• Hitman World of Assassination senior level designer Marin Ansdal says Elusive Target celebrities are chosen before the level design and writing phase
• Ansdal says it's IO Interactive's "goal" to "bring talent that will bring more eyes to Hitman World of Assassination"
• Ansdal adds that the Elusive Target mission location always needs to "thematically" suit the main talent

IO Interactive has revealed the behind-the-scenes process for selecting Hitman World of Assassination's Elusive Targets and how it designs their special missions.

In an interview with TechRadar Gaming following the release of the game's new 'The Host feat. JackSepticEye' - Elusive Target mission, senior level designer Marin Ansdal explained that IOI's marketing department is in charge of the talent selection and outreach process, and the level isn't designed until after they're signed.

"Their goal is to bring talent that will bring more eyes to Hitman World of Assassination as well as serve the core audience to create special missions that will make use of the talent’s persona, and adapt it to the setting of Hitman World of Assassination," Ansdal said.

Ansdal continued, explaining that the level designer and writer take over once a celebrity or public figure is on board, and "We try to find a location which thematically suits the talent and craft a story that synergizes with the talent in tone and genre."

World of Assassination has featured a variety of guests over the years, including Snoop Dogg, Sean Bean, Eminem, Milla Jovovich, and more, and IOI considers how Agent 47 can slip into these uniquely designed missions.

"47's preference for disguises allows him to jump into a wide range of genres," Ansdal said. "For example, when we worked with Jean-Claude Van Damme, we built a kitchy science fiction narrative about a super-soldier cloning facility which would fit straight into the direct to video bin in the 90s.

"And when we worked with Mads Mikkelsen, we essentially brought 47 into the iconic plot of a Bond storyline."

With the latest Elusive Target starring YouTuber and streamer JackSepticEye, the developer explained that "we crafted a psychological thriller about the darkness of internet celebrity," which "is much more contemporary in comparison to the other two examples."

Hitman World of Assassination's new The Host Elusive Target mission is free-to-play now until November 25.

• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 composer Jason Graves says to capture the tone of multiplayer maps, "you have to play a lot of multiplayer"
• Graves says the mode's vibe is "completely different" from the campaign, and he tried to capture "forward momentum and pure adrenaline"
• He adds that he has to be flexible when composing tracks, "especially considering updates and expansions in the future"

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 composer Jason Graves has shared his process for designing the game's multiplayer music, which he described as wholly different from the campaign.

When asked in an interview with TechRadar Gaming how he captured the multiplayer mode's specific tone, Graves said, "Number one, you play a lot of multiplayer!" and explained that it has a very different atmosphere from the steady-paced campaign.

"It's a completely different vibe from the campaign, and the music needs to make you feel like anything could happen at any point in time," Graves said. "A lot of what I was trying to capture was forward momentum and pure adrenaline."

The composer joked that "I always thought of myself as the musical equivalent of Master Sergeant Apone in Aliens, pumping up all the troops beforehand, keeping them in line and focused in combat and rewarding them when they come back home. 'Every meal's a banquet! Every paycheck's a fortune! Every formation a parade!'"

As for how each multiplayer map differentiates within the score, Graves said there's plenty of ground to cover considering the number of maps the mode offers "especially considering updates and expansions in the future."

"Instead of being too granular and assigning music to a specific map, we planned things out in terms of emotional intensity and timing," he explained. "Things are a lot more flexible that way."

There isn't one strict way to compose these maps either, as Graves explained, "it's more about the overall combination of sounds" he uses that showcase the fast-paced vibe by using a combination of real-world and electronic sound effects.

"There's definitely a lot of aggressive percussion, distorted electronics, and organic textures that help give the music its identity," Graves added. "I love combining real-world sounds with electronic processing, especially when you end up with something that's difficult to identify.

"It creates a sense of energy and unpredictability that fits perfectly with multiplayer."

Nintendo’s decision to remake The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for the Switch 2 in celebration of the franchise's 40th anniversary was hotly anticipated, if not a little anxiety-inducing. Like legions of fans, I share fond memories of inventive puzzles that turned hardware limitations into creative opportunities, revolutionary mechanics that defined 3D action-adventure for years to come, and, of course, one of the most beautiful and well-written storylines in the video game hall of fame.

28 years on from the release of the original Ocarina of Time, a lot has changed in the world of gaming. Hardware limitations, even on the Switch 2, are far fewer than ever before, and there’s a game for everyone.

So in a world that now includes everything from niche interests in PowerWash Simulator to AAA giants like GTA 6 to Fortnite’s bizarre multiverse of pop stars and anime icons, can a remake of a decades-old game that now feels relatively simplistic find its footing, or even be one of the best Nintendo Switch 2 games going?

Do you see that man with the evil eyes?

It’s natural that the phrase ‘don’t mess with perfection’ springs to mind when thinking about Metacritic’s best-ever-scoring video game, but a remake without meaningful changes is always going to feel like a nostalgia-baiting cash grab.

Flying in the face of that narrative, Ocarina of Time’s remake proves classic Zelda still has a place in current gaming, bringing meaningful additions and alterations across the board from level design to voice acting and even some juicy new lore while still staying faithful to the source material.

All areas of Hyrule have been revisited and retouched, with few drastic changes but plenty of improvements. A rich tapestry of flora and fauna, thick fog swirling at Link’s feet, organic terrain, and detailed furnishings bring every location to life.

The storybook visual direction of the remake comes together beautifully with this new detailed world, making its own mark on the Zelda franchise. Its vivid style might not be to everyone’s taste, but it’s certainly immersive, as is the rich, re-orchestrated soundtrack.

It runs beautifully too, with its buttery-smooth locked 60fps and no visible lag in my experience. While loading screens are still in place these barely create any friction, controls are snappy and it’s bug-free barring one occasion where I noticed a texture glitch in a waterfall.

The world is more alive in more ways than one. I do miss the mad panic of racing to Hyrule Castle gates before night falls in the original, but thanks to the constant day-night cycles within towns, you now see a lot more of the lives of non-player characters (NPCs).

While still fairly two-dimensional, the supporting cast are full of character, especially so thanks to a new feature of the Mask of Truth you earn through the Happy Mask Salesman quest line. Now, when wearing the mask, you can find the hidden truths behind folks around Hyrule; the Dancing Couple dropped a bombshell I won’t spoil for you, but it adds whole new dimensions to some of the people Link encounters on his quest.

You’re encouraged to explore the world and its secrets with new mechanics like Fairy Messages (which replace some of Navi’s hints and reward you with Rupees, Mana, or Hearts, generally) as well as old favorites like Golden Skulltulas and Fairy Fountains, but most of all I found myself frequently looking for viewpoints from which to take in the world just for the sake of it. Quite a lot of the collectibles, grottos, and boulders are in the same or very similar places, but if you don’t have a photographic memory from the original, there’s plenty of fun to be had in rediscovering Hyrule.

As I expected from my preview, some of the vocal performances did win me over by the end of the game, and Matt Mercer reprising his role as Ganondorf absolutely nailed it (of course). Others, unfortunately, missed the mark; Navi’s original sound bites were so iconic and plucky, but it’s a fairly flat performance here, by comparison.

Even then, every cutscene was a delight. I loved some of the extended dialogue and how it adds depth and personality to the world, with more beautiful cinematography than ever. I laughed, I cried, I paused and googled if some small line was a reference to a deep lore video I watched the other weekend; the narrative is richer than ever, and it celebrates the original game in all the right ways.

Can Hyrule's destiny really depend on such a lazy boy?!

Especially if you’ve played the original any time recently, there’s an immediate sense of liberation when you load into Kokiri Forest for the first time; even having played the same area at a preview event several weeks before receiving my review code, I couldn’t resist the urge to jump, dash, and swing around the camera like a lunatic in celebration of unhindered freedom to move.

Combat also feels more fluid and fun. While there’s still a fair amount of waiting around for an opening, gone are Link’s sluggish movements, painstaking in-menu item swapping, and cumbersome crowd control. I love small details like how the camera focus shifts to blur the background when you target enemies, which also means other baddies politely waiting their turn to attack you don’t stick out as much.

Overall, it’s great; jumping and dodging around, quickly switching between weapons with the right trigger, and aiming projectiles with the gyroscope improve pacing massively.

That pacing improvement carries over to Temple design too, none more so than the dreaded Water Temple now that you can quick-equip Iron Boots with the D-pad. Some temples see more significant overhauls than others, but overall rooms and puzzles have been shrewdly redesigned, with a few new additions or expanded segments like in Hyrule Castle’s garden maze, which now also leads Link through the castle kitchens.

It’s often in the smallest adjustments that Ocarina of Time’s remake is at its best; for instance, changes to the environment around you in combat that make more narrative or gameplay sense. Some are subtle; I noticed one room in the Fire Temple especially with more dynamic platform design for Lizalfos to hop around, and in locations like the Forest Temple where new obstacles like acid pits replace empty pits in the floor.

I didn’t clock any fundamental changes to enemies, but the scale and range have been adapted for enemies like Iron Knuckles as well as some bosses like Volvagia. This, paired with tweaks to the attack strings, a few new moves, and some with higher stakes, ensures Link’s lighter feet are still challenged in combat.

When you fight the real me, it won't be so easy!

That being said, I wouldn’t say difficulty is the Ocarina of Time remake’s strength. I’ll caveat heavily with the reminder that this game is as much for kids as it is for us aging nostalgia-chasers, but given I only ran out of health a handful of times, mostly by making silly mistakes or getting distracted, it does feel like Ocarina of Time has moved one step closer to being nerfed.

It’s a similar story with items — I didn’t have to refill any supplies more than three, maybe four times in my entire save. A new item in the game, the Business Deku Seed, summons a shopkeeper with his stock of supplies, including potions. It’s one of the only new features I find to be a bit of a headscratcher, making the game easier still.

Add to that the golden webs that hint at the location of overworld Golden Skulltulas, more obvious traps and visual cues for important locations, doors, and boulders, and there were few times I was particularly mentally challenged, either.

Having rolled credits, I was therefore doubly disappointed to learn Master Quest isn’t offered to up the ante a little. I’m hoping this comes at a later date, and I’m really hoping it’s not DLC, because with a little more challenge, my only real complaint about the game would be quickly remedied.

It’s not enough to score the game down; it’s ticking all of the obligatory boxes for a good remake, and I loved every second of it. Still, I can’t help but feel just a tinge of disappointment that most changes to the game are limited to optimisations and err on the side of “safe”. The original Ocarina of Time was great, in part, for how it took the limitations of contemporary game design and created some of its best mechanics to work around them in a creative way; without that challenge, the remake at times feels just a little unremarkable.

Still, this one niggle didn’t impact my personal enjoyment of the game nor negate the many, many strengths it brings to the table, and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake feels like exactly the game that the developers would have made in the late 90s were it possible on contemporary hardware.

From the first time I played the game at my dad’s knee, I fell in love with the world of Hyrule, and it was just as impactful for me in its third iteration as it was in its first. Whether you’re an adult or a child, when you boot up the remake, it’s not a game you’ll forget in a hurry.

Should you play The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake?

Play it if...

Don't play it if...

Accessibility features

Within the game’s settings, you can change the camera controls, speed, toggle motion-control aiming, and choose between one-click or press-and-hold targeting.

You can swap the jump controls, use one-handed ocarina-playing controls, toggle subtitles, and add speaker-name display. Accessibility is, as I’ve come to expect from Nintendo, a weak point, but there are a few more customization options here than I’ve seen in other titles.

How I reviewed The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake

I’ve completed the main storyline in my 25-hour save, as well as a vast majority of side quests and secret content. I played mostly docked to enjoy the sprawling scenery, but I did try handheld too, comparing my overall experience with the original as well as more modern action-adventure games, including Zelda titles like the original Ocarina of Time and modern entries like Tears of the Kingdom, as well as titles like Outer Wilds, Tunic, and more.

I played on the standard Nintendo Switch 2, listening to the gorgeously re-orchestrated soundtrack through my Corsair Void Max Wireless v2 headset and through the Switch 2’s speakers.

More generally, I’ve covered a huge array of games here at TechRadar, where I serve as Head of Video and previously as Managing Editor. I’ve reviewed a number of action-adventure and Switch 2 titles.

First reviewed November 2026

• Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 4 creative director Jan Theysen says it was "a huge challenge" making a new entry in a series filled with so much lore
• Warhammer 40K experts at Games Workshop helped King Art Games figure out what lore to include in the game
• Theysen added that the team made judgment calls on gameplay mechanics even if they don't necessarily fit the lore

King Art Games co-founder and Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 4 creative director Jan Theysen has explained the difficult task the studio faced in building a new Dawn of War entry in a series filled with so much intricate lore.

In an interview with TechRadar Gaming, Theysen said working through the lore was "a huge challenge" because when the studio discussed the opportunity for a Dawn of War successor, it knew there was "so much stuff" to figure out that was both official and unofficial. That's when it contacted Games Workshop for its expert knowledge on all things Warhammer.

"That is really where Games Workshop helps a lot because they know their stuff, right?" Theysen said, explaining, "Say we need an ability that does roughly this: Is there some sort of gimmick or some sort of tool or anything established that a Necron Chronomancer could use?"

The creative director said Games Workshop will go away with King Art's requests and come back with answers and solutions.

"You really need Games Workshop for that," Theysen added. "But also, it's obviously a great problem to have, right? Because there are too many cool things in the universe and too many factions and too many units, and so it's more or less like, okay, which of the cool things do we pick?"

Dawn of War 4 will feature on-field reinforcements, which Theysen mentioned was one of the "weirder" things the team decided to include despite it being an old system that not many modern real-time strategy (RTS) games have.

When asked how King Art balanced unfamiliar gameplay systems in a lore-heavy game, Theysen said the team "operates on two different levels," and sometimes made judgment calls based on what works best.

