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Johnny Silverhand leans on a railing.
Game Reviews

Mysterious Cyberpunk 2077 YouTube Video Spurs Fan Speculation

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Cyberpunk 2077 isn’t without its unsolved mysteries. Between the seemingly unsolved FF06B5 enigma and the lasting impact of cryptic quests like the Peralez storyline, plenty of cybersleuths are still hard at work on the streets of Night City trying to uncover the game’s secrets. Fittingly, A recent social media post by official Cyberpunk accounts has led fans on another strange quest for truth, and it centers a strange, unlisted video that, at first glance, looks to be just 24 minutes of uninterrupted static.

On September 1, 2025, CD Projekt Red shared an image of an in-universe recruitment message from Rosalind Myers, president of Cyberpunk’s fictional NUSA (New United States of America). Over at the decaying corpse of Twitter known as X, the official Cyberpunk 2077 account threw cold water on any notion that this post was a teaser for new content, clarifying that it was simply “part of an activity tied to the Phantom Liberty anniversary [the studio’s] celebrating this month.” But fans convinced there was something more to this message were on to something.

As documented by ArcticXWolf on Reddit, the binary of the image had a link that points to an image of a Roman coin. Using the anonymous messaging platform secretMSG, the link redirects to the unlisted YouTube video mentioned earlier,  titled “Secret Message from NUSA,” which seemingly contains nothing more than 24 minutes and 53 seconds of static. Despite my affinity for avant-garde works of art, even I don’t think it’s very pleasant to listen to.

Things get a little weird from here on out. Select frames from this video can be seen to spell out the words “FILES DETECTED CLASSIFIED.” Unfortunately, this seems to be the last concrete, provable thing anyone’s sussed out thus far. Some have turned to LLMs for help–which (shocker!) isn’t turning up anything meaningful. Others have pointed to a possible similarity between this cryptic static video and something apparently hidden in the Edgerunners 2 teaser, which may or may not have something to do with Cyberpunk’s space-exploration-themed conspiracies. And yet another well-read fan quoted the opening line of William Gibson’s classic cyberpunk novel Neuromancer:

“The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel.”

Spooky stuff! The cryptic video remains unlisted and no social media accounts from Cyberpunk 2077 or CD Projekt Red actually seem to have given any more clues. Cyberpunk 2077’s stories are often at their best when there’s a mystery to unravel, so this is cool and on-brand. Now hopefully someone figures this one out, as well as whatever the hell the true meaning of FF06B5 is.



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Over 50% of video game layoffs have been in California, says Game Changers award recipient
Game Reviews

Over 50% of video game layoffs have been in California, says Game Changers award recipient

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The games industry has been wracked by layoffs in the last few years, but over half of all layoffs have been in California, with North America overall the worst hit country.


That’s according to Amir Satvat, who spoke to The Game Business on the topic. Satvar was the first recipient of the Game Changers award at The Game Awards 2024 for his work assisting laid-off employees across the industry.


“Over 70 percent, and in some years 75 percent, of the layoffs have been in North America,” said Satvat. “North America used to have 30 percent, 35 percent, 40 percent of the open roles, and that number is now down to 25 percent.”


Globally, employment in the games industry has increased since before the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, though that depends on region. While Asia has seen an increase in jobs, North America has seen its workforce in AAA studios cut by 15 to 20 percent.


“And here’s another stat,” added Satvat, “over 50 percent of the cuts globally have been in California. California AAA is like the epicentre of the difficulty.


“There is opportunity, but it may be that if you want to stay in the industry, being open to going to some of these places like China, like Japan, not forever, but for some amount of time, that’s going to become a larger part of the equation.”


The most high profile layoffs recently were from Microsoft back in June, which included the cancellation of Perfect Dark from the California-based The Initiative, though developers were affected on both sides of the pond.


So far this year, an estimated 4400 people have been laid off globally in the games industry.

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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Rove R2-4K Dual Pro
Product Reviews

Rove R2-4K Dual Pro Dash Cam review: dual channel video for superb value

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We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

Rove R2-4K Dual Pro dash cam: two-minute review

Dash cams are becoming increasingly advanced, but their core job is still to capture video. The Rove R2-4K Dual Pro Dash Cam will certainly do that, and is supposedly the company’s most advanced dual-camera model to date, although the conventional design doesn’t suggest that at all – it looks like a no-frills dash cam bundle.

The package consists of a front-facing 4K camera, supplemented by a rear-facing 2K camera. These boast Sony Starvis 2 IMX678 and IMX675 sensors respectively, both of which are common among many of the best dash cams you can buy.

Rove sells the Rove R2-4K Dual Pro Dash Cam in a bundle that comes complete with a 128GB Rove Pro microSD card, and a CPL filter for improving the video quality further.

It’s presented in a box that, like other Rove models, has some of the busiest artwork you’ll ever see on a product. There is much to flag, however, with a bumper crop of features and functions that make the Rove R2-4K Dual Pro Dash Cam appealing for anyone who prefers a model with a more conventional suction-fit design.

While the looks are pretty conventional, inside the camera has lots of decent tech that makes it a solid windshield-mounted workhorse. There’s built-in GPS for recording vital data such as speed, time and date stamps, 5GHz and 2.4GHz Wi-Fi for quick and easy transfer of files up to 30Mbps on the former setting, plus a supercapacitor power supply that offers more efficient operation.

The bundle also features everything you’d expect from a premium dash cam, with 150-degree and 140-degree field-of-view lenses, loop recording, high dynamic range capability, Sony’s Starvis 2 Night Vision, motion detection, and 24-hour parking surveillance. The latter does require an additional hardwire kit to work, however.

