The latest PS5 system update will finally allow your DualSense controller to pair across multiple devices without having to de- and re-pair every time you switch.
Sony said that as many of us use our PS5 controllers across numerous devices, such as PCs, Macs, tablets, and more, it "believes enabling compatibility of our peripherals across multiple platforms creates a more flexible and seamless gaming experience." This means that when you change from, say, playing on your PS5 to jumping on Steam, you won't have to keep un- and re-pairing your device.
It'll work by assigning each device to a different "slot" on your device that you can set by pressing a combination of the PS button and one of the action buttons (triangle/circle/cross/square). You'll then be able to save four devices simultaneously and cycle between them using the PS button and the corresponding action button.
You'll see between one to four indicator lights depending upon which slot and device you're connected to. Here's how Sony breaks it down:
Slot number
Button used
Player indicator lights
Example connected device
Slot 1
PS button and Triangle button
One light on
PS5
Slot 2
PS button and Circle button
Two lights on
PS5 Pro
Slot 3
PS button and Cross button
Three lights on
Windows PC
Slot 4
PS button and Square button
Four lights on
iPhone
The feature initially rolled out for testing earlier in the summer, but it'll shortly be available for all. To ensure you're using the latest update, head to Settings > System > System Software > System Software Update and Settings.
Additionally, the update also enables players to enable a Power Saver option via Settings > System > Power Saving > Use Power Saver. "Future updates for games such as Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Demon’s Souls, and Ghost of Yōtei will include support for the Power Saver option, with more titles to follow," Sony added.
Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world's biggest gaming sites and publications. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
The Funko Pop! series is still going strong after all these years, and we've got an exclusive first look at the many DC exclusives Funko will be bringing to New York Comic-Con next month. The company is celebrating the 15th anniversary of its long-running DC line by resurrecting the earliest figures.
Check out the slideshow gallery below to see every figure included in the Funko NYCC DC 15th Anniversary Pops series:
These DC Pops are divided into two different series. First up is POP Heroes: DC Mystery POP! 15th Anniversary, which offers recreations of early DC Pops like Batman, Joker, Superman, and Wonder Woman. The catch is that these are blind boxes, so you won't know which figure you get until you buy it. The series includes:
Batman (2000 units)
Joker (1000 units)
Robin (1000 units)
Wonder Woman (500 units)
Superman (400 units)
The Flash (100 units)
The other series features recreations of the original Batman, Joker, and Batgirl Pop! figures originally sold at SDCC 2010. Fittingly, each is limited to 2010 units worldwide. The figures are sold inside special clamshell packaging rather than the typical Funko Pop! box.
Each Funko Pop! figure is priced at $39.99 and will be sold at the Funko booth (#4505) at NYCC. NYCC will run from October 9-12, 2025.
Netflix’s forthcoming animated series Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Deathwatch draws from the lore established by Ubisoft’s Splinter Cell games and their canonical ancillary material to tell a new story about an older Sam Fisher (voiced by Liev Schreiber). As revealed in the exclusive new trailer below, this elder version of Sam is living as a recluse in rural Eastern Europe when he’s pulled back into the black-ops trade.
I recently chatted with Derek Kolstad about what convinced him to do the Netflix series. “They let me do Old Man Sam and to actually use everything in the video games and all the ancillaries as his past resume as canon. That one to me was fun,” Kolstad said. This allowed him to craft an original story that nevertheless “respects the games that I loved and the character I just adored.”
So is Splinter Cell: Deathwatch, which is set decades after the events of the original games, itself to be considered canon? Kolstad isn’t entirely certain but told IGN, “I hope so. … [Ubisoft’s] got a stranglehold on their IP for good measure because they’ve got some of the best titles. But there were some things that along the way [they] were like, ‘Don't do that.’ And I'm like, ‘Why?’ And they're like, ‘Hey, we got other plans.’ Again, I only get to peer behind part of the curtain for what they're thinking [of for the] long run. But for what I want to do with the anime and talking in the future of any other spinoff they want to do, it's going like, ‘This fits the mold.’”
Watch the exclusive new trailer for Splinter Cell: Deathwatch below:
An older, once-notorious badass now living a quiet life is a concept Kolstad is quite familiar with, having used it to great effect in his scripts for the original John Wick and 2021’s Nobody. Kolstad acknowledged the parallel to those works but added that he “had the flexibility to go where I wanted to go with (Sam). And it's been done before in Old Mad Logan, but in many respects, this is my Unforgiven. This is the ‘one last job’ from the old '70s thrillers, and it was a joy, man.”
Some Splinter Cell fans may be disappointed that Michael Ironside, who voiced Sam Fisher in the games, isn’t reprising the role for Deathwatch, especially since Sam is meant to be older in the show. “I loved him, but ultimately it was like, ‘If we're going to be doing this for a while, they just wanted a new sound.’ And when they were going through the various voices, any number of people were up for the role,” Kolstad said.
The showrunner is particularly fond of Liev Schreiber’s performance in the 2002 spy thriller The Sum of All Fears, which is what made him “perfect” to succeed Ironside in the role of Sam Fisher: “Say what you will about that movie, but Liev Schreiber as John Clark was perfect. And so when his name came up, it was looking through that lens of John Clark. It's again, they’re both Clancy characters, they're attached to the hip, same creator, same universe, and it just seemed perfect.”
"You have to rip the spine out of the source material. Keep the brain and the heart.
Splinter Cell: Deathwatch revisits some of the events depicted in the 2005 game Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory, with flashbacks recounting the close friendship and later tragic falling-out between Sam and his former comrade-in-arms, Douglas Shetland.
“Even though we have elements of that game referenced there, it's hopefully small enough and the changes therein minute enough [that fans won’t be upset],” Kolstad said.
“But the other thing you have to look at with an adaptation, especially when it's the first time in this medium, you have to rip the spine out of the source material,” he continued. “Keep the brain and the heart, entertain the soul, and do your best to actually build it into something that works.”
Check out this exclusive new poster for Splinter Cell: Deathwatch.
In the show’s present day storyline, Shetland’s children – half-siblings Diana and Charlie – now control their late father’s infamous company, Displace International. Diana has retooled Displace into a green energy firm with global ties; Charlie is a ne’er-do-well who yearns for a larger role and to emerge from out of Diana’s shadow.
What Displace and the Shetland offspring are really up to drives the larger plot of Splinter Cell: Deathwatch. It’s why Sam gets reactivated as an operative for the clandestine unit Fourth Echelon, coming to the aid of a younger agent, Zinnia McKenna, who has been wounded while on a mission. Along with his old tech support colleague Anna Grimsdottir and her fellow Fourth Echelon members Jo and Thunder, Sam and Zinnia uncover a larger conspiracy involving Displace that threatens Europe.
With Sam now ostensibly a retiree, Kolstad’s approach to the character is reflective of his understanding of the psychology of real-life veterans. “You talk to Special Forces and first responders and anyone in this kind of game, you get into your late 30s, you're the old man,” Kolstad explained. “So when you talk about what is the thing with a well-trained soldier, it's tears in training, it's laughing in the field. Because you think in the field you're going to die, it's better than what they did back in training. And I think when (Sam) is actually used as the scalpel he was forged to be, [it pleases him because] we all like feeling useful, man.”
