Guardians of the Galaxy Is the Mass Effect Game You Didn't Know You Were Missing
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, a 2021 third‑person sci‑fi shooter, surprisingly mirrors many Mass Effect mechanics, from dialogue wheels to squad command powers. The game lets players control Star‑Lord while influencing teammates like Gamora and Rocket, creating a loyalty dynamic reminiscent of Shepard’s crew. At roughly twenty hours of linear gameplay, it offers a concise alternative while fans await the next Mass Effect entry. Discounts of up to 85% on Nintendo eShop, Steam, and Xbox stores make it an attractive stopgap for sci‑fi RPG enthusiasts.
Jack Black Should Play This Yakuza Icon in a Live-Action Adaptation
Jack Black announced his desire to join a live‑action adaptation of Sega’s Yakuza series, specifically targeting the eccentric side character Gondawara, famed for a diaper‑fetish side quest. The actor believes his over‑the‑top comedic style fits the role’s absurdity. The article...
Pokémon Pokopia and More Nintendo Switch Games Are on Sale at Target
Target is offering a limited‑time promotion for its Circle members: buy any two Nintendo Switch or Switch 2 games and receive a $30 discount. The deal, which runs until April 5 at 2:59 a.m. EST, includes high‑profile Switch 2 titles such as Pokémon Pokopia and Mario Kart World,...
Fishbowl Review: Heartfelt Indie Turns Social Isolation Into Wisdom
Fishbowl, an indie life‑simulation game from imissmyfriends.studio, launches on April 2 for PlayStation 5 and Windows PC. The title recreates pandemic lockdown by tasking players with daily chores and emotional choices that affect the protagonist’s mood. Its narrative‑driven design uses simple minigames...
Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen Were Primarily Designed for Girls and the Elderly
A newly translated 2004 interview reveals Game Freak intentionally designed Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen for girls and seniors, not just the original boy‑centric audience. Difficulty was softened, recurring recaps added, and UI elements simplified to accommodate longer play intervals and limited controller...
Marathon Review Scores Are Trending up, Which Locks It for the 2026 Game Awards
Bungie's extraction shooter Marathon has seen its Metacritic score climb to 74, signaling a positive shift in critical reception. While sales remain modest, the game's growing popularity among gaming journalists is boosting its visibility ahead of the 2026 Game Awards....
April Fools' Day Video Game Announcements Don’t Have to Suck
April Fools’ Day jokes are increasingly being used by game publishers as covert product teasers rather than mere humor. The article cites examples such as Nintendo’s faux turn‑based Yakuza 7 hint, Larian’s whimsical promotion of Baldur’s Gate 3, Capcom’s fan‑driven Resident Evil Requiem...
Indie Games Will only Save Us if Anyone Funds Them
Epic Games recently laid off more than 1,000 developers, sparking hopes that indie studios could revitalize a struggling industry. However, the shutdown of Ivy Road—founded by The Stanley Parable creator Davey Wreden—illustrates that indie developers still grapple with the same...
Dragon Age 2 Never Played It Safe — and That's What Made It Great
Dragon Age 2 broke BioWare’s traditional formula by limiting player choice to a single human protagonist and embracing a tragic, seven‑year story arc. Developed under a 14‑to‑16‑month crunch, the team treated the game as a first draft, sacrificing polished environments for...
Best Xbox Game Pass Games to Play This Weekend (March 27-29 2026)
Xbox Game Pass highlighted three standout titles for the March 27‑29 weekend: rhythm‑action hit Hi‑Fi Rush, the visually striking RPG Child of Light, and the Assassin’s Creed: Ezio Collection. Hi‑Fi Rush recently survived a studio shutdown thanks to Krafton’s acquisition, sparking sequel hopes. Child of Light, a 12‑year‑old...
Slay the Spire 2's Worst Character Just Got Much Better
A new beta‑branch patch for Slay the Spire 2 restores the zero‑energy cost of the Prepared card, addressing player outcry over its recent nerf. The change revives the discard‑driven engine of Sly decks, which many consider the game’s weakest character archetype....
