Samit Sarkar
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Articles by Samit Sarkar
Assassin’s Creed Shadows
Follow Followed Your Rating Rate Now 0/10 Your comment has not been saved Follow Followed Assassin’s Creed Shadows Open-World Action-Adventure RPG Systems OpenCritic Reviews Top Critic Avg: 81/100 Critics Rec: 82% Released November 15, 2024 ESRB m Developer(s) Ubisoft Quebec Publisher(s) Ubisoft WHERE TO PLAY DIGITAL Powered by Why It Matters An Assassin's Creed game set in feudal Japan has been the moonshot game for fans since... pretty much when the series started.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ free updates include new game plus, new story
Samit Sarkar (he/him) is Polygon’s deputy managing editor. He has more than 17 years of experience covering video games, movies, television, and technology. Ubisoft is promising more Assassin’s Creed Shadows updates than you can shake a bo at, with plans to deliver “free updates on the regular” that will add items such as a new game plus mode, new quests and story expansions, and community-driven improvements, the publisher announced Wednesday.
Summer Game Fest 2025 includes another Wholesome Direct
Expect demo announcements, world premieres, and more Samit Sarkar (he/him) is Polygon’s deputy managing editor. He has more than 17 years of experience covering video games, movies, television, and technology. Wholesome Direct, the annual showcase of indie games with uplifting vibes, is returning to the Summer Game Fest slate this year, publisher Wholesome Games announced Monday.
It’s only April, but EA’s NFL draft ad got me excite for football season
Get ready for college and pro football kickoff this summer If you buy something from a Polygon link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement. Samit Sarkar (he/him) is Polygon’s deputy managing editor. He has more than 17 years of experience covering video games, movies, television, and technology. Are you ready for some football?
Star Wars Outlaws gets demo, Switch 2 release date
Star Wars Outlaws, the open-world action game from Massive Entertainment, is coming to Nintendo Switch 2 on Sept. 4, publisher Ubisoft announced Friday. A Switch 2 port of this graphically intensive game — ray-traced lighting is a foundational element of its look on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and Windows PC — will be an important feather in the console’s cap.
Star Wars Outlaws is coming to Nintendo Switch 2
Nintendo Switch 2 preorders start April 24th and the price is still $449.99 The company delayed its original preorder date in the US. Nintendo has announced a new date for when Switch 2 preorders will kick off in the US; April 24th. As a part of the announcement, Nintendo said that the price of the Switch 2 will remain at $449.99 despite fears that the Trump administration’s …
I’m weird, so getting Yasuke in Assassin’s Creed Shadows took 26 hours
I find a way across the outer moat. I eliminate a guard or two, then move to a different spot that’s not far away. Rinse and repeat until all the enemies in an area are dead, so that I can collect all the loot there. Aw man, I got spotted! OK, OK, it’s fine — I took them out before they could raise the alarm. Now I have to scrounge around for some health rations, though. Hm, that building isn’t anywhere near the keep, but [engages Eagle Vision] ooh, there are two samurai and a loot chest in there?
Thank goodness, they added auto-follow for your horse in Assassin’s Creed Shadows
Among lots of little updates to make your life better If you buy something from a Polygon link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement. Image: Ubisoft Québec/Ubisoft Samit Sarkar (he/him) is Polygon’s deputy managing editor. He has more than 17 years of experience covering video games, movies, television, and technology.
Nintendo Switch 2 backward compatibility of games, accessories detailed
Samit Sarkar (he/him) is Polygon’s deputy managing editor. He has more than 17 years of experience covering video games, movies, television, and technology. Nintendo confirmed back in November 2024, two months before the company even unveiled the Nintendo Switch 2, that the new console would be backward-compatible with games for the original Nintendo Switch.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is being remastered for Nintendo Switch 2
Samit Sarkar (he/him) is Polygon’s deputy managing editor. He has more than 17 years of experience covering video games, movies, television, and technology. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom fans will be able to see the era-defining Nintendo titles in a new light on Nintendo Switch 2 with a duo of enhanced visual upgrades, Nintendo announced Wednesday during its Nintendo Direct presentation about the new console.
Best 4K Blu-rays in Amazon Spring Sale’s buy 2, get 1 free deal
The Big Spring Sale is a new entrant in Amazon’s regular schedule of massive seasonal sales, and just like the others, this one features all kinds of deals on physical media. Some of the best movies you’ll find among them are part of a “buy two, get one free” promo.
Looking to get into physical media? Start with this deal on the best 4K Blu-ray player
If you buy something from a Polygon link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement. Image composition: Polygon | Source image: Panasonic Samit Sarkar (he/him) is Polygon’s deputy managing editor. He has more than 17 years of experience covering video games, movies, television, and technology. Movie theaters: Who needs ’em?