Similarly, the Fourth Echelon of Deathwatch is also grappling with being “analog in a digital world,” as Kolstad put it. “I think it's there in the same place that Sam is, where it's like they're about to be mothballed. Or in a digital era, why do we need boots on the ground?” Kolstad said.
“Do I have a place in this world? And ultimately they do, because they are the point of the spear. You still need that guy to push the button, and they're the ones to push the button.”
You can push the button – the play button, that is – to see Sam Fisher return to his stealthy ways when Splinter Cell: Deathwatch launches on Netflix on October 14.
Beginning its life as a Shin Megami Tensei spin-off, the Persona series has quickly launched into something entirely of its own and become one of the biggest names in modern RPGs. From multiple major sequels and remakes to anime adaptations and even stage plays, Persona is a multimedia sensation, and its popularity doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon.
With the official announcement of Persona 4 Revival, new players are probably wondering where’s the best place to start. Below, we’ll give you a full rundown of every game and spin-off, including the best entry point for newcomers and both the chronological and release order of the series.
In total, there are currently twenty Persona games. Several of these are expanded versions of the mainline entries in the series, whether that’s in the form of re-releases featuring new story content or remakes. While we won’t include direct ports or remasters, we’ll make sure to note every alternate version of each game when listing them below.
Which Persona Game Should You Play First?
If you're looking for the perfect place to start, you can’t really go wrong jumping into Persona 3 Reload, Persona 4 Golden or Persona 5 Royal. They’re the latest versions of the third, fourth and fifth mainline entries in the series, and, aside from Persona 3 Reload missing Nintendo Switch, they’re all available on PC and every major console.
For those concerned about skipping the story by jumping into later entries in the series, you won’t miss anything by going straight to Persona 3, 4, or 5. Each game tells an entirely new story with original characters that’s largely disconnected from its predecessors, so they’re great launching points for those coming in fresh. To narrow your choices down, I'd recommend taking a look at some gameplay videos and some of the social links across each of the games to see what "stands out" to you.
Every Persona Game and Spin-Off in Chronological Order
These blurbs contain mild spoilers for each game, including characters, settings, and story beats.
1. Revelations: Persona (1996)
The first game in the series, Revelations: Persona was Atlus’ reaction to the positive reception of Shin Megami Tensei: If…, which was another Shin Megami Tensei spin-off centered around high-schoolers battling demons. Capitalizing on how much players enjoyed the central concept, Revelations: Persona offered a full dungeon-crawling RPG centered around a group of high schoolers battling a supernatural uprising throughout the town of Mikage-cho.
Along the way, they use the powers of their awakened Personas to take down shadows and explore dungeons filled with random encounters, leveling up their party and growing stronger over the course of the game. Revelations: Persona was the foundation of the franchise as we know it today, introducing elements like wielding Personas in combat, the Velvet Room and a teenage cast of heroes.
2. Persona 2: Innocent Sin (1999)
The second entry in the Persona series, Persona 2: Innocent Sin launched in 1999. The game follows a new set of high-school students led by protagonist Tatsuya Suou, who set out on a mission to take down a mysterious villain known as Joker and the cult of the Masked Circle.
Centring around an evil plot where malicious rumors spreading around the town of Sumaru come to life, Persona 2 once again focuses on exploring dungeons, wielding Personas, fighting shadows and leveling up your party. Unlike other entries in the series, it received a direct sequel just a year later, with Persona 2: Eternal Punishment acting as a continuation of the game's story.
Following up the events of Innocent Sin, Eternal Punishment promoted side character, Maya Amano, to the protagonist role. Sent to write an article about a new rumor regarding a phenomenon known as the Joker Curse, the game quickly sees Maya and her allies rally against a returning foe.
Acting as a direct continuation of Innocent Sin's story, it centers on the same style of turn-based, dungeon-crawling gameplay, as players build their party and wield their Personas to battle shadows.
4. Persona 3 (2006) / Persona 3 FES (2007) / Persona 3 Portable (2009) / Persona 3 Reload (2024)
The third mainline entry in the franchise, Persona 3 was a major evolution of the Persona formula. Opting to focus on its high-school premise, Persona 3 introduced a daily calendar, with one half of the game tasking players with attending school, developing friendships and studying, while the other sent them to fight shadows in the supernatural realm of Tartarus.
The story focuses on high school student Makoto Yuki, who finds he's able to experience a mysterious space of time known as the Dark Hour, where regular people are trapped in coffins and a demonic tower sprouts from his school. Teaming with his classmates, he explores the tower, uncovering a sinister plot that threatens the entire world. Persona 3 is considered a landmark entry for the series, introducing social links, day-to-day activities and many other mechanics that have since become synonymous with the franchise.
A rhythm-based dancing spin-off of Persona 3 that takes place during the main campaign, Persona 3: Dancing in Moonlight sees Elizabeth challenge the S.E.E.S team to a dance-off in the Velvet Room. The events of the game are set during a dream but are completely canon to the story, and follow the team performing various dance routines to iconic Persona 3 tracks.
6. Persona 4 (2008) / Persona 4 Golden (2012)
The fourth mainline entry in the Persona series, Persona 4 takes place in the rural town of Inaba. Players assume the role of Yu Narukami: a high schooler from the city who moves to the country to live with his uncle and cousin for a year. After arriving, a string of violent murders begin to take place in the town, as Yu and his friends quickly discover they’re somehow linked to a mysterious otherworldly realm they can access by stepping through TV monitors.
Delving into this mysterious new world, Yu and his friends face supernatural forces as they learn more about the murders, using their powers to try and stop them. Building off the mechanics of Persona 3, Persona 4 once again utilizes the calendar system, as players build social links and attend school while also exploring vast dungeons and defeating enemies with their Personas.
Technically taking place during the Persona 3 and Persona 4 storylines simultaneously, Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth is a crossover between both games. During the typhoon segment of Persona 3 and the Culture Festival segment of Persona 4, the S.E.E.S team and the Investigation Squad are trapped inside a warped version of Yasogami High School.
The time-bending event sees both teams come together to investigate the strange occurrence and escape back to their respective spots on the timeline. Along the way, players explore a labyrinth filled with new enemies and uncover an original story, with the spin-off acting as a callback to the series’ more traditional dungeon-crawler roots.
A continuation of both Persona 3 and 4’s narratives and the franchise’s first major spin-off, Persona 4 Arena sees Yu Narukami return to Inaba and stumble into a new adventure, as he returns to the TV world for a mysterious fighting tournament. Forced to battle against his allies and a group known as the Shadow Operatives, which is comprised of Persona 3's Mitsuru, Akihiko and Aigis, Arena offers a full fighting game boasting a roster of iconic Persona characters.
A year following the release of Persona 4 Arena, the spin-off received a sequel titled Persona 4 Arena Ultimax. Taking place directly after the events of the first game, the Persona 4 squad teams up with the Shadow Operatives to return to the TV World and battle against the mysterious forces running the fighting tournament. Ultimax was ultimately an upgrade for the first game, bringing in an expanded roster including returning characters like Yukari, Junpei, Ken and Koromaru.
The fourth and arguably most unexpected spin-off of Persona 4, Persona 4: Dancing All Night is a rhythm-based dancing game where the Investigation Squad performs routines to iconic Persona tracks. It offers a completely canon continuation of the storyline, following Yu and the team as they’re sucked into an alternate dimension known as the Midnight Stage.
