“Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” star Zac Affleck fired back at viral criticism over his beef with co-star Whitney Leavitt, claiming many of the storylines in Season 4 were created by production.

“The whole narrative of Whitney letting us stay over at her house, it’s just not true,” Zac said in a recent TikTok Live.

“It’s not a big deal though, that wasn’t her fault. That was the storyline.”

“We had our own home the whole time,” he continued, referring to him and wife Jen Affleck moving their family from Utah to Los Angeles so that she could compete on Season 34 of “Dancing With the Stars” alongside Leavitt.

“We showed up, unpacked the U-Haul for the cameras, repacked it and went back to our own house.”

Zac then addressed his and Leavitt’s blowout fight in the Season 4 finale of “SLOMW.” In the scene, he ambushed Leavitt by showing up “in Jen’s place” after the former friends planned to meet up and talk about issues that arose while competing against each other on “DWTS.”

According to Zac, he was “asked to do that the day of by someone other than Jen,” though he admitted he “could have controlled what he said” during the confrontation.

“There was also a lot of that conversation that wasn’t included. But again, could I have been a little more calm, a little more chilled? Probably.”

Zac, notably, called Leavitt a “mean girl” and “fake” during the heated exchange.

He clarified that he is still not “a fan of Whitney” and although he understands why her husband, Connor Leavitt, was mad at him for the way he spoke, he maintained that he “wasn’t screaming or yelling.”

“A lot of emotions at that time, and that happened six months ago. Right now, there’s obviously a lot bigger things going on with our group,” he said, seemingly referring to Taylor Frankie Paul’s ongoing drama and Jessi Draper’s divorce.

“This is just all part of reality TV. And I also think part of having social media is just speak your truth and some people are gonna hate you, some people are gonna like you and I am OK with that.”

Page Six has reached out to reps for “SLOMW” and the Leavitts for comment.

Meanwhile, Whitney — who is currently starring on Broadway as Roxie Hart in “Chicago” — hinted at her exit from the hit Hulu series earlier this month.

“I wouldn’t be where I am without [‘SLOMW’],” Leavitt told the Hollywood Reporter. “But it feels like it’s time to challenge myself in other ways and fulfill these dreams and passions that I’ve been trying to get even before the show.”

She also noted that “it feels like that’s the trajectory of where it’s going.”

Comedy legends Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders will reunite for the first time in 17 years.

The beloved duo have been mainstays in British comedy for more than 40 years, after first rising to prominence in the 1980s.

After launching their comedy sketch show, French and Saunders, in 1978, the pair have gone on to star in a number of hit shows from Absolutely Fabulous to The Vicar of Dibley.

Now, however, the pair have been announced to star in this year’s pantomime at Christmas at the London Palladium as the Ugly Sisters.

Discussing their upcoming performance, they said: ‘We have wished to play the Ugly Sisters for so many years, it feels this is the fulfilment of a dream – a dream our hearts made. Watch out. It won’t be pretty.’

They will be joined by Julian Clary as the Fairy Godmother, as well as the usual favourites Nigel Havers, Paul Zerdin and Rob Madge.

French has previously made two appearances in a pantomime at The London Palladium, as Queen Dragonella in Snow White in 2018 then as Dame Trot in Jack and the Beanstalk in 2022.

Saunders, meanwhile, made her Palladium pantomime debut in 2023 as Captain Hook in Peter Pan.

Asked about French and Saunders making an appearance, Harrison said: ‘We always want to raise the bar for our incredible panto audiences each year, so I’m absolutely delighted that Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders will be starring in this year’s Cinderella.

‘Having two of the nation’s most beloved comedy icons together on the Palladium stage is incredibly exciting. Their legendary chemistry and razor-sharp humour will make this a truly special experience for audiences.’

Last year’s 10th anniversary production of Sleeping Beauty broke the Palladium Pantomime’s own record for the biggest ever audience across a 5-week season, with more than 137,000 patrons attending the show.

This broke the previous record of 132,000 for Robin Hood in 2024, in turn making the show the highest grossing pantomime of all time and achieving the highest-grossing week for any show at the box office.

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She’ll always find her way back home.

Exactly 20 years ago today, “Hannah Montana” premiered on Disney Channel, introducing viewers to a new starlet in Miley Cyrus, who appeared as the titular pop star.

Today, Cyrus is putting her blonde wig back on to celebrate the teen sitcom’s legacy with a “Hannah Montana” 20th anniversary special streaming exclusively on Disney+.

