Gamereactor UK

Here are all the highlights from tonight's Xbox Games Showcase

magnus@gamereactor.eu (Magnus Groth-Andersen) — Sun, 07 Jun 2026 20:46:22 +0200

Xbox wraps up this summer's line-up of showcases (unless Nintendo ends up stealing the show), and it's done so with a bit of a bang. Even though there's turmoil behind the scenes due to a major management shake-up, and perhaps a different strategy too, tonight's show was, to put it mildly, wild.

We got new trailers for Fable, {Clockwork Revolution}, and {State of Decay 3}, but there were also brand-new games like Senua and {Persona 6}.

You can see the collection of the biggest trailers below.

What did you think of the show?

{Gears of War}: E-Day kicks off a packed showcase

When The Coalition said this was the very beginning of the iconic conflict, they meant it. Here we have our soldiers in civilian clothes just minutes after it all kicks off. It's out on October 6, and it's an Xbox exclusive.

Hayley Atwell plays a central role in Fable

Fable is unfortunately not due out until 2027, possibly to avoid {Grand Theft Auto VI}, but we can see that Hayley Atwell plays a central role in the game. It's out on February 23.

{Halo: Combat Evolved} has new content and arrives on July 28

The rumours turned out to be true; {Halo: Combat Evolved} is coming to PS5, Xbox Series, and PC on June 28, along with new content.

{Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy} arrives in August

Yes, things are continuing to get busier and busier in late summer. The game lands on August 27.

{Persona 4 Revival} has a new cast and a release date

Finally, we were treated to a proper look at {Persona 4 Revival}, a complete remake of the classic. It won't be a "shadow drop" as many had hoped, but it will be released at the end of February.

{State of Decay 3} has received a gameplay trailer and is coming in 2027

No, there wasn't suddenly a release date for {State of Decay 3}, but we now know it's coming to PS5 as well, and that it's happening in 2027.

{Metro 2039} has been given a release window

We've been waiting very patiently for gameplay from the upcoming {Metro 2039} after the reveal itself was a bit light on actual details. But we got it, along with a promise of a February launch, which is technically a slight delay.

Koei Tecmo is officially working on {Wo Long 2: Wings of Ember}

Wo Long flew under the radar for many, but it has been revealed that it is now officially getting a sequel from Koei Tecmo, which looks quite promising.

A third Hellblade game titled "Senua" is coming in 2027

Xbox has started to tease 2027, and it's doing so via a brand-new Hellblade, which appears to be far more combat-oriented, and it's also coming to PS5. It's simply called "Senua", and you can see it below.

{Doom: The Dark Ages} gets a major expansion in a month

The Doom story isn't over, clearly, and we're continuing with a major expansion that carries the narrative forward. The best part is that it's already coming on July 7, and you can watch the trailer below.

{Crazy Taxi}: World Tour has been officially unveiled

It's finally time for Sega to bring back some of their classic IPs, and we're well underway with {Crazy Taxi}: World Tour, which is set to launch next year.

Microsoft unveils special transparent Xbox Series X and controller

It'll probably be impossible to get hold of, but this November we'll be treated to a 25th-anniversary Xbox Series X with a matching controller in a stunning transparent green. Fans are sure to drool over this collector's item.

Magicians: The Devil's Deal

At first we thought it was Judas, but it turns out that Focus Home Interactive's Magicians: The Devil's Deal has a strong vibe of both that and BioShock. You can take a look below.

{Valor Mortis} gets a release date

We've seen {Valor Mortis} a number of times, but now we know that, like pretty much every other game, it's coming out on September 24.

{Castlevania: Belmont's Curse} has been given a release date

We've been waiting quite patiently for a new Castlevania, and now the latest instalment has been given a release date. More specifically, Belmont's Curse lands on October 15, and it looks brilliant, to say the least.

{Persona 6} has finally been revealed

So it happened. After what feels like many, many years of waiting, Atlus has finally acknowledged that {Persona 6} exists. They didn't do much more than that, though, as we saw no gameplay, were given no release window, and learnt little more about the game's actual plot or characters.

{Spyro: A Realm Beyond} has been revealed

Most people had probably guessed that Toys for Bob were working on either {Crash Bandicoot} or Spyro, and it turned out to be the latter. What we're getting isn't a remake, but a brand new game in the series, and it's coming out quite soon.

{Clockwork Revolution} is an Xbox exclusive and is coming out next year

It turned out that it wasn't just {Gears of War: E-Day} that's exclusive to Xbox, but also {Clockwork Revolution} from inXile. It has, however, received yet another wild gameplay trailer, showing just how much freedom you actually have. And yes, it's coming out in 2027.

{Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4} closes with DMZ

The new DMZ segment closed this year's show, and what a spectacle it turned out to be. It appears to be a completely new venture, moving the franchise slightly away from battle royale, and you can watch it below.

Duskfade Interview: Chatting inspiration, difficulty, runtime, AI, and more with Weird Beluga

ben@gamereactor.eu (Ben Lyons) — Sat, 06 Jun 2026 23:00:00 +0200

While we don't see as many 3D platformers like we used to during the golden era of the PlayStation 2, there are still highlights that arrive and make it clear fans continue to adore and enjoy this slice of the gaming sector. Astro Bot entertained many a couple of years ago, Donkey Kong Bananza followed suit last year, and this is all while the indie and AA space served up a slate of enjoyable experiences too, including Yooka-Replaylee and Bubsy 4D.

Soon, developer Weird Beluga will be flexing its creative muscles in this area too, as the studio will be launching Duskfade, a 3D platformer that aims to pay homage to the golden era of this sector, seeing an adorable character taking on a larger-than-life mission, battling enemies and bosses, and travelling across a multitude of varied and unique realms and levels. Needless to say, it looks like a real treat if you enjoy these types of games.

With Duskfade set to launch in 2026, on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and now also on Nintendo Switch 2 as well, we had the luxury of being able to speak with narrative designer Ricardo Chorques Mesa, all to learn more about the game. We spoke about its inspirations, the developer's philosophy on difficulty, runtime, how Weird Beluga treats AI, and more. You can see the full conversation below.

Gamereactor: Being an action platformer, were there any games that you took inspiration from or wanted to emulate for Duskfade?

Chorques Mesa: "We like to talk proudly about our main references, which would be Jak & Daxter and Ratchet and Clank in terms of gameplay, and Kingdom Hearts as a reference for art and mood. Of course, we have also drawn inspiration from many other platformers such as Mario Odyssey and Astro Bot. We have also looked at combat references like the Souls series, or Alice: Madness Returns for the way it blends platforming, action, and narrative."

Gamereactor: How does having unique realms allow you to flex your creative skills and what kind of major unique challenges will each realm throw at the player?

Chorques Mesa: "We have always known that one of our greatest strengths is the game's art. From the very first prototype it already looked incredible, and it has only gotten better since. While having so many different biomes can be a challenge, we greatly value variety and the ability to surprise players with landscapes and visuals that stay burned into their memory. But it goes beyond just the environment, having such varied settings means that both enemies and mechanics can take on unexpected and fun shapes and behaviours.

"Each level has its own threats and challenges: lava waves, corrupted automatons, living chess pieces, platforms that are mirages..."

