Category: IGN

Mobile game Command & Conquer: Legions is getting characters, units, and stories from the beloved Red Alert universe.

Red Alert launched in 1996 as the second game in the legendary Command & Conquer real-time strategy series. It acts as a prequel to the original 1995 game, taking place in an alternate early history when Allied Forces battle the Soviet Union for control over the European mainland.

Developer Westwood Studios created fondly remembered FMV cutscenes for Red Alert’s story, which revolved around Albert Einstein traveling back in time to meet a young Adolf Hitler and creating a new timeline in which the Soviet Union grows even more powerful under Stalin, kicking off an alternate World War 2.

Voice actor Jason Griffith says he once recorded “hours” of content featuring Shadow the Hedgehog dropping the F-bomb.

Griffith spoke about his time voicing the Sonic character during a conversation with GameLuster at MomoCon. The actor says that when developing 2005’s Shadow the Hedgehog, Sega was, at one point, shooting for a “Mature” rating with the ESRB and asked him to record different versions for many of Shadow’s lines. Griffith says that in these M-rated takes, “they had me say f*** in every single line.”

“It was just every sentence, I would be yelling ‘Sonic, give me that f***ing Chaos Emerald!’ or something like that,” Griffith added. “I had no idea what was going on but I just went with it, and I had fun. There’s a hard drive somewhere with hours of recordings of Shadow yelling f*** at Tails and Sonic and stuff.”

Sega typically keeps curse words out of its anthropomorphic mascots’ mouths. Sonic is a series suited for children with one major exception: Shadow the Hedgehog. The spinoff game sees Sonic’s edgy other half using a variety of firearms as players navigate a choose-your-own-adventure-style campaign. It’s a darker take on the Sonic universe that even sees Shadow saying things like “damn” just before threatening to send Eggman to “hell.” It’s a lot, but apparently the ambivalent hedgehog almost used some other choice words, too.

Alas, Shadow the Hedgehog wound up with an E10+ rating when it eventually launched for Nintendo GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox. This is the first we’re hearing of Shadow’s more colorful vocabulary, and it’s unclear if those recordings are truly out there somewhere or if they will ever see the light of day.

IGN has asked Sega for comment.

Shadow is having quite the moment, as Sega has gone as far as to dub 2024 the “year of Shadow.” The character, who first appeared in Sonic Adventure 2 on the Dreamcast, is getting the spotlight in more ways than one. He’ll make his theatrical debut in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (with voicework from Keanu Reeves) when it premieres later this year. There’s also Sonic x Shadow Generations, a remaster featuring extra red-and-black-hedgehog-themed content that is set to release this fall.

Meanwhile, we didn’t love Shadow’s standalone game when it first released in 2005. We called it “bad” in our 4.7 review, saying that its speedy gameplay “doesn’t make up for the game’s long list of shortcomings, from stupid level design, unrefined controls and useless gunplay to disappointingly outdated graphics.”

Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.

Be sure to give him a follow on Twitter @MikeCripe.

At last, an open-world game that measures up – literally. On the one hand, Infinity Nikki is the console-ready follow-up to the Miracle Nikki and Shining Nikki series of dress-up games on mobile from Chinese game publisher Infold. On the other, it takes some influence from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, with ex-Nintendo BOTW director Kentaro Tominaga as its executive producer.

And as I discovered from three hours playing a packed new demo on PC, Infinity Nikki blends the best of these two disparate worlds – and tucks a ton of surprises under its sparkly belt.

As she digs through her attic in search of an outfit for the ball, titular heroine Nikki is thrown headlong into adventure when she finds an enchanted red and purple glittering dress in a wardrobe. Dancing with the dress, it suddenly pulls her and her talking cat-like pet/BFF Momo into a fantastical, mysterious realm. There, in the bowels of a crumbling castle, Nikki meets a cursed goddess named Ena the Curator, who grants Nikki with the Heart of Infinity and all its powers, sending her to Miraland and tasking her with reviving all the Miracle Outfits to save the world from evil. It’s like The Wizard of Oz meets Final Fantasy meets Paris Fashion Week, with a healthy sprinkling of Gravity Rush and The Neverending Story for good measure.

