Did you hear about this creature collector game that's been upsetting people lately? In it, you capture wild animals, forcing them out of their habitats and into fighting others, and even breed them for personal gain. Many of the creatures have dark backstories involving death and dismemberment. The cuddly designs of the creatures belie the true nature of a world that preys on its wildlife for fame and fortune. It's understandably become a lightning rod of criticism, where gamers seeking a wholesome, cozy experience are instead left to confront these simulated analogs of real-life animal exploitation. It's been an uncomfortable experience to say the least, but, hey, that's Pokemon for you.

Oh, did you think I meant Palworld? Nope. For the first time in the genre, as far as I'm aware, a creature collector game has owned up to its exploitation-as-gameplay systems--and I appreciate the sincerity.

In Palworld, the latest in a long line of Pokemon-inspired games, the otherwise ubiquitous cognitive dissonance between what a game in this genre says versus what it shows has finally closed. It must be the most cynical creature collector I've ever played, and that's a refreshing perspective in a genre so often tripping over itself to present things as joyous and heartfelt.

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Planning on playing Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth on New Game Plus? Then be prepared to spend a bit more than $70.

According to the game's official website, only its Digital Deluxe and Ultimate Editions include the New Game Plus mode. In addition to this feature, these editions also give you the ability to explore a bonus dungeon, and obtain special Sujimons, resort guests, and outfits.

There are achievements and trophies attached to the paid DLC, which is normal, but the fact that New Game Plus is locked away in it is strange. Games typically include New Game Plus within the base package, but some receive the feature after launch. However, unlike Infinite Wealth, the feature is usually added as a free update, such as in God of War: Ragnarok and Alan Wake 2.

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A new limited-edition Shovel Knight vinyl statue is on the way from figure maker Youtooz. The 4.5-inch figure is set to launch for $30 sometime in June, and preorders are available now via Entertainment Earth.

Preorder Shovel Knight Youtooz Figure $30

The figure features the titular hero of Yacht Club game's beloved 2D platformer posing with his iconic blue armor, horned helmet, and trusty shovel blade. The figure was designed by Youtooz community member and character artist therealracckun. Based on the number on the box, it appears more Shovel Knight figures could be released in the future.

While the Shovel Knight Youtooz figure looks like it will make a great addition to your shelf whether in the packaging or not, collectors will be pleased to hear it comes with an illustrated display box "showing a lush forest with a tall castle tower that spirals up to the clouds in the distance" on the outside and a dark blue backdrop on the interior. It also ships in its box with an additional protective outer sleeve and a custom plastic protector to ensure the statuette and its display box arrive in mint condition.

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Youtooz figures of popular characters tend to sell out, so it's worth preordering the Shovel Knight statue from Entertainment Earth while it's still available. Note that you will not be charged until the shipping date.

If you're looking for more figure deals from Entertainment Earth, a bunch of Pokemon Funko Pop figures are also available for preorder at the online collectibles retailer, including the hard-to-find Deluxe Pokemon Moments Funko Pop set featuring Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle.

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For the first time, HoYoverse is offering a limited-time event five-star for free. Honkai: Star Rail, the developer's free-to-play turn-based RPG, won three awards in its first year, including The Game Awards' Best Mobile Game. Soon after, HoYo announced an opportunity to claim Dr. Ratio, a five-star Imaginary Hunt character, without spending a single Star Rail Pass. Here's how you can get Dr. Ratio for free. Better get him now while the offer lasts.

How do I get Dr. Ratio for free?I already claimed Dr. Ratio in this image, but this is the message you need to find.

Thankfully, you can get Dr. Ratio for free even if you just started Honkai: Star Rail. He's available to anyone who has unlocked the mail feature.

Open your phone dashboard and click on the mail icon. The mail including Dr. Ratio should be starred at the top with the title "Subscription Reply from Dr. Ratio." Inside is an automatic reply from the scholar himself. Click the Claim button to add him to your roster. You'll know if you did it if he pops up on your screen and appears in your Character list after opening your mail.

