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The first five episodes of Masters of the Universe: Revelation are available to stream Friday, July 23 on Netflix.

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As a sequel to Filmation’s classic cartoon He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, Masters of the Universe: Revelation, from He-Man superfan Kevin Smith, is a bonafide blast.

Developed and designed to be a follow up for like-minded Eternia stans, this new series might not play the same for those with little knowledge of the original, but for those familiar with these characters (and the old action figures and play sets), Masters of the Universe: Revelation superbly spins the story on its head and approaches the lore in a fun and satisfyingly modern way — even expanding parts of it that weren’t previously explained.

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Revelation is chock full of twists, turns, and bold new takes on a few of the characters, but it also makes a point to honor the past. Nothing new presented here negates the previous series, which was born of a massively successful Mattel toy line and ran for 130 episodes in the mid-’80s. It only drives the saga forward in a more mature and serialized fashion — in ways more aligned with both modern animation and Golden Era TV.

This is definitely a more adult-oriented spotlight for He-Man and company, but it’s not full-tilt rated-R fare like Amazon’s Invincible. This is still a solid family-friendly adventure, but it shows characters dealing with more serious problems and making harder choices. The first episode, “The Power of Grayskull,” drops fans into the ongoing battle between good and evil — between He-Man and Skeletor — that served as the spine for the entire original series. Then, after making sure the original recipe formula was being honored and acknowledged, it blows everything up quite spectacularly. What then follows is an exciting and giddily rewarding journey that makes new and wonderful use of the ensemble.

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The voice cast for Revelation is top-notch, but the real star is the story and what the series does with the characters. Sure, it’s awesome to hear Mark Hamill as Skeletor, Sarah Michelle Gellar as Teela, Game of Thrones’ Lena Headey and Liam Cunningham as Evil-Lyn and Man-At-Arms, respectively, and many more big name talents, but the surprising draw here is the fact that He-Man, more or less, is secondary to this tale, at least for these first five episodes.

Prince Adam and He-Man (voiced by Supergirl’s Chris Wood) are important, but they really serve as backdrop. In a manner similar to how Max acts as a lesser lead to Furiosa in Mad Max: Fury Road, Revelation draws upon the might and majesty of He-Man to facilitate others’ arcs. Basically, this is Teela’s show. In taking this approach, Revelation can act both as a stunning sequel and also a wondrous “What If?”-type spinoff for those viewers unwilling to accept some choices as pure canon.

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After Revelation opens the show by taking us beyond where we thought the He-Man mythos could go — while also making fun callbacks to both the original series and the 1987 Masters of the Universe movie — it becomes an epic odyssey about loss, redemption, and sacrifice. A new ragtag team of champions, formed of both heroes and villains, is tasked with returning magic to Eternia and saving the entire universe. Lifelong enemies learn to work together, while still operating under different sets of priorities and motivations, and it all culminates in a wicked game-changing cliffhanger that nicely sets up the back half of the season, which will be released at a later date.

Revelation takes some big swings, but still spares time for smaller moments of sentiment. It also makes fun use of He-Man’s insane rogue’s gallery of villains, with some (like Mer-Man, Tri-Klops, Stinkor) appearing prominently and others (like Clawful, Spikor, and — da hell? — Blast-Attak?) making for formidable background fodder. Again, long-time fans will know who these folks are, but for the uninitiated, they might just feel like random craziness.

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Executive producer/showrunner Kevin Smith and his writers have very much created a niche product here, but it’s a beautiful and engrossing one that infuses Masters of the Universe nostalgia — which is filled with after-school special morals for a younger set — with heartfelt storytelling that contains actual consequences. It takes all the incongruous elements of the old story, with its wild mix of magic and tech, and silly characters who seemed like they were Mad Libs’d together, and makes it all feel connected and worthy of being part of the same mosaic. In an era of sequels we never thought we’d get, Revelation is a dazzling and exciting continuation that adds maturity and layers to a somewhat silly saga from the past, while never robbing the original of its goofy glory.

