Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League just received its final update, which along with the promised offline mode, adds an official ending to the game's story that wraps everything up in a tidy, if rather uninteresting, way.

As previously announced, Episode 8: Balance is the final update planned for Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. Alongside some new armore and exotic weapons, the biggest feature in the update is a new Offline Mode that will allow players to continue playing Suicide Squad Game by themselves without requiring an internet connection.

As a reminder, Episode 8 will be the final update to #SuicideSquadGame. The title will remain playable in both Online and the recently released Offline Mode for players to continue to wreak havoc in Metropolis 💥

— Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League (@suicidesquadRS) January 14, 2025

The Offline Mode was announced in December 2023 as part of Rocksteady's post-launch plans, but the studio was also committed to releasing its promised DLCs and additional characters, leaving the Offline Mode for its final update.

There's also a big comic book ending to wrap up the story of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, so if you're okay with spoilers feel free to read below the break. You've been warned.

Okay so Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, as the name implies, is about taking out members of the Justice League who have been brainwashed by Brainiac. One of the biggest shocks in the game was when Harley Quinn shoots Batman point blank in the head.

However, Batman was actually still alive. In his masterful gambit, he allowed Brainiac to create clones of the Justice League and then oversaw the events of the game from the shadows as he worked to take down Brainiac in secret.

The ending is told via the comic book illustrations that the different post-launch episodes have been presented in and in true comic book fashion, your favorite heroes are still all alive and the bad guys are defeated. Woo-hoo.

Is this how Rocksteady envisioned the end of Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League? Who can say. The game released to mixed reviews and Warner Bros. said the game fell short of expectations when it came to sales, and the developers announced that it was ending future updates on the game after Season 4.

You can read our full review of Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League here and for anyone looking to play the game, the Offline Mode means you're able to fully. So if you see it on sale next time, don't worry about picking it up as the game will still run just fine.

Matt Kim is IGN's Senior Features Editor.

Alienware's best high-end gaming monitor deal during Black Friday is back. The 32" Alienware AW3225QF 4K QD OLED gaming monitor has been marked down to $899.99 after a saving of $300 off the retail price. If you're looking for the best 4K gaming monitor, this should definitely be on your short list. This is the monitor I personally use and I absolutely recommend it.

32" Alienware AW3225QF 4K OLED Monitor

NetEase Games is telling Marvel Rivals players that a new hero will launch every month and a half as additional seasons roll out.

The studio’s creative director, Guangyun Chen, clarified the team’s post-launch plans during an interview with Metro. He doesn’t mince words, promising to release a playable character every half-season. That equals out to at least one new hero every month and a half, or roughly every six weeks.

“Every season we’ll be rolling out fresh seasonal stories, new maps, and new heroes. We’ll actually be breaking down each season into two halves,” Chen said. “The length of one season is three months. And for each half of the season, we will introduce a new hero. We just eventually want to continue to enhance the experience, and, you know, keep everyone excited in our community.”

It’s a tall order that will leave fans with one question as every season winds down: who’s next? Marvel Rivals Season 1: Eternal Night Falls already kicked things off with a strong start by introducing both Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Woman for the first half, with The Thing and the Human Torch primed to launch with the second half in a few weeks. These are Marvel mainstays who have undeniably earned their place as legendary superhero characters, but keeping up that momentum over time will be quite the challenge.

Marvel Rivals already launched with a strong list of playable heroes that includes names like Wolverine, Magneto, Spider-Man, Jeff the Landshark, and Storm, but there are so many other faces to include. Blade is one character rumored to appear in Season 2, for example, with fans also hoping to see characters like Daredevil, Deadpool, and other X-Men at some point. It’s unclear how NetEase will expand upon the Marvel Rivals roster in the future, but with the success it’s seen so far, the team is showing no signs of slowing down.

Marvel Rivals Season 1 also introduced a laundry list of balance changes and general gameplay tweaks, with more promised to arrive in future updates. For other news on the studio’s hero shooter hit, you can check out how some players are using the Invisible Woman to ward off an alleged bot problem. You can also read up on the Hero Hot List, and why some players are using mods despite fears of being banned.

Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.

Be sure to give him a follow on Twitter @MikeCripe.

Food has been depicted as an important part of the Monster Hunter series from the start, whether it comes to defeating enemies or depicting its world. In the games up until now, you could order a tasty meal from a Felyne before heading out on a quest, or hunt an herbivorous monster in the field and roast it until it's well-done.

Food remains as important as ever in the newest installment in the series, Monster Hunter Wilds. Hunters can use the Portable BBQ Grill to cook up a meal with their Palico, wherever and whenever out in the fields. Once it's ready, you can scarf down some hot and fresh meat. Seeing this gives the powerful sense that the hunter, which is to say the player controlling that hunter, is really living within the world of the game.

Depicting the act of eating, a central part of life, is more important than anything when giving a sense of reality to the ecosystems of these monsters and the world that they share with hunters. That belief has been also held by the development team ever since the very first Monster Hunter.

First we dine

Kaname Fujioka, Executive Director and Art Director for Wilds as well as the Director of the first Monster Hunter game, tells IGN: "Ever since the first Monster Hunter, we've put a ton of focus in our designs on what it means to live in its world. Even the monsters drink water, and they hunt prey to eat. Humans also feel hungry if they move around a lot, and they get sleepy if they're tired. We thought that maybe we could make a game that makes you feel like you're living in it if we did a good job of incorporating these elements based on real-life senses."

The concept goes that being able to eat a delicious piece of meat when you're hungry makes you happy. And if that piece of meat is gigantic, you feel all the happier. The element of eating in the series, something so filled with primitive desires, became a part of the gameplay as time went on, buffing a hunter's stats.

"Tokuda likes meat, so meat plays a pretty central role in any titles he's involved in, says Fujioka, referring to Wilds Director Yuya Tokuda. “We put fruit and vegetables on the menu as well in the past, but it's become pretty meat-centric ever since Monster Hunter: World."

"You just want to feel stronger before you go hunting, right?” adds Tokuda. “I thought it'd be intuitive to eat meat and become stronger.”

While Tokuda says he has absolute confidence in Fujioka's guidance as someone who has been involved in the series from the start, it seems that at times, he'll sometimes advise him when it comes to meat. "It might be more exciting if you made that meat a little bigger..." and so on.

There are of course difficult elements when it comes to depicting eating in a game, but Fujioka, as the game’s Art Director, says he creates graphics that are entirely focused on what looks delicious. If a piece of food shows up in Monster Hunter that makes players think it must taste good, you can be sure that the development staff has already felt the same way.

"Something isn't necessarily going to look delicious just because it's realistic,” he says. “We have to think quite a lot about what kind of depictions we need to use to make it look tasty. We have paid close attention to lighting and effects in particular since World, and we may exaggerate the food's appearance too."

In fact, during the November 2024 open beta test of Wilds, so many food videos flooded social media that they even reached demographics who don't normally play Monster Hunter. The sound of sizzling fat and the golden shine of honey dripping on top of cabbage were filled with detail that would make anyone's mouth water. Was that delicious-looking meat and cabbage based on real footage of something actually cooked by the development team?

"While I'm not aware of the fine details, we don't cook dishes for real and use them as-is as models,” says Fujioka. “Simply recreating something that exists in reality wouldn't actually look that tasty when placed inside a game. We do of course create high-resolution meat textures and so on, but what we want to focus on in the end is how we depict it, which means essentially creating it from scratch."

In that sense, it seems that creating tasty depictions of vegetables, like those similar to cabbage in the game, was far more difficult than with meat.

"After a great deal of research, we created an exaggerated depiction where the cabbage puffs up for a moment when the skillet's lid is popped open in-game,” says Fujioka. “That doesn't happen in real life, and while it is a small detail, that feeling of it expanding makes it look incredibly delicious."

Yes, it may be a lie if you're comparing it to a real-life depiction. But as an artistic expression, it just looks so delicious. Fujioka and the development team studied every depiction of food that they could, from how food scenes are exaggerated in anime to the lighting used when food is shot for commercials.

"Depicting eggs is incredibly difficult too,” he says. “Creating the feeling of the white being cut from a dripping soft-boiled egg was so hard, but our designers drew on all their knowledge to make it work.

Fujioka continues, "My ambition is for Tokuda to hopefully see something aside from meat as delicious. That's why the staff making the food models also say they get hungrier and hungrier as the game nears completion. We've prepared quite a lot of different dishes this time as well, so I hope players enjoy each and every one."

The unique food system in Wilds

In Wilds, a game where the situation in the field changes in real-time, the buffs and enhancements provided by food have gone from being quest-based to time-based. Hunters also no longer eat inside a canteen run by Felynes, but rather inside camps or with the Portable BBQ Grill set up on their own, allowing them to now prepare a meal whenever and wherever. This change apparently is the result of changes to Wilds' gameplay loop.

"In World and the games before that, lots of different elements were decided based on your quest, so you would eat an appropriate meal before you went on one,” says Tokuda. “Since this game focuses more on a seamless experience, hunters will have time to freely play around in all kinds of different ways, especially after completing a quest. As players choose one target to hunt after the next on a seamless map, we decided that food should be time-based, not quest-based. When doing this, we considered amounts of time that would keep it from feeling too much like a chore while also tuning it to seem realistic."

Hunters will receive rations from the Felyne at the Ingredient Center found in the base camp, then use them to make food in the field. Tokuda explains that if you have rations, you can use them as meat, fish or even vegetables. "If we separated them into items like vegetables, meat and fish, we wouldn't be able to avoid tendencies toward one or the other, so you could end up with something like too many vegetables,” he says. “That's why we've made it so that you can use rations as meat, vegetables or fish so that there's no waste and players can choose according to their preferences."

Dishes made by hunters use both main ingredients based on the rations provided by the aforementioned Felyne as well as spices and other additional ingredients. These can, for the most part, be acquired while in the field. Meanwhile, it's interesting that the rations delivered by Felynes to the hunter's base is differentiated by having a long shelf life, like smoked meat or pre-cleaned fish. In the cutscene where Quematrice is encountered, you can even see Felynes who refuse to let go of their meat.

We ask Fujioka if Felynes are natural-born cooks. "They cook food in the canteen because they're creatures with an incredible sense of curiosity, and because they become so engrossed in their interests, absorbing so much about them,” he replies. “While some Felynes may follow the path of cuisine, others may look up to hunters and pursue the path of supporting them. I think they're a species where you can still see that strongly."

After hearing all this talk about the effort the team has put into food, a long-held question pops into my head. In Monster Hunter, you hunt herbivorous monsters, get their raw meat, and cook it until it's well-done. But do they have any plans to ever let us hunt a large carnivorous monster for its meat to eat? Or is using large monsters as ingredients not a part of the food culture in the world of the series?

"It comes up during the planning stages of every game,” replies Tokuda. “We talk about how it'd be interesting to hunt a monster and also get an ingredient of sorts as a bonus, but the world is already full of so many attractive ingredients that it makes us wonder if you'd really go so far as to make a meal out of portions of a monster that can be used as valuable materials (for equipment). It's possible that if you could get all the food you need from large monsters, and if that food had incredibly powerful effects, there would be no need for anything else, making the game's loop less attractive. That's why we discard the idea. We are trying a lot of different things, though, like Motley Mixes in World would let you hand over extra monster tails to get well-done steaks and other special items."

Mr. Fujioka adds to this, saying, "In the game's lore, at least, there are legendary chefs of a sort. We haven't depicted them yet, but there should of course be some people in its world who pursue that kind of field."

Cultural connection of cuisine

In addition to the food that you can make inside a pop-up camp, there are dishes you can find in villages you visit all around Wilds. Tokuda explains that food in the game belongs to two major categories: camping meals and village feasts.

