Image credit: Cool GardensCool Gardens, presented by Storefront Manitoba, has issued a call for proposals for the 2025 edition of the design competition, which is a curated public exhibition of contemporary garden installations that takes place across Manitoba. The 2025 exhibition will include sites across the City of Winnipeg, on Treaty 1 Territory and on the homeland of the Red River Mtis.For more than 10 years, Cool Gardens has commissioned temporary installations by architects, landscape architects, designers, and artists that invite curiosity and play, while promoting public engagement with designed landscapes. These temporary installations aim to demonstrate how critical and poetic interventions in public space can meaningfully affect peoples experiences of urban environments.Cool Gardens set out to mirror The Forks Warming Huts: Arts + Architecture Competition on Ice, which features winter warming huts installed along the frozen Red and Assiniboine Rivers. As its summertime counterpart, it explores the concept of COOL-ing as a recurring theme.Cool Gardens 2025 will officially run from July 5, 2025, to September 28. Up to five new competition winning garden installations will be chosen and mounted, along with several invited and returning installations. New partnerships with the Assiniboine Park Conservancy, the City of Winnipeg, and the Osborne Village Biz will allow Cool Gardens to expand its reach with a range of new competition sites for 2025, in addition to some old favourites.The deadline to submit a proposal is March 9, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. CST.For more information, click here.The post Cool Gardens design competition issues call for proposals appeared first on Canadian Architect.

Nvidia GTC is the best opportunity to explore the future of AI, and the powerful partnership of Microsoft Azure and Nvidia AI solutions.Read More

PS5 experiences record sales during holiday period, PlayStation revenues reach $11bnFirm recorded highest number of MAUs in PlayStation history during Q3 News by Sophie McEvoy Staff Writer Published on Feb. 13, 2025 Sony has published its financial results for the nine months ending December 31, 2024, which saw growth across the board but especially during the holiday period.The platform holder saw major increases in revenue in its Games & Network Services segment, with the PS5 experiencing its best quarter so far. The firm has increased its sales forecasts for PlayStation as a result.Here's what you need to know:The numbers:For the nine months ended December 31, 2024Sales: 10.3 trillion ($66.9 billion, up 8.2% year-on-year)Operating income: 1.2 trillion ($7.8 billion, up 22.9%)Games & network services Sales: 3.6 trillion ($23.4 billion, up 13.8%)Operating income: 322.1 billion ($2.1 billion, up 74.8%)The highlights:Sony shipped 9.5 million PS5 units over the holiday period (Q3) compared to last year. This total includes sales of the PlayStation Pro, which launched in November 2024.The holiday season proved to be the best quarter for the PS5 so far, with the firm noting that it was "essentially the same level as the cumulative sales for the PS4 for the same period since launch."Across the nine months ended December 2024, the PS5 shipped 15.7 million units. When you consider the Q1 calendar sales, 20.2 million units were moved in 2024.By the end of the third quarter, the number of monthly active users grew to 129 million up from 123 million compared to December 2023 marking the highest number of MAUs in PS history. The total play time also increased by 2% YoY during Q3, resulting in a seventh consecutive year of YoY growth.Over 40% of consumers who bought a PS5 during the holiday period were new to the console, which "contributed substantially" to MAU growth.Full game sales were 95.9 million during the third quarter, with 11.6 million being first-party titles. While full game sales increased from 89.7 million sold in the same period last year, first-party sales dropped from 16.2 million.During its earnings call, Sony highlighted the success of Astro Bot and Helldivers 2 two first-party titles released in September and August 2024 respectively.Astro Bot sold 1.5 million units after 58 days on the market, while Helldivers 2 sold 12 million units (combined PS and PC sales) after 87 days on the market.Noting the success both games achieved at numerous awards ceremonies, Sony said: "The fact that titles in genres we are aiming to expand in the future, including titles for families and live service games, have received [accolades] is a major stride toward our building a broader title portfolio."The firm said it expects "a further expansion of earnings" for FY2025 following the release of Ghost of Yōtei and Death Stranding 2: On the Beach.Overall, Sony saw sales increase by 16% during the holiday quarter for its Game & Network Services segment, reaching 1.7 trillion ($11 billion).Digital game and add-on content sales increased 13.6% YoY to 718.2 billion ($4.6 billion), while hardware sales grew nearly 10% to 724.7 billion ($4.7 billion).Network services revenues rose by 29% YoY to 176.9 billion ($1.1 billion), with PlayStation Plus sales increasing 20% "mainly due to a shift to higher tiers of service and the impact of price revisions."Sony has increased its forecasts for the current fiscal year, and is expecting G&NS sales to reach 4.6 trillion ($29.9 billion) up 3% from the previous guidance of 4.5 trillion ($29.2 billion) and a 9.5% improvement from 4.2 trillion ($27.3 billion) achieved in the last fiscal year.

Chris Kerr, News EditorFebruary 13, 20252 Min ReadImage via SonyAt a GlanceQ3 sales within the Game & Network Services division rose by 16 percent year-on-year to 1.6 trillion yen ($10.4 billion).The PlayStation 5 has now sold 74.9 million units worldwide and is replicating the performance of its predecessor. The number of MAUs across PlayStation platforms rose to a record-breaking 129 million players in December.The PlayStation 5 has achieved 74.9 million lifetime sales following a bumper holiday season.The console shifted 9.5 million units during the third-quarter of the current fiscal year, a significant year-over-year increase on the 4.5 million units sold in Q3 FY23.That upswing follows the launch of the PlayStation 5 Pro, which debuted in November 7, 2024. Over 40 percent of people who purchased a PS5 during the quarter were new users, leading to a substantial increase in the number of monthly active users (MAUs)."Cumulative unit sales of PS5 from launch until the end of December are essentially the same level as the cumulative unit sales of PS4 for the same period of time since launch, even though PS5 had a higher price," explained Sony."Furthermore, MAUs after the same amount of time has passed since launch have increased significantly by approximately 1.4 times. This shows that the user base for the PS platform has significantly expanded from the PS4 generation due to the PS5s backward compatibility and our various user engagement initiatives."Quarterly software sales increased to 95.9 million units from 89.7 million units over the same period. Despite that year-on-year upswing, sales of first-party titles actually declined to 11.6 million units from 16.2 million units in Q3.The company said it intends to expand earnings from first-party software next year with the release of Ghost of Yotei and other titles.PlayStation MAUs increased to record levels in December 2024Discussing its wider platform business, Sony said the segment is gathering momentum with PlayStation Plus revenue increasing by 20 percent year-on-year on a U.S. dollar basis. The number of MAUs across PlayStation platforms in December 2024 rose by 5 percent year-on-year to 129 millionthe highest number in PlayStation history.Overall playtime also increased by 2 percent over the same period, marking the seventh consecutive quarter of year-on-year growth.All of the above resulted in sales within the Games & Network Services segment (which houses Sony's video game business) rising by 16 percent year-on-year to 1.6 trillion yen ($10.4 billion). Operating income rose by 37 percent to 118 billion yen ($767.2 million) over the same period.It's a performance that has resulted in Sony upgrading its fiscal forecast."Taking into account the results of the quarter, we have revised upward our full-year forecast for sales by 3 percent to 4 trillion 610 billion yen and operating income by 7 percent to 380 billion yen compared with our previous forecast," added the company.Read more about:Financials[Company] PlayStationTop StoriesAbout the AuthorChris KerrNews Editor, GameDeveloper.comGame Developer news editor Chris Kerr is an award-winning journalist and reporter with over a decade of experience in the game industry. His byline has appeared in notable print and digital publications including Edge, Stuff, Wireframe, International Business Times, andPocketGamer.biz. Throughout his career, Chris has covered major industry events including GDC, PAX Australia, Gamescom, Paris Games Week, and Develop Brighton. He has featured on the judging panel at The Develop Star Awards on multiple occasions and appeared on BBC Radio 5 Live to discuss breaking news.See more from Chris KerrDaily news, dev blogs, and stories from Game Developer straight to your inboxStay UpdatedYou May Also Like

Alibaba has announced that it is partnering with Apple to provide artificial intelligence features to iPhones in China. Apple Intelligence features have not yet been enabled in China, which is thought to have contributed to the companys local decline in smartphone sales.They talked to a number of companies in China. In the end they chose to do business with us. They want to use our AI to power their phones, Alibaba chairman Joseph Tsai said. We feel extremely honoured to do business with a great company like Apple.The announcement doesnt quite end speculation as to which local tech companies Apple will partner with to enable its AI features. The company reportedly evaluated models from Tencent, ByteDance, and DeepSeek, and may still partner with other companies. Apple continues to work with Baidu on an AI-powered search feature that can handle images and text, along with upgrades to the Chinese version of Siri, according to a report from The Information published today.Outside of China, Apple Intelligence runs on a combination of Apples proprietary tech and OpenAIs ChatGPT, which is not available in China. Its not clear if therell be a similar approach for the AI features in China, perhaps with multiple partners. Any consumer-facing AI features require regulatory approval, and according to The Information Apple and Alibaba have already submitted materials to regulators.iPhone sales have been declining in China, and in 2024 Apple lost the top spot for smartphone sales, coming in third for Q4 behind Huawei and Xiaomi. Analysts have repeatedly attributed lagging sales to the lack of iPhone AI features in the country, and Apple will be under pressure to make up lost ground.

