Looking for a powerful ebike with the speed and range to meet your ambitious needs? Nowadays you can find a decent ebike for well under $500 if you know where to look (hint: it's not necessarly Amazon). For a limited time, AliExpress is offering the UrLife E20 750W 48V Electric Bike for a super low price of $288.36 after you apply $35 off coupon code "35USAFFS". The exact same bike currently sells for $470 ($360 plus $90 shipping) on Amazon.

The AliExpress marketplace seller "urlifeglobal" is the official manufacturer of these scooters and has plenty of reviews and sales to back up its reputation. Since they've already been shipped from overseas, any tariffs have already been paid for and you also don't need to worry about egregiously long shipping times.

UrLife E20 750W (1,000W Peak) 48V Electric Bike for $288

Lenovo is offering a great deal on an ultra-portable productivity laptop that can also do some light gaming. The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 16" laptop, equipped with an AMD Ryzen AI 5 CPU and RTX 5050 GPU, has dropped to $749.99 after you apply coupon code "LENOVOLOVE2". That's 50% off the original retail price and also includes free delivery.

3.8lb Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 16" Ultra-Portable Laptop for $750

For the first time in years, Apple has introduced a new MacBook in its laptop lineup. It’s the MacBook Neo, a colorful, lower-power computer that runs on the A18 Pro chip. It’s the cheapest MacBook on the market, with a starting price of $599. Apple is pitching it to students and people who mostly use their computers for non-demanding tasks like email, web browsing, and media streaming. MacBook Neo is available for preorder now starting at $599 (see it at Amazon). It ships starting March 11.

Preorder MacBook Neo

In lieu of a polished livestream of a heavily produced, pre-recorded announcement of new stuff, Apple spread out a series of announcements across three days of press releases that culminated in small, invite-only events in a few different cities this week. The biggest news from all of that: The company rolled out its first new Mac laptop product line for the first time since 2015’s plain MacBook. The MacBook Neo is a $599 laptop that comes in multiple vibrant colors and is powered by the chipset of the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max. It’s also one of the cheapest machines the company has ever released and it’s landed with impeccable timing, given the supply chain that feeds all of our tech is being gobbled up to feed the great AI beast.

We’ll get into the Neo, but that’s not everything Apple announced this week. We also saw new MacBook Airs and MacBook Pros, the iPhone 17e, an M4-equipped iPad Air, and two new displays from the Cupertino Crusher. (I’m sorry, that’s a terrible nickname.) You won’t find a powerful new gaming laptop here, nor will the MacBook Neo make our list of budget gaming laptops, although that’s not necessarily for lack of oomph. The new MacBook Pros will be plenty powerful; it’s just that the industry, broadly, still doesn’t make games for Macs.

Lanterns is one of the big shows that will be part of the first phase of James Gunn and Peter Safran’s new DCU (which is officially called Gods and Monsters: Chapter One), and it’s being described as a detective drama that’s inspired by shows like True Detective and Slow Horses. That much is plainly apparent in the recently released Lanterns teaser trailer.

The series, which stars Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan and Aaron Pierre as John Stewart, is slated to debut on HBO Max in August 2026. We may still have a few months to wait, but we are starting to learn a lot more about the series and who else will be part of the show.

Let’s break down all the main cast and characters you need to know about so you’ll be ready for this adventure filled with Green Lanterns and more.

Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan

According to HBO, Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights, Godzilla vs. Kong) will take on the role of the “Lantern legend” known as Hal Jordan. He will work alongside John Stewart as an intergalactic cop, and the pair will be drawn into a “dark, earth-based mystery as they investigate a murder in the American heartland.”

The teaser trailer establishes Hal as a very gruff mentor to John, one who's unafraid to throw his young charge in the line of fire if it means he'll learn on the job. Hal also seems to have no trouble playing the bad cop, as evidenced by him roughing up a suspect in interrogation and pulling out his ring.

We also catch a glimpse of Hal's rugged Green Lantern uniform in the trailer, one quite a bit different from the CG costume of the 2011 movie:

Hal Jordan was created by John Broome and Gil Kane and first appeared in Showcase #22 in October 1959.

Aaron Pierre as John Stewart

Aaron Pierre (Mufasa, Rebel Ridge) is John Stewart, a new recruit of the intergalactic cops known as the Lanterns. Stewart will team up with Chandler’s Hal Jordan in an effort to solve a murder that happened on Earth.

