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Warning: this review contains full spoilers for Star Wars: The Clone Wars – Season 7, Episode 6. If you need a refresher on where we left off, here’s our review for Season 7, Episode 5.

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More and more, it’s beginning to feel like the final season of The Clone Wars would have been better off structured as three feature-length films rather than 12 episodes. Within each story arc, the episodes flow so closely from one to the next that there’s little point in even interrupting them with credits sequences. A feature-length approach definitely would have helped with this arc. Ahsoka’s new team-up adventure picks up quite a bit in Chapter 2, but it’s a shame we had to deal with such a forgettable setup episode first.

Even the way Admiral Yularen’s narration recaps the events of “Gone With a Trace” highlights how empty and dull that episode is. It served its purpose as far as putting Ahsoka in the path of sisters Trace and Rafa Martez, but that’s about it. But again, now that the setup is out of the way, the series is able to do something much more exciting with that partnership. That includes revisiting Kessel, a world we’ve heard about for decades but only recently saw brought to life in 2018’s Solo: A Star Wars Story.

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The introduction of Kessel is one way in which the long gap between Seasons 6 and 7 winds up working in the show’s favor. Had this episode aired pre-Solo, it’s doubtful The Clone Wars would have even been able to include the world. It certainly wouldn’t have looked the same. “Deal No Deal” helps further flesh out this world and the staggering inequality separating the wealthy aristocrats living in luxurious jungle palaces from the rabble stuck mining the spice. This, in turn, plays right into Ahsoka’s ongoing character arc. She’s already grown disillusioned with the Jedi, but now she has a firsthand look at the evil they’ve allowed to flourish right under their noses. Thanks to this episode, the series has already taken a critical step forward in bridging the gap between Season 5 Ahsoka and the older “I’m no Jedi” Ahsoka of Star Wars Rebels.

Episode 6 also helps further develop the Ahsoka/Trace/Rafa dynamic quite a bit, enough that there’s now more incentive to care about the two sisters and their struggle for a better life. There’s a sense of unease building around what’s clearly a toxic relationship between Trace and Rafa. Rafa talks a big game about family and sisters needing to look out for each other, but it’s clearly all a noose designed to trap Trace in a life of grift and bad decisions. It helps that Ahsoka isn’t simply played as the angel on Trace’s shoulder here, but rather a negative influence in her own, well-meaning way. With Rafa urging Trace toward a life of crime and Ahsoka naively arguing that the drug cartel’s precious shipment should be hijacked to make medicine, you can’t really blame Trace for snapping and sending it all hurtling into hyperspace. Ahsoka may be woke these days, but she’s not exactly wise yet.

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In short, this episode is a much better followup to what was a pretty lackluster debut. That said, the strongest scene in this episode revolves more around the broken Ahsoka/Anakin bond. Ahsoka’s close encounter with Anakin is a lot of fun to watch, both in how it offers silent acknowledgement of their friendship and in how it calls back to iconic Original Trilogy moments. Seeing a Clone Wars-era riff on the Endor approach from Return of the Jedi is a welcome treat. It’s telling how Anakin so consistently steals the show despite playing a relatively smaller role in Season 7. Even more than reconnecting with Ahsoka, the real joy of this final season has been in seeing him drift further down the path toward becoming Darth Vader.

The Hong Kong-based Leyou Technologies, which owns a number of game developers such as Digital Extremes and Splash Damage, has reported earnings for its latest period and shared a lot of fresh details on how its games are performing.

Starting with Digital Extremes, the company’s flagship game, Warframe, continues to grow. For the calendar year ended December 31, Warframe had 57.5 million registered players, which is up 19.5 percent from 48 million for the year prior. It’s also now been confirmed for release on PS5 and Xbox Series X (more on that later).

Originally released in 2013, Warframe continues to grow and enjoy big success, becoming one of the most popular free-to-play games worldwide. It’s consistently in the top Steam charts in terms of players, and Leyou reports that it is one of the top-grossing free-to-play games on PS4 and Xbox One.

