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A screenshot of the official poster for Marvel Zombies, which shows Wanda commanding her undead horde
Product Reviews

‘Marvel Zombies’ review: comic book giant’s new Disney+ show bites off more than it can chew in frightfully fun yet frustrating fashion

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Spoilers follow for all four episodes of Marvel Zombies.

Marvel Studios has a patchy record when it comes to its animated projects. Sure, there have been hits like X-Men 97, but other productions – in the main – like Eyes of Wakanda and What If…? have flattered to deceive.

It’s the latter that Marvel’s latest animated show, Marvel Zombies, takes its cue from. A continuation of the story told in What If…? season 1 episode 5, titled ‘What If… Zombies!?’, the comic giant’s first adult animated TV series is undeniably its most mature offering to date.


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But, for all of its delightfully gory action and focus on the next generation of Marvel superheroes, it’s weighed down by the same storytelling issues that have plagued many of the studio’s other recent animated works.

The new avengers

Marvel Zombies opens five years after What If…? season 1 episode 5’s cliffhanger ending (Image credit: Marvel Television/Disney Plus)

A four-part miniseries, Marvel Zombies is set five years after the initial zombie outbreak. A cataclysmic event caused by a virus that Dr Hank Pym brought back from a trip to the Quantum Realm in ‘What If… Zombies!?’, the planet Earth of this universe, one that sits adjacent to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), has become a dystopia overrun by the undead.

Pockets of humanity remain, though, including a desperate groups of superpowered individuals who cling to survival against the odds. But, when a trio of heroes – Kamala Khan/Ms Marvel, Riri Williams/Ironheart, and Kate Bishop/Hawkeye – discover a key that could end the zombie scourge, the group embark on a dangerous, globetrotting journey to save their world.

It’s highly satisfying to see the next generation of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes take center stage

Marvel Zombies opening with the aforementioned triumvirate is intentional. Khan is arguably the protagonist of this story, with the optimistic and empathetic New Jersey-hailing hero being the center point that the plot is built around, as she reluctantly and then boldly leads the charge to end the zombie plague.

In Williams, Bishop and Khan, though, Marvel Zombies immediately sets out its stall to primarily focus on the new wave of superpowered beings who have begun to populate the MCU post-Avengers: Endgame.

Zombies doesn’t solely rely on that intrepid trio, either. From Shang-Chi and members of the Thunderbolts* to Moon Knight and Blade – the latter pair are admittedly spliced together to form a new yet incredibly cool individual called Blade Knight – it’s highly satisfying to see the next generation of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes take center stage.

Marvel Zombies puts the next generation of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes at the center of its narrative (Image credit: Marvel Animation/Disney+)

That said, it’s somewhat bittersweet that animated projects, such as What If…? and its zombie-based spin-off, mark the first time we’ve seen some of these popular heroes since their live-action MCU debuts – or, in Blade’s case, who’s only ‘appeared’ via an off-screen cameo in Eternals, at all.


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An indictment of Marvel’s scattergun approach post-Endgame that’s seen the comic titan throw stuff at the wall and see what sticks with audiences, it’s a great shame that many of Marvel Zombies‘ leading lights are only now getting another chance to shine, albeit via an animated Disney+ production.

It’s surreal that Marvel Zombies is the first time Blade has actually appeared in a Marvel Studios project (Image credit: Marvel Animation/Disney+)

Irksome though that is, I will admit it was really fun to see interactions between characters who are yet to cross paths in the MCU.

While all-too-brief to be emotionally impactful, the Khan-Bishop-Williams dynamic is incredibly likable, as is the broader team-up between Khan, Red Guardian, Yelena Belova, Blade Knight, Shang-Chi and the latter’s bestie Katy that becomes the core collective for much of Marvel Zombies‘ run. I regularly revelled in seeing these individuals bounce off each other and re-demonstrate that whip-smart humor that Marvel projects are renowned for.

For all of the fun-filled rapport on display, though, Marvel Zombies was a bit too quippy and corny for my tastes on occasion. I wasn’t expecting the Marvel Phase 6 TV series to be a wholly miserably affair. Nonetheless, seeing Red Guardian and Zombie Captain America duke it out in what I can only describe as a slapstick showdown, or listening to eye-roll inducing jokes from FBI agent Jimmy Woo, just didn’t fit the mood or tone of the post-apocalyptic horror reality that Marvel Zombies takes place in.

