Video Games

Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury is the latest headline offering from Nintendo as it celebrates the 35th anniversary of Super Mario Bros. 

Following the superb Super Mario 3D All-Stars compilation of three classics, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury combines a classic with a little bit of something new.

This isn't just a rehash of a little-played Wii U game brought forward to entice a new audience. The Bowser's Fury part of the game is completely new, giving the package a "two-for-one" feel.

Super Mario 3D World was an instant classic on Wii U in 2013 (hence the 93 Metacritic score), and Bowser's Fury is a possible hint at the future of Mario, so to say it's an appealing package before even diving into the details is an understatement. 

     

Graphics and Gameplay

Super Mario 3D World remains a stunner in the graphics department, just as it was all those years ago. Nintendo says the visuals have received a minor boost with this port, but it's almost hard to tell the difference.

Truth be told, it looks glorious, and one could probably be convinced it was originally a Switch release. Nintendo games just hold up in this department. And the bonus here, of course, is that the game is fully available as a handheld experience thanks to the Switch's functionality. 

Which is to say, the game is as colorful and visually popping as players will recall, and it's one of the more impressive-looking games on the Switch. The environments are packed with details, the characters are expressive, and the locales, as always in a Mario game, vary greatly and stick with players long after completion. 

There is a caveat, though, as Bowser's Fury is clearly a stressful, boundary-pushing bit of game for the Switch, especially in handheld mode. The graphics and resolution just don't hold as well there, and the framerate takes a hit. But trading off graphics and frames for the ambition of the project while on the go is hard to knock too much. 

At its heart, this is still the classic 2D/3D hybrid fans loved all those years ago. It always existed in a bit of purgatory after major releases like Super Mario Galaxy, but it holds up well as one of the best linear 3D Mario games ever. 

Players still uncover creative items like the cat suit, which opens up the well-crafted worlds in interesting ways because it lets characters climb on walls. Each character still has their quirks, with Peach floating farther, Luigi jumping higher, etc.

One thing hardcore players from the Wii U release might notice quickly? Character speed has been given a nudge. It doesn't dramatically change how things play, but it's just enough to make the experience feel even better. Otherwise, slight UI tweaks are the noticeable differences compared to the original. 

But the thoughtful design of the original remains in all its glory. It's a tried-and-true homage to the classic Mario games and stands in stark contrast to the grander experiences of things like Super Mario Odyssey. The levels are mostly linear, perspective is a tool often used to create challenges, and the escalating nature of the difficulty and obstacles serves as a gentle guiding hand as players go from learning to jump to becoming experts. 

It's not hard to see why the game was so well-reviewed all those years ago. Like all first-party Mario efforts, this stands the test of time. In fact, the update happens to perform even better, with the developers having the benefit of hindsight to speed things up just enough to make the game feel smoother for players of all experience ranges. 

    

Story, Bowser's Fury and More

The baseline Super Mario 3D World story is the usual all-ages stuff—Mario and the gang stumble upon something, Bowser shows up and kidnaps Peach and the adventure begins. 

It's a fun romp, and for those who missed out on the Wii U offering, the game manages to weave in some of the most memorable live-action moments and boss fights of the last few decade's worth of Mario games. 

Bowser's Fury, though, is a whole different conversation. 

Mario drops into a new world, stumbles on to large footprints and away things go. Like the base game, let's just say some of the things players will encounter, especially late, are incredible. 

The separate experience is more of an open-world game in the Odyssey sense, with it feeling likewise in scale to a kingdom in one of those recent games. Gone are the linear levels. In their place, players are free to explore different sections of the map with their own names. These varied locales offer their own sets of challenges and things to collect. 

At its heart, even Bowser's Fury is still a collect-a-thon, with blockades in the form of puzzles, hidden items and skill checks. It's refreshing to go from the base game to the open-world element and tackle the challenges in a different manner, even if the camera controls feel a little too slow. 

Clearly, the new mode doesn't shy away from trying new things. Weather turns sour in the world, and Bowser is a giant big-bad (no, really, like Godzilla huge) who must be avoided now—an interesting twist on a strong The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild open-world element. Players can use Bowser's appearances to their advantage, of course, but the fundamental way the world suddenly shifts each time he pops up makes for a welcome change to the tried-and-true formula. 

Not that Bowser's Fury doesn't mind dipping into the greatest hits well, either. Bowser Jr. from the classic Super Mario Sunshine is there to help (and available as a multiplayer option), and both he and Mario are—you guessed it—cleaning up the area just like in the Gamecube release. 

Overall, this fresh slice of game is a bit like a huge body of water, albeit shallow. The space to mess around in is huge, but the experience as a whole doesn't last very long. Still, it's fun, and viewed through the lens that it's more of an experiment that could get turned into a fully-fledged experience down the line softens the blow provided by its brevity. 

If Bowser's Fury is a bit of modernization for the franchise, so too are some of the ways to get more than one person involved at once. Multiplayer is still a blast, too, with up to four players on screen at once creating a bit of chaos that generally sways into hilarity. 

It's not restricted to couch co-op, either. Players can create and make a room online from the world map. Only the host of those rooms makes progress, but something is still better than nothing, especially when it comes to Nintendo's track record with online multiplayer. 

   

Speedrunning Tips

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erESjl57FrI

Speedrunners have had a long, long time to tear through Super Mario 3D World. 

And the community is going strong enough despite the novelty of the launch system. The current best-ever run in the any-percent category checks in at just over one-and-a-half hours, and a 380-star run is now right at the four-hour mark (a 100-percent run takes seven to eight hours). 

That said, Super Mario 3D World was always a little under the radar as a speedrunning game in part because of the launch system, but also because of its somewhat-punishing nature. It's a skill-based run, with little in the way of randomness to assist or impede. 

That means a lot of it comes down to skipping things like dialogue, level memorization and even exploits. The most notable facet of most runs is the cat suit momentum dash, which isn't a typical sort of movement animation. That requires the suit and the ability to cancel a dash after a jump repeatedly to move through levels faster. 

But, at first, simple route-planning and practice on tricks to each level is the proper way to go. And given the uptick in character movement speed for this release, there's always a chance for better routes, if not movement exploits, for runners to discover in time.

