Star Wars: Heritage Pack

$30 (was $60)

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If you love Star Wars and own a Nintendo Switch, you'll want to check out Amazon's deal on Star Wars: Heritage Pack. This rarely discounted collection of Star Wars games is on sale for $30 at Amazon and GameStop. Star Wars: Heritage Pack comes with seven classic Star Wars games, including the Jedi Knight and Knights of the Old Republic series. The $30 discount matches the best deal yet, and we don't expect it to remain in stock at Amazon for very long.

Star Wars: Heritage Pack $30 (was $60)

The physical edition of Star Wars: Heritage Pack typically sells for $60. Oddly enough, the digital version of the Star Wars: Heritage Pack used to sell for $80, but it has actually been removed from sale. In comparison, the physical edition was already a bargain at full price, but now you're getting each game for just over $4 each--which is far lower than the price of buying the games separately from the eShop.

Star Wars: Heritage collection pulls together seven classic Star Wars games:

• Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy
• Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast
• Star Wars Episode I Racer
• Star Wars Republic Commando
• Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
• Knights of the Old Republic (Downloadable)
• Knights of the Old Republic 2 (Downloadable)

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While the first five games are playable directly off the Switch cartridge, both Knights of the Old Republic are digital versions that need to be downloaded from the eShop--so make sure you have a good internet connection and a bit of space on your microSD card. Combined, the two KOTOR games clock in just shy of 30GB.

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Game preservation has grown tremendously over the last couple of years, and gaming culture brand Lost in Cult is also adding to these initiatives with a brand-new line of physical games. Aiming to do things differently, Lost in Cult is kickstarting its preservation effort with three games that will "redefine" what a physical release can be.

What's immediately noticeable here is that each of the games--Immortality, The Excavation of Hob's Barrow, and Thank Goodness You're Here--are being presented with original artwork, and they'll come packaged with a variant game cover, an essay booklet, poster, and more. More importantly, each game is up-to-date with its latest version and they're all playable offline. As for the price, these are listed for roughly $80 each on the UK-based site.

Lost In Cult physical editionsGallery See at Lost in Cult

Lost in Cult added that preservation specialists Does It Play have assisted in testing the games, and each disc or cartridge features the game in its entirety at the point of release. That means no updates, no downloads, and no codes in the box.

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Stranger Things Novel Box Set, Books 1-3 (Paperback)

$35 | Releases July 1

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The fifth and final season of Stranger Things premieres on Netflix later this year, but if you're looking to expand your knowledge of the sci-fi universe's mysterious lore before the last batch of episodes drop, there's a new book box set launching July 1 that includes three Young Adult novels featuring the characters from the series, and looks to be a good entry point to Stranger Things' sprawling expanded universe. If that sounds like something you're interested in, preorders for the Stranger Things Box Set Books 1-3 are available now for $35 at Amazon.

Stranger Things Novel Box Set, Books 1-3 (Paperback) $35 | Releases July 1

The Stranger Things Box Set includes the three YA novels set in the world of the hit Netflix show: Runaway Max, Rebel Robin, and Lucas on the Line.

While the box set is listed for $35, we expect that price could change before launch since buying the standalone versions of all three books is even cheaper than the box set. Preordering locks you in for Amazon's preorder price guarantee, which means you won't be charged until the order ships, and you'll only pay the lowest price if the cost drops between now and launch.

Preorder at Amazon Stranger Things Young Adult Novels

1. Stranger Things: Runaway Max -- $8.14 ($11)
2. Stranger Things: Rebel Robin -- $10.10 ($12)
3. Stranger Things: Lucas on the Line -- $9.30 ($12)

Whether you pick up the box set or buy the books individually, it's worth noting that there are three more Stranger Things novels that are not part of the box set that are worth picking up as well. Unlike the first three novels, these are aimed at an adult audience.

Stranger Things Novels for Adults

• Suspicious Minds: The First Official Stranger Things Novel -- $10.46 ($18)
• Darkness on the Edge of Town: An Official Stranger Things Novel -- $18
• Stranger Things: Flight of Icarus -- $14.40 ($18)

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The Xbox Game Pass library got restocked today with two more games, and you don't need to have the most expensive tier, Game Pass Ultimate, to play them.

Firefighting Simulator: The Squad and Police Simulator: Patrol Officers are both available for Ultimate ($20/month) and Standard ($15/month) subscribers. Ultimate members can stream these games to the cloud and also play on PC. These games are not available for Game Pass Core ($10/month) subscribers, however.

Firefighting Simulator is exactly what it sounds like, which is a game that lets players fight fires in a city inspired by the North American west coast. The game features multiplayer support, along with five licensed Rosenbauer America firetrucks.

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Helldivers 2's Heart of Democracy update is now live, and nothing less than Super Earth itself is at stake.