Apr 27, 2024Wes DavisThe Apple Vision Pros eBay prices are making me sadPhoto by Vjeran Pavic / The VergeI paid a lot of money for the privilege of getting an Apple Vision Pro brand-new in February. All-in, with optical inserts and taxes, I financed a little over $3,900 for the 256GB version of the headset. A day or so ago, I made a mistake that Im sure many early adopters are familiar with: I looked up how much its been selling for on eBay.On Wednesday, a 1TB Vision Pro, complete with all the included gear, Apples fluffy $200 travel case, $500 AppleCare Plus, and claimed to have been worn maybe about an hour sold for $3,200 after 21 bids. The listed shipping estimate was $20.30. Brand new, that combination is $5,007.03 on Apples site for me. Another eBay listing, this one with my headsets configuration (but sans optical inserts) went for just $2,600 again with most, if not all, of the included accessories. Several other 256GB and 512GB models sold for around that amount this week.Read Article >Mar 31, 2024Wes DavisThe Vision Pro bathes your eyeballs in infrared light.You can see that in this Slow Mo Guys YouTube Short showing the flashing of the invisible-to-the-human-eye IR illuminators of Apples face computer, both on the front and around the lenses edges.At 1,000fps, the Guys show the Vision Pros very fancy micro-OLED displays alternating between images and black frames, with a ring of IR lights popping on during the dark moments to help track where your eyes are looking.Mar 30, 2024Wes DavisIs the MLBs Vision Pro app ready for the big leagues?Jason Snell of Six Colors details his experience with the MLBs visionOS app now that the season is underway. Of the Gameday feature that puts a 3D-animated baseball field in your space during a game, he writes:I couldnt find support for Gameday when I first used the app, though later when playing back an archived stream, I did find Gameday availablefrom within the video playback, so you cant use it for a game youre not watching on the app. And its immersive, so you cant put it up and then do something else, which is also probably a mistake.Ah, the early days of the Vision Pros app ecosystem.MLB for visionOS strikes out on Opening Day[Six Colors]Mar 27, 2024Wes DavisThe Vision Pro is getting some new Apple Arcade games.Altos Odyssey: The Lost City, Gibbon: Beyond the Trees, and Spire Blast will each get Vision Pro spatial apps tomorrow, Apple shared in a release emailed to The Verge.Also, rhythm game Synth Riders aka the only game Ive been coming back to besides bullet hell shooter Void-X has been updated with Game Center leaderboards and a pass-the-headset Party Mode.Altos Odyssey running on the Vision Pro. Image: AppleMar 27, 2024Quentyn KennemerThe Apple Vision Pro is $150 off... if youre feeling lucky.Woot is selling the mixed reality headset with a one-year Apple warranty for $3,299 ($200 off), the first discount weve seen.But theres a catch: they all ship with a 21W light seal and small-sized headbands. Buying a seal separately from Apple costs $200 and the headbands are $99 apiece, so you might pay more than the retail price if you arent happy with the fit.Update March 27th, 4:41PM ET: Adjusted pricing and added more specific sizing details, courtesy of Woot.(NEW) Apple Vision Pro - 256GB[Woot]Mar 24, 2024Wes DavisWhere in the world will the Vision Pro launch this year?Apple CEO Tim Cook told press at the China Development Forum in Beijing that China will get it this year, according to Reuters this morning, citing a Chinese state media Weibo post.MacRumors notes that this is the first time an Apple executive has confirmed where the Vision Pro will launch outside the US this year. Rumors have also suggested Apple will prioritize UK and Canadian launches.Apple Vision Pro to hit mainland China this year, state media says[Reuters]Mar 16, 2024Wes DavisYou can now browse Vision Pro apps on the web.Its essentially the same thing youd see if you were browsing the store in the Vision Pro itself a few curated lists of native apps here, some recommended iPad apps there.But at least theres a way to casually cruise those sweet spatial apps without popping the headset on now.Vision Pro Apps and Games - App Store[AppStore]Mar 9, 2024Richard LawlerMark Zuckerberg has more to say about the Vision Pro and how much worse it is than his Quest headsets.Once Apple released the Vision Pro, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg responded with a video saying his companys Quest 3 headset is the better product, period.Now hes back with more takes, posting this on Threads in response to a post that said, Apple is selling pretty much the device Meta wants to reach in 3-5 years.I dont think were saying the devices are the same. Were saying Quest is better. If our devices weigh as much as theirs in 3-5 years, or have the motion blur theirs has, or the lack of precision inputs, etc, then that means well have regressed significantly.Yes, their resolution is higher, but they paid for that with many other product tradeoffs that make their device worse in most ways. Thats not what we aspire to.Mark Zuckerberg (@zuck) on Threads[Threads]Mar 7, 2024Victoria SongIs my Persona better?Theres a new Vision Pro update out, and visionOS 1.1 supposedly improves everybodys favorite feature, Personas. But I think its still the stuff of nightmares. I FaceTimed my friend, and according to her: I still look too sleepy, my mouth moves more, and my eyes are better but not quite right.It looks more like you, but its still not you. What do yall think?1/3My first personaMar 4, 2024Amrita KhalidApples visionOSupdate that could make Persona avatars better-looking is almost here.The visionOS 1.1 release candidate thats now available to developers includes some upgrades to the Personas avatars, such as improved rendering of eyes, mouth representation, and hair and makeup appearance.MacRumors points out that this release also has updates for the virtual keyboard, Mac Virtual Display, mobile device management, and more. With the iOS 17.4 update close to a public launch, Apple also put out release candidates for tvOS, macOS, watchOS, and Xcode.Apple Seeds visionOS 1.1 Release Candidate[MacRumors]Mar 3, 2024Wes DavisApparently Foxtrot is still going?As a nerd kid, this was one of my favorite newspaper comic strips. But I havent looked at the funny pages in many years, and had assumed this one had long since expired.Imagine my surprise, then, when I saw a Foxtrot strip referencing Apples recently-launched Vision Pro.Feb 28, 2024Wes DavisWhats the Vision Pro like after a month?Joanna Stern writes in The Wall Street Journal that Apples face computer isnt so great for work, but serves well as an escape from day-to-day life. You know, like a VR headset.Still, even if the Vision Pro isnt always magic, she finds it handy for focusing on a single task, like writing a column.One Month With Apple Vision Pro: In the Air, on a Train andin a Drawer[WSJ]Feb 26, 2024Wes DavisThis is why we cant have nice [360-degree YouTube videos on the Vision Pro].Its about codecs and resolution. 