Title: Sony Continues Its March Towards An All-Digital Future As It Reportedly Kills Off Its Last 4K UHD Player Date: Thu, 22 Oct 2026 20:41:01 +0000 Link: https://kotaku.com/sony-continues-its-march-towards-an-all-digital-future-as-it-reportedly-kills-off-its-last-4k-uhd-player-2000748873 It's part of a larger push by the PlayStation maker to move away from making home electronics, like TVs

Title: Mass Effect 5’s Leaked Trailer: 9 Things We Noticed Date: Thu, 22 Oct 2026 19:36:14 +0000 Link: https://kotaku.com/mass-effect-5-universe-leak-trailer-breakdown-liara-bioware-2000748896 The now-canceled Mass Effect: Universe would have included the return of old party member Liara

Title: Valve Employee Accidentally Mentions Half-Life 3 Codename For The First Time Ever Date: Thu, 22 Oct 2026 19:04:14 +0000 Link: https://kotaku.com/valve-employee-seemingly-slips-up-and-says-rumored-half-life-3-codename-on-stage-2000748885 Wait a minute, what's HLX?

Title: Here’s Three Actors In The Final Running For James Bond And They’re All Aggressively Fine Date: Thu, 22 Oct 2026 18:30:52 +0000 Link: https://kotaku.com/heres-three-actors-in-the-final-running-for-james-bond-and-theyre-all-aggressively-fine-2000748875 Yawn, James Yawn

Title: Steam Pricing Analyst Found Hollow Knight: Silksong’s $20 Price Annoying: ‘I Was A Bit Like, Oh God, Please Price It Higher’ Date: Thu, 22 Oct 2026 18:00:53 +0000 Link: https://kotaku.com/steam-pricing-analyst-found-hollow-knight-silksongs-20-price-annoying-i-was-a-bit-like-oh-god-please-price-it-higher-2000748802 Indie devs are facing tighter pricing pressures than ever

Title: Monopoly Go x The Simpsons crossover is almost here Date: Tue, 02 Jun 2026 08:41:21 +0000 Link: https://www.vg247.com/monopoly-go-the-simpsons-crossover-details Monopoly Go players have been looking forward to a major crossover event for what felt like months, and though most of the details ended up leaking, nothing actually beats official information. Read more

Title: Honkai: Star Rail Version 4.3 will take us deeper into the World in Canvas and make Mortenax Blade playable Date: Fri, 22 May 2026 13:43:44 +0000 Link: https://www.vg247.com/honkai-star-rail-version-4-3-all-details HoYoverse has today delivered full details on the next major update for Honkai: Star Rail. Version 4.3, dubbed The Lethe Below the Living, will be available for all players on June 1. The upcoming update adds a new chapter to the Planarcadia arc, and introduce a new playable character. Read more

Title: Forza Horizon 6 explodes on Steam even before it's officially out Date: Fri, 15 May 2026 11:00:02 +0000 Link: https://www.vg247.com/forza-horizon-6-steam-numbers-big-launch Steam is abuzz this week with a couple of long-anticipated launches, but in Forza Horizon 6’s case, at least, the game isn’t even out for what will be most of its players. The anticipated sequel in the open-world driving game series doesn’t officially launch until May 19, but owners of its most expensive version - the Premium Edition - can play it right now. Read more

Title: Mystic Messenger's most loyal players are getting banned in droves for seemingly playing the game too much Date: Fri, 15 May 2026 10:02:10 +0000 Link: https://www.vg247.com/mystic-messenger-ban-wave-thousands-of-hourglasses-anniversary Mystic Messenger, arguably one of the best dating sims around, has been dormant for about seven years. Despite not receiving new content or any meaningful updates in all that time, the game remains popular with its core fans, many of whom just woke up to some shocking news about their accounts. Read more

Title: Forza Horizon 6 review - The driving game for everyone still can’t seem to escape its car-collecting legacy Date: Thu, 14 May 2026 12:00:03 +0000 Link: https://www.vg247.com/forza-horizon-6-review There is this idea that, for a long-running series to remain as consistently popular as Forza Horizon has been, it needs to diminish itself somewhat with each new entry, gradually losing more and more of its edge in a bid to appeal to the widest possible audience. Read more

