Today Woot is offering the Apple TV 4K at an outstanding discount, but it gets even better if you purchase it through their app. Other deals today include an AtGames Legends Ultimate arcade cabinet, PS5 DualSense controller, Alienware Aurora RTX 3060 equipped gaming desktop PCs and gaming monitors, the upcoming The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword game for Nintendo Switch, and more.

Apple TV 4K 32GB (Prev Gen) for $119.99 or Less

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If you make your purchase through the Woot app, you can get an additional 17% off, dropping the price to $99.58. This is an outstanding deal for one of the best 4K media streaming devices out there, especially if you are already plugged into the Apple ecosystem with an iPhone, iPad, or MacBook. The newest Apple TV 4K sells for $180, and the upgrades over its predecessor are definitely not worth the $60-$80 price premium.

AtGames Legends Ultimate Home Arcade Cabinet

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The AtGames Legends Ultimate Home Arcade is finally back in stock at Sam’s Club. It’s been unavailable for a while and sells for considerably higher on eBay. If you’re not a Sam’s Club member, you need to pay a 10% surcharge, but at least shipping is only $10. This is a full-sized cabinet that’s much more robust than your typical Arcade1Up cabinet. It features a generously sized high-definition 24″ LCD monitor and two player setup (each player gets a joystick, six action buttons, and a spinner). There’s also a trackball for precision gameplay like in Centipede. Speaking of which, the biggest draw are the 300 licensed arcade and console games that are preinstalled. That includes classics like Missile Command, Asteroid, Space Invaders, Burger Time, Fix It Felix, and much much more. If you have the technical know-how, you can also add in your own games with a USB flash drive.

Sony PS5 DualSense Controller for $56.99

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B&H Photo undoubtedly has the lowest price for the new PS5 DualSense controller, but you’ll have to jump through a very small hoop to get it. You’ll need to enter your email address and B&H will send you an email with a link to the discounted price. The DualSense controller is easily one of the most advanced controllers we’ve seen, with speakers and mic, haptics, sensors, gyroscope, accelerometer, the works.

Out Friday: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

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The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword comes out this Friday and DailySteals has the lowest price we’ve seen so far. The game is currently $59.99 on Amazon but DailySteals has it for $49.99, or 17% off. You’ll get the physical retail copy.

Alienware Aurora R12 RTX 3060 PC From $999

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For under $1000 for the Intel model or $1100 for the AMD model, you can get an Alienware Aurora R12 gaming PC equipped with an RTX 3060 video card. You’d be hard pressed to find a better deal on an RTX 3060 equipped desktop PC from any brand. If you play at 1080p, any card more powerful than this is probably overkill. The RTX 3060’s performance is superior to both the RTX 2060 SUPER and the RTX 2070.

Alienware AW2720HF 27″ 1080p 240Hz Monitor

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This is the lowest price ever (previous low was $369.99). This is a great deal for a 27″ 1080p gaming monitor that utilizes a high quality IPS panel for excellent color reproduction and wide viewing angles, and yet boasts true 1ms response time and a blazing fast 240Hz refresh rate. It’s actually a perfect complement to the Alienware gaming PCs mentioned above, since the 1080p resolution pairs well with an RTX 3060 video card and you have a very generous 27″ of screen real estate at a very affordable price.

Alienware AW3820DW 38″ 3840×1600 Monitor

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Get Alienware’s biggest and best gaming monitor at $600 off, the lowest price we’ve ever seen. This monitor boasts a huge screen size and the resolution to back it up. This is one of the few monitors that is certified “G-SYNC Ultimate” enabled. This means that there is an even higher-end NVIDIA GSYNC processor built into this monitor for better HDR, brighter picture, and more faithful color reproduction. The IPS panel boasts a true 1ms response time and 144Hz refresh rate.

More Daily Deals for July 13, 2021

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Eric Song is IGN’s deal curator and spends roughly 1/4 of his income on stuff he posts. Check out the IGN Deals articles and subscribe to the IGN Deals Twitter page.

