Each week on Polygon, we round up the most notable new releases to streaming and VOD, highlighting the biggest and best new movies for you to watch at home.This week, Blink Twice, the new psychological horror movie from actor-director Zo Kravitz, is available for purchase and rent on VOD, after its theatrical premiere last month. Theres also the horror thriller Cuckoo, starring Hunter Schafer, which is also available to rent and purchase on VOD. If neither of those interest you, dont worry; theres tons of other new releases to stream this week, like Jane Schoenbruns I Saw the TV Glow on Max, Luca Guadagninos Challengers, the Norwegian horror mystery Handling the Undead on Hulu, and more!Heres everything new thats available to watch this weekend!New on NetflixHis Three DaughtersWhere to watch: Available to stream on NetflixGenre: DramaRun time: 1h 41mDirector: Azazel JacobsCast: Carrie Coon, Natasha Lyonne, Elizabeth OlsenThis family drama follows three estranged sisters who reunite during their ailing fathers final days. The tension between the three is further exacerbated because one of them is not biologically related to the rest. Old animosity flares up, but the three must overcome their differences in order to spend their final moments with their father.The Garfield MovieWhere to watch: Available to stream on NetflixGenre:Adventure comedyRun time:1h 41mDirector:Mark DindalCast:Chris Pratt, Samuel L. Jackson, Hannah WaddinghamIts Chris Pratt! As Garfield! The lazy orange cat reunites with his long-lost father, Vic (voiced by Samuel L. Jackson, of all people). Along with Odie, Vic and Garfield plan a heist of a farm so that they can steal a lot of milk in order to appease the Persian cat crime boss that Vic works for. The movie comes by way of director Mark Dindal, best known forThe Emperors New Groove.New on HuluHandling the UndeadWhere to watch: Available to stream on HuluGenre:Horror dramaRun time:1h 37mDirector:Thea HvistendahlCast:Renate Reinsve, Anders Danielsen Lie, Bahar ParsTheres tons of horror movies about the dead coming back to life. None of them are quite likeHandling the Undead, though. Based on John Ajvide Lindqvists 2005 novel, the film follows the story of three families living in Oslo whose loved ones all mysteriously rise from the dead as semi-sentient corpses. How will they handle this new phenomenon, and is it a second chance to say goodbye or a curse?New on MaxI Saw the TV GlowWhere to watch: Available to stream on MaxGenre: Psychological horrorRun time: 1h 40mDirector: Jane SchoenbrunCast: Justice Smith, Brigette Lundy-Paine, Helena HowardIf you somehow havent yet had the opportunity to watch Jane Schoenbruns critically acclaimed psychological horror drama, dont worry: There is still time, especially now that the film is available to stream on Max. Justice Smith stars as Owen, an isolated teenager who forms a bond with an older classmate, Maddy (Brigette Lundy-Paine), over a television series called The Pink Opaque. As the years wear on, however, it gradually becomes clear to Owen that theres more to the show and his own reality than meets the eye.New on Prime VideoChallengersWhere to watch: Available to stream on Prime VideoGenre:Sports dramaRun time:2h 11mDirector:Luca GuadagninoCast:Zendaya, Josh OConnor, Mike FaistLuca Guadagninos sensual sports drama, about a love triangle in professional tennis, has set certain circles of the world on fire since its release in late April, and it isone of the best movies of the year. Now, you can enjoy it at home.From ourreview:That script is a terrific three-course meal for Faist and OConnor. They get to trade off face and heel roles from scene to scene and era to era, as Art and Patrick help and hurt each other in equal measure. But its an absolute smorgasbord for Zendaya, whoeven in starring roleshasnever been given this much roomto stretch. Tashi is a gratifyingly rich character, both righteously angry over the thwarting of her ambitions and cruelly angry at all the men who have the nerve to keep on playing the game that was taken away from her. Shes hungry for affection and withholding it at the same time, by turns sensually curious and coldly dispassionate, ambitious and exhausted, conflicted and confident. Shes the kind of character that media masters theses are made of, and unpicking Tashis conflicting motives and how she integrates them is likely to become a pop culture obsession in the months to come.New on AMC PlusDandelionWhere to watch: Available to stream on AMC PlusGenre:DramaRun time:1h 53mDirector:Nicole RiegelCast:KiKi Layne, Thomas Doherty, Melanie Nicholls-KingKiKi Layne (If Beale Street Could Talk) stars in this musical drama as Dandelion, a struggling singer-songwriter who travels the country performing gigs, all the while yearning for a career breakthrough she fears will never happen. After striking up a romance with Casey (Thomas Doherty), a fellow disgruntled musician, their love proves to be the inadvertent catalyst for Dandelions discovery of an authentic artistic voice all her own.New to rentCuckooWhere to watch: Available to rent on Amazon, Apple, and VuduGenre: HorrorRun time: 1h 42mDirector: Tilman SingerCast: Hunter Schafer, Dan Stevens, Jessica HenwickHunter Schafer (Euphoria) stars in this horror movie as Gretchen, a teenager grieving the recent loss of her mother. After being forced to move to the Bavarian Alps by her father and stepmother, she is hired to work for Herr Knig (Dan Stevens), the owner of the hotel her parents have been hired to help build. However, Gretchen soon discovers theres something far more sinister going on under the surface of this idyllic resort.Blink TwiceWhere to watch: Available to rent on Amazon, Apple, and VuduGenre: Psychological thrillerRun time: 1h 42mDirector: Zo KravitzCast: Naomi Ackie, Channing Tatum, Christian SlaterZo Kravitzs directorial debut is a psychological thriller about a cocktail waitress named Frida (Naomi Ackie) who gets whisked away to a private island by a tech mogul for a lavish partying getaway. But Frida begins to notice that something strange is happening with the female guests. Fun fact: The films working title wasPussy Island, but the Motion Picture Association had an issue with that.Omni LoopWhere to watch: Available to rent on Amazon, Apple, and VuduGenre: Sci-fi dramaRun time: 1h 47mDirector: Bernardo BrittoCast: Mary-Louise Parker, Ayo Edebiri, Carlos JacottOmni Looppremiered at 2024s South by Southwest festival. Its a science fiction drama about a Florida woman named Zoya (Mary-Louise Parker) who partners up with a scientist in order to solve time travel, because of the black hole growing inside of her chest. Its not just time travel but a time loop and a whole lotta timey-wimey funk happening as Zoya confronts her life and her regrets.AfraidWhere to watch: Available to rent on Amazon, Apple, and VuduGenre: Sci-fi horrorRun time: 1h 24mDirector: Chris WeitzCast: John Cho, Katherine Waterston, Havana Rose LiuRemember Smart House, that 1999 sci-fi comedy about a fully automated house voiced by Katey Sagal that goes haywire? Well, imagine if that movie was a horror thriller instead and youve got the gist of Afraid, the new film from director Chris Weitz (The Golden Compass, The Twilight Saga: New Moon) starring John Cho and Katherine Waterston.When a happy family decides to test out AIA (Havana Rose Liu), a commercial artificial intelligence designed to help them better organize their home life, they couldnt be happier with the results. That is, until the AI starts psychologically manipulating the family and harming people close to them in its twisted desire to be a part of the family.SlingshotWhere to watch: Available to rent on Amazon, Apple, and VuduGenre: Sci-fi thrillerRun time: 1h 48mDirector: Mikael HfstrmCast: Casey Affleck, Laurence Fishburne, Emily BeechamThis sci-fi thriller stars Casey Affleck (Manchester by the Sea) as John, an astronaut aboard an experimental spacecraft designed to make a years-long mission to Saturns moon Titan. When the passengers aboard the ship begin to suspect that the mission has somehow been compromised, John must work alongside the ships captain (Laurence Fishburne) in order to find a solution and survive.

This report comes from Fantastic Fest 2024, the annual genre film festival in Austin, Texas. Well have more reports from the ground throughout the fest.Alexandre Ajas gothic horror movie Never Let Go is all about playing clever games with audience expectations. Halle Berry stars as a harried woman (in the credits, simply Mama) raising two young twins, Sam (Anthony B. Jenkins) and Nolan (Percy Daggs IV), in a rural forest cabin she sees as the familys only defense against the Evil. In her telling, the shape-changing, ever-present Evil has possessed everyone in the world except her and her sons, and they have to observe certain rituals to keep it at bay, including remaining tied to the houses foundations with thick rope if they set foot outside its walls. Mama claims even a single touch from a manifestation of the evil will permanently corrupt any of the family members.Viewers are intended to wonder from the movies very beginning whether June is really the last bastion of hope, fighting to save her kids, or suffers from mental illness, and doing her best to inculcate her delusions into her kids. Sam and Nolan disagree on the issue, which drives a significant part of the movies conflict. Either way, though, Berry told the audience after a screening of the new film at Fantastic Fest, Mama is fucking crazy.Whatever you believe to be true after watching the movie, growing two children in a house in the middle of the woods all by yourself, youve been made crazy! Berry said. Thats crazy-making, right? Thats fucking crazy-making. So at the end of the day, why shes crazy isnt the question, you know? Its undeniable. Shes crazy. Shes been made crazy for some reason, whether born that way or made that way. Shes struggling to keep it all together.Berry said that implied darkness a character so damaged by experience that it doesnt matter whether those experiences are internal or external is what drew her to the movie in the first place.I love anytime I get to lose myself inside of a character, and we get to forget who I am, and I get to put on this skin and the character of someone else, she said. And it was really important, as Alex said when we first met I talked about not losing the darkness of Mama. Ive played other mother roles, and Ive always been that mother whos been fighting for her children, and shes been very relatable. And for me, this was a different mother. I wanted to lean into the complexity of a mother.At one point in the movie, viewers get a strong hint that Mama was abused as a child, while other elements suggest that mental illness runs in her family, and that if shes delusional, its a delusion that may have been passed down from a previous generation. Still, Berry pointed out, its clear that Mama loves and is devoted to Sam and Nolan, even if that love is harming them. All of her complexity and her darkness aside, I connected to that feeling of being a parent, birthing two children, Berry said. What connected me to this mother and this world was a beautiful tapestry to put on display, what it is to be a mother in any circumstance. And thats why when I read the script and I heard Alex was directing, I was like, Yes, sign me up.Never Let Go is in theaters now.

The recent success of Space Marine 2 means that many people are looking more into these heavily armored, transhuman soldiers of Warhammer 40K and all of the war crimes they commit in defense of the Imperium of Man. A newly released Warhammer 40K fan-made animation, called The Awakening, by Gabriel Christtiane shows off nearly a full hour of Space Marines in particular, the secretive and stoic Dark Angels as they face off against the enigmatic machine race known as the Necrons.Community members, like YouTuber Baldemort, and audio drama narrator A Vox in the Void, play characters in The Awakening. However, most of the focus is on the spectacle of seeing the Dark Angels in action, lining up en masse with Thunder Hammers and bolters in order to stand strong against the ancient and far more technically evolved Necrons. Seeing two cool armies face off is a good 40% of the appeal of Warhammer 40,000, but Christtiane also sneaks in all kinds of Easter eggs and little touches as an extra treat to fans.Christtiane has been working on the project for nearly four years, and collaborated with Legio Symphonica for the audio and music. In the description for the video, Christtiane writes: It was created as a desire to tell the story of our beloved universe and to bring goodwill and new fans to the Warhammer brand, as well as to please all existing fans.Warhammer 40K fans are some of the most dedicated around; after all, this is a franchise with hundreds of books, many video games, and a whole subscription service in Warhammer Plus. And the hobbys depth is rewarded with creations from devoted fans, some of whom are willing to spend blood, sweat, and tears in order to create an original work of animation as in-depth as this one.

Fall used to be clearer a shift in the wind, a turn of the leaves, inescapable pumpkin spice bullshit. Now those ecological markers are often askew, and the crisp autumn air might not make its way until school is already well in session. But one sure way to invoke fall, with all its rustic and rust-colored pleasures, is to watch Over the Garden Wall.There was once a time when you could stream Over the Garden Wall on Max and Hulu. Last year that changed: Starting Sept. 1, it was scuttled from Max and only available on Hulu. And this year, the winds of change briefly got even more dire, with Over the Garden Wall creator Patrick McHale sharing (in a now-deleted tweet) that Hulu was removing the show now as well a huge blow considering it was the last place to legally stream it with just a subscription.Thankfully, the rock facts came just as swiftly as the cause for alarm: McHale updated on Friday saying that after all that Over the Garden Wall was not leaving Hulu. Over the Garden Wall is NOT leaving Hulu! Just got official confirmation! (Most episodes are already back up and the rest should be up before too long). Phew!Happy Fall everyone! pic.twitter.com/7cbnIzbMyL Patrick McHale (@Patrick_McHale) September 20, 2024Who knows why the gods of streaming saw fit to shuffle this one off another platform just at the time we need it most, even temporarily, but its as good a reason as any to remind us to find a way to ring fall one way or another, with all its ephemerality, weather or streaming services be damned.You need only spend a few minutes with Wirt (Elijah Wood) and Greg (Collin Dean) to understand why these two brothers are the perfect companions to ring in the season. Lost in some woods dubbed the Unknown they happen upon one conundrum after the next, each one more alternately spooky or spoopy than the last, as they struggle to make their way home.Over the Garden Wall excels at flitting back and forth between a fantastical world and one far more like our own. It doesnt take long for Wirt and Greg to feel like your own travel companions, with everyone in awe of the vividly drawn world in their own way (Greg, for instance, completely jibes with it). You stumble upon a town where all the people have pumpkin heads and sing a harvest song while dancing around an autumnal maypole structure. Maybe it is some kind of weird cult where they wear vegetable costumes and dance around a big thing, but who cares! They seem nice enough. But maybe Beatrice (Melanie Lynskey), the talking bird youve arrived with, is right, and its something far darker and more mystical.Where other shows might feel the need to rush to define the world, Over the Garden Wall simply is, jumping rope with that line as it bounds through its Unknown. Its a charming liminal space, and if audiences are game to indulge it, theyll find the unraveling of the mysteries Greg, Wirt, and Beatrice encounter rewarding.With Wirts worry and Gregs easy delight, Over the Garden Wall elegantly balances the dual feelings of changing seasons. Like any claymation Christmas special, it is true seasonal programming; Max (and briefly Hulu) should know better than to let it exit when the cool winds of fall are just around the corner (hopefully). While it lives on elsewhere, no one should have to subscribe to every streaming channel just to keep up with the fruit of the season, and even then still miss the crispest autumnal tiding out there leaving it no longer legally streaming anywhere. But, asOver the Garden Wallteaches us, sometimes its worth undergoing some hardship to find the sweet reward at the end. So mark your calendars: Its Autumn August now. Happy harvest, all.Over the Garden Wall was once streaming on Max and Hulu. Its now officially just streaming on Hulu, or you can buy it for about $10 on Prime Video.Update (Sept. 20, 2024, 12:39 p.m. EDT): This post has been updated to reflect that Over the Garden Wall is, for some godforsaken reason, streaming even fewer places now.Update (Sept. 20, 2024, 3 p.m. EDT): This post has been updated to reflect that Enoch blessed us by returning Over the Garden Wall to Hulu.

