Angry Birds developer Rovio is laying off three-dozen staffers amid the underperformance of one entry in the series in particular.

A spokesperson for the Sega-owned developer told Mobile Gamer that no upcoming games have been canceled but “Angry Birds Dream Blast has unfortunately not been performing as expected.”

A total of 36 people are being let go, including some senior staff, according to the report. Additionally, Rovio’s team in Finland will now work on “fewer games,” while the office in Barcelona will ramp up, the report added.

“We have been renewing our organization this autumn in reaction to one of our games underperforming and in order to better respond to the market, to move towards a more game-centric approach, and to be able to iterate fast on new game ideas,” Rovio said.

The layoffs came as part of this reorganization, which also included hiring “several new roles,” Rovio said.

Sega spent more than $750 million to buy Rovio in 2023 with the aim of bolstering the company’s efforts in the mobile space.

In addition to the numerous Angry Birds game, a third Angry Birds movie is coming in December 2026. Mr Beast recently came aboard the cast, joining Jason Sudeikis, Josh Gad, Rachel Bloom, Tim Robinson, Sam Richardson, Lily James, Danny McBride, and Keke Palmer.

Hello Kitty Island Adventure made the jump from Apple Arcade to PS5, Switch, and PC earlier this year, and soon, the heartwarming adventure is getting a new Nintendo Switch-exclusive physical edition called the Hello Kitty Island Adventure: Gift Box Edition. The bundle is packed with physical collectibles like cards, a poster, and more–plus a copy of the game–all for $60. It launches on November 7, and preorders are available for $60 at Amazon.

Hello Kitty Island Adventure Gift Box Edition

The Gift Box Edition isn’t the only physical version of Hello Kitty Adventure Island. Sanrio seems to be phasing out the Switch-exclusive Deluxe Edition–it’s currently sold out at Amazon, but Walmart has it for $58. Meanwhile, PS5 players can pick up the standard edition of the game for $40.

• Hello Kitty Adventure Island: Deluxe Edition (Switch) — $58
• Hello Kitty Adventure Island: Standard Edition (PS5, Switch) — $40

This Gift Box isn’t the only thing Hello Kitty fans can look forward to in November. On November 6, a day before the Gift Box arrives, Hello Kitty and Friends: Freeze Tag Party releases for Nintendo Switch. You’ll get to gear up as your favorite characters before chasing down the competition in a heated game of Tag. It’s listed at just $40, and since it’s packed with 70 missions, supports local play, and gives you dozens of ways to customize your character, it looks like a nice companion for Hello Kitty Island Adventure.

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The Outer Worlds 2 is launching in early access later this week, and it’s going to diverge from some of the standard conventions of action-RPG titles. While Obsidian Entertainment has already established that its six companion characters can’t be romanced, the studio has revealed that they can actually turn on the player if you give them enough of a reason.

During an interview with Xbox Expansion Pass (via GamesRadar), game directors Matt Singh and Brandon Adler noted that players’ decisions can potentially backfire on them by alienating their companions, who may choose to attack or even attempt to kill the player under the right circumstances.

“One of the things that was really important is, we wanted these characters to feel like they’re their own people,” Singh said. “They have their own goals, their own motivations, and if the player’s aligning with them, that’s great. They’re going to be there for you. They’ll fight alongside you. But if you go against their interests, they’re going to have something to say about it. That might break out into a conflict. That might mean they leave you or you have to fight them to the death. But if you do build that relationship with them, they’ll be there for you in the end.”

As an example, Adler noted that the companion character Inez is aligned with the Auntie’s Choice faction. If players ignore Inez’s request to stop killing members of her group, she won’t just leave your team, she’ll also attack the player at various points.

However, Adler added that these turns won’t happen in a vacuum, and the companion characters will actually warn players about their deteriorating relationships ahead of time with requests or ultimatums. Players will have the option to try to save their relationships, and also suffer the consequences if they choose to do nothing.

Obsidian recently introduced a Moon Man plushie called a “Couch-Panion,” which is the prize for winning a contest running through November 16. Players don’t have to rely on a contest to get a pair of limited-edition, customizable Outer Worlds 2 Xbox Wireless Controllers, though. However, both controllers are more expensive than the game’s $70 price.

The Outer Worlds 2 will hit Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC on October 29, and will be a day-one Game Pass Ultimate release. Obsidian has shared the launch times, while early-access players will get to dive into it on October 24.

