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Deseret News – Bias and Credibility

Right-center bias.

These media sources are slightly to moderately conservative in bias. They often publish factual information that utilizes loaded words (wording that attempts to influence an audience by appeals to emotion or stereotypes) to favor conservative causes. These sources are generally trustworthy for information but may require further investigation. See all Right-Center sources.

  • Overall, we rate the Deseret News Right-Center Biased based on editorial and advertising positions that favor the right. We also rate them High for factual reporting due to proper sourcing and a clean fact-check record.

Detailed Source

Bias Rating: RIGHT-CENTER Factual Reporting: HIGH Country: USA Press Freedom Rank: MOSTLY FREE Media Type: Newspaper Traffic/Popularity: High Traffic MBFC Credibility Rating: HIGH CREDIBILITY

Founded in 1850, The Deseret News is a broadsheet newspaper published in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. It is Utah’s oldest continuously published daily newspaper and has the largest Sunday circulation in the state and the second-largest daily circulation behind The Salt Lake Tribune . The current editor is Doug Wilkes.

In August 2019, they updated the website and changed its domain to deseret.com .

Read our profile on the United States government and media.

Funded by / Ownership

The newspaper is owned by the Deseret News Publishing Company , a publishing company headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is a subsidiary of Deseret Management Corporation , a holding company owned by the  Corporation of the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . Revenue is generated via advertising, sponsored content, and subscription fees.

Analysis / Bias

In review, Deseret News covers local news via journalists with minimal bias, such as this: Ogden police identify fatal crash victim . National and world news is generally from the Associated Press . All information is properly sourced to credible media outlets.

The editorial tone of Deseret News is usually described as moderate to conservative. It is often assumed to reflect the values of its owner, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. For example, the newspaper does not accept advertising that violates church standards. Otherwise, they hold a right-of-center bias and report news factually.

Failed Fact Checks

  • None in the Last 5 years

Overall, we rate the Deseret News Right-Center Biased based on editorial and advertising positions that favor the right. We also rate them High for factual reporting due to proper sourcing and a clean fact-check record. (11/3/2016) Updated (D. Van Zandt 08/28/2022)

Source: https://www.deseret.com

Last Updated on May 22, 2023 by Media Bias Fact Check

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Nigeria mourns as authorities investigate helicopter crash that killed a major bank CEO

This undated photograph shows Herbert Wigwe, chief executive of Access Bank, Nigeria in his Lagos office. Wigwe was killed Friday, Feb. 9, 2024 along with his wife and son when a helicopter they were riding in crashed near in Southern California's Mojave Desert. (AP Photo/Ayodeji Owolabi)

This undated photograph shows Herbert Wigwe, chief executive of Access Bank, Nigeria in his Lagos office. Wigwe was killed Friday, Feb. 9, 2024 along with his wife and son when a helicopter they were riding in crashed near in Southern California’s Mojave Desert. (AP Photo/Ayodeji Owolabi)

In this image taken from a National Transportation Safety Board video, Michael Graham of the NTSB, which is investigating a deadly helicopter crash that happened in Southern California’s Mojave Desert speaks to the media in Barstow, Calif., Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024. The CEO of one of Nigeria’s largest banks along with his wife and son were among those killed in Friday’s crash. (National Transportation Safety Board via AP)

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Nigerian leaders Sunday mourned the death of the CEO of one of the country’s largest banks after he and five others were killed Friday in a helicopter crash in Southern California’s Mojave Desert.

Herbert Wigwe, chief executive of Access Bank, and his wife and son were among the six people on board when the aircraft went down shortly after 10 p.m. near Interstate 15. All six people were killed, including two pilots and Bamofin Abimbola Ogunbanjo, former chair of NGX Group, the Nigerian stock exchange.

Nigeria’s president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, grieved the deaths in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“Their passing is an overwhelming tragedy that is shocking beyond comprehension,” he wrote. “I pray for the peaceful repose of the departed and ask God Almighty to comfort the multitude of Nigerians who are grieving and the families of the deceased at this deeply agonizing moment.”

Smoke and fire fills the air after an airplane crashed on Interstate 75, Friday, Feb. 10, 2024 near Naples, Fla. Federal authorities have launched an investigation to determine why the private jet tried to make an emergency landing on the Florida interstate, colliding with a vehicle and sparking a fiery crash that left two people dead. (Chris O'Conner via AP)

The death of Wigwe, 57; his wife, Chizoba; and son, Chizi, shocked many in Nigeria and in the banking sector. He was widely seen as an industry leader, having been involved in two of the country’s biggest banks, including Guaranty Trust Bank, where he was previously executive director.

Under Wigwe’s leadership, Access Bank’s assets and presence grew beyond borders in several African countries.

“Dr. Wigwe was a key driving force and a larger-than-life personality who brought his remarkable passion, energy and experience to the transformation of the Access franchise,” Sunday Ekwochi, group company secretary of parent company Access Holdings, said Sunday in a statement.

The bank, in a post on X, wrote that Wigwe’s “passion and unwavering commitment to excellence transformed Access into a global powerhouse.”

“His legacy of excellence and compassion will continue to inspire us all,” the statement said.

Wigwe’s death is “a terrible blow” for Nigeria and Africa’s banking industry, Nigerian presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga wrote on X. “Wigwe had a big vision to make Access Holdings Africa’s biggest, with all the unquenchable thirst for acquisitions,” Onanuga added.

Wigwe’s interests also spanned the education sector. His private university, founded in Nigeria’s oil-rich Niger Delta region where he was from, is scheduled to open in September. Last year he said the university was “an opportunity for me to give back to society.”

The crash happened south of I-15 near Halloran Springs Road, about 75 miles (120 km) northeast of Barstow, according to Michael Graham of the National Transportation Safety Board, which is investigating the crash.

Graham said Saturday that he did not have information about the two crew members, a pilot and a safety pilot. The aircraft did not have a cockpit voice recorder or a flight data recorder and was not required to have them, he added.

The Airbus EC-130 left Palm Springs Airport at around 8:45 p.m. on Friday and was traveling to Boulder City, Nevada, Graham said. Boulder City is about 26 miles (40 kilometers) southeast of Las Vegas, where the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers are set to play in Super Bowl 58 on Sunday.

Flight-tracking data shows the helicopter was traveling along the interstate about 1,000 to 1,500 feet (304.80 to 457.20 meters) above ground level, Graham said during a Sunday news conference. The aircraft made a slight right turn, turning south of the roadway, and the data then shows a gradual descent and increasing ground speed.

The wreckage site shows that helicopter hit the ground with its nose low at a right-bank angle, Graham said, adding that meteorologists have confirmed the weather included precipitation. The debris field was about 100 yards (91.44 meters) long.

The flight was a charter operated by Orbic Air LLC. Several people traveling on I-15 witnessed the crash and called 911, Graham said.

Witnesses reported that it was raining with a “wintry mix” at the time of the crash, according to Graham. People also reported a fire on the helicopter plus some downed power lines.

“This is the beginning of a long process. We will not jump to any conclusions,” Graham said Saturday.

Investigators on Sunday began mapping the area with drones and documenting the wreckage. They are also gathering pilot and maintenance records. A preliminary report is expected to be released within 30 days, though a full investigation will take up to two years to complete.

The crash site is not far from the California-Nevada border. Halloran Springs Road crosses the highway in an area known to travelers for an abandoned gas station with a sign declaring “Lo Gas” and “Eat.” It’s a remote area of the desert, with an elevation of nearly 3,000 feet (914.40 meters), and about a 60- to 80-mile (100- to 130-km) drive from Las Vegas.

The crash came just three days after a U.S. Marine Corps helicopter went down in the mountains outside San Diego during historic downpours , killing five Marines.

Beam reported from Sacramento, California; Asadu from Abuja, Nigeria; and Dazio from Los Angeles. Associated Press writer Todd Richmond in Madison, Wisconsin, contributed.

ADAM BEAM

MMORPG.GG

Black Desert Online Review: Is it Worth Playing?

Posted on Last updated: November 28, 2022

Categories Articles , Black Desert Online , Featured , Reviews , What MMO Should I Play?

Black Desert Online Review: Is it Worth Playing?

Black Desert Online

Black Desert Online

  • Stunning graphics
  • Unique character development system
  • Fast-paced, action-packed combat
  • Seamless open world
  • High learning curve
  • Complicated systems
  • Amount of grinding necessary to progress

Black Desert Online is an open-world massively multiplayer online role-playing game developed by Korean company Pearl Abyss and published by Kakao Games in 2015. It had its North American and European releases in 2016.

Black Desert Online has been well-received by both critics and gamers alike. At launch, critics praised the game’s graphics, open world, and combat system.

However, the game has been criticized for its high learning curve and complicated systems, the amount of grinding necessary to progress, and lack of end-game content. Despite these criticisms, the game continues to be popular, with a large and dedicated player base.

BDO is set in a high fantasy setting and employs the thematic elements of an oriental adventure. The game features a large open world, with players being able to freely traverse and explore.

Black Desert Online Review: Is it Worth Playing? 1

The game uses the Black Desert Engine that was made specifically for BDO in order to ensure a smooth gameplay experience while delivering some of the best graphics in any MMO to date.

Black Desert Online has stunning graphics and a unique character development system. But is it worth playing? In this review, we will take a look at BDO’s pros and cons to help you decide if it’s the right game for you.

Black Desert Online has a lot to offer in terms of content. There are dozens of hours of main story quests, side quests, and open-world activities to keep you busy. The main story follows your character’s journey from a lowly adventurer to hero.

Black Desert Online Review: Is it Worth Playing? 2

The side quests are mostly fetch quests or kill X number of monsters, but they help to flesh out the world and give you a better understanding of the lore.

Open-world activities include things like fishing, hunting, gathering, and trading.

The game features a robust character creation system that lets you create custom characters with unique looks.

Black Desert Online Review: Is it Worth Playing? 3

The combat in Black Desert Online is fast-paced and action-packed. The game features a unique combo system that rewards players for stringing together attacks. The combat can be challenging at times, but it is also very rewarding.

You can also take part in large-scale PvE events like world bosses, or engage in PvP combat on the battlefield.

There is a lot to do in BDO , and you can easily sink dozens of hours into the game without getting bored.

However, Black Desert Online also has some significant drawbacks in terms of gameplay. The game’s combat system is very complicated and takes some time to get used to.

The game also has a steep learning curve, and it can be difficult to progress without spending some money on in-game items.

Autoplay is also a pro or a con in BDO, depending on how you see it and what time of player you are. The game includes an autoplay feature that lets you AFK grind levels or Silver. This can be a great way to make some money and level up your character. Many players are opposed to these types of features in MMOs, but in all honesty, they seem pretty fair in BDO .

Black Desert Online Review: Is it Worth Playing? 4

Leveling using a training dummy or AFK fishing doesn’t really give any huge advantages, and actually playing the game will always be much more efficient.