Gamereactor: With action-based combat in mind, what's your philosophy on difficulty for Duskfade and making the game applicable to a wide audience?

Chorques Mesa: "We have always been very clear that we wanted an experience that would be fun for all kinds of players, but that would also reward more experienced ones with advanced routes and movement options. If you know how to make the most of Zirian's toolkit, you'll be able to blaze through levels at lightning speed, and by smartly combining his combat abilities, enemies won't be able to even scratch you.

"This holds true for Duskfade's narrative as well. A younger audience will be able to enjoy and fall in love with the story and its characters, but it may be the slightly older players who truly connect with its message of family, love, and loss."

Gamereactor: How linear is Duskfade and does the game offer unique ways to venture 'off-the-beaten-path', if you will?

Chorques Mesa: "Both the story and the levels are played in a linear fashion. However, every setting is packed with secrets that you may not be able to reach at that moment without the help of an ability unlocked later in the game. That's why it's always a good idea to revisit previous levels in search of valuable upgrades or amazing cosmetics. Additionally, each setting hides a Time Rift where you can put your mastery of combat and platforming to the test."

Gamereactor: How long do you expect a playthrough of Duskfade to take?

Chorques Mesa: "Based on the playtesting sessions we have recently conducted, we can confirm that Duskfade's runtime is between 15 and 20 hours, depending on how many secrets you choose to hunt down."

Gamereactor: What is Weird Beluga's stance on using AI in game development?

Chorques Mesa: "At Weird Beluga, we stand against the use of AI. Every part of the game has been crafted by hand and with as much love as we could pour into it."

Gamereactor: What's one part of Duskfade that you feel people should be talking about more?

Chorques Mesa: "We love the balance we have achieved in the game between combat and platforming, and nowhere is that better showcased than in the boss battles. Both minibosses and bosses combine frantic combat sections where attacking and dodging are key, with platforming sequences where speed and precision will be essential to victory.

"Another aspect we are obsessed with is the 'clockpunk' aesthetic, as everything in the game revolves around time and clockwork. Even Zirian's sword, called "Minutero", is shaped like a clock hand!"

Thanks to Weird Beluga Ricardo Chorques Mesa for taking the time to answer our questions. Duskfade will soon be coming to PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, with new plans to also bring the game to Nintendo Switch 2 devices too. Stay tuned for more from the game as we near its launch date.

Summer Shows: Expectations and hopes for June 7th's Xbox Games Showcase

magnus@gamereactor.eu (Magnus Groth-Andersen) — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0200

Although we no longer call it "E3", and although a huge exhibition hall in the heart of Los Angeles is no longer being hired to host a series of key publisher-specific showcases, the spirit of that show, thankfully, lives on. This is primarily thanks to Geoff Keighley, who has virtually taken over with his "Summer Game Fest" concept, but also because the other major players, as if by magic, continue to schedule their shows around the same time, just digitally.

So we'll be covering all of these shows, and through a series of articles we'll be preparing for each one together. Practical info on where and when, as well as a few predictions on what we're likely to see, and perhaps a dream hope or two, that's the plan, so let's get started with this summer's shows!

What, Where, When

Microsoft's Xbox Games Showcase will take place on June 7 at 18:00 BST/19:00 CEST. It can be viewed on all the major streaming platforms, and Xbox itself provides links to YouTube and Twitch.

Let's just get it straight what Xbox itself says about the show, so we can set the scene for what to expect:

"It's time for another look at the future of gaming - the Xbox Games Showcase 2026 will air on Sunday, 7 June, starting at 10am Pacific / 1pm Eastern / 6pm UK time. It will be followed immediately by a deep dive into the return of one of Xbox's most legendary franchises in the form of Gears of War: E-Day Direct. We'll begin the day with our annual Xbox Games Showcase, including first gameplay looks and huge news on upcoming titles from our first-party studios across the Xbox family, as well as our third-party partners around the globe - from the biggest franchises to soon-to-be indie darlings. Immediately following the Showcase, we'll delve even deeper into one of the games coming later this year, directly from the team behind the Gears franchise, The Coalition Studio. Gears of War: E-Day Direct will take players to the start of Emergence Day, offering new details, gameplay and insights into the hugely anticipated origin story of the Gears of War saga."

We expect a show that will run longer than State of Play but shorter than Summer Game Fest, so around an hour and a half, though this has not been definitively confirmed. However, it appears they are sticking to the format from previous events, where we see a broader show followed by a segment dedicated exclusively to Gears of War: E-Day.

Specific Expectations

Now we know what it's all about and when the show is taking place, so what do we expect to see?

We know for certain that Gears of War: E-Day will take centre stage, and we also know that Microsoft plans to launch the game this year, so it seems quite obvious that it will be given a release date and that all questions regarding gameplay will be answered.

Furthermore, we also know that Halo: Campaign Evolved will be part of the show, and given that leaks have pointed towards a launch as early as July, it also seems likely that the game will be showcased and given a date.

We know that although Fable has been pushed back to February 2027, the game will get a new trailer, which will no doubt feature more gameplay.

We also know that Bethesda Game Studios will not be showing anything new from The Elder Scrolls VI.

The Vague Hopes

Now we know what we can semi-realistically expect, what are we hoping to see?

It seems quite likely that we'll get a broader update on some of the games from first-party studios we already know about. Clockwork Revolution may not get a specific release date (it seems fairly certain it will appear in 2027), but a new look at the gameplay seems likely. The same can be said of State of Decay 3, and perhaps even Marvel's Blade from Arkane.

It's also about time that Toys for Bob, who previously worked on Spyro and Crash Bandicoot, revealed what they've been working on for quite some time.

We know there won't be any talk of strategy games, or news about Helix, but it could be fitting to see Microsoft, for example, unveil the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller 3, which we've previously seen via a series of leaks, too.

Kojima tends to work in a rather focused manner, so it's by no means out of the question that something surprising might happen with OD, for which we got a teaser last year and which looks rather terrifying.

What would you like to see from the Xbox Games Showcase?

Gunnar Optiks Alienware Bermuda Triangle

alex@gamereactor.eu (Alex Hopley) — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 11:00:00 +0200

Gaming glasses might make you think of a futuristic pair of specs that let you play your favourite games in some sort of ultimate AR/VR, but these lenses aren't far away in the distant future, as Gunnar Optiks has been delivering pair after pair for some time. It's stylish accessory meets important functionality, and as more of us spend even more time in front of our screens than ever before, we're increasingly looking for ways to prevent permanent damage, soreness, and tiredness.

I've covered a pair of Gunnar's specs before. The Cyberpunk 2077 Dex Glasses were stylish and futuristic, with angular lenses that really made the pair feel like they were an accessory stolen from Night City and brought back in a time machine. The Alienware Bermuda Triangle are also of a futuristic design, but where Dex's specs wield the titanium frames you'd expect from someone who might be getting his glasses knocked off him a lot, the Alienware glasses are much lighter, with plastic frames resting on your ears.

