The rivalry between dwarves and elves is one of the oldest tropes in traditional fantasy. However, when inspected closely, it never seems like dwarves get the fair end of the deal. One of the best examples isThe Lord of the Rings,which is arguably responsible for spawning the elf-dwarf tension. While its predecessor,The Hobbit,gives dwarves lots of attention, the much larger and more involvesLord of the Ringsgives dwarves very little presence aside from Gimli while the changing society of elves dominates as a subplot....

Today, there are plenty of video games that feature great female protagonists — from newer titles, likeHorizon: Forbidden Westto more long-standing franchises, likeTomb Raider. These, however, are far from the oldest female-led games. That title arguably belongs toWabbit, by now defunct video game company, Apollo. It’s touted as the first video game to have a named, playable female character. Wabbit, in itself, is an important fragment of video game history. TheAtari2600 title is not only celebrated today for its female protagonist, but it also garnered plenty of praise then for its impressive graphics....

Summary Since Riot Games released their widely popular team-based FPS,Valorant, in 2020, there have been a ton of balancing updates that have entirely shifted the game’s landscape. From simple weapon tuning to entire ability reworks, the updates have been game-changing and, at times, controversial. These nerfs usually attempt to addressover-dominant agent abilitiesby weakening their overpowered elements. This can involve increasing their in-game price or reshaping them altogether. These were some of the most impactful nerfs inValoranthistory, giving newbies a peek into the game’s evolving meta....

There have been a lot of spy games and stealth games in gaming history, but over the past few years there’s been a downturn in both. Fans hope that this doesn’t last too long. There are, however, some very iconic characters in the genre such as James Bond, and every single Snake iteration. A lot of spy games are full of espionage, creeping around, silent kills, and stealth. But some of them leave a lot to player choice....

Summary Mortal Kombat 1launched back in September to critical acclaim, continuing what has been a great year for fighting games. WhileMortal Kombat 1was received well on launch, some of the balancing in the game is rough around the edges, and its first major patch was controversial. Despite some criticism from more competitive players,Mortal Kombat 1has been a success, and its first Kombat Pack, which started rolling out this month, has plenty of content to keep fans excited....

Cyberpunk is having a moment right now. Maybe it’s just because some of the high-profile stories have been adapted into more popular mediums, or maybe it’s because the real world looks more likeBlade Runnerthan it used to. Though the subgenre is more popular than it has been since the 70s, it’s also worked its way into the margins of tons of stories that don’t make the list. There are a lot of qualifiers thatmake a cyberpunk workfit the typical genre conventions....

Summary Animal Crossing: New Horizonswas a bigger success than Nintendo likely thought possible. While the franchise was always popular, the pandemic allowed New Horizons to elevateAnimal Crossingto new heights. Because everyone was stuck indoors, gamers and non-gamers alike were in need of something to pass the time. For many,Animal Crossing: New Horizonswas the perfect solution, as it allowed them to spend hundreds of hours creating the perfect outdoors setting to explore while they were stuck inside in the real world....

Summary While Yhwach is an incredibly captivating and menacing character in his own right during the events of the Thousand Year Blood War, Sosuke Aizen has long been the most recognizable villain in all ofBleachandan iconic anime villain in general. He’s a charismatic, snarky, and severely overpowered character who is ruthlessly determined to carry out his mission to become the new Soul King. Aizen had been planning this objective for many years before fans actually saw him appear in the series, and in the process, he committed some downright heinous acts to get one step closer to his dream of creating a new world....

Quick Links XDefiantoffers six distinct weapons in the Assault Rifle category. While all of these rifles are strong rivals for the finest in the game, the MDR, along with theACR 6.8andAK-47, is widely regarded as a powerful weapon. Although classified as an assault rifle, the MDR’s low damage range and fast rate of fire make it more of an SMG-AR hybrid. It has a higher recoil than other weapons in its class, but with the right attachments, it may be one of the best weapons at all ranges....

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomhas players traversing all across Hyrule on the quest to locate Princess Zelda and defeat the Demon King lurking in the shadows. It is perhaps understandable, then, that Link might take a break from adventuring to visit a newly opened Goron theme park ride. InThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the KingdomGoron City faces a crisis caused by Marbled Rock Roast and this must be resolved before Mine-Cart Land will be available to visit....

The various challenges that video game bosses and enemies pose to players have an enormous impact on the overall experience a title offers. Even though theenemy design in a video gameis often less-scrutinized than character abilities, weaponry, and level design, adversaries dictate how those other elements combine to present players with a challenge. Certain bosses are simply a blast to fight, serving as an epic climax that punctuates the story. Some foes inspire dread with their presence alone, while others push gamers to their breaking point in terms of challenge and mechanical mastery....

While there are many reasons why fans are looking forward toCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, it is no surprise that multiplayer ranks at the top. Online play has been the backbone of theCall of Dutyseries for over a decade now, ensuring that even a campaign starringTask Force 141is the second most anticipated portion of the sequel. As with anyCall of Dutymultiplayer, maps are the most important aspect of any game....

One of the most classic games to exist,Half-Lifedid many things that modern games still replicate or take inspiration from to this day. The cultural significance ofHalf-Lifecannot be understated, and as such, there’s a beauty within the firstHalf-Lifegame that some consider a superior product to its sequel,Half-Life2. RELATED:Games To Play If You Miss Half-Life So much aboutHalf-Lifeworks, and on a technical level, it’s a marvel for its age. Although players still have not – and do not know if they will ever – seeHalf-Life3, they will always have the replayability of the firstHalf-Lifegame, and the many factors that make it better than its sequel....