Black Desert Online’s graphics are absolutely gorgeous. The game world is huge and detailed, with a day/night cycle and weather effects that make it feel alive. The character models are well-done and the animations are fluid.

Black Desert Online Review: Is it Worth Playing? 5

In fact, Black Desert Online is widely regarded to be the MMORPG with the best graphics. Especially after the Remastered version of the game was released.

BDO made it all the way to the top of our list of the MMOs with the best graphics .

The game’s soundtrack is also excellent, with a mix of traditional Korean music and modern orchestral pieces. The game’s sound effects are top-notch, and the voice acting is decent.

So what is the player count like in BDO in 2022? Is the game dead or alive?

BDO’s player base is actually quite large, with the game having an almost constant spot in the top 100 most-played games on Steam , despite most players playing the game through BDO’s own launcher. These numbers are on par with games such as Path of Exile and The Elder Scrolls Online .

MMO-Population.com lists Black Desert Online as the 15th most popular MMO.

BDO has a fairly active and helpful community that is always happy to help new players get started.

Is Black Desert Online Free-to-play?

Black Desert Online is not free-to-play . BDO is buy-to-play, but the price is usually pretty low and can be bought on Steam for around $10 usually.

BDO also has a type of optional monthly subscription called a Value Pack that will give some extra benefits including extra storage, XP, and silver from the Marketplace.

Paying for anything in BDO is optional though and you can progress in the game just fine as a free player. The in-game shop lets you buy cosmetics, pets, and tents which will make life a bit easier but is in no way needed.

Is Black Desert Online Pay-to-win?

No, generally BDO is not pay-to-win. The game’s cash shop only sells convenience items and cosmetics that do not give any significant advantage over other players.

Sure you can pay for some convenience in BDO and it is technically possible to buy some power in the game, but overall, grinding in-game is the way to go to achieve power.

In terms of gear, the best equipment in BDO is obtainable through PvE activities such as bossing and grinding.

This means that BDO is not really a pay-to-win game, but more of a grind-to-win game.

Black Desert Online is a great game with lots to offer, but it’s not for everyone. If you’re willing to put in the time to learn the game, then BDO is definitely worth playing.

For players looking for an in-depth MMORPG with lots of things to do, then BDO is definitely worth checking out. However, if you’re not willing to put in the time to learn the game’s complex systems, then you might want to give BDO a pass.

Have you played Black Desert Online ? What did you think of it? Let us know in the comments below!

Looking for more MMORPGs to play? Check out our lists of the best MMORPGs to play in 2022 .

Friday 20th of January 2023

Stunning graphics. - Yes, but if you have them on in big fights you won't have enough FPS to fight. You will see why later

Unique character development system - Not really, Skill tree in the game like so many other. Ok you can swap between them mid fight. But that's not that special.

Fast-paced, action-packed combat. - Yes but it's all PING and FPS based. Even PA acknowledged the game they bought out was build with fighting linked to FPS and internet connection. And that it would take a entire reprogramming of the game to get it out. What would cost too much. So it's still in there for ever. I other words. The better internet/PC wins a PvP fight easier then the one on the crapy one.

Seamless open world. - You notice the loading times a lot if you ride in to a town to fast. Did you not really play this beyond a few beginner quests before reviewing this? Things pop in all the time.

High learning curve - Its not a learn curve. You are just looking at it skin deep. It's all very easy. The world bosses are easy. The only hard thing is PvP and that because of things mentioned above. + the P2W mechanic that the top guilds spend LOTS on. Interview with one of the members of that guild said he spend 10k$ a month on stuff. And a lot of his guildmates spend around the same amounts.

Complicated systems - Not that complex unless you want to upgrade stuff. Which is a pure gambling mechanic. Asian culture seemed too love it. Same as grinding.

Amount of grinding necessary to progress. - Understatement of the year. It is ALL grinding. And it happens pretty gdm fast. Want anything faster? Pay to get a gamble to get it. It's like lootboxes, but even worse.

Friday 23rd of December 2022

I love BDO, I think this game has the potential to beat most MMORPG games. Now with that said I do not want to sound bitter I play this game for hours when I am not working. I have been playing season characters because I find the best way to level up and get sweet rewards. Yep, I am all about the rewards. I biggest issue is when you are leveling up your gear and you have a lot of fail stacks rang up and corn stones only to lose them all and still lose your gear. BDO does not sit well with me. I love the grinding in the game or else I would not play it if it was that easy. Working this hard only to be disappointed. I have been trying to get my team to play BDO they do but 4 of them leave the game because of this and I understand I know they can do something about it because it is not good. I also respect the developers for their hours of sleepless nights and coffee energy hours to give us what we are asking for. Guys until you do this kind of work you will understand that asking is one thing but getting it done is another. Please, Please, Please, Please BDO, please I beg you to code in better chances when leveling up your gears. On another note, I put in a ticket regarding this with your support team as well that I am able to ride my beast with my tamer on PC but not on my Xbox. I go up to it I press X nada I press Y nada. I out the command in my Gear nada.

Tuesday 8th of November 2022

In my eyes, the most underrated MMO. Ashes of Creation copypaste this game and got the hype for the stolen BDO ideas...

ENCYCLOPEDIC ENTRY

Deserts are areas that receive very little precipitation.

Biology, Ecology, Earth Science, Geology, Meteorology, Geography, Human Geography, Physical Geography, Social Studies, World History

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Deserts are areas that receive very little precipitation . People often use the adjectives “hot,” “dry,” and “empty” to describe deserts , but these words do not tell the whole story. Although some deserts are very hot, with daytime temperatures as high as 54°C (130°F), other deserts have cold winters or are cold year-round. And most deserts , far from being empty and lifeless, are home to a variety of plants, animals, and other organisms . People have adapted to life in the desert for thou sands of years. One thing all deserts have in common is that they are arid , or dry. Most experts agree that a desert is an area of land that receives no more than 25 centimeters (10 inches) of precipitation a year. The amount of evaporation in a desert often greatly exceeds the annual rainfall. In all deserts , there is little water available for plants and other organisms . Deserts are found on every continent and cover about one-fifth of Earth’s land area. They are home to around 1 billion people—one-sixth of the Earth’s population. Although the word “ desert ” may bring to mind a sea of shifting sand , dunes cover only about 10 percent of the world’s deserts . Some deserts are mountainous. Others are dry expanses of rock, sand , or salt flats . Kinds of Deserts The world’s deserts can be divided into five types—subtropical, coastal, rain shadow , interior, and polar. Deserts are divided into these types according to the causes of their dryness. Subtropical Deserts Subtropical deserts are caused by the circulation patterns of air masses . They are found along the Tropic of Cancer , between 15 and 30 degrees north of the Equator , or along the Tropic of Capricorn , between 15 and 30 degrees south of the Equator . Hot, moist air rises into the atmosphere near the Equator . As the air rises, it cools and drops its moisture as heavy tropical rains. The resulting cooler, drier air mass moves away from the Equator . As it approaches the tropics, the air descends and warms up again. The descending air hinders the formation of clouds , so very little rain falls on the land below. The world’s largest hot desert , the Sahara, is a subtropical desert in northern Africa. The Sahara Desert is almost the size of the entire continental United States. Other subtropical deserts include the Kalahari Desert in southern Africa and the Tanami Desert in northern Australia. Coastal Deserts Cold ocean currents contribute to the formation of coastal deserts . Air blowing toward shore , chilled by contact with cold water, produces a layer of fog . This heavy fog drifts onto land. Although humidity is high, the atmospheric changes that normally cause rainfall are not present. A coastal desert may be almost totally rainless, yet damp with fog . The Atacama Desert , on the Pacific shores of Chile, is a coastal desert . Some areas of the Atacama are often covered by fog . But the region can go decades without rainfall. In fact, the Atacama Desert is the driest place on Earth. Some weather stations in the Atacama have never recorded a drop of rain. Rain Shadow Deserts Rain shadow deserts exist near the leeward slopes of some mountain ranges . Leeward slopes face away from prevailing winds . When moisture-laden air hits a mountain range , it is forced to rise. The air then cools and forms clouds that drop moisture on the windward ( wind -facing) slopes. When the air moves over the mountaintop and begins to descend the leeward slopes, there is little moisture left. The descending air warms up, making it difficult for clouds to form. Death Valley , in the U.S. states of California and Nevada, is a rain shadow desert . Death Valley , the lowest and driest place in North America, is in the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada mountains.

Interior Deserts Interior deserts , which are found in the heart of continents , exist because no moisture-laden winds reach them. By the time air masses from coastal areas reach the interior, they have lost all their moisture. Interior deserts are sometimes called inland deserts . The Gobi Desert , in China and Mongolia, lies hundreds of kilometers from the ocean. Winds that reach the Gobi have long since lost their moisture. The Gobi is also in the rain shadow of the Himalaya mountains to the south. Polar Deserts Parts of the Arctic and the Antarctic are classified as deserts . These polar deserts contain great quantities of water, but most of it is locked in glaciers and ice sheets year-round. So, despite the presence of millions of liters of water, there is actually little available for plants and animals. The largest desert in the world is also the coldest. Almost the entire continent of Ant arctica is a polar desert , experiencing little precipitation . Few organisms can withstand the freezing, dry climate of Ant arctica . Changing Deserts The regions that are deserts today were not always so dry. Between 8000 and 3000 BCE, for example, the Sahara had a much milder, moister climate . Climatologists identify this period as the “ Green Sahara .” Archaeological evidence of past settlements is abundant in the middle of what are arid , unproductive areas of the Sahara today. This evidence includes rock paintings, graves , and tools. Fossils and artifacts show that lime and olive trees, oaks, and oleanders once bloomed in the Sahara. Elephants, gazelles, rhinos, giraffes, and people used stream-fed pools and lakes. There were three or four other moist periods in the Sahara. Similar lush conditions existed as recently as 25,000 years ago. Between the moist periods came periods of dryness much like today’s. The Sahara is not the only desert to have dramatic climate change . The Ghaggar River , in what is now India and Pakistan, was a major water source for Mohenjo-daro , an urban area of the ancient Indus Valley Civilization . Over time, the Ghaggar changed course and now only flows during the rainy monsoon season. Mohenjo-daro is now a part of the vast Thar and Cholistan deserts . Most of Earth’s deserts will continue to undergo periods of climate change . Desert Characteristics Humidity —water vapor in the air—is near zero in most deserts . Light rains often e vaporate in the dry air, never reaching the ground. Rainstorms sometimes come as violent cloudbursts . A cloudburst may bring as much as 25 centimeters (10 inches) of rain in a single hour—the only rain the desert gets all year. Desert humidity is usually so low that not enough water vapor exists to form clouds . The sun’s rays beat down through cloudless skies and bake the land. The ground heats the air so much that air rises in waves you can actually see. These shimmering waves confuse the eye, causing travelers to see distorted images called mirages . Temperature extremes are a characteristic of most deserts . In some deserts , temperatures rise so high that people are at risk of dehydration and even death. At night, these areas cool quickly because they lack the insulation provided by humidity and clouds . Temperatures can drop to 4°C (40°F) or lower. In the Chihuahuan Desert , in the United States and Mexico, temperatures can vary by dozens of degrees in one day. Daytime temperatures in the Chihuahua can climb beyond 37°C (100°F), while nighttime temperatures can dip below freezing (0°C or 32°F).