“Hannah Montana” originally ran for four seasons between 2006 and 2011, with a feature film released in 2009. The series followed Miley Stewart (Cyrus), an “Ordinary Girl” by day and, when donning a blonde wig, a pop sensation known as Hannah Montana by night.

In the new special, Cyrus will step back into her character’s iconic closet and glittery wardrobe, in addition to a new intimate sit-down with Call Her Daddy host and “Hannah Montana” super fan Alex Cooper. Never-before-seen footage and recreations of the TV show’s memorable sets will also take center stage as Cyrus looks back on the moments, music and memories that defined her “Hannah Montana” era.

“‘Hannah Montana’ will always be a part of who I am,” Cyrus said in a release announcing the special. “What started as a TV show became a shared experience that shaped my life and the lives of so many fans, and I’ll always be thankful for that connection.”

‘Hannah Montana’ 20th anniversary special release time

The “Hannah Montana” 20th anniversary special will release today, March 24, at 3 a.m. ET/12 a.m. PT only on Disney+.

How to watch ‘Hannah Montana’ 20th anniversary special

Disney+ offers a number of subscription options, so you can find the one that works for you. With ads, a subscription costs $10.99/month; without ads, it’s $18.99/month or $189.99/year.

There are also Disney+ bundles with Hulu, Max, and ESPN+, so you can subscribe to up to three services at once and save over 40% every month. If you subscribe before 11:59 a.m. ET today, March 24, you’ll get your first three months of Disney+ and Hulu for just $4.99/month.

Who will be in the Hannah Montana’ 20th anniversary special?

In addition to Miley Cyrus, her mother Tish Cyrus-Purcell and father Billy Ray Cyrus, who starred in “Hannah Montana” as her character’s father, have been confirmed to appear in the special based on the trailer (which you can watch below).

Miley also confirmed to Variety that Selena Gomez, who also got her start on Disney Channel, will also cameo in the “Hannah Montana” special. Gomez played her “Wizards of Waverly Place” character Alex Russo in a 2009 crossover episode, but also appeared in three episodes of “Hannah Montana” as Mikayla, a rival pop star.

Hannah Montana’ 20th anniversary special trailer

Why Trust Page Six Shopping

This article was written by Angela Tricarico, Commerce Streaming Reporter for the New York Post, Page Six, and Decider. Angela keeps readers up to date with information on how to watch all of your favorite reality TV shows and movies on each streaming service. Not only does Angela test and compare the streaming services she writes about to ensure readers are getting the best prices, but she’s also a superfan specializing in the intersection of shopping, tech, sports, celebrities and pop culture. Prior to joining The Post in 2023, she wrote about streaming and consumer tech at Insider Reviews

The Tuesday letters page is surprised to find how big Crimson Desert developer Pearl Abyss is, as one reader is doubtful as to whether Screamer will be a hit.

Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk

May contain annoyances
So I bought Crimson Desert on Saturday, after reading several reviews and watching some YouTube videos of the game with the intention of getting a refund if I didn’t get on with it. The funny thing is it wasn’t even on my radar really until everything blew up, but it really got me curious as to how some reviews were really high on it and some very average.

Long story short, I didn’t refund it and I’m several hours in now and I’m hooked. It’s just such a fascinating game to play, I’m finding the flaws almost endearing and even though the controls certainly are a choice you do get used to them. It’s not what I thought it would be at all either, it’s closer to a sandbox fantasy simulation with so many interconnected systems and depth.

It feels like every suggestion for a minigame or feature was evaluated by asking the question, ‘Will this be fun for someone?’ and if the answer was yes it went in and that feels quite refreshing, especially since it seems like you can ignore those quite happily if you don’t want to bother with them.

I will say, however, that this is almost certainly the most Marmite game I’ve ever played. It will either draw you in or you’ll bounce off it, I think. So I can totally see why there isn’t as much of a consensus on this as something like The Witcher 3.

It reminds me in some ways of Destiny, when that first came out. There was something so compelling about that game, that just hit the spot for those of us who really got into it and this feels exactly the same to me. So, I don’t think the people who are saying it’s good and enjoying it are kidding themselves.

Hopefully over time the annoyances and the issues will be ironed out, as the dev team do seem to be responding quickly to the community. But even if those issues remain, I’m still enjoying my time with the game, warts and all.
Carl

Money to burn
I love how all this stuff coming out about the developers of Crimson Desert just spamming the game with random features and parts of other games, is exactly how the reviews described it and imagined it must’ve been made. What I wonder is how the game ever got founded, because I definitely would not be giving a bunch of people who have only ever made one MMO before the cash to make a… whatever Crimson Desert is supposed to be.

