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Game Reviews

Xbox confirms three games leaving Game Pass in September

by admin September 2, 2025

Three games have been confirmed to be leaving Xbox’s Game Pass subscription service in the coming weeks.

Those three games are:

Wargroove 2
We Love Katamari Reroll+ Royal Reverie
All You Need Is Help

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If you are interested in any of the above games, now is your last chance to play them via Game Pass (at least for now, they may well be re-added at a later date). The above three games will leave the service both on consoles and PC on 15th September.

Chris Donlan was rather taken with Wargroove 2 on its release. “I liked the first Wargroove, but I think I may end up loving this one,” he wrote in Eurogamer’s Wargroove 2 feature from 2023.

All You Need is Help, meanwhile, is described as a “quirky” co-op puzzle game, complete with fluffy cube creatures (see header above) which “team up to solve puzzles together”.

For everything else in Microsoft’s subscription service, you can check out our handy Xbox Game Pass guide detailing the many titles available.

Image credit: Microsoft/Eurogamer

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September 2, 2025 0 comments

Game Updates

September’s PS Plus monthly games are now available

by admin September 2, 2025

Those PlayStation Plus subscribers among us are now able to access the monthly games for September.

The three games now available across the service’s Premium, Extra, and Essential tiers are:

Psychonauts 2
Stardew Valley
Viewfinder

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If you are yet to play Stardew Valley, now is the time really. Last year, solo developer Eric ‘ConcernedApe’ Barone released Stardew Valley’s bumper 1.6 update, which essentially boosted the game to an almost 2.0 status, introducing a vast number of features to the base game such as new NPC dialogues, home renovations and turtle pets. The developer also recently announced another surprise update, despite saying he was going to hold off until his next game – Haunted Chocolatier – was released.

Psychonauts 2, meanwhile, comes from the always creative minds at Double Fine, and was met with overwhelming praise on its release. Edwin Evans-Thirlwell called it “witty, eccentric and imaginative” in Eurogamer’s own review, noting it had a “more developed understanding of mental health” than its predecessor.

Lastly, we have Viewfinder, which is a puzzle game that asks players to “challenge perception, redefine reality, and reshape the world” all with an instant camera. Chris Donlan called it all “magical” in Eurogamer’s Viewfinder feature.

Please enjoy this screenshot I managed to capture as my controller died. | Image credit: Eurogamer

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.

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September 2, 2025 0 comments

Gaming Gear

Google Play Games is about to show people what you play

by admin September 2, 2025

Google is updating user profiles for its Play Games service on Android devices to display gaming stats, achievements, and social features. The changes include a suite of new capabilities for “showcasing and tracking your game progress and stats, new ways to build your gaming community, and allowing you to tailor your profile to your liking,” according to Google’s help page.

The update will be applied automatically, and starts rolling out in most global regions on September 23rd, and on October 1st for users in the EU and UK. Google is also emailing Google Play users directly to notify them about the changes. When applied, Google Play Games profiles and features will start appearing on the Google Play Store to prevent users from having to switch between apps when managing their accounts.

The unified update aims to help users who make their profile information public to connect with other players and track their gaming milestones. It’s unclear what this will specifically entail, but it sounds similar to how player information, gaming history, and achievements are currently displayed on Valve’s Steam service.

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September 2, 2025 0 comments

Esports

39% of gamers in China are interested in generative AI’s application in games

by admin September 1, 2025

According to a new report, gamers in China are expressing a “high interest” in generative AI.

Niko Partners’ China Gamer Behaviour and Market Insights report, published on August 27, 2025, surveyed 1,058 gamers in China to provide insights on player demographics, behaviour, and engagement in 2025.

The report found that 39.4% of gamers in China are interested in generative AI’s application in games, while 85.2% are aware of the technology.

Niko Partners noted that Chinese studios are “ahead of the game” with 60% already using generative AI in their development pipelines.

The analysis firm, in particular, highlighted NetEase, which has “integrated multiple generative AI features into Justice Online Mobile, allowing players to interact with smart NPCs or create custom videos with their in-game character.”

Elsewhere, the report found that esports and game livestreaming remain “key verticals” in China in 2025.

46.5% of respondents said they have engaged with esports, defined as having played or watched an esports game, or competed in a tournament themselves, while one in four respondents said they regularly watch game livestreamers, with “influencers and streamers playing a key role in game marketing and promotion.”

