Last week, we asked you to share gaming characters you’d like to dress up as for Halloween using #PSshare #PSBlog. Here are this week’s highlights:
ForgottenJasmin shares a katana-riddled samurai with a basket for a helmet from Ghost of Tsushima: Legends.
sorathluna shares a red-headed witch wearing an owl mask from Hogwarts Legacy.
AkiraAoyama_VP shares the quirky janitor Ahti from Control.
BitarHector shares Aloy striking a pose in one of the Oseram blue and red beaded armors from Horizon Forbidden West.
juniaxe shares Claire Redfield in her classic red leather jacket in Resident Evil 2.
Kirill_Skulkinshares a hulking blue Space Marine armor set from Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2.
Search #PSshare #PSBlog on Twitter or Instagram to see more entries to this week’s theme. Want to be featured in the next Share of the Week?
THEME: Ghosts and Ghouls SUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on October 30, 2024
Next week, we’re ready to get haunted. Share ghastly ghosts and (non-gory) ghouls from the game of your choice using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured.
With Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 out and about, a lot of time is being spent figuring out the new movement system. That makes sense, omni-movement is a major addition to the game that offers a lot of skill expression, not to mention it’s a lot of fun. But with the good lurks the bad, and it looks like an infamous movement technique is back and better than ever.
That technique is snaking. snaking is the act of quickly switching between crouched and prone position while behind cover, giving you the ability to get vision from behind cover without exposing yourself to gunfire. It was already powerful in prior Call of Duties, but given the added mobility with omni-movement, you’re able to shimmy at surprising speeds while snaking.
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This technique in action can be seen below courtesy of user The Rotation on Twitter. They posted a quick snippet of gameplay showing a 1:1 between two players. The POV we get is of the victim, unable to see the other player. Meanwhile, as shown in the killcam, the player snaking behind cover has perfect view of their opponent, and can quickly line up a shot the moment they leave cover.
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Snaking has proven so busted in the past that it affected pro play. Back in late 2023, the CDL (Call of Duty league) decided to band the technique outright (thanks esports.net) This was done via a “gentlemen’s agreement”, as a snaking ban is actually quite hard to enforce. Was that player snaking? Or were they just staying mobile behind cover? Did they luck out? Did they accidentally do it? It’s a tough call. Nevertheless, it’s free reign in Blops 6 multiplayer matches, so abuse it as much as you want.
Gather your friends, grab your EMF Reader and prepare for spine-chilling ghost hunts because Phasmophobia is finally coming to PS5 and PS VR2 on October 29, 2024. Just in time for Halloween! Whether you’re an experienced ghost hunter or a new recruit eager to join the supernatural fray, we can’t wait to welcome everyone on PS5 and PS VR2, especially the latter. If you’re up to the task, ghost hunter, you’ll find a genuinely haunting and immersive experience waiting for you in virtual reality. Here’s a look at some of the standout features you can expect when you put on your PS VR2 headset.
Foveated Rendering: Frights with performance in mind
One of the key advantages of Phasmophobia on PS VR2 is the inclusion of foveated rendering. This innovative technology allows the game to deliver a higher, more stable framerate, ensuring that the intense moments of supernatural suspense stay smooth and immersive. How does it work? The PS VR2’s eye-tracking system detects exactly where you’re looking and focuses its processing power on rendering that area in full resolution. Everything in your direct line of sight is sharp and clear. This strategic allocation of resources leads to a significant boost in performance, meaning you can enjoy fluid, responsive gameplay even during the tensest ghost encounters.
Crystal clear visuals at native PS VR2 resolution
In addition to the performance boost from foveated rendering, Phasmophobia on PS VR2 benefits from the headset’s native resolution of 2000 x 2040 pixels per eye. That’s a lot of pixels packed into your ghost-hunting goggles! The game also runs at a 60Hz refresh rate with 120Hz reprojection, ensuring smooth visuals as you explore every eerie hallway, attic, and basement in search of evidence. Whether you’re identifying ghosts from EMF spikes, deciphering spirit box responses, or watching for ghostly apparitions, the added sharpness and clarity help bring each investigation to life in terrifying detail.
A tool belt designed for ghost hunting
One of the features exclusive to the PS VR2 version on the console version of Phasmophobia is the tool belt, which is designed to make ghost hunting more intuitive and streamlined in VR. Managing equipment is crucial to success, and with the tool belt, you’ll have access to up to three pieces of gear at a time. Need to swap out your EMF reader for a camera while holding on to a crucifix for protection? No problem. With the tool belt, swapping gear is as simple as reaching down, grabbing what you need, and staying focused on the paranormal activity around you.
Cross-play with PS5 Players
Ghost hunting is always better with friends, and Phasmophobia on PS VR2 makes sure you won’t be ghostbusting alone. PS VR2 players can team up with those on PS5 or PS5 Pro, creating a seamless cross-play experience for console gamers. Whether you’re diving into the investigation in VR or playing on a flat screen, you’ll be able to coordinate with your team, track evidence, and outwit dangerous ghosts together. The ability to play with friends across different PlayStation systems ensures that no one has to miss out on terrifying ghost hunts.
Coming October 29, 2024
Mark your calendars, because Phasmophobia is bringing its blend of cooperative ghost hunting and hair-raising horror to PS5 and PS VR2 on October 29, 2024. Gather your friends, prepare your equipment, and get ready for the fright of your life! Add Phasmophobia to your wishlist today.
The Like a Dragon–previously called Yakuza–video game series has been around for nearly 20 years, but it’s never been more popular in the West than it is today thanks to Yakuza: Like a Dragon and its 2024 sequel Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. It figures to move even more into the mainstream with the arrival of the Like a Dragon: Yakuza TV series on Prime Video today, October 24. In honor of the new TV series, several retailers are holding sales on the entire Yakuza series, making now the perfect time to get into the beloved Japanese crime saga. You’ll find deals on console and PC versions of the games, including an Amazon discount that drops the most recent game, Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth, to just $30 (normally $70).
This nearly 60%-off deal is the best price we’ve seen for Infinite Wealth since its release earlier this year. The discount applies to the PS5, PS4, Xbox (cross-gen) versions of the game, but it’s only available for a limited time, so grab it while you can. As mentioned, Infinite Wealth is a direct sequel to Yakuza: Like a Dragon, which starts a new story arc with a brand-new protagonist Ichiban Kasuga. Like a Dragon is a great game to start with if you’re new to franchise. Infinite Wealth continues Kasuga’s story and brings back Kazuma Kiryu, the original protagonist of the Yakuza series.
Like a Dragon’s PS4 physical edition, which has a free upgrade for PS5 players, is only $15 at Amazon and Best Buy. You can also get a cross-generation Xbox physical edition for $15 at Best Buy, while Amazon has it priced at $20.
Yakuza Franchise Sales – PC
For PC players, several online retailers are selling digital versions of Yakuza games for cheap right now:
Despite the collection’s title, it only includes seven games: Yakuza Kiwami and Kiwami 2, which are remakes of the first two games, remasters of Yakuza 3-5, Yakuza 6: The Song of Life, and the prequel Yakuza 0. What you’re getting here is Kazuma Kiryu’s seven-game mainline arc, so it’s also a great place to start. Keep in mind that these games are beat-’em-ups, whereas Like a Dragon moved the mainline series in a radically different direction as a turn-based RPG.
The bundle is 60% off, dropping the price to just $45 (normally $112). While the collection is missing Yakuza: Like a Dragon and Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth–the seventh and eighth games in the series, respectively–as well as the numerous Yakuza series spin-offs and side games, it’s still one of the best–and, currently, most affordable–ways to experience the mainline series from the beginning. Plus, if you buy from GOG, you get DRM-free copies of the games that you can play without the need for third-party launchers like Steam. GOG also has Yakuza: Like a Dragon on sale for $12.
