damage and explosions or a Sorcerer that chains lightning in between enemies for quick eliminations.

Diablo 4 Gameplay

Diablo 4 is completely open-world and features cross-play online multiplayer which means there are jump-in public events and large time-specific world bosses. You can play all of Diablo 4 in an online party or completely solo. Either way, Diablo 4’s combat so far is peak Diablo hack and slash.

Besides the world-class cutscenes, what caught our attention the most during our playthrough of Diablo 4’s first early access period was the intoxicatingly dangerous dungeons and character building. Overcoming impossible hordes of hellions, skeletons, and other demonic horrors with a character that feels expertly crafted, even if you don’t really know what you’re doing, is undeniably fun.

Diablo 4 Story: Act 1

In the first beta weekend, players got to play through Diablo 4’s first act. There’s nothing fully original here — an extremely powerful demon named Lillith has been summoned and you need to work with various characters to track her down and defeat her.

While the story isn’t surprising, Act 1 had a few interesting twists and turns that made the opening act enticing. The story might not be Diablo 4’s greatest strength, but Act 1 was enjoyable and set things up to get even better.

Diablo 4 Early Impressions

The first Diablo 4 beta went as expected. While there was an unsurprising amount of error codes and very long queue lines, what was also unsurprising was how great Diablo 4 felt to play.

It seems simple and maybe a little too familiar since there have been many amazing Diablo-like games that have satiated us during the wait, but the king has returned. Diablo 4 is already excellent and we can’t wait to see it get even better before it releases on June 6, 2023,

However, whether new to the franchise or a returning fan, you have one big question you want to be answered. Will Scream 6 continue to build upon the successes of Scream 5 and continue to carry the franchise into the modern era, or will it cause the franchise to end up deader than a Ghost Face victim who failed to follow the rules so necessary for its survival?

The Setting

The Scream franchise again leaves the small-town city of Woodsboro and heads to the biggest city in the United States, New York City. Scream 6 worked surprisingly well in a big city and handled many questions about how a killer could operate during different times in a city that never sleeps. Two scenes that shined were the bodega scene where Sam and Tara get their first taste of being hunted by Ghost Face and the subway scene extended from what you see featured heavily in the movie’s trailers. However, outside of those two scenes, you could replace New York City with any city, and it still would have looked and felt the same.

The Characters

The Scream franchise was brought into the modern age with the two latest installments, and Scream 6 continues to build upon its new characters, who have become the faces of the franchise. Sam, Tara, Mindy, and Chad have dubbed themselves the core four and have cemented themselves as characters we don’t ever want to see killed by Ghost Face. In this way, they all serve their purpose in the story and have become surrogates to the Legacy characters.

However, this doesn’t mean they are carbon copies of those characters who came before them. Instead, each character now has more depth in Scream 6, and we see how they are dealing with the aftermath of their first dance with Ghost Face and how they handle themselves when it happens again. We now have a group of characters we can love just as much as the original core four from the first three installments.

The Story

The core four moved to New York City to escape the aftermath of the events of Scream 5. We see that Tara and their friends are living college life while Sam is unsuccessfully trying to deal with the trauma her past has caused her. While it may seem like they got away from Woodsboro’s grasp, unfortunately, their peace is short-lived, and Ghost Face continues its legacy.

The one aspect of the Scream franchise that sets it apart from other horror franchises is its ability to stay relevant to the times it was made by being self-aware, meta, and subverting expectations. Every installment handles this differently, and the viewer is often given the rules that the installment we are currently watching follows. Scream 6 is no different and tells us that Scream is now a franchise where everything from the past will be repeated but in a much grander fashion. Scream 6 was a great callback to the original Scream without being nostalgia bait and follows the motive of its sequel in an original way.

The Cast and Crew

Scream 6 brings back many of the actors introduced to us in Scream 5, plus several additions. We knew what role the core four would play, but all sources involved were often quiet about what roles the newcomers to the franchise would serve.

Jenna Ortega cemented herself as this generation’s newest Scream Queen as she went toe to toe with Ghost Face and survived. Her performance in Scream 6 is even better, and she paired very well with Melissa Barera and Mason Gooding’s characters.

The second outstanding performance goes to Mason Gooding, who has a more prominent role in this film. His character was well-written and had a ton of depth that added to the film. He served as the core four’s glue that held them together, was the voice of reason when others weren’t thinking straight, and offered a much-needed comedic offset that contrasted the intense action scenes and moments of gore after a kill.

Despite the initial trepidation fans felt without Wes Craven at the helm, Scream 6 sees the return of directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett. While they put these worries to rest with Scream 5, they set themselves up to be the franchise’s core directors for all future installments. It would be hard to think of a new director who could step into their shoes if they are not involved in Scream 7 and beyond.

Scream 6 also sees the return of writers James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick, who wrote Scream 5. While Kevin Williamson’s writing is missed, you can tell that Vanderbilt and Busick have an understanding of the world that Williamson built. They have stayed true to it with their snappy dialogue, pace, and storytelling, making Scream what it is.

Music To Our Ears

One aspect of the film’s soundtrack that worked well was using snips of songs used in previous films of the Scream franchise to invoke that nostalgic feeling and to tie Scream 6 into previous installments. Two examples are how “Red Right Hand” by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds was used in Scream 1 when Tatum and Sidney go shopping and then again on the college quad in New York City. Another song used was Dewey’s theme song which was played when Dewey and Gale interacted with each other but instead was used during a touching moment between Gale and Sam in Scream 6.

Gone But Not Forgotten

We lost a beloved legacy character, Dewey, in Scream 5, which, according to the directors, was necessary because of what he meant to the franchise. He started it all and had always been a fan favorite, so it hit hard when Ghost Face slew him. Unfortunately, we also lost out on Sidney’s return due to a contract dispute with Neve Campbell.

Not having either of these characters in Scream 6 was felt in many ways. First, their characters make this franchise, and they are so tied into it that it is hard to think about it without them. Both characters were mentioned in Scream 6 as a way to include them for fans, but it was quick and felt cheaply done. The only saving grace was that Gale finally got that dreaded call from Ghost Face and did so without her partners in crime.

Missing the legacy characters is easy to understand because we have watched them fight nine Ghost Face killers in five installments that span almost 30 years. However, you can rest easy knowing that the new characters introduced to us in Scream 5 and cemented in Scream 6 can carry the franchise into the future. It’s unknown whether or not we will get more Ghost Face at this time, but we hope we can watch the core four as they fight Ghost Face for another thirty years to come.

