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All seven episodes of Solos are currently available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.

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Watching Solos, the seven-part anthology from creator David Weil, is like hearing your most interesting friends recap the least interesting episodes of Black Mirror. The show brings together eight well-known actors — Anne Hathaway, Anthony Mackie, Helen Mirren, Uzo Aduba, Constance Wu, Nicole Beharie, Dan Stevens, and Morgan Freeman — for sci-fi stories set somewhere in the future. With mild exceptions, these stories take the shape of monologues delivered right down the lens. It’s a night of black box theatre with some tremendous performers, so it’s not exactly boring, but it lacks the spark, the curiosity, and the visual flair that usually makes this genre captivating.

The episodes range from 20 to 30 minutes in length, but they play less like self-contained short films, and more like scenes carved out from seven larger features, each with their own unique concepts that are left largely unexplored. Some shorts are nominally connected to one another, while others share specific themes — from dealing with loss to the fragility of human memory — but the show doesn’t quite have a complete thematic through-line. Its threads are often left to dangle, as if waiting to be tied together by subsequent stories. The conceptual storyline is hazy too; initial episodes playfully pit actors against themselves, or against disembodied A.I. voices, lending credence to the title. However, this one-actor-per-story premise is soon discarded.

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Weil directs three of the seven episodes, but the first, titled “Leah,” is helmed by Zach Braff. Anne Hathaway plays Leah, a scientist a few years in the future who hopes to crack time travel to prove herself to her superiors and escape her surroundings. Her life is a bit of a mess, between an ailing mother and a stuffy workplace basement she can’t seem to organize, illuminated by dozens of overhead bulbs powered by her equipment, which glow and fade as she gets closer to or further away from her goal. The production design is commendable, making Leah feel like a twee mad scientist of sorts, though it’s one of the only episodes where the environment tells a story. A mild breakthrough results in Leah being able to video chat with different versions of herself, and Anne Hathaway is delightful opposite Anne Hathaway, capturing a mix of excitement and desperation. Braff even uses the limited space to tell a kinetic story, but unfortunately, it ends up playing out strangely counter to its own weighty themes about dealing with the present.

The second episode, “Tom,” sees a terminally ill Anthony Mackie speaking to a mysterious, memory-less new version of himself. It largely comprises static shots of Mackie’s original Tom relaying his memories and his feelings about his family to this strange new doppelganger; visually, this Weil-directed entry feels like a bare-bones experiment completely at odds with Braff’s, wherein no cut, camera movement, or design element has anything to say. There’s nothing challenging about the episode — it doesn’t have much resembling dramatic conflict — but at the very least, it allows Mackie to dig into some decent emotional meat between the words, despite his philosophically sophomoric story that feels like a hasty first draft.

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The show brings out its big thespian guns for episode 3, Sam Taylor-Johnson’s “Peg,” in which Hellen Mirren explains her lonely backstory to a spaceship’s computer, en route to the far reaches of the solar system. What is the purpose of her journey? It’s unclear, beyond a vague mention of some nondescript “experiment” that never comes to light. Like the previous entry, “Peg” features a monologue that doesn’t really need a sci-fi setting to unfold the way it does. A mere three episodes in, the show’s own concept feels perfunctory — although, only a fool would deny Mirren’s enthralling talent. Not much happens in “Peg,” but Mirren makes a meal out of it regardless, injecting innumerable layers of charm, doubt, and longing into what otherwise feels like a Google search result for “audition monologues.”

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In episode 4, the Uzo Aduba-led “Sasha,” is where the show’s central thematic paradox begins to emerge. Prior episodes feature brief mentions of contemporary technology, like Tik Tok, Alexa, and the advent of driverless cars, but none of these references amount to much by way of commentary on the present. “Sasha,” also directed by Weil, could not feel more rooted in the current moment — it features a woman still self-isolating twenty years on from a viral pandemic — and yet, it could not feel more confused about what it actually wants to say. As the A.I. controlling Sasha’s smart-home urges her to go outside, she runs through the rote exposition of the events that led her to this moment. “Sasha,” it turns out, is less about an actual pandemic and more of a confused screed against the omnipresent role of technology in our lives, though it can’t seem to decide on what that role actually is. Aduba, however, is a treat to watch, as she chews the scenery with reckless abandon.