"We wanted to design the game in a way that you could keep on playing it without interruption within an environment that continues to change in real time,” he says, comparing the meals you can create yourself with portable ingredients and the sumptuous feasts you can eat when invited to a village. “That's why we decided to add a feature where hunters could prepare very simple meals from an early stage. In contrast to that, we also looked into a way to add meals that let players understand the relationships between people and local food cultures. We thought of a kind of meal that could only be possible now that the game loop is based on time and not quests, as well as one that provides different in-game benefits."

"Interacting with the different species that live in the Forbidden Lands and coming to understand one another is an important part of the game's world and its story to us,” adds Fujioka. “We're putting a ton of work into depicting those interactions."

As you progress through the story in the Windward Plains, your hunter will be invited to a meal in the village of Kunafa, where those who live in the desert reside. These villagers who know nothing of hunting and haven't even seen weapons before treat you to a dish that resembles a freshly baked cheese naan. As you bite into its crispy surface with charred spots, both steam and melted cheese come pouring out. The meal is an unbelievable feast for a hunter from the outside world, making it a scene that shows just how much you're welcomed by these villagers.

The developers filled this short yet memorable food scene with attention to detail, as close care is paid to how it helps form the game's world.

"We spent quite a lot of time coming up with what those villagers eat,” Fujioka explains. “Since they aren't a hunting people, what could they normally be eating? When we thought about how they get animal-based nutrients, we decided that they must raise livestock and eat dairy-based foods. You're able to get a grain similar to wheat when you go out to a more wide-open part of the map, right? So maybe they make something like naan using that grain. On top of that, we wanted it to be something made from simple ingredients, and not too complicated. We thought that a dish like cheese naan would be simple yet possible to depict in a delicious way, and so we put a good amount of effort into that."

So while it may appear to be a casual dining scene, it seems that a lot of labor went into showing this dish similar to one that exists in real life, cheese naan, in a delicious and meaningful way.

"It's actually incredibly difficult to depict something that's crispy on the surface but springy on the inside using CG,” says Fujioka. “We'd been making attempts at the food scene in Kunafa from early on in development, even at the prototype stage, and we just couldn't get it to look the way we wanted. Still, the Wilds development team is incredibly talented, and I was shocked to see them ultimately reach the way it looks in the released version after a lot of trial and error. It really does look tasty..."

Serious motion capture technology was used in the development of Wilds, and it seems that this change in the development environment helped broaden the range of expression when it comes to the game's food.

"While we of course wanted to focus on the food itself, we also wanted to put effort into depicting the way someone eats and their expression as they do so, which is why we used facial capture and other technologies as well,” says Fujioka. “It's not as if we used all of the data we filmed, but we did have actors eat actual food like bread during motion capture sessions. It's not easy to rely on your imagination alone to come up with the expression of someone who just finished eating or someone savoring the aroma of food through their nostrils. We had the actors think about these details as they performed in our attempt to depict everything, even the act of eating, as delicious."

These thoroughly created food scenes do add a dramatic effect to the Wilds experience. Hunters can see just how much the villagers care as they show you incredible hospitality, sensing the way they live in the unknown Forbidden Lands while also feeling as though you've become a part of the land despite being a foreigner.

"You can continue to deepen your relationships with people in settlements even after you've completed the main story,” adds Tokuda. “Being offered food by them isn't a one-time thing, and they'll come to invite you to eat every now and then. Accepting these invitations will provide you with powerful food buffs that last for a long time, so even from a gameplay perspective, you'll receive more frequent offers by creating stronger bonds with villages. Also, while it is possible for you to gather local ingredients yourself, trading with locals can allow you to get lots of cheese. We've intentionally designed the game so that changes in your relationships that take place through food help deepen the world."

By the way, the game has settlements aside from the one in the Windward Plains, and Tokuda says that they will treat you to food as well.

"There are villages in lots of different areas this time around where locals live their lives,” he says. “Each of those peoples eat different things, and there are rather unique monsters in Oilwell Basin. The dishes made with those monsters are pretty novel, so we hope you'll see them for yourself and be surprised."

Even after hearing all of this about food and eating, I still find myself with one question. In that case, is there nothing like a canteen where Felynes show off their culinary skills in this game? Not being able to stop by a place where Felynes enjoy serving you food so much would feel a little sad.

When I ask this, Tokuda replies, "You're right about that. We are aware that this may weaken the sense of everyone gathering together, exchanging vouchers for food, and enjoying a meal as a means of communication, that players have experienced in the past. I hope you'll wait for further information when it comes to that."

For more on Monster Hunter Wilds, check out our exclusive 4K gameplay videos battling Ajarakan and Rompopolo in the new Oilwell Basin area, and our interview with the development team on how Monster Hunter has evolved over the years. And keep an eye out for more exclusives throughout January as part of IGN First!

Shuka Yamada is a freelance writer for IGN Japan. This article was translated by Ko Ransom.

Lenovo is kicking off the new year with some great deals on several of its Legion gaming PC and laptop models. Most of these configurations have coupon codes that are automatically applied in your shopping cart, plus you get free shipping. Check out all the deals below.

Lenovo Gaming PCs

Lenovo Gaming Laptops

You can quickly browse through all of the listed products on sale above.

Lenovo Legion Tower 7 RTX 4080 Super Gaming PC

Lenovo Legion Tower 5 RTX 4070 Ti Super Gaming PC

Lenovo Legion Tower 5 i7 RTX 4070 Super Gaming PC

Lenovo Legion Pro 7 16" RTX 4090 Gaming Laptop

Lenovo Legion Pro 7 16" RTX 4070 Gaming Laptop

Lenovo Legion Pro 5 RTX 4060 Gaming Laptop

Lenovo Legion Slim 16" Gaming Laptops

Amazon is currently offering a SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless gaming headset for only $258.99 after a 26% off discount. Only the Xbox model is marked down, however this is the best model because it's actually compatible with the Xbox, PC, and PlayStation 5 console via USB Type-C. The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro is rated the best gaming headset, and as someone who owns and uses this headset on a daily basis, I wholeheartedly agree.

26% Off SteelSeries Nova Pro Wireless Gaming Headset

Bethesda originally planned to include gore and dismemberment mechanics in Starfield but had to remove them due to technical limitations.

Former employee Dennis Mejillones, who was a character artist on The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, Fallout 4, and Starfield, told Kiwi Talkz that Bethesda had to cut the feature because the interaction with space suits became too complex.

"There was a lot of implications with the different suits from a technical perspective," he said. "There's a lot that has to go with it. You have to cut the helmet in a certain way and it's got to come off, you have meat caps to the bottom where the flesh is.

"We had systems for all of that and it turned into a big rat's nest. All these things you have to count for now with all these crazy hoses on the helmets and all that kind of stuff that we added. Or now you could change the body size significantly. The character creator had evolved quite a bit."

Some fans lamented that Starfield, which was the first full single-player role-playing game from Bethesda in eight years, didn't have the gore and dismemberment mechanics that were present in Fallout 4. Mejillones said these mechanics make more sense in Fallout than in Starfield, however, given their "tongue in cheek" humor. "It's part of the fun," he said.

Starfield arrived in September 2023 and in the time since has reached more than 15 million players. "Starfield has a lot of forces working against it, but eventually the allure of its expansive roleplaying quests and respectable combat make its gravitational pull difficult to resist," IGN said in our 7/10 review.

Last month, another former Bethesda developer revealed his surprise at the sheer amount of loading Starfield ended up launching with, particularly in the city of Neon. Since launch, Bethesda has worked to improve the game, with 60fps now possible as part of performance mode. Expansion Shattered Space launched in September.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

Looking to get into virtual reality? Meta Quest 3 represents a significant step forward in virtual reality (VR) and a great starting point for everyone. The new Meta Quest 3S also offers a cheaper price tag for the model, making it an easier starting point for your wallet, too. It's the best way to get into VR, and even offers exciting exlusive new games like the Batman Arkham Shadow game, which requires a Meta Quest 3 or 3S to play.

We're keeping an eye out on any Meta Quest discounts as they appear, like this deal on the 256GB Meta Quest 3S at Amazon, which has gotten a $50 price drop to $349. It's also worth noting that if you buy a Meta Quest 3 or 3S, you'll get a free copy of Batman: Arkham Shadow and a free three-month trial of Meta Quest+.

Jump to:

• Meta Quest 3 Deals and Bundles
• What Games Are Available on Meta Quest?

Meta Quest 3S Deals

New Marvel Rivals character the Invisible Woman is proving useful when it comes to detecting what fans believe are bot enemies in their lobbies.

Bots are an issue Marvel Rivals fans have obsessed over for weeks, with many believing that developer NetEase Games may be pitting them against low-level AI opponents to help keep players engaged. Discussion on this topic has only ramped up since Season 1 introduced Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Woman last Friday, but the hero additions brought more than changes to the current meta.

As players began to tap into what made these new Fantastic Four characters tick, Reddit user barky1616 shared a video showing an off-the-wall use for Invisible Woman’s trademark ability. The clip shows Sue Storm turning invisible and, somehow, blocking the path of half of the enemy team by simply standing in front of them. They don’t try to walk around or fight her until she is booted out of invisibility mode, at which point the battle continues as you’d expect. It’s a bizarre video that many are using as additional evidence to suggest that bots are quickly becoming a bigger issue for Marvel Rivals.

The idea is that, because the other team is supposedly made up of bots, they are unable to realize their path is blocked by this new hero. Your results may vary if you choose to try this Invisible Woman trick on your own, but it’s still a strange clip that has the community scratching their heads at best and fearing a more substantial bot problem at worst.

Without confirmation from NetEase, it’s unclear if AI enemies are truly sneaking their way into Marvel Rivals matches or if there’s something else going on. IGN has reached out to NetEase about the alleged existence of bots in Marvel Rivals.

In between what many are referring to as bot matches, players are continuing to enjoy the content drop delivered with Season 1. While this first wave of the season brought half the Fantastic Four as playable characters, the second half arrives with The Thing and the Human Torch. While we wait to see how these Marvel icons fare in the hero shooter setting, you can read up on every major balance change introduced last Friday. You can also read up on how players are responding to NetEase’s crackdown on mods and why some are having trouble taking Reed Richards seriously.

Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.

Be sure to give him a follow on Twitter @MikeCripe.

Doom has been ported to devices like toasters, a fridge, and pretty much everything else you can think of, so the frontier for truly remarkable things that can run Doom is wearing thin. But one high-schooler has managed to port Doom into an actual PDF file that you can run inside your browser.

Sure, it’s missing minor elements like “text” and “sound” — but who really needs that when you can play E1M1 while pretending to do those taxes you’ve been ignoring?

Github user and “high school student” ading2210 was inspired by a recent port of Tetris, named TetrisPDF, to the humble PDF format, and resolved to make one of the world’s most celebrated shooters playable in a Chromium-based browser near you.

It's a brand new year, and it's already kicked off with some excellent PS5 deals. If you've been on the hunt for some discounts after the holidays, you've come to the right place. Here we've gathered up some of the best PlayStation deals available at the moment, including a sale on first-party PS5 games at Best Buy that only lasts through today.

This sale includes a great deal on Stellar Blade alongside a few other PS5 games that are worth picking up for your physical collection. You can see those deals and more below. Here are IGN's top picks for the best PlayStation deals today.

Best Buy Deal of the Day: First-Party PS5 Game Sale

Today only, Best Buy's offering discounts on a selection of first-party PS5 games, including Stellar Blade, Until Dawn, LEGO Horizon Adventures, and a few more. This sale is part of Best Buy's Deal of the Day program, so act fast to pick up your favorites!

