Logitech G502 X Plus Mouse: Review

Announced as part of its 15-strong product reveal at this year's Logitech G Play event, the Logitech G502 X Plus Mouse was one of the highlights of the line-up.

The long-running G502 gaming line has already produced a raft of top-quality mice for use for the casual gamer, never once sacrificing the needs of the player to the altar of design. The latest release follows that trend, offering a smartly ergonomic mouse that will allow for both customisation and comfort.

With a better sensor and some nice RGB lighting, the compact piece of kit already looks the part before you've even begun to use it, offering gamers a slice of visual perfection that's worth anyone's time during a peak session.

Utilising 13 programmable buttons and a low-click latency, the mouse makes a clear argument for the simple deployment of its kit, rather than pushing for complicated elements that frustrate and annoy gamers. (Though the somewhat twitchy scroll wheel in the middle of it all is perhaps one of the sole disappointments.)

It's a little on the pricey side for a piece of kit (clocking in around $280 at most New Zealand retailers), but given the last mouse in this range came out three years ago, Logitech's clearly about quality use over a period of time, rather than rushing out annual cash grab releases that feel cheap and unnecessary.

Weighing in at a little over 100g, this is a fairly chunky bit of kit that fits securely in the hands, even if it does take a little getting used to. With satisfying clicks each time the mouse buttons are used, the tech is about providing a little bit of heft for the money, and while some of it is cosmetic, it's a nice touch that Logitech wants your senses to feel like they're getting something for the use.

Flowy colours on the RGB strip give it a unique feel that's quite hypnotising to watch and show off Logitech's desire to provide a mouse that stands out from the rest of the crowd. Given its keyboard have RGB lighting and a recent mouse pad offered colourways as well, it's clear Logitech wants everything to feel like it sits in the same environment, something which is to be commended.

The mouse's responsive, the buttons are loud enough to feel like something's going on and the overall result is that the Logitech G502 X Plus Mouse offers a resounding reminder of why Logitech continues to dominate in this space - a solid commitment to improving what they've already built without ever losing focus on what the consumers want.

Star Wars: Galactic Racer: PS5 Review

Developed by Fuse Games
Published by Secret Mode
Platform: PS5

A long time in a galaxy far, far away, Star Wars games were all the rage.

Tapping into the nostalgia of the Force and the original Lucasfilm saga, the universe was the limit, pushing the games into both the hearts and minds of players everywhere.

But after Star Wars Battlefront fell a little flat in its second iteration, the games somewhat disappeared from favour. But 2026 has already seen a revival with a third installment of Battlefront reportedly under development, the release of turn-based Star Wars: Zero Company to critical acclaim and now Star Wars: Galactic Racer, a game that fuses the galaxy's greatest racers with the ethos of a Burnout via WipeOut to maximum effect.

Essentially a racer, but also mixing a story within it (albeit a very light one), Star Wars: Galactic Racer follows Shade, who finds himself ensconced in the Galactic Racing League after he's taunted into hopping into a speeder for old time's sake. But as Shade begins to build a career, old secrets bubble to the fore and rivalries are formed as they look to build on their racing skills amid life in the New Republic Era.

Mixing both chaos and carnage on the racing front, Star Wars: Galactic Racer is a thrilling game that feels as realistic as it does punishing from time to time. Whether it's eliminator races that see you pushed to break times and avoid the chop, simple racing around various planets or even just trials that see you needing to fill various boost metres, the game's got a way of getting its hooks into you.

Blasting around planets like Tattooine and Jakku feel familiar yet new and the different worlds and racetracks offer plenty of spectacle and variety. One moment you can be racing through lava fields and the next through a downed Star Destroyer - Fuse Games has done everything and more to make this universe feel both lively and exciting, as well as familiar to older fans.

Occasionally Star Wars: Galactic Racer can throw a curveball. Some of the racing feels exceptionally hard and it's very easy to lose control of your own craft after the game stops to watch someone behind you wipeout after you've caused them to crash. The crash scenes are genuinely thrilling and up there with the kind of gameplay smash-ups you'd get from a Need For Speed.

There's a smart progression chart in play too. Races unlock tokens and side bets allow you to build up your craft - only to potentially lose it all if you're wiped out of the league. Star Wars: Galactic Racer doesn't exactly hold your hand but it does feel real when it's got you in its sights.

