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Technology

Xbox One: The 10 WORST Games According to Metacritic

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It’s been a good run of eight years since Microsoft’s Xbox One dropped onto store shelves. While it’s not quite out of the game yet, the Series X’s debut has all but guaranteed that the Xbox One’s days are numbered. While the system’s promise of cross-gen support and backwards compatibility may soften the blow, the time is coming where the Xbox One stops receiving new games.

There’s no time like the present to reminisce all the good times the console gave gamers… as well as all the bad. Here are Metacritic’s top ten worst games ever published for the Xbox One.

RELATED: Blackthorne: How Blizzard’s Forgotten Game Paved the Way for Future Titles

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Bounty Battle

What should have been a promising and fun fighting game featuring characters from beloved indie titles like Dead Cells, Darkest Dungeon and Guacamelee ended up becoming an exercise in frustration. Several critics cite the severe lack of multiplayer modes that should be standard for the genre (how can you not have an online mode in this day and age?) and saw the game as a buggy, unfinished mess with frequent lag and poor hit detection and AI.

The sheer amount of popular indie characters meant that the standard for this fighting game crossover should have been much higher than what is shown at launch. Bounty Battle is a costly disappointment that will only serve as a poor memory for all the indie franchises involved in its development.

Doug Hates His Job

A simple game with a simple premise: a sales worker named Doug hates his job, and he goes out into the world to beat people up to relieve stress, usually after they’ve already inconvenienced him. The game sets its tone by having a co-worker argue with Doug at the beginning of the game over Marvel or DC movies, followed by a restroom fistfight. Doug goes through various challenges and situations that wildly change in style, attempting to freshen up the typical redundancy of the beat-em-up genre.

Despite the witty writing and fun premise, the gameplay is far too simplistic, repetitive, and janky to be enjoyable, making for an all-around forgettable experience. It really doesn’t help that most sound effects and music sound like something out of a stock commercial, and the visuals lack any charm whatsoever.

RELATED: WandaVision Star Completely Forgot They Were on The Office

Ghostbusters (2016)

Not related to the much better 2009 action game by THQ, this Ghostbusters adventure is a loose sequel to the controversial 2016 movie reboot. It follows a group of four unnamed Ghostbusters that have no relation to the cast of either movie facing off against Rowan, the antagonist of the 2016 film. The gameplay is an isometric twin-stick shooter in a 2.5D format, not unlike Geometry Wars or The Binding of Isaac.

However, it seems to share a greater resemblance to Konami’s own game reboot, Contra: Rogue Corps. It barely resembles the property it’s adapting and has no depth to the gameplay or story. Most critics that are fans of Ghostbusters really hated this obvious cash-in and those who aren’t fans will simply note how forgettable it is as an arcade game.

Crimson Keep

Crimson Keep is a roguelike dungeon crawler where the player is thrust into a series of dungeons that randomly generate alongside a new set of enemies. The player can select from a multitude of fantasy classes a la Dungeons and Dragons and collect a variety of weapons and items and experience points as they progress. The catch is, should they die, they are sent back to the very beginning with absolutely nothing.

These gameplay aspects are standard for the genre, so they alone aren’t a problem. What brings the game down is its poor presentation, art style, combat, enemy variety, and almost anything else required for a decent video game to be made. Many critics also note how it’s overpriced for the level of frustration and lack of satisfaction it brings.

RELATED: Slay the Spire: What to Know About the Roguelike’s Characters

Soda Drinker Pro

A game that is, quite frankly, really obvious shovelware with almost no effort put behind it, likely made purely for the novelty of a quick joke. A joke that falls flatter than a can of day-old Pepsi left out of the fridge. Gameplay almost solely revolves around collecting cups of soda and drinking them–that’s about it.

It would help if the game was accompanied by over-the-top visuals or comedic writing or something resembling some form of low-brow humor to make it “so bad it’s good.” But unfortunately, the extremely poor 90’s era 3D graphics surpass Bubsy 3D in ugliness, and completing the game takes zero effort beyond the patience needed to trudge through it.

This Is The Zodiac Speaking

Yet another game with a very promising concept but poorly realized execution. This Is The Zodiac Speaking is a psychological first-person thriller revolving around the infamous Zodiac Killer, a serial murderer who committed crimes across 1970’s California and was never caught. The player is a victim who survived an attack from the killer, participating in an investigation that would lead to the truth about one of America’s most notorious criminals.

The investigative portions of the game turn out to be rather dull and hard to navigate. When the killer is chasing the player, there are very few indications that it is even happening, coupled with an unfortunately very predictable plot that ends too quickly. With such a daring premise and high-concept ideas, this one needed a little more time in development.

Rock ‘N Racing Off Road DX

Another shovelware game with barely any effort put into it, Rock ‘N Racing Off Road DX is an isometric racing game where the player controls one of many colorful yet poorly detailed cars across various race tracks. There’s barely enough content in the game to worth speaking about, let alone cover a whole entry on this list.

It’s bad enough that a racing game only has four tracks to choose from, but the slippery controls, poor AI and wonky physics prevent this game from being enjoyable even in an ironic manner. Most critics remark how the game can be completed quickly and how so many other racing games perform basic functions much more effectively.

RELATED: The 10 Best Racing Games Xbox One (Updated 2021)

Robot Squad Simulator X

Taking heavy inspiration from real-life government robots, Robot Squad Simulator X allows the player to control various robots that resemble the tank-like devices seen on robot-dueling shows or real-life demonstrations. This game allows the average player to go through various obstacle courses and go through various operations such as search-and-rescue, espionage, and bomb disarmament. It’s an interesting experience for a simulator that it’s surprising it hasn’t been done before.

Unfortunately, the novelty wears out its welcome very quickly. It’s difficult to control the robot even when trying to perform basic actions such as picking up objects–something that really shouldn’t be for a robot designed for emergency situations. The frustration of still learning the sluggish and clumsy controls coupled with the general tedium of present obstacles significantly takes away from the experience.

Fighter Within

Microsoft’s Kinect had high aspirations, so it’s disheartening to see how many games developed for it ended up failing to attract much attention. Still, the Kinect did get an Xbox One upgrade, but few games were made for it, and even fewer were actually even half-decent. The poor man’s Tekken, Fighter Within, is just another piece of evidence for this.

On top of bland and unmemorable designs, a story that’s barebones even for a genre known for thin plots, and graphics that still look like it was made in the last generation, Fighter Within‘s biggest downfall is the inaccurate motion controls. The Kinect’s imprecise tracking will ensure that players will be finding themselves either performing the wrong maneuver or doing nothing at all.

Rugby 15

The absolute worst-rated Xbox One game on Metacritic, Rugby 15 is the first attempt to bring the popular UK sports to modern home consoles–and so far, it has made an unfortunately poor impression, bringing a lot of shame to the sport. The game has been compared unfavorably to NHL 15, and considering how bad that game is, that’s saying something.