According to Niko Partners’ report, short video apps, like Douyin (TikTok) and Kuaishou, have continued to grow in importance and are “key marketing channels for game developers looking to target players in the country.”

The survey found that these short video apps are one of the leading sources of video game information, with 41% of gamers in China getting new game information from these platforms, compared to game platforms and stores (38.7%), social media (33.9%), messaging apps (33.4%), and influencers and streamers (31.6%).

Niko Partners noted that while “short video is the leading source for both mobile and PC gamers,” game platform recommendations are the leading source on console.

The report also found that mini games have “emerged as a notable segment” in China.

The firm defines mini games as those “can be played instantly, without download, and are typically available within platforms and apps such as WeChat and Douyin.”

The report found that 84.4% of gamers in China have played a mini game, with 17.7% of women playing these games daily, compared to 10.3% of men.

“Mini games are reaching a broader and more casual demographic in China, already accounting for nearly 10% of total player spending on video games,” Niko Partners stated.

In June, Niko Partners released its Market Model Reports, which reported that the Asia, Middle East, and North Africa (MENA) games markets generated $86.6 billion from player spending on software and services in 2024, marking a 1.4% increase.

The report also projected that “the regions’ development will continue reliably through 2029” with revenue estimated to reach $96 billion in Asia and MENA by 2029.

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September 1, 2025 0 comments

Game Reviews

Today in video games – 1st September: a new month begins and Silksong approaches

by admin September 1, 2025

September is here so we’re also here with another daily report, collating all of today’s gaming news and events in one place.

As September arrives, the fabled release of Hollow Knight sequel Silksong approaches. The game we seem to have been waiting an eternity for releases this week. Will it have been worth the wait?

September also marks the beginning of an uptick in big releases as the holiday shopping season approaches – I can’t believe I’m alluding to Christmas already – and today we see the review-results of one of them: eerie action adventure Hell is Us. It was a mixed bag for Ed.

Onwards!

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September 1, 2025 0 comments

Game Updates

Xbox Is Making It Easier To Pick Back Up Games On Console, PC, And More

by admin September 1, 2025

Microsoft wants to ensure it’s easier to return to recently played games no matter what device you pick up. Your Xbox play history should now start syncing across consoles, PC, and eventually the ROG Xbox Ally, thanks to an August update rolling out now.

In other words, if you start playing Gears of War: Reloaded on your Xbox Series X|S, but then decide to move to your PC another day, the cover-based shooter should be ready to roll from your play history. Cloud-enabled games should also start appearing in your recently played list, according to Microsoft. That includes if you checked out a Game Pass title via the cloud or actually own it, such as an original Xbox game like The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind.

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Now Playing: ROG Xbox Ally World Premiere Reveal Trailer | Xbox Games Showcase

This cross-device play history will obviously be a boon for the ROG Xbox Ally handhelds when they launch this October. Picking up where you left off in a game on the portable device while on the go is one of the system’s main selling points, though that title will have to be compatible with the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X. While still in preview, Xbox is making it easier to track your owned games, too.

One thing Microsoft won’t reveal quite yet is the cost of the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X. There has been speculation–and Best Buy listings at one point–that the handheld devices could cost $550 and $900, respectively. For more, check out GameSpot’s ROG Xbox Ally X impressions.

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September 1, 2025 0 comments

NFT Gaming

The Biggest Games Releasing in September 2025

by admin August 31, 2025

Fans have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the new entry in their favorite franchise for years, and it’s finally here.

With Grand Theft Auto delayed into next year, that can only mean one thing: Hollow Knight: Silksong is coming, and it’s coming in just a few days.

For those who have been patient, this news is almost unbelievable. Developer Team Cherry has been nearly silent since the game’s announcement, to the point where entire communities of memes have emerged, with some focusing on trolling each other.

This month also marks the long-awaited return of Silent Hill. That is to say, trailers so far have been tantalizing, but it’s up to Konami to make good on the promises and create a game that feels authentically ‘Silent Hill.’

While the games below are the ones we think are the most exciting releases coming next month, make no mistake, there are tons of intriguing games releasing.

We really wanted to include Garfield Kart 2: All You Can Drift, but unfortunately, we couldn’t make it work.