It's everything a Star Wars racer should be - and while some of the story elements do feel a little flat in parts thanks to a rather cut and paste way of interacting with other characters in worlds, Star Wars: Galactic Racer is the Star Wars game you're looking for - and more.

Garfield: Escape from Monday: PS5 Review

Developed by OSome Studios
Published by Microids
Platform: PS5

Jon Davis' cartoon cat has had many lives across many different platforms.

From its OG 3-panel comic strip early days to a TV show to various games, the orange striped cat, who hates Mondays and loves lasagne, has been a mainstay of pop culture for decades. 

So it's no surprise that he'd get a platform game in 2026, a relatively simple affair that follows a slightly repetitive path and never quite reaches the echelons of paw-some but will certainly leave you feline fine and that you've had a bit of a workout mentally, if not physically.

When Garfield scoffs a super-lasagne slice he finds in the fridge, he falls catatonically asleep, waking up a in a dream nightmare world to be taunted by TV Chef Monday who sets a series of vegetables upon him in a land that's filled with cheese, lasagne slices and simple platform challenges. In order to escape, Garfield must traverse a series of 3D lands and challenges, as well as getting advice from Jon on what to do and where to go.

There's a simplicity to Garfield: Escape from Monday that's both refreshing and charming, even if it's somewhat naive in 2026.

The gameplay is relatively simple, jump here, grab that, leap and find hidden areas as you complete levels and try for perfection - but that's not to deny that for a younger audience, this will undoubtedly hit the mark.

With a nice chunky 3D Garfield, the cat looks the part and while the voice acting isn't a patch on Lorenzo Music, the writing captures some of the cat's deadpan ways as he traverses the linear levels. Add in some nice interludes from the cat's owner and the game begins to feel like it could fire on all four paws.

But the repetitive nature and the occasionally unchallenging feel makes the 40-plus levels begin to feel like a chore, rather than a thrill. Kick, jump, boost flops and so on make the cat's arsenal functional, if uninspired. Themed outfits add a little, but your patience on using these to replay levels will vary.

In terms of fluidity, Garfield: Escape from Monday delvers a solid gameplay experience that occasionally falters with its camera, but never drops in quality and consistency. Overall though, Garfield: Escape from Monday shows a formulaic outing for the feline that's fun in small doses, but may leave you feeling like the developers napped somewhat on the creative front.

Lego Harry Potter Collection: Nintendo Switch 2: Review

Developed by TT Game Studios
Released by Warner Bros Games
Platform: Nintendo Switch 2

"You're a wizard, Harry" may be a familiar refrain from JK Rowling's book franchise, but not once did the late Robbie Coltrane's Hagrid foresee that this wizard would go on to becomes a Lego character.

However, that's exactly what happened all those years ago, and when complete collections of the games between Years 1-4 and Years 5-7 of the Harry Potter series were released, it was inevitable that Nintendo Switch would also get a release.

There's no real difference in the port across to the portable platform: there are still eight games, still plenty of playable characters and still plenty of magical Harry Potter moments to enjoy in the release. So fans will be happy they've lost nothing as the game moves to yet another home.

With smooth frame rates, a fidelity that keeps the game pottering along when it needs to and graphics that maybe could do with a remaster but suffice for now, the Lego Harry Potter Collection is a solid return to Hogwarts.

With intuitive controls and a good integration of spells into the gameplay, the Lego Harry Potter Collection makes replaying worthwhile. Lighting the darker areas of the games doesn't suffer for smaller screens and the fidelity of the graphics and gameplay is as strong as it was back in its heyday releases - though one could argue that lends the games more in need of a makeover than ever before.

With the new Harry Potter TV series on the way, perhaps there's never been a better time to revisit these games - they still cast a spell, and the fact you can play them wherever and whenever means the appeal is still there and the wizard hasn't really lost too much of its sparkle.

Primetime: Movie Review

Cast: Robert Pattinson, Merritt Wever, Skyler Gisondo, Phoebe Bridgers
Director: Lance Oppenheim

A24's Primetime purports to be the story of how Dateline presenter Chris Hansen's How To Catch a Predator show became so popular, but like the titular show's MO, that's somewhat of a bait and switch in itself.

