Video Games

On paper, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity feels like the perfect mashup for a gaming console like the Nintendo Switch.  

Faithfully bringing the world of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild back for a collision with a Dynasty Warriors-styled collection and combat game just makes sense.

The game, developed by Omega Force, is technically the latest installment in an apparent Hyrule Warriors series, but the real focus is its status as a narrative prequel to Breath of the Wild. Controlling Link and a host of other BoTW characters in a hack-and-slash environment is second only to the lore and timeline expansion of one of the best games of this console generation. 

Age of Calamity arrives with some serious hurdles to overcome, though, given the ambitious premise. Whether it does determines whether it slots alongside the greats in what has been an astonishingly good year for the Switch library. 

   

Graphics and Gameplay

Veterans of BoTW will come away stunned with the visuals and overall presentation of Age of Calamity. 

Simply put, this game is BoTW. The same gorgeous visuals that accompanied one of the best games on the Switch and in a legendary series outright are here again. The colorful, cel-shaded style that made the 2017 release a visual treat is on form here, as are the same memorable sound effects and voices. 

Granted, some compromises had to be made as players control multiple characters and work through large battlefields with hundreds and hundreds of enemies falling down upon them. The game hardly looks as good in motion as it does during the superb cutscenes. 

Those cutscenes are the real treat of the experience too. Newcomers who perhaps didn't play BoTW get a helpful push from the narrative to get immersed. And those who already know where the story goes will be happy to hear the cutscenes are splendidly acted and captivating anyway.  

It helps Hyrule is engrossing for new players and seemingly largely the same for BoTW veterans. Logistically speaking, it's a little hard to get a break from the action and figure out how much certain areas have been changed. But it's all faithful, and BoTW veterans will hit the Leonardo DiCaprio pointing meme more than a few times.

That said, each stage doesn't overly lend itself to exploration. There are chests and Koroks to uncover, but the game goes out of its way to give the player's character itemized rewards to use. More often than not, attempts at exploration get met with an invisible wall. 

Oddly, two of the bigger gameplay staples of BoTW are gone—there's no stamina gauge and no weapon degradation. 

While it makes sense in the confines of AoC's structure, it could take Zelda veterans a long time to flip off a wall and bust out the hang glider while expecting the character to start climbing it instead. It's a minor complaint, but the controls feel like they could be a big hurdle for veterans or newcomers. 

Not that the mechanics themselves are overly complex. Players will work through a ton of trash mobs across a variety of different maps. Each character has light and strong attacks, a dodge and some special moves. 

Bigger enemies have a weak-point gauge to whittle down, and breaking it makes them vulnerable to a weak-point attack. Proper dodge usage, just like in BoTW, leaves adversaries open to a flurry attack. 

It's all fun and easy to pick up and play, with veterans likely able to work through the biggest of mobs in a hurry and even without special abilities and new players likely able to do the same. 

Where things get complex (and more fun) is with the implementation of the Sheikah Slate from BoTW. It gives each character access to the following abilities: 

• Remote Bombs
• Stasis
• Cryonis
• Magnesis

Freezing enemies, stonewalling them or even using magnets to manipulate environmental hazards against enemies makes for an interesting level of strategy to what could have otherwise been a mindless slash-and-hack experience. When there are a ton of enemies on screen and the camera won't cooperate it's hard to always get the selection or aim right, but more often than not the system works as billed. 

Besides each character having fun little unique wrinkles to those abilities, each one has a character-specific ability tied to ZR. Link, for example, fires a barrage of arrows. It's another little small thing that helps no two characters play alike, which makes learning all of them and smartly deploying them on the battlefield a fun hurdle. 

The greater challenge that neatly packs this all together becomes apparent within the game's first few levels. It isn't just about assigning tasks to the other playable characters on a specific stage. It's about juggling all three to make sure they're staying alive and completing the tasks. 

Sometimes every character just needs to be babysat at once, which can lead to frustration. Sometimes the A.I. just doesn't appear to be doing all that much. Serviceable might be the best way to describe the companion characters when a player doesn't control them. 

The game also packs in the ability to control the towering Divine Beasts. Fun as it sounds, it's probably for the best these are short, quick romps because it's hard to make out the enemies on the ground. While seeing the KO count climb to eyebrow-raising numbers is fun and it's nice to get a little context to the magnitude of the threat barreling down on Hyrule, the gameplay itself doesn't have the depth of the boots-on-ground majority of the game. 

    

Story and More

The star of the show, for newcomers and veterans alike, is bound to be the narrative weaved here through familiar characters and lore. 

It's downright thrilling to pull the narrative back and get a bird's-eye view of how the world prepared for the coming calamity. It takes place 100 years before BoTW and answers plenty of long-term questions fans might have had as to the formulation of the Champions and Divine Beasts. The entire basis of the game is expanding context and world-building for a 2017 release, and the decision was a superb one as the tale unfolds. 

That gameplay plays a big role in tugging on these narrative threads just makes it all the better. When not on the battlefield, players manage the map of Hyrule and complete activities on it. These merely lead to menu management from the map itself and often nothing more. 

But the idea of funneling resources into shops and areas around Hyrule and helping the kingdom brace for the upcoming threat is an awesome one. Very early on, for example, helping prop up the Hylian Blacksmith Guild unlocks the ability to upgrade weapons. 

There are other side activities that unlock new moves for certain characters and even others that let the player learn new recipes. This is merely turning in collected items from battlefields (and different battlefields have different items), but narratively it feels great and provides a nice pause in the relentless action. 

As the above would hint, there is some nice strategy and forethought that goes into battle prep. Looting during battle means duplicates of weapons, which means either selling off extra or combining them to upgrade attack power and other stats. 

Collected recipes players can cook with looted items before entering a battlefield or scenario provide different sorts of stat bonuses, such as increased health or damage output. It does dial down to niche specifics, too. In theory, getting stuck on one story stage could require going back and replaying a different scenario for a specific loot for a specific recipe to make the current story stage easier. 

Party formulation is another layer of strategy before the war games begin. Given the differing abilities of characters and the wide array of well-trodden places in Hyrule, success in a stage could entirely come down to decisions made before actually setting foot on the battlefield. 

Unfortunately, the biggest problem for Age of Calamity is the performance. Cel-shaded or not and regardless of graphical quality, it seems any current-gen system could chug a bit given the sheer number of enemies the game throws on screen at once. 

And chug it does, with some very noticeable pop-in happening in many of the areas, with something as simple as rocks on the ground materializing as a character runs. The frame rate takes some massive dips too at times, especially when performing a special attack into a group of mobs. 

Is it game-ruining? Hardly. But between frame drops that seem far, far below 30FPS and a rather loose camera with a high sensitivity, losing track of one's bearings can happen semi-regularly, especially early. These technical issues are true in docked or handheld mode, with the latter understandably being harder to discern the action on the smaller screen. 

While the performance is seriously lacking, it's worth praising the game for wrapping it all in a Zelda-friendly, familiar package. Menus are slick and quick, and little quality-of-life items like highlighting map items that are completable are a nice touch. 

There are also some nice tutorials to get players acquainted. On the accessibility front, there are four different difficulty settings that have a blatantly different feel to them, which will help audiences of all ages and skill sets.

   

Speedrunning Tips

Speedrunning Age of Calamity feels like it could be a rather competitive, entertaining scene set to develop. 

There is just enough in the way of build diversity and sets of skills that it could take would-be runners a long time to figure out best combinations and routes, never mind the sheer skill necessary to compete for a world record. 

On launch, some basics for the genre apply. Namely...run. The battlefields are massive and the enemies seem overwhelming, yes, but players are free to sprint past the majority of baddies. That's the idea with a speedrun, especially because the game drops plenty of treasure chests with items needed for recipes and the like from mandatory big bosses throughout stages anyway.

In short, it doesn't ever seem worth it to get too sidetracked into exploration or unnecessary fights. Proper management of the playable characters in attacking two or more objectives at once is a must, but the controls and strategies will become second nature with time. 

When actually in a fight, dodging and using the opening for a flurry rush attack is a must to break through shields and take down the big bads. Using proper counters to speed up encounters (like bombs to break through bosses with high defense traits) is an obvious must. While one character might end up becoming "meta" for runs over the long term, they all seem viable now, though Link will feel like home for most. 