"It's either it has to be really accurate, and it's really like, okay, this is exactly how you know this unit looks, and how they should behave, and we spend a lot of time to get it right, or we say, well, it's a game, forget about it," he explained.

"We don't try to justify gameplay mechanics or something like that in the lore, if it doesn't make sense, right? We basically say, okay, there is the one part that is the lore, that is the official thing, that's just ground truth, and then there is also XP, and you can build units on the battlefield, and you can do all that RTS stuff that isn't, of course, really part of the world."

He added that the game also has the fan-favorite Last Stand mode, and there are Space Marines, Orcs, and Necrons fighting together, which isn't exactly lore-accurate.

"Again, do not try to explain that or to justify that any other way than just it's a game," Theysen said.

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 4 launches on PC on December 3.

• NBN Co says Australia's broadband network is ready for the expected surge in traffic when GTA VI launches
• A previous major game release pushed NBN traffic to a record 32.91Tbps, around 30% above normal levels
• GTA VI's week-long preload period should help prevent a massive spike in network traffic on launch day
• NBN Co believes GTA VI could set a new record for total download volume across its 7–8-day launch period

Grand Theft Auto VI is shaping up to be one of the biggest video game launches in history, and with millions of gamers expected to download Rockstar's long-awaited sequel, it's fair to wonder whether Australia's internet infrastructure can cope with the demand.

After all, GTA VI is confirmed to require a hefty 212GB download, meaning even a single copy will consume a considerable amount of bandwidth. Multiply that by potentially hundreds of thousands of Australian gamers all wanting to get their hands on the game at once, and it's easy to imagine the strain it could place on the country's broadband network.

But could GTA VI actually break the internet?

We put that question to NBN Co, and its response was reassuring. Not only does the company believe its network is ready for the game's arrival, but it also suggested GTA VI could potentially set a new record for the amount of data downloaded over a single game launch period.

NBN Co says it's ready for GTA VI

Despite the enormous anticipation surrounding GTA VI, NBN Co doesn't appear particularly concerned about the network being overwhelmed when the game launches.

"We've planned for major download events like this, and we're confident the NBN network is ready for the increased demand," an NBN Co spokesperson told us.

The company explained that it works closely with content distributors to model the potential impact of major game releases, allowing it to prepare for periods of particularly heavy demand.

Part of that preparation involves working with distributors to spread downloads over a longer period, rather than allowing everyone to begin downloading at the same time.

This has already changed the way major game launches affect the network. According to NBN Co, traffic now begins building earlier in the day, rather than suddenly surging when gamers return home from work.

Game launches have already pushed NBN traffic to record highs

There's good reason for NBN Co to take major game releases seriously — the company revealed that gaming downloads have been responsible for some of the biggest traffic peaks ever recorded on its network.

In fact, NBN Co told us that “a game download release last year” coincided with a record traffic peak of 32.91 terabits per second (Tbps).

“This was approximately 30% higher than baseline traffic, with almost 8Tbps of additional demand during the busiest hour.”

And while NBN Co didn't identify which game was responsible for that particular peak, it demonstrates just how significantly a major release can affect Australia's internet traffic. With GTA VI arguably being one of the most anticipated games of all time, it's reasonable to expect another substantial increase in demand.

Why preloading could prevent a massive traffic spike

Fortunately, there's one factor working in NBN Co's favour: preloading.

GTA VI preloading is scheduled to begin on November 10 for anyone who has preordered the game from a digital store. For anyone looking to buy the code-in-box variant, preloading is confirmed for November 12, giving players the opportunity to download the game ahead of its official release.

Rather than having millions of players attempting to download more than 200GB of data simultaneously, the preload window allows that demand to be distributed over several days.

"Preloading is good news for gamers and good news for the network," NBN Co told us.

The company explained that the impact of major game launches has become less significant over time, largely because distributors now spread downloads and updates across longer periods. In GTA VI's case, NBN Co expects the week-long preload period to help avoid particularly sharp spikes in network traffic.

However, that doesn't necessarily mean the game won't break any records.

GTA VI could still set a new Australian download record

While NBN Co doesn't necessarily expect GTA VI to produce the biggest single-hour traffic spike in its history, it believes the game's launch could achieve something arguably more impressive.

"While the preloading approach will likely prevent a record-breaking traffic spike during a specific hour or day, we expect to see increased traffic across the preload and release period, which could result in a record-breaking download volume across that 7 – 8-day period," the company said.

In other words, GTA VI might not generate the highest instantaneous demand ever seen on the NBN, but the total amount of data downloaded over its launch period could still be unprecedented.

Indeed, with a 212GB download potentially being repeated across a huge number of Australian households, it's not difficult to see why NBN Co is anticipating a particularly busy week.

How to prepare your internet connection for GTA VI

While NBN Co is confident its network can handle the increased demand, individual households could still encounter slower-than-expected downloads if their home internet setup isn't up to scratch.

The company recommends checking your router's location, ideally positioning it somewhere elevated and central, away from obstacles and sources of interference.

It also suggests checking the age of your router, since older models may struggle to deliver the full speeds available on faster NBN plans. Of course, this isn’t advice aimed solely at prospective GTA players; it’s advice we recommend ourselves, particularly if you have one of the fastest NBN plans.

For larger or multi-storey homes, the best mesh Wi-Fi systems in Australia can help improve wireless coverage, while households still using older copper-based NBN connections may want to check whether they're eligible for a free fibre upgrade.

Finally, NBN Co recommends reviewing your current internet plan to determine whether it still meets your household's needs.

Of course, even the fastest NBN connection won't guarantee maximum download speeds if the game distribution servers are struggling to keep up with demand.

But with GTA VI's launch fast approaching, the message from NBN Co is clear — Australia's broadband network is ready, even if the country's gamers are about to put it through one of its biggest tests yet.

Universes Beyond has finally leapt from Magic: The Gathering and into Wizards of the Coast’s other hugely popular game, Dungeons & Dragons, with the release of its World of Warcraft Gameplay Expansion — a 256-page book detailing precisely how the planet of Azeroth should be adapted into the most popular tabletop RPG.

I’ve spent the last couple of weeks devouring this new book, and while I’ll admit to already being a fan of Universes Beyond — I think it has done an amazing job of introducing my favorite trading card game to complete newcomers, and I have hopes it’ll do the same for D&D — whether you’re in my camp, or you’re someone who would rather keep your game worlds isolated, I think you’ll struggle to find complaints with this module.

Of course the book heavily focuses on the WoW-ness of the additions it makes to the TTRPG, yet so many of the new races, subclasses, monsters, and other rules could easily slot into any campaign setting. And if you need a little extra nudge, this book includes the long-awaited refresh of some fan-favorite subclasses which had yet to receive their post-2024 update (like the Swashbuckler Rogue and Way of the Drunken Master Monk, renamed to Warrior of Mystic Brews).

Though perhaps best of all, none of this excellent new content will destroy your bank balance. The Gameplay Expansion costs $59.99 / £49.99 / AU$84.99, which, while at the higher end of what D&D books sell for, feels like a reasonable price considering the amount here for players and Dungeon Masters. Plus, third-party retailers are sure to sell you this expansion for less than MSRP, especially during sales periods when D&D books are known to get a price cut.

My only disappointment is that I feel it’s not the most newcomer-friendly if you’re looking to be the Dungeon Master — the person who has to run the games. Just a quick one-shot adventure would do the trick to get the ball rolling, but as is, I’d suggest the DM is someone with D&D experience. Which is a shame considering Universes Beyond’s new-player appeal.

That said, I think this expansion is excellent no matter your affinity for WoW, but if you’re still unsure whether you should grab the World of Warcraft Gameplay Expansion for Dungeons & Dragons, let me explain a little more why I love it.

A feast of flavour, and heroes

Let’s begin where this book does: Chapter 1: Character Classes. Every class in Dungeons & Dragons features in this World of Warcraft expansion to give players a guide for how the TTRPG can be adapted to fit the champions Azeroth locals will be familiar with. Admittedly, some get more attention than others, but what I loved to read was that every class gets at least something new — rather than some being ignored entirely like with other recent expansions.

For those on the shorter end of the stick — Druids, Wizards, Fighters, Warlocks, and Rangers (though they’re a special case I’ll get back to later) — this means just some new spells, Battle Master maneuvers, or Eldritch Invocations. Though I’m not complaining after reading through their new tools.

Conjuration-focused Warlocks will love the Expendable Minions invocation, which turns downed minions into healing for you or an ally, while the new version of Mass Polymorph feels like a hilariously perfect way for a more chaotic Wizard to dispatch a surrounding army — transforming any number of terrifying foes into harmless goats.

You’ll also notice these classes, and all others, have simple guides to follow for what spells and feature choices to make so that the D&D class feels most like the World of Warcraft specializations. Some class names have changed too. Wizard is Mage, Fighter is Warrior, and Rangers are Hunters (I’ll highlight other class name variations as we go).

One step above are Monks, Paladins, Clerics (Priests), Rogues, and Barbarians (Shamans), who all get a new subclass or two, or at least a revised version of a subclass, yet to be updated since the 2024 rules update.

In that latter camp are the Swashbuckler Rogue and Drunken Master Monk, which has been renamed Warrior of Mystic Brews. As with other post-2024 rules update refreshes, these subclasses feel very familiar, though there are some mechanical tweaks here and there to better balance the player option against the other choices you could make — or, in the case of Warrior of Mystic Brews, make the subclass feel like a more distinct option in your repertoire.

The brand-new subclasses steal the show to some extent because of their freshness, and I’m desperate to play an Oath of the Holy Paladin in my next campaign. This version of the knight is far more focused on healing than fighting — fulfilling a more supportive tank role; however, I still wouldn’t want to get struck by its Divine Smite.

Finally, circling back on the Ranger’s ‘special case,’ you’ll find three so-called Hero Classes — the Death Knight, Demon Hunter, and Evoker. This never-before-seen flavor of character option is a sort of subclass, but rather than building on the existing class’s base, they tear down and rebuild some core aspects (something subclasses don’t tend to do).

For example, the Oath of the Ebon Blade Death Knight takes away the Paladin’s healing Lay on Hands and turns it into a damaging Death Coil, and transforms the heavenly Divine Smite into a demonic Runic Smite.

Calling them ‘Hero Classes’ does perhaps suggest a level of superiority; however, I haven’t necessarily felt that from the options present. These don’t feel like the new best way to play a class, merely an alternative way. The Hero Class designation just denotes that there’s a layer of complexity because the core class is altered — though I found the World of Warcraft Gameplay Expansion’s guide very easy to follow, and I expect newcomers won’t struggle to build one of these three options if they follow it.

Azeroth professionals

Characters are more than their class, however.

Unfortunately, the World of Warcraft expansion doesn’t provide us with any new Backgrounds — pre-adventure origins which determine the starting skills of the player’s character — but there is a wide selection of fantastical races to select from, and various WoW factions for their party members to develop an affiliation with.

Much like classes, if there is an existing Dungeons & Dragons native — such as Dwarves or Elves — you’re asked to lift the rules from the Player’s Handbook, but races or variants of races that exist only in WoW are given bespoke traits. The monastic Pandaren can use their Inner Peace to recover more health when resting, and leave foes quaking after an attack, while Dracthyr can use their wings to glide — taking no falling damage if the drop is under 100ft, and being able to travel horizontally as they plummet.

Of course, there are also a few pages spared for mounts and creature companions — iconic World of Warcraft pets that you can ride into battle, or which offer some small buff if your friendship with them is high enough.

Factions are lifted wholesale. The Alliance and the Horde (and their respective subfactions) take center stage, but there are other groups a party may prefer to build a relationship with. There are some mechanical advantages to building renown with various factions, but they’re generally a narrative device — Dungeon Masters have a reliable quest giver in the form of friendly faction leaders; they could lock greater quest progression behind first gaining the trust of a new faction, or force players into a strained truce with rival factions to work together to achieve some greater goal (requiring careful role-playing scenarios to ensure the two sides don’t resume their hostilities).

I’ll get back to the toys and tools this Gameplay Expansion affords DMs, but finishing things off on the players' side, we need to talk about Professions.

Professions expand the basic crafting rules from the 2024 Player’s Handbook and Dungeon Master’s Guide by providing players specific guidance on how to develop their character’s foraging and item-making skills — and how to take advantage of these abilities.

For parties who spend a lot of time among civilisation, these skills aren’t going to change their games very much, I expect, but if you’re planning a campaign which ventures deep into the wilderness (which I now am after being inspired by these rules), they’ll provide a vital way for the group to replenish and upgrade their gear.

The basic idea is that crafted items and foraged resources are given specific values based on their rarity and where they were found. Collect enough resources, and you can create an item that’s worth as much as the combined value of the resources you’re using — provided they’re of the appropriate type, i.e., foraged plants and animal viscera are perfect for potions, while mined ores and animal skins are used for weapons and armour.

The rulebook stays away from generating specific recipes outside one or two examples, but it encourages DMs to bring the crafting system to life within their game world. This could involve requiring specific quantities of specific resources rather than merely generic value — i.e., a potion of waterbreathing needing five pieces of common stranglekelp, and two vials of oil extracted from the rare blackmouth fish rather than merely 100GP of parts — or turning getting a specific rare resource into a side quest — such as a Staff of Fire requiring a ruby plundered from an adult dragon’s horde, or tracking down an expert blacksmith if crafting a magic sword for the first time.

Though the rulebook encourages DMs and players to not turn their D&D adventure into a grinding slog. Repetitive actions are boring, and constantly diverting attention away from the main quest might derail the campaign into one about crafting gear with no real purpose behind the item making. Even if collecting enough of a resource might take a character a week to do in-game, this could be handled with just a couple of die rolls and only take a few minutes of real-world time — with that week either using up the character’s downtime allotment or impacting the ongoing quest if there are time-sensitive elements.