The walking dead

Marvel Zombies pays tribute to some great horror-fuelled episodes of television (Image credit: Marvel Animation/Disney+)

Speaking of the hair-raising universe that Marvel Zombies exists in, Marvel doesn’t hold back in making its first TV-MA project as gruesome as possible.

Marvel Zombies‘ first trailer teased its brutality and, while I had hoped for a bit more in the way of ultra-violence, it goes harder than any other Marvel Studios movie or TV show to date. I cannot stress this enough, but it’s absolutely not family-friendly, nor is it for those who are squeamish or of the faint of heart.

Some of Marvel Zombies’ best set-pieces and scenes add real cinematic flair to proceedings

If you can stomach its hyper-violent tendencies, though, Marvel Zombies will reward horror fans through its clear homages to some fan-favorite genre fare. Indeed, whether it’s the dread-inducing ‘Hardhome’ episode of Game of Thrones, or scenes that reminded me of similar sequences in World War Z and Train to Busan, some of Marvel Zombies‘ best set-pieces and scenes add real cinematic flair to proceedings that occasionally conceal the mid-tier art style it retains from What If…?.

Parts of Marvel Zombies’ story, as well as its action sequences, leave a lot to be desired (Image credit: Marvel Animation/Disney+)

However, all the horror genre references in the world, nor positive things I’ve said about Marvel Zombies, can disguise my frustration with its wider narrative, though.

I’ll preface my criticism by saying there’s the skeleton of an engrossing story here. Indeed, its plot makes some interesting revisions to the world-building aspect of the MCU. The recycling of certain MCU technology to try and thwart the threat posed by the undead is put to good use, too.

Add in the previously discussed new-look Avengers team, the camaraderie that exists between them, and the prospect that none of them are immune from becoming the zombie horde’s next victim, and I actually appreciate some of the creative and narrative swings that Marvel Zombies takes.

Spider-Man’s appearance in Marvel Zombies is the main reason why it was turned into a TV show (Image credit: Marvel Animation/Disney+)

Nevertheless, Marvel Zombies is hamstrung by irritating storytelling components.

Whether it’s the rudimentary MacGuffin positioned as the answer to our heroes’ prayers, the decision not to pick up the story immediately after the cliffhanger ending in ‘What If… Zombies!?’ or a spate of character deaths that are significantly lacking in the gut-punching and/or tear-jerking department, at times Marvel Zombies can feel as emotionless as the reanimated corpses that inhabit its world. That’s before we even get onto my biggest gripe about a major narrative inconsistency that occurs in its final episode, which not only changes a key moment near the end of ‘What If… Zombies!?’, but is practically waved away without explanation.

Marvel Zombies is hamstrung by irritating storytelling components

Part of Marvel Zombies‘ plot-based problems might be the fact it’s a glorified TV show. Originally, it was designed to be a two-hour movie but, due to the complexities of the rights surrounding Spider-Man – don’t worry, the lead of ‘What If… Zombies!?’ plays a part of proceedings, albeit in a reduced role – that prohibits Marvel from using him in a feature film capacity without Sony’s consent, Marvel Zombies was turned into a limited series.

As a Spidey fanboy, I’ll always take any webslinger-based storytelling and action where I can. However, there’s no denying that his ongoing inclusion in this What If…? spin-off upsets Zombies‘ narrative rhythm.

My verdict

Marvel Animation’s Marvel Zombies | Official Trailer | Disney+ – YouTube

Watch On

I really wanted to like Marvel Zombies more than I did. That doesn’t mean it’s another average or poor offering from Marvel – indeed, there’s frightful fun to be had with its gratuitous violence, unexpected team-ups and universe-altering stakes. Based on its ending, there’s clearly an appetite to continue its story, too.

Nonetheless, if X-Men 97 is the high bar with which we judge projects developed by Marvel Animation, Zombies is something of a let down. That might be overly critical of me to say, especially when I also consider Zombies to be a better and more enjoyable Marvel TV Original than What If…? and Eyes of Wakanda.

Given my high expectations and excitement for Marvel’s first adult animated show, though, I can’t mask my disappointment for Marvel Zombies as an overall package. If its creative team gets another bite at the cherry with another season, I’d love nothing more for them to cure Zombies‘ narrative ailments. For now, though, Marvel Zombies is another project from the comic giant that’ll shuffle onto Disney+ and likely be forgotten about within a week or two.

