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As someone who is mildly afraid of heights, I wouldn’t necessarily describe climbing as a meditative experience. However, developer Don’t Nod has set out to make Jusant just that: a game focused on climbing with “meditative vibes.” Jusant is a third person adventure game with some puzzle elements. You play as a character determined to climb upwards, along with their companion–a water creature called a Ballast–that hangs out on their back. Your companion is attuned with nature, and can make plants grow and even show you the way forward–quite handy to get around obstacles that might otherwise be unpassable. Your main goal in Jusant is to climb–and as you do, you’ll climb through the ruins of an abandoned civilization. One that vanished along with the water. The secrets of Jusant are revealed through messages left behind, but also in clues scattered throughout the environment. As you climb through Jusant, you’ll find yourself in multiple different biomes. In the preview version we had a chance to play through two different biomes. Each biome has different fauna and hazards; for example, we explored a hot desert biome that made your stamina go down quickly. Also, plants summoned by our companion shriveled and died in the heat, putting pressure on our character to climb faster. Even if you do run out of stamina while climbing, or miss a jump, you aren’t punished harshly for your mistake. The stakes are never very high. Stamina is the only status gauge in Jusant–there is no health, and really no way to die. If you fail, you can just restart where your last landing or piton was. Climbing in Jusant is a little more involved than just telling your character where to go. Playing with a controller, each trigger acts as individual arm movements. It’s not as unforgiving as something like QWOP, but it does add a little bit of strategy to climbing. Jusant is also just as much of a puzzle game as an adventure game, as some obstacles require some problem solving skills, and even outside the box thinking. And there are usually multiple routes to take, so if you get stuck, there may be an alternate route. Our experience with Jusant was limited to the preview version we had available–and it really made us eager to climb all the way to the top. If you’re curious about Jusant’s gameplay, wishlist it on Steam and look out for the demo which is coming soon. Jusant will be available in October. A Steam key was provided to us for this preview

Mild spoilers follow I’m a sucker for a sci-fi game, especially if it’s horror adjacent. Throw in a futuristic abandoned facility to explore, and you couldn’t keep me away. Fort Solis checks all of the boxes, but while it makes some novel decisions, it’s ultimately a slow burn with a lack of a significant payoff. Fort Solis is a third person sci-fi adventure game. In it, you play as a Jack–sent to investigate an alarm call at a remote mining base on Mars. Once there, it’s clear that something isn’t right. You have to figure out what happened at Fort Solis through exploration, and the time tested method of collecting emails and video logs to fill in narrative blanks. While Fort Solis can be described as a “thriller” it’s not exactly a horror game. It’s a bit refreshing to have a sci-fi video game thriller instead of the well-tread horror, but Fort Solis doesn’t quite make for a great argument in that regard. Despite its spooky premise, Fort Solis initially sends some mixed messages. Protagonist Jack hardly seems bothered by the lack of people in the station. In fact, he’s so unbothered that he moves at a glacially slow pace throughout the game. This slow movement speed helps to build tension towards the beginning, but when the story starts to ramp up and you can only move your character at a slow walk–it begins to feel ridiculous. It’s possible that it’s an intentional decision to hide a short playtime–I managed to finish Fort Solis in about 5 hours–but even if so, it’s at the expense of fun. Even a slow jog would have been better than the “I can’t be bothered” gait. Unfortunately, you don’t do much more than walk in Fort Solis. There is, of course, the occasional computer to read emails from, or even the odd audio recorder you can steal the memory card from to upload to your on-arm PDA. But there is no combat, and the most challenging gameplay comes in the form of quick-time events. And they’re horrible. The quick time events don’t even seem to have any immediate effect if you fail, surprisingly. The story will play out exactly how it would one way or another. As far as I can tell, the ending may be affected by your quicktime prowess but I didn’t do enough experimentation to be able to say for sure. Fort Solis is a pretty by-the-numbers thriller–explore, watch video logs, and eventually you’ll gain access to more parts of the mining base. It took about an hour or two of playtime before Jack started to get excited about what he was finding–and that was already some time after finding a pool of blood on the ground. I guess my point is, Jack does little to sell the tension. However, the voice in his ear (for some of the game) is Jessica, and while she does emote a little more in line with what you’d expect, there’s not really much for even Jessica to get scared about. While Fort Solis shies away from the alien or supernatural for its horror, I wish it hadn’t. It definitely does not capitalize well on its premise, beyond some creepy (and some hammy) line deliveries by Troy Baker. I would have almost preferred working against Mars itself, rather than a disgruntled employee that decides to murder all of his co-workers. And especially because the threat boils down to one guy with a grudge, the protagonists make some decisions that had me scratching my head, or even yelling at the screen. Decisions I had no choice in, which doubly sucks because I always hate it when I lose agency in a video game. The voice acting in Fort Solis is pretty damn good, however. Troy Baker leads a cast of capable voice actors. And while Troy Baker tries to steal the show here, I feel like they let him off of his leash just a tad too much. His performance would have benefitted from a little less. The rest of the cast, however, gives some pretty spot on performances. Fort Solis isn’t a bad game, it’s just a disappointing one. Usually I can tell if I’m going to like a game within the first couple of hours, but I wasn’t sure about Fort Solis until near the end. Its beautiful Unreal 5 graphics and excellent premise were enough to keep me interested. However, it’s such a long, slow burn that by the time I got to the end, it didn’t feel worth all of the slow walking. Upon my discovery that there were multiple endings, I audibly scoffed. I’m not doing that shit again. A Steam key was provided to us for this review.