4K-and-up videos only use either YouTubes VP9 codec or the royalty-free AV1. Christian Selig, developer of the Juno YouTube app, writes that 360 video of the former cant work because it requires Apples blessing. And the Vision Pros M2 chip has no AV1 hardware decoder, so thats out, too.Why not 1080p, he asks? Because it looks like doo-doo.Trials and tribulations of 360 video in Juno[christianselig.com]Feb 24, 2024Wes DavisIts a party in the AVP.The San Francisco Standard documents some parties where attendees are encouraged to shake their butts while wearing the Vision Pro (from pictures, it seems like most didnt go along with the ask).Before you dismiss the idea, consider this: If you dont have a kid or a dog, I gotta go; my Vision Pro died could be a great excuse to leave a party early.Feb 23, 2024Victoria SongVision Pro owners are reporting a mysterious crack in the front glassNo one seems to know what causes it. Photo by @inphenite / RedditVision Pro owners are posting near-identical reports of a crack appearing on the front glass of their headsets. None of them seem to know how it happened, either.The issue was first spotted by AppleInsider, and so far, there have been five separate Redditors who have posted about it in the r/VisionPro subreddit. Engadget also reported that the same happened with its review unit. What makes it curious is that all of the uploaded pictures appear to show vertical hairline cracks in the same exact area above the nose bridge. All the affected Redditors say they didnt do anything obvious to cause the cracks, like dropping the device or storing it improperly. Reddit user @dornbirn claims that they polished the front glass, placed the soft cover on, packed it away in the case, and woke up to see the crack the next morning. Most of the other affected Redditors also noted they either stored their Vision Pros in cases or placed the soft cover on.Read Article >Feb 21, 2024Victoria SongComfort isnt just a Vision Pro problem its a wearable oneAs I sit here writing this in the Apple Vision Pro, Im acutely aware of how the light seal presses against my forehead and cheekbones. It was relatively comfy when I slipped it on an hour ago. But now, every so often, I push up on the bridge as if Im a cartoon nerd saying, um, well, actually just to give my face a break. This is despite the fact that Ive done the scan to figure out my perfect light seal fit (33W, in case youre wondering). So no, Im not surprised that many Apple fans who returned their Vision Pros cited comfort as a major issue.But this isnt exclusively a Vision Pro problem. Its a wearable problem.Read Article >Feb 20, 2024Quentyn KennemerThis video comparing Apple Vision Pro hand tracking to the Meta Quest 3 is mesmerizing.Holonautic co-founder and developer Dennys Kuhnert says he is both disappointed and impressed by the Vision Pros performance and showed off this comparison of the two headsets with a real-time visualization tool.As he wrote in another post, The quality and accuracy is fantastic but the lag with passthrough hands feels currently higher than on Quest 3. Could be explained by AVPs very low passthrough latency... ~11ms vs ~35ms for Q3.Feb 20, 2024Emma RothA stand for the Vision Pro.Apple doesnt sell a stand for the Vision Pro, so developer Christian Selig took it upon himself to create one just like the unofficial YouTube app he made for the headset, too.This stand allows the headset to hang vertically, making it take up a bit less space on your desk as opposed to some other storage options out there. Selig has uploaded all the design files onto MakerWorld, so you can 3D print the stand for yourself.Feb 18, 2024Wes DavisWhat its like to make an app for the Vision Pro.In this interview for the Voices of VR podcast, Apollo developer Christian Selig shares his experience creating Juno, an unofficial YouTube player he created for the Vision Pro in only a weeks time.Despite the small number of people who own the headset, he says hes earned enough from it to buy multiple Vision Pros.Feb 17, 2024Wes DavisMy Vision Pro has no idea when Im talking.I keep a pretty bushy mustache, and it seems to prevent the headsets downward-facing cameras from seeing and translating what my mouth is doing to my Personas real-time expressions during a Vision Pro FaceTime call. Apparently, Im not alone.In fairness, Persona is still a beta feature. Maybe visionOS 1.1 will save my friends from this horror show.Feb 16, 2024Richard LawlerVision Pro decision time.While many people are excitedly entering Apples spatial computing future, some Vision Pro early adopters have already packed the devices up and sent them back for a refund. Reasons weve heard include eye fatigue, few useful apps available so far, and a lack of window / workspace persistence.If you bought one on day one, the return window is closing now, so let us know if youre deciding to keep your headset and why.Feb 16, 2024Adi RobertsonWhy does Apple make it so hard to share the Vision Pro?Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The VergeShortly before The Verge published its review of the Apple Vision Pro, I put it on to sit for some photos. The review unit had been fitted for our editor-in-chief Nilay Patel, but Id worn it a few times as a guest and had a surprisingly good experience. That afternoon, though, I foolishly decided to skip the typical guest setup, which involves about a minute of calibration for the Vision Pros eye-tracking cameras. I put the thing on, and it didnt work at all.The Vision Pros cameras, I quickly realized, were expecting somebody elses eyes. The cursor darted around wildly or refused to move. It wasnt an unexpected outcome, but it drove home an inconvenient fact: not only would I need to go through the setup again, Id need to do it every time I wanted to use the headset.Read Article >Feb 14, 2024Victoria SongApple fans are starting to return their Vision ProsIt doesnt help that theres no real killer app yet. Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The VergeFor some Apple Vision Pro buyers, the honeymoon is already over.Its no coincidence that theres been an uptick on social media of Vision Pro owners saying theyre returning their $3,500 headsets in the past few days. Apple allows you to return any product within 14 days of purchase and for the first wave of Vision Pro buyers, were right about at that point.Read Article >Feb 14, 2024Alex HeathAfter trying the Vision Pro, Mark Zuckerberg says Quest 3 is the better product, periodMark Zuckerberg wearing the Quest 3 headset. Image: MetaNow that it can be strapped to our faces and worn in strange places, opinions about Apples Vision Pro are flying left and right.Entering the chat is Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who has more at stake than perhaps anyone on earth if Apple does to headsets what the iPhone did to smartphones. In a video posted to his Instagram account on Tuesday, Zuckerberg gives his official verdict on the Vision Pro versus his companys latest Quest 3 headset: I dont just think that Quest is the better value, I think Quest is the better product, period.Read Article >Feb 13, 2024Wes DavisThe Vision Pro has Thunderbolt and Lightning (very, very frightening).If you get the USB-C-having developer strap for the Apple Vision Pro, you get more than the swole Lightning-esque connectors the headset already has, according to 9to5Mac. Developers report that all of the pieces are detectable for a Thunderbolt connection; its just that Apple is limiting it to the 480Mbps max of USB 2.0.The Apple Vision Pro Developer Strap is Thunderbolt capable, not USB 2.0 only[9to5Mac]