While few ideas carry over from episode to episode — despite the show’s best efforts — this haphazard approach to technology as some all-consuming monolith rears its head once again, in a later episode. However, the theme that begins to feel most potent, especially once it’s made explicit by “Sasha,” is perhaps unintentional: the effects of pandemic-era isolation.

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To be clear, each episode is fully aware that its characters are isolated people, but the way isolation takes root in the show’s aesthetics is as maddening as a lengthy quarantine. In October-November of 2020, Solos was filmed when Hollywood was only just getting back on its feet, and productions still had to enforce stringent safety measures. A show featuring one actor at a time is a perfect reflection of this era, but the problem permeating Solos is that it doesn’t properly adjust to capturing one person alone with their thoughts (which is essentially the case even when they’re speaking to an A.I. or a different version of themselves). The show’s inability to get used to isolation is frustrating, and ironically, all too familiar to those of us who lived through similar frustrations over the last year.

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Episode 5, the Weil-directed “Jenny,” discards any pretense of even trying to tell a visually enticing story. It simply has Constance Wu drunkenly monologue into the camera, without much by way of actual science fiction (barring an idea that feels tacked on at the last minute). Wu does an incredible job, perhaps the best of anyone in the series. She’s an absolute powerhouse, and there’s something disarming about her honesty as she narrates a story about her boring husband, her attractive neighbor, her thoughts on having children, and the ways in which she feels invisible.

However, the show’s honesty about its visual approach is a little more disconcerting. It plays like it isn’t even trying to adjust its storytelling to the constraints around it — it’s quite naked in its lack of effort too, often resembling webcam confessions more than visual explorations of thoughts, feelings, or ideas. Luckily, it has the wherewithal to cast stellar performers, without whom it would have practically nothing (at least Malcolm & Marie, an average film made under similar conditions, relied on more than just its actors to tell its story).

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Episode 6 is a merciful exception. “Nera,” directed by Tiffany Johnson, stars Nicole Beharie as a pregnant woman trapped in a snowstorm, whose worst fears come true when she goes into labor unexpectedly, with no one around to help. It’s a riveting and largely wordless sequence, followed by a few more twists and turns: her baby was meant to have been genetically altered and “improved,” but things don’t seem quite right. For once, the show not only unfolds in isolation, but captures the fears of isolation as well, with a frame that feels constantly off-kilter. It’s the only episode that uses its visual palette to convey any kind of mood. The only one with any relevant commentary about the present is between the specter of gene-editing and a social dimension that eventually comes to light in a moment of quiet intensity. It’s also the only episode that has anything resembling an actual ending, with something poignant to say (in this case, about the anxieties of parenthood in general, and of Black parenthood in specific). It puts the other six episodes to shame, despite being the shortest among them.

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Sadly, the show falls back on its worst habits in episode 7, Sam Taylor-Johnson’s “Stuart,” which feels thematically at odds with its predecessors in several ways (for one thing, it unfolds out in the open). It does, at the very least, feature a similar sense of loneliness, as Morgan Freeman’s Stuart battles dementia, while Dan Stevens’ Otto tries to restore Stuart’s memories for his own mysterious reasons. The episode also tries to tie the whole series together, but its attempt feels half-hearted. Freeman and Stevens are incredible in their roles, but the episode puts far too much on their shoulders; there’s only so much life they can breathe into a scene that feels dead on arrival. The characters sit on a bench and recall various events from their past, revealing their painful connection, but the episode chooses not to express its musings on love and loss as anything but exposition — despite this being a story about how actually experiencing emotions is central to one’s memory. As its actors describe powerful images, the episode keeps the viewer at arm’s length, mechanically cutting between dialogue rather than trying to portray those images, or evoke them in some way.

