Ever since it came to Switch at the tail end of last summer, Vampire Survivors has been my plane game. Sure, other run-based indies like Balatro and Dead Cells, all-encompassing triple-A titles like Tears of the Kingdom and Super Mario Bros. Wonder, and retro compilations like Sonic Origins and TMNT: The Cowabunga Collection, have shared that title, but I always know that when I need to pass time on a flight, no game does so as effectively as Vampire Survivors. Logically, I know that each run will last, at most, 30 minutes, but for some reason, it never feels that way. And because of that, I look down for what feels like 20 minutes, and when I look up, 2 hours have passed.

I travel a lot, so I play Vampire Survivors fairly regularly. Still, each time I turn on the game, developer Poncle has snuck more into it. New characters, new maps, new ways to customize your experience – I'm continually surprised and delighted by additional features and content the developer has added in the time since I fired up the game. Sure, Poncle puts out free updates on a regular basis, sometimes even as surprises, as was the case last week, but these paid pieces of DLC – each of which cost $2.50 or less – are the tentpole content releases. The latest, Operation Guns, crosses over with Konami's legendary Contra IP in both expected and unexpected ways to deliver the same Vampire Survivors fun we've known with a distinct Contra flavor.

Operation Guns adds a significant amount of Contra content to Vampire Survivors. On top of 11 new characters, 11 base weapons, and 11 weapon evolutions, Operation Guns brings an enormous Contra-themed map called Neo Galuga, which progresses almost in lockstep with how the original Contra (and its recent remake, Operation Galuga) advances. You start out blasting, slashing, zapping, whipping, and otherwise annihilating humans and robots, but as you go further into the map, more sinister threats show that this isn't just some standard Earth-based war. Alien eggs, structures, and enemies slowly join the fray, as do an increased number of robotic adversaries. Just like what happens in the original, the alien and cyborg presence eventually takes over the war, giving Poncle plenty of room to play with the Contra license.

Before I knew it, I went from blasting away foot soldiers to enemies on jetbikes to waves of flying Metal Aliens and snake cyborgs. I loved repeating the same process of leveling up my character and their weapons, but with myriad fun discoverables scattered throughout the Neo Galuga map. Along the way, I uncovered some fun Contra-themed power-ups – like homing missiles – that allowed me to further combat the alien horde.

However, the biggest surprise came near the end of my first successful run on Neo Galuga, as a ticker appeared on the bottom of the screen, telling me that something big was happening in a specific corner of the map. I only had a few minutes to get there, and with denser waves of enemies impeding my path, I was worried I wouldn't get there in time. However, once I did, I was greeted by one of the coolest things I've seen Poncle do with Vampire Survivors. I won't spoil it beyond saying it's a unique encounter that pays homage to an iconic fight with one of the Contra series' recurring enemies. 

Though I've only done a few runs, I'm steadily unlocking new characters and weapons. Most of the new content is clear about how to unlock the next character, which is helpful in unlocking additional weapons. You unlock Bill within the Neo Galuga map, then unlock Lance by evolving Bill's Long Gun, and so on. It's all in service of giving the player a clear route to experiencing all the content that Operation Guns has to offer with as minimal friction as possible. Add on top the Bonus Stage, and the Operation Guns DLC is well worth checking out for all fans of Vampire Survivors, regardless of your Contra fandom.

The wildest part about all of this, as I always tout, is the sheer value of Vampire Survivors. Though the game is often on sale, it never really needs to be; even if you buy the game and all its DLC at full price, you're spending less than $15. It runs well on Switch, which is where I play it, but it's also verified for Steam Deck, hammering home that this is the ultimate plane game. Though Poncle continues to release free updates a year and a half after its initial Steam release, these major tentpole releases excite me for the future of Vampire Survivors.

Will the future hold more crossover content? We've already received collaborations with Among Us and Contra, but words could not describe how excited I'd be for crossovers with even more prominent properties like Final Fantasy or Resident Evil; imagine slashing your way through hordes of fiends in Zanarkand as Lightning before a boss battle against Sephiroth, or exploring Raccoon City as Chris Redfield, taking down low-level zombies before a Nemesis spawns on the map. The Operation Guns DLC even has my imagination running wild with some less obvious crossovers like Street Fighter; so many of those characters have such iconic moves. Starting off with Ryu throwing a Hadoken before evolving it all the way up to a Shinku Hadoken would be a natural progression that could be applied to several of the series' characters. And since Vampire Survivors includes music and remixes from the Contra series, that makes these crossover ideas even more enticing.

This article isn't about speculation or creating a wishlist, though. But that’s what Vampire Survivors' latest DLC inspires. It shows that Poncle is more than capable of giving these IPs the care they deserve while staying true to the Vampire Survivors formula that made me fall in love with the game in the first place. Vampire Survivors: Operation Guns DLC is out now on all platforms aside from PlayStation (that version arrives later this summer when the main game comes to the platform) and costs just $2.50.

For more on why Vampire Survivors is well worth your time, check out our review of the base game right here.

It's once again just about time for a new Pokémon Trading Card Game expansion to hit store shelves. Continuing the Scarlet & Violet series is Twilight Masquerade, a set that focuses on the Teal Mask DLC of the Pokémon Scarlet and Violet video games. Because of that, players can expect locations, characters, and Pokémon from Kitakami, the folklore-rich area from the first part of the Hidden Treasure of Area Zero storyline.

As such, new Pokémon like Bloodmoon Ursaluna, Fezandipiti, Okidogi, Munkidori, and Sinistcha are all featured in Twilight Masquerade. However, the most common new Pokémon I encountered during my opening of several booster packs sent over by The Pokémon Company was Ogerpon; I pulled several different versions of the grass-type Legendary Pokémon from The Teal Mask. 

Pokémon Trading Card Game: Scarlet & Violet – Twilight Masquerade adds 226 cards, including 14 new Pokémon ex cards, more than 30 Trainer cards, and dozens of special-illustration cards. I'll always love Gen I the most, so I was happy to add new cards featuring favorites like Alakazam, Zapdos, Ninetales, and Eevee, but my absolute favorites are the special illustration versions of Applin, Sunflora, and Infernape. I also adore the Hearthflame Mask Ogerpon ex card that I was lucky enough to grab.

You can check out my favorite cards I pulled from booster packs below.

 

 Pokémon Trading Card Game: Scarlet & Violet – Twilight Masquerade is available on May 24. For more on the long-running Pokémon Trading Card Game, including other galleries from past expansions, head to our Pokémon TCG hub at the banner below!

The success of Marvel Snap rolls on, as does the seasonal structure of the free-to-play, deck-building card-battler from Second Dinner. Recent seasons have been themed after corners of the Marvel Universe, like Avengers vs. X-Men or Thunderbolts, but this season leans a bit more into the Marvel Multiverse with Blink and the Exiles. This season, titled "A Blink in Time," introduces five new characters, two new locations, and more.

The new characters joining the game in A Blink in Time are as follows:

• Blink (5 Cost, 7 Power)
  • On reveal, swap the last card you played with a higher-cost card from your deck.
• Nocturne (3 Cost, 5 Power)
  • You can move this once. When this moves, replace its location with a random new one.
• Sage (3 Cost, 0 Power)
  • On reveal, +2 power for each different power among all other cards here.
• Namora (5 Cost, 6 Power)
  • On reveal, give +5 power to each of your cards alone at another location.
• Sasquatch (6 Cost, 10 Power)
  • Costs 1 less for each card you played last turn.

