Gaming News

Best Sci-Fi and Horror Games Like Directive 8020

Directive 8020 brings Supermassive Games’ signature brand of cinematic horror into a more action-heavy, survival-horror-flavoured space. The studio has always had a knack for tense choices, grisly consequences, and making you deeply suspicious of every dark corridor, but this time, that familiar formula is heading into sci-fi territory. So, we’ve rounded up the best games like Directive 8020, from choice-driven horror stories to sci-fi scares, lurking threats, and games where everything can go horribly wrong very, very quickly. 1. Silent Hill f Silent Hill f is an exceptional entry in one of horror’s most beloved series, and a great pick if what you’re after is lurking terror, unsettling imagery, and a story packed with twists and...

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Save an Extra $400 Off the Compact 18-Liter Cooler Master NR2 RTX 5070 Miniature Gaming PC

Cooler Master's NR2 series PCs offer plenty of gaming prowess in a compact 18-liter chassis. Because this is a premium product for a semi-niche audience, prices are usually higher than a comparably equipped gaming PC, but not always. Case in point, Amazon is currently offering the Cooler Master NR2 RTX 5070 gaming PC for $1,799.98 shipped after you apply a $400 off coupon on the product page. This brings the price in-line with other standard-sized 5070 prebuilts but you get a stylish, powerful system that won't take up much desk space. For a limited time, get a digital code for the upcoming 007 First Light game on Steam. Save an Extra $400 Off the Cooler Master NR2 RTX 5070 Mini PC This Cooler Master NR2 gaming PC is equipped with a...

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Subnautica 2 Lures In Nearly Half a Million Concurrent Players on Steam Within First Hour of Release

Subnautica 2 has hit almost half a million concurrent players on Steam in its first hour of release. At the time of this article's publication, Subnautica 2 was on an incredible 467,000 concurrent players on Valve's platform, and developer Unknown Worlds confirmed the game had sold 1 million copies within the first hour of launch. For an early access game that released on PC and Xbox Series X and S in the middle of a weekday, these numbers are pretty huge. It's likely they will only grow from here, as word of mouth spreads and more players come online. The critical reception to the game seems to be positive. We gave Subnautica 2's early access launch a 7/10 in our review, noting that it's fun, but it's evident the game is still a...

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Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 – Full-Mission Gameplay (Prologue) | IGN First

If you're ready to see the first-ever gameplay from Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2, then today's your lucky day! In the 33-minute video above, get your first look at work-in-progress gameplay from the upcoming four-player PvE Xenomorph-hunting third-person shooter sequel, showcasing the entire Prologue mission from the first campaign. You'll see a few different character classes in action along with various special abilities, new and returning Xenomorph types, and plenty more in the warm-up for the rest of the campaign. Keep in mind that this is work-in-progress footage, so forgive any little hitches or issues you might see. The developers at Cold Iron and Daybreak were very kind to let us jump straight in and show off this raw gameplay to...

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Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Director 'Very Aware' Square Enix Needs to Figure Out How to Get the Next-Generation of Fans Into the Franchise

The director of the Final Fantasy 7 remake trilogy, Naoki Hamaguchi, recognizes that there is challenge with getting younger players interested in the franchise. The Final Fantasy series has been around since the late 80s, and as a result, the audience who plays it tends to skew older than some other franchises. To a younger player who isn't familiar with Final Fantasy, they may see the large roman numerals in the title and assume they are behind on the story, not realizing that most of these games standalone. Not only that, but there are large gaps between releases, meaning Final Fantasy lacks a certain amount of relevancy for other audiences. In an interview with Nintenderos, Hamaguchi stated that he is aware of a challenge when it...

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Fortnite Nerfs Lethal Fall Damage in Big Gameplay Shakeup as Overwatch Update Arrives

The big Fortnite Overwatch update is here, bringing Tracer, Genji and the gang to Epic Games' battle royale Island. But the changes only begin there — with a major shakeup to gameplay, in Zero Build mode in particular. Across Fortnite's main battle royale mode, fall damage has been made so it is no longer lethal — players instead "splat" onto the ground, and recover with 1HP. Time for some bandages! Battle royale's Zero Build option, meanwhile, has been completely overhauled with yet more changes, such as the addition of an unlimited use "Pocket Item" randomly assigned at the beginning of matches. These items can include Shockwave Grenades, Medmist or Shield Bubbles. Glider redeploy is back when you're leaping off high areas, and...

