In BriefPosted:2:12 PM PST December 22, 2024Image Credits:Kyle Grillot/Bloomberg / Getty ImagesPalantir and Anduril reportedly building a tech consortium to bid on defense contractsTwo big defense tech players, Palantir and Anduril, are talking to tech companies including SpaceX, OpenAI, Saronic, and Scale AI about forming a consortium to bid on Pentagon contracts, according to a report in the Financial Times.The goal, the FT says, is to challenge the dominance of prime defense contractors like Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, and Boeing. One unnamed participant described this as an effort to provide a new generation of defense contractors, while another said this will be a more efficient way to sell the government cutting-edge weapons and other tech.Initial partnerships could be announced as soon as January, according to the report.Palantir and Anduril (both named after magical items in J.R.R. Tolkiens Lord of the Rings) hinted that something like this was in the works earlier this month, with an integration announcement between Palantirs AI Platform and Andurils Lattice software. At the time, the companies said they were launching a new consortium to ensure that the U.S. government leads the world in artificial intelligence.Topics

Internal rotor of a steam Turbine at workshopgettyAs the community of IT leaders and experts ponders the most likely future of technology, in which we outsource more and more cognition to AI, people are also thinking about energy and power.Had you asked me a few years ago, I wouldnt have thought that this particular aspect of IT would be so front and center today. Its also sort of strange to enumerate, because of the way that it contrasts to our human brains. As people, we get our fuel in strange and inefficient ways. By contrast, we know how to power computers - we know their energy needs down to the last detail. Or do we?This was brought back to me in a thought-provoking talk by Vijay Gadepally, where he went into some of the considerations for conserving energy while interacting with Chatbot and AI agents or using data centers to process gigantic amounts of information.Again, its important that we think about this, and its interesting how nuanced AIs power needs can beFive Commandments for Energy SavingsThroughout the presentation, Gadepally returned to five principles for conserving energy in AI operations. I included all five slides, because these are a good way to see visually a lot of the detail behind each of these points. But the main strategies are as follows know the impact of what AI is doing, provide power on an as-needed basis, reduce computing budget by optimizing, consider using smaller models or ensemble learning, and make the underlying systems more sustainable.MORE FOR YOUMeasuring Power NeedsFirst, Gadepally suggests we have to start with a good reckoning of how much power were using. If we have transparency into the energy cost of a ChatGPT query, we can then consider risk versus reward (or cost versus gain) and what we need to focus on in daily operations. For example, scientists have figured out that asking ChatGPT a series of questions generally requires about a 16 ounce bottle of water, and as our experts have pointed out, this has to be drinking-quality water in order to support the infrastructure. So its literally taking portable water out of peoples mouths.Thats to say nothing of the actual energy budget that these technologies have, where a lot of our electricity is still made through burning fossil fuels.This leads us to some of Gadepallys other points about lowering the energy footprint of AI operations.The Benefits of OptimizationFirst, he suggests we should focus just on particular problems that are more important, to reduce the computing budget. We shouldnt just let these systems run in order to see what they can do while the energy costs mount up.Heres a very interesting example that Gadepally points out its about inference, which he refers to as an energy hog.Do computers use more power when they think harder? The short answer is yes.Right now, inference is all the rage as we marvel at the ability of the LLMs to buckle down and concentrate on a particular question or idea. But yes, that type of cognition uses a particular level of energy, and may only be needed for certain higher-level workloads.Then theres Gadepallys suggestion that we can use smaller models for some jobs. This sort of triangulation, which he refers to as telemetry, breaks down the energy needs into components that we can manage, to, as he says, reduce Capex and Opex. (Youll have to forgive the corporate-speak)Finally, theres the recommendation to build systems to be more sustainable. One of the biggest examples is locating the energy sources with the data centers on a particular piece of land, so that youre not losing energy through transmission.Another overarching strategy (I dont think Gadepally talked about this specifically, but its been on my mind) is to ramp up safe nuclear energy production. This is easier said than done if you look at examples like Chernobyl and Three Mile Island, but at the same time, its reasonable to hope that nuclear energy safety has made great strides since then. The U.S. is looking, for example, at Chinas successful use of small nuclear facilities to generate electricity without fossil fuel combustion.The bottom line, though, is that were going to need an any and all approach, which is one reason I found Gadepallys talk so appealing. Whether its his example of allowing children to generate bedtime stories, or monitoring the use of drones in industries like defense and transportation, well need to be thinking about how to manage the energy costs as we go.

