Nintendo has clarified compatibility concerns around its all-new GameCube controller, confirming there may be "issues" using it to play contemporary Nintendo Switch 2 games.

The GameCube controller was unveiled at the 60-minute Nintendo Direct earlier this month. At the time, we noticed the small-print warned the controller was "only compatible with Nintendo GameCube" games in the Nintendo Switch Online retro library, and not other Switch 2 games.

Nintendo has now clarified that small print, reiterating that the retro controller was designed to be used primarily with GameCube games. Players may be able use their GameCube controller for other Nintendo Switch 2 games, but there "may be some issues" doing so given the retro device will be missing "all the buttons and features" found in more modern controllers.

Nintendo also repeated its warning that the GameCube controller is only compatible with the Nintendo Switch 2 system.

"The Nintendo GameCube controller is designed for use with the Nintendo GameCube – Nintendo Classics collection of games and is an optional way to play those games," Nintendo confirmed in a statement to Nintendo Life.

"Since it doesn’t have all the buttons and features found in other controllers that can be used with the Nintendo Switch 2 system, there may be some issues when playing other games. The Nintendo GameCube controller can only be used on Nintendo Switch 2 and is not compatible with Nintendo Switch."

The GameCube collection is a major update to the Nintendo Switch Online library, and grants subscribers access to a laundry list of classic 2000s-era titles, including The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, F-Zero GX, and Soulcalibur 2, which will all be available at launch this summer. Of course, this library will be expanded in the years to come, with some teased titles including Super Mario Sunshine, Luigi's Mansion, Super Mario Strikers, Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness, and more.

If you're looking to pre-order a Nintendo Switch 2, GameCube controller, or other accessories and games, make sure to keep an eye on our Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order hub, which will stay updated with news and info. You can also find out more about how to increase your chances of getting a new Nintendo Switch 2 console on day one.

Vikki Blake is a reporter, critic, columnist, and consultant. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.

It’s one thing to wear your influences on your sleeve, and it’s another to wield those influences to create something that can confidently stand on its own merits. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is explicitly built on many of the ideas of great modern and classic Japanese RPGs, and French developer Sandfall isn’t shy about it – nor should it be. From the bold stylings within its magnificent turn-based combat to the melodramatic but genuine storytelling tropes it largely embraces, so much of Clair Obscur feels familiar yet refreshing. Its superb execution on those ideas puts its own stamp on them for one of the more somber but hopeful journeys I won’t soon forget.

In Clair Obscur, the people of Lumiere live in a fractured reality: Every year, a godlike figure they call The Paintress marks a number on a tower far off in the distance, counting down the age at which people will perish into nothingness. You lead the survivors of the latest in a series of annual expeditions that set sail in hopes of destroying The Paintress, none of which have ever come back despite decades of attempts. It’s a harrowing premise that hangs a heavy layer of melancholy over the entire story. Knowing that your people are fighting against their own extinction by signing up for a death march, facing unknown dangers and picking up the pieces left behind by expeditions long gone, it’s easy to become invested in their fate and the mysteries that dictate their world.

I finished the main story and a decent amount of side content in about 35 hours, and that length speaks to how Clair Obscur doesn’t waste a moment – there isn’t really any filler along the critical path and it doesn’t get bogged down in drawn-out exposition. It makes a strong first impression, then naturally tells you more about its characters through their interactions, conversations, and expressions. While some of my favorite moments in RPGs come from the downtime that offers a chance to breathe and take in the world, there's an embedded urgency here that cuts to the chase in a way that mostly works in its favor. Don't get me wrong, I love a good 80+ hour RPG, but this is a nice change of pace.

Because of that shorter length (relatively speaking), the sharpness of the combat system never dulls. At a glance, you’ll get unmistakable Persona vibes from its slick battle menu and stylish flourishes. More prominent is its active element, with real-time button inputs that boost potency in spellcasting and let you avoid attacks, which keeps you engaged during enemy turns as much as your own. It’s reminiscent of the Mario RPGs or, more recently, Like A Dragon RPGs, and it works wonders for making turn-based combat thrilling – especially when so much of your survival hangs in the balance of being able to dodge and parry.

Against bosses and tougher enemies, you don’t really stand a chance unless you’re paying close attention to the audio and visual cues to establish a rhythm. When it comes to combos that have a varied cadence between hits, I’m locked in like it’s Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, staving off a flurry of attacks to certain beats. It can be frustrating at times, especially in first attempts since there’s some trial and error in learning these attack patterns. But when I’m trying to nail down the timing, it instills an intensity I don’t think I’ve ever felt in turn-based combat. While dodging offers a wider window for execution, parrying demands more precision, and there’s nothing quite like the rewarding slow-motion camera cut and emphatic counterattack of a precisely timed parry, flipping the enemy turn to deal big damage off a free hit.

Every party member has their own specific mechanics that typically revolve around building up their unique resource in battle and managing action points (AP) to execute the more heavy-hitting skills. For example, Gustave gains charges for every hit he lands then uses those charges to increase the output of his Overcharge skill. In contrast, Lune is a mage who gains elemental stains from casting specific spells, dealing higher damage and getting access to bigger spells by stacking the right elements. Meanwhile, Maelle is all about going into different stances and has the potential to do the most damage, but the conditions in which she enters those stances can depend on status effects or the properties of the weapon she has equipped.

There’s even a card-dealing Scythe wielder in Sciel, who manages light-dark phases and card stacks to use her skills properly, almost like a combination of the Astrologian and Reaper Jobs from Final Fantasy XIV. And if that wasn’t enough, two late-game characters I won’t spoil take things even further, with one using a Devil May Cry-style grading system with attacks and dodges while the other takes spells from fallen enemies in the style of a Blue Mage. All of this gives each character a distinct identity and function that makes every turn in battle an exciting endeavor no matter who’s in your party

Their skill trees are also concise, letting Clair Obscur stay approachable since you’re only given a handful of tools and then asked to have a strong grasp of how they work. With an emphasis on meeting certain conditions and inflicting specific knock-on effects when lining up attacks, it reminds me of mechanics you’d see in a CRPG like Baldur’s Gate 3, but fine-tuned for a classic-style Japanese RPG. The way these skillsets are able to synergize and play off other party members shows an understanding of what makes a turn-based system sing. You may fall into a routine opener, but as a fight goes on, it becomes more about adapting to the myriad variables thrown at you and earning the satisfying moments of pulling off your most powerful attacks.

Then there’s another layer called Pictos, which are attachments that offer game-changing stat boosts and perks to drastically affect how you gain AP, the bonuses from dodging and parrying, the way status effects work, and more. Using Pictos for long enough eventually allows you to stack their perks in what are called Lumina, letting you build a character in ways their skill tree cannot. Navigating these menus is kind of a pain since things get messy once you’re sifting through 50+ options packed into a tight screen, but it’s something I learned to deal with and sort through once I grasped the nomenclature – and when it all clicked, taking the time to configure my party was well worth the hassle. At first I thought I'd be far too overpowered (and I was in some cases), but setting the right loadout elevated my party members in ways that were crucial for the most challenging fights.

In fact, my biggest worry early on was that Clair Obscur was going to be too easy, as I steamrolled almost every enemy in roughly the first-third of the main path – aside from a handful of optional bosses that tested my mastery of the combat system (or one-shotted me, telling me to come back in the endgame). It definitely ramps up as it goes on, however, weaving in more creative enemy attack patterns and adding layers that sometimes tease out new approaches to constructing your party and skill loadouts. It eventually struck a good balance as bosses evolved in interesting ways, either by doing more with status effects and enemy shields, or by mixing up attacks that also ask you to time a jump or hit a special "Gradient Counter" alongside the usual parries and dodges, which could make my survival in combat feel like a rhythm game.

That gives Clair Obscur enough depth without feeling unwieldy, and just enough complexity while still staying focused. And if you’re clever enough, you’re allowed to “break the game,” so to speak, as its systems let you scale up in a way that’s rewarding rather than exploitative. I’ve played these kinds of RPGs my entire life, and so I’m confident when I say Clair Obscur has one of my favorite turn-based combat systems, ever – even if it has room to grow in a potential sequel, it’s already brilliant.

There’s something very old-school about Clair Obscur, and its overworld is one of clearest ways in which it harkens back to classic RPGs. You have oversized models of your characters navigating a map filled with optional locations and secrets, many of which aren’t accessible until you unlock new travel methods, similar to getting chocobos and airships in the Final Fantasy games of yore. It’s actually really charming, embracing its video game-y aspects and knowing that it doesn’t always have to take itself so seriously. Floating islands, far off shores, or massive creatures in the distance create a sense of wonder, and eventually you can go visit them to fight superbosses, play silly minigames for unique weapons and Pictos, or uncover a bit more of the story you wouldn’t see otherwise – and that side content can account for roughly 20 hours of gameplay on top of the main story. There’s no real quest log, so there isn’t an elegant way to track what you stumble upon. But rather than feeling obtuse, it gives the impression that these secrets are yours to discover in true throwback fashion.

The main locations you visit function like dungeons where you fight your way along a fairly direct track, with extra items tucked in nooks and crannies off the beaten path. For as linear as these places can be, a minimap would have been handy, as you’ll often get lost in the winding paths that blend in with the environment. (If nothing else, I’d like one just to keep track of where I had already been.) You approach enemies to initiate combat, and they respawn if you decide to replenish your health and items at flags planted by previous expeditions that function like checkpoints. Exploration is limited in this regard, but it helps each main story sequence stay focused and consistently paced. It’s also a consolation that every place you visit is visually striking, whether it’s thanks to an ethereal whimsy and natural beauty, or the brutality of the trenches and battlefields where bodies of past expeditioners are piled high – regardless, I was often in awe of Clair Obscur’s world.

What really etches an RPG into the pantheon of greats, however, is always going to be its story. My heart was all-in on Clair Obscur’s themes of facing mortality, making sacrifices for future generations, and the different ways we handle grief. I’ve written a lot about the latter, especially in relation to the stories many recent RPGs tell, and this is another harrowing exploration of it – for the way it contextualizes time and age, but also for its portrayal of grief becoming destructive to those around you, should it consume you. Final Fantasy X is one of its main influences, and it shows, but Clair Obscur also separates itself by how it tells its story. Massive credit is due to the impeccable acting and voice performances from an A-list cast, as well as script writing and scene direction that has dialogue playing out like natural, real-life conversations – small gestures, subtle expressions, and the cadence of the line deliveries are qualities that ground its story in something that feels as real as it is fantastical.

Its brevity does work against it at times as the story shifts in sudden directions later on that somewhat undermine the initial premise. I wish it dedicated a little more time and attention to fleshing out the parts that went a bit underdeveloped, but what’s here is still powerful – especially as it relates to the ugliness that comes from processing loss, and with a certain focus on the complicated impact it has on families. There’s a thematic coherence in showing how we use art and fiction as a coping mechanism and the dangers of getting lost in it.

Despite its deeply sad premise, Clair Obscur also manages to inject some levity that is largely charming rather than forced. Silly wooden guys called Gestrals occupy most of The Continent, working as both comic relief and a lens to help understand unknown parts of the world. Your party will goof with each other and share pieces of their personal lives at camp, and while not all of it is riveting stuff necessarily, those brief moments are vital for rounding out the human element that this story channels. Admittedly, there are moments in which Clair Obscur embellishes in its sorrow a bit too much, getting a little overdramatic at times. But it’s always able to find its footing by evoking a very specific tone – one that leans heavier into what you’d expect from a theatre production than a Hollywood blockbuster. And from that perspective, playing out like a classical tragedy is an integral part of its identity.

Clair Obscur often feels like an expression of French art history, using its culture as an enticing artistic foundation (and even poking fun at itself with mime bosses and a fun accordion jig). That's not just in the distinct Belle Epoque aesthetic or the French phrases characters use casually in conversation, but also in motifs that invoke theatre, painting, dance, and music which are woven into the very fabric of this fictional world – with music in particular being the most powerful one. Like every great RPG, an evocative soundtrack can uplift it to become a truly memorable experience, and Sandfall understood the assignment here. There’s almost too much good music, in that certain tracks didn’t even get enough time to stick in my head, but at every turn are amazing songs that hype you up for battle or set a wistful mood. With a multifaceted approach that includes string quartets, symphonic rock, moving opera vocals, and atmospheric synths, Clair Obscur’s soundtrack is stunning, and will be one of the reasons I won’t forget this game.

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered launched big launch on Steam, where it enjoyed a peak concurrent player count of over 180,000 on release day.

After Bethesda shadow-dropped Oblivion Remastered yesterday, April 22, the game climbed to the top of Steam’s global top-selling games list, which is sorted by revenue. It’s ahead of the likes of Valve’s own Counter-Strike 2, viral hit Schedule I, and Blizzard’s Overwatch 2, which itself received a significant new update.

Oblivion remastered was also the fourth most-played game on Steam yesterday, behind only Counter-Strike 2, PUBG, and Dota 2. It’s currently the most-played single-player RPG on Steam, ahead of the resurgent Baldur’s Gate 3, and has a ‘very positive’ user review rating.

Steam stats do not tell the whole story, of course, and when it comes to Oblivion Remastered, there’s much more to its success. As a Microsoft-owned game (Microsoft owns Bethesda parent company ZeniMax Media), Oblivion Remastered launched straight into Xbox Game Pass for Ultimate subscribers. It seems likely the game will have many players through the subscription service alone.

And then there’s the PlayStation 5 and standard Xbox Series X and S release to add in. So, while neither Microsoft nor Sony make player numbers public, Oblivion Remastered’s true peak concurrent player count on launch day will be much higher than 180,000.

It seems like a big success already, although Bethesda is yet to announce a total player or sales number. And player numbers will surely get bigger as Oblivion Remastered heads into its first weekend on sale.

Oblivion Remastered, developed by remake specialist Virtuos using Unreal Engine 5, has a long list of visual and feature improvements. It runs at 4K resolution and 60 frames per second, as you'd expect, but other changes are more meaningful. Everything from the leveling systems to character creation, and combat animations to in-game menus have been improved. Meanwhile, there's lots of new dialogue, a proper third-person view, and new lip sync technology. The changes are going down well with fans, some of whom believe Oblivion Remastered would be more accurately described as a remake. Bethesda, however, has explained why it went down the remaster route.

The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion launched in 2006 as a follow-up to fan-favorite Morrowind on PC and Xbox 360, with a PlayStation 3 release following in 2007. It’s set in the fictional province of Cyrodiil, and revolves around the player character's bid to defeat a fanatical cult that wants to open portal games to the demonic realm known as Oblivion.

We've got a comprehensive guide to everything you'll find in Oblivion Remastered, including an expansive Interactive Map, complete Walkthroughs for the Main Questline and every Guild Quest, How to Build the Perfect Character, Things to Do First, and much more.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

It vanished fast the last time it was available, but now the Charizard ex Super Premium Collection is back in stock at Amazon, and down to just $49.94 (see here). That's 38% off its current list price, and well worth considering if you’re even casually invested in the Pokémon TCG. This is one of the few boxes for 50 big ones that’s actually worth your time—and your money.

Here’s what’s inside:

• A foil Charizard ex promo, plus matching Charmander and Charmeleon
• A Charizard figure—not essential, but a solid shelf piece
• And most importantly: 10 booster packs, not the usual 4 or 6

My Favorite Obsidian Flames Cards

If there’s one thing Lucasfilm has accomplished with shows like Star Wars: Andor and Star Wars Rebels, it’s in showing us the many heroes and worlds that played a key role in fighting and eventually overthrowing the Empire. We know Yavin-IV and Hoth and Endor from the movies. But what about Lothal and Ferrix? And thanks to the first three episodes of Andor Season 2, there’s another world that’s entered the Star Wars zeitgeist - Ghorman.

