The following contains full spoilers for The Last of Us Season 2 Episode 3.
“Some people just can’t be saved”. This line that Gail says to a grieving Tommy is a sentiment that runs through the whole of The Last of Us. Joel couldn’t be saved from the violent clutches of Abby, which is, ironically, a result of him saving Ellie back in Salt Lake City. But that rescue only delayed the inevitable of this world. Ellie is beyond saving now – this time from herself – as episode 3 of season 2 of The Last of Us focuses on her refusal to conform to the wants of her larger Jackson community and instead follow her broken heart. It’s a quieter chapter, but one that successfully sets the course towards another oncoming storm.
One versus the many is a theme that percolates through The Last of Us. It’s a tale of selfishness versus selflessness – a conflict once warring inside Joel that now burns within Ellie. She’s forever changed by the events of “Through the Valley,” and Bella Ramsey does a superb job of displaying that devastation at multiple points: Ellie’s mournful walk around Joel’s empty home is incredibly affecting, as is her tearful burying of her face into Joel’s jacket – a moment that can’t help remind me of the heartbreaking finale to Ang Lee’s Brokeback Mountain.
This is a shared grief, though, and the whole community of Jackson finds itself recovering not just from Joel’s demise, but from the ferocious infected attack that tore down its walls. Gabriel Luna – who has perhaps secretly been the season’s MVP to this point – delivers the line “give Sarah my love” with an aching tenderness in the episode’s opening moments and offers a quieter acceptance in comparison to Ellie’s fiery response.
Tommy doesn’t want Ellie to follow the path that Joel took, and it all comes to a head at the episode’s central town meeting, where the fate of Joel’s murderers is decided. What was previously only a scene that took place offscreen in the game has been expanded here to grant us a fascinating look into Jackson politics as remnants of the old world refuse to die. The result of the ballot is devastating for Ellie: only three votes go her way, but who sided with her is left as a tantalising mystery. Jesse’s refusal to commit prior to the vote is followed up by a sheepish look and reluctance to meet Ellie in the eye, suggesting he voted in favour of protecting Jackson, and it wouldn’t be too far to stretch to believe Tommy thinks similarly. Ellie may be insisting to herself that she wants justice, not revenge, but those closest to her know where this road leads.
I fear this adaptation would rather present emotions as fact, rather than letting us interpret the events ourselves.
Everyone, aside from Dina, that is. A combination of being present (albeit unconscious) for Joel’s murder and a simmering affection for Ellie leads her to join in this vengeful mission. Isabela Merced continues to add a plucky charm to the show, offering some much-needed light relief in the face of solemn recent events. But in amongst the playful flirting, there’s a moment of vulnerability from her as she and Ellie settle into their tent for the night. When I was watching all seven episodes of season 2, I was definitely intrigued to see where her character went from here, and curious if Ellie could tear down her quippy walls (much like Joel did with Ellie eventually).
An approach to one character that slightly confuses me is Seth, who, via his desire for violent repercussions and steak sandwich gift, has seemingly been forgiven by Ellie for his drunken, bigoted outburst. It’s somewhat ironic that the person shutting down Ellie and Dina’s romantic moment is the one who opens the gate for them to follow their hearts, and it’s slightly heavy-handed in the way it displays Seth as not only a fundamentally morally flawed human, but one that Ellie eventually seeks help from. It joins the scenes containing Catherine O’Hara’s Gail as being a little too on the nose when it comes to telling the viewer how to feel, rather than leaving spaces to fill in the gaps ourselves. The masterstroke of The Last of Us Part 2 is that it fully lets you decide how you feel about the characters. I fear this adaptation would rather present emotions as fact, rather than letting us interpret the events ourselves – the early reveal of Abby’s motivations being a prime example.
Once outside of Jackson’s walls, we’re treated to some truly gorgeous photography as echoes of sweeping Western-like landscapes return to the show. As ever, production values are of the highest order here as we make our way to Seattle and get our first look at two very different-seeming communities. It’s here where the theme of nurture-versus-nature rears its head again as we see a hammer handed to a young girl with an almost gleeful look on her face. No child is born with violent intentions, but it’s a grim display of how the world of The Last of Us has warped the survival instincts of its inhabitants. It’s no mistake that the same young girl and her father are later found gruesomely murdered, a grim reflection of both Ellie and Abby’s past and perhaps futures. It’s also a nice touch to have Ellie assume Abby was behind this bloodshed, building up the WLF soldier as a monster in her head, much like Abby did with Joel all of those years.
The final shot of the episode is a dominant display of power by the WLF. This isn’t a small militia group waiting for Ellie and Dina, but an army capable of heinous violence. It’s a great, menacing way to close out a largely solemn episode, acting as a riveting tease for more action to come as well as the challenge that faces these two young women. Alone in Seattle after rejecting the wishes of their own tribe, they are now faced with a new, heavily weaponised one. Ellie and Dina are now one, but as the camera pulls up over a Seattle warzone, we get a better look at the vast ranks of the many they face.
Let's launch your week with a banger bargains round-up to tempt your wallet into a little impromptu workout. Whether you're after a grand new adventure, a nostalgic trip down memory lane, or simply looking to snag a hidden gem for a song, this week’s gaming sales offer plenty to smile about. Join me now as I objective mark the stand-outs across Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X, PlayStation 5, and PC.
This Day in Gaming 🎂
In retro news, I'm celebrating the delightfully different Super Mario Bros. 2, a NES great that helped raise me. Amusingly, this sequel seems to have been developed for Western audiences out of a sense of pity (it's mostly a re-skinned game called Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic). Why? Because Nintendo of America's feedback to home base was that Super Mario Bros.: Lost Levels would be too crotch-kicking a thing for their customers.