There were so many great celebs lined up on Saturday's panel schedule we figured we'd have to do nothing but sit in panels all day long and only leave when they cleared the room to bring you everything there was to see. So...we pretty much did that, split among our entire convention team, of course. It's still a lot of trips around convention center ballrooms past the watercooler, so we hope you enjoy what we got! Henry Winkler is the perfect person to start out your day in Fan Expo Chicago 2023’s panel rooms with. As it turns out, the Fonz is even cooler in real life than he was on the silver screen on Happy Days. Winkler is a frequent guest here at Fan Expo and it’s evident why from entering the room to his warm smiles. The former Fonz is full of fatherly wisdom, advice and love for his fans and life in general, and it’s always uplifting to be in his presence. We hope he stays a show mainstay for a long long time. Just shortly thereafter, we wandered over to the Jodi Benson panel hoping to be part of her world for a moment. The SAG-AFTRA strike struck again in regards to the actress being able to actually sing the song that the panel was named after, but it didn’t dampen the deep dive she’d go on about being Ariel. For those that didn’t know, much like Scott Weinger’s deal with Aladdin, Benson is the voice of Ariel singing and speaking in every single one of her appearances up until recent works which could not be discussed. And as it turns out, this gig of a lifetime only came about because of Howard Ashman and his warm heart. As it turns out, Benson and Ashman had worked together before, on a show called Smile that turned into a Broadway flop, leaving Benson out of a job. She and a few others were asked to audition for the mermaid’s role. The rest is history. But not every audition was smooth sailing and Jodi Benson had a fantastically awkward tale from her Toy Story tryout. Benson, who voiced Barbie in Toy Story 2, went in to start recording and encountered executives who were imploring her to please be careful with her portrayal, since this would be the first time Mattel had allowed Barbie to have a voice. Jodi was confident she’d ace the part because, unbeknownst to this director, Barbie had indeed had a voice, and it was hers! Mattel had in fact allowed Barbie a voice for a workout video that predated the Toy Story franchise. When she tried to relay this to the director she was met with a bit of skepticism and awkwardness, despite trying to smooth it over and not sound like she was asserting herself, but, the actress said, ‘it was a bad day.’ Overall though, the ride through Disney fame has been a “blessing from heaven” and “unbelieveable gift” for Benson, and she continues to love to see where Ariel’s story goes, and interact with fans. She did sing, much to the delight of the panel audience, choosing a song called Harmony, appropriate given the strike and the current needs of the world at large, and we wrapped up our time delighted to have met a real Disney princess. Holy crap, so Ivan Raimi’s an emergency surgeon. I guess that’s our main takeaway from the Sam and Ivan Raimi panel. This is knowledge that obviously some fans had, but had completely flown under our radar. When it was revealed it was an amusing moment, because a fan asked Ivan Raimi how well his brother Sam depicted the practice of medicine–and Ivan scoffed, and specifically brought up how the medical scenes in Dark Man were barely passable. Surprisingly, one fan asked about director Sam Raimi’s signature close-up shots–something we thought was a bold question. You don’t just ask a magician how they do their magic! However, Sam Raimi had a fantastic answer–and it’s all about building up tension, while showing the characters’ reaction to that unknown fear that us, as the audience, isn’t even privy to. Tom Wilson was in rare form on Saturday afternoon at Fan Expo. His panel began with a ukulele solo about all the questions he’s been asked repeatedly on his career. The crowd had a blast with the music, he then followed up with a discussion on what it means to work in the industry, and grinding for something greater. Overall it was a great time with some interesting insight. Danny Trejo is known for being a badass, and is probably the “most recognizable Latino in the world,” as he puts it. Known for playing a tough guy (and often a thuggish bad guy) in movies, Trejo in real life is a jovial, almost grandfatherly presence. He’s reached a surprising 80 years old–but definitely doesn’t look like it. While Trejo is definitely more grandfatherly now, he did come from a rougher background. The actor talked about the time he did in San Quentin, and how, afterwards, he was discovered while working as a drug counselor. He made his big break when a casting director asked him if he could stand around and look tough for $300 dollars a day. And it turns out Trejo enjoyed acting, and stuck with it as a lifelong career. “Find something you love doing, and get paid doing it” he told the audience–and he definitely