New Xbox boss: "We will not flood our ecosystem with soulless AI slop"
Asha Sharma outlines her intent for Xbox.
You may have already seen that Xbox has a new CEO, Asha Sharma, and she's pledged not to "flood our ecosystem with soulless AI slop". The news was announced on the Microsoft website, and it's sparked no shortage of passionate discussion among the gaming community. The fact that Matt Booty, a familiar face to Xbox fans, was promoted to CCO in the same announcement, doesn't seem to have dampened the discourse at all. These are very passionate responses we're seeing from Xbox players. If you dig a little deeper into the Microsoft announcement blog, you'll find a lengthy statement from Sharma that explains her priorities for Xbox going forward. There's a lot of sense being spoken here, we'd argue. There are three key priorities that Sharma outlines for her new regime - great games, the return of Xbox, and the future of play. She makes some good points in each section, in this writer's opinion. Under 'great games', Sharma says, "Everything begins here. We must have great games beloved by players before we do anything. Unforgettable characters, stories that make us feel, innovative game play, and creative excellence. "We will empower our studios, invest in iconic franchises, and back bold new ideas. We will take risks. We will enter new categories and markets where we can add real value, grounded in what players care about most." Fans who want bigger exclusives from Xbox, and more frequent outings for their iconic characters like Master Chief, should receive some hope from that statement. Under 'return of Xbox', Sharma adds, "We will celebrate our roots with a renewed commitment to Xbox starting with console which has shaped who we are. It connects us to the players and fans who invest in Xbox, and to the developers who build ambitious experiences for it. "Gaming now lives across devices, not within the limits of any single piece of hardware. As we expand across PC, mobile, and cloud, Xbox should feel seamless, instant, and worthy of the communities we serve. We will break down barriers so developers can build once and reach players everywhere without compromise." In this section, fans of Xbox hardware should note keenly that Sharma says "starting with console" before she mentions any other platforms. As much as Xbox has a big cloud business, there's still a core audience that wants an actual Xbox plugged into their TV. View Green Video on the source website And under future of play, Sharma notes, "To meet the moment, we will invent new business models and new ways to play by leaning into what we already have: iconic teams, characters, and worlds that people love. "But we will not treat those worlds as static IP to milk and monetize. We will build a shared platform and tools that empower developers and players to create and share their own stories. "As monetization and AI evolve and influence this future, we will not chase short-term efficiency or flood our ecosystem with soulless AI slop. Games are and always will be art, crafted by humans, and created with the most innovative technology provided by us." There's no shortage of fear about AI taking game development jobs away from humans, so people in the industry should take some assurance from this promise. Of course, it's easy to say something, but it's harder to actually achieve it. As this new era of Xbox begins, we wish Sharma all the best. If she can deliver on these promises, we're sure the discourse will change dramatically and she'll be hailed as a hero. Here's hoping that's what happens. Read more: New free Xbox Game Pass games confirmed for February 2026 Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
High on Life 2 wizard riddle answers: How to get full marks in the tax quiz explained
If you're reading this, you must be stuck on the High on Life 2 tax quiz. This wizard (also known as Finance Wiz James Stevenson) sure does value fiscal prowess, am I right? It's worth noting that you can bypass this quiz altogether - if you don't want to stand around and answer tax questions, you can walk straight ahead and solve a puzzle instead to gain access to the castle. However, if you skip the quiz, you will be giving up your chance to get one of the High on Life 2 missable trophies. There's an achievement named 'Why do you know all that stuff?' which is only getable at this point in the game, and you'll only earn if you ace the quiz. So, if you want to boss the quiz and earn that achievement, read on for the answers. We won't tell if you don't. High on Life 2 wizard riddle answers: How to get full marks in the tax quiz explained All the answers you need for the wizard's tax-based riddles are below! Note that, if you get a question wrong, he'll just keep asking them again and again until you get full marks. That is, unless you skip past him and solve the puzzle instead. In part eight of my fifteen-part webinar The Grind Runs From You, how is nontaxable income defined? Nontaxable income is income that is not subject to taxes, like some municipal bond interest or disability benefits. In section 13Q of Pefie Truffet’s How to Get Rich on the Backs of Others, how are current taxable year fixed liability terms explained in paragraph F451? Liabilities are what you owe other parties. In section 27J of the galactic tax code referendum, what does it say under the capital gains header in paragraph R? The gain may be short-term or long-term. In section 318X of The Income Tax: A Study of the History, Theory and Practice of Income Taxation at Home and Abroad, what is the deduction example of adjusted gross income - aka: AGI - listed in footnote 12.2? Interest on student loans can be deducted from your gross income. In section 6Z of Tobin’s Spirit Guide & Accounting Glossary, what does it say about casualty loss in chapter 14? Casualty losses are caused by the complete or partial destruction of property resulting from an unexpected event, such as floods, storms, fires, etc. In section 93P of the accounting lunar law handbook, how are intangible fixed assets discussed in paragraph H17.5? Amortization of an intangible fixed asset periodically lowers its value over a set period of time. When you've finished the quiz, head inside and prepare for a big boss battle! One of them most memorable ones in the game, in fact. Once this quest is done, you will have a few High on Life 2 bounties still to go, but your collection of High on Life 2 guns is pretty much done - that is, unless you haven't found the BALL Guys yet! For more intel on High on Life 2, you could also check out our developer interview from before the launch. You can even watch it in the video player below, if you're short of things to do. View Green Video on the source website Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Scrubs revival confirms two more original cast members, after previous doubts of return
The Scrubs revival is getting plenty of attention at the moment, and we’re pleased to report that two more beloved cast members are due to return to Sacred Heart Hospital. In the long-awaited batch of new episodes, we already know that Zach Braff (JD), Donald Faison (Turk), Sarah Chalke (Elliot), Judy Reyes (Carla) and John C McGinley (Dr Cox) are coming back for more laughs - and, presumably, the usual dose of heartbreaking storylines, too. And now, we can confirm that two more original cast members will be in the Scrubs revival as well. Neill Flynn, who plays The Janitor, will appear in the new season of Scrubs, the TV trade publication Deadline has revealed. Fans had been worried by the Janitor’s absence from the trailers, which caused some doubt and confusion over his return, making this very good news indeed. It’s nice to know that Cox won’t be the only one tormenting JD this season. View Green Video on the source website Christa Miller, who plays Jordan Sullivan, was also confirmed in the same article to be coming back in the Scrubs revival. Jordan, as Cox’s ex-wife and sometime love interest to JD, is sure to throw the cat amongst the pigeons too. It can’t all be happy times for JD, can it? Fans of Shrinking, which comes from the same creator as Scrubs (Bill Lawrence), have seen plenty of Flynn and Miller lately, as they both have memorable roles in the Apple TV+ comedy. We’re glad they found the time to make it over to the Scrubs set, too. Fans of the original Scrubs run, who want to see all the major players return, can now focus their attention on getting Ken Jenkins in the cast. Can someone page Dr Bob Kelso, please? He’s the only key character yet to be confirmed for a comeback! Interestingly, Deadline’s article has also confirmed a couple of new faces that we can expect to see as guest stars in the Scrubs revival. Rachel Bilson (The O.C.) will play Charlie, who’s described as “a beautiful and elusive visitor at Sacred Heart.” Andy Ridings (All My Children) is playing Wes, “a pilot who delivers transplant organs”. And Lisa Gilroy (Shrinking) is playing Lily, “an angelic-looking harp player who plays in the lobby of the hospital.” If you need us, we’ll be staring up to the sky and daydreaming about the new episodes. Scrubs season 10 is coming to Disney+ on Thursday 26 February 2026. Sign-up to Disney+ from £5.99 a month. Check out more of our Comedy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast. Add Scrubs to your watchlist on the <a id="OWA8b702c45-bee9-94e4-f018-57518e78041b" title="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" href="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-outlook-id="449c28d9-909e-4aab-b6b8-153454f55d5e" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.
High on Life 2 BALL Guys locations: How to get the BALL Gun explained
If you're playing High on Life 2 and you've spotted the unusable BALL Gun just chilling in your quarters, you might be wondering what that's all about. This weapon was added in the first game's High on Knife DLC, but it's a little harder to get in High on Life 2 - because the BALL Guys, three little blue men who make it work, have gone missing! Finding the BALL Guys will take some effort on your part, as they're all tied to different side missions that you might not stumble upon without knowing where to look. These three little dudes will feed pinball-style balls into the gun for you, but you're going to have to find them first! The BALL Gun is great for crowd control, as it lets you drop down three pinball bumpers, enabling your ball to fly around between them and hit multiple enemies in a row. We've got a video guide to explain the BALL Guys' locations in the player above (or you can watch it on YouTube). Use the time codes below to hunt down each of these BALL Guys and bring them back into the fold of your servitude. 00:14 Ball Guy 1 location 02:56 Ball Guy 2 location 08:18 Get the fishing rod (you'll need it for the next part) 10:03 Ball Guy 3 location 10:52 Pick up the Ball Gun 11:28 Ball Gun gameplay Or if you prefer written guides, we've got you covered below! High on Life 2 BALL Guys locations: How to get the BALL Gun explained If you were hoping that you'd stumble upon the Ball Guys simply by the playing the story, think again! Each Ball Guy is tied up in a different side quest. We've got the key details below to help you tick off each of these jobs. Ball Guy 1 location in High on Life 2 Ball Guy 1 is located in the Harbour area, specifically in the Town. Head there in the RV. When you land, turn right and you will see the building pictured above (a brown building with a curved roof). You will need to use Bowie's special power to open the door and get inside this night club. (If you haven't unlocked Bowie yet, you don't have all the High on Life 2 guns you'll need for this job – you'll have to to push through the main story a bit more before you can tackle this side quest). Once you're in the club, head into the far right corner and speak with the people at the DJ booth to start a dance-off. This Guitar Hero-like rhythm mini game shouldn't take you too long. You'll be given Ball Guy 1 as your reward for completing it. Ball Guy 2 location in High on Life 2 Ball Guy 2 is located Downtown, specifically in the City Plaza area. Head here in the RV. Once you land, go up the flight of stairs to your right (picture above). At the top of the flight of stairs, turn right and walk in that direction until you find a taxi driver asking for help. Pick up his side quest to begin your mission to bring home Ball Guy 2. The taxi driver will ask you to pick up some passengers and ferry them around town. You'll need to look around the Downtown area until you find them all (we counted six, and it didn't seem to matter that we failed with a couple of them). When you're done, return to the taxi driver (he won't have moved from the first place you met him). He'll give you one final challenge, and once you've done that, he'll reward you for your Crazy Taxi shenanigans by giving you Ball Guy 2. How to get the fishing rod in High on Life 2 Before you can get Ball Guy 3, you will need to pick up the fishing rod (who is, of course, a living being called Rod). If you already have this, you can skip to the next section of this article. The fishing rod in High on Life 2 is located in the Harbour region, specifically in the Beach region. Travel there using the RV, and when you land, consult the image above. You'll need to jump across this little bit of water to find the fisherman sat there. Speak to him, and he'll ask your help to dislodge his fishing boat. Turn to the water, and use Travis's special ability to send the boat flying into the air. Once you've done this, the fisherman will give you the rod, parting with his best friend in the process. Ball Guy 3 location in High on Life 2 Ball Guy 3 is located in the Zoo, and you can start at the Gift Shop to begin your hunt for him. Once you're at the Zoo, head to where the player is located in the map above (right down in the bottom right corner). In the bottom right corner of the map, you will find a fishing spot. Settle down here with Rod, and keep fishing until you find a Ball Guy. In our experience, he was the third golden 'fish' that we found in this spot. And if you're new to fishing in High on Life 2, our main tip is to jiggle both sticks on your controller when the fish is nearly caught. This takes some getting used to, but once you understand the process, it gets a lot easier. Now that you have all three Ball Guys, how do you actually get the Ball Gun? Simply return to your quarters, interact with the tank near the white board, and pick up the gun on top of it. You're now free to enjoy one of the most fun guns in the game! Hopefully, you agree that it was worth the effort. And if you'd like to learn more about High on Life 2, check out our big interview with the developers. Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Xbox Game Pass games: Confirmed new free titles to play in February
All the revealed Xbox Game Pass games you need to know about for February.
The second wave of February 2026's Xbox Game Pass games has now been confirmed. And it's going to be a huge month for Xbox's version of PS Plus, with some of the best RPGs ever made joining the service. As well as some great releases like Expedition 33 and Doom: The Dark Ages, last year also saw some big price rises, so make sure you're getting the best Game Pass deals. Once you've done that, you can start preparing to enjoy these incredible games coming to Xbox Game Pass in February 2026! Xbox Game Pass games: Confirmed new free titles for February 2026 These games have been confirmed for Xbox Game Pass in February 2026, with several existing games becoming available on new tiers: Indika (Xbox Series X/S, PC, Cloud) – 2 February Final Fantasy II (Xbox Series X/S, PC, Cloud) – 3 February Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii (Console, PC, Cloud, Handheld) – 3 February Madden NFL 26 (Console, PC, Cloud) – 5 February Paw Patrol Rescue Wheels: Championship (Console, PC, Cloud, Handheld) – 5 February Relooted (Xbox Series X/S, PC, Cloud) – 10 February BlazBlue Entropy Effect X (Xbox Series X/S, PC, Cloud) – 12 February Roadside Research (Xbox Series X/S, PC, Cloud) – 12 February (Game Preview) Starsand Island (Xbox Series X/S, PC, Cloud) – 12 February High on Life 2 (Xbox Series X/S, PC, Cloud) – 13 February Kingdom Come: Deliverance (Console, PC, Cloud) – 13 February Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora (Xbox Series X/S, PC, Cloud, Handheld) – 17 February Avowed (Xbox Series X/S, PC, Cloud) – 17th February (New to Game Pass Premium) Death Howl (Xbox Series X/S, PC, Cloud, Handheld) – 19 February EA Sports College Football 26 (Xbox Series X/S, Cloud) – 19 February The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Complete Edition (Console, Cloud) – 19 February TCG Card Shop Simulator (Game Preview) (Xbox Series X/S, PC, Cloud, Handheld) – 24 February Dice A Million (PC) – 25 February Towerborne (Console, PC, Handheld) – 26 February Final Fantasy 3 (Xbox Series X/S, PC, Cloud) – 3 March Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 (Xbox Series X/S, PC, Cloud) – 3 March That's all we know in terms of officially confirmed games coming to Game Pass in February 2026. We'll update this page when the next batch of free games is confirmed by Microsoft. What games are leaving Xbox Game Pass? While many games are added to Xbox Game Pass, there are four games being taken away this month, all of which will be leaving the service on 1st February. They are: Starbound Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector PAW Patrol World Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap Shady Part of Me Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders We'll update this page as and when more are added, so check back at a later date! What other Xbox Game Pass games are coming up? Looking further into the future, the following Xbox Game Pass games have been confirmed as upcoming releases on the service, though a lot of dates are still to be announced. Subnautica 2 (2026) Witchbrook (2026) Ark 2 (date TBC) Bushiden (date TBC) Contraband (date TBC) Dead Static Drive (date TBC) Elder Scrolls 6 (date TBC) Fable (date TBC) Fallout 5 (date TBC) Replaced (date TBC) She Dreams Elsewhere (date TBC) State of Decay 3 (date TBC) What happened to Xbox Games with Gold? Xbox Live Gold was discontinued on 1st September 2023, and those who kept their subscription will have been automatically swapped over to the new Xbox Game Pass Core tier as part of a price increase for Xbox Game Pass. This change-up removes the two free monthly games and replaces them with a library of around 30 titles - including Halo 5: Guardians, Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice and Forza Horizon 4, to name a few. Xbox Game Pass Core subscribers will still be able to access online, as well as certain deals and discounts. Microsoft plans to update the Game Pass Core library two to three times a year. And that's your lot in terms of what's coming up! We'll be sure to let you know about all those future Xbox Game Pass games as we learn more about them. Read more on Xbox: The very best Xbox Series X games How to charge Xbox Series X controllers What is Xbox Game Pass? Price and perks explained How to connect any Xbox controller to Xbox Series X/S Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
The Witcher 3 legends explain their "very experimental" new vampire game, The Blood of Dawnwalker
“Our game structure is totally different than the games you know.”
