Comedy movies ruled in every past decade that yo??u can remember, but we've since seen most of the industry moving away from them. That sucks, but it doesn't mean t?hat comedy is gone. Let's look at this absence as an opportunity.

Most great comedy is born from?? written text, so why not use your newfound time to read so??me of the best comedy novels ever written?

A Confederacy of Dunces

A Confederacy of Dunces is the holy grail of modern comedy novels if there is one. It tells the story of Ignatius J. Reilly, a man smart man who's also plagued by enormous laziness and personality quirks that make him a fun c??haracter to read about, maybe not one you'd like to deal with. To make matters better, Reilly has the propensity to make equally wacky characters gravitate towards him in his supp?osed quest to get a job.

The story behind this novel is nearly as interesting as the work itself, as it was only published 11 years after the death of author John Kennedy Toole, and over 15 years after being written. Dunces spent a few years getting more?? popular via word of moth, and only then became a huge hit that all comedy writers must read.

Ignatius J. Reilly's physical description and smartass wit might remind you of pretty much every main character in every successful animated sitcom in existence. It's likely we have to thank Ignatius for ??having inspired all following generations of popular comedy.

If you're wondering why the supposed all-time great comedy book never became a major movie, well, the answer might be a curse. Now, while I don't believe in curses, it's true many directors have tried adapting A Confederacy Of Dunces to the big screen ever since its release, but big or? small accidents a??lways ended up derailing the production.

Catch 22

Joseph Heller's Catch 22 soared high enough to have its name become synonymous? with any dilemma too powerful to get out of.

The specific dilemma posed by the novel states that If you're clinically insane, you are unfit to serve in the war. If you ask to have a psychological evaluation, however, you're already demo?nstrating enough sanity to serve in the war.

Catch 22 tells the story of John Yossarian, a WWII bombardier captain who tries to be discharged to no avail as the atrocities that he witnesses on a daily basis push him towards the limit. It doesn't seem very funny when put like that, but Catch 22 does a marvelous job of picking apart all the bureaucracy that make war even more of a nightma??re than it's supposed to be.

Catch 22's greatest achievement, in my opinion, is not just being hilarious. It's managing to make you laugh while not trying to turn the entirely vile affair of war into a joke. There are a lot of great jokes here, but Catch 22 never fails to deliver a relevantly humane mes??s?age.

American Psycho

Brett Easton Ellis' American Psycho gained immense notoriety a??s its movie adaptation starring Christian Bale immediately became a cult classic, but the novel remains a poignant re?ad.

Whereas the movie portrayed Patrick Bateman's shell of a perso??n as a creepy ??sociopath, the book does, well, the same thing, albeit in a much funnier way.

Bale gets a lot of des??erved praise for his portrayal of Patrick Bateman. Still, over 20 years later, too many Internet memes portraying that character as a total chad show not everyone got the message. You're much less likely to misinterpret the movie, as the satir??e elements greatly outweigh the scary parts, or the ones some can misunderstand as "badass".

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Critique of Bureaucracy seems to be a good foundation for a hit comedy book. Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy tells the story of one man who loses his planet (Earth), because? it was somehow located in a part of space someone designated for the construction of a new galactic highway.

Fortunately, right before getting crushed to death by space construction workers, he's gets saved and taken on a journey through the galaxy even though he doesn't own a ship. Many hail The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy as the greatest piece of sci-fi comedy every written, while some have a hard time enjoying Adams' peculiar humor. Eithe?r way, it has undoubtedly inspired a lot ??of other great sci-fi comedy material, and is thus something completely worth checking out.

Night Watch

If you believe even most great artists will lose their mojo with age, then you should really read Terry Pratchett's Night Watch, the 29th book in the Discworld series.

It follows Samuel Vimes, the leader of Ankh-Morpork's city watch, as he's sent back in time before capturing a notorious criminal responsible for the murder of various watchmen. Time travel is a complicated subject, one that can either make or completely break your story, but this is one of the greatest in the overall very good list of Discworld novels.