found it. You wouldn’t have had to look for the union label when going to see Michelle Hurd at her panel at Fan Expo Chicago. As the VP of the LA chapter of SAG-AFTRA, Hurd is at the heart of things, and with the characteristic warmth, grace and dash of humor that endears her to so many on screen, she managed to get to the heart of things with the strike and with her fans. But the actress didn’t just bring platitudes – she brought facts, with statistics on just how many working actors don’t qualify for 26,000 a year insurance, or who make under $12 an hour. “The bulk of artists are working class” she stressed. She went on to explain things like the concept of Top of Show, where studios can pay the minimum they’re forced to pay for long hours of work that don’t offer health insurance. But it’s not just about actors, she said, and it’s not just about the entertainment industry - it’s happening with professionals everywhere, and we need to stand up and say enough is enough – which it’s obvious Hurd is doing with every word. Hurd was lovely to her fans as well, managing to make her voice heard and then still give back to fans with a look at her upbringing and the way her father inspired her to go do new things and be a well rounded person. While she couldn’t mention much of what fans wished she could, she did give nods, mentioning that in the future when the strike was resolved there’s a few things she’d like to do - work with writers and the writer’s union, work towards more representation in media of POC and LGBTQIA+ folks and work on a spinoff that fans would absolutely adore. We hope she does all three. For our last panel of the day we sat in for a chance to hear what Felicia Day had to say. It’s been a minute since we’d been up on what's been going on for her, so it was good to hear her tell a little bit about her life now. Day said she’s learned more about herself and the world after becoming a mother, and talked a little bit about her daughter Calliope and her social struggles, as an introverted child. She said she’s learned to recognize when situations or people might be too much for her daughter and help her ground herself and feel like she has permission to not be in those places or around those people, but, the actress admits, she rarely let herself, also an introvert and anxious person, have the same accommodations. “I really didn’t treat myself well” Day said. It’s something the actress has since learned and embraced though, and she talked a little bit about leaving Geek and Sundry to spend more time with her daughter as a decision she had absolutely no regrets about. We wish her well and were glad to see her embracing self-care - something we could all afford to give ourselves a little more of. We hope you enjoyed catching up with all the celebs from Saturday at Fan Expo Chicago 2023 – if you still want more stay tuned for a report from Sunday (along with another cosplay gallery!) and bonus content from our team soon, too! Editor's Note: Actors not pictured were not pictured at their request due to the strike.

Sure, the panels are fun. Merch is great. But really, when you hit the convention floor, isn't the best part seeing and being seen? Cosplay is an essential part of every con-going experience. Whether you're dressing up as your favorite character or chasing down someone who's done the work for you, it's fun to find the best of the best, and that's our goal every time our photographers hit the show floor. Here's a little glimpse of what was to come from Thursday's shortened day. See what you think!

Friday was the first full day of Fan Expo Chicago 2023 and with that comes lots and lots of celebrity guest appearances in panels. This year, things are a little bit different in the panel rooms, with the SAG-AFTRA strike preventing celebs on site from talking about or performing struck work, but it doesn’t mean there’s nothing to discuss. Past work can be a topic of conversation within the actor’s discretion, and there’s plenty of fun to be had talking about being behind the scenes on any set, or discovering the origin stories of these actors and actresses. As doors opened on Friday a few cancellations were announced, too, with Brent Spiner, Chevy Chase and a few others bowing out due to illness, but the show must go on, and go on it did, beginning with Tara Strong’s panel on Friday morning. Tara Strong took to the Fan Expo stage Friday morning to a joyfully packed crowd of die hard fans. Taras’ IMDB lists a lifetime of incredible work dating back to the Care Bears back in 1988 on through her performance of several voices in World of Warcraft. Fans recounted some of her more notable works, specifically Raven of Teen Titans and Teen Titans Go as well as Harley Quinn in the Batman Arkham video games. Strong regaled the crowd with stories of her times with the Teen Titans Go team, as a tight knit family. She also told one particularly interesting story about how Kevin Conroy had once previously saved her life. Right when Twitter verification was introduced, Tara