It is perhaps the most beloved intro cinematic in Warhammer 40,000 video game history, a precious relic of a bygone era that is seared into the memories of fans of Games Workshop’s grimdark setting. And woe betide anyone who dares to change it, lest the wrath of all four Chaos gods descend upon them.

That’s how I imagine the developers at Relic Entertainment felt after releasing a high quality version of Dawn of War’s iconic intro cinematic to accompany the announcement of the August 14 release date of the Definitive Edition.

The video, below, reveals the insertion of dialogue from the 2004 Dawn of War real-time strategy game into its intro cinematic, replacing some of the original audio along the way. Chief among the changes is the removal of an “iconic” (at least, for Warhammer 40,000 fans!) guttural scream bellowed by the Space Marine who leads the forces of the Blood Ravens to battle against the monstrous Orks.

In its stead is the battlecry of Gabriel Angelos, Chapter Master of the Blood Ravens, as it is heard in Dawn of War gameplay. The thing is, that’s not even Gabriel Angelos screaming in the trailer. It’s a Blood Raven sergeant. And, Dawn of War fans say, the new dialogue compares poorly to the heroic scream it replaced.

But that’s not all. Those with keen hearing and an even keener memory will notice other audio changes. The Dreadnought’s dramatic entrance is “ruined,” some say, by the addition of voice lines that distract from the heart-pumping sound of its Assault Cannon revving up and unleashing on the enemy lines. New Ork lines are inserted, too.

“THEY'VE RUINED IT! THEY REMOVED THE SERGEANT'S HOLY SCREAM!” declared one Emperor-living fanatic in the YouTube comments.

“The original sound effects were PERFECT. You didn't need to add all those voices. I'll be honest, they kind of ruined it,” said another devotee.

“Makes it feel less well done and not as cohesive. They just seemed so out of place and you can tell they're just shoved on top.”

“The new audio is awful. Really takes me out of it.”

“Leaving the sergeant's scream out is a crime against humanity, and therefore heresy.”

“Mind fixing the cinematic by restoring the original audio? The new stuff spliced in doesn't work at all and it kinda ruins the nostalgia for us. Hopefully it can be reverted by launch,” said another, perhaps more considered worshipper.

Perhaps that’s exactly what Relic will do. I asked the developer for comment on this online complaint barrage, and its response suggested the whole thing has taken the studio by surprise.

“We decided to change the scream as the original audio was quite distorted which was notable when compared to some of the audio touch ups in the enhanced trailer. That said, we’ve heard the feedback from fans — the roar was even more beloved than we realized! Who knows, we may have something for OG roar enjoyers before long.”

So, it sounds like Relic has a solution up its sleeve, which will hopefully go some way to placating the wrath of Warhammer 40,000’s passionate fanbase. I realize, however, that for the uninitiated, all this fuss may sound like an overreaction. All we're talking about here are a few audio changes, after all.

But there’s something unmistakingly gritty about the original intro trailer’s look, feel, and, yes, old-school audio. It reminds fans of a time in PC gaming’s history when RTS ruled the roost, the Astra Militarum were called the Imperial Guard, and Warhammer 40,000 superfan Henry Cavill had just finished filming Hellraiser: Hellworld. The original rekindles memories of hazy summer days spent hammering out Heretics, my flatmate desperately trying to outmaneuver my attacks. This new and “improved” intro cinematic is too clean, too… nice, and it will always be too recent.

None of this is to say Relic’s Dawn of War Definitive Edition is on a hiding to nothing. I’m genuinely excited to play it, and not just for a short-lived trip down memory lane. It’s a fantastic game — perhaps the greatest Warhammer 40,000 video game ever made — and I look forward to hammering out those Heretics all over again. Perhaps I’ll even convince my old flatmate to join me.

Back to the trailer! I interviewed design director Philippe Boulle back in May when the Definitive Edition was announced, and we gushed over Dawn of War’s intro cinematic. Here’s why it’s so good, according to Boulle:

“It was an amazing accomplishment at the time in terms of the fidelity. We really hadn't seen that for 40K at that time, and it really stood up as something that would reach out and grab you and say, ‘Hey, this is awesome. You need to pay attention.’ And it will still be in the game. It will be playing in beautiful 4K.

“The thing that amazes me about it when we look back at it is the directing really holds up. That I think is the undervalued key to it. For the time the rendering was phenomenal, but what really holds up is the pacing, the drama, the ending on this guy running up the hill and getting shot, planting that flag and the drop pods coming down… that just works and that didn't need any changing obviously. That just was like, ‘Oh yeah, that's the stuff.’”

Fun fact! Dave Wilson, executive producer and supervising director of the excellent Warhammer 40,000 episode of Prime Video’s Secret Level animated anthology series, led the creation of the Dawn of War intro cinematic.

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.

Edi Gathegi is wowing audiences as the scene-stealing Mister Terrific in James Gunn’s Superman, but his big-screen superhero journey got off to a troubling start.

Gathegi played Darwin, the short-lived mutant in 2011’s X-Men: First Class (which, coincidentally, starred Lex Luthor actor Nicholas Hoult as Hank / Beast). In the film, Darwin is able to reactively evolve (hence the name), but is easily killed by Sebastian Shaw. X-Men fans were surprised at Darwin’s fate, given the character’s established invulnerability in the comics.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Gathegi recalled how he had serious concerns about the plot of X-Men: First Class, which he expressed to his agent.

“I was in London after I’d just been offered the role, and they gave me a couple of hours to read the script to determine whether or not I wanted to do it,” Gathegi explained.

“So I read it, and I called my agents to say, ‘Hey, listen, I have a problem with the fact that this character is the only Black character in the film aside from Zoë Kravitz’s character. I am also the only mutant who meets an untimely demise halfway through the film.’ It was 2009 at the time, and I was like, ‘Killing the Black guy first is so played out. I can’t do this.’”

Gathegi said that following talks, he was “assured” that Darwin’s death as we see it in X-Men: First Class was part of a long-term storytelling plan that would have seen his character brought back to life in future films in the franchise.

“So there were conversations that happened, and then they assured us that it was essential for the storytelling in order to motivate the mutants to avenge my [character’s] death,” he said. “They also fully intended to bring my character back as they do in the comics. [Darwin] can’t die; he regenerates. So we held onto the hope that they would honor their word.”

This, however, did not happen, and Darwin failed to return in any of the subsequent Fox X-Men films (Days of Future Past, Apocalypse, or the most recent X-Men movie, Dark Phoenix). This, Gathegi said, came as a “surprise.”

“... I thought that I would be returning to that franchise over and over again,” he said. “I thought that there was potential for a bigger future. It was actually a surprise to never get the call to suit up again.”

Then: “... the way that they handled my character was a fumble.”

Now, Gathegi is philosophical about his history with the X-Men, saying “I’ve moved well beyond that.”

“... when I didn’t come back for X-Men: Apocalypse, I just knew it was done,” he explained. “So I didn’t really look back, to be honest with you. I speak about it when people bring it up, but I made peace with this years ago.”

Fast-forward 14 years and Gathegi looks set for a long-term, high-profile role in James Gunn’s rebooted DC Universe. After wowing critics and audiences as Mister Terrific in Superman (which got off to a big start at the box office), James Gunn is reportedly considering a Mister Terrific spinoff TV series. The expectation is that we will see more of this character, especially after that post credits scene.

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Superman got James Gunn’s rebooted DC Universe off to a flyer with a global weekend take of $217 million at the box office.

Domestically, Superman powered to $122 million, which was enough to make it the biggest domestic launch ever for a solo Superman film, not adjusted for inflation. That’s more than Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel, which kicked off the DCEU with $116.7 million domestically in 2013, and Superman Returns, which hit $52.5 million in 2006. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, which included Justice League characters, launched to $166 million domestically in 2016.

Superman’s strong North American launch is the biggest superhero movie opening weekend since last summer’s billion dollar blockbuster Deadpool & Wolverine, which hit $211 million domestically. That means Superman launched bigger than Marvel’s Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts* / The New Avengers. It’s also the biggest DC movie in a long time, and the first to hit a $100 million domestic box office launch since Wonder Woman’s $103.3 million in 2017. Internationally, Superman launched a little soft with $95 million.

In terms of 2025 films, Superman is behind only A Minecraft Movie ($162.8 million) and the live-action Lilo & Stitch ($146 million) at the domestic box office for launch weekend returns. And compared to prior James Gunn movies, Superman is second behind Guardians of the Galaxy 2 ($146.5 million), but ahead of the other Guardians films, including 2023's Guardians 3 ($118.2 million).

While Superman has started strong, a number of questions remain. How will it fare in the weeks ahead as Marvel’s 2025 tentpole The Fantastic Four: First Steps stomps into theaters? And will Superman settle on a global box office total by the end of its theatrical run that makes parent company Warner Bros. happy not just with the film’s performance, but the prospects of its new DC Universe?

For his part, James Gunn has said rumors surrounding exactly how much money Superman needs to make in order to be considered successful are wide of the mark. In a profile of Superman actor David Corenswet published on GQ, Gunn downplayed the box office pressure on the movie. “This is not the riskiest endeavor in the world,” Gunn said.

Gunn then called the $700 million figure that had been touted online as the minimum Superman needs to make during its theatrical run to avoid flop status as “just complete and utter nonsense,” but admitted there is of course some pressure on the movie to deliver for Warner Bros.

