Key Note Gaming

On this week's episode of IGN's PlayStation show, Podcast Beyond!, host Jonathon Dornbush is joined by Brian Altano, Jada Griffin, and Mark Medina to dig into the latest PlayStation news of the week. And of course, the biggest topic on our minds is the new PlayStation Plus subscription tiers, how Sony is altering PS Plus, and whether we have enough details yet to know if it's worth subscribing to the higher tiers. The panel breaks down their initial reactions to the new PS Plus three-tiered system, how it integrates PlayStation Now, and where it stands as an offering for PlayStation fans. We dig into the pricing structure, the availability of older libraries, the lack of PS3 downloads and PlayStation Vita as a whole, and whether different tiers appeal to new PS5 players, longstanding PlayStation fans, or both. We of course touch on the biggest question - what the library will actually look like, and knowing that PlayStation won't release its first-party games day one...

Amazon's upcoming Fallout television series has its second cast member, according to a new Variety report, which says that English actress Ella Purnell has been cast in a leading role. Specifics about Purnell's role were not revealed, but according to sources the character will be "upbeat and uncannily direct with an all-American can-do spirit." Her casting follows that of character actor Walton Goggins , the first actor to be announced for the show, who will reportedly play either a ghoul, or a guy named Ghoul. (I suspect it's the former.) I'm not familiar with Purnell's work, but a quick trip to IMDB reveals a range of roles in television and movies stretching back a decade, including—this is the one most immediately relevant to our interests—as the voice of Jinx in the League of Legends animated series Arcane.  Purnell also stars in the acclaimed Showtime series Yellowjackets, which was recently renewed for a second season, and the animated Star ...

Platform: PlayStation 5, PC Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment Developer: Kojima Productions Release: September 24, 2021 ( PlayStation 5 ), March 30, 2022 ( PC ) Rating: Mature Admittedly, it'd take very little for me to be on board with a Death Stranding Director's Cut . It only needed to be more Death Stranding f or me to be sold on revisiting Hideo Kojima's latest vanity project. Luckily for me, that's exactly what the Director's Cut is. I love the original release, and this is a perfect excuse to dive back in. I think you should play it, too. But maybe not for the reasons you think.  Death Stranding Director's Cut is pitched as an expanded version of the base game that came out in 2019, the definitive version of Kojima's vision. After 26 hours – and much, much more still to go – my knee-jerk impression is that the Director's Cut moniker is marketing spiel more than anything. Still, there are some fun and creative new additions th...

Dyson, makers of vacuum cleaners with dirt-seeking lasers , has created a set of air-purifying headphones which are apparently not an April Fool's joke. According to the Dyson Zone product page , the device's mouth visor is meant to channel "a continuous stream of purified air to your nose and mouth, without touching your face."  We don't have any specs on the headphones themselves; all we know is that they are Bluetooth and noise canceling. The team over at Stuff was able to wear the mask and give the headphones a listen and said it was possible to hear the hums of the air purification motors in the ear cups even with noise-canceling enabled, which seems like an obvious downside to wearing an air purifier on your head.  Dyson has said a lot about how great its mask is for delivering clean air to your lungs, but it should be noted that air purifiers are "not enough to protect people from Covid-19," according to the EPA . The agency is obviously not ...

Mario Strikers: Battle League is set to release exclusively for Nintendo Switch on June 10. This is a souped-up soccer game that uses a very different set of rules than the more sim-ified versions of the sport. Full contact is encouraged, and Mario, Peach, and company can turn the ball into a fireball before leaping dozens of feet in the air for a special kick. The game is up for preorder from a number of retailers. Preorder Mario Strikers: Battle League Get it at Amazon (physical) - $59.99 Get it at Amazon (digital) - $59.99 Get it at Best Buy - $59.99 Get it at GameStop - $59.99 Get it at Walmart - $59.99 Get it on Nintendo eShop (digital) - $59.99 As usual for first party Nintendo games (though there are a few exceptions!), only one edition is being released for Mario Strikers: Battle League. You can preorder it in physical or digital format from the above retailers. Mario Strikers: Battle League Trailer What is Mario Strikers: Battle League? The Mushroom Kin...

For the first time since its debut in 1979, a Mobile Suit Gundam series will feature a female main character. The still-unnamed protagonist was revealed in a new teaser for Gundam: The Witch From Mercury, where she was shown alongside her new Mobile Suit — the Gundam Aerial. The anime was announced in September of last year and is now scheduled to air this October. TV ANIME "Mobile Suit Gundam : Suisei no Majo (The Witch From Mercury) 機動戦士ガンダム 水星の魔女" TEASER 1 pic.twitter.com/L6f9UKTYT3 — oecuf.xyz ─ Anime Trailer Account (@oecuf0) March 29, 2022 Bandai Namco released a new teaser trailer for The Witch From Mercury showing the protagonist's short red hair blowing in the wind, and Gundam Aerial booting up towards the end. The series looks to have a modern art style and inspirational music if the trailer is anything to go by. Produced by studio Sunrise, this is the first Gundam TV show since 2015's Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Oprhans. There will also be a ...

Looking for more games like Wordle? The free daily word puzzle is immensely popular and for many of us it's become a part of our daily routine. The only problem with Wordle is you can only play it once a day... which may leave you hunting for other games with a similar vibe. Luckily, Wordle hasn't just delighted fans, it's also inspired lots of game developers to create their own twists on the pleasing formula. Today there's no shortage of daily puzzle games that use letters, numbers, sounds, and even pictures that challenge you to guess the answer. Not every game like Wordle is worth your time, but among the hundreds that have appeared in the past few months, there are some real gems you should absolutely check out. The best games like Wordle Below you'll find the best games like Wordle we've played. Some, like Wordle, are once-a-day puzzles and others you can play as often as you want. There's even one you can play in real-time with other people. And ...