Along with features including voice commands, and easy compatibility with both iPhone and Android handsets via the Rove app, you also get free over-the-air updates on tap that should keep the dash cams up to date for a good while. It’s worth noting, especially considering that this model shoots 4K, which produces larger files, that the download speed is Rove’s fastest – 30Mbps is a definite improvement compared to the Dual non-Pro model that offers 20Mbps, although I’ve tried the Rove R3, and found it to offer similar transfer rates to this model.

On top of the solid specification, the other main area of appeal is this dash cam’s ease of installation. The front camera comes with a suction-mount bracket, which means it can be easily attached to a windshield and detached whenever needed. The rear-facing camera is a more permanent fixture, with a self-adhesive pad fixing it to the rear window.

(Image credit: Future)

Another bonus is just how quickly the Rove R2-4K Dual Pro can be configured, with USB-C cabling connecting the two units together. Both cameras can be run off a standard in-vehicle 12V power source, or be hard-wired as mentioned above.

Inside the box you’ll find everything needed to get up and running, save for the optional hardwire kit. The package includes the two cameras, a long USB-C power cable, 128GB microSD card, CPL filter, windshield suction mount, 3M sticky mounting pads, lens cleaning cloth and an assortment of cables and clips, along with a trim tool for fixing everything firmly into place.

Rove R2-4K Dual Pro dash cam: price and availability

The Rove R2-4K Dual Pro Dash Cam is available now from the Rove website priced at $349.99 (about £260) for a bundle that includes a microSD card and CPL filter. This is a lot more than the $199.99 (approx £150) non-Pro Dual model that’s available via the Rove website, or from Amazon.

It is also, in essence, very similar to the previously released Rove R2-4K Dash Cam without the rear-facing camera unit. That model is still available from the Rove website for $159.99 (about £120) and comes with the same set of features, less the 2K rear unit, which is pretty good value if you only need a single-camera option.

Today’s best Rove R2-4K Dual Dash Cam deals

Rove R2-4K Dual Pro dash cam: specs

Swipe to scroll horizontallyRove R2-4K Dual Pro dash cam specs

Video

Front 4K 3840 x 2160p 30fps; Rear 2K 2560 x 1440p 30fps

Field of view (FOV)

Front 150 degrees / Rear 140 degrees

Storage

MicroSD up to 1TB, Cloud

GPS

Yes

Parking mode

Yes, with constant power cable, not included

App support

Rove app

Dimensions

1.65 x 3.66 x 2.52 inches / 4.91 x 9.29 x 6.4cm

Weight

5.8oz / 164g

Battery

Yes

Rove R2-4K Dual Pro dash cam: Design

The Rove R2-4K Dual Pro Dash Cam isn’t any different to countless other rival models, with a conventional design that offers little in the way of surprises. It’s therefore a good option for anyone wanting to move up from a model with a lowlier specification. The front-facing camera unit is boxy but compact, with dimensions of 1.65 x 3.66 x 2.52 inches / 4.91 x 9.29 x 6.4cm with a weight of 5.8oz / 164 grams and a protruding lens that points towards the windshield. Around at the back, there’s an integral 3-inch IPS colour screen with a row of control buttons underneath. The design is simplistic, but it works to good effect.

(Image credit: Future)

One of the biggest benefits for me is the design of the mount for the Rove R2-4K Dual Pro. Granted, it all looks a little bit clunky due to the extra angled brackets, but the suction cup is a real boon. There’s a circular screw on the back of this that let me stick it to my windshield and remove it just as easily, which I think is super convenient. I frequently move cameras from car to car, and, in this respect, a suction cup mount is the way to go. The rear camera is neat too, with a self-adhesive sticky pad that fixes it to the glass. Meanwhile, the lens can be moved in situ, so it’ll suit a rear screen with any kind of angle.

(Image credit: Future)

Rove R2-4K Dual Pro dash cam: Performance

The Rove R2-4K Dual Pro cameras offer fairly standard views of the road ahead and behind, with 150-degree field of view from the front and 140-degree field of view from the rear camera. These work using a standard loop recording process, via H.265 and H.264 video codec, storing video files to the removable microSD card or to any cloud storage setup if preferred using the Wi-Fi connectivity and Rove’s supporting app. I was more than happy with the setup and installation procedure, with the standard formatting of the included 128GB microSD card needed prior to use.

(Image credit: Future)

Everything about this bundle is straightforward and that included the installation thanks to the suction cup mount for the front camera. The rear camera required a little more fiddling about, mainly to get the wiring to the front camera tidied away. Once in situ though, the pair performed admirably. I always appreciate a rear screen a dash cam, especially for getting an idea of the view from the lens. The buttons along the bottom were also handy for tweaks and fine-tuning. However, the Rove app that I’ve used before really does offer increased ease of use.

(Image credit: Future)

Up front, the 4K 2160p video is crisp and clear, helped by a 6-layer optical lens, the Sony Starvis 2 chip and 8-megapixel CMOS sensor. The 2K 1440p recording delivered from the 6-layer lens, Sony chip and 5-megapixel CMOS sensor is obviously lesser quality, but it delivers perfectly serviceable footage. Audio levels are good too, offering some context to any incident if it’s ever needed.

Naturally, this model generates larger amounts of content due to the 4K specification, which is where the faster data transfer rate proved really handy. I thought the way the app managed control of files when I wanted to keep anything was as easy as any rival setup I’ve tried. Overall, Rove has everything sorted with this model, though many of its lesser products deliver much the same for a bit less cash.

Should you buy the Rove R2-4K Dual Pro dash cam?

(Image credit: Future)

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

How I tested the Rove R2-4K Dual Pro Dash Cam

  • I installed the dash cam into a test car for an initial period of two weeks
  • I used it for a wide variety of journeys during the day and at night
  • I connected it to my phone and downloaded recordings for comparison

Rove sent me the Rove R2-4K Dual Pro bundle box, which contained the twin cameras, plus it had the benefit of an included 128GB microSD card and CPL filter. They also supplied the optional hardwire kit.

