Kurt Russell, John Carpenter, and Keith David @ Fan Expo Chicago 2026. Photo: Marielle Bokor Chicago's conventions have grown exponentially even in just the past 5 years, to say nothing of what was some humble beginnings. They draw star power it's hard to conceive of these days, and even bigger crowds. This year's Fan Expo Chicago was packed to the brim with exciting reunions and big names. We had Jared Padalecki, Karl Urban, William Shatner, Christopher Lloyd, ALL the Hobbits (and even a second breakfast!) and much of the Goonies cast. Sam Raimi and John Carpenter were here. Mr. T, John Rhys Davies, Keith David. Kurt Russell, John Carpenter, and Keith David @ Fan Expo Chicago 2026. Photo: Marielle Bokor But one weird thing - despite having Keith David, John Carpenter, and Kurt Russell on the list of celeb guests, there was no The Thing panel. For horror fans (and movie fans in general) this was pretty glaring. It's not like Fan Expo hates a reunion. We had almost the entire cast of The Boys and The Goonies AND The Hobbits, so ...what gives? Furthermore, Kurt Russell was all the way on the final day. And, you know, maybe that was why. I can tell you I checked the schedule over at least 5 times to see if I was missing something. Still, you can't look a gift horse in the mouth, and it's amazing to see all these people from so many fandoms we've been a part of growing up and through now. And honestly? As someone who's worked the last decade of conventions, putting a huge panel like Kurt Russell at the end of the day Sunday was a little bit of a relief, since it potentially cuts down on crowds. Sometimes. Kurt Russell @ Fan Expo Chicago 2026. Photo: Marielle Bokor Kurt Russell's panel was the talk of the convention all day on Sunday, and the line was immense. During a convention where we hadn't filled the main stage room at any point, it was full to the brim. Kurt Russell was amazing, and we'll have tons more on his panel later on. But about halfway through, when the conversation turned to The Thing, something magical happened. Keith David and John Carpenter walked out, and thus we had our very own, unexpected and very highly anticipated and requested "The Thing" panel. And it. was. amazing. Don't take our word for it though - see what we saw !

Screenshot: The Lord of the Rings: War in the North Legacy Edition I can tell I’m getting old because the games that are getting the remastered treatment don’t seem so old to me anymore. This might be retro for some, but I was nearly 30 when Lord of the Rings: War in the North released. And it had two things going against it: Skyrim and Dark Souls, both games that would go on to redefine the 3D action role-playing game as it was known at the time. War in the North, despite being the first Lord of the Rings game with an M rating didn’t really have a lasting impact. Screenshot: The Lord of the Rings: War in the North Legacy Edition It’s too bad that War in the North wasn’t more well known. It was a competent action roleplaying game with co-op baked in, which is exactly the type of thing I’d be down to play at the time. Despite this, I don’t know if I played through War in the North when it originally released. And while it's definitely a game of its time, it manages to be a pretty solid action RPG–but nostalgia and friends would probably help this title out significantly. The Lord of the Rings: War in the North - Legacy Edition features three playable characters, each with their own skill tree, items, abilities, etc. All three characters are capable of ranged and melee attacks, but the dwarf is best for melee, the ranger is best for ranged, and the elf works as a bit of a support class. Even so, characters can all stay alive through anything through the power of team work. That is: holding A to get up downed members. Screenshot: The Lord of the Rings: War in the North Legacy Edition You can play War in the North with friends or with bots. I ended up playing completely solo, and while it was serviceable, I feel like War in the North would be best with friends, and all characters working at their full potential. But now that you can hot-swap characters, you can even tweak the bots to be their best selves. This is just one of many improvements Aspyr made to War in the North. While it looks barely upgraded from its original version. Looks are indeed deceiving, because there has been significant changes to War in the North with this Legacy Edition. Screenshot: The Lord of the Rings: War in the North Legacy Edition The Aforementioned Character Hot-Swapping: A massive quality-of-life fix. Players can now seamlessly swap between Eradan, Andriel, and Farin on the fly during gameplay rather than being locked in at the start of a level. You can also finally manage the equipment and skill trees of your AI companions. Engine Modernization: The game was upgraded from 32-bit to 64-bit architecture and shifted from the D3D9 renderer to D3D12, which should eliminate the RAM bottlenecks and crashes that plagued the original. Performance & Visuals: Full 60 FPS support. Cinematics have been re-encoded at 4K using modern Bink video compression (v2024/2025)—which is why the install size is roughly twice as large as the original. Modern QoL Adjustments: Added enemy target locking, visible health/mana/EXP bars for your party members, and autosaves. They also implemented "Triggering Secrets," allowing you to see hidden caches specific to other classes regardless of who you are actively controlling. Networking: Online multiplayer is now routed through Epic Online Services. Screenshot: The Lord of the Rings: War in the North Legacy Edition So why is this getting released now? Nostalgia, surely. But also because Aspyr parent company Embracer now owns the rights thanks to their acquisition of Middle-earth Enterprises in 2022. That means there’s a possibility that more WB Lord of the Rings games will be rereleased by Aspyr, so this could be the first of many.

Screenshot: Anomaly President I haven’t played a sidescrolling beat ‘em up meets roguelike since Absolum. And while that has to be a peak example of the genre, I can certainly learn to love again with Anomaly President. Released in Early Access a couple of weeks ago, I knew right away that Anomaly President had the potential to be something great. Saying Anomaly President is a hack-and-slash or beat ‘em up with roguelike stuff thrown in isn’t entirely correct. While Anomaly President is a great, fun action game with interesting roguelike abilities and the potential for some fun synergistic combos–it also has a management system and base building. Oh yeah, and you’re also running for president. It’s a whole thing. Screenshot: Anomaly President Before creating the roguelike meets management hybrid that is Anomaly President, Phew Phew games initially introduced the “Anomaly Universe” with Anomaly Agent. Much more linear and more narratively driven, the hack-and-slash action foundation was already laid before Phew Phew games got to Anomaly President. Anomaly President released in Early Access, and that means there is some game development time standing in the way of “complete.” According to the game’s Early Access information box on the Steam Store page Anomaly President will be in Early Access for at least a year–maybe more, depending on community feedback. The first month should see some quick updates, with the roadmap (so far) extending through September and the promise of new weapons and new enemies–which seems to be a roadmap staple. If you want to get Anomaly President at its lowest base price, developer Phew Phew games does plan on increasing the price as new content and features are added. Screenshot: Anomaly President But is it fun? I would say so. At least so far. The character movement feels like a retro Sega arcade game, which is to say: slightly weighty, but tight and responsive. True to its roguelike nature, deploying from the overworld kicks off a fresh run, handing you a clean slate of abilities and power-ups to experiment with. This structure naturally lends itself to high replayability, and discovering broken synergies to secure your place in democracy is a blast. However, the current build does suffer from early balance issues—most notably, Ice elemental damage feels vastly overpowered compared to its Fire and Electric counterparts. Screenshot: Anomaly President The action doesn't exist in a vacuum. A successful presidential campaign requires a softer touch than a katana can provide–which translates to a surprisingly charming series of daytime minigames. Rather than dominating your playtime, these segments serve as excellent palate cleansers between your high-octane roguelike runs. Furthermore, a campaign requires staffers. Instead of hiring traditional political operatives, you recruit from the local "Fluffy" population. These rescued creatures are put to work staffing the various modules of your expanding campaign bus—which serves as your mobile hub—effectively tying your combat victories directly into your campaign's meta-progression Screenshot: Anomaly President I’m rooting for Anomaly President. It’s a fun indie title that is unabashedly itself, while also being fun.