The world of Rebel Moon is about to get a little bigger. Not with another movie just yet, unfortunately, but with a new mobile game from Netflix Games. The new game is called Rebel Moon: Blood Line, and while Netflix announced that the game was in development over a year ago, it wasnt until Thursdays Geeked Week presentation that we got our first look at the squad-based action game.Netflixs Geeked Week presentation showed off a little bit of gameplay from Blood Line, along with a few words from the developers at Super Evil Megacorp. The trailer also showed off some footage, including the top-down shooting that makes up most of the core gameplay loop.Ahead of the Netflix event, Polygon had the opportunity to play some of Rebel Moon: Blood Line, and chat with the developers about what it was like to take on a video game project in this original sci-fi world.The game is set within the universe of Rebel Moon, but is largely separate from the plot of Zack Snyders movies. The idea for the game started shortly after development of the film, the team says, with Snyder and crew handing over scripts and other world-building materials to Super Evil Megacorp and letting the team run wild with their ideas for how to expand the world. The track they chose involved diving into a new segment of the universe and expanding on some of the factions of the Imperium and the rebellion that we see briefly in the movies, but dont get much backstory on. The game takes place on a planet called Krypt, where you help the rebel faction fight back against the overwhelming might of the Imperium.While its status as a mobile tie-in game to a blockbuster movie franchise may still carry some baggage, Rebel Moon: Blood Lines gameplay is surprisingly deep and fun. Similar to other short mission-style games like Helldivers (which the team noted as a definite inspiration), the game starts players (up to four in a squad) in the rebels home base, where you can run around and edit your loadout, customize your appearance, glean a few details about the story and the larger Rebel Moon universe, or select missions.The missions we played were quick, small-scale skirmishes that lasted about 5-15 minutes each. They were fast-paced and tasked us with completing a variety of unique objectives while wave after wave of enemies rushed us from all sides. While the easiest level we played didnt feel too tough, ramping up the difficulty increased the enemy numbers until it became a bit of a challenge (and a whole lot more entertaining). All of this was made significantly better by the games unique classes.The game can be played single player, but playing with a full squad is where it really shines, especially if each of you takes on a different class. The game includes four unique classes, but its easier to think of them in the traditional roles they might occupy in other games: Bannerguard is the tank, Evoker is the healer, Kindred is the bow-wielding ranged DPS, and Forsaken is the stealthy quick melee DPS option. Each class has a variety of unique abilities that pair well with each other, including crowd control for the Kindred, a taunt for the Bannerguard, and a few high-damage and quick repositioning abilities for the Forsaken. Its easy to see how the higher difficulty levels could make these abilities really shine for example, making it even more important for the Bannerguard to take aggro from the many enemies on screen and get heals from the Evoker to let the rest of the squad do damage without worrying about taking damage.Each of these classes also has a massive litany of upgrades available to earn, either through in-game currency you gain from missions or by leveling up each individual class. These upgrades seemed interesting, and appear to be Super Evil Megacorps primary incentive for people to stick with the game, but in our short demo we didnt have a chance to really dive into the details, or learn how much they really change the core gameplay loop.Another thing we didnt get a great sense of in the demo was just how much this game digs into the larger world of Rebel Moon. While the original release versions of the movie dont do a great job of showing it, the directors cuts revealed that Rebel Moons world (best described as a mashup of Warhammer 40K and Star Wars) is fascinating and filled with weird, cool-as-hell lore. An action RPG like Rebel Moon: Blood Line seems like the perfect place to show off all the sick details that make this world tick, but they were tough to notice in the snippet of gameplay we experienced.Super Evil Megacorp was clear the game was only in alpha at the moment and that the classes and gameplay were what was most locked down. That part felt great. Of course, only time will tell how sticky the game will prove with players, or if its mobile platform will hold it back as the levels get harder, but for now it seems to be off to a pretty promising start and it might at least be a great holdover until the conclusion of the movie trilogy arrives.Rebel Moon: Blood Line doesnt have a release date just yet, but it will have a beta in the near future. When its released, the game will be available to download for anyone with a Netflix subscription and a supported device to play it on.

Maxs The Penguin isnt the first TV series to come from Hollywoods fascination with Gotham Citys seedy underbelly, but it might be the one most committed to staying away from any whiff of Batman or Arkham Asylums monikered rogues gallery. Case in point: Even its one Arkham patient, Sofia Falcone, aka the Hangman, is straight out of Batmans great mafia fiction era.[Ed. note: This piece contains spoilers for The Penguins premiere episode, After Hours.]The Penguin introduces Sofia Falcone, daughter of the Falcone crime family played by actor Cristin Milioti, as maybe the scariest player jostling for the Falcone crown. Sofia could be a shoo-in to follow her fathers death in 2022s The Batman and her brothers demise in The Penguins premiere, but her path is hampered by general mafia sexism, and also the perception that shes not mentally fit to be a boss.Sofia, Penguin tells us, just got out of Arkham Asylum, and, in a past life, she committed a string of murders. But who did she kill, and why did it earn her the nom de guerre of the Hangman? The Penguin hasnt laid out its own answers to that just yet but the DC Comics stories that Sofia originated in have.A little on Sofia Falcone in DC ComicsSofia first appeared in Batman: The Long Halloween, a 1996 miniseries from writer Jeph Loeb and artist Tim Sale thats one of the best Batman mystery stories to grace the page and indisputably one of the most cinema-influential modern Batman comics. Long Halloween followed Batman and other characters as they sought the real identity of the serial killer Holiday, who preyed on members of Gothams mafia elite. Sofia comes in about halfway through the story, right after she gets out of prison.Regular prison, that is, not Arkham Asylum. Rather than the family pariah, Long Halloweens Sofia is Carmine Falcones beloved daughter and best enforcer. Also shes, like, a total brick shithouse nicknamed Sofia Gigante.Sofia wouldnt get her serial killer cred until Long Halloweens sequel, Batman: Dark Victory, where she turned out to be the mysterious serial killer the Hangman. Thats a huge spoiler for Dark Victory, but, well, blame The Penguin, not us.Who did the Hangman kill?As the Hangman, Sofia preyed on police and other law enforcement figures (largely corrupt ones, because this is Gotham City). She would surprise her victims with a noose and leave them hanging in plain sight, with her calling card pinned to their chest: half-finished hangman games, scrawled on papers taken from Harvey Dents pre-villain-turn office desk.The point of it all was revenge: At the climax of The Long Halloween, Harvey (as Two-Face) had executed her father, Carmine Falcone, and all of Hangmans victims were people who had helped Harvey build his career. Sofia, who had survived a fall from Carmines rooftop penthouse at the end of Long Halloween, escaped suspicion for most of the story by pretending that the fall had paralyzed her from the neck down.The Penguin isnt the first grounded Batman TV series to tap Sofia for the spotlight Crystal Reed (Teen Wolf) played her for multiple seasons of Gotham. Shes a natural fit for a series looking to play around with succession in the Falcone family and dabble in a more traditional true-crime sort of supervillain. Sofia dies at the hands of Two-Face at the end of Dark Victory, so her comics presence has remained contained within it and The Long Halloween.In addition to being mystery stories, and serving as origin tales for Two-Face and Robin, Long Halloween and Dark Victory asked the question: But how, exactly, did Gotham City transition from the mafia-dominated underworld of Batman: Year One to the chaotic, theatrical crime sprees of a loose community of costumed murderers? Part of that transition, Loeb and Sale put forward, was that the scions of Gothams great crime families turned to serial murder and calling cards themselves.But is The Penguin also interested in following that particular transition, or will it maintain its commitment to staying away from Batmans monikered rogues? Thats for the rest of the miniseries episodes to show us.

January is no longer solely the playground for movies studios want to sink. And the start of 2025 is gearing up to be very exciting for people who like fun genre movies.Consider the last few years of January releases: In 2023, we got the genre thriller Underwater and a fun franchise return in Bad Boys for Life; M3GAN, Plane, Sick, and Missing; 2024s crop included action standouts Mayhem! and The Beekeeper.But January 2025s lineup takes the month to a whole new level. Theres Mickey 17, Bong Joon-hos sci-fi comedy with Robert Pattinson doing a delightfully weird voice. Theres Den of Thieves 2: Pantera, the follow-up to the LA heist thriller Dirtbag Heat Den of Thieves, which looks like an absolute blast. (See the new trailer at the top of this story.)Steven Soderbergh has a new ghost movie coming out! Horror master Leigh Whannell (The Invisible Man) continues his run through classic monster remakes with Wolf Man! Guy Ritchie, who has been on an absolute heater, has a new action adventure movie starring three of his recent collaborators: Henry Cavill, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Eiza Gonzlez. The Beekeepers David Ayer and Jason Statham are teaming up again on Levons Trade, an action thriller written by Sylvester Stallone. Cameron Diaz is returning to the action-comedy genre, partnering up with Jamie Foxx in Back in Action, a movie from comedy director Seth Gordon with action directed by the great J.J. Perry.January 2025 at the movies is going to rule. See you there.

Whats a witch without her dark magical secrets? Marvels Agatha All Along miniseries has one front and center. The starring turn for Kathryn Hahns diabolical Agatha Harkness, last seen in 2021s WandaVision, features a plucky young witchy wannabe initially only as Teen, and played by Heartstoppers Joe Locke.The characters real name has not yet been stated: As of tonights premiere episodes, theres a clear magic effect keeping him from revealing it. Hes listed in the credits as Teen and referred to in the show as Teen. And the cast and crew has kept his identity under lock.But if you know anything about Marvel Comics Scarlet Witch, Marvel magic, or the settings teen superheroes, youve got a solid hunch. If Locke isnt playing Billy Kaplan, AKA Wiccan, it would be extraordinarily strange.Who is Billy Kaplan?Billy is the teenage Marvel Comics superhero known as Wiccan, or the Demiurge. Hes a frequent member of the Young Avengers, on the occasions that that team is together and adventuring. Hes got innate magical powers that allow him to warp reality simply by stating what he wishes to occur and focusing on that intention. And he has a magical destiny to grow into: Its been prophesied that someday he will grow so powerful that he will be able to rewrite the laws of magic itself.That might not seem Teens real identity is a shoo-in. Right now, all we know is that hes a teenage boy who has a boyfriend, and wants to be a witch, and that even though hes kind of dopey, hes powerful enough to crack the Scarlet Witchs imprisoning illusion around Agatha. Oh, and whenever he tries to say his name or explain who he is, Agatha just hears nonsense or muted noise. Nothing thats happened in Agatha so far contradicts the possibility that Teen is an original character, new to any Marvel timeline.But theres a ton of circumstantial evidence suggesting that hes Wiccan. For one: Locke is a dead ringer for the character design. Skinny teen boy, floppy dark hair. Check.For another, Billy is a Scarlet Witch-adjacent character, and this is a Scarlet Witch-adjacent show. In the comics, Billy is its more complicated than this, but dont worry about it one of the Scarlet Witchs long-lost twin sons. Her kids, Billy and Tommy (or illusions of them, at least), have already featured in WandaVision and in the alternate universes visited in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Teen could be the Marvel Cinematic Universes way of integrating Billy into the main timeline in a lasting way.We also know that Teen has a boyfriend: Wiccan is one of Marvels most prominent queer characters. He and his boyfriend Teddy (the superhero known as Hulkling; no relation to the Hulk) have been together in comics for almost two decades.To sum up: Billy and Teen are both witchy magic users of certain power, they share a certain look, theyre both linked to the Scarlet Witch, and theyre both queer. Agatha All Along hasnt revealed anything that would keep Teen from being an original character, but it also hasnt revealed anything that would keep him from being the Marvel Cinematic Universe version of Billy, either.Well be watching Agatha All Along closely over the rest of its episodes, to see if its really pulling a Wiccan All Along, and well keep you updated. Because if this isnt Billy Kaplan, its the misdirect of the century.

Cleric is one of the 12 classes you can choose from in 2024s revised Dungeons & Dragons Players Handbook (also known as One D&D, 5.5e, and a few other names). Clerics are divine spellcasters, and their primary Ability is Wisdom.Before we get started, a quick disclaimer: Theres no best anything in D&D. Classes tend to be well-balanced when it comes to damage output. More importantly, though, D&D is a roleplaying game as well as a combat game, so theres more to it than stabbing monsters. And that diversity of situations from picking locks to punting kobolds to seducing dragons means best is entirely subjective.Our Players Handbook (2024) D&D Cleric guide will walk you through the class and talk about some of the changes from D&D 5e.Is Cleric the best class for you in D&D?Its easy to pigeonhole Clerics as just healers, but the class can be a lot more than that. But also, lets be honest, youre going to be expected to be the party healer if youre playing a Cleric. Clerics are versatile casters who channel divine powers, but can also deal out respectable melee damage.Inspiration for your ClericBecause Clerics so often get boiled down to this team healer identity, it can be really difficult to come up with unique inspiration for your character. But there are plenty of interesting fictional heroes that can really center your Cleric in a unique way:The religious zealot is always a fun way to take a Cleric. For this one, think about Van Helsing, the Catholic monster slayer, or Thoros of Myr from Game of Thrones. These are characters whose stalwart belief in their religion not only compels them to help their allies, but it propels them forward into battle against the forces of evil.The religious skeptic is one of the most interesting angles to take your Cleric. When your power is a gift from a god, what does that look like when you dont like that god or even barely believe in it? Jesse Custer from Preacher is a great example of a powerful Cleric that doesnt exactly live up to their religious origins.The peaceful warrior is a more generic Cleric idea, but its also a great one. Think about Luke Skywalker or your favorite Jedi here from Star Wars but in their ideal form. These are characters who are here to help others with their magical powers of faith, but are able to wield weapons of war to protect the innocent.The doctor archetype really lets you lean fully into the healer identity for your party, but you can do it in some interesting and unconventional ways. Take the EMH (Emergency Medical Hologram) from Star Trek: Voyager, for example. Hes not even a real person, but is still an important member of the crew who uses advanced technology (and sarcasm) to heal his teammates. Trying to make something like that work in a D&D setting would take your Life Cleric to a whole new level.Whats new for Cleric in One D&D?No matter what Class you end up picking, One D&D changes the way characters are created. Specifically, the Background you choose now comes with an Ability Score improvement (one point each in three Abilities, or two points in one Ability and one point in another). In addition, every character gets an Origin Feat. Well deal with both of those changes below.D&Ds Cleric class now has a Divine Order that they choose at Level 1. This is a way to solidify your role in the party either as a holy brawler or a divine spellcaster. 5es Clerics chose their Domain at Level 1, so this kind of replaces that and moves your choice of subclass (domain) to Level 3.Cleric class features overviewPrimary Ability: WisdomHit Point Die: d8 per levelSaving Throw Proficiencies: Wisdom and CharismaSkill proficiencies: 2 of: History, Insight, Medicine, Persuasion, ReligionWeapon Proficiencies: SimpleArmor Training: Light, Medium, ShieldsSpellcastingDespite being an armored warrior, one of your main class features as a Cleric is spellcasting that stuff all the nerd classes usually do. Like them, youll progressively gain more and more spell slots as you level up, which will in-turn allow you to cast more powerful spells.Divine OrderAs a Cleric, youre able to choose between two roles to follow: Protector or Thaumaturge.As a protector, youll be better equipped to deal with up-close and personal combat, wielding heavy armor and martial weapons.Thaumaturges lean more into spellcasting, as youll gain an extra Cantrip and gain a bonus to any Intelligence-based checks.How to build an effective ClericWhen you first make your character, youll need to assign your attribute points. For Clerics, youre looking to make a powerful battle caster and healer shoe capable of taking hits for your team, so heres your priority list:WisdomConstitutionStrengthDexterityCharismaIntelligenceBest Cleric Backgrounds and Origin FeatsBackgrounds in One D&D are a way to codify your characters personal history into their stats. Backgrounds give you a bump to your stats, a couple of skills, tool proficiencies, and an Origin Feat.For a Cleric, lets start with anything that lets you bump Wisdom Acolyte, Farmer, Guard, Guide, Hermit, Sage, Sailor, Scribe, or Wayfarer.Of those, Acolyte gets you the Magic Initiate (Cleric) Origin Feat that gives you a couple extra spells, and Hermit gets you the Healer Origin Feat that makes you a more effective healer (if youve resigned yourself to that role).Cleric subclassesYou dont pick a Cleric subclass until Level 3, but youll want to think about where youre heading pretty early on especially in terms of Background and Origin Feat (above).Life DomainClerics can do a lot more than heal, OK? But theyre also the best healers in the game, and if thats the role you want to lean into, Life Domain is the obvious choice.At level 3 youll become a Disciple of Life, which allows you to cause characters to gain additional HP whenever you heal them. Youll also gain access to powerful Life Domain spells like Bless and Cure Wounds early on.At level 17, you dont even have to roll for healing anymore, as anyone you heal will just get the maximum HP possible from that spell restored.Light DomainLight Domain Cleric lets you lean into your inner Paladin your fellow holy class brethren to be a literal beacon of light for your party. In addition to gaining some holy spells from the Light Domain, youll also be able to light your holy symbol like a flashlight in dark places at level 3, making you an ideal partner for dungeon delves.At level 17, youll be able to shine with the power of the sun itself, causing enemies within a certain range to have Disadvantage against a good chunk of your spells.Trickery DomainTrickery Domain Clerics are stealthy magic users that are able to use powerful utility spells to give their allies a leg up in battle.When you first pick up Trickery, youll be able to cast Trickery Domain spells and gain Invoke Duplicity, which allows you to make a visual illusion of yourself. At level 6, you can even swap places with your illusion using a Bonus Action.At level 17, you can give your allies Advantage on a target by having your illusion stand within five feet of the enemy.War DomainWar Domain Cleric is what you think it is, and allows you to focus more on beating down enemies using physical violence in addition to your spells.At level 3, youll be able to cast powerful War Domain spells and empower your allies to have a better chance to hit with their attacks.The level 17 increase gives you resistance to Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing damage. That might not sound very sexy compared to the other capstones, but that will massively decrease the damage you take from all martial enemies, allowing you to be the last beacon of hope in a tough fight.