“Is there something riding on it? Yeah, but it’s not as big as people make it out to be,” Gunn said. “They hear these numbers that the movie’s only going to be successful if it makes 700 million or something and it’s just complete and utter nonsense. It doesn’t need to be as big of a situation as people are saying.”

We likely won’t get an accurate picture of Superman’s performance until Warner Bros. boss David Zaslav has his say during a financial call, but it’s easy to see why there’s more box office pressure on Superman than your average superhero film.

It is, after all, kickstarting Gunn and fellow DC Studios CEO Peter Safran’s rebooted DCU, which already has a number of eye-catching follow-ups in the works. For example, Superman leads into the events of HBO Max series Peacemaker Season 2. Then, next year, the DCU continues on the big screen with Supergirl starring Milly Alcock, and Clayface starring Tom Rhys Harries. If Superman flops, it will call into question the viability of everything that follows.

Check out IGN’s Superman review to find out what we think, and then head over to our Superman Ending and Post-Credits Explained to find out what it all means.

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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Warning: This piece contains spoilers for Superman.

Pull out your party hats, DC fans, because James Gunn’s Superman film is now in theaters. The first film installment in the new DC Universe franchise is entering its opening weekend with mostly positive reviews, including an 8/10 from IGN’s Tom Jorgensen. After the previous DCEU flamed out at the box office and with critics, Gunn’s relaunched DCU is at least starting on the right foot. Yet although there’s plenty to praise, like the great cast, optimistic tone, and David Corenswet’s Clark Kent and Rachel Brosnahan’s Lois Lane having actual chemistry, the MVP of the film is Nicholas Hoult as perennial Superman nemesis Lex Luthor, who is a fantastic character both on the page and in Hoult’s performance.

Why is he such a standout? Because he’s petty as hell. James Gunn and co. understand that Luthor–as well as most supervillains, but him especially–should be petty people driven by emotional impulse instead of grandiose ideology. Unlike other recent comic book movie villains who the movie tries to give “a point” to, this Luthor stays true to the source material by being solely motivated by absolute contempt for Superman, as it should be. Let’s take a look at what other comic book films could learn from Superman’s Lex Luthor.

Drinking the Haterade

If there’s one trait of Lex Luthor’s that even your average person on the street would know, it’s that he hates Superman with every fiber of his being (and that he uses his brains to fight him). Even from the trailers, much of the social media discussion about Hoult’s Luthor was centered around how much of a “hater” he appeared to be. Luthor in the film is a man of immense power and influence, commanding resources on a global scale. But all of it is funnelled into a single goal, which is destroying Superman, both physically and in the court of public opinion. There is no greater agenda at play, nor does Lex try to conceal his motives with a faux-philosophical school of thought. He freely admits to Superman that he’s doing this all out of jealousy, and his actions back up his words.

The Switch 2 has been out for over a month after what felt like an eternity of waiting. Gone are the days of speculating over how powerful it is, what features it has, and, for disabled players especially, how accessible it will be. The answer is here: Nintendo’s newest system is certainly an upgrade, and for me, the most accessible Nintendo system to date.

Unlike Xbox and PlayStation, Nintendo and accessibility are not synonymous, at least in the traditional sense. The company’s first-party titles don’t offer dozens of accessibility options like PlayStation and Xbox games do, and Nintendo has no official accessibility controller. While they recently joined other publishers as part of ESA’s Accessible Games Initiative, a resource that gives accessibility information for games through a tag system, some disabled players are still hesitant to call their games and systems accessible. And while I acknowledge these criticisms and fears, the refined system settings, mouse movement, and new Joy-Cons push the Switch 2 towards better accessibility.

System Settings

Like its predecessor, the Switch 2 features a variety of system accessibility options that benefit multiple disabilities. Returning settings include options to zoom on the screen, switch to mono audio, and even change the display colors. But the most important returning feature for me is the fully customizable controls, with five presets for each controller. That means each Joy-Con, as well as alternatives like the Pro Controller, can have separate control presets depending on the game. It’s one of my favorite features introduced on the Switch, and it’s especially helpful for physically disabled players. Even better, my Switch control profiles automatically carried over when I transferred my data to the Switch 2. This allows me to seamlessly begin playing games like Pokémon Violet without needing to remember how I configured it previously.

Thankfully, the Switch 2 adds several new options that further improve the overall accessibility of the system. Players can now adjust the text size, enable speech-to-text for Game Chat, and even enable a screen reader, an important tool for blind and low-vision players. While these offerings are available on both Xbox and PlayStation systems already, it’s nice to see Nintendo finally add these options and help welcome more disabled individuals to the platform.

The Pros and Cons of Mouse Movement

The Switch 2 adds a unique function to each Joy-Con – mouse movement. By flipping Joy-Cons face down on its sensors, players can drag the controller on any surface to mimic a computer mouse. And surprisingly, the transition from standard controller to mouse is perfectly seamless. There is minimal lag, and aside from the awkwardness of holding a Joy-Con on its side, mouse movement is one of the few Nintendo system gimmicks that I can use.

However, its longevity and extended use cause severe fatigue and strain on my wrists. Games like Drag X Drive – releasing on August 14 – which purport to rely heavily on mouse movement, will undoubtedly become inaccessible after a few matches. Even now, as I use mouse movement to search the eShop, I regularly find myself reverting to standard Joycon movements because of how uncomfortable it is to hold. Yes, the mouse cursor glides with ease, but constantly needing to slide back and forth is not conducive to my needs. For example, my computer mouse has a DPI (Dots Per Inch, which measures mouse sensitivity) of 11000. Anything lower mimics the Joy-Con’s mouse movement, and that’s not something I can use long term.

Joy-Con Upgrades

The Switch 2 keeps the same relative button layout as its predecessor despite being larger. However, I find the new size is beneficial for my disability. As it has progressed, so too did the atrophy in my hands, forcing me to rely on larger controllers, mice, and keyboards. The new Joy-Cons, while not substantially bigger, allow me to easily glide my hand over the buttons, especially when placed on a table.

Nintendo also reduced the resistance on each button. On the original Switch, I regularly struggled to press the ‘Home’ button unless the Joy-Con was positioned in the exact same spot on my desk each time. And the ‘+’ and ‘-‘ buttons were impossible to use without outside assistance. With the Switch 2, I no longer struggle to press any button, nor do I need each Joy-Con to be precisely placed. For some, this is a relatively minor improvement, but for me, the ease of pressing buttons drastically increases my independence when using the system.

My only critique when using the Switch 2 in handheld mode isn’t with the button layout or system settings. It’s with the handheld battery life. While in handheld mode, the Switch 2 battery life lasts for approximately two hours before I get a notification that I need to charge the device.

If my hands worked, and I could use the Switch 2 in docked mode, this wouldn’t be an issue. However, because I require the system to be on a surface as the same height as my desk, I can only play my Switch 2 on my desk, away from any TV. And because this is uniquely a me issue, I can’t necessarily fault Nintendo. Yes, it’s annoying that the Switch 2’s battery means I have to regularly stop playing to charge the system, but at least I can play the system without fatigue or physical discomfort.

The Switch 2 is unmistakably an upgrade over its predecessor in terms of accessibility. I would go as far as to say it’s the Nintendo system I’ve been needing for years. Its gimmicks aren’t detrimental to playing, at least not yet, its controllers are beyond comfortable and conducive to my needs, and most importantly it’s just fun to play. Is it perfect? No, but no system can be, especially when accounting for the individualistic nature of the disabled experience. And the Switch 2, even in the early stages of its cycle, is by far my favorite console to play. And as more games are released, I’m sure it will undoubtedly replace my other systems.

Grant Stoner is a disabled journalist covering accessibility and the disabled perspective in video games. When not writing, he is usually screaming about Pokémon or his cat, Goomba on Twitter.

When the filmmaking duo of David Charbonier and Justin Douglas Powell chose a pregnant woman as the protagonist of their third feature, they settled on well-trod territory. Pitting a mother-to-be against a villain with fiendish designs on her child, Push invites comparisons to several classics of the horror genre, but it’s only the superficial similarities (and a couple copycat moves) that merit mentioning it in the same breath as Inside or Rosemary’s Baby. This arty chiller ultimately sacrifices believable characters and a cogent plot for the sake of good-looking scenes.

Our very pregnant heroine is Natalie, played by Alicia Sanz. The father of her baby is dead from a car crash and her family back in Spain is unsupportive, so she strikes out on her own as a realtor in, of all places, northern Michigan. Push takes place over the course of one harrowing day as Natalie tries to sell a sprawling, Tudor-style estate with a dark history, only to become trapped in the place by a shadowy psychopath (Raúl Castillo) who wants to cut the baby out of her.

While Push brazenly cribs from the audacious blueprint of Inside (how the baby daddy died, the home invader trying to perform an unauthorized Cesarean), it’s a more restrained affair. There is bloodshed, but for most of its brief runtime, Charbonier and Powell’s movie is composed, artful, and clean. We’re introduced to the setting as Natalie takes a rapturous, minutes-long stroll through the house. She spends many of the scenes that follow in a pristine white dress, replete with pantyhose and matching high heels – a reflection of Push’s strong aesthetic sensibilities, but not exactly the outfit a woman might choose if she anticipated going into labor or fleeing an assailant. In one tense moment, the shoes nearly cost her her life.