"It's very experimental," creative director Mateusz Tomaszkiewicz revealed, "because not many games do this." Before we go any further, please be aware that you can hear the full version of this conversation on the Radio Times Gaming podcast feed or YouTube channel. Tomaszkiewicz spoke to us at the Gamescom conference about The Blood of Dawnwalker, the upcoming vampire game that he — and many other former Witcher 3 developers — have started their own company to build. He was explaining the game’s time system, which will force players to make tricky decisions. There are a limited number of hours in every in-game day, and you only have a set number of those days to save your character’s abducted family. Tomaszkiewicz told us: "First of all, we wanted it to feel like the time matters. You know, there is this feeling of urgency to objectives. And we wanted you to actually think, ‘Do I want to do this? Or do I want to do that? How do I want to spend this resource?’ "At the same time, we don't want this artificial pressure that will stop you from exploring the world, for example, right? You do get clear communication from the game at every point." Indeed, we did see this mechanic at play in a hands-off Gamescom demo. We saw that certain actions, like committing to a side quest, will spend a certain amount of your time, which the game flags to you nice and clearly. Tomaszkiewicz said, "As you could have seen in the build, for example, the quest objectives tell you like how many time segments are you gonna spend if you're gonna finish these objectives. Sometimes, specific dialogue options can lead to spending time segments." "We call it ‘time as a resource,’" Tomaszkiewicz added. He also clarified that, "Just standing in one place is not gonna cost you any time. So, the time is kind of waiting for you to perform these actions." If you’re looking for a comparison point to make this system make sense in your mind, Mateusz Tomaszkiewicz mentions Persona, and his colleague/brother Konrad Tomaszkiewicz points to the first two Fallout games from the nineties. Konrad Tomaszkiewicz, the game director and CEO of developer Rebel Wolves, chimed in and said, "Spoiler alert, but we're speaking about it in the interviews; your main goal in the game is to help your abducted family. "And you know that, in some time, something can happen to them. And you cannot build the proper tension, and emotions, if you know that they'll be there forever. You cannot do, story-wise, this thing. That's why we added the system to show you that the clock ticks, and stuff will happen." "Our game structure is totally different than the games you know," Konrad Tomaszkiewicz added. But we couldn’t help but wonder, what happens if you don’t save your family in time? Is it a full ‘game over’ situation? Mateusz Tomaszkiewicz teased, "We don't wanna spoil it for the players. I would say, we treat it more as a choice and consequence thing, than a game over thing. This much I can tell you." We got to see a lengthy hands-off demo of the game, and the time-spending system did look pretty cool, although we're sure it will take some getting used to. The game’s day-night cycle also impacts your gameplay options. By day, the player-character (a 14th century chap by the name of Coen) can walk around like an ordinary person and try to talk or punch his way through situations. By night, he becomes a form of vampire with added stealth, traversal and combat options. But if you wait until nighttime to do everything, you’ll be wasting valuable time and your family will inch closer to peril. It looks like a fun game, and we very much look forward to getting our hands on it. Watch this space, and we’ll be sure to bring you more coverage as the release nears. The Blood of Dawnwalker will release in 2026 for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. You can wishlist the game now. Read more about upcoming games: LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight producer talks Arkham inspiration Scott Pilgrim EX creators "wouldn't call it a traditional beat 'em up" Directive 8020 boss promises "a huge leap forward for the series" Resident Evil Requiem preview: Remixing the greatest hits Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
High on Life 2 whodunnit: Who killed Larry in the murder mystery mission?
One of the most memorable missions in High on Life 2 is the murder mystery, with the death of billionaire Larry Pinkstock forcing the player into a new kind of scenario. With clue-collecting help from Suit-O and absurd asides from Travis, you'll piece the suspects' stories together as you walk around the closed room on the cruise ship and try to unravel the mystery. You'll want to look on every shelf and every surface (and also underneath those squeaking chairs), and make sure you question people every time you find a clue about them. Once you're certain that you've found everything, head to the centre of the room and prepare to point the finger at your suspect of choice. And if you want to be fully sure who did it, keep reading and we'll tell you the answer There's no shame here, don't worry about it. But if you want to avoid spoilers, look away now! High on Life 2 whodunnit: Who killed Larry in the murder mystery mission? In High on Life 2's whodunnit mission, the person that killed Larry is opera singer O.B. Oberon. If you find all the clues, you'll learn that O.B. Oberon fits all the criteria of the killer. And, just so you know, you will have to show your working during the finger-pointing showdown. O.B. Oberon is a sharp-shooter (as proven by the trophy clue), she has a motive (as proven by the milk carton clue), and she is wearing the perfume that Travis smelt during the murder. Nuff said! If you successfully solve the murder mystery, you'll earn a High on Life 2 trophy by the name of 'Columbo in space'. We hope that gives you a warm and fuzzy feeling inside, especially if you're aiming for that Platinum gong. At this point in the game, you still have a few High on Life 2 bounties ahead of you, and a bunch more High on Life 2 guns to collect. And if you're wondering who is on the High on Life 2 cast list, we've got you covered on that front too. For yet more on High on Life 2, you could also check out our developer interview from before the launch. Or, y'know, you could just keep playing the game. It's up to you. View Green Video on the source website Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
High on Life 2 trophy guide: Missable trophies and full list of achievements
If you're playing High on Life 2 from Squanch Games, you might be tempted to try and get every achievement/trophy in the game. You may have already noticed that some of the trophy names and descriptions in the game are a little on the cryptic side, with the writers clearly preferring to pack jokes in rather than overtly describing the unlock conditions for each achievement. So, how many High on Life 2 trophies are there, which ones are missable, and what do you have to do to unlock them all and get that highly-coveted Platinum? Keep on reading and we'll explain. How many trophies and achievements are in High on Life 2? By our count, there are 32 trophies and achievements in High on Life 2. A decent chunk of these trophies will be earned automatically as you chip away at the main story, but there are others tied to ticking off side quests and filling out your collections. Plus, there are a number of missable trophies in the game, so you'll want to be aware of those! If you miss them, with no option currently to replay missions, you'll have to do a second play through of the whole game to get that Platinum. Oh, by the way, while we've got you, did you know that we did a big High on Life 2 developer interview ahead of the launch? View Green Video on the source website Full list of High on Life 2 achievements and trophies The full list of High on Life 2 achievements/trophies is below. We've split it into three chunks to help you process the information - the missable trophies, the main story trophies, and the collection-based ones. Where it's unclear, we've also noted here what the unlock conditions are for each one that needs further explaining. Here we go, then. High on Life 2 missable trophies and achievements Okay, final warning! These are the missable trophies that you will want to pay special attention to on your first play through, lest you be damned to repeat the whole game later. The Good Ending - Wow, that was easy! - Shoot your sister at the start of the game when given the chance - Silver Dunston Has Checked In - Navigate the laser maze with perfect precision to help a new friend. - Bronze Witness the Burning Bush - This must be what Moses saw when he, too, burned off Kreg Button's pants. - Use a flamethrower turtle in the Kreg boss battle - Silver Columbo in Space - You perfectly solved the murder mystery. You got every detail just right. You didn't cheat, right? - Bronze All Your Vase Are Belong to Us - Break all of Apples' vases. He just can't have nice things, court order. - Bronze Why do you know all that stuff? - Prove your Galactic Tax Code prowess. - Get full marks in the Blue Wizard's quiz - Bronze #1 Scientist - You made the ultimate sacrifice for science. Good work. - Drink all the vials in the Professor Jane Berkel mission - Gold Starstruck - You spared a movie star's life. He better thank you in his acceptance speech. - Don't kill Bronkin Bucko, lead him away from security and talk to him instead - Bronze Kobe! - You've joined the grand tradition of winning a court case due to basketball skills! - Throw paper balls through the hoop in the courtroom until the judge is impressed - Bronze Nice Day With Jeppy - You're a good sibling. If Jeppy grows up to be a bad person, it's not on you. - Take Jeppy to the zoo and do whatever he wants there - Bronze Dr. Gurgula Will Return... - Found all of Dr. Gurgula's hidden transmissions... maybe he'll finally be important in the 3rd game? - Gold Ankhs For The Memories - Was any of this even real? - Complete all three escape rooms and sign up to the guy's newsletter, before finishing the main story, to unlock this secret ending - Gold High on Life 2 main story trophies and achievements Don't be put off by the confusing names and descriptions on these ones. You'll unlock all of these by simply playing through the main story. Broke the Code - You broke the Bounty Hunter code, and now you're a wanted outlaw. Good luck! - Bronze Was That A Wiener? - We can't actually tell if you drew a wiener. But if you did, this was probably a little funny. - Bronze Smash That Kreg Button - Congratulations, you have murdered an animal rights activist. - Bronze Invasive Procedure - You assassinated a Senator and almost killed yourself in the process. - Bronze Thats A Wrap on Character Actor Fred Melamed - Great job voicing the Blue Wizard, Fred! We loved you in "A Serious Man"! - Bronze Dad's All, Folks - You saved your dad but left a raging monster loose in Wyoming. Let's just call it a win! - Bronze So Long, and Thanks For All The Ghosts - Don't feel bad for killing a dolphin. They've done some horrible things. For real. Look it up. - Bronze Romanced All 34 Erotic Worm Monsters - This one takes over 100 hours. Only the most dedicated worm romancers get this one. Great job! - Bronze Trial of the Century - Nice, you saved humanity again! Thankfully there are no evil pharmaceutical companies in real life. - Silver High on Life 2 collection-based trophies and achievements And finally, the completionists among you will want to work your way through these collection-based challenges in order to full 100 per cent the game and earn that Platinum trophy. Bountilogical Studies PhD - Visit every exhibit at the Bounty Hunter Museum. - Bronze Tanks for the Memories - Fill up the aquarium in Quarters. - Silver Throne of Games - Find the games in the game. - Silver Unwanted - Slash all of your Wanted Posters. - Silver Pro Skater - Complete all teen skatepark activities. - Gold Phony Hawk - Complete three races in each of the three hubs. - Silver Fare Thee Well - You took those passengers to where they were ultimately heading, anyway. - Fail a taxi challenge and drop the passenger ball down a porta potty - Bronze B.A.L.L. In The Family - You brought those little freaks together again! - Collect all three B.A.L.L. guys (one is tied to the taxi missions, one to the fishing mechanic, and one to a dance off) - Silver Where's Maris? - Niles!!! Our dinner guests will arrive any minute now and I've just been turned into a crane game!!! - Get multiple prizes from the Crane Machine until the achievement pops - Silver 8-Bit Warrior - One by one, you have taken out each of Nipulon's 8-Bits (and 8 nips). - Complete the game, head to your room, find a cartridge on the TV, play it on an arcade machine - Gold A Life Well Lived - You're done. You've lived a fulfilling life. Go ahead, close your eyes. It's time to pass on now. - Collect all trophies - Platinum And that's all your need to know about High on Life 2 trophies/achievements! If you want more informative content, we've also got High on Life 2 bounties, High on Life 2 guns and High on Life 2 cast pages for you to enjoy. Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
High on Life 2 bounties: Full list of missions and how many to expect
How many bounties make up the Rhea Pharma C-Suite?