Best PS5 Video Game Deals

Alongside the selection of discounts above from Best Buy's Deal of the Day sale, there are quite a few more PS5 game deals that are worth checking out at other retailers. Here we've included a few more of our favorites that are currently on sale, from Metaphor: ReFantazio to Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

Best PlayStation VR 2 Deals

Best PS5 SSD Deals

Where to Buy: PS5 Pro

Where to Buy: PlayStation Portal

How to Trade in Your Old PlayStation Consoles

If you're looking to trade in your old PlayStation consoles, you can do so at select retailers in-store and online. Often, the most widely available retailers are GameStop and Best Buy. However, you can also trade your used devices online at retailers such as Amazon and Microsoft.

Some retailers will offer you cash for your used goods, while others may provide you with a gift card that can be used in-store and online. This is a great way to offload your old gaming gear and get some money that you can put towards a newer console and games.

While trading devices in at retailers will often net you the lowest amount for your used consoles, there are also online marketplaces such as eBay, Craigslist, and OfferUp that may fetch higher prices, but you'll often be responsible for packing and shipping costs, or be required to meet someone in person for the transaction, the latter of which poses its own risks.

Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.

Until Dawn fans have received their first look at the incoming film adaptation and its wildly different premise, alongside confirmation that a full trailer is "coming soon."

Sony Pictures released the "Film First Look," below, which offers a few glimpses of horror action alongside commentary from Until Dawn's creators. Director David F. Sandberg also explained the premise: teenagers are stuck in a time loop where each cycle is a different horror genre.

"The movie, it has sort of the same tone and the same vibe but it expands upon the universe," he said. "One of the creative things the game did is that people make different choices and die in different ways. The movie has this mechanic where things start over and they get to try again. Every time they come back to life it's like they're in a new horror genre. To survive, they have to make it until dawn."

Though Sony Pictures already revealed the film will feature a new story and cast of characters, it's now clear it's taking a more meta approach rather than just telling a traditional horror story as the video game did.

Until Dawn, which arrived in 2015 and became a quick fan favorite, lets players make pivotal decisions in a story where all eight teens can die, all eight can live, or anywhere in between. Its story also brought in elements of different horror genres, with villains shifting from a creepy man in the woods to a clown mask-wearing killer to full on spooky monsters.

The Until Dawn film will seemingly focus on these elements instead of expanding the stories of Sam, Josh, and so on, or telling the tale of new teenagers struggling through a similar night. The characters in the film will have to make different decisions, like the players of the game, and progress through different genres as they go.

Actor Peter Stormare, who played Doctor Hill in the original game, and as we now know, another character also called Hill in the film, said earlier in January that this approach works for dedicated fans and newcomers.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

With over 1100 chapters, nearly as many episodes of the anime, movies and OVAs, a live-action Netflix series, a card game, and much much more, One Piece has become its own media empire. The tales of the Straw Hat Pirates are beloved all over the world, and now One Piece: Luffy’s Bento Panic, a new board game from Kess Entertainment, brings the crew to your tabletop! This party game is fun for even those that haven’t hopped on the pirate ship themselves.

Designed by Anthony Thorp, three to nine players take on the roles of crew of the Straw Hats, returning after a successful adventure. In typical fashion, Luffy and his crew decide to celebrate the only way they know how – with a giant feast full of the crew's favorite delicacies. What follows is a mad rush as each person tries to eat as much as they can before Luffy devours everything and the party's over. The goal of Bento Panic is to amass the most points (finished piles of food) by the time the bag of food is empty or Luffy wakes up the third time. This is a fast game where a full session, even at larger player counts, won't take you very long, making it perfect for parties.

Each turn is fairly straightforward, with each player being able to take one of five possible actions: grab food from the bag, eat piles of food that are in front of them, try to steal your neighbor's food, block someone trying to steal yours, or use your character's special ability. Each action is associated with a simple one-handed gesture that each player performs two at a time. Stealing, for example requires you to point at one or both of the players to your left or right while grabbing food tokens from the bag requires you to simply reach out towards the bag. It makes for a silly time, and it's the fact that everyone performs the actions together that makes the game so quick to play.

When I first saw the player count of Bento Panic could go up to nine people, my immediate concern was that this game would quickly spiral into chaos. Few games manage player counts so high, but luckily I never found this to be the case here, because you really only need to worry about the people on your immediate left and right. It's only your neighbors that you have to worry about attempting to steal from you, so regardless if you are playing with only three of you or the full roster of nine, your risk of being stolen from never increases beyond those two people.

One of the ways the game can end is when Luffy wakes up for the third time. In the grab bag that contains all of the food tokens (a nice fabric drawstring bag adorned with the iconic Straw Hat pirate logo no less) are special "juicy meat" ones that move Luffy down his sleep track. Once that track hits zero, Luffy wakes up and will steal all the food that hasn't been eaten yet from whomever has the biggest pile of meat in front of them.

Fans of One Piece know just how "on-brand" it is that Luffy would lose control when meat is involved. This mechanic also provides the game with a good "push your luck" feeling, where you have to risk waking up Luffy and losing your piles of uneaten food, or do you play it safe and try to eat a smaller pile or two first, and have others take the risk?

This is a fast game where a full session, even at larger player counts, won't take you very long.

Another aspect to take into account when making your choice of actions are the special abilities that your other opponents have at their disposal. Each Straw Hat has an ability that can be activated by striking a dramatic pose as your action, with abilities like Jinbe’s “Fishman Karate” that cancels out any steal actions being taken against you while letting you then take a food pile from any pirate that attempted to steal your food. Once these are used, they can’t be used again until you've been stolen from, which means sometimes you want someone to steal from you. Using these skills is completely optional, and the game is fun with or without them.

Bento Panic can still offer up a good time for folks who may not be into One Piece and can't tell one Straw Hat from the other. At its heart, this is a set collection game mixed with reading other players' intentions. It's fun, but it doesn't offer much depth. However, it also never overstays its welcome, which makes it great as a party board game, or as a palate cleanser between other complex games. Bento Panic gets better with more people playing it – in my play sessions, even at the max player count of nine, everyone was still having fun, which a lot of other games can't say.

Where to Buy

• Get it at Amazon
• Get it at Barnes & Noble
• Get it at Target
• Get it at Walmart

Some of my favorite games are the product of mashing two seemingly incompatible concepts together. After all, where would we be if someone wasn’t crazy enough to combine deckbuilders with roguelikes to create Slay the Spire (or Dream Quest before it), first-person shooters and loot-heavy RPGs to create Borderlands, or cars and soccer to create Rocket League? Aloft aims to do something similar, mixing the relaxing principles of a cozy game with the generally uncozy mechanics of a survival crafting game amidst a floating archipelago akin to The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. That odd combination certainly pays off in some ways, like its floating island-ship-hybrid building system that completely rules and the low-stakes cooperative exploration that makes for a very chill time with friends. But in its current early access state, it’s also quite short on things to do, has way more dull and repetitive combat encounters than it should, and suffers from numerous performance issues that really started to grate on me over time.

If you’ve played pretty much any survival game before, then Aloft will immediately feel familiar. It has you swinging both pickaxes and axes of the non-pick variety to gather stone, wood, and other materials in order to craft your way to greater power and security. But that familiarity quickly fades away as you discover the main thing that sets Aloft apart: the skyborn islands that serve as both places to explore and magically-mobile homes to navigate this floating landscape. You’ll use your trusty wingsuit to zip around the world in search of resources to harvest for your crafting efforts, then turn those islands into skysurfing ships that serve as your base of operations.

This unique twist goes a long way toward making the roughly 30-hours worth of adventure that are currently available feel like more than just another survival crafter, even when it falls short in other areas. Slapping a couple of sails, a rudder, and a steering wheel onto any island allows you to move it freely, taking whatever it carries (or that you’ve built on it) along with you – and when you get a bunch of your friends to join you, each of whom can import characters and customized island ships from their own worlds, it makes for an extremely amusing time. Most of the usual cozy life-sim activities like taking care of livestock, gardening, and decorating can all be done with friends from the comfort of a flying island, tricked out to your liking and functioning much like a sea vessel traveling at high speeds. You’ll likely get into all sorts of trouble, too, like flying into an asteroid field that tears holes in your sails and sends you careening out of control.

While the premise is unique, and building and piloting islands can be a lot of fun, Aloft is significantly less successful at being a good survival-crafting game on its own. There aren’t a ton of activities to play around with yet beyond farming, cooking, building, and raising animals, and even these are fairly barebones iterations of what other cozy games have done better. There’s only a very small handful of animals to domesticate right now, gardening is extremely straightforward, and building doesn’t have enough unique structures to choose from or even a good reason to attempt complex structures since islands have to maintain a healthy natural biome to be pilotable. I’m especially surprised there aren’t survival activities that take advantage of Aloft’s unique airborne setting! No fishing for birds with some bait attached to a kite? No special gardening mechanics that incorporate the altitude or temperature associated with each of the world’s biomes? Here’s hoping these systems get spiced up and fleshed out during the early access period.

The relaxed nature of Aloft means you’ll rarely worry about much of anything, which goes against the usual survival formula, but that’s not such a bad thing. Flying is never a challenge, as you’re allowed to move in any direction without concerning yourself with fuel or physics, even soaring nearly straight upwards, if you want. Combat is extremely simple, and dying has no consequences anyway as you’ll just respawn at your home island without losing anything but the time it takes to get back to where you were. Really the worst that can happen is if your sails are destroyed by crashing into something and you have to spend some resources to repair them, which isn’t so bad at all. This direction makes Aloft feel quite stress-free, allowing you to focus on exploration, customizing your island, and goofing around with friends – all of which I was happy to do.

Not all floating islands will be bright and happy zones to turn into a flying ship at the outset, though, as a fungal infection has taken hold of some of these mini-ecosystems and must be cured before nature can be rebalanced. Most of the time, that means you’ll first have to fight off a handful of mushroom creatures and destroy large fungal nodes to cleanse the island, then restore that place’s health by planting trees, introducing fauna, and repairing existing structures to return it to a livable state.

The problem is, at this time, there just isn’t a ton to do once you’ve crafted a ship and begun sailing around. The map is absolutely enormous, but largely empty. There are clusters of islands scattered here and there, but you only need to visit a handful of them to get the materials you need and unlock the upgrades required to progress. And since all the critical places you visit have an identical twin on the opposite side of the map, you can safely ignore half of what’s out there as you explore – in fact, not doing so really only makes exploration feel more mundane, as you discover that there’s nothing to be gained from finding these repeat islands and you’ve basically just wasted a bunch of time and effort (as I did). Obviously a big part of an early access launch is that we can safely expect more content to be added over time, and that will ideally alleviate the current drought, but there just isn’t much to do if you’re looking to dive in now aside from upgrading your sails so you can travel between the three regions that are currently accessible.

Curing infected islands also becomes quite monotonous after a short time thanks to a lack of enemy variety and extremely dull combat. There are only four enemy types: stout melee mushrooms, skinny and cowardly ranged fungi, flying squid spores that stun and debuff you, and giant fungal flowers that are the source of the infection and must be killed to eliminate it. Aside from the skinny ranged mushrooms which are always amusing as they scream and run away from you (even willing to jump off a cliff to evade you), the others are uninteresting annoyances to be quickly stabbed at before moving on. Fighting with melee weapons and a bow is as straightforward and bland as it gets, making most of my combat time feel like more of a chore. You eventually get to add enchantments to weapons and learn a few tricks, like one that lets you knock your foes in the air to juggle them for a couple seconds, but the enemies just aren’t challenging enough to make that investment worth it at this point.