That fashionable, put-together appearance is ultimately more a liability than a keen addition to the script. It’s not like it’s an incisive criticism of beauty standards or sexism or anything; Natalie feeling compelled to stay late at the property, alone – rather than invite scrutiny as both the brokerage’s sole female realtor and a coward – is the extent of Push’s capacity for commentary. Instead, Natalie’s appearance feels like an oversight, like Charbonier and Powell have kept their protagonist in pumps mainly because they’ve failed to give her any common sense.

Still, Push looks great: The camera moves sinuously through the house, and tension builds deliciously during the first half as shadows slip in and out of the background. The villain is lit judiciously, his face often obscured, creating a sense of anxiety. But the directors seem to have forgotten that they need to convey information – not just pretty images – to their viewers. It’s easy to lose track of who has what weapons during climactic face-offs, and an intended shocker featuring a driver’s license doesn’t land because we haven’t gotten a good look at the villain’s face yet.

The prim visuals also clash with the plot. The intruder is supposed to be a manic killer, but Push’s predominant feature is control. (There is one scene of cathartic violence at the end, and Sanz is particularly excellent in it.) The question that haunts every home invasion movie – Why is this guy here? – ends up having such a bizarre answer that the whole ordeal feels silly.

It’s frustrating that Push fumbles so hard, given the strength of its craft. We could certainly use more taut, beautifully shot, boundary-pushing movies in the world. Unfortunately, this is a classic case of style over substance. If a movie puts placenta on the screen but still leaves viewers feeling cold, something has gone terribly wrong.

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Stephen King is no stranger to unhappy adaptations, and MGM+’s The Institute is merely the latest to lose most of the author’s defining nuance and heart in the move from page to screen. His knack for capturing hope amidst ungodly challenges is nowhere to be found; neither is his way of depicting the peculiar spark that comes from being on the precipice of growing up in a world that cares too little for your feelings. But you can feel the bones there. The man loves underpinning his tales with earnestness, and, of course, has long been interested in supernaturally powerful children like Luke Ellis (Joe Freeman) and his fellow prisoners at the show’s titular facility for unusually gifted kids.

But this translation of King’s 2019 novel wants to quickly manufacture atmosphere rather than allowing it to build naturally. There’s no sense of dread or foreboding in the early episodes; everything seems fairly self-explanatory. There’s not much novelty in a story about kids with powers being enlisted by a shadowy organization, either (even one that purports to be doing its part for the greater good), and the plodding pace of The Institute gives viewers little more to chew on.

Alongside the precocious and perceptive Luke and his peers, we get a sense of higher-up shenanigans through The Institute’s head honcho, Mrs. Sigsby (Mary Louise Parker), and Tim Jamieson (Ben Barnes), a former cop with a heart of gold who finds himself trying to get to the bottom of what exactly is happening up at The Institute. But none of these plotlines ever get to spend enough time with the characters to make their conundrums seem compelling. When watching Tim forge connections with prickly town citizens feels more gripping than watching him unravel a mystery, it’s a problem.

And not just because it’s built on a story by King, a writer so adept at gripping readers with foreboding heft in both style and substance. Instead, it feels like The Institute is consistently dodging the interesting parts of its own story. When Luke arrives, Mrs. Sigsby attempts to buck him up by saying that he and his fellow kids shouldn’t be called “kids” because they’re “working an adult job” and may as well be grown ups. It’s a small detail but a potentially telling one – except The Institute doesn’t invest in the mindset all that much.

That choice becomes a tell for how it handles the reveal of what these kids are being used for. Again: there’s no real surprises as to why they’re being imprisoned and experimented on – you’ve seen one show about kids who can move things with their minds, you’ve seen them all. And the choice to draw out any reveals and then blow past their consequences doesn’t read as confidence in the greater story and its emotional bedrock. The Institute can’t quite make a case for itself on either end. In the beginning, it’s all set up where finer points can’t be discussed in detail; with the final episodes, it’s all action-packed resolution with no time to slow down.

The result is just the most boring version of itself, a show that wants us so badly to care about these kids and their strife it forgets to give them a reason to do so. By the time a character, completely out of nowhere, says he might need “to use an unjustly vilified phrase, a ‘final solution’,” it’s over. Whatever greater world the show is trying to build can't account for the lack of care for details or characterization that leads to “Nazi sympathizer surprise.”

Perhaps it’s that King’s literary structure doesn’t lend itself well to a backloaded TV adaptation. His books are studied, deliberately building towards a point with things that got peppered in along the way so he can really drive everything home all at once. Sometimes it’s a final straw driving a man insane, and other times it’s a surprise orgy, but his final acts have a knack for flowing out of everything he’s built even as he twists it just one more time. There’s nothing like that in MGM+’s The Institute; it crawls its way through its story just so it can limp across the finish line.

This piece contains spoilers for Superman (2025) and Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow (2021)

Ever since the "Gods and Monsters" slate was announced by James Gunn and his co-CEO at DC Studios, Peter Safran, one thing has been clear: Kryptonians are at the center of the new DCU. With Superman finally hitting screens, we've gotten to meet David Corenswet's delightfully pure Clark Kent who will clearly be the beating heart of the new franchise. Just like him, the film is colorful, kind, and filled with compassion. It's a perfect Superman and establishes a wide and expansive new DCU with centuries of characters, adventures, and villains to dig into. But as the film comes to an end we get an unexpected guest, one who will be key to the future of the franchise.

See, it turns out that Clark is not the only one who survived the death of the planet he once called home. And as we learn in the final moments of the movie, Clark has another relative and we get to meet her in unforgettable style before she headlines the upcoming Supergirl film.

Introducing Milly Alcock’s Supergirl

In an actually shocking, not leaked, and very fun introduction we get our first on screen glimpse of the DCU's Supergirl. As Clark returns to the Fortress of Solitude to heal, Kara Zor-El crash lands into Kal-El's hideout looking for her pet dog Krypto. That's right, this is the foster situation that Superman alluded to earlier in the film. He's been babysitting the iconic Super Pet for his cousin who has been out partying on other planets where she can actually get wasted — more on that later. But her introduction may have thrown off fans of the sweet-hearted baby-faced Kryptonian from the comics or the popular CW Arrowverse, seeing as this Kara is... a little different.

As you may have guessed from the fact she loves drinking and she crash landed, this isn't the innocent, sweet, and often well behaved Kara that most of us know. Instead she swears, stumbles, and even calls Clark a bitch while sarcastically thanking him for dogsitting. As Superman Robot 4 A.K.A. Gary (Alan Tudyk) and Superman discuss her clearly unhealthy lifestyle as well as her rough and tumble relationship with Krypto, she exits stage left with her faithful pup and heads out on another adventure, which — while not a post-credits scene — does give us a glimpse at what’s to come for the immediate future of the DCU.

How Superman Sets Up Supergirl

"I’m sick of the superhero title, colon, other-name thing," Gunn recently shared in an interview. That explains why both Superman — originally titled Superman: Legacy — and Supergirl — originally titled Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow — ended up with their shortened names. That's important to note here as the version of Kara that we get in Superman is decidedly from Woman of Tomorrow, the 2021 eight-issue limited series by Bilquis Everly and Tom King, which director Craig Gillespie and writer Ana Nogueira are adapting for their upcoming 2026 Supergirl movie. Seeing as Supergirl is only in Superman for around two minutes, you might be questioning just how it's setting up her film other than introducing the curse-loving version of Kara. But it's all in the details, especially when it comes to her hard-drinking approach to heroics.

During a press event that IGN attended, Gunn described this Kara as "much more hardcore and not the Supergirl we're used to" and that's underselling it. In the comic which inspired this version of our Kryptonian heroine, we see Kara as a hard-drinking 21 year old who has been touring planets with red suns in order to be able to get wasted. Why does she love to drink? Well, in this version she was raised on an exploded piece of her planet and forced to watch her loved ones die as she hurtled towards Earth. The story follows Kara as she drinks her way across the galaxy with Krypto in order to celebrate her 21st birthday. She gets into fist fights, brawls, and finds herself in more than a couple of life-threatening ruckuses, but it's when she meets a young woman named Ruthye Marye Knoll that her quest changes. Ruthye's father was killed by a brutal thief named Krem of the Yellow Hills, and she enlists Kara to help her kill him.

Inspired by the classic Western film True Grit, with a wild fantasy sci-fi twist, this is a genre story unlike any other as Ruthye and Kara team up on a quest for revenge which feels like a far cry from the sweet, heartfelt, and decidedly family-friendly Superman. By simply name dropping the comic that will inspire her upcoming film, Gunn and Co. aren’t shying away from just how different Clark and Kara are. We’ve already seen her curse and stumble about the fortress before clumsily flying away with Kyrpto to — presumably — wreak more havoc. By establishing the super cousins’ status quo early, fans already have a glimpse of what’s to come when they next meet the Girl of Steel on her dangerous quest to help Ruthye get revenge for her father.

Why Supergirl's New Attitude Works in the DCU

During Superman we meet Rachel Brosnahan's fiercely driven Lois Lane and Nicholas Holt's obsessive Lex Luthor alongside the heroic titular Kryptonian. But the film isn't just concerned with the core cast as Gunn pulls from deep comic book canon to bring characters like the Engineer (Maria Gabriela de Faria) , Eve Teschmacher (Sara Sampio), and everyone's favorite Lex Luthor minion... Sydney Happersen (Stephen T. Blackehart).

This is a world deeply concerned with the under utilized or unexpected takes on characters, and it's what makes this Kara feel so right. Instead of taking from the most well-known version of The Girl of Steel, we instead get the hard-drinking, depressed, and hilarious version from Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. It opens up potential that could deal with some of the most interesting and under explored aspects of Supergirl and her history in comics.