Squanch Games has released High on Life 2 on the masses, which means fans of the original game now have a stack of new bounties to complete. As I said in my High on Life 2 review, "The overarching story and the structure isn’t the greatest strength of this game, with one of the most memorable missions actually having nothing to do with the main plot. "There are even points in the game where there is basically nothing to do but go to sleep and wait for the next mission to arrive, which does take the pace out of proceedings a bit and slightly kills the vibe." But still, it's a fun game. And if you're playing it, you'll want to know how many bounties there are, which will help you work out how far through the main story you've gotten. Plus, how long is the game in terms of hours? Let's get cracking with the answers to these questions! How many bounties are in High on Life 2? By our count, there are seven main bounties in High on Life 2. These main missions are delivered to the player with a fair amount of choice. You normally get given two bounties to choose from in each new chunk of the story. That being said, the order you tackle them in doesn't make a huge difference to the overall journey of the player-character. It just means that you'll unlock some guns quicker than others. After each pair of missions, the game will give you a chance to work on your collectables and revisit the open worlds you've discovered so far. When you're ready for more main missions, head back to base and go to sleep. When you wake up, the next chunk of the story will be ready for you. Full list of High on Life 2 bounties The full list of High on Life 2 bounties, to the best of our knowledge, looks like this: Billionaire Larry Pinkstock Senator Muppy Doo Finance Wiz James Stevenson Cult Leader Gwendolyn Birch Movie Star Bronkin Bucko Professor Jane Berkel Final boss battle The first six missions are delivered in pairs, allowing you to pick which of the two you'd like to do first. And once you've done the sixth one, you're into the endgame and heading for your big court date. We haven't put the name of the last boss, and that is basically for spoiler reasons! There is a secret there we don't want to ruin for you. It's also worth noting that some of the missions (particularly the cult leader one) will be triggered while you're following much more innocent-looking mission markers and quest titles. If you're ever unsure of how to progress the main story, check the YomYom in the RV. There should be some prompts there to put you back on the golden path. If there aren't any new bounties in the YomYom for you, you might need to head to bed in the base to hurry things along. How long is High on Life 2? We'd estimate that your typical High on Life 2 play through will take somewhere between 10 and 15 hours, depending on how long you spend dawdling between missions and looking for collectables. In terms of extra content, if you wanted to Platinum the game, we'd guess that around 30 to 40 hours should be enough time to see off everything. (With some missable trophies, you might find yourself needing to do the campaign twice!) However long you spend with High on Life 2, we hope you have fun with it. And if you want to learn more about High on Life 2, check out our big developer interview! View Green Video on the source website Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Is Kenny in High on Life 2? What happened to the character explained
If you played High on Life back in 2022, and now you're jumping into High on Life 2, you might be wondering what happened to the character of Kenny. Voiced by Justin Roiland, Kenny was the first talking gun you picked up in the original game, with his Glob Shot being a memorable aid in puzzle situations. In 2023, bridging the gap between High on Life and High on Life 2, a DLC was released called High on Knife. In this expansion, players found out the fate of Kenny. If you're not sure what happened there, keep on reading and we'll explain. Is Kenny in High on Life 2? No, Kenny is not in High on Life 2. The character of Kenny is nowhere to be seen in this sci-fi sequel, although there are nine different guns to collect (plus Knifey, making 10 weapons in total). Returning to your arsenal from the first game are Gus, Sweezy and Creature, with Lezduit appearing in more of a supporting role. But nope, there's no cameo for Kenny. Why isn't Kenny in High on Life 2? The real-world reason for Kenny's absence is that Justin Roiland, who voiced the character and played a major role in creating the original High on Life, no longer works at developer Squanch Games. In 2020, domestic violence charges were brought forward against Roiland, which he strongly denied. They became public knowledge on 12 January 2023, being reported by NBC News. On 16 January 2023, Squanch Games posted on X that they had "received Justin Roiland's resignation". Squanch added at the time: "The passionate team at Squanch will keep developing games we know our fans will love while continuing to support and improve High on Life." Those original charges against Roiland, however, were dropped in March 2023 due to insufficient evidence. Roiland released a statement to social media at the time stating he was "thankful the case has been dismissed", writing: "I have always known that these claims were false – and I never had any doubt that this day would come. "I’m still deeply shaken by the horrible lies that were reported about me during this process. “Now that the legal case has ended, I’m determined to move forward and focus both on my creative projects and restoring my good name.” In September 2023, Roiland faced allegations of sexual assault, as well as accusations of "pursuing young fans, some underage", in an NBC News report. In response to the claims, Roiland's lawyer Andrew Brettler said that all allegations were "false and defamatory". Roiland has not returned to work at Squanch Games. High on Life 2 has been made without Roiland's involvement, and his character Kenny was not recast either. What happened to Kenny in the canon of the game? Canonically, the player-character dropped Kenny and lost him after the events of High on Life. Kenny's absence is explained like so in the opening moments of High of Knife, the 2023 DLC for the first game. A news reader mentions this in passing, while talking about the player-character. He says, simply: "They lost one of their guns." Midway through the DLC, Gene says over the radio: "I'm just calling to say hey, and to remind you to not drop any more of your guns. You were lucky that we found Harper and that she's almost the same sub-species of Gatlian. Seriously, you gotta be more careful. These are living beings." At the end of the game, Knifey annoys Gene, prompting Gene to say: "Bounty Hunter, drop this knife where you dropped Kenny." If you missed the DLC, you can see all of these scenes on YouTube. In the DLC, Harper is swapped in as a replacement for Kenny in terms of the gameplay. In the sequel, Harper now belongs to your sister and you'll spend the game collecting guns - some new, some returning, but none of them are Kenny. If you want to learn more about High on Life 2, check out our big developer interview. We've also got all the bounties and cast members listed out for you too. View Green Video on the source website Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Overwatch Symmetra actor Anjali Bhimani reacts to game's name change: "Boom!"
Anjali Bhimani, who plays Symmetra in Overwatch, has reacted to the news that 'Overwatch 2' is changing its name back to good old 'Overwatch'. "Boom! I love it. Frankly, I love that," Bhimani enthused on the set of our latest Arcade Hang interview. (You can watch all the episodes of Arcade Hang over on our YouTube channel.) Bhimani was interviewed alongside Felicia Day, as the duo had been in London for a week of The Guild: The Musical shows. Day asked at this point: "Does that mean they're never doing a three?" To which Bhimani responded: "Well, no, but it feels like... and forgive me, Blizzard, if I'm speaking out of turn, I am speaking purely from my own opinion... "I feel like Overwatch 2 really felt like an extension of the original Overwatch, so I'm glad they dropped the two because it feels like it's all one world." Bhimani added:"It feels like it's all one story that they are just beginning to branch out from. "And so, I'm glad that they took that off there, so we can feel like it's the same game, just adding more and more story... that actually makes me happy." If you've been wondering why the developers from Blizzard turned the name back to Overwatch, Polygon has the inside scoop on that. "We've talked about this a lot over the last year," Blizzard president Johanna Faries said during a media briefing. "Probably 20 to 30 people came and said, 'Hey, we want to go bold, not just with the content swings that we're going to take in season 21 — now season 1 — but also drop the 2.'" Faries said that "it felt like it was in unison and in chorus that everyone said emphatically, 'Yes, we think this is the right time for Overwatch as a universe to turn a corner in a big way.'" Indeed, it's not just the name that's changing, but the numbering of seasons that is reverting back to season 1. Nice and clean, the start of a new era. Overwatch season 1 is live now in the game. See more Arcade Hang interviews on YouTube: Devora Wilde talks Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 future Neil Newbon talks Dungeons & Dragons & Dramas Karlach actor Samantha Béart talks Baldur's Gate 3 and more House of the Dragon star Abubakar Salim chats Dead Take Glenn Moore, Sarah Keyworth and Pierre Novellie talk Button Boys podcast Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
High on Life 2 guns: Full list of weapons and how to unlock them all
If you're playing High on Life 2, it's only logical to wonder how many guns are in the game and how exactly you're going to get them all. As you work through the High on Life 2 missions, you'll find yourself armed with some familiar weaponry and some new faces. By our count, three guns from the first game return, and one from the first game's DLC. There are also five brand new guns for you to enjoy. As I wrote in my High on Life 2 review, "Building on the strengths of the first game, these new guns combine with the returning old ones for some really fun combos and special effects, both in the battle scenarios and the puzzling segments (an underrated element of the franchise in this writer’s opinion)." So, let's crack on and get to the full list! High on Life 2 guns: The full list There are 9 main guns for you to collect in High on Life 2, by our count, and the full list looks like this: Gus Sweezy Creature B.A.L.L. Sheath Travis Jan Bowie Shoot-O Also, a special shoutout should go to Knifey (voiced by Michael Cusack), who also returns for this new adventure. Australia 2's most violent denizen will be with you from the start, but we can't exactly include him in a list about guns! How to unlock all guns and weapons in High on Life 2 If you want to know more about each of these guns, keep on reading and we'll explain where you can expect to collect each of them. All but one of these guns are tied to the main story, so you don't need to worry about missing them. There are some spoilers to be found in this article, because some of the guns come a lot later in the story, so be warned! Gus Voiced by: JB Smoove How to unlock: Play the first mission Tips: Gus's discs are very powerful in combat, and you can use Knifey to hit them in mid-air and get multiple attacks from each individual disc. Sweezy Voiced by: Betsy Sodaro How to unlock: Play the first mission Tips: Sweezy's time bubble is crucial some puzzle situations, and it can also come in handy to slow down enemies in a pinch. Sheath Voiced by: Ralph Ineson How to unlock: Complete the Senator Muppy Doo mission Tips: Sheath's special attack is very reminiscent of Yondu from Guardians of the Galaxy, so you should use it to chain multiple enemies in one go. Travis Voiced by: Ken Marino How to unlock: Complete the Billionaire Larry Pinkstock mission Tips: To be honest, Travis isn't my favourite gun, but you can use his special attack to raise enemies into the air (and raise certain platforms during puzzle segments). Creature Voiced by: Tim Robinson How to unlock: Interact with Creature during the main mission to pick up Jeppy Tips: Creature's terrifying children are the best crowd control option in the game. If you're ever getting overwhelmed, dispatch as many babies as possible to distract and damage your enemies. B.A.L.L. Voiced by: Michael Cusack, Nathan Faustyn and David Herman How to unlock: Find the three blue men at locations in the open world (see video guide) Tips: Fans of the High on Knife DLC will remember that B.A.L.L.'s special attack, similar to Gus's, can come in very handy in crowded situations. Drop down the pinball-style bumper, blast a ball in there, and watch it fly! Jan Voiced by: Gabourey Sidibe How to unlock: Complete the mission to have dinner with your mum Tips: Once she's paired with Travis, the novelty of having two guns at the same time does make for some fun gameplay. Bowie Voiced by: Frankie Quinones How to unlock: Complete the Finance Wiz James Stevenson mission Tips: Bowie's soul hole is absolutely crucial to some puzzles and boss battles, allowing you to see weak points that are otherwise un-shootable, so don't forget to use it if you get stuck! Honourable mention: Shoot-o Voiced by: Alec Robbins How to unlock: Complete the mission that starts with visiting the Party City store. Tips: Once you've successfully weaponised Suit-O, you can use his gravity powers to throw objects around without having to swap weapons (this power is mapped to LB/L1). And that's your lot! If you want to learn more about High on Life 2, check out our big developer interview. View Green Video on the source website Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
High on Life 2 review: Silly sci-fi sequel is perfect for Xbox Game Pass
Launching today, High on Life 2 might just be the perfect Xbox Game Pass game. Sure, it’s not the greatest game of all time, but it’s ideal if you’re already a member of the service and want to have some dumb fun over the Valentine’s Day weekend. If you played 2022’s High on Life, you'll know roughly what to expect - talking guns, linear missions, and the exact brand of silly humour that Rick and Morty fans revel in (although the sci-fi show's creator, Justin Roiland, is not involved in this one). The story picks up some time after the first game left off. The unseen, voiceless player character has become a legendary figure in the bounty hunting world after bringing down the G3 cartel, but a fun montage at the start of the game reveals that this life of super-stardom wasn’t exactly all it was cracked up to be. In classic video game sequel fashion, you’re stripped of a lot of your previous weapons at the start of this second adventure (the way they write Lezduit out of the main story is particularly funny). This is a little frustrating, but it does pave the way for some fun new guns to be added instead. Casting is one of the great strengths of this game, with Ralph Ineson delivering some note-perfect grumpiness as Sheath (basically a Halo battle rifle with shades of Yondu from Guardians of the Galaxy) and Ken Marino bringing his downtrodden best to Travis (a divorcee that is introduced in such a funny way). Building on the strengths of the first game, these new guns combine with the returning old ones for some really fun combos and special effects, both in the battle scenarios and the puzzling segments (an underrated element of the franchise in this writer’s opinion). View Green Video on the source website Another fun new addition is the skateboarding. A surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one, as it adds a very flow-state vibe to the traversal and also plays into combat and those underrated puzzles to boot. The overarching story and the structure isn’t the greatest strength of this game, with one of the most memorable missions actually having nothing to do with the main plot. There are even points in the game where there is basically nothing to do but go to sleep and wait for the next mission to arrive, which does take the pace out of proceedings a bit and slightly kills the vibe. There’s just enough intrigue here from the game to hang its hat on, with a couple of twists and surprises along the way, but it feels like more effort has been put into the moment-to-moment dialogue than the bigger beats of the story. It feels like, as long as we have a vague reason to hunt someone down, that’s basically enough. That moment-to-moment dialogue will be music to the ears of hardcore Rick and Morty/High on Life fans, but I did find myself tempted to turn down the chatter settings at some points. At times, it felt like puzzles were being explained to me immediately after discovering them, and context was constantly being reiterated by constant dialogue. There were even characters talking over each other about totally different things at points. There were also a couple of glitches and niggles along the way. I had one hard crash, and a couple of moments where I had to reload the previous checkpoint to get out of a broken-seeming situation. Nothing major that put me off in that respect, though, I always wanted to keep playing, even past my bedtime (which is saying something for someone as lazy as me). One other thing that did slightly get on my nerves was the larger open world segments. Clearly an effort had been made to make some big areas and show off some nice graphics (again there was a Halo nod in one of these bits), but I found the environments themselves to be a little underpopulated with meaningful things to do. Sure, there’s stuff to collect and see, with a number of collectable retro games in the mix, as well as the returning novelty of full-length movies showing in theatres, but I found myself a couple of times just whizzing about on my skateboard and struggling to find anything to actually do in these areas. All of that said, there is so much fun to be had in this game, particularly in the main levels. Each one is basically a self-contained bounty hunting mission, and you can tell these have been crafted to engineer the silliest situations possible and really surprise the player holding the controller. I don’t want to describe any specific beats too much, for fear of spoilers, but I’d say these stupendous moments — the payoff and the punchlines that punctuate each main quest — are worth the price of admission on their own, especially if you already have Game Pass! High on Life 2 launches today on Xbox Series X/S, PC, PS5 and Xbox Game Pass. We reviewed on Xbox Series X. You can order your copy now. Read more game reviews: Reanimal review: A beautiful and twisted experience Romeo Is a Dead Man review: Suda51 and co let their baffling brilliance shine Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
