On February 10, filmmaker Ruairí Robinson made a bold claim on X. “This was a 2 line prompt in seedance 2. If the hollywood is cooked guys are right maybe the hollywood is cooked guys are cooked too idk,” he wrote. The post was accompanied by a video of Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt performing a fight scene together. The clip gained attention for its apparent sophistication; it appeared well-choreographed, competently shot, and appropriately lit, which are all elements that other AI video tools have struggled to convincingly replicate. If Robinson’s claim was true, this was a significant leap forward in AI video technology. The kind of thing AI hype-men have been shilling for years and which has—until, if Robinson is to be believed, right now—turned out to be nothing more than snake oil. There’s just one problem: It’s probably still snake oil.
This was a 2 line prompt in seedance 2. If the hollywood is cooked guys are right maybe the hollywood is cooked guys are cooked too idk. pic.twitter.com/dNTyLUIwAV
Aron Peterson, a writer and software developer who has also worked in film production, post-production, and visual effects, posted a blog on his website, Shokunin Studio, questioning Robinson’s story. “The claims being made immediately rubbed me up the wrong way,” Peterson wrote. “Other demos of the Seedance model had the usual errors we have come to expect from AI video generators [but this one didn’t].” In particular, Peterson explained, “AI video generators are really bad at simulating realistic camera moves, especially handheld shaky cam,” but in the Cruise/Pitt video, “we can see the camera movement.”
So Peterson started researching Seedance 2.0, the new AI tool from TikTok developer ByteDance that’s already doing large-scale copyright infringement, which Robinson used to create the video. Peterson “hopped over to Seedance’s website and it only took 10 seconds to find green screen footage of two stuntmen performing the same fight choreography we see in the Cruise vs Pitt scene,” he said. He also posted a comparison of the two videos on YouTube.
“Was the input really just a 2 line prompt or was it actually 2 lines, green screen video footage, and face references too?” Peterson asked. “The evidence appears to show that stuntmen were filmed from several angles, that a clip had to be generated for every angle, and then finally all clips were stitched together for marketing.” Peterson’s evidence implies that the Cruise/Pitt fight scene wasn’t entirely AI generated; instead, it was probably just face replacement and background creation laid on top of footage that already existed. As TV writer David Slack put it on Bluesky, “In other words, like most AI hype — it was a con.”
Hungarian indie studio, Elder Games, employed an at-home mocap setup.
Hundreds of animations performed by the studio’s founder and his wife.
Arrives today on Xbox Series X|S.
Hey, I’m Ede Tarsoly, the Founder of Elder Games. I’ve been the vision keeper and main developer on my roguelite FPS Soulslinger: Envoy of Death – and what may surprise you, I’ve also been one of the two motion capture actors in it as well. In the game, all the male characters are played by me, while all the female characters are played by my wife. Today, I’d like to tell you about our setup, our process and how we were able to create custom animations with a mocap setup as an indie developer.
How my Childhood Curiosity Became my Studio’s Strength
I’ve been fascinated with motion capture ever since I was a kid, I always watched the extras on DVDs. The behind-the-scenes stuff was sometimes more exciting to me than the films themselves. I saw motion capture first being used in “The Lord of the Rings” and I knew right away that I really wanted to do this sort of stuff. However, the setup that needed to be involved was unattainable for a very long time. I continued watching a lot of content about the topic, and my passion never really faded away.
By the time the technology had become more available, and I finally had the opportunity to buy a motion capture suit, thanks to my publisher Headup, I was prepared. I’d basically been preparing for this my whole life!
We use a setup, where you put straps around your wrists and your head, and wear a suit on top, that marks every joint with a sensor. The gloves are put on separately and are much more sensitive.
Through a custom router all the data is fed into the computer. In a nutshell, as soon as you move, there’s a real-time representation of you on the screen that moves with you. I hit record, and it immediately captures the motions.
From Weeks of Preparation to One Day of Performance
The preparation phase always takes the longest. I usually know six months in advance what’s likely coming up, unless things change during development. It’s “develop, develop, develop” until a cutscene comes up, and I’ll do nothing else for two or three weeks except that one cutscene. Then it’s back to development, which is of course still the biggest part of my work. We’re still making a game, not a movie.
Especially for longer prerendered cinematics, I need to know well in advance. The 3D models, scripts voice lines all need to be ready.
Our writer, Michelle Clough, creates a very detailed script right out of the gate. She usually adds little notes like “make this cool,” which then is up to the voice actors and me. It’s always a collaborative effort, where we try to come up with something to make the script shine.
I usually choreograph an entire scene from start to finish. For example, I’ll note that a character comes in from the right while another comes from the left, so I have to walk a certain number of meters. Practicing the movements before recording usually takes three to four very intense days, repeating it over and over until it’s perfect. For example, the intro scene of the pirate character – I could tell you the entire conversation of it by heart, I’ve listened to it so many times – is an uncut two-minute scene that needed to be meticulously prepared, down to the last motion.
But it’s not just the script and stage directions that need to be good to go. One thing I learned early on from the extras of old Disney DVDs, is to send the script to the voice actors, record their performances, and then animate to the voice performance afterwards. That way, actors can perform freely instead of lip-syncing to pre-made animations. The actors already embody the characters so well, that listening to their recordings on loop while performing really inspired my motions during mocap.
Additionally, I also developed a distinct motion style for each character. The villain is very upright and calculated. The main character is closer to my natural movement. The pirate is very animated and expressive. I’m not an actor, but I try to make each character as unique as possible. Zombies and skeletons are my favorite though, with their twisted, exaggerated motions.
