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Grand Theft Auto VI changes to the wanted levels and police system look to be the biggest evolution for the series yet.
Grand Theft Auto 6 is overhauling the Wanted and police response systems in an interesting way. If you've played Grand Theft Auto games before, you'll know that if you do something illegal, the police will show up. You'll get a wanted level represented by stars--the more stars you have, the more aggressive the police, or even the military, will be. In order to get out of the situation, you evade the police. You'll see them on the map, so it's easy to lay low for a minute and get them off your back. That is not the case in GTA 6. In the extended gameplay trailer, we did get a look at how some of this works, but more details have surfaced through some exclusive coverage. The first thing we noticed was the return of the six-star wanted level. This was missing in GTA 5, but in older games if you got six stars it would call in the military. Looking at the return of the six stars, it could happen that the military could also get involved. GTA 6 sees the return of six-star wanted levels. In GTA 6, instead of the police searching your specific area for a short time, they'll cast a much wider net. That means that wherever you go in Leonida, the police will be on alert and looking for you. There's far more than just the star system in GTA 6. Some of the icons underneath the stars tell a story, too. These symbols tell you exactly what the police are looking for when you commit a crime. An icon of a CCTV camera means you've been spotted on one, and you'll have to destroy the evidence to get rid of that. A symbol with two characters means the police have seen Jason and Lucia together, meaning you should split up to avoid being recognized. The hanger symbol means the police recognize your clothing so you should change. It seems like you can store clothes in your car, so having outfits at hand will be useful as long as nobody sees you changing. The face icon means they recognize your facial features, so you probably should have been wearing a mask. To get rid of this icon, wear a mask, or if you're Jason, you might be able to get away with changing your facial hair. The weapon icon means they've seen you carrying a specific weapon, and you can either ditch it or switch to something else. The vehicle icon means they recognize your car, and you'll need to switch to another one. Different icons represent ways the police will recognize you. There are likely other ways that the police can track you, but that's all we saw in the extended gameplay. The wanted stars will change color and pattern. If police have a direct line of sight on you, the stars will be solid white. If they start flashing, you've broken the line of sight and solid red means you're still near the scene of the crime and the police are looking for you, but they don't know where you are. The hollow stars mean the police have no idea who they're looking for--in the extended look, Lucia flips off the police while driving past with hollow stars as her wanted level, and they do nothing about it. In previous GTA games, the reaction of the police was quite binary. Either you messed up and they were coming for you, or you hadn't done anything wrong, and they didn't care. In GTA 6, it seems like this system will be more fleshed out. Police will have a wider range of approaches and reactions depending on what you've done and what they know. To make things more interesting, you don't see where the police are on the mini-map. There's no more planning routes to avoid their vision cones, unfortunately. It's a smart idea in terms of gameplay, though, as you'll be less focused on the mini-map and more focused on what's unfolding in front of you. Masks and sunglasses could be essential disguises. However, turning on Focus Mode will allow you to see through walls and spot where the police are. If you're worried about turning a corner and bumping into the cops, use Focus Mode to check for them. NPCs also seem more dynamic. If you're walking around with a weapon and aiming it at people, they'll behave more realistically by running away or calling the cops. Florida has open carry laws, so it's realistic to walk around with a weapon on your back as long as you're not aiming it at people--so NPCs won't report you for it. Cops won't start chasing you unless your crime is reported. If an NPC sees it, they can report you. If you trigger an alarm, the cops will be notified, too. There are far more ways to get caught being a criminal in GTA 6. Destroying your vehicle might be one way to evade the police. All of these changes seem to be implemented to keep you engaged during a police chase. As you're committing crimes, you'll need to consider your getaway vehicle, your outfit, your weapons, potential CCTV and witnesses. That should factor into how you want to commit the crime--you might decide it makes more sense to commit a robbery at night because there are less crowds. Another thing to consider is that if you're caught on CCTV, you might need to spend more time inside the building to find where the files are kept and wipe them so the police don't have video evidence of your crime. Generally, all of these decisions force you to follow the rules in GTA 6, which is strange for a game about breaking the law. However, it just means you need to be more conscious about how you're breaking the law. In GTA 5 you'd grab any weapon and sprint down the road, fire your weapon, and act recklessly. In GTA 6, you'll have to masquerade as a normal citizen until you can commit the crime that you want to commit. It'll be interesting to see how these systems develop the more time you spend in Leonida. Hopefully, all of these interactions will feel much more dynamic than previous entries in the series. The wanted system isn't the only thing getting a complete overhaul--GTA 6 also changes how you steal cars, while fishing and hunting doesn't work like you think it does.
Marvel's Wolverine reviews have officially gone live, and while the overall consensus isn't terrible, it's not another critical hit for Spider-Man studio Insomniac Games. On GameSpot's sister site Metacritic, Marvel's Wolverine currently has a metascore of 77 from 102 reviews, with many reviewers pointing out that it doesn't live up to the standard of superhero games that Insomniac has defined with its Spider-Man adventures. "At best, it’s a fun but forgettable experience that’ll entertain you for a few hours. At worst, it shows that just because you can make really good superhero games with one character, that doesn’t mean you can make really good super hero games with any character," editor-at-large Tamoor Hussain wrote in GameSpot's Marvel's Wolverine review. Those opinions might leave some people feeling disappointed, but that doesn't mean that there aren't other options to consider. Is it possible to play as Wolverine in a good game or to check out a release that channels the spirit of Marvel's favorite Canadian? Absolutely, and we've gathered a few recommendations below for you to check out. X-Men Origins: Wolverine Starting with the obvious, Raven Software's official tie-in for the infamously bad X-Men Origins: Wolverine movie is a rare example of a game being better than the movie it's based on--much, much better. It's short and sweet, but it's an action-packed journey that covers the movie and new sequences made especially for the game. The combat still holds up, and Wolverine's pounce attack is an evergreen combat mechanic that still feels as exciting to pull off today as it was when the game first came out in 2009. The only problem here? You're not going to find it for sale online, as Activision delisted this Wolverine game in 2014. It's also not backwards compatible with Xbox One or Xbox Series X|S, so your best bet is to dust off an old console or rummage through a bargain bin to see if you can find a physical PC copy of it. Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance He's the best there is at what he does, and what Wolverine does is justify R-ratings when his character is unfiltered. Having left behind a mountain of bodies across his career as a black ops agent and X-Man, Wolverine has a talent for violence that few video game characters can match--unless you're Raiden from Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance. The 2013 Metal Gear Solid spin-off is still as sharp as ever in 2026, and like the spandex-clad Wolverine, Raiden is an absolute master of hacking and slashing his way through enemies. The Zandatsu-focused gameplay, in which you can slice cyborgs and skyscraper-sized Metal Gear mechs, is still the cherry on top of this bloody sundae, and it's sprinkled with boss fights that push you to master every aspect of Raiden's arsenal while offering you a killer soundtrack to boot. It's another short game--but still readily available online--that makes for a satisfying weekend of revengeance-fueled fun. Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls Wolverine might be at his best when he's a team player, and in Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls, you get to unleash the animal within while teaming up with Marvel's greatest heroes and supervillains. Sure, you're not getting a slice of ultraviolence in this game when you play as Wolverine, but you are getting a Wolverine power fantasy that is heavily focused on aggressive, close-range pressure. Signature moves offer the chance to unleash relentless attacks, while an arsenal of agile dives, bounces, and gap-closing lunges perfectly captures Wolverine's feral side. If all you care about is gameplay and you're not too worried about chasing down collectible bottles of whiskey, you're going to be in for a grand time. Marvel's Midnight Suns Mechanically, Marvel's Midnight Suns is a very different experience when compared to the games listed above. Instead of a real-time action game drenched in digital blood, you're getting a turn-based RPG that utilizes deck-building mechanics, and with XCOM developer Firaxis at the helm, this idea is well-executed. But what really sets Midnight Suns apart are the moments between battles with Marvel's deadliest supernatural forces, as Wolverine's narrative perfectly captures the spirit of the character. A weary soul, still hell-bent on protecting and mentoring those around him, he reveals more about his dark past, history, and efforts to atone for his sins through his interactions. And in the gameplay department? Play your cards right, and you can have a blast with Wolverine, as he can draw fire from enemies, tank damage from them, and respond with chain-attacks that allow him to slice up the battlefield. Marvel Rivals If you're not ready to drop $70 on Marvel's Wolverine just yet, then you can check out Marvel Rivals for the low price of nothing instead. The 6v6 Overwatch-inspired game has grown massively since its launch, and it features a version of Wolverine that also nails the power fantasy. That says a lot, considering that other heavy hitters like Thor, Spider-Man, and Cyclops also feature prominently in the game, but you haven't lived until you've experienced the thrill of sending Logan into battle. Just like the source material, Logan is designed for aggressive, close-quarters combat, and he plays like an unstoppable predator who can shrug off heavy damage. You'll need to be a team player to enjoy the game--and hope that the rest of your teammates will back you up--but you can't deny that embodying the Marvel hero and not being charged a cent for the privilege isn't a bad deal at all. Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order Another option for the Wolverine connoisseur who's more focused on beat-'em-up gameplay than anything else, Marvel’s Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order for Switch is a solid pick. The gameplay perfectly captures the spirit of Wolverine as a no-nonsense brawler who can outlast the toughest foes thanks to his healing factor, and when paired with the fellow Children of the Atom, you get classic X-Men synergy with these titanic team-ups. MadWorld MadWorld ticks several boxes for Wolverine fans: It has a black-and-white comic book aesthetic, the protagonist Jack Cayman fights with a retractable, arm-mounted chainsaw on his forearm, and the game doesn't shy away from showing you just how lethal it can be in close-quarters combat! On top of that, Jack might just be an alternate version of Wolverine, as this cigar-chomping antihero with a mysterious past isn't afraid to get his hands dirty during matches of the kill-or-be-killed game show DeathWatch. You'll need to have a Wii or a Wii U console to play this 2009 gem, but it's worth tracking one down for a game that revels in over-the-top gore. Cyberpunk 2077 Admittedly, you're going to need to do some work to pull this off, but a Mantis-blade build in Cyberpunk 2077 would absolutely channel Wolverine's violent nature in this first-person game. You won't get Logan's character, story, or a third-person view with this game, but you will get high-speed berserker mobility, brutal finishers, and a cyberware healing factor to sell the idea of a first-person, leap-slashing, self-healing Wolverine game. Prototype and Prototype 2 A strong pair of stand-ins for spiritual Wolverine games, Prototype and its sequel hit the nail on the head for shady government-created superweapons running amok. You've got an open-world environment teeming with enemies and aggressive survival mechanics that mirror Logan's mutant gifts, and the Claw mutations in particular channel high-speed slashes and lunging pounces in both games, which Wolverine fans will appreciate.
