The second trailer for The Super Mario Bros. Movie has arrived, and unlike the brief teaser that we saw in October, this trailer is jam-packed with enough details, references and Easter eggs to sink an airship.

Strap on your helmets and find your nearest Kart or Motorbike, it’s time to break down all of the plot details, and deep-cut references that we found in the new Super Mario Bros. movie Trailer.

Mario Enters the Arena

The trailer starts with a shot of Mario nervously walking out into a crowded arena as the soundtrack references the iconic theme of World 1-1 from the Super Mario Bros. NES Game.

As the crowd chants Mario’s name, we’re reminded of this famous Super Mario Bros 3 commercial, featuring a crowd of Mario Fans so large that they can be seen from space.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong

Mario and Donkey Kong are standing on a bright-red girder, and in this shot you can see other details, such as a blue ladder, barrels and tires suspended in the air, and more red platforms directly below them. This all emulates the exact level layouts you would see in the original Donkey Kong arcade game where Mario and Donkey Kong made their first appearances.

The Cranky Kong Cameo

Peach and Cranky Kong are here too, making their first appearances in the trailer, and Cranky Kong seems to be presiding over the contest as some sort of ruler or monarch. Perhaps this is a world that is somewhat removed from Princess Peach’s castle and is under Kong rule instead?

More Arena Easter Eggs

There are other references in this arena as well, which point to it being owned by the Kongs, such as the carved bananas in the stands and the audience being filled predominately with more Kongs. Of course, it’s not just DK infrastructure represented in this arena. Mario’s iconic yellow blocks and brick blocks are visible in the background as well. None of these blocks have question marks on them, so Mario probably won’t receive any power-ups in this particular fight.

Super Smash Bros.

This movie looks like it's going to be filled with elements that include a slew of Mario games, and as Mario and Donkey Kong run toward each other, we are reminded of the start of a Super Smash Bros. match. When Mario jumps into the air to hit Donkey Kong, it even looks like his forward air attack from Smash Bros. too.

Speaking of Donkey Kong, Shigeru Miyamoto pointed out Donkey Kong’s new design during the Movie Trailer Direct, stating that this is Donkey Kong’s first redesign since he was made into a 3D model for Donkey Kong Country on the SNES. He has been changed to “give him a more comical personality and design reminiscent of the original character,” which is yet another reference to the original Donkey Kong arcade game.

Bowser Meets Luigi

In this new scene, we’re reintroduced to Jack Black’s Bowser. We also get a much better look at Luigi, who is suspended in mid-air (presumably by Kamek) as Bowser pushes him for more information about his brother.

Bowser's Koopa Army

This cinematic flying shot over Bowser’s army shows much more than just the Koopas we saw in the last trailer. We were able to find Red and Green Koopatroopas and Parakoopatroopas, Goombas, Bob-Ombs, Piranha Plants, Shy Guys, potentially Hammer Bros or their larger Sledge Bro Counterparts, and also the Batlike creatures called Swoops. You can also see a couple of Red Spiny’s and the blue-shelled Buzzy Beetles.

Charlie Day's Luigi Voice

As Bowser pulls on Luigi’s mustache, torturing him for information on Mario, we get to hear Charlie Day’s performance of the much more nervous Mario Brother for the first time.

Mario Bros. Plumbing

While Luigi talks, we see a few brief shots of Mario and Luigi working together as plumbers for their day job, in what seem to be scenes from the beginning of the movie, or potentially flashbacks.

A Mario 64 Cameo

As we move to the interior of Peach’s Castle, you can see that behind Peach is the same stained glass window from Super Mario 64, which can be seen out the front of Peach’s Castle in the game.

The World Map

The Toads here are all gathered around a table showing the different worlds of the Mario universe. We have the Mushroom Kingdom at the bottom, a Sand World on the left edge, a kingdom featuring stone ruins in the center (perhaps this could be the world of the Kongs?), a grassy world on the lower right with mountains reminiscent of Yoshi’s Island for SNES, and… is that two Lava Worlds for Bowser?

You’ll notice that while there have been a lot of shots of an ice world in the trailers, it doesn’t seem to be on the map. Well actually, it is. If you look at this second fiery island on the right, it has icy edges. This shot clearly takes place after Bowser conquers the Ice world of the Penguins, and the map reflects the Ice World's destruction.

More Mushroom Kingdom Cameos

In this shot of Peach and Toad walking toward the camera, we can see multiple references. To start with, the paintings on the wall seem to be of other Toads and the Castle that they are standing in, but we were still reminded of Super Mario 64’s magic paintings. Princess Peach is also wearing a suit similar to what she wears when riding Motorbikes in Mario Kart.

Toad then whips out a frying pan, which he may use himself, or he may just have at the ready for Peach for when she needs it, as she normally uses a frying pan for one of her smash attacks in Super Smash Bros.

Mario's Training Course

Outside, it seems Peach has constructed an obstacle course in order to train Mario for the difficulties that lie in store for them. This course is chock full of references to traditional, 2D Mario levels. It's mostly constructed out of Yellow Blocks, Brick Blocks and Pipes, but we also see Bullet Bill Cannons, Mechanical Piranha Plants, Spike Traps, Falling Platforms and even the iconic flagpole marking the end of the course.

We also get a close look at these rotating circles, which are stand-ins for the normal rotating fire hazards from most 2D Mario games, as well as a very close look at a Bullet Bill when Mario gets stuck to it.

The Cheep Cheeps

We saw Cheep Cheeps in the original trailer, but here we’re getting a way better look at them. One even tries to eat Mario’s face. This scene also appears to be a direct nod to the many times Mario has run across a bridge in the original 2D games while avoiding the jumping Cheep Cheeps.

The Tanooki Suit

Here we get some brief footage of Mario using the Tanooki Suit to gain the ability to fly. It seems like he’s racing this fireball that’s headed towards Peach’s Castle, and as he gets closer to the ground, you can see a Banzai Bill in the distance chasing after him as well.

The Fire Flower

Here is another classic Power-up in this field of Fire Flowers. We see Peach demonstrate how to use their power, as her clothes change color and she gains the ability to wield fireballs, just like Mario can in most of the games.

A Stampede of Yoshis

This looks like an entirely wild region, which is full of stampeding Yoshis, and there are so many different colors! We can even see a single green Yoshi in the pack as well. Are these Yoshi all running towards something? Or are they running away from Bowser’s Castle?

Super Mario Galaxy?

At one point, Peach says “There’s a huge universe out there, with a lot of galaxies.”. While this is little more than a name drop, this does seem to be a not-so-subtle reference to Super Mario Galaxy, where Rosalina introduced Mario to the many different galaxies in the universe. Maybe she’ll make an appearance in this movie, too?

Immediately afterward, we see Mario and Luigi tumbling through this colorful nebula. As Luigi is wearing the same bag of tools that we saw during the plumber scenes, it’s pretty safe to assume that the pair accidentally find a warp pipe while on the job, and this whole area is what the inside of warp pipes looks like (You can even see these streams of light coming in and out of other Warp Pipes in the distance). This is likely where Mario and Luigi get separated as they travel from their world to the Mushroom Kingdom, seeing as we know Mario arrives there alone, as per the first teaser trailer.

Super Mario Kart

You saw that right, this is Mario in his Kart! While there are many spin-off Mario games, including Super Smash Bros and the various Mario sports titles, none of them are quite as popular as Mario Kart, so it makes sense that we’re going to see it in this movie.

When Mario lands his Kart, it’s on the iconic Rainbow Road, which is a track that has been included in every Mario Kart title. This particular road is wide and straight, and while the Rainbow Road courses in-game are known for being particularly challenging to drive on and are the peak of Mario Kart difficulty, it’s still nice to see it included.

More Kong Cameos

In this final shot of the trailer, we get to see other characters riding alongside Mario. We see Peach on her Bike in the same Bike outfit from before, as well as Toad, Donkey Kong and even Cranky Kong on this Tricycle. There are some other exciting characters that we haven’t seen yet as well. Beside Cranky Kong is what seems to be Funky Kong with his reflective sunglasses and bandana. Also, on the far left of the frame, there is an almost child-like Kong in front. Is this perhaps Diddy Kong without his signature cap? Or the more obscure Kiddy Kong, who was introduced in Donkey Kong Country 3?

Even if this isn’t Diddy Kong in the shot, we have reason to believe that characters like Diddy may be in this movie, as a number of official character posters were revealed alongside the trailer’s release. In Donkey Kong’s poster you can see the stands of the arena from the start of the trailer, and way in the back, besides what seems to be Cranky Kong, are the smaller Diddy Kong and Dixie Kong. Hopefully, we'll get to see them have a role in this movie as well. They also seem to be standing next to Swanky Kong from Donkey Kong Country 2 and 3. How many Kongs are there in this movie?!

Finally, we get 3 iconic Mario actions to end the trailer. Mario hops in his Kart to start a drifting turn, and we hear the classic Mario jumping sound from the NES games. Then, Mario drifts around the road, gaining speed, very similar to how the Mario Kart games, before delivering the signature Mario “Wa-hoo!”

We tried our best to find as many details as we could, but this is such a full trailer that we may have missed something! Let us know in the comments if there were any other easter eggs or references that we missed. We’ll be covering every little bit of news about the Mario movie as we wait for its release in April of 2023, so be sure to keep up with all of the newest details about gaming’s favorite plumber right here on IGN.

For more on The Super Mario Bros. Movie, check out more of Jack Black’s Bowser voice and find out why John Leguizamo isn't thrilled with the movie's casting choices.

We've been waiting for meaningful discounts on The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild since it came out, and the time has finally come. The gamechanger of an open-world game can be played for hundreds of hours, especially if you invest in the DLC once you've beat the game.

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Nioh developer Team Ninja has responded to rumours that it's planning to reboot the Dead or Alive and Ninja Gaiden franchises, indicating that we probably won't see a revival anytime soon.

Speaking to VGC, Team Ninja's creative director Tom Lee said that, despite showing both franchises at a conference under the heading "Reboot of popular series", the studio has nothing to announce regarding new entries.

"Dead or Alive and Ninja Gaiden are both long-standing pillar franchises for Team Ninja. These celebrated titles are synonymous with our studio history and reputation," said Lee.

"It goes without saying that, when speaking about the development of our past and future projects, both of these important titles cannot be left without mention. However, there are no details or information to share on either of these franchises at this present time.

"Like many of our dedicated fans, we share the enthusiasm for the return of these beloved titles. And we will be sure to provide a proper update, if and when that day arrives."

Reboot rumours began after South Korean media outlet Ruliweb reported that Team Ninja president Fumihiko Yasuda showed both franchises at the G-Star conference in Busan. A slideshow image (above) appeared to indicate the developer was looking to reboot its "popular series", with Dead or Alive and Ninja Gaiden being used as examples.

While it's perhaps most recently known for the Nioh franchise and upcoming Souls-like Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, Team Ninja did release Dead or Alive 6 in 2019, perhaps making a reboot somewhat unusual.

Ninja Gaiden, on the other hand, may be a more fitting target. Arguably most popular as a trilogy of NES games, the franchise was rebooted previously in 2004 but, outside of countless spin-offs, has once again fallen dormant.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer and acting UK news editor. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

Our Xbox crew mourns the passing of legendary longtime Batman voice actor Kevin Conroy, discussing how his presence and performance in the Batman: Arkham games helped elevate not just those games but the entire superhero game genre. Plus: our impressions of this week's new Xbox-exclusive releases Somerville and Pentiment, CD Projekt Red shares notable news on both Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher 3's next-gen update, and more!

Subscribe on any of your favorite podcast feeds, to our YouTube channel, or grab an MP3 of this week's episode. For more awesome content, check out our interview with Todd Howard, who answered all of our Starfield questions after the big reveal at the Xbox Showcase:

For more next-gen coverage, make sure to check out our Xbox Series X review, our Xbox Series S review, and our PS5 review.