Yakuza 0
Yakuza Kiwami
Yakuza Kiwami 2
Yakuza 3 Remastered
Yakuza 4 Remastered
Yakuza 5 Remastered
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life
More Yakuza Deals at GOG
Deals on Yakuza Steam Keys
Like a Dragon: Ishin
Other PC retailers like Humble Bundle and Green Man Gaming are running similar Yakuza franchise sales, and their discounts include several of the newer games and spin-offs missing from GOG’s catalog, including Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Like a Dragon: Ishin, and Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name. There are also price cuts for Judgment and Lost Judgment, which take place in the same fictionalized version of Japan as the mainline Like a Dragon games, but put you in the role of a detective working against the Yakuza clans. Humble Bundle’s and GMG’s Yakuza games are Steam keys, and Green Man Gaming has slightly lower prices. We’ve rounded up all of the best deals on Steam keys below:
Yakuza Series on Xbox/PC Game Pass – Get Big Discount
As you can tell from the number of games we’ve listed so far, Like a Dragon is a big series, and each game in the franchise lasts between 20 and 60 hours, with some stretching as long as 100 hours or more if you aim to do all the side quests (which is often the best part of these games). While that means you have a lot to catch up on before the next game, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii drops for PC, PlayStation, and Xbox on February 27, 2025, it also means you’re getting a huge trove of gameplay at an excellent value.
That said, Xbox and PC players can also play the games via Game Pass. Game Pass Ultimate normally costs $20/month, but thanks to this limited-time deal at the Amazon-owned retailer Woot, you can stock up on prepaid Game Pass Ultimate codes for as low as $13.79 for the one-month card (normally $20) or $36.49 for the three-month option.
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii Preorder Deals
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii Collector’s Edition
Speaking of Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, the upcoming spinoff is available to preorder. Console players can secure physical copies of the standard or Collector’s Edition at Amazon (shown above), but PC players will want to check out Fanatical’s preorder deal for the Steam version, which drops the price to $53 for the standard edition (normally $60) or $66 for the Digital Deluxe Edition (normally $75).
Lastly, if you’re looking for Like a Dragon merch, Amazon launched a new merch page in honor of the Like a Dragon: Yakuza Prime Video series that features apparel, phone cases, and tumblers with designs inspired by the video games.
Disclosure: GameSpot and Fanatical are both owned by Fandom
After the success of Halloween (1978), Friday the 13th kicked off the 80’s by taking the slasher genre to gorey new heights. Jason Voorhees first appeared (sort of) to terrify teens at a Crystal Lake summer camp, and its safe to say the original Friday the 13th is essential viewing for any horror fan. 12 movies and 11 directors later, the hockey-mask wearing horror villain has become a zombie, gone to space, and battled a fellow slasher icon.
For those looking to watch or rewatch the films ahead of Halloween or the next Friday the 13th in December, here’s where you can stream all of the Friday the 13th movies right now.
Where to Watch the Friday the 13th Movies Online
7 Days Free Paramount+ Free Trial
96
Includes a 7-day free trial.
Over the years, the Friday the 13th movies have been pretty hard to find online. This October, the first eight Friday the 13th movies (“the original series,” if you will) have finally found a home at Paramount+. The more recent films, including the 2009 reboot, are available to stream on Max. All of the Friday the 13th movies are available to rent or purchase from digital storefronts, which is unfortunately the only way to get your hands on Jason Goes to Hell (maybe that one’s for the best) and Jason X.
Friday the 13th Movies on Blu-ray
Shout! Factory Friday the 13th Collection [Blu-Ray]
17
Includes 16 discs with the original movies in HD, special features, audio commentaries and more.
While the Friday the 13th movies may be all over the place online, Shout!Factory released a collected set of all 12 movies on Blu-ray back in 2020. The set also includes what can only be described as a ludicrous amount of bonus features. If you don’t need the Blu-ray or all those extras, you can also grab a DVD set of the first 8 movies for around $20.
What Order Should You Watch the Friday the 13th Movies
The Friday the 13th franchise, like most of the 80’s slashers, has a lot going on. We’re talking spin-offs, reboots, crossovers, and some good ol’ time travel. For those interested in the Jason timeline, we’ve also covered how to watch the Friday the 13th movies in chronological order.
Will There Be More Friday the 13th Movies?
While the 2009 reboot may have intended to bring back the series, complicated legal drama over franchise rights has stalled the production of any new Friday the 13th movies since. Instead, the biggest release the franchise has seen in the past 15 years was Friday the 13th: The Game, which, due to more legal drama, was delisted at the end of 2023.
Still, we may finally get that 13th Friday the 13th movie. Earlier this year, Horror, Inc announced they would be working with some of the original license holders to build up a multi-platform Jason Universe. Yes, of course that’s what they’re calling it. While the Jason-verse will seemingly kick off with a Crystal Lake TV show, hopefully we see Jason back on the big screen sooner rather than later.
Blythe (she/her) is an SEO Coordinator at IGN who is always looking for the next great horror story and turn-based RPG.
The piano puzzle is one of the earlier mysteries you’ll come across in the Black Ops 6 campaign.
Found on the way to the training area on the safehouse’s ground floor, you’ll have to find a hidden code to play the piano, which, in turn, will lead to more secrets to solve.
This Black Ops 6 guide offers an explainer on how to figure out the piano puzzle, as well as an explicit piano puzzle solution.
How to solve the piano puzzle in Black Ops 6
The first piece of the puzzle for solving the piano puzzle is picking up the blacklight torch. This is located on the nearby table in the same room, and can be toggled to read hidden messages.
Image: Treyarch / Activision
With the blacklight turned on, use the piano. You’ll see characters appear above the keys, which is a vital part of solving the puzzle. But what do these characters relate to, exactly?
Image: Treyarch / Activision
If you haven’t already, turn the blacklight on while exploring the mansion, which is how you’ll find the code. If you’re struggling but still want to solve it yourself, know that everything you need is closer than you think.
If you want to know what to do next, we’ll start explaining where to look after the below image.
This is the sort of clue you’re looking for to solve the piano puzzle.Image: Treyarch / Activision
To find the piano puzzle clues, use the blacklight in the room you found it in. Specifically, look directly above the piano, where you’ll find the first note you need to play.
It also has an arrow pointing right. Follow this direction, and you’ll come across a second note. Repeat this until you work your way around the room, until you have five notes.
1/5Image: Treyarch / Activision
Black Ops 6 piano puzzle solution
With all notes in hand, we can now play the piano. Make sure the blacklight is turned on, and play the keys directly below each note you found in the room in the order you found them in.
The piano puzzle solution is:
For example, play this key for ‘Pe’, as shown in the text above.Image: Treyarch / Activision
If you are successful, a hidden door to the right will open up — leading to a secret basement area, where more safehouse puzzles await.
Image: Treyarch / Activision
If the code above doesn’t work for you, it’s possible the solution is random for each player. If that’s the case, follow the above steps, writing down or taking pictures of each note as you go, and enter those into the piano. Good luck!
I played Balatro for an hour, had a pleasant time, then uninstalled it. I know a trap when I see one. Perhaps you are made of stronger stuff than I am, however. Perhaps you like that monkey on your back. For you, there’s a new free update, which adds a second set of themed card art to the game inspired by the games Binding Of Isaac, Cyberpunk 2077, Stardew Valley and Slay The Spire.
Halloween 2024 sees the arrival of possibly the biggest and most exciting gameplay changes to The Sims 4. With The Sims Life & Death expansion pack, death is not the end, and there is far more to do in the afterlife than you ever thought possible. We were lucky enough to get a peek into what to expect from the latest expansion coming soon from Electronic Arts.
Sims players invest a lot of time in the lives of their characters, sometimes creating whole generations of Sim families. Now, with the Sims 4 Life & Death expansion pack, players won’t have to worry about losing a character to a house fire or an accidental drowning.
