biteho.com

Though it may be (mostly) common knowledge that Chris Farley was originally cast as the voice of Shrek, Tommy Boy director Peter Segal recently spoke to Uproxx about how the DreamWorks Animation blockbuster, which spawned three hit sequels, was explicitly based on Farley’s chemistry with best friend and Tommy Boy co-star David Spade.

“After Tommy Boy, we got a lot of offers to do things together,” Segal said, “and I of course was dying to find another project for us. Because, again, I took the leap of faith with him after working on two different television projects with him before Tommy Boy. And then, I did offer him a couple of things. He, by the way, almost did Shrek.”

Farley actually recorded some dialogue for Shrek prior to his death in 1997. He was, of course, replaced by fellow SNL alum Mike Myers, and the rest is Scottish-accented history.

Segal added “Terry Rossio and Ted Elliot, who wrote Shrek, I met with them years after Shrek came out and they said, ‘You know who we patterned the donkey and the ogre off of? As far as their relationship? That was Spade and Farley in Tommy Boy. That’s why we wanted Farley.”

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/27/the-best-games-to-play-when-stuck-at-home”]

Given that Shrek was such a massive money-maker, and that Myers and Eddie Murphy’s voices are etched in history as Shrek and Donkey, it’s hard to imagine a Farley-style Shrek with a Spade-type Donkey. But it works if you consider the two of them swapping the role of “hyperactive character who annoys the glum character.”

In other movie news, check out all the best comedies on Netflix right now, the news about Ryan Reynolds being in talks to star a Dragon’s Lair movie, and a helpful PSA from the stars of Steven Soderbergh’s Contagion.

[widget path=”global/article/imagegallery” parameters=”albumSlug=new-movies-coming-to-vod-early&captions=true”]

[poilib element=”accentDivider”]

Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBFowler.

Given that the sports world is currently on hiatus, along with the world of entertainment, ESPN is going to air famous Disney sports movies on Friday nights for families looking for programming they can watch together.

ESPN’s own press page announced that, starting March 27 with The Rookie (timed to MLB’s planned Opening Week), the network will continue to broadcast sports films over the next few Fridays. The lineup includes:

• The Rookie (2002), starring Dennis Quaid
• Glory Road (2006), starring Josh Lucas and Derek Luke –  timed to the traditional NCAA Final Four weekend
• Miracle (2004), starring Kurt Russell
• Invincible (2006), starring Mark Wahlberg
• Secretariat (2010), starring Diane Lane and John Malkovich
• The Greatest Game Ever Played (2005), starring Shia LaBeouf

Glory Road is set to air Friday, April 3, at 8:30 p.m. ET. Additional air dates will be announced.

These films are also available to stream on Disney+. In fact, take a look at the best movies from Disney’s streaming site right here…

[widget path=”global/article/imagegallery” parameters=”albumSlug=the-best-movies-on-disney&captions=true”]

For those of you looking for oddball gems or quirky cult favorites, Disney+ has some wickedly weird offerings as well…

[widget path=”global/article/imagegallery” parameters=”albumSlug=the-15-weirdest-disney-plus-movies-you-may-not-have-seen&captions=true”]

For those looking for more at-home entertainment, here’s a list of movies that are hitting VOD early.

IGN spoke with a number of medical experts to learn how movie delays may help stop the spread of COVID-19.

[poilib element=”accentDivider”]

Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBFowler.

There’s never been a better time to be an X-Men fan. Marvel relaunched the entire franchise in 2019 under the direction of writer Jonathan Hickman, anchored by a brand new mutant status quo wherein a united Professor Xavier and Magneto have created a home for their people on the island nation of Krakoa. Under the “Dawn of X” banner, Marvel has launched a number of new monthly X-Men comics that expand on this brave new world.

Now that we’re roughly half a year into the relaunch and the first wave of Dawn of X books are beginning to be collected in trade paperback form, we figured now is the time to look at the entire X-Men line and see which books have most lived up to their potential. Read on for a breakdown of all six books, as we rate each in terms of overall quality and in how much they add to the larger X-Men status quo.

A quick note before we start – we’re sticking to just the original six Dawn of X books that launched in October and November 2019. Marvel has since expanded the franchise even further with newer additions like X-Men/Fantastic Four and Wolverine, but we’d prefer to give those newer books more time to grow before passing judgment. And if you enjoy this new approach to comic reviews, why not check out IGN’s recent breakdown of Marvel’s The End one-shots?

