All nine episodes of Star Wars: Visions drop on Disney+ on Wednesday, Sept. 22. Below is a spoiler-free review.

Every Star Wars property is made of the same basic ingredients: a touch of Western flair, a bit of influence from Japanese history, and all the complex mechanics that build a sci-fi world. Visions uses many of the same building blocks, simply rearranged in a new order. The collection of nine episodes — each featuring an independent story and design style from six different anime studios — is the Star Wars we all know and love, but one that grants a refreshing new experience to viewers like myself, who are looking for something different.

My one major critique of the series is that after nine episodes, most of the stories started to blend together. While each is perfectly enjoyable on their own, the overwhelming amount of similarities — like lightsaber duels fought by brave heroes — did start to wear me out. Don’t get me wrong, I love an incredibly choreographed sword fight as much as the next person, but after a while, there were few instances in the show where I found myself enjoying the repetitive duels. The world of Star Wars is vast and after some of these episodes, I was left wanting to see more stories geared toward regular people living in the universe and fewer epic battles between good and evil, Jedi and Sith.

The good news is that there’s an easy solution: just don’t watch them all in a row, despite the fact that Disney+ is dropping them all at once. Not unlike Disney’s Fantasia movies, the best viewing experience of Visions is not a marathon but one at a time, with breathing room in between. In this format, the episodes are allowed to shine for what they are and not get lost among the rest, suffering by comparison.

In a franchise that’s seen an explosion of new content in recent years, it was a delight to watch something that felt substantially unique, bolstered mostly by the breadth of visual styles. As a graphic designer and illustrator here at IGN, design in animation is one of my favorite topics of conversation and Star Wars: Visions delivered over and over again in that area. While some of the episodes didn’t take my breath away, they are all exceptional examples of design in animation.

For a series composed of vignettes instead of one overarching narrative, I thought it best to break it down episode by episode. I promise I'll keep it quick!

1: The Duel

• One of my favorite episodes and a strong start to the series.
• I loved that this took place in a Star Wars setting heavily inspired by feudal/medieval Japan, a theme that can be seen in almost every episode that follows; it felt like a clever way to mix together traditional and science fiction filmmaking in a way that still felt true to the franchise.
• Top marks for incredible costume design (check out those stormtroopers!) and the gritty, hand-drawn textures that made everything feel extra dramatic.
• Score: 9

2: Tatooine Rhapsody

• This episode really stood out as the kind of story we hadn’t seen told yet in this universe. An intergalactic rock band embarks on an impromptu adventure to save one of their members; it’s equal parts fun and bouncy, drawn in a style that matches with the story perfectly.
• This is one of the only vignettes in the series to feature established characters from the Star Wars franchise, which was a surprise.
• A complete departure from the previous episode, its lighthearted narrative and visuals helped make this one feel unique.
• Score: 8

3: The Twins

• This episode is another favorite of mine; I enjoyed it so much that I wish it was saved for the finale. When it ended, I was left wanting an entire series with these characters.
• The artistic choices in this one were astounding. Orange stormtroopers, a deep red background, and the contrast of the perfectly circular blue stun rings evoke a sense of a graphic novel. The animation in the fight was incredible and the last shot of the episode made me audibly cheer.
• Score: 9

4: The Village Bride

• This episode gave me Avatar the Last Airbender vibes, with a village plagued by an evil that needs to be stopped by an unassuming hero. I enjoyed that this episode revolved around a little planet and their specific customs; one of my favorite aspects of the Star Wars universe is exploring the eccentricities of different planets and cultures.
• The art as a whole didn’t astound me, but it was in no way lacking.
• Score: 7

5: The Ninth Jedi

• Like the previous episode, the art in this one didn’t blow me away. Even though there was nothing particularly wrong with it, it just didn’t grab me the way the others did.
• The story followed a similar sentiment. I love the idea of someone smithing lightsabers for a new generation of Jedi during the reign of the Empire and the chaos that follows, but I found that I favored the droid drinking tea over the actual plot.
• Score: 7

6: T0-B1

• If you ever wondered what Astro-Boy would look like in Star Wars, I have good news for you: it’s this episode and I mean that in the best way possible.
• This one was so pleasant to watch. The visuals were sweet and soft like a marshmallow, and it warmed my cold heart.
• In contrast, the story felt like it was running at a breakneck pace. A lot happens in this short episode — lots of character development, a lightsaber battle, massive jumps in time — but I still enjoyed every minute of it.
• Score: 8