What is Ghorman, and why is this world so important to the conflict that is the Galactic Civil War? Why does the situation on Ghoman develop into a watershed moment for the Rebel Alliance? Here’s what you need to know about this little-known but surprisingly important corner of the Star Wars universe.

Ghorman in Star Wars: Andor

Star Wars: Andor first alluded to the planet Ghorman in the Season 1 episode “Narkina 5.” In a meeting between Forest Whitaker’s Saw Gerrera and Stellan Skarsgård’s Luthen Rael, Saw references the doomed anti-Imperial group known as the Ghorman Front. To Saw, the Ghorman Front is a cautionary tale when it comes to discussing how best to fight the Empire.

Now this world is playing a much more direct role in Season 2. In the premiere episode, we see Ben Mendelsohn’s Director Krennic speaking to a group of assembled ISB agents about a delicate problem involving the planet. He shows them a cheesy documentary reel extolling the virtues of Ghorman’s textile industry. Their silk fabric, harvested from a special breed of spider, is Ghorman’s chief galactic export.

The problem, as Krennic explains, is that the Empire is more interested in another of Ghorman’s natural resources. The Emperor himself covets Ghorman’s vast supply of calcite. Krennic claims that this calcite is needed to help the Empire’s research into renewable, unlimited energy. However, given what we know about Krennic from Rogue One, we can probably assume he’s lying. More likely, Krennic needs vast stores of calcite to complete construction of the Death Star. Like Kyber crystal, calcite is one of the limiting factors in Project: Stardust, and one of the reasons completing that terrible battlestation is taking so long.

As Krennic and his underlings discuss, the challenge with calcite is that extracting it in the quantities the Empire needs will likely leave Ghorman a barren, uninhabitable wasteland. That raises concerns about what to do about the native Ghor population. Palpatine’s grip on the galaxy isn’t quite so ironclad that he can just lay waste to an entire world and its people with impunity. That’s precisely why he wants a Death Star in the first place. At that point, there will be no contesting his Empire, no matter what war crimes it commits.

Krennic’s solution is to turn public sentiment against Ghorman so that the Empire becomes justified in taking control of the planet and displacing its people. This is a world with a history of anti-Imperial leanings, after all. But while his propaganda ministers believe that this process can be handled through social manipulation alone, Denise Gough’s Dedra Meero understands the reality. The Empire needs to install its own band of radical rebels who can be relied on to further the narrative that Ghorman is a dangerous, lawless place. Only then can the Empire swoop in and claim its calcite under the guise of restoring law and order.

All of this looks to be setting up an ongoing storyline in Season 2. No doubt Diego Luna’s Cassian Andor, Genevieve O’Reilly’s Mon Mothma, and others will be drawn to Ghorman as the political situation deteriorates and this planet becomes a renewed battleground in the Galactic Civil War. Based on what we know about Ghorman already, it’s bound to end in both tragedy and a pivotal moment for the Rebel Alliance.

What Is the Ghorman Massacre?

In short, Andor Season 2 is gearing up to showcase an event known as the Ghorman Massacre. While this event has only been alluded to in Disney-era Star Wars media, it’s actually one of the most important developments leading to the creation of a true, unified Rebel Alliance.

The Ghorman Massacre has its roots in the pre-Disney Star Wars Legends universe. In that version of events, set in the year 18 BBY, Peter Cushing’s Grand Moff Tarkin was the instigating offender. When Tarkin traveled to Ghorman in the midst of a peaceful protest against illegal Imperial taxation, he made the characteristically ruthless choice to land his ship directly on top of the protesters. Hundreds were killed or injured as a result.

The Ghorman Massacre quickly came to be seen as a glaring example of Imperial cruelty. It not only sparked public outcry, but it also led Senators like Mon Mothma and Jimmy Smits/Benjamin Bratt’s Bail Organa to begin fomenting and supporting the growing rebel movement. There’s a direct line between the Ghorman Massacre and the formation of the Rebel Alliance.

Lucasfilm is taking a somewhat different approach to the Ghorman Massacre in this new Disney era, and with Andor Season 2 in progress, we’re still making sense of the revised timeline. But the basic idea remains the same. The Ghorman Massacre is an incident where the Empire overplays its hand and inspires a renewed wave of rebel backlash.

Warning: the remainder of this article contains possible spoilers for upcoming episodes of Andor Season 2!

Most of what we know about the Ghorman Massacre in the Disney timeline is established in Star Wars: The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire and other reference books. In this version, the massacre takes place in 2 BBY. Once again, the Empire is guilty of slaughtering innocent protesters on Ghorman, sparking immediate and deep backlash.

We also know that the Ghorman Massacre serves as the critical dividing line in Mon Mothma’s political career. Up to that point, Mon is committed to working within the Imperial Senate system to oppose and resist Palpatine’s agenda wherever she can. But after the Ghorman Massacre, Mon finally throws caution to the wind and speaks publicly against the Emperor, labeling him “a lying executioner.” At that point, Mon is considered a traitor to the Empire, forcing her to go into hiding and become the full-time leader of the Rebel Alliance.

We’ve actually seen the immediate aftermath of the Ghorman Massacre play out already, thanks to the animated series Star Wars Rebels. In the Season 3 episode “Secret Cargo,” the Spectres rescue Mon and escort her to the Rebel Alliance high command. From there, Mon delivers a speech known as the Declaration of the Rebel Alliance, and the Galactic Civil War officially begins.

Modern streaming platforms like Netflix and Max have changed our content diets dramatically, allowing reality TV lovers and Letterboxd sickos to beam the latest movies and shows directly into their homes. In lieu of heading out to a theater and getting caught in a ‘Chicken Jockey’ related incident, you may be wondering — how can I summon a cinematic level of fidelity from the comfort of my couch? Well never fear, dear reader, as our guide to streaming Netflix in 4K will explain everything you need to know.

How to Stream Netflix in 4K

Before we get started, it’s worth checking which Netflix plan you’re on — as not all of them allow for 4K streaming. The Streaming (with Ads) and Standard plans only allow for streaming at resolutions up to 1080p. The only plan that supports 4K streaming at this time is the highest-tier Premium Plan.

Here are the current Netflix US plans and their prices:

• Standard with ads: $7.99 per month (No 4K)
• Standard: $17.99 per month (No 4K)
• Premium: $24.99 per month (4K streaming)

Do you have the right equipment for 4K?

The next step in your 4K streaming journey is making sure all of your hardware can support streaming Netflix content in 4K. If you’re using a monitor or smart TV for streaming, it needs to be capable of outputting a 4K (3840 x 2160) resolution. If you’re using an external streaming device like a Fire Stick or an Apple TV, then this also needs to support 4K streaming. And, if you are using external devices to stream Netflix, then the cables connecting the device to the TV will need to be good enough to support the signal. Netflix suggests users should use a Premium High Speed HDMI or Ultra High Speed HDMI cable to stream Netflix in 4K.

Check your playback settings

Once you’ve made sure you’re on the right plan and have all the correct equipment, it’s time to check your playback settings. To do this you’ll need to log into your account on your PC. From here you’ll need to click on your profile icon and select ‘Manage Profiles’. It should automatically show the menu bar for your account, however if it hasn’t, select the specific account you wish to stream 4K content from. Now, scroll down and select the Playback Settings option and set it to ‘High’. From here, when using that profile, you should stream in 4K when watching content that supports that resolution.

There are few caveats to this selection worth considering. By selecting High, you may be subject to more buffering and freezing if your internet isn’t up to the job. Additionally, if you’re using mobile data to watch your favourite films or shows be aware that streaming in 4K uses more data and so you might hit your limit quicker than you might expect.

Are There Other Ways to Watch Netflix Movies and Shows in 4K?

Physical media may seem like a thing of the past. However, a Blu-Ray revival has meant a handful of popular titles have broken free of their digital prisons. Blu-Ray editions of original shows like Daredevil, Arcane, The Crown, Stranger Things, and Wednesday are available for fans to buy (though sometimes hard to find). In a world where a show can be dropped from a platform overnight, owning physical copies is often the only way to ensure you can watch your favorite shows for all eternity – or at least until disc drives completely disappear.

Season 2 of Andor’s first of four chapters, episodes 1 through 3, picks up a year after the events of season 1 and starts sprinting. It’s a funnier-than-I-expected opening to season 2 as well. Like the first season did so well, Andor is still focusing on the small things. While the big picture of the rebellion is never far out of mind, this first chapter takes great pains to highlight the personal costs of taking on the Empire with great characters, some truly impressive filmmaking, and one of the best dance parties Star Wars has ever seen.

There’s a scene almost right off the bat between Andor and an Imperial technician who’s helping him steal an experimental new TIE fighter. She’s nervous, scared, wondering if the risk she’s taking is even worth it, but Cassian is there to help talk her through it. He says all the right things, clearly drawing on experience he’s had in the year since we last saw him. It’s a perfect way to immediately show his growth.

But the most important part of this conversation is when the tech talks about how she’d had an okay life at this facility. She had fun. It’s like she feels guilty about ever being happy as a part of the Empire and she’s not sure how to deal with it. This is a small conversation about a very small thing, but it says so much about this first chapter of Andor season 2, and it’s really quite something that they were able to do so much so efficiently in these opening moments.

There’s a feeling throughout these first 3 episodes that any sense of normalcy or comfort is going away. The way the team behind Andor sets out to accomplish that is really savvy. This season is written and edited so well, and particularly in these first 3 episodes, Andor is built in such a way that very directly contrasts the realities of managing a rebellion with continuing to live in the Empire while you do it. It’s a fascinating little tight rope act, and one that the writers and directors almost flawlessly pull off. Even in the opening sequence, we see him very capably tending to this would-be rebel helping him, but immediately he’s back in over his head when he narrowly escapes in a ship he can barely fly.

Another great example of this arrives in episode 1. While Cassian is stuck on a forest planet with a group of rebels that don’t trust him and can’t even get on the same page with each other, we’re taken to a secret meeting of top Empire brass in a snowy, mountain top fortress. The way the episode jumps back and forth between these two scenes connects them in a really sneaky way. It’s edited quickly, almost like a montage, but these are two seemingly unrelated scenes being drawn together.

On the one hand, you see the uphill battle that the rebellion is facing, with factions fighting for the same cause but killing each other because of distrust. This crew holding Andor hostage is just a bunch of selfish idiots – but, meanwhile, the Empire is quite casually plotting the destruction of an entire planet over coffee and canapes at a corporate retreat. These moments get lumped together as effectively one scene, and that one scene isn’t about what the rebellion or the Empire are up to separately. It’s a scene about how far apart the two sides are in their plans and how they get executed. While the Empire can get the ISB and the smear-campaign-pitching Ministry of Enlightenment douchebags marching in lockstep, the rebellion is literally starving in the mud, fighting each other while stranded on a planet full of beasts. They are not playing on the same level.

It’s also a scene that proves just how well Andor is put together. Smart and efficient filmmaking like this pops up throughout this series to subtly drive home the themes while you’re not even looking.

I will say though, episode 2 gets a little long where Cassian’s part of the plot is concerned. This band of misfits in the jungle are just too meatheaded to be interesting for as much time as we spend with them. They did their job very well in episode 1, but I don’t know that I needed the Star Wars version of rock, paper, scissors to play such a big role in Andor’s escape. It’s another vote in favor of the release schedule for season 2, though. I would’ve been a little more critical of episode 2 if I had to wait a whole week to see episode 3.

Thankfully this first batch of episodes also features the galaxy’s most intriguing character, Mon Mothma. The fact that a major plot point of season 1 involved the senator agreeing to arrange the marriage of her daughter to a mobster’s son in order to finance the rebellion was one of the reasons I fell so hard for this show.

Season 2 uses that wedding on Chandrila to do a couple of very cool things. It’s already incredible that Mon sending her daughter to marry into a shady financier’s family plays such an enormous role in the organization of this rebellion. But now her childhood friend and banking guru Tay has lost some money and gotten divorced, which in turn is causing him to make uncomfortable waves for Mon and Luthen Rael’s plans.

Just to say that again, because it’s wild: A dude’s wife leaving him has enormous implications for the future of the rebellion. Forget teaching a kid in the desert how to use a light saber, this is the kind of fascinating butterfly-effect stuff that the second season of Andor is doubling down on in all the right ways. That something as tiny and personal as a marriage falling apart is a real threat to these early days of the rebellion is such a fun thread to pull on.

More than Chandrillan divorce – and there’s always one guy who just got divorced at a wedding – the four-day extravaganza at the Mothma estate highlights that contrast that’s painted so well early in this season. Mon Mothma has always been obliged to play nice in the Senate and at home, while secretly funding the rebellion. Placing all of her anxiety around the rebellion, including the unexpected arrival of Stellan Skarsgaard’s Luthen Rael, against the backdrop of such a traditional event shows how determined the rest of her world is to carry on as though nothing is amiss and the Empire isn’t capable of blowing up a whole planet for a mineral.

By the time the wedding is over, Tay’s been dealt with in the only way Luthen knows how to deal with loose ends, and Mon is doing shots – shots that she has very much earned, and dance-partying her way through some pretty boss EDM. Her tragedy is juxtaposed with a fresh and terrible loss for Cassian. Not only does Mon have to grin and bear it through an upper-class tradition, that contrast is used to invade Cassian’s life as well. It’s another sequence like cross-cutting the jungle meatheads and the Empire planning to strip-mine Ghorman. It creates a single story out of two otherwise unconnected threads.

The real craft of Andor season 2 is in these moments, because they corral disparate parts of the rebellion into the whole. Mon Mothma and Cassian Andor have not met. Their only connection is that they both know Luthen Rael, but quite independently of each other. Here at the end of episode 3 though, they’re in the same place thanks to the absurdly clever editing of that house music.

Meanwhile, on the antagonist’s side of the spectrum, the two main villains from season 1 are embroiled in a domestic chamber piece. Dedra Meero and Syril Karn squaring off against Syril’s mother, who, by the way, I believe to be the second or third best character in this entire show, is an incredible scene. It’s written with some of the most passive-aggressive dialogue humankind has ever seen. The three performances have at least a few layers of awkward subtext at play and, beyond any of that, we get more of what makes this first chapter great – the attempt at normalcy in the midst of rebellion.

Taking a relationship to the “meet the parent” phase is a big and stupidly normal step for two ambitious, true-believer imperial agents like Dedra and Syril. There’s an incongruity to it that’s both really funny and really creepy. Seeing Syril more or less trade one mom for another is a wild place for this series to go, but at the same time, it’s exactly the kind of thing that made the first season so intriguing – and that season 2 is highlighting even more effectively.

And while I was happy to see Bix again, her peaceful bit of respite harvesting grain with Brasso and Wilmon interrupted by an imperial audit is the most on-the-nose part of chapter 1. The officers are so blatantly slimy and their tactics so familiar, the storyline just didn’t have nearly as much to offer as the others. I certainly preferred the farmers on that planet to the meatheads in the jungle, but to be fair that’s a pretty low bar to clear.

There’s never been a better time to start building a big ol' pile of shame, my fellow patient gamer. Whether you’re keen to pick up a cult favourite or just want to marvel at how cheap Mass Effect is going for, today's best gaming deals are a tidy mix of crowd-pleasers and critical darlings. And now, without much more ado, here are my favourite deals on The Citadel.

This Day in Gaming 🎂

In retro news, I'm celebrating the 32nd birthday of the Sega Mega Drive II, a beast I still own and adore. Bristling with 16-bits of power (and blast processing technology), this bit of kit arrived on my birthday, with a copy of Streets of Rage from a MegaZone subscription deal, and basically made my year. I was to eat well with Sonics 1 through 3, Bonanza Bros., RoboCop vs. Terminator, Disney's Aladdin / Lion King, Streeties, MK, Golden Axe, Earthworm Jim, a bunch of Shinobis, and more. Absolute peak Sega era.

• Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope (-75%) - A$19
• Fire Emblem Warriors: TH (-50%) - A$39
• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (-67%) - A$26
• Civilization VII (-23%) - A$69
• Persona 5 Royal (-40%) - A$59

Expiring Recent Deals

• Switch Lite Hyrule Ed. (-12%) - A$299
• Persona 4 Golden (-60%) - A$11
• God Eater 3 (-37%) - A$53
• Joy-Cons Green/Pink (-26%) - A$89
• MySims: Cozy Bundle (-35%) - A$39
• NBA 2K25 (-78%) - A$20
• Suikoden I&II HD (-14%) - A$69

Or gift a Nintendo eShop Card.

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Sci-fi is a genre that continues to evolve each year in filmmaking. Ever since the mystical release of 2001: A Space Odyssey, many directors have sought to craft films that are otherworldly and fascinating for audiences. Today, the Amazon 3 for $33 sale is still ongoing for select 4K movies, and some of the best sci-fi movies of all time are still available as part of this deal. If you're a collector and wish to avoid the sci-fi-like digital-only future, this is a great opportunity to score some excellent 4K Blu-rays for your collection.

This sale is part of Amazon's larger three for $33 4K movie promotion that just started yesterday. There are quite a few other great films in there if you'd prefer to shop the full sale yourself.

Score 3 4K Sci-Fi Blu-rays for $33 at Amazon

One of the best movies included in this sale is Blade Runner: The Final Cut, starring Harrison Ford. This version of the iconic sci-fi film is the definitive way to experience Blade Runner by far, with new VFX cleanups, added scenes, and excellent color and sound quality.

You can also score 4K copies of 2001: A Space Odyssey, one of the most inspirational sci-fi films of all time, and Inception, which is a favorite for many fans of Christopher Nolan. Godzilla Minus One, just fresh off an Oscar Win last year, is also available. Beyond Minus One, you can save on even more Godzilla and monster 4K movies as part of this ongoing promotion.

If you wish to check out all of the movies on sale, you can shop the full sale yourself here.

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.

If you're tired of lugging out your full-sized vacuum cleaner or buying cans of compressed air to clean out your desk space, here's an easier alternative. Amazon is offering the Hoto Handheld Cordless Vacuum Cleaner for just $31.31 after you apply a 55% off coupon code "468DGGLL" during checkout. Amazon's list price is incorrect (it's actually $69.99). It has over 700 4.3/5 star reviews on Amazon with a Fakespot "A" rating. This cordless handvac is a quick and easy way to rid your desk area of all the food crumbs and dust bunnies that pile up in and around your keyboard and gaming PC.

55% Off Hoto Cordless Handheld Vacuum

What makes for a great graphics card? I’ve spent a lot of time over the last few months thinking about that question, especially in the wake of Nvidia GPUs like the RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 which are good cards on their own, but don’t do much to justify their existence over what was already out there beyond the addition of multi-frame generation. The GeForce RTX 5060 Ti does buck the trend a bit, featuring the largest generational improvement out of the entire Nvidia Blackwell lineup.

This makes the RTX 5060 Ti the easiest current-generation Nvidia card to recommend, but that recommendation comes with a huge asterisk. You see, there are two versions of this graphics card out there, one with 8GB of VRAM and another, reviewed here, with 16GB. In a world where the Intel Arc B580 exists, it’s mind-boggling that Nvidia would launch an 8GB version of this card that’s still more expensive than Intel’s flagship. If you’re shopping for a 1080p graphics card, please don’t fall into the trap of buying the 8GB version.

Specs and Features

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 Ti is built on the same Blackwell graphics architecture as the rest of the RTX 5000 lineup, this time with 4,608 CUDA cores across 36 Streaming Multiprocessors or SMs. That also means this graphics card has 152 Tensor Cores and 36 RT cores, which are used for DLSS and ray tracing, respectively. This configuration means its a bigger GPU than its predecessor, the RTX 4060 Ti, which had 4,352 CUDA cores across 34 SMs.

From there, the RTX 5060 Ti splinters into two different versions of the card, an 8GB and a 16GB model, both on a 128-bit bus. In fact, the actual GPU is identical between the two, with the only difference being the amount of VRAM available. For some people, this difference will be negligible, but if you’re looking to play intensive AAA PC games like Doom: The Dark Ages, 8GB could be a huge limiting factor, even at 1080p.

In a perfect world, there will be a $50 difference between the 8GB and 16GB versions of the RTX 5060 Ti, with them launching at $379 and $429, respectively. However, right now even 8GB versions of the card are starting around $400, with the 16GB card sitting anywhere from $500-$550 on Newegg. At that price, getting a graphics card with 8GB of VRAM simply doesn’t make sense, especially in a world where the Intel Arc B580 exists. Hopefully these higher prices normalize over the next few months and years.

It doesn’t help that there is no Founders Edition for the RTX 5060 Ti to help anchor prices. Instead, Nvidia is only selling the RTX 5060 Ti via third party manufacturers, just like the RTX 5070 Ti back in November. I was sent the PNY GeForce RTX 5060 Ti OC for review, which is a bog-standard dual-fan card with a modest 120MHz overclock. That’s less than a 5% boost to its clock speed, and shouldn’t make a huge impact on performance one way or the other. It also keeps the RTX 5060 Ti locked to the default 180W power budget, and it peaked at 181W in my testing. What’s interesting is that PNY doesn’t require the controversial 12V(2x6) connector as other Nvidia graphics cards. Instead, just a single run-of-the-mill 8-pin PCIe power connector is enough to power this RTX 5060 Ti. Though, there will likely be many versions of this graphics card that do require an adapter, but it should be included in the box.

DLSS 4

Just like the rest of the RTX 5000 lineup, the big selling point this time around is DLSS 4, and in particular Multi-Frame Generation, or MFG. Just like the Frame Generation tech that debuted with the RTX 4080 in 2022, MFG uses AI to create new frames between sets of rendered frames. The big difference now is scale, with the RTX 5060 Ti able to generate up to three interpolated frames for each natively rendered frame, greatly improving frame rate – though that comes with a catch.

Inserting interpolated frames into the display output naturally introduces a bit of latency, as the GPU is holding the rendered frame while it creates the AI frames. Luckily, Nvidia mitigates that through Reflex and the new AI Management Processor or AMP. The latter is a special bit of silicon on the GPU that takes over the responsibility of frame pacing from your CPU. And because it’s physically located on the same chip as, well, the rest of the GPU, it’s able to do this much more efficiently, shaving off some of the added latency and making the end result smoother.

Reflex, on the other hand, has been around for a while, and essentially zeroes out the render queue, and forces the CPU to only send data to the GPU when it’s ready to render a new frame, rather than stacking up a bunch of work and then sitting idle.

Even with these two methods, latency does still increase when MFG is enabled, but it’s not noticeable, especially if you’re already getting a decent frame rate when you turn it on. That’s the trick: You shouldn’t look at any frame generation trick as a magic bullet to improve your terrible frame rates, it’s just a tool to take an already good framerate and crank out extra frames to saturate high-end gaming monitors.

In Cyberpunk 2077, at 1080p on the Ray Tracing Overdrive preset, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 Ti gets 83 fps and 29ms of latency with DLSS set to performance. Turn on 2x Frame Generation, and the frame rate jumps to 119 fps, with 36ms of latency. Then, with 4x MFG – so 3 AI frames for every “real” frame – the framerate jumps to 185 fps, with 42ms of latency. It’s a significant increase to latency, but it’s still low enough to not be super noticeable, thanks to the high starting frame rate.

Likewise in Star Wars Outlaws, the RTX 5060 Ti starts with 91 fps and 25ms of latency at 1080p, on the Ultra Preset and DLSS set to performance. With 2x frame generation, it jumps to 156 fps and 30ms of latency. Then, at 4x MFG, the numbers go up to 251 fps with 34ms of latency. The higher your frame rate is before frame generation is enabled, the better your experience is going to be.

Performance

At 1080p, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 Ti has no problem handling most games with all the shiny features turned on. Across the suite of games I test GPUs with, I found that the RTX 5060 Ti was on average 23% faster than the RTX 4060 Ti, and 41% faster than the RTX 3060 Ti. That’s a far cry from the measly 11% improvement enjoyed by the RTX 5080 over the RTX 4080 Super.

I tested each graphics card on the most recent public driver, which means all Nvidia cards were tested on Game Ready Driver 576.02, and AMD cards were tested on AMD Adrenalin 25.3.2. All games were also tested on their most recent public versions, to make sure everything was on an even playing field.

3DMark isn’t exactly reflective of real-world gaming performance, but it does give a good idea of what potential performance looks like for the RTX 5060 Ti, especially as the driver matures. In Speed Way, the RTX 5060 Ti gets 4,209 points, compared to 3,276 from the 4060 Ti, making for a 28% improvement. Steel Nomad and Port Royal see similar improvements, with a 25% and 28% lead respectively in favor of the RTX 5060 Ti.

In Call of Duty Black Ops 6, the numbers don’t fare quite as well. At 1080p with the Extreme preset and DLSS set to Quality, the RTX 5060 Ti gets a comfortable 123 fps. That’s just a 6% lead over the RTX 4060 Ti, but it’s still 35% faster than the RTX 3060 Ti with the same settings.

Luckily, the 5060 Ti does much better in Cyberpunk 2077, which is still one of the most demanding PC games out there right now. At 1080p with the Ray Tracing Ultra preset and DLSS set to Quality, the RTX 5060 Ti gets 90 fps, compared to 74 from the RTX 4060 Ti and 64 from the 3060 Ti. That’s a 21% and a 41% improvement, respectively.

I test Metro Exodus: Enhanced Edition without upscaling to get a picture of what raw ray tracing performance looks like. And the RTX 5060 Ti gets an average of 66 fps at 1080p with the Extreme preset, compared to 58 fps from the 4060 Ti. That’s just a 14% improvement, so not exactly the RTX 5060 Ti’s strongest showing.

Red Dead Redemption 2 is getting old, but it still gives a good portrayal of Vulkan performance, especially when everything is cranked up to max. But even on max settings at 1080p, the RTX 5060 Ti gets 101 fps, compared to 91 fps from the RTX 4060 Ti and 77 fps from the 3060 Ti. That’s an 11% and 31% lead, respectively.

Total War: Warhammer 3 doesn’t have any kind of ray tracing or upscaling technology, so it’s great for seeing how a graphics card handles pure rasterization, and the RTX 5060 Ti gets 137 fps, compared to 106 from the RTX 5060 Ti. That’s one of the best results in the 5060 Ti’s favor, and is extremely promising for anyone who doesn’t really care about fancy ray tracing or upscaling effects in their games.

Assassins Creed Shadows is the newest game in the test suite, and is extremely demanding, especially when all the ray tracing effects are enabled – so of course I enabled them. With everything enabled, the RTX 5060 Ti gets just 45 fps at 1080p. That looks bad, right? Well, the RTX 4060 Ti actually fares much worse, getting just 32 fps with the same settings. That makes for a huge 40% improvement in a game that just came out.

In Black Myth: Wukong, ray tracing is kind of always enabled at some level, but I test the game on the Cinematic preset, without enabling full ray tracing. This makes it one of the most demanding games in my suite, with the RTX 5060 Ti getting just 59 fps at 1080p, falling just short of the 60 fps gold standard. However, it does make for a substantial uplift over the 4060 Ti’s 47 fps.

Jackie Thomas is the Hardware and Buying Guides Editor at IGN and the PC components queen. You can follow her @Jackiecobra

Vinyl has made a huge resurgence over the years, and more soundtracks are being released than ever before. It's very common nowadays to see game soundtracks receive a vinyl release at launch or at least a while thereafter. Starting today, IGN Store has opened pre-orders for four new vinyl soundtracks. If you're a fan of The Legend of Zelda, Cuphead, Stray, or Destiny, you do not want to miss these items.

Ocarina of Time, Destiny, Cuphead, and Stray Vinyl Now Available to Pre-Order

First up is the new Hero of Time - Music from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 2xLP Vinyl. This release includes music by the 64-piece Slovak National Symphony Orchestra, with the pressing on green & purple rupee vinyl. There's also the Cuphead Deluxe Soundtrack, which features 1930s era-specific packaging and almost three hours total of music. This 4xLP set is sure to please any fan of jazz or challenging platformers.

Next, the Destiny 2 Volume 1 Original Game Soundtrack Vinyl is perfect for fans of Bungie's online game. This 2xLP set contains original music from Destiny 2's inaugural campaign, "The Red War," with a code included to redeem an exclusive Destiny 2 Profile Emblem.

Finally, a new release of the Stray Original Soundtrack is available to pre-order! Composer Yann Van Der Cruyssen managed to capture the distinct cyberpunk nature of the BlueTwelve Studios game, with eerie and desolate melodies that are captured with synths. This 2xLP set is pressed on 180g audiophile black vinyl and features a gatefold jacket housed in an elegant slipcase with holofoil spécialité.

If you're looking for more game vinyl soundtracks, IGN Store also recently opened pre-orders on six different Persona vinyl soundtracks. This includes Persona Q - Shadow of Labyrinth, Persona 4 Arena, Persona 3 Reload, Persona 4, and Persona 5.

Each of these new vinyl releases is part of the new iam8bit 20th Anniversary Collection, so they won't be here forever. Be sure to head over to IGN Store today so you don't miss out on these items!

About IGN Store

IGN Store sells high-quality merch, collectibles, and shirts for everything you're into. It's a shop built with fans in mind: for all the geek culture and fandom you love most. Whether you're into comics, movies, anime, games, retro gaming or just want some cute plushies (who doesn't?), this store is for you!

Not everyone is the DIY type. If you're in the market for a prebuilt gaming PC, Dell is one of the best brands we'd recommend. Alienware desktops and laptops feature solid build quality, top-of-the-line gaming performance, excellent cooling (further improved on the newer models), aggressive styling, and pricing that is very competitive with other pre-built options. Best of all, there are plenty of sales that happen throughout the year, so it's not difficult to grab one of these computers at considerably less than their retail price. This page includes all of the best deals that are currently available.

Dell and Alienware Coupons

Dell and Alienware Gaming PC Deals

Dell and Alienware Gaming Laptop Deals

You can quickly browse through all of the listed products on sale above. See below for our favorite picks.

Alienware Area-51 RTX 5090 Prebuilt Gaming PCs Are Available

Alienware Aurora R16 RTX 5080 Gaming PC

Alienware Aurora R16 RTX 4090 Gaming PC

Alienware Aurora R16 RTX 5070 Gaming PC

Alienware Area-51 Gaming Laptop Is Now Available

Alienware m16 Gaming Laptops

Samsung's newest SSD - the Samsung 990 Evo Plus PCIe 4.0 M.2 NVMe solid state drive - is on sale today. Pick up the 2TB model for $129.99 or, if you can swing it, the 4TB model is also discounted to $255. It's currently $40-$70 cheaper than the Samsung 990 Pro and most (if not all) gamers won't notice the difference in performance.

Samsung 990 Evo Plus 2TB PS5 SSD for $129.99

4TB for $259.99

Anime just keeps getting bigger. It was reported to be a $19+ billion industry in 2023, so we can only imagine where it's at now. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to watch anime without paying a dime. While you might have to skip out on the occasional Netflix original, there's something for everyone in the hundreds of anime series and movies out there for free.

If you watch anime, you probably know that there are plenty of what we'll call "risky" anime sites, most of which ride a legal gray line or head straight into piracy territory. This list is limited to free anime sites we know for sure legally acquired their streaming licenses.

Whether you want to see what the hype's about with Solo Leveling, are planning a Naruto marathon, or want to dive into classics like Sailor Moon, here are the best sites to watch anime for free.

Crunchyroll

The Elder Scrolls fans are praising Bethesda today after the developer gifted free game keys for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered to the entire team behind popular Oblivion mod, Skyblivion.