Wizard is one of the 12 classes you can choose from in 2024s revised Dungeons & Dragons Players Handbook (also known as One D&D, 5.5e, and a few other names). Wizards are (literally) by-the-book spellcasters, and their primary Ability is Intelligence.Before we get started, a quick disclaimer: Theres no best anything in D&D. Classes tend to be well-balanced when it comes to damage output. More importantly, though, D&D is a roleplaying game as well as a combat game, so theres more to it than stabbing monsters. And that diversity of situations from picking locks to punting kobolds to seducing dragons means best is entirely subjective.Our Players Handbook (2024) D&D Wizard guide will walk you through the class and talk about some of the changes from D&D 5e.Is Wizard the best class for you in D&D?Wizards are a tough class to play, honestly. They dont have a lot of HP and dont get any armor, so theyre very squishy for a long time. That said, Wizards also have access to some of the most powerful spells in the game. If youre willing to sacrifice brawn for brains, a Wizard can quickly become a force on any battlefield.Inspiration for your WizardWizards have such a clearly defined image to them that it can be nearly impossible to pull yourself away from pointy hats and robes. But D&D is a game about thinking out of the box whenever possible, and there are lots of other examples for you to use to create your magic-slinging genius:The chosen one archetype conjures the image of a lot of different characters, but Paul Atreides from Dune is one of the more interesting ones for Wizards specifically for Divination enjoyers. These are characters that have a destiny they must fulfill and are burdened with purpose. While you may not spend most of your time wielding a blade, Pauls struggles with power and destiny make him a great inspiration for Wizards.Wizards are smart, so leaning into the genius archetype can get you away from just the sparkly hands and big sticks idea. Think of characters like Maester Aemon from Game of Thrones (or any Maester, really). Your brain (and lock of Charisma) is what differentiates you from a Sorcerer, so pulling from booksmart characters will help you build a strong foundation.The reckless Wizard plays a little more into the archetype that were all familiar with, but is about the pursuit of magical knowledge and power. It can certainly be with good intentions, but characters like Howl from Howls Moving Castle, Dr. Strange from Marvel, or even Mickey Mouse often stretch themselves too thin with the power that theyve been gifted.The classic spell-slinger is a classic for a reason, and while coming up with a unique idea is awesome, its hard to beat the classic Gandalf-like Wizard. Mysterious, aloof, but inherently good, these Wizards really ground your party in that fantasy setting and are easy to nestle into. You can always find the nuances that make them unique as you go.Whats new for Wizards in One D&D?No matter what class you end up picking, One D&D changes the way characters are created. Specifically, the Background you choose now comes with an Ability Score improvement (one point each in three Abilities, or two points in one Ability and one point in another). In addition, every character gets an Origin Feat. Well deal with both of those changes below.One D&Ds Wizard class moves around some of your choices as you level up. While 5e had you choose an Arcane Tradition at level 2, you now choose a Wizard Subclass at level 3 (which is basically the same thing). In One D&D, the feature you get at level 2 is Scholar that grants you Expertise in a skill.One D&D also streamlines some of the math involved in your prepared spells instead of a formula involving modifiers and levels, youve got a flat number from your Class.Wizard class features overviewPrimary Ability: IntelligenceHit Point Die: d6 per levelSaving Throw Proficiencies: Intelligence and WisdomSkill proficiencies: 2 of: Arcana, History, Insight, Investigation, Medicine, Nature, ReligionWeapon Proficiencies: SimpleArmor Training: NoneSpellcastingYou start with six level 1 spells and add 2 more each time you level up. This is the backbone of your class, and youll be able to learn more and more powerful spells every step of your journey.Ritual AdeptAny spellcaster can cast any spell with the Ritual tag so long as they have the spell prepared. A Wizards Ritual Adept feature takes away the prepared requirement (so long as the spell is in their spellbook).Arcane RecoveryWhenever you take a short rest, you can recover some of your spell slots. This ability grows in power as you level up, allowing you to regain multiple low level spells or a single medium level spell.How to build an effective WizardWhen you first make your character, youll need to assign your attribute points. For Wizards, youre looking to build an extremely intelligent caster who wont fall over after a single hit, so heres your priority list:IntelligenceConstitutionDexterityWisdomCharismaStrengthBest Wizard Backgrounds and Origin FeatsBackgrounds in One D&D are a way to codify your characters personal history into their stats. Backgrounds give you a bump to your stats, a couple of skills, tool proficiencies, and an Origin Feat.For Wizards, lets start with anything that lets you bump Intelligence Acolyte, Artisan, Criminal, Guard, Merchant, Noble, Sage, or Scribe.Here, Sage is the best bet if youre just starting out. Its Magic Initiate (Wizard) Origin Feat gets you an extra two cantrips and one level 1 spell. Even better, that one spell is always prepared and gets one free cast per day. So if youre not used to using a magic user, it gives you more options with less prep time.Wizard subclassesYou dont pick a Wizard subclass until Level 3, but youll want to think about where youre heading pretty early on especially in terms of Background and Origin Feat (above).AbjurerAs an Abjurer Wizard, you excel in Abjuration magic go figure. This makes you very good at protecting yourself and allies via shields.At level 3, youll be able to create an Arcane Ward around yourself, which is able to take a good chunk of damage before its depleted. Youre even able to restore the barrier by casting Abjuration spells, otherwise it comes back fully with each Long Rest.At level 14, you gain Advantage on saving throws against spells and have Resistance to spell damage, both of which are huge for keeping you alive.DivinerDiviner Wizards are one of the coolest subclasses in the game, because of their main feature: Portents. At level 3, youll roll two d20s at the end of each Long Rest. You can then use these two rolls to replace any roll made by you or a creature you can see. While you have to call your shot before the roll is made, this means you can guarantee a critical success or fail if you get lucky with your portents. Think of the foresight of Paul Atreides from Dune.At level 14, youre able to roll a third portent, making this feature even more powerful. If youve ever wanted to make your DM very upset, try casting Befuddlement on their big bad and then forcing them to fail the saving throw with a portent you rolled earlier that day.EvokerEvoker Wizards excel at using evocation spells, which are the ones that cause big explosions and elemental effects. If you just want to hit enemies with spells really hard, this is the subclass for you.At level 6, Evoker Wizards gain the Sculpt Spells ability, which allows you to save allies inside the radius of your spells, protecting them from harm the way Doctor Strange might brush his friends out of the danger zone. Normally when you throw a Fireball, it blows up everything, which isnt super fun for your local Barbarian who is probably toe-to-toe with the big bad you just burnt to a crisp. But Evokers can get their damage off without making their friend across the table roll a new character.At level 14, you can even make some of your low level spells deal max damage by taking a bit of bonus damage yourself.IllusionistThe Illusionist is the trickster Wizards cast of choice, but more like Mysterio from Spider-Man and less like Loki.At level 3, youre able to cast enhanced illusions that you can control from much farther away. If youre fighting dumb monsters and have a smart DM, you can use tactics like this to win entire fights for your team before they can begin.These illusions get particularly powerful at level 14, when you can temporarily make them real for a short period of time.

Dan Da Dan has the romance of the ages: Boy meets girl. Boy believes in aliens. Girl believes in ghosts. Boy goes to a haunted tunnel and has an occult encounter where he gets his penis stolen by a ghost named Turbo Granny.This absurd premise is the inspiration for the upcoming anime from Science Saru, Dan Da Dan. The show, which is based on the manga of the same name by Yukinobu Tatsu, follows two young adults, Ken Takakura (called Okarun by his friends) and Momo Ayase, who suddenly find themselves in the middle of a supernatural adventure. The two work together to defeat aliens and yokai alike in battles in an attempt to find Okaruns long-lost genitals.[Ed. note: This interview talks about the events in the first episode of the anime Dan Da Dan.]Dan Da Dan has a little of everything frenetic action sequences, the occult, classic sci-fi elements, and even elements from romantic comedies. As central as action might be to this shonen series, the show balances its heavier moments with light rom-com elements that come with the awkward and budding relationship shared between Momo and Okarun. In the anime, viewers can see this as the camera lingers on the bashful, avoidant gaze of Okarun, or the Momos furrowed look when she screams about her obsession, the Japanese actor Ken Takakura.Producer Aoi Hiroyuki told Polygon that the team calls these kinds of small interactions everyday action or everyday direction, and sees them as vital to capturing the tone of Dan Da Dan.We wanted to make sure that we put a focus on those, more than normal anime, so then you will see more movement in the animation compared to a normal anime, Hiroyuki said via a video call. Thats done on purpose, like we wanted to use action instead of words to depict those kinds of small interactions.In addition to these moments, the team had what Hiroyuki called lead scenes, with beats that relate to each other in style, but highlight differences in how the relationship between Momo and Okarun has shifted.Theres that scene where Momo hands the magazine to Okarun, Hiroyuki said. At the end of the episode, when Okarun hands his clothes back to Momo because hes embarrassed. Those two scenes are very similar in how theyre shown, because it shows how their relationship changed from the time they were at school, from the time they experienced the whole supernatural stuff afterwards.At its heart, Dan Da Dan is a series that unabashedly takes inspiration from all kinds of genres, like horror, rom-coms, and more a method Hiroyuki credits at least in part to Fuga Yamashiros distinct approach as a director.Working with, you know, director Yamashiro, hes a very young director. This is his directorial debut. But hes very passionate. Hes very interesting. [] Working with him, even from the script phase, he has different notes, or hell bring up these different notes from watching various other media.With all the genres that influence the series, it would be easy for Dan Da Dan to be scattered or unfocused, but its not. Instead, it delivers a pulsing action series thats just as interested in diving into the day-to-day life and relationships of its characters as it is showing off the next big baddie that its cast will fight. In the end, what we get is a world that feels lived-in and alive no matter where Turbo Granny shows up next.Dan Da Dans first three episodes are screening now as part of a theatrical release. The first episode will stream on Crunchyroll, Netflix, and Hulu on Oct. 3.

Production for season 2 of Netflixs live-action One Piece is well underway, but probably still quite a ways off. Despite that fact, the streaming service did have a few details to share about the new season during its Geeked Week presentation, including a behind-the-scenes teaser that it released on Wednesday. The teaser is hosted by Jeff Ward, who plays the fan favorite villain Buggy the Clown in the shows first season, who takes us through a few of the key production departments on the show. He starts off by talking to costume designer Kerry Barnard in her massive warehouse full of costumes which she says contains costumes for more than a thousand people. Also around to comment on costumes is showrunner Matt Owens, who talks about how the show includes iconic costumes from the manga, while also giving characters a few more looks that fit the spirit but may not come directly from the pages. Ward also talks to Egbert Kruger, the shows prop master, and production designers Tom Hannam and Max Gottlieb, who show off some of the shows incredible sets, including Ipponmatsus arms shop, which fans of the manga and anime will certainly recognize.While the video certainly has a few Easter egg teases for the new season, its also full of some very careful blurring to make sure that not too many details escape before theyre supposed to. Most notably, when Ward says the year we can expect season 2, hes bleeped out and a black bar covers his mouth, hiding the much anticipated release date from us. That being said, its likely that live-action One Piece season 2 will arrive sometime in 2025.

The next Secret Lair for Magic: The Gathering arrives on Sept. 30. Just in time for the spoopiest time of the year, collectors will have the opportunity to purchase a pair of new Secret Lair drops celebrating New Yorks favorite paranormal investigators and eliminators, the Ghostbusters. While the new drops feature depictions of Winston, Ray, Egon, Jeanine, and Peter as they appeared in The Real Ghostbusters animated series, collectors can also look forward to a whole drop dedicated to the infamous class five full roaming vapor, Slimer.The new cards are arriving as part of the Camp Totally Safe superdrop, which will also feature six cards inspired by one of cinemas most infamous baddies, Chucky. Below, weve provided images and card lists for each new drop, along with links to Gatherer, the official MTG database, where applicable. Standard versions of each drop will be available for $29.99, with foil versions available for $39.99.Secret Lair x Ghostbusters: SlimerSlimer, Voracious Apparition (The Mimeoplasm)Slimed (Trickbind)Slimers Feast (Windfall)Escape Containment (Incarceration Technique)Pernicious DeedSecret Lair x Ghostbusters: The Real GhostbustersCareful StudyTotal Containment Failure (Living End)Answer the Call (Eladamris Call)Ghostbusters Patch (Boros Charm)Ecto-1 (Unlicensed Hearse)Secret Lair x ChuckyGood Guys (Kardur, Doomscourge)Chucky (Kardur, Doomscourge)Sorry, JackChuckys Back (Phyrexian Reclamation)Tiffany, Bride of Chucky (Varragoth, Bloodsky Sire)Friends to the End (Twinflame)Play Pals Factory (Genesis Chamber)Secret Lair is Wizards of the Coasts outlet for committed Magic: The Gathering collectors. It features ultra-rare variants of specific cards and collaborations with outside artists and IPs. Previous franchise collaborations from Secret Lair have included Dungeons & Dragons, Monty Python, Street Fighter, and more.

The Sims franchise is moving beyond linear, sequential video game releases, according to franchise vice president and general manager Kate Gorman Revelli. Instead of moving on to The Sims 5, replacing The Sims 4, Electronic Arts and developer Maxis will continue to support The Sims 4, adding onto the franchise by developing next to it, not replacing it.So much of the way people play The Sims is about expressing themselves and their creativity and finding their own set of goals to pursue within the game, but what brings them back is their attachment to those little people that theyve built, Gorman Revelli told Polygon. We also know that were not going to go to a linear model, because we have so much withThe Sims 4. What were really looking at is, how do we continue to work with our community, work with our players, and not have you have this moment in time where youre going to reset all your progress and lose those amazing memories, characters, and things that youve built within those 10 years of your gameplay, potentially?Confused? Up until now, most people considered Project Rene as The Sims 5. But thats not entirely right. Project Rene will exist alongside The Sims 4 and other games as a multiplayer component. We want to continue to extend, so if you want to play that kind of multiplayer experience, thatll be what you look for in the things weve talked about about Project Rene, she said. The first real look at what to expect there is scheduled for later this year, according to Gorman Revelli, as part of its new experimental testing grounds, The Sims Labs.Again, its a complementary experience to all the things its not a linear experience, she said. Theres a lot well be seeing in the playtest, but the core piece to know what Rene is were really looking at a way to make The Sims playable together. Thats what well be continuing to iterate on and learn with the community.Gorman Revelli was clear that The Sims will continue to evolve and upgrade. In a post on The Sims blog, The Sims 4 was described as a foundational Sims experience thatll continue to be modernized. So will there ever be a game called The Sims 5? The answer sounds like no. But that doesnt mean the Sims experience isnt going to change or evolve; whatever would fall, perhaps, fifth in line as a mainline Sims game (Rene or not!) is not a replacement for The Sims 4 its a continuation of it.