     

Conclusion

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJ5-UkskZWk

Even though it is mostly a port, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury is a surprising offering and one of the more robust packages available on the Switch. Given the console's incredible library so far, that's saying something. 

That Super Mario 3D World was an absolute classic upon release isn't much of a secret. But something as simple as a slight uptick in speed manages to make it feel that much better. While the online portion of the multiplayer isn't perfect, it's still one of the best local multiplayer Mario games ever. 

Bowser's Fury is a fun, albeit short diversion of a mode that might offer a big hint of where Mario's game design heads next. And if the brief blast of innovation gets expanded upon properly, the gaming medium is in for a real treat. 

Add in the backdrop of the Switch's handheld capabilities, and this old-new package really shines as a standout. 

Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson has been unveiled as the cover athlete for the collector's edition of MLB The Show 21. 

PlayStation revealed the cover showing the Brooklyn Dodgers icon Thursday:

MLB The Show 21: Jackie Robinson Edition
The Collector's Editions include 4 days early access starting 4/16. $1 will be donated to JRF MLB The Show Scholars supported by PlayStation Pathways Program for each copy sold in the US. Pre-order now: https://t.co/bOZEF378QC#MLBTheShow pic.twitter.com/BrFeyZr98r

— MLB The Show (@MLBTheShow) February 3, 2021

Playstation and publisher Sony Interactive Entertainment issued a statement about the cover:

"We can think of no one who better represents what we should aspire to be on and off the field than Jackie Robinson. His principles remain as relevant and important as ever before.  This is why we honor him by showcasing him on all the Collector's Editions of MLB® The Show™ 21. This includes the Jackie Robinson Edition, the Digital Deluxe Edition, and the Jackie Robinson Deluxe Edition.

"To celebrate Jackie, PlayStation and San Diego Studio are happy to announce that PlayStation will donate $1 to the Jackie Robinson Foundation (JRF) for every MLB The Show 21 Collector's Edition sold in the US, including the Jackie Robinson Edition, the Jackie Robinson Deluxe Edition and the Digital Deluxe Edition from when pre-orders open through 12/31/2021."

Sony made Robinson a part of last year's game on April 15—the anniversary of the date he broke MLB's color barrier in 1947—with a tribute video released online and two MLB The Show 20 Jackie Robinson cards that could be used in Diamond Dynasty mode. 

Today is the day set aside to pause and reflect on the impact Jackie made on our country. We honor the man that walked a new path not just for baseball, but for something much more.#JackieRobinsonDay #42 pic.twitter.com/tAtXx72Uiz

— MLB The Show (@MLBTheShow) April 15, 2020

This will be the first time Robinson has been featured on the cover of a video game. He played 10 seasons with the Dodgers from 1947 to 1956 after spending one year in the Negro Leagues with the Kansas City Monarchs in 1945. 

Robinson was named to the National League All-Star team six times and won the NL MVP award in 1949. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on the first ballot in 1962 and had his No. 42 jersey retired across MLB in 1997. 

Not only is the title available on the PlayStation 4 and 5, this year also marks the first time gamers will have access to MLB The Show on the Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S consoles. It will also feature cross-platform play for online gamers. 

MLB The Show 21 will be released April 20, but players who preorder physical or digital editions will have early access beginning April 16. 

College football fans can rejoice.

EA Sports announced Tuesday it's planning to relaunch a college football video game. The series has been shelved since NCAA Football 14.

For those who never stopped believing...#EASPORTSCollegeFootball pic.twitter.com/2vDUYnbXEJ

— EA SPORTS (@EASPORTS) February 2, 2021

ESPN's Michael Rothstein provided more information:

"To make the game happen, EA Sports partnered with collegiate licensing company CLC to make sure they had the FBS schools, traditions, uniforms and playbooks -- among other things -- ready to go for the game. Over 100 teams will be in the game.

"For now, EA Sports is planning to move forward without rosters that include the names, images or likenesses of real college players. Current NCAA rules prohibit athletes from selling their NIL rights while in college."

Daryl Holt, EA Sports' vice president and general manager, told Rothstein that the company has yet to set a target date for the arrival of EA Sports College Football, though he said it won't come this year.

The decision to remove NCAA Football from the annual rotation came in the wake of Ed O'Bannon's lawsuit against the NCAA. The former UCLA basketball star successfully sued the NCAA in stopping it from continuing to profit off the name, image and likeness of current and former athletes.

College sports video games didn't use an athlete's name but included information to make them easily identifiable. For example, Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith would have been listed on Alabama's roster as WR No. 6 if NCAA Football was around for the 2020 season.

Polygon's Owen S. Good reported in October 2019 that developers at EA Sports laid out tentative plans for EA Sports College Football 15, which would've swapped out the authentic college licenses for a wider range of customization options.

Good noted that EA Sports might have faced a "a content policing nightmare" if users uploaded trademarked images from schools, which would turn around and demand the images to be removed.

Once California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill in September 2019 made it easier for college athletes to earn money from their name, image and likeness, many wondered whether NCAA Football would rise from the grave. The detached nature of college sports in an administrative capacity provided plenty of hurdles, though.

https://twitter.com/NicoleAuerbach/status/1255486959881007118

Rothstein reported EA Sports is looking to avoid direct references to current FBS players for now, but Holt acknowledged the situation is fluid as more wide-ranging NIL legislation is under consideration from Congress.

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James remains the highest-rated player in NBA 2K21 despite a one-point deduction in his overall rating in Thursday's update from 2K Sports.

Here's a look at the top 10 players in the video game:

• 1. LeBron James: 97 OVR (-1)
• 2. Giannis Antetokounmpo: 96 OVR (-1)
• 3. James Harden: 95 OVR (-1)
• T-4. Anthony Davis: 94 OVR (-1)
• T-4. Nikola Jokic: 94 OVR (+1)
• 6. Joel Embiid: 93 OVR (+1)
• 7. Bradley Beal: 91 OVR (+3)
• 8. Paul George: 90 OVR (+1)
• 9. Bam Adebayo: 89 OVR (+1)
• T-10. Khris Middleton: 88 OVR (+1)
• T-10. Nikola Vucevic: 88 OVR (+1)
• T-10. C.J. McCollum: 88 OVR (+1)

Beal, who leads the NBA in scoring at 34.9 points per game for the Washington Wizards, was among the biggest risers in the update with his three-point overall gain.