It’s funny how often the biggest disasters in gaming can be seen from a mile away but I guess as long as the right people are making money from it all the madness is left to continue.
Sagat

GC: Pearl Abyss is actually a really big company, with over a thousand employees; they also own EVE Online maker CCP. Black Desert Online is very popular in Asia.

Resist temptation
The fact that Rockstar Games is paying some people less than minimum wage is beyond disgusting. I don’t care if they’re the cleaners, this is the company that makes the biggest entertainment product in human history and they have to have their knuckles rapped by the government in order for its employees to earn a living wage.

I’m extra shocked that this is happening in the UK, although I guess the US government would never have cared and we wouldn’t have found out. But c’mon Rockstar, try and do better. It’s not that hard not to be evil.
Bootles

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Exception to the rule
I appreciate the review of Screamer, which I had never heard of until now (including the old 90s game). It sounds great: inventive and unique, which is why I’m sure it won’t sell at all and then everyone will complain why are there no arcade racers? Or whatever your favourite rare genre happens to be.

People have to vote with their wallets to get anything noticed and yet we constantly see great games do badly and then there’s no follow-up, from either that developer or another. I’m still shocked that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was a hit because it seemed to have everything going against.

Sure it was good, but if that was all you needed for something to be a hit the world would be a very different place.
Hordak

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Still in the game
I have to hand it to Microsoft, they are trying to carry on as if everything is normal. That Partner Showcase thing sounds like it’ll be a bit of a dud but they’re doing it anyway, as if everything was normal and the Xbox was still a viable format.

I’m very interested to see what they’re going to be like when they unveil the next gen console. Probably very arrogant and trying to pretend they’re king of the world, but I can’t pretend I’m not interested in seeing what they put out. It’s obvious they haven’t given up yet.
Holstis

Remasters and remakes
I have to admit I am very impressed with what I have seen with Resident Evil Requiem. Although I did not buy this game I did watch a 100% walkthrough and I can assure everyone this game absolutely delivers. From an honest perspective I am an original Resident Evil 2 fan and that was the game that got me into Resident Evil, alongside Resident Evil 1.

Also, with new DLC coming for Requiem we have been spoiled savage by Capcom and hope that we will see them consider continuing with new DLC in the foreseeable future, as the game has already sold 6 million copies. I’d love to see them do DLC adding more characters with unique campaigns, such as past Resident Evil characters making a return, like Alyssa has.

Also, I think now that in 2026 it is time Capcom considered making future Resident Evil games more open world, with PlayStation 6 and Next Gen Xbox coming.

Finally, there is one point I’d like to bring to everyone’s attention. Someone has done an AI 4K HDR10 overhaul of the original Resident Evil game with up-to-date graphic enhancements and it looks and plays glorious, here’s the video.

If this can be done with an AI overhaul surely Capcom could do this with Resident Evil’s Directors Cut, Resident Evil 2, and Resident Evil 3: Nemesis in a remastered HD Collector’s Edition that would be sweet and nice for fans.
gaz be rotten (gamertag)

Loveable Evil
Kudos to the people that organised that Resident Evil fan film. I can’t believe the amount of effort it must have taken to organise, on top of all the normal problems of making a film. I’d love to know how much convincing the actors took. They apparently couldn’t get Jill Valentine but I’m amazed any of the others wanted to remind people of their roles, so kudos to them.

Despite all the gore and horror, Resi really is such a loveable series. It’s so dumb and honest and fun. I agree that it should never be taken seriously because that completely robs it of half its appeal. The skill from Capcom is in riding that line between cheesiness and real scares.
Necktie

Never again
Crimson Desert is indeed many things: ambitious, overstuffed, bloated, disappointing, and a generic single-player title that I pre-ordered and in less than 24 hours traded in immediately to CeX. Because it is, from what I’ve played and the many reviews, a very barebones title. Personally, I am very glad to be rid of it and just from seeing the awfully bland graphics, the awful controls, the lack of a narrative to grip you. It is indeed one of the most disappointing games of 2026.

It’s no surprise that Pearl Abyss’s stock has fallen, but my mistake is one to be learnt from. I ignored the countless red flags, the shady tactics by Pearl Abyss to implement a review embargo so very late and the lack of any explanation, as far as any hints to the narrative beats and overall themes of the world. It was only false window dressing, disguised as the next great open world feature.

Patches can only do so much to fix or even try to fix what is essentially a title that will be forgotten very soon, especially when we are less than a month away from the release of Saros and Pragmata. They seem infinitely more interesting, but I cannot stress this enough, I’ll be waiting for reviews for both releases.