After all the preparation and practice, recording day is just one day. Thanks to all the preparation, I usually have the perfect recording after two or three takes. Then, I import everything into Unreal. From there, it’s about placing the camera and characters, which usually takes another two days.
Making the Invisible Visible
During motion capture, weight matters. If you pretend to hold a gun, the motion feels artificial. This is why I worked with a metallic replica of the revolver in the game. It’s heavy, so when you move with it, your body compensates naturally, and the motion looks real. Another character has a huge knife, so we tried to find something in the house that matched it and ended up using a big bread knife.
For the scenes where props can’t help you, we had to be creative to make non-existent things exist. For example, there was a scene where a spell pulls the character backwards. My wife tied ropes around my arms and pulled me while I resisted. In mocap, it looks like magic pulling the character. In another instance, for a floating enemy, I simply stacked boxes and acted on top of them.
We also did some stunts. I put a mattress on the ground for scenes where a spell knocks the character back. As it turns out: falling looks quite silly until you try to do it correctly. Of course, you instinctively try to protect yourself, but that looks bad in-game. While the end result looks great in the game, I don’t think I’d recommend this method to anyone – and I probably wouldn’t do it again!
Doing It for the Game
Overall, even while it takes a lot of time, effort and organizing, I really did enjoy every second of it, because it is something I deeply care about. A lot of people ask how I can do so much programming, writing, choreographing, and acting and I always just tell them: “It’s easy, because it’s for my game.”
I’ve only used my setup for Soulslinger: Envoy of Death so far but having a remote capture kit has already influenced what kinds of projects I’m thinking about next. It’s a strength of our studio, and I really want to plan even more projects around it. I’m so excited that Soulslinger: Envoy of Death is finally launching on Xbox Series X|S today. It is truly a work of passion, from the code to the self-recorded animations. I hope you will enjoy my wild west roguelite FPS experience and have as much fun with the game as we had creating it
Soulslinger: Envoy of Death
Headup
☆☆☆☆☆
★★★★★
DEATH IS CALLING – WILL YOU ANSWER?
Become an Envoy of Death, able to unleash the incredible powers that will make you the most dangerous soul in Limbo. Upgrade your character’s abilities to become the ultimate Soulslinger and take on thrilling challenges in a bloody war against the criminal cartel of the afterlife!
MEET STRAY SOULS AND MAKE ALLIES OR ENEMIES
Step into the rich and immersive world of Haven, filled with mysterious NPCs who hold the secrets to its dark history. Be wary of the allies and enemies you make as every encounter might shape your journey ahead. In this mesmerizing western-fantasy world, you will experience a tale of despair, loss, and one man’s obsession with cheating death itself.
CRAFT YOUR WEAPONS AND RISE TO VICTORY
Forge your own destiny with every run by crafting powerful weapons and unlocking permanent upgrades in Haven. Grow stronger with every new challenge and become an incredibly deadly gunslinger. Get ready for a fast-paced rogue-like FPS experience you won’t ever forget!
KEY FEATURES:
• Fast-paced, story-driven roguelike FPS set in random sequences of rooms built in a unique western-fantasy world
• Customize Soulslinger through a deep upgrade system
• Experience a tightly written story filled with loyal allies and charismatic villains. The story adapts to what you do in the roguelike gameplay
• Tons of gun fodder creeps that attack in waves, spiced up by challenging elite mobs
If you haven’t already, there’s no better time to start monster huntin’ than now. Starting today and running through Saturday, Best Buy is offering the PS5 version of Monster Hunter Wilds for just $19.99. This is by far the lowest price I’ve seen for the wildly popular PS5 game, the previous low being $30 during Black Friday.
Monster Hunter Wilds for PlayStation 5 for $19.99
Monster Hunter Wilds (PS5)
0
It’s easy to see why Monster Hunter is one of Capcom’s best selling IPs. Monster Hunter Wilds is the latest game in the franchise and continues the series’ trademark action-adventure gameplay of hunting down fearsome monsters and grinding for better loot. This open-world game offers dozens of hours of exploration, exciting combat, excellent creature design, statisfying loot progression, and most importantly, cats!
According to How Long To Beat, the main story takes 17 hours, with another 13 hours to tackle all of the sidequests. Completionists should expect to spend a whopping 90 hours to reach 100% and attain that Platinum Trophy. At just $20, it’s absolutely worth adding to your collection.
Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn’t hunting for deals for other people at work, he’s hunting for deals for himself during his free time.
Gamers have been getting hit hard for years, thanks to Bitcoin, COVID, NFTs, and more affecting GPU price and availability, and things aren’t letting up. The rapid investment in Artificial Intelligence (AI) has pushed the tech world into a major chip shortage that has sent the price of memory chips–the stuff that makes up RAM and SSD storage–skyrocketing. It’s a problem that will eventually affect all kinds of consumer electronics.
This could mark a huge turning point for games.
The Eaters of Memory
First, let’s talk about the chip shortage itself. AI (setting aside the confusion that term causes) is everywhere, with data centers going up daily to support it. The massive data centers required to run AI applications are filled with server computers, and the component that allows anyone in the world to request an image of Sonic the Hedgehog delivering a baby while SpongeBob holds his hand is RAM.
Run, jump and flip gravity to escape the mind of a selfish god.
Themes of isolation and childhood struggles in a treacherous world.
Experimental narrative channeling influences from Silent Hill to Satoshi Kon’s filmography.
Love Eternal,releasing on Xbox One today,is a psychological horror platforming game set in a mysterious and ancient dilapidated castle, which serves as the prison of our abductee protagonist Maya. The predicament of Maya, an American teenager who gets spirited away in the middle of dinner from her suburban family home by a callous and jealous god, is quite the emotional whiplash for anyone, but to what end must Maya endure these trials?
