Elden Ring is the biggest game since Breath of the Wild

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Our top recommendation of the week is elden ring. This game is extraordinary. His fantasy open world overflows little boys, big swordsand smart integrations. But a word of warning: Video game is hard.

Although FromSoftware has created a more accessible game than its previous series, it has made little effort to include accessibility options. And players who skipped Dark SoulsBloodborneand Axe must spend hours learning the unspoken rules of the game. We know from experience. Some of us spent hours fighting the same early villains, making certain jokes a little too understandable.

Fortunately, our most seasoned Souls fans have created many helpful guides. If you’re playing the most inviting class, the magically wielding astrologer, we suggest you hurry Take a meteorite staff and then defeat the ghouls that once blocked your path to the Elden Lord?

If you are conveniently located with elden ring, there’s a lot to learn about its creator and the idiosyncratic games that led to the first huge hit of 2022. Simon Parkin interviewed for The New Yorker Director Hidetaka Miyazaki. At Eurogamer, the always lively Christian Donlan compared elden ring to Fourteen days, and you know what? The comparison makes a surprising amount of sense!

So yes, we recommend giving elden ring a shot, even if you’re intimidated. Worst-case scenario: you can take a spin on a magic horse with the power to double jump. Or you could just watch it on youtube. That works too!

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This week on YouTube | The 1995 Dinotopia game used actual animatronic dinosaur puppets in its cutscenes. These huge, incredible dolls were made using essentially the same methods used by Stan Winston Studios Jurassic Park – but for a fraction of the budget. Special effects artist Andre Freitas of AFX Studios tells Polygon’s Simone de Rochefort how the dolls were made.

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Four stories to read

Graphics: James Bareham/Polygon

The best of 2022 | We launched the newsletter today and we’re already breaking the rules. In lieu of a story, we recommend our collection of lists curating the best entertainment of 2022 so far. games, movies, TV, anime – we have everything!

The story behind the strangest Netflix series ever | We spoke to Adi Shankar, the creator of The Guardians of Justiceon how he created this caffeinated smoothie out of anime, claymation, Saturday morning cartoons and CGI.

A closer look at the largest gaming company in the world | Khee Hoon Chan took us through the history, strategy and ambitions of video game mega-publisher Tencent. If you are unfamiliar with the name, you will definitely recognize its subsidiaries and holdings. Tencent owns Riot Games and has a sizable stake in Epic Games, creators of Fourteen days.

Ukrainian official urges game makers to ban Russian players | Game publishers, developers and advocates across the industry have begun responding to Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. Lots Developers work together to collect aid money for Ukrainians. Microsoft, SHEand The Witcher Publishing House CD project Discontinued sale to Russia. EA Sports distant Russian teams from his NHL and FIFA games. Ukraine is home to many video game manufacturersand Polygon will continue to update you on how you can support them and their nation during this war.

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Three things to see

Photo illustration: James Bareham/Polygon | Source images: Warner Bros. Pictures

The Batman in theatres | The Batman is a good, but not great, restart that we wish for was a little harder. Still, Robert Pattinson’s rendition of the iconic character is his best live-action performance yet The dark knight. If you’re looking to host a bat marathon, we’ve listed the best order to watch every Batman movie. (Of course, an option starts with Batman & Robin.)

After Yang in theatres | We’ve been waiting for director Kogonada’s new movie ever since we saw his heartbreaking debut, Columbus. his latest, after Yang, connects the filmmaker to two things we love: Science fiction and Colin Farrell. What a week for Farrell, who also plays the penguin The Batman.

Our flag means death on HBO Max | The creator of the cult TV show people of the earth returns to TV with what appears to be a mashup of What we do in the shadows and Pirates of the Caribbean. The casting combo of Taika Waititi and Leslie Jones is enough to pique our interest.

Plus, everything new to stream: drive my car! Westside Story!

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Play three games

Image: Bungie

Destiny 2: The Witch Queen | It took fans less than a day to convert that big reveal into a meme. That means if you are the person who is into this game, you are already playing this game. And if you’re not that person, well, that is what our guides are for. Available for PS4, PS5, Windows PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X.

Big tour 7 | Younger readers probably won’t remember when a new Gran Turismo felt like the biggest release in video games. We’ve used our decades of experience with the series to explain the unusual feature a new GT will play in 2022. Available for PS4, PS5.

Final Fantasy 6 Pixel remaster | What you need now is clear Another Game that eats up dozens of hours. Available for Windows, iOS, Android.

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Free game of the week

Image: valve

Aperture desk job | To showcase its new handheld gaming PC, Valve released a free spin-off of the hit series Portal. Aperture desk job works on PC with a traditional game controller, but is designed to demonstrate the capabilities of the Steam Deck. Available on Windows and SteamOS.

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The best of the rest

Image: Wit Studio