“I think if we don’t embrace it, I think we’re selling ourselves short,” said Juinio, who recently vacated her role as director of product development at Santa Monica Studio after 10 years and two hugely successful God of War games. “AI is a tool, and something that will augment us. At least for right now, that’s how I see it. It’s going to evolve whether you’re onboard with it or not, so I want to be at the forefront of helping to guide how that goes and how we use it.”
Juinio went on to compare the use of generative AI to the procedurally-generated content that's been a part of games development for decades now, pointing to SpeedTree – a tool for generating trees in real time – which was used as early as 2002 for the foliage in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. She also recalled a time when animators were pushing back against motion capture and the use of procedural generation to blend animation frames rather than key them by hand. Both procedurally generated assets and animations have long become standard practices in games development, and Juinio seems just as confident that generative AI will also find its place.
“Personally, I’m super positive,” said Juinio. “Like [Glen Schofield said in his keynote address], this is the next big technological advancement that’s coming. In fact it’s here already, and I think as leaders in the video game industry it is on us to figure out not just can we do it with AI, but should we? And it’s a case-by-case type of decision making process and what's true for game X might not be true next year for game Y.”
When asked if she thought the increasing adoption of generative AI might help mitigate the swelling costs of AAA-games development, Juinio was clear that the use of AI in games development is unlikely to be the be-all end-all solution to the post-pandemic pattern of regular studio closures and the bursting of the blockbuster game bubble.
“I wouldn’t necessarily put it into an either/or kind of scenario in that way, because to me the size and scale and beauty of the game isn’t the main thing,” said Juinio. “At its heart, the game [needs] to be fun. [Ideally] at its heart the story is fantastic, it’s human, players connect to it, and it’s fun to play.”
“And yes it looks beautiful, and yes the music is immersive. But the music could be really immersive and the gameplay could be not good, or the story [might] not be engaging, and I don't think it would resonate with players as much. And so at least for right now, I don't see AI replacing the fun gameplay that is at the heart of a game like God of War.”
Although Juinio seems adament that generative AI in games development is here to stay, she also remains confident that it will never be able to rival the heart and soul that can only come from a human touch, and that the adoptance of AI will only be a positive if there's an equal amount of investment made into developers to help them get the best results out of it.
“At the end of the day you still need game developers to come up with the ideas,” said Juinio. “The story of God of War is very much a human story that is based on human experiences.”
“At least as of today, I don’t see that going away.”
Earlier this month the makers of Battlefield 6 stated that there was currently no way to implement the use of generative AI into the daily work of its development team, despite regarding the burgeoning technology as “very seducing”.
The LEGO Disney line is one of the most popular themes you'll find in 2025. There's currently a broad range of sets available based on animated classics and Pixar movies that appeal to both kids and Disney adults, but they are anything but cheap. So when a popular LEGO Disney set gets a big discount, it's usually worth mentioning.
Target is currently having a 20% off LEGO sale on a bunch of sets, but hidden within that is this Up House set that is actually almost 50% off its retail price. This is one of biggest discounts we've ever seen on this build and Amazon has already sold out its stock at the same price. If you're looking for an affordable Disney gift to grab ahead of Black Friday season, this one's worth a look.
LEGO Up House Sale at Target
Our LEGO expert Kevin Wong had the chance to build this set back when it was first released for Disney's 100th anniversary, and generally enjoyed putting it together. The one complaint he had is that the build itself lacked the amount of detail we've come to expect from a commemorative Disney set that is meant to be displayed. The front of the house looks like you'd expect the house from Up to look, but it's actually open in the back and doesn't include all of the Easter eggs you'd expect to find within its interior like you'd see from something like the LEGO Beauty and the Beast Castle set. At 598 pieces, it's something you can easily put together in an afternoon. And at its current price, many of the minor flaws can be easily ignored.
In addition to the house itself, you get three minifigures: Carl, Russel, and of course Dug the dog. With an age rating of 9+, this Disney LEGO set is a worthy pick for a wider variety of Pixar fans. While not quite a true adult LEGO set, it looks cool enough to earn a place on your shelf or desk. And thanks to the open back and collectible minifigures it can also work as fun playset for kids.
Should you wait for Black Friday to buy?
With Black Friday sales coming up soon, it can be hard to decide when the right time to buy actually is. While it's true that November is overall the best time to buy LEGO sets, it isn't necessarily the right time to buy every set. With that in mind I think this set is worth picking up at this price. It's certainly possible we could see a steeper discount during Black Friday, but LEGO deals are often determined by how much stock retailers hold at any given time and Amazon has already sold out.
Woot! (which is owned by Amazon) is offering rare deals on the latest Nvidia RTX 50 series graphics cards. Currently there are several Factory Reconditioned MSI GeForce RTX 50 series graphics cards on sale at below MSRP. These all come with a 6-month MSI warranty. Amazon Prime members get free shipping, the rest of us pay just $5 for the delivery fee. From past experience, these listings have very limited inventory, so the deals will probably sell out quickly. If you've been waiting for a discount on one of these GPUs, this is a good opportunity to pick one up at no markup.
Factory Reconditioned MSI GeForce RTX 5070 Ti GPUs
The RTX 5070 Ti offers the best bang for your buck if you're looking to run the latest games in 4K resolution at high frame rates. It performs neck-and-neck with the RTX 4080 Super but with the advantage of DLSS 4 with multi-frame generation and newer, faster GDDR7X VRAM. Check out our Nvidia Geforce RTX 5070 Ti GPU review.
Factory Reconditioned MSI GeForce RTX 5080 GPUs
The GeForce RTX 5080 is one of the fastest cards on the market, bested only by the $2,000 RTX 5090 and the discontinued $1,600 RTX 4090. This is a phenomenal card for playing the latest, most demanding games in 4K resolution at high settings and ray tracing enabled. Check out our Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 GPU review.
Factory Reconditioned MSI GeForce RTX 5070 GPUs
Compared to the previous generation GPUs, the RTX 5070 performs comparably with the RTX 4070 Super. Although the generational performance uplift isn't as great as we'd like, the RTX 5070 is still an excellent card for 1080p and 1440p gaming, especially if DLSS 4 is supported. Check out our Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 GPU review.
Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.
Choosing a tablet is tough, we know. Apple’s side alone has a variety of options, and it’s not always clear what’s so different between them. Unless you’re versed in all the jargon, the difference between a "Liquid Retina display" and a "Ultra Retina Tandem OLED with Pro Motion" isn't exactly obvious. There are also major differences under the hood, with Apple currently offering devices featuring an older A16 chip at the low end and an exceedingly fast M5 chip at the high end.
Android tablets only widen the field, of course. Where Apple tends to trim off the older tablets in its stable, the Android tablet market will still readily show you devices you shouldn’t have bought when they were new, let alone years later. And just like Apple’s devices, there’s a considerable range of hardware options that go from severely underpowered to total overkill – at which point a Windows tablet could make more sense. What makes Android tablet shopping even more complicated is the software support. Apple keeps its tablets running on the latest operating systems for a long time, but how long any given Android tablet will stay up to date is a much harder question to answer.
After looking at the market, considering all the tablets we’ve tested, and weighing what actually makes sense when purchasing a tablet, we’ve narrowed down a handful of the best options that strike the right balance.
TL;DR – These Are the Best Tablets:
1. iPad (11th Generation)
Best Tablet
Apple has made finding the ideal iPad for most people quite easy over the years with its base-tier iPad generally being quite affordable while offering excellent performance and build quality. Even against competition from the Android side of the market, which has generally struggled with decent low-cost tablets, the base iPad stands out. And with the most recent 11th generation, Apple keeps the simplicity of choice going.
This new model is a very minor iteration on the 10th-gen iPad we had recommended previously. It makes very simple changes, like the shift from a 10.9-inch display to an 11-inch one, though the resolution remains unchanged. The display also continues to be 60Hz with a 500-nit peak brightness. Fortunately, none of this makes it a bad display. It even supports the Apple Pencil, albeit the same 1st-generation Apple pencil that the earlier model supported.
The internal upgrades are better. For one, the 11th-gen iPad finally does away with 64GB of base storage. It now starts with 128GB, providing a huge boost to the space you’ll have for apps, games, media, and digital creations. The chip inside also gets a bump from the dated A14 Bionic to the more recent A16 (though Apple is currently on the A19). In all, the 11th Gen iPad brings a bigger screen, more storage, and a more recent CPU all packed into a tablet that hasn’t changed its physical footprint.
Over the years, Lenovo has shown it knows how to make a solid more affordable tablet. You won’t have to settle for a terrible display or laggard performance here. The Lenovo Idea Tab Pro puts effort in all the right places.
For $279, you’re still getting a tablet with a metal frame and back, and a sharp, large display. The 12.7-inch display offers a 2944x1840 resolution, keeping the pixel density high. The screen is a basic LCD panel – sorry, no OLED – but provides a decent 400-nit brightness and runs at a smooth 144Hz. It also supports stylus input, and Lenovo includes said stylus in the box so you’re ready to doodle and annotate right away.
You won’t be getting flagship-tier performance, but the MediaTek Dimensity 8300 inside the Idea Tab Pro isn’t bad. It’ll keep up with everyday browsing, run streaming apps, and run light games just fine, though you won’t be firing up Genshin Impact at max settings. Perhaps more critically, the tablet supports Wi-Fi 6, so you can tap into fast networks and enjoy quality streaming. With the tablet’s large battery, you can also count on it to keep you online for long stretches.
Another big get for a low-cost tablet is software support. The Idea Tab Pro comes with Android 14 out of the box and will get updates to Android 16, and it will receive four years of security patches. That’s not mind-blowing, but getting any support like this on cheaper tablets isn’t always a given.