A big new military FPS, Wardogs (not to be confused with the 2016 Jonah Hill/Miles Teller crime-comedy War Dogs) launched today in early access on Steam, and it's off to a hot start. The shooter reached 300,000 peak concurrent users on Steam right out of the gate and the $40 game is currently Steam's No. 1 best-seller. Pretty impressive for a game that the developer told you not to buy. Given the flood of players, developer Bulkhead instituted a server queue system, and this quickly became something of a meme on social media. Players shared screenshots of the queue and their place in it--some people reported having more than 300,000 people in line in front of them. Yeesh. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpQnZgZCIo8 Bulkhead responded to the brutal queueing situation, saying it was partly due to the developer being "rate limited." The company said it was working with Valve to resolve this limit and get an increase in line with "larger titles." Things got worse, temporarily albeit, for some, as Bulkhead made the decision to kick everyone from the queue as a fix that, in theory, would help more players get into the game faster. Bulkhead boss Joe Brammer gave an update on the queuing situation, saying the queue itself is not "specifically broken," but instead he said Wardogs didn't get the kind of treatment that AAA games receive when it comes to rate limits. "Hang in there," Brammer said. https://twitter.com/Brammflakes/status/2098101353595724112 That wasn't the extent of the launch-day issues, as people reported getting banned for seemingly no reason. Bulkhead said it's aware of these "incorrect bans" and is working to address them immediately. Wardogs is a large-scale military FPS featuring 100 players, divided into three teams, on a map battling it out in a fictional version of Eastern Europe. In addition to launching Wardogs into early access, Bulkhead revealed that the game's console edition for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S will be released in 2028.
More than a year after its launch, the Nintendo Switch 2 finally has support for variable refresh rate when docked and connected to a TV--feature which has always been possible in portable mode. Headlining the Switch 2 version 23.0.0 update, which is out now, VRR can now be enabled in the console's settings menu for docked play. It will require a separate update for the dock itself too, which will be applied the next time you dock the console. Also included in the update is a system-transfer feature, which might come in handy a few weeks ahead of the release of the special edition Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Nintendo Switch 2. https://youtu.be/ku-vSTDNsT8?si=fAk4QEFMZaiqk6QB Curiously, the patch notes indicate that VRR will only engage with compatible games, suggesting that developers will need to update their games to make it available. Currently, Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour is the only game that supports docked VRR, with the game's VRR demo now unlocked in docked play. It's a strange requirement for a hardware-level feature, and might make its adoption either slow or inconsistent. Variable refresh rate allows a compatible display to match the frame rate of the game being played, within a specific frame-rate window. It's immensely useful for games with variable performance and unlocked frame rates, like Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition, as it can alleviate distracting screen tearing and stuttering. It has been supported by the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 since their respective launches, and has been a staple in many TVs for the past couple of years. It's been a busy week for Nintendo, with a Direct for The Legend of Zelda's 40th anniversary that was mostly focused on the remake for Ocarina of Time. A day later, Nintendo hosted a more traditional Direct, with reveals for Metroid Ravenous, Kirby and the World Beyond, and several Nintendo Switch 2 editions of popular Switch titles.
The next wave of monthly games for Amazon Luna has been revealed, and if you're a fan of first-person shooters, then you're in for a treat. The headline act is Doom Eternal, or if you'd prefer your guns to be chatterboxes, you can also grab the delightfully weird High on Life. Luna members can also stream Star Wars Outlaws later this month for open-world action set in a galaxy far (far!) away, or they can explore the alien world of Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora right now. Sign up for Amazon Prime Several new GameNight titles will also be available throughout the month, so if you're in the mood for some social gaming, you can check out kaiju-powered board game fun in King of Tokyo, test your general knowledge in Quiz Time: Guinness World Records, aim for a strike in Bowling Mayhem, and explore Cranium Planet. As part of its September update, Amazon Luna is also introducing a Remote Play feature. This will allow people to play games together--even if they aren’t in the same room--and it should work nicely with the multiplayer titles featured in the Luna streaming library. As a reminder, all of the free games that you claim through Amazon Luna are yours to keep forever, even if your subscription expires. If you aren’t a member, you can sign up for Amazon Luna for as little as $15 for one month to take advantage of the subscription and its freebies. As mentioned above, you can download some pretty good action games, and if you want to experience the formative years of Doom, you can also check out the first two games in the franchise. Botany Manor is also recommended as it offers both a chance to flex your brain muscles and your green thumb. Rims Racing is a rock-solid motorbike simulator, and Just Die Already is an "old people mayhem sandbox game" from the team behind the Goat Simulator series. Several of these games are already available to claim, and the rest will roll out in weekly waves. Amazon Luna Free Games For September 2026 Doom Eternal September 3 War Hospital (Epic Games Store) Just Die Already (Epic Games Store) September 10 Drop Duchy (Epic Games Store) Doom + Doom 2 (GOG Code) Botany Manor (Epic Games Store) September 17 Doom Eternal (Microsoft Code) Rims Racing (Epic Games Store) Wall World 2 Amazon Games App) September 24 Hue (Epic Games Store) The Da Vinci Cryptex (Legacy Games Code) High on Life (Epic Games Store) New games being added to Amazon Luna Standard for September 2026 Star Wars Outlaws Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora New GameNight games for September 2026 Now available King of Tokyo It's Quiz Time: Guinness World Records Coming soon Bowling Mayhem Cranium Planet
As part of its September update, Amazon Luna introduced a Remote Play feature that lets people play games together, even if they aren't in the same room. If you haven't heard of it, Luna is Amazon's cloud gaming service for Prime subscribers that lets them access and play a catalog of games without the need for a console or PC. While some Luna games have had multiplayer features, you previously needed to be in the same room with others to play those titles. Remote Play intends to solve that by letting Amazon Prime and Luna Premium subscribers invite up to seven others into their sessions. These other players won't need an Amazon Prime subscription to use Remote Play, although they will need to use Luna's website or TV app. Of course, you'll now be relying on the smooth internet connections of even more players to comfortably use Remote Play, but the same goes for similar features on PS5 or Nintendo Switch 2. The logo for Amazon Luna To promote Remote Play, Amazon also released two new multiplayer-focused games today. One is a digital version of the board game King of Tokyo, while the other is It's Quiz Time: Guinness World Records, a competitive trivia game. Later in September, it will add the motion-controlled Bowling Mayhem and Pictionary-like Cranium Planet to the game catalog. Star Wars Outlaws and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora were also added to the Luna Standard game lineup today, although those are single-player games. This Remote Play update is one of the most substantial additions to Amazon Luna in some time, and it arrives in a month that hasn't been so great for cloud gaming. Last week, Xbox confirmed it will limit Game Pass Ultimate subscribers to just 15 hours of cloud gaming a month and make them pay extra for anything beyond that. As Amazon Luna is included with Prime and just got this Remote Play feature, that makes it a little bit more alluring as a cloud gaming option.
Netflix and Rockstar Games worked together on the recent 26-minute GTA 6 Extended Look trailer, and it seemingly paid off in multiple ways for the streaming company. After Netflix's own data showed that the Extended Look was incredibly popular with viewers, it's now been reported that the Extended Look drove more than 100,000 people to sign up to Netflix that day in the US alone. This is according to Ampere Analysis, which added that the Extended Look was the third-biggest Netflix event in 2026 for new subscriber sign-ups. The two bigger events were the final season of Stranger Things and the Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano MMA fight, Ampere said. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpPpqZwUwl0 Ampere went on to say more than 5% of US Netflix members who hadn't watched any content on the service in the previous 30 days before the Extended Look came back to watch it "before anything else." Ampere said this "reactivation rate" was higher than any other show or movie on Netflix during that 30-day period. "More than 100,000 sign-ups from a six-hour exclusive window shows the pulling power of a major gaming event. For Netflix, it also offers a way to compete with YouTube for gamer attention and to bring lapsed viewers back to the platform. For Rockstar, Netflix opens GTA 6 up to audiences beyond the franchise’s traditional core," Ampere's Louise Wooldridge said. The Extended Look was indeed just that--offering the deepest look yet at Rockstar's big new game. The video showed off a variety of gameplay and cutscenes, and teased out some of the new features people can expect. For more, check out GameSpot's breakdown video above to get up to speed with everything we learned about GTA 6 in the new footage. GTA 6 launches on November 19 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, and it appears people in the US will be among the last in the world to get to play.