It's not just innovative, though. It actually makes a lot of sense. In the comics Kara was always supposed to be the elder Kryptonian survivor, sent to look after baby Kal-El as he heads to Earth in order to survive the destruction of his home planet. No matter what version of her story you read, you learn that Kara was essentially frozen in time as she took years to reach Earth, leading her to look younger than her cousin and arrive on Earth after he's already an established hero. That's not an easy thing to live with, and while Kara has often taken a more hopeful approach inspired by her famous relative, it's nice to think that we might see her get to explore and express the reality of that, which is far more horrifying and sad than you might think.

This isn't even just something that is explored in Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow either. Throughout Kara's history she's been dealing with this trauma — and the nightmare of being killed and resurrected during the original Crisis on Infinite Earths, something you can learn more about in Mark Waid's recent New History of the DC Universe — and we've never gotten to really see it on screen in a way that centers Kara and still allows her to be the hero of her own story. The upcoming Supergirl film has a chance to rectify that, giving us as the audience a rich and layered take on the hero and granting Kara a new lease on life when it comes to exploring her future after the horrors she’s endured. .

If you're looking for more Supergirl to read as you wait for the new movie, the current Supergirl series by award-winning cartoonist Sophie Campbell and colorist Tamara Bonvillian is a far cheerier affair, but it does reintroduce Kara in a really interesting and thoughtful way that also brings her back to around 21 years old. Given that this is around the same age as she is in the DCU and Gunn’s expressed interest in keeping a huge swath of the new DC Universe connected, it'll be interesting to see how else the mainline DC books dovetail with the DCU and the co-chair’s wider exploration of Kara as a hero and survivor of the Kryptonian destruction. For now though, we'll just look forward to another yet another punk rock addition to Gunn's ever growing new roster of DC heroes

This Supergirl Will Finally Allow Kara to Grow Up

If Supergirl spent the majority of the Silver and Bronze Age as an empowered and self-assured young woman, representing the type of reader DC hoped to attract, she spent most of the modern era as a good girl in a mini-skirt. Readers have rarely gotten to explore the inner depths of Supergirl and even the most passionate Kara fans wouldn't say that her big screen career has been fruitful let alone layered. Here we get to see a Supergirl that is already defying our expectations, a young woman who is on her own journey after her life was upended on an unfulfilled quest to save her young charge.

If the previous Supergirl iterations represented the type of audience that DC was trying to attract in the past, this Kara should tell us about what Gunn and DC are trying to attract to the DCU. There's an understanding here that women of all ages need complicated and thoughtful representation and that sometimes looks like a woman with a hangover calling a man (of Steel) a bitch. If The Suicide Squad's Ratcatcher II was Gunn's loveletter to tired millennials then Kara can be Gen Z’s proverbial eff you to the expected contraints and respectability that women are forced into.

Rosie Knight is a contributing freelancer for IGN covering everything from anime to comic books to kaiju to kids movies to horror flicks. She has over half a decade of experience in entertainment journalism with bylines at Nerdist, Den of Geek, Polygon, and more.

Dispatched by the crown as part of a secret expedition to a remote island part of the realm, you're ready for a life of adventure. But in third-person RPG Of Ash and Steel you're not one of the highly-trained, well-armored holy knights trying to enforce the will of the king… you're the clever orphan-turned-cartographer along for the ride because the maps of the island, Grayshaft, are pretty bad. Perhaps they're bad because the island suffers periodic volcanic eruptions so devastating that it's blanketed in deadly ash that cakes inside your lungs and kills you, eruptions so awful that ships avoid the island for the entire year when one seems imminent.

Which is obviously why brave cartographer Tristan has agreed to go there. And so like many fantasy protagonists, Tristan will soon be in way over his head—all because he wanted a bit of adventure—when the holy knights are all dead and he's the only one left to deliver the urgent missive. At least, that's what a hands-on preview with a beta build tutorial and first few hours of Ash and Steel told me.

Of Ash and Steel looks like a pretty traditional RPG, reminiscent of classics from the 2000s. It's unapologetic about not giving you quest markers or anything but in-world directions, but at the same time it does highlight loot on the ground or chests you can interact with when you're near them. It's somewhere between Gothic and the first Witcher game, in its own way, with a nod toward the survival-centric games of the last decade or so. While it doesn't go all-in on survival and encumbrance, Ash and Steel still has something of the 2019 RPG Outward in it.

More than anything, Of Ash and Steel feels like a game in the legacy of dearly departed mid-tier RPG studio Piranha Bytes, creators of the Gothic, Risen, and Elex series. That includes the signature campy acting mixed in with some decent drama, as well as plenty of oddball and unexpected humor. (One early quest has you finding the soiled trousers of a man who, when drunk, just craps himself and leaves the pants right there to clean up later.)

Perhaps its most old-school feature is how it has no level scaling in its world—creatures are a fixed level in a fixed location, forever. You're warned early on that going off the path can be dangerous, and each new enemy encounter is often a question of getting close enough to see if it massively out-levels you before you decide to try and take it on or not—and hope for good loot when you do. Coupled with that lethal-but-rewarding exploration is the rudiments of a survival system, where staying fed and watered is a must to survive, and setting up shop at pre-determined campsites lets Tristan rest and cook to regain hit points and pick up buffs. It also passes time, which is useful in a world where the NPCs and monsters follow a schedule of their own as to when and where they appear, or even when they're taking a nap and won't talk to you about your very urgent quest.

Tristan has three skill trees, and perhaps the most pressing one is Combat. Investing in combat skills lets you pick up to three different stances to fight from, each of which looks to have different effects based on what kind of weapons you're wielding—there were axes, swords, clubs, daggers, and a crossbow. Sadly, poor starter Tristan wasn't strong or competent enough to wield most of them.

Which is a big part of what I think the story developer Fire Frost is telling with Of Ash and Steel. This isn't a fantasy hero game where your character starts as competent at any useful skills relevant to his current situation. It's going to be a zero-to-hero story, with other characters in the world reacting to Tristan as he grows stronger. "If at the beginning of the game you were treated like a ragamuffin," said Fire Frost, "by the end of the game the characters will literally bow to your feet."

There was a hint of that in action during the preview play, as characters who previously saw Tristan dressed only in threadbare clothing later had complimentary things to say about a suit of basic armor I'd purchased. Where before they'd just asked: "Are you really wearing that?" they later said, "Ah, I had a sturdy suit like that when I was younger."

And a sturdy suit of armor is much needed, because the fighting can get pretty brutal. Armor will help you survive a few hits, but the stamina-based combat was really based around perfectly timed dodges and parries. Tristan's attacks, at least at the start of the game, are slow and clumsy—he's literally never fought before. As he got combat skills, though, he moved more confidently and picked up the ability to parry in a way that opened up enemies for counterattacks. That blended well with a fast knife, which let him get in those hits before quickly going back on his guard. Still, there's some tweaking to do on the early stages of the fighting—some people will definitely bounce right off of how clumsy Tristan was, or just won't be familiar with the time-honored strategy of "train the difficult enemy into a nearby powerful NPC."

Speaking of trying to survive, that's the focus of Tristan's other two skill trees: Survival and Crafting. They're much more down-to-earth, practical skillsets simply due to their nature. Survival lets you keep yourself fed and alive, while Crafting lets you upgrade and upkeep your equipment. Crafting also does one very important job: Makes you money. Quests and other odd jobs are a great source of experience and cash, sure, but paying people to train Tristan in all these new skills ain't cheap.

What was cool is that investments of money and skill points into the Craft and Survival trees actually did pay off in combat. A good craftsman can better sharpen their weapon for bonus damage, or reinforce their armor for extra defense. Survivalists, meanwhile, could pick up nasty tricks like thrown daggers and the use of poisons on their weapons—though poor preview Tristan was a bit too intellectually dull and low-level to get to try those skills out.

Even with all the advantages of level and time, however, Of Ash and Steel is definitely going to be a game where you get your butt kicked. A lot. Quicksave, I expect, is Tristan's greatest friend in the world. Enemies hit hard, and enemies that are higher level than you hit extremely hard—or even so fast that poor low-level Tristan simply stood no chance of reacting in time, let alone getting a single attack in. As a result, he got splatted by a lot of things. He got mauled by a giant rat-thing. Trampled by a big bug. Eaten by a lizard-thing. Dismembered by all manner of bandits, both living and apparently undead.

And the only dang reason Tristan didn't get splatted by this giant troll is because when everything can splat you, well, you get pretty good pretty fast at running and climbing your way out of danger.

While some people might find that kind of thing frustrating, Of Ash and Steel was pretty nice on that count. The action-RPG combat was somehow clunkier than a FromSoftware game but settled into its own rhythm after a while, and hopefully gets more and more fluid with more skills and abilities in the full game.

Don't expect miracles from Of Ash and Steel, but the preview was evidence of a promising mid-tier RPG that'll likely enthuse ye olde genre purists while still being accessible and interesting enough to draw in lovers of more modern character-driven action.

Superman may be widely regarded as one of the greatest pop culture icons of all time, but there’s one area where even the Man of Steel has struggled to fly. Why, after all these years, aren’t there any good Superman video games? Where is Superman’s answer to Rocksteady Studios' Batman Arkham series or Insomniac’s Spider-Man games?

With James Gunn’s Superman movie putting Kal-El back in the spotlight, let’s take a step back to explore Superman’s incredibly rocky gaming history, and why there still hasn’t been a great Superman game after all this time.