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Release Date: September 4
Platforms: PC (Steam, GOG, Humble Bundle), macOS, Linux, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S; Xbox Game Pass Day-One

Hollow Knight was an almost instant hit with gamers, especially fans of search-action games, colloquially called Metroidvanias.

Hollow Knight combines unique characters with razor-sharp precision gameplay and satisfying exploration.

Silksong is the sequel to that game, and in this one, you’ll take on the role of the hunter Hornet, exploring a new map filled with secrets and bosses.

Baby Steps

Release Date: September 23 (delayed from Sept 8)
Platforms: PC (Steam), PS5

What a rare thing it is for a game genre to be named after a single person.

But Bennett Foddy hit a nerve with the 2008 browser game QWOP, which used the q, w, o, and p keys to move the character’s feet with excruciating precision or risk falling face-first.

Most video games are power fantasies–you can unleash a hail of bullets or a meteor storm with the press of a button. Foddylikes keep their tasks much simpler and more straightforward.

That brings us to Baby Steps, in which you’ll “play as Nate, an unemployed failson with nothing going for him, until one day he discovers a power he never knew he had… putting one foot in front of the other.” The team behind Baby Steps is calling it a “literal walking simulator.”

Borderlands 4

Release Date: September 12 (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S); Nintendo Switch 2 on October 3
Platforms: PC (Steam, Epic Games Store), PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2 (later)

Fear not, Borderlands fans, that dismal movie that came out last year didn’t mark the death of the beloved shooter franchise. Borderlands 4 comes out in just a few weeks.

This game brings new characters and a new story, of course. But it’s also adding an outpost takeover mechanic to the game, as well as the ability to pilot a Digirunner around the world map.

Like just about everything else in Borderlands, you can customize both the look and feel of the vehicle. Speaking of customization, Borderlands 4 also features a host of new weapons and new ways to mix and match parts of different brands to make ever more powerful guns.

Henry Halfhead

Release Date: September 16, 2025
Platforms: PC (Steam, Epic Games Store), PS5, Nintendo Switch (compatible with Switch 2)

Henry Halfhead takes inspiration from games like Katamari Damacy to create a simple, beautiful world.

And in that world, you play as, you guessed it, Henry Halfhead, a guy who is a pair of eyes and ears, a nose, and little else.

Henry, however, has the power to inhabit anything he can land on, and can then move around or perform item-specific actions, such as assuming a kitchen knife to chop food, for example.

This game looks whimsical and surprising, and we’re eager to see just how many items you can possess.

Dying Light: The Beast

Release Date: September 19, 2025 (PS4 & Xbox One versions later in 2025)
Platforms: PC (Steam, Epic Games Store), PS5 (incl. Pro), Xbox Series X/S (initial); PS4, Xbox One (later)

We were all thinking the same thing when we played Dying Light 2, the expansive sequel to Dying Light. “I miss Dying Light protagonist Kyle Crane, a character I definitely remember,” we all said.

Dying Light: The Beast puts it back in the parkour sneakers of Kyle Crane, but something’s different. It’s been over a decade since we last saw him, and he’s spent that entire time being held captive and used as a test subject by an evil scientist, who has given him newfound powers and senses.

Kyle can go berserk with his new abilities, but is he the titular Beast?

Silent Hill f

Release Date: September 25
Platforms: PC (Steam, Epic Games Store), PS5, Xbox Series X/S

Silent Hill fans have had a rough go of it.

After a great start in the late 1990s and early 2000s with a string of solid-to-excellent survival horror games, Konami struggled to produce a Silent Hill game that lived up to the critical and fan acclaim of Silent Hill 2.

It’s not that every game since has been bad, but they’ve definitely struggled to make a mark.

The trailers for Silent Hill f show the game shifting from modern American streets to 1960s Japan. This is a wholly new setting that makes this a fresh start, more than a sequel or reboot.

The monsters we’ve seen look awesome, but the trailers seem to suggest a focus on melee combat—something that’s never been a strength for the series. Fans are crossing their fingers that this one lands.

Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles

Release Date: September 30
Platforms: PC (Steam), PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2

While most of the memorable Final Fantasy games are the mainline numbered entries, Final Fantasy Tactics, first released for the original PlayStation (Tactics on Game Boy Advance SP was my preferred version), stands out as perhaps the best-loved spinoff game in the Final Fantasy franchise.

Instead of exploring a vast open world with a few characters, you’re in charge of a small army of wizards, warriors, and more, fighting enemies on grid-based battlefields.

