The iconic voice behind Commander Shepard, Jennifer Hale, hasn’t been asked to return for Mass Effect 5, but “would be there before they finish the sentence” if asked.

Hale, the actress who gave life to “FemShep," the protagonist of the Mass Effect trilogy, spoke to IGN recently and expressed her desire to return to perhaps her most beloved character.

But, it turns out, it wouldn’t even need to be the temptation of reprising her role as Commander Shepard that would lure her back to the series, but just being able to step back into that world once again in any form.

Pokémon Legends: Z-A sold almost six million copies in its opening week.

In a statement, The Pokémon Company announced that Pokémon Legends: Z-A, which debuted on October 16, has already sold 5.8 million units worldwide, with around half of those bought for Nintendo's new console, the Switch 2.

This means the first Pokémon game to feature real-time Pokémon battles is the fifth best-selling game of the franchise in terms of first week sales.

By comparison, that's more than Pokémon X/Y and Let's Go Pikachu / Eevee managed in their first weeks, but, according to X / Twitter user Pierre485, not as much as Pokémon Scarlet / Violet, Pokémon Legends: Arceus, and Pokémon Sword / Shield managed.

First Week Sales for Pokemon games pic.twitter.com/VdQlBCg4bi

— Pierre485 (@pierre485_) October 24, 2025

Pokémon Legends: Z-A is set in Lumiose City, where an urban redevelopment plan is underway to shape the city into a place that belongs to both people and Pokémon and features a new battle system. It returned 8/10 in IGN's review in which we concluded: "Pokémon Legends: Z-A finally feels like Game Freak hitting its stride in Pokémon’s 3D era, with a fun setting to explore, a well-written story, and a total battle system overhaul that works surprisingly well."

For more, check out our guide to Pokemon Legends: Z-A's new battle system, as well as our tips to catch Eevee, Gengar, and where to find all colors of Flabebe. You can learn more about the starter Pokémon and their evolutions in our Wiki guide, check out our Side Missions List to make sure you don't miss anything, and ensure you're dressed to impress with our All Clothing Stores and Clothing in Pokémon Legends: Z-A.

Did you know Pokémon Legends: Z-A has a terrifying zone called Wild Zone 17, which can be scary depending on the time of day?

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.

Johnny Depp is reportedly in final talks to star in Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol for Paramount Pictures. Depp would play the title role of Ebenezer Scrooge, following in the footsteps of the likes of Bill Murray, Michael Caine, and Jim Carrey.

Variety reported that the adaptation of the Charles Dickens novel, if it goes ahead, would come out on November 13, 2026. Horror movie director Ti West, who’s behind the likes of Maxxxine and Pearl, has signed on, with Andrea Riseborough, who was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in 2022’s To Leslie (2022), set to co-star.

After a number of leaks, Ubisoft has finally made it official: Assassin's Creed Shadows will release for Nintendo Switch 2 on December 2 priced $59.99 / £49.99.

The Nintendo Switch 2 version includes all content updates introduced since the game’s release, as well as cross progression across all platforms and touch screen support, "making navigation of menus, maps, and the hideout more intuitive than ever."

Ubisoft has also confirmed Assassin's Creed Shadows is Game-Key Card game, which means Switch 2 players will have to download the game before they can play. Game-Key Cards have sparked a vociferous debate because they're essentially useless unless your console is connected to the internet.

In September, a Ubisoft developer who worked on the Nintendo port of Star Wars Outlaws defended the use of Game-Key Cards, saying the real reason why the Switch 2 version of Star Wars Outlaws uses a Game-Key Card was due to the console's data speeds, and how quickly the hardware can read information from its bespoke cartridges, versus games downloaded to the console's internal memory.

Later in September, Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy director Naoki Hamaguchi implied that developers are choosing Game-Key Cards not necessarily from a cost perspective, but a performance one, as the format enables them to bring smoother-running games to the Switch 2. Nintendo recently launched a survey designed to poll the Switch 2 userbase on its thoughts surrounding digital and physical games.

In Assassin's Creed Shadows, you choose between a Shinobi or Samurai and explore the open world of Feudal Japan, from spectacular castle towns and bustling ports to peaceful shrines and pastoral landscapes. IGN's Assassin's Creed Shadows review returned an 8/10. We said: "By sharpening the edges of its existing systems, Assassin’s Creed Shadows creates one of the best versions of the open-world style it’s been honing for the last decade."

Earlier this week, IGN reported that Assassin's Creed franchise boss Marc-Alexis Côté had departed Ubisoft after a career spanning more than 20 years. Just a few days later, Côté made it clear that his shock exit from Ubisoft was not his decision.

In a post on LinkedIn, Côté said he bore "no resentment," but wanted to make clear to former colleagues and fans that he had not quit the Assassin's Creed franchise after 15 years of his own free will. The news came just two weeks after Assassin's Creed, Ubisoft's biggest brand, became operated by Vantage Studios, the separate business entity formed by Ubisoft with a 25% stake from Chinese giant Tencent that will also now oversee all future Far Cry and Rainbow Six games.

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.

Star Wars fans want Adam Driver's The Hunt for Ben Solo movie so much they flew a banner over Disney studios.

Collider reported on the banner, which read “Save The Hunt for Ben Solo,” as it flew over Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California. Collider interviewed Lianna Al Allaf, the Star Wars fan who commissioned it, who said: "I really hope this banner shows the decision makers at Disney that the fans really do want this. I hope this banner shows just how much the character of Ben Solo means to so many of us, and that the fans really do want this movie.”

Star Wars fans paid for a plane to fly over Disney Studios with a banner reading “Save The Hunt for Ben Solo”

📸: @Collider pic.twitter.com/MhuzNVtwdL

— Star Wars Holocron (@sw_holocron) October 23, 2025

This week, Kylo Ren actor Adam Driver revealed he and director Steven Soderbergh spent two years developing a Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker follow-up called The Hunt for Ben Solo, but Disney said no to the proposal.