I’m more confident about Saros, since it’s a continuation of the systems introduced in Returnal, but if my mistake has taught me anything. It’s that always trust your instincts. I only wish I hadn’t even gazed at Crimson Desert or given it a glance at all. That’s truly a regret I have to come to terms with.

As far as the reviews go, it sits at a 78 on Metacritic. In my opinion, it’s far too high of a score for such a wasteful opportunity. It deserves far much less. Even GC scoring it a 6 is far too kind. It’s more or less a 4 or a 3 out of 10. For utilising a beautiful world but lacking in many important factors.

May there never be a sequel to this debacle. On a final note, it would be absolutely phenomenal if GTA 6 was to release on the Nintendo Switch 2. But it is even possible? We’ll have to see and wait.
Shahzaib Sadiq

Inbox also-rans
Sympathies in advance to whatever penniless students end up having to walk around the Minecraft theme park wearing a bunch of cardboard boxes to look like the characters. I feel grateful my boy has never shown any interest in the game.
Scourge

Agree on adding more character moments to Resident Evil. The next game definitely has to have Leon and Ada putting on a dinner party for Chris and Jill and the rest. And then zombies attacking, obviously. (Or maybe Hunters? They were always my favourite and it feels like we haven’t seen them for years.)
Grossman

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New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers’ letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content.

You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word Reader’s Feature at any time via email or our Submit Stuff page, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot.

You can also leave your comments below and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.

MORE: Games Inbox: Is Marathon worth playing?

MORE: Games Inbox: Is Crimson Desert worth getting?

MORE: Games Inbox: Are people right to criticise Nvidia’s DLSS 5 tech?

Let’s get one thing straight.

Writing about seeing The Hives live in concert is silly.

To see the tongue-in-cheek, garage punk rockers in person is an essential, spiritual experience that must be witnessed in person to truly do the raucous fivesome justice.

In any event, here’s an attempt at trying to capture the mayhem that is a Hives concert via text.

On Wednesday, March 18, the group that brought the world “Tick Tick Boom,” “Walk Idiot Walk” and “Enough Is Enough” headlined at the pastoral Brooklyn Paramount and promptly blew the roof off the sucker.

Following an impassioned set by defiant opening act The Chats (and a quick 20-minute set-up by roadies in ski masks), the lights went off at the general admission venue. A quiet came over the space as thousands of fans stood in otherworldly darkness.

An ominous beep sounded and then…

The Hives came out adorned in their custom tuxes topped with neon gold lights — think garage rock meets Vegas meets Tron — and proceeded to deliver an improbably joyous 16-song set of in-your-face angry rock and roll.

Leading the charge was their magnetic frontman Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist, who can only be described as wily, gregarious and like Iggy Pop in Dirk Nowitzki’s body.

For two hours, the truly singular 47-year-old Swede acted as a vocalist, showman, ringleader, stand-up comedian and merry prankster, creating a concert that also felt like a house party and old-timey vaudeville show all at once.

To get the show underway, the heavy hitmakers delivered a rousing rendition of 2025’s “Enough Is Enough,” which had the packed space jumping as soon as Pelle yelled the very first line: “everyone’s a little, f—ing b—-.”

Amen.

You gotta love being at what feels like an underground basement punk show in one of NYC’s most pristine venues.

From there, The Hives’ rock and roll rollercoaster refused to let up as the group added silly announcement interludes (“I got an announcement. The Hives are f—ing sell outs. We sold all the tickets to our New York show. If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere, so we made it everywhere”), a “Harlem Shake” style frozen choreography moment after a song ended and a direct order for audience members to keep their hands raised in the air until we were told to start clapping.

As the cheeky, charismatic Pelle informed his rapt crowd “this isn’t a spectator sport. This is rock and roll. That requires participation!”

He held up his end of the bargain by tossing the mic, displaying acute verbal dexterity and jumping like a madman while having us do the wave and sing a cappella with him, seemingly using every trick in the book of rock and roll.

Who cares about shameless cheese when you’re having this much fun?

Musical highlights included Rigor Mortis Radio” (a crunchy epic that somehow slowed things down 10-20 BPM while this humble reviewer’s heart still raced), “Paint A Picture” (a jangly, singalong anthem) and “Countdown To Shutdown” (a raw, fist-pumping mood elevator).

However, nothing topped their timeless smash “Tick Tick Boom” that closed the pre-encore portion of the evening. Toward the front of the crowd, a giddy jig circle (not a mosh pit!) formed and the concert turned into something more akin to a celebration than a mere concert. GA shows exist for for this very reason.