This early review of The End comes from the Toronto International Film Festival. It will be updated for the movies December 2024 theatrical release date.When The End begins, a wealthy industrialist family of three (Tilda Swinton, Michael Shannon, and George MacKay) have been living in a spacious underground bunker with their helpful staff for 20 years, as society crumbles above them. Humanity is all but lost. But the arrival of a mysterious survivor forces them to question their rules, and the stories they tell themselves about their own part in the global apocalypse. More often than not, they do this through song and dance.In a bizarre but effective meld of genres and styles, the razzle-dazzle of golden-age Hollywood meets the grim dystopia of Children of Men. Trust documentarian Joshua Oppenheimer to make the worlds bleakest musical; as the director behind The Act of Killing and The Look of Silence, a pair of vital, harrowing works on the Indonesian genocide of the 1960s, it couldnt have gone any other way. The result is a claustrophobic introspection into guilt and remorse, which hardly sounds like fitting material for a grandiose movie musical. But Oppenheimers focused approach to human drama makes it sing.When we award the Polygon Recommends badge, its because we believe the recipient is uniquely thought-provoking, entertaining, inventive, or fun and worth fitting into your schedule. If you want curated lists of our favorite media, check out What to Play and What to Watch.The central cast plays easily identifiable types, each so broad that their characters arent even given names: The credits simply list them as Mother (Swinton), Father (Shannon), and Boy (MacKay). This last stronghold for humanity revolves around this trio. Mother is often weary and on edge; shes tired of the life she has, but she understandably has no other recourse. So she spends her time fixing and fiddling with the many famous impressionist paintings she brought with her decades ago, moving them from wall to wall in her lavish living room until things feel just right.Father, meanwhile, takes his mind off his loveless marriage by penning his autobiography, which concerns his part in the climate crisis that pushed humanity over the edge. However, he insists that his good deeds outweighed his sins, and that he may not have been particularly culpable after all.And then theres Boy, who, unlike the movies other characters, has no memory or concept of the world above. This naive, awkward 20-something was born in the bunker, and all he knows are its decorated hallways, its efficient food-growing labs, and the handful of icy caverns that surround it. Hes a history buff whos been taught to avoid complicated political entanglements, and his understanding of the world is entirely conceptual. So he breathes life into dioramas of human (specifically, American) achievement, from westward expansion to the moon landing.Boy is also granted the films first musical number, which provides all kinds of aesthetic and conceptual whiplash. He sings optimistically about a sunrise, something he has never seen, and can only imitate by pointing a flashlight over his tiny figurines. The mid-20th-century orchestra builds, as it might for a standard hopeful I Want number about a characters dreams, but the crescendo never arrives, and Oppenheimers unbroken takes never flourish into full-on formal grandeur. Given the physical constraints of the bunker, they cant.Notably, this post-apocalypse setting is also tiered and highly utilitarian, given who resides at the top. The family is rivaled in number by their household help: their gourmet chef (Bronagh Gallagher), who all but raised Boy; their short-tempered physician (Lennie James); and their diligent butler (Tim McInnerny). But they have also ensured that the security once afforded to them by wealth and class continue to allow them a sense of control. When the stranger, Girl (Moses Ingram), finally stumbles into their den, her fate is in their hands, and her options are either to head back out into the cruel and empty world, or become part of what they call their family meaning, join their ranks as a household servant. In this new world, serfdom is the only way to survive.Once all this cruelty is established and accepted, Oppenheimer doesnt grant the film any delusions of subversion, or of delivering justice. In The End, the stains of capitalism and class are a firm status quo, and the characters arent given much room to upset this established order.But what follows is often a sense of personal reckoning, in small but powerful ways. Every character carries with them the burden of what theyve had to do to survive, and they keep these emotions buried. However, Girl, a wanderer whos been alone for some time, is eager (maybe a degree too eager) to verbalize and discuss the worst parts of herself, and the actions she most regrets, even if her choices have let her survive a little longer.In the process, she forces Mother and Father to at least recognize that their compartmentalization, and their refusal to recognize their role in greater harm to the world at large, and to their own loved ones has led to the slow, steady corrosion of their souls.These realizations are also expressed in the form of solo numbers as each character wanders the hallways alone. There are few duets in The End the familys walled-off approach to living out their days has led to the suppression of not just emotion, but honest human connection. But when Girl finally shows up, and she and Boy take a liking to each other, the film starts to bloom in minor ways, from mischievous, playful songs accompanied by bodies in abstract motion to a camera that subtly sweeps through space, capturing a greater sense of romance (and pomp and circumstance) through movement and framing.Oppenheimer and cinematographer Mikhail Krichman work within the reality and the physical constraints of each space. Even the most overt, showy emotions never magically conjure an ensemble of dancers, preventing the sensation of fulfillment. However, the filmmakers work magic with their use of light and focus. Theres no use in questioning the reality or diegesis of sung dialogue, but since the movie lacks the sprawling stage space that might allow actors to weave in and out of conversations, or go from communicating with each other to delivering asides to the viewer, the film remixes this theatrical notion using cinematic tools: Characters remain clearly visible so long as they can hear and understand one another, but fall out of focus and fade into the backdrop as soon as one of them takes the proverbial spotlight, and begins expressing inner thoughts and desires that the others cannot (or will not) hear.The bunker is, for the most part, a cold and unforgiving space, which runs entirely counter to the shimmering appearance of the golden-age Hollywood musicals that inspired The Ends orchestral sound. However, the characters longing for emotional connection often warps this color palette in subtle ways, allowing warmer tones and brighter lights to briefly fade in as the actors move through space. Its dazzling and despondent all at once, which is entirely fitting for an Oppenheimer film.In The Act of Killing, the director spent several years interviewing a real mass murderer who was proud of his crimes. He even made this controversial figure reenact his brutality through the lens of Hollywood genre (gangster pictures and the like), with a handful of colorful, eye-popping detours that resembled large-scale musicals. The idea of cinematic self-reflexivity as means to suppress and eventually challenge ones actions has long been a part of Oppenheimers work, and in The Look of Silence, he provides an even riskier look at the narratives told by those in power, which help them wash their hands of their barbarity.These ideas trickle down to The End as well. The film is physically limited by design, but it ends up emotionally sprawling, with vast, eerily quiet psychological detours that allow each character the room to wrestle with what theyve done, before their acceptance (or more likely, their denial) takes the form of song.Ultimately, whats most disturbing about Oppenheimers use of musical form is that singing from the heart has long been considered a means of expressing emotional truth from deep within. Here, the characters most responsible for the state of the world refuse to reckon with what theyve done but they sing regardless, fulfilling the films stylistic obligations like automatons, struggling to arrive at the honesty that usually underlies the grand Hollywood musical. Few movies have ever been this dark while sounding so sweet.The End will arrive in American theaters on Dec. 6.

Wizards of the Coast is publishing a revised set of the core trio of 5th-edition Dungeons & Dragons rulebooks. The 2024 version of the Players Handbook (PHB) is now available, while the Monster Manual (MM) and the Dungeon Masters Guide (DMG) are also available to pre-order ahead of their launches in Feb. and Nov. resprecitvely.These revised versions of the core 5th edition D&D literature are intended to provide a more streamlined experience for new players. The new rulebooks include additional illustrations, some amended language, and a revised structure from the original 2014 publication. In addition to these quality-of-life updates, the revised rulebooks each contain selected content from the 2022 rules expansions (Xanathars Guide to Everything,Tashas Cauldron of Everything, andMordenkainen Presents:Monsters of the Multiverse) to provide a more consolidated and comprehensive experience.The bulk of the changes in the revised rulebooks are included in the PHB, which features a lighter rules introduction and relegates its crunchier mechanics to a rules glossary. Character creation has also been made easier, with rules to create a character of any starting level, and the 12 starting classes have been expanded into 48 subclasses (the largest number of subclasses included in a single 5th edition book). Other changes include a massive roster of redesigned spells, feats, and new rules for a potent crafting system. The 2024 PHB is available to purchase in physical format for $49.99, while the digital option is available for $29.99.The DMG has also been retooled to assist DMs in quickly accessing relevant information during sessions, in addition to providing more examples of NPCs, how to plan encounters, and other ways to streamline preparations for a new campaign. Also, in case new players arent familiar with concepts like Magic Missile or Mordenkainen, the new DMG provides a lore glossary to deliver helpful explanations. The physical version of the 2024 DMG launches on Nov. 12 and is currently available to pre-order for $49.99, while the digital version is available to pre-order for $29.99.The revised MM wont be a comprehensive collection of every D&D beast, but it will be the largest single Monster Manual ever published, with over 500 monsters and 75 completely new additions. The new Monster Manual wont be available until Feb. 18, but the $29.99 digital version and $49.99 physical versions are available to pre-order now.Other gameplay-relevant metrics from the 5th edition ruleset are untouched. meaning your existing stack of sourcebooks, campaigns, and other errata will still remain relevant in the current standard. A Pre-order bundle containing physical versions of all three revised rulebooks is currently available for $149.97, while the digital bundle is available for $89.97.

When Im hunting for a new charging device either to buy myself or to recommend to Polygon readers for their Steam Decks, Switch, phone, or tablet cuteness isnt a factor. But Ugreens new Uno Nexode 65 W portable charger adds some welcome expressiveness to the until-now boring business of recharging your gadgets. Once its plugged into a wall outlet, its small screen displays an emoji that changes depending on charging progress. Its $32.49 now for Amazon Prime subscribers ($49.99 for everyone else) and comes in a range of 3 color schemes.Do you need another screen in your life? Absolutely not. But the reasons why Im sold on this particular charger (in addition to the screen) is because its 65 W charging speed is more than enough to charge the Steam Deck at the same rate as Valves own charger not to mention the Switch, which requires less power. Not only that, with a total of two USB-C ports and one USB-A port, it can divvy up its power to up to three devices at once (45 W goes to one device, while 7.5 W go to each of the remaining two). If you only plug cables into the USB-C ports, leaving the USB-A port empty, itll charge at 45 W and 20 W more than enough to quickly charge both a console and a phone.While youre chewing on whether to snag this gizmo at a discount, consider pairing it with the Anker 2-in-1 USB-C cable that Polygon covered a couple weeks ago. Its a 4-foot, braided cable that splits into two USB-C heads, letting you charge you guessed it two devices through one power source. It was $21.99 with a Prime membership the last time I wrote about it, but its now $19.99.

Flappy Bird has officially returned, now playable on Telegram but things arent exactly soaring for the 10-year-old viral game.The Flappy Bird Foundation, a so-called new team of passionate fans committed to sharing the game with the world, announced Thursday that it was reviving Flappy Bird. The original game, first released for iOS in 2013, was taken offline by creator Dong Nguyen after allegations of plagiarism and concerns over the addictive nature of the game, as well as the major stress it was causing Nguyen. Recreations popped up in its place, but none reached the massive heights of the original.Thursdays announcement originally raised some excitement over the triumphant return of Flappy Bird, but expectations were quickly tempered when former players and fans realized that the original creator wasnt involved. Game developer Sam Chiet posted to X shortly after the announcement with a link to the United States Patent and Trademark Office, which shows that a company called Gametech Holdings picked up the trademark rights after the USPTO marked them as abandoned. On Sunday, Nguyen confirmed they hadnt sold the rights to the game: No, I have no related with their game [sic], he posted on X. I did not sell anything. I also dont support crypto.Prior to that message, it appears that Nguyen had not posted on X in seven years.No, I have no related with their game. I did not sell anything. I also don't support crypto. Dong Nguyen (@dongatory) September 15, 2024Though Flappy Bird Foundation was clear in its news release that it was a new team that was not involved originally, its tweets could be construed otherwise, writing as Flappy Bird itself: I AM BACK!! Just a decade ago, I was the talk of the town and soaring to new heights with my 100 million friends. Sadly, I had to leave the fame and spotlight behind to go home and find out who I really am.With regards to crypto involvement in Flappy Bird, the Flappy Bird Foundation has been vague on that, too at least in its social media and news release. Flappy Bird is currently playable exclusively on Telegram, a messaging application, a detail that was removed from its Linktree. The Flappy Bird website has also been scrubbed of any mention of cryptocurrency, Solana tokens, or Web-3, though its not a secret its available on Telegram. An earlier version of the website said artists, developers and creators can build, play and earn from the legendary Flappy Bird IP, and that Flappy Bird will now be the worlds first open-source, community owned Web 2 and Web 3 game.The version of Flappy Bird on Telegram works on the TON blockchain, and players have the option in-game of connecting to their crypto wallets, Polygon has confirmed. A crypto wallet is not required to play. Flappy Bird Foundation is currently running a rewards-heavy Flap-a-TON point mining event to generate hype for the game, which includes access to a new game mode called Flappy Bird Rivals, where it appears a bunch of players 99, according to the developer play together; in Polygons test, the other players appeared on-screen like ghosts. Like tap-to-earn Notcoin, which is involved with Flappy Bird on Telegram, players tap to generate points. There are also ads a player can watch to earn more.Flappy Bird doesnt have a release date for other platforms. Flappy Bird doesnt appear to have launched fully on Telegram, either the Flap-A-TON event is posited as a way to earn points before the full launch.

