Cyberpunk 2077 recently celebrated is four-year anniversary, and though for most single-player games a four-year anniversary would be well past the point where they would still be getting substantial updates (or really, updates of any kind), CD Projekt RED clearly didnt get the memo. Update 2.2 recently went live for the once-troubled first-person action RPG, adding several new features and tweaks that wont change the way you experience the game in any meaningful way by themselves, but do enhance various aspects nonetheless.Primarily, Update 2.2 is focused on adding more options for cosmetic customization on several fronts. Released only for the games PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC versions (as has been the case with the last handful of updates), it adds as many as 112 new customization options for players to choose between when creating or customizing their Vs appearance, in addition to an improved Randomizer. A new feature now also allows customizing your owned vehicles appearance, something that you can even do while youre diving one. Interestingly enough, if you change your cars colour during a police chase and no cops were close enough to see you do so, you can shake them off faster.Beyond that, the update also adds a bunch of additional Photo Mode options and features (like new frames and a Drone Mode), new purchasable vehicles, as well as other neat tweaks that wont affect gameplay, but will definitely to the general vibes of the game, a department Cyberpunk 2077is already pretty strong in. For instance, when driving around, theres a chance that Johnny Silverhand will now appear in the passenger seat next to you, where hell sit and take in the sights while you cruise through the neon-drenched streets of Night City.Again, none of these are updates that will changeCyberpunk 2077sgameplay experience in any meaningful way, but not only is it a substantial enough update in its own right nonetheless. its also an update that no one was expecting, especially for a four-year old single-player game that, according to the gaming history books, has long since completed its redemption arc. And yet, here we are, with CD Projekt RED pushing out a new update that comes as yet another pleasant surprise forCyberpunk 2077fans- and is also indicative of the excellent support that the game has consistently received over a prolonged period of time.Technically, of course, support forCyberpunk 2077was supposed to end with the double punch of Update 2.0 andPhantom Libertya little over a year ago in September 2023. That was the moment that sawCyberpunk 2077finally managing to climb over what once seemed like an insurmountable hump in the form of its disastrous launch and its fallout. CDPR persisted in its support for the game, however, and last year, withPhantom Libertyand Update 2.0 (which came on the back of years of improvements and enhancements), it finally turned Cyberpunk 2077into a legitimately excellent game with no caveats.After that remarkable turnaround, most would have assumed that CD Projekt RED was done with the game at along last, especially with early pre-production also having kicked off on the nextCyberpunkgame, currently codenamedProject Orion. However, not long afterward, the developer released Update 2.1, which was surprisingly substantial as well. The long-requested Metro system was the headlining addition, but the update also brought with it new vehicles, the ability to listen to music while on foot, improvements to boss fights, new accessibility features, and more.At that point, it was clear thatCyberpunk 2077would receive no further patches- or not any major ones, at any rate. A patch did arrive in January of 2024, and then another one in February, both bringing several more minor fixes and additions, but it seemed to be the end of the road. Hell, in March, game director Gabe Amatangelo himself confirmed in an interview withGame File that thoughCyberpunk 2077might receive some small updates here and there, for the most part, work on the title had wrapped up, with the team having moved on to either The Witcher 4or the nextCyberpunk(the former being much further along in production). And then, of course, came Update 2.2, marking the years end with another unexpected boost for CDPRs RPG.Obviously, the ideal scenario forCyberpunk 2077would have been a smooth launch, eliminating the need for CD Projekt RED to have to redeem the game and restore its own heavily damaged redemption entirely. When youre paying full price for a big, long awaited release, as players, you naturally hope for a game that values your time and money, and honestly, nothing is ever going to change the fact that at launch back in 2020,Cyberpunk 2077was a complete and utter disaster. But though it may be all too common for games with tough launches to be abandoned before any real attempt can be made at recovery, CDPR chose to stick with what many deemed to be a lost cause, and managed to truly turn it around into the unequivocally great game it is today. And once that was done, the studio just kept going.Incredibly enough, when you think about it, theresstillroom forCyberpunk 2077to get at least a couple of not-so-insignificant updates in the relatively near future. For instance, one feature that many have been hoping to see added in for a while is New Game Plus, while many have also been hoping to see PS5 Pro enhancements released for what is widely considered one of the most visually impressive and technically impressive games available on modern hardware. We got neither New Game Plus nor PS5 Pro enhancements with Update 2.2, however, which means wecouldget those things with future patches- potentially, at the very least.We realize were being greedy at this point, plain and simple, and honestly, it wouldnt be shocking in the slightest if CDPR chose tofinallymove on entirely fromCyberpunk 2077 and shift its full attention to future projects, of which it has quite a few in varying stages of production. But curiously enough, for the purposes of Update 2.2, CD Projekt RED partnered with Virtuos. An external team coming in to continue enhancingCyberpunk 2077while CDPR itself works on other projects wasnt something that many had given much (or any) thought to, but now that we know thats on the books, we cant help but wonder whether we might see more patches for the game in the future coming courtesy of external partners.The point, however, is that even if we dont,Cyberpunk 2077will have already gone above and beyond with- lets call them its post-post-launch efforts. After already having garner widespread plaudits for its miraculous recovery and the excellent high it ended (or seemingly ended) things on withPhantom Libertyand Update 2.0 last year, the game has continued to expand and improve, even when we keep expecting it to be finally put to bed. Were certainly not complaining, however- as weve learned with time, we (and millions of others) have developed a taste for coming back to Night City again and again and again.Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

Since the release of Escape From Tarkov, the extraction shooter genre has largely been the realm of multiplayer games. While there are plenty of elements in the genre that have players take on AI enemies, a lot of the appeal for extraction shooter tends to come from the tension that players have to deal with since theres always a possibility that the loot you worked hard to scavenge might be stolen by another player that happened to sneak into the area and kill you before you could even notice them.It is curious, however, that few developers have tried to capitalize on the potential of the genre to offer up fun and interesting experiences to audiences that would prefer single-player or co-operative experiences. Most extraction shooters tend to emphasize their PvP aspects, and players that might prefer to go at it solo without having to worry about someone else definitely feel like an ignored audience."The core gameplay loop in The Forever Winter will be familiar to players that have experience with titles like Escape From Tarkov."The Forever Winter is a relatively new title, having come out back in September as an Early Access release by veteran developers at Fun Dog Studios that hopes to capitalize on the single-player and co-operative aspects of extraction shooters by doubling down on the tension by going for a more horror-based approach to its art direction. In The Forever Winter, players are put into the shoes of a simple scavenger with little else to their name aside from a gun and some bullets, and are tasked with setting off in a post-apocalyptic world that has