Author: Trafficblast

We’ve all felt the pain of sitting down to play a game and getting that dreaded “low battery” warning for our Xbox One controller. Batteries are an unfortunate fact of life. Luckily, there’s a way to break that cycle of buying package after package of single-use batteries. It’s time to stop wasting money and invest in a better solution: rechargeable batteries.

Rechargeable batteries have come a long way and there are more options than ever before. Spending a little more upfront can save you big bucks in the long term and keep you from needing to buy more for years at a time. If you’re ready to move on from those old school disposables, we’re here to help. Here’s a breakdown of some of our favorite rechargeable batteries, no matter what size you’re looking for.

TL;DR – These are the Best Rechargeable Batteries

• Panasonic Eneloop Pro
• Bonai Rechargeable Batteries
• AmazonBasics Rechargeable Batteries
• EBL 9-Volt Lithium Ion Rechargeable Batteries
• Zonhood High Capacity Rechargeable Batteries
• Deleepow Rechargeable 3200mWh Li-ion AA Batteries
• EBL USB Rechargeable AA Lithium Batteries

1. Panasonic Eneloop Pro

Best Rechargeable Batteries

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• See it on Dell
• See it on Adorama
• See it on Walmart

Panasonic’s Eneloops have one of the best reputations in the business and for good reason. Not only do they pack a respectable amount of charge, they’re reliable and consistent even over longer periods of time.
They consistently rank among the highest in rechargeable battery round-ups and have won over the community.

These Eneloop Pros are slightly more expensive than normal Eneloops but offer 20% more capacity to save you time between recharge cycles. At 2550mAh for AA and 950mAh for AAA, they have a lead on other major brands in capacity, and with AA and AAA sizes, 4 and 8 packs, you’ll be able to outfit all of your favorite devices.

2. Bonai Rechargeable Batteries

Best Budget Rechargeable Batteries

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If Eneloops are too expensive, Bonai batteries make for an outstanding option. Not only do they offer  improved 2800mAh and 1000mAh capacities, they’re also available in 24-packs for only $34.97 as of this writing – $1.46 per battery!  If that’s too much, you can also scale back with 8 or 16-pack options.

BONAI may not be a household name, but they deliver an incredible bang for your buck. Every battery is rated for a whopping 1200 cycle lifespan and includes a 12-month guarantee, so you can buy with confidence.

3. AmazonBasics Rechargeable Batteries

Best C and D Rechargeable Batteries

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If you’re looking to power a larger device, chances are that AA and AAA aren’t going to cut it. Amazon is here to help through their house-brand, AmazonBasics. AmazonBasics Rechargeable Batteries come in both C and D sizes, as well as AA, AAA, and 9V if you want to buy multiple types at once. These batteries also come pre-charged, right out of the box.

Worried about buying a store brand? Don’t be. At only $12.49 for C-size and $24.49 for D-size, these batteries are not only more affordable than name-brand Energizers, but also double and quadruple the battery life at 5000mAh and 10000mAh for C and D sizes. Each is rated for an impressive 1000 charge cycles. If that’s not enough, the AmazonBasics Rechargeable Battery line currently sits at an incredible fifty-three thousand reviews at 4.5 stars. The downside? These larger sizes require a separate charger like this one from EBL.

4. EBL 9-Volt Lithium Ion Rechargeable Batteries

Best 9-Volt Rechargeable Batteries

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• See it on Walmart (6-pack)
• See it on Newegg (2-pack + Charger)
  

With the other basics covered, you may find yourself looking for a reliable set of 9-volts. After all, maintaining the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors can save your life. Rechargeable 9-volts don’t come much better than the 600mAh capacity version from EBL. For just over $30, you get a set of five batteries and a high-quality smart charger that will make sure the batteries never over-charge or overheat.

What’s more, this set abandons the usual Nickel battery in favor of Lithium-Ion, the same type powering your smartphone. At 600mAh, they’ll last a long time on their own, but with the move to Lithium, you’ll never have to worry about your devices getting weak as you near a recharge. Plus, they recharge much faster too!

5. Zonhood High Capacity Rechargeable Batteries

Best High Capacity Rechargeable Batteries

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If you’re looking for the best high capacity rechargeable batteries, look no further than Zonhood. Their high capacity line is very similar to our Best Budget pick above, but wins out in this category due to the excellent guarantee. Zonhood doubles the standard by offering a 60-day guarantee and full 24-month warranty!

