Weird Mind News Room Episode 135: Sept 22nd - 28th

 *one music track after another*

Hello again to all of you wonderful wonderous people in this part of the information superhighway to the newest episode of Weird Mind News Room where for this week we are delving into the focus of a lot of media from the week with a focus on new releases, trailers and news stories all in one place, so lets not waste too much time on these intros and lets delve into all things media for this week.

New releases of the ages

Movies

One Battle after Another

So we start off the selection of new releases with possibly the big film of the Autumn for many, a collaboration of 2 titans in the realm of cinema coming together to create something that while not the most original, will make it seem like its well worth it overall as acclaimed director Paul Thomas Anderson and Oscar Winner Leonardo Dicaprio have teamed up for a massive project of action with the release of the all new film of One Battle after another. The film, based on the 1990 novel Vineland will follow a group of ex-revolutionaries reuniting together to rescue one of their own's Daughter when an evil enemy of some of them has returned after being presumed dead for around 16 years. Reception on this new film itself has been very highly praised with strong praise to the cast, particularly with Dicaprio's leading man, the set pieces, narrative and action and humour and seen by many as being one of the best films of 2025 (which I feel is a little too much over praising from everywhere I have seen, though could be a sinners thing and be worth a praise) and if you want to check it out for yourself then you can catch the new film out now in cinemas.

Strangers Chapter 2

As for the only other film for this week is in the focus of more of a horror approach that in the case that many stories in this genre often provoke the fear and concern of Trauma for the characters in a film and feel if they make it through that most times the nightmare is over, but it seems by this, it seems like it is far from over as after a bit of a delay from its initial release with its first part last year, we have now gotten the official release for the 2nd part of this planned trilogy with The Strangers Chapter 2. Following on from the first chapter and seeing the case that one of their victims of Maya is still alive after preying upon and stalking their cabin home and the three masked maniacs have returned to finish the job. Soon with nowhere to run and no one to trust, Maya will soon find herself in a brutal fight for survival against psychopaths who are more than willing to kill anyone who stands in their way. Reception on this film, like the first chapter, has been panned for being seen as an unnecessary addition to the series and a bit of a rough watch and has been labelled as one of the worst reviewed and probably worst reviewed horror movies of this year, but if you want to see the next chapter of this trilogy then you can do so now in cinemas and as for part 3, there is no word to that as of writing.

TV Shows

Marvel Zombies

Sticking with the horror genre for the one tv series for this week, we have seen the many forms of worlds and stories with some of these characters over the years of the many tales of heroes acrosss the vast multiverse, but in the case of this one, we are going back to a story that has a focus in the realm where the world is ruled by the dead and we will begin to question who will save us from our own heroes as we are have the release of the all new animated mini series (for the moment) of Marvel Zombies. Based on the Zombies episode of the first season of What If? this mini series will see a plague turn most of the worlds population, including the Avengers into zombies. This will follow a group of survivors as they discover the key to bring the end of the zombie plague, which leads them to risk their lives travelling across a dystopian landscape and fighting superpowered zombies to save the world. Reception on this Series has seen a bit of mixed to modest reception with praise to the use of characterization, approach to the zombie genre, action, violence and animation, with most issues stemming to some of the series feeling a little too formulaic and a little short of just 4 episodes. Now I gave the full series a watch and I felt it was really fun and enjoyable and will agree that it had its issues of those as well as the fates of some other heroes being up in the air but overall I had a good time with it and if any indication of some rumours, we may see another season of this on the way and I'm all for it and if you want to check it out for yourself, then you can catch the full miniseries now on Disney+

Video Games

Silent Hill F

One last dive into the Horror genre with this and in the basis of the first of the games for this week as we are heading back to a series to a place that seems to be a calling to many and will appear out of nowhere through the realm of a dense fog and it seems in this case that town or city is taking an approach to a new part of the world as this creepy town is going across the globe and the first new original entry in the series in over a decade as we have the the release of the newest game in the popular horror series with Silent Hill F. Set in the 1960s and set in the fictional town of Ebisugaoka, Japan, the game will have you play as Hinako Shimizu, a high school student as you must navigate through the town that has become engulfed in the Fog, while solving puzzles and fighting against grotesque monsters to survive and make it out alive. reception on this new game in the series has seen some well recieved reception with praise to its visuals, narrative and puzzles, while some of the criticisms seems to stem towards the gameplay combat and narrative elements but seems to be another solid entry of the series and if you want to play if for yourself, it is available to play now on PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC.

