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Screenshot: Cairn We are, seemingly, in the middle of a climbing game renaissance. Following the meditative flow of Jusant  in 2023 and the high-stakes co-op of 2025’s Peak , Cairn  arrives to offer yet another distinct perspective on the ascent. These games aren’t just copying each other; instead, they focus on vastly different aspects of the vertical journey. Developer The Game Bakers describes Cairn  as a “realistic simulation.” It’s not a simulation in a funny Goat Simulator  way–I think those “sims” mostly died off. And it’s not super technical in a way you would expect super old-school “simulator” titles were. But it does use super persnickety and technical climbing as its main mechanic while tracking hunger, thirst, warmth, and a hybrid of health/stamina. So that’s sim-like, right? Screenshot: Cairn I’m not trying to bash Cairn , or any claims the developers made. In fact, outside of dedicated survival games like The Long Dark , I haven’t had such high stakes as I did in Cairn . Even if you have a route plotted out, you can make a mistake that ends with you falling to your death. And even if you’re not playing in a permanent death mode, dying can set you back a long time because of how sparse the save points can be. One lapse of judgment or moment of being impatient can quickly lead to a slip and deadly fall. The first thing I’m going to talk about is the climbing mechanics–because that’s what sets Cairn  apart from its contemporaries. Cairn  employs a system that requires you to place one limb at a time. It’s “simplified” by having the limbs selected sequentially automatically and being placed with a single button (“X” on controller). For ultimate control you can even select limbs individually, though that feels a bit unwieldy. Screenshot: Cairn Unlike climbing in other games where your character will snap onto handholds automatically, Cairn  requires you to carefully place your hands and/or feet manually. This means having to reach for handholds, and hope the ledge you’re putting your foot on is wide enough. This can lead to some interesting climbing scenarios–such as bracing lead character Aava against a rock to chimney up a cliff.  This also leads to some hilarious limb contortions and leg placements. Before I got really good at climbing, I would frequently have Aava going into what can only be described as a “crazy legs” state. This happened often enough that my observing wife started calling Aava “ol’ crazy legs.”  She’s not entirely wrong. But just because the climbing can lead to some meme-worthy moments doesn’t mean it doesn’t feel good in a tactile way. Which it does. In fact, I found myself so engrossed with placements and handholds that I was holding my breath until Aava was able to get to the next ledge, or place a vital piton. Screenshot: Cairn That doesn’t mean that the climbing is perfect, however. Some of my biggest frustrations came from Aava being unable to realize she’s standing on a ledge, so instead of rising to her feet, she is stuck crawling and grasping when a normal person would just stand up. I lost significant progress once because Aava became exhausted while not realizing she was on a ledge, which led to her going into a ragdoll state and rolling slowly off of a cliff. It would have been tragic if it wasn’t so hilarious looking. At worst, climbing can feel like QWOP . But once you acquire a good rhythm and understanding of how it works, it’s fantastic. Cairn  isn’t just about the climb; it’s about the metabolic cost of the ascent. To keep Aava alive, you have to manage hunger, hydration, and exhaustion—often by scavenging supplies from the packs of dead climbers or rooting through garbage left by previous expeditions. Screenshot: Cairn This brings me to my main issue with the game's "realism": Aava’s baffling lack of preparation. Why would a professional climber start a summit attempt without a calculated supply loadout? A mechanic centered on pack weight versus calorie density would have been fascinating. Instead, the game relies on standard video game survival tropes where you’re forced to forage as you go. It’s a missed opportunity, but it does force you to be strategic. The game isn’t only about survival, either. It’s about Aava, who is going through her own emotional journey. Aava is a pro climber with a very "climb punk” character design. I feel like she’s a character in a horror story that, if you unwound her bandages, would fall apart into a mess of limbs. Screenshot: Cairn  Emotionally–and this is a crux of the story and Aava’s character development–she is more of a mess of mental health issues. Aava’s frustration often shows through, and it frequently felt like she was getting mad at me  for my failures. She yells, screams, and practically throws tantrums when the mountain pushes back. It creates a strange dissonance; the badass, solo-climbing professional persona is hard to maintain when the character seems as tightly wound as her bandaged body. While this volatility is clearly an intentional narrative choice to show her unraveling, it can be off-putting to watch a supposed expert lose her composure so consistently. Screenshot: Cairn And of course there’s Kami, the mountain that’s never been summited before. The mountain itself has stories to tell, and they’re mostly told through encountering historical sites, coming across letters left behind, or finding dead climbers. For a mountain that’s never been summited, there is crap everywhere. This game touts the “leave no trace” principle of outdoors living–one that I stand by personally–but shows an outdoors full of abandoned buildings and garbage strewn everywhere. It’s not exactly unrealistic, but it’s as disappointing to see it in the game as in real life. Cairn  isn’t a perfect game, but it’s a game that does a good job of balancing emotional impact and climbing gameplay that requires patience and attention to detail. I’m still not 100 percent sold on the climbing mechanic, but I really like the idea behind it. Maybe a sequel or another game will take the idea and make it work a bit better. But it’s a fun game, and one that had me absolutely absorbed for hours.

Screenshot: MIO: Memories in Orbit Metroidvania games are surging. I’d love to call it a renaissance, but honestly, it’s mostly a flood of titles hybridizing old-school exploration with Soulslike  mechanics, all chasing the ghost of Hollow Knight . MIO: Memories in Orbit  does exactly this, right down to the cryptic storytelling. Yet, it’s not worse off for it. Despite embracing every trope of its genre, MIO  stands out as a solid, beautiful example—though it is marred by quirks that are clearly driving players away. MIO  is not a bad game. It does little to reinvent the wheel, but that works to its benefit. The controls are tight, the mechanics are high quality, and it feels genuinely great to play. While it submits to genre conventions, it occasionally subverts them smartly. For instance, there is no immediate dodge mechanic. You do unlock one, but not until you’re a significant chunk of the way through. This forces you to handle early confrontations with spacing and movement rather than relying on i-frame spamming. Screenshot: MIO: Memories in Orbit However, the DNA of Dark Souls  feels less like an inspiration here and more like a ghost haunting the design. You collect Nacre (souls) which you lose upon death unless you’ve "crystallized" (banked) it. There are curveballs—no corpse run to retrieve lost currency, for one—but MIO  leans hard into the genre's least accessible traits: brutal boss fights and demanding platforming. Early on, MIO  feels surprisingly fair. I’d almost call it easy, or at least welcoming; it seems to want  you to win. Maybe I’m just someone with less patience or time these days, but I crave that feeling of continuous forward progress. MIO  delivers that feeling perfectly—until it slams into a wall. The game takes a sudden, jarring turn toward difficulty that feels less like a challenge and more like a punishment. Getting lost is standard for a Metroidvania, but getting stuck because a path is obscured by foreground art is frustrating. I found myself halted not by a puzzle, but because I missed an entrance hidden behind the game’s own beautiful visuals. Based on the achievement data I was seeing, I’m not alone. Before I was even a third of the way through, my progression achievements were already flagged as "Rare," with less than 5% of players reaching that point. While early achievement data can be skewed, it suggests a massive early drop-off. The signposting is weak, and often I struggled to understand how a new upgrade was the key to an old obstacle. When it works, it’s brilliant—asking you to use an upgrade in a surprising way—but these moments are rare. Screenshot: MIO: Memories in Orbit The biggest offender, however, is the "Corruption" mechanic. As the story progresses, the game permanently removes segments of your health bar. While this makes narrative sense (the world is decaying), it feels terrible as a player to be permanently downgraded. It is especially egregious when you have spent hard-earned currency to buy health upgrades, only to have them effectively deleted. It leads to a bitter mindset in close fights: "I would have survived that hit if the game hadn't stolen my health." It’s more than just the health downgrade, though; it’s the opportunity cost. There are items I explicitly chose to forgo in order to spend my currency on health, only to have that investment taken away. It just doesn’t feel great. That said, MIO  is gorgeous. I really dug its "future machine meets spiritualism" aesthetic. I don’t usually dedicate sections of reviews to graphics unless they are stellar, and MIO  is both stellar and noteworthy. The soundtrack is also a highlight—easily my favorite of the year so far. Screenshot: MIO: Memories in Orbit MIO  comes agonizingly close to being an early Game of the Year contender for me. If not for a few hostile design decisions, it would likely make my "Best of 2026" list. If you are a die-hard fan of Metroidvanias with patience to spare, definitely check out MIO: Memories in Orbit . For everyone else, be warned: this beautiful machine has sharp edges.