The world of Warcraft

The second half of the book is dedicated to describing the world of Azeroth. It takes you through the planet’s mythology, a brief history, and its geography — providing a quick description of key locations — before delving into a selection of iconic dungeons you could explore on your adventures, and a bestiary of foes you could face off against.

It’s very much a section dedicated to the Dungeon Master, the ‘player’ who runs the whole game for the party. Providing them with many of the tools they’ll need to manage an engaging campaign, or one-shot for the group.

Much like the rest of the book, it strikes a balance between in-depth information and leaving room for the DM’s creativity. And while it’s not the most relevant to players, I think it’s a smart idea that it’s included in this singular expansion rather than being a standalone product — making this WoW 5e release feel very approachable because you don’t need to decipher which selection of books you need; it’s just this one and the three core rulebooks (Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, Monster Manual).

As a more experienced DM, I love the more light-touch approach — it provides more freedom for me to adapt the Azeroth elements for my own campaigns on or off its world — however, I do think newer Dungeon Masters will struggle with the resources here.

I understand that Dungeons & Dragons modules tend to lay things out alphabetically, but I think it would have been smarter to order the pre-made dungeons in challenge rating order so that it’s easier to find the noob-friendly expeditions. I also wish there was a more fleshed-out starter adventure that takes pre-made characters from level one to levels three or four, with guidance on how to manage running puzzles, combat encounters, and social interactions.

Coming from Magic: The Gathering, I’ve seen how Universes Beyond excels as an onboarding tool for newer players, and for the most part this World of Warcraft expansion hits the mark. However, on the actual adventure-running side, without a proper, even just a quick one-shot to guide newer Dungeon Masters through the motions of running a game, I can see it being a struggle for complete newcomers to jump into their first TTRPG game.

This one-shot would also simplify the resources you need out of the gate, because the premade character sheets and adventure could include any relevant details you’d find in the core rulebooks, like race traits and stat blocks. This reduces the barrier to entry to just this one World of Warcraft book to get into your first adventure, without removing the need to pick up the core rulebooks if you’re keen to play a full-on campaign.

As it stands, I think the World of Warcraft Gameplay Expansion for Dungeons & Dragons is mostly excellent. As someone with little affinity for this Universes Beyond IP, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how much I have been inspired by its contents, and how excited I am to use its new player options and rules in future games.

For D&D newcomers, this expansion is superb for players — the guides under each class for how to best build its WoW counterpart are a superb detail that should help remove the initial decision paralysis that can afflict newer players who aren’t 100% sure what they should choose — but I wish it offered more support to new DMs. Folks with some experience will adore the light-touch approach, but budding Dungeon Masters (especially any drawn to the game because of this Universes Beyond tie-in) would have been well served by a dedicated one-shot guide that eases them into running a game before setting them loose.

If you’re looking for an excellent gift for the D&D fan in your life as we head into the holiday season, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better expansion pick than this. This holds true for the World of Warcraft enjoyer in your life, but consider also offering to run their first game in Azeroth for them.

SteelSeries Rival Pro review

The SteelSeries Rival Pro feels as if it's really pushing the boundaries of what a gaming mouse can do. Even when I glanced at the specs sheet, I was mightily impressed with the features on offer: interference-free ‘true’ 8K polling, hot-swappable batteries for endless play, and 42,000 DPI sensitivity.

But it’s one thing having a good set of specs, and another performing well in practice. So just how good is the SteelSeries Rival Pro? And is it worth its asking price of $179.99 / £169.99 (about AU$250)? Here’s my verdict after hours of testing.

First of all, this mouse feels incredibly comfortable to use — in fact, it's up there with some of the best mice as far as ergonomics are concerned.

It strikes a happy medium in terms of size, and it fits perfectly in my hand — though it's worth noting that this model is for right-handers only, whereas the ambidextrous form of the SteelSeries Sensei Pro is suited to lefties and righties alike. I use a palm grip style, but the model is also designed to suit those who prefer claw or fingertip as well. I also love how lightweight the Rival Pro is. At 1.9oz / 53g, making sharp movements and adjustments feels supremely swift.

The mouse has a lightly textured matte finish that feels, and indeed looks, pretty nice too. Sure, the matte black finish makes it a little prone to picking up fingerprints, but this is more of a nitpick, and this is likely to be less of an issue if you opt for the alternate white colorway.

And when it comes to performance, the SteelSeries Rival Pro is equally dazzling. I used it to play Cyberpunk 2077 with the LG UltraGear 25G590B 1000Hz gaming monitor, and was astonished by the sheer responsiveness and precision on offer. Aiming felt incredibly stable and accurate, turning the camera felt super-sharp and reactive, and the high-quality optical switches enabled me to let shots fly snappily and reliably. The mechanical scroll wheel also felt very tactile, with ridges offering great grip.

Said optical switches feel great to use for gaming or general productivity, and their mechanical, satisfying sound never felt grating or overzealous to me. Yes, they’re not the quietest switches, so if you prefer a more subdued sound then maybe look elsewhere, but their quality is undeniable — SteelSeries even claims that it tested them for 100 million clicks, so you’ll get plenty of mileage out of this mouse.

Feature-wise, this mouse has just about everything you could want. The GG app and web app open up all sorts of customization for binds, sensitivity, polling rate, and power management. I mainly used the web app, and found it incredibly easy to use and make small tweaks here and there.

Perhaps the real standout feature, though, is the ‘infinite power system’. You get two batteries with the Rival Pro: one that pops into the mouse itself, and another that you place onto the Ultra Wideband base station. The batteries are hot-swappable, and when your mouse runs flat, you can swiftly substitute in the battery from the base station (which charges while plugged in). As a result, you’ll quite literally never run out of battery — ideal for competitive gamers.

While the Rival Pro mouse lacks a USB port for wired play, this infinite power system means you’ll honestly never need it — totally removing any additional weight or awkwardness that comes with a cable connection.

With an 8K polling rate, SuperSync — which enables you to independently control tracking and clicking polling rates, and aim tools to boot, it truly feels like the perfect gaming mouse. But are there any real downsides?

Well, one thing could prove to put some gamers off: the Rival Pro’s price. At $179.99 / £169.99 (about AU$250), this model is certainly a premium product. Is it worth it? If you want peak performance and essentially endless battery life, then yes. But there are plenty of strong options for less than $100 / £100 out there.

All in all, though, the SteelSeries Rival Pro is an innovative, ergonomic gaming mouse with exceptional performance. If you’re looking to take your game up a notch, look no further than this model.

SteelSeries Rival Pro review: price & release date

• Priced at $179.99 / £169.99 (about AU$250)
• Released in October 2026

The SteelSeries Rival Pro was released in October 2026, alongside three other models: the SteelSeries Rival Pro Mini, as well as the SteelSeries Sensei Pro and Sensei Pro Mini. The Rival Pro is priced at $179.99 / £169.99 (about AU$250). That lands it firmly in the premium category, with rivals including the Logitech G Pro X2 Superstrike and the Razer DeathAdder V4 Pro.

SteelSeries Rival Pro review: specs

Should I buy the SteelSeries Rival Pro?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

SteelSeries Rival Pro review: also consider

How I tested the SteelSeries Rival Pro

• Tested intensively for hours
• Used for gaming and general productivity
• Made use of all features in the GG web app

I spent many hours testing the SteelSeries Rival Pro, during which time I used it for gaming and general productivity.

When gaming, I paired the mouse with the LG UltraGear 25G590B 1000Hz gaming monitor to get the best performance possible. I made sure to play a range of games, but mainly tested the mouse with the PC version of Cyberpunk 2077. On top of this, I made sure to try out all of the mouse’s features and customization options via the GG web app.

More generally, I’ve spent years testing gadgets here at TechRadar, where I serve as a Senior Reviews Writer. I’ve reviewed everything from premium Dolby Atmos soundbars to gaming software, and have tested a number of mice, including the recently released Logitech Mobi Fold.

• Read TechRadar’s reviews guarantee
• First reviewed: October 2026

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,500 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today — or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #1745) — hint #1 — Vowels

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1745) — hint #2 — repeated letters

Quordle today (game #1745) — hint #3 — uncommon letters

Quordle today (game #1745) — hint #4 — starting letters (1)

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #1745) — hint #5 — starting letters (2)

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Quordle today (game #1745) — the answers

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1745, are…

• JOIST
• CROOK
• DELAY
• ICILY

If you experienced a strong sense of deja-vu playing this game you are not alone.

This is the third time JOIST has made an appearance in the past three months, while DELAY appeared in a Sequence game last week.

Is there a shortage of five-letter words?

Daily Sequence today (game #1745) — the answers

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1745, are…

• MOSSY
• SNOOP
• SLEEK
• NICER

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1744, Tuesday, 3 November: TRIAL, STAID, LEVEL, BONUS
• Quordle #1743, Monday, 2 November: EXTRA, AMITY, LUPUS, EAGLE
• Quordle #1742, Sunday, 1 November: DROVE, PRIED, SHELL, BEGIN
• Quordle #1741, Saturday, 31 October: ANIME, SWARM, CHALK, RAJAH
• Quordle #1740, Friday, 30 October: ULCER, DIMLY, BRAIN, BEGUN
• Quordle #1739, Thursday, 29 October: PRUDE, MINUS, SAVOY, USHER
• Quordle #1738, Wednesday, 28 October: DEALT, FLUME, SLEEK, RELIC
• Quordle #1737, Tuesday, 27 October: ANKLE, HAVOC, SULKY, WHITE
• Quordle #1736, Monday, 26 October: ASSAY, GLEAM, MUCUS, WRING
• Quordle #1735, Sunday, 25 October: RAINY, BUSED, PROXY, UNDID
• Quordle #1734, Saturday, 24 October: TOXIN, SMART, MOUSE, STYLE
• Quordle #1733, Friday, 23 October: BLIMP, HOIST, FRIED, LURID
• Quordle #1732, Thursday, 22 October: DECAL, WIDTH, WOKEN, LEVER
• Quordle #1731, Wednesday, 21 October: MOIST, VALVE, VERSE, NORTH
• Quordle #1730, Tuesday, 20 October: COYLY, SAUNA, TRIAL, RASPY
• Quordle #1729, Monday, 19 October: EXIST, DECOY, HITCH, FLUID
• Quordle #1728, Sunday, 18 October: FLINT, FUROR, WEDGE, RODEO
• Quordle #1727, Saturday, 17 October: QUARK, ENEMY, SPASM, BLOCK
• Quordle #1726, Friday, 16 October: SHORT, WORTH, JOIST, SLUNK
• Quordle #1725, Thursday, 15 October: STALE, EPOCH, PIANO, CORNY

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #976) - hint #1 - today's theme

NYT Strands today (game #976) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• RUST
• FORK
• ROPES
• SPEAR
• SOUR
• SLEEP

NYT Strands today (game #976) - hint #3 - spangram letters

NYT Strands today (game #976) - hint #4 - spangram position

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #976) - the answers

The answers to today's Strands, game #976, are…

• LABOR
• STAFF
• WORKFORCE
• PEOPLE
• PERSONNEL
• SPANGRAM: HUMANRESOURCES

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

There’s a joke about Human Resources departments that they exist to protect the company from the people who make the company work.

This is unfair. They also send emails about the lifts not working.

Anyway, I digress. Personal prejudices about HUMANRESOURCES aside this was an easy game made slightly more interesting by some game words that could be connected in a variety of different ways.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Tuesday, November 3, game #975)

• SINGER
• CROONER
• CHORISTER
• VOCALIST
• BALLADEER
• SPANGRAM: BELTITOUT

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #1242) - today's words

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• FLY
• POKE
• IRON
• WORKS
• WOOD
• WRING
• WEDGE
• BLEACH
• PUTTER
• CRACKER
• DOORSTOP
• LOLL
• FLATIRON BUILDING
• SHUFFLE
• TUMBLE DRY
• PIE SLICE

NYT Connections today (game #1242) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: Popular polyhedrons
• GREEN: Laundry advice
• BLUE: Casual movement
• PURPLE: Begin with a hot 4-letter word

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #1242) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: TRIANGULAR PRISMS WITH A SHARP EDGE
• GREEN: WORDS AFTER "DO NOT" ON A CARE LABEL
• BLUE: MOVE IDLY, WITH "AROUND"
• PURPLE: FIRE____

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #1242) - the answers

The answers to today's Connections, game #1242, are…

• YELLOW: TRIANGULAR PRISMS WITH A SHARP EDGE: DOORSTOP, FLATIRON BUILDING, PIE SLICE, WEDGE
• GREEN: WORDS AFTER "DO NOT" ON A CARE LABEL: BLEACH, IRON, TUMBLE DRY, WRING
• BLUE: MOVE IDLY, WITH "AROUND": LOLL, POKE, PUTTER, SHUFFLE
• PURPLE: FIRE____: CRACKER, FLY, WOOD, WORKS

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 1 mistake

It was more out of luck than design, but somehow I managed to complete this game in difficulty order for the third day in a row.

As great as it is to perform the triple rainbow, this was a far-from-perfect game, and one with began with the most obvious of mistakes: namely, the linking of the four golf clubs, IRON, WEDGE, WOOD and PUTTER. I’m sure I wasn’t the only person to fall into this particular bunker.

Thankfully, I recovered and decided that the icon shape of the FLATIRON BUILDING was the key linking it to WEDGE, PIE SLICE and DOORSTOP. From here, though, I muddled through with vague notions of something to do with laundry and laziness.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Tuesday, November 3, 2026, game #1241)

• YELLOW: KEEP GOING: CARRY ON, CONTINUE, PROCEED, RESUME
• GREEN: THINGS WITH WHEELS: OFFICE CHAIR, ROLLER BAG, SHOPPING CART, STROLLER
• BLUE: THINGS A SERVER BRINGS AT A RESTAURANT: CHECK, FOOD, MENU, TAP WATER
• PURPLE: ENDING IN MENU BAR HEADINGS: CREDIT, INTERVIEW, PROFILE, WHELP

• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 composer Jason Graves has revealed some inspirations behind the game's soundtrack
• He attributes much of it to the gameplay and Infinity Ward's sound team
• He confirmed that he didn't reference previous Modern Warfare soundtracks, but there is "a little bit of vibe inspiration from the OG Modern Warfare 2"

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 composer Jason Graves has attributed the gameplay and the Infinity Ward sound team for helping to inspire the game's multiplayer score.