Winds at speeds of about 100 kilometers per hour (60 miles per hour) sweep through some deserts . With little vegetation to block it, the wind can carry sand and dust across entire continents and even oceans. Windstorms in the Sahara hurl so much material into the air that African dust sometimes crosses the Atlantic Ocean. Sunsets on the Atlantic coast of the U.S. state of Florida, for example, can be tinted yellow. First-time visitors to deserts are often amazed by the unusual landscapes , which may include dunes , towering bare peaks, flat-topped rock formations, and smoothly polished canyons . These features differ from those of wetter regions, which are often gently rounded by regular rainfall and softened by lush vegetation . Water helps carve desert lands. During a sudden storm, water scours the dry, hard-baked land, gathering sand , rocks, and other loose material as it flows. As the muddy water roars downhill, it cuts deep channels, called arroyos or wadis . A thunderstorm can send a fast-moving torrent of water—a flash flood —down a dry arroyo . A flash flood like this can sweep away anything and anyone in its path. Many desert regions di scourage visitors from hiking or camping in arroyos for this reason. Even urban areas in deserts can be vulnerable to flash floods . The city of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, sits in the Arabian Desert . In 2011, Jeddah was struck by a sudden thunderstorm and flash flood . Roads and buildings were washed away, and more than 100 people died. Even in a desert , water and wind eventually wear away softer rock. Sometimes, rock is carved into tablelike formations such as mesas and buttes . At the foot of these formations, water drops its burden of gravel , sand , and other sediment, forming deposits called alluvial fans . Many deserts have no drainage to a river , lake, or ocean. Rainwater, including water from flash floods , collects in large depressions called basins . The shallow lakes that form in basins eventually e vaporate , leaving playas , or salt-surfaced lake beds. Playas , also called sinks, pans, or salt flats , can be hundreds of kilometers wide. The Black Rock Desert in the U.S. state of Nevada, for instance, is all that remains of the prehistoric Lake Lahontan. The hard, flat surface of desert salt flats are often ideal for car racing. In 1997, British pilot Andy Green set the land speed record in Black Rock Desert —1,228 kilometers per hour (763 miles per hour). Green’s vehicle, the ThrustSSC, was the first car to break the sound barrier . Wind is the primary sculptor of a desert ’s hills of sand , called dunes . Wind builds dunes that rise as high as 180 meters (590 feet). Dunes migrate constantly with the wind . They usually shift a few meters a year, but a particularly violent sandstorm can move a dune 20 meters (65 feet) in a single day. Sandstorms may bury everything in their path—rocks, fields, and even towns. One legend holds that the Persian Emperor Cambyses II sent an army of 50,000 men to the Siwa Oasis in western Egypt around 530 BCE. Halfway there, an enormous sandstorm swallowed the entire group. Archaeologists in the Sahara have been unsuccessfully looking for the “Lost Army of Cambyses” ever since. Water in the Desert Rain is usually the main source of water in a desert , but it falls very rarely. Many desert dwellers rely on groundwater , stored in aquifers below the surface. Groundwater comes from rain or other precipitation , like snow or hail. It seeps into the ground, where it can remain for thou sands of years. Underground water sometimes rises to the surface, forming springs or seeps. A fertile green area called an oasis , or cienega , may exist near such a water source. About 90 major, inhabited oases dot the Sahara. These oases are supported by some of the world’s largest supplies of underground water. People, animals, and plants all surround these oases, which provide stable access to water, food, and shelter. When groundwater doesn’t seep to the surface, people often drill into the ground to get to it. Many desert cities, from the American Southwest to the Middle East , rely heavily on such aquifers to fill their water needs. Rural Israeli communities called kibbutzim rely on aquifers to furnish water for crops and even fish farming in the dry Negev Desert .

Drilling into aquifers provides water for drinking, agriculture , industry , and hygiene . However, it comes at a cost to the environment. Aquifers take a long time to refill. If desert communities use groundwater faster than it is replenished, water shortages can occur. The Mojave Desert , in southern California and Nevada, for instance, is sinking due to aquifer depletion . The booming desert communities of Las Vegas, Nevada, and California’s “ Inland Empire ” are using water faster than the aquifer is being refilled. The water level in the aquifer has sunk as much as 30 meters (100 feet) since the 1950s, while the land above the aquifer has sunk as much as 10 centimeters (4 inches). Rivers sometimes provide water in a desert . The Colorado River , for instance, flows through three deserts in the American Southwest: the Great Basin , the Sonoran, and the Mojave. Seven states—Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona, and California—rely on the river for some of their water supply. People often modify rivers to help distribute and store water in a desert . The Nile River ecosystem dominates the eastern part of the Sahara Desert , for instance. The Nile provides the most reliable, plentiful source of freshwater in the region. Between 1958 and 1971, the government of Egypt constructed a massive dam on the Upper Nile (the southern part of the river , near Egypt’s border with Sudan). The Aswan Dam harnesses the power of the Nile for hydroelectricity used in in dustry . It also stores water in a manmade lake, Lake Nasser, to protect the country’s communities and agriculture against drought . Construction of the Aswan High Dam was a huge engineering project. Local desert communities can divert rivers on a smaller scale. Throughout the Middle East , communities have dug artificial wadis , where freshwater can flow during rainy seasons. In countries like Yemen, artificial wadis can carry enough water for whitewater rafting trips during certain times of the year. When deserts and water supplies cross state and national borders, people often fight over water rights . This has happened among the states in the Colorado River Basin , which have negotiated for many years over the division of the river ’s water. Rapidly expanding populations in California, Nevada, and Arizona have compounded the problem. Agreements that were made in the early 20th century failed to account for Native American water rights . Mexican access to the Colorado, which has its delta in the Mexican state of Baja California, was ignored. Desert agriculture , including cotton production, demanded a large portion of the Colorado. The environmental impact of dams was not considered when the structures were built. States of the Colorado River Basin continue to negotiate today to prepare for population growth, agricultural development , and the possibility of future droughts . Life in the Desert Plants and animals adapt to desert habitats in many ways. Desert plants grow far apart, allowing them to obtain as much water around them as possible. This spacing gives some desert regions a desolate appearance. In some deserts , plants have unique leaves to capture sunlight for photosynthesis , the process plants use to make food. Small pores in the leaves, called stomata , take in carbon dioxide . When they open, they also release water vapor . In the desert , all these stomata would quickly dry out a plant. So desert plants typically have tiny, waxy leaves. Cactuses have no leaves at all. They produce food in their green stems. Some desert plants, such as cactuses , have shallow, wide-spreading root systems . The plants soak up water quickly and store it in their cells . Saguaro cactuses , which live in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona and northern Mexico, expand like accordions to store water in the cells of their trunks and branches. A large saguaro is a living storage tower that can hold hundreds of liters of water. Other desert plants have very deep roots. The roots of a mesquite tree, for example, can reach water more than 30 meters (100 feet) underground. Mesquites , saguaros, and many other desert plants also have thorns to protect them from grazing animals . Many desert plants are annuals , which means they only live for one season. Their seeds may lie dormant for years during long dry spells. When rain finally comes, the seeds sprout rapidly. Plants grow, bloom, produce new seeds, and die, often in a short span of time. A soaking rain can change a desert into a wonderland of flowers almost overnight.

Animals that have adapted to a desert environment are called xerocoles . Xerocoles include species of insects, reptiles, birds, and mammals. Some xerocoles avoid the sun by resting in scarce shade. Many escape the heat in cool burrows they dig in the ground. The fennec fox, for example, is native to the Sahara Desert . Fennec fox communities work together to dig large burrows , some as large as 93 square meters (1,000 square feet). Dew can collect in these burrows , providing the foxes with fresh water. However, fennec foxes have adapted so they do not have to drink water at all: Their kidneys retain enough water from the food they eat. Most xerocoles are nocturnal . They sleep through the hot days and do their hunting and foraging at night. Deserts that seem desolate during the day are very active in the cool nighttime air. Foxes, coyotes, rats, and rabbits are all nocturnal desert mammals. Snakes and lizards are familiar desert reptiles. Insects such as moths and flies are abundant in the desert . Most desert birds are restricted to areas near water, such as river banks. However, some birds, such as the roadrunner, have adapted to life in the desert . The roadrunner, native to the deserts of North America, obtains water from its food. Some xerocoles have bodies that help them handle the heat. A desert tortoise’s thick shell insulates the animal and reduces water loss. Sand lizards, native to the deserts of Europe and Asia, are nicknamed “dancing lizards” because of the way they quickly lift one leg at a time off the hot desert sand . A jackrabbit’s long ears contain blood vessels that release heat. Some desert vultures urinate on their own legs, cooling them by e vaporation . Many desert animals have developed ingenious ways of getting the water they need. The thorny devil, a lizard that lives in the Australian Outback , has a system of tiny grooves and channels on its body that lead to its mouth. The lizard catches rain and dew in these grooves and sucks them into its mouth by gulping. Camels are very efficient water users. The animals do not store water in their humps, as people once believed. The humps store fat. Hydrogen molecules in the fat combine with inhaled oxygen to form water. During a shortage of food or water, camels draw upon this fat for nutrition and moisture. Dromedary camels, native to the Arabian and Sahara deserts , can lose up to 30 percent of their body weight without harm. Camels, nicknamed “ships of the desert ,” are widely used for transportation, meat, and milk in the Maghreb (a region in Northwest Africa), the Middle East , and the Indian Sub continent . People and the Desert About 1 billion people live in deserts . Many of these people rely on centuries-old customs to make their lives as comfortable as possible Civilizations throughout the Middle East and Maghreb have adapted their clothing to the hot, dry conditions of the Sahara and Arabian deserts . Clothing is versatile and based on robes made of rectangles of fabric. Long-sleeved, full-length, and often white, these robes shield all but the head and hands from the wind , sand , heat, and cold. White reflects sunlight, and the loose fit allows cooling air to flow across the skin. These robes of loose cloth can be adjusted (folded) for length, sleeves, and pockets, depending on the wearer and the climate . A thobe is a full-length, long-sleeved white robe. An abaya is a sleeveless cloak that protects the wearer from dust and heat. A djebba is a short, square pullover shirt worn by men. A kaffiyeh is a rectangular piece of cloth folded loosely around the head to protect the wearer from sun exposure, dust , and sand . It can be folded and unfolded to cover the mouth, nose, and eyes. Kaffiyehs are secured around the head with a cord called an agal . A turban is similar to a kaffiyeh , but wrapped around the head instead of being secured with an agal . Turbans are also much longer—up to six meters (20 feet)! Desert dwellers have also adapted their shelters for the unique climate . The ancient Anasazi peoples of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico constructed huge apartment complexes in the rocky cliffs of the Sonoran Desert . These cliff dwellings, sometimes dozens of meters off the ground, were constructed with thick, earthen walls that provided insulation . Although temperatures outside varied greatly from day to night, temperatures inside did not. Tiny, high windows let in only a little light and helped keep out dust and sand .