Not only did we feel like we were part of a live-wire crowd but The Hives also made the entire room feel like w were in the band. That’s a first.

This really wasn’t a spectator sport.

When the high-octane performance came to a close, Pelle and co. took a bow over a live version of Carly Simon’s twinkly ballad “Nobody Does It Better.”

A perfect cherry on top.

Final verdict: For two glorious hours, The Hives refused to phone it in for one second of their jubilant performance as they luxuriated in every moment they were onstage.

In turn, the ’00s veterans created a truly satisfying, unifying, communal experience that hurt my eardrums and left me hoarse after screaming along but…in a good way. This is how you get your face melted off.

Pelle’s fearless bravado making sure you’re getting every penny’s worth — he rightfully prances around like he’s the biggest star in the world as he’s tightly planned every moment of gleeful anarchy that make up their one-of-a-kind stage show that left the crowd hoeing down, jigging, jumping and with smiles stretching from ear to ear.

I was right. Cobbling together thoughts about this show really was silly. You really do have to see The Hives live to get the full experience.

The Hives tickets

Inventory to see The Hives live is available on all verified ticketing sites.

We recommend checking out StubHub, Ticketmaster and Vivid Seats to find the seats that makes the most sense for you.

The Hives tour schedule 2026

A complete calendar including all remaining North American tour dates, venues and links to buy tickets can be found below.

Ben Keaton, best known for appearing in over 50 episodes of Casualty, has died aged 70.

The Irish actor played Spencer on the BBC medical drama between 1999 and 2002.

He also played Jeff Brannigan in the ITV soap Emmerdale, as well as Father Austin Purcell in an episode of the Channel 4 sitcom Father Ted in 1995.

Keaton died at Lincoln County Hospital on Friday, with a death notice in The Irish Times published on Sunday.

‘Ben will be forever greatly missed, loved and fondly remembered by his ex-wife Polly, son Waldo and daughter Daisy, brothers Des and Thom, sister Jeanette,’ the tribute read.

‘Best known for his roles in TV shows including Father Ted, Emmerdale, Casualty, The Bill, films including East is East etc. and Theatre performances in Animal Crackers, Harvey, Cyrano de Bergerac, Hay Fever, etc, a founder member of the improv group South Of The River, and a director of the Creative Academy, and more. Funeral arrangements to be announced later.’

The actor’s ex-wife Polly also shared the following statement on Facebook: ‘So incredibly sorry to say Ben Keaton died last night. It was very sudden and we are all in shock.

‘We had separated several years ago but we had half a lifetime together and infuriated and made each other cry with laughter in equal measure.

‘He was a great dad to Waldo and Daisy and the finest Groucho and Cyrano I have ever seen.’

Meanwhile the Nottingham Playhouse shared: ‘We are so sorry to hear of the death of Ben Keaton, a wonderful actor who is fondly remembered in our 2008 production of Vertigo. Sending our deepest sympathies to his family and friends.’

Throughout his career, Keaton also appeared in episodes of The Bill, Doctors and Double Time and wrote episodes of Balamory, Gumtree and Hubbub.

He was also a well-established theatre actor and comedian.

In 2008 he then began teaching at the University of Lincoln, where he specialised in Physical Theatre and Acting for Camera. Five years later he set up Lincoln Film and Television School.

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In 2022, he reunited with fellow Father Ted cast members Joe Rooney (Father Damo), Michael Redmond (Father Stone), and Patrick McDonnell (Eoin McLove) to film an impromptu TikTok video, which went viral.

Later speaking to The Irish Sun, he recalled: ‘The video went from 500 views to 50,000 and up and up. Joe now says we are up at half a million views on TikTok. It’s incredible.’

He went on to admit he was shocked by the lasting impact of his fleeting scene as a tedious priest.

‘I appeared in Casualty for three years, nobody cares. I did three minutes on Father Ted and it’s all people want to talk about and something which just sails through time,’ he declared.

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MORE: Dame Jenni Murray, longest-serving BBC Woman’s Hour presenter, dies aged 75

MORE: Sylvester Stallone leads tributes after action star Chuck Norris dies aged 86

MORE: Haunting CCTV footage shows Towie star Jordan Wright’s final moments before he was found dead

The Monday letters page is keen to find out what happens after Resident Evil Requiem, as one reader has no sympathy for Crimson Desert players.

Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk

Marathon effort
The thing that gets me about this weekend-only Marathon business is how Bungie have less than zero respect for people’s time. We’ve all been saying that about games for a while now but level-grinding to unlock something you can only play for eight days a month is crazy too me.