In a post on BlueSky today, the Skyblivion team shared news of Bethesda's outreach with their community. "As massive fans, we're beyond grateful for the generous gift of Oblivion Remastered game keys for our entire modding team! This means so much to us. Thank you for everything, Bethesda!"

Skyblivion is an upcoming fan remake of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion made by the TESRenewal volunteer modding group. It uses Bethesda's Creation Engine to recreate Oblivion in the game's sequel, Skyrim. The project has technically been in the works for over a decade, beginning as a simple direct port and later expanding to a full remake with a number of improved features and even new content. We interviewed one of the developers behind it way back in 2021. Skyblivion is expected to release this year.

Historically, Bethesda and the Skyblivion team have reportedly been on "very good terms," but as rumors of an official Oblivion remaster grew, some fans questioned if Bethesda wasn't trying to head off Skyblivion with its own version due to the suspiciously close release timing. A few days ago, anticipating today's showcase, the Skyblivion team issued a statement addressing these concerns. In it, the team said that Bethesda has "always been supportive of community projects like ours" and that "there is no need for comparisons or a sense of competition" between the two games.

Notably, Oblivision Remastered does not have official mod support, though fans have already been cooking up an array of unofficial mods for the game within hours of its release. Additionally, both versions of Oblivion have unique aspects: Skyblivion, for instance, isn't available on console at all. Oblivision Remastered, on the other hand, does not include the new and refurbished content that Skyblivion has promised, but does have horse armor DLC at launch for Deluxe Edition buyers. Both versions have different looks and feels, with different interpretations on how much Skyrim-ness should be incorporated into a retread of Oblivion. And of course, you can play Oblivision Remastered today, but those looking forward to Skyblivion will have to wait just a little bit longer.

While we wait, you can read up on why some players think today’s release is more remake than remaster and why Bethesda opted to give it that “Remastered” name in the first place.

We've got a comprehensive guide to everything you'll find in Oblivion Remastered, including an expansive Interactive Map, complete Walkthroughs for the Main Questline and every Guild Quest, How to Build the Perfect Character, Things to Do First, and much more.

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.

Celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, Studio Ghibli has captivated audiences with its hand-drawn animation and whimsical story-telling. The Japanese studio, led by visionary filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki, has compiled a filmography of nearly two dozen movies, ranging from surreal and supernatural to heartfelt and reflective. If you're looking to watch (or rewatch) the best Studio Ghibli movies, we've compiled this guide for how you can watch every single one right now.

Where to Watch Every Studio Ghibli Movie Online

If you're an anime fan, Crunchyroll is the best streaming platform out there. With just one subscription, you can instantly gain access to over 1,000 different anime series. In a time when anime has never been more popular, Crunchyroll allows you to catch new and popular shows like Solo Leveling while also keeping up with the biggest anime in the world like One Piece. Check out our full rundown of Crunchyroll as of April 2025, in addition to a free trial that allows you to try out the service for one week.

Does Crunchyroll Have a Free Trial?

What Crunchyroll Premium Tiers Are There?

Once again, Crunchyroll has three different pricing options for Premium members: Fan, Mega Fan, and Ultimate Fan. All anime is available across each of the tiers, so you won't need to worry about missing out on certain series if you do not subscribe to the highest tier.

Fan Subscription - $7.99 per month

To break down the tiers, Fan is the standard Crunchyroll Premium membership, offering the entire Crunchyroll anime library ad-free. You can actively stream on one device at a time, and you'll also recieve a 5% discount off select products at the Crunchyroll Store.

Mega Fan - $11.99 per month

Mega Fan is the most popular tier, with support for up to four different streams concurrently. This tier also unlocks offline viewing, so you can download episodes of any anime and watch them even if you do not have access to the internet. Mega Fan also gives you the Crunchyroll Game Vault, a selection of free games you can download to your mobile device. You'll also recieve a 10% discount at the Crunchyroll Store, up from the Fan tier's 5% discount, with free shipping on orders over $50.

Ultimate Fan - $15.99 per month

Finally, Ultimate Fan is the last tier Crunchyroll offers. All perks from the Mega Fan plan carry over, except you can now stream on up to six different devices at a time. Additionally, your Crunchyroll Store discount is moved to 15%, with early access to deals like Manga Madness and free US shipping on orders. Lastly, active subscribers will receive an exclusive swag bag after 12 consecutive months of subscription.

What's New on Crunchyroll - Spring 2025 Simulcasts

One of the best features of Crunchyroll's Premium Tier is same-day simulcasts. New anime episodes that otherwise air exclusively on local Japanese stations promptly make their way to Crunchyroll for global audiences. While some of these simulcasts are available for free, the vast majority of new releases are behind that Premium paywall.

So, what's airing now? The Spring 2025 anime season just kicked off, with ongoing simulcasts of My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, a new spin-off to the original series. The most recent My Hero Academia movie, You're Next, also just landed on the service. Other anime airing right now include Fire Force Season 3, Anne Shirley, The Beginning After the End, and One Piece, which just came back from a six-month hiatus. You can check out the full release calendar on the Crunchyroll site.

How to Watch Crunchyroll - Available Platforms

Crunchyroll is available on almost every platform out there. You can watch anime on the official website, or on your mobile device with official apps for iOS, Android, Amazon Fire, and Samsung Galaxy. Additionally, the streaming service is available on gaming consoles like Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. You can also use any media player like Apple TV, Google TV, Roku TV, and more to access the service.

For more streaming platform guides, check out 2025 Hulu Subscriptions, Netflix Plans, ESPN+ Plans, and Disney+ Plans.

It's smart to have a light source on hand for emergencies, especially since everyday carry flashlights can be had for a throwaway price. Right now, Amazon is offering the Olight IMINI2 Keychain Flashlight for just $13.99 after a 30% price drop. This flashlight is tiny, easily accessible, rechargeable, and at this price, not the end of the world if you misplace it.

Olight IMINI 2 Rechargeable Keychain Flashlight for $14

In 2006, Bethesda was riding high on the success of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. In an effort to keep fans coming back to Cyrodiil, the developer started releasing small paid DLC packages for the game. Little did the company know that it was galloping headlong into controversy when it dropped its first DLC pack that April: horse armor.

Even if you weren't following games at the time, you've likely heard of the horse armor controversy. Though DLC certainly existed pre-horse armor, Oblivion's Horse Armor Pack (which cost 200 Microsoft Points on the 360 Marketplace, approximately $2.50 at the time) really caused a stir due to the armor being essentially useless.

Now, in 2025, cosmetic upgrades such as this are commonplace, which has allowed Bethesda to be a bit cheeky in its release of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered and once again charge players extra for horse armor. As a part of today's reveal and shadow-drop of the remaster, we learned that Oblivion Remastered will include both a base edition and a deluxe edition. For an extra $10 on top of the base game price, deluxe edition buyers will get new quests for unique armors, extra weapon options, a digital artbook and soundtrack app... and yes, horse armor again. Two sets, to be precise.

For the most part, fans seem to be taking this in their stride. We're almost two decades away from a time when cosmetic DLC like horse armor was a shocking thing to introduce, and players at this point are used to shelling out money for purely cosmetic upgrades. As Circana analyst Mat Piscatella pointed out on BlueSky, video game consumers in the U.S. spent over $10.4 billion on PC and console video game digital add-ons in 2024. "Horse Armor walked so Battle Passes could run."

In fact, most people just find it funny that Bethesda seems comfortable poking fun at what was once a massive scandal.

PAID HORSE ARMOR DLC. OBLIVION IS TRULY BACK. pic.twitter.com/1DJFIPzHB0

— Many A True Nerd (@ManyATrueNerd) April 22, 2025

Honestly I have to respect it. New players won't know this, but releasing the horse armor as paid DLC again is a subtle reference to when they singlehandedly ruined the industry by selling it the first time around. I kneel, Todd. https://t.co/BGwBwL3VYX

— UGS | Ajay (@AJ34_SSB) April 22, 2025

£10 for Horse Armor in #OblivionRemastered ??? There's no way that's gonna catch on pic.twitter.com/E1jqpPZFYr

— Olive_Meister (@Olive_Meisterr) April 22, 2025

Oblivion Remastered doesn't just have horse armor, it already has mods. A handful of community mods made their way to popular website Nexus Mods just hours after Oblivion launched, although these mostly amount to small customization options.

While we wait for more mods to drop, you can read up on why some players think today’s release is more remake than remaster and why Bethesda opted to give it that “Remastered” name in the first place.

We've got a comprehensive guide to everything you'll find in Oblivion Remastered, including an expansive Interactive Map, complete Walkthroughs for the Main Questline and every Guild Quest, How to Build the Perfect Character, Things to Do First, and much more.

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.

The Star Wars franchise is chock full of exciting animated projects that do an excellent job of expanding the vast and beloved live-action universe established by George Lucas back in 1977 with Star Wars: A New Hope. But it looks like fans can anticipate at least one more animated series to add to the mix in Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord, which was just announced at Star Wars Celebration Japan. Voice actor Sam Witwer, who has voiced Maul in all of his animated appearances over the years, opened up to IGN about developing the project during an exclusive interview out of the festival.

Witwer, who will star as Darth Maul in this new series, revealed to IGN not only where Shadow Lord falls in the overall Star Wars timeline, but also Maul’s headspace at this point in the story.

“It takes place a year after the Clone Wars have ended, and Maul is in a very challenging place, because the people that he had around him, a lot of them scattered or betrayed him during the Clone Wars. So we're dealing with a guy who is trying to figure out well, my God, what is my purpose? Maul, you have to remember, is a classically trained force user, a classically trained Sith,” Witwer explained.

“He comes from a time of magic, knights, passion, enthusiasm, aggression, fire – magic. Now he is seeing an empire that he knew was coming, and the magic and the color is being sucked out of the universe. How does he feel about that? Did he see that that was going to be the way that it was? Is this different than what he expected and how does he feel that affects him? What does he wanna do about it? Can he do anything about it? He's not very equipped right now. So this is a guy who's trying to figure out what his destiny is.”

Witwer also noted that Maul’s perspective at this point was shaped by his upbringing. “Something else, he was trained his entire life to hate and kill Jedi, and he killed more Jedi than people were aware of in the Clone Wars. You know, there [were] indications that [he] and Savage Opress went off on a rampage as well. It was worse than you think. And now they’re gone. How does he feel about the Jedi, his sworn enemy – how does he feel about them now that they are gone? You know? All of these things, so we're challenging this perspective. So what is his destiny? What is who is he without his greatest enemy to fight and destroy? And he learns that perhaps part of his destiny is to inspire a young person; train an apprentice.”

Unfortunately, the only tidbit Witwer would share about the mysterious apprentice is that she is a “very surprising” character. “I can't tell you that much more,” he teased. “But she's quite something.”

Witwer, who is also well-known for past roles in Battlestar Galactica and Smallville, has stepped into a development role with this project, and it seems to have proven fruitful to work directly with Lucasfilm CCO Dave Filoni. “Dave has always been very collaborative, wonderfully collaborative in fact, and this one, they were like, well, listen, you've been playing this character for 15 years,” the voice actor revealed. “So, you have to be in this deeper than you've ever been before, because we need you to weigh in on stuff, we need to have people to debate these things. So it's been kind of thrilling in that way, having constant phone calls and emails and discussions. and it’s been educational.”

The actor has done a lot of work on Maul’s arc, which he opened up about from his “death” in The Phantom Menace to resurfacing during Clone Wars and his final showdown with Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars Rebels. “Well, if we're developing this chapter it's important to review all of that information and watch it closer than we ever have, because we must learn new things about this character or it’s not worth too much,” Witwer told IGN in Japan. “Looking at those previous works, I've always had a lot of questions about this character. There were things that the audience I haven't seen them pick up on yet but that I feel are really worth talking about. For example, why did Maul never give up Palpatine?”

And why didn’t he, then? Witwer made it a point to delve into the realities of this question. “You have a show where the Jedi are like, ‘We know that there is someone named Darth Sidious. We know that he is manipulating things, and we're trying to figure out who this is, who is the Sith lord. Maul through all those years knows exactly who the Sith lord is; he could go to a phone booth, call up the Jedi and say, ‘It's Palpatine’ and hang up the phone and really screw Palpatine's plans. He never does that. Why? Why doesn't he turn on Palpatine?”

He added, “The only moment he finally decides, OK, I'm gonna turn on Palpatine is at the very end, right before the world ends, Order 66 and the Clone Wars end, he becomes so freaked out that in a desperation he reaches out to Ahsoka Tano. But Palpatine has caused so much suffering for this guy. Palpatine took away Savage Opress. Palpatine killed his family. Palpatine took away his mother. Palpatine showed no loyalty to Maul, and the moment Maul found loyalty in Savage Opress, he took that from him. So what is it? Why did Maul maintain this loyalty? What is it about that character? What is it about Maul that we are learning from things like that?”

For Witwer and the team developing this project, Maul’s past is crucial to who he is in the present. “These are the types of questions that I have been asking for years, and in this show, we get to create stories about them. I mean, not flashbacks – we don't literally tell these stories, but there are aspects of that character that have not been explored, traits that that character has that people wouldn't think he has, because he's different than Palpatine,” the actor explained.

“Palpatine is a 10 out of 10 mythic villain – he's as bad as you get. Maul is not that. If you watch The Clone Wars very closely, he does not kill unnecessarily. I'm saying too much. He's a bad, bad guy in this show, but our show is bad guys versus worse guys. So Maul is every bit as bad as he was before, in some ways even worse.”

Bad guys turned worse? Sounds like our cup of tea! This series is obviously still in development, which means we’re far off from a release date at this point — but for now, we can dream about how killer it seems like it will be.

Lex Briscuso is a film and television critic and a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter at @nikonamerica.

Bethesda has confirmed The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered does not feature official mod support, but that hasn't stopping dedicated fans from already pushing out a few unofficial mods of their own.

A handful of community mods made their way to popular website Nexus Mods just hours after Bethesda and Virtuos’ Oblivion reimagining shadow-dropped for players across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S. Although these mostly amount to small customization options, it’s proof that few modding communities are as dedicated as those found in The Elder Scrolls fanbase.

At the time of this story’s publication, a surprising 22 mods are available on the site. The first to cross the finish line simply allows PC players to personalize their desktop by replacing the default Oblivion Remastered shortcut with one of two images of its infamous Adoring Fan. More than a few allow players to skip the introduction Bethesda and Vitruos logo screens, while others, including one that tweaks the Wizard’s Fury spell and another that removes the compass, are already tackling options to customize gameplay.

The wave of early mods arrives as Bethesda, which usually encourages mod support in its games, announced that Oblivion Remastered does not feature official mod support this time around. Confirmation that players would need to turn elsewhere for mods was detailed in an FAQ section on its website.

Meanwhile, Nexus Mods user GodschildGaming uploaded their Iron Longsword damage mod in part to show Oblivion Remastered is still ripe for modding.

“This is just to prove modding is possible,” they said in the mod’s description. “Bethesda says no mod support, I say false. It really is Unreal slapped on top of Oblivion, the data folder is nested in a lot more folders but same concept.”

The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered launched today, 19 years after the original, for PC and consoles. As more players get their hands on it in the weeks and months ahead, its pool of mods will only increase and offer more bizarre ways to tailor the experience to your liking. While we wait for more mods to drop, you can read up on why some players think today’s release is more remake than remaster and why Bethesda opted to give it that “Remastered” name in the first place.

We've got a comprehensive guide to everything you'll find in Oblivion Remastered, including an expansive Interactive Map, complete Walkthroughs for the Main Questline and every Guild Quest, How to Build the Perfect Character, Things to Do First, and much more.

Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He's best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).

IGN's The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered maps are here! Our interactive maps track essential locations across Cyrodiil and Shivering Isles, including Main Quests and Side Quests, locations such as Dungeons and cities, and more.

