Shadow of the Colossus is celebrating its 20-year anniversary today, October 18, 2025. Below, we examine the moral complexity of its narrative as told through its silent protagonist.

Does a silent protagonist equal a self-insert? The logic of many video games dictates yes. Heroes like Gordon Freeman and Link have been forever silent, only grunting or shouting. Even Master Chief, who does have a voice, obscures his face. Under his mask, there could be anyone there.

Despite this common logic, silence is often alienating. Few games embody this better than the works of Fumido Ueda. The protagonists of Shadow of the Colossus, Ico, and The Last Guardian are taciturn, often silent or speaking only a fantastical language, which is either subtitled or not immediately understood. Moments of speech, or even of action outside of player input, are profound and rare.

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Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 - Mirror Edition (PS5)

$60 | Amazon Exclusive

Preorder for PS5

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 - Mirror Edition (Xbox)

$60 | Amazon Exclusive

Preorder for Xbox

The Amazon-exclusive collectible edition of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 launches just in time for the holidays. Amazon has updated its store page with a November 27 release date for the $60 Mirror Edition. Available to preorder now on PS5 and Xbox Series X, Clair Obscur's Mirror Edition comes with a physical copy of the hit turn-based RPG, an exclusive steelbook case, collectible cards, and a tuck box with new artwork.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Editions at Amazon

Revealed in August, the Mirror Edition only costs $10 more than the standard edition, which still continues to be a top seller for PS5 on Amazon nearly six months after Clair Obscur's April launch.

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The valley hides great dangers for a delicate lady in a hurry to reach a safe village, but her young beloved hero will give his life to keep any evil from approaching her. The kingdom has been invaded, the crown seized, but love protects. Escort the princess, face the evil enemies, and earn upgrades to keep being the strongest and most loyal to your majesty in distress! An endless adventure that challenges you to use strategy and skill. Crownfall: Young Hero, the newest beloved hero!

Avatar Legends: 20th Anniversary Physical RPG Bundle

$49 | Valued at $140

See at Humble Store

While Avatar fans have a new upcoming animated series to look forward to, those who have ever wanted to strike out on their own unique adventure in the Last Air Bender universe should check out these two big Avatar table top RPG bundles available at Humble for a limited time. The first is the Avatar Legends: 20th Anniversary Physical RPG Bundle, which offers $140 worth of Avatar: Legends The Roleplaying Game materials--including the official starter set with rules, premade adventures, character sheets, and more--for just $49. The other bundle is the Magpie Games Extravaganza, which gets you up to 27 digital edition rulebooks and expansions for multiple TTRPGs, including Avatar Legends, for just $25. You can check out the full contents of both bundles below. Both bundles are available until November 1, and a portion of all sales is donated to charity.

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Microsoft recently announced that Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is climbing from the sweaty price of $20 US per month to an eye-watering $30. The "real" gamers around the internet already have a joke for it: "Xbox 360 dollars per year."

But while the jokes write themselves, determining if Game Pass is still of value to me at this new price has taken far more energy. Yes, the company has also added new incentives and moved some features around, but do these additions create value, or just even more confusion? Let's break things down a bit.

Currently, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate includes access to all Microsoft-published games--as well as many other titles--on their respective release days. It also includes a subscription to EA Play, Ubisoft Classics, and will soon include Fortnite Crew. With Ubisoft Classics coming in at $80 per year, EA Play at $40 per year, and Fortnite Crew at $144 per year, the total value of these subscriptions is $264, which definitely helps sweeten spending $360 a year on Game Pass--if you actually use them.

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Are you wondering about how to get the Master Ball in Pokemon Legends: Z-A? This item is a series staple, as it allows you to catch any creature without fail. Of course, getting it requires quite a bit of effort.

Table of Contents [hide]

• How to get the Master Ball in Pokemon Legends: Z-A
  • Mable's Research rank and Master Ball reward
  How to get the Master Ball in Pokemon Legends: Z-A

  The Master Ball comes from Mable's Research. The NPC herself can be found in the Pokemon Research Center in the southern part of the map. You can't miss it since a main quest takes you there fairly early in the campaign.

  Mable's Research rank and Master Ball reward

  The Pokemon Legends: Z-A Master Ball can be yours upon reaching Rank 49 in the Mable's Research tab. You don't actually need to revisit Mable every time. You can just open the menu and press the X button to obtain rewards as you level up.

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John Wick: Titans of Cult Steelbook (4K Blu-ray)

$52.82 (was $60) | Amazon Exclusive

See at Amazon

John Wick fans have another chance to get the Titans of Cult Steelbook Edition of the first movie in the Keanu Reeves-led action franchise. The Amazon-exclusive 4K Blu-ray edition of John Wick released last fall to commemorate the film's 10th anniversary, but it had been sold out since early March. As of October 17, the Titans of Cult Steelbook Edition is back in stock for $52.82 (was $60).