You’ll also be pleased to know that these batteries offer industry-leading capacity at 2,800mAh and 1100mAh for AA and AAA sizes. Paired with a 1200 cycle lifespan, investing in these batteries will save you recharges and extra trips to the store.

6. Deleepow Rechargeable Li-ion AA Batteries

Best Lithium Rechargeable Batteries

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Nickel batteries are great for many things, but sometimes you need to guarantee full power, right up until they’re depleted. If that describes you, then consider Deleepow’s Rechargeable Lithium Batteries. Available in packs of four with or without a charger, in both AA and AAA sizes, these batteries will provide consistent power at 1.5V.

The thing to keep in mind is that these are rated in milliwatt hours, not milliamp, like nickel batteries. 3200mWh translates to about 2,100mAh, so the overall time between your charges will likely be less than with a traditional Ni-MH battery. The AAA version is even less at 533mAh. Maintaining full power does come with some sacrifices, but it’s necessary for electronics like drones. Lithium rechargeable batteries also often output at higher voltages, which is useful for high-powered devices.

7. EBL USB Rechargeable AA Lithium Batteries

Best USB Rechargeable Batteries

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• See it on Walmart
• See it on Newegg

All of the batteries in this list so far have required wall chargers, but if you don’t have an outlet to spare, the EBL USB Rechargeable AA Lithium Ion Batteries are likely a good choice. Every battery has its own micro-USB connection and the package comes with a handy 4-in-1 charging cable to plug them all in at once. Since they’re all lithium ion, you can count on power that won’t weaken over time and a fast, two hour recharge time.

These batteries also pack a lot of juice. Rated at 3300 mWh at 1.5V, that translates to 2200mAh of consistent power. They’re also rated for a full 1200 recharge cycle, so should last for years into the future. The downside? They’re only available in AA.

What To Look for in Rechargeable Batteries

When shopping for rechargeable batteries, there are a handful of key things you’re going to want to keep in mind: capacity, battery type, lifespan, and the reputation of the manufacturer. Here’s a quick breakdown of what to look for when purchasing rechargeable batteries.

Capacity is one of the most important. It is most frequently rated in milliampere/milliamp hours (mAh) and reflects how much charge the battery can hold. How long that battery will last depends on its milliamp rating and how much power the device requires. A remote control car will drain your batteries far faster than an Xbox One controller, for example. As a rule, you’ll want to buy the highest milliamp hour battery you can afford.

Along with that, you need to consider what type of battery will best match your needs. Most rechargeable batteries use Nickel-Metal Hydride (Ni-MH). This makes the batteries more affordable but their power output drops the weaker the battery becomes.

Other batteries use Lithium, similar to those in your smartphone, and avoid this but at a higher price. Be aware, lithium batteries are often rated in milliwatt hours, which can make their capacities seem larger than they really are. Be sure to use a calculator when comparing between different lithium-ion batteries.

The third thing to keep in mind is the expected lifespan of the batteries, usually rated in recharge cycles. The more cycles the battery is rated for, the better. A good battery will have a lifespan of 500 cycles at minimum and preferably 1000+.

The final thing to consider is the reputation of the battery manufacturer. Amazon is filled with rechargeable batteries from companies you’ve likely never heard of. Since Amazon accepts sellers from around the world, this isn’t something to be afraid of, but you should always read the reviews. While most listings will be perfectly trustworthy, there are a few bad apples, so before you hit that Buy Now button, remember this life lesson: if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

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With the release of a new trailer for The Last of Us Part II earlier, Naughty Dog’s Neil Druckmann has penned a blog post outlining the studio’s excitement for the release, and what to expect from potential physical edition delays.

The post, which appears on Naughty Dog’s website, is full of praise from Druckmann for the hard work and effort the team at the studio have put in over the years. This follows a few weeks of chaos for the team, as The Last of Us Part II was delayed by Sony due to COVID-19 before most of its narrative beats were illegally obtained and leaked on the internet.