Steam Dev: Fans Have Spent a Year Bullying Me, Calling Me Racist
Milky Way Idle developer Cheze banned a high‑spending Chinese player in June 2025, sparking an organized harassment campaign that included a review bomb, slurs, and accusations of racism. The backlash, driven largely by Chinese gamers, overwhelmed the indie studio’s global...
New Star Fox Game Coming to Switch 2 in 2026, Leaker Says
A reliable Nintendo leaker has confirmed that a new Star Fox game will launch on the upcoming Switch 2 this summer, featuring classic on‑rails shooter gameplay and online multiplayer. The title is expected to be officially unveiled in April, following a surprise‑drop...
Slay the Spire: Downfall Board Game Expansion Adapts a Fan-Made Video Game Mod
Content creator Gary Dworetsky’s Downward expansion for Slay the Spire: The Board Game raised $3.8 million on Kickstarter in just three days, bringing a fan‑made video‑game mod to the tabletop. The expansion lets players act as heroes or dungeon bosses, adds...
Where Is Persona 6 and Why Hasn't Atlus Announced Anything in Years?
Atlus has yet to officially announce Persona 6, despite lingering fan speculation and subtle teasers in recent marketing material. The studio’s focus this year has been on Persona 4 Revival, a remake announced at the Xbox Partner Showcase, but its release window...
Stranger Than Heaven Trailer Reveals RGG's Latest Will Span 5 Time Periods and Cities
During Xbox's Partner Preview on March 26, Sega and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio unveiled a new trailer for *Stranger Than Heaven*, an action‑RPG set across five distinct time periods between 1915 and 1965. The narrative will travel through five Japanese...
The Expanse: Osiris Reborn Release Date Update Announced Alongside Closed Beta
The Expanse: Osiris Reborn, developed by Owlcat Games, is slated for a spring 2027 release and will launch a closed beta next month. A new trailer showcased cover‑based shooting, space‑flight, and familiar locations from the Expanse universe, drawing clear parallels...
Epic Games Store Giving Away Two Very Positive-Rated PC Games Right Now
Epic Games Store is giving away two Very Positive‑rated PC titles—cozy ocean‑colony sim Havendock and retro space shooter Hyper Echelon—free through Thursday, April 2. The promotion runs for one week, requiring users to claim the games via the Epic client. Both...
Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War Has Retro Looks and Modern Edge
Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War, developed by Auroch Digital and Dotemu, launches as a retro‑styled first‑person shooter that satirically mirrors the 1997 film’s anti‑war themes. Drawing design inspiration from a 1999 Halo demo, the game blends classic 2000s shooter mechanics...
Fortnite Developer Epic Games Lays Off 1,000 Staffers, Citing 'Industry-Wide Challenges'
Epic Games announced it will lay off more than 1,000 employees, citing a downturn in Fortnite engagement that began in 2025 and broader industry challenges. The company reported $6.01 billion in revenue for 2025 but said spending on the live‑service game...
GTA 6 Fans Have some Wild Theories About Adult Content in the Game
Rockstar Games is slated to launch Grand Theft Auto 6 on November 19, 2026, featuring a dual‑protagonist couple, Jason and Lucia, set in a modern Vice City. With only two trailers released, fans on the GTA 6 subreddit are debating whether the game...
Slay the Spire 2's Worst Card Has Become an Explosive Debate
Polygon reports that the Silent’s Snakebite card has ignited a heated debate among Slay the Spire 2 players. The card applies 7 poison, costs 2 energy and is retained, while its upgraded form adds 10 poison for the same cost. Critics...
Arc Raiders Flashpoint Update Tease May Confirm an Unpopular Fan Theory
Arc Raiders' upcoming "Flashpoint" update appears set to release Shredders from the Stella Montis facility, confirming a long‑standing fan theory about the map’s underground connections. The teaser hints that the Shredders will also spread to the Blue Gate map via tunnels, making...
Fez 2 Was Never Meant to Be, but We Didn't Need It Anyway
Fez debuted in 2012 as a groundbreaking indie puzzle platformer that let players rotate 2D worlds to reveal hidden 3D pathways, quickly becoming a hallmark of the indie boom. Two years later, creator Phil Fish publicly announced the cancellation of...
