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Reviewed on: PlayStation 5, PlayStation VR2 Platform: PlayStation 5, PlayStation VR2, PC Publisher: Enhance Games Developer: Monstars Release: November 11, 2025 After Tetris, but before Tetris Effect, there was Lumines. Creator Tetsuya Mizuguchi’s engrossing puzzle game was a launch title for Sony’s PSP handheld in 2004 and as the story goes, it was created when issues prevented Mizuguchi’s team from acquiring the Tetris license. It worked out, however, as the core mechanic of Lumines is fantastic. For me, Lumines is second only to Alexey Pajitnov’s enduring classic in terms of puzzle games, and Mizuguchi would eventually secure the license for Tetris Effect years later. Lumines Arise thankfully maintains and feels as good as Lumines always has, and borrowing the aesthetic of Tetris Effect (which Lumines technically did first in many ways) creates an excellent blend of visuals and puzzle bliss. The basic idea is that multicolored blocks fall into a well, and you must create squares of the same-colored blocks. True to Enhance’s pedigree, it’s all done in rhythm to music, and the squares you manage to create get wiped away. As you drop and rotate blocks, it also creates sound effects that add to the music. This has always been the core idea of Lumines, and it’s recreated well here. The big upgrade with Arise is the presentation. Like Tetris Effect (and the original Lumines), the visuals, audio, and pace shift and change every few minutes. Success is rewarded with abstract imagery and radically different block styles. One of my favorite levels features giant hands connected to balls of spider silk, while the alternate blocks are pieces of electronic steel. Another features shifting vegetables that slice into pieces when you successfully make them disappear. All of the stages are interesting and bizarre, and even the ones that are less fascinating still let you play Lumines, so it’s impossible to be annoyed or angry at them. Seeing all the different graphical options is the main attraction for Lumines Arise, and it’s all gathered into a campaign that you can play and beat, which is great. It doesn’t take long to get through all of them, however, and the other modes are just okay. There are lots of puzzle-like tutorials to get through and an online mode to play against others. I had good technical experiences playing multiplayer online and locally, but I had much more fun with the main single-player game and letting it overtake my senses – something you can’t really do when competing against another. In fact, I found many of the online components distracting. Avatars from other players populate your start screen, and they occasionally show up in the single-player campaign, especially in the later stages. They don’t interfere much, but the presumed sense of community Arise is trying to foster fell flat. I mostly found that everyone was just getting in the way of my desired Lumines experience. I’m also disappointed that there isn’t something akin to the endless modes of past Lumines games, where you can basically play to see how long you can go and chase a high score. Without that mainstay mode, I wasn’t super incentivized to return to the single-player campaign, even though I loved it. My complaints, however, mostly amount to minor distractions and a desire for more of what I liked the most: the campaign. The core game is stirring, beautiful, and always engaging. Lumines Arise, like its cousin Tetris Effect, is the kind of game that I won’t delete from my hard drive because I will always want the option to lose myself to the game periodically, which Arise is consistently excellent at. Playing in VRLike Tetris Effect, Lumines Arise offers VR support via PlayStation VR2 or SteamVR, depending on your platform. It’s arguably the ideal way to play, but I wouldn’t argue that it is the way you need to play. The advantage of VR is that it lets the game fully take over your senses. Your focus and peripheral vision become all Lumines, and with headphones on, it is easy to be fully absorbed and lost in the sea of falling blocks and music. Like Tetris Effect, it is one of my favorite games to play in VR, but I don’t think you are missing out on the core experience if you’re not wearing a headset. It’s like the difference between watching a movie at home full of distractions, or watching a movie in an IMAX theatre with an attentive crowd. The latter experience is more enthralling, but the story, soundtrack, visuals, and performances are the same. Score: 8.75 About Game Informer's review system View the full article

Eurogamer's 2 out of 5 review of Embark Studios' extraction shooter Arc Raiders has led to some heated discussions on social media, with reviewer Rick Lane criticising the game's use of AI voice generation. Now, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney has joined the argument in defence of AI, suggesting that "AI dialog generation + human personality and tuning could totally transform gaming." Read more View the full article

