11 bit studios has released a new Expeditions Logs episode for The Alters focusing on how each version of Jan Dolski has different needs. While players can choose to expand their base and please each Alter, they may have to prioritize tools and infrastructure to complete the mission.Regardless of your excellent management skills, its impossible to please everyone. Though the consequences have yet to be fully detailed (though dismemberment is definitely on the table), it can be heartbreaking to hear each Jans request and not be able to fulfill it.Beyond dialogue exchanges, the trailer also reveals Beirut, a party game you can play with an Alter. Whether other mini-games exist is unknown, but it is a nice change of pace from resource-gathering, exploration, and base-building.The Alters doesnt have a release date following its most recent delay, but its coming to Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC later this year. A free demo is out now.

Photo credit: Ema PeterThe new Rosemary Brown Recreation Centre located in Burnaby, British Columbia, designed by interdisciplinary firm hcma architecture + design, aims to priotitize the public experience and offers a high-performance ice arena alongside a vibrant, accessible, and inclusive community hub.The project, which aims to blend best practices for superior ice quality with the use of warm wood, natural light, and a transparent, open layout, creates a rich, dynamic experience for visitors both on and off the ice.The $49.5 million facility is 8,547 square meters/91,999 square feet and its state-of-the-art design rejects the outdated model of cold, windowless, steel-trussed ice arenas, dedicated solely to sport.Photo credit: Ema PeterThe facility, was named in honour of Rosemary Brown, a trailblazing Canadian advocate for social justice and equality. As a result, the recreation centre embodies her legacy, standing as a place for all Burnaby residents to gather, play, and compete.Without impacting ice quality, a distinctive structural approach floods the rinks with north-facing light while the exposed mass timber roof creates an inviting space for both players and spectators. This approach, which is considered unconventional, required a hybrid steel-timber roof system, using wood as an essential component due to its geometric flexibility, ease of construction, and inviting aesthetic.Wood plays an integral role in the character of the centre and aims to symbolize warmth and durability, while also ensuring quick, efficient assembly on the compact site. With a, the structure is both striking and technically proficient.Photo credit: Ema PeterThe flexibility of the hybrid steel-timber roof system allowed a complex geometry that made north-facing clerestories that provide an abundance of natural light possible.Glulams, which serve as both beams and vertical columns, support the structure in the lobby and contribute to its inviting ambience visible from both the inside and outside. The use of nail-laminated timber (NLT) for the lobbys decking system allows for superior acoustic integration, and enhances the overall experience and finish of the space.The facility is nestled in Burnabys emerging Southgate community. The sites tight footprint led to a non-traditional arrangement of its two NHL-sized ice sheets: an L-shape with a central lobby located at their meeting point.This arrangement allows for an improved interface and openness between the lobby and the ice sheets, as well as a friendly elevation to the street, community, and beyond.The recreation centre provides multipurpose rooms and spaces within the lobby for a range of activities beyond ice sports. These include pickleball, Pilates and playoff watch parties.Second-floor warm-side viewing galleries offer guests comfortable, accessible viewing, while informal areas directly behind allow children to play. Inclusive design extends to every aspect of the facility, with braille and tactile signage created by hcmas communication design team.Photo credit: Ema PeterNow open to the public, the centre is set to be an essential fixture in Burnabys Southgate community.Rosemary Brown Recreation Centre is more than an arena; its a space designed to foster community through recreation and high-performance sport. The Centres ambition is to become an essential fixture in Burnabys Southgate community, supporting the next generation of athletes, weekend warriors, and recreation enthusiasts alike, said Paul Fast, principal, hcma architecture + design.The post hcmas Rosemary Brown Recreation Centre opens in Burnaby, BC appeared first on Canadian Architect.

