Gaming News

Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties Review

After last year’s swashbuckling Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii triumphantly hoisted the black flag, this year developer Ryu Ga Gotoku has set its sights on elevating the Yakuza series’ black sheep. While well-received critically upon its original 2009 release, Yakuza 3’s sluggish combat and uneven story pacing has seen it age about as well as leftover sashimi, leaving it to linger at the back of the pack while the Like a Dragon series has pushed forward into exciting turn-based twists and experimental spin-offs. Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties, then, is a much-needed retooling that ratchets up the fun factor of its fighting and smooths out most of its unwanted story creases, resulting in an enjoyable return to the largely underused...

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As Helldivers 2 Launches the Battle for Cyberstan, Arrowhead Says It's Already Plotting to Expand the Scope of the Game

Helldivers 2’s next big update, Machinery of Oppression, launches the Battle for Cyberstan, and sees players head to the alien homeworld and take on the Cyborgs, a new Automaton-adjacent enemy type that’s set to usher in a new round of terror — and chaos — to Arrowhead’s explosive third-person shooter. Machinery of Oppression also triggers the next big narrative beat in the Galactic War’s ongoing meta narrative, a community-driven story that has captivated fans ever since Helldivers 2 set PlayStation sales records two years ago. Two years ago! Where has the time gone? For the developers at Arrowhead, the launch and ongoing development of Helldivers 2 has been something of a rollercoaster, with ups and downs dominated by community love...

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Replaced Final Preview: You Might Think You Know What It Is, But I Promise You Don’t

OK, I know that whenever a new cyberpunky-looking sci-fi game shows up, everybody says it’s “like Blade Runner”. Well, Replaced actually is. Like Ridley Scott’s masterpiece, it’s both exactly what you’d expect from a story-led neo-noir thriller, and also very different in a multitude of ways. Yes, those neon-drenched, screenflicker-lit streets could be the ones that Deckard once ran down, but as for what you actually do in those streets, Replaced utilises a surprising combination of ideas that make for a confident mix of platforming, puzzling, and combat. Across its opening three hours, it takes that well-worn Replicant shell, but augments it with aspects from the likes of Ninja Gaiden, Inside, and even LucasArts classics, to create an...

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Sony Announces PlayStation State of Play Broadcast For This Week

PlayStation will stream a major State of Play broadcast this week, featuring over an hour of news and reveals, including the latest updates from its own teams within PlayStation Studios. The event will be held this Thursday, February 12 at 2pm Pacific / 5pm Eastern / 10pm UK time — and as ever, IGN will be reporting live. Sony has said that the broadcast will run to "60+ minutes" — suggesting fans have a meaty show to look forward to. But what could PlayStation have up its sleeves? Sony's last major State of Play broadcast, held back in September 2025, finally treated fans to a good look at Marvel's Wolverine, which is in development by the talented team behind the console's various Spider-Man titles: PlayStation studio Insomniac...

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Epic Games Store Refutes Claim It 'Ghosted' Horses Developer, and Insists It Gave 'Context Around the Policies They Violated'

Epic Games has hit back at claims it made "provably incorrect statements" about controversial horror game Horses, and instead insisted it was transparent with developer Santa Ragione about its inability to sell the game via the Epic Games Store as planned. Horses, the indie horror game banned from both Steam and the Epic Games Store ahead of its launch in December 2025, is an indie first-person horror game with live-action sequences set in a horse farm. Over the course of 14 days, it "welcomes you into encounters that test your obedience, complicity, and restraint." The player experiences "the farm's unspeakable horrors through daily unique interactions," as they must "withstand 14 days of spiraling dread as the reality of the farm...

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Overwatch's Promise of a New 'Era' Tempts Back Thousands of Players, Giving the Sequel Its Biggest Month Since Launch

Overwatch — the game formerly known as Overwatch 2 — is enjoying something of a revival right now, hitting its highest concurrent peak on Steam since its 2022 launch. While the game has yet to enter its "new, story-driven era" with a year-long narrative, 10 new heroes, and a major overhaul — all that goes live starting from tomorrow, February 10, although we did get to meet Anran over the weekend — the promise of new content has fans jumping back into the game after Overwatch 2 ditched the 2 last week, leaving us with the name Overwatch. Again. SteamCharts suggests the game averaged a concurrent peak of around 40,000 since November, albeit with a 50K peak in December. In the last 30 days, however, this has shot up to 69,135 players...

