Category:

Game Reviews

Lego version of Huntr/x smiling at something off-screen.

KPop Demon Hunters Gets Perfectly Remade As A Lego Movie

by admin August 22, 2025

Remember that scene in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse that showed a Lego version of Peter Parker living his best blocky life? If you didn’t know, that segment was animated entirely by then 14-year-old animator Preston Mutanga, who caught the filmmaker’s attention after he recreated the movie’s first trailer in the style of a Lego movie. It’s been two years, and the now 16-year-old Mutanga is still hard at work building scenes and trailers from Lego blocks. His recent projects include making the Grand Theft Auto 6 and Stranger Things trailers look like something right out of a kid’s toy box, but it’s his latest incredible videos that have really caught my eye: faithful remakes of scenes from KPop Demon Hunters, done in such spectacular fashion that they could have been an official collaboration between Sony, Netflix, and Lego.

Mutanga has uploaded two videos featuring the Lego versions of Huntr/x to his TikTok account. One is a snippet of one of the coolest parts of the movie’s first musical number, “How It’s Done,” which shows the group skydiving down onto a blocky version of Seoul and kicking some demon booty on the way down.

The second is less action-packed but longer, and lets Mutanga add a cute nod to his Spider-Man roots. It’s a scene, maybe a third of the way into the movie, after the demonic Saja Boys boy band has started getting their flirty, sexy demon claws into the hearts and minds of the world. They’ve weakened the Honmoon barrier between the real and demon worlds, and the girls are trying to figure out what to do while maintaining their Kpop girl group cover. Their manager, Bobby, comes in to give them an update on their rivals’ newfound virality, and as he scrolls through videos of the Boys’ fans dancing to their hit song “Soda Pop,” a familiar webslinger briefly appears on his phone.

Mutanga’s incredible work speaks for itself, but I will say I sure hope someone over at Lego or Sony is ready to give this kid a job when he’s of age.

Source link

August 22, 2025 0 comments

Game Reviews

Sims 4 YouTuber Eva Rotky talks what’s desperately missing in build/buy and the eco-friendly fairytale of Enchanted by Nature

by admin August 22, 2025

Since the beginning of the decade, The Sims 4 has shown a consistent preoccupation with sustainable living and reclaiming industrial spaces.

Its most recent add-on, July 2025’s Enchanted by Nature expansion, is just the latest DLC to tackle a theme that was already present in the aptly-named Eco Lifestyle expansion pack, as well as the Cottage Living and Horse Ranch packs, the Tiny Living stuff pack, and the Werewolves game pack (that last title sounds a little left-field, but trust me, it fits the theme).

Manage cookie settings

To learn more about this growing design trend within The Sims 4 and its player community, I spoke to Eva Rotky, a Sims YouTuber who describes herself as “an interior designer by day and a Sims builder by night”.

She has been gaming as a hobby since childhood, but it wasn’t until the pandemic lockdowns that friends encouraged her to begin making YouTube videos of her Sims builds, which eventually led to her joining the EA Creator network in 2022. “If my seven-year-old self could see or know these things,” she says, “She’d be like, absolutely not! I don’t believe it!”

Eva has been a Simmer since the days of the original game back in the early 2000s, so naturally she’s well-positioned to appreciate the changes that have come to the series over its 25-year history – in particular, the expansion of build mode, one of the few features which the majority of players seem to agree has improved with every new gen of the franchise.

The Irish folklore inspired world of Innisgreen gave fairies and PlantSims a new place to call home in Enchanted by Nature.Image credit: EA / Maxis

“I do think that there is a trend at the moment outside of The Sims to go back to nature and to want to reconnect with nature,” Eva agrees. “I think that’s especially since COVID and lockdown that people are cherishing nature a bit more and wanting to embrace it, not be stuck in a concrete city and a one-bedroom apartment. I think it’s definitely reflecting a trend in society as well, but obviously also those are features in the game that The Sims community has always wanted to have.”

So does this extend to simulated living too? “I don’t know what it is about The Sims, but being outdoors is so much more fun in The Sims than just being indoors in your house,” Eva explains, adding that: “One of my favourite things to do in The Sims is the landscaping, and it’s not something I’m particularly interested in outside of The Sims, I don’t really know plants!”

Despite some Sims skills applying to real life more than others – Eva’s day job is in interior design, and she even mentions including Sims builds in her portfolio when she applied for the role she holds now – there’s no denying that The Sims 4’s whimsical vision of the natural world has a hold on her.