Though this first early access draft runs out of things to do pretty quickly, those who stay long enough to get through the three areas will at least be rewarded with Aloft’s most interesting encounter as a final gauntlet: the leviathan. Somewhere out in the world is a giant flying tortoise-like creature whose body resembles a row of floating islands, all of which have been infected. Tracking down and curing this elusive beast serves as a placeholder finale of sorts (a proper ending is planned to be added later), and though it features the same tedious combat and four enemy types as every other island, it’s definitely one of the coolest activities available. This erratically flying good boy can be quite difficult to track down and will take a seasoned island captain to tame, which does give me some hope for what could still be in store down the line.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Aloft’s other major shortcoming is that it performs pretty poorly most of the time. That’s not particularly surprising given its unfinished state, but I’d say this is on the more severe side of the spectrum compared to other early access games I’ve played at launch. The framerate gets extremely rocky on a fairly regular basis and crashing is a common occurrence, especially if you aren’t the host of a multiplayer world. Beyond that, my playgroup saw instances of items mysteriously disappearing from chests and sometimes I found myself staring at the inside of my avatar’s face, unable to rectify the issue until a crash inevitably came a short while later. This is one of those things I imagine will become less and less of an problem as time goes on, but at least for now these technical issues can be a real drag.

Following Uncharted’s 2022 cinematic outing and The Last of Us’ hit HBO show, it was only a matter of time until Sony announced that Horizon was coming to the silver screen. PlayStation Studios and Columbia Pictures recently formally confirmed that a movie adaptation of Horizon Zero Dawn is in the works, which will bring to life both Aloy’s origin story and the video game’s vibrant, machine-filled world. And while development of the movie is only in the early stages, I’m already pretty confident that it could be Sony’s first major video game win at the box office… if it stays true to the games.

The last few years have seen several video game success stories grace both the small and big screens. The Super Mario Brothers and Sonic films, both skewed for family audiences, are the gold standard in terms of both critical reception and box office numbers. On TV, Sony’s own The Last of Us show sits alongside the likes of Netflix’s Arcane and Amazon Prime’s Fallout as fan favourites. And even adaptations that have had more middling reviews from fans and critics have been able to come out on top at the box office; the Tom Holland-led Uncharted movie grossed more than $400 million.

But while it’s true that the days of the “video game curse” are mostly long gone, there are still issues that persist in this field. Uncharted may have found its audience, but it is not the faithful adaptation of the original games fans were hoping for. More recently, we have seen poor critical and box office performance for the likes of last year’s Borderlands film and Amazon’s Like a Dragon: Yakuza series. Both seemed completely uninterested in staying faithful to the storylines, lore, or even simply the tone of the games they were built upon. They simply did not accurately depict the world of the games that fans fell in love with.

Best Buy's been on a roll with their video game sales lately. Alongside a general sale on select video games for each platform, the retailer's now offering discounts up to $30 off on select first-party PS5 games as part of its Deal of the Day. This includes games like Stellar Blade, LEGO Horizon Adventures, and Rise of the Ronin, but there are quite a few more that are worth checking out.

You can see the full list of available games from this sale below. Again, this is part of Best Buy's Deal of the Day program which means the discounts will only last through today. So, if something catches your eye, you'll want to act fast to pick it up. Some of these games have been price-matched at Amazon as well.

Best Buy Deal of the Day: First-Party PS5 Game Sale

VG Entertainment Studio has announced Forest Reigns, a new story-driven first-person shooter for PC (note: console versions are also planned). It's set in a post-apocalyptic Paris, where most of humanity has been wiped out and nature has reclaimed our territory. Survival crafting, a non-linear story, and a forest that can serve as both friend and foe in any given situation all combine to try and set Forest Reigns apart. Watch the first gameplay trailer above and the cinematic reveal trailer below.

“We’ve always had a passion for creating system-driven games, where the player’s freedom of action could shape the story and provide unique playthrough experiences. After years of multiplayer online production, we are now ‘back to the roots’ with creating Forest Reigns – a solid single-player FPS with a twisted story, exploration, survival, role-playing elements, and on top of all that, the interactive environment! This is the most daring concept we’ve ever explored. With Forest Reigns we aim to bring something cool and fresh to the genre,” said head of studio Ruslan Didenko.

Essentially, the encroaching forest is alive, and you'll see how the iconic sights of Paris have been reshaped by an aggressive Mother Nature. If you attack the forest, it will attack you back. But if you play the situation just right, you can get it to attack your enemies instead of you. You'll upgrade your weapons along the way in order to be better equipped, though you'll also have stealth as a tool at your disposal as well.

We'll have more on Forest Reigns as development progresses. For now, you can wishlist it on Steam if you're interested.

Ryan McCaffrey is IGN's executive editor of previews and host of both IGN's weekly Xbox show, Podcast Unlocked, as well as our monthly(-ish) 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.

Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima is questioning how long he can remain creative while revealing the Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is in "crunch time."

A series of X/Twitter posts from Kojima revealed his thoughts on both subjects, as he first revealed he was "tired" before detailing "the most demanding period of game development" known as "crunch" time.

Game studios have generally vowed to avoid crunch — where employees have to work extended hours and even on days off for prolonged periods — following a series of high-profile controversies in recent years. It's certainly unusual for a studio head to announce it's happening to them.

"The most demanding period of game development — both physically and mentally — commonly known as 'crunch time,'" Kojima said. "On top of mixing and Japanese voice recording, there’s an inevitable pile of other tasks: writing comments, explanations, essays, interviews, discussions, and non-game-related work. It’s incredibly tough."

While Kojima failed to mention Death Stranding 2 specifically, and Kojima Productions does have a number of games in development, it's the most likely candidate for being in the crunch phase as it's due out in 2025 and crunch usually arrives towards the end of development. The studio's other two projects, the mysterious OD and Physint, both appear to be much earlier in development and lack release windows.

The most demanding period of game development—both physically and mentally—commonly known as “crunch time.” On top of mixing and Japanese voice recording, there’s an inevitable pile of other tasks: writing comments, explanations, essays, interviews, discussions, and… https://t.co/FrXRgaS748

— HIDEO_KOJIMA (@HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN) January 10, 2025

It doesn't appear to be this crunch period in particular that's prompted Kojima to think about his eventual retirement, despite his comments that it's "incredibly tough." Instead, his purchase of a Ridley Scott biography appears to have spurred a reflection on his own career.

"At this age, I can't help but think about how much longer I'll be able to stay 'creative,'" the 61-year-old Kojima said. "I want to keep going for the rest of my life, but is it 10 more years? 20? Every day feels like I’m racing against the clock. Even now, at 87, Ridley Scott is still active. And back when he was past 60 — my current stage in life — he created the masterpiece Gladiator."

Fans of Kojima's games therefore don't need to be too worried about him retiring anytime soon, as he's still determined to keep going despite almost four decades in the video game business already.

An extended look at Death Stranding 2 gameplay arrived in September and proved just as bizarre as fans would expect. It showed off a super weird photo mode, dancing puppet men, a character played by Mad Max director George Miller, and more oddities from the mind of Kojima.

An introduction to its story was shared in January too but, given its complex themes, plenty is still up in the air. Kojima has confirmed which characters are not returning though. In our 6/10 review of the first game, IGN said: "Death Stranding delivers a fascinating world of supernatural sci-fi, but its gameplay struggles to support its weight."

Image Credit: Wiktor Szymanowicz/Anadolu via Getty Images.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

LEGO is very fun. But as anyone who's wandered into the LEGO aisle can attest, that fun comes with a hefty price tag.

Many of the best LEGO sets for adults that trend on social media will run you about $150-$200 on the low end, and a massive set with third-party branding can run even higher. The 7541-piece LEGO Star Wars Millennium Falcon, long considered to be the gold standard of LEGO builds, costs $849.99. That's approximately what the average American, in an entry-level position, makes in a week.

But LEGO has sets for every budget, and it pays to be a smart, frugal shopper. Here are the best cheap LEGO sets that you can buy in 2025 for under $25.

TL;DR Best Cheap LEGO Sets in 2025

• Playful Cat
• Donut Truck
• Wild Animals: Surprising Spider
• Joy, Sadness & Anxiety
• 2 Fast 2 Furious Nissan Skyline GT-R (R34)
• Potted Groot
• Simba the Lion King Cub
• Japan Postcard
• Spider-Man Venom Mech Armor vs. Miles Morales
• Cherry Blossoms
• Technic Heavy Duty Bulldozer
• Retro Camera

Playful Cat

The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remake, reported to be in the works and set for release in 2025, has seen an alleged list of details leak onto the internet.

Mp1st reported that details for the unannounced game were accidentally released by a former employee at video game support studio Virtuos. Microsoft declined to comment when contacted by IGN.

According to Mp1st, Virtuos has remade Bethesda’s much-loved open world role-playing game using Unreal Engine 5, which suggests a significant rework rather than a more straightforward remaster. Gameplay changes were also allegedly detailed, including tweaks to Stamina, Sneak, Blocking, Archery, Hit Reaction, and the heads-up display (HUD).

As reported by Mp1st, Blocking was changed with action games and Soulslikes in mind because the original system was too “boring” and “frustrating.” Sneak icons are now allegedly highlighted, with damage calculation revamped. The knockdown that comes from Stamina being depleted is reportedly harder to trigger. And the HUD was redesigned to make it easier to understand. Elsewhere, hit reactions were added to make response clearer, and Archery was reportedly modernized in both first and third-person perspectives.

Word of an Oblivion remaster emerged in 2023 when documents published as part of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) versus Microsoft trial over the buyout of Activision Blizzard revealed a number of unannounced Bethesda games set for release in the years ahead. The list, put together in July 2020 ahead of Microsoft’s March 2021 purchase of Bethesda parent company ZeniMax Media, included the following:

Financial year 2022:

• Oblivion Remaster
• Indiana Jones game

Financial year 2023

• Doom Year Zero and DLC
• Project Kestrel
• Project Platinum

Financial year 2024

• The Elder Scrolls 6
• Project Kestrel: Expansion
• Licensed IP Game
• Fallout 3 Remaster
• Ghostwire: Tokyo Sequel
• Dishonored 3
• DOOM Year Zero DLC

Obviously a number of these games were either delayed or outright canceled. Doom Year Zero is now Doom: The Dark Ages and set for launch this year. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle didn’t launch until December 2024. And The Elder Scrolls 6 got nowhere near financial year 2024.

That Oblivion remaster is what we’re concerned about now, though. And it’s worth noting it was called a remaster in the Microsoft document. Perhaps the scope of the project changed and Bethesda went big on a remake. We'll find out when the company finally unveils what has become one of the worst-kept secrets in all video games.

Meanwhile, which platforms will the Oblivion remake launch on? Microsoft is all-in on multiplatform releases now, and with the Nintendo Switch 2 waiting in the wings, Oblivion may open its gates to more than just PC, Xbox, and PlayStation players.

Leaker NateTheHate, who this week reported on the alleged release date of Nintendo’s Switch 2 reveal, has said the Oblivion remake is set to launch this June. If the Switch 2 comes out around that time, as has been reported, perhaps Oblivion will make the console's launch window.

Microsoft has an Xbox Developer Direct set for next week, and there ZeniMax-owned id Software will reveal more on Doom: The Dark Ages. Microsoft has teased it will also reveal a brand new game from a mystery developer, but it doesn't sound like it will be Oblivion. Windows Central’s Jez Corden has teased the game is “a new entry in a legendary Japanese IP which has decades of history, and should make a lot of fans happy.”

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

This is it, trainers! A rare Pokémon TCG restock amidst the 2025 Pokémania stock shortage. Things aren't looking good for Prismatic Evolutions' launch day, but it's all systems go for a new stock wave of Surging Sparks. The Best deal here is the Surging Sparks Elite Trainer Box with a welcome 10% off. These are currently being sold online by scalpers for double the RRP, so don't support it and save yourself a small fortune.