The PlayStation Portal has become the "most widely used device for PlayStation 5 Remote Play, surpassing mobile, PC, PS5, and PS4," according to a Sony executive. Read more View the full article

Sony has published its latest financial results for the first half of its fiscal year, reporting significant increases in revenue for its Game & Network Services division. Read more View the full article

Nintendo Direct featuring first Super Mario Galaxy Movie trailer dated for November 12, 2025 | News-in-briefView the full article

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, a sequel to 2023's Super Mario Bros. Movie, is getting a dedicated Nintendo Direct later this week. According to the Nintendo Today app and social media posts, the livestream will air at 9 AM ET/ 6 AM PT. "Join us on Wednesday, Nov 12, at 6am PT for the Nintendo Direct featuring the world premiere of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie official trailer," the social media post reads. "Please note that no game information will be included in this presentation." While it's not surprising, eager fans can rule out the possibility of news of a new Mario game during this stream. If it's anything like the Direct for the last Mario movie, it will likely include some statements from people at Nintendo and Illumination, add in a potential casting reveal, and conclude with a teaser from the film. You can check out the last direct as a reference here. While we don't know much about the Super Mario Galaxy movie, we know a few things. Much of the main cast is confirmed to return, but while Rosalina is a crucial part of the Mario Galaxy games, we don't know for certain whether she'll appear. On the other hand, Yoshi, one of the most recognizable faces in the Mario universe, will very likely make an appearance. This floating green dinosaur was teased at the end of the first movie when a Yoshi egg was revealed to be sitting in the sewers. We also know Yoshi appears in the movie because, of all things, it was revealed via a box of Mario-themed cookie dough. When the Direct does go live on Wednesday, you'll be able to watch on YouTube or on the Nintendo Today app. View the full article

15 developers were honored at The Playing for the Planet, Green Games Summit and Awards last week for "demonstrating excellence in the field of sustainable game development and pro-environmental storytelling." Read more View the full article

Cygames has settled its patent row with Konami Digital Entertainment over Umamusume: Pretty Derby. Read more View the full article

Reviewed on: PC Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC Publisher: Skybound Games Developer: Nice Dream Release: November 11, 2025 Webcam games carry some baggage, thanks to years of novel but shallow experiences. 2021's Before Your Eyes shook up the tedium with an emotional story you blinked through. The same team returns for Goodnight Universe, an interactive experience that reads your face and reacts accordingly. Goodnight Universe is a joy to play through and has at least a few moments that might linger, especially in the way they incorporate you, the player, into the story. In Goodnight Universe, you play the role of Isaac, a child born to a seemingly normal, middle-class family. The only problem is, you're anything but normal; you've got the inner monologue of someone much older, and if that wasn't enough, you've got an arsenal of psychic powers like telepathy and telekinesis. The idyllic family life is quickly shattered, as Isaac's – your – strange abilities become apparent, and start to stretch out a family that's quietly tearing at the seams. A tech company gets involved, a mystery ensues, and there's plenty of action along the way. Goodnight Universe is a story about families, and how one's upbringing can shape who they become later in life. The parents of Goodnight Universe struggle with their responsibilities, trying to provide guidance for children who seem uncontrollable. It's a short story, clocking in around five hours, but packs a lot of emotion into the runtime. While the story gets side-tracked in certain sections, in ways that blur the thematic drives it's aiming for, I still enjoyed what Nice Dream crafted in this sci-fi adventure. There are controller options, but the best way to play Goodnight Universe is with a webcam. Though you'll still need some inputs for specific moments, you also get some of the blink-based controls carried over from Before Your Eyes. Blinking at a light can flick it on or off, for example, and closing your eyes over certain areas lets you rearrange them and open your eyes to a new structure, like reassembling building blocks into a tower. My favorite use of the eye controls is the telepathy mechanic, where you "tune" into people's minds by closing your eyes and turning your head like a radar dish to search for a signal. Once it locks in, you listen to their internal monologue. The effect of tuning in and hearing the voices works incredibly well with webcam detection and headphones, and makes for some really memorable instances of storytelling you can’t get in other games. However, the emotional detection options were a little more finicky. At certain moments, the player is prompted to express joy or sadness through their facial expressions, once again powered by the webcam if it is turned on. I learned quickly that I had to over-exaggerate my smile and frown for the camera to tell the difference, and those moments didn't make a significant impact for me compared to other fun baby-psychic-power segments. Most of Goodnight Universe is spent watching the world play out around you, and reacting accordingly, occasionally nudging the virtual stage play along using your psychic powers. Some choices allow you to add context and texture to your story, and what your character is feeling in the moment, but it’s ultimately a linear tale. Still, it made some of the larger emotional moments hit harder by prompting me to engage with them; determining how I thought Isaac felt, or how I felt through Isaac, created an interesting dynamic in what would otherwise have been just a digital play happening around me. The voice acting is also stellar, with the family and supporting cast putting on dynamic performances. Goodnight Universe's sound design is powerful, from the aforementioned psychic "tuning" moments to subtle bits of foley or synth soundscapes that help communicate the story around you. While it doesn't land with quite the impact that I felt from Before Your Eyes, Goodnight Universe still shows there's an impressive range of story and interactivity to explore in this space. Its hardware requirements and format justify themselves well through how the game utilizes those tools, creating truly moving moments through interactivity that you just don't see often. Goodnight Universe is a wonderful exploration of what's still possible with a simple webcam. Score: 8 About Game Informer's review system View the full article