Should that have a shorter title or... Oh well. Every time I’m packing up my camera and backpack, tossing them in the car and hanging the badge around the rearview at the end of a con, I think, “I’m gonna plan so far in advance for the next convention.” And then it’s Wednesday of the week before Fan Expo Chicago and I’m in panic mode. Where will I get my backpack snacks? Where are my comfy shoes? Where’s my cool lanyard for the badge? Am I ready to cram myself into the Donald E Stephens convention center for three days straight? Will I get any sleep? I should be great at this. I’ve been doing these previews and bringing wall to wall convention coverage to Chicago with the same fantastic team of folks for the last decade because yes, I’m an old. And while I give great advice like “Pack snacks, wear comfy shoes, and get there early” I rarely take my own advice. See to it that you do, though, whippersnappers. Because Fan Expo is a behemoth of a con, with a multitude of guests, a ton of great cosplay and usually some sort of complicating weather (heat, humidity, rain, etc). There is TONS to do, and even more in the surrounding area, and Rosemont’s a whole ‘nother world with its own set of rules. Here’s what it boils down to: Give yourself lots of time. Get places early. Eat, drink and be merry, but also: Be kind. Everyone has a better time when we all look out for each other. And here’s how I look out for you - the 2026 Fan Expo Chicago Choose Your Own Adventure Preview. As per usual, this is NOT a FULL SCHEDULE. It’s a curated list of things that your flavor of nerd might consider a must-see. There’s so much more to a convention than autographs and big name celebrity panels though, so we encourage you to check out the full schedule and make some time in your weekend for something new. Maybe a story hour, a crafting experience, or a cosplay meetup. It’s what makes conventions go from samey to unforgettable. Now let’s get this show on the road, so I can get some sleep before I hit the con floor. FRIDAY August 14th 4:00 pm COSPLAY PORTFOLIO REVIEW 4:00 pm in RM 46 - COSPLAY HQ If you’re into cosplay, chances are you’ve thought about taking that next step and getting competitive. And if that’s you, you’re not alone. There are plenty of people who’ve walked that path and can give you solid advice to take your cosplay game to the next level – and they’ll be here, in this panel to help you figure out what your next steps will look like. Take the opportunity to network, learn from others, and gain the courage to take your cosplay to an even bigger stage. IN THE LOOP: A SURVEY OF INDEPENDENT GAMES 4:00 pm in RM 54 LEVEL UP LOUNGE We’re really psyched to see that Fan Expo’s paying more attention to the gamers this year, and it’s happening right from the get-go, with this panel full of indie game devs from the Chicago area ready to tell you all about their games and get you hands on with them. There’s some breakout sessions with the devs and lots of chances to play in the Level Up Lounge, but this kickoff panel will get you face to face with the devs in a way you might not get to be the rest of the weekend, so pencil it in. ANIME MUSIC VIDEOS: COMEDY BLOCK 4:30 pm in RM 1 ANIME HQ I loves me some conventions, don’t get me wrong, but after battling traffic, finding parking, and walking from the outer edges of the universe to the actual con floor (and getting badges), I’m usually a little bit cranky. What might take the edge off, you ask? Well, if you’re into anime, how about a curated showcase of comedy-focused Anime Music Videos? Catching a hard core case of the giggles is a great way to start out your time here. 5:00 pm CLUBBER VS DRAGO: LEGENDARY HEAVYWEIGHTS OF ROCKY WITH MR. T & DOLPH LUNDGREN 5:00 pm in RM 23 MAIN STAGE If I had a montage I’d put it here, but what I lack in retrospectives I make up for with enthusiasm for this panel. Yeah, you heard me. The thing is, the Rocky movies are classics for a reason, and getting two of the “big bads” from the franchise in one place to talk tea is pretty amazing. That’s Mr T. to you, if you’re paying attention. This is a rare chance to get behind the scenes info and anecdotes from the people who were actually in the movies - movies that not only made their mark in cinemas on release day, but have been an influence on so many major movies and TV shows after them it’s hard to even count. So, go a few rounds with them. Rounds of questions, that is. TWILIGHT WITH ASHLEY GREENE & PETER FACINELLI 5:00 pm in RM 5-10 STAGE From shiny with sweat and covered in blood to sparkling in the sunlight and coveting blood, people aching for vampire nostalgia need to hang out with Ashley Greene and Peter Facinelli and talk Twilight. 6:00pm FROM KYOSHI ISLAND TO THE FIRE NATION: AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER VOICE ACTOR Q&A 6:00 pm in RM 34 STAGE I could be biased, but Avatar the Last Airbender is one of my favorite shows on earth, and there’s never been an Airbender panel I haven’t absolutely adored. There. I said it. Get over there. JAIME PRESSLY LIVE 6:00 pm in RM 33 STAGE There’s a lot of reasons to love Jaime Pressly, and a lot of shows you could possibly love her from. If that’s the case, you’ll want to get to this panel for all sorts of snort laughs and behind the scenes situations to discuss. YOUNG SHELDON: LANCE BARBER, ZOE PERRY, RAEGAN REVORD 6:00 pm in RM 5-10 STAGE If Big Bang wasn’t enough for you, and you were all aboard for Young Sheldon, then you’re going to want to hit the Young Sheldon Panel at 6, which features Lance Barber, Zoe Perry, and Raegan Revord. You know, or not. Your choice. Galloping Ghost Productions 6:00 pm in RM 43 GAMING ZONE If you’re a local and you love retro games, then you know. Galloping Ghost is no ordinary arcade. It’s the biggest in the world, in fact. This ain’t no barcade, and these aren’t no casual folks running the show. Doc Mack and his crew value history and preservation and they bring games you can literally play nowhere else to the show floor at Rosemont for more people to experience. They’re also producing their own game, Dark Presence, and this panel’s gonna give you the details on everything they’ve got brewing out in Brookfield. STAR TREK: GENERATIONS - GATES MCFADDEN & BRENT SPINER 6:15 pm in RM 23 MAIN STAGE Let me tell you something about Gates McFadden and Brent Spiner: They’re amazing. They’re funny, talented, and FUNNY. I know I said that twice and it’s worth saying. In fact, I’ll say talented again too, between McFadden’s prowess in choreography, fencing, puppetry and beyond, and Spiner’s wit, charm and penchant for impressions. Trek panels are never boring, and this will be no exception. Engage. PUNISHER LEGENDS: JIMMY PALMIOTTI, TIM BRADSTREET 6:15 pm in RM 21-22 STAGE Punisher’s getting all kinds of attention with Brand New Day in theaters, but let me remind you, “cons” were once almost exclusively COMIC cons. Comics are art, comics are literature, and we’re not going to change our minds on that. As such, comic fans know that getting this chance to talk with Punisher writer Jimmy Palmiotti and illustrator Tim Bradstreet is a privilege. 7:00 pm IS YOUR NAME IN THE NOTEBOOK? DEATH NOTE 20TH ANNIVERSARY Q&A 7:00 pm in RM 2-4 STAGE Now I’m not going to pretend I know a ton about Death Note, but I know a ton of you know. And if you know, you know getting to see Alessandro Juliani, Brian Drummond, Shannon Chan-Kent and Brad Swaile is a big deal. So like, be there. You know? TMNT: BRIAN TOCHI, ERNIE REYES JR., KENN SCOTT, ROBBIE RIST, JUDITH HOAG 7:00 pm in RM 5-10 STAGE Pizza. Rats. Big Apple, 3 am. Heroes in a half shell. If you were ever into the Turtles, you have these folks to thank. And thanks to Fan Expo, you CAN thank them. In person. Who, exactly? Well, Brian Tochi, Kenn Scott, Robbie Rist, Judith Hoag, AND Ernie Reyes Jr. It feels like the right thing to do. PAULY SHORE LIVE 7:15 pm in RM 21-22 STAGE Biodome. Encino Man. Son In Law. A Goofy Movie. Weezin’ the ju-uice. You love him or you hate him, or maybe the relationship is more complex than that. I don’t care. I’m gonna be there, BUD-DY! 8:00 pm GIANT JENGA TOURNAMENT 8:00 pm in RM 22 Friendiverse Listen, if you stay late in Rosemont, you should totally make it worth your while. And when I tell you Giant Jenga will be fun, I mean it. So, go play Giant Jenga. Do the thing. AN EVENING WITH THE HOBBITS: IN CELEBRATION OF 25 YEARS 8:00 pm in RM 23 MAIN STAGE I try to not feature ticketed events in these roundups, and it’s because cons are expensive enough, and they’re not equal access. The thing is, lately there’s been