During most recent State of Play, Konami revealed that the Castlevania is ending its long slumber with a new game, Castlevania: Belmont's Curse. This new 2D action platformer is being developed by Motion Twin and Evil Empire--the studios behind roguelite titles Dead Cells and The Rogue Prince of Persia. Despite the studios' history, Konami has let fans know that Belmont's Curse isn't going to be a roguelite game as well.

"Castlevania Belmont's Curse is a 2D action-exploration game where players can freely explore vast, elaborately crafted maps," Konami's Tommy Williams told The Verge. "It is not a roguelike or roguelite game."

Konami hasn't disclosed many details about Belmont's Curse yet. Aside from confirming that the playable character is Trevor Belmont's successor, the only thing we know about him is that he's using the holy whip to take out the undead and various monsters standing in his way. The game is set in Paris in the year 1499, as the city comes under siege by darkness. The currently unnamed Belmont descendant will have multiple weapons at his disposal, including a sword.

In one of Esoteric Ebb's chambers lies a chest. Above it, a sign: "Not a mimic." Snell, your goblin companion, deduces the most obvious outcome: The sign is the work of some prankster who's hoping to get one over on whichever unsuspecting rube decides to saunter into this secreted away room, ignore the sign, and loot the chest. Mimics are often "chest-shaped" like this--the game's joke, not mine--and seeing as how they are a trick as old as fantasy itself, it doesn't take a genius to piece together how such an encounter might end.

Esoteric Ebb is a lot like the mimic in this scene. It looks and sounds like things it takes the shape of--some more obvious than others--but delights in playing with expectations one might have of it. Just when you think you might have it figured out, it contentedly throws another wrench in your understanding of its tone and aspirations. It's a fun ride. It does not veer wildly off course in the process, but it is a stylistic and colorful detour that is nonetheless a riot worth your time.

In Esoteric Ebb, you are the Cleric, a bumbling idiot and magical savant sent by the magistrate to investigate the absolute hornet's nest that is an explosion of a tea shop in Norvik. The timing couldn't be any worse, since Norvik's constituency is voting on a referendum. Should it stick by the Urth-worshipping Nationalists who've governed and shepherded the city through its founding decades, consequently hardening the attitudes and beliefs that have called its rule into question at this very moment? Should it instead ally itself with the deep-pocketed Freestriders who are clearly strong-arming their way to a victory? Or should the city consider other policies, like the dwarven-born egalitarian platform of Azgalism?

The opening scene of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze illustrates one of the things that's so fun about the movie. After the first TMNT film in 1990, parents reportedly pushed back against the heroes' use of weapons like katana, sais, and nunchuks. As a result, when the sequel rolled around in 1991, the titular turtles spent the whole movie not using their signature gear.

It's a restraint that's pretty dumb in hindsight, undercutting a major element of what makes the turtles cool, but it did lead the movie to find some creative solutions. In the opening fight when the turtles break up a robbery in a mall, they use anything they can find that's not a conventional weapon to beat on the giant group of thieves. That includes toys, such as yo-yos. At one point, Michelangelo grabs some sausage links and uses them as nunchuks--"Combat cold cuts!"

Jumping into the day-long preview of the new TMNT set in Magic: The Gathering Arena, one of the things I liked most about the new cards is how they capture the vibe of that scene. There are a lot of inspirations for the turtles, ranging from the movies to the comics to the video games, and the cards can be dark and lethal. But they can also be goofy in a way that feels quintessentially turtles, not just in their concepts and art, but in the way they interact.

Season 2 Reloaded arrives in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and Warzone next week, and Activision has revealed all the details for this midseason update. Season 2 Reloaded is packed with more guns to unlock, additional multiplayer maps, a new Zombies map, and Warzone's Black Ops battle royale.

• Call of Duty Season 2 Reloaded start times
• Events and new weapons

The Season 2 Reloaded update arrives to Black Ops 7 and Warzone on March 11. This update will go live at 9 AM PT / 12 PM ET / 5 PM BST across all platforms. It's worth noting that Warzone's Black Ops Royale mode will be released separately from the Season 2 Reloaded update. This battle royale experience goes live on Thursday, March 12 at 9 PM PT / Friday, March 13 at 12 AM ET.

There will be new seasonal events with reward tracks that offer cosmetic items as well as the two final weapons for the season.