FromSoftware has become a leading developer of action RPGs, crafting a number of unforgettable journeys into grimdark lands filled with horrors and wonder in equal measure. But, despite its unrivaled approach to level and lore design, FromSofts lasting legacy will likely always be its bosses: deeply challenging, typically horrific foes that push your skills to the very limits. For its next game, Elden Ring Nightreign, FromSoftware is going all-in on the bosses. This roguelike-ish co-op game is fully combat focused, with each of Nightreigns runs pitting players against an increasingly difficult set of bosses. And, as the first trailer revealed, some of those bosses are returning foes from the Dark Souls series, including the majestic Nameless King. This isnt a list of the most difficult bosses. This is a list of the GREATEST bosses in FromSoftware history.With all this in mind, we asked ourselves: what are the best boss fights FromSoftware has made? We considered battles from across FromSoftwares Soulsborne style games Elden Ring, Bloodborne, Sekiro, Demons Souls, and the Dark Souls trilogy. We assessed not just the challenge of each fight, but every element of the battle: the music, the setting, the mechanical complexity, the lore significance, and many other details. What follows are our 25 favourites, based on all those criteria.This isnt a list of the most difficult bosses. This is a list of the greatest bosses in FromSoftware history. 25. Old Monk (Demons Souls)Conceptually, the Old Monk from Demons Souls is one of the coolest ways FromSoftware has tried to push its vision of PvP multiplayer invasions. Instead of a traditional, computer-controlled boss, the Old Monk has the chance of being puppeted by another player. While the level of challenge the Old Monk poses largely depends on the skill of the summoned player, this unusual event nonetheless does a good job of reminding you that enemy players can appear in your game at any time, even during a boss fight.24. Old Hero (Demons Souls)While many of its bosses have been totally eclipsed by more elegantly designed foes in subsequent games, Demons Souls puzzle-style showdowns remain fascinating highpoints in FromSofts library. Old Hero is the best example; a tall, glowing, hard-hitting ancient warrior who is completely blind. He flails out in all directions, but his inability to track you by sight makes avoiding his blade practically trivial. However, while he cant see you he can hear you, and so the clash against Old Hero becomes a quasi-stealth experience. Its hardly a difficult fight, settling into a pattern of sneaking into position, striking the Heros ankles, and then silently holding back until he resets his patrol. Despite this, Old Hero stands as a unique event in FromSoft history, and laid the groundwork for esoteric bosses like Elden Rings Rennala and Sekiros Folding Screen Monkeys. 23. Sinh, the Slumbering Dragon (Dark Souls 2: Crown of the Sunken King)Dragons are typically some of the toughest bosses in FromSoftwares games, but early dragon fights in games like Dark Souls and Demons Souls felt more like prototypes compared to some of the epic dragon fights that appear in newer games. A turning point for fantasys iconic winged beasts, when dragon fights truly began to feel like epic clashes, came in Dark Souls 2s Sunken Crown trilogy with the battle against Sinh, the Slumbering Dragon. With swelling music accompanying this monstrously difficult fight in the depths of a poisonous cavern, Sinh is the template for how cool and terrifying all later dragon fights feel in FromSoftware games.22. Ebrietas, Daughter of the Cosmos (Bloodborne)While you must put down a number of eldritch creatures during your journey through Yarnham, none reflects Bloodbornes relationship with the works of Lovecraft quite like Ebrietas, Daughter of the Cosmos. A mass of tentacles, growths, and wings, shes the creature worshiped by the Healing Church and the origin point of Blood Ministration. In short, shes a key reason for why the events of Bloodborne take place. While she doesnt quite prove as fearsome as her backstory may suggest, she nonetheless provides a thematically-rich showdown; her most devastating attack sees her rip open the cosmos to fire volleys of arcane energy, while her regurgitated blood inflicts Frenzy; a status effect that slowly drives you insane by inflicting the Eldritch Truth upon your mind. As we said, its Lovecraft as hell.21. Fume Knight (Dark Souls 2)Arguably the most difficult fight in Dark Souls 2, Fume Knight combines speed and brawn. He dual-wields two weapons; a long-sword for speedy attacks, and a hulking Buster Sword-style blade for heavy damage. Hell later combine the two into one giant flame sword that you do not want to get on the wrong end of. While the Fume Knights difficulty makes him stand out, hes also very fun to fight. FromSofts duel-style fights typically pit you against either a speedy knight or a heavy, but Fume Knight combines both in one flame-wielding package.20. Bayle the Dread (Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree)The fight against Bayle the Dread is memorable enough on its own, what with being one of the hardest bosses in a DLC featuring some of the toughest bosses throughout all of Elden Ring. But what really elevates it and sends it over the edge, making it one of the best fights throughout the series, is your NPC ally, Igon. His guttural cries of sheer hatred for Bayle, both in the leadup to the fight and the fight itself, are just so unforgettable, and add another layer of excitement in an already incredibly exciting face-off against a hideous dragon.19. Father Gascoigne (Bloodborne)Every FromSoft game has a proving ground moment relatively early on. These boss fights challenge your grasp of the games mechanics, and if you cant overcome them, then thats likely where your playthrough ends. Bloodborne features perhaps the best of this particular style of boss with Father Gascoigne. If you just mindlessly strike at him, he will counter you with a gunshot and use a visceral attack for huge damage. And if you just try to just rely on your reflexes and dodge his attacks, he will likely outlast you thanks to how little damage you do and how few healing blood vials you likely have. To take on Gascoigne, you need to learn how to use the environment to your advantage, to not get greedy with your offense, and ideally how to use your own gun to parry his slower attacks all of which are crucial skills that youll need to know for future, harder fights in Bloodborne.18. Starscourge Radahn (Elden Ring)Elden Ring is bursting to the seams with sweeping spectacle, but not many of its encounters come close to facing off against the scale of Starscourge Radahn and his vast festival battlefield. The oversized, maniacal experimenter of gravity magic may cut a slightly comical figure atop his tiny-by-comparison steed, but the last thing youll be doing is laughing when hes plunging down to earth like a meteor hellbent on your destructionWhile a patch dropped in Elden Rings earliest days means he no longer offers the same level of ludicrous challenge he once did, the battle against Radahn is still a fight that stands as one of Miyazakis most inventive. The ability to summon in numerous NPC companions youve met along your journey adds a real sense of epicness to the battle as well, as the likes of Blaidd, Lionel the Lionhearted, and everyones favourite big pot lad, Iron First Alexander, join the fray. Its an encounter worthy of the Festival of Combats name, and one that ends in one of the most (literally) earth-shattering moments of Elden Ring, revealing a whole new layer to FromSofts masterpiece.17. Great Grey Wolf Sif (Dark Souls)FromSofts games are laden with melancholy, but few moments reach the heart-tugging heights (depths?) of being asked to strike down Great Grey Wolf Sif. Artorias loyal oversized canine companion, Sif can be found guarding the grave of its fallen master, wielding his large greatsword between his jaws. This may not be Dark Souls' most challenging encounter, but it is one heavy with atmosphere and story implications. All this cant help but leave an emotional imprint on those who take part in it. As such, it remains one of the series most enduring moments, and a reminder that FromSofts worlds and characters are rarely presented as morally black and white. Instead, theyre forever grey.16. Maliketh, the Black Blade (Elden Ring)If you want an example of one of, if not the most purely aggressive bosses in Souslike history, look no further than Maliketh. Even in his