was talking to a “verified” Kevin Conroy in Twitter DM’s and had set a time to meet with the actor for lunch in the future. A few days later she was working with Kevin for the first time in person and had mentioned that she loved talking to him on Twitter, to which he responded “I don’t have Twitter.” As it turns out she had been talking to a complete stranger. This harrowing tale, along with some voice work as Harley Quinn, were big hits with the crowd, and we’re glad to have seen Strong grace the Fan Expo stage. Next up on our list was the “Out of this World CONversation with Giancarlo Esposito, Katee Sackhoff and Emily Swallow.” This was one of the most anticipated events for the con, and once again the strike loomed large at first as a shadow over fan expectations, but with the steady hand of a great moderator in Victor Dandridge, fans got a great experience anyway. With the elephant in the room looming, Dandridge instead turned conversation into what inspired the actors and how they got started. Of the three, most had a passion for the stage early on, with Sackhoff saying that at only six years old it was her desire to “give people goosebumps” with her performances one day, and Swallow recalling her strong desire to get on Star Search. Giancarlos’ story was a bit different, though he did grow up in a household of performers with a family full of musicians – it just took him a little longer to find what he wanted to do. Esposito ended up stealing the show somewhat, as he often does with his performances, and spent some time talking about the importance of the SAG - AFTRA strike. “When one boat rises all boats rise, that’s the idea” he said. And while he has no fear about his bills or financial situation, that’s not true for everyone. Esposito mentioned that he’d had a desire just before the strike to take a break and work on other projects. The strike is affording him that time, he said, but also time to support his fellow actors who can’t make rent. Esposito also alluded to one of the union’s most salient points, AI avatar usage, saying “I don’t want you to get something that looks like me, I want you to get me.” before evolving the conversation into what turned out to also be an incredibly inspirational talk about being the most authentic version of you you can be. “Think today for tomorrow,” he implored. “This is about dreams. You can build it and if you build it, they will come.” Giancarlo went on to talk about how we’re all energy, and we forget to be children who have fun without limitations. All three of the actors spoke on their strengths and the things that made them the most happy in life as well, with Katee Sackhoff talking about the joys of motherhood and leaving California to spend more time with her daughter and Swallow sharing her love for conventions and meeting the folks who make it all happen - the audience who loves what the actors do so much and the stories they tell. When we walked into Peter Weller’s panel, it was something else entirely. The SAG-AFTRA strike is really taking its toll on the convention circuit. When we entered the Peter Weller panel, he was talking about the works of Caravaggio and how the artist best captured Christ and his disciples. This was unexpected, but it turns out the question was about who Weller would want to paint him. Caravaggio is a great choice, but considering that the conversation could be in the realm of his earlier works–like his legendary role as RoboCop–an impassioned conversation about art history was not at all what I was expecting. Weller did have some amusing stories about his 11 year old son though. Anytime either Weller or his wife swears he has to tally money which later goes to his son for what his son calls the “modern social version of allowance.” And based on Weller’s telling, that little kid is making bank. Well, that’s all for us for Friday’s lineup, but stay tuned for even more from Fan Expo Chicago 2023, including our fantastic cosplay galleries.

Saturday's the big day, and this year Fan Expo felt like it was bursting at the seams with people on the show floor, and we were excited to see it. Even though full to bursting floors mean it's harder to stop people to see their amazing costumes, it also means there's lots more people to catch, and we gave it the ol' college try in between panels and events to make sure you could see everyone in their nerdy finest. Enjoy, and stay tuned for Sunday's collection of cosplayers, fan catchups and maybe even some bonus content!

Everyone who's been to Fan Expo Chicago knows that Friday's the day things really kick off. Thursday this year was impressive, and set the tone for a bigger, better con altogether, but Friday's still the day that seems to really kick things off, with more people taking off work and taking their families out to Rosemont for all the fun. We were, of course, on site, and taking in all the amazing cosplay in between panels with our favorite celebs. Check all the awesome cosplay out and we'll see you on the floor for one more day!