Ryan McCaffrey is IGN's executive editor of previews and host of both IGN's weekly Xbox show, Podcast Unlocked, as well as our monthly(-ish) interview show, IGN Unfiltered. He's a North Jersey guy, so it's "Taylor ham," not "pork roll." Debate it with him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan.

The superhero world was dealt a terrible blow with the news that actor Kevin Conroy has passed away at age 66. It’s no exaggeration to say Conroy defined the voice of Batman for several generations of fans, from his original work on groundbreaking Batman: The Animated Series to follow-up shows like Batman Beyond and Justice League to the critically acclaimed Arkham games.

Bat-fans can and will debate on which actor best portrayed the character in live-action, but the simple truth is that Conroy was Batman, every bit as much as Christopher Reeve embodied Superman. With only the power of his voice, Conroy gave us the most nuanced and fully realized version of the Caped Crusader ever to appear outside the comics. This is how Conroy’s made humanity the most important tool in Batman’s crimefighting arsenal.

Batman’s Compassion for His Villains

One of the true hallmarks of Conroy’s Batman performance was his talent for drawing such a distinct line between his Bruce Wayne and Batman voices. Watching Batman: The Animated Series, it’s easy to see how even Bruce’s friends like Lucius Fox and Commissioner Gordon could remain blissfully unaware of his nighttime antics.

There’s a scene in the episode “Heart of Steel Part 1” that captures this perfectly. As Batman is doing his thing in the Batcave, Alfred fields a call from Lucius and Conroy’s voice immediately shoots up an octave and loses all its gruff edge as he mentally puts on a different mask.

But the real beauty of Conroy’s performance is that it was never simply about playing Bruce Wayne or Batman. They weren’t two people occupying the same body, but merely different shades of a person still struggling to make sense of a senseless tragedy decades after the fact. There are many moments over the course of the series where echoes of Bruce bleed into Batman’s voice, especially when dealing with his enemies.

“Heart of Ice” is an early example of this. That episode is arguably the very best in the series, and notable for fundamentally transforming Mister Freeze from a crook with a high-tech gimmick to a profoundly tragic figure. Obviously, Freeze’s voice actor Michael Ansara is doing the heaviest lifting in that episode, but Conroy also plays a vital part in helping redefine the Batman/Freeze dynamic. Bruce shows a deep pity for Victor Fries and his wife Nora. Even after ultimately defeating Freeze with the power of chicken soup, Batman doesn’t revel in his hardwon victory, but only reveals his disgust toward corrupt GothCorp CEO Ferris Boyle and the lives he destroyed.

So many episodes over the course of the series hinge on those deep, empathic connections between Batman and his foes. “Two Face Part II” ends with the iconic shot of Bruce flipping Harvey Dent’s disfigured coin into the fountain, a reminder of the friendship that was destroyed. In “Perchance to Dream,” Batman rages at the Mad Hatter after experiencing a dream world where his parents still lived, only to realize his nemesis was willing to give him paradise if it meant leaving Tetch free to pursue his dreams.

Conroy’s Batman is defined by his relationships with these twisted misfits, and the fact that he shows such compassion for them no matter how many death traps and psychological gauntlets he endures. Even the Joker is no exception. 2011’s Batman: Arkham City ends on a haunting note, as Joker finally overplays his hand and succumbs to his terminal illness. Batman seems to wrestle with the question of whether to save his foe or let Gotham finally be free of the Joker, but ultimately reveals he couldn’t condemn someone even as twisted as Joker to death.

It’s Joker who ultimately seals his own fate when he accidentally destroys Batman’s antidote. Once again, Batman takes no pride in saving his city or finally being rid of his archenemy, but simply mourns the fact that he couldn’t save a man far beyond salvation. Conroy’s performance gives life to the turmoil of emotions quietly bubbling beneath the cape and cowl.

Batman’s Battles With Age

Conroy’s Batman legacy would have been secure even if the actor never voiced the character again after Batman: The Animated Series. But thankfully, Conroy continued to voice Batman pretty regularly over the course of 30 years. Therein lies another advantage of his Batman performance. He had the opportunity to age and grow old alongside Batman in a way we’ve never really seen from the various live-action versions.

Obviously, that was the entire premise behind Batman Beyond, a BTAS sequel set decades into the future. Conroy’s versatility is on full display in every single episode. In Beyond, the combination of age, failure and regret have caused Batman and Bruce Wayne to blur together to form one aging, antisocial and embittered man. The series premiere even gives this futuristic Bruce Wayne a brief but compelling origin story, showing the final night on the job where everything went wrong.

Conroy quickly came to embody this aged, reclusive Bruce Wayne every bit as much as he did the youthful, compassionate hero of BTAS. In Beyond, Conroys voice carries a far more gravelly timbre. This Bruce is impatient and short-tempered - a man still coming to terms with the fact that he can’t be the one patrolling the streets every night. There’s so much about the thoughts, feelings and motivations of this Bruce Wayne that never has to be explicitly stated in the scripts. Conroy’s grave voice tells the full story.

But there have been other Batman stories that allowed Conroy to tackle a more subtle version of the “Batman confronts his mortality” trope. 2015’s Arkham Knight is probably the best example. While it doesn’t become apparent until well into the game, Arkham Knight chronicles Bruce’s last and most important mission as Batman. His body and mind are rapidly breaking down thanks to his ordeals in the previous two games. There’s an increasingly desperate edge to Conroy’s performance as Batman races against the clock. And in the game’s dramatic climax, Batman battles for his very soul as a flood of Scarecrow’s Fear Toxin opens the door for Joker to take over his mind. Arkham Knight allows Conroy to portray Batman at both his lowest ebb and at his most triumphant.

[sidebar - DC’s Arkham Knight prequel comic is worth checking out for more context about Bruce’s mindset during this period and his compulsion to leave a lasting mark on Gotham while he still has time left.]

Conroy is every bit as skilled at playing an elderly, embittered Batman as he is a Batman in his prime. That’s what paved the way for him to finally make the jump to live-action in 2019’s Arrowverse crossover Crisis on Infinite Earths. Conroy appears in the second episode as a Kingdom Come-inspired version of Bruce whose broken body is held together by an exoskeleton. This Bruce is as battered psychologically as he is physically. If the elderly Bruce of Batman Beyond finds some measure of redemption through his partnership with Terry McGinnis, this Bruce has become consumed by darkness and hate. It’s a chilling performance precisely because Conroy is playing such a different version of his most iconic role.

Conroy’s Batman Origin Story

Conroy always treated his Batman role with a sense of gravitas, recognizing that he was a temporary steward of a role that brings with it many hopes and expectations and responsibilities. BTAS Podcast host Justin Michael related an anecdote about Conroy’s appearance on the show. While many veteran BTAS actors would record faux-commercials for the podcast while in character, Conroy politely declined. To him, the idea of Batman shilling products for corporate America, even in jest - went against everything the character stands for.

To understand why Conroy had such a protective attachment to the Batman role, one need only turn to his autobiographical comic “Finding Batman,” which debuted in the anthology special DC Pride 2022. Working with artist J. Bone, Conroy gives readers a brief but powerful glimpse into his personal life and the struggles that shaped him on his road to becoming Batman. Conroy reflects on the difficulties of growing up as a gay man in a heavily conservative and religious community. He reveals the struggle he faced in trying to care for a mentally ill brother while also pursuing an acting career, and in watching so many friends and colleagues pass away in the ‘80s during the height of the AIDS crisis. Even his professional accomplishments became overshadowed by the homophobia rampant in Hollywood at the time.

But despite the heavy subject matter, “Finding Batman” is ultimately a story of hope. It ends with Conroy auditioning for Batman: The Animated Series and tapping into the deep well of pain and loss within. He finds a kindred spirit in Bruce Wayne, a character also forced to spend his life wearing a mask and hiding his true self from the world. Conroy’s pain becomes Bruce’s pain, and that’s where his Batman springs to life.

Conroy writes, “It seemed to roar from thirty years of frustration, confusion, denial, love yearning… Yearning for what? An anchor, a harbor, a sense of safety, a sense of identity. Yes, I can relate. Yes, this is terrain I know well. I felt Batman rising from deep within.”

That’s what made Conroy the voice of Batman. He brought a lifetime of hardship and adversity to the table and harnessed it. Not to create a dark terror of the night, but to build a Batman shaped by pain and defined by compassion for his friends and enemies alike. Conroy’s Batman is the most human Caped Crusader of them all, and for that reason he’ll probably always be the standard by which all other Batmen are judged.

Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

Your Chromebook is capable of so much more than its reputation would have you believe. While it’s true that the Chromebook needs an internet connection for some of its best features, you can use it to game even when you’re offline.

It’s not a laptop computer when it comes to processing power, but a Chromebook can easily keep up with some of the most popular games of the year. Take full advantage of that good Chromebook you bought with these picks for the best Chromebook games to play right now.

Stardew Valley

Stardew Valley is the iconic indie farming simulator chock full of nostalgic imagery and relaxing tasks to complete. While you might get stressed about mining enough ore before you fall asleep at 2 a.m., Stardew Valley is clearly designed for low-pressure gaming. That said, once you start your farm, you’ll probably be checking your Chromebook incessantly to advance the game, which downloads right onto your Chromebook so you can play offline.

Among Us

When you have an internet connection, Among Us is easily one of the best picks for gaming on your Chromebook. Try to figure out who the impostor is (or evade the crewmembers who suspect you as the impostor) as you work to repair your escape vehicle — a ruined spaceship — with your teammates. It’s collaborative, engaging, and super fast-paced.

Terraria

Terraria is a fascinating and inventive game that marries the creativity and buildable nature of games like Minecraft with the puzzles and nostalgia of dungeon crawlers and platformers. In a world where everything is destroyable — and many of those components join together to create various weapons — you’ll quickly find yourself bopping your head to the techno beat and enjoying some immersive gameplay.

Alto’s Odyssey

Alto’s Odyssey shines on a touchscreen Chromebook, especially if you have a two-in-one. Flip your Chromebook into tablet mode and dive into this stunning downhill runner. As you ski down the hill, you’ll come across endless obstacles that might cause your demise, or might rocket you into a long jump past the pretty sunset.

Spelunky

Spelunky changed the game for platformers when it was released almost a decade ago, and it’s still well worth playing on your Chromebook (right in your browser, at that!). This platformer set in a dank dungeon has a slew of randomized levels where you need to loot as much as you can before moving onto the next level. You’ll find yourself playing the original over and over and over, but you’ll have to use your gaming console or PC to play Spelunky 2.

Fallout Shelter

Keep your apocalyptic crew alive in this looping simulation game inspired by the challenges you come across in Fallout. In this (much smaller) game, you’ll assign dwellers to keep your bunker running as new dwellers and enemies present threats to survival. You could play Fallout Shelter forever, but it’ll be a while before your bunker lasts long enough to thrive.

Asphalt 9: Legends

You’ll be seriously impressed with your Chromebook when you see how well it handles Asphalt 9: Legends, a racing game fit with tons of vehicles made by the car manufacturers you drool over in the real world — Lamborghini, Ferrari, Porsche. Take the wheel in this realistic racing game that shines on touchscreen Chromebooks.

Hearthstone

If you’re looking for a digital card game to always have open on your Chromebook, Hearthstone is perhaps the best one out there. This game is massively popular because of its expansive world built out using beautiful cards and complicated turns. Hearthstone is sort of like Magic: The Gathering, both in the gameplay and in the hordes of obsessive players that know everything about the fantasy world it’s set in. Did we mention it’s free to play?

Oxenfree

Oxenfree mixes the alluring mystery of a time travel platformer with the crushing heartbreak of grief and how it feels to be a teenager. Set on an island with all sorts of odd time-space activity going on, this game logs your decisions to determine what happens next. Or what happened before. Or what’s happening in an alternate reality.

