Games

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is among the most venerable franchises in history. The Turtles are celebrating their 40-year anniversary, and are having something of a renaissance. 2023’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem was a huge hit with fans, with an animated series follow-up on Paramount+. IDW has gotten big name comic creators — Jason Aaron, Joelle Jones, Rafael Albuquerque, Cliff Chiang, Chris Burnham, and Darick Robertson — for their new books. TMNT: The Last Ronin was a massive hit, spawning sequels and spinoffs. Things are going pretty great for the line, and now they’re getting dark doppelgangers from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures, a comic that continues the classic TMNT cartoon of the late ’80s/early ’90s. These dark doppelgangers were co-designed by NECA, a high-end action figure producer, and there’s already a Dark Leonardo prototype.

Among the numerous standout titles this year, Black Myth: Wukong stands out as one of the best, and there’s a good reason why. However, a sneak peek at the Golden Joysticks Awards implies that more is in store for Sun Wukong, possibly soon. Developed by a relatively small Chinese team, Game Science Studio’s tribute to Journey to the West with Black Myth: Wukong has been a hit even before it was playable. A video from 2020 showcasing a monkey-like character with a magical staff and a colossal wolf-like boss received over 1.6 million views, making it a highly anticipated title.

As a passionate gamer, I’m eagerly waiting for the final episodes of Arcane’s second season. If the previous installments are any indication, it promises to bring the series to a thrilling conclusion. Riot Games and Studio Fortiche have confirmed that this will mark the end of Jinx and Vi’s current tale, but they’ve hinted at more League of Legends stories making their way onto our screens in the future. However, before we can witness the series finale on Netflix, there’s been a bit of controversy stirring up. This is due to an image some fans believe was created using artificial intelligence.

The latest major PS5 launch is now compatible with Steam Deck. This past year for PlayStation 5 has been quite a ride, filled with both triumphs and setbacks. Titles such as Helldivers 2, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Stellar Blade, Black Myth: Wukong, and Astro Bot have provided numerous peaks in the gaming experience. These games are either exclusive to PS5 or only available on consoles that include PS5. This lineup is quite impressive indeed. However, there were also some significant downsides, with Concord being the most notable. Additionally, there was no shortage of debatable moments, like the rumored PS5 Pro launch, which caused a stir online due to its $700 price tag.

You can now enjoy the entire Alien movie series in one spot, even the latest addition, Alien: Romulus. As the holiday season approaches, many will flock to cinemas for films such as Gladiator II, Wicked, Moana 2, and more blockbusters. But for those seeking a change of pace during this festive period, 20th Century Studios offers the perfect present – a marathon of Alien movies for your viewing pleasure.

Four years on, the game “Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin” is back with a fresh spin-off and an accompanying anime series, as confirmed by Sakuna Studios themselves. First released in 2020, “Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin” was developed by Edelwiess and distributed by Marvelous. The game stands out as an action RPG where players step into the shoes of Princess Sakuna, a deity assigned to investigate and dwell on the enigmatic Island of Demons, aiming to control the demon population while nurturing a small human settlement. Much like another Marvelous title, “Rune Factory”, “Sakuna” provides its players with a multi-faceted gameplay experience, switching between intense hack-and-slash combat and relaxing farming simulations.