Two standout rookies, the Charlotte Hornets' LaMelo Ball and Sacramento Kings' Tyrese Haliburton, also received early three-point boosts.

The top gainers were led by:

• Hamidou Diallo: 77 OVR (+6)
• Xavier Tillman: 76 OVR (+6)
• Chris Boucher: 83 OVR (+5)
• Nickeil Alexander-Walker: 76 OVR (+5)
• Isaiah Roby: 75 OVR (+5)
• Jarred Vanderbilt: 75 OVR (+5)
• Jae'Sean Tate: 74 OVR (+5)

NBA 2K21 was released on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC in September. It debuted on the next-gen consoles, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, in November.  

Hitman 3 arrives with grand expectations.  

Developer IO Interactive successfully relaunched the iconic stealth franchise in 2016 with Hitman, then followed it up with Hitman 2 in 2018. Given the resounding successes there, the third and final entry in the World of Assassination trilogy, unlike protagonist Agent 47, doesn't have the benefit of sneaking up on anyone.

The episodic, mini-open-world levels that redefined the series return again with a tighter feel, the same gameplay that helped make the reboot a success story and a revamped progression system that spans all three games at once.

Given the expectations of steady improvement and the understanding IO Interactive is off to make a James Bond game, Hitman 3 stands as the perfect capper to round out and complete one of the most successful reboots in video gaming today. 

   

Graphics and Gameplay

As a known commodity at this point, Hitman 3 was always going to be visually impressive. 

Each of the sprawling levels presented are gigantic and littered with interactable detail. Whether it's a glitzy skyscraper-top party for the rich littered with champagne glasses or a down-and-gritty city manhunt underneath neon lights, each of the levels feels unique and as a game in and of itself. 

The design depth of each level is staggering. Past games in the series have hugely dense with NPCs at a crowded racing event, for example. Some of the levels here aren't as hefty on the crowds, but they make up for it in immense ways. One locale boasts discoverable details on the roofs of buildings and far, far below street level, too. 

Littered throughout each level are engrossing character conversations, many of which function as a way to pick up intel and inch closer toward an assassination. The sound design is top-notch alongside the visual treats around each corner. The overall score is a highlight that furthers the immersive experience. 

Some of the usual nitpicks apply. While detail is amped (shadows and lighting are some of the industry best here) and past issues such as clipping have been smoothed over, it's still easy to stumble upon duplicate NPCs. The bulk of them still don't look as good as they probably could, but that's to be expected given the sheer quantity of them on screen and in each level. 

Still, it's all about the details. Agent 47 flawlessly transitions out of cover and into action. He swaps items quickly and realistically, and, as silly as it seems, it's all well replicated in a mirror. It's all immersive in a way that just feels like not only the end of a trilogy, but one that indeed belongs on next-generation hardware. The same points apply to gunplay and the implementation of gadgets.

Linear is the last word to describe any of Hitman 3. 

Like past entries, each massive level is a puzzle players need to dissect. The targets get a red outline from the start when Agent 47 scans the environment, but it's never so simple. There are seemingly endless ways to reach the targets physically, whether it's scurrying up the side of a building, discovering secret routes or donning different disguises to bypass the watchful eye of security. 

The actual assassinations themselves are just as versatile. It could be as simple as gunning down a target, but poisoning food or puppet-mastering any number of accidental deaths remain available as options, too. 

There aren't many new formulas in the gameplay itself, as the real feats are the scenarios and characters within each level. Dynamic shortcuts are a huge new feature. Players can only open these strategically placed shortcuts from one side, usually after much difficulty. Once they're open, they will be available for good. They're not anything overly amazing—one early example is a ladder— but they also don't pop up often enough to ruin the integrity of subsequent playthroughs of a level. 

Also new to what players have available at their fingertips is a camera. It's exactly what it sounds like and not a fully-fledged photo mode by any means. But the new gadget provides some interesting hacking and surveillance opportunities that can impact how a level plays out.

The biggest sour point is enemy A.I., which has been a talking point in the past, and it doesn't feel much different here. Stumping doofus guards who walk into a room to investigate but don't actually turn Agent 47's way isn't difficult. They also have an uncanny fixation with thrown coins, too.

It's a staple of the genre at this point and almost charming, but NPCs not realizing their buddy is missing and/or is now bald with a barcode on the back of his head remains cheesy at best. One could argue it's necessary so things remain constant and predictable for the player, but it also doubles as feeling a bit archaic at times. 

Even that feels like nitpicking at this point, as Hitman 3's crowning achievement is merely letting players tackle things how they see fit. Going guns blazing isn't encouraged, but it's available. Playing it like one of the old Splinter Cell games with a no-detection run is on the table. So is interacting with the world and stories in any number of ways to tackle the objectives. 

It's always rewarding to experiment. The game goes out of its way to present players with post-mission grades based on their playstyle and actions. Replaying the same mission with the same targets doesn't become a chore given the number of discoverable scenarios, including narrative-driven stories within the story and individual challenges to complete.

Hitman 3 is whatever a player wants it to be, which isn't something many other games can say.

      

Story and More

Agent 47 has had a long, interesting story littered with twists and turns over the years, and Hitman 3 hits an interesting narrative peak—and does so with darker tones than the prior two games. His surrounding cast is understandably small, which only makes the overarching storyline have an against-all-odds feel. 

Players starting with this game are bound to feel lost from a narrative standpoint even with the game lending a helping hand via a cinematic. But for those who have followed the threads since Hitman 1, a global conspiracy plot with some strong narrative developments unravels in fun fashion. 

Where the storytelling in Hitman 3 really excels, though, is in the individual levels themselves. The overarching story hangs above everything, but the smaller, local plot threads in each level are engrossing. 

One level, for example, fits in lots of family drama, a murder mystery and quite a bit more in the way of surprises while Agent 47 merely attempts to off two targets over a deceptively massive level. 

There are Mission Stories, which are smaller levels within the mission itself. These can feel like tutorial-styled features within a level to help guide a player. They're fun to see the first time, especially for first-time players of the series. But there is an option to toggle them off, which is quite a bit more appealing for veteran players. 

How it all loops together is brilliant for the end of the trilogy. It's impressive that unlockables are then useable across all three games. Those are no longer tied to certain challenges thanks to a new progression system, too, so there's a sense of respecting the player's time investment no matter which level they might be replaying—and location mastery progressions push the same sense of worthwhile playing time. 