Image Source: EA Games
The new pack creates new pathways to explore both while the Sim is in the land of the living and when they die. While alive, Sims can move to the new neighborhood of Ravenwood. Within this new town are three unique areas: Crow’s Crossing, Whispering Glen, and Mourningvale. Each of these places is frequented by ghosts, many of whom have unfinished business, crypts, and haunted houses. This is the kind of town where your vampire, werewolf, or other supernatural Sim will feel right at home!
Thanks to the talented folk at The Sims, we had a quick tour around Ravenwood and could see all the fun details included. The map is inspired by the Romanian countryside, with three separate neighborhoods of varying spookiness. Each neighborhood has its own festivals, including one moonlit party where clothing is optional during the full moon!
Image Source: EA Games
Each new area in The Sims Life & Death is haunted, but none so much as Mourningvale. This area is where most of the ghosts like to spend their afterlife. Mourningvale is also home to the Baleful Bog, a spiritual body of magical water where you can lead your Sim into the afterlife and rebirth.
A pre-made Sim family is residing in Whispering Glen which some players may recognize. The Specter family is Layne Coffin, Olive Specter, and Nyon Specter (who some of you familiar with Sims lore may know as Nervous Subject). The addition of this family is a great bit of color to the Sims lore and allows players to play around with the relationship between Olive and the Grim Reaper – especially since it is now possible to try for a baby with the Grim Reaper! Sims related to the Grim Reaper are born with a scythe birthmark, and they are given the ability to live longer than the average Sim.
Image Source: EA Games
Building upon aspirations and milestones is the Soul’s Journey, a new mechanic in The Sims Life & Death. Sims have various Bucket List goals to achieve throughout their lives, which are affected by your Sim’s personality, their career, and so much more. The Bucket List goals are a wonderful way to flesh out your Sim’s story and make their lives richer. Once the Sim’s Soul Journey is fulfilled as a living Sim, they can choose to be reborn when they die, unlocking more gameplay as a ghost-Sim.
Image Source: EA Games
Other aspects of gameplay that can potentially change how players approach the game include new personality traits. The Chased By Death trait is a challenging way to push your Sim to achieve more in their life, especially as they know death is around the corner! There is also a lot of fun to have with the Sceptic trait. With so many occult Sim types in the game now who knows what might happen? Just imagine how conversations will go between a skeptical Sim and their vampire neighbor… Would they risk demanding proof of vampiric existence? How would a skeptical ghost react to their own existence?
The Sims Life & Death opens up the lives of Sims to gameplay even after the death of a character. Sims can write a will and leave family heirlooms to loved ones. You can even create your own Sim family lore by writing notes to your Sim ancestors. The heirloom isn’t just a nice piece of furniture, either! The surviving Sim can also try and call upon the dead Sim’s spirit.
Image Source: EA Games
As a living Sim, there is a new career path to explore as a Reaper. This active career lets you reap souls, fulfill soul quotas, and talk to the big man himself. If your Sim has a morbid curiosity then this may be the career for them.
Death and grief in The Sims has been a pretty linear journey in the past. Previously, a Sim would die and their loved ones would grieve for a limited amount of time. Now, with The Sims Life & Death expansion pack, grief is far more realistic. It will affect different Sims in various ways, depending on what their relationship with the deceased was. Of course, their grief also depends on whether the dead Sim returns as a ghost…
Image Source: EA Games
As I mentioned before, once the Sim completes their Soul’s Journey, they unlock the option to be reborn. Your Sim can choose a family to join at whatever age you like. It is even possible to have many of your Sim’s existing traits reborn with the new Sim. Although this path is intriguing, the option to become a playable ghost is the most appealing.
Image Source: EA Games
At the moment of their death, you get to decide what you want to do. Will you be reborn, become a free-roaming ghost, or become a playable ghost? As a playable ghost, you have a few more goals to achieve in your Soul’s Journey. This aspect of the new expansion is the most exciting for many players. Ghosts have been pretty passive in the past, or just spent their time haunting your existing Sims. Now, players get to be the ghostly Sim, with new goals and activities, including ghostly woohoo!
There is so much to look forward to with the new expansion pack. From a new neighborhood to playable ghosts, and the new Grim Reaper career, we just can’t wait! Stay tuned for more as we discover what else there is to do in Ravenwood.
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Almost ten years on, Yooka-Replaylee delivers Playtonic’s true vision for a modern mascot platformer.
Learning and growing from the original Yooka-Laylee through other projects.
Owners of the original Yooka-Laylee get a launch discount.
About ten years ago, a group of former Rare employees with decades of combined experience working on some of the most renowned platformers banded together to form Playtonic with the shared vision to resurrect the 3D platformer. Yooka-Laylee was born out of this vision and now almost a decade and a studio with over 60 employees later, we have refined that vision and morphed it with our learnings working across other projects and feedback from our community to bring you Yooka-Replaylee, the definitive version of the 2017’s indie 3D mascot platformer darling. Staring the buddy duo of Yooka, the green one, and Laylee, the purple one, the epic open world adventure is coming to Xbox Series X|S!
The makings of a great mascot platformer start with no less than, well, memorable mascots, and Yooka-Replaylee has got just that in the forms of the heroic lime-green lizard Yooka and his wisecracking, now fluffy, purple companion Laylee the bat.
Together they go against the comically villainous Capital B and meet a colourful and varied cast of characters along the way, some familiar to fans of the IP and some new ones like Coinelius the piggy bank and Mark the appropriately named bookmark who gives you directions throughout the game. Even some of the enemies you encounter have undergone a full makeover. The bees are fluffy now! Every character has been given a fresh coat of paint and smoother animations to go along with it.
While story of Yooka-Replaylee begins in Yooka and Laylee’s home of Shipwreck Creek and swiftly moves inside the lair of the vicious capital B called the Hivory Towers, a vast majority of the game takes place inside Grand Tomes, each with its unique overarching setting and atmosphere.
Entering the world of Yooka-Replaylee, you will quickly discover that the worlds are now more populated with things to do, enemies with all new attacks to encounter, and collectibles to collect than before. Every single challenge has been improved and some entirely new challenges have been added.
An entirely new currency called Q.U.I.D.S has been added for players to collect and spend on a store run by a franchise favourite character. You no longer have to worry about getting lost in the world either thanks to the brand world map and the aforementioned Mark the bookmark giving you guidance and acting as a handy fast-travel system within the levels. You will also be able to track your progress through a brand-new challenge tracker.
What is a platformer if it does not feel good to play? We have completely redone Yooka and Laylee’s move set and the player camera in Yooka-Replaylee to create a more responsive experience. You can now intuitively chain your moves together, which is something you were not able to do before.
In one of our more surprising decisions, we removed the double jump from the game. Instead, your regular jump now matches the height of the old double jump. This is all to ensure a better gameplay flow for the players. Swim and fly controls have also been redone and to the players’ relief, moves now cost less power to use!
Our colourful cast of characters are not the only ones who have undergone a makeover. Yooka-Replaylee has undergone a full visual upgrade covering every single art asset in the game along with a complete UI and HUD refresh. As you run through the grass at Shipwreck Creek or the snow in Glitterglaze Glacier, the world around you feels truly alive and breathing, creating a fully immersive platforming experience.
And I cannot finish a segment talking about immersion without highlighting the beautifully arranged orchestral score, based on the original score composed by Grant Kirkhope and David Wise, we worked together with the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra to produce.
The founders of Playtonic had a vision for a new mascot platformer that would breathe new life into the 3D platforming genre. The very first Yooka-Laylee (2017) is to thank for the position the studio is in now, doubling as a development studio and a publisher, and for the fact that I get to work at Playtonic.
As we approach our tenth anniversary with more resources, more employees with fresh ideas, valuable community feedback and lessons learned working across other secret projects, we think it is only appropriate to go back to that original adventure and celebrate a whole decade of fun and love for platforming by delivering the true definitive version of Yooka and Laylee’s first adventure. And what better way to kickstart an exciting new beginning for the franchise than this? We cannot wait for you to get your hands on Yooka-Replaylee when it launches on Xbox Series X|S. I am also delighted to announce that owners of the original Yooka-Laylee on Xbox will be entitled to an owner’s discount at launch!