After The Last of Us, Fallout and Tomb Raider, industry experts predict what's next for video games on TV
Now that Fallout season 2 has wrapped up its run on Prime Video, what does the future hold for video game adaptations on TV? And why does Fallout work so well on television, anyway? "It's the idea, really," says gaming industry expert Christopher Dring, editor in chief of The Game Business. "Fallout is a rich, realised world in which to tell multiple stories. A distinct visual style, humour, action, monsters... as a role-playing game, it isn't just a Lord of the Rings-alike fantasy game. It is distinctive. "It's not easy - getting that humour, that violence, that world to feel right takes patience. And, frankly, it feels like the perfect partnership between TV creators and game intellectual property (IP)." Amazon is clearly keen to replicate the success of Fallout, with both God of War and Tomb Raider lined up for serialised live-action treatment on Prime Video. HBO is hungry for more, too, planning Baldur's Gate 3 as its next TV darling, with The Last of Us only having one more season of material left to mine. What do video game industry experts like Dring make of this trend, and which games would they like to see adapted next? As gaming levels up on TV, these industry legends certainly have notes. Want to raid some tombs? "On paper, the Tomb Raider adaptation sounds great," observes George Osborn, editor of the Video Game Industry Memo. "Phoebe Waller-Bridge is one of the best writers in the biz. The cast is looking great, especially with Sophie Turner, Jason Isaacs, and Celia Imrie on board. And Amazon's success with Fallout offers some hope that the adaptation will be a good one. "I think the biggest challenge is how Tomb Raider translates into a TV series rather than a film. I know that there was the original Tomb Raider film adaptation starring Angelina Jolie and a reboot with Alicia Vikander. "But even though the presence of historic predecessors might have put Amazon off from making another film, the game feels better suited for two hours of popcorn flickery instead of a multi-episode TV season." Which game should be adapted next? Christopher Dring says, "I’d love for Alan Wake to make its way to the small screen. A wonderful horror game, with compelling characters and a distinct European-style. Remedy’s partnership with Annapurna opens up that possibility. It could be the new Twin Peaks." As Luke Addison, editor in chief at Thumb Wars sees it, "The team behind the Tomb Raider show has it harder in ways than that of the Fallout show. "Tomb Raider is, and always will be, about the character of Lara Croft. While she may have changed in her various iterations in small ways over the years, she is, at heart, an explorer and a woman who wants adventure, and she does the right thing along the way to boot. "If the show doesn't get this characterisation right, and in a way that resonates with viewers, everything else will be redundant." Actor, filmmaker and tech journalist Waseem Mirza agrees. "Tomb Raider's a tough one because Lara is so, so iconic," he says. "You can't just make her another action hero. The thing about the games, especially the recent ones, is that she's driven by curiosity as much as capability. She's solving puzzles and thinking, she's not just jumping from ledge to ledge! "If Amazon leans too hard into 'woman with guns, lots of explosions,' they'll miss the point. I think Lara Croft needs to feel like someone who understands archaeology, who's genuinely intelligent. "The action should feel earned from character, not grafted on top. That balance is harder than most people think." Certainly, a stir was caused online by the recent reveal of Sophie Turner's retro-inspired costume test for the role. And this next adaptation has been earning plenty of news coverage, too, with its string of casting stories. Boy! Get ready for God of War "God of War is fascinating because the recent games are almost already cinematic," Mirza points out. "They're so tightly directed that adapting them feels risky. But I think the challenge is that the power of those games is the relationship between Kratos and Atreus. And a lot of that works in games because of the intimate camera, the real-time pacing. In a linear show, you've got to find a different way to convey that same weight." Mirza adds, "Kratos isn't someone who talks a lot. He communicates through silence and presence. That's actually harder to pull off on screen than you'd think, because an audience might just think he's brooding. The actor has to make that silence mean something." Addison is enthusiastic that Ryan Hurst, a Sons of Anarchy alum, "is taking on the tall task of portraying Kratos in the show. As a long-time fan of his, I can honestly say I'm thrilled." Which game should be adapted next? Waseem Mirza says, "I'm obsessed with the idea of a Half-Life adaptation. Instead of holding your hand with exposition dumps, they trust you to understand the world through observation. We have a tendency to want to explain everything now - aka the death of subtext. Half-Life wouldn't let you do that. You'd have to trust your audience to be smart." Addison continues: "Not just because he'll bring the physicality to the role that Kratos desperately needs, but because he has also has the undercurrent of emotion needed to round out the character to something close to what we have in the most recent game iteration, from Christopher Judge." George Osborn adds that God of War has "a strong narrative core to build a show around, likely drawing on the example of the Pedro Pascal/Bella Ramsey dynamic in The Last of Us TV show to push it forward. "But if someone had said the game was being turned into a film, that would feel like a more natural fit for me. "However, there are some bigger practical questions around the adaptation. The series was rebooted after Rafe Judkins, its showrunner, departed. Its success will be shaped by how Cory Balrog, the game's creator, works with its new showrunner Ronald D Moore and directors like Frederick EO Toye - who is working on the show after directing episodes of Shogun and The Boys." Mazin is gathering his party The involvement of video game executives in their TV adaptations is a real hot-button topic, with no two shows taking exactly the same approach. Bethesda boss Todd Howard is very involved in the Fallout show, while Neil Druckmann from Naughty Dog went so far as to be a co-showrunner of The Last of Us for two seasons (before refocusing on his game-development duties). When Baldur's Gate 3 was announced as the next big HBO adaptation (with Druckmann's pal Craig Mazin taking the reins), game fans made their concerns known upon finding out that the game's developers, Larian, were not going to be actively involved in the TV show. Which game should be adapted next? Luke Addison says, "Gears of War is an obvious one. A cinematic game at its very core, it's crying out for an adaptation, as long as they throw enough money at it to do it justice." "Well, yeah," Dring observes. "It's worth noting that Larian stepped away from the series to work on their own IP [Divinity], which makes sense. They're just not involved. The IP existed long before Larian, and will do long after. "But it looks like Larian are going to be tapped up for their thoughts and views, so I'm not sure what more you'd except. It's not their brand and they're not working on Baldur's Gate anymore." Plus, with Mazin announcing his intent to weave into the show some iconic BG3 characters, and the actors that made them beloved, there are certainly ways to win back some goodwill without having Larian boss Swen Vincke among HBO's executive producers. Mirza adds, "If anyone can pull off an adaptation of that celebrated game, then it's most definitely showrunner Craig Mazin pairing up once more with HBO, who've already proven their combined strengths with The Last of Us, which had me and millions more hooked from the very first episode. I can't wait to see what they have in store for us." How did we get here? Gaming adaptations, particularly Fallout and The Last of Us (not to mention animated darlings like Arcane), have become a prestigious corner of the TV landscape. We've come a long way in recent years. Addison remembers, "Only a few years ago, the general consensus was that films and TV based on video games were always going to be objectively terrible, and the same with tie-in video games. "Now, at least half of that is slowly changing. It seems to be much more regular that we get high-quality adaptations based on the IPs we love, rather than terrible ones that no one really recognises and are universally despised." Which game should be adapted next? George Osborn says, "The game that I’d love to see adapted into a TV show is Cyberpunk 2077. The animated Edgerunners is a fantastic TV adaptation in its own right. A live-action series featuring the key cast members — Keanu Reeves as Johnny Silverhand, Idris Elba as Solomon Reed — would be brilliant. I also think the show would have the potential to run and run, given how many outstanding stories Night City contains." How did that change happen? As Mirza puts it, "The best thing that's happened is that filmmakers have stopped being ashamed of games. They're not treating them as 'pop culture that needs to be elevated.' They're treating them as narratives in their own right, partly because this generation of filmmakers are gamers. "Games have been telling genuinely sophisticated stories for years. Television and film are finally catching up. "When Halo failed, it wasn't because the IP was weak - it was because the creators didn't respect the mythology and audiences do care about that. Compare that to Fallout or The Last of Us: the makers are fans. They truly understand why people care." Dring believes this is "a huge opportunity. Games are not a single genre. It's not like game fatigue will happen in the way superhero fatigue has. "Every year, dozens of new story-driven games are released, with distinct visuals and characters, that can be adapted. 12 months ago, Clair Obscur and Arc Raiders didn't exist, for example. Games are more like books in that this is a sector now ripe for the big and small screen industries to explore. "But what I don't believe is this idea of things getting even closer. In the past, we've seen efforts to bridge the world of games and movies together creatively. Defiance is the most famous example, where events in the TV series show up in the games, and vice versa." Dring states in no uncertain terms, "We will see more games and TV collaborations. The big blockbuster games take five, six, seven years to complete – even longer in some cases – so TV and film provide an opportunity for the games industry to keep its IP fresh and relevant, and keep giving fans something to enjoy while they wait [for the next game in the series]. "Meanwhile, the TV world is discovering the potential that games can have on the smaller screen. This is no passing trend." Mirza adds, "The lesson from Fallout's success, to me, is simple. Just respect the story, understand why people care, and then translate that to your medium. Do that, and audiences have shown they respond. He continues: "It's not complicated, but it's something a lot of adaptations have gotten wrong before, and I think we still need to be careful we don't go back to the dreary past of gaming TV and film adaptations gone wrong. "But, for now at least, it seems the curse has been lifted, and long may that continue." Certainly, it feels like viewers are ready to blast through the next few levels of TV adaptations. Game on. Read more: Inside The Last of Us "revolution" that made players cry How Fallout season 1 "emboldened" the Fallout 76 team to deliver a huge in-game crossover I wrote the book on Tomb Raider - Here's how Sophie Turner and Alix Wilton Regan will rewrite Lara Croft's history Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight producer talks Arkham inspiration and Easter eggs
"I can't think of anything that was off the table." That's what Matt Ellison told us, when we spoke to the LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight executive producer at the Gamescom conference last year. You can see our whole chat with Ellison in the video player above (or on YouTube) and it’s also available on the Radio Times Gaming podcast feed. Boasting seven playable characters, with over 100 suits between them — including Ellison’s personal favourite, the Rainbow Suit — it certainly doesn’t look like Traveller’s Tales (TT) are holding back with LEGO Batman 4. "We've drawn from so many things," Ellison revealed. "There are so many different Easter eggs and references. I don't think anyone knows all of them. "And yeah, there's been very little that people have said no to. If it exists in DC and is familiar for Batman, I think it was fair game. So we've put in as much as we can, and there are things everywhere as you explore. "Through Gotham, round every corner there's a different billboard or a different shop, and all of these things include references to various different things. Some of them are really subtle, some of them are a bit more obvious, but there's lots of things that fans of Batman will enjoy." View oEmbed on the source website Indeed, fans of Batman have noticed all sorts of things in the trailers, with nods appearing not just to movies and comics, but also previous games starring Gotham’s Caped Crusader. As Ellison admitted, "We very much took inspiration from other games, particularly the Arkham series. "When we were looking at what we wanted to do in this game, we were looking at, 'What can we improve?' And combat is something where… It was an area we thought we could improve. And [Arkham developers Rocksteady] did a fantastic job of what they did [in combat]. "So, we got that as sort of a template, and then, [we looked at] what can we do for this game to make it slightly more accessible, so that younger players can get into it as well. So, there's some things that we've simplified. "Of course, we also have this game in local co-op, as well. So, figuring out how that combat works when there's two players involved in it, [is] something we've had to consider and work in. "But we are really pleased with how it is all coming together, and people seem to be loving it when they're playing it. So, we're delighted with how it's been perceived." In a lengthy hands-on session with the game, we got to explore the open-world Gotham City and play through a co-op mission involving Batman and Commissioner Gordon investigating ACE Chemicals. Both facets of the game impressed us, feeling like a cross between the Arkham franchise and what you’d usually expect from the studio that most recently delivered the 2022 smash hit LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga. "Gotham is big and it's very dense," Ellison told us after the demo. "There's more verticality than we've ever had before. We filled it with puzzles, we filled it with secrets. There's something around every corner. "If you wait a few minutes, there'll be a random crime going off for you to go in stock and then something will appear somewhere else. So, you've got to go off and investigate that. "So, there's content around every corner and lots of puzzles and different challenges and things to collect. So, all of that gameplay is going to be in there, and there's hours of content there." Fans of British TV rejoiced upon hearing Toast of London star Matt Berry in the game’s reveal trailer, voicing the villainous Bane. How did that come about? Ellison recalled, "I think it was just a suggestion from someone, and we asked, and it worked out. So, we were really pleased with that. We had a lot of fun with him in the session when we recorded all the lines. And so far, people have only heard one, so there's plenty more to come, and yeah, we're really delighted with how that worked out." And how is the rest of the cast shaping up? Are there any other familiar voices? "I'm not sure if they're familiar voices," Ellison admitted. "There'd be some people you recognise. There's a couple of things that we haven't announced yet, so I can think of a couple that are quite interesting, and a couple of surprises, but I'm not going to reveal too much yet. "I will say, on the subject, we have said that Shai Matheson is going to be our Batman in this game. And he's done a really great job of portraying Batman in a way that really suits this game. "So, as you play through the game, Batman starts off young, and as he goes through the story, time passes and he sort of evolves and sounds more mature as he goes through the game. So, that's something that his performance has been able to bring to this, and [that] is unique to this game." For a game that clearly has no shortage of influences to nod and wink towards, that unique idea of an ageing Batman could be the most intriguing element. We’re certainly looking forward to playing more and seeing how Ellison's team have managed to weave all this lore into one experience. Watch this space, Bat-fans! LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight launches 29th May for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, with a Switch 2 launch to follow. You can order your copy now. Read more on upcoming games: Why High on Life 2 added skateboarding, explained Scott Pilgrim EX creators "wouldn't call it a traditional beat 'em up" Directive 8020 boss promises "a huge leap forward for the series" Resident Evil Requiem preview: Remixing the greatest hits Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Felicia Day reveals The Guild movie update, as musical version lands in London
"Next year is the 20th anniversary of The Guild."