Besides just skirting to objectives, skipping cutscenes and other staples of runs apply, as does sheer memorization of the map and menu systems. Generally, pre-battle recipes should center on damage output, though some exceptions will apply. 

    

Conclusion

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPr1Zc6hNDA

Age of Calamity is a faithful, must-have game for Zelda fans who adore the world, lore and sheer circumstances around Breath of the Wild. The style, performances and developments are key to the universe and done in expert fashion, as expected. 

But as a sometimes-mindless hack-and-slash game, poor performance hurts Age of Calamity in noticeable ways. There are some fun wrinkles in combat unique to the Zelda universe that keep things fresher, indeed. And the uniqueness of each character is praiseworthy, too.  

At best, it's a strong niche title that stands out more thanks to the brilliant Zelda wrapping and a great example of how a spinoff into a slightly different genre can greatly enhance source material. 

The versatile, all-encompassing release of Sony's PlayStation 5 is no better exemplified than two of its heaviest-hitting exclusive launch titles: Demon's Souls and Sackboy: A Big Adventure.  

One, a gritty next-generation remake of an unforgiving, violent classic that started a trend that turned a niche genre into a globe-spanning hit. The other, a jaw-dropping 3D platformer with broad accessibility that oozes creativity. 

Both incredible examples of what the next generation of gaming has to offer right out of the gates. Not just visually, either. Both look amazing, but innovation via the haptic feedback on the DualSense controller and innovation in gameplay and on the technical front thrust both onto must-experience lists. 

    

Demon's Souls

Sony Interactive Entertainment tasked developer Bluepoint with remaking one of the most beloved, niche games in the PlayStation library. 

From Software's original game of the same name released on the PlayStation 3 in 2009 to rave reviews, Demon's Souls had the punishing difficulty and lack of a guiding hand laying the groundwork that eventually led to Dark Souls, Bloodborne and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. 

Veterans of the series can rest assured the remake here is a faithful recreation that largely preserves everything beloved about the original. 

With some truly next-generation presentation, of course. The game is truly a showcase of what the PS5 can accomplish early in its lifecycle, with superb visuals throughout. Candles send flickering light off detailed stone walls, soft steps in puddles send ripples across the surface and monsters come crashing through destructible bits of environment. 

Veterans will feel a sense of wonder in that the visuals and sound effects alone make it feel like they're playing the game again for the first time. There are some design shake-ups with some of the monsters, but the biggest bads are toweringly frightening now and a sight to behold. Gross areas are more squeamish-inducing than ever, and even lip-synching and improved facial detail casts some side NPCs in a refreshing new light. 

Both the soundtrack and voice acting have been redone and now stand at best-in-class status. The heart and soul of it is still there, but an update was both necessary and provides quite a leap. This is especially the case for combat sound effects, with weapon swings thundering off shields or sinking into armor providing notable feedback. 

Something that can fly underrated in the face of upgraded visuals for this remake is perhaps the biggest experience-altering thing for longtime fans of the series—the PlayStation 5's haptic feedback on the new DualSense controller. Each hit of a weapon, rumble of the ground underfoot and roar of a monster seems to come with a different sort of in-hand feedback on the controller, pairing amazingly well with the graphics and sound effects to enable a deeper level of progression than ever. 

Players start the game with droves of styles of play to choose from in a way that just screams replayability and experimentation. A typical knight build is available, but so are magical builds, ranged builds, fleet-footed builds and more, never mind an ability to toy with each skill set. 

That's part of a rather robust character creator with a surprising amount of depth. Want to make a green bald dude? It's possible, so it should be fun, if not a little immersion-altering, to see what players can come up with for their runs. 

True to its past, Demon's Souls doesn't offer much in the way of help or explanation. As such, it'd feel a little spoiler-ish to detail too much. Players can block, parry, dodge and perform light and heavy attacks, plus have the freedom to swap weapons and shields to each hand, dual wield or hold one weapon with two hands. 

It's a player's choice in how to approach the combat, though patience is a must. Every little nook and cranny of the distinct different explorable levels has traps and a variety of enemies littered throughout. Rushing through at any point on a first playthrough is a good way to die fast. 

And that's the beauty of this monstrosity of a game—seasoned veterans might know every trap and enemy location and every bit of enemy behavior. They know what's coming next at every turn. But they will still largely approach everything with the utmost caution because every little encounter can be fatal.

It adds a weight and tension most games spend entire runtimes trying to establish. And working off that, the sense of reward and accomplishment is also nearly unrivaled in gaming. 

The somewhat controversial World Tendency returns and is still an obtuse, not-easy-to-understand mechanic. Player actions frame the world in black or white, which alters the difficulty of each location and how hard enemies hit. The gist of it is still that dying more shifts the tendency blacker, making the game even more difficult. 

For all its advances, inventory management can still feel a little clunky. Bringing up the menus (which doesn't pause the action) permits changing around equipable items and a handful of consumables. But it feels like keeping things restrictive in this way was Bluepoint's way of staying true to the nature of the gameplay.

At the least, a weight system to the inventory means a massive emphasis on strategy before setting off to tackle a level—holding too much reduces running and dodging speed. 

The story itself somewhat sits on the backburner. Boletaria has been overrun with a deadly mist, and it's up to the player to brave it and set things right. They operate out of The Nexus hub area again, a locale crafted before hub areas were rampant in games of all genres. 

The charming multiplayer experience makes a return intact, too. Players can see the ghosts of others tackling the same areas. They can walk to red gashes on the floor and see messages left by other players, which is sometimes helpful, sometimes just hilarious or downright misleading (one early message said "friendlies ahead," yet the "friendly" was a skeleton who shot an explosive barrel and ended the run). 

Co-op is also in, though actually recruiting help or going to help someone else tackle challenges is as convoluted as ever. Invasion multiplayer is also back, though we'll have to see how the playerbase develops alongside it over time. 

As a next-generation game, Demon's Souls launches with the expected litany of technical options. If players pick Performance Mode, it offers 1440p resolution upscaled to 4K. Cinematic mode at native 4K comes at the cost of dropped frames. Experiencing the game at 60FPS is a thrill, though it's understandable if players want the native 4K. 

There are also multiple camera angles to experiment with, as well as graphical filters. And speaking of upgrades on the technical side, loading times are significantly cut down, which is understandably one of the biggest outright upgrades upon what was originally a PS3 release. 

While global hits that arrived later in the series like Dark Souls have advanced things in many ways, it's a testament to the foundation of Demon's Souls that Bluepoint saw fit to change so little about the core experience. It's a great showcase of the early next-gen capabilities and simply a superb launch exclusive for players looking for a highly replayable game, too.

   

Sackboy: A Big Adventure

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

In something of a sign Sony is more than willing to go bold with the PS5 launch, it's Sackboy from the LittleBigPlanet series—not Crash Bandicoot or another more familiar face—leading the charge as the mascot with a solo game. 

Sackboy stands front and center as far as innovative, all-ages titles go for the PS5 with developer Sumo Digital entrusted with bringing a classic platformer to the console's release. 

And before anything else, onlookers will notice the breathtaking arts and crafts theme throughout the cute experience. Backed by the power of a brand-new generation of hardware, crafting and scrapbook items and fantastical monsters and friendlies brought to life have never looked better. Want to play a Pixar movie come to life? This is it. 

Sackboy is a cute Sackperson made of fabric with a zipper, and that's just the beginning as far as the colorful themes go. He traverses a massive handcrafted world that doesn't mind flexing its versatility early on, taking players from snowy environments to jungles and so much more. 

Each area of the game feels unique and memorable, if not a little vague. There aren't wow-worthy landmarks like one might find in a Crash or Mario game per se, but each place is so packed with details that fit the theme that it's hard to complain. 

That theme gets some small hints here and there, like a platform made of toilet paper rolls or various large household items serving as part of the land's makeup. Cutesy-crafted animals sometimes operate on a 2D plane on walls and in the background, reacting to Sackboy's actions and the enemies, while harmful, aren't too dastardly looking, either. 

The soundtrack is properly splendid and upbeat to match the visual cues. Players who listen closely enough will certainly recognize some of the remixed tunes. It's hard to envision the game without a proper soundtrack like this, never mind the rewarding pop of collecting items and some outstanding voiceover work from surrounding characters. 

Rest assured Sackboy takes full advantage of the new haptic feedback too with damage feeling impactful and some smart audio cues from the controller itself helping to keep the good vibes going. Feedback in a snow level with a mini-avalanche, for example, feels markedly different from a more relaxed area. 