Nicolas Cage will no longer play Joe Exotic of Tiger King fame after the actor revealed that the project may have stalled and even shelved.

Following the Tiger King craze of last year, several competing adaptations were in the works. One of which from Amazon cast Oscar-winning actor Nicolas Cage to play the eccentric wildlife enthusiast. However, speaking with Variety, Cage says he is no longer attached to Amazon’s version and that it may not even go forward.

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“We should clear the record,” Cage says in an interview. “I read two excellent scripts, which I did think were excellent, but I think Amazon ultimately felt that it was material that had become past tense because it took so long for it [to] come together. They felt at one point that it was lightning in the bottle, but that point has since faded into the distance and it’s no longer relevant.”

Last year Netflix released the true-crime documentary Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness and it quickly became a sensation. Several different Tiger King projects were fast-tracked, but soon after the COVID-19 pandemic hit and many of those projects stalled.

Since then, Tiger King may have become yesterday’s news, although a rival Tiger King project starring Kate McKinnon and John Cameron Mitchell is still set to go at Peacock.

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Cage still has plenty of work. His latest film, Pig, has been critically acclaimed and IGN awarded it a 9 out of 10. Our Pig review called Cage’s performance measured and meticulous and the film is a “melancholy John Wick for the Portland restaurant scene.”

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Matt T.M. Kim is IGN’s News Editor.

Fortnite Chapter 2, Season 7 is all about an alien invasion. The most recent game update continues this theme by introducing the udderly ridiculous Inflate-A-Bull item. You know, since aliens love abducting cows and all that.

What is an Inflate-A-Bull in Fortnite?

The Inflate-A-Bull is a new bubble-like cow suit item. Inflating/encasing players upon activation, the suit will allow you to comically bounce and roll around the map. You can use it to escape a losing gunfight or to land safely after falling from a high altitude. It only takes a few shots before the suit pops, however, so make sure to avoid gunfire when possible.

Where to Find an Inflate-A-Bull in Fortnite?

The quickest way to nab an Inflate-A-Bull is to visit Rick Sanchez. This famous NPC is stationed on the top floor of the IO base just East of Weeping Woods. For 25 gold bars, he’ll sell you an Inflate-A-Bull item. You’ll need to be quick though, as he only has one Inflate-A-Bull per match, making the IO base a highly contested area. Make sure to take a look around before running up to Rick.

If you missed out on getting the Inflate-A-Bull from Rick, you’ll be happy to hear that it isn’t that hard to find. This blue (rare) item can also be found in one of the many chests scattered about the island.

How to Use an Inflate-A-Bull

Once acquired, an Inflate-A-Bull will take up an inventory slot and replace your Backbling. To activate it, all you have to do is hit the jump button twice (like you’re trying to double jump) or press jump while falling. To deactivate it, press the use button or try to attack with a weapon.

The Inflate-A-Bull has a cooldown timer. The amount of time it takes to cool down depends on how soon you deactivated it and whether or not it popped from enemy fire. Be mindful of this when bouncing to and fro, as the item will be unrelia-bull during these moments.

Fortnite Chapter 2, Season 7 has been a blast so far. There’s never a dull moment. Be sure to keep up with the excitement by checking back here for more Fortnite guides.

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Kenneth Seward Jr. is a freelance writer, editor, and illustrator who covers games, movies, and more. Follow him @kennyufg and on Twitch.

Gunpowder Milkshake premieres Wednesday, July 14 on Netflix.

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With an abundance of style and a deficit of substance, Gunpowder Milkshake features an impressive lineup of stars — ones who you really want to watch kick a ton of ass — but wastes them with a regrettably empty project that lands with a muddled thud.