National Videogame Museum appoints new trusteesTrustees include Ukie chief executive Nick Poole and Sony Interactive Entertainment senior director John Booth News by Sophie McEvoy Staff Writer Published on March 28, 2025 The National Videogame Museum has unveiled a new roster of trustees that will join the board of its governing charity, The BGI.The nine trustees will join the board in two phases. The first occurred in March 2025 while the second will join in November 2025.These additions will help "bolster the governance" of the museum, and help it reach its ongoing ambitions and goals.The trustees have experience across sectors of the industry, including game development, cultural institutions, brand management, and technological innovation.Sheffield-based NVM is aiming to expand its profile with the knowledge of its new trustees, and to "strengthen the way in which its mission highlights video games culture, interfaces with audiences and the wider sector."The new trustees are:David Barrie, founder and CEO of Game AcademyJoe Chetcuti, creative director of Creative AssemblyEmma Cooper, creative industries knowledge transfer manager at Innovate UKNatalie Kane, curator of digital design at The V&ANick Poole, chief executive of UkieThe next phase of appointments include:Brian Baglow, founder of Scottish Games WeekJohn Booth, senior director at Sony Interactive EntertainmentEmily Britt, senior communications manager at SharkmobJess Gaskell, director of PMO at Sumo Digital"We are honoured to welcome our new trustees to the board," said NVM chair of the board of trustees Claire Boissiere. "Their extensive experience will be invaluable as we embark on an exciting new chapter in the NVM's journey, expanding our national presence and advancing our mission. We are excited to see how their ideas and insights will help shape the future."We also want to share our heartfelt thanks to the trustees stepping down at this time. Their dedication, guidance, and leadership have played a huge role in shaping the museum's success."Boissiere concluded: "Their impact will continue to inspire us, and we are deeply grateful for the time, energy, and passion they have given to the museum."

Square Enix to shut down War of Visions: Final Fantasy Brave Exvius in May 2025Mobile title launched in March 2020, will end service due to difficulty maintaining "a satisfactory app experience"Image credit: Square Enix News by Sophie McEvoy Staff Writer Published on March 28, 2025 Square Enix has announced that its mobile title War of Visions: Final Fantasy Brave Exvius will shut down on May 30, 2025.In a notice posted to the game's website, the developer said it had come to the conclusion "that it would be difficult to maintain a satisfactory app experience." The game launched in March 2020."The operations team apologise for coming to this difficult decision, and we're sincerely grateful for the support we've received from our players," the statement read."Since War of the Visions: Final Fantasy Brave Exvius's launch, we've strived to provide an enjoyable gaming experience for our players.""However, we've come to the conclusion that it would be difficult to maintain a satisfactory app experience, and therefore to discontinue the app service.We would like to express our deepest gratitude to all of our players for their patronage and sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused."Sales of in-game currency ended with the announcement on March 25, 2025, though players that still have in-game currency saved can continue to use it until the end of service.Special shop sales also ended with the announcement, while the exchange of Google Play points for items will end on April 30, 2025. In-game events will continue to be held until the game is shut down.Last month, Square Enix ended support for Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles on iOS due to an unfixable bug. It also retired mobile game Final Fantasy Brave Exvius in October 2024.

Last June, Samsung made a surprising move against smart ring maker Oura. The tech giant filed a lawsuit seeking a declaratory judgment saying that its then-unreleased Galaxy Ring didnt infringe on five Oura patents. Now, a judge has officially dismissed Samsungs case, saying the company acted prematurely without concrete evidence that Oura planned to sue.In its suit, Samsung alleged that Oura had a history of filing patent suits against competitors like Ultrahuman, RingConn, and Circular for features common to virtually all smart rings, such as sensors, batteries, and common health metrics. It also listed public statements from Oura around the time Samsung announced the Galaxy Ring, including ones preemptively shared with publications, including The Verge, highlighting Ouras 270 pending patent applications and 130 registered trademarks. Oura CEO Tom Hale had also noted the smart ring maker would monitor the Galaxy Ring and take action thats appropriate.Samsungs complaint fails to allege any action by Oura directed at Samsung, said Judge Araceli Martnez-Olgun, noting that Ouras public statements alone werent enough to establish the smart ring maker had Samsung in its sights. The judge also noted that of the statements Samsung provided, only three referenced