Sonic Racing Crossworlds

Our next game release for this week is about to see us rev up the engines, take the form of many vehicles and understand that the true key here is speed, even when the tracks get crazy and wild and bend the fabric of time, as the famous Blue Blur is back in the drivers seat as we have the release of the all new entry of the racing series with Sonic Racing Crossworlds. This of course will have you play as many of your favourite character across the Sonic Series as you race to prove who is the best in many vehicle transformations and also travel to the realm of Crossroads of magic ring portals that can change up the race and prove who has the skills to be the first across the finish line. Now reception on this new entry of the series has been very positively recieved with praise to the smooth mechanics, fun gameplay modes and concepts and the selection of characters, including a range of crossover characters on the way in the future and if you want to play it for yourself then you can play it now on PS4/5, Xbox One / Series X/S, Nintendo Switch and PC with a Switch 2 version out later this year.

Baby Steps

Now if you feel that some games are missing a challenge and want a new form of challenge that will make you question the approach of how you will walk in a title and go against the status quo or have you break your monitor, controller or both as we have the release of the newest title from the developers of Getting over it with the release of Baby Steps. The game will have you play as a man named Nate, who will leave the confines of their mom's basement and controlling the movements of their steps by your own will will journey from his home all the way to the top of the nearest tall mountain. Reception on this title has seen mixed to positive reception on Console and great praise on PC with praise to its simple concept, its humour and the control difficulty challenge that the developers are known for, even if some of the critiques go to the mastering of the controls themselves or some possible performance issues on console, but it may be well worth the challenge and if you want to play it for yourself then you can play it now on PS5 and PC.

EA FC 26

This next game I am not going to say much on this as it is the usual affair that is seen every year and that is with the release of the next game of the football series with EA FC 26. This of course provides an array of new features and modes for simple matches, online play and ultimate team to help get you in the zone for the appeal for many that play these titles every year. Reception to this new entry of the series seems to be well recieved with praise to it new improved mechanics and some of the classic material still present in the games that I feel will be the usual affair of playing only this for about 2-3 weeks, say its not the best in the series and yearn for the older entry but maybe it could be different this time and if you are one that play these titles every year, its now available on PS4/5, Xbox One/ Series X/S, Switch 1 and 2 and PC. 

Pac Man World 2 Repac

Now the next game released is seeing a return to the world of a classic gaming mascot getting a return to the dimension that he may not have started in and not in the dimension he will appear in recent memory but this yellow sphere is on a quest to eat dots and defeat ghost with a new fresh coat of paint as we have the release of the remastered game of the title of Pacman World 2 Re-Pac. the game will have you play as the title character and head across a vast 3d world to explore to collect dots and fruit, defeat ghost and go on a journey to defeat the evil lord of Spooky, released by the ghosts of Inky, Blinky, Pinky and Clyde while you search for piece to restore the golden fruit. reception on this remaster of the original title seems to be a little mixed but modest reception with praise to the visual upgrade, controls and revival of the original title, though likely a case of some mixed performance issues may have affected it slightly but if you want to relive the classic in a new tone then you can play it now on PS4/5, Xbox One / Series X/S, Switch 1 and 2 and PC.

Hades II

As for the 2nd last game of this week, it is time to prepare for war, but instead of just being above the surface of the planet, this battle is taking deeper into the land of the underworld to fight back and reclaim your home from a powerful adversary as after 5 years since the original acclaimed entry released, we finally have the release of the all new sequel of rogue hack and slashing action with Hades II. The game will see you take control of Melinoe, the princess of the underworld and the sister of original protagonist Zagreus as she hacks and slashes her way to defeat Chronos, the titan of time and take him down with the aid of other Olympian Gods. Reception on this follow up has been very highly praise with praise to the major improvements to the already acclaimed original and been seen as one of the best games of the year and will be well worth seeing the battle for the game of the year and if you want to check it out for yourself then you can play it now on Nintendo Switch 1 and 2 and PC digitally, with a physical release coming on November 20th