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered Interactive Maps

Bethesda Game Studios is clarifying its stance on why Virtuos’ newly released The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered isn’t considered a remake.

The studio behind the classic fantasy RPG series touched on why it’s called Oblivion Remastered and not Oblivion Remake in a post on X/Twitter today. It’s a lengthy explanation for what Bethesda itself defines as a remaster and why it chose to take the path that it has. As the developer thanked those who are playing Oblivion for the first time or revisiting it, it outright said it “never wanted to remake it.”

“We never wanted to remake it – but remaster it – where the original game was there as you remember playing it, but seen through today’s technology,” Bethesda explained.

The studio’s clarification arrives as fans not only (officially) see Oblivion Remastered for the first time but also go hands-on, too. It’s out now, bringing visual changes across the board alongside a few fundamental gameplay tweaks. Highlights include the ability to sprint as well as a new level-up system that is being described as a cross between what was found in the original Oblivion and the process players saw in The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim.

Whether it’s a new design for a sewer grate or a game-changing addition, the insurmountable number of tweaks has many players feeling like Oblivion Remastered is more of a remake than a simple fresh coat of paint. The last decade has indeed been polluted by video game remasters that mostly focus on minor visual improvements, but Bethesda is still hesitant to call its Oblivion re-release, which it started working on in 2021, a full-on remake.

“We looked at every part and carefully upgraded it,” Bethesda continued. “But most of all, we never wanted to change the core. It’s still a game from a previous era and should feel like one.

“We know many of our longtime fans will be thrilled to revisit Oblivion and the land of Cyrodiil. But there are also so many who have never played it. We can’t thank you enough for all the support you have given us and our games over the years. Our hope with this remaster is, that no matter who you are, when you step out of the Imperial sewer – you feel like you’re experiencing it for the first time.”

From all of us at Bethesda Game Studios... pic.twitter.com/AKlUXrmYW5

— Bethesda Game Studios (@BethesdaStudios) April 22, 2025

The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered is out now for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S and is also available to play through Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. We've got a comprehensive guide to everything you'll find in Oblivion Remastered, including an expansive Interactive Map, complete Walkthroughs for the Main Questline and every Guild Quest, How to Build the Perfect Character, Things to Do First, and much more.

Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He's best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).

Nintendo has announced that preorders for Nintendo Switch 2 are set to go live on April 24. All the major retailers have chimed in with official details about when and how you’ll be able to place your preorders ahead of the next-gen console’s June 5 launch. Below, you’ll find all the info you need to be ready to lock in your Switch 2 preorders. Let’s dive in.

Switch 2 Preorder Times at a Glance

• Walmart - 12 a.m. ET April 24
• Best Buy - 12 a.m. ET April 24
• Target - 12 a.m. ET April 24
• GameStop - 11 a.m. ET April 24

If you're in a hurry and you don't have time for details, the above list has links and times Switch 2 preorders go live online at all the major retailers. For a more nuanced and detailed discussion of what's going to happen at each retailer, keep on reading.

Walmart: Switch 2 Preorders

Best Buy: Switch 2 Preorders

Target: Switch 2 Preorders

GameStop: Switch 2 Preorders

Nintendo Store: Switch 2 Preorders

Ask most gamers who were around for the Xbox 360 and, Red Ring of Death aside, odds are most of them will share a lot of fond memories with you. And The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion generated plenty of those memories for a lot of Xbox 360 owners. I’m one of them. I worked at Official Xbox Magazine at the time, and for whatever reason, the hugely successful port of The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind to Xbox never quite hooked me. But right from the jump, Oblivion – which was initially planned to be a day-one launch title for the second Xbox – did. We did multiple cover stories on Oblivion leading up to launch – the screenshots alone blew everyone away – and I eagerly volunteered for each trip out to Bethesda in sleepy Rockville, Maryland.

Then, when it finally came time to review Oblivion – and this is back in the days when exclusive reviews were a common, accepted thing – I again eagerly jumped at the chance. I returned to Rockville one more time and holed up in a conference room in Bethesda’s basement for four days. I spent four consecutive – and glorious – 11-hour days almost literally living in Cyrodiil, spending almost every waking moment inside this stunning, wide-open, next-gen medieval fantasy world. Before I boarded my return flight home, I’d clocked 44 hours prior to penning OXM’s 9.5 out of 10 review of Oblivion, which I wholeheartedly stand by to this day. It was an incredible game, filled with gripping quests (Dark Brotherhood, anyone?), off-the-beaten-path surprises (if you know about the unicorn, you know), and so much more. Because I was playing a submission build at Bethesda – meaning, a mostly finished version of the game on an Xbox 360 debug kit rather than a regular retail console – I had to start over when I got my final boxed disc copy of the game I’d already put about two full real-life days into.

I dropped another 130 hours or so into The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion without hesitation,so it’s probably no surprise to hear that I’m absolutely thrilled it’s been remastered and re-released on modern platforms.

In fact, I’m envious of the whole generation of younger gamers who grew up with Skyrim and thus, that is The Elder Scrolls for them. Because for them, the just-released The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered will be their first “new” mainline Elder Scrolls game since Skyrim released (for the first of many, many times) over 13 years ago – while franchise fans of all ages continue to wait for The Elder Scrolls VI, which is likely another 4-5 years away.

Although if I’m being honest, I doubt Oblivion will hit the same way for them as it did for me in March of 2006, because, for starters, it’s a two-decade-old game (side note: shout-out to Bethesda for delivering this week instead of waiting an extra year when Oblivion will hit its far-more-elegant-sounding 20th anniversary instead of just having passed its 19th). Other games have built upon what Oblivion did, including several by Bethesda itself: Fallout 3, Skyrim, Fallout 4, and Starfield. And second, it just doesn’t pack the same visual punch that it did in 2006, when I’d argue it was the first true next-gen game of the HD Era ushered in by the Xbox 360. Obviously the remaster looks better than the original release – that’s the point, of course – but it doesn’t stand head and shoulders above nearly every other game as something that you’ve never seen before. By definition – or at least in practice – remasters aim to make an older game look modern on current platforms. It’s a sharp contrast to a proper remake a la Resident Evil, which carries the expectation of starting from scratch and, in turn, looking as good or better than anything else on the market.

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion was the right game at the right time. By taking full advantage of HD televisions and expanding the scope and scale of what gamers could expect from an open-world game, it was a punch in the face to console gamers who, up to that point, had spent their entire gaming lives seeing their interactive worlds through an interlaced 640x480 television. (Although speaking of punches in the face, prior to Oblivion’s March release, in February 2006, EA released Fight Night Round 3, which was jaw-droppingly gorgeous itself.)

My memories of Oblivion are plenty, as it was a world with so much to discover and so much to do. For first-time Oblivion players, let me give you a recommendation: either blast through the main quest as quickly as possible, or save it until you’ve exhausted every last sidequest or open-world activity. Why? Well, the Oblivion gates will start randomly spawning and pestering you once you start down that main questline’s path, so for my money it’s best to seal them off straight away.

Anyway, the technological leap made from Morrowind to Oblivion might not ever happen again – though I suppose if we wait long enough for The Elder Scrolls 6, maybe it will. But at the very least, playing Oblivion Remastered won’t present such a staunch difference from any release of Skyrim, and for that I suppose those same younger gamers who grew up with Skyrim won’t get what I had. But no matter if you’re playing Oblivion for the first time or you’ve clocked hundreds of hours with it, its fully realized medieval fantasy world and the surprises and adventures contained within it have always made it my favorite Elder Scrolls game. And I’m thrilled it’s back, even if its surprise release was spoiled many times over before it finally showed up again.

Ryan McCaffrey is IGN's executive editor of previews and host of both IGN's weekly Xbox show, Podcast Unlocked, as well as our monthly(-ish) interview show, IGN Unfiltered. He's a North Jersey guy, so it's "Taylor ham," not "pork roll." Debate it with him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan.

If you asked ChatGPT to combine all the most popular action-RPG mechanics in the hopes of creating a single game with broad appeal, you might end up with something as regrettably unfocused as Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree. This 2D sidescroller borrows from soulslikes, metroidvanias, platformers, and more, but it only ever achieves a moderate level of success with any of them and is spread woefully thin in the process. You can see a glimmer of potential in its combat, but that’s immediately undermined by one-dimensional, repetitious enemies with easily evaded attacks; The setting and characters start out intriguing, but quickly devolve into a chain of predictable tropes; And initial lure of running back through previous areas with new abilities becomes monotonous once you get about halfway through and realize how shallow this map really is. None of these missteps are so grievously bad that I outright regretted my time dodge-rolling around the world of Faelduum (apart from the combat), and the deep RPG options the six interesting character classes, dense skill trees, and in-depth equipment and crafting systems provide went quite a long way toward keeping me invested, but this still an otherwise underwhelming adventure in most aspects.

Mandragora’s mix of familiar ideas manages to stand out as its own kind of thing, but no matter what general label you decide to put on it, the important part is that you’re going to be swinging melee weapons, dodge rolling away from attacks, slinging spells, and swinging across gaps with a grapple hook. As you do, you’ll get to know this pessimistic and creepy world, which has been overrun by evil creatures who have left humanity cowering behind city walls. You play as an inquisitor who is sent out into the world in search of evils to kill, all while the creepy voice of a creature you sympathy-murdered whispers things in your head (long story). Unfortunately, that interesting starting point evaporates into a series of extremely lame anti-twists and cliches. For example, there’s not one, but two sections where you meet a character who is obviously the person you’ve been hunting down, but your dumb character believes them when they deny it…only for them to completely shockingly reveal they misled you less than an hour later.

It’s really too bad, because in my early hours I was quite intrigued by the bizarre dark fantasy world filled with 10-foot tall witches, dangerous monsters, and a mysterious cosmic energy called Entropy that seemed like it was going to be a really big problem. There are some great characters to meet too, like the completely unhinged jewel collector, Yrsa, who I always enjoyed bantering with. But that writing, not to mention voice acting, is nowhere near consistent, and you spend a lot of your time hearing from various bad guys about how you can’t possibly defeat them as a mere human. Sounds like someone received a word-a-day calendar filled with bad guy cliches for their birthday!

If there’s one thing Mandragora is consistent about, it is its extremely shallow combat, which pits you against sluggish soldiers and skeletons with hilariously obvious windup animations, pushover rats, and flying bats that are there to annoy you more than anything else. All of them have you simply dodging back and forth each time they take a swing, then getting a few hits in before doing so again. Boss fights are even worse, as most only have three or four unique attacks they hopelessly spam, many of which appear five or more times across the 25-hour campaign, making them feel like rank annoyances that completely betray the difficulty they’re clearly going for. Dying in Mandragora therefore usually has more to do with impatience in trying to get through a certain section of samey enemies or repeated bosses than actual challenge. There are moments where the combat’s promise comes through and you get an energizing 2D duel, like when you come across a new minion with a fresh bag of tricks or during a few of the bigger, more unique boss fights. But I mostly found myself starved for those encounters and immediately upset when they passed and I went straight back to fighting bland suits of armor for a couple more hours.

The main things that make combat more bearable are the skill trees and RPG mechanics you build up and customize along the way, which have some pretty neat options that at least offer new ways to defeat that fourth giant poisonous rat boss. I spent most of my time as a fast-moving assassin with poisonous daggers, teleporting in to close the distance with my enemies, but there’s also spell slinging options and tanky sword-and-board builds, plus the option to cross-pollinate into other skill trees to make yourself a little more well-rounded. For example, I ended up leveling my assassin into my two neighboring magical skill trees to diversify the types of damage I could deal, since poison wasn’t always effective when fighting the sixth giant poisonous rat boss (they seriously like reusing that boss). You’re also able to find and craft loot, tweaking its stats with runic enchantments and all that usual RPG goodness, and that level of buildcrafting depth is one of the ways in which Mandragora stands out.

As a sidescroller, there’s also a fair bit of platforming and secret hunting to be done, but these sections have mostly acted as the most minor of breaks in between combat sequences. There aren’t any puzzles to solve, and the handful of sections that have you dodging traps are mostly extremely obvious obstacles where giant blocks slam up and down with basically no chance of actually crushing you unless you straight up aren’t paying attention. In true metroidvania fashion, you’ll find plenty of spots that are just out of reach until you unlock a certain upgrade, but this too is quite shallow – there’s only a grapple hook, a double jump, and a glide, all of which are spread super far apart.

You’ll see about a hundred opportunities to use a double jump before you get it way too late in the adventure, and not in a tempting, “I can’t wait to get up there” sort of way. The glide is particularly hilarious as you don’t get it until the very last hour, by which point you’ve got little incentive to go back through every area looking for extras before heading into the final stretch. I generally enjoy backtracking for secrets in games like this, but after seeing eight-hours worth of new levels before getting the next upgrade, it’s a bit exhausting to consider retracing all of that just to get a few upgrade materials, especially when you’d be subjecting yourself to the same tedious combat encounters you’ve already completed a bunch of times.

Mandragora also suffers from some mild technical issues. Whenever I played for long stretches at a time, the framerate would gradually begin to tank until it was nearly unplayable. It never outright crashed, but I got to the point where resetting my PlayStation was the only real option, and that would reliably fix the problem for the next six-to-eight hours. I don’t imagine going for that long in one sitting will be the way most people play, though, and I only ever encountered the most minor of problems outside of these marathons, so this might not be an issue if you aren’t an absolute goblin like me.

As a prequel series to a prequel movie, I think plenty of us were surprised by the quality of Andor. The Disney+ series followed perhaps the saddest Star Wars movie, focusing on Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) as he grows from a small-time thief to the revolutionary figure we see in Rogue One. Even knowing where Andor's story leads, the compelling intrigue and more human stories featured in the Disney+ series culminated in what we believe is the best live-action Star Wars show yet.

Two and a half years later, the show returns for a second and final season, and it's looking like the wait may have been well worth it. In his 9/10 review, Clint Gage says Andor Season 2 "builds on nearly everything that worked so well about Season 1, and continues fleshing out the prequel era of Star Wars. Ultimately the tale of the unsung heroes of the rebellion, Andor creates very personal stories at the heart of a much larger struggle."

Andor Season 2 kicks off tonight on the Disney-owned streaming service with a slightly abnormal episode release schedule. Here's everything you need to know to tune in.

Where to Watch Andor

Aside from Disney+, the one other way you can watch Andor is by adding it to your physical collection. Season 1 of Andor is available on Blu-ray or in 4K and includes a number of exclusive special features that aren’t on the Disney streaming service.

Will There Be a Season 3?

Andor Season 2 picks up immediately after Season 1 and leads into the Star Wars prequel film, Rogue One. Unfortunately, that does mean Season 2 is the final arc for Andor. Based on the Star Wars timeline, we have four years to cover after the Season 1 finale, so anticipate some time skips.

Of couse, this is far from the end of Star Wars. More live-action movies are on the way, one of which is helmed by Shawn Levy and stars Ryan Gosling. There have also been rumors of a Star Wars horror project from Andor's showrunner Tony Gilroy.

Plenty of Star Wars games are also in development, including Bit Company's new tactical entry Star Wars Zero Company. I'm sure we'll see more announcements this Star Wars Day on May 4.

Andor Season 2 Cast

Andor Season 2 sees plenty of returning faces from both the show's first season as well as Rogue One. Here's the starring cast:

• Diego Luna as Cassian Andor
• Adria Arjona as Bix Caleen
• Genevieve O’Reilly as Senator Mon Mothma
• Stellan Skarsgård as Luthen Rael
• Denise Gough as Supervisor Dedra Meero
• Kyle Soller as Syril Karn
• Kathryn Hunter as Eedy Karn
• Ben Mendelsohn as Director Orson Krennic
• Joplin Sibtain as Brasso
• Muhannad Bhaier as Wilmon Paak
• Faye Marsay as Vel Sartha
• Varada Sethu as Cinta Kaz
• Forest Whitaker as Saw Gerrera
• Alan Tudyk as K-2SO

You can read interviews with individual cast members about their experiences filming Andor Season 2 on the Star Wars website.