Leyou said Warframe’s continued success can be linked to the way in which Digital Extremes has steadily supported the title over the years with new DLC and more.

Revenue for Warframe in 2019, however, dropped 12.2 percent. Leyou said the downturn can be attributed to three items in particular, the first of which is competitive titles that have entered the market. The second reason that revenue has fallen is because people are holding back their console purchases because new systems, the PS5 and Xbox Series X, are due to launch later this year. The third reason is that f was so substantial in nature that the team couldn’t release smaller updates as fast as it could before.

These issues that impact Warframe’s revenue are “fleeting,” Leyou said, adding that the company expects Warframe to remain popular going forward.

In the statement, Leyou also mentions that Digital Extremes is planning to launch Warframe on the PS5 and Xbox Series X, as well as “other devices,” which should help the franchise grow further.

“Looking ahead to 2020, content updates for Warframe in the story quest The New War and another open world are planned to be launched in 2020. Besides, we will have further content updates of Empyrean , and optimise the beginner guidance process and beginner’s level. 2020 will be another prospering year for Warframe , and more plans will be announced to players in TennoCon in July 2020,” Leyou said.

Leyou also provided an updated on how its other games and franchises are coming along. In 2019, Leyou announced a deal with Amazon Game Studios to make a new Lord of the Rings MMO with its Athlon Games division, and Leyou said things are looking good for the game to become a “blockbuster.”

“Combining the huge organic traffic of popular IP, strategic partnership with international internet titan, with the Group’s leading game development and publishing capabilities, the Group is capable to maximise the success rate of turning the new product into a blockbuster,” Leyou said.

This game, as well as a new Transformers game and Civilization Online, are “progressing well,” Leyou said. The company is also working on “multiple unannounced new products in various development stages,” and these are moving ahead nicely as well, the firm said. Some of them will launch in 2020, but the company declined to offer any specifics.

Leyou also operates a work-for-hire business through its wholly owned subsidiary, Splash Damage, as well as via its interest in Certain Affinity. Revenue from work-for-fire projects jumped by 22.3 percent to $31.2 million. Some of the notable work-for-hire projects from Leyou’s companies in 2019 included the multiplayer portion of Gears 5 and Halo: Reach for The Master Chief Collection, both of which were developed by Splash Damage. The UK-based studio also developed the Gears of War strategy game, Gears Tactics, which launches in April.

Leyou’s work-for-hire division also secured “multiple new deals” for the future that will bring in more cash, but these were not disclosed.

You can read Leyou’s full 46-page investor report here.

Nintendo’s new surprise Direct mini came seemingly out of nowhere today, announcing some much-wanted ports and hinting at the next Smash Bros. character and some upcoming Animal Crossing events. As always, different regions got slightly different variants on the Nintendo Direct, and in Japan, one extra game was announced.

Shiren the Wanderer 5+ is coming to Switch, and it’ll be an updated port of the PS Vita game, which released in the US by the name Shiren the Wanderer: The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate. The news was picked up on by Twitter user Wario64.

The game, which started life as a Japanese exclusive Nintendo DS title before working its way to the PS Vita in 2015, is a rougelike dungeon crawler that shares a lot of similarities with the recently released Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX, also developed by Spike Chunsoft.

The Shiren the Wanderer series has appeared outside of Japan several times, but there’s no word yet on whether this version will get an English language release. The Switch is, however, region-free, so there’s always the potential to import it. The PS Vita version received strong reviews, so here’s hoping.

Also announced in the Nintendo Direct Mini was a release date for Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition.

Today’s spotlight deal is a fully decked out CyberPowerPC gaming rig for $500 off. It’s equipped with the best CPU and video card, and has tons of RAM and storage to boot. There’s no need to upgrade it on your own whatsoever. You can also score an Xbox One X gaming console with The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt game for under $230. If you’re bored at home, sign up for free extended trials to ComiXology Unlimited, Kindle, Sling TV and CBS All Access.