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is back with its second season. While Star Trek: Discovery may have ushered in this new era of Trek it’s clear that Strange New Worlds will be Paramount’s flagship Trek going forward–and as a long term Trek fan, I’m okay with that. While shows like Star Trek: Deep Space Nine did the overarching story thing well, most Trek has benefited with the “monster/problem of the week” format. And while Strange New Worlds season 2 seems to promise more of the same, it does continue the cliffhanger left at the end of the first season with Anson Mount’s Captain Pike running off in defense of Una Chin Riley (Rebecca Romijn) leaving Spock (Ethan Peck) in command of the Enterprise. Of course, Spock’s temporary assignment isn’t going to go without incident with Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) picking up a distress call from former crewmate Noonien Singh (played by Christina Chong). The only answer is for Spock and crew to steal the Enterprise, helped out by Carol Kane playing Trek’s latest revealed race, the long-lived Lanthanites. Spock and company successfully commandeer the Enterprise after some clever trickery, and go on to discover that Noonien-Singh has discovered a group of Klingons that want to reignite the war with the Federation. It’s a lot of story to pack into a single episode–especially one that is meant to reintroduce the series and its characters. And Strange New Worlds doesn’t shy from humor, and while that goes a long way to ensure its accessibility–and therefore, its legacy–some of the humor comes off as awkward. But it’s an endearing sort of awkward, especially when Spock has to come up with “his thing.” In other word: the phrase he will use to confirm a command on the bridge–especially one that gets the ship moving. Modern Trek writers seem obsessed with this, especially since it’s popped up on multiple shows. We’re really getting to know some of the characters in Strange New Worlds. But it was still a bit surprising to see Nurse Chapel (Jess Bush) and Doctor M’Benga (Babs Olusanmokun) take some sort of stimulant to take on a dozen Klingons. That was a scene that requires some sort of in lore explanation, so I’m anticipating the return of the kick-ass hypo juice. And while I didn’t hate the scene, I couldn’t help but picture what Majel Roddenberry’s Nurse Chapel would have looked like running around and throwing punches. I have to say that I’m really appreciating the way Strange New Worlds depicts its alien worlds. These are leaps above away teams hanging out in caves among styrofoam rocks or traipsing among artificial foliage. Despite this, they still ended up in the corridors of a Federation Starship–well, in this case, a pseudo Federation Starship that was going to be used to launch a false flag attack. And from how flimsy that ship seemed to be, it was meant to be a suicide run against the massive (and impressive looking ) D7 cruiser. The appearance of the Klingons in this episode is of note, especially since they’ve shied away from the hairless depiction of Klingons from Discovery to one that is a little more conventional to Trek viewers. There were a great array of forehead ridges on display, and I swear there was even one Klingon that looked like he had Star Trek: The Motion Picture style Klingon ridges–which was either a coincidence, or a nod to the Klingons’ first ridged appearance. Perhaps the biggest standout characterization is Spock wrestling with his emotions. While I don’t think that Ethan Peck gives the same gravitas that Leonard Nimoy gave to the role, he does an excellent job showcasing Spock’s fragile emotional state coming into the second season. And of course, all Spock gets for stealing the Enterprise is a slap on the wrist and admonition from Admiral Robert April, highlighting this era of Trek and it’s “cowboy diplomacy” as Captain Janeway called it on Star Trek: Voyager. Stopping the false flag attack and rounding that out with Spock chugging bloodwine is probably the best example of this in Star Trek so far. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2 is off to a good start. I have to admit that I’m not champing at the bit to see how Una Riley’s problems become resolved–or not. However, I am looking forward to more of Anson Mount’s hair, and am tentatively excited for Carol Kane’s Lanthanite engineer, though it’ll be hard to replace Hemmer, the Aenar Engineer who lost his life at the end of the first season.

Thursdays at Fan Expo Chicago are usually a bit low-key, with fewer guests on site and a lighter programming schedule given the shorter time frame, but this year Fan Expo really packed some things in, putting some heavy-hitters right at the front of the show. In case you missed the announcements, the current SAG-AFTRA strike has put cons in a unique situation in which struck work should not be mentioned, making panels less about the actors’ most recent roles and more about the actors themselves, and the strike itself. And while we’d love to hear more about the things we’ve been consuming and nerding out about recently, (especially when it comes to one of Thursday’s guests, Todd Stashwick) we’re also loving the more intimate look at the actors as people. Anyone who’s ever loved an air bison and his chosen family or a set of Lost Boys got there in time to see Dante Basco, who’s always a lively, sage and incredibly joyful person to see live. Basco’s had a long career as a voice actor and live actor, so there’s always plenty of fun stories to listen to him regale the audience with. Dante even dished out some favorite pizza places in the area, mentioning Pequods as a great place to get a slice. And while current work is off the table, Basco was able to discuss Avatar: The Last Airbender and reiterated his awe at the impact it had had on fans, something we’d heard the actor mention before at C2E2. Zuko’s role in particular is one of redemption and reflection and although Basco had previously mentioned a longing for a bit more comedy a la Sokka, he’s obviously deeply grateful to have played such a complex character with such an immense character arc. Next on our list for Thursday was Todd Stashwick’s panel. Unfortunately, his most recent and incredibly popular role was not up for discussion, but that didn’t stop audiences from welcoming this native son, the “dipshit from Chicago '' who so accurately represented usin that role. His candor, sarcasm and exhausted nihilism earned him a spot in our hearts as soon as he got to the chair, perfectly embodying the “smile through the pain” attitude we all adopt here every single winter (and through Lolla and construction season.) But it wasn’t just his character who hails from here - Stashwick is a native son, making the trip to Fan Expo Chicago a homecoming for him. In fact, prior to hitting the stage in Rosemont, Stashwick made a journey to one of our favorite places on earth, Galloping Ghost Arcade, to get a little arcade time in. We’re not sure what’s next for Todd, but we do know that we’d love to see him again – both in his most recent role if reprisal in any form is possible or in an altogether new project once the strike is over. As we well know, the show must go on, and go on it will! Stay tuned for Friday panel catchups to include Tara Strong, Giancarlo Esposito, Katee Sachkoff and Emily Swallow and Peter Weller, and plenty of cosplay in our daily galleries!