The story doesn’t skimp either, dealing with themes of power and corruption. This release introduces an updated script with fully voiced dialogue, “improved” art (although they’ve made this claim before and failed to live up to it), a revamped UI, new difficulty levels, and auto-save.

This could be the best way to play one of Square Enix’s best games.

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August 31, 2025 0 comments

Ciaphas Cain, from one of the best 40K books

Product Reviews

‘These works are vital for the morale of our people,’ co-owner of Ukrainian publishing house declares after Games Workshop ends deal to translate Warhammer novels

by admin August 31, 2025

After years of Ukrainian readers only having access to Warhammer novels via pirated Russian translations, Games Workshop cut a deal with Molfar Comics (who also publish translated versions of manga and World of Warcraft novels) to localize books published under its Black Library imprint. When that contract suddenly ended, Ukrainians who were three books into the Horus Heresy weren’t super happy about it.

As Oleksandr Nevskiy, the co-owner of Molfar Comics, said to The Telegraph, “At a time when Ukraine is at war and we are fighting for our right to exist, having global products available in our native language plays an incredibly important role. These works are vital for the morale of our people, especially our soldiers—many of whom are our readers. We have repeatedly received photos of soldiers reading Warhammer books in trenches or in hospital beds.”

The internet, with typical restraint and consideration, went into full conspiracy mode, suggesting it was clearly a sign of Games Workshop collaborating with the Russian government to undermine the morale of Ukrainian soldiers who wouldn’t be able to go on fighting if they couldn’t find out what happened in the next Ciaphas Cain novel. (It was exactly the same thing that happened in every Ciaphas Cain novel, but you get the point.) This, despite the fact Games Workshop suspended all Warhammer sales in Russia back in 2022.

Games Workshop eventually had to respond with an Instagram post saying, “Among all of the many millions of comments and messages we’ve received this week, we’ve noticed a few, let’s say, imaginative accounts doing the rounds.” They went on to clarify that sales of Warhammer miniatures in Ukraine would continue, and that, “Recently we chose not to renew our contract with a Ukrainian publisher who had previously been responsible for localising Black Library novels. We won’t discuss the why. That wouldn’t be right. What we will say is that we thought long and hard about it, and it was done for good reason.”

The post finished by asking for any Ukrainian publishing houses “who match our dedication to quality and service” to contact Games Workshop and discuss a partnership.

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August 31, 2025 0 comments

Game Updates

28th August video games round-up: MGS Delta issues acknowledged by Konami and lay-offs after Perfect Dark

by admin August 31, 2025

Update: That was the world of video games today on 28th August. A full transcript of everything that occurred is available below if you wish to digest it at your leisure.

The week rolls on, like the wheels of a skateboard, and we’re back with another daily report, gathering today’s news and features in one place. A place we can talk together, like a community, in real-time. Imagine!

What’s on the board today? We’ve had an evening with the new Skate now – I refuse to accept the game’s horrible name formatting – so we’ve had time to formulate our thoughts. We also awake to news of more layoffs in the industry, sadly, at Tomb Raider developer Crystal Dynamics, which cites “evolving business difficulties” as the reason why. Beyond that, we continue to plough through our Gamescom backlog to share impressions of the games we saw.

But more to the point, I was just asked a very good question by my partner who said – she mercilessly interrupted my typing – which games am I still looking forward to this year. I’m horrendous at answering questions like this because my mind clears like a flock of pigeons chased by children every time anyone asks – games, what are games? – but I thought you’d know. So allow me to steal your excitement for a moment; which games are you still looking forward to?

The day begins.

Our live coverage of this event has finished.

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08:47 am
UTC

Konami acknowledges Metal Gear Solid Delta Snake Eater issues

It’s launch day for Metal Gear Solid Delta Snake Eater, and Konami has acknowledged some teething issues.

These include crashes while wearing the crocodile cap, but sadly nothing on general performance issues noted in some reviews – especially the PS5 Pro version.

If you’ve been thinking of grabbing the remake, check out Connor’s five star review of Metal Gear Solid Delta first!

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater Review – A MUD-SLICK CLASSIC REBORNWatch on YouTube

Ed Nightingale

08:55 am
UTC

Donlan digs into Skate and interviews the team about it

Image credit: EA

Donlan’s been kickflipping around Skate’s new urban playground of San Vansterdam for us, and once he adjusted to – and ignored – the live-service onslaught, he warmed to it. Much of this has to do with the game’s playful Flick-It system of control, which he talked to the Skate team about.

