Sometimes a bargains haul comes along that perfectly aligns with my bad habit of adding more to my backlog than I clear. This idle Tuesday's mix is an irresistible blend of heavy hitters and cult curios that deserve a spot in anyone’s library. As per always, I’ve found myself revisiting old favourites and even picking up a few oddities I’d somehow missed.

This Day in Gaming 🎂

In retro news, I'm celebrating the 42nd birthday of Mario Bros., the arcade cabinet that launched a plumbing empire. Partially inspired by some of Joust's mechanics (and an Italian-American landlord hounding Nintendo for rent), Mario Bros. was a non-scrolling arena affair that was quite addictive, especially in simultaneous two-player. Interestingly, it was made by a tiny team of just five people, all of whom were credited in its great, great, great, (great) grandchild, Super Mario Bros. Wonder. Sadly, we rarely see such a lineage occur in modern game development, given how lay off happy this bloody industry has become.

Aussie birthdays for notable games.

This Day in Gaming

Aussie birthdays for notable games.

- Mario Bros. (ARC) 1983. Get

- Warlords III (PC) 1997. Get

- Trials HD (X360) 2009. Sequel

- Hacknet (PC) 2015. Get

Beats' flagship headphone is on sale at a steep discount today. Amazon is offering the Beats Studio Pro wireless noise canceling headphones for just $179.95, nearly 50% off the $350 list price. Six color options are available at this price. The Studio Pro is the highest end Beats headphone currently available. We deemed it one of the best over-ear headphones and a more affordable, more stylish alternative to the popular Sony and Bose models.

Beats Studio Pro Headphones for $179.95

Lenovo is offering up one of its new 2025 gaming PCs equipped with an Nvidia Blackwell GPU for under $1,000. As part of the Lenovo Back to School Sale, you can pick up the Lenovo Legion Tower 5 Gen 10 RTX 5060 gaming PC for just $985.99 after you apply two stackable coupon codes "BUYMORELENOVO" and "EXTRAFIVE". Total savings including the instant discount is $385. Free delivery is included. This is the newest 2025 Lenovo Legion desktop model, which has undergone a radical facelift and, more importantly, updated with the latest and greatest components like the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5000 series Blackwell graphics cards. The RTX 5060 graphics card is a solid option for 1080p gaming.

Lenovo Legion RTX 5060 Gaming PC for $986

Apply both codes: "BUYMORELENOVO" and "EXTRAFIVE"

Walmart is offering the best price I've seen on a new MacBook laptop. Right now you can pick up an Apple MacBook Air 13" with M1 Chip for just $599 with free delivery. This is a brand new, retail packaged laptop that is sold by Walmart directly, not by a marketplace vendor, and comes with a 1 year Apple warranty. This older generation MacBook is still a very capable laptop for general productivity use and an affordable option for anyone heading back to school.

Macbook Air 13" M1 (8GB/256GB) for $599

Available in Gold and Silver

The Magic Puzzle Company is one of our favorite jigsaw puzzle brands on the market. Each puzzle features beautiful original artwork from independent artists and a delightful surprise ending. At 1,000 pieces each, every Magic Puzzle Company puzzle is as fun to put together as it is to complete.

These puzzles got their start on Kickstarter, garnering an astonishing amount of support to produce the first series of puzzles. Since then, there have been a total of twelve Magic Company puzzles across four series releases. The most recent Series Four puzzles were released on Amazon last year after a two-year hiatus, and I hadn't been able to find any mention of a Series Five since then.

And yet seemingly out of nowhere, a listing for the first Series Five Magic Puzzle Company Puzzle appeared at Amazon and you can already buy it.

The Magic Puzzle Company - Series Five - The Drippy Trip Is Now Available

These little details are really what makes The Magic Puzzle Company puzzles worth getting. As an avid Adventure Time fan, that connection alone is almost enough to get me to purchase this one on the spot.

More Magic Puzzle Company puzzles

For a full list of what other puzzles are available from this brand, you'll need to check out their Amazon store page. The Magic Puzzle Company website only features Series one through Three, but Amazon has all four there. I've gathered some of the more popular options below:

Channing Tatum and Rebecca Wang have joined the English dub cast for the upcoming Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle arc.

Crunchyroll and Aniplex announced the news today, confirming the two stars will lend their voice talents to the upcoming movie continuation alongside returning cast members, including Zach Aguilar as Tanjiro Kamado, Abby Trott as Nezuko Kamado, Aleks Le as Zenitsu Agatsuma, and Bryce Papenbrook as Inosuke Hashibira.

Tatum (Deadpool and Wolverine) will provide English voice work for Keizo, with Wang (Blue Eye Samurai, Solo Leveling) tapped to play Koyuki.

Ravensburger is one of the best puzzle brands out there in terms of quality, price, and overall selection. I own quite a few Ravensburger puzzles and can absolutely attest to that. The pieces are always nice and sturdy and there's never any weird dust in the box. Unfortunately, that level of quality comes at a higher price than a lot of other brands out there.

Thankfully, Amazon is having a pretty good sale on these puzzles this week. The last time we saw discounts like this was back in May of this year, but that was for 1,000-piece puzzles only. This time around there's a nice mix of jigsaw options for both adults and kids. If you're a chronic puzzler like me, I definitely recommend you check out these deals while they're available.

Ravensburger Puzzle Sale at Amazon Today

Almost all of the puzzles in this sale are considered Amazon lightning deals. That means there is a limit to how much stock each one of these has available at the discount listed. So the more popular a puzzle is, the more likely it is to have the discount fully claimed before time runs out on the sale. After covering these sales a few times, however, I've found that the "limit" on the discount is almost never reached.

As for what's worth checking out in this sale, I've gathered all of the best options available above. There's a nice mix of puzzles for kids here mixed in with some more adult-oriented options. The very popular Disney Toy Store 1000-piece puzzle, while not directly included in the sale, has also reached its lowest price in months. It's filled with all kinds of details from the Pixar movies while offering a similar vibe to The Craft Cupboard puzzle Ravensburger is discounting right now too.

If you're looking for some new puzzles to do with your kids or grandkids, there are also a few good options in this sale. For really little kids, The Animals of the World Puzzle pack is bright, fun, and comes with two 12-piece puzzles designed for three-year olds. For older kids I'd also recommend checking out the Horse Dreams 100-piece puzzle or the 150-piece Cosmic Connection.

What's the best piece count for kids?

There is no direct line between what piece count is good for kids vs. adults, so it really depends on the kid. The earliest age you'll likely see on the puzzle packaging is 3+, but some kids will be ready before that. I bought a four-pack of 12-piece Spider-Man puzzles for my two-year-old nephew this year and he had no problem figuring it out on his own. So if you're buying for a toddler that has already shown an interest, that 3+ age rating is worth looking out for. This will usually include 12- or 24-piece puzzles.

For older kids who have shown a more of an interest in puzzling already, you'll probably want to keep the piece count at 300 or lower. If you plan on working on the puzzle with them, a higher piece count is doable, but 500 and 1,000+ puzzles are usually reserved for adults and teens.

A puzzle storage is a great gift for adults

If you're looking for a good puzzle gift to give yourself or someone else, I would definitely recommend a dedicated table or puzzle board. Larger puzzles just flat out take longer to put together, and if you don't have a place to leave it or the option to put it away, it can be hard to ever actually finish a puzzle. Thankfully, there are plenty of products that solve these specific problems.

I'm looking at a map of my city, Kansas City, right now, and wondering what I should do for fun this coming weekend. Should I visit the giant purple Zoroark stomping over downtown? If I want to see the Superman with the glowing red eyes in the suburbs to the south, I first have to pass Ralsei Deltarune sitting atop the highway, smoking an enormous blunt. I could go visit the Northland, but there is an enormous United Airlines plane straddling the Missouri River, which might make transit a bit confusing. Hmm. Options, options.