Title: CoD: Modern Warfare 4 Has a Thrilling Campaign, Exciting DMZ, Strong Multiplayer Date: Fri, 16 Oct 2026 17:00:00 +0000 Link: https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-4-campaign-review/ In 2019, Infinity Ward rebooted Call of Duty's Modern Warfare series, delivering a gritty and polished campaign featuring Captain Price and the assembly of the iconic Task Force 141. Despite the strong start, the series' sequels stumbled a bit, with  Modern Warfare 3 in particular standing out as having a weak story and open-world missions that missed the mark. But with Modern Warfare 4, Infinity Ward returns the series' campaign to strength with a satisfying narrative and well-crafted missions for an epic conclusion to the rebooted series. Modern Warfare 4's single-player goes back to being a traditional and mostly linear experience that some recent entries have strayed from. There is only one open-world mission this year, and it is far more engaging than the previous attempts. Modern Warfare 4 doesn't introduce anything new or innovative, but it finds success with a consistently strong narrative and engaging gameplay built on nail-biting tension. Thankfully, you're never forced into any mission objectives that feel like silly chores or ill-timed distractions. Every mission in Modern Warfare 4 carries urgency and drives the plot forward. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HM5tzrBuWFo That plot closes out the ongoing narrative surrounding Price and Task Force 141, but it also takes Call of Duty to Korea and introduces a fresh new cast of characters. The campaign intertwines two seemingly separate stories for an over-the-top, globetrotting affair across New York City, Paris, and Mumbai, in addition to several parts of Korea. This is the explosive Hollywood-style action you'd expect from a Call of Duty campaign at a quality level we haven't seen from the franchise in years--that includes the recent Black Ops entries. One half of the game places you in the boots of Private Park, a young South Korean soldier, who has never experienced real combat before. Private Park and his squad are forced to fight back to save their country when North Korea launches an invasion. The other half of the campaign follows the events of Modern Warfare 3 and the aftermath of John "Soap" MacTavish's death. In Modern Warfare 4, Captain Price is in a much darker place, going rogue to hunt down Makarov and also tie up any other loose ends with the villain's associates. This new outlaw version of Price ties back to one of the most-telling quotes of Modern Warfare 2019, where he lays out his ethos on where the lines in war are."You draw the line wherever you need it, Sergeant," Price says. "End of the day, someone has to make the enemy scared of the dark. We get dirty and the world stays clean. That's the mission." That line is seemingly in a place no one could have foreseen, as Price is furious and more willing than ever to get his hands dirty in pursuit of making everyone allied with Makarov scared of the dark. Being on the run leaves Price with very few allies, though. In a desperate attempt to reach the Archer (Mads Mikkelsen), who is another threat linked to Makarov, Price makes a deal with Valeria Garza and the cartel. Price hasn't turned into a complete monster, but the cartel don't mind blasting through civilians in order to achieve their mission. This team-up makes for chaotic gunfights through Paris and engaging banter between the characters. Price is constantly trying to look out for civilians and wants to minimize the collateral damage, but Valeria just comically taunts him, calling him Papi and old man, as she operates with less strict rules. The extent to which Price is a contrast to Valeria becomes a key part of the story. After a chase scene where they commit a particularly brutal act of violence, Valeria tells Price that "he's still a good guy," but she is a notorious cartel leader trying to get paid for delivering a weapon to the bad guy, so how much weight can her words really carry? Price's cartel team-up also leads him to realize this weapon delivery is dangerous enough to shift the balance of power, setting in motion a much greater conflict. To make matters worse, Price also has a target on his back as the remaining members of his Task Force 141 team, Simon "Ghost" Riley and Kyle "Gaz" Garrick, are sent to capture or kill him. This manhunt for Price leads to a standout mission called Gone Dark, where your POV switches to Gaz as he hunts Price inside of a dark hotel. At the start of the series, Captain Price served as a mentor and moral compass for Gaz, so there's a lot of emotional weight to the mission as Gaz, and the player, see just how far Price has fallen from a clearer third-party perspective. There are shocking moments and intense exchanges between the now fractured members of Task Force 141 that leverage the squad's long history effectively. There's an emotional pull throughout the mission, as Price begs Ghost and Gaz to back off, and a bigger gut punch when Price says he doesn't want to kill them, but implies he will. These moments really nail down how Price's moral compass has broken. The events of Gone Dark also set up a powerful moment in a later mission to bring the series full circle in a way I appreciated. The Korean invasion intertwines with Price's epic revenge tour, causing the new South Korean squad and US forces to team up. Although that may seem overwhelming, even with these shifting POVs and a non-chronological story, the narrative flows well from mission to mission, keeping things moving at a good clip through stealth missions, on-foot and vehicular chase sequences, slow-motion breach-and-clear segments, and even some satisfying action of manning a chopper gunner. There's also a Clean House-style mission with night-vision goggles, where you need to clear rooms with extreme trigger discipline to avoid shooting any civilians.  Modern Warfare 4 Although the missions are a mostly familiar affair, they remain effective Call of Duty staples and the  campaign as a whole had me on the edge of my seat throughout. It doesn't necessarily do anything better than some of Call of Duty's most notable other campaigns, but it's proof that, for me, the series doesn't need to reinvent the wheel to produce a thrilling single-player experience. In this instance, having a strong narrative and compelling characters carried me through the missions. Whether I was playing as Park or Price, I always felt the weight of my actions. The game's only open-world mission is called Stranded, and this is definitely one of Call of Duty's best attempts at a fully open-world mission. You play as Park, who is stranded behind enemy lines with his squad in a snowy and mountainous setting in Korea. Park needs to scavenge supplies to bring back to his squad, and there are three main objectives on the map. You can choose to complete these objectives in any order, but more notably, you can fast travel directly to each one and bypass the entire scavenging and exploration part of the mission. Doing this means you won't have the best guns and gear to complete your objectives, and it will mostly feel like you're navigating through a standard mission instead of going through a vast open-world experience you may not be interested in. If you choose to explore in Stranded, there are bags of supplies to scavenge all around the map, and there are sealed shipping containers with combination lock puzzles you can solve to secure even more loot. The supplies you bring back to your squad can be used to repair suppressed weapons, craft lethal equipment, or utilize a mortar strike to help get the objectives done with more firepower or stealth, depending on your preferred playstyle. While I'm relieved the entire campaign isn't built on open exploration, there was an allure to the optional scavenging for weapon upgrades in Stranded. By undertaking a little of it, I looted enough supplies to secure Park a suppressed sniper rifle that proved its worth later. But for the sake of time, I fast traveled to my objectives with little consequence, calling into question the value of even having the option. At the very least, the open section introduces a replayability factor, for those that want it. Modern Warfare 4 emphasizes boss-fight-style encounters where you only have your fists or a knife equipped and go toe-to-toe with an opponent. In these scenarios, of which there are a few, timing your blocks is critical, allowing you to parry and counter with hits of your own. Admittedly, these aren't overly complex fights, but they serve as a good way to mix things up and each one adds just the right amount of tension to the scenario and the campaign overall, especially when they tie into the competing ideologies that character dynamics are built on. Modern Warfare 4 Modern Warfare 4 also keeps the optional dialogue prompts introduced in Modern Warfare 2, which allow you to ask your fellow soldiers questions or make small talk. You can choose to say nothing, but the banter usually adds a small layer of depth to the supporting characters and sometimes lightens the mood after an intense mission. It's a small amount of agency in what is essentially a rollercoaster that is appreciated, even if it doesn't really amount to anything deeper. One mission places you in the boots of a high-ranked North Korean soldier who doesn't always agree with the orders he's given. This part of the story is a harrowing mission filled with public executions, but it does make use of the dialogue prompts as you walk around interrogating civilians, providing the opportunity to define the demeanour of the character a little more. The conversation prompts let you choose how to approach many situations. You can intimidate or try to calm people with the dialogue prompts you're given, but you can also just pull out your gun and threaten them with action instead of words. These small interactions don't impact the overall story and oftentimes your actions are fruitless, but it's good to have the option to choose empathy when dealing with civilians. Ultimately, this mission also does a good job of showing the ruthless nature of this North Korean threat, and how many soldiers will still blindly follow their orders. While I'm more emotionally invested in the Task Force 141 storyline, I still enjoyed all of the missions focused on the South Korean squad. Park is forced into the military through conscription, so being a soldier wasn't a choice or an act of valor. Initially, it seems like he doesn't want to be a soldier at all, but when war hits his doorstep, he still tries to push back his fear and make the best decisions he can to protect his people. Park also provides a nice moral balance to Price's side of the campaign, where nothing matters except his thirst for revenge. Despite the campaign otherwise being a blast, the final "boss fights" of the game are a major disappointment. Neither fight feels particularly challenging, and they feel too brief for the climactic moments, but the way the story concludes is satisfying all the same. Overall, Modern Warfare 4 wraps up the series with several shocking moments and ends on a high note. The pacing never falters despite the two interwoven storylines and alternating POVs, and the wide variety of missions and locations ensure that the story remains engaging. Modern Warfare 4 is another edge-of-the-seat thrill ride. What distinguishes its campaign from others is a feeling that the devs had more time to think through the experience to create something that can serve as a worthy conclusion for the Modern Warfare series. Because of that, Modern Warfare 4's campaign ranks as the best we've seen since Modern Warfare 2019. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 - DMZ Mode Review Building on the success of the DMZ beta launched in 2022, Infinity Ward elevates the extraction mode with major upgrades for Modern Warfare 4, including a more dynamic map, an engaging social hub, in-depth story missions, and deeper progression. All of this allows for more replayability and new ways to experience the sandbox magic that can happen within a match of DMZ. In fact, most of Infinity Ward's Call of Duty innovation this year is packed within DMZ, and thanks to a satisfying gameplay loop, the extraction mode is the standout part of Modern Warfare 4. Matches of DMZ allow for up to 60 players to group up in trios. Each squad is tasked with surviving and extracting before a circle of irradiated gas floods the map, killing everyone in its path. This is PvPvE gameplay with a focus on exploration, combat, and a wide variety of missions. As with most extraction shooters, dying in DMZ means losing everything, making it a high-risk for high-reward game mode. DMZ's new Hajin map is a vast upgrade from the original Al Mazrah location. This is the largest map ever created for Call of Duty, outsizing Warzone's Verdansk and even Black Ops 7's massive Avalon map, allowing for deeper exploration and greater map diversity. Hajin is set in a fictional version of the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea, and the area provides a wide range of main and secondary points-of-interest. In the hours I spent playing DMZ, my squadmates and I always seemed to spawn in a new area. No match ever felt the same, and there was always so much more we wanted to explore before our time ran out. Al Mazrah's diversity of locations doesn't even come close to Hajin, which takes you through dense forests, as well as a selection of city-based locations, such as military compounds, underground tunnel systems, and even an irradiated nuclear power plant. Updated NPC behavior and dynamic weather make Hajin feel more alive than Al Mazrah. Rain or fog can roll in at any time but aren't guaranteed in every match. Weather changes don't affect the entire map and are randomly localized to specific areas, shifting how you experience Hajin from point-to-point. Fog can be beneficial for stealth as it hinders the view of everyone in the vicinity, including NPC enemies, but it also limits your ability to check your surroundings. Rain on the ground (or traversing through other water sources) can create audible sloshy footsteps, betraying your position. I'm always skeptical about dynamic weather in games, but Modern Warfare 4's graphics are stunning, and it was impressive watching the fog roll across the coast and move inland. And on at least one occasion, driving through dense fog allowed my squad to evade an entire convoy of enemies. Fog is more impactful than the rain, but both are a welcome touch to the world, as they can change how you approach a situation, and they add a bit of immersion and variety to matches. With Hajin, you'll see enemies moving through the world in a more organic way. At military bases, you might find soldiers doing push-ups outside in the yard, while patrol cars full of enemies drive around the map. Drones search the sky in various locations, suicide-bomber robo-dogs can chase you around, and a boss-level tank patrols the streets. The AI threats aren't smarter, but these behaviors and a wide range of enemy types provide a sense of immersion and make for engaging combat encounters. You also can't underestimate them entirely because of their lack of intelligence in combat, as they can easily overwhelm you with their numbers. In the higher-tier zones, the NPCs have heavier armor and some wield riot shields, so it takes firepower and strategy to take them down. Changes to progression make the experience much more rewarding. You can load into a match with the intent of looting cash and resources, hunting other players, engaging in story missions, or completing smaller side objectives. No matter how you choose to play, all of these actions count toward your DMZ player level, and you earn this XP even if you fail to successfully extract. You'll also earn player XP and weapon XP for multiplayer and Warzone, but you can only rank up your DMZ level by playing DMZ. Modern Warfare 4's DMZ has a bigger focus on mission prepping, and this is handled through the new FOB (Forward Operating Base) feature. The FOB is your personal home base between missions. This is a place you can walk around and interact with various mission-prep stations, meaning no one has to sit in boring menus or lobby screens while their teammates get their loadouts ready. You don't need to load in and out of the firing range feature like you do in multiplayer, as there's a shooting range inside the FOB, so you can walk up and use it for target practice. Teammates are added to the FOB of whoever is hosting the party, so there is a social element as well, but this base is also a crucial command center that evolves with you as you level up in DMZ. This adds another layer to DMZ's engaging gameplay loop, as you're constantly trying to level up and unlock helpful stations and upgrades within your FOB, including a vendor, bounty board, dog tag case, and more importantly, a 3D printer for crafting crucial gear. There are no Buy Stations on the map this year, meaning you can't purchase what you need during the match. This is a positive change that prevents everyone from getting their hands on powerful items right away. You'll have base weapons and gear to start, but you'll need to do some scavenging in your matches in order to get better equipped. This change puts more emphasis on looting and exploration, requiring you to search out guns and gear in-match, or at the very least, find the resources to craft what you need. Crafting is done through the FOB's 3D printer, using looted materials to print essential items like backpacks, armor, and parachutes. Most of Infinity Ward’s innovation this year is packed within DMZ, and thanks to a satisfying gameplay loop, the extraction mode is the standout part of Modern Warfare 4 DMZ also no longer lets you build custom weapons without paying to do so. Once you've reached level 10, you'll unlock the Gunsmith FOB station. This lets you buy and customize base weapons, but you'll be limited to a small selection of guns until you've scavenged weapon manuals to unlock more. The base price for guns isn't pricey, but you'll need to pay to unlock attachment slots as well as each individual attachment you want to include. Slots also get more expensive, so you can end up spending a lot to fully customize a single gun that you risk losing every time you load into a match. You can choose to load into a match with a free random loadout consisting of the most basic gun and supplies, but ultimately, the Gunsmith change adds more weight to your decision to risk something expensive or play it safe with less-effective gear. Leveling operators in the beta was simplistic, but MW4 gives you three different trait trees you can invest in: Warfighter, Scout, and Survivalist. The longer an operator stays alive, the more powerful they become and the more upgrades they can acquire, but dying in Hajin means you've lost that specific operator inside the DMZ zone. This sounds devastating if you've invested time into leveling up an operator and upgrading their traits, but they're not permanently lost. You have the option to spend in-game money to send an evac team to rescue them from Hajin. This can get pricey if they are a high-level operator, but it's a relief to have the option to salvage something from your loss. There are often several layers of complexity to extraction modes, so they can feel overwhelming and confusing at first. DMZ's menus and mission deployment options are no different in that regard, especially with all the new bells and whistles baked into the mode. You are onboarded with a brief tutorial mission to teach you the ropes, but this mostly teaches you how to follow mission markers and heal yourself after a fight. Beyond that, DMZ offers various mission types to choose from, and it's initially difficult to differentiate what each type offers. There are currently only six main story missions available, but they are engaging multi-step story objectives. One mission sent us on a fun casino heist, where we had to locate and breach a vault, hijacking as many bags of cash as we could before irradiated gas spread through the vault. Another tasked my squad with locating a hostage in a hospital, who was handcuffed to a gurney, and we had to wheel them out to an exfil location while enemy forces made our exit difficult. I wish there were more than six missions, but they were a blast to play, and you can opt for different strategies to complete them.  The charm of DMZ remains the random and chaotic moments you get with the sandbox nature of the mode, and the living world of Hajin definitely elevates the unpredictability, allowing every playthrough to feel unique. The world is also filled with smaller missions and objectives, so there are still many ways to play and level up. DMZ addresses the elephant in the room, which is the growing divide between players in extraction shooters. Some players believe the games should always have a PvP focus while others want the extraction experience in a PvE environment. DMZ attempts to appeal to both sides with its approach to PvP. Killing players now activates a heat level, which is similar to the Wanted system in GTA, and you'll earn a marked bounty on your head. The more players you kill, the higher your Wanted bounty grows. Hajin has bounty board stations, where it shows all active players in the match who are marked as Wanted. This bounty board lets you either pay cash to reduce your own heat level, or you can buy intel to locate the other Wanted players. This feels like a great way to cater to the PvP-focused extraction players, allowing them to hunt each other down for large sums of money, while passive players can stay off the radar if they avoid killing other operators. Another major change this year is that DMZ is no longer a free-to-play mode tied to Warzone, and instead is packed into Modern Warfare 4 as part of its $70 price tag. While losing a free game is always a bummer, the amount of upgrades packed into DMZ do feel worthy of a premium buy-in. While it's not pay-to-win per se, DMZ does provide additional benefits to players who purchase the pricey Vault edition of Modern Warfare 4. This gives them access to an additional operator slot, two medium-size backpacks, two armor-plate carriers, and other beneficial but single-useitems. Vault edition owners getting these freebies isn't a major concern, as the specific items don't have a huge impact on whether or not you lose a fight against them. However, this gets tackier when the game stops being free-to-play, and there's always the worry it's a downhill slide toward further bonuses that do become pay-to-win. Hopefully this doesn't lead to players getting bigger advantages such as UAVs or high-rarity guns. In-game bonuses are best handed out as cosmetic items like operator and vehicle skins. Once you get past the confusing mission lingo, DMZ settles into a sandbox experience with all the thrills of a high-risk/high-reward extraction shooter. Despite the original DMZ being an engaging concept, it struggled with barebones features and weak missions, but you can see how it served as the building blocks for Modern Warfare 4's more robust and engaging gameplay loop. Much of the magic often comes from the chaos that builds as you fight or flee through dangerous areas of Hajin, and the new progression layers make it easy to get lost in the world of DMZ. Overall, Infinity Ward has elevated Call of Duty's extraction mode with engaging features and riveting gameplay, and I can't wait to jump into my next match on Hajin. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 - Multiplayer Review After two years of Black Ops games, the removal of omnimovement creates an adjustment period for Modern Warfare 4's multiplayer. That system made it easy to sprint, jump, dive, and slide in any direction, but Modern Warfare 4's movement offers fewer options. Several times, I caught myself trying to perform a wall jump or attempt a backward dive to avoid an enemy's grenade. But once I overcame this omnimovement muscle memory, Modern Warfare 4's multiplayer felt a lot like Modern Warfare 3. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 ditches the advanced omnimovement system without compromising the overall feel of high-speed movement. While multiplayer offers the familiar fast-paced action and strong gunplay you'd expect from a Call of Duty game, a more significant innovation lies in the fresh and ever-changing Kill Block map. The less agile, more grounded approach to movement sounds like it could be a step backward, but it isn't necessarily a bad thing. Modern Warfare 4's movement is still fast and responsive. Infinity Ward has implemented smoother mantling and sliding mechanics this year, including the ability to seamlessly transition from mantling over objects into a slide, and there's also a supine slide that lets you get under low-hanging obstacles. These new movement tweaks allow you to chain various actions together in a satisfyingly fluid way. So movement is still pretty speedy and fluid, but players who want to opt for a more methodical approach can still play slowly and hold their ground without being too overwhelmed by fast-moving and agile sweaty players--ditching omnimovement has removed the irritation of facing any "omnimovement kings," who hop, flop, and wall jump all over the map. Overall, this movement system feels like a great middle ground between the players who want the fast and twitchy approach of the new era and the old school players who prefer the more grounded feel. There is also the new ability to climb up pipes, which sounds silly, but this is Modern Warfare 4's way of making elevated areas just as accessible as they were with the wall jump in Black Ops 7, without undermining the grounded contemporary setting. You can't wall-tap into a window anymore, but you can climb a pipe to sneak up and reach an enemy on an upper level. Climbing pipes is a risk that leaves you vulnerable, but it's a quick shimmy up, so you're not in danger for long. Pipe climbing is a smart way to provide verticality in a Modern Warfare setting, which players have come to expect now. As for the maps, there's a solid variety of designs, ranging from small to medium-sized standard maps set under the bright lights of New York City, in a snowy region of Korea, and in a colorfully decorated village in Mumbai. There are also a few large-scale Ground War maps played on chunks of the DMZ mode's Hajin map, for bigger infantry battles and the addition of vehicular warfare. The diversity in battlefields is enough to cater to various playstyles and shouldn't get boring quickly. However, the real standout is Kill Block,  Infinity Ward's ambitious Gunfight map. Kill Block's size is equivalent to the popular Shoot House map from 2019's Modern Warfare, but the design consists of three modular pieces that can be swapped out and connected with other sections in different ways. Between each match and during rounds of Gunfight, in which two teams try to eliminate each other and players only get one life per round, the active three pieces decouple and a new configuration is set. When Infinity Ward first announced Kill Block, I was skeptical of how the studio would execute this living map with a vast amount of potential configurations, but the modular swaps between rounds feel seamless, and all of these movable parts fit surprisingly well together. Kill Block is a blast to play and it's easily one of the best innovations of this rebooted Modern Warfare series. Every new configuration keeps you on your toes, as you can't anticipate which three pieces will get stitched together. The map chunks also include iconic designs, so longtime Call of Duty fans get the treat of enjoying classic maps in new ways. For example, a piece of Shoot House might be combined with a section of Storage Town from Warzone's Verdansk and Highrise from the original Modern Warfare 2. Kill Block features matches of 10v10 and 6v6 Gunfight, but I hope this map is eventually integrated into standard game modes, too. The Gunsmith weapon customization feature returns in MW4 and it adds the new virtual Gunny assistant to help you build loadouts. This isn't some wonky AI feature that the name evokes, but  a set of prebuilt loadouts the developer has baked into the game to help suggest weapon builds based on playstyle. For example, if you like the M4 assault rifle, Gunny can suggest builds depending on whether you want the gun customized for short-range, to be balanced, or for long-range combat. This new Gunsmith assistant didn't always suggest attachments I liked or thought were the best overall builds, but I think Gunny will be great for casual players looking to jump into matches faster without needing to worry too much about crafting the perfect "meta" weapon build. Another positive change for weapon customization is the addition of Apex attachments. Every primary and secondary weapon (excluding launchers) has one unique add-on designed to drastically change how the weapon is used, similar to the weapon conversion kits found in the recent Call of Duty games. But in Modern Warfare 4, they don't cost an attachment slot, so you can have a five-attachment build and still convert your gun with its Apex attachment. This creates more of a reason to try something unconventional than there has been in past titles. The Oden's Apex attachment is one of my favorites, as it transforms the automatic assault rifle into a powerful single-fire sniper. This isn't ideal for every mode, but instead something I equip for more power and precision when playing on Modern Warfare 4's large-scale Ground War maps.  While Oden has one of the more practical Apex attachments, some are a bit wacky and will cater to very niche playstyles and interests. The Oris 8.6 marksman rifle's Razor attachment, for example, gives you the option to shoot throwing knives in close-range combat. Again, it's less than practical in many situations, but these are fun attachments that won't cost you anything to try. Weapon leveling is a component of Call of Duty that has been a huge slog in recent years. Guns always have dozens of attachments, and it then takes hours of usage to make any real progress leveling them up and accessing the attachments you want. One major improvement in Modern Warfare 4 is the reduced weapon-leveling grind. Guns have several universal attachments now and unlocking these for one gun means you don't have to suffer the grind for that same attachment with other weapons. This shortens the list of attachments and levels you need to progress through, making it easier to tailor your ideal gun.  Call of Duty multiplayer always features either a killstreak or scorestreak system to calculate how you earn the game's lethal or support streaks. Modern Warfare 4 is more of a killstreak-based system, but it does award some points for objective-based actions such as grabbing tags in Kill Confirmed or capturing a Domination point. However, this doesn't feel rewarding as a hybrid system, as the points feel miniscule for that team player who is capturing and defending objectives. Earning streaks in Modern Warfare 4 is too heavily reliant on your ability to chain together kills. I'm always someone who prefers scorestreaks, as it better  incentivizes you and your teammates to fight for the objectives and play for the win. Modern Warfare 2 best settled the debate of killstreaks versus scorestreaks by offering the option to choose the system you preferred, allowing you to toggle on killstreaks or scoresteaks at any time. Modern Warfare 4 unsuccessfully attempts to bridge the gap with the hybrid system, and I hope a toggle can be added to give player choice. Outside of playing Kill Block, much of multiplayer's excitement comes from Modern Warfare 4's new objective game modes. Call of Duty's staples are still available with Team Deathmatch, Domination, Hardpoint, Kill Confirmed, and Search and Destroy, but Infinity Ward cooked up new modes that breathe more heart-pounding action into multiplayer with Inflation and Collateral. Inflation is a more intense, cash-based spin on Kill Confirmed. Instead of collecting dog tags from fallen players, you're picking up cash. Any player can collect fallen cash from someone's death, and the team holding the most money at the end of the match wins. I really love the momentum swings you get during the late game stage of Inflation, as players who accumulate large sums of money can cause a significant shift if they die and drop a portion of their cash. With less than a minute left of your game, you can go from drastically losing to winning in an instant, and that's excitement you don't get in a match of Kill Confirmed. Collateral is a round-based mode which puts a twist on Call of Duty's iconic Search and Destroy, adding a cash system similar to Counter-Strike. Much like Search and Destroy, teams alternate between attacking and defending two bomb sites, but killstreaks, automatic health regeneration, and custom loadouts are all disabled. Instead, everyone starts with a pistol and earns in-game cash throughout the match to spend on strategic upgrades between rounds. You lose your loadout if you die, but all earned money is kept between rounds. This makes Collateral an adrenaline-fueled, high-stakes competitive mode where every dollar counts and every decision matters. Do you want to save your money to buy a high-tier weapon in a later round or do you want to be more of a team player and spend your cash on a UAV for your whole team? This extra layer of strategy is a refreshing deviation from the typical Search and Destroy game. The gunplay, killstreaks, and perks are all what you'd expect to get with a Call of Duty game, but Modern Warfare 4 is full of small but thoughtful adjustments to make this return to a grounded environment still feel exciting to play. The scaled- back movement never feels hindering, and the new objective game modes bring fresh thrills. However, Kill Block is easily the star of Modern Warfare 4's multiplayer, and is one of the most surprising innovations Call of Duty has had for a boots-on-the-ground game. As a fan of Gunfight, I could easily spend hours playing the dedicated Kill Block playlist, but I still hope this living map gets utilized in more ways outside of Gunfight modes. Overall, Modern Warfare 4 delivers a strong and engaging multiplayer experience to complement an epic campaign conclusion and captivating DMZ mode.

