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Lincoln Rhyme: Hunt for the Bone Collector premieres Friday, January 10 on NBC.

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Whisking us back to the ’90s heyday of elaborate serial killer “cat and mouse” games, which began as a gourmet meal with The Silence of the Lambs and then devolved into fast-food fare with Striking Distance, Kiss the Girls, Copycat, The Watcher, and many more (it’s the genre David Fincher’s Se7en knowingly knocked on its ass), Lincoln Rhyme: Hunt for the Bone Collector brings, arguably, the most ridiculous of all these tales to TV.

Based on the first Lincoln Rhyme novel by Jeffery Deaver, which was previously turned into a perfectly passable movie starring Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie, The Bone Collector is bananas. It features a hyper-brilliant, bedridden forensic investigator being pitted against a genius killer who leaves clues so onerous and vague that they can only be solved by Holmes-ian intellect possessed by someone who relishes the thrill of the solving perplexing puzzles. “Everything means something with the Bone Collector” is a quote that’s equal parts intriguing and exhausting.

Obviously, this type of killer doesn’t exist. It’s a pure construct of paperbacks and the movies based on those paperbacks. These are glossy, sanitized murders devoid of deviant sexual pleasure. No, for a real peek inside the minds of serial murderers, outside of a true-crime docu-series, you’ll have to check out Netflix’s Mindhunter. This show is pure popcorn. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing if you’re looking for fast-paced pulp.

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Some tweaks had to be made to the story to slide it into a TV setting – the biggest being that Lincoln Rhyme and his bone collecting adversary go way back. In fact, it was three years before our story begins that Rhyme was paralyzed while trying to save one of the Collector’s victims. Obviously, in both the book and the movie, the Bone Collector, in different ways, is revealed to have some connection to Rhyme but here they’ve turned him into our hero’s Moriarty. We even get to see him in action, played by Brian F. O’Byrne. The smallest, and funniest, change from the books seems to be that the Bone Collector now collects bones, and torments Rhyme, because Rhyme was briefly rude to him a decade earlier. For wrestling fans, this is the “cup of coffee spilled on Kane” start of a feud.

Speaking of Moriarty, the series doesn’t hide its newly adopted Sherlock-ian sheen. Holmes himself, as a literary character, is directly discussed during flashbacks to Rhyme’s elite forensic academy schooling. And when Rhyme, played capably and grouchily by Grimm’s Russell Hornsby, puts his talents for observation to work, we get a slew of imagery and graphics letting us know that his crime-busting brain is working overtime. None of this is terrible, but it’s also not great. It’s just a slick superhero story nestled nicely into network TV.

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Arielle Kebbel (The Vampire Diaries, Midnight Texas) plays Rhyme’s newly-recruited eyes and ears and legs, beat cop Amelia Sachs (the character gets to keep her book name, which was changed for the movie). The basic dynamic between Rhyme and Sachs is a solid one, with the ornery veteran molding and scolding a keen apprentice, and Kebbel is very good, but things get so rushed due to pilot-itis that Rhyme is already cracking smiles and warming up to Sachs by the time the credits roll. Sure, for the movie it takes the entire runtime, but the show should have sat with Rhyme’s bitterness a bit longer.

I suppose it doesn’t help that this Rhyme isn’t in as much of a rock bottom mindset as the original version. This Rhyme actually has people he cares about and he actually might walk someday. It’s a far cry from the Rhyme at the beginning of the old story who was entertaining the thought of medically-assisted suicide. A man whose anger you could understand a bit more clearly when it came to him lashing out at others. This Rhyme was apparently a prick even before he was paralyzed. It’s just his way.

Robert Downey Jr., who has played Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since 2008, says there is always a chance that he may return as the legendary Avenger.

As reported by CBR.com, Downey Jr. was recently interviewed by Extra for his upcoming film Dolittle, and he offered a glimmer of hope for those wishing to see him as Tony Stark once again.

“Yeah, anything could happen.” However, he later added, “As far as I’m concerned, I’ve hung up my guns and I’m good to let it go. I also think that Marvel is on this journey now where they’re trying a bunch of other stuff. I’m excited for them to see how all of that goes. It’s hard to project but we got a lot of other stuff we want to do.”

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SPOILERS AHEAD for Avengers: Endgame.

Obviously, Iron Man dies at the end of Avengers: Endgame, sacrificing himself to save the galaxy. So, this would most likely mean he would have to appear in a prequel story or some alternate universe tale.

There have been rumors that Downey Jr. will reprise this iconic role in Marvel Studios’ Black Widow, which takes place shortly after Captain America: Civil War.