Winter's beautiful, but also brutal. Photo: Marielle Bokor Ok, y’all. There’s a storm coming,and chances are it’s going to hit a healthy portion of the US. And while gale force winds, snow and ice are just a regular Wednesday here in the Midwest, we know that’s not the case for everyone. And to be honest, we in the Midwest know that you should always take these things seriously. Better to have a full pantry and no snow than no way to get to the store with no cat food and your pets are eyeballing you like a freshly roasted turkey. So, in case you didn’t know, or maybe if you just want to run down a quick checklist, here’s some things to have on hand to not only keep you safe, but fed and entertained, too. Don’t Panic, Do Take Stock: There's a full stairwell and a car in this picture. Things can escalate quickly in a winter storm. Photo: Marielle Bokor We learned what happened when everyone panic buys toilet paper, milk and eggs during COVID. Now, I’m not saying you shouldn’t go to the grocery store. You probably should. Because the reality of this storm is such that you could be without power, and you could be in a situation where walking to a store or driving would be too treacherous to attempt. What to look for: Make sure you have first aid essentials. Make sure there’s basics, but also make sure you’ve got food you can eat without the ability to microwave or otherwise cook it. Think crackers and cheese, Spaghettios, Pop Tarts - etc, etc. It’s not going to seem necessary until it is, but trust us, those strawberry pop-tarts are a godsend when your power’s out and you’re starving. Prep the House, Prep the Car You think you can drive out, but the reality is - sometimes you can't even get out of your parking place. Photo: Marielle Bokor We all like to think the storm’s no big deal, overhyped, whatever. And you know what? You might be right. But if the storm hits the way  they say it might, you could encounter downed power lines due to ice accumulation, accidents out on the road, impassable areas, etc.  Making your way anywhere in waist deep snow is a feat. Staying dry and warm is key to survival. Photo: Marielle Bokor Find blankets, water and food. Make sure your car and home are stocked with them. Beyond the basics, think about first aid for the car, tire chains where needed, any of those cool tire inflation/jump start things, and scrapers. Gloves, hats, coats. The reality is, when weather like this hits, if you get stranded, even if you’re not far from home, it can take emergency services additional time to reach you, and hoofing it to the nearest town will be that much harder.  You need phone chargers. More of them than you think. Power banks and weather radios, too. Especially with the projected ice accumulation, you can count on some places not having power for hours to days, maybe longer. For your house? Plastic over windows, blackout curtains , heck - those little snakes you can make to cut out the draft under doors - all are clutch in the event of windchills like some of us are scheduled to see.  If you’re somewhere like that, or somewhere it’s going to get below freezing at all, also, don’t forget to run a continuous trickle of water in your pipes so that they don’t burst, or wrap them.  Candles are great, and flashlights, but oil lamps are even better. Nothing you can do about exploding trees , though.  Embrace the Winter Vibes It's really very pretty. Photo: Marielle Bokor Once you’ve got safety down, it’s time to take it that next step further and really embrace the slowdown life is naturally bringing your way.  Learn the concept of hygge . It’s a Danish concept built around warmth and coziness. Once you've got the essentials down, you can find things that'll make weathering the storm a lot more fun. Yes, you heard me. Now's the time to set up cozy reading corners full of books, blankets, and places to put warm drinks. Now's the time to have an electric kettle on standby , or if you don't have electricity, a standard kettle. Apple cider, tea, coffee and cocoa are the things to grab here. Bake. It warms up the house when it's frigid out, and you get treats! This is a fantastic time to see what you can mix up, from bread, to pancakes and cookies. Get out your art supplies - coloring books, crafts, etc. Pull out old gaming consoles -especially ones that run on batteries like Game Boy or Game Gear. Bust out the board games - all three of these ideas don't even require electricity, and can bust boredom if and when your internet goes down. Find your comfiest, warmest clothes and make sure they're on standby. And, if you're in the right place with the right people, embrace the snuggle. Build a blanket fort for your Netflix bingeing and never come out of your fuzzy fleece world. The bottom line: Don't go out unless you have to, and prepare for emergencies if you do. Make sure people know where you are, and don't think you're smarter than below zero windchills, ice accumulations of up to an inch, and several feet of snow, because the truth is, a storm system like this is to be respected, and it doesn't ask, it demands it. Be safe out there, and we'll see you on the other side.

Maybe you're like us, and you grew up in the golden era of TV - catch jingles in commercials, TV special events, and full blocks of entertainment for the whole family. Or maybe you're a streamer - you're not the only one. You're locked in commercial free and bingeing a whole season in a few days. It's a feat, and you're good at it. Either way, a lot of us love television, and we're entering a new golden era, where shows are lickably gorgeous, have amazing stories, and return to the zeitgeist the term "must-see-TV." Yeah, we're late getting you this list, but that just means you've got more time to argue it and suggest your own favorites, and that you're probably done watching your faves and have room for one more thing to watch, especially ahead of wicked winter weather. So...just push play. Andor It's hard to believe that a prequel to a prequel could become the best told story in a franchise, but Andor was just that. We all know what's coming, but the series unfolded in a way that not only fleshed out so many intricate little details and pieces of a larger story, but kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time.  Whereas a lot of shows and movies in the Star Wars universe tend to lean on epic dogfights in space and lightsaber duels, Andor leans much more towards intrigue and emotion. The action is there and fantastic when it happens (the massacre in Palmo Plaza might be one of the best and most heartbreaking action sequences in the SW universe), but Andor is so much more than blaster fights between stormtroopers and rebels.  In season 1, Cassian (Diego Luna) is thrown into a revolution as an unwilling victim of circumstance. By season 2, he's accepted his role as an integral part of that revolution, though he still struggles with the overwhelming urge to leave it all behind for a simpler and happier life. Cassian is far from alone in this struggle and far from the only person pivotal in it, and Tony Gilroy and company brilliantly give every character time to breathe and shine. Every member of the fantastic ensemble cast is, in fact, struggling with trying to make a better, happier life in a fascistic universe with a revolution boiling over the frog pot, which is something that makes the show so hauntingly relatable and realistic. No one in the show is spared from sacrifice, and indeed so many sacrifice literally everything. Andor is a tragic story where no one is spared from tragedy, but that's part of what makes such a hopeful and inspiring tale.   - Aaron Peacemaker  Screenshot: John Cena. Peacemaker. It’s a different world now, and at least for us, it felt like we were staring down the barrel of the end of the massive popularity of comic book movies and shows. And while, at least in this author’s opinion, Marvel hasn’t really returned to form, DC is showing up in big ways in the cinema and at home. Peacemaker is a show I never envisioned caring about, and by the time the final credits rolled on Season 2 I couldn’t stop caring about every single character in it. James Gunn marries gravity, humor and a sincere appreciation for the source material with an understanding of his audience that reaches deep. On the surface, Cena’s crude, nude semi-super seems unrelatable - until he’s confronted with the mirror and a realization maybe he’s not the hero. Harcourt wears her toughness as a badge of honor, but it’s a crutch - a scar, even. Adebayo wants to be someone different from who she is desperately but can’t get away from it. Vigilante, well - he’s…him. Peacemaker is as much about found family, facing your own demons, and the process of deconstructing as it is a hilarious yet comic accurate romp through a lesser told story in the DC universe, and this was one of two shows we couldn’t stop telling everyone to go stream in 2025. It’s now 2026, but we don’t plan on changing our tune - so go stream it now, and rediscover or ignite a new passion for hair metal while you’re at it.  - Marielle Pluribus   Rhea Seehorn in "Pluribus," now streaming on Apple TV. Vince Gilligan is known for Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul—both fantastic shows. But before that, he worked on a little sci-fi show called The X-Files. So sci-fi has always been in his blood. I think out of all of my friends, I might have been the only one that knew the show was coming out, let alone psyched as hell for it. And it didn’t disappoint. Pluribus takes the hive mind concept that was popularized on television by Star Trek: The Next Generation’s Borg—but instead of a menacing, zombie-like threat, The Others (as the hive is referred to in this show) are only too happy to please. While the end of the world doesn’t really seem like that bad of a thing to what’s left of humanity and the assimilated majority, the show follows Carol as she wrestles with this new reality. Known for her work as Kim Wexler in Better Call Saul, Rhea Seehorn brings a frantic, grounded humanity to Carol that is absolutely essential amidst the surreal kindness of the hive. She manages to make the resistance to "paradise" feel not just logical, but necessary. Pluribus proves that Gilligan hasn’t lost his touch for character study, even when the character is one of the last ones left. It skirts the line between existential dread and absurdity, and the first season is nearly perfect. -Antal The Pitt Noah Wyle. The Pitt  I’m not one to miss a medical drama. Ok, maybe that’s not 100 percent true since there’s some rather large holes in my history with them. But I did watch all the way through ER, and while I wouldn’t call House a straight up medical drama, it definitely involves strange diseases and people collapsing dramatically. One time, a doctor even made fun of me for watching ER while I was in the ER.  When you ask most doctors which medical show was the most accurate, most of the time, the answer is Scrubs - a show I’ve yet to finish watching in its entirety. Or at least that had been the answer before Noah Wiley put the coat back on for The Pitt .  I loved 24 for its unconventional “real-time” conceit, but I think it’s even better suited to the world of an emergency room in an underserved community. The entire first season of this medical drama happens in one solitary ER shift. Looking back on everything that went on, I’d have told you it was almost hard to believe that much could happen in just one 15 hour shift but having just spent 6 hours in a trauma one ER, I can absolutely believe it.  The Pitt doesn’t turn away from the actuality of medicine, the disparity of care, lack of resources, or grueling nature of a 15 hour shift to begin with. It looks at the mental health of the doctors and doesn’t hesitate to question them and their ability to ethically provide care. Each person on the medical team is a fully realized character with depth and nuance, and while several stories are simultaneously told each is compelling, important and urgent. Punches aren’t pulled as far as outcomes- not everyone just needs a bandaid and discharge papers. The presence of medical students serves to help us understand what’s happening in a way that doesn’t dumb it down for people who are actually in the profession and helps keep The Pitt as medically accurate as possible - something that’s been celebrated by many an ER doctor I’ve since randomly surveyed on it.  The Pitt has it all - great storytelling, compelling medical content, fully fleshed out characters, and enough excitement to keep you on the edge of your seat and hotly anticipating the next shift, which is due to start January 19th.  - Marielle Ken Burns' The American Revolution Ken Burns, The American Revolution. Behind the Scenes. I grew up watching Ken Burns’ documentaries, especially The Civil War. I was hyped when I learned Burns was finally tackling the founding of our country, and the result is extraordinary. In The American Revolution , he strips away the mythologized, 'marble-statue' version of figures like Washington and Franklin, presenting them instead as desperate, flawed humans fighting a war they were losing for most of the runtime. This isn’t the glorified account of battles we learned in elementary school. Using primary sources, Burns gives us a ground-level look at a messy insurgency, led by flawed men terrified of the noose. It’s a side of history I’d never examined before, laid bare by Burns’ masterful filmmaking. - Antal Honorable Mention: SNL this year Marcelo Hernandez and Ariana Grande in 'Dance 101' on SNL. SNL Universal Media Village. 2025 saw Saturday Night Live reach a truly notable milestone - its 50th anniversary. Kicking it off loud, the 50th season began with a star-studded special that reminded us why this show continues to be an institution and a high watermark of excellent comedy.  After all this time, and after so much time spent celebrating this momentous occasion, Season 51, occupying the latter half of the year, could’ve perhaps rested on its laurels, but instead, created some of the funniest things we’ve seen on the show in years, finishing up the year strong with a Christmas episode full of absolute insanity, great celebrity appearances, and a teary-eyed exit to the immensely talented Bowen Yang that’ll make you laugh and cry the way only SNL can.  For us though, it was all about SNL tapping into some truly funny and talented guest hosts who have the comedic chops to not only keep up with a cast as talented as SNL’s current lineup, but also to absolutely lead them into even higher heights of hilarity. In the hands of the likes of Bad Bunny, Sabrina Carpenter and Ariana Grande you get amazing skits. Bad Bunny turns out to be multi-talented and extremely funny, with his Pete Hegseth cold open being the most viewed of the season, and his K-Pop Demon Hunter skit not falling far behind. He’s charming and earnest and absolutely able to deliver the comedic payout. Inventing Spanish was another favorite from his run. Sabrina Carpenter’s appearance as host and musical artist was a massive success, too, with another insanely memorable cold open featuring the ongoing insanity of the Domingo sketch , her absolutely nailing the energy of a 12 year old boy on a podcast on Boys Podcast ,  a completely unhinged performance that literally inspired me to include SNL with Girlboss Seminar , and Shop TV: Pillow that had me giggling into my much less suggestive pillows.  Finally, Ariana Grande’s return for Christmas reminded us why we loved her on SNL in the first place - an insane vocal range coupled with a courageous comic flair that makes her down for just about anything, from the very weird and somehow so Ariana Elf on the Shelf Support Group skit to Dancing 101 , which recalls, at least to me, some of SNL’s finest weird dance moments, to the incredibly touching yet also incredibly silly Delta One Lounge , where she and Bowen Yang are once again a perfect pairing, even as he leaves the show for other horizons, and where we get one of the most ridiculous and touching moments ever: Cher telling Yang that people think he’s a “little too gay” but that he’s “perfect to her.” And, if you were already up in the SNL Youtube, you’d have found the gold that is Espresso Martini Safe Room. It was cut for time in the actual aired SNL Christmas episode, but it’s worth searching their YouTube for, as again, Yang and Grande make the perfect foils for each other, and Ariana nearly breaks the entire cast of the skit when she refers to Season 51 newb Ben Marshall as ‘lookin’ like Phineas AND Ferb” There’s nothing like a good laugh to cure what’s ailing you, and there was plenty to ail you in 2025, so SNL returning to its finest funny form gets a nod from us for bringing the fun.

