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 here Contents hide The Finals had a big week with the release of update 5.9.0. While this patch on its own delivered a couple of weapon buffs and nerfs, it was quickly followed by the much bigger release of Team Deathmatch. The arrival of TDM is no doubt fantastic, but fans will also be ecstatic to know that The Finals most hated OP gadget is finally getting a rework.The Finals devs confirm incoming rework for the stun gunIn The Finals update 5.8.0 patch notes, Embark confirmed an incoming rework for the stun gun:We hear you loud and clear: the Stun Gun needs some love (the other kind, not the Valentines kind). Were got some plans for this gadget and will give you more insight about the road ahead in Update 5.10.0. Save Up to $1,200 on the Samsung Galaxy S25! Pre-order now and save big with trade-in and Samsung credit. Limited time only! *Includes trade-in value + $300 Samsung credit. From the above statement, it appears the rework for the stun gun will be delivered in update 5.10.0. Not only that, but we should also learn of other intentions from Embark.Update 5.10.0 should come out on February 19th, and this is also when Embark is conducting another AMA on Reddit with the community. This will take place at 9AM PT/12PM ET/5PM GMT, and it is scheduled for two hours. Must-Listen: Publishing Manor Lords w/ Joe Robinson VideoGamer Podcast Listen Now Unfortunately, there are no other details provided about the stun gun rework. However, the fact its being reworked at all is fantastic news as the Light class gadget has been complained about incessantly. Medium and Heavy players universally agree that the gadget is too OP and unfun to play against, and several times in the past there have been calls for it to be removed.While we dont know what Embarks plans are for the rework, fans are happy with suggestions posted on Reddit. These rework suggestions include a 1-second charge up with an audio cue so its no longer instant with no warning. There is also the suggestion of not being able to sprint while charging.Fortunately, we dont have to wait too long for the stun gun rework to arrive. Hopefully the changes from Embark find the perfect middle ground so that the gadget is no longer too OP but doesnt become completely useless for the Light community.For more The Finals, check out our guide to thebest weapons in the game ranked, and we also have a guide to thebest gadgets. In addition, we have a guide to thebest FPS settingsto help you win matchesalong witharanking of the best classesin the game.The FinalsPlatform(s):PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series S/X, Xbox Series XGenre(s):Action, First-Person Shooter, ShooterRelated TopicsThe Finals Subscribe to our newsletters!By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.Share

Facepalm: You don't often hear an elected head of a country promoting a cryptocurrency, much less a memecoin, but that's exactly what Argentine President Javier Milei has done and you can imagine how it turned out. Merely hours after he endorsed $LIBRA, it crashed 95% from its peak, leading to angry investors and even legal action. The saga began when Milei, known for his crypto-friendly stance, took to social media to promote $LIBRA, touting it as a project dedicated to encouraging the growth of the Argentine economy by funding small local businesses. His post on X acted as a catalyst, propelling the token's market capitalization to a staggering $4.5 billion peak.However, the euphoria was short-lived. Within hours of Milei's endorsement, a group of eight wallets linked to the $LIBRA team cashed out a whopping $107 million, according to blockchain analytics firm Lookonchain. This triggered a catastrophic 95% crash in the token's market cap, plummeting its value to just $232 million.As the dust settled, accusations of an insider "rug pull" began to swirl. A rug pull is a scheme where developers cash out after artificially inflating a token's value. The result wasn't all that surprising considering an analytics firm called Bubblemaps had earlier warned that a staggering 83% of $LIBRA's supply was concentrated in a handful of wallets.In the face of the backlash, Milei swiftly deleted his endorsement post and distanced himself from the project, denying any connection to it. His subsequent post clarifying his role is quite something:"I was not aware of the details of the project and after having become aware of it I decided not to continue spreading the word (that is why I deleted the tweet). To the filthy rats of the political caste who want to take advantage of this situation to do harm, I want to say that every day they confirm how vile politicians are, and they increase our conviction to kick them in the ass," he wrote in Spanish. // Related StoriesThe exchange that verified the token, Jupiter, also sought to absolve itself of any wrongdoing. Kash Dhanda from the exchange asserted that Jupiter was not involved in the launch, deployment, or market making of $LIBRA.At the same time, Julian Peh, the CEO of KIP Protocol a Web3 firm associated with the project vehemently denied allegations of a rug pull. Peh claimed that KIP Protocol's involvement was limited to allocating capital to Argentine companies, not as the token issuer or trading entity.Things took a turn for the worse for President Milei when a group of Argentine lawyers escalated the matter by filing fraud charges. Jonatan Baldiviezo, one of the plaintiffs, accused Milei of being part of an "illicit association to commit an indeterminate number of frauds" in a statement to the AP. The case is expected to be assigned to a judge or referred to a prosecutor for further investigation.