To be blunt, gameplay is fantastic. Unlike other platformers, there isn't often a sense of "didn't mean to do that" or "didn't go where intended." Errors in input-to-screen just don't happen often. Sackboy is precise, whether it's jumping, rolling around, punching or wiggling for extra distance after a leap by holding down that jump button. 

And that's especially impressive because to its credit, Sackboy toys with level design and expectations to keep things fresh. The perspective can go from a sidescrolling to uphill and then downhill, for example, in a hurry. There are Crash-styled chase scenes, too. Some levels aren't straight Point A to Point B, either, as they turn the player loose in rather larger areas with fun puzzles that reward the necessary keys to unlock the big door to wrap things up. 

As veterans of this genre can probably imagine, some sections mask big-time difficulty with the cuteness factor. The game gets increasingly more difficult as a player progresses through the world. That's not to say it's impossible for players of all ages, but one can feel when the kiddie gloves come off and it starts to smartly throw all of the prior lessons learned into coherent challenges. 

Besides versatile level design, there are tons of goodies packed into each that encourage exploration. There are side rooms of sorts that present entirely different types of challenges of the minigame variety. 

Otherwise, it's something of a rewarding-feeling collect-a-thon. Sackboy has to reel in score bubbles and collectabells (a smooth, fitting pun for the game world, by the way), as well as dreamer orbs. The bells are a currency used to purchase customization items, while the other two help unlock new parts of the map and story. 

Sackboy's overarching progression will feel familiar. He plops down on a world map and moves between levels with little side activities or shops here and there off to the side of the main path. Progression is tied to collecting the mentioned materials to unlock new parts of the map, so while players shouldn't pull hair out over not finding every little thing, exploration is absolutely encouraged and will make a big difference in the long run. 

The lives mechanic isn't nearly as punishing as it can be in other similar games. Players start with five and losing one results in a big score penalty. Losing them all means starting a level entirely over. Extra lives aren't too hard to come by, though, so it's easy to see why this was the chosen direction. 

A Big Adventure's story won't win major awards: Sackboy hops around Craftverse trying to save his friends who got kidnapped by the big bad Vex. 

The overarching narrative is fun but doesn't seem to take the spotlight a ton. The levels themselves feel like individual stories, and some cute characters Sackboy encounters are expertly written and memorable, completely throwing the bigger narrative on the backburner. 

Make no mistake, players will want to see it through regardless, but whether that's to stop Vex or just experience everything the fun ride has to offer is up for debate. 

Customization is a bigger part of the experience too. Sackboy can be outfitted with all sorts of costume pieces and gadgets that make for some hilarious cutscenes and moments. Players can buy some from a genuinely funny vendor and other pieces of costumes are hidden throughout levels and/or locked behind collection numbers. 

Call it a breath of fresh air in today's gaming environment that merely exploring a gorgeous level or experimenting in a way the game doesn't explicitly tell a player to results in a great-looking cosmetic award.  

For players who really want a challenge, there are also unlockable time trials that are not easy, and it's nice to see where a finishing time ranks on the leaderboards. Add in remixed levels and replayability with a skill gap is another strong checklist-type item the game knocks out of the proverbial park. 

From a technical standpoint, A Big Adventure is just as impressive as Demon's Souls as far as a next-gen showcase goes, just with a dramatically different flavor. It's a visual treat for players of all ages, plus runs smoothly without a hitch in all instances, which is impressive in its own right given the scale and fidelity of the happenings on screen at times.  

    

Conclusion

Continuing a trend from the last console generation, leave it to Sony to wow with a broad range of must-play releases like these.  

Demon's Souls is a marvel of a showcase for the PS5, never mind a tried-and-true fan favorite that stays true to the original in all the right ways. Call it a bar not only for how companies should handle remakes, but a bar for next-generation performance right out of the gates. 

Sackboy: A Big Adventure is a by-the-books platformer with unlimited appeal and a bold design that shouldn't have any problems standing right alongside the console's heaviest hitters for quite some time. 

While some console launches over the course of many generations now haven't had the most impressive opening-day libraries, the unlikely duo of Demon's Souls and Sackboy: A Big Adventure guarantees PS5 owners a pair of classics right out of the gates.

Los Angeles Chargers safety Derwin James defeated NFL great Chad Johnson 42-7 in Madden NFL 21 as part of the "Derwin James vs. The World" weekly series, which features the star defensive back taking on celebrities in the video game. 

James and Johnson played with the Chargers and Bengals, respectively, although teams were a custom mix of old and new NFL stars.

As for the game, Johnson hung around well into the second quarter, as he and James were tied at seven. James only led 14-7 in the third quarter, but he steamrolled Johnson's Bengals the rest of the way thanks to a dominant aerial attack.

James is 8-0 in the series after beating Lil Baby, Quavo, Darius Rucker, Lil Yacthy, Dockery, Anderson .Paak, Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill and now Johnson.

The ex-Florida State star is an accomplished Madden player who won the first-ever Checkdown x Madden Tournament, a single-elimination competition featuring eight NFL players. The safety beat teammate and wideout Keenan Allen, Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson and Hill.

James will now face YouTuber QJB on Wednesday to try to go 9-0.

EA Sports announced several new features that are set to be added to Madden 21's franchise mode via a title update this week. 

The update, which will roll out Nov. 12, will see several minor tweaks that fans have clamored for, along with adjustments to development and X-Factor customization.

🚨 Franchise Updates coming to #Madden21

☑️ Dev Trait Regression Tuning
☑️ Playoff Picture
☑️ Player Card Career Stats
☑️ X-Factor Customization
☑️ Retirement Improvements
☑️ Preview of more Franchise updates to come

Details 👉 https://t.co/zpxpC3lD66

— Madden NFL 25 (@EAMaddenNFL) November 10, 2020

Most of the fan-requested changes are structural but important. You will once again finally be able to see week-by-week statistics and what team a player finished a season with in their player cards. Previously, you were not able to see a player's week-by-week performance without individually going into box scores, leading to many fans abandoning the practice altogether.

The same goes for a new retirement screen in the To Do function of the franchise menu, which gives players a chance to more easily view retirements. In recent years, retirements were essentially buried in a transaction screen, leading to some players becoming frustrated when veteran players seemingly vanished without warning.

An additional welcomed menu feature is the new playoff bracket, which begins popping up in Week 13 of the regular season. The screen shows current playoff scenarios over the season's final five weeks and then remains through the playoffs, allowing players to more easily see game results. Previously, players would have to go through multiple menu options to get to the league schedule in order to see week-to-week results.

The non-cosmetic changes with this update come mostly via X-Factors and development traits. Development traits will now have limits to avoid an oversaturation of desired dev traits as players progress, which could lead to some stars losing their X-Factors later in their careers. 

"Star, Superstar, and Superstar X-Factors will now have desired counts that are treated as the “correct” amount of each Dev Trait in your Franchise (a new League Setting has been added for each Dev Trait to allow Commissioners to decide the right amount for your league experience, and default values match the roster count of Dev Traits that shipped in Madden NFL  21’s Preseason Roster) in the offseason, new logic will run to decide which players are eligible to regress. If there are more players at a specific Dev Trait than the setting says is desired, eligible players will be regressed in priority order until the target is met (in some cases, there may be slightly more than target after regression if no players were found eligible). If you prefer to play in a league where Dev Traits can’t regress, you can also turn OFF Dev Trait Regression in League Settings.

We also tuned the criteria to receive a Breakout Dev Scenario for all positions to prevent an overabundance of high Dev Traits after multiple years (and make sure we’re increasing the Dev on players who truly deserve it)."

Additionally, players will now be able to adjust which X-Factor trait a player has in the coach and owner portions of franchise mode. That feature was previously only available to the player franchise component.

A second update to franchise mode is set for January, with features like personnel logic improvements (e.g. no more Bengals drafting a quarterback despite having Joe Burrow) and several commissioner customization options, including play cool down and repeat limits. 

People who pick up NBA 2K21 with the next-gen console releases this week will also get a special surprise: new songs from the upcoming 2 Chainz album So Help Me God.

2K Sports and the rapper announced the partnership in a press release Monday.