Screenshot: Quarantine Zone: The Last Check To be completely honest, Quarantine Zone: The Last Check  isn’t really a game I would seek out on my own. Despite it being at the intersection of Papers, Please  and No, I’m Not a Human , something about Quarantine Zone ’s lack of distinctive art style and its janky look initially put me off. But I kept seeing headlines like “sleeper hit” and with big Steam numbers, I decided to see what the fuss was all about. It turns out that my initial instinct was correct, but after playing Quarantine Zone: The Last Check  through its campaign mode, I realized it’s a little worse than that. Plus bugs. So many bugs. In Quarantine Zone , you play dual roles: the base commander managing resources, and the front-line agent conducting inspections. Whether that’s realistic is really an aside, as for gameplay purposes it streamlines the player’s interaction with the base management aspects and the gatekeeping duty which is Quarantine Zone ’s marquee gameplay feature. You are the final arbiter of whether these people can potentially live, or die. Make a wrong decision and people die. Make the right decisions and people die. It’s a job I wouldn’t envy in real life. But this is a video game, and therefore a safe space to play with the more extreme regions of what we find tolerable. Right? Screenshot: Quarantine Zone: The Last Check I don’t want to offend anyone who enjoys playing Quarantine Zone . This isn’t a critique on you, but more like a critique on myself. I mean, again, it’s all make believe. And even though I more often than not play as a “good guy” in video games, I’ve played a lot of violent games and even enjoyed the darker aspects. There’s just something about Quarantine Zone  that gives me an uneasy feeling. I think some people call it “the ick.” Maybe it’s the barebones presentation. Perhaps there’s a snobby part of me that would gush over Quarantine Zone  if it had some sort of flashy or avant garde art style. Or even if there was an attempt at making some sort of poignant or timely observation about human suffering or narratively tying the extreme suffering of a zombie apocalypse with a warning about authoritarianism or something. Quarantine Zone  doesn’t even attempt such pretentiousness. Screenshot: Quarantine Zone: The Last Check I’ve seen the gameplay loop described as satisfying in other reviews. It’s satisfying, but I wouldn’t say that it’s necessarily fun in a mechanical gameplay sense. The fun comes from scrutinizing the hapless souls who come through your checkpoint. Some of them are obviously infected–from known and obvious symptoms like blood red eyes, or bitemarks smack-dab in the middle of their forehead. To those with less obvious signs of infection. Are they just sick or are they about to become a bloodthirsty zombie? There is a quarantine zone with a limited amount of space, but sending even one infected person there means it's a death sentence to the whole group of other “what ifs?” The longer you play through the campaign, the more tools are unlocked to help you find symptoms. From a simple stethoscope to a handheld MRI/X-Ray scanner, there is a whole range of symptoms to look out for. Thankfully, you can mark patient’s symptoms on your handy tablet, so if they survive quarantine you can see if they’re getting better, worse, or staying the same. Screenshot: Quarantine Zone: The Last Check Quarantine Zone  does a great job in creating uncertainty. Sometimes I feel like it would be safer to just send a survivor to my limited space quarantine chamber and deal with their symptoms as they progress. It’s almost a relief to come across a survivor with an obvious symptom so you can send them to their quick death. But sometimes you get symptoms you’ve never seen before. Whether they’re infected or not, if you want to get more information that requires vivisection. Thankfully, this is done without pleading or crying from your victims–er, patients. But the squishy, bloody mess their extracted organs make when you subsequently test them doesn’t make the procedure–and the patient’s sacrifice–seem adequately reverential, much less respectful. Quarantine Zone: The Last Check  somehow manages to keep its tone serious, but not so serious as to ruin your good time of deciding what ants live or die under your magnifying glass, so to speak. That is, until, you’re forced to engage with the game mechanically. Screenshot: Quarantine Zone: The Last Check When Quarantine Zone  bases its activities on more mechanical gameplay like shooting and moving, it feels as cheap and janky as the whole thing looks. A particularly egregiously bad section is the base defense section where you fly around in a lone drone dispensing immense firepower on hordes of zombies. It does nothing to enhance the core gameplay, but instead breaks up the base management/gatekeeping flow. Bizarrely, despite being full of armed guards and guard towers, they don’t help at all during these sections. If there was more of a tower defense thing, it would have been a lot more fun, and it would have tied into the basebuilding mechanic that already existed. When you’re not shooting zombies from a drone, or checking people through your checkpoint, there’s a base management aspect, too. I didn’t mention this earlier because it feels like an afterthought. Besides letting in a couple of infected people who killed others when they became zombies (oops) I never lost anybody because I couldn’t keep up with housing and feeding my population of citizens before they were evacuated. Most of the penalties in the game are financial, and since I did a relatively decent job of disposing of the infected and letting in healthy people, I never suffered too much financially, making Quarantine Zone  rather easy. Except for all of the bugs. Screenshot: Quarantine Zone: The Last Check I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t mention how buggy the whole game is. I saw stories of softlocks, but thankfully I never got stuck from progressing. I was blocked from doing a few side quests, however. And there’s an entire gameplay mechanic that never properly worked on the Xbox Game Pass version I played. Supposedly people would try to smuggle objects inside of their body you could see through the handheld MRI scanner. I never had a single person have an object inside of them, despite thorough checks and the game letting me know I was letting these people through. Despite the main gameplay loop being reminiscent of a Milgram experiment simulator, it justifies its ickiness through “but zombies!” as so many more violent and exploitative games did in the past. And I really can’t fault it for that, or I’d be a hypocrite. Maybe I’m just getting too old for this shit. I’ll just go back to chunking people into giblets with my boltgun in Darktide  like a respectable person. But Quarantine Zone: The Last Check  is ultimately a janky, buggy mess of a game that happened to nail down the feeling of a zombie apocalypse like no other game has.

Screenshot: Metroid Prime 4: Beyond I’m still working on my 2025 back catalog through January, and I’m going to try to review everything that I played that I haven't written about yet. Starting with Metroid Prime 4 . I originally preordered Metroid Prime 4  way back in 2017. I held onto that preorder all the way until the retailer purged old SKUs and canceled i t in January of 2025. But when Metroid Prime 4: Beyond  finally did hit store shelves, its negative buzz kept me away. Did I really want to ruin my mental image of Samus and the Metroid  series with annoying Federation NPC allies and a useless open world? I mean, look at the damage Other M  did to the Metroid  series. The early buzz practically made it sound like Metroid Prime 4: Beyond  will be the last Metroid  game we’ll see in a while–and probably the last Prime  game ever. It’s too bad, because Metroid Prime 4: Beyond  does have some good stuff going for it. The controls are good–it retains the Prime -style lock on mechanics while feeling like a first person shooter that is more in-line with what contemporary players might expect. Visually, it looks like a Metroid Prime  game, but with more modern-ish graphics (this is debatable, I realize.) And the psychic suit looks flippin’ cool, even if the upgrades just tack on giant gems rather than adding any cool sci-fi flair to the silhouette. But there’s a whole lot of bad, too. Screenshot: Metroid Prime 4: Beyond The open world is probably the thing you see complained about the most. The confusion about what an “open world” game can look like is palpable. It was possible to make Prime 4  open world without having a huge open, meaningless sand pit that stands in the middle of all of the areas. The original Dark Souls , for instance, was considered “open world” back in its day, even though it has a somewhat metroidvania style way to advance through that world. Sure, you’re not unlocking abilities to get past new obstacles, but you are overcoming obstacles to unlock new areas all the same. I was hoping that Metroid Prime 4  would be closer to this than what we got. Screenshot: Metroid Prime 4: Beyond The biggest downside for me wasn’t the open world, however. It was the lack of innovative or new abilities. All of the abilities you have in the game are abilities you used in other games, just with a “psychic-something” moniker slapped onto it. From “psychic visor” to “psychic bombs” it seems like the developers just didn’t have any creative fuel left in their tank–or they were restricted by Metroid ’s strange timeline. But I have a feeling it’s the former, because timeline inconsistencies were never a problem in Nintendo IPs before. I know a lot of complaints were levelled at the Federation NPCs that accompany Samus on her journey. They’re not exactly scarce, but their appearances are sporadic and mostly tolerable. My problem isn’t with their characterizations, but rather the stakes they represent and fail to have any meaningful commitment to. Characters are left to die multiple times, and by the time a similar moment comes up during the game’s finale, it had no more emotional impact. I mean, spoilers, but not spoilers because the moment is done so poorly that I wish I was warned about it beforehand. My point is, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond  would have been much better with less extra, and more focus on Samus, the planet and its hazards/obstacles, and whatever cool new power-ups that can be attained. Instead you get a completely mute Samus–which feels like a huge overcorrection from her portrayal in Other M –and a whole bunch of filler that just isn’t Metroid Prime  worthy. Even if we got a purely by the numbers Prime  sequel it would have fared better. Screenshot: Metroid Prime 4: Beyond Metroid Prime 4: Beyond  isn’t all bad. The psychic suit is very cool looking, and I didn’t hate how the motorcycle handles–but it exists only to solve a problem the developers created: a hub world that is too big and empty to walk across. The boss fights were mostly interesting spectacles. Except for the final Sylux boss fight that was just a mess. I think this is going to kill the Prime  series for at least another decade–and that’s if it’s not dead for good. Without a Donkey Kong Bananza  sized revival, which would include new and daring ideas that already run against what fans want with Metroid , I don’t see the Metroid Prime  series continuing anytime soon. It was already a request by Nintendo of America, and with its troubled development culminating in a big “womp womp” Nintendo will probably steer clear of any more adventures with the Amazonian-like bounty hunter. Well, I say to that: fie!