As the trailer reveals, John is still very much a rookie, having only been training under Hal for a couple of months. Hal tells his new partner, "Don't get hung up on the jewelry, junior. You're just a f****** substitute teacher. You aren't ready to get up in front of the class until the ring says you are." He then promptly throws himself out of their car, leaving John to literally fly or die. A dysfunctional relationship, to say the least.

We see John carrying his Lantern in one shot of the trailer, suggesting he will eventually have cause to use the new tools of his trade.

John Stewart was created by Dennis O’Neil and Neal Adams and first appeared in Green Lantern #87 in December 1971.

Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner

After making his debut in James Gunn’s Superman and briefly appearing in Peacemaker Season 2, Nathan Fillion (Firefly, Castle) will return as Guy Gardner in Lanterns.

"He's a jerk,” Fillion said of his character to TV Guide. “What's important to know is, you don't have to be good to be a Green Lantern; you just have to be fearless. So Guy Gardner is fearless, and he is not very good. He's not nice, which is very freeing as an actor because you just think to yourself, what is the most selfish, self-serving thing I can do in this moment? And that's the answer.

"I think if he has a superpower, it might be his overconfidence, in that he thinks he could take on Superman. He can't!"

Guy Gardner has been around since 1968, as he was created by John Broome and Gil Kane and first appeared in comics in Green Lantern Vol. 2 #59.

Kelly MacDonald as Sheriff Kerry

Via Variety, Kelly MacDonald (Brave, No Country for Old Men) has joined the cast of Lanterns as Sheriff Kerry, a “non-nonsense woman deeply devoted to her family and close-knit town. Her resilience, shaped by a complex past that’s hardened her resolve, anchors her when the community’s secrets begin to surface.”

Kerry may be a love interest of Hal, but it's clear from the trailer that she has absolutely zero patience for Hal and John sticking their noses in the town's latest murder case.

Garret Dillahunt as William Macon

Via Deadline, Garret Dillahunt (12 Years a Slave, Raising Hope) is William Macon, who is described as a modern cowboy who is a “self-righteous, conspiracy-minded man who masks his ruthless ambition behind a charming and calculated facade.” Billy Macon is his son.

William Macon appears to be a new character created for Lanterns.

Poorna Jagannathan as Zoe

Poorna Jagannathan (The Night Of, Never Have I Ever) will be playing Zoe in Lanterns. She’s rumored to be the love interest of John Stewart.

Zoe appears to be a new character created for Lanterns.

Ulrich Thomsen as Sinestro

Actor Christian Bale, who played the lead in the 2000 American Psycho movie, was recently asked what he thought of the new American Psycho movie coming from Luca Guadagnino. "Whoever wants to give it a shot, give it a pop," Bale told The Hollywood Reporter at the premiere of his latest film The Bride in New York City. "I loved making it with Mary Harron so many years back. So many fantastic memories of it all. Bold choice of anyone to… I don't know if they're doing a remake or what... I don't know anything about it, but all the best to 'em. I like brave people."

Bale didn’t have any particular picks when asked as far as actors to play the iconic Patrick Bateman this time around, but it’s great to see him so open to another portrayal that might end up quite different from his own.

That said, casting has seemingly been a big undertaking for the project. When it was first announced in 2024, Austin Butler was set to star as Bateman — but a 2025 report claimed that The White Lotus star Patrick Schwarzenegger was up for the role. But, as of this writing, no one has officially been attached to the part just yet. It doesn’t seem to be for a lack of trying, though.

"A couple of high-profile actors, whom I can't name, have turned it down," Bret Easton Ellis, author of the 1991 novel on which the film was based, revealed last month on his podcast. "I think maybe because they don't want to be in the shoes of Christian Bale." To be fair, that makes a lot of sense. Bale’s performance is the stuff of legend, and it will probably prove a bit difficult to find an actor ready and willing to do something wholly different with their Bateman — which appears to be Guadagnino’s strategy here.

"From what I’m told, this movie is completely different from Mary Harron’s 2000 movie,” Ellis also shared on the pod. “It's a completely different take, and going to bear no resemblance to that movie."

