South of Midnight is an interesting case study, because of how very much it seems like a game of two halves. On one hand, it boasts a distinct and incredibly well-realized setting, a gorgeous and memorable aesthetic, and strong storytelling chops that help bring its unique world and premise to life. On the gameplay front, meanwhile, Compulsion Games latest delivers a fairly standard action-adventure experience, one that weaves in a number of familiar elements and puts them together in what is a solid, if somewhat expected gameplay experience. The end result, then, is a game that manages to stand out with unique ideas while also delivering a no-frills, straightforward, lean and mean gameplay experience that anyone with a fondness for the Xbox 360 era of linear action-adventure titles will find very familiar.You play as Hazel, a young woman living with her mother in the American Deep South town of Prospero, which finds itself caught in the middle of a raging hurricane. Disaster strikes early on in the game, and Hazel soon awakens to a mysterious magic known as Weaving, which she must put to use as she embarks on a quest to rescue and reunite with her mother, and heal the decaying land around her with her newfound powers. South of Midnightmakes a strong impression with its setting and storytelling right off the bat, and there continue to lie some of its biggest strengths well past those early moments."South of Midnightmakes a strong impression with its setting and storytelling right off the bat, and there continue to lie some of its biggest strengths well past those early moments."Most impressive is the incredibly distinctive identity it carves out for itself. Blending its contemporary Deep South setting with local folklore and mythology, it crafts a gothic modern-day fairytale that instantly sets itself apart from anything else out there. From the gorgeous and highly detailed environments that you find yourself on throughout the course of Hazels journey to the wonderfully eccentric and quirky cast of characters, each of whom shines thanks to sharply written dialogue and excellent acting performances; from the monsters that you cross paths with to the storybook framing device the game adopts-South of Midnightkeeps finding ways to highlight its key strengths, and more often than not, does so in a way that feels very different from most other story-driven action adventure games.Games inspired by the Deep South that highlight its folklore, culture, and everything about it this constantly and proudly are few and far in between, which meansSouth of Midnightmanages to stand out from the crowd in this department. It does still have some flaws of note- Hazel, for instance, clearly got the Im an action-adventure protagonist who has to comment on everything in sight memo. Shes talking to herselfconstantlyand refuses to shut up, which means she got on my nerves more than a few times, even though she is otherwise a fun and charming protagonist. Even so, with its many notable storytelling strengths, it more than makes up for its few writing-related flaws.Another area whereSouth of Midnightinstantly catches the eye is with its visuals. It uses a highly stylized art style that fits perfectly with its modern fairytale framework and folklore-infused setting, and combines it with a stop-motion animation style that helps it stand out even more. Whether youre moving through its stunningly crafted environments or watching its lovingly directed cutscenes, South of Midnightis wonderful to witness, both in motion and otherwise. Its stop-motion animation style might prove distracting to some in gameplay personally, I didnt mind it once Id gotten used to it but the gamedoesgive you the option to turn that effect off outside of cutscenes."South of Midnightuses a highly stylized art style that fits perfectly with its modern fairytale framework and folklore-infused setting, and combines it with a stop-motion animation style that helps it stand out even more."Where it shows ambition and unbridled creativity in the narrative and visual departments, on the gameplay front, South of Midnightis happy to chart a well-trodden path. Close your eyes and picture a linear, third-person action-adventure game with a mix of melee and magical combat, some light exploration and progression mechanics, and a focus on nimble and parkour-based traversal, and you probably already have a pretty good idea of what youre signing up for.South of Midnightdoesnt reinvent the wheel, but ends up being anywhere between serviceable and forgettable to legitimately fun and solid in most areas of note.When the game starts out, the gameplay feels maybe a little bittoosimplistic and straightforward, but over the course of its opening a couple of hours, it briskly introduces one simple gameplay mechanic on top of another that are all fairly simplistic tropes by themselves, but are used in combination pretty effectively. Light and heavy attacks in combat, dodges rolls and perfect dodges, telekinetic abilities that let you push and pull enemies and things in the environment- mechanics like these (and others) are the kind that you have seen in a multitude of games in the past, but though South of Midnightdoesnt use them in any way that feels too different or extraordinary, it doesget the basics right.What that means is that gameplay, though