been so thoroughly ravaged by war that its impossible to tell who won and who lost.The core gameplay loop in The Forever Winter will be familiar to players that have experience with titles like Escape From Tarkov; scavengers take on missions from various factions and set off into one of many available maps with one simple objective: get as much loot, be it new weapons, ammo, or even crucial supplies like water, and extract out of the map. Dying on one of these excursions means you lose pretty much everything you were carrying on you, including any fancy weapons you may have decided to bring along. Bit by bit, mission by mission, players are able to build out their arsenal, unlock new passive abilities like improved performance with specific weapon types, and better gears, making future outings on missions easier."Dying on one of these excursions means you lose pretty much everything you were carrying on you"With this gameplay loop, taking on regular enemies that goes from being a nightmarish ordeal where you would be better off hiding than fighting them, to instead being simple obstacles that you can take out with a couple of bullets. To keep up with a player getting more powerful, the missions also start getting more challenging, tasking you with taking on tougher enemies like tanks, and even mech suits. In The Forever Winter, despite how powerful you might actually get, death is an inevitability, and the game feels like it was designed around the idea that players might have to restart their progression from scratch, which comes with the territory with extraction shooters.When it comes to the moment-to-moment gameplay, The Forever Winter definitely has quite a bit of room for improvement. The core combat, while serviceable, doesnt quite feel as good as it should from a game where just about every fight you get into is going to be ranged. Unless you make enough progress to be able to buy a replacement for your ironsights, youre not going to find much in the way of accuracy either. The hit indicators also tend to feel off, since they take aspects like bullet drop into account. This means that you often dont know if youve successfully shot an enemy until its too late; the enemy has heard your shot, has called for backup, and is now focusing their attention on taking you down.The progression, on the other hand, doesnt feel too bad. You start off with incredibly weak weapons, but as you start making deeper incursions into the games various levels and take on more challenging quests, youll start getting better weapons not only as loot, but also through your home bases vendors that are constantly updating their stocks.As it currently stands, the enemy AI in the game is a mixed bag. While it can often be quite impressive, with enemy soldiers using complex tactics to try and flush you out of cover you might be hiding behind, at other times, those same soldiers will end up running up to you in a straight line, letting you kill them one after another with well-placed headshots."To keep up with a player getting more powerful, the missions also start getting more challenging, tasking you with taking on tougher enemies like tanks, and even mech suits."In fact, a lot of the games difficulty can be brought down by a considerable degree by simply teaming up with another player. There are obvious benefits to playing The Forever Winter in co-op, since all players get loot, you multiply your carrying capacity by the number of players in a mission, not to mention the fact that you can take on enemies with coordinated tactics.The Forever Winter also takes a curious decision with one of the core resources that players set off to find: water. The game starts out with water being the singularly most important resource you can get for your base, with many base upgrades needing you to have a certain threshold of water to even become available to purchase. Interestingly, water is an ever-dwindling resource, to the extent where your base even has a giant screen to track how many days worth of water you have left. In fact, this resource also dwindles even if youre not playing the game. Whether you decide to take a break from the game or keep playing every day, your water levels will go down, and once it hits zero, the concept of Water Death is kicked off.In the games original incarnation from a couple of months ago, Water Death meant that you have basically failed, and would have to restart from scratch. This means losing essentially every form of progression you might have made in your playthrough, be it character levels, loot, or equipment for a base. At the time, while the concept of Water Death was a novel one, enough of the player base complained about being punished for simply taking a break from the game for a few weeks or a month, and the studio eventually changed up how the mechanic works."In fact, a lot of the games difficulty can be brought down by a considerable degree by simply teaming up with another player."Outside of the water mechanics, progression as a whole in The Forever Winter feels quite solid. While it starts off as an incredibly challenging game, your character also improves with each successful extraction. This allows you to go into their skill trees and get improvements like the ability to have better aim and more damage with SMGs, for example. These improvements can also lean more on the utility side of things, such as the ability to carry more weight with you, allowing you to grab more stuff during a mission.At the time of writing this review, Water Death means that a player who has run out of all water will find their base invaded the next time they play the game. This allows players the ability to fend off Water Death if they can successfully defend their base from this invasion. Failing to defend your base will still mean that you have to start over. However, the current version of Water Death is definitely an improvement over what it was earlier, since players now at least have the chance of hanging on to what they might have worked hard to procure.This change in how Water Death works as a mechanic does highlight one key aspect of The Forever Winter: the studio does seem to have an ear on the pulse of what its players want. While the concept of a resource that dwindles even when the game is not being played is an idea the studio seems quite attached to, the fact that it took player complaints about losing all progress through no fault of their own to heart means that the studio is also likely looking to make other improvements to the game."The studio does seem to have an ear on the pulse of what its players want."While most of the gameplay is filled with interesting ideas like various characters with unique abilities and an enthralling world with cool lore behind it, the game still wears its status as an Early Access title on its sleeves. The minute-to-minute gameplay, while fun and tense, still feels quite stiff. While this matches up with the idea that the player character is far from the concept of a super soldier that can easily use any weapon they pick up, the gunplay feels like it has just enough jankiness to it to make it feel rougher than it should be.The Forever Winter absolutely nails one of its key aspects: art design. The post-apocalyptic world of the game is downright gorgeous in how horrifying things can look at times. While it doesnt really abuse blood and gore as set dressing aside from a couple of rooms in the base, the game is still able to instill a sense of dread in players thanks to other aspects, including enemy designs and the world around them. The strange way some enemies move, the insane scale of the war that still happens to be going around for some reason, and some of the larger things out there, like massive AI automatons, all tend to make for an experience that is as cool to look at as it is terrifying to imagine.The Forever Winter isnt a game thats shy about the fact that its in Early Access right now; in fact, the game seems to revel in it, constantly introducing refinements and new features through updates. While the game hasnt been out for too long yet, the fact it has already seen a major revision to one of its key mechanics owing to player feedback, and the very fact that the studio is keeping an eye on what its players want bodes quite well for the future of the game. It offers a tense solo or co-op experience, with plenty of stakes since you can lose all the fancy loot you found by messing up just once. Coupled with gorgeous art direction and a terrifying setting, The Forever Winter is definitely something fans of co-op shooters want to keep their eye on.This game was reviewed on PC.