Roblox

After years of Chromebook users struggling to play Roblox on their devices, this game is finally available on the Play Store. Roblox is possibly the most popular user-generated game out there, with kids younger than you designing beautiful worlds to explore for hours. You can interact with other players, too, as well as nearly everything in the game environment.

Injustice 2

Embody your favorite superheroes in Injustice 2, the massive multiplayer fighting game set in the DC universe. Play as one of tens of classic characters including Batman, Catwoman, Harley Quinn, and Wonder Woman, or choose from the selection of new characters like Black Canary, Doctor Fate, or Poison Ivy. Don’t forget to pick up the costumes littered all around this game to customize your character.

Genshin Impact

Genshin Impact is one of the best mobile games you can play right now. With an expansive open world, consistent updates, and enjoyable combat-filled gameplay, it's definitely worth downloading on your Chromebook. That being said, not all Chromebooks are able to run this game, so make sure you take a look at the list of devices that are able to run Android apps.

Zoë Hannah is a freelance video games, mental health, and e-commerce journalist. You can find her reviews, essays, and reporting in publications like WIRED, IGN, Insider, and more. When she's not writing, you can find her curled up with a spooky video game or an immersive novel. Find her on Twitter @zoehhannah or browse her clips at zoehhannah.com.

Whether you use your iPad as a portable workhorse or as a creative tool, you aren’t taking full advantage of your tablet until you start gaming on it.

With a beautiful, expansive screen and a huge selection of games available in the App Store, there’s never a shortage of new titles to try on your iPad. These games are best on the iPad because they shine on the Liquid Retina screen, they creatively employ the mobility of the device, or simply because they’re downright great games.

Remember the early iPad days, when a quick game of Temple Run or slicing kiwis in Fruit Ninja was enough to forget about life's dramas? Let’s go back there, friends, with some of the best games to play on your iPad and iPad Pro.

Genshin Impact

Make space on your iPad because this iconic game is both impossible to ignore and extremely space-intensive. But it’s well worth the 20 GB of storage needed for Genshin Impact because the cult open-world RPG will likely become your favorite iPad game. You’ll hardly ever run out of new things to explore in Genshin Impact, like the rowdy carousel of manga-style characters or the beautiful world filled with inventive enemies. The best part? It’s completely free to play, and players report that you don’t have to spend anything to enjoy the best the game has to offer.

Stardew Valley

If you want to relax and grow food while juggling the normal anxieties of normal life — dating, fulfilling the wishes of your late grandfather, running a farm, making sure you pet your chickens every day — Stardew Valley is the game for you. The tap controls work great on iPad, with the added bonus of a bigger screen so you can peek at all the cute details in this iconic indie game.

Among Us

It’s like Mafia, but online. What’s not to love? Among Us made us feel like we were among anyone but ourselves during the height of the pandemic. It’s maintained its popularity in the months since because of its fast-paced, social environment that sort of makes you feel like you’re playing a game with all the big kids in the neighborhood after dark.

Minecraft

We're probably supposed to put something about your children loving their Minecraft creations more than they love you, but we won’t do that, because you already know. But the question is, have you tried Minecraft? This game is beloved not just by little ones — it’s actually an incredibly advanced open world survival game that you can explore literally forever. The colors are practically made to be enjoyed on a big, beautiful screen, and you’ll enjoy using the touch controls on your iPad if you don’t have a PC to play this with. Alternatively, hooking up a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard to your iPad may make your Minecraft experience even better.

Alto’s Odyssey

It’s essentially a crime to play Alto’s Odyssey on a screen smaller than your iPad screen, even if you’re working with an iPad Mini. This endless downhill platformer has been at the top of every mobile game chart since its release in 2018, and it’s possibly the prettiest game on the App Store today. With a calming color palette and a slew of engaging levels that both excite you and chill you out, you won’t want to put your iPad down once you start skiing in Alto’s Odyssey.

Civilization VI

If turn-based strategy games are your bag, Civ VI is perhaps the best one you’ll find on iPad. This game is free to play, but it won’t belong before you’re dropping real cash so you can play past the first 60 turns. Keep your civilization alive and prospering for as long as possible as you stand up to the trials of a growing society — deities determined to make life on Earth harder, for instance.

Monument Valley

Even though Monument Valley was released all the way back in 2014, it still stands the test of time even eight years later. This isometric puzzle platformer is befuddling, addictive, and filled with visuals that’ll make you so glad you splurged on that Liquid Retina screen. I can’t promise that this one will be relaxing, since the levels are increasingly challenging and visually confounding, but I can promise that it’ll be the first thing you open on your iPad every time for at least a few weeks after you buy it.

The Gardens Between

Similar to Monument Valley, The Gardens Between uses isometry to create puzzles that will light up parts of your brain you haven’t used in eons. This nostalgic puzzle game tells the story of two childhood friends forced apart when one moves away. It plays off of backyard imagination and a kid’s conception of time to stretch core memories into fascinating puzzles that can only be solved when you let time move forward. Yes, it will make you cry.

Dot’s Home

If you want to learn something while you play a unique and fascinating game with adorable animation, check out Dot’s Home. This game uses real-life experiences of Black Americans who have been (and still are) disenfranchised through housing discrimination to fill out a heartwrenching story of a time-traveling activist. As Dot discovers the tough decisions her family has made to ensure adequate housing over the decades, she’s exposed to the (based on reality) ways her parents and grandparents were taken advantage of by landlords, developers, and gentrifiers.

Oxenfree

Speaking of time travel, Oxenfree is one of the best time travel games out there today and it really shines on iPad. Touch controls are best for this game since you move around the platformer by clicking where you want to go. I loved playing Oxenfree, which follows a mourning teen as she visits her late brother’s favorite spooky island with a group of friends, on my Nintendo Switch, but touch controls would’ve made the experience even better. Plus, you can keep diving into the time warp over and over again until you’ve experienced all the outcomes of this heartbreaking game.

Donut County

Donut County is satisfying, addictive to no end, and extremely cute. What more could you ask for from an iPad game? With extra space to appreciate all the details in this puzzle-ish game, the iPad takes Donut County from cutesy download to fascinating feat of programming. Drag your hole in the ground around to absorb the items around you, making your hole bigger and more destructive with each item you take.

Dungeons of Dreadrock

Dive into Dungeons of Dreadrock, a nostalgic dungeon crawler that takes place beneath a snowy mountain filled with enemies and puzzles. This 16-bit game evokes old Zelda games, both in aesthetics and in how masterfully difficult the puzzles are. With 100 relatively short levels to pass, Dungeons of Dreadrock is perfect for gaming on your iPad.

Zoë Hannah is a freelance video games, mental health, and e-commerce journalist. You can find her reviews, essays, and reporting in publications like WIRED, IGN, Insider, and more. When she's not writing, you can find her curled up with a spooky video game or an immersive novel. Find her on Twitter @zoehhannah or browse her clips at zoehhannah.com.

God of War: Ragnarok is shaping up to be one of the biggest games of 2022, and the series’ new director has revealed which classic games influenced his career.

Speaking with IGN, Santa Monica Studio’s Eric Williams says five classic NES titles informed how he tackles the various elements key to building a successful game.

Williams, who took over the franchise’s directing responsibilities from Cory Barlog, describes himself as an “engineer at heart,” with a “math, science, and design background.” So it’s no surprise that, while some of his formative games are heavy on fantasy and mythology, others focus on mechanics, statistics, and combat systems.

The Legend of Zelda

The classic 1986 game that introduced the world to Link, Princess Zelda, and Hyrule left a strong impression on Williams as a child. He says, “being from the Midwest and playing in the woods as a kid made this game feel so familiar and fantastical all at the same time.”

Castlevania II: Simon's Quest

Mythology plays a key role in God of War: Ragnarok, and it appears that it’s been one Williams’s favorite story elements for quite a while. Speaking of Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest, he calls it “the total package,” and details how he was particularly influenced by the game’s “town, the day / night, the insane secrets” and “the monster mythology.”

Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!

A massive game like God of War: Ragnarok requires complex combat systems, and early in his life Williams learned the importance of crafting them well. In fact, 1987’s Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! provided instrumental in his understanding of how a combat system ought to work. “The patterns, mechanics, techniques, and challenge of this game,” he says, “informed all of my early notions of what a “good” combat system should be.”

Baseball Stars

Quickly learning how money and upgrades work in a massive game like God of War: Ragnarok is usually the key to early success. And it turns out that Eric Williams discovered that via a game from an entirely different genre. One of Williams’s most influential games is 1989’s Baseball Stars, and it turns out he found inspiration beyond the gameplay and mechanics.

“I love the 'numbers' of baseball,” Williams says, “and this game had a salary system that taught me the fundamentals of stats and economy systems.”

River City Ransom

Combat systems, story, mythology, and statistics are all important when developing a successful game. But, according to Williams, so is theme. And he learned the importance of theme while playing 1989’s River City Ransom.

“Theme is very important to me and this game’s theme of being a 'kid' was so strong,” Williams says. “Playground gangs, sports, weapons, comics to learn abilities, even the low money cap felt like lunch money or allowance values true of the time.”

While Williams drew inspiration from a series of classic Nintendo games from the 1980s, it turns out the NES wasn’t the only console that had a major impact on his career. In fact, one of the very first home game systems ever developed set him on a path to video game design when he was just a kid.

“The Atari 2600 was the console that made me want to be a game designer. How 9-year-old me even knew (that) ‘game designer’ was even a thing is beyond me,” Williams says.

It may be tough to believe the word of an elementary school-aged future AAA game developer, but Williams brought the receipts.

“When I was in 4th grade we had to write a book about all the things we might want to be one day, and it required us to explore 10 different paths,” he says. “My final outcome was fighter pilot, mostly due to me seeing Top Gun. But the wild part was the runner-up entry (was) “game designer”.

“(This) image was taken from that book and ridiculously embarrassing. Yet all these years later, here I am sitting at Santa Monica Studios reflecting on the dreams of a kid from the Midwest while the world is playing our game.”

This interview has been formatted for clarity

EA has shared its decision to "stop further development and investment" in Project CARS, the racing game series developed by Slightly Mad Studios.

According to GamesIndustry.biz, EA evaluated the status of the Project CARS series and determined that it would be best to retire the franchise to focus on other titles in its portfolio. The publisher confirmed its decision in a statement to the outlet, noting that affected staff would be moved into "suitable" roles within the company, wherever possible.

"Today we announced internally an update to our racing portfolio," an EA spokesperson said. "Following an evaluation of the next Project CARS title and its longer-term growth potential, we have made the decision to stop further development and investment for the franchise.

"Decisions like these are very hard, but allow us to prioritise our focus in areas where we believe we have the strongest opportunity to create experiences that fans will love. We are focusing on our strengths in our racing portfolio, particularly licensed IP and open-world experiences, and expanding our franchises to be more socially-led with long-term live services that will engage global communities.

"We are working with everyone impacted by this decision to place them into suitable roles across our EA Sports and racing portfolio, as well as other parts of EA, wherever we can. Our priority now is on providing as much support as possible to our people through this transition."

Slightly Mad Studios was acquired by Codemasters in 2019. EA then purchased Codemasters in 2021 for $1.2 billion. As part of its takeover, EA identified further room for growth in racing games, with the acquisition allowing the publisher to increase its presence on the track and "deliver racing experiences to fans on a more regular basis."

However, the first two games in the Project CARS series were delisted from digital storefronts in September and October due to expiring car and track licenses, while mobile game Project CARS GO shut down seven months after its release in March 2021. The third title was poorly received by critics, with IGN calling it "a total 180 for the series."

Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.

