
Epic Universe Food Review: What's Worth The Hype
Unless you've been living under a rock (okay, or maybe just quietly not paying attention to anything on social media), you probably know that Universal just officially opened its brand-new theme park in Orlando — Universal Epic Universe — and it's a huge deal. This is Universal's third park in Florida, and not only is it their biggest US expansion ever, it's also the first new major theme park built in the country since 1999 — yes...1999!!!
The park has got five immersive worlds: a brand-new Harry Potter land set in 1920s Paris and the Ministry of Magic, Dark Universe based on the Universal Classic Monsters, Isle of Berk from How to Train Your Dragon, the retro-futuristic hub land Celestial Park, and Super Ninentdo World.
I was lucky enough to be invited by Universal to attend the media preview ahead of the grand opening. While the park at the time hadn't been officially opened, it had been open for a couple of months for previews (or basically dress rehearsals).
As you can see, I am enjoying an ice cold Frozen Butterbeer while trying to beat the heat while exploring The Wizarding World of Harry Potter — Ministry of Magic.
Over that time, several new foods that were created for the park have gone viral. This meant one thing: Now that I was here for the media preview, I needed to try those foods and see if they were actually worth the hype (looking at you, pizza from Pizza Moon)!!!
Full disclosure: While I was invited by Universal to Epic Universe, all opinions are my own.
PB&J (Pork, Bacon, and Jam) Mac & Cheese Cone available at Hooligan's Grog & Gruel in Isle of Berk
Thoughts: This was the first food from Epic that I saw go viral and was all over my TikTok FYP. There are three different flavors to choose from: Goldfish Mac & Cheese Cone, PB&J Mac & Cheese Cone, and the Dragon Fire Chicken Spire Mac & Cheese Cone. Of these, it seems like the PB&J is the most popular choice.
I have to say, I was impressed and really, really, really enjoyed the taste. The salty mac & cheese and cone mixed with the sweetness of the peanut butter bacon jam and BBQ harissa pulled pork was the perfect combo of savory and sweet. I can see why it has become an instant hit. It was also a hearty size, so I don't know if it was as much a snack as a whole lunch. This will for sure be something I get again when I go back to Epic!!! So don't skip it.Rating: 9 out of 10
Frank & Friends Pretzel available at DeLacey's Cottage in Dark Universe
Thoughts: I am not the biggest fan of pretzels. But, when I find a good one, I will certainly not say no and will more than enjoy it. I had seen the Frank & Friends Pretzel a lot on social media, so I was curious to try it. Sadly, I was pretty disappointed with it. It was a flat, soft pretzel that came with a (cream cheese?) dipping sauce.
Maybe it was the salt, but the texture and flavor were more like an untoasted salt bagel — it was also missing the chewy outer crust that pretzel bread has. I also didn't love the dipping sauce, which was like runny cream cheese. Now, this could have just been the pretzel from the batch I got, but I would skip it.With that said, DeLacey's Cottage also sells Warm Hearted Cinnamon Bites, which are cinnamon sugar donut bites with cream cheese icing and streusel. I didn't have these, but several people I was with did, and they all really enjoyed them and raved, so those might be the way to go if you're looking to try something at DeLacey's Cottage.Rating: 1.5 out of 10
Pizza Lunare, The Giant Mushroom, and The Pizza Moon Pepperoni pizza available at Pizza Moon in Celestial Park
Growing up in the '90s, I have not-so-great memories of eating pizza at amusement parks. While theme park foods have truly improved A LOT over the last 20 years, I don't know if I have had pizza at one since Clinton was in the White House. With that said, the word was that these pizzas were really, really good. But were they really, really good for a theme park pizza or really, really good in general? Verdict: They are really, really good in general!!!These are cooked in a fired oven, giving the crust and bottom crust a nice char that you would get at old-school traditional pizza places in New York or higher-end pizza restaurants. I tried three different flavors.