Just like in BOTW, Infinity Nikki has an impressive sense of scale and varied locations that encourage exploration. The rolling countryside and mountain backdrop of the opening Memorial Mountains location is Hyrule as interpreted by Studio Ghibli, while the village of Florawish is idyllic and alive, drenched in colourful flowers, and bustling with NPCs who give Nikki interesting lore updates or side missions. The village’s gorgeous European architecture is dotted with collectibles such as Blings (currency) and Whimstars (skill-tree points) that reward curious explorers, and Momo is always on hand to help out – temporarily viewing the world through his eyes allows you to find and track nearby Whimstars. Chests hidden here and there may contain a prize, but they sometimes spit out enemies you must defeat before you can get the loot.

Dungeons offer more advanced platforming action and fantastical boss creatures, while glowing pink cubes open up Zelda-style shrines, with environmental puzzles and other challenges that grant special rewards when beaten.

True to the roots of the series, the fashion theme permeates Infinity Nikki from shoulder to hem. With her long pink twin tails and her cute feminine style, Nikki is fabulously dressed from the off, and players can unlock a huge variety of outfits. A skill tree allows you to spend Whimstars on outfit blueprints, while others can be received from NPCs and side quests, or by winning them from a gacha machine.

Once you have the blueprints for an outfit, you can craft it, so long as you have the corresponding materials.

Some of these outfits give Nikki new abilities, such as a floating jump to cross wide gaps, a glider (similar to Link’s), a long-range attack to “purify” enemies, or an angling suit to go fishing; each of these can be equipped via a selection wheel or by using keyboard shortcuts. Others are purely cosmetic and can be mixed and matched to your heart’s desire. When you equip a dress and use its abilities, Nikki instantly changes outfits, and then changes back when you’re done, so you can spend most of the time in the ensemble of your choice.

The rich graphics show the detail in each item of clothing, right down to the type of material, from delicately patterned translucent silk to chunky wool. Each outfit comes with its own set of animations, too – for example, when Nikki changes into the Floating Outfit, bubbles follow her as she glides gracefully across the screen, adding to the vibe nicely.

Enemies, too, are sometimes made from scraps of spare fabric, while all of the crafting materials Nikki collects are used for making clothes, from plants in the shape of buttons to insects in the shape of socks. One outfit lets Nikki brush and trim animals for their fur, enabling stealth movement so that she can sneak up and catch them unaware; as you trim creatures based on cats, dogs and sheep, they roll around in ecstasy, which is utterly adorable.

The world of Miraland is populated by fashion-conscious characters, both male and female. Early in the demo, Nikki meets Dada and her younger sister Bebe, who invite her to join them in the Florawish Stylists’ Guild. The guild house is bedecked with beautiful décor, every member impeccably dressed. Meanwhile, Giovanni, a local crafter of wishing items, is softly handsome, like he stepped directly from an otome dating game.

Once registered with the guild, Nikki – now a full-fledged Stylist – receives a Pear-Pal tablet, which is essentially her Sheikah Slate, from which you can enter your nickname, check Nikki’s Stylist level, adjust her wardrobe, check an item compendium and more. Here you can also track main quests, side quests and individual crafting ingredients, a very helpful QOL feature, while the map is marked with useful icons. All in all, it’s a set of immediately approachable tools that make the game accessible to pretty much anyone.

Similarly, the game offers various options to aid exploration, such as a bicycle rental shop and, if you can find it, a giant bird that you can ride as it flies a predetermined loop around the map.

That said, Infinity Nikki’s dungeons do offer a fair degree of challenge. An early dungeon I played saw Nikki traversing the Dream Warehouse, a magical building with thousands of discarded paper cranes dotted all over the place, each representing a wish cast by the hopeful villagers of Florawish. The warehouse has now been overrun by monsters, which Nikki must purify. The origami papercraft motif continues as you begin platforming across giant paper cranes, which seesaw as Nikki clambers aboard their wings, making timing important. Nikki can also dash, which doubles as a dodge, and perform a Ground Pound type attack to defeat enemies or smash breakable objects.

Purifying enemies that stand in your path, reaching tricky distant platforms for optional collectibles – it’s not the toughest platforming challenge in the world, but it’s enough to keep you on your toes. Using a mouse and keyboard, I fell down many an abyss, so I was happy to hear that the final game will support controllers. The stage ends with Nikki riding on a massive paper crane that soars ever higher over a stunning skyscape to the soundtrack of a song with lyrics about reaching new heights – a dizzying reward for your efforts so far.

