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The Best Games to Break In Your New Console With

Playstation and Xbox consoles
via forbes.com

After months of anticipation, the newest Playstation and Xbox video game consoles are finally out in the wild. If you’re one of the few lucky people that was able to grab a pre-order when they first went live, or you were fortunate enough to grab an online order when websites like Walmart and Gamestop weren’t completely crashed, then you’re likely going through the agonizing process of choosing which game to play first. Both the Playstation 5 and the Xbox Series X/S have a wealth of games to play at launch, and for many gamers the first experience of playing on next-gen hardware is one that needs to be memorable. We’re going to break down exactly which games are the best ones to play first on these new consoles so that you can make sure that your first experience with them is one you’ll never forget. 

The Best Console Exclusive: Spider-Man: Miles Morales

via engadget.com

One of the biggest games on the Playstation 4 that drove a lot of people to the system was Marvel’s Spider-Man by Insomniac Games that released in 2018. This game was hailed as one of the best superhero games to ever be created, rivaling the superstar status of the Batman: Arkham games. Spider-Man saw the continuation of a trend in the video game industry towards superhero games that aren’t just mediocre movie tie-ins, but instead combine compelling original stories with engaging and rewarding gameplay. The game won dozens different awards and received stellar reviews from nearly every video game news outlet when it was released, so it was natural to expect that there would be a sequel. Insomniac has delivered on those expectations with Spider-Man: Miles Morales, a sort of pseudo-sequel/spinoff of 2018’s Spider-Man that follows fan-favorite character Miles Morales. This game takes the scale of the original Spider-Man game and dials it down just a little bit, making for a shorter story, but it certainly doesn’t skimp out on the gameplay. Miles Morales builds on the fantastic gameplay of it’s 2018 predecessor by adding new abilities for Miles that are different from his counterpart Peter Parker. Miles can cloak himself to remain hidden from enemies, and he can supercharge his punches with electricity in what’s known as a venom blast. These new powers are ripped straight from the comic book source material of Miles’ character, and fans of the Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse film might recognize these abilities from the movie. This game is perfect for fans of Playstation’s exclusive properties because it truly shows off the power of the PS5. With new possibilities like ray-tracing and the option of running the game at 60 frames per second, the snowy streets of New York look breathtakingly gorgeous. For people looking for an experience that they can only get on the Playstation 5, they’re in good hands with Spider-Man: Miles Morales. Not only does it show off the impressive tech of the system, but it illustrates just how dominant Playstations’s exclusive library of games really is. And with the Xbox Series X releasing without any new exclusive titles, it would seem that Playstation is going to continue being the number one system to play for exclusive content at launch. 

The Best Game for Cross-Play: Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War

via callofduty.com

One of the biggest things that the video game industry has been focusing on for the past couple of years is a push towards cross-play. In simplest terms, cross-play allows people that all own the same game, but play on different consoles, to play together regardless of which console they own. This has been a long-desired feature amongst gamers for many years now, and with the popularity of games like Fortnite and other battle royale type games, industry executives have recently put a big focus on making sure people can play together on any system. One of the biggest franchises in gaming that is jumping on the cross-play train is the Call of Duty series. This first-person military shooter is one of the most popular and profitable video game series ever, and its yearly installments ensure a consistent player base that always has something new to play once last year’s game gets old. The Call of Duty series introduced cross-play with last year’s Modern Warfare, and this year’s Black Ops Cold War is continuing forward by allowing both cross-play and cross-progression. This means that not only can you play with your friends that have an Xbox or PC while you have a PS5, but it also means that if you ever decide to move from one console to a different one, you’ll maintain all of the progress you made on your initial system. This gives players an unprecedented amount of flexibility when it comes to deciding how they want to play, and it’s hard not to commend publisher Activision for making sure that Call of Duty is as accessible as possible. 