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‘This is a Hill Worth Dying On’ — Overwatch Actor Supports Potential Redesign of Criticized Character

The actor behind the English language version of the newly revealed Overwatch hero, Anran, has responded to criticism of her visual design, supporting calls for her look to be changed, claiming, “this is a hill worth dying on.” Last week’s Overwatch spotlight saw the introduction of a new era for Blizzard’s hero shooter, but, with it, came the reemergence of an issue that’s followed the design of its characters around for many years now: “Same Face Syndrome.” The look of Overwatch’s female heroes has long been a talking point among fans, some of whom have claimed that the characters all share remarkably similar facial features, no matter where that character is from in this universe. Indeed, fans have said this applies to Swedish...

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Gore Verbinski's BioShock Movie Would Have Somehow Included Both of the Game's Endings

Pirates of the Caribbean director Gore Verbinski has said that his scrapped BioShock film adaptation would have somehow included both of the original game's endings to mess with the audience's heads. Verbinski was attached to make a movie version of the beloved game back in 2008 alongside Universal Studios, with a script in place from Gladiator and Skyfall scribe John Logan. Alas, the project never materialized due to lengthy wrangling over its planned $200 million budget — deemed risky due to it also aiming for an adults-only R rating. Verbinski has previously said the movie came within eight weeks of shooting, before plans faltered. Work continued to try and get the film financed for several more years, though BioShock creator Ken...

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Rayman Creator Discusses The Rayman 'Remake' Ubisoft Has Yet to Announce

More details of the unannounced Rayman remake have bubbled up again, this time from the creator of Rayman himself, Michel Ancel. In a new interview with RetroGamer, Ancel discussed the secret project, confirming that rather than a remaster that simply presents the same game with slightly snazzier visuals, the re-release — which Ancel calls a "remake" — will also address some of the original platformer's pain-points, including additional checkpoints to "make it a bit less frustrating." "I think Rayman is still a fun game, and there's a lot of content," Ancel said in the interview that was shared by fan account, Rayman Merchandise. "The pacing is a bit slow because you have a big character on the screen. It also has pixel-precise...

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AU Deals: The Big Games of Today That Stopped Pretending They're Worth Full Price

I've got mates who bounced off most full price games this year, not because they are bad, but because they ask for too much too soon. Time, patience, and a premium that assumes blind trust. My lists are the opposite of that. Below are the games that make sense now. They've (mostly) been patched, balanced, and priced into something honest. You know what they are, they know what they are, and the deal is finally fair on both sides. The only real maybe here is Alone in the Dark (but, hey, it's cheap). Contents Retro Nintendo Xbox PlayStation PC LEGO This Day in Gaming 🎂 In retro news, I’m using a firebrand sword’s blazing jab to light 14 candles on a cake baked for Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, a promising action RPG that went the...

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The Best Deals Today: The First Berserker: Khazan, Silent Hill f, AMD Ryzen 9 9900X, and More

We've rounded up the best deals for Sunday, February 8, below. Don't miss your chance to save on these deals! The First Berserker: Khazan for $39.99 This weekend, The First Berserker: Khazan is back down to $39.99, which is the game's all-time low price. In our 8/10 review, we wrote, "The First Beserker: Khazan is a brutal but impressive soulslike that makes pushing through its devastating bosses worth the effort." AMD Ryzen 9 9900X for $377.19 Amazon has the fantastic AMD Ryzen 9900X on sale today for $377.19, which saves you over $120 off MSRP. In our 8/10 review, we wrote, "The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X is an incredible processor, easily able to power through creative applications like Adobe Premiere and Photoshop. However, its gaming...

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The Dark West, an Occult Action-RPG, Announced for PC

Introducing The Dark West, a hardcore action-RPG for PC set in a cursed frontier that got too greedy and paid the price. Occult skills and a poker-esque deck let you customize your build and blast through the black-magic-fueled foes of The Order and The Damned as you aim to be the last one standing. Developer Black Hand aims to bring the community along with them at every step of development. “We made The Dark West because we love ARPGs and wanted to create the kind of game we have always wanted to play," the team said. "From the start, we've included the community in every step of development. Their feedback is shaping the combat, the story, and the world. This is a game made with players, not just for them.” Check out the...

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HBO’s Baldur’s Gate Show Wants To Be a Sequel to BG3. That’s Impossible.