Speaking to the Associated Press, Driver said that because Disney had officially declined the movie, he was now able to talk about it.

Driver played Ben Solo / Kylo Ren in each of the three films in Lucasfilm’s Sequel Trilogy, with his final appearance in 2019’s divisive The Rise of Skywalker. “I always was interested in doing another Star Wars,” Driver said. He revealed he had been in talks about another Star Wars movie since 2021, and that Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy had “reached out.”

“I always said: with a great director and a great story, I’d be there in a second,” Driver commented. “I loved that character and loved playing him.”

The idea was The Hunt for Ben Solo, a movie directed by Soderbergh set after The Rise of Skywalker. Of course, it’s hard to imagine Ben Solo in any future Star Wars film after his heroic death at the end of the movie (a fatally wounded Ben uses his remaining Force power to revive Rey and they kiss before he dies). But apparently Driver felt there was unfinished business for his character.

The movie was pitched to Kennedy, Lucasfilm vice president Cary Beck, and Lucasfilm chief creative officer Dave Filoni, and they were apparently interested. Scott Z. Burns was drafted in to write a script, which Driver described as “one of the coolest (expletive) scripts I had ever been a part of.” Driver said Lucasfilm “loved the idea” and “totally understood our angle and why we were doing it.”

However, Disney CEO Bob Iger and Disney co-chairman Alan Bergman said no. "They didn’t see how Ben Solo was alive. And that was that,” he said. Soderbergh told AP: “I really enjoyed making the movie in my head. I’m just sorry the fans won’t get to see it.” Disney and Lucasfilm declined to comment.

Driver was described as feeling mystified by the decision, insisting the plan was to “be judicial about how to spend money and be economical with it, and do it for less than most but in the same spirit of what those movies are, which is handmade and character-driven.” He pointed to the much-loved Empire Strikes Back as being “the standard of what those movies were.”

Disney and Lucasfilm have so far declined to comment.

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.

Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer appeared on a moderated panel with Double Fine Studio Head Tim Schafer at the Paley International Council Summit in Palo Alto, California today, discussing "Big Ideas, Small Games: Creativity Beyond the Blockbuster." In the panel, moderated by Idilio CEO Gabriela Tafur, Spencer was asked about AI use at Xbox. He said that Xbox does use AI, but probably not how you might think.

"Our applications of AI today are mostly actually on the security and protection of our networks," he said, referring to voice and text chat on Xbox Live. "It's now at a scale where you can't really moderate the safety of those with just people alone. The volume is too high. So we have AI that we use to make sure that the conversation and topics that are happening, and for protected child accounts and other things and who gets to talk to those accounts to those people, is locked down by parents or guardians who are setting those controls. That's our primary use of AI inside of our organization today, which maybe isn't the most glamorous use of AI, but it's something that I fundamentally believe in."

He did, however, address the big question of AI use in the creative process of making games: "On the creative side, I really leave it up to the teams," he said. "I have found that creative teams will use tools that make their job easier when it makes their job easier, and any top-down mandate that 'Thou must use a certain tool'...is not really a path to success. I look at the teams, and we make tools available, and I kind of let it organically percolate."

He stayed on the AI topic, but pivoted to the idea of how it might be used for game discovery. "An area that you've talked about that's interesting is discovery," he told Tafur. "How do I find the next thing that I might love? In that scenario where we are looking at some of the AI tools – it's not in practice today – but is there a way for us to use discovery based on things that you've done in the past to surface the next thing that you might not know about that might be interesting to you?

"On the production side, which I think is where a lot of people go...we don't have any goals in our model for that to happen. I think more about the pace of creativity, maybe the number of things we can try and take risks on before we decide on our next opportunity. But our AI use today is much more operational than it is in the creative space."

Be sure to tune in to our weekly Xbox show, Unlocked, for long-form discussion on everything happening in the world of Xbox.

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.

Costco has revealed its Black Friday schedule for 2025 and you can already check out what deals will be coming to a warehouse near you. The annual holiday shopping booklet was leaked by Costco Insider earlier this week with all of the dates, and every page is now available as an ad scan. You can expect the first round of holiday deals at Costco to kick off on Halloween, which is the same time Best Buy is planning on launching its early Black Friday sale this year. Here's a full breakdown of the Costco Black Friday schedule:

The official Costco Black Friday sale kicks off on November 17 this year, but there are more savings launching on Thanksgiving. Costco warehouses will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, but you can still start shopping online before the sale resumes in stores on Black Friday. The main sales are currently only set to run through Cyber Monday, so Black Friday weekend will be the ideal time to shop.

What Black Friday Deals to Expect From Costco

According to the ad scan, the Costco Black Friday sale is going to have discounts on just about everything. Gaming laptops, video game consoles, jewelry, furniture, TVs, and appliances are all included in this year's price cuts. You can check out the full Black Friday weekend ad scan for yourself in the Reddit thread below.

Some of the most notable discounts featured here are $120 off of PS5 consoles and savings on Apple stuff. The ad itself doesn't reveal what the actual discounts on Apple products will be this year, but the image features everything from MacBooks to AirPods. The discount on the PS5 is also noteworthy because Sony increased prices on PlayStation consoles by $50 earlier this year and it was unclear how substantial the discounts would be to offset that during Black Friday.

If you're looking to upgrade your home theater setup, it looks like Costco will also be dropping $220 off the price of the the popular Sonos Arc Ultra soundbar. The last time we saw that go on sale was during Labor Day weekend and that was only $100 off.

For more upcoming sale dates, check out our guide to all of the Black Friday sales announced for 2025 so far.