The Best Game to Put a Lot of Hours Into: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

via pcgamer.com

As single-player games have evolved from linear experiences focused on one singular story into expansive open worlds with a hundred and one things to do, those games have consequently gotten significantly longer in regards to the time it takes to fully complete them. One industry icon that has embraced this change is the Assassin’s Creed franchise. These stealth games that use popular historical backdrops such as Revolutionary France and Renaissance Italy are known for their rich stories that follow the centuries long conflict between the Assassin Brotherhood and the Knights Templar. The last couple of installments in the series have seen developer Ubisoft take a wildly different approach to the series when compared to its first handful of games. Starting with 2017’s Assassin’s Creed Origins, the series shifted towards a focus on much more expansive open worlds with tons of room for exploration. Along with a revamped combat system, Origins also put a stronger focus on the importance of side missions, making them much more interesting and rewarding for the player. These changes in the Assassin’s Creed formula were reinforced further with Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, and they’re being refined even more with this year’s highly anticipated Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. Valhalla takes players to the age of Vikings and Dark Ages England, an era that has been highly requested by fans since its early days. With this shift towards exploration and deviation from the main story, games like Assassin’s Creed are getting much longer to complete, often boasting stories that require at least fifty hours of playtime in order to complete. When combined with the side missions of the game, Valhalla could easily take upwards of a hundred hours of playtime for someone to experience everything the game has to offer. This is a tantalizing prospect for people that love to just get lost in a game, and Valhalla has been advertised as the game for that exact crowd. With a bevy of different customization options alongside the expansive maps of both England and Norway to explore, this is the perfect game to lose track of time with. Now that the newest generation of gaming is here, there’s a lot to be excited about. The technology of the Xbox Series X/S and Playstation 5 paves the way for games that are unlike anything the industry has ever produced before. With things like cross-play and massive single-player games becoming the new normal, gamers have never had better options. It’ll be exciting to see where the industry goes from here, especially considering the strong lineup of games that each console already has at their disposal. Which game do you plan to break in your new system with? Let us know in the comments below and for more news on pop culture and everything entertainment, check back here at its-bananas.

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‘Frenemies’ Podcast Gives Different Perspective of Trisha Paytas

Trisha Paytas' new Podcast Frenemies
via twitter.com

When people hear the name Trisha Paytas, they either think of extravagant mukbangs with lots of junk food or controversial “trolling” videos. Trisha has exposed the horrible actions of other influencers, cried on her kitchen floor, and has said offensive slander in the past. Most people on the internet either love or hate Trisha, but those who hate her may not fully understand why she acts the way she does. 

Trisha has recently teamed up with Ethan Klein of H3H3 Productions to start a podcast called Frenemies. The title is about the fact that Trisha and Ethan have had many altercations on the internet, beginning with Ethan calling Trisha a ‘catfish’ on Instagram, but a friendship began to blossom once the two met in person. Although they are friends, Trisha and Ethan still bicker on the show and Trisha even walked out on an episode when Ethan took things too far. However, the two were able to work through some issues and fans were even able to see a different side of Trisha when Dr. Drew came on the podcast. 

In episode seven of Frenemies, Dr. Drew mediates a conversation between Trisha and Ethan about their friendship and what they can do to improve. Throughout the episode Dr. Drew has Trisha open up about her mental illnesses and forces Ethan to understand that those mental issues are the cause of many of her actions. Trisha also explains her gender identity problems as well as her dissociating, both of which Dr. Drew validates. This almost comes as a surprise to Ethan because he, like many other viewers, was skeptical of Trisha when she posted videos on her channel explaining how she felt. 

Although Dr. Drew understands that Trisha identifies as a female-to-male transgender person who enjoys doing drag, Trisha stated that she got a lot of backlash from cis-gender people claiming she was trying to use trans people for views. Ethan interjects and claims that many trans people were offended as well, but Trisha was quick to defend herself saying that she spoke to many of her trans friends about her feelings and they all supported her, so she didn’t understand why so many others were being critical. 