Featured in this article

Here's a full breakdown of what's come into stock. Don't wait on this drop; act fast to secure your chance of pulling that SIR Tera Pikachu! Remember, it's about the kids, too, so don't be reselling; it will kill the hobby and ruin it for everyone. Let's get into it:

Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet—Surging Sparks Elite Trainer Box

This is the big one, people! Currently going for double the recommended retail price on the reseller market, this is your chance to buck the trend and get some affordable booster packs opened. There's even a welcome 10% discount, which makes that epic Magneton promo card a bit cooler. Don't forget the exclusive 65-card sleeves, card dividers, themed dice, and some cool box art to store your cards.

Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet—Surging Sparks Booster Display (18 Booster Packs)

Fancy opening more cards? The half booster box is also back in stock, although we recommend buying two Elite Trainer boxes for the same price to get the extras. If you ask me, the best pull rates come from Elite Trainer Boxes. I have absolutely no proof to back up this claim, but it's the same price, and you get extra cool stuff.

Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet—Surging Sparks Booster Bundle (6 Booster Packs)

If you want to open some packs but not splash out the £40 on an ETB, go for the 6-pack Surging Sparks booster bundles. The chances of pulling something epic, such as Alolan Executor ex SIR and the four Pikachu Tera EX variants, are slim. Still, there are five more chances over a single booster pack.

Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet—Surging Sparks 3-Pack Blister – Zapdos

Want a free promo at a lower price point? Tripple Blister booster packs come with a shiny promo and the best chance of pack pulls being in gradable condition. At just over £4 per booster, it's 100% the most affordable option for trainers.

I owe Donkey Kong Country Returns HD an apology. I laughed in disbelief at its initial announcement because it’s not only the third time Nintendo has sold us a version of this 2010 Wii platformer, it’s also the third Switch re-release Donkey Kong has seen despite not getting a completely new adventure in the last decade. This remaster’s reveal felt like the wrong game at the wrong time, but it only took a few minutes of running across a decently spruced up Donkey Kong Island to realize Returns is still one of the best 2D platformers Nintendo has made this century. It has all the things I want from this genre: satisfying movement that demands skill and precision, a large lineup of replayable challenges stuffed with secrets to find, and a practically unparalleled attention to detail in its superb level design that’s pretty much only rivaled by its sequel, Tropical Freeze. Even though the remaster itself feels barebones and a few elements could have used a slightly more modern touch, this is definitely the best way to play Returns and one of the top bananas in the Switch’s impressive platformer lineup.

As I barreled through 80 levels set in jungles, caves, and more, it struck me just how few games like this are made anymore. In an era where modern platformers like Super Mario Bros. Wonder and Astro Bot mostly focus on wowing you with spectacle and joyously ushering you through their handcrafted digital theme parks, Returns stands out as it doubles down on the platforming itself. It’s full of tough levels and nail-biting moments that require you to master its central jumping, rolling, and swinging mechanics to overcome its biggest challenges. No shade to the two games I just mentioned – I adore them both – but revisiting Nintendo’s version of this classic platformer style is refreshing, and I love how it isn’t afraid to test you.

Difficulty-wise, this is several steps above Mario and Kirby, and that’s another great differentiating factor from the other platformers in Nintendo’s stable. The level design is incredibly impressive: Every stage introduces a new idea and explores it to the fullest as it ramps up the challenge without ever making it unclear what is expected of you. To reclaim Donkey Kong’s home, you’ll have to outrun hordes of ape-eating spiders, avoid enormous lethal waves, and make perfect jumps across crumbling platforms, and it’s always exciting to see what obstacle will be thrown at you next.

The difficulty stays fun rather than frustrating thanks to Donkey Kong’s perfect controls and immensely satisfying abilities. There’s a distinct weight to the movement in Retro Studios’ pair of Donkey Kong games, as if you can really get a sense for the heft of this big ape as you move, resulting in a platformer more focused on momentum where you’ll often have to plan your moves ahead of time and gear up for that next huge leap. The advanced rolling-jump mechanic in particular – where Donkey Kong gets a free jump in midair after rolling off a ledge – leads to some of the most rewarding platforming out there when you pull off a crazy move to save yourself or snag a hard-to-reach collectible. Your options open up even more when you break Diddy Kong out of a barrel. He both doubles your max health and adds an extremely helpful hover ability that’s a game changer in tougher sections.

If testing your mettle isn’t for you, the optional Modern Mode – which is slightly altered from the 3DS port’s New Mode – adds extra hearts to DK and Diddy’s health, expands the inventory at Cranky Kong’s shop with more useful aids (like a Green Balloon that saves you after falling into a pit), and lets you take more consumable recovery items into each level. Plus, if there’s a stage you just can’t clear, Super Kong will eventually show up and offer to automatically beat it for you. I love challenging platformers, so I stuck to Classic Mode and never looked back, but these are at least great options for people who don’t like to get stuck.

The one place Returns occasionally gets a little bit too mean is its on-rails minecart and rocket barrel levels. These areas can suffer from a lot of trial-and-error, where I frequently died to sudden enemies or obstacles I had no way of reasonably avoiding on my first attempt. This is worsened if you’re going for the hidden collectibles in each stage, where you’re almost guaranteed to miss at least some of them the first time through until you know the level’s patterns. It’s especially frustrating because everything in these sections is a one-hit kill; a problem Tropical Freeze later solved by introducing vehicle-specific health bars. To be fair, it’s not a huge issue – Modern Mode adds an item in Cranky’s shop that can make these sections less of a pain, and I still really enjoy them for how they break up the pace of the standard stages – but I can’t help but feel they could have used a bit of freshening up. Similarly, the boss fights are largely fantastic, but they still suffer from a complete lack of checkpoints, and being forced back to the beginning after dying in the final phase feels more like a waste of time than a meaningful challenge.

The absence of any updates to these stumbling points highlights just how barebones Returns HD is as a remaster. This really is just a combination of the Wii and 3DS versions of Returns with a new coat of paint, and nothing more. It’s a competent update, but it’s nowhere near the level of something like Metroid Prime Remastered – the other Retro Studios game that got a shiny updated release on Switch. It certainly doesn’t look bad, and it almost always runs at a smooth 60 frames per second, but even Tropical Freeze’s 2018 Switch port looks noticeably nicer. That’s most apparent when comparing Donkey Kong’s character model across the two games: DK’s fur looks amazing in Tropical Freeze, but just a little bit off in Returns. This is very clearly still a Wii game in HD everywhere from the levels to the cutscenes, which is completely fine, but I would’ve liked to see the graphics get a bit more love when the movement otherwise aged so well. Still, this is undoubtedly the best way to play Returns, as the Wii version had mandatory waggling motion controls that have been mercifully made entirely optional, and the extra 3DS levels have been rescued from that version’s downgraded graphics and co-op that required two systems and copies. That makes Returns HD the first time you can play this adventure on your TV with traditional button controls and all of its content intact, and that’s great to see.

Speaking of multiplayer, Returns HD is fully playable in two-player co-op where a second player takes control of Diddy Kong, but it’s not necessarily how I would want to play through the entire campaign. It's different from its contemporary New Super Mario Bros. Wii, which was made with multiplayer in mind from the beginning, in that it feels more like a neat bonus feature tacked onto a single-player game. The camera is so zoomed in that it’s easy for someone to fall behind, and these levels are clearly designed around just one player given their abundance of falling platforms and fast-moving obstacles. There’s still fun to be found in multiplayer, and it’s by no means a bad experience – but unless you have a great co-op partner willing to deal with some slight annoyances (or a young child/sibling that’s just content to be along for the ride), your best bet is either flying solo or passing the controller back and forth, as was also the case back on Wii.

That said, it’s a testament to the original that almost nothing was changed for this remaster and the final product is still so great. The attention to detail in its level design is remarkable. Unlike Mario, there are no unexplained floating platforms or blocks – every single platform DK runs across is seamlessly built into the landscape, often through its masterful interplay between the foreground and background, and it all culminates in one of the most impressive, cohesive worlds in any platformer. The biggest highlight of this is the factory world, which wonderfully implements conveyor belts, gears, and other machinery as the main methods of getting around. The soundtrack and settings play it a little safe (especially when compared to its sequel), but it’s important to remember that the original Donkey Kong Country Returns was tasked with bringing the franchise back after years away, so Retro Studios naturally chose to revisit some of the staples.

Each level is stuffed with secrets to find, too, with the classic KONG letters and plenty of puzzle pieces tucked away in seemingly every corner. Sometimes exploration slows down the otherwise furious pace more than I’d like – blowing air onto all the dandelions, flowers, and candles you pass feels clunky and is an outdated mechanic that Tropical Freeze rightfully removed – but I still had a blast spending roughly 15 hours tracking down every letter and bringing my save file to 100% completion while also tackling tons of worthwhile content that appears after the credits roll.

Microsoft is seemingly ready to launch its flagship Xbox video game series Halo on rival platforms for the first time, including PlayStation and Nintendo Switch 2.

Leaker NateTheHate, who this week reported that Nintendo is set to reveal Switch 2 on January 16, also reported in a separate podcast that Microsoft will finally bring Halo to PlayStation in the form of a PlayStation 5 port of Halo: The Master Chief Collection, as well as a release on Switch 2. Windows Central’s Jez Corden subsequently corroborated the report.

Microsoft declined to comment when contacted by IGN.

While Microsoft’s multiplatform video game strategy is well-documented at this stage, Halo was seen as the final frontier. However, perhaps the famous first-person shooter’s flight from Xbox shouldn’t come as a surprise.

Last year, Microsoft’s gaming chief Phil Spencer said there were no “red lines” in its first-party lineup when it comes to going multiplatform — and that included Halo. Speaking to Bloomberg, Spencer said every Xbox game is up for grabs when it comes to making the multiplatform jump. “I do not see sort of red lines in our portfolio that say ‘thou must not,’” he said.

Microsoft has so-far used older games released over a year ago for its multiplatform push as opposed to brand new games, but that will soon change with Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, which comes out on PS5 just a few months after it launched on Xbox and PC.

Indiana Jones is the latest first-party Xbox game to make the jump to a rival console, and follows the multiplatform release of Obsidian’s Pentiment and Grounded, Tango Gameworks’ Hi-Fi Rush, and Rare’s Sea of Thieves earlier in 2024. In June, Microsoft announced Id Software's upcoming Doom: The Dark Ages will also launch on PS5 this year.

Spencer has said Xbox’s multiplatform push is in part about bringing in more money to Microsoft’s gaming business — with the pressure now on to deliver following its eye-watering $69 billion acquisition of Call of Duty maker Activision Blizzard.

“We run a business,” Spencer said in August. “It’s definitely true inside of Microsoft the bar is high for us in terms of the delivery we have to give back to the company. Because we get a level of support from the company that’s just amazing and what we’re able to go do.

“So I look at this, how can we make our games as strong as possible? Our platform continues to grow, on console, on PC, and on cloud. It’s just going to be a strategy that works for us.”

As former Xbox executive Peter Moore told IGN last year, bringing Halo to PlayStation will have been a topic of discussion at Microsoft for some time.

“Look, if Microsoft says, wait, we're doing $250 million on our own platforms, but if we then took Halo as, let's call it a third-party, we could do a billion… You got to think long and hard about that, right?” Moore said.

“I mean, you just got to go, yeah, should it be kept? It's a piece of intellectual property. It's bigger than just a game. And how do you leverage that? Those are the conversations that always happen with, how do you leverage it in everything that we would do?

“It's had its ups and downs, but look, Xbox wouldn't be what Xbox is without Halo. But yeah, I'm sure those conversations are happening. Whether they come to fruition, who knows? But they're definitely happening, I'm sure.”

Microsoft does face a potential backlash from hardcore Xbox fans who are already disgruntled after what they feel is a devaluing of the Xbox as a console, the lack of exclusives, and Microsoft’s marketing strategy for its gaming business. Losing Halo to PlayStation could spark yet another angry response, but Moore told IGN that won’t deter Microsoft from doing what’s right for its business.