The need to find food and water has led many desert civilizations to become nomadic . Nomadic cultures are those that do not have permanent settlements. In the deserts of the Middle East and Asia, nomadic tent communities continue to flourish . Tent walls are made of thick, sturdy cloth that can keep out sand and dust , but also allow cool breezes to blow through. Tents can be rolled up and transported on pack animals (usually horses, donkeys, or camels). Nomads move frequently so their flocks of sheep and goats will have water and grazing land. Besides animals like camels and goats, a variety of desert vegetation is found in oases and along the shores of rivers and lakes. Figs, olives, and oranges thrive in desert oases and have been harvested for centuries. Some desert areas rely on resources brought from more fertile areas—food trucked in from distant farmlands or, more frequently, water piped from wetter regions. Large areas of desert soil are irrigated by water pumped from underground sources or brought by canal from distant rivers or lakes. The booming Inland Empire of southeastern California is made up of deserts (the Mojave and the Sonoran) that rely on water for agriculture , in dustry , and residential development. Canals and aqueducts supply the Inland Empire with water from the Colorado River , to the east, and the Sierra Nevada snowmelt to the north. A variety of crops can thrive in these irrigated oases. Sugar cane is a very water-intensive crop mostly harvested in tropical regions. However, sugar cane is also harvested in the deserts of Pakistan and Australia. Water for irrigation is transported from hundreds of kilometers away, or drilled from hundreds of meters underground. Oases in desert climates have been popular spots for tourists for centuries. Spas ring the Dead Sea, a saline lake in the Judean Desert of Israel and Jordan. The Dead Sea has had flourishing spas since the time of King David . Air transportation and the development of air conditioning have made the sunny climate of deserts even more accessible and attractive to people from colder regions. Populations at resorts like Palm Springs , California, and Las Vegas, Nevada, have boomed. Desert parks, such as Death Valley National Park, California, attract thou sands of visitors every year. People who migrate to the warm, dry desert for the winter and return to more temperate climates in the spring are sometimes called “ snowbirds .” In rural areas, hot days turn into cool nights, providing welcome relief from the scorching sun. But in cities, structures like buildings, roads, and parking lots hold on to daytime heat long after the sun sets. The temperature stays high even at night, making the city an “island” of heat in the middle of the desert . This is called the urban heat island effect. It is less pronounced in desert cities than cities built in heavily forested areas. Cities like New York City, New York, and Atlanta, Georgia, can be 5 degrees warmer than the surrounding area. New York was built on wetland habitat , and Atlanta was built in a wooded area. Cities like Phoenix, Arizona, or Kuwait City, Kuwait, have a much smaller urban heat island effect. They may be only slightly warmer than the surrounding desert . Deserts can hold economically valuable resources that drive civilizations and economies. The most notable desert resource in the world is the massive oil reserves in the Arabian Desert of the Middle East . More than half of the proven oil reserves in the world lie beneath the sands of the Arabian Desert , mostly in Saudi Arabia. The oil in dustry draws companies, migrant workers, engineers, geologists , and biologists to the Middle East . Desertification Desertification is the process of productive cropland turning into non-productive, desert -like environments. Desertification usually happens in semi- arid areas that border deserts . Human activities are a primary cause of desertification . These activities include overgrazing of livestock , deforestation , overcultivation of farmland, and poor irrigation practices. Overgrazing and de forestation remove plants that anchor the soil. As a result, wind and water erode the nutrient -rich topsoil . Hooves from grazing livestock compact the soil, preventing it from absorbing water and fertilizers . Agricultural production is devastated , and the economy of a region suffers.

The deserts of Patagonia , the largest in South America, are expanding due to desertification . Patagonia is a major agricultural region where non-native species such as cattle and sheep graze on grassland . Sheep and cattle have reduced the native vegetation in Patagonia , causing loss of valuable topsoil . More than 30 percent of the grasslands of Argentina, Chile, and Bolivia are faced with desertification . People often overuse natural resources to survive and profit in the short term, while neglecting long-term sustainability . Madagascar, for instance, is a tropical island in the Indian Ocean. Seeking greater economic opportunities, farmers in Madagascar engaged in slash-and-burn agriculture . This method relies on cutting and burning forests to create fields for crops . Unfortunately, at the time farmers were investing in slash-and-burn agriculture , Madagascar experienced long-term droughts . With little vegetation to anchor it, the thin topsoil quickly eroded . The island’s central plateau is now a barren desert . Rapid population growth also can lead to overuse of resources , killing plant life and depleting nutrients from the soil. Lake Chad is a source of freshwater for four countries on the edge of the Sahara Desert : Chad, Cameroon, Niger, and Nigeria. These developing countries use Lake Chad’s shallow waters for agriculture , in dustry , and hygiene . Since the 1960s, Lake Chad has shrunk to half its size. Desertification has severely reduced the wetland habitats surrounding the lake, as well as its fishery and grazing lands. Desertification is not new. In the 1930s, parts of the Great Plains of North America became the “ Dust Bowl ” through a combination of drought and poor farming practices. Millions of people had to leave their farms and seek a living in other parts of the country. Desertification is an increasing problem. Every year, about 6 million square kilometers (2.3 million square miles) of land become useless for cultivation due to desertification . The Sahara Desert crept 100 kilometers (39 miles) south between 1950 and 1975. South Africa is losing 300-400 million metric tons (330-441 short tons) of topsoil each year. Many countries are working to reduce the rates of desertification . Trees and other vegetation are being planted to break the force of the wind and to hold the soil. Windbreaks made of trees have been planted throughout the Sahel , the southern border region of the Sahara Desert . These windbreaks anchor the soil and prevent sand from invading populated areas. In China’s Tengger Desert , researchers have developed another way to control wandering dunes . They anchor the drifting sand with a gridlike network of straw fences. Straw is poked partway into the sand , forming a pattern of small squares along the contours of the dunes . The resulting fences break the force of the wind at ground level, stopping dune movement by confining the sand within the squares of the grid. New technologies are also being developed to combat desertification . “ Nanoclay ” is a substance sprayed on desert sands that acts as a binding agent. Nanoclay keeps the sand moist, clumping it together and preventing it from blowing away. Deserts Get Hotter Rising temperatures can have huge effects on fragile desert ecosystems . Global warming is the most current instance of climate change . Human activities such as burning fossil fuels contribute to global warming . In deserts , temperatures are rising even faster than the global average. This warming has effects beyond simply making hot deserts hotter. For example, increasing temperatures lead to the loss of nitrogen , an important nutrient , from the soil. Heat prevents microbes from converting nutrients to nitrates , which are necessary for almost all living things. This can reduce the already limited plant life in deserts . Climate change also affects rainfall patterns. Climate scientists predict that global warming will lead to more rainfall in some regions, but less rainfall in other places. Areas facing reduced precipitation include areas with some of the largest deserts in the world: North Africa (Sahara), the American Southwest (Sonoran and Chihuahuan), the southern Andes ( Patagonia ), and western Australia (Great Victoria). In literature and in legend, deserts are often described as hostile places to avoid. Today, people value desert resources and biodiversity . Communities, governments , and organizations are working to preserve desert habitats and increase desert productivity.

Devil of a Storm Dust devils are common in hot deserts. They look like tiny tornadoes, but they start on the ground rather than in the sky. When patches of ground get very hot, the heated air above them begins to rise and spin. This whirling column of hot air picks up dust and dirt. These spinning columns of dirt can rise hundreds of feet in the air.

Freak Floods Deserts are defined by their dryness. However, flash floods take more lives in deserts than thirst does.

Hot and Cold Deserts The largest hot desert in the world is the Sahara, which is 9 million square kilometers (3.5 million square miles). It isn't the hottest place on Earth, though. That distinction belongs to Death Valley, in California's Mojave Desert. The highest temperature on Earth was recorded there: 56.7 C (134.1 F). The largest polar desert is Antarctica, at 13 million square kilometers (5 million square miles). Antarctica boasts the lowest official temperature recorded on Earth: -89.2 C (-128.6 F), recorded on July 21, 1983.

Rising from the Ashes The desert city of Phoenix, Arizona, is named for the mythical desert bird that burns to death only to be reborn, rising from its own ashes. The city of Phoenix was built on top of the ruins of canals built by the Hohokam people between 500 and 1450 CE. The Hohokam used the canals to irrigate their crops. Modern-day residents also rely on an extensive canal system to provide irrigation.

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The Sahara Desert: Everything to Know About the Largest Desert in the World

The largest hot desert in the world is vast and desolate, yet the sahara is also home to a diverse array of plant, animal, and human life..

 Two Tuareg nomads leading a camel in the Sahara Desert, Morocco.

It is the biggest desert of its kind in the world — almost as big as the entirety of the United States.

Despite its desolation, it is nevertheless home to millions of people and hundreds of species of plant and animal life. It is dry, hot, and inhospitable in a way that would be hard for many people on the planet to fathom, yet it is also a land of incredible life and diversity. Here’s what we know about the Sahara Desert.

What Is the Largest Desert in the World?

Probably the first thing worth knowing is that the Sahara is not, in actuality, the biggest desert on the planet. At their most basic, deserts are defined as areas that receive less than 10 inches of rain per year. By that measure, Antarctica is actually the largest desert on Earth, occupying an area of about 5.5 million square miles, with the Arctic coming in second, at nearly 5.4 million square miles.

Read More: The Most Interesting Archaeological Finds Discovered in Antarctica

Yes, it seems weird that the Sahara should come in third in a desert-measuring contest, but there you have it. However, at 3.6 million square miles, the Sahara absolutely is the biggest hot desert in the world, by a wide margin: It’s more than three times the size of the next biggest desert (the Great Australian Desert) and almost quadruple the size of the Arabian Desert.

Where Is the Sahara Desert?

The name Sahara itself comes from the Arabic word for desert. The English word desert comes from the Latin desertum , denoting a place that is forsaken, uninhabited or without people. In fact, the Sahara is far from uninhabited. The desert is located mainly in northern Africa, spread across 10 different countries (11 if you include Western Sahara , a disputed territory) and is therefore home to as many as 2.5 million people.