It’s certainly the move, doing something completely different with the source material versus rehashing the same old thing. Plus, the book and the movie do have a lot of differences between them, so there’s tons of opportunity there to play around. The only other person officially attached to the project besides Guadagnino is The Bourne Ultimatum writer Scott Z. Burns, who also wrote Steven Soderbergh’s 2013 film Side Effects, and it’ll be interesting to see where he goes with this reimagining of a perverted classic.

Before it became a movie that launched Christian Bale into stardom, American Psycho was a critically acclaimed, darkly comedic novel about the poisonous power of the American Dream. And in January, IGN exclusively debuted a new preview of The Folio Society's American Psycho set, featuring new looks at the box design, endpapers, frontispiece, and replica business card.

Lex Briscuso is a film and television critic and a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter at @nikonamerica.

With the release of DC K.O. #5, DC's latest crossover event has come to a close. The winner of the high-stakes superhero martial arts tournament has been crowned, leaving only one final battle between the new King Omega and the almighty Darkseid. And when the dust settles, it quickly becomes clear that DC has an even bigger Darkseid story in the works.

What happens in the finale of DC K.O.? We're going to break down this last, epic battle and the immediate fallout, but beware of spoilers for DC K.O. #5 ahead!

King Omega vs. Darkseid

DC K.O. #4 not only featured the first encounter between the Justice League and their counterparts in the Absolute Universe, it also ended on a big twist, with Lex Luthor betraying Superman to win the fighting tournament. As the final issue opens, Luthor is crowned King Omega, and he's clearly enjoying all the power that comes with the title.

However, Luthor's triumph is short-lived. Time Trapper (the evolved, intelligent version of Doomsday) intervenes and gives Superman a second chance to be the hero his universe needs. In his more enlightened state, Time Trapper realizes that his primary purpose isn't to destroy Superman, but to save him. And so he empowers the Man of Steel with both destructive Omega Energy and its polar opposite, the creation-rich Alpha Energy. Superman immediately returns to the battlefield as the true King Omega.

The first official trailer has arrived for HBO's Lanterns ahead of its debut in August 2026, and it features a flying Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) and a John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) who is in training and waiting for his turn to wield the iconic ring.

Lanterns appears to be taking a much more grounded approach in a world filled with superheroes, as we don't really see any powers take center stage besides a few teases at what this pair can do. Instead, we get a look at the fraught relationship between the old veteran and the up-and-comer who is waiting for his time to shine.

The trailer reveals Jordan and Stewart have been together for about two months now, and Stewart hasn't been able to wear the ring yet.

"Don't get hung up on the jewelry, junior," Jordan says. "You're just a f****** substitute teacher. You aren't ready to get up in front of the class until the ring says you are."

What follows next is Jordan jumping out of the car before it speeds off a cliff, and Stewart needing to find a way to survive, which he does off-screen.

We then get a glimpse of the wider mystery at hand, which involves a murder in the American Heartland. It also includes Sheriff Kerry (Kelly Macdonald), who doesn't like these two getting in her way.

The rest of the trailer is filled with tension between the teacher and his student, a glimpse of Jordan's old suit, and even a tease of the other Green Lanterns, who Jordan believes are all aliens. Oh, and one is a "f*****' squirrel," who is most likely Ch'p from the comics.

"The Green Lantern's oath is to protect people," Stewart says. "We both know I do a better job of this than you."

"This is my job," Jordan responds. "As long as I'm alive, that ain't changin'. So, take a deep breath, junior."

"You're old. You're tired," Stewart says. "And your time is up."

Lanterns will arrive after Supergirl, and it's another way the DCU is expanding in 2026 and introducing new characters. And yes, it will also include familiar faces as Nathan Fillion will return as Guy Gardner in the series.

Adam Bankhurst is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst, Instagram, and TikTok, and listen to his show, Talking Disney Magic.

Audible has just unveiled a new subscription plan for 2026. The Audible Standard membership is $8.99 per month and includes a monthly credit you can use on anything from Audible's entire library. You'll also get unlimited access to a curated selection of Audible Originals and podcasts previously on Wonderly.

Audible's latest press release calls the new plan an accessible entry point for listeners. According to Audible's Chief Financial & Growth Officer, "The launch of our Standard plan reflects Audible's ongoing commitment to serving the diverse preferences and listening habits of story-lovers everywhere. By expanding our membership options, we're maximizing access for lighter listeners while enabling publishers and creators to reach new audiences."