Felicia Day’s iconic web series The Guild is transferring to the London stage for one week only, having been transformed into a musical! And beyond that, Day is planning a Guild movie. In our latest Arcade Hang interview, we got the chance to ask Day how exactly The Guild's unlikely transition into musical theatre happened, as well as hearing from her co-star in the musical, Anjali Bhimani. “The Guild: The Musical is so exciting,” Day told us in the interview, which you can watch right now in the video player above (or over on YouTube). Day continued: “I'm just like a girl who works on my instinct, and about six years ago, two playwrights who were in a playwriting workshop were like, 'Hey, we wrote a song for The Guild as part of our workshop. Can we option it?' “And I was like, 'Let me listen to the song.’ Because I grew up on musicals. I was home-schooled, and the reason I'm an actor is because I did musicals across the Southeast, as like, Orphan Number Seven. So I was excited about it, and I loved their song, and I was like, 'Okay, let's do it'. “So I let them option it, and of course, I get sucked in more and more, and I become a producer, and I work with them. They're scrappy, New York actors, and they're so good, and it's taken so long. We did a reading in LA and I was able to get Dean Johnson, this amazing, very established London director on board and now we're doing it.” At the time of writing, there are only a few tickets left for The Guild: The Musical’s week of London shows, and you can find them on The Other Palace website right now. It’s running from Tuesday until Thursday this week, in a work in progress state. View oEmbed on the source website Explaining where The Guild musical fits in the series, Day explained: “The musical kind of takes a lot from the first and second seasons, and exorcises some things that I'm like, ‘Whoa.’ “When I watch my first work, I'm like, ‘That is not a joke I would tell now, thank you very much’. There are some dated things about it. And it's nice to be able to have that sort of edit, and also maturity, and also have somebody else take the reins. Looking back on the origins of the web series, Day said: “ The roots of The Guild are that I wanted to show mainstream people… like, I love creating bridges for things, you know? “The Guild was showing the world that, as a female, I can play a game, and this is the reality of gaming, and not the cliche of gaming that every time up until then, even now… I'm sure all of us have watched gaming shows. Again, it just reinforces the stereotype. “That may not be reality to me. Reality to me is The Guild. We are all from different backgrounds, different ages, different sensibilities, and yet this thing brings us together.” And what’s it like, after all these years, for Day to step back into the role of Codex (aka Cyd) and revisit that era of her life? “ I had a terrible anxiety disorder," Day recalled, “which actually caused me to do The Guild. You know, I was a very semi-successful actor in that I would go and I'd test for so many TV series". “I would be second choice, always, and I would choke. People would want me to go, but my anxiety disorder, which was undiagnosed at the time, was so all encompassing that I would choke every time. “But it's been an amazing process to learn about myself, to be gentler, and I think my anxiety disorder disorder did get me so far, because The Guild was made with nothing. “I did the website, we did a PayPal button on the website, that I made, to actually fund the second season. It was before Kickstarter was invented. “There were no resources for creators back then. I would have to be like, ‘I wanna do this’, and we'd have to somehow source it and it would be janky and we'd have to do so much work.” Day added: “My philosophy is like, I'm just trying to enjoy myself, and Codex is a great character and just like slipping into her is like slipping into an old skin of somebody who needed a lot of help. “But that's kind of what the show is about. About somebody who's in a bad place. Who needs to build functional relationships around her. And through her online world, she's able to do that.” “What really drives the story is the connection between all of the characters and how they are using games, not to disconnect, but to connect,” Day continued. “And I think that's something that a lot of people, particularly older generations, don't necessarily understand. It is a real boon that we have, in the gaming community, is that people actually get to connect and become more human because they get a chance to connect with other humans.” And with this run of London shows only lasting a brief week, what’s next after this? As Day told us: “ Next year is the 20th anniversary of The Guild, which is insane, so the aim was always… two years ago, I was like, ‘Well, for the 20th anniversary I want the movie to be out, the reunion movie, and I want this play to be staged’. “And so we're doing a crowdfunding this summer for the movie. It's already written. I'm already planning. And I'm hoping that we get to fundraise and get to do the movie and have the play out there at the same time.” As we hear more about that movie, we’ll be sure to let you know! And if you’re free this week, head over to The Other Palace website to grab your tickets for The Guild: The Musical. See more Arcade Hang interviews on YouTube: Devora Wilde talks Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 future Neil Newbon talks Dungeons & Dragons & Dramas Karlach actor Samantha Béart talks Baldur's Gate 3 and more House of the Dragon star Abubakar Salim chats Dead Take Glenn Moore, Sarah Keyworth and Pierre Novellie talk Button Boys podcast Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Fallout season 2 ending explained: Unpacking the spoilers and what's next
Another season of Fallout has reached its conclusion and while we wait for Amazon's post-apocalyptic drama to return, there are plenty of questions to ponder. While the final episodes tied up some loose ends, plenty more unravelled to leave viewers wondering what could be to come in season 3. Lucy and Maximus remain in Las Vegas, with uncertainty surrounding which other characters are still on the table and what their true intentions could hold. Meanwhile, the closing moments of season 2 saw the Ghoul once again wandering off into the desolate distance, but where could he be heading? We'll try to answer that and some of the other key questions around the Fallout season 2 finale, and what it could mean for the already-confirmed Fallout season 3. Fallout season 2 ending explained: All the key questions Where is the Ghoul going? We would wager that the Ghoul, AKA Cooper Howard, is heading to Colorado. Sadly, when Coop finally reached the special vault where key Vault-Tec management were being held, he discovered that Barbara and Janey’s cryogenic chambers were empty. However, upon closer inspection of Barbara’s chamber, he found a Colorado postcard. Written on the back were a few key words: "Colorado was a good idea." If Colorado sounds familiar, that’s because Cooper suggested it as a good destination for him and the family in an earlier flashback. After delivering the Cold Fusion diode to the President, Cooper mentioned Colorado to Barbara over a glass of bubbly to celebrate a job well done. Jumping forward to the present, Barbara seems to be telling Cooper (now the Ghoul) that he was onto something with that one. So, he’s probably heading to Colorado next to see if he can find her there. Also, you might have noticed that a line of text in the credits said: "Take your family to the Rockies!" That also seems to suggest that Colorado will be the destination for season 3, which necessitates another lengthy road trip for the Ghoul. Interestingly, in the game Fallout Tactics, Colorado plays host to Vault Zero, where a supercomputer called The Calculator can be found. This computer’s primary function was to spearhead humanity’s return to the surface after the nuclear war. That could be relevant next season, or it could be totally unrelated. Either way, it’ll probably take the Ghoul a while to get there! What next for Hank and his R&D project? Meanwhile, Lucy’s dad Hank has been hit by some classic hubris: after trying to brainwash Lucy using his miniaturised behaviour-altering device, he’s ended up being brainwashed himself instead. Does this mean that Hank is effectively dead? We don’t think so, because we’ve already seen in previous episodes that this particular brain-washing tech can be reversed. With that in mind, there’s every chance he could return (and continue to disappoint Lucy). A more interesting question is this – what did Hank mean when he said his R&D (research and development) is already making its way across the wasteland? It sounds to us like Hank has brainwashed other people and sent them to do his bidding, which could mean almost anything. Does it pertain to that mysterious group that keeps being mentioned? Speaking of which… View Green Video on the source website What exactly is the Enclave? Mentioned numerous times in this finale, the Enclave is generally perceived as a villainous force in the Fallout franchise, and its members claim to be a direct continuation of the United States government. That claim seems to be believed by Robert House, who tells the Ghoul in this very episode that, in giving the Cold Fusion diode to the President in his flashback storyline, he essentially gave it to the Enclave. TV fans with good memories will remember that, back in season 1, scientist Siggi Wilzig defected from the Enclave with the Cold Fusion technology injected into his own skull. Later, his disembodied head was effectively used as the McGuffin for season 1, with various characters lugging it around at different points. In this season 2 finale, we had it pretty much confirmed that Hank (Lucy’s dad) and Stephanie (Hank’s pre-war wife) are both members of this dark shadow government, and they have been since before the bombs dropped. Robert House sees the Enclave as his “unseen adversaries”, who were always one step ahead of him, and he suggests they are also behind the “demon in the snow” Deathclaw that Cooper Howard witnessed way back in his war days (long before the bombs dropped). House also seems to imply that the Enclave are Vault-Tec’s investors. We’ve seen, in season 2’s flashbacks, scientist Siggi Wilzig threatening Barbara (Cooper’s wife) and telling her to suggest (in the season 1 boardroom scene) that Vault-Tec would be willing to drop the bombs. Exactly how involved the Enclave has been in the key events of the Fallout timeline remains to be seen, but we’d say there is a strong chance that they were the brains behind the bombs being dropped (both the original 2077 bombs and the more recent Shady Sands bombs, which Hank himself saw to). Another line from Hank could be seen to imply that the Enclave has been behind everything, engineering not just the experiments in the vaults but the status of the Wasteland as well. Is Robert House still on the table? Early in this finale, Robert House seems to confirm that he mainly exists now as a voice in a computer, noting that his physical body became a target for "wandering travellers” with something to prove. (Note how this still avoids confirming a New Vegas canon ending!) House mentions that he was poisoned, shot and bludgeoned, which certainly sounds like a lot for anyone to survive. That being said, we never see a body, which does leave a surprise resurrection within the realms of possibility going forward. Later in the episode, seemingly unmoved by House’s wittering on about the Enclave, the Ghoul removes House’s Pip-Boy and leaves the digital avatar of House in the management vault. When Lucy and Maximus reach House’s main base of operations, the Ghoul is long gone, and the screen where House was previously seen simply says ‘Signal Lost’. However, as our heroes look out of the window and talk about the war coming to town, House’s face briefly flickers back onto the screen. We doubt we’ve seen the last of him, then! What does Phase 2 entail? Meanwhile, back at the Vault, Stephanie has been outed as a 200-year-old Canadian. As the residents of the Vault bang on her door and chant ‘death to management’, Stephanie pulls out a special Pip-Boy that connects her to the Enclave. She tells the Enclave to “initiate phase two”, and in a brief glimpse of a snowy base (that we presume is where the Enclave operates), we see that the request to start phase two has been received. When we glimpse that base, we also hear archive dialogue from Hank, and Lucy’s brother Norm. Clearly, House isn’t lying when he says the Enclave is always listening. Exactly what phase two comprises remains to be seen. Could it be linked to Hank’s R&D? Could it wipe out whoever is left in the Vault? Only time will tell, but it’s unlikely to be something that Lucy is a fan of. Who has Cold Fusion? The Cold Fusion diode, the key to unlimited clean energy, was last seen in House’s HQ. However, when Lucy and Maximus get there, the secret compartment behind the book case — where the diode was housed — is fully closed up. If the digital version of House does return properly to his big TV, what will he do with this technology? Will he try to manipulate Lucy and Maximus into using it? Could he use it somehow to bring his mortal body back from the dead? That’s one theory. Could he return as a head on a table, like that poor politician who begged for death in this episode? Let’s wait and see. What about the Forced Evolutionary Virus? Of all the characters in this show who are having a horrible time, few have been through the wringer quite as badly as Norm. Ever since he found out about the Forced Evolutionary Virus, he’s been very distracted by violent managers and Radroaches. Any information he could’ve gleaned from that computer seems to have been lost for now. Could this virus have something to do with the Super Mutants (let’s not forget that the Ghoul met one) and/or the Deathclaws (which have existed for longer than originally expected)? Hopefully we’ll find out next season. View Green Video on the source website What next for New Vegas? As the Ghoul heads out towards (probably) Colorado, what does the future hold for New Vegas? As Lucy said, it looks like war is inevitable. With the New California Republic returning in surprising numbers (and was their sniper anyone important?), the reinvigorated Caesar’s Legion will have a fight on their hands for control of the city. Will Lucy and Maximus stick around to see this or, just as Maximus ran away from the Brotherhood of Steel’s civil war, will the duo take this opportunity to run for the hills? And will Robert House play a role in deciding the outcome? Indeed, we have more questions than answers as Fallout season 2 ends. All we really know is that the Ghoul is leaving New Vegas, Lucy and Maximus are witnessing a war about to start, Robert House is flickering on a screen, and the shadowy Enclave is initiating phase two – whatever that means! Read more: Fallout games in order: What's the best way to play Fallout? Fallout franchise confirmed to be getting reality series from the makers of The Traitors Fallout is available to stream on Prime Video. Check out more of our Sci-fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast. Add Fallout to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.
Baldur's Gate TV series in the works from The Last of Us showrunner – with one major twist
The video game Baldur’s Gate 3, a beloved 2023 role-playing experience set in the world of Dungeons & Dragons, is officially being adapted for TV. But there is a major twist to this tale! The basics of this news, as broken by Deadline, are fairly simple: Craig Mazin, who is currently making the third and final season of HBO’s The Last of Us, has landed the job of bringing BG3 to TV as his next gig at the same network. “After putting nearly 1,000 hours into the incredible world of Baldur’s Gate 3, it is a dream come true to be able to continue the story that Larian and Wizards of The Coast created,” Mazin is quoted as saying. He added: “I am a devoted fan of D&D and the brilliant way that [game director] Swen Vincke and his gifted team adapted it.” So far, this news is playing out exactly as you’d expect - an established TV showrunner, fresh off the back of one huge gaming adaptation, is lining up another game he loves for similar treatment. However, things get slightly more surprising when you dig into the details of what this TV series really is – instead of being a straight adaptation of Baldur’s Gate 3, the TV show is actually set after the events of the game. As Deadline explains it, “the Baldur’s Gate TV series will be a continuation to the games, telling a story that takes place immediately after the events of Baldur’s Gate 3, as the characters – old and new – are dealing with the ramifications of the events in the third game”. The mention of “old” characters is sure to get the fandom excited, given that BG3 cast members like Neil Newbon (Astarion), Devora Wilde (Lae’zel), Jennifer English (Shadowheart) and Samantha Béart (Karlach) have become beloved figures in the community in the years since the game launched. View Green Video on the source website Exactly how will this mix of “old and new” characters work? As Deadline puts it, the TV show “is expected to keep the D&D tradition of taking new characters who are not that powerful and follow their journey through adventures that make them powerful”. And will the voice cast from the games actually appear in the show themselves? It sounds like a distinct possibility! Deadline notes that Mazin “plans to reach out to voice cast members of Baldur’s Gate 3 with ideas for them to participate in the TV adaptation, if possible”. We could, for example, feasibly hope to see a live-action Astarion played by Newbon himself. Our fingers, as well as all the fans’, remain crossed on that front! As we hear more about the Baldur’s Gate 3 TV show, which we’d assume to be several years away from our screens, we’ll be sure to keep you posted. In the meantime, you can check out our video interviews with the game cast below! View oEmbed on the source website Find full episodes of Arcade Hang on YouTube: Devora Wilde talks Baldur's Gate 3, 4 and prequel hopes Neil Newbon talks reprising Astarion, and his D&D podcast Karlach actor Samantha Béart talks Baldur's Gate 3 and more Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's Devora Wilde talks "unbelievable" success, and her hopes for Clea's future
"We want more, we want more. Is there gonna be more?"
Any actor would be thrilled to be involved in a project that sweeps up every award going. To have two such projects in quick succession? Few have managed it, but Devora Wilde can count herself among that hallowed number to achieve a double tap of the Midas touch. Wilde won legions of fans for her spiky turn as Lae’zel in 2023’s Baldur’s Gate 3, and she impressed players again as the enigmatic Clea in 2025’s Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Both games won pretty much every Game of the Year award going. So, how did that amazing double bill come about? “Completely by chance, to be honest,” Wilde told Radio Times Gaming in our latest Arcade Hang interview. You can watch the full video in the player above, or on our YouTube channel, or read on for some choice quotes! Wilde continued: “I think people assume that, because of the way it's happened, like one after the other, we are… well, first of all, people assume that we are just offered roles left, right, and centre, which is not the case. “As far as I know, or at least I'm gonna speak for me, I audition for everything. It's still very much the normal structure. You get an audition through your agent, you audition, and then you are told yes or no. And a lot of the time they are blind auditions.” “So, Clair Obscur was a blind audition. They didn't know it was me. And it just so happened that it came exactly after Baldur’s Gate 3, and here we are.” Wilde added: “I had no information going into it. Just the code name, a very rough outline of the story, and then my lines and obviously character description. "Then once I got the role, they sent me a lot of information about the story, which obviously I needed, because I think my part is quite a big moment in the game and, and a big reveal, a different part of the story, let's say.” View oEmbed on the source website Wilde is keen to protect prospective players from spoilers, so we don’t dwell too much on her scenes. Instead, talk turns to the amazing awards run that the game, and its lead actor Jennifer English, has been enjoying of late. “It's unbelievable,” Wilde said. “And to see, like, your friends... to see Jennifer English. Jennifer English! “I mean, I expected it. I don't wanna say that, but like, I did expect it. And you don't wanna jinx it, but to see it actually happening in real time and then to see her go up and collect the award, and to see her making these speeches, and you're just like, 'What is... what is reality? Are we in the real world right now?' “And I guess to her, probably, it feels even more surreal. It's just been amazing, going on this amazing journey with your friends. That's what it feels like. I think we've been very lucky as a cast that we are very close and that we travel to a lot of these events together and these conventions. “And even though maybe we weren't really hanging out during the recording of the game, because we were separate and also COVID and all of that stuff, we got to kind of hang out after the game was done. So, you know, it's been very cool.” With the dust gradually settling on Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (although the BAFTA Games Awards in April will present another chance for glory), would Wilde like to play Clea again in a sequel? “I had a very short amount of time with Clea,” she says. “And again, seeing people's reactions to her, I mean really all the comments are like, 'We want more, we want more. Is there gonna be more? Are you doing more?' “And I'm like, ‘Not at the moment.’ But, you know, if there ever was [a chance to reprise the role], I would absolutely love the opportunity. “I think she is such an interesting character. And what's even more interesting is, you just get a little taste of her, and then the game is kind of, you know, finished. “Wouldn't it be cool to see what she was doing while the game was going on, or a prequel, or a sequel, or something like that? Anything, I think, would be cool. “Because, unlike Lae'zel, I had a limited time with [Clea] and, you know, we always want more. Actors always want more, and I'm no different. So yeah, that would be very cool.” Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is out now on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. And while we wait for news on Sandfall Interactive’s next game, remember that you can watch the rest of this interview over on the Radio Times Gaming YouTube channel. See more Arcade Hang interviews on YouTube: Neil Newbon talks Dungeons & Dragons & Dramas Karlach actor Samantha Béart talks Baldur's Gate 3 and more House of the Dragon star Abubakar Salim talks Dead Take Glenn Moore, Sarah Keyworth and Pierre Novellie talk Button Boys podcast Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Directive 8020 boss promises "a huge leap forward for the series" with two major upgrades
"It's a big improvement on how scary the game is."