Still, there’s no mistaking the fact that the Sahara Desert is, well, a desert. As such, it is one of the harshest environments on the planet. Large swaths of it are intensely harsh and inhospitable to life — human life, anyway.

Do People Live in the Sahara Desert?

Like many other deserts on the planet, the Sahara does indeed have Indigenous populations within its borders, including nomadic Arabs, Bedouins, and Berbers — one of the largest groups, which is historically made up of several different ethnic tribes, including the Tuareg .

Read More: Power to the People — By Plugging into the Sahara

While 2.5 million people sounds like a lot, bear in mind that most of those populations are clustered in cities and towns. Given the overall size of the Sahara, that number averages out to less than one person for every square mile of desert.

How Deep is the Sand in the Sahara Desert?

When you’re talking about an area of almost 4 million square miles, averages are not terribly representative, but for the record: the average depth of sand across the entire Sahara is about 16 feet.

The Sahara is certainly known for its sand dunes , which cover as much as a quarter of the desert. Those dunes can be as high as 600 feet, well above the average. That said, it’s important to remember that the Sahara actually has a varied landscape, including rocky areas and even mountains .

How Hot Is the Sahara Desert?

Like many deserts on Earth, the Sahara can broil you during the day and freeze you once the sun goes down. Yes, it surely is hot and dry, but the Sahara doesn’t hold claim to being the hottest place on Earth. Guinness World Records maintains that that distinction still belongs to Death Valley, California, where a high temperature of 134 degrees Fahrenheit was recorded in 1913.

Nevertheless, the Sahara is hot enough to make the average person rethink trekking across it without a seriously wide-brimmed hat and an awful lot of water. Research suggests that once you get above 104 degrees, the human body starts to function at less than optimum levels, with 122 degrees being the edge of what most humans can realistically withstand for any length of time. Depending on the location and the season, temperatures in the Sahara can get to as high as 117 degrees Fahrenheit in summer — a temperature that is almost literally baking. As if that wasn’t bad enough, once the sun goes down, you’ll stop baking and start dying from the cold: At night, the desert can get as bone-chillingly cold as 25 degrees Fahrenheit.

What Animals Live in the Sahara Desert?

And yet life, as the saying goes, finds a way. Despite its challenging environment, the Sahara also supports a diverse range of plant and animal life. Estimates say that more than 500 different types of plants call the Sahara home, as do more than 250 different species of birds, mammals, reptiles, plus scorpions, spiders, and other tiny critters beyond counting.

Read More: These Rare Adaptations Help Animals Survive in the Desert

Some of the most well-known animals include, but are by no means limited to: antelopes, gazelles, camels, cheetahs, foxes and other wild dogs, ostriches and much, much more. Plant life , especially near water-rich oases, include olive, cypress, and palm trees, as well as a variety of grasses and other desert-adapted vegetable matter.

Does It Rain in the Sahara Desert?

Although it gets as little as 3 inches of rain per year — way below what is required to be designated as a desert — the Sahara does still harbor several bodies of water . In fact, deep beneath the wastes of the Sahara, you'll find one of the planet’s largest reservoirs of underground water. The desert also holds nearly 100 significant oases that provide solace and shelter to both nomadic travelers and the many forms of life that have adapted to the desert wastes.

Was the Sahara Always a Desert?

The truth is, the Sahara isn’t all that old. As little as 11,000 years ago, the Sahara wasn’t a desert at all, but a green and vibrant savannah that also included at least one massive lake. Indeed, the region used to be subject to annual monsoons, which naturally doused the land with plenty of moisture.

Alas, beginning around 4200 B.C.E. and continuing for another 2,000 years, the climate changed, the monsoons shifted south, the big lakes dried up (or went underground) and the area became much more arid. At least for now.

But in the future, climatologists predict that, as the axis of the Earth shifts (as it does from time to time), the now-desolate Sahara could once again become a lush grassland (as it does every 20,000 years or so), sustaining much more than the current meager life that it supports.

Read More: Swimming in the Sahara

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This Palm Desert restaurant is one of the best. What you have to try on the Balkan menu

what is desert review

Alps Village is a family-owned-and-operated restaurant in Palm Desert, and this week, it has made national news: Along with 46 other restaurants, Alps Village was included in the 2024 USA TODAY Restaurants of the Year list. 

"I really can't believe it. This is amazing news," owner Blanka Sanin said. "Everything we do and serve comes from the heart here."

What makes Alps Village stand out

There's a family connection to almost every aspect of Alps Village. Chef Milka Damjanovic, from former Yugoslavia, worked in German kitchens during the Yugoslavian war in the 1990s, when she experimented with various German flavors. When she returned home, she opened a bakery.

In the early 2000s, her daughter, Blanka Sanin, moved to the United States, and other members of the family followed. With everyone together and with an overwhelming passion for food, the family often treated friends to Balkan delicacies with positive results. Sanin then decided to open Alps Village in 2016, serving dishes from Germany, Bosnia, Croatia and Serbia.

The interior is just bursting with cozy European charm, with wooden tables, barrel-looking chairs and scenic photos of, you guessed it, villages from the Alps. The food, however, takes the top spot. Every item comes from Damjanovic and Sanin's personal recipes, and you can taste the housemade quality in every bite. But don't just take our word for it: The restaurant was one of the highest-rated and best-reviewed businesses on Yelp in 2023.

What's the best restaurant near you? Check out USA TODAY's 2024 Restaurants of the Year.

What to order at Alps Village

Cevapcici. One of the most traditional Balkan meals you can find. These beef sausages (Sanin grounds up the meat herself) are so chewy that they practically melt in your mouth. They're served on a lepina (Balkan pita bread) and with a side of onions and kajmak, the perfect cheesy spread to dip your sausages in.

Jägerschnitzel. There are a variety of wiener schnitzel options on the menu, but the Jägerschnitzel cannot be beat. The breaded cutlet (your choice of pork, chicken or veal) is topped with a mushroom gravy sauce that is rich in flavor. Enjoy with a side of mashed potatoes or spätzle noodles.

Pizza. You can't go wrong with any of Alps Village's pizza selections. The Alps features a unique ingredient combination consisting of alfredo sauce, shredded mozzarella, bacon, caramelized onions, chopped walnuts, arugula and a balsamic glaze that you likely won't find anywhere else. Other standouts include a classic margherita and the Balkan if you're really into cevapcici.

Sljivovic . Alps Village's signature drink is a traditional plum brandy that is popular in the Balkan region.

See the full menu .

Did you know?

Open for brunch/lunch: If you're craving Alps Village for more than just dinner, you can join them 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. They're serving up even more unique menu items for early customers, including goulash fries and eggs, a bratwurst sandwich and the Alps omelet.

Details: 77-734 Country Club Drive, Suite F, Palm Desert, CA; 760-200-5400, www.alpsvillage.com .

USA TODAY's Restaurants of the Year: How the list of best restaurants was decided

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Palm Desert Restaurants

Make a free reservation, check out diners' favorite restaurants in palm desert.

Updated on 2/5/2024

Diners’ Choice Awards are based on where your fellow diners book, dine, and review. Only verified diners get to review restaurants on OpenTable, so our data doesn’t lie.

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See what locals rave about in Palm Desert

  • PB PierceB Edmonton / Northern Alberta • 1 review 5.0 Dined 1 day ago Perfect date night restaurant. Mature, professional servers. Prompt and flawless service. Authentic, high quality and delicious Italian food. We had leftovers to take home that were just as delicious the next day, no skimpy portions here. Can’t give a 5 to any restaurant for value with prices these days, but I’d go back and gladly spend the money again! More info Mimmo's Italian Restaurant $$ $$ Price: Moderate • Italian • Palm Desert • 4.6
  • RJ RodolfoJ Palm Springs / Palm Desert Cities • 11 reviews 5.0 Dined 1 day ago Our waitress Bailey was wonderful. Was very attentive to us. Great waitress More info Sullivan's Steakhouse - Palm Desert $$$ $ Price: Expensive • Steakhouse • Palm Desert • 4
  • OT OpenTable Diner vip Greater Boston • 5 reviews 5.0 Dined 1 day ago We had a really wonderful meal at Mastro’s for Valentine’s Day. Our server Lance was attentive, but gave us plenty of time. The food was wonderful, I had swordfish and my husband had steak, both were cooked to perfection. The swordfish is peppercorn crusted and once I removed a little of it I could really enjoy the most perfectly cooked swordfish I’ve ever had. Just a nice experience all around. More info Mastro's Steakhouse - Palm Desert $$$$ Price: Very Expensive • Steak • Palm Desert • 4.6
  • OT OpenTable Diner West Palm Beach • 1 review 5.0 Dined 2 days ago We celebrated our anniversary last night and with our server being Pinto, we had an excellent experience. From beginning to end, the whole evening was memorable and more special than expected. We cannot wait to celebrate more special moments at Ruth Chris. More info Ruth's Chris Steak House - Palm Desert $$$$ Price: Very Expensive • Steakhouse • Palm Desert • 4.7
  • TC TheColonel San Francisco Bay Area • 208 reviews 5.0 Dined 2 days ago Alrighty then last night's dinner was, you guessed it at "one of our favorite restaurants"! This one in Palm Desert it's called Pacifica seafood on the second story overlooking the town, and of course has absolutely great wonderful food and lovely, outdoor seating. The weather has been really good in the high 60s during the day but at night time dropping into the 40s so as most all the restaurants do down here they have outdoor patio heaters, so we were comfy warm last night. We lucked out because Tuesday is their 50% off every bottle of wine no matter what they have so we ordered a lovely Santa Margarita Prosecco  ($26). We both ordered fish dinners, glazed salmon, and pan seared Seabass with boc choy and sticky rice ,Caesar salad(disappointing, premade, stale and boring dressing ) and their clam chowder soup full of chunky clams- which we were completely enamored over! I was totally amazed that all my decades of eating Caesar salad our waitress was the first person to absolutely know everything about the salad, where it was invented who invented it , why it was invented, and everything else about it- totally .?amazing. We continue to highly recommend Pacifica Seafood Restaurant ! More info Pacifica Seafood Restaurant $$$ $ Price: Expensive • Seafood • Palm Desert • 4.7

Trending dishes in Palm Desert

Discover palm desert.

Palm Springs may be located in the midst of the desert, but it is a veritable oasis of culinary delights. While the Palm Desert neighborhood is best known for its mid-century American diner scene with classic hamburgers and oversized milkshakes, the people of Palm Springs have created an international fusion to delight every palate. This quaint yet entertaining district features Mexican, Italian, Thai and Hawaiian fare, just to name a few. The hotels are a great place to find the unique Palm Springs blend of diners and luxurious atmosphere, especially when you're craving brunch with a group of friends. For you night owls, Palm Springs offers a nightlife full of bars that pair mouthwatering cocktails with delectable small plates and bites.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best restaurants in palm desert for a special occasion.