The twin cameras were installed in a test vehicle that I was road testing at the time, which allowed me to try out all the features and functions. This didn’t include the hardwiring option, however, as the car had to be handed back.

Fitment required that all the supplied cables had to be plumbed in around the car, being pushed back behind trim panels where needed using the supplied plastic tool. This allowed me to check that everything would reach, especially where power to the rear camera was concerned.

  • First reviewed August 2025



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Venezuela Claims Trump's Video of Strike Against Suspected Drug Smugglers Is AI
Product Reviews

Venezuela Claims Trump’s Video of Strike Against Suspected Drug Smugglers Is AI

by admin


President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that his government had conducted a “kinetic strike” against suspected drug smugglers from Venezuela in a boat traveling in the Caribbean. The strike killed 11 people, according to Trump, and he claims they were all gang members.

None of those points has been confirmed, and drug smuggling is not a capital offense, making Trump’s strike almost certainly illegal under international law. But Venezuela had a rather interesting reply. A government minister is claiming the video of the attack is probably fake, and he asked Google’s Gemini for its opinion.

President Trump posted a video of the strike on his social media platform, Truth Social, and the Department of Defense posted a video of the strike to X on Tuesday.

. @POTUS “Earlier this morning, on my Orders, U.S. Military Forces conducted a kinetic strike against positively identified Tren de Aragua Narcoterrorists in the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility. TDA is a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, operating under the control of… pic.twitter.com/aAyKOb9RHb

— DOD Rapid Response (@DODResponse) September 2, 2025

Venezuela asked Gemini

Freddy Ñáñez, the Minister for Communication and Information in Venezuela, tweeted Tuesday that, “It seems that Marco Rubio keeps lying to his president: after putting him in a dead end, now he gives him as ‘proof’ a video with AI (thus proven).”

Ñáñez then shared a series of tweets that seem to be copied from Gemini after he asked the AI chatbot whether the U.S. government video is real.

“According to the provided video, it is highly likely that it was created using artificial intelligence (AI),” the official wrote on X, seeming to parrot what Gemini told him. “Although I cannot confirm with certainty the exact tools used, several elements suggest that it was generated by AI,” the tweet continues, listing several things.

The government official listed Gemini’s reasons for insisting the video was likely AI, according to an English language translation:

  • The video shows a ship that is attacked and then explodes in a way that looks like a simplified animation, almost like a cartoon, rather than a realistic representation of an explosion. It contains a lack of realistic detail, something common in videos generated by AI
  • The water, in particular, looks very stylized and unnatural. The video content appears to be composed of different elements, including the text “UNCLASSIFIED” and a watermark of unknown origin. These elements are common in AI-generated content.
  • This type of video, often known as deepfake or AI-generated video, is becoming increasingly common. It can be used for various purposes, such as entertainment, misinformation, or artistic expression.
  • Enough already, Marco Rubio, of encouraging war and trying to bloody the hands of President Donald Trump

Accusations that the video might be AI are particularly funny, given Trump’s recent comments about blaming AI for things. It was just yesterday when Trump said he should blame AI when “something happens really bad.”

Trump was responding to questions about whether strange footage from outside the White House was real. Someone was captured over the weekend tossing things out of a White House window. A government spokesperson confirmed to Time magazine that it was a real video, but, almost immediately, Trump contradicted his own staff’s claims that it was just a worker doing routine maintenance.

Trump is very proud of the strike

Trump’s post announcing the strike was in his typically unhinged style, making grandiose and unproven claims while signing off with “thank you for your attention to this matter,” though this time he included 11 exclamation points.

“Earlier this morning, on my Orders, U.S. Military Forces conducted a kinetic strike against positively identified Tren de Aragua Narcoterrorists in the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility,” Trump wrote Tuesday.

“TDA is a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, operating under the control of Nicolas Maduro, responsible for mass murder, drug trafficking, sex trafficking, and acts of violence and terror across the United States and Western Hemisphere,” the president continued.

“The strike occurred while the terrorists were at sea in International waters transporting illegal narcotics, heading to the United States. The strike resulted in 11 terrorists killed in action. No U.S. Forces were harmed in this strike. Please let this serve as notice to anybody even thinking about bringing drugs into the United States of America. BEWARE! Thank you for your attention to this matter!!!!!!!!!!!”

What do the dumb robots say?

As often happens, people on X asked the AI chatbot Grok to verify whether the footage was real. And it’s just as reliable as Gemini or any other AI-detection tool. Which is to say, not very reliable.

“Upon re-examination, the video shows visual inconsistencies like stylized explosions and unnatural water effects, suggesting AI generation,” Grok replied to one user.

“Venezuelan officials have claimed it’s fake, while US reports confirm a strike occurred, but without official DoD footage release. I’m uncertain without primary verification,” the chatbot continued.

Grok can’t tell you if the footage is AI because it doesn’t actually know anything and doesn’t have the tools to figure out if something is AI-generated or not, as France 24 mentioned while trying to decipher the video. But as the U.S. and Venezuela trade barbs about what seems like a simmering war in the western hemisphere, we’re probably going to see a lot more of it.





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007: First Light is so much more than Hitman - with its 'breathing' structure, it looks like the ultimate composite video game
Game Reviews

007: First Light is so much more than Hitman – with its ‘breathing’ structure, it looks like the ultimate composite video game

by admin


When IO Interactive first announced it was uptaking work on what was then known as ‘Project 007’, the internet collectively cheered. There was one practically unanimous reaction: this is a match made in heaven.