"I’m always looking at new ways to drop new music and connect with my fans. Premiering my music in NBA 2K21 is an incredible, exciting opportunity," 2 Chainz said. "Music and sports go hand in hand—rappers wanna be athletes, and athletes want to be rappers. 2K has grown into a leading music platform, and we wanted to bring the NBA 2K community these hits to ball out to in The City or at the 2K Beach."

Players will be able to hear the new tracks from 12:01 a.m. ET to 11:59 p.m. ET on Thursday, Nov. 12. 2 Chainz's fifth solo album, which features Kanye West and Lil Wayne, releases Friday.

The next-gen version of NBA 2K21 will feature 150 new songs added to the soundtrack from the current-gen release, giving the game a jaw-dropping 350 tracks.

NBA 2K21 is a launch-day release for Xbox Series X (Nov. 10) and Playstation 5 (Nov. 12).

Assassin's Creed Valhalla steps into the tumultuous waters of a console generation transition atop a Viking ship and boldly arrives boasting more series-altering changes wrapped in a jaw-dropping historical setting.  

Valhalla represents only the third time the series has had a gap in releases since it started in 2007, the hope being it's the apex of the revamped series that started with what feels like a trilogy in 2017 with Assassin's Creed Origins. 

The shift more toward action RPG feels fully complete with the removal of traditional side quests, and the setting—AD 873 as Vikings raid England—is a new height for the series. 

While Valhalla is far from a complete next-generation revamp for the series, what it brings to the table in scope certainly makes it feel like it belongs near the top of "best of" lists. 

    

Graphics and Gameplay

It shouldn't come as any great shock to hear Valhalla is the best-looking game in the highly regarded series, plus one of the better-looking games out there, period. Likewise, the epic score is an easy contender for soundtrack of the year and brings it all to life.

Those sort of statements have been standard fare for Assassin's Creed games for a long time now, as the attention to detail for historical settings alone has often made those setpieces and sprawling maps more of a point of anticipation than the stories themselves. 

There is no exception to the rule here—a much-bigger-than-it-seems map is packed to the brim with details, and the game makes sure to take the player to a lot of different-feeling places. Early on it is snow-capped mountains and freezing rivers, and it quickly morphs into misty swamps and beyond. 

Behind the scenes, an impressive day-night cycle shifts the feel of each area as shadows progress and light sources become more emphasized. This gets coupled with dramatically different seasons in different areas. It's impressive while sailing down a river, for instance, to see summery autumn leaves give way to sheets of rain, which progressively turns into hail before the countryside is blanketed in snow. 

From the jump, Valhalla flexes its graphical prowess, dropping players into that snowy environment and turning up visual treats, such as plowing through the snow realistically and misty breath. Those little details are pervasive throughout, whether it's a lived-in feeling to small towns or muddy patches that horses can splash through. 

The presentation isn't without flaws, though. The first kill of the game—the usual training fight—ended with the view of the actual execution impossible to see because the camera zoomed out and was behind a wall. Hair still clips through armor sometimes, and corpses can suddenly flop around like a fish out of water before settling again. 

And non-player characters can create an immersion issue. NPCs are stiff, and some of the bigger battles players can run through feature the same sounds and animations just replaying. One horse-chase mission featured the player's friends and enemies alike just...riding behind him or her for the duration of it. It's almost a suspension-of-disbelief thing at this point when thinking about the power of the hardware vs. the bold things the game tries to accomplish, but it's still notable. 

The game seems to hope big setpiece battles can be a highlight, and at times they are, especially with the number of people on screen. There's even a revive mechanic now to help out downed friendlies. It's a nice thing to have, but most of the time it's just some random person the player doesn't have an attachment to, so it feels like a moot point. 

There's also the inescapable Witcher comparison. More often than not from a presentation standpoint, the game feels like a souped-up Witcher 3. Players who love that series will feel right at home, to say the least. 

Voice acting is very, very good in most instances, too. While the lip-synching is deserving of some flack here and there, it's largely done well, with some surprising performances turned in by what could be thought of as side characters players only interact with once or twice.

To its credit, gameplay largely follows the same musings. There's a finer emphasis on thought in combat now, with players tasked with managing the stamina meter to find success. Sure, the dodge can feel a little overpowered, but doing too much of it means fully depleting the stamina bar. 

Players can replenish the bar with light attacks, but those won't do much to tougher enemies. There are now two bars above an enemy's head, the top representing their stagger and/or ability to block, the lower simply health. Players can choose how to whittle away at those bars, though they'll have to do so while parrying attacks or getting out of the way of unblockable ones.

Keep in mind regenerating health is gone, which is a nice changeup because it adds an emphasis on exploration and meaning to the looting in buildings and out in the wild. Building up a supply of rations through looting means more health refills in battle. 

Special abilities can still feel overpowered, but the counter seems to be that enemies close fast, too, and don't seem to want to give the player the time necessary to charge one. 

While there is plenty of player agency built into the experience—such as working a range-only build with a variety of bows—some of the series-long problems persist. The lock-on system can still feel wonky, the mentioned camera issues can pop up, and other enemies can pop in and do free damage unexpectedly. 

Still, the carnage of battle is probably the best it has felt in the series. Heads and limbs go flying, with bloodspurts galore. Baiting an enemy into a mistake can leave them stunned on their knees, opening up grisly executions. 

It helps that a strong cast of weapons lets players experiment to find what they like best, too. Weapons have interesting strategic tradeoffs. An early two-handed ax might reward the player with stun modifiers for every heavy blow landed. But a one-handed ax means being able to equip a shield in the other, plus a swing-speed modifier for every quick attack landed.

Dual-wielding is in, too. A double-ax build is as fun as it sounds. It might be better off to strap a shield on one arm depending on the situation, or even roll with something like a spear. But it's up to the player, and there is just enough depth in the form of small bonuses that players will spend quite a bit of time messing around with different builds, which gives off an RPG-lite vibe. 

Maybe the biggest problem is something Valhalla can't help—the recent release of Ghost of Tsushima, where combat in these types of games seemed to get revamped and arguably perfected. While there are some changes and it remains fun—if not more weighty than in the past—the new inescapable comparison leaves it largely feeling like more of the same. 

Longtime fans of the series will be happy to hear it's possible to do one-shot kills with the assassin's blade (tip: there's an option buried in the menus to make all of them one-shot kills). It's something players have to earn, but before long, one of the big complaints of the last couple of games disappears. Even so, stealth feels a bit like a secondary option in this game, which makes sense from a narrative standpoint for reasons players will uncover, but it might disappoint some who prefer the style presented by early games in the series. 

Out in the world, the formula for the series is a little exhausting at this point. Raiding, like in the past, is just docking a boat, giving the Viking horn a big blow, hopping off and slaughtering a camp. There are synchronization points at great heights to reach again and traversal challenges to best. 

Traversal—as always for the series—remains spotty. It's clear the engine behind the scenes won't iron out these issues. While it can be incredibly fluid at times, other times, Eivor is just stuck awkwardly hanging from a ledge instead of jumping down to the ground or slinking along an edge instead of climbing up. 

That is a shame, because the beautifully-crafted world has some amazing traversal sequences. Jumping from tightrope to tightrope, then flying down a zipline to stealth assassinate someone before flinging an ax into the skull of another and avoiding a camp alert is a chef's kiss moment the series used to only make possible in cutscenes. 

Somewhat on a traversal front, it is nice that players can get around so quickly. There's fast travel, but being able to hop out of a boat at any time and immediately summon a horse with a finger-whistle actually encourages not hopping around by pulling up the map and finding a fast travel spot—instead, you just work through the world itself. 

It would be selling the Valhalla gameplay experience short to only classify it as more of the same. There are familiar trappings and veterans will feel right at home, but some smart changes make it a fun time. 

   

Story and More

One of the biggest selling points of Valhalla and outright bright spots is how the narrative unfolds around the hero, Eivor.

Thanks to these changes, this feels like arguably the first time the setting doesn't overpower and outshine the characters and story itself. Make no mistake—it is a wonder to sail past some decaying Roman ruins knowing players aren't that far removed from 2018's Assassin's Creed Odyssey.

But starting the game, picking a male, female or mixture of both based on an Animus story beat and then diving in is as engrossing as it gets these days. 

There's the main story with some of its expected things for the series as a fully-realized hero. But there are self-contained narrative beats that play back into the main story. We're talking sprawling, fleshed out storylines with three or more stages with unique characters. These branching storylines have the feel of entirely different seasons of a show within a series or standalone arcs that could be like massive DLC packs, to contextualize the point. 