The Verdict

Scream 6 wasn’t without its stumbles. While we saw glimpses of New York City in two scenes, the city could have been used for a much better result. Multiple sources involved with Scream 6 said it was supposed to be the most brutal Ghost Face and goriest Scream to date but left much to be desired. The franchise also needs to do a better job of figuring out the legacy characters. Whether the creators finally let them be free of Ghost Face or work with the core four doesn’t matter, we need a stronger sense of closure.

However, the above issues weren’t enough to cause Scream 6 to be gutted by Ghost Face. It was, instead, a very worthwhile addition to an already iconic horror franchise. We are lucky to get new installments created using such high standards compared to other poor modern takes on old horror franchises. The new setting, intense scenes that never stopped, great acting, and intricate whodunit plot made this viewing experience one that will leave you screaming with joy.

I finished about 20% of the game, including the main story, side quests, challenges, and collectibles leading up to this point. I followed up my playthrough with an interview with Worrall, where I could ask any questions left unanswered by my preview. I may have only experienced 20%, but I am encouraged by what I saw and excited to see what the rest of the game offers.

The Story

Dead Island 2 is set 16 or 17 years after the events of the first Dead Island game. You play as a survivor who paid for a ticket out of Los Angeles only to have an infected passenger cause the flight to crash land shortly after takeoff. During these events, you get bitten but are somehow immune to the infection. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see much of the story beyond this, but basically, you are working with a group of survivors, who were also on the plane, to find another way out of the city.

The entire game, including side quests, collectibles, and challenges, will take about 20 hours, depending on how much time you spend. While this short playtime may seem disappointing, it feels reasonable. The graphics and cutscenes are done exceptionally well, and I enjoyed every moment. The story hits hard, and I understand there will be much to consider after it ends.

Welcome to Hell-A

Dead Island 2 takes the zombie apocalypse to the second most populated city in the United States, Los Angeles. In the game, the characters often refer to LA as Hell-A due to the ravaged, zombie apocalypse makeover. While this might seem like a strange setting for the Dead Island franchise (it does have the word “island” in the title), things were put into perspective soon after playing.

Los Angeles was chosen as the newest setting for Dead Island 2 because of the city’s great eccentrics and self-confidence. While Los Angeles isn’t an island, the apocalypse caused the city to quarantine, meaning no one can get in or out. In this case, the “island” was man-made.

Another burning question you probably have is how big the map of Hell-A is compared to the real LA and how it compares to maps of previous installments. According to Worral, some areas will be extensive open-world zones that you can explore endlessly, and others will be more linear that you will finish pretty quickly. Rest assured, though, some of LA’s most iconic landmarks and locations are discoverable, and you won’t feel locked into a small zone.

The Slayers

There are six Slayers for you to choose from, including Jacob, Ryan, Dani, Carla, Bruno, and Amy. Each Slayer represents a different playstyle and will all have cards in the Skill Deck that are unique to them, which means other Slayers can’t use them. These two aspects of the Slayers are why you must restart the game to try out a different Slayer to see if they are better suited to your playstyle.

Dambuster Studios want each Slayer to offer a unique playthrough experience rather than allowing you to mix and match, which could make the Slayers feel less valuable. While I can understand their reasoning behind this, it is slightly disappointing. It doesn’t take much time to complete the game’s main story, but it still adds up if you want to play all six Slayers.

I picked Dani, a ’50s vixen pinup girl who oozes sass out of every pore on her body. She specializes in heavy attacks and destroying many zombies quickly to regain health. I enjoyed her sassy comments toward other survivors and her one-liners while obliterating zombies.

Outside the playable Slayers, you will see the return of other characters from previous installments, like Sam B, which is super exciting. Unfortunately, I couldn’t obtain more information about who we’ll see, and not having it spoiled is the primary reason the hands-on preview contained only the first 20% of the game.

The Zombies

You’ll realize that Dead Island 2 only has zombies for enemies. While seeing the same enemy may seem tedious, it isn’t. One aspect of zombie television shows, movies, and video games that always ruin them is incorporating human behavior, straying away from zombies as the main antagonists. This isn’t the case with Dead Island 2. It’s all about zombies. There are a ton of different zombie variants based on the handy Zombpedia. Alpha variants of regular zombies require you to change your strategy when facing them, compared to their lesser variants, which helps keeps combat fresh.

The first boss you reach in Dead Island 2 is a jacked-up zombie bridezilla who is angry about the zombie apocalypse that ruined her wedding day. After that, each boss has its mechanics that you must learn to beat. These mechanics are much smaller than you would see while fighting raid bosses in an MMORPG.

After you beat a boss, you will learn one of the moves the boss used against you. For instance, the zombie bridezilla would slam on the ground, causing a shockwave that would damage and knock you over. This move does the same thing to zombies in a radius around you, which is extremely powerful when you find yourself swarmed.

The F.L.E.S.H. Engine

The F.L.E.S.H. engine, Fully Locational Evisceration System for Humanoids (try and say that five times fast), is one of the most intriguing aspects of Dead Island 2’s development. Dambuster Studios built it from scratch because it wanted zombie combat to feel realistic, satisfying, and over the top. With the F.L.E.S.H. engine, the developers could design the reaction of humanoid characters to a granular level so that all aspects, like their skin, fat, muscle, organs, and bones, are affected by external forces. You will also get different results based on your weapon type and how you use it. For example, the zombie’s body will react differently when you hit it with a rake than stab it with a katana.

This results in some gruesome, hilarious, and satisfying moments when killing zombies. For instance, when you hit a zombie in the face, its skin can be removed, revealing the muscle and bone below. You can then hit them again to watch the remaining bits explode. This is also true with a zombie’s body’s limbs and other parts. The F.L.E.S.H. engine is highly successful, and you can use it to your advantage when approaching combat.

Finally, the end goal with the F.L.E.S.H. engine is to make sure the game is as realistic as possible. Of course, you will get some funny moments, but Hell-A is genuinely a living and breathing world. Take the behavior of the non-zombie characters like NPCs and your Slayer, for example. The engine allows these characters to react in a highly realistic way that makes you feel exactly what they are feeling in the moment, adding to the realism.