Title: Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4 Full Review (Campaign, DMZ, Multiplayer) Date: Fri, 23 Oct 2026 04:00:00 +0000 Link: https://www.gamespot.com/videos/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-4-full-review-campaign-dmz-multiplayer/ Modern Warfare 4 delivers a strong and engaging multiplayer experience to complement an epic campaign conclusion and captivating DMZ mode.

Title: Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Tips For Multiplayer Date: Fri, 23 Oct 2026 04:00:00 +0000 Link: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-4-tips-for-multiplayer/ We went hands-on with Modern Warfare 4 early, and while it will feel familiar to many Call of Duty veterans, Infinity Ward has updated some of the movement mechanics and features from recent years. In this guide, we'll provide some of the best tips to help you score wins in multiplayer when Modern Warfare 4 launches on October 23. Practice the new movement Modern Warfare 4 overhauls the movement from the last two years of Treyarch's Black Ops games. This game strips away the fancy omnimovement, but Infinity Ward has reworked the mantling system, refined the sliding mechanic, and added a way to climb up pipes. The best way to get practice with Modern Warfare 4's movement system is to play the game's new mobility course, which is found in the multiplayer playlist menu. It includes a series of three difficulties, including tutorials for beginners, intermediate, and experts. There are rewards for completing the mobility course as well. Without omnimovement, double jumps into windows and other high places are no longer possible. However, you can climb up pipes to reach otherwise inaccessible areas. These specific pipes are copper in color and stand out fairly easily. These are found on standard multiplayer maps, Kill Block, and even Modern Warfare 4's Zodiac map for Warzone. Hipfire is your friend Infinity Ward removed bloom from guns this year, which is a mechanic that previously caused bullet spread when firing from the hip, meaning some bullets did not hit their target. Hipfiring is more accurate in Modern Warfare 4, so you don't always need to aim down sights with your gun. If someone is sliding at you from around a corner, or perhaps you just find yourself in a close-range engagement. Don't waste time aiming. Just hipfire your gun. Adjust your settings Modern Warfare 4 has plenty of customization and accessibility settings. These include options to help make the game's movement easier, refine your aiming, and help with issues like Tinnitus or motion sickness. Additionally, Modern Warfare 4 defaults to some cinematic-style visual settings that aren't great for multiplayer. Disabling the settings for motion blur and depth of field will greatly help with the game's visibility. If you're on console, we have a recommended settings guide for getting the most out of Modern Warfare 4 on PlayStation or Xbox consoles. Build custom loadouts MW4 Gunsmith feature The base guns in Call of Duty always feel better to use with a good set of attachments equipped. This year's Gunsmith will let you fully customize your guns, and it will recommend a few builds with the new Gunny bot system. This isn't an AI chat bot, but instead it cycles through preset builds from the developer. These weapon builds are decent, but I find it doesn't always recommend the absolute best attachments. You also don't have Gunny unlocked until you rank up a few levels. Try your Apex attachments Modern Warfare 4's adds a new weapon attachment type called Apex attachments. Every primary and secondary weapon in Modern Warfare 4 has one Apex attachment. These are special add-ons you can unlock for each gun, which will drastically change how the weapon is used. Apex attachments are similar to the weapon conversion kits found in the recent Call of Duty games, but in Modern Warfare 4 they don't cost one of your attachment slots. You can have a five-attachment build and still equip an Apex attachment, so there's no reason why you shouldn't test out some of these unique conversions. Some of these special attachments sound a little outlandish, with one adding the option to fire throwing knives or another that adds a mounted strobe light, but some of them will likely be powerful options in multiplayer. For example, the Oden's Apex attachment turns the assault rifle into a powerful and precise semi-auto sniper rifle. Apex attachments aren't unlocked until you've reached the maximum weapon level for a specific gun. Leveling up guns can feel slow in the beginning, but Call of Duty often offers double XP weekends, or you can always make use of any double weapon XP tokens you might have saved up. Navigating Kill Block Kill Block map with marked quadrants Kill Block is a Gunfight map designed as a unique modular battleground where the map's design reconfigures every match, creating hundreds of potential map combinations. It can be harder to give callouts or orientate yourself on a constantly changing map, but the outer edges of Kill Block are labeled as quadrants. Look for the grid's letters and numbers labelled along the outside wall for help with callouts. Communicate and have awareness Sound is an important element in Call of Duty's multiplayer You'll want to use a headset when possible to gain precious intel from the game's audio cues. This helps with increasing map awareness, which includes hearing enemy footsteps better and being able to pinpoint their positioning. Consider using a mic when you can. Multiplayer is a team-based game for almost all game modes, so having a headset with a mic is also recommended. This can feel especially important when you're playing objective-based modes, so you can help provide callouts or talk strategy.  However, we also know Call of Duty lobbies can be toxic. If you don't want to talk to others, Modern Warfare 4 does feature a decent ping system with the D-pad. This lets you ping enemies and important map locations to provide your team with some basic intel. The duty is better with friends Partying up with friends can increase your odds of winning. It's good to have reliable teammates watching your back and doing callouts with you, and hopefully they are willing to play the objective or provide intel. Try to party up with at least one or two friends to give yourself better odds of victory. If you're looking to jump into the story, make sure to check out our Modern Warfare 4 campaign guide to learn how long it will take to beat.