a lot of important anniversaries that are creating important opportunities and ok, it’s ALL THE HOBBITS TOGETHERSES. Billy Boyd, Sean Astin, Elijah Wood, Dominic Monaghan. I wantses to attend. I MUST. SATURDAY, August 15th Ok, so here’s where I admit that the last thing I want to do is get up early on Saturday to haul my butt and all my gear out to Rosemont for what is always the longest day on the con floor. HOWEVER, sometimes they really frontload the biggest day with early goodies. We’ll see if that gets me out of my pjs and into my walkin’ shoes in time. 10:45 am SATURDAY MORNING CARTOONS - VOICE ACTORS: FRANK WELKER (TRANSFORMERS), MICHAEL BELL (G.I. JOE), MELENDY BRITT (SHE-RA) 10:45 am in RM 5-10 STAGE If I embraced the true spirit of this panel, I’d show up in some footie pajamas with a big bowl of cereal. Alas, I’m a “professional journalist” and “should probably act like a grownup.” Or something. Still, I know this panel will hit me in the sunshine filled living room with feels for days of yore, when the cartoon lineup was absolutely unmatched. This panel’s got Frank Welker, Michael Bell, and Melendy Britt and covers it all, from Transformers to She-Ra, so let that inner child out to play, and maybe i’ll bust out some pjs after all. WILLIAM SHATNER LIVE 11:00 am in RM 23 MAIN STAGE Here’s the thing. Shatner’s a living legend. Will he talk about Star Trek? Maybe. Maybe he’ll talk about space. Or Tom Cruise’s head exploding if a stunt goes awry. Or sushi. Or…well, you can never tell. But you will NEVER have another panel experience like the one you have with the Shat. Denny Crane. WELCOME LEON: A RESIDENT EVIL Q&A WITH NICK APOSTOLIDES 11:00 am in RM 21-22 STAGE Gamers, no one forgot you. Especially no one like Nick Apostolides, aka Leon himself. Resident Evil is iconic for a reason, and going into spooky season is the perfect time to get all the interesting trivia on the series from the Leon’s mouth. Go do that. TOTAL CONCENTRATION BREATHING! THE DEMON SLAYER VOICE ACTOR Q&A 11:45 am in RM 5-10 STAGE Anime fans, we know you know Demon Slayer. So why not stop in for a moderated Q&A with Zach Aguilar, Brandon McInnis, and Abby Trott and talk about it. 12:00 pm SATURDAY MORNING CARTOONS - THE CREATORS: TOM COOK (HE-MAN, SHE-RA), SCOTT SHAW! (MUPPET BABIES), FRANK PAUR (G.I. JOE), LARRY HOUSTON (G.I. JOE, HEATHCLIFF) 12:00 pm in RM 21-22 STAGE I don’t know if you know this, and maybe you don’t if you weren’t a blessed 90s kid, but Saturday morning cartoons weren’t for just an hour or two. Oh no. You could start with Hanna Barbera classics as early as 6 am and not be done by noon, and lucky for us it’s t he same here at Fan Expo. This round of Saturday Morning Cartoon favorites features Tom Cook, Scott Shaw, Frank Paur and Larry F Houston and we’ve thrown Muppet Babies in the mix. Do what you will with that info. And pass the Cinnamon Toast Crunch to that weird photographer lurking in the corner. LEGENDS OF HOLLYWOOD: MEL GIBSON 12:15 pm in RM 23 MAIN STAGE It’s a panel with Mel Gibson. You know. Mel. Flippin’. Gibson. Is there much more I need to say? I don’t think so. If you’re trying to go to this? YOU NEED TO BE IN LINE BY 10. No, I am not making this up. Kthxbai. HOCUS POCUS RETURNS: THORA BIRCH, OMRI KATZ, VINESSA SHAW, JASON MARSDEN 12:15 pm in RM 2-4 STAGE Hocus FOCUS, congoers. Cuz this is not a drill. It’s Mel or the witches, and Iunno, I feel like a LOT of you are going to be chomping at the bit to see Thora Birch, Omri Katz, Vinessa Shaw and Jason Marsden. If you’re trying to go to this? YOU NEED TO BE IN LINE BY 10. Again, not making this up. I’m just trying to help. 1:00 pm HALLOWEEN: BEHIND THE HORROR WITH NICK CASTLE, P.J. SOLES, TOMMY LEE WALLACE, DEAN CUNDEY 1:00 pm in RM 21-22 STAGE Horror fans, you haven’t been left behind. Not even a little bit. In fact, there’s more than one opportunity to talk Halloween. This one’s got Nick Castle, PJ Soles, Tommy Lee Wallace and Dean Cundey. So… go to there. PETER FACINELLI LIVE 1:15 pm in RM 34 STAGE Hey, it’s Peter Facinelli. On his own. For you to ask questions to, and listen to. And if you’re a fan, then this is your time. SMALLVILLE:MICHAEL ROSENBAUM, TOM WELLING, ERICA DURANCE 1:30 pm in RM 23 MAIN STAGE Good Superman stuff is back on the table, and it’s something to celebrate. But old good Superman stuff like Smallville is equally important to go back and discuss, and this Smallville panel’s got the man himself, Tom Welling, with Michael Rosenbaum and Erica Durance. 2:00 pm SUPERNATURAL WITH JIM BEAVER & MARK SHEPPARD 2:00 pm in RM 21-22 STAGE Sixteen seasons (17? 18?) and I get a tear in my eye every time I hear Carry On My Wayward Son. Supernatural was something special for me, and honestly, I know I’m not the only one. If you’re only here Saturday you’ll be treated to Mark Sheppard and Jim Beaver. Sheppard takes no prisoners but is simultaneously as nice as they come, and Jim Beaver is a true delight. Make your way here. Come hell or high water. PEGGY THE DOG 2:15 pm in RM 34 STAGE It’s Peggy the Dog. AKA Krypto. AKA an adorable pup with her very own panel. Actually, with her very own TWO panels. One today and one tomorrow. I’ve never attended a panel featuring a dog before, so I don’t really know what to expect other than adorableness. But that, my friends, is enough. COLIN O'DONOGHUE LIVE 2:15 pm in RM 2-4 STAGE Once Upon a Time fans, we know you’re out there. We know you’ll be in Rm 2-4’s stage at 2:15 for this. And we’ll all live happily ever after. THE BOYS CAST | TOMER CAPONE, VALORIE CURRY, COLBY MINIFIE, CAMERON CROVETTI, ERIN MORIARTY, KAREN FUKUHARA, LAZ ALONSO 2:45 pm in RM 23 MAIN STAGE I can’t believe so much of The Boys cast has made it to Chicago. I do believe it’s going to be a good time. Tomer Capone, Valorie Curry, Colby Minifie, Cameron Crovetti, Erin Moriarty, Karen Fukuhara, and Laz Alonso? Come on. 3:00 PM BATMAN ARKHAM WITH ASHLEY GREEN, JOHN NOBLE, TROY BAKER 3:15 pm in RM 2-4 STAGE When the Arkham series of Batman games hit, the only place you’d find me is on my couch in my apartment, fully goblined out. Empty pizza boxes and takeout containers? Check. Delirious muttering about being “The Batman, Bitch” while I hung yet another bad guy from the ceiling? Check. So, there’s a more than 100 percent chance my butt’s in the chair to see Ashley Greene, John Noble and Troy Baker discuss one of my favorite iterations of Batman of all time. And that’s a hard title to achieve. SAM RAIMI LIVE 3:45 pm in RM 5-10 STAGE Horror fans, I TOLD YOU you weren’t being left out. Sam Raimi’s here. Yeah. I said Sam Raimi. Discussing a masterful career, being hilarious and giving you tidbits you’re gonna want to share across every other horror convention you go to from here on out. Trust me. 4:00 pm STAR WARS: MAUL WITH MATTHEW WOOD, VANESSA MARSHALL, SAM WITWER, DAVID W. COLLINS 4:00 pm in RM 23 MAIN STAGE The force has always been strong in Rosemont. It’s where we saw Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill, and it’s gonna be where we sit down and shut up to hear more about Darth Maul with Matthew Wood, Vanessa Marshall, Sam Witwer and David W. Collins. Periodt. BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES AND BEYOND 4:00 pm in RM 21-22 STAGE If you weren’t watching The Animated Series, you’re missing out on superior Batman. FIX IT. If you were watching, well, we’ll see you in the panel. APPLE TV’S DARK MATTER - ADVANCE SCREENING AND Q&A WITH AUTHOR AND SERIES STARS 4:15 pm in RM 34 STAGE Let’s give Apple TV its flowers. The folks there have been hitting it out of the park with compelling series’ lately. So we’re really excited for Dark Matter, and Fan Expo Chicago brings us the chance to see an advance screening AND chat with Alice Braga and Amanda Brugel. I love a good advance screening, and I have high hopes for this one. THE ONE PIECE IS REAL! Q&A WITH THE ANIME VOICE CAST 4:15 pm in RM 2-4 STAGE Pirate fans. Anime fans. People who like a good time! It’s time for you to get your booties (Ooo, a pirate pun!) to the stage for a Q&A with the voice cast of One Piece. Or walk the plank! FAN FILM FEST 4:15 pm in RM 33 STAGE Did you know that Fan Expo is putting on its very first Fan Film Fest? Five finalists slaved away to make really cool things, and you should come see them, and then see someone get crowned the first ever Fan Film Fest winner! KEITH DAVID LIVE 4:45 pm in RM 5-10 STAGE We’re really getting spoiled this year with stars from all time classic films. This time, we’re treated to Keith David, live on the Fan Expo Chicago stage. For me, it’s about one of the all time best horror movies, The Thing. But this man’s career spans genre and generation, so it might just as well be about The Princess and the Frog or even Hazbin Hotel for you. Note to fans: This is one you want to line up early for. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. 5:00 pm LOST REVISITED: JOSH HOLLOWAY, HENRY IAN CUSICK 5:00 pm in RM 21-22 STAGE Ok, at the time of writing, we’ve lost a Lostie. But it’s still gonna be a great time talking all things island and smoke monsters with Josh Holloway, and who doesn’t want that? MASTERS OF COSPLAY WINDY CITY QUALIFIER 5:15 pm in RM 23 MAIN STAGE There’s a hole in my heart where the Championships of Cosplay was supposed to be this year, but it’s healing now that the Windy City Qualifier’s come to Fan Expo Chicago. What’s that mean? Competitors from 8 cities are here to square off until one’s chosen as the champion. Me and my camera will be waiting in the wings. 7:00 pm RAKS GEEK: BELLYDANCING WOOKIEE + FRIENDS 7:15 pm in RM 34 STAGE I mean, the headline is bellydancing Wookiee, but let me tell you the + Friends means the entire time your jaw’s gonna be on the floor. These are absolutely mega-talented dancers and performers (internationally acclaimed dancers, btdubs) who are also dyed-in-the-wool nerds performing on the Fan Expo stage for you. You will NOT find anything like this anywhere else, and I expect to see you ALL in that room. This is your one job. You have ONE JOB! AFTER DARK ONE PARTY TO RULE THEM ALL 8:30 pm in RM 5-10 STAGE I mentioned Hobbits before right? Lord of the Rings? One of the most epic fantasy series of all time? You know that one, right? Ok, so like, hear me out. Since you likely skipped lunch and your butt’s a little sore from sitting the panel rooms, what if you were to get off that same ass and shake it like a Polaroid picture? It’s not like you’re gonna get much sleep in the first place, right? It’s a Lord of the Rings party. Duh. TWILIGHT AFTER DARK: A BURLESQUE PARODY 18+ 9:15 pm in RM 34 STAGE After Dark is when you let your freak flag fly, and let’s talk about it. Nerdlesque is sexy, silly and absolutely irresistible, and that’s why you’re gonna want to take your 18+ self to see Twilight After Dark. Confess your sins Sunday. Or don’t. I don’t run your life. SUNDAY, August 16th Remember when convention Sundays were the wrap-up? That easygoing day where you might hit one last panel and you DEFINITELY hit the merch floor for discounts? Well, that’s a thing of the past honey, because once you start filling up every convention center with too many fans on Saturday, you’ve gotta spread the love - and believe it or not you’re better off for it. Sunday’s got so much in store for you, it’s hard to believe. I’m just really sorry my first recommendation is a ticketed event that starts at 8 am. Ok, sorry not sorry. 8:00 am SECOND BREAKFAST, AN UNEXPECTED FEAST WITH THE HOBBITS 8:00 am in HILTON ROSEMONT CHICAGO O HARE I fear I let loose my LOTR nerdout way too early, because here’s the thing. This is a ticketed event sure, but like, this is also ACTUAL SECOND BREAKFAST with the ACTUAL HOBBITS. Or you know, the people who played them. (Good job staying cool, me.) If you hit up the Hilton Rosemont, you can nosh on bagels, eat french toast, dive into some eggs, and do it all with Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Dominic Monagan and Billy Boyd. That’s magnificent, unforgettable, and absolutely the most important meal of the decade. LORD OF THE RINGS: JOHN RHYS-DAVIES, BILLY BOYD, ELIJAH WOOD 10:30 am in RM 23 MAIN STAGE Add a dwarf who’s actually hilarious and very tall, subtract a Hobbit or two and you’re still on the LOTR celebration bus. And so are we. This is for all of you out there who love LOTR but actually need to sleep at least one or two hours. 11:00 am STAR TREK WITH GATES MCFADDEN 11:00 am in RM 2-4 STAGE Trek fans beam in at 11 for Gates McFadden’s solo panel. And we promise she’s even more than meets the eye. Get there. Doctor’s orders. LOST: DOMINIC MONAGHAN, JOSH HOLLOWAY, HENRY IAN CUSICK 11:00 am in RM 5-10 STAGE More LOST? I mean, I’ll take it. And I think a lot of people will too. Sad we won’t see Henry Ian Cusick, but again - there’s so much to go over. PEGGY THE DOG RETURNS 11:15 am in RM 34 STAGE Every dog has its day, but a Super Dog good girl gets two, and Peggy’s back. Again, no idea what to expect, but you bet your buns we’ll be there. THE BOYS LIVE | KARL URBAN, ERIN MORIARTY, KAREN FUKUHARA, CAMERON CROVETTI, COLBY MINIFIE, TOMER CAPONE, LAZ ALONSO, VALORIE CURRY 11:45 am in RM 23 MAIN STAGE You’ve got Karl Urban, Erin Moriarty, Karen Fukuhara, Cameron Crovetti, Colby Minifie, Tomer Capone, Laz Alonso, and Valorie Curry in one place. To talk The Boys. And all you have to do is LINE UP EARLY. You hear? 12:00 pm VOICES OF GAMING: ZACH AGUILAR, KELLEN GOFF, NICK APOSTOLIDES, MICHAEL BELL, TROY BAKER 12:00 pm in RM 5-10 STAGE Gamers. You know Fan Expo knows us and loves us when they don’t put the first gaming panel until noon. Sure, it’s a cliche, but I’m here to tell you, I’d take the W. Anyway, imagine you’ve rolled in at 11 and strolled onto the floor, and now you’ve got the chance to hear from Zach Aguilar, Kellen Goff, Nick Apostolides, Michael Bell and Troy Baker all in one place. Except, this is real, and you can. So do. STRANGER THINGS: JAKE CONNELLY, CARA BUONO 12:00 pm in RM 2-4 STAGE Stranger Things fans bring your Eggos and Gatorades and D20s, because it’s time to dig into all the lore of Stranger things with Jake Connelly and Cara Buono, and you’re gonna have a great time. KIDS COSPLAY RED CARPET 12:30 pm in LEVEL 1 RED CARPET I’m so sorry, but you haven’t done a convention right until you’ve gone to support the smallest of supes, princesses, monsters and more that walk the red carpet in the Kids Cosplay event. Tiny Spidey? Miniscule Moana? Baby Beowulf? Oh yeah. Bring your cameras, and do NOT hold your applause. This is the cutest damn thing you’ll ever see. 1:00 pm HALLOWEEN UNMASKED\r\nJOHN CARPENTER, NICK CASTLE, P.J. SOLES, TOMMY LEE WALLACE, DEAN CUNDEY 1:00 pm in RM 23 MAIN STAGE Horror fans we’re back in business, and this time, a very significant addition has been made to all the Halloween fun. Yeah, it’s John Carpenter. Yeah. That one. Sit and listen. Get there early. Do not miss out. INVADER ZIM: JHONEN VASQUEZ, ERIC TRUEHEART, RIKKI SIMONS, WALLY WINGERT 1:00 pm in RM 5-10 STAGE I mean, if you’ve ever sung the Doom song or declared your love for a show that isn’t on, you’re probably ready to head to this panel. Jhonen Vasquez, the madman behind Zim and his pals, is there with Eric Trueheart, Rikki Simons, and Wally Wingert, and I feel like we should take advantage of it. 2:00 pm DRAWING THE MUPPETS WITH JIM HENSON'S CARTOONIST GUY GILCHRIST 2:00 pm in LEVEL 1 COMMUNITY STAGE Ok, so, the Muppets are like the Beatles to me, and if you’re following me on this…Guy Gilchrist is a legend. I want to be in the room with him and watch him do his thing, but I’m also intimidated by his insane amounts of talent, personal knowledge of and friendship with Jim Henson, and I dunno, just like, trust me. Get in that room. Listen to the tales. I know I will. THE GOONIES CAST\r\nSEAN ASTIN, KERRI GREEN, MARTHA PLIMPTON, COREY FELDMAN, JOE PANTOLIANO, ROBERT DAVI 2:15 pm in RM 23 MAIN STAGE Never say die and never don’t line up early because if there’s a Sunday panel that’s gonna pack out the place, it’s likely to be this one. We’ve got Sean Astin, Kerri Green, Martha Plimpton, Corey Feldman, Joe Pantoliano and Robert Davi all in one place and it’s gonna bring the house down. 3:30 pm SUPERNATURAL: JARED PADALECKI, JIM BEAVER, MARK SHEPPARD, MARK PELLEGRINO 3:30 pm in RM 23 MAIN STAGE Supernatural fans - you’ve carried on, and this is the part where it gets even better! Jared Padalecki joins Mark Sheppard and Jim Beaver alongside Mark Pellegrino for the big one! Time to reminisce. KURT RUSSELL LIVE 4:45 pm in RM 23 MAIN STAGE Everyone’s always like “once in a lifetime” and “never before seen” but in this case it’s true. Fan Expo Chicago basically drops the mic with its last main panel of the day, as Kurt Russell takes the stage. And if you’re thinking, “I’ll get in. Not everyone will stick around for this” I’ll just show you some pictures of Mark Hamill closing out Fan Expo a few years back. Let’s try it once more with feeling. LINE UP EARLY. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. But - it is the end of our preview. Which is great, cuz now I can change the laundry, charge the camera batteries, and hit the hay. See you out on the floor, fans!