Today I’ll dig into the diverse influences and ingredients that the developers of Love Eternal, brlka, mixed together in order to serve up an unsettling journey with an experimental narrative where you truly won’t know what next to expect.
For starters, brlka, comprised of siblings Toby and Sam Alden, conceived of Love Eternal as an evolution to an older platforming game they made together, simply titled Love. The original Love, made almost a decade ago, shares mechanical roots with Love Eternal in that both are platformers in the vein of masocore (a portmanteau of masochism and hardcore) inspired from the 2000s freeware era of games like Jumper, an early platforming game by Maddy Thorson long before the likes of Celeste, and the Knytt series from Swedish developer Nifflas.
screenshot of the original Love
These masocore challenges – and the effort required to overcome your initial apprehensions at seemingly insurmountable platforming arcs – traditionally serve as a meditation on a rhythmic cycle of failing, observing one’s mistakes and mental lapses, and returning to the breach. With Love Eternal, however, brutality in platforming is the scaffolding for Toby, the game’s principal programmer and designer, to hang the quiet terror of the game’s narrative dressing.
screenshot of Love Eternal, released today
Love Eternal’s influences gel together with considered curation – yet it’s also accurate to say, “These are just the movies and TV that Toby was watching at the time of development!” Either way you see it, the influences that run in Love Eternal’s blood include significant works from the esoteric works of Kiyoshi Kurosawa, particularly “Pulse” (2001); the fever dreams of “Twin Peaks” season 3 and “Paprika” (alongside all of Satoshi Kon’s other animated movies); and the inimitable 1998 anime “Serial Experiments Lain”.
The common thread is how these pieces of media parlay psychological horror, even though horror wouldn’t be considered each work’s principal genre. As it appeared to Toby, psychological horror was seemingly underrepresented in precision platforming, and they decided to use horror to express the narrative in deeply uncanny ways.
Toby has described the essence of the Love Eternal experience as the feeling that one gets after experiencing a nightmare that, when described to another person, that other person would not find immediately apparent as to what was scary about the nightmare, even though one’s direct participatory experience of the nightmare is charged with a curdling unease.
To my eye, having seen the Aldens repeatedly discuss their development journey, the themes of Love Eternal have emerged organically during development, rather than being explicitly designed into the game. For example, the theme of isolation stands out through the visual design and structural composition, with the cavernous environments of the god’s castle imposing upon the miniscule Maya who is comparatively only a few pixels tall.
The juxtaposition of Maya – who is still a child – and her isolation in the vast castle ruins viscerally convey how children often lack physical and mental autonomy, and must submit to the whims and mercies of higher powers, parents or otherwise. Taken from the view of an adult – and likely worsened if a player has the experience of parenthood – Love Eternal’s lens of childhood is abstractly horrific.
There’s horror even in the experience of a child learning to inhabit and occupy their own body as it grows and contorts in unexpected ways, though that horror isn’t explicitly violent. Even simple experiences like losing your baby teeth as new ones push out, or the awkwardness of reconciling with the image of one’s rapidly morphing body during puberty can be strange and unnerving markers of growing up.
Such is the flavor of unusual, lightly grotesque expression of body horror conveyed by Love Eternal’s gorgeously expressive pixel aesthetic and animation. This is all crafted by Sam, a professional animator and artist whose experience spans across work like the aforementioned Love to well-known franchises like “Adventure Time”.
Through character animation, Sam pushes how characters’ bodies can be depicted in pixel art, forming a sense of the uncanny with his subtle explorations of how even mundane things might move and writhe. As an example, not too far into Love Eternal’s introductory stages, Maya will come face to face with a distorted version of her father with freakishly elongated limbs, and even in the confines of pixel art, watching this man creep around like a spider (and not like your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man) tended to raise some hairs amongst those who’ve already experienced the demo of Love Eternal.
This uncanny aesthetic dovetails into Love Eternal’s mechanical and narrative pillars for an experience that careens from somber, melancholic and ominous to bizarre, spine-chilling and occasionally unhinged. Ultimately, the team at brlka and I are confident that just about no one will be able to predict the ways in which the experience of Love Eternal unfurls its twisted tendrils.
We’re excited for players to gear up for the unrelenting challenges and eerie narrative of Love Eternal, now that the game’s out on Xbox One today!
LOVE ETERNAL
Ysbryd Games
☆☆☆☆☆ 2
★★★★★
$9.99
$8.49
Wander a castle built of bitter memories in LOVE ETERNAL, a psychological horror platformer with devious trials and an unsettling, experimental narrative.
Run, jump, and reverse the flow of gravity itself to escape the mind of a selfish god in this challenging precision platformer. Play as Maya, a child stolen from her family on the whim of a lonely, forsaken deity, and make your way through over 100 screens filled with spikes, lasers, switches, and traps as you unravel the horrifying secret of your new prison.
Will you find your way home, or wander these halls carved of memory forever?
Death Howllaunches –today, available Day One with Xbox Game Pass. Step into a spirit world that shows no mercy. And honestly? That’s exactly how it’s supposed to be.
But here’s the thing: despite being brutally difficult, Death Howl doesn’t feel unfair. At least, that’s not how I experience it, and I hope you won’t either. Let me explain why.
The Open World
Most deckbuilders follow a familiar loop: start a run, die, start over from the beginning. It’s effective, but it can feel repetitive – especially when you hit a wall and keep banging your head against a particular encounter. Death Howl takes a different approach. Because it’s set in an open world, when you stand next to a battle you can’t win, you have options. You can wander into a different biome, hunt new spirits, craft stronger cards, experiment with fresh deck synergies, and then return when you’re ready.