3. Redmagic Astra
Best Tablet for Gaming
Gaming calls for a slightly different tablet than other tasks. While some of the bigger tablets can surely still handle games, actually holding them in your hands for lengthy sessions will emphasize one of their biggest shortcomings: their weight. The Redmagic Astra is tailor-made for gaming, sitting at a more tidy 370g, less than two average smartphones. In that footprint, it manages a 9-inch OLED display that’s excellent for gaming. The panel is sharp at 1504x2400 with a 165Hz refresh rate. The color and contrast rips along smoothly in everyday operation and games alike.
To make the most of a display like that, you need powerful internals, and that’s another key aspect of the Astra. It fits the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset I’ve seen working wonders in 2025’s top Android devices. While the Astra sadly doesn’t push the Snapdragon 8 Elite as hard as it could, it still offers excellent performance that’s a solid step above the earlier Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. Better still, it delivers consistent performance. In 3DMark’s Steel Nomad Light Stress Test, the Astra offered some of the most consistent performance I’ve seen. This is a demanding test that sees a lot of heat build up in even the best devices, and many of those will see their performance drop by anywhere from 30-50% in running it. The Astra, meanwhile, only saw its performance dip by 5.5% thanks to its capable internal cooling system.
That exceptional speed means fast-running games with their settings maxed out and no descent to slow frame rates after a half hour of gaming. I think it will be some time before Android games can bring this device to its knees, and even then, it’ll only be the most demanding new games. Now we can just hope that the PC emulation software Redmagic is working on eventually finds its way onto the Astra and Redmagic’s gaming phones.
4. OnePlus Pad 2
Best Android Tablet
I’m not convinced there’s any Android tablet worth spending $1,000 on – sorry, Samsung, but at that price you can get a competent 2-in-1 Windows machine that will have clearer longevity (like the Asus ProArt PZ13). On the other hand, many of the cheaper options raise a lot of concerns. The OnePlus Pad 2 is neither a shoddy budget Android tablet nor an unreasonably expensive one, and it brings a ton to the tablet. It pulls on its flagship-killer roots to provide a tablet that won’t leave you wanting for much more.
First, it comes packing a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, which was the flagship chipset from Qualcomm for mobile devices until very recently and has yet to be supplanted in tablets. This gives the OnePlus Pad 2 excellent performance, and 12GB of memory helps it keep up with the multitasking you’re liable to get up to on a tablet.
The OnePlus Pad 2 packs in a sizable 12.1-inch display with a 2120x3000 resolution. It may only be an IPS panel, but it offers a 900-nit peak brightness and 144Hz refresh rate. That makes for easier visibility and smoother motion across the board. That 144Hz refresh rate can also help in the inking experience since the OnePlus Pad 2 works with a stylus that also charges while magnetically attached to the tablet.
The OnePlus Pad 2 even gets decent treatment where software is concerned. OnePlus launched on Android 14 and promised three years of OS and four years of security updates. In a market of tablets launching on outdated operating systems with next to no promise of updates, it’s refreshing to see an option that’s not destined to be outdated right out of the gate.
While the OnePlus Pad 2 launched at $550 and still proved a good value at the price, it has more often been running for $450 from OnePlus lately and usually includes a free accessory, like the folio keyboard case.
5. iPad Pro (M4, 2024)
Best Tablet for Creative Work
When I first opened the iPad Pro, I wasn't sure what to make of it. Apple was branding it as a permanent workstation replacement, but it still wasn't running Finder or the desktop applications I would want in that kind of device. Not long after, however, it became one of my go-to daily devices. The Tandem OLED display alone is enough to get most people hooked, even if the price tag might make you wince.
Though the chip's power has been usurped by the iPad Pro with the M5 (which we'll get to testing soon), the iPad Pro with an M4 is packed with an 8-core CPU clocked at 3.49GHz, which is accompanied by a 10-core GPU that will make easy work of any game you throw at it. Just keep in mind the amount of RAM you get depends on the storage configuration you go with. As long as you get a 1TB model, you're getting a respectable 16GB of RAM, but the 512GB and 256GB models will have to make do with half the memory. If you're not planning to use the iPad Pro for heavy creative workloads, this is going to be a non-issue. After all, iPadOS isn't exactly known for being super memory-intensive. If you're doing a lot of work in Photoshop or Premiere, you're going to feel it, though.
Artists will also want to pair this tablet with the Apple Pencil Pro (or one of the myriad Apple Pencil alternatives out there). With a stylus in hand, the iPad Pro becomes an incredible creative powerhouse, even with the limits that come with working with what's essentially a souped-up version of iOS.
6. Onyx Boox Go 7
Best for Reading
There are all kinds of great reading tablets that can do a lot more beyond turning pages on ebooks, but if you’re looking to really focus on text, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better e-reader than the Onyx Boox Go 7.
The compact and lightweight design of the Boox Go 7 is a great match for reading, being a much better stand-in for a physical book than the large and weighty tablets that try to suggest they’ll work just as well for reading. At just 6.9oz, the Boox Go 7 is lighter than plenty of smartphones, making it a viable option for extended one-handed use. Physical buttons for turning pages on one side of the tablet (which also provides a handy grip) also make flipping through books more convenient – no covering up the screen with your thumb – and it can flip orientations.
Of course, the big advantage of the Boox Go 7 is its e-ink display, packing a sharp e-ink Carta 1300 that provides a 300ppi pixel density for crisp text. As nice as it can be to have some color added to e-ink displays, it comes with a big hit to the black-and-white contrast and overall brightness, which can make it harder to read. If you prefer a bit of color and don’t mind the trade-off, Onyx also offers a color version of this tablet. Either way, you’ll also get the advantage of a very low power draw while you’re reading, making it likely you’ll be able to get through a whole book before needing to recharge (or numerous books depending on how fast you read).
Where the Onyx Boox Go 7 sets itself apart from competitors like Amazon and Kobo is in its use of Android as its operating system. It comes with a specially tuned version of Android to work better with the e-ink display, and you still get access to the Play Store and the wide range of apps available to Android. You won’t be installing all the latest games or streaming your favorite movies on this tablet, but you can read your favorite websites in the browser, do some studying with Duolingo or Anki, and load up just about any ebook library you want, including the Kindle or Libby app. Onyx’s native e-reader app also supports a ton of formats, letting you load your own collection of ebooks onto the tablet’s built-in storage. Boox devices also have a superior default sleep screen to both Kindles and Kobos; instead of rotating ads for the latest romantasy slop or affiliate companies, Boox's tablets rest on sketched designs.
7. Boox Tab X C
Best E-Ink Tablet
If you’re looking for an e-ink tablet, the Onyx Boox Tab X C that we reviewed is simply the best you can get right now. This is no casual e-reader with a plain black-and-white display, ultra-low refresh rate, and processing speed just fast enough to turn the pages of a digital book. The Boox Tab X C sports a large 13.3-inch E-Ink Kaleido 3 display. This includes a 3200x2400 black-and-white layer and a 1600x1200 color overlay, giving you the crisp low-power e-ink for reading and a splash of color on top to make the tablet far more versatile than typical e-ink tablets. Whether you’re browsing websites, reading comics, or annotating ebooks, that extra color comes in handy. The Boox Tab X C also has a fast enough refresh rate to feel smooth in most uses, though you probably still won’t want to game or watch videos on it.
Another big plus for the Boox Tab X C is that it runs on Android and not some proprietary e-reader OS. This means you can load up just about any app you want. Your favorite note-taking apps, your favorite ebook or comic library apps, and your favorite browsers should be right there in the Play Store ready to go.
With the big screen it provides, the Boox Tab X C can work as a great productivity aid. You can pair with a keyboard to write up documents and enjoy the extra long battery life it offers, or you can load up PDFs to both read and mark up with a stylus without needing to deal with scaling.
All of this capability comes built onto solid hardware. The tablet runs on a potent Snapdragon 855 chip, which is far more mighty than you’ll find in most e-ink devices. It’s also tucked into a classy, aluminum design.
8. iPad Air (2024)
Best Thin and Light Tablet
Apple put together a wonderful little package with the 2024 iPad Air. It upgraded from its predecessors with a thinner design, an improved selfie camera, and a newer chip under the hood. You can snag the iPad Air with either an 11- or 13-inch display, and beyond a corresponding adjustment to resolution, most of the specs of the two tablets otherwise remain the same. Either option gets you an Apple M2 chip backed by 8GB of memory. In our testing, we found this provided ample performance for everyday uses, like streaming movies and browsing, and it even held up for extended gaming sessions in Zenless Zone Zero. The thin design of the tablet can result in some heat build-up, so be mindful of that if you’re looking to do serious gaming.
The new design of the iPad Air trims its depth down to just 6.1mm, which is even thinner than an iPhone 17 and barely a half millimeter wider than the supremely slim iPhone Air. Between that and the tablet weighing just a hair over 1lb, it’s exceptionally portable. It’s also boasting a quality build with an aluminum frame and back – not that I’d expect any less from Apple.
The display on the iPad Air isn’t as bright as some of its competition, hitting 500 nits, but it offers a wide color gamut that looks great for TV and movies. It also works well with the Apple Pencil Pro, providing smooth inking for drawing and note taking. And, for those looking to incorporate the tablet into a broader device ecosystem, you’ll get the benefit of a USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 port on the bottom of the tablet, supporting faster data transfers and DisplayPort output.
While there’s a newer model with an M3 chip, the M2 model is still going to be plenty for most and can occasionally be found at a discount. (The iPad Pro will still be the more sensible option for anyone who really needs top-level specs.) Of course, if you find the M3 iPad Air at the same price or better than the M2 model, you shouldn’t hesitate to choose it instead.
