Our Experts Written by Andrew Lanxon Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Reviews ethics statement Why You Can Trust CNET 16171819202122232425+ Years of Experience 14151617181920212223 Hands-on Product Reviewers 6,0007,0008,0009,00010,00011,00012,00013,00014,00015,000 Sq. Feet of Lab Space How we test CNETs expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on more than a quarter century of expertise. What to consider Size Phones are big in general, with the smallest ones having a 6.1-inch screen and large models topping out at 6.8 inches. That makes visiting a store and trying a phone out before you buy it quite important. Cameras Phone cameras have gotten better over the past five years. But dont be fooled by how many cameras a phone has. More is not necessarily better. Software support Phone-makers promise varying lengths of long-term software and security support, ranging from just one year to as many as seven. These updates not only ensure you get many of the latest features, but also keep your phone secure. Table of Contents Our Picks Best for productivity and entertainment Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 View details $1,450 at Amazon View details Best foldable for Google lovers Google Pixel Fold View details $1,325 at Amazon View details Last year's flip phone is still great Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 View details $900 at Best Buy View details Best compact Samsung alternative Motorola Razr Plus (2023) View details $1,000 at Best Buy View details Best foldable for budget buyers Motorola Razr 2023 View details $700 at Amazon View details Best flip phone with a telephoto camera Oppo Find N3 Flip View details $829 at Amazon View details Best foldable to stand out from the crowd OnePlus Open View details $1,104 at Amazon View details Table of Contents Foldable phones have become one of the hottest trends in the smartphone space in recent years. We've seen some major design improvements, making it worthwhile to consider a folding phone for your next upgrade. Samsung recently unveiled its newest flip and foldable phones at Galaxy Unpacked, and Motorola debuted its new Razrs. ThePixel Foldis the first folding phone from Google, and it's a good effort despite a few quirks. Google's Pixel 9 Pro Fold is also a solid offering. Motorola's folding2023 Razr Plusflip phone scored well in our review, too, and the company'scheaper Razris the most affordable attempt we've seen to date. And we likeOnePlus' first attempt at a foldable phone as well.Folding phones come in two main varieties for now: candy bar, book-style phones, which open up like a book to become larger, tablet-size devices (like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5), and flip-style phones, which fold in half to become smaller and more pocketable (like the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Moto Razr series). Because of the still-recent technology, all foldables are more expensive than their regular smartphone equivalents, making them a luxury option. But if you're looking to turn heads when you whip out your foldable display and bend your phone in half, they're worth looking into.Here are our picks for the best foldable phones available now. This story is part of Samsung Event, CNET's collection of news, tips and advice around Samsung's most popular products. Wed be remiss not to mention again that Motorola, Samsung and Google all launched their latest models in the past few weeks. So were still testing and reviewing these devices and havent included them in this guide. With that in mind, it might be worth holding off on buying a new foldable phone until you see what these new models have to offer.What's the best foldable phone?So far, Samsung's Galaxy Z line has the lead with the most iterations of folding phones with its two foldable designs -- the book-style folding tablet Galaxy Z Fold series and flip-phone-like Z Flip series -- but it's no longer the only company with skin in the game.TheSamsung Galaxy Z Flip 5sits at the top of our list of best foldable phones,largelybecause it has an approachable price for a foldable. At $1,000, it is still expensive, but we believe it packs a lot for that price. The design and build quality feel sturdy, the software is polished, and the Z Flip gets four years of Android version support. On top of it all, the clamshell form factorand large cover screen make it one of the most portable and fun phones you can own.Best foldable phones Photo Gallery 1/1 $1,450 at Amazon $1,800 at Best Buy Pros Better battery life New hinge Brighter screen Cons S Pen doesn't work on cover screen Cameras are still just OK The $1,800 price $1,450 at Amazon $1,800 at Best Buy The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is an incremental improvement that further refines Samsung's large-screened foldable. If you're looking for a phone that can double as a tablet for viewing work-related documents, running multiple apps on screen at once or watching movies, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 is our top choice. The Google Pixel Fold may have better cameras, but the Galaxy Z Fold 5's bright screen makes Samsung's phone better at its intended purpose: providing a big display that fits in your pocket.The Galaxy Z Fold 5's $1,800 price is still hard to swallow and puts the phone out of range for most people. But if you can afford it, this large folding phone is the best iteration of Samsung's phone-tablet hybrid yet. Read our Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 review. $1,325 at Amazon Google got a lot of things right with its first attempt at building a folding phone. The large outer screen is great for using when closed and its slim design means it doesn't bulk out your pockets too much. It closes totally flat, too, which makes it very usable as a regular phone when snapped shut, while still letting you take advantage of the 7.6-inch internal screen when you need it.Its overall performance is solid and the cameras are good too, making it a great all-round option if you're wanting to dive into the exciting world of foldables.