Yooka-Replaylee
Playtonic Friends
☆☆☆☆☆
★★★★★
Yooka-Replaylee is the definitive remastered and enhanced version of the 3D indie platforming collectathon darling, Yooka-Laylee (2017), developed by key creative talent behind the Banjo-Kazooie and Donkey Kong Country games. New remixed challenges and old favourites await as you embark to explore the huge, beautiful open worlds as the lovable buddy-duo Yooka (the green one) and Laylee (the purple one) once more, all while backed by a beautiful orchestral soundtrack. Did we mention there is a map now? A shiny new currency? And tons of customisation options? The favourite buddy duo has never moved, looked, or sounded better!
Corporate creep Capital B is on a quest to steal all the books in the world and turn them into cold hard cash. BUT the most powerful book in the universe is right under his crooked nose in the neighbouring Shipwreck Creek, home to our adventurous buddy-duo, Yooka and Laylee! Seeing their prized book stolen pulls them into a wacky adventure across many fantastical & imaginative worlds, full of colourful characters and vault-loads of shiny collectibles.
Can you find all of the magical Pagies from their book and save the day?
FEATURES:
MORE BEAUTIFUL THAN EVER – With an art and animations overhaul and enhanced performance and resolution, the favourite buddy duo has never looked or moved better.
NEW AND IMPROVED CHALLENGES – Improvements to existing in-game challenges and many entirely new challenges to discover and undertake!
NEW COLLECTIBLE CURRENCY – Capital B’s inept minions have dropped their hard-earned coins all over the place. Collect the official currency of Hivory Towers to spend at the video games industry’s most beloved sentient vending machine Vendi!
NAVIGATING THE WORLD – Now you can get lost in the game, not in the world! A brand-new world map and challenges tracker helps you know where you are and what needs to be done. Hooray!
VENDI HAS PLENTY TO OFFER – Tonics are back with all new flavours! With the option to equip multiple game-changing enhancements, you can truly customise your playstyle. And as if that wasn’t enough, Vendi has new lines of merchandise for the modern fashionable adventurer.
REVISED CONTROLS & CAMERA – A new tweaked move set allows you to combine moves more fluidly while the new camera controls make framing the action a breeze.
A DREAMY ORCHESTRAL SOUNDTRACK – The original score from famed video game composers Grant Kirkhope (Banjo-Kazooie) and David Wise (Donkey Kong Country) returns but as a beautifully arranged orchestral score. Now seriously, clean out those ears.
The Sims 4 Life & Death expansion pack is due to launch on Halloween, which is all well and good for an add-on that gives playable ghosts their long-awaited overhaul. But while the spooky trappings aren’t inappropriate for a DLC that’s also reintroduced the oft-requested ability to bone the Grim Reaper, I can’t help but feel that it undersells the pack’s most revolutionary feature: for the first time in the franchise, you’ll be able to say goodbye to your dearly departed Sims with a proper funeral.
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It’s a far more sensitive and grounded approach to, well, life and death than the other major features of the expansion, but nevertheless, long-time Simmers are understandably a little wary on the subject of event-gatherings of this type. The My Wedding Stories game pack, launched in February 2022, is likely the closest point of comparison Sims 4 players have for funerals, and it’s safe to say that said add-on is notorious for all the wrong reasons – not least of which being that almost three years later, wedding events themselves still only kind-of work as advertised.
Upon reflection, the L&D team identified that the main issue with My Wedding Stories was its attempt to impose a rigid structure on the anarchic free-for-all that happens whenever a group of Sims get together, especially if a lot of them aren’t part of the active household and therefore are completely computer-controlled.
The infamous image of a neighbour in a tuxedo doing push-ups in the aisle as the bridal party attempts to walk down it is surely one that will haunt the My Wedding Stories pack for years – although your mileage may vary as to whether this ruined the big day or was just a hilarious case of Sims-being-Sims.
Sure, it looks very sombre on the surface, but look closer and you’ll see a pyromaniac toddler among other oddities. | Image credit: EA / Maxis
As a result, funeral events in Life & Death will be more “free-flowing”, according to lead producer Morgan and lead designer Jessica, who helmed a virtual preview of the pack for press last week. This means that funerals will be more like other events present in the game – dates, parties, holidays, etc. – with a series of goals for the player to oversee before the timer runs out, but without the requirement to wrangle every attendee into doing the same thing at the same time that proved so disastrous for My Wedding Stories. There’s also been rigorous testing to ensure that guests adhere to any dress code you choose to set – another frequent sore spot for players tired of seeing NPCs turn up to life-defining moments in questionable attire.
There is a viewpoint, of course, that weddings and funerals are more linear and structured than, say, a house party, and that a certain real-world ceremonial weight is lost by essentially side-stepping the big shared moments at a funeral. But all video games are built around technical constraints, and the mistake at the heart of My Wedding Stories was to overreach that. Life & Death instead seems to be taking the more practical approach of working creatively within those limitations to deliver an experience the players want in a way that is still recognisably (and achievably) Sims-y.
There are other reasons to be optimistic about the launch state of Life & Death. The virtual preview I attended demoed the expansion pack with all other add-on content for The Sims 4 installed, taking the opportunity to demonstrate cross-pack interactivity and stability, factors that have been conspicuously absent from the conversation around some of the game’s prior releases ahead of launch.
Death doesn’t need to put a cramp on your love life in The Sims 4, so yes, in theory you could have a ghostly wedding on your hands one of these days. | Image credit: EA / Maxis
With the recent announcement that The Sims 4 will be an ongoing legacy title – and thus won’t, as previously predicted, be stepping aside to make way for a Sims 5 anytime in the foreseeable future – it seems as though EA is looking to rebuild some goodwill from The Sims player base.
The current state of the game is not without its controversies in other areas: right now, a free Halloween event is once again acting as a hot-button both for players who don’t want time-limited content in The Sims, and those who wouldn’t mind if only it could actually be relied upon to work properly. But between the largely well-received romance overhaul in July’s Lovestruck EP and what we’ve seen so far of Life & Death, it seems like the franchise’s linchpin expansion packs might at last be getting back on track.
When I play a smaller game that really has an effect on me, I’m usually cool with not getting more of it. The advantage of artful, smaller-scope projects is that they can concisely say what they need to say without being beholden to all the forever-game nonsense that infects the AAA space. However, I’ll make an exception for Black Tabby Games’ horror visual novel Slay the Princess, one of the best games from 2023. The Pristine Cut expansion incorporates its new material smoothly with that of the original release, giving you more of what makes it so great and serving as a welcome reminder that this is an incredible game.
The Top 10 Most-Played Games On Steam Deck: June 2023 Edition
For the uninitiated, Slay the Princess is, on its face, about killing a monarch. Your character wakes up in a strange forest, told by a narrator that he’s meant to find a cabin where a princess awaits, locked in its basement. Allegedly, she will destroy the world if she’s allowed to escape, but do you just take the narrator’s word for it? Whether you do or not will see the story go down one of several different paths. It could end in the princess’ demise, she could retaliate and kill you, or a number of other things could happen, but one way or another, someone will leave the cabin forever changed…until the entire scenario starts over from the very beginning.
Slay the Princess’ time loop starts the same way each time, but it never ends like it did before. Each time you descend the stairs of the cabin, you’ll find that what was once an unassuming princess has turned into one of several different unspeakable horrors. Some you’ll slay, others will slay you. Each route preys on different fears and disgusts, as the princess turns into monsters, animals, ghouls, and other terrifying creatures, all punctuated by Black Tabby’s stellar, evocative writing and the game’s excellent voice cast. The Pristine Cut mostly just offers more of all that good stuff, and the new routes it introduces are worth seeing. If you’ve never played Slay the Princess before, these new horrors are woven into the game for you to stumble upon, flowing naturally in its time-loop structure. Slay the Princess is the kind of game that can get swaths of new story without stepping on the toes of its core premise, so even after I’d had my previous experience with it, I was more than happy to dive into what new horrors Black Tabby had concocted.