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Subnautica 2 Early Access Review

Whether it’s the shrunken world of Grounded or the monster-collecting hijinks of Palworld, it really only takes one great idea to make all the familiar parts of a survival game feel completely new. Subnautica did just that way back in 2014 by plunging the usual formula underwater, easily emerging as one of my favorites by the time it left Early Access in 2018. Eight years and one icy spin-off later, Subnautica 2’s own Early Access debut has once again pulled me in like an ocean current, and the game-changing addition of co-op multiplayer makes the depths a little less lonesome. Of course, with red barriers waiting for you outside of the small map that’s currently available and a short list of gear and craftables to work through, I...

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Rock, Paper, Severed Announced for PC

Introducing Rock, Paper, Severed – a dark new horror game for 1-4 players that takes the classic game Rock, Paper, Scissors and dials it up to deadly levels. It's all presided over by the mysterious Entity. It's in development for PC and due out later this year. It's a simple setup, but according to developer Buzzin' Games, "losing doesn’t just mean defeat; it means sacrifice. Each wrong move costs players a finger, raising the stakes with every round in a tense battle of strategy, nerve, and survival. "Presiding over the game is the mysterious Entity, a shadowy host offering players a chance at absolution. Those who sit at the table are drawn in by the promise of wiping away their sins, but leaving is not so simple. As matches...

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'Rest in Peace' — Party Animals Review-Bombed Over AI Video Contest

Co-op game Party Animals has been spammed with hundreds of negative reviews after it announced a $15,000 AI video contest. As detailed on the game's official website, Recreate Games is running a competition, inviting short films, drama series, animations, music videos, and more on any theme as long as it's "positive" and connected to the Party Animals game. So far, so what, right? Well, it's the next bit of the rules that's caused a little commotion. "[AI-generated content] must be the core creative tool, including but not limited to AI-generated images, video, music, voiceovers, 3D assets, etc.," the competition insists. The winner secures a whopping $15,000, with cash awards of $1,500-4,500 also available for runner-ups. While...

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Arc Raiders Hits 16 Million Sales, Publisher Has High Hopes for October Update

Arc Raiders has hit 16 million sales, an incredible result for the extraction shooter that has proven so successful for developer Embark and publisher Nexon. In its latest set of financial results, Nexon said Arc Raiders sales had been “extraordinary,” and that it was the most successful new product released in company history. We’re now six months since the launch of Arc Raiders, and deep into its inevitable “dead game” debate despite the fact it remains one of the most played games on Steam (neither Sony nor Microsoft make player numbers public). Yes, player numbers on Valve’s platform aren’t what they were during Arc Raiders' explosive launch, but we’re still talking about a game that can regularly hit 100,000 peak concurrent...

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Forza Horizon 6 Review

On paper, it will always seem a little odd that it took the Forza Horizon series until the sixth game to find its way to Japan. Few countries on Earth command the same level of renown as Japan when it comes to automobile culture – the home of drifting, Daikoku PA, and one of the few cars to ever get Dominic Torretto out of a Dodge. Regardless of how you slice it, a stopover in Japan certainly feels long overdue. However, after playing Forza Horizon 6 for the last week, I can’t help but be glad developer Playground Games waited. For mine, that’s primarily thanks to the astounding step up in map quality. It goes beyond just being the biggest or the most beautiful (which it is, no doubt). Crucially, it’s also the most credible and...

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Forza Horizon 6 PC Settings Guide

Ever since they started coming out on PC, the Forza Horizon games have been some of the best PC ports around, which is a huge reason why I use them whenever I test any kind of hardware. Despite the excellent visuals that this series has given us time and time again, the games scale exceptionally well across all kinds of hardware. Forza Horizon 6 continues this tradition. This is a game that looks incredibly good on high-end hardware, while still running quite well on low-end GPUs and handhelds. And even though most people should have no problem running this game on their PCs, I really wanted to take the chance to tweak with the settings to maximise performance while still making the game look as good as possible. To do this, I ran the...