The plastic might feel a bit less luxurious than metal, but the lighter feeling on your ears is welcome when you're wearing glasses for a longer period of time. I don't typically wear glasses in my day-to-day life, and so my ears aren't used to having a pair resting on them. Therefore, even if it feels like you're trading a bit of luxury on the frames by having plastic, the design is still brilliantly functional and plenty stylish. The little Alienware logos are nicely placed, and the glasses have a great look to them overall.

The geometric, wraparound shield lenses are bold and feel like they're ripped right out of a 90s magazine predicting what we'd all be wearing in fifty years' time. The aesthetic is overall quite minimalist. There's not many bells and whistles to look at when you take the glasses out of their snazzy white puffer case, but that's by design. I'm always partial to gaming merchandise that doesn't scream at people you love to play video games, and this fits right into that category. It's understated, but I do like the contrast of the dark frames against the amber lenses. There's some customisation here, too, with adjustable nose pads, for even extra comfort combined with the aforementioned lightweight frames.

Of course, when we're talking about Gunnar Optiks, we aren't just looking at some stylish shades. The reason we go into detail on these specs is because they're specifically designed to help you block out blue light and harmful UV. Whether you're spending hours sitting behind a desk staring at a monitor, or just want to game for a lengthy period without your eyes getting damaged, these glasses are a neat accessory to have. I found the clarity of the vision to be exceptional with the Alienware Bermuda Triangle. The field of view is strong, too, and even over hours of playing games thanks to the lightweight design I barely noticed I was wearing them. Then, when I took them off I realised how different it feels to be looking at a screen without them. I've not seen anything like Gunnar's lens technology, and it continues to impress me even as I spend hours and hours wearing these glasses. Something that I noticed in particular with this pair was that they essentially zoomed in your vision, allowing you to read text and view details on a screen much more easily.

Unfortunately, these aren't available in prescription, so you may have to look elsewhere in Gunnar Optiks' range if you're hankering for a pair of nifty prescription specs that can help you avoid that pesky blue light. I'll also say that while the lightweight design is certainly appreciated, as someone who isn't a major Alienware fan the design itself doesn't really stand out. That is the point, in a way, but it's also therefore hard to recommend these compared to another pair of Gunnar's glasses unless you've got a particular fondness for Alienware. If that person sounds like you, though, and you're sick of your eyes feeling bothered by blue light and harmful UV, then again Gunnar Optiks' glasses feel like an accessory you should be looking into. They're not the cheapest glasses on the market, but they are consistently stylish and, more importantly, effective.

Here are all the headlines from tonight's State of Play

magnus@gamereactor.eu (Magnus Groth-Andersen) — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 00:45:47 +0200

We already knew that {Marvel's Wolverine} would play a fairly pivotal role in tonight's State of Play, but it was also packed to the brim with exciting reveals. Not only were there a whole host of amazing first-party reveals, from {Until Dawn 2} to a new {God of War} starring Faye, but there was also a sea of games that received concrete release dates.

{Control Resonant}, {Onimusha: Way of the Sword}, Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve, a whole host of games are set to land within a few weeks of one another, all in an attempt to avoid {Grand Theft Auto VI}.

You can see the collection of the biggest trailers below.

What did you think of the show?

{Marvel's Wolverine} gets a packed gameplay showcase

We knew that {Marvel's Wolverine} would headline tonight's show, but it was still exciting to see the game in action. Below you can watch the action-packed gameplay showcase, which is just as bloody as you'd hoped.

Marvel Tokon Fighting Souls still looks wild in new trailer

Arc System Works knows how to build excitement, and they certainly did so with the latest trailer for Sony's exclusive fighting game, Marvel Tokon Fighting Souls. The trailer features Magneto, the Green Goblin, and new stages, and you can watch it here.

{Rayman Legends} is being remade as "Retold"

It turns out to be true; {Rayman Legends} is getting a remake with new 3D graphics powered by the Snowdrop graphics engine. It's also set for release in October. You can check it out below.

{Bancho the Chef} is a {Dave the Diver} prequel

Yes, nobody saw this one coming. Bancho from {Dave the Diver} returns in a dedicated prequel that focuses more directly on cooking. It's in development for PS5.

Kemuri presents exciting co-op combat from Ikumi Nakamura

The game is set in a Jujutsu Kaisen-esque world where you hunt "yokai" with friends. It's due in 2027, and you can see it in action below.

{Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis} has officially been delayed

February 12, 2027; that's the official date marking Lara Croft's comeback. This semi-remake of the first game in the series has been given a stunning gameplay trailer, which you can watch below.

{The Lost Wild} isn't {Jurassic Park}, but it certainly looks the part

We thought this was Saber's upcoming {Jurassic Park} game, but no, Great Ape Games and Annapurna are instead launching a very Jurassic-inspired {The Lost Wild}, and it looks pretty good.

{Phantom Blade Zero} gets a trailer that hypes another trailer

Yes, {Phantom Blade Zero} is still set to launch in September, but strangely enough, the game only got a short teaser at State of Play, which did, however, promise a deeper look later in the summer.

{No Rest for the Wicked} is coming to consoles in October

And so it has finally happened. Moon Studios' beloved action RPG is getting its 1.0 update, coinciding with a PS5 launch in October.

{Onimusha: Way of the Sword} has finally been given a release date

Another game is set to be released before {Grand Theft Auto VI}. {Onimusha: Way of the Sword} officially lands on September 25, and you can watch the latest trailer below.

{Silent Hill} Townfall has also been given a release date

Yes, the day before Onimusha arrives, {Silent Hill} Townfall is set to arrive in what promises to be a busy autumn before {Grand Theft Auto VI} arrives. You can watch the gameplay trailer below.

Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve arrives in October

Bandai Namco doesn't exactly release new Ace Combat games frequently, but there's a solid, loyal fanbase ready and waiting when they do. Now they're getting ready to launch the eighth instalment, which we now know will be released on October 2.

The Stuntman series is officially back

Yes, Saber never ceases to surprise. This time, Stuntman is making a comeback with a new game called Hollywood.

Ill is returning and looks bloody brilliant

We've seen Ill a few times, and each time it's almost too good to be true. But it seems the game is set to launch in 2027, and on PS5 as well. You'll find a very impressive trailer below.

{Control Resonant} is also arriving at the end of September

It's going to be a packed autumn, we keep saying that, but it's true. Remedy's upcoming blockbuster is also launching on September 24, on top of Townfall. Take a look below.

{Until Dawn 2} is coming in 2027

No, it's not Supermassive delivering a new {Until Dawn}, but rather Firesprite, though otherwise the formula seems to be the same. A new location, new characters, but the same bloody premise.

{God of War} Laufey closes a wild State of Play

Sony Santa Monica just stole the limelight from pretty much everyone with the reveal of a new {God of War}, subtitled "Laufey". Many of the rumours turned out to be true, as this is Faye who must try to fight her way back to her family, but is prevented from doing so by a... well... a mix of mythologies. We have no idea when it's coming out, but you can watch it below.

We speak to the sole developer behind the Alan Wake-esque game The Pines

magnus@gamereactor.eu (Magnus Groth-Andersen) — Mon, 01 Jun 2026 17:00:00 +0200

It can be incredibly difficult to keep up with the barrage of game titles that are both announced and released on an almost daily basis. Modern development tools are readily available and easier to use than ever before, which is why more people than ever are keen to tell unique stories through unique gameplay systems.