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/10/09/marvels-x-men-now-have-a-bold-new-status-quo-ign-now”]

X-Men

Written by Jonathan Hickman | Art by Leinil Yu, RB Silva & Mahmud Asrar

As its straightforward name suggests, X-Men is the flagship book in the current line. Writer Jonathan Hickman picks up where he left off in House of X and Powers of X, introducing new threats to Krakoa and laying the groundwork for bigger conflicts to come. While the series features an ensemble cast of A-List X-Men, it tends to revolve mostly around Cyclops and the rest of the extended Summers family.

[widget path=”global/article/imagegallery” parameters=”albumSlug=dawn-of-x-x-men-gallery&captions=true”]

Is X-Men Good?

X-Men is an enjoyable read, if not quite as satisfying as Hickman’s previous work on House of X and Powers of X. The series requires a slight adjustment. Where each new chapter of those two miniseries added bold new details to the new status quo, X-Men is comparatively slower and more laconic. The emphasis on standalone, done-in-one tales also limits the scope of the series. Still, the series succeeds in recapturing the exciting, sci-fi-oriented flavor of Grant Morrison’s New X-Men, and the emphasis on Cyclops and his family helps the book maintain focus.

Read IGN’s review of X-Men #1

How Does X-Men Fit Into Dawn of X?

Unsurprisingly, with Hickman at the helm, X-Men is among the more important Dawn of X titles. The series has focused on introducing several ongoing threats to the nation of Krakoa and how that nation is finding its place on the global stage. It’s also revealed a number of other fascinating details about life in the mutant nation, including the implication that Cyclops, Jean Grey and Wolverine are involved in a three-way relationship.

That said, X-Men isn’t always the book leading the charge in Dawn of X. Arguably the biggest plot development of the last six months, the assassination of a key X-Men character, happens in another book and is only casually referenced in the pages of this series. Hickman seems to be working under the assumption readers are following along with the entire X-Men line, and that’s not necessarily a good thing.

[poilib element=”accentDivider”]

Marauders

Written by Gerry Duggan | Art by Matteo Lolli, Michele Bandini & Lucas Werneck

While the team featured in this series shares a name with Mister Sinister’s gang of mutant killers, they’re hardly villains. Marauders features Kitty Pryde leading a pirate-themed X-Men squad tasked with smuggling mutants out of authoritarian countries and delivering them to Krakoa. The series also deals heavily with the newly formed Hellfire Trading Company and the power struggle between Emma Frost and Sebastian Shaw as they work to control the flow of Krakoan wonder drugs to the outside world.

[widget path=”global/article/imagegallery” parameters=”albumSlug=dawn-of-x-marauders-gallery&captions=true”]

Is Marauders Good?

Marauders is easily the best of the first wave of new X-Men comics. Hickman himself named it as a favorite back at Comic-Con 2019, telling reporters writer Gerry Duggan was among the first to become involved with the Dawn of X relaunch and brought many fresh ideas to the table. That’s readily apparent in this book, which both takes full advantage of the new status quo and does the best job of exploring the deep bonds between longtime X-Men characters. Above all, the series is a worthy showcase for Kitty, pushing her in a new direction without feeling like a step back from her days as headmistress of the Xavier Institute.

Read IGN’s review of Marauders #1

How Does Marauders Fit Into Dawn of X?

Marauders may not have dramatically altered the course of the franchise so far, but it is heavily steeped in the new status quo created in House of X and Powers of X. Along with X-Force, Marauders does the most to show the far-reaching ramifications of Krakoa’s existence on the world stage. But ultimately, Marauders is more a character-driven series than a plot-driven one, so it’s best to head into the book with that in mind.

[poilib element=”accentDivider”]

Excalibur

Written by Tini Howard | Art by Marcus To & Wilton Santos

The latest incarnation of Excalibur deals with the intersection of magic and science in the new mutant world order, as Apocalypse (now a member of the X-Men nation) and the new Captain Britain (a mantle now carried by Betsy Braddock) lead a team against Morgan le Fay and her army of witches.

[widget path=”global/article/imagegallery” parameters=”albumSlug=dawn-of-x-excalibur-gallery&captions=true”]

Is Excalibur Good?