There’s also a tease that more might still be on the way leading up to launch, with Druckmann writing, “As we ramp up for this final stretch before The Last of Us Part II arrives in your hands, there’s still more we’re looking forward to sharing with you, beginning with the debut of our all-new story trailer that provides a brief look into the next chapter in Ellie and Joel’s story.”

Druckmann mentions that players who have ordered physical editions of the game should double check with local retailers to confirm availability. The Last of Us Part II launches exclusively on PS4 on June 19, but considering the varying policies regarding public lockdowns across the globe, it’s not possible for Sony to promise that everyone will be able to get physical copies in time. Alternatively, PSN pre-orders for the game are back online.

If you miss the trailer from earlier today you can catch it above, as well as check in with out hands-on coverage of The Last of Us Part II from last year.

Don’t expect Black Mirror Season 6 to be released any time soon; creator Charlie Brooker revealed he isn’t currently working on any new scripts for his dystopian anthology series.

During an interview with Radio Times, Brooker explains that now is probably not the right time for more Black Mirror stories due to the novel coronavirus. “At the moment, I don’t know what stomach there would be for stories about societies falling apart, so I’m not working away on one of those,” Brooker told Radio Times. “I’m sort of keen to revisit my comic skill set, so I’ve been writing scripts aimed at making myself laugh.”

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/01/05/top-10-black-mirror-episodes”]

June 2019 was the last time we were treated to a new batch of Black Mirror episodes featuring stars like Anthony Mackie and Miley Cyrus. In our glowing review, we say, “Black Mirror’s fifth season is one of the series’ best, with a condensed batch of new stories that deliver great storytelling, interesting characters, and fascinating technologies that don’t overshadow Charlie Brooker’s deeply personal stories.”

If you find yourself missing Black Mirror, all of the seasons, including the interactive film Bandersnatch, are currently available to stream on Netflix. And if you just want more Brooker, his television review series — Antiviral Swipe — is coming back for a special one-off “quarantine special,” which will premiere on BBC Two on Thursday, May 14 in the UK.

For more Black Mirror, watch executive producers Charlie Brooker and Annabel Jones pick their five favorite moments from the entire series and respond to some hilarious IGN comments.

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David Griffin still watches DuckTales in his pajamas with a cereal bowl in hand. He’s also the TV Editor for IGN. Say hi on Twitter.

Today’s spotlight deal is your opportunity to score a crazy Intel Core i9 8-core laptop with a 4K display and RTX 2080 video card for well under $2K. If you’re the desktop PC type, there’s an RTX 2080 Ti config for under $1700. That’s alot of bang for your buck.

HP OMEN 15″ 4K 3840×2160 Intel Core i9-9880H Gaming Laptop with RTX 2080 for $1880.99

Get it with 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD Upgrades for Only $108 More

You won’t find another laptop with beastly specs like this for under $2K. Not only are you equipped with an RTX 2080 Max-Q video card, the most powerful mobile GPU available, you’re also getting an Intel Core i9-9880H 8-core processor and a gorgeous 4K IPS display. Upgrading your RAM and HDD will push it just over $2K although you could probably do that on your own and save some money.

• Click Here
• Select Processor and Graphics – i9-9880H + RTX 2080 (+$980)
• Select Display – 15.6″ 4K IPS (+$150)
• Proceed to shopping cart
• At cart, apply code “10GAMERSPRING“
• Price should show up as $1880.99

HP OMEN 17″ 1080p 144Hz Intel Core i9-9880H Gaming Laptop with RTX 2080 for $1916.99

Get it with 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD Upgrades for Only $45 More

The 17″ model doesn’t have any option to upgrade to 4K, but one could argue that 4K is overkill for a laptop. You still get a 1080p display with 144Hz refresh rate.

• Click Here
• Select Processor and Graphics – i9-9880H + RTX 2080 (+$1080)
• Select Display – 17.3″ 144Hz 1080p IPS (+$100)
• Proceed to shopping cart
• At cart, apply code “10GAMERSPRING“
• Price should show up as $1916.99

HP OMEN Obelisk Intel Core i5-9600K RTX 2080 Ti Gaming PC for $1682.99

I’ve never seen a prebuilt gaming PC with an RTX 2080 Ti (the fastest video card out right now) for this price. This PC is customizable on HP’s website, but buying the base config has its merits. In terms of gaming, upgrading from an Intel Core i5-9600K to an Intel Core i7 is a waste… performance-wise they are identical. Also, by upgrading the RAM and storage on your own, you can save alot of money and pick your own, better parts at the same time.