That probably sounded like nonsense if you're not aware of wplace, a delightful new time waster in the form of a world map where users can draw a single pixel in a color of their choice, wherever they like, once every 30 seconds. If that sounds familiar, you're probably thinking of one of its main inspirations: /r/place, the Reddit game with a blank canvas that let users similarly place one pixel at a time. Though /r/place closed a few years ago, wplace has rapidly gained popularly in the last few days, to the point where just about wherever you live or wherever you look, you can find detailed collaborative drawings, silly graffiti, inside jokes, and more doodled all over the map. And unshockingly, a lot of those doodles are gaming references.

Like most people, I checked out my own city first before exploring wplace more widely. Kansas City is indeed covered with gaming characters. At a glance, I can see several Pokemon, characters from Rain World, Deltarune, OneShot, Metroid, Final Fantasy, Mario, Earthbound, Among Us, Angry Birds, and plenty more can be spotted amid the city's roadways and rivers. There are also lots of other pop culture icons, like SpongeBob and various Transformers, sprinkled in with political messages, sports team logos, various flags, location-specific graffiti, and other random doodles. Some people just wrote their names.

The city of Waterdeep just can’t catch a break. Despite the various adventurers that call it home and stop to rest at the Yawning Portal Inn, the city and its citizenry find themselves under assault by dangerous and powerful monsters, leaving everyone Horrified.

The latest rendition of Ravensburger's popular cooperative series, Horrified: Dungeons & Dragons, crosses over with Wizards of the Coast's legendary tabletop RPG. The result is a game that my friends and I thoroughly enjoyed and were eager to play again, despite a few stumbling blocks.

The original Horrified was released back in 2019, and this new Dungeons & Dragons edition is the series’ sixth iteration. The basic premise each game shares is that up to five players work together to vanquish a selection of monsters by racing around the map, collecting resources, escorting civilians to safety, and beating back the monsters.

To win, each monster has to be dealt with. But players will lose if the monster deck is depleted or if the terror track ever hits seven (it's raised whenever a citizen is killed, hero is knocked out, or an effect triggers it). The extra fun part is taking out the monsters. How you deal with each monster is unique, with each one having its own sort of mini-game associated with it that players have to work through before they are gone for good.

Being Dungeons & Dragons themed, this version of Horrified features some of the most recognizable creatures from its pantheon, including the Displacer Beast, a Mimic, the Beholder, and of course, a big red dragon. As a longtime fan and player of D&D, I was instantly intrigued by the box art and the board – but it was the monsters and how they operate that really drew my friends and me in. The developers really managed to work in how these creatures behave according to D&D lore when designing their challenges.

The Red Dragon, for instance, has a treasure you have to claim before you can vanquish it upon its treasure horde. The Mimic, for its part, is hidden and off the board until the party manages to finally reveal it. My favorite, by far, was the Beholder, which requires you to take out its 10 eye tendrils first, before going after its large central eye, each with a unique and powerful effect they could hit you with, dictated by a die roll. And yes, of course, there are dice rolls here; you can’t have Dungeons & Dragons without some sort of dice-rolling goodness involved, and it doesn’t stop with just eye lasers either.

Players assume the roles of staple D&D classes, including the Fighter, Rogue, Cleric, Bard, or Wizard. For the most part, each character plays identically, with the exception of their special actions, which require you to roll a 20-sided die (one is included with the game in case you don’t have a small dice horde like yours truly).

That’s just how it goes when you’re rolling d20s.

Taking your special action can result in one of five possible outcomes, with the various classes behaving differently. For instance, bards can allure other players and citizens towards themselves. The fighter can rush to the nearest monster to do battle, and the cleric helps during monster attacks by letting you re-roll dice. We had some especially funny moments where our resident Wizard teleported the Beholder monster straight to the spot where our cleric just so happened to be – twice in a row. We had a good laugh about that (at least most of us), but that’s just how it goes when you’re rolling d20s.

Admittedly, we did homebrew and tweak the cleric a bit, however, allowing her to “stock” her special actions (basically using actions on her turn to hold rolls for actions), allowing her to use her beneficial skills during any monster phase up until her next turn. This lets the character feel more cleric-y, helping her teammates, as opposed to the as-written rules, which only let her use those skills on her turn’s monster phase.

Horrified, in general, isn’t an overly complex board game. In my testing, first-time players were usually able to grasp the flow of the game within a turn or two. Taking actions is straightforward, and the monster cards that dictate how many new items are spawned, any events that take place, citizens that appear, and what monsters activate, are equally so.

Some of the wording on how monsters behave caused some confusion and debate, such as whether the mimic monster moved the number of spaces indicacted on the monster card’s movement space, or just a single space when it is activated. But overall, we figured it out (whether our decision was correct or not) and it worked out for us.

Unique to this version of Horrified is the ability to reduce the terror track, which gives players a hand, pushing them further back from defeat. This is done whenever a monster is defeated, and I found it to be a great addition to use – especially when first introducing new players to the game, as Horrified games can be a bit challenging and require strategy to win. I also appreciate that it is easy enough not to use, so Horrified veterans can simply ignore this feature if they find it lessens the challenge too much.

One aspect that I am a bit disappointed by with Horrified: Dungeons & Dragons is its small pool of monsters you can pick from. With “easy” games asking players to pick from two monsters and the standard challenge requiring three, it means you'll be replaying these monsters frequently.

Other versions featured six or seven monsters, with only the Cthulu-themed Horrified offering just four monsters. And with so many other classic D&D monsters left on the table, it’s a shame we couldn’t have gotten a couple more in the box. Where are my Gelatinous Cubes and Owlbears, or heck, throw something wild like Vecna, the terrifying Lich, into the mix. I can only hope that Ravensburger adds more monsters or classes with future expansions.

Where to Buy

• Get it at Target

Universal and DreamWorks Animation have announced a delay for Shrek 5, pushing its release date to June 30, 2027.

The companies announced the schedule shift today, confirming the long-awaited fantasy follow-up will finally step out of the swamp in about two more years (via Variety). It’s a six-month delay from the previously announced December 23, 2026, release date and about one year removed from the original July 1, 2026, premiere plan.

DreamWorks and Universal refrained from sharing the reason behind their decision to push Shrek 5 to its new June 2027 release date. The change also comes with a new date for an Untitled Illumination Event Film, which is moving up from Shrek 5’s late June spot to April 16, 2027.

Shrek 5 was formally announced with a summer 2026 release date last year. Its reveal promised the first mainline Shrek entry since 2010’s Shrek Forever After but kept story details under wraps as DreamWorks and Universal plotted how to bring Mike Myers’ iconic green ogre back to the big screen. Outside of the occasional Puss in Boots spinoff, it’s been 15 years since audiences last saw Shrek, Donkey, and Fiona in their own movie.

We’ve since learned a few details about how Shrek 5 will shake up the tongue-in-cheek fairy tale universe it originally introduced in 2001. Earlier this year, DreamWorks and Universal announced that Spider-Man and Dune veteran Zendaya had joined the film’s cast as Shrek and Fiona’s daughter, with Myers, Eddie Murphy, and Cameron Diaz all back, too. A 30-second Shrek 5 trailer released in March revealed its fresh new art style, as well as a sneak peek at Zendaya’s character.

The long wait for Shrek 5 will continue for a few more years before it finally stomps its way into theaters June 30, 2027. While we wait, be sure to read up on how the internet – and Sonic the Hedgehog – reacted to Shrek’s updated animation style.

Michael Cripe is a freelance writer 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).

NVIDIA RTX Remix is a modding platform for RTX AI PCs that allows modders to remaster classic games by adding full raytracing, enhancing textures, adjusting lighting, moving environmental objects, and adding DLSS 4 to improve image quality and performance. RTX Remix released in March this year, and there are already more than 350 active projects using it and more than 100 released mods.