Please just be reminded that while you can read it if you've never read any other Discworld tale, Night Watch is the sixth book in the inner "City Watch" serie?s, so you might want to chec??k those out beforehand.

Fear And Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the Am?erican Dream

If you're into stoner comedies, Fear And Loathing in Las Vegas is likely both the originato?r, and still one of the best outings in the genre.

Fear And Loathing in Las Vegas follows Raoul Duke and Dr. Gonzo on a road trip to Las Vegas in an attempt to "find the American Dream. When you know a story will involve Las Vegas at some point, your mind immediately pictures the wackiest moments taking place there. You'd be wrong. Fear And Loathing is equally hilarious and weird at all times, as well as way more though-provoking than?? you'd originally think.

Funniest of all, a lot of it isn't made up, b??ut merely ?an "enhanced" version of real-life events late author Hunter S. Thompson actually went through.

Going Postal

Going Postal tells the tale of Moist Von Lipwig, a con artist who's s?aved from execution to endure a possibly even worse fate: managing Ankh-Morpork's postal service. Naturally, he has to contend with the bonkers bureaucracies you'd expect from this job - even if it didn't take place in an already magical wacky city - but also with a mystery pointing to a bigger ?conspiracy.

Remember when I made a big fuss about Terry Pratchett still being on a role when he delivered his 29th Discworld novel? Welp, Going Postal is his 33rd.

My Year of Rest and Relaxation

In My Year of Rest and Relaxation Author Ottessa Moshfegh talks about one of the most interesting proposition of all time: being able to sleep all the time, literally. The main character begins to try out a few interesting drug??s and arrives at one that allows her to sleep the entire time. There's only one caveat though, which is s??leepwalking. That twist immediately turns the entire premise upside down, and the story is all the better for it.

If you're? tired, stressed out, or have arrived at a time of your life when you?'re nonplussed about everyday's busy activities, work or otherwise, then this one might be for you.

Cat’s Cradle

Kurt Vonnegut is one of the best when it comes to getting laughs out of serious scenarios. In Cat's Cradle, he tells the story of John (or Jonah), a man who once set out to write a book about the bombing of Hiroshima and got interrupted by a very similar scenario taking place on his doorstep. That's not a very promising synopsis for a funny book, especially one that also satirizes religion and the global arms race. Still, Cat's Cradle more than delivers in the laughter department as we fol??low John in a relatively short sci-fi adventure where he finds faith in the form of a silly made-up religion.

The Princess Bride

If I try to make you see the greatness of The Princess Bride by only telling you the plot, you'll just think I'm some idiot who's never seen a Disney film. Though it seemingly tells the regular story of the hero who goes on an adventure to rescue a princess from an evil captor, Princess Bride does a great?? job of subverting all genre tropes in hilarious ways.

The immense popularity of the film made many forget The Princess Bride is actually the adaptat??ion of a novel by author William Goldman. In all honesty, ??I do think the movie version to be superior, but that's one of my favorite films of all time. Still, if you're looking for one of the funniest works of fantasy ever written, you should totally give this one a try.

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Well, that escalated...

Do you know who has tons of fans? Me? Well, you're very kind but no, I'm kinda lonely... Erm... Anyway, the answer I was looking for was Guilty Gear yo-yo spinner, Bridget, as demonstrated by the huge amount of fan art, cosplay, and other prjects dedicated to the young lassie online. Case in point: This wonderful fan animation, produced by the super-ta?lented artist/animator Liz Caingco??y.

The 45-second short sees our gal making the most of a bright and sunny afternoon, taking to the streets with her yo-yo and plush companion, Roger, in tow. It's a pretty delightful affair, and who could possibly expect things to get surprisingly... out of hand. The animation is masterfully created out of textured wireform??s, which were designed and built within the software package Autodesk Maya. This gives the short its curious and highly recognizable "'90s PlayStation Cutscene" vibe.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiwbfME8g-o

If you take a look at some of Caingcoy's tweets, you can see the Bridget model in its raw form, which spotlights the authentic textures applied to  Bridget in order to perfectly replicate her Guilty Gear Strive style. Be sure to check out some of Caingcoy's animations over on her YouTube channel, ?and hey, if you'r??e a developer in need of an animator, it's worth noting that she's currently looking for work.