The Skill Deck

The Skill Deck is probably the most significant aspect of Dead Island 2 that Dambuster Studios is hyping, the game’s version of a skill tree. The Skill Deck is divided into four categories, all fully interchangeable, which allows you to create a highly customizable build based on your playstyle. The four categories include Abilities, Survivor, Slayer, and Numen. I could level my Slayer enough to equip cards in the first three categories. However, I could not use the Numen category, which is supposed to add much fun and power to your slayer.

Collectibles and Challenges

Dead Island 2 features a lot of collectibles ranging from weapon blueprints, audio that gives more insight into the story, investigations that require you to search for clues, and hidden areas locked behind keys that you must find to unlock. There is a lot to uncover if you want that 100% completion or to unlock a powerful mod for your favorite weapon.

On top of lots of collectibles, there are challenges you can complete, which should motivate the player to change playstyles and approach the game differently outside of the normal hack-and-repeat. For instance, there are challenges for slaying zombies using specific weapons, finding collectibles, and much more.

Tim The Tool Man Taylor

I could only use melee weapons during my hands-on preview, which was disappointing. However, this limitation gave me time to test the game’s wide range of toys which range from a rake to a katana to a pool cue. Dead Island 2 does an excellent job of allowing you to use the items you find spread throughout Hell-A as zombie-slaying apparatuses, just like you would if you were stuck in a zombie apocalypse.

For example, when I inserted a rake into the workbench and modified it, I felt like Tim Taylor from the ’90s TV show Home Improvement when he unnecessarily modified tools to make them even more powerful. He often asked his audience members, “When we need a job done right, and we want it done quickly, what do we need?” Queue audience answering in unison: “MORE POWER!”

You, too, can achieve more power by adding MODs and Perks to your weapons by using workbenches spread throughout Hell-A. For example, one Mod can turn your weapon into a giant taser that will stun zombies briefly, allowing you to attack them or escape unharmed. Perks allow you to change the overall profile of the weapon, like making it swing faster but hit for less damage.

You can also change a weapon’s MOD or Perk whenever you want, as long as you have the parts to do so. This allows for lots of experimenting to find a weapon that fits your specific playstyle or \to adjust the mods based on the zombie variant without sacrificing your weapon.

Curveballs

An enjoyable aspect of Dead Island 2 is the Curveball system, which is the game’s version of secondary weapons like grenades. However, Dead Island 2 features a fun, unique twist by using items like Meat Bait which is animal meat stored in a glass container that explodes when thrown to distract enemies within the radius.

Other Curveballs include a Pipe Bomb that eviscerates large groups, a Stasis trap that subdues enemy movement, and much more that I was able to use in my short time playing. I enjoyed using Curveballs and found them super helpful. Curveballs can save you in a pinch or help you complete an objective, so don’t neglect them!

Combat

Recently, I was disappointed by Dead Space Remake’s version of the F.L.E.S.H. engine, which was supposed to let you strip the flesh and limbs off Necromorphs to make it easier to beat them. So I was skeptical about Dead Island 2’s attempt but was pleasantly surprised. Watching how the various parts of the zombie reacted to melee attacks was extremely fun. Not only did it feel very satisfying, but it also served a functional purpose.

My favorite example of why the F.L.E.S.H. system is so successful was the ability to chop a zombie’s leg, watch it fall over, and curb-stomp it to oblivion. After achieving these on one zombie, I realized it was a perfect way to approach the game, and I often found myself surrounded by a bunch of legless zombies crawling slowly after me. After that, I felt like the Do Your Part! scene from Starship Troopers as I repeatedly stomped the heads of all those zombies (the only good zombie is a dead zombie).

Outside of weapons, you can also perform fun moves like drop-kicking zombies, which will knock them back. I had a lot of fun kicking them off a roof of a building Spartan-style, so I didn’t have to waste energy and precious weapon durability by beating them to death.

Finally, a popular aspect of the other installments was the ability to perform Analog Fighting, which allowed you to control the direction of each swing of a melee weapon using the analog sticks of a controller. You can do so with Dead Island 2 because of its pre-built controller mapping profiles for popular controllers like Xbox, PlayStation, and Stadia.

Play With Your Friends, Sort Of

A neat feature of Dead Island 2 is the ability to play your game in single-player mode or open it up to other Slayers via public or private games by simply toggling a button. This is pretty awesome because some games only allow you to play in single-player or multiplayer games, not both, and not as quickly as Dead Island 2.

However, Dambuster Studios tweeted that Dead Island 2 will not be cross-play at launch. So, unfortunately, you cannot play with your friends on different platforms. What about being able to play with your friends who haven’t updated to the latest-gen consoles? Stay tuned: I was told that Dambuster Studios would announce information about the possibility of Dead Island 2 being cross-gen within a few weeks.

What Now?

Any video game’s replay value and end-game content are crucial, especially with the rising costs of video games. If you are like me, these are two of the main questions burning in your brain when deciding if purchasing Dead Island 2 is worth it. Unfortunately, there is good news and bad news.

The Bad News: As the game stands, currently, there is little reason to replay the game outside of playing as a different Slayer. Unfortunately, you must replay the game to experience what each Slayer brings to the zombie apocalypse. However, the only difference you will see is the character’s behavior, voice lines, and unique skill deck cards. Everything else will remain the same, resulting in a familiar playthrough experience.

The Good News: Even though there is not a New Game Plus, you can still free-roam Hell-A after completing the main story. This means you can finish any neglected side quests, complete your remaining challenges to obtain those rewards, and find any remaining collectibles to complete your collection.

Finally, Worrall could not go into specifics about future content. Still, he mentioned that Dambuster Studios plans to release additional content, like expanding the main story or adding additional Slayers to the game after Dead Island 2 launches.

It’s Pulp Fiction, Baby

What sets Dead Island 2 apart from other installments in the franchise and other zombie games in the genre? The most significant difference is how Dambuster Studios shifted the game’s tone from overly serious and focusing too much on survival. Instead, Dead Island 2 is more of a pulp hero romp with comic relief. This is one of the reasons Dead Island 2 is so successful: the shift in tone compliments how the F.L.E.S.H. engine amps up the gore and violence by providing you with a much-needed morale boost and a break to your sanity.

If there is one aspect you should take away from this hands-on preview: Slayers are heroes who run toward danger and swagger down the middle of the street, egging the zombies on. Dead Island 2 isn’t about surviving but about thriving. Hence, it’s really about engaging with the combat engine, and even though it seems like a steep learning curve and can be challenging, it’s rewarding to roll up your sleeves and jump into the deep end.