Today we're spotlighting a game that, amidst the deluge of game announcements, still managed to catch our attention. The Pines comes from Dutch team Studio Abattoir, but more specifically, it's being developed by just one man, Kevin Jochems, and although he has plenty of experience in the film industry, this is his first game.

In The Pines, you play as Walker, who is sent to a remote therapeutic clinic to heal, but which quickly turns into a nightmare. What follows is what Jochems describes as a "proper RPG" with gear, skill trees, and dialogue choices that shape the landscape and the inhabitants of this small Twin Peaks-esque village community.

We spoke to the sole developer about the game and you can see the full interview below.

Gamereactor: Most people were very surprised by the production values in this trailer, and we certainly thought: "Where on earth did this come from?2

Jochems: "So it's just that I want to be immersed in a world, and I feel that if I went with an easier style, the world wouldn't be as interesting - at least for the story I'm trying to tell."

Gamereactor: The production values are certainly sky-high, no doubt about it. But perhaps more interesting is the level of ambition here. Can you tell us a bit about what sort of game we're dealing with here? And how did you arrive at this particular framework?

Jochems: "Pines is an RPG. I really want the player to become the Edward Walker they want to become. But very early in development, when I was still trying to understand the story, I toyed with the idea of an open-world game that was seriously dark. You have a character, and he's in a town, and he has to keep it secret that he is... well, that he is a serial killer - but that was really hard to pull off. So it evolved into this, but the RPG freedom is still there. The player can be a good detective, they can be more of a bad detective, but they can also be a complete psychopath."

Gamereactor: So what traditional RPG structures can be found here? You talk a lot about freedom, but how does that manifest itself? Do you shape your own narrative?

Jochems: "Yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure. For instance, there's a rumour in the game where you can explore a pig farm. This is what I would call 'side content', and for that encounter alone there are four different outcomes. And one of the outcomes is that it triggers the 'Stalker System', so to speak."

Selve byen lader til at være åben.

Gamereactor: Okay, so specific ways for the player to shape the narrative, check. How does that fit in with the open world? How much freedom does the player have, structurally speaking?

Jochems: "It's really open. The game begins with Edward Walker having a conversation with his therapist, which is also in the trailer. But it's also one of the early moments where players can make choices, like in Fallout 3 where you have the exam at the start. It's not entirely like that, but it's also a moment where you create your character. And you have a conversation with your therapist where they ask you questions, and your answers will influence what kind of character you are in the game.

"From there you go to Pines. And Pines isn't a massive world, but it's quite big - especially for a solo developer - to fill with content. And the game begins at the retreat, which serves as the 'normal stuff'. And at some point in the story, the gates in the town open, and then you have the area around the forest. And it's open to explore."

Gamereactor: This is really starting to sound like an open-world RPG. So let's take it to the absolute extreme - is there loot? Do you have an inventory?

Jochems: "Yeah, you have different weapons, clothes, and sets, all with different stats."

Gamereactor: So an RPG with a semi-open world, loot, dialogue choices - this is starting to sound massive. Could you perhaps elaborate a bit on this setting? Most people seem to be pointing to games like Alan Wake and stories like Twin Peaks.

Jochems:"Actually, it's not that it's derivative of Twin Peaks - it's just that it seems like a great framework: someone arrives in an unfamiliar, mysterious place and learns about all these intrigues alongside both the viewer and the player. It's such a good way to frame a narrative, right? It's just a classic 'fish out of water' story.

"I think in the world. And of course it's been done—maybe also BioShock—it's also a fish-out-of-water story. But the tone feels unique to me. For example, some of the small dialogue sequences in the trailer with the people in the house. Or a woman sitting in front of the door. It's a sinister mood that feels very new to me. I can't quite remember it being presented like this elsewhere. A big influence has been Alan Wake, and also the town. I remember in Alan Wake 1 I just walked around to find the little radio things and so on. So Alan Wake is a big influence. I think what's unique is the mix between genres: a real RPG with skills and... and horror."

Et stort fokus lader til at være de her efterforskninger, som du selv kan følge til dørs.

Gamereactor: When you describe it, it sounds like a massive project. Are you doing it all on your own?

Jochems: "Yeah - and what you said at the start, "where does this come from", that's really been me for three years in my basement just thinking about the game. And tonight before I made the trailer, I said to my girlfriend: "hopefully someone will even notice it", because I've put a lot of time into it. And I thought if only two people thought it could be fun, then maybe it wasn't worth it. But that ended up not being the case."

Gamereactor: If we go back to Twin Peaks as another example: if there's one thing I think many people associate with Twin Peaks, it's this very honest mix of elements - elements that are dramatic, scenes that are funny, and moments that are moving. It feels as though there's a beauty in the horror and the mystery. Is that what you're aiming for?

Jochems: "Yeah, absolutely. I've always made short films, and they were quite dark and humorous. I have to hold myself back so I don't go too far with humour, because it's also horror—so I don't want to undermine the horror. I really want to keep them separate."

Der er rigeligt at udforske, og efterforske.

Gamereactor: Are you going for a 'hard-hitting horror', or is it more of a simmering atmosphere?

Jochems: "There are definitely moments where you'll be scared, for sure, but in terms of the nature of the atmosphere, there won't be many cheap jump scares.

"So let's say you did a quest and you did it wrong or right, whatever - but then that man from the meeting becomes a stalker, and he's gone from the meeting point, and you know he's after you through the forest. And then it gets dark. You hear footsteps behind you. So, yeah - that's where the horror really lives, I think."

Gamereactor: So you've been tinkering with it for several years all on your own, and have now shown it to the world. Can you tell us a bit about how you intend to launch it? What's your strategy?

Jochems: "As of now, I won't do any early access. It will definitely have closed playtests but I would like to launch it as finished as possible. You pay once and you get the complete package. I also really like the things CDPR or Hello Games do for example with free content updates."

Gamereactor: So what if a platform owner reached out to you? Would you be interested in the support, even if you had to relinquish some control?

Jochems: "I am in talks with publishers but that's all very early. I don't think I would like to give up creative control on the game. Although I am certainly open to new ideas if they make the game better. But i'm not rushing any decisions at this point. But yes, support is certainly welcome if it helps me make the game better.

"I could do with a bit of help, because I'm very new to making games. I've only played games my whole life; I've never made one, so I'm really new to it. But I don't think I need help to finish the game. I think I spent two years building the systems: a good inventory system, a combat system, all those kinds of things - dialogue, quest system - and now I can produce content pretty quickly. Yeah, so I make something, I test it, I ask a friend to come and test it, and they say this sucks, and then I take it out. Pretty simple."

Du har også mulighed for at infiltrere lokationer, der ikke ellers ville byde dig velkommen.

Gamereactor: Now that you're sitting here working on it over these long periods of time, what's your view on AI tools in game development? Is it something you've tried out? Are there strengths and weaknesses? Where are you with that in your process?

Jochems: "The only things I use AI for are learning and some testing. So if I - let's say I need to figure out how to model clothes? How can I rig it to a character? And then I ask AI to do a bit of research on that, and then AI finds all the links, and then I can watch the tutorials and see how everything works. So it's like a knowledge bank. It's mostly that I don't have to search for four hours to find what I'm looking for.