To showcase the improvements this technology makes possible, NVIDIA is hosting a competition featuring 23 user-created mods for a wide range of classic titles, including BioShock, Portal 2, and multiple Need for Speed, Star Wars, and Call of Duty games. These mods will face off in four categories with a grand total of $50,000 up for grabs, with winners announced at gamescom on August 18. The categories are: Community Choice RTX Mod, Most Complete RTX Mod, Best Use of RTX in a Mod, and Best Overall RTX Mod.

• Community Choice will be determined by fan vote, and the winner will get $10,000. Fan voting has concluded, but the winner will be announced on August 18.
• Most Complete is for the most fully playable remaster with high quality throughout. The winner will get $10,000.
• Best Use of RTX is for the most impressive visual improvement, using effects like atmospheric fog, smoke, shadows, and dynamic lighting. The winner will get $10,000.
• Best Overall is what it sounds like, the mod that combines everything — impressive visuals while also being an excellent playable experience — into the best package. The winner of this category will get $20,000.

The categories are not mutually exclusive, so one mod can take home multiple wins. You can see the competition listings for all 23 entries here, and we’ll include a brief description for each below. Each entry will be linked to its individual page, where you can find detailed information, images, videos, and reviews:

Call of Duty 2 RTX Remix of Carenten by tadpole3159

This is a complete remake of the Carenten map from Call of Duty 2, with basically every asset and surface redone. And creator tadpole3159 went above and beyond to do it, photo scanning real World War 2 combat clothing and kits and putting them in the game via a process called photogrammetry. You can hear him discuss the improvements he made and the process he used to accomplish them in this video. The mod also adds dynamic lighting changes as the sun moves across the sky, as well as six player-controlled weather conditions that you can change with the press of a button in the middle of a match.

Star Wars Republic Commando RTX by automata.

This is a hybrid Star Wars: Republic Commando mod that uses RTX Remix for its path-traced renderer while also modding the underlying game to expand the use of RTX Remix. Blaster bolts have become shadow-casting lights, the commandos and their arsenal have been rebuilt with 4K physical-based rendering (PBR) textures, and lighting has been redone to bring the game more in line with the look of the rest of the Star Wars universe. You can see the result of the mod team's work in this comparison video.

Skurtyy’s Portal 2 RTX PBR Pack by skurtyyskirts

Dramatic lighting improvements are the name of the game for this mod, which updates 2011’s Portal 2 using RTX Remix’s volumetric system. The dilapidated test chambers have been enhanced with customizable fog effects, floating dust bunnies, and precisely controlled lighting. Sunbeams now shine through broken ceilings without dampening other light sources.

Fallout: New Vegas RTX by skurtyyskirts

This is a full graphical overhaul of 2010’s Fallout: New Vegas with full raytracing, PBR materials, and enhanced assets without sacrificing the game’s original aesthetic. Everything from the desert sun to the neon-soaked New Vegas Strip to interiors of abandoned Vaults have been redone to provide accurate shadows, reflections, and global illumination. Weapons, armor, and terminals have been remastered, and there are new high-fidelity details like irradiated water puddles.

Need for Speed: Underground RTX by alessandro893

One of two mods on this list for the Need for Speed: Underground series, this one is a transformative reimagining of the original. A lot went into this one, including a full rework of China Town and the Lock Up sprint race track. There are 500 new textures, 30 new high-poly 3D models, 26 original meshes, new vegetation, and terrain smoothing. You can see the improvements in action in this video.

Manhunt Remixed by gabdeg

This mod remasters all 20 levels of 2003’s Manhunt, adding fully path-traced lighting and high-resolution environmental and character textures. Since the original game’s lights weren’t compatible with path-tracing, they were all removed and manually replaced. Emissive graphic effects and reflections have also been added on things like windows, monitors, and signs. You can see what a difference these made in the mod's release trailer.

Need for Speed: Underground 2 Remix by UncleBurrito and team

This is a massive overhaul of 2004’s Need for Speed: Underground 2, with everything handmade by the mod’s creator. That includes new models for vehicles, extensive texture replacements, remade traffic signals and street signs, tons of lighting changes, and a completely remade skybox. The most recent video details the latest updates and shows the progress mod creator UncleBurrito and their team have made.

Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines - RTX Remaster by Safemilk

This is Part 1 of what will be a full, asset-by-asset remodel of 2004’s Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines. That means everything is being re-created, all the way down to carpets and the labels of snacks on store shelves. And that’s in addition to sweeping changes to the lighting and reflective surfaces. It’s a huge undertaking.

Painkiller RTX Remix by Binq_Adams and team

This mod retextures, relights, and rebuilds large portions of 2004’s Painkiller from the ground up while keeping its original gothic horror aesthetic. Lighting effects have been dramatically improved, textures of surfaces look much more detailed, and 2D environmental objects have been replaced with detailed 3D models. The latest trailer shows off how much improvement has been made in the mod's most recent update.

Black Mesa Remixed - POC - Inbound by xoxor4d and team

2020’s Black Mesa originally started as a fan-made remake of Half Life, so what better way to update it than with a fan-made mod? This features dramatic improvements to lighting and textures, particularly on the inbound tram ride. There are also more than 40 materials built from the ground up and 100 materials created from the original colormap. The trailer shows off these improvements, and the level of detail is impressive.

Codename Atlantis RTX by xoxor4d

This mod shakes things up a bit by essentially adding a new minigame to Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare in addition to custom-made weapons and interactable objects. The standout new custom weapon has a built-in eye that looks around realistically, and the new minigame tasks you with finding 20 Suzannes (named for the Blender “mascot”) before time runs out while water slowly rises. The water effects are new additions and can slow you down and decrease gravity depending on how high the water has risen. You can see the new weapon and gameplay from the minigame in this video.

Max Payne: Remix by Noodle

The current version of this mod is the first step in a larger plan to fully modernize 2001’s Max Payne. As of now, Roscoe Street Station has been remodeled with hand-crafted PBR materials, and hand-placed RTX lighting has been added to most of the game. In the future, it is expected to expand the PBR materials to the rest of the game, improve models and assets, and fix bugs.

SCP Containment Breach RTX Remaster by Inward 3D and team

A visual remaster of 2012 indie horror game SCP – Containment Breach, this mod adds raytraced lighting, shadows, and PBR materials. Rooms have been relit, there are AI upscaled and remastered textures, and character models have been improved. You can see the improved look and updated character models in this video, which features more than 8 minutes of gameplay.

BioShock RTX by skurtyyskirts and team

A ground-up restoration of the 2007 classic BioShock made by two people, this mod adds full real-time path tracing and a total PBR asset revamp. More impressively, it also solves engine issues that plagued the original game, making everything run more smoothly while also looking prettier.

Morro RTX by 3DNomad

This mod updates 2002’s Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, improving light sources in the Imperial prison ship, Seyda Neen, and Balmora. It also adds PBR materials based on the original textures and updates the geometry of more than 300 models. You can get details on these improvements from the mod's creator, 3DNomad, in this summary video.

DuoPrincess Remixed by Etokapa and team

Perhaps the most niche title on the list, this mod remixes the textures, lighting, and meshes of every level in 2003’s Duo Princess. Every 3D texture has been upscaled and retouched, and the lighting has been completely redone. The original lights have been replaced, new lights have been added, and there are new emission maps and dust particles. This video summarizes the improvements and shows some side-by-side gameplay with RTX on and off so you can see the difference.

Return to Castle Wolfenstein QHD by LuciansDiner

This mod shows some love to 2001’s Return to Castle Wolfenstein, improving weapon models, lighting, and textures. High-res texture replacements take advantage of the displacement provided by parallax occlusion mapping, while emissive lighting has been added to torches, light bulbs, and stage lights. You can see those enhancements in this video.

UnrealRTX by mstewart401

This mod modernizes the 1998 classic Unreal with improved lighting, PBR materials, and environmental models. It adds full raytraced global illumination, dynamic shadows, volumetric lighting, and emissive effects. Vegetation has been replaced and grass added to outdoor areas to enhance fidelity, and surfaces now respond to light. This video gives you nearly an hour of gameplay to see the mod in action.

Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast RTX REMIX by ArjaanAuinger

This mod is listed as a tech demo for Jedi Knight II with one playable level. That level has been relit, its textures have been upscaled, and there’s a mix of generated and hand-crafted PBR materials. The lightsaber has also been improved and now actually emits light. This video shows several minutes of gameplay, along with commentary from creator ArjaanAuinger, who walks you through the mod's features and how to install it.

I-Ninja Remixed by g.i.george333

Platformer I-Ninja gets a facelift with this mod that’s designed to enhance the visuals while keeping the original stylized look. There are a total of 2,000 new textures, thanks to a combination of newly created ones and upscaled originals. Volumetric fog and dust particles have been added, and surfaces have been updated with added geometric detail. The mod's trailer includes gameplay and video comparing scenes with RTX on and off, and the difference is obvious.

Sonic Adventure RTX Legacy Version by Ver11

This mod is an update to Sonic Adventure DX: Director’s Cut, the enhanced port of the original Dreamcast game Sonic Adventure. It adds brand-new lighting, remastered PBR materials, new water effects, and grass to almost all levels. This video includes 10 minutes of gameplay that showcases the improved look.

Colin McRae Rally 3 RTX Remix Mod by budgiegamesindie

This mod is largely focused on UK Special Stage 1 and the Ford Focus car in 2002’s Colin McRae Rally 3. Retopology has been used on the car’s windows, wheels, and hood, and its textures have been upscaled with AI. The stage has new lighting, a new skybox, volumetric fog, and higher-quality trees. This trailer shows the massive difference this mod makes when RTX is on vs. off.

Star Wars: Republic Commando RTX by Chaos007

Not to be confused with the previous mod of Star Wars: Republic Commando, this one is an early demo build that covers the intro cinematic, prologue, and first level of the Geonosis campaign. It introduces full raytraced lighting, enhanced textures, upgraded models, new structures, particle improvements, and UI enhancements. This video showcases just how significant the improvements are.

Oh no, the latest World of Warcraft patch has us teaming up with an evil cosmic void being who has tried to kill us many times already and will definitely stab us in the back later...but we're all kind of okay with it? Partially because we have no choice but also because she's hot and sarcastic?

I'm talking about Xal'atath. You know, this lady. Heads up, I'm going to talk in this article about spoilers for World of Warcraft: The War Within leading up to the events in Patch 11.2, Ghosts of K'aresh that dropped last Tuesday. If you haven't started playing the patch yet and don't want to know what's happening, maybe don't keep reading.

Even if you're a lapsed World of Warcraft player, you might know this lady if you've dipped in as recently as World of Warcraft: Legion. Xal'atath first appeared in that expansion in the form of a dagger artifact weapon wielded by Shadow Priests, which would occasionally whisper creepy evil stuff to them about N'Zoth and the Old Gods and all that malarky. At the time, some folks grew rather fond of her unsettling whispers, even affectionately referring to her as "knaifu". The dagger, with the rest of the expansion's artifact weapons, was used to drain the corruption from the giant sword that Sargeras stuck in the planet at the end of the expansion. Normal stuff.

While we naively thought we wouldn't hear from Xal'atath ever again, what was once one weapon among a giant stack of them turned out to be hugely plot-relevant. Xal'atath was passed around from place to place in the interim expansions, finally regaining her power and emerging from the dagger in the form of a void-infused high elf, all the better to corrupt people with. She bopped around Azeroth for a while, manipulating the underground giant bug people and some dragons before she finally made herself known as something called the "Harbinger of Dimensius," basically a herald of a super powerful void lord bent on destroying reality. Again, normal stuff.

At the start of our current expansion, The War Within, Xal'atath appears to be the main villain. She opens the expansion by causing the destruction of Dalaran (again), and she's responsible for the events that lead us to fighting both the Nerubians and the goblin Gallywix. She's spent a lot of time popping up here and there and taunting our ally Alleria Windrunner, she nearly kills Khadgar, and she's obsessed with this void artifact she's been carrying around called the Dark Heart, which she keeps using to corrupt and empower and manipulate. All of this is to say, she seems pretty evil to me! She serves the void and is clearly very interested in destroying us, our buddies, and probably all of Azeroth! Nothing she has done so far seems good, at all!

And yet.

In patch 11.2, Xal'atath joins us. The short explanation is that she actually betrayed Dimensius in the past, but he's coming back, and he's probably pissed off at her. If he shows up, she's done for. Out of a sense of self-preservation, she's been trying to beef up the Dark Heart to stop his return rather than accelerate it, and was messing around with the Nerubians and the Goblins in an effort to get that done. But at the end of patch 11.1, she accidentally (and sort of stupidly) loses the Dark Heart, forcing her to team up with Alleria and the player as a back-up plan.

What this actually means, in practice, is that Xal'atath follows us around while questing and occasionally proposes we do things that sound horrible and dangerous, like turn ourselves into an energy being and fill someone with void energy so they can hear the planet sing to them (normal stuff!). But, you know, we can't stop Dimensius without her. She knows his weaknesses, and is pretty much the only path to getting close enough to him to do something about his encroachment. So the murdery knife-elf gets to come along.

Need a backup wall charger for your Apple iPhone 16 or Nintendo Switch 2? Target just dropped the price on the Anker Ace 45W USB Type-C wall charger to just $11.99 (it's normally $20). Target offers free shipping on orders over $35, or you can simply buy online and pickup in-store for free. This is a very inexpensive price for an Anker branded charging brick with enough power output to fast charge most portable electronics. Note that no cables are included.

Anker Ace 45W USB Wall Charger for $11.99

The Fate series is an incredibly popular and beloved anime. From the outside, it's often regarded as one of the more complex series to watch. There are dozens of spinoff series featuring the Fate name, whether it be anime, manga, games, or light novels. However, once you understand the origins of the series, it becomes much easier to understand how to watch the different seasons of the anime.

With over 20 different anime projects, Fate is a series worth your time and attention. Whether you've been interested for a while or haven't heard of the series until now, we've got you covered with the Fate anime watch order. You can also check out our guide to the best anime of all time for more options.

Jump to:

• Which Fate anime to watch first
• Fate Stay/night watch order
• Fate/Grand Order watch order
• Fate anime spinoffs

What Is Fate?

The entire Fate umbrella of anime spawned from a visual novel called Fate/stay night, which was released in 2004. The game was created by Type-Moon, a studio founded by Kinoko Nasu and Takashi Takeuchi. Nasu crafted the story of the game, while Takeuchi was in charge of the art. The two remain in these roles for most visual novels released by Type-Moon, although the company is bigger now with more staff.

One Piece follows the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy, a boy with a body that responds like rubber thanks to eating Devil Fruit, on his quest to become the next Pirate King by finding the ultimate treasure of legendary Pirate, Gold Roger. Based on Eiichiro Oda's best-selling manga series, One Piece is full of epic battles and a highly entertaining and eclectic ensemble of characters known as the Straw Hat Pirates.

With over 1,000 episodes across over 20 seasons (divided into 10 sagas with 52 different story arcs), specials, OVAs and shorts, it can be difficult to decide when and where to put the One Piece movies into your (re)watch list. Whether you’re new to the world of One Piece or settling in for an epic movie rewatch alongside the live-action series, we’ve got you covered.

Take a look at our One Piece timeline guide for what order you should watch the One Piece movies and episodes in.

Jump To:

• How to watch in chronological order
• How to watch by release order

How Many One Piece Movies Are There?

There are currently 15 feature length One Piece movies you can watch alongside the anime series. The movie stories are not connected to the series, and therefore aren’t canon. But the stories are built around canon characters and offer an opportunity to learn more about the world of the Straw Hat Pirates.

While the original One Piece movies are a little hard to track down online, more recent One Piece movies are available to stream on Crunchyroll and also have Blu-ray releases.