7: The Elder

• This is the only vignette in the bunch that does not take place in the Imperial Era. I love the juxtaposition of a sweet, soft padawan and their “cool guy” Master, but the pacing was a little slow.
• The duel in this one was cleverly choreographed and the choices the animators made pulled me into the scene.
• Score: 7

8: Lop and Ocho

• The story was solid, but not astounding, and the same can be said for the visual style. This vignette suffers in its spot in the series; after seven episodes all ending in lightsaber battles, it didn’t offer anything new.
• This episode, with its anthropomorphized bunny lady main character, is for someone, but that someone is not me.
• Score: 6

9: Akakiri

• This episode as a standalone piece is incredible, but as the last entry in the series, it felt a little underwhelming.
• I adored how different the art style was in this episode; it reminded me of Cartoon Saloon’s Wolfwalkers. In particular, the way the characters' faces were drawn and the colors used felt really different from all the others. I especially liked how the protagonist’s visions looked almost painted, which added to that wobbly nature of the rest of the designs. All the characters were drawn so smoothly and simply as opposed to the aggressively angular styles many of these shorts use.
• This should have been episode 8 instead of 9. Or better yet, just watch it on its own.
• Score: 8

Netflix has released the first trailer for Escape the Undertaker, an upcoming WWE-themed special that allows viewers to control how the plot unfolds.

The trailer for the choose-your-own-adventure experience sees The New Day's Big E, Xavier Woods, and Kofi Kingston take on a series of supernatural challenges at The Undertaker's mansion, which has been transformed into an extreme haunted house, with viewers granted the authority to choose their fate through various options presented on screen.

The footage shows Taker unleashing the powers of his urn and warning the wrestling tag team that they must confront their "deepest darkest fears." One clip shows the trio entering the WWE legend's morgue, where Xavier bravely ventures further into the mists of the foggy room whilst audiences at home choose whether to follow him or stay with the others.

Netflix's Escape the Undertaker continues the streaming service's ongoing partnership with WWE. The landing hub for the interactive horror adventure states that it's 31 minutes in length, though it's unclear exactly how many different endings and variants of additional scenes are locked inside that runtime, just waiting to be uncovered.

This isn't the first time that Netflix has offered an interactive title to its subscribers — perhaps one of the most memorable additions to the choose-your-own-adventure genre was Black Mirror's Bandersnatch event. The film, released in 2018, allowed viewers to make choices that would lead them to different stories, with five main endings to unlock.

Escape The Undertaker will be released on Netflix on October 5 as part of this year's Netflix and Chills lineup, which features a skele-ton of hair-raising, door-locking, keep-the-lights-on treats for streamers this coming season. Other notable additions include the final season of Lucifer, the second season of Locke & Key, and Mike Flanagan's Midnight Mass.

Adele Ankers is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.

Update: The trade paperback collection of The Wrong Earth: Night & Day is in stores now. To celebrate, Ahoy Comics has provided IGN with a lengthy new preview of this "Batman '66 Meets The Dark Knight Returns"-inspired mash-up.

Check out the slideshow gallery below to read the entire first issue of the series:

The Wrong Earth: Night & Day is available to purchase on Amazon and through various other bookstores and comic shops.

The original story is below:

Ahoy Comics' miniseries The Wrong Earth struck a chord with superhero fans on the strength of a killer premise. What if two versions of the vigilante Dragonfly traded Earths? What happens when the gritty, Dark Knight Returns-inspired Dragonfly trades places with the campy, Batman '66-style Dragonflyman? Now creators Tom Peyer and Jamal Igle are back with a sequel, and IGN has an exclusive preview.

The Wrong Earth: Night & Day takes this multiversal romp to its next logical step. This time, Dragonfly and Dragonflyman will directly face off when they're both dragged to a third Earth. Check out a preview of issue #1 below:

Here's the publisher's official description for The Wrong Earth: Night and Day:

"The vengeance-dealing Dragonfly sticks it to the man! The acrobatic sleuth Dragonflyman assists the police! These alternate-earth versions of the same masked crimefighter meet face-to-face for the first time in this new series by the original creators of the smash-hit The Wrong Earth! Will their impossible encounter result in a team-up…or an all-out war?"

The original series has received plenty of praise from other creators as well as fans. Mark Waid writes, "THE WRONG EARTH is far more than a one-note gag—Tom and Jamal have made a surprisingly deep exploration and commentary on where this medium has been, how it got to where it is, and where it can go.”

The Wrong Earth: Night & Day #1 is priced at $3.99 and is scheduled for release on January 6, 2021.