It's been a week where my willpower evaporated faster than dog water out in this crazy hot October heat. Between a stack of heavy hitters and cult faves going for pocket change, your cart may just fill itself before your smoko coffee can get gulped. I’ve played (and replayed) most of these gems, so trust me when I say this is a line-up worth smashing the buy button for.

Contents

• Retro
• Nintendo
• Xbox
• PlayStation
• PC
• LEGO

This Day in Gaming 🎂

In retro news, I'm celebrating the 22nd bday of the mouthful that is Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3. I remember this as arguably the best version of SMB3, with a proto-QR code mechanic that used a link cable to connect a second GBA with an e-Reader. Then, using one of 40+ specially printed cards, you'd unlock exclusive levels, demos, and basically "amiibo" yourself in-game power-ups, like the Cape Feather from Super Mario World (!!!). Mercifully, the Switch Online version just bundles all those cards in.

Aussie birthdays for notable games.

- Ace Combat 2 (PS) 1997. Sequel

- FF Tactics Advance (GBA) 2003. eBay

- Super Mario Advance 4 (GBA) 2003. Sequel

- F-Zero GX (GC) 2003. eBay

- Midnight Club: L.A. (PS3,X360) 2008. eBay

- The Unfinished Swan (PS3) 2012. eBay

- Rocksmith 2014 (PC,PS3,X360) 2014. Sequel

- Bayonetta 2 (WiiU) 2014. Sequel

- Zelda: Tri Force Heroes (3DS) 2015. Get

Nice Savings for Nintendo Switch

• Super Smash Bros. Ult. (-23%) A$69 *Low stock* A frantic party brawler that’s still the ultimate celebration of Nintendo history, packing fighters from every corner of gaming into one endlessly replayable package.
• Persona 5 Tactica (-73%) A$25.50 A clever spin-off that transforms the Phantom Thieves’ stylish flair into grid-based tactics, blending humour, rebellion and flashy Persona powers with deep strategy.
• Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes (-50%) A$39.90 Musou mayhem meets strategy as familiar Three Houses characters charge through massive battlefields in this fast, satisfying hack-and-slash adventure.
• Dragon Ball FighterZ (-46%) A$48.90 Arc System Works’ 2.5D fighter nails the anime’s explosive look and pace, offering one of the best tag-team brawlers in years.
• Yoshi's Crafted World (-27%) A$58 A charming cardboard diorama of platforming whimsy, with Yoshi waddling through handcrafted stages that ooze creativity and cuteness.
• Mario Tennis Aces (-27%) A$58 A surprisingly tactical sports title that mixes power shots, trick returns, and classic Mushroom Kingdom chaos in every match.

What's Big on the Radar?
Current hotcakes selling

• Super Mario Galaxy 1 + 2 - $79
• Pokémon Legends: Z-A - $78
• Super Mario Party Jamboree - $64

Or gift a Nintendo eShop Card.

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Exciting Bargains for Xbox

• Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden (-61%) A$39 A soulful supernatural action-RPG from Dontnod that balances ghost-hunting combat with emotional storytelling about love, loss, and letting go.
• Hogwarts Legacy (-57%) A$47.10 A dream come true for Potter fans, letting you roam the castle, learn spells, and duel dark wizards in a lavish open-world Wizarding World adventure.
• Alan Wake 2 (-70%) A$27.20 Remedy’s haunting sequel dives deep into psychological horror, blending detective work, metafiction, and unsettlingly stylish storytelling.
• Grand Theft Auto V (-52%) A$29 The open-world classic remains a chaotic playground of crime, cars, and comedy that still feels unmatched in scale and polish.
• The Quarry (-74%) A$29 From the creators of Until Dawn, this cinematic teen horror story is packed with jump scares, moral choices, and movie-quality performances.

Xbox One

• NBA 2K26 (-42%) A$69 The latest basketball sim refines shooting and dribbling yet again, delivering slick presentation and plenty of modes for hoops heads.
• Assassin's Creed The Ezio Col. (-37%) A$44 Relive Ezio’s legendary trilogy of stealth, swordplay, and intrigue in a package that chronicles Assassin’s Creed at its storytelling peak.
• Assassin's Creed Mirage (-63%) A$29 A back-to-basics entry returning to stealth, parkour, and old-school assassination thrills set in a gorgeously realised Baghdad.

What's Big on the Radar?
Headed out the door quick

• Battlefield 6 - A$89
• Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds - A$89
• Borderlands 4 - A$99

Or just invest in an Xbox Card.

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Pure Scores for PlayStation

• Dragon's Dogma 2 (-43%) A$61 Capcom’s massive open-world sequel builds on the cult classic with richer combat, smarter pawns, and sprawling fantasy adventure.
• Grand Theft Auto V (-52%) A$29 Los Santos got a slick 4K makeover, with faster loading and performance options that make revisiting GTA’s crime saga worthwhile.
• Armored Core VI Fires of Rubicon (-31%) A$69 FromSoftware’s mech epic delivers punishing battles, gorgeous explosions, and customisation depth that rewards tactical precision.
• Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii (-31%) A$69 Ichiban’s island holiday takes a wild turn in this comedic RPG full of turn-based brawls, karaoke chaos, and tropical nonsense.
• Like a Dragon: Ishin! (-49%) A$51.30 A historical spin-off where samurai swagger meets Yakuza mayhem, retelling 1860s Japan with stylish swordplay and political intrigue.

PS4

• Batman: Arkham Col. (-59%) A$34.90 Rocksteady’s trilogy remains the gold standard for superhero action, packed with tight combat, dark storytelling, and obsessive detail.
• Crysis Rem. Trilogy (-26%) A$55.90 The iconic PC shooters recharged for console, showcasing nanosuits, open combat zones, and improved visuals that finally run smoothly.
• Riders Republic (-62%) A$38.40 A chaotic extreme-sports playground mixing bikes, boards, wingsuits and snow for thrill-seekers craving a multiplayer adrenaline rush.