The Sims 3: Generations was one of the most popular Expansion Packs for the previous game, offering players the best opportunity to take their family tree one step further. With the Generations pack, you had access to new, significant events and abilities like throwing a house party as a teenager while your parents were out, attending a child’s graduation, or even hosting a huge wedding ceremony, it was generally the best way you could connect with your Sims on a deeper and more realistic way compared to base gameplay.

Related: How to Mod Multiplayer Into The Sims 4

But, when The Sims 4 launched, the Generations aspect was completely missing. There wasn’t an expansion pack to match what Generations presented, and these significant life events were missing from gameplay. Nevertheless, it’s arguably one of the most anticipated packs to launch alongside Sims 4, so when Growing Together was announced, an expected air of excitement started to bubble among the Sims community since re-living the joys of Generations was almost tangible.

Although not a carbon copy, Growing Together takes elements of Generations, like adding new depth to early life with new milestones and reintroducing a deeper relationship between family members, alongside an entirely new location called San Sequoia, where families are encouraged to grow and thrive, it builds upon the foundations set by Generations without straying too far from its core values. Yet, some players are worried it might be straying too far and missing some of the main reasons people love Generations so much.

Related: The Sims 4: What Does the Slice of Life Mod Do and How to Get It

The problem is, there’s no way Generations could’ve been made for Sims 4 without following the same name and using the same mechanics, offering nothing particularly new and exciting, and still having the same appeal as an entirely new expansion pack. Of course, there are some holes in what we know about Growing Together which may come to light upon release, like the ability to host significant life events and celebrations again, but would it be as fun to discover the same features of an older pack rather than appreciate what a new one has to offer?

While it’s impossible to tell whether or not Growing Together will live up to the expectations set by The Sims 3: Generations, it’s clear that developers have been listening to players’ wants and wishes for a Generations-inspired Pack for the newest game. Until we can jump into the pack and discover exactly what it has to offer for ourselves and our Sims family trees, it’s best to appreciate what Growing Together could offer to expand upon our current Sims experience rather than focusing on what it misses from its predecessor.

10 Amazing Indies For Your New Steam Deck

No matter if you’ve had one since launch, or just recently got your hands on the Steam Deck, there is an enormous library of games waiting to be played. These titles, while in no particular order of excellence, will give you hours of fun on this portable system. Without any further ado, here are some of the greatest indies you can play on the Steam Deck!

Pizza Tower

Okay, I do have to put a little bit of a biased take on here. Pizza Tower is a life-changing experience in every way, shape, and form. Finally, we have a true simulator to show us what it means to be Italian. But for real, Pizza Tower is an excellent platformer, much in the vein of the Wario Land series, and stands to be one of the best platformers that still hasn’t been released on a Nintendo system. Mario could never do half of what Peppino Spaghetti is capable of.

Deep Rock Galactic

These little men have some big ambitions, and Deep Rock Galactic is one of the best games you can take on the go when you’ve thrown it on your Steam Deck. While it may not support Cross-Play with its console breather, you’ll find an engaging game full of some of the best exploration and excavation around. It’s a breath of fresh air for many gamers and can provide hours upon hours of entertainment for anyone lucky enough to make it into the depths of this unique explorative adventure.

Journey To The Savage Planet

Journey To The Savage Planet is one of the most hilarious little titles created in the past few years and features a unique graphical style that pops off of the screen of the Steam Deck. You’re trapped on a new planet, and you’ll need to explore while interacting with plenty of intriguing creatures that have some of the most captivating designs. It’s a very unique adventure, and you’ll find yourself always jumping back in for more, no matter where you are gaming.

Cult of the Lamb

How do you feel about running your own cult? Well, how do you feel about controlling the cutest little lamb in the courtyard? This ain’t Mary’s little lamb, however, as you’ll find yourself offering blood sacrifices to the old Gods to appease them and ensure that you become the most terrifying and beloved Cult leader of all time. With gorgeous art and plenty of laughs, Cult of the Lamb is a title that shouldn’t be missed, especially if you’ve encountered their Twitter feed.

Neon White

Still the only game I’ve personally given a 5/5 on the site, Neon White is the perfect game for those that love the idea of speedrunning and horribly flirtatious angels that also want to murder you. Neon White is a heavenly experience, featuring one of the best soundtracks ever in a game, no matter the budget. Machine Girl didn’t have to go as hard as they did to make an absolutely beastly soundtrack, but the action somehow surpasses it, leading to a unique experience that has yet to be replicated.

Wobbly Life

If you’re looking for the perfect game to shut your brain off and enjoy, Wobbly Life is just the thing for you. You play as the funny little yellow character, and you’ll need to complete jobs around your local area to make money and be a real adult. Think Roblox meets Grand Theft Auto, with a dash of Human Fall Flat. The physics-based gameplay leads to some hilarious moments, and every adventure is bound to be a bit more exciting than the last. Plus, with Multiplayer options, this is a great title to play with a significant other or a friend.

OMORI

Do you like Earthbound? Do you like the feeling of happiness? If that’s you, OMORI may not be your cup of tea. However, if you don’t mind some depressive thoughts alongside your colorful and cutesy adventure, this may be the perfect RPG for you! While the storyline may be haunting, the gameplay and presentation are out of this world good and should be on your backlog as soon as possible. Go into this one blind, and be prepared for one of the most shocking twists you’ll ever experience.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredders Revenge

Not only is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredders Revenge one of the best TMNT games ever made, but it’s also one of the most finely crafted beat ’em ups available on any platform. Tribute Games brought the smoke this time around, making something that could finally dethrone Turtles In Time as the definitive multiplayer experience, and the original voice actors making their return to the classic characters was the icing on the cake.

Stardew Valley

The definitive farming and life sim experience is available on the go with no compromises. Stardew Valley tasks you with maintaining the farm of your late Grandfather and offers plenty of excitement along the way. While it may start off looking like your standard Harvest Moon title, you’ll grow to see why it is held in such high regard amongst the millions of players that have been farming since its release in 2016. The depth and learning curve are both tremendous, but so is the relief you’ll get from bringing in the most bountiful haul of the year.

PowerWash Simulator

Creating a whole new genre isn’t something that only Neon White can do. PowerWash Simulator is exactly what it sets out to be: a simulator on how to powerwash different objects. However, what makes this title unique is its branding as a PodCast Game, meaning you can throw on your favorite PodCast or Audiobook and watch the hours melt away while you clean a house, or a variety of other out-of-this-world objects. There is also some Final Fantasy VII Remake DLC readily available, alongside The Croft Mansion, if that suits the mood. Very relaxing, with some twists you could never expect.