The new Standard plan is about $6 cheaper per month than the Premium Plus plan and gets you the same amount of monthly credits. The main differences between the two plans are the extra benefits you get with Premium. According to Audible's subscription page, a Premium subscription will let you keep audiobooks even after you cancel and also unlock unlimited access to the Plus catalog. If you are only looking to subscribe for the monthly credit, the Standard plan is a great way to trade in those additional benefits to save some money.

Try Your First Month Free

Amazon has finally dropped the preorder for the Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolution—Perfect Order Booster Bundle, and it’s under market value. You can also grab discounted Pulse Explore Buds, which pair perfectly with the PS Portal. Plus, score over half off a high-capacity power bank, and Alan Wake 2 Deluxe Edition for PS5 is at its lowest price. Check out all the best deals for March 4th below:

TL;DR - The Best Deals for March 4

Soundcore Boom 3i Waterproof Portable Speaker for $50.37

Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolution—Perfect Order Booster Bundle Preorder In Stock on Amazon

Save $30 on the Pulse Explore Buds

Alan Wake 2 Deluxe Edition for PS5 Hits New Low

Save 45% on Astro Bot

MTG x TMNT Pizza Bundle Preorder Is Under $100

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24% Off MTG x LOTR Tales of Middle-Earth Scene Box Bundle

Score $530 Off an Alienware Aurora R16 RTX 5080 Gaming PC

Save 53% on the Iniu 20,000mAh 45W USB Power Bank with Built-in Cable

Pokémon Pokopia Preorder Comes With Free Tote

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Save $50 on the MTG x TMNT Collector Booster Box

Brandon Sanderson has been busy over the last few months. With the recent announcement that his Cosmere universe would be coming to Apple TV, Sanderson has been actively providing updates about his progress via Youtube. And yet somehow he's still found time to launch a massive new crowdfunding campaign that has already blown its goals out of the water.

The Hoid's Storybook Collection campaign went live on Backerkit on March 3 and its already raised over $5.7 million after a single day. The project's original funding goal was only $1,000,000 and the campaign is planned to run all the way through March 27.

Ubisoft has just released the first piece of concept art for Assassin's Creed: Black Flag Resynced, finally confirming its long-awaited remake that has been rumored for years.

The company included the image in a blog post that offers more detail on the blockbuster franchise's future — including word that post-launch support for Assassin's Creed Shadows was being wound down.

Ubisoft's focus is now firmly on the future, though the series' next all-new entry Assassin's Creed: Codename Hexe sounds like it's still some way off. In the meantime, then, Ubisoft has at last begun acknowledging its upcoming Assassin's Creed: Black Flag remake, which is expected to arrive at some point later this year.

"Speculation around Assassin's Creed is not new, but it's worth repeating: 'Nothing is true. Everything is permitted,'" Ubisoft wrote. "Well, except in this case, some whispers have a little more wind in their sails. Keep your spyglass on the horizon. 🦜"

The project's official name, Assassin's Creed: Black Flag Resynced, was first spotted last December, when it popped up via a European ratings board listing. That sighting followed years of internal leaks that pointed to the project's existence, a boatload of fan speculation and even hints from the original game's lead actor.

Previous reports have suggested that Black Flag Resynced will be a substantial remake of the series' beloved piratical entry, with visual and gameplay upgrades that see the game closer in quality to last year's Assassin's Creed Shadows.

New story content will reportedly be added to flesh out more of hero Edward Kenway's life, though the game's modern day gameplay sections have apparently been excised — something that many fans aren't happy about. It will be interesting to see how Ubisoft handles the game's new ending — which previously tied together story elements from its historical and modern day narratives — in light of that change.

Officially, Ubisoft has only previously referred to Black Flag Resynced's upcoming arrival by acknowledging that there had been an unannounced game due to arrive before the end of its current financial year (on March 31). In January, however this game was then delayed into the coming financial year (ending March 31, 2027) due to the company's major recent reshuffle of teams, projects and studios.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social

HBO has cast three leading roles for Season 2 of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, which is now in production in Belfast and Spain. Season 2 adapts “The Sworn Sword”, the second novella in George R.R. Martin’s Tales of Dunk and Egg series.

