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  • Murderbot’s TV adaption will feature major changes. I talked to the creators about how those decisions were made

    Murderbot’s TV adaption will feature major changes. I talked to the creators about how those decisions were made


    The Murderbot Diaries, Martha Wells’ popular series of darkly comedic science-fiction books, are coming to Apple TV+ in the form of a new series starring Alexander Skarsgård and created/written/directed by Chris Weitz and Paul Weitz. As with any adaptation, however, some pretty big changes are being made, and after watching the series, I wanted to know why. So when I got the chance to ask the creators, I did just that.

    For anyone who has read the first Murderbot novella, All Systems Red, you know that the book is both short and yet somehow packed full of wonderful story moments and character traits. The story of Murderbot, a hacked rogue security bot who just wants to be left alone to watch TV shows but ends up being a hero, should fit perfectly into the length for a TV series or film, leading to the idea that the Weitz brothers had the opposite challenge of most adaptations. Whereas most require changes by cutting down the storyline, Murderbot needed fleshing out. Of course, any of those changes went through Wells first, and it was important to respect the source material.

    “I think everything that’s in the book is in the show basically,” explained Paul Weitz. “We early on got in touch with Martha Wells kind of as fans and, so there are things that are added to the story, sort of like filling in the cracks, but anytime that we had an idea like that, we would call up Martha and say, ‘Hey, here’s what we’re thinking of, what do you think?’ And she’d either say, ‘Oh, that’s a cool idea’ or ‘Well, maybe think about this instead. That was a huge, huge relief.

    “I think that part of the thing for us was never feeling like we were like we were padding stuff,” he continued as he explained why they made the changes they did.

    To be clear, the series follows the first book’s story as a whole and does an incredible job adapting the tone and themes of the first novella, but there are a few major key moments that are different. This includes a very sudden and violent moment that’s a major change from the story. The Weitzs said they made such a big, impactful change to help maintain the tone of the books.

    “Well, one thing that Alexander was very conscious of, even more so in a way than we were, was that you don’t want things to thaw completely,” Chris Weitz said when discussing the change. “Possibly ever, but even to appear to thaw until the very end. So I think at the very point at which everybody’s thinking, ‘Oh, it might not want to look at us or give us a hug, but it’s part of the team.’ Murderbot does something which reminds everyone that it’s a being that has done violence and that that’s part of their experience and their DNA.”

    It wasn’t just the storyline of Murderbot that needed to be tweaked, however. The directors felt they should dive deeper into the lives of the rest of the characters, with particular attention given to fleshing out Garathin, who is played by David Dastmalchian.

    “Part of it, in a way, was looking at the characters in the book, which might not have much said about them, and being like, ‘OK, these people exist, so why are they behaving this way? Why are they doing this?’” explained Paul Weitz.

    “Doing a lot of work on that,” Chris Weitz commented. “Like, Garathin has a backstory in this, but we checked with Martha whether that was cool, and we also checked with David (Dastmalchian) whether that was cool because it’s trading on a little of his personal, you know, his personal experience. Just playing with the characters with utter respect and belief that they actually exist. (The characters) act in worthy ways, but they have neuroses, they have idiosyncrasies, and that was part of the interest (making changes).”

    Murderbot will premiere on Apple TV+ on May 16.

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  • Days Gone Remastered Review: Back From the Dead

    Days Gone Remastered Review: Back From the Dead


    Days Gone Remastered Horde

    Days Gone Remasterered Deacon Horde via IGDB

    Image of Lewis Rees

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    Published: Apr 30, 2025 12:01 pm

    Days Gone occupies a weird place in gaming culture. It sold nine million copies, but barely made a dent in day-to-day culture and gaming discussions. In a strange way, that makes it perfect for a remaster. Old fans get to replay the game optimized for PS5, while new ones can discover it for the first time.

    A common criticism – and one that rings true, to an extent – is that Days Gone has an identity crisis. The open world exploration brings to mind Red Dead Redemption. The focus on biking is very Sons of Anarchy. The zombie apocalypse and day/night cycle bring to mind Dying Light, while the emotional beats are reminiscent of The Last of Us. However, Days Gone Remastered manages to feel distinct from all of these.