Guilty Gear Strive is available now on Pla??yStation and PC platforms.

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Ubisoft is bending a cardinal Rabbids rule

Several big changes are in store for Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope. One notable change is not in its roster or tactical gameplay, but the characters themselves. The Rabbids in Sparks of Hope can talk.

Ubisoft's Rabbids are often portrayed as goofy, cartoon-ish animals who tend to simply speak in "bwahs" and exclamations, not explicit dialogue. Several outlets attended a preview event for Sparks of Hope and reported back that those Rabbids are talking.

Speaking to IGN, creative director Davide Soliani describes his early experience working with Kingdom Battle. At the time, he was given instruction that the Rabbids do not, under any circumstances, talk. "I had to g??ain trust from Ubisoft, not just Nintendo," Soliani told IGN. "And Ubisoft told me, 'Rabbids are not speaking.' That was a rule."

But after skirting the rules a bit to make the operatic Phantom fight in Kingdom Battle, the team got Ubisoft on board for more in Sparks of Hope. You can hear some of those voice lines in the battle gameplay below, shared by GameSpot.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=73J3wKz9Uig

"Everything we are doing, it's part of a process of evolution that will lead us somewhere else," sa??id Soliani. "I think that as a team, we really love experimenting and we will keep doing?? it in the DLC."

Chasing Rabbids

This newfound chattiness seems like it's letting the Mario + Rabbids team add even more humor and comedy. Which, given how fun Kingdom Battle was, sounds like a solid idea for the follow-up.

Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope carries forward the tactical crossover franchise, adding new characters to fight alongside. It's also got some great-looking battles, like the recently spotlighted train fight with a Wiggler.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gvFeYoxmQQ

Though initial reception to the idea of Mario and Rabbids joining forces was a bit wary, Kingdom Battle really proved itself. Evidently, even to Ubisoft. Now I'm really interested to see what the team does with the Rabbids' newfound?? c?hattiness.

Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope hits Nintendo Switch on October 20.

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In Space, No-One Can Eat Ice Cream

Of all of the announcements, of all of the franchises, of all of the adaptations, I wouldn't have put a single penny on this one. And yet, here we are, less than 24 hours from the Gamescom Opening Night Live presentation and the news that somebody, somewhere, decided to put pen to paper and sign a contract to produce a brand new video game, in 2023, based on Killer Klowns from Outer Space.

Asymmetrical horror games are all the rage right now, despite being something of a mixed bag and a niche market. Major franchises such as Friday the 13th and The Evil Dead have both had a shake of the multiplayer scythe, while Behavior Interactive's Dead by Daylight is a literal who's who of horror's grimmest superstars, having played host to Freddy Krueger, Michael Myer??s, Hell Priest, Leatherface, and Ghostface, among others.

But Killer Klowns from Outer Space? Now there's a real outlier.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilwcOZTBa64

Independently produced in 1988, Killer Klowns from Outer Space was written and directed by New York-based siblings Charles, Stephen, and Edward Chiodo, who had, since an early age, developed a love for claymation, prosthetics, animatronics, and all manner of practical special effects. Having cut their teeth in the film industry designing the homicidal fluffballs of Critters (1986), the brothers decided to try their hand at producing their own special-effect-laden take on the horror-comedy genre, that had blown up big time in the wake of Ivan Reitman's seminal classic, Ghostbusters (1984).

Shot in and around the Santa Cruz county of Watsonville, KKfOS was created with a relatively modest budget, with much of its $1.8 million USD being used to finance shooting permits, rental vehicles, and the materials for a widely ambitious range of practical effects. Set against the backdrop of the fictional Crescent Cove, the narrative tells a simplistic tale of a party of invading aliens, depicted as hideous and grotesque circus clowns, complete with a "Big Top" shaped flying saucer. Upon their unwelcome arrival, the "Klowns" embark upon a campaign of chaos throughout the sleepy suburb, capturing humans within candy-floss-style cocoons to be used as sustenance on? t??heir home planet.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETiSMS4i1as

Going all-in with its circus theme, the Klowns' methods of murder and mayhem reflect that of circus shenanigans. There are sentient balloon animals, tiny cars, human-eating shadow puppets, giant balloons, acidic cream pies, and �the aliens' piece de resistance �the deadly popcorn gun. As the residents of Crescent Cove fall victim to these perilous pierrots, it is up to the obligatory teenage couple in love, Mike Tobacco and Debbie Stone, to find a way to rid the town of this terror lest they become the finale of the Greatest Show not on Earth.

