Table of ContentsTable of ContentsSelf-RelianceStrange DarlingDidiThe BikeridersThe OrderBlitzWoman of the HourHorizon: An American Saga Chapter 1My Old AssThe OutrunThere have been plenty of critically acclaimed mainstream movies released in theaters and on streaming this year. There have, however, also been just as many great movies unveiled throughout this year that have unfortunately failed to capture any level of widespread audience attention. With that in mind and, given that there are fewer than two weeks to go before this year comes to an end, now seems like as good a time as any to look back at some of those 2024 movies and give them the second chance at breakthrough success that they deserve.So, without any further ado, here are 10 underrated films that you probably missed this year.Recommended VideosSelf Reliance | Official Trailer | HuluJake Johnson made his feature directorial debut with this small, DIY comedy about a man who agrees to participate in a dark web reality game show where he becomes the target of unknown assassins for 30 days in exchange for a potential $1 million cash prize. The only way to survive the game is to make sure hes never alone long enough for his unknown attackers to reach him unnoticed. The further into the experience he gets, though, the more blurred the lines between his reality and his imagination become.RelatedSelf-Reliance quietly dropped on Hulu in January and flew relatively under-the-radar, but its a nifty and playful comedy. Even more notably, it introduces Johnson as a director with surprisingly experimental instincts and an admirable desire to explore whacky, high-concept ideas in modest ways.Strange Darling Exclusive Trailer (2024)Among those who have seen it, writer-director JT Mollners Strange Darling ranks high as one of the most divisive genre films of the year. Boasting a positively Tarantino-esque non-linear structure and a shocking mean streak, its a low-budget but immaculately photographed cat-and-mouse thriller that turns its initial, familiar premise of a young woman (Willa Fitzgerald) crossing paths with a possibly dangerous stranger (Kyle Gallner) completely on its head.Its many surprises, whether they ultimately work for you or not, are best left unspoiled, but Strange Darling emerges across its 96 minutes as one of the years most daring and subversive films. Its a deceptively sharp piece of genre filmmaking, and Fitzgeralds central turn as its female lead is one of the best movie performances of 2024.DDI () - Official Trailer [HD] - Only In Theaters July 26Didi was warmly received by critics when it hit theaters in late July, but it failed to achieve the kind of mainstream success that many hoped it would. Writer-director Sean Wangs feature directorial debut is a sharply conceived slice-of-life coming-of-age dramedy about a Taiwanese-American middle schooler (Izaac Wang) struggling to find his way in the 2000s at a time when online social platforms like YouTube and Myspace are already starting to complicate his and his friends means and methods of communicating.The film finds the right balance between affectionately looking back at its time period and still offering an unvarnished look at its young protagonists many struggles and faults. Seek it out if you havent already and be prepared to be blown away by Joan Chens breathtaking, quiet supporting performance as the caring, lonely mother of Didis adolescent lead.THE BIKERIDERS - Official Trailer [HD] - Only In Theaters June 21Writer-director Jeff Nichols The Bikeriders received a bit of a muted response when it made its fall festival debut in late 2023, which may have been what led to Searchlight Pictures surprisingly dropping it altogether. The film was, thankfully, picked up and revived by Focus Features, which gave it a late-June theatrical release befitting its sunburnt, wind-in-your-hair vibes and aesthetic.Those who took the time to catch The Bikeriders this past summer were consequently treated to one of the best films of the year. Based on a book about the rise and fall of a real-life Midwest motorcycle club in the 1960s, its an observational, romantic, and deeply cinematic piece of work, and stars Jodie Comer, Tom Hardy, and Austin Butler give three of the years most underrated performances in it.The Order | Official Trailer (HD) | VerticalThe Order only hit theaters a few weeks ago, but it seemed fated even before its release to make less of a splash among casual moviegoers than it deserved to. Whether you want to blame that on this years crowded December release slate or just poor marketing is up to you. Either way, its already set to make its VOD debut Christmas week (December 24, to be exact), and it should be at the top of your end-of-the-year watchlist.Based on real-life events, this thriller about an FBI investigation into an emboldened white supremacist organization is one of 2024s most affecting crime dramas. Its worth catching up on just for Superman star Nicholas Hoults chilling performance in it as a neo-Nazi who believes its his destiny to give America back to its rightful sons, but its expertly staged bank robbery and shootout sequences pack just as much of a punch.Blitz Official Trailer | Apple TV+Apples decision this year to move away from theatrically releasing its original films may be partly why director Steve McQueens Blitz didnt make a wider impact when it was finally released on Apple TV+ in late November. The film, a sweeping, Spielbergian World War II drama about life on Londons streets during the Nazis bombing campaign on the city, had all the potential to emerge as a widely appealing mainstream hit. Instead, it seems destined now to remain an underrated gem in its directors filmography.Fortunately, time will likely be kind to Blitz, a mournful yet frequently thrilling drama. It takes many of the thematic ideas that have long fascinated its director and repackages them in a more straightforwardly entertaining but no less artistic cinematic experience than McQueens fans are used to getting from him, and there are certain sequences throughout Blitz that are more immediately impactful than almost any others youll see this year.Woman of the Hour | Official Teaser | NetflixBased on the shocking real-life event when a serial killer appeared on The Dating Game in 1978, Woman of the Hour is a tense, difficult, and intelligent thriller about how the human gaze can be weaponized to hurt, minimize, and control others. It marks star Anna Kendricks directorial debut, and if the film is any true indication of her artistic abilities and wider interests, then it may also mark the beginning of an exciting new chapter of her career.The film is one of the best movies Netflix had to offer this year a confident piece of true-crime storytelling thats brimming with real, infectious anger and heartache. Its final 10 minutes will shock you by providing an epilogue to its story that is simultaneously cathartic and haunting.Horizon: An American Saga | Trailer 1For a brief time this past summer, Kevin Costners latest directorial effort, Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 1, the film that was seemingly at the center of his contentious Yellowstone exit, seemed primed to be one of the biggest cinematic punchlines of the year. Few could have predicted that, despite its poor box office performance and the uncertainty surrounding its planned sequels, it would actually end up ranking as one of 2024s most underrated films. Lo and behold, though, Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 1 is a rich, majestic blockbuster the likes of which audiences rarely get nowadays.Yes, it is overflowing with familiar Western archetypes and clichs. Yes, its too long and ends with a trailer for its sequel. Accept these issues and youll be treated to an epic that features not only some of 2024s most stunning imagery but also some of its best practically created set pieces and action sequences. Say what you will about the merits of Costners directorial vision: Few other working directors could have put together and pulled off the explosive, pulse-pounding midnight raid that sets Horizons story of Western migration into motion.My Old Ass | Official TrailerAt the center of writer-director Megan Parks underrated coming-of-age comedy My Old Ass is a question weve all asked ourselves at one time or another: What would you do if you could talk to your older self? Thats a chance that Elliott (Maisy Stella), a young teenage girl on the brink of going to college and leaving her hometown behind, receives when a mushroom trip results in her 39-year-old self (Aubrey Plaza) literally appearing next to her. When her future self tells her to appreciate her family more and gives her an ominous warning about a boy, Elliott gets caught up in a million dilemmas regarding her life, her future, and her priorities.My Old Ass eventually winds its way to ideas