Sorry About That!Excited about the Days Gone PS5 remaster, but only own the PS4 version through PS Plus? You're in for some bad newsMaybe PS Plus isn't all it's cut out to be. News by Oisin Kuhnke Contributor Published on Feb. 17, 2025 Sony announced that a PS5 remaster is on the way for Days Gone last week, only it comes with a bit of a snag for those that own it through PS Plus.At some point along the way, I couldn't tell you when because Sony gives out free games literally every month with PS Plus, Days Gone was one of the monthly titles, so anyone that claimed it at the time will now have it in their library. I'm sure many of you who got it that way would have been quite pleased with last week's news that a PS5 remaster is on the way for Days Gone, and owners of the PS4 version of the game only had to spend $10 to upgrade. That's all well and dandy, except for the fact that this upgrade path is only available for those who have actually paid for the physical or digital copy of the game, and not those who got it through PS Plus.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. This comes courtesy of the fine print on a post from Bend Studio explaining how you can upgrade your copy of the game for only $10, explaining that "PS4 game redemptions via PlayStation Plus are not eligible for upgrade." It feels like a bit of an odd choice to make, given that there are probably a number of players that would have been willing to pay 10 bucks for an upgrade like this, but perhaps Sony felt they would make more money from people buying the remaster outright. To see this content please enable targeting cookies.Days Gone was initially released on PS4 way back in 2019, and generally received pretty average reviews from critics, though generally seemed to have sold well enough. A sequel never materialised, and developer Bend Studio even made it clear that one isn't happening last year. Back in 2022 a movie adaptation was announced, but with little shared about it since, this remaster might be the last time we'll hear about the game.Days Gone Remastered is due out April 25 on PS5 and PC.

Captured on Nintendo Switch (Docked)It seems like an absurd notion these days, but after Tomb Raider made its debut in 1996, developer Core Design pumped out six mainline entries over the next eight years six. Its true that teams were able to turn projects around much more quickly in those days, as evidenced by franchises such as Resident Evil and Final Fantasy, but it was also a clear indication of just how popular Lara Croft had become, and how much publisher Eidos Interactive wanted to milk the series to within an inch of its life.The story goes that Core Design had grown weary of Tomb Raider by the time it commenced work on the fourth entry, The Last Revelation. Though keen to wean off Lara Croft and be done with the series, the team was ordered by Eidos to press on with even more Tomb Raider games. So while one group of devs reworked scrapped ideas from The Last Revelation to produce Tomb Raider: Chronicles, another moved development to the PS2 and began work on The Angel of Darkness.Captured on Nintendo Switch (Handheld/Undocked)Its clear, however, that Core Designs fatigue had ultimately resulted in two lacklustre experiences. Chronicles, while passable, lacks cohesion and feels like the video game equivalent of a deleted scenes special feature. Meanwhile, The Angel of Darkness is the result of a desperate attempt to inject some life into Tomb Raider which wound up being a severe overcorrection, buckling under the weight of ambition and mismanagement. It was credited as being the game that almost killed Tomb Raider, and now, thanks to Aspyr, its back to rear its ugly head on the Nintendo Switch in Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered.This second collection benefits from the same treatment Aspyr lavished upon its previous remastered trilogy. The graphics have been given a significant overhaul across all three games, with the option to revert to the original visuals at the press of a button. This time, however, the OG visuals now also come with an optional boost in frame rate; an upgrade that may prove titillating for series veterans, and one that we hope is retroactively added to the first collection.This is particularly welcome since the remastered graphics dont look particularly good at times. We mentioned in our review of I-III that the visual overhaul resulted in some scenes looking overly dark, but it's even more egregious here. Yes, the shinier graphics are objectively better than the blocky character models and environments from the PS1 days, but theres something quite