Flick-It is still effortless fun, allowing you to make even the quietest moment into a few seconds of something cool happening at board level. It’s great for practicing and it’s great for showing off to other players. But, speaking of other players, it’s interesting to me that I’ve spent my most memorable moments so far in this busy game on my own.

Robert Purchese

09:13 am
UTC

Perfect Dark cancellation results in layoffs at Crystal Dynamics

Crystal Dynamics has announced the “difficult decision” to lay off more staff, citing “evolving business conditions”. It added the decision was not made lightly, but was necessary to “ensure the long-term health of our studio and core creative priorities in a continually shifting market”.

This week’s layoffs follow the cancellation of Perfect Dark earlier this year by Microsoft. While the reboot was being helmed by The Initiative, Crystal Dynamics was supporting the project. Tomb Raider remains unaffected.

Crystal Dynamics subject to more layoffs following Perfect Dark cancellation

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

09:14 am
UTC

Gravitas says: I am idly interested in Ghost of Yotei and Outer Worlds 2 but I’m not particularly excited for any games this year. This is partly because of my circumstances and lack of free time for gaming, partly because I have a fully stocked library of games to choose from without buying anything new and partly because the games and IPs that I adore most seem to have withered on the vine. (Deus Ex, Dragon Age, Arkham Batman). I might still be surprised but the last game that came out that really wowed me and felt like it could have been made just for me was Sifu.

Ghost of Yotei and Outer Worlds 2 are good picks! I’m still interested in Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2. My attention is fang-locked on it at the moment. My hunch is it won’t turn out well but I’m still keen to play. Beyond that… That’s where my mind blanks.

Robert Purchese

09:14 am
UTC

Epic CEO blames Unreal Engine 5 issues on developers

Speaking at the Unreal Fest in South Korea recently, Epic CEO Tim Sweeney has blamed performance issues with Unreal Engine 5 on developers.

Plenty of games using the engine have shipped with stuttering and poor frame rates, but Sweeney stated it’s due to the order of development, with studios too focused on high-end tech, rather than the engine itself.

Still, Epic is working on better education, which will certainly help out indies struggling to optimise their games.

Ed Nightingale

09:18 am
UTC

Call of Duty’s U-turn on wacky cosmetics is probably due to Battlefield 6, and that’s a good thing

Yesterday evening we posted an article on Call of Duty’s U-Turn away from wacky cosmetics in the upcoming Black Ops 7, why it’s very likely a response to Battlefield 6 coming in hot, and why that’s ultimately a great thing for regular ‘ol people who just like playing FPS games.

Competition remains a good thing, and being the only horse at the races tends to lead to slopping running. Is that a real saying people use, or just 10AM verbal slop? You decide!

Image credit: Activision

Connor Makar

10:22 am
UTC

Bethesda teases a Starfield space travel update following leaks

Image credit: Eurogamer/Bethesda Softworks

In a recent dev spotlight, Bethesda (via producer Tim Lamb) teased an upcoming update to space travel, which should apparently “make the journeys more rewarding”.

This comes after members of the community mined up some code related to a “cruise mode”, which was quickly patched out by Bethesda after being discovered. Looks like Starfield fans can expect something big in the near future.

Connor Makar

11:20 am
UTC

Final Fantasy 14’s Naoki Yoshida addresses mod usage in the MMORPG

Final Fantasy 14 producer and director Naoki Yoshida has addressed the use of mods in the MMORPG, which has been a contentious issue for a long time.

He’s previously released statements against mod use, but has now given a refresher in a new statement on the game’s Lodestone blog.

Square Enix has asked for media to link to the blog post in full, so check out the link below for a lengthy statement on what is and isn’t allowed.

Ed Nightingale

11:36 am
UTC

How real and unreal collide in Metal Gear Solid

Image credit: Eurogamer

Something has been on Donlan’s mind while playing the recent Metal Gear Solid 3 remaster, and it’s the constant push and pull between what’s real and what’s unreal in the game. In one moment, Kojima’s games seem to show painstaking deference to real life, with detailed injury systems or an intricate animations. But at another moment they’ll delight in the absurd and far fetched. The duality always seems to be there.

