Sauron is the image in most peoples' minds when picturing a fantasy villain. The spiked armor, imposing voice, supreme power, and straightforwardly evil goals mark him as the default antagonist for any mystical world. Several other examples took notes from his presentation but can’t beat the genuine article. Sauron was not the first monstrous adversary to trouble Middle-earth, but how does he stack up to Morgoth, who made him who he is?...

Quick Links Crafting Materials inManor Lordsare processed raw materials used to create clothing, food items, and military equipment. Players will always want to have as many of these materials as possible in theirStorehouse and Granaryto always be ready for anything. While all crafting materials can be imported, building the infrastructure to make them in player-owned settlements is always the preferred stocking method. Importscost a lot of money, and while Crafting Material imports don’t require a Major Trade Route, they can quickly drain the economy and spell financial doom for a campaign if left unchecked....

Everyone knows and lovesThe Empire Strikes Back. It’s the darkest entry in the originalStar Warstrilogy, but also the most creative, thrilling, and all around entertaining. But its iconic ending almost had a very different tone. AsStar Warsfans know,The Empire Strikes Backends with a nebula shot that is a very nourishing and reassuring, as it establishes that even when are heroes are at their lowest, there’s still hope. There’s always that chance that it’ll get better, and that chance is worth fighting for....

Metal Gear’sSolid Snake is one of gaming’s best written heroes, who has defeated some of gaming’s best written villains. Snake may be a force to be reckoned with in his own in-game universe, but how would he fare against gaming’s all-time most legendary baddies. RELATED:5 Ways Metal Gear Solid 2 is Timeless (& 5 It Hasn’t Aged Well) Some of these villains don’t compare anywhere to some of the most dangerous Metal Gears and super soldiers Solid Snake has fought, while others would present a challenge to even the most driven and militaristic patriot....

One of the most anticipated video games currently in development is Retro Studio’sMetroid Prime 4. The game, which will serve as a direct sequel to 2007’sMetroid Prime 3: Corruptionon the Nintendo Wii, was announced for Nintendo Switch during Nintendo’s 2017 E3 Direct to be developed by Bandai Namco Studios Singapore. Suddenly, in early 2019, Nintendo announced that it would be restarting development onMetroid Prime 4from scratch and passing it over to Retro Studios, who it seems is now hiring for a lead producer on the project....

Xbox fans went into the Xbox Games Showcase with high expectations, but many came away unimpressed by theHalo Infinitecampaign reveal. One of the big criticisms aimed atHalo Infinitewas its graphics, which many felt were underwhelming when compared to other next-gen games. Now Microsoft’s Aaron Greenberg has responded to those complaints, stressing that fans were looking at a work-in-progress build of the game. “Listen, we’re in the middle of a global pandemic....

Summary In theNarutoseries, the world of the Shinobi grapples with violence and philosophies that shape many characters' arcs and narratives. In a bid to stop the violence and create a peaceful world, unique power structures emanate in a bid to change the intricate world of the Shinobi. In theNarutouniverse, the Akatsuki stands as a formidable organization driven by the motivation to change the system. However, in the Akatsuki’s early days, world domination wasn’t always the driving force behind the Akatsuki....

Summary Xboxis currently working on multiple games based on licensed IPs that are yet to be announced, some recently surfaced evidence suggests. This newly emerged info indicates thatthe giant Xbox leak from Septemberdid not offer a complete picture of Microsoft’s upcoming game roadmap, as massive as it was. While Microsoft has been growing increasingly more transparent about its attempts at ramping up its content library ever since launching Xbox Game Pass in 2017, the company is still no stranger to keeping things close to chest on an occasion....

Quick Links New games are added to PlayStation Now regularly, though sometimes, titles do depart the library. In September, several new games are being added, butThe Witcher 3: Wild Hunthas left the PS Now collection. This is unfortunate for gamers who were looking to play the RPG through the service, though perhaps one of the newly added titles can fill that void. Sony has seemingly been making a concentrated effort to add sought-after titles to PS Now in recent months....

Summary A newYouTubegaming service for desktops and mobile devices, called Playables, is now rolling out to select users. Its soft launch indicates that theGoogle Stadia shutdown from early 2023did not dissuade YouTube from continuing to experiment with online gaming offerings. The Playables platform has been in the works for a while now, having first been mentioned in a late June report claiming thatYouTube started testing the new online gaming serviceby inviting its own employees and Google staffers to join it....

Pokemon GOhas revealed more information about what players can expect from the upcomingPokemon GOFest 2021, and it involves Legendary Pokemon and Raid Battles. A posting onPokemon GO’sofficial website has revealed that almost every Legendary Pokemon will feature in raid battles during the upcoming event. This year’sPokemon GOFest comes asPokemon GOcelebrates its fifth anniversary with merchandiseand special events. Despite a noticeable dip in popularity since the mobile game was released in 2016 and captured players' attention worldwide,Pokemon GOstill has a very dedicated fan base who will be excited forPokemon GOFest 2021....

Pokemon GOhas been teasingthe release of a new Gen 5 Pokemon wavefor weeks and their arrival has finally come. As an additional surprise and bonus for fans of the mobile AR game, Niantic also added an iconic franchise mechanic to the mobile game that has been missing since day one: Trade Evolution. Since the original days of the Pokemon franchise, there have always been some Pokemon that can trigger an evolution by trading it with a friend....

For longtime immersive sim fans wishing for a return to form,RetroSpacepromises to tick all the boxes: nonlinear exploration, freeform problem solving, tense resource management, and a minimal handholding approach that respects players' intelligence. The game’s mechanics and design philosophy bring to mind iconic titles likeHalf-LifeandDeus Ex, which dropped players into a mechanically deep playground and left the discovery and execution of solutions up to the player, often with many viable approaches....