“The question would be, ultimately, is that reaction enough not to make a fundamental business decision for the future of not only Microsoft’s business, but gaming in itself?” Moore said. “Those hardcore are getting smaller in size and older in age. You've got to cater to the generations that are coming through, because they're going to drive the business over the next 10, 20 years.”

Halo isn’t alone in coming to PS5 and Switch 2. NateTheHate reported that Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is also coming to PS5 and Switch 2. Windows Central additionally reported that Gears of War 1 Ultimate Edition, Hellblade 2, and Age of Mythology are coming to PS5 in 2025.

The question now is, does Halo: The Master chief Collection's release on PS5 and Switch 2 open the door to other Halo games also going multiplatform? Could the next big Halo game launch across all platforms? Last year, tech experts said Halo’s move to Unreal Engine 5 would make it easier for developer Halo Studios, née 343 Industries, to take the game to PS5.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

With the release of the Nintendo Switch 2 very clearly on the horizon, we’re starting to wonder what we’ll be playing on it come launch day. So, in the absence of an official day one lineup, why don’t we have a good ol’ guess?

Nintendo has a well-stocked stable of reliables, and so some of our predictions – such as the arrival of a certain mustachioed plumber in one form or another – are more likely than not. But we’re also hopeful for the re-emergence of some previously announced new projects from beloved indie studios. Outside of our picks here, be sure to take a look at all the games reportedly set for release on Nintendo Switch 2.

Now, we know it’s too much of a dream to think that all of these games will hit the Switch 2 on day one, but even if we get half of them we think we’re in for a great time when we pick up those new joy-con. Here’s what we think (or more accurately, hope) Nintendo has in store for us when the Switch 2 launches.

Mario Kart 9

Over a whole decade has passed since Mario Kart 8 was released for Wii U, and in that time it has morphed into the most complete and essential karting game ever created, thanks to the Switch’s deluxe edition and several DLC additions boosting the track count up to a whopping 96 circuits. Mario Kart 8 has proved so successful, in fact, that it’s both the Wii U and the Switch’s best-selling game. So, it’s fair to say that a new one would be pretty popular.

While it was reported to be in development back in 2022 and designed “with a new twist”, Nintendo is yet to officially confirm the existence of Mario Kart 9. As such, at this stage, we can only guess at what this “new twist” is, but we’re hoping to find out very soon. If Mario Kart 8’s decade-long service was a celebration of the entire history of the series, then its successor will hopefully look to the future and introduce fresh, innovative ideas that will fuel Mario Kart for another decade. Of course, alongside those new ideas, we’d love a release date that coincides with the launch of Switch 2. If there’s such a thing as a “system seller”, then Mario Kart has proven over the years to be exactly that.

New 3D Super Mario

Considering the importance of games like Super Mario 64 and Mario Galaxy, you’d have thought the Switch would have had more than a single, solitary 3D Mario game. But, besides a re-release of Wii U’s Super Mario 3D World, the only 3D Mario platformer on Switch has been Super Mario Odyssey, which was released way back in 2017, the same year as the Nintendo Switch. We didn’t even get any substantial DLC for Odyssey, despite the idea of adding a world or two seeming an uncontestable slam dunk at the time.

After such a long wait, then, surely the launch of the Switch 2 is the time for a new plumbing platformer full of wacky abilities, inventive level design, and endless collectibles? While it may be greedy of us to hope for both this and a new Mario Kart on the same day, it would be a fantastic statement of intent from Nintendo to show us the future direction of arguably its two most significant Mario series. Failing that, we’d of course take one of them coming a few months after the other. Just please, please don’t keep us waiting. It’s been over seven years since we saw that cap and mustache in three beautiful dimensions…

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond

Metroid fans have been waiting for what seems like an eternity for Metroid Prime 4. First announced as part of the E3 2017 Nintendo Direct, fans suffered many years of radio silence until its surprise reemergence in 2024. During that time, development of the project had reportedly passed from Bandai Namco Studios to Retro Studios, the original creators of the Metroid Prime series.

Now titled Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, its gameplay reveal trailer excited many fans, and even had some questioning if what they were seeing was running on the Switch’s successor, so smooth was the action. Well, it looks like the Switch 2 will likely be what we’ll be playing it on, after all, and we’re hoping the long wait for it will end on the console’s launch date.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom Enhanced

Two of the original Switch’s biggest hitters (not to mention two of the greatest games ever made), The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom will likely find their way onto the new console. We’re hoping that backward compatibility will allow for this by default, and keeping our fingers crossed for some kind of automatic “boost” mode for older games, but we also wouldn’t say no to specially enhanced versions of Link’s open-world adventures that take full advantage of the rumoured extra power the Switch 2 possesses. Hyrule in crisp 4K with no framerate drops? Yes, please.

Ring Fit Adventure 2

Nintendo always likes to throw a quirkier game into the mix around its console launches. Just take one look at the Switch and its trio of 1-2 Switch, Snipperclips, and Arms to see what I mean. One such experiment that came a little later on in the hybrid console’s lifetime was Ring Fit Adventure, a spiritual successor to the colossally popular Wii Fit that took advantage of the Joy-Con’s motion controls to create a turn-based RPG that was also a fun workout, all in the comfort of your own home (or on the bus, if you’re really into bold acts of public display).

What could so easily have been palmed off as a gimmick went on to sell over 15 million copies and become one of the Switch’s most in-demand games. With no sequel anywhere to be seen, maybe the launch of the Switch 2 is the perfect place to showcase whatever new unconventional tricks the console and its controllers might have up their sleeve.

Resident Evil 4 Remake

The original Switch may not have possessed the graphical horsepower to power Capcom’s stunning Resident Evil 4 remake, but maybe the Switch 2 can provide a home for Leon Kennedy’s glossy Spanish nightmare. One of 2023’s best games perhaps wouldn’t set the world alight with a launch date arrival, but it would be an impressive flex that proved the console’s capabilities. More importantly, though, there would be something undeniably poetic about one of the greatest horror games of all time returning to Nintendo many years after its long legacy began back on the GameCube.

Doom: The Dark Ages

Okay, maybe this one is a little out there. But with both Doom (2016) and its sequel Doom Eternal having made their way to the original Switch, plus Microsoft’s ever-increasing willingness to launch their games on anything that isn’t an Xbox, Doom: The Dark Ages on Switch 2 might just happen. We’ve so far seen very little of id Software’s new shooter outside of a short gameplay trailer, but we’re set to learn plenty more at the upcoming Xbox Developer Direct. Will a release date be revealed, and could it align itself with the Switch 2’s? We’re ready to rip and tear on the go, again.

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remake

And Bethesda might not be done there, either. Reports are swirling of an imminent reveal of a remake of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Another one of Bethesda’s celebrated fantasy RPGs, Skyrim, was featured heavily in the reveal of the original Nintendo Switch, so perhaps it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to see its predecessor, Oblivion, appear on the Switch 2. If this game is even a real thing that’s happening, that is.

Halo: The Master Chief Collection

Speaking of Microsoft branching out… it looks like Master Chief and his collection of classic Halo games may well be making their way onto Switch 2 and PlayStation if rumours are to be believed. Featuring Halos 1 to 4, plus 3: ODST and Reach, it would prove a fantastic opportunity for Nintendo fans to get their hands on some of the best first-person shooter campaigns ever made.

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater

Maybe getting the Snake Eater remake at launch might be slightly ambitious, but we wouldn’t be shocked to see it land on the Switch 2 later in 2025. Konami’s slick glow-up of Metal Gear Solid 3 would be more than welcome, and again, another nice return to Nintendo hardware for a series that once called it home all the way back with the first Metal Gear game and its NES port.

Other, Already Released 3rd Party Games

We’re expecting many multiplatform games from 3rd party publishers to make their way to the Switch 2 during its launch window. Square Enix could release both Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Rebirth onto Nintendo’s new hardware, and Ubisoft is rumoured to be preparing much of their Assassin’s Creed back catalogue for launch, as well as entries from the Tom Clancy series in the shape of The Division and Rainbow Six Siege. If the Switch is the only console you’ve owned for the past few years, it looks like these publishers might be giving you a lot to catch up on in one go.

The Haunted Chocolatier

One of the greatest indie game success stories of all-time, not many games made outside of Nintendo’s walls left a bigger footprint on the Switch generation than Stardew Valley. So, what better place is there than the Switch 2 to launch Stardew developer ConcernedApe’s upcoming chocolate shop sim, The Haunted Chocolatier? In development since 2020, we’ve had just one gameplay trailer and little else. But the confectionary simulator with action-RPG elements and added ghosts seems like the perfect game to eat up hours and hours of handheld time, especially if it were to launch with the Switch 2.

Admittedly, a launch day release may be unlikely. Solo developer Eric Barone revealed a few months ago that he hadn’t been working on The Haunted Chocolatier “for a long time”, so perhaps a launch year window may be slightly more realistic. But it being there on Switch 2’s launch day would make the world taste good. Look, I just want to be able to play the creepy Willy Wonka game, okay?

Earthblade

My final pick is another follow-up to a beloved indie cult classic that found a home on Switch, Celeste. Studio Extremely OK Games is working away on its successor, Earthblade, a “2D explor-action” game with gorgeous pixel art. While updates have been few and far between, it’s not outside the realms of reality that we could see this arrive on the Switch 2 at launch. Last year, developer Maddy Thorson revealed that it would be released in 2025 “at the earliest”, so who knows, maybe it is just waiting to be unleashed alongside some new Nintendo hardware.

Those are my picks for what games we hope (and, admittedly, dream) might launch with the Switch 2 later this year. What do you think will make the launch lineup? Let us know in the comments below.

Nintendo Sound Clock: Alarmo will be made available across retailers worldwide starting in March 2025, meaning aspiring purchasers will no longer need a Nintendo Switch Online subscription to buy one.

Nintendo of America made the announcement on X/Twitter, saying "Alarmo will be available in stores at participating retailers in March 2025, with no Nintendo Switch Online membership required." It's unclear exactly which retailers will stock Alarmo, however.

Interestingly, Nintendo noted Alarmo will only be "available while supplies last," implying some form of limited purchasing. Retailers may therefore be only offered smaller quantities of stock, with purchasing from Nintendo itself with Switch Online being required otherwise.

Alarmo arrived in October 2024 as an alarm clock designed to add "some Nintendo charm to your home and your daily routine." It arrived earlier in January priced at $99.99, featuring motion sensor technology that responds to sleepers' movements, letting them snooze the alarm with motion alone.

It includes 35 themes from different Nintendo titles including Super Mario Odyssey, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Splatoon 3, Pikmin 4, and Ring Fit Adventure.

"In the morning you’ll experience immersive sounds and music from the scene you picked," Nintendo said. "Rise to sounds of the Mushroom Kingdom with Mario and friends, begin your day’s adventure with Link and Princess Zelda, or start fresh with the Inklings from Splatoon 3. And those are just some of the experiences you can wake up to!"

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

PlayStation maker Sony has donated $5 million to support first responders, community relief and rebuilding efforts, and assistance programmes for those affected by the wildfires currently raging across southern California.

"Los Angeles has been the home of our entertainment business for more than 35 years," said Kenichiro Yoshida, Sony chairman and CEO, and Hiroki Totoki, president and COO, in a joint statement released to X/Twitter.

"We will continue to work with local business leadership to determine how best Sony Group can support relief and recovery efforts in the days ahead."

The crisis began January 7 but, even a week later, three wildfires continue to spread destruction across the greater Los Angeles area.

As reported by the BBC, 24 people have died and 23 are missing in the two largest fire zones, and firefighters are currently bracing for a crucial day as winds are expected to strengthen again.