Honorable Mentions

While there is plenty to enjoy on this list, there are a few more titles that we would like to give a nod to, especially if you’re not finding anything that strikes your fancy on the list above. Give these games a shot if you’re itching to try something new!

• Celeste
• Vampire Survivors
• Speedonauts
• Hades
• Dead Cells
• Binding Of Isaac
• Bastion
• Kena: Bridge of Spirits
• Stray

“You Might Belong in Gryffindor, Where Dwell the Brave at Heart”

The Harry Potter franchise has been with me since I was born — whether through the movies, books, or otherwise. Over the years the franchise has slowly been getting significantly sidelined, and for just causes; the wider causes of which I fully support. I am still young and overhearing the discussions happening filled me with immense guilt and fear for even thinking of buying the game. This is not right. Everyone has the right to their own views and to do what they want to do, but forcing labels and harassment on others is unjust. Respect and common decency toward others are the way forward. After many hours of personal debate, I decided to take the Descendo plunge into the Wizarding World and I haven’t looked back since.

Walking into the Gryffindor Common room after playing through the beautifully crafted introduction section was a marvel to behold. My heart welled up with emotion as I explored the common room. The golden red hues of banners hung high as students meandered around the area, the sigil of Hogwarts guiding the way to the warmth of the fire; it reignited the flame of the franchise all over again. It was all reminiscent of the thrilling first time I saw Harry, Hermione, and Ron in the movies. Some moments invoke who I am as a person, namely the dance scene between Hermione and Harry in the Deathly Hallows: Part I. A scene that always highlights the importance of helping others even in the darkest of times.

As the first minutes were spent within Hogwarts Legacy — both guilt and fear weren’t felt anymore, it was simply the genuine happiness and the joy of experiences to be had within that remained.

Zach Lesage

Zach Lesage is a Canadian professional Pokémon Trading Card Game player. He has been playing the game since its release and has competed in both the World Championships and the North American International Championships. His most notable win was in the 2019 Pokémon Colinsville Regional Championships – TCG, where he placed first. In the 2020 Pokémon Oceania International Championships – TCG, Zach got second place and won a prize of $5,000.

Alex Schemanske

Alex Schemanske is an American TCG player. He was a part of the Top Cut Comics team but now plays for Nerd Rage Gaming. He also writes and shares his insights for SixPrizes.com. In the past, he has won several Regional Championships as well as a National Championship. Alex has continued to be a force in the competitive scene, with multiple top finishes at International Championships.

Andrew Gantner

Gantner is an American player who has been playing the Pokémon Trading Card Game competitively for quite some time now. He holds a National Champion title and has also won numerous Regional Championships. In August 2022, he got sixth place in the London Open Yellow tournament with his Ice Rider Palkia Inteleon deck. Gantner is currently taking part in the 2023 Pokémon Salt Lake City Regional Championships – TCG.

Tord Reklev

Tord Reklev is a Norwegian Pokémon TCG player. He has become quite the master among Pokémon TCG players and is currently one of the best in the world. Tord started playing the game back in 2006 and since then has managed to rack up quite an impressive record. In 2017 and 2018, Tord had three consecutive International Championship wins. He had another three-peat during the 2019 Pokémon Cologne Regional Championships, 2020 Pokémon Malmö Regional Championships, and 2023 Peoria Regionals. Additionally, Tord also got first place in the 2023 LatAm Internationals in November 2022.

Related: Most Expensive Pokémon TCG Cards Ever Sold

Calvin Connor

Calvin Connor‘s most notable victory was at the 2001 World Championships. Calvin is known for his creative deck-building and strategic play. In 2022, he has joined about six Regionals as well as the 2022 TCG World, with his most recent victory being in Late Night Series #58, an online event organized by Zach Lesage. Calvin also got second place in the 2023 Peoria Regionals – TCG in October last year.

Gabriel Smart

Gabriel Smart has joined many prestigious tournaments, including the World Championships. He is known for his calm and collected demeanor when playing. He is also known for his amazing ability to come up with new strategies on the fly and for his skills in deck building. In 2022, Gabriel joined six Pokémon TCG Regionals and has also participated in the 2022 TCG Worlds.

Mark Nilson

Mark Nilson is an American professional Pokémon Trading Card Game player. He has joined multiple championships and has taken top places in several of them. Recently, Mark has been playing in the Late Night Series online events along with other well-known players. In 2022, he even participated in the Regionals held in Salt Lake City, UT, and Arlington, TX.

Neomuna Takes Destiny 2’s Patrol Zones to the Highest Echelons

There are many elements about the Neomuna destination which take it to another level than the rest — undoubtedly ready to stand the test of time in the Destiny universe. First, there are the steadfast defenders of Neomuna known as the Cloud Striders. An intriguing personality can be found in the excellent character of Nimbus. Picking up tasks from him is all the more enjoyable because of this.

Some of the most impressive Lost Sector designs can also be found in the area. They will likely be enjoyed by anyone who steps foot inside. One such Lost Sector was the Thrilladrome, based around the idea of Vex simulating Crucible experiences. Observing the Vex, of all enemies, standing next to the arcade machines inside the location was an unexpected but welcome sight.

Related: Destiny 2: All Neomuna Lost Sector Locations Map

The Vex Incursion Zone solidified my adoration for Neomuna, even more, because of its chaotic but highly enjoyable nature. This is greatly apparent during the moments when Elite Vex Strike forces are within the area and wreaking havoc on your player’s health bar. The intensity accelerates the fun in every manner.

It isn’t just the general activities of the destination but also the neon-lit streets that drip with beauty from every corner. As our guardians are dashing around on sparrows, it can be hard not to stop at any given moment to look around. It is difficult to pick just one element of Neomuna that makes it as successful as it feels at launch.

Why Do People Think the Lightfall Campaign for Destiny 2 Falls Short?

Lightfall was hyped up by fans before its launch to be what sounded like the crowning achievement of Destiny history. What many players didn’t expect to witness were “Mostly Negative” reviews on Steam. Fans are disappointed in the overall narrative arcs of the expansion. One of the major reasons for this: the story doesn’t focus enough on The Veil or The Witness.