Also, according to Jeff Goldblum, Downey Jr. will return to at least voice Tony Stark in an episode of the animated Disney+ series Marvel’s What If…?

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For more on Iron Man, check out why the Avengers: Endgame writers said that an Iron Man 4 would have been “one too many” for Marvel and read Downey Jr.’s thoughts on his “very sobering” MCU retirement.

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Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to [email protected].

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

The Witcher 3’s story is massive one, spanning multiple frontiers in Geralt’s hunt for Ciri, his surrogate daughter. And yet, if you can easily miss out on some truly amazing side quests that provide stories as engrossing as the main plot, and rewards that are too good to pass up. With that in mind, we’ve compiled some of the best side quests you shouldn’t pass up in The Witcher 3.

Ghosts of the Past

This Velen side quest may not be important to some, but if you’ve played the Witcher 2 it may have a more special meaning. If you either imported your Witcher 2 save where you spared the Witcher Letho, or told the Nilfgaardian court that he’s still alive, you’ll be able to run into the former Witcher. You can do so by picking up the quest The Fall of the House of Reardon, or by simply investigating the abandoned and trap-laden manor in the middle of the Velen woods. This quest serves as a nice callback to the events of the previous games, and your actions here can also ensure that Letho can help you in turn later in the story.

A Towerful of Mice

Early on in the main story you’ll meet the mage known as Keira Metz in Velen. After completing the main quests Hunting a Witch and Wandering in the Dark, take up Keira’s offer to meet at her home in Velen, where you’ll be able to take up the quest, A Towerful of Mice. What starts as a simple quest to lift a curse on an island gets a lot more complicated as you learn of the terrible truth behind the events on Fyke Island by talking to the spirits of the dead, and end up having to make a tough choice that’s not likely to make all parties happy in the end. On the plus side, this quest puts your one step closer to romancing Keira Metz.

Return to Crookback Bog

Most Witcher 3 fans agree that the character known as the Bloody Baron is one of the most intriguing, despicable, and saddest characters you’ll meet during the main quest. After you help out the baron determine where his wife and daughter have gone, you can stick around to continue helping the Bloody Baron – but things will get even stranger. All of the choices you make around the bog will reveal their consequences at the culmination of this story – intertwining the lives of the baron and his wife, as well as the fate of the Crones, orphans, and the mysterious Whispering Hillock. As you can expect in The Witcher 3, you won’t be able to find a true happy ending for everyone involved.

The Cave of Dreams

Once you’re able to visit the Skellige Isles, look for the Arinbjorn noticeboard to take on The Phantom of Eldberg contract, which will then open up a new side quest. Geralt will be tasked with helping Madman Lugo’s son, Blueboy, as he investigates the Cave of Dreams. The cave is a pretty trippy place, which will cause Blueboy and his crew to deal with all sorts of horrifying visions, culminating in Geralt having to face his own worst nightmare. This fact alone makes the quest a very intriguing one, and worth checking out when in the neighborhood.

The Last Wish

While you’re in Skellige, once you’ve completed the main story quest Nameless, you can decide to pursue romantic intentions with Yennefer, by finding the same djinn that entwined the star-crossed lovers fates. The quest alone provides a great look back on their complicated history together, and as Geralt you can decide just how much of your feelings for Yennefer are due to the djinn’s granted wish. Of course, it’s also worth looking into this quest as one of several that cement your relationship with Yennefer.

Now or Never

On the opposite side of the romantic coin, this quest in Novigrad begins after taking on A Matter of Life and Death, and is one of the necessary steps to proving your love for Triss Merigold. Instead of just focusing on Triss, this quest has a bit more stakes involved, as Triss needs your help getting her and her fellow mages out of Novigrad to escape to Kovir. Your fight to free them from the grasp of the Witch Hunters will not only affect the city of Novigrad, but also if you’ll allow Triss to leave and become the leader of the mages at Kovir, or seduce her into staying by your side.

Reason of State

This late game side quest in Novigrad only shows up after you’ve finished a long chain of quests that include An Eye for an Eye, A Deadly Plot, and Redania’s Most Wanted – and you’ll also need to gain Djikstra’s favor during the main questline known as Final Preparations. What sets this side quest apart from others is that it will have a huge impact on the war that’s been looming in the background of Geralt’s story, as you’ll get the opportunity to help assassinate the king of Redania. Depending on your actions, and how you decide to act once the job is done, Geralt stands to make a huge impact on the fate of the land.

Carnal Sins

Everyone loves Dandelion the Bard, and after you save him during the main quest A Poet Under Pressure, and follow up with the Cabaret side quest, you can undertake this murder mystery as well. What follows is a fun and length investigation into a serial killer lurking in Novigrad. And like any good murder investigation, you can easily get things wrong and attack the wrong suspect – a fact you’ll only find out once you hear that the murders have continued despite your rush to judgement. Be sure to pick up this quest if you fancy Geralt as the star of CSI: Novigrad.