Player models are stiff and awkward, with the field’s textures and other objects looking equally bland and flat. The limited amount of selectable camera angles is a poor attempt to hide how bad the game’s graphics are, but it also makes it harder for the player to tell what exactly is going on on-screen. The AI is broken as well, with the computer either being biased towards the defense or doing absolutely nothing at all.

KEEP READING: Zack Snyder Selling Justice League Footballs to Benefit Suicide Prevention

The 10 WORST PlayStation 4 Games, According to Metacritic


About The Author


Vladimir Olivares
(78 Articles Published)

Vladimir Olivares is a writer, illustrator, and short film-maker based in the United States. Fond of comic books, manga, movies, video games, and TV shows of various different genres, he is knowledgable in classic comic book history and is well-versed in other forms of graphic novel media of varying genres, ranging from fantasy, noir, and science fiction, both from Western authors to that of Japanese manga. Vladimir is currently working as a freelance writer for Valnet, Inc., covering Comic Book Resources.

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Health

The Absolute Worst Times to Eat Carbs, According to Dietitians

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Some would say our love/hate relationship with carbohydrates has gotten a little out of hand and made eating a lot more complicated than it needs to be. It’s easy to see where our confusion originates. Carbs, after all, provide us with our body’s primary source of energy after they are broken down into glucose or blood sugar. On the flip side, carbohydrates drive up insulin, causing our bodies to hold onto fat. The best way to get a grip on this carb conundrum may be to recognize and avoid the worst kind of carbs for your body (the highly processed, sugary, refined carbs) and figure out the best and worst times to eat carbs for your health and lifestyle.

We asked nutritionists and other experts for help. Here’s how they identified the worst times to eat carbs, and for even more healthy tips, be sure to check out our list of 15 Underrated Weight Loss Tips That Actually Work.

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The worst times to eat carbs will vary from person to person, so you have to evaluate your body and your lifestyle, says certified nutritionist Reda Elmardi, CEO of StrongChap.com. If you don’t exercise and also have a sedentary job, don’t eat high carb meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner; cut carbs from one or two of those meals, he says.

“If you are very active consistently throughout the day then anytime is fine to have carbs—just don’t overdo the calories,” says Elmardi.

The physical therapist and bodybuilder advises people who are mostly sedentary but have a set workout time of day to plan to consume most of the day’s carbohydrates around that workout.

“But it’s not essential,” he says. “The body can store glycogen for use at a later time; as long as you use the energy at some point you will be fine.”

Here are 8 Side Effects of Eating Too Many Carbs.

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Don’t bash carbs; we need them to power through our workday, school day, and workouts, says National Academy of Sports Medicine certified trainer and nutrition consultant Natasha Funderburk, RN, BSN.

“When we can learn to view carbohydrates as our main energy source, it becomes easier to understand the timing of when it’s best to eat them or avoid them,” says Funderburk.

The worst time to eat carbohydrates is when you no longer need the energy. For most of us, that’s in the evening when you’re sitting on the couch. “When we carb load to sit in front of the TV, our metabolism is already powering down, and our body is going to end up storing those carbs as fat since it has no use to burn through as fuel.”

For some inspiration to get off that couch, read Ugly Side Effects of Not Working Out, According to Science.

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Make a habit of limiting carbohydrates two to three hours before you go to bed, advises Morgyn Clair, RD, a registered dietitian nutritionist with SprintKitchen.com. “Keep nighttime snacks to 15 grams of carbs or less,” she says.

“[Because] carb’s main role in the body is energy and the body won’t be using energy during rest, the carbs are generally stored as fat,” says Clair.

Certified Nutrition Specialist Dr. Josh Axe, DC, founder of Ancient Nutrition broadens that advice to include eating any food 2 to 3 hours before bed to support digestion, metabolic health, and improved sleep.

“When you avoid eating carbs too close to bedtime, you’re giving your body a chance to digest and you’re also fasting overnight, which can benefit for your blood sugar and insulin sensitivity,” he says. “If possible, aim to go 12 hours overnight (between dinner and breakfast the next morning) without eating anything, including carbs.”

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You may have heard about a counter-intuitive form of carbohydrate timing called “carb backloading” for weight loss. The idea behind this trendy diet is to significantly reduce carbohydrates that you eat early in the day, at breakfast and lunch, and consume the majority of carbs later in the day (for dinner), explains nutritionist Lisa Richards, author of The Candida Diet.

“It is thought that this optimizes the body’s natural insulin sensitivity making weight loss more efficient,” she says.

And by loading up on carbs in the hours after exercising later in the day, those carbohydrates will be better absorbed by your muscles.

Also, loading up on carbs in the evening and avoiding carbs at the morning meal after a nighttime of fasting while you sleep, in theory, you force your body to turn toward stored fat for fuel during the daytime hours when you are active. It’s a similar concept to intermittent fasting and the keto diet.

No matter what type of carb timing you follow, the key is “focusing on complex carbs,” says Richards. “Reducing or eliminating refined carbohydrates from the diet is a wise decision for your overall health, not just weight loss or performance. Refined carbohydrates are inflammatory and can lead to poor gut health and candida overgrowth, among other issues.”

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“If you’re prediabetic or diabetic, you’ll likely need to be more careful about your carb consumption,” says Axe. You may need to limit the number of grains and fruits you consume, and you’ll want to avoid processed carbs and added sugar, plus sugary drinks. “Another circumstance to consider cutting carbs is if you’re looking to lose weight. You might opt to try a low carb diet such as the keto diet (a high-fat diet that’s very low in carbs) which can help promote fat loss,” he says.

Here are Easy Ways You Can Prevent Heart Disease and Diabetes, According to a Registered Dietitian.

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For many of us, our bodies never have a chance to burn the energy we’ve already stored because we never let our fuel tanks run low and we’re eating carbs throughout the day and constantly triggering insulin spikes.

“A person has spiked it again with their mid-morning snack, and then lunch, and afternoon snack; essentially a person is living a life in which every waking moment is spent in a state of elevated insulin,” says metabolism research scientist at Brigham Young University Benjamin Bikman, Ph.D., author of Why We Get Sick.

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When you are inactive, your body is in a low state of physical fitness or you have high levels of body fat, it’s not a good time to consume carbohydrates.

“The body can better handle carbohydrates during and after physical activity, as well as when levels of fitness are high and body fat levels are lower, that is 15% or less for men and 20% or less for women,” says Ryan Andrews, RD, CSCS, a principal nutritionist for Precision Nutrition.

Beyond the three-hour window after exercising, you should eat mostly protein and fat and fewer carb-dense foods. “If you plan a higher carbohydrate intake at times when your body is better equipped to handle it, insulin will be under your control, and the body will function better,” Andrews says.