I agree – it really is. Except it isn’t. Except it is. Such is the strange, fluid nature of the Bond franchise. In some ways it lines up perfectly with Hitman’s sublime espionage and seductively beautiful-yet-nihilistic ‘World of Assassination’. And yet Agent 007 is a totally different sort of character to Agent 47. The way Hitman feels in your hands is so specific, and in my opinion no matter how perfect a fit IOI was in other ways, I was nervous about that being replicated for Bond.

So I always felt that IO’s take on Bond would live or die by the studio’s ability to turn that difference into a strength rather than a weakness. After seeing a chunk of hands-off 007: First Light gameplay at IO Interactive’s Copenhagen headquarters, I’m convinced that the mad lads have done it. Mission accomplished. The best of Hitman is carried through – but without compromising the key pillars required for Bond to be Bond.

Image credit: IO Interactive / MGM

Central to this is Bond himself. Casting plays a role in this, with the announcement of Patrick Gibson as gaming’s official 007 a crucial piece of the picture – but much of it is mechanical. Agent 47 moves deliberately and with a stiff, almost mechanical nature. He’s literally a programmed contract killer, and so it makes sense that he is a little robotic. This also lines up well with Hitman’s mechanics, where that highly telegraphed movement plays into making sure everything is clear – if an action is safe to perform, if you’re in sight or stealth, and so on. But that isn’t Bond.

007 is impulsive, fluid. He needs to move not with stiff deliberation, but with a silky instinct. IO has addressed this in the core movement – Bond is much slicker than 47 even doing something as simple as picking up an item off a table – but also in mechanics. If you’re stealthing, when spotted 47’s only option is to get violent or leg it. As Bond, if you’ve enough Instinct, a limited resource, you can vocally bluff your way out of a situation. Bond can’t toss coins, but he can confidently throw his voice to attract a guard. If he runs out of ammo in a gunfight, a last-ditch thing he can do is throw his gun at the head of his would-be assailant. If the situation is hectic and he needs to pick up a rifle on the ground, he’ll stylishly kickflip it into his hands.

There’s quite a lot mechanically going on here, and that’s because in many ways First Light feels like what I’m going to call a composite game – a great big mingling of mechanics, ideas, and systems. When IO Interactive co-founder and First Light director Hakan Abrak explains the game, one gets a sense of how these mechanics get divided up, creating a game that is less structurally fluid than Hitman’s wide-open Rube Goldberg machine environments, but no less flowing.

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Deep Breath

“It breathes,” says Abrak of First Light.

That two word explanation is evocative enough alone, I think, without quoting his fuller explanation. Picture your midriff as you breathe. You inhale, and your body tightens. I subconsciously do this when a photo is taken, to look slimmer. When First Light inhales, it mechanically narrows.

You might be in an exposition-heavy walk-and-talk, Moneypenny in Bond’s ear as a beautiful environment unfolds before you. You might be in a narrow, prescribed gunfight where you can choose if you want to be a little bit left or right, high or low, but ultimately you’re in that gunfight. It might also be an extremely tightly-scripted stealth sequence. Internally, IO Interactive refers to these sections – the ‘inhale’ – as ‘guided’. Here First Light indeed begins to resemble many action-adventure jaunts I’ve played before, from Uncharted right back to some older Bond games like EA’s Everything or Nothing.

Now imagine the exhale. Everything slackens, the muscles relax, and if you’re anything like me, you’re a little more comfortable in your skin. IO Interactive calls these bits of Bond ‘core’, and it’s here where the Hitman heritage proudly flexes. You’re placed into open situations with an objective, but how you accomplish it is up to you.

Some of these areas might be vanishingly small compared to a Hitman level. In the publicly-available early-game mission shown in the State of Play, we see Bond arrive at a beautiful building home to some lavish gathering of the great and the good. He needs to get inside. The entrance to the building is itself a mini Hitman level. There’s a few different options for how to gain entry, but how exactly you approach that situation is up to you. Once inside, the game inhales again, directing you along a stricter path to keep the story moving.

Watch on YouTube

Even in this small example the differences and similarities to Hitman are laid bare. Bond is a little more constrained than 47. Bond isn’t going to injure civilian security guards for no reason, for instance. Bond also isn’t going to do crazy, stupid things. Walk close to a ledge that can be vaulted to reach an open window while a guard is watching, for instance, and the game straight up won’t let you do it. The ‘vault’ UI element appears, but is carefully crossed out. In Hitman, you could press the button and let all hell break loose as the guards go into overdrive. Indeed, Hitman is the sort of game where an accidental input – a shot fired by mistake, a door opened by a miscue – can ruin your run, by design. For Bond, everything is a little more contained. You can vault that wall – but you’ll need to create a distraction first.

The same is true for killing. In what I think is a tremendously clever use of the Bond iconography, you can’t just open fire willy-nilly. When Bond is in a situation where enemies are clearly out to kill him, a flashy UI element unfolds on screen declaring: [LICENSE TO KILL]. At this point, Bond is weapons-free. This is a key differentiator from Hitman, too – in a grand party, you can’t just get an assault rifle and spray the room – that isn’t how he does things.

There’s still an immense room for creativity, however – it’s just a different kind of creativity with less potential for unwarranted collateral. Say you need to get into a hidden area – Bond isn’t donning disguises (at least, not like 47 – there will be story-specific dress-up here and there), so you need alternatives. In some ways this is familiar to Hitman – in a mirroring of that game’s Paris, you might choose to pose as a member of a camera crew. For that you’ll need to socially charm the presenter with dialogue options to convince her you are indeed her replacement camera operator, and you’ll also need to track down a camera in the venue to use – which can be done in one of at least three ways. To even learn of this opportunity you’ll need to catch ambient dialogue, overhearing while circling the area that a TV producer is missing their cameraman. Alternatively, you could just sneak in – or you could pickpocket a pass from another guest, if you’re slick enough. On and on it goes, the game state shifting depending on your objectives and the path you take to them.