    Deacon facing a rager in Days Gone Remastered
    Image Source: Sony Interactive Entertainment via The Escapist

    You play as Deacon St. John – a violent but ultimately good-hearted biker whose beloved wife, Sarah, dies in the opening hours of a zombie outbreak. Two years later, Deacon ekes out an existence living in the wilderness of Oregon, doing jobs for the various survivor camps dotted around the wilderness.

    A Bloody Good Time

    Gameplay largely consists of travelling around the countryside and abandoned towns, fighting freakers (Zombies, in classic “Not-using-the-Z-word” fashion) and human enemies, ranging from marauders to the deadly Rippers. There’s plenty of side content to enjoy, ranging from clearing outposts to taking down hordes of up to 500 freakers.

    While taking down hordes seems impossible at first, it’s a huge moment when you clear your first one. It’s always fun to race through obstacles, waiting for the perfect moment to spring a trap.

    Along the way, you’ll find various encampments filled with survivors, which offer an interesting, if ultimately shallow, morality system. Most camps will offer either guns or upgrades to your bike, and early on, you’ll be forced to choose whether to send any survivors you find to a work camp or one under martial law and run by a conspiracy nut. It’s a dilemma, but one that’s instantly solved as soon as you unlock the third camp. Lost Lake offers bike upgrades and guns, and quickly cements itself as the good option. While you might need to send survivors elsewhere from time to time, sending them here just feels right.

    Topless Deacon in Horde Mode in Days Gone Remastered
    Image Source: Sony Interactive Entertainment via The Escapist

    Compared to a lot of post-apocalyptic worlds, the Farewell Wilderness feels alive. Everywhere you go, you’ll see deer darting across the path, enemy camps, or survivors to rescue. Deacon will meet plenty of people he can interact with and do missions for. While none of the bonds feel as strong as one like Joel and Ellie’s, these characters still feel important and deep. You’ll see his annoyance at a happy-go-lucky addict, or his protectiveness of a mentally broken young woman. Missions are separated not just into what they are but who they focus on, so you can see these relationships progress; however, there are no choices to make here, and many of them are story-mandated, so you’ll complete most of them as you play the game.

    Blood, Bikes, and Booms

    The best new addition is Horde Assault mode, an endless game mode where you’ll face progressively bigger and bigger hordes until you eventually die. There are different zones for the mode, each of which thrusts you into a different section of the map. Unlike something like The Mercenaries it’s a frankly huge chunk of the map, and there’s no time limit – you just keep going until your inevitable death.

    However, Days Gone Remastered isn’t quite as beautiful or as detailed as many of its contemporaries. It’s pretty, but doesn’t look as good as the games it emulates. The remaster improves the lighting, the number of enemies on screen, and the skybox is gorgeous, but it doesn’t quite look as good as it wants to. There are a few floating textures from time to time, or somewhat cheap visual effects.

    Deacon riding a bike in Days Gone Remastered
    Image Source: Sony Interactive Entertainment via The Escapist

    As good as the story is, it does make an odd habit of cutting things out. Cutscenes will occasionally jump from Point A to Point C, going from cause to effect without showing us the action. Deacon will frequently discuss the bounties he’s picked up as if we’re supposed to know who they are.

    There were also a few glitches – nothing major, but it was annoying to see an aura around a character. A few times, I saw freakers flying through the air or fighting with nothing while I took potshots at them. Most annoyingly was a recurring glitch where the music would play so loudly that it drowned out the dialogue. It only happened a few times, but it was always frustrating, despite the gorgeous soundtrack.

    Overall, Days Gone Remastered is a fantastic, if flawed, game. It isn’t quite as good as the games it emulates, but if “It’s not The Last of Us” is a valid complaint, then it’s one you can throw at most titles. It’s a game that absolutely deserves your time, either as a replay or for the first time.

    The Escapist is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more about our Affiliate Policy



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  • Wahey, Helldivers 2 players have finally stopped the Meridian death ball’s advance towards Super Earth, and the Illuminate have responded by rage quitting the war for now

    Wahey, Helldivers 2 players have finally stopped the Meridian death ball’s advance towards Super Earth, and the Illuminate have responded by rage quitting the war for now


    Panic over. At least for now. Sort of. Fresh off of the news that Helldivers 2 is getting some fresh content in May, April’s closed with the Illuminate’s planet-eating death ball being stopped in its tracks – something players have been working towards for ages.