 

On top of those all-new characters joining Marvel Snap collections, there are two new locations: Panoptichron, where cards that didn't start in your deck get +2 power, and Cancun, where power at that location doesn't count toward winning the game. New albums featuring Dan Hipp and Rian Gonzales also further incentivize Variant collections by rewarding items themed after Werewolf By Night, Silk, and Iron Lad. Finally, we know the dates of the Series 5 releases of this season. Baron Zemo and Nocturne get their Series 5 release on May 7, Sage arrives on May 14, Namora on May 21, and Sasquatch on May 28.

Marvel Snap's May season, A Blink in Time, kicks off today. For more on Marvel Snap, check out Charles Harte's opinion piece from when the game originally arrived on mobile devices.

When Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope – then simply known as Star Wars – hit theaters in 1977, it changed cinema. The grand scale, eye-popping visuals, and relatable cast of characters made it an instant classic and established the IP as one of the biggest of its time. However, it was its sequel, 1980’s The Empire Strikes Back, that demonstrated that not only was creator George Lucas’ magnum opus more than a one-off fluke, but he had established a universe ripe for expansion. Read more...

The late legend Kobe Bryant has served as the cover star for NBA 2K24 and, for many, a strong incentive to reach the top Collector Level in the game's MyTeam mode. As the NBA playoffs' first round wraps up, many fans are more disappointed than excited with the most recent NBA 2K title, as developer Visual Concepts has pulled back on a promise made prior to launch. 

In the lead-up to the game's release date, the NBA 2K24 developer Visual Concepts released a blog post running down the features of its card-collection mode, MyTeam. In that blog post, the developer laid out several features and rewards for the then-upcoming title. It took special care to devote a section to an upcoming Collector Level reward, Kobe Bryant. 

In that post, the developer highlights just how crucial Collector Level rewards are to the overall MyTeam experience. "Collector level rewards have always been important in MyTEAM, and last year the rewards came as surprises with a hidden end goal," the blog post from prior to launch stated. "So let's look forward a few months and reveal that Kobe Bryant will be the top reward in the Collector Level, and this reward will be available in April, during Season 6."

First reported by The Washington Post's Herb Scribner, with further reporting done by Forbes' Paul Tassi, NBA 2K24 has changed its top Collector Level reward to not include Kobe Bryant. Instead, players can now choose from two previously released 100-overall cards. However, according to multiple community members, the most recent 100-overall card, Yao Ming, is not an option for players to choose from.

Centering a Collector Level reward around such an iconic and beloved player likely encouraged many to grind (or spend) to achieve the top Collector Level and obtain the reward. Many players have taken to social media and the NBA 2K Community Discord server to voice their displeasure. As of this writing, neither the official NBA 2K nor NBA 2K MyTeam account has posted anything regarding the situation, and the "developer-supported and community-run" NBA 2K Subreddit contains zero posts about the missing reward. However, the MyTeam Subreddit has multiple player-posted threads regarding the problem.

The only community-facing comment from the NBA 2K team that I have found was posted on the official NBA 2K Community Discord. That comment matches the comment provided to me by a 2K spokesperson when I requested comment from the publisher. You can read the entire statement provided by a 2K spokesperson below.

2K strives to deliver the very best NBA 2K24 MyTEAM experience to the community. Please note that a change to a reward has occurred. Players who achieve a top Collector Level will now receive an Option Pack for two picks out of ten previously released 100 OVR Cards. We appreciate that players have dedicated time and effort throughout the year to achieve this reward and 2K is committed to ensuring players continue to earn valuable content as their reward.

I followed up requesting additional information on why the change was made, but the spokesperson declined to comment further. Some online speculation has posited that licensing issues are to blame, but there is no confirmation or evidence to support that theory outside of 2K's unwillingness to comment further at this time.

NBA 2K24 arrived on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC on September 8, 2023. While the gameplay is one of the stronger elements of the title, among our reviewer's chief complaints involved the increasingly intrusive microtransactions that permeate multiple long-term modes within the game. This controversy surrounding one of the most monetized modes does little to refute that criticism. You can read our full review here.

The Batman: Arkham series redefined the superhero genre and changed the course of action games in the decade following Arkham Asylum's release. While four mainline entries – Asylum, City, Origins, and Knight – delivered similar gameplay, a smaller spin-off game, 2016's Batman: Arkham VR, let players step into the shoes of the Caped Crusader using their PlayStation VR, Oculus Rift, or HTC Vive headset. Batman: Arkham VR felt more like a tech demo than a fully fleshed-out game, but its relatively high sales showed that the appetite was there. Today, Oculus Studios announced another VR title set in the Batman: Arkham universe titled Batman: Arkham Shadow.

Though Rocksteady Studios, the developer of Asylum, City, and Knight, was behind Batman: Arkham VR, the developer that most recently released Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League does not appear to be involved with Batman: Arkham Shadow. Instead, Camouflaj, the studio behind République and Iron Man VR, is in charge of Batman: Arkham Shadow. 

Details are scarce, but Camouflaj founder and studio head Ryan Payton penned a letter on behalf of the team, which is posted on the studio's website. "From the start, Batman: Arkham Shadow is being crafted to be the ultimate VR game and take full advantage of the Meta Quest 3," the letter said. "Leaning into our eight years of dedicated VR game development history has enabled us to not only create a distinctly Arkham-feeling game but done in a way that leverages the immersive magic only VR can provide."

"Batman: Arkham Shadow is the largest Camouflaj development project to date and marks our second release as a first party member of Oculus Studios, following 2022's critically-acclaimed release of Marvel's Iron Man VR for Quest 2," the letter later said.

When combined with the key art, the teaser trailer seems to hint at The Ratcatcher being the main villain in this title. Check out the very brief teaser video below.

We can expect a full reveal at Summer Game Fest 2024's livestream, set for June 7 at 2 p.m. PT. Batman: Arkham Shadow is coming exclusively to Meta Quest 3 later this year.

Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Atlus
Release: June 14, 2024
Rating: Mature

The 2021 release of Shin Megami Tensei V received a solid response from fans and critics. The Switch-exclusive title garnered an 8.25 out of 10 from Game Informer and an 84 out of 100 score on reviews aggregate site Metacritic. With Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance, Atlus hopes to take the well-liked entry to even greater heights; not only is this new version of the well-liked RPG making the leap to additional platforms, but it's bringing with it new locations, new demons, various quality-of-life improvements, and an entirely brand new storyline. I recently had the chance to meet with Sega to spend two hours with SMT V: Vengeance to see how this definitive edition of the game is shaping up.

In Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance, you can take two completely separate paths, each lasting around 80 hours and containing different endings. The Canon of Creation is the storyline from the original game, while the Canon of Vengeance is a completely new path found exclusively in this new version of SMT V. In the Canon of Vengeance, you meet a new character named Yoko Hiromine, a mysterious girl with the power to fight demons. She can join your party, filling one of the slots typically reserved for demons.

My hands-on demo consists of two hours of gameplay. The first hour takes place in the school area and Bethel Japan. My first task is to search for Ichiro in the Diet Building. After finding him and meeting Yoko, the party touches the terminal to return to Tokyo. They're greeted by Archangel Abdiel, who is unhappy with Aogami and the protagonist's progress, but before Abdiel can exact his wrath, Tao, the Saint of Bethel's Japanese branch, steps in to save them. After talking to the party and Bethel Japan's director, Koshimizu, I lead the protagonist back to his dorm to prepare for the next day.