Narrative-wise, the game has to walk this funny balance that makes for some oddities. The game is far, far back on the series timeline, yet for video game purposes, it can't be without some of the modernizations in Assasin gameplay technically found in the future. 

Eivor just up and does some assassin-y things without much explanation from the story itself if a player doesn't follow the order of missions seemingly expected of them, which is fine for those not thinking too much about it. 

But in time, the narrative works to explain why this Viking raider ransacking an entire country can also be a super-diligent assassin. The narrative really sinks its hooks in a player, though. One early, lengthy quest offers a reward that earned a visceral, celebratory reaction because those mentioned sprawling, offshoot missions heavily play back into the main narrative.

Perhaps biggest of all, traditional sidequests are thankfully gone, which removes some of the overwhelming checklist feel the prior two games had. 

Organic stories unfold throughout the world, only deepening the immersion and desire to get out and see what's out there. One early discoverable event is coming across some children playing as Vikings about to go on a raid. Eivor can join them on that "raid," showing off his or her skills and helping the children discover the loot in a burned-out building they've converted into a plaything. There isn't some massive reward for completing it, but it's fun—and there's a twist at the end. 

It's these little offshoots throughout the world that help it feel lived-in. Past games in the series have had issues with the setting itself just dominating the experience but otherwise feeling a little empty. Not here, as none of these get logged in a checklist. Players have to find them, and the variety is splendid, bordering on intimidating once it dawns on a player just how big the world is and how many there are.

It's also nice that all of these actions in the world, whether it be simple exploration or raiding, feed into resources the player can use to build up the encampment. Like regenerating health helping the justification for looting, it feels like the series has finally found a way to make everything symbiotic. 

Building up the camp is rewarding in itself, too. Besides going from a huddle of tents to a sprawling, realizing community from a visual standpoint, each crafted building offers some sort of benefit to the player. Early on, strategically choosing what to build up can have a dramatic impact on how the game plays and what is available. 

Dots on the map represent different discoverable activities (white are artifacts, gold are side activities and blue are story-ish events). Players can breeze past them and power through the main story, but, as hinted, there are worthwhile rewards for getting sidetracked. 

This might end up being pretty controversial, but the overpowered eagle vision is gone. Eivor has a bird companion named Synin, yes, but the way-too-video-gamey ability to pop into the bird's mind, mark every enemy with wallhacks and then get in there and sneak around is gone. Synin will still scout and help a player locate things, but Eivor has to actually get in there to do the dirty work again. 

It's also worth pointing out there is so much less meaningless loot, wearables and weapons. The series started to trend toward a Destiny-lite direction gear-wise, drowning the player in meaningless items. That's tapered off a ton. That plays back into the importance of side quests or puzzles that reward weapons and armor. 

Also out in the world are a swatch of strong side activities mostly found in encampments. A drinking minigame is absolutely hilarious and a good test of timing-based skill. The dice game seems thin at first, but the depth of the strategy there begins to emerge as a player works through more rounds. Even fishing, while simple, offers a relaxing side activity that flexes some of the world's eye candy and offers rewards. 

And it's nice that the wordplay minigame actually has meaningful consequences on the rest of the game, as earning charisma skill points through it can unlock dialogue options that can alter how meaningful story beats play out. 

Choices aren't just a gimmick in this game, either. Diving too much into it would delve into spoiler territory. Some dialogue options clearly are just there to present a choice and won't much impact what Eivor says. But deciding fates of characters has massive ramifications on how the game plays out. 

For those curious, the future-oriented storyline with Layla Hassan is in as well. It doesn't come up often nor overstays its welcome, but Ubisoft seems to know the power of this release rests on the happenings in the Animus, not outside of it. 

Also returning is the sprawling constellation-styled skill trees with three different colored offshoots. They all eventually intersect, and the skill points seem to flow endlessly while playing, which is good because there are a mind-boggling number of different constellations to unlock. Players, especially early, have to specialize in bonuses to stealth, melee ability or range, and within those specializations are bonuses to certain armor sets and new abilities (think, chain assassinations in the stealth constellations). Skill trees are able to be reset, which is a huge plus. 

Progressing in those skill trees means upping Eivor's power level. Past entries in this three-game arc from Ubisoft took rightful criticism for level-gating areas. Now there is merely a "recommended power" to certain areas, and it truthfully is a bit of an afterthought unless a player tries to challenge a power-gated boss while free-roaming. 

While on the topic of bosses, the Order of the Ancients is back. It's almost a game-within-a-game at this point. Seeking out clues to the identities of potential targets is a blast, and it's incredibly rewarding to identify them, read about them and then take them down. 

Customization is a big point, too. Players can uncover droves of tattoo designs and apply them. Armor types have differing looks, and weapons even cosmetically change upon upgrades. Players can also alter the looks of ships in interesting ways. 

The game also features a robust set of options again. There's a score of accessibility features, as well as the removal of presentation items like gore. Also included are differing difficulty settings for individual things like stealth and exploration, something that would be nice to see many other games adopt.

There are also a ton of little items tucked into the experience, like a photo mode for those who want to embrace their inner sightseer. There's also a rather large microtransactions store, which features everything from ship and tattoo cosmetics to purchasable passes that will reveal things on the map or give the players loads of resources. It's sure to be controversial, but the optional stuff is there.

    

Speedrunning Tips

Assassin's Creed always makes for an interesting speedrunning time because of the sheer number of ways a runner can get through the historical sprint. 

There are some staples, of course. Skipping through cutscenes and dialogue is a big point of emphasis for a good run, regardless of an any-percent run or even a (very brave) 100 percent run. 

Specific to Valhalla, it's likely best to lean heavily into the melee tree. Emphasizing stealth when awarded skill points won't make a ton of sense for the most part because it's got a niche usage—slowing down to take enemies out quietly goes against the heart of a speedrun. And while the ranged skill tree has some usage, speedrun gameplay dictates getting up close and personal will be best. 

Within that tree, making a point to quickly unlock the stomp to finish staggered enemies is a must, as is the ability to swap dual-wielded weapons. Since attacks are dictated by which weapon is in what hand, swapping them with the press of a button means more adaptability for different situations and enemies without pausing the game to get into the inventory. 

Granted, players will be running past most combat during a speedrun. Even the bigger setpieces, when they don't ask the player to eliminate all enemies, can largely be completed by letting allies do the dirty work. 

On an exploration slant, it should be limited to a few synchronization points at key spots on the map to guarantee fast travel, which is preferable at all times. Depending on what one prefers, tackling a tough location for a favorite weapon or armor early in a run could make some sense, but most other exploration isn't necessary. 

That's because skill points tend to flow easily and players shouldn't need a ton of resources to spend time building up the camp. Memorization of what to emphasize and when, and where to go, will play a part in runs as well 

None of this is too surprising given the similarities to past games. But what should make it a blast for runner and viewer alike is the setting change. 

       

Conclusion

Valhalla feels like a fitting potential end to the current ancient history trilogy that started mixing up the Assassin's Creed formula in interesting ways. 

To Ubisoft's credit, feedback from the prior two games clearly played a part in this release, with combat notably improved and some of the more cumbersome RPG-isms stripped away or refined. 

Make no mistake, this is still an Assassin's Creed game. But the beauty of it is the potential for hundreds of hours unique to each player. Stealth-minded players, explorers, loot-seekers and players who just want a Vikings simulator all have plenty to enjoy here. 

Where Valhalla really deserves praise is its gripping narrative that quietly keeps a player engaged and the reimagining of how sidequests work, which manages to make the amazing setting even more engrossing.

Expectations will dictate whether players think of Valhalla as a truly next-generation game. But it straddles the generational line incredibly well, squeezing the most out of the older machines while smartly embracing series advancements in the world and storytelling areas that are sure to be the groundwork for something even better sooner than later. 

Sony's PlayStation 5 is a major upgrade from the PlayStation 4, and it's noticeable across the board in its design and functionality. 

The PS4 is widely regarded as one of the best consoles in gaming history, if not the best, because of its phenomenal library of games and features. The PS5 builds upon the PS4 with a far more intuitive design to ensure gamers aren't being distracted by loud fans or long loading times. The PS5 is blazing fast in every facet. The console can power on and load a game from a fresh reboot in a matter of seconds.