I played an offline demo, but the game will eventually include online features. The details of the online gameplay are still tbc, but the developers explained it will be a solo-focused game where everyone plays as Nikki, but with community aspects (in line with Death Stranding, perhaps). I played on PC, but mobile and console versions are also in the works. A release date is still tbc.

There is an innocent charm to Infinity Nikki. The protagonist is endlessly cheerful, constantly bigging up the characters around her with “you got this!” pep talk. When her feline friend Momo pulls out a camera to introduce photo mode, Nikki tells him, “You look like a professional photographer!”, while one dialogue tree I saw gave the option to simply “Say something nice” – a refreshing show of positivity and enthusiasm that is infectious.

Incidentally, the photo mode is excellent – perfectly tailored to such a fashion-focused game, and packed with features such as poses, filters, depth of field control and a toggle switch to have Nikki face the camera. Photo mode alone could occupy you for hours, as you have Nikki switch between outfits against a picturesque backdrop of luscious hills and sparkling streams, and pose for the camera with a bouquet of flowers, lounging on a bench, or making a heart shape with her hands.

Miraland’s locations are filled with wonder, its atmosphere endlessly engaging, dotted with minigames and soundtracked by gentle piano music. The game is dripping in detailed fashion, rich animations and watercolour concept art, while its mechanics are surprisingly deep and interesting. When using fast travel, Nikki strikes a classic pose, her hand and face towards the sky, as she dissolves into the ether to reappear elsewhere – and little details like this show how much care has gone into development.

I was also surprised to find myself drawn into the story, in which an ancient battle between gods and demons has given rise to a centuries-old society of stylists. It’s certainly unique!

I have to say, I never knew dressing up could be so much fun. My time with Infinity Nikki left me eager to try on the finished game when it eventually arrives.

Immediately after a jam-packed PlayStation State of Play, Konami aired a Silent Hill Transmission livestream, where the publisher shared a slew of details on the multiple Silent Hills projects currently in development.

Although we did not get any details on Silent Hill f and Silent Hill: Townfall, fans were treated to new gameplay and pre-ordering details for Silent Hill 2 Remake, in addition to a behind-the-scenes look at the upcoming horror film Return to Silent Hill.

Read below to learn more about everything Konami revealed during the Silent Hill Transmission livestream.

Thirteen minutes of Silent Hill 2 gameplay revealed

Following an intro message from Silent Hill producer Motoi Okamoto, the digital showcase started with 13 minutes of gameplay for Silent Hill 2 Remake.

The gameplay showed off some of the early moments of Silent Hill 2, with protagonist James Sunderland walking around in the iconic, fog-ridden town. There is another glimpse of combat, with James shown fending off a Lying Figure in one snippet and killing a Bubble Head Nurse after he enters the eerie and poorly-lit hospital.

Konami also shared pre-order details for Silent Hill 2 Remake, including confirmation that those who order the Deluxe Edition can play the game as early as October 6. In addition to 48-hour early access, Silent Hill 2 Remake Deluxe Edition owners will receive the game’s digital artbook, soundtrack, and some in-game cosmetics.

The Silent Hill Transmission also included a developer diary from Bloober Team, the studio taking point on the remake, in addition to some words from the Silent Hill 2 Remake cast, including Luke Roberts, who plays James Sunderland in the remake, Salome Gunnarsdottir, who plays James’ deceased wife, Mary Shepherd-Sunderland, and Silent Hill 2 antagonist Maria.

As announced during Thursday’s State of Play, Silent Hill 2 Remake is out on October 8 for PC and PS5.

At Sony’s State of Play presentation, first-party studio Team Asobi announced its next project: a new Astro Bot game releasing 2024 for PS5.

Titled simply Astro Bot, the first trailer shows the adorable little bot platforming and battling foes in tune to catchy music. We also get references to numerous classic games, including PaRappa, Journey, and more. All in all it looks like a joyful celebration of gaming on Playstation.

Since its release almost 10 years ago, The Sims 4 has been essentially free of timed content, with expansion packs and free additions being obtainable at any point after release. However, that’s changing in a new update that brings a battle pass-style feature to the game’s main menu, and fans aren’t happy.