As the next day starts, I head to school, where Yoko Hiromine is introduced as a transfer student for the protagonist's class. She later reveals it's because she knows they'll be working together, so she figured it would make sense to become a student in his class. As I head outside of the classroom, I witness Sahori Itsukishima being bullied. During the confrontation, she hears a voice asking her if she wants power. Miyazu helps Sahori, but she worries about the nature of Sahori's injuries. Later on the rooftop of the dorm, Tao tells the protagonist that she wants to stop the bullying, but Yoko overhears the conversation and tells Tao that if she really wants to stop the bullies and help Sahori, she'll have to kill the bullies. It's a stark reminder that Shin Megami Tensei is not afraid to take dark turns in the story.

My first hour ends with Na'amah appearing in the train station and turning people to sand to collect Magatsuhi. This challenging battle requires you to overcome various status ailments, the least of which is not Charm, which debilitated my team on multiple occasions. It goes to show that despite being more playable by a larger number of players thanks to its increased number of platforms, Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance isn't pulling its punches when it comes to the difficulty the vanilla version delivered.

After that battle, I move to the final part of my demo. The protagonist meets up with Tao at a temple in Shinjuku, an entirely new location for SMT V: Vengeance. After being transported to Da'at Shinjuku, Tao and Yoko join the party. Tao is best used as a healer, but she also brings light damage to the table. Meanwhile, Yoko is multifaceted in her offense, delivering fire, electric, and dark abilities. Because of that, Yoko very much comes in handy, as so much of the strategy of SMT's combat is built around exploiting weaknesses. 

As I enter Da'at Shinjuku, an Angel greets the party, but rather than welcoming them with open arms, they're viewed as intruders. Much of the storyline of this area is figuring out why the party is being treated as a group of hostiles, but also working to figure out how to get past the alerted Cherubim and Angels so you can reach your goals. I won't spoil much here, but two characters from the vanilla version of SMT V appear with a plan, but it also seems extremely likely that the two have ulterior motives.

I spend the rest of my hour exploring the area, taking part in battles. On a couple of occasions, I am defeated in battle, requiring me to start at my last save. The fights are extremely engaging, requiring me to take into account status ailments, elemental weaknesses, and turn orders, but even with all the information handy (and a save file that seems loaded with recovery items), it's still a challenging experience.

After an hour of exploring this new area, I relinquish the controller. I started playing the original Shin Megami Tensei V when it arrived on Switch in 2021, but I didn't have a chance to push past the first several hours. With Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance promising new platforms, improved performance on all platforms (aside from Switch), and a ton of new content, it feels like the perfect time for me to jump back into the world of SMT V with this new version. 

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance arrives on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC on June 14. For our thoughts on the original Shin Megami Tensei V, head to our review here.

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Reviewed on: PlayStation 5
Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Publisher: GameMill Entertainment
Developer: Cradle Games, Raw Thrills
Release: April 23, 2024
Rating: Everyone 10+

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were synonymous with gaming in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, largely thanks to their influence over arcade brawlers. Games like 1989’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (also known as ’89 Arcade) and 1991’s Turtles in Time are time-honored classics that shaped the side-scrolling beat-‘em-up genre, and 2022’s Shredder’s Revenge demonstrated that the style is still viable in the modern landscape. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Arcade: Wrath of the Mutants clearly takes inspiration from those beloved games, but it falls spectacularly short of those acclaimed titles.

Originally released to arcades in 2017, Wrath of the Mutants takes a similar approach to gameplay as the original TMNT arcade games: You choose from Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, and Raphael, each with distinct moves, as you slash and brawl through stages full of baddies. Based on the 2012 Nickelodeon cartoon, Wrath of the Mutants includes a ton of enemies for the Turtles to beat up in various locales; this home port adds three all-new stages and six new bosses. Unfortunately, no amount of Easter eggs and fanservice can compensate for its uninteresting gameplay.

Though the core concept is the same as the most beloved entries in the series, I never felt anything more than listlessness as I fought through the six extremely linear stages on offer. Each Turtle brandishes their signature weapon and a unique Turtle Power that clears the screen of enemies. These moves should feel empowering, but instead, they throw the action to a halt while a drawn-out animation plays; Leo spins to form a tornado that sucks up all the minions, while Raph drums on the ground, sending enemies flying.

 

But it all feels so routine as you fight through waves of the exact same enemies in tedious stages that require no strategy – you just go right and spam the attack button. You can also pick up power-ups that cause your character to spin on their shell or summon side characters to dispatch enemies, but with the base combat so uninteresting, I only enjoyed deploying these frequent special moves because they provided a quicker path through the long levels.

Brawling the seemingly endless screens of Foot and Krang minions found in each stage wouldn’t be so bad if the signature arcade unfairness wasn’t ever-present. TMNT Arcade: Wrath of the Mutants isn’t a tough game by any measure, but there are moments where you simply cannot avoid being hit. At nearly every phase, enemies attack you from off-screen, where you can’t see or reach them, and they frustratingly won’t stop attacking you nor come into view unless you go to the other side of the screen. Additionally, enemy projectiles are deadly accurate, and with the Turtles’ sluggish movement and no way to effectively dodge, you’re all but guaranteed to take hits.

These enemies don’t do a ton of damage, but it’s often death by a thousand papercuts, and since each hit briefly stuns you, your combos are constantly getting interrupted. The bosses, who often just repeat the same attacks over and over, are trials of patience rather than engaging challenges. These boss encounters typically bring slight variations on the same move sets, causing them to all play out similarly. Even the final fight against Shredder does little to differentiate itself; he just lumbers around the screen while you wail on him with little strategy required other than jumping when the game tells you to jump – another repeated convention in nearly every boss battle.

Stage elements meant to break up the monotony serve as more frustration than diversity of experience. Trains speed past, Krang’s Android body shoots electricity at you, and explosive barrels litter the levels, but they add so little. In one instance, where a giant eyeball continually blasts lasers at you while you fight waves of enemies, your character is too slow to avoid getting zapped unless you’re just standing around waiting for it to broadcast where it’s firing. I should be excited to see these new challenges and twists emerge, but I met most of them with a shrug and others with annoyance.

Though seeing the 2012 animated series get some attention in 2024 is fun, the presentation also disappoints. The visuals are nothing special, and I’m not a fan of some of the character designs of this era, but they fit the show's look well enough. It’s the audio that most irritates, as the Turtles obnoxiously scream the entire time and enemies repeatedly spout the same lines while generic action-oriented music loops in the background. After the first few levels, I was relieved to crank the volume down and listen to something else instead.

Beating the entire game takes less than two hours, but it still somehow manages to drag. You can return to the game’s six stages to try and get higher scores, but I had zero interest in doing so. The arcade games of yesteryear sometimes lacked depth, but they at least had a hook that stuck with you and kept you itching to return to pump more quarters into the cabinet. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Arcade: Wrath of the Mutants strives for the greatness of the influential arcade hits of the past but falls well short. Thanks to uninteresting and annoying gameplay, repetitive enemy and boss encounters, and grating audio design, Wrath of the Mutants is little more than a shell of the series’ glory years.

Score: 5.5

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The Jackbox Party Packs have always allowed for adult-themed responses, but it was never solicited or directly encouraged by the games themselves. For those who have wanted a more mature experience, Jackbox Games is finally granting you your wish, as it has announced Jackbox Naughty Pack, a new release of three games that promises spicy prompts and dirty fun later this year.