Where to Stream One Piece

If you want to start the true binge (don't be intimidated by that episode number, it's worth it), the One Piece anime is available to stream on Crunchyroll, Hulu, and Netflix. The live-action One Piece show is streaming exclusively on Netflix.

The One Piece Series In Chronological Order

To avoid confusion or early introduction to canon characters, we recommend watching the One Piece movies alongside the anime series and its corresponding episodes in the expansive franchise.

1. One Piece: The Movie (watch after episode 18)

The Straw Hat Pirates find themselves pitted against the ruthless pirate Eldoraggo after an encounter with a trio of thieves. The Straw Hat Pirates must thwart Eldoraggo on his hunt for the treasure of a legendary captain and secure the hoard of gold for themselves. One Piece: The Movie falls in between the Syrup Village arc and the Baratie arc of the East Blue Saga. It offers a good, if visually nostalgic, world overview by showcasing the early days of the crew as they embark on a treasure hunt.

2. One Piece: Clockwork Island Adventure (watch after episode 53)

The Straw Hat Pirates join forces with the Thief Brothers in order to recover their stolen ship, Going Merry and weapons from bandits. The crew and their allies must go to war against the pirate clan reigning over the Clockwork Island, in order to stop their leader from acquiring a superweapon and forcing their crew mate Nami into marriage. One Piece: Clockwork Island Adventure falls after the second half of the Loguetown arc of the East Blue Saga. While this may be a standalone story it's a fun must-watch adventure about a vacation gone awry.

3. One Piece: Chopper’s Kingdom on the Island of Strange Animals (watch after episode 102)

Stories about a great treasure lure the Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates to the wilderness of Crown Island where the crew encounters intelligent animals. While separate from the rest of the Straw Hats, the crew’s doctor Tony Tony Chopper triggers a prophecy and ends up crowned the island's lord and protector, the King of Beasts. Despite a few interesting fight scenes, Chopper’s Kingdom is an extremely skippable filler film. But if you’re a completionist, One Piece: Chopper’s Kingdom on the Island of Strange Animals falls after episode 102 of the Arabasta Arc: in the Arabasta Saga.

4. One Piece: Dead End Adventure (watch after episode 138)

The Straw Hat Pirates need cash so they enter an underground race between pirates known as the Dead End Competition. The crew finds themselves pitted against a vice-admiral with his own powers and his formidable bounty hunter sidekick. Dead End Adventure is the first full-length feature and offers a fantastic adventure newbies and diehards can enjoy. This movie can be watched at any point after episode 130 but we think it falls in line best after episode 138 in the Goat Island arc of the Sky Island Saga.

5. One Piece: The Cursed Holy Sword (watch after episode 143)

The Cursed Holy Sword centers on Zoro, the crew’s swordsman. While on the island of Asuka, the Straw Hat Pirates learn about a legendary cursed sword the Shichiseiken. The crew’s quickly swept up in the shenanigans of marines intent on freeing the sword. Zoro’s joined their ranks and the rest of the crew must unravel his reasons and figure out what’s going on. This film is a chaotic mess that doesn’t fully come together and is pretty much a miss unless you’re just dying to know more about Zoro. The Cursed Holy Sword falls in line best after episode 14 of the Ruluka Island arc in the Sky Island Saga.

6. One Piece: Baron Omatsuri and the Secret Island (watch after episode 224)

Baron Omatsuri and the Secret Island, the sixth movie in the franchise, see the Straw Hat Pirates interrupt their journey to Grand Line for a pit stop on a recreation island to relax. Upon arrival the leader of the island, Baron Omatsuri, welcomes them and gives them seven challenges to achieve greater relaxation. The remainder of the movie is unraveling the mystery lurking beneath the surface of this seemingly happy community. Without giving anything away for the uninitiated, it's safe to say the Secret Island should not be on your skip list. The Secret Island falls in line best after episode 224 of the Ocean’s Dream arc in the Water 7 Saga.

7. One Piece: The Giant Mechanical Soldier of Karakuri Castle (watch after episode 228)

If you’re in the mood for great action sequences and an off-kilter plotline, then The Giant Mechanical Soldier of Karakuri Castle will fully satisfy. The Straw Hats find and open a treasure box. Instead of loot, the crew finds an old lady inside. They agree to help her return home in exchange for a treasure on her Mecha Island. Upon arrival, the crew comes under attack by the island’s leader before he reverses track and asks for their help finding the treasure. Karakuri Castle is best seen after episode 228 of the Foxy’s Return arc in the Water 7 Saga.

8. One Piece – Episode of Arabasta: The Desert Princess and the Pirates (watch after episode 312)

Most One Piece fans will list the Arabasta arc as one of the best in the franchise. Which means if you watched the episodes, then this movie is extremely skippable. This movie is essentially a condensed version of that storyline that doesn’t offer any new storywise. If you need or want a refresher offered with high quality action sequences then watch the Episode of Arabasta remake after episode 312.

9. One Piece: Episode of Chopper Plus: Bloom in Winter, Miracle Sakura (watch after episode 325)

The Chopper Plus remake changes events and adds new canon characters, including a sidekick for the villain Wapol, to the original episodes in the Drum Island arc. It’s best to view watch this One Piece movie as an alternate universe where Luffy’s still trying to save crewmate Nami with different obstacles. If you’re interested in seeing the Bloom in Winter play out in a parallel world, watch Chopper Plus after episode 325 and the end of the Water 7 Saga.

10. One Piece Film: Strong World (watch after episode 381)

Luffy and his crewmates learn that islands in East Blue have been destroyed. The crew discovers that an ex-member of the Rocks Pirates, Shiki the Golden Lion, is responsible. Shiki wants to destroy the marines. After he kidnaps Nami to become their navigator, the Straw Hats decide to take matters into their own hands. They come together to battle the legendary Shiki and rescue Nami. Strong World showcases Shiki’s devil fruit powers and pits Luffy and crew against a myriad of challenges. Strong World is absolutely not canon but makes for a great ride. Watch it any time after episode 381. But we suggest waiting until after the last episode (429) of Little East Blue arc of the Summit Saga for best alignment in this epic journey.

11. One Piece 3D: Straw Hat Chase (watch after episode 381)

One Piece 3D: Straw Hat Chase gets treated as the eleventh movie in the One Piece franchise, but in reality it’s more of a short (and at this point, kind of lost media). Luffy wakes up to a missing crew and spends the entire movie on the hunt for them. Cue it up directly after finishing Strong World because there’s nothing special to separate it from the pack. Straw Hat Chase is pretty much impossible to find and so skippable not even hardcore completionists will demand you sit through it.

12. One Piece Film: Z (watch after episode 578)

One Piece Film: Z aims right for the feels with a story centering former marine admiral Z. Z’s stolen a dangerous weapon known as the “Dyna Stones,” and now the Straw Hat Pirates and other admirals must battle him to stop the end of the world. Widely considered one of the best One Pieces movies, Z is colorful and action-packed on top of being a tear-jerker. There’s a bit of debate about the best time to slide Z into the timeline. It’s viewers choice: cue it up after episode 573 or wait until the end of the Z’s Ambition arc with episode 578. Whichever you decide, not watching it would be a mistake.

13. One Piece Film: Gold (watch after episode 750)

The Straw Hat Pirates visit the greatest entertainment city contained on the Gran Tesoro ship. THe story shifts from a gambling vacation to a heist film in short order. This casino adventure offers slick animation and plenty of action from start to finish. Sometimes the point is fan service and that’s exactly the aim of Gold. If you’re this far down the One Piece rabbit hole then that fan service is going to make for a satisfying ride. This is best viewed after finishing the Silver Mine arc of the Whole Cake Island Saga.