February 2, 20256 min readNearby Habitable-Zone Exoplanet May Be a World of Fire and IceA newly confirmed exoplanet around a nearby sunlike star might be astronomers best chance yet to look for life beyond the solar systembut its still no place like homeBy Gayoung Lee edited by Lee BillingsAn artists concept of an exoplanet that might resemble HD 20794 d, a world orbiting a sunlike star about 20 light-years from Earth. Hypersphere/Science Photo Library/Getty ImagesOf the more than 5,000 exoplanets now in astronomers catalogs, the most intriguing yet might be one confirmed last week, a potentially habitable world of fire and ice twirling around a nearby sunlike star.Dubbed HD 20794 d (because HD 20794 is the name of its star and it is accompanied by two previously announced planetary siblings, HD 20794 b and HD 20794 c), this planet is at least as massive as 6.5 Earths. This could make it a relatively Earth-like world of mostly rock with a thin atmospherea so-called super-Earthalthough it could instead be more of a mini-Neptune with thick layers of gas or a deep global ocean surmounting a solid core. Besides its uncertain nature, HD 20794 ds most intriguing aspect is its distinctly noncircular 647-day orbit, which at one end reaches frigidly farther out from its star than Mars does from the sun and, at its other end, is as scorchingly close as Venus. This eccentric orbital path traverses the stars habitable zone, the region in which liquid water might persist and allow life to arise, although the planets cycles of hot and cold could at turns boil water into steam or freeze it as ice.And this strange new world is tantalizingly close: At scarcely 20 light-years from Earth, its within reach of deeper, more direct scrutiny by future space telescopes, beckoning astronomers to look closer. Someday, in order to pin down its true planetary form, researchers could scour snapshots of the world to look for evidence of a volatile climate from its peculiar orbit and clarify whether its actually habitableor even inhabited.On supporting science journalismIf you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.Located in the constellation Eridanus, HD 20794 shines bright enough in Earths skies to be visible to the unaided eyea relative rarity among known exoplanet-hosting stars. That brightness has placed it high on planet-hunters priority lists, leading multiple teams to closely monitor the star, albeit with mixed results. Planetary candidates have come and gone around the star, with initially promising possibilities ultimately proving to be false alarms.Thats because the hunt has focused on precisely measuring HD 20794s motions in the sky in order to look for periodic wobbles induced by unseen worlds tugging the star to and fro as they orbit. The smaller the planet and the wider its orbit, the more subtle its associated wobble will beHD 20794 d, for instance, pulls the star askew by less than a meter per second, in a wobble that takes nearly two Earth years to recur. Observing such slight effectslet alone confirming that they come from planets, rather than the stars tempests and eruptions or glitchy equipmentcan be treacherous, decades-spanning work.Published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics, this latest study is based on more than 20 years of data, primarily from two planet-hunting instruments on the European Southern Observatorys telescopes in Chile: HARPS (High-Accuracy Radial Velocity Planet Searcher) and ESPRESSO (Echelle Spectrograph for Rocky Exoplanets and Stable Spectroscopic Observations). The key breakthrough wasnt really an increased amount of data, however, so much as it was a better analytic technique to discern planetary signals from stellar and instrumental noise: a new data-reduction algorithm, YARARA, spearheaded by study co-author Michal Cretignier, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Oxford. And the work does more than confirm the presence of HD 20794 d, which Cretignier first suggested in 2022. It also further validates the existence of the worlds two already-known planetary kinwhile deflating the case for another companion that had been claimed to exist in 2011.So it was really a new type of analysis that allowed us to reach this this conclusionwe are really sure that [HD 20794 d] exists, says Xavier Dumusque, an astronomer at the University of Geneva and a co-author of the study. But beyond its mere existence, this worlds most fundamentally alluring aspects remain shrouded in mystery.Something as simple as HD 20794 ds actual mass is still unknown, notes Renyu Hu, an exoplanet scientist at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory, who was not involved in the study. Stellar wobbles, indirect as they are, can only provide a planets minimum mass. If this planets true mass is really about 6.5 Earth masses, it could be an Eartha large rocky planet, he says. But it could just as well be a rather unearthly orb, he adds, with a rocky core smothered beneath massive layers of water or hydrogen gas. I dont think we have proof [yet] that this planet is rocky, he concludes.The eccentric orbit of planet HD 20794 d sends this world swooping through a skewed swath of its stars habitable zone.