The thing that’s so exciting to me about this collision in Metal Gear Solid 3 is that you see it most clearly in the places where the game is possibly trying to play it straight. When it’s not playing it straight, Metal Gear Solid 3 is a riot of unrealism, of course. There’s a boss that controls hornets, if I remember correctly. You fight a boss that controls hornets!

But it’s when the game’s seemingly trying to be real that things get truly odd…

Robert Purchese

11:39 am
UTC

Zombie-Hamster says: Morning all!

Still quite a few games I’m interested in before the end of this year, too many really!

Silent Hill F
Hotel Barcelona
Ghost of Yotei
Little Nightmares 3
Metroid Prime 4
Mouse: P.I. For Hire

That’s a nice list.

Robert Purchese

11:41 am
UTC

2much says: Games I’m still looking forward to this year:

Ninja Gaiden 4
Sonic Racing CrossWorlds
Ghost of Yotei

Plus I’ve got Lost Soul Aside arriving tomorrow
2much adds: Completely forgot about Silent Hill and Metroid when compiling my list! Also Kirby Air Riders I’m fairly interested in, although I’ll certainly be prioritising Sonic. Pretty wild to be getting three AAA kart racers in one year

It is wild to be getting three kart racers this year!

Robert Purchese

11:45 am
UTC

2much says: I’m a bit torn on the technical performance affecting the review thing. Eurogamer reviews tend to be primarily about the reviewer’s experience, wider conversation be damned, and if the performance issues didn’t bother the reviewer then it feels disingenuous to mark it down for that.

There are plenty of all time classics that had or have bad performance, Dark Souls being the one that immediately comes to mind mostly because it’s always on my mind, and if that had gotten a 7/10 for is poor performance, it would have stood out over time as Eurogamer getting it dead wrong.

Metal Gear Solid is a *little* different because it’s a remake, mind.

It’s a tricky one, isn’t it? And I’m not the person to formally answer this by the way – reviews boss Chris Tapsell is but he’s away at the moment. I expect he’ll say something like if a performance issue is significant enough to impact and detract from your experience of the game, then it’s worth talking about. With the caveat of course that a day-one patch might fix it (see Rogueywon’s comment).

On the flip side, I’d personally feel inclined to also mention performance if it was brilliant – if the technical accomplishment of a game was so good it signficantly impacted my experience in a positive way. But that’s just me.

Robert Purchese

11:50 am
UTC

H1ppyDave says: I’m still all in for:

MGSD (arriving tomorrow, boo!)
Silksong
Sonic Crossworld
Borderlands 4
Silent Hill F
Hell is Us
Little Nightmares 3

Going to be a busy few weeks…

Indeed! Good to see some love here for Little Nightmares 3 by the way. That’s a good series, though it’ll be interesting to see how it feels without Tarsier at the helm.

Robert Purchese

12:16 pm
UTC

Ken Levine spills the beans about Judas

Ken Levine has stepped forward out of the shadows to talk a bit about Juadas, the first-person adventure game reveald by Ghost Story Games back in 2022. This comes after a period of radio silence – the game is still alive!

The blog post written by Levien and the team goes into the Villany system at length, with the Bioshock creator writing loving words about the Nemesis system in the Shadow of Mordor games. Still no release date, unfortunately.

Image credit: Ghost Story Games

Connor Makar

13:53 pm
UTC

Pragmata is wonderfully weird and it took time to get right

Image credit: Eurogamer

Pragmata has had a tricky development. Originally announced in 2020 for a 2022 release, Capcom’s game was delayed once before being delayed indefinitely. But now, it’s back. So what’s taken so long?

Alex Donaldson tried to broach the topic with producer Naoto Oyama at Gamescom, but had mixed success. The team didn’t want to dwell on the past, he was told, though he caught the occasional glimpse or allusion to a complicated development as the interview progressed. Snapshots like this: “We’ve worked hard, long years to get something here that people enjoy. And we’re just really glad to see that people are enjoying the game that we put so much time and so much effort into.”

One thing’s for sure, though. Pragmata is back, Pragmata is weird, and it’s shaping up very well indeed.

Robert Purchese

14:40 pm
UTC

If you play one Vampire Survivors clone let it be…

I unashamedly love Vampire Survivors so I’m somewhat protective of it. I don’t like cheap copies. But Karate Survivor, despite the name, is not one of them. It’s based on the same concept of running around while auto-attacking and dodging hordes of enemies, and levelling up and choosing new powers, but it has ideas of its own as well.