Celebrate special occasion at the best restaurants in Palm Desert. Our customers recommend Pacifica Seafood Restaurant , Castelli's and Ruth's Chris Steak House - Palm Desert

How many restaurants are on OpenTable in Palm Desert?

As of February 16, 2024 there are 64 restaurants in Palm Desert. Filter by “outdoor dining”, “romantic” or “dog friendly”.

What cuisines are available near me in Palm Desert?

On OpenTable we support all cuisines. Find Italian, American, Seafood, Californian, Steakhouse and more. Use our filters to find exactly what you’re looking for and make your reservation today.

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Yes! We partner with restaurants in Palm Desert who deliver with Uber Eats, Postmates, ChowNow, Toast, Olo.

Can I order takeout as well?

Yes, you can also see restaurants near you offering takeout.

Can I reserve a table at a restaurant as well on OpenTable?

Yes! OpenTable provides free, convenient and trusted options to book the best restaurants in Palm Desert either on OpenTable or directly with the restaurant.

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Two young Belgian policemen in black uniforms lie on the floor looking distressed. Behind them, people are being loaded onto a truck

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There’s bleak, and then there’s Netflix’s Nazi occupation thriller, Will

This drama about World War II collaboration and resistance is astonishingly brutal

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Share All sharing options for: There’s bleak, and then there’s Netflix’s Nazi occupation thriller, Will

Will , Netflix’s imported Belgian movie about the moral impossibility of life under Nazi occupation during World War II, announces itself with shocking bluntness. Within its first 10 minutes, it’s made clear that co-writer and director Tim Mielants intends to confront the grisly horrors of the Holocaust head-on. But it’s also apparent that the film is constructed more like a thriller than a somber drama, and it tightens the screws on its lead character — young policeman Wilfried Wils (Stef Aerts) — in a series of breathless setups with escalating stakes.

It’s an effective way to pull viewers into empathizing with the awful dilemmas faced by an occupied population, and into bearing fresh witness to familiar horrors. But the thriller genre sets up expectations — climax, catharsis, redemption — which risk trivializing the material, and set something of an ethical trap. Who’s going to fall into it: the filmmakers, or the audience? Mielants is too tough-minded to be caught, it turns out, but that’s bad news for the rest of us. Will nurses a glimmer of hope in the darkness, only to snuff it out completely. This is a bleak, bleak movie.

It’s 1942, and Wil (referred to in the subtitles by the Dutch spelling of his name, despite the English title Will ) and Lode (Matteo Simoni) are fresh recruits to the police force in the port city of Antwerp. Before their first patrol, their commanding officer, Jean (Jan Bijvoet), hands out regulation platitudes about the police being “mediators between our people and the Germans.” Then he sheds that pretense and offers some off-the-record advice: “You stand there and you just watch.” The ambiguity of these words echoes through the whole movie. Is it cowardice to stand by and watch the Nazis at work, or heroism to refuse to cooperate with them? Are the occupied Belgians washing their hands of the Nazis’ crimes, or bearing witness to them?

Wil and Lode don’t have long to contemplate these questions. No sooner have they left the station on their first patrol than a ranting, drugged-up German soldier demands they accompany him on the arrest of some people who “refuse to work”: a Jewish family, in other words. The young men are initially paralyzed by the situation, but things spiral out of control, more through desperation than heroic resistance on the part of the two policemen. In the aftermath, Lode and Wil return to work in a state of paranoid terror.

Wil, a young police officer with curly ginger hair, walks up stairs in a grand chamber decorated with Nazi flags. A German officer watches from a balcony

Mielants, working with screenwriter Carl Joos from a novel by Jeroen Olyslaegers, wastes no time in using this premise to explore the paranoid quagmire of the occupied city. Can the two young men trust each other? Where do their sympathies lie? Wil’s civil-servant father leads him to seek help from local worthy Felix Verschaffel (the excellent Dirk Roofthooft), who boasts of being friends with the Germans’ commanding officer, Gregor Schnabel (Dimitrij Schaad). Suddenly, Wil is indebted to a greedy, antisemitic collaborator.

Meanwhile, Lode’s mistrustful family — especially his fiery sister Yvette (Annelore Crollet) — want to know more. Does Wil speak any German at home? What radio station does he listen to? In occupied Antwerp — a region where German and French phrases naturally mix in with the local Dutch dialect — an innocent choice of word or of leisure listening comes freighted with dangerous political significance. “There isn’t much on the radio,” Wil responds. “Can you recommend something?”

Time and again during the movie, Wil uses deflections like this to squirm out of taking a position on the occupation. But eventually, he starts working to save Jewish lives. Actions may speak louder than words, but even in the teeth of a febrile affair with Yvette, Wil continues to keep his words to himself. As Schnabel’s net closes in, Wil’s caution keeps him and his friends alive, but the cost is heavy.

It’s a bold move to center a thriller about the Holocaust on a protagonist who, on some level, refuses to pick a side. We can only empathize with Wil because Mielants so effectively loads almost every scene and line of dialogue with implicit threat. Will is a tense, dark, frightening movie, filmed claustrophobically in a boxy ratio with lenses that blur the edge of the frame. The acting is intense (sometimes to a fault), and there are frequent bursts of unpleasant, graphic violence as the pressure builds.

A man with a hat and a pointed white beard with no moustache raises his arms in triumph in front of a burning synagogue. He’s holding a gun

But even though Schaad sometimes seems to be doing a weak impression of Christoph Waltz’s Hans Landa in Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds , Will isn’t that movie, and Mielants isn’t interested in Tarantino’s style of catharsis. At the end of the movie, the vicious, inescapable trap he set for all the characters simply snaps shut. Will shows that under the remorseless illogic of Nazi occupation, survival is collaboration, and resistance is death.

That’s a miserable payload for the movie to carry, and it’s debatable how constructive it is. Jonathan Glazer’s chilling The Zone of Interest , currently in theaters, shows that challenging new perspectives on the human mechanics of the Holocaust are as essential now as they have ever been. Thirty years ago, Schindler’s List achieved something similar, and just as necessary, through radically different means: It found a thread of hope and compassion that could lead a wide audience into the heart of the nightmare and throw it into relief.

Will is too burdened by its point of view to manage anything similar. It’s clear-sighted on the cruel compromises of occupation and collaboration, but so fatalistic about them that it winds up wallowing in its own guilt and hopelessness. That’s a dark kind of truth, and not necessarily one that anyone needs to hear.

Will is streaming on Netflix now.

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  • >> Live Well

Explore a desert oasis 90 miles from Las Vegas

The refuge’s 5,382 protected acres are a year-round desert oasis for wildlife and an important food-and-lodging stop for migratory birds.

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Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge shines in every season, but winter offers visitors some of the prettiest and most peaceful walking of the year.

Located about 90 miles north of Las Vegas, the often placid Upper Pahranagat Lake is circled by a path where leafless trees along the shore weave an intricate latticework of branches that provide perches for occasional bald eagles and red-tailed hawks. When the sun is bright and winds are light, winter is also a good time to be on the moderately challenging Davenport Trail that leads hikers over desert hills between the upper lake and the refuge’s visitor center.

Shorter, easier paths wind around the visitor center and offer an introduction to a riparian habitat that has lured people and animals for thousands of years. Pahranagat means “valley of shining water” in the Paiute or Nuwuvi language.

The refuge’s 5,382 protected acres are a year-round desert oasis for wildlife and an important food-and-lodging stop for migratory birds as they navigate the Pacific Flyway. During fall and winter, thousands of ducks and geese make their home in these Lincoln County waters.

Hunting is allowed on the refuge in the lower Pahranagat Valley on Saturdays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. No hunting is allowed on Upper Pahranagat Lake or near the visitor center, but Sundays, Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays are still preferred days for hiking there.

Refuge visitors have several trail choices and can patch together shorter or longer paths to map a desirable mix of mileage and personal interest.

Davenport Trail

On a recent Sunday, we traveled U.S. Highway 93 north toward Alamo and looked for the sign that marks Pahranagat’s visitor center turnoff about 1½ hours from Las Vegas. Our plan was to leave our car parked at the visitor center for much of the day. Typically, we start refuge visits 3 miles farther up U.S. 93 at Upper Pahranagat Lake for a hike around the lake, but this time we wanted to start on the 1.7-mile Davenport Trail, which leads to the upper lake from the visitor center.

The trail begins near the visitor center’s parking lot with a sign that’s marked with the Davenport name and diamond shapes, which have been used by the Nuwuvi to symbolize and advocate respect for resources and traditions on their ancestral land. Rocks line the wide packed-dirt Davenport Trail as it winds through upland desert and past creosote, bursage, Joshua trees and various cactuses, including cholla and hedgehog. Flying overhead during separate points on our hike were a pair of red-tailed hawks and an immature bald eagle.

The trail’s gradual ascent intensified fairly quickly, but the work was worth the panoramic payoff. From hilltops on the Davenport Trail, it’s easy to see why the Nuwuvi called the area “valley of shining water.” Lake water can be seen shimmering in opposite directions in the lower and upper parts of the valley.

In winter, some of the only green comes from spiky clumps on Joshua trees, members of the agave family. Under the big sky of Nevada, browns, mauves and dark grays are dominant colors on the surrounding mountains, and layers of silver from cottonwood trees line Upper Pahranagat Lake’s shore. Golden marshland reeds and grasses near the shore mix with the landscape’s layers of burgundy from dried-up remains of flowering yerba mansa and of rust from spent desert trumpet plants.

The scenery is stunning along the Davenport Trail, which is named in honor of a pair of refuge volunteers.

Hiking options

Once Davenport hikers arrive at the upper lake’s shoreline, one option is to loop back to the visitor center along the Waterway Trail, which is a scenic part of a dirt road open only to authorized refuge vehicles. That option means about a 3-mile hike total. The second option is to step onto the Upper Lake Trail at the end of the Davenport Trail for what will amount to a 6-mile grand total by the time hikers return to the visitor center. Those who choose the longer route can return to the visitor center via the Waterway Trail or go back in the reverse direction on the Davenport Trail after completing the Upper Lake Trail.

Walking along the Upper Lake Trail gives visitors the greatest chances of seeing birds of prey on fishing expeditions and wintering ducks loafing in the water. Small mammals are also a possibility. If conditions are right, those walking across the lake’s dike will have a terrific vantage point to photograph remarkable reflections of surrounding mountains and shorelines. In December and January, visitors on this trail also have the best opportunities to see and hear wintering tundra swans on the lake.

After crossing the dike in the direction of the day-use picnic area, hikers will take a right to follow a dirt road that parallels the lake (part of the Upper Lake Trail) and pass several campsites. At the end of the line of campsites and close to public restrooms, the Waterway Trail begins. The trail parallels U.S. 93 for a little less than a mile before reaching a road and trails that approach the visitor center. As the name would suggest, Waterway Trail includes sights and sounds of a stream and the riparian habitat that helps support life in Pahranagat Valley.