We tried to avoid grinding in the traditional sense and instead aimed for exploration with a purpose. At the same time, the world doesn’t reset. Your progress persists. You’re not starting over; you’re adapting and learning.
A Fair No Mercy
Death Howl earned its “no mercy” reputation honestly. Enemies respawn when you rest at Sacred Groves. Every mistake gets punished. Common encounters, not to mention Boss fights, demand pattern recognition and tactical precision on a grid where positioning matters as much as cards and decks tailored to match the given enemy type.
But the game is fair. When you die – and you will die a lot – you respawn right before the encounter that got you. You keep your deck. You keep your knowledge. You drop “Death Howls” (our version of well-known souls), but you can retrieve them, just like in… well, you know what I’m talking about.
But you’re not locked into one path. If a particular enemy type is giving you trouble, you can experiment. Start with the battle itself – position yourself differently on the grid at the start, or, in some cases, walk around the location and approach that group of foes from a different side. But you can also pivot entirely. Explore further, build a poison deck instead of a strength-based one. The spirit world and the challenge are yours to navigate, however you choose.
How We Accidentally Made a Soulslike
I’ll be honest – we never set out to make a soulslike. We wanted to create an open-world alternative to traditional roguelite deckbuilders, something inspired by Dream Quest, Magic: The Gathering, Final Fantasy Tactics, and Breath of the Wild.
But as the design evolved, soulslike elements emerged organically. Testers kept telling us, “This feels like a soulslike.” At first, I was confused – I wasn’t even that familiar with the genre. But they were right.
The Sacred Groves that heal you but respawn enemies. The emphasis on learning enemy patterns – dodging a boar’s frontal charge, or positioning yourself behind foes with an exposed back to deal more damage. The way death teaches you rather than punishes you. It all clicked.
So we leaned into it. We embraced the tension, the deliberate pacing, the rewarding loop of observation and adaptation. But we did it our way – turn-based, tactical, card-driven.
A World Born from Grief
Underneath all the mechanics is Ro’s story. She’s a mother who’s lost her son, and she’s willing to walk through the spirit world itself to bring him back. It’s a deeply personal narrative about grief, resilience, and unconditional love.
The world reflects that sorrow. And the minimalist, woodcut-inspired pixel art uses shadows and negative space to create a realm that feels haunting, ethereal, and alive. We wanted the gameplay to mirror Ro’s internal struggle. The punishing difficulty isn’t arbitrary – it could be perceived as the weight of her journey. Every victory feels earned because it is.
Whether you’re a deck-building veteran, a soulslike enthusiast, someone who just loves tactical combat with meaningful stakes, or enjoys bold genre blends, Death Howlhas something for you. And with Day One availability in Xbox Game Pass, there’s never been a better time to step into the spirit world.
Our small, three-person team poured everything into this game – art, music, design, emotion and a lot of love. It’s a reflection of our creative journey as indie creators. We hope you’ll find something here that resonates. See you in the Spirit World.
Death Howl
11 bit studios
☆☆☆☆☆ 26
★★★★★
$19.99
$15.99
PC Game Pass
Xbox Game Pass
Step into the myth-shrouded lands where the hunter Ro begins her journey to bring her son back from the dead. Immerse yourself in the depths of the Spirit World, fractured into 4 realms and scarred with 13 distinct regions. Confront over 30 enemy types and harness the potential of more than 160 cards, forging unique archetypes and a multitude of powerful combinations. A dark journey awaits you, spanning 25+ hours of gameplay, with numerous enthralling side quests and grim boss battles.
Master Your Deck-Building Skills
Craft over 160 cards and fashion synergistic decks that focus on poison, strength, sacrifice, retaliation, backstabbing, blocking, movement, and more. Discover shamanic totems with unique effects to enhance your deck. Each new element allows you to tailor your tactical style as you prepare for your next deadly encounter.
Engage in Grid-Based Combat
Face a host of restless spirits – Skulldogs, Crackle Bursts, Woeful Seashrooms and more – in grid-based battles where each move is crucial. Test your wit by fighting unique enemy types, powerful bosses, and mini-bosses, all while taking into account environmental hazards and boons. Grow stronger, adapt your deck, and choose your battles as you explore a vast world filled with dangerous challenges.
Journey to the spirit realm
In forgotten lands shrouded by myth, Ro – a hunter from a small tribe – is overcome by grief following the death of her beloved son. Guided by voices from another world, she transcends into the realm of spirits, in hopes of bringing him back. Meet strange spirits and help them with quests and challenges that affect your deck – although not all of them may have your best interests at heart. Discover a mysterious world of forgotten lore, where darkness whispers secrets and invites you to unearth buried memories.
When the website of Highguard suddenly began blaring that it was “unavailable” not long after news broke of layoffs at developer Wildlight, you could have been forgiven for thinking a Concord-style pulling offline might be in the shooter’s near future. That doesn’t look to be the case, though, with the studio having just announced a couple of new additions set to arrive in the game this week.
Every big game studio is currently trying to figure out if genAI tools are the real deal and how they can be used to help make games more quickly and efficiently. The Elder Scrolls 6 and Fallout 5 director Todd Howard recently pushed back against suggestions that the LLM boom is just a “fad” but said that just where and how AI might be implemented into the game development pipeline is still far from clear.
“It’s certainly not a fad,” he said in a February 18 interview with Kinda Funny Games. “I think the AI answer now becomes ‘ask me in six months,’ right? It changes so much what you’re seeing out there. For us, we’re being incredibly cautious.” He confirmed that Bethesda is experimenting with AI for data-heavy tasks but keeping it out of the creative department, at least for now.