How to Choose the Right Tablet for You
Budget
Figure out how much you can stomach to spend on a tablet. Looking to just stream shows and scroll socials? A cheap slate should suffice. However, you'll need to up your spending if you’re after a productivity tool that performs similarly to a laptop. You can even slap a keyboard onto some tablets, essentially turning them into detachable laptops, albeit with the limits of their hardware and operating system.
Design and Display
You'll want an option that’s lightweight but still durable for on-the-go use. A sizable, crisp, and responsive display ensures the best user experience, while OLED panels are a more premium option with deep blacks and richer colors over their LCD counterparts. Maybe you'd like none of the above and prefer something easier on the eyes like e-ink.
Internals
You don’t want a sluggish device that leads to you reaching for your smartphone or laptop instead. To prevent that from happening, a solid processor and at least 4GB of RAM is a must. For gaming or creative work, upgrading those specs can make a world of difference. Beyond that, you’ll want to ensure your software is up to date. Android OS is in its 16th generation, while iPadOS 26 is Apple’s latest.
Other features
Things like long battery life, great-sounding speakers, crisp cameras, and stylus support can help improve your experience on a tablet. You may even want to consider getting a 5G tablet that can connect to your cellular network when you’re not on Wi-Fi.
Tablets FAQ
Are iPads better than Android tablets?
No; they're not worse either. Both types of tablets have plenty of solid models to choose from. It’s more a matter of personal preference. If you already have an iPhone and/or MacBook, it makes sense to grab an iPad for seamless integration into your Apple ecosystem, including the ability to double as a second screen for a MacBook. iPads are known for their smooth user experience along with their wealth of apps and games, but the pricing is more restrictive.
Tablets running on Android OS come from various manufacturers using a wide variety of components and different versions of the Android operating system, meaning performance and the experience is all over the place. But there’s a wider selection of slates, from ultra-cheap to high-end. It’s just important to do your research, as there are some duds. The selection of apps optimized for an Android tablet is also more limited. Still, almost all Android apps should function fine, just not as well as on your phone.
Should you buy a tablet with cellular network support?
Most will find that a tablet with cellular network support is unnecessary unless you’re constantly on the go with no way to connect via Wi-Fi. Adding that extra line to your cellular plan can be expensive, and your smartphone can usually work as a Wi-Fi hotspot for your tablet when you’re in a pinch. However, should you decide you’d like cellular network support, many of our picks come in 5G versions; just know you have to make that decision up front.
Jackie Thomas is the Hardware and Buying Guides Editor at IGN and the PC components queen. You can follow her @Jackiecobra.
Mark Knapp is a contributing freelancer for IGN covering everything electronics and gaming hardware. He has over 10 years of experience in the tech industry with bylines at PCMag, Reviewed, CNET, and more. Find Mark on Twitter @Techn0Mark or BlueSky at @Techn0Mark.
Audible's holiday promotion for 2025 is now live. Through December 16, new and returning Audible subscribers can sign up for three months of Audible Premium Plus for just $0.99 per month. You will need to be logged into your Amazon Prime membershp to see this promotion. After the three months is up, your subscription will convert to the standard $14.95/mo, so make sure to cancel beforehand if you don't want to continue with the service. You also get a free audiobook of your choice for each of those three months that you get to keep indefinitely even after your subscription expires.
3 Free Months of Audible Premium Plus
Audible is a subscription service that gives you access to hundreds of thousands of the best audiobooks without ever having to purchase them. There are two paid membership plans: the lower tier Audible Plus ($7.95/mo) and the higher tier Audible Premium Plus ($14.95/mo). The biggest difference between the two is the size of the audiobook library. Whereas Audible Plus only lets you listen to a selection of about 10,000 audiobooks, the Audible Premium Plus plan gives you access to a whopping 500,000 audiobooks.
Premium Plus includes other perks as well. Every month Premium Plus members get to pick one audiobook to keep in their library indefinitely, even after the membership expires. Also, Premium Plus members can get 30% off any additional audiobooks they wish to purchase in addition to exclusive limited-time discounts.
If you were already planning to purchase a couple of audiobooks, then it makes more sense to pay less than $3 to get three audiobooks you get to keep indefinitely and enjoy all the benefits of Audible Premium Plus for three months. This deal only pops up a few times per year, so don't waste your "first-time subscriber" eligibility status on a short 30-day trial.
Catch up the the latest novel releases, audiobook style
Several best-selling new and recent releases are available in an audiobook format and part of Audible's Premium Plus subscription plan. Sunrise on the Reaping, the latest Hunger Games novel, is narrated by Jefferson White, who you may already know from Yellowstone where he played Jimmy Hudstrom. The audiobook has a listening time of about 12 hours and 48 minutes. Stephen King released his Never Flinch crime novel in May 27 and it's also available as a nearly 15-hour long audiobook narrated by veteran Jessie Mueller. If you're a fan of Brandon Sanderson, check out Wind and Truth, book five of the popular The Stormlight Archive series. It was released in December of 2024 and runs an epic 63 hours long.
Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.
After cutting cable, one of the first things you'll likely be searching for is a way to watch live sports. For NBA fans, there are plenty of options to catch games without a traditional cable plan, though you may need to get creative. NBA streaming rights are always changing hands, but currently, there are three main channels you'll need to access: ABC, ESPN, and NBC. However, starting this year through the 2035-36 season, the landscape will change once again, as NBC and Prime Video will exclusively air select games.
In the meantime, we've rounded up the best streaming services for you below to ensure you don't miss a single NBA game this season and the next. With the official NBA season kicking off today, you'll likely want to catch a few games at home as soon as possible.
DirecTV Stream
Best overall for NBA games
As of right now, DirecTV Stream is the most comprehensive option for NBA fans who want to cut the cord. While each of their signature packages features the trio of channels needed to watch all major NBA games (ABC, ESPN, and TNT), the best value is the DirecTV Choice package as it also includes access to NBA TV. With this package, you'll have access to over 125 channels including every major nationwide game and a great selection of regional sporting events based on your location.
If you're a diehard sports fan, DirecTV now offers standalone Genre Packs, including the MySports pack, which is priced at $69.99 per month—cheaper than each of the standard bundles. This pack includes over 20 sports-focused channels, such as ESPN, TNT, FS1, NBA TV, and NFL Network, plus an ESPN Unlimited subscription for even more sports content.
ESPN Unlimited
Best for ESPN and ABC Games
Earlier this year, ESPN launched a new service called ESPN Unlimited. The main difference between this service and its predecessor, ESPN+, is that it actually grants you access to all of the ESPN channels without the need for a live TV service. Since it is owned by Disney, that means you'll also get access to any of the games that play on ABC as well. That means you'll get access to all of the games except the ones on TNT.
You can currently get a standalone subscription to ESPN Unlimited for $29.99 or bundle it with Disney+ and Hulu for the same price (for a limited time). With the most recent Disney+ price hike now in effect, this is the only bundle that didn't get a price increase for 2025. You can also choose to add NFL+ premium to that bundle, making this one of the best new services for NFL games as well.
Hulu + Live TV
Best Streaming Bundle With NBA Games
Hulu + Live TV is a great option for sports fans who also want to indulge in great TV series and movies as it features over 95 channels plus the Disney Bundle as part of its monthly subscription price. It checks all the boxes for NBA fans with ABC and ESPN included (they are Disney-owned, of course), plus the remaining games on TNT.
In addition to having access to everything in the Disney+ and Hulu libraries, Hulu + Live TV also grants you access to ESPN Unlimited which unlocks additional exclusive sporting events (like UFC and college sports), original programming, and more. There is also a three-day free trial of Hulu + Live TV available for new subscribers if you want to test out the service at no cost.
Sling TV
Best Value
If being able to catch every major NBA game for the lowest possible price is your only priority, then Sling TV is your answer. Sling TV's Orange plan will get you access to most nationally televised NBA games as it features ESPN and TNT as part of its 35-channel lineup. However, the primary reason Sling TV is a less expensive option is that it excludes local channels, such as ABC. Instead, Sling recommends you pair your subscription with a TV antenna (sold separately) to receive your local channels.
If you'd rather not worry about an external antenna, Sling TV's Blue plan does include local channels like ABC, NBC, and FOX in select markets. You'll need to enter your zip code on Sling's website to verify which (if any) local channels are available to you with this plan. If you do happen get ABC in your area, you can bundle Sling TV's Orange and Blue plans together for $60.99 per month to enjoy every NBA game. There's also the company's free service, Sling Freestream, which lets you watch some older games at no cost.
NBA League Pass
Best For Out of Market Games
NBA League Pass is a fantastic option for NBA fans...of out of market teams. The NBA's flagship service features live coverage of every game (excluding nationally broadcast and your local market games) through the NBA app or NBA.com. Nationally broadcast games (like those on ABC, ESPN, or TNT) are available to stream on-demand three hours after they air, while locally televised games are available three days later.
Additionally, NBA League Pass features condensed recaps of every game, access to NBA TV's 24/7 live stream, full game archives dating back to the 2012-13 NBA season, and much more. NBA League Pass is available as a monthly subscription or you can choose to prepay for the entire season.
NBA Streaming FAQs
Can You Watch Live NBA Games For Free?
Sort of. If you have a TV antenna installed, you can watch games airing on ABC over the air. All other NBA games require either a cable subscription or a mix of select streaming services.
Which NBA Streaming Services Have Free Trials?
Currently, you can score a five-day free trial of DirecTV Stream and a three-day free trial of Hulu + Live TV if you want to catch some upcoming NBA games. As of this writing, Sling TV and ESPN Unlimited don't offer free trials, but both have limited time offers to save on monthly subscriptions. NBA League Pass doesn't have a direct free trial, but if you add it through an existing Prime Video subscription, you'll get seven days free.
Matthew Adler is a Commerce, Features, Guides, News, Previews, and Reviews writer for IGN. You can follow him on the site formerly known as Twitter @MatthewAdler and watch him stream on Twitch.