Set a few years after the events depicted in Season 1, Season 2 brings in a new cast of characters for Dunk and Egg (Peter Claffey and Dexter Sol Ansell, respectively) to encounter, most notably Lady Rohanne Webber, aka the Red Widow, and Ser Eustace Osgrey, two rivals locked in a bitter land dispute as a drought devastates The Reach.

Variety reports that British actress Lucy Boynton (Bohemian Rhapsody, The Pale Blue Eye, Murder on the Orient Express) has been cast as Lady Rohanne Webber. In “The Sword Sword”, Lady Rohanne is believed to be an old witch responsible for the deaths of her four husbands, but she is, in fact, an attractive young woman with political savvy and ambiguous intentions.

When it comes to depicting the Joker, the only constant at DC Comics is the fact that everything changes. The Clown Prince of Crime is mercurial and always evolving, a fact that we're reminded of in Matt Fraction and Jorge Jiménez's Batman #7. This issue introduces one of the most startling revamps in the villain's decades-long history, suggesting that Joker may have finally regained his grip on sanity.

Read on to learn more about what happens in this issue, but beware of full spoilers for Batman #7 ahead!

Issue #7 sees Batman summoned to Arkham Asylum by one of Joker's secret messengers, much to the chagrin of Joker's new caretaker, Dr. Zeller. She reluctantly allows Batman to meet with the man she refers to as "Patient 10." Batman is immediately taken aback by seeing his old foe floating in a Darth Vader-style tank and hooked up to all manner of tubes and a mental stimulation device known as the Crown of Storms.

Joker reveals that Zeller has helped him in a way no other doctor at Arkham ever has. Her devices and treatments have granted him a certain degree of "clarity" for the first time since his original transformation. His body has clearly seen better days, but his mind is as close to healthy as it's ever been.

Ubisoft has detailed its plans for the future of Assassin's Creed, and said it is already winding down support for last year's Assassin's Creed Shadows.

Later this month, Assassin's Creed Shadows will celebrate its first anniversary — but it sounds like a muted affair, with a community livestream, a competition, and not a lot else.

Today's update from the new Assassin's Creed leadership team makes it clear that Shadows will not receive any major new content additions in future, following earlier confirmation that there would be no second expansion similar to last fall's Claws of Awaji. It's a disappointing end for Shadows, which has limped to the end of its first year of post-launch support and offered fans only a fraction of the continued adventures afforded to the franchise's previous blockbuster, Assassin's Creed Valhalla.

"As we reach this [first anniversary] milestone, Shadows will be moving into its final phase of support," Ubisoft said. "We're winding things down with smaller, less frequent updates... but still a few surprises! At the same time, our teams will begin shifting more focus toward what's next for Assassin's Creed."

Fans already have a fair idea what's next for the series, though today brought a reminder of that. In terms of scope, the next big all-new Assassin's Creed game is Codename Hexe, which will be set in mainland Europe and feature witchcraft-esque vibes. Until last month, the project was being overseen by Ubisoft veteran Clint Hocking — though following the brand's leadership reshuffle it is now being managed directly by Assassin's Creed head of content Jean Guesdon, with Hocking now out of the company again.

"We are taking the time to deliver on its ambitious vision, which means we'll be quiet for a while longer," Ubisoft said today, setting expectations that the game was still a while from launch. "We love seeing all the enthusiasm happening on our channels and can't wait to unveil more when the time is right."

The company has not confirmed it, but fans suspect Hexe was one of the many projects to receive a delay in January this year, at the same time Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake was cancelled.

A flurry of other brief updates provided a reminder that Ubisoft has plenty of other Assassin's Creed things in the works, though without any firm news on any of them today. The multiplayer-focused Codename Invictus, announced years ago alongside Hexe, is still "progressing steadily with a test and learn approach," Ubisoft said, "led by a dedicated team of For Honor veterans."

"We understand there's a lot of curiosity around this project: yes, it's a new approach to multiplayer in the franchise, but it isn't quite what the rumors have suggested," Ubisoft continued. "With player feedback at the heart of our approach, we're exploring ways to bring the community in earlier so we can shape the experience together."

Separately, Ubisoft acknowledged it was investigating "bringing co-op back to Assassin's Creed" and "recently chose to pivot away from an early project." This was, reportedly, a co-op idea that would have continued Shadows' story, which sadly sounds like it will no longer see the light of day.