Greek mythology has been around for thousands of years and its traditions have inspired artists working in nearly every medium. What brings me joy is that each writer, visual artist, director–or in the case of Hades 2, a team of game developers–can explore a unique vision of the characters and events they choose to highlight. With the sequel to its popular hack-and-slash roguelite Hades, Supergiant Games explores the worlds of Greek gods from the perspective of Melinoe, the princess of the Underworld.

As the playable protagonist of Hades 2, Melinoe shows players a new side of life in the Underworld. Unlike her brother Zagreus, the young witch didn’t grow up with her family in the main palace. She instead lives in a ramshackle camp on the outskirts of Hades’ domain. The distance between her and her loved ones is palpable, and her only connection to her family is a single drawing enshrined in Melinoe’s make-shift room. The game starts when Melinoe, brooding yet powerful, decides to save her family from the Titan of time, Kronos, and finally close the gap that’s always separated them.

Yet Hades 2 is far from the only modern reinterpretation that hones in on the women of Greek mythology, and Melinoe’s plights soon reminded me of another story that follows a Greek goddess and witch: Madeline Miller’s Circe. Published in 2018, this retelling follows the story of the goddess Circe, a witch who was banished to the island of Aeaea by Zeus. If you’ve read The Odyssey, you might know the character as the duplicitous sorceress who transformed Odysseus’ men into pigs. However, Miller’s book gives the reader the chance to imagine the events from her side of the story.

If you really like Hades 2–and if you are at all interested in the witches of Greek mythology or reading stories that aren’t only about violent dude-bros starting wars–Circe is required reading. I don’t just say this because it’s easy to read and incredibly entertaining; The book also deepened my appreciation of Hades 2 and helped me understand where the story told in the game could have explored certain themes with more depth.

In Circe, witchcraft is seen as a threat to the higher gods. Unlike the Olympians, who derive their power from their bloodlines, witchcraft draws its strength from the earth. Any person, god, or goddess can harness this power through constant toil and practice. To become a strong witch, Circe grinds–and I mean this literally because she is constantly using her mortar and pestle to process herbs and flowers–day after day in her kitchen, honing her elixirs. What culminates is a very feminine power–one that grows with the steady housewife-like work of maintaining a garden and pantry.

Similar to Circe in the novel, Melinoe must toil repeatedly in order to collect herbs and flowers that upgrade her powers and camp. As a player, I too began to feel like a witch as I honed my powers–learning how to play the game better and slowly collecting resources I needed to upgrade my attacks and stats. Still, Melinoe’s journey is quite different from Circe’s. Her main source of power comes from the other Olympians, who upgrade her sorcery with various boons and stat buffs.

Melinoe is also the daughter of Hades. Thougher father discourages her quest, he still provides her aid in the form of character upgrades and resources. Playing as Melinoe doesn’t feel like navigating the world as an ostracized witch. Instead, every Olympian meets her with a smile or some chipper quip. The great Zeus–a god known for being a perpetrator of sexual violence–greets her with a chuckle and lends her his power at a moment’s notice. Melinoe, unlike the goddesses in Circe’s world, gets to choose her suitor.

Supergiant Games’ take on the story casts a shiny veneer on the world of Greek mythology. This feels odd at points because, as other critics have pointed out, the stories of Greek mythology typically portray the brutal nature of the gods. Still, the overall cheeriness makes sense given Hades 2 is more-or-less a fun dating simulator with compelling hack-and-slash gameplay. But even given that, it made me feel like Supergiant copy-and-pasted its popular formula with a female protagonist without doing the deep work of trying to imagine how a Greek myth might be different when viewed through a women’s perspective.

In the book, Circe is a lesser god in every sense of the term. She’s not stereotypically attractive compared to other goddesses, so she can’t be married off (which is how her value is defined in the world of the gods). She’s the daughter of a Titan, so she’s considered to be a tier below the Olympians on Mount Olympus. She doesn’t have the inherent raw power of her father Helios, a sun god and who regularly lashes out against her. Unlike Hades 2, Circe is fundamentally a story about transformation–of a woman who finds her own source of power to defy the hierarchy of the gods.

I don’t think every story about a woman needs to be hard, or marred by some sort of trauma. Hades 2 feels like good, somewhat shallow, fun. I can eat up the gameplay like popcorn and romance hot characters. It’s fun to play and I’m glad we have both kinds of stories. But if you want a story that really sinks its teeth into the deep–and very oftentimes difficult–lives Greek witches, then you should definitely give Miller’s Circe a read.