One of the most popular affordable men's wallets on Amazon is even less expensive today. The Travelambo minimalist men's slim leather wallet with RFID blocking technology is down to a mere $4.99 after you apply a 50% off coupon code "H4H4W3KH". All colors are eligible for the discount. If you're ok with not dropping a load on designer brand names, then this wallet offers great functionality in a compact size at a practically throwaway price.
RFID Blocking Men's Slim Leather Wallet for $4.99
The Travelambo is a minimalist wallet that measures 3.3" x 4.1" and only 0.12" thin. It's made out of "genuine" leather, which I assume means not vegan (aka usually vinyl), and features a simulated carbon fiber weave design. It has slots for up to 6 cards, including one slot with a clear window for your photo ID. The wallet features RFID blocking technology and "has been tested for 13.56MHz frequency in which credit cards, debit cards, driver license, and ID cards operate".
The reviews are quite good on Amazon, with nearly 14,000 reviews giving it an average 4.5 star rating. Some of the reviews point out that they've owned this wallet for several years and it has held up functionally, albeit with wear and tear. For just $5, I'd call that a pretty great return on your investment. It would also make a great stocking stuffer.
Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.
Hot on the heels of Ninja Gaiden's own 2D revival with the excellent Ragebound, Double Dragon Revive comes off more like a tribute band for the series rather than a proper reunion tour. It doesn't play the hits how you remember it, instead putting its own spin on things – from how it looks, to how it sounds, to how it plays. All of those aspects not only fail to live up to my admittedly mild expectations for a new Double Dragon, but after hours of its out of tune meandering, started to cement the idea that maybe we should put a little more distance between attempts to revitalize this series.
Even though I've been playing these games for most of my life it's sort of jarring how straightforward Double Dragon Revive is. Side scrollers of this arcadey, "belt scroll" variety have found a lot of ways to spice up the “punch your way to the right” recipe, and Revive seems interested in keeping as much of that new seasoning away from its plate as possible. It's a basic protein packed with eight non-branching levels, accompanied by starchy combat that's filling but has barely any sauce.
Picking up any of the four playable characters is simple and intuitive, with normal attack strings that can be mashed out on one button alongside special attacks and hyper blows that can be used to punctuate these combos, or in some instances extend your offense into wall bouncing juggles. All of these actions are unique to each fighter. Well, Billy and Jimmy Lee have distinctions that don't translate into mechanical differences, but former damsel-turned-headkicker Marian and ninja frenemy Ranzo have attacks that are a little more flashy and utilitarian. I rarely felt it necessary to use more than basic combo loops on Normal difficulty, though. As long as an enemy didn't have an annoying shield or hyper armor protecting them as they wound up a big attack (something ubiquitous in the later levels), they were reliably vulnerable to a good old fashioned fist to the face.
There are limited options for those who do want to attempt to style on these street thugs, but they all rely on bouncing enemies off of walls to keep them in the air long enough to string more hits together as they come down. It often felt like enemies kind of just went wherever they wanted after a launch or a throw as opposed to where you directed them to go, making a laborious task out of trying to set up simple combo extensions, jamming enemies into background environmental hazards that take them out of the fight instantly, or taking advantage of the super powerful wall strike and wall crash options.
It rarely felt necessary to use more than basic combo loops on Normal difficulty.
There's no air combos to be had either, so chasing a launched bad guy skyward only allows you a single, disappointing smash down to earth so you can wait for them to stand up and let you hit them again. Everyone can get a free hit on downed enemies, if you can finagle the finicky button prompt to do so that is unresponsive and unreliable. If there's the right kind of wall around – the right kind being the one they decide is right based on no reliable context clues – you can do a super sized air dropping attack, but even getting the wall kick off that's required to get the requisite height is a dice roll.
Everyone has powerful, screen clearing finishing blow attacks that are charged up by all the fisticuffs, with boosts given when you make a timely dodge, counter an enemy’s big attack, or grow your combo meter. But no playable character, not even with Ranzo's cool explosive kunai or Marian’s charging knee, can make Revive’s combat feel special, or even interesting, across long stretches of time. It took me around three hours to finish my first playthrough, and I lost interest well before then, with three more playthroughs after that, one for each playable character.
That said, enemy variety is at least diverse and effective at making you use the small menu of options you have. As levels progress, old bad guys show up to mingle with the newer ones to form a sort of street thug gumbo that can get a little spicy towards the end of your run. It’s largely a numbers game, with you often getting overwhelmed by the sheer amount of incoming blows from all angles. I liked the little brain puzzle of having to identify the most dangerous threat to take out first, or needing to figure out the most efficient way to wrangle as many folks as possible into a big attack, but it wasn’t beguiling enough for me to forget that the process of breaking these dudes down was still rather dull. Even the array of limited use weapons, though strong tools usually worth the effort to grab if things get hairy, are your standard fare knives, two-by-fours, sledgehammers, etc.
As the challenge escalates, some of Revive’s jank becomes an enemy of its own. Small things, like the direction of your character sometimes defaulting to the opposite direction inexplicably, stops being a quirk to work around and starts being the reason you drop a combo or get punished.
Enemy variety is at least diverse, but breaking dudes down is still rather dull.
Bosses break the monotony up a little bit, introducing slightly more engaging stage hazards and pattern mechanics, like Linda, who you need to shake off of the pillars she’s hiding on top off before you can attack her directly. These get pretty brutal towards the end, though, specifically the chapter seven boss, which has to be the most aggravating fight I’ve maybe ever played in one of these games – truly a test of endurance against a ceaseless onslaught of the most cheating cheaters the game has to offer.
There’s not a lot of flash visually, either. Most character models look good, but the fire, wind, and dragon effects that come from their limbs when channeling their chi looks a step behind in quality. Camera work and sound design come together adequately to make big hits feel good and all that jazz. The sound track is decent, with a handful original riffy rockouts and remixes of old series jams that sound good in the moment but sort of leave your head immediately after they end. Overall, Double Dragon Revive lacks the visual identity that the 16-bit Double Dragon Gaiden and even pastel-punk Double Dragon Neon have, let alone its peers like Shinobi: Art of Vengeance and Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound from this year.
The stages you bash your way through run a much broader gamut. A colorful Japanese pagoda-style tower with a fun little perspective shift mid-way through is simple but much more stirring than a non-descript highway level, even if there is a wrestling ring at the end of it. Some of these zones require some platforming that I was never happy to see but in mercifully short bursts. It’s a bit of an eye-roll that most of these stages are just takes on series staple locations without much novel flair added this time around, but it’s truly disappointing how many of these locations are just bland and lifeless.
And not to be one of those “the story in this beat 'em up sucks” sort of freaks, but I mean, it does. It's less that the plot is nonsense, the characters are bland, and the writing is lousy and more that Revive lacks the confident and chaotic energy that is necessary to sell this sort of thing to begin with. The post-apocalyptic villain of Neon was a gang-leading demon knight straight out of a heavy metal album cover named Skullmaggedon. The gang struggles in Gaiden made that version of New York City feel like Gotham City, complete with goons color-coded and themed after their outlandish bosses. By comparison, Revive is just a completely tame and underwhelming take on returning villains Willy and Raymond, who used black magic and the military industrial complex to experiment on people and make the Sousetsuken kid’s lives worse.
Dell is offering a new deal this week on one of its highest-end Alienware gaming laptops. The Alienware 16 Area-51 16" gaming laptop, equipped with an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU and RTX 5080 mobile GPU, has been marked down to $2,699.99 with free delivery after a $750 discount. New for 2025, the Area-51 is Alienware's highest-end gaming laptop. It's pricier than other RTX 5080 equipped laptops (less so with this deal), but that's because the build quality and performance exceeds most of its competition.
Alienware 16 Area-51 RTX 5080 Gaming Laptop for $2,699
The Area-51: new color, curvy design, metal construction, and upgraded cooling
The Alienware Area-51 is a considerable upgrade compared to the previous generation's Alienware m16. For starters, it's clad in anodized aluminum for both the lid and bottom chassis and features a unique iridescent finish that sparkles in direct lighting. The frame is made of a durable and lightweight magnesium alloy. Cooling has been upgraded with generous amounts of copper and a new thermal interface. Dell claims that it can handle up to 240W TDP without raising acoustics.
Design-wise, the Area 51 has a sleeker, more contoured shape compared to previous models, with rounded edges and soft corners replacing the traditional squared off design. The hinges are internally positioned so that they're near invisible. There's a transparent window on the undercarriage to show off the internal components. There's also plenty of RGB illumination, although most of it can be turned off if you don't like that sort of thing.
The GeForce RTX 5080 mobile GPU is better than the RTX 4090 mobile
The Alienware Area-51's aggressive cooling allows it to accomodate the RTX 5080 mobile GPU without throttling it. The RTX 5080 is roughly 15%-20% more powerful than the RTX 4080 that it replaces. In fact, it's even more powerful than the RTX 4090, which was the previous generation's flagship card. You'll be able to play any game at frame rates of 60fps or higher on the 1600p display. You could even enable ray tracing in most games, something that was unheard of in laptops just a few years ago. The general consensus is that upgrading from an RTX 5080 (mobile) to RTX 5090 won't yield significant performance gains relative to the huge price difference.
Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.
Game publishers have been cooking for charity! As part of gamescom asia x Thailand Game Show 2025, the first ever Charity Cook-Off was held in Bangkok on October 13, with 10 contestants from the game industry flexing their kitchen skills for Chef Willment Leong, the hot-tempered celebrity chef who hosts Hell’s Kitchen Thailand.
The event was livestreamed in support of two charities, one global and one local: Doctors Without Borders, and the Bangkok Community Help Foundation.