Pizza Lunare
Thoughts: This pizza, which is the one I saw most on my TikTok feed, includes roasted garlic béchamel, ricotta, pancetta, fromage garlic confit, and ube pizza crust (which gives it a purple-ish hue). Flavor-wise, it was fantastic! Certainly the more unusual one, because of the non-traditional ube crust and its flavor combo (which I have not had on a pizza before). Everything worked, and I really recommend it if you're looking for a pizza flavor combination that you haven't tried before.Rating: 8 out of 10
The Giant Mushroom
Thoughts: Ingredients in it include a roasted garlic bechamel, wild mushrooms, and truffle aioli. I love mushrooms on my pizza, so I found this extremely delicious. I realize that not everyone loves mushrooms or truffles (which you do taste in the background), so this might be a skip. But if you like the earthy taste of mushrooms, then I recommend trying this one because I know you won't be disappointed.Rating: 7.5 out of 10
The Pizza Moon Pepperoni
Thoughts: The Pizza Moon Pepperoni keeps it classic with just cheese and pepperoni — and honestly, it doesn't need anything else. It was the simplest one I tried, but it was still seriously good and nailed all the basics. If you're in the mood for a no-frills, straight-up delicious pepperoni pizza, this one's a can't-miss.Rating: 8.5 out of 10
Koopa Troopa: Red Shell Calzone available at Yoshi's Snack Island in Super Mario World
Thoughts: The location sells two different flavors of calzones: a green one that is vegan and a red one that is traditional. I went with the red one! This wasn't bad, but it wasn't particularly memorable either — it was just…fine.
The calzone was pretty standard (except with a thicker, more bread-like crust), filled with Italian meat sauce and mozzarella cheese, and, honestly, it kind of reminded me of a slightly fancier Hot Pocket. Not terrible by any means, but not something I'd go out of my way to get again.Rating: 3 out of 10
Yoshi's Mango Smoothie available at Yoshi's Snack Island in Super Mario World
Thoughts: There were two flavors to choose from — mango and apple — and I went with mango since that's the one I've seen the most people rave about online. Right away, I wasn't sure if I'd like it because I'm not usually big on super-sweet things. Which is also why I chose the mango flavor, because I had heard that it was the least sweet of the two.
But it turns out, it was actually really delicious, not overly sugary and genuinely refreshing. It also actually lives up to the name "smoothie" instead of just being a glorified slushy. What really sold it for me, though, were the fresh chunks of mango on top and the generous swirl of what tasted like fresh whipped cream — a nice little surprise I was not expecting. I would recommend this for sure.Rating: 7 out of 10
DK Crush Float Tropical Banana Flavor available at The Bubbly Barrel in Donkey Kong Country (located within Super Mario World)
Thoughts: Again, I'm not usually big on super sweet treats, so I wasn't sure how I'd feel about this float — a banana-flavored soft serve in a waffle cone, nestled in a cup of Fanta Pineapple soda, and topped with caramel popcorn and toffee. Yeah... it definitely sounds like a cavity waiting to happen.
Since it was blazing hot when I got it, I didn't have much time to overthink it, so I had to dig in before it turned into soup. And honestly? I was surprised by how much I liked it. While it's definitely sweet, it's not as over-the-top as it sounds. The banana soft serve has a slight tartness that balances things out, and the caramel corn adds a nice salty crunch. This is one worth trying, especially if you're looking for a unique "only can get it at Epic" treat.Rating: 7.5 out of 10
And lastly, the Butterbeer Crepe available at Café L'air De La Sirène in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter — Ministry of Magic
Thoughts: Yes, I know I've said over and over again that I'm not a fan of overly sweet treats, but I make a full exception when it comes to Butterbeer (maybe it's my soft spot for all things Harry Potter). The Butterbeer Crepe was everywhere online when Epic Universe previews first started, so naturally, it was the one thing I was most excited to try. And let me tell you: this crepe is a full-on Butterbeer overload in the best way possible.