2024 brought with it a cavalcade of visually stunning games, from long-awaited AAA megatons that took our breath away with their graphical advancements to much smaller productions that popped up out of nowhere and proved that you dont need huge teams and budgets to make games that look great. With the year coming to a close, here, were going to talk about 20 such titles that came out this year and made a mark with their visual prowess.#20. F1 24We tend to include theF1games in our annual lists of games with the best visuals pretty regularly, but thats because the series has this department on lock. Like its predecessors,F1 24is a beautiful game, touting stellar vehicle models with an impressive level of attention to detail, authentic lighting and weather effects lending new life to the courses, and more. Year after year, this series successfully delivers a realistic and comprehensive recreation of the real sport, and the presentation and visual fidelity play an important role in that.#19. BODYCAMBodycamhas a number of shortcomings in its current state that were hoping it will address over the course of its ongoing early access period, but one area where the game deserves all the props in the world is the way it looks. As its name suggests, its played from the first-person perspective of a bodycam on your character, and combines that with a hyper-realistic aesthetic that achieves quite a striking result. The game looks startlingly good at times, and were curious to see how it will continue to improve on the road to its full release.#18. EMPIRE OF THE ANTSHeres another game coming from a small time that ended up surprising a great many people with its graphics.Empire of the Antsis a decidedly small-budget game, but you wouldnt be able to tell from just looking at it. Sporting an impressive photorealistic style, the game transports players to a lush jungle where every single blade of grass, every leaf on the ground, every rock jutting out of the ground, and every single insect and critter that you lay your eyes on looks shockingly lifelike. Obviously, there are some rough edges here and there, but the overall result is nothing short of splendid.#17. GRAY ZONE WARFAREIndie studio Madfinger Games launched its multiplayer open world FPSGray Zone Warfarein early access this year, and though theres plenty of work for the developer to do to address feedback from the community, the games visuals are pretty much unanimously liked. Theres a good amount of rough edges that need sanding out, which is to be expected from a game of this size coming from a smaller team and still being in early access, but its open world map is also full of beautiful sights to see.#16. DRAGON BALL: SPARKING! ZERODragon Ball: Sparking! ZERObrought theBudokai Tenkaichiseries back with a bang this year, and though the list of things in the game worthy of praise is a long one, its graphics are high on it. As youd expect from a Dragon Ballgame,Sparking! ZEROrelies more on its stylized art style than on pure visual fidelity, but one way or another, the effect it achieves instantly catches the eye. In motion, the game looks particularly amazing, and watching explosive, map-destroying fights between colossally powerful characters attacking each other with everything theyve got never loses its charm.#15. LIKE A DRAGON: INFINITE WEALTHTheLike a Dragonseries has always straddled the line between high budget photorealism and mid budget stylization perfectly, andInfinite Wealthdoes the same, producing yet another Dragon Engine game that you cant quite tear your eyes away from. Given the scope of the game, its not surprising that not everything looks spectacular- but a lot of things to do, and everything else looks at least a minimum level of good. Overall,Infinite Wealthbrings its vibrant Hawaii setting to the screen spectacularly, and easily ranks as one of the years better-looking games.#14. STELLAR BLADEStellar Bladetook many by surprise for multiple reasons, but all of it could be boiled down to it coming from a relatively unknown studio with little to no AAA console experience. For it to turn out as well as it did was a pleasant surprise, then, as was the fact that it also ended up looking as gorgeous as it did.Stellar Bladetouts some of the most impressive visuals weve seen in a PS5 exclusive game so far (especially if you play it on a PS5 Pro), with everything from the dilapidated post-apocalyptic environments and the excellently designed monsters you fight to the Eves slick combat animations looking pristine.#13. DRAGON AGE: THE VEILGUARDLike pretty much everything else about the game,Dragon Age: The Veilguardsgraphics divided opinion, with many expressing their dislike of the new, more stylized art style. And though it is clearly a break from the more grimdark style past games used, we fall in the group that ultimately really likes what the game looks like.The Veilguardis a visual stunner in more ways than one, with a bevy of environments that are brimming with vistas that will take your breath away, not to mention some of the most impressive lighting weve seen in a game this year.#12. STAR WARS OUTLAWSCalling Star Wars Outlawsan uneven experience would be a huge understatement, but when the game is at its best, its really,reallygood- and in the graphics department, its definitely at its best. Yes, the game has its fair share of visual glitches and technical hiccups, but little of it detracts from just how stunning it looks more often than not. No matter where you find yourself in its open world multiplanetary setting,Outlawsfinds ways to take your breath away with its sights and sounds. Coming from the studio behindThe Division, that doesnt come as a huge surprise.#11. DRAGONS DOGMA 2Capcom has an admirable habit of cranking out a steady stream of AAA megatons that somehow all look spectacular.Dragons Dogma 2was the companys big centerpiece in 2024, and though it doesnt look as good as, say, the best-lookingResident Evilgames out there, it does look really,reallygood. From the detailed environments of its sprawling open world, to the incredibly lifelike (and vastly varied) roster of monster and creatures that you take on, to, of course, how oppressively impressive the games darkness feels, theres a bevy of things inDragons Dogma 2that illustrate just how visually impressive it is.