One fateful college weekend, ActionMax, the genre spinoff of Cinemax, programmed three down-and-dirty action films in a back-to-back marathon of cable curation that would change my life.First was Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning, a one-in-a-million blend of science fiction, horror, and R-rated action. Then Undisputed II: Last Man Standing, a milestone moment for the up-and-coming Scott Adkins. But the coup de grce was 2009s Blood and Bone.Directed by Ben Ramsey (Dragonball Evolution, writer of The Big Hit), Blood and Bone is a crisp, 93-minute underground fight movie led by Undisputed IIs Michael Jai White, who surrounds himself with a litany of high-profile professional fighters, including Bob Sapp, Kimbo Slice, Gina Carano, and Matt Mullins. The cast and stunt team is stuffed with action movie legends (Gene LeBell, Robert Wall, Ron Yuan, Zo Bell), major industry players-to-be (Extraction franchise director Sam Hargrave, The Continental stunt coordinator Larnell Stovall, Day Shift director J.J. Perry, Black Panther fight coordinator Clayton J. Barber), and talented industry veterans who remain underappreciated to this day (Jesse V. Johnson collaborator Luke LaFontaine, and Sauron himself, Sala Baker).Blood and Bone is an unforgettable display of bodies in motion. Anchored through a satisfyingly simple story about an ex-con looking to dominate an underground fighting ring to fulfill a promise to a dead friend, the action choreography and fist-to-face sound effects combine to form pure cinema. Ramseys movie had opened me up to not just a whole new world of movies, but a whole new way of watching them.On the occasion of its 15th anniversary, and at a time when all of its major players feel either essential to action movies or underappreciated for their art, Polygon spoke to many of those involved with Blood and Bone to understand how they pulled it off.Where it all beganMichael Jai White, Isaiah Bone and co-producer: [Blood and Bone] was pretty much a revisiting of 70s moviemaking, because I would do everything on camera. Theres no camera stunts or tricks or what have you. I love being pure to that, because Blood and Bone was about it that was a fight movie. That was an homage to Hard Times [starring Charles Bronson and James Coburn] in a contemporary fashion. So thats what that was intended to be. So it had to be this really mano-a-mano street-fighting type of thing.Ben Ramsey, director: It started with Mike [Jai White]. He was looking for a director [for this project], and I had known Mike for quite a few years before we decided to do this. We were fellow martial arts fanatics, and always talked about doing one together. So he came to me with the script. And I was like, Yeah, come on, lets go. Lets do it. And we got the funding, and the rest, as they say, is history.J.J. Perry, second unit director, martial arts director, and stunt coordinator: Me and Mike Jai White go back to 1990. When I got out of the army, he was just getting [to LA] from New York. He was a kyokushin national champion. I was the same in taekwondo. We were both, like, top players in our respective martial arts. Hes quite a bit bigger than me, hes a different weight class, but we hit it off right away.I did Undisputed II with Mike. We were already friends, but thats when we created a very professional working relationship. And thats when he asked me to come do Blood and Bone with him. I was super honored.Sam Hargrave, Manuel and co-fight coordinator: It was early days in my career. J.J. Perry was a stunt coordinator Id worked with. We had done X-Men Origins: Wolverine in Australia, and I was just starting to make a name for myself. He asked me to come on [the project], helping him fight choreograph, and playing a small character role. And so I helped him design the action, and I did a small stunt part where I got beaten up by Michael Jai White.David Chan Cordeiro, Carlos and stunt performer: The stars were aligned. I wanted to do stunts since I was little. A friend of mine knew J.J., and he set up a meeting. It literally changed the course of my life.Hargrave: I dont think [you know how special it is] when youre in it at the time. All the people I was working with were more established than I was. J.J. and Clayton [J. Barber] and Sala [Baker] had done much bigger movies for much longer than I had. I think I was probably too young and caught up in the moment to realize whos who, the list that I had the honor to be in the midst of. But you look back and go wow if you combine all of the resumes of these people, its one of the most impressive lineups in action cinema history.Ramsey: We used to brag that we had the baddest cast in town.Cordeiro: I was starstruck.Shooting great action on a budgetPerry: We shot very quickly. And we hired a lot of badasses. We beat up 50,000 motherfuckers in like five days with three cameras.White: Thats what we had to do. To be able to do it now, like even with [my recent movie] Outlaw Johnny Black, Im creating the fight scenes as Im on my way to set. Literally, because I dont have the time.Larnell Stovall, Trey and stunt performer: This was during a time when the MMA craze was kind of still peaking. Where UFC was still growing and legends were still being created. So any type of underground fighting had an expectation behind it now. People wanted to see more real techniques. They wanted to see jiu-jitsu, they wanted to see Muay Thai, they wanted to see karate. So realistic styles were incorporated in that.Hargrave: Because [MMA] was in the publics consciousness, people were used to seeing that and then youre taking it and adding in what we would call movie fu. Like, Yes, its MMA, but with an exciting twist. So its the things that are the most dynamic, but still related to the principles of the technique. That era was definitely a demarcation and a shift of choreography for martial arts action movies.Ramsey: We had such a short time to shoot. A lot of big martial arts movies famously had like a whole week or two weeks doing one fight scene, and we would get on set and just have a few hours, and we had about 20 days [total] to shoot in a whole bunch of locations, and just shy of $4 million on budget. So when it came time to do these fight scenes, they had worked it out so well that we could go and just shoot.Hargrave: What I remember is the night shoot, when I was interacting with Michael, getting my butt kicked. But also time spent in the gym with all the stunt performers. It was fairly early in my career, 2009. And Id only been doing it for about four years professionally. And so that camaraderie of working with the performers, being able to see the magic on this kind of level it was a fun, lower-budget, gritty, get-it-done, work with the fellas and do fun stuff with your friends [project]. And I just remember the camaraderie of the stunt team on set.Perry: I only have fond memories of those days of doing those run-and-gun, $2-to-$5-million budgets in 30 days where its you and your homeboys. Were shooting seven days a week, and were sleeping in our cars, and were just going for it. I think thats what prepped me for [bigger Hollywood movies]. Because if you can fight over your weight class in a movie like that, and score, when you get on a big movie, and youve got money and time, you have to shoot farther, you have to see farther. Im super grateful for all of those movies, because thats the road that got me to where I am now.Hargrave: Lower-budget movies force you to work quickly and make bold choices and act on those choices. Meaning you dont have a lot of time to second-guess yourself, you dont have a lot of time to shoot a bunch of different coverage, you just [ask], What is the most effective way to tell the story with the camera there? and get it done with confidence.Set stories/favorite memoriesCordeiro: Me and Sala got knocked out pretty early in a fight scene. But then there are other beats where Michael goes up to the leader of the gang and grabs him. So Sala and I had to play dead for maybe two or three nights in a row. Sala would put his hands on my ankle and start tickling. And Im dead, and Im trying to move away without ruining the take. I find it funny, because Sala is a massive dude, he used to play rugby, a huge human, but he is the kindest, most funny person.Stovall: One of my favorite memories was the showcase fight scene where he took on fighter after fighter after fighter. Watching that, it was like, Yeah, this is gonna be special.Hargrave: That moment when David Chan Cordeiro got deadmanned out of the air with a Michael Jai White side kick. I was showing that to somebody the other day!Cordeiro: I had seen a YouTube wushu reel at the time, and I said, I have a proposal, and Id like to show you. And Michael saw the kick and goes, Oh, thats amazing. And I asked, Do you mind if I [am the one who gets kicked]? Because I figured theyre going to give it to a more seasoned stunt performer. And [co-fight coordinator] Fernando [Chien] was so nice. He said, No no no, David, you suggested it, you keep it. And Im like, Oh my God, this is my big moment. On the day we do it, I get kicked with the kick obviously, Michaels being safe, so the kick wasnt full-on, he kind of grazed me, and I didnt get pushed back. So I get up, and I say to Sam, Can he kick me harder?Fernando brought me a [stunt vest], and theres a small tarp on the floor, so I had maybe an inch of padding. And he did kick me hard, and thats the take in the movie. And then everyone just applauded and congratulated me. To be honest, I didnt care if I got knocked out when I fell on the ground. I just wanted to sell that kick.I was really nervous that day. So many big names. I thought to myself, All these guys, they probably wanted to be in this spot, so I really have to go 100%. But to be honest, I never felt any jealousy from them. They were super supportive, and when I asked for feedback, they all said, Bro, youre looking good, keep yourself safe. That was one of the best experiences Ive had my whole life.Stovall: We had Tanoai Reed in that, whos The Rocks double. He was the guy with the gold tooth that gets knocked out really fast. And whats funny is, I love the idea of subverting expectations. Now, I didnt have nothing to do with the story. But as an action designer, it teaches me to pay attention to things. Maybe you need to bring the audiences expectations to a certain point, and then go left. Because when you see a guy like that, youre like, Oh, hes this size, he can move. OK, this is gonna be a good fight. And then WAPOW! and its over. Like, wait, what the what just happened? At the end of the day, things like that I think stand out more.So within Blood and Bone, I liked the idea that they built the character up so strongly, that by the time somebody [gave Whites character a real challenge] whether it was Bob Sapp, or whether its our final character, the fight scene with Matt Mullins, it was a better payoff by the time you got there.Hargrave: In the final showdown, we had choreographed a sequence where [Mullins] gets swept and falls to the ground and does this big fall. We had another stunt guy double him for that, Steve Upton. He took such a hard fall, and then just got back up and kept going. I remember my eyes popping out of my head, and going, like, Holy smokes. So yeah, Steve Upton, doubling Matt Mullins, he gets swept and does the ultimate taco fall, he basically falls and folds in half beyond 90 degrees. I was in awe of that, the ability to keep going, that stuck out to me. And I actually will reference that or show that to new stunt performers and go, This is what stunt people do in a fight, when they do their acrobatic falls.Michael Jai White as a singular action starStovall: Michael Jai, whos a beast, hes like my big brother. Ive done a few films with him. It was great to see him get off in that.Hargrave: Michael is fantastic. Hes a true martial artist from way back, and getting to work with somebody with his control, speed, technique, and acting skills is an honor, and it makes our job easier, right? Because you dont have to hold their hand through the process. Its like a dance with a partner whos much more advanced than you are at that particular dance. So working with him, it was great. It was never a sense of feeling like, Oh, gosh, youre in danger, youre gonna get hurt. Because he demonstrates this all the time, he could stop a punch within centimeters of your face. Just so much control, so much experience. It was really an honor to work with him.Ramsey: That was a daily process for him, wowing me. The beauty of shooting with an actor as skilled as Mike is that you dont have to rely on doing a lot of cuts and coverage. We planned and decided that were going to do long takes and as few cuts as possible.Its like a dance with a partner whos much more advanced than you are.Sam HargraveThe other thing Mike was real big on, being a true martial artist, was showing the characters strategy. How he would do things like, when a guy jabbed he would drop his left. Mike studied that. He throws a jab, drops and comes across with a right cross, knocks him out, POW. Or theres a guy that would leave his ribs open. So Mike lifts up his arm and exposes his ribs. So there was kind of like this throughline, you know, that he was always playing chess. He was also a strategist when he was fighting, so that was something that we wanted to show.Cordeiro: I think it works because its Michael. It wouldnt have worked if it was anyone else. He has an aura. A lot of what you see on Blood and Bone is Michael being Michael, kind of like Bruce Lee on Game of Death. Had it been someone else, you could probably tell if its being too fake or too forced.Perry: Mike has always been a dear friend and a fan. And Ive always been a huge fan of Michael Jai White. Hes a real one, not just as a martial artist, but as a human being and a real gem. What a G. Man, you know, Im 10 days older than Mike Jai, a lot of people dont know that. Yeah, I wish I looked like I was only 10 days older than Mike, goddamn.Hargrave: Hes got the look, the physicality, and the charisma. Hes made a career out of it. Its just curious the way the cookie crumbles in that regard sometimes.Cordeiro: I wish we had Michael and [Mark] Dacascos when they first started out, now, in 2024, with the audience that we have, with the directors that we have. They were the pioneers. They opened the industry for us. And they were too far ahead of their time.Cordeiro: [White never becoming an A-list action star] is one of the things that really breaks my heart. Clayton [J. Barber] always said, Action heroes, your career is very short-lived and very ungrateful. You dont get to make a whole lot of money. Like, youre not gonna get filthy rich. Youre always gonna be doing like a lot of B movies, and its the risk of injury.Blood and Bones legacyStovall: Blood and Bone, that one needs a sequel.Cordeiro: I cannot talk enough about how much this influenced my life. And I had no idea that the movie would live on so long. Even nowadays in So Paolo, people will be like, Arent you the guy in Blood and Bone?Perry: Do I want to go back and do another Blood and Bone? If it was Mike and Scott Adkins, bro, Ill go. Ill go because those are my homeboys. Lets go.Ramsey: Its kind of died down a little bit, but for the longest time, it would happen almost every day. Somebody would ask me about Blood and Bone 2. Thats a Mike and a Sony question. I was just a hired gun. Im semi-retired right now from showbiz, kind of doing my own thing. But if the call came and Mike said, Come on, were going to do Blood and Bone 2, Id be there.Blood and Bone is available to watch on Netflix, for free with ads on Tubi, or for digital rental on Amazon and Apple TV.

There are only so many hours in a day. As best as one might try, it can be difficult to keep up with the deluge of new titles that are released every month, let alone the latest hundred-hour action RPG or always-online service game. Luckily, theres just as many fun and most importantly, short games out there to choose from whether you prefer playing on your mobile device, console, or computer.Weve polled the collective brain trust of Polygons most ardent short-game enthusiasts to bring you a selection of the best games you can play and enjoy in under five hours. From recent indie hits to critically acclaimed classics, theres a ton of great games you can lose yourself in without eating up all your free time.