Rather than worry about when you should or shouldn’t consume carbohydrates, focus on choosing the right kinds of carbohydrates, stress nutritionists. Anytime can be the worst time to eat carbs if those carbs happen to be the sugary, highly processed kind. “Aim to eat unprocessed carbs that are high in fiber no matter what time of day you’re eating carbs,” says Dr. Axe. Examples of healthy carbs include vegetables, whole pieces of fruit (rather than juice), whole grains like oats or quinoa, sweet potatoes, and other potatoes, plus beans and legumes. (Related: The Surprising Side Effects of Eating Oatmeal, According to Science.) Dairy, nuts, and seeds also provide you with some carbs (choose unsweetened dairy to avoid too much sugar).



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Technology

Google Meet is fixing the worst thing about video calls

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One of the biggest problems with video calls is when someone freezes mid-sentence. But Google has a plan to make those interruptions less frequent. Google Meet is set to get upgrades to help improve video call quality for people with low-bandwidth connections. 

In the coming months, Google Meet will work better on inconsistent internet connections, as well as receive a suite of features to help teachers manage virtual classes. 

Google’s announcement honed in on how Meet upgrades will benefit educators battling with remote virtual lessons amidst the coronavirus pandemic and the lockdowns it has caused, but the new features can benefit others as well. 

Given not everyone has access to a high-speed internet connection, choppy video calls can be commonplace, especially in large meetings. This is something Tom’s Guide has experienced ourselves. 

Improving how Google Meet works on low-bandwidth connections promises to make using the video call service a much smoother experience for people with inconsistent internet connections or spotty Wi-Fi. 

Improved support for lower bandwidth connections is not the only new feature coming to Meet in the coming months. 

Improved integration between Meet and Google Classroom, emoji reactions that extended beyond virtually raising your hand, and stronger mute controls are all coming to Meet in the not-too-distant future. While these upgrades will help with virtual classes, they could benefit other Meet meetings as well, helping keep people fatigued with video calls be a little more engaged. 

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Business

British Economy’s Collapse in 2020 Was Worst Since 1709: Live Updates

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Credit…Mary Turner for The New York Times

To understand how severe the pandemic’s economic toll has been in Britain, you have to stretch back three centuries. The economy contracted by 9.9 percent in 2020, initial estimates from the Office for National Statistics showed on Friday. A study of historical data by the Bank of England shows that recession to be the worst since 1709, the year of the so-called Great Frost, an extraordinarily cold winter in Europe.

Even with nearly 300 billion pounds, or about $415 billion, in stimulus for businesses, jobs and public services including the National Health Service, the restrictions introduced to contain the pandemic shrunk the economy back down to its size in 2013.

Britain’s service sector, which makes up four-fifths of the country’s economy, declined by 8.9 percent. But the pain has been uneven: Restaurants, hotels, theaters and other leisure services have been particularly pummeled, while professional, financial and health services weren’t as badly hurt. A recent survey suggests that about half of hospitality businesses have less than three months of cash reserves.

The economic cost, in some ways, reflects the broader devastation of the pandemic. There have been more than 115,000 Covid-related deaths in Britain, which has the harrowing distinction of recording the most deaths in Europe.

But the outlook is improving, both for public health and for the economy. The country looks set to avoid a double-dip recession, which would have resulted from two consecutive quarters of negative growth following the downturn in the spring of 2020. In the last three months of the year, the statistics office reported, gross domestic product increased 1 percent from the previous quarter, more than most forecasters expected.

Despite the discovery of a more contagious variant of the coronavirus in Britain, the economy grew at the end of the year because more businesses were able to adapt to restrictions, schools remained open and contact tracing and widespread testing added to economic activity. Warehousing and transportation also added to growth as consumers spent more online during the holiday period and businesses stockpiled ahead of the end of the Brexit transition period.

The economy is expected to contract again in the first few months of 2021 because most of Britain is under a strict lockdown and trade has been disrupted by Brexit, but the rapid rollout of vaccines has bolstered expectations for an upbeat recovery later in the year. The Bank of England expects the economy to return to its pre-pandemic size by early 2022 as consumers spend the savings they accumulated while services, such as restaurants, hairdressers and hotels, have been closed.

The I.R.S. begins accepting tax returns on Friday. Millions of people received stimulus payments and unemployment assistance last year — but they are treated differently for tax purposes. In this week’s Your Money Adviser column, Ann Carrns lays out the implications for both.

  • The good news is that you don’t have to pay income tax on the stimulus checks, also known as economic impact payments. In fact, if you were paid the amount you were expecting and your family circumstances haven’t changed, you don’t need to include information about the payments on your 2020 tax return, the Internal Revenue Service says.

  • If you were eligible for the payments, but didn’t receive them for some reason — or didn’t receive the full amount — you can still get the money by claiming a “rebate recovery” credit on your 2020 tax return. You must file a return, even if you’re not otherwise required to do so, to claim the credit.

  • Similarly, if you had a life change in 2020 — like the birth of a child, or if you are supporting yourself and are no longer claimed as a dependent on a parent’s tax return — you could be eligible for more cash by claiming the credit on your 2020 return.

  • Unlike stimulus payments, jobless benefits are taxed by the federal government as ordinary income. (You won’t, however, pay Medicare and Social Security taxes on jobless benefits as you would with paycheck income.)

  • You should receive a form, 1099-G, detailing your unemployment income and any taxes that were withheld, which you enter on your tax return.

  • You’ll probably also owe state income taxes on the unemployment benefits, unless you live in one of the nine states that don’t have a state income tax or a few others that exempt jobless benefits, including California, Montana, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Virginia. Wisconsin exempts jobless benefits for state residents, but taxes benefits paid to nonresidents, according to the Tax Foundation.

Credit…Disney Plus, via Associated Press

Disney on Thursday reported a 98 percent decline in quarterly income, the result of steep losses at its coronavirus-devastated theme park division. But the company’s fledgling Disney+ streaming service is now closing in on 100 million subscribers worldwide, enough to easily convince investors that Mickey Mouse is well positioned for the future, despite the pandemic.

Over all, Disney pulled off a slim $29 million in profit, or 2 cents a share, down from $2.13 billion in the same period a year ago. The company’s vast theme park business was the most troubled, with more than $2 billion in operating losses in the company’s first fiscal quarter, which ended Jan. 2. That was the result of major properties that remain closed, like Disneyland in California, and a substantial decline in attendance at the flagship Walt Disney World in Florida, which is capping daily attendance at 35 percent of capacity as a coronavirus safety measure. Other Disney divisions — moviemaking, the ESPN cable network — mostly had results where the negatives (the cancellation of movies) were offset by positives (sharply reduced film marketing costs).

Revenue totaled $16.2 billion, a 22 percent decline.

Wall Street had expected per-share losses of 41 cents and revenue of $15.93 billion.

From a stock market standpoint, Disney has had a year of extremes. In March, when the company first closed theme parks, postponed movies and, for a time, operated its sports cable network without any major live sports to broadcast, shares declined 38 percent. But investors have been remarkably forgiving since then, even as Disney reported quarter after quarter of doomsday financial results. Disney shares closed at $190.91 on Thursday on the New York Stock Exchange, by far a nominal high. Even some senior Disney executives have been slack-jawed by the surge — the best of times, the worst of times.