Today, EA revealed its plan for Events in a blog post, describing each event as a “limited time experience, centered around a fun theme, with free rewards or gameplay that adds new opportunities to your game.”

Come for the vending machine, leave with a brand-new trait! 🤩

Events are here in The Sims 4 as limited time experiences with free rewards that adds new opportunities to your game. ✨

Discover more: https://t.co/RepxRYq9xn pic.twitter.com/fZZqynBeIm

— The Sims (@TheSims) May 30, 2024

Each Event is free and offers 8 rewards over the course of 4 weeks, with new rewards being made available each week. This format requires players to launch the game on at least different 8 days to claim every reward.

The first event, titled The Sims 4 Happy at Home Login Event, will become available for all players by June 13 and introduces several furniture items, a few new Sim accessories, and, most notably, a vending machine and a new trait called Practice Makes Perfect.

The blog post clarifies that each event will end in an extra week where players can claim rewards they missed. Still, claiming each reward requires extra commitment, and fans haven’t been happy about it, with many taking to Twitter/X to share their disappointment.

TIMED EVENTS IN THE SIMS 4???

fuck off. no. ur turning this game into a mobile game, this is NOT what we wanted. listen, i hate when people say this, but WHO TF ASKED FOR THIS??? fuck all the way off with this bullshit.

(pics from simscommunity) pic.twitter.com/rnY9c3pqLu

— OakieDokie (@OakSimStudios) May 28, 2024

This isn’t it. Players log into games often when they offer engaging GAMEPLAY. The Sims used to do well with 2 EPs a year- they that kept players busy for months. Lately packs can’t hold simmers attentions for 2 days before they start asking for the next one. see the issue? pic.twitter.com/NGYpN4A4sK

— 🏳️‍🌈AnotherPlumbob🏳️‍🌈 (@AnotherPlumbob) May 30, 2024

Other players, including some responding to a post on Reddit, complained about the game’s ongoing bugginess seemingly being ignored to focus on Events. Others speculated that EA was setting up microtransactions for Project Rene.

“It’s clear that this is the way EA are wanting to take the franchise. It’s a shame that EA, a multi-billion dollar company, feels the need to create multiple broken DLC for a high price then think ‘nah, we can still make more money,'” a user wrote. “We deserve better than re-colored items from other packs just so the data shows that player numbers are going up. I wish we were given genuine, original free content or better yet, focus on fixing the damn game instead of modders doing it. Things aren’t looking good for the future of the Sims franchise.”

EA previously confirmed that Project Rene, which most fans are calling The Sims 5, will be free-to-play when it’s eventually released.

We gave The Sims 4 a 7.5 in our original review, calling it “a good start to what may eventually be expanded into a great Sims game.” Since then, it’s received a notable number of expansions and smaller patches, the most recent of which have added vitiligo, sexual orientation, and pronoun options for Sims.

Amelia Zollner is a freelance writer at IGN who loves all things indie and Nintendo. Outside of IGN, they’ve contributed to sites like Polygon and Rock Paper Shotgun, and they’re currently developing a game called Garage Sale. Find them on Twitter: @ameliazollner.

Redfall’s final update, which was announced following Microsoft’s closure of developer Arkane Austin, is here, adding a myriad of quality-of-life overhauls to the game, such as an offline mode, DLSS3, and single-player pausing.

The details of Redfall Game Update 4 were unveiled in a Bethesda blog post today, including a ranking system called Community Standing, which is among the new features in the game’s Neighborhood system. Community Standing, as the blog post describes, is a rank-based reputation that rewards players with unique permanent buffs upon completing a Safehouse mission, rescuing civilians, and defeating an Underboss.

It isn’t hard to see why the tabletop community appears so enamored by Azul. The colorful tile-drafting game is simple enough to pick up in a round or two, but the strategy at higher levels can get relatively deep. Because Azul is so approachable, it is widely considered to be one of the best family board games available. That said, the addictive gameplay and wealth of different versions have also made Azul a favorite among serious hobbyists.

Outside of the satisfying-feeling tiles and the easy-to-pick-up gameplay, the magic of Azul is that it scales incredibly well. Many games, while claiming to accommodate a range of competitors, don’t play as well with some player counts as others. On the other hand, while we picked Azul as one of the best board games for three players, it’s just as good with two or four people.