A detail shot of the UFC Legacy Championship Belt (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via ... [+] Getty Images)Zuffa LLC via Getty ImagesMost of the time, if I told you someone from Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship called out a UFC champion, youd be right to file it under: yeah, well thats probably not going to happen. The UFC almost never does cross-promotional events.On Saturday, Platinum Mike Perry called out former UFC welterweight champion Ruthless Robbie Lawler, and there are several reasons why it will probably happen.In case you missed it, heres Perry calling Lawler out during BKFC: Hollywood at the Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood, Florida, on Saturday night.First, Perry has graduated past the aspect of his career where he would make senseless callouts for attention that have no chance of coming to fruition. Hes endeavored to start his own combat sports promotion, Dirty Boxing, and Perry has learned how to capitalize on his fame.If hes calling Lawler out for a bare-knuckle fight, you can bet hes gotten some indication that its a realistic possibility.Second, as you can see from the clip, Lawler was present for the event, which likely means he was aware Perry was going to call him out. Because of that, there is good reason to believe there may already be a deal in place.MORE FOR YOUThe purpose of the callout could have been to get the buzz going. Considering were in something of a quiet period for the UFC, its a good time to start this discussion.Lastly, bare-knuckle has Lawler written all over it. Lawler isnt currently signed with the UFC, which should free him of the red tape that usually comes with cross-promotion and the worlds No. 1 MMA organization.The style of fighting that we see in bare-knuckle is what weve come to expect from Lawler, who was always down to stand and bang.Quite honestly, there is an argument to be made that Perry-Lawler could be the biggest bare-knuckle fight the BKFC has promotedif it happens.Perry hasnt competed since he lost to Jake Paul in a boxing match in July. Shortly after the loss, BKFCs part-owner and former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion Conor McGregor fired Perry on social media.Apparently, the firing didnt stick, as Perry has been present at several BKFC events and was in the ring with a mic on Saturday night to call out Lawler. Theres a lot to like and believe about this moment in BKFC.Ill be watching the developments on this story over the next few months. Dont be surprised if this event comes together sometime in the spring. Here is a look at the results from BKFC: Hollywood.BKFC on DAZN: Hollywood ResultsMike Richman def. Jared Warren via KO in Round 1 (0:44)Wins BKFC World Light-Heavyweight TitleChristine Ferea def. Christine Vicens via TKO in Round 4 (1:22)Defends BKFC World Womens Flyweight TitleLeonardo Perdomo def. Levi Costa via KO in Round 1 (0:47)Bryan Duran def. Kasim Ruffin via TKO in Round 1 (1:59)Gee Perez def. Cary Caprio via TKO in Round 1 (0:44)Justin Ibarrola def. Derek Perez via TKO in Round 2 (1:04)Edgard Plazaola def. Alex Castro via KO in Round 4 (1:25)Sabah Homasi def. Eduardo Peralta via KO in Round 2 (1:02)Tyler Randall def. Austin Lewis via KO in Round 1 (1:46)Francesco Ricchi def. Blake LaCaze via Unanimous Decision (50-43x2, 48-45)Brock Walker def. Chino Bloom via KO in Round 4 (1:04)

I'm the youngest of three siblings and the only Gen Zer.When I graduated this year, I faced the realities of job-hunting and adulthood.I learned lessons from observing my sisters and other millennials navigate their 20s.After 16 years in the education system, my time as a student ended on a random Wednesday afternoon in April. I was finally free from lectures, tests, and group projects but thrust into the realities of a scarier world: adulthood.In this world, there were no set milestones to tell me I was on the right track. Everyone seemed to be on a path to something greater, but I feltI know I'm not alone. Every 20-something has probably felt at least a little bit lost in life. But amid mass layoffs and the threat of AI replacing jobs, stepping into the job market as a fresh graduate in 2024 felt like diving head-first into an abyss.An August report by an early careers platform, Handshake, surveyed 1,925 graduating students. They found that 57% of the students felt pessimistic about starting their careers an increase from 49% of graduating students last year. Of the 57%, 63% said the competitive job market contributed to their pessimism.The stress of not knowing whether I could secure a job was compounded by uncertainty about my career. I had studied journalism but wasn't sure if it was the right fit. I had the