Among the lineup of contestants was… me! Representing IGN Japan, I felt the pressure to bring the spice, doing my best to replicate Chef Willment’s signature menu that blends the Western dish salmon confit with a Thai twist – green curry cream sauce, crispy chicken skin crust, handmade ailoi, poached egg and rocket salad.
Bonus points were awarded for adding a videogame twist, so my dish was populated by cute little edible Pokémon and a Mario-themed salad.
Here’s the full list of contestants:
Adorapixel - Gordon Van Dyke
Powell Group - Jay Powell
Raw Fury - Johan Toresson
Miniclip - Govind Cacciatore
Wired Production - Leo Zullo
Joystick Venture - Ivan Carrillo
IGN - Daniel Robson
PlayPark - Jham (Sattra Viriyacharoentham)
AGP - Lili Zang
Poki - Romy Halfweeg
The event was hosted by gaming investment company Agora Gaming Partners and gamescom asia organizer Koelnmesse. It was held in the professional-grade kitchen of Dusit Thani College, as seen on cooking shows like Netflix’s The Maverick Academy. The college also provided volunteer assistants – my assistant Tia was awesome, and helped make sure I didn’t set fire to or slice off anything important.
As game media, we often review creations made by game companies, so it was a thrill to be on the other side and have the judges rate my cooking! Cooking under pressure, surrounded by cameras and under a tight time limit in an unfamiliar kitchen, was an experience I’ll never forget. I didn’t win (my salmon was a little pink), but I didn’t embarrass myself horribly either, and I was especially proud of my attempt at green curry cream sauce – I’ll tinker and perfect that recipe at home for sure.
A digest video will be published soon, but you can check out the archive of the full livestream here right now.
Ever thought of replacing your gaming headset with a pair of earbuds? Amazon has dropped the price of the Steelseries Arctis Gamebuds from $199.99 all the way down to $127.99 shipped after a hefty 36% off instant discount. This is by far the best deal I've seen (the previous lowest price being $160) and this earbud is our front-runner for the best dedicated gaming earbuds of 2025. This particular model is compatible with PlayStation 5 and PC.
Steelseries Arctis Gamebuds Down to $127.99 (was $200)
I don't see as many gaming-specific earbuds as I do gaming headsets. In fact, this is Steelseries' first product release in the category. What makes this earbud more gaming focused is that it can be paired with a mobile app (for console, you use the Steelseries GG software for PC) preloaded with over 100 different audio presets customed tailored to specific video games and genres. Each earbud contains a 6mm neodymium magnetic driver that can simulate bass and spatial audio effects. Also, the Gamebuds connects to your PS5 or PC over a fast and reliable 2.4GHz wireless networking with the included USB Type-C dongle. No headset is complete without a built-in microphone, and the Gamebuds has a decent one, although not nearly as good as an extendable boom mic.
The Gamebuds can be used outside of gaming, of course. Like any good pair of in-ear buds at this price point, the Gamebuds features Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity and active noise cancellation. Three different sized eartipsa are included for a more customized fit. The battery life is below average at 10 hours, but a charging case is included that extends playtime to 40 hours before needing to recharge.
I have a pair of these myself and quite like it. I prefer these over standard headphones on hotter days, because my ears sweat profusely when I use traditional over-ear headsets. Not so with these Gamebuds.
Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.
Gearbox has said the hotly anticipated Borderlands 4 patch that will finally dull crit knife builds is delayed again and will now launch alongside the Horrors of Kairos mini-event.
Borderlands 4’s 'Day 30 Update' was set to launch last week but was delayed to early this week. Fans had wondered when it would turn up after another no-show today, prompting developer Gearbox to say it’s now due out alongside Horrors of Kairos, which runs from October 23 to November 6.
The question now is when exactly the patch will be released. Horrors of Kairos is down to start on October 23, but it may end up releasing at some point between then and November 6.
Borderlands 4 is rife with overpowered builds that cause massive damage, even to the game’s toughest bosses on the hardest difficulties. The most infamous of these is the crit knife, which Gearbox has said it’s aware of. But there are many others.
The nerf sweep set to hit Borderlands 4 has sparked a debate within the game’s community about the rights and wrongs of balance changes such as these in single-player games. With no PvP component, Borderlands 4 is mostly about solo players — and occasional groups of co-op players — farming bosses for loot that makes their build ever so slightly better each time.
Builds based on the crit knife, for example, can essentially delete bosses even on Borderlands 4’s toughest difficulty, making farming for loot a trivial endeavor. Some believe there’s nothing wrong with such overpowered play because players aren't competing with others in any way. Others argue it’s bad for the game.
Borderlands 4 creative director Graeme Timmins has responded to the complaints, pointing to the game’s upcoming Invincible boss, which the developers want to present a challenge.
“We have future content like the upcoming Invincible that we want players to find challenge/accomplishment in,” Timmins explained. “If we balanced that content around bad gear, it would remove build diversity, forcing players into specific builds using said gear.”
Specifically on the crit knife, associate creative director Grant Kao said this particular, hugely popular build “diminishes playstyle variety,” and confirmed changes are planned.
“We will be adjusting it,” Kao said. “The crit knife’s potential output diminishes playstyle variety. The gun builds that use the crit knife have other options and will have more options coming soon.”
Timmins then chimed in on the crit knife, saying: “Our intent is always to expand the number of builds, so any adjustment we make is in service of that goal.”
All eyes are now on Gearbox to see what changes it has in store for not just Borderlands 4’s crit knife build, but any build it believes relies on an “unintended interaction.”
And we recently reported on comments from Gearbox chief Randy Pitchford, who said if more developers better understood why gamers love making decisions about loot, "We'd have good competitors."
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
Gothic first-person shooter Painkiller first graced our screens in 2004, and it built a cult following thanks to its fast pace, dark atmosphere, weapon arsenal, and intense combat. Now it’s back with a modern reimagining with the same name from developer Anshar Studios and publisher 3D Realms that’s out now on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.
If you’re not familiar with Painkiller, the central concept is you play as someone trapped in Purgatory because of your previous transgressions, but you get a mission to redeem yourself and earn your way into Heaven. In this reimagined version, that mission is simple: stop the fallen angel Azazel and his three children, the Nephilim.
While that’s the explanation for the setting, this isn’t a narrative-focused game. It’s all about action, all the time. So really, your mission can be summed up in even simpler terms: kill as many demons and horrors as you can, in whatever brutal way you choose.
You’ll always have a three-person team, which you can form by teaming up with people in online co-op or by playing offline with bot teammates. Between missions (called raids here) you’ll return to a hub area called Purgatory’s Crossing, where you’ll choose your loadout before jumping into the next raid. That starts with picking one of four characters: Ink, Void, Sol, or Roch, each of whom has a unique perk. Ink has better health restoration, Void does more weapon damage, Sol has higher ammo capacity, and Roch has increased max health.
Regardless of who you choose, speed, agility, and weaponry are the primary focus of combat. You’ll start the game with the classic Painkiller weapon, which will be a permanent part of your loadout on every raid. Its alt fire mode, called the Shredder, can shred enemies (hence the name) and also acts as a grappling hook. You can use it on designated grappling points to traverse biomes quickly, or you can use it directly on enemies. Be careful of using it on tougher enemies though, they’ll retaliate if they’re not stunned first.
In addition to the permanent Painkiller weapon, you can take two other weapons with you on every raid, which you can switch out in the hub area. You’ll get your first two weapons automatically during the prologue, while the rest can be unlocked in the order you choose. There are six selectable weapons in total (not counting the Painkiller), each of which has a main firing mode and two alt fire modes that you can swap between before each raid.
So that’s 18 firing modes, and you can unlock upgrades for each weapon that modify how it works, bringing that total up to 72 different attack types. You unlock things by gathering ancient souls from finishing raids, which can then be spent in the hub area. You can use them to unlock new weapons, alternate shots, or upgrades, so your loadout will consistently evolve as the game goes on.
The Painkiller weapon isn’t the only one that fans of the series will recognize. The Stakegun and Electrodriver also make their return, and they’re the two starting weapons you’ll unlock in the prologue.
The Stakegun can impale enemies and launch different types of grenades as alternate shots, and just like in the original game, you can combine these two capabilities if you’re skilled enough to pull it off. The range of the primary stake shot is longer than the grenades, so you can fire a grenade and then hit it with the stake in mid-air to carry the grenade farther.
The Electrodriver is for dealing with larger groups. It has electric shock attacks that stun enemies, and it can fire a set of bouncing shuriken that can ricochet around corners or past enemy shields. Combo those two together, and you have a recipe for clearing out hordes of enemies quickly.
Not all of the weapons are returning classics. The new Handcannon is a powerful handgun focused on hitscan precision. If your aim is on point, it has very high DPS potential. You can also modify it with a scope to turn it into a sniper-style weapon if you so choose.
On top of weapon modifications and alt fire options, you can also customize gameplay with tarot cards that enhance your abilities. You use gold collected in raids to unlock new cards in the Tarot Lottery in the hub area, and you can select cards to activate before you start a new raid. That card’s benefits will stay active for the entire next raid, then be used up, but you can use ancient souls to replenish one if you want to reuse it.
There are currently 44 tarot cards, and they can have a wide range of effects. Some are passive and always active, others react to particular enemies, and others require certain conditions to activate. For example, Angel’s Torment allows you to one-shot kill any regular enemy that’s thrown in the air. Demon’s Payload spawns explosive barrels when you kill a large demon. Crimson Cadence gradually heals you as long as you keep your combo count above a certain threshold.
Other tarot cards affect your teammates, so you and your allies can try to find synergies that combine together well. For example, Harmonic Torment allows you to share your health with allies and Revenant’s Veil causes enemies to ignore you while you’re reviving downed teammates.
This is just a taste of the different types of weapons, modifications, and tarot cards available. The rest you’ll have to discover for yourself. Painkiller is available now on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. If you want to learn more, you can check out the game’s official website or follow it on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook.