Most importantly, the PS5 boasts the greatest lineup of launch games in PlayStation and arguably gaming history. Astro's Playroom is a joy to play and is already pre-installed on the PS5. Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales is easily one of the best launch games in history and is a wise choice to lead the way for the next generation. Led by Spider-Man: Miles Morales, the PS5 doesn't just usher in this next generation of gaming, it kicks the door down.

One of the coolest aspects of PS5 is how customizable the console is. The standard white covers make the console look futuristic, but the introduction of the Midnight Black, Cosmic Red, Nova Pink, Starlight Blue and Galactic Purple covers bring a completely new dimension to the console's appearance. 

The Midnight Black and Cosmic Red covers, for example, pop in different ways. The Midnight Black plates are sleek and will surely blend in with most people's decor or entertainment centers, while the Cosmic Red covers are vibrant and demand attention. For each of these colors, there's also a DualSense to match. Different color variations for controllers aren't new to the industry, but the ability to match controllers with console covers is brilliant. 

Arguably the best part is just how easy the covers are to switch off and on, which can easily be done in less than one minute. Not only will this allow people to switch colors based on mood or changing decor, but also allows gamers to dream of specialized plates for specific games or anniversaries instead of having to purchase special edition consoles. 

The possibilities are endless, but the standard white and additional colors for the PS5 covers are each a sight to behold. The PS5 is easily one of the smartest-designed consoles in history. 

       

Astro's Playroom and the DualSense Controller

Astro's Playroom is a great choice for a launch title, and that it's actually included out of the box with the PS5 is a spectacular decision. Astro is an adorable character and an excellent choice to be Sony's potential mascot. Making Astro's Playroom a pack-in title to ensure people recognize Astro out of the box makes sense from that perspective, but especially because the game itself is so enjoyable.

Astro's Playroom is far more than just a tech demo to showcase the new DualSense controller and its features. The game certainly does that in grand fashion as expected because the enhancements are felt as soon as the game starts. The new and improved vibration for the DualSense is more intense and sets it apart from Sony's previous controllers. The face buttons and haptic triggers legitimately feel better than the DualShock 4, which to many gamers is the best feeling PlayStation controller ever.

The face buttons feel like they pop out just a tad bit more and L1/R1 are bigger, which feels a lot better than the DualShock 4's thinner triggers because it doesn't feel like you're about to press L2/R2 as easily. The DualSense's "options" button also pops out more compared to the DualShock 4's button, which makes a big difference when having to press that button because it's less likely to also hit the touchpad with it.

The speaker in the controller sounds great, especially in levels featuring wind or ice as it adds a nice extra touch from the TV speakers. The microphone allows for the player to blow into it like a pinwheel, and it will be interesting to see if developers decide to line into that for future games or decide that most gamers would prefer it not be a default option. We've heard for months now about the triggers being able to express the feeling of drawing a bow or having a gun jam, but it's going to be extremely exciting to see how developers find ways to make their games feel even more immersive thanks to the awesome features of the DualSense. 

Astro's Playroom is more than just a great showcase for the DualSense; it's legitimately a great platformer that is packed with a lot of secrets and Easter eggs. It shouldn't be overlooked as just a demo and is something fans of platformers, and especially Playstation, should experience. Aside from sections demanding the touchpad, the rest of the gameplay is extremely tight and responsive. The graphics are stunning and vibrant on a 4K TV, with a fun mix of environments to showcase different lighting and shadows.

Astro's Playroom is an important release so more gamers can experience Astro as a character beyond Astro Bot Rescue Mission on PSVR. Astro has now stared in two extremely fun releases and deserves to star in another game. 

A controller is so essential to gaming experiences, and the DualSense truly pushes the PS5 as next-gen. In such a short period of time, it's easy to say that the DualSense is one of the very best feeling and immersive controllers in gaming. 

      

Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHzuHo80U2M

Spider-Man: Miles Morales is one of the best launch games in history and the perfect way to jump-start PS5.

Fans of Marvel's Spider-Man on PS4 are in for a treat as Miles Morales is an incredible followup release. The game itself is a technical masterpiece, and it's impressive the game is releasing just two years later. Everything that made Spider-Man one of the best games on PS4 returns in grand fashion in Miles Morales. This is an exhilarating spectacle from beginning to end.

The lack of loading, seamless transition from cutscenes to gameplay, audio design and graphical fidelity are all absolutely stunning. It's a combination that allows gamers to become immersed in the experience and a perfect way to showcase PS5. In the original game, it was easy to be discouraged from using fast travel too much because of the load times (and it was so fun to swing around NYC), but because load times are essentially non-existent here, it makes more sense to use fast travel. The PS5's ability to all but eliminate load times is one of its biggest selling points, and it's noticed immediately when playing Miles Morales.

Like its predecessor, Miles Morales boasts one of the best introductions to a game. The core mechanics are explained in such a fun, mesmerizing and action-packed way. For those who haven't played Spider-Man since it released in 2018, web-swinging through New York City as Miles Morales will feel right at home. It's a testament to Insomniac Games just how well they nailed Spider-Man's movement in 2018 that swinging feels so natural even after being away for two years.

The gameplay remains a standout and is still one of the best designed combat systems. The core mechanics are still a blast to experience, such as shooting web at enemies and swinging them around, sticking them to walls or kicking them off the side of buildings. Gamers returning from 2018 will definitely have muscle memory because the combat system is intuitive and damn-near flawless.

The finishers are some of the most satisfying cinematic attacks in gaming, with sound effects that truly enhance the impact of connecting the hit. The fluidity of the combat system itself is still the most jaw-dropping aspect. Being able to swing around a combat arena, jump off walls or between an enemies legs is such a joy to experience. And like any good sequel, the skills added will likely have fans missing them when returning to Peter's game. For example, there's additions to the stealth combat that, while can't be abused, will definitely have fans yearning for when replaying Spider-Man PS4.

Stealth is just one of the improvements, though, as Insomniac Games managed to find engrossing ways to enhance the gameplay and allow for fun chain attacks to increase the combo meter. It's only natural to wonder how they'll be able to top themselves for Peter's next game.

Although the core mechanics carry over from Spider-Man PS4 to Miles Morales, so did the same minor hiccups in movement and camera angles. For example, there's still the possibility of swinging into the side of a building when trying to turn a corner if not positioned correctly, not launching at the right point or the camera repositioning to an awkward angle during some fights. Granted, some of these instances are either rare or on the user since the movement and combat systems are so dynamic, but they haven't been eliminated. Otherwise the gameplay is still fulfilling the dream so many gamers envision when they think about controlling Spider-Man.

Perhaps most importantly for this game, Miles is instantly an engaging character from the start. For fans who may only have experience with Morales through Spider-Man PS4 or the movie Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, this game will truly help people feel connected to such a wonderful character.

One of the best things about Peter Parker is how he has layers (smart, funny, flawed, etc.) and is such a relatable character. Insomniac Games does a great job of making sure Miles follows in those footsteps. Peter is known for his quips, and Miles does the same while also sporting relatable lines and inner thoughts. One of the standouts for dialogue is when Miles talks to himself about Peter as he attempts to follow in his path to defend New York.

Spider-Man PS4 was probably more emotional of a story than fans envisioned. Insomniac Games once again taps into that same emotion with Miles Morales to kick-start the next-gen with an incredible story to join its fantastic gameplay. It's not the easiest of tasks to make people care about Miles as much as they do Peter, given that Peter has been in the spotlight for decades, but Insomniac Games pulls it off. This is an excellent story to bring such a beloved comic book hero to life in gaming.

There's a lot of depth to Miles, but a big difference in this game compared to the last is that Miles is more like the Spider-Man most people know and love, who is still trying to figure out how to be Spider-Man. The inherent nature of Miles being more naive and starting out his journey works very well for the story but also the gameplay mechanics and upgrade systems.

Collectables, like in the previous game, help to flesh out Miles as a character and learn more about his past and relationships.

Some of them require some creative thinking to obtain but are worth the time investment to obtain. Like in Spider-Man PS4, it's enjoyable that they're not just littered on the map from the start and are staggered throughout the story. This helps keep the pacing of the game intact, even if gamers decide to go on a binge between story missions. The same applies to upgrading skills, gadgets and suits, which are tied to certain missions and/or obtaining enough activity tokens.

The tokens are earned through completing missions and side activities around NYC, with some including specific bonus objectives to earn more tokens.