Fire Emblem Shadows

And the last of the new releases for this week is a bit of a shadow drop release, as this title was only unveiled this week and it was a case that we will see many forms of battles alongside some adversaries but sometimes you never know if they would be a part of the light, or corrupted by the shadow as we have the release on a new take on a popular fantasy series with the release of Fire Emblem Shadows. Taking a real time strategy approach for this series, the player will be in the role of Prince Kurt, a royal of the fallen kingdom of Ast as you set out with allies of Gotthold, Carina, and Alberta as you battle through 2 different stories of Light and Shadow and serve the divine dragon Naga or the dark goddess Fenris. While I can find no reviews on the apps its available on, the consensus online seems to be very messy with issues stemming to be a social deduction game without any social interaction and the game being free but bogged down by scheming pay to win mechanics, though there is some praise for the visuals, characters and music and some praise to the new take on the franchise and if you want to try it out for yourself, it is available to play now on IOS and Android.

Trailers are the way

The Mandalorian and Grogu

Our first trailer that we have in focus for this week is with the release of the return to a galaxy far far away, to a time of the age of the bounty hunter after the fall of the empire and while this chromatic hunter may be one of the best, he will have some help in the aid of a small green precious Cargo with the powerful ways of the force, as we are jumping from the small screen of streaming to the big screen as we have the first trailer for the all new full length film conclusion to this story with the trailer for The Mandalorian and Grogu. The film will follow on from the events of Season 3's conclusion with the New Republic enlisting Din Djarin and his apprentice Grogu to take on a job following the fall of the Galactic Empire, and take down some of the remaining Imperial Warlords that still threaten the galaxy. So in all case this was one of the first pieces I ever mentioned on this weekly series and I will say in the likes of this series of Star Wars that it felt fresh and appealing from the original saga with the building of the universe with these characters that felt close to the western roots it was going for and while the last season was a little mixed in general, I am all fine with checking out this new one as I do like these characters and I hope that it will ease the issues the last one had and build on to a satisfying conclusion but I guess we will see if this is the way by the films release into cinemas from May 22nd next year.

After the Hunt

Now the next trailer is one that will have a sense of relevance in this modern day and age of the concept of the he said, she said ordeal and the basis of wondering who is it that you trust, who is telling the truth and who to put your trust into if the person may be hiding some traumas of their past as we have the release of the 2nd and presumed final trailer for the new film by Luca Guadagino with a new look at After the Hunt. A film will see a college Professor (Julia Roberts) finding herself at a personal and professional crossroads when a Star Student (Ayo Edebiri) levels an accusation against one of her colleagues (Andrew Garfield), threatening to expose a dark secret from her own past. Now it is a case that I have seen quite an array of focus that I feel a film on the aspect of accusations like this and the elements of past trauma or cancel culture I feel is reasonable to have in this day and age and it seems like it may be an interesting to see this form of perspective to all of this. Now the reception on it from some of the recent film festivals seems to be a bit of a 50/50 split but I am sure once the full release comes out we may get more of an idea if this was a better made project or if the source and accusations were a little flakey, but I guess we will see by the films release into cinemas in just under a months time on October 22nd

IT: Welcome to Derry

For the first tv series trailer for the week is one that will fit right into the season we are heading deeper into as in the basis of a small town at face value may seem normal and welcome to some extent, it seems behind every town or city, there may be a deep dark secret or underbelly that may will want to avoid telling or some that will find out for themselves then they least expected to and in this case it seems that even below ground, we all float there too as we have recieved the 3rd and final trailer for the upcoming series prequel based on the acclaimed novel by Stephen King with IT: Welcome to Derry. The film will serve as a prequel to the 2 recent adaptation of the novel and set 27 before the first in in 1962 and focus on a group of young kids who begin to sense the presence of an ancient evil, Specifically Pennywise, rising in the town and will explore more of the origins and deep history of the Town of Derry and the shapeshifting clown. So initially when I heard about the rumours of a prequel all of those years ago with the release of the 2 remakes of the book, I was wondering what was the case that they would take on the approach of this concept as the book would provide a sense of background to the shapeshifter itself and while they did cover some of those elements, I feel that the approach shown here seems a bit more of a reasonable sense that this figure has been around for possible decades or centuries so the whole prequel of the many eras of the past of these characters fighting against the creature makes total sense and also we finally get a proper look at the creepy clown again and he's still as creepy and menacing as ever and I am sure it will be well worth a look into in due time with the series set for release in a months time on HBO Max and Sky on the 26th of October.