Amazon has restocked its Holiday 2025 Pokemon Trading Card Game Premium Collection. The Blaziken ex & Volcanion ex Premium Collection debuted on Amazon in late August and promptly sold out. As of October 19, the $70 TCG bundle is back in stock, but it’s likely to sell out again. This Premium Collection comes with 10 Booster Packs , two foil promo cards, and an oversized foil card.

Amazon also has the 2025 Pokemon TCG Holiday Calendar in stock for $62.94 (was $75) and the 2024 Holiday Premium Collection for $69.79. Several notable recent releases are in stock at Amazon, including the Mega Evolution Booster Bundle for $52.94 (was $60) and the Mega Latias ex Box for $40.93.

We included a list of Pokemon Trading Card Game products that are currently in stock at Amazon, which includes recent releases, hard-to-find bundles, and more. You can also check out the Pokemon TCG Amazon custom store page we created to see everything in one place.

Pokemon Trading Card Game at Amazon (Holiday 2025)

Pokemon Trading Card Game: Mega Evolution Expansion

Note: These lists only includes Pokemon TCG products sold and shipped directly from Amazon.

Holiday Gift Ideas:

• Blaziken ex & Volcanion ex Premium Collection — $70
• Paradox Fury Premium Collection — $69.79
• Holiday Calendar 2025 — $62.94 ($75)
• Pokemon Battle Academy 2024 — $13.79 ($25)

Mega Evolution Expansion:

• Mega Latias ex Box — $41
• Booster Bundle (6 Packs) — $52.94 ($60)
• Booster Blister (3 Packs) — $29.89
• Elite Trainer Box — $92.48

Prismatic Evolutions:

• Booster Bundle (6 Packs) — $67.94
• Prismatic Evolutions Surprise Box — $59.93
• Eevee Evolution Mini Tin — $29

Surging Sparks Expansion:

• Elite Trainer Box — $82.94
• Stacking Tin (3 Packs) — $25
• Azure Legends Tin — $44.82

Black Volt & White Flare Expansion:

• Black Volt Binder Collection — $55.94 ($68)
• White Flare Binder Collection — $52.90 ($68)
• Unova Poster Collection — $39
• Unova Victini Illustration Collection — $52
• Unova Mini Tin — $24.94
• White Flare Booster Bundle (6 Packs) — $59
• Black Volt Elite Trainer Box — $88.92
• White Flare Elite Trainer Box — $92.94

Destined Rivals Expansion:

• Booster Bundle (6 Packs) — $66
• Booster Blister (3 Packs) — $38.87
• Team Rocket Tin (5 Packs) — $48

Twilight Masquerade Expansion:

• Booster Bundle (6 Packs) — $70

Pokemon TCG Battle Decks:

• Ninetales / Zapdos ex Deluxe Battle Deck — $20
• 2024 World Championships Deck — $23.24
• Calyrex VMAX League Battle Deck — $34.91
• Tapu Koko / Iron Leaves ex Battle Deck — $11.40
• Kangaskhan / Greninja ex Battle Deck — $15
• Lucario / Ampharos ex Battle Deck — $25
• Noivern / Rayquaza V Battle Deck — $18.89
• Lycanroc / Corviknight V Battle Deck — $15

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Amazon has restocked a couple of the products from Magic: The Gathering’s upcoming Avatar TCG set. Most notably, the Avatar: The Last Airbender Bundle is available to preorder for $71.87. These bundles are often one of the most popular items in MTG crossover sets, and that has been true for The Last Airbender, too. The Avatar Bundle sold out shortly after preorders opened August 13. This is the first time we’ve seen it available for more than a few hours. Amazon also has the Play Booster Box in stock for $209.70; if you want to rip as many packs as possible when the set launches November 21, the Booster Box gets you 30 packs (420 cards total).

Magic: The Gathering x Avatar: The Last Airbender

Two other products in the crossover set are still available to preorder: the Avatar: The Last Airbender Beginner Box and the Jumpstart Booster Box. These two have largely remained in stock since preorders opened. The Beginner Box has consistently been a top seller on Amazon, so it seems Wizards of the Coast anticipated the demand for The Last Airbender’s budget-friendly introduction to Magic: The Gathering.