Also included are the returning Sniper Assassin and Contracts modes. The latter is an especially interesting challenge because players can tackle challenges set out by other community members within the well-trodden maps, making any NPC targets and stipulating contract completion stipulations (like wearing certain costumes or different manner of kills). 

Escalations throw ever-increasing challenges at a player while trying to complete a contract. And the game will again feature Elusive Targets, which the community will adore. In the past, these timed contracts have given players one chance at killing celebrities and all sorts of people put into the game, making for top end-game content besides level grinding for unlocks or leaderboard positioning. 

The game's central hub players can also access the missions from Hitman 1 and Hitman 2. It's a nice way to tie everything together—and probably an unintentional flex by IO Interactive that showcases just how consistent and superb the games have been over three offerings now. 

It's all very well done in a slick manner on the UI too, with players able to navigate to any of the three games, different game modes, career profile tracking and career inventory. 

We'd be remiss not to mention the depth of that profile tracking and inventory over the three games. There are a gargantuan number of career challenges to track for each individual level. And while the developers might be off to make a James Bond game, the laundry list of devices, illegal-item-concealing briefcases, explosives, weapons and suits unlockable for Agent 47 would make Bond himself blush. 

        

Speedrunning Tips

The nature of the Hitman games always encouraged intense speedrunning communities, and the episodic format of the trilogy and open-ended levels only amplified things. 

Hitman 1 and Hitman 2 have long been staples of speed-running events and the world-record leaderboards feature best-ever times in a manner of minutes. Types of runs include any-percent efforts, no-kill or detection efforts, different difficulty levels and various rating rewards at the very end. 

It's a little complex, as is the very nature of being good at speedruns in the franchise. 

For beginners, running and gunning is a worthwhile strategy while unlocking items and starting to memorize levels. Knowing the when, where, why and how of every minute detail is important, and isn't something always picked up on by simply viewing a speedrun—carrying the wrong type of item with the disguise disguise will end runs on harder difficulties instantly. 

As things stand now, players don't have a ton of time to play in a stealth manner if they want to be competitive on the leaderboards. It's more about manipulating the aforementioned so-so A.I. with coins and other distractions to get them out of the way. 

Actually competing on the world-record leaderboards within the game itself is an uphill climb, albeit an incredibly rewarding one. Generally, ignoring Mission Stories and cutting to the chase in a direct manner remains the best route at launch. 

If it all sounds like the perfect streaming and speedrunning game, it is—customizable starting points, inventory, costumes, smuggled items and more makes for a fun time, whether it's viewing or attempting to complete runs. 

     

Conclusion

Unlike its lead character, Hitman 3 doesn't throw on any sort of disguise—this is Hitman, through and through.

Given just how impressive the trilogy has been under IO Interactive, that's a good thing. Hitman 3 is whatever a player wants it to be. It can be as goofy and sappy as players want, or as serious and foreboding as possible, all while presenting nearly endless ways to play. 

With the levels from the other two games included, Hitman 3 is one of the most robust gaming packages offered in a long time. Its replayable nature can gently push players into leaderboard competitors, if not speedrunners too. 

It's only January of 2021, yet Hitman 3 is a predictable hit, matching expectations, refining in small ways and standing strong as a Game of the Year contender. If this is the last players see of the series for a long time, there's enough to keep people occupied that Agent 47 going on a hiatus isn't so concerning. 

If you've got $750,000 burning a hole in your pocket, well, congrats. But also, you could be the owner of a complete set of 1999 Pokemon first edition cards. 

According to TMZ:

"The folks over at Goldin Auctions will soon auction off this 103-Pokemon card set that's in mint condition and expected to fetch upwards of $750,000. The collection includes the highly sought-after Charizard card. Each card is gemstone certified. Goldin says while the cards have rounded corners, the Professional Sports Authenticator has given it a Gem Mint 10 grading... meaning they're virtually perfect cards."

Lovers of Mewtwo and Pikachu, Jigglypuff and Squirtle, this is your chance to spend an obscene amount of money to add the first-edition versions to your collection. 

Sure, you could buy a house with that sort of money, but did anybody ever care about Ash Ketchum's house? No, they cared about his Pokemon. So, uh, go catch them all!

Quarterbacks Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills and Baker Mayfield of the Cleveland Browns were among the players whose overall ratings in Madden NFL 21 increased ahead of Week 16.

The video game's official Twitter account provided a look at some of the notable boosts Wednesday:

Week 15 featured some 💪 performances

Ratings update is live! https://t.co/sgpejxhcnT #Madden21 pic.twitter.com/YwEADNTK2E

— Madden NFL 25 (@EAMaddenNFL) December 24, 2020

Allen is in the midst of remarkable transformation from a polarizing 2018 draft prospect who lacked accuracy and consistency into an MVP candidate heading into the final two weeks of the 2020 regular season.

The 24-year-old University of Wyoming product has completed 68.7 percent of his throws, a 9.9-point increase from last year, for 4,000 yards with 30 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He's added 383 rushing yards and eight scores in 14 games.

His success allowed the Bills to clinch their first AFC East title since 1995 with last week's win over the Denver Broncos. It's also put him alongside the Kansas City Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes and Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers in the MVP discussion.

"This [AFC East champions] hat is fine and dandy," Allen told reporters. "This hat and shirt is fine and dandy. But I want the shirt that says f--king Super Bowl champs."

Mayfield, the first overall pick in the 2018 draft, is also coming into his own during his third year.

He failed to build on the promising signs he showcased during the second half of his rookie season by throwing 22 touchdowns and 21 interceptions in 2019. He's bounced back in a major way, tossing 25 TDs with just eight picks through 14 contests this season.

It's possible Allen's Bills (11-3) and Mayfield's Browns (10-4) could meet somewhere along the playoff journey in the AFC.

Legendary company for @JoshAllenQB pic.twitter.com/bY23IsfQOQ

— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) December 23, 2020

As for the other players given a boost in Madden, Arizona Cardinals linebacker Haason Reddick recorded three tackles, a sack and two forced fumbles in Sunday's win over the Philadelphia Eagles. He'd tallied an eye-popping five sacks the previous week against the New York Giants.