bestial first phase, he rushes towards you, darting in and out of the fight, tossing rocks at you even as he dodges away. But the real terror begins when he throws away his robe and reveals his true form: Maliketh, the Black Blade. He doesnt even restore his health, but it never feels like hes coming into the battle at anything less than 100% because its so hard to actually find opportunities to hit him. His combos are long and have multiple follow ups that are easy to catch you by surprise if youve not committed every precise pattern to memory. Despite this difficulty though, Maliketh remains one of the most memorable boss battles throughout all of Elden Ring for how high intensity the whole fight is, right from the get go.15. Dancer of the Boreal Valley (Dark Souls 3)Dancer of the Boreal Valley is a visually stunning, technically unique boss fight. Wielding a pair of curved blades, this giant armored boss utilizes her long limbs and erratic fighting style to keep players on their toes. Unusually timed animations mean you never know when shes going to strike, nor from what distance, making it hard to predict her moves. But Dark Souls 3s animation team deserves extra credit for creating such an eerie figure whose dance-like movements certainly live up to her name.14. Genichiro Ashina (Sekiro)The first time players face off against Sekiros Genichiro Ashina, the battle takes place in a field of reeds on a moonlit night. While the boss fight will likely last only a few short minutes, it is one of the most memorable fights in the entire game. Thats until you face him again atop Ashina castle, where youll face one of the most epic duels in FromSoftware history. Crossing swords with Genichiro Ashina will require all your strength and guile, and learning to deflect literal lightning back at your foe is perhaps Sekiros mythical swordsman fantasy at its most potent. Ultimately, though, this fight is a test to see whether you grasp Sekiros key concepts of parrying and deflecting. Because if youre not prepared for Genichiro, youre not prepared for Sekiro.13. Owl (Father) (Sekiro)As Sekiros storyline begins to branch in its final act, progressing towards the Purification ending involves killing Wolfs imposing and traitorous father, Owl. The fights emotional blows are second only to its physical ones, as Owl is one of the most aggressive and hardest-hitting bosses in the entire game. He has an arsenal of lethal gadgets up his sleeve, hurling handfuls of shuriken as he leaps through the air and casting trails of thick smoke and sparks that conceal his long-reaching sword strikes. Despite his heavy, muscular physique hes surprisingly quick, especially during the fights second phase when hes able to make use of a spectral owl to teleport across the arena. Murdering your father is a difficult thing to do, but when the fights as thrilling as this one, the feeling is not entirely unpleasant. Honorable Mention: Armored Core 6While we decided to stay within the limits of FromSoftwares Soulsborne games for this list, it would be foolish to completely ignore 2023s Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon. The first AC game to be developed since the studio truly hit the mainstream, Fires of Rubicon featured white-knuckle boss fights built on the Soulsian traditions of memorising attack patterns and retaliating with measured bursts of punishment. With that in mind, wed like to highlight three of Armored Core 6s astonishing bosses. AA P07 Balteus is a swift and merciless spectacle, infamous for its screen-filling swarms of guided missiles. Its a Genichiro-like gatekeeper that tests your true mastery of Armored Core 6s systems ahead of bigger challenges. IA-02: Ice Worm, meanwhile, builds upon the event-style boss design established in Elden Rings Starscourge Radan fight. Utilising a team of allied NPCs, an off-screen mega-cannon and a bespoke missile launcher, its perhaps the most cinematic battle FromSoft has ever crafted. Finally, IB-01: CEL 240 demonstrates the studios flair for the dramatics with an outstanding, rapid-fire second phase that wholeheartedly embraces the projectile-dodging action unique to Armored Core. 12. Soul of Cinder (Dark Souls 3)If theres a boss who can represent the very essence of Dark Souls through aesthetics alone, its the Soul of Cinder. The final boss of Dark Souls 3, this manifestation of every Lord who linked the Flame takes the form of a grimdark knight shrouded in fire. Its amalgamation nature means it fights with an unpredictable array of styles. One moment it could perform a deadly pirouette with an elegant curved sword, and the next close the distance between you with a piercing spear lunge. Its the fights second phase, though, that really locks Soul of Cinder into the history books. Unleashing heavy, multi-strike combos with a flaming blade, his attack patterns recreate those of Gwyn, the Lord of Cinder and final boss of the original Dark Souls. And so the trilogy ends in a beautiful, haunting reflection of its seminal first outing. 11. Sister Friede (Dark Souls 3: Ashes of Ariandel)A brutal endurance test across three distinct phases, Sister Friede is arguably the most punishing boss fight in the entire Dark Souls series. Hidden away in the Ashes of Ariandel DLC, Friede is a scythe-wielding nun that fights with such relentless aggression that the most difficult thing is not so much staying alive, but finding the opportunity to deal even a single point of damage. She fights alone in the fierce first and third phases, but its the middle phase where things really get going. Friede awakens the ginormous Father Ariandel, who drags himself around the area while spilling great tides of searing flame from his massive bowl. Overcoming both Ariandel and the frost-casting Friede simultaneously is a song of ice and fire for the ages. 10. Orphan of Kos (Bloodborne: The Old Hunters)Bloodbornes most infamous foe, Orphan of Kos plagues the nightmares of all who have faced it. The grotesque, shrieking offspring of a dying Great One, the Orphan is a terrifyingly fast boss. After closing the distance with a spry leap, it attacks tirelessly with lengthy, unpredictable combos that are difficult to parry and leave practically zero room for error. Oh, and if its corpse-like form wasnt gross enough, it wields its own solidified placenta as a weapon, hurling pieces of it at you as if they were organic grenades. It truly is the thing of nightmares.9. Malenia, Blade of Miquella (Elden Ring)No other FromSoft boss has defined the cultural zeitgeist like how Malenia, Blade of Miquella did. That was a clear shift in the gaming community when players steadily started to discover her hiding spot at the bottom of Elden Rings Haligtree. Arguably the 2022 Game of the Year winners most challenging fight, and if not definitely one of its most memorable, the clash against Malenia takes place over two punishing stages that put all of your dueling skills to the test. If your name isnt Let Me Solo Her, that is.The first is a sword-centered face-off in which the legendary twin of Miquella, who brought Caelid to ruins through an unleashing of scarlet rot, aims to skewer you with her mesmerisingly deadly waterfowl dance maneuver. If you manage to weave yourself in and out of her flurrying swipes youll meet her second form: the beautifully destructive Goddess of Rot persona that unleashes sparkling red plumes that eat at your health bar. Malenias a mighty challenge to take down, but also a boss fight filled with visual spectacle and rooted in a deep story attached to the shattering of Elden Rings world. 