“We can’t ignore it, in terms of it’s coming, it’s changing, every few months there’s a new model, particularly on the tech side with code or productivity or other things,” Howard said, adding, “it can help us get better at some big data tasks that just take us a lot of time, that we wish were done now so we can move onto the creative stuff.”
At the same time, the veteran RPG designer confirmed AI isn’t being used to create anything that goes into Bethesda’s games. He didn’t get into the nitty-gritty about whether it’s being used for concept art references or placeholder text, but did suggest the company doesn’t see the technology as a potential replacement for human-made art.
“We’re not using it to generate anything,” Howard said. “I think there’s an element of artistic intention that is essential to what we do and what others do. And if you look across things outside of AI, go back a hundred years, this idea of craftsmen, I still think craftsmen, and that handcrafted human intention, is what makes things special, and that’s where we want to be.”
Speaking in generalities is one way to avoid the hot water some game company leaders have gotten into by embracing AI experimentation. Some evangelists are predicting computer gods and mass unemployment by 2030. My only hope is we’re playing The Elder Scrolls 6 by then.
Hello again, PlayStation VR2 players! We’re bringing Rager to PS VR2 on March 5, and we can’t wait for you to feel what rhythm-driven combat really means.
Rager is a music-driven VR brawler where the rhythm is never background noise. Every strike, block, and dodge is tied directly to the soundtrack. Enemies attack in sync with pounding basslines and war drums, and your survival depends on whether you can match that timing with precision.
This is combat built on control and awareness. You step into a shifting digital arena as robotic adversaries close in from every direction. The world forms around you as the music builds, then collapses back into the void when the fight is over. The next track begins, and the pressure starts again.
No room for hesitation
At launch on PS VR2, Rager includes a full campaign of 12 hand-built levels and three boss fights that escalate the pressure with every track. Each level locks you into a specific weapon and forces you to commit. There is no switching mid-fight. You adapt or you fail.
The weapon in your hands changes the fight completely. Sword and Mace demand precision, striking independently with clean, deliberate timing. Axe and Hammer require both hands and full-body movement, rewarding committed swings with crushing impact. Claws and Fists pull you into close range, where attacks come faster and hesitation disappears. Every weapon shifts your stance, your reach, and your rhythm. You are reading the beat while reading the enemy, adjusting your timing in real time as attacks come from every direction.
Freestyle mode opens another 12 levels from the start, giving you the freedom to choose your weapon and push your limits. Online leaderboards track every run. When a fight ends, you know exactly where you lost time. If your timing slips, you feel it. If you land clean, you feel that too. Rager rewards discipline. The tighter your movement, the harder it hits.
The PS VR2 experience
Rager is built around clarity, feedback, and physical commitment. On PS VR2, those elements come through at full strength.
The game runs at a native 90Hz, keeping movement smooth and responsive during the fastest exchanges. When attacks come from multiple directions and the beat accelerates, you need stability. Native 90Hz ensures that what you see and what you feel stay locked together, frame by frame.
HDR support deepens the contrast of the arena, sharpening silhouettes and impact flashes against the darkness. Dynamic foveated rendering powered by eye tracking keeps your focus crisp exactly where you’re looking, so telegraphed strikes stay readable even in chaotic moments.
Then there’s the feedback.
Advanced haptics in the PS VR2 Sense controllers reinforce timing in your hands. A clean strike lands with weight. A blocked attack sends resistance through your grip. Headset rumble adds force to heavy blows and boss slams, grounding you in the center of the arena. The result is combat that feels anchored. When you commit to a swing, you feel the consequence.
For players who chase mastery, Rager includes a full trophy list, culminating in a Platinum trophy that rewards precision, discipline, and complete control of the rhythm.
On PS VR2, every strike carries weight, every block carries resistance, and every mistake carries consequence.
The arena opens March 5
Rager rewards players who stay sharp under pressure. When the tempo rises and attacks close in from every direction, hesitation costs you. Clean timing wins fights. Control keeps you standing.
We’re proud to bring Rager to PlayStation VR2, and we’re excited to see how this community rises to the challenge. If you’re ready to test your timing, your stamina, and your control, we’ll see you in the arena on March 5.
Embark on an epic adventure in Under the Island! A 2D action-adventure steeped in ‘90s charm, step into the shoes of Nia, and battle fierce monsters, solve clever puzzles, and explore a world alive with mystery as you race to save your new home before it’s too late.
Uncover a Sinking Mystery Step into the role of Nia, a newcomer to Seashell Island – and join forces with local girl Avocado to investigate an ominous fate – the island’s destined to sink beneath the ocean! Explore colorful regions, battle strange creatures, and uncover the ancient mysteries that could threaten your new home. Hamster Hunter
Classic Top-Down Adventure Journey across a lush island, brought to life with vibrant pixel art and timeless top-down exploration. Delve into hidden corners, uncover secrets, and face dangerous foes across diverse, interconnected biomes.
Six Distinct Regions to Explore From eerie sentient greenhouses, to frozen caverns, and chaotic sawmills, each biome holds its own dangers, upgrades, and treasures to uncover! Become the champion of the cook-off, reunite lost cats, and dodge the rage of the cereal pirates.
A Cast of Memorable Characters Meet the island’s quirky inhabitants, each with their own personality, story, and a role to play in your adventure. Forge friendships, lend a hand, and see how they can aid you in return.
Features and System Requirements:
Explore a mysterious island filled with secrets hidden beneath the surface.
Survive harsh environments by gathering resources and crafting useful tools.
Uncover ancient ruins and strange phenomena as the story slowly unfolds.