This week, Hisense released its all new 2025 Hisense QD7 4K Smart TV, and the 85" model is already on sale. The list price is pegged at $1,299.99, but Amazon currently has it for just $999.99. This is an excellent deal for a huge TV equipped with a quantum dot mini-LED panel and a native 144Hz refresh rate that's perfect for your PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X console. If you're on an even tighter budget, the older 2024 85" Hisense QD7, which lacks the Mini-LED panel but has the same 144Hz refresh rate, has dropped back down to $799.99, matching the best deal we saw during Black Friday.

85" Hisense QD7 4K 144Hz QLED Smart TV From $799.99

Adding a second screen to your setup can be a freeing experience. The extra screen real estate is genuinely useful, and once you're used to it, it's hard to go back. Choosing the best portable monitor for your laptop, smartphone, or Mac can be a challenging experience due to the overwhelming number of options that are out there. Whether you're looking for the best all-arounder like my top pick, the Asus ROG Strix XG17AHPE, or the best bang for your buck, like the Arzopa Z1FC, I've been testing monitors for years so you can spend less time shopping and more time enjoying the second-screen life.

TL;DR – These Are the Best Portable Monitors:

Portable monitors might not offer the large screen size of typical gaming monitors, but it’s hard to beat their convenience when you want to work or get some gaming in on the go. Even the best laptops still have compact screens and smartphones aren’t ideal for for work or multitasking. Adding an extra display can make a world of difference. Having put in the time and research, I can confidently say that these are the best portable monitors in 2025.

Looking for discounts? Check out our guide to the best gaming monitor deals right now.

1. Asus ROG Strix XG17AHPE

Best Portable Gaming Monitor

It’s hard to believe that any portable monitor can come packing all the features you need for a quality gaming setup from anywhere, but the Asus ROG Strix XG16AHPE may be just that. Like some of our favorite gaming monitors, this portable option boasts a 240Hz refresh rate with Nvidia G-Sync compatibility and low input lag, so you’re in for smooth, tear-free gameplay. You also get a plenty bright 17.3-inch 1080p display featuring an IPS panel for easy viewing from any angle.

This is a display that is custom tuned for gaming. Its 240Hz refresh rate means that you can enjoy improved motion clarity and lower input latency. Asus has also dedicated effort to response time, in particular offering 3ms of responsiveness compared to 6ms or higher found on others like the Espresso Pro 17 found later in this guide. Because it supports Adaptive Sync (Variable Refresh Rate), you can be confident that your gameplay will be buttery smooth and free of any tearing to detract from the experience.

It's not just gaming, though. It's gaming on the go. The XG16AHPE has tons of portability features that allow you to use it anywhere. It has two USB Type-C ports, one for video input and one to quick charge its massive 7,800mAh battery. It also features speakers so you can hear your games or YouTube videos on the go. Though they're a bit clearer than most portable monitors I've tested, a dedicated gaming headset will still provide an improved audio experience.

Though the focus is clearly on gaming, and, let's be honest, you're paying a bit of a premium for that, it's also excellent as a normal second screen for your laptop or PC. With 17.3 inches of screen real estate, it's spacious enough to be usable for watching videos, browsing the web, or even getting work done. The built-in battery also comes in handy here, saving the need for extra cables. Running the display at a productivity and entertainment-centered 60Hz instead of its native rapid refresh rate (designed for competitive gaming) also extends battery life significantly, getting you closer to a full work day of intermittent use.

The Asus ROG Strix XG16AHPE is an outstanding portable monitor that's packed with useful features no matter what your use case may be.

2. Arzopa Z1FC 144Hz

Best Budget Portable Monitor

I have a confession to make: When I first looked at the Arzopa Z1 FC 144Hz portable gaming monitor, I assumed it would be like the multitude of others around this price point (in fairness, there are a lot of "me too" budget monitors out there). It's anything but. For around $100, it offers a lot for a little and has definitely left me impressed.

This monitor features a pretty standard 1080p resolution but an expanded screen size of 16.1 inches. It comes with an IPS panel for rich color reproduction and slightly-better-than-average contrast with a 1200:1 ratio (1000:1 is most common). It covers 100% of the sRGB color space, so everythign should look just as you expect it to, whether you're using this display alongside a laptop or a console – though the color temperature is a bit cool, so I'd still recommend visiting the settings menu.

More than most other monitors on this list, you might actually want to use it with a console a bit more beefy than the Nintendo Switch, like the Steam Deck or Asus ROG Ally, or even your PS5 or Xbox. That's because it's able to run all the way up to 144Hz, more than doubling the refresh rate of many competing monitors and lowering its input latency for more responsive gameplay.

You won't need to worry about connectivity either. This monitor supports USB Type-C video or mini-HDMI and includes all the cables you'll need to get up and running. It also features a USB Type-A port for connecting a controller or other accessory. When it's time to pack things up or take it on the go, it also comes with a folio cover to protect the screen.

At 300 nits of peak brightness, it's noticeably brighter than many other monitors around this price and, though I wouldn't recommend it for most portable monitors, at least one fan reports that he can easily use it outdoors and dozens of others have shared how impressive they find it. That's a testament to the "extra" Arzopa has baked into this display.

At this price, there's almost always a caveat. That's true here too, but honestly, it's pretty minor. The speakers just aren't great. They don't get loud enough and have the same tinny quality I've reported on dozens of times with gaming laptops. I would definitely use this monitor with headphones if I needed audio. But overall, the Arzopa Z1FC is a great budget pick that shows "affordable" doesn't have to mean "bland."

4. Espresso 17 Pro

Best 4K Portable Monitor

The Espresso Pro 17 is a premium high-performance portable monitor for anyone that needs a full 4K experience on the go. Hailing from the Land Down Under, Espresso has made its name on developing elegant – some would even say "Apple-esque" – products that are simple to use, easy to carry, and consistently high quality.

One of the things I loved about this monitor when I tested it is how close it gets to offering a full computer monitor experience. This is in large part because it comes with a magnetic folding stand that offers both height and tilt adjustments. It can connect to your laptop or computer with a single high bandwidth USB-C cable, so it's literally as simple as unfolding the stand, sticking the display to its panel, and plugging it in.

The real selling point here is its screen. It's incredible. It covers 100% of the DCI-P3 color space, and with its 450 nits of brightness and 4K resolution, offers a crisp, colorful, and accurate viewing experience. You could easily use this display for creative work without worrying about investing in calibration after the fact. It also features an accelerometer and can automatically switch between portrait and landscape modes simply by rotating it to the orientation you would prefer.

The Espresso 17 Pro doesn't come cheap, but across all of the portable monitors I've tested, it certainly feels the most premium. From the unboxing experience to the fit and finish of its design, there's the sense that you're getting something boutique and made to last. It's built around simplicity, but you're not forced into sacrifices for the privilege.

With that praise in mind, there are a couple of critiques to be made here outside of its subjective value. It doesn't come with a case, which it really should at this price point. If you're a gamer, it's also not the best fit. While it will work for gaming, it's locked to 60Hz, so it can't take full advantage of your Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5. It also features a 9ms response time, so ghosting is possible even though I didn't perceive any in actual gameplay. The Espresso 17 Pro is truly a standout pick in the 4K market.

4. ViewSonic ColorPro VP16-OLED

Best Portable OLED Monitor

The best OLED monitors are known for their high contrast and brightness, and the ViewSonic ColorPro VP16-OLED packs that technology into a lightweight, ultra-thin full HD monitor. This portable monitor is all about professional quality. Its display is Pantone-validated, so you can edit photos, videos, and create digital art knowing that your work will be industry standard and ready for submission. At $399, this monitor isn't the cheapest, but when you look at everything it offers, it's a heck of a value.

Sticking with the screen for a minute, its 15.6-inch span is spacious enough to match most laptops' screen real estate and offers similar, if not better, brightness than many at 400 nits of peak output. Because it uses an OLED panel, it's able to offer infinite contrast for true blacks and a wider dynamic range. Its color coverage is also fantastic, including 100% of the DCI-P3 color gamut. It only runs at 60Hz, so it doesn't feel as fluid as a dedicated gaming monitor, but it can still work well for gaming due to its high-quality screen.

It's well equipped outside of the display too. It comes with two USB-C ports on its versatile folding stand. It can receive both power and video through one of these ports, so you can connect it with a single cable if you'd like, but it also supports passthrough charging so you can connect a GaN charger to power your laptop at the same time. It also features a micro HDMI port for easy compatibility with a wide range of Windows computers while also supporting Mac.

If all of that weren't enough, it's also very portable, weighing only 2.2lbs and able to fold down to 0.8 inches in thickness. You can easily slide this into a bag alongside a laptop without feeling overly weighed down or cramped on additional space.

All in all, the ViewSonic ColorPro VP16-OLED is a killer monitor at a very good price. It should be at the top of your list if you are a creative professional looking to enhance your productivity on the go.

5. Wacom Cintiq Pro 16

Best Portable Monitor for Artists

How to Choose the Best Portable Monitor for You

Though they might not have all the features of a full-fledged desktop monitor, portable monitors still have plenty of benefits. Sometimes, the cheapest or simplest option might work, but other factors might better meet your specific needs. Here are key factors to consider:

• Size: First off, size does matter. Our picks range from 13 inches up to 17 inches, but choosing the appropriate size is a balance. You'll need to consider what you will be using the monitor for and how much space you truly need, and then compare that to how portable the display needs to feel. Larger displays often come with their own carrying cases, while smaller ones can slide inside a backpack or messenger bag right next to your laptop. The most common size seems to be 15.6 inches, which is a happy medium between size and portability that should work for most. However, if you’re hoping to use this screen in smaller spaces like on a plane, a 12.5- or 14-inch screen might be a better fit. Though portable monitors are far less heavy than most laptops, you still may want to take weight into account.
• Resolution: Next up, it’s important to pay attention to the screen itself. Most of the monitors on our list offer the standard 1080p resolution with an IPS panel. If you plan on using the display alongside a gaming laptop or to create digital art, a higher resolution might be in order. Likewise, most portable monitors come with a standard 60Hz refresh rate, but for gaming, a better experience can often be had with a 120Hz or 144Hz panel.
• Brightness: Many portable monitors on the more affordable end of the pricing spectrum tend to offer middling brightness at best. For standard indoor use, 250 nits will often be fine. But if you want a more vibrant and engaging viewing experience, it can be better to target 300 to 400 nits. Because there is such a multitude of options when it comes to portable monitors, lesser-known brands have been known to overstate their brightness – keep that in mind when you're shopping around and find a too-good-to-be-true option on Amazon.
• Connectivity: This may be the most important feature of all. It’s important to make sure that the monitor you purchase will work with the devices you bought it for. All of our picks offer the relatively universal USB-C connection, which is both speedy and provides power. But – and this is a biggie – you also need to make sure that your laptop is capable of outputting video through its USB Type-C port. Older laptops may have the connection but not be compatible, which will force you to use other connectivity methods such as HDMI or micro HDMI. In this case, and depending on the monitor, you may also need to have a second USB cable to power the display, while others can receive both power and video through a single connection.

Overall, those are some of the most important features on a portable monitor to make note of. However, I always encourage people to read reviews of any portable monitor they're considering. It can be difficult to get a read on lesser-remarked qualities like picture customization options, which are typically very limited on low-cost displays. Likewise, be sure to note whether the monitor you're considering comes with a sleeve or folio case to protect it in transit. If it doesn't, this is a wise additional purchase to factor into your budget.

Portable Monitor FAQ

Who are portable monitors for?

Almost anyone can benefit from a portable monitor. Travelers and remote workers who are accustomed to using just a laptop or tablet will appreciate the uptick in productivity thanks to the compact extra screen that’ll easily slide into a bag. These monitors are also handy for giving presentations, while those with less desk space who want more screen real estate can grab a portable option over a typical desktop monitor. Even gaming phone or handheld gaming PC users might want a bigger screen with a speedy refresh rate to take on the go, making it easier to spot enemies.

What size portable monitor should I buy?

As a rule, portable monitors tend to be smaller than full-size displays for your PC. They're made to pop in a bag or easily carry under your arm from place to place. Because of this, the size that works best for you will depend on what you're going to be using it for and how portable you would like it to be. If you're just looking to display a second window, then a smaller screen will likely suffice. If you need a monitor for digital art, more screen real estate will be helpful when examining or drafting fine details.

How much do portable monitors cost?

Portable monitors vary widely in price, though many can be had for under $200. Keep in mind that low cost portable monitors may lack brightness and additional features like high refresh rates and more advanced picture settings. Higher performance portable monitors cost expectedly more, but generally you should expect to pay $100-300.

Christopher Coke has been a regular contributor to IGN since 2019 and has been covering games and technology since 2013. He has covered tech ranging from gaming controllers to graphics cards, gaming chairs and gaming monitors, headphones, IEMs, and more for sites such as MMORPG.com, Tom’s Hardware, Popular Science, USA Today’s Reviewed, and Popular Mechanics. Find Chris on Twitter @gamebynight.

In what's gotta be the worst-kept secret in recent gaming memory, Bethesda has shadow-dropped The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered for Xbox, PS5, and PC. If you're a PC gamer (or a Steam Deck owner, as it's verified on Deck) you can save some cash, because it’s already on sale for PC. Right now, both Fanatical and Green Man Gaming are offering deals on the Steam version of Oblivion Remastered that drop the price up to 17%. Not bad on a brand-new version of a classic game.

Oblivion Remastered PC Deal

Oblivion Remastered Digital Deluxe Edition

For about $10 more, you can get the digital deluxe edition (which is also on sale at the above retailers). If you do, here's what you get, in addition to the base game:

• New quests for unique digital Akatosh and Mehrunes Dagon Armors, Weapons, and Horse Armor Sets
• Digital Artbook and Soundtrack App

What’s New in Oblivion Remastered?

This remaster, made by Virtuos Games while Bethesda keeps plugging away at Elder Scrolls VI, has a number of improvements over the original:

• Overhauled visuals including dynamic lighting, updated character models, and remastered environments
• Improved combat and quality-of-life UI enhancements
• Native widescreen and ultra-widescreen support
• Full controller support and Steam Deck compatibility
• Enhanced modding tools for the community

The remaster preserves the massive open world that helped make Oblivion IGN's Game of the Year 2006 winner, while bringing it in line with contemporary performance standards on Unreal Engine 5.

Chris Reed is a deals expert and commerce editor for IGN. You can follow him on Bluesky @chrislreed.com.

Bethesda Game Studios and Virtuos’ The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered is out now and features a wide range of improvements and tweaks that give the 19-year-old RPG classic a fresh coat of paint.

The team behind the overhaul revealed all during a special broadcast today, hitting the highlights of the biggest changes. It’s a livestream that acted as a showcase for drastically altered visuals as well as a handful of gameplay changes that will have Cyrodiil looking and feeling more foreign than ever, and fans have already taken notice. Although some players are hesitant about some of the many, many changes, most players seem to be happy to have another excuse to dive back into one of Bethesda's defining games.

Oblivion in Unreal Engine 5

Oblivion is approaching its 20th birthday and is known for some somewhat potato-y character models and stiff animations. It’s part of the charm that has kept the RPG classic in players’ minds for decades, but it’s also something that Bethesda and Virtuos wanted to touch up in the Oblivion remaster.

Models and environments have been rebuilt from the ground up, a new lighting system will make shadows feel more realistic, and lip-syncing technology will spruce up some of those previously awkward conversations. In many ways, Oblivion Remastered looks more like a remake, something many are latching onto as they either return to Cyrodiil or embark for the first time.