The nominations list for the 2026 Grammy awards dropped recently, renewing the fierce yearly debates over what should win, what should lose, and what was snubbed entirely. In the gaming space, this is no different, as this year marks the fourth time soundtracks for video games and other interactive media are eligible for their own category. If you haven't seen the full list yet, here are this year's nominees. Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora - Secrets of the Spires (composed by Pinar Toprak)Helldivers 2 (composed by Wilbert Roget, II)Indiana Jones And The Great Circle (composed by Gordy Haab)Star Wars Outlaws: Wild Card & A Pirate's Fortune (composed by Cody Matthew Johnson & Wilbert Roget, II)Sword of the Sea (composed by Austin Wintory)If you've been paying attention to the games industry this year, there are a few elements of this list that feel off. The first is the release dates; three of the five games (namely Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, Helldivers 2, and Star Wars Outlaws) fall squarely out of the typical nomination window, which includes releases between August 31, 2024 and August 30, 2025. The catch, however, is that Avatar and Star Wars games got nominations for their DLC packs, which were released more recently – each base game was already nominated last year. As for Helldivers II, a game released in February 2024, my guess is that it's eligible because of its Xbox port this past August. These sorts of timeline shenanigans aren't unheard of with Grammys, even in major categories. For example, Wildflower by Billie Eilish was released on an album in May 2024, but because it was re-released as a single in February 2025, it's up for Record of the Year and Song of the Year at this year's awards. The other way this feels off, however, is the relative impact of each soundtrack across video game culture. Star Wars and Avatar feel out of place in this regard as well, as both games are relatively well-regarded but didn't have the same impact among gamers, and that sentiment extends to their soundtracks. Neither was nominated for best music at last year's game awards, for example. But less egregious than their inclusion means the exclusion of other huge games, most notably Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. It's a big enough deal that nominee Austin Wintory called it out on social media, even offering to trade his place for the smash-hit RPG. While we do think it's an oversight, Wintory's inclusion is no surprise, as he's currently tied for the most nominations in the category since its first year. You can read more on his background and approach to composition in this interview from earlier this year. The other video game-specific news from this year's Grammy nominations is that The 8-Bit Big Band, a jazz group that does covers of video game music, has been nominated in non-gaming categories for the third year. Its recent album, Orchestra Emulator, is up for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album, while the song "Super Mario Praise Break" is up for Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella. While it's very exciting to see video game soundtracks get recognized in a dedicated category, it's also exciting to see classic game songs break into more mainstream categories. You can read the full list of nominees for this year's Grammy Awards here. The ceremony will air on Sunday, February 1, on CBS and Paramount+. Which soundtracks do you think should have been included in this year's Grammy Awards? Let us know in the comments! View the full article