A decade ago, at its PlayStation E3 press conference, Sony introduced veteran game designer Hideo Kojima in grand fashion to show off the first trailer for Death Stranding. It's now 2026, and that partnership appears to have fizzled out, as Kojima's Metal Gear Solid spiritual successor, Physint, has found a new home at Xbox after Sony dropped it. The Metal Gear Solid creator has also confirmed that he received notice from the company that it intended to cancel Phsyint, leading to several months in which the project was shopped around before Microsoft stepped in to sign a publishing deal. It's yet another baffling decision made by Sony as it continues to set a new speedrunning record for jettisoning goodwill, and naturally, the Internet has a thing or two to say about its divorce from Kojima--including how his studio, Kojima Productions, is situated directly across the road from Sony. You can't make this stuff up! https://twitter.com/milktst/status/2097886264649490701 https://twitter.com/philiparola/status/2097938828204146875 https://twitter.com/ItsRyanHyett/status/2097944205138022833 https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:hkkn5gfv3zwfzzeeqj3rssfn/post/3mv54aqbwg223 https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:o5v2ehhranox5nubskub6424/post/3mv53vuhark23 https://twitter.com/FunSpeculation/status/2097886852174782611 https://twitter.com/slothsaretight3/status/2097881425408368750 https://twitter.com/realradec/status/2097906192198574122 https://twitter.com/TheVTran/status/2097902322257195516 https://twitter.com/MasterLeytrx/status/2097877698894770267 Physint is the second game from Kojima Productions to be made in partnership with Xbox--the first is his upcoming horror game OD--but don't expect to see it for a long time. While the game is a return to his Metal Gear roots with its focus on stealth and espionage, Kojima is also aiming for it blur the lines between movies and video games. Back when the project was still being supported by Sony, Kojima mentioned that it was still several years away from being released, and that timetable may have slipped further after the Sony drama.
Insomniac Games takes a very safe step into the world of X-Men. Gameplay captured on PlayStation 5 Pro exclusively in the performance pro graphics mode.
A few hours into Wolverine I found myself asking, “Why did Insomniac Games make this?” There are obvious answers, of course: It has three excellent Spider-Man games under its belt; it's an opportunity to expand its Marvel Universe; and Wolverine presents ample opportunities for a brutal and bloody action game. But none of that explains why Insomniac Games, specifically, made Wolverine. Spider-Man is an ideal fit for the studio: an energetic and dynamic hero in the hands of a team known for open-worlds that are sprawling jungle gyms, where it can let players loose with thrilling traversal mechanics and varied combat systems for crime fighting fun. Insomniac also excels at crafting narratives that are as earnest as they are dramatic--perfect for the tumultuous lives of Peter Parker and Miles Morales. Wolverine is much less ideal of a pairing, as was evident throughout my time with the game. Insomniac doesn't make bad games and Wolverine certainly isn't one. It's a solid, cinematic, and occasionally thrilling experience that ticks all the necessary boxes for a decent action game. But it does so in a workman-like fashion and never aspires to much more than the essentials. Wolverine is an action game that serves the character well enough, but it doesn't lean into Insomniac's strengths or leverage its creativity, and the game feels unremarkable because of it. Straying too far from who Wolverine is and how he operates would no doubt create questions around the authenticity of the adaptation, but only coloring inside the well-defined lines means never offering anything new or exciting. It turns out that the most authentic version of Wolverine, in this case, is also the embodiment of the character action genre at its plainest. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7Nz-WyUq7o In a world where pretty much every superhero game subscribes to the Batman: Arkham template of combat design, describing how you fight would belabor how familiar it all is. Suffice it to say: light attack, heavy attack, dodge, parry, a few special abilities, and some attribute modifiers. There are very few distinguishing elements of Wolverine's combat system that make it stand out. The closest it comes is a leaping attack, which allows players to launch him across distances to close the gap and begin an assault on unsuspecting enemies. It's an undeniably satisfying tool to keep up the intensity of each skirmish and ensure you're always applying pressure, but loses its luster after a couple of hours when it becomes clear that it can be employed pretty mindlessly. The other unique element, a mechanic that represents an escalation of power and brutality as Wolverine's rage boils over, has more longevity in how drastically it shifts the dynamic of combat and amps up the satisfaction of it. As players dispatch enemies, an on-screen rage meter builds until the point where Wolverine goes berserk, putting him in a state where you can chain together executions to tear enemies apart in quick succession. In just a few seconds, Wolverine can create piles of brutally mauled bad guys, and there's a feral savagery to the whole thing that is very effective. It's a consistently exhilarating moment because, as well as shifting to desaturated visuals to emphasize how unstable and blinded by rage Logan is, these sequences are strong instances of synchronicity between the character and the player. As Wolverine's rage builds, the player needs to be more efficient in dispatching enemies to keep the meter climbing, and when Wolverine finally hits breaking point, the input demands on the player simplify to just pressing two buttons together to eviscerate anything in your path. It is catharsis that comes from Wolverine giving into the monster within and the player embracing that monster in tandem. If the appeal of Wolverine for you lies in how visceral its violence is, your virtual bloodlust will be well and truly satiated. Insomniac has spared no expense in lavishing Wolverine's finishes with copious amounts of blood and guts--his executions are exactly that in every sense of the word. The violence never strives for shock value by being grotesque in the way something like Mortal Kombat does, so it never feels gratuitous. Even when he erupts into a berserker rage, the coldness of his violence reinforces the idea that he is an efficient killing machine. Wolverine never revels in it; he just gets it done and moves on. The main issues with Wolverine's combat are that it often feels like it lacks weight, is missing lethality up until he goes berserk, and never finds rhythm. As a result, I often felt frustrated that the game was undermining the sense of power and ferocity that I wanted to feel as Wolverine. And at the same time, the individual components of the combat doesn't have the connective tissue to create a natural flow that made me feel like I developed a mastery of Wolverine's skills. The adamantium claws that serve as Wolverine's dealers of death and destruction often felt more like needles than blades. The feedback on each attack always felt just a little lacking, and enemies never responded to being struck in a way that made me feel empowered. Quite the opposite, in fact. I can't count the number of times that I would be mid-combo, clawing away at an enemy, and they'd suddenly ignore incoming damage to clobber me over the head with a rifle or slice me with their own blade. It came off as the game deciding it was the enemy's turn to attack because it needed to put an end to my barrage. It made me feel like an angry cat being bonked on the head to calm down. Fortunately, the various abilities Wolverine has at his disposal feel like they pack more punch and can swing momentum in your favor. These range from a spinning claw attack that can control space and a leaping knee that interrupts enemies, to a grapple that slams enemies down so that Wolverine can mount and pummel them. There's also a spinning Psycho Crusher-like maneuver that can be chained multiple times, an all-out barrage of powerful strikes, and a recovery ability that focuses Wolverine's rage and uses it to heal, among others. All of these introduce new considerations into the combat, making it feel a little more involved and dynamic. However, since there's no real depth or connectivity to the combo system, their execution feels very rigid and disjointed. Everything is on a cooldown, which suggests that timing and strategy is important in how they're used, but in practice, they can be employed thoughtlessly without much consequence. Many of Spider-Man's abilities served as ways to bridge one attack sequence into another; after smacking an enemy around, he could launch them into the air, chase up, smash them back down, zip to another enemy, swing them around to hit others in the vicinity, launch them into the distance, use a web to close that distance, and continue to string physical abilities together or use gadgets to manipulate enemies to his advantage. The point being, there was an if-this-then-that flow to it that, admittedly, is made possible by the character's agility and dynamism. Wolverine, meanwhile, feels awkward and brutish by comparison--and not in a good, character-appropriate way. Instead, using his various skills is akin to how you'd approach battles in an MMO, where you just let basic attacks fill the time in between cooldowns and then sequentially work through everything on the ability bar. Sure, you can use those abilities in a way that complements each other, but there's no real requirement or incentive to do so beyond your own initiative. Defensively, Wolverine suffers similar issues. Tapping the L1 button at the right moment will parry an attack, but the window--even before you use an adaptation to make it more forgiving--is pretty lenient, so it doesn't really take much skill to parry. In fact, I had a few occasions where I was surrounded by enemies all attacking me, sometimes overlapping, and I was able to survive their onslaught and take no damage by spamming the parry button with my eyes closed. That's not hyperbolic--I tested it. Parrying is another part of Wolverine's combat that is functional but unrewarding. It may be hard to believe but all of that doesn't mean the combat is bad. It is perfectly functional, and I suspect that many people won't think too hard about how it all fits together. The cinematic brutality of it provides enough of a spectacle that everything else may not even register or matter. But as someone who wants to feel engaged and challenged, the vast majority of my time playing Wolverine felt rote. In a couple of stretches, I opted to reduce enemy health to make them easier to kill. Not because they provided any sort of challenge, but because I wasn't engaged enough to care and wanted to hit the next story beat. Being a fan of the character, experienced with intricate combat systems, and knowing how good Insomniac can do combat, this was disappointing. However, through it all, the care and attention given to visual presentation remained one of the game's strengths. Unlike its open-world Spider-Man games, Wolverine is linear, corralling players from one combat arena to the next by way of streets, up and down elevators, through buildings, onto rooftops, and into the thick of a remote forest or two. Any deviations off the main path are slight and usually to pick up resources used for unlocking new outfits or bottles of whiskey that expand how many adaptations you can equip. The most evident benefit of this narrowing in scope is in the fidelity of the visuals. Wolverine is a beautiful game, both artistically and technically. I really appreciate how Insomniac is able to bring together the vibrancy of comic books and a grittier aesthetic that allows the game to feature superheroes wearing bright costumes, while also giving the game a grounded, more realistic vibe befitting of Wolverine. There's an impressive amount of detail in the character models, with Wolverine's stout and muscular physique giving him an imposing presence. When the camera gets up close, you can really see just how hairy he is (can relate), but also the gradation in his skin color, his pores, and the grime that builds up during brawls. Environments also have a high degree of destructability, so while I may not have always felt powerful as Wolverine when attacking enemies, watching the world