Marvel Zombies is out now in full on Disney+.

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US Tech Giants Race to Spend Billions in UK AI Push
Product Reviews

US Tech Giants Race to Spend Billions in UK AI Push

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Microsoft and Nvidia have unveiled plans to invest up to $45 billion dollars into the UK economy, in a move that will bolster the building of more data centers as well as research and development into artificial intelligence.

The investment comes as US president Donald Trump travels to Britain, where he is expected to announce a US-UK tech deal alongside UK prime minister Keir Starmer.

As part of the agreement, Microsoft has committed to invest $30 billion in AI infrastructure over the next four years. The company claims this is the largest financial commitment it has ever made in the UK and will make up more than two thirds of the total investment announced into the UK this week, timed to Trump’s visit.

“We are focused on British pounds, not empty tech promises,” Brad Smith, Microsoft’s vice chair and president, told journalists in a virtual briefing ahead of the announcement today. “We will be good for every cent of this investment.” Half of the money will go to capital expansion— “all new money, all new investments,” Smith claimed—whereas the other half will go to efforts like a partnership with the data center business Nscale, to finance and use its facilities.

Nvidia, for its part, has pledged to spend up to $15 billion on AI-related R&D efforts in the UK. The chipmaker will not invest directly into building out the infrastructure, instead acting through its partners CoreWeave and Nscale.

This announcement comes alongside a new joint venture from Nvidia, Nscale, and OpenAI today, which plans to “strengthen the UK’s sovereign compute capabilities” through an AI infrastructure partnership called Stargate UK. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang traveled with Trump to the UK during his state visit this week.

“Stargate UK ensures OpenAI’s world-leading AI models can run on local computing power in the UK, for the UK,” said OpenAI in a statement. OpenAI will provide up to 8,000 GPUs in the first quarter of 2026 with the potential to scale to 31,000 GPUs over time. As part of the agreement, OpenAI says Nscale is set to significantly expand its capacity across a number of sites in the UK, including Cobalt Park in Newcastle, which will be part of a newly designated AI Growth Zone in the northeast.

“This historic commitment from Nscale shows how the UK can build the future of AI, together with our partners from the US,” Nscale CEO Josh Payne said in a statement. “It’s only by building world-class AI infrastructure that we will stay competitive in the global race.”

When asked to characterize Microsoft’s relationship with Nscale, Smith said simply, “We write the check, and they spend the money.”

Smith was quick to claim that the company did not get a request from the Trump administration to make an investment announcement. “We have had many conversations with the UK government, including with folks at Number 10, as you would expect, and those have been going on for months,” he said.



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Source - Giants calling up top prospect Bryce Eldridge
Esports

Source – Giants calling up top prospect Bryce Eldridge

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  • Alden GonzalezSep 15, 2025, 02:21 PM ET

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      ESPN baseball reporter. Covered the L.A. Rams for ESPN from 2016 to 2018 and the L.A. Angels for MLB.com from 2012 to 2016.

The San Francisco Giants, suddenly back in the playoff race with two weeks remaining in the regular season, are calling up top prospect Bryce Eldrige, a source confirmed to ESPN on Monday.

Eldridge, a 20-year-old first baseman who was No. 29 in the latest prospect rankings by ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel, will seemingly take on the role vacated by fellow left-handed hitter Dominic Smith, who went on the injured list with a hamstring strain over the weekend.

The 16th overall pick out of high school in 2023, Eldridge surged in Double-A at the start of the season and was slashing .249/.322/.514 with 18 homers, 88 strikeouts and 28 walks for the Giants’ Triple-A affiliate. His strikeout rate remained high of late, but his production improved over these past 17 games, during which he boasted a .294 batting average with 10 extra-base hits.

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The Giants had been using Rafael Devers at both first base and designated hitter, with Smith and the right-handed-hitting Wilmer Flores essentially platooning at the other spot. Eldridge will seemingly take on Smith’s role for the stretch run, while hoping to push the Giants toward an unlikely playoff spot.

After acquiring Devers in the middle of June, the Giants went 13-22 heading into the trade deadline at the end of July, prompting the front office to deal veteran players. As of Aug. 22, the Giants were seven games below .500 and 7½ games out of the final wild-card spot, but they have since won 14 of 20 games and currently trail the slumping New York Mets by only 1½ games with 13 remaining.