Releasing in the summer of 1988, KKfOS won over the hearts, but not the heads of the day's critics, who were not particularly entertained by the film's flattish, skit-style storytelling, but were undeniably impressed, even charmed by its colorful visuals, inventive design ideas, goofy ??concept, and overall sense of sick silliness. Today, despite the film having massed a much larger and more devoted audience as a cult movie, these initial reviews do stand as fair commentary.

Killer Klowns from Outer Space falls down a little on both the "Horror" and the "Comedy" of horror/comedy �it isn't particularly scary and it isn't particularly funny. It is, however, delightfully creative, and a wonder??ful reminder of a time when practical effects were not only a true and underappreciated art form, but were most definitely taken for granted �especially when compared to contemporary times where every single movie is shot against a green screen in an Atlanta car park.

Time has, in its own weird way, been strangely kind to the movie as a whole, mostly thanks to the impressively gross Klown costumes and some nice uses of animatronics, claymation, and standard animation �all blended relatively seamlessly into the live-action. Also of note is the theme song, by punk band The Dickies, which remai?ns a cleverly written and frustratingly catchy... erm... "banger."

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CzLdg0PpLI

There have been several efforts to revitalize the Killer Klowns brand in recent years. Most notably, a 3D sequel was announced in 2012, back at the height of that bizarre "idiots dressing up as clowns at night" phase. This project has seemingly fallen into disarray, with numerous pushbacks and mixed messages as to its completion date. In 2018, the Killer Klowns rights were licensed by SyFy, with a view to making a TV series. Again, nothing is yet to emerge from this project?.

And thus, the charming movie that barely anyone saw, that youngsters today might not even know, and that has repeatedly failed to find its w??ay back to the big (or small) screen, has, somehow, been selected to receive a video game adaptation treatment 35 years later. It is, undeniably, a bizarre and twisted tale, the kind one could only expect from such a strange franchise. So keep watching the skies, watch out for the pint-sized cars, and double-check that pizza delivery. If you ever wonder why the population's going down, blame it on the plunder from the likes of the Killer Klowns.

Killer Klowns from Outer Space: The Game is c??urrently in development for Play??Station, PC, and Xbox.

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The gooey alien shooter is taking a little extra time

Squanch Games has announced it's taking a little extra time on its upcoming game High On Life. The cartoonish comedy-shooter wi??ll still arrive in 2022, but the team has decided to delay it to December 13, 2022.

Originally set to arrive in October, the Squanch crew says? it is working hard towards developing the best experience possible. These extra six weeks will provide some time to squash bugs and tune up.

As part of the delay, Squanch published a special animation as an apology. It's basically a short little sketch, which you can watch below.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CdTKrm-_1Q

High on Life is still targeting a launch on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Windows PC, w??ith a day one launch on Xbox Game Pass for cloud, console, and? PC.

Don't leave me high

Squanch Games is the studio co-founded by Justin Roiland, a co-creator of Rick & Morty and the Hulu series Solar Opposites. So if the humo?r above feels familiar to you, that's probably why.

Given the game's earlier trailers, High On Life looks to be a mix of sci-fi shoo??ter and Roiland's particular brand of comedy, with a lot of odd and bizarre humor mashing up with alien creatures.

The game's story looks to featu?re all kinds of bizarre moments, from talking guns to an al??ien cartel. Plus, selling humans as a kind of drug for extraterrestrial life.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SUUeakHKTk

Even though the comedy looks to be a big focus, there's some cool platforming, powers, and gun design happening in the trailers for High On Life. It's a bit out of this worl?d, but Squanch is going to use the delay to squash all the bugs it can and make sure the punch??lines land.