    Yep, this is not a drill. The Illuminate have gone into hiding too. Take that, the colour purple! I’m sure this relative peace will last forever, and that “more exciting news to come” not long after the next Warbond won’t have a chance of kicking off more squid shenanigans.

    If you take a glance at the Galactic War map right now on April 30, you’ll see no trace of the faction the divers have been going at it with on the reg for the past few months – there are only Automatons and Terminids left, because those two old foes will never totally die out. Though, as Arrowhead explained in its latest briefing, neither have the Illuminate.

    “The Meridian Singularity has come to a halt,” this briefing reads, “The Illuminate have disappeared completely; Ministry of Defense analysts have concluded this is likely explained by too few remaining to present a significant threat. The enemy is likely attempting to evade detection in order to survive a second total annihilation.”

    So, the big wormhole thing that was on its way to try and add the Helldivers’ home planet of Super Earth to the list of worlds it’s blown to smithereens has stopped in its tracks, and the squids have made a tactical retreat. Nice.

    This is Helldivers 2 though, meaning the fighting’s never over and there’s still a fresh major order. “The Terminids and Automatons remain significant threats,” Arrowhead continued, “In the Illuminate’s final hours, they dealt significant damage to the defenses of multiple strategic sites across both battlefronts, granting the opportunity for our foes to capture formerly well-defended territory.” Damn. It can never be easy, can it.

    So, players are now taking on the task of holding on those weakened sites – the planets Fenrir III, Turing, Claorell, Mastia, and Achernar Secundus. As of writing, the latter two are being battled for, while the first two are currently held by Super Earth with just over five days left on the order. So, by the time it runs its course, that next Warbond reveal on May 8 will be just around the corner.

    Are you glad to see that the death ball has stopped rolling towards your Super loved ones? Let us know below!





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  • Family Games — The Treehouse

    Family Games — The Treehouse



    The Adventures of Robin Hood is another new one, this time an elaborate adventure game packed full of surprises. Players take on the roles of Robin Hood and his Merry Men and embark on a range of missions to help the poor and thwart the Sherriff of Nottingham’s evil schemes. A hardback story book and a great big board full of secret advent calendar-style doors to open are just a couple of the delights in store in this box!

    Browse the full selection of games in our shop here or use the ‘family games’ filter to narrow down your search. We’re hoping to manage one more ‘Top 5’ list before Christmas arrives… watch this space, and click back through our previous posts for more suggestions.



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  • magic the gathering – What happens if I lose control of a creature affected by Act of Treason?

    magic the gathering – What happens if I lose control of a creature affected by Act of Treason?


    No, player C will keep controlling it.

    Both spells have continuous effects which modify the creature’s characteristics in Layer 2, and the one with the latest timestamp wins. It doesn’t matter that Act of Treason is only temporary (and one could say Donate doesn’t have a duration at all):

    611.2a A continuous effect generated by the resolution of a spell or ability lasts as long as stated by the spell or ability creating it (such as “until end of turn”). If no duration is stated, it lasts until the end of the game.

    Relevant parts of the layer system:

    613.1b Layer 2: Control-changing effects are applied.

    613.3. Within layers 2–6, apply effects from characteristic-defining abilities first (see rule 604.3), then all other effects in timestamp order (see rule 613.7). Note that dependency may alter the order in which effects are applied within a layer. (See rule 613.8.)

    The situation would have been different if Act of Treason had read something like

    Gain control of target creature. At the end of turn, return it to its owner’s control.

    because then that last part would be ‘later’ than, and overriding the effect of, your Donate.

    A related example: you cast Donate on one of your creatures and give it to Player C. Player A casts Act of Treason so it comes under Player A’s control; at the end of turn, it’s returned to Player C, not to you.



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  • The World of Solken — The Treehouse

    The World of Solken — The Treehouse



    Solken’s lands are made up of five main continents, briefly outlined below.

    Temorel. Once the home of many feuding kingdoms, the old Church united the Temorel Empire into a collection of parishes. While the Church is no longer an active force in Temorel, the political machinations of the parishes never truly went away, and the fields and forests of the continent often trade hands in strategic deals and counter-claims. Those outside of Temorel often take a dim view of its citizens’ intelligence, characterising them as rubes and simpletons.