It's filled with a shortbread cookie butter, Bavarian cream, and Butterbeer cream, and topped with fresh strawberries (which added much-needed tartness and freshness), a shortbread cookie, Butterbeer whipped cream (like the kind you get on cold Butterbeer), and a Butterbeer drizzle. It's extremely rich and decadent, and obviously really sweet, but it's so, so delicious, and something I highly recommend. And it's also the type of dessert, because of its richness, that is great for sharing.Honestly, even though it was nearly 100 degrees, I think the only thing that would have made it better was a cup of hot black coffee to enjoy with it!Rating: 9.5 out of 10
All in all, most of the viral foods at Epic Universe definitely live up to the hype. Whether you're going all-in on a Butterbeer crepe or just grabbing a classic pepperoni slice, there is definitely something for every kind of eater. BTW, there is more to come, I'll be reviewing the rides and giving my overall thoughts and tips on the park!!!
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UPI
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Movie review: 'How to Train Your Dragon' remake sullies animated film
1 of 5 | Hiccup (Mason Thames) rides Toothless in "How to Train Your Dragon," in theaters Friday. Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures LOS ANGELES, June 9 (UPI) -- The 2010 movie How to Train Your Dragon was a landmark for DreamWorks, both in terms of animation and storytelling. The live-action remake with CG-animated dragons, in theaters Friday, proves indistinct and lesser than its contemporaries. In the Viking village of Berk, Hiccup (Mason Thames) aspires to be a dragonslayer like his father, Chief Stoick (Gerard Butler). When he meets the fallen dragon Toothless, however, he learns humans and dragons can cooperate. The animated film showed how fluid dragon flight could be. In live-action, it's just another visual effects movie, and one of the lesser ones. Introducing live-action adds layers of separation compared to the consistency of the fully animated original. The artificiality of each element only exacerbates the separation. When Hiccup rides Toothless, Thames is sitting on something that is not an actual dragon. Furthermore, he's not actually flying in the air either, so the background removes another level of reality. The live-action elements also make the dragon flights more chaotic and choppy. The film is post-Game of Thrones, although young audiences probably haven't seen those dragons. Still, they've seen live-action dragons in the Harry Potter movies, which were also mediocre. The animated film was bright and colorful but director Dean Deblois, one of the animated film's co-directors, chose a dim, grey aesthetic for the remake that looks like every other dreary modern movie. It also makes the visual effects look more fake. Real life has light and color, not artificial, digitally murky fog. Even non-dragon effects are sketchy. When Stoick leads the Berk navy into battle, those boats might not even be in a water tank. If they are, they still look incongruous with the background horizon. The 2010 film adapted Cressida Cowell's children's book into a tidy 90-minute film, plus credits for all the animators who worked on it. Adding another 30 minutes was neither necessary nor warranted. The longer run-time dilutes the story's significant message with overly busy shenanigans. The theme is the younger generation teaching their parents to live harmoniously with dragons, but by the time this comes into focus, it feels tacked on. More time is spent on Hiccup and his friends training for dragon combat. Hiccup's ability to disarm dragons without using brute force is noteworthy. The other Berk kids have been given insufferable traits. Twin siblings state their mother can't tell them apart. The joke is supposed to be that they're a brother and sister, but it lands with the same thud as the lunkhead complaining about "word books." Astrid (Nico Parker) remains an empowering female character. These Vikings pay lip service to diversity, but an Asian character and a Black character are introduced, only to never have any prominent scenes later. The filmmakers made a choice to adapt the book as an animated film the first time, and that was the correct decision. The remake literally removes everything that was special about the original. Alas, Disney has introduced this process to all of its competitors, so now Dreamworks is remaking their own films too. Let's hope it ends there and we're not faced with live-action Minions eventually. Fred Topel, who attended film school at Ithaca College, is a UPI entertainment writer based in Los Angeles. He has been a professional film critic since 1999, a Rotten Tomatoes critic since 2001, and a member of the Television Critics Association since 2012 and the Critics Choice Association since 2023. Read more of his work in Entertainment.


