Insomniac finally revealed the first gameplay for Spider-Man 2. In an 12-minute long trailer, it showed off several new gameplay changes coming to Spider-Man 2, as well as some important new plot details. Without further ado, let’s swing into all of the big, new details we learned from the latest Spider-Man 2 trailer.
Peter Parker Gets the Symbiote Suit
Right off the bat, Insomniac confirmed that Peter Parker will get the Symbiote Suit. While we’ll get to his new powers in a bit, this turn of events poses some interesting questions, especially when taking into account the ending of the first Spider-Man game.
After the credits of Marvel’s Spider-Man, it’s revealed that Harry Osborn, Peter Parker’s best friend, is ill and fused with the Venom symbiote. He’s last seen floating in a green tank covered in the symbiote while his father, Norman Osborn aka Green Goblin, promises to find a way to cure him.
Naturally, this suggests it’s Harry Osborn, not Eddie Brock, who is the Venom that Peter Parker and Miles Morales face off against in the first Spider-Man 2 trailer. And at some point, Peter potentially takes the symbiote from Harry. This could be why Harry’s life is in danger during this trailer and why Peter and Miles must rescue Curt Connors / Lizard to save a weakened Osborn.
With Great Power…
Peter’s symbiote suit means he’ll be getting some new powers, which were on full display in the new trailer. While facing off against Kraven’s henchmen, Spider-Man is able to extend his reach and smash enemies against walls using the Symbiote. He’s also able to use the Symbiote to create multiple tentacles (Spider-legs?) to barrel into enemies.
At one point those tentacles can also be used to shield Peter from attacks and parry enemy blows to send them flying backwards. And lastly, he’s able to use his new arms to grab multiple enemies at once and slam them into the ground, taking out groups of enemies at once.
Kraven’s Hunt Begins
Kraven the Hunter’s backstory is revealed in the new Spider-Man 2 trailer and it’s not so different from his comic book origin story. A wealthy wild game hunter, this version of Kraven seems to already hunt people for sport. But having grown bored of his existing prey, his men suggests Kraven go to Manhattan where he can hunt not only Spider-Man, but several of New York City’s superhumans. Again, not so different from how he’s portrayed in the comics, but sometimes if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Kraven’s Targets
Speaking of New York City’s prey, it seems like Spider-Man isn’t the only one Kraven is looking to hunt. When shown a list of possible targets in Manhattan, Kraven’s men include Black Cat, Prowler, Wraith, Tombstone, Taskmaster, and Miles Morales. Later on in the trailer it’s shown that Kraven is hunting Curt Connors aka The Lizard. Rather than just hunting Spider-Man, it looks like Kraven is hunting every superpowered being, whether or not they’re Peter Parker’s allies or enemies.
Double Trouble
Would Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 star Peter Parker just like in the first game, or would it resume the adventure of Miles Morales? The answer is both. Insomniac confirmed that while there won’t be any co-op component, players will be able to switch between Peter Parker and Miles Morales during certain segments of the game.
In the instance that was shown in the gameplay trailer, Peter Parker realizes he’s too far away to help Lizard escape Kraven’s men, but Miles isn’t and it’s here players can switch to Miles and head to the dock before Peter can get there. This also raises some interesting story possibilities we’ll dive into in a bit.
New Suit Gives You Wings
Speaking of teaming up with Miles Morales, it looks like he’ll also be getting some new abilities in Spider-Man 2. Along with an upgraded suit with wings that lets him glide across New York (Insomniac confirmed both Spider-Men will have wingsuits), he seems to have mastered some new abilities with his venom blast, looks suspiciously like Goku’s Kamehameha from Dragon Ball.
Once in the warehouse, Miles shows off some new stealth abilities too including being able to spin a line he can tightrope across to sneak up on enemies.
New York, New York
New York City will be a little bit bigger this time around as Queens gets added as one of the new boroughs that will be explorable in the game. In the past, only Manhattan was available, but Insomniac is teasing multiple new areas for the sequel, including Brooklyn across the river. Just how big is this city?
What’s Happening With Harry?
Throughout the trailer Peter says Lizard is the only one who is able to save Harry Osborn. As we know, Harry’s not in a great place having been last seen covered in Symbiote goop. But with the Symbiote seemingly with Peter Parker, what’s going on with Harry Osborn? This appears to be the central storyline of the game that will likely connect Venom, Peter Parker, Miles Morales all together.
A Possible Showdown?
At the end of the trailer Miles and his best friend Ganke are visibly worried about Peter, who thanks to the Symbiote suit is acting more and more aggressive. Now that it’s been confirmed that you can play as both characters in Spider-Man 2, there’s a chance players will have to play as Miles to try and stop Peter from falling further and further into the dark side. Can you imagine the awkward conversation after that?
This is everything we saw in the new Spider-Man 2 gameplay trailer. Let us know what you noticed in the comments below.
Matt T.M. Kim is IGN’s Senior Features Editor. You can reach him @lawoftd.
Whether it’s a book, a movie, or a video game, creative works generally exist for a reason. Sometimes it’s to delight, by entertaining with stories or fun gameplay. Other times it’s to inform, with news or by exposing the audience to different perspectives. Or it makes you think, with interesting ideas that challenge you to consider or reflect. The Lord of the Rings: Gollum, however, is a game that does none of these things. Instead, it thrusts you into the role of the titular character without doing anything meaningful with his defining internal conflict, and sends him on a series of missions that are neither fun to play nor interesting to experience. The one question it poses is: why would someone want to play this?
Playing as Gollum sounded like it might’ve been a decent pitch for a game, since he’s one of the more interesting and famous characters in J. R. R. Tolkien’s fantasy universe. He and Sméagol are two sides of the same coin; the good person that was Sméagol was tragically corrupted by The One Ring, twisted into this pathetic creature. It’s his clammy bare feet that we step into, ostensibly with the goal of regaining possession of the Ring from Bilbo Baggins. However, most of your time is spent experiencing Gollum’s time as a prisoner during the years between The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ringin a linear, story-driven series of levels. Prison Simulator: Mordor Edition is sadly less interesting than it sounds. I couldn’t shake the feeling I was supposed to be on a grand Lord of the Rings adventure, and was instead stuck collecting bits and baubles for forgettable NPCs and hiding in bushes to hide from monotonous guard patrols.
There are generally three phases to any level, and they range from uninteresting to just plain bad. There’s the chores phase, in which Gollum goes from one waypoint to another to complete some menial task. There’s always some conceptually different scenario, like crawling through small openings to detonate explosives, but functionally it’s a series of marches across the same areas over and over again. It never feels like there’s any point to it, just busywork. It could be fun to run around with Gollum, thanks to his surprising sprint speed, but he has a stamina meter that depletes in just a few seconds and takes far longer to replenish. Trying to get anywhere involves too little speed, too much waiting, and an unfortunate amount of hearing Gollum choking on his own breath.
The platforming phases are more compelling, but still poorly designed. Spacious rooms with handles to climb, walls to run, and leaps to take bring a faster pace of action, but the loose and floaty way Gollum moves and imprecise controls make it feel like something from the PlayStation 2 era. Having experienced a modern Assassin’s Creed or Tomb Raider game, here it feels far too easy to jump toward the correct point and fall to your death because you drifted to one side, or missed the part of the ledge that has the white line that establishes exactly where you can grab. The paths are rigidly defined, and often involve blind jumps or best guesses at what the next intended handle is. Rather than a throwback, it comes across as outdated; a poor facsimile of classics like the Prince of Persia series.
These issues plagued mediocre stealth games 15 years ago.
Finally there are the stealth segments, which are simply bad. Any time Gollum needs to go from point A to B undetected, it’s going to be a slog. Enemies have extremely limited parol patterns, are terribly nearsighted, and seem to suffer from acute, rapid-onset amnesia, forgetting Gollum ever existed not long after losing sight of him. These are issues that plagued mediocre stealth games 15 years ago, and it’s jarring to see them in 2023. There’s no cat-and-mouse game of outsmarting enemies using interesting abilities and clever level design as you do in something like Dishonored or Hitman, you just exploit their painfully obvious blind spots with no objective outside of reaching the designated point.
Gollum’s only tools are his ability to sneak quietly, throw rocks, and disappear in tall grass or shadows. Because the enemy AI is surprisingly terrible, doing something as simple as standing on a table or knee-high rock can make you completely immune to capture. I was able to navigate a long stealth section in the Animal Pits of Barad-dûr by just jumping and grabbing an overhang anytime someone spotted me. Eventually some of the Orcs get crossbows, but even then the threat is minimal.
There’s no combat per se, which makes sense because Gollum is no fighter when it comes to any opponent larger than a hobbit. You do have the option to strangle enemies, but it comes with some odd caveats. First, it doesn’t work on anyone with a helmet. This makes sense for someone in full battle regalia — Sméagol’s grubby mitts won’t bend steel, after all. However, what defines a helmet in this game is broadly open to interpretation. Is that orc wearing a hat? Decent chance he’s strangle-proof. Also, strangling only applies to orcs. It makes sense you can’t choke beasts like spiders, but other humanoid races like elves apparently have invincible throats, eliminating the only method to bypass enemies apart from stealth. Which, again, is not good.
A few chase sequences change up the pace, though they are a bit of a mixed bag. One places Gollum on a moving object and requires careful dodging oncoming obstructions and archers, and manages to be one of only a handful of fun sections to play through. The other is a Crash Bandicoot-style run toward the camera, made miserable by the imprecise platforming and inability to see obstacles until moments before you need to avoid them. It is frustrating to play as a character who is looking ahead and should see incoming objects but not being able to see them yourself, and die because of it.
There is some potential replayability if you for some reason wanted to revisit Gollum’s lousy adventure instead of playing any of the many spectacular games that have come out recently. Hidden collectibles don’t offer any sort of rewards, you just spread them out on an old piece of cloth to look at while Gollum offers a line of dialogue for each. Even as someone with a natural compulsion to find everything in most games I couldn’t muster any enthusiasm to find the next bat wing or chunk of jar. It just felt pointless to add to his sad hoard of not-so-precious treasures.
What’s it for, Precious?
Hardcore Lord of the Rings fans know Gollum himself is a complex character, both a victim and a villain, but that’s not explored in any meaningful way in this story. There are occasional binary choices to answer questions or take action as Gollum or Sméagol, but it never felt like this altered the story or had lasting effects on Gollum himself. Sometimes there’s a need for one side of Gollum’s personality to convince the other to go along with plans, like when Gollum is hiding from an orc and a painting of the Eye of Sauron sends him into hysterics. The two choices were “Kill the Orc,” which Gullum supported, or the Sméagol-endorsed option to “Keep Panicking.” Sméagol won the argument, but it’s hard to tell if that’s because I made a compelling case for further panicking, or if the multiple-choice options were just too easy to select from. In my 20 hours exploring Middle-earth there was maybe a single instance where the debate didn’t go exactly as expected, which made it feel pointless to engage with.
It’s not very interesting to look at, either. Even with all the PC graphics options set to Epic, places like Barad-dûr look drab and flat, and the empty lifelessness of the Mirkwood stands out in an era of games where lush flora and fauna has become the norm. Gollum’s model looks good enough, including his surprisingly detailed wisps of hair, and his mannerisms are well captured, but other characters suffer from distractingly stiff animations and a haunting lack of facial expression.
The sound design, however, is strong. The raspy, almost choking speech of Gollum is well acted, as is the clearer and more timid Sméagol side of his personality. It sounds exactly like someone who saw Andy Serkis’ performance in the movie trilogy would expect. Even small details, like the clammy sound of Gollum’s hands slapping on different surfaces as he climbs or runs, or the reverberation of ringing bells in certain spaces, stand out as authentic, with impressive attention to detail.
But even if it looked and sounded uniformly spectacular, Gollum would still feel pointless to play, and that feeling turns to despair when technical issues crop up. On three different occasions during this review levels needed to be fully restarted: once because of an unfortunately placed autosave, and twice because parts of puzzles were outright broken, so despite the solution being evident there was no way to advance. They weren’t fully game-breaking problems because restarting fixed them, but they were spirit-breaking – playing through areas that were uninteresting the first time bordered on painful for a second go-around that never should have been necessary.
Warning: The following article contains spoilers for Destiny 2.
Destiny 2 has teased the return of a major character in its upcoming expansion, The Final Shape.
A new teaser trailer (above) for the game’s upcoming expansion has unveiled the return of a fan-favorite character who hasn’t been seen in quite a while.
Cayde-6 (voiced by Nathan Fillion) will be back in The Final Shape, Destiny 2’s next expansion which follows on from the recent Lightfall expansion.
In the video, he’s seen conversing with Ikora Rey, one of his fellow Guardians, and one of the three original class Vanguards. But quite how he’s back remains a bit of a mystery… and it might not be a permanent thing.
“I wish you could have been there,” says Ikora as she recounts some of the events that have passed during Cayde’s absence. “I’m here now,” he responds. “Wherever here is.”
Cayde-6 was dramatically killed off in the earlier Destiny 2 expansion, Forsaken where the iconic Hunter Vanguard was brutally murdered by Uldren Sov after his ghost was destroyed by the Scorn.
IGN’s Destiny 2 review gave it 8/10 and said: “Destiny 2 is a blast out of the gate thanks to its excellent co-op shooter gameplay and strong storytelling in the campaign. Not all the features I’d expected to find are here, but it does deliver the same kind of highly social gameplay and rewarding, loot-driven progression that helped the original keep me hooked for hundreds of hours.”
“The Delta symbol (Δ) was chosen because its meaning fits the concept of the remake project,” read a tweet from the official Metal Gear twitter account. “Delta means ‘change’ or ‘difference’ without changing structure.”
Delta is a symbol taken from the Greek alphabet, which is often used in the modern era to denote a state of change, chiefly in scientific fields. For example a lowercase version of the symbol can denote an alteration in molecular chemistry, while the change in velocity of a space rocket is measured in delta v (Δv).
The Delta symbol (Δ) was chosen because its meaning fits the concept of the remake project.
We don’t yet know exactly what form these changes will take, but Konami has promised that the remake will boast “unprecedented graphics” and “immersive sound”, and that it will feature evolved gameplay with “a seamless user experience”.
The company has also told fans that the remake — which has yet to be given a release date — will represent a “faithful recreation” of Kojima’s 2004 original in terms of story and game design.
Xbox also took to Twitter earlier today to highlight the fact that Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater will also be coming to Xbox Series X|S consoles, along with a number of other titles revealed during the PlayStation showcase. The title will also be coming to PC.
PlayStation also revealed the Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 at yesterday’s event, which will make the first three games of the franchise available to play on PS5 when it drops in August this year.
Anthony is a freelance contributor covering science and video gaming news for IGN. He has over eight years experience of covering breaking developments in multiple scientific fields and absolutely no time for your shenanigans. Follow him on Twitter @BeardConGamer
Sony may have revealed a ton of games including Metal Gear Solid 3 Remake at its PlayStation Showcase but Microsoft has taken to Twitter to make clear that a dozen of them are also coming to Xbox.
A tweet from the official Xbox account (below) didn’t mince words. “Coming to Xbox” lit up one side of the image while 12 games lit up the other, including Immortals of Aveum, Ghostrunner 2, Marathon, Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater, Dragon’s Dogma 2, Alan Wake 2, The Plucky Squire, Assassin’s Creed Mirage, Neva, Cat Quest 2, and The Talos Principle 2.
“What a good looking group”, the tweet added. There was some confusion for those watching along with the Showcase as it wasn’t immediately obvious which games would be exclusive to the PlayStation 5 and which were multiplatform.
The Apple Watch is one of tech companies’ most popular products. The smartwatch is sleek, stylish, very useful for everyday life, helps you achieve your health goals, and it’s very customizable to suit your personality. If you landed on this shopping guide too soon and want to see which Apple Watch you should first buy, start here: Best Apple Watches and Apple Watch deals.
In fact, when you consider all the different watch faces, sizes, types, cases, and watchbands, there are thousands upon thousands of combinations and styles available. Apple even has an Apple Watch Studio to help pinpoint options for you.
While there are loads of excellent Apple Watch bands out there, it might be a little overwhelming to pick one. So we’re here to help you narrow down which one will work best for you. From sporty to fashionable, classic to contemporary, or budget-friendly to luxurious, here are the best Apple Watch bands to buy in 2023.
TL;DR – These are the best Apple Watch bands to buy
Made from double-layer nylon, the Apple Watch Sport Loop is best for breathability for workouts and sports. The interior of the loop is softer with a cushioning that rests on your wrist, while its exterior is durable and clasps together with Velcro.
It comes in a few colorful two-tone designs, such as Blue Jay and Abyss Blue, Dark Cherry and Forest Green, Lavender gray and Light Lilac, and more. In fact, Apple updates these colorway options seasonally to keep the watch band line fresh.
Fullmosa Silicone Apple Watch Band
Best Overall Budget Pick
Let’s face it, the Apple Watch is already an expensive smart device starting at $249. It’s asking a lot to spend another $49 or so for a different wristband. Enter the Fullmosa Silicone Apple Watch Band, a wallet-friendly band that’s made from acid-resistant and non-toxic silicone that’s dustproof and water-resistant.
Starting at just $8, the watch band is sleek enough for everyday casual use, while it’s sweatproof and breathable for workouts and other physical activities. It comes in eight colorways, including black and Pumpkin Orange, black and blue, black and red, Pale Pink, and more.
Apple Watch Sport Band
Best For First-Timers
The Apple Watch Sport Band is the most popular watch band with Apple Watch users. This is because it’s the one that comes with the Apple Watch itself, so it’s considered the default and basic watch band.
Made from smooth fluoroelastomer (synthetic rubber) and designed with a pin-and-tuck clasp, the Sport Band is also the one that many Apple Watch users return to again and again—thanks to its durability, sleekness, ease of use, and wide range of color options, like Abyss Blue, Bright Green, Midnight, and more.
Nike Sport Apple Watch Band
Best for Runners
While Apple discontinued the Nike Apple Watch, the tech company simply made its apps and the Nike Sport Band available for anyone who wants to convert their Apple Watch into a Nike Apple Watch.
It has a sports-focused fluoroelastomer design with perforations lining the band for a completely breathable experience when working out or playing sports. The Nike Sport Band is also sweatproof and water-resistant, so it’s a good pick for going out for a run or swimming laps in a pool. The watch band comes in three colors, such as Anthracite and black, Magic Ember and Crimson Bliss, and Pure Platinum and black.
Apple Watch Solo Loop
Best For Athletes
If you’re looking for a smartwatch band that’s both sporty, yet stylish, then the Apple Watch Solo Loop is our pick. Made from Liquid silicone rubber, this watch band is intended to stretch over your hand onto your wrist for a quick and secure fit without any closures or clasps. It’s ideal for workouts or going for a run because it’s sweatproof, while this watch band is stylish and lowkey enough for professionals and casual situations.
It comes in six colors, including Sprout Green, Canary Yellow, Purple Fog, and more.
Marge Plus Genuine Leather Apple Watch Strap
Best Budget Leather
On a tight budget? The Marge Plus Genuine Leather Apple Watch Strap hits the mark between high quality leather and affordability. Starting at $10, the watch band has a fashionable and professional look and feel without breaking the bank—thanks to its premium soft top genuine leather, classic stainless steel buckle, and sweat-resistant polish.
The watch band comes in eight colorways, such as red and green, brown and silver, red and silver, and more.
Apple Watch Milanese Loop
Best Stainless Steel Band
The Apple Watch Milanese Loop is made from stainless steel mesh and uses a magnetic clasp to securely fit around your wrist. At $99, it’s elegant, refined, and has a premium look and feel, while it’s a considerable upgrade from the Apple Watch Sport Band that comes with the Apple Watch out-of-the-box. The watch band is also very adjustable, so it will fit on just about anyone’s wrist.
The loop comes in three colors, including silver, gold, and graphite.
Apple Watch Band Leather Link
Best Leather
At $99, the Apple Watch Band Leather Link is our pick for best leather band—thanks to its handcrafted Roux Granada leather that’s made in France, powerful and secure magnet attachments, and premium look and comfortable feel. This watch band is very sleek since there’s no buckle to fasten the Apple Watch, while it looks like one solid piece of leather around your wrist at first glance.
It comes in three colors, such as Umber, Dark Cherry, and Midnight.
Casetify Saffiano Leather Initial Apple Watch Band
Best For Fun Options
Although they’re sleek and stylish, a lot of Apple Watch bands are pretty vanilla. However, if you’re looking for a watch band that’s fun and has a bit of panache, then check out the Casetify Saffiano Leather Initial Apple Watch Band.
Made from Saffiano biodegradable leather and stainless steel, these bands come in exciting colors and designs, including Ink Dots, Cheetah Florals, Leopard and Cow Prints, and more. All watch bands are water-, scratch-, and sweat-resistant too.
Apple Watch Band Link Bracelet
Best Bracelet
The Apple Watch Band Link Bracelet is an elegant addition to the Apple Watch itself. It’s made from the same 316L stainless steel alloy as the Apple Watch itself, while it also features over 100 components to link it together. The premium watch band also has a custom butterfly closure that neatly fastens the smartwatch to your wrist. In fact, you can even add or remove components to really customize and adjust your own fit.
It comes in two colors, silver and Space Black. Starting at $349, the Apple Watch Band Link Bracelet is pretty versatile too and can be worn for just about any social occasion from a boardroom to a ballroom.
Apple Watch Band Trail Loop
Best For Trail Runners
Made for the Apple Watch Ultra (but can also be used for other models), the Apple Watch Band Trail Loop is designed for outdoors running—especially off-the-beaten-path running. The watch band should last for miles and miles on the trail. It’s sweatproof, lightweight, and durable enough to withstand harsh elements in the great outdoors, while it’s able to securely strap the Ultra to your wrist via a hook-and-loop Velcro system.
The Apple Watch Band Trail Loop comes in three two-tone color designs, like black and gray, blue and gray, yellow and beige.
Apple Watch Band Ocean Band
Best For Water Sports
If you’re a deep sea diver or an avid swimmer, then the Apple Watch Band Ocean Band is best for keeping the Apple Watch Ultra secure to you when you’re in the water. Rest assured, your Apple Watch will not plunge into the water with this band.
Made from high performance fluoroelastomer, the Ocean Band stretches and is intended to fit snugly on your wrist, even if you’re wearing a wetsuit. In fact, you can also get an extension band (an additional 50 millimeters, or about two inches), if you need the extra length for thicker wetsuits. It features a double clasp system with titanium buckles that slides and locks into the band’s tubular design for extra security.
It comes in three colors; Midnight, yellow, and white.
Apple Watch Band Alpine Loop
Best For Adventures
At $99, the Apple Watch Band Alpine Loop is rugged, durable, and ideal for the Apple Watch Ultra. It’s made from layered and woven polyester, the band features a titanium “G-hook” system that slides and locks into one of the rows of top loops to securely fasten to your wrist. It’s specifically designed for outdoor activities like hiking, climbing, or biking, while its color options—orange, green, and Starlight—will stand out in rough terrain.
OtterBox Terrus Apple Watch Band
Best Budget Sweatproof Pick
The OtterBox Terrus Apple Watch Band is made from recycled materials and it’s comfortable to wear. It features a subtle spotted design, while it’s also soft-to-the-touch. The watch band is water-resistant and sweatproof, so it’s ideal for workouts and training sessions.
Starting at $16, it’s a good choice for a wallet-friendly sweatproof Apple Watch band. It comes in 15 color options, including Clay and Stone, orange and blue, black, and more.
Apple Watch Hermès Gourmette Metal Double Tour Leather Band
Retailing for a whopping $849, the band is made from soft Swift leather and polished stainless steel links that wraps around your wrist twice that mimic’s the curb chain on classic Hermès horse bridles. While the Hermès Gourmette Metal Double Tour Leather Band comes with the design house’s iconic packaging, it doesn’t come with exclusive watch faces that you’d get with the Apple Watch Hermès.
The watch band comes in two colors: Stainless steel and Noir.
What to Look For in an Apple Watch Band
One of the best things about the Apple Watch is its included watch band is detachable, so it can be swapped out with something else. While there are just about endless combinations and possibilities, picking the best Apple Watch band really depends on you and the activities you enjoy the most.
Active vs Casual Wear
If you’re active, a runner, a swimmer, or you just like to work out at the gym, then a sports band is a good pick. These bands are generally made from sweatproof and water-resistant materials—like silicone rubber, fluoroelastomer, or nylon—so they’re comfortable to wear, breathable, and durable. For the rugged adventure, go for watch bands suited for the Apple Watch Ultra, such as the Apple’s Ocean Band or Alpine and Trail Loops.
However, if you want to wear your Apple Watch to the office, in a business meeting, or to a Michelin-star restaurant, then look for watch bands made from leather or stainless steel. These watch bands convey a more professional or fashionable look.
Size
Be sure to look for the correct size band that will fit your Apple Watch—either 38, 40, 4mm; 42, 44, 45mm; or 49mm. If you’re unsure, the size and series type are printed on the back of each smartwatch. For the best fit on your wrist, you can use this printable band size tool for detailed assistance to pick the most comfortable size for you—sizes 1-to-12.
Since Apple Watch bands are detachable and interchangeable, you can also pick up more than one for multiple situations and outings. It’s like wearing a different watch for just about any scenario.
Rudie Obias is a contributing freelance writer and editor for IGN with a speciality in all things Apple products.
One of the biggest surprises to come out of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom was an entirely new area of the map. Not only can you can explore the skies above Hyrule, you can also dive down into The Depths below and traverse an equally enormous area.
Similar to the shrines located across Hyrule above, The Depths has a series of fast travel points you can activate throughout the darkness called Lightroots. Every Lightroot is directly below a shrine above, meaning you can find them based on the shrine locations or vice versa.
How Many Lightroots are There?
There are a total of 120 Lightroots located in The Depths, which directly correlates with all 120 shrines located on the surface of Hyrule. Not only are all of the Lightroots directly below the shrines, the names of each one are actually the same name of the shrine above, but backwards.
A cool secret about the Hyrule map: Every Shrine in Tears of the Kingdom has a corresponding Lightroot. ? pic.twitter.com/FzFwFFNV2Y
How to Find All Lightroot Locations in Tears of the Kingdom
Because the Lightroots are directly beneath the shrines across Hyrule, the easiest way to pinpoint their locations is to mark the shrine points on the map above and make your way toward them below. Alternatively, if there are any Lightroots you’ve found in The Depths that sit below an undiscovered shrine, you can do the same to find the shrine quest above. Take a look at our guide to all of the shrine locations in Tears of the Kingdom to find the ones you’ve missed.
Use Our Interactive Tears of the Kingdom Map
If you haven’t already found all of the shrines on the surface of Hyrule, you can also take advantage of our interactive Tears of the Kingdom map to guide you to every location. Whether you’re trying to figure out where to go in The Depths or are hoping to find all of the shrines on the surface and sky, our map has you covered — including all Lightroot locations.
Remedy Entertainment revealed that Alan Wake 2 will be a digital only release across all platforms.
In a frequently asked questions page on the Alan Wake website, Remedy explained, “There are many reasons for this. For one, a large number of have shifted to digital only. You can buy a Sony PlayStation 5 without a disc drive and Microsoft’s Xbox Series S is a digital only console. It is not uncommon to release modern games as digital-only.”
Remedy continued by saying that not releasing a disc helps keep the price of the game at $60 on console and $50 on PC. The studio didn’t want to want to ship a disc and have it require a download for the game either as it wouldn’t be a great experience. There are also currently no plans to produce a physical copy of Alan Wake.
Alan Wake 2 FAQ. The game is digital only due to a large number of people shifting to digital only and helps keep the price at $59.99/$49.99. They also do not want to ship a disc that requires a download https://t.co/bCWQToOlLTpic.twitter.com/RX54tqfoE3
Since the standard version of the game is kept at a lower price point, the digital Deluxe edition will cost $70. It includes the expansion pass containing the Night Springs Expansion and Lake House Expansion, a parliament shotgun skin and celebrity suit for Alan, as well as a nordic shotgun skin, crimson windbreaker, and lantern charm for Saga.
Those who preorder the game wll receive the ornate revolver skin for Alan and survival resources pack for Saga.
It’s interesting to see some publishers refuse to increase their prices on new releases, as others like Nintendo and Microsoft did with The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Redfall, respectively. However, those two games also were available in physical discs.
George Yang is a freelance writer for IGN. He’s been writing about the industry since 2019 and has worked with other publications such as Insider, Kotaku, NPR, and Variety.
When not writing about video games, George is playing video games. What a surprise! You can follow him on Twitter @Yinyangfooey
Konami’s Metal Gear Solid 3 remake won’t just be for PlayStation 5. Following today’s PlayStation Showcase stream, Konami put out a press release that also confirmed that the new project — titled Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater — will also be coming to Xbox consoles and PC.
This is big news for Xbox and PC fans, not the least because Metal Gear Solid has historically had strong ties to Sony. Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater was initially confirmed for PlayStation 5 during today’s PlayStation Showcase, with confirmation that it would be coming to other platforms revealed later.
First revealed in a CG trailer during the PlayStation Showcase, Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater (pronounced “Metal Gear Solid Delta”) is the first proper Metal Gear Solid game since Hideo Kojima departed Konami following the release of Metal Gear Solid 5. Konami has since released a handful of in-game screenshots revealing the in-game graphics.
There is precedent for Metal Gear Solid being on Steam — Metal Gear Solid 5 released on the platform alongside console back in 2015. Fans used the opportunity to make numerous mods, such as replacing Snake with Keanu Reeves.
Whatever platform it’s experienced on, Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater promises to be a faithful retelling of the original game, including implementing the original voice acting featuring David Hayter.
Even though the trailer for Konami’s remake of Metal Gear Solid 3 is just over two minutes long, it’s packed with easter eggs and nods to the original game if you look hard enough. Some of them may be blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moments, but don’t worry! We’re here to help you spot them all. These are the 11 details you may have missed when watching the trailer.
Shagohod Incoming
One of the coolest details was just under a minute into the trailer, when the green parrot (more on that later) is swooping above the canopy of the forest, a dead frog in its claws. But it’s what’s in the distance that’s interesting, because when lightning lights up the sky it’s possible to make out the shape of the Shagohod being airlifted by several Mil Mi-24 Hind Helicopters. This is a direct reference to what happens in the game, as Volgin readies the Shagohod to take over the USSR. While it’s too far away to see it in detail in the trailer, we’ll definitely be getting much more up close and personal with it in the Metal Gear Solid 3 remake.
Friend of The End
The green parrot that has more air time in the trailer than Snake himself has to be the feathered-friend of ancient sniper The End. Anyone who played Snake Eater will remember how the parrot acted as The End’s spotter, waking him when Snake approaches.
Some days you just have to feed on a tree frog. The parrot appears to agree, clutching a tree frog which it carries through the dark sky before landing on a floating log in the middle of a lake. Moments later, a huge snake bursts from the water and snaps at the parrot, which narrowly escapes, minus a few feathers.
Crocodile Rock
Just as the snake pounces on the parrot, it is attacked by an Indian Gavial, which if you remember can be captured and eaten in Metal Gear Solid 3. It’s hard to make out in the trailer, but a screenshot released alongside the announcement gives us a better look at the croc and its pointy snout. It’s also the basis for one of the most amusing cosmetics in the game, the Crocodile Cap, which when worn in the water can trick enemies into thinking you’re a deadly animal, instead of just the world’s deadliest man.