(Dumusque et al. 2025) Gabriel Prez Daz, SMM (IAC)Jessie Christiansen, chief scientist of the NASA Exoplanet Science Institute at the California Institute of Technology, has similar reservations. Astronomers have managed to measure the densitiesand thus the bulk compositionsfor many exoplanets, she notes, specifically some of those that, unlike HD 20794 d, cast their planetary silhouette toward Earth as they transit the face of their star. If you look at the [distribution of] densities, most of [those] planets that are this massive arent rocky, she says. But some of them are; its not rare.... And a one-in-three chance is worth spending some more time investigating, right?The unsettled question of this planets composition cuts close to the heart of its habitabilityor, at least, whether it could really be considered Earth-like at all. This is actually really important for chemistry, explains Lauren Weiss, an astrophysicist at the University of Notre Dame, who was not involved in the study. If you think life has any sort of reliance on chemistry, that chemistry happens way faster on a two-dimensional surface than just sort of floating in space. So rocky surfaces are a huge thing [astronomers] are interested in looking for.The planets composition, too, is key to understanding what conditions prevail from the extreme ebb and flow of starlight caused by its eccentric orbit. Although a world of fire and ice might seem inhospitable, Dumusque doesnt consider that a showstopperespecially, in fact, if HD 20794 d is more planet ocean than a supersized planet Earth. If you have some deep oceans like on Earth, for example, then you have pressure that comes into play, he says. So then we could still have a surface that goes from ice to liquid water, and we know on Earth, life appeared deep in the ocean.Such speculations are part of a vibrant recurring theme in the quest for some exoplanetary Earth 2.0. Time and time again, astronomers have been surprised by discoveries that show this wider diversity of ways to form habitable planets, Hu says, which is awesome because it really pushes our theories, our understanding of how planets could evolve.Fortunately, astronomers shouldnt be stuck merely theorizing forever. Upcoming or proposed missionslike NASAs Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) and ESAs Large Interferometer For Exoplanets (LIFE) are meant to directly image, or take pictures of, potentially habitable worlds in order to measure their composition, map their surface or cloud tops and sniff their atmosphere for conspicuous chemical indicators of life. But finding suitable candidates to point these telescopes toward has proved a Herculean task, according to Weissand that could be HD 20794 ds moment of stardom.Weve discovered over 5,000 exoplanets, but a lot of those are really, really far away. We dont know of a whole lot of nearby exoplanets that might be habitable, she saysespecially ones as curious and close as HD 20794 d.In fact, both NASA and ESA already have HD 20794 on their radar for potential inclusion on a targeting short list for HWO and LIFE, according to Dumusque and Hu.Were definitely not at the stage to select the targets for [HWO], but theres been an effort to list out all the potential targets, Hu says. Now that we know there likely is a planet orbiting HD 20794 that will spend a good fraction of its time in the habitable zone and is potentially rockythatd certainly make the system more attractive for future observations.In any case, Weiss says, the search for Earth 2.0 is, in essence, the quest to learn more about Earth 1.0our planet. As we start discovering other exoplanets and measuring their properties and their basic environments, [that] gives us a really powerful lens for examining our own origins and appreciating whatever the natural circumstances are that led to the rise of the solar systemto maybe just help us appreciate where and when we are in space a bit more.

