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Jack Kirby had a well-known saying, “Comics will break your heart.” Kirby was referring mainly to the way giant publishers shew up and spit out creators without bothering to fairly compensate them for their efforts, but Tom King and Mitch Gerads include that line in Mister Miracle #5 as a way of acknowledging the melancholic quality of Scott Free’s existence and the endless, destructive wars plaguing the New Gods. It’s a reminder that this series is very true to the spirit of Kirby’s work, even if it doesn’t always attempt to replicate the look and feel of the classic Fourth World material.

Mister Miracle #5 continues the series’ trend of blending the cosmic spectacle and grandeur of the New Gods with a very grounded, ordinary look at Scott Free and Barda’s life on Earth. This issue could easily ditch its minimal superhero trappings and still function as a perfectly engaging look at a couple enjoying their last day together. King’s script is a very sweet look at one of the most enduring romances in the DCU (it survived event the wrath of the New 52, after all). But it’s also haunting and emotionally charged. How could it not be when the whole premise of this issue is that Scott is savoring every moment he can on the final day before his execution?

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Beating a level in Opus Magnum is just the beginning. Sure, I built a machine to assemble that level’s target product, but how do I make it better? How do I make that machine of pistons, moving arms, and base components cheaper, smaller, or more efficient? It’s questions like this that literally kept me up at night, and what makes Opus Magnum one of the most captivating puzzle games I’ve ever played.

It’s set in a stylish, pseudo-futuristic fantasy world where alchemy is a fundamental part of life and, with a little thought, devices can turn water to fuel, lead to gold, and a whole lot more. The machines you build move and shift with satisfying, mechanical clunks that help make the 2D art pop as they operate. That mix of science and magic reinforces the idea that anything is possible, but it’s going to take work to figure out how.

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The moral and ethical dilemmas of engaging with ever-evolving technology isn’t a new thing for video games. But in combining these weighty themes with a heartfelt story about family, loss, and love, Rumu brings a fresh and heart-wrenching perspective to some well-trodden thematic ground.

You play as Rumu, a tiny vacuum-cleaning robot who is as adorable as it is curious. Its one and only duty is to clean the futuristic house of its owners, David and Cecily. Said owners are nowhere to be found but the all-seeing sentient house AI, Sabrina, promises that they will be home soon. In the meantime, the only thing left to do is to clean and explore. Aided by Sabrina, as well as an eclectic mix of semi-intelligent home appliances and a house cat named Ada, everything starts off innocently enough. As you partake in chores, cleaning up some spilled tea here and some dropped toast there, Rumu slowly begins to grow self-aware. What starts off as a cute, whimsical adventure involving cleaning up spills soon gives way to a thought-provoking sci-fi tale.

Rumu is an isometric point-and-click puzzle game on the surface, but its strength doesn’t lie in mechanics or aesthetics. Its puzzles are unchallenging and unexciting, and the discoveries that come from exploration play out in a linear fashion. The game instead anchors itself on Rumu and Sabrina’s relationship and the underlying mystery of what happened to David and Cecily. Though the game is short–a full playthrough will last 2-3 hours–Rumu and Sabrina’s complex dynamic and the central mystery is borne out in an engrossing manner from start to finish.

Rumu communicates with binary dialogue choices, while Sabrina is a fully coherent character. The little vacuum robot almost always “speaks” in variations of “I love you,” and subtext is imbued into every line. Telling Sabrina “I love David, Cecily, and Sabrina” instead of “I love Sabrina, David, and Cecily” provokes contrasting reactions, and Sabrina possesses a sinister streak when provoked. She’s surprisingly flawed for an AI character and prone to emotional vulnerability. Allegra Clark’s excellent voice-acting gives extra weight to an already well-written character; little details like subtle breaks between words and slight pitch changes during heated conversations give the character a surprising degree of emotion and sympathy, and it’s these finely-crafted moments that inject intriguing nuance into Rumu and Sabrina’s relationship.

As pieces of the puzzle start falling into place, conversations with Sabrina take on a markedly more antagonistic tone. The I love yous become less frequent and more direct lines of questioning become the norm. The result is a fascinating look into emotional manipulation, familial relationships, and ultimately, loneliness. It’s risky to focus an entire game around a single relationship since everything hinges on the strength of the characters, especially when both aren’t even human. But both Rumu and Sabrina are well-written and surprisingly relatable during certain climactic moments. The experience is heightened by Rumu’s beautifully poignant soundtrack, which perfectly evokes the game’s futuristic setting and familial themes.

Events happen at a breakneck pace, and it doesn’t take long for the story’s conclusion to sneak up on you, but when you finally uncover the central mystery behind David and Cecily’s absence, the emotional payoff feels well-earned thanks to strong character work and an impactful ending. It may be short and unchallenging, but Rumu’s strong antagonist and its ultimately heart-wrenching journey make it one worth taking.

