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Kingdom Hearts 3 is one of the most anticipated games of the year. Fans have been waiting years for the release date of the third mainline entry in the series to arrive, and that moment is nearly here–it launches tomorrow, January 29.

If you’re not familiar with the series, you might enjoy our Kingdom Hearts story primer, or everything you need to know about Kingdom Hearts 3. One notable thing that’s emerged in the last few days is that the game’s epilogue will be added after launch to avoid spoilers being leaked. And if you want to know how long it will take to see that epilogue, you can find out by taking a look at Kingdom Hearts 3’s campaign length estimate.

We awarded the game an 8/10 in our Kingdom Hearts 3 review, while critics across the board seem pretty positive about this concluding chapter. Read on below for a selection of other reviews or check out GameSpot sister site Metacritic for more, or head over to CNET for thoughts from a series newcomer.

GameSpot — 8/10

“What sticks with me is the exciting battle against elemental titans with Hercules, taking Rapunzel out into the unfamiliar wide world for the first time, snapping selfies with Winnie the Pooh, and going toe to toe with Davy Jones. In 2002, as Sora, I left Destiny Islands to travel across the universe and make new friends. In 2019 I brought old ones home, and I had so much fun doing it.” — Tamoor Hussain [Full review]

CNET

“Kingdom Hearts 3 sticks doggedly to what made Kingdom Hearts successful in the first place, for better or worse. It’s both the poison and the antidote. It’s more than happy to let you swim in its best bits of unpredictable, epic combat set pieces and then sit you down for an extended fireside chat about a Keyblade War with four antagonists that all share the same hair colour and only slightly varied haircuts.” — Jackson Ryan [Full review] CNET is GameSpot’s sister site.

IGN — 8.7/10

“I thoroughly enjoyed Square Enix’s evolution of Kingdom Hearts’ gameplay and fidelity to Disney’s beloved animated movies. While the storytelling could use some punching up, Square has done a fantastic job of capturing the spirit of these worlds while giving us a massive toolbox for battles and exploration. Even as I watched the dust settle on the story I wanted to jump right back in to collect everything. But to see all of the events of the Kingdom Hearts games so far culminate is, frankly, weird. Having been given so much time to ruminate, its specific resolutions aren’t all that surprising, but only a marginal impact is lost as a result. I still loved seeing so many characters from throughout this series interact in new ways and rekindle old bonds. It’s nice to see that, even so long after the very first game, Kingdom Hearts 3 is so full of heart.” — Jonathon Dornbush [Full review]

Game Informer — 9.5/10

“While not perfect, Kingdom Hearts III is the game I’ve been waiting for. After finishing it, I was delighted by how satisfied I was with the journey. I traversed worlds with some of my favorite Disney characters, persevered through challenging boss battles, and saw a triumphant finale that only makes me more excited for the future. The series still has a lot of heart, and that’s what makes it so endearing.” — Kimberley Wallace [Full review]

Polygon — No score

“Kingdom Hearts isn’t simple anymore; it isn’t just joy and bright colors and Disney heroes. Instead, the conclusion of this story is tangled up in so many conflicting threads, each one a heavy burden on its hero, whose smile now feels unnerving. Kingdom Hearts 3 is an example of what can go wrong when a series that once stood in contrast to its peers as a lighthearted alternative loses its way.” — Allegra Frank [Full review]

GamesRadar — 4/5

“Whatever the flaws, there is nothing quite like Kingdom Hearts 3, and it’s a wild, wonderful ride as a result. Name one other game where you can watch Elsa belt out Let It Go before hammering some monsters to death with a giant key. I’ll wait.” — Rachel Weber [Full review]

E3 2019 is going to be a big year for Xbox at E3, it seems. Head of Xbox Phil Spencer said on a recent podcast that Microsoft’s showing at E3 this year will be “as big” as it’s ever been for Xbox, and one reason why might be because Sony is dropping out of E3.