In stock as of October 19:

• Avatar: The Last Airbender Bundle — $71.87
• Beginner Box — $37
• Play Booster Box — $209.70
• Jumpstart Booster Box — $167.76

Magic: The Gathering x Avatar: The Last Airbender

Sold out as of October 19:

The Avatar: The Last Airbender MTG set also includes a Commander’s Bundle, two Scene Boxes, and Collector Booster Packs. At the time of writing, everything listed below was sold out. That said, Amazon restocked the Collector Booster Pack and Collector Booster Box earlier this week, so we’d recommend clicking the links to see if they are back in stock.

• Commander’s Bundle — $110
• Scene Box 1 – The Black Sun Invasion — $42
• Scene Box 2 – Tea Time at The Jasmine Dragon — $42
• Collector Booster Pack — $40
• Collector Booster Box — $455.88
• Jumpstart 2-Pack — $14
• Play Booster Pack — $7

Avatar: The Last Airbender will be the third major Magic: The Gathering crossover set to launch in 2025. Final Fantasy became the best-selling MTG set–crossover or otherwise–before it even hit stores in June. Wizards of the Coast is releasing a second wave of Final Fantasy MTG products in December, but preorders sold out extremely fast. In better news, collectors can get the Spider-Man Gift Bundle at Amazon for the first time since the Marvel’s Spider-Man set launched last month.

Check out the gallery below for a closer look at all of the boxes, bundles, and boosters in Magic: The Gathering’s Avatar: The Last Airbender set. Below the gallery we’ve included a list of Universes Beyond products you can buy for retail price or less.

Magic: The Gathering Universes Beyond Sets

• Final Fantasy MTG Set – Available Now
  • Scene Boxes + Chocobo Bundle release December 5
• Avatar: The Last Airbender MTG Set – November 21
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles MTG Set – March 6, 2026
• Marvel’s Spider-Man MTG Set
• Lord of the Rings Commander Decks + Scene Boxes
• Fallout Commander Decks
• Doctor Who Commander Decks
• Assassin’s Creed Beyond Booster Box

If you’re looking for Final Fantasy MTG cards, Amazon has the four Commander Decks in stock, and three of them are up for grabs for low prices. The Final Fantasy VI Commander Deck is only $40, Final Fantasy X: Counter Blitz is $49, and Final Fantasy XIV: Scions & Spellcraft is $45.

Looking ahead to 2026, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles joins Magic: The Gathering on March 6. Preorders opened earlier this month, and while the collector-focused items sold out immediately, you can still preorder the TMNT Commander Deck, the $70 Bundle, the Play Booster Box, and Turtle Team-Up, a new $50 co-op game.

Select products in MTG crossover sets from 2023-24 are in stock at Amazon for solid prices, including the Fallout Commander Deck Bundle, a couple of Lord of the Rings Commander Decks, and Assassin’s Creed’s Beyond Booster Box.

Magic: The Gathering x Marvel’s Spider-Man Set

Magic: The Gathering: Marvel’s Spider-Man Gift Bundle

Marvel fans can get the Spider-Man Play Booster Box for $154 at Amazon, which is roughly $55 off its original price. Collectors have another opportunity to get the Spider-Man Gift Bundle for its $90 MSRP. The Gift Bundle comes with a Collector Booster Pack, nine Play Boosters, an Alternate-Art Foil card, 30 Land Cards, a Spider-Man card storage box, and other accessories. The Collector Booster is the big draw here, as the Gift Bundle only costs $20 more than the standard Spider-Man Bundle. Meanwhile, Collector Boosters are selling for around $54 each.

• Spider-Man Play Booster Box — $154 ($209.70)
• Marvel’s Spider-Man Gift Bundle — $90
• Marvel’s Spider-Man Bundle — $65.66 ($70)
• Spider-Man Collector Booster Box — $477.38
• Spider-Man Collector Booster Pack — $53.89
• Spidey’s Spectacular Showdown Scene Box — $47.72

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Phasmophobia developer Kinetic Games has revealed a new map for the game, set inside an abandoned restaurant. The location–Neil’s Diner–was unveiled during a TwitchCon panel that celebrated the recent fifth anniversary of the co-op horror game, and players can explore it starting November 11.

Kinetic Games described Neil’s Diner as a “run-down, retro restaurant” that’s been long-abandoned by staff and diners alike. While this is one of the smaller maps in Phasmophobia, it’s still full of authentic details and phantoms hungry for thrills.