Superman’s Ugly Gaming History

In many ways, the problem with properly depicting Superman in games isn’t so different from movies or TV or even the comics. He’s an incredibly powerful character. Some would argue that he’s overpowered. When a guy has this level of strength, speed, and invulnerability, not to mention all the other handy powers like flight and heat vision, it’s hard to paint him as the underdog. How do you build a game around a guy who’s basically all-powerful and still create challenges for the player to overcome?

The Problem With Superman’s Powers

Some Superman games have made the mistake of weakening Superman or walling off his powers. That problem dates all the way back to the very first Superman game, 1978’s Superman for the Atari 2600. Like a lot of licensed games on that system, you’d have to squint to even recognize the source material in those blocky, primitive graphics. But that’s not the core issue with the game.

Superman tasked players with repairing Lex Luthor’s damage to Metropolis and capturing the villain and his henchmen in as short a time as possible. Exposure to Kryptonite would cause Superman to lose his powers, with the only cure being a kiss from Lois Lane. Not the most auspicious start for the Man of Steel.

The NES game is the perfect example of this frustrating trend. Similar to contemporaries like Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest and The Legend of Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, the NES Superman featured a top-down overworld map that transitioned into various side-scrolling action levels. However, the game committed the same sin as many superhero games of the time by locking Superman’s various powers behind limited-use special meters. That, combined with a generally obtuse and punishing difficulty level, ensured the NES Superman was never much fun to play.

When your flight, heat vision, X-ray vision, and other powers are tied to rapidly depleting special meters, you don’t really get the sensation you’re playing as Superman. It’s not as if he normally has to ration his powers in the comics and films.

Superman’s Generic ‘90s Phase

The late ‘80s and early ‘90s saw a handful of new Superman games released, including the 1988 Superman arcade game from Taito and the 1992 Sega Genesis side-scroller. These games weren’t as egregious as their predecessors about walling off Superman’s powers. The problem during this period was more that Superman was relegated to generic side-scrollers and beat-em-up titles - the same fare gamers were being inundated with across the industry.

The most notable release in this crop is 1994’s The Death and Return of Superman. Based on the popular comic book crossover, that game cast players as both Superman and his replacements from the comics like The Eradicator and Steel. It was basically DC’s answer to Spider-Man: Maximum Carnage, coming in an era when the prevailing wisdom for superhero games was “when in doubt, make an arcade-style brawler.” Fine for keeping Superman in the public consciousness, but not for forging games that truly take advantage of his vast powerset. It’s tough to truly feel like a Man of Steel when you’re just moving left to right and punching endless waves of generic enemies.

The Infamous Superman 64

Superman’s gaming fortunes seemed to be on a slow upswing in the ‘90s, only for the franchise to reach its nadir with 1999’s Superman: The New Adventures. Or as we all know it, Superman 64. Put simply, Superman 64 is still widely regarded as one of the worst games ever made, with clunky flying controls, frustrating difficulty, and more bugs than even Superman’s heat vision could hope to melt. It’s not exactly a looker, either.

Superman 64 highlights the issue that no game has really nailed the art of controlling Superman in flight in a 3D environment. Superman 64 forced players to steer a clunky Man of Steel through an endless series of rings and obstacle courses in a fog-covered Metropolis. Much later, Superman Returns would emerge with a somewhat better and more intuitive system of flight control, but the lack of Superman games since means no one has iterated on that design.

Fortunately, the franchise did bounce back a bit with the release of 2002’s Superman: Shadow of Apokolips on the PS2 and Gamecube. Compared to Superman 64, that game did a much better job of capturing the look and feel of the animated series. That said, the gameplay never matched up to the production values. If this is generally considered to be the best Superman game of all time, that’s still damning it with faint praise.

Superman the Protector

Some of the more modern games have veered in a different direction by making Superman himself invulnerable but centering gameplay on rescuing civilians and protecting Metropolis. In some ways, that feels like a step in the right direction. The key to understanding Superman is realizing that, as powerful as he is, he can’t save everybody. He does have limits.

For example, the Xbox got its own Superman game in 2002 courtesy of Infogrames in the form of Superman: The Man of Steel. Based on the comics rather than the animated series or movies, this game pitted Supes against Brainiac. While the game succeeded in giving players control of a wide variety of super-powers, the lousy controls and emphasis on protection missions served as a one-two punch of doom.

Then there’s 2006’s Superman Returns, a game with interesting ideas but subpar execution. The game featured most of the cast from the film reprising their roles, along with other iconic Superman villains like Bizarro and Metallo for good measure. To its credit, the game didn’t put many limits on Superman’s abilities as it introduced an open-world version of Metropolis. In fact, the Man of Steel himself was effectively invulnerable, with Metropolis itself having a health meter. But between the poor controls, equally bad graphics, and the fact that the game’s final boss was a literal tornado, Superman Returns was ultimately panned.

Building a game around rescuing innocent bystanders (like Superman: The Man of Steel) or protecting Metropolis itself (like Superman Returns) can be an exercise in frustration. Protection missions in games are always a tough sell. Without fine-tuned controls and an NPC AI smart enough not to be actively fighting against the player at all times, these missions can be aggravating at best and downright rage-inducing at worst.

How Should the Superman Franchise Move Forward?

Shockingly, that’s it for Kal-El’s gaming career. It’s been almost 20 years since the release of Superman Returns, and the Man of Steel has yet to star in another dedicated game. His subsequent gaming appearances have been limited to Justice League-centric series like Injustice: Gods Among Us and LEGO Batman. Superman is also playable in Fortnite, but there he’s basically just a dude that flies and shoots lasers. At some point, developers seem to have given up trying to crack the Superman code.

The gaming world has yet to deliver that satisfying Superman experience that embraces all his incredible powers while still creating a sense of danger. What’s the key? Do you load up enemies with Kryptonite weapons? Do you follow the example of the Injustice games and create a super-strength-bestowing MacGuffin that levels the playing field?

Maybe there’s a better question to be asking. Does a Superman game even really need combat in the first place? Certainly, Telltale found success with the Batman franchise in an adventure game setting. Could Superman benefit from a similarly narrative-driven approach? Is a full-blown Superman point-and-click adventure game the way to go? Maybe, but there are other ways of downplaying action in superhero games.

We’re seeing modern AAA games like Death Stranding start to deemphasize combat in favor of other mechanics (some would argue the Death Stranding games would be better if they eschewed combat entirely). Maybe the key is to pivot away from a traditional action game focus in favor of finding other ways to explore and utilize Superman’s powers.

2005’s Shadow of the Colossus offers another possible path forward. That game isn’t devoid of action, but it does break the traditional mold by focusing on exploration and limiting combat to the battles with a handful of massive boss characters. Maybe that’s the key to getting Superman right. Rather than pitting him against generic goons like Parademons or Intergang agents, perhaps the goal should be to focus on a handful of epic, prolonged boss battles. Picture Kal-El’s fight with the kaiju in James Gunn’s Superman movie and you’ll have some idea of how a Superman game could play out.

Ultimately, flight, not combat, is the most important component of a Superman game. Flight in Superman games is really as key to the overall success as web-slinging in Spider-Man games. Activision nailed that element in 2004’s Spider-Man 2, paving the way for Insomniac to cut loose in their Spider-Man games. We can’t say the same for Superman. Without more modern Superman games to take risks and explore the possibilities, the character has completely stagnated in this medium.

It’s probably going to take some trial and error before a developer hits upon the perfect, Arkham-esque formula for Kal-El. And that requires DC to prioritize Superman in the video game arena once more. With any luck, James Gunn’s Superman movie will be a major success, thereby serving as the catalyst the character needs in the gaming world.

For more, check out Wolverine's clawful history in video games and the long road to perfecting Batman in games.

It's snack time, baby! If you don't already have an air fryer, Amazon is giving you a great excuse to get one. Right now, Amazon is offering 50% off the Ninja Air Fryer XL for a limited time. Although it's not a Prime Day-specific deal, it should be treated the same as limited-time deals also don't last long and could be gone at any time. This specific model is at its lowest price we've seen since Black Friday 2023 (within $1 of the all-time low price then)! Plus, air-fried foods are popular for a reason: You get crispy goodness without the guilt of extra oil and fat attached.

The TL;DR is: The Ninja Air Fryer XL model is incredibly popular, with over 85k total 4.7-star ratings on Amazon. Offering a 5.5-quart capacity, the XL model is the same price as the slightly smaller 5-quart model (Pro), so it's a no-brainer to get the XL if you're trying to decide between the two. Another big win for this air fryer is that its basket and crisper plate are dishwasher safe, so you can clean up in no time. I would shop the deal as soon as possible since it may not be discounted again until Black Friday, and that's a long time to go without an air fryer in your life.

The Ninja Air Fryer XL Is 50% Off Today

More Prime Day Ninja Deals

Other Last-Chance Deals for Prime Day Tonight

With just mere hours left in Prime Day, now's the time to stock up on other things you need at some of the lowest prices you'll see all year. See our top 10 things to buy before Prime Day ends, including a big 4k Blu-ray sale:

Lindsey (she/her) is IGN's Director of Audience Development and Commerce. She's been at IGN since 2021 and has a background in SEO, especially in the gaming, entertainment, and tech media spaces. Find her on Twitter at @LindseySalzer.