“Creating landscapes in The Sims is so satisfying, just making a garden or a space that looks natural with plants growing out everywhere and not perfectly pristine all the time. In my Enchanted by Nature build I went heavy on the landscaping, I spent most of my time on it just in the landscaping tools. Even though the build/buy is lovely, the exterior was kind of where it was at with the new roof colours and being able to place plants on roofs with the new base game update.”

Watch Eva put her ideas into practice with her Enchanted by Nature build!Watch on YouTube

Updates to The Sims 4 – whether free or paid – are of particular interest to Eva, who makes a point of not using custom content (CC) in her builds, and keeps her use of mods to a minimum. This ensures her designs are more accessible for players on console, for example, as well as adding an extra layer of creative challenge; and it also means that Eva is very attuned to critique of what’s new in every DLC release.

“I’ve enjoyed it more in recent years because of the build/buy and the quality of the items really changing and improving in my opinion, and there being more of a focus on the actual design of the items that really makes it easier for me to use no CC in my builds,” she says. “It’s always a challenge and I do enjoy it. Sometimes it’s a little frustrating, but in recent years I would say it’s been so much easier because of the really beautiful items that the team have been creating.”

This seems like a good time to address the elephant in the room – or should that be the spiral staircase very prominently not in the room? – and ask Eva what’s still on her wishlist for future updates. “My first thought was spiral staircases!” Eva confirms. “I miss those so desperately! That would be my number one wishlist item. Probably it’s so small, but it makes such a difference.”

Given that spiral staircases almost go without saying, though, Eva also adds that: “One thing I would also really love would be to be able to create not-full-length walls – so you could create a few more shapes, do half the length of the wall or something like that. I think that’d be really fun!”

A recent base game update brought greenhouses and living roof options to The Sims 4, further supporting that recurring theme of greener living. | Image credit: EA / Maxis

Eva is also quick to point out that, despite not wearing its eco credentials on its sleeve quite so blatantly as Enchanted by Nature, the previous Sims 4 expansion pack – March’s Businesses & Hobbies – still quietly carries the theme.

Nordhaven – the world that shipped with the pack – draws its primary inspiration from a mixture of Stockholm and Copenhagen; and while the name of the city may be a little on-the-nose, EA deserves credit for avoiding the obvious one-note Ikea jokes in favour of a more authentic approach to designing a modern Scandinavian urban environment, both in terms of public areas and living spaces.

To prove the point, Businesses & Hobbies features some of Eva’s own work, in the form of two pre-made lots in Nordhaven: a neoclassical museum in the Gammelvik historic district and a converted foundry in Iverstad, the latter styled as a formerly industrial neighbourhood where defunct factory buildings are being repurposed as residential dwellings.

The builds are, as you might expect, very distinct from one another, demonstrating both the breadth of Eva’s design interests and the flexibility of what can be created in the game as it stands.

“Scandinavian mid-century is kind of my bread and butter to be honest, and industrial as well, so it was nice to create something that felt so realistic,” Eva says of her Iverstad build. “And every time I’m in [Nordhaven], I feel like I’m where the inspiration came from. I feel like I’m not in The Sims, I feel like I’m actually in Copenhagen or somewhere, which is really lovely.”

Nordhaven, where Eva’s builds are featured in-game, is far more down-to-earth than Innisgreen, but they share their eco-conscious themes. | Image credit: Maxis / Electronic Arts

All of this ties neatly into Eva’s overarching design philosophy: “I think the balance to strike in any design is always not to be one-sided,” she explains. “If you only focus on nature then that will come with challenges and limitations. And what I love doing (also in real life design) is combining natural materials with man-made materials. I think that kind of combination and contrast between the two is actually how you create something that’s really timeless.”

One final thing that strikes me about Eva’s Sims content is that, while you might expect her interests to be very grounded in aspirational design, she’s never afraid to let her more whimsical side show.

By her own admission, her favourite among her own builds is not a high-end mansion but a recreation of one of the post-apocalyptic fortresses seen in The Last of Us – which is, after all, nothing if not a defunct space being repurposed by humans and reclaimed by nature at the same time.

Whether it’s a luxurious mansion, a zombie-proof stronghold, or a fairytale cottage, Eva recognises that the unifying theme – the one thing that perhaps draws together most Simmers, despite being an incredibly diverse player base – is the wish fulfillment. “What I really like about The Sims is that you can do whatever you want,” she explains. “You might never be able to live in any of these houses in real life, but you can create your own little reality in The Sims and do it there.”