around me crack, crumble, and collapse picked up some of that slack. This high level of visual fidelity pays dividends most in the larger-scale set-pieces, of which there are only a handful, but they're a lot of fun. There are battles against towering enemies (surprise, there are Sentinels) or knockdown-dragout battles against other superpowered characters. Wolverine serves the character well enough, but doesn’t lean into Insomniac’s strengths or leverage its creativity There are other parts of the gameplay experience that never outright excel. Everything in between the combat fits into the Uncharted-esque guided platforming mold, so you'll spend a lot of time jumping from handhold to handhold, swinging from branches and poles, or hopping across rooftops. But because Wolverine has very limited mobility and no interesting traversal mechanic to speak of beyond a big jump, the running, jumping, and climbing portions of the game often feel equally uneventful. Similarly, stealth feels like more of an afterthought than a key pillar of gameplay. Again, I know that's not Wolverine's thing. He doesn't swing from buildings like Spidey or barrel across skylines like Hulk, or sneak like Mystique, but the truth of the matter is I didn't find much to get excited about when moving around the world. The only real exceptions come in the rare high-octane escape or desperate climb for survival, in which the circumstances bring the thrills instead of anything I'm actually doing. Ultimately, it is what it is because it's all Wolverine really has. And that point is driven home in the numerous times that Jean Grey, the ultra-powerful mutant with telepathic and telekinetic abilities, offers to simply fly herself and Logan to the top of a building or across a city, and Wolverine declines repeatedly. Even when the fate of his friends or of the world is on the line, he opts to take the long and arduous way because, I don't know, it makes his tummy hurt, or he doesn't like how it feels or some other contrived excuse. But I know that taking the quick and direct route would trivialize massive portions of the game, so instead we go through the uninteresting but inoffensive motions. The strongest aspect of Wolverine is its narrative and character development, but even that isn't without its fair share of oddities and pacing issues. Insomniac has done a commendable job of taking touchstones from the history of Marvel and building something a little more original around them, while also trying to explore Logan from a more emotional, human perspective. Logan's story is intertwined with the increasingly threatened existence of mutants, which have fairly recently emerged. Although Bolivar Trask is presented as the main threat to mutantkind, the game doesn't waste any time in hinting that a bigger threat may be a little closer to home. The game takes place at a time when the X-Men haven't yet formed and, instead, Wolverine is a member of Team X, a crew also featuring Sabertooth and Mystique. Crucially, Team X was assembled by Nathaniel Essex, better known as the villain Mister Sinister in other Marvel stories. What begins as a mission to rescue Essex eventually leads to a battle for mutant survival against Trask and his Sentinels, and then a hunt for a mysterious artifact that could change the future of mutant and humankind forever. Along the way, relationships become strained, hidden motivations emerge, and the state of Insomniac's fledgling X-Men universe rapidly develops in some unexpected directions. There are stellar performances all around, with Liam McIntyre's take on Logan bringing more heart and charm to the character than expected thanks to writing that allows the character to be vulnerable and, on occasion, goofy. Krizia Bajos's Jean Grey also has an emotional depth to her that makes the time she spends with Logan meaningful for both characters. She has been finding and rescuing mutants, and has a worn-down, sometimes defeated vibe to her, but is uplifted by the community of mutants she has built around her. The game is very comfortable letting Logan and Jean have their moments of flirtation and bonding, and although it can occasionally feel rushed, the performances make the deepening connection between them believable nevertheless. The standout performance, however, is undoubtedly Troy Baker as Nathaniel Essex. Anyone with a bit of X-Men knowledge knows exactly where Essex's story will take him, but the journey is still compelling thanks to the performance. Baker is able to present Essex with the same kind of warmth and conviction that makes him a believable surrogate for Charles Xavier in Insomniac's version of the X-Men universe. But every scene he's in has a line delivered just manipulatively enough to keep the player on edge, waiting for the inevitable turn. The impact Essex has on those around him, especially Mystique and Sabertooth, is also part of the brilliance of his character and Baker's performance. He's able to prey on everyone's vulnerabilities and exploit their nature to his advantage. And Logan is the victim of some of the worst of it. The story takes its time getting the pieces in the right place, and there are certainly some pacing issues during this process. The early parts of the game are perhaps a bit too introspective and focused on Wolverine and Jean's relationship, while also including some lengthy sections chasing a macguffin around for a bit too long. But the final third of the game essentially switches from being a Wolverine story to a straight-up X-Men story. That's not a spoiler--you won't suddenly see Cyclops and Gambit appear--but the stakes will become crystal clear and the groundwork is laid for something momentous. As a longtime X-Men fan, I'm a sucker for that kind of stuff and it worked on me. Wolverine is a difficult game to come to terms with. As I've emphasized repeatedly, there's nothing outright wrong or bad about it. It delivers an authentic, highly playable Wolverine experience. I don't regret my time with it and, in fact, I left hoping there's a sequel that makes good on what the game sets up. But at the same time, that inoffensiveness comes from the fact that it's a barebones third-person action game executed in a no-frills way, with no real surprises. At best, it's a fun but forgettable experience that'll entertain you for a few hours. At worst, it shows that just because you can make really good superhero games with one character, that doesn't mean you can make really good super hero games with any character. Insomniac is an incredibly talented developer, but it shines with characters that allow it to flex its well-trained design muscles. Wolverine might be the best at what he does, but what he does hasn't let Insomniac's developers be the best at what they do.
GTA 6 is one of the most-anticipated games ever, and it arrives on November 19. People naturally want to know when exactly that day it will be available to play, and now it looks the like first indication of that has come to light. GTA Vice scoured PlayStation Store listings for the game across 63 countries and regions, and discovered that the game will not have a global simultaneous release. It looks like the US will be among the last major markets to get it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpPpqZwUwl0 Again, this is all based on PlayStation Store listings and is not confirmed by Rockstar. GameSpot has followed up with the developer seeking comment. According to GTA Vice, GTA 6 will unlock--on the PlayStation Store, at least--at midnight local time. That means people in New Zealand and Australia will get in first and the US will be among the final major regions to get started. In short, GTA 6 will become available to play in New Zealand at midnight in the country, which works out to 5 AM PT / 8 AM ET on November 18. People in the US will then have to wait 16 hours to play GTA 6 where they live. If this is accurate, then people in the US will be in for a tough day as they see the game go live for other people and have to wait. If you're concerned about spoilers, that's another reason to be on guard that day. It is also worth mentioning again that this information may not be accurate, or that details could change, so people should wait to hear directly from Rockstar about launch times. While GTA 6 unlocks on November 19, preloading for what we're expecting to be a very big game begins on November 12. That is also when the game's physical edition--which includes a code in a box--will be able to buy in stores, though it does not unlock until November 19. According to SensorTower, GTA 6 has already sold more than 5 million copies via preorders, and that number could climb to 25 million by launch. That would work out to more than $2 billion in revenue, which is reportedly enough to pay for the game's development budget.
Nintendo of America has announced a "Customer Appreciation Sale," offering 30% off games and access, with Nintendo specifically citing its tariff refunds as the reason why it's running the sale, at least in part. "The Customer Appreciation Sale is our way of saying thank you to Nintendo players for their continued support and is made possible in part by tariff-related refunds. While Nintendo absorbed most tariff-related costs, the refunds helped make promotions like this one possible," the company said. Nintendo, like Sony and Microsoft, got money back from the US government related to tariffs, which were implemented by US President Donald Trump and later deemed illegal by the Supreme Court. All three companies argued in court that they should keep the money and give nothing back because that's just how capitalism works. The Customer Appreciation Sale runs September 13-26 on the Nintendo eShop, Nintendo Store, and select retailers. Items on sale vary by retailer, but shoppers can expect discounts on digital and physical games, DLC, accessories, Amiibo, and apparel. Not every gaming company is taking such a hard line on this topic. Panic, the company behind the Playdate gaming handheld, said it will pass its own refunds on to customers who paid more. People should get about $12 back. “It’s just not our money to keep, and it felt really good to give it back,” Panic’s Cabel Sasser told Game Developer. “That’s an easy way to know you made the right decision.” Many companies received major tariff refunds, and they are handling refunds differently. For example, Wamart and Home Depot have said they will use the cash infusion to lower prices on a variety of products, but not directly refund anyone.. “At the end of the day, a product is worth what somebody’s willing to pay for it, and there is a lot of choice in this marketplace,” Bryan Eshelman, a managing director at consulting firm AlixPartners, told CNBC. As for Nintendo, it's been a busy week, as the company held two Nintendo Directs this week. For more, check out GameSpot's rundown of all the big news from the Zelda Direct and the general Nintendo Direct.
Star Wars Zero Company released late last month, and it became one of my favorite games of the year almost instantly. I recently finished it, and while I was very satisfied with how it all wrapped up, there was one thing--a certain achievement--that was missing, and it filled me with a rage I can only satiate by complaining about it online. You see, like the XCOM series it took so much inspiration from, Star Wars Zero Company features a permadeath mechanic. With the exception of main protagonist Hawks, any of the allies you take into battle will permanently disappear if they're killed in battle. Aside from accidentally knocking someone off the side of the map because I was still going through the tutorial segments in the first hour or so (I restarted the mission in this case), I managed to get through the entire game without losing anyone. Well, except for the poor fellow who automatically dies in the opening segment. The credits rolled and I waited for the achievement to pop up on my Xbox. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5QGkOGZubQ Indeed. There are achievements for everyone from making an almost-impossible shot to changing some cosmetic items, but there is no achievement for making it through the game without losing a squad member. There is, however, an achievement for having a squad member die on your watch. If you're on PlayStation, it's a literal participation trophy. I'm not actually a big achievement guy, and this isn't that big of a deal--I'm much more interested in making sure the team at Bit Reactor gets paid so it can continue making amazing turn-based tactics games like Zero Company. But if you make a sequel, please give me my reward.