“We always thought a diner would fit perfectly, so Nell’s was born, and it’s been such a fun challenge bringing it to life,” lead developer Daniel Knight said in a press release. “Alongside the farmhouse reworks from this year, Nell’s is an example of how we want all the maps in Phasmophobia to feel going forward. It’s unique, and has been meticulously designed to tell more of a story to our players–beyond the immediate ghost they’re hunting.”

Phasmophobia will be releasing into version 1.0 next year, but this is just the start of Kinetic’s big plans for its hit game. An upcoming overhaul–dubbed Horror 2.0–will release alongside the 1.0 launch, and the studio says that the update will make Phasmaphobia feel like a new game. Hollywood is also calling, as production company Blumhouse–Five Nights at Freddy’s, Paranormal Activity, The Purge, and Insidious–is adapting the game for the big screen.

Exactly 40 years ago today, the Nintendo Entertainment System hit store shelves in New York City. The October 18, 1985 launch of the NES in the US revitalized home console gaming in North America. To commemorate the console’s pivotal role in gaming history, 8BitDo is releasing a new collection of NES-inspired gear over the next few months. The NES40 Collection features three products: a limited-edition Ultimate 2 Bluetooth Controller bundle, a compact wireless gaming speaker, and an ultra-premium 68-key mechanical keyboard made of aluminum alloy.

Preorders for the NES40 Collection open today. The Ultimate 2 Bluetooth Controller bundle is limited to 1,985 units, and the N40 Edition wireless keyboard is limited edition, too. The new Retro Cube 2 Speaker is joining 8BitDo’s everyday lineup as the first wireless speaker from the manufacturer in a decade.

8BitDo Ultimate 2 Bluetooth Controller N40 Edition

Outside of the additional accessories, the N40 is the same flagship controller 8BitDo launched earlier this year. The Ultimate 2 supports 2.4GHz Wireless connections on Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, and PC. It also has Bluetooth support for Switch 1/2, Android, Apple, and SteamOS. It can run for up to 25 hours on a full charge and has a 1,000MHz polling rate. It’s fitted with high-end TMR electromagnetic joysticks, two remappable back buttons, and an extra pair of claw shoulder buttons. It also has two trigger modes: Hall Effect linear and non-linear microswitch buttons (rapid-fire mode). Other features include 6-axis motion controls, two rumble motors, a Turbo button, and RGB lighting rings. Control customizations can be made with 8BitDo’s Ultimate Software 2, and you can save up to three custom profiles that can be cycled through on the fly.

Read our dedicated story on the 8BitDo Ultimate 2 Bluetooth for more details. In short: It’s the best pro-style controller for the price for Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, and PC.

8BitDo Ultimate 2 & Keyboard Deals

If you like the look of the N40 Edition and don’t want to spend $500, the good news is the 8BitDo N Edition TKL Mechanical Keyboard is only $90 at Amazon. The full-size model is $108 right now.

• Retro R8 Wireless Mouse – N Edition — $45 ($50)
• 8BitDo N Edition TKL Keyboard — $90 ($100)
• 8BitDo N Edition Full-Size Keyboard — $108 ($120) with coupon

It’s also worth noting that Amazon has some nice deals on standard edition versions of the Ultimate 2 Bluetooth Controller. You can get the white Ultimate 2 Bluetooth for $60 (was $70), while the black and yellow editions are $63 each.

And if you don’t need Nintendo Switch 1/2 support, the 8BitDo Ultimate 2 2.4GHz edition for PC and mobile has received even more substantial discounts. The white version is only $47.54 (was $60), the purple is $49.19, and the black is $50.39. You can also save 20% on the Wuchang: Fallen Feathers Edition. On October 23, 8BitDo is launching an eye-catching edition of the Ultimate 2 themed around Honkai: Star Rail.

• 8BitDo Ultimate 2 Bluetooth Controller (Switch 2, Switch, PC, Mobile)
  • White — $60 ($70)
  • Black — $63 ($70) with coupon
  • Yellow — $63 ($70) with coupon
  • N40 Bundle — $80 | November 15
• 8BitDo Ultimate 2 Controller (PC, Mobile)
  • Purple — $49.19 ($60)
  • White — $47.54 ($60)
  • Black— $50.39 ($60)
  • Green — $54 ($60)
  • Wuchang: Fallen Feathers — $52 ($65)
  • Honkai: Star Rail — $70 | October 23

Coincidentally, the Ultimate 2 N40 isn’t the first 40th anniversary controller 8BitDo has designed this year. In August, 8BitDo partnered with Xbox to release the Rare 40th Anniversary Edition Ultimate 3-Mode Controller. The beautiful Royal blue controller includes a matching charging dock and is 8BitDo’s first-ever wireless gamepad for Xbox. The Rare 40th Anniversary Edition is currently on sale for the first time at Amazon.