"In terms of generative AI, I don't really think about it. I think people can always tell. Personally, if I get an email from someone, I can immediately tell whether it's AI or not. So I think: "OK, why didn't you take the time to write me an email?"

"But then there's testing. When it comes to dialogue, having AI read my script aloud to me provides me with critical feedback. When something is read out loud, the tone is completely different. That's really the extent of it."

Gamereactor: So how long can we expect the game to last once it's finally finished?

Jochems: "It really depends on the player, of course. Because I still come up with fun ideas, and I think it could be a fun side story the player can do. I hope the main story is around eight hours, maybe? And, yeah, plus 20 hours of side stuff? Yeah, sure. I think maybe 25-30 hours if you do most of everything."

The Pines thus appears to be a unique, exciting and endlessly ambitious game project, and we can't wait to follow it all the way to launch.

The Emperor's Champions - Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun II Interview with Auroch Digital

alex@gamereactor.eu (Alex Hopley) — Mon, 01 Jun 2026 13:00:00 +0200

Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun is already one of the best games we've seen from the plethora of titles released related to the grimdark 41st millennium, and one of the best boomer shooters emerging from recent years. There's a bit of pressure, then, for Auroch Digital in creating the sequel, as well as a lot of excitement. We spoke with Senior Audio Designer Matthew Walker and Principal Designer Matthew Bone about how they've balanced keeping what worked in the original game with making sure there's plenty of new stuff for players to enjoy. Check it out below, and check out our demo impressions of the game here.

Q: One of my favourite things about the first game was the sound design. The noises for the guns, the visceral blood splattering to the ground; it was all great. How do you go about bringing that into a sequel and improving it without stepping on what worked before?

Walker: "Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 offers a playground within which to break some theory rules. The mix of the most prominent audio features (weapons, enemies, gore etc.) need not adhere to "realistic' standards when placed in the space. This is an over-the-top soundscape that leans even harder into the genre and era with the sequel.

It's [the soundscape's] self-aware and wants the player to 100% feel and believe in the power-fantasy that comes with stepping into the armour of these characters - the mix hierarchy was refined for the follow-up, allowing for elements to punch through a little more."

Q: The level design has been improved for the sequel, and the maps are much easier to follow now. How do you go about upgrading that without just slapping the classic yellow paint as a guide?

Bone: "Thank you! We're glad to hear that you think the demo levels are an improvement on the original Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun; this is something we've worked hard on for the sequel as it was an area where we received a lot of feedback from players.

A lot of it comes from iteration and playtesting the original "blockout" prototype of a level, where we really refine how players are navigating the levels, and try to smooth out any problem areas. Then in the art pass we lean on aspects like lighting, using prominent landmarks, and making specific areas catch the player's eye or look particularly enticing. I'll usually say something unhelpfully vague to the artist working on a level like "can you make this bit really stand out, as the player needs to go this way" - and they'll work their magic into something that works.

It's always challenging, especially as in Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 we're also really pushing the variety and inventiveness of levels in terms of their layouts and mechanics, which means we need to come up with equally inventive ways of guiding players. Beyond that, we've also brought across the Navigation Guide feature, which was introduced alongside the DLC for Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun. That should help a player if they get stuck anywhere."

Q: How have you evolved the narrative for Boltgun 2?

Bone: "In general we try to keep the narrative aspects lighter for Boltgun games or at least make sure they don't get in the player's way. That said, we have an incredible universe of lore to draw upon when it comes to Warhammer 40,000, and we make the most of that in terms of the environmental storytelling, the enemies and factions you fight, and the flavour and tone of the game.

One of the most important things for us when it came to Boltgun 2 was making sure the narrative supported our goal of gameplay variety: getting the player to visit loads of totally different environments and getting to fight all four Chaos factions. I'm pleased we achieved that, with a very cool story, and a central antagonist I can't wait for people to see. I'm also happy to say we'll have more cutscenes in the pixel-art style that players loved from Boltgun 1. They're looking incredible."

Q: Was there ever the idea to keep Malum as the sole protagonist but give him a different class, or did you always have a Sister of Battle in mind for Boltgun 2?

Bone: "Adding a second playable character to the game was one of the most requested features from fans of the original Boltgun. It also aligned neatly with one of our main goals for Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2, which was to add more variety to the game.

When it came to implementing that character, we looked at several factors, including player requests, their popularity in the wider Warhammer space, the difference in gameplay we could create, and ultimately what we thought we could execute the best. Plus, Sisters of Battle are just incredibly cool."

Q: Playing as Nyra definitely feels like a different experience from Malum with her speed being quite game-changing. Is it difficult to balance the campaign around the strengths of different playable characters, and how do you make sure both are satisfying to play?

Bone: "It was definitely trickier than creating a level for one character. Jumps were a challenge - Nyra is able to travel much further than Malum, which is both an issue for Malum not reaching platforms, but also Nyra reaching platforms we didn't think she'd be able to, and thus breaking levels.

Our QA team is particularly skilled at finding level exploits with Nyra that would not have been possible with Malum, which is both infuriating and incredibly useful. In general though I do like how the characters have different strengths and will result in different challenges in gameplay: Nyra may be able to leap further, making some jumps easier, but Malum has his chainsword lunge at enemies that gives him great mobility in a different way."

Q: I noticed that the invulnerability accessibility option is back. What's the decision-making process behind adding an option like that for players?

Walker: "Accessibility is very important for our team at Auroch Digital. We strongly believe that games are for everyone, so we always try to include various accessibility options when we are able to do so.

You may have noticed that in addition to the Invulnerability mode that existed in the original Boltgun, we've also added an Undying mode to the sequel. With this new mode, when you reach 0 health, you get a second wind in the form of some additional health. This offset something we felt with the Invulnerability mode, where health essentially became inconsequential."

Q: With a new protagonist and improved level design, strangely Boltgun 2 feels to me a bit like how Arkane evolved Dishonored for its sequel. Were there any sequels you looked at when making Boltgun 2 you were inspired by or wanted to emulate?

Bone: "I wouldn't say that there were any specific sequels that we looked at when developing Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2. Rather, it was a combination of both feedback from players and replaying other Boomer Shooters from that era. There's also an experience element to it, like in your example with Arkane. After making the first game, we're in a much better position to figure out what makes a good Boltgun level, then improve upon that."

Q: How wild are you allowed to go with the lore, as both Malum and Nyra take down foes that are typically too tough for just one Space Marine or Sororitas?

Walker: "Because of the tone of the game, we do step a little outside of the realities of the Warhammer 40,000 universe with Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun and its sequel. Things are pushed a little further to make them more enjoyable and to let players live in that power fantasy of being a powerful Space Marine or, in the case of Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2, a veteran Sister of Battle."

Q: We've fought a lot of Chaos. Would you consider having a DLC or full game where we go up against Xenos instead?

Bone: "Maybe! It's not something that's currently planned for Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 though."

Q: What's your favourite new enemy introduced in Boltgun 2?

Bone: "I have a soft spot for Daemonettes. Once we decided we were going to incorporate all four Chaos factions in Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2, I knew we had to get them in. They were one of the trickier enemies to get right, with their huge leaping ability and a zigzagging phase attack, but the team have done a great job bringing them to (terrifying) life."