the Galaxy Ring and none explicitly threatened Samsung directly.The dismissal confirms what Oura has maintained from the beginning: Samsungs lawsuit lacked a legitimate legal or factual basis, says Jasjit Vidwan, partner at ArentFox Schiff and Oura legal counsel. Samsung was called on their attempt to battle infringement in a court of their choosing without the existence of any actual dispute.A Samsung spokesperson wasnt immediately available for comment.Patent wars are common among gadget makers, and although its now dismissed, Samsungs lawsuit was notable in a few ways. For starters, by jumping the gun, Samsungs suit confirmed unannounced features in a then-unreleased product. Second, its less common to see companies try to preemptively block future patent infringement cases against a product that hasnt even launched. If anything, the whole thing confirmed Samsungs serious interest in smart rings, a gadget category that has, so far, been relatively niche.See More:

Nvidias 50-series desktop GPUs have been off to a slightly rocky start, with quality control issues, underwhelming performance gains over last generation, and the occasional melting cable. Its new laptop GPUs, led by the flagship RTX 5090, may be on a similarly modest trajectory, but with one added benefit for laptop gamers: efficiency.Ive been testing the RTX 5090 laptop GPU in Razers new Blade 16 laptop, which Nvidia is using as a showcase for its top-tier mobile card. My time with it has been more limited than Id hoped, since my first review unit exhibited some strange graphical anomalies and was prone to blue-screen crashes during basic productivity tasks. Nvidia sent me a replacement, but Ive had less than two days with it as of press time. From what Ive seen so far, it is indeed a little faster than the mobile 4090, but like the desktop 50-series cards, its biggest improvements are in DLSS and Multi Frame Generation, rather than raw performance.The new mobile RTX 5090 has 24GB of GDDR7 VRAM instead of the 16GB of GDDR6 found on the 4090. Its also got more powerful Tensor cores, slightly more CUDA cores, and an extra hardware video encoder for better livestreaming and video exports, but the same 175W TDP.Well have more to say about the laptop housing this new GPU soon.The 5090s specs translate to small gains over the 4090 in synthetic benchmarks, such as a 13 percent higher Geekbench GPU score and a 14 percent higher score in 3DMarks standard Time Spy test at 2560 x 1440 resolution.To test the 5090s uplift in actual games, I ran an array of benchmarks using Cyberpunk 2077 and Black Myth: Wukong at the native 2560 x 1600 of both Blade 16s and at 4K on an Alienware AW3225QF monitor. The biggest difference I saw was in Cyberpunk 2077 at 2.5K resolution and Ultra settings without DLSS, frame generation, or ray tracing enabled. There, the 5090 was 24 percent faster than the 4090. That sounds great, but once you enable ray tracing and DLSS 4 (something most people would likely do on either of these laptops), it narrows to a delta of just 5 percent. When you enable 2x frame generation, the 5090 is 14 percent faster than the 4090, and going all out with 4x Multi Frame Gen more than doubles what the 4090 can do at 2x frame gen. If youre playing at 4K, the 5090 still wins, but the gap narrows to within single digits.BenchmarkBlade 16 RTX 4090 average fps @ 4KBlade 16 RTX 5090 average fps @ 4KBlade 16 RTX 4090 average fps @ 2.5KBlade 16 RTX 5090 average fps @ 2.5KBlack Myth: Wukong TSR26284548Black Myth: Wukong FSR41436266Black Myth: Wukong FSR Frame Gen35395458Black Myth: Wukong DLSS46486870Black Myth: Wukong DLSS Frame Gen6670104111Cyberpunk 2077 Ultra41487492Cyberpunk 2077 Ultra RT & FSR 3.1 Quality40406366Cyberpunk 2077 Ultra RT FSR Frame Gen6170118124Cyberpunk 2077 Ultra RT & DLSS quality39406467Cyberpunk 2077 Ultra RT & DLSS Frame Gen x26770103117Cyberpunk 2077 Ultra RT & DLSS Frame Gen x4N/A123N/A209Cyberpunk 2077 Full Ultra RT no DLSS12122123Cyberpunk 2077 Full Ultra & DLSS Quality23253945Cyberpunk 2077 Full Ultra RT & DLSS 4 Quality Frame Gen x243456781Cyberpunk 2077 Full Ultra RT & DLSS 4 Quality Frame Gen x4N/A83N/A147Black Myth: Wukong, on the other hand, is a little less forgiving. In this graphically demanding Souls-adjacent RPG, the 5090 is only a few percent faster than the 4090. The highest average the 5090 could muster was 111fps at 2.5K with DLSS and standard frame generation, with the 4090 wasnt far behind at 104. If Wukong supported Multi Frame Generation, the 5090 could no doubt separate itself further, but that would likely add a couple extra milliseconds of latency. Most people will never notice or care about that, but some players may feel any latency added to their pinpoint dodge-roll timing is a nonstarter.Like the 50-series desktop cards, the 5090 laptop GPU looks its best in games that support DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation. Over 100 games now support Nvidias highlight feature, and you can also use override settings in the Nvidia app to force it in unsupported games. Frame generation, which both Nvidia and AMD offer, uses AI models to generate extra frames and insert them between traditionally rendered frames. This gives the appearance of smoother