One fateful college weekend, ActionMax, the genre spinoff of Cinemax, programmed three down-and-dirty action films in a back-to-back marathon of cable curation that would change my life.First was Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning, a one-in-a-million blend of science fiction, horror, and R-rated action. Then Undisputed II: Last Man Standing, a milestone moment for the up-and-coming Scott Adkins. But the coup de grce was 2009s Blood and Bone.Directed by Ben Ramsey (Dragonball Evolution, writer of The Big Hit), Blood and Bone is a crisp, 93-minute underground fight movie led by Undisputed IIs Michael Jai White, who surrounds himself with a litany of high-profile professional fighters, including Bob Sapp, Kimbo Slice, Gina Carano, and Matt Mullins. The cast and stunt team is stuffed with action movie legends (Gene LeBell, Robert Wall, Ron Yuan, Zo Bell), major industry players-to-be (Extraction franchise director Sam Hargrave, The Continental stunt coordinator Larnell Stovall, Day Shift director J.J. Perry, Black Panther fight coordinator Clayton J. Barber), and talented industry veterans who remain underappreciated to this day (Jesse V. Johnson collaborator Luke LaFontaine, and Sauron himself, Sala Baker).Blood and Bone is an unforgettable display of bodies in motion. Anchored through a satisfyingly simple story about an ex-con looking to dominate an underground fighting ring to fulfill a promise to a dead friend, the action choreography and fist-to-face sound effects combine to form pure cinema. Ramseys movie had opened me up to not just a whole new world of movies, but a whole new way of watching them.On the occasion of its 15th anniversary, and at a time when all of its major players feel either essential to action movies or underappreciated for their art, Polygon spoke to many of those involved with Blood and Bone to understand how they pulled it off.Where it all beganMichael Jai White, Isaiah Bone and co-producer: [Blood and Bone] was pretty much a revisiting of 70s moviemaking, because I would do everything on camera. Theres no camera stunts or tricks or what have you. I love being pure to that, because Blood and Bone was about it that was a fight movie. That was an homage to Hard Times [starring Charles Bronson and James Coburn] in a contemporary fashion. So thats what that was intended to be. So it had to be this really mano-a-mano street-fighting type of thing.Ben Ramsey, director: It started with Mike [Jai White]. He was looking for a director [for this project], and I had known Mike for quite a few years before we decided to do this. We were fellow martial arts fanatics, and always talked about doing one together. So he came to me with the script. And I was like, Yeah, come on, lets go. Lets do it. And we got the funding, and the rest, as they say, is history.J.J. Perry, second unit director, martial arts director, and stunt coordinator: Me and Mike Jai White go back to 1990. When I got out of the army, he was just getting [to LA] from New York. He was a kyokushin national champion. I was the same in taekwondo. We were both, like, top players in our respective martial arts. Hes quite a bit bigger than me, hes a different weight class, but we hit it off right away.I did Undisputed II with Mike. We were already friends, but thats when we created a very professional working relationship. And thats when he asked me to come do Blood and Bone with him. I was super honored.Sam Hargrave, Manuel and co-fight coordinator: It was early days in my career. J.J. Perry was a stunt coordinator Id worked with. We had done X-Men Origins: Wolverine in Australia, and I was just starting to make a name for myself. He asked me to come on [the project], helping him fight choreograph, and playing a small character role. And so I helped him design the action, and I did a small stunt part where I got beaten up by Michael Jai White.David Chan Cordeiro, Carlos and stunt performer: The stars were aligned. I wanted to do stunts since I was little. A friend of mine knew J.J., and he set up a meeting. It literally changed the course of my life.Hargrave: I dont think [you know how special it is] when youre in it at the time. All the people I was working with were more established than I was. J.J. and Clayton [J. Barber] and Sala [Baker] had done much bigger movies for much longer than I had. I think I was probably too young and caught up in the moment to realize whos who, the list that I had the honor to be in the midst of. But you look back and go wow if you combine all of the resumes of these people, its one of the most impressive lineups in action cinema history.Ramsey: We used to brag that we had the baddest cast in town.Cordeiro: I was starstruck.Shooting great action on a budgetPerry: We shot very quickly. And we hired a lot of badasses. We beat up 50,000 motherfuckers in like five days with three cameras.White: Thats what we had to do. To be able to do it now, like even with [my recent movie] Outlaw Johnny Black, Im creating the fight scenes as Im on my way to set. Literally, because I dont have the time.Larnell Stovall, Trey and stunt performer: This was during a time when the MMA craze was kind of still peaking. Where UFC was still growing and legends were still being created. So any type of underground fighting had an expectation behind it now. People wanted to see more real techniques. They wanted to see jiu-jitsu, they wanted to see Muay Thai, they wanted to see karate. So realistic styles were incorporated in that.Hargrave: Because [MMA] was in the publics consciousness, people were used to seeing that and then youre taking it and adding in what we would call movie fu. Like, Yes, its MMA, but with an exciting twist. So its the things that are the most dynamic, but still related to the principles of the technique. That era was definitely a demarcation and a shift of choreography for martial arts action movies.Ramsey: We had such a short time to shoot. A lot of big martial arts movies famously had like a whole week or two weeks doing one fight scene, and we would get on set and just have a few hours, and we had about 20 days [total] to shoot in a whole bunch of locations, and just shy of $4 million on budget. So when it came time to do these fight scenes, they had worked it out so well that we could go and just shoot.Hargrave: What I remember is the night shoot, when I was interacting with Michael, getting my butt kicked. But also time spent in the gym with all the stunt performers. It was fairly early in my career, 2009. And Id only been doing it for about four years professionally. And so that camaraderie of working with the performers, being able to see the magic on this kind of level it was a fun, lower-budget, gritty, get-it-done, work with the fellas and do fun stuff with your friends [project]. And I just remember the camaraderie of the stunt team on set.Perry: I only have fond memories of those days of doing those run-and-gun, $2-to-$5-million budgets in 30 days where its you and your homeboys. Were shooting seven days a week, and were sleeping in our cars, and were just going for it. I think thats what prepped me for [bigger Hollywood movies]. Because if you can fight over your weight class in a movie like that, and score, when you get on a big movie, and youve got money and time, you have to shoot farther, you have to see farther. Im super grateful for all of those movies, because thats the road that got me to where I am now.Hargrave: Lower-budget movies force you to work quickly and make bold choices and act on those choices. Meaning you dont have a lot of time to second-guess yourself, you dont have a lot of time to shoot a bunch of different coverage, you just [ask], What is the most effective way to tell the story with the camera there? and get it done with confidence.Set stories/favorite memoriesCordeiro: Me and Sala got knocked out pretty early in a fight scene. But then there are other beats where Michael goes up to the leader of the gang and grabs him. So Sala and I had to play dead for maybe two or three nights in a row. Sala would put his hands on my ankle and start tickling. And Im dead, and Im trying to move away without ruining the take. I find it funny, because Sala is a massive dude, he used to play rugby, a huge human, but he is the kindest, most funny person.Stovall: One of my favorite memories was the showcase fight scene where he took on fighter after fighter after fighter. Watching that, it was like, Yeah, this is gonna be special.Hargrave: That moment when David Chan Cordeiro got deadmanned out of the air with a Michael Jai White side kick. I was showing that to somebody the other day!Cordeiro: I had seen a YouTube wushu reel at the time, and I said, I have a proposal, and Id like to show you. And Michael saw the kick and goes, Oh, thats amazing. And I asked, Do you mind if I [am the one who gets kicked]? Because I figured theyre going to give it to a more seasoned stunt performer. And [co-fight coordinator] Fernando [Chien] was so nice. He said, No no no, David, you suggested it, you keep it. And Im like, Oh my God, this is my big moment. On the day we do it, I get kicked with the kick obviously, Michaels being safe, so the kick wasnt full-on, he kind of grazed me, and I didnt get pushed back. So I get up, and I say to Sam, Can he kick me harder?Fernando brought me a [stunt vest], and theres a small tarp on the floor, so I had maybe an inch of padding. And he did kick me hard, and thats the take in the movie. And then everyone just applauded and congratulated me. To be honest, I didnt care if I got knocked out when I fell on the ground. I just wanted to sell that kick.I was really nervous that day. So many big names. I thought to myself, All these guys, they probably wanted to be in this spot, so I really have to go 100%. But to be honest, I never felt any jealousy from them. They were super supportive, and when I asked for feedback, they all said, Bro, youre looking good, keep yourself safe. That was one of the best experiences Ive had my whole life.Stovall: We had Tanoai Reed in that, whos The Rocks double. He was the guy with the gold tooth that gets knocked out really fast. And whats funny is, I love the idea of subverting expectations. Now, I didnt have nothing to do with the story. But as an action designer, it teaches me to pay attention to things. Maybe you need to bring the audiences expectations to a certain point, and then go left. Because when you see a guy like that, youre like, Oh, hes this size, he can move. OK, this is gonna be a good fight. And then WAPOW! and its over. Like, wait, what the what just happened? At the end of the day, things like that I think stand out more.So within Blood and Bone, I liked the idea that they built the character up so strongly, that by the time somebody [gave Whites character a real challenge] whether it was Bob Sapp, or whether its our final character, the fight scene with Matt Mullins, it was a better payoff by the time you got there.Hargrave: In the final showdown, we had choreographed a sequence where [Mullins] gets swept and falls to the ground and does this big fall. We had another stunt guy double him for that, Steve Upton. He took such a hard fall, and then just got back up and kept going. I remember my eyes popping out of my head, and going, like, Holy smokes. So yeah, Steve Upton, doubling Matt Mullins, he gets swept and does the ultimate taco fall, he basically falls and folds in half beyond 90 degrees. I was in awe of that, the ability to keep going, that stuck out to me. And I actually will reference that or show that to new stunt performers and go, This is what stunt people do in a fight, when they do their acrobatic falls.Michael Jai White as a singular action starStovall: Michael Jai, whos a beast, hes like my big brother. Ive done a few films with him. It was great to see him get off in that.Hargrave: Michael is fantastic. Hes a true martial artist from way back, and getting to work with somebody with his control, speed, technique, and acting skills is an honor, and it makes our job easier, right? Because you dont have to hold their hand through the process. Its like a dance with a partner whos much more advanced than you are at that particular dance. So working with him, it was great. It was never a sense of feeling like, Oh, gosh, youre in danger, youre gonna get hurt. Because he demonstrates this all the time, he could stop a punch within centimeters of your face. Just so much control, so much experience. It was really an honor to work with him.Ramsey: That was a daily process for him, wowing me. The beauty of shooting with an actor as skilled as Mike is that you dont have to rely on doing a lot of cuts and coverage. We planned and decided that were going to do long takes and as few cuts as possible.Its like a dance with a partner whos much more advanced than you are.Sam HargraveThe other thing Mike was real big on, being a true martial artist, was showing the characters strategy. How he would do things like, when a guy jabbed he would drop his left. Mike studied that. He throws a jab, drops and comes across with a right cross, knocks him out, POW. Or theres a guy that would leave his ribs open. So Mike lifts up his arm and exposes his ribs. So there was kind of like this throughline, you know, that he was always playing chess. He was also a strategist when he was fighting, so that was something that we wanted to show.Cordeiro: I think it works because its Michael. It wouldnt have worked if it was anyone else. He has an aura. A lot of what you see on Blood and Bone is Michael being Michael, kind of like Bruce Lee on Game of Death. Had it been someone else, you could probably tell if its being too fake or too forced.Perry: Mike has always been a dear friend and a fan. And Ive always been a huge fan of Michael Jai White. Hes a real one, not just as a martial artist, but as a human being and a real gem. What a G. Man, you know, Im 10 days older than Mike Jai, a lot of people dont know that. Yeah, I wish I looked like I was only 10 days older than Mike, goddamn.Hargrave: Hes got the look, the physicality, and the charisma. Hes made a career out of it. Its just curious the way the cookie crumbles in that regard sometimes.Cordeiro: I wish we had Michael and [Mark] Dacascos when they first started out, now, in 2024, with the audience that we have, with the directors that we have. They were the pioneers. They opened the industry for us. And they were too far ahead of their time.Cordeiro: [White never becoming an A-list action star] is one of the things that really breaks my heart. Clayton [J. Barber] always said, Action heroes, your career is very short-lived and very ungrateful. You dont get to make a whole lot of money. Like, youre not gonna get filthy rich. Youre always gonna be doing like a lot of B movies, and its the risk of injury.Blood and Bones legacyStovall: Blood and Bone, that one needs a sequel.Cordeiro: I cannot talk enough about how much this influenced my life. And I had no idea that the movie would live on so long. Even nowadays in So Paolo, people will be like, Arent you the guy in Blood and Bone?Perry: Do I want to go back and do another Blood and Bone? If it was Mike and Scott Adkins, bro, Ill go. Ill go because those are my homeboys. Lets go.Ramsey: Its kind of died down a little bit, but for the longest time, it would happen almost every day. Somebody would ask me about Blood and Bone 2. Thats a Mike and a Sony question. I was just a hired gun. Im semi-retired right now from showbiz, kind of doing my own thing. But if the call came and Mike said, Come on, were going to do Blood and Bone 2, Id be there.Blood and Bone is available to watch on Netflix, for free with ads on Tubi, or for digital rental on Amazon and Apple TV.

Altered, the new trading card game initially funded through an uncharacteristically successful Kickstarter campaign, is now available to the general public. Altered is introducing some fairly radical ideas into the TCG space with its truly one-of-a-kind cards and a print-on-demand system that works in tandem with its free app. However, its rapid-fire gameplay will feel familiar to anyone whos played Star Wars: Unlimited, while its vibrant color palette will resonate with fans of Disney Lorcana.Currently, the Altered TCG is exclusively available through the Asmodee storefront, with just two products primarily intended for resale. But, if youd like to get a head start on collecting this freshly minted TCG, weve detailed all the available products below, along with their contents.Altered Starter Deck DisplayAltered is launching with a collection of six different starter decks, which are currently only available as a $89.94 bundle from the Asmodee store. Each deck represents one of the factions in Altered, and includes a 39-card deck in addition to a single hero card, rulebook, foldable game mat, five Adventure cards, a pair of reminder cards, a foil card, and essential play markers.Altered TCG Booster BoxLike traditional TCGs, Altered will have Booster Packs available to expand your collection and customize your deck. While individual packs will be available eventually, currently, you can only purchase a $143.64 box from the Asmodee store. Each box includes a total of 36 Booster Packs, each of which includes 12 cards. Each Booster Pack is guaranteed to include at least one card from every faction in addition to potentially holding unique variants of existing cards, or a single true one-of-a-kind card. The rarity spread for individual boosters isnt disclosed, but each Booster Box, on average, includes 36 hero cards, 288 commons, over 100 rares, and up to five unique cards.Altered AccessoriesAltered has also launched with a robust collection of premium accessories produced by Gamegenic, including game mats, card sleeves, deck boxes, and more. For now, the only place to find these accessories is the Asmodee store, but weve outlined the entire catalog below if youre looking for some fun extras to enhance your experience with Altered. Just note that some of these accessories, like the premium game tokens, are still in pre-production and are only available to pre-order.

Its been 30 years since the apocalyptic Great Storm hit, and while humanity isnt necessarily thriving, it is, at least, surviving. Thats the setting for Frostpunk 2, one of the most anticipated games of the year and it will be released in a week.The 2018 city-builder survival game Frostpunk tasked players with leading a post-apocalyptic British society of people through the frozen wastelands to build a city and keep as many citizens alive as possible navigating tough ethical and moral decisions (like whether to enact child labor laws) along the way. The game launched to critical and player acclaim, and has since sold over 5 million copies. Its even being turned into a franchise of sorts, with a board game and some upcoming novellas.If Frostpunk was about humanity facing the apocalypse, how can we say something meaningful after that? Jakub Stokalski, Frostpunk 2s co-director and design director, told Polygon on a call. If you survived the end of the world, the big question becomes, What now?The city of New London is no longer on the razors edge of destruction in the sequel. Instead, its citizens are looking to the future to imagine a new society but no one has the same ideas and beliefs. As the steward of the city, its the players task to balance the different factions wants and needs or risk banishment, while keeping everyone alive, of course.To shepherd the Frostpunk storyline into this new era, the developers at 11 bit studios have made some mechanical changes to the game like building Frostpunk 2 on Unreal Engine to enable modding as well as adjusting the scale of the game (time now moves quicker, with weeks being the primary metric instead of day-to-day decisions).A few weeks ahead of Frostpunk 2s Sept. 20 launch, Polygon jumped on a call with Stokalski to discuss the game and the choices the development team has made in bringing it to life.This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.Polygon: Talk us through the decision to create Frostpunk 2. How did that come about?Jakub Stokalski: After defining that we want to do meaningful games as 11 bit studios, every time we start a new project, we basically need to make sure that it has something to say. Were not making a project just because Frostpunk was a success.Frostpunk is an apocalyptic game. It happens as the world is ending, and you have to survive this great storm. What do we do to meaningfully say something new in this world? Do we make a bigger storm, even lower temperature? It starts being these questions that, sure, if we just wanted to make a sequel, Frostpunk 1.5, we could go this route.Frostpunk 2 really becomes a story about these people who survived the unsurvivable and have been shaped by this to the very deepest core of who they are. And then, on the other hand, when you do survive something like that, you turn into a different kind of people and have basically a clean slate in front of you. This is where all of these old demons start rearing their ugly heads. What we evolved into is saying that its not nature thats humanitys biggest enemy, but human nature and these diverging ambitions that threaten to tear everything apart.What elements from Frostpunk did you keep for Frostpunk 2?Having said all of the things Ive just said, it doesnt mean that we just throw everything that Frostpunk is out the window. We definitely knew we wanted to still have this harsh world around us. We knew that we wanted to stay in the genre, which, for our purposes, we defined as societys survival so the survival component definitely had to be there.While designing the core game loops and the building blocks, we knew that temperature is still going to be a problem, resource shortages are still going to be a problem. So theres this base layer of game mechanics that ensure that this is a proper survival game.The human element is included in the game in a few different ways mostly through factions and the council (similar to the U.K. Parliament). How did you decide which elements to include in Frostpunk 2?It was really about: What are the best mechanical and gameplay tools we can put this concept in, so that it actually becomes a playable part of the game rather than just a statement?Therefore, if we say that people have been shaped in different ways by the ordeal of survival, thats why we have communities. If we say diverging ambitions can be both a good thing but a bad thing, thats why we show factions that conform and start to try to move the city ideologically in their own way. And if we say that human nature and this conflict from the emerging ambitions can be a threat, this is how the council, the voting mechanisms, the negotiations all of the protests and the mechanics that the factions have ingrained in them this is how it all came to be.A lot has changed in Frostpunk 2. There are districts instead of individual housing; the passage of time is different. Talk us through these changes and why that was important for Frostpunk 2.The immediate change is the time skip, because we start 30 years after Frostpunk ended. All of these decisions after having multiple conversations about the game with different people I can totally see how this may sound like a lot of changes in many places, but I dont think there is one change in the game that does not have its roots in the core concept of the game.Frostpunk 2 is a game about people shaped by having to face the end of the world and now trying to build a future for themselves and reconcile diverging ambitions. If this is what the game is about, then we have to have a bigger time scale, because you cannot really show in a meaningful, believable, and coherent way that society is evolving, radicalizing, and trying to respond to a changing law landscape. If its about true expansion and resources running out on a city scale, you dont show that in a space of 20 days.So all of these changes to scale both in terms of time that passes, as well as the core construction mechanics in the game this is exactly where it has its roots. This is the only way, in our mind, to let the player play a story about diverging ambitions of people shaped by survival.The inclusion of the council gameplay system is also rooted in that, because that allows you to show that evolution of social norms, evolution of social structures and constructs in the game, rather than just arbitrary decisions that the player makes at a point in time, and then everyone agrees.Strategy games in particular, I think, are a form of power fantasy. We play games to have a good time and basically get our way. But if you think about it, if we want to make a game about internal conflict in the society and we dont really know how its going to go, what you actually have to do is take a bit of that power fantasy away from the player to show them that you can become a prisoner of your own choices. Again, only possible on these large timescales.Players are going to be able to mod Frostpunk 2. Where did that decision come from, and why?Its something that we actually were wanting to do even since Frostpunk, but werent really able to. We built Frostpunk on our proprietary engine, which allowed us to do a lot of cool custom things, but the investment needed to make it available to the players was just not warranted. This decision is a lot easier now, because Unreal is an established game engine with a known pipeline for this type of stuff.Strategy games, and PC games in particular, benefit from having a vibrant modding community. People enjoy playing with the games not only by playing them. Thats a great thing to support, period.The community for Frostpunk and Frostpunk 2 seems to be very invested not only in the game, with the way the game works, but in the world of the game. Theres people coming up with fanfiction, like writing different scenarios, playing scenarios on Reddit in correspondence form. So just having the opportunity for those who would like to have a go at trying to expand this world to what they imagine is exciting for the whole team.What was the hardest thing to build for Frostpunk 2, or what took the longest to get right?The whole concept of the game especially considering what I said about playing around with the players power fantasy, with the genre conventions, and even game conventions. In a way, this proved to be a very hard design challenge.It was like trying to tread this fine balance of realizing the vision about diverging ambitions and taking away a bit of the player fantasy, while still not making them hate it, basically, and feel constricted and not really being able to do anything which, Im sure real-world politics is a bit like that, but we did not want this level of realism in the game. It was very, very hard.On top of all of that is the fact that Frostpunk 2, as Frostpunk was, is at its very heart, I think, a narrative experience. Story is one thing, but a narrative in the sense of me as a player, pouring my agency into what the game allows me to be, and having the experience that comes out of it be an experience that is narratively coherent. My role, what I can do, what the game tells me is happening, and how I can impact this. Actually making sure that all of these different strategy puzzles, mechanics, and building blocks fit well together, that was another level of complication. So I dont know, basically anywhere I look in this project, it was pretty challenging.What do you hope that players get out of Frostpunk 2?The main campaign is a semi-authored story it has a beginning, middle, and end and a set of things we want you to experience. But in between those points, or rather the way you approach realizing these story points, you have a very broad set of ways you can go about it.Whenever games play to their strength, which is allowing for player agency through gameplay mechanics, this is where truly unique experiences can happen. And I very much believe that this is true for Frostpunk 2, in the sense that the set of things we allow you to do is broader and more complex, I would say, than in Frostpunk.Each playthrough should give you something new to experience, some new facet like law consequences you did not foresee or strategies you did not believe were possible, but actually are possible.By the very merit of what we included and what we did not include in the game, we made a choice, like a creative choice. But the way you interpret these choices the way you look back on your playthrough and its outcome and try to wrestle with your own conscience and your own point of view of, Does it all hold water or maybe I try again this is, I would hope, going to be the biggest strength of the game.Is there anything else you would like to mention?Were doing a Twitch integration. This is an experiment for us. I wouldnt say this is the most important thing about the game, but to me, personally, as a designer, actually including the multiplayer aspect to it is an interesting thing that I think makes particular sense in this game and is very interesting to see how its going to play out.I guess the last thing I want to add is that there is a bit of anxiety I have about the scale of changes that we did, which is obviously not small. Creatively, we stand by everything that we did, because we really believe it makes sense in this context. We are not just cashing in on the success of Frostpunk; we really want to make something meaningful here and I truly believe that what we did is true to the core experience, but builds on it in a meaningful way.