The close-up is one of the most powerful tools in visual storytelling, but Solos treats it as if it were the only tool. The result is a blinkered approach to science fiction, a genre often used to capture the breadth and scope of human possibility. Without first journeying outward, the show is unable to meaningfully delve inward, and so it amounts to little more than a series of speeches hinting at more interesting ideas, somewhere off-screen.

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Niantic is partnering with Verizon and other companies for a Special Weekend event in Pokemon Go. The event runs from May 29-30 and features special Pokemon spawns, exclusive Research tasks, and other perks for ticket holders, with some bonuses available for non-ticket holders as well.

The partner companies for this event include Verizon (the US), 7-11 (Mexico), and Yoshinoya (Japan). You’ll be able to obtain a ticket for the event through your region’s respective partner and redeem that on Niantic’s website to participate. Those who do have a ticket will get access to special Pokemon spawns and other exclusive bonuses.

Special Weekend Ticketed Features

Players who have a ticket for the Special Weekend event will be able to encounter Clefairy, Jigglypuff, Eevee, Marill, Sableye, Stunky, Spritzee, and Swirlix more frequently in the wild from 11 AM to 5 PM local time on May 29. Shiny Eevee will also be appearing more frequently for ticket holders, and the following Unown letters will be available in different regions when you use an Incense:

• Unown V – the US
• Unown S – Mexico
• Unown Y – Japan

A few other bonuses will be available on top of that throughout the entire event. First, there will be exclusive Timed Research tasks. Clearing these will lead to encounters with Eevee, Spritzee, Swirlix, and Deino, as well as rewards like a Lucky Egg, Star Piece, and an Incense. You’ll also be more likely to receive a Lucky Pokemon in a trade, and you’ll earn twice the usual amount of XP for catching Pokemon. Finally, you’ll receive an exclusive medal for redeeming an event ticket.

Non-Ticketed Features

Even if you don’t have a ticket for the Special Weekend event, you’ll be able to take advantage of a few bonuses from May 28-31. First, Niantic is doubling the number of gifts you can open each day. On top of that, the studio is increasing trading distance to 40 km, allowing you to trade Pokemon with other players from further away than usual. You can read more details about the event on the official Pokemon Go blog.

In the meantime, Pokemon Go’s Luminous Legends Y event is underway. As part of the event, the Legendary Pokemon Yveltal is appearing in five-star Raids. Pokemon Go’s June Community Day is also around the corner. That event takes place on Sunday, June 6, and features the Dragon Pokemon Gible.

A Highlander remake is in the works at Lionsgate starring Henry Cavill and John Wick director, Chad Stahelski, set to direct the film.

This news comes by way of Cavill himself who confirmed the news today on Instagram with a photo of a Deadline story about the news. According to Deadline’s report, the film will be a reboot of the popular 1980s fantasy action adventure movie of the same name.

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“Very exciting news today,” Cavill’s Instagram post reads. “I’ve been a fan of Highlander since I was a lad. From the movies in all of their 80s, Queen slathered glory to the TV show with an actor who looked remarkably like one of my brothers. Being not shy with swords, and having a director as talented as Chad Stahelski at the helm, this is an opportunity like no other.”

Cavill said he and the team are working to make this movie an “adventure I (and hopefully all of you) shall never forget.” His Instagram post also features a photo of what appears to be a knife, some history books, and more. Cavill said this project has prompted him to dip into his own Scottish heritage, which also doubles as research for the movie.

The original Highlander movie was released in 1986 and starred Clancy Brown, Sean Connery, and Christopher Lambert as immortal warriors that hunt each other, as noted by Deadline. The original film received four movie sequels and three television series. As for what to expect of this Cavill-led reboot’s plot, not much is known.

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For what it’s worth, Cavill is no stranger to fantasy action-adventure as he was the lead in Netflix’s Witcher series. You can read our thoughts on his performance in the show in IGN’s Season 1 review of Netflix’s The Witcher. While waiting for this Highlander reboot, check out this video of Cavill building a PC from scratch and then read IGN’s list of the 10 best ’80s action movies.

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Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes. 