irrational fear that if my first job turned out to be the "wrong" choice, I'd be relegated back to the start line of the rat race.Amid a brewing quarter-life crisis, I looked to my sisters, aged 28 and 31. They do many things that people of my generation may scoff at, like watching Instagram reels exclusively and using the laughing emoji. But they seem to have figured out one thing: life after college.Here's what I've learned from watching them conquer the Roaring Twenties.Life doesn't end when school endsToward the end of college, I mentally prepared myself for the fast-approaching expiration of youth."You must treasure your university days," relatives constantly reminded me at yearly Lunar New Year gatherings. They painted adulthood as a bleak portrait of bills, mundanity, and loneliness. So, when the time came, I was reluctant to let go of my identity as a student.But as the youngest sibling, I also watched my sisters graduate from college, get married, and build their own homes. I saw them achieve promotions at work, find new hobbies, and start a life outside the one I knew of us growing up together.Adulting isn't easy I now know that. But there are also so many new milestones and freedoms that come with it, and there is so much to be excited about.A job is just a jobMy elder sister works in communications and the other in architecture. Even when their hours stretched into the night and weekends, they built a whole life outside work.One started a sticker side business, and the other is now an avid runner.It wasn't always smooth. My second-oldest sister burned out after working too much in her first job and took a career break. She prioritized work-life balance at her next job.In that way, millennials and Gen Zers are alike. A 2024 report by Deloitte found that work-life balance topped the priorities for both generations when choosing an employer. When asked which areas of life were most important to their sense of identity, both generations agreed that jobs came second only to friends and family.Distancing myself from the idea that my job had to be my one true passion lifted a weight off my shoulders. As much as I still want a job that gives me purpose, I also make time for other aspects of life that fulfill me, like working out and spending time with friends.Just give it timeAs with most worries, the fear that I'd never find a job was unfounded. In July, I started my first job as a junior reporter. But when the first day at work finally ended, I trudged home in a daze."I have to do this every day for the next 40 years?" I asked my second-oldest sister, who laughed. It wasn't that I didn't like the job. It was the change in routine from school life to a 9-to-5 that unsettled me."You'll get used to it," my sister said. Six months in, I still don't know if I will. But seeing my millennial counterparts thrive has encouraged me.It's not just my siblings who have set an example. At work, my millennial colleagues are a constant source of guidance to the Gen Zers in the office. On social media, millennial influencers brand themselves as "internet big sisters" and give advice on navigating the complex years of their 20s.Older millennials are now turning 40, but they were once in the position of Gen Zers, being scoffed at by the older generations for being "lazy" and changing work culture.Now, they've drawn the map for Gen Zers' entry into the strange world of adulthood. It's made adulting just a little less scary.

Tech employees share their salary negotiation tips, which helped boost their pay by tens of thousands of dollars.Their negotiation strategies include practicing pitches, using data, and leveraging multiple offers.Research and transparency are key in negotiating better compensation in tech roles, they said.Sarra Bounouh has worked at consulting giant Accenture and three Big Tech companies.But she still deals with imposter syndrome, especially when talking compensation."Going into a negotiation is always, at least for me, a very uncomfortable discussion," Bounouh told Business Insider. "I just want to push through and ask for what I deserve."She and four other tech employees from Meta, Google, and Cisco shared their salary negotiation tips before joining a company or when trying to get promoted. They have used these strategies to add tens of thousands of dollars to their original offers in recent years.Product manager at Meta Sarra Bounouh joined Meta in 2024. Sarra Bounouh Avoid offering the first number. If you must, back it up with research, said Bounouh, a product manager who joined Meta earlier this year.She suggested using resources like Levels.fyi or Glassdoor and selecting your role and geography to see recent offers and compensation that makes