Screenshot: Agent 64: Spies Never Die There was a time when video games were all about the best, latest technology. Back when truly 3D games were new, and developers were trying to figure things out. PCs had shooting games from a first person perspective for years before they were commonplace on consoles, but back then they were known as “Doom clones” before that term gave way to the more generic and contemporary “first-person shooter” moniker. Of course, consoles had their own first-person shooters. But it wasn’t until the fifth console generation that they started to get their most important shooters. And one of the most influential shooters of all time (ironically, a film tie-in) was GoldenEye 007. It was both a solid single-player game and a fun way to spend time with your friend as you shoot each other in split screen PvP chaos. But if you’re reading a review of Agent 64: Spies Never Die then I’m sure you already know most of this. Agent 64's solo developer spent the last five-plus years creating a deliberate homage to not just this early era of video games, but to this very specific type of first-person shooter. In so doing,Developer Replicant D6 made a perfect throwback to GoldenEye 007 (with a little bit of Perfect Dark thrown in). Screenshot: Agent 64: Spies Never Die Agent 64: Spies Never Die replicates that 90s console shooter feel not just from the gunplay, but also the gameplay: missions are about more than just fighting enemies. You have to figure out how to complete the stated objectives without waypoints pointing you where to go. Not only that, enemies even act like they’re from the 90s, with AI made to have them react to bullet hits and path towards players like they were from an earlier time. And if you die in the middle of the level, that means you have to play the entire level over from scratch–something that was much more common with console shooters than the PC games I preferred at the time. And while back then it was due to hardware limitations, preserving that risk-it-all gameplay adds to the tension and sense of accomplishment when you complete a particularly difficult level. But does it succeed at what it sets out to do? I would say yes. Agent 64: Spies Never Die would have gotten lots of playtime if it was released in the era it emulates. And as such, it really should be a game that’s judged within the confines of its own trappings. Which is really what you should be doing if you choose to play a throwback/spiritual successor to one of the most important first-person shooters of all time. Even if I do say that with gritted teeth. Because I was never a fan of GoldenEye 007. Sure, I spent hours and hours playing against my friends in split-screen PvP sections in both GoldenEye and Perfect Dark. But I would have rather been fragging people in Quake 2 at the time. But with my personal feelings aside, I could say that Agent 64 does indeed invoke that Goldeneye feeling, and thus, the requisite nostalgia. And I ended up playing Agent 64 a lot of the same way: with friends, but this time with co-op as well as PvP. In single-player, Agent 64 can be a tense game of memorizing enemy placement and level layout for when you inevitably fail and start back from the start of the level. Co-op eases this a bit by allowing respawns (at the expense of team members’ health.) Just having friends around isn’t only more fun, it also makes the experience a whole lot easier. I spent a few hours getting through the first couple of acts of Agent 64 and less than 30 minutes blowing through those same levels with my friends. Screenshot: Agent 64: Spies Never Die Despite the attention to detail and nostalgia factor, there aren’t as many guns in Agent 64 as there are in GoldenEye 007, but it does away with quantity in favor of quality. Each of the guns in Agent 64 feels like it has its place–for the most part. Sadly, I didn’t find a tank–and the amount of explosives is lacking. But there are a decent variety of guns that feel both fun to shoot and appropriate for the throwback theme. Visually, Agent 64: Spies Never Die really does a good job of recreating the low-poly visuals of GoldenEye. I can’t imagine this is as easy as removing polygons and calling it good enough. Weapons sway, and enemies react in much the same way they would in GoldenEye 007. There are even the strange face textures that were famous in that era. You know the ones that take photorealistic face textures and put them onto low-poly models, creating a look that is uniquely 90s–unsettling, but nostalgic. Especially since the faces are unanimated, and heads bob while delivering their lines. Sadly (or, accurately) there are no voice-overs. Just head bobs and weird faces. While Agent 64 couldn’t steal the James Bond theme, it does a good job of making a throwback soundtrack. There are some anachronisms (like dubstep) and other songs that sound like rip-offs of other 90s electronic hits–like a song that sounds suspiciously close to “Clubbed to Death” from The Matrix soundtrack. But the music works and helps tie it all together. Screenshot: Agent 64: Spies Never Die While everything comes together in a nostalgic sense, it’s possible to get through Agent 64 pretty quickly. Like I said, when I played with friends we got through the entire game (and a few PvP matches) in less than 2 hours. Of course, there are challenge modes and other incentives to keep playing for those who like to chase digital trophies with throwback rewards. I mean, Big Head mode isn’t going to unlock itself. Some of these mods even change how the game is played. If you thought that First Light was this year’s most anticipated spy game, you’d be wrong. I’ve seen people clamoring for Agent 64 for the last few years. Not only that, but N64 nostalgia is having a moment. It makes sense: a lot of the people who grew up playing are now old enough to have kids of their own, and are buying up nostalgia products like the ModRetro M64 and the Analogue 3D. Agent 64: Spies Never Die gave me a hit of nostalgia that throwback hardware and old games can’t. For one fleeting moment, it actually felt like I was a kid again, showing my friends a brand-new N64 cartridge. It’s a rare feeling to chase, but with Agent 64, Replicant D6 managed to catch it like lightning in a bottle.

Screenshot: Backpack Boy Starting out as a prototype in the Big Mode Game Jam in 2023, Backpack Boy has had a multi-year journey to make its way to 1.0. The first commercial game of developer Chuck & Niles Games, Backpack Boy isn’t going to redefine the sidescrolling puzzle genre, but it’s a charming game that does a whole lot of things right. Backpack Boy is a 2D puzzle platforming side scrolling that focuses using light to peer into the same location at a different point in time. It’s a relatively simple concept that opens up a whole bunch of different puzzle ideas. Screenshot: Backpack Boy Like most puzzle games, your mileage may vary: it might be a lot easier for you to find the solution to a specific type of puzzle than someone else. It doesn’t indicate whether a puzzle is good, or whether the puzzle solver is slow. I found most puzzles in Backpack Boy to be on the easy side–but not too easy as to not give the appropriate “aha!” feeling when solved. Puzzles in Backpack Boy range from simple block and pressure plate type puzzles to more complicated puzzles that involve thinking a couple of steps ahead. If you do find yourself stuck you can get a hint to help pass any tough puzzles. Or you can choose to skip the puzzle completely and get to the next one. While Backpack Boy is a relatively short game–I was able to get through it in a few hours–there is some replayability in the form of different secrets you can find. If you miss a secret on a particular level you have to start from the beginning to try to get it. While indie games like to rely on the pixel art presentation, there was something nostalgic about Backpack Boy beyond just the pixel art. The game’s screens and character movement brought me back to my days playing DOS sidescrollers like Commander Keen and other games from that era. Backpack Boy is a solid game, and I enjoyed my time with it. However, it’s a little short and mechanically simple, which makes it best to be picked up for cheap or in a bundle. Backpack Boy would be right at home in a compilation like UFO 50, but isn’t quite standout enough to justify buying on its own for full price. It is, however, a solid puzzle game.