Walker: "For me, I'd have to say any of the Nurgle faction. They're associated with disease and decay, so it was a lot of fun making particularly disgusting wet SFX for their units. I had a lot of fun with the Poxwalkers especially. They're lumbering zombie-like enemies, with mutations, boils, and gaping wounds, who can reanimate if not overkilled, and I tried to incorporate all of that when creating their SFX."

Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun II releases for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2 in 2026.

Summer Shows: Expectations and hopes for June 7th's Summer Game Fest

magnus@gamereactor.eu (Magnus Groth-Andersen) — Mon, 01 Jun 2026 11:00:00 +0200

What, Where, When

We know a fair bit less about this year's Summer Game Fest showcase than we do about Sony's State of Play. However, we do know that it starts at 22:00 BST/23:00 CEST, and that there's a warm-up from 21:30 BST/22:30 CEST via YouTube, so the duration and content won't be published here in advance. To build anticipation early on, Sony revealed that they would be dedicating a significant portion of their show to Marvel's Wolverine, but there are no promises here. Even the description remains deliberately vague:

Live from the Dolby Theatre, join Geoff Keighley, Lucy James and thousands of fans for a look at what's next in video games.

Traditionally, Summer Game Fest lasts around two hours and offers a far more eclectic mix of major and minor titles.

Specific Expectations

Now we know what it's about and when the show is taking place, what do we expect to see?

Given that this year's show is sandwiched between dedicated showcases from Sony, Microsoft, and possibly Nintendo later on, it's less likely (though not impossible) that we will see major first-party titles here. We therefore think that the majority of these reveals will come from third-party developers.

Historically, Keighley has had a good relationship with Square Enix, and previously revealed Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth as a final, major announcement. The same could happen with the third and final chapter of the VII trilogy.

There is a wealth of strong third-party launches that could easily be showcased during the show, from Capcom's Onimusha: The Way of the Sword to Control Resonant and Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis.

Mundfish has traditionally favoured Keighley as well, so new looks at Atomic Heart 2 and The Cube also seem likely. Both games were revealed during last year's Summer Game Fest.

Rumours have been swirling, and we doubt they're entirely off the mark: we expect something Resident Evil-related here, both in the form of an expansion for Requiem, but possibly also the long-awaited remake of Code Veronica.

The Vague Hopes

Now we know what we can semi-realistically expect, what do we hope to see?

Summer Game Fest would be an excellent venue for, say, Cloud Chamber Games and the first vague teaser for BioShock 4. The studio has been working on it for a long time and has rebooted the project several times, but even with that in mind, we're keeping our fingers crossed that a more formal reveal is on the cards.

Sticking with high-impact third-party reveals, we also reckon Avalanche is nearly ready with Hogwarts Legacy 2. Whether that happens here, at another showcase, or perhaps not at all just yet, we don't know, but it would fit very well with the show's focus on third-party titles, and a Hogwarts Legacy 2 would grab a lot of the limelight.

Although Kojima is currently working on OD, a project that could be shown at Summer Game Fest, or perhaps more likely at the Xbox Game Showcase, he is also working on Physint. Given their friendship, Kojima could take to the stage to show concept art, or perhaps a flashy CG teaser.

What would you like to see at Summer Game Fest?

Screen Time - June 2026

ben@gamereactor.eu (Ben Lyons) — Sun, 31 May 2026 11:00:00 +0200

The summer is here and you know what that means... The season of the blockbuster is upon us. Yep, there are a few different treats for fans of TV and film over the course of June 2026 but the theme of this month is without question major theatrical debuts, of which there is something that will likely pique your interest every single week. There's epic drama, hilarious comedy, cosmic adventures, and daft documentaries in store, so let's waste no time and jump into the latest episode of Screen Time.

As always, it's worth being aware that we've based our picks on a UK release calendar, so be sure to check locally for accurate listings and information.

Masters of the Universe - June 3

To begin with we have the anticipated live-action adaptation of Masters of the Universe, an epic story that will take fans to Eternia and see how He-Man and his closest allies team-up to free the land from the grips of the villainous Skeletor. With an all-star cast including Nicholas Galitzine, Camila Mendes, Idris Elba, Jared Leto, and more, Masters of the Universe is looking to be the adventure blockbuster of the month, a title it will have tough competition in securing.

Clarkson's Farm: Season 5 [Prime Video] - June 3

Love him or hate him, Jeremy Clarkson knows how to make compelling television, which is why we continue to flock back to Prime Video every summer for the next chapter of his hilarious docuseries, Clarkson's Farm. With episodes landing in batches throughout the month, this next season will see Clarkson, Caleb, and the rest of the team continuing to shine a spotlight on UK farming and what it takes to put food on the table of consumers up and down the country.

The Legend of Vox Machina: Season 4 [Prime Video] - June 5

Another Prime Video series that will offer up episodes in batches throughout June, the animated The Legend of Vox Machina is back this month for more fantastical adventures based on Critical Role's famed Dungeons and Dragons campaigns. Bringing back the all-star cast of voice acting icons, this chapter of the story picks up a year after the events of Season 3 and explores a world after The Vox Machina separated.

Scary Movie 6 - June 5

We've had to wait years for this iconic franchise to return to cinemas but finally the time has come for Scary Movie to crash back into theatres around the world. Bringing hilarious spoofs and sketches based on iconic horror properties, this star-studded flick featuring returning legends like Anna Faris, Regina Hall, and Marlon Wayans will look to tap into modern hits like Longlegs, Wednesday, Squid Game, and more. Expect gut-wrenching humour in this sixth chapter of the series.

Cape Fear [Apple TV] - June 5

Many will be familiar with this story when considering the excellent prior films, but soon Cape Fear is taking a stab at television with Apple TV tapping the star power of Javier Bardem, Amy Adams, and Patrick Wilson, for a story that explores how a convicted murderer looks to infiltrate and take revenge on a family of married attorneys that originally helped put him behind bars.

Disclosure Day - June 12

We don't get many Stephen Spielberg-directed movies these days, so when one does land in cinemas we have to appreciate it with every fibre of our being. To this end, the iconic director is returning to the sci-fi genre to offer up a story that explores how a group of brave individuals look to reveal to the world that we are in fact not alone in the universe. Tapping into the fearful element of this premise, Disclosure Day will look to engage and unsettle this June.

Toy Story 5 - June 19

There have been plenty of nostalgic treats offered up to fans this June already, but Pixar is now joining the conversation with the fifth instalment into the Toy Story saga. This chapter will reunite Woody, Buzz, Jessie, and the rest of the gang, and see how they exist in a world where technology is increasingly holding the attention of youngsters and replacing traditional toys. Naturally, being a Toy Story film, expect this flick to offer an immensely stacked cast and top-quality animated visuals.

House of the Dragon: Season 3 [HBO Max] - June 22

It's been a busy year for Game of Thrones fans, as the excellent A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms debuted at the start of 2026, with it followed by the return of House of the Dragon this June. The fantasy series is back for its third season, where we will get to see the Targaryen rulers continuing to fight with one another all in a bid for securing the Iron Throne, and all regardless of who they hurt, kill, or burn in the process.