With Rockstar's GTA 6 on the horizon, and poised for massive success, many people might be interested in buying stock of Rockstar's parent company, Take-Two, as opposed to selling it. One Take-Two executive, CFO Lainie Goldstein, recently sold a big chunk of shares, prompting some to theorize as to why. But the answer is not very exciting at all and doesn't speak to anything specific about her views on GTA 6 or the company's outlook generally going forward. A regulatory filing (via The Motley Fool) revealed that Goldstein sold 1,335 shares of Take-Two on September 2 at a price of $217.65. The total sale price worked out to $282,039. That's a fat stack of cash, but it was an automatic sell-to-cover sale to satisfy tax witholding obligations. Not very exciting stuff. Following the sale of these 1,335 shares, Goldstein continues to hold a whopping 282,039 shares of Take-Two, which are worth more than $60 million on the open market. The value of those shares could climb significantly, as numerous stock analysts at big banks are projecting Take-Two's stock to grow significantly, with some saying it could go beyond $300 per share. Take-Two currently trades at around $211/share, which is down more than 16% so far this year and down about 14% in the past 12 months. The company's share price got hammered in January after Google announced new AI tools for game development, and the stock price has not fully recovered. GTA 6 is set for release on November 19 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. It's a big game and will undoubtedly contribute meaningfully to Take-Two's bottom line, but the company also has numerous other major franchises and sources of revenue. In a non-release period, GTA makes up less than 15% of Take-Two's overall revenue.
I’m a huge fan of samurai games. The swift action of a fast, brutal blade, combined with beautiful takes on Japan to explore, makes them some of my favorites in my collection. I even have a Ghost of Tsushima tattoo, as Jin’s story left such a mark on me. With its sequel, Ghost of Yotei, seemingly skipping PC players, now’s your chance to give one of my other recommendations a try, especially with Rise of the Ronin at a massive 55% discount right now, making it cheaper than ever. You play as the titular ronin, a custom character who–in the opening act of the game–loses their Blade Twin after a failed attempt to assassinate Commodore Matthew Perry. You’re left as a masterless samurai wandering through a Japan split between pro- and anti-shogunate factions. The arrival of the “Black Ships” from America only complicates things further, and you, my little samurai, have been placed right in the middle of it all. No pressure. In familiar Team Ninja fashion–the developer behind the Nioh games as well as Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty–combat takes the spotlight, with energetic swordplay and a whole variety of weapons to master. Alongside a story that responds to your choices, it’s an interesting experience that feels like a typical Team Ninja game, but in an open-world setting. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPHn2bQtSoI I’m doing a little bit of an injustice by comparing Sucker Punch’s Ghost series with Rise of the Ronin. There’s clearly some DNA shared between the two, but Rise of the Ronin feels grander in scale–not necessarily better, but Team Ninja knows what its players like. While Ghost of Yotei’s combat is more cinematic, Rise of the Ronin’s is far more bombastic and varied, making it a great fit if you’re looking for an action RPG with plenty of depth. If you’re looking for a new samurai-like game to play, you can grab a Rise of the Ronin Steam key for just $22.49 / £17.99 at Fanatical, 55% off the listed price for the PC port of the game. Considering it has never been lower than a 50% discount on Valve’s marketplace, this is an excellent deal. I paid full price for the game myself, and I think it’s absolutely worth picking up at this price. As someone who adores the Nioh games and the underappreciated Final Fantasy Origin spin-off, Rise of the Ronin is one of Team Ninja’s strongest games. Now, you can get it at a great price. Disclosure: GameSpot and Fanatical are both owned by Fandom. This story was created in collaboration with Fanatical's deals team.
If you thought that Final Fantasy VII Rebirth's open world maximalism was going to be impossible to match, you haven't seen anything yet.
I still vividly remember the first time I played Final Fantasy VII Remake's demo in 2019, and fully how it sold me on Square Enix's reimagining of one of the most beloved RPGs of all time. Following ex-SOLDIER Cloud's mission with Avalanche members to destroy Mako Reactor 1, the demo was perfectly paced for showcasing its beautiful modern visuals and more action-focused combat system, both of which made for an electrifying experience filled with cinematic spectacles. Fast-forward to 2026, and I'm finally playing Final Fantasy VII Revelation, the third and final part of this remake series, and it's just as surreal as it is entirely overwhelming. This is no exaggeration--when I first sat down to play the Final Fantasy VII Revelation demo at Gamescom, a Square Enix PR representative briefed us on several of the paths we could opt to take, and it became very clear that 45 minutes was not going to even be remotely close to scratching the surface of what was on offer. Basically, if you thought that Final Fantasy VII Rebirth's open world maximalism was going to be impossible to match, you haven't seen anything yet. "The idea is very much [that] we want to keep expanding, increasing the scale of the game as we go through the series," game director Naoki Hamaguchi said through a translator during a group interview. "Obviously, Remake was more of a linear story-driven game, then Rebirth turned into an explorable open world. Taking Rebirth to Revelation, we wanted to expand that with the feeling of verticality. The world's not just going outwards, it's also going upwards as well." That sentiment was very evident in the demo, which started at Chapter 4 of the game on the Highwind, an airship that you can fly all across the world. You can then jump from the Highwind and parachute down to practically any spot, whether it's locations you visited in Rebirth, or Revelation's new regions, which include the nation of Wutai or the remote island of Mideel. That this is all seemingly accessible at such a relatively early point of the game is mind-boggling, though I tried my best not to spend too long considering the sheer scale before me. With only 45 minutes to go, time was not on my side. Do I sit through these lengthy dialogue cutscenes where every character seemingly needs to get a word in, I wondered, or do I watch them at double-speed, butchering the voice performances in the process? Do I take a tour of the Highwind itself, which would also inevitably cut into my precious hands-on time? Or do I, like the person to my right who I occasionally steal a glance at, just casually spend the bulk of it indulging in Queen's Blood, the addictive collectible card minigame introduced in Rebirth that feels like it could be substantial enough to become its own standalone game? When that last question inevitably came up, Hamaguchi clarified that there were currently no plans in place for a Queen's Blood spin-off. "What we really want to prioritize is getting Revelation out as quickly as possible, at the highest possible quality it can be. But certainly, I understand there are a lot of people looking for this kind of thing. So we'd be very positively looking into the idea of maybe doing it in the future." Getting back to my predicament, I opted to skip the tour of the Highwind and instead decided on who should be in my active party of three, which naturally meant including Revelation's two new playable members, pilot Cid Highwind and ex-Turk Vincent Valentine. Also new to this instalment is the ability to switch the character you're controlling while exploring the world normally, and it soon occurred to me that this is the point in the story when Cloud is notably absent. Fortunately, this meant I had no qualms controlling Vincent and pretending I was playing the Dirge of Cerberus remaster that's yet to surface. Instead of revisiting the regions from the previous game, I decided to parachute my party down to Mideel, and was delighted by the ability to summon a chocobo mid-air to give me a smooth "Chocolanding." Yet my marvelling at how seamless you can go from the sky to the ground was soon undercut by Mai, the chatty AI assistant introduced in Rebirth, who bombarded me with things to do, errands to run, and much more with such velocity that I could barely comprehend what was happening. If you felt that Rebirth suffered from an excess of content bloat, be prepared for more of that in Revelation. This huge amount of content is also challenging to navigate in terms of figuring out what you can and can't do yet. One of the quests I was given--located at the entrance of a mysterious Cetra Shrine--was far too high-leveled for me, for example. Upon entering, two beast-like enemies spawned in and practically one-shot each of my party members. I was left badly injured, and wishing I had had some form of warning before embarking on such an ill-advised mission. Granted, there might have been a warning in terms of looking at enemy levels that I missed in my rush to see as much of the game as I could within the limited time frame of the demo, but if there was, it wasn't obvious. After retreating to another part of the region, I was finally able to spend some time appreciating the new additions to the party. There's a wonderful duality to Vincent, as in addition to his normal gun attacks you can transform into his more ferocious Behemoth-like Galian Beast form, which in the original game was only available as a Limit Break. However, there is a limit to how many times you can trigger this before it impacts his maximum HP, preventing this ability from feeling too powerful. But while Vincent was a thrill to play, I had the most fun with Cid, his spear-wielding combat style very reminiscent of the greater Final Fantasy series' dragoon class thanks to his high-leaping attacks. Regardless of which party member you're controlling, each has more skills at their disposal than ever before thanks to Revelation's new FITS (Function Integrated Tactical Suitwear) system, which essentially bestows a classic RPG job to party members while also altering what outfit they're wearing. While it's reminiscent of Dresspheres from Final Fantasy X-2, it's worth noting that they aren't a complete class change but rather an addition. For instance, Yuffie's inherent Ninjitsu skills are still available whether she's dressed in a Black mage outfit or a Summoner outfit. What does change is that your outfit's respective job's skills are now