sense for that job."I personally don't like having detailed conversations about level and compensation from that first call with the recruiter because I want to meet the team, I want to meet the hiring manager, I want to get excited about the role," she said.Bounouh prefers to negotiate her level and compensation once there's an offer on the table.She said she often gets asked about salary expectations early in the process because recruitersShe politely declines to share a number by telling the recruiter: "I don't have a number for your right now. I will need to do some research before getting back to you. At this stage of the process, I'm more focused on meeting the hiring manager and team."Rehearsal is key for conversations about promotions or raises, she said.Bounouh said she practiced her pitch for every job after Accenture and increased all three jobs' initial salary offers: Microsoft by 32%, Snap by 19%, and Meta by 37%.Product manager at Oracle Ketaki Vaidya joined Oracle in 2017 and has grown her career at the company since. Ketaki Vaidya Internal transfers between teams or offices are also an opportunity to negotiate your compensation package.Ketaki Vaidya, who moved from Oracle's India to California office in 2022, said she approached her negotiation with an "everything under the sun is negotiable" mindset.First, Vaidya looked at Glassdoor"I was being given this offer for the credibility that I had built in the organization. I felt like I had an upper hand in negotiating," she said. "I was much more confident in asking for the things that I deserve so it ended up being a very smooth transition."After negotiating her base salary up to $80,000, she discussed other compensation components, including the timing of her next review, sign-on bonuses, relocation costs, paid leave, and remote work. She negotiated a sign-on bonus of $15,000 and a relocation allowance of $15,000, which weren't part of the initial offer.Now, her compensation is about $130,000 annually, including stock units and bonuses.Product manager at Cisco Varun Kulkarni transitioned to tech after a career in consulting. Varun Kulkarni When Varun Kulkarni switched from consulting to tech to work on more artificial intelligence projects, he was careful not to come off as aggressive during his pay negotiations.Once he had offers from Cisco and others in hand in 2022, he was transparent with recruiters and mentioned other offers, without introducing his own counter number.He asked recruiters how high they could go and what they thought about other offers."You want to kind of not be too pushy" he said.His offer from Cisco already matched the market rate and what several competitors were offering, but he managed to negotiate it by 5%, bringing his total compensation to $180,000.Product manager at Google Yung-Yu Lin worked at Yahoo, Meta, Visa, PayPal, and Google. Yung-Yu Lin During his 2022 recruitment process at Google, Yung-Yu Lin used his employer at the time, PayPal, to land better offers from both companies.He interviewed and landed jobs at several places but their pay did not compare with Google's offer.Lin decided to negotiate a retention package. PayPal countered with a 10% pay bump. He then renegotiated with Google.Google offered a 20% raise on his original compensation at PayPal, which brought his offer to the $350,000 to $400,000 range as a senior product manager, including stock-based compensation.Software engineer at Meta Hemant Pandey joined Meta in 2021 after experiences at other tech firms. Hemant Pandey Hemant Pandey, a senior software engineer at Meta, used other offers and research in his most recent job search.After two years at Salesforce, in 2021 he applied to Meta, TikTok, LinkedIn, and two other companies. He used offers from these companies to negotiate his compensation at Meta."Be very transparent that you have other offers. Even if you have interviews going on, mention those, because it's also leverage," he said. It signals to the recruiter that they have to move fast and work with your parameters.Meta's recruiters matched the base salary and restricted stock units from the highest of all offers.Aside from being transparent,"I also negotiated my sign-on bonus and said, 'Hey, at Salesforce, I'll be leaving my $30,000 to $40,000 of annual bonus if I join you. Can you help me accommodate that?'"Pandey was offered $520,000 in annual pay, including stock options, in that 2021 move."The most significant thing happened in my career when I made the move from Salesforce to Meta, which was close to almost 80 to 90% hike" in pay, Pandey said.Do you work in tech, consulting, or finance and have a story to share about your career journey? Please reach out at shubhangigoel@insider.com.