Analysts say investors are overlooking near-term losses and focusing on the potential of Disney+, which now has 95 million subscribers worldwide, the company said. It had only about 30 million subscribers a year ago (and did not exist a year and three months ago). Increasingly, streaming is looking like a two-company game, at least at the top, between Disney and Netflix, which had a long head start. Disney+ has benefited from the pandemic, stepping in to sell a monthly subscription to homebound families. But the upstart service also found a megawatt hit, “The Mandalorian,” straight out of the gate. A plethora of original television series and movies are headed to Disney+ this year.

Even so, there is one not-so-minor asterisk on the heady subscriber numbers: Average monthly revenue per paid Disney+ subscriber declined 28 percent, to $4.03. That is because Disney+ has signed up millions of subscribers in India by offering them an almost-giveaway price.

Credit…Ben Stansall/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

  • Wall Street was expected to fall when trading begins later on Friday, following a lackluster day in European markets. Most Asian markets were closed for the Lunar New Year holiday.

  • In Europe, the benchmark Stoxx Europe 600 was up 0.1 percent, while the FTSE 100 in Britain and the CAC 40 in France gained 0.2 percent. In Germany, the DAX lost 0.5 percent.

  • Travel shares were having a hard day, following Britain’s plans to require visitors from certain countries to stay for a 10-day quarantine in government-managed hotels to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Tui, the big travel services firm, was down 3. percent, and Carnival, the cruise line firm, fell 3.9 percent.

  • Prospects for President Biden’s $1.9 trillion stimulus package may have brightened after the Congressional Budget Office on Thursday predicted a $2.3 trillion budget deficit for the 2021 fiscal year, a figure lower than last year’s $3 trillion deficit.

  • The estimate did not include Mr. Biden’s proposal, but “Democrats viewed the report as giving them room to borrow more money given that it projected a rosier longer-run economic picture than last fall,” reported Jim Tankersley and Emily Cochrane in The New York Times.

  • The U.S. economy is recovering faster than expected, thanks to the $900 billion aid package approved in December and the fact that businesses are finding ways to adapt to the pandemic.

  • Data released Friday showed the British economy rising 1 percent in the final three-month period of 2020, compared with the previous quarter. That’s better than expected, and allows Britain to avoid a double-dip recession in 2020.

  • Double dip or no, 2020 will go down in Britain’s economic history books as distinctly horrible: The 9.9 percent decline in the economy was the worst performance since 1709.

  • Oil slipped lower, with Brent crude, the global benchmark, down 0.6 percent, to $60.79 a barrel, and West Texas Intermediate, the U.S. benchmark, falling 0.8 percent.

  • The International Energy Agency’s monthly report for the oil market, often seen as an indicator of global economic activity, included a 0.2 percent downward revision in its estimate of the world’s demand for oil, to 96.4 million barrels a day.

  • “The forecasts for economic and oil demand growth are highly dependent on progress in distributing and administering vaccines, and the easing of travel restrictions in the world’s major economies,” the report said.

Credit…Rebecca Cook/Reuters

Bitcoin set yet another record, with its price approaching $49,000 per coin, as mainstream adoption of the cryptocurrency appears to gather pace. This week, Tesla announced that it had bought $1.5 billion worth of Bitcoin, Mastercard said it would soon support cryptocurrencies and Bank of New York Mellon shared plans for custody services for digital assets.

As a result, executives across the corporate world have been fielding questions about whether they are considering shifting cash into crypto. “Just a follow-up,” a Morgan Stanley analyst asked G.M.’s chief, Mary Barra, on the carmaker’s recent earnings call. “It’s a question on Bitcoin. It’s inevitable.”

Here’s how Ms. Barra, and others, have responded:

  • “We don’t have any plans to invest in Bitcoin, so full stop there. This is something we’ll monitor and we’ll evaluate.” — Mary Barra, the chief executive of General Motors

  • “It’s a conversation that’s happened that has been quickly dismissed. We’re going to keep our cash safe.” — Dara Khosrowshahi, the chief executive of Uber, on CNBC

  • “My understanding is currently the accounting is different than other currencies and can create more volatility. So we’re not currently doing it.” — Leslie Barbi, the chief investment officer of Reinsurance Group of America

  • “We’re not going to invest corporate cash, probably, in sort of financial assets like that.” — John Rainey, the chief financial officer of PayPal, on CNBC

  • “A quick answer: No.” — Christine Hurtsellers, the chief executive of Voya Investment Management

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Technology

The best and worst uses of ice and snow in video games

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Take our mittened hand and let Polygon’s Winter Games package for 2021 guide you through the playground of wintertime games — what’s great, what’s not, and what exciting features await you in the games coming out in February and March.

Winter means different things to different people around the world, but I grew up in Ohio and Kentucky. So for me, winter means riding sleds down huge hills, making snow angels, and staying home from school seemingly once a week due to snow days. Snow and ice defined my childhood when it came to winter, but video games may be the only experience of wintry weather for many people around the world.

Snow and ice are fascinating tools when it comes to game design; they have so many uses! A blizzard can obscure a character’s vision, adding tension to a scene. Ice may make a level slippery, so players have to adjust how they navigate the world. The cold may also sap energy, making it an environmental threat.

Or, maybe talented artists put some snow in a scene just because it’s pretty. There are no wrong answers here, outside of how ice was used in Ecco the Dolphin. That was wrong.

So with that, I’d like to present the 10 essential games that feature ice and/or snow in fascinating, noteworthy, or even just aesthetically pleasing ways. This includes examples in which snow actually ruined the game, or at least a chunk of it, in a way that became noteworthy.

If your favorite snow level isn’t on this list, let me know what it is in the comments; I’m always on the lookout for better powder in my entertainment.

Metal Gear Solid

Image: Konami Computer Entertainment Japan/Konami via Polygon

There have been plenty of games with snow or ice before 1998’s Metal Gear Solid — anyone who has suffered through a slippery level in an NES-era game will tell you that — but Hideo Kojima & co. were one of the first teams to use snow in a way that didn’t just look good or change how long it took your character to stop. The snow in Metal Gear Solid actually impacted the stealth mechanics, which seems like an obvious addition these days, but felt like a huge jump forward in game design at the time.

Making footprints in the snow would give the guards a way to track you, even if seeing those marks didn’t necessarily set off an alarm by itself. This could be a weakness, since you had to make sure the guards couldn’t follow your footprints right to you, but you could also use it as a way to control their movement, getting them out of the way or just removing any guesswork from where they might go next.

It’s a downside that could be turned to your advantage, and it was one of the fun little design innovations that helped make Metal Gear Solid one of the best-loved games of the PlayStation era. Snow: It can straight-up kill you if you’re not careful.

Red Dead Redemption 2

Image: Rockstar Games

Red Dead Redemption 2 tells a long, twisting story about a changing world that may not have much room for professional outlaws anymore. And that story begins in the snow.