• Click Here
• Select Graphics Card – NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti (+$450)
• At cart, apply code “10GAMERSPRING“
• Price should show up as $1682.99

40% Off 1 Year of PS Plus Membership, Now $36.99

Use code “DSPLYMBR”

PS Plus membership discounts only happen a few times a year so grab this deal when you can. This membership lets you play games online (absolutely necessary for games like NBA 2K20, Madden NFL 20, FIFA 20, Overwatch, Rocket League, and more). You’ll also get PS Plus exclusive discounts at the PlayStation Store as well as new free games every month. For example, right now PS Plus members get the outstanding Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End and Dirt Rally 2.0 for free. Best of all, it’s email delivery so you’ll get your code within 24 hours.

• Use code “DSPLYMBR” to get it at DailySteals for $36.99

Oculus Quest VR Headset Back in Stock (Compatible with Half-Life: Alyx)

These VR headsets have been extremely hard to find and a May ship date is actually surprisingly soon. There are many reasons why the Quest is the best VR headset to get right now. It’s completely untethered with no external sensors to set up, it’s powerful enough to play games like Half-Life: Alyx, Beat Saber (the best VR game of 2019), Vader Immortal, and Pistol Whip, and it’s far less expensive than all the other newer generation VR headsets that have been released. The Oculus Link software which allows you to connect the Quest to a PC using a Type C cable and use it like a regular VR headset powered by your gaming PC. You can purchase the official cable for $79. If you want to try your luck, there are reports that many generic USB Type C Gen 1 or Gen 2 cables will work like this $18 cable.

• Get the 64GB model at the Oculus Store for $399
• Get the 128GB model for $499

17% Off Persona 5 Royal for PS4

This is the first discount we’ve seen on this 10/10 “Masterpiece” rated game. If you thought Persona 5 couldn’t get any better, guess again. One of the best (if not the best) RPGs to grace the PlayStation 4 console is receiving the royal treatment in 2020. Persona 5: Royal Edition introduces a new character, the ability of customize your Thieves’ Den, and new story lines with new cutscenes and new endings.

• Get it on Amazon for $49.94

Dell HDTV Deals with Free Gift Cards

Dell has pushed out some new great deals on HDTVs. Not only do these prices include instant discounts, you also get a bonus Dell eGift card that you can use on practifcally anything at Dell.com. It’s emailed to you shortly after your TV ships and you carries a 90-day expiration.

• LG OLED55B9 55″ 4K OLED TV with $100 Gift Card for $1299
• Sony XBR55X950G 55″ 4K TV with $250 Gift Card for $998
• Vizio M558-G1 55″ 4K QLED TV with $100 Gift Card for $529.99
• Vizio V505-G9 50″ 4K TV with $75 Gift Card for $299.99
• LG 60UM6900 60″ 4K TV with $50 Gift Card for $499
• LG Nanocell 8 65SM8600 65″ 4K TV with $75 Gift Card for $847
• Sony XBR 75X800H 75″ 4K TV with $350 Gift Card for $1398
• LG Nanocell 8 75SM8670 75″ 4K TV with $150 Gift Card for $1497

25% Off the Latest Apple iPad

The newest generation Apple iPad is back down to Black Friday pricing. The latest generation iPad boasts a gorgeous 10.2″ Retina display, the powerful A10 processor, support for the Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard, and up to 10 hours of battery life on a single charge.

• Get it on Amazon for $249.99

TIDAL 4-Month HiFi Music Streaming Plan for $4

Pay $1/month for four months (the normal cost of the HiFi plan is $19.99/mo). TIDAL is a music streaming service that offers 60+ million tracks and 250,000+ videos with premium quality audio. The HiFi plan upgrades the audio to lossless high-fidelity.

• Sign Up for Four Months of TIDAL for Only $4

ComiXology Free Trial Extended to 60 Days

The ComiXology trial period is normally 30 days.  ComiXology is Amazon’s digital comic platform and is the largest digital retailer of American comics. The site hosts 20,000 digital comics, graphic novels, and manga from DC, Marvel, Image, Dark Horse, and more. Here’s your chance to access all of it, totally free, for 30 60 days. If you’re an avid comic reader, you might want to consider continuing on afterwards, since it’s only $5.99/month. You can even sign in with your Amazon account.