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Shadow of the Colossus is celebrating its 20-year anniversary today, October 18, 2025. Below, we examine the moral complexity of its narrative as told through its silent protagonist.

Does a silent protagonist equal a self-insert? The logic of many video games dictates yes. Heroes like Gordon Freeman and Link have been forever silent, only grunting or shouting. Even Master Chief, who does have a voice, obscures his face. Under his mask, there could be anyone there.

Despite this common logic, silence is often alienating. Few games embody this better than the works of Fumido Ueda. The protagonists of Shadow of the Colossus, Ico, and The Last Guardian are taciturn, often silent or speaking only a fantastical language, which is either subtitled or not immediately understood. Moments of speech, or even of action outside of player input, are profound and rare.

Under the logic of silent identification, these protagonists would be simple, iconographic player stand-ins. Yet Ueda’s curated gaps create an empathetic distance from his games’ heroes. Over the 20 years since Shadow of the Colossus’ release, it has proven its profundity as a moral fable because of its distance from the player.

This is not to say that Shadow of the Colossus is uninterested in the video game form. Protagonist Wander’s quest is grounded in games past. He seeks to rescue his love from death. To do so, he must slay the titular colossi: massive foes strewn across a forbidden land. The entity spurring Wander on, Dormin, is a voice from the heavens haloed in light. Wander wields a legendary sword–one whose connection with the sun guides him on his quest. In every superficial sense, he is the epitome of a hero. He has a noble quest, a holy tool, and monstrous foes meant for killing.

Yet, Wander is the aggressor. For many of the colossi, he must fire his bow and arrow at them to even gain their attention. It is only when he intrudes on their space, and often not until he attacks them, that they will attack him. The colossi bleed black. It spurts from them as Wander stabs them. They moan, flail, weep, and scream as he climbs over and on them. Each colossus has an animal nobility, which Wander murders. Each element is a part of Shadow of the Colossus’ rhetoric. Collectly, they change the usual aspects of heroic fantasy into something horrifying.

Yet, Wander is not a cypher or a stand-in. Often, games with silent protagonists start from a position of relative normalcy. Think of Gordon Freeman’s long train ride to the office in Half-Life, or Link’s childhood stomping ground of Kokiri Forest in Ocarina of Time. In Shadow of the Colossus, we start midway through Wander’s journey as he travels on horseback over the land. When he arrives and places his love Mono on an altar, we learn only a few things about him. One, he carries an “ancient sword,” as Dormin calls it. Two, he is attempting to free his love from death and some curse. Three, his horse Agro is a loyal and courageous companion. There is the suggestion of a life lived outside the bounds of the games. There are things that matter that the player cannot yet see or know about.

Furthermore, Wander’s exact motivations are shadowy. His relationship with Mono is never depicted. Instead we see how he acts without her. His journey to kill the colossi is strenuous and dangerous both, yet he continues with almost unfailing motivation. The player can direct him to stand over Mono’s body on the altar. The camera zooms in, intimate in a way the game rarely is otherwise. Wander’s love is profound, and perhaps selfish given how much he will destroy to see it restored, yet we do not witness it, and thus struggle to identify with it directly. Shadow of the Colossus builds this understanding through gestures that accumulate into cascading meaning.

Through these gestures, the game takes on a theatrical quality. The player inhabits Wander as an actor might play a role. The player makes some choices, like how often he visits Mono between besting colossi or whether their own skill will define him as a dexterous warrior or a clumsy, though strong-willed, commoner. Yet, the form is set. Wander has made his choices. The player can only interpret them.

This is a massive contrast with many other games, which are often concerned with the main character’s morality. BioShock and Spec Ops: The Line, for example, use the main character as a player surrogate. BioShock’s plot twist emphasizes how little agency the player actually has in the story, turning its hero into a hapless stooge. In Spec Ops: The Line, the player’s will to finish the game and protagonist Walker’s belief in the importance of his mission are equivocated. As Walker’s determination damns him, it implicates the player too. In loading screens and monologues, Spec Ops admonishes the player to stop playing.