Along with a stylish steelbook case and some cool extras, the Titans of Cult Steelbook has the distinction of being the only 4K Blu-ray version of the original John Wick with Dolby Vision. The two-disc set comes with 4K Blu-ray and 1080p Blu-ray discs.

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Sonic Prime: The Complete Series Steelbook Edition (Blu-ray)

$24.26 (was $50)

See at Amazon See at Walmart

Sonic Prime: The Complete Series is on sale for over 50% off just a few months after its launch on Blu-ray. Released in June for $50, Sonic Prime: The Complete Series Steelbook Edition is discounted to just $24.26 at Amazon when you click the coupon on the listing. If Amazon sells out, Walmart has the Blu-ray collection for $27.

The Complete Series Steelbook Edition is the only way to get all three seasons of the Netflix animated series on Blu-ray. The first two seasons received standalone Blu-ray editions, but the third and final season didn't get its own Blu-ray release. After checking out the Sonic Prime deal, take a look at the Amazon hubs we created collecting all of the Sonic the Hedgehog animated TV shows and Sonic movie series on 4K Blu-ray, Blu-ray, and DVD.

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My Arcade Atari Gamestation Go

$180 | Releases October 31

Preorder at Amazon

There's no shortage of retro handhelds and consoles with Atari's branding, but the newest flagship device from My Arcade aims to offer the definitive portable experience. The Atari Gamestation Go is a 7-inch handheld with over 200 games and a few unique control methods, including a paddle, trak-ball, and even a numeric keypad. Retro enthusiasts interested in the Gamestation Go may want to secure one soon. Preorders for the $180 portable are sold out on Atari's website, but you can still snag one from Amazon ahead of its October 31 launch.

The Atari Gamestation Go releases the same day as the the Pac-Man Edition of the cartridge-based Atari 2600+. Take a closer look at the Gamestation Pro below.

My Arcade Atari Gamestation Go $180 | Releases October 31

The Gamestation Go aims to replicate the experience of playing over 200 Atari classics by offering numerous different control options. On the left side of the handheld, you'll find a D-pad, trak-ball, and integrated paddle. Below the four face buttons on the right side is a 12-button numeric keypad with 0-9 as well as the number sign and asterisk. It also has four shoulder buttons.

Atari 8-bit and 16-bit games made use of a variety of controllers, and the Gamestation Go looks to offer the most comprehensive experience yet in a handheld form factor. One interesting feature is called SmartGlow, which illuminates the controls for each game you boot up.

The built-in game library includes a wide range of arcade and console games from the Atari 2600, 5200, 7800, and Atari Arcade. Notable publisher partnerships include Bandai Namco (Pac-Man), Jaleco, and Piko Interactive. It also comes with the modernized "Recharged" versions of five classics, including Asteroids and Centipede. Another highlight is Balls of Steel, a pinball game with seven different tables. The full list of games can be found on Amazon's store page.

The Gamestation Go's built-in 7-inch display looks nice in promotional videos and images, but if you want the home console experience, you can connect the included HDMI cable to your TV or monitor to game on a big screen.

It's unclear exactly which controllers will work with the Gamestation Go, but the handheld has a pair of USB-C ports on the back for multiplayer. We know My Arcade is making an official controller and joystick, but we'd expect the Gamestation Go to support other controllers similar to the Game Station Pro home console.

Preorder at Amazon My Arcade Atari Gamestation Pro $80 (was $100)

The Atari Gamestation Pro is My Arcade's dedicated home console. Released in late 2023, the Gamestation Pro also has a library of 200-plus games and is bundled with two wireless joysticks. If you're primarily interested in gaming on TV, the Gamestation Pro would be the better option, as it's only $80 at Amazon right now. Alternatively, you can get a refurbished version in "excellent" condition from Amazon Renewed for $60.

The joysticks that are included aren't the best, but you can use many third-party controllers with the Gamestation Pro via a hardwired USB connection.

See at Amazon See at Amazon Renewed My Arcade Retro Handhelds Budget-friendly portables for $40 or less.

My Arcade is one of the most popular manufacturers of budget-friendly retro handhelds themed around arcade classics and early home console games. If you're interested in playing some old Atari or arcade games on a handheld device without spending $180, you have a lot of options in the $25-$40 range.

We created an Amazon hub collecting three different series of My Arcade portables. You can get themed handhelds based on Tetris, Atari, Mega Man, Street Fighter, Pac-Man, and other classics.

You can take a closer look at My Arcade's Pocket Player Pro, Pocket Player, and new Pixel Pocket Pro handhelds below.

See at Amazon My Arcade Pocket Player Pro Handhelds

The Pocket Player Pro is a series of portables with 2.75-inch color displays, ergonomic form factors, and wrist straps. Each Pocket Player Pro retails for $45, though you can get deals on several models right now. Notably, the Atari Pocket Player Pro includes 100 preloaded games and is up for grabs for only $40. The Pocket Player Pro can be recharged via USB-C or powered by four AA batteries.

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