Me, at CES. Photo: Antal Bokor It started with an email that asked (as many have before it): Will we be seeing you at CES? Why, no. I don’t go to CES. Travel is expensive, and I don’t get paid enough to do that (when I get paid at all). But I always wanted to do CES, and a little voice in my head wouldn’t let it go. I applied, got accepted, and before I knew it I was paying way too much for a plane ticket that wouldn’t even get me there for the media preview days. So I boarded a plane to Vegas, and despite its popular tourism slogan (the most successful tourism slogan in the world, thanks to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority [LVCVA] and ad agency R&R Partners), what happens in CES is written about by every major publication that covers technology or anything tech adjacent. CES 2026. Photo: Antal Bokor I ended up having one full day to tackle CES (despite planning for two), and I made the most of it. It’s not like this is my first convention or tradeshow. I’m a veteran of such activities, having cut my teeth on the likes of Wizard World and IHHS (now Fan Expo and The Inspired Home Show , respectively) among many others. And I knew I wouldn’t be getting the breaking news from CES, but at least I could get "on the floor" coverage. There’s also just something magic about CES. Historic announcements have been made here in the past, and major news breaks every year. I wanted to finally be a part of that. So I wasn’t just at CES to cover it professionally, it was almost like I was on a pilgrimage to the tech mecca. It was both more and less than I expected. One of many robots I would encounter on my journey. Photo: Antal Bokor While the Las Vegas Convention Center is world renowned, I couldn’t help but think it was a little shabby compared to McCormick Place. My first impressions were just “meh.” But I was here. Next thing I knew I’d be looking at monitors, gaming peripherals and more that haven't even hit the market yet. Me "helping" the robot set the board back up. Video: Antal Bokor But then I was surrounded by robots. “Where are all the people?” I thought as I walked around, played tic-tac-toe, and interacted in other ways with a variety of robots. Yes, I did put my hand in here. Photo: Antal Bokor Some booths showcased nothing but robotic hands in varying configurations. “Look at all of those degrees of freedom,” I thought to myself, walking past a display that would have had Sarah Connor hyperventilating. Hand dances and marionettes abound as multiple robotic manufacturers wanted to show you how great their hands were. And I really had to hand it to them. CES 2026. Photo: Antal Bokor But it turns out this is all stuff people have seen before. To be fair, I've never really stood toe-to-toe with so many robots trying to solicit my attention, but the real future was in the other hall with its neat gaming peripherals and the buzzword that even crept into the robotics section: AI. Oddly satisfying. Photo: Antal Bokor But I guess robots were old news, because while I was watching robots mow lawns and clean swimming pools, everyone was in the Central Hall looking at all the cool new game and monitor tech. I have no idea what's going on here. Photo: Antal Bokor LG Display @ CES 2026. Video: Antal Bokor And again, “AI” was everywhere. But then another new concept kept getting my attention: Micro RGB. Now what the heck is that? So TVs traditionally use white lights behind a screen to create colors. Micro RGB technology uses tiny red, green and blue LEDs directly in the backlight. That means, using this technology, we can get some of the most color accurate and color popping visuals ever. And walking through the LG booth area, I can totally see it. But it’s also not entirely new—It's a bridge technology. It's dazzlingly bright and colorful, but essentially 'Super Mini-LED,' not an entirely new category of screen. Still, it does make for a pretty impressive picture. The real OLED killer is probably the QDEL or NanoLED displays that Sharp and others had tucked away. It looks like QDEL with its Quantum Dot inorganic crystals is the real deal, but the technology is still years away. Armed with the knowledge of Micro RGB, AI, and the determination to “see everything” I walked the floor in earnest, trying to get the best coverage I could. Then a peculiar thing happened–I kept looping around to the same few sections. Even armed with the floor map and knowing what kind of stuff I was looking for, I was trapped in an endless loop. Like the backrooms, just with lots of technology. I had to stop to watch this torture machine. Who thought this was a good idea? Video: Antal Bokor Another trend I noticed was the sheer volume of handheld PCs. The Steam Deck opened the flood gate to imitators and other bandwagon jumpers, with companies like MSI (with their Claw 2) and ASUS (ROG Ally X) being some of the big ones. One of many flying vehicles we can look forward to. You need a pilot's license to fly this one . Photo: Antal Bokor It also seems like flying cars are the future. Okay, they’re not really cars, but there was a whole fleet of electric and/or small engine VTOLs to take a look at. Some of them didn’t feel possible–as in, I wouldn’t mind getting in that because it couldn’t possibly lift me up. While others required a pilot’s license to fly. I’m going back to Vegas in a few months (just for fun), and I’ll definitely plan on being back at CES next year. Next year I will know better what I’m doing, so I might actually get some breaking news to share. But this year was fun, and now I know what to expect. Notes from the CES Show Floor: The Best (and Weirdest) of the Rest 8BitDo at CES 2026. Photo: Antal Bokor Best Competitive Spirit:  My personal winner was the 8BitDo booth, just for the competitive spirit they had. (To recap, if you beat their designer in a game of Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves  you won a fight stick. You could also win  with a controller via a scratch off. I got a canvas bag out of it!) Not pictured: Me wearing this . Photo: Antal Bokor Best "Iron Man" Moment:  I tried on a Hypershell X  exoskeleton and walked up some stairs. That was pretty neat. It was the first “exo” anything I wore and, despite how little it felt like it was assisting, I really felt like I was touching the future there for a minute. I came into a losing game. Photo: Antal Bokor Biggest L:  I played games with three different robots. I lost. (Shout out to SenseRobot  for being the coolest, and surprisingly one of the most affordable at around $1000-$1600 retail.) The Physical Toll:  I walked 6 miles on the show floor. (And 4 more on the strip that night). Worst Meal:  I ate one of the worst burritos I ever had in my life. (Thankfully comped by my CES media lunch ticket.) Biggest Win:  1 Person recognized our publication. A shout out to that woman at the LG booth who knew CultureCombine .  You really made my weekend! Best "Feel":   Gamesir has some impressive gamepads. I was told they were trying for a real “high end quality” feel and I think they nailed it. Similarly, Chinese manufacturer ATK Gear had some awesome looking keyboards, with switches that feel like I could type on all day. Not as clicky as I prefer, but pretty good feeling nonetheless. Best Off-Grid Tech:  The SPOG (Solar Panel, Off-Grid) trailers were really high end and luxurious. I stepped into a camping model, and was incredibly impressed. Tribbles? Photo: Antal Bokor The Star Trek Moment:  I can’t find anymore information, but there was a robot called "Moxy" (or something similar) by a Chinese company. It looked suspiciously like a Tribble from Star Trek . The QR code didn't work, so I couldn't confirm if it was safe to bring on a space station or if it would start multiplying rapidly, but I sure would love to get one. Touched by Nvidia: There were a lot of Nvidia Partner signs proudly displayed, like some of Nvidia’s good fortune and wealth will rub off onto them just by having the sign. Final Wish:  I want a sign like The Verge  has, and an entire entourage. It was like a posse walking the halls.