The Bride

The 4th trailer for this week will be a case that while we have the case of a man and his man made monster coming to us very soon from the curiosities of one del toro in the next few weeks, it is the case that it is not the only creature made from the dead that is brought back to life as the case that while the monster may want to be human, there is one thing that the creation yearns for and that seems to be in the form of a companion and lucky for us it seems we are getting just that as after some delays (with the film initially set to release this week originally) we have gotten the trailer for the new take on Frankenstein's Monster with the new film of The Bride. Set in 1930's Chicago, Frankenstein's Monster (Christian Bale) asks Dr. Euphronius to help to create a companion for him. They give life to a murdered Woman as "The Bride" (Jessie Buckley), that soon sparks Romance, police interest and a lot of radical social change. Now this film has been a fair bit of development for a good bit of time that it seems like it was never coming out with all of the delays, but at least it has finally made an appearance to us and from what it is giving me the vibe of is that it gives the case of a bit of a Monster movie mixed with the concept of a Bonnie and Clyde type story and it seems like from what I can get in the focus of the project is that it is very appealing in the look aesthetic and from the design of the creatures that its subtle but well done and it seems like an interesting concept and will be well worth seeing this creature be brought to life and if you want to check it out, it will come alive into cinemas from the 6th of March.

Wicked: For good

The next trailer is bringing us back to the realm of a fantastical land full of magic, colour and sorcery where while it may seem like its all pristine and perfect from the outside, it seems like the truth on the inside is a lot more messier and lies abound and it will come down to the relationship and divide of 2 different girls that were once at odds with one another who became something much closer that has to be separated by the norms of the land as we return to the land of oz with the release of the 2nd and final trailer for the 2nd part of the musical of Wicked for good. The film follows on from Part 1 with Elphaba now demonized as the Wicked Witch of the West, now lives exiled in the Ozian forest continuing the fight for the silenced Animals and show the corruption of the Wizard. Meanwhile Galinda is living as the symbol of goodness (?) in the emerald city and taking the perks of fame and popularity and under the instruction of Madam Morrible to try and be seen as a comfort for the realm of concern to the citizens of the land. Haunted by the separation of her close friend and her planned wedding to Fiyero with her trying to find a way to broker a deal between the opposing sides but possibly driving them further apart but will need to come together for one more time to change things for good against the lies of the Wizard, the rising mob and change of some fellow Ozians before a girl from Kansas comes crashing into the lives of everyone. It is a case that I have been one that has been a case of wondering initially if the likes of this film or adaptation of the book or musical was justified in the likes of being split into 2 parts or if it has been overlong on the project just for the purpose of 2 more songs and for an endless barrage of Behind the scenes photos that make me feel I have seen the entire film before it has already released and it is a case I don't know how to overly feel on it at the moment. As one that was a bit indifferent after seeing the first part again from a lot of reasons in and out of the film, I will give this a chance but will keep this at a bit of a minimum of anticipation (I mean that was the same as well with the Dune film) but I guess we will see if I will be changed for good by its release on the 21st Of November.

Avatar Fire and Ash

As for the last of the film trailers we have in focus for this week is in the realm of returning once more to another fantasy world, but instead of being one of this planet, we are actually travelling to the far reaches of the cosmos to a far off land of blue people species as we have seen the elements of Man made hosts in the forests, to the far reaches of the vast oceans and now we are heading deep into the far mountains of the fire as we are once again returning to the visual mind of James Cameron as we have the release of the 2nd and presumed final trailer for the 2nd sequel of the Avatar series with Avatar Fire and ash. Set a year after the events of the Way of Water and settling into the group of the Metkayina Clan, Jake Sully and Neytiri's family are grappling with grief after the death of Neteyam. Eventually they encounter a new, aggressive Na'vi known as the Ash people, led by the Fiery tribe people, Varang, who has allied with Jake's enemy Quaritch, as the conflict of Pandora escalates to devastating consequences. If there is anything that I can give to this series of films by Cameron is that they create something unique with the visual spectacle and really evolve the world of how visual effects can be approached with, it is just the case with the likes of these films is that the visual world of these character can't fully alleviate the projects that are often pulled down by a bit of an uneven structure or for an extended runtime, as it seems this film is going for the same length as the last entry at about 3hrs 12 mins, which I feel if they can balance both of them together of justifying a good story and writing with appealing visuals then I can give it a chance, but I guess we will see by the release of this new project entry when the fire rises into cinemas from December 17th.