Buzz Feed
5 hours ago
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Epic Universe Food Review: What's Worth The Hype
Unless you've been living under a rock (okay, or maybe just quietly not paying attention to anything on social media), you probably know that Universal just officially opened its brand-new theme park in Orlando — Universal Epic Universe — and it's a huge deal. This is Universal's third park in Florida, and not only is it their biggest US expansion ever, it's also the first new major theme park built in the country since 1999 — yes...1999!!! The park has got five immersive worlds: a brand-new Harry Potter land set in 1920s Paris and the Ministry of Magic, Dark Universe based on the Universal Classic Monsters, Isle of Berk from How to Train Your Dragon, the retro-futuristic hub land Celestial Park, and Super Ninentdo World. I was lucky enough to be invited by Universal to attend the media preview ahead of the grand opening. While the park at the time hadn't been officially opened, it had been open for a couple of months for previews (or basically dress rehearsals). As you can see, I am enjoying an ice cold Frozen Butterbeer while trying to beat the heat while exploring The Wizarding World of Harry Potter — Ministry of Magic. Over that time, several new foods that were created for the park have gone viral. This meant one thing: Now that I was here for the media preview, I needed to try those foods and see if they were actually worth the hype (looking at you, pizza from Pizza Moon)!!! Full disclosure: While I was invited by Universal to Epic Universe, all opinions are my own. PB&J (Pork, Bacon, and Jam) Mac & Cheese Cone available at Hooligan's Grog & Gruel in Isle of Berk Thoughts: This was the first food from Epic that I saw go viral and was all over my TikTok FYP. There are three different flavors to choose from: Goldfish Mac & Cheese Cone, PB&J Mac & Cheese Cone, and the Dragon Fire Chicken Spire Mac & Cheese Cone. Of these, it seems like the PB&J is the most popular choice. I have to say, I was impressed and really, really, really enjoyed the taste. The salty mac & cheese and cone mixed with the sweetness of the peanut butter bacon jam and BBQ harissa pulled pork was the perfect combo of savory and sweet. I can see why it has become an instant hit. It was also a hearty size, so I don't know if it was as much a snack as a whole lunch. This will for sure be something I get again when I go back to Epic!!! So don't skip 9 out of 10 Frank & Friends Pretzel available at DeLacey's Cottage in Dark Universe Thoughts: I am not the biggest fan of pretzels. But, when I find a good one, I will certainly not say no and will more than enjoy it. I had seen the Frank & Friends Pretzel a lot on social media, so I was curious to try it. Sadly, I was pretty disappointed with it. It was a flat, soft pretzel that came with a (cream cheese?) dipping sauce. Maybe it was the salt, but the texture and flavor were more like an untoasted salt bagel — it was also missing the chewy outer crust that pretzel bread has. I also didn't love the dipping sauce, which was like runny cream cheese. Now, this could have just been the pretzel from the batch I got, but I would skip that said, DeLacey's Cottage also sells Warm Hearted Cinnamon Bites, which are cinnamon sugar donut bites with cream cheese icing and streusel. I didn't have these, but several people I was with did, and they all really enjoyed them and raved, so those might be the way to go if you're looking to try something at DeLacey's 1.5 out of 10 Pizza Lunare, The Giant Mushroom, and The Pizza Moon Pepperoni pizza available at Pizza Moon in Celestial Park Growing up in the '90s, I have not-so-great memories of eating pizza at amusement parks. While theme park foods have truly improved A LOT over the last 20 years, I don't know if I have had pizza at one since Clinton was in the White House. With that said, the word was that these pizzas were really, really good. But were they really, really good for a theme park pizza or really, really good in general? Verdict: They are really, really good in general!!!These are cooked in a fired oven, giving the crust and bottom crust a nice char that you would get at old-school traditional pizza places in New York or higher-end pizza restaurants. I tried three different flavors. Pizza Lunare Thoughts: This pizza, which is the one I saw most on my TikTok feed, includes roasted garlic béchamel, ricotta, pancetta, fromage garlic confit, and ube pizza crust (which gives it a purple-ish hue). Flavor-wise, it was fantastic! Certainly the more unusual one, because of the non-traditional ube crust and its flavor combo (which I have not had on a pizza before). Everything worked, and I really recommend it if you're looking for a pizza flavor combination that you haven't tried 8 