In an interview with TechRadar Gaming, Graves said, "Fortunately, I have no lack of inspiration from the amazing gameplay itself," when asked where he begins when composing a soundtrack for such an iconic franchise.

"The incredible team at Infinity Ward, led by audio director Stephen Miller, was also such a huge creative influence," he continued. "And the music team, led by Jonathan Mayer, were integral in shaping the overall vibe and giving me everything I needed to be as creative as possible."

Graves, who has also composed for Warzone, Dead Space, Dead Space 2, 2013's Tomb Raider, and a host of other projects spanning video games and movies, added that it was important that the work was a collaborative effort, as scores can be years in the making.

"I can't stress how important cooperation with other creative human beings makes a difference when it comes to working on a project as big as this," Graves said. "This is the kind of thing that slowly comes together over years of work."

As for finding the basis for a Modern Warfare score, Graves explained that he doesn't listen to previous works, but admitted that "there was a little bit of vibe inspiration from the OG Modern Warfare 2."

"But nothing too granular or specific," he added, "I'm very intentional about not listening to music from previous projects in a franchise unless specifically directed by the developer. I think that's especially important here because Infinity Ward has been so supportive of trying new things and creating a soundtrack that's every bit as epic and bespoke as the gameplay itself."

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is one of the best games of 2026, with "the best campaign in years and an incredible multiplayer offering," and you can play it now.

• The next game in the Elder Scrolls series is officially titled: The Elder Scrolls 6: Sentinel
• Bethesda Game Studios has also shared a teaser trailer hinting at the game's location, which appears to be Hammerfell
• The studio says, "It’ll be some time before we’re ready to share more" about Sentinel

Bethesda Game Studios has finally announced the name of the next game in its long-running Elder Scrolls series: The Elder Scrolls 6: Sentinel.

The news comes from a video celebrating the studio's 40th anniversary, which highlighted its many achievements and ended with Bethesda creative director Todd Howard offering a new look at the game.

"Everybody’s always asking about Elder Scrolls 6," said Howard. "And we thought, hey, given the moment, what a perfect time to tell you what The Elder Scrolls 6 is actually called."

The teaser trailer is short and doesn't showcase gameplay, but the camera pans over sand before a magic-looking scroll emerges. Then the game's title, as fans theorized, "The Elder Scrolls 6: Sentinel," was revealed.

The trailer description also provides an additional hint to the game, which reads, "The scroll offered only a shimmer, a veil thinly lifted to my eyes. A future lost. A victory undone. Sands of time scattered by fate," which is written in game lore by "Yazar, Moth Priest to High Queen Iradne of Hammerfell (4E 206)."

The Elder Scrolls 6: Sentinel has been in development for a very long time. Announced all the way back in 2018, today's teaser trailer and name drop are the first new pieces of information we've received about the game since.

In a follow-up post on X, Bethesda seemingly confirmed the game's location is set in Hammerfell, but it will be "some time" before more details

about the role-playing game (RPG) can be shared.

"Thank you for 40 years of shared memories," the studio said. "We can’t wait to make even more together with The Elder Scrolls 6: Sentinel. Development continues, and while it’ll be some time before we’re ready to share more, it feels great to finally reveal the name and location with you."

• Rockstar Games has confirmed players can pre-load the digital version of Grand Theft Auto 6 on November 10
• Code-in-box editions should be available in stores starting November 12
• The pre-load file will be "up to 212GB depending on your device"

Rockstar Games has announced the file size for Grand Theft Auto 6 and the dates for when players can pre-load the game depending on their edition.

In a new blog post, the studio confirmed that digital pre-loading on PlayStation 5 will begin nine days before the game's November 19 launch, on Tuesday, November 10 at midnight local time "in your respective time zone."

For Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, pre-loading begins globally on Tuesday, November 10 at 12AM GMT / 7PM EST / 6PM CST.

Meanwhile, code-in-box versions for both consoles should be available from retailers beginning November 12.

GTA 6 was speculated to be a massive game already due to its ambitious scale and impressive features, but Rockstar has officially confirmed that the pre-load file will be "up to 212 GB depending on your device."

"So make sure you've got ample space to begin pre-loading as soon as possible," the studio cautioned. Say goodbye to a fair few of your games if you want to install GTA 6.

In addition to the new details, Rockstar said it will be adding an official printable Grand Theft Auto 6 cover art poster and map of Leonida as a free digital download to the official site on November 19 for fans.

"A double-sided physical version of this poster will also be made available shortly after launch from the Rockstar Store — for $0.99 on its own or as a free gift with any purchase from the Rockstar Store," it added.

Rockstar recently released the cinematic GTA 6 launch trailer, which offers a deeper look into the game's story. Elsewhere, a new report claims the PC version could launch in early 2027.

• The Razer Raiju V3 Pro Signature Edition launches November 10 for $349.99 / €368.99
• The licensed PS5 controller features a magnesium alloy exoskeleton and an open polygonal top and back plate design with chamfered edges
• The controller is also optimized for PC and boasts "reliable precision, exceptional control, and blazing-fast speed"

Razer has announced the Raiju V3 Pro Signature Edition, a new version of its officially licensed PlayStation 5 controller built on a decade of experience for "the highest level of performance and craftsmanship."

Launching exclusively at Razer on November 10 for $349.99 / €368.99 in an initial limited release supply of 1,337 serialized units, the Raiju V3 Pro Signature Edition is Razer's "most ambitious" PS5 controller to date and combines materials chosen for "strength, durability, and finish."

The jet-black controller features a strong magnesium alloy exoskeleton, and the handles are wrapped in matte black textured TPU grip that resists oils and abrasion for a pristine finish for extended play sessions.

Layered over the touchpad, the Razer logo is laser-etched on a semi-transparent, tinted glass panel, which offers a subtle view of the open-air polygonal design underneath.

The Raiju V3 Pro Signature Edition also has an open polygonal top and back plate design with chamfered edges, and its nano coating leaves the internal elements exposed beneath the shell, keeping them safe from debris.

On top of that, the Razer controller boasts "reliable precision, exceptional control, and blazing-fast speed," which is achieved through its symmetrical thumbstick layout and contactless TMR thumbstick sensors for high-precision aim.

Built for PS5 consoles and optimized for PC with a 2,000Hz polling rate thanks to Razer HyperPolling Wireless for sharper movement and tracking, the controller also offers six mappable multi-function buttons, two claw-grip bumpers, and four mouse-click back buttons.

"With the Raiju V3 Pro Signature Edition, we set out to illustrate what happens when Razer’s engineering and design capabilities are pushed to their absolute limits," said Charlie Bolton, Razer's global head of design. "It draws on years of experience in high-performance controllers, delivering tournament-grade responsiveness in a design that feels like a statement piece in hand."

Each Razer Raiju V3 Pro Signature Edition offers a suite of premium accessories for customization, including a premium leather carrying case, alternative thumbstick caps, four swappable back button covers, an anodized aluminium back button replacement tool, a Razer HyperSpeed Wireless Dongle, and a USB Type-A to USB Type-C cable.

• Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 4 creative director Jan Theysen says the RTS game draws inspiration from Dawn of War 2 and 3's mechanics
• Theysen says, "There are definitely elements" in there from the first game, such as hero mechanics and UI features
• While core inspiration comes from the first Dawn of War, King Art felt it needed to find the right balance between old and more recent mechanics

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 4 creative director Jan Theysen has confirmed that while the upcoming game took core inspiration from the first Dawn of War, King Art also borrowed elements from Dawn of War 2 and 3.

In an interview with TechRadar Gaming, Theysen described how the game manifests the classic real-time strategy (RTS) experience of the 2004 game and that, when the studio was looking for a starting point, Dawn of War "was more this classic RTS with base building, with big battles" and its "north star" for inspiration.

The King Art co-founder also revealed that while Dawn of War was the basis for Dawn of War 4, the studio also took features from the second and third games and "there are definitely elements" in there such as hero mechanics and UI features.

"A lot of the hero stuff comes from Dawn of War 2, of course," Theysen said. "I mean, the heroes are not as powerful or not as important as they were in Dawn of War 2 or 3, but a lot of the upgrade mechanics and the different paths you can send your heroes down; you can optimize them in different ways and so on, like meteor range or stuff like that.

"There is definitely a lot of Dawn of War 2. I also think the look and feel is kind of maybe more Dawn of War 2 than it's Dawn of War 1. Dawn of War 3, we liked aspects of the UI, for example. So there are some elements like the unit cards at the bottom of the screen and so on. That is something that we, even for Iron Harvest or previous RTS [games], already took from Dawn of War 3."

Theysen's reasoning for borrowing from the sequels comes down to Dawn of War being over 20 years old, and King Art felt it needed to find the right balance between old and new.

"Dawn of War 1 is a great game, and I love it, but it's also over 20 years old," he added. "So stuff happened in between [game releases] and wherever it's possible, we want to get the best version. But what we also said was, when in doubt, if there's not a really strong argument to do something differently, then let's just do it."

Similar to what Relic Entertainment did with its Dawn of War sequels, Theysen said, "Just because there's no reason to change stuff, don't fix it when it's not broken."

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 4 launches on PC on December 3.

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,500 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today — or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #1744) — hint #1 — Vowels

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1744) — hint #2 — repeated letters

Quordle today (game #1744) — hint #3 — uncommon letters

Quordle today (game #1744) — hint #4 — starting letters (1)

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #1744) — hint #5 — starting letters (2)

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Quordle today (game #1744) — the answers

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1744, are…

• TRIAL
• STAID
• LEVEL
• BONUS

A tricky five-vowel game that I had an incorrect hunch would also include a rare letter.

Instead of a J for “jewel”, my old friend the letter V took a starring role for the far more everyday LEVEL.

Daily Sequence today (game #1744) — the answers

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1744, are…

• BLAND
• CLOSE
• MAMBO
• TODAY

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1743, Monday, 2 November: EXTRA, AMITY, LUPUS, EAGLE
• Quordle #1742, Sunday, 1 November: DROVE, PRIED, SHELL, BEGIN
• Quordle #1741, Saturday, 31 October: ANIME, SWARM, CHALK, RAJAH
• Quordle #1740, Friday, 30 October: ULCER, DIMLY, BRAIN, BEGUN
• Quordle #1739, Thursday, 29 October: PRUDE, MINUS, SAVOY, USHER
• Quordle #1738, Wednesday, 28 October: DEALT, FLUME, SLEEK, RELIC
• Quordle #1737, Tuesday, 27 October: ANKLE, HAVOC, SULKY, WHITE
• Quordle #1736, Monday, 26 October: ASSAY, GLEAM, MUCUS, WRING
• Quordle #1735, Sunday, 25 October: RAINY, BUSED, PROXY, UNDID
• Quordle #1734, Saturday, 24 October: TOXIN, SMART, MOUSE, STYLE
• Quordle #1733, Friday, 23 October: BLIMP, HOIST, FRIED, LURID
• Quordle #1732, Thursday, 22 October: DECAL, WIDTH, WOKEN, LEVER
• Quordle #1731, Wednesday, 21 October: MOIST, VALVE, VERSE, NORTH
• Quordle #1730, Tuesday, 20 October: COYLY, SAUNA, TRIAL, RASPY
• Quordle #1729, Monday, 19 October: EXIST, DECOY, HITCH, FLUID
• Quordle #1728, Sunday, 18 October: FLINT, FUROR, WEDGE, RODEO
• Quordle #1727, Saturday, 17 October: QUARK, ENEMY, SPASM, BLOCK
• Quordle #1726, Friday, 16 October: SHORT, WORTH, JOIST, SLUNK
• Quordle #1725, Thursday, 15 October: STALE, EPOCH, PIANO, CORNY
• Quordle #1724, Wednesday, 14 October: TIMID, GROUP, GRILL, EVERY

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #1241) - today's words

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• CARRY ON
• CHECK
• ROLLER BAG
• INTERVIEW
• RESUME
• PROFILE
• OFFICE CHAIR
• FOOD
• MENU
• SHOPPING CART
• CREDIT
• CONTINUE
• WHELP
• TAP WATER
• PROCEED
• STROLLER

NYT Connections today (game #1241) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: Move on
• GREEN: Movable items
• BLUE: What a waiter or waitress deliver to you
• PURPLE: Hidden computer words

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #1241) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: KEEP GOING
• GREEN: THINGS WITH WHEELS
• BLUE: THINGS A SERVER BRINGS AT A RESTAURANT
• PURPLE: ENDING IN MENU BAR HEADINGS

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #1241) - the answers

The answers to today's Connections, game #1241, are…

• YELLOW: KEEP GOING: CARRY ON, CONTINUE, PROCEED, RESUME
• GREEN: THINGS WITH WHEELS: OFFICE CHAIR, ROLLER BAG, SHOPPING CART, STROLLER
• BLUE: THINGS A SERVER BRINGS AT A RESTAURANT: CHECK, FOOD, MENU, TAP WATER
• PURPLE: ENDING IN MENU BAR HEADINGS: CREDIT, INTERVIEW, PROFILE, WHELP

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

I didn’t get the purple group and it took me a couple of reads before I understood that we were supposed to have seen edit, view, file and help at the end of CREDIT, INTERVIEW, PROFILE and WHELP — but congratulations if you spotted it.

Instead, I completed the categories in difficulty order for the second day in a row. I can only remember doing this once before and failing to complete a hat-trick, but I’ll give it a go tomorrow.

