Summary Soulslikes are known for theirbrutal difficultyand challenging boss fights that test even the most seasoned of players to their absolute limits. But sometimes, a game finds a perfect balance between challenge and fairness, keeping the hard bosses but making them feel much fairer, or having the build-up to them be far more linear and well-thought-out. It’s never fun to reach an early boss and be destroyed over and over again....

State of Decay 3is still in the shadows, and as the wait for the anticipated zombie title grows longer, there are already plenty of other zombie-based titles passing it up.Killing Floor 3just launched, andDying Light: The Beastis right around the corner, but this isn’t all bad news forState of Decay 3. Right now, there’s no telling whenState of Decay 3will finally arrive, and withDying Light: The Beastlooming closer on the horizon, a strong competitor will get to launch ahead of it....

SomeNintendo Switch 2users have noticed that their Joy-Cons' rumble feature is turning itself off. Haptic feedback may not be what convinces many people to buy a console, but it was a central part of the marketing for the original Switch, and Nintendo has heavily touted the new-and-improved Joy-Cons' functionality. However, theNintendo Switch 2may stop some gamers from using the feature for too long. Before Nintendo released its latest system, it confirmed thatthe Switch 2’s HD Rumble would be quieter but more powerfulthan that of its predecessor....

Summary Horroris consistently one of the most popular entertainment genres, and that’s not a new trend. People have been telling scary stories for centuries, long before Mary Shelley wroteFrankensteinand popularized horror as a literary trend. TV producers often look tohorror books and storiesfor inspiration when creating a series because they already have an established fan base and a wealth of material to draw from. A movie adapted from a book is often missing a lot of the original material, but a series can include everything without skipping backstory, extra characters, or additional exposition....

Summary Zombieshave shuffled, sprinted, and screeched their way across nearly every genre by now, but there’s something special about a well-paced, tightly designedlinearzombie experience.No open-world detours, no crafting ten types of bandages, just pure, deliberate survival, where every corridor, cutscene, and combat encounter is fine-tuned to make players feel like they’re always one wrong move from becoming chow. These linear zombie gamesdon’t ask players to build a base or forage for berries....

Summary There’s something comforting about a classic JRPG. Theturn-based combat, the pixel art towns, the grand tales of chosen heroes setting off to save the world with a sword in one hand and a menu full of spells in the other. But the beauty of the genre today lies in how much it’s evolved without letting go of its roots. Modern JRPGs might look sleeker, play smoother, and feel snappier, but deep down, many of them still beat with the same heart asFinal Fantasy6orChrono Trigger....

Summary When the originalGhost in the Shellmovie was first released in 1995, the manga it was based on already had a solid fan base and had been a presence in pop culture since 1989. Now, the franchise includes video games, TV shows, and a live-action adaptation, in addition to the profound influence it has had on other artists and their creations. Ghost in the Shelldidn’t just take mecha and dystopian movies to a whole new level; it also created the cyberpunk genre and made animation for adults less niche and more mainstream....

Polish studio Rebel Wolves has shared over 20 minutes' worth of gameplay footage fromThe Blood of Dawnwalker, its upcoming vampire-themed open-world RPG. The newly debuted preview marks the most extensive look atThe Blood of Dawnwalkerto date. Rebel Wolves first revealedThe Blood of Dawnwalkerin January 2025—a year after confirming the project’s existence. With its promise of an open-world RPG featuring monster hunting and morally gray, consequential choices—not to mention the fact that it’s developed by former CD Projekt Red veterans—the game has drawn frequent comparisons toThe Witcher....

Quick Links The Music’s on the Wallsquest will reveal the identity of the mysterious shadow you have been following inDisney Dreamlight Valley. Players will get to collect some musical notes and play an instrument tosummon the character hidingbehind the shadow. The Music’s On The Walls Quest In DDV - Disney Dreamlight Valley Unlocking the gate at the end of A Ship of Gold quest will automatically trigger The Music’s on The Wall quest inDisney Dreamlight Valley....

No newBanjo-Kazooiegame has been released since 2008’sNuts & Boltsin 2008, but there is still some hope that the iconic bear and bird duo will make a comeback one day. Rare found a great deal of success with the first twoBanjo-Kazooiegames on the Nintendo 64, spawning a franchise that would include mobile spin-offsGrunty’s RevengeandBanjo-Piloton the GBA, the aforementioned sequelNuts & Bolts, and even an appearance inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimateas DLC. Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Boltshas its fans, but there are few that consider it a proper entry in the beloved 3D platformer series....

With 2025 halfway over, it’s time to look at the highest-rated new video game releases of the year to date. Even with major developments likeGrand Theft Auto 6being delayed to next year, 2025 is still shaping up to be one to remember for gamers. Fans have been treated to acclaimed new installments in long-running franchises as well as introduced to brand-new, imaginative IPs that have performed far better than many would have guessed....

Summary After telling the story of the Straw Hats’ grand adventure for close to three decades,One Pieceis finally in its final phase. Slowly but surely, important characters enter the limelight one by one, the secrets of the world are being revealed, and the stakes are higher than ever. Needless to say, fans are itching to know what will happen next. That’s why lots of theories have been floating around regardingall sorts of things that might occur at the end of the series....

If the recent hands-on previews forBorderlands 4have proven anything, it’s that the upcoming entry truly is aiming to turn the series around and innovate on its increasingly familiar formula. Ahead of its release,Borderlands 4has boasted a vast number of changes coming to the series, including the new seamless planet of Kairos, larger skill trees, new combat systems, and more. Now, the recent previews have shed some light on how those new additions and changes play out, and many of them seem like a step in the right direction....