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Dr. Ratio rivals Herta's arrogance and Ruan Mei's eccentricity. As a member of the Intelligensia Guild, he has a low tolerance for ignorance. Unlike the Genius Society, the Guild believes that the pursuit of knowledge should be free to anyone willing to learn and not just a select few. Dr. Ratio is a scholar and teacher at the Guild, known for his odd habit of wearing a plaster mask like the kind you'd see on a Greek statue or in a museum. (It's apparently to block out the idiots.)

Dr. Ratio is the first member of the Guild to appear as a playable character in Honkai: Star Rail. He's also the first limited-time 5-star character that HoYoverse has offered to its players. Here's a quick rundown of Dr. Ratio's abilities and his best Light Cones, Relics, and team comps.

Dr. Ratio specializes in two things that set him apart from other DPS characters: increased damage against debuffed enemies and follow-up attacks. Some characters deal extra damage against enemies afflicted with specific status effects (looking at you, Kafka) and those famous for their follow-up attacks (Topaz, Blade, Himeko, etc), but these abilities haven't been combined into one character until now. These traits make Dr. Ratio more of a team player than his personality would suggest.

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It’s tough to go alone, so take some friends in Palworld multiplayer and let them do the hard work. You can join four or 32 players, depending on the platform, for your Palworld adventures, but the monster-catching game isn’t keen on actually telling you how to do it. Our Palworld multiplayer guide explains how to play with friends and what co-op features are available on each platform.

How to play Palworld multiplayer sessions

If you want to play Palworld with friends, you have two options. You can create a world of your own and host your friends in a pretty straightforward way. From the world selection screen, choose “create a new world.” Then, toggle the “multiplayer” setting to on. It’s off by default, so every time you make a world for co-op play, you’ll need to toggle it back on. That’s all you need to do at this point, so just start the game as normal after that.

You’ll need to decide before starting a session whether you want to play solo or with friends The settings you pick when you start a new game apply to that world for a session’s duration.

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Alec Baldwin was indicted by a grand jury today on charges related to the 2021 death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who was fatally shot by Baldwin during rehearsals for his upcoming film, Rust (via AP).

The case was brought before a Santa Fe grand jury by special prosecutors this week after new evidence allegedly came to light regarding the weapon that ultimately ended 42-year-old Ukrainian cinematographer Halyna Hutchins' life.

On April 20th, 2023, all criminal charges against Baldwin--whose statements regarding whether he pulled the trigger frequently contradicted each other--were ultimately dropped, while charges against the on-set armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed proceeded as planned. But now the indictment of Baldwin could see him held criminally liable for the death of Hutchins.

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Amiibo collectors and Xenoblade Chronicles fans will be happy to know that the brand-new Noah and Mio two-pack has been restocked on launch day. The $40 set featuring Noah and Mio from Xenoblade Chronicles 3 released today, January 19, and is currently available to purchase at Best Buy and GameStop. Meanwhile, the set has been going in and out of stock at Amazon.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 - Noah + Mio Amiibo -- $40

• Best Buy
• GameStop
• Amazon

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Amiibo

At $40, this two-pack is pricier than the average Amiibo--they usually go for $16 individually or $30 for a set of two. That said, if you're a big Xenoblade Chronicles fan, it should be noted that the set is more likely to go up in price via resellers than down. Most Amiibo figures sell out around launch and then are tough to find at retail price unless Nintendo decides to reprint them.

Noah and Mio are the stars of Xenoblade Chronicles 3, the final entry in Monolith Soft's revered action-RPG trilogy. The series is commonly regarded as one of the best among modern RPGs, and Xenoblade Chronicle 3 capped off the epic tale in style. It earned an 8/10 in GameSpot's Xenoblade Chronicles 3 review.

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Halo Infinite is done with seasons and won't receive a Season 6. Instead, developer 343 Industries is leaning into shorter, free Operations that will come every 4-6 weeks.