Assassin’s Creed Shadows is as dark as that infamous Game of Thrones episode Original
Assassin’s Creed Shadows takes place in Japan circa 1579, near the end of what is known as the Sengoku period — 300 years before the advent of the incandescent light bulb. So it stands to reason that once the sun sets, the world that co-protagonists Naoe and Yasuke inhabit is going to get dark. Now, I wouldn’t ordinarily be on the side of anybody suggesting that the makers of Assassin’s Creed pull back from their devotion to the concept of historical accuracy.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows is as dark as that infamous Game of Thrones episode
Assassin's Creed Shadows is hands-down one of the most beautiful PC ports I've ever seen After suffering with terrible PC ports for the past few months - many of which have no right to perform poorly considering their visuals - I can …
Should you play immersive mode in Assassin’s Creed Shadows?
Immersive mode is a unique setting in Assassin’s Creed Shadows that is designed to make you feel like you’re actually experiencing life in Japan during the Sengoku period while playing the game. It does this by providing voice-over dialogue in a mix of Japanese and Portuguese. Unlike with the canon mode for the game’s story, you can enter or leave immersive mode at any time. Below, we’ll explain the details of immersive mode, and get into whether it’s the ideal way to play Assassin’s Creed Shadows.
Don’t miss EA Sports College Football 25 at $10, its best price ever
If you buy something from a Polygon link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement. Image: EA Tiburon/Electronic Arts Samit Sarkar (he/him) is Polygon’s deputy managing editor. He has more than 17 years of experience covering video games, movies, television, and technology. While NFL free agency is in a frenzy at the moment, college football fans don’t have much to do except run mock drafts to see which NFL teams might pick their favorite players in next month’s draft.
Here’s what Troy Baker did to sound uncannily like Indiana Jones
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How Troy Baker managed to sound just like the Indiana Jones we know and love
I wonder if the developers of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle — several years ago, when they were first outlining the game’s core pillars — felt like they knew what they were getting into when they decided to go the full-likeness route. That is, that the game’s protagonist wouldn’t just be “Indiana Jones,” but would look, sound, and move like Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones, and specifically, the version of the character that fans knew and loved from the 1980s-era original trilogy.
MLB The Show 25’s fielding focus could make Road to the Show more fun
Fielding is perhaps the unsung hero of every baseball video game. There probably aren’t many MLB The Show players who ask themselves, upon first firing up the new game each year, What’s new on defense?
For once, fielding gets the spotlight in MLB The Show 25
5 Blue Jays players who will begin the year on the roster but could be gone by May These Blue Jays could be gone before summer starts. The Toronto Blue Jays are in thick of spring training, which means there are plenty of players on …
Get hundreds of Paramount discs for 50% off at Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble is currently throwing a Paramount Pictures party, offering half-price discounts on discs of all kinds — hundreds of movies are on sale across 4K Blu-ray, Blu-ray, and DVD, including films from beloved franchises such as Mission: Impossible, Indiana Jones, and The Godfather. Unlike Barnes & Noble’s semi-regular sales on the entire Criterion Collection library, these Paramount deals are only available for certain titles — and even then, for certain versions of them.
Elon Musk’s gaming setup in his government office is a strange sight Original
While President Donald Trump has always seemed somewhat out of place in Washington, that’s nothing compared to what we’re now seeing with his pal Elon Musk. Working under the auspices of the president as a “special government employee,” Musk — the world’s richest man, who spent well over a quarter of a billion dollars to help elect Trump and other Republicans in the 2024 election cycle — is carrying out the administration’s mission to radically reshape the federal government.
Here’s a 10-minute video about the making of The Witcher 4’s 6-minute reveal trailer
More than you needed to know, yet somehow not as much as you wanted Samit Sarkar (he/him) is Polygon’s deputy managing editor. He has more than 17 years of experience covering video games, movies, television, and technology. I am a strong believer in the philosophy of starting with the bad news and ending with the good news, so let’s get the first part out of the way: It’s probably going to be a while before we’re all able to curl up on the couch and dive into The Witcher 4.
PGA Tour 2K25’s demo lets you carry progress into the game
Demo out now on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X If you buy something from a Polygon link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement. Samit Sarkar (he/him) is Polygon’s deputy managing editor. He has more than 16 years of experience covering video games, movies, television, and technology.
PGA Tour 2K25’s demo lets you carry progress into the game
Luka Dončić on shock of trade to Los Angeles Lakers: ‘Imagine how surprised I was’ CNN — NBA superstar Luka Dončić has revealed that he was as shocked as anyone to hear that the Dallas Mavericks were trading him to the Los Angeles Lakers in one of the most stunning deals in NBA history. “Everyone was surprised, so you can imagine how surprised I was,” he said at a press conference …
Your Polygon account just got simpler and more useful!