about grappling with loss, whether it be circumstantial or universal, that strike a deeper chord than first-time viewers may expect. The film isnt exactly subtle, and it struggles a bit to articulate its themes in a non-ham-fisted manner in its third act, but My Old Ass has enough heart to make up for its flaws, and it is buoyed at all times by Stellas luminous breakthrough central performance.THE OUTRUN | Official Trailer (2024)The Outrun made waves when it premiered in January at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival but went on to only briefly appear and disappear from movie theaters in early October with little promotion or acknowledgement. Thats a disappointing fate to befall a film as good and worthwhile as The Outrun. Based on the memoir of the same name by co-writer Amy Liptrot, the drama follows a struggling alcoholic (Saoirse Ronan) who returns to her home in Scotlands Orkney Islands in an attempt to achieve consistent sobriety and some kind of stability.Its a non-linear drama about the difficulties of addiction and the importance of putting some stable ground beneath your own feet. At the center of it all is a lived-in, commanding performance from Ronan that is not only one of the best shes ever given but also deserves to be seen and more widely appreciated than it has been up to this point. Above all else, The Outrunreminds us why Ronan really is one of the greatest actresses working in Hollywood right now.Editors Recommendations

you better watch out Why The Long Kiss Goodnight is a great alt-Christmas movie Geena Davis and Samuel L. Jackson are sheer perfection as an amnesiac former assassin and PI who foil a terrorist plot. Jennifer Ouellette Dec 24, 2024 11:12 am | 4 Credit: New Line Cinema Credit: New Line Cinema Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreEveryone has their favorite film that serves as alternative Christmas movie fare, with Die Hard (1988) and Lethal Weapon (1987) typically topping the listat least when all you want for Christmas is buddy-cop banter, car chases, shootouts, and glorious explosions. (Massive gratuitous property damage is a given.) I love me some Lethal Weapon but it's high time to give some holiday love to another great action flick set during the Christmas season: The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996), starring Geena Davis as an amnesiac school teacher who turns out to have been a government assassin in her former life.(Spoilers below for this nearly 30-year-old film.)At the time, Davis was married to director Renny Harlin, coming off a disastrous showing for their previous collaboration, Cutthroat Island (1995), which remains one of the biggest box office bombs of all time. (It is indeed a pretty bad movie.) But Shane Black's smart, savvy script for The Long Kiss Goodnight seemed like the perfect next project for them; it was promising enough that New Line Cinema bought it for what was then a record $4 million.Davis plays Samantha Caine, a small-town school teacher in Honesdale, PA, who has no memory since washing up on a beach eight years earlier with a head injury. Since then, she's given birth to a daughter, Caitlin (Yvonne Zima) and moved in with a kind-hearted fellow teacher named Hal (Tom Amandes). She's hired various private investigators to find out her true identity, but only the low-rent Mitch Henessey (Samuel L. Jackson) is still on the case. Then Mitch's assistant, Trin (Meloina Kanakaredes), finally finds some useful informationjust in time, too, since Sam is attacked at home by a criminal named One-Eyed Jack (Joseph McKenna), who broke out of prison to exact revenge after recognizing Sam during her appearance as Mrs. Claus in the town's annual Christmas parade.This coincides with Sam starting to recover fragments of her memory after a car accident following a holiday party. She'd already thought she might be a chef because of newly emerged expert knife skills. (The moment where she tosses a tomato in the air, skewers it into the wall with a kitchen knife, and nonchalantly says to her shocked partner and child, "Chefs do that," is priceless.) But when she ruthlessly snaps the neck of One-Eyed Jack in her kitchenpausing afterward to lick blood off her fingersit's clear that chef doesn't quite cover her unique skill set.A harrowing trip down memory lane Samanthan Caine (Geena Davis) has a quiet life as a small town schoolteacher with partner Hal (Tom Amandes), even if she has amnesia. New Line Cinema Samanthan Caine (Geena Davis) has a quiet life as a small town schoolteacher with partner Hal (Tom Amandes), even if she has amnesia. New Line Cinema "Chefs do that." Sam's memory starts to return after a car accident. New Line Cinema "Chefs do that." Sam's memory starts to return after a car accident. New Line Cinema Sam and Mitch (Samuel L. Jackson) make a daring escape. New Line Cinema Sam and Mitch (Samuel L. Jackson) make a daring escape. New Line Cinema "Chefs do that." Sam's memory starts to return after a car accident. New Line Cinema Sam and Mitch (Samuel L. Jackson) make a daring escape. New Line Cinema Charly resurfaces when Sam undergoes "the torture thing." New Line Cinema A quick makeover and Mitch finds himself dealing with assassin Charly. New Line Cinema Mitch and Charly/Sam are up against some pretty steep odds to rescue Caitlin (Yvonne Zima). New Line Cinema Craig Bierko plays the evil mercenary Timothy who has a history with Charly. New Line Cinema Hell hath no fury like a mother whose child has been kidnapped by terrorists. New Line Cinema Mitch and Sam embark on a harrowing road trip to follow up on the newly unearthed clues to her past identity, which leads them to Dr. Nathan Waldman (Brian Cox, in a performance dripping with sardonic grumpiness). She learns her true name is Charlene "Charly" Baltimore, an assassin for the US governmentand Waldman should know, since he trained her.Sam's memoryand her Charly personareturns with a vengeance after she's tortured by a former target named Daedalus (David Morse). (We're not going to quibble the finer points of the actual science behind focal retrograde amnesia. Sam's memory loss is what's known in the industry as a "buy"a plot point that simply exists without much explanation, in order to tell a better story.) Sam/Charly and Mitch team up against mercenary terrorist Timothy (Craig Bierko) and his corrupt government allies to foil a plot dubbed "Operation Honeymoon"and rescue Sam's kidnapped daughter in the process.Yes, there are some cheesy elements and the film's action is frequently over-the-topbut not any more so than countless other hugely popular action movies, particularly those from the 1980s and 1990s. It's all that wickedly sharp dialogue, expert pacing, and strong performances from the cast that makes the movie fire on all cylinders. Anchoring it all is the bickering dynamic and powerful bond between Sam/Charly and Mitch. Davis and Jackson have undeniable on-screen chemistryan essential ingredient for any successful buddy-cop action filmand both are clearly relishing their respective roles.It's a Christmas movie because it takes place at Christmasplus all those traditional holiday trappings frequently figure into the plot in small, clever ways. (Do be aware it's R-rated if you have young children.) And of course there is a happy ending, although in an early cut, Mitch died saving Sam and her daughter. But during a test screening an audience member hollered, "You can't kill Sam Jackson!" And the studio wisely reconsidered. Instead, Sam retires to the country and makes sure Mitch gets public credit for his role in foiling the plot. This leads to his hilarious appearance on Larry King Live, telling millions of viewers that he's "always frank and earnest with women. In New York I'm Frank, in Chicago I'm Earnest."Okay, so The Long Kiss Goodnight didn't exactly light up the box office when it was released, earning $95.4 million globally against its $65 million budget, despite mostly positive reviews. But it remains one of Davis's favorite roles, right up there with Thelma in Thelma and Louise (1991). (It's still Harlin's favorite of all his films.) Even Jackson told GQ in 2018 that of all the films he's been in, The Long Kiss Goodnight remains his favorite re-watch. Are you really gonna argue with Samuel L. Jackson? Just go add it to your holiday queue already!The Long Kiss Goodnight is currently streaming on Prime Video.Jennifer OuelletteSenior WriterJennifer OuelletteSenior Writer Jennifer is a senior reporter at Ars Technica with a particular focus on where science meets culture, covering everything from physics and related interdisciplinary topics to her favorite films and TV series. Jennifer lives in Baltimore with her spouse, physicist Sean M. Carroll, and their two cats, Ariel and Caliban. 4 Comments