Excalibur is generally a series that sounds great on paper but comes up a bit lacking in execution. One of the bigger problems with this book is that, aside from Apocalypse and Captain Britain, most of the main characters feel superfluous and randomly chosen. The scripts also tend to be over-packed with information, which makes it difficult for the series to find its voice. The book does provide an interesting look at Betsy’s struggle to move forward after having spent years inside another woman’s body, and it’s been among the more visually consistent Dawn of X books so far.

Read IGN’s Excalibur #1 review

How Does Excalibur Fit Into Dawn of X?

Excalibur definitely finds its niche in the larger Dawn of X tapestry, exploring how science and magic are really two sides of the same coin when it comes to creation and evolution. But so far, the series mostly operates in its own corner of the franchise, without much tangible impact on the rest of the line. This series is more for fans of the Braddock family or the classic Excalibur comics than it is a crucial part of Dawn of X.

[poilib element=”accentDivider”]

X-Force

Written by Benjamin Percy | Art by Joshua Cassara, Stephen Segovia & Oscar Bazaldua

X-Force has always been the darker antithesis to the X-Men, dealing with major threats to mutantkind with extreme prejudice. But in the era of Krakoa, X-Force has now become an officially sanctioned team supervised by Professor X and Beast. They’re basically Krakoa’s version of the CIA, the only mutants with the authorization to kill.

[widget path=”global/article/imagegallery” parameters=”albumSlug=dawn-of-x-x-force-gallery&captions=true”]

Is X-Force Good?

Despite some early growing pains, X-Force is easily one of the best books to come out of the Dawn of X relaunch. Writer Benjamin Percy (who previously wrote Marvel’s Wolverine: The Long Road Home podcast) is adept at both channeling the tone of this new era of X-Men established by Hickman while bringing his own flavor to the book. X-Force is also one of the more visually distinctive X-books, especially thanks to Dean White’s haunting colors. X-Force succeeds in presenting a grim but necessary counterpoint to the rest of the line, showing the moral compromises that have to be made in the interest of safeguarding a new nation.

Read IGN’s X-Force #1 review

How Does X-Force Fit Into Dawn of X?

X-Force has actually been the single most important book in the new X-Men line. Issue #1’s cliffhanger really sets the tone for the series going forward and illustrates just how easily the new mutant nation can crumble if the X-Men don’t stay vigilant and proactive. Like many recent incarnations of the series, this X-Force delves deeply into the personal struggles these characters face in being part of a mutant wetworks squad. Can they kill in the name of Krakoa and still be worthy of Krakoa? Can the nation survive if they don’t?

[poilib element=”accentDivider”]

New Mutants

Written by Ed Brisson & Jonathan Hickman | Art by Rod Reis, Flaviano Armentaro & Marco Failla

No matter how many times the X-Men franchise evolves, there’s almost always a book devoted to a younger generation of up-and-coming mutant heroes. That’s where New Mutants comes in, as it shines a spotlight on members of the classic new Mutants roster along with other fan-favorite teams like Generation X and the cast of Wolverine and the X-Men. On top of that, the series also dabbles in the cosmic side of the X-Men franchise, with the Starjammers and the Shi’ar Empire playing a key role in the first arc.

[widget path=”global/article/imagegallery” parameters=”albumSlug=dawn-of-x-new-mutants-gallery&captions=true”]

Is New Mutants Good?

New Mutants is easily the most inconsistent of the various Dawn of X books, as it basically alternates between two distinct, parallel storylines – one focused on Sunspot leading a team into Shi’ar territory and the other set back on Earth. The former story is by far the stronger of the two, thanks both to Rod Reis’ lush art and an enjoyably goofy, self-aware tone. The latter is very different in terms of tone and visual style, and we wish the series were a little more cohesive. The good news, at least, is that the collected editions reprint the series out of order so that each arc is grouped together. We’d definitely recommend reading New Mutants that way.

Read IGN’s New Mutants #1 review

How Does New Mutants Fit Into Dawn of X?

With Hickman co-writing the Shi’ar arc alongside regular writer Ed Brisson, it’s no surprise New Mutants carries some pretty significant ties to the core X-Men series. That story establishes sweeping changes to the Shi’ar hierarchy that will no doubt impact a great many Marvel books (especially with the Empyre crossover fast approaching) and also lays the groundwork for a major Brood storyline that’s picked up in the pages of X-Men. Coupled with a focus on Doug Ramsey and the growing hints of something big brewing on the Cypher/Warlock front, New Mutants will likely continue to be a big trendsetter for the franchise.

[poilib element=”accentDivider”]

Fallen Angels

Written by Brian Edward Hill | Art by Szymon Kudranski

Fallen Angels occupies the darkest corner of the Dawn of X status quo. This is a series that spotlights the social outcasts of the X-Men family, including Kwannon (now back in control of her own body), X-23 and the newly de-aged Cable. Working alongside Mister Sinister (a dubious ally on the best of days), Kwannon and her team fight to stop a digital virus that robs children of their free will.

[widget path=”global/article/imagegallery” parameters=”albumSlug=dawn-of-x-fallen-angels-gallery&captions=true”]

Is Fallen Angels Good?

For better or for worse, Fallen Angels shares a lot in common with Excalibur. Here, too, it’s mostly Kwannon’s struggle to reclaim her life and sense of identity that gives the book its dramatic weight. And like Excalibur, most of the remaining ensemble cast seem superfluous and randomly chosen like darts thrown at a board. It certainly doesn’t help that Fallen Angels has become the first casualty of the new X-Men line, ending on a less than satisfactory note after just six issues.

Read IGN’s Fallen Angels #1 review

How Does Fallen Angels Fit Into Dawn of X?

Despite the presence of Sinister, Fallen Angels doesn’t really add anything meaningful to the bigger X-Men picture. The book is mostly isolated from the rest of the line, as well as extremely visually and tonally divergent. Unless you’re invested in Kwannon as a character, you can safely skip Fallen Angels and wait for these characters to spin out into other titles like Cable’s solo series or the recently launched Hellions.

What’s your favorite Dawn of X comic so far? Let us know in the comments below.

[poilib element=”accentDivider”]

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

VR headsets aren’t all created equally. We at GameSpot have tested out the newly released Half-Life: Alyx on the four biggest VR headsets: Valve Index, HTC Vive Pro, Oculus Rift, and Oculus Quest.

From a top view, it’s no surprise that the Index is the ideal platform to play Alyx on, considering they’re both made by Valve. But it’s also the most expensive and currently in short supply. The Vive is the next best opinion; it’s designed for steam VR, which makes setup with Alyx easy, and you can swap out the subpar Vive controllers with the Index’s to take advantage of the finger tracking.

While you may lose some of the more advanced features playing on an Oculus, you’re still going to have a good time with Alyx. The only headset we have trouble fully recommending is the Oculus Quest, as the Oculus Link software is still in beta and can have connection issues. But if you already own a Quest and are willing to put up its shortcomings, it’s still completely possible to play Alyx on it.

Below we break down the pros and cons of each headset based on the experiences of five people on staff, each with different VR setups. You can also watch the video version above. If you want to know what we thought of the game, check out our Half-Life: Alyx review. If you don’t own a VR headset and are interested in picking one up thanks to Alyx, check out our in-depth breakdown on the best VR headsets as well as where to get the best VR headset deals.

Valve Index — Michael Higham, Associate Editor

I played the entirety of Half-Life: Alyx on the Valve Index for review, and everything worked perfectly fine. But that speaks more to having the proper space and physical set up for the base station sensors and room for your own actions. The Index headset is arguably the best, most sophisticated HMD so far with a max refresh rate of 144Hz and a 130-degree FOV (the highest of mainstream VR gaming headsets), and its resolution is on par with the high-end Vive Pro. Of course, you need the proper rig to get the most out of, and my setup with a Core i7-7700K and Nvidia RTX 2080 was on point. However, the HMD isn’t necessarily the reason why you’d want to play Half-Life: Alyx on the Index, it’s the controllers.

The Index controllers are the closest a pair of VR controllers come to imitating the feel of having virtual hands. That’s because their padded straps comfortably hug your hands, allowing you to loosen your grip entirely and still have the controllers in place. Now, the reason why this matters for Half-Life: Alyx is because the game always accounts for your in-game hands, giving them more agency and a higher level of interactivity than most VR games. Objects, doors, and some mechanisms react to your hand motions without having to “grip” them, simulating the actions of actually moving these things in real life. You’ll be catching items and throwing grenades a lot in the game as well, and it just feels so right to perform these actions when you can just let go altogether and open your hands in these moments.

The Index controllers also have pressure-sensitive sensors on the grip for each finger, so when it comes to grabbing things in-game, you simply close your hand as if you’re really grabbing stuff. (All other VR controllers have a second set of triggers for your middle fingers that typically work to grasp objects.) Even something as small as the Xen grenades, which react to how tightly you grip and activate when squeezing them, showcase the importance of pressure-based interactivity. And it’s nice to give the middle finger to a dead Combine soldier and have the controllers recognize the gesture in true form.