Splatoon Raiders. Nintendo Splatoon Raiders isn’t exactly what I expected when the new Splatoon game was announced back in 2025. But when I found out it would be PvE, I was secretly delighted. Despite always being a PVP first franchise, I always preferred the single player components of the Splatoon games. But while Raiders is definitely PvE, it’s very unlike any other Splatoon game I’ve played before. I’ve been reviewing games for almost a decade at this point, but I’ve been playing games a whole lot longer than that. It’s rare for me to find a game that will easily capture my attention for hours. I’m not talking about mandatory play sessions I do for these reviews. That’s me shouldering through games that might even be fun, but aren’t fun because now I’m playing them for work. Splatoon Raiders was the opposite. I sat and played for hours without even glancing at the clock once. It’s rare that a game just clicks for me like that, but Splatoon Raiders already had a lot going for it from my perspective. Splatoon Raiders. Nintendo The single player components of Splatoon games have always been unique to the main game modes, and are always very challenging. I also loved the Salmon Run co-op PvE component of Splatoon, and Splatoon Raiders is basically a mash-up between the traditional single player and Salmon Run with character progression. And while Salmon Run is a multiplayer only mode, I was relieved I could play solo. Which is too bad, because if my whole Salmon Run crew had Switch 2s I would definitely try to get them into playing Splatoon Raiders. But for now, I’ve done all of my raiding by myself. So rest assured, friends aren’t required, but I’m sure they would turn this already addictively fun game into your group’s next Big Thing. Splatoon Raiders. Nintendo Two things kept me playing Splatoon Raiders for long stretches each day: how great the weapons feel, and the character progression system that allows for some fun gadget and ability combinations. As far as weapons go, all of your favorites are here. From buckets to rollers, most of your favorite paint throwing accoutrements are here–for the most part. There are a few weapons from the greater Splatoon repertoire missing, but there is always a suitable alternative. And as far as how they feel to play, they are exactly what you would think a Splatoon weapon would feel like. From semi-automatic sprayers that pump out each shot like a bullet, to rollers that lay ink on thick. There are three types of ink tanks in Splatoon Raiders: speed, power, and tactical. While I started out using the tactical tank, by the end of the game I had all of the tanks maxed out and used them all extensively. The tanks themselves have an inherent ability you can unlock after a while, but what they really do is empower the gadgets you have–and allow you to use different types of salmonid relics. At first, you can equip gadgets from the tank you’re using but once you play enough you can equip gadgets from other tanks. Splatoon Raiders. Nintendo The gadgets themselves can drastically change how you approach the salmonid threat. Some gadgets work as passive abilities–like turrets that will shoot at enemies that pass, or a turbine that will do area of effect damage as long as it’s active. Other gadgets allow for movement abilities, like a ink grapple and leaps that can do damage on ascent or landing. Despite starting out on a tactical tank, i found myself using all three. Sometimes the level would call for a change in strategy, but most of the time I would change it up just for the fun of it. I mentioned this earlier, but Salmon Raiders can feel a bit grind-y. It requires you to play a series of levels that are similar to one another. Some singleplayer Splatoon levels were more puzzle than action, and Splatoon Raiders mixes in cerebral challenges along with other challenges that are based mostly on combat. And while I would have loved to see a bit more variety in terms of objectives, I was too busy having fun to consider that a dealbreaker. In fact, I was happily replaying levels at their “spicy” difficulty to gather materials or just have fun. Splatoon Raiders. Nintendo I think that Splatoon Raiders is a proof of concept in a way. It proves that Splatoon can move away from being multiplayer focused. If Splatoon Raiders was able to tie in the magic of splatfests and throw in a little bit more Grizz (I miss that bear) then it would be my favorite Splatoon game. If they incorporated a PvP side mode in the same way that Salmon Run and the singleplayer were treated in the other Splatoon games, we wouldn't really need a Splatoon 4. But as it is right now, Splatoon Raiders is in my top 5 of the year so far, and probably the most fun I’ve had with a Splatoon game since the original.

Follow me here, True Believer. I have a point with this detour. In the fifth season of Happy Days, things were looking a little played out. Richie Cunningham was aging quickly for America's Favorite Teen. Just two years before, the Duke of Cool, Arthur Fonzarelli had literally jumped the shark and viewers were starting to wish the shark had gotten the Fonz. The Happy Days megahit was starting to fade. But then a little indie sci fi film about space taxation, Star Wars, exploded into the cineplex and everyone suddenly had alien fever! Donny and Marie Osmond did a whole Star Wars themed episode with Kris Kristofferson as Han Solo. The Star Wars crew celebrated Life Day and Happy Days creator, Garry Marshall, correctly sensing the alien mania of the zietgist said, "Happy Days Needs An Alien." By God, he was correct! A young, up-and-coming comic from Los Angeles blew everyone away in his auditions and Robin Williams became Mork from Ork and debuted in Happy Days, trying to kidnap Ron Howard for the deluxe, full anal probe, before The Fonz beat him back with... his thumb. (That's true. Look it up.) As back-door pilots go, this was a pretty succesful one. A back-door pilot is when a TV show producer wants to make a different show and doesn't have the studio approval (or budget) to make it. So he conveniently guest-stars a whole new character and concept in the middle of his successful show, disregarding the plot of his successful show and secretly launches a new series from within. The Happy Days episode was a hit. Kids loved Mork and the network ordered a whole series of Mork & Mindy. Garry Marshall's little back-door pilot was a success and so was his first back-door pilot, Laverne & Shirley. Which brings me to Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Spider-Man: Brand New Day is a backdoor pilot for not one, but two different potential spin-off movies. One starring The Punisher. (He's in the trailer. So no spoiler here.) And the other starring Sadie Sink's "mysterious" character. We already know Sink's character is signed on for at least Avengers 6. (And might even show up in the massive party-boat that is Avengers 5: It's Doomsday Time.) This movie has two different spin-off movies incubating in it's chest, ready to burst out on movie-goers in 2027. And so Peter Parker, in a 2.5 hour long back-door pilot for these other, yet-to-be made movies, has to solve the easiest possible mystery for anyone who's read a Marvel comic in the past 60 years, using his unique and individual superpower: Conversations. So many conversations. Conversations at crime scenes. A few phone calls. Conversations on multiple rooftops. A few more phone calls. More rooftop conversations. Then a conversation in an active battle scene. Then conversations in a govt facility. And also conversations in his memories. And also a conversation in a hospital room. And at a gravesite. So many conversations. My God. The conversations. And it's hard to gain momentum in your Spider-Man movie, if so many scenes are conversations between two or three characters in static locations. (The Doomsday trailer seems to continue this trend. It's one conversation after another with multiple characters, all in static locations. Galactus help us.) Spider-Man: Brand New Day also features my least favorite version of Spider-Man. Sad Spider-Man. Sad Spider-Man doesn't quip when he fights crime. Sad Spider-Man isn't particularly funny. Sad Spider-Man cries a little bit. Sad Spider-Man's powers don't work really well. Sad Spider-Man gets angry too. And in this case, Sad Spider-Man is diminished because so much of his journey is focused on another character's emotional arch that is totally unrelated to Spider-Man and his bullshit. To his credit, he never flirts with an emo haircut, a black suit and disco dancing around Manhattan. Perhaps that would've been a step too far. And Spider-Man has a good reason to be sad. His aunt died. His mentor died. His best friends have forgotten him due to a wizard's spell. I think he's a frustrated virgin. And the whole world doesn't know who he really is. He's not only lonely, but he actively makes himself even lonelier in the film. He's truly his own worst enemy. Which is crazy because this movie has an insane number of villains in it, but over half of them are only brief cameos in an early montage. Don't fall in love with any of them, because they're on screen for less than 5 seconds. Blink and you'll miss the Tarantula! Sure, he's pals with The Punisher now, but that friendship is based on fun stories of things that happened off camera and we've never seen them interract before and the friendship is argumentative and contentious and they both think the other one is kinda ridiculous and a pain-in-the-ass. It's difficult for me to invest in this new relationship, when the perfectly good relationship with Ned and MJ is just sitting there, waiting to be reactivated magically or whatnot. There are a few cameos from other MARVEL characters and we wait kinda a long time for a really big action sequence. Over an hour and hoo boy, it IS a doozy and worth the wait. But that's a lot of conversations to slog through to eventually see some combat. But if I'm being honest: I fell asleep in this movie a few times. Literally fell asleep. Dozed off. But I woke up before I face-planted right into my popcorn bag and snored in front of the stranger to my left. I have never fallen asleep in a Spider-Man movie before. Unheard of. I really like the previous three Spider-Man movies. They're zippy fun. Discovering powers (Wowee!) and keeping or failing to keep a secret identity (Golly Gee!) and the Night Monkey (whoever he is!) and a bunch of old villains and a handful of old Spider-Man showed up (Zoinks!) . Plus the wizard! There's a lot to like about the original films. They're fun. And I'm a sucker for a fun Spider-Man film. Brand New Day is really well made. But it's not particularly fun. And I think it suffers for that. To the credit of the director and his D.P. and the colorist, this film looks fantastic. The colors are brighter. New York looks and feels like New York. The practical Spider suit looks like a million bucks. The combat looks a lot like the Insomniac games, but honestly, that's not a bad thing. The game combat is top-notch Spider-Man stuff. And the mid-film combat scene is both thrilling and a little terrifying in the best possible way. So, this isn't a total waste. It may not interest me, but I have to recognize that it's really, really well made. And for the folks who do like Sad Spider-Man, it's some premium, well-made artisanal Sad Spider-Man. I know folks who were genuinely touched by the film and that's the experience I hope viewers have with it. Maybe you will too. I saw it. I'll probably watch the fight sequences again when they come out on Youtube. But I can't imagine myself ever watching this again all the way through. A little sad Spider-Man goes a long way. Remember Joy? We should try Joy again. We suffer from a lack of Joy. I don't think the viewing format really matters. See it on a big screen or wait until it's on Disney+ or whatever. There is a post end credit scene, but it's barely worth mentioning. Have a friend tell you what it is and get to the bathroom 8 minutes earlier. You'll thank me for it. ⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Spider-Man: Brand New Day Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton. Written by Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers. Starring Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jacob Battalon (as the other Guy InChair), Jon Bernthal, Mark Ruffalo and Sadie Sink as Exactly Who You Think She Is.