"Oblivion Remastered is quite literally a REMAKE," declared X / Twitter user SynthPotato. "The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion feels more like Remake than Remaster, said HazzadorGamin. "Good job by team Virtuos." "The Elder Scrolls Oblivion Remastered? Don't you mean Remake?!" added GamesLover.

The Argonians and the Khajiit in the Oblivion Remaster OMG I LOVE THEM ♥#Oblivion #OblivionRemastered #TES4 #ElderScrolls pic.twitter.com/LeL7oe043Y

— Xylluk The Dragon (@Xylluk) April 22, 2025

YEPP THEY COOKED

OBLIVION REMASTERED LOOKS AMAZING pic.twitter.com/w24YDHKniF

— Michael (@LegacyKillaHD) April 22, 2025

Sprinting Through Cyrodiil

One thing that’s kept Oblivion locked away on PS3 and Xbox 360-era platforms is its visuals, but there has been plenty of room for improvement when it comes to its gameplay, too. Virtuos jumped on the opportunity to modernize the classic formula with a variety of tweaks, with some as small as a cleaner lock-picking system, while others, such as the added ability to sprint, offer massive changes to the formula.

The level-up system now falls somewhere in between the one fans know from Oblivion and the system present in The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim. Third and first-person perspectives have been altered as well, as Virtuos aimed to take advantage of the leaps gaming has made in the last two decades. Whether it’s a surface-level adjustment or a fundamental change, most fans are at least interested to see how 2025 Oblivion stacks up against the original.

“It looks so good. That reveal was amazing,” one Reddit user commented. “So many good decisions with how to handle an Oblivion remake. The UI, keeping the old lock picking instead of pasting in Skyrim/Fallout style, making the leveling a hybrid. My only (very minor) complaint about the reveal was that they kind of spoiled the thieves guild quest line a bit for new players lol.”

For many people, myself included, who didn't play as much Oblivion or were very young, this is essentially getting a BRAND NEW Elder Scrolls today.#OblivionRemastered pic.twitter.com/wpIoTHSJa6

— Robin (@SpectreRobin) April 22, 2025

Look at character creation. They also showed that Oblivion zoom-in seems to still be there in some capacity for conversation. pic.twitter.com/fWcAD2wKs8

— UESP (@UESP_net) April 22, 2025

Some Things Never Change

While Oblivion Remastered changes so much that many have already started calling it a remake, Bethesda says its goal was to deliver an experience that upgrades the original game without losing what made it special in the first place.

“I think when it comes to a remaster, we want people to feel the way they did then, but it’s still a game of its time,” Bethesda’s Todd Howard said during today’s stream. “You want to keep those bones in place. You want some of that old charm.”

Virtuos carried these ideas into its remaster. Animations still fit with the same clunky awkwardness players have come to love, and so much of that same stiff dialog has been kept intact, too. The team even brought back much of the original cast’s lines, so don’t worry, you’ll still be quoting much of the same lines that have been stuck in your head since 2006. These are choices that fans are already glomming onto.

“I agree with every decision they made,” another Reddit user said. “Keeping old voice actors, adding in new ones to break up the monotony. Updating gameplay, but keeping the old Oblivion bones. Updating the UI but keeping the parchment aesthetic. God damn work can’t end fast enough.”

I love how despite being 20 years ahead and a million times more realistic, Oblivion's faces still look goofy as hell and the lines still sound utterly hilarious.

Also the quality of these clothing and armor sets is INSANE pic.twitter.com/WCh1OMtE0e

— Synth Potato🥔 (@SynthPotato) April 22, 2025

16yr old me played Oblivion so 34yr old me could play Oblivion almost 20yrs later. #OblivionRemastered https://t.co/7Oaq19fxyD pic.twitter.com/8ZCvQfwqkK

— Kevin G. (@Darktagger) April 22, 2025

Oblivion originally launched for the PC and Xbox 360 in 2006, with its PlayStation 3 release following in 2007. It’s remained a favorite among RPG fans for nearly 20 years, so when rumors of a remake or remaster emerged in the past few months, excitement began to grow. Today’s reveal is anything but a surprise, but it does at least come with a full breakdown of some of the biggest changes to be found when seeing how the classic has been reimagined.

The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered is out now for everyone on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X and S priced $49.99, as well as on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. We've got a comprehensive guide to everything you'll find in Oblivion Remastered, including an expansive Interactive Map, complete Walkthroughs for the Main Questline and every Guild Quest, How to Build the Perfect Character, Things to Do First, and much more.

Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He's best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).

So, who's excited to play the latest AAA fantasy RPG made in Unreal Engine 5 coming to Xbox (and Game Pass), PlayStation, and PC at launch? Heck yeah, I too am stoked for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33... or The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered?

With Bethesda finally getting around to officially revealing and shadow-dropping its long-rumored and often-leaked Oblivion remaster, RPG fans this week now have a difficult choice between spending hundreds of hours in Cyrodiil, or embarking on an expedition to take down the murderess Paintress in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. And while it's certainly not unheard of for two same-genre games to release the same week, the similarities between the two are provoking both joyful and frustrated reactions from RPG fans... as well as a cheeky comment from Clair Obscur publisher Kepler Interactive.

omg its like barbenheimer pic.twitter.com/TN1AFzdggc

— Kepler Interactive (@Kepler_Interact) April 22, 2025

In an X/Twitter post, Kepler shared an edited image of the characters from Clair Obscur walking into an Oblivion Gate, with the text "omg its like barbenheimer" in a humorous nod to the simultaneous release of the films Barbie and Oppenheimer in theatres on the same day in 2023.

It's nice that Kepler is good-natured about it, because some fans seem a little confused, even torn on the two games coming out at the same time. Unlike Barbie and Oppenheimer, which appealed to very different audiences, Clair Obscur and Oblivion seemingly have a decent amount of overlap within the fantasy RPG audience, leading to a number of individuals questioning which one they should play first, or if they should skip one or the other entirely.

Happy for Oblivion fans, but please don’t let Oblivion take all the oxygen out the room for Expedition 33 which is out in just 2 days!

It’s an amazing new indie game that is inspired by JRPG’s and made by a team of only 30 developers! pic.twitter.com/AvhMoa0WJP

— Genki✨ (@Genki_JPN) April 22, 2025

A few are also criticizing Microsoft, which owns Oblivion developer Bethesda and which has heavily backed Clair Obscur since its reveal at an Xbox Showcase last year. Though Microsoft is presumably not in control of Clair Obscur's release date, we've known it since January and Xbox has likely known it even longer, and could have conceivably pushed Oblivion earlier or later to make room for both games to breathe.

Still, it's not all bad. Ultimately what RPG fans are getting is two solid-looking AAA RPGs, both coming to Game Pass as well as PlayStation and PC, and both of which seemingly promise many, many hours of adventure. Why not simply play both?

Oblivion + Expedition 33 💚💚 pic.twitter.com/19Gutw7MnV

— 𝙰𝙷𝙼𝙳𝙽𝙷𝙾 • (@KHCHP) April 22, 2025

We just got our first actual, official look at The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered this morning, and as it's out now we'll be covering the game extensively in the coming days, including changes from and similarities to the original. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is coming out on Thursday, so expect to see lots of coverage of our adventures in that game later this week.

We've got a comprehensive guide to everything you'll find in Oblivion Remastered, including an expansive Interactive Map, complete Walkthroughs for the Main Questline and every Guild Quest, How to Build the Perfect Character, Things to Do First, and much more.

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.

A short time ago, in a galaxy so close it's actually this one, The Mandalorian launched on Disney+, becoming an instant sensation. Baby Yoda merch flew off the shelf, Pedro Pascal got in some practice as a reluctant surrogate dad, and a whole new avenue of Star Wars stories was set soaring on streaming. After the money-printing-yet-polarizing sequel trilogy, these new live-action space tales were just what the medical droid ordered, delivering captivating adventures that expanded the lore and legacy of Star Wars in impactful ways.

Whether it's Din Djarin and young Grogu embarking on fearsome fetch quests of the week, Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen returning as Obi-Wan and Anakin, Boba Fett surviving the Sarlacc, or beloved animated characters leaping to life like never before in live-action glory, these shows have what Star Wars fans crave: Bold new journeys, new unique characters, and even haunting revelations about tyranny and the true price of rebellion.

How do these Star Wars series rank, though? What stands at the tip top of the heap and which did fans find lacking? From Mando and Boba to Andor and The Acolyte, here are the Star Wars Disney+ live-action shows ranked from bantha fodder to Ben Solo's father. That's Han Solo. He's awesome. He's not on any of these shows but he is the opposite of bantha poop.

7. The Book of Boba Fett

It's hard to imagine that a show where Boba Fett rides into battle on a rampaging Rancor would come in dead last here, but that's the way frustrating detour series The Book of Boba Fett ultimately lands.

Boba Fett's role in Season 2 of The Manadalorian was very well-received, as was Attack of the Clones' Temuera Morrison returning to play the grown clone surrogate son of Jango Fett. Boba Fett had been an insanely popular character for decades based on very little. Mostly his armor. He looked f'n cool. And that was enough to captivate '80s kids. He was never a full, fleshed-out character, so The Book of Boba Fett was a chance to do just that. And it... just kind of didn't. Both Boba Fett and Ming-Na Wen's icy bounty hunter Fennec Shand were grim, stoic badasses who offered little emotional payoff, and Boba's plan to become a "nice" crime lord, who we guess would only allow nice crimes in Mos Espa, was an unsatisfying goal.

Bizarrely structured, The Book of Boba Fett also devoted two of its seven episodes to Din Djarin, taking us out of Boba's story completely. And if you didn't watch The Book of Boba Fett then you would have no idea why Grogu was back with Din Djarin when The Mandalorian: Season 3 started. There were some cool things like live-action Cad Bane, knee rockets, and a more in-depth look at Tusken Raiders (who Boba spent five years with, even though it felt like a few months), but ultimately The Book of Boba Fett was calorically empty.

6. The Acolyte

Set a century before the rise of the Empire, The Acolyte is a family drama-mystery that contains cool ideas, awesomely impressive fight scenes, and the hottest Sith since Anakin got melted in the molten fires of Mustafar. And if you thought the Jedi were flawed and feckless in the Prequel Trilogy, wait until you see them as lying murderers covering up the accidental slaughter of an entire community. Yes, if you ever considered rooting for the Dark Side, The Acolyte’s here to push you toward those red kyber crystals.

However, despite its badass lightsaber battles, Red Wedding-style mid-season massacre, and expansion of engaging concepts – like large pockets of Force energy being used to create a life or the presumed reveal of “Sith Lord Who Can Also Do That” Darth Plagueis – The Acolyte was inconsistent or incomplete with its characters and disjointed in its execution (yes, we’re looking at you “Flashback Episode to the Flashback Episode that revealed all the things purposefully held back from us in the Flashback Episode”). There was an easier, less-gimmicky way to tell this tale, but The Acolyte opted for obfuscation.

Hopefully there’s a Season 2 on the horizon since there are many lingering threads left over from the finale, but as it stands if you’re looking for ferocious fights, brutal kills, and a gaggle of morally compromised Jedi Knights who probably should sign their own version of the Sokovia Accords, then The Acolyte’s your bag, baby.

5. Skeleton Crew

In the midst of Acolytes, Ahsokas, and Andors, Star Wars also gifted us with an honest, earnest, coming-of-age adventure featuring four sheltered kids from a mysterious planet accidentally getting tangled up in a (space) pirate adventure. From Jon Watts (the MCU's first three Spider-Man films) and Christopher Ford (Spider-Man: Homecoming), Skeleton Crew was Goonies, E.T., and other Amblin Entertainment-inspired "kids on bikes" films from the '80s hyperspaced into The Mandalorian Era.

It's inevitable that all massive fandoms wind up clashing, becoming rife with internal conflict. And so also goes Star Wars' global network of fans who disagree constantly over "what Star Wars was/is/should be." Is it mainly for kids? While also connecting with some adults? As it was designed to be? Should it only be gritty and serious now, like Andor? Skelton Crew brought this chestnut back into the discourse in a big way while also, to its credit, garnering positive buzz by delivering a clever, insightful, true spin-off, featuring no characters connected to other Star Wars stories.

As Star Wars' first standalone series (unless you count Vane as a character big enough to disqualify it, which you shouldn't), Skeleton Crew was a gimmicky-yet-rollicking odyssey headlined by Jude Law as a nefarious pirate captain who forms an uneasy alliance with our hero quartet of kids in hopes of... you guessed it, their hidden home planet's treasure. A mix of old and familiar with new and brash, Skeleton Crew swashbuckled its way into Star Wars canon, and our hearts. With Star Wars favorites Lee Isaac Chung and Bryce Dallas Howard directing, along with Watts and A24 faves Jake Schreier, David Lowery, and The Daniels joining the fray, the series proves that ya-har! pirate-speak is as universal as suburban kids' need to escape and explore.

4. Ahsoka

Of these six shows listed, Ahsoka was the one that came with the most "homework" – you know, if you consider homework watching two incredible Star Wars animated series, or even reading Timothy Zahn's awesome Thrawn Trilogy from the early '90s. But yes, bottom line, Ahsoka was a live-action sequel to Star Wars Rebels. Filled with impressive action, stunning visuals, and Hayden Christensen returning as Clone Wars-era Anakin, Ahsoka was a blend of Jon Favreau's Mando-verse and Dave Filoni's animated triumphs.

Animated Star Wars characters had made it to live-action crossovers before, like Saw Gerrera appearing in Rogue One. But it was really The Mandalorian that made major strides in blending the two worlds by first bringing Katee Sackhoff in as a live-action Bo-Katan Kryze and then Rosario Dawson as Anakin's former padawan, Ahsoka Tano. The Ahsoka series would then take it a step further by bringing in Sabine, Hera, Ezra, and Grand Admiral Thrawn for what's almost a Star Wars Rebels: Season 5.

Ahsoka's soaring adventure took her and Sabine Wren to a galaxy even farther, farther away to stop the evil machinations of Thrawn, though as far as cliffhanger resolutions go we’ll have to wait for Ahsoka: Season 2, which Lucasfilm confirmed Dave Filoni was developing back when The Mandalorian & Grogu movie was announced in January.

3. Obi-Wan Kenobi

"Hello there."

The hype for the Obi-Wan series was rightfully insane, as not only did it tout Ewan McGregor's big return to the role, but it also landed in the wake of the prequel trilogy being reevaluated and reclaimed by the generation that grew up with it. Everyone wanted to see Ewan's Obi-Wan back in action, having adventures like he did in the better parts of Attack of the Clones. And while Hayden Christensen would have a more satisfying return as Anakin on Ahsoka, he first came back as Darth Vader for this series, which picks up 10 years after Revenge of the Sith and finds Obi-Wan learning for the first time that Anakin WAS Vader.

In the midst of all the buzz generated around Obi-Wan and Vader being back in this series, they managed to keep it a secret that Leia was a big part of it too, as a revenge-bent Inquisitor uses the feisty Alderaanian princess to lure Obi-Wan out of his life as a hermit on Tatooine, watching over 10-year-old Luke from afar. There's some clunkiness to the series – which was developed to be a movie at first so there are definitely moments where the story feels stretched – and some fans didn't enjoy some of the retconning aspects of Obi-Wan and Leia having this big adventure (or even Luke getting chased down by a maniac with a red lightsaber) before the events of A New Hope, but the emotional highs here really worked and the two Obi-Wan/Vader showdowns were pretty epic.

Bookended by strong opening and closing chapters, Obi-Wan did right by the prequelness of it all, including a shame-spiraling Obi-Wan, Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru, Bail and Breha Organa, the Grand Inquisitor (timeline-wise, before he'd appear in animated form on Star Wars Rebels), Emperor Palpatine, and... yes, Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn's Force Ghost.