Toy company Build-A-Bear is expanding its catalog to include famous Super Mario characters for the first time, and just in time for the holidays. Beginning today, you can order Mario, Bowser, and Yoshi bears from the Build-A-Bear US and UK websites.

The 16-inch Mario bear ($28) comes with the character’s famous overalls, moustache, hat, and Super Mario logo on his foot. You can also buy a sound chip ($7) that plays the Super Mario Mario Bros. theme song. The Bowser bear ($35) stands 15 inches tall and also has the Super Mario logo on his foot; a sound chip that includes five different sounds can be purchased separately for $7. And finally, the Yoshi toy ($25.50) is well, he’s just his adorable self, and isn’t that enough?

Build-A-Bear is also offering a smaller Toad plushie, along with a Super Mario Wrist Accessory Set that comes with a Yoshi egg, a Super Star, and a Super Mushroom. You can also buy a red Super Mario hoodie for any other bear, while a Luigi costume is also available. Additionally, Build-A-Bear is selling a Princess Peach costume. Go to the Build-A-Bear websites for the US and UK to see a full rundown of products and pricing.

If you’d rather shop in a store, the Nintendo items should start showing up in the US, UK, and Canada this weekend. That’s good news if you’re looking to buy one of these as a gift for the holidays; it’s not too late.

Build-A-Bear also sells a range of Pokemon plushies, as well as bears based on characters from popular franchises such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, My Little Pony, Minions, and Peanuts.

GameSpot News Roundup is a video show about video game news. It features Jess McDonell and Dan Crowd. What more do you need to know?

The Predator Comes To Ghost Recon Wildlands (Yes, That Predator)

No-one could have predicted this one. Ubisoft’s 3rd person squad shooter Ghost Recon Wildlands is getting a limited time event where you get to fight 80’s action movie icon The Predator, in celebration of the film’s 30th anniversary. You don’t want to miss out on this one! Get all the details in today’s episode.

Three More Characters Join Dragon Ball FighterZ

The flashy Dragon Ball Z fighting game just keeps on getting more and more characters! This time, Namco has announced that three characters from the newest Dragon Ball series, Dragon Ball Super, will be joining the existing cast. Find out who they are!

PUBG On Xbox One Has Performance Issues

PUBG on Xbox One has launched, and though it’s proving to be incredibly popular, its Early Access (or Xbox Game Preview) nature means it’s hasn’t been running in a completely optimised state, especially on base Xbox One consoles and the Xbox One S. Find out how these version stack up against the PC and Xbox One X versions in today’s episode.

That’s all for GameSpot News today, let us know what you thought about today’s stories in the comments! See you tomorrow.

• PUBG On Xbox One Has Some Performance Issues
• New Ghost Recon: Wildlands Update Lets You Hunt The Predator
• Dragon Ball FighterZ Adds Three Characters From Dragon Ball Super

As it does every year, Google has now published its “Year In Search” charts, revealing the top search queries for 2017. Video games made it into one of the mainline categories, Consumer Tech, and the Nintendo Switch outpaced the Xbox One X.

Nintendo Switch is No. 3 overall in the Consumer Tech category, followed by Xbox One X at No. 5. No other video game consoles made the Top 10 list. The top Consumer Tech search for 2017 was the iPhone 8, followed by the iPhone X. Nintendo’s console coming in third behind those two massively popular devices is still impressive. This list and the others are based on search terms that spiked in traffic this year as compared to 2016.

It makes sense that the Switch would pace above Xbox One X, given that Nintendo’s hybrid console is a completely new device whereas Microsoft’s system is a more modest evolution of something that came before it. The Nintendo Switch was released in March while the Xbox One X hit store shelves in November.

Top Consumer Tech Searches On Google In 2017

1. iPhone 8
2. iPhone X
3. Nintendo Switch
4. Samsung Galaxy S8
5. Xbox One X
6. Nokia 3310
7. Razer Phone
8. Oppo F5
9. OnePlus 5
10. Nokia 6

You can check out Google’s full Year in Search charts here. In addition to the overall top searches, some of the other categories include People, Actors, Elections, How To, Losses, Movies, Music, and more.

Rocket League developer Psyonix has confirmed the physical version of its acclaimed car soccer smash will be available on Switch in January 2018.

Rocket League will arrive on store shelves for Switch on January 16 in North America, January 24 for Australia and New Zealand, and January 25/26 for Europe, Russia, the Middle East, and South Africa.