out of 10 The Giant Mushroom Thoughts: Ingredients in it include a roasted garlic bechamel, wild mushrooms, and truffle aioli. I love mushrooms on my pizza, so I found this extremely delicious. I realize that not everyone loves mushrooms or truffles (which you do taste in the background), so this might be a skip. But if you like the earthy taste of mushrooms, then I recommend trying this one because I know you won't be 7.5 out of 10 The Pizza Moon Pepperoni Thoughts: The Pizza Moon Pepperoni keeps it classic with just cheese and pepperoni — and honestly, it doesn't need anything else. It was the simplest one I tried, but it was still seriously good and nailed all the basics. If you're in the mood for a no-frills, straight-up delicious pepperoni pizza, this one's a can' 8.5 out of 10 Koopa Troopa: Red Shell Calzone available at Yoshi's Snack Island in Super Mario World Thoughts: The location sells two different flavors of calzones: a green one that is vegan and a red one that is traditional. I went with the red one! This wasn't bad, but it wasn't particularly memorable either — it was just…fine. The calzone was pretty standard (except with a thicker, more bread-like crust), filled with Italian meat sauce and mozzarella cheese, and, honestly, it kind of reminded me of a slightly fancier Hot Pocket. Not terrible by any means, but not something I'd go out of my way to get 3 out of 10 Yoshi's Mango Smoothie available at Yoshi's Snack Island in Super Mario World Thoughts: There were two flavors to choose from — mango and apple — and I went with mango since that's the one I've seen the most people rave about online. Right away, I wasn't sure if I'd like it because I'm not usually big on super-sweet things. Which is also why I chose the mango flavor, because I had heard that it was the least sweet of the two. But it turns out, it was actually really delicious, not overly sugary and genuinely refreshing. It also actually lives up to the name "smoothie" instead of just being a glorified slushy. What really sold it for me, though, were the fresh chunks of mango on top and the generous swirl of what tasted like fresh whipped cream — a nice little surprise I was not expecting. I would recommend this for 7 out of 10 DK Crush Float Tropical Banana Flavor available at The Bubbly Barrel in Donkey Kong Country (located within Super Mario World) Thoughts: Again, I'm not usually big on super sweet treats, so I wasn't sure how I'd feel about this float — a banana-flavored soft serve in a waffle cone, nestled in a cup of Fanta Pineapple soda, and topped with caramel popcorn and toffee. Yeah... it definitely sounds like a cavity waiting to happen. Since it was blazing hot when I got it, I didn't have much time to overthink it, so I had to dig in before it turned into soup. And honestly? I was surprised by how much I liked it. While it's definitely sweet, it's not as over-the-top as it sounds. The banana soft serve has a slight tartness that balances things out, and the caramel corn adds a nice salty crunch. This is one worth trying, especially if you're looking for a unique "only can get it at Epic" 7.5 out of 10 And lastly, the Butterbeer Crepe available at Café L'air De La Sirène in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter — Ministry of Magic Thoughts: Yes, I know I've said over and over again that I'm not a fan of overly sweet treats, but I make a full exception when it comes to Butterbeer (maybe it's my soft spot for all things Harry Potter). The Butterbeer Crepe was everywhere online when Epic Universe previews first started, so naturally, it was the one thing I was most excited to try. And let me tell you: this crepe is a full-on Butterbeer overload in the best way possible. It's filled with a shortbread cookie butter, Bavarian cream, and Butterbeer cream, and topped with fresh strawberries (which added much-needed tartness and freshness), a shortbread cookie, Butterbeer whipped cream (like the kind you get on cold Butterbeer), and a Butterbeer drizzle. It's extremely rich and decadent, and obviously really sweet, but it's so, so delicious, and something I highly recommend. And it's also the type of dessert, because of its richness, that is great for even though it was nearly 100 degrees, I think the only thing that would have made it better was a cup of hot black coffee to enjoy with it!Rating: 9.5 out of 10 All in all, most of the viral foods at Epic Universe definitely live up to the hype. Whether you're going all-in on a Butterbeer crepe or just grabbing a classic pepperoni slice, there is definitely something for every kind of eater. BTW, there is more to come, I'll be reviewing the rides and giving my overall thoughts and tips on the park!!! Hungry for more? Download our free Tasty app to browse and save 7,500+ free recipes — no subscription required.