There’s an old idea that second efforts generally aren’t as good as the first. It’s called the sophomore slump, and there are a dozen reasons for it. Sophomore students don't care as much as freshmen; bands have less time to write, practice, and record a second album than the “breakout” hit they worked on for years before anyone knew who they were; athletes who have exceptional rookie years regress to the mean; and so on. There’s no denying the power of new car smell. I think part of the reason College Football 25 popped off as hard as it did (and trust me if you’re unsure: it popped off) was it’d been more than a decade since NCAA 14 and people really, really wanted a new game based on college football. It didn’t hurt that it was also a good game, but the yearly “it’s the same game as last year” fatigue of the sports genre hadn’t set in yet. That makes College Football 26 the real test.

I’ll be honest, reader: I haven’t had a ton of time with this sequel yet (I've been busy finishing up my review of Mecha Break, which I thought was pretty great), so these impressions are going to be pretty light. One of the things I’m interested in as I play more is how this car handles after we’ve put some miles on her, and if it falls into the same slump so many games, bands, and students have hit before it. But while that remains to be seen, I’m having a pretty good time so far.

Part of that is College Football 26 is built on a really firm foundation. College Football 25 was a good game, and it still has that infectious spirit and sense of tradition that made it a nice change of pace from the more straight-laced Madden. From what I’ve seen, College Football 26 builds on that in good ways. One of the things I’m appreciating most is the Trophy Room, which tracks the real world trophies you’ll accumulate across your entire career, no matter what mode you’re in. It’s cool to see stuff like the Heisman Trophy, the Unitas Golden Arm Award, and the Orange Bowl Trophy collected in one place, and be able to learn about them, too. There’s a lot of history to college football, and I appreciate that EA has tried to capture that.

So far, most of my time has been spent sneaking Quick Play games in where I can, so I haven’t really dug into College Football’s major modes too much yet (something I plan to remedy this weekend), but I have noticed some on-the-field stuff that makes me happy.

The little change I’m happiest about is to how defenders play the football when it’s in the air. If you’ve played College Football or Madden in the last few years, you’ve probably been intercepted (or had one of your defenders intercept) a pass that they can’t see without turning around. They’ve essentially got eyes in the back of their heads, and it could be very frustrating. EA has said they’ve changed that, and in my testing, it’s proven true. Now a defender has to see the ball to pick it off, and you’ll notice defenders turning their heads (or not) before the ball arrives. If they don’t, however, it doesn’t mean that defender can’t make a play on the ball. They can still swat it. It’s a good change because it’s two-fold: you now actually have a reason to swat the ball down instead of going for the pick every time, and better defenders can now make plays average ones can’t.

I’m also a big fan of dynamic subs and custom zones for defenders. The former allows you to swap players on the field and not just on the playcall screen (thank God), though you may have to wait a play for the substitution to take effect, and the latter is the defensive version of last year’s custom stems for routes on offense. I enjoy the defensive game more than the offensive one, so being able to set where I want my zones to be on the field in real-time and not in a menu is welcome. I’m enjoying playing around with this stuff, and I imagine I’ll be using it quite a bit.

Now that I have the time to really dig into College Football 26, I am excited to see all the new additions to Road to Glory, where I’m really looking forward to being able to play my high school career, as well as all the new bells and whistles in Dynasty, which is where I imagine I’ll be spending most of my time. But the on-field stuff is where it counts. I can’t say yet if EA has avoided the sophomore slump with College Football 26, but I’m going into this year optimistic, and that’s not nothing.

With so many to choose from, even the best gaming chairs can start to blend together, but that's definitely not the case for the Razer Iskur V2. Razer’s snake-inspired aesthetic is woven into the chair in a way that offers a unique look, but it doesn't forget that the priority is comfort – it doesn't come cheap, however. I've put it through its paces and can attest to its impressive comfort, making a strong case within a crowded field of chairs.

Razer Iskur V2 – Design and Features

The original Razer Iskur we reviewed took the top spot in Razer's gaming chair lineup and made waves with its unique design and lumbar system. Its backrest was tensioned and looked almost spring-loaded, and while it did the job of offering pronounced support, it wasn't an instant hit precisely because of how pronounced its support was. The Iskur V2 changed all of that, refining its support and aesthetic while maintaining its unique identity and premium positioning.

Looking at the Iskur, the word "bold" comes to mind immediately. It's a large chair and stands imposingly just under five feet tall and has a 27-inch circumference, including its wheelbase. Its lumbar support is redesigned from the original, but stands out from the rest of the chair with its own separate piece. And, unifying it with the original, it’s again embroidered in a pattern that resembles snakeskin. Care to sit on an anaconda? Want your own serpent throne, a real life lizard king? That’s the vibe, and if you’re not down for it, this may not be the chair for you.

Despite its aggressive styling, Razer has actually reeled it in with this revision. There's no longer the "For Gamers. By Gamers." tagline embroidered on the front of the seat, and the bolsters are no longer as steep. You can pick it up in black and green, or a simpler all-black color scheme, and you can get either with fabric materials or Razer's own leatherette finish. Or, for something even more homey (albeit still snakey), there's a gray and black fabric version available. No matter which you choose, the chair is all around more accommodating for different body types and sitting styles.

Razer didn't spare any expense in fit and finish. I was sent the black and green leatherette version, and the build quality was excellent across the board. There wasn't a single stray thread or scuff on the plastic or metal elements like its polished arms. As one of the biggest brands in the business, Razer has faced its fair share of criticisms for build quality and durability over time for its peripherals. But over the years I've covered it, the brand has responded to the criticisms in a big way, and the Iskur V2 is a great example of where it led to tangible results. It's right up there with the very best gaming chairs you can buy today in its craftsmanship.

With an MSRP of $650, it checks every box you would expect for a premium-priced gaming chair. It uses a steel frame and aluminum wheelbase for long-term durability. Its cushioning is thick and balances firmness with pliability, so it's comfortable out of the box. The leatherette feels robust while remaining soft to the touch, though breathability is still an issue.

The armrests deserve special mention – they're four-dimensional like most other premium gaming chairs, which means you can adjust them for height, depth, width, and rotation, but they offer an extended height range. This lends them greater versatility, especially if you have a higher desk and want to line up your armrests flush with the edge. They're also topped with a soft enough foam that, while firmer than gel or memory foam armrests, is soft enough to lean on without causing elbow pain. I also appreciate the polished metal used on the arms. It’s not a touch unique to Razer, but it looks great and definitely evokes a sense of small sense of luxury you don’t get with typical armrests.

There’s more going on under the surface here, and there’s a renewed emphasis on comfort and accommodation for different sitting styles and preferences. The flattening of the bolsters, especially on the seat, makes a big difference. I was able to cross one and both legs beneath me without feeling them press uncomfortably into my legs, so criss-cross-applesauce sitters are well served. The same is true of the backrest, the two going hand in hand, so leaning in either direction is more comfortable.

The biggest change, however, comes with its lumbar system. While the original Iskur used a cable and tension system to wing out the lumbar support and press into your back, this version is more traditional and frankly, much more effective. Beneath the textured scales of the lower backrest is a flexible plate that can move to properly match your back. Positioning was the biggest issue our reviewer took with the V1’s lumbar, in fact, and this both addresses it and enhances how supportive the lumbar system can actually be.

Razer calls the lumbar support “6D” to probably play on everyone’s knowledge of “4D” with highly adjustable armrests, but that’s a bit of a stretch. Knobs on either side of the chair allow you to move the lumbar curve up and down and tailor precisely how aggressive its curvature is. The other dimensions come from the flexibility of the plate, allowing it to move with you as you shift your weight or twist side to side.

The lumbar isn’t the only ergonomic refinement, either. The seat cushion has also been reworked to provide dual densities of firmness. In simpler terms, it’s softer where your butt and legs go, reducing the amount of pressure experienced by your underside. It’s one of those things that you don’t consider until someone points it out, but the actual impact is that you can sit for longer without feeling it in your body. It also comes with a downright delightful neck pillow. It’s soft memory foam trimmed with velour and shaped to cradle the neck – gaming chair brands take notice, this is how you do support pillows.

Of course, you can rock and recline, both of which are adjustable for how much resistance you can feel. The Iskur V2 doesn’t quite deliver a full laying position at 152 degrees of recline, but it’s not far off and great for putting your feet up on whatever you have under your desk. The rock tension will likely need some adjustment out of the box, but it’s worth taking the time to really dial it in for the best balance of support and leeway.

Razer Iskur V2 – Assembly

If you've ever built a gaming chair before, assembling the Iskur V2 doesn't offer many surprises. It comes mostly disassembled, except for the armrests on the seat. Helpfully, Razer puts all of the fasteners into position ahead of time, so you don't need to guess about which screw goes in which position. It also provides the wrench you'll need to complete the process without providing any tools of your own.

All-in-all, the assembly process took me about 20 minutes (including taking these photos). I would suggest having an extra set of hands available, purely due to size, if possible; while the assembly process is pretty much entirely typical, the backrest can feel a bit unwieldy when attaching it to the seat. Overall, assembling the chair is straightforward and shouldn't pose much difficulty if you're slightly handy. If it's your first time, detailed instructions are included in the box to guide you through the process.

Razer Iskur V2 – Performance

The Iskur V2 is rated to support an especially wide range of heights, spanning 5-foot 2-inches all the way up to 6-foot 5-inches. I fall right in the middle at 5-foot 8-inches, and though I didn't quite feel like I was swimming, it definitely felt larger around me than a typical gaming chair. There is currently no XL version for the V2, just for the original, but this could easily work as a big and tall chair as is (provided you're within its 299-pound weight limit).