Meta, Apple, OpenAI, and Tesla are set to launch new technology in the new year.In 2025, you can expect a display in Meta's glasses and a Gemini-infused mixed reality headset.Apple reportedly has several new offerings in the works, like an iPhone Air and a new iPhone SE.Big Tech companies didn't hold back when releasing AI updates and hardware in 2024 and you can expect the same pattern in 2025.Many companies showcased flashy product announcements and extravagant demonstrations at annual events this year, but a number of those offerings aren't available quite yet. Examples include Apple's revamped Siri, Meta's Orion glasses, and Google's Project Astra.While some release dates remain unclear, here's what you can expect to see from Big Tech companies in 2025.MetaMeta is reportedly adding a screen inside its Ray-Ban smart glasses that could be available in an update as early as the second half of 2025, the Financial Times reported Monday. The screen would be able to display notifications and responses from Meta's chatbot, the report said.CTO and head of Reality Labs Andrew Bosworth wrote in a December blog that in 2025, users can expect personalized AI assistants that don't just respond to prompts but help users throughout their day."One of the things I'm most excited about for 2025 is the evolution of AI assistants," Bosworth said in the post.AppleApple is expected to release a "more personal Siri," but it's unclear if that will come next year or with the Siri update expected in 2026. Apple is expected to announce the "LLM Siri" in 2025.Apple will also announce the release of a smart home device as early as March, according to a November Bloomberg article. The device may be a wall-mounted iPad-like tablet that can control appliances, manage video calls, and use AI to access apps.The tech giant will reportedly announce an iPhone "Air" model that will take on the sleek look of the MacBook Air, Bloomberg reported. And Apple will also unveil new iPad Air models and a new version of the budget-friendly iPhone SE, Bloomberg said separately. The new iPhone SE will eliminate the home button and is expected to support Apple Intelligence, according to the report.OpenAIOpenAI has been working on GPT-5 for over a year and a half, but the model has been pushed back. It's unclear when exactly it will launch, but there's a chance it might in 2025. The model is expected to have impressive capabilities, surpassing GPT-4's power.It will be able to complete multi-step tasks and work with audio, video, and text. It will also have a large context window, which would allow it to process larger amounts of text.TeslaWhile Elon Musk doesn't anticipate the Cybercab hitting volume production until 2026, he said in Tesla's third-quarter earnings call that he expects to get regulatory approval in 2025.During the call, he also said that the company is on track to start producing more affordable EV models in the first half of 2025."These vehicles will utilize aspects of the next-generation platform as well as aspects of our current platforms and will be able to be produced on the same manufacturing lines as our current vehicle line-up," Musk said.Musk also wrote in a post on X in July that Tesla will have humanoid robots in "low production" for the company's internal use in 2025, with high production for external companies in 2026.GoogleIn partnership with Samsung and Qualcomm, Google is introducing its approach to mixed reality with the release of the Android XR spatial computing platform. The company said in an announcement that the first device is built by Samsung and codenamed Project Moohan, and will be available to purchase next year.The device offers typical mixed reality experiences, as well as an integrated Gemini."With Gemini, our AI assistant, you can even have conversations about what you're seeing or control your device," the company said in the announcement. "Gemini can understand your intent, helping you plan, research topics and guide you through tasks."A Google DeepMind spokesperson also said that capabilities from research prototypes like Project Astra, which Google hopes will become a universal assistant, will graduate to Google applications and services. However, there are no plans to make Project Astra generally available itself, the spokesperson said.

The Roosevelt in New OrleansThe Roosevelt's "Waldorf Wonderland" lobby is covered in lights, Christmas ornaments, and mini trees. The Roosevelt It doesn't get more festive than a dazzling display of lights and mini-Christmas trees lining the hotel's lobby.The lobby, named "Waldorf Wonderland," is, per the hotel, enveloped in 112,000 lights, 1,600 feet of garland, and 4,000 glass ornaments.While decor is just one aspect of celebrating Christmas at The Roosevelt, another is its annual "Teddy Bear Tea" experience, where Santa welcomes kids of all ages to the hotel's North Pole. Once there, they can watch and listen as he reads stories aloud, sing and dance along, and enjoy a selection of festive sweet treats. The Plaza Hotel in New York CityThe Plaza in New York City hosts many events, including holiday-themed high tea and meet-and-greet with Santa. The Plaza, a Fairmont-managed hotel The Plaza's festive decor feels straight out of a film it's equal parts dreamy and magical.The hotel also offers a series of festive-themed events and experiences. Guests can enjoy afternoon tea with a revamped holiday menu at the Palm Court or sip cocktails and enjoy caviar at the Champagne Bar.For kids, there's "Storytime with Santa," a daily ritual from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m., where Santa will read a Christmas story aloud. Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in NashvilleThe hotel has three items, one of which is the Cascades Atrium. As pictured here, the atrium undergoes a festive transformation during the holiday season. Gaylord Opryland For 41 years now, Gaylord Opryland Resort has hosted "A Country Christmas," its annual holiday attraction.From life-size ice sculptures and over 5 million lights wrapping the resort to a 48-foot tree adorned with poinsettias, green garland, and hand-tied ribbon, guests will feel the festive spirit in every corner of the 2,888-room resort.The hotel also features an ice-tubing hill, a 10,000-square-foot ice rink, and many other festive-themed activities that engage guests of all ages. The Peninsula in ChicagoThe Peninsula in Chicago has a festive-themed afternoon tea, holiday meals, and a candy shop at its entrance. The Peninsula Chicago The Peninsula's entryway is populated with red poinsettias, ribbon-wrapped wreaths, and lots of twinkling lights.Whether you're staying the night or just visiting for a meal, the hotel has many holiday-appropriate traditions, including a themed afternoon tea, a skating rink surrounded by some of the windy city's most iconic skyscrapers, and a candy shop where kids can indulge in some Christmas sweets.On December 14, the property's in-house bar, Z Bar, will also host an ugly sweater party, where guests can don their best ugly sweaters and dance through the night. The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West VirginiaThe Greenbrier goes all out with Christmas decorations, preparation for which starts in early November. The Greenbrier In early November, a crew of 20 people begin working together to transform The Greenbrier's interiors into a festive wonderland.In addition to its plush decor, the hotel hosts a series of holiday-themed events, such as cookie and Christmas tree decorating, a mixology class, and seasonal performances.For guests staying in, there's also a special "Season's Greetings" dinner on Christmas Eve. Fairmont Scottsdale Princess in Scottsdale, ArizonaFairmont Scottsdale Princess hosts a yearly Christmas festival for guests and the public. The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess Hotel If you're on the hunt for a grand celebration, the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, with its dazzling holiday displays and colorful light shows, is as lavish as it gets in the Southwest.Come November, the hotel is draped in over 10 million lights, and attractions such as a Ferris wheel, an outdoor ice rink, and igloos with fire tables are on display.The festival, at $35 per person, is open to the public and free for hotel guests until January 4. Willard InterContinental in Washington, DCWillard InterContinental is ideal for an opulent, Gilded-Age Christmas celebration. Willard InterContinental A Gilded Age hotel, the Willard InterContinental lives up to its opulent association with over-the-top decor.Think hallways lined with gold ornaments and mini-Christmas trees while some suites are transformed into a cozy Winterland complete with tents and holiday-themed films. The property's in-house restaurant hosts an afternoon tea with sweet and savory treats.There are also free carol performances at the hotel's lobby every night. Swissotel in ChicagoSwissotel Chicago will welcome Santa at its suite, designed around memorable holiday music, and an aprs ski experience at Amuse, its in-house bar. Swissotel Chicago Swissotel's top offerings this year include a Santa suite based on holiday songs and a chic aprs-ski experience at its bars."The Santa Suite will be humming with festive spirit," said Angela Bauer, Swisstel Chicago's general manager. The suite, which is decked out with 17 Christmas trees and lots of lights, can be reserved for private parties or VIP visits with Santa Claus.In-suite activities include cookie decorating, arts and crafts for kids, and face painting. Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa in Ponte Vedra, FloridaSawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa has a gingerbread sandcastle made entirely of chocolate and graham crackers. Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa The pastry team at Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa, guided by executive pastry chef James Victorino, crafted a gingerbread sandcastle a tribute to the resort's beach club that's on display in the resort's main lobby.Beginning work in October, the pastry team used chocolate shells and about 175 pounds of graham crackers to make the castle.Other experiences to enjoy on-site include a large Christmas buffet and a Christmas Eve dinner. (Guests have to make reservations for both in advance.) Hotel del Coronado in San DiegoThis year, Hotel del Coronado in San Diego is taking inspiration from Old Hollywood for its festive celebrations. Hotel del Coronado To celebrate the festive season this year, Hotel del Coronado returns to Old Hollywood.Paying tribute to the film "Some Like It Hot," which starred Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, and Jack Lemmon, the hotel will feature a series of Hollywood-themed experiences.The Christmas tree, inspired by Marilyn Monroe's style, has been decorated in ruby and cherry hues with hints of black, gold, and silver. Ojai Valley Inn in Ojai, CaliforniaOjai Valley Inn is celebrating the festivities by taking a mindful, slow approach, focusing on family-friendly activities and large buffet dinners. Ojai Valley Inn If you seek an escape from the holiday hustle this festive season but still want to partake in holiday traditions, the Ojai Valley Inn offers serene respite.For the holiday season, the Spanish revival hotel transforms into a cozy destination with activities such as treasure hunts, roasting s'mores, and breakfast with Santa.The hotel will host a jingle bell jaunt on Christmas Eve and a lavish buffet on Christmas Day. Waldorf Astoria in Park City, UtahThe Waldorf Astoria Park City in Utah is a great winter escape for anyone looking to celebrate Christmas in a snow-covered town. Waldorf Astoria Park City Are you dreaming of a white Christmas with over 300 ski trails to explore? The Waldorf Astoria in Park City delivers a snowy holiday paradise and a ski adventure.Guests can relax by in-room fireplaces while ski valets handle equipment and gear delivery. Families will love the "Little Miners Camp" experience, which will transform kids' rooms with a teepee, lanterns, and mining-era decor for an unforgettable stay. Origin Hotel Kansas City in MissouriOrigin Hotel Kansas City is transforming its Leg Lamp Lodge with Christmas decor and themed activities, like a hot cocoa bar cart, to allow guests to experience a taste of the festive season in-house. Origin Hotel Kansas City Origin Hotel Kansas City is taking extra steps to ensure guests can experience the magic of Christmas both indoors and outdoors.An ideal setup for those celebrating away from home and still wishing for that Christmas touch the hotel's Leg Lamp lodge suite comes decorated with a tree that's inspired by the film, "A Christmas Story," a DVD player with a selection of classic holiday films, and holiday-themed robes.To keep the little ones engaged, there are trivia cards from "A Christmas Story" and an assortment of board games that can be enjoyed with hot chocolate from the cocoa bar. The Houstonian Hotel in HoustonThe "Merry Mansions" gingerbread display at The Houstonian Hotel is inspired by oilman Albert Bel Fey's mansion. The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa Guests checking in at The Houstonian Hotel this holiday season will be welcomed by the sweet scents of cookies, gingerbread, and gumdrops, courtesy of the massive gingerbread constructions displayed in the lobby.These elaborate sets are pastry reconstructions of iconic areas, such as the streets of North Post Oak Lane, a residential neighborhood in Houston. While homes are a major source of inspiration, some gingerbread displays are inspired by sculptures and furniture found at Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens, a subsection of Houston's Museum of Fine Arts.Other stand-out activities include a Christmas Day dinner, teepee tents for kids, and a spa tea experience at the hotel's Trellis Spa. The Vanderbilt in Newport, Rhode IslandWell-known event designer Bronson van Wyck has collaborated with The Vanderbilt Resort to transform its space this festive season. Robyn Lehr Bronson van Wyck, who's previously planned events for luxury brands like Cartier and Omega, has turned his attention to The Vanderbilt resort in Newport this festive season.The designer collaborated with luxury fabric house Brunschwig & Fils to create a nautical-themed Christmas wonderland across the hotel's lobby, grand staircase, and other such public spaces.The highlight, though, is a marine-themed tinsel tree displayed in the hotel's library. Mayflower Inn & Spa in Washington, ConnecticutMayflower Inn & Spa collaborated with ace designer Alexandra O'Neill's womenswear brand, Markarian, for a fun, festive makeover. Donna Dotan Like other luxury hotels worldwide, The Mayflower Inn & Spa has partnered with designer Alexandra O'Neill's brand, Markarian, for a festive makeover.Inspired by the brand's autumn/winter collection, the decor features wreaths, garlands, and bows in vibrant pops of green and red.At the entryway, an 18-foot Christmas tree is bedecked in various ornate ornaments. White Barn Inn in Kennebunk, MaineThe White Barn Inn guests can reserve a 14-seat-only private dinner table at its wine cellar for a cozy Christmas experience. Joe St. Pierre/Auberge Resorts Collection The White Barn Inn's cozy tabletop setup in its wine cellar is ideal for guests looking for an intimate experience that captures the charm of a house party in an out-of-home setting.Designed by interior decorator Nathan Turner who has also helped decorate other parts of the hotel the rustic, 14-seats-only dinner table offers a standout experience.Other highlights include wreaths with satin ribbons, velvet garlands, elegant candles, and custom linens set up throughout the hotel's public spaces. The Beekman in New York CityThe Beekman's bar room has undergone a cozy festive transformation, complete with a Christmas tree and poinsettias for the holiday season this year. Joe Thomas Whether staying at the hotel or simply visiting The Beekman has multiple festive-friendly activities all through December, leading up to New Year's.We recommend reserving a spot in its bar room, ideal for a cozy Christmas night out with loved ones. With its intimate ambiance, the space feels like an escape from the holiday hustle while keeping the festive spirits high, thanks to a giant Christmas tree in the center.The festivities continue until New Year's Eve, during which the hotel will host a silver disco dinner party featuring cocktails, a DJ set, and aerialist performances. The St. Regis in AtlantaThe Christmas tree Jan Haedrich, designer and founder of MME.Mink decorated for The St. Regis Atlanta. Paul Beezley/The St. Regis Atlanta The St. Regis Hotel in Atlanta is also joining the ranks of luxury hotels collaborating with designer brands for a festive makeover.This year, the hotel partnered with Jan Haedrich, the designer and founder of luxury fashion and accessories brand MME.Mink, for its festive tree decoration.For her part, Haedrisch decorated the tree in green moss, ice, and crystal motifs, feathered white partridges, and some of her favorite handbags from her brand, like the mini Carlton basket and green crocodile, complete with customized charms. Ponte Vedra Inn & Club in FloridaGuests staying at Ponte Vedra Inn & Club in Florida can avail of a personalized festive room makeover for an added fee. Ponte Vedra Inn & Club Ponte Vedra Inn & Club brings festivities to your room, albeit at an extra cost.Guests booking a stay at the hotel between November and December 30 can, for an additional $500, have their room decorated in festive decor, complete with a 6- to 8-foot frosted fir tree and holiday treats delivered by elves on the night of arrival.Guests will also receive a keepsake ornament that they can take back with them.