#10. INDIANA JONES AND THE GREAT CIRCLEIt may have been a while since MachineGames last major full-fledged AAA release, but as a studio that has always delivered visually impressive games, it did not disappoint with its return to the spotlight in the final days of this year withIndiana Jones and the Great Circle, a game that impresses graphically in more ways than one. It crafts its period setting with great alpomb, lets players explore a vast and varied collection of beautiful and highly detailed locations, and of course, does it all while capturing that classic Indiana Jonesaesthetic. It absolutely knocks the ball out of the park in this department.#9. SUICIDE SQUAD: KILL THE JUSTICE LEAGUESuicide Squad: Kill the Justice Leaguewas a disastrous game- theres just no two ways about it. But even the most disastrous games tend to have at least some redeeming qualities, and so, too, didSuicide Squad. Chief among the few was how good it looked, an area where Rocksteady Studios as a developer has never disappointed in the past. The game obviously has crippling issues that make it an absolute drag to play even at the best of times, but visually, theres a lot to be impressed with here, especially if its the games impressive cinematics youre talking about.#8. TEKKEN 8It wouldnt be an exaggeration to callTekken 8one of the best-looking fighting games ever made. Coming earlier this year as one of the biggest current-gen exclusive Unreal Engine 5 games so far, Bandai Namcos acclaimed fighter was promising to be absolutely astounding to look at in the lead up to release, and it unquestionably lived up to that promise. From the stages to the character models to the often explosive effects we see on the screen,Tekken 8has no shortage of tricks up its sleeve to make you stop in your tracks and marvel at its beauty.#7. WARHAMMER 40,000: SPACE MARINE 2Space Marine 2is without a doubt one of the most technically impressive games weve played in a long, long time. For starters, it looks excellent, with gorgeously detailed environments, well-crafted character models, and excellent enemy designs. But of course, whats most impressive about it are the many sequences and moments where you find yourself facing overwhelmingly massive hordes of enemies, when literally hundreds upon hundreds of foes are on-screen together, all barreling in your direction while you stomp around and mow them down. The fact that the game accomplishes all of that without any significant issues with its performance just makes it that much more impressive. Its truly something of a miracle.#6. BLACK MYTH: WUKONGFor about four years prior to its launch, every time we saw more ofBlack Myth: Wukong, one thing that stood out above everything else was just how stunning it looked- something that stood out that much more given the fact that the game was coming from a lesser-known Chinese studio with a nonexistent AAA track record. When it launched in August,Black Mythwas thankfully exactly as gorgeous as it was touted to be. Varied environments, spectacularly designed bosses, and some of the most breathtaking vistas weve seen in games all year all come together in whats easily one of the best-looking games of this generation (even if it does have the odd technical rough edge).#5. FINAL FANTASY 7 REBIRTHTheres no end to the things aboutFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirththat we can praise endlessly, and its visual splendour is high on that list. Obviously, we cant ignore the fact that the game does suffer from some graphical inconsistencies, especially when played on Performance Mode. Even at its worst, however, Rebirthhas a knack of looking impressive, while at its best, its drop-dead gorgeous. Its staggeringly large world is crawling with beautiful sights that are begging to be sought out and taken in, while on a PS5 Pro in particular, it looks absolutely stunning with little to no caveats.#4. SILENT HILL 2Silent Hill 2sremake sparked a good deal of skepticism from many, which, given developer Bloober Teams spotty track record up to that point, was fair to understand, but the one area where even the games biggest skeptics knew it wouldnt disappoint was its graphics. Thats a department that always shines in Bloober games, and sure enough,Silent Hill 2is an absolute looker. The decrepit eponymous town and the horrors that it hide are brought to life in spectacular and terrifying fashion, whileSilent Hill 2sfamiliar cast of characters are given new life by the stellar fidelity that the game now boasts. And yes, the fog looks amazing.#3. MICROSOFT FLIGHT SIMULATOR 2024Microsoft Flight Simulatortook our collective breath away when it launched in 2020, and still stands as one of the best-looking games around on any platform. Appropriately enough,Microsoft Flight SImulator 2024turned out to be somehow even more visually impressive. Marginally gains are definitely setting in, which is unavoidable, but at the end of the day, even the most jaded person cant help but be floored by the stunning level of detail, authenticity, and photorealism with whichFlight Sim 2024brings its grand vision to life.#2. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: HEART OF CHORNOBYLMuch like its predecessors, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2is a little rough around the edges, and with its slate of technical issues and its deliberately punishing nature, its definitely not a game for everyone. But boy oh boy is it a visual delight. GSC Game Worlds open world shooter is easily among the best-looking games to have been released this generation. It boasts a staggering level of detail and fidelity across ahugeworld with impressive consistency. The game deserves all the praise in the world for the lengths to which it goes to make its world feel authentic, and to immerse players in its deadly setting.#1. SENUAS SAGA: HELLBLADE 2Senuas Saga: Hellblade 2certainly has its critics, and there are many who argue that it doesnt hold a candle to its predecessor in a lot of ways that really matter. One area where it unquestionably makes huge strides, however, is the graphics department. Ninja Theory as a studio has always prided itself on pushing the envelope with what it does on the technological side of things, and this time, with the financial backing of Microsoft, the developer really went all out. Whether its its dark and grimy setting or the incredibly lifelike characters and their facial movements, the stellar lighting and the rich atmosphere it helps create or the spectacular animations that allow even gameplay moments to look like gorgeously handcrafted cinematics- from its first moment to its last,Hellblade 2remains a visual delight.