its never breathtaking by any means, can often be more engaging than you might expect if all you had played of the game was its first hour or so. Levels are pretty condensed and the environments you find yourself in are never too sprawling, butSouth of Midnightslight exploration elements remain fairly compelling throughout. Progression is pretty standard and, if Im being blunt, unimaginative, but it does just enough to make you care at least a little bit about the next upgrade youll unlock, if not the one after that."More than a few times in recent years, weve collectively lamented the death of the so-called AA action-adventure game, so to see one as distinct asSouth of Midnightis heartening."Combat can be surprisingly fun when youre taking on multiple enemies of different types at once, weaving together different abilities while dishing out your own attacks. Particularly enjoyable is the traversal. Once again, it brings together familiar elements like ledge climbing, wall running, and what have you, and that moveset remains largely fun to use across the games runtime. Both combat and traversal can sometimes feel a bit rough around the edges at times due to the occasional instance of clunky movement, unresponsive inputs, or iffy hit detection, but by and large, South of Midnightis a fun and well-functioning gameplay experience.In the gameplay department, what stands out most aboutSouth of Midnightis how much it feels like a throwback game, specifically where its design style and sensibilities are concerned. More than a few times in recent years, weve collectively lamented the death of the so-called AA action-adventure game, so to see one as distinct asSouth of Midnightis heartening, to say the very least- not least because its coming from a major AAA first-party publisher. Its not often that we get a dozen-hour-long single-player story-driven game that wastes no time with semi-open world maps, skill trees, multiplayer elements or what have you, andSouth of Midnightdeserves recognition not just for being just that, but being a really good version of that.With strong writing, memorable characters, stylish visuals, great music, and an excellent setting,South of Midnightpumps itself full of personality and carves out a unique identity for itself, while with its combat mechanics, progression system, traversal, and light exploration, it sticks largely to the status quo, perhaps even to the point of being unambitious. In the end, when those two halves combine, what we get is a brisk and enjoyable game that leaves a stamp on you one way or another. South of Midnightis the sort of game that feels like a victory for the medium simply by existing in exactly the form that it does.This game was reviewed on the Xbox Series X.

The red panda is a mammal native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China. It has dense reddish-brown fur with a black belly and legs, and a ringed tail. It has a head-to-body length of 5163.5cm (2025in) and a 2848.5cm (1119in) tail, and it weighs between 3.2 and 15kg (7 and 33lb). It is genetically close to raccoons, weasels and skunks. Solitary, largely arboreal and well adapted to climbing, it inhabits coniferous, temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, favouring steep slopes with dense bamboo cover close to water sources. It uses elongated wrist bones ("false thumbs") to grasp bamboo. It feeds mainly on bamboo shoots and leaves. Red pandas mate in early spring, giving birth to litters of up to four cubs in summer. On the IUCN Red List as endangered since 2015, the species is threatened by poaching and deforestation-based habitat destruction and fragmentation.Photograph credit: Mathias AppelRecently featured: Ford Strikers Riot20222023 California floodsGhillie suitArchiveMore featured pictures

April 4: Hansik in Korea (2024); Qingming Festival (traditional Chinese, 2025)Alexios I Komnenos503BC Roman consul Agrippa Menenius Lanatus celebrated a triumph for a military victory over the Sabines.1081 The Komnenos dynasty came to full power with the coronation of AlexiosI Komnenos (pictured) as Byzantine emperor.1859 Bryant's Minstrels premiered the minstrel song "Dixie" in New York City as part of their blackface show.1949 Twelve nations signed the North Atlantic Treaty, establishing NATO, an international military alliance whereby its member states agree to mutual defense in response to an attack by any external party.A.Thomas Bradbury (b.1902)Martin Rundkvist (b.1972)Xu Lai (d.1973)Inez Robb (d.1979)More anniversaries: April 3April 4April 5ArchiveBy emailList of days of the yearAbout

New research from Anthropic found that reasoning models willfully omit where it got some information.Read More