We don't know what kinds of games will be included, but Jackbox Games teases "spicy surprises and maybe even some familiar faces." Does that tease a new, mature-themed You Don't Know Jack? Will we get dirtier iterations on some classic Jackbox titles? Or will these be all new games that just so happen to include some favorite characters from past games? Unfortunately, for now, Jackbox Games is being tight-lipped with the contents of Jackbox Naughty Pack.

However, the studio did release a teaser trailer, which you can view right here. Jackbox Naughty Pack will arrive sometime this year, and Jackbox Games promises more details this summer.

Are you excited for a spicier take on Jackbox Party Pack? Do you and the people you play Jackbox games with typically go mature-themed with your answers, or are you more of a family-friendly Jackbox gamer? Let us know what you hope from Jackbox Naughty Pack in the comments below!

Reviewed on: PlayStation 5
Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Publisher: 2K Games
Developer: Hangar 13
Release: April 26, 2024
Rating: Everyone

In the heyday of the tennis-sim video game genre, Top Spin and Virtua Tennis were the best players in the crowded space. However, in the time since the genre’s boom settled, the offerings have fallen off considerably, with both franchises going more than a decade without a new release. TopSpin 2K25 signals the reemergence of the critically acclaimed series, and though it’s been a while since it stepped on the court, it’s evident the franchise hasn’t lost its stroke.

TopSpin 2K25 faithfully recreates the high-speed chess game of real-world tennis. Positioning, spin, timing, and angles are critical to your success. For those unfamiliar with those fundamental tennis tenets, 2K25 does a superb job of onboarding players with TopSpin Academy, which covers everything from where you should stand to how to play different styles. Even as someone who played years of tennis in both real life and video games, I enjoyed going through the more advanced lessons to refamiliarize myself with the various strategies at play.

Once on the court, you learn how crucial those tactics are. The margin of error is extremely thin, as the difference between a winner down the baseline and a shot into the net is often a split-second on the new timing meter. This meter ensures you release the stroke button timed with when the ball is in the ideal striking position relative to your player. Mastering this is pivotal, as it not only improves your shot accuracy but also your power.

TopSpin 2K25 is at its best when you’re in sustained rallies against an evenly-matched opponent. Getting off a strong serve to immediately put your opponent on the defensive, then trying to capitalize on their poor positioning as they struggle to claw back into the point effectively captures the thrill of the real-world game. I also love how distinct each play style feels in action; an offensive baseline player like Serena Williams presents different challenges than a serve-and-volleyer like John McEnroe.

You can hone your skills in one-off exhibition matches, but I spent most of my time in TopSpin 2K25 in MyCareer. Here, you create your player, with whom you’ll train and climb the ranks. As you complete challenges and win matches, you raise your status, which opens new features like upgradeable coaches, equippable skills, and purchasable homes to alleviate the stamina drain from travel. Managing your stamina by sometimes resting is essential to sustain high-level play; pushing yourself too hard can even cause your player to suffer injuries that sideline you for months.

I loved most of my time in MyCareer, but some design decisions ruined the immersion. For example, I ignored portions of the career goals necessary to rank up my player for hours, so while I was in the top 10 global rankings, I was unable to participate in a Grand Slam because I was still at a lower status than my ranking would typically confer. And since repetition is the path to mastery, it’s counterintuitive that repeated training minigames award fewer benefits, particularly since the mode as a whole is a repetitive loop of training, special events, and tournaments. Additionally, MyCareer shines a light on the shallow pool of licensed players on offer. Most of my matches were against created characters, even hours deep. 2K has promised free licensed pros in the post-launch phase, but for now, the game is missing multiple top players.

 

I’m pleasantly surprised by how unintrusive the use of VC is. In the NBA 2K series, VC, which can be earned slowly or bought using real money, is used to directly improve your player. In TopSpin 2K25, it’s used primarily for side upgrades, like leveling up your coach, relocating your home, earning XP boosts, resetting your attribute distribution, or purchasing cosmetics. Though I’m still not a fan of microtransactions affecting a single-player mode – particularly since it’s almost certainly why you need to be online to play MyCareer – it’s much more palatable than its NBA contemporary.

If you’d rather play against real opponents, you can show off your skills (and your created character) in multiple online modes. World Tour pits your created player against others across the globe in various tournaments and leaderboard challenges, while 2K Tour leverages the roster of licensed players with daily challenges to take on. Outside of minor connection hiccups, I had an enjoyable time tackling the challenges presented by other players online. However, World Tour’s structure means that despite the game’s best efforts, mismatches occur; it’s no fun to play against a created character multiple levels higher than you. Thankfully, these mismatches were the outlier in my experience.

TopSpin 2K25 aptly brings the beloved franchise back to center court, showing that not only does the series still have legs, but so does the sim-tennis genre as a whole. Though its modes are somewhat repetitive and it’s missing several high-profile pros at launch, TopSpin 2K25 serves up a compelling package for tennis fans.

Score: 8

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Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Massive Entertainment
Release: August 30, 2024

In Star Wars Outlaws, protagonists Kay Vess and Nix must navigate the criminal underworld by interacting with the various crime syndicates thriving in this period between the events of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Kay's standing with these syndicates is primarily represented by the Reputation System, an ambitious mechanic that tracks her relationship with these criminal organizations. In the recently released story trailer, we hear the names of three of the syndicates present in Star Wars Outlaws: the Hutt Cartel, the Pyke Syndicate, and Crimson Dawn. During our trip to Massive Entertainment, I was able to learn more about the fourth syndicate with which Kay will have to balance her reputation: the Ashiga Clan. 

Massive created the Ashiga Clan in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games, just like other original elements like Kay, Nix, their ship, the Trailblazer, and the new moon, Toshara. "Every week, we have several calls with them where we share what we'd like to do, the intentions, and they challenge us; we do a back and forth like that over several weeks to be able to get the shape language right, to get the lore right, to make sure it becomes part of Star Wars canon," creative director Julian Gerighty says. "The Ashiga Clan is part of Star Wars canon now. Toshara is part of Star Wars canon now. And that's super gratifying when you help design a creature that's as lovable and fierce as Nix and it becomes part of one of the most storied IPs in the world."

An Ashiga hive

The Ashiga Clan, which has a large presence on Kijimi (a planet most famous for its role in The Rise of Skywalker), finds itself at a crossroads as it pushes to expand beyond Kijimi. "They have a long tradition and certain events in the recent history put them at a fork in the road where there are different ways they could go forward, and they're not necessarily in agreement with what the best path forward is," associate narrative director John Björling says.

It operates as a hive of the Melitto species (first introduced in The Force Awakens with Sarco Plank) with an emphasis on function and survival. "You have these insectoid, humanoid, kind of very ant-like species and it's taking that principle of, 'What would a crime syndicate that is essentially operating like an anthill – what is that like?' Björling says. "It's a syndicate with a long tradition, they have a strong hierarchy, and there's a lot about putting the hive before yourself. I think those aspects make it stand out as a unique kind of crime syndicate."

To learn more about how you'll be interacting with the Ashiga Clan and its leader, Ashiga, head to our feature about how the Reputation System within the game works. Star Wars Outlaws comes to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on August 30. Be sure to visit our exclusive coverage hub through the banner below.