available via a new command tab called FITS Abilities, with all of these abilities costing Mana Points to use. For those less inclined to dabble around with spells and abilities, you can also simply treat the outfits just as outfits and ignore this new menu. "The idea is that it caters to different audiences," Hamaguchi explained. "So the real hardcore battle players looking to get the min-max ultimate characters will look at it as how to customize their characters for even more power. But at the same time, the more casual players just want to see the cool costumes and they're much more interested in customizing how the characters look. So getting that system in at this point in the series would really add something of value for both of those audiences." With time running out, I decided to progress the story and drop into Wutai, at which point I was told I would be unable to leave until the chapter was completed. I was relieved to see that, even though Revelation does offer a staggering amount to do, it still knows to lock you in during key story points. It felt good exploring this secretive ninja nation, which includes points I could traverse via grappling hook as any playable party member, not just Yuffie. Fans of Final Fantasy VII may remember that this was a completely optional region in the original game, but Revelation has now integrated this location and its events into the canon of the story. My trip to Wutai left me curious as to how the team has approached what elements from the original game would be incorporated as part of the main story, and what would remain optional side content. Although I asked this to Hamaguchi initially in relation to the prominence of the Weapons in Revelation's latest trailer--the director confirmed that some will still remain as optional super-difficult endgame challenges--I couldn't help but ask him to elaborate a bit further on the studio's process. "I think one thing that's very important about when you put a piece of content into the game, regardless of whether it's compulsory or optional, is it has to be a convincing piece of content--it has to be fun and entertaining in its own right, and well fleshed out, rather than just including it for inclusion's sake," Hamaguchi explained. "For example, the Knight of the Round from the original game [is something that] a lot of people are very keen to see how we've handled in this game. I can tell you they are fully fleshed out, not like the original Final Fantasy VII where you go to the island, you pick up the materia, and that was it. It's a lot more like what we did with Gilgamesh in Rebirth, a properly fleshed out storyline with quest contents and some dedicated battles as part of that. Because that's how we approach that. If you're going to do the content, it has to be a satisfying piece of content in its own right." Even if Revelation's glut of content sees no sign of restraint, I can't help but admire the passion and audacity that Hamaguchi has displayed on this remake project. Similarly remarkable is how the series' scope hasn't been reduced even as the games have gone from being PlayStation exclusives to releasing across less powerful platforms, like the Switch 2. Revelation in particular represents an interesting challenge for the studio, as it is the first in the series releasing on multiple platforms simultaneously. But Hamaguchi is confident in the team's ability to deliver the game's full vision without worrying about hardware limitations. "The core team making the game itself generally develops on PC, and that structure allows the team to focus on making the game and making it as good as possible," Hamaguchi said. "Our team does not have the concept of, 'We have to get this game on the Nintendo Switch 2, so we have to limit something in the game.' So if we work on something and someone says you can't do that because the Switch couldn't do that, we don't think of it that way." "But on top of that, we have the porting team, and these are the guys that really pay attention to what the performance will look like on other hardware," he continued. "They're constantly assessing the build that comes out, seeing if there are any issues specific to platforms, then report that back to the team, and they need to collaborate with the rest of the team and the other specialists that we have. For example, it may be a requirement, say, for Nintendo Switch 2, or another comparatively lighter spec machine like Steam Deck, for a slightly lower polygon count and a specific asset. In that kind of situation, we'll talk with the resources team, and see if they can produce those special assets. But they generally lead the process, and they work together with the rest of the team to find the right solutions." When all was said and done, the Revelation demo left me wanting compared to the brilliantly paced introduction of Remake's Mako Reactor 1 mission--but perhaps it was a deliberate strategy from Square Enix to stupefy me with the utter scale of its ambition. "There are a lot of open world games out there now, many really celebrated ones, but they are still a part of a larger world--it's one area, one country, one region. Whereas what makes us unique and what we've achieved is this is a whole planet, and the adventure takes place on a planetary scale. I think that's something that's new and exciting, and that's something I really can't wait to see how the masses of fans out there react to." Yet creating a massive, lived-in world is only one part of the equation. More pressing is if Revelation will finally answer the questions the two previous games have asked--and whether or not its answers will be able to satisfy fans. I'm already conscious that the elephant in the room is Aerith, who still appears quite prominently in the game's key art. What that means for her in this finale is something that Hamaguchi is keeping tight-lipped about. "I will say one thing: this is a game that really is for the fans, and will be the most satisfying and the best conclusion of the series for all of the fans, and I understand a lot of fans out there are very keen to know what happens to Aerith," he said. "We had a lot of ideas, myself and the team came up with, so just know that we have thought very hard about how to present [her] and how to handle her in this final part of the trilogy. So I look forward to everyone experiencing and playing that when the game comes out." My only hope is that I won't have gotten too fatigued by all of the other game's content before I find that answer out for myself. Final Fantasy VII Revelation is releasing on April 8, 2027 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2.
Sony has revealed today that it will no longer be working with Kojima Productions on stealth action game Physint, while Kojima announced that Xbox has stepped up to rescue the project. The change in publishers means both of Kojima's upcoming projects are now being made in partnership with Xbox, a departure from his long history of developing games for the PlayStation. PlayStation's official statement didn't say why it chose to end its support of Physint, leaving gamers to speculate on the reasons behind its shock exit. "We continue to have great admiration for Hideo Kojima's vision for the game," Sony said, adding, "we look forward to continued close collaboration with Hideo Kojima and his award-winning independent studio in the future." https://twitter.com/PlayStation/status/2097875212427735146 Kojima posted from his personal account with more details, saying that PlayStation cancelled Physint as of mid-June this year, and the new collaboration with Xbox came as a result of the studio's determination to keep the project alive. https://twitter.com/HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN/status/2097877506401681753 "We're honored that Kojima-san has chosen Xbox to work with Kojima Productions on Physint," said Xbox CEO Asha Sharma in a statement. "His ambition to challenge conventions reflects the kind of creativity we want to support at Xbox." Though it may be surprising after Kojima's long history of collaborating with PlayStation, from his work at Konami to both Death Stranding games, Kojima also has an existing working relationship with Xbox, which is publishing his upcoming horror game OD. Xbox's statement added that its collaboration with Kojima Productions will go beyond these two games, also collaborating "across film and television to bring new stories to broader audiences." Kojima assured fans that despite the change in publishers, development on Physint "is ongoing and will continue moving forward," though the game is still likely in an early phase of development. Kojima has said that Physint will be his return to Metal Gear-like action-espionage games, adding that it would use cutting-edge technology to blur the lines between movies and video games.
For more than three decades, Pokemon and its various card and video games have enjoyed sustained popularity around the world. And at least one prominent collector and investor--Griffin Gaming Partners co-founder Peter Levin--believes that Pokemon's enduring appeal not only extends to the present, it could continue even if the world suddenly came to an end. "Pokemon is a global phenomenon," Levin told The Hollywood Reporter. "I'm absolutely convinced that if the world suffered an apocalypse tomorrow, the following day the global currency would be Pokemon cards. Pokemon cards are beating the S&P 500 by 3,000%. Emanating from Japan, it really took hold around the world in the late '90s and early 2000s. It then had a zenith moment and then a nadir moment, and ever since then, it's been on a parabolic growth curve." As unlikely as that scenario might seem, there could be a very entertaining movie based on survivors using Pokemon cards as currency during an apocalypse. It would be probably even better with actual Pokemon--like the Detective Pikachu movie--but Levin's really hit on fun idea even if it doesn't have a basis in reality. Everything Levin said about Pokemon's popularity is correct. There's a reason why the Japanese mob reportedly used rare Pokemon cards to launder money or for increasingly brazen robberies of Pokemon cards from stores across the US. Some people are willing to pay ridiculous amounts of money for the rarest Pokemon cards and collectibles. However, that value can only hold if the cards have some intrinsic value outside of Pokemon fans. They're only valuable as long as someone puts real currency toward them. Without that network of dedicated buyers, Pokemon cards wouldn't be worth the paper they're printed on when the world goes to hell. Before any potential apocalypse comes along, Pokemon is getting a new stop-motion animated series on Disney+. The September 2026 events for Pokemon Go were also recently announced. Earlier this summer, Pokemon Pokopia received a DLC update as well.