This article contains some spoilers for Baldur’s Gate 3. So, HBO is turning Baldur’s Gate into a TV show. On its own, that’s quite an exciting proposition: a big-budget, live-action series set in Dungeons & Dragons’ most iconic city? Yes please. But the project’s announcement, which came courtesy of Deadline, contains a line that immediately had me burying my head in my hands. “The Baldur’s Gate TV series will be a continuation to the games,” says the report, “telling a story that takes place immediately after the events of Baldur’s Gate 3, as the characters — old and new — are dealing with the ramifications of the events in the third game.” The ramifications of what events, exactly? The defeat of the Netherbrain? Or perhaps the...

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Games Workshop Issued 'FTL in a Warhammer 40,000 Skin' Steam Game With a DMCA Takedown Because of ‘Oversized Convex Shoulder Pads With a Metallic Rim,

It turns out the “Mal Reynolds” who issued Steam game Void War with a DMCA takedown was not a troll who also happened to be a huge fan of Firefly. It was actually Warhammer 40,000 owner Games Workshop, which took issue with an image of a shoulder pad. Last month, IGN reported on Void War, a strategy game dubbed ‘FTL in a Warhammer 40,000 skin,’ after it was pulled from Steam. At the time, its developer, Tundra Interactive, suggested it may have been on the receiving end of a nuisance DMCA takedown from a troll claiming to be Games Workshop. Void War is often compared to both indie darling FTL and Warhammer 40,000, Games Workshop’s tabletop wargame set in the grim darkness of the far future — and it’s easy to see why. The gameplay...

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That Resident Evil: Requiem Nintendo Switch 2 Trailer Shows That It'll Be Awesome For Budget PCs

Resident Evil: Requiem is just a couple of weeks away, and while the first few trailers definitely made it look like a beautiful game, the Switch 2 trailer that debuted earlier this week, well, didn't. But, the way I see it, that's excellent news, especially for anyone on a budget gaming PC. Ever since the RE Engine came to prominence starting with Resident Evil: Biohazard, Capcom has been impressing me with just how good it can make games look, without making them too demanding. Now, obviously, I haven't had the chance to test Resident Evil: Requiem performance yet myself, but just looking at both the system requirements and the Switch 2 trailer, it seems like Capcom is continuing this trend. Capcom hasn't revealed what resolution...

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'We Tried to Think of Someone Who Makes You Go, 'This Guy's a Creep'': Yakuza/Like a Dragon Director Addresses Controversial Casting

The director of Yakuza 3 Kiwami + Dark Ties has broken his silence on Ryo Ga Gotoku Studio's controversial hiring of Teruyuki Kagawa to play Goh Hamazaki, saying they needed someone who would make audiences think, "This guy's a creep." This comes from an interview with Horii conducted by Japanese outlet GAME Watch, and independently translated by IGN. In the interview, Horii is asked directly about the decision to recast certain characters in Kiwami from their original Japanese actors. His general response as to why he recast both Hamazaki and Rikiya Shimabukuro is that while it would "certainly be safer not to recast them and avoid online criticism," the studio "felt there was no use being afraid." Horii goes on to say that they...

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Zombie Survival Game HumnanitZ officially Launches into 1.0 on Steam

Isometric open-world zombie survival sandbox game HumanitZ first entered Steam Early Access in September 2023. In the more than two years since then, it’s gotten 18 major updates and countless patches. And now, it’s reached a new milestone: It’s out of Early Access, and Version 1.0 includes a visual and structural overhaul on top of all the previous improvements. HumanitZ takes place in a zombie-ravaged world with an emphasis on long-term progression and player choice. You can scavenge ruined cities, build bases, and try to outlast the zombies (known as Zeeks) and potentially other survivors (if you so choose). The whole game can be played solo, but there are also optional co-op, PvE, and PvP modes available on dedicated and...

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Vote for the Greatest Mobile Game of All Time

Mobile games have existed for decades, but the market has grown immensely in recent years. So we decided it’s time to figure out which mobile game you think is the best of all time with a March Madness–style bracket, presented by our friends at McDonald’s and their limited-time Hot Honey sauce, which will make your faves more perfect. The bracket is made up of 32 entries divided into two categories. On one side are classics like Angry Birds, Fruit Ninja, Doodle Jump, and Candy Crush. On the other are modern hits like Genshin Impact, Balatro, Fortnite, and Roblox. But which game deserves to be crowned as the GOAT? Only you can tell us that. The bracket will pit games against each other 1v1, with the winner of each matchup moving on to...