CieL Dining / Eigh-T ArchitectsSave this picture! Hoang LeArchitects: Eigh-T ArchitectsAreaArea of this architecture projectArea:600 mYearCompletion year of this architecture project Year: 2024 PhotographsPhotographs:Hoang Le Lead Architects: Tu Phan More SpecsLess SpecsSave this picture!Text description provided by the architects. CieL Dining is an ambitious tasting menu fine dining restaurant by the acclaimed chef Viet Hong and his partner Thanh Liem. The main concept is developed around the name Ciel, which means "the sky" in French, nurtured through the owner's working period in Paris.Save this picture!The architecture of the villa is through the process of defamiliarizing a typical pitched roof prototype, by re-orienting the roof to direct its lowest point towards the entrance, in which results an intimate proportion. Oak door and plywood panels, used only at the recessed entrance, bring warmness to contrast to an austere structural form. The form is chamfered to create a five-sided figure, where visitors can see 3 faces simultaneously, provoking the sense of three-dimensional and widening the view to a neighborhood from the interior. The geometric exterior and landscape conceal the main concept in the interior.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!The waiting room on the ground floor is where the customer is directed to the counter dining or the common and private dining areas on the upper floor. The ground floor counter dining links with an open display kitchen, where the customers can see all the kitchen activities with the tropical garden background. At the center of the space lies a classic Oculus in the form of a cylinder, the main concept of the project. The cylinder tilted 12 degrees to elongate the light well. The experience of the space pivots around this diagonal cylinder.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!On the ground floor, sun ray is captured on the internal surface and kitchen counters throughout the day. The slanted exterior form can be seen on the first floor, pressed against two rectangular structures to bring both the tension and complement between two types of geometries. A restaurant office on the attic floor is where the staff can see the full Oculus.Save this picture!The kitchen fit-out is custom-made for the chef, with the two cooking counters on the side and two display and warm-up islands in the middle. The two islands are the working plane where customers can observe the process of making and decorating every dish.Save this picture!Project gallerySee allShow lessProject locationAddress:Thao Dien, Ho Chi Minh City, VietnamLocation to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.About this officeEigh-T ArchitectsOfficePublished on December 23, 2024Cite: "CieL Dining / Eigh-T Architects" 22 Dec 2024. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1024985/ciel-dining-eigh-t-architects&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save!ArchDaily?You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream

We're four years into the current Xbox Series X|S generation, and in 2024, it was business mostly as usual for Microsoft's console brand. While the biggest news this year related to Xbox was a new focus on bringing several of its first-party games to PS5 and Nintendo Switch, Xbox also saw an evolution of its Game Pass subscription service and an option for users of the Ultimate tier to stream select games they own. On top of a marketing push designed to remind people that they technically don't need the console to play Xbox games, 2024 shaped up to be a year of diversification for Microsoft's gaming ecosystem.What of the games then? This was a pretty strong year overall, as the Xbox library was bolstered with first-party games like Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, and Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl. Third-party games like Neon White and Final Fantasy 14 only added to the appeal of sitting down for a night of gaming on an Xbox console, and with Game Pass having numerous day-one releases, you'd find yourself spoiled for choice on what you could download and play, especially when one of those options was Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.GameSpot sister Metacritic has crunched the numbers on the best-reviewed Xbox games of the year--as of December 5--and if you're interested, you can check them all out in the list below. There were a few obvious winners here, as well as several surprises that you can read about. Be sure to also check out our running lists of the best Xbox Series X|S games and best Xbox Game Pass games to play right now.More Best Of 2024:Our Favorite Games That Didn't Make The Top 10Best PS5-Exclusive Games Of 2024Best Switch-Exclusive Games Of 2024Best PC-Exclusive Games Of 2024Best Xbox Games Of 2024Best-Reviewed Games Of 2024Best Of 2024 hub Elden Ring: Shadow of the ErdtreeMore Elden Ring is never a bad thing, and Shadow of the Erdtree delivers on that idea with an extra dose of everything that made the original game one of From Software's greatest hits. Elegantly grim and endlessly challenging, it's an essential expansion for any Elden Lord looking to return to the Lands Between.Metascore: 95 | Read our Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree review See at Amazon Like a Dragon: Infinite