The US finalizes CHIPS Act funding for Samsung and Texas InstrumentsThe US finalizes CHIPS Act funding for Samsung and Texas Instruments / Samsung and Texas Instruments will receive over $6 billion combined for US chip manufacturing.By Wes Davis, a weekend editor who covers the latest in tech and entertainment. He has written news, reviews, and more as a tech journalist since 2020. Dec 21, 2024, 5:48 PM UTCShare this story Illustration by Alex Castro / The VergeThe US Commerce Department has awarded Samsung and Texas Instruments with a combined over $6 billion in direct funding under the CHIPS Incentives Programs Funding Opportunity for Commercial Fabrication, according to a pair of announcements published on Friday.Samsung will get the larger of the two awards at $4.745 billion. The Commerce Department says the company will use this as part of its planned $37 billion investment in Texas chip facilities that include two new leading-edge logic fabs and an R&D fab in Taylor, Texas, and the expansion of its plant in Austin. The company was originally slated to receive $6.4 billion. In a statement reported by Bloomberg, the company said that its mid-to-long-term investment plan has been partially revised to optimize overall investment efficiency, which suggests the company has dialed back its plans, according to the outlet. Texas Instruments will receive $1.61 billion to bolster the $18 billion it plans to spend on projects like constructing two wafer fabs in Texas and a third in Utah. The Commerce Department announced smaller awards this week too, including $407 million in funding for Amkor Technology, a US-based company that tests and packages chips for companies like Apple.All three awards were announced earlier this year, with Samsung first in April, and they join other CHIPS Act funding grants given to companies like Micron, Intel, and TSMC. And their finalizations come with just under a month to go before Donald Trump, who has criticized the CHIPS Act, assumes the US Presidency on January 20th.Most PopularMost Popular

Asus has announced the Asus NUC 14 Pro AI, the first Copilot Plus-capable AI mini PC that crams an Intel Core Ultra 9 processor into a form factor resembling a black M4 Mac Mini. First introduced at IFA in September, Asus is providing a little more detail about the mini PCs specs than it did before, but still isnt saying it will become available or how much it will cost.The NUC 14 Pro AI will come in five CPU configurations, from the Core Ultra 5 226V processor with 16GB of integrated RAM to a Core Ultra 9 288V processor with 32GB of RAM. The company says it has up to 67 TOPS of GPU performance and 48 NPU TOPS, and that its M.2 2280 PCIe Gen 4 x 4 slot supports 256GB to 2TB NVMe SSDs. All of that is packed into a PC that measures 130mm deep and wide and just 34mm tall; comparatively, the Mac Mini is 127mm deep and wide and 50mm tall. Here are some pictures from Asus website:1/5 Image: Intel1/5 Image: IntelThe Asus NUC 14 Pro AI features a fingerprint sensor on top and a Copilot button on the front for speaking voice commands to Microsofts AI assistant. Also on the front are two USB-A ports, a Thunderbolt 4 port, a headphone jack, and a power button. Around the back, youll find a 2.5Gbps ethernet jack, another Thunderbolt 4 port, two more USB-A ports, and an HDMI port. For connectivity, it features Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4.Asus still hasnt said when the NUC 14 Pro AI will be available, nor how much it will cost.

The new year is nearly here, which means a wealth of exciting new games is on the horizon. Below, we look ahead at the biggest PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch (Switch 2, too?), and PC games announced with 2025 release dates. January has some cool stuff, but February is going to be way busier than usual with major game releases. Below, you'll find release dates for all the biggest games and expansions that have been announced for the rest of the year and beyond. Here's what's worth playing in January 2025.PlayIf you're someone who likes to preorder your games, you can click the links on the platform of your choice to make sure it arrives on launch day.January 2025 - Video Game Release DatesIf you're interested in remasters and remakes, January is the month for you. We've got new versions of the Wii game Donkey Kong Country Returns, the PS Vita game Freedom Wars, and more, plus a handful of other releases for good fun.Freedom Wars Remastered - January 10 - (PS5, Switch, PC)Donkey Kong Country Returns HD - January 16 - (Switch)Dynasty Warrior: Origins - January 17 - (PS5, Xbox, PC)Tales of Graces f Remastered - January 17 - (PS5, Switch, Xbox, PC)Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth - January 23 - (PC)Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles - January 23 - (PS5, Switch, Xbox, PC)Cuisineer - January 28 - (Switch)The Biggest Game Releases of January 2025January is looking pretty light for new games but there's still some cool stuff to be excited for!See AllFebruary 2025 - Video Game Release DatesKingdom Come: Deliverance 2 - February 4 - (PS5, Xbox, PC)Civilization VII - February 11 - (PS5, Switch, Xbox, PC)Assassin's Creed Shadows - February 14 - (PS5, Xbox, PC)Avowed - February 18 - (Xbox, PC)Lost Records: Bloom and Rage Tape 1 - February 18 - (PS5, Xbox, PC)Monster Hunter Wilds - February 28 - (PS5, Xbox, PC)Morsels - February 2025 - (Switch)March 2025 - Video Game Release DatesSplit Fiction - March 6 - (PS5, Xbox, PC)Suikoden I & II HD Remaster Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars - March 6 - (PS5, Switch, Xbox, PC)Lost Records: Bloom and Rage Tape 2 - March 18 - (PS5)Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition - March 20 - (Switch)The First Berzerker: Khazan - March 27 - (PS5, Xbox, PC)Football Manager 25 - March 2025 (PS5, Xbox, PC)Split Fiction - First ScreenshotsApril 2025 - Video Game Release DatesThe Last of Us Part II Remastered - April 3 - (PC)Fatal Fury: City Of The Wolves - April 24 - (PS5, Xbox, PC)October 2025 - Video Game Release DatesDouble Dragon Revive - October 23 - (PS5, Xbox, PC)Upcoming Video Games - Release Date TBA33 Immortals - 2025 - (Xbox, PC)The Alters - 2025 - (Xbox, PC)Anno 117: Pax Romana - 2025 - (PS5, Xbox, PC)Arc Raiders - 2025 - (PS5, Xbox, PC)ArcheAge