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'From Expeditioners to Knights!' — Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Developer Receives French Cultural Honor

The development team behind Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 have been given the status of Knight under the French Order of Arts and Letters, in recognition of their significant contribution to the country's art and culture. French studio Sandfall Interactive revealed the news this week via a post on LinkedIn, which included photos of the proud team wearing medals bestowed upon them by the French Ministry of Culture. While somewhat similar to a British knighthood, the French Order of Arts and Letters does not allow holders to add a "Sir" to their names. Still, it is prestigious form of recognition awarded to just 200 people worldwide each year, for their work creating something of outstanding cultural significance. Since the launch of...

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Lenovo LOQ 15 AMD Gen 10 Review

Gaming in 2026 feels like a mad scramble to get what you need and not much else, lest you have to pay over the odds for it. The Lenovo LOQ 15 AMD Gen 10 feels like an entry-level gaming laptop very much of its time. Its modest processor and GPU aren’t going to blow you away, but its hardware and overall design might just be what you need to get gaming at 1080p, without breaking the bank. Purchasing Guide The Lenovo LOQ 15 AMD is available now in a trio of configurations starting at $1,299. It comes with an AMD Ryzen 7 220 or 250 CPU, 16GB of DDR5 5600 MT/s memory, the choice of an Nvidia RTX 5050 or RTX 5060, and 512GB of SSD Storage. It can be upgraded with up to 32GB of memory and 1TB of storage, which raises the price to $1,515...

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Isabela Merced Set to Star in a New Film Adaptation of Sega Zombie Franchise The House of the Dead

Video game adaptations are all the rage these days — so why not add another cool one to the list? The Last of Us and Alien: Romulus star Isabela Merced is set to star in an upcoming film adaptation of the hit Sega franchise The House of the Dead. The adaptation was previously announced with Paul W.S. Anderson at the helm, which is definitely a good sign for any video game adaptation. Anderson is responsible for the original Mortal Kombat and Resident Evil films, as well as the fourth, fifth, and sixth installments in the Resident Evil franchise — so it makes a lot of sense that he would want to delve into the 1997 game and bring it to life on screen. “The House of the Dead is a game I have loved for many years, and I’m beyond...

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Neverness to Everness Launches New Closed Beta with Latest Improvements

Free-to-play open-world RPG Neverness to Everness (NTE) just launched a new closed beta test, called the Co-Ex Test, that’s playable on PC, PlayStation 5, and mobile. It showcases the improvements developer Hotta Studio has made in the months since the last closed beta, including vehicle updates, new minigames, and gameplay tweaks. And alongside the beta, they announced that pre-registration is available now on the App Store and Google Play. The Containment Test beta in July added a requisition system that allows you to commandeer vehicles across Hethereau, the giant metropolis where NTE takes place. And now, that system has been refined. New types of vehicles have been added, including muscle cars, supercars, and sportbikes, and the...

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Grab Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds at Its Lowest Price So Far Right Now at Amazon

If you’ve been itching to jump into a racing game lately, Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds can get you going fast on a track. What’s even better is it’s dropped below $40 at Amazon, with each of the deals on PS5, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch hitting their best price, so now is a great time to scoop it up. To break down the specific deal prices, the PS5 version of the game is now on sale for $35.05, a 50% discount, and the Xbox Series X and Switch copies are both down to $39.99, making for savings of 43% and 33%, respectively. Check them out below before the deals are all gone. Save on Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds at Amazon According to price tracker camelcamelcamel, each of these versions have hit their best prices at Amazon. For the...

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Titan Quest II Mini-Review: An Epic Odyssey Through Ancient Greece

While in Early Access, Titan Quest II already displays the hallmarks of a future action RPG classic. You take control of a Greek warrior on a small island tasked with hunting down a legendary griffon. It’s a compelling hook, and while you eventually succeed in the hunt, the narrative quickly takes a turn for the worse as ancient threats emerge. Of course, every great adventure needs a bit of world-shattering chaos to get the momentum going. While the core combat follows classic ARPG standards – clicking on enemies and managing active abilities – the skill system stands out as something truly special. You begin by selecting one of five mastery trees, each featuring an expansive list of unique skills and passives to upgrade as you...