Miami Dolphins running back Salvon Ahmed recorded his first career 100-yard rushing performance and scored a touchdown in the team's Week 15 victory against the New England Patriots.

Cyberpunk 2077 carried more expectations on its shoulders to release than arguably any game in history.  

On the back of goodwill garnered by Witcher 3 developer CD Projekt Red, Cyberpunk was announced in May of 2012, promising a first-person RPG/action-adventure game with a breathtaking, futuristic open world. 

Years of development, delays and additional promises made later, including the onboarding of Keanu Reeves as rocker Johnny Silverhand, Cyberpunk has arrived as one of the most jarring releases ever. 

While CD Projekt Red is already offering refunds because of poor performance on PS4 And Xbox One, the game is a stunning, immersive trip to a different world unlike anything gamers have experienced before. That is, if gamers can stomach the litany of issues at launch, regardless of platform, and some glaring deficiencies. 

If they can, the positive experience Cyberpunk offers has no equal. While it sets the bar for gaming as a whole in some areas, Cyberpunk 2077 also throws out a warning sign about so much more. 

      

Graphics and Gameplay

Cyberpunk is unlike anything released before in terms of graphical immersion. 

It's quite clear the bulk of the effort went into this area, as everything about Night City and its multitude of distinct gang-controlled zones feels painstakingly handcrafted. Just taking a walk down pretty much any block in the city is an immersive experience. 

One five-minute stroll can produce so much wow factor it's almost hard to describe. From the sheer number of NPCs organically walking through an area, vehicles on the road, transports in the sky, police crime scenes, kids throwing rocks at broken-down defense turrets, ads squawking at the character from walls and benches, ads scrolling up the side of skyscrapers—the examples are endless. 

It's something players will have to experience to believe, albeit only on higher-end systems. None of that even mentions the areas outside the city, which include sprawling auto-running farms, monstrous dams and a mountain-range style trash heap, to name a few spots. 

Everything pushes the limits of what we've known to be possible. Characters—especially those in main and prominent side quests—are stunning. It's easy to think you're viewing concept art or still stuck in a cutscene sometimes, and that's not an uncommon occurrence when a conversation ends. There are no flaws in the eye movement, lip-syncing or anything else when it comes to the main characters. 

It helps that the sound design is also superb, as expected. The soundtrack is splendid with its techno-infused musings and the radio selection in cars is diverse but fitting. Even the advertisements while riding an elevator are well done, as are the talk shows and news broadcasts that provide a little context to the world. 

Night City itself is something no game developer will match for a long time. There's a stunning amount of verticality and parkour opportunities. That doesn't mean every building is enterable by any means, but this isn't a "drive across this dirt road for 1.2 kilometers to get to the next mission" type of game. Every bit of traveling that isn't fast is a level of engagement where the player really has to think about how to navigate the city block, be it a market littered with customers or a multilevel shantytown, for example. 

Unfortunately, the touted immersion noted above is just surface-level because it's as paper-thin as it gets with interactions. Only a few of the countless vendors in the world seem to allow purchases. When trying to speak to NPCs, they say a random, often nonsensical line. In general, it all just feels like a backdrop that isn't meant to actually be interacted with in favor of the main story. 

Walk past a guy shadowboxing the air on the way into a club, exit the club a little while later and a different NPC is doing the same thing. Visit that club multiple times, the same two police officers are arguing; one about taking down the owner simply because she won't let them in, the other discouraging that because she runs the city.

When players choose to hop in a vehicle is when city navigation becomes a struggle. Vehicle controls just aren't where they need to be, as everything feels too floaty. A minimap that inexplicably won't zoom out often leavers the driver missing turns, trying to brake and quickly correct and spinning out or, even worse, mowing down pedestrians. 

The same love-hate relationship exists in combat, too. Gunplay itself is actually very weighty and most guns manage to feel unique with different recoil patterns. But it's a little jarring to have this almost Call of Duty-feeling dedication there—while pumping rounds into enemies, especially early in the game. 

Maybe it's the color palette, speed of gameplay, busy HUD or a combination of the three, but it's very hard to tell where damage is coming from at times. Helpfully, the A.I. is generally bad at taking cover. Melee enemies will rush the character and grenades will fly, but what feels like outdated A.I. removes most critical thinking the game and its many systems could have asked of players. 

The same goes for stealth. It feels like an archaic game of "avoid the vision cones" with enemy NPCs. Hacking cameras and other items in the world to create distractions can be done, but it is a time investment.

As good as everything feels, nothing is ever as simple as just running and gunning. Cyberpunk is the type of game where players have to do the work to make other routes of engagement feel fun and actually worth it. And by the time that investment is made, the player ends up feeling overpowered. 

In a testament to the city design itself, there are actually a jaw-dropping amount of ways to tackle one mission objective most of the time. In one early example, there's the standard "dump enough points into a skill to get past a door" route. There's the sneaky route. Observant players in this one little objective can also walk halfway down the block, find a way up to the roofs of adjacent buildings and parkour to the objective building, infiltrating from above. 

The gameplay tries to do so much at once that the result comes off feeling like a mixed bag. Gunplay feels good, but the enemies don't. Traversal and climbing works well enough, as does swimming, but driving can feel like a mess. 

Luckily for Cyberpunk, the main narrative and the beefy sidequests are good enough to make it all forgivable.  

      

Story and More

Players assume the role of a mercenary known as "V" and dive right into the world of Night City after customizing looks and early skill tree distributions. 

V wants to hit the big times in the city and work their way up the proverbial ladder. V can be compassionate at points depending on player dialogue choices, but more often than not is grating and can surprise even the player with his harshness in what seem like reasonable dialogue choices. 

Along the way, V happens to get Silverhand's consciousness stuck in their head. There are some jarring, quick developments that make it feel like players are missing something that was cut out of the game, but it works. 

Johnny Silverhand, on the other hand, is one of the most interesting characters largely because he's...not a great person. He harms people, abuses substances and people, and generally is antagonistic toward V most of the time. And yet, Reeves' performance is so good, he's still sort of endearing, and his presence commands attention every time he shows up to talk. On paper, that's exactly what another person living in a main character's head should be—and his presence and commentary made even mundane decisions suddenly tense. 

The story's best moments unfold off the main path. Some of the main sidequests are so good it's a shame they're not part of the main storyline. 