The San Francisco Chronicle first reported Eldridge’s callup.



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Esports

Joey Chestnut devours 275 meatless nuggets during Giants vs Dodgers game

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Joey Chestnut turned a Giants vs Dodgers showdown into his own stage on September 12 by downing 275 Impossible Chicken Nuggets in nine innings.

Chestnut is best known for his dominance at the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, where he holds the world record of 76 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes. Earlier this year he added to his resume with a win at Canada’s World Poutine Eating Championship, polishing off more than 20 pounds of the dish in under 10 minutes.

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The Bay Area native returned to the competitive eating spotlight in 2025 after a year-long ban from Nathan’s, which stemmed from a sponsorship conflict with Impossible Foods. His comeback reasserted his status as the sport’s biggest name, even as new contests and challenges continue to push the limits of his endurance.

Chestnut devours hundreds of nuggest during MLB game

Chestnut’s goal was to clear 99 Impossible Nuggets over the course of the game, but he demolished that target almost instantly. By the second inning he had already passed the milestone, and he didn’t slow down, powering past 150 by the third inning and eventually finishing with 275 by the time the game ended.

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Equipped with dipping sauces and cups of warm water, Chestnut ate through a portion of the 2,000 nuggets supplied by Impossible Foods for the event. His only opponent was Jayson Toweh, a fan chosen through a nationwide search, but the atmosphere was more relaxed than the high-pressure July 4 stage at Coney Island.

He admitted the length of a baseball game added its own challenges, with throat muscles wearing down after hours of swallowing. Still, Chestnut said the flavor of the nuggets kept it manageable compared to tougher marathon foods.

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The Bay Area crowd watched him add another staggering total to a résumé that already includes 141 hard-boiled eggs in eight minutes, 121 Twinkies in six minutes, and 45 pulled pork sandwiches in 10 minutes. Oracle Park now has its own entry in the Chestnut record book: 275 nuggets in nine innings.



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GameFi Guides

AI Giants Face FTC Inquiry Into Chatbot Safety and Child Protections

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In brief

  • The FTC has issued orders to seven companies requiring detailed disclosure of safety protocols and monetization strategies within 45 days.
  • The probe comes amid growing concerns about AI chatbots’ impact on children, with safety advocates calling for stronger protections.
  • Companies must reveal user data handling by age group and safeguards preventing inappropriate interactions with minors.

The Federal Trade Commission issued compulsory orders Thursday to seven major technology companies, demanding detailed information about how their artificial intelligence chatbots protect children and teenagers from potential harm.

The investigation targets OpenAI, Alphabet, Meta, xAI, Snap, Character Technologies, and Instagram, requiring them to disclose within 45 days how they monetize user engagement, develop AI characters, and safeguard minors from dangerous content.

Recent research by advocacy groups documented 669 harmful interactions with children in just 50 hours of testing, including bots proposing sexual livestreaming, drug use, and romantic relationships to users aged between 12 and 15.

“Protecting kids online is a top priority for the Trump-Vance FTC, and so is fostering innovation in critical sectors of our economy,” FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson said in a statement.

The filing requires companies to provide monthly data on user engagement, revenue, and safety incidents, broken down by age groups—Children (under 13), Teens (13–17), Minors (under 18), Young Adults (18–24), and users 25 and older.

The FTC says that the information will help the Commission study “how companies offering artificial intelligence companions monetize user engagement; impose and enforce age-based restrictions; process user inputs; generate outputs; measure, test, and monitor for negative impacts before and after deployment; develop and approve characters, whether company- or user-created.”

Building AI guardrails

“It’s a positive step, but the problem is bigger than just putting some guardrails,” Taranjeet Singh, Head of AI at SearchUnify, told Decrypt.

The first approach, he said, is to build guardrails at the prompt or post-generation stage “to make sure nothing inappropriate is being served to children,” though “as the context grows, the AI becomes prone to not following instructions and slipping into grey areas where they otherwise shouldn’t.”

“The second way is to address it in LLM training; if models are aligned with values during data curation, they’re more likely to avoid harmful conversations,” Singh added.

Even moderated systems, he noted, can “play a bigger role in society,” with education as a prime case where AI could “improve learning and cut costs.”