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Platform: PlayStation 5
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Developer: ShiftUp
Release: April 26, 2024

After a long absence, the Super Monkey Ball series returned in 2019 and 2021 with remasters and remakes of previous games, but it's been over a decade since fans received an all-new Super Monkey Ball title. That changes in June, as Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble is poised to deliver the continuation longtime players pine for. But with some recent mixed results, massive changes in game design best practices in the time since the series' heyday, and likely a whole lot of cobwebs to shake off for developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, I was skeptical about the viability of a new Super Monkey Ball in 2024. Thankfully, after spending an hour playing Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble, those fears have subsided almost entirely.

Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble brings a ton of content and changes to the series while still remaining definitively Monkey Ball. Banana Rumble apes its freshest new move from Sega's flagship franchise, Sonic the Hedgehog. In previous Super Monkey Ball games, you could jump, but that ability is replaced by a Spin Dash, a technique in Sonic's moveset since Sonic the Hedgehog 2 in 1992. At first, I was unsure of this change, but as soon as I got my hands on it through the tutorial, all my concerns were dashed away.

The Spin Dash fits incredibly well into the Super Monkey Ball formula, giving you a better flow through the levels but also letting you peel out and blast off ramps and lips to find shortcuts. During my hands-on session, my most thrilling moments came when I lined up and blasted through a level using the Spin Dash. It's useful for cutting corners in the stages, but it's essential for hitting the missions each level gives you, particularly when combined with the refreshed physics that make the series feel better than ever.

As you play through the 200 all-new levels in Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble's Adventure mode, you can simply make it your goal to reach the end of the stage. However, if you want to be a completionist, each level has three side missions: One for collecting a set number of bananas, one for grabbing the Golden Banana, and one for completing the stage in a set amount of time. You don't have to get all of them in one go, but I still strived to do so during my demo. It quickly became apparent that I could complete the banana-centric missions during a normal playthrough of the level, I'd have to get crafty to finish some of the levels under the time target. That's where the Spin Dash and creative thinking come into play.

On one level, I waited for a moving platform to lift up, giving me enough airtime if I Spin Dashed into it at the right time to send me flying over the other platforms and into the goal. On another, I had to drop down at just the right point in the stage to skip huge swaths of the level and reach the goal faster, harkening back to games like Super Mario 64 in the best possible way. I loved tackling these head-scratching stages, and having only played through the first two worlds, I can't wait to see how the challenges escalate in the levels still to come. If you end up stuck on any level, you can turn on various assist options, including ghosts that show you optimal routes and checkpoints that let you continue the level if you fall off the platforms. As you complete these worlds, you earn trophies to display on your island, as well as in-game currency to purchase cosmetics in the shop.

Outside of Adventure mode, I had a chance to participate in the Battle modes, which allow for up to 16 players online or 2 players locally. Since the game isn't out yet, I play against 15 bots, which will be an option in the final game if you want to fill out with up to 16 total competitors mixed in with your actual players.

The Battle modes give me a lot of hope for the multiplayer aspect of Banana Rumble. Whether it's the Mario Kart-style Race game, the collectathon Banana Hunt, or the fun risk/reward game of Goal Rush, where you players roll down a hill at high speeds to try and go through the highest scoring goals to contribute to your team's total, Banana Rumble delivers a diverse array of experiences within this suite. However, my two favorites are Ba-Boom, which is basically a game of tag where you need to pass off a bomb before the timer reaches zero and eliminates those with bombs, and Robot Smash, where you use momentum and the Spin Dash to blast into robots in the arena and rack up points for your team. I can't wait to actually get into these modes with real-world players, as they feel like they hold a surprising amount of depth for side modes.

And that was my main takeaway from my time with Banana Rumble in general: I came away impressed by how the game feels like far more than surface delights and lighthearted fun. The puzzle-solving fan inside of me can't wait to figure out the best paths through the various Adventure mode levels, while the party-game lover is itching to play more rounds of the Battle mode titles. 

I had an absolute blast during my time with Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble, and what I played was just a sampling of the content that awaits players. Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble arrives exclusively on Switch on June 25.

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Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Massive Entertainment
Release: August 30, 2024

The June 2023 reveal of Star Wars Outlaws gave us our first glimpse of Kay Vess and Nix, the two protagonists of the game. From talking with Massive Entertainment during our recent trip out to Sweden to get our hands on Star Wars Outlaws, it sounds as though their bond will be special. However, they aren't on this journey alone, as they are joined by a trenchcoat-wearing BX-commando droid named ND-5. Though Kay and Nix were greater points of emphasis during our studio visit, we had to ask the developers about the internet-popular droid that joins the Star Wars Outlaws adventure.

ND-5 joins Kay Vess in her trip around the Outer Rim and beyond, but he has a long history in the Star Wars galaxy prior to meeting up with Kay. "He is a BX-commando droid – a veteran of the Clone Wars – and he works as an enforcer droid for a character named Jaylen," associate narrative director John Björling says. "ND-5 is there to make sure that Kay follows through with the heist job, but together, they're going to face some big challenges and really get to know one another."

The job that Björling refers to is referenced in the latest story trailer (see below). At the start of her adventure, Kay crosses Sliro, the leader of the Zerek Besh criminal syndicate, resulting in him putting a bounty on her head. Jaylen Vrax and ND-5 drop in on Kay to offer her a path forward. The only way she sees out of it is to pull off the ultimate heist to earn her freedom.

Since Kay meets ND-5 early on, he plays a crucial role in the story, as well as Kay's mission to pull off this heist. Because he has experience in the Clone Wars and the criminal underworld, he's a valuable asset to her. "He comes from the Clone Wars and he is wearing a lot of emotional kind of baggage from that," Björling says. "He's an enforcer droid and he's seen a lot and he has a lot of experience in the underworld. Matching him up with Kay, it feels like the perfect kind of combination because she's new to that world; she doesn't know the key syndicates and the major players, but ND-5 is there to guide her and support her as they are moving towards the mark."

The reveal of ND-5 inspired a lot of excitement, with much social media attention put on his design. "First of all, I was very excited to see the fans' reactions to ND-5's design; it was really great to have all these reactions, and I think it really added to his character," associate art director Marthe Jonkers says with a smile. "For his design, we really had a similar approach as we did to all the other characters in really trying to show his background story in his look. So, of course, he's a BX-commando droid. He was made by separatists during the Clone Wars. He's been through a lot; you see that – he has a scar on his chest, but he tries to hide that with his jacket. You will find out more about him in the game, so I'm not going to spoil too much, but you know, he's walking a bit [lumbering]. He's usually sitting hunched over. And, you know, we tried to put a lot of personality into this droid by using these kinds of elements. I'm really happy that people really picked up on them and he became very popular. I think he's a super interesting character and I'm looking forward to people playing the game and finding out more about him."

ND-5 graces the box and key art of Star Wars Outlaws, all but guaranteeing he's a major player in the game

Star Wars Outlaws arrives on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on August 30. For more exclusive information about Star Wars Outlaws, be sure to visit our exclusive coverage hub at the banner below.

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The live-action Sonic the Hedgehog movie series that started in 2020 has delivered entertaining adventures starring everybody's favorite Blue Blur and his ever-growing stable of friends. One of the highlights of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was Knuckles, voiced by Idris Elba. The fish-out-of-water gags and his strict adherence to the echidna warrior code, which is in stark contrast to Sonic's fun-loving personality, made for an enjoyable dynamic within the cast of characters. Knuckles, the new six-episode streaming show on Paramount Plus, tries to carry forward that dynamic. However, thanks to low stakes, a palpable disconnect from the larger Sonic story, and too much emphasis on the human characters in the world, it falls short of the heights reached by the two theatrical films.