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Good news, readers. For no apparent reason, Amazon has dropped prices on its Kindle ebook reading devices back down to their lowest prices ever. That includes Prime Day and Black Friday, so these are Very Good Deals. Right now, you can grab a baseline Kindle on sale for $59.99 (a savings of $30), or the even more impressive Kindle Paperwhite on sale for $84.99 (saving you $45). You even get three months of Kindle Unlimited for free. These kinds of discounts never last long, so pick one up if you want it.

Either way you go, you’ll get an extremely portable dedicated reading device that won’t pepper you with notifications while you’re trying to read War and Peace. (Or Dune in anticipation of the new film adaptation coming later this year.)

Kindle Deals

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Both of these machines connect you to millions of digital books and magazines. They can go weeks between charges. The glare-free e-ink display is more like paper than a phone or tablet, so reading in direct sunlight is no problem.

This latest-model standard Kindle has 4GB of storage and a screen resolution of 167 pixels per inch. The Paperwhite has 8GB of storage (upgradeable to 32), a 300 ppi display, and is waterproof. And since it’s only $25 more right now, it may well be worth it for those features. Up to you.

Kindle Unlimited is basically Netflix for books. It grants you unlimited access to over a million ebooks and over a thousand audiobooks, as well as current issues of many magazines. If you read a lot, it’s a good deal even when it’s not free.

The links above go to the ad-supported versions of the devices. That just means when you’re not using your Kindle, it’ll display an ad for a book Amazon thinks you’ll like. They’re pretty non-intrusive, but if you’d prefer an ad-free experience you can either opt for the $20 more ad-free model, or pay to have them removed later.

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

Sledgehammer Games, the developer of this year’s new Call of Duty game, has revealed a new logo, and the timing of the announcement might not be random. It’s rumored that Sledgehammer will reveal its new game in August, so setting the stage for that with the logo announcement makes sense in that respect. The game is said to be a WWII title codenamed Vanguard.

“You know that feeling of having a big date coming up, and you go shopping for new clothes? That’s what we did. It’s a big year and ‘we can’t wait to share more’ doesn’t even begin to describe our excitement,” the studio said in a blog post. “In the meantime, we thought we’d freshen up our look. Something to wear on a long walk around town.”

The new Sledgehammer Games primary logo has more color and is more vibrant than before. It also isn’t set to one color specifically. “How about a modular system that changes color based on how we’re feeling at any given time? There will certainly be a cross section of the audience reading this that’s all like, ‘Oh snap! That’s me.’ And there you are. This one’s for you. And it’s just the beginning,” Sledgehammer said.

The secondary Sledgehammer logo abbreviates the developer’s name to SHG, while the “hammer” icon is also staying. “If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it,” the developer said.

Sledgehammer developed 2017’s Call of Duty: WWII, while the studio has also contributed to the ongoing development of Call of Duty: Warzone. The studio’s new game is said to be another WWII entry that will feature a campaign, multiplayer, and co-op; it will also integrate with Warzone.

According to reporter Andy Robinson, Activision will announce Sledgehammer’s new Call of Duty game at some point in August.

Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans is now streaming on Netflix.

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Right from its opening scene, Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans makes it clear that the story has grown up with its audience. Creator Guillermo del Toro has replaced the whimsical innocence of Smalltown, USA, with a dark and glooming atmosphere that reflects the apocalyptic stakes of the final chapter in the Tales of Arcadia saga. In a lot of ways, it works wonderfully, allowing for large-scale action scenes and a satisfying conclusion to Jim’s story — but its large ensemble could have benefited from more time to explore all of its major developments.

Rise of the Titans feels like a full-on blockbuster, with co-directors Johane Matte, Francisco Ruiz Velasco, and Andrew L. Schmidt deftly setting the stage for a globetrotting adventure with the fate of the world in the balance. The cinematography is sharper and the animation is more detailed than it has been in previous installments in the series, while the sight of the primordial wizards facing against our heroes and threatening to cleanse the earth of human existence is effectively scary at times. In many ways, this is Trollhunters by way of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, as we’ve gone from the story of a young boy who discovers he’s tasked with protecting a hidden world, to a gloomy all-out war against impossibly strong forces out in the open.

