Games

The Dune series by Frank Herbert has gained significant popularity. For years, the science fiction novels have been cherished by genre enthusiasts, but Denis Villeneuve’s dual-film adaptation of the first book has introduced the tale of the Atreides and the Imperium to a broader audience. Villeneuve has hinted at plans for adapting Dune Messiah, the second book in the series. While the director hasn’t discussed personally adapting the entire series, if the third Dune movie fares well, it seems likely that more will follow. However, Villeneuve isn’t the only Dune collaborator discussing a potential third film. In a recent interview with Variety about his upcoming animated film Spellbound, Bardem playfully threatened to travel to Canada to locate Villeneuve if his character Stilgar is not featured in the movie.

A recently unveiled PS5 Pro video has left some PlayStation enthusiasts surprised due to a noticeable downgrade when compared to the Xbox Series X. Launched in 2020, the Xbox Series X went head-to-head with the PS5 as their respective flagship consoles. Sony’s latest offering, the PS5 Pro, is meant to be an improved version of the original PS5 and, by extension, the Xbox Series X. In many aspects, it lives up to expectations; however, there’s one significant area where it falls short.

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.