Paperchase

This particular quest takes place in the Blood and Wine DLC, and may not be for the faint of heart. By this, I mean if standing in line, filling out forms, and dealing with bureaucracy give you pause, Paperchase will make you tear your hair out. In this quest Geralt finds out a man who owes him money has instead deposited it into a bank under his name, and what follows is a painfully realistic interpretation of trying to get anything done in a bank or similar government building. The good news is you can decide to end the quest by getting in a fight. The bad news is if you want to get the better reward, you’ll have to wait a whole week to get a bit of extra coin and a sword for all your troubles.

Witcher Gear Scavenger Hunts

Scavenger Hunts may not exactly be “side quest material” as there isn’t a whole lot of story involved, but it’s extremely worth it to know there’s a ton of excellent gear out there you can easily miss if you don’t know where to look. By exploring new areas and stumbling upon blacksmithing diagrams for certain Witcher Gear, you can learn of scavenger hunts to track down the remaining weapons or armor parts, and then even learn how to upgrade them as you progress through the game. Each set covers a different Witcher “school”, and can help you take down enemies in whichever style you prefer. For these reasons, you should always keep an eye out for these diagrams, and check out where to begin your hunt for each of the Witcher Gear sets:

• Griffin Witcher Gear
• Feline Witcher Gear
• Ursine Witcher Gear
• Wolven Witcher Gear
• Viper Witcher Gear
• Manticore Witcher Gear

 

There’s arguably a ton of more incredibly interesting quests out in the world of The Witcher 3 to peak your interest that we haven’t even scratched – and luckily we have guides for every side quest, interactive maps, and much more in our Witcher 3 Wiki. If you’ve already scoured the Northern Kingdoms and beyond, let us know what your favorite quests were, which had the best stories, or if they had a reward that really stood out!

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Brendan Graeber is a Guides Editor for IGN, and wishes he had a Hyperbolic Time Chamber to replay The Witcher 3 before Cypberpunk 2077 comes out in just a few months. Follow his attempts to ignore his increasing backlog of games on Twitter @Ragga_Fragga.

If you’ve been keeping up with the news, you’re likely well aware that Australia is suffering from a massive breakout of bushfires, which are devastating the country’s land, animals, and citizens. Many have stepped up to offer aide, including numerous celebrities who are making donations to fund relief efforts and put a spotlight on this crisis so that others will do the same. We’ve assembled a list of various public figures who have contributed and where they pledged their money, and we’ve provided instructions on how to get involved yourself.

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Chris Hemsworth

Known for his role as Thor in the MCU, Hemsworth and his family announced on Instagram that they would be donating $1 million to help fight the Australian bushfires. “As you’re well aware, the bushfires in Australia have caused massive devastation and they continue to burn,” said Hemsworth, an Australian native. “I’m going to put forth a million dollars and I was hoping that all of you could contribute in any way, shape or form… dig deep, lots of love.”

Dacre Montgomery

Stranger Things star and Australian native Dacre Montogmery took to Twitter to announce a GoFundMe aimed at fighting the Australian bushfires, which has raised over $354,000 at the time or writing. “As you’re sitting there watching this video on your phone, I want to ask you for your help,” Montgomery said. “Australia is in dire need of your help… we’ve lost an area the size of Belgium to wildfires — we need your help.”

Elton John

The Grammy award winning singer, Elton John, recently pledged $1 million to the Australian Bush Funds during his Farewell Yellowbrick Road Tour which happened to be in Australia at the time. Announced at his concert and reposted later on Twitter, John said, “You should all be in awe of the work that the firefighters are doing… there are people out there who have lost their lives trying to save homes.” John continues, “As I said earlier, this is a magnificent country that I have been coming to since 1971, I love it here so much. To see what is happening here breaks my heart.”

Gordon Ramsay

Known by many for his brutal food reviews, the Food Network Chef and Australian native Gordon Ramsay has announced on Instagram he will be auctioning off an exclusive lunch to the highest bidder, which will be donated to the Australian wildfire fund. He recently followed up his initial announcements, sharing that he would be adding another seat to the lunch, which earned $100,000 in bids. “Thank you to everyone who bid… the Aussie spirit that I’ve seen firsthand the past few days is so inspiring,” Ramsay said.