A “comic book movie” that’s not based on a comic book, Gunpowder Milkshake presents us with a hyper-stylized bubble world of shadowy money men, female assassins, an endless supply of disposable thugs, and a lone library that’s meant to supply and train members of the “Sisterhood.” Greats Angela Bassett, Michelle Yeoh, and Carla Gugino play the stewards of the library while the MCU’s Karen Gillan plays a lone killer being targeted by – yup – the very organization she works for. Gillan’s Sam is the daughter of Lena Headey’s Scarlet, a hitwoman who was forced to run out on her little girl 15 years earlier. Now Sam must reunite with Scarlet, and join forces with the Sisterhood, in order to take down The Firm. It sounds more fun than it is.

Despite the neon colored-sets and an attempt at a noir-ish, pulpy production design, Gunpowder Milkshake is dragged down by D.O.A. dialogue, rote action sequences, and just an overall lifelessness. As mentioned, it’s assembled an awesome-on-paper, award-winning cast, including Paul Giamatti, and then gives them clinically dry lines to say and tedious roles to portray, as if their mere presence was supposed to be good enough. And, sure, the “hitman running from their own boss” story isn’t new, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be done in a fun or fresh way. Gunpowder Milkshake dresses up this time-honored tale with hot pinks and retro diners and a cutesy malt shop aesthetic but that’s all it is: a sugar-coated sheen. The rest is a tonal mess that at its best is quirky “cool” and at its worst is bland and boring.

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In an attempt to display its own unique landscape — like a Sin City or a Kill Bill, or even other decent Tarantino/Rodriguez copycats — Gunpowder Milkshake creates an interesting snow globe but then can’t quite manifest the rest. It wants to employ Tarantino’s use of a contrapuntal soundtrack but it doesn’t work. It wants its star, Gillan’s Sam, to be a cosplay-ready heroine with her bowling jacket and a gun tightly taped to her hand (her arms get paralyzed at one point) but it feels forced. And there’s really no attempt made to have any of the characters be funny or interesting.

To give the story a touch of heart, Chloe Coleman enters as Emily, a young girl who Sam must protect while also fending off her own company’s crazed, screaming goons. Gillan’s Sam is an effectively hard nut to crack so it makes sense that she be given a young ward. But then everyone else in the story is also a gruff, steely badass so it makes Sam feel less special by comparison. Only Carla Gugino’s Mathilde gets to sneak in some personality, embodying the polite and kind front-facing bespectacled librarian of the Sisterhood. While everyone else is just being tough, she’s allowed to present a small amount of warmth and, in a way, humor.

Another failing element here is the fact that Sam is being marked for death because she killed the wrong person on a mission given to her by her bosses. No, not an innocent bystander or some type of collateral damage, Sam’s target was the son of a mob boss and her employers simply made a mistake. It’s even repeated over and over that she was just doing her job like normal, but leaning into this strange plot marker doesn’t help it make sense. Sam being betrayed like this undercuts just about everything. It makes it seem very matter of fact as if she could have just been dumped by The Firm at any point over the past 15 years for absolutely no reason. In turn, all the action that follows resonates as hollow because it feels like the movie barely searched for a reason for mass bloodshed and Gun Fu theatrics.

Gunpowder Milkshake finds a window of life in the middle, during a hospital fight between Sam and three thugs (dubbed the “Boneheads”), where her arms are rendered useless and she has to tape a gun to one hand and a scalpel to the other, and use young Emily as an assist. It’s a touch overly choreographed but it’s also the closest the film gets to feeling eccentric on its own terms. Most of the movie’s big action is saved for the end when all the women can join together, but this bit of lunacy was the better showing. This second act run with Emily also made it seem like there was a different style of story forming. Sadly, there wasn’t and Emily is quietly shuffled back into the deck for the third act.

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During the first hangout event, Noelle was just getting started. Her routine is about to get more intense than ever as she prepares herself for the coming Knights of the Favonius test. Good thing you’re around to help her! This guide outlines how to unlock Noelle’s second hangout event and how you can reach all of its endings.