But it’s not just any snow. The game’s opening scenes introduce us to a gang on the run after a job goes poorly, and a blizzard is yet another obstacle in their path. While the rest of Red Dead Redemption 2 features a temperature mechanic that forces you to dress appropriately if you’re going to adventure out in the cold, these moments are content to let the beautifully realized frigid environment speak for itself.

The characters are miserable and desperate, and the snow effects go a long way toward selling that reality. It’s handled so well I felt like I needed to get a coat to keep playing.

Every single Hoth level

Image: 20th Century Fox

George Lucas treated planets in Star Wars as if each one had a single biome, or at least made sure the important scenes from each location had a strong central idea. Which is why you have huge redwood trees on the moon of Endor — it’s a forest moon, as Admiral Ackbar helpfully tells us. Meanwhile, Hoth is a frozen hell where tauntauns freeze before they reach the first marker. It’s never quite explained what that means, or how far away the markers are, but it’s serious.

Hoth is apparently nothing but ice and snow as a planet, and the developers of Star Wars video games used to put a Hoth level in just about every game.

There’s a Hoth level in the NES Empire Strikes Back title.

And a Hoth level in Shadows of the Empire.

Hoth level in Rebel Assault? Of course!

A Hoth level in Rogue Squadron.

And a Hoth level in Rogue Squadron 2.

And a Hoth Level in the first Battlefront.

Battlefront 2? Oh yeah, there was a Hoth level.

This isn’t even scratching the surface. There are more Hoth levels than I’d care to count, but I can’t blame anyone for going back there one more time when making a Star Wars game. Everything about the Battle of Hoth was visually arresting, from the opening moments in the trench cut into the snow, to the first glimpse of the AT-ATs, to Luke Skywalker figuring out how to take them down with a tow cable. It’s perfect for games, and developers still don’t seem to be finished with trying to do it a little better.

Snow-bowling

Image: Ferry Halim

Ferry Halim created a classic website of calming, beautiful games called Orisinal back in 2000, and it was one of the best places to find games with nonviolent themes and soothing music. It was magical, but the death of Flash means that the games can no longer be played, although some still exist as iOS apps.

This is currently the only tweet on the Orisinal account:

While the overall tone of Orisinal was peaceful and harmonious, Snow-bowling was oddly mean-spirited. There were happy people ice skating in front of you, and your challenge was to hit them with huge snowballs, thus ruining their day. And that’s it! Hit the contented skaters with your snowballs, see how many points you can get, and be mean for no reason while being surrounded by serenity. It was a weird tonal shift for the site, but I’ll never forget it.

Lost Planet

Lost Planet was released in 2006, and it’s one of those rare third-person action games with solid production values that isn’t tied to any existing properties. The hero is a worker on a colonized planet called E.D.N. III, which is in the throes of a brutal ice age. It’s filled with creatures called Akrid that carry their own orange, glowing radiant energy, which is used almost like oil is in our time: It’s how just about everything that moves gets power. You kill the bugs, you get the energy, you stay alive.

Since people are no match for the giant, killer Akrid, Lost Planet introduces powered armor — guess what powers it — to even the odds a little bit. The story takes some bizarre twists and time jumps, but the fundamental design of the game shows the power of using cold well. You’re constantly losing energy when you’re out in the world, which keeps you from ever forgetting that you’re in a hostile environment that doesn’t give a shit about you or your survival. And the white of the game’s environments provides a wonderful contrast to the glowing red and orange of the Akrid.

The things that are supposed to be cold in the game look cold, and the things that are supposed to be hot look hot. Making everything temperature-based allowed Capcom to use a color palette that’s instantly understandable to just about anyone who plays it.

Lost Planet wasn’t a perfect game, but it proved there was still plenty of life left in the idea of using snow and ice as the primary environment for your game.

SkiFree

SkiFree was first released in 1991 as part of Microsoft Entertainment Pack 3, or at least, that’s what Wikipedia tells me. The reality is that I remember SkiFree just kinda being everywhere when I was growing up, including on school computers. These were the days when any game you found on a computer in class was a big deal, and every moment of SkiFree was seared into the brains of people who grew up around this time.

The point was simple: You use the arrow keys to ski down a hill, taking jumps, avoiding obstacles, and going as fast as possible. You can kinda win, I guess, in that at some point a mutant yeti eats you. I guess there’s just no way to survive a run? The creator of the game published this wonderful and breezy history of it, including his favorite piece of fan mail:

Date: Sun, 11 Feb 1996 11:28:22 -0400

Subject: ski free!

If this is the correct person, please tell me why the stupid fucking monster

comes out from nowhere and eats my main guy before he gets to the bottom of

the hill. Nothing personal, but this is Sunday morning & I really did not

like the idea of getting eaten by the monster this early. What I am really

trying to say is fix the program or stop making games for the likes of me,

who can’t win. Actually, you ruined my day. Have a nice one,

THE WOODMAN

Anyway, you can play it again for yourself. It’s good for about five minutes’ worth of nostalgia before you realize you’re not a kid anymore and you probably have access to just about any game you want on any device because you’re an adult and the teachers can’t tell you to stop wasting time on computer games over and over, even though those “silly games” are the only thing getting you through most days.

It’s fine. School was fine.

Gears 5

Image: The Coalition/Xbox Game Studios

One of the best things about AAA games is that with teams that big, and budgets that huge, features that may get pushed aside in smaller games are sometimes given much more care and attention. Such is the case with the ice cracking effect in Gears 5, which you can use to drop enemies down into the freezing water, killing them, before you get to watch the ice re-form. It looks, sounds, and feels amazing, and is another case of a developer using ice’s core characteristics as a mechanic.

“This kind of feature, that is both a visual and gameplay focus, hits almost every discipline on our team,” campaign design director Matt Searcy told Polygon in an interview. “Design, animation, VFX, audio, and programmers are all involved in realizing the ice effect from the earliest gameplay prototype to the finished polished state.”

All that work, just for some cracking ice. It seems like a small thing, but when I started thinking about the use of ice and snow in games, this came into my head first. Sometimes it really is those little details that turn a good game into a great one.

SSX Tricky

SSX Tricky was basically SkiFree, but with snowboards instead of skis, and David Arquette instead of a yeti. So, basically, everything was upgraded.

The subsequent sequels kinda drove the series into the ground, but for two wonderful games, ending with Tricky, SSX just couldn’t be beat when it came to snow sports games of any kind. It was that good.

I mean heck, remember when the PlayStation 2 launched in the U.S. and the original SSX was pretty much the only good game for it? Which wasn’t even much of a problem, because buying a PS2 just for SSX would have been a fine investment in your future.

Rise of the Tomb Raider

Image: Crystal Dynamics/Square Enix

It may be a little strange to have your snow effects be one of the larger draws of your game outside of the franchise itself, but 2016’s Rise of the Tomb Raider featured some of the best snow effects to date, and they still stand up when measured against newer games.

“This isn’t sarcastic, I’m actually floored by the snow,” one Steam commenter stated. “It’s the best I have ever seen. Being in PA and just going through that massive blizzard, it’s uncanny how they nailed it, from the way you walk in deep snow, to the trail you leave, even the powder that blows up in the wind as you walk.”