Spider-Man PS4 was already the best model of New York City in gaming, but the added elements of winter and Christmas are incredible. This isn't just slapping on a coat of paint to NYC; there are details throughout the entire city to make sure it feels unique from 2018. There's dynamic weather, with snow you can see sticking to Spider-Man's suit. There's authentic-looking snow across the streets and trees, Christmas lights on windows, plus icicles and frozen water.

Civilians populate NYC as one would expect them to be if visiting during the holidays. They're dressed to the occasion, some with the holiday spirit and others gathering in Times Square for festivities. Pedestrians walk with umbrellas when it's snowing, and they're of course dressed accordingly for winter. It's extremely impressive and helps set this game apart from 2018, since Insomniac Games could've easily placed this directly after Spider-Man PS4 to save themselves the effort, but the details here should not be overlooked.

It's only natural to think about the sequel to Spider-Man PS4 taking place across different times of the year now that two variations of NYC have been constructed.

The sound design is authentic, from common noises in NYC to sirens to Miles' webs. It all sounds as it should, whether through the TV speakers or a headset. People in NYC react differently to Miles than they do Peter, with some even questioning the authenticity of Miles as Spider-Man. The fact that there's so many different dialogue options and sequences makes it even more impressive of a game because there are so many details packed in. The same applies to all of the different suits Miles can unlock and how people interact with him.

The voice acting is fantastic throughout the game, especially from lead actor Nadji Jeter as Miles. It's easily one of the best voice-acting performances of the year. The rest of the voice acting is great too, especially Miles' confidants and J. Jonah Jameson being a highlight despite his anti-Spider-Man propaganda.

Everything just feels as it should when playing Miles Morales. The DualShock 4 is an incredibly comfortable controller, but the DualSense is a natural progression. It is slightly bigger but still extremely comfortable to use for a combat-heavy game like Miles Morales. The new L1/R1 triggers being wider are more helpful for combat sequences, and the improved vibration kicks in at the right times to enhance the story experience.

Spider-Man: Miles Morales is simply a phenomenal game and a must-play for fans of Spider-Man, whether that be the video game or the characters themselves. Miles is an awesome character, and his journey is reminiscent of Peter's journey when he was learning what it meant to be Spider-Man. Even if this was to be somebody's first experience with a Spider-Man game or the characters, it's an extremely satisfying experience because the gameplay, graphics and technical achievement of Miles Morales are outstanding.

          

Conclusion

The PS5 is a must-own for any gamer. It carries over the historic lineage of PS4 while looking ahead to the future to push the medium forward as the total package. The console itself is brilliantly designed to ensure it says silent and cool while also being incredibly fast to operate. It's an extremely intuitive system, and it's exciting to think about how Sony and developers will think of ways to enhance the experience.

The DualSense controller is expertly designed with features that will allow games to be even more immersive than they already are. It is a step up from the DualShock 4 and easy to understand out of the box why this is next-gen. 

The DualSense, Astro's Playroom and Spider-Man: Miles Morales truly showcase next-gen and are highlights for the most exciting time to be a gamer.

Xbox Series X is easily the best Xbox console.  

The Series X is one of the most convenient consoles created, in large part because of its blazing speeds in various important categories, such as load times and download speeds. The Series X powers on in seconds, and games load from a fresh reboot in a handful of seconds as well (depending on the game). The load times are significantly reduced compared to the Xbox One X. Many games now take seconds to load when they used to take minutes to load from a fresh reboot. The same is said for loading within a game, such as attempting to fast travel in an open-world game.

Forza Horizon 4, for example, was able to load from a fresh reboot in less than one minute. Going to a different location, like Lego Valley to Fortune Island, loads in roughly 15 seconds; same for traveling back. Changing cars takes roughly two seconds. It's shockingly fast and could even bring more activity to the game despite being released two years ago because it's so much quicker to load in for a race or two before jumping to a different game.

The UI for the Series X is quick and snappy, regardless if navigating the storefront, rewards app or Game Pass app. The Quick Resume feature is easy to overlook or even scoff at before realizing its potential for oneself. It's another great feature that allows gamers to stay entrenched in their games instead of navigating different menus. The ability to jump between games without having to find a save point or completely close out of a game just makes things easier for gamers, and there will likely be a time in the future when people look back and wonder how we gamed for decades without it.

The Xbox Series X comes with 1TB of storage space, which is great storage for a console out of the box, especially since this is a SSD instead of HDD. However, game sizes continue to balloon and are commanding an extraordinary amount of storage space. Xbox has done an incredible job providing gamers with additional content updates after launch to first-party games like Gears of War 5, the Forza Horizon series and soon Halo Infinite, which means these games, in addition to multiplayer staples like Call of Duty, NBA 2K and Grand Theft Auto Online, are going to fill storage space extremely quickly.

In order to maximize storage space, Xbox has unleashed cloud gaming for specific titles on console for Xbox Game Pass Pass Ultimate subscribers in 2021. However, gamers who aren't subscribed to the service or aren't as comfortable streaming games with the cloud should look into the official storage expansion card from Seagate. This expansion card is available in three options to increase storage by 512GB, 1TB or 2TB.

The card is plug-and-play, so it's extremely easy to install and use right out of the box. The console has a port for the expansion card near the ethernet port on the back of the console and the card can only be inserted one way to ensure there won't be any issues. The card is very tiny and doesn't extend past the base of the HDMI cable to ensure it won't bump against anything or get loose. It's the ideal size to make sure it will work as intended and being behind the console upholds the integrity of the smooth finish on the front of the Series X. It's also important to note that in the console's settings, there's an option to have games installed by default to the expansion card instead of the console.

The expansion card is perfect for gamers who don't want to worry about storage space. Most importantly, it lets gamers continue to experience the advantages of the Series X, such as Quick Resume and faster load times thanks to the speed of the SSD compared to just using a standard external hard drive. It can become annoying having to constantly delete and reinstall games or even choosing which games to uninstall, so potentially having at least double the storage size is always going to be a welcomed option.

Like the Xbox One X before it, the Xbox Series X is silent when powered on. There's no distracting fan noise or anything else to be heard from the console itself. The vents at the top with an improved fan make sure the console has enough airflow to project the heat outward. Whether placed vertically or horizontally, it's smartly designed and continues the impressive lineage that Xbox One X started.

Of course, what matters most for a console isn't the design or convenient features, but the games. It's interesting and refreshing that Xbox, a brand that has been mostly known for racing and shooting games, boasts two titles that aren't in those categories. Strategy games Yakuza: Like a Dragon and Gears Tactics are more than deserving of headlining the launch lineup for the Xbox Series X.

         

Yakuza: Like a Dragon

Yakuza: Like a Dragon is a must-play, and not just for fans of the Yakuza series or RPGs. Like a Dragon is up there with the best RPGs released in recent years, rivaling the likes of Persona 5 and Dragon Quest XI.

Switching to the turn-based gameplay with this spinoff was a brilliant decision because it fits perfectly into the Yakuza universe and makes it more accessible to more gamers. The turn-based gameplay allows people not to feel as much pressure from the intense gameplay from the usual Yakuza series. Plus, the job system is easy to use and allows for so many different skills and flashy designs, whether it be the character models or maneuvers themselves.

The high-end solo and tag team maneuvers are simply a sight to behold and need to be experienced because they're so over-the-top and fun. They're vibrant, and the extreme details are impressive, especially when taking into consideration that specific animations needed to be created for each move depending on the specific encounter. The turn-based gameplay, different jobs, gear upgrades and leveling system are addicting. Encounters feel fair, but if fans want to grind levels, they can do so in dungeons or battle arenas, which is also a great chance to test out different jobs for each character and experiment with different party setups.

Running on the Series X, loading is so quick that there's a chance players won't be able to read the tips between loading screens. The cutscenes transition to gameplay smoothly, look excellent and the lip-syncing flows great for the English audio. As expected for a Yakuza game, there's a ton packed in beyond the core combat and story, such as a host of fun mini-games. Inspired by Mario Kart, Dragon Kart stands out as a top-tier activity and probably could've been its own spinoff release because it's such a great pairing.

Like a Dragon's story is up there with the best of recent years.