In those side paths, V encounters unforgettable characters with lengthy storylines. They're varied, memorable and play a part in the greater effort, so to speak. 

The main story itself isn't anything too uncommon for the genre at most points and goes to some very uncomfortable places in visceral detail. A part of the story is very time-sensitive to create urgency—until one of the first missions right after this reveal asks the player to wait while something happens off-screen.

Those wanting an in-depth look at the implications of tech advances and the impact on individuals, governments and even religion will have to do some deep reading. There's overt in-your-face stuff at times, but the real good stuff will require some reading. 

The big killer for the narrative? It's absolutely devastating to see the type of life choice that players make at the start of the game—picking Corpo, Street Kid or Nomad—just doesn't seem to matter all that much. Every choice starts the player in a different locale, but only very briefly before all three are shoved into the same storyline. For the most part, the only callback players ever get to actually making this choice at all is dialogue options that don't really further conversations. 

It's hard to shake the feeling something big and impressive got cut or scaled-down here, especially once players watch a montage of cool things happening to V and friends before a big-time skip. This was especially poor for the Nomad track, which starts well with an in-depth conversation with the sheriff of a small town out in the desert, only for V to arrive in Night City, get to know people, find a home and establish an ecosystem of friends all off screen via that montage.

Actual roleplaying is very difficult, which is strange given that the source material is a tabletop RPG. In Mass Effect, everyone had their version of Shepard they could at least somewhat craft, whereas here, V seems to have a narrow range of outcomes. 

V's reputation, which levels up as he goes, doesn't seem to matter much either. Different gangs still seem to attack on sight no matter what the player has done in the past, and fixers seemingly affiliated with those gangs don't seem to care V has harmed their operations. While V spends a good chunk of time musing about being legendary, the world doesn't seem to react to them all that much. 

Part of that problem is the lack of customization for your character's appearance once the full game begins. The initial character creator isn't anything too wild, besides the unnecessary ability to craft genitals. 

It's weird that a game which stresses style has no way to change up hairstyles, looks or vehicles. This isn't a lack of something complex like weight gain due to a bad diet like, say, GTA San Andreas back in the day—it's the complete inability to show up at a barber or tattoo parlor and make any changes at all. It's the inability to drive to a chop shop and customize a ride—all things a city such as this one would seem to have.

Similarly, the game makes a big deal about cybernetics early on. V receives new eyes in an amazing cutscene. So is the futuristic apparatus he puts on V's arm to give him a hand implant. But going to a ripperdoc out in the world is just a menu transaction. 

Which brings us to braindances. Strapping on a piece of equipment and observing a recorded scenario in real time, bouncing out of the person's head and scanning around, rewinding and fast-forwarding while looking for clues sounds incredible.

But it's really not something that hasn't been done before and doesn't feel too different from something found in a Batman game or even The Witcher 3. And it's a bummer that V even receives one of these headsets as a reward, but can't use it outside of quests. There are even braindances V can purchase from vendors...but they aren't compatible with his or her software.

It's very strange that the company that dreamed up Gwent has a lack of side activities, whether it be just playing a card game or jumping into a street race. Even fast travel isn't hopping in a self-driving car (there's an entire, lengthy sidequest about those, too), having V's car self-navigate or jumping on a tram system or subway—it's just walking up to certain marked kiosks, bringing up the map and picking another one to jump to. 

Not helping matters are several other thin systems. The economy, for one, feels a little busted. Vehicles and cybernetics are expensive, but it doesn't feel like working through many sidequests and the main story ever make those reasonably affordable. That's in stark contrast to the rollout of skill points and perk points, which have V morphing into an assassin quickly. 

The loot system is also questionable at best, throwing endless amounts of junk and wearable stuff at the player with minimal stat increases. It's a Destiny-stylized system where donning the best armor means looking absolutely ridiculous—early on, some lootable short shorts and a tank top had more armor than a bulletproof vest, for example.

The current loot system makes crafting feel a bit irrelevant, too. By the time V has enough materials to craft something special, items picked up off the ground had similar or better stats. Keep in mind, there's also an inventory burden to manage. 

The UI is generally a mess. It's a chore to dig in and find where cybernetics actually are and which items require you to pop open V's backpack or something else. Using the phone is also problematic because it has multiple screens and odd controls, as does the map. 

Cyberpunk throws an incredible amount of stuff at the player over the first few hours, which function as a tutorial. It's an endless barrage of new mechanics and never-ending phone calls and texts popping up on screen that sometimes overlap one another (V can't decline a call, apparently). Some of the calls happen because fixers in certain areas call V as soon as they enter their region. But with the wealth of information the game tosses at the player, it's understandable if they get overwhelmed and forget how to perform hacks of where to find cybernetics in the menu, for example.

Cyberpunk's biggest problems are the outright poorly-implemented features and the aforementioned paper-thin interactions when trying to become fully immersed in the world. 

Around every corner are immersion-breaking problems, even on PC. The majority of non-essential characters' mouths don't move when they speak. There are floating cigarettes and cellphones. The day and night cycle doesn't seem to impact anything, and skipping time doesn't change up where NPCs are.

Some side activities encountered (a gang fighting the police) just feature the police blasting the enemies, who stand still and take it. One prominent sidequest couldn't be completed no matter how many times the game was reloaded. Major story areas can't be re-entered while free-roaming. 

By far the most egregious, immersion-ruining issue is general A.I. at launch. NPCs two blocks away from where V fired a gun just crouch and cover their heads. Getting out of a car in the middle of the road causes a traffic jam for blocks because the NPCs can't navigate around it. 

Then there are the police. Cyberpunk features a GTA-style wanted system to keep the player in check when they commit crimes in Night City. Except police, for the most part, don't drive cars. They spawn close to the player instantly after committing a crime (even atop a skyscraper) and just start blasting. Driving a few blocks away instantly removes the wanted stars and things go back to normal. 

Players going into Cyberpunk expecting a GTA or Red Dead-styled open world might be disappointed. But the A.I. in the game feels like a placeholder feature at best and is missing core elements found in games made more than a decade ago. 

Similarly, there are unique, creative arcade systems and food vendors everywhere but none of the former and few of the latter are interactable. So far, it doesn't even seem like V can take a seat anywhere outside of scripted story missions. 