Apple TV — no, not Apple TV+, remember the rebrand — finally announced the premiere date for season 3 of its beloved dramedy Shrinking. It feels great to have a date on the books… but make no mistake, fans will still have to wait a bit for their next appointment.
The show is set to return on January 28 with a super-sized one hour premiere episode. From there, episodes will air on a weekly basis every Wednesday through April 8, which will be the season finale.
Jason Segel and Harrison Ford lead the show’s cast, which also includes Christa Miller, Jessica Williams, Luke Tennie, Michael Urie, Lukita Maxwell and Ted McGinley. This season, series cocreator and former Ted Lasso star Brett Goldstein will return to the show in a guest star role. Damon Wayans Jr, Cobie Smulders, and Wendie Malick will also guest star this season, in addition to Jeff Daniels and Michael J. Fox.
“I said, ‘You did a show about Parkinson’s, and you didn’t call me?’” Fox explained of talking with Ford about getting on the series in a recent interview with People. “And he said, ‘Oh, you want to do it?’ And I said, ‘I’d love to do it.’ So he said, ‘Let me think about it, see what I can do.’ So he went to work on it and came up with this concept, it’s really good.”
Needless to say, it was a great opportunity for the Back to the Future actor to be unapologetically himself on set considering the limitations placed upon him by his illness. “It was the first time ever I got to show up on-set, and I didn’t have to worry about am I too tired or coughing or anything,” Fox told the outlet. “I just do it. It was really good, because for the moments when I say, ‘I’m not going to be able to do this,’ then I say, ‘Well, I’ll just deal with how I can’t do it in the scene.’ And you get through it.”
Ford was also particularly excited to have the iconic actor guest star this season and show the world he’s still got it.
“Michael’s courage, his fortitude and his grace, more than anything else, is on full display. He’s very smart, very brave, noble, generous, passionate guy, and an example to all of us, whether we’re facing Parkinson’s or not,” Ford told People. “You cannot help but recognize how amazing it is to have such grace… Parkinson’s is not funny. And I want to get it right. It’s necessary to be correct with what we do in respect of the challenge that Parkinson’s represents, and that we don’t use it for its entertainment value.”
Lex Briscuso is a film and television critic and a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter at @nikonamerica.
Netflix is making various films and TV series based on Catan, the world-renowned multiplayer board game.
In Catan, players take on the roles of settlers who try to build and develop holdings while trading and acquiring resources. It carries the tagline: “Trade. Build. Settle.”
According to Variety, Netflix has secured the global rights to Catan, and plans to release various projects in both live-action and animation. There’s talk of film and scripted and unscripted TV. All projects will be produced by Darren Kyman from Asmodee (which recently split from Embracer), Pete Fenlon of Catan Studios, and Guido and Benjamin Teuber, the sons of Catan inventor Klaus Teuber.
Teuber first published The Settlers of Catan in Germany in 1995. It would go on to become one of the biggest board games ever, selling over 40 million copies. He died aged 70 in 2023.
Benjamin and Guido Teuber, co-CEOs of Catan GmbH, offered the following comment: “When our father Klaus Teuber first introduced Catan 30 years ago, he imagined an aspirational world where people would gather by trading, building and settling together — both at the table and beyond it. This collaboration with Netflix marks an exciting new chapter in that journey. For three decades, Catan has connected families and friends around the world. Now, we’re thrilled to see it inspire storytelling on a global stage — staying true to our father’s vision of creativity, strategy and human connection.”
There’s no release window for any Catan projects, nor any details on what those projects will be. But it’s clear Netflix sees huge value in projects based on board games and video games, following a string of successes. Indeed, Netflix struck a deal for the rights to Monopoly from Hasbro Entertainment earlier this year.
Photo by Marijan Murat/picture alliance via Getty Images.
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
It’s been a big year for Stephen King adaptations, with the release of Oz Perkin’s The Monkey back in February and Edgar Wright’s take on The Running Man hitting theaters next month. In between those two releases, we got Francis Lawrence's adaptation of one of the most bleak Stephen King stories out there: The Long Walk.
Starring David Jonsson and Cooper Hoffman, The Long Walk follows a group of teenage boys who must continuously walk across the United States, or else risk execution. If you’ve been interested in checking out the particularly gruesome movie in the comfort of your own home, I’m happy to report that The Long Walk is now available online through PVOD platforms like Prime Video.
The Long Walk Is Now Available on Digital
The Long Walk arrives on digital just over a month after its initial release in theaters. The film has grossed over $50 million globally, over double its reported budget of $20 million. Perhaps more notably, The Long Walk currently holds one of the highest average Rotten Tomatoes score for any Stephen King movie.
Here’s what Tom Jorgenson had to say in his review of the movie for IGN: “Anchored by strong performances from Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson, The Long Walk overcomes the repetitive nature of its story to deliver a timely and powerful condemnation of normalized violence… with some seriously brutal, R-rated violence.”
4K and Blu-ray Out November 25, No Word on Streaming Release Date
A DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K steelbook edition of The Long Walk are all up for preorder with a release date of November 25. While you may have to wait a couple more weeks, I always think it’s worth noting that physical releases are pretty much the same price as digital purchases that you don’t really get to “own.”
Unfortunately, we still don’t have any confirmation about a streaming release date for The Long Walk, but we do know the movie will eventually land on Starz, which has an ongoing “first dibs” streaming agreement with distributor Lionsgate. Recent Lionsgate releases like Ballerina and Freaky Tales landed on streaming around three months after releasing in theaters. Assuming we see a similar timeline, The Long Walk should be streaming on Starz some time this December.
Blythe (she/her) is an SEO Coordinator at IGN who spends way too much time in character customization screens and tracking down collectibles.
Marvel star Elizabeth Olsen has said she’d “jump at” the opportunity to play Scarlet Witch again.
Olsen last played Scarlet Witch in live-action form in 2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. She subsequently reprised the role for this year’s animated series Marvel Zombies, but that was voice work only, and she recorded her lines some years ago.
Ever since Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ release, fans have speculated about Scarlet Witch’s potential return, particularly with Avengers: Doomsday set to come out next year, and its sequel, Avengers: Secret Wars, set to follow in 2027.
While her return to the MCU has yet to be confirmed, in a new interview with InStyle, Olsen suggested she was now ready to play Scarlet Witch once again.
“It’s ridiculous,” she said of making MCU movies. “We're grown people behaving like children on a playground. We're flying. We're shooting things out of our hands. And it’s a character that I've gotten to return to so many times over 10 years. It’s good to put her down and then I miss her and I want her back. I'd jump at the opportunity to be in her shoes again.”
Olsen pointed to “the consistency of a community and a job, which is hard to find,” as one of the reasons she loves the Marvel universe.
Warning! Spoilers for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Agatha All Along Season 1 follow.
But if that return to the MCU does happen, it apparently won’t be in Avengers. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Olsen insisted she wouldn't be in London for the filming of either Doomsday or Secret Wars. Was that yet another example of a superhero actor misdirect?
The big question, of course, is whether or not Scarlet Witch is still alive following the events of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. She was asked, flat out, in the interview with InStyle. Her response: “No idea.”
“The only thing I’ll say about the movie is this: we love villains who think they’re the heroes of their own stories,” Joe Russo said. “That’s when they become three-dimensional and they become more interesting. When you have an actor like Robert Downey, you have to create a three-dimensional, well shaped character for the audience. That’s where a lot of our focus is going.”
Avengers: Doomsday is currently set to arrive in theaters May 1, 2026 and Secret Wars arrives about a year later in May 2027.
Photo by Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic.
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
There’s plenty going on in Crimson Desert’s open world. From puzzles to castle sieges to blowing up enemies with a battle robot, there’s a wide range of activities to get stuck into. But from what we’ve seen so far, the real show stoppers are the boss battles. As part of this month’s IGN First, we’ve already shown you two new ones: the Golden Star mechanical dragon, and Fortain, The Cursed Knight. But there’s still more to see. Today, we’re showcasing three brand new bosses: Muskan, Walter Lanford, and Kearush the Slayer. You can see protagonist Kliff duke it out with all three in the video above.
The trio demonstrates a chunk of Crimson Desert’s enemy scale – Walter Lanford and Muskan are both human, but the former is pretty regular in size, while the latter is an eight-foot powerhouse. And then there’s Kearush, a massive, gorilla-like beast who's actually one of Crimson Desert’s smaller monsters.
Those “weight categories” help distinguish each boss, but each is defined by their ability set. Muskan is a fierce pugilist, only providing you a few seconds of reprieve while he charges up his powerful punches and dive kicks. He’s not afraid to fight a little dirty, with sweeping kicks knocking your legs from under you, and choke slams sending you sputtering to the floor. When his fury meter maxes out, he’s able to unleash a chain of blows that repeatedly launch you into the air, so learning how to avoid his lighting-fast fists is the name of the game.
Walter Lanford may be no bigger than you are, but he’s arguably the most sophisticated of the three bosses we’re showing today. Armed with a shotgun, he’s able to fight effectively at range. Dodging the wide-spread projectiles is key, but get your timing right and you can actually deflect his blasts back at him. Should your reflexes not be quite that sharp, you can spin up a magic barrier that collects incoming bullets and fires them back where they came from. Walter’s weak to grapples, so getting in close is vital – thankfully you can use the “deflect light” skill, typically used to find hidden items, to temporarily blind him and close the distance. You’ll need to act fast, though, as Walter’s armed with smoke grenades that can help conceal his rapid getaways.