Source link

August 22, 2025 0 comments

Game Reviews

Is This Seat Taken? Review – Good Sit

by admin August 22, 2025

There’s nothing I value more in a game than focus – a game with a clear vision that knows exactly what it aims to be – and Is This Seat Taken from Poti Poti Studio is a fantastic example of that. If a game is a meal, this game is popcorn: light, easy to eat, and a perfectly portioned snack. Is This Seat Taken takes a beautifully simple premise – sitting people in chairs – and iterates on it in consistently creative and exciting ways. Thanks to its cute aesthetics and clever puzzle design, it’s an experience I’d even recommend to people who don’t usually play games.

In Is This Seat Taken, your goal is to drag people (represented as anthropomorphic shapes) into their preferred seats in different environments. Each person has specific preferences about the placement of their seats or their proximity to other people, so it gets complicated quickly. On a bus, for example, some people might prefer window or aisle seats, while others want to sit at the back or the front.

To make matters more complex, some riders are kids who want to sit with their parents, extroverts who want to sit by someone who can hold a conversation, or people with bags they want on the seat next to them. The sheer variety of desires presented across the game’s 30 levels was surprising, and I always looked forward to seeing what new preferences would arise in the next areas.

Buses and trains are straightforward seating environments, but others introduce additional wrinkles to the formula. At the sports game, fans of opposing teams don’t want to sit next to each other, and some want to stand rather than sit, blocking the view of those behind them. At a concert, some might want to sit or dance while others need to play on stage as a member of the band. And the airport has you check each person’s flight to see if they should be in line to board or seated at the gate.

All these variables are arranged in a wonderfully paced sequence, where you never stay in one locale too long, and there are very few repeat environments. Whenever you get comfortable, you’re introduced to something exciting and fresh, making it an incredibly engaging puzzle game. Complete every level in a city without messing up a seating request to unlock bonus levels, like a wedding or a beach, that each showcase level-specific mechanics.

The whole journey is presented through a loose story starring Nat, a rhombus who wants to be an actor, on their journey through several cities around the world. Much like the puzzles, it’s all about Nat trying to fit in, and I found it charming and effective; just present enough to be a pleasant throughline, but not so distracting that I felt the need to skip through dialogue.

With my 100-percent playthrough clocking in at about five hours, Is This Seat Taken is a satisfying snack of a game. Complete with a chill soundtrack and a cute art style, it felt like a breath of fresh air. While I played it on PC, it would feel right at home on the go on its other platforms, Switch and mobile. It’s an easy recommendation for anyone even slightly interested in puzzle games.

Source link

August 22, 2025 0 comments

Game Reviews

Bungie CEO Pete Parsons steps down, following years of criticism, layoffs, and that infamous classic car collection

by admin August 22, 2025

Bungie CEO Pete Parsons has stepped down from his position after over two decades at the studio.

Parsons has been much-criticised by fans and employees alike in recent years, in particular following multiple rounds of layoffs at the studio. In a public statement, Parsons said he’s “decided to pass the torch” – an ironic use of words when Bungie has seemingly been up in flames.

Parsons will be succeeded as CEO by Justin Truman, who’s spent 15 years at Bungie across both Destiny games and, more recently, forthcoming live-service shooter Marathon.

Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate | Launch TrailerWatch on YouTube

“I am deeply proud of the worlds we’ve built together and the millions of players who call them home – and most of all I am privileged by the opportunity to work alongside the incredible minds at Bungie,” wrote Parsons in his statement.

“When I was asked to lead Bungie in 2015, my goal was to grow us into a studio capable of creating and sustaining iconic, generation-spanning entertainment. We’ve been through so much together: we launched a bold new chapter for Destiny, built an enviable, independent live-ops organisation capable of creating and publishing its own games, and joined the incredible family at Sony Interactive Entertainment.”

Parsons also leaves hundreds of layoffs and negative player sentiment in his wake, not to mention an infamous penchant for classic cars.

Even before Bungie’s acquisition by Sony, reports emerged in 2021 of workplace toxicity and “overt sexism” at the studio, for which Parsons apologised. “I am not here to refute or to challenge the experiences we’re seeing shared today by people who have graced our studio with their time and talent,” he said at the time. “Our actions or, in some cases, inactions, caused these people pain. I apologise personally and on behalf of everyone at Bungie who I know feels a deep sense of empathy and sadness reading through these accounts.”