Title: To Start The New Cyberpunk 2077 Edgerunners 2 Quest, Do These Two Things First Date: Thu, 22 Oct 2026 22:34:33 +0000 Link: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/cyberpunk-2077-edgerunners-2-mission-clampdown-how-to-start/ Cyberpunk 2077 may have come out six years ago, but developer CD Projekt RED has just released a new update. The 2.5 patch adds a plethora of fixes and features, and it's also themed after Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2, including a themed quest and rewards to boot. The Edgerunners 2 mission is called Clampdown, and it serves as a prequel of sorts to the events of the anime's new season. It features character King and his crew, and thankfully, it has no spoilers for the actual show. Rather, it serves as an extension, further tying the Cyberpunk transmedia efforts with each other. Depending on the progress you've made in the game, though, you may not automatically gain access to Clampdown. If you're wondering how to start the Edgerunners 2 mission Cyberpunk 2077 so you can dive straight into it and reap the new rewards, we've got you covered. In This Article How to Start Clampdown, The Edgerunners 2 Mission in Cyberpunk 2077Where to Find Wakako Gig Locations in Cyberpunk 2077Rewards for the Edgerunners 2 Mission in Cyberpunk 2077 How to Start Clampdown, The Edgerunners 2 Mission in Cyberpunk 2077 Upon downloading the 2.5 update and booting up the game, Clampdown isn't immediately available. Rather, there are two steps you need to tackle. First, you must ensure that you've finished The Heist. This is part of the main questline, and essentially serves as the culmination of the first act of the story. As such, you'll naturally get to it. Make sure to fully finish it. Then, you must complete at least two gigs with Wakako. Once you're done, you'll have to wait to receive a text message from her. I skipped time for 24 hours, and then for 12 hours, and the message was on my phone right after. You may need to actually open your phone to see it, however. Keep an eye out from a text from Wakako, not a call. This last step can be tricky. Gigs are everywhere on the map, but you never get an indication about who they correspond to until you get close to them. Depending on what you've decided to tackle in your playthrough thus far, you may have already fulfilled this requirement. In case you haven't, don't fret, as we've outlined how to complete the second step in the section below. Where to Find Wakako Gig Locations in Cyberpunk 2077 Your mileage may vary, but we'll be detailing the Wakako gig locations in Cyberpunk 2077 as if you haven't done any of them yet. Remember that you only need two, and the order is indistinct. There's a Wakako gig northeast of where she is located. One of Wakako's first gigs is available in Westbrook, Japantown. From where Wakako is located, look for the gig icon on the upper right corner. The task is called We Have Your Wife, and it's a fairly simple rescue quest. This gig will take you to an underground casino. The second Wakako gig location is in Westbrook, Charter Hill. It's right next to the double-lane highway. Once you get closer to the map icon, you'll be granted access to Tyger and Vulture. It requires you to go underground and access a hidden casino, but it's fairly easy to just follow the map indicator to get there. Clampdown is a full-on quest. Once you're done with the second gig, all you have to do is wait to get the text message. As explained before, I skipped time for 24 hours, and then for 12 hours. Afterward, I opened V's phone, and the message was there, which is labeled as "a request from King." Read it and follow the prompts to gain access to Clampdown. Rewards for the Edgerunners 2 Mission in Cyberpunk 2077 Clampdown is a fairly straightforward but quite fun quest. Along with learning a bit more about the backstory of King and his crew ahead of the show's events, you'll also gain access to an armor set and a weapon. The armor set and gun are themed after King's own gear in Edgerunners 2. Here's the list of rewards for the Edgerunners 2 mission in Cyberpunk 2077: King's Coat (Outer Torso) King's Bulletproof Vest (Inner Torso, +25 armor) King's Glasses (Face) King's Pants (Legs) Icon America Dust Devil Utility Boots (Feet) Coronation (Tier 4 Iconic Tech Revolver, +200 percent headshot damage multiplier, +75 percent armor penetration, 0.5 sec charge time, as well as two empty mod slots) That's all there is to know about the Edgerunners 2 mission in Cyberpunk 2077. Be safe out there, choom.

Title: BioWare Did Something Very Rare For The Time: It Took Star Wars Seriously Date: Thu, 22 Oct 2026 22:01:28 +0000 Link: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/bioware-did-something-very-rare-for-the-time-it-took-star-wars-seriously/ In what seemed to be an inevitability, Electronic Arts announced the closure of BioWare this week, including the cancellation of its current project, a future iteration in the Mass Effect series. The writing has been on the wall for some time, and EA's recent sale to Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) sealed its fate.  Much can (and should) be said about BioWare's ability to create fully realized, original worlds like those of Mass Effect and Dragon Age. But to write the developer's epitaph, we also have to recognize the incredible job it did as the steward of one of the most popular franchises in the world. BioWare truly understood Star Wars, down to its very bones, and that knowledge resulted in one of the best Star Wars games of all time. I barely even need to mention that I'm referring to Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. The hit from BioWare was its breakout success, remembered for its rich RPG mechanics and a twist that felt mind-blowing at the time. Without it, we may not have ever gotten modern classics like The Witcher 3, to say nothing of BioWare's own Mass Effect and Dragon Age titles. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic The creators of Knights of the Old Republic had the vision to set it in a new era of Star Wars, thousands of years before the events of the original movie, separating its story from the main continuity of films that has become a crutch for lots of modern Star Wars stories both in and outside of games. The Old Republic setting was a bold new direction, allowing fans to see the height of the Jedi Order decades before Disney introduced the High Republic era. The worldbuilding was so rich and seamless, in fact, that even though KOTOR itself has fallen out of official Star Wars canon, many parts have been borrowed and adapted into modern Star Wars lore. Memorable additions like deadly HK droids, the barren planet Malachor, the broad outlines of the Mandalorian War, and even the existence of Darth Revan have become canonized into modern Star Wars in recent years.  KOTOR understood, better than any other game of the time and many since, the fantasy of being a hero in the Star Wars universe. Adapting pieces from the world of pen-and-paper RPGs meant you could specialize as a lucky scoundrel or a clever slicer (aka hacker) wielding a blaster just as easily as a lightsaber. And once you did start down the Jedi path, the game provided a wide array of powers to experiment with, which were in part determined by your affinity to the Light Side or Dark Side of the Force. That itself was influenced by the choices you made. And your companion characters fit into the world, complementing and clashing with each other as they brought different ideologies and priorities to your mission. All of these disparate systems went hand-in-hand to make a game that truly felt like you were living within the world of Star Wars. Perhaps most impressive of all, Knights of the Old Republic took one of the elements Star Wars is most remembered for--the twist at the end of The Empire Strikes Back--and found a new angle on the concept. The question of identity and how it interconnects with fate is core to the Star Wars mythos. Luke Skywalker's struggle to accept Darth Vader as his father, and confronting his own darkness, is a key element that makes the original trilogy so meaningful. BioWare found a way to address similar questions with a reveal that packed extra punch because it was a video game. It tailored the moment to the medium.  Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Since then, many other RPG developers have iterated on KOTOR. Most directly, Obsidian made a direct sequel that was hampered by a rushed production schedule, but has since been modded and patched by fans to restore it to something close to its intended glory. It now stands as a well-regarded story set in the Star Wars universe that poses some unique takes on the nature of the Force and its relationship to its wielders. Other developers have surely been similarly inspired by KOTOR's blend of TTRPG and old-school CRPG mechanics. That's all thanks to the strong foundation built by BioWare. When The Fate of the Old Republic releases, it will inevitably be compared to KOTOR. Studios are made of people, not branding. The talented developers who gave us Knights of the Old Republic have moved on, some of them years before BioWare was closed. But the name still has meaning regardless, and for those of us who fondly remember living out our dreams of heroic quests in a galaxy far far away, BioWare will always be synonymous with Star Wars.

Title: Anya Taylor-Joy’s breakout movie gave horror a different kind of female lead Date: Fri, 23 Oct 2026 07:26:19 GMT Link: https://www.polygon.com/anya-taylor-joy-the-witch-free-streaming-october-2026/ Anya Taylor-Joy has established herself as one of her era's most versatile actors. At 30, she's built a career across film and television, appearing in franchises like Super Mario and Mad Max, along with winning a Golden Globe for her role in The Queen’s Gambit. Earlier this year, she starred in the Apple TV series Lucky and will also play a major role in the cinematic event that is Dune: Part Three. Taylor-Joy is one of the few modern stars who comfortably fit the movie-star label, and it all began with her career-defining breakout role, which turned the final girl trope on its head — a girl who survives not by fighting, but by giving in.

Title: 8 Cyberpunk 2077 Replay Ideas to Make Night City Feel Brand New Date: Thu, 22 Oct 2026 23:00:19 GMT Link: https://www.polygon.com/cyberpunk-2077-replay-ideas/ V is running out of time. That’s the premise of Cyberpunk 2077: a stolen chip is slowly rewriting their mind. The only way out of this particular predicament ushers V through a cast of fixers, rock stars, and corporate killers who all want something from you. And yet, despite those bewildering stakes, there’s a decent chance you spent most of your time in the game clearing gigs, scanning NCPD crime scenes, and wandering Night City’s neon alleys. Then the credits rolled and, within moments, you were back at the character creator.

Title: 'Mass Effect Universe' Leak Promised What Fans Have Waited Decades For Date: Thu, 22 Oct 2026 22:19:07 GMT Link: https://www.polygon.com/mass-effect-universe-new-characters-male-quarian-asari-krogan-aliens/ If fans were already sad about BioWare closing down, they're shattered after watching the leaked trailer for Mass Effect Universe. Sure, the trailer was short and a little cheesy — but it could have also signaled a return to form for the stagnant franchise. And at the heart of every good Mass Effect game is a crew of characters that you get to know as the adventure unfolds.

Title: Half-Life 3 Rumors Reignite After Valve Employee Lets Codename Slip Date: Thu, 22 Oct 2026 21:16:28 GMT Link: https://www.polygon.com/valve-half-life-3-hlx/ It's been two decades since we last checked in on Gordon Freeman in Half-Life 2: Episode Two, with the promise of a third Half-Life game languishing for an absurdly long time. In the intervening years, Valve has neither confirmed nor denied a third mainline Half-Life game, though the secretive studio is rumored to have canceled at least one attempt to make Half-Life 3. Surprisingly, there's fresh evidence of a new Half-Life game directly from Valve, though the person revealing that information seemingly didn't intend to.

Title: 'Clayface' Officially Sets Up Another Iconic Batman Villain in the DC Universe Date: Thu, 22 Oct 2026 21:00:19 GMT Link: https://www.polygon.com/clayface-joker-easter-eggs/ Back in the summer of 2025, Clayface was filming in Liverpool. Photos from the set revealed a reference to another, far more famous Batman villain. One featured a wall with graffiti on it, and among the different tags was one that read “The Jokers.” That led to some speculation about Joker’s presence in the DC Universe’s Gotham.

Title: Cloud Deployment Incoming: ‘Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4’ Arrives on GeForce NOW Date: Thu, 22 Oct 2026 13:00:20 +0000 Link: https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/geforce-now-thursday-call-of-duty-modern-warfare-4/ Lock in and load out this GFN Thursday. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 arrives on GeForce NOW at launch, bringing a new campaign, multiplayer action and DMZ, high-stakes extraction mode to supported devices. The campaign also gets an enhanced look: GeForce RTX 5080-class performance arrives for Ultimate members, bringing support for ray-tracing features in the cloud. There’s a new way to join the cloud, too: Existing supported Fire TV Stick users can now purchase one-month Performance or Ultimate memberships directly through Amazon, making it easier to sign up and start streaming on the big screen. Plus, Square Enix’s FINAL FANTASY RESONANCE brings cinematic pixel art and strategic battles to the cloud, and The Elder Scrolls Online’s Echoes of Skyrim Season adds the entire Greymoor Chapter free for all ESO Standard Edition owners. It’s all part of six games joining the GeForce NOW library this week. Deployment Without the Downloads Squad up and answer the call on the cloud. Activision and Infinity Ward’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 launches today on GeForce NOW. Members can drop into the trenches in Korea, close-quarter combat in New York, high-octane chases through Paris, night raids in Mumbai and city-wide engagements to reclaim occupied territory. Fight as Private Park, a young South Korean soldier facing live combat for the first time alongside his squad as a routine patrol turns into a desperate fight for survival. Beyond the front lines, operator-turned-outlaw Captain Price is operating outside the system he once served, pursuing revenge through covert missions as the conflict spreads. Multiplayer pairs precise combat with fluid movement, a dozen core 6v6 maps from around the world and battlegrounds that are shaped by the campaign’s global conflict. The DMZ extraction mode sends players into contested territory to recover valuable technology, weigh objectives and decide when to get out. Loot, fight, negotiate, betray and extract — it’s all fair in the cloud and battleground. Ultimate members can now experience the campaign with ray tracing, powered by newly added GeForce RTX 5080-class performance across PCs, Macs, handhelds, mobile devices, browsers, supported TVs and more. With game downloads and installs handled by GeForce NOW, members can spend less time preparing a local rig and more time preparing the next loadout. A New Way to Play A new way to join GeForce NOW on Fire TV. GeForce NOW in-app purchase is rolling out to existing supported Fire TV Stick users, making it possible to purchase a membership directly through Amazon using an existing account. Transactions are processed through Amazon’s billing system, creating a more seamless path from setup to gameplay. GeForce NOW transforms Fire TV into a powerful PC gaming rig in the cloud. Members can stream supported PC games they already own or purchase new titles from digital stores including Steam, Epic Games Store, Ubisoft Connect, Xbox PC Game Pass, GOG and EA. The library includes thousands of ready-to-play games, including many of the world’s most-played titles and more than 100 free-to-play games. No downloads, installs, patches or updates stand between a new game and playtime. An Amazon Fire TV Stick, the GeForce NOW app and an Ultimate membership are all it takes to level up the living room with GeForce RTX 5080-powered gaming. A Pixel-Perfect Fantasy Classic roots. A new adventure. Square Enix’s FINAL FANTASY RESONANCE launches today on GeForce NOW, bringing the series’ classic roots into a cinematic pixel-art world. Travel with companions bound by fate and uncover the truth behind a force threatening to bring everything to ruin. Strengthen the party with Visions of beloved FINAL FANTASY characters, each bringing unique skills and abilities to battle. Dynamic camera angles and pixelized 3D models give familiar fantasy a fresh perspective. Exploit enemy weaknesses to stagger foes, break their defenses and seize extra turns before finishing the bonus phase with powerful Resonance attacks. Airships, crystals, espers and moogles bring familiar series favorites to a world filled with secrets to discover. GeForce NOW handles the game’s downloads and storage in the cloud, leaving more space on supported devices for everyday essentials. Save the inventory management for potions and Phoenix Downs. Step Into a New Season in Tamriel Familiar lands. Fresh reasons to return. The Elder Scrolls Online’s second season, Echoes of Skyrim, launched Wednesday, Oct. 21, free for all ESO players and ready to stream through GeForce NOW. Season Two gives everyone who owns ESO Standard Edition access to its Skyrim content and the Antiquities treasure-hunting system. The Markarth downloadable content follows Monday, Nov. 9, rounding out the additions with two classic zones to explore.  The Season also introduces Solo Dungeons, reimagining challenges previously designed for groups. Moon Hunter Keep and March of Sacrifices have been redesigned and rebalanced for players ready to tackle their dangers alone. Earn new rewards and take on new challenges at your own pace without needing to find a group. A new Tamriel Tome also launched Oct. 21, offering both free and premium battle pass reward tracks.  In addition, members can look for the following titles joining the GeForce NOW library this week: We Were Here Tomorrow (New release on Steam, Oct. 20) FINAL FANTASY RESONANCE (New release on Steam, Oct. 22) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 (New release on Oct 23, available in the Call of Duty app) CONTROL Resonant (Epic Game Store) Crimson Desert (Epic Games Store) Planet Zoo 2 (Xbox app, supports XBOX Play Anywhere) Dates listed above reflect when games are released on their respective stores. GeForce NOW availability may vary, as games are onboarded after release and added throughout the week. Keep an eye on GeForce NOW channels and GFN Thursdays for availability updates on announced titles. Gamers who want to test out high-performance GeForce NOW cloud gaming can start with a day pass to try premium cloud gaming before committing to a membership. Better yet, the cost of the day pass can be applied toward a first monthly membership — making it easy to try GeForce RTX-powered cloud gaming with the latest releases, then level up for more. What’s on the mission board this weekend? Let us know on X or in the comments below.