A Pokémon FireRed Failure that Could only Happen in 2026
A Switch player lost his entire Pokémon FireRed progress after switching to another game because he never manually saved and the port lacked autosave. The mishap highlights the contrast between modern consoles that rely on seamless autosave and retro titles that...
Final Fantasy Type-0 Should Have Been the Future of Final Fantasy
Final Fantasy Type‑0, a 2011 spin‑off set in the Fabula Nova Crystallis universe, combined a school‑life narrative with military‑styled combat and an ensemble cast, offering a fresh direction for the franchise. Its class‑based combat system and nuanced spell upgrades delivered strategic...
Marathon Completely Changed My Mind About Extraction Shooters
Bungie's new extraction shooter Marathon overturns genre stereotypes by rewarding ruthless play and deep narrative hooks. The game replaces loot‑centric progression with contract‑driven incentives that push players to betray one another for credits and gear. Its darkly comedic satire of...
Square Enix's The Bouncer on PS2 Was a Major Inspiration for Kingdom Hearts
Square Electronic Arts released the PS2 beat‑em‑up *The Bouncer* in March 2001, a visually striking but combat‑light title that fell short of expectations. Directed by veteran Square and fighting‑game designers, the game’s two‑hour runtime was dominated by cinematic cutscenes, with actual...
Minecraft 2 Movie Has Cast Alex, Tapping Kirsten Dunst to Star with Jack Black
Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary have confirmed Kirsten Dunst will portray Alex in the upcoming Minecraft sequel, joining returning star Jack Black as Steve. The original A Minecraft Movie grossed over $960 million worldwide, setting high expectations for the follow‑up slated...
Marathon's Ranked Mode Homework Explains Holotags, Score Targets, and Penalties
Marathon’s ranked mode launches on March 21, introducing a point‑based competitive system that hinges on holotag tiers and loot performance. Bungie released a one‑page Ranked Calculation Worksheet to clarify score targets, overperformance capacity, and penalties for under‑achievement. Players must meet gear‑ante...
Elder Scrolls 6 Is Bethesda's Main Focus Right Now, Says Todd Howard
Bethesda confirmed that The Elder Scrolls 6 is currently the studio’s primary focus, with most of its development staff and partners dedicated to the project. Todd Howard explained that the game has moved beyond pre‑production into a phase where playable builds...
Lingokids Is a Great Option for Parents Looking to Foster Healthy Gaming Habits
Lingokids, a tablet‑based edutainment platform, is positioning itself as a pre‑Switch gateway for young gamers, offering Marvel‑themed activities and other licensed content. The service reaches roughly 20 million children each month, with 14‑17% encountering iconic characters for the first time within...
Arc Raiders Dev Embark Studios Re-Recorded Lines After AI Voice Controversy
Embark Studios announced that Arc Raiders has removed several AI‑generated voice lines and replaced them with recordings from professional actors. Studio head Patrick Söderlund described AI as a production aid for testing dialogue, not a substitute for talent. The company...
5 Free Games on Steam You Can Play Right Now (that Are Actually Good)
A new roundup highlights five free games that just launched on Steam in March 2026. The list spans genres—from the PvP naval combat of Pirate Ships and the minimalist puzzle logic of Netoo, to Konami’s realistic baseball simulator eBaseball: Pro...
At Fate's End Is the Best Game at GDC 2026
Thunder Lotus Games unveiled a playable demo of *At Fate’s End* at GDC 2026, positioning it as the event’s standout title. The 2D action‑adventure blends classic Metroidvania traversal with a story‑centric investigation system that uses clue cards to unlock narrative beats....
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Devs Reveal the Secret Behind How the Game Was Made
At GDC, Sandfall Interactive disclosed that 95% of *Clair Obscur: Expedition 33* was built using Unreal Engine Blueprints, allowing a four‑person programming team to deliver a feature‑rich RPG. Technical director Tom Guillermin and senior programmer Florian Torres explained that only minimal custom C++...
The Resident Evil Requiem Trick that Makes It Easier to Aim Grace's Gun
Resident Evil Requiem has become Capcom's fastest‑selling title, yet many players miss a subtle combat trick. Holding the aim button briefly before moving the gun narrows the reticle, which not only improves accuracy but also increases damage and stagger. The...