It has all left a lot to be desired by some fans who were waiting on what could have been the most pivotal chapter in Destiny’s lineage to date. Even though the Strand Subclass makes you feel like a space ninja in every right of the word — its clunky progression pathways certainly do not. Unlocking fragments through extensive farming is dull and makes players question why it was a design decision in the first place.

Related: Destiny 2 Strand: The Best Builds for Hunters, Titans, and Warlocks

It isn’t just the subclass that takes the brunt of harsh reviews for Lightfall but also the aforementioned lack of direction in the story. A role that could have played in players’ disappointment toward the story is the fact that there are no consequences of the main story events in a grand way. Instead, Calus (who we already fought in Year One of Destiny 2) got the main limelight instead.

The actual writing of Lightfall’s campaign is subpar to some and has not been worth the time and effort needed to play through. The destination of Neomuna has ultimately been Lightfall’s saving grace to a large range of fans. A reminder that story is something that should never be rushed, otherwise it will leave more questions than answers.

Things the Elden Ring DLC Needs to Build Upon

There’s a lot offered by Elden Ring’s base game that could be so much better if there was simply more of it to enjoy. Shadow of the Erdtree should try to follow this trend through its additions instead of changing formulas that were already established to work well.

Spell Variety

Elden Ring has a fantastic pool of magic spells to choose from. All the DLC really needs to do is add more spells into that pool. There are existing templates for more interesting damage-type combinations that already make for great magic attacks, including the Frozen Lightning Spear and even skills like Ghostflame Ignition. If this is paired with an increase in spell slots through additional Memory Stones, there might truly be no limit to how creative some builds can get.

Weapon Variety

There are hundreds of different weapons already in Elden Ring. Sadly, many weapon types end up underutilized or overspecialized, with numerous katana weapons becoming infamous due to their staggering strength and potential. Meanwhile, weapons like scythes barely get more than a few variations, forcing players to abandon those options if they don’t fit their playstyle. There’s no question that the DLC will add more, but it should give some love to the types that were left behind in the sea of swords and colossal weapons.

Ashes of War

Similarly to weapons, many Ashes of War go unused by most players due to their lack of flexibility. Only some weapons can equip the ones you find out in the wild while others come equipped with skills that can’t be changed at all. These fixed skills range from useless to utterly broken, making it difficult to use anything other than the best. Shadow of the Erdtree doesn’t need to rebalance the whole system, but it should add a wider variety of Ashes of War along with more reasons to use them in the first place.

Multiplayer Functionality

Though Elden Ring has some great online options already, they could be made even better. Lack of Torrent, 4-player limits outside of arenas, and constantly being kicked out after beating bosses are just a few restrictions this game really didn’t need. Depending on who you ask, the lack of invasions outside of co-op is also a pretty big bummer. Elden Ring’s multiplayer has the potential to be heart-pounding, chaotic, and simply much easier to enjoy. The game’s DLC might be its chance to realize that potential.

What the Elden Ring DLC Needs to Build Upon Most: Legacy Dungeons

There aren’t many large-scale dungeons in Elden Ring, but the locations that provide a classic Souls-esque experience are truly incredible. From Stormveil Castle to Miquella’s Haligtree, the Legacy Dungeons rewarded players for exploration and occasional puzzle-solving in ways that many games only wish they could match. One Legacy Dungeon is to be expected in Shadow of the Erdtree, but two or even three would be more than welcome, especially if they’re designed at least half as well as what’s already there.

Related: Elden Ring – 10 Things You Need to Know Before Playing

Things the Elden Ring DLC Needs to Avoid

Even a beloved title like Elden Ring isn’t completely perfect. There are some notable issues the base game suffers from that the DLC should try to avoid at any cost. After all, many of Elden Ring’s issues can be overlooked due to the sheer size of the game itself. Like The Old Hunters, Ashes of Ariandel, and The Ringed City, Shadow of the Erdtree will mostly be judged on what it provides on its own, meaning every part of it will need to stand up to scrutiny.

Easily Missable Questlines and Items

Trying to keep track of Elden Ring’s many NPCs — and points where you fail their quest — is practically impossible without a guide. If you reach a certain part of the game, you even lose access to an entire Legacy Dungeon, including the rare items and powerful weapons within. These points where you’re locked out of obtaining items or other special rewards only discourage exploration in the long run. Shadow of the Erdtree should try to avoid any instance of this, or at least make it easier to track NPC questlines with such notable rewards.

Repetitive Areas

Elden Ring’s catacombs and caves are fine when filling out space, but only a small percentage of them actually offer unique challenges, items, or bosses. Finding one on your journey to the story’s end isn’t too bad, but you’ll quickly get sick of them if you try to clear every area in the Lands Between. Depending on how big Shadow of the Erdtree is, it might still need these smaller areas to fill up otherwise empty fields. But it should try to make each location as unique as possible, especially when it comes to what you find within.

Nonsensical Item Locations

Honestly, there’s no reason why the ever-popular Bloodhound’s Step Ash of War should be dropped by a Night’s Cavalry rather than an actual Bloodhound Knight. Elden Ring is filled with these strange and often confusing item placements, to the point where Radagon’s Soreseal and Marika’s Soreseal are found at completely opposite points of gameplay. The DLC should at least try to put a bit more meaning into these placements, allowing for some more consistency between smaller foes and Remembrance bosses.

Useless Damage Types and Weapons

Elemental resistances and massive foes make sense in an RPG, but they end up making a lot of weapons pretty useless in the Lands Between. Using a weapon like the Coded Sword outside of PVP will feel like you’re just slapping foes with a wet noodle, and using it to fight larger foes will practically turn your camera into a wet noodle as well. There are still ways to make even bad weapons effective, but Elden Ring’s DLC should try to avoid negating entire damage types…even if it makes sense in lore.

What the Elden Ring DLC Needs to Avoid Most: Gimmicky Bosses

Of all the things the Elden Ring DLC needs most, it’s to refine how the game designs its bosses. Mohg and Malenia are extremely powerful foes on their own. Still, the game takes it a step further by giving them extremely deadly attacks that need to be carefully anticipated or countered through items. Astel and the Elden Beast make for marvelous spectacles, but their large size and constant running make them an absolute slog to battle. And, of course, the Godskin Duo…exists.

The Elden Ring DLC needs to avoid making bosses overly strong or unbearably tedious simply for the sake of being hard. Challenge and difficulty go hand in hand, but the latter outweighs the former quite a lot in the base game. Shadow of the Erdtree has a lot to learn not just from Elden Ring itself, but also from older titles like Dark Souls III and Sekiro. Hopefully it will put those lessons to use instead of forcing players into something like a Godskin Trio fight.