Chronicles - 2025 - (PS5, Xbox, PC)Ark 2 - TBA - (PC)Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & the White Guardian - 2025 - (PS5, Switch, PC)Atomfall - 2025 - (PS5, Xbox, PC)Ballad of Antara - 2025 - (PS5)Blackfrost: The Long Dark II - TBABlade Runner 2033: Labyrinth - TBA - (PS5, Xbox, PC)Borderlands 4 - 2025 - (PS5, Xbox, PC)Capcom Fighting Collection 2 - 2025 - (PS4, Switch, Xbox, PC)Clockwork Revolution - TBA - (Xbox, PC)Coffee Talk Tokyo - 2025 - (Switch)Contraband - TBA - (Xbox, PC)Crimson Desert - 2025 - (PS5, Xbox, PC)Death Stranding 2: On the Beach - 2025 - (PS5)Directive 8020: A Dark Pictures Game - 2025 - (PS5)Doom: The Dark Ages - 2025 - (PS5, Xbox, PC)Dune: Awakening - 2025 - (PS5, Xbox, PC)Dying Light: The Beast - Summer 2025 - (PS5, Xbox, PC)Elden Ring: Nightreign - 2025Everwild - TBA - (Xbox, PC)Expedition 33 - 2025 - (Xbox, PC)Fable - 2025 - (Xbox, PC)Fantasy Life i: the Girl Who Steals Time - 2025 - (Switch)Fantasy Life: The Girl Who Steals TimeFragpunk - 2025 - (Xbox, PC)Front Mission 3 Remake - TBA - (Switch)Game of Thrones: Kingsroad - 2025Gears of War: E-Day - TBA - (Xbox, PC)Ghost of Yotei - 2025 - (PS5)Grand Theft Auto 6 - 2025 (PS5, Xbox)Hell Is Us - 2025 - (PS5, Xbox, PC)Hello Kitty: Island Adventure - 2025 - (Switch)Hollow Knight: Silksong - TBA - (PS5, Switch, Xbox, PC)The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy - Early 2025 - (Switch)Hyper Light Breaker - Early Access Early 2025 - (PC)Indiana Jones and the Great Circle - Early 2025 - (PS5)Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet - TBA - (PS5)John Carpenter's Toxic Commando - TBA - (PS5, Xbox, PC)Judas - TBA - (PS5, Xbox, PC)Jurassic Park: Survival - TBA - (PS5, Xbox, PC)Killing Floor 3 - 2025 - (PS5, Xbox, PC)The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 1st - 2025 - (Switch)Little Devil Inside - TBA - (PS5, Switch, Xbox)Little Nightmares 3 - 2025 - (PS5, Switch, Xbox, PC)Lunar Remastered Collection - Spring 2025 (PS5, Switch, Xbox, PC)Mafia: The Old Country - Summer 2025 - (PS5, Xbox, PC)Marathon - TBA - (PS5, Xbox, PC)Marvel's Blade - TBA - (Xbox, PC)Mecha Break - 2025 - (PS5, Xbox, PC)Metal Gear Solid : Snake Eater - 2025 - (PS5, Xbox, PC)Metroid Prime 4: Beyond - 2025 - (Switch)The Midnight Walk - TBA - (PS5, Xbox, PC)Mio: Memories in Orbit - 2025 - (Switch)Mixtape - 2025 - (PS5, Xbox, PC)Moth Kubit - Spring 2025 - (Switch)OD - TBA - (Xbox)Okami 2 - TBAOnimusha: Way of the Sword - 2026 - (PS5, Xbox, PC)The Outer Worlds 2 - 2025 - (Xbox, PC)Perfect Dark - TBA - (Xbox, PC)Phantom Blade 0 - TBA - (PS5)Phantom Hellcat - TBA - (PS5, Xbox, PC)Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero - 2025 - (Switch)The Precinct - 2025 - (PS5, Xbox, PC)Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remake - 2026 - (PS5, Xbox, PC)Prison Architect 2 - TBA (Xbox, PC)Professor Layton and the New World of Steam - 2025 - (Switch)Replaced - 2025 - (Xbox, PC)Rift of the Necrodancer - 2025 - (Switch)Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma - Spring 2025 - (Switch)Screamer - 2026 - (PS5, Xbox, PC)Shovel Knight: Shovel of Hope DX - 2025 - (Switch)The Sinking City 2 - 2025 - (Xbox, PC)Slay the Spire 2 - early access in 2025 - (PC)Sleight of Hand - 2025 - (Xbox, PC)Sniper Elite: Resistance - 2025 - (PS5, Xbox, PC)Sonic Racing CrossWorlds - TBA - (PS5, Switch, Xbox, PC)South of Midnight - 2025 - (Xbox, PC)Star Overdrive - 2025 - (Switch)Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Remake - TBA - (PS5)State of Decay 3 - TBA (Xbox, PC)Tales of the Shire: A Lord of the Rings Game - Early 2025 - (PS5, Switch, Xbox, PC)Terminator: Survivors - TBA - (PS5, Xbox, PC)Turok Origins - TBA - (PS5, Xbox, PC)Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 - H1 2025 - (PS5, Xbox, PC)Venus Vacation Prism - early 2025 - (PS5, PC)Winter Burrow - Early 2025 - (Xbox, PC)The Witcher 4 - TBAThe Wolf Among Us 2 - TBA - (PS5, Xbox, PC)Wolverine - TBA - (PS5)Wuchang: Fallen Feathers - 2025 - (PS5, Xbox, PC)Yes, Your Grace: Snowfall - Q1 2025 - (Switch, Xbox, PC)Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana - Early 2025 - (PS5, Switch)For more release date fun, check out our ongoing list of 4K UHD and Blu-ray release dates.Chris Reed is a commerce editor and deals expert for IGN. He also runs IGN's board game and LEGO coverage. You can follow him on (long inhale) Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon, and the social network formerly known as Twitter.

Ill admit it, I would probably watch an entire TV series that was just about James Bonds housekeeper. Did you not know he has one? Oh, well, let me tell you about May, this funny lady who looks after Bonds apartment in the original novels. Shes Scottish. Shes old. She knows how to cook an egg. Arent you riveted? Dont you want an entire show just about May? Heres the thing, as a Bond nerd I do want a show about May, Miss Moneypenny, or Ms random friends. I also love Kim Sherwoods Double-O books, all about agents in the world of Bond who arent Bond. If there was a Marvel-like build-out of the world Bond (which arguably, in print, there has been for decades) Id be all in.But, I, a Bond nerd, should not be calling the shots. And based on a new explosive report in the Wall Street Journal, the person who should be calling those Bond shots is the same woman who has been running things since the 1990s. To put it succinctly, if you think Amazon is right and Barbara Broccoli is wrong, you know nothing about how art is made or why good things are good.According to the aforementioned WSJ expos, with excellent and incisive reporting from Erich Schwartzel and Jessica Toonkel, Amazon brass wants to expand the James Bond brand into a sprawling franchise, complete with spinoffs about Miss Moneypenny, TV series, and perhaps, alternate Bonds, including a female James Bond. Additionally, apparently, Broccoli was offended when one Amazon boss, reportedly Jennifer Salke, referred to Bond as content, and bristled when a staff member said, I have to be honest, I dont think James Bonds a hero.First of all, whether you think James Bond is a hero, or progressive, or not, is hardly relevant to the art of the films. Critics often like to suggest that retro-Bonds sexist behaviors were acceptable in a bygone era, but this is a fallacy that misunderstands the phenomenon