It’s based on Kung Fu rather than vampires, and it has a novel sequencing idea whereby you chain together acrobatic kung fu moves in ways that can greatly augment them. All while tumbling around the scenery, kicking the scenery, and smashing bottles and baseball bats on baddies’ heads. It’s good. I wrote about Karate Survivor a while ago when I played it on PC.

I’m writing about it now because it’s released on consoles today – on PlayStation, Switch and Xbox. It’s $6.

Watch on YouTube

Robert Purchese

14:52 pm
UTC

Is Honor’s glitzy new foldable phone any good?

In the market for a new phone? Got £1700 to spare (or pretend you can spare)? Then why not take a look at Honor’s glitzy new foldable phone. Reece has our comprehensive review.

For the £1699.99 asking price, the Honor Magic V5 is an undeniably premium handset that offers some serious competition to both Samsung and Google and continues Honor’s upwards trajectory in providing genuinely compelling phones from a brand you may not have considered before.

Robert Purchese

14:58 pm
UTC

Victoria tries the Yooka-Laylee remaster

Image credit: Playtonic Games

I still can’t spell this game’s name. Youka Laylee. No. Yooka Laylee. No – it has a hyphen. Yooka-Laylee. Got it!

Unfortunately for me and my keyboard, Yooka-Laylee is back – with an even harder to type name. Yooka-Replayee. God. It’s being remastered for current console machines. So is it worth a revisit? Victoria took a look at Gamescom.

The question now is has Playtonic done enough to entice players back to the world of Yooka-Laylee? The team has added more pagies to collect, refined animations and of course made adjustments to its controls, and all of these make for a pleasing package. However, in a time when the likes of Nintendo has just released its bombastic, earth-shattering (quite literally) Donkey Kong Bananza, I am still unsure there is quite enough fresh meat here to allow Yooka-Replaylee to fully stand out from the platforming crowd.

Robert Purchese

15:01 pm
UTC

2much says: Have their been phone reviews on this site before? I would really recommend against buying a folding screen phone. Mine broke within two months and I know several other people who have had similar experiences.

I can’t believe how expensive foldable phones are. However, I won’t deny being interested in them. They’re like futuristic books. But you could buy a computer for that money!

Robert Purchese

15:07 pm
UTC

Archive delve: today’s memory is pure Gamescom

I haven’t got a written article from the archive for you today but a piece of pure magic from Ian instead (Chris Bratt was also involved behind the camera). It comes from Gamescom 2015, a show I was also at, sharing an Airbnb with Chris, Ian and Martin. I loved that Airbnb – so many happy memories! I was wearing a rug like a cape at one point. We had fun.

Anyway. This particular archived memory involves Hideo Kojima’s name being controversially removed from the credits of Metal Gears Solid 5: The Phantom Pain – around the time Kojima left Konami. This seemed like a gross injustice to us so we decided to fix it. One game-stand at a time.

Watch on YouTube

Robert Purchese

15:08 pm
UTC

SomethingOriginal says: If we’re recommending VS clones, can I take this opportunity to point at Deep Rock Galactic Survivors, the Deep Rock series’ take on the genre, which is despicably moreish, and, if you fancy a different slant, Vampire Hunters, which is a FPS approach to the swarm’em up bullet hell thing. Both great, in my humble opinion.

Ooh good shouts! No one has ever described Deep Rock Galactic to me that way, and it’s made me infinitely more interested in it. If only I had some friends to play it with.

Robert Purchese

15:19 pm
UTC

SomethingOriginal says: Hi Bertie, thanks for the highlight – Just to be clear, Deep Rock Galactic Survivors is a top-down, single player game from the same team, not a squad based shooter like its eponymous namesake, so you don’t need any friends for it!

Oh that makes more sense now!

Robert Purchese

15:25 pm
UTC

“The fact is I wish we didn’t have to do things like Secure Boot”

Image credit: Eurogamer

Battlefield 6 is big news at the moment. The open beta seems to have been really popular, and it’s nice for Call of Duty to have some meaningful competition again. But one thing players – myself included – didn’t like about Battlefield 6 was how invasive its anti-cheat solution was. It required you to give kernel-level access to EA Dice in order for the game to recognise any deep-level tampering on your machine.