The latest update for Arrowhead Studio's co-op shooter turns the home of Super Democracy into a battlefield, as massive Illuminate ships lay siege to the Helldiver homeworld. Players will need to defend Super Earth's seven Mega Cities and inflict significant Illuminate casualties in order to stave off the invasion. Should all of the Mega Cities fall, so too will Super Earth.

No pressure! Whereas players have become accustomed to fighting on far-off alien battlefields, Super Earth's cities present an all-new challenge. In addition to skyscrapers blocking sightlines and helping to hide new flying enemy types, Super Earth's civilian population, and its armed forces, now find themselves in the crossfire between Helldivers and the invading aliens. Players will need to be careful not to cause too many civilian casualties.

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Naughty Dog's Neil Druckmann has discussed the casting of Tony Dalton in the developer's new game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. This story contains spoilers for HBO's The Last of Us.

In the sixth episode of The Last of Us Season 2, we get a flashback showing Joel's abusive father, and he's played by Better Call Saul actor Tony Dalton. Druckmann told Entertainment Weekly that he was impressed with Dalton's performance in his one scene, so much so that he offered Dalton a role in Intergalactic without an audition or anything.

"He immediately came to mind, and I just offered it to him on the spot," Druckmann said.

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The Witcher 4 starring Ciri does not make the game "woke," according to Geralt voice actor Doug Cockle. He said in an interview with Fall Damage that it's "just stupid" for anyone to think this.

He said Witcher fans who think this way might want to "read the damn books," referring to author Andrzej Sapkowski's work that serves as the inspiration for the game series.

"It's not woke," Cockle said, as reported by IGN. "There's nothing woke about it. [Ciri]'s a cool character from The Witcher, and they're gonna focus on that character, and that's awesome."

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Between the massive box-office of A Minecraft Movie and the game's continuing popularity, 2025 has been a good year for Minecraft fans. And at least two of those fans are apes who were taught how to play Minecraft at the Ape Cognition & Conservation Initiative in Iowa.

Via CBS News Iowa, the ACCI is dedicated to studying bonobos, an endangered species of apes who are closely related to humans, chimpanzees, and gorillas. The bonobos also have an astonishing ability to comprehend symbols and language, including the complex lexigrams they use to communicate with their human handlers. In the video below, it's noted that two of the bonobos, Kanzi and Teko, learned to play Minecraft through a touchscreen interface. And according to the ACCI's Sara Skiba, "It was actually Teko who had the kill shot on the Ender Dragon."

Streamer ChrisDaCow posted a longer video a year ago about how Kanzi learned to play Minecraft through a reward system that demonstrated the game's mechanics. Essentially, Kanzi was rewarded for mining with some of his favorite snacks. And he gradually picked up on other aspects of the game as he played it.

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At this year's Computex trade show, MSI officially revealed its updated Claw PC gaming handheld. One of the major changes with this new model is that it sports an AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme processor under the hood, which should be able to handle several graphically intense games on its eight-inch FHD display.

Other hardware specs for the Claw A8 BZ2EM model include an AMD Radeon 890M GPU, a 120Hz refresh rate for the screen, a 1TB M2 SSD, and it's equipped with "up to 24GB" of LPDDR5-800 memory. This will be available in two different colors--white and lime green--and the company says that it has also aimed to make it ergonomically appealing. These efforts have resulted in contours that are meant to feel more natural in your hand, and the joysticks, bumpers, D-pad, and Hall-Effect triggers have also been redesigned.

MSI Claw A8

Pricing or a release date have yet to be revealed, but for reference, the currently available MSI Claw 8+ with Intel hardware currently costs $1,000.

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Malys is quite the surprise as a follow-up to Summerfall Studios' first game, Stray Gods: A Roleplaying Musical. Rather than craft another superb choice-driven visual novel with an emphasis on music and Greek myth, Summerfall's next game is a turn-based roguelite deckbuilder set in a demon-filled city. The tone looks to be far darker and there's a lot more to the gameplay this time around, but much like Summerfall Studios' first game, Malys looks like a visual delight and features characters I desperately want to get to know.

"There was an initial question, do we want to do this more as a visual novel, more like Stray Gods?" Summerfall creative director David Gaider told me during an exclusive gameplay preview of Malys. "Because Stray Gods did not have much in the way of gameplay, we wanted to try something that has more gameplay to prove that we're a studio that can do something that's fun and still narrative-driven but that has a very strong gameplay loop at its heart."

Even the weaker demons can pack a punch.

In Malys, you play as a former priest turned exorcist named Noah. He's striving to cross the entirety of a city to reach a major demon waiting for him on the other side, but lesser demons block his path. Each confrontation has a chance of wearing on Noah's will, and if it is fully depleted, he collapses, only to awaken back at the start of his journey with a time reset. These time loops allow Noah to better prepare for future runs and gain the trust of citizens, but he isn't the only one who remembers everything that transpires with every loop: A mysterious celestial, a powerful occultist, and a seemingly friendly masked demon are immune to the time rewinds, too.