The actual Batman will have plenty of problems of his own to deal with in 2021. As part of DC's massive Future State crossover, fans will meet a brand new Dark Knight patrolling a dystopian version of Gotham City in the year 2030. That hero has been revealed to be Lucius Fox's estranged son Tim.

In other comic book news, check out IGN's nominees for the best comic book series of 2020, with the winner to be revealed soon.

Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

It’s another year, another super-ultrawide monitor from Samsung. Now in its fourth year (including the original C49HG90, which didn’t bear the Odyssey brand), each new super-ultrawide has brought new features that help the G9 series excel in more than mere size. 2021 brings the most significant upgrade yet: a Mini-LED backlight.

Mini-LED can precisely control the light beneath the LCD panel and, in some cases, turn it off completely. This improves contrast, brings big gains to HDR brightness, and eliminates the dreaded edge-lit glow common to gaming monitors.

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 delivers all of the above yet suffers new problems that take the shine off its best feature.

Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 – Design

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G9’s exterior is nearly identical to last year’s G9. The only aesthetic change is on the monitor’s lower left bezel, where the prior model’s bright green Nvidia G-Sync logo is replaced by a more subtle monochrome badge. It’s a minor, but positive, tweak.

I don’t blame Samsung for keeping the prior model’s look. Why mess with what works? The Neo G9’s glossy white rear plastic looks sleek, futuristic, and luxurious. A vent near the top provides sporty flair and the massive stand makes a statement on any desk. There’s also a vent-like ring rounding the stand’s connection with the monitor. This is where you’ll find the monitor's customizable RGB light.

Samsung also leaves the monitor’s functional problems untouched. The stand is an absolute unit that measures 31 inches wide and 9 inches deep. The full depth is 17 inches which, on my desk, places the edges of the monitor closer to the front of the desk than the rear. You might need to plan a desk upgrade to go along with the monitor.

I get it. This is a big monitor with a big curve, so it’s going to take up space. Still, I can’t help but think the monitor would be more practical with a less extreme curve and a stand that trades size for heft.

The stand does its job, at least. It keeps the monitor stable and includes adjustment for height, tilt, and swivel. The tilt and swivel action are well-tuned, making it possible to adjust the monitor with a light yet intentional touch. VESA mounting is supported with an included adapter. You might want to look up your monitor arm’s maximum weight, however, as the Neo G9’s display panel tips the scales at a hefty 26 pounds.

Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 – Features

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 includes two HDMI 2.1 ports, an upgrade from HDMI 2.0 on last year’s G9, and one DisplayPort 1.4 port. The HDMI 2.1 ports can handle a refresh rate up to 144Hz.

The monitor’s maximum 240Hz refresh rate is only available over DisplayPort 1.4, and only with a video card that supports Display Stream Compression (DSC). Cards prior to Nvidia’s RTX 20-series and AMD’s 5000-series lack this feature. This includes the Nvidia GTX 1080 Ti in my desktop, so I was limited to a refresh rate of 120Hz on my main gaming rig (I also tested with an RTX 30-series laptop).

Samsung’s inclusion of two HDMI 2.1 ports and one DisplayPort might sound like an upgrade, but it’s not. It’s actually a downgrade from the prior model, which had one HDMI 2.0 and two DisplayPort ports.

Yes, you can now connect an Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 at once, but neither supports an ultrawide or super-ultrawide aspect ratio. The Neo G9 can’t even deliver 4K from a console because its native resolution is 5,120 x 1,440, which is too low to handle 4K’s vertical resolution of 2160 pixels. HDMI 2.1 serves no purpose aside from letting Samsung slap that label on the monitor’s marketing.

Input and monitor settings are handled through a joystick control on the monitor’s lower right bezel. Monitor settings are placed in clearly labeled menus that are easy to navigate. An instrument panel at the top of the menu provides at-a-glance information about critical settings like refresh rate and response time.

There is one new feature for 2021: three buttons beside the joystick that can be used to switch between customized settings. This is great if you switch between different settings in different games. That’s not how I play, but gamers who use the black equalizer feature to boost visibility in dark games will enjoy it.

Speakers aren’t included. The monitor also lacks support for USB-C connectivity, but it does have two USB-A ports for adding wired peripherals.

Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 – Gaming Performance

It’s no exaggeration to say the super-ultrawide Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 is a game-changing monitor. It can deliver not just stunning visuals but improve the way you play some titles. Unfortunately, it falls far short of perfection.