Use a single account across Polygon, The Verge, and more! Graphic: Will Joel/Polygon Samit Sarkar (he/him) is Polygon’s deputy managing editor. He has more than 16 years of experience covering video games, movies, television, and technology. It’s been more than four months since we entered a new era for Polygon. We hope that by now you’ve come to appreciate the speed, functionality, and look of our redesigned website.
Here’s your first look at EA Sports College Football 25 gameplay
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Here’s your first look at EA Sports College Football 25 gameplay
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments.
Here’s your first look at EA Sports College Football 25 gameplay
With the release of EA Sports College Football 25 just two months away, we’ve now got our first glimpse of what the game looks like in action, courtesy of a proper trailer that publisher Electronic Arts released Friday morning. Transitioning from Guns N’ Roses’ original recording of “Welcome to the Jungle” — a quintessential hype-up-the-fans song — into a marching band version is a very nice touch in this trailer.
Here’s your first look at EA Sports College Football 25 gameplay
Former Patriots QB Drew Bledsoe, who roasted Tom Brady, reveals the seven-time Super Bowl champion made sure that Netflix paid him for his participation Never would Drew Bledsoe, in the wildest of his dreams, have thought that Tom Brady would be the reason for his resurgence across America. The …
EA’s college football video game returns in July after an 11-year hiatus
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments.
EA’s college football video game returns in July after an 11-year hiatus
Image: EA Tiburon/Electronic Arts We finally know when we’re going back to school: EA Sports College Football 25 is scheduled to launch July 19, publisher Electronic Arts announced Thursday.
How to turn off motion smoothing on your TV (or anyone else’s!)
Photo composition: Samit Sarkar/Polygon | Source images: LG, Warner Bros. Pictures As Shakespeare might have put it (but probably didn’t): Motion smoothing is known by many names, yet it’s just as much of a scourge no matter what you call it. The technology, which rose to prominence with the advent of high-definition televisions in the mid-2000s, is a terrific demonstration of the adage that ignorance is bliss.
Spider-Man 2 is Sony’s newest ‘fastest-selling’ first-party game ever Original
Image: Insomniac Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment via Polygon There’s a new king in town, at least when it comes to the very specific metric of “fastest-selling PlayStation Studios game in PlayStation history in the first 24 hours.” Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 has taken that particular crown, with publisher Sony Interactive Entertainment announcing Monday it sold more than 2.5 million copies of the Peter Parker/Miles Morales collab on its launch day, Oct. 20.
Spider-Man 2 is Sony’s newest ‘fastest-selling’ first-party game ever
There’s a new king in town, at least when it comes to the very specific metric of “fastest-selling PlayStation Studios game in PlayStation history in the first 24 hours.” Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 has taken that particular crown, with publisher Sony Interactive Entertainment announcing Monday it sold more than 2.5 million copies of the Peter Parker/Miles Morales collab on its launch day, Oct. 20.
Spider-Man 2 PS5 tech analysis: Fidelity & Performance modes, explained Original
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is finally here, and on the cusp of the PlayStation 5’s third birthday, assumes the throne as the console’s most technically impressive game to date. I said effectively the same thing last fall about God of War Ragnarök, but in this line of work, there’s always something on the horizon that has the potential to make you look foolish in retrospect. (And hey, I did say that Ragnarök could be the PS5’s most technically impressive game yet — back then.
Spider-Man 2 is now the PS5’s definitive technical showpiece
1 day ago Much like its 2018 predecessor, Insomniac’s Spider-Man 2 includes a host of costumes for both Peter Parker and his teenage counterpart Miles Morales — more than 60 confirmed so far, each with its own special abilities. You would think a guy as well-dressed as Spider-Man might quit while he’s ahead, …
It’s hard to get controls right in sports games, as NHL 24 proves
What makes for a highlight-reel moment in sports? It’s not just the raw athletic skill on display — part of the how-did-they-do-that thrill comes from the difficulty and risk associated with a low-percentage play. Making a spectacular diving catch can get you into the SportsCenter Top 10; touching grass with your face as the ball rolls to the outfield fence is more of an America’s Funniest Home Videos kind of thing.
Half-Life 2 is getting a ray-traced remaster
Half-Life 2, the acclaimed first-person shooter from Valve, is getting a remaster in the form of a mod that will add ray-traced graphics to the game, Nvidia announced Tuesday ahead of Gamescom 2023. Bringing cutting-edge visuals to Half-Life 2 is a fitting upgrade for the game, which itself delivered astounding technical advancements for its time, including a realistic physics simulation that was integrated into gameplay via elements like the Gravity Gun.