In terms of what you can play today, Ubisoft announced a 60fps patch for the French Revolution-set Assassin's Creed Unity would arrive imminently for Xbox and PlayStation.

Wrapping up, Ubisoft namedropped the Ancient China-set smartphone game Assassin's Creed Jade (which again was announced years ago, with nothing heard of it now in a long time) and the Assassin's Creed live-action Netflix series (which sounds like we'll see something concrete of soon, following recent casting announcements). Lastly, Ubisoft dropped yet another hint at Assassin's Creed: Black Flag remake that everyone knows is set to launch this year.

"Some whispers have a little more wind in their sales," Ubisoft teased, just weeks after seemingly confirming the Black Flag remake was real via a GTA meme on social media. "Keep your spyglass on the horizon."

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social

Like Cuphead before it, I am pleased to report that, as it turns out, Mouse: P.I. for Hire isn’t just all sizzle. There is plenty of steak there too. Just as Cuphead built an incredibly good bullet-hell, boss-rush shooter underneath its hand-drawn, hand-animated exterior, so too – at least, based on what I’ve played so far – is Mouse underpinning its 1930’s-era, black-and-white, rubberhose-animated facade with a mechanically sound first-person shooter. In fact, while its own developers have referred to it in conversations and interviews with me as a boomer shooter, I’d argue they might be selling their creation a little short: there’s a lot more going on in its campaign than I thought. The end result is an action game that seems like it’ll have the gameplay to match its sublime looks.

The Look

By now you’ve probably seen at least a bit of gameplay from Mouse, and thus you know, at its core, what it is: a first-person shooter with a deep commitment to looking and sounding like a Steamboat Willie-era cartoon. I’ve already taken one test drive with Mouse last summer, and I was impressed with it then. I’m even more excited for it now after playing a chunk of a case – meaning, a mission – from an advanced build ahead of its April 16 release date for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X and S, and Nintendo Switch and Switch 2.

Mouse starts out in a rather unexciting way, if I’m being honest. The intro level acts as a tutorial, introducing you to its uniquely animated but ultimately familiar weapons: a pistol, shotgun, Tommy gun (called a James gun here, which is either a clever way to sidestep a potential Tommy gun trademark, a nod to the Guardians of the Galaxy director and head of DC Studios, or both), and sticks of dynamite. It doesn’t take too long before you get your hands on the Turpentine gun, which melts the skin off your animated enemies’ bodies like The Dip from Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

The Sound

It also doesn’t take long before you see how developer Fumi Games leans all the way into its 1930’s cartoon setting. See, it’s not just the look that screams “hyperviolent Steamboat Willie,” it’s the sound. The ubiquitous and ultra-talented Troy Baker lends his voice to the player character, the titular P.I. for hire named Jack Pepper. This isn’t a role that Baker completely disappears into, like Joel or Indiana Jones. But what he delivers as a stereotypical hard-boiled detective is perfect for the self-aware tone that Mouse proudly flaunts.

The sound design also follows the visual aesthetic, with a jazzy soundtrack that, again, fits like a glove. But I even love the little things about its audio, like the way Jack Pepper slurps and gives an over-the-top “Ahh” when popping the cork and guzzling down a bottle of health-replenishing tonic. Or the “ding” of the bell on the typewriter that you save your game at. Everything that hits your eardrums seems to perfectly fit what your eyes are seeing on the screen, and it added to how much fun I was having with the game.

The Play’s the Thing

But let’s talk about gameplay, because the depth there is what really surprised me about Mouse. And before I get to the nuts and bolts of it, I want to talk about the structure. Mouse is split into cases. And no, that’s not just a synonym for “missions” here. Instead, again (are you sensing a theme yet?), Mouse leans all the way into its choices. Between levels you’ll return to a noncombat hub area – a seedy corner of Mouseburg that’s home to Jack’s office, where you’ll piece together clues from your current case; the Little & Big Bar, where you’ll talk to various people in Mouseburg; and down a dark alley, Tammy’s Bearings, where you can upgrade your weapons, money for which is accumulated by scouring each level and collecting all the cash you can find.