I am not enthusiastic about what feels like an inevitable future wherein games and gaming subscription services are inundated with advertisements. That said, I am excited to reinstall Skyrim so I can play an elaborate Ikea ad. Newly released on Bethesda's Creations site, Kallax Storageborn is a remarkably in-depth Skyrim mod that features the titular Ikea item. But rather than simply adding the Kallax shelving unit as an item you can use to organize your in-game house, the mod turns it into a companion that follows you around, holding an unlimited number of items on your behalf. Oh, and the Kallax is voiced by Matt Berry. You can get a taste of the mod in the video below, showing off Berry's performance and even a modified version of the opening "You're finally awake" sequence. There are new items to obtain, including the Allenblade, which looks like a giant allen wrench, and the Meatball Helmet. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tBlFZsMuO8 With the mod installed, there's a new series of quests that kicks off to find the parts to assemble the Kallax, eventually all culminating in a boss fight. To trigger the quest, you'll have to become over-encumbered, which raises the need for a walking, talking shelving unit in the first place. Aside from the audacity of this idea in the first place, and the inexplicable yet wonderful inclusion of Matt Berry, I'm personally tickled by this focus on the Kallax. As someone who owns four of them in various sizes to display all of my various Legos, foolishly purchased collector's editions, and duck-ified versions of Yakuza characters important business papers, the idea of one following me around in Skyrim is genuinely amusing. The mod is available for both the PC and Xbox versions of the game, and it's out now for free. The Kallax Storageborn mod
Following the big Steam leak that revealed achievement lists and more for upcoming games, Microsoft has officially released the list of Achievements for Gears of War: E-Day, and there is a Shrek/Smash Mouth-inspired one among them. Players can unlock an achievement called "HEY NOW, YOU'RE AN ALL STAR..." by accumulating 25,000 kills in the Versus multiplayer mode. This Achievement provides 25 Gamerscore. For anyone just catching up, 2001's Shrek famously featured the Smash Mouth song, "All Star," The most difficult Achievement to unlock appears to be "Dead Serious," which requires players to 100% the campaign on the highest difficulty, Insane, reach 25,000 kills in Versus, achieve max player level, and max out four classes. Players who do that will be rewarded with 85 Gamerscore, which is the most for any single Achievement in the game. It is a big year for both Xbox and Shrek, as both celebrate their 25th anniversaries this year. The original Shrek movie was re-released in theaters this past summer, and Shrek himself showed up in various video games. As for Xbox, the biggest news event for the 25th anniversary has been Microsoft's decision to lay off thousands of people, close development studios, and cancel games. Gears of War: E-Day releases on October 6 for Xbox Series X|S and PC, with early access arriving October 1 for people who pay more. E-Day will also be available on Xbox Game Pass at launch. There was a lot of evidence that Microsoft canceled a PS5 edition at the last minute; Microsoft denies this, but no one believes them. Achievement NameAchievement DescriptionPointsThe Lucky Ones Died on E-DayEarn all other Achievements.0FNGComplete Boot Camp.15Emergence BeginsUnlock during Act 1 of the Campaign.15We Must ImproviseUnlock during Act 1 of the Campaign.15The Bigger They Are…Unlock during Act 1 of the Campaign.15The Scorched LegionUnlock during Act 2 of the Campaign.15You Want What On the Front of a Gun?!Unlock during Act 2 of the Campaign.15Got to the ChoppaUnlock during Act 2 of the Campaign.15Get Back You Eight-legged FreakUnlock during Act 3 of the Campaign.15Twice the Pride, Double the FallUnlock during Act 3 of the Campaign.15…The Harder They FallUnlock during Act 3 of the Campaign.15End of the LineUnlock during Act 4 of the Campaign.15The Only Good Bug is a Dead BugUnlock during Act 4 of the Campaign.15Nothing Left but the FightUnlock during Act 5 of the Campaign.15For My BoysUnlock during Act 5 of the Campaign.15You’re My BrotherComplete all Acts of the Campaign on Co-Op (any difficulty). 15Side PieceComplete all Secondary Objectives in the Campaign (any difficulty).15Relax. I’m the Map.Discover all Hard Cases in the Campaign.15Memories From E-DayFind all Collectibles in the Campaign (any difficulty).15Lift Outta HellComplete and Survive 50 Horde Siege Missions (Infantry difficulty or higher).15Best I Can Do Is a Pizza PartyComplete any 100 Secondary Objectives in Horde Siege.15Turn It Up to 11Execute 50 enemies Stunned by the Sonic Disruptor in Horde Siege.15Never Fight AloneExtract from Horde Siege with all squadmates alive on Allfather difficulty.15Just Let Me Get One More…Get 100 Revives.15I Am Heavy Weapons GuyKill 10 enemies in a row using a single detached turret.15I’m All Amped UpMaintain 30 seconds of Adrenaline with the Injector in Horde Siege.15Somebody Set Us Up the BombPlant the bomb in Demolition and have it explode without the enemy defusing it.15Spotted and SlottedPulse 1,000 enemies with the Pulse Drone in Horde Siege.15Field ServiceReach Player Level 100 and Re-Up for the first time.15Form-Up!Receive the max reward from a Perk Cache in Horde Siege (any difficulty).15Who Loves Ya, Baby?Revive 20 players from other squads in Horde Siege.15Down, but Not DeadRevive 250 squadmates from DBNO with the Stim Vaporizer in Horde Siege.15BrotectorSave another player from a struggle with a Locust.15Stacks, On Stacks, On StacksSpend 150,000 Energy at the Supply Cache in Horde Siege (any difficulty).15Like a BossSuccessfully complete 25 Invasion Events in Horde Siege (any difficulty).15Quartermaster Unlock all Supply Cache items in the Campaign.15This Is My RifleUnlock all Weapon Mods in Horde Siege.15It Only Game, Why You Heff to Be Mad?Win a game of Conquest without the enemy team scoring.15Crepe du RavenCarefully inspect the underside of a Raven in Horde Siege.15Okay, Boomer.Carve-up a Boomer.15Days Since Last Accident: 0Commit a workplace safety violation on Battleship in Versus.15Right in the TickerConvert a Ticker to express air mail and return to sender.15Chainsaw Go BrrrrrrrrrLet a chainsaw do what it does best against a Locust in Campaign or Horde Siege.15Explosive IndigestionPlay a game of explosive cornhole with a Bilefrog.15I Didn’t Hear No BellSave your entire squad while you’re moments from death in Horde Siege.15Two Grubs, One Gut-PunchShow two Grubs what a single Gut-Puncher round can do.15Payback’s A PitchTake revenge on an Armored Wretch that stunned you.15Remember KalonaComplete all Acts of the Campaign (any difficulty).25Today We Are Canceling the ApocalypseComplete all Acts of the Campaign on Insane difficulty.25HEY NOW, YOU’RE AN ALL STAR…Get 25,000 kills in Versus.25I WILL MASSACRE YOUKill 50,000 Enemies in Horde Siege (any difficulty).25Siege SpecialistReach max level with the Assault, Breacher, Marksman, and Medic classes in Horde Siege.25Got Your Wings Re-up for the final time and claim your wings.25For Whom The Bell TollsComplete Campaign on Insane, complete all side missions, find all hidden items.75Dead Serious100% Campaign on Insane, 25,000 kills in Versus, max Player Level, and max 4 classes.85
Activision has revealed new information about one of the perks for preordering Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, and it's a bit unusual. People who preorder the game on any platform get the Inner Circuit M4 weapon blueprint, but those who preorder on Xbox will get a translucent OG green version of the gun to celebrate Xbox's 25th anniversary this year. Like the OG translucent Xbox, the weapon blueprint allows players to see through it. If you preorder MW4 on any other platform, you'll get the same gun, but without the Xbox flourishes. Not only that, but if you're playing on PlayStation or Switch 2, you won't even see the translucent Xbox design. Only people playing on Xbox will. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgE7Bx9juyE Both versions of the gun are functionally identical, however, featuring the same attachments and gameplay characteristics. The standard version The translucent Xbox version Beyond this exclusive weapon variant, Microsoft is rewarding Xbox MW4 players by offering them a $5 credit to buy it on Xbox. Microsoft owns Activision and the Call of Duty franchise, so this kind of exclusive offering makes sense. When Microsoft bought the franchise, it promised regulators that it would not water down Call of Duty games for platforms outside of Xbox, claiming 100% parity between platforms. “We have no goal of somehow trying to use Call of Duty to get you to buy an Xbox console," former Xbox CEO Phil Spencer said in 2023. Modern Warfare 4 launches on October 23 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch 2, and PC.
A group of 1,900 employees at Blizzard Entertainment has successfully signed a union contract with Microsoft, securing several guarantees for members. Represented by the Communications Workers of America (CWA), the contract has given the Blizzard workers more workplace flexibility and guaranteed wage increases, but several other industry-first agreements could make this a blueprint for other video game unions to follow. One of the big wins for the Blizzard union is artificial intelligence guardrails, as the contract stipulates that Microsoft cannot use AI to automate or replace jobs without first talking to the union. Another big win are the job-recall rights for employees, because if they're laid off, Blizzard must offer them an open role within 14 months and inside the union's network before hiring someone from outside. Laid-off union members will also get an additional four weeks of pay--regardless of how long they worked at the company--hybrid schedules that allow them to work from home, and formal systems to settle disputes within the workplace. "It's a new day at Blizzard, where greater power for workers is translating into more innovative games for players," CWA president Claude Cummings, Jr. said to Game Developer. "I am so proud of CWA bargaining teams, taking on tough fights and winning strong contracts that set new standards for working people across our industries." In an interview with Aftermath, Blizzard workers spoke about how the negotiating process with Microsoft dragged on. As one Blizzard employee explained, Microsoft eventually agreed to ratify the union contract after it was convinced that it would be mutually beneficial. Union leaders and members mobilizing outside of Blizzard headquarters to protest also helped seal the deal on the contract. These protections come at a time when Microsoft has been called out for mass layoffs at Xbox Game Studios, which started with 1,600 retrenchments and will see another 1,600 people let go throughout the year. It's not the first time rolling layoffs have hit Xbox either, as thousands of jobs have been cut since the company finalized its acquisition of Activision Blizzard. The gaming industry has also historically had very few unions, leaving workers with very little say during these dark times. Things might be slowly changing, as unions steadily gain more power in the industry. Across the pond, a group of former Grand Theft Auto 6 developers who accused Rockstar Games of union-busting are preparing for a legal battle against the developer. A hearing at the Glasgow Tribunals Centre will begin on September 10 and could run until October 15, while the Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain will hold a rally to support the staff it also represents.