Sony is joined by several other companies donating to wildfire relief. As reported by CNBC, Disney donated $15 million, Netflix and Comcast each donated $10 million, the NFL donated $5 million, Walmart donated $2.5, and Fox donated $1 million, among others.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

Following yesterday’s reports about Nintendo’s reveal plan for the Switch 2, a number of games were alleged to be set for the unannounced next-gen console.

Leaker Nate the Hate, who was first to publish Nintendo’s alleged Switch 2 reveal release date via their podcast, speculated that a new Mario Kart will launch alongside the console itself in May or June, with a 3D Mario set for holiday 2025. IGN has asked Nintendo for comment.

Third-party games allegedly set for Switch 2 from Square Enix include Final Fantasy 7 Remake in 2025, and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth in 2026.

According to Nate the Hate, a number of Switch 2 games are coming from Ubisoft, including a port of Assassin’s Creed Mirage in the console’s launch window. The upcoming Assassin’s Creed Shadows, currently only down for release on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, and PC, is also reportedly coming to Switch 2, although at a later date outside the launch window.

Other Ubisoft ports allegedly include games from The Division series and Rainbow Six Siege. The Mario + Rabbids games are also reportedly coming to Switch 2, potentially in a single package, which wouldn’t come as much of a surprise given the Nintendo link and previous comments from Ubisoft boss Yves Guillemot.

Nate the Hate also reported that Konami is preparing a Switch 2 port of Metal Gear Solid Delta, which is due out at some point this year. Nate the Hate suggested it may launch day and date on Switch 2.

In a previous podcast, Nate the Hate said a number of Xbox games are coming to Switch 2, including Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 and Halo: The Master Chief Collection. Windows Central’s Jez Corden subsequently corroborated that report, saying it’s likely that most, if not all Xbox games, will launch on Switch 2 if the console is able to run them well enough.

We can make some informed speculation ourselves about what to expect on Switch 2. It seems likely that games Nintendo has announced as coming to the Switch this year and beyond will also make their way to the Switch 2. Metroid Prime 4, for example, is a safe bet. As is Pokémon Legends: Z-A and Professor Layton and the New World of Steam. The question is, will these games look and play significantly better on the Switch 2 compared to the Switch?

Switch 2 leaks have come thick and fast in recent weeks, with CES 2025 featuring a high-profile mockup from accessories maker Genki that reportedly sparked the interest of Nintendo’s lawyers.

While Genki's mockup did appear to add significant weight to a growing pool of past leaks on what the Switch 2 will be, Nintendo has yet to officially reveal anything about the system, and all these claims are subject to change or total debunking. A formal announcement is expected in the first quarter of this year, Nintendo has said.

Other reports suggested the Joy-Con’s alleged sensor may be used to turn the controller into a mouse. Meanwhile, alleged retail listings for Switch 2 MicroSD Express cards have suggested that the console supports the newer standard of SD cards in 256GB and 512GB form.

Following the appearance of alleged images of the Nintendo Switch 2’s internals, fresh images allegedly showing the next-generation console’s Joy-Con appeared online earlier this month. The images, which show a left Joy-Con, were reportedly first posted to a Chinese social media website before they made their way to the Nintendo Switch 2 subreddit and western social media.

They include larger SL and SR buttons than on the Nintendo Switch Joy-Con, which you’d expect given the Nintendo Switch 2 is reportedly a bigger console than the original. These new Joy-Con allegedly ditch the railed lock method used by the current Switch in favor of electromagnetic suction controllers.

In September, unverified images — a mix of Computer-aided design (CAD) images and printed circuit board (PCB) photos — that were said to have originated from a Chinese website before making their way onto Reddit, depicted a device similar to the existing Switch console but with a larger screen and magnetic Joy-Con. There is reportedly a USB-C port on the top and bottom of the console, too.

Accompanying the images was an alleged specifications list that mentioned 12GB of RAM (the original Switch has 4GB), and 256GB of internal storage (the original Switch has 32GB). There’s a new "C" button on the right Joy-Con, allegedly, but no-one seems to know what this is for.

We also have a patent, filed July 2023 but published for the first time last week, that describes AI image upscaling technology that would help keep video game download sizes small enough to fit on a physical game cartridge while offering up to 4K textures.

Here’s what we know for sure: Nintendo has confirmed that the yet-to-be-announced Switch 2 will be backward-compatible with original Switch games and will feature Nintendo Switch Online. As for a release date, the console is not expected to launch during Nintendo's current financial year, so it will arrive April 2025 at the earliest.

We even have developers outright saying they plan to release their upcoming games on the console, with others teasing a Switch 2 release for their games. When Switch 2 does eventually come out, Nintendo expects to have plenty of stock available, which in turn will hopefully combat scalping.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

PS5 gamers rejoice, because a popular PS5 exclusive game is on sale today. Stellar Blade is currently discounted at Best Buy for only $39.99 after a hefty 43% price drop. This is $10 lower than the best price I saw during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. This discount is exclusively at Best Buy, although other retailers like Amazon may price match later.

Update: Amazon has price matched this offer.

43% Off Stellar Blade (Save $30)

In 2023, Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey, with a budget of just $50,000, grossed over $5 million at the box office. Now, it seems just about any childhood story that enters the public domain is destined for at least one gory adaptation in the “Twisted Child Universe.” The newest addition to the TCU, Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare, introduces a bloodthirsty spin on Tinker Bell and the boy who never grows up.

In his review for IGN, critic Matt Donato describes how “director Scott Jeffrey strives to accentuate his main character’s arrested adolescence by turning the boy who never grew up into a serial killer and kidnapper – keeping him more grounded than the typical pirates-and-fairies image of Peter Pan.” While this is the first new addition to the Twisted Universe since the Blood and Honey movies, more twisted childhood tales are on the way, eventually leading to a multiverse-style crossover project.

If you’re hoping to catch Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare in theaters or want to stream other movies in the Twisted Child Universe, check out the details below.

How to Watch Peterpan’s Neverland Nightmare - Showtimes and Streaming Release Date

Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare just released in theaters, with limited showtimes on January 13, 14, and 15. You can check out showtimes near you at the main theater links below:

• Fandango
• AMC Theaters
• Regal Theaters

Neverland Nightmare Streaming Release Date

Not a whole lot has been confirmed about the streaming release for Neverland Nightmare, but we can make some predictions. Like Neverland Nightmare, Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2 had a limited three-day theatrical release. It arrived on digital marketplaces soon after it left theaters in March, then arrived on Peacock in October. Based on that, Neverland Nightmare should be available to rent on demand by the end of January and could arrive on Peacock by July. We’ll be sure to keep this article updated with confirmation on the movie’s streaming destination and release date.

What Is Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare About?

The latest "Twisted Childhood" movie introduces a bloodthirsty interpretation of the Peter Pan story originally created by J. M. Barrie. Here’s the movie’s official synopsis:

Where to Stream the “Twisted Child Universe”

Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey

• Stream: Peacock
• Rent/Buy: Prime Video
  • IGN's Review

Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2

• Stream: Peacock
• Rent/Buy: Prime Video
  • IGN's Review

Peter Pan's Neverland Nightmare Cast

Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare was written and directed by Scott Jeffrey, who portrayed Christopher Robin in Blood and Honey 2. Neverland Nightmare stars the following the cast:

• Martin Portlock as Peter Pan
• Megan Placito as Wendy Darling
• Kit Green as Tinker Bell
• Peter DeSouza-Feighoney as Michael Darling
• Charity Kase as Captain James Hook
• Teresa Banham as Mary Darling
• Nicholas Woodeson as Steven
• Kierston Wareing as Roxy
• Olumide Olorunfemi as Tiger Lily
• Campbell Wallace as John Darling

Starting this week, Amazon is dropping 20% off the price of the LEGO Super Mario Piranha Plant 71426, now only $47.95 with free shipping. This deal brings the per-brick price to a little less than 9 cents. The LEGO Piranha Plant was released back in November of 2023, and is still of the more popular Mario-themed LEGO sets around.

20% Off LEGO Super Mario Piranha Plant 71426

AndaSeat isn't as big of a name in the congested gaming chair market as some other brands like Secretlab, DXRacer, or Razer, but rest assured it makes some high-quality gaming chairs. Right now, there's an AndaSeat New Year Sale with up to $220 off gaming chairs. These instant discounts stack with our 10% off IGN code "AndaIGN".

Andaseat Kaiser 3 Gaming Chair

Use 10% off code: AndaIGN

I've got a much earlier edition of game deals for you today. Why? Because I have to head in to Publisher X to play several hours of Game Y. (Don't worry, you'll read all about it soon in article Z.) All that being said, let's skip the preamble, get scrolling, and dive into the best gaming deals going today!

In retro news, I've cooked a bin chicken feast for the 32nd birthday of Streets of Rage 2, a seminal beat 'em up and massive personal favourite I played the cartridge pins off. Basically, you and a mate needed to go ever rightward on an ultra-violent rescue mission as one of two loose cannon cops, a spandex-clad wrestler, or the most '90s kid ever (think: backwards hat, rollerblades). Not only were this sequel's fisticuffs more technical than its rival to beat, Final Fight, Streets of Rage 2 boasted one of the most jam-pumping EDM soundtracks of its era. Seriously.

This Day in Gaming 🎂

Aussie birthdays for notable games.

- Streets of Rage 2 (MD) 1993. Get

- ESPN NBA 2K5 (PS2) 2005. eBay

- Army of Two: The 40th Day (PS3/P,X360) 2010. eBay

Table of Contents

• Nintendo Switch
• PC
• Xbox
• PlayStation
• LEGO

Nice Savings for Nintendo Switch

• Overcooked! All You Can Eat (-66%) - A$19.36
• LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 (-90%) - A$8.99
• LEGO Skywalker Saga (-80%) - A$19.99
• Mario & Luigi: Brothership (-15%) - A$68
• Undertale (-34%) - A$15.14

Expiring Recent Deals

• Xenoblade Chronicles X (-15%) - A$68
• Fire Emblem Warriors: TH (-31%) - A$55
• Mario Kart 8 Del. (-26%) - A$59
• LEGO City (-92%) - A$7.19
• Everspace: Stellar Ed. (-80%) - A$12

Or gift a Nintendo eShop Card.

Back to top

Purchase Cheap for PC

• Dynasty Warriors Origins (-18%) - A$97.80
• Ready or Not (-40%) - A$44.10
• Far Cry 6 (-78%) - A$19.79
• V Rising (-30%) - A$35.66

Expiring Recent Deals

• Logitech PRO X Superlight 2 (-32%) - A$205
• Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (-30%) - A$73.46
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II (-10%) - A$80.95
• Metaphor: ReFantazio (-13%) - A$100

Or just get a Steam Wallet Card

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Exciting Bargains for Xbox

• Assetto Corsa Ult. (-75%) - A$13.11
• LEGO The Hobbit (-90%) - A$5.49
• Borderlands 3 NL Ed. (-90%) - A$10.79
• Space Marine 2 Ultra Ed. (-33%) - A$127.46
• Wolfenstein Alt History Bndl (-80%) - A$19.99

Expiring Recent Deals

• Yooka-Laylee Impossible Lair (-80%) - A$8.99
• Star Wars Outlaws (-46%) - A$59
• MGS: Master Col. (-41%) - A$50.39
• Space Marine 2 (-27%) - A$79.95

Or just invest in an Xbox Card.

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Pure Scores for PlayStation

• Resi Evil 4 (-50%) - A$27.47
• NBA 2K25 Tournament Ed. (-60%) - A$55.98
• Dragon's Dogma 2 (-47%) - A$57.21
• Hitman WoA (-70%) - A$13.48

Expiring Recent Deals

• Lost Judgment (-61%) - A$39.80
• LEGO DC Supervillains (-78%) - A$20
• Star Wars Outlaws (-46%) - A$59
• Astro Bot (-19%) - A$89
• Space Marine 2 (-37%) - A$69

PS+ Monthly Freebies
Yours to keep from Jan 7 with this subscription

• Suicide Squad: KTJL [PS5]
• NFS Hot Pursuit Remastered [PS4]
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Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket players have gushed over its card art for months, but many are just now realizing that some of its monsters have been hiding details that connect them to the Game Boy games.