Avatar: The Last Airbender: Season 2 [Netflix] - June 25

Netflix had plans to offer three seasons of television for its live-action version of Avatar: The Last Airbender, with each season tailored to one of the three seasons of the animated original. This June, the middle portion of the wider story will make its debut, as the second season will land and see Aang and the gang continuing to fight back against the deadly Fire Nation, who continue to pressure and choke the wider world.

Supergirl - June 26

The DC Universe has been a bit stagnant as there hasn't been a new instalment since Peacemaker concluded last autumn, but thankfully the woman of tomorrow is here to save the day, as Milly Alcock's Supergirl is debuting at the end of June to offer up an intense cosmic adventure where we'll get to see the Krypton hero dealing with space pirates and bounty hunters, and otherwise delving into her darker origins before she managed to reach Earth.

Jackass: Best and Last - June 26

It's the end of the road for the legendary Jackass gang. After decades of putting their bodies on the line to offer up gut-wrenching comedy and humour, the Jackass team is ready to present one final daft slate of hijinks where absolutely nothing is off the table. Not for the faint-of-heart or those with a more reserved standard of humour, Jackass: Best and Last will aim to shock, thrill, sicken, and entertain when it debuts in cinemas at the end of June.

The Bear: Season 5 [Disney+] - June 26

It's the end of the road for Carmy Berzatto and his quirky collection of chefs. The final season of The Bear will soon be debuting on Disney+, with the fifth and final chapter set to conclude the story and hopefully provide a fulfilling end to the acclaimed drama project. With this finale in mind, expect tons of shouting, striking culinary treats, and jaw-dropping celebrity cameos, all as the eccentric Berzatto family and their friends say goodbye.

And that does it. Yet another chapter of Screen Time is in the books. Be sure to return in a few weeks when we look at what July 2026 has in store for cinemagoers and streaming service users.

The Adventures of Elliot Interview: Speaking evolving HD-2D, advanced combat, expected duration, and more

ben@gamereactor.eu (Ben Lyons) — Sat, 30 May 2026 11:00:00 +0200

Square Enix has found great success as of late in its venture of further exploring the realm of HD-2D video games. Much of this success can be attributed to Octopath Traveler and Bravely Default (with Dragon Quest seeing recent hits as well), and these are two key things to keep in mind when regarding the next title that makes up this endeavour.

This June, fans will be treated to The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales, a new and ambitious RPG that spans generations and puts a new spin on the HD-2D formula by offering up real-time action combat instead of the more traditional turn-based system. It's a title that is being headed up by developer Claytechworks, known for the Bravely Default series, but the wider team includes Dragon Quest and Octopath Traveler veterans from Team Asano, meaning there are a host of HD-2D experts involved with this project.

To this end, with The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales set to launch on June 18 on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch 2, we've had the luxury of speaking with game director Shota Fukebaru, from Claytechworks, to learn a little bit more about the anticipated upcoming project. You can see this complete interview below.

Gamereactor: How did you approach the HD-2D style for this to have its own visual identity coming from Octopath Traveler and Bravely Default?

Fukebaru: "This is the latest entry in the HD-2D series and is an action RPG game. The appeal of the HD‑2D visual style lies in its use of 3D backgrounds, which create a sense of depth in the maps and environments even though the characters themselves are 2D. One of the main challenges was finding a way to blend this strength with 2D action gameplay. In pixel‑based 2D action games, the screen can easily become dominated by the ground plane of the map, making it difficult for players to feel any sense of three‑dimensional depth and causing the visuals to feel somewhat flat. In this title, particularly in the overworld, we adopted a "drumroll" approach, curving the map into the background so that distant terrain becomes visible. By incorporating original techniques to further maximise the visible range, we were able to create an experience that conveys a strong sense of depth while still being a 2D action game. This was also an area where we spent a significant amount of time carefully fine‑tuning the details in close collaboration with the development studio."

Gamereactor: How does parry work and how important is it in the combat system? Also, is this a more action-oriented experience?

Fukebaru: "In the early stages of the game, players can simply guard. However, doing so depletes shield stamina, and when it falls to zero, Elliot's guard will break, leaving him defenceless. As you progress through the story and unlock the full potential of an advanced shield, you'll gain the ability to perform a "precise guard". By guarding at the exact moment an attacking enemy is glowing red, you can guard without consuming shield stamina, and many enemies will be temporarily incapacitated.

"Additionally, if you precisely guard certain ranged attacks, you can repel back incoming arrows or bullets. While this is an action-oriented RPG, the game is designed to help players gradually become accustomed to its mechanics as they progress through the story."

Gamereactor: How much can we expect the world to change as we move through the various ages? Will there be unique mechanics and systems depending on each respective age?

Fukebaru: "Generally speaking, the basic terrain of Philabieldia remains consistent across different eras. Each region contains what the development team refers to as "landmarks" (key points of interest and dungeons to explore) that players will naturally engage with as they progress through the main story. However, these landmarks also exist in eras outside of the ones directly featured in the story, and the dungeons themselves may change depending on the era.

"The types of mechanics you need to solve can also vary from one era to another. Players are free to engage with them if they're curious, or to ignore them if they prefer. We've intentionally designed them as optional exploration elements, so they can also be saved for later enjoyment. In some cases, stopping by these locations may even make the journey easier

"There is also a "Cat Collecting" feature, where players receive rewards for collecting a certain number of cats in each era. It may be worthwhile taking a few detours along the way and picking up some cats while exploring."

Gamereactor: How long do you expect a playthrough of The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales to take? How does it compare to a Bravely Default or an Octopath Traveler game?

Fukebaru: "I'd say it takes about 30 hours for a standard playthrough, and around 50 hours if you really dive in and explore every inch of the map across all the Era's. Throughout the maps and Era's there are plenty of optional activities, and as you unlock more of Faie's magic, you'll gain access to new mini games, so the total playtime ultimately depends on the player and how adventurous you are feeling.

"Our story takes place across multiple eras within the world of Philabieldia. As such, the setting is confined to the continent of Philabieldia, but this allows us to explore four distinct eras in depth, delivering a rich narrative that conveys a strong sense of scale and history. As a result, it may be difficult to make a direct comparison."

Gamereactor: Without spoilers, how much does The Millennium Tales leave things open for a sequel in The Adventures of Elliot saga, and are there multiple endings?

Fukebaru: "I'd love for you to experience the main story when the game is released and see for yourselves! But we don't have anything to announce regarding a sequel at this time. However, the support and encouragement we receive from fans who enjoy the game will always be the biggest driving force behind our next steps. If you've enjoyed the game, we'd be grateful if you could spread the word on social media or share your feedback directly with Square Enix."

Gamereactor: HD-2D found great success on the original Switch. How do you think the new system, and the ability to play 1080p on the go, may help keep momentum with the Nintendo fanbase?

Fukebaru: "From the outset, we intended to develop this game for next-generation consoles, and it will be available on Switch 2 for Nintendo fans, as well as on PlayStation, Xbox, and Steam. In addition, we've released a Prologue Demo across all platforms, allowing players to carry over their save data to the full game.

"We've continued development with the goal of reaching as many players as possible, so we hope players will give it a try on their preferred platform."