Finally, Kearush the Slayer is a monster with no less than three health bars - a fight-extending trick that multiple foes across Crimson Desert’s campaign can pull. There’s a Hulk-like intensity to this fight, with Kearush being able to climb the walls and unleash clumsy-but-destructive leaps in his attempt to turn every bone in your body to dust. As a larger creature, you’re able to clamber onto his back and stab away, Dragon’s Dogma-style, but be careful - he’s more than happy to fall back-first from a great height, so let go of those shoulders before you’re forced to cushion his landing.
All three of these fights only reinforce my feeling that the bosses are going to be the real stars of the show in Crimson Desert. Every one I’ve faced so far across multiple hands-on opportunities has had a unique twist, a clever mechanic, or simply an exciting moveset that kept me on my toes. I’ve fought a powerful knight who I crushed with fallen masonry columns. I’ve faced off against an antlered snow beast who could cause avalanches that froze me in my tracks. And I’ve clambered up the side of a giant walking mountain, Shadow of the Colossus-style, seeking out its weak points in a battle of endurance. And I hope these are only just the start. I can’t wait to see what Crimson Desert’s most ambitious showdowns are made of.
Matt Purslow is IGN's Executive Editor of Features.
For me, I don't think I've ever been more excited about Magic: The Gathering since Wizards of the Coast brought out the Lord of the Rings expansion. Not only are we currently enjoying Marvel's Spider-Man, but we've got Avatar: The Last Airbender next month and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in March next year.
TL;DR: Deals for Today
Hasbro and co. haven't forgotton about it's core audience either. Aswell as bringing in new faces to the massive TCG, Lorwyn Eclipsed is releasing in January, and will have players reminicing about Shadowmoor. MagicCon: Atlanta revealed some cards and new mechanics, with Planeswalker letting players in on the lore behind the new set.
It's all very exciting, but the main worry for players new and returning is the price of entry. Don't worry, ive got that covered below. Here's where to get upcoming, new and legacy Magic: The Gathering sealed products at the best prices:
MTG: Cheapest at Amazon
There's a handful of booster boxes available for slightly less at Amazon this week, but it's a bit of a poor turnout for Magic: The Gathering players. Most of the listing on Amazon are above MSRP and higher than secondary market values, but the carosel above are good deals when compared to TCGPlayer.
MTG: Cheapest at TCGPlayer
TCGPlayer's sellers are keeping away from the sneaker-heads and crypo bro mentality that's hit Magic and Pokémon TCG is 2025 and is keeping prices down. Market value for MTG sealed product goes off what people are willing to pay, and it shows. There's so much here that's at a lower price than big box retailers it's embarassing. But, it's great for your pocket!
Blaziken ex & Volcanion ex Premium Collection
Trainers and collectors will get five Destined Rivals Boosters and five Journey Together Boosters in this bad boy, so that's about the right kind of ball park for ten booster packs, plus you're getting the promo Volcanion ex and Blaziken ex promo card and a jumbo version of Blaziken ex.
I think these promo's would work great together in a fire-themed deck. Use Blazikens Seething Spirit to grab fire energy from your discard pile to build up Volcanion. In the meantime Volcanion can burn opposing Pokémon then use Scorching Cyclone for 160 damage then transfer all it's energy to a benched Pokémon. So many possibilities here.
Poké Price Check: Mega Evolution In Stock
Mega Evolution seems to be a well-printed start to the next era of Pokémon TCG. I'm seeing boosters in convienience stores and some products on physical shelves, not to mention the Booster Bundle ($52.89), Gardevoir ETB ($88.81) and Three Booster Blister ($28.90) available on Amazon. Like the rest of the products in this carousel though, the cheapest is TCGplayer right now.
I don’t know if you’ve been paying attention, but Hallmark has been killing it with ornaments in recent years. Like LEGO, Hallmark has ventured into licenses and partnerships with companies that make fun things: video games, movies, TV shows, etc. One of the latest new Hallmark Keepsake ornaments for 2025 is one that will have Xbox fans (both current and lapsed) excited to put up their Christmas trees this year. It’s a small, yet intricately detailed, re-creation of the Xbox 360 console. It even plays the Halo theme song when you press the button. It’s available now, for $28.99 (see it at Amazon).
Xbox 360 Console with Light and Sound - Hallmark Keepsake Christmas Ornament 2025
The Xbox 360 console ornament is 3.25 inches tall. It’s an almost perfectly scaled-down model of the iconic white console that was first released in 2005. The ornament has the console standing up, with a white Xbox 360 controller leaning against it.
As indicated by the higher-than-usual price, it’s a “With Light and Sound” ornament. The power button on the console glows green when you press it. It then emits the familiar Xbox 360 startup sound, followed by about 20 seconds of “Behold a Pale Horse,” a song from the Halo 3 soundtrack. You can watch a video of it on the Amazon listing page.
Speaking of, also new this year in the Hallmark Keepsake line is an awesome Halo 3 ornament that features the game’s box, with Master Chief actually emerging from it, 3D-style. It’s one of the coolest ornaments I’ve ever seen. Both of these are like a blast of nostalgia for anyone who had an Xbox 360.
It’s hard to pick, but the Xbox 360 is in the running for my favorite console of all time, and these ornaments bring me right back to those golden days of gaming. The Xbox 360 paved the way for so many things we take for granted these days, from easy online play to huge open-world games. And even though the console came out 20 years ago, that’s the platform Grand Theft Auto V debuted on, a game that’s still relevant today in the lead-up to the sequel.
More New 2025 Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments
There are plenty of other new ornaments to choose from, including this awesome (yet pricy!) Star Wars ornament that requires a power cord that's sold separately.
Chris Reed is a commerce editor and deals expert for IGN. He also runs IGN's board game and LEGO coverage. You can follow him on Bluesky.
Nnedi Okorafor's The Binti Trilogy is widely regarded as a true classic of the modern sci-fi scene. It's perfect material for The Folio Society treatment, in other words. Now these books are being given a gorgeous visual overhaul as The Folio Society reveals a new illustrated edition of The Binti Trilogy.
IGN can exclusively debut some of the gorgeous painted artwork featured in this new edition. Check it out in the slideshow gallery below:
The Binto Trilogy is written by Okorafor, and this edition features new painted covers and interior art by David Palumbo (Magic: The Gathering). The book features seven full-color illustrations as well as black and white part-title pages and metallic blue endpapers. Here's the official logline for the book:
'I am Binti Ekeopara Zuzu Dambu Kaipka of Namib.' So begins this groundbreaking tale of a young Himba woman as she leaves Planet Earth to attend a prestigious intergalactic university. Despite her family's concerns, Binti's talent for mathematics and her aptitude with astrolabes make her a prime candidate to undertake this interstellar journey. But everything changes when the jellyfish-like Medusae attack Binti's spaceship, leaving her the only survivor. Now, Binti must fend for herself, alone on a ship full of the beings who murdered her crew, with five days until she reaches her destination. But there is more to the history of the Medusae—and their war with the Khoush—than first meets the eye. If Binti is to survive this voyage and save the inhabitants of the unsuspecting planet that houses Oomza Uni, it will take all of her knowledge and talents to broker the peace. A vibrant space opera slash bildungsroman, THE BINTI TRILOGY traces the pains of coming of age against the very real threats of deep-rooted interspecies tensions. But this is also a story of rich human—and alien—experience: friendship, family, first love, and the quest for identity.
“With its fierce and imaginative blend of sci-fi and Africanfuturism—a term coined by Nnedi Okorafor herself, which aims to centre African culture and perspectives—the multi-award-winning BINTI TRILOGY is unique from any of the science fiction books that Folio Society has published in the past,” said Folio Society Editor Sophia Schoepfer in a statement. “Coupled with the mesmerising art by David Palumbo and vibrant design throughout, this Folio edition will be a stunning celebration of identity, conflict and connection across the stars. It’s a must-have for fans of Nnedi Okorafor, readers of space operas and intergalactic science fiction, and anyone who enjoys bildungsromans or has an interest in Afrofuturism.”
The illustrated edition of The Binti Trilogy is priced at £85.00 / US $120 and is available to preorder now exclusively on The Folio Society's webste.
As we get closer to November, it means Black Friday sales are right around the corner. That doesn't mean there aren't any offers worth taking advantage of in the lead-up to it, though. If you've got a Switch that you're hoping to fill up with some new games ahead of the holidays, the Nintendo eShop is actually having a nice little sale right now that's filled with some exciting digital game discounts.
There's plenty more deals sure to come as we get closer to November and Black Friday sales start kicking off. The actual sale day lands on November 28 this year, but the good news is shoppers don't actually have to wait until then for good offers to pop up. Retailers start dropping deals as early as the start of the month, so if you're on the hunt for even more Nintendo Switch deals you may not have to wait too long.
Alongside game deals, Black Friday is also a time when some console offers appear. If you're waiting it out to see whether or not something happens to the Switch 2 during that sale event, we've written up a breakdown on whether or not it's worth it to wait or buy the Switch 2 now to aid you in that decision. The countdown's on for the next big sale event this year, and we're keeping our eyes out for more game deals as they appear.
Hannah Hoolihan is a freelancer who writes with the guides and commerce teams here at IGN.
Warner Bros. Discovery has confirmed it is now officially considering buyout offers amid reported interest from Paramount Skydance.
While Warner Bros. Discovery said it is still working towards separating into two distinct media companies (Warner Bros. and Discovery) by mid-2026, it had now triggered the acquisition consideration following “unsolicited interest from multiple parties” for the entire company and Warner Bros.
In an investor-focused note issued on Tuesday, October 21, the company said it had initiated a “review of potential alternatives to maximize shareholder value," and was now evaluating a transaction for the entire company, or separate transactions for its Warner Bros. and/or Discovery Global businesses.
David Zaslav, President and CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, said: "We continue to make important strides to position our business to succeed in today's evolving media landscape by advancing our strategic initiatives, returning our studios to industry leadership, and scaling HBO Max globally. We took the bold step of preparing to separate the Company into two distinct, leading media companies, Warner Bros. and Discovery Global, because we strongly believed this was the best path forward.