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How to Unlock Noelle’s Second Hangout Event

To unlock Noelle’s second hangout event in Genshin Impact, you have to meet three prerequisites:

• Reaching Prologue: Act III
• 2 Story Keys
• Finish Noelle’s first hangout event

Story keys can be claimed by doing 8 daily commissions. Meanwhile, Prologue: Act III can be reached by advancing the game’s story. Make sure to check out our Genshin Impact walkthrough if you’re stuck.

After meeting the above prerequisites, navigate to the Quest menu and head to Story Quests/Hangout Events. Click the second tab at the top and you’ll find an assortment of characters with hangout events available.

Before we move on, we want to point out that there are sometimes different ways to reach an ending. The dialogue options used in this guide are what we chose to reach that specific ending.

How to Get Noelle’s Knightly Exam Prep Hangout Endings in Genshin Impact

During an event, Noelle and a bunch of dialogue options will appear in front of you. Choosing certain responses will progress the event while others may result in her losing hearts. If a character’s heart drops too low, there’s a chance they’ll leave you and the event will stop. This guide will help you avoid that! Now, without further ado, here is how to get all of Noelle’s Knightly Exam Prep endings.

Rest Amidst the Rocks

The Rest Amidst the Rocks ending has Noelle and the Traveler going on a trip to Liyue for a little bit of sightseeing.

• Just came here to say hi…
• Can I help?
• …Half a year away?
• Pushing yourself too hard will only make things worse.
• A change of scenery might do you good.
• Well, you do look especially good today.
• I can teach you how to use chopsticks. Want to try?
• Understanding the local culture will help you connect with people and learn more.
• Let’s go to Wanmin Restaurant.
• Come on, you can do it!
• Your cooking is delicious, too.
• She has her own weapon already, she wouldn’t need to.
• The harbor. We may learn something from the Millelith.
• Noelle took care of it all.
• And whether by Anemo or Geo, people will seek to protect what is most important.

The Maid-Knights Tale

The Maid-Knights tale ending, like the previous one, has Noelle and the Traveler head to Liyue for a bit of sightseeing. But this time, instead of going to the harbor, both of you decide to head to the storyteller instead.

• Just came here to say hi…
• Can I help?
• …Half a year away?
• Pushing yourself too hard will only make things worse.
• A change of scenery might do you good.
• Well, you do look especially good today.
• I can teach you how to use chopsticks. Want to try?
• Understanding the local culture will help you connect with people and learn more.
• Let’s go to Wanmin Restaurant.
• Come on, you can do it!
• Your cooking is delicious, too.
• She has her own weapon already, she wouldn’t need to.
• Let’s head to Third-Round Knockout, then keep exploring.
• Here we go again.
• Is this what you meant by “larger than life”?

Perfect Score

The Perfect Score ending has Noelle try out the adventurer’s entrance exam and getting a perfect score.

• You don’t look so good…
• I can be your study buddy!
• I thought it was more imminent…
• Maybe try to relieve your anxiety first?
• Don’t hide from it. Confront the stress of the exam directly.
• You could take some more exams to get used to the atmosphere.
• I often take part in the ranking exams of the Adventurer’s Guild.
• I meant Noelle…
• Windwheel Aster.
• Roald.
• Mare Jivari.
• Steak.
• I will be there.

Points Deducted

The Points Deducted ending is quite similar to the one above, but the trick to getting this ending is to fail one of the tests.

• You don’t look so good…
• I can be your study buddy!
• I thought it was more imminent…
• Maybe try to relieve your anxiety first?
• Don’t hide from it. Confront the stress of the exam directly.
• You could take some more exams to get used to the atmosphere.
• I often take part in the ranking exams of the Adventurer’s Guild.
• I meant Noelle…
• Calla Lily
• Sayid
• Mare Safari
• Steak.
• I will have time.

Work Made for a Maid

The Work Made for a Maid ending has Noelle pondering what kind of knight she wants to be.