Get in, losers! It’s time for another convention! Lace up your comfiest shoes, get all hydrated and bring fat stacks of cash to Rosemont this weekend (and today!) for Fan Expo Chicago! Formerly Wizard World, this con boasts all the merch and plenty of fun activities for people who enjoy all manner of nerdy things from tabletop games to video games, anime, cosplay, movies, K-Pop, comics, TV and more. If we’re being honest the change from Wizard World to Fan Expo hasn’t seemed too drastic, with the format, basic setup and even quite a bit of the guest list being what we’ve come to expect for better or worse, but there’s never a year that goes by we don’t find something new to enjoy so let’s get straight to business and start getting ready to choose our own con adventure, shall we? Remember folks, this is just our curated look at events - make sure to peep the full panel schedule in case there's something truly delightful to you that might be lurking there. Thursday, August 10th Where Thursday was oftentimes wrestle-heavy and otherwise lackluster, they’ve packed in some real goodies to this not quite weekend kickoff. The show opens at 2 pm for VIPs and press with the floor opening to 4pm for everyone else, and here’s what you can expect. If you’re into anime, and want to ease yourself into a weekend of walking, eating, and buying merch, why not settle in to watch Bleach Episodes 1-3 in Rm 33-34 beginning at 3:45 pm. If you’re a fan of Avatar the Last Airbender, park your air bison outside Rm 21-23 at 5:00 pm for All About Honor: Meet Dante Basco to hear tales from the Fire Nation and beyond. OR If you prefer even more anime, head to Rm 33-34 for Discussing Deku! Meet My Hero Academia’s Justin Briner. If you were raised on the classics, it’s-a time to head over to Rm 21-23 at 6pm for Mario Party (the name of the panel, not the actual game) with the man himself, Charles Martinet and Kenny James. Meanwhile, if you’re a fellow Trekkie, you’ll need to make sure you’re in Rm 21-23 at 7pm to see some dipshit from Chicago, Todd Stashwick, as he takes the stage after his heart-capturing performances as Shaw on Picard’s final season. BUT If you’re an animation lover, you could also decide to head to Rm 4 for And Now a Word From our Sponsor: The Top Ten Animated Advertising Icons of All Time. If you really want to kick things off right, there’s some after dark events you can partake of that are particularly interesting this evening too, with an 8:30 pm Drink’ N Draw in Rm 4 OR The Rocky Horror Bingo Show (18+) in Rm 5-6 which combines karaoke, the entire cult classic film AND karaoke. OR If you like your nerdy with a heaping helping of sexy, try out Critical Strike Nerdlesque’s Variety Show in Rm 21-23. It’s a ticketed event ($20) but as anyone who’s seen nerdlesque knows, it’s likely well worth it. Friday August 11 Nothing like starting off with a bang, and though it’s technically not the first day of the convention, it’s the first full day,and Fan Expo is comin’ on strong right out of the gates. If you’re not a morning person, you might have to pose as one, and with the stacking of interests and celeb guests at 11 am, we recommend arriving earlier than you want to to ensure you get in, on the floor and out to the panel rooms if you’re hoping to catch any of these first 4 options. For anime fans, 11 am brings “It’s Too Early for an Anime Panel” in Theater 3 (Rm 33-34) OR For Pokemon enthusiasts who want to get in a healthy debate, there’s “Let’s Discuss the Best Pokemon of Fan Expo” on the Creator Stage OR For those who love animation and voice actors - try out Too Many to Count! All the Voices of Tara Strong in Theater 2 (Rm 21-23). OR EVEN Report to the Main Theater to rendezvous with Data himself for the Brent Spiner Spotlight. Then, whatever you chose, take some time to get a bite and walk the floor. At 1pm, voice actor fans and video game enthusiasts alike will enjoy The Man of Many Voices: Meet Dee Bradley Baker in Theater 2 BUT Anyone without a time machine will need to jump out just a bit early to get BACK TO IT with the Christopher Lloyd spotlight over in the Main Theater at 1:45 pm. 2:00 brings another packed block. Choose your adventure, noble friend! Anime fans will not want to miss From Aleks to Zenitsu: Demon Slayer Q and A in Theater Room 3 with Aleks Le, who plays Zenitsu OR Shop local for your fun with the Logan Theater’s Trivia at the HQ Red Carpet. OR If you’re into gaming and voice acting, go hang with