Safety concerns around AI interactions with users have been highlighted by several cases, including a wrongful death lawsuit brought against Character.AI after 14-year-old Sewell Setzer III died by suicide in February 2024 following an obsessive relationship with an AI bot.

Following the lawsuit, Character.AI “improved detection, response and intervention related to user inputs that violate our Terms or Community Guidelines,” as well as a time-spent notification, a company spokesperson told Decrypt at the time.

Last month, the National Association of Attorneys General sent letters to 13 AI companies demanding stronger child protections.

The group warned that “exposing children to sexualized content is indefensible” and that “conduct that would be unlawful—or even criminal—if done by humans is not excusable simply because it is done by a machine.”

Decrypt has contacted all seven companies named in the FTC order for additional comment and will update this story if they respond.

Generally Intelligent Newsletter

A weekly AI journey narrated by Gen, a generative AI model.



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Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: The Order of Giants DLC feels like a brief, cut down version of the main game, but an enjoyable story carries you through
Game Reviews

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: The Order of Giants DLC feels like a brief, cut down version of the main game, but an enjoyable story carries you through

by admin


After about ten minutes of running around the Vatican brandishing a biscotti like it was my own holy grail and ultimately angering a fair few fascists in the process (which in turn lead to me heroically fleeing the scene in order to find some kind of weapon – in this case, a crutch – to fight them off) I finally rediscovered my Indiana Jones and the Great Circle sea legs. Several months after finishing the main game, I was now ready to go back for a second helping thanks to its newly-released Order of Giants DLC.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: The Order of Giants

The Order of Giants kicks off when Indy opens the ‘A Mystery Begins’ Fieldwork quest and locates Father Ricci in the Great Circle’s Vatican area. The priest, along with his rather endearing parrot companion Pio, speaks of a “Nameless Crusader” believed to be a “giant” of a man who never removed his helmet. This legendary chap appears to have some connection with a secret chamber beneath the Vatican’s Casina and with Indy never being one to shy away from unravelling a good story rooted in history, he agrees to investigate for the duo (because, yes, the parrot is absolutely a team member, and I will not hear otherwise).

Looking further into this nameless and larger-than-life crusader takes Indy under the streets of Rome, as he uncovers a mystery which expands upon the lore of the Great Circle’s Nephilim order. Along with simply discovering more of the order’s story, though, Indy also takes on a number of puzzles and platforming-based excursions in the process. Oh, and of course there are also some skirmishes with yet more fascists as well as a smattering of red-robed cultists. Ooh.

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Before I go too much further, let me say this right off the mark. Order of Giants doesn’t really add much new beyond story and some extra collectables. It feels more like a condensed, Vatican-flavoured microcosm of the full Great Circle game, but with an infusion of Sukhothai’s boat exploration. This DLC really should be considered a general extension to the Great Circle’s core mechanics, rather than something that will suddenly revolutionise what developer MachineGames has done previously. There are two new adventure books, for example (at least that I found), but rather than adding new skills, these books are more about buffs. Of course these are a nice boon – especially I imagine if you have not yet completed the main game – but as said, they don’t hold anything revolutionary that will mix up your Order of Giants experience.

Image credit: Bethesda

Ok, back to it. Now while I really did enjoy the story being told in Order of Giants, in terms of gameplay progress I found it a tad predictable. The platforming sections only really relied on a few small mechanics such as whipping to ledges and pulling on chains to make your way through a predetermined route. Meanwhile, the puzzles themselves were more straightforward than I would have expected from an expansion released several months after the main game, with the likes of directing water through a specific channel, or pulling levers in the order they appeared on nearby images. They lacked a certain amount of creativity.

Then at one moment, probably about halfway through the DLC, I thought I was going to be presented with a mini boss battle. One bit in particular gave me flashbacks to one of my favourite fights against the Great Circle’s blind giant, which was so tense it had me holding my breath (along with Indy). While I wasn’t expecting a carbon copy of that exact moment, I just did not get that same sense of thrill in Order of Giants. Instead, I was soon interrupted by a cutscene that quite literally cut things short. The rest of the DLC then followed a similar formula until the final confrontation (which I will not spoil here, but in terms of story and cinematics, I will say this final showdown did make me gasp with an ‘oh daaaang!’).