High on Life is now aiming for a December 13 l?aunch on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

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Gotta Interview Fast

Sonic Frontiers might not even be out and in the players' hands yet, but it app??ears that the development squad at Sonic Team already knows exactly what is in store for The Blue Blur and his friends in the wake of the open-world adventure's release �that's according to the studio's own head Takashi Iizuka.

Iizuka made the comments in a highly entertaining, rapid-fire video interview with Game Informer reporter and Sonic the Hedgehog megafan Brian Shea. Over the course of eight minutes, Shea hits Iizuka with over 120 questions pertaining to Sonic Frontiers, as well as various elements of the Sonic universe including Chaotix, Amy Rose, Sonic R music, chil??i dogs, and the notorious Princess?? Elise.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjSTwlFuaxk

It's a very fun, lighthearted interview, but among the silliness are some particularly interesting tidbits. For example, we learn that Iizuka's favorite title is the 2001 Dreamcast release Sonic Adventure 2, (which was, incidentally, the title he enjoyed working on the most). Iizuka also notes that he thinks we will see more Sonic Adventure games at some point in the future, and reveals that the team had no idea "Ugly Sonic" would appear in the Chip 'n' Dale: Rescue Rangers movie.

Regarding Sonic Frontiers, Iizuka does a pretty good job at ducking most of Shea's more probing questions, though he does reveal, unfortunately, that Big the Cat will not be making an appearance in the upcoming release. Damn. Perhaps my favorite answer of the interview, however, is Iizuka's response to the question "What do you think about the Sonic Boom character designs?"

"To be honest," politely responds ?the producer, "I'm not super-fan about that."

If you are a Sonic the Hedgehog super-fan then you should definitely check the interview out over at Game Informer. It's short, snappy, and fun, with a lot of neat little insights and teases. As for Sonic Frontiers, we can expect the epic adventure to arrive later this year, when it finally launches on PlayStation, PC, Xbox, and Nint??endo Switch.

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It doesn't suck, but...

Naming characters is a notoriously difficult part of writing fiction, but for my six-year-old son, it's apparently pretty easy, at least when it comes to Pokémon. We looked through a catalog of Pokémon Vivid Voltage cards a few days ago, and much to my surprise, he spontaneously renamed 150+ Pokémon. He actually didn't have much of a choice, because he's a little too young to read on his own. I suppose he could have forced me to read through the book for him, but that would have been pretty boring for both of us. Instead, he did it his own way, and I know I'm biased, but I think the results are pretty adorable, even when (or especially w??hen?) they veer into bizarre potty humor terr??itory.

//youtu.be/MC_Ce6dbh3c

Picasso once sa??id that ??it took him a lifetime to learn to paint like a child.

Freeing your brain of self-criticism and the need to do things the "correct" way ain't easy, but it's the only way you're ever going to come up with new Pokémon names like Cocoon Butler and Jiggly Horror. Let's hope my kid stays y?oung and wild long enough to get a few more of these videos out before the cold hand of teenage self-consciousness squeezes the innocence out of his heart like a sponge.

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Not the smoothest landing

Starscourge Radahn has quickly become one of the most recognizable and talked-about bosses in Elden Ring. He's got some unique mechanics special to his own fight, and he's already been the target of patches. Turns out? that the easiest way of beating him might be letting him beat hims??elf.

Spoilers for Elden Ring follow, obviously.

Radahn is one of the "main" bosses of Elden Ring,? and his defeat is required for at least one ending. Even if you skirt around his particular part of the map, chances are you'll hear tell of him. And once? his fight kicks off, it's a whole dang festival of swordfighting.

Players have been having good times and bad times dealing with Radahn. But if you're having some real trouble, turns out there's an easy way to deal with him. As spotted by PC Gamer, Reddit user u/HomeGrownCrown7 and Twitter user @izuoku_ show you can ju??st let him dunk himself into the ocean.