I was lucky enough to have the ability to test the chair intermixed with the cheaper Iskur V2 X model that I am also reviewing. I spent about a month with both and can say that this higher-end V2 version is far more comfortable, and more so than you might first guess based on its aggressive styling. When properly dialed in, the lumbar support is very effective in preventing me from developing soreness, even over longer gaming and work sessions.

The seat itself is superb and the dual-density foam makes a noticeable difference. In truth, I was surprised to see that here because the top-end Anthros chair, which is more than triple the base price, applies a similar approach toward pressure relief with dual density foam, while adding cutouts to further enhance the effect. It’s immediately more comfortable to sit on and remains so over multiple hours, and it makes the Iskur V2 truly stand out.

Given that the chair emphasizes ergonomics and support, as I mentioned before, it's very important that it be properly adjusted for your body. Trying to use it straight out of the box is a recipe for a sore back. It's important that you dial in the position and curvature of the lumbar support correctly, or else it can actually have the opposite effect and push your back and spine out of alignment. When fully personalized, however, it’s a very accommodating and versatile gaming chair.

Between its gentler bolsters, versatile armrests, and overall improved comfort, I was able to freely swap between gaming with a mouse and keyboard, sitting upright with a controller, or leaning back with my feet up. The only thing I didn’t like is trying to fully lay back. I’m not one for power naps at my desk, but in the fully reclined position, the lumbar was too pronounced and needed to be reset. This wasn’t a big deal for me and only takes a minute or so to readjust, but it’s something to keep in mind if you’re a deskside napper.

As both a big Middle-Earth and LEGO fan, I'm ecstatic that we have some of the most intricately detailed and beautifully recreated scenes in brick form. What I don't love, however, is that these sets have never (and likely will never) go on sale. Except for the Balrog Book Nook, which is $129.99, you'll be spending between $270 and $500 for one of these boxes of plastic. I had hoped to see one of the first deals on these sets for Prime Day this year, but was yet again left disappointed.

If you think you have what it takes, you can potentially win some of these sets for free by entering LEGO Ideas' Lord of the Rings build contest. The theme is "A Night to Remember in the Shire" and submissions close August 6. But unless you're a master builder, full price seems to be your only option.

These LEGO Lord of the Rings Sets Are Never On Sale

It's a shame that the barrier to entry to some of the coolest LEGO sets ever is so high. I was able to get my hands on the LEGO Balrog book nook, and it's an impressive build that functions as intended, but you can also open it up to display in full glory. Then you have the Shire, which IGN's Kevin Wong built and said "[b]y and large, LEGO Shire is a simple set – far simpler than LEGO Rivendell and far simpler than LEGO Barad-dûr. Nothing is ornate, but then again, why would it be? These are not elves' dwellings; these are hobbits', and hobbits live simple lives."

Picking up any of these four sets will break the bank in one way or another, and but I'm still holding out hope LEGO will slash the prices on these in the near future. My bookshelf demands it.

Check out The Lord of the Rings Prime Day Deals

Amazon's massive Prime Day sale ends tonight, but you can still save big on some awesome Lord of the Rings and Hobbit books and movies. Some of these are available as buy 2, get 1 free bundles for Prime Day, so if you're looking to grab the gorgeous illustrated editions of the books now is the perfect chance to do so.

Today is the final day of Prime Day, but that hasn't stopped Amazon from releasing another deal on an excellent LEGO set as a last hurrah. Right now you can pick up the LEGO Ideas Treehouse 21318 set for only $174.99. That's 42% off its $250 MSRP and the best price we've ever seen for this model since back in 2023. This is already an officially retired set, meaning this could potentially be the last deal we might ever see for it.

30% Off LEGO Ideas Treehouse 21318 (Officially Retired)

Prime Day is over, and it's been the year of abundant physical media sales. These are the closing days of Prime Day, and the final hours of my busy work week (you may now clap for my sick Oblivion reference). That's right, today's the final day of Prime Day, but the deals are still flowing. The obvious winner for this year's sale was the extensive buy 2, get 1 free promotion on hundreds of pieces of physical media. From movies and TV box sets to vinyl records and books, you can still bundle and save on so many awesome goodies before Prime Day ends tonight.

If you're a physical media collector like me, this deal was a treasure trove of backlog filling and bookshelf padding. Let's have a look at some of the best things included in this promotion, all aggregated in one spot for your convenience. With the end of Prime Day upon us, this is one of the only sales you won't want to miss.

Buy 2, Get 1 Free on Movies and TV Shows

The movie selection here has been pretty great. You can grab 4K or regular Blu-rays on some of my personal favorites like Kill Bill: Vol. 1 and the Back to the Future Trilogy. Also included were some amazing hidden gem animated shows, like the complete collection of the Legend of Zelda animated series on DVD from the 80's. No matter what combination of three you end up picking, you can't go wrong with anything from this deal.

Buy 2, Get 1 Free on Books and Box Sets

Book nerds were feasting with this deal all week, as well. Countless popular titles could be bundled, like all of the beautiful Lord of the Rings illustrated editions and Andy Weir's Project Hail Mary, a personal favorite of mine with a movie adaptation around the corner. I'd also recommend some extremely relevant historical literature like 1984 and Brave New World, which are each under $10. The biggest draw, however, are the discounted full box set collections of series like A Court of Thorns and Roses and Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn Trilogy.

The Best Comics and Graphic Novels to Get 3 for the Price of 2

The regular book selection for this bundle promotion was choice, and the comics and graphic novel offerings are just as juicy. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin's new hardcover printing was a hot item this year, and there are dozens of incredible Batman stories to pick from. With James Gunn's Superman out today, I'd highly recommend checking out All-Star Superman, which the film pulls a lot of inspiration from.

If physical comics aren't quite your bag, another great Prime Day deal is the Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition for $100 off, which I think is the best way to read digital comics.

Buy 2, Get 1 Free on CDs and Vinyl Records

The buy 2, get 1 free bundle also has a nice music selection. The CD and vinyl records available cover a wide variety of genres, like classical and country to iconic records like the Beatles' Abbey Road. I was hoping for a lot more film soundtracks to be part of this sale, but we at least had the Hobbit & Lord of the Rings Film Music Collection as part of the deal. And for elder emos like me, American Football's self-titled Deluxe Edition LP is an easy choice.

Now if you're planning on buying all of these great vinyls on the cheap, how are you supposed to listen to them? I'm glad you asked; Prime Day has a handful of Bluetooth turntable and record player deals to go with your shiny new vinyl.

If you're looking for some video game soundtracks on vinyl, check out the IGN Store to get some of the best.

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

Episode 1 of Foundation season 3 is now streaming on Apple TV+. New episodes premiere on Fridays through September 12.

Taking in the epic scope of a supposedly “unadaptable” literary masterpiece and showing us all the cool stuff the books could only describe – this is Foundation’s bread and butter. Like Denis Villeneuve’s Dune movies, the Apple TV+ series makes its source material digestible for a wider audience by filtering the essence of the work – a love of science and a focus on the impact and flow of history – through a unique vision. And, in the process, it’s reserved its own spot in the pantheon of epic science fiction. In season 3, we get what this version of Foundation was always building to: a blockbuster-sized, galaxy-spanning story with fantastic action, stunning visuals, and a singular threat that serves as a focal point for plotlines that are scattered across different worlds and millennia.

That threat would be The Mule (Pilou Asbæk), the planet conquering mutant who was teased in season 2, but arrives in full force in season 3. He’s an ever-present, highly visible menace here – much more than the late-stage plot-twist role he serves in Isaac Asimov’s Foundation novels. But that doesn't mean the character has a diminished capacity for surprise: Asbæk gives what could easily be a one-note character plenty of personality, changing the character's mannerisms and motivations seemingly every episode to keep him mysterious to everyone, even when you think he's being open about who he really is. At times The Mule is Foundation’s equivalent of the Joker, at others he's Napoleon, or even Paul Atreides. Asbæk is great in the role and quite fun to watch bringing the same swashbuckling air of danger that he previously lent to Game of Thrones.

All that, plus he touches every storyline and character in season 3, even if they’re not fully aware of it at first. Take the Cleons, for example, who face an unprecedented existential crisis in these episodes. The genetic tampering of generations past, together with Demerzel’s (Laura Birn) micro-management of their lives to ensure the best future outcome, has fully eradicated any notion that Dawn (Cassian Bilton), Dusk (Terrence Mann) and Day (Lee Pace) are one and the same man.

Pace is the highlight of the season – a continued delight as Cleon XXIV goes through his Big Lebowski era. He lets his hair grow wild, sports an unruly beard, and spends his time far away from the politics of the crumbling Galactic Empire, choosing instead to get high, gamble on card games with his guards, and clone long-extinct animals for the garden palace he shares with the concubine he's caught feelings for. Pace is clearly having the time of his life in the role, and he’s a welcome respite from how plot-heavy things get elsewhere on the capital planet of Trantor-based story (and how lore-heavy Demerzel’s corner of season 3 gets). Day remains self-centered as ever, and he doesn’t care about anything but his own amusement, but he does experience surprising character growth that leads to the best arc of he season.