Professor Layton and the New World of Steam

Now for the 1st of 2 video game trailers that I will give a focus to, it is time to return to the world of puzzle solving and well dressed characters that will be the case that even if the likes of a murder or death has occoured, this professor in the top hat will care more for solving some puzzles instead as Luke and Layton are back once more to solve the puzzle of a mystery as we have recieved an all new trailer for the long awaited new entry in this puzzle series with a trailer for Professor Layton and the New World of Steam. Set one year after the events of The Lost Future, Layton's ward of Luke Triton has moved to the city of Steam Bison, a city in the US that is full of steam engine technology and will soon find himself faced with a new mystery controlled by the power of the Ghostly Gunman King Joe, and will send a letter to Layton to help in the mystery and solve the case before everything goes up in smoke. So if its a case that since the announcement of this game about nearly 3 years ago now, I have gotten a bit of an appeal back to delve into the Layton games after all of this time and have nearly gathered all of the titles (just missing azran and Spectre and have already obtained the crossover at a very solid cheap price and in a great condition) and its a case that a new entry in this series is well needed in this day and age the world and spectacle of this title is already looking great and I am looking forward to delve into this new mystery (as is another Irish Creative I know) and its a case we will need a little longer for this title as the game will now be releasing sometime in 2026.

OD

As for the 2nd game focused trailer for this week, it is time we tap into the realms of what people are the most afraid of and really delve into the concept of what makes must jump out of our skin in fear and terror as the master of game creation of Hideo Kojima and some creatives in the horror sphere including one Jordan Peele are here to bring an all new look at a bit of a teaser for the all new game known simply as OD. Now not much is really given in the likes of a plot but it is seen as a planned episodic type game that will explore the concept of testing your fear threshold and what it will really mean to OD on fear. It is a case that the likes of this title is so interesting as I remember the original teaser was something that had a lot of mystery behind it where it focused solely on the faces of some of the actors involved in the title and in the case of this new one it focus on Sophia Lillis performing a ritual while a presence knocks on a door and it gives off a bit of an unsettling vibe and if its like what PT was going to be then I am all for getting very spooked and scared. Now there is no planned release window for this title yet but it will be coming out soon on Xbox and PC and I am sure will be on other consoles soon after. 

Star Wars Visions Season 3

And to wrap up all of the trailers for this week is coming full circle back to us going into the realm of the galaxy far far away but in the case of focusing solely on one characters narrative, we are instead exploring multiple different parts of the galaxy to tell of many stories across the vast timeline and in some unique styles too as we have the release of the trailer for the 3rd season to the anthology series of Star Wars Visions, This of course will be a series of episodic stories that will tell unique stories in this universe from the likes of a Blind Padawan on a spiritual journey, a Smuggler's Dangerous Mission, some stories on the focus of the rebuilding of the Jedi Order, a Princess leading a rebellion against the empire and many many more to come from the galaxy far far away. So I have seen some of these vast stories over the 2 seasons that have released over the last few years and it will be a case that I would say many of them have a unique style and vision from the animation and for the forms that work well in the form of subbed or dubbed and all the case I think they have some unique vibe and will be well for checking out more of these in due time and we do not have much to wait for its release as the stories of legend will be released onto Disney+ in about a Months time on October 29th.

News to level up with

The mixed structure of the State of Play

So the first of the focused stories that we will have for this week is in the focus that it seems like when we think we will have a week of no big streams of studios announcing game titles, out of nowhere comes Sony with the announcement of a PlayStation state of play for this week and in the case of this comes in the form of talking on about 20 overall entries in this conference that I will say that a good section of them were not the best but ok with 1 or 2 that appealed to me in this overall event and I will be giving a fair amount of focus of giving a little bit of discussing of nearly everything announced at the event or show so lets get into the focus on what came out at the event this week.

So the event started off strong with the first of the small selection of the hyped titles to me as we have the focus of the first gameplay of the title of Saros from the studio of Housemarque that made Returnal and will see Rahul Kohli play a character of Arjun Devraj as you investigate a lost off world colony and save this planet from the wrath of a powerful god like entity and it is a case that the game looks really cool and some of the visual go hard in perspective and I am all for playing this title and its thankfully gotten a release date with the title now set for a release on March 20th next year (also Shout out to Kohli for seeing my post on insta when I shared it, helped to make my low day that little bit better).