Games have always existed in a numbers-obsessed industry. Sega vs. Nintendo defined a generation in the '90s, while today's comparatively mild console wars and monthly NPD reports keep sales figures near the forefront of games-related discussion. New monetization models require new metrics for success — monthly active users, player retention rates, in-game revenue, etc. — but one of the industry's biggest questions remains: What are the best-selling video games of all time?

To answer this question, we set out to compile the most accurate list possible by reaching out to publishers and digging through financial reports, news stories, interviews, and more. The result is the following list of the ten best-selling video games of all time.

Our August 2022 update includes a new addition to the list and official updates for eight games.

Some notes up front:

• Pack-in games are counted toward sales totals, considering most games on this list were, at one point, bundled with a console.
• Free downloads are not counted as sales, excluding massively successful games like Fortnite and League of Legends from a list like this.
• Due to a lack of available sales data, we could not include certain games that may have earned a spot on this list. Skyrim is one such game: In a November 2021 episode of IGN Unfiltered, Todd Howard said Skyrim has sold “far more” than 30 million copies. Given that comment, its wide-reaching popularity, and many re-releases over the past decade, it’s possible it has outsold some games on this list. However, Bethesda didn’t respond to a request for sales information.
• We also reached out to Activision-Blizzard seeking updated sales numbers for Diablo 3 (30 million units sold as of June 2015) and the Call of Duty franchise, but did not receive updated information to include those games on this list.

10. Red Dead Redemption 2 – 46 million+

The most recently released game to earn a spot in the top ten is Red Dead Redemption 2. Rockstar’s western epic has sold over 46 million copies as of September 30, 2022, according to publisher Take-Two’s latest financial report.

9. Pokemon Gen 1 – 47 million

In Japan, the era-defining original Pokemon was available in two versions at launch (Red and Green) before coming to other territories as Pokemon Red and Blue. Yellow Version (aka Special Pikachu Edition) followed between 1998 and 2000, depending on the territory.

While Nintendo hasn't publicly shared a sales total for the first generation of Pokemon games, survey data from the Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association (CESA)* put the four versions' combined sales around 45 million copies — approximately 31.05 million for Red/Blue/Green and 14.64 million for Yellow. 1.5 million copies were also sold on 3DS through Virtual Console, according to Nintendo, bringing the estimated total of Pokemon’s first-gen games to roughly 47 million.

We reached out to Nintendo for an official number and didn’t receive a response. However, we do have an official sales total for the franchise: Pokemon games collectively sold over 440 million units by the end of March 2022.

*CESA is a respected industry publication out of Japan. The association's annual “white paper" details Japanese and global video game sales data collected through surveys of publishers. Member companies include Sony, Microsoft Japan, Capcom, Square Enix, EA, and Atlus; Nintendo is listed as a “special supporting member.”

8. Super Mario Bros. – 48 million

The lifetime sales total of Super Mario Bros. sits at just over 48 million units, according to CESA. It’s the best-selling NES game ever, with an estimated 40.24 million copies sold on the console. Other versions factored into this sales total include the Game Boy Color remake Super Mario Bros. Deluxe (~5 million), GBA’s Classic NES Series: Super Mario Bros. (~2 million), and Virtual Console sales (~.66 million).

In addition to the platforms listed above, various versions of the iconic platformer were released for arcade, Game & Watch, PC-88, Sharp X1, Nintendo's PlayChoice-10, SNES (via Super Mario All-Stars), NES Classic, and Nintendo Switch (via Nintendo Switch Online).

We reached out to Nintendo for an official sales total and didn’t receive a response as of publish.

7. Overwatch – 50 million

Blizzard’s hero shooter Overwatch has sold 50 million copies, according to a Bloomberg report published in April 2022. Overwatch elevated the hero shooter genre with brilliant game design, thoughtfully crafted heroes, and continued esports support. In October of 2022, Overwatch will be replaced by its free-to-play sequel, Overwatch 2.

6. Mario Kart 8 + Deluxe – 56.87 million

With 48.41 million copies sold (as of September 30, 2022), Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the best-selling Switch game, according to Nintendo. Factor in sales of the original Wii U release and that total rises to nearly 57 million, good for the sixth-best-selling game of all time. MK8 is unlikely to rise any higher on this list given the 20-million-unit sales gap between it and the next-best-selling game.

5. PUBG – 75 million

Given its critical role in the rising popularity of battle royale games over the last five years, it’s unsurprising that PUBG has been such a massive sales success. Krafton creative director Dave Curd told The Verge it has sold 75 million copies of PUBG as of December 2021. That will likely be the shooter’s final sales tally, as it went free to play a month later in January 2022.

While free mobile downloads don't count toward its sales total, it's worth noting PUBG Mobile had been downloaded over 1 billion times as of March 2021.

4. Wii Sports – 82.9 million

According to Nintendo's official sales figures, Wii Sports is the company's best-selling game ever. While most entries on this list were bundled with a console at some point, Wii Sports was bundled with the Wii in nearly all territories at launch. At nearly 83 million copies sold, it’s the top-selling single-platform exclusive of all time.

3. Grand Theft Auto V – 170 million+

Grand Theft Auto 5 is the best-selling console/PC-only game of all time (the top two entries on this list have mobile versions, too). Sales of Rockstar’s most ambitious GTA yet have surpassed 170 million units as of September 30, 2022. That number compiles the game’s sales totals from across three console generations and PC between 2013 and 2022.

GTA 5 was the fastest entertainment release across all mediums to reach $1 billion — and it’s since earned Rockstar and Take-Two billions more, making it the most-profitable entertainment release ever, at least as of 2018.

2. Minecraft – 238 million

Minecraft had sold 238 million copies as of April 2021, according to Microsoft, though its sales total has certainly climbed higher in the year-plus since. The company notes that figure captures the sales total across its 22 available platforms. And with film, Netflix, education, toy, and many other projects either completed or in the works, Minecraft has transcended the medium in a way few others have before it.

We reached out to Microsoft for an updated sales total and didn’t receive a response.

1. Tetris – 520 million

Arguably the most timeless video game ever created, Tetris sits comfortably atop the list of all-time bestsellers with 520 million copies sold, according to The Tetris Company. That number includes sales across all available platforms, with the majority coming from mobile: Henk Rogers, The Tetris Company's managing director, said Tetris had 425 million paid mobile downloads as of 2014.

Tetris was initially released for the Soviet Union-developed Elektronika 60 computer, and variations of the classic puzzler have since been made for over 50 different platforms. Notably, it helped launch the Game Boy to success, eventually selling 35 million copies on Nintendo's handheld console.

Modern variations of the classic are still being released: Tetris Effect: Connected brought the puzzler to current-gen consoles with an emotional twist, while most recently, in 2020, SEGA released Puyo Puyo Tetris 2.

2022 updates:

• Added: Overwatch
• Removed: Mario Kart Wii
• Updated: Tetris, Minecraft, GTA V, PUBG, Mario Kart 8, Super Mario Bros., Pokemon, Red Dead 2

Calling all Zelda fans: The First 4 Figures Breath of the Wild Urbosa statue is now available for preorder in the IGN Store! This statue of the Gerudo Champion Urbosa is right in line with the other Breath of the Wild statues from the company, including Revali.

The Collector's Edition comes with two light-up LED modes, Static and Animated. When activated, the Sheikah Eye symbol will glow a brilliant blue: steadily on in Static mode and pulsating in Animated mode. Other than that, the two editions are virtually identical, and the statues are set to release in January 2023. You can take a close look at the statue in our gallery below.

First released in 2017, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is still viewed as a masterpiece. In fact, the game earned the #1 spot in IGN's list of the best 100 video games of all time. Fans are now looking forward to the game's sequel, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, which is coming out on May 12, 2023.

The Batman: Arkham games sit alongside Insomniac's Spider-Man as the best comic book games ever made. With the Arkham series, Rocksteady Studios blended excellent freeflow combat, top-tier voice performances, and an inspired rendition of Gotham City to create an unforgettable collection of action-adventure superhero games.

While Gotham Knights isn't part of the "Arkhamverse," it's release inspired us to create this chronology of the Batman: Arkham games for those interested in playing (or replaying) the best Batman games around.

Jump to:

• How to play in chronological order
• How to play by release order

How Many Batman Arkham Games Are There?

In total there are eight games in the Batman Arkhamverse. That tally will climb to nine when Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is released in 2023. However, only six of the eight Arkhamverse games are currently playable — two mobile games have been shut down/removed from mobile storefronts.

Batman Arkham Games in Chronological Order

Below we’ve outlined two ways to approach the Batman: Arkham games: chronologically by release date or chronologically by narrative. The choice is yours, and both possible paths are outlined below, beginning with the narrative chronology.

With series newcomers in mind, these brief plot synopses contain only mild spoilers such as broad plot points and character introductions.

1. Batman: Arkham Origins

The first Arkham game chronologically is 2013’s Batman: Arkham Origins. Set on Christmas Eve in a snow-covered Gotham, Origins stars a less-experienced Batman who finds himself with a $50 million bounty on his head, drawing the attention of Gotham’s finest criminals: the Joker, Black Mask, The Penguin, Mad Hatter, Bane, Deadshot, Firefly, and Killer Croc, among others. The ending hints at the reopening of Arkham Asylum, setting up the future events of Rocksteady’s game of the same name.

Notably, Origins stars Roger Craig Smith as Batman and Troy Baker as the Joker, subbing in for Arkham’s regular superstar duo of Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill. While the Arkhamverse was established by Rocksteady Studios, Origins was developed by WB Montreal, the studio behind Gotham Knights.

A mobile version of Arkham Origins was also released. While it plays much differently than its console counterpart — it’s a brawler developed by Mortal Kombat studio NeatherRealm — it hits the same narrative beats.

2. Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate

Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate is set three months after the events of Origins. Unlike the third-person adventures that comprise the mainline Arkham games, Blackgate is a 2.5D side-scroller developed by Armature Studio (Resident Evil 4 VR).

In Blackgate, Batman investigates the titular prison, where an explosion has freed its inmates. As the Caped Crusader, you explore three main areas, each controlled by one of Gotham’s most notorious villains: Penguin, Black Mask, and the Joker. Other notable characters include Catwoman, Amanda Waller, and Rick Flag.

Roger Craig Smith and Troy Baker take another turn as Batman and the Joker.

3. Batman: Arkham Underworld

Batman: Arkham Underworld is a mobile game that positions you as Gotham’s newest criminal mastermind, allowing you to command Batman villains such as Harley Quinn, The Riddler, Scarecrow, Mr. Freeze, and Killer Croc. It’s essentially a free-to-play Gotham gang recruiter, in which you build a criminal hideout, recruit henchmen, and do battle. Kevin Conroy reprises his role as Batman following the mainline Arkham trilogy.

Arkham Underworld is set sometime before Arkham Asylum, though it possesses little importance to the overall Arkhamverse narrative — which is fortunate considering it’s no longer available to download (Arkham Underworld was shut down in 2017, only a year after it was released).

Bonus: Batman: Assault on Arkham

Batman: Assault on Arkham is an animated film set in the Arkhamverse, roughly two years before Arkham Asylum. Those only interested in the games can skip the film without much effect, but those interested in the full Arkhamverse narrative should check it out — it’s available to stream on HBO Max and happens to be a pretty entertaining movie; our review awarded it an 8.8, calling it “a great heist film.”

Like Arkham Underworld, Arkham Assault shines the spotlight on Batman’s adversaries, following Harley, Joker, Riddler, and others as they infiltrate Arkham Asylum, ultimately freeing many of its most notorious inmates.

Kevin Conroy once again voices Batman, while Troy Baker voices the Joker. Notably, Giancarlo Esposito (The Mandalorian, Breaking Bad) lends his voice to Black Spider.

4. Batman: Arkham Asylum

Rocksteady’s first Batman game, Batman: Arkham Asylum introduces us to the Arkhamverse’s verson of the Caped Crusader (voiced by Kevin Conroy). It’s the fourth game in the chronology but the first to be released. Mark Hamill’s Joker serves as the primary villain, though the cast of characters also includes Harley Quinn, Commissioner Gordon, Scarecrow, Bane, Poison Ivy, and others.