WealthRGG Studio has been on a roll over the last couple of years, and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is a prime example of the studio playing to its strengths. Doubling down on the turn-based gameplay mechanics introduced in Yakuza: Like a Dragon, Infinite Wealth is a confident sequel that further refines its weird and wonderful formula of brawls, drama, and mystery.Metascore: 92 | Read our Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth review See at Amazon Metaphor ReFantazioA fantasy adventure that embodies the best qualities of Atlus-developed games, Metaphor: ReFantazio was GameSpot's Game of the Year. At its core, it's an idealistic and hopeful look at the power of fiction backed up by stunning art direction and challenging combat. Throw in political intrigue and a colorful cast of characters, and you've got a game that'll keep you entertained throughout its lengthy tale.Metascore: 92 | Read our Metaphor: ReFantazio review See at Amazon Shin Megami Tensei V: VengeanceFor its arrival on Xbox consoles, Atlus pulled out all the stops to make the already-superb Shin Megami Tensei V a must-play JRPG. Technical refinements and quality-of-life changes to remove tedious grinding sessions made for some welcome improvements, but this edition of the game is also a massive expansion that adds in dozens of hours of new story content. It took a long time for this entry in the cult-classic Shin Megami Tensei series to make its way to Xbox, but the wait was definitely worth it.Metascore: 92 | Read our Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance review See at Amazon Tekken 82024 was a year of rebirth for Tekken 8, as the fighting game series reinvented itself. On the surface, it's still a good-looking brawler with a varied roster of warriors that'll appeal to series veterans, but under the hood, Tekken 8 hit the sweet spot for drawing in some fresh blood with its aggressive gameplay mechanics and easy-to-learn fundamentals. A hard-hitting arcade fighting game fused with modern sensibilities, Tekken doesn't get much better than this.Metascore: 89 | Read our Tekken 8 review See at Amazon Destiny 2: The Final ShapeThe Final Shape brought a satisfying conclusion to the 10-year story of Destiny, culminating in a fight against The Witness, the foe who has loomed in the shadows since the beginning. The new Prismatic subclass further expands on the RPG-style character building, letting you mix and match abilities in exciting new ways. With a great raid, improvements to numerous areas of the game, a terrific--and comprehensible!--story, a fun new area to explore, and so much more to digest, The Final Shape is arguably the best Destiny expansion ever.Metascore: 89 | Read our Destiny 2: The Final Shape review Neon WhiteAlthough late to arrive on Xbox--it was originally released in 2022--Neon White is still every bit as good and original now as it was at the time. One of 2022's best games, Neon White turns you into a speedrunner, as you race through levels defeating enemies and making for the finish line. But what sets it apart is the way in which guns function as both weapons and platforming abilities, as you'll need to discard them in order to perform actions like a one-off double-jump. This leads to a thrill ride where you're constantly pushing forward, making quick decisions about how and when to make use of your limited weapons to finish levels as quickly as possible.Metascore: 88 | Read our Neon White review Indiana Jones and the Great CircleWolfenstein developer MachineGames has nailed the brief for crafting an Indiana Jones game. Capturing the scrappy underdog spirit of the beloved film franchise, Indiana Jones and The Great Circle combines masterfully crafted puzzles with rip-roaring action and a cinematic presentation that does justice to the whip-wielding adventurer.Metascore: 87 | Read our Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review See at Amazon Prince of Persia: The Lost CrownThe Prince of Persia series had been ice for years, with the wait extended due to many delays for the Sands of Time remake, but Ubisoft had something else up its sleeve in 2024. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown reimagines the series as a metroidvania, complete with an innovative breadcrumb system to stop you from wasting time looking for that one door you found five hours ago. With a snappy, intuitive combat system and great platforming, it's a worthy entry in a series that had been all but forgotten.Metascore: 87 | Read our Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown review See at Amazon NevaFrom the team that made Gris, an artful meditation on grief, comes Neva, which tells a somber story of its own. Though the 2D style and similar color palette might inform dedicated indie fans that this is the Gris team, Neva's story is vastly different, focusing on a dying fantasy world where an unnamed character struggles to save the land using the help of her animal companions. Wordlessly, and with the aid of beautiful music, Neva reminds us that this would of ours is both our only home, as well as the home to so many others, and that saving it is a fight worth enlisting in.Metascore: 87 Unicorn OverlordUnicorn Overlord is the kind of game that requires dedication. A beautifully crafted fantasy epic with an incredibly