Image credit: IO Interactive / MGM

All of this suggests a game that is segueing from state to state. If you alert enemies in stealth but then quickly take out all of those alerted, a UI element will confirm that it’s [SITUATION CONTROLLED] – again a subtle difference to Hitman, where such situations could snowball easily and it sometimes was even not instantly clear if you were safe or not. Some of that Hitman paranoia and panic appears to be gone – but it’s replaced with swagger, because that’s who Bond is. That signalling is also there to tell you that you’ve seamlessly moved from one game state to another, in a sense.

In terms of controlling such situations, Bond has more flashy options than 47. He’s got a range of Q gadgets to distract – smoke bombs, knock-out darts, and so on. He can use his pure brass neck to convince a suspicious guard he’s meant to be there (though Hitman’s ‘enforcer’ style guards are back, and always see through Bond’s bluff). If things resolve to combat without that license to kill being activated, it’s fisticuffs in a tactile and frenetic combat system that’s full of using enemies’ momentum against them – flinging them this way and that, countering, parrying – it animates with enormously satisfying physicality and has shades of things like Batman Arkham and Mad Max. It’s a far cry from 47’s QTE-driven, over-in-seconds hand-to-hand.

Do you see the composite forming? Hitman’s stealth and open endedness in places, yes. But then there’s that counter-heavy combat, Uncharted-style spectacle, and tight-but-scrappy looking third-person shooting. Oh, and drifty, arcade-looking driving. Even in those segments that resemble Hitman, it differs: Bond can chat to people more, and there’s dialogue options and branching conversations where you can talk your way through situations with 007’s famous charm rather than have to sneak or subvert.

Going 360

I do hate marketing bluster. But occasionally some piece of phrasing cuts through – and for Bond, IOI has a term that is buzzier than a watch with a built-in circular saw. “We want to make a 360-degree Bond experience,” Abrak says in just one of many instances when I hear that geometry-based phrase. Yes, it’s marketing nonsense – but it does speak to a truth about James Bond.

In GoldenEye 007, Bond is basically the Doom Guy. There’s the odd gadget or bit of hacking here or there – but he’s mowing down wave after wave of soviet soldiers or terrorists. By Everything or Nothing, the developers had folded in things like car chases and maybe even the occasional spying sequence – but it was more or less all-action. IO wants to take a more holistic view of the character, and look at Bond from all angles rather than just action – thus 360-degree.

Image credit: IO Interactive / MGM

What is Bond? He’s charming, he’s creative. IOI wants its game to reflect all of that, which is why you’re as likely to find yourself in a ‘social space’ as in a linear shootout. Equally, those social spaces take a different form to Hitman – more constrained in some ways, but more open in others, such as with his ability to talk to key NPCs. Much of this is stuff that 47 would never do to this extent, if at all – and so I’m wary to describe this game as simply ‘Hitman with more action’, and am more wary still of anyone who might dilute it down to that. It’s more.

There’s another buzzy phrase I rather enjoyed on this studio visit – and this was one that felt less like a planned marketing term and more a quirk of phrase (and more something actively used in the studio). I heard people from all major branches of production – narrative, gameplay, audio – describe the desire to “put it on the sticks” – where “it” is the sensation of being Bond. Bond is one of the coolest characters in all of media – and so of course IOI’s desire is that players be in control of him when he’s performing his most impressive feats.

I’m all for this, though in something like this the proof of the pudding is in the eating. The grandest remaining hurdle that Agent 007 needs to pass is: to be playable. All of this is IOI talking the talk, showing us stuff that looks fabulous. Certainly, World of Assassination suggests it can walk the walk, too. But I hear the mantra that this satisfying action is ‘on the sticks’ and it gnaws at me that… I haven’t touched said sticks.

I’ve been doing this job for long enough to know that shooting can look slick and scrappy in video but then feel awful in practice – you need to feel it. The flow of a ‘social space’ can look great in a slickly-edited video but feel weird in-game. All of this remains to be tested. I need to, as IO reps put it, get ‘on the sticks’. But if IO Interactive’s walk channels Bond’s smirking swagger and is as strong as their talk, I could see this being an all-timer. As a Bond fan, I’m keeping everything crossed – and am more optimistic than ever.

This preview is based on a visit to IO Interactive’s HQ in Copenhagen. IOI provided travel and accommodation.



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Bethesda's Heretic And Hexen Remaster Is Video Game Preservation Done Right
Game Updates

Bethesda’s Heretic And Hexen Remaster Is Video Game Preservation Done Right

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When it comes to preserving long forgotten or unavailable shooters, Nightdive Studios is leading the charge. While older games often struggle to be preserved properly due to a myriad of issues–licensing disputes, asset loss, tech limitations and simply being forgotten chief among them–studios like Nightdive have made a concentrated effort to prove that no game is beyond preservation. In the past few years, Nightdive has restored and released new versions of System Shock 2, Star Wars: Dark Forces, and Turok, bringing the beloved classics to modern audiences. Yet even more impressive is the studio’s commitment to including a wealth of accessibility options, making these titles more playable and accessible than ever before.

Nightdive’s most recent re-releases, Heretic and Hexen, are prime examples of this. Released in 1994 and developed by Raven Software, Heretic was one of many “Doom Clones” from that era. Instead of a space marine taking down the hordes of Hell, players took on the role of a spellcaster named Corvus who navigates a dark fantasy world brought to ruin by the Serpent Riders. Heretic is notable for being far more interactive in its environments compared to Doom and even allowed players to look up and down: a rarity for shooters at the time. A year later, Raven Software released Hexen: Beyond Heretic, a distant sequel to Heretic that saw players pick one of three protagonists as they set out to defeat the second of the Serpent Riders. Like its predecessor, Hexen was notable for its distinct features, such as a darker fantasy setting and a central hub that connected all the game’s levels.