Face environmental dangers and unexpected challenges while exploring underground areas.
Atmospheric visuals and calm exploration blend with mystery and survival elements.
Screenshots
SystemRequirements
Minimum
OS *: Windows 7/8/8.1/10 x86/x64
Processor: Intel Core i5-3210M (2 * 2500) or equivalent
Memory: 4 GB RAM
Graphics: Intel HD 4000
DirectX: Version 9.0c
Storage: 1 GB available space
Support the game developers by purchasing the game on Steam
InstallationGuide
TurnOff Your Antivirus Before Installing Any Game
1 :: Download Game 2 :: Extract Game 3 :: Launch The Game 4 :: Have Fun 🙂
Dive into PvP combat driven by abilities, combos, and JoJo-inspired movesets, where every character offers a unique experience. Experiment with everything at your disposal to master all the available skills. If you need help, The Lost Adventures codes will give you plenty of free Yen, Locacaca Fruit, and Strange Arrows.
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If you need some preparations for the intense fights that await you as soon as you enter the game, drop by The Lost Adventures Trello board and find all the information you need on Stands, battle mechanics, maps, NPCs, and a whole lot more.
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Insider Trading is a roguelike deckbuilder where you bend the market to your will. Synergize perks, manipulate stock prices, and trade wisely or risk pricing yourself out. A stock-themed roguelike deckbuilder where the market you create can just as easily crush you. Poppy Playtime Chapter 5
Insider Trading is a deckbuilder about manipulating the stock market. Each run you play as a trader with a unique strategy and a deck of market-moving cards. Play your hand to move prices, controlling how the market reacts. Greed acts like rocket fuel, accelerating gains and risk. Only you can decide when to cash out and secure your profits.
Your Cards Break the Market
This is not a trading simulator. It is a deckbuilder built with your choices. Between market days, you enter the Aftermarket to draft cards from different pools, often taking upside alongside risk. Some cards strengthen your deck. Others weaken it. When the market opens, the deck you built is the only thing shaping price movement.
Strange Characters
Each character is a maverick trader with a unique approach to the market. Get to know their quirks as you play. Their starting decks and special mechanics open up new possibilities, encouraging strategies you might not try otherwise.
Precision Over Power
Command the market in each run, creating opportunities and risks as you build towards your weekly financial target. Push too hard and the cost of entry skyrockets. Play it too safe and the market slips away.
Is This Trading?
Nope. Insider Trading is a razor-sharp roguelike deckbuilder dressed up like Wall Street. Outplay the market, amass a fortune, and make Warren Buffett cry. The best part? You won’t lose your life savings playing it.
Features and System Requirements:
120+ cards to pump, crash, and exploit prices
60+ stackable pills and perks for wild synergies
Unlockable characters with unique decks and mechanics
Combo system rewards smart positioning
Disruptive events like recessions that can derail a run
Multiple difficulty levels for hardcore challenge
Screenshots
SystemRequirements
Minimum
OS *: Windows 7, 8, 10, 11
Processor: Dual Core CPU
Memory: 2 GB RAM
Graphics: OpenGL 2.1 compatible graphics card
DirectX: Version 9.0
Storage: 500 MB available space
Support the game developers by purchasing the game on Steam
InstallationGuide
TurnOff Your Antivirus Before Installing Any Game
1 :: Download Game 2 :: Extract Game 3 :: Launch The Game 4 :: Have Fun 🙂
This time 10 years ago most of my PC Gamer colleagues were addicted to Devil Daggers, a lo-fi survival FPS whose grimy low-poly art style beat the current early 3D nostalgia wave by at least four years. It’s pretty simple: you stand in a flat and featureless arena and fend off increasingly nasty waves of eldritch foes with magical daggers. The object is to stay alive for as long as possible.
This description undersells how moreish Devil Daggers is. Let me turn to Chris Thursten, who declared it his favourite game of 2016. “It’s Pure Quake, basically,” he wrote. “It is to Quake what the blue meth in Breaking Bad is to regular meth, except it’s real.”
For Devil Daggers’ 10th birthday, creator Sorath has revealed that 1,472 people have survived 500 seconds in Devil Daggers without dying. More than 350,000 people have played the game in total, Sorath also confirms, so surviving that long is quite the achievement.
Sorath also confirmed that Devil Daggers 2 is currently in development. “Today seems like a good day to announce that we are working hard on Devil Daggers II,” they wrote.
Sorath has released one other game since Devil Daggers, in the form of Hyper Demon. It’s kinda similar to Devil Daggers except the art style seems more belonging to a lost generation between Quake and Quake 2. It’s nausea-inducing in an exciting way, and if you’re watching it being played it kinda looks like a psychedelic demoscene visual more than a game. Hyper Demon also got a free 1v1 version, if STRAFTAT is too uptight for you.
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
Magic: The Gathering packs come in a few shapes and sizes (we covered the excellent Jumpstart Boosters for the Avatar: The Last Airbender set recently), but Collector Boosters are the most expensive.
Now, though, Amazon not only has Avatar Collector Boosters in stock, but it’s selling a box of 12 at a discount with a 16% saving off the list price.
Avatar Collector Booster Box
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Avatar Collector Boosters Are On Sale At Amazon
That brings a Collector Booster box down to $384.62 from $455.88. It’s still super expensive, but it’s admittedly slightly easier to swallow.
It drops the price per pack from $37.99 to $32.05, which is a steep enough drop to almost pay for a whole Play Booster with the money you save – imagine that.
So, what’s the deal with Collector Boosters? Why does a box of 12 command a fee of over $450 when Play Boosters can be had much cheaper?