Warning: While I try to remain as spoiler-free as possible, some aspects of the narrative and characters are mentioned throughout this article.

This spin-off series follows Knuckles as he trains Wade Whipple (Adam Pally), the goofy police officer from the first two Sonic films, in the way of the echidna warrior. Though Wade is fine as comic relief in the films, I often struggled with placing so many of the emotional stakes at the feet of this character. This becomes particularly true once his family joins the show. The weakest parts of the Sonic movies are the scenes featuring the human characters. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 appeared to learn that lesson, as it sent many of the main humans away on a trip, but the inverse is true in Knuckles; on multiple occasions, I wondered why we were focusing so much on the family drama of Wade instead of what Knuckles was up to off-screen.

The family storyline that consumes much of the latter portions of the show can be compelling in bursts, but it almost feels like an entirely different show altogether. The show does very little to inform viewers why we should care about these characters aside from the fact that they're related to Wade. The mother character (Stockard Channing) is the most likable of the bunch, particularly when the other major players feel like cartoonish caricatures of sitcom archetypes – even more so than in the movies. Thankfully, when the titular character is on screen, it's another strong performance by Elba. I'm also happy that much of the CGI of the Knuckles character looks great, particularly when in fights.

The action sequences of Knuckles are the highlight. One scene, in particular, takes place in a kitchen and benefits from crafty camera work and a simulated single-take effect. The action scenes are well-paced throughout the six-episode season, but they do shine a light on one of the most significant shortcomings the Sonic franchise must overcome if it hopes to expand out in spin-off series such as this: Sonic's gallery of enemies just isn't that deep. Having the main antagonists of Knuckles be two rogue agents of GUN and a guy who used to work for Dr. Robotnik demonstrates this in irreconcilable ways. Sure, we're promised Shadow in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, and we could still get the introduction of characters like Metal Sonic or Chaos in future media, but this series shows that the pool is pretty shallow.

Installing low-profile villains for the franchise's first streaming series could be forgiven if they made their mark, but they feel like retreads of what Dr. Robotnik was trying to accomplish in the first movie; their entire motivation is to capture Knuckles to steal his power. Ellie Taylor and Kid Cudi deliver fine performances as the rogue GUN agents, but the characters rarely serve as anything more than plot devices for the characters to progress on their personal journeys and foils in fight scenes. We do learn of their motivation later in the show, but at that point, I only cared about them because when they showed up, it usually meant an action scene was coming.

When you aren't watching a fight sequence play out, you're usually enduring a joke shotgun blast with a relatively low hit rate. The seasoned comedic delivery of actors like Adam Pally, Paul Scheer, and Cary Elwes do wonders for some of the jokes on offer in Knuckles, but it's often not enough to keep the momentum up and running. Instead, in the times when Knuckles wasn't on screen, I was more enthralled by the heartfelt moments, which, much like the humor, have a relatively low success ratio. Much of the family dynamics are framed around an absurd bowling tournament that apes the vibe and storyline of Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story a little too closely, making it difficult to connect to the characters or the overarching narrative. Knuckles feels noncommittal when it comes to the tone it's going for. While it's not impossible to be an action-comedy series with sentimental moments, it's a trickier line to walk than Knuckles can accomplish.

And it would all be forgiven if the story felt essential – or even consequential – to the world of the Sonic series. But instead, having not yet seen Sonic the Hedgehog 3, I can't help but feel that Knuckles has that sitcom quality where everything ends up right where it started. Sure, there's a journey with some sentimentality, minor character development, funny gags, small Easter eggs, and enjoyable action scenes, but if someone asked if they needed to watch Knuckles before going to see Sonic the Hedgehog 3 when it arrives in theaters this December, I'd be hard pressed to find a narrative reason to answer them in the affirmative.

That's perhaps Knuckles' biggest flaw: Despite its sometimes fun and heartfelt moments, it feels entirely inessential. Video game adaptations have an outdated reputation for being bad. Knuckles isn't outright bad, but when compared to its contemporaries like Fallout, The Last of Us, Twisted Metal, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, and even Sonic the Hedgehog 2, it feels like a video game adaptation from a bygone era.

6 About Game Informer's review system

Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Massive Entertainment
Release: August 30, 2024

While visiting Massive Entertainment to be among the first to get my hands on Star Wars Outlaws, I enjoyed playing through stealth sequences, shootouts, conversations, and open-world speeder gameplay. However, one piece of the Star Wars Outlaws puzzle I did not get a chance to experience firsthand is the space gameplay. Thankfully, in addition to playing a chunk of Star Wars Outlaws during my time in Malmö, Sweden, I also had a chance to ask the developers how the game works once you jump into your ship and leave the planet or moon.

In Star Wars Outlaws, you play Kay Vess and her companion Nix as they travel around the galaxy to locales both familiar and new. Players can land on and explore planets and moons like Tatooine, Kijimi, Akiva, and Toshara, but when Kay enters her ship, the Trailblazer, she can enter orbit and explore. The Trailblazer was created in close collaboration with Lucasfilm Games to ensure it feels like it fits into the Star Wars galaxy. Elements like silhouettes, realism, and personality were all considered to make something believable within the galaxy.

For the Star Wars Outlaws team, having the basis of the game be about crafting a scoundrel adventure meant that space gameplay was a must to complement the on-world element. "What we were trying to work out is, 'How do we create a gameplay experience with a multitude of different possibilities?' because we always knew we wanted to do a huge open-world game and have space travel, hyperdriving, several planets, several locations to explore," creative director Julian Gerighty says. "I think that's the play of fancy for the outlaw. It really is when you think of, 'What would I like to do as an outlaw in Star Wars?' It is stealth. It is combat. It is fisticuffs. It is hanging out at the cantina and having choices – meaningful choices – as a scoundrel, as an outlaw. It is flying. It is jumping on your speeder and going from one settlement to another. It's all of those things. So, it was important for us to have that ambition and push not just the technology but also the design team to have all of those things at the highest possible quality level."

Much of my gameplay session was spent exploring the underworld of Toshara within the city walls of Mirogana in particular. However, near the end, I had the opportunity to venture outside the walls on Kay's speeder. "There is a huge element of exploration – the openness, the vibrancy, the boldness of landscapes, visuals, and all these elements that you get from it just going with your speeder outside to find locations and exploring bits of the world," art and world director Benedikt Podlesnigg says. "And from this, you also have among the stars. We take our ship flying to space, which is vast but also very risky. It's wondrous, it's lucrative, but also there's a lot of unknown about it."

Though I don't get to see it, Podlesnigg describes how one of his recent gameplay sessions went. After exploring Toshara, he jumps into the Trailblazer and takes it out into orbit because he heard some intel that somebody in a space station was looking for an item he had in his possession. As Gerighty explains to me, planets and moons have an orbit around them that serves as an explorable area for Kay while aboard the Trailblazer. Once you reach the edge of the explorable area surrounding the planet or moon, you hyperdrive into the orbit of your destination. 

"This is problem-solving for video games, basically," Gerighty says. "We wanted to have an orbit around it with lots of different points of interest, things to do, battles to get in, places to explore. So, the orbits for each one of the moons or planets that we created had to be populated with lots of different things, and we didn't want to create endless space, so you hyperdrive from the orbit of a planet to the orbit of a planet. So, all of the space areas that we have are full of things to do."

As Podlesnigg arrived in space during his playthrough, he received an emergency signal that a freighter was being attacked, so he hurried to their location to help them fight off the attackers. Finally, he landed on a space station. While he can't go too deep into how big these space stations are, there are things to do, including vendors for trades and potentially some side-quests.