Of course, the Valve Index might be the most expensive (and seemingly hardest to find) VR gaming set up right now. It’s not necessary to go with the Index if you just want to experience Half-Life: Alyx, but I do believe it’s the best option. | Twitter: @michaelphigham

HTC Vive Pro — Jean-Luc Seipke, Video Producer

The HTC Vive seems like the next logical headset of choice as it was co-created by Valve and shares the same ecosystem as the Index. I used the Vive Pro, the best version of the Vive, and the second-best headset on the market in terms of display. My PC uses an RTX 2070 with 16GB of RAM and an i7-6700k CPU, and Alyx looks and runs excellent. I did run into some issues where the game started to drop frames and hitch while streaming, but that is the only technical hiccup I’ve had, and the rest of the time has been smooth.

Like with the Index, you have the option for both sit down and room-scale. The extra freedom to walk around an environment can add a lot to your experience, and I highly recommend it if you have the space for it. Being able to duck and jump physically is surprisingly fun and helps make the game even more immersive. Just have someone around to watch over you; otherwise, you might hit your hand as I did.

Where the Vive falls short is in its controllers. Being one of the first major VR controllers, they feel quite primitive compared to the competition. Lacking the Index’s advanced finger tracking means you have to use the trigger buttons to hold things. It works pretty well, but it doesn’t have that natural feeling of picking up an object the way you get with the Index.

Even when compared to Oculus’s Touch controllers, the Vive controllers have a more clunky design that causes them to clank into each other. Don’t get me wrong, they get the job done, but it always feels like you’re the younger sibling that got stuck with the inferior 3rd party controller.

Thankfully because Valve worked on both the Vive and Index, you can mix and match the hardware by using the Index controllers with the Vive. The index controllers work flawlessly with the Vive, and after switching, I couldn’t go back. If you already own a Vive, I highly recommend picking up the Valve Index controllers if you can for a better Alyx experience. | Twitter: @JeanLucSeipke

Oculus Rift w/ Old Touch Controllers — Ben Janca, Video Producer

The Oculus may be one of the older headsets on this list, but I have got to say the experience of playing Half-Life Alyx on one has been fantastic. I actually didn’t run into many issues in my few hour play session. I only ended up having to break away, so I didn’t spend the rest of my day getting lost, exploring every corner of City 17. The touch controllers are also some of my favorites for general VR gameplay, so I felt right at home right from the get-go. I am also running all of this on a PC using a 1080TI, 16 gigs of RAM, an i7-7800X CPU, and I have to say everything ran very well!

I opened Steam VR through the Oculus software just to be safe and started Alyx up. I ended up playing for about 30 minutes until I noticed my height seemed sort of off. After reading around a bit, I saw suggestions saying to change the “Height Adjust” option to hybrid, and everything was smooth sailing after that. I really only had one crash after an hour and 20 minutes and nothing bad after that. I also didn’t experience any stuttering or frame dropping. After a while, I did come to appreciate how easy it was to transfer to playing from a seated position after standing too.

One thing that really made my experience great was my old touch controllers. Sure, Index has full finger tracking, but in my mind, I still have trouble telling myself to fully let go of them to grab objects in-game. The touch controllers only track half of your fingers, so the actual act of grabbing is with the ring finger, which let me never lose my grip. This works out well when throwing things at zombies or Combine soldiers since the space I play in is very small, technically smaller than I should be allowed to play in. All in all, I never really had issues using the old touch controllers. Everything from shooting, throwing items into barnacle tentacles, and grabbity gloving ammo to myself to catch all felt excellent.

I would say my experience with Half-Life Alyx with my old Oculus setup was overall great. Outside of adjusting the height setting at the beginning, I never ran into any issues. I’m also proud of myself for not hitting a wall or my monitor while playing. Though I did get scared by one of our cats jumping on my back while I was avoiding headcrabs, so take that as you will. In either case, I can’t wait to jump back in as soon as I get the chance! | Twitter: @BenJanca

Oculus Quest w/ Link | Jake Dekker, Video Producer

On paper, the Oculus Quest is the most questionable headset on this list. Given you have a VR-ready PC, the only way to play Alyx on a Quest is with an Oculus Link cable or a lengthy USB C to USB 3.0 cable. Once the headset is connected, you have to enable Oculus Link, and–in theory–your PC will take over the processing power, and your Quest will essentially become an Oculus Rift.