In truth, it’s because the most valuable cards from the Avatar: The Last Airbender set are much, much more likely to be found in Collector Boosters. They contain all manner of special art treatments, including those controversial ‘Source Material’ full-art cards (no, we still can’t love them either).
The cards remain functionally the same as buying Play Boosters, but as the name suggests, these ones are aimed at collectors of Avatar superfans. We don’t often give advice, but if you do buy them, please try and put them in a sleeve to keep them in the best condition possible!
Lloyd Coombes is an experienced freelancer in tech, gaming and fitness seen at Polygon, Eurogamer, Macworld, TechRadar and many more. He’s a big fan of Magic: The Gathering and other collectible card games, much to his wife’s dismay.
Bethesda boss Todd Howard has provided an update on The Elder Scrolls 6, promising it will return to the “classic style” of Bethesda RPGs after Fallout 76 and Starfield each took a “creative detour.”
Appearing on the Kinda Funny Gamescast, Howard said Fallout 76 and Starfield were “a little bit of a creative detour from kind of that classic Elder Scrolls, Fallout, where you are exploring a world in a certain way.”
As reported by Kotaku, Howard added that players can expect Bethesda to get back to those roots with The Elder Scrolls 6. “We are coming back to that classic style that we’ve missed, that we know really, really well,” he said.
I’ve been shying away from The Killing Stone because it’s a deckbuilding card battler, and we do get a lot of emails about those. The game launches into Steam early access today, so it’s time to have a proper gander. Ho now! This is a deckbuilding card battler… set in a mansion somewhere in the Arctic during the 17th century… created by Question Games, developers of ‘unfinished game’ game The Magic Circle and weird suburbia sim The Blackout Club. Yes, the same Question who were founded by people who worked on Bioshock, Thief and Dishonored.
What’s more, The Killing Stone reminds me of Inscryption, in that it appears to be divided between a hellish table-top game and hellish goings-on in the world around that table-top game. To be specific, you’re playing that table-top game against a series of demons, with the souls of the cursed Svangård family hanging in the balance.
Starting today, Xbox Insiders in the PC Gaming Preview can try postgame recaps in the Xbox PC app on Windows. After you finish a play session, you may see a quick recap that highlights moments from that session—like captures you took, achievements you unlocked, and relevant in‑game events—plus an option to share feedback so we can keep improving the experience.
Postgame recaps are designed to show up only when they’re useful—not after every game. You’re most likely to see a recap when you take a capture through Game Bar or unlock an achievement. On your first time playing a game (and occasionally after that), you may also see a short check‑in and recommendations for other games you might enjoy.
You’re in control of what you see. You can turn individual recap types on or off in Settings > App > Postgame recaps to tailor the experience to your preferences.
To support postgame recaps, the Xbox app may run in the system tray while you play so it can show the recap after you exit your game. We’ve optimized this to minimize memory and performance impact. If you opt out of all postgame recap types, the Xbox PC app will no longer start in the system tray when you launch a game.
We’d love your feedback—tell us what you found helpful, what felt unnecessary, and what you’d like to see after future gaming sessions.
How to Get Xbox Insider Support and Share Your Feedback
We want to thank all the Xbox Insiders for the feedback you share with us. If you’re an Xbox Insider looking for support, please join our community on the Xbox Insider subreddit, where official Xbox staff, moderators, and fellow Xbox Insiders are there to help. We recommend adding to threads with the same topic before posting a brand new one. This helps us support you the best we can! We’re grateful to our Insider community for the helpful feedback you provide, it continues to shape the future of Xbox.
For more information on the Xbox Insider Program, follow us on Twitter at @XboxInsider and keep an eye on this blog for all the latest news.
Other resources:
For more information: follow us on X/Twitter at @XboxInsider and this blog for announcements and more. And feel free to interact with the community on the Xbox Insider SubReddit.
The long wait for Replaced was almost over, until now. The beautiful pixel art action platformer’s March launch has been pushed back by the developers following feedback on a recent Steam demo. “The response to our Steam demo has been the ultimate fuel for us,” Sad Cat Studios wrote on Wednesday.
“As a small team working on our very first title, we’ve poured everything we have into this project,” reads the studio’s announcement. “While the game is technically finished, reaching this final stretch has shown us that we need just a few more weeks to ensure the experience is exactly what you deserve. We want the version of Replaced you play on day one to be polished, stable, and true to the vision we’ve shared with you. Instead of March 12, the Game Pass release will now arrive on April 14.
Replaced began development back in 2018, was revealed at E3 2021, and promised for a 2022 launch. Lofty ambitions and things like the Russia-Ukrainian War torpedoed those plans. After waiting an extra four years, what’s one more month?
The action-adventure’s Steam demo has gotten generally positive feedback. The 2.5D art, cinematics, and mood have all been praised. The combat, however, might leave something to be desired. According to some demo reactions at least, Replaced‘s mechanics might be a bit repetitive and undercooked compared to its visual aesthetic. If accurate, it wouldn’t be a huge surprise for a game like this.
But sometimes style and vibes are enough. I hope that’s the case with Replaced.
This year is promising some great PlayStation 5 games – our Most Wanted Games of Early 2026 is easy proof of that. But we’re only just getting started. There’s so much more on the way, and with PS5 not only home to the biggest releases but also an exciting hotbed of super cool indie titles, it’s only fair to give you an enticing glimpse at why we’re so hyped for the coming months.
Coffee Talk Tokyo | May 21 | PS5
If you’ve ever wanted to safely talk to yokai about their lives (or afterlives) over a cup of joe, then pull up a seat at the Tokyo cafe Chorus Worldwide has set up. If you’re not familiar with the lovely Coffee Talk series, this iteration continues its calming narrative, where you prepare and serve drinks to supernatural customers seeking chilled conversation and warm contemplation.