Shadow of the Colossus (2018)

Both these games have a little more under the hood than mere player condemnation, yet there is something shallow about their approach to protagonist morality. The developers themselves are curiously absent from this logic, for example. BioShock’s twist has dramatic force, but little emotional heft. The protagonist isn’t anyone; he is only a tool. The twist relies on player identification that comes only from absence. Spec Ops: The Line fairs better in this regard. Walker is a character of at least two dimensions. Yet, if he is a character who acts on his own terms, why all this discussion of player complicity? The moral swing cannot quite implicate the player in any real way.

Shadow of the Colossus is also interested in agency, but not that of the player–, rather, of Wander himself. BioShock and Spec Ops are both loud. Antagonists Andrew Ryan and John Konrad explain tell the themes to the player in direct terms. Shadow of the Colossus is quiet. Its world is full of empty spaces and empty time. That emptiness leads to an empathetic, though still distant, stance. Through the process of play, the player comes to understand Wander. That process of embodiment is fuzzy, mythical, not simple or reducible. Shadow of the Colossus doesn’t treat the player as a hapless stooge, unable to really understand the situation at hand until the game’s writers offer their magnanimous help. Wander’s wrongdoing is not a twist. That fact allows the player to sit with it, even to embody it for a time.

Condemnation is cheap; it is understanding that is hard won and difficult. Though Walker has more voice lines and more writing, Wander still feels more real because his personhood is not attached to the player. Instead, there is a sense of an exchange. We feel for Wander and mourn for him. That relationship has a deeper and more profound bearing on our own morality than simple condemnation. If we ask whether we are guilty, Shadow of the Colossus will always be silent.

At the game’s end, after a fellowship sworn to stop Wander arrives and seals him within the forbidden land, Wander goes where the player cannot follow. The sealing process has turned him into a child, which the successfully resurrected Mono seems to want to raise. All of Wander’s heroics and strength have been sapped out of him. He is now a creature incapable of holding a controller.

That ambiguous end is part of what gives Shadow of the Colossus its lasting power. We were Wander’s companions for a time. We walked with him. But his fate is his own. So too, is ours.

The Amazon-exclusive collectible edition of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 launches just in time for the holidays. Amazon has updated its store page with a November 27 release date for the $60 Mirror Edition. Available to preorder now on PS5 and Xbox Series X, Clair Obscur’s Mirror Edition comes with a physical copy of the hit turn-based RPG, an exclusive steelbook case, collectible cards, and a tuck box with new artwork.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Editions at Amazon

Revealed in August, the Mirror Edition only costs $10 more than the standard edition, which still continues to be a top seller for PS5 on Amazon nearly six months after Clair Obscur’s April launch.

• PS5
  • Standard Edition — $49 | Available now
  • Mirror Edition — $60 | November 27
    
• Xbox Series X
  • Standard Edition — $50 | Available now
  • Mirror Edition — $60 | November 27

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – Mirror Edition

The Mirror Edition isn’t the only upcoming retailer-exclusive edition you can preorder. GameStop’s Lumiere Edition for PS5 will be rereleased November 11. Exclusive to PS5, the Lumiere Edition costs $70 and includes a steelbook case, 48-page art book, and the Digital Deluxe Edition DLC outfits.

Sandfall Interactive’s debut game turned out to be a much bigger hit than anyone could have expected. In fact, it currently holds a 92 on Metacritic from reviewers–including a 9/10 from GameSpot–and a 9.6/10 user score. It previously held the top spot on Metacritic for 2025, but it has been surpassed by Hades II and both Zelda games on Switch 2. You could argue, however, that Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom don’t really count, and Hades II originally launched in early access in 2024. So Clair Obscur and Blue Prince are still the top-ranked games no one had played before 2025. Coincidentally, Blue Prince is getting a physical edition for PlayStation 5 on November 21.

Check out all four Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 physical editions below. We kept the GameStop-exclusive Collector’s Edition on this list, but it’s been sold out since launch and likely isn’t coming back.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 PC Game Deals

PC players can get Steam keys for 10% off at GameSpot sister site Fanatical.

• Standard Edition — $45 ($50)
• Digital Deluxe Edition — $54 ($60)

Clair Obscur is also available on Xbox and PC Game Pass. It’s an Xbox Play Anywhere title, so Game Pass Ultimate subscribers can carry their saves from PC to Xbox and vice-versa.

Disclosure: GameSpot and Fanatical are both owned by Fandom.