12 is Better Than 6 is free on Steam until November 13! 12 is Better Than 6 is a dynamic top-down shooter with stealth elements. ... View the full article

Dragon Quest VII Reimagined is the second time Square Enix has remade the original Dragon Quest VII, which launched in the U.S. on PlayStation in 2001. The first remake happened on the Nintendo 3DS back in 2016, and while it featured considerable visual upgrades, it was by and large a faithful remake of the original. Reimagined is faithful in some respects, but Square Enix has been very clear that it's meant to be a more streamlined way to play through the 100-plus-hour story of Dragon Quest VII, and it does so by streamlining the main scenario to take considerably less time to complete. The team is also doing some interesting things in combat to bring the play clock down a bit, but for this feature, let's dive into how Square Enix is reshaping the story of Dragon Quest VII to be more digestible. Contrary to what you might think, the Reimagined team didn't start by figuring out what to cut. Streamlining "We didn't really have specific discussions about which parts we wanted to remove from the game," Reimagined lead scenario writer Sayaka Takagi tells me within Square Enix's Shibuya, Tokyo, offices, a day after I played through roughly two hours of this remake. "We actually never had any discussions, or like proactive discussions at least, about which parts we wanted to remove from the game, but we did have an extensive discussion about which parts we wanted to keep in the Reimagined version." Takagi says one of the big themes of Dragon Quest VII's story is how it depicts these characters – like Hero, Prince Kiefer, Aishe, Maribel, Ruff, and Sir Mervyn – as facing significant adversity. "But another core theme of the story is that it also portrays the humanity of people in its characters, so with these two core elements in mind, we tried to understand all the essential stories of Dragon Quest VII that we wanted to keep." If you haven't played a Dragon Quest VII version before, the game certainly has an overarching story, but it's divided into subplots or arcs, if you will. Those "essential stories" Takagi is referring to are the game's various arcs and how they weave in and out of the main story. With this in mind, Takagi and the team asked other staff members developing the game and throughout Square Enix to lay out their ideas, favorite story moments, and more. "There were a lot of people saying, 'When I was playing this as a kid, I didn't really understand what the story was,' or, 'I don't really understand what the themes are, but for some reason, it's stuck in my head because it's very memorable,'" Takagi says. "So we laid out a lot of them, a lot of these story moments that fit this description, that criteria, and worked toward keeping those stories in the Reimagined version." She adds that in this process, the team also identified many story moments that didn't align with Square Enix's vision for Reimagined. Narratively, that vision includes giving players some choice in determining how they tackle the story of Dragon Quest VII. In the original release, the island-hopping story is quite linear, but in Reimagined, players have some options to shape which direction they go. "They get to choose which island they want to go to next, and in the original release, it wasn't really like that; the story moments were dependent on the order," Takagi adds. "[Because of the original's fixed story order], some of the story moments didn't make sense if we were to keep that in Reimagined [...] because in the Reimagined version, we allow players to choose which story they want to move forward with." Those story moments that didn't make sense were lowered in priority and eventually cut from Reimagined. Players can actually see a new, never-before-seen conclusion as a result of these new choices present within Reimagined's scenario, too. Rebuilding All this said, Square Enix tells me the core of Dragon Quest VII's story remains intact in Reimagined. In fact, Takagi says the scenario is the one piece of Reimagined that wasn't built from the ground up. "While our goal was to reimagine everything and revamp everything from the ground up, [...] it was never our intention to put forth significant changes to the story from the original work," she says. "Obviously, we wanted to respect and honor the original work, and we wanted to kind of maximize how amazing it was. So yeah, we remade everything from the ground up, but as for the story, it was more like rebuilding, taking it piece by piece. We never started from zero." I ask if that means putting the original script on a desk and taking what the team likes and leaving behind what it doesn't, to which Takagi says no. "It wasn't really like putting the original dialogue or original scenario side-by-side and going off of that," she says. "What we did was we started with the overview of the plot – the shorter version of the entire scenario of Dragon Quest VII – and laid out some ideas of what we could do to make the story more interesting." She says it was like creating a puzzle that the team then had to build, and it did so by switching up the order of story sequences, rewriting dialogue, reshaping plot points, and more. Each time it made a change —like switching the order of a story sequence — it required the team to examine how that affected dialogue and other aspects of the scenario, which led to cascading adjustments. I try throughout this conversation to get some specifics, but Square Enix largely keeps its cards close to its chest. However, Reimagined producer Takeshi Ichikawa, who you can read more about here, tells me one key thing: the first battle in the game will arrive considerably faster. "The amount of time it takes to get to the first battle in the game is much shorter this time around," Ichikawa says, as we both joke about how it takes far too long in the original. Fortunately, we don't have to wait long to learn specifically how streamlined the story actually is, because Dragon Quest VII Reimagined launches on February 5, 2026, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2, Switch, and PC. In the meantime, check out this article breaking down everything in the Dragon Quest VII Reimagined issue of Game Informer, and be sure to subscribe here if you haven't yet so you can access the Dragon Quest VII Reimagined cover story, our deep dive into Dragon Quest history with creator Yuji Horii, and so much more. Here are some other stories to check out: Dragon Quest VII Reimagined Will Have A New Never-Before-Seen ConclusionWho Is Takeshi Ichikawa, The Producer Of Dragon Quest VII Reimagined?What story elements of Dragon Quest VII do you hope remain in Reimagined? Let us know in the comments below! View the full article