Then in February 2022, Sony acquired Bungie for $3.6bn, ostensibly to assist with its live-service ambitions. Though the acquisition was met with criticism by some – the FTC, for instance, opened an investigation – others were more positive.

In 2024, for instance, Bungie’s former chief in-house lawyer Don McGowan said Sony was “inflicting some discipline” on the studio to “run the game like a business”. “To be clear: I’m not talking about the layoffs, I’m talking about forcing them to get their heads out of their asses and focus on things like: implementing a method of new player acquisition; not just doing fan service for the fans in the Bungie C-suite; and running the game like a business,” said McGowan.

However, a year after the acquisition, Bungie laid off 100 employees – approximately eight percent of its 1200-strong workforce – after management warned staff revenue for the year was significantly below expectations. Many employees were left anxious about the future of the company, amid claims senior management met employees’ sadness at the layoffs with “indifference or even outright flippancy or hostility”.

Parsons followed the news with a statement on social media, calling it a “sad day at Bungie”. The statement was heavily criticised as tone deaf and a “slap in the face to anyone impacted by the layoffs”.

A year later, Bungie laid off a further 220 staff, representing roughly 17 percent of the studio’s workforce. Between both rounds, Bungie laid off around a quarter of its workforce in nine months, with the company reportedly overstating its financial prospects to Sony.

Current and former Bungie employees called that second round of layoffs “inexcusable”, amid calls for Parsons to resign. “Pete is a joke,” said former global social media lead Griffin Bennet (who was laid off in the previous cuts), while former Destiny 2 community manager Liana Ruppert wrote, “Step down, Pete.”

Parsons also faced criticism from staff for spending millions of dollars on classic cars since the studio was acquired by Sony, and bragging about his lavish collection ahead of job losses. The CEO’s public profile on Bring a Trailer revealed he’d appeared to spend $2,414,550 on vehicles.

Marathon | Reveal Cinematic ShortWatch on YouTube

Fans shared a similar sentiment against Parsons. Noted Destiny content creator MyNameIsByf (AKA Lore Daddy) posted on X: “Leadership needs to be changed. Their decisions have consistently led to disaster for everyone who has actually been making the games we play. They’ve been reckless with the studio, its employees, and its franchises. The problem is clear. Bad leadership. It needs to change.”

Now, Parsons is out, leaving Truman in charge. “I have worked alongside Justin for many years,” he wrote. “His passion for our games, our team, and our players is unmatched.”

Truman himself added to the statement with refreshing honesty, admitting previous mistakes made during Destiny 2’s launch. “I’ve also been part of these efforts at Bungie when we’ve maybe not been at our best,” he wrote. “When we’ve stumbled and realised through listening to our community that we had missed the mark. I know I’ve personally learned a lot over the years, as have all of us here, from those conversations.”

He continued: “I am committed to supporting and working alongside every member of the team here as we continue pouring our hearts and souls into these worlds. Worlds that we love, and that we hope have been worth your time and your passion. Because ultimately those worlds only exist, and thrive, with you in them.”

Bungie continues to work on Destiny 2, while its next release will be Marathon. While Marathon gameplay was finally shown back in April, in June Bungie delayed the game indefinitely in response to “passionate” fan feedback. Ahead of the decision, Bungie staff morale was said to be in “free fall” as it grappled with the fallout over Marathon assets stolen from other artists.

While such endemic toxicity and poor management cannot, of course, be pinpointed to one person, Bungie is clearly at a critical point in its history. Let’s hope this shift in CEO will boost morale at the studio ahead of Marathon’s eventual release – and whatever is next for Bungie.

Source link

August 22, 2025 0 comments

Snake hides behind a tree without wearing a shirt.

Game Reviews

Solid Snake’s Actor Wishes For A Do-Over In Snake Eater Remake

by admin August 22, 2025

David Hayter, the long-time voice of Snake in the Metal Gear Solid series, is just like any other creative. He, like most of us who spend years improving our craft, looks back at older work and wishes he could iron out some of the wrinkles. Maybe you wish you’d sung a different note, chosen other words to express an idea, or posed the subject of a painting a little differently. In Hayter’s case, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater has him wishing the remake had allowed him to re-record his 20-year-old lines.