charming and ethereal about Core Designs original vision that the remastered release simply cant replicate.Captured on Nintendo Switch (Docked)Which option you go for is likely dependent on how familiar you are with the original games. Newcomers will probably gravitate toward the remastered visuals, but having the original vision firmly intact with the added benefit of 60fps performance is undeniably appealing for those looking to recapture that late 90s nostalgia.This goes for the gameplay too. Little has changed here from the first trilogy's remaster, with Apsyr offering the original tank controls alongside a new modernised setup. The latter is functional and can help in certain situations, but the tank controls allow for easier execution of moves like the side jump. Much like the visuals, the modern controls are primarily there for newcomers, but wed probably recommend switching over to the tank setup for a more authentic take on the original games.Looking at the entries themselves, the collection starts off strong with The Last Revelation. Taking place almost entirely within Egypt, its a rollicking adventure that feels like the quintessential Tomb Raider experience. It gives us our best insight yet at the character of Lara Croft, putting us in the shoes of a younger, less experienced adventurer in the opening segment, before presenting us with some of the most devious puzzles yet as we explore the tombs and ruins of Karnak. Had the series ended here as Core Design originally intended, it would have gone out on a major high note.Captured on Nintendo Switch (Handheld/Undocked)Alas, Tomb Raider: Chronicles follows up with a disjointed look at some of Lara Crofts most dangerous expeditions in what can only be described as a sort of anthology. You start exploring the streets of Rome and face off against literal gladiators in a fun, albeit uninspired opening adventure.From there, youre infiltrating Russian submarines, facing off against ghosts as a teenage Lara Croft, and sneaking through a New York high-rise in black latex; a blatant nod toward The Matrix which, at the time, had been released just one year prior. Its a tolerable entry that series fans will enjoy, but Chronicles suffers from lacklustre level design and awful storytelling.Finally, The Angel of Darkness is about as bad as it was back in 2003. Despite some minor improvements to the controls and performance, along with some reinstated cut content, this remains the most bafflingly misguided entry in the entire series. Swapping out lush, tropical locales for the drab, rainy streets of Paris, it adds in an awful new stealth mechanic in which Lara can sneak and poke her head around corners. Not only that, returning abilities feel slow and unresponsive compared to the earlier entries.Captured on Nintendo Switch (Handheld/Undocked)Youve also got more open-ended sections (separated by infuriatingly frequent load screens) in which you can approach NPCs and engage in shallow conversations with added dialogue choices, and frankly, the tonal shift is incredibly jarring.Although wed never claim that The Angel of Darkness is a particularly fun experience, it is nevertheless a fascinating game to revisit. It is, in essence, a Tomb Raider game made by a studio that no longer wanted to make Tomb Raider games. Its influences, including Metal Gear Solid and even the works of film director David Fincher, are plain to see in hindsight, but its just a shame that none of it resulted in a game worth recommending.The release of Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered reminds us of Capcoms Mega Man Legacy Collection 2. Both contain games that, at the time of their original release, represented franchises in dire need of a break, and probably shouldnt have been made in the first place. But when played more than two decades later with more modern conveniences and smoother visuals, its easier to cast aside our old grievances and appreciate the intention behind their creation.Captured on Nintendo Switch (Docked)That said, if all youre bothered about is having a good time, then you might be best off either just playing through The Last Revelation, or even going one step further and sticking to the first remastered trilogy.One final thing to note is that we encountered a couple of instances in which the game would freeze after waking the Switch up from Sleep Mode. This happened once during a cutscene in which the visuals froze but the audio kept playing, and once during gameplay that ultimately resulted in a full reset of the game. Ensure you make liberal use of the manual save function until this particular issue is resolved.