gameplay but doesnt improve input latency and actually increases it slightly. AMD and previous Nvidia cards can do 2x frame generation; the 50 series can do up to 4x. Theres an ongoing debate in the world of PC gaming about these fake frames some folks are perfectly content with AI upscaling and generated frames, and others view it as a band-aid solution with too many compromises to image quality and game feel. I think it depends on your personal experience, what kinds of games you like to play and what youre used to playing them on, and even whether you have an eye (or even a care) for this stuff. It can be great for the right games, and it may even make more sense on a 16-inch laptop screen than a jumbo 4K monitor right in front of your face. I forced Multi Frame Generation on Assassins Creed Shadows, and I was pleasantly surprised with its performance and buttery smoothness on ultra settings. Shadows is maybe a perfect example of a single-player game where frame generation is a nonissue. Its got dodge rolling, but its not the kind of game that really requires frame-perfect timing. It felt A-okay to me, and boy did feudal Japan look lovely on a 2.5K OLED at an average of 167fps.Many of those frames may be fake, but they sure are pretty.The obvious games to avoid with frame generation are competitive shooters. While I felt fine playing Marvel Rivals on the 5090 with 4x frame generation reaching nearly 200fps, I was playing pretty casually with a hero that doesnt require precision accuracy. For something like Valorant or Counter-Strike 2, Id advise against it. But to be fair, those ultra-competitive games typically have a low performance barrier for entry and practically run on a potato.One area where the 5090 does seem significantly better so far is power efficiency. In our benchmarks, the new GPU had a lower average wattage, by 20 to 29 percent, than the 4090. That should help improve battery life when playing games away from a power cord.GPU power (watts) at 2.5KBenchmarksBlade 16 RTX 4090 average GPU wattageBlade 16 RTX 5090 average GPU wattageBlack Myth: Wukong TSR174138Black Myth: Wukong FSR171137Black Myth: Wukong FSR Frame Gen145134Black Myth: Wukong DLSS170135Black Myth: Wukong DLSS Frame Gen163131Cyberpunk 2077 Ultra159134Cyberpunk 2077 Ultra RT & FSR 3.1 quality153127Cyberpunk 2077 Ultra RT FSR Frame Gen154133Cyberpunk 2077 Ultra RT & DLSS Quality154126Cyberpunk 2077 Ultra RT & DLSS Frame Gen x2162130Cyberpunk 2077 Ultra RT & DLSS Frame Gen x4N/A133Cyberpunk 2077 Full Ultra RT no DLSS169131Cyberpunk 2077 Full Ultra & DLSS quality167138Cyberpunk 2077 Full Ultra RT & DLSS 4 Quality Frame Gen x2167137Cyberpunk 2077 Full UltraA RT & DLSS 4 Quality Frame Gen x4N/A133Lower wattages can also mean lower temperatures, as I was able to play games with the plugged-in laptop on my actual lap and not toast my legs. But this also hinges on an individual laptops thermal design and how well it cools the Blade 16 so far seems to do it well, but its also a totally different design than the 2024 model with the 4090 in it. Of course, youre not going to see the same level of performance when running graphically intensive games on battery power. Ill have to test this more to see how much of a difference it makes in real-world usage.The RTX 5090 is Nvidias most powerful and expensive laptop GPU, and you can expect to pay $4,000 or more for a laptop that runs it. The Blade 16 review configuration costs $4,499.99. It shows some promise for games that support DLSS 4 and Multi Frame Generation, and maybe for gaming thats not always tethered to a wall. But if I were shopping right now, I wouldnt ignore a heavy discount on a laptop with an RTX 4090. (The 4090 desktop supply, on the other hand, has dried up.)Well continue to test the RTX 5090, as well as the rest of the 50-series mobile GPUs as they appear in new gaming laptop models over the next few weeks and months. Im looking forward to testing the RTX 5080, in particular, and seeing if thats the sweet spot for laptop gamers.Photography by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The VergeSee More:

Youd think a five-hour long video of some chairs with names on them would be devoid of Marvel Cinematic Universe Easter eggs, but some fans believe theres one hiding in the shadows.To recap, this week Marvel announced the cast of Avengers: Doomsday in a video that slowly revealed chairs with MCU actor names on them. The video confirmed an additional 26 actors set to appear in the superhero mash-up alongside Robert Downey Jr.s Doctor Doom. It took nearly five and a half hours to do so.Most have now moved on from the video to debating what the cast announcement means for Avengers: Doomsday itself, but some have stuck with it, analyzing the chairs and even the shadows to within an inch of their lives. And now, some believe theyve found something.The appropriately-named redditor True_Confusion_295 said I feel like a conspiracy theorist circling things in red when they pointed out that a shadow cast by one of the chairs forms what looks like an X on top of an A. What does that mean? Avengers vs. X-Men, of course.Marvel surprised many by announcing a number of returning stars from Foxs X-Men films. Fox X-Men veterans Kelsey