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People like when the numbers go up in their video games, not when the number goes up to buy their video games. But Gearbox CEO and president Randy Pitchford believes "a real fan" will discover a way to pony up $80 for Borderlands 4 later this year--if that's how much it costs.

Last week, someone on X told Pitchford that Borderlands 4 "better not be" $80. For his part, Pitchford has previously stated he "doesn't know" how much the co-op game will cost. But that didn't stop the Gearbox boss from responding with his opinion on X if Borderlands 4 does retail for that premium price.

"A) Not my call. B) If you're a real fan, you’ll find a way to make it happen," Pitchford wrote. "My local game store had Starflight for Sega Genesis for $80 in 1991 when I was just out of high school working minimum wage at an ice cream parlor in Pismo Beach, and I found a way to make it happen."

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Returnal developer Housemarque, which is owned by Sony, has said it isn't planning to make live-service or free-to-play games, not so long as people are "buying premium games."

Studio head Ilari Kuittinen told Eurogamer, "Our philosophy is that [our games] are an experience for a certain time of your life, and you experience that within a few days, or weeks, or whatever."

He added: "You don't need to spend the rest of your free time with our games." Creative director Gregory Louden said Housemarque is "fully focused on single-player and premium" games.

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Batman (1989) 35th Anniversary Steelbook Edition (4K Blu-ray)

$18 (was $41)

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Batman 4-Film Collection (4K Blu-ray)

$59.38 (was $90)

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Fans of Tim Burton's 1989 Batman movie can get the commemorative Steelbook Edition for its best price yet. Released last year to celebrate the beloved film's 35th anniversary, Batman '89's 4K Steelbook Edition is discounted to only $18. This edition was originally priced at $41, but these days it often sells for $30. We wouldn't be surprised to see Amazon's deal sell out quickly.

Batman (1989) 35th Anniversary Steelbook Edition (4K Blu-ray) $18 (was $41)

The Steelbook Edition of Batman 1989 is a two-disc set with 4K Blu-ray, 1080p Blu-ray, and digital versions of the beloved film. The case features the Gotham City skyline with the Bat-Signal shining overhead.

The special features were inherited from previous releases, but if you don't own Batman 1989 in physical format, you're in for a treat. The included bonus offers a fascinating glimpse into how the movie was made. From Warner Bros. taking a chance on Burton to the wild reactions of Keaton's casting, these featurettes are a time capsule of Bat-mania. Or if you want to chill, you can also check out the Prince music videos.

Though the 1989 film previously released on 4K Blu-ray back in 2019, Amazon's deal on the 35th Anniversary Steelbook Edition is better than the price for the standard edition at the moment ($21.89).

More than three decades later, Burton's Batman is still a terrific movie anchored by Keaton's brooding performance as the Gotham vigilante and Jack Nicholson stealing every scene he's in as the impeccably tailored Joker. The film still looks great thanks to the high-budget set design, imaginative costumes, and a killer Batmobile, creating a timeless take on the DC Comics hero and his world.

See at Amazon Batman 4-Film Collection (4K Blu-ray) $59.38 (was $90)

If you're interested in watching Burton's sequel, which saw Keaton reprise his role as the Caped Crusader, one solid option is the Batman 4-Film Collection (1989-1997). In addition to 4K Blu-ray and standard Blu-ray versions of Batman '89 and Batman Returns (1992), this set also comes with Batman Forever and Batman & Robin. The former saw Val Kilmer step into the lead role, while the latter features George Clooney as Batman.

The Batman 4-Film Collection is discounted to $59.38 (was $90) at Amazon.

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Ahead of the PC release of Stellar Blade, developer Shift Up has seemingly confirmed that a sequel to the game is currently in development. Shift Up had previously mentioned that a Stellar Blade sequel was under consideration, and the studio is also working on a new action-RPG codenamed Project Witches.

In a recent company presentation document, a Stellar Blade sequel was highlighted. As seen on page 19 of the document (via Insider Gaming), Stellar Blade 2 and Project Witches are currently scheduled to be released before 2027. While nothing is set in stone, this is a fairly quick turnaround for a new Stellar Blade game, considering that it first launched for PS5 in 2024 and has been supported with several pieces of post-launch content since then.

Shift Up is aiming to have Stellar Blade 2 out by the end of 2026.

The upcoming PC release is also scheduled for June 12, but the game has been blocked from sale on Steam in over 100 countries for an unknown reason.

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Rebellion's CEO has provided more insight into why a battle royale game in the Sniper Elite series was canceled.