Developer Bethesda Game Studios announced The Elder Scrolls VI more than half a decade ago, at E3 2018, but according to executive producer and game director Todd Howard, the game is "still a long way off." Howard told GQ this in a new interview, where he also teased that, when TES VI is ready for release, the company might shadow-drop it. GQ mentions Bethesda shadow-dropping The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered back in April, and asks if the company could "actually do that with" TES VI. Howard says, "You might say that was a test run. It worked out well." While not definitive, it sounds like shadow dropping TES VI is a possibility one day, but given Howard also told GQ the game is still a long way off — more than seven years after its initial reveal — it will be a while before we see anything like that happen. Elsewhere in the interview, Howard says Bethesda has "hundreds" of people working on the Fallout franchise right now, between Fallout 76 and "other things we're doing," but notes that TES VI "is the everyday thing." While waiting to learn more one day, read about some TES VI location theories, and then check out the latest TES VI update prior to today. After that, read Game Informer's Starfield review. [Source: GQ] When do you think Bethesda will release The Elder Scrolls VI? Let us know in the comments below! View the full article

PlayStation has announced that it will hold a State of Play Japan broadcast tomorrow – Tuesday, November 11 – at 2 p.m. PT/5 p.m. ET, and it will run for more than 40 minutes. However, it's a special episode of State of Play focused on games created in Japan and across Asia, "alongside a few other exciting updates." The show will be in Japanese, but a version with English subtitles will air on the PlayStation YouTube channel. The PlayStation Blog post announcing the State of Play says, "From beloved series to distinctive indie creations, the show [...] will be packed with great games, interviews, and new looks at anticipated titles." As for what those titles might be, PlayStation doesn't tease or indicate anything specific. However, this State of Play will differ in another way because Japanese voice actor Yuki Kaji, who voices Eren Jaeger and Shoto Todoroki, amongst others, will host the presentation. State of Play Japan airs tomorrow at 2 p.m. PT/5 p.m. ET. What do you hope to see during the State of Play Japan tomorrow? Let us know in the morning! View the full article

PlayStation announces State of Play Japan for November 11 | News-in-briefView the full article

Ubisoft veteran Johannes Thimme has founded Quality Time Studio, a new developer based in Lower Saxony, Germany. Read more View the full article