With the help of Harley Quinn, the Joker infiltrates the asylum to obtain a super-strength serum called Titan. The Clown Prince had bombs planted around Gotham City, threatening to detonate them should anyone come to Batman’s aid, leaving our hero to deal with the asylum’s escapees alone.

Arkham Asylum’s story was written by Paul Dino, whose long history with the franchise includes many writing credits on Batman: The Animated Series and Batman Beyond.

5. Batman: Arkham City Lockdown

Released shortly after Arkham City, Batman: Arkham City Lockdown is a fighter set between the events of Asylum and City. It’s the first Arkham mobile game to be released and the second developed by NeatherRealm (the other being the aforementioned Arkham Origins mobile game).

Narratively, Arkham City Lockdown features tons of Arkham staples, including the Joker (voiced by Mark Hamill), Harley Quinn, Two-Face, Penguin, Solomon Grundy, Poison Ivy, Deathstroke, Robin, and of course, Batman (voiced by Kevin Conroy). The story centers around yet another prison escape that Batman must clean up.

We’ll spoil this one since the plot is relatively inconsequential and Arkham City Lockdown is no longer available to purchase: Batman prevails and returns the escaped prisoners to the asylum.

6. Batman: Arkham City

Rocksteady’s second game in the series, Batman: Arkham City takes place a year and a half after Arkham Asylum. Following the events of Asylum, Mayor Quincy Sharp opens Arkham City, a section of Gotham City walled off to house criminals. Arkham City sees Batman navigating the lawless area while working to thwart the nefarious, overarching plot seemingly orchestrated by Hugo Strange.

Batman must also deal with a separate threat from the Joker, who’s dealing with the ill effects of the Titan serum he took during the events of Asylum.

Arkham City’s story, like Asylum’s before it, was written by Paul Dini.

7. Batman: Arkham VR

The series’ lone virtual reality game, Batman: Arkham VR is set shortly before the events of Arkham Knight. It’s a narrative-driven game focused on detective work as Batman tries to solve the murder of a close ally.

Given its nature as a story-heavy game, we can’t say much here, but if you have access to a VR headset, Arkham VR is certainly worth playing, especially considering its brief ~90-minute runtime.

The supporting cast includes Robin, Nightwing, Alfred Pennyworth, Penguin, Killer Croc, and Joker. Arkham VR stars Conroy and Hamill’s Batman and the Joker.

8. Batman: Arkham Knight

The conclusion to Rocksteady's trilogy of mainline Batman games, Batman: Arkham Knight raises the stakes with the series' biggest version of Gotham, its most varied cast of characters, and the introduction of a fully playable Batmobile.

Arkham Knight is set on the night of Halloween, presumably less than a year after the events of City. Scarecrow (voiced by Lord of the Rings' John Noble) is threatening Gotham City with his fear toxin, while a new threat surfaces in the mysterious Arkham Knight. Batman, all the while, is dealing with internal torment as an effect of the previous games.

All three threads are wrapped up by the end of Arkham Knight's ~16-hour campaign, though you'll have to earn 100% completion to see the game's true ending.

In addition to Scarecrow and Arkham Knight, the supporting cast includes Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, Penguin, Riddler, Two-Face, Robin, Commissioner Gordon, and Barbara Gordon.

9. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League

Rocksteady’s next game is moving away from Batman and Gotham, yet it's officially “a continuation of the Arkhamverse,” according to the developer. Rocksteady promises “a lot of the threads and storylines [from past Arkham games] will come to fruition.” While it’s unclear how much time has passed since Arkham Knight, those comments clearly indicate it will be set further in the future than any previous Akrhamverse game.

Kill the Justice League shifts the focus to Task Force X, as players explore Metropolis as either Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Captain Boomerang, or King Shark. It’s due out in Q2 2023.

How to Play the Batman Arkham Games By Release Date

• Batman: Arkham Asylum (2009)
• Batman: Arkham City (2011)
• Batman: Arkham City Lockdown (2011)
• Batman: Arkham Origins (2013)
• Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate (2013)
• Batman: Assault on Arkham (2014)*
• Batman: Arkham Knight (2015)
• Batman: Arkham Underworld (2016)
• Batman: Arkham VR (2016)
• Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League (2023)

*Animated film

Members of the Minecraft community using the PolyMC custom launcher are being told to switch to a different launcher after the owner removed contributors from the project in an attempt to “reclaim” PolyMC from people who promote queer and leftist ideology online.

According to a report from GamingonLinux, the owner, who goes by the username LennyMcLennington on the developer hosting site GitHub, revoked these contributors’ permissions yesterday alongside an update titled “reclaim polymc from the leftoids.”

When the update went live, members of the Minecraft community initially thought this was due to a security issue and that the main keyholder had been compromised, but LennyMcLennington has since posted an update on the PolyMC Discord (which IGN has verified) that links both a paste.gg page and GitHub file signed with their PGP signature saying their accounts were not compromised, and they were “just not hiding what [they] believe anymore.”

IGN was able to confirm the update on GitHub, the page.gg and GitHub file, but the original Discord message screenshot in GamingonLinux's report saying LennyMcLennington removed contributor permission from those who were "promoting radicalist leftist queer ideology" didn't show up in our initial searches, meaning it may have been deleted or posted in a private channel on the server, but is still unconfirmed as of this writing.

Following the takeover, Minecraft community members are urging others to switch to a different launcher, both on an ideological level and as a precautionary measure. As GamingonLinux points out in its original report, using PolyMC requires giving the launcher certain permissions with your Microsoft account, and the launcher is essentially run by one person now, though LennyMcLennington has been recruiting new contributors through the PolyMC Discord server.

While some fear PolyMC may be untrustworthy, LennyMcLennington also said in the Discord “there's no malware risk” after this takeover, and they will be vetting the work of any new contributor to ensure the launcher remains safe for its users.

“I'm not going to let anyone contribute code to PolyMC unless I have checked all of the code to make sure it is safe,” the user wrote on Discord. “All I'm doing now is seeing if anyone is interested in contributing so I can communicate with them if they need any help contributing or have any questions about the code base.”

Prior to this, LennyMcLennington was seen on GitHub arguing to remove qualifiers for protections for marginalized people from the PolyMC Code of Conduct back in May, calling the inclusion of race, religion, sexual orientation, and other descriptions “repetitive” when these protections were already said to apply to “everyone.” Though, users were quick to point out that without the specifics in writing, some people were free to interpret “everyone” loosely.

While this story has put the community in distress, Minecraft has been a haven for fan creations, mods, and launchers, which has contributed to the game's longevity over the years. The tools available to players are so extensive that a fan created the entire known universe in Minecraft. Developer Mojang is pretty hands-off with what players create, but did take a hard stance against NFTs and Blockchain technology earlier this year.

Kenneth Shepard is a writer covering games, entertainment, and queerness all around the internet. Find him on Twitter at @shepardcdr, and listen to his biweekly video game retrospective podcast Normandy FM, which is currently covering Cyberpunk 2077.

Eighteen-year-old YouTuber Christopher Slayton recently crafted entire planets, black holes, galaxies, and, well, the entire cosmos. And he used nothing but the blocks within Minecraft.

In the more than a decade since its release, Minecraft has evolved into a creative powerhouse, with its millions strong community working together to build a pantheon of block-based wonders, ranging from the Starship Enterprise to the gothic cityscape of Yharnam from Bloodborne.

Recently, Christopher Slayton — who goes by the handle ChrisDaCow on YouTube — decided to take the sandbox's creative potential to its grandest scale yet, by attempting to recreate the entire cosmos... or at least the elements we know best.

Slayton started off by painstakingly recreating planet Earth. This would end up being a relatively humble beginning compared to what was to follow, however it still took the block artist a grand total of three days to measure out the continents and get the surface colors, clouds, and lighting just right. Illuminating the globe proved to be particularly challenging, but by making the most of a tool that lets you ‘paint with light’, Slayton was able to give his creation immersive lighting gradients and effects.

With Earth complete, Slayton went on to create the other planets in the solar system. Some of these worlds orbit with a noticeable tilt, which was recreated in the newly born digital universe by painting the planets at an angle. This added layer of complexity was compounded by the fact that three of the planets — Saturn, Uranus and Neptune — host their own distinctive ring systems.

Finally, Slayton was able to block-build the Sun — complete with an apocalyptic number of solar flares — with the help of some of the brightest blocks in Minecraft.

From here the scale of the subjects that Christopher sought to build got ever more ambitious, as the digital artist took aim at recreating one of the most iconic cosmic structures discovered to date: the Pillars of Creation.

This vast collection of interstellar dust and gas is in reality a stellar nursery that forms part of the Eagle Nebula. With a width of around 4.5 light-years, the pillars of creation are radically larger than anything he had designed to date. However, for practical reasons, Christopher decided to keep the size of his Minecraft representations comparable to his model of the solar system.

In a video posted to his YouTube channel, Slayton explained, “Every time I made a build, the actual scale was going to stay almost exactly the same, while the size of the object in the universe was going to get exponentially larger in light-years”.

Impressively, while creating the Pillars, he took into account their real-world positions relative to one another, and even modeled the major stars that are studded throughout images of the nebula that have been captured by Hubble and other telescopes.

I just posted a video where I BUILD the ENTIRE UNIVERSE in Minecraft! It is my best video yet!https://t.co/FWdQbVumLm

— ChrisDaCow (@Chr1sDaC0w) October 3, 2022

Christopher then sought to recreate one of the most evocative and awe-inspiring celestial objects in the universe: a black hole. These cosmic creations are fairly common in one form or another throughout our universe, and supermassive versions of them are thought to lurk at the heart of almost every large galaxy like the Milky Way.

Slayton decided to base his work on the black hole ‘Gargantua’, from the 2014 Sci-Fi movie Interstellar. Whilst fictional, this singularity — and its light-bending properties — is an excellent representation of how an actual black hole would appear if we were somehow observing from orbit without being brutally spaghettified by its intense gravitational influence.

Naturally, figuring out the curves of a black hole is a challenging endeavor when you have nothing but square blocks to work with. However, Slayton was able to use hundreds of lines of blocks as guides to create the singularity's light curves, and then light them in such a way as to appear as an impressive Minecraftification of Gargantua.

Next up he painstakingly created a cluster of Milky Way-like spiral galaxies and, finally, got to work on a representation of the entire universe. Based on computer simulations, many astronomers believe that the universe, if viewed from very far away, would appear as a vast cosmic webb, wherein filaments made up of glowing galaxies and clouds of gas are punctuated by voids of nothingness.

In total, it took Slayton over a month to create his digital universe, which has to be one of the most impressive and massive Minecraft builds to date. Time very well spent in our opinion.

Anthony Wood is a freelance writer at IGN

Bayonetta voice actress Hellena Taylor won’t be returning for Bayonetta 3.

A statement from PlatinumGames to Game Informer (via Nintendo Everything) has confirmed that Taylor, who voiced Bayonetta in the first two games, won’t be back.

“Various overlapping circumstances made it difficult for Hellena Taylor to reprise her role,” they confirmed. “We held auditions to cast the new voice of Bayonetta and offered the role to Jennifer Hale, whom we felt was a good match for the character.”

Hale is perhaps best known as the female voice of Commander Shepard in the Mass Effect series, as well as voicing Samus Aran in the Metroid Prime series.

“I understand the concerns some fans have about the voice change at this point in the series, but Jennifer’s performance was way beyond what we could have imagined,” they said. “I’m confident that her portrayal of Bayonetta will exceed our fans’ expectations.”

Bayonetta 3 is currently due for release at the end of the month. A sequel to Bayonetta 2, the game sees the titular heroine tackling Homunculi as she travels to the island of Thule to stop an evil entity known as The Singularity.