I don't get to touch a controller while Kay is piloting the Trailblazer, but the team hopes to appeal to a wide range of players by creating approachable gameplay for spaceflight. "We wanted to make spaceflight as accessible, fun, and action-packed as possible," Gerighty says. "The controls are extremely easy to get into. There's always something to do. It's fast to travel; you can hyperdrive at any moment, and there's combat, of course, both on an intimate dogfight scale but also on an epic scale too. And there's exploration. There's a lot of things to do in space."

I assume we'll eventually get our hands on the space gameplay before the release of Star Wars Outlaws, and outside of the intricate Reputation System, this element is one of my most intriguing parts of the game right now. Star Wars Outlaws arrives on August 30 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. For more exclusive information on Massive Entertainment's upcoming scoundrel adventure, visit our coverage hub at the banner below!

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<p><img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/04/03/bb782347/gi_gorak.jpg" width="800" height="450" alt="Star Wars Outlaws" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /></p>

Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Massive Entertainment
Release: <time datetime="2024-08-30T12:00:00Z" class="datetime">August 30, 2024</time>

<p>As Kay Vess, the main protagonist in Star Wars Outlaws, you must work within the thriving underworld to accomplish your goals. Because Kay's adventure takes place between <em>The Empire Strikes Back</em> and <em>Return of the Jedi</em>, the underworld is thriving. The Empire is focusing its efforts on finishing off the retreating Rebel Alliance. While many of the moons and planets are under Imperial occupation, its primary focus is finding Rebels. Kay must take advantage of the criminal underworld, which led developer Massive Entertainment to create the Reputation System, a reflection of her standing with the criminal organizations she interacts with.</p> <p>After Sliro of Zerek Besh puts a bounty on her, Kay must work towards the goal of pulling off the ultimate heist to attain freedom for her and her companion Nix. Navigating the Star Wars underworld, Kay interacts with four syndicates, each with its own leader. Jabba the Hutt is the most iconic as the leader of the Hutt Cartel, but Kay also crosses paths with Lady Qi'ra (who many know from Emilia Clarke's portrayal in <em>Solo: A Star Wars Story</em>) of Crimson Dawn, Queen Ashiga of the Ashiga Clan (a new syndicate created in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games), and Gorak of the Pyke Syndicate.</p> <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/04/03/ba582eb5/gi_qira.jpg" alt="Star Wars Outlaws" title="Star Wars Outlaws" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> <p>Massive Entertainment wanted to create a game in which you must navigate an underworld where, as a scoundrel, you live and die by your reputation. You can improve your standing with the syndicates by taking on jobs, performing tasks, and making choices in favor of the various criminal organizations. If you have a good relationship with one syndicate, your life will be easier when interacting with them or when you're in their territory. </p> <p>"Very early on, we knew that we wanted to do a scoundrel story and we knew we wanted the game to be about choice and consequences," lead systems designer Matthieu Delisle says. "So pretty naturally, reputation came as the medium for the player to interact with the game. That's the foundation for the game and then we built the game around that. So, all the features in the game are, one way or another, connected to reputation."</p> <p>Through having a good relationship with a syndicate, you get access to more jobs to take on, better deals and special stock at shops, high-stakes Sabacc tables, intel, rumors, and more access to that syndicate's territory. Not only that but if you get into trouble with another syndicate and find yourself in a chase, a syndicate with whom you have a good relationship might jump in and help you get away. But it's never so simple; Massive assures me that as a scoundrel, you will get into trouble.</p> <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/04/03/5f715efb/gi_action_pyke.jpg" alt="Star Wars Outlaws" title="Star Wars Outlaws" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> <p>While I don't get a sense of just how challenging the balancing act is, an example that emerged <a data-entity-substitution="canonical" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="161722c3-6680-4362-a65f-0201a7937262" href="https://www.gameinformer.com/preview/2024/04/10/exclusive-hands-on-impressions">during my hands-on demo</a> demonstrated that sometimes your choices will force you to take sides. During my demo, I found a sensitive video file that showed a member of the Pyke Syndicate looking to overthrow Gorak. Kay's original plan was to take it to the Pyke Syndicate leader to fetch a pretty penny and improve her standing, but when she turns in the job she was doing when she uncovered the evidence, the client is revealed as a member of Crimson Dawn. Kay thinks that they might have a keen interest in that sensitive data, so the player is given a choice of who they want to hand the video file over to, with Kay's reputation with that syndicate getting a bump with Crimson Dawn. Because of this newfound standing with Crimson Dawn, my next mission is a bit easier as the Crimson Dawn guards let me walk right into their territory.</p> <p>"It's really about choosing whichever syndicate benefits her in the moment," senior systems designer Alice Rendell says. "It's really up to the player to decide how they want to balance their reputations throughout the game. You can go all in with one syndicate, but obviously at the risk of displeasing others, or you can try and play the underworld a bit more and try to find something a bit more balanced."</p> <p>But reputations are designed to ebb and flow. Your reputation with a syndicate can take a hit from making a decision against the syndicate or through your actions. For example, if I go into a part of a syndicate's territory where I'm not supposed to be and get spotted, Kay's reputation will take a hit. Similarly, if you're spotted on a security camera or you raise an alarm, your reputation takes a hit. In one sequence, I alerted the Pyke Syndicate to my presence and began piling up bodies; I didn't get to experiment too much more with my reputation with the Pyke Syndicate, but I imagine I'd have some work to do to repair that relationship.</p> <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/04/03/50d84e11/gi_ashiga_hive.jpg" alt="Star Wars Outlaws" title="Star Wars Outlaws" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> <p>Still, even with that transgression against the Pyke Syndicate in their own territory, you're never entirely cut off from any of the factions. After all, you're dealing with criminal organizations who are primarily concerned with how you can benefit them. If they think you're the right person for the job, they'll still let you do work for them. </p> <p>"The way that people in the world react to Kay will vary depending on the reputation, but it is very transactional," Rendell says. "These aren't friendships, so it's still very, 'Okay, can Kay help you out in this moment?'"</p> <p>But Kay doesn't just have to manage her reputation with the Hutt Cartel, the Pyke Syndicate, Crimson Dawn, and the Ashiga Clan. While they're all key players in the criminal underworld, in this period between <em>The Empire Strikes Back</em> and <em>Return of the Jedi</em>, the Galactic Empire is arguably at the peak of its power. While they are largely distracted in their relentless hunt for members of the Rebel Alliance, if you get in the way or break their rules, they won't ignore you for long.</p> <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/04/03/19400806/gi_imperial_station.jpg" alt="Star Wars Outlaws" title="Star Wars Outlaws" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> <p>Because the Empire holds such power, you don't have a reputation meter with them. Instead, the Empire reacts to you based on your wanted level. If you break enough rules, your wanted level rises. The more wanted you are, the worse the Empire makes your life. </p> <p>More imperial troops join the hunt for you as your wanted level goes up, with the maximum level summoning elite enemies to hunt you down. You can try to hide to decrease your wanted level, but the higher your wanted level, the longer it takes the Empire to call off the search. You can also meet with corrupt Imperial officers who might take a bribe or, in the worst-case scenario, participate in a challenging in-world event at the maximum wanted level to get the Empire off your back. </p> <p>I didn't get a chance to experiment with the Wanted System at all, nor did I get a chance to truly push the Reputation System beyond the standard interactions and botched stealth sequences of my demo, but I did get a feel for it in action. I'm excited to see how the system reacts to player choices, particularly since when I ask creative director Julian Gerighty if there's a way to max out all syndicates' reputation meters, he says, "Not that I've been able to find." </p> <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/04/03/9938e250/swo_screenshots_buildyourreputation_wide_120623_815pmcest.jpg" alt="Star Wars Outlaws" title="Star Wars Outlaws" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> <p>The Reputation System feels like an essential piece of the scoundrel video game puzzle, and if it can deliver in all the ways Massive touts it to, it's the element of Star Wars Outlaws I'm most excited to play around with. If it can, indeed, provide the level of player agency and systems flexibility an adventure like this all but necessitates, we should be in for an incredible adventure when Star Wars Outlaws arrives on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on August 30.</p> Purchase