Next Battlefield game glimpsed as EA announces big community playtest plansAnd you can enlist now.Image credit: EA News by Tom Phillips Editor-in-Chief Published on Feb. 3, 2025 EA has shown off a glimpse of its next Battlefield game, as it begins what it describes as its "most ambitious community testing program in franchise history" - an initiative known as Battlefield Labs. Fans can sign up now, with the first testing phase beginning "in the coming weeks". The launch of Battlefield Labs comes, EA says, as its work enters "a critical phase in development that will benefit from collaboration with the community like never before".Anyone who signs up will need to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) in order to test classic modes such as Conquest and Breakthrough, the game's returning class system, as well as "new ideas". (I wonder if that includes the mode that developer Ripple Effect is working on, which some suspect to be a battle royale?)Next Battlefield game: Battlefield Labs launched.Watch on YouTubeThe next Battlefield game is being developed by a huge group spread across four major EA teams, now working under the umbrella name of Battlefield Studios. As previously announced, this includes franchise creator DICE, splinter studio Ripple Effect, Star Wars Squadrons and Dead Space Remake maker Motive, and Criterion, the veteran UK studio behind Burnout and Need for Speed.It won't, of course, include Ridgeline Games - the studio previously led by ex-Halo co-creator Marcus Lehto that had been working on a narrative-led Battlefield campaign - which was shut down a year ago. Work on the mode is now expected to be completed by Criterion.Currently, Motive is the only developer within Battlefield Studios known to be still working on another project (its under-wraps Iron Man game, which seems far-off). As Eurogamer reported today, all work on Criterion's Need for Speed franchise is meanwhile on pause - though there's a commitment that the franchise will continue at some point in the future.All eyes are on EA to bring back Battlefield as strongly as possible, after the poorly-received Battlefield 2042 failed its mission to do the same.EA previously said its new Battlefield game would be set in the modern day, with a return to its traditional classes and more focused maps. There's no detail today on exactly when the next Battlefield game will actually arrive. EA will likely be looking to see how well Battlefield Labs is going first, as well as how the rest of 2025's video game release schedule shapes up.Last month, EA says EA Sports FC 25 and Dragon Age: The Veilguard "underperformed", as it lowered its financial forecast for the year.

Need for Speed will return, EA pledges, but team all-in on Battlefield for nowSmall group had previously been working on racing series' future.Image credit: EA News by Tom Phillips Editor-in-Chief Published on Feb. 3, 2025 Need for Speed and Burnout developer Criterion is now entirely focused on developing EA's next Battlefield game, the publisher has told Eurogamer - but there are still plans for the studio to return to its racing roots at some point in the future.Back in September 2023, EA announced that the "majority" of Criterion would move over to support development on the next Battlefield game, while a smaller "core group" within the British studio continued on with Need for Speed.At the time, Battlefield boss Vince Zampella said Criterion's Need for Speed team would continue work to "shape what's next for the franchise".Next Battlefield game: Battlefield Labs launched.Watch on YouTubeIn the 18 months since, we've since seen additional content arrive for 2022's Need for Speed Unbound - the series' latest and last launch to date, but no word on what's next after that. "Surprise! We're still here," developer Criterion Games wrote in a blog post in February 2024, when it celebrated Need for Speed's 30th anniversary with the announcement that Unbound would be supported until the end of the year.Today, it sounds like what's next for Need for Speed is still some way off - even if there's a commitment to the series long-term."The Need for Speed team at Criterion are joining their colleagues working on Battlefield," Zampella said in a statement to Eurogamer today. "As a company, it was important to us to take the last year to listen to our Need for Speed community and use their feedback to create content for Unbound. "With an increased understanding of what our players want in a Need for Speed experience, we plan to bring the franchise back in new and interesting ways."Once an annual stalwart of EA's release schedule, the Need for Speed series now looks set for an extended break, with no new game seemingly in active development. With no new title waiting in the wings for 2025, Need for Speed will be paused for the longest time between releases since the series first began, all the way back in 1994.Criterion is currently one of four EA developers working under the umbrella of Battlefield Studios to reignite the publisher's first-person shooter franchise. As of today, fans can sign up to a large-scale test of the next Battlefield game.