By Matthew Gault Published December 24, 2024 | Comments (1) | 15-megaton Castle Bravo explosion at Bikini Atoll, March 1, 1954, showing multiple condensation rings and several ice caps. U.S. Department of Energy photo. Since the end of the Cold War, the world has lived with the threat of nuclear fire. The worlds nine nuclear powers have the ability to end all life on Earth. In Russia and the U.S., the power to launch those world-ending weapons rests in the hands of a single human being. This has been true for decades, but for a long time, the public was able to safely ignore the threat. Somethings changed though, and people have learned to fear them once again. Ive been covering nuclear weapons for a decade now, and Ive watched it go from a niche curiosity to a major news beat over the last two years. Something shifted in 2024. The amount of nuclear stories and the public interest in nuclear weapons has changed. Every time Vladimir Putin makes a vague threat, a cascade of stories hits the newswires. Every report to Congress about advances in the Chinese nuclear arsenal now gets national press coverage. Three weeks ago, 60 Minutes cut together a bunch of its nuclear coverage from the past decade and released it as a long video on YouTube. The New York Times has spent the last year publishing incredible investigative journalism about nukes. One of the biggest TV shows of the year is an adaptation of a video game set in a post-nuclear wasteland. How did we get here? How did nuclear weapons move from a Cold War curiosity to a major public concern? These weapons have hovered like a Sword of Damocles above our heads for my entire life, but people used to safely ignore them.Matt Korda, who tracks nuclear weapons for the Federation of American Scientists pointed to TV shows like Fallout, the nuclear coverage of The New York Times, and a prevailing sense of doom in American life. The mood right now is apocalypse. Doomerism. Apocalypse is very much on peoples minds, he said. Last year, Oppenheimer told the story of the birth of nuclear weapons. A few months later, Amazon released Fallout, a nihilistic and absurd journey through a nuclear-ravage California wasteland. Both were enormous hits.Korda also pointed to the election, especially when it was between Biden and Trump. They were both very old. Both parties were champing at the bit to claim the other candidate was historically dangerous for the country. There were signs of impairment on both sides, he said. I have to think that that had a real effect on people recognizing that one of these two people is going to be in charge of a very destructive nuclear arsenal and theres serious problems with both of them in that respect, Korda said. The election made people a lot more aware that the nuclear system that we have deployed is designed, specifically, to concentrate power in the hands of a single individual.As Biden leaves office, hes 82 years old. Trump will be 78 as he takes office and 82 when he leaves it. Putin is 72 right now. Earlier this week, the New York Times published a survey about the Presidents sole authority to launch a nuclear weapon. The Times asked all 530 incoming members of Congress how they felt about the President having the ability to end all life on Earth. The responses represent an interesting cross-section of understanding an opinion. Many were uncomfortable with the president launching nukes as a first strike but fine with the president launching nukes in retaliation for a strike. Democrats called out Trump as erratic. Republicans pointed to Bidens diminished capacities. Some gave nuanced and complicated answers about deterrence, escalation, and sole authority. Many didnt respond, and some gave yes or no answers, but those who answered in-depth did so with consideration and thought.Its something thats on their mind. Nuclear threats were part of the first Trump administration, its true. But the conversation around nukes is different now, and worse. What was frightening about the first Trump administration was the cavalier way in which Mr. Trump made nuclear threats, and mostly with respect to North Korea. So you know, the Fire and the Fury fall of 2017 and then, of course, all the negotiations, which ultimately failed with Kim Jong Un throughout his presidency, Sharon Squassoni, a Congressional arms control veteran and research professor at George Washington University, told Gizmodo.She also pointed to Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and Putins constant drumbeat of nuclear threats as something thats stoked fear. For the first time we are positioned opposite a country that has made blatant threats to use nuclear weapons, she said. The other thing that went along with that is the collapse of all these arms control treaties, Squassoni said. For decades, a series of arms control treaties between the U.S. and Russia ratcheted-down tensions. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, America was even helping Russia dismantle its nuclear weapons and use the nuclear material inside its nuclear power plants. Thats over. During the first Trump administration, America pulled out of the Reagan-era Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. The treaty stopped both nations specific kinds of nukes with an intermediate range. A year later, the U.S. pulled out of the Open Skies Treaty, which lets rival countries openly surveil each other in order to prevent misunderstandings. In 2023, Russia withdrew from a treaty that banned the testing of nuclear weapons.The only remaining nuclear arms control treaty between the U.S. and Russia is now the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START). This Obama-era agreement limits the amount of nuclear warheads both countries can deploy. Itll expire in 2026 unless both sides agree to renew it. But enforcing it requires both sides to allow their rivals to inspect nuclear weapons sites. Putin has already said he wont allow the treaty to be enforced and itll likely die. Add to this the fact that America, Russia, and China are all building up their nuclear arsenals. China is digging holes in its deserts to fill with new intercontinental ballistic missiles. America is modernizing its force and is set to spend billions of dollars on its own silos and ICBMs. Russia is testing a new nuclear cruise missile and recently launched a new kind of medium-range ballistic missile at Ukraine in November. Were in a new nuclear arms race. This is not just rhetoric, Joseph Cirincione, a former Congressional staffer turned anti-nuclear proliferation watchdog, told Gizmodo. There are multi-billion dollar programs underway in almost all of the nine nuclear-armed nations. Most prominently in the United States, Russia, and China. According to Cirincione, the U.S. is spending $70 billion a year on new nuclear weapons and an additional $30 billion on missile defense systems. That money has a tangible effect on the communities where its spent. Nuclear weapons warp the reality of the places where they exist.To build its new Sentinel-class ICBMs, the U.S. will have to dig massive new silos and construct enormous underground structures in Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska, and North Dakota. Various parts of this project will touch 23 different states. In the places where theyre building silos, contractors will build temporary cities to house an influx of workers. General Dynamics, a contractor working on new nuclear submarines, visits schools to teach students about what its like to work in the nuclear industry and pitch them on building submarines in the future. All of this has an effect on the public consciousness. What was once an ancient weapon of a bygone era is back with a vengeance. It is not some abstract weapon of war, but an integral piece of American society. It is part of the post-World War II myth that we tell ourselves and the thing, some say, that keeps us safe from bigger and more terrible wars.I think nuclear weapons retain a unique place in the fears of Americans, in part because the main story taught about nuclear weapons is that we used them to end a war. The second story taught about nuclear weapons, that the US and Russia have enough pointed at each other to end the world forever, means that whenever tensions flare between the two states with the largest arsenals, its a short walk to assuming nuclear oblivion is imminent, Kelsey Atherton, Chief Editor at the Center for International Policy told me. In a sense, Americans understand nukes as what ends big wars, and forget everything else about them, and popular coverage (especially on television) is horrendous at placing nukes in context, he said. Which means when something startling does happen, like the use of IRBM on Ukraine, it gets filtered through the shallowest understanding of nuclear risk, paired with apocalyptic video.This will accelerate. Putin isnt going anywhere. China has no reason to slow down its nuclear ambitions and President Trump and the GOP want more nukes not less. We are in a new nuclear age, one where the old fear of total oblivion in nuclear hellfire is more possible than its been since the 1980s. We can seek to understand it, we can lobby our leaders to stop, we can watch TV shows and movies that help us deal with the anxiety. What we cant do is ignore it.Daily NewsletterYou May Also Like By Matthew Gault Published December 21, 2024 By Matt Novak Published December 20, 2024 io9 Staff Published December 20, 2024 By Ed Cara Published December 19, 2024 By Matthew Gault Published December 19, 2024 By Matthew Gault Published December 18, 2024