Like with Gears 5, snow this good doesn’t just happen — it takes a whole lot of time and effort. Even if the snow effects worked on their own, the designers also had to make sure that Lara Croft interacted with the snow in a way that felt real. No one walks on or through snow the same way they walk across anything else, and that presents its own challenges.

“Another challenge was Lara’s surroundings never affecting her. Lara could move through the world with ease, oblivious to what she was interacting with,” Mike Oliver, technical art director on Rise of the Tomb Raider, said in a blog post about the technology. “We rectified this by dynamically adjusting her movement rate and animation based on the depth of the deformation. Lara would now slow down and struggle through deep snow, grounding her in a believable world.”

Ecco the Dolphin

Spelunky creator Derek Yu explained the appeal of ice levels as a designer during a recent interview with Kotaku, and the points he made hint at where Ecco the Dolphin went so wrong with its Ice Zone:

And I have to be honest: I kind of feel like a lot of game designers add ice levels not particularly because they really like the slippery ice, but more because snowy, icy places—it’s just kind of a major biome in real life. I think it also brings with it a lot of colors we don’t often see in other biomes, and those are things we think about.

So to include it is to include a kind of variety that, in a way, is sort of hard to pass up, because it’s right there. People have certain expectations tied to it. Players implicitly understand what an ice-based world kind of means. You’re getting those expectations, those colors, those feelings for free. So I wouldn’t say that designers include them for the ice. I’d say the ice is maybe more of, like, sort of a side thing that just happens to come with the snowy or icy biome, which is the more interesting part for designers.

Ecco’s Ice Zone narrows the game’s experience to a series of thin passages, and likewise limits the places where you can leave or enter the water. It’s like someone made a bet that no one could make something as bad as a water level and an ice level combined, and then someone else won that bet by creating Ice Zone.

Just in case this wasn’t horrible enough, the zone is choked with enemies, which gave me similar claustrophobia to the water level from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on NES, with its ridiculous difficulty and lethal environment that required precise movements.

Ice Zone doesn’t take too long to finish if you know exactly what to do, which is a blessing, but it does remove just about everything that made Ecco the Dolphin such an enchanting game.

Which is probably the best lesson we can end this list on: If your ice level, or your snow effect, doesn’t serve some kind of practical purpose — if there isn’t a good “why” for it — it’s probably best to leave it out.

The opposite can be said for David Arquette, but that’s a completely different discussion.



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Sports

After spending $5 million on one of the worst Super Bowl ads, Oatly eyes $10 billion IPO

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Fox Business Flash top headlines are here. Check out what’s clicking on FoxBusiness.com.

Despite creating a Super Bowl advertisement that has been ripped apart by critics, vegan dairy product maker Oatly’s investment may have actually been money well spent.

The Sweden-based company is reportedly eyeing a $10 billion valuation for an initial public offering that could come as early as May. That is a far cry from the $2 billion that the Wall Street Journal reported the company was worth back in July.

Sources told Bloomberg about the rise in numbers and that discussions are continuing regarding the size and timing of the listing on the New York Stock Exchange.  While Oatly has mulled a listing in Hong Kong, after its Super Bowl splash, the focus now appears to on moving ahead with only a U.S. listing. An Oatly spokesperson declined to comment.

REDDIT BOUGHT A 5-SECOND SUPER BOWL AD HONORING ‘UNDERDOGS’ INVOLVED IN GAMESTOP TRADING FRENZY

Oatly’s 30-second Super Bowl ad featured the company’s CEO Toni Peterson playing a keyboard and singing in an oat field about the company’s milk.

“It’s like milk, but made for humans,” Peterson belted.”Wow, now cow!”

According to Ad Age, Oatly’s commercial was made back in 2014 and banned in Sweden after facing a lawsuit from the Swedish dairy lobby. A 15-second version of the commercial has been posted on Oatly’s YouTube channel since 2017. Variety reported that a 30-second ad for Super Bowl LV cost about $5.5 million.

“No choreography, music licensing, famous actors — possibly even no director. This year’s jankiest ad came from Oatly, a company that is very good at making oat milk and very bad at making commercials,” the Washington Post wrote. “Uncomfortably awkward “Napoleon Dynamite” vibes abound.”

Slate’s Justin Peters said the ad earned the “What the Hell Was That?” award for 2021.

CADILLAC GOT A SUPER BOWL-SIZED BOOST FROM EDGAR SCISSORHANDS

“This ad smacked of the sort of inauthentic weirdness that just ends up reading as smug,” Peters wrote. “While I enjoy Oatly’s products, I confess to not getting or liking the company’s schtick of producing ads that very self-consciously and deliberately choose to waste the space that they’ve purchased.”

Likewise, the ad faced similar pushback on social media, with one user suggesting the ad was “made bad on purpose so people would talk about them.”

Oatly, which called the backlash a ‘popular opinion’, capitalized on the moment by selling t-shirts that read “I totally hated that Oatly commercial.” According to the company, the shirts are now sold out.

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However, some users came to the commercial’s defense, like musician QuestLove, who said Oatly’s spot “won” with an  “inescapable song.” Others users said it was their “favorite commercial so far” and thought the jingle was “kinda nice [to be honest].”

“Maybe interrupting the second quarter so the world could experience Toni’s musical stylings about how oatmilk is like milk but made for humans wasn’t the most Super Bowl-ish idea ever, but on the other hand, our attempt to promote Toni’s singing skills to a wider audience actually got you to visit an oatmilk company website on the big day,” Oatly said in a statement on its website. “Total success!”

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Oatly AB was founded back in the 1990s by brothers Rickard and Bjorn Oste. Using patented enzyme technology based on Swedish research from Lund University, the company turns fiber rich oats into nutritional liquid food.

The company’s popularity comes as plant-based alternatives to traditional meat and dairy products have pushed their way into the mainstream. Both Starbucks and Dunkin’ announced last year that they would add oat milk to their menus. Starbucks also announced a deal with Oatly to introduce its products in markets such as Hong Kong, Singapore, New Zealand, Taiwan and Thailand.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Oatly AB sold a $200 million stake in July to Blackstone Group, a private equity firm headed by Trump donor Stephen Schwartzman. The investment is also reportedly backed by Oprah Winfrey, Natalie Portman, former Starbucks Corp. Chief Howard Schultz and the entertainment company founded by Jay-Z.

Oatly’s potential IPO plans come amid a similar effort by rival Chobani. The yogurt company is reportedly eyeing an initial public offering later this year that it hopes could value the Norwich, N.Y., company at as much as $7 billion to $10 billion, according to people familiar with the matter.

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Business

Dow futures drop 270 points, building on losses after worst week since October

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U.S. stock index futures declined in overnight trading as a surge in speculative trading by retail traders continued to cause hedge funds to take off risk and worried investors about a market bubble. The losses build on last week’s decline, which was the worst for the market since October.