Engadget
7 hours ago
- Engadget
Everything new at Summer Game Fest 2025: Xbox handheld, Resident Evil Requiem and more
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Through it all, we're collating the biggest announcements right here, with links out to more in-depth coverage where we have it, in chronological order. Epic hitched its wagon to SGF this year, aligning its annual developer Unreal Fest conference, which last took place in the fall of 2024, with the consumer event. The conference was held in Orlando, Florida, from June 2-5, with well over a hundred developer sessions focused on Unreal Engine. The highlight was State of Unreal, which was the first event on the official Summer Game Fest schedule. Amid a bunch of very cool tech demos and announcements, we got some meaningful updates on Epic's own Fortnite and CD PROJEKT RED's upcoming The Witcher IV . To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here and view the "Content and social-media partners" setting to do so. The Witcher IV was first unveiled at The Game Awards last year, and we've heard very little about it since. At State of Unreal, we got a tech demo for Unreal Engine 5.6, played in real time on a base PS5. The roughly 10-minute slot featured a mix of gameplay and cinematics, and showed off a detailed, bustling world. Perhaps the technical highlight was Nanite Foliage, an extension of UE5's Nanite system for geometry that renders foliage without the level of detail pop-in that is perhaps the most widespread graphical aberration still plaguing games today. On the game side, we saw a town filled with hundreds of NPCs going about their business. The town itself wasn't quite on the scale of The Witcher III 's Novigrad City, but nonetheless felt alive in a way beyond anything the last game achieved. It's fair to say that Fortnite 's moment in the spotlight was… less impressive. Hot on the heels of smooshing a profane Darth Vader AI into the game, Epic announced that creators will be able to roll their own AI NPCs into the game later this year. Another company getting a headstart on proceedings was Sony, who threw its third State of Play of the year onto the Summer Game Fest schedule a couple days ahead of the opening night event. It was a packed stream by Sony's standards, with over 20 games and even a surprise hardware announcement. To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here and view the "Content and social-media partners" setting to do so. The most time was given to Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls , a new PlayStation Studios tag fighter that fuses Marvel Superheroes with anime visuals. It's also 4 versus 4, which is wild. It's being developed by Arc System Works, the team perhaps best known for the Guilty Gear series. It's coming to PS5 and PC in 2026. Not-so-coincidentally, Sony also announced Project Defiant, a wireless fight stick that'll support PS5 and PC and arrive in… 2026. Elsewhere, we got a parade of release dates, with concrete dates for Sword of the Sea (August 19) Baby Steps (September 8) and Silent Hill f (September 25). We also got confirmation of that Final Fantasy Tactics remaster (coming September 30), an an all-new... let's call it aspirational "2026" date for Pragmata , which, if you're keeping score, was advertised alongside the launch of the PS5. Great going, Capcom! To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here and view the "Content and social-media partners" setting to do so. Rounding out the show was a bunch of smaller announcements. We heard about a new Nioh game, Nioh 3 , coming in 2026; Suda51's new weirdness Romeo is a Dead Man ; and Lumines Arise , a long-awaited return to the Lumines series from the developer behind Tetris Effect . There were absolutely no Summer Game Fest events scheduled on Thursday. We assume that's out of respect for antipodean trees, as June 5 was Arbor Day in New Zealand. (It's probably because everyone was playing Nintendo Switch 2.) It's fair to say that previous Summer Game Fest opening night streams have been… whelming at best. This year's showing was certainly an improvement, not least because there were exponentially fewer mobile game and MMO ads littering the presentation. Yes, folks tracking Gabe Newell's yacht were disappointed that Half-Life 3 didn't show up, and the Silksong crowd remains sad, alone and unloved, but there were nonetheless some huge announcements. To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here and view the "Content and social-media partners" setting to do so. Perhaps the biggest of all was the "ninth" ( Zero and Code Veronica erasure is real) Resident Evil game. Resident Evil Requiem is said to be a tonal shift compared to the last game, Resident Evil Village . Here's hoping it reinvigorates the series in the same way Resident Evil VII did following the disappointing 6 . We also heard more from Sega studio Ryu Ga Gotoku about Project Century, which seems to be a 1943 take on the Yakuza series. It's now called Stranger Than Heaven , and there's a (literally) jazzy new trailer for your consideration. To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here and view the "Content and social-media partners" setting to do so. Outside of those big swings, there were sequels to a bunch of mid-sized games, like Atomic Heart , Code Vein and Mortal Shell , and a spiritual sequel of sorts: Scott Pilgrim EX , a beat-em-up that takes the baton from the 2010 Ubisoft brawler Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game . There were countless other announcements at the show, including: As always, the kickoff show was followed by a Day of the Devs stream, which focused on smaller projects and indie games. You can watch the full stream here. Escape Academy has been firmly on our best couch co-op games list for some time, and now it's got a sequel on the way. Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School takes the same basic co-op escape room fun and expands on it, moving away from a level-select map screen and towards a fully 3D school campus for players to explore. So long as the puzzles themselves are as fun as the original, it seems like a winner. To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here and view the "Content and social-media partners" setting to do so. Semblance studio Nyamakop is back with new jam called Relooted , a heist game with a unique twist. As in the real world, museums in the West are full of items plundered from African nations under colonialism. Unlike the real world, in Relooted the colonial powers have signed a treaty to return these items to their places of origin, but things aren't going to plan, as many artifacts are finding their way into private collections. It's your job to steal them back. The British Museum is quaking in its boots. To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here and view the "Content and social-media partners" setting to do so. Here are some of the other games that caught our eye: To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here and view the "Content and social-media partners" setting to do so. After Day of the Devs came Devolver. Its Summer Game Fest show was a little more muted than usual, focusing on a single game: Ball x Pit . It's the next game from Kenny Sun, an indie developer who previously made the sleeper hit Mr. Sun's Hatbox . Ball x Pit is being made by a team of more than half a dozen devs, in contrast to Sun's mostly solo prior works. It looks like an interesting mashup of Breakout and base-building mechanics, and there's a demo on Steam available right now. To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here and view the "Content and social-media partners" setting to do so. Then came IOI, the makers of Hitman, who put together a classic E3-style cringefest, full of awkward pauses, ill-paced demos and repetitive trailers. Honestly, as someone who's been watching game company presentations for two decades or so, it was a nice moment of nostalgia. Away from the marvel of a presenter trying to cope with everything going wrong, the show did have some actual content, with an extended demo of the new James Bond-themed Hitman mission, an announcement that Hitman is coming to iOS and table tops, and a presentation on MindsEye , a game from former GTA producer Leslie Benzies that IOI is publishing. The Wholesome Direct arrived on Saturday, just in time to soothe that weird hangover we all got after the IOI showcase. The Wholesome Direct is a celebration of all things adorable, quaint, peaceful and sweet, and this year included mainstream news about Monument Valley 3 coming to consoles and PC, following a stint as a Netflix exclusive. There was also a release date announcement for the cozy but twisted shop-management sim Discounty , which is about as spooky as the Wholesome Direct ever gets. There's something sinister about the small town in Discounty , and while we're still not sure if it's demons or just the looming specter of