• Get a 60-Day Free Trial to ComiXology

Online Learning Course Bundles from Stack Social

Want to be more productive at home? Stack Social has plenty of practical courses that can kick start your career. For under $40 per bundle you get dozens of hours of online instruction in programming, game creation, video production, ethical hacking, and more… all from the safety of your home.

• Learn to Code in 2020
• Become a Python Coder
• Build Your Own Android Apps
• Develop Your Own Games
• School of Game Design Lifetime Membership
• Ethical Hacking 101
• Essential Videography Skills
• Change Your Background Without a Green Screen

Free Sling TV from 5pm to Midnight (CNN, MSNBC, Food Network, HGTV, Cartoon Network, and More)

No Credit Card Required for Signup

Sling’s Happy Hour promotion is offering free Sling Blue from 5pm to midnight (normally $30/month). You can keep up with live news about the COVID virus from CNN, MSNBC, HLN, and Fox News, or just lose yourself in family friendly TV shows from HGTV, Food Network, A&E, Bravo, TNT, Comedy Central, Cartoon Network, The Discovery Channel, Nick Jr, and more. Best of all no credit card is required.

• Watch Sling TV Every Night From Free from 5pm to Midnight

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Eric Song is IGN’s deal curator and spends 25% of his pay on stuff he posts.

So you’ve waited 13 years for another Half-Life game and now your adventures with Alyx have finally come to an end. Don’t leave your headset in the corner to gather a year’s worth of dust, though. Although Half-Life: Alyx sets the bar for what VR games can be, there are still plenty of other fantastic VR titles available for you to dive into. Whether you want a well-acted story, intense gunplay, or a whiff of Valve’s humour, here are six fantastic VR games to play after Half-Life: Alyx.

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Boneworks

With its headcrab-style enemies, crowbar-wielding action, and copious amounts of environmental interactions, Boneworks has a lot in common with Half-Life: Alyx. This ambitious VR playground sees you fighting through a deadly army of rogue robot soldiers while you explore a dystopian virtual world known as MythOS.

Although Boneworks doesn’t quite reach the narrative highs and polish you’d find in a Valve game, its realistic implementation of physics might just be what you’re after for a second helping of Valve-style VR. But, unlike Alyx’s small offering of firearms, Boneworks has a plethora of weapons, including an MP5, the humble frying pan, a katana, and even… a balloon gun?

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The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners

Before playing Half-Life: Alyx I would never have described Half-Life as scary. Sure, those zombies might be a tad bit creepy, but they’re nothing a bit of bunny hopping and a magnum bullet couldn’t take care of. In VR it’s another story. Experiencing bloody, ripped-open chests and terrifyingly long claws is a haunting experience up close, and that’s something Alyx shares with The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners.

Aside from the obvious undead connection, Saints & Sinners stands alongside Alyx in terms of offering an immersive atmosphere that’s as scary as the darkest corners of City 17. You play as the Tourist, a survivor in search of a potentially limitless supply of life-saving goods hidden deep within the post-apocalyptic remains of New Orleans. On the surface this might seem like your standard zombie affair with survival mechanics, looting, and find-and-fetch quests. But Saints & Sinners surprisingly has a lot more in common with Deus Ex, as choices made within the story can affect other characters, factions, and even the ending.

Most importantly, though, Saints & Sinners might just be the best zombie killing experience VR has to offer. The feeling of swiftly sinking a screwdriver deep into a walker’s brain is deeply satisfying and provides the best ‘squish’ sound effect I’ve ever heard.

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Blade & Sorcery

Half-Life: Alyx does a great job of establishing you as an actual person within the confined walls of City 17. Everything feels intuitive, whether you are simply pushing open a door or fighting off an angry headcrab. Blade & Sorcery is similar in that it benefits from a number of little details that together make a big difference to the experience.

This medieval fantasy sandbox offers no quests, characters, or story to follow, but instead provides the ultimate fighting playground. We’re talking immersive physics-driven melee combat, combined with ranged and magic-based attacks. You can pick from a large array of weapons such as daggers, spears, greatswords, and axes. And if you’re into modding, even a lightsaber or two.