While these games had their devoted followings, neither reached the popularity of games such as Doom and Quake and, as such, fell into obscurity. For a long time it felt as if these games would never get their proper due. That all changed, however, at this year’s Quakecon, when Microsoft and Nightdive announced a remastered collection featuring both games–complete with numerous accessibility options and enhancements–was now available. According to Nightdive founder and CEO Stephen Kick, Heretic and Hexen’s focus on accessibility is not a passive effect of remaking the games, but an intentional choice that reflects the studio’s larger priorities.

An image from the Heretic + Hexen collection.

“Accessibility is a ‘key part’ of our mission at Nightdive. When we remaster a classic game, we’re not just making it look better–we’re making sure it can be played and enjoyed by as many people as possible, regardless of their hardware, preferences, or physical limitations,” Kick said.

One of the main new features of Nightdive’s Heretic and Hexen remaster is the addition of a map and waypoint system. The original releases were labyrinthine in design, and a lack of navigational tools resulted in the game turning into a slog. As such, Nightdive’s director of business development Larry Kuperman confirmed that a map was “the feature most requested by fans,” as well as the most praised addition at QuakeCon.

“We knew that Hexen and Heretic could be frustrating to new players not accustomed to this style of gameplay so we implemented a pseudo-waypoint system that marked important objectives on the map,” Kick added. “It doesn’t show you how to get there, but it does give you an idea of where you need to explore which is an extremely helpful feature.”

In addition to the new waypoint feature, Nightdive also included its trademark visual and controller options such as controller and keyboard bindings, visual filters, and anti-aliasing, allowing players to customize the whole experience to their liking. It can be hardcore, like the original release, or more accessible–the freedom of choice is in the player’s hands.

“We have always treated the games that we work on with respect and [aim] to respect the original developers. We know that they did all they could given the software and hardware limitations of the times,” Kupperman added. “We see ourselves as helping to fulfill the original vision using today’s tool[s].”

An image from the Heretic + Hexen collection.

Heretic and Hexen is a prime example of Nightdive succeeding in its goals. While the game is far more playable due to the gameplay and visual changes, the original intent is still there. At the remaster’s core, it is still Heretic and Hexen, just made available to a modern gaming audience. The level layouts remain the same, the gameplay remains as frantic as ever, and the atmosphere lives on in Nightdive’s retooling of it.

Nightdive promises to keep its sights on accessibility for future titles as well, though the team admits there are areas where they can improve. “One area I think we could do better is to include options for colorblind players,” Kick said.

According to Kick, the studio will always strive for more accessibility for the sake of getting beloved and forgotten titles to the widest of audiences on modern hardware. A great example of this besides Heretic and Hexen is the studio’s recent System Shock remake and System Shock 2 remaster. While the former is a full, from-the-ground remake and the latter is an update to current modern hardware, both feature a wealth of options to fine tune the player experience from puzzle difficulty to combat assists. These once inaccessible games (System Shock in particular has often been described as playing an operating system) are now available to anyone to enjoy without the headaches of the past.

While game preservation will always remain an important topic in gaming and could always use more support, Nightdive is leading the charge by helping games not only fall out of obscurity, but also by making them more enjoyable to play. In an era where more and more games are falling into obscurity due to not being preserved properly, Heretic and Hexen is a glimmer of hope for the future of our industry.



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Blink Video Doorbell Gen 2 mounted beside purple door
Product Reviews

Blink Video Doorbell (Gen 2) and Sync Module Core review: easy installation, and a head-to-toe view of visitors

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We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

Blink Video Doorbell (Gen 2) and Sync Module Core: two-minute review

The days of traditional ‘analog’ doorbells connected via wires to an internal chime are fast coming to an end. Increasingly, people are turning to video doorbells, which will send an alert to your mobile phone when someone comes to the door. They will even act as an intercom so you can talk to whoever is there whether you are in the house, walking the dog or sitting on a beach.

Like its predecessor, the Blink Video Doorbell doesn’t come with its own indoor chime. Instead, you can pair it with a Blink Mini 2 camera (sold separately) or connect via the Alexa app on your phone to a Fire Stick or Amazon Echo Show. This will allow you to see who is at the front door on your TV screen/multimedia display or you can get a voice message via your Amazon Echo Dot when someone presses the doorbell.

Alternatively, it may be possible to connect existing doorbell wiring from the Blink Video Doorbell to a legacy indoor chime providing its rated between 16 and 24 volts. Batteries are required for use whether you use existing doorbell wiring or not.

The Blink Video Doorbell (Gen 2) uses three AA lithium batteries (Image credit: Chris Price)

What I like about Blink devices is just how easy they are to add to an existing system. I’ve already got several Blink cameras around the house so adding one more was simply a case of scanning the QR code on the back of the device and adding it to the home set up. However, if you’ve never installed a Blink camera before you will need to download the app (Android or iPhone) as well as connect the sync module provided to your broadband router (this acts as a hub for up to 10 Blink security devices).

  • Blink Video Doorbell (2nd Gen) + Sync Module 2 at Amazon for $39.99

Unfortunately, as the one supplied isn’t compatible with local storage via a connected USB flash drive, you will need to pay a monthly subscription for storing video footage and accessing the latest features – see subscription options below.

When it comes to mounting the video doorbell on the door there are two options. You can either use the standard flat mount or a wedge mount if you are placing it on a door architrave. As I was replacing the previous Blink video doorbell (Gen 1) I was hoping I could re-use the mount from that one to save time on installation. However, that wasn’t possible because this unit is a slightly different size.