This is a dark, twisted, emotional and chaotic story filled with twists and revelations that are simply impossible to predict. However, the game also provides tons of exciting, funny, heartfelt and uplifting moments to balance the experience. It's over-the-top in the best RPG way and will keep players enthralled the entire game. The story and writing is so good because of the layers it unfolds in each chapter and provides perspective for each character and their actions. The adage that there's two sides to every story is a common theme throughout the game, whether it be in the main story or its many substories.

The character models look fantastic, but the voice acting stands out too, as every character in the main story is acted so wonderfully. Ichiban Kasuga is one of the best characters in gaming this year, with the ability to make somebody feel every type of emotion throughout the story. Kasuga and his co-stars are among the most fully realized and explored characters in gaming this year and are critical to enhancing the wild story. The villains are sadistic and hateable, but the reasons for their actions are also well-explained throughout the expertly paced story. Kasuga and the rest of the characters will have gamers invested in the world, their actions, their future and desperate to know what happens next.

     

Gears Tactics and the New Series X Controller

There's always a concern when tactics-style games move from PC to console because mouse and keyboard is generally the preferred control scheme. However, Gears Tactics plays and controls better than anticipated with a standard controller.

The new Xbox Series X controller feels excellent compared to the original One X controller, which felt too light and slippery. The added grips on the handles of the Series X controller is the most noticeable improvement. This is closer to the Elite Series 2 controller than it is the original One X controller. The Elite Series 2 has more weight, which definitely makes it feel like a high-end product when holding, but the Series X controller has comfortable weight too. The only things gamers might be missing in the Series X controller compared to the Elite Series 2 controller are the back paddles and the ability to toggle how far down LT/RT triggers go.

The improved joysticks and D-Pad are much more comfortable for thumbs to rest on because they don't have the same glossy finish as the original Xbox One controller. Overall, everything about the Series X controller is more comfortable than the original One X controller. The Impulse Triggers are a great enhancement to the gaming experience, so it's awesome that it returns with the Series X controller. This is all important for playing a game like Gears Tactics since it's not a typical release for Gears.

Considering it is a spinoff, Gears Tactics does a great job of easing the player into the turn-based tactics style while ensuring it makes sense for a Gears game. The control scheme may feel overwhelming for players if they don't have much experience in this genre, but the controls are extremely intuitive.

It's easy to navigate the action menus with the D-Pad, which feels precise thanks to the newly designed Series X D-Pad. Using the joysticks to navigate the camera and field of vision is quick and snappy, so players don't experience any type of lag or lull when analyzing the field and strategizing moves. Of course, there's a host of accessibility options available so players can fine-tune their experience, which includes the sensitivity and speed of different cameras and commands.

There's a lot of decisions to consider within your team's limited number of actions, such as character placement, reloading (requires an action) and several different skills. This is essential for a tactics game because it ensures the action is exciting and strategic when there's so much to think about during each turn. Perhaps the most fun is the Overwatch command, which allows players to oversee a specific area of the battlefield and fire at the enemy when they enter the vicinity. Thankfully, switching characters with LB/RB is instantaneous and choosing actions or using shortcuts are extremely fast.

Each button on the controller is clearly defined and easy to remember, so it will quickly feel second nature. Any concerns about potentially fighting with the standard controller scheme versus a mouse and keyboard setup is relieved because it's mapped out so well by default. It wouldn't be a surprise if many gamers decide never to bother plugging in their mouse and keyboard because it controls so well by default.

Everything fans know and love about the Gears franchise are present, such as mutilating enemies with the chainsaw and over-the-top gore when executing downed enemies. One aspect that stands out for a tactics game in this universe is the dialogue between characters because it truly fits Gears' military world as your characters call out enemies and strategies. It definitely feels like an invasion is taking place thanks to the genre's core gameplay, and so it's a fitting spinoff for the usual third-person shooter.

Gears 5 and Gears Tactics are both stunning, graphical powerhouses. Both games boast characters who are among the most lifelike models in gaming. The Gears games are arguably the best-looking in the Xbox portfolio and the series now looks even better thanks to enhanced lighting and shadows. Vibrant colors pop off the TV screen by comparison and appear to have smoother textures that make it seem like a painting or photograph. There's a realistic glare off mirrors when moving near them, plus eye-popping laser flares from robots or cleaner-looking sparks from the Lancer's chainsaw.

Gears Tactics is a smart way to keep Gears at the forefront with quicker releases while making sure gamers don't feel oversaturated with the same style of game. It's always great to see such beloved franchises take risks by expanding their universes with different types of genres. The Halo Wars franchise was crafted well for a console release, and Gears Tactics continues that lineage for Xbox.

      

Conclusion

Overall, the Series X feels like the natural next step for the Xbox ecosystem.

It shouldn't be overlooked or understated just how impressive the work is that the team at Xbox has been doing with backward compatibility and Smart Delivery. Xbox is leading the way in game preservation by ensuring access to thousands of games across four different console generations. More than just being able to play the games, the effort taken to ensure they'll run better than ever before is astounding. The Series X will breathe new life into previously released titles, and the team at Xbox deserves major credit for providing assurance that game libraries will continue to be a priority.

Game preservation and backward compatibility enhancements have dominated headlines following Halo Infinite's delay, but Yakuza: Like a Dragon and Gears Tactics are two heavy hitters for their respective genres. Both titles deserve to be at the top of the list of featured games for the Xbox Series X.

The Xbox Series X provides convenience unlike any previous Xbox console before. It is an excellent choice for anybody looking to upgrade their current console or wanting to dive into the Xbox ecosystem.

EA Sports has renewed its deals with the NHL and UFC to continue producing video games for the respective leagues.

Brian Jennings, the NHL's chief brand officer and senior executive vice president, commented on Thursday's news:

"EA SPORTS NHL continues to introduce new fans to the sport through its realistic and entertaining approach to the game. The past eight months illustrates how EA is a critical extension to real-world sports, as fans turned to EA SPORTS NHL to play and watch hockey while we temporarily paused during the pandemic. Our shared approach for competitive gaming has enabled the League to create a touchpoint to younger fans who may experience the NHL for the first time through EA SPORTS NHL. Sustained connection that enhances fandom is what EA delivers and we look forward to continuing the incredible partnership."

Tracey Bleczinski, UFC's senior vice president of global consumer products, said EA Sports "has become a natural extension of UFC’s brand and an important way to engage with our fans."

Bleczinski added: "We've just launched our most successful game to date and EA keeps proving there's room to grow and introduce new fans to the sport. We're going to keep pushing the boundaries together and make incredible games that UFC fans love to play."

EA Sports has produced an annual NHL offering since NHL Hockey ahead of the 1991-92 season.

NHL '94 is widely considered one of the greatest sports video games of all time, and EA capitalized on that nostalgia when it rolled out NHL '94 Rewind as part of NHL 21's release. The mode allows gamers to turn back the clock to the days of Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo with current rosters.

NHL 94 Rewind in action 👀

Tag a friend who's never gonna be able to beat you 1v1 🎮 😂 pic.twitter.com/wUoP4neo0D

— EA SPORTS NHL (@EASPORTSNHL) October 2, 2020

EA's history with UFC isn't as extensive, thanks in part to the promotion only becoming more mainstream in the mid-2000s.

UFC made its video game debut with THQ's UFC 2009 Undisputed. That series continued through 2012 before EA Sports purchased the licensing rights. EA Sports UFC hit shelves in 2014. EA Sports UFC 4 was released in August, with Jorge Masvidal and Israel Adesanya sharing the cover.

Baseball fans who purchase the new Assassin's Creed video game may notice a familiar swing from one of the Viking characters.

Los Angeles Dodgers star—and newly crowned World Series champion—Cody Bellinger has been digitally rendered into the latest chapter of the popular video game series, Assassin's Creed Valhalla.

Catch real life baseball MVP, @Cody_Bellinger , in Assassins Creed Valhalla as Otta Sluggasson a Dane with a knack for hitting rocks very, very far.

— Assassin's Creed (@assassinscreed) November 4, 2020

Bellinger tweeted the news Wednesday. The center fielder apparently worked with game designers at Ubisoft earlier this year, with the production company using motion capture tools to record Bellinger's swing.

He'll portray the character Otta Sluggasson—and as the name suggests, Bellinger's knack for hitting will come in handy.

Bellinger slashed .239/.333/.455 with 12 home runs and 30 RBI in 2020. He won the National League MVP Award in 2019 when he hit 47 homers with 115 RBI and slashed .305/.406/.629. Gamers will want to keep that power in mind when the volume is released November 10.