• Just came here to say hi…
• Can I help?
• …Half a year away?
• Maybe try to relieve your anxiety first?
• Don’t hide from it. Confront the stress of the exam directly.
• You could try to imagine yourself passing the exam.
• Think of it as practicing for when you have to make Baron Bunnies with Amber in the future.
• You could become a Cavalry Captain, like Kaeya.
• You can start with some smaller details.
• This is a tricky situation…
• You could just listen in on their conversations instead.
• You are looking after Mondstadt in your own way.
• It’s the same with an exam. Just aim to do well in the things you’re good at.
• Someone passed out?

The One and Only Noelle

The One and Only Noelle ending makes Noelle realize that she’s always going to be herself no matter what. In a good way, of course.

• Just came here to say hi…
• Can I help?
• …Half a year away?
• Maybe try to relieve your anxiety first?
• Don’t hide from it. Confront the stress of the exam directly.
• You could try to imagine yourself passing the exam.
• Think of it as practicing for when you have to make Baron Bunnies with Amber in the future.
• You could become an Acting Grand Master, like Jean.
• Jean often helps out the locals around town.
• Reminds me of some commissions once involving a missing cat and some tax returns…

Noelle is such a wonderful character and we hope she succeeds in becoming a member of the Knights of the Favonius. It would be great to see that outcome reflected in Genshin Impact at some point, with an update to her story and a new outfit to commemorate the occasion.

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Cedric Pabriga is a freelance writer for IGN. He spends most of his day listening to music or playing video games. He also writes short stories in his spare time. You can follow him on Twitter @IchikaRika.

The Nintendo Switch is a killer console, thanks to its unique multiple form factors for play. But, that’s not to say a few accessories can’t make the experience even better. After all, the Nintendo Switch is a console that’s made to be used with a wide variety of accessories, many of which Nintendo makes itself.

Collected below is a list of what you’ll need to not just start your Switch experience, but also take it to the next level. Just be aware that not all Switches are created equal — the footprint of the Lite version is, as you’d expect, slimmer. It’ll jiggle about in any carry case designed for the OG Switch. Worse, any complementary screen protectors that might come with said case will be too big!

The Best Deals on: Switch Consoles

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The Best Deals for: Switch Controllers

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The Best Deals for: Micro SDXC Storage

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The Best Deals for: Switch Carry Cases

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I’ve spent a lot of my gaming time over the last five plus years duking it out against all manner of foes using the most powerful weapon of them all… cards. And in that time, two of my favourite card-based battle games have been Faeria and Slay the Spire. With Roguebook, those worlds are colliding. Well, to be more precise, developer Abrakam has brought its Faeria universe across to the roguelike deck-builder genre and created something of a (literal) storybook take on Slay the Spire. Roguebook doesn’t quite reach the same dizzying gameplay heights as that game, but it has a lot to offer, from its clever dual hero battle system and gorgeous presentation, through to its puzzle-like overworlds that are built around the premise that you’re trapped within Faeria’s lore book.

Lost in a Bad Book

One of Roguebook’s most interesting points of differentiation is its overworld exploration. Every map starts out with large swathes of blank parchment and it’s only by using brushes and ink pots that you can reveal what’s on each tile. As you paint, you’ll come across opportunities to draft more cards, to transmute existing cards, and to build up your in-battle energy reserves. You’ll discover piles of gold that can be spent at each chapter’s shop, you’ll collect relics that can potentially power up your gameplan, and you’ll stumble upon standalone events and mythical creatures. Working out how to best gather and use ink makes for an absorbing layer of overworld strategy.

Each enemy encounter, meanwhile, is an opportunity to test the cards, abilities, buffs and modifiers you’ve cobbled together so far. How well does your strategy fit together, and are you taking full advantages of the two heroes you’d chosen at the start of the run? Can you deal with multiple foes or work around status effects? And do you have enough lethality to topple enemies that steadily build their power? There’s generally a lot to keep in mind, especially as the row of relics and talents at the top of the screen gets longer and longer. These perks, after all, fundamentally inform your choice of cards to draft, as well as how to approach any given fight.