LOVO Building / Christoph Wagner Architekten + Wenke SchladitzSave this picture! Eric TschernowApartmentsBerlin, GermanyArchitects: Christoph Wagner Architekten, Wenke SchladitzAreaArea of this architecture projectArea:1200 mYearCompletion year of this architecture project Year: 2018 PhotographsPhotographs:ManufacturersBrands with products used in this architecture project Manufacturers: AGROB BUCHTAL, Carl Stahl, Cinca, SOLTIS Lead Architects: Christoph Wagner, Wenke Schladitz Architectural Designer: Stefan Tietke, Rainer Krautwurst, Nabih Alshaikh, Eyal Perez More SpecsLess SpecsSave this picture!Text description provided by the architects. LOVO is a 6-story residential building focused on the LGBTQ+ community, including inhabitants with refugee background. Located in Berlin's Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg borough, it was designed and developed by the Berlin based architects Christoph Wagner in collaboration with Wenke Schladitz, together with Schwulenberatung Berlin, an organization providing psychosocial counseling to gay, lesbian, bisexual, transsexual and intersex people. In 2014 Christoph Wagner and his partner, the artist Ulrich Vogl, found a plot next to the very central Ostkreuz train station. When a large refugee influx hit the city in 2015, the couple felt the need to help this population. Combining this wish with their own life experience in the LGBTQ+ community, they partnered with Schwulenberatung Berlin, who brought in new programmatic ideas and input on ways to deal with the property.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!The project's main intent was to create a way of living where people would cohabit and interact in spaces as randomly as in a city's neighborhood, instead of traditional community models where life tends to be restricted to the privacy of apartments. Due to its innovative spatial configuration and social agenda, even before opening its doors in 2018, LOVO was presented at the 2016 Venice Architecture Biennale as part of the German exhibition "Making Heimat. Germany Arrival Country." With 1200 m2 total, 31 shared units and 3 maisonettes, the building program is organized in 6 floors, evolving from shops and a caf where city and building dwellers mingle and community-oriented spaces at ground level to barrier-free assisted living on the first floor. The three floors above house 14m2 private rooms and common spaces, such as lounge, balconies, kitchen, bathrooms and laundry. To assure LOVO's inclusivity while also providing financial support for maintaining the building, the upper two levels contain rental duplex apartments for anyone wishing to inhabit such diverse environment.Save this picture!Save this picture!The East-West orientation unfolds in a strong interface with the street and the backyard, which is activated by the ground floor storefront and 200m long balcony strips covering the entire length of the facades. A public passageway connects the sidewalk with the garden at East, leading to a partially screened staircase facing the surrounding urban space. In a continuous flow, this vertical circulation extends towards communal loggias and kitchen one each floor, inviting dwellers to interact with each other. Atop the building three maisonettes are bordered at East by a spacious collective loggia, also having private balconies facing both the street and the backyard, assuring a direct relationship with the cityscape. Structured on concrete foundation, load bearing walls and slabs, the building exterior highlights large-format and light steel mesh balustrades. Contrasting ros and blue tones are blended with gray accents, imprinting a pleasing atmosphere, both inwards and outwards. Complementing these layers, pale red blinds create a distinctive yet harmonious combination, which reflect the mixed nature of LOVO.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Project gallerySee allShow lessProject locationAddress:Neue Bahnhofstrae 1A, 10245 Berlin, GermanyLocation to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.About this officePublished on December 24, 2024Cite: "LOVO Building / Christoph Wagner Architekten + Wenke Schladitz" 24 Dec 2024. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1002093/lovo-building-christoph-wagner-architekten&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

2024 saw players battling everything from smoky-headed world-enders to really, really big snakes.2024 has seen the release of several classic game remakes, along with some incredible DLC expansions, long-awaited sequels, and engaging new IP. While quality storytelling and beautiful graphics certainly play a part in a game's reception, the base upon which many of the best games are built is fun, engaging gameplay. Boss battles are an integral part of this formula, and 2024 saw players fighting some seriously good big bads.From iconic characters like Masamune's terrifying owner to a comically cartoonish cobra from PlayStation's recent bot-based nostalgia trip, here are the best boss fights of 2024. For more, check out our picks for the 10 best games of 2024 and our favorites that didn't make the top 10. Lady Venomara (Astro Bot)Plenty of Astro Bot's bosses are large, but Lady Venomara's colossal form makes the player feel bite-size in comparison.Astro Bot is full of delightful surprises both big and small, and the final boss of the Serpent Starway nebula falls firmly into the former category. The golden cobra known as Lady Venomara is absolutely enormous, and despite the game's kid-friendly vibe, Lady Venomara offers a genuine challenge, with a variety of attacks that test players' mastery of the game's mechanics.This sophisticated serpent throws everything she has at the player. She regurgitates eggs full of enemies into the arena, swipes at players with her enormous tail, and knocks down rocks from the ceiling before covering the floor with purple venom that will kill players on contact. The biggest challenge isn't fighting Lady Venomara--it's surviving long enough to get a punch in.This boss fight is also elevated by the fact that players get to navigate it with help from a chicken-powered jetpack. Scylla and the Sirens (Hades 2)She may seem harmless at first, but this underwater songbird has some deadly powerful vocal cords.Scylla and the Sirens are an oceanic musical group and a trio of extremely tricky bosses who players will face when navigating through Oceanus in Hades 2. In addition to Scylla herself, players must also take down her Sirens: The Drummer and The Guitarist. The fight itself is enhanced by the delightful soundtrack, which in this case includes some of Scylla and the Sirens' greatest hits.During the fight, Scylla will attack players who get too close, shoot spike-covered projectiles at players who get too far away, hit players with a series of four rotating beams, and "sing" (read: scream) at players to cause damage. Meanwhile, The Drummer and The Guitarist will use red casts and other AoE moves to keep Scylla's target on their toes. There are also bubbles containing musical notes that cause damage if touched, and a variety of other deadly environmental risks in the arena. If there's one thing you want to avoid doing in this fight, it's standing in one place for too long.On the bright side, these seafaring songbirds all share hitpoints, so damaging one of them damages all three of them. The best strategy is to focus on attacking one band member at a time while avoiding the multitude of attacks being flung your way. Taking Scylla and her Sirens down for good requires patience, planning, and practice. The Sphinx (Dragon's Dogma 2)Nobody's head should be able to tilt that far. Dragon's Dogma 2 is full of unique (and often disturbing) enemies for players to challenge in battle, but the Sphinx--an optional boss that can be fought after correctly answering 10 of its riddles--definitely stands out from the crowd.The ensuing boss fight sees players taking on a frightening (yet undeniably beautiful) creature with a mouth that opens just a little too wide, irises that inexplicably dilate along with her pupils, and a head that tilts a tad too far. Every inch of the Sphinx's design teeters right on the edge of the uncanny valley, and even her boss fight itself is a riddle. If players don't fight her "correctly," she'll go flying off into the sunset after growing bored with the player's lackluster moves.The key to beating the Sphinx is attacking her non-human body parts. After solving her final riddle, players are given a brief moment in which they can attack. Leaving her face and upper body untouched is key here, as the only way the full