Through it all, Cyberpunk's shortcomings aren't enough to make it something players are likely to put down once they get invested in the story, especially thanks to some of the all-too-human characters V meets along the way. But the wealth of issues and barebones systems in key respects do the overall experience great harm. 

     

Speedrunning Tips

Games like Cyberpunk always make for brilliant speedrunning fodder with what projects to be a vibrant, long-running community.

The open world, ability to customize different gameplay styles and the bountiful ways to attack objectives make it an appealing challenge to tackle for runners and a fun, variable viewing experience for onlookers. 

Early runs around the game's launch are sure to be best served by focusing on the gun skill trees. Merely plowing through the opposition with a strong arsenal will produce the best results, especially when perks start to unlock, such as extra damage behind cover and headshots reducing recoil. 

Which isn't to say runners won't end up finding viable strategies with other subclasses over time. Surely, hacking a system of cameras, turning them friendly and blinding enemies who happen to discover the player during infiltration of an area will make for quick work, too. 

It's important to note that cheesing certain enemies very early in a run can produce incredibly overpowered weapons that make combat trivial. We won't get specific for the sake of spoilers, but runners are sure to quickly uncover these sorts of loopholes to produce incredible times. 

Besides some gritty details like the above, plus mission structure and world memorization, the usual things like skipping dialogue, cutscenes and fast traveling as much as possible apply. That's universal to any runs. 

     

Conclusion

Cyberpunk is likely going to go down as one of the most oddly-remembered games of all time. It seemed to over-promise and has under-delivered at launch. 

After repeated delays, Cyberpunk was supposed to fiercely trailblaze the way into a new console generation and on high-end PCs. And it does in some regards—the bar has been fully reset through the roof in terms of a living, engaging, vertical open world that is a joy to explore and demands players pay attention at every turn. 

But it will also likely go down as a cautionary tale—for gamers and game-makers—one offering a warning about when to announce a concept for a game, how to hype and market it and whether to believe it all. That doesn't take into account the decision to straddle multiple console generations while still promising a "next-gen" update, free DLCs and even multiplayer down the road. 

As it stands, Cyberpunk has a gripping story and some excellent sidequests. Night City is captivating, if not jaw-dropping for its design and diversity of locales and inhabitants. The city itself and a handful of the characters met along the way are a marvel and makes it a fun, unique ride, though perhaps one best experienced at a later date. 

Immortals Fenyx Rising enters the heavyweight slugfest of the holiday release season amid a new console generation's launch and aims to come out on top.  

To do so, developer Ubisoft Quebec doesn't hide the inspirations for the single-player adventure game oozing creativity and Greek mythology—this one has Assassin's Creed and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild written all over it. 

But thanks to incredible art direction, must-experience storytelling devices and the sheer ability to capture—if not improve upon—what made those other games great, Immortals doesn't have a problem standing out on its own. 

   

Graphics and Gameplay

Immortals' visuals are surely the first thing to grab players. 

It's a fun, colorful experience that catches the eye and doesn't really let go. While this sort of style has been done ad nauseam of late with games like Fortnite, it's hard not to get some Wind Waker-ish Zelda vibes from the overall presentation package.  

The Golden Isles and its gargantuan, distinct seven regions are beautifully littered with Greek-inspired designs. Whether it's abandoned shrines or crumbling architecture, the world and its visual presentation always offers up a treat and rewards exploration. 

While Immortals probably won't do enough to win over players who don't like this sort of direction, the smooth performance paired with the colors that leave no end of the palette unaccounted for is impressive in motion. 

That goes the same for the sound design, with the voices—including a voiced protagonist—being well-acted, witty and sometimes hilarious. The soundtrack that booms in the background is often fitting, and while the world's ambience does enough to make it feel lived in, the musical score sure doesn't hurt. 

Gameplay just screams The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, too—and veteran Assassin Creed players are going to feel at home, right down to the mostly identical-feeling controls. 

The stamina gauge is the biggest driver of gameplay complexity. It dictates how long Fenyx can run, fly and climb, how high he or she can jump, and it plays a key role in combat. As such, one can see how exploring the world to improve that stamina gauge becomes the crux of the game—and managing it in all aspects becomes a sort of fun minigame in the process. 

Combat itself—while basic with light and heavy attacks, plus a dodge—can amount to something like a game of chess depending on the enemy encountered. A bigger bad, for example, might have a shield guard that can only be shattered with an axe, exposing it to effective attacks from a sword. 

Other staples of familiar-feeling fighting exist, such as a well-timed dodge slowing down time, leaving foes open for devastating attacks. Through skill-tree progression, better combos and eventual mastery are possible. 

Funnily enough, this somewhat-cutesy-looking game that draws inspiration from many well-trodded places manages to do something many games in the genre struggle with—something we'll call camera compensation. When fighting a group of enemies, a bright arrow alerts the player to an attack from off-screen, which is quite a bit more useful than it might sound. Players who have been hit repeatedly by off-screen enemies in other games know what a nuisance that is, so it's nice to see it so smartly handled. 

Keep in mind familiarity isn't a bad thing here for the combat. While things are colorful and often lighthearted, combat is actually rather heavy-feeling and can be surprising in its challenges at times. At its most basic, combat is fun, regardless of whether it is simply revisiting well-trodden places. 

Besides combat, traversal is what players will spend most of their time doing. The wings of Daedalus, also utilizing stamina, will play a big role in getting around the world and exploring. The good news is that's fun, too. 

Players will groan when they hear Immortals boasts a scan feature from high vantage points, taking in the scenery and such. But it's a little more interactive and rewarding than in Assassin's Creed—players scan the world from a great height but then have to manually control "scouting" the area by looking around and uncovering items of interest, with vibrations of the controller providing feedback. 

Like other Ubisoft games, world and map markers, once scanned, don't leave much to the imagination about what a player is getting themselves into. But oftentimes, the challenges and unique experiences at those markers are so unique and fun it's hard to complain. 

Take the Vaults of Tartaros, for example. These are discoverable platforming challenges and otherwise that are somewhat akin to BoTW's Shrine challenges that were found throughout the world. As was the case there, it's an absolute blast to uncover as many as possible and see what sort of unique challenges await. 

To illustrate just how big the world is and what a time investment Immortals can be (plus the potential for getting sidetracked), there are 50-plus vaults to find and overcome. 