more broadly. Ian Flemings books (which are sometimes tamer than the films in terms of sexism) were often attacked in the 1950s for being provocative and vulgar. Even in his supposed heyday, James Bond was controversial because, on some level, James Bond should be a kind of lightning rod for culture. Hes not supposed to be squeaky clean; the character Fleming created on the page and that Harry Saltzman and Albert Broccoli refined for the cinema, is a study in extremes, a specific examination of masculinity that is neither heroic nor evil. As Fleming said in one of the last interviews before the end of his life in 1964: Bond is detached, hes disengaged But hes a believable manaround whom I try to weave a great web of excitement and fantasy.The idea that Bond is a cipher for the audienceregardless of their gender or sexual orientationis one of the most important ingredients for the success of the franchise. His extreme and outsider status makes him a character that many types of people can relate to. In the 21st century, there have been new, radical re-readings of Bond, including ones in which scholars like David Lowbridge-Ellis unpack LGBTQ+ themes in the books and films.Anthony Horowitzs more recent novels have touched on these themes too, featuring overtly gay characters in a 1950s version of Bond. And of course, the entire history of the film franchise is an exploration of shifting mores about what it means to be James Bond. In 1995s GoldenEye, Judi Denchs M called Bond (Pierce Brosnan) a sexist, misogynist dinosaur and a relic of the Cold War. Any disparaging or politically undesirable things you can say about James Bond, have probably been uttered, explored, or exposed by the Bond franchise itself.And thats because Bond has always been an ongoing cultural conversation. Flemings first novel, Casino Royale begins with 007 being more closed off and sexist. By the end, hes ready to give up everything for love, and questions his place as a pawn in an ongoing cold war. The brilliant 2006 film version of that book does much the same, and for many viewers who had never read the books, this film shook up their notion of who and what James Bond meant to them.Arguably, the movie franchise has several inflection points like this; On Her Majestys Secret ServiceLicence to KillNo Time to Die imagined Bond as a tragic father figure. He may not be a hero but who cares? Should we stop loving The Maltese Falcon because Sam Spade was sleeping with his partners wife?The second major point of contention, it seems, between Bond franchise leader Barbara Broccoli and Amazon is connected less to philosophy and more to the way the Bond films are made. Broccoli and her stepbrother Michael G. Wilson largely took over the family business of Eon Productions during the Pierce Brosnan era. When her father, Albert R. Broccoli, died in 1996, Barbara became the guiding light for the franchise and continues various family traditions to this day.One of those traditions is that Bond movies arent made by committee. Eon doesnt do focus groups, they dont care about optics, and theyve always made the Bond filmsrelative to other franchisesin a crucible. Partners Saltzman and Broccoli were pressured by outside forces not to cast Sean Connery back in the early 1960s but they pushed ahead anyway, knowing that his everyman vibe would appeal to huge audiences. If Saltzman and Broccoli had listened to the Amazon-like execs of their day, they would have agreed that Sean Connery seemed like an average truck driver and that regular audiences wouldnt have loved him. Instead even though American distributors initially stuck Dr. No in drive-in cinemas in Oklahoma and Texas, the film overperformed and the rest is history.Barbara Broccoli has also stuck to her guns. She was the primary champion for hiring Daniel Craig as James Bond in Casino Royale, a move that was obviously visionary. In fact, you could argue that had Casino Royale starred anyone other than Craig, Bond would have died right there in 2006. Broccolis eye for raw talent, and a mix of action and artistry is a massive part of what makes the Bond franchise so arresting and relevant in the 21st century. If you thought Skyfall was a masterpiece, thank Sam Mendes, of course. But also thank Barbara Broccoli for hiring him.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!Why wouldnt Amazon trust this woman to make similar artistically informed decisions? More than any other era of Bond, the best Craig films (Casino Royale, Skyfall) have aged better than perhaps any of the other entries in the franchise. And Broccolis instincts are a big part of that.Finally, if this report is accurate, and that Broccoli is resisting the Marvel-izing of Bond, preferring instead to still focus on one film at a time, then she is probably right. As a Bond nerd, I may want the various spinoff shows, but perhaps those specific ideas need to stay in books and comics. The 2017 Moneypenny comic book series is great, and the upcoming Q Mysteries books sound cool. But do we need two Amazon streaming shows about these things? The answer is probably not. The movie franchise has worked for over six decades by being a movie franchise about one character. Maybe it should stay that way.Read more James Bond didnt become one of the best film franchises in history through todays standards of franchise maximalism. The true brilliance and staying power of the character are 100 percent connected to his elusiveness and scarcity. Bond endures because we can never get enough of him, and each film leaves us wanting more. The Bond franchise is mocked for this excessiveness, but if youve seen any of the films, you know that the best thing about them is their deliberateness and restraint. Theres actually not a lot of action in Casino Royale, and From Russia With Love is one of the slowest-burn spy movies youll ever see.In terms of action, Bond films are not like Mission: Impossible or John Wick. Theyre also films about an undeniably compelling character and his place in the world. If Amazon doesnt understand that, were better off getting zero new James Bond movies than a half-baked version of 007, engineered by algorithms. In 1995, the first round of trailers for GoldeneEye reminded audiences that there is no substitute for James Bond. And thats still true today.