Meanwhile, THINGS A SERVER BRINGS AT A RESTAURANT was pleasing, because it confirmed my feeling that TAP WATER should always arrive at your table without you having to ask for it.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Monday, November 2, 2026, game #1240)

• YELLOW: THINGS TO BRING ON A TREK: BACKPACK, COMPASS, HIKING BOOTS, WATER BOTTLE
• GREEN: ANGER: INCENSE, NETTLE, PIQUE, WIND UP
• BLUE: MIST MAKERS: DRY ICE, FOG MACHINE, HUMIDIFIER, WATERFALL
• PURPLE: THINGS WITH MIRRORS: DISCO BALL, DRESSING ROOM, KALEIDOSCOPE, MEDICINE CABINET

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #975) - hint #1 - today's theme

NYT Strands today (game #975) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• CLAD
• CLOT
• TAILOR
• VITAL
• STOUT
• BEST

NYT Strands today (game #975) - hint #3 - spangram letters

NYT Strands today (game #975) - hint #4 - spangram position

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #975) - the answers

The answers to today's Strands, game #975, are…

• SINGER
• CROONER
• CHORISTER
• VOCALIST
• BALLADEER
• SPANGRAM: BELTITOUT

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 1 hint

SINGER seems the most obvious word to feature in the theme “I’ve got a song in my heart”, but embarrassingly I needed a hint to find it.

From here on in, I managed without help — although it did take me several attempts to tap out CHORISTER after finding the next most obvious word, CROONER.

Meanwhile, I have issues with the spangram BELTITOUT, as it’s terrible advice to those who can sing and encourages those who can’t that all that is required is the conviction that you can. My uncle Roger was one of these people and possibly the only person who has been banned from a pub for singing too loudly, something you’d think a pub would be used to.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Monday, November 2, game #974)

• CLIFF
• SNOW
• GLACIER
• PEAK
• RIDGE
• SADDLE
• SUMMIT
• SPANGRAM: MOUNTAINTOP

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,500 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today — or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #1743) — hint #1 — Vowels

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1743) — hint #2 — repeated letters

Quordle today (game #1743) — hint #3 — uncommon letters

Quordle today (game #1743) — hint #4 — starting letters (1)

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #1743) — hint #5 — starting letters (2)

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Quordle today (game #1743) — the answers

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1743, are…

• EXTRA
• AMITY
• LUPUS
• EAGLE

It didn’t take me very long to work out that my final word contained two letter Us, but I really struggled to stop thinking about humus and finally get to LUPUS.

This was also a game that featured the rare letter X, although deciding on EXTRA was fairly easy once the start and ending letters had been revealed.

Daily Sequence today (game #1743) — the answers

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1743, are…

• THIRD
• GOING
• SNAIL
• SOOTH

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1742, Sunday, 1 November: DROVE, PRIED, SHELL, BEGIN
• Quordle #1741, Saturday, 31 October: ANIME, SWARM, CHALK, RAJAH
• Quordle #1740, Friday, 30 October: ULCER, DIMLY, BRAIN, BEGUN
• Quordle #1739, Thursday, 29 October: PRUDE, MINUS, SAVOY, USHER
• Quordle #1738, Wednesday, 28 October: DEALT, FLUME, SLEEK, RELIC
• Quordle #1737, Tuesday, 27 October: ANKLE, HAVOC, SULKY, WHITE
• Quordle #1736, Monday, 26 October: ASSAY, GLEAM, MUCUS, WRING
• Quordle #1735, Sunday, 25 October: RAINY, BUSED, PROXY, UNDID
• Quordle #1734, Saturday, 24 October: TOXIN, SMART, MOUSE, STYLE
• Quordle #1733, Friday, 23 October: BLIMP, HOIST, FRIED, LURID
• Quordle #1732, Thursday, 22 October: DECAL, WIDTH, WOKEN, LEVER
• Quordle #1731, Wednesday, 21 October: MOIST, VALVE, VERSE, NORTH
• Quordle #1730, Tuesday, 20 October: COYLY, SAUNA, TRIAL, RASPY
• Quordle #1729, Monday, 19 October: EXIST, DECOY, HITCH, FLUID
• Quordle #1728, Sunday, 18 October: FLINT, FUROR, WEDGE, RODEO
• Quordle #1727, Saturday, 17 October: QUARK, ENEMY, SPASM, BLOCK
• Quordle #1726, Friday, 16 October: SHORT, WORTH, JOIST, SLUNK
• Quordle #1725, Thursday, 15 October: STALE, EPOCH, PIANO, CORNY
• Quordle #1724, Wednesday, 14 October: TIMID, GROUP, GRILL, EVERY
• Quordle #1723, Tuesday, 13 October: FLUFF, DEBUT, TEETH, STEIN

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #974) - hint #1 - today's theme

NYT Strands today (game #974) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• MULE
• FILE
• SNARE
• RACE
• TIME
• DATE

NYT Strands today (game #974) - hint #3 - spangram letters

NYT Strands today (game #974) - hint #4 - spangram position

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #974) - the answers

The answers to today's Strands, game #974, are…

• CLIFF
• SNOW
• GLACIER
• PEAK
• RIDGE
• SADDLE
• SUMMIT
• SPANGRAM: MOUNTAINTOP

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

I love how today’s spangram jaggedly rises from one corner to the other.

However, despite my enjoyment of some top-level Strands craft I still managed to miss out on spotting it. Instead, I began with the game’s two most obvious words in CLIFF and PEAK.

The closest I’ve got to a MOUNTAINTOP is snowmobiling on a GLACIER in Iceland — an experience that was both exciting and terrifying, not least the moment when our guide pointed out a 120ft-deep crevasse we were inches away from falling into. I’m still having the nightmares.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Sunday, November 1, game #973)

• SNOOZE
• SLEEP
• CATNAP
• DOZE
• SLUMBER
• DROWSE
• SPANGRAM: ZZZZZZZZ

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #1240) - today's words

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• MEDICINE CABINET
• COMPASS
• FOG MACHINE
• INCENSE
• WATERFALL
• DISCO BALL
• NETTLE
• HIKING BOOTS
• DRESSING ROOM
• DRY ICE
• WATER BOTTLE
• WIND UP
• PIQUE
• KALEIDOSCOPE
• HUMIDIFIER
• BACKPACK

NYT Connections today (game #1240) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: Equipment for a long walk
• GREEN: Raging
• BLUE: Wet not wet
• PURPLE: Watch your reflection

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #1240) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: THINGS TO BRING ON A TREK
• GREEN: ANGER
• BLUE: MIST MAKERS
• PURPLE: THINGS WITH MIRRORS

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #1240) - the answers

The answers to today's Connections, game #1240, are…

• YELLOW: THINGS TO BRING ON A TREK: BACKPACK, COMPASS, HIKING BOOTS, WATER BOTTLE
• GREEN: ANGER: INCENSE, NETTLE, PIQUE, WIND UP
• BLUE: MIST MAKERS: DRY ICE, FOG MACHINE, HUMIDIFIER, WATERFALL
• PURPLE: THINGS WITH MIRRORS: DISCO BALL, DRESSING ROOM, KALEIDOSCOPE, MEDICINE CABINET

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

A straightforward Connections puzzle to begin the week, without any word games, traps, trickery or cultural gaps.

As is often the case with these types of Connections games I got each group in difficulty order and was able to experience that little tingle of perfection, but also disappointment that I wasn’t smart enough to spot a fairly easy purple group.

Games this easy also make me suspicious that the NYT puzzle setters are merely giving our brains a day off in order to soften us up before a difficult run. Bring it on!

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Sunday, November 1, 2026, game #1239)

• YELLOW: KINDS OF TEETH: BICUSPID, CANINE, INCISOR, MOLAR
• GREEN: KINDS OF LOVE: BROTHERLY, PUPPY, SELF, UNREQUITED
• BLUE: ENTHUSIAST: FIEND, HEAD, HOUND, LOVER
• PURPLE: SYNONYMS FOR "SOAKED" WITH FIRST LETTER CHANGED: DOGGY, MATURATED, TRENCHED, TRIPPING

Back in 2000, Bandai Namco published the third game in the beloved Tales series, Tales of Eternia. It was received very well at launch, being praised for its high-octane action combat, charming cast, and humorous script — though the Western versions on the original PlayStation and PSP were held back by their omission of skits (character-driven dialogue scenes) and slightly subpar voice acting. But now, Tales of Eternia Remastered — developed by TOSE Co. — is here, aiming to remedy these issues and refine the game for a modern audience.

I’ve spent just north of 30 hours with Tales of Eternia Remastered, playing through the main story, completing side quests, and exploring the realms of Inferia and Celestia.

So, how effectively does this remaster bring a JRPG classic into the modern era? And is it truly worth playing? Here’s my verdict.

Gimme a Boost!

I’ll speak about the core Tales of Eternia experience in good time, but it only seems right to discuss the new stuff that this remaster brings to the table first.

Arguably the main thing is the inclusion of Boost Function. This enables you to tailor your experience to your specific wants and needs, with highlights including a random encounter toggle, difficulty options, an increased item capacity setting, and an EXP gain adjuster.

My personal favorite feature was the option to restore TP (which you consume when using skills) when camping, which made grinding feel a lot more fluid and easier to manage.

The Boost Function suite is filled to the brim, and really helps to make the title more approachable for newcomers. My only real complaint here is that I would’ve loved the option to map a function — such as disabling enemy encounters — to one of the buttons on my Nintendo Switch 2. Having to open the main menu, go into the Customize Section, and then the Boost Function felt a touch clunky.

There’s a lot more to uncover, though. For instance, you can switch between remastered and original graphics and sound effects, which is sure to satisfy newcomers and long-time fans.

The visual enhancements are relatively light overall. This isn’t a transformative overhaul, and some environments still look a little rough around the edges. But still, the remaster does illuminate some previously obscured details. As you can see in the images below, detailing on the statues is far more intricate, and foliage looks sharper in the remastered graphics mode. And while some may prefer the original pixel sprites, I think the remaster does a good job of cleaning them up a bit while keeping them faithful to the original artwork.

While we’re on the topic of visuals, I unfortunately have a complaint to make: the cutscenes look pretty poor. They’ve been placed into widescreen, and it looks as if a filter has been applied; the results are underwhelming — characters and backgrounds lack clarity and definition, laying bare the limitations of the original material.

That’s a nitpick, of course, and most elements of this remaster still hit the spot. For example, the newly recorded English voice acting is great, and each character’s personality shines through perfectly. Skits are finally here in the West, too, providing plenty of humorous and emotional moments when camping or resting.

Objective icons are also introduced, which point you in the direction of the main story objective or side quests. I really appreciated this, especially as I didn’t want to miss out on side content, but if you want to figure everything out for yourself, you can swiftly switch it off in the Customize menu.

An underrated classic, reborn

So, while it’s not flawless, the remaster of this title is solid overall and successfully makes this classic more palatable for modern audiences. But just how fun is the core game in the big 2026?

I’ll lay my cards on the table: I had a spectacular time with Tales of Eternia Remastered. This was actually my first time playing the game — after all, I wasn’t even born when it was initially released. In spite of that, there was something so nostalgic about it, the warm, charming world and excellent cast totally captured my attention, and I found myself pouring countless hours into the game every single day.

Something that stood out for me was the writing. Yes, the main narrative is nothing special — the world is in danger, and a group of young heroes needs to defy the odds to save everybody. But it’s the characters that make this experience so special.

For the most part, you'll spend your time with four key heroes. Reid is a reluctant protagonist who seems to be dragged into the chaos at every turn, Farah is a contemplative, complex young woman learning herself as the story unfolds, Keele is a stuck-up academic type who delivers some hilarious moments, and Meredy is a caring and curious foreign stranger who the crew slowly begins to understand in their quest to prevent disaster.

The cast isn’t weighed down by the tired tropes and lazy writing that a lot of JRPGs faced at the time, and each party member is highly memorable.

But how about the actual gameplay? Well, the combat is pretty unique. It manifests in the form of a fighter-RPG hybrid, with a large focus on reactive action-based commands. While the combat certainly takes some getting used to and the movement can feel a little janky at times, battling your foes feels incredibly addictive. Chaining Artes together to deliver devastating combos and tinkering with formations or skills to get past tough boss battles is highly rewarding, and even random encounters gave me huge satisfaction.

The game is undoubtedly challenging, but delivering a finishing blow makes your struggle feel worth it. And if you do fall to your foes, a retry battle option is at hand to dive right back into the action.

There’s not too much grinding required, either. I kept random encounters on for the vast majority of my playthrough, and that gave me plenty of experience for big boss fights. If you do want to grab some extra experience, though, you can switch Auto mode on and have your team fight for you, helping you avoid same-y skirmishes.

Outside of battle, things are decent too. You can explore the world for items and treasure to bolster your stats, venture into shops to grab stronger gear, and even take on a few minigames. Exploration is highly gratifying as well, and you’ll often find weapons that come in handy for specific areas or recipes that restore your HP or TP when you’re running low.

A small complaint I have, though, is that movement feels clunky in the overworld. You need to be very precise if you want to move diagonally, and dragging items like statues could feel a bit awkward at times. This is still a relatively minor issue overall, but in tighter areas, the old-school movement did cause me some minor frustration.

I also have to say that the minigames, in general, are pretty bad. They typically control fine, but don’t feel very fun to play at all. Luckily, you can skip these if you’d prefer, which I often did. It was cool to see mouse mode integration for minigames on Nintendo Switch 2, though, which worked a treat in my experience.

Speaking of my experience on Switch 2, let’s take a moment to talk about performance. Tales of Eternia Remastered runs in 4K when playing docked and 1080p in handheld, with smooth 60fps across both modes — perhaps to be expected for a less demanding title like this. I didn’t notice any technical hiccups or frame drops during my whole playthrough, so Switch 2 is certainly a top-tier destination for this remaster.

So let’s address those questions I posed in the intro. Is Tales of Eternia Remastered a worthy modern take on this classic entry? For me, the answer is yes.