14. One Piece: Stampede (watch after episode 889)

Luffy and crew decide to participate in a pirate festival alongside numerous other famous pirates. They quickly realize it's actually a free-for-all to find another one of Roger’s treasures. Over the course of the battle royale, more mysterious goings-on appear and cause upheaval. Do expect to see plenty of fan favorite characters, and the full range of powers operation in the One Piece World. Stampede is next-level fan service wrapped in an epic adventure. This must see movie can be watched any time after episode 889, the end of the Whole Cake Saga. But we suggest maybe waiting until after the Cidre Guild arc in the Wano Country Saga.

15. One Piece Film: Red (watch after episode 1030)

One Piece Film: Red, the most recent movie, is about Shanks and his daughter Uta. The Straw Hats attend a concert hosted by Uta, a famous singer, on Elegia the Island of Music. Things quickly go awry when the attendees discover that Uta is the daughter for Shanks, chief of the Red Hair Pirates. It should be noted that Red is initially driven by songs since that’s how Uta’s power manifests but the unfolding mysteries, chases, displays of legendary powers, and dangerous encounters make it all worthwhile. Red fits seamlessly after the Uta's Past arc of the Wano Country Saga.

How to Watch One Piece Movies in Release Order

1. One Piece: The Movie (2000)
2. Clockwork Island Adventure (2001)
3. Chopper’s Kingdom on the Island of Strange Animals (2002)
4. Dead End Adventure (2003)
5. The Cursed Holy Sword (2004)
6. Baron Omatsuri and the Secret Island (2005)
7. Giant Mecha Soldier of Karakuri Castle (2006)
8. The Desert Princess and the Pirates: Adventures in Alabasta (2007)
9. Episode of Chopper Plus: Bloom in the Winter, Miracle Cherry Blossom (2008)
10. One Piece Film: Strong World (2009)
11. Straw Hat Chase (2011)
12. One Piece Film: Z (2012)
13. One Piece Film: Gold (2016)
14. One Piece: Stampede (2019)
15. One Piece Film: Red (2022)

The Future of One Piece

Eiichiro Oda originally started One Piece (the manga) in 1997; meaning these stories have been a weekly serial for the past twenty-six years and are still running. Oda’s said in the past he’s only eighty percent finished! While predictions have often pegged 2025 as the year One Piece ends, that seems incredibly unlikely. Regardless, there’s plenty of source material to adapt into future sagas for many years to come.

The One Piece anime has been going for pretty much just as long as the manga (and will likely see the manga through its completion), and has officially resumed after a 6-month hiatus. On the manga side, you can check out Oda's full chapter release schedule here. Additionally, Netflix has also announced that it will be working on a new Anime remake of One Piece with the studio that made Attack on Titan and Spy X Family.

What About the Netflix Show?

While we don't have any news about new One Piece movies, we do know that the One Piece live-action series is returning for a second season some time in 2026. A new teaser for Season 2 also seems to confirm that Season 3 has already been greenlit.

Another major One Piece collaboration is LEGO releasing seven new One Piece sets based on the first season of the Netflix show. All of these sets represent scenes from the East Blue Saga.

Dell is offering a competitive price on an Alienware Aurora R16 gaming PC equipped with the excellent Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti graphics card. Right now you can get it paired with the latest Intel Core Ultra 7 processor for just $1,799.99 with free delivery. This CPU/GPU duo can comfortably handle even the latest and most demanding games in 4K, including Doom: The Dark Ages and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and upcoming games like Battlefield 6.

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Through its (near-)consistent excellence, innovation, and longevity, Resident Evil games have earned their crown as the king of survival horror. Capcom debuted its world of mutants and mercenaries in 1996 and has since grown Resident Evil into a multimedia franchise that spans over two dozen console games, six films, two recent Netflix series, novels, comics, and even stage plays.

It can be an exciting franchise to explore given the amount of content it houses, though for the same reason, it can be an equally daunting series to approach in 2025. With the upcoming launch of Resident Evil 9, this article focuses exclusively on video games and cuts out the convolution by presenting two ways to play only the most narratively significant and accessible Resident Evil games in order.

Jump to:

• How to play in chronological order
• How to play by release order

How Many Resident Evil Games Are There?

There are 10 core Resident Evil games: RE 0-7, Village, and Code: Veronica. However, the total number of Resident Evil console games — including spinoffs and remakes — sits around 30. That number rises near 60 when accounting for mobile and pachinko games.

Which Resident Evil Game Should You Play First?

Our overall suggestion for where to begin is with Resident Evil 4 Remake. It's the most visually/technically impressive RE remake to date and, thanks to its masterful mix of action and horror, arguably the best overall Resident Evil game in the franchise's nearly 30-year history. It's a largely self-contained story that doesn't require you to play each game that came before it.

However, if you prefer first-person horror, we recommend starting with Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. It's the beginning of the Ethan Winters storyline and an excellent game that uses the more immersive first-person camera to heighten the horror.

How to Play the Resident Evil Games in Chronological Order

For this list, we’re focusing on 12 Resident Evil games: all 10 core entries and the two Revelations spinoffs. While many others are considered canon, this is not an exhaustive chronology, but rather an approachable guide to entering and enjoying the world of Resident Evil video games.

Missing from this list are mobile and pachinko games, light gun and Wii shooters (Resident Evil Survivor, Survivor 2, Dead Aim, Umbrella Chronicles, Darkside Chronicles), and non-canonical/non-consequential/difficult to access spinoffs (Resident Evil Gaiden, Outbreak, Outbreak: File #2, Mercenaries 3D, Operation Raccoon City, Resistance, Umbrella Corps, Re:Verse)

With series newcomers in mind, the brief plot synopses below contain only mild spoilers such as broad plot points and character introductions.

1. Resident Evil 0

Resident Evil 0 is the fifth game released in the series but the first chronologically. It takes place just before the events of Resident Evil, with Special Tactics and Rescue Service (S.T.A.R.S.) medic Rebecca Chambers and former marine Billy Coen discovering a train full of zombies in the Arklay Mountains (home to the Spencer Mansion). Billy and Rebecca uncover valuable information related to series villains Albert Wesker and William Birkin. We also learn more about the origins of the sinister Umbrella Corporation and its deadly T-Virus. The game wraps with Rebecca headed toward the mansion, where she’d serve as a supporting character in RE 1.

2. Resident Evil

The first Resident Evil came to PlayStation in 1996, though for those coming to the franchise in 2022, you’ll want to play the 2002 remake (or its more recent HD remaster), as it improves gameplay and expands on the story.

RE 1 picks up right after RE 0. You play as one of two S.T.A.R.S. agents — Chris Redfield or Jill Valentine — who come to the Spencer Mansion while investigating a series of murders in the woodlands outside of Raccoon City. Chris/Jill encounters the murderous, mutated victims of the T-Virus and uncovers key information about Umbrella and its biological experimentation.

3. Resident Evil 2

Taking place two months after RE 0 and 1, Resident Evil 2 introduces two new protagonists — rookie cop Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield (Chris’s sister) — each with their own connected yet distinct campaign. RE 2 also introduces the recurring character Ada Wong and the iconic Tyrant enemy.

We learn more about William Birkin and his work on an even more threatening virus called the G-virus. Leon/Claire uncover more disturbing details about the clandestine work of Umbrella, as well as its ties to the Raccoon Police Department.

Resident Evil 2 is currently available to play for free with an Xbox Game Pass subscription.

4. Resident Evil 3

The chronology gets dicey with Resident Evil 3, but for the sake of simplicity, we recommend playing it after 2. The first part of RE 3 takes place before the events of RE 2; the second part takes place after. You could play halfway through 3, pause, play through 2, then return for the second half of 3. However, playing RE 3 after 2 won’t detract from the experience or your understanding of the story. We chose to place it fourth on this list seeing as its conclusion progresses the overall narrative beyond RE 2.

You begin RE 3 as Jill Valentine, still coping with her experience from RE 1, trying to escape from an overrun Raccoon City. For part of the game, while Jill is indisposed, control shifts to her mercenary ally Carlos Oliviera. RE 3 also introduces Nemesis and reveals the fate of Raccoon City.