The CEO of Steve Jackson Games, which makes board games and card games, says that the 54 percent tariff on goods imported from China that will go into effect on April 5th is a seismic shift for the board game industry and that prices are going up.At Steve Jackson Games, we are actively assessing what this means for our products, our pricing, and our future plans, CEO Meredith Placko says in a post. We do know that we cant absorb this kind of cost increase without raising prices. Weve done our best over the past few years to shield players and retailers from the full brunt of rising freight costs and other increases, but this new tax changes the equation entirely.In the post, Placko spells out an example of how the tariff could affect costs. A product we might have manufactured in China for $3.00 last year could now cost $4.62 before we even ship it across the ocean, she says. Add freight, warehousing, fulfillment, and distribution margins, and that once-$25 game quickly becomes a $40 product. Thats not a luxury upcharge; its survival math.RelatedPlacko adds that the company doesnt manufacture in the US because the infrastructure doesnt meaningfully exist here yet. She acknowledges that tariffs can be an effective tool when they are part of a long-term strategy to bolster domestic manufacturing. But she says that there is no national plan in place to support manufacturing for the types of products we make.If youre frustrated with the tariffs, Placko suggests writing to your elected officials. Ask them how these new policies help American creators and small businesses, she says. Because right now, it feels like they dont.The Game Manufacturers Association (GAMA) has also issued a grim warning. The latest imposition of a 54% tariff on products from China by the administration is dire news for the tabletop industry and the broader US economy, GAMA said, according to Polygon. Card-grading company PSA has released a statement about the new tariffs, too, saying that the company has paused direct card grading submissions from outside the US.In March, Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks told Yahoo Finance that when youre talking about tariffs in the neighborhood of 20 percent plus, thats a cost that we cant fully accommodate. It will have to be passed on.See More:

If you were wondering how President Trumps tariffs may impact gadgets like smartphones, laptops, and smartwatches, theres some bad, and perhaps slightly less-bad news. Unless something changes, Trumps sweeping tariffs will lead to increased prices for consumers. But it will likely take some time before that actually happens.Modern gadgets generally arent made or assembled solely in the U.S. anymore. Device makers big and small source components from all over the world, and often have them assembled overseas before importing the final product into the country. Given that Trump has levied tariffs on every single country, it means that the cost to make all our devices will inevitably go up.The biggest thing right now is going to be the inflationary impact, says Jason Miller, professor of supply chain management at Michigan State University. If they stay in place for several months, well start to see those effects by mid-summer and certainly back-to-school season.RelatedMiller notes goods shipped from China to the U.S. will face a whopping 54 percent tariffs, including most gadgets. Vietnam, where Apple has shifted some of its manufacturing, also has a high tariff rate at 46 percent.If [companies] absorb the extra cost and dont pass it on, their profits are going to plunge and their capital investment will drop, says Miller. Or, theyll pass a good share of it onto the downstream buyer, which in many instances is the consumer.Barring any new exemptions or changes, you can expect every single device category to be negatively impacted, says Ryan Reith, group vice president of worldwide device trackers at IDC. But devices will be impacted differently. Smartphones, says Reith, have more wiggle room than TVs or PCs as they have a well-established monthly hardware payment dependence.Miller agrees, noting that its not likely that a smartphone will suddenly be 50 percent more expensive. A more reasonable expectation would be a roughly 20 percent bump.Its reasonable to expect the price of phones to go up by about 20 percent, says Jason Miller, professor of supply chain management at Michigan State University. Photo by Chris Welch / The VergeOther devices, like over-the-counter hearing aids, have even thinner margins and are therefore, much more vulnerable.Most hearing aids are manufactured in Europe or Asia, and many are assembled in countries like China, says Blake Cadwell, CEO of Soundly, an online retailer that sells over-the-counter hearing aids. Cadwell says manufacturers and brands hes spoken to are anticipating as much as a 25 to 50 percent increase in costs. Those kinds of increases, Cadwell says, could have a lasting impact on consumers.The slightly less-bad news is that consumers likely wont see any price increases right away. Thats because some device makers have increased inventory in anticipation of tariffs hitting. Miller says in the past few months, computer imports were over 70 percent higher than 2023, while cell phone imports in February 2025 were the highest since 2022. Cadwell also says Soundly is working to build reserves and that based on current inventory levels, its likely price increases wont hit the market until fall. However, thats not a guarantee that this is true for every single device maker and every gadget category.If youre looking at a laptop thats assembled in China, and youre wondering whether to buy now or wait until the fall, I would buy now.Vendors/channels have been stretching existing inventory as much as they can to avoid price increases, but close deadlines announced yesterday for tariff increases significantly ramp up the pressure. Id be surprised if even the best positioned brands in terms