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If you have the relic Sturdy Shell, for instance, it gives the equipped hero five block each time he or she takes damage. If an enemy’s looking to attack for low damage repeatedly, then, you’ll want to end your turn with that hero at the front to basically negate the damage. With blocking taken care of, this also means you can prioritise attacking or deploying allies that turn. If you have the relic Flame of Ignus, you’ll get an extra energy orb any time a card grants you one, which means you should aggressively draft cards that do just that – as well as more expensive cards and card draw, as you know you’ll be able to take advantage of them. 

Even the cards in your deck can be modified thanks to Roguebook’s gem system. You may want to reduce a card’s cost, add card draw or perhaps always start a battle with it a particular card in hand. Cleverly utilising gems can have a massive impact on your deck’s power level and I really enjoyed looking for build-defining synergies.

There and Back Again

Roguebook’s turn-based battle system has many layers. Like Slay the Spire, you’ll spend energy to play cards, you’ll point attacks that do damage at enemies and you’ll find ways to build up block to mitigate incoming damage. More uniquely, you’ll also deploy allies into the battlefield – some of which offer up unique benefits like returning a card to hand or letting you swap hero positions, while others simply do damage at the end of every turn.

The design element I find most compelling, however, is the front and back dynamic for the two heroes. Swapping their positions is baked into many of the cards – cast one of Sharra’s Defend cards to gain block, for instance, and she’ll move to the front. Cards with Charge do the same, while cards with Retreat send the hero to the back. Swapping heroes is also regularly used to avoid position-specific debuffs and to trigger effects, while ending the turn with a particular hero at the front is a big part of the strategy as they’re the one that will take any damage.

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Some heroes utilise a specific position well too. Being at the front gives Sharra a boost to her attack power, for instance, but if she’s paired with Seifer you may want to end turns with him in the lead. Not only does he have higher native health, but any damage he takes adds to his rage meter which, when full, allows him to play a supercharged version of one of his cards.

Swapping positions is also a big part of gaining incremental resource advantages. Melee cards, for instance, cost one less when played by a hero who is leading, while Ranged cards are the same for the rear position. Weaving these discounts in while also paying attention to other keywords like Combo (which drops the cost of the Combo card by one if you play a card from the other hero first) is integral to making the most of your turns.

Hero in a Half-Shell

Each hero also has strengths, weaknesses and unique mechanics to be aware of. Sharra, for example, can generate Daggers, which are essentially zero cost damage spells. She also has plenty of strong single target attack cards and can cause ongoing bleed in enemies. Sorocco’s cards, meanwhile, are generally a little more expensive but hit harder. He’s more focused on AOE, on boosting the power of heroes and on generating block – and sometimes turning it into damage.

As mentioned, Seifer has the rage mechanic, so has cards that generate rage or take advantage of rage, as well as ways to sacrifice health and then heal back up. He can also deploy aggressive allies and then bolster their attack… or sacrifice them to save his own hide.

The last hero is Aurora, a low health, spell-casting tortoise who can summon an army of frogs, which all stack atop one another to create a single heavy-hitting ally. Many of her cards are either concerned with her health or are dual-sided. Sip is an example of both, healing for four if Aurora is damaged, but dealing four to the lead enemy if not. Sips are generated through a host of support cards, and Aurora also has plenty of card draw tools.

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Building a winning deck with cards from two distinct pools is quite fun, but Roguebook’s heroes aren’t all that mechanically interesting. I didn’t want to explore Seifer’s rage mechanic in the same way I became obsessed with orb strategies for the Defect in Slay the Spire, for instance. Many of Roguebook’s best ideas feel game-wide rather than hero-driven. Compounding this, having cards from two heroes in your deck makes aiming for a narrow strategy particularly difficult. 

You’re rewarded for having more cards in your deck too, with new talent choices unlocked at certain thresholds, and this is very much a mixed blessing. With this style of game, the more cards you draft, the more watered down your strategy will inevitably become. Deciding how large your deck should be is an interesting push and pull each run, but having rewards tied to larger decks doesn’t necessarily make Roguebook a better game.