What's Big on the Radar?
Fast movers shifting

• COD Black Ops 7 - A$89
• Battlefield 6 - A$89
• Borderlands 4 - A$99

Or purchase a PS Store Card.

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Purchase Cheap for PC

• Persona 5 Royal (-68%) A$30.30 The definitive version of Atlus’s stylish JRPG masterpiece, packed with new characters, confidants, and dozens more hours of turn-based brilliance.
• Dredge (-60%) A$14.60 A quietly haunting fishing adventure where Lovecraftian horror lurks beneath tranquil waters and every catch might just stare back.
• Undertale (-75%) A$3.60 The cult classic RPG that flips expectations, offering kindness or chaos in a witty, emotional journey that still hits hard years later.
• Mass Effect Leg. Ed. (-92%) A$7.10 BioWare’s epic sci-fi trilogy remastered for modern PCs, reuniting Commander Shepard and crew in a saga that defined a generation.
• Metaphor: ReFantazio (-51%) A$56.90 From the Persona team comes an all-new fantasy JRPG, merging turn-based strategy and surreal style in a mysterious, dreamlike kingdom.

Or just get a Steam Wallet Card

Legit LEGO Deals

• Captain America vs. Thanos (-35%) - A$39.20
• Mario Kart - Toad's Garage (-35%) - A$39
• Hogwarts Castle: Flying Lessons (-33%) - A$87
• Jango Fett Helmet (-32%) - A$87.90

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Halloween may be right around the corner, but the winter holiday season will come at us just as fast. If you're a big Zelda fan or have special someone in your life that is obsessed, Hallmark has a handful of awesome ornaments spanning the franchise's storied history you can buy right now. Ranging in price from $12 to $32, purchasing one of these won't break the bank and will last for holidays to come. If you're looking for an affordable Legend of Zelda gift to buy ahead of the 2025 Christmas season, this is a delightful option worth considering.

Legend of Zelda Hallmark Ornaments

Pretty much every era from Zelda's history is represented with these ornaments, from the NES original 8-bit Link to 2023's Tears of the Kingdom Decayed Master Sword. The Link with his sword and shield ornament is another notable inclusion, since it plays classic Zelda tunes at the push of a button. I personally would have appreciated some Twilight Princess love with this collection, but I can't complain with what's on offer here.

Each ornament is only a few inches in every dimension, so storing them efficiently in the off-season or utilizing them as year-round decor is definitely on the table. I have a game shelf that the Toon Link ornament would be right at home on. The 8-bit Link ornament is low on stock, so if you've had your eye on it, now's the perfect time to pick one up.

More Hallmark Nintendo Ornaments

Naturally, The Legend of Zelda franchise isn't the only Nintendo property receiving the Hallmark treatment. There's an Elephant Mario from Super Mario Bros. Wonder would look great on any Christmas tree, and the winter hat Rowlet is one of the cutest things I've ever seen.

Is Hallmark a Good Ornament Brand?

Hallmark isn't the only ornament brand out there, but it is certainly one of the most well-known. The main appeal of Hallmark Keepsake ornaments is that the brand offers yearly releases from popular IPs like Nintendo, Star Wars, Disney, and more. If you're looking for a little piece of your favorite movie or video game to hang on your tree, it's most likely going to be a Hallmark-branded ornament. Seeing as the ornaments are officially-licensed, they are also likely to be of higher quality than any knock-off brands you find elsewhere.

Myles Obenza is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Bluesky @mylesobenza.bsky.social.

Do you remember the worst day of your life? It’s okay; you don’t have to answer. I do. I was doing something I loved, I made a mistake, and a story someone else told about it for their own purposes cost me almost everything I had. People I thought were my friends walked out of my life, doors slammed shut in my face, and everything I’d worked for evaporated. My family resorted to communication by postcard because I refused to answer the phone, and I spent the next two years contemplating suicide before finally finding some semblence of peace. Nearly a decade later, those moments, that mistake – such a little thing, really – impacts every aspect of my life. I spend a lot of time grappling with that, wondering if I’ll ever be the person I was before that moment again. I don’t know the answer.

The worst day of Clementine McKinney’s life reminded me a lot of my own, though it came inside the cockpit of a Raptor mech rather than behind a keyboard. She made a decision, one rooted in trying to do the right thing and defend people she loved, and it cost her everything she had. Clementine McKinney died that day, and Graveyard Clem was born from the ashes. Bounty Star is about who you are after the worst day of your life, about what you do when the only option is to climb back into the machine that put you there in the first place. I didn’t have a choice; neither does Clem. We don’t know how to do anything else.

Clem is a bounty hunter. Building and piloting a Raptor is all she knows, and it’s the main thing you’ll do across the roughly 15-20 hours it took me to finish Bounty Star’s story (though there is ample replayability if you want it). After her world collapses, her friend Jake Triminy, the local marshall of a post-plague future that caused the collapse of human civilization and the return of the dinosaurs, sets her up with an old workshop that has enough space to double as a farm. Nobody much trusts her after what happened, so the bounties she is offered are for small fry: local bandits and the like. You spend her money to buy food and cook it in her kitchen for stat increases before going out on a mission. The first time she gets into her Raptor after the decision she made inside one destroyed her life, she spends a long time staring at the ol’ girl, her heart beating fast. Then she closes her eyes, exhales, and gets to work. Clem sees the irony, but it might also be her only way out. Both she and I sit in that cockpit, but we are not in the same place.