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Amazon Confirms It's Working on a 'Compelling' New The Lord of the Rings Video Game, but Its MMO Is Dead

We can safely say that Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings MMO is dead, although the mega corp has insisted it’s still working on a new Middle-earth video game. Confirmation comes from Eurogamer, which reported on the cancelation of the game as part of an investigation into Amazon’s push towards generative AI and subsequent widespread layoffs across its development teams. Amazon Games boss Jeff Grattis, told Eurogamer: “Our creative team continues to explore a compelling new game experience that does justice to Tolkien's world; we are working closely with Middle-earth and remain excited about the IP.” The Lord of the Rings MMO was thought dead back in October, when Amazon confirmed it was walking away from making new content for its MMO...

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Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls' 10-Hour Story Mode Will Feature Gameplay After All

Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls developer Arc System Works recently revealed that the fighting game will have an Episode Mode — a story mode aimed at casual players — told in an interactive comic book style. Various outlets originally reported that this Episode Mode wouldn't have any actual gameplay. But recent updates have confirmed that this is not the case. In an interview with Japanese news site 4Gamer, producer Takeshi Yamanaka and director/lead battle designer Kazuto ‘Pachi’ Sekine revealed more about the game’s story mode. However, 4Gamer’s initial publication suggested that Episode Mode would only contain a Guilty Gear Strive-style cutscene-based story mode with no gameplay. But an update to the interview, added on May 13...

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Marathon Season 2 Detailed

Marathon developer Bungie has unveiled what, exactly, will change as Season 2 begins, teasing "liberated chaos" as players "know a fresh start is just around the corner" when update 1.0.9 drops next Tuesday (May 19). "Runners continue to pillage what isn’t theirs across Tau Ceti, and the UESC is growing tired of their criminal activities," Bungie teased. "As Season 1 comes to a close, you’ll see the first of the UESC’s renewed security efforts, with more to come when Season 2: Nightfall begins on June 2. More details about Season 2 will drop as we get closer to June 2. In the meantime, we have a couple of end-of-season updates to preview. We also want to share more details about the seasonal reset, including what you keep, what goes...

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Forza Horizon 6 Global Release Times, Early Access, and Preload Details Confirmed

Forza Horizon 6 developer Playground has confirmed the global release times for the hotly anticipated racing game, both for its early access release and the full launch. Confirmation comes after Forza Horizon 6 suffered a significant leak on PC that led to the game being made available to pirates well before launch. Playground and parent company Microsoft have been working to plug the leak, and even issued pirates with lifetime hardware ID bans. Some had wondered if the leak would alter Forza Horizon 6’s release plans, perhaps with it being brought forward, but that is not the case. As confirmed in a post on social media, Forza Horizon 6’s early access launch goes ahead as planned on May 15, although on Xbox it’s playable on the...

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Battlefield 6's New Map Fixes One of the Game's Biggest Issues

Battlefield 6 has received a new map and it fixes one of the biggest issues with the game: a lack of airspace. Thankfully, the team behind Battlefield 6 have addressed this with its latest map, Railway to Golmud. The map is a remake of a Battlefield 4 classic and is naturally already a massive map, but even more so for pilots. The out-of-bounds area for air vehicle stretches far beyond the play area for infantry and ground vehicles, meaning you could theoretically have dogfights without having to worry about anti-air vehicles bothering you. A core tenet of the Battlefield franchise is its emphasis on all-out warfare. Players can utilize a wide range of vehicles to battle the other team and conquer objectives, including air vehicles...

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Arc Raiders Will Only Get Two Major Updates a Year Going Forward and Fans Aren't Happy

Arc Raiders has announced that it will only have two big content updates every year, much to the dismay of players. In a new blog post, Embark Studios revealed that it will release the next big Arc Raiders update, Frozen Trail, in October. This will not only add new locations to explore, but also new enemies, new expansions to the story and lore, and updates to the game's progression systems. It's clear that Embark's ambition is to deliver something expansive and deep in one burst as opposed to drip feeding content throughout the year. The studio confirmed that it will be on a bi-annual schedule for future content updates. "Going forward, we've made the decision to release major updates twice a year – larger in scale, more impactful...

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Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus II Finally Has a Release Date, Timed to Launch Alongside the Warhammer Skulls Reveal Show

Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus II launches on May 21 — alongside the Warhammer Skulls video game showcase. Kasedo Games and Bulwark Studios’ promising turn-based strategy game is set for release across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S. Its release date was announced as part of a new video showing two deployable leaders, the returning Lector-Dogmatis Videx of the Adeptus Mechanicus (Warhammer 40,000’s tech priest faction) and the Necron Lord known as The Shield. Both factions are fully playable over multiple campaigns. Warhammer Skulls, meanwhile, is confirmed for May 21 at 6pm CEST / 5pm BST / 9am PT / 12pm ET, and will bring with it updates for the likes of Space Marine 2, Darktide, and Dawn of War IV, alongside new game...