The currently closed Black Canyon petroglyph area sits across U.S. 93 from the Waterway Trail. Scanning with binoculars from the Waterway Trail, visitors with help from afternoon sunlight, are able to spot petroglyphs, including those of Pahranagat Man and bighorn sheep.

The remaining weeks of February are a time to appreciate the stripped-down, simplified beauty of Pahranagat in winter before spring arrives to green up and energize the wildlife that call this desert oasis home.

A desert oasis

Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge has lakeside campsites, picnic tables and opportunities for fishing. Some waterfowl are wintering there now, and spring migration will bring birds stopping in for shorter periods on their way north after spending winter in spots as far away as Central America. The refuge is about 90 miles north of Las Vegas along U.S. Highway 93 in Lincoln County. More information about the refuge and visitor programs is available at fws.gov/refuge/pahranagat .

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Eat your way through Stark County at these 11 area restaurants chosen by foodies

Stark County was notably absent from USA TODAY's "Restaurants of the Year 2024."

Eager to shine a spotlight on the gastronomic treasures of our region, I convened a group of fellow food enthusiasts for a spirited discussion on the local restaurants that deserved recognition.

The diverse panel was composed of myself, Explore City Tours and Canton Food Tours owner Barb Abbott, retired Repository restaurant reviewer Dan Kane, and Akron Municipal Court community outreach coordinator and Jackson Township resident Nicole Hagy.

Our criteria spanned various price points, requiring establishments to be located in Stark County, and focusing on dining rather than just beverages. Taste, consistency, quality, staff, atmosphere, and overall value were factors we considered. Our goal was not to declare a definitive No. 1 but to engage in a spirited discussion about our favorites and the reasons behind them.

Stark County is home to a plethora of innovative food options, and it's important to note that several other noteworthy establishments didn't make our list simply because they didn't receive votes from two or more members of our group.

Presented below is our collective top 11, listed alphabetically. If you haven't had the pleasure of experiencing these culinary delights, we encourage you to support these local establishments. Apologies, USA TODAY, but you overlooked some cherished Ohio foodie destinations in Stark County.

New culinary spot in downtown Canton: New breakfast, lunch spot to open in downtown Canton

Basil Asian Bistro

585 Market Ave. N, Canton; 330-452-3888

Reasons chosen: Exceptional sushi, attentive staff, and upscale Pacific and Southeast Asian cuisine. The Ly family dynasty, with Tony Ly, manager and his father, Luong Ly as the head chef, has been delighting patrons for nearly three decades. Both Kane and Abbott described the restaurant as consistent.

Bender’s Tavern

137 Court Ave. SW, Canton; 330-453-8424

Reasons chosen: A classic and historic establishment since 1902, boasting an excellent menu and superb service. Fresh seafood from Foley's Fish in Boston adds to the appeal. Bender's heritage is proudly carried on by the fourth generation of the Jacob family, with an extensive wine list to complement the offerings.

The Bistro at Gervasi Vineyard

1700 55 th St. NE, Canton; 330-497-1000

Reasons chosen: Noteworthy for its inviting atmosphere, scratch-made ingredients, diverse menu and excellent staff. Abbott highlighted the special experience of enjoying a great meal and then strolling the grounds. The Italian-themed menu includes everything from pizza to house made gnocchi and family-style brunch.

Start your day: Caffeinate your way through Stark County with these 6 coffee roasters

Bocca Grande Italian Steakhouse

4490 Erie Ave. NW, Canal Fulton; 330-832-2162

Reasons chosen: Known for serving USDA prime and choice, dry-aged steaks since 1991. The restaurant stood out for its consistency, friendly atmosphere, and welcoming vibe. Family-owned since its inception; it boasts a unique location along the historic Ohio Eric Canal Towpath Trail.

Bombay Sitar

5111 Fulton Drive NW, Jackson Township; 330-305-0671

Reasons chosen: Despite the elimination of the buffet post-COVID, Bombay Sitar remains a strong favorite for its flavorful and aromatic Indian cuisine, including craveable warm naan bread. Everything from yogurt to curries is scratch-made at the restaurant.

204 12 th St. NW, Canton; 330-456-1766

Reasons chosen: A favorite go-to for everyday dining or special occasions, Desert Inn is renowned for its Middle Eastern food. A family-owned and operated establishment since 1970, the group commented on enjoying their shish kabobs and Arabic platter, as well as the friendly service.

Francisco’s Cantina Restaurant

6041 Whipple Ave. NW, Jackson Township; 330-526-8740

Reasons chosen: A locally owned gem with a diverse menu, consistent quality, and standout margaritas. Specials on nachos and tacos make this a go-to Mexican restaurant. Kane emphasized the authenticity of the Mexican cuisine served at this restaurant.

Hartville Kitchen Restaurant & Bakery

1015 Edison St. NW, Hartville; 330-877-9353

Reasons chosen: Scratch-made and freshly prepared options describes this choice, with a focus on family-friendly, homestyle dishes and a welcoming staff. Celebrating 58 years, the restaurant evokes a sense of nostalgia. Hagy loves to pick up several orders during the holidays, as she finds their offerings consistently delicious.

228 Fourth St. NW, Canton; 330-456-2534

Reasons chosen: Lucca stands out for its handmade pasta, made fresh daily, and casual yet elegant dishes featuring locally sourced ingredients. The seasonal preparations and Tuscan-inspired dishes add a special touch, as noted by Shaffer.

4760 Everhard Road NW, Jackson Township; 330-497-1100; 2045 Cleveland Ave. NW, Canton; 330-456-9000; 320 W. State St., Alliance; 330-823-7773

Reasons chosen: Known for authentic Greek specialties, a reasonable price point, and a favored location in the Belden Village area. The family-owned establishment, operating since 2001, boasts an authentic Greek wine list. I particularly love the saganaki, flamed tableside and served with pita bread.

Table Six Kitchen + Bar

6113 Whipple Ave. NW, North Canton; 330-305-1666

Reasons chosen: Noted for shareable plates, innovative preparations across a wide variety of options, a friendly staff and numerous specials. A fun vibe both at the bar and restaurant tables. Kane sums it up by saying, "Always busy and consistently good."

Reach Bev at [email protected] or 330-580-8318.

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Yes, there is a new blue-eyed Jesus in town, the latest in a long line that includes Jeffrey Hunter (“King of Kings”), Max von Sydow (“The Greatest Story Ever Told”) and Willem Dafoe (“The Last Temptation of Christ”).

In these days of heightened sensitivity to race when it comes to casting, some might take exception to this creaky tradition that lives on in the form of Scottish—born Ewan McGregor in “Last Days in the Desert.” Why not an actor of Middle Eastern descent? Because just as the Lord made the stars to be gazed upon, so does Hollywood. And a religious parable, especially one that is this quietly bold in its understated rebellion against bloated self-important Biblical epics (we mean you, “ Noah ” and “ Exodus: Gods and Kings ”) benefits from offering a familiar face to beckon both believers and non-believers into theater seats.

Thankfully, “Last Days in the Desert” offers much more edifying food for thought than just its choice of a leading man.

Save for the flimsy sandals and ragged robes worn by the handful of other actors who eventually appear alongside McGregor, whose spiritual presence here recalls his version of Obi-Wan Kenobi, there is little else that feels ancient. Instead, this is a refreshingly stripped-down rendering of how a humble holy man named Yeshua (Jesus in Hebrew) spent 40 days in the desert praying, fasting and asking for guidance. We might know that a crucifixion will follow, but he is not as well-informed.

Director and writer Rodrigo Garcia assembles his fable in accessible-to-the-masses fashion. Instead of stilted Gospel-verse English, the relaxed everyday dialogue will likely please contemporary ears. As for the presumed Messiah before us, this scruffy solitary seeker doesn’t seem all that remarkable. He is thirsty, a bit disoriented from lack of food and more than a little lonely and adrift. That he has a large capacity for kindness, caring and selflessness just makes him an exceptional human. However, there is that brief moment where he levitates above the ground. 

Yeshua is somewhat puzzled about his current status. He implores, “Father, where are you?” and “Father, speak to me!” before yelling with frustration into the wind. But the only voice he hears comes from a demon who regularly materializes next to him as his mirror twin, save for a raffish earring dangling from his left ear. The devil taunts him and tries to plant doubts in his mind while declaring that God has many children but He loves only Himself. But the holy man steadfastly refuses to give into whatever temptations the foul fiend tosses in his path.

Is it wrong to perhaps prefer the very good McGregor as the rascally devil (who is reminiscent of his “ Trainspotting ” hell-raiser) than his good-natured human guise? After all, he gets the best line: “I’m a liar … and that’s the truth!”

“Last Days in the Desert" soon expands into a meditation on such themes as fathers and sons, family responsibilities, trust, destiny and death when Yeshua comes upon a family consisting of an agitated patriarch (Irish actor Ciaran Hinds ) who works as a stone cutter, his ailing, much-younger wife (Israeli actress Ayelet Zurer ) and their itching-to-roam teenage son ( Tye Sheridan , who previously impressed in “ The Tree of Life ” and “ Mud ,” and is the young Cyclops in the upcoming “X-Men: Apocalypse”). They take in the holy man, giving him water and shelter although he refuses food. He patiently listens to the yearnings expressed by the son, who is desperate to visit the big city of Jerusalem. What is it like, he asks. Answers Yeshua, “Dirty and corrupt. But alive. Very alive.”

The father, however, is determined to keep his clan in this isolated spot for the rest of their lives as his wife’s health wanes. Yeshua, who realizes that the conflict before him reflects his own concerns about his Father, does what he can to ease the family’s burdens out as he carries water from a stream and assists the father with his labors. The presence of an adolescent boy does allow for some humor, including that of the bodily variety. But when a situation arises that pits the will of the father against that of the son, a tragic result is all but certain.

At some point, the audience will likely want to just sit back and take in the breathtaking landscapes that are spread out before them. The bleached-out grandeur and hypnotic ripples of sand that form the Anza-Borrego Desert  southeast of Los Angeles (standing in for Israel’s Negev) make a good case for believing in a Supreme Being. At the very least, we should give thanks that an almighty cinematographer like Emmanuel Lubezki , who has won a record three consecutive Oscars for his work on “ Gravity ,” “ Birdman ” and “ The Revenant ,” exists.

Also enriching this experiment that is more to be admired  for what it attempts than what it achieves (the rushed ending especially fails to live up to the film’s promising start) is the haunting minimalist score by Saunder Jurriaans and Danny Bensi (“ Enemy ,” ” Martha Marcy May Marlene ”). 