Screenshot: Black Tabby Games / Kotaku
One of the new routes The Pristine Cut introduces to the game utilizes its time-loop structure to show the unspeakable horror that is monotony in your love life, and it reminded me that Slay the Princess’ horror comes not just from the terrifying forms the princess takes, but from how its situations play into human fears and phobias about our relationships with others. I spent a lot of time in 2023 singing Slay the Princess’ praises but after a year away, I wondered if I might have cooled on Black Tabby’s brand of romantic, psychological horror. It turns out coming back only solidified for me that this is an incredibly special game. If you’ve never played Slay the Princess, there’s never been a better time to walk down the stairs of the cabin.
There’s an art to the florid press release. If a games PR missive isn’t pitching up promising an ‘unforgettable journey,’ or calling their turn-based RPG ‘adrenaline-filled,’ I’m wondering if their hearts are really in it. That is to say, a little bit of confidence isn’t a bad thing. To that end, this press release teasing the Ayaneo 3 is a thing of beauty.
Ayaneo begin as they mean to go on, starting off strong by saying that their third-generation Windows handheld console is not only a “revolution,” but will also redefine “gamer’s imagination,” and “foreshadows the future possibilities of handheld devices.”
Unlike Valve, the majority of Ayaneo’s business is handheld machines, so iterative releases like this “annual flagship handheld” make more sense for them as a company. But will the Ayaneo 3 really be a ‘revolution,’ despite top brass at Valve saying a generational leap is still a ways off?
Well, the cherry on the cake of this overwritten press release is that actual details about the upcoming device are thin on the ground.
Though still unannounced, the real headline for the Ayaneo 3 will be its choice of chip. Historically, the company has gone with AMD for their handheld APUs, so a formerly codenamed Strix Point, Ryzen 9 AI 300 series CPU could be a shoe in, especially as the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 has already impressed us. That said, it’s not a massive leap forward compared to the Ayaneo Kun’s AMD Ryzen 7 7840U.
But AMD isn’t the only option. As far as Ayaneo goes, they appear to have a much less established relationship with Intel, offering Intel chips as an option for a limited number of their handhelds, such as the Air Plus. Perhaps the Ayaneo 3’s big swing will be the inclusion of a Lunar Lake CPU.
As we’ve previously covered, the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V offers big wins in terms of power in a properly portable form factor that also doesn’t suck your battery dry. Besides, Intel has recently been looking for new allies and, though Ayaneo is a smaller company, it could be a mighty alliance.
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
That said, while Snapdragon X Elite is hardly the best choice for any machine geared towards gaming, stranger handheld hardware choices have been made. Now, an Ayaneo 3 running Windows 95? I suspect it’s only a matter of time.
Shin chan Shiro and the Coal Town Direct Download:
The Nohara family is headed to Akita Prefecture! Hiroshi is suddenly given an job assignment near his hometown in Akita. So the Nohara family make their way to a small village near Hiroshi’s parents’ home and rent out a traditional Japanese farmhouse. Nestled in this tranquil rural landscape, they begin their carefree and quiet life in the countryside. Ginnosuke, Shinnosuke’s grandfather, bestows the mysteries of country playtime by teaching Shinnosuke how to catch bugs and fish. A highlight of every evening is when the family gathers around the sunken hearth to savor delicious Akita dishes. In the village, Shinnosuke talks with farmers and makes new friends. Every day, he’s enjoying life to the fullest until… One morning, Shiro shows up at the house covered in soot. FALL
Shinnosuke follows after Shiro and accidentally boards this train. The mysterious train stops in a lively and prosperous town that seems to have been frozen in time since the Showa era. In this town called Coal Town, there are energetic working-class people going about their day. After meeting a mysterious young girl, Shinnosuke becomes friends with these people. And so begins Shinnosuke’s newest adventure…! Akita’s rivers are rich with a diverse range of fish, from common catches to rare species that are hard to find. There are also crawfish in irrigation channels…! Experiment with different times of day and locations to catch the fish you want. Add any fish you find to your nature book collection!
Features and System Requirements:
Players need to solve puzzles and navigate platforming challenges to progress through the game. These challenges are designed to be accessible and fun for players of all ages, keeping with the light-hearted nature of the Shin Chan universe.
Players need to solve puzzles and navigate platforming challenges to progress through the game.
Collectibles like stickers, toys, and other in-game items are scattered throughout the town.
Screenshots
System Requirements
Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
OS: Windows 10
Processor: Intel Core i5 4440
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950
DirectX: Version 11
Storage: 4 GB available space
Support the game developers by purchasing the game on Steam
Installation Guide
Turn Off Your Antivirus Before Installing Any Game
1 :: Download Game 2 :: Extract Game 3 :: Launch The Game 4 :: Have Fun 🙂
We’ve got some adventurous announcements to make for those who are eagerly awaiting the release of Monster Hunter Wilds on February 28!
First, we invite you to participate in the Open Beta Test in October to traverse the dynamically-changing locales, examine the diverse ecology, and test your hunting skills on PlayStation®5. We will also be offering special bonuses to those who participate.
PlayStation®Plus subscribers will have early access to the Open Beta Test from Tuesday, October 29 at 10:00am GMT+7 / 11:00pm GMT+8 until Thursday, October 31 at 9:59am GMT+7 / 10:59am GMT+8.
Those who are not PS Plus subscribers can also participate in the Open Beta Test from Friday, November 1 at 10:00am GMT+7 / 11:00am GMT+8 to Monday, November 4 at 9:59am GMT+7 / 10:59am GMT+8.
Today, we’ll be sharing information about the newly released trailer, as well as special experiences you can enjoy on PlayStation®5. Make sure to watch until the end!
Monster Hunter Wilds: 5th Trailer | The Black Flame| PlayStation®5
New locale – Oilwell Basin
The Oilwell Basin is a new locale where the expedition team arrives. As the name implies, the area is brimming with oil wells, which will periodically burst into violent flames.
Azuz, the Everforge
In the Oilwell Basin, there’s a community that has settled around a large fire forge, where people skilled in the art of forging reside. Please look forward to what stories await you in Azuz.
New monsters with unique ecology to discover in the Oilwell Basin
The Black Flame
A mysterious monster the people from Azuz call the “Black Flame.”
Fanged Beast, Ajarakan
With a distinct well-developed shell that covers its back, Ajarakan is active during the Inclemency of the Oilwell Basin, the Firespring, and turns into a sweltering red when it rubs its shell against itself.
Brute Wyvern, Rompopolo
A monster that inhabits areas with deep oil silts.
As you may have noticed, monsters in the Oilwell Basin have adapted to the changing environment with their unique ecological anatomies.
What did you think of the new trailer?
What will the hunter and the expedition team witness in this area? Expect new findings, deeper mysteries, and a story that will expand into the vast reaches of the land.
What you can experience in the Open Beta Test
The Monster Hunter Wilds Open Beta Test includes three pieces of content: Character Creation, the Story Trial, and the Doshaguma Hunt. Traverse the Windward Plains to experience a changing ecosystem rife with opportunity.
Character Creation
Identical to the full release, Character Creation in the Open Beta Test allows players to select their physique and other characteristics (physique does not affect the player’s ability to play the game). Character designs created in the Open Beta Test can be carried over to the full release of the game (game progress will not be carried over). During the Open Beta Test, you can redo Character Creation as many times as you like, so why not take this opportunity to create your favorite Hunter and Palico?