Ditto's Transformation in Pokémon Pokopia Raises Big Questions About Its Stomach
Pokémon Pokopia reimagines Ditto’s inventory by treating its satchel as an internal stomach, allowing items to be stored and retrieved via the Stockpile move. The game reveals that Ditto’s belly functions as a pocket‑dimension, with no item type restrictions and...
Mega Evolutions Are Pokémon's Most Annoying Battle Gimmick
The Pokémon Presents stream on Feb. 27 unveiled Mega Garchomp Z for Pokémon Legends: Z‑A, marking the latest addition to the franchise’s Mega Evolution line. Introduced in 2013, Mega Evolutions let roughly 90 Pokémon temporarily boost stats by about 100 points, but the mechanic...
Mr. Mime Is a Godawful Mime in Pokémon Pokopia
Pokémon Pokopia gives Mr. Mime full spoken dialogue, abandoning his classic silent‑mime role. The change clashes with decades‑old fan expectations for the character’s pantomime identity. While the game excels in richly voiced NPCs and open‑world immersion, the misstep highlights tensions between...
I'm In Love with Your Dead Grandmother Review: Somehow More Offensive than It Sounds
Polygon’s Random Select column examined the indie dating‑sim I’m In Love with Your Dead Grandmother, a live‑action visual novel that pits a clueless 28‑year‑old against an unsettling quest to court his date’s grandmother. The game’s absurd scenarios and crude humor...
Scream, FNAF Star Matthew Lillard Reveals the Games that Changed His Life
Polygon launched a new video series called Shelf Quest, inviting celebrities to revisit the games that shaped their lives. In the premiere episode, actor Matthew Lillard walks through Videogamesnewyork, recalling his journey from early arcade titles like Pong and Donkey...
Best Xbox Game Pass Games to Play This Weekend (March 6-8 2026)
This weekend’s Xbox Game Pass lineup highlights three standout titles: the classic Resident Evil 2 remake, the visually striking indie sequel Planet of Lana 2, and the genre‑defining deck‑builder Slay the Spire. While newer releases like Pokémon Pokopia and Slay the Spire 2...
Nintendo Sues US Government over Donald Trump's Illegal Tariffs
Nintendo has filed a lawsuit against the United States government alleging that tariffs imposed under former President Donald Trump's executive orders violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). The complaint, lodged in the United States Court of International Trade,...
Marathon’s Alien Enemies Could Get Very Weird, if the Original Trilogy Is Any Guide
Bungie’s upcoming Marathon reboot blends classic extraction‑shooter mechanics with deep sci‑fi lore, introducing alien S’pht enemies and mysterious cosmic forces. Season 1’s Cryo Archive promises an end‑game zone where players confront an entity that even the UESC fears, while Season 2’s Nightfall...
Sony's Testing PS5 Game Dynamic Pricing, Reports Shows
Sony is quietly testing dynamic pricing on its PlayStation Store, showing different prices for the same game to different users. The A/B test covers 139 titles, including first‑party hits like God of War Ragnarök and The Last of Us Part 2, across 68...
Marathon's Vault Stash Is Too Small and Too Cumbersome
Marathon’s vault, the central inventory hub, begins with 160 slots, but high‑slot items like assault and sniper rifles consume eight slots each, quickly filling the space. The UI compounds the problem: identical icons for different implants force players to hover...
Overwatch's Jetpack Cat Has a Hidden Weakness You Can Never Counter
Jetpack Cat, the newest Overwatch hero, boasts a tiny, fast-moving hitbox and a powerful Catnapper ultimate, but she can be instantly killed by moving map traffic such as trains and cars. Players on Busan's Downtown map have reported the hero...
What's Free on the Epic Games Store Today? (March 5)
Epic Games Store is giving away two titles for free this week. The idle D&D title Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms receives the Raistlin’s Renown Pack, a DLC bundle valued at over $100, available until March 12. The comedic...
What Marathon’s Creepy Moth Loading Screen Means, According to Bungie
Bungie confirmed that Marathon’s eerie moth loading screen draws on the historic 1947 Harvard Mark II computer bug, using the insect as a visual metaphor for debugging. Creative director Julia Nardin explained the clip functions as a “sense‑mem,” an abstract dream‑like...