The Neo G9 is the ultimate monitor for simulation gaming. A visual landing in Microsoft Flight Simulator is easy, as the monitor’s wider perspective offers a realistic sense of speed and elevation. This same perspective can be great in open-world games and MMORPGs, making the Neo G9 a superb choice for Final Fantasy XIV or World of Warcraft.

Not all games are better on a super-ultrawide monitor, however. Most place important UI elements along the edges or corners of a display. This is a problem on a super-ultrawide, as the width will push important information outside your center of attention. You’ll have to tilt your head to see information that’s normally a glance away.

The Mini-LED backlight includes 2,048 individual dimming zones and is paired with a VA panel. Last year’s edge-lit G9 already had a solid measured contrast ratio of 1760:1, but the Neo G9 blows that away with an incredible measured contrast ratio of 8780:1. This beats Asus’ ROG Swift PG32UQX, which also uses Mini-LED. That display reached a measured contrast ratio of 4890:1.

The Neo G9’s incredible contrast provides a rich, deep image with great dimensionality. Yet, if anything, the high contrast ratio undersells the display’s strengths. Mini-LED completely eliminates the edge-lit glow that plagues most gaming monitors and ruins the ambience of dark scenes. Watching the sun set in an open-world game is a truly beautiful experience.

What about brightness? Yeah, the Neo G9 has it. Samsung claims a maximum peak brightness of 2000 nits. I measured a sustained brightness of 647 nits – the second highest I’ve ever recorded. The Neo G9’s overall HDR performance is great, with sharp, detailed highlights. Asus’ PG32UQX looks more vivid and delivers bolder, brighter color in HDR, but the Neo G9 defeats every other monitor on the market. A monitor with a conventional backlight, like the Alienware AW3821DW, can’t hope to keep up.

However, the Neo G9 has a problem. The Mini-LED backlight has a subtle pattern I noticed even on the Windows desktop. It’s not always visible in games but can create a series of horizontal bars that stand out in motion. The problem is most significant in bright scenes like a sunlit sky or a sterile laboratory room.

The Neo G9 also struggles with severe blooming, which causes bright halos to appear around objects on a dark background. You’ll see blooming around big objects, small objects, fast objects, and slow objects. You’ll even see inverse blooming, where the edge of bright objects appear faded against a darker background.

Some blooming and uniformity problems can be expected with Mini-LED, but Samsung can do better. The Asus ROG Swift PG32UQX does not have the same uniformity issues and while blooming does occur, it’s much less distracting.

Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 – Motion Performance

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 has a cutting-edge VA panel that all but eliminates the smearing issues that cause gamers to believe “VA” is a dirty word. I was able to identify some smearing of dark borders around objects when looking for it specifically, but the problem is so minor that I have trouble finding it even when examining content I know will show it.

Overall, the Neo G9’s clarity beats most gaming monitors sold today. It delivers fast response times and crisp, clean lines at the maximum refresh rate of 240Hz. Clarity holds up at lower refresh rates, too, and that’s important. Odds are good your video card can’t actually play your favorite tiles at 240 fps at this monitor’s native resolution of 5,120 x 1,440.

The Mini-LED backlight can be distracting, though. Blooming doesn’t reduce motion clarity but can lead to image quality issues that harm the monitor’s visual appeal in fast-paced games. Blooming behind a fast-moving object isn’t a motion clarity issue in the traditional sense – but it still doesn’t look great.

Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 – Day-to-Day Performance

Unboxing the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 and placing it on your desk will leave you awestruck. It’s impossible not to be impressed by not only its size but also its image quality. As mentioned, the Neo G9 has an outstanding contrast ratio and very high maximum brightness. Its color performance isn’t exceptional but holds its own against other high-end monitors and will prove more than adequate for most people.

Despite this, the Neo G9 isn’t a great monitor for day-to-day use or content creation. The super-ultrawide aspect ratio and aggressive 1000R curvature are a problem when using the monitor to view and edit photos and videos. A 32:9 aspect ratio isn’t a great fit when editing content for a 16:9 display. You’ll also see distortion introduced by the curve. A straight line will never look straight.

The Mini-LED backlight’s issues are a problem. It’s so slow, and blooming is so noticeable, that you’ll see issues around the edges of windows. I’m not sure this is a functional problem for content creators, but it certainly feels unworthy of a premium monitor. Photo editors will despise the subtle pattern created by the backlight’s uniformity problems.

While the Neo G9’s HDR performance is great in games, it’s not ideal in Windows. Turning on HDR makes the display appear washed out and dull rather than more vivid. You’ll want to turn HDR off outside of games or HDR movies. This is a common problem for all monitors, but one the Neo G9 doesn’t resolve.