Image credit: Bethesda/Eurogamer

Setting aside that disappointment with the action, the storytelling here is still a treat, and is really Order of Giants’ greatest strength. There were several moments during the DLC where I found myself genuinely laughing at the situation Indy had put himself in, with more than just an appreciative titter. I mean, who else could find themself stuck under a car like that and at that exact moment? As an extra optional chapter to the Great Circle’s main game, it was all certainly an enjoyable narrative experience.

I just wish there had been more gameplay variety, and more to explore above ground in Rome itself. Visually, the majority of the Order of Giants grabbed hold of a 50 shades of grey colour card and ran with it, save for some splashes of the labyrinthine underground’s murky greens and browns. Little beams of sunlight from the city above would periodically penetrate through Indy’s subdued surroundings, but when this happened I found myself looking up with a desire to see the fresh blue sky, rather than looking for clues or similar in the immediate and now more illuminated area. I spent a lot of my time during the Order of Giants feeling rather claustrophobic due to being underground and in relative darkness for such an extended period of time.

Speaking of the largely underground setting limitations, while I had so much fun picking up all sorts of makeshift weapons during my playthrough of the Great Circle, there wasn’t the same variety to be found beneath the streets of Rome. Other than a few scepter-like melee items, I mostly made my way through the DLC’s combat sections using just Indy’s whip and fists. This was fine, and at the end of the day an effective enough method, but it didn’t give me the same giddy, silly joy as whopping a baddy over the head with a fly swat. At one point during the Order of Giants, I actually used my gun. I don’t think I ever did that during my playthrough of the main game, because I was having so much fun launching mandolins and mops at my enemies at every opportunity.

Image credit: Bethesda/Eurogamer

As for how long the Order of Giants took me to complete, I would say I was playing for around four and a bit hours in total. I know I didn’t uncover every new artefact there was to find, but I did uncover the majority. In short, the DLC is short. It is certainly not as long as I was expecting, and felt more like an extended and quite straightforward sidequest rather than a full fat standalone expansion with new mechanics and ideas.

It all boils down to this: Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: The Order of Giants is more of Indy doing Indy things. For me as a huge Indiana Jones fan – both of the Great Circle and the franchise more generally – I had a perfectly enjoyable time back with Indy, and appreciated where the story took me. But I wouldn’t go so far as to say Order of Giants is unmissable. Alas, it just didn’t really add anything to my overall experience of the main game – and given that the Great Circle was overflowing with creativity, characters, grand set pieces and so much more, that just feels like a little bit of a shame.



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Indiana Jones And The Great Circle: The Order Of Giants DLC Review
Game Reviews

Indiana Jones And The Great Circle: The Order Of Giants DLC Review

by admin



At around four to five hours in length, calling The Order of Giants bite-sized doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. Within the context of the rest of Indiana Jones and The Great Circle, however, that’s precisely what this DLC feels like.

The base game is at its best when you’re dropped into an extensive playground and left to your own devices, whether it’s a maze of undulating rivers in Sukhothai or a stretch of desert surrounding the pyramids of Giza. Donning Indy’s signature hat and exploring these dense locations is a treat, with each level meticulously detailed and focused on player agency, all while weaving the signature elements of an Indiana Jones adventure into each locale.

Maybe it was naive of me to expect a similar setup in the game’s first expansion, but it’s still a tad disappointing that The Order of Giants presents a more streamlined experience instead. The quality is still there; it’s just missing a few key ingredients.

If you’ve played The Great Circle before, you’ll want to head back to Vatican City to add this new batch of fieldwork to Indy’s journal. From here, you’ll meet Father Ricci, a young priest–with a loquacious pet parrot–who’s desperate to track down a lost Roman artifact once owned by Pope Paul IV. This is more than enough information to pique Indy’s curiosity, propelling you on an adventure just beyond the walls of the Vatican as you head into the ancient city of Rome itself. Or, more specifically, descend beneath the Eternal City’s streets, where you’ll rummage through the cramped confines of dusty Roman tombs, catacombs, and the Cloaca Maxima sewer system, solving various puzzles, uncovering hidden mysteries, sneaking past cultists, and punching Mussolini’s fascist Blackshirts in the face.

As the DLC’s title suggests, The Order of Giants delves deeper into the lore behind the Nephilim Order: a monastic society of giants formed by the descendants of fallen angels. As compelling as this backstory is–and despite the giants’ vital role in the events of The Great Circle–the Nephilim are still shrouded in mystery by the time the base game’s final credits roll. The Order of Giants doesn’t necessarily lift the lid on their past, but it does offer another fascinating peek into their cryptic role in history, dating back to Nero’s reign as emperor of Rome and the 11th-century Crusades.