Never mind what you’re supposed to do if you happen to work over the weekend (I often have to come in on a Saturday) but I guess that just makes the ones that do get to play it even cooler, right?

As if the ugly graphics weren’t putting enough people off, this actually kills any though I had of ever giving it a try. I don’t know whether the game is going to be successful or not – it seems to be doing okay but not great – but when I play a video game it’s not so it can become a second job for me.
Zeiss

Marketing spend
Is it only me that gets constant adverts for World Of Warcraft’s new expansion, every time I go on YouTube? I have no interest in the game, I’ve never played it or visited a website about it, and I’ve certainly never watched a video on it, but I get spammed with ads for it constantly.

The weird thing is I get very few other ads about games, despite that being one of my favourite things. Fortnite is about the only other thing I get a lot, which probably says a lot about how much these companies are spending on advertising compared to everyone else.

I’m a big Resi fan and have been watching a ton of videos about it lately, but I never saw a single ad for Resident Evil Requiem. That doesn’t seem to have affected its sales but I wonder what would’ve happened if it had been shown everywhere?
Logan

Risk and no reward
I’ll be honest, I don’t think I’ve got any sympathy for anyone that pre-ordered Crimson Desert and is now regretting (or, more likely, pretending to anyone that will listen that it’s good, actually). A too-good-to-be-true game from a developer with no experience in the genre, or anything much except one MMO, should send those alarm bells ringing straight away.

If you’ve got £55 just lying around, that you can afford to gamble on a game being good, based on virtually nothing, then I don’t think you can really complain about anything. I’ll wait until the game is cheap… and then spend the money on something else, because it sounds awful.
Spency

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Single option
I don’t think the PlayStation 5 still beating the Switch 2 in sales is too much of a surprise. Nobody is going to buy an Xbox Series X/S at the moment so if you want triple-A games then the PlayStation 5 is the only option.

The Switch 2 is a great console but it’s not going to be the first choice for anyone but families and hardcore Nintendo fans. That is still a lot of people, but I think there’s always going to be more wanting to play the best-looking versions of the latest games.

Resident Evil Requiem on the Switch 2 looks good but it’s still not as great as the PlayStation 5 version. But it’s not just graphics. Nintendo’s online services are still very limited compared to Sony and Microsoft. Who wants to play EA Sports FC on Switch 2? And you still can’t play Call Of Duty, despite all Xbox’s talk.

If you’re into games even just a bit you can’t make do with just a Switch 2, so your only options are a PlayStation 5 or a PC.
Kimble

Pokémon Endgame
Loved the Reader’s Feature about Pokémon Pokopia. I’m what I guess you’d call a lapsed fan and haven’t really been into the series properly since the DS days. I took a chance on Pokopia, after all the good reviews, and I’ve been loving it.

I almost got teary eyed at the end, especially when I realised there was tons of stuff I could still do, and that’s before getting into the Minecraft stuff or Animal Crossing style home improvement. Really excellent game and all the better because it was a surprise. More of this please, Nintendo!
Colin

Future fashion
Nice Reader’s Feature about what the next mainline Resident Evil should be, although I doubt even Capcom knows yet, as the success of Requiem probably caught them a bit off guard. If the rumours are right, we’ve got remakes of Code: Veronica and Resident Evil 1 coming first, so it’s obviously a long way off.

I’m more than up for those but Resident Evil 1 again seems like the perfect time for another soft reboot, with Resident Evil 10 following after that. As to what it will be I think there’s two main problems: do you change the characters and do you change the gameplay?

Considering how popular Grace seems to be I think there’s no doubt that Capcom can still make fun new characters, without having to rely on the old ones. In terms of gameplay though, Requiem was pretty traditional really and people loved that. Probably a lot more than if it had been open world or co-op or whatever.

So as much as we can predict anything at the moment, I think you’ve just got to look at what’s successful now, before they start making the new game. If people had hated Requiem and were demanding something new then that’s probably what Capcom would’ve done, but that’s not how it is right now.

Games taking longer to make is bad in so many ways but one that I think not a lot of people mention is that you start making them based on current trends and then by the time it’s finished who knows what will be popular. That probably explains a lot of live service games.
Cubby

How they do it
Just wanted to say that I really appreciate the behind the scenes videos in Resident Evil Requiem. I guess I already knew that’s how they did the tech but it’s really nice to see a fairly long segment broken down like that.