We knew none of that at in 1989, of course. All I thought at the time was that I was stoked to have a choice of four heroes with different physics pros/cons. And, while I missed the hilarity of defeating enemies by dropping my buttocks on them, picking up Shy Guys to chuck off cliffs was just as entertaining.
Nintendo Switch fans can grab Hogwarts Legacy for $57. It's a magical deal considering it was one of the most technically ambitious ports ever squeezed onto the Switch, reportedly involving a separate dev team working solely on performance optimisation. Meanwhile, Salt and Sanctuary, now a ridiculous $6.73, is often dubbed the “2D Dark Souls”, with creator James Silva admitting he made the game because he "wanted to feel like a badass" after playing Dark Souls.
Over on Xbox Series X, Psychonauts 2 is a mind-bending steal at $19.99. It’s packed with references to obscure psychic phenomena. Creator Tim Schafer once joked he “accidentally learned too much” about lucid dreaming while writing it. Also grabbing attention is Subnautica for $14.83, which originally began life as a VR-exclusive project before morphing into the deep-sea survival hit we know today.
PlayStation 5 players can chase thrills with Crisis Core – Final Fantasy VII – Reunion for $63.74. It's an emotional retelling that brought back much of the original PSP voice cast, to the delight of long-time fans. Or, dive into MotoGP 23 for just $27.53, where the developers added dynamic weather specifically after an online fan petition called them out for "predictable racing".
Finally, PC adventurers can nab Lies of P for $53.97, an atmospheric Soulslike inspired by Pinocchio, where the dev team revealed that the "lie system" mechanic was directly inspired by classic choose-your-own-adventure books. And if you fancy a throwback, Company of Heroes is just $4.79, a WW2 strategy classic that was so detailed it was reportedly used unofficially as a loose training tool in a Canadian military course.
Last week, Kepler Interactive released Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Powered by Unreal Engine 5, it’s time now to benchmark it and examine its performance on the PC. For our benchmarks, we used an AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D, 32GB of DDR5 at 6000Mhz, AMD’s Radeon RX 6900XT, RX 7900XTX, RX 9070XT, as well as NVIDIA’s RTX … Continue reading Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 PC Performance Analysis→
The weekend is officially here, and we've rounded up the best deals you can find! Discover the best deals for April 20 below:
11th Gen iPad for $299
First up, you can save $50 off the newest iPad. Powered by the A16, the newest 11th-generation iPad is an exceptional addition to any workspace. You can use this device with both Apple Pencil and Magic Keyboard Folio to make the most out of it without having to go for the iPad Air or iPad Pro.
Visions of Mana for $34.99
Visions of Mana released at the end of August, and it's available on sale for the first time this weekend. This is the first new Mana game in almost two decades, starring a cast of characters on a quest to save the world. In our 8/10 review, we stated, "Visions of Mana finally brings the long-dormant classic RPG series into the modern age, looking great and playing even better thanks to multi-layered class and skill systems that interact in clever ways."
Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition for $49.99
Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition brings the long-requested Wii U game to Nintendo Switch with numerous quality-of-life updates and features. There's also even an added epilogue story chapter with a new ending for the game, which likely will directly lead into the future of the series. With a soundtrack by Hiroyuki Sawano and a massive world to explore, Xenoblade Chronicles X is a game you can easily spend hundreds of hours in.
Razer Huntsman V2 TKL for $74.99
Best Buy has the Razer Huntsman V2 TKL Mechanical Keyboard for just $74.99 today. This keyboard features clicky optical switches that feel much lighter than most other mechanical switches out there, as you can get up to true 8000Hz polling rate for lower input latency. The Huntsman V2 TKL features doubleshot PBT caps, which are more durable and sturdy to ensure longer life. Another key offering of this keyboard is the detachable USB-C cable, so you won't need to worry about wrapping your cable around when moving.
Persona 5 + Persona 5 Royal: Official Design Works for $57.31
If you're a fan of Persona 5, this is the ultimate item for you. This Official Design Works contains 544 pages of artwork across both Persona 5 and Persona 5 Royal. You'll find character illustrations, promotional art, rough concepts, detailed creator commentary, and even an interview with Shigenori Soejima.
Dragon's Dogma 2 for $30
You can score Capcom's massive RPG for just $30 this weekend at Amazon. We gave the game an 8/10 in our review, stating, "It is a retelling and reimplementation of all of those wonderful ideas from the 2012 cult-classic, including an awesome dynamic world and some of the best combat in the genre that integrates a subtle but amazingly complex physics system."
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth for $32.99
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is $32.99 at Woot right now, making this the lowest we've ever seen the RPG. The massive adventure across the planet to track Sephiroth was one of the biggest games of 2024, and it's absolutely a must-play game. A 40+ hour main story awaits, with over 35 side quests available after you clear the story.
Kiki's Delivery Service Film Comic: All-in-One Edition
Studio Ghibli has produced many of the most beloved anime films ever, and Kiki's Delivery Service is a prime example. If you wish to experience this film in a new way, the Kiki's Delivery Service Film Comic: All-in-One Edition is a great way to do so! This hardcover book contains the entire film across 584 pages - perfect for any Ghibli fan.
Resident Evil 3 for $19.93
You can save $10 off the PS5 version of Resident Evil 3 this weekend at Amazon. In our 9/10 review, we wrote, "Resident Evil 3 is a wonderful continuation of Capcom’s latest remake efforts. Although its just-okay multiplayer mode falls short of the bar set by its magnificent single-player campaign, the latter does such a good job at balancing 2020 gameplay and a classic Resident Evil tone that I recommend it without reservations."