I enjoyed unravelling the story through notes, puzzles, and Indy’s own observations, particularly the way it’s grounded in real history despite the fantastical nature of the Nephilim. The writing is sharp, and Indy’s quips are on point, with Troy Baker delivering another fantastic performance as the iconic archeologist. I do, however, get the feeling the narrative would’ve fit more snugly if I hadn’t already finished The Great Circle. As an extra addendum, it feels distinctly like a side quest with little to no impact on the main story. This is a tricky conundrum to solve with any story-driven DLC, and I don’t think there’s a perfect way to do it. Just know that those playing The Great Circle for the first time will probably appreciate it more as a natural detour within the greater narrative than those returning after reaching the game’s conclusion.

It also makes sense as an extension of the Vatican map, as you’ll spend most of your time traversing similar underground areas to those found beneath the holy city. The Order of Giants is fairly linear in this regard, yet each location is designed with plenty of hidden pathways and secrets to uncover, ensuring that those willing to explore every nook and cranny will be satisfied. It’s replete with a number of delightful puzzles to solve, too, challenging your thought process while being wonderfully tactile at the same time, from referencing an ancient story to figure out which way to rotate various platforms, to guiding a ball down a track by constantly placing and removing different pieces to alter its direction. These room-scale puzzles are some of the best in the entire game, and the DLC’s pacing guarantees that no one aspect overstays its welcome.

When you’re not solving Roman conundrums, The Order of Giants offers a decent mix of platforming and combat to keep things feeling fresh. Both are relatively unchanged, whether you’re swinging over a chasm with Indy’s signature whip or throwing a thunderous haymaker to put a fascist in the ground. There is one section where you get your hands on some TNT, but you’ll be using your fists and makeshift melee weapons to blunt force most enemy encounters. Clobbering fascists remains particularly entertaining, but the smaller scale of the environments isn’t conducive to the kind of freeform stealth present in the base game, so it loses some of that Indiana Jones-style improvisation. For as atmospheric as each location is, The Order of Giants also lacks the same spectacle as the base game, with the absence of set pieces reinforcing how pared down it is in comparison.

What it may lack in scope, The Order of Giants makes up for with some of the best and most inventive puzzles in the game. It’s disappointing that we didn’t get another expansive environment to explore, but this is still an engaging mini-adventure that’s rich in lore and quintessentially Indy. Those playing The Great Circle for the first time might appreciate the detour a lot more, but putting on that wide-brimmed fedora again still feels great (if only I could get John Williams’ theme music out of my head).



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Best Crypto to Buy as Banking Giants Now Predict at Least Two Rate Cuts in 2025
GameFi Guides

Best Crypto to Buy as Banking Giants Now Predict at Least Two Rate Cuts in 2025

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Trusted Editorial content, reviewed by leading industry experts and seasoned editors. Ad Disclosure

Jerome Powell, the Fed Chair, in his speech at Jackson Hole on August 22, hinted that the Fed might cut interest rates in September.

Now, weak U.S. jobs market data has increased the chances of not one, but at least two rate cuts in 2025.

For the first time since April 2021, there are more unemployed people (7.24M) in the U.S. than available job openings (7.18M).

According to the Kobeissi Letter, the U.S. has revised June’s job report for the second time, showing a loss of 13,000 jobs – the first negative month since July 2021. Meanwhile, August saw only 22,000 jobs added against an expected 75,000.

This is why many banks have revised their earlier rate cut predictions and are now expecting a 50 to 75 bps cut before the end of the year.

Read on to learn what banks are saying about rate cuts, what it could mean for the crypto markets, and the best cryptos to buy now to capitalize on this opportunity.

Banks’ Rate Cut Prediction

Bank of America had long stood by its prediction that there would be no rate cuts in 2025. However, in a major U-turn, the bank now expects two 25 bps cuts this year – the first in September and the next in December.

Goldman Sachs has made an even bolder call, forecasting three 25 bps cuts in 2025, followed by two more in March and June 2026.

The firm now sees a terminal rate of 3-3.25% (down from its earlier 3.5-3.75% forecast). Similarly, Citigroup is also predicting three cuts this year.