Later iterations of Azul have introduced wildly different rulesets, further deepening the experience. Each version doesn’t play like a simple adaption, however. Sure, the various entries all ask players to draft beautifully crafted tiles and place them on a board, but these packages are often so varied that owning multiple versions actually makes sense for more than just the hardcore Azul fanatic. All the various titles and expansions might be a bit confusing at first, but it helps to know that there isn’t a bad option in the bunch. That said, for most people, it probably makes the most sense to begin with the title that started it all.

The Games

Azul

MSRP: $44.99 USD

• Age: 8+
• Players: 2-4
• Play Time: 30-45 mins

Azul asks players to draft tiles and place them in designated spots on their boards. The goal is to complete columns, rows, and colors, all of which award a set amount of points. Of course, the player with the most points at the end of the game wins. However, strategic players will want to block their opponent from completing their respective board, meaning Azul is a game about both offense and defense. This balance is part of what makes Azul great, and the ability to eye multiple boards is what separates novice players from skilled ones. Like any great strategy game, it’s about being one step ahead of the competition.

Azul scored high in our review and won several Board Game of the Year awards thanks to its simple yet elegant gameplay. The beautifully crafted tiles both look phenomenal and feel great in the hand. As this is the most basic iteration of Azul, it’s the recommended place for most players to start. Don’t let its simplicity fool you, however. Two-player matches can get quite cutthroat, as much of the game revolves around blocking opponents from selecting the tiles they need to complete their boards. Still, if you’re looking for something more complex, the next few titles in the franchise offer wrinkles that add a bit of depth to the core gameplay.

Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra

MSRP: $44.99 USD

• Age: 8+
• Players: 2-4
• Play Time: 30-45 mins

While there are no bad Azul games, Stained Glass of Sintra is about as divisive a title as the series has. Azul fans who aren’t as hot on Stained Glass of Sintra are generally still positive about it, but, understandably, players were a bit taken aback by this entry as it is quite the departure from the original. Sure, players are still tasked with drafting colorful tiles and playing them on their board, but tile placement works much differently in Stained Glass of Sintra.

Rather than trying to complete columns and rows, the follow-up focuses more heavily on vertical gameplay. Additionally, a meeple is introduced to the series (but never seen again afterward) which moves players from one stained glass board to the next. Players familiar with Azul will undoubtedly catch on rather quickly, but these new mechanics do add some complexity to the original gameplay. For those looking for something slightly deeper than Azul, Stained Glass of Sintra is certainly worth checking out, as are the next couple of entries on this list. Additionally, this is an easy recommendation for players who already have Azul and are looking for something a bit different that still manages to scratch the same itch. But again, maybe check out the next couple of entries first.

Azul: Summer Pavillion

MSRP: $44.99 USD

• Age: 8+
• Players: 2-4
• Play Time: 30-45 mins

Like Stained Glass of Sintra, Azul: Summer Pavilion maintains the same tile drafting system as the original game but differentiates itself in the placement phase. The biggest change to gameplay with Summer Pavilion is the introduction of the wild card tile. Each round a new color is selected to be the wild card, meaning it can be used in place of any tile in the game.

Like the earlier entries in the series, Summer Pavilion maintains its tense drafting phase that requires players to think about future turns and predict the moves of their opponents, but the wild card adds a fun and meaningful twist to the formula. The new board also offers even more room to score bonus points, making Summer Pavilion somewhat deeper than the previous two entries. Not to sound like a broken record, but many will want to grab the original Azul first and later graduate to a title like Summer Pavilion. However, the wild card element and the deeper scoring system might be enough to persuade first-time buyers looking for something more advanced. If that’s you, then Summer Pavilion is an excellent place to start.

Azul: Queen’s Garden

MSRP: $44.99 USD

• Age: 10+
• Players: 2-4
• Play Time: 30-45 mins

Azul: Queen’s Garden is easily the farthest departure from the original title. Both the tile drafting and placement phases are quite different, albeit still somewhat reminiscent of Azul. However, Queen’s Garden makes a substantial leap in complexity thanks to tiles that vary in color and design. Additionally, not only are players drafting tiles, but they are also drafting expansions to their board. These board expansions also need to share a type or a color with the adjacent tile, adding another wrinkle to the player’s strategy.