We then got a new Espionage based style RPG in the form of a title of Zero Parades for Dead Spies that will see you play as a former agent haunted by a mission gone Awry about 5 years earlier and will see yourself on a new turned based case to help to possibly alleviate those nightmares and clear your conscience and it is an interesting looking title from the look and perspective of the game and I am sure it will be well worth a look into in the near future when the title releases sometime next year.

then the weirdest announcement I was not expecting to see but it was announced that Microsoft Flight Simulator is coming to the PS5 which seems to be that some Microsoft franchises are looking to share their toys with the competition and I feel that this is a weird name and title to see release on a PlayStation title but if it was a game you were looking to try yourself then you can play it on PS5 from the 8th of December.

We then went to the focus of heading to war and take up the call to arms as we got a look at the upcoming single player campaign for the newest entry of the Battlefield series of Battlefield 6 that will have you control the members of a squadron of Dagger 13 as you fight against a corrupt private military company of Pax Armata and from the looks of these titles, I feel this may be an appealing course correction that some feel was needed after the initial disappointment of 2042 at launch (though improved more later) and I always enjoy playing the campaigns more over the Multiplayer and I may give a look into the title itself come its release in about 2 weeks on October 10th.

Then a title that seems to be on the approach of a new coat of paint to the title was with the reveal of a remaster of the 2000s classic title of Deus Ex that will follow the approach of the Tomb Raider trilogy's approach of switching to newer frame rates and updated visuals and character models, although it seems most are a bit underwhelmed and think it does not look great visual wise and feel it would make more sense of the Remake approach instead of a Remaster aesthetic but I guess we will see if the version holds up by its releases on Feb 5th next year.

Then it will be time to get a little bit spooky and scary and the roles you may choose will be down to you as they unveiled at a new look at a game based on the popular series of Halloween that will see you play as some of the members of Haddonfield as you try to survive against Michael Myers and try to escape with your life intact or play as the silent masked killer and take out the citizens with some of the unique abilities you will obtain as this killer and it does look like it has the vibe of the Friday the 13th game with some new and improved visuals and I am sure it may be well worth a try in due course when the game releases on the 8th of September next year.

Then it was unveiled that the popular Dungeon crawler title of Last Epoch that has seen some acclaim on the PC for well over a year now will be making its way onto the console in due course and will let you take on the role of 1 of 15 classes, explore dangerous dungeons, solve mysteries and craft some legendary weapons and it seems like it all worth a try by its release sometime soon with it also confirmed that it will get some day one DLC in the form of Orobyss coming alongside it so it may be worth checking out when it does become available sometime soon.

Then we got a new look at the upcoming title of Seven Deadly Sins Origins as we take on the role Prince Tristan and explore and save the land of Britannia from the corruption of Space and Time that I am sure will appeal and entertain many people looking for a new Anime style RPG and will be available for those to play on January 28th next year.

Calling back to one of the new releases from this week with the sonic racing title, they unveiled another character joining the race in the future with the confirmation of Megaman and Protoman both joining with the post launch roster and I am sure will be worth a try of their characters with their release next year.

Then we got an all new look at some new footage to Nioh 3 that shows off some more new elements of the story including some of the powerful enemies we will be up against in this new open world type battle entry of the series and I am sure there will be an appeal of the game and may be worth trying out the series before this new game drop on February 6th next year.

Then we got the announcement of the 2nd remaster announcement of this state of play with the announcement of a remaster to Dynasty Warriors 3 that will see an all new updated visual aesthetic as you become a one man army against an armada that seems to be a bit more then a simple remaster from the look but I am sure it will be well worth a try when the title releases on the console from the 19th of March.

We then got another new look at the next entry of the Code Vein series where you and a chosen partner will explore vast world, fight powerful enemies and uncover quite an epic story that will transcend the realm of time and space and will be worth a check out when the game releases on January 30th.

They then shown off another brief look at the new remaster of the Final Fantasty Tactics game that will have all the appeal of the original in an all new upscaled look and aesthetic as well as playing in the classic style and will be worth seeing the appeal when the game launches next week.

Then it is time to fight in the game known as Let it Die inferno where you will play as an immortal Raider who will dive into the Abyss that has opened up on Earth and obtain the item known as the Eye of the Reaper and it seems like an interesting elements of a looter based open world title that may be well worth a try when the game releases on the 4th of December.