The fifth mainline entry in the series, Persona 5 hit shelves in Japan in 2016 before launching worldwide in 2017. Taking players to Tokyo, it casts them as a new protagonist known as Joker, who finds himself on probation after being framed for a crime he didn’t commit. Attending the local high school, Joker and his friends discover a supernatural alternate dimension, which allows them to infiltrate mystical palaces and change the hearts of evil-doers around the city.
Before long, the group becomes notorious on the streets of Tokyo, going under the alias of the Phantom Thieves. The game builds heavily off the formula established by Persona 3 and 4, including massive story-focused levels that unfold over a month, the return of the negotiation system and a new dungeon system known as Mementos. Persona 5 launched the franchise into the stratosphere, quickly becoming Atlus' best-selling game of all time and cultivating a huge fan base.
A sequel to Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth, New Cinema Labyrinth once again depicts a crossover between various Persona characters. After the Phantom Thieves find themselves trapped in a movie theater, they ally with Persona 3's S.E.E.S team and Persona 4's Investigation Squad to find an escape, traveling into the movies on the screen in an attempt to fix their endings.
Much like the original game, Persona Q2 simultaneously takes place during the Persona 3, 4 and 5 storylines, with the adventure pulling each group out of their respective timeline. There, they explore dungeons from a first-person perspective and fight turn-based battles against various enemies.
13. Persona 5 Tactica (2023)
Taking place during the events of Persona 5, Persona 5 Tactica is a strategy-focused spin-off that’s similar in style to the XCOM franchise. The story follows the Phantom Thieves mysteriously traveling to an alternate realm known as the Kingdoms. Unable to escape, Joker and Morgana are forced to abandon the rest of the Phantom Thieves after they're brainwashed by the realm's monstrous ruler, Tyrant Marie, forcing the pair to begin an adventure to save their allies and return home.
Along the way, they team up with the local resistance, helping them fight against Tyrant Marie's forces. The game revolves around a tactical grid-based combat system, as players direct three units across the battlefield and take out enemies.
Atlus’ third rhythm-based dancing spin-off, Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight sees Caroline and Justine bring the Phantom Thieves to the Velvet Room and challenge them to a dance off. There, the group perform dance routines to several of Persona 5's catchiest tracks.
15. Persona 5 Strikers (2020)
A spin-off set four months after the events of Persona 5, Strikers sees the Phantom Thieves reunite for a summer vacation. However, the team find themselves sucked into the Metaverse after using an app known as EMMA. Escaping with the help of a new ally, the team don their Phantom Thieves gear once more and set out to discover the truth behind EMMA, the Metaverse, and what it means for the people of Tokyo.
Persona 5 Strikers is a crossover with the long-running Dynasty Warriors franchise, introducing real-time combat to the series. Battles center around the Phantom Thieves taking on large hordes of enemies, which they can deal with through combos or by calling on Personas.
After the massive success of Metaphor (it picked up quite a few awards), Sega announced their desire to keep investing in Atlus, and the Persona IP in particular, in a developers' Q&A session.
Persona 4 Revival was announced at a recent Xbox Showcase, a new remake of the game that originally released on PS2 in 2008 before being remastered as Persona 4 Golden in 2012. The new teaser doesn't reveal much, but does show off some detailed environments and Yu Narukami himself. As confirmed in the most recent Nintendo Direct, Persona 3 Reload is making its way to Switch 2 on October 23.
Otherwise, Persona 6 is (theorized to be) the anticipated next release in the RPG series, though Atlus has yet to officially confirm the game is in development. In the meantime, the Phantom Thieves from P5R continue to pop up in pretty much every franchising opportunity they can, most recently as skins in Overwatch 2.
Callum Williams is a freelance media writer with years of experience as a game critic, news reporter, guides writer and features writer.
Alex Hernandez, the actor who provided the performance and likeness of MindsEye's main character, has shared his thoughts on the game's negative reception — and said he initially thought he would "never work in a game again" after starring on its front cover.
Speaking on the FRVR podcast, Hernandez said being featured so prominently on MindsEye's box art as player character Jacob Diaz was ultimately "the flip side of the blessing that it is" to be a video game's cover star. Indeed, Hernandez has experience of this before, having previously portrayed Lincoln Clay, the main character of Mafia 3 — another game which arrived to mixed reviews.
"I'm not a superstitious man, but I can’t help but have some kind of Spidey Sense, like, 'Is it just me?'" Hernandez said. "Do I have like the opposite of the golden touch, like the s***-brown touch, everything I touch turns to poop?"
MindsEye launched in June to negative reviews from critics and gamers alike — though mostly for reasons separate to Hernandez's involvement. Instead, MindsEye was criticised for featuring gameplay that felt broken and unfinished, numerous technical issues, a lifeless open world and an anti-climactic story. (IGN's MindsEye review returned a 4/10, and bemoaned the game's "serious lack of substance and major performance problems.")
"Just the response," Hernandez continued, "I was like, 'I might never work in a game again' Because one of the caveats of being the face on the box is that people, rightly or wrongly, will associate all of their opinions and, more importantly their emotions, about this game with my face. After about two days of allowing myself to wallow, and my wife being very supportive... you move on. Because for me to sit in that wallowing, it doesn't allow me to learn."
As for the level of ridicule directed at the game shortly after launch, Hernandez suggested the response was typical of video game fans who feel a strong attachment to something they're playing, and who feel free to say whatever they like online.
"Gamers are a unique species, and I am one of them, where the attachment to the experience and the product is so strong, the feelings are so strong, and the internet is an anonymous place where people will share things they would never share to your face, ever, even if they actually hated it," Hernandez concluded.
"They just wouldn't look you in the face and say, 'everyone who worked on this game deserved to die, this is f***ing awful, these guys are idiots.' No one would ever say that to your face. And, I think, at the same time, you're entitled to that."
Speaking to IGN last month, boss of MindsEye publisher IO Interactive Hakan Abrak described the launch of MindsEye as "definitely tough," though suggested the game could still "succeed" in future. "It was a tough reception. It wasn't what they hoped for, and also what we didn't hope for at IOI Partners," Abrak said. "They're working hard on turning that around to regain the trust of the gamers out there, and they have tons of potential and content they're working on. So hopefully they'll succeed with that in the future."
Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
Having roamed prehistoric oceans around 20 million years ago, the Megalodon is one of the largest shark species ever discovered, measuring as long as 15 meters, weighing up to 50 tonnes, and boasting — gulp — over 270 teeth.
Of course, you may better know the Megalodon as The Meg, the enormous shark Jason Statham goes toe-to-toe with during the 2018 action flick.
"Guests are certain to be drawn to lagoons where Megalodon lurks, with a large body of water needed to have its impressive silhouette," Frontier teased.
"Placing a shark feeder allows park managers to provide ample food for this powerful prehistoric giant, while creating unforgettable moments for onlookers as it surges from the water to take a bite."
Jurassic World Evolution 3 launches on October 21, 2025, and will be available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series, with both a standard and Deluxe edition available at $59.99 / €59.99 / £49.99 and $74.99 / €74.99 / £64.99, respectively. It's the third iteration of Frontier's fan-favorite management sim, in which you manage your very own park full of dinosaurs and fight to keep both the people and the exhibits happy and healthy.