In an interview with Inverse, Hayter, alongside The Boss actor Lori Alan and the vocalist behind the game’s music, Cynthia Harrell, reflects on the experience of working on the original Snake Eater game that launched on the PlayStation 2 in 2004. Each of them was surprised to learn that a Snake Eater remake was in the works, but they were more surprised that they were asked to contribute to it. Alan told Inverse she would have expected to be recast, but that’s not the route Konami took. Instead, Delta primarily reuses the 20-year-old recordings from the original. However, Hayter and Alan did hop back in the booth to update some lines for the game’s tutorials. Hayter says that while he’s always down to play Snake again, he wishes Konami would let him re-record his whole performance after gaining 20 more years of acting experience.

“I do feel that I’m a little better of an actor now than I was then,” Hayter told Inverse. “It was fine back in the day, but I would have loved to bring some of the knowledge that I’ve picked up over the past 20 years to it. But you don’t want the [new tutorial] lines to be better acted all of a sudden, because that’ll take you out of the game.”

While Hayter’s involvement in the remake was small, he’s hopeful this means the series is making a comeback after it went on ice following director Hideo Kojima’s departure from Konami in 2015, the laughably misguided survival game Metal Gear Survive in 2018 notwithstanding.

“Anytime they ask me to be Snake, I’m in,” Hayter told Inverse. “It’s the definitive role in my life. It’s so complex and so profound, and there are so many different aspects to both him and Big Boss. So anytime it comes up, I’m down.”

For more on the Snake Eater remake, check out Kotaku’s review.

Source link

August 22, 2025 0 comments

Game Reviews

Zenless Zone Zero 2.2 gets political with its focus on power struggles in the Waifei Peninsula

by admin August 22, 2025

HoYoverse has delivered some more fresh gamescom week news – and no, it’s not the big Genshin Impact update we covered yesterday. This time, it’s all about Zenless Zone Zero, which itself is preparing for its next major update.

The big Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night chapter, otherwise known as Version 2.2, has a release date and everything.

Manage cookie settings

ZZZ’s version 2.2 arrives September 4 across all platforms. The narrative is set after the Defence Force dealt with the Exaltists’ conspiracy, and stars Seed and Orphie & Magus from the Defense Force’s Obol Squad. They’ve been dispatched to investigate the power struggles in New Eridu.

Part of their mission is to eliminate any remaining Exaltists, but there’s a bit of a mystery surrounding Obol Squad itself that they’re going to uncover, shedding light on its past.

Newcomer Seed is an S-Rank Electric Attack Agent, who, together with the Seed Sr. mecha, offer big combat bonuses. Seed is made to work well with other Attack Agents, mainly because they can boost the sustained damage output of the squad. Orphie & Magus is another S-Rank Attack Agent, except with a Fire elemental speciality.

As the squad’s captain, they work well as assist. Orphie is able to gather Bottled Heat, and get all squad members in a Zeroed-in state each time enemies are hit. This boosts attack damage, and even allows Aftershocks to go through a portion of enemy defences.

Watch on YouTube

Mercury is another new arrival, an S-Rank Bangboo who supports the squad from inside the tank that they drive. Returning Agents for this update will be Trigger (S-Rank Electric Stun) and Evelyn (S-Rank Fire Attack).

HoYoverse also teased the return of Soldier 0 – Anby, who’ll be arriving back in the game at some point soon, once she’s done with her training.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a new update without in-game events. Band of Brave Bangboo, the Bangboo tower defence event, is getting new maps, enemies, and mechanics, and a free A-Rank Excaliboo once you’ve cleared enough stages. There’s also the more chill Rhythm Rave event, which as you might expect is a bit of a rhythm minigame.

Finally, you can expect some general quality of life tweaks and other optimisation. For example: you’ll now be able to pick between Belle and Wise before starting companion events, such as Quality Time. A happy day for whichever sibling was being denied a social life in your game until now!

As ever, our Zenless Zone Zero codes page has been updated with that good, free stuff. Check it out.

Source link

August 22, 2025 0 comments

Game Reviews

Creator of Stardew Valley doesn’t charge for collabs with other games, does it to please players

by admin August 22, 2025

The creator of Stardew Valley – Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone – has revealed he’s never made any money directly from in-game crossovers. Instead, Barone agreed to implement these updates because he’s a fan of the games, or thought players would like them.

Barone shared a statement on X (formerly Twitter) soon after the announcement of a crossover event with Infinity Nikki, in which a Junimo can be seen landing in Infinity Nikki. This makes sense, Junimo’s being adorable little spirits that fit quite well within the cute aesthetic of Infinity Nikki, but the collaboration was met with surprise and criticism from some Stardew players.