Clem wears her battles on her body. There’s a nasty burn on the side of her neck, a deep scar on the right side of her face, and another on the opposite cheek. She’s not young anymore; if you leave her alone long enough, she’ll stretch and complain about the way her body is failing her, even though her physique tells the story of a woman who builds Raptors and welds steel. Her clothes are covered in engine grease and stained with sweat. Her accent bears the twang of the American South. She drinks, smokes, plays guitar, and swears like it’s going out of style – and yet, when she gets stuck on a problem, she’ll pull out a stuffed dinosaur named Jeremy and talk to him until she realizes the solution. After a completed bounty, Clem sits on her Raptor and writes down her thoughts in a small journal, a warrior poet hoping that she’ll find herself in the words she arranges on the page. She is a person, messy and flawed and glorious, and I loved her in the way you love a kindred soul, someone whose failings you understand and strengths you admire.

Once you've got your assignment, it's time to outfit your Raptor and get to work. Raptors are relatively tiny mechs – think an Armored Core’s AC, but smaller, less well armed, and faster. They have melee and ranged weapons that range from chainswords and giant hammers to assault rifles and grenade launchers. You can customize them to fit your playstyle even further by popping in things like a booster for quick dodges, a burst repairer for on-the-spot healing, or a thermal computer to restore your Raptor to its base temperature faster.

There's a lot to consider: each weapon has one of three types (Blade, Bludgeoning, Boom) that operate in a rock, paper, scissors style against different types of armor. Weapons and systems also build or reduce heat. Too much or too little, and your Raptor will shut down until it comes back under control, leaving you vulnerable. But there are benefits. High heat speeds up your melee weapon swings, while a cooler Raptor fires its guns more quickly.

Some bounties are only available in the morning, afternoon, or evening. It’s cooler at night, so weapons that generate heat are more viable than they would be in the afternoon, when you'll want systems to keep your Raptor running cool. The right build takes your targets, time of day, and heat into account, and there is a joy in stepping into Clem's mind, getting under the hood, and building a smooth-running rig.

In the field, a Raptor is nimble but purposeful, a force of fury and steel. It can dodge and run to avoid fire, but when you swing that chainsword, you commit to its weight and momentum. An assault rifle will kill a man in a single shot, but it will be less effective against a Driller mech built heavy for mining and repurposed by outlaws for combat. A double-barreled shotgun will chew through an unmanned Sieger, but you'll need to be more precise against another mech. The heavier enemies – Drillers, Raptors like yours – have stability that must be reduced before your melee weapons stagger them, but once it's gone, a hammer, chainsword, or flame gauntlet will rock them to the frame, steel grinding against steel until something breaks. But be wary of counter-attacks, which can stop your offense cold and send your Raptor reeling. To compensate, you have melee and dash tricks of your own. Cancel a swing of your hammer into an evasive maneuver while leaping backward and firing your shotgun, or dash forward into a swing of a built-for-a-mech baseball bat. To fight another Raptor is to tango, two gunslingers circling until one finds an opening.

It’s satisfying, though repetition does set in when you see the same Raptor, the same Sieger, the same group of enemies again and again, especially during the Low Priority repeatable bounties you’ll do between High Priority story missions. The environments Clem navigates, clearly a loving tribute to the American Southwest, are stunning at least. Though you’ll see some of the maps several times, many of them never lose their beauty, especially at night. Variety is found in optional objectives that offer additional cash and challenge you to take no damage, use a specific build, complete a bounty quickly, destroy objects scattered around the environment, find a hidden item, and so on. And it is always worth scavenging an area to find secret chests for additional rewards like world lore, resources, or even blueprints for new weapons or recipes for Clem to whip up in the kitchen.

Between bounties, you’ll use the money Clem earns to build up her new home and improve her Raptor. Things start small. But soon enough, you’re crafting new weapons, unlocking additional slots or loadouts, producing your own fuel, making your own ammunition, growing crops, and raising chickens. As she rebuilds herself, a place she didn’t want to be becomes a home. These chores are minor – feed the chickens, water the plants, sow new seeds, make sure the fuel producing systems have enough water, cook a meal before you head out – but I found joy in the repetition of a life lived outside of the cockpit, of seeing the real, tangible progress Clem and I were making on our journeys of healing.

A I invested more time and money into the farm, I was able to do these jobs faster, more efficiently. Carrying water to each plant will get the job done. But it’s much more fun to build a firearm-activated irrigation system, to watch empty space get filled in by the work you’ve done, slowly, piece by piece. Isn’t that a life? And my Raptor was becoming fiercer, too, the bounties bigger. At the start, one feeds the other. The Raptor. The farm. Over time, they intertwine, and it’s harder to see where one ends and the other begins.

In one of her journal entries, Clem reflects on her relationship with Raptors, wondering if she should loathe them on principle as machines of war or lean into the power and joy she feels while piloting one. It’s a question not just for her, but us as the player, too. She opts for the latter, partly because she has no choice, and partly because she feels she is making the world a better place by removing bad men from it. You can thankfully take bounties alive or scare off dinosaurs with fireworks instead of killing them (and sometimes you are paid more for it), but you’re going to rack up a lot of bodies either way. The home she builds is the opposite of that. At first, she resents it, wanting out as quickly as she can find a way. But she comes to see its potential. Soon, I was making just as much money from farming as I was from bounty hunting. What was a chore became a way of life.

And as she builds a new life, other characters come to inhabit it. She befriends a reformed bandit who offers her a way to relive past battles, useful for completing optional objectives in bygone story missions; a former thief atoning for his crimes by wearing a ridiculous steak outfit and selling meat as Mr. Meat; a miner trapped inside his suit who has dedicated himself to building an ethical mine for other miners; a weapons dealer who becomes a confidant; a giant insect driven from its colony who becomes a friend (and, when fed and watered, a weapon to be mounted on a Raptor).