“It's no surprise that the significant value of our portfolio is receiving increased recognition by others in the market. After receiving interest from multiple parties, we have initiated a comprehensive review of strategic alternatives to identify the best path forward to unlock the full value of our assets."
The news comes following reports that Paramount Skydance was preparing an offer to buy the rival studio. The reported bid would be for the entire Warner Brothers Discovery business.
Warner Bros. Discover includes a number of high-profile media brands and entertainment franchises, such as HBO, CNN, Harry Potter, and DC properties such as Superman and Batman. It's enjoyed big success at the box office this year with DC Studios' Superman, A Minecraft Movie, and Sinners. 2023's Barbie made over a billion dollars in theaters.
On the TV and streaming side of things, Warner Bros. has HBO Max, which is home to the likes of The Penguin, Peacemaker, The Sopranos, The Last of Us, The White Lotus, and many other award-winning TV shows. Upcoming shows include IT: Welcome to Derry, and Game of Thrones spinoffs A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and House of the Dragon Season 3. DC TV show Lanterns is also due out on HBO Max next year.
Warner Bros. also has a significant video game operation that includes the likes of Rocksteady (Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League), TT Games (LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight), NetherRealm (Mortal Kombat), and Avalanche Software (Hogwarts Legacy).
There is no deadline or definitive timetable set for completion of the strategic alternatives review process, Warner Bros. said. “Other than the separation transaction that is already underway, there can be no assurance that this process will result in the Company pursuing a transaction or other outcome,” it insisted.
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned from the Jurassic Park movies, it’s that running a dinosaur theme park isn’t easy. It’s a constant balancing act of keeping your employees satisfied, making your park profitable, and meeting your guests’ needs, whether that means having enough bathrooms or just not getting eaten by a velociraptor. Jurassic World Evolution 3 once again puts you in the role of park manager, giving you a chance to do what the John Hammonds and Simon Masranis of the world could not: run a thriving, lucrative theme park with attention-grabbing dinosaur attractions and minimal violent deaths. With a complex set of management and customization tools, Evolution 3 gives you more control over your park than ever before. The result is an incredibly engaging management sim that’s a high point in an already satisfying series.
Like the first two, Jurassic World Evolution 3 shares a lot of DNA with other theme park sims. You’re responsible for laying down paths and electrical infrastructure, building amenities that appeal to your clientele, and creating experiences that get more guests through your gates. Rather than roller coasters and haunted houses, though, the attractions are all about the dinosaurs. Just about any species will garner business, but having a variety is the key to long-term success — and thankfully, you’ll have a wealth of different dino types to choose from. There’s always a bit of a thrill in seeing these legendary creatures come to life, especially when you unlock the more recognizable species from the films.
Of course, when you go to Disneyland, there’s almost no chance that Mickey and the princesses will escape their enclosures and maul the park-goers. That adds an extra layer of danger to Evolution 3, and park managers will have to maintain a high safety rating to continue to pull in money. Think of it as a chill, cozy management sim punctuated by moments of panic and terror. You’ll have to keep your dinosaurs happy by meeting their food, environmental, and cohabitation needs. Some need room to roam or prefer to live in packs, while others can thrive in small areas with only a bit of pasture to nibble on. Carnivores require either fresh meat or live prey, while herbivores need greenery, fruit, and nuts. Flying and swimming dinosaurs need special enclosures, since fencing in a pteranodon is about as useful as hiding from a T-Rex in a bathroom stall. It’s really satisfying to get into a loop of researching dig sites, sending expeditions to those sites, extracting DNA, and finally, finding the perfect spot to incubate your newly discovered species.
If that seems like a lot to manage, it is — but the campaign does a great job of walking you through the increasingly complex mechanics. Head of PR Cabot Finch, who you might remember from the previous Jurassic World Evolution games, returns as your guide as you visit existing parks in progress around the world and restore them to greatness. In a nod to the original Jurassic Park, the campaign begins in the Montana badlands and eventually takes you to Las Vegas, Hawaii, and throughout Europe and Asia, adding a lot of variety to the local scenery. Finch is accompanied by a team of scientists and dinosaur experts, but the real star is Jeff Goldblum’s Ian Malcolm pops up from time to time to remind everyone that trying to control nature inevitably leads to disaster.
Think of it as a cozy management sim punctuated by moments of terror.
Even if you’re already familiar with the series, the campaign mode is an effective way of familiarizing yourself with Evolution 3’s new features. The biggest addition is the introduction of in-park breeding. Previously, you could only synthesize dinosaurs based on how much of their DNA you extracted from fossils found on expeditions. Now, once you’ve synthesized compatible males and females of the same species, you can set up a cozy nesting area and wait for them to get busy.
This mechanic adds a few interesting new wrinkles to the tried-and-true Jurassic World Evolution formula. You can work with your scientists to create a breeding plan, or preferably just wait and see if nature takes its course. Who knew it would be so fun to play matchmaker to a bunch of prehistoric creatures? Once the next generation hatches, juveniles might have different needs than their parents. For example, while grown carnivores prefer to hunt their own prey, baby raptors and T-rexes will need stores of prepared meat in their pens. The tallest dinosaurs can reach the foliage on treetops, but their offspring will need nourishment closer to the ground. If you let breeding go on unchecked, pens can get overcrowded, which leads to breakouts and general panic among your guests.
While you’re managing these dinosaur family units, you’ll also have to curry favor with the entertainment, security, and conservation factions, another new feature. You can gain reputation by completing certain contracts, which are basically well-paid side missions, and improving the quality of your parks. Gaining a positive reputation with all three factions becomes very important in the last few chapters of the story, but they don’t necessarily want the same things. Pleasing them becomes yet another balancing act that adds more depth to the gameplay.
The campaign in Jurassic World Evolution 2 felt more like an extended tutorial, but this time around, you have more breathing room to find your own management style. Its objectives serve as a backbone to the overall story in which an activist group called Extinction Now! regularly hacks into your communications and sabotages your parks. As you make your way around the globe, you’ll also need to put a stop to Extinction Now!’s histrionics. The first few parks are heavily guided, but once the map opens up and you go international, you have a lot of welcome freedom to meet your objectives in whatever way you see fit.
Pleasing the new factions is yet another balancing act that adds depth.
Part of the fun of the management sim genre is being able to create something entirely from scratch, which you can do in sandbox mode. This mode has been a staple of the Jurassic World Evolution games, and Evolution 3 offers even more customization options. To start, you can choose any of the locations from the campaign, generate an island with its own unique topography, or use the square maps for a perfectly flat, obstacle-free mass of land.
You have control over almost every aspect in the sandbox, including your starting funds, certain dinosaur behaviors, and beyond. You can make it more challenging for yourself with a shoestring budget or choose unlimited funding to remove all cost barriers to creating the dinosaur theme park of your dreams depending on what you are in the mood for. You can take on contracts to make extra money, but for the most part, sandbox mode is an unguided experience. It’s easy to lose track of time when you’re making sure your paths are perfectly aligned or setting up an unforgettable park tour with maximum dinosaur visibility. And unlike in the campaign, where Cabot, Malcolm, and the rest of the cast are frequently chattering at you, the sandbox is quiet and zen. Well, at least until the indoraptors get loose.
The third gameplay mode, scenarios, was my least favorite of the three. These timed challenges, which can take anywhere from 12 minutes to a couple of hours, have specific objectives and restrictions. In one, you’ll have to take manual control of one of your ranger teams and take photos of wild dinosaurs; in another, you might be barred from editing the existing dinosaur pens regardless of the well-being of those inside. I couldn’t get on board with this time-trial approach to park management; for me, it was antithetical to the zen-like experience I’m looking for in a sim, and the objectives weren’t interesting enough to make them worth the effort. I found myself missing Jurassic World Evolution 2’s Chaos Theory mode, which sadly appears to be extinct.
But even though I didn’t personally vibe with the Scenarios, it’s impressive that Evolution 3 offers options for just about every kind of management sim fan. If you need a story to guide you through the gameplay, the campaign has you covered. If you want to build something that’s entirely your own, you can do so in the sandbox. And if you actually like high-pressure time trials, you’ll probably find Scenario mode more satisfying than I did.
I’m even more impressed with the quality-of-life updates Evolution 3 brings to the series. With the right infrastructure, you can automate maintenance and medical care, saving you from having to manually track down those units every time there’s a crisis. Aspects that were convoluted or confusing in the previous games, like creating park tours, are far more straightforward. There are more tours to choose from beyond the standard Jeep rides and gyroscopes from the movies; you can set up a hot air balloon tour or build a Cretaceous Cruise that allows guests to canoe through rivers and lakes. Boosting your transportation score by setting up monorail stations and tracks throughout the park feels much more intuitive this time around. As you expand, you can easily edit the existing tracks to expand their reach — or just set up an underground hyperloop to make traversing the park even simpler. A lot of rough edges have been smoothed out.
I ran into a few technical issues while playing, though most of them have already been addressed by a patch. Most notably, the “continue” and “load” options were missing from the menu every time I started it up, so I had to begin a new game and load manually from there every time I wanted to get back into my ongoing campaign. This meant more long load screens and hearing the opening voiceover over a dozen times, which isn’t ideal. Again, that thankfully appears to have been fixed, but I also experienced a few crashes when trying to revisit my Indonesia park, which meant going through that same loop of starting a new game and loading all over again.
Another drawback of playing Evolution 3 before release is that I didn’t get to check out the community creations. Because it has so many more customization options than its predecessors, it makes sense that players would want to share their creations with the world. It’s a fun idea on paper, though I can’t say for certain whether it works in execution since there was an extremely limited player pool before launch.
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