Stardew Valley crossovers are quite rare! Back in 2022 there was a Terraria crossover, and relatively recently Stardew Valley made an appearance in Balatro. But aside from that, the farming simulator has been happy staying in its own lane.

Check out the crossover trailer for Infinity Nikki x Stardew Valley here!Watch on YouTube

In response to Concerned Ape’s post on the matter, the official Infinity Nikki account shared the team’s view of working on this collaboration. It reads: “We really appreciate you sharing your feelings on this. Any unintended stress was the last thing we wanted. It was our way of saying thanks – a free love letter to Stardew Valley from our team and for the community. Working on it felt like we were all tending a little farm together. The care and detail you pour into your world is exactly why we want to make cosy games too. We’re still learning from you every day.”

Should Barone be making some money off these crossovers? Probably, yeah. Though it is his choice ultimately whether he wants to financially benefit off such endeavors. It’s not as though Stardew Valley has been hurting for sales after all. As of December 2024 it has sold over 41m copies. I should hope Barone isn’t too concerned about the money.

This is a news-in-brief story. This is part of our vision to bring you all the big news as part of a daily live report.

Source link

August 22, 2025 0 comments

Snake looks up while holding a silenced pistol.

Game Reviews

An In Interview With The Devs

by admin August 22, 2025

It’s an exciting time for Metal Gear Solid fans such as myself. We’re not only about to get a remake of one of the best MGS games of all time, but also a new take on the classic stealth gameplay that made it so memorable. Earlier this month, I and several other journalists were invited to a Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater event to get some lengthy time in with the game and to check out the super cool installation at NYC’s Lightbox studio that housed a recreation of the iconic flower bed of the game’s final showdown. Along with Michael McWhertor of Polygon and Destin Legarie of The Destin Channel, I got to chat with Delta’s producers, Noriaki Okamura and Yuji Korekado.

What follows is a transcript of our roundtable conversation, with some slight edits for brevity and clarity. Konami provided a translator for our interview.

Michael McWhertor, Polygon: There’s been a lot of remakes in recent years, especially at Konami, and I wondered when you started working on this project how much you wanted to do this as a reinterpretation, or as a straight remake. Did you wanna add to it? Did you want to make Metal Gear Solid 3 through the lens of 2025? What was that approach like? Was it a straight remake or something else?

Noriaki Okamura, Producer, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater: This is something we contemplated at the very beginning when we were starting this project: What would be the best way to do a remake of MGS3? And in those conversations what we ultimately decided on for Delta is [that] the concept of Delta is to be able to have new Metal Gear fans, new Metal Gear players to experience the original as is, as much as possible. Obviously we did the modernization that we need to so that it will be more fluid and more accepting to modern gamers and how they play games but in order for us to respect what was originally great about the game, we wanted to keep it as is as much as possible.

Allowing a different kind of [camera] angle, different kind of play style changes the thrill, the nervousness of needing to hide.

Destin Legarie, The Destin Channel: You’ve had a few preview sessions and you’ve gotten some feedback online. What changes have you been able to implement based on that online feedback today?

Yuji Korekado, Creative Producer, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater: So one of the things we did is that, after we announced that we’re gonna do a remake, obviously there were a lot of reactions from a lot of Metal Gear fans and one of the things that really stood out to us is some of the additional modes that were, you know, removed, and because this game has been re-released so many times, and so some of them were they really wanted Snake Versus Monkey back, or, like, the Secret Theater videos back. After we we saw that there’s so much demand for it we decided, OK, what can we do to make those modes come back and what kind of way would be best to bring them back? So we did look into that kind of feedback.

Destin Legarie: Specifically, I’ve seen a lot of feedback about some of the facial animations. Has that feedback been taken to heart?

Yuji Korekado: Yes, we did get that kind of feedback. We heard them loud and clear and especially after we released some of the earlier trailers, that’s definitely something that was pointed out to us and like I said, we want to make sure the experience that we provide in the remake is the same kind of experience that the people who played the original experience had. We wanna make sure that wow factor is still there, so after that we definitely wanted to make sure that the quality is on par to what a Metal Gear game needs to be.

Claire Jackson, Kotaku: What was it like balancing modern stealth mechanics with the stealth challenges of the original game?