Each is a mirror that offers Clem a chance to reflect on her life, her choices, to show us who she is, and who she still might be. Shall she be a woman at war with herself, reliving the battles that brought her here? There are many kinds of prisons. Some you carry with you wherever you go. Clem’s Raptor could be a cell. But it could be armor, too, the key to something else. Something better. The past is prologue, but it doesn't have to define us. We choose who we are every day.

Bounty Star is a simple game. You would never mistake it for something with a ton of money behind it, though the writing and voice acting are excellent. And there were times it frustrated me, such as when it locked story progression behind building an engine I couldn’t afford. (Luckily, I had a pretty sizable farm at that point, and chicken eggs and corn command a premium.) It crashed on me a few times. It can be repetitive. I’m not sure I care about much of that, but it was part of my experience. But I did care about Clem, about her story, the people she loved and who loved her in return. This town takes in all kinds. I wanted her to rebuild her life, and that saw me through.

The Galaxies Showcase has arrived and it featured more than 50 games, six world premieres, exclusive reveals, demo drops, and much more, including the long-awaited release date for Mouse: P.I. For Hire, a release window for the Tony Hawk meets Trains game called Denshattack! and a new look at Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2.

There were a ton of big moments from the show, and this guide has gathered them all to ensure you don't miss a thing. Be sure to let us know which game you are most looking forward to below!

Mouse: P.I. For Hire Will Officially Arrive in March 2026

Mouse: P.I. For Hire, the much-anticipated stylized first-person boomer shooter where players will become Jack Pepper across a jazz-filled adventure with a mystery to solve. Oh, and it's all wrapped in a black and white 1930's cartoon aesthetic.

Denshattack! Is Like Tony Hawk With Trains and It's Out in Spring 2026

In the perfect mix of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater and Japanese Trains, Denshattack! wants you to perform skateboard tricks as a speeding train. It sounds ridiculous, but that's what makes us so excited for it in Spring 2026 on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.

Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 Is a Retro FPS That Lets You Obliterate Heretics in the Name of the Emperor

Pick up where the original left off in Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2, a retro FPS that encourages you to obliterate heretics in the name of the Emperor. Take on the role of Malum Caedo once again and visit the colossal heights of a hive cit, the impenetrable mangrove swamps of a jungle, and much more with youe chainsword, shotgun, and other deadly Space Marine weapons. Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 will be released on PC and consoles in 2026.

Dumb Ways to Party Requires Players to Win Using a Combination of Skill, Sabotage, and Sheer Dumb Luck

Say hello too the world's dumbest party game! Play as your favorite Bean and go head-to-head with up to four players to become the Dumbest of the Dumb by using a combination of skill, sabotage, and sheer dumb luck. Dumb Ways to Party will be released on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch 1 and 2, and PC. If you buy Dumb Ways to Die on the Epic Games Store, you'll unlock the Dumb Ways to Die Bundle in Fortnite as well!

PowerWash Simulator 2 Is Out Now and Welcomes Players Back to Clean

Get ready to bring your power washer out again as PowerWash Simulator 2 is available now on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2, and PC. Check out the launch trailer above and read our PowerWash Simulator 2 review right here.

Lead a Band of Misfits in Rockbeasts and Take Them to the Top of the Music World

Come along for a journey into Rockbeasts, where players will lead a band of misfits on a roller-coaster ride to stardom in the age of MTV, rock anthems, and bad haircuts. Lean more about the gameplay in this story-driven, role-playing management game that tasks you with taking your band to the top of the music world. Rockbeasts will be released in the future on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

Turnbound Is an Auto-Battler Where You Build a Haunted Board of Weapons, Creatures, and More

We not only got a look at Turnbound, an auto-battler where you build your very own haunted board filled with puzzle pieces representing weapons, trinkets, creatures, and more, but it was confirmed that it will be released in Early Access on PC on November 13 and that you can try a demo right now.

Run Your Own Vending Machine Shop With This New Idle Simulator Called Vending Dokan!

Have you ever dreamed of running your own vending machine shop? Vending Dokan! lets you live out this dream as it is an idle simulator with big cozy vibes. Decorate, clean, restock, and run the best shop you can in this new game that is out now on Steam in Early Access.

Become an Egg and Escape a Hen House in Egging On

Take on the unlikely role of an egg in Egging On and platform, roll, jump, climb, and even fly as you do all you can to get out of a hen house. Egging On is coming soon to PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.

Explore a Brand New World and Hunt Weird Monsters Called Apomo in Apomo District

Enter a strange new world filled with monsters called Apomo in Apomo District, and take all the time you need to explore a place that changes every day, and one you'll need to catch and cook fish, collect bugs to cast spells, and find gear to become stronger and stronger as you hunt down these weird monsters called Apomo.

Meet The Krasue, the New Killer in Dead by Daylight's Sinister Grace DLC

Dead by Daylight's Sinister Grace DLC is available now and introduces the new terrifying killer called The Krasue, a horrifying murderous singer players will get to play as or do all they can to survive against.

Sleep Awake Gets a Release Date and Begs You Not to Fall Asleep

In Sleep Awake, which now has a release date of December 2 on PC and PS5, you live in the last known city on Earth, and everyone who falls asleep ends up missing. Dive deeper into this mystery and learn the lengths people will go to stay awake.

Crosswind Lets You Live Out Your Pirate Fantasy

Become a pirate and sail the seven seas in Crosswind, a survival crafting game that also lets you build giant manors with Jolly Rogers, fight giant frogs, and sink anyone who dares to cross your path.

Shroom & Gloom Has a New Demo That Lets You Grow Your Own Deck

In Shroom & Gloom, which has a demo available now ahead of its launch on PC in the future, you get to grow your own cards as you play through a first-person roguelike where you'll need to take out all kinds of weird fungus.

Sagas of Lumin Is an RPG Filled With Dragons and We Love That

In celebration of the release of its demo on Steam, Sagas of Lumin got a new trailer that showcases this single-player action RPG that lets you enjoy both grounded and aerial combat seated atop a dragon.