With 2018's Marvel's Spider-Man, Insomniac Games began building one of the richest video game interpretations of the Marvel Universe that we've seen to date. The studio nailed the tone of Peter, Miles, and their supporting cast, but it was the care put into the rest of the universe that makes Insomniac's universe stand apart. Yes, the Easter eggs and references to heroes like Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Black Panther, and more make this feel like an established universe full of superheroes, but Insomniac took things to the next level with its rogues' gallery. 

As a longtime Spider-Man and Marvel fan, I've delighted in watching my favorite villains – and those I rarely think of – pop up throughout the multi-game journey. Check out all the villains in Insomniac's Spider-Man universe below, and let us know which ones you got most excited to see appear in the game.

Warning: This list contains spoilers for Marvel's Spider-Man, Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, and Marvel's Spider-Man 2.

Which villains are your favorites in Insomniac's Marvel Universe? Which villains do you hope show up in future games? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section! 

Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Massive Entertainment
Release: August 30, 2024

As you navigate the galaxy in Star Wars Outlaws, you do so as Kay Vess, a pickpocket-turned-thief who gets in over her head and winds up with a bounty on her head. Early in conversations, Lucasfilm Games and developer Massive Entertainment agreed that telling a scoundrel story was the way to go. Through these discussions, Massive decided it wanted to portray a "resourceful underdog" for its main character rather than the trained soldiers that star in The Division.

In the various meetings with Lucasfilm Games, Massive Entertainment looked at the various archetypes available to players in the Star Wars tabletop RPGs, including Jedi, spies, operatives, and more. Massive wanted to create a game with a unique perspective within that universe. Several games put you in the shoes of lightsaber-wielding Jedi or the Empire-fighting Rebel, but fewer let you play as the archetype that stuck out to Massive: the scoundrel.

In the Star Wars galaxy, the scoundrel is personified by Han Solo, but even though this story takes place during the Original Trilogy, Massive didn't want to retread that ground by making a Han Solo game. "Not once did that come up," creative director Julian Gerighty says. "We wanted to tell different stories with different main actors, as well."

"We felt that one of the venues in Star Wars that, especially recently, hasn't been explored as much is that of the scoundrel character," associate narrative director John Björling says. "A relatable character, a rookie kind of taking their first steps into the galaxy, exploring the world, and really getting involved with the people and factions that make up the fabric of the galaxy. That was something that we knew very early on we wanted to pursue: to have that personal story and really make the galaxy come to life."

Once Massive set its sights on a scoundrel experience set during the beloved Original Trilogy between the events of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, it needed to create the right character for the adventure. "A scrappy underdog is going to use every trick in the book to get out of a tricky situation," Gerighty says. "Sometimes, a scoundrel should avoid getting into combat, so stealth became incredibly important for us as well."

To that end, Kay Vess started out as a mere pickpocket growing up in the worker's district of Canto Bight, the planet most known for the casino scene in The Last Jedi, but after graduating to full-on thief and getting in with the wrong crowd and having a bounty placed on her head, she has to pull off the ultimate heist to attain freedom. Because of her resourcefulness, cunning, and scrappiness, she can approach situations through both stealth and gunslinging; the choice is often up to the player.

Her rough and tumble upbringing equips her well for her adventures, and the team reflects that background in her visual design. "We put a lot of care into her design and what she's wearing and how she looks to tell her story," associate art director Marthe Jonkers says. "She has a lot of elements in her design that tell a bit of her story. For example, she has a broken nose. She's been through a lot; you can see that she has scars and stuff. She also has a hairpin; I love that element because she uses that to lockpick doors, and you can use that from the beginning to do some thieving."

The team clicked particularly well with Kay because she's neither a Jedi with superhuman reflexes nor one of the greatest fighters or pilots in the galaxy. "I think it's very relatable as a human being on planet Earth that this character doesn't have any magical powers or properties beyond her daring, her skills, her tools, and her buddy Nix," game director Mathias Karlson says. "The personality type is also perfectly suited for going on a swashbuckling adventure. I think that's something I really resonated with thinking about this character in terms of building a game and gameplay around it."

"I think she's a much more modern protagonist than we usually see in games," Gerighty says. "She's somebody who is very much a street thief who gets thrown into things that are beyond her control, and that she kind of has to think her way out of, and that makes it a little bit more relatable than somebody who has all the confidence and sarcasm and just comes off as somebody who is not believable. So having her be relatable in that way was something extremely important for us."

But Kay is not the only protagonist in Star Wars Outlaws. Massive looks at Kay and Nix as dual protagonists. As such, players are always in control of Nix as well, since Kay has the ability to send him off to perform tasks like pressing buttons, retrieving items, and distracting enemies. "Nix comes from a real gameplay need, which is to give the scoundrel character a little bit more reach, a little bit more possibilities while going through the environments while sneaking and while fighting," Gerighty says. "We really considered them as a scoundrel/thief duo. And Nix is absolutely adorable towards Kay, but very fierce and protective as well, so he has two sides to his personality, and we're very proud of what we created."

Nix is a merqaal, a new species created by Massive in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games. Nix comes from an unknown rainforest planet, but at a certain point, Kay and Nix meet and become partners. When creating Nix's design, Massive looked toward the various pets that members of the team have in their households. "Basically, he has something of all our pets in there," Jonkers says. "Everybody had a bit of an influence on that, I would say. But also real-world animals, for example. We really wanted him to be very helpful to Kay, so he could pick up things so we looked at lemurs or monkeys. But the other side we wanted him to also have a bit of a tough side, so he has some skills, and is more reptile-inspired."

Another crucial part of Nix's design is his ears, which help him express his emotions and mood. "When Kay's sneaking around, you will see that he'll put them onto his body and make a smaller silhouette," Jonkers says. "When he's alert, he will put them up, and I think that's also a unique element to Nix that really gives him a lot of personality."

When I ask if the relationship between Kay and Nix is similar to that of Han Solo and Chewbacca, Jonkers quips, "I always say, 'Kay's not a Solo, Kay's a duo.'" 

"We have Kay as the main character, but it's actually Kay and Nix," Jonkers continues. "They are the main character. We really wanted to bring this unique duo as the main character to the Star Wars galaxy. They work together a lot, and Nix helps you, but he's really her buddy. [...] That relationship and having this duo is what makes Kay a very unique character, like a unique scoundrel. She's not on her own. She's not doing this all by herself. She actually has her partner in crime. That brings a unique take on the scoundrel archetype."

For more on how the gameplay between Kay and Nix works, be sure to check out our hands-on preview here. Star Wars Outlaws arrives on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on August 30. For more, be sure to visit our exclusive coverage hub through the banner below!

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