BioWare has reiterated that the next Mass Effect game is still in development, and that it and parent company Electronic Arts "remain committed to telling more stories in this universe." Read more View the full article

Halo Studios has announced it will be delivering the last major update to Halo Infinite this month. Read more View the full article

Grab Will Glow the Wisp for free via Steam! Will Glow the Wisp is a fun indie platformer with chill ... View the full article

Download Undercroft Warriors for free on Itch.io! Undercroft Warriors is 2d action-packed, arcade-inspired twin-stick shooter! View the full article

Halt is free this week on Indiegala! Halt is a top-down survival game with a unique lighting system and pixel ... View the full article

In this week's episode of The Game Informer Show, the crew dives into Arc Raiders, the highly anticipated extraction shooter making waves with its launch, and Dispatch, a superhero narrative adventure we're loving. Later in the show, we discuss the Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection and the games we're playing during our Game of the Year catch-up. The Game Informer Show is a weekly podcast covering the video game industry. Join us every Thursday for chats about your favorite titles – past and present – alongside Game Informer staff and special guests from around the industry. Watch or Listen to The Game Informer Show: Listen to "Arc Raiders, Dispatch, And Game Of The Year Catch-Up" on Spreaker. Follow Our Hosts on Social Media:Alex Van Aken (@itsVanAken)Marcus Stewart (@marcusstewart7)Charles Harte (@ChuckDuck365)Jump to a Specific Discussion Via Timestamps:00:00 - Introduction03:27 - ARC Raiders28:40 - MK Legacy Kollection45:39 - Dispatch01:00:24 - Game of the Year Catch-Up01:20:00 - Outro View the full article

It's November, which means we can all breathe a little because we survived the onslaught of games released in October (just don't look at our backlogs). Though November is a bit quieter than October, it still has some heaters, like Lumines Arise, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, Fallout 4: Anniversary Edition, Goodnight Universe, Possessor(s), Demonschool, and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. Okay, hold up – after typing all that out, November isn't as sleepy as I thought... Anyway, it's Friday and it's time for the weekend and our usual recommendation of games and things you should check out! But before that, here's a recap of the biggest stories of the week: Grand Theft Auto VI Release Date Delayed To November 2026The Dragon Quest VII Reimagined Digital Issue Is Now LiveDragon Quest VII Reimagined Will Have A New Never-Before-Seen ConclusionGeneral Manager Sheds Light On Future Of Marvel GamesExclusive Magic: The Gathering x Avatar: The Last Airbender Card RevealsMarvel 1943: Rise Of Hydra Release Date Delayed 'Beyond Early 2026'The Games You Should Check Out This Weekend Dragon Quest Wesley LeBlanc With the digital launch of the Dragon Quest VII Reimagined issue this week, which I wrote the cover story for, my head continues to be in a Dragon Quest space. Yesterday, while I was writing an upcoming Dragon Quest history breakout story from my 90-minute interview with series creator Yuji Horii, I learned that the original Dragon Quest is available to purchase on Switch (and playable on Switch 2), and it's on sale for $2.99 until November 20! As someone who's been consuming a lot of Dragon Quest content this month, I was thrilled to stumble across this – I had no idea I could play the original Dragon Quest so easily on my Switch 2 (and for so cheap, too)! Anyway, it's definitely an RPG from the 1980s, but man, if there isn't something incredibly charming about playing such a now-primitive game. It's a reminder of how important it is not only to look forward as someone who loves video games, but also sometimes to look back and dive into the past. It's been an illuminating experience so far playing this classic, and I recommend you do the same if you're looking forward to one day jumping into the recently released Dragon Quest I & II: HD-2D Remake (I still gotta finish III) and the upcoming Dragon Quest VII Reimagined. Dragon Quest I & II: HD-2D Remake Matt Miller While you could certainly go old-school and dig into an older version if you're looking for the pure experience (see Wesley's entry above), the brand-new HD-2D remake of the first two Dragon Quest games is a phenomenal way to experience these games, whether it's a return trip or a first visit. The new visuals are vibrant and exciting, the musical score feels epic and classic, and the adventure itself makes it clear why these games helped to launch the entire JRPG phenomenon. While simple and trope-filled in many ways, the storytelling is engaging and fun, while the combat and exploration establish the tone you'll recognize from many other later games that often didn't do it as well. Even as these two remakes do a great job of recalling the originals, there's also a wealth of updates across everything from dialogue to quality-of-life features and more. It's precisely what this duology should be - a fantastic rebuild of a couple of foundational classics. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment Kyle Hilliard I am eager to dive into Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment both for fun and for review (keep an eye out for that soon!) this weekend. I generally like musou games. I have reviewed quite a few during my time here at Game Informer, including at least one Dynasty Warriors, the first Hyrule Warriors, and both of the Dragon Quest Heroes games. I also reviewed the second Fire Emblem Warriors game for GameSpot during my time there. I am mainly just eager to be back in the world of Tears of the Kingdom, even if it's a spinoff. I will say, though, that I found the previous Hyrule Warriors game, Age of Calamity, to be a huge narrative disappointment. I really, really dislike the ending of that game. I won't spoil it here, but the developers at Omega Force (and Nintendo is to be blamed, as well) had the opportunity to create an incredible, and potentially stirring, lead-in to Breath of the Wild, one of the greatest games of all time, and they completely whiffed it. I am really hoping a similar mistake isn't made for Age of Imprisonment. I will let you know soon! The Bazaar Eric Van Allen As the year winds down, I've been venturing back to The Bazaar, an auto-battling pseudo-deckbuilder I got into, then out of, throughout the course of 2025. It's been through some ups and downs in development, and I figured, why not see where it's at as we deliberate over end-of-the-year topics? Things change and still stay the same. The Bazaar has a lot of alterations, mostly to how its progression and randomness are applied throughout runs, and what levers players have to control it as they match up against others throughout each day. The new character Jules has a fascinating mechanic where items on her board change properties depending on whether they're hot or cold, which throws a wrench (in a good way) into board-state planning. I'm not sure if I'm back at the fever pitch I was with The Bazaar compared to earlier this year, but I do think it's worth dipping back in if you fell off, just to see how Tempo has updated it over the last few months. It's made for a nice end-of-day wind-down game. View the full article