Grammer, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Alan Cumming, Rebecca Romijn, and James Marsden are all now confirmed to appear in Avengers: Doomsday. Grammer famously played Beast in the Fox X-Men franchise before making his MCU debut via The Marvels' post-credits scene. Stewart played Charles Xavier/Professor X in the X-Men films before appearing briefly in the MCU via Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness as a member of the Illuminati. McKellen, who played Magneto, has yet to appear in the MCU. Neither has Cumming, who played Nightcrawler, Romijn, who played Mystique, nor Marsden, who played Cyclops. Even Channing Tatum gets to play Gambit again after his star turn in Deadpool & Wolverine. It begs the question: is Avengers: Doomsday secretly an Avengers vs. X-Men movie?Perhaps, when the movie is finally revealed, fans will return to this moment to declare the hotly anticipated superhero scrap was first teased in the shadow of a chair. Or not.PlayLetters in shadows isnt the only conspiracy theory coming out of Marvels announcement video. At the end, Robert Downey Jr. does a slightly unnerving shhh to the camera as he brings his finger up to his mouth. Why? Could it be a sort of dont tell anyone warning because production is about to begin? Could it be a tease for Avengers: Secret Wars? Could it be a nod to more casting announcements to come?Or could it be a reference to Agatha in WandaVision? And, in turn, the unexpected appearance of Scarlet Witch, despite actress Elizabeth Olsen suggesting she's not? Earlier this month, co-directors the Russo brothers said they see Avengers 5 and 6 as a new beginning that will lay the foundation for whatever comes next in Phase 7 of the MCU.The only thing Ill say about the movie is this: we love villains who think theyre the heroes of their own stories, Joe Russo said. Thats when they become three-dimensional and they become more interesting. When you have an actor like Robert Downey, you have to create a three-dimensional, well shaped character for the audience. Thats where a lot of our focus is going.Avengers: Doomsday is currently set to arrive in theaters on May 1, 2026, and Secret Wars arrives about a year later in May 2027. Before then, Thunderbolts* comes out in May 2025, TV show Ironheart is out in June, and Phase 6 kicks off with The Fantastic Four: First Steps in July.In October, Marvel Studios added three untitled movie projects to its 2028 release schedule: February 18, 2028; May 5, 2028; and November 10, 2028. It seems increasingly likely one of these movies is X-Men.Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Excitement for Pokmon Legends Z-A is undeniable in the community, but we still don't have an exact release date of its late 2025 launch window, even after its showcase in the recent Nintendo Direct. But, in the meantime, Woot has slashed prices by up to 33% off current Pokmon games on Nintendo Switch, so you can get up to $20 off any you might still have in your backlog.Pokmon ScarletPokmon Legends: ArceusPokmon: Let's Go, Eevee!Pokmon: Let's Go, Pikachu!Pokemon Brilliant DiamondDetective Pikachu ReturnsPokmon ShieldPokmon SwordIn Woot's Spring Video Game Sale, the biggest bargains among these games, which almost all launched at $60, are the $20 price drops on Pokmon: Let's Go Eevee and Pokmon Shield. I'm assuming this is because these were initially less popular compared to their counterparts (Let's Go, Pikachu & Sword), so they may have more units to offload.Nevertheless, that doesn't take away from the fun each game offers. That's primarily for the Let's Go games. Although they were among the first Pokmon games on the Nintendo Switch, Let's Go, Eevee & Pikachu are still some of the prettiest games in the franchise to date, thanks to their less graphically intensive, glossy, and cartoony aesthetic. PlayWhile the later games in the series seemed to drop that, these two 2018 games hold up incredibly well six years later. For those who are intrigued by Pokemon Z-A's unique gameplay compared to the mainline games, Pokemon Legends: Arceus is a must-play as well if you haven't had the chance to give it a try already.At $15 off for a new price of $44.99, it's arguably Pokemon's take on The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, still following that "catch 'em' all" storyline but offers something unique by leaning in on the idea of Pokemon being wild and dangerous.If you're still behind on trying Pokmon Scarlet & Violet, the former has also had a price cut of $17 to bring it down to $42.99. If you're not too bothered about technical issues with graphics, the latest mainline Pokemon game is still a good time if all you're concerned about is catching Pokemon, battling, and taking on gym leaders. You can also get free delivery, but only if you're an Amazon Prime member, so make sure to sign in if you are.More Deals in Amazon's Spring SalePerfect for Switch/Steam DeckLexar 1TB PLAY microSDXC Memory CardBack in Stock!Pokmon TCG: Scarlet & VioletShrouded Fable Booster Bundle (6 Booster Packs)$29.97 at AmazonBack in Stock!Pokemon TCG: Scarlet and Violet Elite Trainer Box+ More Back in Stock!Pokmon TCG: Scarlet & VioletTwilight Masquerade Elite Trainer Box$59.97 at AmazonNon-Current