David Hayter for A Conversation with David Hayter in Rm 21-23. Then at 4:45, get your bodies ready for an Out of this World CONversation with Giancarlo Esposito, Katee Sackhoff and Emily Swallow in the Main Theater. OR Take yourself to see the Robocop himself with a Spotlight on Peter Weller at 5pm in Rm 21-23. If you love tabletop gaming or comedy, try out Improv Dungeons and Dragons in Fandom Panels Room 11 OR If you came to get down with some K-Pop, get down to the HQ Red Carpet at 6pm for K-Pop Karaoke. Saturday, August 12th You all know the drill about conventions on Saturdays. This is the marathon, and you’ve gotta pack your snacks, prep your footsies and charge your electronics to make it through everything Fan Expo has in store. Why? Let’s begin. Say ‘Eyyyyyyyy’ to one of TV’s legends, Henry Winkler, if you can get yourself up and at ‘em to be at Fan Expo by 10:45 and make your way to the Main Theater. OR Make your way under the sea for a Disney legend’s appearance as Jodi Benson takes the stage for Part of Your World: Meet Jodi Benson in Rm 21-23. Horror fans can delight in the presence of some true horror royalty with the A Family Affair: Spotlight on Sam Raimi and Ivan Raimi in the Main Theater if they can stomach getting out before dark at 11:45 am and face the day star. BUT TV aficionados should not miss the 12:45pm Spotlight on Lou Diamond Philips and Dermot Mulroney in the Main Theater. OR If anime’s more your jam, hang out in Theater 3 at 1pm for the Fire, Ice… and Boom! My Hero Academia Q and A with Clifford Chapin and David Matranga. OR EVEN Get back in that time machine and head back to Talking with Tom Wilson at 1:00pm. At 1:45 pm, Tangled, Shazam and Chuck fans should make their way to the Main Theater for A Charming Conversation with Zachary Levi And at 2, anime fans will need to be in Theater 2 (Rm 21-23) for The One Piece is Real! Q and A with the Anime Voice Cast. Boldly go to Theater 2 at 3pm for a close encounter with Michelle Hurd AND Make sure not to miss The Man, The Myth, The Legend: Spotlight on Danny Trejo as he takes the stage in the main theater at 4:45 for a nice well-rounded panel day. If you’re a fan of Geek and Sundry, or just Felicia Day in general, it’ll be time to geek out with Geeking Out with Felicia Day in that same Main Theater at 5:45 pm OR If you can’t get enough Trek and you also love comedy, stop in to Theater 2 at 6pm for Starship Edsel, a hilarious Star Trek Improv show. One more day… Sunday, August 13th Here’s a clue for you - big stuff happens early Sundays, beginning with… Steve Burns: Our Childhood Hero in the Main Theater at 10:45 am. We expect this to pack out the con early, so do him proud and make sure you get there with plenty of time to get in the panel room. OR If TV action is more your thing, check out Kiefer Sutherland’s Spotlight in the Main Theater at 11:45 am. We’d say you can sleep a little longer but the Blue’s Clues crowd is gonna already be there in full force so it’s better if you don’t sleep on it. Mira Sorvino will have her spotlight in Theater 2 at 12:45pm. And just in case you thought Sundays were for nothin’, 1:45pm boasts one of the most heavily advertised events of the con, the Christmas Vacation reunion featuring Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo, Anthony Michael Hall, Dana Barron, Randy Quaid and Christie Brinkle in the Main Theater at 1:45 pm - get your seats early for that or you’ll be stuck outside looking in. OR IF you’re anime obsessed don’t miss Total Concentration Breathing! - The Demon Slayer Voice Actor Q&A in Theater 2 at 2pm. Then at 2:30pm, join us Whovians as we go see Laugh Hard, Run Fast, Be Kind: Life and Fandom Lessons from 60 Years of Doctor Who, put on by the amazing folks from Chicago TARDIS in the Fandom Panels Room, Room 11, at 2:30pm. OR If classic cult favorites are your thing, say, Dammit, Janet! Excuse me! And don’t miss the conversation of the con with Susan Sarandon and Barry Bostwick, Cult Classic Convos, which will happen in the Main Theater at 2:45pm. Then, let your spidey sense guide you to the awesome conclusion of Fan Expo panels with Into the Spiderverse with Shameik Moore on the Main Stage at 3:45 pm. Remember this is just a sampling of the programming available at Fan Expo, so bookmark this with some of your faves but make sure to consult the full panel schedule, too! Have fun out there, and keep coming back for panel catchups and cosplay galleries every day of Fan Expo!