Half-Life 2 is getting a ray-traced remaster
Gaming 3 hours ago All Baldur's Gate 3 Ritual spells PureDMG - Anyka Pettigrew • 3h Very underrated spells. There are many different types of spells in Baldur’s Gate 3. In the Dungeons & Dragons fifth edition rules, spells can have … Nvidia Omniverse 8 hours ago Nvidia’s new DLSS 3.5 works on all RTX GPUs to improve the quality of ray tracing The Verge • 8h Nvidia’s new Ray Reconstruction technique in DLSS 3.5 will be available for all existing RTX graphics cards.
Hitman 3 patch re-adds Freelancer’s Alt+F4 exploit, hallelujah
Image: IO Interactive The Hitman games have always reveled in giving players the freedom to puzzle out their own murderous solutions — even ones that go against the developers’ wishes, as seen in the latest patch for Hitman World of Assassination (née Hitman 3). Released Aug. 17, the patch made a key change to the Hitman Freelancer mode.
NHL 24’s big changes include a ‘complete revamp’ of gameplay — and a battle pass
EA Sports’ hockey franchise hasn’t been a critical darling since the early 2010s, and the series has been stuck in something of a rut for the past few years. That may be why developer EA Vancouver is promising that some major changes are coming in NHL 24, which was revealed Wednesday with a trailer.
NHL 24’s big changes include a ‘complete revamp’ of gameplay — and a battle pass | Flipboard
Maple Leafs Have 3 Good PTO Options to Consider The Toronto Maple Leafs don’t have a ton of cap space to play with, but they still have a few areas they can improve in their lineup. The club can…
The Lord of the Rings trilogy is still on sale for Prime Day
Update (July 12): Unfortunately, Tuesday’s Prime Day deal on the 4K Blu-ray box set of the Lord of the Rings trilogy is no longer available. The package is still discounted from its regular price of $89.99, but the sale isn’t as good — it’s marked down to $68.55 (24% off) rather than $39.99. For day 2 of Prime Day, Amazon is still offering deals on the remastered Blu-ray versions of the trilogy, which were released in 2021 (and are based on the 2020 4K remaster).
Taste-testing Burger King’s red, non-radioactive Spider-Verse Whopper Original
Photo: Samit Sarkar/Polygon Miles Morales’ home turf may be in Brooklyn, New York, but the teenage Spider-Man is temporarily taking up residence in the borough of Queens, Peter Parker’s stomping grounds. Specifically, he’s hanging out at a Burger King in the neighborhood of Astoria, where diners can leap into the Spider-Verse and try two new menu items as part of a tie-in with Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.
MLB The Show 23: How to unlock Negro League cards in Diamond Dynasty
Image: SIE San Diego Studio/Sony Interactive Entertainment MLB The Show 23 shines a light on the history of the Negro Leagues through its new Storylines mode, which tells the stories of eight of the greatest athletes to play professional baseball in the sport’s pre-integration days. But that’s not the only way in which the game features these Negro League greats: They’re also playable in Diamond Dynasty, the mode in which you put together fantasy teams with virtual trading cards.
A century later, baseball’s Negro Leagues are getting their due in a video game Original
Marvin Gaye’s 1971 masterpiece, What’s Going On, closes on a somber note with “Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler).” For a song with the word “holler” in its title, the feel is subdued; it’s a lament about America’s impoverished urban cores and about socioeconomic issues affecting communities of color. The lyrics are spare, with Gaye singing in terse phrases, but the language is plain and the message impossible to miss: Crime is / increasing / Trigger-happy / policing.
God of War Ragnarök may be the most technically impressive PS5 game yet
Santa Monica Studio’s 2018 reboot of the God of War franchise was an absolute home run — so much so that it’s easy to forget some of its less successful elements now. God of War continued the series’ tradition of pushing console hardware to its limits, resulting in a graphical powerhouse whose performance left something to be desired, whether on a PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 4 Pro.
God of War Ragnarök’s graphics modes are a lot, but there’s a clear best choice
Image: SIE Santa Monica Studio/Sony Interactive Entertainment via Polygon God of War Ragnarök offers almost as many graphics modes as there are Norse gods and goddesses, as developer Santa Monica Studio revealed Wednesday night on Twitter. There are more options available in the PlayStation 5 version than on PlayStation 4, and if you want to get the best possible experience, you’ll need to have your PS5 hooked up to a cutting-edge TV.
PGA Tour 2K23 review: Updated MyCareer mode feels overcomplicated Original
I don’t spend much time playing video games whose difficulty is a selling point; if it’s anything like a Soulslike, I’m likely to avoid it. So it’s been a long time since a game has made me swear as much as PGA Tour 2K23 has. I’m not proud that one of those instances occurred when my wife came downstairs to see how things were going, just as I shanked a tee shot — for perhaps the 50th time? I’ve lost count at this point — into a thicket of trees on the left side of the fairway.
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