5. Resident Evil: Code – Veronica

Resident Evil: Code – Veronica advances the timeline by a couple of months and sees Claire Redfield continue the search for her brother Chris that began in RE 2. This time Claire’s search takes her to an Umbrella facility in France, where she escapes captivity and follows the trail to the southmost region of Earth.

Chris Redfield, one of the protagonists from the original game, returns as a second playable character in Code Veronica. Chris, like Claire, is looking for his sibling, and the search results in a meeting with series antagonist Albert Wesker.

6. Resident Evil 4

Resident Evil 4, arguably the series' most beloved entry, puts players back in the shoes of Leon Kennedy six years after his time in Racoon City during RE 2. Leon travels to a rural village in Spain on a mission to rescue the U.S. president’s daughter.

There, Leon encounters a cult and explores its ties to a mind-controlling parasite. The story that unfolds weaves together the narratives of two characters from Resident Evil's past: Albery Wesker and Ada Wong.

Read our Resident Evil 4 Remake review to see the improvements that were made since the original.

7. Resident Evil Revelations

Resident Evil Revelations is set between the events of RE 4 and 5. It explores another consequence of Umbrella’s bioweapon development and introduces players to the Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance (BSAA).

Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield are now BSAA agents, with Jill serving as the game’s primary protagonist. The duo head to the Mediterranean to combat the use of T-Abyss, a new variant of the T-Virus.

8. Resident Evil 5

Resident Evil 5 is set five years after RE 4. Chris Redfield, as part of the BSAA, flies to Africa with his partner Sheva Alomar to prevent the black market sale of a bioweapon. The people of Kijuju, however, have already been infected with an enhanced version of the mind-controlling parasite seen in RE 4.

It’s a larger-scale story than past Resident Evils, though Chris also embarks on the more personal mission of finding his long-lost partner, Jill Valentine. We also learn of Albert Wesker’s latest nefarious plot.

Unlike past games in the series, RE 5 can be played cooperatively; the second player controls Sheva.

9. Resident Evil Revelations 2

Resident Evil Revelations 2 is set between RE 5 and 6. It brings Claire Redfield back into the spotlight for the first time since Code Veronica. The game is split into four episodes, with each episode divided into two parts: a past sequence with Clarie and Moira Burton and a present sequence with Barry Burton (Moira's father) attempting to locate them. The story introduces another antagonistic Wesker.

10. Resident Evil 6

Resident Evil 6 is an action-heavy adventure that tells an even more sprawling (and convoluted) tale than that of RE 5. It weaves together four campaigns starring Leon Kennedy, Chris Redfield, Ada Wong, and a mercenary named Jake Muller.

The BSAA introduced in Revelations plays an important role in 6, as the quartet of protagonists work to squash the bioterrorist group Neo-Umbrella and prevent the spread of yet another mutant-creating virus (the C-Virus).

11. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard

With Resident Evil 7: Biohazard Capcom reinvented the franchise in several ways: It’s RE’s return to mass acclaim and fandom following the largely disappointing fifth and sixth entries, it introduces a new protagonist in Ethan Winters, and most notably it switches the series’ longrunning perspective from third-person to first-person.

Despite all these changes, RE 7 still exists on the series canonical timeline, presumably taking place in the modern-day sometime after RE 6. The game is set in rural Louisiana, with the first part taking place in the home of the wonderfully insane Baker family. Its ties to past RE games are rather loose, though many of the series staples are here: clandestine human experimentation, bioweapons, and toward the end, a familiar face.

12. Resident Evil Village

Resident Evil Village is a continuation (and the conclusion) of Ethan Winters’s story, set three years after the events of RE 7. Biohazard and Village stand on their own as a duology of games. Though Village includes a few more ties to the series’ past, including a more prominent role for the aforementioned “familiar face” and further information about the origins of Umbrella.

A post-credits scene extends the timeline even further. We’ll save the details, but those curious can read on to the next section for a bit more context.

Bonus: Shadows of Rose DLC

Picking up shortly after Village’s post-credits scene (16 years after the main story of Village), Shadows of Rose progresses the Resident Evil timeline further than any game before it. Assuming the events of Village take place in 2021, Shadows of Rose brings the franchise into the near future of 2037.

The 3-4 hour DLC stars Ethan’s daughter Rose, who attempts to rid herself of the unwanted powers inherited from her father.

How to Play the Resident Evil Games by Release Date

• Resident Evil (1996)*
• Resident Evil 2 (1998)*
• Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (1999)*
• Resident Evil: Code – Veronica (2000)*
• Resident Evil 0 (2002)*
• Residet Evil 4 (2005)*
• Resident Evil 5 (2009)*
• Resident Evil: Revelations (2012)
• Resident Evil 6 (2012)*
• Resident Evil: Revelations 2 (2015)
• Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (2017)*
• Resident Evil Village/Shadow of Rose (2021/2022)*

*Mainline Resident Evil games

The Future of Resident Evil Games

There's plenty to look forward to from this iconic horror series. In late 2023, Capcom confirmed they're working on more RE remakes, and some reports suggest Resident Evil Zero and Code Veronica are up next.

Capcom isn't just looking to previous games, however. The studio confirmed that Resident Evil 9 is in development last year, and a full reveal trailer for what is officially titled Resident Evil Requiem was presented at Summer Games Fest.

Helmed by Resident Evil 7's director Koshi Nakanishi, the new trailer appears to show Raccoon City, from the original trilogy, after it was destroyed in an attempt to contain the virus. The trailer also introduces Grace Ashcroft, an FBI analyst and potentially the daughter of Alyssa Ashcroft from Resident Evil Outbreak. There's surely more than meets the eye here.

While some theorists believe the game will once again feature none other than Leon Kennedy, Capcom has outwardly denied those rumors with an interesting justification.

Either way, Resident Evil Requiem is set to launch on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox on February 27, 2026. An RTS mobile game allegedly developed in close collaboration with Capcom, titled Resident Evil Survival Unit, is also set to hit Android and iOS in late 2025. In the meantime, Capcom's social media has presented Leon with a particular strong threat: the Duolingo owl.

Jordan covers games, shows, and movies as a freelance writer for IGN.

Looking forward to Magic: The Gathering: Marvel's Spider-Man on 26th September? Well Amazon has the Play Booster Box back in stock, so it's a wise idea to get a preorder in before it does a Final Fantasy and disapears. If you're like me and absolutley devistated at Courage the Cowardly Dog being taking off HBO, i've found the complete series on DVD for less than $20 too.

TL;DR: Deals For Today

LEGO Preorders are still going strong from last week, but the two sales that have stood out to me this morning is the MSI Reconditioned Monitor Sale at Woot and the Higround gaming gear sale over at Best Buy. There's some ridiculous bargains on top tear battlestation essentials here, even solid budget options. If you need a car battery charger, a brilliant deal on a USB power bank and more, let's get into today's daily deals:

MTG: Spider-Man Play Booster Box Back In Stock

I'm expecting this MTG Universes Beyond expansion to web zip off shelves when it drops at the end of Feburary, so if you see a preorder like I have, just secure it. The money won't be taken from your bank until it ships either, so it's a no brainer. I've also included the listings for the rest of the set from TCG Player incase you needed a massive ripping session.

LEGO Preorders and Deals

These LEGO preorders and deals are still available from last week, so it's 100% worth having a look through and grabbing a new project. They were amongst our best sellers last week, so make sure you're not missing out on best selling preorders like the Spider-Man Across The Spider-Verse minifigure set.

Higround Gaming Sale

Every look at your gaming setup and think "This needs more Pokémon and Apex"?, Higround make some of the best branded keyboard, mice and deskmats around. Better yet, their range in Best Buy has had some serious price cuts, so it's worth scoreing something unique for your gaming rig. The full sale is here.