of inventory are able to stretch two to three weeks beyond the new tariff deadlines, says Reith.In other words, if you currently have an aging piece of tech that needs replacing, it may be a good idea to do it before inventory runs out.If youre looking at a laptop thats assembled in China, and youre wondering whether to buy now or wait until the fall, I would buy now, says Miller.As for whether these tariffs could potentially encourage Big Tech to restart domestic manufacturing, its highly unlikely. Even with these tariffs in place, its still cheaper for these companies to manufacture devices like smartphones, laptops, and wearables overseas. And even if they did want to move some industry back home, that wouldnt be possible overnight. The U.S. has lost a lot of its manufacturing capacity, particularly for consumer electronics, in the last few decades.Simon Ellis, group vice president at IDC, notes that the firm hasnt seen reshoring as a high priority in recent supply chain surveys. Its also important to remember that made in America has almost always meant assembled in America with parts coming from all over the world, he says, while acknowledging its possible that a growing number of companies may assess a return even though the cost, uncertainty, and time required are huge hurdles.Miller is a bit more blunt.These tariffs in no way would encourage domestic production of the types of devices that were talking about.See More:

LEGO and Minecraft fit together perfectly. The popular game is all about using your imagination to build just about anything out of digital blocks, and LEGO is the ideal medium to bring that into the real world. There are already a ton of LEGO Minecraft sets out there and more are on the way. Now that A Minecraft Movie is in theaters, Amazon is offering some pretty steep discounts on older sets that are actually really cool.Although there were some newer Minecraft Movie LEGO sets released earlier this year, none of those have gone on sale. If you're a fan of the game itself and not just interested because of the new movie, however, the sets that are on sale are worth a look.The Best Minecraft LEGO Sets on Sale at Amazon TodayLowest Price in 2025LEGO Minecraft The Sword OutpostLowest-Ever PriceLEGO Minecraft The Deep Dark Battle SetAlthough there are other LEGO Minecraft deals available on Amazon, the two options we've featured here are the best overall savings. First there's The Sword Outpost set, which is recognizable by the massive sword backdrop, of course. At just over $30, this is the lowest price we've seen on this set all year and close to the lowest-ever price on Amazon. It also comes with quite a few minifigures, including Skeleton and Creeper mobs. With only 427 pieces, it's fairly easy to put together in an afternoon and can be easily displayed or played with once you're done.The second discount we've highlighted here is The Deep Dark Battle Set. At $44.49, this is the lowest price we've ever seen on this LEGO Minecraft set. This particular set takes you to the Deep Dark and offers some cool functionality for kids. There's a knob included in the build that lets you raise and lower the Warden. The tower can also "explode" with a built-in switch. You only get two minifigures with this set, but each one comes with armor and weapons you can equip them with.See more popular LEGO Minecraft setsThe Crafting TableSee it at AmazonThe Frog HouseSee it at AmazonThe Ender Dragon and End ShipSee it at LEGOThe Armadillo Mine ExpeditionSee it at AmazonThe Cherry Blossom GardenSee it at AmazonWhat About the Minecraft Movie LEGO Sets?There have only been two Minecraft Movie LEGO sets released so far: The Ghast Balloon Village Attack and Woodland Mansion Fighting Ring. Both of these sets reflect specific scenes from the movie and include minifigures of the characters, including Jack Black as Steve.Minecraft Movie SetThe Ghast Balloon Village AttackMinecraft Movie SetWoodland Mansion Fighting Ring

With stylish cinematography and expertly choreographed fight scenes, John Wick has cemented itself as one of the best action film franchises of the last decade. The ongoing series realized its potential with John Wick: Chapter 4, which IGN called "a modern action masterclass" and awarded a rare 10/10 review score.With confirmation that Keanu Reeves will be returning for John Wick 5, we've compiled a complete list of where you can stream every John Wick movie online in 2025.PlayWhere to Stream the John Wick Movies OnlineUnfortunately, the John Wick movies recently got much harder to find online. While the first three movies used to be on Hulu, they got pulled from the library on March 1, 2025. Now, the first three John Wick movies can only streamed with a live TV subscription like Fubo or rented from a digital marketplace like Prime Video. At the very least, John Wick: Chapter 4 is available for free on The Roku Channel. Here's our full breakdown of how to watch John Wick online in 2025 with links to where you can stream each movie:John Wick (2014)Stream:fuboTVRent/Buy: Prime Video or YouTubeJohn Wick: Chapter 2 (2017)Stream: fuboTVRent/Buy: Prime Video or YouTubeJohn Wick: Chapter 3 Parabellum (2019)Stream: fuboTVRent/Buy: Prime Video or YouTubeJohn Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)Stream: The Roku ChannelRent/Buy: Prime Video or YouTubeJohn