How does Directive 8020, the new sci-fi entry in Supermassive Games’s The Dark Pictures Anthology, change things up? That was the question on our mind when we sat down with its creative director, Will Doyle, at the Gamescom conference. On the Radio Times Gaming podcast this month, we’ve been previewing some of the big games of 2026 (the ones that aren’t GTA 6), which makes this the perfect time to drop our Directive 8020 interview in full. If podcasts aren’t your thing, you can also watch the interview in the player above (or over on the Radio Times Gaming YouTube channel). Or if the written word is your bag, keep reading for some choice quotes in article form! Directive 8020, if you’re unfamiliar, is the next horror in the anthology series The Dark Pictures. Lashana Lynch is the star this time, and the threat is a creepy alien species that can mimic its human victims (think Alien meets The Thing). As Will Doyle told us, there are two major additions for returning fans to look out for this time: the action overhaul of Real-Time Threats, and the choice-changing Turning Point system. In a hands-on demo of the game’s first chapter, we were able to try both of these out, and the Turning Point system made a particularly big impact. Imagine, if you can, a DVD menu where you can move back and forth from any moment and pick up there. Got it? Okay, you’re halfway to imagining this system that allows you to backtrack and alter your choices in the game without having to spam your saves or drag yourself back to the start of a chapter just to retake a Quick-Time Event that went wrong. So, what was thinking behind the Turning Point system? In Doyle’s words, "One of the many goals of it is to make the game more accessible for our fans, [allowing them] to get to the content they want to get to, as soon as possible. "We find that people play through the game once, and then, previously, they'd have to start from the beginning or go to a chapter and then play from that point on. Now, with the Turning Point system, you can get straight to the decision that you're wondering about. "Go right back to that exact moment or the branching Quick-Time event that created that, and just get right down in the moment." Doyle was quick to reassure their most hardcore players, however, adding "For our fans that do want to live and die by their decisions, and don't even wanna be tempted by the option to do it, there's Survival Mode which turns it off completely until you get to the end of the game." Continuing, he explained: "The system itself, though, is just fantastic. It just gives almost like a sort of a collector's aspect to it, as well, because the whole decision tree is shown to you as individual scenes or beats. And they fill in as you play through it. So, there's a kind of sticker book aspect to it as well, of like, 'I want to unlock absolutely everything.'" The other major upgrade for returning Dark Pictures fans is Real-Time Threats, with the developers adding free-roaming sequences where the central monster stalks you as you explore. Doyle told us, "It’s a huge leap forward for the series. For me, I always thought that in our previous games, when you enter what we call the discovery sections or the exploration sections, they're the times when you feel, in a way, the most tense. "But when you get to know the games, you're like, 'Actually, they're the times where you're almost the most safe'. It's during the kind of narrative cut scene moments that you're most at risk for a bad choice or a Quick-Time Event. Whereas there's almost an expectation that when you're walking around, you're in danger. "Something could be out there. So I really, really wanted to get that feeling of… I could turn a corner and see a monster. And that monster could see me, or it could hear me, hunt me down. So yeah, it's a big improvement on how scary the game is. "Like, there's something special and magic about holding onto the controller and knowing that this character's life is literally in your hands now." View Green Video on the source website Touching on the overarching aims of the game, Doyle added, "When you make a decision, one of our goals is — and it's a rather sick goal — but our goal is, whenever you make a choice, you should feel a sense of loss. "You should feel that. Did I make the right choice? Was that right? And yeah, now you can quite quickly go back and see, 'What would happen if I did that?' "And you'll see the branching that we put in. You'll see that your choices really do matter in these games." Unsurprisingly, after an hour or so playing the game, we had already killed some characters and were itching to go back in time and try to save them. We’ll just have to wait until the game comes out to see all the outcomes, though. Until then, you can check out the rest of this interview on our podcast feed! Directive 8020 is expected to launch in the first half of 2026 for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. You can wishlist the game now. Read more on upcoming games: Resident Evil Requiem preview: Remixing the greatest hits Why High on Life 2 added skateboarding, explained by the developer Scott Pilgrim EX creators "wouldn't call it a traditional beat 'em up" – Here's why Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Jade from The Traitors reveals which video games she played to prepare – and it’s not the one you’d expect
Jade Scott made it to the final of The Traitors season 4, and she made no secret of her video game experience in the show’s candid pieces to camera. So, here at Radio Times Gaming, we couldn’t resist the opportunity to get on the phone with Jade and find out which games she played in preparation. Surprisingly, Jade didn’t name Among Us — for many, the definitive game like The Traitors — on her list of favourites, noting that she finds it “a bit childish”. What did she play, then? As Jade told us: “I was playing a lot of social deception games. So I played a lot of Project Winter, [which is] a bit different.” Project Winter, if you were wondering, is an 8-player survival game where players have to handle traitorous social situations as well as the deadly weather. Jade continued: “I've never really played Among Us. I just find it a bit childish. That said, I was playing a lot of Dale & Dawson, which was so unserious.” Dale & Dawson: Stationary Supplies can support anywhere from four to 21 players, and it tasks managers and specialists with spotting the slackers in their workforce (and firing them). And did Jade find that her gaming experience really helped in the castle? In Jade’s words: “I think gaming, there's a level of communication needed, especially in teamwork games, right? And you're always talking, whether to your friends, or you are always speaking to teammates that you get allocated with. “I think that helped a lot, especially when I was speaking at the roundtables. Like, I didn't quite realise... it's one thing to speak and it's another thing to watch yourself back when you speak, so that was actually really, really nice to see. “And also, I managed to hit one of the vases with the rocks, so I think that was where my hand eye coordination came in.” Since returning from The Traitors castle, however, Jade’s gaming habits have changed a little. As she puts it: "After coming back, I was kind of like, 'I need a break from social deception games'. So, at the moment, I'm really into my indie games. “I just finished Outer Wilds, so I'm enjoying big story puzzle games. I like Chants of Sennaar, as well.” Outer Wilds is a sci-fi game with a time loop, where the player must solve a mystery in between frequent deaths. Chants of Sennaar, meanwhile, is all about language, with the player tasked with piecing together a linguistic puzzle. So, there you have it, a bunch of video game recommendations from Jade herself! And if they can help her get to The Traitors final, perhaps you should give them a go too? Read more: The Traitors finalist reveals what shocked her most about 2026 series - and what her strategy was all along Add The Traitors to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Resident Evil Requiem preview: Remixing the greatest hits
Did you enjoy piecing together a whole police station's worth of puzzles in Resident Evil 2? Did you enjoy the unsettling shift to first-person in Resident Evil 7? Did you enjoy Leon’s big kicks in Resident Evil 4? Did you enjoy being chased by a giant creature in Resident Evil 8? Did you enjoy protecting a weaker ally as you made your way through hordes of enemies in Resi 4? Did you enjoy seeing a tall woman in a white dress in Resi 8? If you answered ‘yes’ to any of those questions — or all of those questions — boy does Resident Evil Requiem have something in store that will play to your tastes! In fact, the game is starting to feel like a greatest hits album that’s determined to replay your favourite bits from the last few entries in the franchise. Indeed, RE9 has no shortage of baggage, and it’s got no problem with letting you rummage through said baggage and pull out whatever you like. At a preview event for the game, I got to spend three hours playing it, and by the end, my right arm was sore from all the [insert meme here of Leonardo DiCaprio pointing at the TV because he spotted something he recognised]. You can hear my thoughts on the Radio Times Gaming podcast feed or YouTube channel, or keep scrolling for the written version! Our demo began with Leon S Kennedy, the beloved backflipping hero of Resi 2 and 4, arriving at a medical facility. Of course, it didn’t take long for the alarms to go off and for zombies to burst in. We soon got to see how action-oriented Leon’s chunk of the game will be, with the combat’s over-the-top nature even going so far as to let Leon parry a chainsaw attack with a small knife. Yep, you read that right — there are zombies wielding chainsaws in this game! And in a neat bit of coding, if one zombie drops the chainsaw, someone else can pick it up (either Leon himself or another enemy). All of this was feeling very RE4, which made for a jarring change when Leon’s segment ended and the player’s viewpoint switched to Grace (the other major playable character that we saw in this demo). As Capcom’s PR person explained, Leon’s sections are designed to be played in third-person, while Grace’s are made with first-person in mind. You can switch perspective if you wish, and you’ll see some extra animations if you do play the whole thing in third-person, but we opted to stick to the script and play Grace’s bits in first-person. The transition from Leon to Grace was handled in a cut-scene, and it wasn’t possible to swap back once that hand-off had taken place. (So if you were expecting to swap between characters at your will, think again! This seemed to be a very 'one character per chapter' situation). In Grace’s section of the demo, she was alone in the medical facility. She has one small gun, but much less ammo and fewer skills than Leon. Unluckily for her, there are plenty of zombies loitering about. In classic RE2 police station fashion, Grace will have to use her wits — and your hopefully-endless supplies of patience — to explore the facility, find clues, solve puzzles, and gradually work out how to escape. There were two security doors to open, three wristbands to locate (each with a different level of access assigned to it), a number of blocked doors to reckon with, a selection of symbol-based puzzles to unravel, and ultimately three glass quartz to find. These quartz, at long last, would open the last door and let the story switch back to Leon. Although this Grace segment did feel very familiar, it did also pack some surprises. For one thing, a number of the zombies in this segment seem to be stuck in little loops of human behaviour. For example, a zombie might be obsessed with turning the lights off, meaning you can lure him into a specific spot if you flick a light switch. View oEmbed on the source website This sort of trickery makes up for the fact that Grace’s sections are very light on ammo. One important tip is that the giant baby, glimpsed in a recent RE showcase, cannot fit through normal-sized doors. So, if you think carefully, you can lure the baby away from the path you’re trying to follow at any given point. Another fun addition in Grace’s gameplay is the fact that she can — checks notes — collect blood from fallen zombies and use it to craft items. This is a bit of an arduous process, which will see you sticking a device into zombie corpses, putting crafting recipes in a 3D printer, and ultimately putting the pieces together to make ammo and other helpful gubbins. If Leon’s gameplay is all about swashbuckling action, Grace’s is all about using your brain to solve the overarching puzzles. Often, solving one thing will have a knock-on effect on something else, and once you’re rolling in the right direction, it can feel very satisfying. (There may well be frustrating sections along the way, though, especially if you get the wrong end of the stick and can’t find your path to progression.) Eventually, we were switched back to Leon, and the difference was again quite jarring. We were thrust into a boss battle and found grenades, shotgun ammo and lots of other things that would’ve been quite helpful five minutes ago when Grace was running for her life. One thing that did get on my nerves was this: in an odd piece of game design, during Grace’s segments, she comes across a number of warped wardrobes that she simply can’t open; when Leon visits the same locations later, he can use an axe to open these wardrobes and plunder the powerful weaponry and heavy ammo within. This makes it feel a little like Grace is being shortchanged, and players are being forced to play differently with each character (rather than having our own agency to approach things in our own way). Despite that little qualm, however, I had fun in these three hours with Resident Evil Requiem. It does feel like the game is trying to do a lot, attempting to appeal to all sorts of different players at the same time, and for the most part it all hangs together, despite some jarring transitions here and there. Certainly, we’ve seen enough to be very hyped for Resident Evil Requiem's full launch… well, except for the fact we’ll have to face the giant baby again. Resident Evil Requiem launches 27th February for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch 2. You can order your copy now. Read more on upcoming games: Romeo is a Dead Man preview: Brilliantly baffling James Bond: 007 First Light is "like a hand fitting into a glove" Why High on Life 2 added skateboarding, explained by the developer Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Scott Pilgrim EX creators "wouldn't call it a traditional beat 'em up" – Here's why
Bryan Lee O’Malley returns for a new story.
Scott Pilgrim EX might be a successor to a 2010 beat ‘em up (Scott Pilgrim vs the World: The Game), but its developers wouldn’t call this new release a “traditional” entry in that genre. On the Radio Times Gaming podcast this week, as we continue to preview the big games of 2026, we’ve shared our exclusive interview with Scott Pilgrim EX community manager Ziva Reby. During the chat, which you can also enjoy as a video (see the player above or the Radio Times Gaming YouTube channel), Reby explains why EX isn’t “a traditional beat 'em up”. Before we got onto that, Reby revealed that Bryan Lee O’Malley — Scott Pilgrim’s comic book creator — has been very hands-on with this project. “ Bryan has been involved in the process since the beginning,” Reby told us at the Gamescom conference last summer. “I think he wanted to be more involved in this game. So, he works with our narrative designer, Yannick [Belzil], to craft a brand new story.” As for what that story will entail, Reby teased: “Yannick and Brian work together to create this new version of Scott, Metal Scott. The origin [of whom] will have to be discovered as you play the game. “Of course, Scott is super enthused to have kind of a video game version of himself. Ramona's a little less enthused by the idea, 'cause of course, Metal Scott has kidnapped all the members of the Sex Bob-Ombs as well as their instruments. And they have a show tonight.” As we saw when we demoed the game, it doesn't strictly stick to the rules of the beat ‘em genre, which seems fitting for a counter-culture icon like Scott Pilgrim. In fact, at times it feels more like a role-playing game. Reby explained, “So, we can't call it an RPG, but I wouldn't call it just a traditional beat 'em up in the style that people know from our company here at Tribute Games. “There's elements of RPG, like shopkeeping, where you can upgrade certain stats. You can buy badges, accessories, to give yourself different abilities. You can really build a build that is unique to you. “Each character has their own really unique abilities. Uh, you have Lucas Lee who will have a bit more of a brawler style. You've got Roxy, who has a bit more of like that ninja style with her katana. She's got different moves that she can pull from there. “And then your ability, you're really able to build something more brawly, more agile, more health-pool based if you're someone who likes to take a lot of hits. So you have that kind of RPG aspect." Reby continued: “There's quest progression. There's some light backtracking, so you have a map that you can explore. There's nothing forcing you to consistently go to the right. “You don't have to clear enemies, waves of enemies, to be able to move on. So, we've kind of pulled away slightly from the traditional beat 'em up, while marrying the two, to still make it something that people who like beat 'em ups can enjoy.” So, how does this mash-up feel to play? We certainly had a good time with it. You'll be able to decide for yourself when Scott Pilgrim EX launches, later in 2026, for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox and Nintendo Switch. In the meantime, you can check out the rest of the interview below, where we also touch on musical maestro Anamanaguchi’s return! View oEmbed on the source website Discover more of our podcast interviews: How James Bond: 007 First Light is "like a hand fitting into a glove" Why High on Life 2 added skateboarding, explained by the developer Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Baldur's Gate 3 star Devora Wilde pitches her Lae'zel return idea: "That might be quite cool"
What does the future, or the past, hold for Lae’zel?