The retail version of Rocket League on Switch will match the ones available on PS4 and Xbox One and will contain the full game plus the following additional content:

• Supersonic Fury DLC Pack
• Revenge of the Battle-Cars DLC Pack
• Chaos Run DLC Pack
• Aftershock DLC Car

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There may not be a Marvel book more frustrating in its inconsistency than Star Wars. Story-wise, the series has been reinvigorated by the debut of new writer Kieron Gillen and the effort paid to linking the events of Rogue One to the larger saga. But all that good work is being hindered by the garish artwork. You simply can’t have a great comic without great art, and that seems to be a hurdle this series can’t overcome in 2017.

There’s plenty of compelling characterization to go around in this latest chapter. Luke is busy being exposed to the darker side of the war against the Empire as he teams up with Benthic and learn how the Partisans do business. Han shows a more sensitive side for a change as he coaxes the Millennium Falcon into performing past her limits. And perhaps most intriguing of all, Leia reflects on her late father and their final encounter before she made that fateful trip aboard the Tantive IV. All of this speaks to the great strength of Marvel’s Star Wars comics. They may not affect the status quo of the larger franchise on the same level the old Expanded Universe books and novels did, but they add terrific new insight into the characters and relationships we thought we knew so well.

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The latest weekly physical game sales charts for Australia and New Zealand have come online, showing which games sold the best in both countries last week. For the week ended December 10, you guessed it, Call of Duty: WWII was on top in both markets.

The game has been No. 1 on the all-platforms charts since release in early November. The Activision shooter was also No. 1 on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One platform-specific charts.

Rounding out the top ten on the all-platforms charts for Australia were Star Wars: Battlefront II, Assassin’s Creed: Origins, FIFA 18, Need for Speed: Payback, Super Mario Odyssey, Gran Turismo Sport, NBA 2K18, The Sims 4, and Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy. In New Zealand, the top-sellers after Call of Duty: WWII included Star Wars: Battlefront II, Gran Turismo Sport, Assassin’s Creed: Origins, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, FIFA 18, Need for Speed: Payback, Doom, Prey, The Sims 4.

You can see the full Top 10 charts for Australia and New Zealand below. All figures are based on physical game sales for the week running December 4-10. As always, these charts are released by the Interactive Games & Entertainment Association.

Australia

Top 10 Best Selling Games For All Platforms

1. Call of Duty: WWII
2. Star Wars: Battlefront II
3. Assassin’s Creed: Origins
4. FIFA 18
5. Need for Speed: Payback
6. Super Mario Odyssey
7. Gran Turismo Sport
8. NBA 2K18
9. The Sims 4
10. Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy

Top 10 Best Selling PS4 Games

1. Call of Duty: WWII
2. Star Wars: Battlefront II
3. Assassin’s Creed: Origins
4. FIFA 18
5. Gran Turismo Sport
6. Need for Speed: Payback
7. Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy
8. NBA 2K18
9. Horizon: Zero Dawn
10. The Sims 4

Top 10 Best Selling Xbox One Games

1. Call of Duty: WWII
2. Stare Wars: Battlefront II
3. Assassin’s Creed: Origins
4. FIFA 18
5. Need for Speed: Payback
6. Forza Motorsport 7
7. NBA 2K18
8. Forza Horizon 3
9. The Sims 4
10. Ashes Cricket

Top 10 Best Selling Nintendo Switch Games

1. Super Mario Odyssey
2. Mario Kart 8
3. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
4. Mario & Rabbids: Kingdom Battle
5. Xenoblade Chronicles 2
6. Splatoon 2
7. Sonic Forces
8. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
9. Just Dance 2018
10. Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2

New Zealand

Top 10 Best Selling Games For All Platforms

1. Call of Duty: WWII
2. Star Wars: Battlefront II
3. Gran Turismo Sport
4. Assassin’s Creed: Origins
5. Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus
6. FIFA 18
7. Need for Speed: Payback
8. Doom
9. Prey
10. The Sims 4

Top 10 Best Selling PS4 Games

1. Call of Duty: WWII
2. Gran Turismo Sport
3. Star Wars: Battlefront II
4. Assassin’s Creed: Origins
5. Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus
6. Need for Speed: Payback
7. Doom
8. FIFA 18
9. Prey
10. Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy

Top 10 Best Selling Xbox One Games

1. Call of Duty: WWII
2. Star Wars: Battlefront II
3. Assassin’s Creed: Origins
4. Forza Horizon 3
5. FIFA 18
6. Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus
7. Need for Speed: Payback
8. Forza Motorsport 7
9. Doom
10. Prey

Top 10 Best Selling Nintendo Switch Games

1. Super Mario Odyssey
2. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
3. Mario Kart 8
4. Rayman Legends
5. Xenoblade Chronicles 2
6. Splatoon 2
7. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
8. Pokken Tournament DX
9. FIFA 18
10. Mario * Rabbids: Kingdom Battle