Wick Movies on Blu-rayIf you're more interested in adding to your physical collection (or maybe just less interested in another streaming subscription), every John Wick movie is also available on DVD, in 4K Ultra HD. For what it's worth, no one can take your Blu-ray collection away from you. Joh Wick: Chapters 1-3 See it at AmazonJohn Wick: Chapters 1-4See it at AmazonJohn Wick: Chapter 4 [4K UHD + Blu-ray + Digital]See it at AmazonJohn Wick [4K UHD + Blu-ray + Digital]See it at AmazonJohn Wick: Chapter 2 [4K UHD + Blu-ray + Digital]See it at AmazonJohn Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum [4K UHD + Blu-ray + Digital]See it at AmazonFuture John Wick MoviesPlayAfter the mostly unimpressive debut of The Continental, Chad Stahleski was able to strike a deal to have creative oversight of all future John Wick spinoffs (as well as the new Highlander re-boot), so we have some faith that the canon is in good hands from here on out.Ballerina, a feature-film spinoff starring Ana de Armas's character Ruska Roma, was originally scheduled to hit theaters on June 7, 2024 but has since been delayed to a June 6, 2025 release date. John Wick 5 is officially a go at Lionsgate after Reeves and Director Stahleski decided over whiskey in Japan, and we know for sure Keanu Reeves will be a part of it. Reeves is also returning for an anime John Wick prequel.Lastly, there's the yet-to-be-confirmed Sofia Al-Azwar spinoff hinted at by actor Halle Berry. In the meantime, you can also check out our list of movies like John Wick. Jordan covers games, shows, and movies as a freelance writer for IGN.

As we have reported in recent months, Apple has been facing scrutiny in Brazil over accusations of anti-competitive practices with the App Store. Although the company has been given more time to discuss the case, the Brazilian antitrust regulator Cade is now investigating Apple over the App Tracking Transparency feature.According to a report in the Brazilian newspaper O Globo (via MacMagazine), Cade on Thursday began investigating Apple after Meta complained about the App Tracking Transparency (ATT) feature in iOS. More specifically, Meta claims that only third-party apps need to ask users for permission to collect their data, while Apple apps have a free pass to collect and share data with the company.The Brazilian regulator argues that there is evidence that Apple collects and processes information from its users under more favorable conditions than those offered to third parties.The App Tracking Transparency feature was introduced in 2021. With ATT, third-party apps must now show a popup asking iOS users if they allow that specific app to track them across other apps and websites. Unsurprisingly, most people opt out of being tracked.Companies like Meta, whose revenue comes mainly from online advertising, have been heavily affected by ATT, since user information is crucial for fingerprinting the process of creating a profile about a person based on their online activities. This data is usually sold to advertisers so that they can better target their audience.Since the feature was introduced, Meta has publicly criticized Apple many times, calling ATT a harmful policy.Back to the case in Brazil, Apple wont face a trial for now, since Cade is still examining the companys terms and conditions for ATT in third-party apps. Of course, if the regulator considers ATTs terms to be unfair, the company could face penalties in Brazil in the future. A few days ago, France fined Apple $132 million for a similar reason.Gadgets I recommend:Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Apple last week officially announced that WWDC 2025 will take place from June 9 to 13, and although most of the event will take place online, the company will hold an in-person opening keynote at Apple Park. Developers who have applied for a ticket are now being notified of their status.Apple invites developers to WWDC 2025 event at Apple ParkCongratulations! Youve been selected to join us at the special event at Apple Park on Monday, June 9 and were thrilled to invite you to additional activities before and after as well, Apple says in an email to invited developers.The special WWDC 2025 event includes the opening keynote, in which the company will announce iOS 19 and its other new software, and the Platforms State of the Union. Invited developers will also be able to meet with Apple experts.According to Apple, the invited developers were chosen by random selection and the ticket is not transferable. Although the winners dont have to pay anything for the ticket, all travel and accommodation costs must be covered by the person.In addition, Apple also invited distinguished winners of the Swift Student Challenge 2025 to a three-day experience in Cupertino that also includes the special event at Apple Park.Be there for the reveal of the latest Apple tools, frameworks, and features.Learn to elevateyour apps and games through video sessions hosted by Appleengineers and designers. Engage with Appleexperts in labs and connect with the worldwide developer community. All online and at no cost.What are you most excited to see at WWDC 2025? Let us know in the comments.Alleged iOS 19 leaked screenshot shows what the new interface will look likeGadgets I recommend:Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel