Fan Expo Chicago 2025 is FIRE. And not just because it's "hotter than we thought it would be" but also because, Chicago comes to (cos)play! Enjoy this gallery and come back tomorrow for more!

Just off the heels of Lolla, with Riot Fest on the horizon, it’s time to roll out the nerd carpet in Rosemont for Fan Expo Chicago! Back when the Wiz was in town, we’d already be on the floor, but tonight we’re hard at work crafting our traditional Choose Your Own Adventure preview so you can craft your own unique con experience based on your personal preferences. And, if you’re new to conventions, or just want a little sage advice, we’re here for you.

Fantastic Four First Steps and Thunderbolts tells me that Marvel is definitely in need of a sea change, and these two films show me a bright future in looking inward, as opposed to dumbed down fisticuffs.

It’s the 34th year of Chicago’s very own Lollapalooza, a four day music festival that hits every summer with some of the biggest names in...

The Re-Strandening Or Beach’s Revenge Straight out of the brain of Hideo Kojima comes the sequel to 2015's first ever “Strand” game. In...

The music world (and world at large) remembers Ozzy Osbourne, who passed away today at the age of 76.

It's 10pm and something doesn't smell right but I can't put my finger on what. I take a big, deep breath through my nose, REALLY...

Well, it’s finally here for everyone to see: Superman . Editor's Note: This review contains spoilers for the film!  James Gunn always had...

It's always a treat to see bands that ushered me into a completely new world of music at a young age. Both Cursive and Bright Eyes released some of their most beloved albums during my high school years, undeniably establishing themselves as bands that would become staples not just in my life but for a huge chunk of my generation.

Ah yes, it's that time of year that physical media fans relish and their wallets fear: Barnes & Noble's 50% off the Criterion Collection Sale!

It feels a little crazy to say that I've been listening to Basia Bulat  for over half my life, but after doing the quick math it turns...

Millions of people in cities and states across America hit the streets on Saturday for one of the nation’s largest mass mobilizations in years. Dubbed “No Kings” by organizers, the protests were the latest escalation of people organizing against President Donald Trump, and the raids and kidnappings being carried out in his name by ICE, as well as fascism at large.

We are closing out on the second of three Steam Next Fests of the year.  This is the magical time when we are blessed with a festival of...

Mario Kart 8 originally released for the Wii U back in 2014 but has seen new life being ported and expanded on the Switch. It’s been a powerhouse staple of most households for ten years now, but can anything steal the limelight away from such a dominant family party game? The answer is a resounding yes! Mario Kart World is a worthy successor, but stumbles in a few key areas. Still, let’s dig into what makes this new entry into the Mario Kart series so great. 

I can’t believe the PlayDate is already three years old, but here we are. It’s about time we got a Season 2! And there’s been a lot of stuff that happened since I last checked in on the PlayDate.

Hard sci-fi is something that video games tend to fumble in a lot of ways. Even games like Elite Dangerous with its 1:1 scale universe have you interact with most of its world by shooting at it. The Alters, however, manages to use its hard sci-fi premise well, as an exploration on what makes a person who they are.

To a T is a game that's about being stuck just the way you are, perfection as an imperfect goal, and...well, you'll have to play it to find out the rest.

This past weekend in Chicago, we attended the Anime Central Convention, or ACen as it’s known to the fandom. It’s one of the biggest anime cons in the Midwest, and features the most cosplay we've seen at a single convention. But it's also noted as one of the friendliest cons out there, and its community has continued to grow.

The Anime Central Convention is one of the biggest conventions for cosplay in the midwest. Whether you’re into anime or not, this is where you go to show off your hard work in the cosplay space.