Garcia, whose resume is full of tender and thoughtful ruminations on the human condition such as “ Albert Nobbs ,” “ Mother and Child ” and “ Nine Lives ,” should be lauded for finding a more approachable way to tackle matters of faith. As much as I enjoy Cecil B. DeMille ’s Jell-O-enhanced parting of the Red Sea during the annual TV airings of “The Ten Commandments,” “Last Days in the Desert” suggests that simplicity can also be a virtue in retelling these much-told tales. 

Susan Wloszczyna

Susan Wloszczyna

Susan Wloszczyna spent much of her nearly thirty years at USA TODAY as a senior entertainment reporter. Now unchained from the grind of daily journalism, she is ready to view the world of movies with fresh eyes.

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Last Days in the Desert movie poster

Last Days in the Desert (2016)

Rated PG-13 for some disturbing images and brief partial nudity.

Ewan McGregor as Jesus

Ciarán Hinds as Father

Ayelet Zurer as Mother

Tye Sheridan as Son

  • Rodrigo García

Cinematographer

  • Emmanuel Lubezki
  • Matt Maddox
  • Danny Bensi
  • Saunder Jurriaans

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Starfield Review: Cosmic Desert

Quick verdict.

S tarfield aims high but ends up as a “jack of all trades, ace of none.” While longtime fans of Bethesda franchises like Fallout and The Elder Scrolls might find some appeal, I’m skeptical that Starfield can win over newcomers. The game promises a sprawling adventure, but for some, like me, it feels a tad empty or unengaging. There’s plenty to explore in the Starfield universe, but the experience lacks truly memorable moments.

My biggest issue with Starfield is that it doesn’t do anything exceptionally well. Whether it’s the worlds you traverse, the characters you encounter, or the quests you tackle, everything feels just… average. That said, very few games offer as much to do, even if some of the content feels bland.

It’s Just Another Galaxy

Let me start by admitting that I’ve spent less than five hours in any modern Bethesda game. The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall is the only title from the developer I’ve invested real hours into. I have tried numerous times to play Fallout 3 and Fallout 4, as well as Oblivion and Skyrim, but have never gotten very far in any of those games. Given that Starfield is Bethesda’s first new universe in over 25 years and considering my deep love for sci-fi, I hoped this game would change my track record with Bethesda.

If you describe Starfield to me, you’re basically describing my perfect game. On paper, it’s basically No Man’s Sky with good combat, tiered gear, and role-playing elements including character interactions and a story campaign. The only thing that could possibly make that written description even better is if Starfield wore a Star Wars skin. Although I was excited for the game’s release, I kept my expectations low since I’ve never seriously engaged with a Bethesda game.

But oh, what a rocky start it was. To me, the most important part of any RPG is the game’s first two hours. The story and its characters must be engaging enough to convince you that it’s worth spending dozens, if not hundreds, of hours into the game. Given Bethesda’s reputation, the game’s lackluster opening took me by surprise. It’s easily the worst part of the game, including the characters you’re introduced to, except for Vasco. Like Claptrap from the Borderlands series, a robot somehow has more personality than most of the people you’ll meet in the game. It’s no exaggeration; the joy of crafting your character far outshines the opening hours of the game.

More Human Than Human

The game truly shows its promise once Starfield sets you free. I found the following few hours after I got my ship to be the most exciting, as I familiarized myself with the game’s systems, including how to travel from planet to planet. My disappointment with Starfield began when I realized that traveling between planets was as simple as clicking on a destination, pressing a button, and choosing a landing spot. Once I realized the space exploration part of Starfield was very limited, especially when compared to No Man’s Sky, that excitement started to wear off. I soon realized that this wasn’t a game where I’d seamlessly fly my ship from space right down to a planet’s surface. It also meant I wasn’t going to be flying my ship from one corner of the planet to another from the surface.

Soon after, it dawned on me that my time in the ship and space would be minimal. Traveling from destination to destination isn’t much different than Mass Effect or even Star Wars: Jedi Survivor , where you just select a planet from a map and let the game handle the rest. This, to me, is a massive disappointment. And even though I said I went into the game with low expectations, I did think it was fair to believe I’d be able to personally fly my ship from space to the surface of a planet.

However, that wasn’t even my greatest letdown with Starfield. That honor goes to the fact that the entire universe in the game doesn’t have any intelligent alien species. I found it really hard to suspend my disbelief that only humans would exist in this giant universe, that did have alien species of animals and plant life. The absence of diverse intelligent life made exploring Starfield’s worlds feel bland, lacking the thrill of encountering and interacting with new species.

I Aim to Misbehave

What I did really enjoy in Starfield was the game’s combat. The gunplay feels great, akin to Destiny 2, and the variety of guns is well done. Most of them feel very different to use, similar to what you’d expect from a Borderlands game. Juggling different ammo types was overwhelming at times, and inventory management became tedious, particularly when I wanted to experiment with every weapon. I did appreciate that anytime I felt like I found a gun I really enjoyed using, something else would take its place shortly after.

In Starfield, skills are divided into four tiers, each requiring a set number of skill points to unlock. The first tier is automatically available for each category, and you’ll have to spend four, eight, and 12 skill points to unlock the subsequent tiers. In addition, each skill has four ranks and to increase each rank, you’ll have to complete a specific challenge. For example, if you want to rank up your boost pack, you’ll have to boost jump 10 times while in combat. Some skills you’ll want to max out, while others you’ll find it sufficient to invest a single point in order to unlock the ability. Skills are broken down into the following categories: Physical, Social, Combat, Science, and Tech. There’s a great variety to choose from, based on your playstyle.

Overall, I enjoyed the itemization and the variety of weapons and armor choices you have. There are enough stats where you’ll have to make trade-offs and actual choices, instead of simply equipping the biggest number there is. Some passive abilities outweigh raw stats, which isn’t something you see done properly these days. Armor in Starfield is comprised of three slots: Helmet, Spacesuit, and Pack. What’s more, you can tailor every piece of your armor and weaponry to your preference. The in-depth system is impressive, but it isn’t required to complete the game. In fact, during my playthrough of the story campaign, I mostly ignored weapon and armor customization and didn’t have very many issues. A bit of fantasy did creep into Starfield’s armor design, since I did find a helmet that magically made the resources I’m carrying weigh less.

Stellar Wasteland

When it comes to designing and creating a game that offers as much diversity as Starfield, it’s understandable that not everything is packed with details. Starfield features over 1,000 planets, so as you can imagine, many of them will feel empty and ordinary. The problem is, there are so few planets full of life with noticeable points of interest, that you’re not very compelled to explore. It’s also not particularly rewarding to hop from planet to planet. Sure, you’ll run into some side quests here and there, but I personally didn’t experience anything memorable. I might have missed some standout quests, but discovering them felt like searching for a needle in a haystack.

The main characters in the story campaign aren’t much better. They all have somewhat unique personalities, but I didn’t find any one character unforgettable. Also, some dialogue options led to responses that felt jarringly unnatural. This was particularly true during Persuasion dialogue, where the NPC’s response was very generic and oftentimes immersion-breaking. I almost found it comical that with even multiple dialogue options, none of them were remotely close to how I wanted to respond. The game doesn’t do a great job at giving me the impression that there were really more than just one path. To avoid spoilers, I won’t talk much about the main story’s campaign, but I will say it’s serviceable. It’s engaging enough to keep you going, but it’s not a story you’ll be thinking about or talking about weeks after you finish the game. You might actually find it pretty generic, if you spend a lot of time watching various sci-fi television shows or movies.

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Another gripe I had with Starfield was the incessant loading screens, including when I opened a door to enter a store in a city or town. I also spent more time than I should have wrestling with the game’s clunky menu screens. It didn’t get better after hours of playing either, as I ultimately found myself just opening up my quest log and fast traveling to whatever destination it had me going to. That was the path of least resistance and really took me out of the game. Rather than eagerly flying between planets, I found myself resorting to the map, hopping to the furthest point, and repeating this until I reached my destination.

The outpost building aspect of the game, to my surprise, turned out to be quite basic. I love base-building in games and really looked forward to setting up a sizable outpost for my crew in Starfield, but another clunky and unintuitive system led to frustration and one mess of a base on some distant planet.

All of This Has Happened Before. All of This Will Happen Again.

It’s a bit ironic that Baldur’s Gate 3 more than likely moved up its PC release date in order to avoid Starfield’s release. This, of course, makes complete sense considering Baldur’s Gate 3 comes from Larian Studios and is a niche CRPG and Starfield is one of the most heavily anticipated games from one of the most established developers in gaming. However, I think the release of Baldur’s Gate 3 inadvertently put Starfield in a less favorable light by allowing players to draw comparisons. Yes, they’re vastly different games, but when you look at them from a character and story writing perspective, Starfield clearly has some issues.

This leads me to my final points. If you’re looking for a space RPG with well-written characters and stories, you’re better off playing the Mass Effect trilogy than Starfield. If you want to customize a ship and explore a wide variety of planets and biomes, No Man’s Sky is your better option. Hell, if you want to just shoot things and find loot, go play Destiny 2 or any of the Borderlands games. However, if you want a game that does all of these things, albeit on a less in-depth level, then Starfield really is your best choice.

It’s a Schrödinger’s situation with Starfield: in its unique niche, it shines, but when stacked against the broader gaming landscape, it dims.

Beyond the Horizon

At its core, as with any Bethesda game, the experience you have with Starfield is truly what you make of it. This is why Bethesda games resonate with many but also disappoint others. While this could be said for many games, Bethesda has a distinct formula that sets its titles apart.

I will admit that I believe I didn’t play Starfield the way it was designed to be played. I mostly focused on the story campaign, only deviating and doing side quests when I had to if I got stuck in the campaign. Since I’ve finished the game, I’ve read other people’s stories and come away impressed by how different their experiences were compared to mine. There is a lot of game to unpack in Starfield and a single playthrough is barely scratching the surface. The issue is that after 60 hours, I’m not enticed to dive back in, even though the campaign’s end suggests another playthrough.

You’ll easily find a glowing review of Starfield from someone who thoroughly enjoys Bethesda games. If you’ve always desired a “No Man’s Skyrim” or “Fallout in Space,” Starfield might just meet your expectations. But if you’re like me, and have never spent a significant amount of time playing the Fallout or Elder Scrolls series, hopefully this review gave you a different perspective in understanding whether or not Starfield is a game for you.

Starfield may be the first Bethesda game I have ever completed, but it likely won’t be the last. However, the game didn’t do enough to convince me to go back and install Fallout 4 or Skyrim and give those another chance.

Starfield was released on September 6, 2023 on Xbox Series X|S and PC. This review is based on a purchased retail copy of the game on PC. While FullCleared has affiliate partnerships, these do not influence our editorial content. We may, however, earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links.

Starfield Review Gallery (possible spoilers!)

*Windows Auto HDR affected the appearance of some of these screenshots

It Wouldn’t Be a Bethesda Game Without Experiencing an Entertaining Bug

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Starfield Review: Cosmic Desert

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