Yuji Korekado: One of the things we did for Delta is to provide two types of what we call “Play Styles.” We have the Legacy Style which you can play kind of with a similar camera and controls as the original, and the new style you can play with more modern controls and a third-person camera setting. And when we allowed that new type of play style, we had to make some adjustments, some rebalancing because the way that you can now see the map changes how you need to hide and what you can see and what you can look out for. So one of the things we changed was the character animation, character motions and also the reactions and the responses of of some of the NPCs, the AI as well, and we needed to do that because allowing a different kind of angle, different kind of play style changes the thrill, the nervousness of needing to hide. So this is something that we had to go back and do a lot of testing with, utilizing modern technology to make it feel [like] that same nervousness as you were playing in the original style, but with a new modern control and camera.

Destin Legarie: Do you feel that modernization might make it too easy? Because I remember when [the GameCube remake of Metal Gear Solid, The Twin Snakes came out, a lot of the criticism was that having that extra perspective made gameplay easier and the game easy.

Yuji Korekado: To simply put it, yes, we knew this would happen, obviously. So, we had to do a lot of rebalancing between when you’re playing the Legacy Style versus the New Style, we had to make sure that the difficulty level would still match whatever playstyle you’re playing with and not make things too easy or too difficult.

The way that [Metal Gear Solid 3] was built originally was already perfect to begin with.

Claire Jackson: Does the team have a preference between the original, overhead camera or or the third person one?

Yuji Korekado: So, for [me] personally, [I love] both. Obviously modern players are more used to the third person camera and you know, specific types of controls. So for [new players] we want them to play with New Style first and because we think that this is the best way for them to get immersed into Metal Gear’s world in that way that they’re more used to. And once they cleared the game it will be fun for them to go back and replay the game in Legacy Style and see, “oh my goodness, there’s a whole new way of playing this game that I didn’t even know about,” so we would love for them to enjoy both Play Styles.

Michael McWhertor: I’m wondering if any technical issues came up developing certain aspects of the game? And I’m specifically thinking about how easy it was on the PlayStation 2 to, say, change the date, on your PlayStation 2 [to defeat the sniper boss, The End], whereas now on a PlayStation 5 or an Xbox Series X or a PC, it’s, it’s more difficult to change the date on your system because it’s connected to the internet, and I’m wondering if you have a technical solution to that issue or if any other technical issues popped up?

Yuji Korekado: So just with how we were able to adapt [the game] to the consoles and platforms back then, we were able to do that for all the the supported platforms that [Delta] is going to come out on today, and you know there’s different features on different types of platforms and features that we wanted to incorporate as well. For instance, we like the [rumble] feedback on the [PS5’s DualSense]. These are the types of things that we did really look into to make sure that we do what we can to best adapt [the game] to modern consoles as much as possible. In terms of technical difficulties, we didn’t really have too much, yeah.

Destin Legarie: I know we’re here for Delta today, and we’re running low on time. I have so much that I want to ask but I would get in trouble if I didn’t ask about Metal Gear [Solid] 4. Is there any hope you can give for fans about MGS4 possibly being in Volume 2 [of the Master Collection] or is it being worked on in any capacity?

Noriaki Okamura: This is something that we’re always, always thinking about: What is our next move in terms of the Metal Gear series, and we are aware that a lot of fans really want MGS4 back because it’s currently not playable on any current hardware or platforms, and this is something we do want to address at some point, making sure that fans can have a chance to play it once again. Unfortunately we can’t give you any more details other than that, but yeah, hopefully in the future this is something we can do.

Claire Jackson: Were there any unique challenges or surprises when it came to preserving the cinematic flair of the original [Metal Gear Solid 3]?

Yuji Korekado: So for the cutscenes, we had to remake everything: The character models, the level, the stages, we had to do it all from scratch. And when we did that, one of our concerns was that even though everything looks amazing, if we still kept the same facing, the same camera angles, would it still hold up? And so once everything was done and we decided to create all the cinematics using the same camera, using the same background music, voice acting, we were blown away because the way that [Metal Gear Solid 3] was built originally was already perfect to begin with and the the modern graphics just enhanced that to the fullest. So we were very surprised that, you know, even to this day the way it was originally made was, you know, [it] didn’t need to be retouched.

Source link

August 22, 2025 0 comments

Game Reviews

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater Review – No Going Back

by admin August 22, 2025

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater is a PlayStation 2 classic in a way not many games from that era are. Few games from that generation continue to hold up graphically, narratively, and remain fun to play. Metal Gear Solid 3 is still impressive to look at and play, even in 2025, which is a testament to Hideo Kojima and the team that created and released it in 2004. I never thought it needed a remake, but now that it’s here, I’m not sure I will ever be able to go back to the original versions.