Screenshot: Hytale It’s been a crazy rollercoaster for Hytale. This Minecraft-meets-RPG style game was declared dead in June 2025, when Riot Games dissolved the studio. Despite its trailer on YouTube getting 60+ million views, Hytale has been mired by changes in focus during development, and eventually stalled out altogether. Then, in November of last year, original founder Simon Collins-Laflamme bought the rights back from Riot Games to save the project he started. A few short months later we have the game in our hands. And despite the developers saying that it “isn’t good yet” (a warning they issue before you buy the game), it seems plenty good to me–and the 420,000 people who watched it on Twitch on launch day. For a non-Steam launch, hitting a rumored 2.8 million logins in 24 hours is record-breaking. Screenshot: Hytale If you’re not familiar with it, Hytale is basically Minecraft but with an emphasis on being a role-playing game, with actual dungeons and loot progression, and more care taken to how it feels to interact with the world. In fact, Hytale started with a group of Minecraft modders called Hypixel, running one of the biggest Minecraft servers in the world (regularly hitting 100,000 concurrent players). But in 2014, Mojang changed their EULA, crashing the server's revenue by 85% overnight. That was the wake-up call they needed to build their own platform. Screenshot: Hytale Hytale began development in secret around 2015, and in 2018 they released a trailer that accumulated 30 million views in less than a month. There was definitely interest in a newer, better Minecraft. But after being acquired by Riot Games in 2020, development stalled when they spent millions trying—and failing—to rewrite the game in C++. In fact, Hytale as it is today is back to a hybrid engine (C# client, Java server), so most of the code is probably more than four years old at this point. I spent a few hours on launch day getting a feel for Hytale, and I’ve had nothing but a great first impression. Hytale is a gorgeous game, and that’s mostly because of its art direction. I had a few “whoa, that’s a cool vista” moments in Minecraft, but I had at least a dozen yesterday just running around to see as much as I could of the world. Screenshot: Hytale One of the biggest improvements over Minecraft that I experienced in my first few hours is just how much better everything feels, especially combat. Combat and harvesting in Minecraft always felt floaty, like your character isn’t really ever coming into contact with anything. Combat in Hytale is punchy and tactile. It actually feels like you’re making contact, which is a surprisingly huge upgrade to those just used to the air-swish feeling of combat in Minecraft. The weapons I found were also fun and varied with multiple different attacks. While crafting in Minecraft is mostly done from a single crafting table with recipes from memory, Hytale takes a role-playing game route. Recipes are locked behind progression, with items requiring specialized work stations to create. So even if you know how to make a better weapon from memory, you won’t be able to do it unless you find the recipe for it in the world. Screenshot: Hytale Hytale is definitely an Early Access game–there are entire sections of the game that I found walled off with “work in progress” signs. My computer also chugged in some parts, so there is definitely room for optimization. But everything that was available was compelling and fun. Hytale launches with two of its three main game modes: Adventure, its marquee RPG mode, isn’t available at launch, but it launches with Exploration mode and Creative mode. Exploration is a survival-focused prototype of the future "Adventure" story mode. Creative mode is just what you think: it lets you build and explore without limitations–or, I should say, much fewer limitations. Exploration is like Survival mode in Minecraft—”build, craft, survive” as you “Explore an Echo of Orbis.” Screenshot: Hytale It seems like Hytale has been worth the wait. It’s definitely making waves on Twitch and bringing in millions of players. The developers say they have secured funding for the next few years of development. And even if the developers say the game “sucks” right now, I definitely recommend checking it out.

Screenshot: StarRupture Factorio  popularized the open world base building and automation combo genre, with Satisfactory  serving as the next logical evolutionary step. As it turns out, there is still gold to mine in the niche that is automation plus base building, and StarRupture does a great job of mixing ideas together to make something new. Which isn’t surprising, since developer Creepy Jar pulled off something similar with their underrated survival title, Green Hell . In StarRupture , you play as a convict that is sent to a hostile planet to pay off your debt to society. Except, it’s more like a debt in a very literal sense. Your corporate overlords hold the keys to your survival and progress, and completing orders for them—by shipping off massive quotas of raw materials and later manufactured goods—is the only way to extract even more resources to make newer things. Screenshot: StarRupture Before you know it, you’ll have a sprawling base pumping out orders for your corporate patrons. Granting you access to more equipment as you fulfill orders and prove your usefulness is a satisfying way to progress, and it fits neatly in with the lore of StarRupture . The marriage of mechanics into a game’s lore is something I really appreciate. There is more to do in StarRupture  than just base building and tweaking your production line. Unlike similar games where the open world is simply a place to gather materials, StarRupture  has a bunch of things for you to find. Being able to stumble across the ruins of those who have come before not only helps flesh out the game’s world, but it makes creating your own base to survive in feel a little bit more meaningful. Screenshot: StarRupture As you explore, you’ll run into the local wildlife. Not just one or two, but whole swarms of man-sized (and bigger) bugs. Individually, they don’t pose much of a threat, but it’s easy to become overwhelmed. These creatures aren’t just waiting for you as you venture from your base, either—they will eventually find and try to destroy your base. This can be a real issue at first, but as soon as you unlock turrets, holding off swarms of spitting and slashing monsters becomes trivial. Despite “advanced combat” being part of the Steam store page description, gunplay in StarRupture  is just okay so far. It’s definitely passable. Alien creatures aren’t the only hazard you’ll find—the environment, with its devastating, world-scouring fire purges, is something to watch out for. The planet goes through a shocking transformation in a way I haven’t really seen in a video game like this before. Lush greenery is reduced to ash, and bodies of water are evaporated away as the star literally ruptures and spews incinerating fire. The first time I holed up in my base when I was warned of an “incoming wave” was one of the most surprising moments I’ve had in an open world survival game. It was so hot it left the metal of my base glowing red. The world itself takes a while to recover, too, as the air is thick with ash, eventually clearing until the world returns to a lush green (in certain biomes) before the cycle repeats. Screenshot: StarRupture I really like what I’ve played of StarRupture  so far. The tower defense aspect is done well enough, but once you’re established it feels like there aren’t any meaningful threats. Instead of just dealing with the world incinerating ruptures, I want to deal with giant bugs that threaten to smash my walls and take down my defenses, too. StarRupture  has released into Early Access, but it’s a pretty polished game even in its current state. However, developer Creepy Jar has promised updates for the next year of the game’s Early Access period. With promises to listen to community feedback, StarRupture  is looking like it might be something special. StarRupture  takes the automation base building concept and throws it into a world that’s fun to explore. The extra layer of lore has made me really invested. That being said, the Early Access roadmap promises more wildlife, new buildings, new locations and points of interest and much more, including new exploration mechanics.

In confessing my original reasoning for checking out The Pitt , I will immediately out myself as a lover of medical drama shows, going so far back as Doogie Howser , getting as corny as Diagnosis: Murder . I was that person getting infatuated with House, and…I've seen absolutely every single episode of E.R. multiple times.  Here’s my reasons for watching E.R. back in 1994 when it made its debut: I’m 12 (basically an adult) and this is a cool adult drama set in Chicago (which I then and still regard as the “coolest city on Earth). Anyway, add in a few doctor crushes, a whole bunch of natural curiosity for what it was like to work as a doctor or nurse, and any pre-teen’s love affair for “the drama” and you’ve hooked one for life.  My reasons for watching The Pitt are eerily similar. After all, they both have Noah Wyle. And you know what else they both do? A great job of making me recall the joy of “must-see-tv” and special event episodes of my past, and an even greater job at “the drama." The Pitt is great because it’s great TV, and it’s great because it’s spectacularly put together. It’s a clockwork of vignettes each with perfect timing and just enough intrigue, a whole deck of face cards with obvious chops acting their faces off, and the ability to say something intelligent and somewhat novel about it all.  As it turns out, “Noah Wyle’s in it” and “I like ER ” are two very good reasons to watch The Pitt , and, honestly, two of the things that make it great. The Pitt is a flashy new HBO show, sure, and has the gorgeous cinematography and incredible team behind it that that entails, but it also understands what came before it, builds on it, and adds those little pieces of extra flair that get you gasping. Writing this while skipping the live feed of the Golden Globes, I’m gonna say right now it deserved every award it got, and so far I only know of the one for Best Actor in a Drama with, you guessed it, Noah Wyle. (Edit to add: The Pitt had a great night, winning Best Drama for Season 1) It’s got everything I loved about all my favorite medical shows - a huge, beautiful cast of great actors both known and somewhat lesser known, a victory lap from Wyle that shows he’s got it all and he’s only getting better, and an impeccably written, impossibly exciting and action packed series that’s actually accurate and of its time, too.  