We're also told that The Meg can occasionally develop a taste for its own offspring, too, so something to take into account as you're designing your park, perhaps?!
Jurassic World Evolution 3 official reveal trailer debuted over the summer, but the premiere was overshadowed by a backlash from fans who had identified the use of generative AI. Since then, Frontier has committed to not using any AI assets.
Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world's biggest gaming sites and publications. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
While Resident Evil may have started as some of the best zombie games, Paul W.S. Anderson and Milla Jovovich helped bring the series to the big screen with a film series that spanned seven movies. The films feature characters and villains from the games, but they tell their own separate stories and star Jovovich as a newcomer to Resident Evil lore. It's one of the best zombie movie franchises out there.
With a new Resident Evil movie reboot in the works, you might want to check out where the video game adaptations started off. If you want to watch all the Resident Evil movies in chronological order from the beginning, we have some very good news for you. All the films serve as sequels to their previous entries, meaning there is no difference between watching them in release order vs. chronological order.
With all that being said, here's a (mostly) spoiler-free look at how you can watch the Resident Evil movies in chronological order.
There are a total of seven live-action Resident Evil movies, but only the first six are part of the original timeline. There are also four feature-length animated films —Resident Evil: Degeneration, Damnation, Vendetta, and Death Island — though we have not included those in the list below. Over the last two years, Netflix has taken a stab at Resident Evil as both a live-action and animated TV series. The live-action Resident Evil show was canceled after one season, while the animated series, Infinite Darkness, failed to make a splash.
How Long to Watch all of the Resident Evil Movies?
If you're looking to watch all 6 of the original Resident Evil movies, it will take over 9 and a half hour to finish the series. If you include Welcome to Raccoon City, that ads a an additional 107 minutes to your movie marathon.
The Resident Evil Movies in Chronological Order
1. Resident Evil (2002)
2002’s Resident Evil introduced the world to Alice (Jovovich), an original character created for the films who awakens with amnesia before remembering she is a private security operative for the Umbrella Corporation. This first film shows how the genetically engineered T-virus, which causes dead people to return as zombies, was released in a lab called The Hive. It also reveals how the lab’s AI security system, the Red Queen, killed every living thing inside the lab to try to contain the virus.
The plan didn’t work and the zombies escaped the lab. Alice and her team have to try to contain the outbreak by finding an anti-virus that is thought to still be in the Hive.
This first film included several references to the first two Resident Evil games, not the least of which was the first tease of the iconic Resident Evil 3 villain, the terrifying, rocket-wielding Nemesis.
Resident Evil: Apocalypse is a direct sequel to the original film and brings back Jovovich’s Alice to once again take the fight to the undead. Resident Evil director Paul W.S. Anderson did not return to direct this new film due to other commitments, but he did stay on as a producer while Alexander Witt took the helm. Apocalypse sees Alice attempting to escape Raccoon City before it is attacked by a nuclear missile that is attempting to stop the spreading T-virus plague.
Nemesis is also a big part of this second film and he’s seen terrorizing the survivors throughout it, but that is hardly the only nod to the games. There are many influences pulled into Apocalypse, including characters Jill Valentine (Sienna Guillory) and Carlos Olivera (Oded Fehr) and certain shots that were recreated for live-action, including a shootout at police department in the beginning that is reminiscent of Resident Evil 3: Nemesis and a scene in a cemetery that very much harkens back to Resident Evil CODE: Veronica.
2007’s Resident Evil: Extinction reveals that the T-virus has spread across the world. In addition to the return of Alice, the storyline also follows several attempts by the Umbrella Corporation to clone her, in hopes of replicating her powers. As the story progresses, the primary Alice and other survivors are working their way toward Alaska in an attempt to outrun the ever-expanding zombie apocalypse.
Extinction continues to bring in more aspects and characters of the games, including Claire Redfield (Ali Larter) and Albert Wesker (Jason O’Mara).
Resident Evil: Afterlife is the first film after the original to see Anderson back in the director’s chair, where he stays for the rest of the series. Set one year after the events of Extinction, Alice and her clones work together to assault Umbrella Headquarters HQ and Albert Wesker. Unfortunately, all doesn’t go as planned and Alice finds herself without the powers that have assisted her so well in this zombie apocalypse.
Afterlife continues the streak of bringing in characters from the games, and this time it's Chris Redfield (Wentworth Miller) that gets the invitation.
2011’s Resident Evil: Retribution picks up after the events of Afterlife. Alongside introducing such game characters as Leon S. Kennedy (Johann Urb), Ada Wong (Bingbing Li), and Barry Burton (Kevin Durand), Retribution also sees Alice teaming up with Wesker in an attempt to stop the reactivated Red Queen AI from the first film, who now controls Umbrella and wants to eliminate all life on earth.
The aptly named Resident Evil: The Final Chapter is the last feature film in the series to involve husband-and-wife team Anderson and Jovovich. It follows Alice as she returns to Raccoon City and the Hive in order to stop the Red Queen and Albert Wesker, but also reveals more of the origin of the T-virus and who is really behind all the chaos that has been building since the first film.
Bonus: Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (2021)
Directed by Johannes Roberts,Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City is a reboot of the franchise and requires no prior knowledge of the movies. Along with the new director comes a new cast and a story that more closely follows the events of the first two Resident Evil games. Several familiar characters from the games and earlier movies return, including Claire Redfield (Kaya Scodelario), Chris Redfield (Robbie Amell), Jill Valentine (Hannah John-Kamen), Albert Wesker (Tom Hopper), Leon Kennedy (Avan Jogia), Ada Wong (Lily Gao), and more. The film’s story is set in Raccoon City and tells the early days of a zombie outbreak.
Although Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City wasn't received particularly well by audiences, rumors have been swirling for years about another movie. Those rumors were finally confirmed in January, with Barbarian director Zach Cregger set to direct the newest instalment. Instead of carrying on the existing movie timeline, the currently untitled movie will reboot the Resident Evil movie franchise.
Coming out of the success of his most recent horror flick, Weapons, Cregger has talked more about his approach to the zombie franchise reboot. He's revealed he hasn't even watched the Resident Evil movies listed above, instead opting to make a film wholly inspired by the games. In terms of plot details, he says "it follows one central protagonist from point A to point B, as they descend deeper into hell." Deadline reports that Sony has also set a release date for the film: September 18, 2026.
Otherwise, the next big thing for Resident Evil is Requiem, a new mainline game set to release in February 2026. Next year's shaping up to be a good one.
Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.
You'd think it would be enough for filmmaker James Wan to have two hugely successful horror franchises under his belt with Saw and Insidious (both co-created with writing partner Leigh Whannell). But then he also went and created The Conjuring, which, since its debut in 2013, has produced nine films in total and grossed over $2 billion at the box office.
Starting as a 1970s ghost series, based on the real life investigations of married paranormal snoops Lorraine and Ed Warren, The Conjuring Universe has sprawled into a franchise that not only keeps track of the Warrens' demon-busting adventures, but also delves further into the haunted backstories of these cases with prequel installments set decades before the Warrens show up. Now that the fourth and final Conjuring movie is in theaters, you might want to revisit the full timeline of The Conjuring-verse.