Connor’s been talking to EA Dice about it.

“The fact is I wish we didn’t have to do things like Secure Boot” Buhl admits. “It does prevent some players from playing the game. Some people’s PCs can’t handle it and they can’t play: that really sucks. I wish everyone could play the game with low friction and not have to do these sorts of things.”

Robert Purchese

15:55 pm
UTC

Dark Pictures apparently needed a merch store

I’ll admit to finding the Dark Pictures games a guilty pleasure, but I’m not sure they warranted having a merch store. Neverthelesss, they’ve got one. There are uninspiring T-shirts and hoodies there, and an awful-looking pillow [it’s not a pillow, Bertie, it’s a sticker collection], but also some appealing merchandisables too. That’s a word, right?

The slasher-style horror posters for each of the Dark Pictures games look great. And look at this diorama of the creepy Curator chap who’s in every Dark Pictures game: I’d buy that! How much is it? £89. Maybe not.

Image credit: Dark Pictures Store

Robert Purchese

16:09 pm
UTC

Even a crap Bond film has something about it

Image credit: Warner / Amazon MGM

They’re not my words but Alex Donaldson’s! He who has been writing about James Bond again. He accidentally bumped into Never Say Never Again while flicking through the channels on TV – something no one ever does any more, apart from Alex. And there was Connery. Alex was sucked in.

It’s an incredible time capsule. I think it represents a few different moments in time. Never Say Never Again released in the wake of Star Wars and just a year after Tron. Gaming was enormous, even though the great industry crash was imminent. At the time this was made science fiction and video games were in vogue. It also obviously serves a purpose in transforming Thunderball too, as these scenes take on a completely different vibe despite serving an identical story purpose.

Robert Purchese

16:22 pm
UTC

Elden Ring Nightreign is getting a high-difficulty mode

Image credit: FromSoft

Just in case Elden Ring Nightreign wasn’t challening enough for you, or you’ve played it so much you’ve worn all of its jagged edges smooth, like the sea does a stone, then Bandai Namco and FromSoftware have just the update for you: a high-difficulty mode.

It’s known as Deep of Night and it’s due 11th September.

Robert Purchese

16:25 pm
UTC

MarcusJ says: Re: Bond films. We recently watched the full run here from Dr. No to whatever the most recent one was, and enjoyed them, by and large. There’s something not quite right about watching a Bond film without nine commercial breaks and a half hour intermission for the news though.

Haha! The news intermission: I’d totally forgotten about that. Isn’t it weird how watching things on streaming services, particularly those linked to traditional broadcasters like BBC or ITV, now pipe-in advert breaks in the same way? It’s a full-circle moment. I noticed it recently while watching… No, I won’t say. You can’t make me.

Love Island. There, I’ve said it. I hope you’re happy.

Robert Purchese

16:27 pm
UTC

That’s it for today folks! Thanks for joining us. See you tomorrow? I’ll bring snacks. Mikado chocolate sticks, if you’re asking.

Robert Purchese

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August 31, 2025 0 comments

Game Reviews

29th August video games round-up: What went wrong with Football Manager 25, and Steam age verification in the UK

by admin August 30, 2025

A candid look at why last year’s Football Manager was canned

Image credit: Sports Interactive

Some things are as predictable as rain in the UK, and one of those is the annualised release of a new Football Manager game. But last year there wasn’t one. Last year (well, technically this year after a delay) Sports Interactive and Sega made the unprecedented deicsion to cancel Football Manager 25.

Why? That’s what Chris travelled to Sports Interactive to find out, and he published his findings – his candid interview with studio boss Miles Jacobson – this morning. It’s a fantastic read, a look behind the curtain. An open an honest account of a big-swing game evolution that wasn’t ready to release.

But it’s not an easy thing to cancel an annualised game. One does not simply withhold it. There’s your publisher’s annual earnings to think about, there are Premier League and football league licenses to think about. There are your players to think about. There’s a lot.

“I don’t believe we’re going to be disappointing people when we bring the game out. I don’t believe that we are going to lose the reputation that we’ve worked really hard to build up in the 30, 31 years I’ve been here. We’ve got a fucking great game! We didn’t have a great game in December, and genuinely that’s what it completely comes down to. We didn’t have a great game.”

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August 30, 2025 0 comments