We first heard about the Sniper Elite battle royale last summer, but by November, reports emerged that the project was canceled after Tencent pulled funding. Rebellion, the studio behind the Sniper Elite series, never really explained why this battle royale was canceled. It was focused on promoting Sniper Elite Resistance, a single-player game that launched in January. In a new interview with The Game Business, Rebellion CEO Jason Kingsley revealed more about this project and why it was canceled.

"That was a bit of a one-off. We don't do work-for-hire. But we were very keen to learn about how Tencent worked. And Tencent were very keen to learn how we worked," Kingsley explained. "At the end of the day, we walked away because we felt the market had shifted entirely. We still have great relationships with them. It was one of those business opportunities that didn't get to the ultimate end that we were hoping for."

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Bethesda has spent well over a decade working on its proprietary Creation Engine, which has powered all of its games since Skyrim. However, following the recent releases of Starfield and the remake of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, some fans have questioned the studio's commitment to this engine. In a new interview, former studio lead Dan Nanni explained that ditching Creation would impose significant costs on both the community and the development team.

As the games industry has increasingly converged on a small number of standard engines--Unreal Engine 5 chief among them--studios like Bethesda that maintain their own have become rare. Speaking to VideoGamer, Nanni explained that there are good reasons that Bethesda remains focused on Creation Engine. Chief among these is that Bethesda has built up an avid modding community, which has become particularly integral to the lifespan of Bethesda games and the studio's strategy toward long-term support.

While moving to UE5 would likely benefit some modders who are experienced in creating mods for other games, the Bethesda mod scene as a whole would likely take a big hit, Nanni explained. "You have a mod community and knows how to use your engine, that has built things for decades on the system that you are launching with," he stated. "You have to ask yourself, is it worth losing all of that knowledge? What do you gain from it? And there is no right answer... You just have to make a choice."

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Developer Rebellion's newest game, the survival FPS Atomfall, was a big success right away, it appears. The Game Business reports that the day-one Game Pass launch was "immediately profitable" and that Rebellion is now working on DLC for the game and considering a possible sequel or spin-off.

No sales numbers for Atomfall have been announced, but the game reached 1.5 million players right out of the gate, later climbing to 2 million. This amounted to Rebellion's "most successful launch" for any of its games going back 30+ years. The developer has not said how many copies the game has sold, however.

In addition to being available for Game Pass Ultimate subscribers on Xbox and PC, the game can be purchased outright for $60. It's also available on PS5.

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The Sonic the Hedgehog comic from IDW is introducing a new story arc this fall, positioning it as a jumping-on point for new readers. The story revolves around familiar characters and elements like Shadow and the Chaos Emeralds, while introducing a new locale for the gang to explore. The story arc, called "The Stage Is Set," starts in September.

The three-issue arc will start with Sonic the Hedgehog #81. After six of the seven Chaos Emeralds go missing, Sonic and Tails go on a frantic search for the seventh. That hunt leads them to Sequin, a luxurious city that happens to be in the midst of a massive carnival. They quickly discover they're not alone, however, as Shadow and Rouge are searching for the final emerald as well.

Sonic the Hedgehog issue 81 from IDWGallery

The announcement from IDW promises fan favorites along with a "new, adorable, acrobatic, totally not suspicious character." Both the main and alternate covers for issue #81 each show different looks at a character dressed like a harlequin jester--which makes enough sense for a citywide carnival. While this character is currently only in the comics, the IDW series has bled into the world of video games before--the Sonic Forces mobile game borrowed two of the comic series' original characters, Tangle and Whisper, in 2020.

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Nobody 2 director Timo Tjahjanto has revealed he wanted to make a movie based on 2007's Kane & Lynch: Dead Men, but it never went anywhere.

Posting on social media, Tjahjanto said he wrote a "short treatment" for a Kane and Lynch movie a few years ago. He said he envisioned Stranger Things star David Harbour and James Badge Dale for the leads.

However, like many projects in Hollywood, nothing ever came of this. "Never gotten anywhere," Tjahjanto said of the movie's prospects today (via GamesRadar).

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Infinity Nikki's latest seasonal update, which coincided with the free-to-play game coming to Steam, has been unpopular with fans, to the point where the developer has now had to issue an apology and offer compensation in the form of in-game currency.

Version 1.5 "Bubble Season" launched on April 29 and immediately introduced a number of bugs and issues to the game, Eurogamer reports. Players reportedly had issues with the game crashing or failing to load entirely, and also experienced issues with multiplayer gameplay.

Players also had complaints about the content introduced in Version 1.5, claiming that the developer was introducing more-aggressive monetization practices, and even retconning parts of Nikki's story in order to sell new outfits. The controversial update released on the same day Infinity Nikki launched on Steam, meaning the game's Steam reviews are currently mostly negative, with the reviews now a laundry list of players' frustrations with the direction of the game.

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