Taylor first hinted that she wouldn’t be back for the third installment earlier this year, as fans took to Twitter to say they couldn’t imagine Bayonetta without her voice work.

“Well you might have to,” she replied.

Bound by a confidentiality agreement at the time, she was unable to confirm whether or not she would return for Bayonetta 3, but now we know.

IGN’s Bayonetta review gave it 8.2/10 and said: “Although Bayonetta has more than a few similarities to Devil May Cry, I believe that this game is worth playing... but it's hard to recommend the PS3 version when the 360 version is so much better. Even when you consider the fantastic combat system, the slowdown and load times really do spoil the fun. With that said, Bayonetta is still stylish, entertaining, and unique. If you have no other choice but to purchase the PS3 version, you'll still get a kick out of it. Just be ready to be exorbitantly patient.” Our Bayonetta 2 review was even more positive, with a score of 9.5.

Want to read more about Bayonetta? Check out our hands-on with Bayonetta 3 and find out about Hideki Kamiya's obsession with classic arcade games.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

For the second month in a row, Vampire Survivors has risen above the likes of Elden Ring, Cyberpunk 2077, and Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered to become the most-played Steam Deck game in September 2022.

Valve shared the news on Twitter, confirming that Vampire Survivors, which is set to get its v1.0 update on October 20, was the most-played game in terms of total hours played. While we weren't given an exact number, we do know that it held off the behemoth that is Elden Ring to take the top spot.

Behind those two games, in order, were Stardew Valley, Cyberpunk 2077, Hades, No Man's Sky, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition, Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered, Cult of the Lamb, and Disney Dreamlight Valley.

When compared to August, some of the newcomers to the list include Cyberpunk 2077 and Disney Dreamlight Valley. Cyberpunk 2077 has seen a bit of a resurgence as of late following the release of Netflix's Cyberpunk: Edgerunners anime, news of its first major expansion, and multiple updates that have been released for the game.

CD Projekt recently revealed Cyberpunk 2077 had at least one million people playing the game during the week of September 22 and total sales of the game have surpassed 20 million. All of these details help reveal why it placed fourth on this Steam Deck list.

Disney Dreamlight Valley entered Early Access in September and has been fairly well received by critics and fans. In our 8/10 review, we said that it is "an awesome life simulator that flexes its iconic characters to riveting, satisfying effect." That Disney magic, alongside cross-progression support, helped it make the top 10 list of most-played Steam Deck games for the month.

For more, check out our list of the best Steam Deck games and our chat with Valve about the most burning questions we had about the Steam Deck seven months after its release.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

LEGO first made its jump into video games almost 30 years ago with LEGO Fun to Build on the SEGA Pico. Since then, games framed around the colorful Danish bricks and their iconic minifigures have practically become a genre of their own - and that's in no small part thanks to Traveler’s Tales’ addictive approach to action-platforming and the many pop-culture properties that have since been LEGO-fied.

It wasn’t easy to narrow it down, but we've done our best and are proud to present our Top 10 LEGO games of all time… so far.

10. LEGO Island

What would a best LEGO games list look like without the original 1997 PC adventure, Lego Island? While it may seem rudimentary by today's standards and pretty rough graphically compared to other entries on this list, LEGO Island still holds up as a fun and nostalgic adventure. An escaped convict is hellbent on destroying LEGO Island, brick by brick, and it’s up to you to stop him.

Multiple character classes and a surprisingly ahead-of-its time open-ish world structure make for a good time that’s as comfy as it is engaging. It may be tricky to track down now, but if you can, it's worth taking a trip to LEGO Island - just watch out for the Brickster.

9. LEGO The Lord of the Rings

LEGO The Lord of the Rings is one of those weird LEGO titles where, instead of hiring voice actors to record new lines for the game, they just grabbed audio from the films and put it in. But, somehow, it works. Watching Boromir's emotional death scene while he's bombarded with bananas somehow makes the whole scene feel fresh in an extremely silly way that doesn't cheapen the original film. Add in some Easter eggs (like the achievement for jumping off a ledge and falling into a pile of hay like in Assassin's Creed), a large roster that includes characters from the book that didn't make it into the movie like Tom Bombadil, and all the puzzles and action that we're used to getting from a LEGO game, and you’ve got a recipe for one LEGO game to rule them all. Well, except for the ones above it on this list.

Read our review of LEGO The Lord of the Rings.

8. LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures

It may not seem like it should work, but LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures shows how a not-so-family-friendly film trilogy can be rebuilt with LEGO bricks without feeling like a massive departure from the source material. Similar to the LEGO Star Wars games, LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures takes you through the events of the first three Indy films, but it puts a playful tongue-in-cheek spin on some of the less kid-friendly scenes.

The gameplay showed marked improvement from the earlier LEGO Star Wars games, and like the films it's based on, Indy is a bit more focused on puzzle-solving and exploration than combat. Like its Star Wars counterparts, this game is still a blast when playing local co-op. Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures holds up amazingly well nearly 15 years after it was released, and you might even say this modern classic belongs in a museum.

Read our review of LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures.

7. LEGO DC Super-Villains

The running theme with LEGO games is how well they reimagine darker subject matter in a kid-friendly way without losing the charm of the source material. While LEGO Batman had a few missions starring villains, it’s rare to see an entire game, let alone a family-friendly one, take a heel turn and have you play as the bad guys. But that’s exactly what LEGO DC Super-Villains did, and it’s a testament to the LEGO games’ charm and TT Games’ specific style that they were able to make this rogues gallery of DC bad guys endearing and kid-friendly in a way that appealed to fans rather than outraged them.

Plus, it incorporated a custom character into the story, which was a nice way of tapping into the creativity of playing with LEGO toys that’s often sidelined to focus on licensed characters.

Read our review of LEGO DC Super-Villains.

6. LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes

LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes was the first of TT Games to turn players loose in an open world, and in this case it was the massive Gotham City hub world. While the open worlds of subsequent LEGO games were often better, it’s hard to ignore the charm of seeing Batman’s stomping grounds given the LEGO treatment. An improvement over the original in almost every way and the high-point of the LEGO Batman series (what happened, LEGO Batman 3?!), DC Super Heroes is everything a Batman fan could want in a LEGO game and so much more as it appeals to DC fans and comic fans in general with a roster full of well- and lesser-known characters.

Have you ever wanted to play as General Zod, Killer Moth, and Captain Boomerang in LEGO form? LEGO Batman 2's got your back. With tons of areas to explore, dozens upon dozens of collectibles and unlockables to discover, the undeniable charm of LEGO games in full effect, and of course, Batman and all his suit-based powers, LEGO Batman 2 is not only one of the best LEGO games, it’s also one of the best Batman games to date.

Read our review of Lego Batman 2.

5. LEGO Harry Potter

We had high expectations when LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 was initially released. Thankfully, the detail that went into every corner of the game was instantly enthralling. Not only does the story follow the books and films closely, but LEGO Harry Potter is also an expansive and fresh take on the magical world itself. You are able to adventure through secret passageways in Hogwarts, see each thoughtfully designed Common Room up close, and even fly on a broomstick and play Quidditch.

The continuation of the story with the second game, LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7 (both are now sold together as the LEGO Harry Potter Collection), lets you traverse the world even further by going to places like Zonko’s Joke Shop, 12 Grimmauld Place, Godric’s Hollow, and even London. This is made even more wonderful with the fantastic graphics, rewarding exploration, and the levels themselves that are classic LEGO in the best way possible.

Read our review of LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4.

4. LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga

LEGO Star Wars has the unique honor of being the first pop-culture property to be given the LEGO treatment. Reimagining that galaxy far, far away's iconic characters, creatures, and vehicles as chunky, modular construction sets was like striking gold bricks as it attracted a whole new generation of fans and collectors to Star Wars. While Star Wars video games had been around almost as long as Star Wars movies, the minimalist polygonal nature of Star Wars in LEGO form was ripe for video-gamification.

LEGO Star Wars was released amidst the deluge of merchandise and tie-ins aligned with Revenge of the Sith’s theatrical release, and it very easily could’ve been a forgettable cash grab. Instead, Traveller’s Tales’ infused the game with its trademark blend of puzzle-platforming, collectibles, and humor. LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy kept the momentum going the following year, appealing to older Star Wars fans who might have been less keen on the prequels — and the rest, as they say, is history. If not for the precedent set by these two little games, we probably wouldn’t be writing this list.

Read our review of LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga.

3. LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga

After nearly two decades of creating LEGO Star Wars video games, the team at Traveler’s Tales could have easily compiled content from their previous titles, thrown in a few new Rise of Skywalker levels, and called it a day. Instead, they decided to completely overhaul the combat, the camera, the overworld structure, and literally every single Star Wars level, character, and vehicle within. This game is packed with a staggering amount of things to do and collect for both casual Star Wars fans and those who instantly recognize a minifig based on Malakili the Rancor Keeper.

Not only does LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga let you play through wacky video game makeovers of the mainline numbered Star Wars films, it also brings in references, nods, and collectibles based on the spinoff films, the television shows, and so much more. LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is a deeper, more comprehensive, and more action-packed take on LEGO games and one that hopefully gets applied to every LEGO game from here on out.

Read our review of LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga.

2. LEGO City Undercover

There are a ton of open-world action games that let you steal cars, take down criminals, and customize your character in a sprawling modern metropolis, but few of them are rated “E for Everyone.” LEGO City Undercover ticks all of those boxes and gives players the closest thing we’ve ever had to a LEGO Grand Theft Auto game for kids.

Not only is the world impressively large and packed with fun collectibles, activities, and hilarious references to vintage buddy cop action movies, it’s also got a surprisingly great story with a ton of wit and charm. Most LEGO games shine because of the movie series or popular licensed property they’re based on, but LEGO City Undercover proves that LEGO games can be fantastic and fun on their own.

Read our review of LEGO City Undercover.

1. LEGO Marvel Super Heroes

The (non-cinematic) Marvel Universe has all the ingredients for a great LEGO game as it has a massive roster of characters who can become instantly recognizable minifigs with plenty of alternate costumes to offer as unlockables. The heroes and villains' various powers, skill sets, and gadgets made for a wide range of fun gameplay mechanics without taking too many liberties for who could do what. Its levels took players to familiar locations across the Universe, from Asgard to Asteroid M to The Savage Land, but was still grounded in a massive hub world sandbox of New York City.

But the absolute best thing LEGO Marvel Superheroes had going for it is that all your favorite characters from the comics were allowed to play with each other. At the time of release, the tangled web of intellectual property rights had the big-screen versions of Spider-Man, The Avengers, and The X-Men existing in multiple disparate universes. Marvel video games were in a worse spot, and with a few exceptions, they were mostly rushed movie tie-ins. LEGO Marvel Superheroes had none of these problems. It was everything that made Marvel Comics great, reimagined in blocky plastic form with TT Games' sense of humor and attention to detail. The game even included characters and locations that didn’t (and in some cases, still don’t) exist as physical LEGO toys, like Xavier’s Mansion and Professor X himself.

To no one’s surprise, LEGO Marvel’s Avengers mostly colored within the lines of the MCU. LEGO Marvel Superheroes 2’s larger roster was noticeably missing characters whose movie rights fell under the Fox umbrella. Even if this hadn’t been the case, the first game set such a high bar, it really didn’t need a sequel. I mean, name another game where you can make Doctor Doom and Venom race around on the backs of escaped circus animals?

Read our review of LEGO Marvel Super Heroes.

Did you play any of these games growing up or just love playing with LEGOs for adults? Did you think we missed any LEGO Games that should have been on this list? Let us know! For more top 10 lists, be sure to check out our other lists like the Top 10 Best Video Game Remakes of All Time!