Instead I used the black mount provided for the black video doorbell supplied by the manufacturer (a white version with white mount is also available). At least I didn’t have to screw two new holes in the wood as they’re positioned in the same place on the mount as the previous version.

Installing the Blink Video Doorbell (Gen 2) is very straightforward, particularly if you already have other Blink devices at home (Image credit: Chris Price)

Once installed, controlling the camera is simply a case of using the Blink app. One of the main differences between this model and its predecessor is the camera’s lens, in particular the aspect ratio. Whereas the previous model offered a more conventional 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio with 1080p resolution, the new video doorbell boats a square 1:1 aspect ratio with improved 1440p resolution.

It also offers a larger field of vision (150 degrees horizontal and 150 degrees vertical) compared to 135 degrees horizontal and just 80 degrees vertical on the previous model. The result is that not only is it possible to get a head-to-toe image of someone coming to the door, you can also view the ground – handy to see any deliveries that have been left outside your front door.

The in-app setup process is very simple (Image credit: Chris Price)

Certainly the 1:1 aspect ratio does take a little bit of getting used to, especially the square shape on the Blink home page next to all of the other more conventional widescreen cameras. However, it’s worth bearing in mind that, because the field of view is so much bigger than its predecessor you will need to reduce the device’s sensitivity, especially if you are paying for the Blink subscription with AI-powered Smart Detection.

Otherwise, you may well record every person and vehicle that goes past your house as well as those who come to the door. Not only will this severely reduce the lifespan of the batteries, it is also highly annoying to get pointless alerts every few minutes.

Blink Video Doorbell (Gen 2) and Sync Module Core: subscription options

There are two different subscription plans available depending on the number of Blink devices you own, and which features you require.

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Blink Video Doorbell (Gen 2) and Sync Module Core: price and availability

  • List price $69.99 / £59.99 (about AU$110)
  • Launched August 2025 with Sync Module
  • Currently available in UK and US (not Australia)

With its second-generation video doorbell, Blink has managed to maintain the same $69.99 / £59.99 price point as the original video doorbell (you can now buy the earlier model for under £30 on Amazon in the UK without the sync module). Really, it’s exceptional value for money, much cheaper than a Ring video doorbell device, despite the two companies sharing Amazon ownership.

However, it’s not available in Australia at the time of writing, and it’s worth bearing in mind that if you want to benefit from the full functionality of the device, including the ability to store video clips, you will need to pay for a subscription costing from $3 / £2.50 a month. That’s because – unlike the first video doorbell which incorporated a sync module with the option of adding local storage – it’s not the case with the second-generation model.

You won’t be able to store videos recorded by the Blink Video Doorbell (Gen 2) on the Sync Module Core (Image credit: Chris Price)

Instead of the Sync Module 2, the second-generation Blink video doorbell features the more basic Sync Module Core. Personally, I find that a little bit cheeky, but then at least the monthly subscription fees are cheaper than most of the rivals (Ring subscription plans start at $4.99 / £4.99 a month).

In addition to unlimited cloud video storage, the Blink subscription package includes Blink Moments which stitches together multiple events from multiple cameras into one video. Then there’s AI-Powered Smart Detection which tells you whether the camera has captured a person coming to the door/walking past your house, or a vehicle in your driveway/driving along the road. To reduce the amount of footage captured, which can be quite overwhelming, we recommend reducing the device’s sensitivity and also editing the ‘motion zones’ (areas of the frame that are active or private).

Today’s best Blink Video Doorbell (Gen 2) and Sync Module deals

Blink Video Doorbell (Gen 2) and Sync Module Core: design

  • Easy-to-install mounting bracket
  • Chunky design
  • Available in white or black

Blink cameras are renowned for being some of the most compact and lightweight devices on the market. However, the Blink Video Doorbell (Gen 2) is a little bit of an exception. Tipping the scales at 4oz/113g, it’s both heavier than the first-generation model (3.2oz/91g) and also a little thicker too at 1.44in/36.6mm compared to 1inch/27mm.

Image 1 of 2

The Blink Video Doorbell (Gen 2) is a little bulkier than its predecessor(Image credit: Chris Price)The Blink Video Doorbell (Gen 2) is a little bulkier than its predecessor(Image credit: Chris Price)

The main reason for this, of course, is that the new model incorporates space for three AA lithium batteries whereas the original model featured just two batteries. In turn, this means that battery life is much longer though it’s unlikely to be as long as the two-year lifespan that Blink’s marketing suggests.

Like its predecessor, two colour options are available (white or black) and there are two types of mount – one for placing flat on the door frame and another for mounting on a door architrave. Using the standard mount with the screws provided, it only takes around five minutes to install wirelessly, although if you are connecting to existing doorbell wiring the process is much longer. Since there’s no built-in chime, you’ll need to connect it to Alexa devices or buy a Blink Mini 2 camera to hear the doorbell indoors.

It only took around five minutes to install the doorbell with the included mount (Image credit: Chris Price)

Looks-wise, the second-generation model is a little different from its predecessor with a larger oval shaped button in the middle, compared to the round button on the first generation model. Recording is also more subtle with a small blue light on the top right indicating when video is being captured, rather than the area around the central button becoming illuminated in blue.

When the button in the centre is pushed by a visitor, it illuminates white and a message is sent to the connected phone telling you ‘someone is at the door’. As with the first-generation model, the doorbell sits inside a bracket but can be removed for changing batteries etc. by inserting a small metal ‘key’ in the base. It is also rated IP-65 weather resistant which offers greater protection against the elements than the previous model which was only IP-54 rated.