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Capcom Lists Dead Rising as One of Its 'Leading Brands' That It's 'Nurturing' — but Does That Mean Dead Rising 5?

Capcom is planning for Dead Rising's future. In its latest earnings report, the Japanese games company said it plans to nuture a handful of franchises for growth, with one of them being Dead Rising. Dead Rising is mentioned alongside the likes of Devil May Cry, Dragon's Dogma, and Okami. But what does this mean? Capcom mentions, generally, this "nurturing" of "leading brands" includes ports, remakes, and even sequels. But it's the mention of Dead Rising in all this that has sparked most debate. Dead Rising 1 and 2 are respected survival horror games, and the third game received a decent reception as a launch title for Xbox One. However, 2016's Dead Rising 4 received mixed reviews from critics, and we haven't seen a new mainline...

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PlayStation Plus Game Catalog for May Includes Star Wars Outlaws and Red Dead Redemption 2

PlayStation Plus subscribers have several blockbuster games to look forward to this month, as Sony has revealed its Game Catalog additions for May 2026. Star Wars Outlaws, Ubisoft's open world adventure set in a galaxy far, far away, headlines the pack, alongside the return of Rockstar's cowboy sequel Red Dead Redemption 2 (which, of course, includes access to Red Dead Online). The addition of Star Wars Outlaws comes just in time for the release of The Mandalorian and Grogu in theaters, the first new Star Wars movie since The Rise of Skywalker came out in 2019. And Red Dead Redemption 2 returns amid an online frenzy for more information on Rockstar's next game, GTA 6. Fantasy adventure Bramble: The Mountain King also joins PS Plus...

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Build Your Dream RPG with PVGames Presents The Ultimate 2D RPG Kit

Every great RPG begins with a world. It might be a snow-covered village on the edge of civilisation, a neon megacity hiding danger in every alley, or a ruined wasteland where every survivor has a story to tell. But before players can explore your world, you need the tools to build it. That’s where PVGames Presents The Ultimate 2D RPG Kit comes in. This massive software bundle brings together a huge collection of high-quality 2D assets for RPG developers, including tiles, character creator kits, monsters, icons, and themed environments across fantasy, sci-fi, and post-apocalyptic settings. With 37 items in the full Pro bundle, it’s designed to help creators bring rich, varied game worlds to life for a fraction of the usual cost...

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Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds and Demon’s Souls Lead Massive PS5 Game Discounts at Amazon

If you're looking to expand your library of physical games ahead of summer, we have some fun news: Amazon has slashed the price of quite a few PS5 games. From Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds to Demon's Souls and Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, we've spotted a solid selection of these discounted titles that are well worth scooping up right now. Alongside having some truly excellent discounts, some of these deals even mark brand new best prices at Amazon. Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds is one that's currently sitting at a brand new low price at the retailer, according to price tracker camelcamelcamel. Yakuza 0: Director’s Cut is another that's hit an all-time low price, as has Yakuza Kiwami 1+2. There's also plenty of games in the...

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Overwatch's Most Iconic Heroes Join Fortnite This Week

Four of Overwatch's most iconic heroes will cross over into Fortnite, via a major game update set to go live tomorrow. Overwatch OG heroes Tracer, Mercy, Genji and D.Va will all land on the Fortnite battle royale Island as part of a new collaboration with Epic Games' battle royale, as glimpsed today in a cinematic trailer. This shows Fortnite hero Jonesy carrying his wounded buddy Fishstick, and the pair sheltering while under fire as the villainous Ice King and his minions look to finish them off. It looks bad for our heroes — until Mercy arrives and heals them. "Heroes never die!" declares Mercy, as Tracer, Genji and D.Va arrive. "The cavalry's here," Tracer says, uttering her own infamous catchphrase. Artwork shown at the end of...