Although I wonder how long until time-consuming and expensive things like that are just faked with AI, because it’s ‘good enough’. Crazy to think that 30 years ago the same franchise had tank controls and characters that looked like something out of Minecraft. Happy birthday Resi!
Winston

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Front loaded
That’s me finished Resident Evil Requiem on all three difficulties. It’s safe to say it is superb, with amazing graphics, fun gameplay, and a pitch perfect tone.

I still can’t help feeling it could have been even better though. To my surprise, as a big fan of Resident Evil 4, my favourite sections of the game were Grace’s. They’re really tense and atmospheric, with the Rhodes Hill Care Centre making for a wonderful setting. Having zombies with personalities works brilliantly and I wish they had doubled down on the idea with even more variety.

The second half of the game has more generic and returning enemies from the series, which seem a bit uninspired compared to those in the first half. There is too much fan service in general towards the end, especially with the bosses, and I would have preferred to see more original ground broken. I’m not convinced we even needed to return to Raccoon City at all, I’d have preferred to stick around Rhodes Hill with perhaps more institutions/buildings nearby to explore.

It’ll be really interesting to see what direction they take for the next game. I know they experimented with open world for this one and I think that might be the way to go to reinvent the series again. Can’t wait to see!
Ryan O’D
PS: My favourites are:

1. Resident Evil 4 remake
2. Resident Evil 2 remake
3. Resident Evil 1 remake
4. Resident Evil Requiem
5. Resident Evil 7

GC: We think it’s fair to say most, if not all, Resident Evil games are better in the first half than the second.

Inbox also-rans
This business about the EU Switch 2 model made me realise how happy I am that region locking is a thing of the past. What a dumb idea that was.
Focus

Crimson Desert might be a bad game but I tell you one thing, it’s made me really keen on playing a new The Witcher, just from looking at the videos. Hopefully the rumours of new DLC this year are true.
Kryzer

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The first ever episode of “Saturday Night Live UK” aired across the pond — and it immediately took aim at disgraced Andrew-Mountbatten-Windsor.

During the very first Weekend Update, hosts Ania Magliano and Paddy Young did not hold back as they addressed the former prince, who was arrested earlier this year on suspicion of misconduct in public office following the release of files connected to Jeffrey Epstein.

Before that, he had already been stripped of his royal title and asked to leave his Royal Lodge residence in Windsor.

“Coming up on Weekend Update: pedophilia. But first, war!” Magliano said at the start of the segment, drawing a strong reaction from the live audience.

After several jokes referencing the Iran conflict, the focus returned to Andrew, whose permanent residency will be at Marsh Farm on King Charles’ Sandringham Estate.

“Renovations to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s new home, Marsh Farm, have been taking place over the last month, including the installation of Sky TV. So, if you’re watching this Andrew, hello!” Magliano joked. “You’re not gonna like this next bit. Also, I’m older than I look.

“Andrew’s new residence, Marsh Farm, is of course named after the nearby marsh where his body will be found.”

“It was reported this week that the police investigation into Andrew is set to widen,” Young said. “The big question now is, if Andrew is charged, found guilty and put in prison, will he be able to keep his mouth shut? I hope not, said his cellmate’s penis.”

The segment also briefly turned its attention to another high-profile British family: the Beckhams.

“Feuding father and son David and Brooklyn Beckham narrowly missed each other whilst at the same Beverly Hills hotel,” Young began. “The feud began when Victoria was, quote, ‘inappropriately’ close with her son at his wedding, and escalated after Brooklyn accidentally yelled out his wife’s name during sex with his mum.”

The episode marked the UK debut of the long-running American variety show. The British version follows the same structure, with a celebrity host, live sketches, and musical performances.

Ahead of its premiere, the series had already received a vote of confidence from its network, Sky.

Initially planned as a six-episode run, it was expanded to eight 75-minute episodes, with each installment written and rehearsed in the week leading up to its live broadcast.

The first episode was hosted by Tina Fey, who wrote for and starred in the US version between 1997 and 2006. Music for the night came from Wet Leg.

Future episodes are set to feature hosts including Jamie Dornan and Riz Ahmed, with musical guests Wolf Alice and Kasabian. 

Alongside Weekend Update hosts Magliano and Young, the show’s main cast is made up of Hammed Animashaun, Ayoade Bamgboye, Larry Dean, Celeste Dring, George Fouracres, Annabel Marlow, Al Nash, Jack Shep and Emma Sidi.

When the show was announced, a press release teased what’s to come from the series, saying, “Together, this first wave of hosts, musical guests and cast members marks the beginning of a bold new chapter for the globally acclaimed ‘SNL’ franchise — blending its storied legacy with a fresh generation of British comedy voices.”