Image: Damien McFerran / Nintendo LifeThe Switch itself often comes across as a fragile little device. The Joy-Con will drift, the stand will break, the rails will wobble. But never again will we say a bad word about the console's game cases; those resilient little guys can fend off the elements.At least, that's what Reddit user DemureSow discovered last week after a fire from a power strip short circuiting engulfed their bedroom in flames. Fortunately, everyone escaped unharmed and firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze, but most of their belongings, physical game collection included, were destroyed.Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube796kWatch on YouTube You would think that a disaster as serious as this one would lay waste to everything it touches, but not those precious Switch carts. Rather than succumbing to the flames, the Nintendo Switch boxes stepped up to the plate and provided an unexpected level of protection, keeping the games within safe and sound.Naturally, the boxes themselves took quite the beating (as the following Reddit post shows), but, prying the melted mass of plastic apart with a hammer and screwdriver, DemureSow found that no such damage had befallen the all-important carts. In fact, looking at the follow-up photo of the carts themselves, you wouldn't assume there was anything wrong with them, let alone that they had just been in a house fire.The real kicker? All of the games still work. Replying in the above thread, DemureSow said that they have tested each cart, and everything is in working order. Of course, the important thing is that everyone made it out okay, but it's going to take more than a little heat damage to stop those cases from doing their job!Between these boxes and the Gulf War Game Boy, Nintendo has history with some pretty sturdy designs, eh? It's going back to RedmondWhat do you make of these Switch carts defying the odds? Let us know in the comments.[source reddit.com]See AlsoShare:01 Jim came to Nintendo Life in 2022 and, despite his insistence that The Minish Cap is the best Zelda game and his unwavering love for the Star Wars prequels (yes, really), he has continued to write news and features on the site ever since. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...Related ArticlesMetroid Prime First 4 Figures 'Samus Phazon Suit' Sneak Peek, Pre-Orders Open SoonUpdate: Here's a teaser of the light-up collector's edition98 Games You Should Pick Up In Nintendo's 'Play On' eShop Sale (Europe)Every game we scored 9/10 or higherSonic Racing: CrossWorlds Adds Characters From "SEGA Universes"Update: IGN has an exclusive preview upSwitch 2 Units Are Reportedly Selling For $40,000 On The Chinese Black MarketOr $50 trade-in at GameStopLunar Remastered Collection Physical Release Will Not Be Up For Pre-Order (North America)You'll have to wait until release

In BriefPosted:9:07 AM PST February 17, 2025Image Credits:MirageC (opens in a new window) / Getty ImagesAre your noise-canceling headphones messing with your head?We all know headphones can be bad for your hearing if you listen to sounds too loudly in such close proximity to your ears. But a BBC report suggests that a new health scare could be emerging around the noise-canceling feature thats hugely popular in modern earphones.The article considers whether the technology could essentially be rewiring the brains of people who regularly try to tune out pesky background noise using noise cancelation reporting on the experience of a 25-year-old British woman who found she had trouble focusing on sounds and was subsequently diagnosed with audio processing disorder (APD). A previous hearing test came back normal. APD is a neurological condition affecting the brains ability to understand sounds and spoken words.Five audiology departments in the U.K.s National Health Service told the BBC that there has been a rise in the number of young people referred to them with similar issues related to their ability to process sounds. So the question is: whats interfering with normal brain functioning in such cases?One theory posited by the article is that noise-canceling tech could be leading to the brain forgetting how to filter sounds itself. The patients audiologist has also called for more research into the impact of the technology.Topics