Subscribers OnlyAudible Premium Plus: $0.99/Month#1 Amazon Spring Sale DealINIU Portable Charger, USB C Slimmest & Lightest Triple 3A High-Speed 10000mAh Power BankPS5/SwitchMetal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol.1 (PS5)Perfect for Game PassAmazon Fire TV Stick 4K MaxClip the CouponUltimate Spider-Man by Jonathan Hickman Vol. 13 for 2 DealUltimate Spider-Man by Jonathan Hickman Vol. 2: The PaperThere are plenty of great deals to keep an eye on during the Spring Sale. We've highlighted some of our top picks just above, but for a more comprehensive look, check out our full breakdown of Amazon's Big Spring Sale. Plus, if you've been after any Pokmon TCG boosters, there's a bunch back in stock today as well, including Shrouded Fable, Scarlet and Violet ETBs, and even Twilight Masquerade.Why Should You Trust IGN's Deals Team?IGN's deals team has a combined 30+ years of experience finding the best discounts in gaming, tech, and just about every other category. We don't try to trick our readers into buying things they don't need at prices that aren't worth buying something at.Our ultimate goal is to surface the best possible deals from brands we trust and our editorial team has personal experience with. You can check out our deals standards here for more information on our process, or keep up with the latest deals we find on IGN's Deals account on Twitter.Ben Williams IGN freelance contributor with over 10 years of experience covering gaming, tech, film, TV, and anime. Follow him on Twitter/X @BenLevelTen.

Conversely, there is nothing thrilling in the traditional, adventurous sense about Warfare. This is a movie told in real-time and with a visceral sense of chaos and confusion. It casts a murderers row of young Millennial and Gen-Z talent like Will Poulter, Jarvis, Joseph Quinn, Kit Connor, Charles Melton, and DPharaoh Woon-A-Tai as a young version of the films co-director, Mendoza. They all play real people who, should they survive, were on the set and discussed their memories with their onscreen opposites. The effect of assembling familiar faces (at least for cinephiles and Broadway heads) is the only fig leaf offered for keeping track of who is who. But the point is less the identities of the men as it is a shared morning during the bloodiest battle in the Iraq War. It binds them and seeks to bind the audience as well to the utter senselessness of its namesake.The film will assuredly face many critiques in various corners of the internet for simply existing. Some have already oddly condemned it as U.S. military propaganda, sight unseen. Others will soon call it leftist or anti-war. But its not really either. It is content with setting up base camp in an indifferent center, as aware as likely any veteran of how their experience, then and now, is politicized and turned into spin, cashed in on at our culture clash casino where the door is always open.Truthfully, Warfare deliberately offers little in the way of a point-of-view. It avoids any words like WMDs or oil or Bush, just as it notably never once shows a single insurgent fall from a bullet wound or show of force blast from the air above. This is not the jingoistic hero-worship of Clint Eastwood nor a Kathryn Bigelow lament.Yet like the Iraq War writ large, it is impossible to not ask what all this suffering was for, an open question that Warfares recalcitrance to say anything about still ultimately speaks volumes. When the Iraqi home this movie occurs in is absolutely obliterated, the mother of a terrified family hiding beneath their furniture cries perhaps the only word of English she knows: Why?Garland and Mendoza are content on not answering what probably can never be satisfactorily explained. That will frustrate some viewers, but then so did the war.More problematic may be the films absolute commitment to near anonymity of its soldiers. Again, if you cannot spot Poulter, Melton, or Connor in a lineup, youll be unlikely to tell many of them apart. It is this documentarian-like element which will probably prevent Warfare from having the cultural impact of a movie like Black Hawk Down or The Hurt Locker, or sure, pure propaganda like American Sniper. Warfare is not a story or narrative in the traditional sense, it is a 90-minute assault on the senses. It leaves you to make head or tails of what it all meant, which is a bold choice but artistically not as satisfying as the great war movies. Its subjectivity is so acute that it obscures what should have been a stronger emotional response.Still, I cannot fully dismiss Warfares effect as limited or fleeting. In fact, it reminds me a great deal of the second wave of Vietnam War films that began cropping up in the 1980s. There was the initial salvo, a series of movies that ran the gamut from classics (Apocalypse Now, The Deer Hunter) to the movies that were decidedly not (The Green Berets). But they were all films by filmmakers of a different generation and with a different set of values they were infusing into the Southeast Asian jungles. Then came Oliver Stones Platoon and Born on the Fourth of July, or even Stanley Kubricks Full Metal Jacket, which was based on real-life marine and later Vietnam War correspondent Gustav Hasfords experiences.

