Author: Zach Barbieri

Developer Hanger 13 and publisher 2K have released a new trailer for the next entry in the long-running Mafia franchise, Mafia: The Old Country. Additionally, it was announced that players will be able to plan their trip to Sicily for August 8, 2025, on the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTmJDf6CuZs Alongside this trailer comes a statement from Hanger 13 president Nick Baynes, who described Mafia: The Old Country as being: Focused, linear experience that combines quality storytelling, authentic era immersion, and a refined take on the familiar Mafia gameplay. That focus allows us to deliver a story that’s…

Where the player completes the opening hours of Spirit of the North 2, when the stakes are fully established before the tranquility of platforming that had come before, there is this fade to black moment. Having not played the previous entry despite having bought it on a summer sale, what had come before had set a very convincing and straightforward tone. You play as a fox, explore beautiful lands, and then hit the next roadblock and need to find your way through. Simply Enough and reminded me of Okami. That being said, the first few hours I had invested in…

Grand Theft Auto VI released its long-awaited second trailer yesterday, which has already amassed over 70 million views on Rockstar’s YouTube account and is building even more hype for the title, which is now set to release on May 26, 2026. Near the end of the trailer, in some small text, it is stated that the trailer is captured on a base PlayStation 5 console, sparking some debate, considering just how technically impressive it is, that a PlayStation 5 could handle it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQRLujxTm3c Some fans suggested that this footage might be captured on the more powerful PlayStation 5 Pro, or…

In the latest in a series of videos called Creator’s Voice, Final Fantasy Remake director Naoki Hamaguchi discussed the upcoming rerelease of Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade, making its debut on a Nintendo Console for the first time after being much requested. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wm68MEd3d5c Intergrade was the expansion of the initial 2020 PS4 release of Final Fantasy VII Remake, which followed the party’s escape from the city of Midgar and initial conflict with the antagonist organization Shinra. This portion of the 1997 original series only takes up about 2-3 hours of the first disk, encompassing around 40 hours here and making…

Developer Starbreeze has entered into an agreement to fully acquire the rights to publishing rights to their game, Payday 3. This will see them take this role from Embracer Group-owned publisher Plaion. The developer has stated this move will allow them to “pursue broader strategic opportunities,” amid financial concerns for the game after the title saw a massive decrease in sales from $44.5 million in 2023, down to just $7.7 million in 2024. Starbreeze has conceded that Payday 3 was underperforming well below expectations within only a few months of release in September of 2023. Earlier this year, the studio…

After a long wait, and shortly following the announcement of Grand Theft Auto VI being delayed in 2026, Rockstar Games has officially released the second trailer for the game. This should hopefully give fans something to hold them over as we await the official release date of May 26, 2026. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeurNpMkA3c Similar to how Rockstar has done it prior, the second trailer for the game focuses on the narrative of the game and out two new protagonists, lovers Jason and Lucia. While there is no prominent timeline of the game available, it suggests, similar to the previous trailer, that Lucia…

The classic Sega game Ecco the Dolphin is set to return some 25 years after its last appearance on the Sega Dreamcast. It was announced that the original 1992 Sega Genesis game, as well as its 1994 follow-up, Tides of Time, will be getting remastered. Better yet, it was announced that a brand new game in the series is in development, adding Ecco to the list of Sega classics set to make a comeback, alongside Jet Set Radio, Shinobi, Crazy Taxi, and more. It is unclear at this time if Sega is involved with the Ecco the Dolphin Remasters This…

Despite Microsoft having made clear that they support generative AI over the past few years, it appears that this has yet to on any significant role across the development studios at Xbox. According to the head of Compulsion Games, developer of the recently released South of Midnight, there have been no mandates made for studios to incorporate generative AI into their games. Similar to other tech companies, Microsoft itself has ventured into the development of AI toolsets, having built and deployed several that they say will bolster video game development. Earlier this year, the company unveiled what it called MUSE,…

Microsoft has announced a remaster of the 2006 franchise, spawning game Gears of War. entitled Gears of War: Reloaded. The upgraded version of the title will include improved visuals and audio, as well as cross-play and cross-progression functionality. It will also include all of the DLC content that has previously comprised the Ultimate Edition version of the game. It will be available on August 26th for the Xbox, PC, and PlayStation, making it the first time the series has crossed console lines, though it had previously been rumored Gears of War: E-Day will follow suit. Mike Crump, the studio head…

Some games you don’t really have an expectation for what you expect when you start to play them. Revenge of the Savage Planet developed by Raccoon Logic, was pretty much that for me. I knew of it, I was interested in it, but having never played the original, I was pretty much going in blind. I had no idea if my time in outer space would reward me, and how addicted I would get to the loop of discovery and unlocks I would get, pushing my time well beyond what I had initially planned to put in, yet here we…