Here Comes The Fear
Going back to the bosses of Metal Gear Solid 3, there’s a dead Poison Dart Frog early on in the trailer, which can be found in game and actually help you in a fight against The Fear — a member of the Boss’ Cobra Unit, who poisons Snake with a venom-coated crossbow bolt.
During the battle Snake is able to drop poisoned (or rotten) food like the Dart Frog, which The Fear will eat if he runs low on stamina. This in turn poisons him, which makes him vomit moments later, seriously depleting his stamina further still.
The Food Chain
The entire trailer is one extended sequence of the food cycle. Small ants eat into a frog, which then gets picked up by a bird, which then gets attacked by a large snake, which then gets into a fight with a big crocodile. All of it leads to a reveal of the pointy top of the food chain, Naked Snake.
The visualization of the food chain in the wilds of nature is a recurring motif in the Metal Gear series, something we saw in Metal Gear Solid 4 as a snake is seen eating a guinea pig in the opening of Act 2. Metal Gear Solid 3 also made this metaphor a gameplay feature as Snake is forced to hunt and cook his own food while in the wilds of Tselinoyarsk.
Attack of the Giant Ants
Digging a little deeper into the different animals on the screen, however, you’ll find that each creature is a nod to something from the original Metal Gear Solid 3. For example, the first animal is a line of ants marching toward their food.
If you listened to every codec conversation in the original Metal Gear 3, you might remember hearing movie-buff Para-Medic talk about the movie “Them”, which features ants “so big they filled up the entire screen. The whole movie theater was screaming.”
Death From Above
As the camera zooms through mangroves and pans in on Snake, the light shines through the trees in a way that is reminiscent of Ponizovje South, one of the coolest areas in Metal Gear Solid 3. Set along a winding river, Snake must ford a river while avoiding GRU soldiers buzzing through the skies on flying platforms. He can do this by ducking under the water’s surface or eventually finding rocks and boats to hide behind. Wading through the river and its trees was a highlight of Metal Gear Solid 3’s level design and represented creator Hideo Kojima’s vision of wanting the player to feel like they were traversing a real forest.
Fenced In
The river and the trees from Ponizovje South is just one of the familiar locations in the trailer. Earlier, the Green Parrot flies through an electrified fence, similar to the ones that guard Bolshaya Past South area. While the teaser is purely cinematic, it’s a good indication of what real areas in the game could look like in this remake.
The four screenshots that accompanied the trailer give us a better look at the areas of the game, including one where a backpack is hanging from a tree – which most will remember from the beginning of the original game, when Snake has to retrieve his belongings after halo jumping behind enemy lines.
Tiger Stripes
Even though it’s dark and Snake is caked in mud, you can just about make out the uniform he’s wearing, which is the tiger stripe camo you begin the game with. Of course, one of Metal Gear Solid 3’s most interesting features was the ability to unlock and switch camos to suit your environment, or wear totally inappropriate attire like the tuxedo, and we hope everything makes it into the remake.
Delta Force
The title for the remake won’t be Metal Gear Solid 3, however. Konami is calling it Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater.
It’s unclear exactly why Konami chose to subtitle the remake with Delta. It’s the fourth letter in the Greek alphabet, which doesn’t make much sense as it’s a remake of the third game in the Metal Gear Solid line, and the fifth game overall in the Metal Gear franchise.
The title could be a reference to the United States Delta Force, a counter-terrorism unit famous for its covert enemy operations, which lines up nicely with the plot of the game, but also applies to all of the games in the series. Finally, Metal Gear character Roy Campbell famously is a former Delta Force member but he does not appear in MGS 3.
Hopefully, Konami explains the reasoning behind the new subtitle, but even if it’s just there to sound cool, that’s part of the Metal Gear ethos too, so it works.
Oh, and one other cool detail about the delta logo – when it disperses the leaves turn white and then red, which is a nod to the final battle in the game.
Snake Eater
The teaser ends with a brief snippet of Metal Gear Solid 3’s famous theme ‘Snake Eater,’ originally performed by Cynthia Harrell. We’ll have to hear the full thing to make a judgment call, but the theme does sound remastered. It’s potentially a new version of the song recorded for the remake. This was something that was teased earlier this year when Donna Burke posted a photo of herself holding a folder titled ‘Snake Eater.’ Burke, it should be said, is a singer who has done numerous songs for the Metal Gear series, including ‘Heavens Divide’ from Metal Gear Solid: Peacewalker ‘Sins of the Father’ from Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.
Did you spot any other references in the trailer? Let us know in the comments below.
Matt T.M. Kim is IGN’s Senior Features Editor. You can reach him @lawoftd.