2. The Mandalorian

The phenomenon that kicked off the ongoing run of Disney+ Star Wars shows, The Mandalorian was hailed as a return to form for Star Wars, as it debuted a month before The Rise of Skywalker’s release, and was still airing acclaimed, well-received episodes when that movie was in theaters. It also gave us the franchise's biggest cash cow in decades: Baby Yoda. Which is what we all called Mando's tyke, knowing he wasn't actually Yoda. His real name, Grogu, wasn't a notable improvement, but his sick Force skills, insatiable hunger for all things cute critter, and his rad IG-12 mech suit more than made up for it.

Set a few years after Return of the Jedi, and offering up a deeper dive into Mandalorian culture – including its hardline rules and internal strife – The Mandalorian was a look at the far, far away galaxy post-Battle of Endor as everyone tried to find their way in the midst of a rebellion victory. And also as remnants of the Empire, led by a warlord named Gideon, tried to reclaim power from the New Republic. The series was an instant hit, delivering two wild seasons before going a bit askew with its spinoff series, The Book of Boba Fett.

In Season 3, focus shifted to Katee Sackhoff's Bo-Katan and her quest to unite her people under one uneasy creed and reclaim Mandalore, sparking some fun debate over who actually was the titular Mandalorian. From post-Jedi Luke Skywalker in action to Timothy Olyphant playing a Tatooine marshal to Boba Fett joining the fray to impressive recurring roles for Bill Burr, Mercedes Mone, Amy Sedaris, and the late Carl Weathers, The Mandalorian was event TV and remains some of the best Star Wars to ever bullseye womp rats in a T-16.

1. Andor

Andor is exceptional Star Wars, with a divergent tone and style and truly matched the subject matter, which just so happened to be the most relevant to our modern life than anything that had preceded it in the franchise. A masterfully constructed political and espionage thriller unafraid to tackle real-world issues, Andor made quick believers out of fans who weren't initially excited for a Cassian origin story. The only Star Wars series to get an Outstanding Drama Series Emmy nomination, and the winner of IGN's own TV Series of the Year for 2022, Andor’s first season featured phenomenal performances from Diego Luna, Fiona Shaw, Andy Serkis, Denise Gough, Kyle Soller, and Stellan Skarsgård – who gets a killer speech in the middle of the season about the humanity he’s had to shed and collateral damage he's had to cause in order to spark citizens into action. Yes, the magnificent "I burn my life to make a sunrise that I know I'll never see" monologue. Season 2 continues the excellent trend of the show as well.

But the exemplary writing doesn't end there. Let us never forget the timeless words of Nemik's manifesto:

Freedom is a pure idea. It occurs spontaneously and without instruction. ... The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that.

But what does your ranking of the Star Wars shows look like? Let's discuss in the comments!

Note: This ranking was updated on April 22, 2025, to include Skeleton Crew and Andor: Season 2.

Considering what it offers, Disney Plus is one of the best streaming services on the block. From classic Disney animated films to the latest Marvel shows and Star Wars movies, excellent kids' programming like Bluey, and so much more, Disney Plus puts an incredible range of high-quality viewing options at your fingertips. And with so much to check out, including season 2 of Andor (you can read our Andor season 2 spoiler-free review here), you'll want to find a plan that best suits you. We're here to help.

At the moment, one of the best Disney Plus bundle deals available is the massive Disney Plus, Hulu, and Max streaming bundle. This starts at $16.99/month to get you all three streaming services with ads. It's one of the best bundles available at the moment, but we've included more Disney Plus bundle deals worth exploring below. If you're looking for more streaming deals from other services, check out the best Hulu deals and bundles and the best Max deals.

How to Get the Disney Plus, Hulu, and Max Streaming Bundle

The Disney Plus, Hulu, and Max streaming bundle can be purchased through any of the three streaming services and starts at $16.99/month for the ad-supported tier or $29.99/month for ad-free access across the three platforms.

If you currently own all three and want to cut down on costs, this is a great way to bundle them together and save big on what you'd pay for them separately per month – 43% on the ad-supported plan and 42% on the ad-free plan.

What Is the New Paid Sharing Plan on Disney Plus?

In an effort to crack down on password sharing, Disney has unveiled a paid sharing plan for individuals outside of your household. Basically, anyone using your account that's not within your household will have to be added as an "Extra Member" to your account. This costs an additional $6.99/month for the ad-supported Basic subscription and $9.99/month for the Premium ad-free plan, and only one Extra Member slot is available per account. You can learn more from Disney's paid sharing explainer here.

What Are the Different Disney+ Subscription Tiers?

Disney+ is available in a couple of different tiers. You can get the least expensive option (called Disney+ Basic) for $9.99/month, which gives you access to everything except the ability to download select shows to watch on the go. This tier is ad supported. If you want to get rid of ads and be able to download certain shows, you can spring for the $15.99/month or $159.99/year Disney+ Premium package.

What Are the Different Disney+ Bundles?

Want a way to save on your Disney+ membership? Bundles are a great, affordable way to go. As far as bundles go, there are two ad-supported bundles and two ad-free bundles. Here's the breakdown:

• Disney+, Hulu Bundle Basic is $10.99/month and comes with subscriptions to Disney+ and Hulu. This plan lets you stream on multiple devices at once and comes with ad-supported versions of both services.
• Disney+, Hulu Bundle Premium is $19.99/month and comes with Hulu and Disney+ with no ads. It also includes Disney+ Premium features like the ability to download shows to watch on the go.
• Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ Bundle Basic adds ESPN+ (With Ads) to the mix alongside Disney+ (With Ads) and Hulu (With Ads), bumping up the price to $16.99/month. You can also download and watch select content on ESPN+ at this level.
• Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ Bundle Premium is $26.99/month and comes with ESPN+ (With Ads) and ad-free versions of Disney+ and Hulu. You can also download select content across all three streaming services.

Disney+ Gift Cards

If you want to help someone out and give them a gift that will keep on giving, gifting a one-year Disney+ card is a great way to go. It provides all the great things Disney+ offers and it costs a fraction of what it would take to buy even a small sampling of those movies physically.

What Can You Watch on Disney+?

There is a bonkers array of shows and movies you can watch on Disney+. Let's start at the top and simply talk about the verticals on offer here with the base subscription.

Here's what you get:

• Disney
• Pixar
• Marvel
• Star Wars
• National Geographic

Disney on Disney+

On the Disney front, you have awesome classic movies like The Sword In The Stone, Robin Hood, 101 Dalmations, Hercules, and Sleeping Beauty, modern classics like The Princess & The Frog, Tangled, and Frozen, and a wide range of animated shows, including Phineas & Ferb.

You also gain access to a ton of vintage content like Escape to Witch Mountain, The Apple Dumpling Gang, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes, The Love Bug, and a whole lot more. The Disney Junior section is home to absolutely top tier animated shows like Bluey (which, for my money, is worth the price of admission on its own).

There's way more on offer, too, including a ton of Muppet movies, new live-action films and adaptions, nature programs, documentaries, Pirates of the Caribbean, and musical programs featuring Taylor Swift (like her wildly popular The Eras Tour), Elton John, Ed Sheeran, and more.

Pixar on Disney+

When it comes to computer generated films, Pixar stands alone. Kicking off the revolution with Toy Story, Pixar has consistently put out fantastic films, and they are all here. From the Toy Story series to Finding Nemo, Cars, and more recent hits like Inside Out 2, there is a ton to love.

Beyond even that, there are incredible shorts like Bao and Party Central, as well as a wide range of originals and series based on major films, such as Dory's Reef Cam, Forky Asks A Question, Cars On The Road, and more.

Marvel on Disney+

The MCU has become a true juggernaut, and there are many viewers who subscribe to Disney+ purely for access to nearly the entire MCU lineup of films and shows.

Whether you are a fan of the blockbuster action films, you are an appreciator of the classic 90s runs of "Saturday morning" cartoons like X-Men, or you are currently vibing to the funky theme of the 1981 Spider-Man series, there is a ton of Marvel to enjoy on Disney+. And with new movies and shows being added to the MCU all the time, including most recently Deadpool & Wolverine and Your Friendly Neigborhood Spider-Man, there is always more coming.

Star Wars on Disney+

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, there was a film that changed everything. The original Star Wars is a seminal sci-fi fantasy work that inspired generations of creators, but there is still nothing quite like that far away galaxy. Disney+ grants access to all things Star Wars, including the remastered versions of the original trilogy (hopefully some day they'll add the theatrical cuts, too), as well as the prequels and sequels.

You can also stay up-to-date on all the latest shows, including The Mandalorian and the critically-lauded Andor, which some viewers say is "the best Star Wars has ever been." There are also fantastic short series like Star Wars Visions, and longer-form series like The Clone Wars, The Bad Batch, Young Jedi Adventures, and a whole lot more.

Take a look at our list of Disney+ alernatives for additional streaming services. To play while you watch, see our roundup of the best LEGO Disney sets. For more deals, dive into our Daily Deals page.

Hannah Hoolihan is a freelance writer who works with the Guides and Commerce teams here at IGN.
Original story from Brian Barnett.

Octavia Butler is undoubtedly one of the greatest science fiction authors of all time, and it should come as no surprise that her work continues to be adapted in other media. Abrams ComicArts is following up its graphic novel adaptations of Parable of the Sower and Kindred with Parable of the Talents.

With Parable of the Talents in stores now, IGN can exclusively debut a new preview of this graphic novel. Check it out in the slideshow gallery below:

Parable of the Talents is adapted by writer Damian Duffy and artists John Jennings and David Brame, the same creative team behind the previous Kindred and Parable of the Sower adaptations. Here's Abrams' official description of the book:

Octavia E. Butler’s 1993 dystopian novel Parable of the Sower painted an alarmingly poignant picture of the year 2024, introducing readers to a world shaped by environmental disasters, economic instability, and social unrest. Following Lauren Olamina, a preacher’s daughter who develops a new religion, Earthseed, while travelling the dangerous and dystopian country, Duffy and Jennings bring the sci-fi classic to life with a beautifully drawn graphic novel adaptation. Now they are taking on the sequel to Butler’s stunning novel, The Parable of the Talents, which follows Lauren’s daughter, Asha Vere.

The Parable of the Talents continues Butler’s masterful story set against a background of a war-torn continent under the control of a Christian fundamentalist fascist state. Asha searches for answers about her own past while struggling to reconcile with her mother’s legacy—who was caught between her duty to her chosen family and her calling to lead humankind into a better future among the stars.

"Octavia E. Butler wrote Parable of the Talents as a warning for the future,” said Duffy in a statement. “Adapting Parable of the Talents from within the future she warned of has been a surreal and humbling journey. Fortunately, David Brame and John Jennings brought their significant artistic talents to bear, drawing images to help us move past dystopia, and down the path to hard won hope.”

Parable of the Talents is available in bookstores and comic shops now. You can order a copy on Amazon.

In other comic book news, Mike Mignola is returning to the Hellboy universe this summer, and we chatted with the creative team behind Spider-Man & Wolverine.

Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on BlueSky.

Days Gone Remastered is not far off now, and today Sony's Bend Studio detailed some of the accessibility features in store for the updated version of the game, including the option to slow down Game Speed when things get tense.

In a new PlayStation Blog, Bend Studio's Creative & Product Lead Kevin McAllister walked through the different accessibility features included in Days Gone Remastered. When it comes to Game Speed, Bend has an option for letting players change the actual speed of gameplay, from 100% down to 75%, 50%, and 25%. The aim, as McAllister said, is to make it easier for players who struggle in high-pressure situations.

"Game Speed is ideal for players who might feel overwhelmed in certain situations or have difficulty with various inputs in high pressure moments, specifically fighting off hordes of Freakers," said McAllister. "Hordes are a pillar in Days Gone gameplay and with our new Horde Assault mode arriving in the remaster, we wanted to make this unique combat experience more accessible to our players."

Other parts of the accessibility options for Days Gone Remastered include subtitle colors, a customizable High Contrast Mode, UI Narration, and Collectible Audio Cues. The auto-complete QTE option, previously only allowed in Easy difficulty, is also getting enabled on any difficulty from Easy to Survival II.

While these options are all going to arrive in Days Gone Remastered, Bend Studios also confirmed most of the new accessibility features will be coming to Days Gone on PC as well. Some, like the feedback and customization control options, will require a compatible controller.

Days Gone Remastered was officially announced in February, with some extra bells and whistles like an enhanced photo mode, permadeath and speedrun options, and the aforementioned accessibility features. The remaster of the 2019 biker-centric, post-apocalyptic zombie action-adventure isn't far off, either.

Days Gone Remastered will go live on April 25, 2025. Those who already have a PS4 version of Days Gone will be able to upgrade to the PS5 remastered version for $10.

Eric is a freelance writer for IGN.

For most PC gamers, buying a prebuilt gaming rig is far more attractive than it used to be. Years ago it was inarguably cheaper to build your own gaming PC than to buy a boutique gaming rig. That's not the case anymore. It's not uncommon for major brands like Alienware, HP, and Lenovo to offer quality pre-built PCs for cheaper than the cost of building your own PC with the exact same specs.

We've compiled a list of the best current gaming PC deals, both from the manufacturers themselves like Dell (Alienware), HP, and Lenovo, as well as from reliable 3rd party retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart. This includes an incredible deal on an Alienware Aurora R16 RTX 5080 gaming PC (with 32GB RAM and 1TB SSD) for $2,499.99. These PCs are significantly discounted from their normal retail price and are going to be less expensive than comparable models from other brands.

Alienware Area-51 RTX 5090 Prebuilt Gaming PCs Are Available

You probably never thought you’d see Shazam! and Shazam: Fury of the Gods director David F. Sandberg helm another IP film or franchise ever again — and honestly, he didn’t either. But now that his new film Until Dawn is about to arrive in theaters, he’s reflecting on the “very, very crazy” backlash surrounding his previous DC Cinematic Universe flops and what made him agree to return to the world of IP.

"What I loved about the script [is] that it wasn't trying to recreate the game," Sandberg told GamesRadar+ about the beloved horror game turned film. "Trying to condense 10 hours into two, or something like that. But it is scary still, even though we're doing a new thing.” He also noted that, even in this instance where he’s working on a game property, IP fans are really particular about how they want their favorite story to be realized on screen.

"I mean, to be honest, fans can get very, very crazy and very angry with you. You can get, like, death threats and everything so after Shazam 2, I was like, 'I never wanna do another IP-based movie because it's just not worth it,'" the filmmaker added of the DCU experience and its aftermath.

However, he was intrigued by the potential of the story Until Dawn presents. "But then I was sent this script, and I was like, 'Ah, this would be so much fun to do, to do all these kinds of horrors? I kind of have to do it, and hope that the people see what we're trying to do and like it,’” Sandberg said. “I really thought it was brilliant of the writers to come up with this time loop idea where the night starts over because then you do kind of get that feel of the game, when you're replaying it and making different choices. I think it's very much in the spirit of the game."

The filmmaker is intimately aware of the idea that you can’t please every fan when you’re adapting an IP property, but his approach seems to be the best way to capture the hearts of the Until Dawn fans. "I think we would've gotten a lot of critique if we had tried to [recreate the game], because people would've been like, 'It's not as good. It's not the same actors, because, you know, they're older now,'" the Shazam director explained. "You wouldn't be able to better the game, so you'd just be in a losing situation."

Until Dawn was written by Blair Butler and Gary Dauberman, who is perhaps best known as the writer of It: Chapter Two, and stars Ella Rubin. The film arrives in theaters on April 25, 2025.

Lex Briscuso is a film and television critic and a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter at @nikonamerica.

Bethesda has finally revealed the worst-kept secret in video games: The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered.

In a gameplay video published online, Bethesda showed the new visuals and features for the remaster of its much-loved open-world fantasy role-playing game, which is developed by remake specialist Virtuos using Unreal Engine 5.