So are you looking to watch these Conjuring films as they were released - or do you want to absorb all the spookiness via chronological binge, kicking things off in 1950s Romania with The Nun? Whatever the case, you'll find both lists below.
There are 10 total movies set within The Conjuring universe — four Conjuring movies, three Annabelle movies, The Nun and The Nun 2, and The Curse of La Llorona. The fourth Conjuring movie, titled Last Rites, is now available in theaters. If you're planning on marathoning all of these movies, you can currently stream most of them on HBO Max.
The Conjuring Movies in Chronological Order
1. The Nun (2018)
Prequel frightfest The Nun takes place in 1952 Romania, and stars Demián Bichir and Taissa Farmiga (sister of franchise star Vera Farmiga) as a Roman Catholic priest and a nun uncovering an unholy secret involving Bonnie Aaron's evil Nun from The Conjuring 2.
Taking place after The Nun, in 1955 California, Annabelle Creation was the fourth installment in the Conjuring Universe, but the second chronologically, depicting the origin of franchise breakout star -- Annabelle, the creep haunted dolll. It's the story of a story of a doll-maker who opens his home to six orphans and a nun, only to have an ancient evil released in his own house.
Although The Nun 2 takes place after the events of The Nun, it's actually the third movie in the timeline. The events of The Nun 2 take place in 1956, taking place four years after Sister Irene's first encounter with Valak and one year after the events of Annabelle: Creation.
The second film made in the Conjuring Universe, even before The Conjuring 2, was prequel Annabelle, taking place in 1967 in Southern California, 12 years after the official origin of the doll. Annabelle tells the story of a young doctor and his wife who bring the doll into their home (to reside amongst other scary-looking dolls) only to have it make their life a living hell.
The movie that started it all, The Conjuring, starred Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson as real-life paranormal investigators/ghost hunters Lorraine and Ed Warren (whose exploits reportedly inspired The Amityville Horror), as they aid the besieged Perron family in 1971, on Rhode Island. Series creator James Wan directed this first outing, marking the third official blockbuster horror franchise he'd created.
Next up is Annabelle Comes Home. Taking place only one year later in the story, in 1972, the Warrens' young daughter, Judy (McKenna Grace), must contend with Annabelle and other demons who escape the Warrens’ artifact room while the couple is away. Conjuring Universe (and It: Chapter One and Two) writer Gary Dauberman makes his directorial debut here.
Based on the Latin American folklore of La Llorona, this Conjuring Universe spinoff follows a mother in 1973 Los Angeles who must save her children from a malevolent spirit trying to steal them. Starring Linda Cardellini and Raymond Cruz, The Curse of La Llorona is the most detached and removed tale from the franchise's ongoing story, only featuring Tony Amendola's Father Perez from Annabelle as a connecting character.
Based on the events of the Enfield Poltergeist in England, The Conjuring 2 brings back Lorraine and Ed Warren, now notrious from the Amityville case, as they help a family being haunted by a malevolent spirit in 1977. Whereas the first Conjuring movie brought about the Annabelle films, this one originally introduced The Nun, who would go on to receive her own prequel. James Wan also returned to direct.
The actual eighth film made in the franchise is also the next film you should watch if you're doing a chronological binge. The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do brings us into the '80s with a ghoulish tale based on the real life trial of Arne Cheyenne Johnson, who claimed "demonic possession" after murdering his landlord. Lorraine and Ed Warren are drawn into the case after they'd apparently exorcised a demon out of a young boy's body... accidentally causing it to flee into Arne.
The final film on the The Conjuring timeline is now in theaters and is off to a tremendous start at the box office. The Conjuring: Last Rites is the fourth mainline film in the series and is being billed as the final movie in the franchise. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga return as Ed and Lorraine Warren, paranormal investigators taking on their most dangerous case yet. Like other films in the series, Last Rites is based on the true story of the Smurl hauntings, a series of paranormal occurences at a Pennsylvania home in the 70s and 80s.
If you're looking to watch all the movies in theatrical release order, the correct list is below:
The Conjuring (2013)
Annabelle (2014)
The Conjuring 2 (2016)
Annabelle: Creation (2017)
The Nun (2018)
The Curse of La Llorona (2019)
Annabelle Comes Home (2019)
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)
The Nun 2 (2023)
The Conjuring: Last Rites (2025)
How to Watch The Annabelle Movies in Order
Within The Conjuring Universe exists two separate film trilogies: The Conjuring and Annabelle. The narrative chronology of the Annabelle movies differs from their theatrical release order, so we've created this quick viewing guide to help you out.
While the first patch prioritized "critical issues," this one focuses on other lingering problems, as well as "cleaning up some bugs around specific tools." (We can only presume that's a reference to video game bugs rather than the ones found in The Citadel!)
Before it rolls out to all, however, Team Cherry is testing the new version via the public-beta branch on Steam. This means anyone can select and download it, albeit on the proviso that while it includes fixes, it may also be unstable — so something to bear in mind. You can find out more about the public beta on the game's Steam discussion page.
Based on the patch notes, below, Update 2 doesn't include any earth-shattering balance changes, after Update 1 made the early game easier. However, it's worth noting Team Cherry told fans to "expect a few more additions and tweaks" before full release, so perhaps the developer has some surprises up its sleeve.
Hollow Knight: Silksong Update 2 Patch Notes:
Added Dithering effect option in Advanced video settings. Reduces colour banding but can slightly soften the appearance of foreground assets. Defaults to 'Off'.
Updated Herald's Wish achievement description to clarify that players must both complete the wish and finish the game.
Fixed Savage Beastfly in Far Fields sometimes remaining below the lava.
Fixed rare cases of Shrine Guardian Seth getting out of bounds during battle.
Added catch to prevent Lugoli sometimes flying off screen and not returning during battle.
Further reduced chance of Silk Snippers getting stuck out of bounds in Chapel of the Reaper battle.
Fixed various instances of dying to bosses while killing them causing death sequences to play messily or out of sync.
Fixed Shaman Binding into a bottom transition causing a softlock.
Cocoon positions in some locations updated to prevent it spawning in inaccessible areas.
Fixed Liquid Lacquer courier delivery not being accessible in Steel Soul mode.
Fixed some NPCs not correctly playing cursed hint dialogues in certain instances.
Fixed Pondcatcher Reed not being able to fly away after singing.
Fixed Verdania memory orbs sometimes replaying layered screen-edge burst effects.
Fixed the break counter not working for certain multihitter tools eg Conchcutter.
Fixed Volt Filament damage multiplier not applying for certain Silk Skills.
Fixed Cogflies and Wisps inappropriately targeting Skullwings.
Fixed Cogflies incorrectly resetting their HP to full on scene change.
Fixed Curveclaw always breaking on the first hit after being deflected.
Fixed Plasmium Phial and Flea Brew sometimes not restoring as intended at benches.
Various other smaller tweaks and fixes.
We thought Hollow Knight: Silksong was 'Amazing', awarding it 9/10 and writing: "Silksong is packed full of sharp platforming, enticing exploration, and nail-biting combat that's all unapologetically challenging in just the right way. However, Hell is Us creative director Jonathan Jacques-Belletête called Team Cherry's last-minute release "a little callous."
Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world's biggest gaming sites and publications. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
Dispatch, the upcoming workplace superhero comedy adventure game with a strategy layer from a group of ex-Telltale developers, is coming to PC and PS5 on October 22. It will be released episodically over the course of four weeks, with two episodes dropping each week starting on October 22. It's priced at $30 for the full season, or $40 for deluxe version of the full season that includes a digital artbook and four digital comics. Watch the new release date trailer/PS5 announcement trailer above.
Dispatch's cast is headlined by Aaron Paul, Jeffrey Wright, and Laura Bailey and is a narrative adventure game where you'll not just make dialogue choices, but also manage which superhero is deployed to which crisis as the calls come in your character, Robert Robertson (voiced by Paul). It's up to you to manage the relationships with each superhero and get the most out of your team. Dispatch is developed by AdHoc, a new studio comprised of a number of former Telltale developers.
“We think the release format is an underrated part of the player experience,” AdHoc co-founder and Dispath creative director Nick Herman said. “Episodic is a format that makes the story easy to slip into, easy to keep up with, and easy to share with friends. We want the launch of Dispatch to be ‘appointment gaming’ but with the weekly cadence of a TV show, as opposed to asking people to wait months between each release.”
Wishlist it and/or check out the playable demo right now on Steam. I did recently and had a blast with it. It plays like a game Telltale would've made if it had survived and evolved (and left behind its poorly-aging Telltale Engine).
Ryan McCaffrey is IGN's executive editor of previews and host of both IGN's weekly Xbox show, Podcast Unlocked, as well as our monthly(-ish) interview show, IGN Unfiltered. He's a North Jersey guy, so it's "Taylor ham," not "pork roll." Debate it with him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan.
One of the charms of the Warring States Soulslike series Nioh is its plethora of playstyles. So far in the series, we've seen weapons including swords that ooze Samurai Style, ninja-like sickle and chains, and even unusual choices like tonfa. Each weapon also has high, medium and low stances that players switch between in order to best face an enemy, all working together to create the sort of action that the series is known for. Add a variety of skills on top and you get a wide range of RPG builds that act as one of the draws for the series.
Nioh 3, the long-awaited return to the series, features a more advanced combat system composed of Samurai Style, whose combat is similar to what we expect from a Nioh game, as well as Ninja Style, which lets players fight with swift movements. Players can switch between the two with a single button, and doing so causes your weapons, armor and even usable skills to change, giving you the feeling of using two builds at the same time. It quite literally doubles the game's charm as both an action title and an RPG.
Ninja Style even changes how your character looks as you ninja run and more. During character creation, you create looks for both Samurai and Ninja Styles.
Ninja Style even changes how your character looks as you ninja run and more.
While we've fought as a samurai until now in the Nioh series, it has been possible to use a ninja-like combat style. So why fully split gameplay into these two styles in the newest title? When we ask Nioh 3 General Producer Fumihiko Yasuda about why they added Ninja Style, he explains, "We wanted to create a new kind of action that would act as a major centerpiece, making players feel that the game has taken a step forward."
He continues, "Team Ninja also has the experience of creating the Ninja Gaiden series. In other words, we have just about as much experience and knowhow when it comes to creating ninja action as we do with Nioh's samurai action. Ninja are very popular overseas, and we thought that this would excite those players as well. Nioh's Japanese world and setting is also something we value, which made ninja seem like the best possible answer. That's why we've added this style."
As a kind of new action meant to feel like a step forward, Ninja Style really does play and look quite different from Samurai Style. Samurai Style consists of the kind of steady, block-focused combat we've come to expect from the Nioh series. When in it, you can change between weapon stances as you always have, and you can use Ki Pulse after attacking, a stamina recovery technique the series is known for.
Pressing a button after attacking while in Ninja Style will allow you to use Mist, creating a clone as you move.
On the other hand, Ninja Style involves quick, evasion-focused combat. Weapon stances don't exist in this style, but ninjutsu are available to use in their place. Ki Pulse also becomes replaced with a new action, Mist.
Mist creates a clone after attacking as you move quickly, allowing you to get behind an enemy (where your attacks deal more damage). Though this Mist action does allow for a swift and stylish form of combat, some people do seem disappointed that it takes away their ability to use Ki Pulse as they always could. Using it becomes second nature to an experienced Nioh player, likely in part because it also links to dispelling special zones created by enemies known as yokai realms.
Why make it so that Ki Pulse is only available in Samurai Style? According to producer Kohei Shibata, this was done to clearly distinguish between the feeling of being a samurai versus a ninja through these styles. Ki Pulse is known as Zanshin in Japanese, a term related to kendo and swordsmanship that refers to a state of mind that prevents one from being open to an attack after striking. Shibata says that the way this manifests in-game, where you carefully manage your ki as you fight, is its way of incorporating a samurai's style of fighting that draws on both stillness and motion.
A black aura will sometimes appear on the ground while fighting an enemy. This is a yokai realm, an area that will reduce your Ki recovery speed.
"Giving Ninja Style Ki Pulse as well resulted in an issue where the tempo of its combat resembled Samurai Style,” says Shibata. “For ninja, we wanted players to use Mist, an action that makes use of the style's mobility, when they would normally use Ki Pulse. The stance system also comes from sword kata, or forms, and it seemed wrong to apply that to ninja. That's why the same button activates both Mist and Ki Pulse. We wanted to create distinct styles of movement and combat, and that's why we made the decision to not give ninja Ki Pulse."
"There is a skill that allows you to dispel yokai realms by using Mist in Ninja Style."
Shibata adds, "There is a skill that allows you to dispel yokai realms by using Mist in Ninja Style." So while players won't be able to dispel them at first with Ninja Style, it will become possible as you progress.
We also ask Yasuda why the decision was made to limit Ki Pulse to Samurai Style. He replies, "Though Ki Pulse is a trademark mechanic in the Nioh series, we couldn't simply reuse it. We needed something ninja-like that would stand out. Part of why Ninja Style has the Mist action is because Samurai Style has Ki Pulse. The style didn't have Mist at first, but it was created in order to give it a play style just as distinctive as Ki Pulse."
While the original name for Ki Pulse comes from a kendo term, Mist, or Kasumi in Japanese, is meant to bring to mind the speed and cloning abilities of a ninja. "I promise we didn't take it from Dead or Alive's Kasumi," Yasuda said with a laugh, referring to the name of a ninja character from the series.
But while Dead or Alive references would be a bit too much to expect in Nioh 3, Ninja Gaiden 4 is in development. Could we see some elements from that series in the game? We ask Yasuda if we'll be able to use Ninja Gaiden-like techniques such as Izuna Drop. He responds promisingly, saying that "We'll look into creating the sort of action that fans of both series will enjoy." That said, it could be possible that such techniques or abilities are different from what we've seen in Ninja Gaiden.
"There have already been Ninja Gaiden references in the Nioh series, such as in DLC,” says Yasuda. “This time we've gone so far as to add Ninja Style, and I think that players will be excited to see some of its elements given that Ninja Gaiden 4 is on the horizon.”
We expect these to be more like Easter eggs, so there's no telling if we'll be getting any major news announcements in the future about Ninja Gaiden elements in the game. They may even be put into the final game as surprises, so we're looking forward to checking the final game with a fine-tooth comb.