Photograph by Warrick Page/HBO Max Season 2 brings us right back in, after a night full of indecision, exhaustion and trauma - with a rockin’ coast into the ER on a motorcycle by Wyle.  While they could’ve done “the next morning” we find out with a classic splash screen it’s July 4th and, through a quick walk down the hall where we see a plaque referencing the heroic actions of the Pitt staff during the shooting (ostensibly) we know it’s been a minute. Our day one newbs are clearly no longer newbs, and a new attending is in town. Uh-oh. We all know how that goes. A few “band name” jokes later we’re on the “new attending in town, nurses hate her” trope we’ve been super into on every other show. I’m taking the bait, she really seems like a know-it-all stick-in-the-mud, but also of course, impossibly gorgeous. She’s from the VA, and she invented patient passports.You can see how this is going already.. I eat a few more Cheez-Its. Oh my God, the first patient we let the new guys in DIED? Psych. It was a simulation. (See what the nostalgia does to me?) Dr Robbie’s said about three words and she’s two into correcting him. This is gonna be great.  Without missing a beat we’re getting a few mid-level traumas so we can start guessing “who’s gonna crash first?” and both Dr. Robbie and our unknown quotient: Dr. Baran al Hashimi begin the stern vs. enlightened teacher battle. They trade passive aggressive teaching tips until Wyle comes out with this absolute killer of a burn and, while they’re working in a wide open chest on a beating heart,  he says  “Is the VA even a trauma center?” Oh. My God. He really did say that. For the record, the VA is a trauma center - not for medic runs, but they walk in. Dr. Hashimi doesn’t even blink as she coolly responds with facts. Respect. They keep going tete a tete just short of an argument, I continue to eat Cheez-Its, and a cell phone goes off over and over again. Kids today. Cue risky-but-only-way lung turning procedure, and does that mean Dr. Robbie takes the point? It’s not that easy in this show.  Photograph by Warrick Page/HBO Max The Pitt presents a lot of old medical show classics like competing attendings, complicated work relationships, doctor vs. administration - but it tips the clichés on their ear, and makes everything more meaningful. People act more like people than caricatures. Langdon returns to the fold, too, and not everyone’s ready to trust him again, but they at least try. The new nurse is shadowing one of our favorite characters in the entire show, Katherine LaNasa’s Nurse Dana Evans, who we established last season as someone who’s essentially the beating heart of the place, but who also suffered one too many assaults and was considering leaving. It’s great to have her back, and even better to see her with the newest of the new med students.  Just when you think everything’s going well, Dr. Robbie and Langdon butt heads for the first time, and where you expect a little grace, there isn’t. He’s not dealing with his addict friend, and instead is banishing him to triage. It’s an unexpected move for the “doctor who leads with his heart” but, again, that’s what makes it interesting. Meanwhile, Trinity, one of last season’s most complex and sometimes obnoxious students, continues to go big or go home and not understand when she doesn’t get all the attention. While we still get the set pieces like “stinky homeless guy” we at least see him given compassion. If you’re getting into the Pitt for some good ol’ medical gore, you’ll get that though, and it won’t let up. I have to say that’s not my thing, but I am interested in the various conditions that come through the door and their solutions, and as I mentioned previously, I love trying to guess who’s most likely to take a turn.  Photograph by Warrick Page/HBO Max I love the larger focus on the nurses in this season, with Katherine LaNasa doing a great job as an old hat who still cares, helping the young blood learn the ropes and survive her first day likely better prepared than our OG team of new docs, including learning things like STAMP to assess patients’ demeanor and identify threats. I love how The Pitt continually pushes boundaries. Langdon directly addressing his addiction with a patient he stole from is interesting, if seeming rather risky for himself and the hospital. At the same time, we have a brand new baby left in the bathroom,  causing a simmering, under the surface emergency while the entire ER searches for their parents and tries to address the child’s issues, and simultaneously, we see our first death of the season, which happens quietly and without all the blood and rush. It’s one of my favorite moments, because it’s played so well. An elderly patient goes V-TAC but has POLST orders in place, meaning no dramatic life-saving techniques. The only docs in the room are Whitaker, one of our favorite of S1’s fresh meat, and two of this year’s baby docs, both with a little bit of a bad bedside manner, who are now faced with not being able to perform any dramatic feats of doctory, and have to face death head on. It’s here that Whitaker reminds them, Robbie looking on from behind, that this is still a person, and they need to hold space for that in everything they do (or don’t do.) Is it a little heavy-handed? Sure. But it’s still a lesson worth reiterating in today’s world. Photograph by Warrick Page/HBO Max In the final stretch of the debut episode we get a kindly power pothead of an elderly woman with a surly son, and we see Santos struggling with a badly bruised young girl whose case seems open and shut for abuse. It’s the type of issue we know she struggles to let go, but it’s unclear whether this is cut and dried as it used to be.  Langdon’s alcoholic gets handed off to Whitaker, and we return our attention to the abandoned baby, and learn a few things about the Safe Haven law and what it means for babies over and under 28 days old - if that’s something that can be determined, and if it should mean a difference in care.  The Pitt consistently challenges the status quo of our medical system while it challenges the tropes of a standard medical show, while also celebrating both, and it’s this linewalk that makes it as great as it is. Instead of going rogue this time, Santos takes her potential abuse case to both attendings, who support her and hear her out on her care plan, which includes looking for more signs of trauma but involves the proper professionals from social work to also make their appearance.  Our stinky guy gets his glow-up with no shots at his humanity or need, and we encounter a bit of danger with a patient whose mental status we can’t quite figure out who’s just a little too kicky around Dr. McKay (Fiona Dourif) and though nothing happens per se, it’s not without the ominous undertone of something waiting to happen. Photograph by Warrick Page/HBO Max Back with the baby, everything seems fine until a note gets passed, and everything screeches to a halt…. Until next week. And that’s a wrap, because it has to be. There’s never been a better use of this one hour at a time conceit, as much as I hate to wait one whole week to go one more hour into another shift.  After waiting so long for Season Two, such a classic mid-action cliffhanger infuriates me in all the best ways. We just got caught up with everyone, strings have been dangled, and just like with a real life trauma one ER (like the one I recently found myself in for six hours) there’s no telling just how many things can take a turn in just a little bit of time.  If you somehow missed The Pitt the first time around, I envy you and your ability to binge watch right through. I’d tell you to take your time but I know it’s a fool’s errand. With pacing so frenetic yet well managed, all the familiar trappings of a “medical drama” with more grounding and more twists, and a huge list of characters that are well thought out, it’s hard to stop once you start, unless you have to, like we who are “all caught up” do.  Until next time

Listen, we've been through the Game Awards, we've seen the announcements, and we've perhaps even finally gotten some new gear for Christmas to work with in the New Year. It's cold (maybe? Sometimes?) and, if you're anything like us, you're out of money to go out. What's that mean? Well, it's a great time to go back and play some of the best games of 2025 you just didn't have time to. We're choosing our favorites while we gear up for what's to come in 2026 and wanted to take you along for the ride. If these weren't on your list, consider adding them, and if there's some you think we shouldn't miss, let us know! Consume Me:  I ran across Consume Me six years ago at an indie games festival called Bitbash that was being held at Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry. It stood out in my head because it took a hard topic - specifically, the sometimes fraught relationship you have with food as a person in a female body going through puberty and facing societal and family pressures - and created representation. Not only that, it handled the topic with care, humor and relatability that were on a whole new level. Consume Me doesn’t just weave a poignant, thoughtful narrative - it brings you into the conflict between calories and happiness (as well as, later in the game, relationships, education, family and social responsibilities) in a palpable way using precisely absurd mechanics to help you experience what your character is experiencing and to literally feel what she’s feeling, whether that’s the panic of carefully balancing calories and still not being able to avoid snacking later, or the ungraceful way your body betrays you when you’re trying to exercise. In this candy colored world, everything’s incredibly real, and when you finally put it down, it’ll change you. I know it did for me. Play this game because games are art, and art is therapy. Consume Me made me feel seen in my struggles, past and present, and encouraged me to redefine my goals and rediscover myself.  You may say “that’s a lot” but that’s the power of good art.  