Although it presents a lot of information to sift through, Foundation’s take on Demerzel remains the biggest surprise and joy of following this show. Birn does a spectacular job portraying the immortal robot’s identity crisis: If the end of the Cleon dynasty is finally at hand, that means she can consider a future free of her programming. But is such a future even possible? And what is she without her programming? That clash between the desire for freedom and the genuine love within her servitude/programming is the crux of the character, and it's never been as prominent as it is this season. It places the robot at the center of the Empire’s story – and with it, the entire history of Foundation – in a way that makes the scope of the show even bigger and its story more complex.

Foundation has always been a visually impressive show, but season 3 takes it to a new level, with a stunning mix of practical sets and impressive VFX, bringing vast and varied worlds to life, while also staging action sequences worthy of a blockbuster feature. Through these visuals, we see how important the passage of time has become to this story – in the shrinking of the Empire and the growth of Foundation, but also in the worlds themselves. Ignis, home of the secret Second Foundation, changes and flourishes, while Trantor, where the lack of change is part of the illusion of the Empire's power, receives some subtle alterations.

Keeping this all from being too dense or heavy-handed, Foundation still manages to bring in some weirdness and fun in its stories. This is particularly true of the Mallows, specifically Toran (Cody Fern) and Bayta (Synnøve Karlsen), a rich influencer couple who feel like they’re on an entirely different show (in a good way). Their story becomes not just funny, but even heartwarming when their paths cross that of a jester named Magnifico Giganticus (Tómas Lemarquis), a guy who plays a Visi-sonor that not only plays sound, but visuals too. The way the show brings that instrument to life is inventive and makes me wish Villeneuve had attempted something slightly more sci-fi with the baliset in Dune.

I’m just going to come out and say it: RAM is not the most exciting part of your computer. That doesn’t mean it’s not an important part of your system. Picking the best RAM for your gaming PC is something that’s usually either overlooked entirely or scrutinized to the point of choice paralyzation. The truth is, for a gaming PC, especially with a powerful graphics card, 32GB of CL38 DDR5 RAM is going to be more than good enough for the next few years.

TL;DR – These are the Best RAM Kits:

The problem is there are dozens of RAM kits out there that fit that bill, and navigating the differences between them is a good way to get lost in the weeds. My advice is to find a RAM kit with the right capacity for your needs, at a decent speed and the lowest price possible. When it comes to gaming, outside of a select few instances differences in RAM latency and speed are typically extremely minor.

Still, I totally get the urge to get a RAM kit with gauche RGB lighting and a ridiculous heatsink, because it just looks cool. The point is, though, that you don’t need to fork over the extra cash just to have RAM sticks that look neat. RAM is RAM at the end of the day.

Contributions by Danielle Abraham and Georgie Peru

Just The RAM Basics

When picking your RAM, the most important thing is figuring out what type you need in the first place. This will typically depend on the age of your processor and motherboard, but a quick way to check is to look at your motherboard manual. Most processors released in the last few years support DDR5, while anything before the AMD Ryzen 7000 or Intel Core 13000 generations support DDR4, which is quite a bit slower.

After you figure out what type of memory you need, you need to decide on how much RAM to put in your system. The right amount is going to vary depending on what you’re doing with the system, but these days, 16GB should be considered the minimum for a gaming PC. This is because Windows 11 seemingly gobbles up more memory every day, and PC games are following suit. If you really want to make your system last a few years without needing to upgrade it, 32GB of RAM should be a safe bet for a few years.

You can get more than 32GB, of course, with many recent motherboards supporting up to 256GB of memory. Having high amounts of memory is extremely important for creative professionals, as apps like Photoshop, Blender, and Adobe Premiere all need as much memory as possible to run at their best. For gaming, anything over 32GB is pretty much overkill, and will only get you bragging rights when comparing your rig to your friends’.

There is an active debate in the computing world about which is more important: CAS Latency or clock speed. The real answer is that they’re both important. CAS Latency simply measures how many cycles, or clocks, are required to transmit data to and from the RAM. This is typically measured in a series of four numbers, each representing latency in relation to a different type of data transfer. For instance, the G.Skill Trident Z5 Neo RGB kit I use in my test bench has an advertised CAS Latency of CL28-36-36-96. That doesn’t mean much to the untrained eye, but basically these numbers represent, in order, the following:

• CL: How fast your memory can send information requested by your CPU
• tRCD: How quickly your memory can read and convert a data matrix
• tRP: How fast your memory can end one function and switch to another
• tRAS: How long your memory has to wait between memory requests

For all of these, the lower the number the better. But don’t let that be the only thing that guides you when picking out your memory. The clock speed is also extremely important. Clock speed measures how quickly your memory can access data. But a higher clock speed also means each cycle is shorter. That’s why DDR5 memory typically has higher CL ratings than DDR4 memory – because DDR5 is so much faster, it ends up being a wash.

The general rule of thumb is that you should figure out how fast your clock speed should be, then find a kit with the lowest latency at that speed. You can tweak CAS Latency in your BIOS, but unless you’re experienced with overclocking, I wouldn’t advise it.

You will have to do a little bit of overclocking to hit your RAM’s advertised speed, however. DDR5 memory, when you plug it into your motherboard, will typically run at around 4,800MHz. To get to the speed advertised in the box, you’re going to need to go into the BIOS real quick. Intel and AMD both have programs to quickly set RAM to their optimized settings, called XMP and EXPO, respectively. Follow the instructions in your motherboard manual to be on the safe side, but it’s typically as simple as going into the “tweaking” section of your BIOS and enabling XMP. I wrote a whole guide on enabling XMP and EXPO, if you want more detailed information.

There are some RAM kits that will support both XMP and EXPO, but they’re not common. Instead, you should check to make sure the RAM kit you’re getting supports the appropriate processor, otherwise you’re going to have to manually overclock your RAM, which is not for the faint of heart.

If you want to give your gaming PC a flashy edge to it, you can always pick out RAM with RGB lighting. When I’m building a PC with a glass side panel, it’s always tempting to get the flashiest memory I can just to show off. Just keep in mind that no matter how pretty the RGB is, it’s not going to make your computer any faster.

1. G.Skill Trident Z5 Neo RGB CL30

The Best RAM, Period.

2. Crucial Pro DDR5 CL36

Best The Best RAM for Most Gamers

3. Corsair Dominator Titanium RGB CL30

Best RGB RAM

4. G.Skill Trident Z DDR4 CL18

Best DDR4 RAM

Best RAM FAQ

Is DDR4 RAM still good?

It really depends on what you mean by "good". Current-generation processors and motherboards almost universally require DDR5, so DDR4 memory simply won't work. However, if you have an older processor – think Intel 12th-gen and older or Ryzen 5000 and older – DDR4 will be your only option. It's less a question on whether or not "DDR4 is good" it's more "what memory standard does your CPU and motherboard actually support?".

Jacqueline Thomas is the Hardware and Buying Guides Editor at IGN. When she's not helping her friends and family buy computers, you can usually find her tinkering with her own PC.

While there are plenty of great Amazon Prime Day deals on tech and gaming gear, sometimes you just want something soft and adorable to squeeze when you're stressed or are looking to add a little bit of quirky character to a space. That’s where Squishmallows come in; many of these ultra-plush, top-tier plushies from Jazwares are included in the Prime Day sales this year, and today is the last day to enjoy big savings.

From original stuffed plushies with a unique charm to Squishmallows based on major franchises, there’s something for everyone. If you’re a Prime member, looking for a cute gift, or want to keep these lovable creatures all to yourself, Squishmallows are at their lowest prices of the year. Some are up to 60% off or more.

Prime Day is on its fourth and final day, but there are still amazing deals to score before it's too late. This year, some of the best deals came from Apple, with discounts on Apple AirTags, iPads, and AirPods dropping them to the lowest prices we've ever seen. With the sale set to wrap in just a matter of hours, now is the time to grab these Apple products at a discount before it is too late. These are some of the best Prime Day deals to grab before the sale ends.

Prime Day Apple Deals Ending Tonight

The most popular Apple deal has by far been the AirPods Pro 2, which are $100 off through tonight. It's hard to even begin to describe just how convenient these earbuds are, as you can use them for taking calls, listening to music mid-workout, and so much more. I use my AirPods Pro every day, and I don't think the convenience factor can be beat by any other headphones out there. This is the lowest we have ever seen AirPods Pro 2, so if you've ever been on the fence, now is the time to buy.

Another great deal you can still score is a four-pack of Apple AirTags for $64.99. I have recently used AirTags to track luggage while flying across the world and keeping tabs on my Nintendo Switch 2. Since these trackers are so small, you can get very creative in where you place them. Whether you decide to track your purse, wallet, keys, or even pet, this four-pack of AirTags can be a lifesaver.

There's also the Prime Day iPad deals here that are currently at their lowest prices of all time. The new iPad mini deal in particular has been very popular throughout Prime Day as it is a solid Kindle competitor for those looking for a reading tablet.

Is it worth waiting for Black Friday?

As we all know, Black Friday in November is often seen as the biggest sales event of the year. Apple usually has great deals at this time, with Apple Gift Cards given out for purchasing specific items. If you're looking to buy a pair of AirPods Pro, I would recommend grabbing a pair unless you are willing to spend $250 or more on a pair of AirPods Pro 3. For Apple Watch, we might see a slightly lower discount, but the Prime Day deals we have are very solid—same goes for iPad. However, if you're aiming to pick up a new iPhone, it's best to wait until the new models drop this Fall.

Noah Hunter is a freelance writer and reviewer with a passion for games and technology. He co-founded Final Weapon, an outlet focused on nonsense-free Japanese gaming (in 2019) and has contributed to various publishers writing about the medium.