deep and complex battle system, the game is a rewarding experience for anyone willing to dedicate time and effort into mastering every facet of its design. While the story might have more tropes than an Isekai anime, the colorful cast of characters, rich lore, and vibrant lands makes this game a top-tier strategy-RPG.Metascore: 87 | Read our Unicorn Overlord review See at Amazon Botany ManorIf you want a change of pace from all the shooting and slashing offered by most games, maybe you'd like to manage a picturesque English garden? Botany Manor is a chill vibes puzzle game that has you carefully cultivating a variety of magical plants, giving you a wholesome and cozy way to unwind.Metascore: 82 Persona 3 Reload2024 was an incredible year for Atlus, as it got off to a start with a remake of one of its darkest Persona games. Persona 3 Reload isn't just a massive overhaul of a PS2 classic, it's a game full of small changes that lead to big changes across the board for this emotionally charged tale of death and rebirth. The core of Persona 3 remains intact in this remake, with its best qualities enhanced by slick graphics, a talented cast of voice actors, and a killer soundtrack.Metascore: 86 | Read our Persona 3 Reload review See at Amazon Dragon's Dogma 2Fans of The Elder Scrolls, The Witcher, and other major fantasy RPGs may hope to dive into Dragon's Dogma 2 (DD2), and perhaps they should, but ultimately it's the game's strange quirks that make it both somewhat off-putting to some, and yet incredibly mesmerizing to others. In DD2, players will investigate a conspiracy, enlist unique NPC allies called Pawns, and, naturally, fight dragons amid a campaign that feels like a D&D campaign come to life. But it's the game's elusive true ending that makes the game so special in the end.Metascore: 86 | Read our Dragon's Dogma 2 review See at Amazon Dragon Age: The VeilguardFollowing a few high-profile misses, including the dead-in-the-water Anthem, BioWare needed a hit to turn things around. The studio got it with Dragon Age: The Veilguard, an excellent RPG that feels like a natural evolution for the long-running series. An emphasis on combining attacks with your allies turns every battle into a glorious mix of arrows, blades, and explosions, and BioWare's certainly created some of the most memorable characters in the series to date. Ally yourself with a necromancer who dreams of becoming a spooky skeleton man or take on a titular dragon with a fire-breathing hunter by your side. Or just focus on finding the stupidest-looking hats imaginable. The choice is yours.Metascore: 85 | Read our Dragon Age: The Veilguard review See at Amazon Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the GoddessKunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is a bold experiment, one that successfully merges multiple genres together into a cohesive and gorgeous package. While the objective of guiding a fair maiden to a shrine is simple, the journey is anything but easy as you're forced to contend with monsters pulled from the darkest chapters of Japanese folklore. It's an experimental approach to storytelling and strategic action that ultimately pays off, creating an experience that's refreshing to dive into.Metascore: 84 | Read our Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess review See at Amazon Cat Quest 3Do you like cats? Do you like quests? Then Cat Quest 3 will definitely scratch that highly specific itch to see feline adventurers set on a high-seas adventure and explore dangerous dungeons. A breezy and cozy game, Cat Quest 3 keeps things simple while adding to its appeal with well-crafted sailing and co-op gameplay mechanics. It's not a revolution in its genre, but with its old-school charm, colorful graphics, and witty writing, it's a comfortably familiar game that's easy to pick up.Metascore: 84 See at Amazon Still Wakes the DeepWhat if John Carpenter's The Thing was set not in a science facility in Antarctica but instead an oil rig in Scotland? The results would be something quite like Still Wakes the Deep. This first-person horror-adventure game comes from The Chinese Room, the team behind Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs, and will appeal most of all to fans of isolated horror like Alien and Carpenter's aforementioned masterpiece. With a monster you really should see for yourself, Still Wakes the Deep may flood your thoughts like the beast does to the doomed rig.Metascore: 83 | Read our Still Wakes the Deep review Dragon Ball: Sparking ZeroAbsence makes the heart grow fonder, and when it comes to big beefy anime dudes throwing hands that can level entire continents, Dragon Ball's return to its Budokai Tenkaichi era makes you realize just how much you missed classic arena-fighting action. While it could do a better job explaining its more nuanced gameplay mechanics, Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero still excels at being a stylish brawler with plenty of substance.Metascore: 83 | Read our Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero review See at Amazon WWE 2K24Several years after WWE 2K20 temporarily put the annual series on ice, the sports entertainment franchise has bounced back into the main event spotlight. WWE 2K24 doesn't offer any surprises, but if you've laced up your boots for a good-looking round of