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii for $49.99
The latest Like a Dragon game stars everyone's favorite ex-yakuza, Goro Majima, on an adventure to sail the seas as a pirate. When Majima wakes up unable to remember anything about himself, he embarks on a quest to regain his memories, and of course, in true Like a Dragon fashion, things get crazy. This is the lowest we've seen this game so far, so be sure to pick up a copy while you can.
Star Wars Outlaws Limited Edition for $29.12
Finally, Star Wars Outlaws for Xbox Series X is on sale for $29.12 at Amazon. We gave the game a 7/10 in our review, writing, "Star Wars Outlaws is a fun intergalactic heist adventure with great exploration, but it’s hindered by simple stealth, repetitive combat, and a few too many bugs at launch."
Modder ‘Binq_Adams’ has released v0.1.6 of his amazing RTX Remix Path Tracing Mod for the original Painkiller game. This latest version comes with lots of tweaks and improvements. So, let’s take a closer look at them. V0.1.6 significantly updates the lighting in Asylum, Palace, Military Base and Babel. Moreover, it brings even more high-quality textures … Continue reading Painkiller RTX Remix Mod v0.1.6 Available for Download→
Kepler Interactive has announced that in its first three days, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has managed to sell 1 million copies. This is a huge commercial success for Sandfall Interactive which is a small team. As the devs claimed, this number does not encompass the GamePass players. In other words, that’s how many copies the … Continue reading Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has sold 1 million copies in 3 days→
The weekend is officially here, and we've rounded up the best deals you can find! Discover the best deals for April 20 below:
Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition for $49.99
Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition brings the long-requested Wii U game to Nintendo Switch with numerous quality-of-life updates and features. There's also even an added epilogue story chapter with a new ending for the game, which likely will directly lead into the future of the series. With a soundtrack by Hiroyuki Sawano and a massive world to explore, Xenoblade Chronicles X is a game you can easily spend hundreds of hours in.
Razer Huntsman V2 TKL for $74.99
Best Buy has the Razer Huntsman V2 TKL Mechanical Keyboard for just $74.99 today. This keyboard features clicky optical switches that feel much lighter than most other mechanical switches out there, as you can get up to true 8000Hz polling rate for lower input latency. The Huntsman V2 TKL features doubleshot PBT caps, which are more durable and sturdy to ensure longer life. Another key offering of this keyboard is the detachable USB-C cable, so you won't need to worry about wrapping your cable around when moving.
Persona 5 + Persona 5 Royal: Official Design Works for $57.31
If you're a fan of Persona 5, this is the ultimate item for you. This Official Design Works contains 544 pages of artwork across both Persona 5 and Persona 5 Royal. You'll find character illustrations, promotional art, rough concepts, detailed creator commentary, and even an interview with Shigenori Soejima.
Dragon's Dogma 2 for $30
You can score Capcom's massive RPG for just $30 this weekend at Amazon. We gave the game an 8/10 in our review, stating, "It is a retelling and reimplementation of all of those wonderful ideas from the 2012 cult-classic, including an awesome dynamic world and some of the best combat in the genre that integrates a subtle but amazingly complex physics system."
Resident Evil 3 for $19.93
You can save $10 off the PS5 version of Resident Evil 3 this weekend at Amazon. In our 9/10 review, we wrote, "Resident Evil 3 is a wonderful continuation of Capcom’s latest remake efforts. Although its just-okay multiplayer mode falls short of the bar set by its magnificent single-player campaign, the latter does such a good job at balancing 2020 gameplay and a classic Resident Evil tone that I recommend it without reservations."
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii for $49.99
The latest Like a Dragon game stars everyone's favorite ex-yakuza, Goro Majima, on an adventure to sail the seas as a pirate. When Majima wakes up unable to remember anything about himself, he embarks on a quest to regain his memories, and of course, in true Like a Dragon fashion, things get crazy. This is the lowest we've seen this game so far, so be sure to pick up a copy while you can.
Star Wars Outlaws Limited Edition for $29.12
Finally, Star Wars Outlaws for Xbox Series X is on sale for $29.12 at Amazon. We gave the game a 7/10 in our review, writing, "Star Wars Outlaws is a fun intergalactic heist adventure with great exploration, but it’s hindered by simple stealth, repetitive combat, and a few too many bugs at launch."
The fantasy genre has been inspiring and enchanting readers for hundreds of years. In 1858 Scottish author George MacDonald wrote Phantastes: A Faerie Romance for Men and Women, which is often thought of as the first "modern" fantasy novel. That perfectly titled book would go on to influence many of the authors that we consider some of our all time favorite authors. Lord Dunsany would be the next writer to reshape fantasy with one of JRR Tolkien's favorite books The King of Elfland's Daughter.
In 2025 readers are just as enchanted and eager to escape into worlds that they can barely imagine, following their favorite writers down the rabbit hole to find strange and beautiful locations filled with surreal characters and never before seen creatures. So it's the perfect time to look back on some of the most influential fantasy authors of all time and explore just why they've made such an impact through the vibrant and imaginative stories that they've told.
J.R.R. Tolkien
There's no question that J.R.R. Tolkien is one of the most influential writers of all time, fantasy or not. His groundbreaking Lord of the Rings books revolutionized the fantasy genre and his world building and deftness at creating new languages have enraptured fans for almost a century.
Inspiring everyone from George Lucas — who literally quotes The Hobbit in the original script for Star Wars — to iconic authors on our list like Ursula Le Guin and George R.R. Martin, Tolkien is almost synonymous with fantasy as he was one of its earliest breakthrough authors. Many of the things that you love about fantasy from the often religious overtones, to the gorgeous landscapes, and unique fictional languages, were all popularized by Tolkien and his sprawling works of Middle Earth. Even adaptations of his work have influenced others as Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings films inspired a decade plus of fantasy imitators.
C.S. Lewis
C.S. Lewis' enchanting tales of the mystical world of Narnia have had a magic-like hold on children's literature and fantasy since The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was first published in 1950. Over the next six years he would release six more books, Prince Caspian, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Silver Chair, The Horse and His Boy, The Magician's Nephew, and The Last Battle completing his Chronicles of Narnia series.
Since their original publication the books have achieved the incredible feat of never going out of print with over 100 million copies in circulation in nearly 50 different languages. Interestingly Lewis cited Phantastes: A Faerie Romance for Men and Women as a huge influence on him, and the Narnia books would go on to inspire children around the world including some of your favorite authors like Bridge to Terabithia's Katherine Paterson. The series has been adapted multiple times, from the classic BBC TV specials to the Disney movies, and soon we'll be getting another version of the classic kids tales from the mind of Greta Gerwig at Netflix.
Ursula Le Guin
This groundbreaking writer is behind some of the most acclaimed fantasy novels of all time. Her Earthsea series follows a young mage as he tries to find his place and freedom in the fictional world of Earthsea. The books made Le Guin the first woman to win both Hugo and Nebula awards for best novel, introducing her already popular books to an even wider audience. Philosophical and whimsical, Le Guin also inspired some of your favorite creators like Hayao Miyazaki and his son, the latter of whom would go on to adapt Earthsea to film.
Ursala Le Guin wasn't just a leader in the fantasy field but she was also a famously radical thinker, imagining a better world not just on the pages of her stories but also in the lives of the people who read them. Even after her death in 2018 she regularly finds viral fame as people share videos and quotes of her optimistic thoughts on the end of Capitalism and hope for humanity. A powerful advocate and one of our great authors, Le Guin's work is still just as powerful in 2025.
George R.R. Martin
His epic fantasy novels that encompass his Game of Thrones series are not only massively successful bestsellers but also changed the face of television forever introducing a new era of extremely high-budgets, extreme gore, and of course extreme nudity. What really makes him so influential though is his epic world building which has long been seen as some of the best that fantasy has to offer. From his sumptuous renditions of Westeros to his expansive fictional histories, texts, and ephemera, Martin loves to immerse readers in his worlds.
Outside of the smash-hit cultural phenomenon of Game of Thrones, Martin has shaped both TV and Film writing on shows like the 00s reboot of The Twilight Zone, the cult smash Max Headroom, and the desperately underrated 1989 Beauty and the Beast series starring Ron Perlman and Linda Hamilton! More recently his chilling supernatural noir Dark Winds was adapted at AMC and was already renewed for its fourth season.
Octavia Butler
Although she has in recent years finally become widely recognized for her pioneering science-fiction prowess, Octavia Butler is also a vital part of the fantasy canon. Her breadth of imagination spanned from vampires to time travel and everything in between. Butler herself called her most well known book Kindred "a kind of grim fantasy." And it's a great example of what makes her such a unique and trailblazing author.
Butler is never afraid to bring real world experiences into her genre fiction, with her stories traversing time travel, vampires, and dystopias all the while melding these new worlds with the realities of racism and sexism. Her ability to deal with relatable issues while also building and imagining real futures make her one of the most influential and powerful genre authors of all time. And it's fantastic to see her finally being recognized as the trailblazer that she really is.
Terry Pratchett
His Discworld books took the cozy charm of Tolkien's hobbits and mixed it with absurdist comedy and vibrant fantasy. Never afraid to wrap some satirical commentary in with his wild worlds and magical creatures, Terry Pratchett has long been at the forefront of the now thriving cozy fantasy movement, and one of the most awarded-writers in fantasy full stop.
Like many of the authors on our list, Pratchett didn't just create fictional worlds but he wanted to change our real one too. As he famously put it, "Fantasy isn't just about wizards and silly wands. It's about seeing the world from new directions", Pratchett saw fantasy as a tool for not only comfort and entertainment, but to open the reader's mind to different experiences and points of view. He was also an outspoken advocate for human rights causes and after his own Alzheimer's diagnosis, the right for people with terminal illnesses to die with dignity.
Diana Wynne Jones
One of Pratchett's biggest inspirations, the author behind Howl's Moving Castle and the Chronicles of Chrestomanci is one of the most underrated authors on this list. Her children's books have nourished generations of rabid readers who want to traverse dreamworlds that they can imagine themselves in.
Even those who don't instantly recognize her name have surely discovered her works thanks to a globally beloved adaptation in the shape of Studio Ghibli's fantasy masterpiece Howl's Moving Castle. It's not just readers whose minds she's shaped but authors too, as many readers believe that the boy who lived might never have existed if it wasn't for Jones' truly British take on magic, growing up, and discovering your own power.
Rosie Knight is a contributing freelancer for IGN covering everything from anime to comic books to kaiju to kids movies to horror flicks. She has over half a decade of experience in entertainment journalism with bylines at Nerdist, Den of Geek, Polygon, and more.
If you're looking for DTI codes, IGN's got you covered! In this article, you'll find a list of all the active and working Dress to Impress codes in April 2025 that you can redeem for free rewards and bonuses in DTI, including outfits and accessories like hats, bags, and jewelry.
Active Dress to Impress Codes (April 2025)
Here are all the active Dress to Impress codes in April 2025 and the free rewards you get for redeeming them:
ANGELT4NKED - Helmet (NEW!)
3NCHANTEDD1ZZY - Wand (NEW!)
ELLA - Skirt
1CON1CF4TMA - Sweater dress
B3APL4YS_D0L1E - Doll accessory
MEGANPLAYSBOOTS - Boots
CH00P1E_1S_B4CK: Streetwear outfit set
S3M_0W3N_Y4Y: Axe
KREEK: Bear hat
LANA: White shorts, shirt, and legwarmers
LANABOW:White bow
BELALASLAY: Black jacket with pink halter top
LANATUTU: White dress
IBELLASLAY: Red, green, and blonde hairstyle
M3RM4ID: Orange mermaid set
TEKKYOOZ: White handbag
LABOOTS: Black boots
ITSJUSTNICHOLAS: Black jacket
ASHLEYBUNNI: Bunny slippers
LEAHASHE: Sweatshirt and sweatpants
KITTYUUHH: Black cat
C4LLMEHH4LEY: Puffy dress and bear headband
SUBM15CY: Necklace and eyelashes
D1ORST4R: Bag and bow
All Expired Dress to Impress Codes
Below, you'll find a list of expired DTI codes that no longer work and can't be redeemed as of April 2025:
SWEETHEART (was only redeemable between February 15 and February 16, 2025 at 8AM PT)
LNY2025
YEAROFTHESNAKE
HAPPYNEWYEAR
NY2025
WINTERUPDATE(was only redeemable between 8 AM - 11 AM PT on Saturday, 14 December!)
4BILLION
CHOOPIE10K
THEGAMES
EYELASHES
REWARD4CLASS1C
How to Redeem Dress to Impress Codes
Follow the steps below to redeem Dress to Impress codes and claim free rewards in DTI:
Open the Dress to Impress Roblox Experience.
Click on the handbag icon on the left-hand side to open the DTI Codes menu.
Enter your code in the "Type here..." field.
Check for any spelling mistakes or errors.
Click the checkmark icon to redeem the code.
Why Isn't My Dress to Impress Code Working?
If the code you're trying to redeem in DTI isn't working, it's likely because of one of two reasons:
The Dress to Impress code is expired
There's a spelling mistake in the code
When inputting a DTI code in Roblox, make sure it's spelled correctly (for example, a capital I isn't a lowercase l, 0 and not O, and vice versa) and that there are no spaces before or after the code. We'd recommend copying and pasting codes straight from our article to ensure they're correct as we've tested and verified that the codes on this page are working ourselves.
If your DTI code still isn't working after checking for typos, it's more than likely expired and can no longer be redeemed in Dress to Impress.
How to Get More DTI Codes
To get more Dress to Impress codes, the best way is to join the official DTI Discord server. While we check for new codes daily, the quickest way to know about new Dress to Impress codes is to follow the Roblox experience's official Discord server where updates are posted in real time.
Now that the Petal Update is live, we currently do not know of any upcoming Dress to Impress codes. We'll update this page as soon as we find out!
What is Dress to Impress in Roblox?
Dress to Impress is a popular dress-up Roblox Experience available on PC, console, and iOS and Android mobile devices. In it, you put on your best outfit to complete a specific theme and walk the runway in a bid to earn votes from other players and become a top model. As you gain votes, you gain ranks and can access more clothing and accessories, so make sure you're truly dressed to impress! Also, for toy lovers and collectors, you can now pre-order a mystery pack of 2 Dress to Impress minifigures right now for $30 at Walmart.
Meg Koepp is a Guides Editor on the IGN Guides team, with a focus on trends. When she's not working, you can find her playing an RPG or making miniatures.
This article contains spoilers for the Until Dawn movie.
I've been racking my brain over the conundrum that is adapting Until Dawn. Supermassive Games' deconstruction of horror cinema through choice-based butterfly effect mechanics is essentially a 10-hour playable movie—a damn fine one written by indie horror staples Larry Fessenden and Graham Reznick—so a film adaptation couldn't just be the same thing. But a film that isn’t indebted to the game and its "choose your own adventure" method doesn't feel appropriate either. Sony's desire to release an Until Dawn adaptation seemed misguided upon announcement, and after viewing the film, it's still a headscratcher.
That's because David F. Sandberg's Until Dawn movie betrays the core hook of Supermassive's Until Dawn.
Writers Gary Dauberman and Blair Butler chose to adapt Until Dawn as its title reads. In this case, "Until Dawn" translates into a time-loop-like horror scenario where five young adults find themselves hunted by various baddies, and they only escape if they can survive … until dawn. Should anyone die, they'll wake once a gigantic hourglass fixed to an ominous, skull-adorned mount drops its last grain of sand. Die enough times, and you become a wendigo lost to Dr. Alan J. Hill's delirious experiment. The core impetus of a missing sibling is still there—Ella Rubin's protagonist, Clover, is hunting for her missing sister—but otherwise, you're not on Blackwood Mountain aka Mount Washington (er…yet), and certainly not similarly punished for choices that alter narrative paths.
That's… not Until Dawn.
Death Shouldn't Be An Afterthought
In the game, death matters. It matters so much, in fact, that killing a single character sends ripple effects felt throughout the remaining storylines. There's no regeneration or second chances. Like, famously. That's the point of Until Dawn. The stakes are so astronomically high, the slightest nervous twitch of your controller during a "stay still" Quicktime event could doom multiple characters. Dauberman and Butler fail to translate the nerve-wracking experience of playing Until Dawn, landing on quite the opposite concept.
If anything, Until Dawn is a beginner's attempt at Cabin in the Woods. Glore Valley is drenched by a thunderstorm, except for a perfect circle of sunshine over the welcome center location, like some all-powerful horror movie god is controlling the rain—once again resembling Cabin in the Woods in terms of the “influencing environment” effect. The all-seeing overlord (Dr. Hill), the meta nature of characters joking about horror movie rules, and the different creatures unleashed each rewind? Despite countless plot configurations, the game's powerful storytelling is far superior to this random assortment of scary scenes tied to an hourglass clock. The game pulls players deeper into a web of intrigue, where the movie's Mad Libs nature drags viewers through a jumbled rotation of clowns-and-kooks randomness.
Points are awarded for at least using wendigos. In the game, Fessenden's "Stranger" character reveals that a 1952 mining cave-in led to cannibalism, and said cannibals turned into wendigos that now haunt Blackwood. Here, Clover and her friends start turning into wendigos due to Dr. Hill's experiments on Glore Valley from his sanatorium hideout (resembling his dingy in-game office). It's not a one-for-one translation, nor does it need to be, but the wendigos are overshadowed by a slasher villain vaguely costumed after Josh's psycho getup. There are also witches, porcelain doll-looking masks, creepypasta demons, and water that makes your entire body explode Scanners-style if you drink it. It's a hodgepodge of dangers that have nothing to do with Fessenden and Reznick's straightforward creature-centric game, outside of a few Easter eggs.
The most obvious connection is Peter Stormare as Dr. Hill, Josh Washington’s (Rami Malek) hallucinated psychiatrist who runs players through rigorous psychological tests that influence future in-game details. However, even Dr. Hill features stark differences in the film vs. the original game. In the movie, he's seen as a gas station attendant, but it's not long before he's outed as former game character Dr. Hill—who's in control of experiments on Glore Valley. It’s here where we have the only direct reference to the game’s most well-known character, Josh Washington. After Clover discovers Hill’s “office,” we see her patient profile alongside Josh’s.
There's some exposition about Hill's experiments as we watch prisoners cannibalize bodies and then turn into wendigos to highlight that connection to the game, but the reveal is followed by Clover defeating Dr. Hill pretty easily.
Except she doesn’t. Probably.
As the film ends, we return to the dirty sanitarium office where Dr. Hill explodes after ingesting some 'splodey water, and on surveillance monitors, we see Blackwood's lodge. We then hear Dr. Hill speak, suggesting he was Clover's hallucination, much like Josh's in the game. But, that's right before the credits because I guess Sandberg's movie is an offshoot prequel that, for some reason, has nothing to do with the actual events of the Until Dawn game? If there is a sequel, presumably it'll be about Josh's case of vengeance paid unto the Blackwood group except based on the film's rules … somehow.
Cheap Easter Eggs Aren't Enough
It's just all so generic. Turning Dr. Hill into the baddie removes intrigue and becomes a cheap cop-out, torn from the game but improperly refitted. Then the stinger of Blackwood hits, which again is confusing because in interviews, Sandberg insists his film takes place after the game's timeline—but Blackwood's reveal suggests it's not a sequel, but a prequel. Inconsequentiality plagues Sandberg's film in a way that makes you wonder why it's even tied to Until Dawn (*cough* intellectual property reasons *cough*), which only causes Blackwood's tease to be even more spoonfed and underwhelming. For so long, Until Dawn (the movie) bears no resemblance to Until Dawn (the game)—why pivot back toward the game at the last minute?
The reason is simple: to appease us fans. There are choice moments that attempt to help us relive the game, but they're crammed in like afterthoughts. Ji-young Yoo's spiritualist character Megan has everyone hold hands in silence, mimicking the game's quiet "hold your breath" Quicktime events. There's a shot bathed in red lighting where a wendigo is right by a frightened Clover, and that's a direct reference to the "Don't Move" instructions. But the game's cinematic nature doesn't yield many other level-based opportunities to recreate, nor does the film try. The adaptation’s biggest issue is it never fully comprehends how best to honor Supermassive's inspiration while telling a fresh horror tale.
What else might you recognize? The wendigo audio files are plucked from the game, reusing the same noises. There's also Abe's first death of being chopped in half, which could be respect paid to Josh's fake death in the game, or maybe that's just a lucky coincidence. Are the werewolf sketches in the witch's cabin a possible reference to The Quarry? Is the radio in the basement the same radio in the game where characters find out they must survive until dawn? Chances are yes, but these Easter eggs feel forced.
Look, I'm all for a "spiritual successor." But to do so, there has to be some resemblance to the thing you are named after. While I don't think Until Dawn is a terrible movie, it's a bad Until Dawn movie. It's a far cry from the urgency and invasive dread that Supermassive so easily conjures, speaking to what makes the playable horror movie such a blast to complete (over and over).
As is, the Until Dawn movie doesn't make much sense in context. The events of Glore Valley are a grab bag of ideas from other horror movies that would be nothing but a clip show without Dr. Hill's inclusion. But even with Stormare's reprised role, it's only Until Dawn at face value, nothing deeper. I get the interpretation of the gang's choices forcing them to keep restarting, but it's still too far off-base to consider this adaptation anything more than unfaithful. In the end, Until Dawn is a missed opportunity to bring Supermassive's smash-hit game to life.
In October 2024, we informed you about shadPS4 booting THE best-looking PS4 racing game, Driveclub. And today, we are happy to report that Driveclub can now run and can go in-game thanks to shadPS4Plus. Now, as you will see, the game is nowhere close to being described as playable. There are major visual issues, so … Continue reading Driveclub can now run on PC via the PS4 emulator, shadPS4→
If, like me, you have a bunch of DVDs on your shelf, some recent reports may have you worrying if any of your collection has, in fact, rotted.
Many physical media enthusiasts may be familiar with DVD rot even if you don't know that exact term. The overall problem of disc rot has affected all sorts of products for decades, from LaserDiscs to CDs to video games across various platforms, since any disc is susceptible to chemical deterioration thanks to a variety of reasons, and can then be affected by playability issues - including, at the most dire level, simply not being able to be read or played at all.