There have been some fantastic puzzle games that force you to think spatially and/or use perspective for some very clever puzzle design. But Viewfinder is the first puzzle game since Portal that made me think "wow!" when I saw the main puzzle mechanic. What’s more, it’s the first puzzle mechanic in a long time that I spent some time actually playing with, as opposed to trying to just get through the game. Viewfinder is a first person puzzle game. While Portal had me thinking with portals, Viewfinder had me rethinking spaces as both gateways and even as objects that can help you bypass obstacles to get you to your next objective. In Viewfinder, the main puzzle mechanic is all about photographs. Each photograph acts as a sort of portal to the visible area of that photograph. Whatever was behind that photograph when you place it is completely obliterated (most of the time) and replaced with the objects in tha photo. The effect is seamless, and quite stunning–in fact, I’m still impressed by it even after playing through the game. If this sounds a little too powerful and game breaking, that’s because it is a little bit. However, Viewfinder allows you to rewind time to undo any damage you might do. In fact, you can unwind time to specific checkpoints in your timeline to undo any damage or redo picture placement. Photos in Viewfinder are acquired in different ways, depending on the puzzle. Sometimes you have to hunt for the photos – and some of the only times I was stumped in Viewfinder was when I couldn’t find a photo to proceed. Eventually you’re given a camera, but unlike acquiring the Portal Gun in Portal ,the camera isn’t something you wield all the time. And even then, the camera’s usefulness is limited to how much film you have. There are multiple zones, each with their own slight twist on the picture puzzle mechanic. As you progress through the game, the zones begin to restrict your ability to make wide changes to its world–which I found ironic, considering how clever its design had been up until that point. It really gives off the impression that Viewfinder was running out of ideas. However, when I looked back at my playtime I certainly didn’t feel like I spent 10 hours playing. It’s a game that had me so engrossed in its puzzle mechanics, I didn’t really pay attention to much else–including the lore that ties the world together. I got a passing glimpse, but I was too busy paying more attention to the gameplay itself. Viewfinder does have a story that ties it all together. Without too many spoilers: you’re on a mission to recover a weather device using a computer simulator. Most of the story is told through your companion outside of the simulation, as well as recorded audio you find inside. While Viewfinder has a great concept. It feels like one that has stretched its limits, but never exceeded them. It really didn’t have to. It was consistently surprising and mind bending. Despite any criticism I might have of Viewfinder, I ended up putting 10 hours into the game before I even knew it. I was so completely intrigued by its photo puzzle mechanic, I couldn't help but play with it instead of just trying to beat the game. I haven't done that in years, and it brought some joy to this old bitter gamer.

Remnant From The Ashes was a co-op third person shooter that brought teams of players together in dungeon style areas with dozens of randomly generated bosses. It was reminiscent of Diablo but with a mix of Dark Souls. Combat was randomly generated by a hidden AI director but required strict stamina and bullet damage. Characters also had roles such as tanks, healers or DPS, so players would work together to form the best teams. Now with Remnant II, we get the same formula, but expanded upon in a number of ways that make the first game seem like a proof of concept. The first thing that stuck out from Remnant II was the pronounced upgrade in visuals. Graphically, but also in design. There is so much added detail to characters, gear, enemies and the environments. Environments in the previous game felt a little generic but now they are wholly original. Along with the graphical upgrade is the number and variation of enemies. There is always the basic grunt fodder, but also randomly generated demon wizards or evil archers would appear to up the difficulty. This was truly a unique experience, as we were able to play the same area again after being wiped, only to find different enemy encounters or some of the tougher encounters missing entirely. It’s a cool feature that will make sure you will have some badass stories to tell. Remnant From the Ashes was in essence a looter shooter, but without much loot. The quest was for the experience of tough as nails bosses in a Souls-like shooter. That’s still the premise here but now loot is a higher priority. Previously, there was little loot to speak of, but after speaking to one of the developers, the loot table has been largely increased. They have somehow found a way to create a large cache of equipables that upgrade stats as well as change how you play. Even better still, found gear is shared amongst your party, making sure that everyone gets the spoils of war. The time we got to play Remnant was limited, but within a 30 minute time frame, we were sold. The Remnant fans were left excited for the upgrades presented, while the newbies were excited to jump into a new multiplayer co-op world that they had left since Destiny 2. Remnant II is nothing if not Remnant 1, but a wholesale improvement. We are excited for Remnant II and look forward to its release on July 25th.