Investigations into some Pokémon cards’ clues began over the weekend when Reddit user asch_win pointed out that Spearow features a few familiar landmarks. The Normal/Flying type is surrounded by grass, a fence, a few trees, and, most notably, two buildings. These are not just any buildings, however, as asch_win clarifies that the purple and yellow background building actually appears to be Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen’s Celadon City Department Store. Just off to the left of Celadon City is the Kanto region’s Route 16, which just so happens to include a fenced-in patch of grass where players have a chance to catch Spearow.

It seems undeniable that developers Creatures Inc. and DeNA intentionally created the card to reference the iconic games that helped launch Pokémon into the phenomenon it is today, but Pokémon TCG Pocket’s fun details don’t stop there. Reddit user jteede spotted even more connections to early titles, including a full-art Diglett card set just East of Vermillion City, a Haunter card located next to the infamous Lavender Town tower, and more. Asch_win also brought a magnifying glass up to a few of the Supporter cards, revealing that they, too, reference specific locations from Pokémon history.

Most card illustrations’ settings show monsters living their lives in dreamlike areas, seemingly without ties to Pokémon lore. Some, including one Pikachu variant, can even be recognized as cards that can be collected in the real world. Others, however, exist only within Pokémon TCG Pocket, which is where many players are finding these well-hidden Easter Eggs.

The Pokémon TCG Pocket community has now spent the weekend picking apart other cards in search of additional references. Highlights include what appears to be the S.S. Anne cruise liner tucked away in a Gyarados full art card as well as Oddish, Venonat, and Bellsprout cards that all come together to tell a story set by FireRed and LeafGreen’s seaside Snorlax.

Only one additional booster expansion set, titled Mythical Island, has been released for Pokémon TCG Pocket since it came to mobile gaming fans in October, bringing its total to four packs to choose from. More are, of course, expected to launch in the future, with additional cards occasionally worming their way into collections via Wonder Pick Events and other updates. As Creatures and DeNA continue to deliver more cards from across the series’ many generations, players should be sure to keep an eye out for any other references.

In the meantime, you can read up on the current Wonder Pick event, which puts Charmander and Squirtle center stage. Be sure to also check out why the developers are playing coy about whether pack choice matters or not.

Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.

Be sure to give him a follow on Twitter @MikeCripe.

In the Steamforged Games library, you will find adaptations of some of the video game world’s biggest franchises sprinkled throughout – from Monster Hunter to Devil May Cry, Sea of Thieves to Gears of War, and their gigantic Elden Ring adaptation that is releasing soon. But for now, let's look at the company's Resident Evil series of titles with Resident Evil 1, 2, and 3.

Starting with Resident Evil 2 back in 2019, followed by Resident Evil 3 in 2021, and finally Resident Evil in 2023, each game of the trio plays out similarly, sharing a majority of the same mechanics between one another. In each title, you and up to three friends take turns navigating dark passages, burning streets, and nefarious labs as you play out the stories of each respective game. Each game comes complete with a plethora of incredibly detailed plastic miniatures depicting the gruesome creatures you will be going up against alongside those representing your survivor heroes.

Featured in this article

Each player’s turn consists of three phases – the Action Phase, the Reaction Phase, and lastly the Tension phase. What you can do on your turns is straightforward – you have four actions, and with those actions, you can either move, open or close a door, search an area to grab an item, trade with another player in their square, use an item in their inventory, or attack. Enemies act during the reaction phase, where they move towards or attack the active player, causing the player to roll a die to see if they can avoid the danger. And finally, the Tension Phase has the active player draw from the special Tension deck of cards, which can result in three possible outcomes: Nothing happens, something bad happens, and something really bad happens. By the end of the first full go-around, players should have a pretty solid grasp on how to play the games and can start worrying more about how you will survive and thrive this zombie apocalypse.

Combat is done by rolling dice, and comparing the rolls with your equipped weapons stat and abilities. Depending on the result, you may simply push an enemy into an adjacent square, kill them, or miss altogether, and its surprising how tough even the most basic of zombies can be to take down, if your dice rolls aren’t lucky that day. Shooting will also give enemies in the adjoining rooms (as long as the doors are open) a free movement to the source of the sound. It's a system that makes you weigh your options and risks when opting for combat, adding to the overall “survival horror” vibe.

Being campaign board games, each one contains a number of scenarios that can be played either as one-off experiences or strung together, telling the story of the original games where things carry over from one session to the next. Levels are built using tiles with tokens denoting locked doors, items to pick up, and other goodies to uncover. At the end of each scenario, players take stock of their inventories, health, and other information that may or may not impact future games. If you and your friends opt to play them as one-off games, each scenario also provides you with a list of gear and info to start you off. It works really well either way.

For players that snag multiple entires of the series, there is some crossover that you can do, too – though some things may take a little fidgeting with to work well. Due to how many mechanics carry over, I have mix-and-matched characters from the other games into ones they don’t normally appear in, such as having Leon trudge through the Spencer Mansion with Chris. Scenario tiles can also be used between games, so long as you don’t mind miss-matched themes on the tiles. Nothing in the rules state this, but if you are so inclined you can without much issue.

Resident Evil: The Board Game

Resident Evil: The Bleak Outpost Expansion

Resident Evil 2: The Board Game

Resident Evil 2 The Board Game: B-Files Expansion

Resident Evil 2: The Board Game - Malformations of G B-Files Expansion

Resident Evil 2 The Board Game: Survival Horror Expansion

Resident Evil 2 The Board Game: - 4th Survivor Expansion

Resident Evil 3: The Board Game

Resident Evil 3: The Last Escape Expansion

Resident Evil 3 The Board Game: City of Ruin Expansion

Marvel Rivals fans just spent their first weekend with new playable characters Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Woman, but some are having trouble taking Reed Richards as seriously as the other heroes.

The stretchy scientist made his debut with the launch of Season 1 on Friday, January 10, bringing his elastic skills to the battlefield as one of Marvel rivals' first post-launch heroes. His powers as a Duelist allow him to take long swings at one or multiple enemies at a time, while also giving him the option to expand his body and take on more of a tank role. Players are still piecing together how to best use Mister Fantastic against the rest of the roster, but until then, most people just can’t get over how goofy he can be.

pic.twitter.com/SAtREw22fR

— Wong Updates (@WongUpdates) January 12, 2025

A character who can contort his body into strange shapes carries a lot of meme potential. You might have already seen some of the many comparisons to One Piece protagonist Monkey D. Luffy, for example, thanks to Mister Fantastic’s Elastic Strength ability. It’s a bit that’s already gained enough traction for the modding community to create a One Piece custom skin despite NetEase cracking down on modding recently. Turning into a rubber bodybuilder is funny on its own, though some fans, including X/Twitter user @BOOMERANG_117, tapped into their creative side by imagining Marvel Rivals’ Reed Richards without his new beard.

It's all slightly unsettling, but few of the character's elements have attracted jokes like his Reflexive Rubber ability. It’s a useful tool that can be used to turn an enemy’s damage against them, and it also happens to look almost too silly in motion. Using the move sees Mister Fantastic grow to the size of a refrigerator, so you can imagine what walking around like that might look like.

"Ngl I think Mr. Fantastic's design encapsulates everything great about this game," one Reddit user said. "He's stupid and silly and cheesy and the game just lets him be that and is better for it."

Waking up at 3am for a snack #marvelrivals pic.twitter.com/PQXsmAhqpA

— The Different Nerd (@nerd_different) January 11, 2025

I tried again! https://t.co/9Xqu0AR2AL pic.twitter.com/66AtQhyheN

— Boomer (@BOOMERANG_117) January 11, 2025

While we’ll have to wait and see if Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Woman will stick around as favorites for Marvel Rivals fans, but the two have at least made quite the impression in their first weekend. As Season 1 rolls on, players can expect to latch on to the remaining Fantastic 4 cast when The Thing and Human Torch are added as playable characters in the second half of the season. When the rest of the team eventually arrives, we can only hope they'll make just as much of an entrance.

In the meantime, check out the Marvel Rivals Season 1 patch notes, and official stats that reveal Marvel Rivals' pick and win rates in Quickplay and Competitive modes for Season 0. And keep an eye on the latest Marvel Rivals codes for free skins, and vote on the strongest Marvel Rivals characters in our community tier list.

Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.

Be sure to give him a follow on Twitter @MikeCripe.

Alienware just dropped the price of the Alienware m18 R2 RTX 4090 gaming laptop to $2,999.99 shipped after a $600 instant discount. The Alienware m18 is the biggest and most powerful Alienware laptop you can buy. It's clearly designed to be a mobile desktop replacement and, equipped with the right specs (like the RTX 4090 mobile GPU), it has the potential to be more powerful than most dedicated gaming desktop PCs. This particular configuration is as high-end as you can go, with Intel's most powerful i9 processor and Nvidia's most powerful mobile GPU.

Alienware m18 R2 RTX 4090 Gaming Laptop

Right now, Amazon and Best Buy are offering the current generation Apple iPad Mini (A17 Pro) for only $399.99 shipped after a $100 (20% off) discount. That matches the best deal I saw during Black Friday 2024. If you're looking for an iPad that's both powerful and pocketable, this is your best pick.

2024 Apple iPad Mini (A17 Pro)

The holidays and their seasonal sale events may be behind us, but there are still plenty of Nintendo Switch deals worth checking out to kickstart the new year. We've gathered the best Switch deals currently available, including some excellent games discounted in Best Buy's video game sale. Check out our favorite deals at the moment below, and for more updates on the latest discounts, follow @IGNDeals on Twitter/X.

Best Nintendo Switch Game Deals

There are quite a few Nintendo Switch game deals we're excited about right now. Alongside an excellent sale on Switch games at Woot, which features a deal on The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, Best Buy's also offering discounts on a couple different games, including Sonic X Shadow Generations and Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble. You can check out these deals and many more below.

Best Switch Micro SD Card Deals

The best Switch SD card should be fast, reliable, and as future-proof as possible. That last one is important, especially with the Switch successor on the horizon. Therefore, you're going to want to opt for the latest in SD card tech, which is a micro SDXC UHS-I U3 A2 V30 memory card. That's a lot of random letters, so to save you a bit of time we've left our top suggestions and deals below for your convenience.

Best Switch Power Bank Deals

Looking for a new power bank? We've got an excellent deal on the Anker PowerCore 737 that's worth taking advantage of. Normally this 24,000mAh power bank retails for $149.99, but you can pick it up right now for $99.48 after clipping the $7 coupon on the store page.

Roblox tower defense experience Anime Reborn is charging into 2025 with Update 4, dubbed the World Collision update, bringing new content, bug fixes, and more.

This fourth update for Anime Reborn arrives as the latest major content drop since its launch in April 2024. It primarily focuses on giving fans new toys to play with as the Christmas event winds down, including a new map, event, and area. It also comes with new crates, units, evolutions, and an increase in the battle pass timer. The team behind the anime-themed tower defense experience tease more in store for those who log in to check out Update 4 for themselves.

Djimon Hounsou, who's appeared in films from Marvel, DC, Netflix, and many more, has said he is "still struggling to make a living" in Hollywood.

Hounso told CNN he is "definitely underpaid" in the film industry despite having been nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the Oscars on two separate occasions (for In America and Blood Diamond) and appearing in myriad blockbusters.

"I’m still struggling to make a living. I’ve been in this business making films now for over two decades with two Oscar nominations, been in many blockbuster films, and yet, I’m still struggling financially. I'm definitely underpaid," Hounsou said.