Metaphor: ReFantazio, the next RPG from the creators of Persona 3, 4, and 5, is coming out Oct. 11 on PC, Xbox, and PlayStation platforms. Building off the success of the Persona titles each full of moody tunes, min-maxing relationships for personal gain, and a turn-based system erupting with visual pizzazz a team of Atlus veterans is here with something new (yet familiar). If you want to see how the game looks and feels ahead of its launch, my colleague Mike McWhertor had an extended August 2024 preview that has made me more excited.If youre just here to pre-order Metaphor: ReFantazio, youll find all of the relevant information below, including pre-order links, as well as breakdowns of whats included with each edition of the game.Whats in Metaphor: ReFantazio standard edition?The standard edition of Metaphor: ReFantazio costs $69.99 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and on PC (via Steam and the Xbox store on Windows). On console, its available both as a physical disc or as a digital download, while its a digital-exclusive title on PC. If you have a PS4, you can buy a digital copy from Sonys PlayStation store listing, but youll pay the current-gen pricing of $69.99 for it (it comes with a PS5 copy, too).Whichever platform you have, the standard edition includes the same in-game item bonuses: the Archetype EXP Chest Set and the Adventurers Journey Pack. Journey below for more details.Archetype EXP Chest Set10x Heros Incenses (Increases Archetype Experiences by 100)5x Heros Fruits (Increases Archetype Experiences by 500)Adventurers Journey Pack30,000 Reeve (In-game currency)5x Expensive Medicines (Restores 200 HP to one ally)5x Revival Medicines (Revives an ally)3x Magical Breads (Gradually recover MP while in dungeon)2x Stale Blackbreads (Deals heavy Almighty damage to one enemy)Whats in Metaphor: ReFantazio digital deluxe edition?One step up from the standard edition is the digital deluxe edition, which is also referred to as the Atlus 35th anniversary edition on some storefronts. Its available for all platforms (PlayStation, Xbox, Steam) as a digital purchase that costs $99.99, containing all of the bonuses earned with the standard edition above, plus more in-game items and extras that fans of past Persona games (and other Atlus games, generally) might adore.Digital SoundtrackDigital ArtbookCostume & Battle BGM Set DLCShujin Academy School Uniform (7), Battle BGM & Battle Jingle SetYasogami High School Uniform (7), Battle BGM & Battle Jingle SetGekkoukan High School Uniform (7), Battle BGM & Battle Jingle SetSeven Sisters High School Uniform (7), Battle BGM & Battle Jingle SetSt. Hermelin High School Uniform (7), Battle BGM & Battle Jingle SetJouin High School Uniform (7), Battle BGM & Battle Jingle SetSamurai Garb (7), Battle BGM & Battle Jingle SetEtrian Odyssey Series Classes Costume (7) & Battle BGM SetAtlus 35th Anniversary Digital History Book + SoundtrackWhats in Metaphor: ReFantazio collectors edition?The collectors edition for Metaphor: ReFantazio is the priciest, most bountiful configuration available, costing $149.99 for Xbox, Steam, and PlayStation at numerous retailers. The game comes in a limited edition Steelbook case, and the set includes other physical goods, as well as all of the aforementioned digital bonuses, in-game extras, and cosmetic unlocks contained in the cheaper editions.Soundtrack (two discs)ArtbookHomo Tenta Metallic PinsSticker SheetKingdom of Euchronia Cloth Map

Pokmon Go is having a Ponyta Community Day event on Saturday, Sept. 14, from 2-5 p.m.in your local time.As expected with a Community Day event, both Ponyta and Galarian Ponyta will spawn in huge numbers with a high chance for it to appear shiny. There are also several other bonuses and perks, which weve listed out below.How do I catch a shiny Ponyta in Pokmon Go?As per old research by the now-defunct website The Silph Road (via Wayback Machine), Shiny rates on Community Days are about 1 in 24, which means that if you keep playing throughout the three-hour window, you should find quite a few shiny Pokmon.If youre short on time or Pok Balls, you can pop an Incense, then quickly tap each Ponyta to check for shiny ones, running from any that arent shiny. Notably, any Ponyta youve already tapped will face where your player is standing, so that should help identify which ones you may have already checked.What Community Day move does Ponytas evolution learn?If you evolve Ponyta or Galarian Ponyta into Rapidash or Galarian Rapidash from 2 p.m. until 10 p.m. in your local time, it will learn the charged move Wild Charge.If you miss out on evolving it during this period, you will likely be able to evolve it during a Community Day weekend event in December to get Wild Charge. If you dont want to wait, you can use an Elite TM to get the move.How does Rapidash do in the meta?For PvE content, you wont really need to use either Rapidash or Galarian Rapidash. Kantonian Rapidash is outclassed by many fire-types, including Reshiram, Chandelure, Blaziken, Blacephalon, and even Flareon just to name a few. Galarian Rapidash is a decent fairy-type attacker with Fairy Wind and Play Rough, if you missed out on the Tapu Legendaries. Its also outclassed by quite a few Pokmon (Gardevoir, Sylveon, Primarina, Florges) but still works if you need it to.For PvP, its the other way around. Galarian Rapidash wont see any use, but Kantonian Rapidash is actually a half-decent contender for Ultra League when set up with Incinerate, Wild Charge, and Flame Charge.How do I make the most of Ponyta Community Day?The following bonuses will be active during Ponyta Community Day:Tripled Stardust for catching PokmonDoubled candy for catching PokmonDoubled chance for level 31+ trainers to get XL candy from catching PokmonIncense lasts three hoursLure Modules lasts three hoursPonyta special photobombs when taking snapshotsOne additional special tradeStardust cost halved for tradingThat said, you should definitely pop a Star Piece and an Incense and try to nab some Ponyta.Ponyta and its Galarian form have different typing, meaning that you will need to Mega Evolve different Pokmon to get bonus candy. It doesnt really matter which Ponyta you choose to focus on, as they both share the candy type for evolving and powering up. For regular Kantonian Ponyta (fire-type), you can Mega Evolve Charizard, Houndoom, Blaziken, or Groudon (via Primal Reversion). For Galarian Ponyta (psychic-type), you can Mega Evolve Alakazam, Slowbro, Gardevoir, Medicham, Latias, Latios, or Rayquaza.In addition to all this, Niantic is still running special four-star raids from 5-10 p.m., where if you clear the Ponyta raid, Ponyta will spawn in a 300-meter radius around the gym for 30 minutes. These raids cannot be done remotely. If the usual 2-5 p.m. spawn increase doesnt get you the Ponyta you wanted, you can try raiding for another chance.

Every week is fashion week in Dress to Impress on Roblox. Thanks to streamers, the multiplayer dress-up game has become a breakout hit online. Now, the game is inspiring fashion in the real world. On social media platforms like TikTok, Dress to Impress has inspired a recent trend where people use the games audio to show off their outfits and pose using the games emotes. Dress to Impress is an online game where people compete to create the best outfit based on a theme. In the game, each player struts down a runway to show off their fit and other players vote for their favorites. The overall style of the game can change drastically based on the theme of each round and now, fans in the real world have created a trend inspired by the game. The videos in the trend borrows that same structure: People use the music from the game to show off their outfits and pose just like their virtual avatars would. The video below shows an example of it. This video, which has been viewed more than 3.2 million times, layers text over the video that says, theme: going out. Each person takes a turn posing for the camera as they flaunt their going out look for the camera. @la_saniya pose: 20ATE #dresstoimpress #fitcheck #luna Dress to impress Heartuu. The idea has inspired several variations of people emulating the general joke. A popular gag in each video is people hit the Pose 28, which is a popular emote in the game where the character stands with their legs wide and stick out their hips. It looks goofy and you can scroll down to see some examples of it. @rachelandjamiee @Jason @rachel lin @jamiee lin @RichDaSharkBait did we impress? #dresstoimpress #5stars #cruiseoutfit #familycruise #roblox Dress to impress Heartuu. @.grwm_juliet type shi!!! Dress to impress Heartuu. Personally, I loved the people who did the trend and attended New York Fashion Week this year. @thatcurlytopp sorry for being MIA, but was having too much fun during NYFW but cant wait to tell yall all about it soon Dress to impress Heartuu. Overall, its a cute trend that blends the game and its world, with the joy of getting dressed up. So now everyone can feel confident posing in the mirror as they figure out the dress-up theme for each day of their life.

Its not much of a stretch to say that legendary stunt performer and action director J.J. Perry helped shape most of the significant action movies and franchises that have come out this century. Hes worked in the biggest modern movie universes imaginable Marvel, DC, Avatar, Fast and Furious, John Wick. He designed the action on smaller beloved genre projects like Warrior and Undisputed II: Last Man Standing, and even provided strong action beats in comedies like Spy and Murder Mystery 2.Perry finally got his chance at directing a feature in 2022: the breezy throwback vampire action-comedy Day Shift, starring Jamie Foxx. Two years later, hes back with his sophomore effort: the delightful action rom-com The Killers Game, starring Dave Bautista and a legion of Perrys friends and collaborators from the action world.The movie follows Joe Flood (Bautista), a highly capable hitman with a big crush on ballet dancer Maize (Sofia Boutella). While their relationship is still budding, Joe learns he has a terminal illness, and puts out a hit on himself to end his suffering quickly and hopefully get an insurance payout for his new love. But surprise! His doctor gave him the wrong diagnosis, and hes actually perfectly healthy. With a new resolve to live, Joe has to fight off a swarm of deadly assassins and hold onto his vision of his future.Joining Bautista and Boutella are Ben Kingsley as Bautistas handler Zvi, Pom Klementieff as a rival handler, and Terry Crews, Scott Adkins, Marko Zaror, Lee Hoon, Shaina West, Lucy Cork, and WWE wrestler Drew McIntyre as some of the assassins. For action fans, that list is a whos who of people who kick ass. Combine that with Perrys unique eye for action design, and you have one of the most enjoyable movies of the fall.The narrative setup allows for lots of room for expression from Perry, both in the characters and the action design. Zarors character, Botas, is a particular standout, a flamenco dancer who fights with spurs on his boots and headphones in his ears. So are Adkins and McIntyre, who play a pair of nearly unintelligible Scottish brothers (subtitles and all). There are motorcycle fights, barroom brawls, tactical shootouts, intense martial arts action, and everything in between. At its best, The Killers Game feels like an action anthology series, following the protagonist as he fights his way through the genre, with Joe and Maizes romance providing a heart at the center of it all.Polygon spoke with Perry about his approach to the movies unique premise, why wrestlers (and Bautista in particular) make such great movie stars, his inspirations for the wacky cast of characters, and his love for matching old-school aesthetics with new-school technology.This interview has been edited for concision and clarity.Polygon: Where did this project start for you?J.J. Perry: Like 12 years ago, I got a script called The Killers Game, and they were looking for a stunt coordinator. Somehow that went away. And then three years ago, I got the script again, and they were looking for a second unit director. I was finishing up my first movie, Day Shift, and I invited [producer] Andrew Lazar to see my directors cut while we were in the editing room. He was like, Dude, I want you to direct [The Killers Game]. And thats how it all kind of came to me.Getting the movie was a big win, but getting Dave Bautista to star in it was like winning the lottery for me. It all just kind of fell together after that.I imagine some of it is his star power and what he brings to the screen, but also, having someone like him attached to the project has to help give it more visibility.I met Dave in the parking lot of 87eleven [Action Design] when I was prepping John Wick 2 and we were training Keanu [Reeves]. He came to meet Chad [Stahelski], and I chased him out in the parking lot and was like, Dude, Im a big fan.Ive worked with a lot of pro wrestlers over the years. As a stuntman, I worked with Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, just a host of them. But I always felt Dave was special. He has something else. When he came aboard, we had a chat, and I think I won him over by telling him that Im not setting out to make an action movie. Im setting out to make a love story.For me, coming from the action world, I wasnt that concerned with the action. I can close my eyes and throw the ball and hit it with action. Its my neighborhood. I know where Im going. I need to get the love story and the characters right in this movie, and the comedy. I need to hit that. Everyones going to expect the action to be good. Im not really worried about that part, because I know it like the back of my hand, and Ive got an amazing action team, and all we do is produce stunt biz constantly.But getting the story right is, I think, what got Dave, and Dave brought Sofia [Boutella]. I was scared shitless of the Maize character. I was like OK, who am I gonna get, a badass actress that can dance, that has chemistry with Dave? And he said, Oh, I got this friend that I did Hotel Artemis with.If you ask an actress in Hollywood if they can dance, theyll all say, Yeah, I can dance. But I dont mean tap dance in the fourth grade. Im talking about really being about to dance. Sofia, before she became an actress, she was a dancer, and shes an amazing actress. Dave also brought with him Terry Crews, which was super cool. We had a hard time casting the Lovedahl role. Id worked with Terry on Expendables 3. I love him, but Dave, hes dear friends with him. He called him, and boom, Terry Crews is on a plane.I got on the phone and called all my friends Scott Adkins, Marko Zaror, Pom Klementieff, Daniel Bernhardt, Lucy Cork, Shaina West. If youre going somewhere to get into a damn street fight, what do you do? You call your homeboys and your homegirls to come help you. When you stack your deck full of aces, all youre holding is aces.What is it about working with wrestlers in action roles that you like, and how has Dave Bautista distinguished himself there to you?If you know the movie business, more movie stars have come from WWE than anywhere else. More than football, more than MMA. Theres a reason. They are live-show performers. Theyre acting to the guys in the nosebleeds. So it has to be big, and they have to be able to retain the choreography. It is a breeding ground for action stars.I think that Dave, on the acting level, has really surpassed any and all expectations for me. I know him, and its unfair, because hes a great actor, hes super talented, hes super intelligent, hes super kind, hes generous. I want to be him so bad it makes my damn teeth hurt. For me, it was a career high to get to do this with him. I just finished another one with him too, [a sci-fi comedy] called Afterburn. Were cutting it right now.You mentioned Day Shift earlier, which has a very different approach to action than this one. Its vampire-centric, youve got the contortionist gymnastics stuff going on. The Killers Game is a different playground. What was most exciting to you about that as an action director?Because I direct so much action as a second unit director, its about the characters. How do I make the characters different, and create problems for my protagonist, and show how he solves them? And its also the set-pieces. Like, the motorcycle fight. We were supposed to do that in a construction site. Do you know why we shot it inside? Because when you film in Budapest in July, you only have four hours of darkness. So I didnt have the time I needed to shoot for 10 hours straight.We shot all of that motorcycle business in two days. I didnt have a lot of time, so I needed to focus on my strengths. But that venue created a lot of opportunities for the motorcycles to do stuff that you might not have seen before. Thats your job, too, is not to regurgitate things youve seen. So when Im directing action movies, I dont watch action movies. I watch comedies and horror movies.One of the things I enjoyed most about The Killers Game is how the premise allows you to use a lot of different action tools. You get to cycle through action subgenres throughout the movie. When you read the script, did that stand out to you, or did that come naturally in the process?The movie that I read 10 or 12 years ago and the one I read three years ago are quite a bit different. When we decided Im directing the movie, I went out and got [screenwriter] James Coyne, whos a friend of mine, and we rewrote. We put in the Goyang character, we put in the Botas character, we put in the party girls, we put in the unintelligible Scottish guys.We took some characters out, because that script had been around so long, youd see people had taken their characters and put them in other movies. So I put my own DNA in it. We wrote those things with Scott Adkins in mind, with Marko Zaror in mind, with Lucy Cork and Shaina West in mind.With Botas when I was a young guy, I was competing in taekwondo a lot. There was a guy in my gym that, when he put on his Walkman, if you were sparring with him, he would beat the pants off of you, because he was so into the heavy metal. But when he had the Walkman off, you could walk all over him. I was like, I need to do that. Marko, hes a special character. We almost lost that character, too. We didnt have a lot of money.[With the Mackenzie brothers], I worked in Scotland on F9. We locked up Edinburgh, and I couldnt understand a word of what my crew were saying, but it was fun, and they laughed when I talked. We had a great time.Every other word was the C word. I was like. Whoa, you guys can just say that? And then the party girls I spent most of my youth researching those girls.With the Mackenzie brothers, theres a bit of a commonality between Day Shift and this movie. Is there always going to be room in your movies for Scott Adkins to play half of a brother duo with a new accent?I love Scott. Im going to cast him in everything. Ill cast Marko and Daniel in everything. When youre going to go somewhere and do something hard, youre going to bring your friends. They all could be their own movie stars. Theyre all action-movie stars, but they could be movie stars. I will always offer that to Scott, but hopefully I can offer him something bigger next time.The movie has a very comic book-y narrative, even though the source material isnt a comic book. You have split panels, wipes, match cuts theres a lot of playfulness in the movie. How did you approach marrying the style to the narrative?After Day Shift, I wanted something that looked a bit different, and I watched the old Thomas Crown Affair, and I watched some Guy Ritchie. So some of the split screens and some of the transitions from scene to scene [were inspired by those]. I just wanted it to feel different. We didnt have a lot of time. It wasnt a big budget. We shot it in 42 days. It was what it was, but we made a meal of it.I didnt want it to seem like a standard action movie. Theres some dolly zooms, 360 dolly shots, a lot of Trinity shots where were wrapping around. I wanted to take a lot of liberties with the camera, but I also wanted to take a lot of liberties with the edit and the pacing. I did Day Shift, and Im super proud of that movie. But it was very scene to scene to scene. I wanted to do something that was a little more stylized.When we talked about Day Shift way back, we talked about how some of the movie harkens back to an 80s or 90s style of action movie. You like to mix older aesthetics with new-school tech. What appeals to you about that?I learned how to do this job when I got out of the Army in the 90s, when I became a stuntman. And back then, you couldnt say Lets just fix it in post. Somebody had to figure out how to do it you couldnt just lean on visual effects. There wasnt CGI, there was no YouTube for a tutorial, there was none of that. So you had to be a clever filmmaker. And I got to work with those guys and really pay attention as a stunt coordinator and second unit director.These stuntmen and women are next-level. Parkour champion, world drifting champion, UFC fighter, just next-level. But theyre all young men and women that I dont fucking understand a word of what theyre saying. And I love them, and they love me, and Ive learned so much from them, but I think they learn from me, too. That mix for me has always been super interesting.Im stuck in the middle of Gen X, and I still listen to Mtley Cre, but at the same time, I work with all these tech-savvy young bucks and young women that are amazing. You saw it in Day Shift with Dave [Franco] and Jamie [Foxx]s characters, and its here in The Killers Game. Thats something that I really love. Its a part of my life that I really love and laugh at, and its something that I wanted to bring across to the audience.I was thinking that is something that the protagonists of The Killers Game and Day Shift have in common: Theyre each hyper-proficient at a violent job, but theyre also kind of clueless in their life outside of the job. Is that a character trait youre attracted to in stories?[Points at self.] Its kind of my story. Im 57, but Im a 15-year-old trapped in a 57-year-olds body. Ive been in a business where we crash cars and fight and shoot things and fall off a building. We dont really have to grow up. You just have to be careful. Youre doing a bunch of kids stuff. And I urge people: Dont grow up. Its way overrated. Dont do it. Youre not going to dig it. Youre going to want to go back. My wife and I, weve got a 12-year-old, and shes going to grow up way sooner than I will. The Killers Game is in theaters now.