Welcome to Next Week on Xbox! In this weekly feature we cover all the games coming soon to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows, and Game Pass! Get more details on these upcoming games below and click their profiles for further info (release dates subject to change). Lets jump in!Vagrus The Riven Realms Lost Pilgrims StudiosGet it nowVagrus The Riven Realms March 31Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart DeliveryEmbark on a perilous journey across a realm forsaken by the gods and devastated by an arcane cataclysm. Accompanied by a hardy crew, you must trade, fight, and explore your way to success as the leader of a traveling company in Vagrus, an award-winning turn-based post-apocalyptic fantasy RPG.BlankspacePenguin Pop Games LLCGet it nowBlankspace April 2Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart DeliveryBlankspace is an escape room visual novel with point-and-click elements. Interact with Beryl, investigate your surroundings, solve puzzles, and find your way out of a strange-looking room!Dagger FroggyEastasiasoft LimitedGet it nowDagger Froggy April 2Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart DeliveryStrategically choose from a variety of buffs and spend coins to unlock up to 15 frogs with unique gear and armaments. Increase movement speed, max out weapon power, and take advantage of other enhancements. As you earn permanent upgrades, additional challenging stages become available. Can you survive them all?Little Ant AdventureOld School VibesGet it nowLittle Ant Adventure April 2Optimized for Xbox Series X|SLittle Ant Adventure is a charming 2D platformer where you guide a brave ant through three vibrant worlds filled with traps, enemies, and challenges. With 15 hand-crafted levels, hand-drawn animations, and an immersive soundtrack, even the smallest hero can overcome great obstacles!Ninja Escape DangerJM Neto Game DevGet it nowNinja Escape Danger April 2A retro pixel art platformer that delivers intense action and precise challenges. With stylized, green-toned visuals, it captures the essence of classic games as you control a swift ninja trying to escape from a deadly dungeon filled with traps. Use your sword to defeat enemies and your dash to evade deadly hazards. Quick reflexes and precision are essential to survive in this unforgiving world.Poly MatchOcean MediaGet it nowPoly Match April 2Show everyone who is the best in polygon shape in games and collect all the unique pictures in the one poly artbook! All you need is to swipe to rotate the poly puzzle and find the correct angle at which the figure will be complete. Create unique poly art masterpieces and challenge yourself inside a polysphere world!Sol Dorado Heist (Xbox Series X|S)Sometimes You$9.99$7.99Pre-orderSol Dorado Heist April 2Optimized for Xbox Series X|SAfter waking up with amnesia, Alex Thorn finds herself lost and confused in a room she doesnt recognize. A weird flashback tells her that she somehow has been robbing casinos with a mysterious criminal known as The Silent Ace. The police are now on her tracks, and The Silent Ace is about to rob the biggest casino in town: The Sol Dorado.Autopsy SimulatorTeam17Get it nowAutopsy Simulator April 3Play a middle-aged pathologist whose life has taken a turn for the worse. After a career downfall and the loss of your beloved wife, you live each day shattered and exhausted. One day during a routine post-mortem, you find a relic of your past hidden inside a body. Now, it feels like something just wont let goBee Flowers Bundle Xbox + WindowsAfil Games1$10.49Get it nowBee Flowers: Royal Garden April 3Optimized for Xbox Series X|SImmerse yourself in the enchanting world of Bee Flowers, a delightful puzzle game where you guide busy bees through hexagonal grids to pollinate vibrant fields of flowers. With its relaxing mechanics and progressively challenging puzzles, the game offers the perfect blend of strategy and serenity.Caligo (Xbox Series X|S)Sometimes You$9.99$7.99Pre-orderFree TrialCaligo April 3Optimized for Xbox Series X|SAn atmospheric walking simulator where you must look and listen. Caligo is the darkness everyone descends into one way or another, and to each of us its something different. For some its a short but exciting adventure, some will see it as a place to relax. Yet others will be reminded of their worst nightmare, while for a few, it might come as a revelation. One thing is certain however: everyone will have to answer one big question.Fantasy Tower DefenseOcean MediaGet it nowFantasy Tower Defense- April 3A horde of horrible