    The Northern Territories. Connected to Temorel by a land bridge at its southern tip, the Northern Territories are thought of as cold and inhospitable by those beyond its borders. In truth, while the settlements of this area are few and far between, their clans are tight-knit and fiercely loyal. Far to the north the dwarf-kings sit alone in their palaces that once belonged to giants, making proclamations that echo through the vast tunnels below the earth.

    Aerix. The heat of the Timaron desert has forced the inhabitants living on its borders to find ingenious methods of survival. The multi-hued dragons of Whitewing have evolved against the sun, their super-sized city casting shadows of sanctuary. Further north, in the city of Angley, gnome inventors celebrate ingenuity and creative problem solving for the common good. However, since the coming of the Shards, great strides in technology have made some of the surrounding traditionalists nervous – particularly the rumours of living metal men…

    Yagora. Once a continent of thinkers and scientists, Yagora was ravaged by the Year of Catastrophe more than any other (arguably; see below), leaving it cracked and desolate. The fey courts, seeing an opportunity, began to twist the land in strange, surreal ways to suit their own ends. Perhaps if they hadn’t, the fall of the gods might have allowed Yagora to heal again – instead, the land remains as wild and dangerous as ever.

    New Elar (not pictured). The home of the Children of the Sun. New Elar is an island cluster that rose from the remnants of Elar, an old continent which sank into the ocean during the Year of Catastrophe. While it was never recovered fully, roughly a third of the continent was struck by a set of Shards and returned to the surface, where a community of idealists from across the world began to craft it in the name of New Elar.

    If Solken sounds like your kind of place, why not come and join us on our upcoming adventure, starting on March 3rd? Book your place here.



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  • duplicate bridge – Was it wrong for me to give an “intermediate” signal in the following situation?

    duplicate bridge – Was it wrong for me to give an “intermediate” signal in the following situation?


    With no one vulnerable at match points, right hand opponent dealt and opened one heart. I passed, left hand opponent raised to two hearts. and all passed. I led ace, king and third of clubs from the following:♠J985 ♡J76 ♢Q72 ♣ AK2.

    Partner captured the third club with the queen (both opponents following to all three rounds), and led the ace of spades. At this point dummy (to my left) showed the following: ♠ Q2 ♡K93 ♢K853 ♣J.

    Right hand opponent dropped the 4 of spades, and I signalled with m 8 of spades, my second lowest. Partner led another spade, which dropped the opposing K and Q together, leaving my J high (but leaving the opponents void of spades).

    Partner complained about being misled by my signal but conceded it didn’t matter. She was out of clubs and wasn’t about to lead trump, so it was a choice between spades and diamonds. I didn’t particularly want a diamond lead with the K in dummy sitting over my Q. Of course, she could have led the ace of diamonds if she had it, but she didn’t.

    I quoted what I had been taught (by the late Dorothy Hayden Truscott). With regard to following with four of a suit:

    Follow with lowest (5) means, “You’ll get no help from me if you lead another one.”

    Second lowest (8) means, “I can accommodate another one.”

    Second highest (9) means, “Please lead another one.”

    Highest (J) means, “lead another one for crying out loud.”

    I believe that partner was “disappointed” that I didn’t have the controlling honor after I played the 8. My understanding when playing the is that it means, ” I don’t see any better lead than another spade, whether or not it wins.

    Did partner have a good reason to complain about my signal?



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  • Help! I want to play games with a narrative! — The Treehouse

    Help! I want to play games with a narrative! — The Treehouse



    Greetings, dear reader! Today is World Book Day, and to celebrate, we have an agony aunt question to help those who like storytelling in their games, but who prefer the role of reader to writer…

    Dear Aunty Chella,

    I love the idea of games with a narrative, but the thought of role playing gives me performance anxiety! I like the idea of coming away from a games night with a story to tell, but I’m just not up for writing a character as I play – I feel way too self conscious… but it’s hard to do one without the other… right?

    I want to know if there’s something else out there for me in the world of games. I enjoy lots of other kinds of board games and card games, from party games to the more serious kind. I’m good at quickfire word games, and escape rooms, and I enjoy games that have a frame story. I even find myself adding a bit of a story to games that don’t have one, imagining I’m a super-duper-spy-guy trying to get a real code word to my super-duper-spy-teammates before we’re all super-duper-killed by the assassin during an perfectly ordinary round of Codenames, for example.