//twitter.com/izuoku_/status/1512098221371191296

Radahn, apparently, does not float

Once Radahn hits the halfway point on his health bar, he plummets towards the player like?? a comet. It's a pretty beefy move that most would panic and dodge. Yet, over on one side of his arena, there's a vast ocean. And it turns out, Radahn's not so good at steering away from it.

As you can see in the above Twitter video, Radahn will simply dunk himself into the drink. Now, Souls bosses are no stranger to bizarre deaths. The Taurus Demon is infamous for hurling itself off the side of the ramparts in Dark Souls.

I really do enjoy the comedy of Radahn hurling himself into the ocean, though. It's a great sequence of ??"ah ha!" followed by "oh no!"

I'd be surprised if this gets patched, though if you're having trouble with Radahn and want to take him out in a very funny way, it might be better to do this sooner rather than later. And don't worry, Elden Ring still holds plenty of challenging bosses that won't fall prey to a lil' bit of water. But hey, if you need more tips, just turn to some friendly neighborhood Basilisks.

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The often goofy, tragi-comedy deaths in Elden Ring make failures a little less disheartening

The first thing you'll usually hear about a FromSoftware or Souls-like game is its difficulty. It's not an unfair characterization, as you will die many, many times playing these. I know I have. But every death in Elden Ring has felt a little ligh???ter thanks to the absurd comedy it can often be.

To be fair, the tough parts of Souls games have always inspired some laughs. Moments like getting kicked off a ledge by a giant skeleton were always a bit funny, in that "oh you got me From??Soft" kind of way.

Something about Elden Ring just feels like it lends itself well to the humor, though. Maybe it's the open-world structure, where many more elements can interact than before, and combat encounters are less obviously signposted and cordoned-off. Maybe it's the actual content itself; Elden Ring is full of enemies who are huge, angry, and able to wallop Tarnished to a pul??p.

//twitter.com/nmoose2/status/1498032314642800643

Something about the way things can so quickly go south keeps me running back in. Earlier this afternoon, I took a "lunch break" (read: Elden Ring break) to check ou?t a beacon that had been on my mind. When I dropped b??y, I saw a cart nearby, led by giants and escorted by a host of soliders.

"Easy enough," I thought, in the same way Wile E. Coyote probably thought a roadrunn??er dinner would be a convenient snack. I swooped in on horseback, spear and fiery Faith magic in tow, ready to slaughter the lot of them and steal off with their treasure.

In the span of about 30 seconds, it all fell apart. I was running in circles, trying to re-summon my horse Torrent as a giant man on horseback galloped around, his blade whiffing over the top of my head. A legion of otherwise throwaway foes were now a slowly closing wall of doom. Oh, and I fa??iled to notice the magical archers perched on the cliffs. Let's just say they're a sharper shot than you might think.

As horns blared out, alerting everyone in a five-mile radius that some Tarnished was trying to make off with their candlelit chest, I galloped off a cliff. Somehow, I did not fall to my death. Just to a res??ting place directly in front of an e??nemy's blade. It's an important distinction.

Elden Ring is just funny at times. It's a blend of physical comedy and best-laid-plans falling apart that I love. And the massive world of Elden Ring, with so many areas to explore and certain deaths to discover, feels tailor-made for it. Check out this clip from Dragon Age creative director John Epler:

//twitter.com/eplerjc/status/1498888301448556544

That's good physical comedy. It's the kind of laughs Elden Ring is very, very good at creating.

The world of Elden Ring, like other FromSoft games, revolves around death. Outside of bosses and some special enemies, many of the enemies are just goofy henchmen, who will die and die again, just like us.

Just a year ago, I wrote about how Hitman also has a comedic tone to it. Agent 47 is Bugs Bunny, always one step ahe?ad of the clueless targets of his ire, waiting to bring down the opera house on top of th?em.

In Elden Ring, I'm a bit more like Wile E. Coyote. Sure, one day I might catch that roadrunner. But I'm going to have a lot of c??atapults flip over on top of me first. And honestly, it's kept me going as much as the excellent world and combat has. It's fun to just experiment and wonder "what if," and then find out. If it spells the end of my Tarnished, at least it was a good laugh.

