In Serious Sam 4, the long-running FPS series may have finally found a workable identity. Through each entry, developer Croteam has held onto the core gameplay loop that defined Sam's initial jaunt across Egypt. You will always back-pedal, you will always circle-strafe, and you will always fight dozens of Sam's memorable cadre of alien enemies at once. But, at times, that loop has been obscured by some of the strange decisions Croteam has made with the series. It was never broken, but each game finds the developer trying to fix it.

Enter Serious Sam 4, yet another reinvention that seems to draw from every period of the series' long life. As in Serious Sam 3, the graphics are realistic (though a little stiff). As in Serious Sam 2, there's vehicular combat and humor to spare (and a surprising portion of the jokes land). And, as in First and Second Encounter, the gameplay is razor-sharp and front-and-center. It's been nine years since the last mainline entry, and in that time we've witnessed the revival of circle-strafing shooters thanks to games both big (Doom) and small (Dusk). But, in this newly crowded landscape, Serious Sam 4 has a secret weapon. Croteam is simply willing to throw a ridiculous number of enemies at you at all times and it has the tech to pull it off.

In this outing, which functions as a prequel to The First Encounter, Sam and a small group of resistance fighters are attempting to push back the villainous Mental's assault on Earth. The alien horde has already won, but the resistance hopes to score a strategic advantage by tracking down the Holy Grail, which is actually an alien artifact hidden somewhere among the art and architecture of an impressively unspoiled Italy.

In Serious Sam 4, the long-running FPS series may have finally found a workable identity. Through each entry, developer Croteam has held onto the core gameplay loop that defined Sam's initial jaunt across Egypt. You will always back-pedal, you will always circle-strafe, and you will always fight dozens of Sam's memorable cadre of alien enemies at once. But, at times, that loop has been obscured by some of the strange decisions Croteam has made with the series. It was never broken, but each game finds the developer trying to fix it.

Enter Serious Sam 4, yet another reinvention that seems to draw from every period of the series' long life. As in Serious Sam 3, the graphics are realistic (though a little stiff). As in Serious Sam 2, there's vehicular combat and humor to spare (and a surprising portion of the jokes land). And, as in First and Second Encounter, the gameplay is razor-sharp and front-and-center. It's been nine years since the last mainline entry, and in that time we've witnessed the revival of circle-strafing shooters thanks to games both big (Doom) and small (Dusk). But, in this newly crowded landscape, Serious Sam 4 has a secret weapon. Croteam is simply willing to throw a ridiculous number of enemies at you at all times and it has the tech to pull it off.

In this outing, which functions as a prequel to The First Encounter, Sam and a small group of resistance fighters are attempting to push back the villainous Mental's assault on Earth. The alien horde has already won, but the resistance hopes to score a strategic advantage by tracking down the Holy Grail, which is actually an alien artifact hidden somewhere among the art and architecture of an impressively unspoiled Italy.

"It is described as an irreverent, R-rated series that explores the lives of hormonal, competitive supes as they put their physical, sexual, and moral boundaries to the test, competing for the best contracts in the best cities. Part college show, part Hunger Games — with all the heart, satire and raunch of 'The Boys."

With NBA 2K21, you just know what you're getting into--a basketball simulation with the presentation chops, star power, and gameplay mechanics to embody the sport on a professional and cultural level. You know you'll build a custom player to go through a story that leads into a full career and take to the streets and rec center for pick up games. You know you can play a management sim through MyGM or build a playable fantasy team through card packs in MyTeam. And you also know all too well about the scheme of VC that looms over it all, which remains one of the prominent offenders of intrusive microtransactions.

At this point, NBA 2K21 suggests that the franchise is out of surprises. It comes with a robust suite of modes, but despite minor remixing year after year, the annual releases are starting to blend together (if they haven't already). Mechanics get minor tweaks or additions, but largely remain untouched. So, for those embedded in the 2K cycle, you know what the deal is, but because this year's game changes things mostly on a surface level, it's hard to be excited about yet another entry.

Don't get me wrong, as a lifelong basketball fan who embraced the culture as a wee lad and cherishes street ball memories from back home, I'm still a bit in awe of how well the sport has translated into video game form (I said as much in my NBA 2K19 review). And that doesn't just come from the player likenesses, character creation tools, or the broadcast-style presentation; it's a matter of the core gameplay, too.

With NBA 2K21, you just know what you're getting into--a basketball simulation with the presentation chops, star power, and gameplay mechanics to embody the sport on a professional and cultural level. You know you'll build a custom player to go through a story that leads into a full career and take to the streets and rec center for pick up games. You know you can play a management sim through MyGM or build a playable fantasy team through card packs in MyTeam. And you also know all too well about the scheme of VC that looms over it all, which remains one of the prominent offenders of intrusive microtransactions.

At this point, NBA 2K21 suggests that the franchise is out of surprises. It comes with a robust suite of modes, but despite minor remixing year after year, the annual releases are starting to blend together (if they haven't already). Mechanics get minor tweaks or additions, but largely remain untouched. So, for those embedded in the 2K cycle, you know what the deal is, but because this year's game changes things mostly on a surface level, it's hard to be excited about yet another entry.

Don't get me wrong, as a lifelong basketball fan who embraced the culture as a wee lad and cherishes street ball memories from back home, I'm still a bit in awe of how well the sport has translated into video game form (I said as much in my NBA 2K19 review). And that doesn't just come from the player likenesses, character creation tools, or the broadcast-style presentation; it's a matter of the core gameplay, too.

Crunchyroll’s fall lineup has been officially announced, featuring a ton of returning favorites and new shows. Chief among the most anticipated shows is the final season of Attack on Titan. In total, Crunchyroll is debuting 25 new or returning series for streaming, a bit of good news for fans who were saddened to see so many anime series delayed due to COVID-19’s impact on the Japanese anime industry.

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Attack on Titan’s final season will be animated by MAPPA, the same studio behind Yuri!!! on Ice. Dorohedoro’s Yuichiro Hayashi will direct, while Mob Psycho 100’s Hiroshi Seko is handling script duties.

• Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? season 3.
• Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon: The long-awaited Inuyasha sequel series, following the daughters of Inuyasha and Sesshomaru. The series debuts on October 3.

• Iwakakeru - Sport Climbing Girls: A sports anime focused on a group of young women competing in the world of rock climbing.

• Noblesse - Based on the Webtoon series of the same name, Noblesse tells the story of Cadis Etrama di Raizel, a caster who has awakened after 820 years of sleep, and then joins a high school. Expect plenty of battles fueled by superhuman abilities.
• Onyx Equinox: A young Aztec boy finds himself fighting as humanity’s champion during a battle between gods.
• Tonikawa: Over the Moon For You: A new married life comedy from the creator of Hayate the Combat Butler.

• Burn the Witch: From Bleach creator Tite Kubo, this three-episode movie series premieres on October 1.
• Jujutsu Kaisen: Crunchyroll’s hot new Shonen Jump series. The synopsis for this one is a lot to digest, but the long and short of it is a young high school student named Yuki joins an occult research club who accidentally unseals a dangerous talisman, setting off a chain of events in which Yuji becomes the host of a powerful curse and must consume all of the curse’s fingers while attending a magic school. If that doesn’t scream Shonen, I don’t know what does.

• D4DJ First Mix: A new series based on the Bushiroad games.
• With a Dog AND a Cat, Every Day is Fun: A slice of life anime for those who felt like last year’s My Roommate is a Cat gave too much credit to felines.