boss fight can be triggered is by ignoring her human features and and instead focusing attacks on her hind legs, tail, and wings. Manage to hit her in the right spot before she flies off, and the true fight will begin. Again, players can only succeed if they continue only attacking the Sphinx's animal body parts. Even one hit to her face or chest (be it with weapons or magic) will see her flying off and abandoning the fight early and leaving the player lootless. Liv (Tactical Breach Wizards)This turn-based battle will leave you with sweaty palms.Tactical Breach Wizards spends the entirety of its runtime building up a set of rules and obstacles to tangle with. While there are enemy types that can upend the player's usual approach, it's usually one single challenge that can be overcome, and the game's difficulty tends to come from the combination of these enemies being presented. At one point, players face off against Liv, who possesses such overwhelming power as to appear invincible: Take her out, and she simply comes back to life, only stronger. That first encounter with Liv is ultimately a gimmick fight, but she returns in the final level, and this time the situation is even more extreme.In this fight, Liv not only can self-revive (albeit a limited number of times), but she'll swap position with another object or even one of the player's allies when she's attacked. That means the player has to work out a way to effectively attack both the spot where she is currently and where she's going to end up, ideally without knocking out a teammate. This creates a wonderful dynamic that pushes the player to leverage every lesson and bit of mastery of character abilities that have been developed over the course of the game. Completing the fight feels like a real accomplishment, in addition to the satisfying narrative implications of dealing with this threat to the world. Erlang Shen (Black Myth: Wukong)Dat axe, though.Erlang Shen is a secret boss in Black Myth: Wukong, and finding him is (literally) half the battle. Erlang can only be fought after players have found and completed the secret area in each chapter of the game (excluding Chapter 3 and Chapter 6), finished the Treasure Hunter's quest (Chapter 3), beaten the Great Sage's Broken Shell, and located the Great Pagoda. After interacting with a wall at the Great Pagoda Keeper's shrine and triggering a cutscene, players will find themselves fighting Erlang on Mount Mei's snowy banks.Erlang is no slouch, and the ensuing battle is a difficult one. Erlang can summon a spectral hound, shoot swords at the player, and deal thunder damage that will leave players suffering from the Shocked status effect if hit. As the fight progresses and players chip away at Erlang's stance bar, he'll introduce different, difficult-to-dodge moves. One sees him soar into the air, manifest a comically huge axe, and fling it directly at the player's face. Taking a hit from this thing is far from comical, though players who successfully dodge it will have an opportunity to damage Erlang in the moments after the oversized weapon hits the ground.Between the fight's setting, the game's satisfyingly smooth combat, and the sheer spectacle of a guy throwing around an axe the size of a small house, the secret battle with Erlang makes for a fight that's both challenging and fun. Imurah and the Chaos Demon (Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2)Sure, you've fought Imurah before... but have you met his little friend?By the time Space Marine 2 players encounter this boss fight, they'll have already faced Imurah once. But at the end of the game, Imurah wants a rematch, and decides to shuffle the board in his favor by opening the Warp and summoning a Chaos Demon that can quickly flatten players who aren't prepared to face it. Taking down Imurah may not sound that hard--after all, players have already beaten him once by this point in the game--but surviving the Chaos Demon's attacks long enough to deal damage to Imurah takes some serious skill.The Chaos Demon has some extremely difficult-to-dodge attacks that include balls of lightning, columns of damaging light that move toward the player, and a ground-shattering spear attack (yes, this enormous creature is wielding an enormous weapon) that causes a shockwave effect players must avoid. Players who survive the demon's onslaught will get a chance to attack Imurah before being transported back to the Chaos Demon again for some more death-dodging.Eventually, one of the Chaos Demon's eyes will glow red as the ground beneath the player's feet begins to explode. Damage the eye enough and the demon will back off for a little while, though Imurah's tactics grow more aggressive each time you encounter him.Ultimately, this boss fight leads into the final scenes of the game, so we'll spare you the spoilers, but suffice it to say that Imurah and the Chaos Demon are some of the most challenging bosses players have battled in 2024. Belial (Stellar Blade)Stellar Blade is full of phenomenal bosses, but this eldritch horror gets our vote.Stellar Blade has no shortage of challenging boss fights (looking at you, Raven), but the creature's organic-alien-meets-military-murderbot design makes it truly stand out. Described in-game as Orca Aerospae Company's "flagship combat robot," Belial "served as the sword of humanity on the battlefield." But its sacrifices were seemingly forgotten by humanity, and Belial was left to rot among the corpses of its fellow fallen Naytiba.Belial, understandably, wasn't pleased with this fate, and it rose from the ashes like some sort of horrifying robotic phoenix. Appearing to subsist solely on a diet of unfiltered rage, Belial makes for a challenging foe on the battlefield, combining agility and strength to decimate its opponents. Belial dual-wields a pair of swords (one organic, one made of metal), which it sometimes fuses together to create a horrifying chainsaw-like contraption that can deal devastating damage.This boss's lore, design, frightening agility, and incredible theme song make for a challenging fight to the death as players work to chip away at Belial's four(!) health bars Louis Guibern (Metaphor: ReFantazio)Metaphor: ReFantazio's main antagonist makes for a truly formidable opponent in combat, and players will battle him more than once as they progress through Metaphor's main storyline. Most of the enemies players face throughout the game have vulnerabilities to specific types of damage, but Louis isn't one of them. Additionally, he favors an attack called Royal Coercion, which lowers the player's damage and defense, making an already difficult opponent even more challenging. But on the bright side, Louis also has no resistances to specific types of damage, so players have a bit more leeway when it comes to taking him out.When players approach Louis again at the end of the game, they'll be met with an arduous three-phase fight, but this boss fight also has a hidden surprise for players who relish a challenge. Prior to the final fight showdown, players will be directed to destroy a series of Melancholia Crystals. Each destroyed crystal will weaken Louis and make him easier to face in combat, but declining to destroy the Melancholia Crystals will see players facing Louis in a more brutal form, and beating him without shattering the crystals will also unlock the Star Shatterer achievement.Still, there's a price to pay for leaving those Melancholia Crystals intact. Your party members won't be able to use their Archetypes' most powerful weapons in this fight, lowering the party's overall damage output. Even worse, Louis will be far stronger, with more health and way more potential for destruction. Those un-shattered crystals mean Louis will have eight Turn Icons per round in the final battle, and he will always use Soul Scream on his last turn, giving him an additional four moves and resulting in a staggering total of 12 turns per round. Needless to say, this is a fight players will want to prepare for. Sephiroth (Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth)Sephiroth's iconic One-Winged Angel theme song makes this fight delightfully nostalgic.Fighting the One-Winged Angel is (and has always been) a difficult task. When players face Sephiroth at the end of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, they'll soon discover that he has no vulnerabilities yet plenty of resistances. He can't be stopped, slowed, poisoned, silenced, petrified, or put to sleep. Berserk, Debrave, Defaith, Deprotect, Deshell, and Proportional Damage also have no effect on him, and the fight is a long one. Square Enix does show players some mercy in the form of checkpoints, so there's no risk of having to start entirely from square one if you fail, but facing Sephiroth is no small task. Initially, players will have Zack at their side, but after successfully finishing the initial phase of the fight, the two will be separated, and Cloud will be forced to face this bewinged baddie's final form--Sephiroth Reborn--without Zack. Thankfully, another friendly face will appear to fight at Cloud's side.Sephiroth's weapon