high-flying action, refined gameplay, and a trip down memory lane with a Showcase mode focused on WrestleManias greatest moments, you won't be disappointed.Metascore: 83 | Read our WWE 2K24 review See at Amazon Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2It seemed like a sequel to the cult-favorite Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine was never going to happen, but Saber Interactive answered our prayers--even though they were meant for the Emperor of Mankind. Space Marine 2 is a brilliant sequel that, much like the original, mixes third-person shooting with enormous hack-and-slash brawls. Though the campaign missions are fairly linear, they're complemented by gigantic, explosive set pieces that turn out to be much more than decoration--these moments you see in the distance are actually full co-op missions, fleshing out the story as disgraced Lieutenant Titus races to stop the forces of chaos from destroying mankind.Metascore: 83 | Read our Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 review See at Amazon Call of Duty: Black Ops 6One of the best Call of Duty games in recent memory--and included with Game Pass for the first time--Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 shows why Treyarch has earned players' confidence. The mystery-filled campaign occasionally morphs into all-out horror and succeeds in its open-ended missions in a way Modern Warfare 3 failed. Multiplayer is extremely fast and fluid thanks to the new movement system, and it's impossible to hate Nuketown, even after all these years.Metascore: 83 | Read our Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 campaign and multiplayer reviews See at Amazon Paper Trail2024 might just go down as one of the best years ever for the puzzle genre of games, thanks to titles like Paper Trail. An origami-'em-up about leaving home, Paper Trail has layers upon layers of clever design waiting to be discovered, and its core gameplay loop of merging two sides to solve puzzles gives it a unique appeal. It's a devilishly challenging but rewarding game, one where every answer can be found by folding, spinning, and twisting the world around you.Metascore: 82 Planet Coaster 2The original Planet Coaster is one of a handful of games that felt like it didn't need a sequel thanks to its rock-solid design. Fortunately, Planet Coaster 2 justifies its existence by taking everything that made the first game so popular, polishing them up, and exploring new theme-park attractions, creating a deeper experience overall. While several nagging issues from its predecessor remain, it's still an impressively flexible and highly customizable dive into a world full of ups, downs, and loop-de-loops.Metascore: 82 IndikaOne of the most distinct games of the year, Indika is weird and consistently surprising. It might look like an arthouse film at first glance, but Indika quickly throws players into bizarre situations as they embark on a journey of self-discovery with the devil by their side. A surreal clash of religion and reason, Indika is bleak, strange, and captivating.Metascore: 82 | Read our Indika review Hidden Through Time 2: Myths & MagicBelieve it or not, but one of the highest-rated games of the year on Xbox is a hidden-object adventure. Imagine Where's Wally as you travel through various historical eras, only you're searching for seemingly random items in a beautifully animated and cozy world. It's a simple recipe for success, but with the brand-new Reality Shift feature, Hidden Through Time 2 becomes a multi-layered experience as you explore maps through multiple dimensions.Metascore: 82 Beyond Good and Evil: 20th Anniversary EditionThe definitive modern version of the venerated masterpiece, Beyond Good and Evil: 20th Anniversary Edition lets you reexperience the classic. The pioneering adventure game gets updated to 4K and 60fps with enhanced graphics and audio, an anniversary gallery, and a new speedrun mode. It's the best way to experience the original while we hold out for its long-awaited, often delayed sequel.Metascore: 79 Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons RemakeGame designer Josef Fares has become known in the game industry for his outspoken public appearances and his studio's Game Awards win for It Takes Two. One of his first projects, Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, got a remake this year, sporting single-player or co-op as you guide a pair of brothers to save their ailing father.Metascore: 79

Undead Unluck original manga is apparently reaching its climax (which is usually an expression used in the manga industry to say a series is in its final arc/moments). Not only that, but the series will hold a panel at Jump Festa 2025, so fans have many reasons to be excited and expecting some good news.

Fortnite throws players headfirst into a wide range of game modes, from the standard Battle Royale experience to more unique options like Fortnite Ballistic. While each mode is fun, players also have the opportunity to customize their look by acquiring a variety of skinsbut Fortnite cosmetics don't stop there.

The Jump Festa is happening once again in Japan this weekend, and Dragon Ball delivered major news on its panel yesterday. As expected, they paid a short homage to Akira Toriyama, the series creator who sadly passed away back in March.