Related: Is Elden Ring Related to Dark Souls? Characters and Lore Similarities Explained

Regardless of everything else, the upcoming Elden Ring DLC simply needs to be fun. Between its charming characters, tight gameplay, and expansive world, the base game has already put in plenty of effort in that department. There are plenty of things the DLC will need to do to truly be great, but it won’t need to do them all to still be fun.

Octopath Traveler 2’s Opening is Repetitive

Octopath Traveler 2 features eight characters, each of whom have their own individual story and missions that you will play through. In the majority of the game, you do these story chapters and missions with your entire party, letting the travelers help each other out. However, the opening of the game works differently. You pick which traveler you start with, play through their opening chapter, and get set into the open world. At this point, you must travel the world to find the other seven party members, which itself is quite good. What happens each time you find a party member is where the problem is.

Related: Who is the Best Character to Start with in Octopath Traveler 2?

When you meet a new party member, you are prompted to play their first chapter, which must be done without your current party and without your current items. Each opening chapter follows the exact same formula, where it introduces the character, teaches you their class’s path actions, and defeats a mini-boss to kick off their story. Since you start at level one each time and don’t have any items, the enemies and mini-boss presented to you are incredibly easy to fight, adding to the repetitiveness.

Doing this once isn’t a big deal, but doing this eight times total, in relatively short succession, makes the game feel repetitive. None of the opening chapters shake up this formula either, so by the time you reach your final traveler, you could do it with your eyes shut. The biggest problems here are that it is repetitive and it kills any momentum you might have felt from the stories you have already seen. Based on the suggested levels of Chapter 2 for most of the characters, you are encouraged to gather all of the party members before continuing any individual story.

Octopath Traveler 2 does have the option to skip the first chapter of a character’s story when you first meet them, but that creates a new problem. Instead of playing through the hour-long tedious chapter, you just skip it, with the option to view it later at a pub. Now, you have a new party member who is level 1 and you have no idea what their story is, which might discourage you from continuing down their individual path since you aren’t invested in them.

While playing the opening of a new JRPG can be exciting, introducing you to a new world, conflict, and mechanics, doing it eight times in succession takes away the shine, leaving you with an easy tutorial section that has a better chance of putting you to sleep than endearing you to the characters or world you’ve been introduced to. While balancing eight individual stories is going to be tough, Octopath Traveler 2 would be better served with an opening that feels like one collective journey, instead of eight, similar openings.

What are the Best Star Wars Spinoff Shows and Movies?

These movies and series are ranked from worst to best, not including animated micro-series and shorts. Two cartoon series from the 80s, Star Wars Droids and Star Wars Ewoks, are also not included as they’re from another era entirely. Without further ado, let’s check out the best Star Wars spinoff shows and movies.

The Best Star Wars Spinoff Movies, Ranked

3. Star Wars: The Clone Wars

The only animated Star Wars spinoff movie in this list, Star Wars: The Clone Wars tells the start of the titular Clone Wars following the events of Star Wars Episode II – Attack of the Clones. It also serves as the pilot episode for the animated series of the same name, although unlike the latter, Star Wars: The Clone Wars was considered by many to be a disappointing entry in the billion-dollar franchise. Receiving largely negative reviews attributed to its storytelling and animation style, the animated movie also grossed the lowest returns for any Star Wars film to date, posting only $68.3 million at the worldwide box office.

Related: What Happened In Star Wars: The Bad Batch S1? Recap Before Season 2

2. Solo: A Star Wars Story

Solo: A Star Wars Story focuses on the origins of Han Solo, one of the most iconic characters in the original trilogy. The movie sees Han in his earlier days as he tangles with criminal gangs, the Empire, and a burgeoning Rebellion. Solo: A Star Wars Story is also notable for casting a then-unknown Alden Ehrenreich as the titular character, quite big shoes to fill from original star Harrison Ford.

1. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Exploring the daring story of a group of Rebels in their lesser-known quest to acquire the plans and weaknesses of the Empire’s Death Star, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is currently the best Star Wars spinoff movie to date. It features a colorful cast of characters led by Jyn Erso and Cassian Andor, two Rebellion members who would lead one of the most integral missions in the faction’s war against the Empire. The movie proved so successful that the character of Andor lead to his own live-action series, which was a massive success as well.

Related: Disney Plus 2023 Release Slate Details: Ahsoka, Loki S2, The Mandalorian S3 And More

The Best Star Wars Animated Series

6. Star Wars: The Bad Batch

Telling the tale of clone trooper rejects set in a post-Order 66 galaxy, Star Wars: The Bad Batch has two seasons and is moderately successful amongst Star Wars fans and critics. It’s notable for featuring voice acting Dee Bradley Baker as all members of the titular Bad Batch, including Hunter, Wrecker, Tech, Crosshair, and Echo. Due to their genetic mutations, these five suffered different circumstances when Order 66 came down, and it ultimately follows their adventure as they try to avoid the wrath of the Empire and also sees the subplot of how the latter came to use regular humans and phase out clones entirely.

5. Star Wars Resistance

Set before and during the events of the sequel trilogy, Star Wars Resistance follows a New Republic pilot who ultimately unveils the growing threat of the First Order to the Resistance. It crosses over with several key moments in the three sequel trilogy films, featuring voice acting from characters in the live-action movies. Oscar Isaac reprises his role as Poe Dameron, Domnhall Gleeson as General Hux, Anthony Daniels as C-3PO, and Gwendoline Christie as Captain Phasma, to name a few.

4. Star Wars Rebels

Taking place a decade after the events of Episode III – Revenge of the Sith and slowly progressing through the original Star Wars film, Star Wars Rebels sees a ragtag group of rebels called the Spectres as conduct covert operations against Imperial forces on and around the planet Lothal. The series is very well-received by fans and critics alike, with Star Wars Rebels running for four seasons across 75 episodes.

3. Star Wars: Visions

Working within the constraints of an established canon can sometimes be tough, and with this in mind Star Wars: Visions was born. Featuring animated short films from seven notable Japanese animation studios, Visions featured various stories within the Star Wars universe, although some have taken liberties to create stories outside the established timelines while retaining what’s so quintessential about Star Wars.