Instead, what transpires is a look at the inner workings of those aligned with the heyday of Must-see TV through a variety of eyes.

Whether it's Pattinson's Hansen, who's chasing down the biggest ratings and taking on TV juggernaut Lost amid his own imposter issues, Wever's producer Andi, who's aware of the frailty of her own position or Gisondo's wannabe actor who snags a role as a pedophile bait, everyone has something to lose and gain in this electrifying exploration.

Shot through in a 90s grainy VHS look, it's no wonder horror meister Ari Aster's a producer on Oppenheim's peek behind the curtains. There's a distinctly disturbing veneer to this throughout, be it Pattinson's committed Hansen, or Gisondo's morphing into the actor he perceives he needs to be, Primetime peels back the layers of what makes the most horrifying and ambitious people tick.

But it's Merritt Wever who emerges as the film's MVP, in a drama that occasionally feels polished and shallow. As Andi, she's clearly the powerhouse behind the show but finds her own moral compass jerked by Hansen's desire to land a whale as the network pushes back against the perceived weakness of the show against the polar bears and Dharma Initiative of the opposition. Wever delivers a subtle and engaging turn, which anchors many of the film's key moments.

It may be some of Pattinson's finest work, but it's never fully clear what's bubbling below his approximation of Hansen other than a desire to catch the evils he once saw while on a trip to India and the lack of any direct conclusion to his tale may prove a frustration, but the opaque nature is something he leans well into.

Primetime works well as a drama about the primal urges of ambition and the mobsters it turns people into - it's a fascinatingly unsettling watch in parts, not because of the various former child or teen actors playing the parts of the predators, but more because of the horrors it reveals underneath our skins and the way we lose our innocence trying to become more than what we could ever hope to be.

Fictional Selves: A Memoir by Kyle MacLachlan: Book Review

Published by Penguin Random House Books
On sale now

For some, Kyle MacLachlan is the epitome of cool.

Forever enshrined as the heroic FBI agent Dale Cooper in David Lynch's seminal Twin Peaks series, the actor's had a cult appeal that's seen him cut across a myriad of TV shows and films. From appearances in Desperate Housewives, Fallout and films like Dune, MacLachlan is an undeniable presence.

So it's somewhat surprising to relate that his memoir, Fictional Selves (320 pages long) shows another side to the man, one which embraces both the duality of his career and the fragility of his own ID. In many ways, it's like a less cocksure version of his partnership with David Lynch, which saw him get his first-ever film role and led to an endearing and enduring partnership.

It's an easy read, one that clearly has his laconic, dry tone of voice - albeit one that seems soaked in innocence and elements of cute naivete as he recounts his years in Hollywood and his take on life.

Plucked from obscurity in 1984 to lead sci-fi epic Dune, MacLachlan's book begins with the time he was working on the stage before he received the call to go and audition for the role. Obsessed with the book from his teenaged years, it's clear that MacLachlan was an innocent in the Hollywood machine, but the ease in which he writes about his doubts will resonate with anyone who's ever dealt with either imposter syndrome or the media landscape.

There's a refreshingly candid nature to the memoir, as it looks to slash some of the myths about Hollywood as well as reveal MacLachlan's own times on set and the times he felt out of his depth on various projects.

With his spiritual doppelganger Other Kyle written about on the page, MacLachlan achieves a kind of therapy that's both revealing and endearing. From discussing regrets over appearing in stinker Showgirls to his long-running collaboration with David Lynch that saw him largely typecast, the writing makes it easy to get under his skin and into his world of insecurities - some of which largely feel universal to anyone who's ever undertaken dream projects or been caught up in a whirl of life getting away from them.

It's a solid read and given MacLachlan's leaned into the oddness of his life and the role he now plays as a kind of goofy dad on the internet, there's a sweetness here of a man going on a journey and passing on what he's learned - whether it's lessons from Hollywood or lessons in life, MacLachlan's made no secret that Fictional Selves is aimed squarely at teachings for his son.

But given how beautifully and succinctly it's written, with a charming and self-effacing honesty, it becomes a thoughtful and emotionally rich memoir that has something for everyone, no matter what walk of life they come from.