Look out for more exclusive Nioh 3 coverage during this month's IGN First, including our exclusive boss battle featuring the Tiger of Kai, Takeda Shingen!
Yuichi Shigeta is a freelance writer for IGN Japan. This article was translated by Ko Ransom.
If your interests lie in the fairly specific cross-section of Soviet-inspired utopia/dystopia, tinkering with stuff, and techno-goop, then you’ll need to set eyes on The Lift (that’s an elevator, for my American English-speaking friends). This supernatural puzzle game has a compelling pitch, and I was excited to get hands-on with a bunch of quirky tools in a PC demo build.
I played two polished chapters – one being the tutorial scene, and the other a slice taken from mid-game. All three hours I spent in-game made for an entertaining voyage into the unreal, with only some minor niggles. The Lift may still be on the workbench, but I’m happy to say that it’s looking ready and wired up for a great time.
Speculative Fix-tion
You play a silent man known as a Keeper, filled with Soviet pride by a life dedicated to repairing broken things. The amusing tutorial immediately throws you into a “test lift.” A woman’s voice crackles over a speaker and she coaches you, in an over-the-top propagandic way, through your first tests of rewiring circuits and replacing light bulbs.
The Lift’s tactile handyman interactions are a distinguishing mechanic from the get-go. For instance, opening a panel may involve grabbing a handle, then mimicking the real-life movement of physically “pulling” it open towards you with your mouse. Rectify the test lift’s malfunctions, and the doors will open to what hints at humorous but increasingly bizarre goings-on.
The Lift’s tactile handyman interactions are a distinguishing mechanic from the get-go.
Like many sci-fi stories before it, The Lift takes place in an abandoned research facility, known ominously as The Institute. It gave me Kowloon Walled City vibes: chaotic, windowless rooms built around the titular elevator. You’ll advance through floors filled with malfunctioning machinery, but find quickly that your job extends beyond simple handyman work.
The demo showcased a very brief amount of time outside The Institute (and an introduction to a character called Trader, who confusingly doesn't seem to have anything to trade), where the most dreamlike of The Lift’s visuals are found. Think Expedition 33-style surreality: traffic lights hang from the sky, furniture drifts about in mid-air, and giant, ludicrously tall chairs tower in the distance.
I absolutely love the premise of this irreverent-slash-eerie sci-fi world, though I found it a little difficult to follow the narrative clues dropped by the occasional characters I encountered (more on them in a bit). The indoor environments say a lot, however: What’s that weird black sludge? What spooky force is breaking all The Institute’s chairs?
Nothing you’ll see in The Lift is physically harmful to you, but you just know that those questions are going to have strange answers…
Hidden Object(ives)
The Lift is heavily objective-driven, with various tasks assigned by chattering, “wacky” characters over intercom known collectively as Rubus. They’ll tune in occasionally to talk at you, alluding to various problems and tasking you with repairing them. I generally found these sequences to be unengaging, and I’d catch my eyes glazing over as I thought, “Please just give me the objective already.”
The voice acting is well-suited to their varied personalities and expertly delivered, but I found all of The Lift’s characters unnecessarily longwinded. It’s not a huge drawback, but having to listen to their prattle without a fast-forward button was a bit distracting in a game built around hands-on, can-do gameplay.
As for those tasks, you’ll often have multiple objectives – and sub-objectives – on the go at any given time. They are tracked helpfully in your handheld Bureau Utility Gadget, or “B.U.G.,” and range from simple tasks like accessing a blocked-off room to the obscure, like “Get wave production to level 3” (the latter of which I soon learned was simply a euphemism for "just fix as many things as possible”).
The very first task is to find the actual Lift and make it move to a different floor. Each floor is essentially a giant puzzle you’ll need to revert its original, non-shabby state, thus unlocking your ascension to higher floors and taking you closer and closer to… well, whatever is leaving black splodges of slime everywhere.
You’ll be collecting lots of screws, power cables, and other tidbits. There are two ways to navigate your inventory: one is via a circular menu, and the other is by cycling through items in your hand – both remarkably straightforward. A nice touch are auto-suggested tools for certain broken things you’ll hover over, like a “bee” for a bee socket. Yes, really. With The Lift’s more esoteric machinery, those suggestions help!
Tooling Around
So what needs fixing, anyway? Sometimes it’s simply replacing a screw on a wonky chair. You’ll also discover messed-up circuit boards with missing parts, which you may need to hunt around for. Sometimes that involves finding a spare part on a shelf, and other times you may need to buy a “spinny electromotor” from a vending machine. Not all things mirror the handyman tools of real life and can actually cross into more whimsical fantasy concepts (like the aforementioned bee).
Your government job also covers some supernatural cleanup. During the demo I graduated from a screwdriver to more complex tools, such as the Cleaning Beam that sucks up those glowing, pulsating black masses into oblivion. I also wielded a glue gun – which inexplicably uses duct tape and not glue – to patch up holes in the wall, also oozing with that peculiar black substance.
Be warned: there’s a bit of backtracking. The Lift has minor metroidvania aspects, with certain items or objectives not reachable until “unlocked,” whether through removing gunk off a door or finding a new type of tool.
One of the earlier puzzles even had me backtracking a bit farther than I would’ve expected. I didn’t mind this at all, and honestly liked how it reflected the unplanned messiness of real-life DIY, but players who prefer a more streamlined experience may want to keep this in mind.
Don’t expect solutions to go full IKEA: only one screw may be needed to realign a whole bench, for instance. But if you’re thinking that there can’t be much challenge in playing with screws and light bulbs, think again. The puzzles are environmental as well, and one of the later hurdles I came across was actually quite devious and required serious exploration before I figured out the solution. My biggest tip? Don’t forget to look up. Often.
Glitchcraft
You’ll find random, glitchy objects strewn about the world, from staplers to comically large calculators. These can be fed into a trash chute in exchange for tokens, which can be used to purchase limited numbers of spare parts at vending machines. (You may need to repair the vending machine first.)
As a fan of crafting games, my short experience with The Lift’s craft system was a notable highlight.
Late in the demo I also gained access to crafting, and I wish I’d had more time to tinker around with it! Feeding specific numbers of those same glitchy objects into a crafting machine transforms them into snazzy new fix-’em-up modules. If one tricky circuit board is giving you a headache, your craft room may be just the place to find its broken part.
As a fan of crafting games, my short experience with The Lift’s craft system was a notable highlight. This build’s craftables only feature the basics like cables and power units, but I can’t wait to see what else we may be able to make later on. More bees to get circuit boards buzzing again? Even zanier tools?
The Lift’s developers say that they’re aiming for a much more hopeful, positive take on the Soviet concept of productivity, but I can't say I felt much of that idealism myself. The narrative instead hints more at instability (in a science-gone-awry way – no dystopian government to be seen here). This definitely isn’t a downside – but positive Soviet satire is an uncommon theme that I’m hoping the finished game will lean more into, and maybe even be defined by.
I think that fans of the puzzle genre will be refreshed by The Lift’s new take on problem-solving. Overall, the execution of the fiddling-and-fixing gameplay is spot-on, and there’s great satisfaction to be had in watching lights flicker on and systems come back online. And despite my rather insignificant annoyance of the wordy characters, I actually can’t wait to tinker more, mend bigger and weirder machines, and see where this strange story (and its goop) leads when The Lift comes out next year.