343 Industries dove into what players of the free-to-play shooter can expect in the weeks and months ahead in a recent livestream. The answer is a whole lot of Operations, as well as a free update on January 30. That update will add a new Halo Wars-themed Operation, as well as new customization options, and a new map. Halo Infinite community director Brian Jarrard on stream said Operations are what the team is "really leaning into" and a "big part" of the game going forward, confirming at the end of the stream that seasons as fans have come to know them won't be returning.

Operations were first introduced during Halo Infinite Season 5, and are in many ways similar to seasons, with the main difference being all of their rewards can be obtained for free for a limited time. Halo Infinite seasons typically lasted 4-6 months, whereas free Operations only last a few weeks. As was the case with seasons, players can purchase a premium version to gain permanent access to each Operation. After the Operation has run its course, it will become available to purchase on the game's store for players who may have missed out on earning its rewards during its limited-time run.

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UC Berkeley is offering a class that's centered around fighting games for the Spring 2024 semester. Not only will the class teach people how to become better players, but it'll also explore the impact the genre has had on the world.

Thanks to a UC Berkeley course description, we know that the goal of this class is "to help bring beginners to a mid-level of play with guided assistance to offer the smoothest introduction to the world of fighting games." Since the class is beginner-friendly, it's "geared towards people with less than 100 hours in the genre."

In addition to getting good at fighting games, it'll also explore its impact on Japanese culture. According to the class description, the course is meant to be a "gateway to understanding modern Japanese culture."

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After years of delays, Ubisoft's pirate-themed open-world action RPG Skull and Bones will finally launch for PC and consoles on February 16. Players can venture into the open waters of the Indian Ocean as their own customized captain and ship in the game's single-player campaign, or engage in multiplayer modes like Disputed Waters or Loot Hunt.

With the launch date imminent, now's the time to preorder your copy of Skull and Bones on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, or PC to take advantage of bonuses and exclusive editions. It will also launch on day one for the Ubisoft+ subscription service. There are multiple versions of the game available, including standard, limited, and premium editions on all platforms, and you'll get a few in-game bonus items and exclusive perks for buying an early copy. Let's go over all the places where you can buy Skull and Bones, the pricing and content differences between each version, and all the preorder perks to take advantage of.

Skull and Bones Preorder BonusesSkull & Bones preorder bonus

All Skull and Bones preorders will include the Highness of the High Sea DLC pack, which comes with the Notoriety Garb in-game skin and Coronation Firework ship vanity item. The offer applies to all editions on all consoles. The Skull and Bones preorder content arrives via digital code after the game launches on February 16 and must be redeemed by November 8, 2024.

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In the Halo TV series, Master Chief takes off his helmet. This might not sound like a big deal, but Master Chief almost never takes his helmet off in the games, so the announcement that he would in the TV series ruffled a lot of feathers. Now, Master Chief actor Pablo Schreiber is doubling down on that decision and further discussing why he believes it's in the best interest of the storytelling heading into Season 2.

Speaking to SFX Magazine (via Games Radar), Schreiber said the naysayers might want to reconsider their opinion.

"People who don't feel the helmet was necessary to come off, they're at such an early conception of what the show could be," " he said. "In order to examine the discrepancy between these two versions of the character [Chief and John-117], you can't tell that story without taking the helmet off."

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If you're a Call of Duty: Warzone or a Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III person, you're entitled to compensation. After the buggy launch of the Season 1 Reloaded update, Activision is giving away a "thank you" care package. This includes an extension of the Double XP event, which is now running until January 24, as well as 1-hour 2XP tokens for Player, Battle Pass, and Weapon within 48 hours of logging in.

Double XP won't exactly make up for your lost matches, but at the very least, getting back up to speed will be somewhat easier. If you were waiting until the weekend to jump into the season, you're in luck, because the past few days have been rough.

At times, players would get locked up in place when trying to grab their loadout drop. Other prominent problems involved crashes, visual bugs with random graphical roadblocks, and being trapped in a "Fetching Data" loop (not a spiral). Developer Raven Software shared a behind-the-scenes update shortly after the launch explaining how some of these issues came to be.