Devora Wilde, who played Lae’zel in the beloved Baldur’s Gate 3, has been chatting to us about potentially revisiting her iconic Githyanki character. Wilde is the latest guest in our Arcade Hang interview series, and you can watch our BG3 chat in the player above (or over on the Radio Times Gaming YouTube channel). Of course, despite the fact that Dungeons & Dragons mainly takes place in a vaguely historical setting, it didn’t take long for talk to turn to the future. And given that Wilde is constantly told that she looks like Lae’zel (much to the actor’s chagrin), surely that puts her in good stead for the live-action BG3 adaptation that fans keep asking for? Wilde answered with a laugh, “When is that happening? Yeah, I'd love that. That would be amazing. Yeah, it would put me in good stead. I guess I'd have to have some prosthetics, but I'm fine with that.” She could have whatever treatment Walton Goggins gets to remove his nose in Fallout? “Yeah, absolutely,” Wilde concurred. “I think they could do it.” And then, she added, looking right down the lens of the camera: “Do it. Do it, please. “Yeah, that would be amazing. That would be taking the dream to another level.” Thinking of games rather than live-action adaptations, it’s worth noting that Dungeons & Dragons rights-holders Wizards of the Coast have said they are definitely going to do another Baldur's Gate. Someday, somehow. As Wilde told us: “It could be many years [away], though, couldn't it? Because if you think about how huge Baldur's Gate was.” She did concede, though, that “It's exciting” as a prospect. And given how many endings Lae’zel survives in, she seems to be in a strong position to return for a sequel. “Yeah. I think I'm fine,” Wilde said. “I'd be just happy to be involved. “It'd be weird to play Lae'zel again in any capacity, though. I suppose there would be that extra expectation of, like, people now know and love the game and the characters.” In fact, Wilde has one other suggestion up her sleeve: “I think it'd be fun to see what Lae'zel did before Baldur's Gate 3. The prequel. “It's alluded to, but she's really the only quote-unquote ‘alien’ that's kind of thrown into this completely different planet, really, than the one she lives on. So I think that might be quite cool.” Given the huge critical, commercial and awards season success of Baldur’s Gate 3, we reckon that Wilde isn’t the only one who’d think that idea is cool. We’ll be sure to keep you posted if we hear anything about the future of Baldur’s Gate. Until then, check out the rest of this interview, where we also talk about how Wilde’s BG3 script was arguably the hardest one of the lot! View oEmbed on the source website See more Arcade Hang interviews on YouTube: Neil Newbon talks Dungeons & Dragons & Dramas Karlach actor Samantha Béart talks Baldur's Gate 3 and more House of the Dragon star Abubakar Salim talks Dead Take Glenn Moore, Sarah Keyworth and Pierre Novellie talk Button Boys podcast Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
When is FC 26 TOTY? Release date and TOTY squads
Voting for FC 26 TOTY has been open for a week now, and the first squad has just dropped! This promo lets fans choose the best players from over the past year, with the very best receiving huge upgrades in the form of TOTY cards. The votes are in and the two TOTY squads have been confirmed – here's what you need to know about the full squads and when they'll be released in packs. When will FC 26 TOTY be released? Our speculation We expect that FC 26 TOTY cards will start being released on or around Friday 16th January 2026. Again, we’ve based this prediction on last year’s drop, which saw the first set of cards (attackers) being released first, before the rest of the cards came out. We would expect to see a number of different drops, with different positions coming in staggered drops every few days. Here's what we think the full TOTY release schedule could look like, based on last year's promo: TOTY Attackers - 16th January TOTY Midfielders - 18th January TOTY Defenders - 20th January All TOTY players available in packs - 22nd January TOTY 12th Man/Woman - 23rd January As for UK launch times, it tends to be 6pm GMT on Fridays for FC drops. Of course, EA could buck tradition at any point, but we’d be surprised to see that happen with such a reliable promo as this. FC 26 Men's TOTY squad GK - Gianluigi Donnarumma: Manchester City | Italy | 95 OVR LB - Nuno Mendes: Paris Saint-Germain | Portugal | 97 OVR CB - William Saliba: Arsenal | France | 94 OVR CB - Virgil van Dijk: Liverpool | Netherlands | 95 OVR RB - Jules Koundé: Barcelona | France | 94 OVR CM - Pedri: Barcelona | Spain | 95 OVR CM - Declan Rice: Arsenal | England | 94 OVR CM - Vitinha: Paris Saint-Germain | Portugal | 95 OVR ST - Ousmane Dembélé: Paris Saint-Germain | France | 97 OVR ST - Kylian Mbappé: Real Madrid | France | 96 OVR ST - Erling Haaland: Manchester City | Norway | 96 OVR FC 26 Women's TOTY squad GK - Christiane Endler: Lyonnes | Chile | 94 OVR LB - Selma Bacha: Lyonnes | France | 94 CB - Millie Bright: Chelsea | England | 94 OVR CB - Leah Williamson: Arsenal | England | 95 OVR RB - Lucy Bronze: Chelsea | England | 95 OVR CM - Mariona Caldentey: Arsenal | Spain | 96 OVR CM - Aitana Bonmatí: Barcelona | Spain | 97 OVR CM - Alexia Putellas: Barcelona | Spain | 95 OVR ST - Claudia Pina: Barcelona | Spain | 95 OVR ST - Ewa Pajor: Barcelona | Poland | 96 OVR ST - Alessia Russo: Arsenal | England | 97 OVR FC 26 TOTY voting and nominees Voting for FC 26 TOTY began on 7th January 2026. As ever, the nominees are split between men's and women's teams, and by positions. Here is the full list of FC 26 TOTY nominees: Men's TOTY nominees Goalkeeper Alisson Thibaut Courtois David Raya Gianluigi Donnarumma Manuel Neuer Jan Oblak Mile Svilar Defenders Alessandro Bastoni Denzel Dumfries Gabriel Marc Guéhi Dean Huijsen Jules Koundé Marc Cucurella Marcos Llorente Marquinhos Maximilian Mittelstädt Nuno Mendes Willian Pacho Andre Rațiu David Raum Amir Rrahmani William Saliba Nico Schlotterbeck Jonathan Tah Micky van de Ven Virgil van Dijk Midfielders Maghnes Akliouche Salem Al Dawsari Nicolò Barella Jude Bellingham Bruno Guimarães Moisés Caicedo Frenkie de Jong Luis Díaz Ritsu Doan Evander Ryan Gravenberch Grimaldo Pierre-Emile Højbjerg João Neves Joshua Kimmich Lamine Yamal Riyad Mahrez Scott McTominay Jamal Musiala Nico Paz Nico Williams Felix Nmecha Michael Elise Riccardo Orsolini Cole Palmer Pedro Raphinha Declan Rice Mohamed Salah Angelo Stiller Corentin Tolisso Federico Valverde Vitinha Kenan Yıldız André-Frank Zambo Anguissa Attackers Julián Alvarez Antony Ayoze Bradley Barcola Karim Benzema Cristiano Ronaldo Ousmane Dembélé Désiré Doué Anders Dreyer Emanuel Emegha Serhou Guirassy Viktor Gyökeres Erling Haaland Harry Kane Moise Kean Khvicha Kvaratskhelia Robert Lewandowski Romelu Lukaku Lautaro Martínez Jean-Philippe Mateta Kylian Mbappé Bryan Mbeumo Lionel Messi Christian Pulisic Patrik Schick Heung-min Son Vini Jr. Women's TOTY nominees Goalkeepers Christiane Endler Hannah Hampton Lorena Chiamaka Nnadozie Constance Picaud Defenders Selma Bacha Millie Bright Lucy Bronze Ellie Carpenter Emily Fox Vanessa Giles Giulia Gwinn Lauren Katie McCabe Tara McKeown Nerea Nevado Olga Carmona Wendie Renard Izzy Rodriguez Kayla Sharples Leah Williamson Midfielders Aitana Bonmatí Alexia Putellas Bernadette Amani Sandy Baltimore Klara Bühl Delphine Cascarino Sam Coffey Erin Cuthbert Kenza Dali Fiamma Benítez Taylor Flint Laura Freigang Vanessa Fudalla Manuela Giugliano Pernille Harder Yui Hasegawa Lindsey Heaps Svenja Huth Sakina Karchaoui Chloe Kelly Rose Lavelle Mariona Marta Janina Minge Olivia Moultrie Patri Guijarro Trinity Rodman Georgia Stanway Ella Toone Vicky López Selina Vobian Keira Walsh Caroline Weir Attackers Alba Redondo Lineth Beerensteyn Mathilde Bourdieu Linda Caicedo Sofia Cantore Selina Cerci Tabitha Chawinga Temwa Chawinga Claudia Pina Kadidiatou Diani Melchie Dumornay Elena Julve Esther Cristiana Girelli Caroline Graham Hansen Edna Imade Clara Mateo Manaka Matsukubo Larissa Mühlhaus Ewa Pajor Alexandra Popp Géraldine Reuteler Alessia Russo Emma Sears Khadija Shaw Voting should last for about a week – looking back at last year, it ended on Sunday 12th January, and the voting will take place on the official EA Sports FC website. Read more: FC 26 best formations and tactics explained FC 26 cheap 84, 85, 86, 87 and 88-rated players in Ultimate Team FC 26 wonderkids: Best young players with high Career Mode potential View Green Video on the source website Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
How to update Animal Crossing: New Horizons and get the new DLC
How to manually update Animal Crossing 3.0 and unlock the Nintendo Switch 2 upgrade.
Rejoice, Animal Crossing fans! The Nintendo Switch 2 upgrade is here, and so is update patch v3.0! These two colliding upgrades will give your game a huge shot in the arm, and keep you enjoying your island even longer. If you're wondering what's available in the latest version of the game, and how to upgrade, you can read on for everything you need to know. How to update Animal Crossing: New Horizons How do I manually update Animal Crossing: New Horizons? If you've been asking yourself that question, you'll need to follow these steps to update Animal Crossing on your Nintendo Switch or Switch 2: Make sure your Nintendo Switch is connected to the internet (press the 'System Settings' cog on the console home page, head to 'Internet Settings' and connect the console to your Wifi) Ensure that your copy of Animal Crossing: New Horizons is closed (hover over the game on your console home page and press the X button to close the software) Try to open the game, and you should be prompted to download the Animal Crossing update! If, for some reason, the update doesn't seem to be coming, try this back-up plan: Hover over the game on your console home page and press the + button In the menu that appears, head to 'Software Update' and select the option titled 'Via the Internet' The console will then search for updates - if you have one to download, it will prompt you to do so. What version is the new Animal Crossing update? Thanks to this update, the new Animal Crossing version number is Ver. 3.0 - this has added a huge amount of new content. First is the addition of the new hotel, with Kapp'n's family turning the island into a vacation hotspot. Players will be able to design hotel rooms for guests, fitting certain themes to match their vibes. You'll also be able to interact with guests on the island during their stay. You'll now also be able to craft specialty goods using DIY, exchanging them for hotel tickets. These hotel tickets can be spent in the souvenir shop to buy exclusive items, as well as hotel-themed items. Slumber Island is another new addition. With a Nintendo Switch Online membership, you and your friends can visit the island together to decorate as a team. Alternatively, if you're after a restart, Resetti's Reset Service lets you reset particular areas of your island, instantly cleaning up any items, decorations, plants and more that you've placed, letting you start completely anew. Of course, there are a bunch of new items to use as well, including new LEGO, Legend of Zelda and Splatoon crossovers. How to get the Nintendo Switch 2 upgrade DLC in Animal Crossing: New Horizons Of course, if you want the Switch 2 upgrade, you'll first have to actually have a Switch 2. Once that's sorted, all you need to do is head to the Nintendo eShop. From there, you'll be able to purchase the Animal Crossing: New Horizons - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition for £54.99. Alternatively, if you already own the base game, the upgrade will only cost you £4.19! After this, download any updates that come you're way, and you're good to go! Read more on Animal Crossing: Animal Crossing Gyroids guide - where to find them How to get Brewster in Animal Crossing Animal Crossing ordinances guide - what do they do? How to get the best turnip price every week in Animal Crossing Animal Crossing's best and most popular villagers The best Animal Crossing dream islands to explore Animal Crossing shooting stars guide How to restart your game in Animal Crossing: New Horizons Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Animal Crossing Nintendo Switch 2 Edition and free update: Release date and what to expect
Nintendo is dropping two slightly different things on the same day.
This week is a big one for Animal Crossing fans – not only are we getting the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition of the game, but also the enormous (and free!) v3.0 update! Since it won the hearts and minds of the world during the COVID-19 pandemic after launching in March 2020, thanks in part to the wonders of turnip economics, Animal Crossing has continued to be one of the best games on the Switch. Five years on, it may not still have the world in its grip, but thanks to the new update and Switch 2 upgrades, those of us still plugging away at our islands have a lot to look forward to. So, while we all wait for the next Animal Crossing game to rock up, here's what you need to know about the release date for the Switch 2 Edition and v3.0 update, and what they both mean for you! When is the Animal Crossing Nintendo Switch 2 Edition release date? The Nintendo Switch 2 Edition of Animal Crossing: New Horizons has a confirmed release date of 15th January 2026. Nintendo confirmed this date on its official channels, and the Switch 2 Edition of the game is available to wishlist now on the Nintendo eShop. What about the price? Upgrading to the Animal Crossing: New Horizons Nintendo Switch 2 Edition will cost you £4.19 if you already have the base game. If you don't have the base game, you can buy the Switch 2 Edition for £54.99. The trailer below was used to announce the Switch 2 Edition, as well as the free update to the base game. For more info on both of those things, keep on reading! View oEmbed on the source website When is the Animal Crossing free update v3.0 release date? The free Animal Crossing base game update, dubbed version 3.0, also has a confirmed release date of 15th January 2026. Yep, just to make things nice and easy to understand, Nintendo has opted to launch both of these things on the very same day. It's a little bit sad that fans of the franchise will have to wait until after Christmas to receive this free gift, but hey, it's nice that the game is still being supported at all this long after its launch. What to expect from the Animal Crossing Nintendo Switch 2 Edition The Nintendo Switch 2 Edition of Animal Crossing: New Horizons brings a number of upgrades to the game. The Animal Crossing: New Horizons Switch 2 Edition's will have "enhanced resolution", allowing the game to go up to 4K when the console is docked. This will mean smoother graphics, as you can see the image above. The Switch 2 console's mouse controls will also come into play here, allowing you to detach a joycon and use it like a mouse to move items around on your island. There is also a new item, the Megaphone, which will allow you to "find your island friends by calling out their names". It will work with the Switch 2 console's built-in microphone. There are also enhanced multiplayer features, allowing up to 12 players to visit your island online at the same time (or eight players locally). You'll also be able to use the Nintendo Switch 2's Game Chat feature in this new version, as well as the Nintendo Switch 2 Camera (sold separately). What to expect from the Animal Crossing free update v3.0 Of course, not everyone has a Nintendo Switch 2 console. That, we assume, is why Nintendo is releasing a free update to the base game on the same day as the Switch 2 Edition's release. So, if you're still playing on Switch 1 for the time being, and you're not quite tempted enough to buy a Nintendo Switch 2, what can you expect to get from this shiny new update? One of the key new additions is the Resort Hotel, which will appear at the end of you pier and challenge you to decorate its rooms with specific themes. At the hotel, you will be able to buy Nintendo-themed items like the NES and the Game Boy. If you have a Switch Online membership, you can even play games on them! From Nook's Cranny, you will be able to buy LEGO-themed items, too. And with additional Amiibo support being added in the update, you can get Zelda and Splatoon-themed items if you have the relevant Amiibo figures. The free update also adds more item storage to the game. The previous limit was 5000, but now you can upgrade it a couple more times to get 9000 storage spaces. The Dream Islands system has also been upgraded. You can now have up to four Slumber Islands on the go while you sleep. So, even if you don't fork out the for a Nintendo Switch 2, there will be plenty of new stuff for you to enjoy in Animal Crossing: New Horizons when 15th January comes around. Bring it on! Read more on Animal Crossing: How to update Animal Crossing and get the new DLC Animal Crossing's best and most popular villagers The best Animal Crossing dream islands to explore Animal Crossing shooting stars guide How to restart your game in Animal Crossing: New Horizons Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Why High on Life 2 added skateboarding, explained by the developer
A surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one.