For many years, Peter Molyneuxs eccentric god game Black & White, released in 2001, has quite literally been unplayable. While there are workarounds to play the game on modern systems, the now-ancient game engine is simply unsupported by modern hardware and wont run natively, meaning if anyone wanted to build anything off the existing engine, they couldnt. However, after five years of hard work, a dedicated team of 15 developers has finally resurrected a version of the engine that works on desktops made after 2008.Dubbed Openblack, this open-source engine recently reached its version 0.1.0 milestone meaning that while it works, its far from user-friendly and bears a closer resemblance to a map editor than a finished game. The engine also requires an installation of the original game and its subsequent patches to run properly, a process that took me several hours to accomplish. Once you get Openblack running, you can explore the different islands from the original game and use menus to spawn in different structures and creatures, but not much else.In case you never had the opportunity to experience Black & White, it plays like a town management game with some morality-based choices thrown in. For example, the game starts off by presenting you with the option to save a drowning child with your disembodied hand by plucking them out of the water or throwing the grieving mother into the drink as well. This inspires a nearby town of villagers to worship you as a helpful or vengeful entity, and their prayers would enable you to cast different miracles, like creating water or casting fireballs. Think along the lines of Cult of the Lamb without the dungeon-crawling, and you get the gist.Eventually, you would adopt a massive anthropomorphic animal that served as your avatar in the game world. A cross between a kaiju and a Tamagotchi, the animal would slowly learn new skills by observing your good and bad habits. Over time, the animal would grow and eventually adopt a unique appearance based on its benevolent or wrathful behaviors, treating your worshippers and rivals accordingly.The reason anyone cares about playing a weird game thats currently old enough to drink is a question of game conservation. Even with platforms like GOG, which made its name emulating retro titles that typically required some literacy with programs like DosBox to get running, when a game is either too difficult to emulate on modern hardware or not popular enough to warrant the effort, that game has the potential to disappear forever. While developers like Nightdive Studios engage in labors of love by remastering older titles to make them more palatable for modern audiences, often those games (like the excellent System Shock remake) arent representative of how the game played in its original state.Unfortunately, without the aid of the original developers or committed efforts from a community like the Openblack team taking up the mantle, an increasing number of important titles will likely become lost to history. If you want to play Black & White now, sites like My Abandonware will allow you to download a copy of the original disc image, which you can mount and install with a program like Daemon Tools Lite. Afterward, youll need to install a series of patches available from bwgame.net, but you should be able to play the original game in all of its chunky, awkward glory.While I dont think that Peter Molyneux anticipated that people would want to play Black & White 23 years after its original release, the announcement of his next divinity simulator, Masters of Albion (which is currently in development with 22Cans) might be why Black & White has come back into gamer consciousness. Albions disembodied hand cursor, subtle town management, and gesture-based spellcasting have evidently drawn some inspiration from his 2001 title, and with the newfound ability to take a walk around Black & White, developers can once again have the opportunity to learn from that field of work, weird as it may be.

The fall movie season has begun, and on Netflix its been heralded by the outstanding new movie Rebel Ridge. The new movie from the director of Green Room is already a standout candidate for one of the best movies of the year, but its also just one of the many great thrillers on Netflix in September.Every month, we handpick a few thrillers on Netflix that fit the current season. Sometimes they pair well with an upcoming release. Other titles might be new additions to the platform.Alongside Rebel Ridge, weve put together a lineup of excellent movies, including one of the most brutal mysteries movies of all time, and a dark Denzel Washington thriller where he practically plays a slasher movie villain. Editors pick: Rebel RidgeDirector: Jeremy Saulnier Cast: Aaron Pierre, Don Johnson, AnnaSophia RobbJeremy Saulniers latest action thriller isnt just the best thriller available on Netflix this month, but a contender for one of this years best films, full stop. Aaron Pierre (Old, The Underground Railroad) stars as Terry Richmond, a former Marine who is stopped by police while hes cycling through a small rural town to post bail for his recently incarcerated cousin. After the money he was carrying is confiscated by the authorities via civil asset forfeiture, Terrys drive to save his cousins life puts him on a collision course with the towns corrupt sheriff (Don Johnson).Pierres performance exudes a palpable righteous fury that radiates from beneath the surface of his stoic and composed demeanor. Rebel Ridges story displays some of the most efficient and memorable scriptwriting in recent memory, with otherwise innocuous lines and props reappearing later with profound significance. The action is exhilarating, the editing and pacing are breathtaking, and the story is elemental in its empathetic resonance. If Aaron Pierre isnt a star after this performance, itll absolutely be through no fault of his own. Toussaint EganOldboy Director: Park Chan-wookCast: Choi Min-sik, Yoo Ji-tae, Kang Hye-jeongOldboy has one of the greatest thriller premises of all time: A drunk man is kidnapped and locked in a tiny hotel room, where he learns that his wife has been murdered and hes been framed for the crime. He stays locked in that room for 15 years, and when he gets out, all he wants is revenge. And that revenge takes shape in brutal, shocking, and very unexpected ways.Oldboy is already a modern classic, but if you havent given this dark South Korean thriller from master director Park Chan-wook a shot yet, then you absolutely have to check it out if you have the stomach for it. Austen GoslinThe Equalizer 3Director: Antoine FuquaCast: Denzel Washington, Dakota Fanning, Eugenio MastrandreaThe Equalizer 3 is a movie for every person whos ever laid awake in the dead of night and wondered, What if Jason Voorhees was an avuncular Black man with an affinity for tea and fancy hats? Denzel Washington reprises his role as Robert McCall, a retired Defense Intelligence Agency officer with a very particular set of skills, acquired over a very long career of what I would describe as artisanal ass-kicking.Following a one-man assault on a Mafia drug compound, Robert is nursed back to health and awakens in the Italian coastal town of Altamonte. During his convalescence, Robert slowly but surely is embraced by the townspeople, who welcome him as one of their own. However, Roberts actions eventually draw the attention of not only CIA officer Emma Collins (Dakota Fanning), but an Italian crime syndicate thats begun terrorizing Altamonte. Determined to save his new adopted home, Robert secretly aids Emma in her investigation of the syndicates actions before ultimately taking matters into his own hands.The Equalizer 3 is a more slow-paced and emotionally subdued film than director Antoine Fuquas previous installments in the series, but no less violent and exciting. Washington delivers an affecting performance of Robert as a man whos ready to truly retire from violence and embrace his newfound sense of community and peace, while at the same time ready to return to violence in service of protecting that peace. Whats just as, if not arguably more, compelling is seeing Washington and Fanning reunite on screen for the first time since 2004s Man on Fire, which results in an unofficial mentor/mentee dynamic that alone makes the film worth watching. TE

Lore changes to Tolkiens world are nothing new for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. But its changes to the palantri, the spherical seeing devices that have appeared most notably in Nmenor so far in the show, are starting to get a little confusing.While fans of the Peter Jackson movies will certainly recognize the specific threat that the palantri poses in the show, thats not how the books say the devices should work at this time in the story. Sure, by the time of the Fellowships quest to destroy the One Ring, the devices were mostly tools of deception employed by Sauron. But during the time of The Rings of Power, they shouldnt be evil at all. In fact, theyre basically just walkie-talkies.The palantri, like all the best and worst things in Middle-earth, were originally created by the elves and later given to the Nmenreans, with seven of them surviving the islands destruction and facilitating communication between the realms of Gondor (where Boromirs from) and its sister country Arnor. They are essentially something along the lines of Facetime walkie-talkies. They could be used to communicate over long distances, usually only two directly with each other, and they could provide visions of their surroundings during these communication sessions. This is why when we see them in the show and movies, characters would touch the palantri and see visions of various places with little to no context about what they were. In other words, theres nothing inherently evil about them or the images they show at all.The problems with the spherical creations didnt arise until the Third Age (when the main trilogy is set) when, one by one, the seven palantri were misplaced, falling into rivers or disappearing when cities were sacked. The remaining palantri were locked away (one in Orthanc, the stronghold of the great and noble Saruman, leader of the wise wizards) for the same reason that you wouldnt spill sensitive information in a Zoom meeting where the guests were hidden. There was no way to prove that somebody who shouldnt be listening in (specifically Sauron) was listening in and in The Lord of the Rings, we saw exactly that happen. While Gandalf says that Sauron couldnt use his palantr to completely fabricate the images that Denethor and Saruman saw in their own, he could manipulate the visions to fragment them and make sure they only saw the ones he wanted them to. Its these Sauron-influenced visions that drive Denethor nearly to his state of desperation and denial in the main trilogy, and that frighten Pippin (and reveal his location).The problem is, this is also a pretty exact description of how The Rings of Power treats the palantri as well. They seem, based on what weve seen of them in the show and their total lack of description, to already be a negative influence on characters.As with any adaptation, a change isnt inherently good or bad. But its hard not to feel like this one takes away from The Rings of Powers effectiveness as a prequel. Its supposed to be a story about the way a golden age of Middle-earth was destroyed by the subtle influences of Sauron and the corruption that his evils inspired. But the show hasnt done much to prove this age was golden at all, and the palantri could have played an integral role in that by showing something we recognize as a tool for evil being used innocently and without concern.Part of the fun of a prequel is that the audience knows things the characters dont. So, for instance, getting to see good characters freely using the palantri to communicate could have been an excellent avenue for the show to prove to us how far Middle-earth has fallen by the time Frodo and Sam set out from the Shire. They could become yet another beautiful thing that was ruined by Sauron and his minions. Instead, the one palantr weve seen is treated as evil instantly by the people of Nmenor, and as a critical object of prophecy by Mriel, suggesting they werent used for communication and have a completely different canonical place in the show. The Rings of Power seems so desperate to give us something we might recognize from the original movies that it skips straight to the fallen version of the world, rather than letting us witness that collapse organically.And the palantri arent the only place the show takes this same shortcut. In episode 5, Durin IV only spends a few minutes of screen time in awe of his fathers use of the Ring of Power before he realizes its a token of evil. It seems easy to imagine the version of this plotline that gets space to play out over a couple of episodes, where the rings might initially bring tremendous good fortune to the dwarves, but only Durin can see the ways that a ring is slowly turning his father selfish, greedy, and cruel. With that version, we as an audience might have a chance to see how Saurons rings came to trick so much of Middle-earth into falling under his spell. Instead, the characters catch up to our understanding almost instantly.At their very best, prequels do more than tell us what happened before the stories we love. They tell us how the world got to where it was and in the case of The Lord of the Rings, that should mean telling the story of how the world fell so far. How Sauron was allowed to rise again and why the realms of men, elves, and dwarves were so ill-prepared to stop him. It should show us all the glory and grandeur that Middle-earth had to offer in the Second Age, and show us how great the cost of letting Sauron rise at that time was. Instead of deepening our understanding of Middle-earth, however, The Rings of Power seems much more interested in rushing us back to something familiar: a warped version of a vision in a corrupted palantr.