CyberPowerPC Gamer Supreme Liquid Cooled AMD Ryzen 9 3900X GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Gaming PC with 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, and 2TB HDD for $1999

It’s super rare to find an RTX 2080 Ti equipped PC for under $2K, let alone one that’s decked out as much as this one. For those of you who haven’t been keeping up with the Intel vs AMD CPU war, AMD has been giving Intel a run for its money with its flagship processors. The Ryzen 9 3900X is AMD’s best mainsteam processor and stands toe to toe with Intel’s top-end Intel Core i9-9900K even in gaming. The RTX 2080 Ti is the best video card on the market and you won’t find it anywhere for under $1200. You also get 16GB of memory and both a 1TB SSD and a 2TB HDD for storage versatility.

• Get it at Walmart for $1999

CyberPowerPC Gamer Xtreme Intel Core i5-9400F GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER Gaming PC with 8GB RAM, 240GB SSD, 1TB HDD for $849

This might be the lowest price we’ve seen for an RTX 2060 SUPER equipped PC. The RTX 2060 SUPER performs very similarly to the RTX 2070 (which means it’s better than the GTX 1080). It’s paired with a 9th generation Intel Core i5 6-core processor, 8GB of RAM (expandable), and dual drives for boot and storage priority.

• Get it at Walmart for $849

Alienware m17 17″ Intel Core i7-9750H GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Gaming Laptop for $1149.99

The m17 is the 17″ variant of the new generation of Alienware m-series gaming laptops. Despite the larger screen size, it still clocks in at only 5.8 pounds.

• Use code “50OFF699” to get it at Dell for $1149.99

ComiXology Free Trial Extended to 60 Days

Normally 30 Days

The 60-day extension (normally $30) has never, ever happened before. ComiXology is Amazon’s digital comic platform and is the largest digital retailer of American comics. The site hosts 20,000 digital comics, graphic novels, and manga from DC, Marvel, Image, Dark Horse, and more. Here’s your chance to access all of it, totally free, for 30 60 days. If you’re an avid comic reader, you might want to consider continuing on afterwards, since it’s only $5.99/month. You can even sign in with your Amazon account.

• Get a 60-Day Free Trial to ComiXology

Xbox One X (Factory Refurbished) with Bonus Witcher 3 Game for $229.98 at Dell

This is the lowest price we’ve ever seen for an Xbox One X gaming console from a reputable vendor, plus you’re getting an outstanding game. Note that this is a Microsoft refurbished item, which means that it still comes with a 90-day warranty. Note that you do not need to be a Dell member or student to get this deal; simply use guest checkout.

• Get it at Dell for $229.98

Xbox One X (Factory Refurb) for $229.99 at Walmart

Walmart has matched the price on the refurbished Xbox One X, but without the game. The advantage of getting it from Walmart directly (and not a marketplace vendor) is that it’s easy to return it to your local brick and mortar store if you have any problems with the unit.

• Get it at Walmart for $229.99

$200 Off New 2020 Model Samsung Galaxy S20 and S20+ Smartphones (Unlocked)

The Samsung Galaxy S20 was released on March 6, 2020 and already you can score $200 off without having to sign up for a new contract. The Galaxy S20 is an outstanding phone, one of the best out there, and the first Galaxy smartphone with 5G connectivity. The differences between the S20 and S20+ are the screen (6.2″ vs 6.7″), and battery (4000mAh vs 4500mAh).

• Get the Galaxy S20 5G 128GB model at Walmart for $799.99
• Get the Galaxy S20+ 5G 128GB model for $999.99

Sling Blue Free Trial Extended to 14 Days

Normally 7 Days

Keep up with live news updates for free. Sling Blue gives you access to CNN, MSNBC, HLN, and Fox News. You’ll also get access to HGTV, Food Network, A&E, Bravo, TNT, Comedy Central, Cartoon Network, The Discovery Channel, Nick Jr, and more. The Sling Blue service normally costs $30/month but it still might be worth it for all the great shows.