Futures contracts tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 270 points, indicating a 271-point loss at the opening bell. S&P 500 futures slipped 1%, while Nasdaq 100 futures fell 1.2%.

The Dow dropped 620 points on Friday, or 2%, to close below the 30,000 level for the first time since December. The Nasdaq Composite also slipped 2%, while the S&P 500 fell 1.9%.

For the week, all three major averages slipped more than 3% for their worst weekly performance since October. The Dow and S&P also posted losses for January — the first negative month in four — although the Nasdaq did manage to post a gain for the month.

Friday’s dip came amid a frenzy of activity by retail investors in heavily-shorted stocks including GameStop and AMC Entertainment, which fueled concerns about the overall health of the market. Goldman Sachs noted that the current short squeeze is the worst in 25 years.

“This week’s events may have turned markets on their heads, but fear indicators imply that we may have seen the worst of the degrossing,” Jefferies wrote in a note to clients over the weekend. Barclays added that it’s unlikely that the impact of the short squeezes will ripple through the broader market.

“The ongoing short squeeze in a few stocks by retail investors has raised concerns of a broader contagion,” the firm wrote in a recent note to clients. “While we believe there is more pain to come we remain optimistic that it is likely to remain localized.”

Meanwhile, a group of 10 Republican senators sent President Joe Biden a letter on Sunday, urging him to consider a smaller, scaled down Covid-19 relief proposal. His current plans calls for $1.9 trillion in additional fiscal stimulus. The alternative proposal comes after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the chamber will move to pass a budget resolution, the first step toward approving legislation through reconciliation. The process would enable Senate Democrats to approve an aid measure without GOP votes.

Elsewhere, another busy week of earnings is coming up with 99 S&P companies set to report. Alphabet, Amazon, Alibaba, Snap, Exxon, Biogen, Pfizer and Chipotle are among the names set to report this coming week. Thursday is the busiest day of the earnings season.

“We believe the medium-term path for the market remains higher,” noted Mark Haefele, global CIO at UBS Wealth Management. “In a similar pattern to the previous two quarters, corporate earnings for 4Q20 are exceeding expectations by a significant margin.”

He added that a stimulus package as well as investors looking beyond delays to vaccine production and distribution should further boost stocks.

– CNBC’s Jacob Pramuk contributed reporting.

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Health

I’m a Doctor This is the #1 Worst Mistake You Could Make Right Now

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I, along with millions of others, whooped for joy to see the first people in the world receive their first COVID-19 vaccinations. This monumental event is on a par with the other most amazing events in history, such as the discovery of penicillin, or the first steps on the moon.  Why on earth, after all the heartache this despicable virus has caused, would anyone not want to have this stupendous vaccine?  I’m incredulous. So, as a doctor, I’m writing this to try and set the record straight on the COVID vaccine. Read on—and to ensure your health and the health of others, don’t miss these Sure Signs You’ve Already Had Coronavirus. 

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According to a recent poll, only around half of Americans want to be vaccinated, about a quarter remain unsure, and the final quarter plan to refuse. How can anyone say ‘No’ to this vaccine—our golden ticket? Across the globe, immunizations are currently in use which protect against 19 different viruses. Every year these vaccinations save 2-3 million lives. Vaccinations are a phenomenal public health success. The new COVID-19 vaccine now becomes number 20 on the list.

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If enough of the population take up an immunization, it is possible to eradicate an infection completely. However, even if total eradication is never achieved, a virus can still be eliminated to such an extent that cases of viral infection become rare. For eradication, or elimination to occur, large numbers of the population need to be vaccinated.

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For you as an individual, the aim of having the vaccine is to stop you from becoming infected. If, however, you do become infected, there is every likelihood that the infection will be less severe and less prolonged. Vaccines stop you from becoming severely ill and can save your life.

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Vaccinations have wider overall health benefits for the nation. Worldwide, vaccinations result in thousands of millions of dollars of health-care savings. They also lead to lower antibiotic prescribing, which in turn reduces antibiotic resistance.

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For example, in one US study of older people, those who had had a flu vaccine, had a 20% reduction in cardiovascular risk (strokes and heart attacks), and a 50% reduced chance of dying from these events, than those who did not have the vaccine. The following are true statements about vaccines:

Immunizations:

  • Allow us to undertake safe international travel
  • Protect babies and young children from common childhood infections
  • Protect and support primary care health services 
  • Empower women to plan their families, continue their education and maintain their options in the workplace
  • Reduce the threat of bioterrorism
  • Redress disparities in health between different communities
  • Help maintain peace and prosperity  

…according to WHO. Who could fail to be impressed with the numerous benefits of vaccination?

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A 2015 publication in the journal Vaccine reviewed the medical evidence on vaccine safety. The authors described the meticulous testing and safety procedures used in vaccine development and declared that vaccines are amongst the safest medicines in clinical use.

Vaccines have a very sophisticated adverse reporting system. Very often when an adverse outcome is reported about a vaccine, it is not actually something caused by the vaccine. For example, the flu vaccine contains dead flu virus and cannot give you the flu. If you go down with the flu within a few days of being vaccinated, the chances are you had probably become infected with flu a few days before you had the vaccine.

Anyone can be allergic to anything, and this is serious because if you are unlucky enough to experience acute anaphylaxis, this is life-threatening. However, the risk of anaphylaxis with vaccines in general, is low and rarely fatal, because anaphylaxis is treatable. 

There were two cases of anaphylactoid reaction on the first day of the COVID-19 UK vaccination program, both of whom were treated and have completely recovered. 

The UK regulatory agency, the MHRA, has said that anyone who suffers from immediate anaphylaxis – usually requiring them to carry an EpiPen – should not have the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine until further information has been established. 

The vaccine is not grown in hen’s eggs and is latex-free. It may be that the risk of an anaphylactoid reaction is due to the small quantity of polyethylene glycol (PEG) in the vaccine. PEG is a common ingredient of cosmetic products and is not been associated with significant safety concerns to date.

The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine trials did not include people with severe anaphylaxis, as is normal practice, in their clinical trials. From the trial data, possible allergic reactions were reported in 0.63% of those who were vaccinated, and 0.51% of those given a placebo. Experts have commented this is a very low risk of vaccine-related allergy. New medicines are always closely monitored, and the monitoring system is working well.

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Live attenuated vaccines are vaccines which contain living organisms that have been modified, so they do not cause an infection if you have a healthy immune system. However, people with a severely weakened immune system should not use them as they can cause illness.

The COVID-19 vaccines are not live attenuated vaccines — so they could potentially be used in people who are immunocompromised. What is not known, is how good the antibody response will be in these patients. Further advice is awaited.

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GBS is an auto-immune condition triggered by a bacterial or a viral infection, leading to nerve damage. 

It is uncertain from medical studies if vaccination might increase the risk of GBS. In one 2009 study, those who had received the H1N1 vaccination had a lower rate of BGBS than those who did not. In other studies, deaths in people with GBS were not considered to be related to the use of any specific vaccinations.