As chaotic as this all sounds, Blade & Sorcery still encourages you to be strategic and creative. With a handful of different enemy types to take on, such as archers, wizards, and shieldmen, you’ll find yourself trying out many different methods of attack. Should you use a rapier to pierce through an enemy’s shield, or distract him with your lightning spell before you dive in for the kill? Much like Half-Life: Alyx, each weapon has its own weight and style of approach. If you’re thinking about one-handing a Greatsword for example, then… well, good luck with that.

If you’re after a fluid, moddable, and downright fun fighting experience, then Blade & Sorcery is the game to check out.

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Stormland

An element of Half-Life: Alyx that often goes unnoticed is how smooth its movement is. Valve clearly put a lot of time and effort into ensuring that players of all preferences would be comfortable. But unlike previous Half-Life games, Alyx is pretty slow, and so that lack of fast flowing movement may have left some feeling a bit nostalgic for Gordon’s swifter strides.

If you’re one of those people, Stormland‘s fluid movement around its immersive, sprawling world is something worth experiencing. This virtual jungle gym of jumping, climbing, and gliding is as an absolute pleasure to play, especially with a friend in co-op. As you explore this vast alien world, you’ll be blasting your way through enemy robots, sneaking around outposts, and causing an untold amount of havoc as you search for your missing friends.

Much like Half-Life: Alyx, Stormland soars high with its fantastic movement system, and as a great showcase for what VR can offer.

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Lone Echo

While Half-Life: Alyx will undoubtedly remain as a shining example of how far VR has come since its revitalised return in 2016, just a year into VR’s resurgence saw another star rise above the rest in the form of Lone Echo. You take control of Jack, a robot working on a mining station orbiting Saturn, and to everyone’s surprise something has gone wrong. Alongside the ship’s captain, you must take on the dangerous task of investigating what could have caused all this chaos.

Much like Alyx, Lone Echo excels in delivering not only a well acted story, but an interesting and believable one too. So if you’ve got your space legs ready and set for an adventure, then this immersive zero-gravity story is exactly what you’re looking for.

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Budget Cuts

Even though Half-Life: Alyx sees you take on vicious aliens and disgusting zombies, Valve’s wry sense of humour still shines through. With Portal writers Jay Pinkerton and Erik Wolpaw at the helm, it’s no surprise that the witty banter between Alyx and newcomer Russel is fantastic. For those looking to step into a world filled with dry humour and deadly corporations akin to Portal, you need look no further than Budget Cuts.

Set in the dystopian hell of a depressed robot-filled corporate office, you’ll find yourself sneaking, stabbing, and teleporting your way through in order to escape. But unlike in Alyx, where you’re more than well equipped to handle any violent situation, patience is key in Budget Cuts as these weapon-toting robots won’t hold back.

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So those are six virtual reality games we reckon you should try out after playing Half-Life: Alyx. What other fantastic VR titles would you suggest giving a go? Let us know in the comments below! And if you’re looking to get into VR, why not look at our guide to the best VR headsets.

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Jesse Gomez is a VR-loving video producer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter. 

Given CD Projekt Red’s past works with The Witcher and its sequels, it should come as no surprise that the studio is continuing to push the limits of ratings boards with its latest game, Cyberpunk 2077.

The ESRB has released its rating of the upcoming cyberpunk RPG, granting it a “Mature” rating with a very descriptive breakdown. The blurb mentions the game’s in-depth character creator which, aside from letting you define the standard anatomical attributes, lets you go as far as determining the definition of your character’s genitalia. The rating continues by detailing several scenes with strong sexual content, all of which will be in a first-person view.

The rating also mentions several scenes in the game depicting excessive violence, including one instance where “players assist a character by hammering nails through his hands and feet.” There are also notes on numerous fictitious drugs and alcoholic drinks that are available for purchase in the game, all of which will induce some effect on your character. You can read the full ERSB rating excerpt below.

CD Projekt Red is confident that Cyberpunk 2077 will launch on September 27 despite the on-going COVID-19 pandemic, and are planning to show the game off in June during what would’ve been E3 week. Cyberpunk 2077 will launch on PS4, Xbox One, and PC, and has already been confirmed for Xbox Series X as part of its Smart Delivery program.

