Author: Zach Barbieri

Sony has filed a lawsuit against Tencent, alleging that the publisher’s upcoming game, Light of Motiram, is “a slavish clone of SIE’s…Horizon series of video games.” The complaint, which was filed in the state of California, alleges that Tencent’s upcoming adventure title bears too many striking similarities to PlayStation titles Horizon: Zero Dawn and Horizon: Forbidden West from developer Guerrilla Games. The complaint outlines several similarities, including the fact that both games feature nearly identical key art of a woman overlooking robotic creatures in a valley, with the woman featured on the leftmost side of the art. Art elements, Landscapes,…

Sony Interactive Entertainment, the buildup to EVO, has given more details for their upcoming Fightstick peripheral, known now as the FlexStrike. Previously known as Project Defiant, the wireless controller was showcased during Sony’s June State of Play, during which it was also announced that Sony was partnering with Arc System Works on a 4v4 fighting game known as Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls, based on the Marvel Universe, which should be a great game to use the Flexstrike with when it releases next year. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTGmg6uYXKc Now, in the lead-up to the extremely popular fighting game tournament that is owned by Sony and…

The thing that typically turns me off about games that position themselves as realistic takes on a genre is that they often take a turn into tedium that you can only find in a video game. This was the thing that initially turned me off about Ready or Not. I understand there is an audience for a game like this, and playing through the many missions you are tasked with, I could see exactly why those people might enjoy the experience. It didn’t take me long, though to realize that it wasn’t for me. Going further into the experience than…

Developer Techland has announced that Dying Light: The Beast, the upcoming standalone title continuing the narrative of the original Dying Light and its protagonist, Kyle Crane, has been delayed by an additional month. Originally planned to release on August 22, the title has been pushed back and will now release on August 22, 2025. This news was shared via a post on Pilgrim Outpost, Techland’s official hub for the Dying Light fan community. In this post, the developer stated that they “understand that this may be disappointing,” but “our experience has shown how important the first impression is.” They go on…

Frostpunk 2, the snowcapped city management sim set in a post-apocalyptic tundra, has announced the date it will finally be arriving on consoles. The 11bit Studio-developed game will be arriving on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series on September 18, 2025, 2 days prior to the one-year anniversary of the title’s release on PC. In addition, it was announced that Frostpunk 2 will be available as a day 1 title via Xbox Game Pass. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gZY8fm0p1o In a press release from the studio, it was stated that the console port will draw from lessons the team learned from the port of the…

Any other year, and Nova Hearts probably would have hit me harder than it did. Don’t get me wrong, that isn’t indicative of the enjoyment one might derive from the experience, but following closely on the heels of Date Everything, jumping into Nova Heats as the palette cleanser lacked the oomph one might hope for, not that they are entirely the same experience. Even going back before this, games like Boyfriend Dungeon get conjured into mind. By no means a perfect game, there are elements between the two that feel similar, just less effective. What Nova Hearts manages to nail…

Lollipop Chainsaw, the 2012 hack-and-slash action game for PS3 and Xbox 360, is officially getting a sequel, as well as an anime Spin-off, more than a decade after the title originally released. Dragami Games, the successor studio to the original game’s developer, Kadokawa Games, will develop the new game. This is the same developer who handled the development of Lollipop Chainsaw RePop, a remaster of the first game that released on Console and PC last year. The action game received a cult audience back in 2012 for its upbeat, sparkly take on zombie slaying, which was juxtaposed with horror-oriented Zombie…

Minor Spoilers for Wheel World Below. Pop Quiz, Hotshot is arguably one of the most obnoxious trophies to earn in Wheel World, possibly even of a multitude of games that I have recently played. Now, in fairness, while it looks extremely daunting, actually setting up the conditions to perform and earn it is not hard. This being said, as the trophy/achievement description itself states, ‘Ride at an uninterrupted speed of 40kph for 10 minutes,’ it should be noted that in order to unlock this badge of honor, you will need to perform it in one go. Despite the uninterrupted part,…

Light spoilers for Wheel World are contained below. Wheel World has a lot to discover in its Open-World map and, for the most part, takes a minimal approach to player Exploration, with the map itself really offering no indication about where things in the world are hidden. This is a fun approach as you don’t feel bombarded with a checklist of things to complete, but in some cases, you need a nudge in the right direction. That can be the case with the secret tracks hidden throughout the world, just waiting for you to ride them. Early on in the…

One of the things I have loved about the indie space is just how game developers can take an idea, one familiar to you, and twist it on its head. Take, for instance, the magical, fantastical world of Wheel World, from developer Messhof Games, which manages to toe the line between that familiar ground and something wholly unique that you just want to get sucked into. At the core of it, Wheel World is a racing game with high-end bikes as the means to an end of getting rep, the in-game currency you need to get taken seriously on these…