By and large, coming across disc rot in your own collection is a somewhat random and unlucky occurrence, but once in a while, there is a core issue related to how a disc was produced. Some specific discs with issues have certainly occurred in the past, but over time it’s become very apparent there is quite a recurrent problem with Warner Bros. DVDs produced between 2006 and 2009.
This problem recently got a lot of amplification thanks to an article by JoBlo’s Chris Bumbray, who unfortunately personally encountered the issue on WB-released Humphrey Bogart and Errol Flynn box sets produced during this era. But among a sect of collectors, this has been a well known issue for years, and covered in great detail by an expert in physical media, YouTuber Spencer Draper, AKA Damn Fool Idealistic Crusader, in a video posted in late 2021 (though he notes others had begun to spot the problem before that).
A Problem Discovered, and a Studio’s Response
As Draper and others began to explore the issue, they even did the detective work to realize that this wasn’t a problem for every single WB DVD produced during this era, but rather those that came from one particular manufacturing plant - the since-closed Cinram plant in Pennsylvania. That matching element was discernible from a tiny manufacturing labeling system you can find on the inner ring of the backside of the disc, where the data is held (more on that below).
Any disc is susceptible to chemical deterioration thanks to a variety of reasons, and can then be affected by playability issues.
A massive collector of film and TV across all formats, Draper estimates he probably owns between 5,000-6,000 films on everything from VHS to LaserDisc, DVD, Blu-ray, 4K UHD and more. And as fate – and a rich cinematic and distribution history – would have it, a large portion of his DVDs were produced by Warner Bros. After first learning about this issue, Draper told me, “I did the mad panic check of every single disc, one at a time.”
The problem is, DVD rot is not always going to show up the same way. As Draper explained: “I found that even doing a scan or trying to do a digital backup wouldn't always guarantee that it was actually rot free and that the only way to really tell for sure was to go through the whole disc. And not just the feature, but all the supplements and the menus and things, and also trying to figure out what titles did [other] people have that I didn't but had gone bad.”
Draper began to contact Warner Bros. Home Entertainment about this issue, which was not an easy journey at the time (as detailed in his video), though as he noted in a follow-up video, WB eventually sent him a large package replacing every title he’d noted an issue with - if they were still producing it that is.
Regarding the studio’s current thoughts on and response to the matter, IGN reached out to Warner Bros. Home Entertainment and were given the following statement:
“Warner Bros. Home Entertainment is aware of potential issues affecting select DVD titles manufactured between 2006 – 2009 and has been working directly with consumers on replacements or alternate solutions for nearly a decade. Any consumer who is experiencing an issue can contact whv@wbd.com. This is not a new issue. A website recently experienced this issue themselves and decided to write a story about it (since updated) and that has caused the latest news. WBHE has been working with consumers for nearly a decade when it was first brought to our attention. We have offered replacements when possible, or an alternate title when needed. Some of the discs are now out of print or the titles no longer licensed for DVD release. In these cases, WBHE offered an alternate title as a replacement.”
This statement is not too dissimilar from the one WBHE gave JoBlo, though it does extend the years affected from ending in 2008 to 2009, which Draper notes matches what he’s found when checking the titles in question.
How Do You Know if Your DVDs Are Rotting?
So what do you do if you’re concerned about one of your DVDs being among those affected? Your first step should be to look at the copyright year on the back to see if it was produced between 2006 and 2009. Anything produced outside of those years should be fine (for now - more on that below).
But if you do see it comes from those years, Draper explains that at that point, “You need to look at the actual disc manufacturing codes on the inner ring [on the backside of the disc]. And if you see the letters ‘IFPI’ in there anywhere, you know it's one of the screwy ones.”
Keep in mind, these are tiny letters and numbers on the clear plastic inner ring, so they may be hard to spot (and you’ll likely need to magnify them with a magnifying glass or camera).
One quick way to know your disc is probably okay, even if it is from 2006-2009? Look at the back cover of the DVD case. Draper says if you see “a tiny blue stamp that says ‘Disc Made in Mexico,’” then you’re good since those were definitely produced at a different plant.
Ultimately, if you have a Warner Bros. DVD made within those years and want to skip all the hunting for the additional labels on the packaging or discs, Draper adds, “It doesn't hurt to just go ahead and check it. The easiest thing is to just put the disc in and just run through everything on ultra fast forward and then do the same on the extras. I know that sounds stupid, but that's one way of doing it.”
Draper has very helpfully made his own list of the titles he’s aware were affected, which is a great starting point for anyone concerned about this in regards to their own collection. Plus, his list also makes for a good way to be forewarned if you’re looking to buy an older title and want to try to avoid potential issues - even though in some cases that can be incredibly frustrating if there are no other versions available beyond those made during the dreaded rot era.
As a big horror fan, one title that stood out to me in that regard while looking over Draper’s list was the DVD sets for HBO’s Tales From the Crypt, with multiple seasons having proven to be affected. That series is said to have a lot of complicated rights issues associated with it, curtailing its availability, and currently it’s not available anywhere to legally stream, rent or purchase digitally. Worse, those WB-produced DVD sets were the only time the show was ever put on physical media, meaning that if you’re a fan who wants to track down Tales From the Crypt for your collection, you have to do so knowing there’s a very good chance the discs won’t all play correctly when you receive them.
The WB DVD rot issue is a lot more erratic than LaserDiscs were, so a disc could be fine now, but then the next time you go to watch it, it won’t play.
For Draper, a similar issue is with Volume Two of the classic RKO Tarzan films, which had its one and only physical media release from WB and is one of the affected titles. Its rarity means it’s often fairly high priced on the resale market, including on eBay. And then, even if you decide you’ve found a price you’re willing to pay, you have no way of knowing if the discs will turn out to be plagued by issues. Worse, even if everything looks fine when you receive them, it’s often fairly random if and when they might go bad after that. As Draper notes, while LaserDiscs were also prone to rot issues, there seemed to be a time they hit where if they hadn’t gone bad in this regard yet, you were probably fine. But the WB DVD rot issue is a lot more erratic, so a disc could be fine now, but then the next time you go to watch it, it won’t play.