Story Trial / Doshaguma Hunt
In the Story Trial where you can experience the opening of the game, you will play through the beginning of the story in an uninterrupted and seamless experience to defeat Chatacabra, which also includes a basic tutorial.
In the Doshaguma Hunt, take on the titular Doshaguma (alpha) that leads the herd.
Both quests can be enjoyed in multiplayer using an SOS Flare to connect with other online players. If players are unable to gather, up to three NPC support hunters will join to assist in the hunt.
The quest counter, which can be accessed by talking to Alma, the Handler, allows you to set the number of multiplayer players and other conditions in detail. You can set the number of players to four, or you can call one NPC support hunter and hunt alongside a Palico, etc.
Open Beta Test Bonus
By participating in the Open Beta Test, players will receive a Pendant and item pack that can be used to decorate their weapons and Seikret in the full release. These bonuses will be available as downloadable content. Enjoy decorating your weapons and Seikret in the full release of the game on February 28.
Now let’s review the Open Beta Test schedule!
PlayStation®5
PlayStation®Plus subscribers will have early access to the Open Beta Test from Tuesday, October 29 at 10:00am GMT+7 / 11:00pm GMT+8
A minimum of 18 GB of free space is required on the PlayStation®5.
All PlayStation™Network account holders
(Those who are not subscribed to PlayStation®Plus can also participate.)
Date: Friday, November 1 at 10:00am GMT+7 / 11:00am GMT+8 until Monday, November 4 at 09:59am GMT+7 / 10:59am GMT+8.
Pre-downloading is scheduled to begin at 10:00am GMT+7 / 11:00am GMT+8 on Thursday, October 31, 2024.
A minimum of 18 GB of free space is required on the PlayStation®5.
Start times may vary.
For more information, please visit the official Monster Hunter Wilds website.
Discover a special experience with PS5®.
Today, we are also happy to reveal the DualSense wireless controller – Monster Hunter Wilds Limited Edition.
Starting on November 22, 2024, players from Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, and Vietnam will be able to pre-order the controller from select retailers for SGD 119 / MYR 419 / IDR 1,549,000 / THB 2,890 / PHP 4,890 / VND 2,399,000.
The DualSense wireless controller – Monster Hunter Wilds Limited Edition will be available from February 28, 2025, day-and-date with the launch of Monster Hunter Wilds. Availability may vary by country/region, so be sure to check your local retailers.
DualSense® Wireless Controller
Haptic feedback
Feel every moment in your hands with haptic feedback, which allows you to enjoy precisely expressed vibrations in a variety of scenes, from natural phenomena such as lightning strikes to the roar of a monster.
Integrated speaker
The controller’s Integrated speaker emits the sounds of the Seikret and other endemic life. You can hear the breath of nearby living creatures.
Supports Tempest 3D audio technology
With state-of-the-art acoustic technology, you can hear the pulse of nature and life as if you were surrounded by it.
Adaptive triggers
Another supported feature is adaptive triggers, which change the button resistance depending on the situation. The adaptive resistance allows players to zoom in and out of the map more intuitively and improves usability while exploring vast locales.
Motion sensor
The accelerometer and gyroscope allow intuitive camera operation. This improves maneuverability during Focus Mode and long-range weapon aim, making it easier to target monsters.
Expect an immersive experience that only the PlayStation®5 version of Monster Hunter Wilds can provide.
Summary
That is all for today!
Although gameplay in the Open Beta Test will be limited, we hope you will be able to experience the seamless immersive experience, the dynamically-changing environment, and realistic monster ecology.
Monster Hunter Wilds is now available for pre-order. Make sure to get the Hunter Layered Armor, Guild Knight Set, and Hope Charm.
Pre-ordering at PS Store will also include the PlayStation®Store exclusive pre-order bonus Monster Hunter Wilds Digital Mini Art Book.
Hunters around the world, we’ll see you in the Open Beta Test! Monster Hunter Wilds will release on PlayStation®5 on Friday, February 28.
Online multiplayer in the full version requires a PlayStation®Plus subscription. Broadband Internet access is required.
ASMR videos started as a fringe section of YouTube, but the industry has grown exponentially in the last decade — rough estimates say there are at least 25 million ASMR videos on YouTube alone, coming from at least half a million channels dedicated to the craft. In the last five years or so, ASMR videos and their creators have increasingly entered public consciousness, despite common misconceptions about what ASMR really is.
For some creators and viewers, ASMR just means whispering — but ASMR videos can be anything designed to elicit autonomous sensory meridian response, a tingling feeling in the brain that some people have in reaction to specific visual or audio triggers. ASMR fans (myself included) say that response helps them relax, stave off panic attacks, and most notably, fall asleep. A note on vernacular: The ASMR community uses the acronym in a lot of ways, including as a noun that refers to any content that elicits ASMR. For instance, I might tell my husband, “No, I can’t watch TV with you tonight; I’m falling asleep to ASMR.”
Gibi ASMR, aka Gina (who does not share her full name online), found early success with her ASMR YouTube channel, which she launched in June 2016. Known for her funny role-play, her costumes and cosplays, and her fast-paced videos, 29-year-old Gibi (pronounced “jee-bee”) has amassed a huge community over the last eight years. Her videos often turn up on YouTube’s homepage, or you might see her pop up as a guest in other YouTubers’ videos. Now, as her channel exceeds 5 million subscribers, she’s releasing her magnum opus: The entire movie Shrek, but in ASMR.
Image: Gibi ASMR
Image: Gibi ASMR
The full-length, live-action fan film premieres on YouTube on Wednesday. Gibi said that ideally, fans can set up Shrek and Shrek ASMR side by side and they’ll be perfectly in sync, shot for shot. For instance, where DreamWorks animated Donkey (Eddie Murphy) and Shrek (Mike Myers) walking through a sunflower field together, Gibi and her team filmed B-roll with paper cutouts in a diorama-like setup.
This isn’t the first time Gibi has made an entire movie in ASMR. Her initial feature-length film, which premiered on YouTube three years ago, should give you an inkling of her and her fandom’s taste — it’s Bee Movie. She started that project after hundreds of days of one of her subscribers asking for it in the comments, then she figured out what she was doing during the process of making the film. Gibi told Polygon that Shrek was a natural next full-length for her and her subscribers. But for this production — which Gibi said she lovingly considers to have “school play vibes” — she had a much better idea of how to make the project work.
She told us that she and her team — editors, assistants, and her husband/manager, Ben — spent months scripting out the ASMR version of the film, creating shot lists, and determining which roles Gibi herself would play. Then, she cast her fellow ASMRtists (a common term for ASMR creators) in the important roles. She and her team spent the summer filming, with her as Shrek, of course, and a few in-person shoots with other important roles, like Batala from Batala’s ASMR as Donkey.
Image: Gibi ASMR
Image: Gibi ASMR
She’s kept her fans up to date throughout this process, including a video of her practicing her Shrek makeup and Instagram posts about the editing progress. She’s also opened up to her fans about her pregnancy along the way. She’s spent the last several months racing to finish editing the film before her first child is born: “NO, PLEASE STAY IN THERE LITTLE BUDDY, WE’RE NOT DONE WITH SHREK YET… KEEP COOKING…” she wrote in the description of her Oct. 2 upload, “ASMR What’s in my Hospital Bag?”
Polygon sat down with Gibi — who also co-owns ASMR-focused talent group Mana with her husband — for a video interview in August. We talked about ASMR’s recent growth in popularity, the monoculture around Shrek, her success as a YouTuber, and of course, Shrek ASMR.
This interview has been edited for concision and clarity.
Polygon: What’s it been like to watch ASMR become a familiar, common word after spending so much time having to explain it every time you talk to somebody about it?
Gibi: It’s been really refreshing to finally have ASMR be a household term. […] I remember that vividly as a high schooler, figuring out that ASMR was a thing. And then even when I started my own channel, which was maybe six years after I even discovered what [ASMR] was, I had to explain what it was to so many people. I mean, my parents, my parents’ friends, my friends, my boyfriend at the time, who’s now my husband — and it’s his full-time job, working with creators and ASMR people.