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PlayStation 5 Disc Console Slim + Spider-Man 2 Bundle

$499 (was $560)

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Last November, Sony launched the updated PS5 Slim, offering a compact new design with the same powerful hardware as the original console. The PS5 Slim was bundled with Marvel's Spider-Man 2 at launch for the holidays--and somehow, the bundle is still available for only $499 at Amazon and Walmart. The bundle is either sold out or back to the full $560 price at other major retailers, including Best Buy and Target. Meanwhile, the Call of Duty PS5 Slim bundle is sold out at all major retailers, so we expect the Spider-Man bundle to disappear soon, too.

PlayStation 5 Disc Console Slim + Spider-Man 2 Bundle $499 (was $560)

The PS5 Slim Spider-Man 2 bundle essentially gets you the excellent open-world game for free. Typically listed for $560, Amazon has it on sale for $499. We've also seen it listed at Walmart for the same price--though this seems to vary based on your location. At any rate, these are the only two retailers still offering the discount, and it likely won't be available for much longer.

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It's a similar story for the Nintendo Switch OLED Super Smash Bros. bundle and PS5 Slim + Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 bundle, both of which saw steep discounts around the holidays and are now sold out or priced higher. However, you can still get the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Nintendo Switch holiday bundle at Amazon and Best Buy for $300--at least for now.

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The iconic GameCube start-up sound is a fond memory of many gamers' childhoods, but for the last 23 years, the beloved Nintendo console has been harboring a little-known secret: There's an alternate version of the well-known xylophone jingle that plays when the console is turned on, and it sounds absolutely hilarious.

Recently shared online by an employee at Secret Castle Toys--a local game shop based in Owensboro, Kentucky--the secret Easter egg start-up noise has taken the internet by storm, with many gamers wondering how so few knew about it for so long. According to the employee who shared the hidden sound with the world via a TikTok video, all one needs to do to access the Easter egg is hold down the Z button on their controller when booting up the console.

When done correctly, the Easter egg causes the GameCube's familiar xylophone jingle to be replaced by a series of amusing squeaks, similar to the sound of a squeaky dog toy being repeatedly stepped on as the console's animated G-shaped logo unfurls across the screen. The secret start-up sound then ends with an audio clip of a child laughing.

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The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered has arrived, and Antonline is celebrating with a few great bundles. Naughty Dog made notable changes for this PS5 upgrade, including native 4K output in Fidelity Mode, improved load times, and a new roguelike survival mode called No Return. The game itself isn't on sale, but you'll find it included in a variety of bundles, giving you a cheap way to snag a new DualSense controller or a discounted copy of The Last of Us Part I.

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The bundle seeing the biggest discount includes both The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered and The Last of Us Part 1. It's available for just $80 (down from $120), making it the perfect option for anyone diving into the post-apocalyptic adventure for the first time. Free shipping is included with your purchase, with deliveries arriving in as little as three days.

You'll also find two bundles that include The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered and a new DualSense controller (one bundle features Starlight Blue, the other Galactic Purple). These are currently listed for $100 each, saving you $25.

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Palworld, the game that has been nicknamed "Pokémon with guns," has sold over one million copies in just eight hours since its release into early access, and its servers are struggling to keep up.

"We are blown away with the response to Palworld and we're doing our best to respond to your issues," developer Pocketpair said in a statement. "Currently, our server provider is reporting that due to the large amount of concurrent players, the servers have become unstable and you may be experiencing issues connecting to servers."

While the studio is working on the issue, Pocketpair also suggested reconnecting two or three times to the game as players have reported successfully logging in after launching the game.

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He's here! Everyone's favorite arms dealer, Xur, is back to offer a curated selection of weapons and armor during a quiet time for Destiny 2. That break from the usual stress of battling entities beyond mortal comprehension will be coming to a break soon as new Season of the Wish content is on the way, so now is a good time to arm yourself for some upcoming challenges. Here's where Xur is this weekend and what he has for sale.