Terraria just got a surprise update adding a whole bunch of new content despite claiming in 2020 that updates for the popular sim would end.

The Labor of Love update brings with it upside-down worlds, a melee overhaul, the ability to transform into a wolf, and plenty of new items among other cool additions to the game.

“This update is a love letter to all our fans,” reads the official patch notes. “Labor of Love contains many fan suggestions, while also tackling a lot of little things that we think everyone can relate to and will enjoy. As is tradition, we have left a few surprises behind for you to discover yourselves. Topping it off, we were able to get this out to everyone at the same time… for the first time, Terrarians everywhere can celebrate a brand new update together!”

Terraria’s Labor of Love update was released on September 28 and brings an extensive update to the game. Most notably, a new world seed brings upside-down worlds to the game.

“An idea first discussed during the release of Journey's End, Don't Dig Up turns the world of Terraria upside down - literally!” the patch notes reveal. “The player will begin their adventure in the depths of the underworld, complete with all new flora to help provide early resources.”

Ascending into “The Up” changes things up, however, with threats magnifying exponentially until players reach the Surface – a horrifying and inhospitable place that will test the mettle of even the most seasoned Terrarian.

Other additions include a new range of Town Slimes, which can be easily identified by “their penchant to attempt to dress up and try to fit in with Terrarian society.”

“This cast of characters is packed with personality, and players who are brave and clever enough to seek them out during their adventures will have the chance to have all eight Town Slimes move in to their towns/bases,” they explained.

There are also several new types of block as well as a range of “useful items” that include an upgraded Clentaminator, a teleporting device called the Shellhpone, new building tools, and Lilith’s Necklace – an item that lets players transform into a wolf.

The update also brings lots of overhauls and quality of life features, which can be found in full in the patch notes.

IGN’s Terraria review gave it 9/10 and said: “Though on the surface it looks like just another "me too" indie game seeking to ride the coattails of Minecraft's success, Terraria expands on the familiar sandbox gameplay with a greater emphasis on combat and adventure that proves very satisfying.”

Want to read more about Terraria? Check out Terraria’s Don’t Starve crossover, and find out why it’s been a struggle to bring Terraria to the Google Stadia.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed franchise has covered a lot of ground in its 15 years. The Assassin-Templar conflict has taken players across five continents, from Ancient Greece to Victorian London, spanning 2,300 years of history over the course of 13 mainline games.

Following Ubisoft’s recent Assassin’s Creed showcase — during which it detailed Assassin’s Creed Infinity and announced multiple upcoming Assassin’s Creed games — we’ve put together this chronology of the Assassin’s Creed timeline so far. This chronology only includes mainline Assassin’s Creed games; spinoff games aren’t included on this list given their lack of importance to the ongoing Assassin’s Creed narrative.

Jump to:

• How to play in chronological order
• How to play in release order

How to Play the Assassin’s Creed Game In Order

There are two ways to look at the Assassin’s Creed chronology. First: In the order of the games’ modern-day storylines. This option makes sense considering the connective narrative of each mainline game is told through the present day. The present-day story progresses chronologically with each release, so if you’d like to play the games this way, simply scroll down to the section how to play the Assassin’s Creed Games by release date. If you’re committed to playing through the entirety of the franchise, this is the order we recommend, as it’s the best way to follow the overarching story and experience the franchise’s evolution from stealth-action games to open-world RPGs.

The second option (detailed below) presents the games in order by their historic settings. These stories aren’t as intertwined as their modern-day counterparts, but they’re where you’ll spend the vast majority of your time in Assassin’s Creed. This is more useful as a matter of interest than a practical playing guide.

The Assassin’s Creed Games in Chronological Order

With series newcomers in mind, the brief plot synopses below contain only mild spoilers such as broad plot points, historical settings, and character introductions.

1. Assassin's Creed Odyssey (431 B.C.–422 B.C.)

• Primary setting: Ancient Greece
• Historic Protagonist: Cassandra or Alexios
• Modern Protagonist: Layla Hassan

Set nearly 400 years earlier than any other mainline game, Assassin's Creed Odyssey expanded on the RPG elements introduced in Origins to complete its genre-turn from stealth-based action to open-world RPG.

You play as Cassandra or Alexios, the grandchildren of Sparta's King Leonidas I. Odyssey is set during the Peloponnesian War between Sparta and Athens, and features key historical figures from that period, including Hippocrates, Socrates, and Plato. It weaves the period's history with its mythology, introducing creatures such as the Sphinx, Cyclops, and Medusa.

Odyssey is set before the formation of the Assassin and Templar orders, though it does feature a key Piece of Eden* in the Spear of Leonidas.

*Pieces of Eden are powerful technological artifacts created by a precursor race of beings known as The First Civilization. The pieces of Eden and the First Civilization are constants throughout the mainline games that connect the past and modern storylines.

2. Assassin's Creed Origins (49 B.C.–44 B.C.)

• Primary setting: Ancient Egypt
• Historic Protagonist: Bayek of Siwa
• Modern Protagonist: Layla Hassan

After releasing a new Assassin's Creed game each year from 2009-2015, Ubisoft took a year off and returned in 2017 with Assassin's Creed Origins, a soft reboot of the franchise and the series' first game to introduce RPG mechanics.

Origins is primarily set in Ancient Egypt during the reigns of Ptolemy XIII and Cleopatra, though its historic inspiration extends to Rome and the rule of Julius Caesar. Many Assassin's Creed stories kick off as tales of vengeance, only to unfurl into larger-scale tales of political conspiracy. Origins follows this pattern: The death of Bayek and Aya's son serves as the impetus for their journey, though as the story progresses, the duo uncover a proto-Templar organization called the Order of the Ancients and ultimately form the Hidden Ones, the first incarnation of the Assassins.

The modern story, meanwhile, introduces Layla Hassan, who serves as the present-day protagonist for Origins, Odyssey, and Valhalla.

3. Assassin's Creed Mirage (861–???)

• Primary setting: 9th Century Baghdad
• Historic Protagonist: Basim Ibn Ishaq
• Modern Protagonist: N/A

Due out in 2023, Assassin's Creed Mirage is the series' next game. Rather than a full-priced open-world RPG, Mirage is a $50 USD stealth-focused adventure designed as "an homage to the first Assassin's Creed games." Ubisoft describes it as "a shorter, more narrative-driven game than recent entries in the series.”

Assassin's Creed Mirage stars a 17-year-old Basim Ibn Ishaq, a street thief with "nightmarish visions" who'd go on to play a critical role in Assassin's Creed Valhalla. Mirage will tell the story of Basim, with the guidance of his mentor Roshan, escaping Baghdad en route to the Hidden Ones' fortress of Alamut.

Unlike the other entries on this list, Mirage won't prominently feature the present-day storyline. "It's core to the Assassin's Creed franchise," creative director Stephane Boudon told Game Rant, "so you will start with the Animus and there's also an ending, but we won't have any gameplay for present-day during the whole game."

4. Assassin's Creed Valhalla (872–878)

• Primary setting: 9th Century England and Norway
• Historic Protagonist: Eivor Varinsdottir
• Modern Protagonist: Layla Hassan

Assassin's Creed's Valhalla is the series' venture into Norse history and mythology. It's easily the series' biggest game; the average time to complete its main story is 60 hours, according to How Long to Beat (15 hours longer than the next biggest, Odyssey). Like Odyssey, Valhalla integrates its setting's history with its mythology, introducing real-life characters — King Harald Fairhair, King Aelfred the Great, Rollo — and mythological figures such as Fenrir and Odin.

It continues the conflict between the Hidden Ones and the Order of the Ancients while balancing the more personal tale of Eivor and their clan's pilgrimage from a resource-barren Norway to the more fertile lands of England.

The modern-day story seemingly concludes the three-game arc of Layla Hassan.

5. Assassin's Creed (1191)

• Primary setting: 12th Century Holy Land (Acre, Damascus, Jerusalem)
• Historic Protagonist: Altair Ibn'La-Ahad
• Modern Protagonist: Desmond Miles

The first Assassin's Creed takes place 300 years after Valhalla and introduces us to the series' original protagonist, Altair Ibn'La-Ahad. Assassin's Creed laid the groundwork for the franchise's next 15 years of success, introducing foundational gameplay elements like climbing and assassinations while also laying the groundwork for the time-hopping Assassin-Templar narrative.

It introduces key narrative concepts like the Pieces of Eden and the Animus, the in-universe device that allows each game's modern-day protagonist to relive the memories of their historic counterparts through DNA.

The past story sees Altair hunting down nine Templars during the Third Crusade, while the present-day story introduces Desmond Miles and the modern Assassin-Templar conflict that runs through AC III.

6. Assassin's Creed II (1476–1499)

• Primary setting: 15th Century Italy
• Historic Protagonist: Ezio Auditore da Firenze
• Modern Protagonist: Desmond Miles

Assassin's Creed 2 introduced the series’ longest-lasting protagonist, Ezio Auditore da Firenze. A favorite among Assassin's Creed fans, Ezio's story ran from 2009's AC II through 2011's AC: Revelations.

Ezio seeks to avenge the death of his father and brother, though his hunt for vengeance leads him to uncover a bigger conspiracy and places him at the center of the fight between the Assassins and Templars. Assassin's Creed II takes players throughout Italy, from Florence to the Vatican, and introduces Ezio to historical figures like Leonardo Da Vinci, Niccolo Machiavelli, and Pope Alexander VI.

In the present day, Desmond begins his work with the Assassins.

7. Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (1499–1507)

• Primary setting: 15th-16th Century Italy
• Historic Protagonist: Ezio Auditore da Firenze
• Modern Protagonist: Desmond Miles

Assassin's Creed Brotherhood is a continuation of AC II in both the past and modern-day storylines. The fallout from AC II creates a new antagonist for Ezio, who embarks on another revenge quest while working to rebuild Rome's weakened Assassins Guild and retrieve the Apple of Eden.

In the present day, Desmond and the modern Assassins head to Italy in search of that same Apple of Eden, a Piece of Eden that may help them prevent the prophesized end of the world.

8. Assassin's Creed: Revelations (1511–1512)

• Primary setting: 16th Century Constantinople
• Historic Protagonist: Ezio Auditore da Firenze
• Modern Protagonist: Desmond Miles

The conclusion of the Ezio trilogy unites the narrative of the Italian assassin with his predecessor, Altair. An older Ezio travels to Constantinople in search of Altair’s hidden library, which was thought to contain invaluable wisdom. In Constantinople, Ezio searches for the keys needed to open the library — each of which possesses a key memory in Altair’s life. Assassin's Creed Revelations ultimately reveals Ezio's role in the wider AC narrative.

In the present, a comatose Desmond is trapped in the Animus, where he works with a past Animus user to escape "the Black Room" and return to consciousness.

Revelations also features one of the series' best trailers (above) first shown at E3 2011.

9. Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag (1715–1722)

• Primary setting: 18th Century Caribbean Islands
• Historic Protagonist: Edward Kenway
• Modern Protagonist: Unnamed Abstergo Employee

Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag is best remembered for introducing the series' naval gameplay. It's set two centuries after Ezio's trilogy and roughly 40 years before the previously released Assassin's Creed III.

Black Flag stars Edward Kenway, an 18th-century pirate and the grandfather of AC III protagonist Connor Kenway. It features notorious real-life pirates of the era, such as Edward Thatch (Blackbeard), Benjamin Hornigold, and Mary Read. It also introduces Adéwalé, the protagonist of the DLC-turned-standalone-spinoff Freedom Cry. After unknowingly killing an Assassin, Edward finds himself embroiled in the Assassin-Templar conflict and on the hunt for a secret First Civilization site known as The Observatory.

The modern-day story stars an unnamed Abstergo employee tasked with reliving Connor’s life in order to create a film (though, unsurprisingly, Abstergo’s true intentions are more nefarious).