8. Guardian Ape (Sekiro)Sekiros Guardian Ape is undoubtedly the most comedic foe on this list. As youd expect of a giant monkey, this mighty beast lashes out with a primal rage, its gangly limbs flailing outwards in order to sweep you off your feet. But between those strikes are moments of gleeful toilet humour, as the Guardian Ape farts poison gas in your face and slings stinky mounds of poop across the battlefield. Its delightfully silly stuff. But the Guardian Ape is also the dirtiest trick FromSoft has ever pulled, and not because of all the feces. With the apes head severed from its neck, it seems like the fight is over. The Shinobi Execution graphic even appears, which always marks the end of a tough battle. And then the Guardian Ape stands up, its head grasped in one hand, the sword that decapitated it in the other. And then you must survive a frenzied fright with the Apes shrieking, reanimated corpse. Theres never been a table flip quite as effective as this one. 7. Knight Artorias (Dark Souls: Artorias of the Abyss)Artorias the Abysswalker is a truly tragic figure within Dark Souls lore. Possessed by the essence of darkness and forced to abandon his friends and compatriots, Artorias is a great piece of Dark Souls writing. Not only that, hes also an exhilarating boss fight. After dying again and again to Artorias rapid attacks and tricky combos, by the time I defeated him I felt like I should start recording my gameplay like SunhiLegend. Moreso than any other fight, beating Artorias feels like a rite of passage for anyone looking to embark on the path of mastering Dark Souls.6. Nameless King (Dark Souls 3)The Nameless King is an example of a perfect Dark Souls boss. He's undeniably one of Dark Souls 3s most difficult foes, but nevertheless puts up a fair and measured fight. His lightning-wreathed lunges and explosive slams are clearly telegraphed, and you dont need superhuman reflexes to counter him. What you do need is endurance, persistence, and flexibility, as this long fight of two halves presents a duo of unique challenges. The first phase is a gold-standard dragon duel, with the King riding atop his fire-belching, constantly mobile wyvern. With his mount defeated, you move onto the grounded second phase in which you go toe-to-toe for the thrilling finale. Fought atop Archdragon Peak within the eye of a storm, Nameless King provides an unforgettable spectacle soundtracked by one of the series best ever musical themes. This really is almost as good as it gets. 5. Dragon Slayer Ornstein and Executioner Smough (Dark Souls)The first time you encounter Ornstein and Smough, you might think to yourself, Two on One? That doesnt seem very fair. Whats funny, then, is that after you finally manage to kill one of them, the other absorbs their fallen allys power, restoring all of their health, and becomes a tougher version of what youve already been fighting, no doubt prompting you to think, again, Wait, that doesnt seem very fair!Ornstein and Smough established the very template for this kind of double boss fight, and it's one that FromSoftware loves to include in virtually every one of its games released since Dark Souls. None have quite reached the level of notoriety as Ornstein and Smough, though. Its an unforgettable fight on its own, but its influence on the genre as a whole is what truly makes this battle so special.4. Ludwig, The Accursed/Holy Blade (Bloodborne: The Old Hunters)Ludwig is arguably Bloodbornes most complex boss. He constantly evolves throughout the fight, making use of new moves as you chip deeper into his health bar. Across both phases hes able to command a total of 23 unique attacks, many of which are unleashed with such ferocity that even a minor error can leave you crushed beneath Ludwigs hooves. To defeat him you need to fully embrace Bloodbornes trademark aggression and speed, particularly in the first phase, in which Ludwig leaps around like a frenzied Buckaroo. Alongside being a serious challenge, Ludwig is a great encapsulation of Bloodbornes tragic lore. Hes the Healing Churchs first hunter, now mutated into a horse-like, multi-limbed eldritch horror thanks to his dangerous obsessions. Proudly wielding Yarnhams version of FromSofts recurring Moonlight Great Sword, Ludwig is one of the studios greatest creations. 3. Slave Knight Gael (Dark Souls 3: The Ringed City)Few fights feel as truly mythical as the showdown with Slave Knight Gael. The final boss of Dark Souls 3s The Ringed City DLC, he more than lives up to the task of being the trilogys concluding challenge. In the fights opening act he crawls around, beast like, swinging his blade in heavy, imprecise arcs. But come phase two, Gael takes on the strength of the Dark Soul itself. He stands upright, his cloak billowing like the wings of a fallen angel. Armed with a terrifying array of abilities, from clouds of spectral skulls and lighting strikes to a machinegun-like crossbow, this fallen knight really is the ultimate test of skill. And, thanks to Gaels story being so intricately entwined with the entire canvas that is the Dark Souls story, besting him feels like a momentous occasion. Soundtracked by an orchestra and choir going the whole nine yards and fought on a battlefield thats essentially the ashes of existence itself, Slave Knight Gael is Dark Souls finest ever boss. 2. Lady Maria of the Astral Clocktower (Bloodborne: The Old Hunters)A corpse should be left well alone. With those words, Lady Maria of the Astral Clocktower catapults her way into the top tier of FromSoftwares greatest bosses. In her horological throne room, youll face one of Bloodbornes most technically accomplished duelists. Dodging her twin swords and pistol is tough enough already, but as the music ramps up and she begins to channel her blood powers, the fight reaches greater and greater levels of intensity. Dodge, parry, and attack until finally you slaughter your foe. The song ends and the curtains draw. Lady Maria, take a bow.1. Isshin, the Sword Saint (Sekiro)The intricate complexities of its focused combat system sets Sekiros boss battles apart from their peers in the wider FromSoft library. Sekiro really is the best swordplay simulator around a whirlwind of exhilarating parries and viciously sharp strikes and so its perhaps only logical that its climatic clash stands as the very best boss fight FromSoftware has ever made. Isshin, the Sword Saint is everything that makes Sekiro so special, all wrapped up in a four-phase battle thatll have your heart beating faster than it ever has before. Technically two fights in one, Sekiros final clash begins with one last duel against Genichiro, who is ritually torn apart to resurrect his grandfather, the legendary warrior Isshin. And legendary really is the word; Isshin dominates a beautiful battlefield with a variety of techniques that pull on almost every single tactic youve mastered across your journey. Youll need to counter piercing thrusts from both sword and spear, block bullets from a surprise pistol, and even deflect searing bolts of lightning in the fights final moments. Isshin is relentless in his offense, but theres a precision and elegance to this fight that turns the whole thing into a deadly dance. Its intimate and controlled and measured in a way few FromSoft battles are, and conquering Isshin provides an unmatched feeling of accomplishment. The Sword Saint may not be discussed as widely as iconic foes from Dark Souls, Elden Ring, and Bloodborne, but his downfall is, at least as far as were concerned, FromSoftwares finest boss battle. Victory achieved. Prey slaughtered. Enemy felled. Our choices and ranking of the top 25 FromSoftware bosses is complete. Did we miss one of your favourites? Let us know your picks in the comments. You can also rank these 25 bosses yourself using the IGN Tier List tool below. This list was compiled and written by Simon Cardy, Matt Kim, Mitchell Saltzman, and Matt Purslow.