Some things could’ve been better: the visual enhancements are relatively light, cutscenes look a bit underwhelming, and I would’ve liked a shortcut button for disabling enemy encounters. But the Boost Function provides so much flexibility, the new English dub is great, and the ability to retry battles in an instant keeps the game's pace feeling fast and fluid.

And at a core level, this is a great game with a lot to offer, in spite of a few dated elements. The combat, while very much of its time, remains fun and surprisingly strategic; the cast is highly memorable, with skits adding some welcome depth, and exploration is rewarding too.

All in all, I had a blast with Tales of Eternia Remastered, and JRPG fanatics are sure to find a lot to love here.

Should you play Tales of Eternia Remastered?

Play it if...

Don't play it if...

Accessibility features

There are a number of ways to customize your experience in Tales of Eternia Remastered. You can turn subtitles on or off, choose to auto-advance text, remap buttons to suit your preferences, and alter difficulty. While there’s no colorblind mode, in-game elements that previously required color-based identification have been redesigned around visual elements unrelated to color.

How I reviewed Tales of Eternia Remastered

I spent just over 30 hours with Tales of Eternia Remastered, during which time I played through the main story, completed a handful of side quests, and tried out all of the various Boost Function features.

For the most part, I played the game in docked mode, with my Nintendo Switch 2 hooked up to the Sky Glass Gen 2 TV and Marshall Heston 120 soundbar. However, I did dip into handheld mode from time to time, and used the Sennheiser CX 80U wired earbuds to enjoy in-game audio.

More generally, I’ve covered a huge array of games here at TechRadar, where I serve as a Senior Reviews Writer. I’ve reviewed a number of JRPGs, including Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter and Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake, as well as Switch 2 exclusives such as Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave and Nintendo Switch Sports Resort.

First reviewed October 2026

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,500 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today — or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #1742) — hint #1 — Vowels

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1742) — hint #2 — repeated letters

Quordle today (game #1742) — hint #3 — uncommon letters

Quordle today (game #1742) — hint #4 — starting letters (1)

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #1742) — hint #5 — starting letters (2)

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Quordle today (game #1742) — the answers

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1742, are…

• DROVE
• PRIED
• SHELL
• BEGIN

I’m glad I didn’t have many letters left after my wrong guess of “fried”.

Fortunately PRIED was the only option left — ironic considering that I almost entered the homophone pride, before realizing we had already ruled out a word ending in E after DROVE.

Daily Sequence today (game #1742) — the answers

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1742, are…

• SHARD
• GECKO
• DRESS
• TWEED

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1741, Saturday, 31 October: ANIME, SWARM, CHALK, RAJAH
• Quordle #1740, Friday, 30 October: ULCER, DIMLY, BRAIN, BEGUN
• Quordle #1739, Thursday, 29 October: PRUDE, MINUS, SAVOY, USHER
• Quordle #1738, Wednesday, 28 October: DEALT, FLUME, SLEEK, RELIC
• Quordle #1737, Tuesday, 27 October: ANKLE, HAVOC, SULKY, WHITE
• Quordle #1736, Monday, 26 October: ASSAY, GLEAM, MUCUS, WRING
• Quordle #1735, Sunday, 25 October: RAINY, BUSED, PROXY, UNDID
• Quordle #1734, Saturday, 24 October: TOXIN, SMART, MOUSE, STYLE
• Quordle #1733, Friday, 23 October: BLIMP, HOIST, FRIED, LURID
• Quordle #1732, Thursday, 22 October: DECAL, WIDTH, WOKEN, LEVER
• Quordle #1731, Wednesday, 21 October: MOIST, VALVE, VERSE, NORTH
• Quordle #1730, Tuesday, 20 October: COYLY, SAUNA, TRIAL, RASPY
• Quordle #1729, Monday, 19 October: EXIST, DECOY, HITCH, FLUID
• Quordle #1728, Sunday, 18 October: FLINT, FUROR, WEDGE, RODEO
• Quordle #1727, Saturday, 17 October: QUARK, ENEMY, SPASM, BLOCK
• Quordle #1726, Friday, 16 October: SHORT, WORTH, JOIST, SLUNK
• Quordle #1725, Thursday, 15 October: STALE, EPOCH, PIANO, CORNY
• Quordle #1724, Wednesday, 14 October: TIMID, GROUP, GRILL, EVERY
• Quordle #1723, Tuesday, 13 October: FLUFF, DEBUT, TEETH, STEIN
• Quordle #1722, Monday, 12 October: HELLO, BELOW, RIGHT, SLANT

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #1239) - today's words

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• HEAD
• TRIPPING
• CANINE
• LOVER
• DOGGY
• SELF
• MATURATED
• PUPPY
• HOUND
• INCISOR
• BROTHERLY
• BICUSPID
• UNREQUITED
• TRENCHED
• MOLAR
• FIEND

NYT Connections today (game #1239) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: Dental
• GREEN: Romance
• BLUE: Keen on things
• PURPLE: Sodden with something missing

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #1239) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: KINDS OF TEETH
• GREEN: KINDS OF LOVE
• BLUE: ENTHUSIAST
• PURPLE: SYNONYMS FOR "SOAKED" WITH FIRST LETTER CHANGED

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #1239) - the answers

The answers to today's Connections, game #1239, are…

• YELLOW: KINDS OF TEETH: BICUSPID, CANINE, INCISOR, MOLAR
• GREEN: KINDS OF LOVE: BROTHERLY, PUPPY, SELF, UNREQUITED
• BLUE: ENTHUSIAST: FIEND, HEAD, HOUND, LOVER
• PURPLE: SYNONYMS FOR "SOAKED" WITH FIRST LETTER CHANGED: DOGGY, MATURATED, TRENCHED, TRIPPING

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 1 mistake

Congratulations if you saw SYNONYMS FOR "SOAKED" WITH FIRST LETTER CHANGED and scored yourself a Purple First. Of all the different types of wordplay deployed in this game I find letters changing the hardest to spot.

Having said that, I struggle with basic groups too. Today I included HOUND in the collection of KINDS OF TEETH — I was thinking of the houndstooth checked pattern, obviously.

Thankfully, I redeemed myself after this minor slip up and collected the four synonyms for ENTHUSIST, of which HEAD is my favorite because you can stick it after anything to turn them into a hippy obsessive: "Yeah man, he was a real Connections head."

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Saturday, October 31, 2026, game #1238)

• YELLOW: WORDS MEANING GOOD THAT SOUND BAD: GNARLY, KILLER, SICK, WICKED
• GREEN: MARTINI SPECIFICATIONS: DIRTY, DRY, SHAKEN, UP
• BLUE: THINGS WITH STRINGS: GUITAR, MARIONETTE, TASSEL, TENNIS RACKET
• PURPLE: STARTING WITH DOG COMMANDS: DOWNFALL, SHAKESPEARE, SITCOM, STAYCATION

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #973) - hint #1 - today's theme

NYT Strands today (game #973) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• PEEL
• CASE
• RESET
• PAINT
• BRED
• SWORD

NYT Strands today (game #973) - hint #3 - spangram letters

NYT Strands today (game #973) - hint #4 - spangram position

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #973) - the answers

The answers to today's Strands, game #973, are…

• SNOOZE
• SLEEP
• CATNAP
• DOZE
• SLUMBER
• DROWSE
• SPANGRAM: ZZZZZZZZ

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

Has there ever been a spangram made up of the same letter before?

I am annoyed because I didn’t immediately spot it and score a Spangram First, although I did have the fleeting thought “there are a lot of Zs in today’s game” without realizing why.

The words of this puzzle remind me of Morrissey’s under-appreciated 2017 song Spent The Day In Bed, a jaunty anthem in celebration of skiving while others are striving that includes the typical Morrissey line “I'm not my type, but I love my bed”.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Saturday, October 31, game #972)

• TOOTHBRUSH
• FANGS
• RING
• CANDY
• APPLE
• STICKER
• SPANGRAM: TRICKORTREAT

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #1238) - today's words

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• STAYCATION
• GUITAR
• DIRTY
• KILLER
• SICK
• DOWNFALL
• SHAKEN
• UP
• TENNIS RACKET
• SHAKESPEARE
• WICKED
• TASSEL
• SITCOM
• MARIONETTE
• DRY
• GNARLY

NYT Connections today (game #1238) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: Confusing slang
• GREEN: Instructions for James Bond’s favorite cocktail
• BLUE: A twine in common
• PURPLE: Begin with canine control

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #1238) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: WORDS MEANING GOOD THAT SOUND BAD
• GREEN: MARTINI SPECIFICATIONS
• BLUE: THINGS WITH STRINGS
• PURPLE: STARTING WITH DOG COMMANDS

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #1238) - the answers

The answers to today's Connections, game #1238, are…

• YELLOW: WORDS MEANING GOOD THAT SOUND BAD: GNARLY, KILLER, SICK, WICKED
• GREEN: MARTINI SPECIFICATIONS: DIRTY, DRY, SHAKEN, UP
• BLUE: THINGS WITH STRINGS: GUITAR, MARIONETTE, TASSEL, TENNIS RACKET
• PURPLE: STARTING WITH DOG COMMANDS: DOWNFALL, SHAKESPEARE, SITCOM, STAYCATION

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 2 mistakes

I was on the right track with STARTING WITH DOG COMMANDS, as I saw the link between DOWNFALL, SITCOM and STAYCATION — but I thought KILLER was the fourth; something, in hindsight, that would take canine training to a whole new (and wrong) level.

After winning a Purple First for connecting the hardest group of the game, I made another error putting together the easiest/yellow group, including DIRTY among the WORDS MEANING GOOD THAT SOUND BAD.

After switching with GNARLY, another meaning for DIRTY came to mind and I was able to cobble together MARTINI SPECIFICATIONS.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Friday, October 30, 2026, game #1237)

• YELLOW: PARTS OF A CAMERA: FLASH, LENS, SHUTTER, VIEWFINDER
• GREEN: AROUND A THEATER STAGE: BACKDROP, CURTAIN, PIT, WINGS
• BLUE: THROW____: HANDS, PILLOW, RUG, SHADE
• PURPLE: FRUIT WITH FIRST LETTER CHANGED: DEMON, DRAPE, GLUM, GRANGE

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #972) - hint #1 - today's theme

NYT Strands today (game #972) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• STEAK
• FISH
• CITY
• SANDY
• PLAICE
• TRICK
• RICE

NYT Strands today (game #972) - hint #3 - spangram letters

NYT Strands today (game #972) - hint #4 - spangram position

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #972) - the answers

The answers to today's Strands, game #972, are…

• TOOTHBRUSH
• FANGS
• RING
• CANDY
• APPLE
• STICKER
• SPANGRAM: TRICKORTREAT

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

Without meaning to I collected the top three treats and then the bottom three treats — all neatly divided by the spangram.

The first word I spotted was TOOTHBRUSH, so I momentarily thought we could be looking for items that might make their way into a wash bag; my second word, FANGS, soon stopped that theory (as did today’s date!)

Here’s hoping you have a spooktacular Halloween.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Friday, October 30, game #971)

• JUICE
• ELECTRICITY
• POWER
• ENERGY
• SPARK
• CURRENT
• SPANGRAM: PLUGGEDIN

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,500 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today — or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #1741) — hint #1 — Vowels

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1741) — hint #2 — repeated letters

Quordle today (game #1741) — hint #3 — uncommon letters

Quordle today (game #1741) — hint #4 — starting letters (1)

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #1741) — hint #5 — starting letters (2)

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Quordle today (game #1741) — the answers

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1741, are…

• ANIME
• SWARM
• CHALK
• RAJAH

A very rare appearance from the letter J in the middle of a word, today.

If it wasn’t for the letter H, I probably would have guessed “ragga” first but although it felt risky I couldn’t think of anything other than RAJAH.

Daily Sequence today (game #1741) — the answers

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1741, are…

• WARTY
• CASTE
• SUGAR
• FLUNK

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1740, Friday, 30 October: ULCER, DIMLY, BRAIN, BEGUN
• Quordle #1739, Thursday, 29 October: PRUDE, MINUS, SAVOY, USHER
• Quordle #1738, Wednesday, 28 October: DEALT, FLUME, SLEEK, RELIC
• Quordle #1737, Tuesday, 27 October: ANKLE, HAVOC, SULKY, WHITE
• Quordle #1736, Monday, 26 October: ASSAY, GLEAM, MUCUS, WRING
• Quordle #1735, Sunday, 25 October: RAINY, BUSED, PROXY, UNDID
• Quordle #1734, Saturday, 24 October: TOXIN, SMART, MOUSE, STYLE
• Quordle #1733, Friday, 23 October: BLIMP, HOIST, FRIED, LURID
• Quordle #1732, Thursday, 22 October: DECAL, WIDTH, WOKEN, LEVER
• Quordle #1731, Wednesday, 21 October: MOIST, VALVE, VERSE, NORTH
• Quordle #1730, Tuesday, 20 October: COYLY, SAUNA, TRIAL, RASPY
• Quordle #1729, Monday, 19 October: EXIST, DECOY, HITCH, FLUID
• Quordle #1728, Sunday, 18 October: FLINT, FUROR, WEDGE, RODEO
• Quordle #1727, Saturday, 17 October: QUARK, ENEMY, SPASM, BLOCK
• Quordle #1726, Friday, 16 October: SHORT, WORTH, JOIST, SLUNK
• Quordle #1725, Thursday, 15 October: STALE, EPOCH, PIANO, CORNY
• Quordle #1724, Wednesday, 14 October: TIMID, GROUP, GRILL, EVERY
• Quordle #1723, Tuesday, 13 October: FLUFF, DEBUT, TEETH, STEIN
• Quordle #1722, Monday, 12 October: HELLO, BELOW, RIGHT, SLANT
• Quordle #1721, Sunday, 11 October: LILAC, INLET, TRIAD, SHAPE

There are only so many ways I can say how good the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite is, but perhaps the simplest way is the best: it is the greatest gaming headset I have ever tested and reviewed.