monsters is attacking your kingdom. Build your towers fast and survive all the waves. If arrows or stones are not enough, use elements to your advantage and slay them all. Build towers on the free spots and they will automatically attack monsters that come near them. Use different combinations of towers and elements to your advantage. If you still feel pressured, use spells and upgrade your towers to maximum.Sociable Soccer 25Tower StudiosGet it nowSociable Soccer 25 April 3Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart DeliveryEmbrace the excitement of the worlds favorite sport in Sociable Soccer 25, appearing on Xbox for the very first time this season. With its vast array of features, extensive real-world player roster and intuitive gameplay, the game sets the stage for a footballing adventure like no other.Alien Cat StoryDesert Water GamesGet it nowAlien Cat Story April 4Optimized for Xbox Series X|SGet ready for an amazing adventure on an alien planet, full of dangers, puzzles and unexpected allies in the game Alien Cat Story. Only you can help the cat fix his ship and leave this dangerous world.Chippy's StashAfil GamesGet it nowChippys Stash April 4Optimized for Xbox Series X|SWinter is coming, and Chippy, the cleverest squirrel in the forest, needs to stash his precious acorns! In Chippys Stash, a charming tile-based puzzle game, you must help Chippy push acorns into hollow tree stumps, overcoming obstacles that will test your wit and strategy.Is this Game Trying to Kill Me?Sometimes You$19.99$15.99Pre-orderFree TrialIs This Game Trying to Kill Me? April 4A mix of horror and first-person puzzler. You are trapped inside a cabin deep in the forest, and its owner offers to play a computer game in exchange for freedom. But the cabin and the game are much more connected than you might think. Traps from the game begin to appear in reality, and your actions in the cabin affect the computer game. And very soon you realize that the stake in this game is your life!Light-It UpQubicGames S.A.$4.99$3.99Pre-orderLight-It Up April 4In this big, dark world, youre a little stickman with a huge mission. Get ready to ignite the excitement and light your way through an epic adventure! Light up each figure, bringing it to life with vibrant colors. Get ready to test your reflexes and agility as you navigate through this colorful world of shapes and light!My Little UniverseSayGames$14.99$11.99Pre-orderMy Little Universe April 4Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery / Xbox Play AnywhereThe universe is vast and filled with adventures, mysteries to solve, and enemies to fight who knows, you might even meet a few friendly faces along the way. Better yet, invite up to three of your friends to join you in the split-screen local co-op mode because its always more exciting with friends!Project 13: NightwatchDolores EntertainmentGet it nowProject 13: Nightwatch April 4Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart DeliveryAn intense and immersive game experience where you take on the role of an Observer tasked with guarding the Motherbase of the Project 13 Organization. Your mission is clear: prevent any Observator Prisoner, each potentially containing a dangerous anomaly, from infiltrating the Project 13 Headquarters. Equipped with a high-tech binocular, your keen observation skills are the key to success.The Renovator: OriginsAxyos Games$14.99Pre-orderThe Renovator: Origins April 4Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart DeliveryThe Renovator: Origins is a first-person psychological horror game. Explore the mysterious world of art, where each exhibit contains the mysteries and secrets of its era and its creator. The game will immerse you in the past and another world that is behind the paintings. You play as the son of a restorer, a museum worker who died tragically. While searching for the memorabilia, the door suddenly closes, and strange things begin to happen. The hero is waiting for immersion in the world of art and the paranormal.Royal Romances: The Power of Chosen One CE XboxLegacy GamesGet it nowRoyal Romances: The Power of Chosen One April 4Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart DeliveryWith the power to command the dragons, the Chosen One could be a great hero or foe! Old friends, a settlement of fairies, and many ancient creatures will come to your aid as you explore the magic forest and search for hidden objects in your quest to restore splendor and tranquility to the kingdom. See all there is to uncover in this magical world and be the force to tip the scale of fate!