of choice, the iconic Masamune, is as deadly as ever. Although a couple of swipes from his blade won't do you in, Masamune has some serious reach, and it can be easy for players to find themselves trapped on the receiving end of one of his HP-decimating combo attacks. Sephiroth has a multitude of moves in his arsenal, and they're all best avoided if possible. His "Skewer" move can prove to be particularly troublesome, as he'll disappear from sight before reappearing close to the player and promptly giving them the Aerith treatment.The key to surviving this fight is staying close enough to Sephiroth to deal damage, but being ready to dodge at any second to avoid getting turned into a shish kebab. His relentless attacks, the fight's fantastically nostalgic soundtrack, and the tear-jerking cutscenes players witness leading up to (and during) the fight make Sephiroth one of the best boss battles of the year. The Witness (Destiny 2: The Final Shape)Despite The Witness appearing to consist mostly of smoke, guns will still do the trick here.This boss fight marked the end of Destiny's 10-year Light and Darkness Saga, finally allowing players to go toe-to-toe with the biggest bad in the game. Seeing so many of Destiny's familiar faces joining together (including former enemies, like Savathn) to take down the ultimate threat adds a touch of nostalgic joy to an otherwise intense fight.The Witness fight starts out as the final (and very challenging) encounter of The Final Shape's raid, Salvation's Edge. But to actually finish the fight, the action concludes during a special 12-player mission--a first in the series' history, and an approach that lets anyone see the story through, even if they can't complete the raid. Players must first fight their way to The Witness, then focus on taking out its various minions--referred to as Omens of The Witness--while avoiding devastating attacks from The Witness itself. Despite the fact that The Final Shape's final boss looks like a cloud of e-cig vapor in a fancy coat, The Witness is surprisingly sturdy, and its attacks pack a serious punch.Destiny's biggest big bad is absolutely enormous in size, and stays fairly stationary throughout the fight, manifesting giant hands that reach down from the sky to flatten unsuspecting Guardians and summoning deadly projectiles that effectively turn the arena's entire surface into an AoE nightmare. Maintaining cover while also knowing when to abandon that cover to avoid serious damage is vital to surviving the encounter.Once The Witness's minions are dealt with, players hop onto a platform right in front of their massive foe and finally get to square up with the smoky-headed creature. Not unlike Lady Venomara, the main challenge isn't dealing damage; it's managing to survive The Witness's bone-shattering attacks long enough to have time to deal damage. The Witness fight marks the end of an era for Destiny players, and though Bungie has plans for the game's future, The Witness will be a hard act to follow. Messmer the Impaler (Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree)This fight is as mes(s)merizing as it is horrifying.Elden Ring's 2024 expansion, Shadow of the Erdtree, introduced 10 new bosses to From Soft's 2022 fantasy RPG, and while all of them bring something special to the table, Messmer The Impaler is a definite standout. Like the Sphinx from Dragon's Dogma, Messmer's appearance blends beauty with horror. The son of Queen Marika is a demigod clad in gorgeous regal armor and has a relatively normal face, but his limbs are unsettlingly long and wiry, his nails look more like claws than human fingers, and there's a two-headed abyssal serpent living inside his armor--a gift from his mother, who later removed one of Messmer's eyes and replaced it with a protective seal to prevent the serpent's powers from potentially being used against her.True to his title, Messmer wields an enormous spear, and he isn't shy about using it. He also wields fire magic, and is immune to both Sleep and Madness. Naturally, players will want to be as fire-resistant as possible, but the first phase of the fight is fairly straightforward. Messmer's early spear attacks make it fairly easy to dodge behind him and get a few hits in.The real challenge starts when players deplete Messmer's health to 50%. At this point, he'll take a quick break to apologize to his mother, pluck out his artificial eyeball, and crush it in his hand, destroying the limits Queen Marika placed on his powers in the process. When the fight picks up again, players will be facing Base Serpent Messmer, a horribly corrupted version of the demigod that is effectively a sphere of horribly bent limbs and ruined flesh. His spear attacks become even more unforgiving, forcing players to choose between healing, hitting, and getting the hell out of the way. When all else fails, Messmer will briefly turn into a gargantuan snake that can breathe fire and dive fangs-first at the player.Despite Messmer's viciousness in battle, his increasingly frightening physical appearance, and the sheer amount of frustration FromSoft's boss fights can sometimes elicit, it's hard to finish this one without feeling a little bit bad for the monster Marika turned her son into. Messmer hesitates briefly before plucking out his replacement eye--indicating that he's not some sort of senseless being that can't feel pain. In a blink-and-you'll-miss-it shot of his face, the writhing scales of a serpent can be seen in the empty socket. Much like the abyssal serpent itself, this unforgettable boss fight is one that worms its way into the player's head. Eddie Dombrowski (Silent Hill 2)The Silent Hill 2 remake turns a once underwhelming fight into a haunting, heart-pounding masterpiece.In the original 2001 game, this boss fight was fairly underwhelming, but Bloober Team's 2024 remake of Silent Hill 2 reworks a once-uninteresting boss fight into something truly special. The original fight was essentially two people standing in a room and clumsily shooting at each other, but the 2024 remake changes the setting to a foggy walk-in freezer with sacks of raw meat hanging from the ceiling. The meat sacks provide some amount of cover, but also prove to be an obstacle, especially with the fog obscuring the player's view of Eddie. The room is dimly lit, with the flash of Eddie's gunfire serving as the only visual indicator of his position for a large portion of the fight. He's not pulling his punches, either--Eddie can very easily kill the player in just two shots on Hard Mode.While the improved level design and combat mechanics play a huge part in making the fight a terrifying one, this deadly game of cat-and-mouse is made all the more unnerving by the differences in Eddie's characterization. The original game painted him as an insecure jerk and not much more, but the remake gives players deeper insight into Eddie, his motivations, and who he is as a person. Watching his mental state slowly unravel over the course of the game makes every cutscene he's in feel extremely tense, like there's an invisible thread in Eddie that's one wrong look away from snapping. Ultimately, it does snap, and both the game's protagonist and the player themselves are forced to grapple with what it means to take a life. While Eddie certainly isn't any more likable than he used to be, Bloober Team's take on the character does make him more believable and three-dimensional. When he finally falls to the floor at James' feet, his baseball cap falls off, revealing a head of blond hair that looks quite similar to James' own. The message is clear: Yes, he's a jerk. But he's not any more or less of a person than James is, and although he forces the player into combat, it's hard to finish the fight without wondering if there could have been another way.The obvious effort Bloober Team put into improving the Eddie fight is deserving of praise in itself. Turning a formerly snooze-worthy opponent into one that arguably surpasses the likes of Pyramid Head is no small task, and the heart-pounding tension of this battle combined with its surprisingly emotional conclusion is what makes it our favorite boss fight of 2024.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

Players looking for the best games on the Switch not made by Nintendo will find these titles hit the ball out of the park.

One of the best and most beloved parts about Dragon Ball Super was the fact that this entry in the franchise really expanded upon the universe of the series. By introducing Beerus and Whis, the concept of Gods of Destruction and Angels was introduced, which was then explained further with regard to the multiverse, of which there are 12 in total, each ruled by their own God of Destruction with an Angel attendant.

Wuthering Waves has shared an official trailer and new information about the features, Echoes, and lore that are coming in Version 2.0. The update will introduce the nation of Rinascita and a plethora of new characters. Wuthering Waves Version 2.0 is set for release in early 2025 and there are high expectations about the next main explorable region in Solaris-3.