I frequently find that when I talk to people about ASMR, they think it’s a sexual thing. Have you found this? And can you speak to why there’s that misconception?
When I first started doing interviews talking about what ASMR was, that was 100% the second question I would get: “Is it a sex thing?” Because people just aren’t used to a lot of vulnerability and feelings and being comforted and having closeness with somebody without it being sexual. […] And the ASMR industry, I guess, does tend to be dominated by women, which, again, is not common in anything in the world. And I think, again, we kind of get targeted as, Oh, well, if it’s a bunch of women, it must be a sex thing. “All we’re good for” kind of thing, which is really unfortunate.
I can definitely describe it as a virtual massage. If someone had never heard of what a massage was in their life and you said, “Well, you get into a dark room with a stranger, you take off your clothes, and then they rub your body. It feels really good. It’s not sexual, though,” you’d be like, “No, I don’t believe you.”
That’s such a good point.
A couple of actual studies have been done that show that people who experience ASMR have physiological responses to it, including a lowering of heart rate and things like that, that are quite literally the direct opposite of sexual arousal. So it’s nice to have science back that up.
Right. You’re trying to fall asleep, not the opposite. So on to Shrek. Let’s talk about the origin of the Shrek videos. I think maybe six years ago was the first time you posted a Shrek video. Tell me about the process of deciding to do that, specifically undertaking such a huge time investment in terms of the makeup.
It’s a very long story. Oh, let’s see — the highlights. I really love challenging projects and kind of following something that sounds fun to me. And I also really love interacting with my community. And there was one viewer years ago who started a comment thread, I guess, or trend. He said, “Day one of asking Gibi to do the entire Bee Movie.” […] I’m like, That’s actually really funny. And he kept it up for over a hundred days.
I think he just wanted me to do a Bee Movie role-play. But I was like, I’ll do the whole movie shot for shot. […] I don’t think anyone had ever, before that, recreated an entire movie in ASMR, but it’s fun to explore something that we all like, or are interested in, in our own medium. […] I made the Bee Movie, and because there were so many parts in the Bee Movie, I thought it would be a really good time to invite other people in the community to play cameos and play roles.
And it was so much fun. After it was done, it was a really big success, and people wanted more. And the natural progression was, obviously they wanted Shrek. If there’s anything else in this world that the internet loves more than the Bee Movie, it’s going to be Shrek, because I think the Bee Movie is like a meme. […] But Shrek is very unironically such a good movie. […] Everyone loves Shrek. I keep talking to people about what I’m working on like, “Do you know Shrek?” “Oh my god. I love Shrek.” Old people, people who aren’t American. […] It’s maybe a perfect movie.
The global unifier is Shrek. Everyone loves Shrek. I knew that this one would be much harder than the Bee Movie, because of the scope of the movie, and the makeup — and the fact that I was doing another one, I had to make it better. I had to go farther. So I knew this would be harder. I didn’t know how hard it was going to be, but we’re in too deep now.
I actually set it as a charity goal during one of my charity streams. I said, “Listen, if we hit this charity goal, I will do Shrek.” […] And I had already been working on it, because I was like, I think this might be inevitable. So many, many months were just the pre-production. […] And we’re in the filming stage now, and luckily, while I’m filming, my editor Dennis has been editing. […] It’s like we have a mini little production company putting this on.
It’s basically an indie film, what you’re producing.
It’s almost 80 other ASMR creators who have lent their time and talent doing cameos and other roles.
Image: Gibi ASMR
Image: Gibi ASMR
I’m excited to see who’s in there. As far as casting goes, did you cast based on what your participants wanted to play, or did you have specific ASMRtists in mind for specific roles?
What I found with the Bee Movie and what I implemented again in Shrek was, the best move is to let people cast themselves. So I would reach out to someone and say, “Take a look at all these characters. Tell me who you want, and I’m going to wait until you tell me before I send it on to the next person.” […] It took two weeks to cast, just because I was reaching out to everyone. I didn’t want people to have to compete for a role or anything like that.
And are you controlling what type of ASMR they’re incorporating in order to achieve that scene? Or are you kind of just saying, “Use your favorite triggers, do whatever you want”?
Our main goal is to be as close to the film as possible, because I want to be able to play the original Shrek along with our rendition of Shrek, and it matches up perfectly. We’re just doing it in whispering, and anytime we’re interacting with an object, it’s going to be quiet. So I filmed a tutorial for everybody, wrote out a bunch of instructions, et cetera, and then cut out everyone’s scenes, gave everyone’s scripts with their scenes and parts highlighted.
So I say, “Here’s your character’s folder. You’ve got your scripts in there, you’ve got your clips in there, you’ve got everything you need.” And costumes — if they needed to buy any costumes or props or anything, I covered that. Otherwise, they were free to do whatever they wanted, however they’re interpreting it, however they want to look. And I love seeing what people come up with for their costumes and their sets and stuff. It’s very funny.
So are these people getting paid?
It’s definitely a passion project. It’s fun for a lot of people, and again, I’m so thankful for their time and their effort. So I was like, “If you buy anything for this, I swear to God, you better let me reimburse you. Please don’t spend too much time or energy on it. It’s silly. It’s supposed to be silly. It’s not that serious.” But for somebody like […] Donkey, I reached out to [Batala’s ASMR] and said, “Hey, you can play whatever part you want, but I would love you for Donkey. […] This is going to be a paid role.”
Because it was five days of filming. Donkey has so many lines. He’s in the entire movie. I cannot in good conscience ask anyone to do this for free. […] Whereas the rest of the movie, hopefully everyone was able to do it in a day or a sitting. Some people went really all out.
I’m not trying to do the exposure thing, but also, you clearly have millions of subscribers.
No, it’s very valid. Doing collaborations with other channels is a great way to get your channel out there.
Image: Gibi ASMR
What was one of the hardest scenes to film?
I had to choreograph and shot-list the choreography for the Merry Men scene, with Robin Hood and all of his dancing Merry Men. So that was a whole scene that, for example, my assistant Morgan — I was like, “You just have to take scene 27.” […] So she filmed herself dancing every single part so that she could show each — Merry Man 1, Merry Man 2, Merry Man 3 — exactly what you’re doing. Because we have to cut this; everyone has to be in sync. We’re sending this out to eight different people who are filming in their own homes. But it has to look cohesive. So that was a ton of work.
And then Fiona’s fight scene, right after that, was crazy. I’m pregnant. I’m like, 20 weeks pregnant.
Oh my god, I forgot! Congratulations.
Yeah, thank you. I’m filming a fight scene as Fiona. I’m doing a spinning jump kick in my studio, pregnant, and I’m just like, What am I? It’s fine. And I looked great, so no regrets.
Is this the biggest project you’ve ever done?
This is definitely the biggest project I’ve ever done, and I’ve done quite a few large projects. I think the Bee Movie took me a good couple months. I remember it being a large ordeal and saying that I would never do it again.
Here we are. I really underestimated this one, but I feel so passionately about making it good and doing justice to a movie that people love so much.
What are your experiences with Shrek?
I loved Shrek as a kid. My family and I, we would watch movies a lot, and Shrek was one that was on repeat for sure. It was just different, and it was funny, and it was so quotable and so relatable. Somehow you’re relating to an ogre and a princess and a talking donkey, and it’s just good every time you watch it.
And as I got older and older, I’d go back and rewatch my old childhood favorites and stuff. Some stuff you just like because it’s nostalgic, but Shrek was one of those where you watch it as an adult and you’re like, This movie is genuinely so good and so funny. Again, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched Shrek at this point. I know every single line by heart, but some of them still make me laugh out loud.
Image: Gibi ASMR
Is there a copyright issue with filming an entire movie shot for shot?