Split Fiction: To be quite honest, I wasn’t sure if this game would make my end of year list. It’s not because it wasn’t good, it’s just because, quite simply, it was. See, developer Hazelight Studios and the man at the helm know how to build impactful narratives (see: Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons ) with great mechanics, and also know how to make co-op games that are fun on the couch and over the internet for gamers of all types/skill levels.  A Way Out was an action packed blast of a prison break game with a somewhat disappointing ending, but It Takes Two packed the gravitas of a crumbling marriage/family with the sort of glittering, imaginative candy colored world of storybooks and adds amazingly congruous and super fun co-op mechanics.  There’s that sequel thing that comes into play here - once you’ve had your darling, can the next compare? The answer is a solid “No, but maybe.” Split Fiction isn’t so emotionally fraught at first, with more of an “evil corporation stealing our creativity” bent. And the protagonists, Mio and Zoe, aren’t as immediately sympathetic, as they both kinda hate each other’s writing styles - but that’s an interesting and fun dynamic, and as the game takes shape, and you explore each of their worlds - Mio, a sci-fi type, and Zoe, a bubbly fantasy writer, you unwrap the deeper meaning behind their created worlds, and the more you learn about the other, the stronger the bond grows. It’s something that echoes in real life, as you’re playing with a partner or friend who’s not necessarily “just” like you, and might even rub you the wrong way sometimes, but who is someone you need very much.  Add in more fantastical worlds, more pushing of the boundaries of asymmetrical co-op play and more incredibly satisfying mechanics that complement your partner’s perfectly and you’ll absolutely find the fun. At its core, Split Fiction is about the simple but powerful joy of interactive play with others, and what you can learn from it. And while it doesn’t quite get to that high mark It Takes Two did, it certainly tops the list for “most fun” I’ve had all year gaming - and that’s why it made the list. Donkey Kong Bananza:  In a year headlined by the long-awaited return of Samus in Metroid Prime 4: Beyond , I was certain a Nintendo title would top my Game of the Year list—I just didn't expect it to star Donkey Kong. While Prime 4 is a solid entry, it didn't quite hit the 'extraordinary' bar I hoped for. Donkey Kong Bananza, on the other hand, is a revelation. Think of it as the spiritual successor to Super Mario Odyssey , but with a chaotic twist: total terrain destruction. Smashing through the underground layers with Pauline to stop Void Company isn't just a gimmick; it’s the most satisfying 3D platforming loop Nintendo has created in years.  BallXPit: I’ve always had a soft spot for classics like Arkanoid and Breakout , but BallxPit  takes that ball breaking foundation and evolves it into something entirely new. It injects the genre with unique characters, game-breaking items, and a roguelike structure that creates the same 'just one more run' obsession I haven't felt since the original Binding of Isaac . The highlight is the fusion system: the strategy of combining characters to create overpowered, screen-clearing synergies turns a simple arcade concept into a deep tactical experience. In terms of pure dopamine, nothing else in 2025 came close. If I had to choose the single most fun game I played all year, it would be BallxPit . Escape Simulator 2: Most escape room games give you a set of puzzles and a credits screen. Escape Simulator stood out by giving players the tools to make their own, and the sequel doubles down on that promise. With significantly upgraded graphics and a more powerful editor, Escape Simulator 2 meets the high bar I set for it. It deserves more recognition this year, not just for the solid base content, but for its longevity. It has evolved beyond a simple puzzle game into a full-blown escape room engine, and the community is already proving that the potential is limitless. Absolum: We all know Dotemu as the masters of modern nostalgia thanks to Shredder’s Revenge  and Streets of Rage 4 , but Absolum  proves they don't need a licensed IP to strike gold. While the mainstream hype was focused on Marvel Cosmic Invasion , Absolum  quietly stole the show by mashing up classic brawler combat with deep roguelike mechanics. Whether I was mixing quick  and slow strikes with Galandra or blasting away with Karl’s blunderbuss, the loop of stacking Rituals and Trinkets to create powerful synergies was addictive. It might be a little on the short and easy side, but it’s an absolute gem that stands as Dotemu's best work yet. There's a lot to look forward to with games in 2026, so stay tuned as we dive in!

Movies are back, and so, our butts return to the theater seats (and our comfy couches, thanks to streaming.) This year's had a lot of exciting returns to the big screen and a lot of great new things to explore, and as a team full of film junkies, we're excited to share our favorites from this past year. Let's jump in. One Battle After Another I don't think there is a movie that speaks as loudly to me as One Battle After Another this year. A post modern fairytale where the revolutionary violence of the 60s and 70s still exists in modern America and the racist and governmental overstepping feels a little too lose to reality. OBAA expertly blends everything that Paul Thomas Anderson does best and adds some new, breathtaking tricks. Never has there been a PTA movie that is so exhilarating and tense. It's also easily the most digestible PTA, for better and worse. I see all the seams, like the revolutionaries at the start of the film fighting for a nebulous idea of freedom (although I would argue that with the consistent throughline of immigration, it's pretty clear what they're fighting for) or the more fantastical moments (the secret society of deranged racists, the ending, etc), but they all come together as an incredible film. - Julian Weapons Zach Cregger is a comedian at heart, having started with The Whitest Kids U’Know , so you know Weapons is rife with dark comedy. When a classroom of children disappears, save one kind hearted boy, the town devolves into sadness as they maneuver through what happened. Cregger wrote this in the shadow of his TWKU'K cohort Trevor Moore's tragic passing and it acts as a really great mediation on grief, alcoholism, making sense of senseless things. I know that may sound like a way to excuse the enormous machine gun that is randomly inserted in the sky of one character’s dream (something that Cregger admits to not knowing what it means), but I think that's the point. You see something and want to attribute meaning to it in order tp move forward with whatever tragedy is weighing on you only for the resolution to be something as absurd and frightening as a clownish witch (portrayed fantastically by Amy Madigan). Or something. - Julian War of the Worlds JK, this really did in fact suck. -Julian Blue Moon Richard Linklater's hang out story of Lorenz Hart’s late night at the bar on the evening of his former writing partner Richard Rodgers first play with new collaborator Oscar Hammerstein is as charming as charming gets. But don't go into it expecting real account of how any of these people were. No, far from it which I know has painted the film as trite and dishonest. And I get it, Hart's true life story as a gay man will certainly make for an incredible film someday. But Blue Moon isn't about that, it's more about a troubled man who's just trying to find an out wherever he can. -Julian  The Monkey  This has been the year of some of my favorite filmmakers making two movies. For some it's gone really well (see Steven Soderberg) and for others... they're hitting 50/50. That's not to say I didn't like Osgood Perkins’ Keeper, but The Monkey hit all the right notes for me. It's a twisted and deranged Black comedy about a toy monkey that once it is turned on, causes increasingly hilarious Rube Goldberg machine-like deaths. From Theo James great dual performance as the twin brothers at the heart of the movie to the pitch perfect absurd ending that doesn't stop when it should, The Monkey is just a mean, gnarly little horror film that doesn't care if you like it or not. The Monkey is Perkins obscene idea of a pop movie and I'm here for it. - Julian Black Bag If you happen to be a spy caught in a game of cat and mouse and your fellow spy spouse’s life on the line with international consequences, then this movie is for you. And if you're not, it's even more for you!. Soderberg is a master of storytelling and Black Bag is such a wonderfully layered but easy to follow spy thriller that adds a little sexiness to the whole affair. It is the perfect movie for people who watch romantic comedies and think to themselves “if they would just tell each other what is going on. Everything could be fixed”. Because guess what, you're right, it does fix everything. Cate Blanchett and Micahel Fassbender prove that with the portrayal of the perfect spy couple. - Julian Kumail Nanjiani: Night Thoughts Sometimes you fall away from something because it stops being good, and sometimes you just turn your attention elsewhere. I used to be a person who listened to a whole lot of standup comedy, and went to quite a few comedy shows, but in recent years, that’s fallen off. And oddly,the group of comedians I’d last been serious followers of - Jonah Ray, Pete Holmes, and Kumail Nanjiani - had all turned their attention to other projects. Nanjiani specifically has been through a whole alternate timeline that involved a lot of working out, an award winning film he co-wrote with his wife, Emily V. Gordon, and a stint with Marvel. But he’s back to standup, his original love, and back in Chicago, the place it all started from him. Even more exciting: it’s like he was never away. Kumail Nanjiani Night Thoughts more than just pop culture/nerd jokes and taking stabs at the arrival of his new abs - it’s insightful comedy coupled with absurdity and an end message that actually makes you want to hug him. That means that if you liked him before, you’ll be right at home, and if you’ve never heard his standup before, you’ll quickly be a convert. Bonus points if you catch feelings for his cat Bagel, who Hulu posthumously honored on the show poster and gave a credit to. - Marielle