In BriefPosted:9:03 AM PST February 17, 2025Image Credits:Getty ImagesThe New York Times has greenlit AI tools for product and edit staffThe New York Times is now allowing its product and editorial teams to use AI tools, which might one day write social copy, SEO headlines, and code, reports Semafor.The news came to staff via an email, in which the publication announced the debut of its new internal AI summary tool called Echo.The New York Times also shared a suite of AI products that staff could use to build web products or develop editorial ideas, alongside editorial guidelines for using AI tools. The papers editorial staff is encouraged to use AI tools to suggest edits, brainstorm interview questions, and help with research. At the same time, staff was warned not to use AI to draft or significantly revise an article or input confidential source information.Those guidelines also suggest the Times might use AI to implement digitally voiced articles and translations into other languages.Semafor reports that The Times said it would approve AI programs like GitHub Copilot programming assistant for coding, Googles Vertex AI for product development, NotebookLM, some Amazon AI products, and OpenAIs non-ChatGPT API through a business account.The New York Timess embrace of AI tools comes as it is still embroiled in a lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft for allegedly violating copyright law by training generative AI on the publishers content.Topics

FOXs Bobs Burgers episode, Saving Favorite Drive-In, written by Katie Crown, took the top animation award at theWriters Guild of AmericaWest (WGAW) and Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) WGA Awards, which celebrate outstanding achievement in television, new media, news, radio/audio, and promotional. The winners were honored this past Saturday at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles.The FX/Hulu historical epic series, Shgun, took home three awards including Best Drama Series and Best New Series. HBO/Maxs DC comics-based crime drama, The Penguin, won for Best Limited Series.The complete list of winners and nominees can be foundhere. Animation and VFX-related winners are as follows:SCREENPLAY NOMINEESADAPTED SCREENPLAYA Complete Unknown, Screenplay byJames MangoldandJay Cocks, Based on the BookDylan Goes Electric!by Elijah Wald; Searchlight PicturesDune: Part 2, Screenplay byDenis VilleneuveandJon Spaihts, Based on the NovelDuneby Frank Herbert; Warner Bros. PicturesHit Man, Screenplay byRichard Linklater & Glen Powell, Based on theTexas MonthlyArticle by Skip Hollandsworth; NetflixNickel Boys, Screenplay byRaMell Ross & Joslyn Barnes, Based on the BookThe Nickel Boysby Colson Whitehead; Orion Pictures/Amazon MGM Studios (winner)Wicked, Screenplay byWinnie HolzmanandWinnie Holzman & Dana Fox, Based on the musical stage play with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and book by Winnie Holzman, From the Novel by Gregory Maguire; Universal PicturesTELEVISION, STREAMING, AND NEWS NOMINEESANIMATIONBottle Episode (The Simpsons), Written byRob LaZebnik & Johnny LaZebnik; FoxCremains of the Day (The Simpsons), Written byJohn Frink; FoxNight of the Living Wage (The Simpsons), Written byCesar Mazariegos; FoxSaving Favorite Drive-In (Bobs Burgers), Written byKatie Crown; Fox (winner)The Tina Table: The Tables Have Tina-ed (Bobs Burgers), Written byGreg Thompson; FoxWinter Is Born (Blood of Zeus), Written byCharles Parlapanides & Vlas Parlapanides; NetflixDRAMA SERIESThe Boys, Written byGeoff Aull, Jessica Chou, Paul Grellong, Eric Kripke, Ellie Monahan, Judalina Neira, David Reed, Anslem Richardson;Prime VideoThe Diplomat, Written byPeter Ackerman, Eli Attie, Debora Cahn, Anna Hagen, Julianna Dudley Meagher, Peter Noah; NetflixFallout, Written byJake Bender, Karey Dornetto, Zach Dunn, Kieran Fitzgerald, Chaz Hawkins, Lisa Joy, Carson Mell, Jonathan Nolan, Geneva Robertson-Dworet, Gursimran Sandhu, Graham Wagner; Prime VideoMr. & Mrs. Smith, Written byCarla Ching, Adamma Ebo, Adanne Ebo, Donald Glover, Stephen Glover, Schuyler Pappas, Francesca Sloane, Yvonne Hana