Preorder This Star War: Knights Of The Old Republic Helmet And Cosplay As Darth Revan
We’re still waiting on that Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic remake, and although it’s apparently still in development, we won’t be seeing it anytime soon. Luckily, you can preorder your own life-sized Darth Revan helmet from GameStop, allowing you to take matters into your own hands when it releases in August and remake KOTOR yourself in your backyard or living room.
The helmet, from Halloween costume and toy company Jazwares, will run you $80, and GameStop offers free shipping on preorders over $59. It’s slated to release on August 30.
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According to the listing, the officially licensed plastic helmet is 17×17 inches and weighs roughly four pounds. It includes an interior sizing band to help it fit your head, as well as a fabric hood to more closely match Revan’s look in the game. If you want to complete the look, you could pair the helmet with the Star Wars Black Series Darth Revan lightsaber.
While you’re waiting for your KOTOR helmet and the KOTOR remake, there’s still other KOTOR to hold you over. There are four novels that expand on the Old Republic period detailed in KOTOR. Two of those stories, The Old Republic: Revan and The Old Republic: Annihilation, were written by former BioWare writer Drew Karpyshyn, who was a major force in creating the KOTOR story. You can find all four on Amazon. Check out the list of Old Republic books below.
Star Wars: The Old Republic Novel Deals
If you’re interested in checking out the original KOTOR and its sequel, The Sith Lords, on a modern console, both games are included in Nintendo Switch-exclusive Star Wars: Heritage Pack. Along with the two classic RPGs, Heritage Pack comes with five other Star Wars games, including Jedi Knight I and II. Star Wars: Heritage Pack is on sale for $40 (was $60) at Amazon ahead of Star Wars Day. GameSpot sister site Fanatical also has deals on KOTOR and many more Star Wars games.
Microsoft Is Putting Its Copilot AI Into Games Like Minecraft
AI is all the rage these days, and it seems that Microsoft is adding its take on the technology to some of its Xbox and PC games. At the company’s recent Surface and AI event, it showed off its new Copilot AI, which is Microsoft’s unique twist on what we’ve seen from big tech firms like OpenAI (ChatGPT) and Google (Gemini).
Over on X/Twitter, Microsoft posted a demo video of a player using Copilot to learn how to craft a sword in Minecraft. According to Windows Central, this AI will respond to natural language (like most LLMs) and will explain how to use the resources you have, and will even guide you to them. Microsoft emphasized that the data used for Copilot will remain on-device, and that it won’t be uploaded to the cloud or used to train language models further without the user’s consent.
As with all AI models, it sounds good in theory, but it remains to be seen if it actually works. So-called AI “hallucinations” (i.e. the model making up or reporting inaccurate info) have been a problem with LLMs from the very beginning, which could lead to some frustrating scenarios. But all-in-all, this is a potential game-changer for those who would prefer to avoid digging through game wikis and Google searches to find the answer to that tough puzzle.
At this event, Microsoft showed off what it calls “Copilot+ PCs,” which come loaded with proprietary AI technology. However, they will require better hardware to fully leverage that tech, including a neural processor and 16GB of RAM. Windows laptops with AI will start rolling out on June 18.
Classic Fantasy Board Game Talisman Gets New Edition From Hasbro’s Avalon Hill
The classic board game Talisman: The Magical Quest Game is making a long-overdue comeback in a few short months. The 5th edition of the fantasy dungeon crawler is manufactured by Avalon Hill, a Hasbro-owned board game developer responsible for hits such as Betrayal at House on the Hill and HeroQuest. The most recent edition of Talisman is no longer in print, and finding a complete set for retail price hasn’t been easy. That changes on August 1, and you can already secure your preorder of Talisman’s 5th edition for $60 at Amazon.
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Talisman’s 5th edition will feature all-new artwork for the game’s many cards and cards and tokens, redesigns of all 12 plastic player figures, and retooled rules to streamline setting up and learning the game. Everything you need to play the game comes in the box, including all cards, tokens, coins, and player figures, plus three six-sided dice and the rulebook. There is also a QR code you can scan to access a digital version of the rulebook.
If you’ve never played Talisman before, it’s an adventure board game with light RPG mechanics where up to six players compete to obtain the Crown of Command, slay the Elder Dragon and become the new ruler of the land. Each player chooses from one of 12 characters to play as, including the Thief, Elf, Wizard, and Prophetess. The original game launched back in 1983 and since then has seen multiple revisions, the last being the 4th edition in 2008. As mentioned, the 4th edition has been out of print for a while, and the game is expensive to grab from resellers. This new 5th edition printing will make picking up a copy of the game much easier–but considering it’s an Avalon Hill game of a classic that many newer board game enthusiasts haven’t had a chance to try, we wouldn’t be surprised if the first wave of preorders sold out.
While you wait for your order to arrive, you could check out the officially licensed video game adaptation of Talisman. The digital board game released back in 2014 and has a bunch of add-on content that’s available to purchase separately. You can save some cash on a bunch of Talisman digital content for PC at GameSpot’s sister site Fanatical. Talisman’s digital edition is also available on the Nintendo Switch eShop.
BattleTech Celebrates 40th Anniversary With New Edition Of The Original Board Game
The tactical sci-fi franchise, BattleTech, is turning 40 this year, and it’s celebrating by launching a new edition of the original board game. Since its debut in 1984, the BattleTech franchise has branched out to video games, novels, TV, and more, but the series started as a tabletop board game dubbed BattleTech: A Game of Armored Combat. As such, BattleTech’s 40th Anniversary Edition will be worth checking out whether you’re a longtime fan who wants to commemorate the occasion or a newcomer interested in trying the classic game for the first time. It’s available to preorder now at Amazon for $60 ahead of its June 12 release.
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The first thing you’ll notice about this edition is its box art, which has been updated for the game’s 40th anniversary. Inside the box you’ll find eight miniatures, a 56-page rulebook, a 16-page record sheet, a 16-page universe primer, a 24-page fiction novella. You’ll also find a bunch of cards and dice, giving you everything you need to dive into the two-player game.
If you’d prefer to check out BattleTech sooner, you’ll be glad to know that a variety of board games and expansions are on sale ahead of the 40th Anniversary Edition’s launch. Your best bet is to check out the original game, which is discounted to $48 (down from $60). However, there’s a cheaper BattleTech: Beginner’s Box for $24, so give it a look if you want something more affordable.
BattleTech isn’t the only classic board game that recently celebrated its 40th anniversary. The fantasy adventure game Talisman: The Magical Quest Game, which originally released in 1983, is making a comeback. Unlike BattleTech, it’s not easy to find a reasonably priced copy of Talisman, as it’s been out of print for awhile and hasn’t received a new edition since 2008. Preorders are now open for the fifth edition of Talisman ahead of its August 1 release date.
If you want to pick up other expansions or miniature collections for BattleTech to go alongside the 40th Anniversary Edition, be sure to check out all of Amazon’s current offers on expansions and miniatures sets..