Defect Wants You to Gather Friends and Take Down an Authoritarian AI

Defect is a 4v4v4v4 squad-based cyberpunk shooter that wants you to bring your friends along (or go solo!) in an effort to fight against an authoritarian AI ruling over the last human city.

Bylina Is Rooted in Slavic Folklore and Legends and Its Out Later This Year

Bylina is an upcoming game set to be released in 2025 that rooted in Slavic folklore and legends and wants you to challenge Koschei the Deathless himself. You'll also need to journey to the Far Far Kingdom to save your soul and become a true hero in this action RPG that has a heavy focus on skill-based combat.

Become a Raccoon, Wolf, and Raven in Edenfall: Legacy of the First Wardens

A new demo is now available for Edenfall: Legacy of the First Wardens, a PC game set to be released in 2026 that lets you transform into a raccoon, a wolf, and a raven to take the fight against the force leeching color from the world.

Long Drive North Hits Steam Early Access Next Month

Get ready for a solo drive or an adventure with up to four people in Long Drive North, an upcoming game set to hit Steam Early Access on November 1 that puts you in an RV and tasks players to travel, survive, and scavenge in the American Wilds that are filled with animals to hunt, old abandoned vehicles, and more.

A.I.L.A. Is an AI That Promises Everything Is Fine When It Clearly Is Not

In A.I.L.A., you play as lone game tester for a fictional AI that may be overstepping its bounds. It promises that everything is find and that you can forget all of your stress, but things really seem off, especially the scar on your hand that appeared after visiting its VR world. This upcoming first-person horror game will be released on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC in November.

Far Far West Brings Magic to the Wild West

Far Far West is much more than a game about the wild west, it's also about casting spells, dealing with monsters, and teaming up with up to three friends for some co-op FPS action and bounty hunting. Those interested can join a playtest on PC right now on Steam.

Quantic River Is a Cyberpunk 2.5D Action Game Made for Speedrunners and Explorers

Quantic River sends players to Japan's fictional United City for a cyberpunk adventure about hacking (computers) and slashing. Oh, and it's made for those who both want to speedrun the game and those who want to take their time and explore all Quantic River has to offer.

Icarus Is a PvE Survival First-Person Crafting Multiplayer Game That's Headed to Consoles Soon

Icarus, which is currently available on PC, is coming soon to PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. For those unfamiliar, Icarus is a PvE survival first-person crafting multiplayer game that is set in the aftermath of a terraforming mission gone wrong.

Explore a Comedic Fantasy World in The Bureau of Fantastical & Arcane Affairs

Enter a fantasy world in The Bureau of Fantastical & Arcane Affairs and explore and inspect different environments in this first-person comedy narrative sandbox game. What's intriguing is you can choose to fix what's wrong with this world or not and see the chaos and hilarity that ensues from your choices.

Climb and Slay Towering Creature and Remember Your Past in Norigin

Norigin in a third-person action platformer that will have players climbing and slaying towering creatures in an effort to remember your past, your relationship with your father, and what you place is in in this strange world.

Pacific Drive - Whispers in the Woods DLC Invites Players In to the Olympic Exclusion Zone And It's Out Now

Enter the Olympic Exclusion Zone of the Pacific Northwest in Pacific Drive - Whispers in the Woods DLC. This area that has been sealed off from the rest of the world and your only companion is your old beat-up car and voices on the radio. As with the main game, you will scavenge and fix the car up alongside discovering what is breaking the laws of physics in the Exclusion Zone and try to find a way out.

Solasta II To Enter Early Access in Early 2026

The turn-based tactical fantasy RPG based on SRD 5e rules called Solasta II is entering Steam Early Access in early 2026 and will welcome players into the magic-drenched world of Neokos.

Find Out What Happens After a Meteor Hits South Korea and Turns Every Living Thing into Horrifying Creatures in Ground Zero

Ground Zero is set in a world where a meteor hit South Korea and has turned most every living thing into horrifying creatures. It's up to you to figure out why alongside exploring, surviving, solving puzzles, and learn the truth in Ground Zero, a retro-style survival horror game that's available now on PC and coming soon to PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.

Hark the Ghoul Is Getting a New Demo Before Its Launch on PC in 2026

If you want to try out Hark the Ghoul, which is set to be released on PC in 2026, a new demo is now available. Hark the Ghoul is a retro-modern low-poly game that wants you to kick, slash, cast spells, and more in a fantasy world.

Build an Epic Deck and Forge Your Path Through a Mythological Japanese Landscape in Talespinner

In the deck-building game Talespinner, players will forge their path through a mythological Japanese landscape, choose a character, gain companions, and work through branching storylines where your choices matter. Talespinner will be released on PC in the future.

Town to City Is Getting Pets and We Are Very Excited

Town to City's Official Animal Update is headed to the game in November 2025 and and will allow players to give their citizen's pets, find new ways to decorate, build new buildings, and experience the game in a first-person perspective.

Become a Fierce Feline Hero and Take Back Feral City in Clawpunk

Play as fierce feline heroes and battle villainous gangs to take back Feral City in Clawpunk, a delightfully chaotic arcade adventure that will have players scratching, clawing, and being the best cat ever through destructible environments that are just as stylish as you could want in a retro-inspired game.

Windblown Is Celebrating One Year of Early Access With a New Update

To celebrate one year of Windblown being in Early Access on Steam, Motion Twin has released an Anniversary Update that includes 2 new vast biomes, 8 new deadly weapons, new unlocks and metaprogression, 2 ferocious new bosses, a new storyline, and much more.

Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss Gets an Official Release Date and Gameplay Trailer

Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss will be released on PC on April 16, 2026, and, to celebrate the release date reveal, NACON has revealed a new gameplay trailer that shows more of this first-person dread thriller that takes players to the depths of the Pacific Ocean to an ancient sunken city where Cthulhu is imprisoned. Solve puzzles, make choices, and resist the mind-corrupting influence of Cthulhu as you work to investigate the disappearance of miners.

Cloudheim Is Entering Early Access via Steam and Is Set in a World Shattered by Ragnarok

Cloudheim will officially be released in Early Access on PC via Steam on December 4, 2025, and players will be able to jump into a world shattered by Ragnarok with up to three of their friends to awaken forgotten deities, drive back corruption, and upgrade your shop in the sky to bring harmony to a broken realm.

Rue Valley Story Trailer Reveals a Narrative RPG About a Man Trapped in a Time Loop

Learn more of the world of Rue Valley in this latest story trailer alongside seeing gameplay of the narrative RPG about a man trapped in a time loop. The main character also has to deal with mental challenges and must rise from the depths and work with others to handle an anomaly and uncover its enigmatic origins. Rue Valley will be released on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on November 11, 2025.

Shadow of the Road Is Japan Meets Magic and Technology

Check out new gameplay of Shadow of the Road, an upcoming story-driven turn-based RPG where traditional Japan meets magic and technology. Gather a cast of characters to take on magical yokai and deadly machines as you work your way to change the fate of the Empire. Shadow of the Road will be released on PC in the future.

It Takes a War Is All About Graphics! Guns! and Glory!

Graphics! Guns! Glory! Learn all about these three mantras of It Takes a War in its newest gameplay trailer. Get ready to drop into a devastatingly real depiction of the battlefield as you work with your team to take on a relentless foe. It Takes a War is scheduled to debut in Q4 2025 on PC.

Experience a Heist Disrupted by a Supernatural Event in Dark Hours

Get another look at Dark Hours, a co-op survival horror game for up to four players that is all about a heist being disrupted by a supernatural event. As a team of robbers, you and your friends must work together to survive against an evil entity and last the night. Dark Hours is out now in Early Access on PC via Steam.

PACS: Post Apocalypse Courier Service Is a Co-Op Delivery Simulator That Needs You to Deliver Packages on Time

Get ready for the 'postiepocalypse' in PACS - Post Apocalypse Courier Service, the upcoming co-op delivery simulator that will have your and your friends navigating treacherous environments, scavenging for vehicle upgrades, and growing a courier service that fulfills the apocalyptic miracle of a package delivered on time. PACS is headed to PC in the future.

Enginefall Is a Massive PvP Game Set Across a Player-Driven Railworld on an Earth in Ruins

Check out the gameplay overview trailer for Enginefall, a massive PvP title set across a player-driven Railworld. The Earth is in ruins and this train network is humanity's last refuge. Players will need to craft, fight, and scheme their way through the train's classes, take control of the engine, and build a home that can survive in this brutal new world. Enginefall will be released on PC in Q1 2026 and a playtest is happening this weekend.

Broken Sword: The Smoking Mirror: Reforged Is the Remaster of the Classic Narrative-Driven Exploration Game

Broken Sword: The Smoking Mirror: Reforged is a remaster of the classic narrative-driven exploration game from 1997 and will allow players to experience the game with new 4K visuals, remastered audio, and more modern enhancements.

Painkiller's Launch Trailer Reintroduces the World to the Brutal and Fun World of the Classic Franchise

Painkiller is a modern reimagining of the classic franchise and even includes online co-op for up to three players and offline play. Once again take on hordes of demons and titanic terrors across detailed gothic environments and escape Purgatory after being sentenced for your transgressions against Heaven. You are given a chance to redeem yourself as a Champion, and you must stop the fallen angel Azazel from unleashing his demonic armies onto Earth. Painkiller will be released on October 21, 2025, on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.

Escape the Backrooms' Version 1.0 Update Is Arriving Today

Escape the Backrooms is officially leaving Early Access on October 23, 2025, as it launches its Version 1.0 Update on PC. Traverse 30+ eerie backrooms levels while avoiding entities and other dangers with up to 3 friends in this co-op horror exploration game. Following this launch, Secret Mode will be hard at work on getting it ready of its debut on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.

Instruments of Destruction Is Now on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S Alongside PC

Alongside PC, Instruments of Destruction is now available on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. Now, console players can crash through walls and tear down buildings in this vehicle-action game featuring advanced physics-based demolition. Pilot over 130 unique vehicles or design your own in highly-interactive sandbox worlds.

Experience a Survival Horror Metroidvania in Silver Pines

Silver Pines is a survival horror metroidvania that will have players fighting nightmarish terrors and solving puzzles, all while working to uncover a mystery that could hold the key to redemption. Silver Pines will be released in 2026 on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

Save Your Daughter and Fight the Monster Within in Skinwalker

Check out the Reveal Trailer for Skinwalker, a 2D pixelated side-scrolling narrative game developed by Sismo Games. After a father who's concerned about his daughter's medical treatments gets infected by a strange experiment in a lab, all chaos unfolds as he losses his ability to control the monster within. Slice and dice through anything in sight in Skinwalker, launching in 2026 for PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and PC (Steam).

Sail Across Endless Waters and Discover Yourself in Will: Follow the Light

Take another look at Will: Follow the Light, the upcoming story-driven, first-person adventure puzzle game all about a perilous personal journey through the harsh northern latitudes. In order to find peace and reunite with his family, Will must sail across the endless water and discover himself. Will: Follow the Light will be released on PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC in 2025.

Get Out of a Bizarre Corporate Experiment in Unhinged

Unhinged is an open-world survival crafting game where players find themselves trapped inside of a bizarre corporate experiment. Explore a brutal open world, build modular machines, and survive mind-bending trials to uncover the terrifying truth that brought you to this mysterious place. Unhinged will be released in Early Access on PC in 2027.