Yi; Prime VideoShgun, Written byShannon Goss, Maegan Houang, Rachel Kondo, Matt Lambert, Justin Marks, Caillin Puente, Nigel Williams, Emily Yoshida; FX/Hulu (winner)NEW SERIESEnglish Teacher, Written byBrian Jordan Alvarez, Wally Baram, Jake Bender, Emmy Blotnick, Zach Dunn, Dave King, Stephanie Koenig, Jonathan Krisel, Paul Simms, Samantha Shier; FX/HuluFallout, Written byJake Bender, Karey Dornetto, Zach Dunn, Kieran Fitzgerald, Chaz Hawkins, Lisa Joy, Carson Mell, Jonathan Nolan, Geneva Robertson-Dworet, Gursimran Sandhu, Graham Wagner; Prime VideoMr. & Mrs. Smith, Written byCarla Ching, Adamma Ebo, Adanne Ebo, Donald Glover, Stephen Glover, Schuyler Pappas, Francesca Sloane, Yvonne Hana Yi; Prime VideoNobody Wants This, Written byBarbie Adler, Jane Becker, Jack Burditt, Vali Chandrasekaran, Craig DiGregorio, Erin Foster, Lindsay Golder, Steven Levitan, Pat Regan, Niki Schwartz-Wright, Neel Shah, Noelle Valdivia, Ron Weiner, Ryann Werner; NetflixShgun, Written byShannon Goss, Maegan Houang, Rachel Kondo, Matt Lambert, Justin Marks, Caillin Puente, Nigel Williams, Emily Yoshida; FX/Hulu (winner)LIMITED SERIESThe Penguin, Written byVladimir Cvetko, Breannah Gibson, Erika L. Johnson, Lauren LeFranc, Corina Maritescu, Megan Martin, John McCutcheon, Shaye Ogbonna, Nick Towne, Noelle Valdivia, Kira Snyder; HBO | Max (winner)Presumed Innocent, Written byMiki Johnson, David E. Kelley, Sharr White; Apple TV+Ripley, Written bySteven Zaillian; NetflixSay Nothing, Written byClare Barron, Joe Murtagh, Kirsten Sheridan, Joshua Zetumer; FX/HuluTrue Detective: Night Country, Written byKatrina Albright, Alan Page Arriaga, Namsi Khan, Issa Lpez, Chris Mundy, Wenonah Wilms; HBO | MaxSource: WGA Dan Sarto is Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network.

Nick Park and Merlin Crossinghams stop-motion comedy, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl and Denis Villeneuves gritty sci-fi drama, Dune: Part Two, were two of the big winners at last nights 2025 EEBAFTAFilm Awards in a ceremony hosted by David Tennant at The Royal Festival Hall in London. The Aardman and Netflix comedy caper took home awards for Best Animated Film as well as for Best Childrens & Family Film, while the Warner Bros. Dune sequel won for Best Special Visual Effects and Best Sound.Nina Gantzs stop-motion dark comedy short, Wander to Wonder, took home the award for Best British Short Animation, while Jon M. Chus musical adventure, Wicked, won for Best Production Design and Best Costume Design.Both Dune: Part Two and Wicked each received seven nominations overall.Heres a rundown of the best films, animated films, and visual effects-driven nominees and winners (a complete list of nominees is availablehere):BEST FILMAnoraThe BrutalistA Complete UnknownConclave (winner)Emilia PrezOUTSTANDING BRITISH FILMBirdBlitzConclave (winner)Gladiator IIHard TruthsKneecapLeeLove Lies BleedingThe OutrunWallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most FowlCHILDRENS & FAMILY FILMFlowKensukes KingdomWallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (winner)Nick Park, Merlin Crossingham, and Rickard BeekThe Wild RobotANIMATED FILMFlowInside Out 2Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (winner)Nick Park, Merlin Crossingham, and Rickard BeekThe Wild RobotPRODUCTION DESIGNThe BrutalistConclaveDune: Part TwoNosferatuWicked (winner)Nathan Crowley and Lee SandalesSPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTSBetter ManDune: Part Two (winner)Paul Lambert, Stephen James, Gerd Nefzer, and Rhys SalcombeGladiator IIKingdom of the Planet of the ApesWickedBRITISH SHORT ANIMATIONAdisMogs ChristmasWander to Wonder(winner)Nina Gantz, Stienette Bosklopper, Simon Cartwright, and Maarten SwartSource: The British Academy of Film and Television Arts Dan Sarto is Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network.

Breakdown & ShowreelsWicked: VFX Showreel by FramestoreBy Vincent Frei - 17/02/2025 Experience the wonder behind Wicked. With Framestore at the helm, each scene unfolds with stunning landscapes and mesmerizing creatures that captivate the imagination!WANT TO KNOW MORE?Framestore: Dedicated page about Wicked on Framestore website. Vincent Frei The Art of VFX 2025