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Around 3% of the population have a fear of needles, and may collapse due to fainting, when they have a blood test or an injection. Associated head injuries have been reported. The healthcare professional will ensure you are a safe as possible when you have your vaccination. A period of 15 minutes observation is recommended after an injection.

RELATED: Unhealthiest Habits on the Planet, According to Doctors

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There are a whole host of incorrect facts being bandied about regarding the COVID vaccine. Please take a look at the following statements and rest assured these are all telling the truth:

  • The COVID vaccine will not change your DNA 
  • The COVID vaccine does not contain material from a dead foetus
  • The COVID vaccine does not contain heavy metals
  • The COVID vaccine does not contain  a microchip
  • Vaccines are not a cause of autism
  • Just because the vaccine was produced in record time does not mean its not safe

If you want more details about all these points see this extremely eloquent post by Chris York at The Huffington Post.

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You might be thinking, if everyone else has a vaccination, I don’t need to bother. But hang on—this is not correct. For starters, some of the population can’t have the vaccine for medical reasons, for example, people who have severe allergies or who are immunocompromised. By not having the vaccine you will also inevitably encourage others to follow this example. To protect the population, we need to create herd immunity, meaning large numbers of people need to be vaccinated.

Herd immunity means that so many people in the population have antibodies to the virus, it has nowhere to go. Having this high level of immunity in the population, stops the virus from spreading person to person. This will only happen when enough people are immune. For herd immunity to COVID,  80-90% of people need to take up the vaccine.

RELATED: If You Feel This, You May Have Already Had COVID, Says Dr. Fauci

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COVID-19 is not an infection to be trifled with.

“Since December 2019,”  writes virologist Andrew Stanley Pekosz, Ph.D., “COVID-19 has killed more people in the USA than influenza has in the past 5 years.”  One of the reasons, he goes on to explain, is that none of us has any pre-existing immunity to COVID-19, whereas we are likely to have met the influenza virus before. COVID causes much more severe disease than influenza, and has a higher mortality in all age groups, except in children under the age or 12. 

COVID infection is particularly risky for older adults and those who are immunocompromised, or have other comorbidities such as high blood pressure, raised cholesterol, diabetes, and obesity.

COVID has specific effects on the body which differ from infection with influenza, for example, it stimulates blood-clotting mechanisms, and increases the risk of thrombosis (blood clots). The death rate from COVID is at least three times higher than the death rate from influenza. Those who survive severe COVID can be left with long-lasting symptoms including chronic lung disease and heart and kidney disease – so-called ‘long COVID.’

The best way to deal with COVID-19 – which has wreaked havoc with our entire civilization –  is to prevent it. How can we prevent it? – By have the COVID vaccination.

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We are all human and humans make mistakes. But not having the COVID vaccine is a mistake you can stop from happening. 

If you have read through this post, you should be convinced that COVID-19 is a deadly infection and that the new COVID vaccine is safe and effective. Many of the rumours you have heard about the vaccination are completely untrue. 

You need to have this vaccination to protect yourself, but also to help protect everyone you love. This is not someone else’s responsibility—It’s yours. 

If you want life to return to normal by the Spring – or even the Summer – it’s time to roll up your sleeve.  The COVID vaccination is really your golden ticket.

So follow the public health fundamentals and help end this surge, no matter where you live—wear a face mask, social distance, avoid large crowds, don’t go indoors with people you’re not sheltering with (especially in bars), practice good hand hygiene, get vaccinated when it becomes available to you, and to protect your life and the lives of others, don’t visit any of these 35 Places You’re Most Likely to Catch COVID.

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World

British Economy, Post Brexit and Pummeled by Covid, Is Worst in G-7

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The U.K.’s economy shrank more last year than any of the G-7, in what the Bank of England says will be the country’s biggest economic slump in more than 300 years.

What went wrong? Shutdowns caused greater pain for the U.K. than other members of the Group of Seven advanced economies in part because it is especially dependent on consumer spending, which evaporated amid one of Europe’s deadliest Covid-19 outbreaks. The economy was already weak after the four years of negotiations over Britain’s exit from the European Union, during which business investment sagged and households held back on spending.

This is the starting point for Britain’s new relationship with the EU, which began Jan. 1 with a loose free-trade agreement. Earlier this month, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced another nationwide lockdown to fight a new, more-contagious variant of the coronavirus. That puts the U.K. economy on course to shrink again in the first quarter of the year, when businesses must also get to grips with new European trading arrangements.

Growth in the U.K. was already weak going into the pandemic because of feeble business investment, poor productivity and scant growth in incomes. Once the coronavirus set in, the British economy shrank by more than its peers in the G-7 in the first nine months of the year. Figures for the final quarter, due Feb. 12, are expected to show the economy contracted again.

The U.K. took a bigger hit because around 13% of its annual gross domestic product comes from spending on recreation and culture and in restaurants and hotels, a higher share than any other G-7 country. Businesses that depend on direct contact with consumers—bars and restaurants, sports events, hotels and theaters, cinemas and museums—were hobbled when social distancing became the norm and when the spread of the virus forced them to close. The current lockdown, in place through mid-February, closes schools and nonessential shops, and people have been told to leave home only if necessary.

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Entertainment

Food Network’s ‘Worst Cooks in America’ season cut after winner charged with child murder

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The Food Network appeared to cut the latest season of its culinary competition series “Worst Cooks In America” after the winner was charged with homicide and child abuse.

South Carolina woman Ariel Robinson, 29, a former teacher, and her husband, Jerry Robinson, 34, were charged in the death of their adopted 3-year-old daughter and are facing charges of homicide by child abuse, according to FOX Carolina.

South Carolina woman Ariel Robinson, 29, has been charged in the death of her adopted 3-year-old daughter.
((Simpsonville Police))

Police responded last Thursday to a home in Simpsonville, S.C., after getting a call about an unresponsive child who was pronounced dead after being taken to the hospital, the outlet reported.

The child was identified by the Greenville County Coroner’s office as 3-year-old Victoria Rose Smith and died as a result of blunt force injuries, according to a medical examination.

FOOD NETWORK PULLS EPISODES OF INVOLVING CHEF  FOLLOWING ACCUSATIONS OF DOMESTIC ABUSE 

Robinson, who appeared on the 20th season of “Worst Cooks in America,” had won $25,000 upon winning the competition, which pits amateur cooks against each other in a series of cooking challenges overseen by celebrity chefs, Deadline reported. Episodes of her season are no longer available to stream on Food Network’s online platforms, including Discovery+, Hulu and YouTube.

The reality competition, now in its 21st season, is hosted by chef and Food Network personality Anne Burrel. Fellow chef and restaurateur Alex Guarnaschelli co-hosted the 20th season. Carla Hall acts as co-host of the current season.

Carla Hall and Anne Burrell host the current season of “Worst Cooks in America.”
(Food Network)

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The Food Network did not immediately return a Fox News request for comment. The child’s death is still under investigation.

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