10. Assassin's Creed Rogue (1752–1760)

• Primary setting: 18th Century American Northeast
• Historic Protagonist: Shay Patrick Cormac
• Modern Protagonist: Abstergo Employee "Numbskull"

Assassin's Creed Rogue serves as a narrative bridge between AC III and AC IV. It stars Shay Patrick Cormac, an Irish-American Assassin turned Templar hunting down a Piece of Eden. Templar Grand Master Haytham Kenway, the son of AC 4 protagonist Edward and father of AC III protagonist Connor, appears throughout the story.

In the present, you play as another Abstergo employee, referred to as "Numbskull," doing the bidding of the modern-day Templars.

11. Assassin's Creed III (1754–1783)

• Primary setting: 18th Century Colonial America
• Historic Protagonist: Ratonhnhaké "Connor" Kenway
• Modern Protagonist: Desmond Miles

Following a 1754-set sequence during which you play as Haythem Kenway, Assassin's Creed 3 begins in earnest with Haythem's son Ratonhnhaké:ton, a.k.a Connor. Set largely during the American Revolution, Connor seeks to protect his tribe from the war and the First Civilization's Grand Temple from the Templars.

AC III is loaded with historical figures, including George Washington, Sam Adams, Charles Lee, and Benjamin Franklin.

The present-day story concludes Desmond's arc, as he and the other modern-day Assassins gather in the aforementioned Grand Temple to prevent the prophesized end of the world on December 21, 2012.

12. Assassins Creed Unity (1789–1794)

• Primary setting: 18th Century France
• Historic Protagonist: Shay Patrick Cormac
• Modern Protagonist: Unnamed Helix Player

While Assassin's Creed Unity features scenes that span from 1307 to the mid-1900s, it's primarily set during the height of the French Revolution from 1789 to 1794. It stars French Assassin Arno Dorian, who becomes involved in the Assassin-Templar conflict while embarking on yet another quest for vengeance.

Historical figures include Napoléon Bonaparte, Marquis de Sade, and King Louis XVI.

Unity's modern-day story is among the least memorable, as it removed gameplay entirely in favor of cutscenes and ultimately proved inconsequential to the ongoing narrative. You play as a gamer playing Helix, Abstergo's Animus-powered gaming software created to push Templar propaganda and collect unsuspecting users' DNA.

13. Assassin's Creed Syndicate (1868)

• Primary setting: Victorian London
• Historic Protagonists: Jacob and Evie Frye
• Modern Protagonist: Unnamed Helix Player

Assassin's Creed Syndicate stars dual protagonists Jacob and Evie Frye, twin Assassins clearing London of Templar control while seeking a Piece of Eden. While a certain side mission extends the timeline to WWI, the majority of Syndicate is set in 1868. Notable historical figures include Alexander Graham Bell, Charles Darwin, and in the future sequence, Winston Churchill.

Syndicate stars the same modern-day character as Unity, who's working with the Assassins to locate another Piece of Eden in London.

How to Play The Assassin’s Creed Games By Release Date

• Assassin's Creed (2007)
• Assassin's Creed II (2009)
• Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (2010)
• Assassin's Creed: Revelations (2011)
• Assassin's Creed III / Liberation (2012)
• Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag / Freedom Cry (2013)
• Assassin's Creed Rogue (2014)
• Assassin's Creed Unity (2014)
• Assassin's Creed Syndicate (2015)
• Assassin's Creed Origins (2017)
• Assassin's Creed Odyssey (2018)
• Assassin's Creed Valhalla (2020)
• Assassin's Creed Mirage (2023)

Movies and TV shows get remade all the time, but there’s something extra special about a video game remake. Being able to revisit a beloved video game of yesteryear with modern revamped graphics and mechanics is always exciting, especially because it often introduces classic series to brand new audiences.

To that end, here are our picks for the top 10 remakes of all time.

10. Shadow of the Colossus

Shadow of the Colossus was a landmark achievement when it hit the PS2 in 2005. Team ICO built a lonely, desolate, deeply affecting world on some incredibly limited hardware, and while the core game stands the test of time, its technical performance and visual clarity were clearly held back.

Fast-forward 13 years and Bluepoint Games, which previously remastered both ICO and Shadow of the Colossus, got its hands on the remake and completely modernized it. With a much steadier framerate, gorgeous graphics, and a commitment to keeping the soul of the original intact, Bluepoint hit it out of the park enough to get the chance to remake Demon’s Souls, and eventually be acquired by PlayStation.

Read our review of Shadow of the Colossus.

9. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2

If you’re nostalgic for the original releases from over 20 years ago or just looking for an action sports game that's as fun as it's engaging, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 is a recreation of the original skateboarding title that not only stays true to the originals but also adds in just enough new content to make the game feel fresh and new. The updated visuals bring the larger-than-life skateparks, pro skaters, and their gravity-defying tricks a level of visual fidelity and detail that makes every two-minute run more engaging than the last.

The skating still feels as good as it did back on the PS1 and the game's now legendary soundtrack is back in all its glory. Whether you’re looking to recapture the glory days of searching for those hidden 411VM tapes or grinding across school lunch tables as Officer Dick, you're bound to find something you'll love in this remake – and will be singing the chorus to Superman in no time.

Read our review of Tony Haw's Pro Skater 1 + 2.

8. Pokemon HeartGold/SoulSilver

Pokemon Gold and Silver, though only the second in the long-running Pokemon RPG series, are the only entries that allowed players to travel across two different regions and collect 16 badges instead of the standard eight. That meant two "end-game" challenges to conquer, two sets of Legendary Pokemon to collect, 16 different gym leaders to defeat, and more. The enhanced Nintendo DS remakes bring the sprawling journey into full color and utilizes the superior hardware to seamlessly bring improved music, better UI, and WiFi capabilities. With the addition of new content like the National Dex, increasing the total Pokemon from 251 to 493, the grueling battle frontier, and everyone’s favorite, the Pokeathlon mini-games, there is so much more to explore.

More importantly, we are introduced to the Pokewalker, the original Pokemon Go, allowing us to take our favorite Pokemon outdoors and gain levels by walking around… or cheat by shaking the Pokewalker. Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver adds new life to the classic adventure, reimagining the original experience with fun and challenging additions to appeal to both new and returning fans.

Read our review of Pokemon HeartGold/SoulSilver.

7. Live A Live

Plenty of wonderful games are deserving of remakes, but none perhaps needed one as much as Live A Live, the 1994 Square Enix RPG that preceded Chrono Trigger and laid the groundwork for not only that title, but numerous beloved classics that followed. Live A Live’s unique structure, following seven characters from different eras through distinct vignettes, was groundbreaking both back in the day and once again in the 2022 remake, to say nothing of the ways in which it ultimately threads its themes and overarching narrative through its separate parts.

The 2022 remake gave Live A Live a desperately-needed makeover in gorgeous HD2D and reorchestrated its fantastic soundtrack, all while keeping its wonderful story intact in its first-ever localization outside of Japan. In a final flourish, Live A Live’s remake adds a small but massively impactful piece of new content in its final hours that throws its ending into a hopeful new light, and makes its emotional conclusion all the more powerful.

Read our review of Live a Live.

6. Half-Life Black Mesa

Half-Life Black Mesa is an interesting remake in that it's the rare example of a fan remake that was officially supported by the original developers. And it’s an exceedingly great thing that Valve never shut this one down, because Half-Life Black Mesa is hands-down the best way to experience one of the most important and landmark first-person-shooters in all of video games.

The only downside is that it spent so long in development that by the time it was officially released its updated looks were already dated, but as IGN’s Dan Stapleton says, “it still makes great use of the distinctively creepy atmosphere and excellent combat that left such a mark on this genre.”

Read our review of Half-LIfe Black Mesa.

5. Metroid: Zero Mission

The original Metroid for the NES was a groundbreaking game for the time, but when looked at through a modern lens, it’s hard to argue that it holds up. Fortunately, Metroid: Zero Mission exists. Rather than opting for a 100% faithful remake with a couple of modernization tweaks, Metroid: Zero Mission is instead a game rebuilt from the ground up that uses the original Metroid as more of a blueprint for its story and level design, while drawing and instead draws its gameplay inspirations from the more modern 2D Metroids, like Super Metroid and Metroid Fusion.

It’s an expertly crafted modernization of one of Nintendo’s best mascot series that still holds up to this day as not only one of the best Metroid games, but also one of the best remakes as well.

Read our review of Metroid: Zero Mission.

4. Resident Evil Remake

When it comes to faithful remakes that largely stick to the core gameplay and design established in the original and focus instead on bringing everything else up to modern standards, there aren’t many games that are better than the original Resident Evil Remake. The REmake adheres to everything that was intrinsic to the original game, from the pre-rendered backgrounds, to the tank controls, to the limited inventory that forces you to make tough decisions on what to keep and what to toss. But then it also adds several entirely new features that change up the experience and give it its own identity.

Whether it's the terrifying addition of Crimson Heads that force you to rethink whether it’s worth killing a zombie if you don’t have a way to set it on fire, or the brand-new plot thread involving Lisa Trevor, Resident Evil’s remake shines because not only was it a faithful remake that brought a PSOne classic into a modern light, but also because of the ways that it separated itself from that classic to become something even better.

Read our review of Resident Evil Remake.

3. Demon's Souls

As good as Demon’s Souls was back in 2009 (and it was very, very good), it is a game that shows its age when viewed through a modern lens, especially one informed by subsequent iterations of the Souls series. The 2020 remake of Demon’s Souls completely stripped away those technical shortcomings that held the PS3 version back, while adding several subtle quality of life upgrades that succeeded in modernizing the game to the point where if you never played the original, you could very likely be fooled into thinking that this was the latest entry in the Souls series as opposed to the very first one.

Bluepoint managed to stay completely respectful to the original vision, while also adding their own signature touches that only served to help elevate what was already one of the best games of the PS3 era.

Read our review of Demon's Souls.

2. Final Fantasy 7 Remake

Sure, we could argue whether or not Square-Enix was right in splitting up Final Fantasy 7’s remake into multiple games, but if you judge this first game in the Final Fantasy Remake series on its own merits, it’s incredible.

This is a stunningly gorgeous game that gives new life to some of gaming’s most memorable characters and settings, but more than that, it completely revamps the combat system to be something completely new, and yet somehow still evocative of the original. There’s good reason to be disappointed that the remake’s story only covers about 30% of the original game, but the way in which FF7 Remake dives into that 30% and expands upon things like Jessie’s backstory, life in the Sector 7 slums, and Cloud’s relationship with his fellow avalanche buddies is absolutely exemplary.

Read our review of Final Fantasy VII Remake.

1. Resident Evil 2 Remake

Resident Evil 2 Remake took what the original did so well - its labyrinthian level design, its ostentatious enemies, its omnipresent sense of dread - and molded it into a horror experience designed for modern audiences. Environments are cleverly reworked and expanded upon, enemies are faster, deadlier, and more unpredictable, and gorgeous lighting built in the RE Engine casts shadows over nasties waiting to grab you unawares.

Perhaps Resident Evil 2’s biggest achievement, though, is the way Capcom has played with the original’s most iconic encounters. When you think you’ve got a terrifying moment figured out, Capcom will twist it ever so slightly, removing any certainty as you slowly make your way through its carefully curated collection of memories. This is a remake designed to both terrify you in today’s horror landscape and scratch that nostalgic itch, and miraculously achieves both right until its breathless end. It’s the new gold standard for remakes.

Read our review of Resident Evil 2 Remake.

And that’s our list! Obviously, with only 10 spots, there are plenty of remakes that didn’t quite make the cut. Let us know in the comments what would make your list that's not on ours! For more remakes of classic games, check out our review of the Last of Us Part 1, and be sure to find our previous lists, such as the best Survival games, the best Open-World games and more. For everything else gaming, keep it here on IGN.