With Resident Evil Requiem confirmed as a critical and commerical hit, a reader offers some spoiler free suggestions for what he thinks should come next.

I’m not sure when this will be shown, if it is shown, but it’s the 30th anniversary of Resident Evil on Sunday and I don’t think anyone could have asked for a better celebration. Not only is Resident Evil Requiem a great game but it’s done incredibly well in terms of sales, virtually guaranteeing we’ll get at least another 30 years of zombie blasting in the future.

I’m not going to try and predict what the Resident Evil of 2056 is going to be like but having played and enjoyed Requiem I do feel we can make some predictions and request for the next game, which I think will almost certainly be called Resident Evil X.

Who will be the lead is a bit hard to say but while it’s certainly Jill’s turn I do think they will start to move towards the Young Avengers line-up that they seem to be preparing, with characters like Rose and Grace. Perhaps it’ll be like Requiem, but with Jill in the Leon role and then Grace and her super friends as the alternative.

Not only am I happy to keep multiple playable characters but I’d also be fine with there being co-op. The difference is I’d keep the two players separate as much as possible. So like Resident Evil 0, but as if it had co-op. The problem with co-op in Resident Evil is that you can’t get scared if you’re not on own, but if you technically are, but you have another person helping you out, you’d hopefully get the best of both worlds.

So you’d have all the usual running out of ammo and getting menaced by Lickers, but there’d be some way for the other player to pass you items and then occasionally you’d meet up for more action style parts. It wouldn’t be an easy thing to design but with Capcom on fire at the moment I feel they could do it.

The best thing is, they could keep the two styles of gameplay from Requiem and just give it to one person, depending on what they preferred. Or they could let you tag team at certain points, so you get a taste of both worlds. I really do think it’s an idea that has a lot of promise.

In terms of what they could improve on from Requiem, I think one clear problem is the boss battles. I’d never really thought about it much until now, but Resident Evil has never been good at them. They’re fine in terms of the set-up and everything but the actual battles just make all the enemies bullet sponges and that’s it. Both the Resident Evil 4 and Requiem final bosses are really bad, and that’s a weird mistake to keep making.

The only good one that comes to mind is Krauser and that’s because you were fighting him like a relatively normal human, which is kind of cheating for Resident Evil (also, I still don’t really understand who Krauser is, even after all these years).

The obvious options are to either get in someone to design some proper boss battles, which should be easy enough for a Japanese company like Capcom, or just stick with something more puzzle-based. The final face-off with Nemesis in Resident Evil 3 (the original, not the remake) is still my favourite and it’s not really a traditional boss fight at all, Jill just flips a switch.

In terms of other issues from Requiem it’s really very minor. I’d like to have seen more puzzles; I know they’re silly but they’re part of the formula and they’re a good change of pace. I’d also like to see them iron out the storytelling unevenness a bit more. Requiem had serious parts and absolutely ridiculous parts full of jokes and it didn’t work for me.

You can still have some heartfelt moments in amongst all the cheese, but I think taking anything in Resident Evil completely seriously is pointless and potentially tasteless. The only other thing I’d say is don’t lean too much on nostalgia. There was quite a bit in Requiem but since it was the 30th anniversary I think that’s fine, and they didn’t go overboard.

But now is the time to try some new ideas and I think Requiem is actually a good springboard for that. New ideas, new characters, new monsters, and new locations. That’s what we need, after all there’s another 30 years of gaming to get through!

By reader Symbal

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Nicholas Brendon, who played Xander on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, has died aged 54.

His family confirmed that the star passed away in his sleep from ‘natural causes’.

Brendon had previously suffered a heart attack in 2023 and had been diagnosed with a congenital heart defect.

He also had cauda equina syndrome, which led to several spinal surgeries.

His family paid tribute to him in a statement released to The Hollywood Reporter.

“We are heartbroken to share the passing of our brother and son, Nicholas Brendon. He passed in his sleep of natural causes,’ it read.

‘Most people know Nicky for his work as an actor, and for the characters he brought to life over the years. In recent years, Nicky has found his passion in painting and art. Nicky loved to share his enthusiastic talent with his family, friends and fans. He was passionate, sensitive, and endlessly driven to create.

The statement contined by saying those who knew Brendon understood that art was the ‘purest reflection of who he was’ and acknowledging his struggles in the past.

‘Our family asks for privacy during this time as we grieve his loss and celebrate the life of a man who lived with intensity, imagination, and heart,’ it finished. ‘Thank you to everyone who has shown love and support.’

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