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It's a living

I've long held that Halo is, oftentimes, hilarious. If you get Gravity Hammered, your Spartan doesn't just roll over and die; they go flying across the level in ragdoll fashion. Through Mongoose crashes, long-distance fusion coil lobs, and bizarre explosions, Halo has laughs. And on the campaign side, that shines through in the Grunts of Halo Infinite.

Since the campaign of Halo Infinite launched last week, I've been chipping my way through the story, veering between open-world distractions and proper missions. Through all of it, I've faced many, many Grunts. They are the core of the Banished army, the pawns on the chessboard of Halo. And if nothing else, the Grunts of Halo Infinite seem acutely aware of this fact.

Players have been posting clips of the often-hilarious voice lines Grunts yell out during combat in Halo Infinite. One TikTok from @voltage68, embedded in a tweet below, shows a Grunt running at t??he player with two Plasma Grenades activated. And as they run, they exclaim "I didn't mean to turn these on!"

//twitter.com/??Animetiddyy/status/1469785548701286401

Halo player Mint Blitz (who's also shared around clips like the infamous flying grapple physics) caught a similar moment and many more. The Grunts really seem aware of how much suffering they're forced to endure in the world of Halo. They're the first line of offense and ?defense against the "Demon," Master Chief, who has annihil??????????????????????????ated legions of Grunts over the years.

And yet, in their resignation to their fate, it becomes tragic comedy. "I didn't mean to turn these on" is a great laugh line. But "it's a living" feels ripped right from the pages of Looney Tunes and The Flintstones in the best ways.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzkttRUfFOs

Even when not subjecting themselves to Plasma Grenade runs, the other Banished forces of Halo Infinite are more than happy to volunteer a Grunt or two for the frontline. I think everyone's first encounter with a thrown Grunt is a special one. It's hard to not just stop and stare at the majes?ty of a Grunt being lobbed through the air by a Brute.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojuXiv4C4Rw

Halo Infinite has, so far, a pretty solid campaign. But the humor of its voice lines, coupled with the open, malleable nature of its combat and exploration, really make trekking across Zeta Halo fun. Where else will an Elite openly rib you for having bad aim? The Grunts are the icing on the cake though. They are the self-aware, self-deprecating, darkly humorous mortar holding together the bricks of Halo's world.

That might be a bit much, but come on. Watch this clip below and tell me you don't at least feel a little bit of sympathy for this poor lil' g?uy's pli?ght.

//twitter.com/WdlWilliams/?status/1470264288115929092

So next time a Grunt manages to take you out in the Halo Infinite campaign, let him dance around a bit and cheer. They have more than earned the celeb?ration.

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According to one report, it might be an internal project

South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone recently signed a deal with ViacomCBS that will bring 14 movies to the Paramount+ service. And according to one report, that's not all the pair could be up to, as there's reportedly a South Park game in the works.

In Bloomberg's report on the streaming deal, Parker and Stone are also working on making a new South Park game. There have been plenty of South Park games in the past, perhaps most notably the pair of Ubisoft-developed role-playing games: The Stick of Truth and The Fractured But Whole.

According to Bloomberg, and reiterated in today's newsletter, the game is under development with an in-house studio, which Bloomberg learned from Stone in an email. Ubisoft did not respond to Bloomberg'?s request fo??r comment.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkZHv-9e2ro

It's a particularly interesting development, considering those South Park RPGs seemed to get a fairly good reception. What this means for the television series' future, and a "3D video game" set in the world of South Park, is uncertain. For those holding out for a new South Park game though, this is a drop of hope.

On an unrelated note, also included in the Bloomberg newsletter today is an interview with Ace Attorney creator Shu Takumi, and I highly suggest you take a look. The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles has become one of my frontrunners of the year so far, and it's a fun chat that might convince you to pick up the duology, even if you aren't already an Ace Attorney fan.

As for the South Park creators, their 14-movie deal with ViacomCBS has locked them into two movies a year, starting this year, as well as a renewal of South Park through season 30 (2022 will mark season 25, for reference). So even if a reported game is a ways off, there won't be a shortage of South Park.

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