Weapons: The Uncomfortable Reason Zach Cregger Denies You Closure at the End

This article contains spoilers for Weapons. Those who saw Weapons in the theater experienced something shocking in the movie’s final moments. Admittedly most of us went into Weapons expecting to be shocked. After all, director Zach Cregger certainly unnerved us with his twisty solo debut feature, Barbarian. But Weapons fills audiences with an unexpected emotion […]

The post Weapons: The Uncomfortable Reason Zach Cregger Denies You Closure at the End appeared first on Den of Geek.

While fighting game franchise Under Night In-Birth has been around since 2012, the series is really gathering momentum globally, particularly in North America, with its 2024 installment Under Night In-Birth II [Sys:Celes]. Developed by French-Bread and published by Arc System Works, the sequel has been praised for its gorgeous art style, fast-paced and unique combat mechanics, and the continuation of the fantasy tales centered on a magical conflict between Voids and In-Births. Powering the epic stakes and high speed brawls is a rocking original soundtrack by the composer Raito, who has been with the fighting series since the beginning.

More than just significantly upping the technical presentation for modern platforms, Under Night In-Birth II refined and added several major gameplay changes, including improved online performance and inputs, particularly with special moves. Continuing the Hollow Night saga from previous titles, the sequel also adds many new characters, most notably the fearsome antagonist Kuon the Aeon, with more added through DLC seasons. With Under Night In-Birth II [Sys:Celes] a main stage competition game at Evo 2025, Den of Geek interviewed director Kamone Serizawa and composer Raito at the event about the game a year after its launch.

“With Under Night being around for 13 years, when it first started, it was being played in arcades. It was a unique player spirit that was there, a passion that grew out of a small arcade community. After it was released to consoles, then it became more accessible to the international community,” Serizawa observes about the fan base’s steady growth since its early days. “As the series progressed and we released new iterations, there was sort of a back-and-forth, with Japan looking globally at the hype and getting hyped themselves. It was a constant back-and-forth hype exchange. We’re really excited that we’re able to continue this exchange globally.”

At the core of Under Night In-Birth’s expansive cast is the franchise’s protagonist Hyde Kido, a high schooler who falls into the supernatural war after being attacked by a Void. For Raito, Hyde was the cipher from which he unlocked how to compose for the franchise’s soundtrack, naming him as his personal favorite character. However, the process to develop the rock operatic overtures that became synonymous with the Under Night In-Birth sound and atmosphere was not an overnight flash of inspiration.

“In the beginning, I struggled a lot in composing the music, especially Hyde’s theme, which is very important. Delivering the theme of the entire game and atmosphere, this is a trial and error that took me over a year to accomplish. It was hard, but once it came out and reached the fans, I felt that it was accepted by the fans and they really loved it,” Raito recalls. “Now, I feel like we’re on the same page, as far as the fans, the players, and myself for what we want the music to sound like. Coming to II and being able to continue this process, I really like we’re sharing this experience and understanding this vibe that we created together.”

With the story being a particularly important part of Under Night In-Birth’s appeal, the character of Hyde was also the driving force behind developing the narrative for [Sys