Yup, it still looks very familiar, and very SteelSeries Arctis on the outside, but this headset is like no other in the brand's lineup, or the wider market. Everything, every minute detail, has had time and consideration poured into it, and it really is the fullest realization of what a gaming headset can be, and a natural winner at the TechRadar Product of the Year Awards 2026.

First and foremost, as I laid out in my full SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite review, it's got that brilliant out-of-the-box SteelSeries audio — but not quite as we all know it. The brand-new custom-made carbon fiber audio driver, held in place by a brass surround ring, makes for a different, but still breathtaking, flavor.

Combine that SteelSeries Arctis tuning with the new hardware combination, and you get unbelievable immersion, supremely accurate sound reproduction of anything and everything, and excellently rich and detailed certified Hi-Res Audio for a wireless gaming headset.

While I could talk about the audio alone for ages, the Elite backs up its brilliant sound with a faultless feature set.

Firstly, building on the brilliant DAC unit the Arctis Nova Pro headsets introduced, the Elite's GameHub with OmniPlay means you can be connected to every platform type, basically simultaneously.

It's fabulous. Utilizing this, as well as the headset's Bluetooth connection, you can actually connect to up to four different sources, and mix and listen to them altogether. You might never need four, but being connected to my console and PC, and having Bluetooth on to take phone calls, has been really useful for me.

You've got two different microphone modes (a retractable boom, which is fantastic quality, and built-in ones for convenience), the 'infinite' battery supply due to a spare being charged in the GameHub all the time, and a host of EQ and other controls in the GameHub.

The Nova Elite feels fantastically premium, and joyous to wear and use. The cold-rolled steel and aluminum materials are superb, the leatherette cushions are sublime, the metallic volume wheel is a tiny but glorious touch, and every button and material finish feels worthy of the headset's lofty price tag.

Other headsets might tickle different fancies, or appeal to different priorities that folks might have; but for anyone looking for a premium, do-it-all headset for all of their devices that excels in every way, it has to be the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite. You simply will not find a better headset offering the same combination of design, features and audio quality. Buy it, and you will never look back.

• PS5 Bazzite Deck is a new spin on this gaming-focused version of Linux
• It allows you to boot your PS5 to a Steam Deck interface and play PC games
• You need to jailbreak your Sony console to run it (via the PS5 Linux loader), and that's a risky path to take for a number of reasons

Don't want to fork out all that cash for a Steam Machine? If you've got a PS5, you could turn it into a spin on Valve's gaming PC thanks to a custom version of a Linux distro — although the major catch is you'll need to jailbreak your console.

TechPowerUp noticed the PS5 Bazzite Deck project on GitHub, which takes this flavor of the gaming-focused Bazzite distro and adapts it for Sony's console. (Bazzite Deck is different from vanilla Bazzite, as it was built specifically for handhelds to offer an experience similar to SteamOS for the likes of the Asus ROG Ally — but without some of the headaches of running Valve's OS on that portable).

When PS5 Bazzite Deck is run on a jailbroken console, it'll boot straight into the Steam Deck interface (Steam Gaming Mode), and you can play your PC games from there.

You don't need to install the PS5 Bazzite Deck OS, either; you can just run it from a USB stick (via the PS5 Linux loader). As the developer VivaLaVent explains, when you next restart the PS5, it'll boot its own operating system again, and you'll be back at Sony's welcome hub.

So the PS5 isn't modified by running this OS as such, except for the fact that you have to jailbreak the console (then run the PS5 Linux Loader).

This project is compatible with the base PS5 and PS5 Pro consoles, and you can also switch to a desktop mode running KDE Plasma on your PS5, should you wish.

Of course, game compatibility is going to be hit-and-miss, although a gamer on Reddit observed that they've successfully run Horizon Zero Dawn, Palworld, Genshin Impact, and Rimworld — although Marvel Rivals was a non-starter.

Analysis: interesting times

I should make it very clear up front that I wouldn't recommend jailbreaking your console even as an experiment. There are potential legal ramifications (depending on where you live) with doing so, the possibility of Sony banning your account, and a whole raft of risks (including the third-party software involved, of course). So, if you do want to turn your PS5 into a take on a Steam Machine in this way, proceed at your own risk.

That said, there's an increasing amount of activity around getting the PS5 to run PC games, as you might have seen, so clearly this is something that quite a few gamers are interested in. Most notably, we've seen Playden, which is a very different way of running PC titles on a PS5, by using a compatibility layer (a custom port of Wine) to pull this off. PS5 Bazzite Deck differs in that it replaces the entire OS with a new one, as opposed to running on top of Sony's system.

By all accounts, PS5 Bazzite Deck is pretty slick. One Redditor shares their experience: "I've been using this distro for 4 days, and WOW! Seriously, it's way better than the others. There are constant updates that bring bug fixes."

The DualSense controller support is also niftily implemented by all accounts, as you can pair to both Linux and the PS5 system (saving you from unpairing when switching between the two). The controller's touchpad works like a mouse on the PS5 Bazzite Deck, and seemingly waking from sleep takes only two seconds (much faster than the PS5's normal wake time).

Another gamer on Reddit declares: "If the PS5 turns out to have been the perfect Steam Machine all along, it would be so funny."

But I refer you back to my previous advice on jailbreaking (and game compatibility). Still, this kind of modding is attention-grabbing, to say the least, and we're also seeing it in reverse, with a breakneck pace of development for PS5 emulation on the PC (very much accelerated by the use of AI, it's worth noting).

That effort is, of course, generating a ton of interest given that GTA 6 is nearly here, and indeed there are theories floating around that the work on that PS5 emulator could force Rockstar to launch the PC port much earlier than intended (before an emulated version is up and running). The rumor mill reckons we could see the PC version of GTA 6 early in 2027 as a result.

I’ve been playing Final Fantasy Resonance for the past few weeks, and it is a delightful love letter to the Final Fantasy series — a beautiful turn-based role-playing game (RPG) that blends new and old across its gameplay and aesthetics to create an adventure I have adored every second of.

While it might have its roots in a now defunct mobile gacha game — Brave Exvius — don’t hold that against it. The only holdover is the core story. Everything else, from the gameplay to the wide world map to explore to the visual style, has been overhauled — the pay-to-play elements are gone too; all unlocks are completely free

The end result of this total rebuild is a classic-feeling RPG that is somehow just as at home among 2026’s gaming lineup as it would have been among one from decades ago.

There are some tweaks I’d make here and there: mostly to Visions, and to the story that’s a little predictable, but neither of these issues has sapped the joy from what is easily among the best Nintendo Switch 2 games I’ve played this year (it’s also releasing on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PS5 and PC).

Back to basics

After spending decades finding ways to mix up the turn-based action it popularized, Final Fantasy Resonance returns the series to a much more classic interpretation of it. When it’s their turn to act your party and enemies get to make a basic Attack, spend MP to perform some kind of special Skill action like casting a spell, Summon a powerful esper to fight by their side, or use an item from the party’s bag — with the order characters go determined by their speed.

It facilitates a slower and more tactical approach to engaging enemies than the action-focused gameplay of more modern Final Fantasy entries, which pairs nicely with Resonance’s less traditional combat mechanic: Stagger.

Dealing enough damage to your foes that’s a flavour they’re weak to will fill their meter and Stagger them — they’ll lose their go that turn if they haven’t acted yet, will take more damage until the next round, and whoever staggered them will get a second action.

If you Stagger every enemy at once, you enter a Sweeping Stagger — your whole party will get a second action, and you’ll be able to deliver a powerful Resonance attack. This sees one of your equipped Visions rush forward to deliver a cinematic finishing blow — showcased by a 3D cinematic that briefly takes you out of the game’s HD-2D style.

Resonance isn't just Final Fantasy meets Octopath Traveler. It might seem that way based on my description so far — seeing as it borrows Octopath’s visual identity and a core aspect of the series’ Break and Boost system

But besides the nuances of Resonance’s Stagger system, which make it different from what Octopath offers, you’ll also find this game’s plot is quintessential Final Fantasy — more on that in a moment — and it takes a different approach with its Job / Class system through Visions. They feel more like weapons you swap in and out than a Class you’ll want to perfect and stick with.

Visions are (mostly) manifestations of the core Final Fantasy games’ protagonists which aid your party in combat: performing the Resonance attacks I mentioned earlier, but also unlocking a separate list of actions and abilities for the party member they’re equipped to. Most skills you’ll only have access to while the Vision is actively deployed, but there are also permanent unlocks to earn by mastering a Vision — letting you mix and match aspects of Visions on a single party member to craft your ideal champion.

As I mentioned, this will feel a lot like Jobs from other Square Enix titles, but because so much of a Vision’s identity is lost from your character when you unequip it — most permanent Mastery unlocks are more generic, yet still useful, abilities like improving stats — I’ve found it better to see Visions as Equipment. Before entering a tough fight, you might want to swap out your loadout to best suit the challenge ahead — such as equipping your party with water attack dealers when facing off against a fiery foe.

A medley or overstuffed buffet?

Taking everything I’ve said so far, you might fear Final Fantasy Resonance would turn out to be a mess.

It combines aspects of several games (Octopath Traveler, Brave Exvius, and classic Final Fantasy). It jumps between 3D and HD-2D visuals across different cinematics. There’s just over two dozen Visions to master, each their own skills to augment the base abilities your party develops. You can call forth powerful Summons to deal even more damage to your foes. There’s a giant map to explore, bursting with secrets to discover in every corner. There are main quests and side missions to complete over tens of hours, as well as secret boss fights and a coliseum to become the champion of.

It’s a lot, yet Final Fantasy Resonance never felt like a mess.

Square Enix shows a mastery of the HD-2D art style. The world's environments are stunning, character sprites are expressive, and there are some amazing 2D spectacle across the game’s cutscenes and attack animations. The animatics feel fan-made in a good way — full of expression, and getting as much as possible from the medium.

The flashes of 3D work surprisingly well to augment special moments. Rather than feeling incongruous, the 3D Vision Resonance attack and Esper Summon cinematics give these abilities an appropriately otherworldly aspect.

Games which let you throw everything and the kitchen sink at your enemies have a habit of feeling too easy. However, playing on Expert difficulty, I found fights (especially boss fights) were a challenge — one I could overcome, but not without playing tactically. Button mashing and praying won’t save you here.

These different abilities also built up gradually over time. This let me get to grips with systems before some new aspect was thrown into the mix.

And when the gameplay is so engaging, and the visuals so beautiful, I had no problem adventuring back and forth to complete side quests and seek out every secret hiding in the world.

Close to perfection

If I must find fault with Final Fantasy Resonance, it would be in two areas.

The first is that while I love a lot of the Visions system, it struggles for much of the mid-game because it focuses too much on the main Final Fantasy protagonists who are (let’s face it) pretty samey. This is showcased by the fact that the majority of them are classified as Commando or Breaker types.

The precise builds and abilities do change, but for example there aren’t many supportive Healers amongst them — meaning building out a dedicated support character in your party is a little tough at times as you’ll either need to stick with a Vision you’ve mastered, or accept your party will be multi-classing early on.

Given how useful some Mastery abilities are, you’ll want to multiclass to some extent (Tronn’s ability to halve MP costs is one you need to unlock for as many characters as possible as soon as possible), but given the game says the Vision system offers you the freedom to customize the party however you want, I was a little disappointed that the reality doesn’t quite match this.

Secondly, I’d say the plot is Final Fantasy in its purest form. There are crystals, war between ancient mystical powers and new age technology, sacrifice for the greater good, twists and turns that reveal secrets about the characters’ and the world’s past, and an awful lot else that is a little cliché.

The story is certainly good enough to keep me engaged; it's just nothing special.

Though as I’ve said, neither of these gripes kept me from adoring Final Fantasy Resonance. Every time I sat down to write this review I had to force myself to not reach over for my Nintendo Switch 2 to play another five minutes — and like any good game my attempts to set time limits on myself never succeeded in keeping my play sessions shorter than a few hours at a time.

While it is available on several consoles and PC, my Nintendo Switch 2 has been superb. If you have a choice, this is where I’d recommend playing, as it runs so smoothly, it’s easy to chip away at quests while on the go, and you can still enjoy a beautiful big-picture experience when the handheld is docked.

Should you play Final Fantasy Resonance?

Play it if…

Don’t play it if…

Accessibility features

Besides the features built into your console of choice, Final Fantasy Resonance has no accessibility features baked into it.

However, as a turn-based RPG, gameplay can be as slow as you need. It doesn't matter if you take five seconds, five minutes, or five hours to lock in an action, and unlike games such as Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, there are no active parry or dodge mechanics that require precise timing on the player's part.

How I reviewed Final Fantasy Resonance

I reviewed Final Fantasy Resonance for around 30 hours on my Nintendo Switch 2. Predominantly, this was with base system hardware in handheld mode — plugging away on trips, my commute, and while relaxing on the couch — but I did experience the big-screen docked mode for several hours on my 4K Fire TV (relying on an 8BitDo Ultimate 2 controller for inputs).

In all modes, the game ran smoothly, and I never regretted my decision to play the game on the least powerful system it’s launching on.

First reviewed October 2026

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,500 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today — or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #1740) — hint #1 — Vowels

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1740) — hint #2 — repeated letters

Quordle today (game #1740) — hint #3 — uncommon letters

Quordle today (game #1740) — hint #4 — starting letters (1)

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #1740) — hint #5 — starting letters (2)

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Quordle today (game #1740) — the answers

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1740, are…

• ULCER
• DIMLY
• BRAIN
• BEGUN

My fear that the week would end with a difficult game proved unfounded.

Fortunately, the only roadblock was guessing “dilly”, but a lack of alternatives made getting to DIMLY an easy task.