    I’m keen and willing to try other suggestions, but something about playing a role in general, and actually about D&D in particular, is too daunting – designing a character, committing to a campaign, counting up numbers on dice, talking in a ‘ye olde’ voice and pretending to be casting spells… it all feels very not me. But making up stories round a table, particularly in a competitive way – that is definitely my idea of fun! Can you please help?

    Narrating in Nether Edge



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  • magic the gathering – Interaction between Keiga, the Tide Star and Aggressive Biomancy

    magic the gathering – Interaction between Keiga, the Tide Star and Aggressive Biomancy


    You will gain control of a creature for each of the X Keigas you created and at most one fight will happen. You decide the order.

    When the Keigas enter the battlefield, each of them triggers the fight ability, then the legend rule happens. You have to choose any one Keiga you control (original or one of the tokens) and the rest die. This is a state-based action.

    704.5j If two or more legendary permanents with the same name are controlled by the same player, that player chooses one of them, and the rest are put into their owners’ graveyards. This is called the “legend rule.”

    This happens after the fight abilities trigger, but before they enter the stack:

    704.3. Whenever a player would get priority (see rule 117, “Timing and Priority”), the game checks for any of the listed conditions for state-based actions, then performs all applicable state-based actions simultaneously as a single event. If any state-based actions are performed as a result of a check, the check is repeated; otherwise all triggered abilities that are waiting to be put on the stack are put on the stack, then the check is repeated. [..]

    You are left with one Keiga; the other X Keigas die and trigger their death ability. Both the fight abilities and these death abilities are waiting to enter the stack.

    State-based actions area checked again and, if none apply, all the triggered abilities enter the stack in the order of your choice. You pick the relevant targets as you put each ability on the stack.

    603.3b If multiple abilities have triggered since the last time a player received priority, the abilities are placed on the stack in a two-part process. First, each player, in APNAP order, puts each triggered ability they control with a trigger condition that isn’t another ability triggering on the stack in any order they choose. (See rule 101.4.) Second, each player, in APNAP order, puts all remaining triggered abilities they control on the stack in any order they choose. Then the game once again checks for and performs state-based actions until none are performed, then abilities that triggered during this process go on the stack. This process repeats until no new state-based actions are performed and no abilities trigger. Then the appropriate player gets priority.

    Then the stack starts resolving. If you chose to keep a token Keiga for the legend rule and the other creature is still being controlled by your opponent, that fight can happen. No other fight can happen because the Keiga it originated from will be dead to the legend rule.

    701.12b If one or both creatures instructed to fight are no longer on the battlefield or are no longer creatures, neither of them fights or deals damage. If one or both creatures are illegal targets for a resolving spell or ability that instructs them to fight, neither of them fights or deals damage.

    So in total: If you created X Keigas with Aggressive Biomancy, you take control of up to X creatures because X Keigas will die to the legend rule. If you kept a token Keiga for the legend rule, it will fight the other targeted creature if it’s still controlled by your opponent. You choose the order of control changes and the fight.



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  • Dune Awakening is getting a “large scale” beta weekend, the last chance to taste the spice before the game launches

    Dune Awakening is getting a “large scale” beta weekend, the last chance to taste the spice before the game launches


    Are you tired of hearing or reading about Dune Awakening without actually being able to play it? Well, hopefully you’re not tired of reading about it… Either way, it turns out you’ll be able to play the game soon, courtesy of a free open beta weekend coming on May 9, and concluding on May 12.

    To get access, you’ll need to either wishlist the game prior to May 9 for a chance to play, or grab one of the “thousands” of beta codes given out by the team during the weekend. So, it’s open, but only to those lucky enough to gain access. Semi-open. The door left somewhat ajar.

    This beta just so happens to be a few days prior to the original release date of May 15, which was pushed back due to a delay so the team at Funcom could “cook” a little and make sure everything is polished and ready for the full release.

    Players will be able to access the first two regions, which if thoroughly explored should make up the first 20-ish hours of the game. That means you’ll be able to explore a few Research Facilities, try out the early abilities for various classes, and a little bit of PvP in ship crash sites. A good taster of the experience. If you’d like our experience, we’ve got a new preview for Dune Awakening out today that covers this same slice of the overall experience.

    Are you excited for this open beta? Let us know below!





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