This week you can find Xur in the EDZ, in the Winding Cove area. For his weapon, Xur is offering Skyburner's Oath. Hunters can pick up Gemini Jester leg armor; Titans can grab Peregrine Greaves leg armor; and Warlocks can buy the Getaway Artist gauntlets.

Xur locationXur's location in the EDZ.

Spawn in at the Winding Cove transmat zone, then hop on your sparrow and go north. Take the collapsed overpass on the left and look for a cave near the bend in the road. Follow the tunnel through the cliff face to reach a higher ridge where a Fallen dropship has crashed; you'll find Xur waiting there.

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Best Buy is running another big sale this weekend, giving you a chance to pick up video games, laptops, TVs, and other popular electronics for cheap. This time of year is usually light on deals--so be sure to give it a look if you want to cross off items on your wishlist without going over budget. Most of the price cuts end on Sunday, though a few end early on Saturday, so swing by and check them out while you can. Make sure to also check out our roundup of the best steelbook edition Blu-rays that Best Buy has on clearance while supplies last.

Console Gaming

Console gaming deals are a bit light this weekend, but My Best Buy Plus and Total Members can save $50 when purchasing an Xbox Series X. You'll also find a few hit games on sale (including Bayonetta 3 and Dead Space). Diablo 4 might be the best video game on sale, as it's listed for $45 (down from $70) and its third season is about to start on January 23. That makes it the perfect time to dive in, as all players will be rolling new characters (so you won't feel overwhelmed by players well above your level). You'll find a few other console gaming deals below.

• Xbox Series X Console (Plus or Total Members Only) -- $450 ($500)
• Astro Gaming A50 Wireless Gaming Headset (Xbox, PC) -- $250 ($300)
• Logitech G Cloud Gaming Handheld Console -- $300 ($350)
• Bayonetta 3 -- $42 ($60)
• Dead Space -- $35 ($70)
• Diablo 4 -- $45 ($70)
• EA Sports FC 24 -- $35 ($70)
• NBA 2K24 Kobe Bryant Edition -- $35 ($70)
• Star Wars Jedi: Survivor -- $35 ($70)

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It's equipped with an old RTX 2050, but the HP Victus 15.6-Inch Gaming Laptop is a solid choice for shoppers on a budget. It'll never run modern games at high settings, but it'll run just fine for less demanding titles and is reliable enough for all your basic computing needs. Toss in a 512GB SSD, 8GB RAM, and a fast Ryzen 5 7000 processor, and young professionals and students alike will find much to love about this frugal rig--especially since it's on sale for just $480. The ASUS ROG Ally 7-Inch Gaming Handheld is also seeing a $200 price cut, while you can pick up the premium LG UltraGear 27-Inch Nano IPS Monitor for $300 (down from $400).

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One of World of Warcraft's most powerful and well-known couples just broke new ground for Blizzard's flagship title, as a recently added in-game cutscene depicts the first on-screen kiss in the nearly two-decade history of the MMORPG.

Blizzard is currently wrapping up the story of the game's current Dragonflight expansion ahead of The War Within's release later this year. In addition to adding major new features like NPC follower dungeons and dragonriding across all of Azeroth, the game's most recent update, Seeds of Renewal, also serves as an epilogue to Dragonflight's story: wrapping up various loose ends, highlighting a few key character moments, and teasing the story to come in the months and years ahead.

It's the short epilogue quest centered on the Night Elves as part of Seeds of Renewal that features the kiss 20 years in the making. The Night Elves have been through a lot in the past half decade, with Dragonflight finally bringing the storyline of the the Night Elves losing their home to a fitting conclusion, as they build a new settlement for their people, Bel'ameth, among the roots of the recently sprouted World Tree, Amirdrassil. As Night Elf leader Tyrande Whisperwind and her adopted daughter Shandris Feathermoon reflect on their new home and the future of their people, a fan-favorite character makes his grand return.

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