MSI Monitor Sale

I've been running the MSI eSports 40" gaming monitor since the start of this year, and it's a fantastic monitor for the money. Getting it for $250 is an even sweeter deal, it's a perfect 1440p monitor with no ghosting, great extra features and a lovely color balance. Fortnite and Oblivion Remastered at 140 FPS+ never looked so good. The full sale can be found here.

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American Pie, the bawdy-yet-heartwarming 1999 teen sex comedy, is getting a new 4K steelbook edition. It includes the theatrical version, the “unrated” version (as was the DVD-release fashion of the time), plus as over three hours of bonus features. The movie comes on 4K UHD and Blu-ray, as well as a digital copy that’s Movies Anywhere compatible. It’s set to release September 30, but it’s available for preorder now.

American Pie - 4K Limited Edition Steelbook

American Pie Limited-Edition 4K Steelbook Bonus Content

One of the best things about buying physical copies of movies is the bonus features, which aren't typically available on streaming. This one in particular comes with all sorts of extras:

• Includes 4K UHD, Blu-ray and a digital copy of American Pie (Subject to expiration. Go to NBCUCodes.com for details.)
• Features Dolby Vision and HDR10, 4x Sharper than Full HD
• Deleted Scenes
• Outtakes
• American Pie Revealed: The Complete Story of All Three Comedies
• Casting Tapes
• Spotlight on Location
• From the Set: Photographic Montage with Director and Producer Comments
• Tonic "You Wanted More" Music Video
• Tonic Live Performance
• Poster Concepts
• Feature Commentary with Director Paul Weitz, Producer Chris Weitz, Writer Adam Herz and Cast Members Jason Biggs, Seann William Scott and Eddie Kaye Thomas
• Theatrical Trailer
• American Reunion: A Look Inside
• 100 Years of Universal: Unforgettable Characters

What Is Movies Anywhere?

The digital copy that’s included is Movies Anywhere compatible. That means, if you sign up for a free account and redeem your code, you can connect your various streaming services to Movies Anywhere and watch a 4K stream of American Pie on Apple TV, Prime Video, Fandango at Home, and other services as well. It's kind of like if you were to purchase a game on Steam, but you could play it through the Epic Games or Rockstar launcher without having to buy another copy. It’s the kind of cooperation you don't typically see from major corporations. It's quite convenient.

Chris Reed is a commerce editor and deals expert for IGN. He also runs IGN's board game and LEGO coverage. You can follow him on Bluesky.

The Space Marine scream is back! Back where it belongs, according to many Warhammer 40,000 fans who had complained about its removal from Dawn of War’s iconic intro cinematic for the new version released to promote the upcoming Definitive Edition.

Deep breath… last month developer Relic Entertainment released an "enhanced" version of Dawn of War’s intro cinematic to accompany the announcement of the August 14 release date of the Definitive Edition. The video, below, reveals the insertion of dialogue from the 2004 Dawn of War real-time strategy game into its intro cinematic, replacing some of the original audio along the way. Chief among the changes was the removal of an “iconic” (at least, for Warhammer 40,000 fans!) guttural scream bellowed by the Space Marine who leads the forces of the Blood Ravens to battle against the monstrous Orks.

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

But there were further changes that annoyed fans. The Dreadnought’s dramatic entrance was “ruined,” some said, by the addition of voice lines that distracted from the heart-pumping sound of its Assault Cannon revving up and unleashing on the enemy lines. New Ork lines were inserted, too.

I asked Relic about this... feedback at the time, and the studio responded to suggest the whole thing had taken it by surprise, and to tease a course correction.

That course correction has now arrived in the form of a new version of the enhanced intro cinematic complete with its original audio restored. Yes, that Space Marine scream is back to strike fear into the hearts of the presumably bemused Orks over the ridge.

Check the new video out below:

As a Dawn of War fan, it's satisfying to see the intro cinematic return to its roots but also look the part. As I talked about last month, there’s something unmistakingly gritty about the original intro trailer’s look, feel, and old-school audio. It reminds fans of a time in PC gaming’s history when RTS ruled the roost, the Astra Militarum were called the Imperial Guard, and Warhammer 40,000 superfan Henry Cavill had just finished filming Hellraiser: Hellworld. The original rekindles memories of hazy summer days spent hammering out Heretics, my flatmate desperately trying to outmaneuver my attacks. The new and “improved” intro cinematic was just too clean.

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

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

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

Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Wizards of the Coast has been putting out non-cardboard Magic: The Gathering merchandise for a while now, but it’s been a little while since we’ve had new Funko Pops based on the property to collect.

We’ve already seen iconic Planeswalkers like Liliana Vess, Chandra Nalaar, Garruk Wildspeaker, and Ajani Goldmane brought to life, but that was more than a decade ago. If you’ve been looking to add to your setup, though, two new characters have been remade in plastic.

New Magic: The Gathering Funko Pops Hit Shelves Soon

Leaked photos appear to have revealed an enormous new LEGO Death Star comprised of 9,023 pieces, that's reportedly set to cost $1,000 and launch this October.

But, rather than include the full spherical battle station, this version of the Death Star will showcase the Empire's ultimate command center via a cross-section view, in order to include numerous rooms and other Easter eggs.

Reaction to the set only containing one half of Death Star's sphere (unlike previous Death Star sets) has been mixed, with some fans saying this offers more detail for your dollar, with others saying LEGO is shortchanging fans by only providing half of the design.

Upcoming LEGO Star Wars UCS Death Star with 9023. Basically a slice of a Death Star.#lego #legostarwars #legodeathstar pic.twitter.com/TT7sEeO7Nc

— FLYGUY (フライガイ) (@FLYGUY) August 9, 2025

So, what do you get for your $1,000? Well, the enormous set includes more than a dozen smaller areas that will be familiar to Star Wars fans, such as a throne room, death star laser control, garbage compactor, shuttle bay, and that area where Luke gets to swing across holding Princess Leia and look very heroic.

Included within the docking bay is an entire Lambda-class shuttle, which is nice, while collectors will likely be eyeing up the set's reported contingent of 32 minifigures.

Characters reportedly within the set include multiple versions of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and Princess Leia, plus Chewbacca, C-3PO, R2-D2, Emperor Palpatine, Darth Vader, Rogue One's Director Orson Krennic and Galen Erso, Grand Moff Tarkin, Admiral Motti (the one who gets Force choked in A New Hope), General Tagge, Colonel Wullf Yularen (Clone Wars fans rejoice), insectoid protocol droid 5D6-RA-7, a Death Star Gunner, Imperial Royal Guard, Imperial Crew Member, Stormtroopers (including a Hot Tub Stormtrooper variant) and Imperial Dignitaries — purple-cloaked advisors that have a new LEGO hat element.

Whether all this is enough to convince you into parting with $1,000 for the privilege is something we'll leave up to you. (Or maybe you fancy buying two sets, to make the Death Star sphere complete?)

Just on its own, the new Death Star will clock in as the fourth-largest LEGO set of all time by number of pieces, behind the company's 11,000-piece LEGO Art World Map, LEGO Icons Eiffel Tower, and LEGO Icons Titanic sets.

Three other LEGO Star Wars sets rank among the company's biggest, with the top 10 also including the UCS LEGO Star Wars Millennium Falcon, LEGO Star Wars AT-AT and LEGO Star Wars Razor Crest. It's Expelliarmus to the LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts Castle, though, as the set will be shunted out of the top running with a puny piece count of just 6,020.

LEGO is still to formally announce its new Death Star set but, judging by the leaks, it won't be long now.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social

Walmart is offering a steep discount on one of the most recently released themed Xbox Series X wireless controllers. For a limited time, the Xbox Wireless Controller Doom: The Dark Ages Limited Edition is on sale for $54 with free shipping. It is sold by Walmart directly and not a marketplace vendor. Even if you don't own an Xbox, this is still a great deal, since it's also one of the best PC gamepads for the price.

Get Doom: The Dark Ages Limited Edition Xbox Controller for $54