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The Disney Afternoon Collection Is Releasing on Nintendo Switch – Here’s Where to Preorder It

The Disney Afternoon Collection is getting its own physical version for Nintendo Switch 1 and 2 later this year. For eager fans who can't wait to jump into it for a good nostalgia hit, preorders are now live for the collection on original Switch for $29.99 and on Switch 2 for $39.99. While there's still a few months to go until its physical version is released - May 29 is when you'll have to mark you calendars for - it looks like it's well worth the wait. Disney Afternoon Collection (Switch) Nintendo Switch 1 See it here at Amazon - $29.99 This is quite the packed collection, and a welcome addition to the list of existing Disney games on Switch consoles. It comes with all six games from the original set that was released back in...

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Mewgenics Review

There aren't a ton of games that I've happily put more than 100 hours into as quickly as I have with Mewgenics. This feline-flavored, turn-based, roguelike tactical RPG takes place on a 10x10 grid, with mostly traditional classes like Fighter, Mage, Hunter, Tank, and Necromancer, among others. What sets it apart, aside from the cutesy macabre art style that slathers its creative zones with blood and poop, is that so many of the skills and attributes that your team will end up with are randomized and for the most part out of your control. That all but ensures no two runs will play out the same way, forcing you to improvise and play the hand you're dealt. Combined with the absolute mountain of content here – so much that I'm still seeing...

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Fans Think Nintendo Made Leon S. Kennedy Miss Every Shot to Keep the Latest Resident Evil Requiem Trailer Family Friendly

The latest trailer for Resident Evil Requiem shows experienced agent Leon S. Kennedy whiffing every one of his shots — and fans think Nintendo is to blame. Yesterday's Nintendo Partner Direct featured a fresh look at the highly-anticipated survival horror title, which features newbie agent Grace Ashcroft alongside veteran zombie fighter Leon S. Kennedy. But watch yesterday's trailer and you'd think Leon was fresh out of the academy, as he is unable to land a single bullet. The Nintendo showcase included new footage of Leon kicking zombies to the ground, but then firing over their shoulder. At one point he picks up a rifle, then fires at a tree. Leon's even able to miss with a chainsaw, spinning at a zombie only to graze some...

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Highguard Episode 2 Is Here, With a New Warden, Map, Ranked Mode, And More

Surprise! Highguard has another "heaping pile of fresh, free content" for you, including a new warden, map, a ranked mode, mount, and a variety of QoL tweaks, too. The new free-to-play PvP raid shooter hailing from some of the creators of Respawn's Apex Legends and Titanfall only released a couple of weeks ago, but that hasn't stopped developer Wildlight from dropping a second "major update" in as many weeks, this time introducing Episode 2. New warden Ekon is described as a legendary monster-slayer who shapeshifts into a powerful direwolf to track and hunt his prey. The last of a long line of ancient magic wielders known as the Wildwalkers, once thought extinct, Ekon jumps into action when his mentor, and closest thing to family...

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Huge Success of Arc Raiders Gives Embark 'Financial Security and Employment Stability,' $75 Million Budget Estimate 'Not Too Far Off'

Embark Studios CEO Patrick Söderlund says the success of Arc Raiders has given the team “stability [and] long-term security” as it continues to support its new extraction shooter through 2026. The studio head opened up about how the developer has changed for the better as part of a recent interview with IGN. During our chat, we learned more about how the surprise hit video game, which has sold over 12 million copies since going on sale in October, has impacted its team and how it will continue to affect them in the months ahead. Söderlund acknowledged the “unfortunate” reality that mass layoffs have rocked the video game industry for the last two years. It’s marked a period of uncertainty for developers of every shape and size, but...

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The Big Arc Raiders Interview: Embark Boss Patrick Söderlund Talks Live-Service Plans, Banning Cheaters, and the Secret Sauce of PvE

Arc Raiders, an extraction shooter and the second game from developer Embark Studios, has taken the world by storm. This sci-fi, third-person PvPvE experiment launched with little more than a $40 price tag and an enticing premise back in October and almost immediately established itself as one of the biggest games of 2025 – and maybe even 2026. Now, with a post-launch roadmap paving the way with the promise of new map updates and new apocalyptic AI enemies, all eyes are on Embark to see if it can keep the momentum up for months – or maybe even years – to come. We caught up with CEO Patrick Söderlund to learn more about the surprise success of Arc Raiders, its huge impact on the studio, the battle with cheaters, content updates, hotels...

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