Squanch Games's High on Life 2, launching next month, is one of the first big games of the year. But when did the team behind 2022’s comedy sci-fi shooter High on Life first start thinking about a sequel? “ Pretty much immediately,” we were told by executive producer Matty Studivan at the Gamescom conference last summer. During our chat, which you can also enjoy as a podcast or a YouTube video, Studivan dove into a number of the new features and surprising additions that fans can expect from High on Life. On the origins of this sequel, Studivan explained that, “ Mikey Spano, our CCO and art director, he's basically had the franchise in his head a really, really long time. “And so, the DLC was kind of our in-between, and we were already thinking about, ‘Where are we going in the second one?’. “And actually, we used the power-slide a lot more in the DLC, and that was an early iteration basically of our skateboard tech.” Indeed, eagle-eyed fans will have noticed that the player-character is skateboarding a lot in the trailers for the new game. Where did that idea come from? “ I think Mikey was a skateboarder,” Studivan said. “We have a lot of animators that are skateboarders. You know, it's such a fluid movement and it really fits with the aesthetic and the feeling of our game. “And, you know, our designers are really focused on the traversal. Our design director Erich Meyr, he worked on Sunset Overdrive, so like, very flowy, flow state, combat and traversal. And so he's been doing a lot of work on the skateboard in order to do that as well.” Touching on the development process behind skateboarding, Studivan added, “We've made a ton of different iterations, and I would say in the last six months, the team was like, 'What if it just replaces sprint?' And as soon as that happened, it all unlocked.” Skateboarding isn’t the only fresh addition, either, with the Gamescom demo also introducing a new gun called Sheath (voiced by Ralph Ineson and inspired by Halo battle rifles) and a new adversary (a slimy senator played by comedy legend Richard Kind). We get into both of those casting stories in the full interview! View oEmbed on the source website You also may have already seen that, of all things, the Bible Adventures video game from 1991 has been added into High on Life 2. What happened there? Studivan summed it up like so: “In the first game, we had all the [watchable] movies. And that was such a big hit that we thought, ‘Okay, well, we're gonna bring more movies back, but what can we do to top that?’ “And we're like, ‘Well, we're a game studio. Let's license some old games and see if we can get them in the game. And Mikey was like, ‘First choice - Bible Adventures. “And you know, our first choice, we're always like, ‘There's no way we're gonna get it’. And then Ben Moore, our business dev director, within a week, he was like, ‘Hey guys, I got the license to Bible Adventures’. “We were like, ‘Yeah! Come on, man’. And as the evolution in the level happened, it actually got integrated into a boss fight. But you can collect these Jamba boards throughout the game, and then play them on arcade cabinets in your headquarters.” Sounds like this is shaping up to be quite a bold follow-up! In the full interview, we also delve into the new locations and the story itself. Download the podcast now to hear the whole thing. High on Life 2 launches on 13th February for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. You can order your copy now. Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Games like The Traitors – Get your murderous fix with video & board games
From Mafia and Werewolf to Among Us and Secret Hitler
Now that The Traitors is back on our screens, bolstered by the huge success of the Celebrity version, it's a great time to play some games at home with a similar vibe. Indeed, Jade from The Traitors season 4 openly said in the show that she is a big gamer, and she sees her gaming experience as helpful preparation for being in the castle. If you’re looking for a game like The Traitors, what you’re really looking for is some sort of ‘social deduction’ game with a multiplayer element. Basically, anything that can give you those roundtable thrills as you try to work out who’s on your side, who isn’t, and how to bend the other players to your way of thinking. Thankfully, this is a fairly recurrent trope in both video games and board games, and it's only got bigger since The Traitors took off. Pit your wits against any of the below and you’ll be having Traitors-style fun just as soon as you’ve worked out the rules! Games like The Traitors at a glance If you're in a rush to start (fake) murdering, here are some quick links that will take you to the relevant retailers where you can buy these social-deduction games for yourself! Board games like The Traitors: Mafia Werewolf Blood on the Clocktower Cheese Thief Spyfall The Chameleon Agatha Christie's Death on the Cards Secret Hitler Video games like The Traitors: Among Us Blood on the Clocktower (online version) Spyfall (online version) Town of Salem Goose Goose Duck Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc Official products from The Traitors: The Traitors: Official Board Game The Traitors: The Interactive Game Book Keep on reading for more detail on all of those! Games like The Traitors – board games and video games to get your murder fix The Traitors: Official Board Game OK, let's start with an obvious one. You won't find a game that's quite as much like The Traitors as this, the official tie-in board game! Designed for four to six players, the game splits you into teams (Traitors and Faithfuls, of course), with missions, murders, voting and banishments aplenty. Of course, as it's designed to be played in one night rather than multiple weeks of telly, things are sped up a bit! Hooded robes sold separately. Buy now from Amazon Among Us Mention The Traitors to a young person and they may well reply, 'Isn't that show basically Among Us?' No word of a lie, a cousin of mine said exactly that the other week. And yes, to gamers who've played many rounds of Among Us, the set-up of The Traitors will seem very familiar. In Among Us, most players are 'Crewmates' working together to do little jobs around a spaceship. Among them, however, are the 'Imposters', who are trying to sabotage everything and kill the Crewmates. Players even vote to try and unmask the Imposters. Unlike The Traitors, any Imposters that are found are ejected into deep space. Of course, BBC budget does not allow for that on TV. Among Us is out now on PC, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox, iPhone and Android — and the mobile version is free! View Green Video on the source website Mafia (AKA Werewolf) To other kinds of people, if you start describing The Traitors, they'll say something along the lines of: 'Oh right, like Mafia? Or Werewolf?' These are classics, dating back decades, of the social deduction party game genre! You might remember that, when Andrew Garfield had to keep lying in interviews about being in Spider-Man: No Way Home, he described his continued public deception as being just like a game of Werewolf. Originally created by Dimitry Davidoff in 1986, Mafia has a night time segment (where the baddies can kill people off) and a daytime segment (where everyone can vote to try and oust the baddies). You don't need any cards or props to play, but plenty of people have tried to adapt this concept into new formats over the years. We'll include some helpful links below: How to play Mafia - a brief history Board game version of Werewolf Blood on the Clocktower View oEmbed on the source website You only have to take a quick glance at the video above to see quite how much Blood on the Clocktower is giving off serious The Traitors vibes. Designed for anywhere between five and 20 players, this party game comes with everything you need to split your group into two factions and set them against each other. Some of you are innocent villagers, while others are working with a demon to bring death and deception to the village. Blood on the Clocktower is available as a fairly expensive board game, but there is also a website version you can play online with people from across the globe! Buy now from Amazon Try the online version Cheese Thief If cold-blooded murder is a bit too scary for you, why not swap brutal killings for some cheeky cheese theft? That sounds a little less gruesome, doesn't it? In Cheese Thief, you have a group of players who 'wake up' in the night at various points, and one of them is tasked with stealing cheese from the middle of the table without getting caught. If the cute concept floats your boat, the equally-cute designs on the cards will probably please you as well! (Shoutout to Katherine Andreou for suggesting this game and the next one on the list). Buy now from Amazon Spyfall The Traitors isn't all about killing. It's also about the roundtable chats where players have to grill one another to work out who is playing for a different team. Spyfall (not to be confused with the Doctor Who episode of the same name) is perfect for emulating that kind of feeling! In a four-player game, for example, three people are told a location from a long list of places, and one doesn't know but has to pretend they do. You take turns to ask questions to one another to suss who the one out of the loop is. Spyfall is a card game, but there's also a free online version if you want to jump straight into the action without having to pay a penny. But now from Zatu Games Try the online version for free The Traitors: The Interactive Game Book OK, time for another official product! If you don't fancy The Traitors: Official Board Game that we mentioned earlier, perhaps this will do the trick instead. The Traitors: Interactive Game Book is something of a unique proposition. A bit like a Choose Your Own Adventure book, it allows you to make choices that may or may not lead to victory in a fictionalised version of The Traitors. There are also little missions included that you can play alone or with other real-life people. Buy now from Amazon The Chameleon Here's a board game option that we really think you'll like, and it's easy to pick up as well. In a group of 3 to 8 players, one of you will randomly and secretly become 'The Chameleon' at the start of each round. All the players are shown a set of words, but the Chameleon does not have the clue card to lead them to the correct answer amongst these words. As all the players give one-word clues to hint at the answer without giving it away, the Chameleon must guess at the truth and try to blend in by giving a clue that fits the theme. Once the round is complete, the players will try to guess who was the Chameleon in their midst. It's fast, frantic and very funny to play with a group of friends or family. And for once, no one gets murdered! But you will get judged on your body language and every silly thing you say. Buy now from Waterstones Town of Salem Back to video games for a moment, Town of Salem came out in 2014 for PC and Mac. It has since spawned expansions, a sequel and a mobile game version. Town of Salem is an online game where, much like Mafia or The Traitors, players are secretly split into teams with vastly different goals. There's The Mafia, the Townspeople and – interestingly – the Neutral, who have their own set of jobs to do, adding a little twist on the formula. Buy now on Steam or check out the free mobile version on iPhone or Android Agatha Christie's Death on the Cards A brilliant card game option here. Inspired by the works of Agatha Christie, Death on the Cards starts with each player being assigned three secrets – most of these are harmless jokes, but one of you will be dealt the murderer card at this point and there is also an accomplice in the mix. By collecting iconic detectives including Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple, players will gradually be able to reveal each other's secrets, whilst the baddies try to blend in with the crowd and burn through the deck as quickly as possible. If the deck runs out, the villains get away! Buy now from Amazon Goose Goose Duck Back to video games for a moment, Goose Goose Duck is like Among Us with a lot more feathers. With multiple maps and game modes, and more than 50 character roles, it's a great option for social deduction fans who've already played the most obvious stuff. Each map has different features but that core concept is still at the heart of it – can your flock complete your tasks, find the hidden baddies and overcome them before they kill the lot of you? Geese are the goodies, of course. Play for free on PC/Mac, iPhone or Android. Secret Hitler Back to tabletop games now. Secret Hitler is another one with a very similar format to The Traitors, and it's really fun for a games night with a raucous group of pals. There are three potential roles in this version of German history's Weimar Republic — you can be a fascist, a liberal or Hitler himself. Each part you can play comes with its own objectives (ranging from election to assassination), and there's also a fun voting mechanism involved. Buy now from Amazon Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc And finally, something a bit different – with thanks to Alex Raisbeck for this suggestion! If you've ever watched The Traitors and wished it was set in an anime high school wherein Claudia Winkelman is replaced by a psychotic, animatronic bear, then boy, do we have the game for you! Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc is a visual novel that plays host to a grisly murder game, requiring you to solve the murders of fellow students, finding clues, staving off suspicion and revealing the true culprit in court, all while investigating the secret behind the school that has you imprisoned. If you can get past the bizarre setting, there's a satisfying and surprisingly deep murder mystery game here with a series of cases that Agatha Christie herself would have been proud of. Buy now on Steam, PS4, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, iOS or Android Read more on The Traitors: The Traitors' banished Faithfuls explain what fans don't see Tom Hiddleston wants to do Celebrity Traitors How to apply for The Traitors Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 chapters – Full list of acts and how many to expect
Sandfall Interactive's Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 swept up gongs aplenty at The Game Awards and The Golden Joystick Awards late last year, which means the game is now seeing a surge in players. If you’re one of those people jumping into E33 right now, you might be wondering how many chapters/missions/quests are in the game, and how it’s all divided into acts and the like. Well, expeditioner, here’s some good news for you! We’ve got all the info you need below to help you understand where you are in the game and what’s coming up. Let’s get to it. How many acts does Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 have? Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has three main acts, and one prologue that comes before. Each act is named after a specific character, with numerous quests being strung together as you gradually make your way across the map to the Paintress. It’s worth noting that the third act is a little shorter than the first and second ones. So, if you’ve just started act three, you’re pretty close to the end now. If you're craving a little bit more E33 goodness, check out our interview with the cast and developers! View Green Video on the source website Full list of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 chapters Before we get to the full list, here’s a quick warning: the E33 missions are named after each ‘current objective’, so you won’t want to look too closely at anything beyond your current position on the list (especially if you’re not fond of spoilers, no matter how vague). Here’s the full list of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 chapters… Prologue: Gustave Lumiere: Head to the docks and start the Expedition Act One: Gustave Spring Meadows: Look for survivors at the indigo tree in Spring Meadows Flying Waters: Find Maelle and search for a path through Flying Waters Ancient Sanctuary: Find the Gestral Village in the middle of the Ancient Sanctuary Gestral Village: Ask Golgra, the Chief of the Gestrals, for a way to cross the sea Esquie's Nest: Find and recruit the legendary Esquie at Esquie’s Nest, he should be able to help cross the sea Stone Wave Cliffs: Cross the Stone Wave Cliffs to find Florrie, Esquire pet rock that enables him to swim Act Two: Verso Forgotten Battlefield: Go through the Forgotten Battlefield to continue to the Monolith Monoco's Station: Recruit Monoco, Verso’s best friend, at his station in the mountains. Old Lumiere: Find and destroy the Paintress' Heart in the centre of Old Lumiere Visages: Defeat the First Axon to forge a weapon able to pierce the Monolith Barrier Sirene: Defeat the Second Axon to forge a weapon able to pierce the Monolith Barrier The Monolith: Find the Paintress' Heart at the top of the Monolith The Manor: Epilogue Act Three: Maelle Lumiere: Head back to Lumiere and expel Renoir from the Canvas How long is Clair Obscur: Expedition 33? Seeing a list is one thing, but what about the time needed to work through it? Just how long is Clair Obscur: Expedition 33? Completing the main story of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 should take you between 25 and 30 hours, with 28.5 hours being the average (according to the user-submitted data on HowLongToBeat.com). A completionist run with all the trophies and achievements will take you approximately 66.5 hours, and it’s worth noting that some of the trophies ask quite a lot of you (e.g. getting all your characters to level 99). So, that’s all you need to know about the length and breadth of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. We hope you have a great time with it! Read more on Clair Obscur: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 interview — Developers will continue to "make games that we want to play" Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 romance – All romance options and how it works How to upgrade weapons in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 explained Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.