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Forza Horizon 6 Teams Up With Crunchyroll to Gift Subscribers a Free Car

Ahead of Forza Horizon 6's fast approaching launch, Xbox and Crunchyroll have announced a new crossover promotion tied to Crunchyroll's ongoing Ani-May celebrations, giving subscribers an exclusive in-game reward. Until May 31, Crunchyroll members can claim a free Car Voucher for Forza Horizon 6, allowing players to redeem any vehicle from the in-game Autoshow at no additional cost. The promotional member perk for Crunchyroll lands just ahead of Forza Horizon 6's release on May 19, with Premium Edition owners getting early access from May 15. The crossover is also part of the streamer's wider Ani-May event, which currently includes a heavily discounted subscription offer for both new and returning customers. Crunchyroll is offering...

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Mina the Hollower Preview: Kinda Like Bloodborne as a Cute 8-Bit Adventure Game

Mina the Hollower hooked me, cementing its hold during a fight with a giant animated statue called the Duchess. Mastering the hammer's charged swings, I depleted her first health bar, forcing her to sprout tentacles that burrowed under the arena floor before erupting where I stood. I died a few times, but by the fourth or fifth try, I grasped her patterns. I read her tells, strafing and dodging instead of squaring up, landing charged hits when she committed to an attack. Finally defeating this monstrosity with a glimmer of health remaining, I felt like I was releasing a massive weight, like I could finally breathe again. This fight encapsulates Mina — punishing at first, but only until you get the rhythm down, and then deeply...

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PS5 Exclusive Saros Gets Off to 'Lukewarm' Start With Around 300,000 Copies Sold, According to Analyst Data

PlayStation 5 exclusive Saros has sold around 300,000 copies in its opening fortnight, generating over $22 million in revenue, according to analyst data. Analytics firm Alinea Analytics called the debut "slow but interesting," albeit tagging it as a "niche game" that's currently only playable on Sony's console. It's selling "a little slower" than Sony-owned studio Housemarque's previous game, Returnal, Alinea Analytics added. Analyst Rhys Elliott suggested that Returnal's stronger 2021 launch could be down to a smaller number of console-exclusive first-party games available at the time, suggesting it appealed to "early adopters" of the PS5 who "inherently buy a lot of new games at full price" and were "dying for something to play."...

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Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced Has a Real-Life $500,000 Treasure Hunt You Can Pay $41 to Try and Solve

Ubisoft has announced a real-life Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced treasure hunt with a $500,000 prize, buried somewhere in the Caribbean. The hoard is made up of specially-minted solid gold coins (collectively worth $350,000) and a rock crystal skull adorned with a red opal jewel (valued at a further $150,000) — a nod to Black Flag's mysterious macguffin. This prize has been dubbed "The Lost Treasure of Edward Kenway", referring to Black Flag's pirate-turned-Assassin hero, and will be available to claim to anyone who solves an elaborate treasure hunt with 15 elaborate riddles. While the puzzles will be Black Flag themed, however, no prior knowledge of the game will actually be necessary. The whole scheme is a collaboration with...

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Silent Hill 2 Remake Reaches 6 Million Players as Silent Hill f Hits New Sales Milestone

Konami's recent relaunch of its long-dormant Silent Hill series continues to pick up speed, with Silent Hill 2 Remake topping 6 million players, and Silent Hill f topping 2 million sales. While I too clocked that interesting distinction Konami makes between "players" and "sales," it nonetheless strengthens the horror franchise, firming up its future as we move towards the upcoming Silent Hill: Townfall and Bloober Team's Silent Hill 1 Remake. To celebrate the news, Konami is offering a 40% discount on the Silent Hill 2 and Silent Hill f Dual Pack, which, predictably enough, bundles both games together in one purchase for $71.99. Silent Hill f takes us not to the titular town but instead to 1960s Japan, where we follow Hinako...

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Forza Horizon 6: 5 Confirmed Features We’re Excited to See

If you’ve been following the Forza Horizon series for years, you already know the feeling. That moment when a new Horizon game gets announced, and suddenly you’re counting down the days until you’re tearing through a whole new locale. Well, Forza Horizon 6 is shaping up to be exactly that kind of game. It’s bigger, bolder, and packed with features that feel like they were designed specifically for long-time fans. From its setting to its soundtrack, here are five confirmed features in Forza Horizon 6 that have us seriously excited. 1. Japan Is the Perfect Horizon Location Let’s be honest. If there’s one place that feels like it was built for Forza Horizon 6, it’s Japan. This is the home of drifting culture, legendary street racing...

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