Not that we know of. It’s obviously very transformative. A lot of the copyright issue lies with the music, so obviously we’re not using any of the music. […] I would be scared for DreamWorks to see this production, but I hope they see it for what it is, which is a love letter to Shrek.
Everyone was like, “Gibi, you manifested Shrek 5.” And I’m like, “Sorry, you guys manifested it.” Because it’s not a coincidence we chose to do Shrek as our big movie project. It’s because it’s so beloved and because everyone — everyone — wants more Shrek. It hasn’t aged out. […] I’m so ready. I’m so pumped. I think it’s clear, the world’s attitude toward the Shrek franchise. I just kind of miss them. I just wonder what they’re up to. […] There’s a whole Shrek subreddit, you know.
And is the plan to keep going with your channel? You’re about to have a kid, and I assume your life is going to change a lot.
I always said, “If people are still watching, I’ll keep filming.”
I hope so. Maybe the-back-of-baby’s-head ASMR. […] It’s really cool, because my audience has been with me for the past eight years, and a lot of stuff has happened since then. Moved a couple of times, got engaged, got married, got a dog, had another dog. Big life changes and stuff. That’s one of my favorite things — being a viewer and a consumer of other people’s channels, being a part of that kind of community. The longevity of some people’s online presence is crazy. And it’s crazy to know that I’m one of those people.
Since Polygon is a video game website, I always like to ask people if you’re playing anything right now. I’m playing Hades 2. It’s so good. I will champion the Hades franchise until I die. And I’m playing Baldur’s Gate 3 right now. […] Sometimes I dabble still in The Sims 4, but most of my time has been dedicated to Shrek.
I’d rather command a small troop of ruthless husks to fight my battles than do the dirty work myself – and in the game [Weyyyyyy! -RPS staff]. That’s reason number one as to why I’m interested in Skull Horde, an “auto battler dungeon crawler” which casts you as a necromancer in a tiny pixel art world.
Reason number two is that it’s coming from the developers of the explosively moreish Bore Blasters. Find a teaser trailer below.
In a statement sent to Kotaku over email, an Ubisoft representative said, “We are pleased to confirm Ubisoft Montpellier and Ubisoft Milan have recently started an exploration phase on the Rayman brand. The project is still in its early stages, and we will share more details later.”
Rayman could be making a comeback after a decade-long absence. Image source: Ubisoft.
Ubisoft’s statement follows a report earlier today saying that the Lost Crown team had been shifted to work on Beyond Good and Evil 2, the next Ghost Recon, and an unannounced Rayman remake. Creator Michel Ancel was also reported to be involved, which Ubisoft subsequently confirmed.
“As creator of the Rayman brand, Michel Ancel is being consulted to ensure consistency within the universe,” the Ubisoft representative said.
As creator of the Rayman brand, Michel Ancel is being consulted to ensure consistency within the universe
Ancel departed Ubisoft in 2020, saying that he planned to leave the games industry and open a wildlife sanctuary. Ancel was subsequently revealed to be under investigation for allegations of behavior that led to toxic workplace conditions, which he refuted and called “fake news” in an Instagram post. He has mostly kept a low profile since then, though he did pay tribute to Beyond Good and Evil 2 creative director Emile Morel, who died suddenly in 2023.
It’s been more than a decade since the release of the last game in the series — 2013’s Rayman Legends. While its start has faded, Rayman is a storied platformer with history stretching back to 1995. The series has appeared on numerous platforms, ranging from the Atari Jaguar and Sega Saturn to Switch, PS4, and Xbox One. A definition edition of Rayman Legends was released in 2017.
Developer Ubisoft Montpellier ostensibly remains hard at work on Beyond Good and Evil 2, which was announced in 2017 and has hardly been seen since. Ubisoft Milan, for its part, is best-known for its work on Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope.
Ubisoft as a whole continues to be embattled by rumors of a takeover and other issues. The French publisher’s earnings are set to place next week, with the potential to shed more light on its increasingly uncertain future.
Kat Bailey is IGN’s News Director as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.
Amazon has restocked preorders for the Tears of the Kingdom Princess Zelda Figma figure. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Figma lineup now includes Zelda, Ganondorf, and Link, who is getting a Deluxe version, too.
Here are all four of Amazon’s preorder listings. The Tears of the Kingdom Figma line launches throughout 2025-26. Ganondorf and Zelda are sold out at Amazon, as is the Link DX Edition, but you can preorder the Zelda and Ganondorf Figma figures from Crunchyroll for $115 each.
Here are all four of Amazon’s preorder listings. The Tears of the Kingdom Figma line launches throughout 2025-26. Ganondorf is sold out at Amazon, as is the Link DX Edition, but you can preorder Ganondorf from Crunchyroll for $115.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Figma Figures by Good Smile
Preorder at Amazon:
Preorder at Crunchyroll:
Zelda Figma (Tears of the Kingdom)
Release Date: January 14, 2026
Zelda Figma
Gallery
Like the other Figma figures, you’re not only getting an incredibly accurate replica of Princess Zelda as she appears in Tears of the Kingdom, but also a ton of accessories to help recreate iconic moments from the Breath of the Wild sequel. With this release, you’re getting a an optional closed-eyes face to recreate her prayer scenes, a serious face for serious times, and other optional parts for different poses. There’ll also be a broken Master Sword and a Purah Pad included.
Amazon
Crunchyroll
Link Figma (Tears of the Kingdom)
Release Date: July 2, 2025
Link Figma
Both versions share the same overall Tears of the Kingdom design that allows Link to nail almost any pose you can think of, and both Figma editions come with three faces you can easily swap in or out–smiling, neutral, and shouting faces–a Master Sword, Hylian Shield, Hylian hood, and a base to pose Link on.
The DX version is easily the best, as you get a lot more with it: a paraglider, rocket, rocket effect parts, Construct bow, arrows, Ascend ability effect parts, traveler’s shield, rock hammer, and King Rauru’s right arm.
Amazon:
Entertainment Earth:
Ganondorf Figma (Tears of the Kingdom)
Release Date: September 1, 2025
Ganondorf Figma
Ganondorf is also quite impressive in Figma form, as the hulking antagonist dwarfs both Link and Zelda in the size department. He can also strike a wide variety of poses, and his accessories include the Gloom Sword, a scabbard for it, the Gloom Spear, Demon King’s bow, an arrow, effect parts, and three swappable faces.
Almost three years after Spider-Man: No Way Home was released, Tom Holland has finally confirmed a fourth film is shooting next year.
There’s been a lot of uncertainty about Spider-Man 4, first about whether it would even happen or not, later knowing that it is happening but with Holland staying cautious about it, and later still finding a director in Shang-Chi’s Destin Daniel Cretton. With that in place, it seems like that uncertainty isn’t needed anymore, as during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Holland was asked by the titular host about a possible fourth film. “There is some chatter that Spider-Man 4 is happening, and that you’ll be back as Spider-Man,” Fallon said, prompting a sly smile from the actor, with Holland asking “what do you want to know?”
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Fallon goes on to ask, “can we confirm this tonight?” which got a plain and simple “it’s happening,” from Holland. “Next summer we start shooting, everything’s good to go. We’re nearly there, super exciting. I can’t wait.” That’ll obviously be good news for those of you that have desperately been awaiting some kind of official update, but if you’re looking for plot details, you’re out of luck there I’m afraid. There have been a few rumours here and there, and it’s clear that with No Way Home ending as it does and how long this one has taken to develop there’s been a bit of back and forth on how to progress, but if it’s set to shoot next summer clearly an idea has more or less been formed.
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Unless Holland was just being a bit coy, we can probably not expect Miles Morales to turn up in the MCU, as the actor recently shared that if he “would be lucky enough to somehow bring Miles Morales into my Spider-Man universe and into the MCU, I’d love to do for a young kid what [Robert Downey Jr.] did for me.” Maybe that is happening and he’s gotten better at lying, but for now you’ll just have to wait and see.
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