All weekend long, publisher Paradox Interactive is hosting a huge sale on Steam in conjunction with its PDXCon Remixed digital convention. The Steam Paradox Interactive Sale, which runs until May 24, includes discounts on PC games like Crusader Kings III and Empire of Sin. On top of all the game deals, three titles are free to play for the next few days: Cities: Skylines, Stellaris, and Surviving Mars.

Both Cities: Skylines and Stellaris serve as pillars in the 4X genre, helping players get acclimated to the genre’s rather slow output. Not quite a 4X game, Surviving Mars features many of the same city buildings elements players can expect from other Paradox-published strategy RPGs. All three games can be downloaded and played with no strings attached until May 24. If you end up enjoying them and want to keep playing, you can buy either of these Paradox-published titles at up to 80% off

The sale also slashes prices for other titles from the publisher’s catalog. This includes strategy RPGs Crusader Kings III at 20% off, Empire of Sin at 50% off, and Surviving the Aftermath at 25% off.

Furthermore, the Paradox sale discounts various Paradox-related DLC for games like Europa Universalis IV, Hearts of Iron IV, Prison Architect, and others.

The Paradox Publisher Sale comes in the wake of the announcement of its long-awaited grand strategy game Victoria 3. The last entry in the franchise came out a decade ago, only further fueling the anticipation for Victoria 3.

Earlier this week, The Last of Us 2 received a free PS5 performance patch which allows owners of the next-gen console to run the game at 60 frames per second. Alongside a new PS5 patch, the game’s co-director also confirmed that players might notice a change in the haptics when playing the game with a DualSense controller.

Kurt Margenau explained in a Twitter thread today, detailing the new changes made to the DualSense following a software update released in April. Margenau explains that he gave feedback to the DualSense team to help “improve timing, intensity, and ‘texture'” of haptics” when using the controller to play backward compatible titles to help provide a more authentic feel showcased in its predecessor, the DualShock 4.

The DualShock 4 includes two different-sized rotating weights, whereas the DualSense includes two weights that can move forward and backward. Margenau explains how the DualSense is “almost like a speaker,” as it can produce frequency and amplitude at an “extremely high fidelity and low latency.”

As many of you are jumping back into TLOU2 on PS5, you may notice the haptics feel better. This is actually thanks to a firmware update to the DualSense controller back in April. THREAD: pic.twitter.com/zle0XQwDw6

— Kurt Margenau (@kurtmargenau) May 21, 2021

So, the DualSense firmware would have to allow the controller to receive “old signals,” that would spin up the motor to produce a higher latency and, in turn, emulate the feeling in a new controller by using a completely different mechanical method, such as the “rumbly feeling” that comes with a rotating motor, according to Margenau.

Essentially, all this means is that all the work done to improve the DualSense’s haptics in The Last of Us Part II was done solely from inside the controller without Naughty Dog having to alter the game code.

The new firmware update expands on the features already supported in The Last of Us Part II. As GamesRadar reported in November, the game supported the DualSense’s flagship feature, noting that the game’s combat allows PS5 owners to “feel the tension” when using the controller’s adaptive triggers, such as firing a gun.

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Taylor is the Associate Tech Editor at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.

When Apple Arcade launched in September 2019 with a suite of games, many players praised Grindstone in particular. This week the cartoony puzzle game finally launched released on PC.

Grindstone is, for now, an Epic Games Store exclusive. While it’ll normally cost $20, it’s currently on a launch discount and is listed for $15. In addition, as a part of Epic’s Mega Sale, you can grab a $10 credit for use on a single title, which would bring Grindstone’s price down to $5.

Developed by Capy, who also made Below and Superbrothers: Sword and Sworcery, Grindstone tasks players with navigating a character through maze-like levels arranged on grids. Players must hack through chains of same-colored enemies and avoid traps.

In addition to being available on Apple Arcade and PC, it’s also on Switch. Capy has consistently released significant updates for the game that add new levels and challenges. The latest update, called Fortune Grind, introduces a wheel of fortune to the Daily Grind mode that adds modifiers to each run. The Epic Store version is up-to-date with the other versions and includes Fortune Grind.