Title: Dial Up the Cloud: NVIDIA DLSS 4.5 Controls Arrive on GeForce NOW Date: Thu, 15 Oct 2026 13:00:59 +0000 Link: https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/geforce-now-thursday-enshrouded-update/ Dial in the next gaming session this GFN Thursday. New NVIDIA DLSS 4.5 controls give GeForce NOW members more choice over how supported games look and perform in the cloud, even without the latest hardware. Then, step into the Shroud as Keen Games’ Enshrouded leaves early access with its 1.0 release, or let the bolts fly in Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2. Both are streaming on GeForce NOW at launch. With 10 new games joining the cloud this week, members can put the new controls to work in supported titles and keep playing across supported devices without downloads, installs or expensive hardware upgrades. Fine-Tune the Cloud With DLSS 4.5 Controls More control, more cloud power. NVIDIA DLSS 4.5 controls are now available on GeForce NOW, giving members more choice over how supported games look and perform in the cloud, even without the latest hardware. DLSS Super Resolution sharpens image quality, while Dynamic Multi Frame Generation delivers lower latency and reduces stutter for smoother streaming, and Ray Reconstruction enhances ray-traced visuals. In addition, Ultimate members streaming on GeForce RTX 5080-powered cloud rigs benefit from the maximum available options, including Dynamic Multi Frame Generation up to 4X.   From James Bond’s globe-trotting missions in 007 First Light — now with path tracing support — to CONTROL Resonant’s reality-bending Manhattan and the shadowy scares of Resident Evil Requiem, the controls help fine-tune supported games for image quality, responsiveness or a preferred balance between the two. These new settings are available in the GeForce NOW app under settings, for Windows, macOS, Chrome OS and Steam OS platforms. Members can read here for more details on using the feature with their membership tier, and more information on how to get the smoothest cloud game streaming for some games on GeForce NOW. Rise, Flameborn Enshrouded 1.0 brings the co-op survival action role-playing game out of early access and into its full release. Rise as a Flameborn, the last ember of hope of a dying race, and venture into a vast world of survival, action and role-playing, where a corrupting fog has consumed a once-beautiful kingdom. The title brings improvements to existing systems, alongside expansions in combat with nine new spells, new mage and archer skills, reworked wands and upgradeable Eternal spells and arrows. New enemy variants keep encounters fresh, while a new biome raises the player level cap to 50 and equipment cap to 55.  GeForce NOW offers Enshrouded 1.0 ready to play in the cloud at launch across supported devices. Skip the 60GB local install to save precious storage space, then step into the Shroud without waiting for downloads or needing to make room for the update. Let the Bolts Fly Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 is now streaming on GeForce NOW. The brutal, fast-paced sequel to the retro first-person shooter brings more enemies, more weapons and new ways to purge. Picking up directly after the original game, a branching single-player campaign sends the fight to grimdark new worlds. Choose between the formidable Sternguard Veteran Malum Caedo and the swift Sister of Battle Nyra Veyrath, each with distinct abilities, weapons and play styles. From towering hive cities to jungle mangrove swamps, new enemy types await in every biome. GeForce NOW keeps the campaign ready in the cloud. No local rig upgrades or game installs stand between members and the fight — the Emperor’s work waits for no loading bar. In addition, members can look for the following joining the GeForce NOW library: Deep Dish Dungeon (New release on Steam, Oct. 13) Planet Zoo 2 (New release on Steam, Oct. 13) Total War: SHOGUN 2 – Complete Edition (New release on Steam, Oct. 13) Valor Mortis (New release on Steam, Oct. 13) Among the Trolls (New release on Steam, Oct. 14) over the hill (New release on Steam, Oct. 14) Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 (New release on Steam, Oct. 14) Beyond These Stars (New release on Steam and Xbox, Oct. 15), available on Game Pass Tenebris Somnia (New release on Steam, Oct. 16) The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Remastered (Xbox), available on Microsoft Store Also this week, the performance of DLSS 5’s 3D-Guided Neural Rendering model is improving by 2X, enabling even more gamers to enjoy DLSS 5’s transformative uplift in lighting and materials at high frame rates and settings. The new, more performant DLSS 5 model will debut in NBA 2K27 on Oct. 16 on GeForce NOW, GeForce RTX 50 Series GPUs and RTX Spark laptops. Dates listed above reflect when games are released on their respective stores. GeForce NOW availability may vary, as games are onboarded after they’re released and added throughout the week. Keep an eye on GeForce NOW channels and GFN Thursdays for availability updates to announced titles. Gamers who want to test out the new 4.5 controls and high-performance GeForce NOW cloud gaming can start with a day pass to try premium cloud gaming before committing to a membership. Better yet, the cost of the day pass can be applied toward a first monthly membership — making it easy to try GeForce RTX-powered cloud gaming with the latest releases, then level up for more. What’s on the playlist this weekend? Let us know on X or in the comments below.

Title: Rally Up: ‘Gears of War: E-Day’ Launches on GeForce NOW Date: Thu, 08 Oct 2026 13:00:46 +0000 Link: https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/geforce-now-thursday-gears-of-war-e-day/ Gears of War: E-Day leads the charge on GeForce NOW this week, bringing Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago’s first fight against the Locust Horde to the cloud with GeForce RTX-powered performance. A new way to join the action is also coming: Fire TV users will soon be able to purchase GeForce NOW memberships directly through Amazon, creating a more seamless path from device setup to gameplay. Keep an eye out for availability in the coming weeks. There’s more in store this GFN Thursday, with the cloud serving up 10 games, including seven new releases. Emergence Day Is Here Gears of War: E-Day is now streaming on GeForce NOW following its global release on Tuesday, Oct. 6. Set 14 years before the original Gears of War, the prequel follows Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago as they confront the terrifying arrival of the Locust Horde on Emergence Day. The series’ brutal combat, desperate survival and larger-than-life action return with a new origin story for the legendary partnership. Ultimate members can take on the Horde with GeForce RTX 5080-class performance in the cloud, plus technologies including NVIDIA DLSS and NVIDIA Reflex. From campaign missions to cooperative and competitive modes, GeForce NOW keeps the fight ready across low-power laptops, Macs, mobile devices, handhelds, Firefox and other browsers, and more — no massive downloads or expensive gaming rig required. New on the Cloud Menu Members can look forward to the following games joining the GeForce NOW library this week: Gears of War: E-Day (New release on Steam and Xbox, Oct. 6), available on Game Pass STAR WARS: Galactic Racer (New release on Steam, Oct. 6) Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival (New release on Steam, Oct. 8) Forever Ago (New release on Steam, Oct. 8) Order of the Sinking Star (New release on Steam, Oct. 8) Silver Pines (New release on Steam, Oct. 8) Permafrost (New release on Steam, Oct. 9) Graveyard Keeper 2 (Steam) Solasta II (Steam) Tyr (Steam) The Xbox version of Dune: Awakening didn’t join GeForce NOW in September as previously shared. Stay tuned to GFN Thursday for updates on game availability. Dates listed above reflect when games are released on their respective stores. GeForce NOW availability may vary, as games are onboarded after they are released and added throughout the week. Keep an eye on GeForce NOW channels and GFN Thursdays for availability updates on announced titles. Gamers who want to test out high-performance GeForce NOW cloud gaming can start with a day pass to try premium cloud gaming before committing to a membership. Better yet, the cost of the day pass can be applied toward a first monthly membership — making it easy to try GeForce RTX-powered cloud gaming with the latest releases, then level up for more. What’s on the play list this weekend? Let us know on X or in the comments below.

Title: Fall Into 25 New Games on GeForce NOW This October Date: Thu, 01 Oct 2026 13:00:54 +0000 Link: https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/geforce-now-thursday-october-2026-games-list/ Spooky season is streaming in. Alongside falling leaves, pumpkin spice and everything nice, 25 new games are joining GeForce NOW throughout October, including six ready to play this week. From a new CONTROL Resonant reward for Performance and Ultimate members to The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Remastered joining the cloud, this GFN Thursday is packed with fresh reasons to play. Claim Rewards A new reward from a world gone sideways. CONTROL Resonant is streaming from the cloud for GeForce NOW Performance and Ultimate members. Explore a warped Manhattan on the brink of paranatural annihilation as Dylan Faden harnesses extraordinary powers to battle the Hiss, the Mold and other reality-bending threats while searching for his sister, Federal Bureau of CONTROL Director Jesse Faden. Performance and Ultimate members can claim the Third Ice Baseball Cap reward for CONTROL Resonant. After claiming the reward code, launch the Steam or Epic Games Store version of CONTROL Resonant, select “Options” from the main menu, navigate to “Gameplay” and choose “Enter Redeem Code.” The reward can be equipped after completing Act 1. Cap it off: Claim the reward from Thursday, Oct. 1, through Sunday, Nov. 1, at 11:59 p.m. PT, before it slips into another dimension. The White Wolf Rides Again The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Remastered launched Tuesday, Sept. 29, and is now streaming for Performance and Ultimate members. Follow the iconic tale of Geralt of Rivia, a monster slayer for hire, as he tracks down the Child of Prophecy in a war-torn, monster-infested open world. The remastered adventure brings Geralt’s beloved world back at refreshed specs across nearly any device. GeForce NOW handles the rendering, downloads and storage in the cloud, so there’s no expensive hardware upgrade or lengthy install standing between the trail and the next contract. Ultimate members can take the Continent further with GeForce RTX 5080-class performance in the cloud — high-end horsepower worthy of the White Wolf, with no local hardware upgrade required. In addition, members can look for the following titles streaming this week: Minecraft Dungeons II (New release on Xbox, Sept. 29), available on Game Pass Nivalis Nights (New release on Steam, Sept. 29) The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Remastered (New release on Battle.net and Xbox Play Anywhere, Sept. 29), available on Microsoft Store Bookshop Simulator (Steam) Megastore: Tidy Up Together (Steam) Planet Coaster 2 (Xbox), available on Game Pass And look forward to the games coming throughout October: Gears of War: E-Day (New release on Steam, Oct. 6) STAR WARS: Galactic Racer (New release on Steam, Oct. 6) Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival (New release on Steam, Oct. 8) Order of the Sinking Star (New release on Steam, Oct. 8) Silver Pines (New release on Steam, Oct. 8) Permafrost (New release on Steam, Oct. 9) Deep Dish Dungeon (New release on Steam, Oct. 13) Planet Zoo 2 (New release on Steam, Oct. 13) Total War: SHOGUN 2 – Complete Edition (New release on Steam, Oct. 13) Valor Mortis (New release on Steam, Oct. 13) Among the Trolls (New release on Steam, Oct. 14) over the hill (New release on Steam, Oct. 14) Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 (New release on Steam, Oct. 14) Beyond These Stars (New release on Steam, Oct. 16) Tenebris Somnia (New release on Steam, Oct. 16) Dimraeth (Steam) Graveyard Keeper 2 (Steam) Solasta II (Steam) Tyr (Steam) More from September In addition to the games announced last month, 11 more joined the GeForce NOW library. The Blood of Dawnwalker (GOG.com) Death Stranding Director’s Cut (Epic Games Store) DragonSword: Awakening (Steam) Dune: Awakening (Xbox) Everything Is Crab (Steam) LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight (Steam) Over the Top: WWI (Steam) Roadside Research (Steam) RuneScape: Dragonwilds (Xbox) Stick It to the Stickman (Steam) Wild West Pioneers (Steam) Dates listed above reflect when games are released on their respective stores. GeForce NOW availability may vary, as games are onboarded after they are released and added throughout the week. Keep an eye on GeForce NOW channels and GFN Thursdays for availability updates on announced titles. Gamers who want to test out high-performance GeForce NOW cloud gaming can start with a day pass to try premium cloud gaming before committing to a membership. Better yet, the cost of the day pass can be applied toward a first monthly membership — making it easy to try GeForce RTX-powered cloud gaming with the latest releases, then level up for more. What’s on the playlist this weekend? Let us know on X or in the comments below.