Steam giveaway alert! Bulb Boy is free this weekend on Steam! Bulb Boy is 2D point and click adventure game ... View the full article

It's November 7, N7 Day, a day BioWare and its community of fans celebrate the developer's sci-fi RPG series, Mass Effect. Sometimes, we get big updates; other times, small teases of things to come. This year, BioWare is using N7 day to announce that Amazon's Mass Effect TV adaptation will be a "brand-new story" set after the events of the original Mass Effect trilogy, meaning Commander Shepard likely won't be involved. BioWare also gave a minor update on its in-development untitled Mass Effect game, which amounts to: still working on it. "The next Mass Effect game is in development, and EA and BioWare remain committed to telling more stories in this universe," series executive producer Mike Gamble writes in the N7 Day blog post. "The truth is, the last few years have been an incredibly busy time at BioWare. But the team is heads-down and focused exclusively on Mass Effect. We have a lot of universe to cover, lots of features to build, and lots of romances to figure out. We're excited by what we're building, and we promise you: when we're ready, it'll be a lot of fun to show." On the Amazon adaptation side of Mass Effect, Gamble writes that "the show will explore a brand-new story within the universe's timeline, and will be set after the original trilogy. It won't be a retread of Commander Shepard's story – because after all... that's YOUR story, isn't it?" Though Gamble says today's N7 Day blog post doesn't feature any hidden meaning or messages, there are various letters in the text in italics, suggesting he might be telling a little white lie. We're sure the Mass Effect community will have it figured out in no time. For more, check out this trailer for the in-development Mass Effect game that teases a new trilogy, Andromeda, and maybe a new protagonist. Are you happy that the Mass Effect TV show will be an original story? Let us know in the comments below! View the full article