Trisha goes on to say that she viewed a video of Anthony Padilla interviewing those with Dissociative Identity Disorder and she realized that she has many similar traits to those with DID. When she responded online and discussed how that video helped her, audiences claimed she was doing it for attention. Even Anthony Padilla himself responded and criticized Trisha for taking advantage of this mental illness. Although Trisha does offend one interviewee by calling them crazy, she is truly having an honest and open discussion about her mental health. It wasn’t until viewers bullied her, that she made an outlandish and offensive video mocking DID switches and alters. 

Dr. Drew and Trisha then discuss that Trisha does indeed blackout when she is angry and her actions are so out of character that she barely remembers when she has done. Trisha opened up about being sent to multiple mental hospitals in the past and is currently attending regular therapy sessions to improve her mental health. Dr. Drew once again validates Trisha and is proud of her for seeking professional help. Dr. Drew also notes that this behavior stems from childhood trauma and Trisha reveals that she suffered traumatic experiences that she hasn’t even told her parents about yet. 

The whole episode isn’t solely about Trisha, Ethan and Trisha wanted to get to the root of their problems as well. Dr. Drew noticed that Ethan and Trisha may have a good dynamic when they bicker, however, Ethan seems to always cross a line and push Trisha farther than she’s willing to go. Trisha explains to Dr. Drew that Ethan has talked about her private information multiple times on the podcast, yet when she brought up something private from Ethan’s past she was the one who was “weaponizing” information. 

This is not the first time someone has done this to Trisha. Trisha hung out with David Dobrik and the Vlog Squad when she was dating Jason Nash. David and Jason had a running bit that made Trisha uncomfortable and she spoke out against it many times. She even called out a member of the vlog squad who was dating an underage girl. Even though David and Jason were in the wrong, Trisha was called crazy and irrational for being uncomfortable with both situations. She was made to look like a crazy girlfriend in David’s videos and his big audience believed that without knowing the whole story. 

Trisha admits that she constantly feels like she is being called out for toxic and crazy behavior, yet other people are doing much worse things to her. When Ethan discusses her private finances and personal relationship issues on the show, Trisha allowed it because she knew that would make a good episode. However, when Trisha said something that crossed a line with Ethan, he argued with her and made her look like a horrible person who exposes secrets when they are upset, instead of simply deleting what Trisha said while editing the video. Dr. Drew explains that Trisha has every right to be upset and she feels attacked because she thought she was doing exactly what he does to her. He also explains that to be friends and coworkers the two need to set boundaries and clearly explain what one another is comfortable discussing on camera. 

Although Trisha may still be controversial (she is often criticized on TikTok for appropriating Jewish culture), there are many things people should not and cannot criticize her for.

Going forward, I hope audiences understand where Trisha is coming from and don’t jump to conclusions right away. Sometimes, audiences forget the human behind the influencer and assume that everything is done for attention, whether that is negative or positive doesn’t matter. However, Trisha Paytas has shown audiences that even the most open people on the internet have problems that they are working through privately and those problems can impact the content they create.

For more content check out its-bananas.com.

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Beach Read: A Review

via booktrib.com

As the pandemic continues, I have found it very difficult to focus on tasks, no matter how small they are. Due to online schooling, I’ve noticed a decline in my engagement in my hobbies as most of time is taken over by papers, exams, and assignments that are just not feasible to do in one night. As I grow closer and closer to the home stretch, I feel some of that weight being lifted off my shoulder momentarily, but I know that finals week is always somewhere out there, looming over the horizon. The current situation of life forces us to not consider our mental health, and it’s understandable if you’ve felt the same way. For me, breaking out of this hazy headspace, even for just a few hours, was reading Emily Henry’s New York Times Bestseller: Beach Read.

From the title, you may assume it’s another one of those cheesy romances that people read to escape their unforgiving reality. While there are elements of romance in the novel, there are a lot of themes that I find relatable to current life that project to be bigger than the romance between any two characters. January Andrews is a writer who has moved into her late father’s beach house in a small town, and she’s struggling to write her next novel as the deadline inches closer and closer. While her agent is understanding, being a writer is January’s career and she depends on the money. The more she procrastinates on her project, the more broke she becomes. January deals with a lot of mental health issues as she grieves her father’s death and learns things about his life that makes her suspect he wasn’t the truthful man she always looked up to. The novel focuses on the shadows of seemingly perfect relationships and the realization that nothing is ever permanent or perfect.