Title: Contain the Chaos: ‘CONTROL Resonant’ Launches on GeForce NOW Date: Thu, 24 Sep 2026 13:00:36 +0000 Link: https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/geforce-now-thursday-control-resonant/ A warped Manhattan is waiting in the cloud this week. Remedy Entertainment’s CONTROL Resonant brings Dylan Faden’s extraordinary abilities and a paranatural crisis to GeForce NOW at launch. With the release comes the final days of the CONTROL Resonant Ultimate Membership Bundle. Purchase a 12-month GeForce NOW Ultimate membership through Sunday, Sept. 27, and receive CONTROL Resonant at no additional cost. GeForce NOW support is coming soon to Googlebooks, a new category of laptops bringing together the best of ChromeOS and Android. To top it off, DragonSword: Awakening leads nine new games this week, bringing an anime-style open world to supported devices. Take Control on the Cloud Explore a warped Manhattan on the brink of paranatural annihilation in Remedy Entertainment’s CONTROL Resonant. Harness Dylan Faden’s extraordinary abilities to battle the Hiss, the Mold and other reality-bending threats while searching for his sister, Federal Bureau of CONTROL Director Jesse Faden. Dylan must master his new powers and the ever-changing forms of the Aberrant, his paranatural melee weapon, to face a cosmic threat that has escaped the Oldest House and swept through the city. Ultimate members can stream the next chapter of the CONTROL franchise with GeForce RTX 5080-class performance in the cloud, including NVIDIA DLSS 4, ray tracing, NVIDIA Reflex and Cinematic Quality Streaming technologies, with up to 5K high dynamic range on supported devices. Skip the 100GB local install and expensive PC upgrades, and step into the chaos the moment the mission begins. The clock is ticking: the CONTROL Resonant Ultimate Membership Bundle ends Sunday, Sept. 27. Cloud Gaming Meets Googlebooks GeForce NOW support is coming soon to Googlebooks — Google’s new category of laptops, and the first designed for Gemini Intelligence. Googlebook is crafted with premium materials for powerful performance. Secure by design, its Titan C chip and multigrade protection keep viruses out and hackers away. It also lets users jump from phone to laptop without skipping a beat, and access files and apps from phones directly on the laptop. As Googlebooks begin rolling out this fall, GeForce NOW support will bring the cloud gaming library to the new laptop category, making it possible to stream the latest PC games with GeForce RTX-powered performance — and without local installs. Keep an eye on GeForce NOW social channels for more availability details later this year. Awaken the Dragon Sword A dragon has awakened after 60 years, and the legacy of six heroes waits to be uncovered. Hound13’s DragonSword: Awakening transports players to the radiant, anime-style continent of Orbis, where Lute’s journey to become the hero known as the Dragon Sword begins. Explore meadows, secret cellars, deep seas, caves and dungeons alongside trusted allies and collectible Familiars. Build a team from 19 heroes, stack Status Ailments with Active Skills and chain Signal Skills into spectacular tag-team combos. Each character carries a story of their own to uncover along the way. The journey travels across supported devices, including Steam Decks, Firefox browsers and Amazon Fire TV devices, making players ready for the next adventure in Orbis. The Dragon Sword awaits. In addition, members can look for the following games joining the cloud this week: Dune: Awakening (New release on Xbox, Sept. 22, available on Game Pass) Stick It to the Stickman (New release on Steam, Sept. 23) CONTROL Resonant (New release on Steam, Sept. 24) Wild West Pioneers (New release on Steam, Sept. 25) DragonSword: Awakening (Steam) Everything Is Crab (Steam) LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight (Steam) Over the Top: WWI (Steam) Roadside Research (Steam) Dates listed above reflect when games are released on their respective stores. GeForce NOW availability may vary, as games are onboarded after they’re released and added throughout the week. Keep an eye on GeForce NOW channels and GFN Thursdays for availability updates to announced titles. Those new to GeForce NOW can start with a day pass to try premium cloud gaming before committing to a membership. Better yet, the cost of a day pass can be applied toward a first monthly membership — making it easy to level up with GeForce RTX-powered cloud gaming. Which cloud-bound adventure is calling this weekend? Let us know on X or in the comments below.

Title: Marvel’s Wolverine: Photo Mode guide Date: Thu, 22 Oct 2026 14:00:31 +0000 Link: https://blog.playstation.com/2026/10/22/marvels-wolverine-photo-mode-guide/ Photo Modes are a rewarding way to get to grips with some essential elements of photography, while letting you more closely examine and appreciate a game’s art design and increasingly photorealistic visuals. Feature-rich Photo Modes put an entire suite of virtual lighting rigs at your fingertips, subtracting concerns about space requirements, or the patience of your models as you get your composition just right.   Insomniac in particular continues to bring a superheroic heft to its photographic options, first established through its Marvel’s Spider-Man games, with Marvel’s Wolverine. The game’s out for just over a month, and we continue to be dazzled by the Photo Mode skills players have displayed since launch. We’ve equally had questions from budding shutterbugs asking for guidance on how to better their shots. Here, we unpack some of the options the studio offers up in Photo Mode and some examples to get you thinking.  Warning: some of the photos here are spoilers for the game’s outfits and mid-game content Set up tips  Chapter select: Once you’ve rolled credits, loading your save file will pop you back in Logan’s cabin. Head to the bed to access a chapter select menu, letting you leap into any location or moment from the story. From Canada’s snowy wilderness, neon-soaked Shinjuku arcades, to the compact districts of Madripoor and more, you got plenty of backdrops, blockbuster moments and quieter character moments to work with.  Photo Mode UI repositioning: Insomniac has packed in a multitude of options in its Photo Mode to cater to every need you’d have. That includes up to 5 independent lighting rigs (plus customisable natural light options!), character poses, miniature mode, filters and more. Extensive options means a chunky, multi-tab Photo Mode UI. Remember: if you find the UI is blocking your shot, you can tap a button to alternate it between the left and right of your screen.  D-Pad Shortcuts: As default you access Photo Mode from the Pause menu, but jump into Settings, and you can map a shortcut to Photo Mode to the DualSense’s D-Pad. And while you’re there, assign another D-Pad button to adjust the game speed, letting you reduce game speed by 30, 50 or 70%. Useful when you want to capture the perfect action moment.   Landscape, portrait or between: You can use the Tilt option to angle the camera from a straight landscape shot, to a dramatic dutch angle, or a 9×16 portrait image. You’ll need to tilt your own head to better compose the shot with that last option (or, if you’re playing on a PlayStation Portal, just turn the handheld device on its side).  I see five lights  A headline feature of Marvel’s Wolverine Photo mode is five independent lights, each offering separate colour spectrums, intensity options, adjustable distances and such. You can choose each light to be Sphere (casting a wider glow from their centre) or Spotlights (a stronger directional beam).  One to two lights: That can seem daunting, but you don’t have to use them all! In fact, for individual portrait shots, just one or two will do. In photography terms, two lights cover your key light, and your rim light. The former is the main light, illuminating your subject from the front. Play about with having this light to the side, above or below your subject to change the mood of the shot. The latter usually is positioned behind your subject at a lower intensity and at a slight angle, casting a soft fall of light onto your model’s side, shoulders or hair, which separates them from the background.  But those guidelines aren’t rigid: play with lighting, shifting from traditional portraiture to something more startling, as I’ve done with the above. (Which positions Logan’s character model within the radius of a gun’s muzzle flash during a fight scene.)  And once you’ve comfortable with one subject, extend it to two models, then group shots. So, 5 lights. There’s a few examples of location-based uses that could help wrap your head around how to operate them.  Try this: Take the arcade early on in the “In the Shadows” chapter. It’s a barrage of colour, glowing cabinet screens and neon ceiling lights battling for dominance. Switch to Photo Mode and use each light to mimic the glow of a different arcade cabinet screen, or infer ones that aren’t even in shot. Tinker with the intensity and light type of each. You’re just trying to best replicate the mood and look of an arcade bar. I applied the same trick to the casino scene below, but with two lights only. One was positioned just in front of the fruit machine to give off that notable glow, which bathed Jean Grey’s left side in purple light. Logan on the other hand was the focus of an off-white light off-camera, mimicking the glow from the wider casino floor. Three lights: The below photo ups the set to three lights, this time coloured to replicate the flow from the two lanterns to the rear of the shot, and the candles on the floor in the foreground. I upped the intensity of the front light to cast a strong shadow on the floor. A similar trick I applied to an alternate version on the arcade scene: notice the shadow of the grabber claw cast on the back wall? Move him as you need him  In all the shots thus far, my focus was ever on the position and body language of NPCs, rather than Logan himself. That’s because with the Character Pose option, you’re able to cycle through a set of different locked poses, and then,  with movement options, you’re free to move Wolverine to anywhere within a generous radius (up, down, left, right, back and forward). You can rotate him, cycle through a variety of facial expressions and switch between any suits or claws you’ve currently unlocked. You can also hide him entirely, or any enemy NPC thanks to a toggle option in the menus.  A good rule of thumb with any photo: once snapped, cycle through the different suits before exiting. Some might fit the mood of a shot better, and the various materials on each react differently to light sources.  Note: Logan’s original position when entering Photo Mode will be taken as the centre point to which the 5 independent lights will circle around, not where he is moved to. So you’ll need to adjust lights accordingly if you want him lit a certain way.  Ready, set, action (figure)  A fun feature making a welcome leap from Marvel’s Spider-Man 2: Action Figure mode. Found in the Character Pose sub-menu, one click turns Logan miniature. Ripe for some creative executions. For myself, I envisioned Wolverine sitting in Jean’s outstretched palm. In trying to capture that moment during a combat moment, I stumbled onto something unexpected: the world’s smallest Fastball Special.  Worth noting: despite his (more than usual) diminutive size, mini-Logan’s model has the same movement radius (up, down, left right, forward or back) as his normal-sized version.   The above had a comic book cover-like look I liked, which led me to the rabbit hole of using miniature work, and the ability to switch backgrounds to a specific colour palette to mimic something you’d see on the front of a graphic novel. The above was possible due to another feature worth flagging: Logan has an entirely separate set of poses when he’s airborne, as exampled below. Merging Figures The Wolverine character model isn’t blocked by other character models or environmental objects when moving him,  giving you the flexibility to get characters side by side for some dramatic shots. Don’t worry about any clipping or overlaps between models! The right camera angle will hide that imperfection (such as the shots below: in the first Jean’s right arm is actually clipping through Logan’s jacket, the second, Logan’s knee is clipping through Jean’s back). That said, don’t be afraid to get creative with the clipping. Example below: having Jean and Logan’s heads blend together, a nod to sci-fi movie-style posters and referencing how the game’s story delves into his mind and memories.  Composed and captured your shot? Now pan around  Captured a great shot? Great. But before you back out of Photo Mode, train yourself to do one last pan around. There may be an alternative angle to your setup, a hidden detail just out of view. Heck, there could be a completely different photo worth capturing in the frozen moment. For me, an early example was the below. Originally this was a neon-lit picture of Wolverine in a completely different pose. But I widened the lens and spotted Jean’s hand in the foreground, which made for a fun framing device and also gave a different vibe to the photo.  Now go grab some great photos  The above isn’t intended to be an exhaustive run down of the game’s many Photo Mode options, but a few primers to get you thinking and start on capturing great shots of your own. If you need more inspiration, find a few more galleries below!  Street Photography Gallery Remember to look beyond your immediate view. Every location in the game is rich with cool environments or background characters going about their lives.  View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Action Gallery  You can increase the amount of blood or damage on Logan’s character model via a specific menu option in Photo Mode.  View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Verify your age to view this content. 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Title: PlayStation Store: September 2026’s top downloads Date: Thu, 22 Oct 2026 13:00:25 +0000 Link: https://blog.playstation.com/2026/10/22/playstation-store-september-2026s-top-downloads/ It’s time to see which PS5, PS4, PS VR2, and free-to-play games topped last month’s download charts. In September, Marvel’s Wolverine led the PS5 charts in the US, followed by EA Sports FC 27, while in the EU, EA Sports FC 27 led the PS5 charts, followed by Marvel’s Wolverine. Check out the full listings below. What titles are you playing this month? PS5 Games US/CanadaEUMarvel’s WolverineEA Sports FC 27EA Sports FC 27Marvel’s WolverineNBA 2K27The Blood of DawnwalkerHalloweenHalloweenThe Blood of DawnwalkerGrand Theft Auto VMadden NFL 27MinecraftOnimusha: Way of the SwordOnimusha: Way of the SwordControl ResonantNBA 2K27NHL 27Forza Horizon 5College Football 27Control ResonantCall of Duty: Black Ops IICall of Duty: Black Ops IIMinecraftValheimValheimThe Witcher 3: Wild HuntGrand Theft Auto VSilent Hill: TownfallSilent Hill: TownfallResident Evil 4Minecraft Dungeons IIMinecraft Dungeons IIForza Horizon 5NHL 27Call of Duty: Black OpsDune: AwakeningDune: Awakening007 First LightResident Evil 4It Takes Two *Naming of products may differ between regions *Upgrades not included PS4 Games US/CanadaEURed Dead Redemption 2EA Sports FC 27Call of Duty: Black Ops IIIRed Dead Redemption 2Batman: Arkham KnightBatman: Arkham KnightGang BeastsA Way OutCall of Duty: WWIICall of Duty: WWIIResident Evil 5Call of Duty: Black Ops IIIResident Evil 6Gang BeastsMinecraftNeed for Speed HeatNeed for Speed HeatLEGO Marvel Super HeroesLEGO Marvel Super HeroesCall of Duty: Modern WarfaretheHunter: Call of the WildCrash Bandicoot N. Sane TrilogyCall of Duty: Modern WarfareMinecraftA Way OutUnravel TwoGod of WarThe ForestStar Wars Battlefront IIMafia TrilogyMortal Kombat XResident Evil 6Crash Bandicoot N. Sane TrilogyResident Evil 5EA Sports FC 27God of WarThe ForesttheHunter: Call of the WildInjustice 2LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 *Naming of products may differ between regions  PS VR2 Games* US/CanadaEUI Am Cat I Am Cat Horizon Call of the MountainBeat SaberBeat SaberPavlovPavlovHorizon Call of the MountainJob SimulatorJob SimulatorCities: VR – Enhanced EditionMetro AwakeningArizona Sunshine VR 2Arizona Sunshine VR 2Bootstrap IslandCities: VR – Enhanced EditionMetro AwakeningVampire: The Masquerade – JusticeHard BulletSwordsman VR *PlayStation Store purchases only. Game upgrades or games bundled with hardware not included Free to Play (PS5 + PS4) US/CanadaEUCall of Duty: WarzoneAniimoOnce HumanFortniteFortniteCall of Duty: WarzoneAniimoRobloxRobloxOnce HumanMarvel RivalsRocket LeagueRocket LeagueeFootballApex LegendsAsphalt LegendsAsphalt LegendsMarvel RivalsFall GuysFall Guys