Screenshot: Gunstoppable I’m playing a game. I know I should be having fun. I love first person shooters. I like fast first person shooters. Even the game thinks I should be having fun: the music is pumping, the bullets are flying. My guns are chugging away (plinking, really) – but I’m just not having any fun. Usually I can find something to love about some of the worst games, but this neon drenched bore fest called Gunstoppable is painful. I hate writing negative reviews. I don’t program. I’ve dabbled in game design, but not on a professional level and though I’m not a stranger to it, there’s only a few times I put my work out there to be judged by strangers. Sure, I’ve kicked the hornet’s nest with scathing reviews a few times, but even then I temper it with lots of “I don’t wish ill will onto these people.” I feel the same for Gunstoppable, even though it’s so damned hard to find something nice to say. Even the game’s title is such low hanging fruit it should have been reserved for an ability or something rather than the title of the whole freakin’ game. The Steam store for Gunstoppable is full of screenshots showcasing busy action scenes with a handful of enemy types highlighted in garish colors in a semi-coherent art style. And that’s exactly what you get. But somehow it all looks and feels worse in motion. It’s a truly ugly game. Screenshot: Gunstoppable The sound design isn’t much better. In games, guns gain a lot of their meat and heft from the sounds they produce, and Gunstoppable would have been better off substituting in fart noises and loud sighs than the pitiful attempt at Machine Gun Sounds ™ it puts out. The voice acting, on the other hand, is surprisingly not bad–though it’s also not the greatest. But it certainly doesn’t help that the sound editing is also terrible, and the voice over just sounds like audio clips being played over wet meat sounds…I mean, gameplay noises. So anyways, I’m playing this game. The music is…pumping. And I’m standing still shooting bullets into a crab that’s doing its best to be a big scary boss by impotently shooting missiles into the ceiling. This Mechwarrior (or Macross) transplant is named Fluffy or something, in an obvious nod to Borderlands, but without mustering even a tiny fraction of the attitude even old and spent Borderlands 4 could put together. Screenshot: Gunstoppable When I first started Gunstoppable I thought I was starting a tutorial or an intro level that would ease me into the world and mechanics and then set me out on a more traditional roguelike/rogue-lite type of experience. Nope. Gunstoppable throws you in and you’re moving and shooting from the start. Despite my overwhelmingly negative review so far, there are some good things going for Gunstoppable. Gunplay is actually relatively tight, even if the guns themselves feel like you’re shooting air soft rifles. There are only a few guns to choose from, and choosing faster firing guns seems to be better than choosing slower guns (like the rocket launcher). The premise of the game is moving faster makes you do more damage, but it really just seems to increase your fire rate. It could possibly do both but my energy and will to live was so quickly being sapped by playing the game I had to move onto something else. Gunstoppable also does have roguelite elements with meta progression possible after a run is ended, but that would have required me wanting to play more than the six or seven runs I attempted. I’ve been having far more fun playing the Kex engine port of Doom + Doom II, and those games came out like 30+ years ago. There are just so many better first person shooters to play, and I recommend you go play those instead.

Screenshot: Big Walk. (House House) In a year teeming with hotly anticipated releases, like Wolverine and Grand Theft Auto 6, one of the games I was looking forward to the most was Big Walk by developer House House, the team behind Untitled Goose Game. If you are unfamiliar with Untitled Goose Game, I suggest you go play that and come back. I’ll wait. Okay, now that you understand what House House is capable of, you can understand why I’ve spent the last few years waiting for this game. And it turns out it's come at the best time possible, since games like Peak and REPO have taken physics-based chaos and proximity chat games into the stratosphere in terms of popularity for both players and those players’ favorite streamers. Screenshot: Big Walk. (House House) But Big Walk appeals to me in a way those other games don’t. I don’t want to lose you here, but Big Walk feels like multiplayer Myst. Yeah, that CD-ROM game from the 90s. To be fair, it’s been remade and modernized a few times over the years–most recently in 2020 (and is still being updated as of this year!). But while Myst and puzzle games that gravitate towards being Myst-like tend to be cryptic, slow, and boring for those that aren’t explicitly into that sort of thing, Big Walk takes away the pomp and circumstance and leaves nothing but fun and co-op puzzle solving. My absolute favorite thing about Big Walk is its puzzles. There is a vast variety of them, and while some puzzles are similar, no two are exactly the same. Unlike most games that are similar to Big Walk, you aren’t just collecting items and hoping to get them back. You find tools you sometimes need or sometimes choose to use, etc. The puzzles themselves are very clever with a variety of teamwork-based tasks, like handing off heavy items in a chain, timing-based puzzles, puzzles based on logic, and others where communicating symbols and complex tasks have to be through a system you and your friends figure out. It's led to some really fun and hilarious interactions. And failure is never permanent. You can’t die in Big Walk, and any failed puzzles can be retried as many times as you like. Screenshot: Big Walk. (House House) While Big Walk is physics-based and relies on proximity chat–which is a must–it doesn’t feel gimmicky. Instead, these components are a part of the presentation. Many puzzles, for instance, would be easier or even trivialized without proximity chat. And getting lost and having to find your friends again is part of the adventure. There are in-game items like maps, walkie-talkies and other similar items to make communication and pathfinding easier, but it doesn’t solve these problems outright. In fact, carrying items reduces what you can hold in your hands, or takes up valuable backpack or hip slot space. Exploration is a major factor in Big Walk, and it's a lovely world where realistic backdrops are in juxtaposition to player characters and structures painted in primary colors. Screenshot: Big Walk. (House House) If you can see something in Big Walk you can get there eventually, even if that means finding items to make new keys to progress to the next area. Most of the game’s progression is based around gathering items to unlock keys that then give you access to new areas, needed information and other surprises. You can get lost in exploration just as easily as you can in trying to figure out solutions. While a lot of games that rely on physics and proximity chat can be played in rounds, Big Walk has a more permanent progression. You can create different saves to play with different groups of friends, but since Big Walk has an intentional ending,your mileage may vary in terms of replayability down the road. Let’s hope that House House releases a few DLC levels–bonus points if they’re cheap, free, or there is some other way to support the developers while keeping updates free. Screenshot: Big Walk. (House House) You can’t play Big Walk solo, unfortunately. But you can play with just one other friend if that’s all you have available. The game scales the puzzles based on up to a 4 player group, but in an online lobby you can play with up to 11 friends, which I assume would be absolute chaos. I have to admit I haven’t had a chance to see what Big Walk looks like with a full 4 or 12 player group yet, but I can’t wait to get more of my friends to jump in with me. I love Big Walk’s charm and presentation, which help go a long way in selling it. But I stuck around for the great exploration, clever puzzles, and unadulterated fun with friends. Games that can warm this reviewer’s jaded heart are few and far between, and Big Walk does so easily. It’s not only one of my favorite games this year, it’s one of my favorite games I’ve ever reviewed in ten years of being a game reviewer, and I’m going to convince all my friends to go on this Big Walk with me.