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While the previous show, Wizards, brought together some of the characters, it’s Rise of the Titans that delivers on the promise made all the way back in season two of Trollhunters. The characters from all three Tales of Arcadia shows band together, and it’s exciting to see the heroes working together as a unit, magic and sci-fi blending together in interesting ways. While every show in the series has been rather self-contained up to this point, Rise of the Titans constantly cuts away to show how the threat of the Arcade Order affects the rest of the world. This not only drives home the high stakes, but also puts a spotlight on how alone and desperate our young heroes are in saving the day. 

Visually, it’s one of the most stunning movies to come from DreamWorks Animation in years. The doom and gloom of the story allows for a more precise style of cinematography, with a heightened focus on lighting and shadows, resulting in a particularly distinct vibe for the film that sets it apart from the rest of Tales of Arcadia. A fight between a giant robot and one of the titular titans in China evokes the kaiju action romp of del Toro’s own Pacific Rim, and looks just as spectacular too. The neon lights reflecting on the bay and the particle effects of the robot’s circuits, nuts, and bolts flying around look as good as any of Disney/Pixar’s multimillion-dollar productions, which help make the many action set pieces feel grandiose in scope. 

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Though Rise of the Titans is mostly Jim’s story — and it does bring his arc to a fulfilling and emotional conclusion that pays off five years’ worth of build-up — the same cannot be said of the rest of the film’s ensemble. The 106-minute runtime packs in a lot of plot development, but it moves so quickly those story beats don’t get a chance to breathe. Characters show up for five minutes only to disappear for the rest of the film. Take Steve Palchuk, for instance. Even if Steven Yeun once again steals the show as the bully-turned-hero, the character’s heroic story arc from Wizards gets tossed aside for an out-of-left-field comic relief side story. It’s inevitable that a feature film would feel rushed compared to an entire season of television, but it is still a bit disheartening to see the culmination of all three shows be solely devoted to a single character’s story.

Even still, Rise of the Titans works wonders in bringing together not only the characters, but the themes of each of the Tales of Arcadia shows. The film is at its strongest when it challenges the ideas of heroism and destiny that we’ve seen explored for the past five years, and there is more than one devastating sacrifice. This results in a finale that may feel like a cop-out conclusion to some, but functions as a phenomenal subversion of “chosen one” tropes in YA stories. Like Into the Spider-Verse, Rise of the Titans argues that it doesn’t matter who you are; anyone can be a hero. If nothing else, Rise of the Titans cements the Tales of Arcadia series as a fascinating, thrilling, funny, and heartwarming experiment.

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Lots of speculation out there. No comment. Other than, if the impossible happens and the dead rise again, it’s because of YOU.#SaveManifest

— Jeff Rake (@jeff_rake) July 20, 2021

New story details and the official trailer for Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut’s Iki Island expansion have been revealed ahead of its August 20 release date on PS5 and PS4.

Sucker Punch Productions’ senior writer Patrick Downs took to PlayStation.Blog to share more about this new story that allows players to take another adventure with Jin Sakai, complete with new locations to discover, characters to meet, tales to complete, and more.

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Iki Island is a real island to the southeast of Tsushima, and it was also invaded by Mongols during the time period that inspired Ghost of Tsushima. In the expansion, Jin Sakai learns of a mysterious Mongol tribe that has gained a foothold on Iki and is led by a revered shaman called Ankhsar Khatun. This shaman is known to her followers as “The Eagle,” and not only is she a “conqueror of nations,” but she is also a “shepherd of souls” and presents a danger to Jin and his people “unlike any they have faced.”

To stop this threat, Jin must return to Iki, a place he has gone once before. He will need to confront his old fears and deeply buried traumas while stopping Khatun and her followers. In doing so, he will also learn more about “the dark past of clan Sakai.”

Sucker Punch has also revealed that their version of Iki Island provides a “stark contrast to Tsushima.” It’s a wild and lawless land of raiders and criminals that is “scarred by memories of war, and fiercely independent; the samurai have not been in control there for decades.” To complete this mission, Jin will need to work – or around – a “coterie of unsavory characters.”

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Jin will encounter pirates, smugglers, mad monks, and haunted caves on his journey to Iki, and will be able to hear new legends and learn new techniques along the way. There will also be “intimate, emotional, personal stories” about people struggling to let go of old hatreds and surviving a brutal war.