Title: Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis – the evolution of Lara Croft’s design Date: Thu, 22 Oct 2026 11:59:38 +0000 Link: https://blog.playstation.com/2026/10/22/tomb-raider-legacy-of-atlantis-the-evolution-of-lara-crofts-design/ When Lara Croft first leapt onto screens in 1996, she was a few hundred polygons and a fistful of pixels. Thirty years later, Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis reimagines that same adventurer with technology the original team could only dream of. Through it all, one goal held steady: she had to look like Lara. For a generation of players, their first adventure with Lara unfolded on PlayStation. Tomb Raider and PlayStation came of age together in the mid-nineties, each helping shape what that new era of gaming could be. Thirty years later, that connection still resonates, and Lara’s latest journey continues on PlayStation 5. Play Video Building on the original “Now we have that technology and the computing power, we ask, how do we make this the most realistic-looking Lara while sticking with that original design?” For the character team, the 1996 design is the anchor every choice answers to. “When the original Lara was made, we could only have a certain number of polygons, a certain number of textures,” says Brendon Bengston at Crystal Dynamics. “There were a lot of things we wanted to do to make things look realistic that we just didn’t have the technology for. Now we have that technology and the computing power, so we ask, how do we make this the most realistic-looking Lara while sticking with that original design?” Every console generation since has moved that design a step forward. The PlayStation 2 era of Legend, Anniversary, and Underworld gave Lara smoother geometry and more expressive animation, and the Survivor trilogy pushed her detail and realism further still. Each leap added polygons, texture, and nuance, and each one answered back to that same 1996 silhouette. For the concept team, the harder challenge was balance: pushing the fidelity forward while keeping her instantly recognizable. “You want them to feel believable, but you also want them to look recognizable,” says Aleksandra Skiba, Senior Character Concept Artist at Flying Wild Hog. “You have to figure out what you can do now to make them better.” Rendering a living character The leap from 1996 is most visible in the details that used to be impossible. Take her hair. “Back in the first couple of Tomb Raider games, it was all polygons, all big shapes,” Bengston says. “Now we are able to create hair cards and craft exact strands.” Hair cards are thin, overlapping strips of semi-transparent texture, layered to mimic real clumps of hair rather than the solid, helmet-like shapes of the past. The difference is in the motion. “How does the bang move? What does the ponytail feel like? What does the braid feel like? We can get in and craft every nook and cranny.” Her skin carries the same fidelity. “We can do a lot of things with our materials for the skin. We have subsurface scattering, we have flow maps,” Bengston says. Subsurface scattering is the effect that makes skin look alive rather than plastic, light sinking slightly into the surface and glowing back out, the way your ear looks lit from within when the sun is behind it. The face goes further still. “We can craft custom blend shapes so that when Lara squinches, we see bespoke lines on her face, on the forehead, when she smiles or when she frowns.” Blend shapes are sculpted facial poses the game moves between, letting a single face form thousands of natural expressions. “We weren’t able to do that not long ago. Using this technology from Epic in Unreal has let us take the characters to the next level, not just in their static model but in how they move and emote.” Real fabric, real folds “We actually hired a tailor to create an actual outfit for her. They made it, we put it on a mannequin and scanned it, and now we have a real-world asset of the digital version.” To dress Lara believably, the team leaned on the real world. “Early on we decided to leverage a scanning pipeline,” Bengston says. “We sculpted the base body, got it 3D printed at real scale, sent it to a vendor, put real-world clothes on the mannequin, and scanned that. It gives us real-world cloth. Denim folds differently than silk. It folds differently from chiffon or cotton or wool.” For one of Lara’s outfits, they went all the way. “We actually hired a tailor to create an actual outfit for her,” Bengston says. “They made it, we put it on a mannequin and scanned it, and now we have a real-world asset of the digital version.” What we kept, what we reimagined Technology renders the surface. Identity is what the team fought to protect. John Stafford, Narrative Director at Crystal Dynamics, frames the reimagining in three parts. “What we kept: Lara’s intelligence, fearlessness, and thrill-seeking spirit remain completely intact,” he says. “What we evolved: we deepened her emotional depth and relationships without losing her confidence. What we reimagined: we unified the mythic, grounded, and larger-than-life tones of multiple Tomb Raider eras into one Lara.” It is a challenge the studio has faced before. “Anniversary was about retelling a classic through a modern lens. Legacy of Atlantis is about synthesizing thirty years of Lara into something new,” Stafford says. “Anniversary taught us that, outside of plot points, fans remember how Lara makes them feel. We want to evoke similar emotions from across all previous eras.” That includes the younger, rawer Lara of the Survivor trilogy. “The Survivor era showed us Lara works well when danger has consequences,” Stafford says. “We carried forward her physicality, emotional credibility, and sense of earned resilience. Even at her most confident and badass, this Lara still feels human.” One Lara, every era “No matter the era, Lara must always feel like someone who needs to know what’s behind the next door.”  The result is a Lara built to resonate with anyone who has ever picked up a controller in her name. For players meeting her for the first time, the target is simple. “That she’s the smartest person in the room, and the boldest,” Stafford says. “That adventure isn’t something she survives, it’s something she actively pursues.” One quality, Stafford says, was non-negotiable no matter which era a fan loves most. “Lara’s curiosity and spirit of discovery. No matter the era, Lara must always feel like someone who needs to know what’s behind the next door.” Everything about how she is made has changed. What makes her Lara has not. Pre-order Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis Lara Croft’s greatest adventure begins February 12, 2027. Pre-orders are live now on PlayStation Store, so secure your edition before launch.

Title: Once Human’s Isles of Abyss expansion launches on PS5 tomorrow Date: Wed, 21 Oct 2026 17:00:37 +0000 Link: https://blog.playstation.com/2026/10/21/once-humans-isles-of-abyss-expansion-launches-on-ps5-tomorrow/ Hey everyone, we have huge news to share with you today. Once Human’s largest free expansion yet, Isles of Abyss, is officially launching tomorrow, October 22 （October 21)  on PlayStation 5. We’ve taken the strange worlds survival you know and love, and plunged it into uncharted waters. Starting tomorrow, you can leave the safety of dry land behind, set sail across five brand-new oceanic regions, and face down brand new threats unlike anything you’ve ever encountered before. Dive into a “living” ocean When we set out to build this expansion, we wanted to make sure that the sea felt like more than just a blue backdrop or a way to get from A to B. In Isles of Abyss, the entire ocean is a massive, conscious entity known as “The Sunken Lord.” The water surface you navigate is its physical body, while the eerie, staring lighthouses “The Tower” and spectral ghost ships “Voyagers” drifting through the fog act as its organs and manifestations of its dark will. The sea is constantly watching you, reacting to your presence, and feeding on your fear. As you explore, you’ll encounter dynamic regional threats – from suffocating mysterious fogs and violent black tides to skies raining temporal fire. To untangle the secrets of this world, you and your squad will need to brave these anomalies, defeat regional bosses anchored in colossal towers, and ultimately confront the Sunken Lord itself. Build your dream Mobile Sea Fortress To survive a sea that actively wants to devour you, a basic wooden raft isn’t going to cut it for long – though that’s exactly where your journey begins. We’ve given you complete freedom to build, customize, and upgrade your vessel into a fully functional, mobile Sea Fortress. Your ship isn’t just transportation; it’s your forward base, workshop, heavy artillery platform, and primary survival tool. Want to build a classic wooden pirate ship armed with heavy broadside cannons? Go for it. Prefer an industrial drilling rig, a sleek sci-fi aircraft carrier, or a completely wild, abstract floating fortress? The design is entirely up to your imagination. How you engineer your vessel serves as your tactical answer to the ocean’s threats. You can team up with friends to form entire player fleets, coordinating your ship designs to tackle different hazards together as you sail through uncharted waters. The land-sea dual progression loop Your survival journey begins as you wake up on a starter island, but from there, the order in which you explore the remaining four oceanic regions is entirely up to you, allowing every player to carve out a unique growth path. Isles of Abyss introduces a seamless, mutually feeding progression loop between land and sea. Resources gathered from exploring mysterious islands fuel the naval tech and heavy weaponry needed to survive open-water encounters. In turn, venturing into the deep sea unlocks specialized materials that enhance your terrestrial gear and base progression. Beneath the waves, a dedicated underwater exploration layer awaits, where you can dive deep into sunken ruins for lost treasure, harvest rare aquatic resources, and engage in deep-sea hunting to sustain your crew and gain special materials. Feel every wave with PS5 features We’ve fully tailored this aquatic journey for the PlayStation 5 to make navigating a hostile ocean feel as tactile as possible: DualSense haptic feedback: Feel the low, rumbling heartbeat of the Sunken Lord beneath your hull, along with the distinct rhythm of crashing waves, roaring sea storms, and hull-creaking impact during naval combat. Adaptive triggers: Experience realistic resistance with every shot as you pull the trigger on heavy naval cannons or launch grappling lines into enemy vessels. Lightning-Fast SSD Loading: Seamlessly transition from land exploration to captaining your ship, or diving deep into underwater trenches, without interrupting your survival flow. Prepare to set sail tomorrow The tide has turned, and the living ocean is waiting. Grab your friends, head over to the PlayStation Store, and download Once Human to be ready for the free-to-play Isles of Abyss expansion arriving on PS5 tomorrow..  We’ll see you on the open sea – try not to let it swallow you whole.