The deuteragonist is Gus Everett, January’s neighbor, who is also a writer. It’s not January’s first time meeting him as they were rivals in college and always critiqued each other’s work, sometimes very scathingly. They’re vastly different writers; January primarily writes happy-ever-afters while Gus writes cynical thrillers that he spends months researching for. The content they write should give you an idea as to what types of people they are.

January forms an aversion towards Gus immediately after meeting him many years later, however, they both soon realize they differ from their previous selves, and their experiences between college and the present day have affected them in ways that seem impossible to heal from. Gus contributes to the themes of loss and family, and as the story progresses, readers learn why he’s so cold to relationships. He’s grown to be an isolated, skeptical man, yet he feels no need to change this. He believes that this is how the world goes. There are no happy-ever-afters.

Although the two characters have their own personal stormy clouds above their heads, the rest of the town they live in is the epitome of cheerfulness. Overall, it has a Schitt’s Creek vibe and it’s very delicately written to counter the turmoils Gus and January face. Henry creates a powerful distinction between the two worlds in the book. She explains the fear of being stuck in one place as the world around you continues to progress, and I believe that a lot of us understand this feeling, especially these days. The book demonstrates that while happy-ever-afters can be rare, there are many moments in life to cherish, which are called the happy-for-nows. The purpose is not to forget the past, but to take your time healing  from it and then use that energy to invest in something important: your happiness.

This book is a perfect read for a bad day. There is romance that takes place in the form of the enemies-to-lovers trope, but it’s not unrealistic or cliché. Henry has done an excellent job writing this story and delving into personal struggles people face without romanticizing them. Buy a copy of Beach Read here!

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Morphe Faces Criticism for Collabing with Nikita Dragun

Morphe Cosmetics new palette with Nikita Dragun
via eu.morphe.com

Morphe and Nikita Dragun have teamed up to create a beautiful eyeshadow palette that will be selling in Morphe stores and online. Although the palette features stunning colors at a reasonable price (35 shades for only $30), Morphe customers are upset with the brand. 

Fans criticized Morphe for creating a product with Nikita because she has been involved in many controversies recently. The brand recently parted ways with fellow controversial YouTuber Jeffree Star and stopped selling products created by Jeffree Star Cosmetics. This includes a large amount of Star’s income as well as his income with YouTuber Shane Dawson.

Morphe told customers that they decided to part ways because of Star’s controversial and racist past. Both Star and Dawson have done and said ignorant things and videos of those actions are still on the internet. Their audiences have held them accountable for their actions and they are facing the consequences to this day. 

However, Nikita is also guilty of being involved in a scandal involving race. Fans were disappointed to see her post numerous photos, all featuring her with various skin tones. Some fans called her out for ‘blackfishing’ and claimed she was using self-tanner to appear darker than she naturally is. Fans aren’t the only ones upset by this, fellow influencer Larray called Nikita out in his diss track. Nikita tried to make a joke out of it and tweeted “what race will Nikita be today?” 

When fans were even more outraged by this, Nikita explained that she was referencing her mixed race. She is half Mexican and half White and she was bullied growing up for being mixed. She felt like people were making her choose between being white or Hispanic, but fans were more upset that she was attempting to appear Black. Nikita also defended herself by stating the darkest photo of herself was for Jeffree Star Cosmetics and they edited the photo that was used in the campaign. 

Nikita didn’t just cross that line, she also faces criticism for partying during the pandemic and continuing to hang out with controversial TikToker Tony Lopez. Although Nikita just happened to behave this way now, it doesn’t take away from how Morphe viewed her when they made this deal. Normally, it takes about a year to create an eyeshadow palette, and Morphe must’ve thought she was a good fit at that time. 

Audiences are unsure how the palette is selling so far, but they are speculating it is not doing that well. TikToks have been circulating that show Nikita buying and giving away her palettes for free.

For more news and entertainment check back to its-bananas.com.