Image by Getty / FuturismDevelopmentsRemember that huge panic around black spatulas? It turns out that the whole thing may have just been a crock of crap.A study published in October contended that kitchenware made of black plastics, and especially utensils like spatulas, contained alarmingly high amounts of toxic flame retardants due to the recycled materials they were sourced from.It almost immediately caused a major scare, and articles published everywhere from The New York Times to CNN recommended throwing these ubiquitous plastic items out in favor of safer alternatives.But after some scientists questioned the research, the editors of the journal that the study was published in, Chemosphere, issued a correction over the weekend clarifying that the toxic levels indicated by the work were, in a nutshell, wrong; a simple math error was behind the startling, but now seemingly debunked, claim.The work, conducted by researchers at the advocacy group Toxic-Free Future, examined over two hundred black plastic household products, roughly half of which were utensils, to see if they contained brominated flame retardants that are commonly used in electronics.Such chemicals, and in particular a variety known as BDE-209, have been linked with a number of worrying health outcomes, such as endocrine disruption, damage to the reproductive systems, and even cancer. Because the provenance of recycled materials can be tricky to determine, the researchers' suspicion was that plastics containing the flame retardants were negligently being reused where they could pose the most harm: in the very stuff we cook our food with.Their hunch was somewhat vindicated. Nine kitchen utensils were found to contain possibly worrying levels of flame retardants.Some hilariously bungled arithmetic, however, led them to vastly overstate the degree of risk. The authors estimated that regularly using one of these contaminated kitchen utensils could result in an intake of 34,700 nanograms of BDE-209 per day. For reference, the Environmental Protection Agency says that it's safe to intake 7,000 nanograms of the chemical per kilogram of body weight.By applying this figure to a hypothetical adult weight of 60 kilograms, you would get a daily limit of 420,000 nanograms per day, which is well over ten times the estimated exposure levels to the flame retardant. But evidently, someone forgot to punch in a zero somewhere, and the researchers mistakenly reported this as 42,000 nanograms. What initially appeared to be hitting the ceiling of what was deemed safe turned out to barely approach that limit.But in response, the authors of the paper say that while their math may have been off, their conclusions weren't."However, it is important to note that this does not impact our results," study lead author Megan Liu, science and policy manager at Toxic-Free Future, told the National Post. "The levels of flame retardants that we found in black plastic household items are still of high concern, and our recommendations remain the same."And perhaps Liu and her team are correct. It may be the dose that makes the poison, but why take the risk with a dose at all?It's certainly possible that we're being exposed to these flame retardants from other sources besides kitchenware, accumulating to dangerous levels in our bodies over time. So if you're worried, there's no harm in ditching these black spatulas that do appear to contain the chemicals. But the alarmist response, it's safe to say, was overblown.More on chemicals: Scientists Identify Strange Chemical in Drinking Water Across the USShare This Article

"Bunkers are, in fact, not a tool to survive a nuclear war."Truth BombAs more and more rich people rush to buy and build bomb shelters, experts suggest they're little more than a psychological defense mechanism for wealthy people who want to feel a shred of control in an unpredictable world.As theAssociated Press reports, the bunker business was worth $137 million last year and is slated to grow to$175 million by the end of the decade, per analysis from BlueWeave Consulting.According to experts who spoke to the outlet, however, these shelters do more to address atomic anxieties than nuclear realities.After all, you're eventually going to need to crawl out of your bunker and face the horrific situation back on the surface."Bunkers are, in fact, not a tool to survive a nuclear war, but a tool to allow a population to psychologically endure the possibility of a nuclear war," explained Alicia Sanders-Zakre of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons.Radiation after a nuclear bomb detonation, as Sanders Zakre described it, is a "uniquely horrific aspect of nuclear weapons." Even those who survive the fallout, which involves radioactive particles raining down on the area surrounding the blast, will be unable to escape its long-lasting, intergenerational health effects like those seen in Chernobylafter its reactor meltdown nearly 40 years ago.And that's without getting into starvation, thirst, and the breakdown of social order."Ultimately," she said, "the only solution to protect populations from nuclear war is to eliminate nuclear weapons."Shelter SkelterDespite the promises made by companies catering to so-called "doomsday preppers," nonproliferation expert Sam Lair told the APthat such efforts are likely futile."Even if a nuclear exchange is perhaps more survivable than many people think, I think the aftermath will be uglier than many people think as well," Lair, a researcher at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, said. "The fundamental wrenching that it would do to our way of life would be profound."As Lair pointed out, politicians used to urge the citizenry to build their own bomb shelters half a century ago. Now, the "political costs incurred by causing people to think about shelters again is not worth it" though that sort of concern clearly doesn't extend to the big business of bunkers.While doomsday prepping is now as American as apple pie, the revival of bunker culture isn't limited to our shores: over in Switzerland, where each resident is guaranteed a spot in a bomb shelter in the case of nuclear war, the government is investing hundreds of millions of dollars to update its vast array of Cold War-era bunkers.More on nuclear anxiety: US Military Alarmed by Russian Nuclear Weapon Platform in OrbitShare This Article

Organic ArchitectureScientists Suggest Harvesting Blood From Mars Colonists to Construct Future CitybyVictor TangermannOne crew member collecting blood for 72 weeks could be enough to "construct a small habitat for another crew member."Dec 21, 10:30 AM ESTGetty ImagesOne crew member collecting blood for 72 weeks could be enough to "construct a small habitat for another crew member."Blood DriveFuture space travelers will have to get creative to build structures on the surface of Mars. Sending all the necessary construction materials across over 140 million miles of space wouldn't just be a gargantuan undertaking, but it would be prohibitively expensive as well.Instead, scientists have long proposed making use of the existing Martian soil to construct permanent structures.In a paper accepted for publication in the journal Acta Astronautica, a team of researchers from Kharazmi University in Tehran, Iran, investigated eleven different types of Martian concrete or cement "based on available resources and technologies."And one of them stands out, to say the least: AstroCrete, a previously proposed substrate made from Martian regolith mixed with the bodily fluids the literal blood, sweat, and tears of future Mars inhabitants.Construction IVThe idea of using blood to reinforce mortar dates back to the ancient Romans."Although it is a bit strange, blood can be utilized to create strong concrete or bricks for onsite construction on Mars," the researchers wrote in the paper. "After the arrival of the first Martian inhabitants and their placement in primary structures, which can include inflatable structures, the combination of tears, blood, and sweat from the inhabitants, along with Martian regolith, can be used to produce a concrete known as AstroCrete."The unusual material was first proposed by researchers at the University of Manchester in 2021."Scientists have been trying to develop viable technologies to produce concrete-like materials on the surface of Mars, but we never stopped to think that the answer might be inside us all along," said Aled Roberts, from the University of Manchester, ina statement at the time.A special protein in human blood called human serum albumin (HAS) serves as a "vivo binder" to create a form of concrete. Meanwhile, urea, a nitrogenous product extracted from urine, could make the material even stronger.According to the Iranian team of scientists, a single crew member could produce sufficient HAS to "construct a small habitat for another crew member" in just 72 weeks.Best of all, the University of Manchester scientists claim that AstroCrete could be 3D printed in place, making construction even simpler.Apart from relying on the blood, sweat, and tears of astronauts, the Iranian scientists also proposed combing the Martian landscape for calcium carbonate to create a lime mortar. Alternatively, the abundant sulfur deposits on the planet's surface could also be used to craft "sulfur concrete," a corrosion-resistant material that "can be used in salty and acid environments."More on AstroCrete: Scientists Suggest Mixing "Astronaut Blood" With Mars Dust to Create Horrific SheltersShare This Article