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Run Plus Room

After you beat Roguebook once you’ll get access to New Run +. This Epilogue has 15 levels of difficulty to work through, and a whole host of modifiers to unlock – and then select – that will radically alter each run. Your lead hero might take damage each time he or she plays a card, for instance, or the back enemy may always start stealthed. It’s an interesting approach, but I found myself wishing each row was unlocked at once, as opposed to unlocking each modifier individually, as some were much more appealing to attempt than others.

The higher the Epilogue level you clear, the more Pages you’re rewarded, and these are spent on significant meta game upgrades like boosting the starting health of your heroes, adding more energy wells to each map and increasing the likelihood of rarer cards or treasures dropping. For the most part the embellishments help make you more powerful for future runs, but you may want to think twice before unlocking some of the options. Randomising the cards in your starter deck, for instance, certainly has high roll potential, but it can also leave you at a disadvantage. There’s something to be said for starting with a vanilla deck that’s reliable enough in the early game and that you then build on, while transmuting away the weaker cards over time.

New Game + represents significant endgame component, but it’s still a shame Roguebook doesn’t have anything outside of it. I’d have loved an additional palate cleanser mode, like daily challenges or the ability to create custom runs for fun in which I build my own starter deck, swap starter relics and so on.

Roguebook also has a few issues to clear up. I encountered numerous bugs in my time with the game, from cards not working as intended through to a run in which one of my hero’s starter relics simply went AWOL. I also lost a few hours progress at one point thanks to an issue with cloud save functionality. Thankfully, the game has already received a couple of significant patches, including one after the bulk of my playtime, so things are heading in the right direction.

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There’s never been a better time to retreat to your Animus and escape from the worries of the real world. That’s why we’ve hunted down some cracking deals on some of the best modern and remastered Assassin’s Creed titles. If history isn’t your bag, we’ve also sniffed out some bargains on more fantasy-minded action RPGs as well. All this and more awaits you below!

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John Lithgow has clarified the nature of his involvement in Showtime’s upcoming Dexter sequel series. While it was reported that the actor’s role was small enough to only necessitate a single afternoon of shooting in Los Angeles, Lithgow still had details to share about the nature of the project and how his reprisal of the role of Arthur Mitchell, aka The Trinity Killer, factors into it.

Spoilers follow for Dexter.

Reports that Lithgow would be returning as the Trinity Killer sent some Dexter fans into a combination of excitement and confusion. Lithgow’s tenure on the original series was brief, as his character bit the bullet in the Season 4 finale. Lithgow has clarified that there are no supernatural elements to his return to the series, stating that the Trinity Killer will only be seen in flashback.

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“As all Dexter fans know, we saw the end of the Trinity Killer, so that by definition means it’s a flashback,” Lithgow told Deadline. “It was just wonderful to rejoin that gang — including Michael and Jennifer Carpenter, and Clyde Phillips.”

Lithgow also offered some insight into how the sequel series will differentiate itself from Dexter’s initial eight-season run.

“I learned that it’s completely different from [the original series]… it’s a reimagination,” Lithgow said. “They don’t take it into a different era, but it’s in a different part of the world, a different part of the country, and [has] a whole new cast of characters.”

Lithgow went on to share that he first learned of plans for a Dexter revival approximately 5 months before shooting began. Showrunner Clyde Phillips asked if he would return for a brief role in the sequel series.

“He said, ‘Can you come just to spend one day in The Berkshires?’” Lithgow said. “I said, ‘Of course I can,’ and that’s exactly what it was.”

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Lithgow’s performance on Dexter is still seen as a highlight of the series by many fans. The actor’s work drew critical acclaim, with Lithgow earning his fifth Emmy in 2010 in the category of Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series.

Lithgow also scored his 13th Emmy nomination this morning for his supporting turn in HBO’s period drama series Perry Mason. The show premiered in June 2020 and has since been renewed for a second season by the network.

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J. Kim Murphy is a freelance entertainment writer.

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