Microsoft has confirmed the Xbox Game Pass September 2025 Wave 1 lineup of titles, which is headlined by beloved indie game Hades.
But first, available today, is Roadcraft, where you operate a fleet of authentic construction vehicles to restore roads and repair bridges. It's available on Xbox Game Pass Standard and Ultimate.
Tomorrow, September 17, brings a flurry of titles to Xbox Game Pass Standard subscribers, which Ultimate owners will already have access to. These include Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (the one from 2023, not 2011), roguelite tabletop-style role-player For the King 2, and the Game Preview version of city builder Overthrown.
Also available tomorrow, September 17, is Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor, a single-player survival shooter spin-off. It's available on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.
Just a day later, September 18 brings the Xbox Series X/S version of Frostpunk 2 to Game Pass Ultimate, after its previous release on PC. This post-apocalyptic snow-ridden survival game is perfect for the chillier and, frankly, more depressing months. It's twinned with open-world physics sandbox Wobbly Life, which arrives for PC and Xbox Series X/S on the same day.
This month's main attraction, Hades, turns up at the end of this week on September 19. Hades will likely need little introduction, though if you're yet to play this godly roguelike, the game's upcoming fifth anniversary will see it join Xbox Game Pass across Standard, PC and Ultimate tiers. Have at it!
And that's not all — Microsoft has packed the end of September with a further set of Game Pass arrivals, including PC strategy game Endless Legend 2 on September 22, co-op action roguelike Sworn on September 23, and Peppa Pig: World Adventures (yes, that's the one which stars and is also dedicated to the late Queen Elizabeth II) on September 25.
September 25 is also when role-playing game fans get a chance to play Visions of Mana through Game Pass, whether you're a Standard, PC or Ultimate subscriber. The end of the month is then rounded out by isometric adventure classic Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light on September 30.
Finally, a sneak peek into October, which will bring the day-one launch of narrative adventure Sopa — Tale of the Stolen Potato on October 7, and a trio of additional games for Xbox Game Pass Core members. More on those below.
Xbox Game Pass September 2025 Wave 2 lineup:
September 16 - RoadCraft (Cloud and Xbox Series X|S) Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Standard
Disney has teased the rise of Robert Downey Jr's Doctor Doom with a fresh look at the character's design, superpowers, and a big tease for how he may establish his dominance in Avengers: Doomsday.
At the Showcase Expo in China, Disney put on a lightshow spectacular to showcase Avengers: Doomsday's star villain. Of particular note was a recreation of the iconic moment from Marvel Comics' 2015 Secret Wars run, where Doom kills Thanos in dramatic fashion.
In the comics, Doom punches Thanos' chest and pulls out his spine, instantly turning the all-powerful titan into a skeleton. And now, Disney has showcased a new version of this moment — leading some to suggest Avengers: Doomsday will feature a similar scene.
An official ‘AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY’ light show was showcased at a Walt Disney Studios Marketing Expo in Shanghai. pic.twitter.com/Z3Vd0iwgP9
Of course, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thanos is already very dead — he was snapped out of existence by Tony Stark in the finale of Avengers: Endgame. But instead, MCU fans believe Disney may have a different supervillain in its sights to get skeleton-ised — Kang — which would certainly tie up his storyline.
While there's no confirmation that Kang will be revisited following Disney's firing of actor Jonathon Majors, some fans believe Doomsday will do something, however brief, to show Doom taking over as the Avengers' main threat.
It's easy to imagine the film opening with Doom exterminating the very last Council of Kangs member (perhaps we see them from behind, or in silhouette, so Majors isn't required). With this, the ending of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is swiftly acknowledged, Doom's quest to rule the multiverse is immediately established, and his power is quickly made clear — before the supervillain turns his sights on our beloved Avengers.
Little is known officially of Avengers: Doomsday's plot, but many fans believe that Doctor Doom will be introduced as a relatable antagonist, on a mission to stop the multiverse from imploding after repeated incursions between universes by our pesky heroes. If so, squashing every version of Kang would likely be on Doom's to-do list, before they cause an all-out multiversal war.
The only issue then is the fact that many of the MCU's finest heroes (Loki, Doctor Strange, Spider-Man, Captain Marvel) have also been meddling with the multiverse in recent years — meaning that Doom may also have them in his sights. And, if recent set photos are to be believed, it may also mean Avengers: Endgame's happy ending for one character is also suddenly at risk.
The Academy Award-winning star of the likes of All the President's Men and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid cofounded the Sundance Film Festival in 1981. According to the New York Times, he died early Tuesday morning at his home in Utah.
Redford's publicist Cindi Berger told the BBC the actor died "at Sundance in the mountains of Utah — the place he loved, surrounded by those he loved."
"He will be missed greatly," Berger continued, adding that the family are requesting privacy.
As well as All the President's Men and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Redford starred in the likes of 1967's Barefoot in the Park and 1972's The Candidate. He received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in 1973 crime caper The Sting.
Happy 85th birthday to Robert Redford, who was born #OnThisDay 1936. While on Parkinson in 1980, he talked about a long running practical joke between him and Paul Newman. pic.twitter.com/YiYT9WN3w3
He went on to star in 70s classics such as The Way We Were, Three Days of the Condor, the aforementioned All the President's Men, and The Electric Horseman. All the President's Men, in which Redford starred alongside Dustin Hoffman, was a particular highlight. The much-loved 1976 American biographical political thriller film told the story of the Watergate scandal that brought down the presidency of Richard Nixon. It was based on the 1974 non-fiction book by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward, the two journalists investigating the scandal for The Washington Post, and who were played by Hoffman and Redford respectively. All the President's Men went on to become essential viewing for journalists in training across the globe.
Redford enjoyed success as a director, too; 1980's Ordinary People (his directorial debut) won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.He received Best Director and Best Picture nominations in 1995 for Quiz Show.
More recently, Redford starred in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Alexander Pierce in 2014's Captain America: The Winter Soldier, then reprised the role for 2019's Avengers: Endgame. He had been mostly retired from acting since.
Horror legend Stephen King tweeted to pay tribute to Redford, saying: "He was part of a new and exciting Hollywood in the 70s and 80s. Hard to believe he was 89." Stark Trek actor William Shatner took to social media to offer "condolences to the family of Robert Redford."
Marlee Matlin, who won the Oscar for Best Actress for playing Sarah Norman in 1986's Children of a Lesser God, wrote on X: “Our film, CODA, came to the attention of everyone because of Sundance. And Sundance happened because of Robert Redford. A genius has passed. RIP Robert.”
RIP Robert Redford, the archetypal movie star — a Brad Pitt–type figure of his time — who used his fame to campaign for the Democratic Party, for environmentalism, social justice, LGBT rights, and more, and who created the incredible Sundance Film Festival. A great American… pic.twitter.com/ADpcNK5STW
Oscar-nominated actor Colman Domingo also paid tribute, tweeting: "With love and admiration. Thank you Mr. Redford for your everlasting impact. Will be felt for generations. R.I.P."
James Dreyfus added: "Terrific actor, brilliant director. Truly legendary."
Photo by Rich Polk/Getty Images for IMDb.
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.
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