You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games hereThe Elder Scrolls developer Bethesda Game Studios returned to procedural generation with Starfield, using the technology to create its large planets to mixed effect. While ProcGen technology has its ups and downs, The Wayward Realms developer OnceLost is hoping to use it to great effect in its upcoming Daggerfall successor.In a Reddit thread responding to an article about gamers move to more complex RPGs, The Wayward Realms creative producer Victor Villarreal explained that Bethesdas Starfield may have harmed the image of modern procedural generation.Did Starfield hurt ProcGens image?Speaking to fans on the Elder Scrolls subreddit, Villarreal explained that procedural generation has evolved massively since the days of Daggerfall. While games suffered back in the late 90s, the team behind The Wayward Realms believes that the technology has evolved to to tell properly crafted stories in a procedural environment.However, the games creative producer believes that their game shouldnt be lumped in with modern examples like Starfield. While Starfield does have a lot of good points, its a game that didnt use procedural generation to its benefit whereas The Wayward Realms and even Daggerfall do.Daggerfall is one of my favorite games, definitely my favorite TES title, but Starfield really has nothing in common with it, Villarreal explained. It is true that both have open worlds that feel empty but in Daggerfalls case that was due to the limitation of the technology as opposed to actual design direction as Bethesda stated many times that these planets, or at least the majority, were meant to feel empty.Alongside a procedural open world, The Wayward Realms will also include produral dungeons to keep playthroughs fresh. While some fans have taken issue at this, Villarreal explains that generated dungeons have come a long way. (Most roguelikes, such as Dead Cells or The Binding of Isaac use ProcGen dungeons to great effect.) Must-Listen: Publishing Manor Lords w/ Joe Robinson VideoGamer Podcast Listen Now Procedural dungeons would also have gone a long way in adding variety and replayability and certainly would have made the game more interesting, they explained. That being said, people will and do definitely criticize our use of procedural generation as they believe we can ONLY do the same level of procedural generation as Starfield, mostly because most games dont utilize it and the few that do, dont take advantage of any benefits it offers. Hopefully we can change some minds but it is definitely an uphill battle.The Wayward Realms is expected to launch in early access later this year. For more information on the upcoming game, check out our recent interview with Elder Scrolls co-creator and The Wayward Realms director Ted Peterson on the VideoGamer Podcast.StarfieldPlatform(s):PC, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series S/X, Xbox Series XGenre(s):Adventure, RPG, Science Fiction, SpaceSubscribe to our newsletters!By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.Share

You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games hereGrand Theft Auto 6 is the biggest and most hyped game of all time. Right now, it still has a release date window of Fall 2025, but everyone is naturally fearing a delay thanks to the lack of a second trailer combined with over a year of silence from Rockstar. Gamers and other publishers are anxiously waiting for the GTA launch day to be announced, and the good news is that a GTA 6 release update is expected to happen very soon as Take-Two get ready to report back to investors.GTA 6 release date update expected for Take-Two earnings callEveryone is praying that the GTA 6 release date will land in 2025 rather than get delayed to 2026. Take-Two has rubbished reports of a delay in the past, but everyone is anxious to know precisely when we can return to Vice City.Fans shouldnt expect the release date to be announced, however, we can expect an update at the very least. Take-Two is conducting their Q3 2025 earnings call on February 6th, and this will discuss Take-Twos financial results for the third quarter of its fiscal 2025.While Grand Theft Auto is not the focal point of this imminent call, the release of GTA 6 will most likely be brought up. Again, fans shouldnt expect a release date, but we could hear that development is progressing along smoothly and that the game is still on course to come out this year.Per Business Insider, when trailer 1 was revealed, there was a slight drop in Take-Two stock due to Grand Theft Auto 6 being announced for 2025. Further stock drops were also reported in May 2024, with the 2025 release again cited as the cause.A new Grand Theft Auto has been anticipated for over 10 years, and theres no doubt GTA 6 will make mega money when it releases. In addition to its release date, another big lingering question relates to its price. The game is predicted to make over $1 billion sales in pre-orders alone, but there are reportedly publishers who want GTA 6 to cost $100 to boost the standard price of all video games. Must-Listen: Publishing Manor Lords w/ Joe Robinson VideoGamer Podcast Listen Now Hopefully we do get to return to the lush beaches and vibrant night life of Vice City this year. Fall 2025 suggests a launch between September to December, however, until the game comes out, the prospect of a delay sadly remains possible.In more Grand Theft Auto 6 news, Take-Two has explained why it isnot launching day one on PC.Grand Theft Auto 6Platform(s):PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series S/X, Xbox Series XGenre(s):Action, Action AdventureSubscribe to our newsletters!By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.Share