I have played roughly 6 hours of Half-Life Alyx on my Quest with a 1070TI, 16GBs of RAM, an i5 4690k, and a third party USB C to USB 3.0 cable I ordered off Amazon. The early hours were a rollercoaster ride and not the good kind. Most of the issues I ran into early on were due to the Oculus Link software itself, which is still in beta. Within the first 15 minutes, my headset, not the game, crashed four times. The game was still running on PC, but the Quest would lock up. Navigating the world felt jittery, and if I turned my head too quickly, the image wouldn’t be able to keep up, and I’d see black borders.

The headset lockups continued until I plugged my Quest directly into the motherboard. This solved the headset crashes, but the game was still jittery, especially whenever I first launched it. Eventually, the performance would even out, but everything always felt slightly jittery, especially in open areas.

The other hurdle you will undoubtedly face with the Quest is the controllers. Half-Life: Alyx was designed with finger tracking in mind, which means your range of motion is limited with the Oculus Touch controllers. Your pointer fingers are controlled with the triggers, your thumb closes when it’s on the control stick, and the rest of your fingers are mapped to the hand trigger on the side. This isn’t a huge issue once you get the hang of things, but snatching objects from afar with the gravity gloves can feel a bit awkward at first since you need to open your hand in order to tether to the object.

That said, once the performance evened out, and I got acclimated to my headset, and the Oculus Touch controls, Half-Life: Alyx felt playable. Sure, it isn’t as smooth as an Index or a Vive Pro, but it will undoubtedly get the job done. If the Quest is your only option, we recommend picking up an official Oculus Link cable or, since it’s still near impossible to get, the Oculus recommended Anker cable. | Twitter: @jacobdekk

Partner Content By Atlus
[poilib element=”accentDivider”]

If you missed out on Persona 5 the first time around, it mixes striking visuals, bizarre dungeon exploration, occult themes, teenage hangouts, and a high-school social simulation into about as strange and stylish a blend as you can imagine. You play the down-and-out, misunderstood juvenile delinquent known by the Phantom Thief name Joker, drawn by a series of unlikely events into the Metaverse, a fantastical world between dreams and reality.

Dubbing their Metaverse alter egos the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, Joker and his pals swear to challenge and change their corrupt society by donning masked disguises and delving into the hearts of Tokyo’s criminals, represented by dream-like “Palaces” containing aspects of the criminals’ twisted psyches, to change them for the better. Or at least make them confess their crimes in dramatic anime fashion.

That’s enough to keep any would-be hero busy, but in Persona 5 Royal the Phantom Thieves must juggle their nighttime exploits with attending school, building relationships, and hangin’ out around Tokyo, including in a brand-new entertainment district called Kichijōji. This latest installment looks to really flesh out these parts of the game, with new characters, new Confidants (folks you can build relationships with to unlock new battle abilities), new music, and, perhaps the biggest addition, even a whole new semester of school life, leading to a variety of possible new endings.
(And if you’re a veteran of P5, you’ll be relieved to hear Persona 5 Royal gives you a lot more time to partake in all of the above activities, lessening the time crunch that made the first game feel a little too busy at times.)

The Palaces got some love too. The Phantom Thieves now have a fancy new grappling hook that lets them access new shortcuts and treasure-filled areas, and an entirely new Palace will introduce you to yet another no-good lowlife who could really stand to experience some vigilante justice of the heart. So to speak.

Oh, and speaking of the Thieves, prepare to welcome new face Kasumi Yoshizawa to the team. This mysterious girl is a skilled gymnast but there might be something… strange lurking in her past. Hmm. Heck of a fighter in the Metaverse, though. In fact, all the Thieves are a little stronger in battle now, with new, third-tier transformations for their Personas (personal demons, of a sort) and new duo attacks called Showtimes, which let them pair up with another party member to demolish Metaverse foes in spectacular fashion.

Rounding out Persona 5 Royal is the inclusion of all the original P5 DLC, along with a new “Thieves Den” you can access anytime to check out any media you’ve collected during your exploits.

Simply put: One of the most popular JRPGs on the PlayStation 4 is about to get polished to a sparkling sheen, making Persona 5 Royal. You can join the Phantom Thieves come March 31st, when Persona 5 Royal makes its undoubtedly stylish debut.

Read more about IGN’s policies in our Standards and Practices.