Daily Sequence today (game #1740) — the answers

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1740, are…

• BEADY
• SIXTH
• THROB
• TWEAK

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1739, Thursday, 29 October: PRUDE, MINUS, SAVOY, USHER
• Quordle #1738, Wednesday, 28 October: DEALT, FLUME, SLEEK, RELIC
• Quordle #1737, Tuesday, 27 October: ANKLE, HAVOC, SULKY, WHITE
• Quordle #1736, Monday, 26 October: ASSAY, GLEAM, MUCUS, WRING
• Quordle #1735, Sunday, 25 October: RAINY, BUSED, PROXY, UNDID
• Quordle #1734, Saturday, 24 October: TOXIN, SMART, MOUSE, STYLE
• Quordle #1733, Friday, 23 October: BLIMP, HOIST, FRIED, LURID
• Quordle #1732, Thursday, 22 October: DECAL, WIDTH, WOKEN, LEVER
• Quordle #1731, Wednesday, 21 October: MOIST, VALVE, VERSE, NORTH
• Quordle #1730, Tuesday, 20 October: COYLY, SAUNA, TRIAL, RASPY
• Quordle #1729, Monday, 19 October: EXIST, DECOY, HITCH, FLUID
• Quordle #1728, Sunday, 18 October: FLINT, FUROR, WEDGE, RODEO
• Quordle #1727, Saturday, 17 October: QUARK, ENEMY, SPASM, BLOCK
• Quordle #1726, Friday, 16 October: SHORT, WORTH, JOIST, SLUNK
• Quordle #1725, Thursday, 15 October: STALE, EPOCH, PIANO, CORNY
• Quordle #1724, Wednesday, 14 October: TIMID, GROUP, GRILL, EVERY
• Quordle #1723, Tuesday, 13 October: FLUFF, DEBUT, TEETH, STEIN
• Quordle #1722, Monday, 12 October: HELLO, BELOW, RIGHT, SLANT
• Quordle #1721, Sunday, 11 October: LILAC, INLET, TRIAD, SHAPE
• Quordle #1720, Saturday, 10 October: SWEAT, THIRD, RURAL, CLASP

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #1237) - today's words

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• DEMON
• PIT
• HANDS
• WINGS
• SHUTTER
• GLUM
• CURTAIN
• SHADE
• DRAPE
• FLASH
• RUG
• GRANGE
• LENS
• PILLOW
• BACKDROP
• VIEWFINDER

NYT Connections today (game #1237) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: Bits required for a snapshot
• GREEN: Found on Broadway
• BLUE: A word that rhymes with “glow” in common
• PURPLE: Altered food

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #1237) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: PARTS OF A CAMERA
• GREEN: AROUND A THEATER STAGE
• BLUE: THROW____
• PURPLE: FRUIT WITH FIRST LETTER CHANGED

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #1237) - the answers

The answers to today's Connections, game #1237, are…

• YELLOW: PARTS OF A CAMERA: FLASH, LENS, SHUTTER, VIEWFINDER
• GREEN: AROUND A THEATER STAGE: BACKDROP, CURTAIN, PIT, WINGS
• BLUE: THROW____: HANDS, PILLOW, RUG, SHADE
• PURPLE: FRUIT WITH FIRST LETTER CHANGED: DEMON, DRAPE, GLUM, GRANGE

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 2 mistakes

I got confused by home furnishings twice in this game.

The first time I was thinking that I was collecting a group of things you’d put around a window — SHADE, CURTAIN, SHUTTER, DRAPE. Then later on, things you’d use to dress up a room: RUG, THROW, DRAPE and PILLOW.

Fortunately, on both occasions I was able to recover and put some actual groups together, but it was all a bit of a struggle.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Thursday, October 29, 2026, game #1236)

• YELLOW: THINGS YOU PUT COINS INTO: PARKING METER, PAYPHONE, PIGGY BANK, WISHING WELL
• GREEN: ASSOCIATED WITH PENGUINS: ANTARCTICA, EMPEROR, TUXEDO, WADDLE
• BLUE: ENDS OF FAMOUS FONTS: GOTHIC, ROMAN, SANS, TYPEWRITER
• PURPLE: THINGS THAT FEATURE THREE COLORS: CALICO, CANDY CORN, NEAPOLITAN, TRAFFIC LIGHT

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #971) - hint #1 - today's theme

NYT Strands today (game #971) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• JUGGLE
• CITY
• LUCK
• DICE
• GLUE
• TARP

NYT Strands today (game #971) - hint #3 - spangram letters

NYT Strands today (game #971) - hint #4 - spangram position

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #971) - the answers

The answers to today's Strands, game #971, are…

• JUICE
• ELECTRICITY
• POWER
• ENERGY
• SPARK
• CURRENT
• SPANGRAM: PLUGGEDIN

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

As nice as it is to be congratulated for completing a round without the need of any hints, missing out on a Spangram First makes it far from perfect — especially when you've spotted it immediately after the first game word.

The reason for my Spangram blindness was a rare outing for the letter J, something that is rarely seen on the Strands board, making JUICE impossible to resist connecting.

From here on it was low-wattage fare with little to, erm, get the brain fired up.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Thursday, October 29, game #970)

• WORM
• FIRE
• TONGUE
• SNAKE
• NEWT
• BUBBLE
• LIZARD
• BLOOD
• SPANGRAM: CAULDRON

• The next Hitman Elusive Target has been revealed
• The limited-time mission will see Agent 47 taking down an annoying podcaster
• The target will be played by real-world content creator Seán McLoughlin

The next Hitman Elusive Target has been revealed, and it's something that could happen in 2026.

As of October 29, players will be able to take out Finn Colton – a controversial millionaire content creator who goes by the online handle 'Finnvictus'. The mission will see the flashy mansion of the existing Hawke's Bay map turned into an even more elaborate space for content creation, with its own underground studio and cameras that live-stream everything 24/7.

Bald assassin protagonist Agent 47 has managed to gain entry thanks to an invite to appear on the content creator's flagship podcast and will have to contend with an environment that has eyes almost everywhere.

That's not all, however, as Colton is played by Seán McLoughlin, better known as 'Jacksepticeye', with the popular streamer lending both his likeness and voice to the character.

"I’ve been playing Hitman with my community for years, so getting to actually step into the World of Assassination is unreal," shared McLoughlin.

"Finn is loud, paranoid, and completely obsessed with content, and playing him was an absolute blast. I can’t wait to see all the creative ways you take him down."

The mission will be available for free for a limited time, though die-hard Hitman fans can pick up a themed DLC pack as well. It costs $7.99 / £6.99 and includes permanent access to the mission via the Elusive Target Arcade mode plus a new suit and some unique equipment to try.

Hitman: World of Assassination is available now for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X and Series S, Xbox One, and PC, or as Hitman World of Assassination – Signature Edition for Nintendo Switch 2.

Nintendo officially increased the price of its Switch 2 console in September from AU$699.95 to AU$769.95 due to “various market conditions”, no doubt caused by increasing component costs driven by AI-driven shortages.

If you missed out before the price increased, and now feel the new price has put you off from buying a Switch 2, I don’t blame you — but if you also happen to be in the market for a new smartphone, then have I found the deal for you.

For a limited time, JB Hi-Fi is throwing in a free Nintendo Switch 2 with every purchase of either a Google Pixel 11 Pro or Pro XL handset, a saving of AU$769.95!

I’ve not seen many discounts on the Switch 2 since its September price hike, and I’ve certainly never seen one being given away for free. That fact alone should give this deal plenty of appeal, but when you consider the recent game releases for the console, there’s plenty more to get excited about.

Yes, with a slew of first-party and exclusive releases from this year like Star Fox, Donkey Kong Bonanza, Pokémon Pokopia and more, as well as upcoming titles like Metroid Ravenous, Pokémon Winds and Waves and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake, you’re not exactly short of options for engaging gaming potential.

Our Nintendo Switch 2 review gave the console 4.5 stars, confidently claiming it to be a massive upgrade over its predecessor. The headline improvements include support for 4K and 1440p resolutions (vs up to 1080p), a 120Hz refresh rate (up from 60Hz) and overall performance improvements with an Nvidia Tegra T239 processor, 12GB of RAM (vs 4GB) and starting storage of 256GB.

And let’s not take the attention away from the Pixel phones included in this offer. The Google Pixel 11 Pro and Pixel 11 Pro XL each received 4 out of five stars in their respective reviews, with both delivering battery improvements and better AI performance from the new Tensor G6 chipset, improved cameras, brighter screens and lighter and slimmer chassis. The Pro XL has also earned a spot among the best phones you can buy in Australia.

Securing either of these top-performing devices on their own is always going to be a wise move. When you get one of them included for free, then it practically becomes a no-brainer.

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,500 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today — or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #1739) — hint #1 — Vowels

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1739) — hint #2 — repeated letters

Quordle today (game #1739) — hint #3 — uncommon letters

Quordle today (game #1739) — hint #4 — starting letters (1)

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #1739) — hint #5 — starting letters (2)

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Quordle today (game #1739) — the answers

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1739, are…

• PRUDE
• MINUS
• SAVOY
• USHER

Once I decided I had a word ending in S-U-S my first thought was “sinus”.

Fortunately, due to my starter word of “slate” I had already ruled out any other words (after SAVOY) beginning with S, so it had to be MINUS.

This was just one of many things that seemed to work in my favor today, all of which makes me suspect a dastardly game tomorrow.

Daily Sequence today (game #1739) — the answers

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1739, are…

• SCOLD
• DELTA
• ACORN
• PLAID

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1738, Wednesday, 28 October: DEALT, FLUME, SLEEK, RELIC
• Quordle #1737, Tuesday, 27 October: ANKLE, HAVOC, SULKY, WHITE
• Quordle #1736, Monday, 26 October: ASSAY, GLEAM, MUCUS, WRING
• Quordle #1735, Sunday, 25 October: RAINY, BUSED, PROXY, UNDID
• Quordle #1734, Saturday, 24 October: TOXIN, SMART, MOUSE, STYLE
• Quordle #1733, Friday, 23 October: BLIMP, HOIST, FRIED, LURID
• Quordle #1732, Thursday, 22 October: DECAL, WIDTH, WOKEN, LEVER
• Quordle #1731, Wednesday, 21 October: MOIST, VALVE, VERSE, NORTH
• Quordle #1730, Tuesday, 20 October: COYLY, SAUNA, TRIAL, RASPY
• Quordle #1729, Monday, 19 October: EXIST, DECOY, HITCH, FLUID
• Quordle #1728, Sunday, 18 October: FLINT, FUROR, WEDGE, RODEO
• Quordle #1727, Saturday, 17 October: QUARK, ENEMY, SPASM, BLOCK
• Quordle #1726, Friday, 16 October: SHORT, WORTH, JOIST, SLUNK
• Quordle #1725, Thursday, 15 October: STALE, EPOCH, PIANO, CORNY
• Quordle #1724, Wednesday, 14 October: TIMID, GROUP, GRILL, EVERY
• Quordle #1723, Tuesday, 13 October: FLUFF, DEBUT, TEETH, STEIN
• Quordle #1722, Monday, 12 October: HELLO, BELOW, RIGHT, SLANT
• Quordle #1721, Sunday, 11 October: LILAC, INLET, TRIAD, SHAPE
• Quordle #1720, Saturday, 10 October: SWEAT, THIRD, RURAL, CLASP
• Quordle #1719, Friday, 9 October: OLDEN, DUNCE, SWATH, HILLY

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #1236) - today's words

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• TUXEDO
• TRAFFIC LIGHT
• ROMAN
• EMPEROR
• PARKING METER
• CANDY CORN
• NEAPOLITAN
• PIGGY BANK
• TYPEWRITER
• WISHING WELL
• GOTHIC
• ANTARCTICA
• CALICO
• WADDLE
• SANS
• PAYPHONE

NYT Connections today (game #1236) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: Insert cash in these
• GREEN: All linked to a non-flying bird
• BLUE: Type with missing words
• PURPLE: Triple shade

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #1236) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: THINGS YOU PUT COINS INTO
• GREEN: ASSOCIATED WITH PENGUINS
• BLUE: ENDS OF FAMOUS FONTS
• PURPLE: THINGS THAT FEATURE THREE COLORS

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #1236) - the answers

The answers to today's Connections, game #1236, are…

• YELLOW: THINGS YOU PUT COINS INTO: PARKING METER, PAYPHONE, PIGGY BANK, WISHING WELL
• GREEN: ASSOCIATED WITH PENGUINS: ANTARCTICA, EMPEROR, TUXEDO, WADDLE
• BLUE: ENDS OF FAMOUS FONTS: GOTHIC, ROMAN, SANS, TYPEWRITER
• PURPLE: THINGS THAT FEATURE THREE COLORS: CALICO, CANDY CORN, NEAPOLITAN, TRAFFIC LIGHT

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 1 mistake

When I was a full-time journalist, I was a peak procrastinator and would often spend ages choosing the exact font for an article instead of just sticking with one (I think it may be apparent here why I am a former full-time journalist).

I came to peace with it in the end and considered it part of the thinking process — but it also meant that the tiles SANS, ROMAN, TYPEWRITER and GOTHIC immediately jumped out at me. Not that I’d ever write anything using Comic Sans of course (people have been sentenced to prison for less).

From here I thought I spotted four types of penguins and included CALICO instead of WADDLE because I had some vague memory of Calico penguins when I should have been thinking of Calico cats. Anyway, no harm done as I got them with the next go and escaped with just one mistake.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Wednesday, October 28, 2026, game #1235)

• YELLOW: ROMANTIC LIKING: ATTRACTION, CRUSH, FEELINGS, INTEREST
• GREEN: COMPONENTS OF AN EMAIL: ATTACHMENT, BODY, SIGNATURE, SUBJECT
• BLUE: NASA MARS ROVERS: CURIOSITY, OPPORTUNITY, PERSEVERANCE, SPIRIT
• PURPLE: HOMOPHONES OF PATHS: COARSE, RODE, ROUT, WEIGH