Speaking to Major Nelson, Spencer started off by saying, “This is going to be a fun E3 for us.” He recalled an internal Microsoft conversation about E3 after the “news” that dropped last year about E3, which is presumably a reference to Sony skipping the show.

“There was some news about E3 back in the fall. We had a discussion internally about, ‘Should we go big?’ ‘Should we save some money?’ ‘What does that mean?’ We decided, no [we’re not going to save money], we’re going to do our thing,” Spencer said. “We’re going to go and be as big at E3 as we’ve ever been. I love that opportunity.”

Right now, with about five months to go before E3 2019, Microsoft is in the midst of thinking about how and who the company can get to come on stage, Spencer said. The company is also talking about if the company wants to talk about titles and products coming in the short-term versus the long-term. Spencer said he personally likes to be transparent, but he’s also mindful of being careful not to announce something too early.

Spencer didn’t get into specifics, but he said the content lineup from Xbox for E3 2019 is already “great.” The company also plans to talk about the future of Xbox and more about what the Xbox brand means–beyond console. The Xbox is a console, but there are “millions” of people who spend time and money on Xbox outside of the console family through PC and mobile, Spencer pointed out. At E3, he wants to let people know that they don’t need to own an Xbox to be part of the Xbox community.

Also in the interview, Spencer talked about Xbox’s position in 2019, saying the groundwork that Microsoft put down in recent years will really begin to pay off this year. Quoting George W. Bush, Spencer said, “This is a year where it’s not strategery–we’re going to roll up our sleeves and we’re going to show. I love that. Now it’s go time.”

One of the new platforms Microsoft has in the works for gaming is Project xCloud, which is the working title for the company’s game-streaming service. It’s already up and running, and Spencer said he was using it during his travels at the end of 2018. It’ll probably be “years” before streaming becomes the primary way people play games, but the technology is coming together, Spencer said.

Additionally, Spencer discussed Microsoft’s recent spree of studio purchases. One of the reasons Microsoft bought and set up a total of seven studios in six months was to create a catalog of titles that “surprise and delight” fans, and release on a “regular cadence.” Microsoft has been criticised in recent years for not having enough compelling first-party content, and Spencer acknowledged that Microsoft’s first-party lineup is “so different” than what it’s been over the past five years. He also shared an anecdote from Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, who apparently said he’s eager and happy about Microsoft investing so heavily in teams that will make exclusive content for Xbox going forward.

One of Microsoft’s announcements at E3 2019 could be a new console. Spencer has already confirmed that Microsoft is working on multiple new consoles. According to Brad Sams, one is a disc-free streaming box and another is a console more powerful than the Xbox One X.

E3 2019 takes place June 11-13, 2019 in Los Angeles. While Sony is backing away, the show is expected to be a very big one full of surprises and reveals of all kinds.

Developer NetherRealm has postponed this week’s “Kombat Kast” broadcast for Mortal Kombat 11 due to storm descending on Chicago, which is where the studio is located.

Chicago has been overrun with snow over the past week, and in the coming days, the temperature is expected to remain below freezing as a brutal Portal Vortex rolls through. With the wind chills accounted for, the temperature could drop to as low as -60 F. The National Weather Service warns that this could cause frostbite on uncovered skin in as little as five minutes.

Presumably the Mortal Kombat 11 stream was postponed so participants would not need to journey into the frozen world, and instead stay safe and warm at home instead. The National Weather Service describes the cold in Chicago right now as being “life-threatening.” It is so cold that people are being advised to avoid taking deep breaths and minimize talking.

NetherRealm community manager Tyler Landsdown said postponing the Mortal Kombat 11 stream is a precautionary measure. “I want the stream to be the best it can be, and if someone can’t get there, well, that’s not as fun!” he said.

The new Kombat Kast is now scheduled to take place on Tuesday, February 5. It’ll kick off at 3 PM CST that day, and more news about the fighting game is expected.

Mortal Kombat 11 launches on April 23 for PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch. For lots more, check out GameSpot’s interview with series creator Ed Boon.