What’s a Typical DVD’s ‘Life Expectancy’?
If there’s any silver lining, it’s that this widespread issue for this particular run of DVDs from this particular studio has also underlined that, by and large, we’re not seeing large-scale DVD rot occurring, even as DVDs themselves near their fourth decade of existence. Draper notes there were some poorly produced DVDs in the early days that suffered from rot, but those tended to be the exceptions.
In regards to how long a typical DVD’s life expectancy is, Sony’s official statement is that “A typical DVD disc has an estimated life expectancy of anywhere from 30 to 100 years when properly stored and handled.” That’s a pretty substantial 70-year gap in terms of possibilities, but as we hurtle towards the 30th anniversary of the introduction of DVDs in 1996, Draper isn’t seeing too much cause for concern anytime soon. “I have early Warner DVDs from 1997, the first [WB] year, snapper case era, perfectly fine. No issues whatsoever. It's like, ‘Well, they managed to nail these perfectly!’ These still work great.”
And so far, there also doesn’t seem to be any notable or widespread issues with Blu-rays. There have been some recent reports about Blu-ray concerns, but Draper notes there really isn’t any heavily repeatable examples he’s seen beyond some examples in France that likely can be sourced to a specific French manufacturer. (On the flip side, nearly all WB-produced HD DVD titles no longer play, for any who did initially invest in that doomed format when it was in a showdown with Blu-ray for dominance.)
Sony’s official statement is that “A typical DVD disc has an estimated life expectancy of anywhere from 30 to 100 years when properly stored and handled.”
At one point, Criterion had a similar disc rot issue with some Blu-rays to the one Warner Bros. has with those DVDs, where discs manufactured at a specific plant were highly susceptible to rot. In that case, not too many titles were affected and Criterion did well dealing with the issue, confirming the details, including the specific titles to look out for, and beginning an exchange program for the discs from later repressings.
As noted above, Warner Bros. are well aware of this ongoing problem with DVDs from that era and emailing whv@wbd.com can begin your process of trying to replace your discs, though Draper cautions he’s seen wildly different responses from those he’s spoken to, including how quickly – or not so quickly – someone gets back to you. And in some cases, you have to deal with pushing back on the hurdle of being asked for receipts on products few people will still have after so long (or perhaps never had, if it was a gift). Plus, while Warner Bros. may have newer editions of many of the titles in question, with many classic films now made using their MOD (Made on Demand) program, there are other films and series that are long out of print and WB will simply not be able to replace thanks to rights issues. WB’s statement does say they’ll then offer an alternate title in these situations, but that’s obviously far from ideal if you understandably just want the film or series you already had in your collection.
Draper wishes the company had been more candid and up front about this issue in the manner Criterion was with their similar occurrence, including providing their own list of titles that may be affected. (The list he made still stands in for concerned consumers since there is no official one.) They also haven’t publicly acknowledged that these rotted discs all came from the same plant, nor explained that there is a way to identify that.
Also, there’s the fact that even if you get a replacement disc of a more recent release of a film, it may very well be lacking bonus features that were only on that earlier version, something Draper has encountered firsthand with films like Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid. That movie was recently given a Criterion Collection 4K UHD, but the 2006 Warner Bros. two-disc DVD has hours of exclusive extras that have not been replicated - and Draper’s copy has rotted.
We physical media enthusiasts often note that, in the streaming era, keeping a copy on your shelf has become one of the only ways to ensure you can watch a favorite film or series whenever you want and without any concerns given how little stability there is regarding when and where titles are available online. For the most part, that thankfully remains true, but the WB DVD rot problem points out a glaring trouble spot that can have you ruing the Pennsylvania Cinram plant long after its closure.
Happy Alien Day! Fans celebrate the iconic sci-fi horror franchise every April 26th and this year IGN marks the occasion by sharing with you these cool new videos from FX’s Alien: Earth.
We can exclusively reveal a new video showing the gestation of a creature aboard a Weyland-Yutani Corp. spaceship.
Running three minutes in length, the gestation video – which you can watch below – pays off a series of short teases we’ve been debuting across our social platforms this past week.
In addition to our exclusive gestation video, there’s also a new teaser FX has released that’s set aboard a Weyland-Yutani ship and shows a crteature within a crate. You can watch that below and find the new poster as well.
The teaser’s voiceover captures that good ol’ Weyland-Yutani hubris that always leads to really, really bad things happening: “This ship collected five different life forms from the darkest corners of the universe, each one a unique deadly species … monsters!”
Here’s the official plot synopsis for the series, which is set in the year 2120 and premieres this summer on FX and Hulu:
“When a mysterious space vessel crash-lands on Earth, a young woman and a ragtag group of tactical soldiers make a fateful discovery that puts them face-to-face with the planet’s greatest threat in the sci-fi horror series Alien: Earth.
As members of the crash recovery crew search for survivors among the wreckage, they encounter mysterious predatory life forms more terrifying than they could have ever imagined. With this new threat unlocked, the search crew must fight for survival and what they choose to do with this discovery could change planet Earth as they know it.”
Sydney Chandler leads the cast of FX’s Alien: Earth, which includes Alex Lawther, Timothy Olyphant, Essie Davis, Samuel Blenkin, Babou Ceesay, David Rysdahl, Adrian Edmondson, Adarsh Gourav, Jonathan Ajayi, Erana James, Lily Newmark, Diem Camille and Moe Bar-El.
Connexion