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It's Own LeagueKingdom Come Deliverance 2 review: one of the most unique RPGs I've ever playedOther than the first Kingdom Come, I've not played a game quite like Kingdom Come Deliverance 2. This is a good thing.Image credit: VG247 Review by Connor Makar Staff Writer Published on Feb. 3, 2025 Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 is one of the funniest games I've played in a while. I'll slap that right at the top of this review. It's a game unafraid to be crass, vulgar, and filthy. Make no mistake, though, the game is not afraid to throw political intrigue, heaps of history, and real tear-jerker moments at you. Forget Eurojank; this here is a certified Eurogem.What Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 (KCD2) actually is depends entirely on you. At it's core, its an open world historical RPG that places you in the shoes of apprentice smith and likeable everyman, Henry, as he travels with one Hans Capon to deliver a letter of great import. However, once the game lets you loose a few hours in, it blossoms into a wonderful sandbox - as all good open world RPGs should do. Be a poacher, kill game and sell hides. Be a noble scholar, debate your way out of robberies and drunken brawls. Be a wanker, permanently drunk and pickpocketing folks on the road. All welcomed, all supported through dedicated skill progression and narrative payoff. All fun, in their own ways.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. In my preview I noted that KCD2 was a playground for those up to no good, and emphasised the sheer joy I felt as the game allowed me to go wild while punishing me accordingly. This was my style, poisoning wine, extorting people, constantly being told to take a bath. What I'll add in this review, without spoiling it, is the rewards and consequences for such a lifestyle are only enhanced by the game's second half. In fact, I'm confident in saying the entire game steps up to a whole other level once you leave for Kuttenberg.The reason why I go on so much about this topic in particular is because it's rare. It's hard work to make a game that's open like KCD2 while also managing to weave moral choices into the narrative, rather than toss them aside. This game not only provides the freedom for you to be whatever Henry you want, but also threads you choices into the main narrative in a way that's fulfilling. It's not something the majority of players may experience, but the fact that it is there is a testament to how thorough the devs at Warhorse were when crafting this RPG.In fact, this dedication spreads across the entire game, in almost every aspect I ran into. Assassin's Creed gets a lot of applause for adding the Discovery Tour (as it should), a separate mode that allows folks to dive into the world they as players are thrown into. KCD2 needs no mode like this, all the historical information is right there, in a dedicated tab. Henry is astounded by a water fountain, which then unlocks a dedicated info sheet on water fountains. I could boot up this game and show it to my history teacher to wonderful effect, assuming they are still alive. Exploring Kutternberg was genuinely intriguing. | Image credit: WarhorseWhen you ride on horseback and soak in the scenery, I swear to God it's like I'm actually in field in the middle of Europe. When you walk through a village, it's authentic. I can't think of another game that has nailed the world building (or dare I say, world replicating) of Kingdom Come Deliverance 2. The Czech Republic is head over heels for this game and it's easy to see why.It's also a deeply Czech game in terms of its sense of humour, a similar brand of jokiness and drunken slapstick you will also find held in high esteem British comedies. Henry will go from a heartfelt conversation about morality and religion, to a fist fight, to a literal wade through pig s**t within the span of 30 minutes. Both tonal elements complement each other wonderfully, creating this blend that keeps surprising you as you play. As the stakes increase, so does the hilarity, making the whole experience this downhill tumble between tense action, romance, and bizarre bollocks. All this said, I do expect a sizable portion of people will bounce right off Kingdom Come Deliverance 2. The game is not ashamed give you testing tasks, and a goal that may take two minutes in another open world RPG may take 10-20 here. Take blacksmithing. In other games, you bring the resources to a forge then bam! A new sword. In Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, you must forge the sword yourself in a mini-game of sorts that takes patience. And time. Do a bad job, and the sword will be worse. Just like real life. I spent a good deal of time just