capitalism, we know for sure the game is coming to PC, Switch, PS4, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S on August 21. Meanwhile, Omelet You Cook hit Steam during the showcase as a nice little surprise. It's a game about making eggs for picky students in a cafeteria, and of course pleasing Principal Clucker (who is a chicken in a suit, yes). Simply put, it looks delicious. The final game we want to shout out from this year's Wholesome Direct is Camper Van: Make it Home , a perfect little crossover of interior design mechanics and slightly miniaturized objects, which makes for a super cute experience. It came out during the showcase , and it's live now on Steam. There were dozens of other announcements during the 2025 Wholesome Direct stream, and the entire thing is worth a watch. You can do so at your leisure, ideally cuddled up with a blanket and a nice drink, right here. Saturday was also the time for all of the hyper-specific game streams to shine. We saw the Women-led Games show, Latin American Games Showcase , Southeast Asian Games Showcase , Green Games Showcase and Frosty Games Fest . Party! The last big event of the weekend was Xbox, which had its usual breathless showcase. The major news, especially for a publication like Engadget, was the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X, two new Xbox-focused PC handhelds. Internally, they're a lot like ASUS' ROG Ally handhelds, but the grips have been smoothed out to feel more like an Xbox controller in your hands. To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here and view the "Content and social-media partners" setting to do so. The software experience is also different. The Xbox Ally handhelds run Windows 11, but in Microsoft's version of Steam Big Picture mode there'll be fewer background processes and… just a generally lower overhead compared to regular Windows handhelds. Thankfully, Microsoft isn't locking things down, as it'll be able to access other "popular storefronts," which we're taking to mean Steam and Epic. The Xbox Ally will be available closer to the holidays, but price is a huge question mark: The ROG Ally costs significantly more than the Steam Deck and Switch 2. Is Microsoft going to subsidize these things, or are they going to cost $600-$800 like ASUS' own-brand versions? Side note: A quick screw you to Microsoft for using Hollow Knight: Silksong to show off the new handheld. We're all starving out here, and this was not helpful. I guess the news that it'll be playable on day one on the handheld at least narrows down the release date to "between now and whenever this thing comes out." Less of a surprise was Outer Worlds 2 , which Microsoft said would be at the show well ahead of time. We got a release date — October 29 — and a deep dive into the game's new systems. It looks like an expanded title compared to the original, with an improved combat system and a more fleshed out set of companions. We hope to have more on what's new real soon. To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here and view the "Content and social-media partners" setting to do so. The One More Thing of the show was a new Call of Duty game, Black Ops 7 . Truly, when a game comes out every year is it really worth blowing your one more thing on? If only Microsoft had an Xbox-branded handheld to show off, that would've been a really cool note to end the show! Here are the other bits and pieces worth reading about from the Xbox show: Paralives has been in the works for what feels like forever, but you'll be able to play it this year: It enters early access on December 8 . The indie take on The Sims looks charming as all hell in its latest trailer, and I can't wait. To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here and view the "Content and social-media partners" setting to do so. Blippo+ has been a great distraction since it launched with Playdate season 2 , and we found out Sunday that it'll be coming to more platforms soon — in full color, no less ! It'll arrive on PC and Nintendo Switch in fall 2025. To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here and view the "Content and social-media partners" setting to do so. Now you're all caught up. There's just one event on Monday, and it's the Black Voices in Gaming showcase. It starts at noon ET, and we've embedded the steam below for your viewing pleasure. To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here and view the "Content and social-media partners" setting to do so.