Blink Video Doorbell (Gen 2) and Sync Module Core: performance

  • Good image quality (especially in Best mode)
  • Stable video connection
  • Overly sensitive camera

There’s no question that when it comes to performance Blink has upped its game with this second gen model. The first one was certainly OK, but not as good as some of the admittedly more expensive video doorbells from companies such as Ring. However, in nearly every respect, the Gen 2 model offers better performance than its predecessor.

Not only does it have a wider field of horizontal view (150 degrees compared to 135 degrees for the first model), it also offers a 150-degrees vertical field of view for a perfectly square 1:1 aspect ratio image. At first I thought that was a bit odd, but having used it for a little while it’s incredibly useful. Not only can you see an entire head-to-toe image of someone at the door you can also see if a parcel has been left on your doorstep.

Image 1 of 2

The new square aspect ratio makes it easier to see both visitors and packages(Image credit: Chris Price)The new square aspect ratio makes it easier to see both visitors and packages(Image credit: Chris Price)

Whereas the previous model offered 1080p video resolution, the second-generation model boasts improved 1440p video resolution. Three video quality settings are on board (Best, Standard, and Saver). I settled on Best as it’s good to be able to see details more clearly although this will obviously reduce battery life. The second-generation model also offers improved night vision.

Of course, it’s not all good news. The downside of the camera lens being much bigger is that it also collects much more footage – too much. Blink cameras are known for being sensitive anyway and this latest model is no exception.

Even with privacy zones set up, I found it necessary to dial the sensitivity right down to avoid false alerts (Image credit: Chris Price)

With motion sensitivity set to five, I found the camera was recording around 100 events a day, most of them of people walking their dog past the house or delivery vans going by. Even with the ‘privacy zones’ set up to block out the extremes of the frame (including areas of sky) the camera was still extremely active. In the end it was necessary to reduce sensitivity to just two out of 10 so it only captured people actually coming to the door.

Finally, it’s worth mentioning the sync module. Whereas the previous model included the Sync Module 2 with a USB socket so you could insert a USB flash drive for storing video clips, this model comes with the Sync Module Core without local storage. Essentially this means if you want to store video clips you will need to pay a subscription of at least $3 / £2.50 a month.

Should you buy the Blink Video Doorbell (Gen 2) and Sync Module Core?

Swipe to scroll horizontallyBlink Video Doorbell (Gen 2) score card

Attribute

Notes

Score

Value

This video doorbell represents pretty good value for money. Even the monthly subscription charge for premium features is around half the price of some devices.

4/5

Design

Available in black or white, the Blink doorbell is a much bulkier model than its predecessor. It is accompanied by a small sync module which connects to your router.

4/5

Performance

Although the motion sensor is a little overly-sensitive, performance is very good indeed particularly the 1:1 aspect ratio for ‘head-to-toe’ video capture.

4.5/5

Overall

When it comes to performance Blink have upped their game with improved quality images and longer battery life. Just a shame the supplied sync module can’t be used for storing clips.

4.5/5

Buy it if

Don’t buy it if

Blink Video Doorbell (Gen 2) and Sync Module Core: also consider

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Product

Blink Video Doorbell (Gen 2) and Sync Module

Blink Video Doorbell (Gen 1) and Sync Module

Yale Smart Video Doorbell and Doorbell Chime

Ring Battery Video Doorbell Plus

Subscription price

From £2.50 a month

From £2.50 a month

From £3.50 a month

From £4.99 a month

Viewing angle

150 degrees horizontal

135 degrees horizontal

154 degrees horizontal

150 degrees horizontal

Network connection

Wi-Fi (2.4GHz)

Wi-Fi (2.4GHz)

Wi-Fi (2.4GHz)

Wi-Fi (2.4GHz)

Audio

Two-way audio

Two-way audio

Two-way audio

Two-way audio

Video

1440p Full HD resolution

1080p Full HD resolution

1080p Full HD resolution

1536p Full HD resolution

Power

Battery

Battery

Mains or battery

Battery

Hardware price

£59 (with Sync Module Core)

£59 (with Sync Module 2)

£129 (video doorbell), £29 (chime)

£129 (video doorbell), £139 (with basic chime)

If you’re not sure whether the Blink Video Doorbell (Gen 2) and Sync Module Core are the right combo for you, here are two other options to consider.

How I tested the Blink Video Doorbell (Gen 2) and Sync Module Core

  • I used the doorbell every day for 10 days
  • I installed it myself
  • The doorbell was set up on the front door facing towards the road

To test a video doorbell properly you need to use it as part of your home system. Fortunately, I already have other Blink cameras so adding another one was particularly straightforward. But even if I didn’t then downloading the app would have been easy enough.

Installation takes around 15 minutes or so, requiring a screw driver to attach the mount to the door frame before positioning the camera in place. It’s roughly the same size as the previous one, in terms of length and width, so thankfully I didn’t have to worry about unsightly screw holes all over the door frame.

The new Blink Video Doorbell is roughly the same height and width as its predecessor, so I didn’t have to worry about messy screw holes when I upgraded (Image credit: Chris Price)

During the period of testing, I really began to appreciate the device’s head-to-toe viewing. I get a lot of deliveries, so being able to see if they have been left on the doorstep when I’m out is handy. Another bonus is the additional power that having another AA battery brings.

Whereas the previous model relied on two lithium AA batteries that had to be changed every three months, this one has three. However, I think it’s extremely unlikely these will last two years as Blink claims in its marketing blurb. I’m pretty sure I’ll be changing the batteries again in six months time given how sensitive the camera’s motion sensor is!.

For more details, see how we test, review, and rate products at TechRadar.

First reviewed August 2025

Blink Video Doorbell (2nd Gen) + Sync Module 2: Price Comparison



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Today in video games - 1st September: a new month begins and Silksong approaches
Game Reviews

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

by admin


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

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

by admin


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

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

by admin


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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