“With everything that has happened this past year, it’s no accident we also wanted to tell a story of healing… And we felt this would pose a unique and compelling challenge for Jin,” Downs wrote. “We all suffer wounds, from the humblest farmer to the mightiest jito. Wounds from the past that we carry with us. And the thing about a wound is that you can’t fight it, or stealth your way around it. Ghost weapons and samurai techniques won’t help you. A wound can only be healed. “

As previously mentioned, the Iki Island story expansion will be available as part of the Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut on PS4 and PS5 on August 20. The full version of the game will cost $69.99 on PS5 and $59.99 on PS4, but there are also upgrade paths available for those who already own the base game;

• PS4 players will be able to pre-order an upgrade to the Director’s Cut for $19.99.
• PS4 players who own the Director’s Cut can upgrade to the PS5 version of the Director’s Cut for $9.99.
• Anyone with the original PS4 copy of Ghost of Tsushima looking to upgrade to the Director’s Cut on PS5 will have to pay $29.99.

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Those looking to try Ghost of Tsushima on the PS5 will also be able to play with lip sync for both English and Japanese voiceovers, haptic feedback, adaptive triggers, 3D audio, drastically improved load times, 4K resolution options, and targeted 60 FPS. Also, your save file will be able to transfer from PS4 to PS5.

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Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to [email protected].

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

Ghost of Tsushima’s upcoming Director’s Cut will add a bunch of new content for PS4 and PS5 players, with the big draw being an entirely new campaign set on Iki Island. As for why protagonist Jin Sakai is venturing to this new location, that comes down to the samurai hunting down a mysterious Mongol tribe that has gained a foothold on the island, which is led by a shaman named Ankhsar Khatun. Known as “the Eagle” to her followers, the remnant Mongol forces once again represent a threat to Tsushima and the rest of Japan.

In a PS Blog post, developer Sucker Punch explained that Sakai won’t just be taking on new adventures while exploring the island, but he’ll also be forced to face old fears and unearth deeply buried traumas that are related to his clan’s dark history. Iki is described as a wild and lawless land of raiders and criminals by Sucker Punch, and Sakai will once again have to form new alliances with unlikely partners if he wants to stop the Eagle and her followers.

“With everything that has happened this past year, it’s no accident we also wanted to tell a story of healing,” Sucker Punch senior writer Patrick Downs added. “And we felt this would pose a unique and compelling challenge for Jin. We all suffer wounds, from the humblest farmer to the mightiest jito. Wounds from the past that we carry with us. And the thing about a wound is that you can’t fight it, or stealth your way around it. Ghost weapons and samurai techniques won’t help you. A wound can only be healed.”

Other features coming to Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut on PS5 include Japanese lip sync powered by the console’s ability to render cinematics in real time, 4K resolution options, 60fps mode, 3D audio enhancements, and DualSense controller enhancements. On both PS4 and PS5, there’ll also be new photo mode additions, more accessibility options, and the ability to activate a target lock-on function while in combat.

Pricing on the Director’s Cut comes in various tiers though, as accessing the new story content and upgrades on PS4 will cost $20, while a direct upgrade from the PS4 version of the game to PS5 will set you back $30 when it arrives on August 20.

Ubisoft has announced that its Tom Clancy mash-up mobile game, Elite Squad, is to be shut down this October.

Revealed on the Elite Squad website in a blog post entitled “The Story Ends”, Ubisoft said “It is with a great deal of sadness that we are announcing we will no longer be releasing new content for Elite Squad.”

A new update, released today, will be the final content drop for Elite Squad. On October 4, the servers will be shut down for good, bringing the game’s life to an end.

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“This was not an easy decision, but after exploring multiple options with our teams, we came to the conclusion that it was no longer sustainable,” explained the blog post.

Tom Clancy’s Elite Squad was released in August 2020, after being announced back at E3 2019. The crossover game includes characters from Splinter Cell, Rainbow Six, Ghost Recon, and The Division, and had gameplay based on the ideal of putting together a super team of operatives.

This isn’t the end of Tom Clancy crossover games, though. Ubisoft recently announced XDefiant, a free-to-play multiplayer shooter for PC and console that included factions from Splinter Cell, The Division, and Ghost Recon.

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Matt Purslow is IGN’s UK News and Entertainment Writer.