2. Tales of the Jedi

An anthology miniseries depicting two separate paths of the Jedi, Tales of the Jedi tells the stories of Ahsoka Tano, who finds the Padawan across various points in her life, and Count Dooku, a Jedi Master who would eventually fall to the Dark Side. It follows the two Force-sensitive characters throughout key moments in their lives, and is notable for giving Count Dooku a sympathetic side that gives nuance to why he ultimately turned to the Sith.

1. Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Despite being introduced by the worst-rated Star Wars spinoff movie, its animated series counterpart is anything but, with Star Wars: The Clone Wars being the best spinoff animated series to date. The series follows up on the premise of the movie, featuring Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, his padawan Anakin Skywalker, and a young Ahsoka Tano during the titular Clone Wars. Spanning seven series and over 130 episodes, the series told a multitude of story arcs within the Clone Wars, from the opening theaters up to the execution of Order 66, which ultimately resulted in the downfall of the Jedi.

Related: Star Wars: The Acolyte – Release Date, Cast, Story, and Everything We Know

The Best Star Wars Live-Action Spinoff Series

4. The Book of Boba Fett

Following the success of The Mandalorian, Disney looked to capitalize more on the nature and complexity of this mysterious group of warriors. This resulted in The Book of Boba Fett, a series dedicated to its namesake who was long-thought dead following the events of Episode VI – Return of the Jedi. Although Temuera Morrison’s portrayal of Boba Fett as well as Ming-Na Wen’s Fennec Shand was acclaimed, the writing and the characterization were criticized.

3. The Mandalorian

The Mandalorian, the first major Star Wars live-action spinoff series, was met with positive reviews and spawned interconnected series within the same timeline. With two seasons under its belt and a third on the way, it tells the story of Din Djarin, a lone Mandalorian bounty hunter portrayed by Pedro Pascual, as he is hired by remnant Imperial forces five years after the events of Return of the Jedi.

Obi-Wan Kenobi

If there’s one thing Star Wars fans can agree on, it’s that Ewan McGregor’s portrayal of Jedi Master Kenobi is one of the best parts of the prequel trilogy. His popularity led to his own titular Obi-Wan Kenobi series, a long-awaited exploration of Kenobi in the aftermath of the Jedi’s downfall. The series sees him protecting a young Luke Skywalker and providing aid to Luke’s twin Leia, and concludes in a showdown between him and his former padawan Anakin, who now goes by Darth Vader.

Andor

The best Star Wars live-action spinoff series also happens to be the most recent to air, and it coincides with the best spinoff movie as well. Andor focuses on the character of Cassian Andor, a thief who would eventually play an integral role in the destruction of the Empire’s greatest weapon, the Death Star. These later events would play out in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Andor was praised by critics and fans alike for showing a darker, more mature side of the Star Wars universe, in particular the effects of the Empire’s cruelty across the galaxy.

Pokemon GO Plus + Highlights a Problem

Pokemon GO Plus has already made an appearance on the market before in the form of a band. Even then people were dubious of its necessity, this new device seems like a cute new aesthetic gimmick that is pretty much just the same product. And no, I’m not ashamed of saying that — there are many reasons why I think this device is both a genius in marketing but also an over-glorified purchase.

Related: Pokemon Sleep Actually Exists, And Looks Strangely Endearing

Firstly, you have the factor that you can “Catch Pokemon” without looking at your phone but would it not be preferred to actually view the Pokemon through gameplay? Furthermore, the band product was better for carrying around; the Plus + seems like it will be a hassle to bring in and out of your bag every 5 seconds to hold. Nonetheless, it is Pokemon so functionality is sometimes overlooked for nostalgia alone.

Whisper Sweet Pikachu Lullabies in Our Ears

Since the device has the ability to sing melodies to you in the form of a Pikachu saying “Pika-Pika” we are expecting it will be common to see it on many people’s bedside cabinets. Why would you have a bedtime read or a movie marathon when you can get the lights down low and listen to Pikachu instead? Even though the Pokemon GO Plus +’s functions can be questioned, it will make a nice ornament for the room.

Related: All McDonalds Pokemon Cards and Card Values

A collector is going to find a lot of value in making the purchase because of the fact it is larger than some of the other Pokemon functional products on the market. However, it will be difficult to beat the Poke-Ball Plus (the naming team seems to have a slight obsession with +’s) which was released alongside Let’s Go Eevee and Pikachu.

The device will likely bring in a lot of sales and that absolutely makes sense but don’t go expecting the ultimate Pokemon GO experience as at this rate they will bring out the Pokemon GO Plus ++ soon. Jokes aside, we think this will be something that can have a lot of sentimental value to fans and hope that they thoroughly enjoy using it. Pokemon isn’t complete without some nostalgia every so often.

Conversations of Personality Hidden Away in Hogwarts Legacy

When you are exploring areas in and around Hogwarts Castle you will notice students have conversations amongst themselves. Most people may run headlong past these conversations (as they are rushing to get to the next exciting quest objective) but beauty can be found in stopping to overhear the discussions.

Many a time we have noticed interesting moments found during these talks and that could be about students happily discussing their favorite “hamlets” with a great degree of personality or even discussions surrounding different subjects. Those may be about Astrology or even Chomping Cabbages — which some students have a great fondness for and others not so much.

Related: How to Get Chinese Chomping Cabbage in Hogwarts Legacy

There are entertaining pieces of banter to be overheard in most places of the castle and the same can be said for outside the main grounds. Traveling to benches where students are sitting down together can be a brilliant source of talks spliced with personality. It can be easy to stumble across the gems of dialogue that add even more life to the game.

A great example of one of these conversations was when it was mentioned that Ronen would have preferred a life in theatre which gave us an insight into the student’s views of their professors. Moments like these are scattered throughout the student talks.

The Greatest Discoveries of the Wizarding World Can Be In Plain Sight

Like with the eyeball chests hiding in the Wizarding World, there are plenty of opportunities to make interesting discoveries just by going through the game at a slower pace. You can spend time appreciating every detail on offer for you. Wandering about and seeking out conversations between NPCs is not a chore by any means and it can add a lot of value and context to the overall universe of Harry Potter.

Another portion of the dialogue discovery process players could easily miss out on is after-class discussions. You don’t have to leave a class right away, instead, you can go up and talk with your fellow classmates. These talks sometimes have great snippets of dialogue too; even about the ghosts roaming the hallways at night are extremely captivating to overhear.

Hogwarts Legacy drips like a pensieve of memories in every section of the world, so building out those memories even further with the dialogue you have to seek out on your own is a great joy.