making swords and selling 'em. | Image credit: WarhorseTake archery. In other games, it's a powerful way of taking out foes from afar. In Kingdom Come, you've got no crosshair, loading a bolt into a bow takes time, and enemies will charge you when hit. It's still a strong tool in yur toolbox, but it takes skill, too. Or how about lockpicking? Lockpicking is probably the most difficult mini-game of its type I've played in a game like this. The rewards can be plentiful, but when a chest says it's hard to unlock, it's hard. Those more comfortable in a simpler, more streamlined RPG experience (hi, Fallout) may find this all a tad too taxing. That's totally fair, and in my mind a consequence of the approach Warhorse has taken with the Kingdom Come series.It's also worth noting that the game isn't shy about slowing the pace right down, sometimes with menial labour. There's one quest early on, where you've got to carry sacks from a wagon to an inn, all on your lonesome. When I first played this section, I thought it was going to cut me off after one or two. No, you get all the way to the final sack before a cinematic plays. Would you believe me if I said this is one of the nicer examples of hard labour in the game? In my mind it adds to the immersion, and the facts of life for a down-on-his-luck bloke back in Bohemia. For others, it'll be boring. You'll learn quickly whether this is a deal breaker for you.But even if you feel a touch frustrated at the busywork, I would urge players to at least finish the first map of the game. If you get to this point and still find yourself keen to play, I'm happy to say that the game truly blossoms in its second half. The best quests, narrative moments, the funniest moments, and best side characters can be found here. There's one Polish guy who I guarantee will steal the hearts of thousands. Please hang in there. There is gold buried in this game, and it's not even that hard to prospect out. Seeing Henry become a truly exciting character over time was fantastic. | Image credit: Warhorse StudiosThis game was reviewed on PC, with a code provided by Warhorse Studios. The game releases on February 4 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.

A Matter Of TimeMoviegoers clearly love speedy hedgehogs more than electric rats, as Sonic 3 overtakes Detective Pikachu to become the second highest grossing video game movie everNot to pit to icons against each other, though.Image credit: Legendary Pictures/ Paramount News by Oisin Kuhnke Contributor Published on Feb. 3, 2025 It looks like nothing, not even a digital release, can slow Sonic the Hedgehog 3 down, as the film is now the second highest grossing video game movie of all time.When Pokemon Detective Pikachu came out way back in 2019, it went on pretty quickly to become the highest grossing video game movie ever made. It's not like there was much quality competition, the record holder before that was the 2016 Warcraft movie which exists. That of course changed a few years later, when The Super Mario Bros. Movie made more than a billion dollars at the box office, bumping that yellow electricity rat voiced by Deadpool down to second place. Except, in the race for second place, Pikachu has seen yet another blow, as the newest contender for video game movies is Sonic the Hedgehog 3.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Over the weekend, Sonic 3 took second place on the list of highest grossing video game film adaptations, as according to Box Office Mojo it has now taken home $462 million, a whole $12 million more than Detective Pikachu's $450 million. The third Sonic film is obviously still in theatres in some places, so it could go on to earn a bit more than that, though I imagine it'll just be a trickle at this point. On top of that, the film already has its digital release (which recently confirmed that Shadow's love for telenovelas is, in fact, based on that one meme), so fans won't have as much of a reason to go see the film in the theatre now.Of course, fans of the series already have something else to look forward to, as not only was Sonic the Hedgehog 4 announced before the third film even came out, a release date for it has already been set in stone (or, as stone as any release date is these days). Sonic 3 teased just which classic character is being introduced in the fourth film, and while I won't spoil it here, they're sure to be a welcome addition to the cast - presuming they can get the casting right, too.

0:06:44 Celebrating the 500th episode: Steves return after 10 years0:10:29 Career updates: From Digital Domain to new creative ventures0:14:04 Challenges working on Cats and creative direction lessons0:20:44 Reflections on Rescue Rangers: Comedy timing and VFX challenges0:27:29 Virtual production, LED volumes, and real-time rendering discussions0:35:19 How real-time rendering affects decision-making in post-production0:42:04 The rise of AI tools in concept art and VFX workflows0:49:29 The importance of understanding the filmmaking process for VFX artists0:56:54 Balancing practical and digital effects: Lessons from large-scale projects1:07:09 Reflections on how VFX workflows have evolved over the past decade1:16:54 Final thoughts on the future of filmmaking and Steves upcoming work