Despite differing so drastically from earlier iterations of Azul, Queen’s Garden is still an excellent title. In fact, many players enjoy it because of its deeper gameplay. Again, newer players will likely want to start with the original Azul before trying out one of the later entries, but, in this case, liking one isn’t necessarily an indicator of enjoying the other as they are so different. This is certainly the most difficult title in the series, with Summer Pavilion being a good middle ground between it and the original.

Azul: Master Chocolatier

MSRP: $44.99 USD

• Age: 8+
• Players: 2-4
• Play Time: 30-45 mins

Azul: Master Chocolatier is more or less a reskin of the original game, but with a chocolatey theme. Master Chocolatier does add an Advanced Mode that introduces a slight tweak to the drafting process thanks to various symbols on the reverse side of the mats that can affect scoring or tile placement. If played on the standard side, however, the gameplay remains the same. The only other difference between Master Chocolatier and the original is the design of the boards and the tiles.

The introduction of the Advanced Mode makes this an intriguing option over the original version simply because there is some additional variability. Other than that, it’s recommended that players choose the design and theme that most appeals to them.

The Expansions

Azul: Crystal Mozaic

MSRP: $14.99 USD

Components (REQUIRES AZUL)

• 4 new double-sided player boards
• Plastic overlays to keep tiles in place

Crystal Mozaic is a relatively small and inexpensive expansion to Azul. The big change comes in the form of the new player boards that alter the tile placement process. Scoring is slightly different, lowering some penalties for unused tiles and adding new bonuses for various placements.

At its core, this is still Azul, but Crystal Mozaic adds variability for those who have played the original game countless times and are looking for something slightly different. It’s not a game-changer by any means, but it may offer more replayability to your existing copy of Azul.

Azul: Glazed Pavilion

MSRP: $14.99 USD

Components (REQUIRES AZUL: SUMMER PAVILION)

• 4 new double-sided player boards
• 1 new double-sided central board
• Plastic overlays to keep tiles in place

Glazed Pavilion essentially does for Summer Pavilion what Crystal Mozaic does for the original Azul. The new double-sided player boards offer different scoring options that vary slightly from Summer Pavilion.

Like Crystal Mozaic, Glazed Pavilion is recommended for players who have run their copy of Summer Pavilion into the ground and are looking for a new way to experience an old favorite. It’s not an exceptionally exciting change, but it’s a relatively inexpensive option to add more replayability to a great game.

Other Versions

Azul Mini

Azul Mini is exactly what it sounds like; it’s just Azul but at a fraction of the size. Azul Mini is ideal for anyone running out of space on their bookshelf or in their closet but still wants to own one of the best family games in recent years. Not to mention, this version is great for traveling. Just don’t misplace the smaller components.

5211: Azul Edition

MSRP: $12.99 USD

• Age: 8+
• Players: 2-5
• Play Time: 20 mins

5211: Azul Edition isn’t an Azul title at all, but rather, a reskinned version of the 5211 card game. 5211 is a pretty simple and quick-playing game where players draw five cards, and each round has them playing two cards, one card, and then one again. (See what they did there?) After identifying the majority color on the table at the end of each round, players take back their cards of that color to tally up at the end of the game for points. There are some fun twists baked in as well. For example, too many cards of the same color on the table can lead to a bust, and the next most popular color cards are taken.

There are five different colors of cards in 5211, but in the Azul Edition, those colors are replaced by five tile designs inspired by the aesthetic of the original Azul. That’s really the only difference. It’s a smart tactic from publisher Next Move Games as Azul is one of the most popular titles in the medium. Despite its lack of similarities, however, fans of Azul may still enjoy 5211 as it is yet another simple-to-learn game with layers of strategy.

Azul: Digital

There’s nothing like getting a group of friends or family members around a table to enjoy a fun game, but when that isn’t an option, playing online is often a solid way to go. Along with hundreds of other titles, Azul is available to play on Board Game Arena with a Premium Membership. Board Game Arena does offer many free titles, but games like Azul, Wingspan, Ark Nova, Terraforming Mars, CATAN, Ticket to Ride, and hundreds of others are available to play online for just $3.00 per month, billed at $36.00 yearly.