That's just the headline item, as there are droves of side missions, too. Some require skill with a bow and arrow, others are straight-up puzzles. And don't forget stumbling upon strong enemies or even mini-bosses, which get their own boss-styled intro. 

Much of this on the gameplay side won't sound overly new, but it is done incredibly well and in a way that might surprise players just expecting an "Assasin's Creed for kids" offering. Adding to that in an amazing way is the presentation of the story itself. 

    

Story and More

At it's most basic, Immortals won't shock players with its narrative. They're a shipwrecked Greek soldier tasked with saving gods. After a brief trip through a smaller character creator, they're set free in the Golden Isles to explore and eventually tackle the big bad, Typhon.

It's the narration of Prometheus and Zeus that shocks.

Few games employ the narrator role at all these days, and arguably none do it this well. Both gods orate the experience of Fenyx as he or she progresses through the game in real-time. It's not so simple, of course—they get in verbal spats with each other, dispute how the player should do things and why and generally are often hilarious with memorable dialogue. 

This could've easily been just another open-world game (TM) where the player mows through a sparsely populated, albeit beautiful countryside sometimes collecting things or hunting while on the way to the next story beat. Instead, there's this backdrop of genuinely funny commentary from two gods who happen to hope this untested-in-battle soldier can rally and save them, never mind the world. 

The entire world is open to players from the start, which is very, very important. Few games in modern history capture the feel of Breath of the Wild. There was a centralized destination and goal there, but the lure of exploration and improvement meant players could get immersed and sometimes forget about that end goal for hundreds of hours (endless memes of doing something mundane like collecting cooking ingredients instead of saving Princess Zelda exist for a reason). 

Immortals largely captures the same feel. And also like BoTW, the lighthearted nature of the world, its tone and inhabitants makes for a cozy setting and experience despite the all-too-dangerous big bad looming over it all as the endgame. 

In the background, there are bigger Assasin's Creed-esque skill trees for players to improve Fenyx. Given the scope, there should be some nice diversity of builds from one player to the next. Timesink completionists can presumably max everything, but the system appears to allow for some dramatically different playstyles. 

Speaking of builds, earnable loot plays a big role, too. Like AC games, armor found out in the world can have certain bonuses tied to it and not just simple stat buffs. Armor changes Fenyx's appearance, too, which chalks this all up as yet another reason to get out there and explore. 

Players are also free to transfer the cosmetic look of one piece of armor on to another—another little thing Immortals does better than some of its counterparts at times. There's no sticking with one piece of armor with meaningless stats simply because it looks the best, folks. 

From a technical standpoint, Immortals boasts droves of admirable options. Different difficulty settings alter how the game plays, including things like fall damage. And different levels of puzzle assistance exist, too, among other accessibility features. 

   

Speedrunning Tips

The ability to make diverse builds is something that should make Immortals a fun speedrunning experience, both for players or viewers. 

That applies to any-percent runs or otherwise, though a sprint to the finish is bound to be the most common. 

And when it comes to tips upon the game's release, optimization is key. That means pre-planned routing to tackle as many pits as possible early on in a sensible manner. That will permit maxing out things like stamina as much as needed before really getting into the meat of the run. 

While that will address traversal at almost every turn, combat is a little more interesting. Stealth can feel overpowered at times, and the enemy A.I. isn't always the best at detecting when the player has taken down one of their cohorts. That's exploitable in a big way if a player finds themselves stuck in an area where combat must happen. 

But, generally, combat is best avoided, as is always the case with open-world games. So too is memorization of mandatory puzzles. Actually earning the god powers and equipment is pretty streamlined, so there isn't much of a reason to sidetrack off the main story besides the stamina upgrades. Even those, in time, will become less useful as pro runners get their hands on the game and start routing the most official tracks to run. 

Still, these things take time, and given the allure of open-world shenanigans and skill it takes to make a world-best happen, Immortals should not have any problems thriving in this area. 

   

Conclusion

Immortals is a sly release. It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking it's a borderline knockoff or kids-based offering of other games. 

But it's not so simple.

There's a fun experience here in all respects, as a mashup of the best features in games like BoTW and AC, all doused in a stunning Greek mythology romp. Add in the shattering of the fourth wall thanks to some unreliable, hilarious narrators and Immortals manages to set itself apart and never look back. 

While open-world fatigue is certainly a thing right now, Immortals' personality and execution in important ways make it a worthwhile experience, never mind the allure of what the team behind it might do next. 

Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Gareth Bale are among the notable players who are speaking out against the use of their likenesses in the FIFA video game series.

Ibrahimovic took to Twitter on Monday to say he never knowingly agreed to allow FIFA or EA Sports to make money off of his likeness.

Somebody is making profit on my name and face without any agreement all these years.
Time to investigate

— Zlatan Ibrahimović (@Ibra_official) November 23, 2020

Bale, in a response to Ibrahimovic's thread, called for an investigation into how the company is using his likeness as well.

.@Ibra_official Interesting... what is @FIFPro? 🤔 #TimeToInvestigate

— Gareth Bale (@GarethBale11) November 23, 2020

Both players have been part of EA Sports' flagship soccer series for several years. The Athletic reported a "growing" number of players believe their likenesses are being used without "proper consent."

An EA Sports spokesperson sent Bleacher Report the following response: 

“EA SPORTS FIFA is the world’s leading football video game, and to create an authentic experience year after year we work with numerous leagues, teams and individual talent to secure the rights of player likeness to include in our game. One of those is a long-standing relationship with the global representative of professional football players, FIFPro, who partner with a number of licensors to negotiate deals that benefit the players and their unions.”

EA Sports has a licensing deal with FIFPro, the international soccer player's union. The deal runs similarly to how EA retains likeness rights to players in the NFL, NBA and other sports for video games. EA negotiates with the union, which then provides a stipend to players who are in the game.

If a player is not in FIFPro, likeness rights are then held by the player, club or international team. Given the sheer scope of the FIFA game series and the number of federations and leagues around the sport, there are likely numerous separate licensing agreements EA has in place to obtain the likeness of every top player.

EA Sports said Ibrahimovic's rights were obtained through a deal with his club, AC Milan. Bale, who plays for the Premier League's Tottenham Hotspur, is subject to the licensing agreement between EA and the EPL. It does not appear either player has any legal standing to protest his likeness being included.