Leonardo DiCaprio

Leonardo DiCaprio’s organization, Earth Alliance, recently announced that it would be donating $3 million to help provide aid and support to those fighting the bushfires in Australia. Earth Alliance aims to “help address the urgent threats to our planet’s life support systems,” and was founded by Leonardo DiCaprio, Laurene Powell Jobs, and Brian Sheth. In addition to his organization’s donations, DiCaprio recently saved a drowning man just outside of St. Barts.

Loserfruit and Fasffy

Popular Twitch streamers Loserfrut and Fasffy recently held a 24-hour Twitch stream to raise money for the Australian bushfires. With an initial goal of $15K AUD, the two streamers hit their exceed this in just 52 minutes and ended up raising a total of over $318,000 AUD, which equals around $220,000 USD. “The stream over the weekend really highlights the power of influencers and their ability to mobilize their audiences to make a real impact,” said Grace Watkins, the co-founder of Click Management, the company which manages Loserfruit.

Rebel Wilson

The Pitch Perfect star and comedian Rebel Wilson auctioned off an exclusive lunch in her home to two fans who donated $100,000 to the Australian wildfire fund. Wilson told bidders that they’d “be the first ones to christen my new dining table,” which was enough to quickly earn two separate $50,000 bids.

Russell Crowe

Russell Crowe, who recently won a Golden Globe for his performance in The Loudest Voice, announced that he would be donating $105,000 to help fight the wildfires in Australia. Crowe took to Instagram to share that he would be delivering 19 different checks, totaling $105,000 that would go towards various wildfire relief funds. Crowe also elected to stay home with his family in Australia instead of attending the Golden Globes. His acceptance speech was given by Jennifer Anniston and can be viewed on YouTube.

Where to Donate for Australian Bushfires Relief

If you would like to help join these celebrities in donating to the Australian bushfire fund, you can do so through the Australian Red Cross. By donating through this link, you can ensure that your funds will go directly to the men and women who are hard at work on the ground in Australia fighting the fires day in and day out. Every dollar you are able to donate will help go towards ending the awful tragedy in Australia.

It’s a new year and Infinity Ward offered a quick update on what players can expect from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare in 2020. While the developers didn’t reveal too many specifics, Infinity Ward announced that a 3v3 version of Gunfight will be coming in the future.

Infinity Ward rolled out a Gunfight 1v1 playlist this week but said that it was working on Gunfight 3v3 as well. The developers previously said 3v3 was in the cards back in December, but now the Infinity Ward blog confirmed this as well.

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Gunfight is a new mode in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare where teams of two battle it out on a map with randomized weapons. One quirk of the Gunfight mode is how there are no respawns, so if you are killed you have to sit out for the rest of the round. The first team to six wins takes the game. Gunfight began with a 2v2 mode, but a 1v1 mode was introduced and soon there will be a 3v3 mode.

Additionally, Infinity Ward says it will be adding more loadout slots over the coming weeks, increasing the current limit of five.

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Other announcements from today’s community update include more Gunfight Tournaments, more 2XP events, and some bug fixes. The developer says it will keep updating players with regular bug fixes, patch notes, and behind the scenes blogs in 2020.

Check out IGN’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare review for our take on the latest military shooter from Activision, or check out our Call of Duty: Modern Warfare guide for tips and walkthroughs.

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Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN. You can reach him on Twitter.

Nintendo is notorious about rarely discounting its games, even years after release, and it’s even more rare to see a large sale with hundreds of great games marked down at once. But it’s a New Year’s miracle for gamers, because there’s a massive sale going on in the Eshop right now with over 1,000 games marked down. The sale includes some first-party games down to $42 and some of the platform’s best indie titles, so you don’t want to skip out on this one.

If you prefer to shop at other stores, you’ve now got some options. Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, GameStop, Target, and Humble Bundle are all price-matching a handful of Nintendo’s deals, offering their own markdowns on some of the same digital titles. So if you have a membership at one of these stores or just prefer to shop at one of them over the Eshop, you can now take advantage of this fantastic sale at nearly any store of your choosing. Because these are digital downloads, you’ll still get Nintendo Gold Points when you redeem codes in the Eshop.

The New Year’s game sales will run through January 16, so you have about a week to take advantage of the deals you want. We’ve outlined all the best Eshop deals in another story, but below you’ll find the best deals available elsewhere. The same collection of game deals is available at all major retailers, but there are a few games not on sale in the Eshop, such as Octopath Traveler and Baba is You.

However, you’ll still want to check out the Eshop for the full offering of deals, including discounts on The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Edition, Mortal Kombat 11, Okami HD, Assassin’s Creed: The Rebel Collection, Stardew Valley, and more.

Best Switch Game Deals

*not on sale in the Nintendo Eshop

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Nintendo Switch New Year’s Game Sales

For more deals, you can check out all the Nintendo Switch New Year’s sales going on right now below.