After being officially announced earlier this summer, Persona 6 will now officially also be coming to Nintendo Switch 2. Yet several months later, we still only have the game's spooky green logo to go on and no new information from Sega and Atlus. The Switch 2 announcement was made towards the end of the September Nintendo Direct, following the reveal that Persona 4 Revival will also be coming to Nintendo Switch 2, albeit for May 20, 2027, several months after the remake releases on other platforms. But while Persona 4 Revival had a trailer showing how it will run on Switch 2, nothing new was shown for Persona 6. The very brief teaser used the same dark cryptic imagery--including a flash of fractured text that appears to spell "Who are you?"--albeit also displaying it on the console's handheld screen. Despite the lack of official information, a massive Steam leak has revealed achievements for Persona 6--as well as other major upcoming titles like Kingdom Hearts 4 and Fable--giving away many of its story details that Atlus has so far been reluctant to share. Atlus has been known to tease its Persona games in the past. Persona 5 was first announced in 2013 with a teaser with minimal imagery, while a second teaser showing an anime cinematic from the game followed in 2014, and gameplay wasn't revealed until 2015. That might indicate that Persona 6 is still a long way out from release, though it seems unusual that this Switch 2 announcement didn't come with even a morsel of new teases, while eager fans can just dig into the leaks. While the leak broke on the day of the Nintendo Direct, it remains to be seen whether Sega will now change its marketing strategy for Persona 6 and share more details of this highly anticipated JRPG sooner rather than later.
Last October, I wrote an op-ed for this very website presenting my case for a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. At the time, I thought it was a slam dunk; of the top 10 best-selling games on the original Nintendo Switch, Smash Bros.--which is currently still the third best-selling Switch 1 game ever as of June 30--was the only one to not see any Switch 2-related update, let alone a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition. Today, with the latest Nintendo Direct behind us, that fact remains true, to the point that Nintendo's own website doesn't list Super Smash Bros. Ultimate on its list of "free updates for select Nintendo Switch games." Nearly five years after Sora's reveal trailer, and his addition to the game, which marked the final update to Ultimate, Smash Bros. has become a dormant franchise. There were some Switch 2 Editions revealed during the Nintendo Direct, so Nintendo hasn't reached the end of the well yet. Here are the games that did add "Nintendo Switch 2 Edition" to their names. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52Fei-sLLQc&pp=ygUIcGlrbWluIDQ%3D New Nintendo Switch 2 Editions Six games are now getting the Switch 2 bump after today's Direct: three first-party titles and three third-party games. The first one revealed with Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment Definitive Edition, which will include all Expansion Pass DLC, improved visuals and frame rate, more enemies on screen during battles, and a new ultra-hard Calamity Mode. While the name says "Definitive Edition," Nintendo describes it as an "enhanced Nintendo Switch 2 version." Next was perhaps the most surprising of the three first-party upgrades: Pikmin 4. Voice commands for the dog Oatchi and a new Dandori Academy mode will be added to the game on November 12. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 was the third first-party game to receive the Switch 2 Edition treatment. The upgraded version will add a new hero called Shimmer, and a Hero's Vault mode where players fight through waves of enemies in order to enhance the party's abilities. On the third-party side, The Witcher 3's upcoming Remastered Edition will hit Switch 2 in September, while cozy sim Palia will add seasonal updates, community events and new Echo Expeditions with its Switch 2 Edition in December. Finally, Crisis Core - Final Fantasy VII Reunion, which originally launched for Nintendo Switch in 2022, joined the Switch 2 Edition family today at the end of the Direct. An Ultimate omission All of those games getting new enhanced editions is cool! The Switch 2 has proven to be a very viable platform for the resurgence of older games. However, there is a glaring hole where the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Nintendo Switch 2 Edition should be standing, and it's puzzling to say the least. What, if anything, could be holding Nintendo back? Now, the existence of an all-new Smash Bros. was rumored in the lead-up to today's Direct, along with a new Nintendogs and 3D Mario. None of those things happened, so who knows if those "leaks" had any credibility. However, even if this is true, and the next Smash will be something new, a Switch 2 Edition of Ultimate still makes sense, if for no other reason, than to buy Nintendo time. To quote myself in that op-ed from last year, with a Switch 2 edition, "Nintendo can push back the clock on that question until [Smash Bros. lead Masahiro] Sakurai–or perhaps an unnamed successor–can figure it out." It's possible that Nintendo was waiting for Sakurai to be finished with Kirby Air Riders. The Direct said that the two new Amiibo figures coming to Air Riders are the last ones, so that work may finally be ending. Or, if someone new is taking the reigns, that extra time could allow Nintendo and the new lead to figure out what the future of Smash Bros. looks like. There is a possible explanation, though, to why Nintendo would leave its highly successful fighter tied up, and the binding is all red tape. It's likely that, even if Nintendo wants to update Ultimate, doing so would be a logistical nightmare in terms of licensing. I don't know what those initial contracts said, obviously, but if consideration for future updated editions wasn't built into the agreements for some of those characters, then getting them back wouldn't be possible without a new agreement. Some of those parties have gone through major changes, and opening up negotiations may be impossible--Banjo-Kazooie and Minecraft's Steve in particular could be tough, considering Xbox's renewed penchant for keeping Xbox things on Xbox. Whatever the reason, Smash Bros.'s lack of presence on Switch 2, even this early in the console's lifespan, is glaring. With every Nintendo announcement that doesn't include Smash Bros., be it an Ultimate Switch 2 Edition or a brand-new game, that void will only grow larger.
Nintendo's new 40th-anniversary Zelda-themed Switch 2 console went on sale on September 8, the same day it was announced, and it sold out immediately. I bet you can guess what happened next. Listings for the $520 limited-edition console popped up on eBay the same day, with sellers hoping to make tidy profits. There are numerous listings on eBay asking for $800 and $850--that's about 50% more than the list price. It appears there is a single seller account offering five different units, so this is very clearly a scalping scenario, and it may run afoul of eBay's own rules. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ymw9UTRu1V0 This kind of thing is pretty normal, as people are known to take advantage of a limited-edition product to make some money on the demand. The Zelda console releases on October 29 as part of Nintendo's celebration of the franchise's 40th anniversary. The console sports a spiffy black-and-gold design, featuring the Triforce design as well. Nintendo is also selling anniversary editions of the Switch 2 Pro controller and a Switch 2 carrying case, both of which also feature the Triforce design. The Pro controller ($100) also sold out. The Switch 2 Zelda system has been described as being a limited-edition, so it remains to be seen if Nintendo will replenish stock soon, or ever. The next Zelda game is The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time's remake, which releases on November 6 for Switch 2. The game features a lot of significant changes from the 1998 original, and the internet had some thoughts. For more, check out GameSpot extended coverage of the Ocarina of Time remake via the stories below: Why Is Link The Worst-Looking Character In The Ocarina Of Time Remake? Is The Zelda: Ocarina Of Time Remake Even Bothering With Its Big Twist? Ocarina Of Time Remake’s Map And Level Design Looks Quite Similar To The Original So Far
Another Nintendo Direct came and went without mention of a new Mario game, ending the franchise's 40th anniversary year not with a bang, but with a resounding "huh?" Despite rumors and murmurs from noted leakers, there was no reveal of a 3D Mario game at the September 2026 Nintendo Direct. In fact, the only mention of Nintendo's mascot was a free update to Mario Kart World, which allows you to play SNES courses already in the Free Roam map in Versus mode. Traditionally, Nintendo consoles have been blessed with a 3D Mario not long after they hit stores. Super Mario 64 was a launch title for the Nintendo 64, and Sunshine, Galaxy, 3D Land, and Odyssey all released within a year of their respective platforms' lifecycles. (Wii U title Super Mario 3D World launched a year and four days after the console, but that's close enough.) https://twitter.com/NintendoAmerica/status/2097696070990016647?s=20 Meanwhile, there hasn't even been a hint of a 3D Mario game for Switch 2. At the very least, Mario fans have been able to enjoy Donkey Kong Bananza, which was developed by the same team that made Super Mario Odyssey--and it certainly has a lot of Odyssey's DNA. Still, the lack of a mainline Mario game puts a damper on a monumental anniversary year for the jump-happy plumber. Yes, Mario hit it big at the box office with The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, but all Switch 2 owners have gotten are ports and a tennis game. And while Nintendo counted the adorable Yoshi and the Mysterious Book as part of the celebration, that game is notably Mario-less. Zelda fans are at least getting a full remake of the beloved Ocarina of Time for that franchise's 40th, and a brand-new 3D Kirby game marks the pink puffball's 35th birthday. Even Metroid fans are eating well now. Mario will surely have his due soon, and video game development is a notoriously long and difficult process. But Nintendo seemed ill-prepared for Mario's 40th birthday, and the fact that a successor to Super Mario Odyssey might not come until a decade after that game's release is a disappointment tantamount to finding that the princess is in another castle.
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Capcom's support for Nintendo Switch 2 has been non-stop since day one, and it's only increasing as the publisher has revealed more upcoming releases this fall. During the September Nintendo Direct, it was revealed that Monster Hunter Wilds and the Resident Evil 2, 3, and 4 remakes will be coming to Nintendo Switch 2. The Monster Hunter series had enjoyed a period of exclusivity on Nintendo platforms before, while 2021's Monster Hunter Rise had been developed originally as a Nintendo Switch exclusive. This Wilds port is also bringing back a staple feature of the series by allowing up to four hunters play together in local wireless co-op. Meanwhile, online full cross-play support is also available. Monster Hunter Wilds releases on Nintendo Switch 2 on December 4. This will also be ahead of the game's massive Ascendance expansion planned for 2027, which hopefully means Capcom plans to release this for all platforms simultaneously. It was also announced that the Resident Evil 2, 3 and 4 remakes will all be releasing on October 16 for Switch 2. This will include all existing content, including the Separate Ways campaign in Resident Evil 4. With Capcom having released Resident Evil Requiem and ports of Resident Evil 7 and Resident Evil Village earlier this year, it now means you can play all of the modern RE Engine Resident Evil games on Nintendo's console, while Resident Evil Veronica is also scheduled for early 2027. With releases of new titles including Pragmata and Onimusha: Way of the Sword, ports like Devil May Cry 5, and Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen still to come, this will likely go down as Capcom's busiest year for the Nintendo Switch 2.
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