Cyberpunk 2077 Rating Summary

This is a first-person RPG/shooter in which players assume the role of a mercenary named V trying to make their way through the open-world of Night City. Players can explore futuristic locations, interact with citizens, perform missions, and engage in combat to complete various objectives within a storyline. Characters use handguns, machine guns, rifles, and explosives during frenetic firefights with humans and cybernetically enhanced enemies; players can also use melee weapons (e.g., wrist-mounted blades, enhanced limbs) to stab enemies and, in some cases, dismember them. Combat is frenetic, with frequent gunfire, cries of pain, explosions, and blood-splatter effects. Some locations depict mutilated corpses with open chest cavities and/or exposed organs/entrails. During one quest, players assist a character by hammering nails through his hands and feet; screaming sounds and blood effects accompany the scene. The game contains nudity and sexual material: Players can select a gender and customize their character; customization can include depictions of breasts, buttocks, and genitalia, as well as various sizes and combinations of genitals. Players can encounter events where they have the option to engage in sexual activities with other main characters or prostitutes—these brief sex scenes (from a first-person perspective) depict partially nude characters moaning suggestively while moving through various positions. Some scenes contain brief depictions of thrusting motions; other scenes depict a character’s head moving towards a partner’s crotch. The game contains frequent depictions and references to fictional drugs, including characters taking puffs/hits from a state-altering inhaler/stimulant; an animated billboard ad depicts a man snorting speed. Some sequences allow the player to drink alcoholic beverages repeatedly until the screen distorts; player’s character can also drive cars while drunk. The words “f**k” and “c*nt” appear in the dialogue.

Anyone with even a passing interest in comics will want to check this out: ComiXology is giving away a bunch of digital Marvel collections for free, with no strings attached. Add them to your cart, check out, and they’re yours to download and read forever. These are some pretty great collections, including Spider-Man’s origin story from 1963, Sam Wilson’s attempt to fill the shoes of Captain America, Secret Invasion, and more.

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By the way, if you’re into free comics, you’ll also want to take advantage of the expanded 60-day free trial of ComiXology Unlimited if you haven’t already. It’s a subscription service that grants you instant and unlimited access to over 25,000 comics, graphic novels, and manga. You can cancel before your first bill arrives and pay nothing at all. If you choose to keep going, it’s only $5.99 a month afterwards. Anyway, onto the free books.

Free Marvel Comics

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If you do try ComiXology Unlimited and are wondering where to start, we have you covered, friends. You can check out the 25 best comics on ComiXology Unlimited, as well as the best Green Lantern comics, Venom comics, and Batman comics on the service.

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Chris Reed is IGN’s shopping and commerce editor. You can follow him on Twitter @_chrislreed.

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For the past couple of months, publishers and retailers have been giving away tons of free games to promote social distancing. We’ve been keeping a running list of every free game you can claim on PC, PS4, Xbox One, and mobile. Another free PC game has joined the list, and it’s the cult classic strategy game Evil Genius. All you need to do to snag Evil Genius is sign up for a Rebellion account, and then link it to your Steam account to add the game to your library. It’s unclear when the promotion ends, so you should scoop this free game up as quickly as possible.

Originally released in 2004, Evil Genius puts you in the shoes of one of three budding criminal masterminds on a quest for world domination. Played from an isometric perspective, you create your own secret lair filled with laboratories for experiments, training facilities, and obstacles such as traps and interrogation devices. Over the course of the campaign, you manage a growing minion army and recruit muscle to guard your elaborate base while developing weapons capable of executing your nefarious plans.

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It earned a 7.3/10 (back when GameSpot had a 100-point review scale) in our Evil Genius review. Evil Genius also holds an “Overwhelmingly Positive” user rating on Steam. If you’re a fan of base-building strategy games, Evil Genius is definitely worth checking out. Plus, you can use this opportunity to prep for Evil Genius 2: World Domination, which is expected to release later this year on PC.

Evil Genius isn’t the only free strategy game you can grab right now. If you sign up for 11 Bit Studios’ newsletter, you’ll get a Steam code for the Anomaly Bundle, which compiles five games in the hybrid tower defense/offense franchise.