Fishbowl | April TBD | PS5
As odd as its title might sound, Fishbowl carries a depth that’s already caught the eyes and tugged at the hearts of those who’ve played it. Exploring a journey of grief and self-discovery, the two-person studio of imissmyfriends promises a thoughtful and emotional visual novel. A coming-of-age tale set over a month, Fishbowl features sorting-and-matching puzzle gameplay elements, but, most importantly, it aims to teach players that taking things one day at a time is sometimes the only way to move forward.
Hela | TBD 2026 | PS5
It’s entirely possible that when you first heard the title of this 3D co-op adventure, images of Nordic fire and brimstone came to mind. But never fear, Hela is pretty much the opposite. In fact, the only Scandinavian landscapes that have inspired this wholesome journey are those that have you reaching for the Create button for a revisit. Windup’s beautiful-looking escapade of puzzles and teamwork – via either local split-screen or online if you want to bring a buddy – lets you become a sickly witch’s mousey familiar, brewing healing potions and helping the local village with acts of kindness.
Inkonbini: One Store. Many Stories | April TBD | PS5
Need space for a cosy gaming experience? Nagai Industries has you covered with this nostalgic slice-of-life narrative, where human connections created by everyday events are entirely the point. Inspired by early 1990s Japan, Inkobini sets you in a small-town convenience store where you not only go through the meditative routine of preparing the shop for customers, but also hear their tales and forge relationships. The branching narrative shapes your conversations as you help the neighbourhood grow and thrive.
Mina the Hollower | Spring 2026 | PS5, PS4
One of the most anticipated titles of 2026, Yacht Club Games’ action-adventure blends an 8-bit aesthetic with modern design sensibilities, a combination that helped Shovel Knight become such a beloved indie darling. Genius inventor Mina isn’t just a dab hand with weapons like her Nightstar whip and daggers, but can also use her hollowing ability to burrow underground – perfect for mixing up combat and traversal in the many dungeons of the cursed Tenebrous Isle. Fan favourite musicians Jake Kaufman (the Shantae series) and Yuzo Koshiro (Streets of Rage/Shinobi series) are also along for the adventure’s infectiously slick soundtrack.
Mortal Shell II | TBD 2026 | PS5
Let’s step away from the cosy side for a spell, and get our hands a little dirty with the sequel to Cold Symmetry’s original action-RPG. While standalone from its predecessor, Mortal Shell II continues to deliver the unflinching fights, nightmarish enemies, and haunting open world that fans previously enjoyed. The corpses of departed warriors are yours to awaken and possess to utilize their many abilities. Finishers have been upgraded, and the stamina gauge has been removed to speed up combat. Oh, and there are firearms, too, so your bloody quest to reclaim the Undermether’s stolen eggs gives you a chance to introduce the likes of shotguns and rapid-fire crossbows to your foes.
Mouse P.I. For Hire | March 19 | PS5
Evoking the hand-drawn aesthetic of classic 1930s cartoons, Fumi Games’s first-person shooter blends detective noir storytelling with all-action blasting. If you like jazz, machine guns, grizzled narration, and oversized white gloves, then Mouseburg will be your home away from home. But be warned – just like the animation it apes, this is a game where almost anything can happen.
Never Grave: The Witch and The Curse | March 5 | PS5, PS4
There’s something special about a game that knows how endearing it is, and this vibrant 2D search action roguelike truly owns its charm – or should that be ‘curse’? Simply put, you control a magical hat with the power to possess your foes and use their abilities to venture through ruins, botanical gardens, and more, to help rebuild your ruined village. And what’s better than one cursed hat? Well, bring three friends along for the multiplayer mode and find out.
Ontos | TBD 2026 | PS5
When Frictional Games announced it would be unleashing the spiritual successor to 2015 sci-fi horror Soma, any eager anticipation was rewarded with the first glimpses of Ontos. Swapping underwater chills for a desolate moon base, this disturbing narrative-driven adventure challenges you to scavenge materials, operate machinery, and make moral choices that could result in grave consequences as you delve deeper into the mystery of a failed mining colony.
Out of Words | TBD 2026 | PS5
Easily one of the most unique-looking games in this list due to its eye-catching stop-motion and handcrafted visuals, Out of Words lives up to its title with two protagonists without mouths. In a quest to restore their voices, you and a friend take control of Kurt and Karla in a co-op platform adventure packed with puzzles and environmental challenges, testing your communication and coordination. And beneath the giant fish, tense set pieces, and physics-defying traversals, beats a tender story of connection and love, too.
Over the Hill | TBD 2026 | PS5
It couldn’t have been easy to follow the stylish racing game art of rally, but developers Funselektor Labs and Strelka Games have made something decidedly different, albeit still on four wheels. Over the Hill focuses on exploration and discovery, with a deliberately paced drive through a wilderness of dynamic weather, day/night cycles, and terrain deformation. It’s not a race – it’s all about the journey, upgrading and customizing your vehicle, taking in the scenery, and even joining up to three friends to see what awaits past the sunset.
We might be buzzing to get our hands on these games (and many more, coming), but what about you? Which indie titles are you looking forward to playing in 2026?
Prepare to jump to lightspeed with a head start—use Ship Defense Simulator codes to load up on credits before the first wave hits! This isn’t just your average tower defense; it’s a high-stakes tactical showdown set in a universe far, far away.
Stop dodging fireballs for a paycheck and start dodging the grind by snagging some free loot in our Roblox Codes hub.
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