HBO's critically acclaimed The Last of Us show will run for four seasons, an executive has suggested.HBO's Francesca Orsi revealed that "it's looking like" the smash TV adaptation will run for four seasons, although did stress there's no "complete or final plan" at this time."I wouldn't want to confirm that, but it's looking like this season and then two more seasons after this, and we're done," Orsi told Deadline.As for what to expect when the highly-anticipated show returns in April 2025? "There's certain elements in terms of the various factions that are competing for survival that reveal themselves as a really intriguing survivalist group, and I think they just have a quality to them that feels distinct in how they present it," Orsi said."Theres a certain way [the show] is presenting them in wardrobe and makeup that feels really different than the average person."The Last of Us Season 2 Cast: Who's New and Coming Back to the HBO Show?If you missed the first season, there's still time to catch up, as Episode 1 of Season 2 is set to premiere in April. Unlike Season 1, which covered the entirety of the first game, HBO plans to extend The Last of Us Part 2 beyond a single season, building Season 2 with a "natural breakpoint" after just seven episodes.Season 2 is will introduce us to several new faces, including Kaitlyn Dever as Abby, Danny Ramirez as Manny, Tati Gabrielle as Mel. We're still unclear on Catherine O'Hara's mysterious role, though.In IGN's The Last of Us: Season 1 review, we called it "a stunning adaptation that should thrill newcomers and enrich those already familiar with Joel and Ellie's journey alike," awarding it an impressive 9/10.Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

When I previewed an earlier version of Avowed in November, I became obsessed with figuring out what kind of game Obsidian Entertainment was trying to make. On paper, Avowed has all the hallmarks that helped make Obsidian one of the greatest RPG developers ever. Its even set in their Pillars of Eternity universe, the setting of two excellent Obsidian games. Yet, the genre pieces didnt quite fit together. I had faith that Avowed had a final form, but it wasnt clear what that game looked like back then.Hours into the final version of Avowed, all was finally revelated to me: Obsidian has essentially made a Borderlands game. They may have set out to make a more action-oriented version of the RPGs that made the studio famous, but somewhere along the way, they ended up with a Borderlands game. How you process that information will determine whether you see Avowed as a strange gem or a frustrating glimpse at what could have been.Avowed Challenges You to Think Beyond Traditional Character ClassesThe heart of Avowed is its character creation system, which is quite surprising given that there is nothing particularly inspiring about its initial collection of cosmetic, statistical, and background character creation options.Shortly into your Avowed adventure, though, youll be blessed with your first pieces of loot. Armor, weapons, and trinkets of color-coded rarity and quality. You wont be looting items quite as often as you do in a proper looter shooter, but you will constantly be canvassing areas looking for more of those sweet, sweet drops.A few hours into Avowed, youll acquire enough loot to start seeing the possibilities the games dual-wielding system enables. Pistols can be wielded alongside magic wands, axes pair well with a book of spells, and two-handed longsword strikes often follow longbow snipes thanks to the optional secondary loadout you can swap to at the press of a button.Avowed challenges you to create your own character class by experimenting with a wide variety of loot and abilities. You can follow the straight paths laid out by its Fighter, Ranger, and Wizard skill trees, but youre missing out on much of the fun if you approach the game so rigidly. Youre meant to mix and match skills that complement the most unique and powerful weapons you come across. Thanks to a fairly generous respec system that only sets you back some coins, you are enabled and encouraged to constantly change your approach to see what works best and what is most fun.The dopamine hit that process yields remains as potent as it is in games like Borderlands, but Avowed laces that experience with just enough variety to keep it potent. Rarely has a game like this allowed us to explore so many different equipment and skill possibilities while swapping between strategies quite so easily. It makes it difficult to go back to lesser RPG-lite action experiences that lock you into fixed progression paths or limit you to fewer combat options that revolve around fewer viable weapon types.The only thing more exhilarating than experimenting with all that loot is exploring the world you find it in.Avowed Is the Cure for Procedurally Generated Worlds With No PersonalityMuch like Obsidians The Outer Worlds, Avowed is broken up into several regions that youre free to explore but that are also separated by progression barriers and loading screens. For those who see open worlds as the necessary modern standard, that may come as a disappointment.Yet, for those who played Starfield and argued that several smaller worlds would have been preferable to hundreds of largely soulless procedurally generated planets, you can certainly enter Avowed as an exhibit in your defense.Avoweds worlds are lovingly crafted, visually vibrant, and packed with scripted and organic discoveries. Theres a Morrowind-like quality to the way the game fuses classical fantasy, medieval design, and downright alien concepts to form a world that feels whole rather than a slapdash amalgamation of themed levels masquerading as a universe.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!The thrill of exploring these spaces makes the fundamentally enjoyable act of looting and leveling that much more rewarding. Too often the primal pleasure of that process compensates for environments that are just elaborate loot boxes in slightly different shades. Playing through that core experience in a rich world youll enjoy simply existing in makes quite the difference.More importantly, Avowed truly values its various items and how you discover them. Drops arent as common as they are in other loot-like games, which means even lesser weapons remain useful for the upgrade materials they offer. The absence of a simple gear score system means you often have to weigh the unique advantages of your gear rather than chase the biggest numbers. Quests will yield valuable items, but some of the best stuff is reserved for the truly adventurous. Few games emphasize rewarding you for exploring that random corner, finding a way to destroy that obstacle, climbing that mountain, or simply ignoring the main quest and going your own way quite the way this one does. Its the rare gameplay loop that is satisfying yet actually takes you places.Its just a shame Avoweds combat isnt quite substantial enough to support everything else the game is doing.Avoweds Repetitive Combat Undermines Its Best IdeasFor all of the options that Avowed offers you when it comes to crafting your character, the combat often boils down to the same formula regardless of your build.While Avoweds gear may not rely on simplified gear scores, its combat is very much based on pulling off big damage numbers against enemies that sadly often serve as damage sponges. Theyre also quite gullible. A little perseverance and the willingness to dance around objects will allow you to pepper your way through fights that your character shouldnt be able to survive. Theres little middle ground between fights that see you melt through enemies and those that see you play peek-a-boo with powerful foes you shouldnt be able to fight but can usually take out with a little patience.The problem is that there are few ways to add variety and strategy to these encounters. Early on, pretty much every character regardless of build will need to rely on Stamina-draining basic and power attacks. Its not until much later in the game that you get the magical Essence required to lean on your spells without having to constantly dip into the games momentum-draining action wheel to refill your resources.Thats a shame, because the Wizard skill tree is the only one in the game that consistently offers exciting new abilities. Too many of the Ranger and Fighter upgrades offer simple +X% upgrades that enhance existing skills rather than enable new strategies. The same can be said of loot, though high-level upgrades to unique items do offer some excitement. Just dont be surprised if you find yourself relying on certain gear for longer than you may like while you hunt for those upgrades.In a game that otherwise emphasizes variety, Avowed allows you to not just fall back on a basic dodge, power attack, and projectile strategy, it lets you ride that strategy to glory regardless of your build until you can finally unlock the most powerful abilities and upgrade the most elaborate weapons. Fights can still feel trivial, but at least the VFX are more impressive.Unfortunately, that thin combat is an extension of the thin role-playing qualities that really drag Avowed down.Avowed Fails to Live Up to Obsidians Incredible RPG StandardsFor a game made by such a talented RPG studio, Avowed offers you surprisingly few opportunities to do any substantial role-playing.For instance, dont stress too much about picking your characters background. Like so many other choices in the game, it mostly results in a few different lines of dialogue that often bring you back to the same conversation. Notable decisions with substantially different outcomes are few and far between. Theres also no morality or alignment system, so the consequences of being a jerk are often limited to hearing a character say Hey! Anyway and then getting back to their more meaningful dialogue.In theory, you may be compelled to take certain actions because of your emotional connection to the story and certain characters. In practice, I dont imagine that will be a problem. Avoweds overall story isfine. Its just that so many of the individual interactions that make up that narrative are pretty dry. Theyre rarely entertaining on their own merits, and there is little incentive to pay attention to them to make sure you make the right decisions when the opportunity comes up. So many decisions seem to lead to roughly the same places.Avowed lacks much of the humor and the clever characters that often highlight other Obsidian RPGs. Its a problem that diminishes the impact of main quests, side quests, and the many conversations youll have along the way. Even your companions stories feel surprisingly dull. Unless you are really into the minutia of this games lore, you too will likely find your eyes glazing over yet another conversation that hides its progression purpose behind layers of surprisingly dry dialogue.Everything about Avowed passes the eye test for a proper RPG, but it all proves to be so thin. Its bizarre to play a game where you are left to drown in an ocean of ultimately shallow RPG ideas. What should have been the aspects of Avowed that amplified the satisfying looting and build experiments at the heart of this game often slow it to a crawl and leave you wanting for the more substantial experience they only hint at.Avowed Feels Like an Accidental Borderlands Game That Fell Short of Something GreaterAvowed throws a curveball at anyone who tries to analyze a work on the merits of its creators intent. If youre going to argue for or against something, you have to build that argument based on what that thing is fundamentally trying to accomplish. The problem here is that its not entirely clear if this is what Avowed was meant to be or what remained when all of the ideas that went into the game finally came together.Avowed will certainly disappoint those who expect it to be a Skyrim-like adventure, but it was never really pitched that way. If you try to judge it as the fantasy RPG you presume it intended to be, youll likely find its narrative, writing, and more substantial role-playing decisions fall well short of expectations.Yet, for me, Avowed ends up being the last thing anyone expected it to be: a pretty great Borderlands game. When youre roaming the world, hunting for loot, experimenting with your character build, and using enemies as target dummies for your power fantasy, it offers an experience that is somewhat simple, certainly unexpected, yet very satisfying.But thats not enough to keep you from wondering what Avowed could have been. If it had been The Outer Worlds with this combat and build system, it could have been something great. If it had been a Borderlands game with the writing and role-playing weve come to expect from Obsidian, it could have been something great.What were left with instead is a game stuck somewhere in the middle of so many more intriguing possibilities. Its a must-play experience for Xbox Game Pass subscribers and a game that will likely surprise people with its pure fun factor after it catches flak for falling short of the expectations we associate with a legendary studio working on what was once touted as its first proper Triple-A project in years.Its a testament to the talent at Obsidian Entertainment that even the studios misses end up being fun projects that at least push for something more interesting. But as an Obsidian RPG, Avowed is a miss.Avowed is out on Xbox Series X/S and PC on Feb. 18. Premium Edition owners get early access to the game starting today.