I had a blast setting my weapons down and just walking around the Mouseburg hub talking to people (and by people, of course, I mean fellow anthropomorphic mice). It added a lot of life and character to Mouse that I think make the entire experience more appealing if I picture what it would be like just going from one combat-focused mission to another, with no break in-between. It’s not that it would’ve been bad, necessarily, but I do like that these literal inter-missions give you a chance to let your guard down and enjoy the worldbuilding that Fumi Games has done here. And there are even secrets to discover, which is a nice little bonus. I do have one minor complaint that did particularly annoy me, though: having to button through every single line of dialogue. It’s all fully voiced, which is great, but my goodness did I get tired of clicking through every last one of them. I’d love an option to get rid of that for the final game, please.

Getting back to the combat: the early mission I played was clearly not showing off every trick in Mouse’s arsenal. Most of the fights were fairly simple, against no more than two or three foes, but I nevertheless had a good time with them for a couple of reasons: first, the full-on cartooniness of this world. Remember how I said earlier that Mouse leans into everything it’s trying to do? That even applies to the kill animations. If you headshot an enemy mouse robot, their head will simply pop in over-the-top cartoon style, with drops of oil spewing out of the pencil-thin neck stump. (Side note: there’s a sentence I’ve probably never typed in my entire career or life before.) There’s even lockpicking, in which you cleverly use your mouse tail to maneuver inside the lock and hit the pins correctly.

Rubberhose Guns

And second, it’s the weapons. I simply love using them. I’d wager that there are more first-person shooters in history that have used a pistol, shotgun, and machinegun of some variety than ones that haven’t, so I recognize that it’s not exactly novel. But the weapons all have an appropriately over-the-top feel and sound to them. My favorite so far is the shotgun, which has a nice kick to it, and I’d be remiss not to mention the satisfying reload animation of the James gun, which sees Jack Pepper click a new drum of ammo into the bottom of the weapon.

That’s not to say there aren’t original ideas in Mouse’s arsenal, however. The Turpentine gun, as I mentioned earlier, fires blobs of ink-dissolving solvent that melts these cartoon bad guys, leaving their bones on display before they too dissolve into a pile of dust. It is one of my favorite first-person shooter weapons in a good little while now – maybe since Doom: The Dark Ages’ Skullcrusher gun from last year.

Also, not only do I really enjoy using Mouse’s weapons, I get a kick out of just watching them in action. The rubberhose animation makes your guns look like they’re constantly wiggling, and the firing and reload animations are equally satisfying. I can’t wait to see what other squirmy firearms are waiting for me in the rest of this single-player-only campaign.

Robo-Boss

Mouse is also promising plenty of boss fights, and though I only got to experience one of them over three separate stages, it definitely made me up my game a little bit. I wouldn’t say I felt particularly threatened – I didn’t die at all – but this was also an early mission on Normal difficulty. Anyway, I faced off against a robo-mouse called the Watchamacallit (whose identity will be properly revealed when you played the game for yourself). I had to jump to avoid bolts of electricity spinning around the floor and take cover behind glass panels that would pop up when she moved to another phase of her attack. The encounter definitely kept me on my toes, and I’m looking forward to seeing how the challenge ramps up in later boss fights.

As I mentioned at the top, I’d already had the privilege of playing Mouse last summer, so I came into this new hands-on session with some earned optimism. But when I was done with this newest preview build, I was left even more impressed than I’d expected to be. Mouse: P.I. for Hire, based on what I’ve played so far, is far more than its distinct 1930’s rubberhose-animated look. It sure seems to have legitimate gameplay depth and mechanics to it as well, and it’s moved up my list of anticipated games in a year that’s already packed with some serious potential. Here’s hoping that Mouse can sustain this over its entire campaign when it drops next month.

Ryan McCaffrey is IGN's executive editor of previews and host of both IGN's weekly Xbox show, Podcast Unlocked, as well as our semi-retired interview show, IGN Unfiltered. He's a North Jersey guy, so it's "Taylor ham," not "pork roll." Debate it with him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan.

Microsoft has patented a method for an AI model to take control of your game, should you need a helping hand.

The idea, which Microsoft initially registered back in 2024, is designed for players who might be stuck in a video game. Patent documentation dug up by Tech4gamers shows a Clippy-style pop-up that suggests another player who can "take over your game."

Players would be able to see the name and identity of this player, as well as a rating for how helpful they had been in the past. Associated notes confirm that Microsoft is exploring the idea of this player either being human — another Xbox gamer keen to help — or, alternatively, an AI model.