• Get a 14-Day Free Trial to Sling Blue

Binge Picard and Star Trek: Discovery with a CBS All-Access 30-Day 60-Day Free Trial

Normally 7 Days

This is really simple to pull off. Simply apply both codes “GIFT” and “ENJOY” at checkout. With 30 days, you’ll have plenty of time to binge exclusive CBS All Access shows like Picard, Star Trek: Discovery, The Good Fight, and more. Afterwards, you can renew for only $5.99/mo (or $9.99/mo for the ad-free option), or just cancel before your trial ends. The trial normally is for 7 days, and this 1 month extension usually only happens two to three times a year.

• Use codes “GIFT” and “ENJOY” to get a 2 Month Trial to CBS All-Access

Get 2 Months of Kindle Unlimited for Free

Normally 30 Days

Make your life stuck at home (and for many of you, with kids) a lot easier. Kindle Unlimited is a great way to keep yourself at home and still get access to a virtual library of over 1 million Kindle eBooks and over 20,000 digital comics This deal is typically for new subscribers only, but there have been reports that it has worked for people who have previously subscribed for Kindle Unlimited but are not current members. Check out this very awesome Harry Potter “Kindle in Motion” book with animated art, free with a Kindle Unlimited subscription.

• Get 2 Months of Free Kindle Unlimited on Amazon

2017 Apple MacBook Pro 13.3″ Retina Intel Core i5 8GB Laptop (Refurbished) with 2 Year Accidental Damage Warranty for $999.99

This laptop might be a few generations older but it’s still a very capable workstation. This is a 3-pound laptop that boasts an Intel Core i5 processor with Turbo Boost to 3.6GHz, 8GB of RAM, 128GB SSD, and Intel Iris Plus graphics. There’s no Apple warranty but you do get a 2 year accidental damage warranty provided by CPS.

• Get it at PCMag Shop for $999.99

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Eric Song is IGN’s deal curator and spends 25% of his pay on stuff he posts.

Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled has run its last Grand Prix content release, but more characters, vehicles, and more are still being released for the game. Developer Beenox has announced a raft of new content coming to the game soon on the Activision Blog.

Coming first is the “Beenox Pack,” which is available in an update right now. It will unlock Geary and Crunch as racers in the game if you haven’t gotten them already, and you’ll also nab a Beenox-themed kart, paintjob, sticker, and set of wheels. Beenox-themed skins are available for Crash, Cortex, and Crunch, while Geary has his first ever legendary skin.

The Wumpa Challenge system is also coming, with rotating daily, weekly, and monthly challenges coming. The Ghost Hunt challenge type is coming back on Nina’s Nightmare track, as are developer time trials, which will put you against the fastest times managed by the developers at Beenox.

You can also still claim the Champion Kart, even if you didn’t take part in the Grand Prix, by completing Oxide and Velo’s time trials. Beat them all to nab the kart and special signature decals.

New pit stop content is also coming, including an extremely cursed new character, Baby Cortex (pictured below). Here’s everything you can nab:

• Three new characters including the Lab Assistant, Baby Cortex and Baby N. Tropy.
• Two new karts, both of which are customizable: the Neon Hawk airplane kart and the Nitro GT kart.
• An assortment of new Legendary Skins.
• An assortment of new color variations for existing Legendary Skins.
• An assortment of customization items for karts.

Rilla Roo has also been “fixed,” so if you don’t like his character design in Nitro Fueled, you might be happier now. You can also, amusingly, unlock the Iron Checkpoint Crate as a playable character by finding and collecting every Beenox crate in each track.

New paint jobs and a soundtrack option are coming, as is a leaderboard wipe, starting everyone afresh and wiping out some bugged times that had risen to the top.

Crash Team Racing: Nitro Re-Fueled received an 8/10 in GameSpot’s review. Oscar Dayus praised the game as an excellent remaster: “Nitro-Fueled maintains the spirit and rock-solid foundations of a childhood favorite while building on it and modernizing it where necessary–even if the handling might take a bit of getting used to.”

The game (along with the Crash Bandicoot N.Sane Trilogy and Spyro Reignited), has done well enough that Activision is planning more remasters in the near future. Meanwhile, some fans believe Sony has been hinting at a new Crash Bandicoot game.