Watch Our Metal Gear Solid Delta Review:

As Konami grapples with what to do with Metal Gear without its creator, the decision to specifically revisit Snake Eater makes sense. Along with ranking as a favorite among series fans (myself among them), it is also the first in the broader storyline. It has always been my recommendation for anyone looking to dive into the dense but engaging story, and this version will now be my recommendation moving forward.

My biggest fear with the remake was that without Kojima’s involvement, the game would lack a soul, an admittedly impossible-to-define element. However, because the game is such a direct adaptation of the original with only a handful of understandable changes, that element of the game came over just fine in the copy/paste/improve process. Even without the original creator’s involvement, the fact that it came from a team with such a specific and expertly executed idea and point of view remains intact. Decisions like not re-recording the dialogue (as they did for the GameCube remake of Metal Gear Solid, Twin Snakes) and keeping all of its strange bonuses and secrets (Snake can still have a nightmare), all add up to Delta feeling as compelling as it did in 2004, which is a feat. The few changes that were made, however, are smart.

Visually, the team at Konami has fully brought the game up to contemporary standards. Snake looks amazing, and you can see every scar from every battle on his exhausted face. The jungle, in particular, with its dense foliage and various animals, looks terrific. And though no element of the cinematography or cutscene choreography has been changed, it is filled with renewed life thanks to all the heightened detail and new lighting. Later sections of the game, when you are spending more time in plain military buildings than outdoors, lack the impressive pop of those early moments, but they still look fantastic.

You can use the original controls if you desire, but the new standard controls make Snake move and shoot more like a modern third-person shooter. It took some getting used to, and early in my playthrough, I would panic when I got caught, and muscle memory would make me press the wrong buttons, but I can’t imagine ever going back to the way things were. I was popping off tranquilizer headshots quickly and efficiently and having a good time doing it. Quick-changing camo with shortcut keys is also a godsend and finally fixes an element of the game that has always annoyed me.

One place where Delta’s age does show is in its writing. Don’t get me wrong – it has been years since I played without skipping most cutscenes. For this playthrough I remained fully and consistently engaged with the characters and the story’s direction. The Boss’ journey has always been the highlight of Snake Eater, and I appreciated it all the more playing the remake.

But there are moments where you just have to suspend disbelief. Why wouldn’t they take Snake’s radio when they put him in jail? Why do they let Tatyana, their prisoner, more or less come and go as she pleases? In one moment, antagonist Volgin literally says, “Very well. I’ll explain it before I kill you,” before settling into an extended and frankly absurd monologue doing precisely what he promised. It also takes entirely too long for the game to start. As a longtime fan of Snake Eater, I find these elements charming and even comedic, but I completely understand if a newcomer gets frustrated by the excessive and frequently self-indulgent character lectures.

Metal Gear Solid Delta makes the case for its existence quickly. It smartly adheres to what made the original game great with evident reverence and makes updates only to the most crucial elements. For fans like me, it colors Snake Eater in a new light and elevates it to something better than I remembered. It’s impossible for me to objectively imagine this being my first experience with Snake Eater, but I am extra excited for those players who have always been curious about Metal Gear for this to be their starting line.

Source link

August 22, 2025 0 comments

Game Reviews

Hollow Knight Silksong will be supported with extra content for years to come

by admin August 22, 2025

Hollow Knight Silksong studio Team Cherry already has plans for DLC, with extra content planned in the months and years to come.

Yesterday, a release date was announced for the sequel after seven years in development. Co-founders Ari Gibson and William Pellen spoke to Bloomberg about creating Silksong, and what’s coming next.

“Launching it is obviously quite exciting,” said Pellen. “What comes after for us is equally as exciting.”

Hollow Knight: Silksong – Release TrailerWatch on YouTube

“The most interesting thing now is what can we add to it next,” added Gibson. “We got a plan. Admittedly, some of the plans for that stuff are kind of ambitious as well, but hopefully we can achieve some of it.”

Despite its lengthy development, Silksong hasn’t been in development hell. Instead, hype for the sequel snowballed, resulting in sales of the original game skyrocketing. In turn, this provided the financial freedom for Team Cherry to take its time.

Hollow Knight Silksong will be released on 4th September, across PC, Switch, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S (including Game Pass).

This is a news-in-brief story. This is part of our vision to bring you all the big news as part of a daily live report.

Source link

August 22, 2025 0 comments