Guy InChair is the Culture Combine's newest movie reviewer. He analyzes films. Reviews will be thoughtful, non-toxic and spoiler-free. Please enjoy. My first question when Nolan announced his intention to make a big-screen adaptation of The Odyssey, was "Why? Who is this for?" The story of The Odyssey is one of mankind's oldest shared narratives. People tend to know some part of it or even the broadest strokes of the very loose plot. What more needed to be said about it that the Coen Brothers neglected to say in O Brother, Where Are Thou? But this film neatly sidesteps any questions of necessity by grounding itself into this gritty, weirdly realistic magical world of Chris Nolan film. Where fantastical things happen with such banal reality that their essence defies questioning or deeper analysis. The giants are giants because they are giants. This guy fights crime in fetish gear because he's Batman. These guys fight backwards in time because they're Tenet. Digging any deeper doesn't answer any questions or enhance viewing. Acceptance is key. Simply put, Nolan wrote and directed The Odyssey because no one else had really attempted a big-screen adaptation before and because the episodic nature of the story can be subtly shaped to make commentary on the world we find ourselves living in today. Odysseus has a monologue in the last third of the movie that's speaking directly to the conditions of his world and his life; but more broadly can be applied to our modern world too. Some thing has been lost because of the choices of one man. Take from that whatever you will... Nolan's world is casually fantastical. Yes, there are Gods. Yes, they speak to us in ways that make sense. Yes, there are fantastical beasts that walk this Earth. Yes, they make sense. Nolan's insistence to do things realistically, in camera, without CGI absolutely works and it's impressive to see a master filmmaker work his craft; creating illusions that would've dazzled Georges Méliès. Performances, across the board, are pretty fantastical. And a Nolan film has more stars in it than The Muppet Movie. Big name actors took small roles to be on this ship with Nolan and Damon. Devoting their talents to tell this story, no matter the size of the role. Damon understands the assignment. He's in crazy good shape and all the old Bourne Identity skills come into play here. Hathaway goes for the Oscar gold in her performance thats passionate without being maudlin. And even Spiderman is pretty great in this movie as "Angsty Teen Son". Some reviewers online are criticizing him as being the weak link of the cast. I don't see that at all. Online film crybabies are screaming about Elliot Page playing a Greek Warrior. He's great. They're dumb and transphobic. Online film crybabies are screaming about Lupita N'Yongo as Helen of Troy. She's great! They're dumb and racist. Nothing in this film warrants public outrage for the clickbait farms. Ignore all of that. Nolan shot the film to be seen in 70MM IMAX. If you can see it that way, you should. The nearest theater that's showing the film in that format is 90 minute from me, each way, so standard IMAX will do. And if that isn't your cup of tea; seeing it in standard format works too. Look, this is grandiose filmmaking at it's best. Watching it on your phone, in six months, isn't going to give you the full experience. See this one in the theaters, while you can. Two cautionary notes: There is some cruelty to a dog in this movie and it genuinely sucks. I hate that stuff. Dogs deserve better. Tread lightly. And also, if you're like me and body horror stuff freaks you out; the Circie's Table scene is a rough ride. I legitimately thought about leaving the room, during that scene. It really messed me up. Good God. Now back to my first question: Why make The Odyssey? Because the story deserves to be told. Because it has lessons to teach us and because a master filmmaker can and should make whatever the Hell he wants. We're very lucky to be alive to see it. (On the biggest screen possible.) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Odyssey Written and Directed by Christopher Nolan. Starring Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway and Tom Holland. Opened July 17th.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is back for its fourth season, and its first episode is an absolute diamond. Be warned, spoilers abound ahead. (L-R): Anson Mount as Captain Pike, Babs Olusanmokun as Dr. M’Benga, and Christina Chong as La’an Noonien-Singh in season 4, episode 1, of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds streaming on Paramount+, 2026. Photo Credit: Jan Thijs/Paramount+ In between the season 3 finale and season 4 premiere, the crew of The Enterprise had been on a grueling series of nonstop missions for six months, and Number One (Rebecca Romijn) tells Captain Pike (Anson Mount) of how much of a toll that can take on a crew and himself personally. “We all need weekends once and awhile, even you,” she says, while reminding him she also enjoys heading up away missions. Pike is still reeling from the loss of Captain Marie Batel (Melanie Scrofano), who last season transformed into The Beholder statue, a perpetual prison guard standing watch over the banished Vezda, one of last season’s big bads. Mount does a brilliant job throughout the episode showing the emotional weight Pike is carrying on his shoulders, just barely being able to hide the grief behind his eyes in a few scenes. After meeting with Admiral April (Adrian Holmes) and being informed he’s up for a promotion, Pike and the crew are ordered to observe a category ten interstellar squall, a phenomenon rarely seen in the Alpha Quadrant. I certainly don’t remember any crew in any Trek franchise encountering one, but the Enterprise’s Lanthenite Chief Engineer Pelia (Carol Kane) says she has before and quips she might’ve been “in a phone box at the time.” (L-R): Rebecca Romijn as Una and Anson Mount as Captain Pike in season 4, episode 1, of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds streaming on Paramount+, 2026. Photo Credit: Jan Thijs/Paramount+ It’s a fun little Easter egg and the third time in Strange New Worlds has referenced Doctor Who. In the season 3 episode The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail, an unmistakable TARDIS appears for just a second trapped alongside the Enterprise in a massive ship. In the season 3 finale, Pelia mentions a time traveling doctor she once knew. While a crossover between the two franchises would be epic and something that I would personally love, it’s not something likely to happen. Co-showrunner Akiva Goldsman told Syfy Wire recently there were “too many corporate hurdles” for such a meld. But still, it’s a nice little nod to something that could have been. The Enterprise sets out to view the squall, receives a mysterious mayday from inside and while trying to investigate, gets sucked in. After a rough ride, the ship emerges on the other side heavily damaged, with nothing working but life support. A nearby planet shows a source of iridium, which would give the crew what it needs to get the ship running again, and Number One gets her wish for an away mission. She heads off to the planet via shuttle with Lieutenants La’an (Christina Chong) and Ortegas (Melissa Navia). The planet is lush and beautiful in a primordial sort of way. But the source of the iridium is a bit far off for the away team and something BIG lurks on the way in between. A phaser blast seems like a mosquito bite to the beast and we soon learn why. (L-R): Melissa Navia as Erica Ortegas, Christina Chong as La’an Noonien-Singh, and Rebecca Romijn as Una in season 4, episode 1, of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds streaming on Paramount+, 2026. Photo Credit: Jan Thijs/Paramount+ After the Enterprise gets ship-napped by unknown aliens, the crew discovers they’re in a most unexpected and precarious place – Earth as it was 65 million years ago. The beast is a T-Rex. Our away team are standing among real, actual dinosaurs on prehistoric Earth. The Enterprise’s captors are revealed to be actual native Martians, as Mars appears on the viewscreen as a very much habitable and life-filled planet. The Captain of the ship, Battle Commander Cassell (Saffron Burrows), tries to claim salvage rights on the disabled Enterprise, saying that the ship is needed in a war with an insectoid species known as the Dol'drm. The Martians and Dol’drm can’t communicate, and the Martians believe they have no desire to do so – only the desire to spread across the planet and feed on everything. What follows is a wonderful and poignant exploration of a classic bootstrap paradox. The Dol’drm are also from the Sol System, inhabiting the fifth planet, which at the time was not Jupiter. The crew is very careful to follow longstanding advice and try not to step on (or kill) anything while on Earth and attempts to hide their temporal origins from the Martians. Commander Cassel eventually discovers their true place in the timeline, and she prematurely ends what was a potentially burgeoning relationship between the Federation and Martians of eons past. Cassel steals antimatter from the Enterprise to make a bomb, one that will completely annihilate the Dol’drm. The Enterprise crew doesn’t want to be part of what will be a genocide and does all they can to stop it up until the near end of the episode, when Pike realizes that without the destruction of the fifth planet, the Federation, the solar system, and humanity itself would no longer exist in his present. Saffron Burrows as Cassell in season 4, episode 1, of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds streaming on Paramount+, 2026. Photo Credit: Jan Thijs/Paramount+ Much like many other classic causal loops, it turns out that the crew of the Enterprise was not only responsible for their own appearance in the past, but assisted in the extinction of the Dol’drm, the dinosaurs, and the Martians, along with the eventual evolution of humanity. Cassel’s wholesale slaughter of the Dol’drm in the hope it would thwart the destruction of Mars end up being the cause of it becoming a barren wasteland millions of years in the future. It’s a very familiar and sometimes overused trope, but Strange New Worlds does it so very well, and Valles Marineris gives us a fictional glimpse into a very real theory that maybe once in the very, very distant past that the red planet had life. We grapple with some very dark moral quagmires. It’s a stand-alone adventure that also has repercussions and reverberations throughout the franchise. In short, it’s exactly what we’ve come to expect from the series and hopefully, a good portent of what’s to come for the rest of the season. Stray observations: I’m wondering why at least Captain Pike and Admiral April didn’t get a visit from the Department of Temporal Investigations. While it technically doesn’t YET exist in 2262, La’an got a visit from them in season two after traveling back in time to the 21st century. I’m not exactly sold on the awkward beginnings of the mentor relationship between Uhura and new Vulcan cadet A’Sha. The arrogant Vulcan is off-putting towards a beloved crewmember trying to help thing has been done A LOT before and usually plays out the same way. I’m also not completely sold on the tension between Ortegas and Scotty. It feels a little forced and seems like we might be headed into an awkward at first reluctant romance that’s a surprise for everyone but the audience. I hope I’m wrong. Speaking of tropes, I did enjoy the Captain passes on promotion one as it played out in this episode, if only because it keeps true to the timeline of what we know and Number One got a much deserved promotion. How La’An is going to deal with the emergence of her new augment superpowers can go myriad ways and I’m here for it. Also, how about that punch? It’s been a long time since I’ve watched Voyager, but does (and if so, how) this impact or somehow retcon Distant Origin, the episode where the reptilian humanoid Voth are descendants of dinosaurs? Then again, the Voth do resemble Silurians quite a bit, so maybe there’s some other timey wimey Doctor Who related things happening here. Valles Marineris was almost TOO packed and I wish we’d have gotten a longer runtime. While I loved the Enterprise crew trying to grapple with the fallout from realizing their dark responsibility in humanity’s creation, it felt a little rushed. Mount’s and Burrows’ captain to captain chemistry was stellar, and I’d have liked to see them given more time onscreen to teach each other about their respective civilizations.