Then another title that has given me an interest in look and appeal is with a title known as Chronoscript the endless end where you are an editor that is trapped in the pages of a Manuscript and you fight your way across a vast array of visual pages and settings in this massive study full of books and secrets and I like the whole vibe and look to it all and I feel will be well worth a try when the game releases next year.

They then shown off the focus of a title known as Crimson Desert where you will play as a man named Kliff, a mercenary for the continent of Pywel who becomes beleaguered by the burdens of leadership and painful past memories as you rebuild your army of the Greymanes and restore the land of what was lost and it seems interesting and quite stylish and I am sure will be well worth a try and look when the game launches on March 19th.

then the first of 2 accessories of focus that will drain a certain amount of your wallet is with the announcement of the Pulse Elevate Wireless speakers that will let you get the high quality sound for your games on your PS5 and even the Portal and will be worth seeing the cost and level of power from its release sometime next year.

Then the case of the 2nd piece of tech in focus is one that I feel would've been fine any other time but when its the only thing you give in a focus of announcement for an anniversary of a popular series then I feel it is lacking in appeal as we got the focus that we are getting a new Dualsense controller for the 20th anniversary of God of War and while its a simple designed controller, I feel it would make more sense for a remaster form of the trilogy alongside it but I guess if you want the new controller then you can obtain it when it releases on October 23rd.

And finally the last announcement of the event was one that was a long time coming, one that many have been waiting for to see and many thought we would never get but after 4 years since the title was first announced we were finally graced with the new look at the title of Wolverine from Insomniac Games and it is glorious from the action, the outfit and the bloody violence, it does look really cool and I am hyped for this title and I know it will be well worth the 5 years when the title drops in the fall of next year.

But with that now brought the end of what I feel was a very underwhelming State of Play and I feel that it could've been better with some more new banger announcements but I feel it is a strange time of the gaming industry. It had its solid titles for sure and I am all for checking out a few of them but I feel it could've been better but I will take what we got overall.

But I want to know your own thoughts on all of these titles and what games are you the most excited to play and what did you wish was announced at this state of play? Let me know your choices down below in the comments. 

A collective Hodge Podge of weird decisions

And for the 2nd and final News Story of the week is with the selection of more smaller stories of a hodge podge that may not overly connect in much ways but will have some sense of news and importance and we will get into the focus of the announcements now.

So we'll start with a story that connects to one of the big success stories of films from this year and that is to do with the recent release of the film of Weapons. Now the movie has had its success over the last near 2 months with it being a success for WB and making a nice $265 Million in Box office, which is quite a well earned feat for a horror title and it seems to be a case that it may be a possibility that we may be returning to an element of this story in some form as according to the studio, it seems WB and director Zach Creggar are looking to make a new film in this overarching narrative with a prequel focused onto the character of Aunt Gladys. Now in the original her whole backstory and her sense of power elements are kept very vague but given just enough in the original cut, though it was reported there was a fair bit more in the original cut before it was trimmed down for length and pacing issues and it seems like it could be the backbone of the prequel story (Most of this I am trying to avoid spoilers to the film as its still a recent movie). Now personally I don't know how to feel of a new film in this series as while I think Weapons is an unsettling and great film, I don't know if I would be clamouring for a prequel with the character and feel maybe it is best to keep it as a one off and let the audience come to their own interpretation of the character itself. This is not the first time that WB has tried to do it this year with an original success as there was rumbling that they wanted to make a follow up to the movie Sinners as well but that one seems to have been shot down by director Ryan Coogler, given he holds the rights to that title. I guess at the moment I will give it a chance to see when we can expect this film but if there is any new word on expecting this title, I will provide it in a later episode.

Now for a little bit of some animated news as we have a new take on a form of a popular film from nearly 20 years ago returning to a new realm and story in focus as it was announced this week that we are getting a form of a follow up TV series based on the popular Sony animated film of Surf's Up. Now it is confirmed that the approach of the original film in the way of the mockumentary style approach to the original movie will be kept, the original films co-directors are returning to the project and that the characters from the film will be making a return and honestly I am all for a new take on this series and will be interesting to see what will come of this project. I do hope in all case that it will see some of the original cast back or close to it and that it keeps it in the appeal and style of the first movie and not try to make it a case that the 2nd film, a tie in with the WWE is canon in this aspect, but I guess we will see by its production. Now no word has been made yet of when we can expect this to release but once I do hear anything I will provide them in a later episode.