This article contains major spoilers for Cobra Kai season 6 part 3.The final scene of the last episode of Cobra Kai takes place in a sushi restaurant. Throughout the series, this show has earned its black belt in hiding Easter eggs, so we can only assume that the restaurant is Kitada Sushi. Kitada is where Miguel (Xolo Mariduea) tried to expand Johnnys (William Zabka) palate with a dragon roll and where Tory (Peyton List) took a second job to make rent back in the season 3 episode King Cobra.Sushi has been a symbol of cultural awkwardness from the very beginning of the series. In the second episode Strike First, Daniel (Ralph Macchio) makes ponzu toro for Kyler (Joe Seo) which is rejected because Kyler doesnt like sushi. And the last time Johnny was at Kitada, he spit out that aforementioned dragon roll. But in the finale, Johnny seems comfortable, demonstrating his growth. Cobra Kai has always been aboutJohnnys journey. In the very first episode, Ace Degenerate, Johnny is a burnt-out loser. Sixty-five episodes later, the finale is titled Ex-Degenerate, and Johnny is redeemed.Here is how Cobra Kai season 6 ends the entire Cobra Kai story, while also potentially setting up another franchise reboot.Just before the final scene shifts to Johnny and Daniel peacefully enjoying lunch, the shot pans across two new characters, Jake and Jeremy. The pair is deep in discussion about developing a new show, set in Hill Valley in an alternate 1985. Jake says their show will be greenlit if they get Wilson, Thompson, and Zane. Jeremy claims Billy is a friend who did an art piece for his foyer, and that they should reach out to Crispin too, and get Mike to direct.Billy Zane? He is an actor and artist. And only one Crispin comes to mind and thats Crispin Glover. Add Tom Wilson and Lea Thompson, set it in Hill Valley 1985, and were talking about the cast and setting of Back to the Future (1985). That film came out the year after The Karate Kid, so perhaps the proposed director is Michael J. Fox, who played Marty McFly. However, its worth noting that before Fox secured the role, Ralph Macchio was considered for it. The Karate Kid and Back to the Future were both among the highest-grossing films of their respective consecutive years. But aside from the Macchio connection, why is this scene even included in the finale?Jake is played by Jon Hurwitz and Jeremy is played by Josh Heald, two of the three creators of Cobra Kai. The third is Hayden Schlossberg and together this threesome of creatives form the production company Counterbalance Entertainment. Hurwitz and Heald just could not resist inserting themselves in a final cameo. Schlossberg already had a cameo in Season 6 episode 9 Blood In Blood Out. He appeared as Ezra, the flashy lawyer of Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith). Hurwitz also secured cameos for his daughters Hadley and Elizabeth, who appear as Autograph Girls #1 and #2 in that final episode. Are Jake and Jeremy teasing the next franchise reboot for Counterbalance Entertainment? Or are Hurwitz and Heald just messing with us again? It turns out they are very much just messing with us again.Were playing around, Heald told Den of Geek at SCAD TVfest in Atlanta. Were having a little meta moment. In this universe of the show, theres no such thing as a movie called The Karate Kid so these guys cant talk about hey wouldnt it be great to go revisit that? But Back to the Future does exist.Heald went on to clarify that the trio would love to delve into Marty McFlys universe but they understand it would be a tall undertaking to secure the rights to do so. We have a feeling that the stars will not align on that one given the current state of affairs of creative control. But that doesnt mean were any less fans of that franchise, Heald said.Beyond Cobra Kai, Heald, Hurwitz, and Schlossberg created another action comedy for Netflix in 2023. Obliterated was an original eight-episode series about an elite special ops squad that must save Las Vegas while being heavily intoxicated. The show was canceled three months after it was released. Nevertheless, Counterbalance Entertainment does have some future projects queued up. They are bringing Duke Nukem to screens, tentatively for July 4 of this year. Based on the 90s video game, John Cena plays the titular hero alongside costars Colin Farrell and Blake Lively. They are also producing Sporkinfeesten, a vacation comedy to be directed by Bobby Farrelly, among others. But theres been nothing more about Cobra Kai at this writing.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!The Future of the Miyagi-VerseDaniel LaRusso will be back this May in a new feature film from Sony Columbia Pictures titled Karate Kid: Legends. The film will be a crossover with the original 1984 film and the 2011 remake starring Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith. Jackie will reprise Mr. Han, his unique take on Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita). The new Karate Kid on the block is Ben Wang, who had the lead role in the 2023 Disney+ series American Born Chinese.However, Heald, Hurwitz, and Schlossberg are not involved in Karate Kid: Legends. Like Star Treks Kelvin timeline, it could stand outside the Miyagi-verse that Counterbalance Entertainment has built with Cobra Kai. We have not seen the movie with full clarity, Heald told Den of Geek in an October 2024 interview. But at the same time, we are part of Sony who is making that movie and theres a desire to blend those franchises. The threesome went on to wish all the success for Macchio and this upcoming project.Cobra Kai ends happily. Johnny finds redemption at the Sekai Taikai and makes his peace with Daniel. Tory and Robby (Tanner Buchanan) get a lucrative contract representing the energy drink Thunder Quench. Miguel and Sam (Mary Mouser) are off on an adventure to Okinawa. The binary brothers Hawk (Jacob Bertrand) and Demetri (Gianni DeCenzo) are bound to Caltech. Chozen (Yuji Okumoto) visits Kim (Alicia Hannah-Kim) at her dojang in Korea. The Cobra Kai dojo has a line of aspiring students at the door, and even Stingray (Paul Walter Hauser) is back in uniform there. As the cast walks off into the sunset, the late 80s Guns N Roses hit Sweet Child O Mine plays. Where do we go? Where do we go now? Where do we go?Wed certainly love to see Johnny Lawrence again down the road, Hurwitz told Den of Geek following the season 6 part 2 finale. Wed love to see any of the kids and whats going on in their paths, whether its the binary brothers and Miguel and Tory or Robby or Samantha.Hurwitz could even imagine exploring the new villainous dojo introduced in season 6, the Iron Dragons: Theres so many different ways that we can go and we just love playing in this sandbox. And hopefully in the wake of Cobra Kai there will be opportunities to go down different paths.Cobra Kai never dies.Cobra Kai season 6 part 3 is now available on Netflix.