With rate cuts now looking almost certain, the crypto markets are buzzing again. Historically, interest rate cuts have been bullish for digital assets: borrowing becomes cheaper, risk-on sentiment increases, bond yields fall, the dollar weakens, and capital flows into crypto in search of higher returns.

If you’re planning to build a crypto portfolio, there may not be a better time. Here are some altcoins worth considering to take full advantage of the upcoming rate cuts.

1. Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER) – Turbocharging Bitcoin with Fast Speeds, Low Fees & Web3 Compatibility

Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER) has the potential to crank up Bitcoin’s real-world application, making it more than just an investment vehicle.

This new crypto project is building a Layer 2 solution for Bitcoin, one that integrates the Solana Virtual Machine (SVM) to deliver fast transaction speeds, low fees, and a full-blown Web3 environment directly on Bitcoin.

Unlike Bitcoin’s main chain, which processes every transaction first-hand, $HYPER will act as a much-needed secondary fast lane.

It’ll handle thousands of requests on the side before sending a summary of all those transactions to the primary chain.

At the core of this Layer 2 is a decentralized, non-custodial canonical bridge.

By locking your Layer 1 Bitcoin and minting an equivalent amount of tokens on Bitcoin Hyper’s Layer 2, the bridge enables seamless interaction with SVM-powered Web3 applications.

These include DeFi trading apps, NFT marketplaces, lending and staking protocols, DAOs, and gaming dApps.

Right now, 1 $HYPER is available for just $0.012875, and the project has in total raised over $14.33M from early investors. Here’s how to buy $HYPER.

Visit Bitcoin Hyper’s and get yourself possibly one of the best altcoins in 2025.

2. SUBBD Token ($SUBBD) – Revolutionizing the $85B Online Content Industry

SUBBD is the newest (and potentially most game-changing) crypto-powered online subscription platforms available today.

It stands out as the first platform of its kind to integrate cutting-edge AI tools, including voice, video, image, and profile generators.

The biggest benefit? Helping creators dramatically reduce their workload. By automating much of the content creation process, SUBBD leaves creators with more time to directly engage with their audiences.

At the heart of it all is SUBBD Token ($SUBBD), the platform’s native currency.

For fans, buying $SUBBD means more than just paying for premium content, tipping creators, or sending personalized requests. It also unlocks a host of unique perks:

  • Exclusive discounts on in-platform content and subscriptions
  • Early access to beta features
  • Voting rights on key platform decisions, such as creator onboarding and feature prioritization

Even better, staking $SUBBD gets you a fixed 20% APY for the first year, along with access to creator livestreams, daily BTS drops, and exclusive content from SUBBD’s top talents.

According to our $SUBBD price prediction, a $100 investment today could turn into $850 by the end of 2026 – an eye-popping 750% gain.

Currently in presale, $SUBBD has already raised more than $1.1M, with each token priced at just $0.056375.

Visit SUBBD Token to join a promising AI-driven crypto project.

3. MemeCore ($M) – Viral New Altcoin Changing the Meme Coin Space

If you thought meme coins only existed for speculation and as an outlet for crypto degens’ deranged sense of humor and thrill, MemeCore ($M) is here to make you think again.

It’s a unique new cryptocurrency project ushering in a never-before-seen paradigm, one where meme coins evolve into full-blown engines of culture, value, and community coordination.

MemeCore introduces a novel Proof of Meme (PoM) consensus layer, designed to reward participants for both cultural contributions and on-chain activity.

Thanks to MemeCore’s Meme 2.0 revolution, the token has been a rockstar on the exchanges. It’s up more than 196% in just the last seven days, currently trading around $1.90.

Conclusion

With speculation about a Federal Reserve rate cut in September dominating crypto chatter, several banking giants have now added more fuel to the fire by suggesting there could be multiple cuts by year-end.

That said, none of the above is financial advice. Crypto investments are highly risky. Invest only after doing your own research.

Authored by Krishi Chowdhary, Bitcoinist — https://bitcoinist.com/best-crypto-to-buy-banking-giants-predict-two-rate-cuts-2025

Editorial Process for bitcoinist is centered on delivering thoroughly researched, accurate, and unbiased content. We uphold strict sourcing standards, and each page undergoes diligent review by our team of top technology experts and seasoned editors. This process ensures the integrity, relevance, and value of our content for our readers.



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