Bottom Line

Azul is such a versatile game that it fits well in virtually any collection. The Azul series has progressively moved further and further away from the simple gameplay mechanics that made the title famous, but it has still managed to maintain a cohesive look and feel throughout. For most players, the first entry is an excellent place to start with multiple options to level up to afterward. Queen’s Garden offers something for hardcore strategists while Summer Pavilion lies somewhere in between. Of course, many of these titles can be purchased well under the stated MSRP at retailers like Amazon, Target, and Walmart. To potentially score the best price, make sure to follow our board game deals coverage which is constantly updated with the latest sales.

For some great tabletop recommendations, see our collections of the best four-player board games in addition to our picks for the best two-player board games.

Amazon is offering the Jackery Explorer 100 31,000mAh Power Bank for $109 after you clip the $20 off coupon on the product page. This is the largest capacity power bank we’ve seen that’s TSA carry-on eligible. It also uses superior LiFePO4 battery cells, can charge up to 3 devices simultaneously, and boasts up to 100W charging output via USB Type-C.

Jackery Explorer 100 31,000mAh Power Bank for $109

At first glance the Jackery Explorer 100 looks like one of those large power stations you might use as a backup battery for your home. But actually, this thing is pretty small, small enough to fit on the palm of your hand. It measures only 5″x3.4″x3.4″ and weighs about 2 pounds. This is a 99Whr power bank, which means it just barely squeezes its way under TSA’s sub-100Whr requirement. With a 31,000mAh total capacity, this is definitely the largest TSA carry-on eligible power bank we’ve posted on IGN.

Unlike most smaller power banks which use lithium-ion cells, the Jackery Explorer 100 uses LiFePO4 cells. They’re usually more expensive and also a bit heavier, but in exchange you get inherently safer battery chemistry and a much longer lifespan, both in terms of number of cycles and calendar aging.

The Jackery Explorer 100 has three outputs: two USB Type-C with PPS and Power Delivery up to 100W total, and a USB Type-A with 28W of charging for a total of 128W. The Steam Deck supports up to 45W max charging, the ASUS ROG Ally up to 65W, and the Nintendo Switch up to 18W. That means ou can charge a Steam Deck, ASUS ROG Ally, or Nintendo Switch at its maximum charging speed. In fact, you could almost charge all three at their maximum charging rate simultaneously.

Jackery is a well known brand that’s based out of Fremont, California. They’re very reliable and are often a great alternative to the juggernaut Chinese companies like Ecoflow and Bluetti. This power bank is UL 94V-0 certified and includes a 2 year warranty.

For more options, check out our favorite power banks for 2024.

Hogwarts Legacy developer Avalanche Software has announced its summer update brings photo mode, a Hogsmeade quest, and more to the game on June 6.

In a post on X/Twitter, below, Avalanche shared a look at what players can expext in the update, with those on Xbox Series X and S, Nintendo Switch, and PC getting the most out of it as the currently PlayStation exclusive Haunted Hogsmeade quest becomes playable for all.

Photo mode is another major addition, with Avalanche showing off a wealth of different options digital photographers will have. A major quality of life feature arrives too, as players will be able to reset their Talent Points when the update is made available.

No Revelio needed here! We’re sharing all of the details around our upcoming summer update. Get ready to dive back into the magic of #HogwartsLegacy on June 6th! pic.twitter.com/85SkKQK8ii

— Hogwarts Legacy (@HogwartsLegacy) May 30, 2024

It otherwise includes some additional cosmetic items, such as The Glasses That Lived (eyewear inspired by big Harry himself), the Azkaban Prisoner’s outfit and coat, the Felix Felicis potion recipe, Lavender Borealis Broom, and an Onyx Hippogriff Mount.

Community manager Chandler Wood previously took to social media to tell fans to “set expectations” for the update, which many hoped would be more akin to an expansion with a wealth of new content instead of just an additional collection of useful features and fun items.

Hogwarts Legacy was the bestselling game in the U.S. in 2023 and sold 22 million copies worldwide. Its success has been mixed with controversy due to its connection to Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling though, who has been outspoken in her anti-transgender views.

In our 9/10 review, IGN said: “In almost every way, Hogwarts Legacy is the Harry Potter role-playing game [we’ve] always wanted to play.”

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.