Staying with Sony and Animation, we got a little bit of some possible positive news in regards with the highly anticipated 3rd part of the Spider-verse trilogy with beyond as it was announced this week that the film will be releasing 1 week earlier, moving it up to release on June 18th, which will give it 2 weeks of a strong contest before its initial competition of the 5th Shrek film at the end of the month but will still be in a bit of a contest with some animated affair as it will be up against the same day release as Pixar's new film of Gatto so it is still a strong animation box office weekend. Now this spells a little bit of good news as if its a case the film is released earlier then it means that progress is going along really great and I hope that the animators are being treated really well and it will lead to a very solid outcome of a perfect trilogy of films and hope for some peak cinema but I am sure we will see more of it by its release in about a year and a half's time.

Staying with Spider-Man for just a moment, we have a little bit of a casting update for the next Live action MCU outing for the Webhead as it was confirmed that Actor and Musician of Marvin Jones III has been cast in the new film as the character of Tombstone. Now this is not the first time that this actor has played the powerful brute as he was also the voice of the character in the first Spider-verse movie and is set to return as the voice in Beyond, so it felt right to have him back as this character and in all sense it feels very full circle casting. I am intrigued to see some of the designs and look of the character in due time and wonder if he will have much of a presence in this film as he is the 2nd confirmed villain for this film after Scorpion but I guess we will see as more time goes on and if anyone else gets added to the film, then I will provide that as well in a later episode.

Now moving on to another franchise in focus, we have gotten a little bit of an update to the next entry of the 007 franchise of James Bond and it relates in the focus of some casting. Now since the director confirmation there has been a lot of speculation as to who is the frontrunner for some of the characters in the film, with much of it focused on Bond himself where all the names in focus were with the casting of well known British actors portraying the character and it was a case I felt that doing so would make it less of an appeal and just another name of their growing resume, but it seems that the director is thinking otherwise. According to Villenvue himself, he has specified that he is looking to start the focus and production on this bond film once he is done with the next and presumed final film for him in this Dune series and that the other aspect is that he will be looking more for an unknown British Actor to take on the mantle of Bond, which I personally am all for more of then with a familiar name all the time. In all regards you can still do the big names for the other parties like the Bond Girl or the villain but having a new face of Bond be an unknown appeals more to me. Now nothing has been started yet in that regards, but in the case if I do hear anything I will provide it in a later episode.

And lastly is more in the realm of a physical item and the last bit of gaming news content we have for this week is with an update to the item known as the ROG Xbox Ally as after initial reveal back in June and then the release date announcement a few weeks ago for next month, on Friday we were finally given the official price for the new Xbox Handheld and all I can say in this regards is that I feel we may owe the Switch 2 an Apology for their console Price (games so so vary) as it was announced that the White Xbox Ally will come in at a cost of €600 and then for the Ally X will come in at an eye Watering €1000. Now this puts it as the most expensive of the handheld based items out there as the Portal is the cheapest at €240 (but only is really an accessory for the PS5 and not a full handheld on its own), the Switch 1 is around €300-350, Switch 2 is €450 and then the Steam Deck is also cheaper with a price of around €560 for the 512gb OLED model. Now the normal Ally is cheaper then the 1TB Steam Deck but it is still a way too high a price for a handheld that yes plays both Xbox and PC titles, still feels a bit too much overall and may affect the sales overall. Do I see this price staying as it is, probably not for too long as it could see a lot of stock left on shelves for being too expensive to buy but I am sure some will buy it for that much. I may get one in the future, as I will with a Steam deck, but probably wait for this to be cheaper. I guess we will see if the price is worth it by its release in 3 weeks but it will be hard to tell if this is a solid move or a disaster in waiting.

But what do you make of these stories, will you be interested in a Weapons prequel, are you up for a tv series on Surfs up, Do you see Beyond sticking to this date or get moved around in release again, who else do you think will be cast in Brand New Day, what unknown would you cast as the new Bond and will you be buying the new Xbox Handheld? Let me know you reasons down below in the comments.

And with all of that, this brings us to the end of a very overlong and rambley 135th episode of Weird Mind News Room and I do hope that you enjoyed it all overall anyway. Let me know what you saw this week and your thought on all of the focused content down below and as always I hope you all stay being wonderful people and have a great day everyday and I will see you's all in the next episode :)

Take Care, Keep being you, signing off

Sam H :)