Title: PlayStation Indies: 9 must-play horror games for the spooky season Date: Wed, 21 Oct 2026 16:00:31 +0000 Link: https://blog.playstation.com/2026/10/21/playstation-indies-9-must-play-horror-games-for-the-spooky-season/ There is joy in being a little scared. From pleasantly spooky atmospheres to frights that make your fingers fidget on the controller. Our team has played many horror-themed indie games, from cozy to creepy, and we’re excited to share some of our favorites to keep players frightened and having fun this Halloween season. CloverPit What’s scary about slot machines? Not much, unless you’ve ever tried to navigate a casino floor with your wallet (and ears) intact. But what if your life was riding on every jackpot? What if you were locked in a grim, rusted-metal nightmare room, suspended above a bottomless pit, with only a broken toilet and a few lucky charms to keep you company? Bet you’d be pretty scared then, huh? Huh!? In any case, that’s the premise of CloverPit, a macabre slot-machine roguelite in which your only hope of survival is to win enough coins to clear an ever-rising debt. This isn’t entirely random; unlocking a few of those charms can tilt the odds in your favor, and learning to synergize them can keep you a few steps ahead of your unseen captors. Also, the longer you survive, the more likely you are to get bonuses you can build strategies around, giving you more breathing room to plan an escape. So don’t get discouraged if your first few attempts send you tumbling into the abyss – there’s always a chance for better luck, even unstoppable luck, on your next run. – Mikel Reparaz, Game Content Analyst Escape the Backrooms Play Video Escape the Backrooms is a horror exploration game that plunges you into the unsettling world of the internet’s infamous Backrooms legend. Traverse more than 30 eerie levels, solve puzzles, avoid terrifying entities, and search for a way out. Just remember: survival is far from guaranteed. Brave the Backrooms alone for a tense, atmospheric experience, or team up online with up to three friends. Proximity voice chat means you’ll need to stick together whilst communicating carefully! The catch? Keep your voices to a whisper; the entities can hear you too.What makes Escape the Backrooms a must-play is how brilliantly it balances psychological horror with chaotic multiplayer fun. Its unsettling environments and unpredictable dangers make solo exploration genuinely nerve-racking, while playing with friends can quickly turn into a chorus of panicked shouting and questionable decisions. Few horror games make being lost so terrifying, or watching your friends make everything worse so entertaining.– Jonty Binns, Global Account Manager Fangtopia Play Video Not every spooky game needs to scare the life out of you. Fangtopia is a cozy, single-player puzzle game where you build your own monster-filled kingdom, one hexagonal tile at a time. Connect forests, towns, mountains, and railways to create a sprawling landscape, then populate it with werewolves, yetis, and other wonderfully weird creatures. And there’s no timer, so you can relax whilst planning each move.Fangtopia is a must-play because it captures the spirit of Halloween without any of the scares. Its charming monsters, playful atmosphere, and satisfying puzzle mechanics make it the perfect game to unwind with after a night of horror. Whether you’re building the creepiest kingdom imaginable or simply seeing what strange creatures you can discover, Fangtopia proves that Halloween can be all treats, no tricks.– Jonty Binns, Global Account Manager Graveyard Keeper 2 Play Video Is it weird to call this medieval apocalyptic game cozy? Because this is exactly how I would summarise this game in one word.I have never played the first game (Graveyard Keeper), so I learned the gameplay mechanics and story just by playing this one. I am usually not a fan of resource-management games, but somehow Graveyard Keeper 2 really hooked me, and I ended up losing track of time while playing! Customization also plays a big part, letting you decide where and what to build as you gradually bring the town back to life.From the characters’ tone to the art style (2D, retro pixelated art), I started wondering why I never played the first one! The gameplay is quite full-on, with multiple things to do depending on what you prefer: complete quests, craft objects, build a zombie army to help you restore the town, or simply look after your church and graveyard. For someone new to the franchise, I recommend this game if you want a cozy, story-driven experience that unfolds at your own pace!Who knew rebuilding a town with the help of zombies could be so relaxing?–  Juliette Common – Go-To-Market Strategist Hunter’s Moon Play Video What I enjoyed most about Hunter’s Moon was how different it felt from most horror games I’ve played. Rather than relying on monsters or jump scares, it draws its tension from the people, places, and beliefs that shape its world. I found myself slowing down to absorb the atmosphere, listening in on conversations, exploring winding countryside paths, and gradually piecing together the lives of the community around me. Some of my favorite moments came from simply observing the stories unfolding inside homes and taverns, while the game’s wonderfully strange mummers, handcrafted visual style, and strong sense of British folklore gave every encounter a distinctive character. One moment I was completely engrossed in the villagers’ lives and dramas; the next I was desperately trying to evade capture when a stealth sequence took an unexpected turn. The result is a mature, atmospheric folk-horror experience that feels genuinely unlike anything else I’ve played recently. – Dominic Kendrick – Producer Phasmophobia Play Video Are solo scares not your thing? Maybe you’d feel braver with some friends along. Phasmophobia lets you team up with three other ghost hunters to investigate extremely haunted locations and gather evidence of the supernatural. Using voice chat and advanced equipment like UV lights, cameras, and thermometers, you’ll creep through dark spaces, hunting for clues about the resident ghost.Just know that the ghosts can hunt you back. While you’re poking around and laughing with your friends, you might see eerie phenomena, lights flickering, doors slamming, or even the ghost itself, but when the front door locks and you hear it coming, it’s time to run, hide, and hope it doesn’t find you. And don’t scream, they’re always listening. Always. – Mikel Reparaz, Game Content Analyst Reanimal Play Video Beautiful dissonance is the shortest way to describe the feeling of playing Reanimal. Juxtaposed against a morose color palette where scares lurk behind every shadow, it’s a tender, cooperative experience that gently guides the player through environmental storytelling at its finest. You play as an orphaned brother and sister on a mission to rescue their missing friends, navigating a nightmarish island through a combination of stealth and puzzle-platforming mechanics.One moment, you may crouch behind an object to hide from a macabre creature; the next, you may be frantically chased through cavernous woods teeming with monstrous surprises. In all of these moments, you’ll have to work with your sibling to survive, forging a shared experience in the dark.From its sumptuously dark atmosphere to its tense pursuits across the island, Reanimal is the perfect companion for spooky season.– Becky Sayers, Independent Partners Team Lead Silver Pines Play Video A private detective lost in a rainy, mostly abandoned mountain town is a natural setup for a Lynchian survival-horror game; a side-scrolling search-action, not so much. Yet Silver Pines blends its inspirations cleverly, delivering a moody, mystery-filled adventure where players hunt for keys and clues while discovering weapons that let them tear through obstacles and misshapen creatures with equal ease.It starts slow. Investigator Red Walker wakes up in a diner with little more than his modest ability to jog and dodge, but the game quickly immerses players in a nightmare mystery as Red delves into decrepit motels, flooded tunnels, and dreamlike spaces in search of missing musician Eddie Velvet. An unusual high-contrast art style and surprisingly effective scares deepen the sense of unease, while satisfyingly brutal, stompy combat makes pushing deeper into the horror more fun. It’s a strange, melancholic, and utterly unique take on survival horror. –  Mikel Reparaz, Game Content Analyst The Midnight Walk Play Video The Midnight Walk is a single-player, first-person adventure focused on exploration, puzzles, and stealth. You travel through a beautifully twisted dark fantasy world alongside Potboy, a small lantern-like companion whose flame is key to your journey. What makes this a standout must-play is its incredible handcrafted art style, with every character and environment sculpted in clay and 3D-scanned into the game. It feels like stepping into a dark stop-motion movie that’s weird, beautiful, and unsettling in equal measure, and unlike almost anything else out there. If you love Tim Burton films or are a fan of Little Nightmares, this is a must-play for you. –  John Vega, Director, Head of Independent Partner Relations Discover more indie favorites on PlayStation Play Video What spooky games are you playing this Halloween season?

Title: A Line Held Tight is a charcoal visual novel about a miner's strike in the 32nd century and choosing your relationships wisely Date: Thu, 22 Oct 2026 21:50:40 +0000 Link: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/a-line-held-tight-is-a-charcoal-visual-novel-about-a-miners-strike-in-the-32nd-century-and-choosing-your-relationships-wisely We've had about roughly four decades of games as we generally know them now, and yet somehow, so often their stories feel so limited in scope. I'm not talking about a lack of big, bold ideas, in fact there might be too many of those. I more mean that there are aspects to life that often go uncovered in games. For example, when was the last time you saw a game about a workers strike? Citizen Sleeper 2 has one questline about such a thing, but it's just what the entire game is about. A Line Held Tight, a mecha visual novel about a sci-fi miner's strike, may bridge that gap. Read more

Title: Robot smashing catharsis game Virtue and a Sledgehammer is out next week, but there's an experimental visual novella prologue you can play right now Date: Thu, 22 Oct 2026 20:36:04 +0000 Link: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/robot-smashing-catharsis-game-virtue-and-a-sledgehammer-is-out-next-week-but-theres-an-experimental-visual-novella-prologue-you-can-play-right-now Virtue and a Sledgehammer looks like a satisfying game. There is perhaps no more wonderfully chunky and impact frame friendly a weapon than the reliable sledgehammer, and when put into a game with a description like, "Most people resort to therapy. But you chose the brave option. A sledgehammer," then of course I have to give it a look. Unfortunately, I still have to wait a week to check out the full thing. Fortunately, a prologue to the game just dropped for free that offers a tantalising, and quite different, experience. Read more

Title: An internal Mass Effect 5 trailer has reportedly leaked, offering you a glimpse at the sequel you'll never get to play Date: Thu, 22 Oct 2026 17:45:41 +0000 Link: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/an-internal-mass-effect-5-trailer-has-reportedly-leaked-offering-you-a-glimpse-at-the-sequel-youll-never-get-to-play Yesterday, only a couple of months after EA went private after having been acquired by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, equity firm Silver Lake, and Jared Kushner's Affinity, it was announced that BioWare are being shut down, with development on their next Mass Effect game cancelled. Now, only a day after this was announced, a trailer that was meant for internal use only has been shared, showing off a rough idea of what the game would be like. Read more

Title: Dispatch celebrates its first anniversary with commentary and storyboard modes for every single episode, if you've got the deluxe edition anyway Date: Thu, 22 Oct 2026 17:08:54 +0000 Link: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/dispatch-celebrates-its-first-anniversary-with-commentary-and-storyboard-modes-for-every-single-episode-if-youve-got-the-deluxe-edition-anyway I'm going to park my feelings of unease at the fact that it's somehow already been a year since Dispatch came out, as developer AdHoc Studio have revealed some pretty neat sounding additions to the game to commemorate its first anniversary. Well, if you have the deluxe edition anyway (sorry, regular edition owners). Read more

Title: Even at their most chaotic and conflicted, BioWare were the heart of the western computer RPG Date: Thu, 22 Oct 2026 16:30:00 +0000 Link: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/even-at-their-most-chaotic-and-conflicted-bioware-were-the-heart-of-the-western-computer-rpg Life... is strength. The gears of this world are tuned for a quick death. Doomity-doom-doom! We is all doooooo-oooomed! The Guardian says for me to be cheerful, and to not repeat what he says all the... oh. I'm Commander Shepard, and this is my favourite store on the Citadel. You simians may merely refer to me as 'Sir,' if you prefer a less... syllable-intensive workout. I have seen the throne of the Gods, and it was empty. Stand in the ashes of a trillion dead souls and ask the ghosts if honour matters. There are people like you everywhere. It's just that not everyone has the words for it yet. You exist because we allow it, and you will end because we demand it. Let's call that finished. You must gather your party before venturing forth. Read more