If you ever find yourself stuck sprucing up a rusty, beaten-down laundromat owned by your business mogul dad — who just happens to be Geralt of Rivia voice actor Doug Cockle — you might consider sticking it to the old man by secretly converting the entire thing into a classic 1990s-style arcade. If that’s up your alley, then you’ll be pleased as fruit punch to discover the upcoming Arcade Paradise, a management sim in the vein of Stardew Valley that has you running and managing your very own arcade from the ground up.

But this isn’t just any management sim. Not only will you run the laundromat and arcade businesses side-by-side as you manage each of your different funnels of income, it sounds like you’ll also get to dive into and play all 35+ of these fully-realized arcade games.

There are a decent variety of cabinets to start with, like Video Air Hockey, a Candy Crush-style adventure game, and an F-Zero-like racer. But it’s cool that you can add other non-gaming features, such as a jukebox, which is full of retro-80s and retro-90s-themed original music.

Expect it to take a little while before you get anywhere, however. When your arcade venture is brand new and doesn’t generate much revenue as a result, your main hustle will boil down to running laundry cycles, unclogging toilets, cleaning up gum, and taking out the trash. At the end of each day, you’ll want to place your funds into a conveniently-located safe in the backroom office so you can buy sleek renovations and new arcade cabinets that arrive the next day, like clockwork. But watch out — if you stay at work for too long instead of going home to get a good night’s rest, you can pass out, which makes you miss time at work the next day.

It’s not as sophisticated as Stardew Valley’s loop, but it certainly adds a reason for you to keep an eye on the time via your nifty wrist watch — especially when planning out laundry cycles that can take several real-world minutes, or several in-game hours, to complete. It’s also worth mentioning that I didn’t see any other NPCs, and it doesn’t seem like there’s an option to hire employees to run these basic tasks for you.

Towards the beginning of a fresh save, it seems like you’re able to sink a minute or two at a time into an arcade cabinet while you wait for laundry cycles to finish automating, but since your main focus early on is leaning on the laundromat side of your business for steady cash flow, you won’t be doing too much in the arcade.

But you can expect things to become much more relaxed once you’ve purchased and collected enough different arcade cabinets.

Once that steady inflow of arcade money comes in, expect to give these arcade cabinets far more of your sustained focus, since you can ride on the passive income that they generate while you play to your heart’s content — at least until you need to go home at the end of the day. At this point, about two and a half hours into my preview session, I basically stopped paying attention to laundry cycles at all — instead, racking up points in the surprisingly accurate homages to Pac-Man and Grand Theft Auto.

As you play games, work your way through a to-do list, and score achievements, you can earn pounds in addition to regular cash. If you’d like to, you can then log into your PC and spend these neat pounds on extra cosmetic benefits, but it’s all optional. It’s nice that you can also alter the different settings of each arcade cabinet, which changes how much profit it generates on its own.

The PC in your backroom office is an effective base of operations that serves to add even more 1990s flavor to your arcade. This is where you receive emails, where you can chat with your dad and sibling about how your business is progressing, and where you’ll shop for upgrades. In fact, this retro-style computer has a few extra authentic tricks up its sleeve, coming in hot with a Windows 95-esque interface and even featuring classic dial-up sounds to boot.

There’s a story to follow here, too, but in the first few hours at least, it seems like it’ll take a back seat to managing and building your business. The story that exists is enough to guide you through the process of learning everything you need to know, and Doug Cockle is entertaining in his role as business dad, where he sometimes shouts orders at you over the phone but doesn’t overstay his welcome.

In this early build, I found that the keyboard and mouse controls were a bit rough and unclear, and I couldn’t find a menu where the keybinds were laid out. However, I found that plugging in an Xbox Elite Controller made Arcade Paradise far more enjoyable to play overall. The button layout is simpler; for example, you only need to hold the Y button in order to exit your PC or arcade cabinet. Whereas, relying on my keyboard and mouse setup, I got stuck in an arcade cabinet for an entire in-game workday.

Given that I’m playing with a preview build, this is all subject to change, especially including the quality of life features. But after spending over three hours exploring only a mere handful of these authentically-designed arcade cabinets, I can confidently say that Arcade Paradise promises a surprising amount of variety and depth thus far. Overall, it sounds like there are still quite a few features and arcade cabinets that I didn’t get a chance to see, but I’m excited to give Arcade Paradise a proper dive when it launches later this year.