Gamereactor: What's one part of The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales you feel people aren't talking enough about?

Fukebaru: "We'd especially love for those who've played the Debut Demo to check out the quality-of-life improvements we've made, which can be experienced in the Prologue Demo. Looking ahead to the full release, we hope people will pay close attention to the main story and the history of Philabieldia, as well as the combinations of weapons and magicite you can experiment with throughout your adventure—and we'd especially like you to keep an eye on Faie's contributions. Not only is she charming, but her magic will prove useful in all sorts of situations!"

Thanks to Fukebaru-san and Square Enix for taking the time to answer our questions. Again, you will be able to play The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Switch 2 on June 18, and naturally, we'll have a review coming closer to launch.

Summer Shows: Expectations and hopes for June 2's PlayStation State of Play

magnus@gamereactor.eu (Magnus Groth-Andersen) — Fri, 29 May 2026 15:00:00 +0200

What, Where, When

Sony's State of Play kicks off on June 2 at 22:00 BST/23:00 CEST. It can be viewed on all the major streaming platforms, but PlayStation itself refers to YouTube and Twitch.

Let's get straight to what Sony itself says about the show, so we can set the scene for what to expect:

"State of Play returns on Tuesday 2 June with more than 60 minutes of updates, announcements and gameplay reveals from top studios around the world. To kick things off, you'll get a closer look at {Marvel's Wolverine}. Insomniac Games will share more from its upcoming third-person action-adventure game, showcasing Logan's brutal and relentless combat alongside some new details. This all-new take on the comic book legend launches on PS5 on 15 September."

Okay, 60 minutes, that's historically quite a bit longer than other State of Play broadcasts, suggesting this one might be a bit more packed, but it could also simply be because the gameplay presentation of {Marvel's Wolverine} takes up a bit more time.

What to Expect

Now we know what it's about and when the show kicks off, so what do we expect to see?

Sony actually has fewer active first-party studios than one might think, and we know what a large number of them are working on. Therefore, it is decidedly unrealistic to expect a long list of first-party reveals during this State of Play. Specifically, we expect Cory Barlog to finally unveil his project at Sony Santa Monica, which is in all likelihood being developed in parallel with a larger studio project. Whether this is the Faye-centred {God of War} spin-off remains to be seen, but it certainly sounds plausible.

It seems somewhat of a coincidence that Sony has recently registered the trademark "Break In", and this points, if nothing else, towards {Fairgames}, Haven Studios' live service game, which has admittedly been through a few mediocre internal playtests, but which could easily be showcased.

Exactly what the line-up of third-party titles will look like is hard to say. {Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis}, {Control Resonant}, {Final Fantasy VII} Part III, {Judas}, which of the upcoming shows will feature which game? We know that the autumn, despite the launch of {Grand Theft Auto VI} on November 19, needs to be filled out, so we expect to see a healthy number of games getting release dates across publishers and platforms.

We expect a number of the indie titles Sony has previously spotlighted to receive more attention. Games such as Hela, {Out of Words}, {Mortal Shell II}, {Ontos}, {Over the Hill} - games Sony has previously helped to reveal or showcase, and which are specifically set to launch in 2026 - should get some time in the spotlight here.

The Vague Hopes

Now we know what we can semi-realistically expect, so what are we hoping to see?

Although opinions are divided on Naughty Dog's position as a sort of leader among PlayStation's own studios, there is always something hugely exciting about whatever the studio unveils, and we reckon it could well be time for a fresh look at {Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet}. To be perfectly honest, it seems more fitting for a showcase this autumn, or at The Game Awards, but it would at the very least cement interest in this new IP, assuming, of course, that Naughty Dog is ready.

Although it's more likely that CD Projekt RED will turn up at Summer Game Fest a few days later, we're just generally keeping our fingers crossed that the Polish studio makes an appearance one way or another. It could be with {The Witcher 4}, which is probably the most likely scenario, but it could also be with a sneak peek at the next Cyberpunk. We have no doubt whatsoever that Cyberpunk will be formally unveiled before {The Witcher 4} is released, but the question is simply when.

{Bioshock 4} has been through a very turbulent development period, and it remains to be seen whether {Cloud Chamber} is even suited to handling the franchise. But it would still be hugely exciting to see the series resurrected at State of Play, bringing a new lighthouse, a new city, a new era.

It's been over two years since Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League was released to poor reviews, and reports subsequently emerged that Rocksteady was finally getting started on a new, traditional single-player game, and a Batman-focused one at that. More recently, rumours have pointed towards a Batman Beyond game, which is fine by us. Is the game ready? No, not by a long shot, but it would be brilliant to see some sort of trailer, if only to remind people that the studio is back on track.

What would you like to see from State of Play?

The Evil Column: With the return of Silent Hill and the continued dominance of Resident Evil, we're partying again as if it were 1999

ketil@gamereactor.eu (Ketil Skotte) — Fri, 29 May 2026 11:00:00 +0200

Welcome to The Evil Column, Gamereactor's new horror column, where I, as a huge fan of the world of horror, will explore the genre's darkest corners, drawing on the sins of the past and the horrors of the future. And yes, there will also be recommendations and lists. Expect a new column 3-4 times a year. That's all.

1999 was a landmark year for survival horror. Resident Evil had made a huge impact on the genre and largely defined its early days, but on February 23, a new game emerged from the fog and redefined what a survival horror game could be. I've already written about and shared my special connection to the first Silent Hill game, so if you're curious to know what it's all about, I'd recommend reading that. In short, it's about three friends, a holiday home, a Volkswagen Beetle, and a dark car park, and in this context it isn't that important because this isn't about me, but about Silent Hill and Resident Evil.

Whereas Resident Evil largely channelled the colourful Hollywood horror genre - think Romero without the sharp social commentary, or Carpenter's The Thing - Silent Hill leaned more towards arthouse directors such as David Lynch or Adrian Lyne's Jacob's Ladder, with its more surreal and psychological approach to the genre. Silent Hill was darker and more terrifying, but also more emotionally engaging with its story of a desperate father searching for his daughter. And whilst Resident Evil's focus on biological weapons is deeply rooted in something concrete and (in the games) scientifically oriented, Silent Hill brought dream logic and metaphysical explorations to the fore.

For a handful of years, the two series ran a beautiful race together, driving the genre forward tremendously, perhaps best exemplified by the narrative gem Silent Hill 2 and the quantum leap in gameplay that Resident Evil 4 achieved. But following the release of Silent Hill 4: The Room and, indeed, Resident Evil 4, the two trailblazing series went off a cliff in terms of quality. Konami disbanded Team Silent to hand over responsibility for Silent Hill to Western developers in an attempt to appeal to a wider audience, which resulted in mostly generic titles that eroded the series' cultural relevance. In fact, to such an extent that the series did not receive a new game for a whole decade.

Resident Evil fared somewhat better and never disappeared, which of course must also be attributed to Capcom's more consistent strategy compared to the pachinko-obsessed Konami, but Resident Evil 5 and especially 6, despite strong sales figures, failed to live up to the series' proud legacy at all, and although the spin-off titles Revelations 1 and 2 were marketed as a return to the old virtues, they still suffer from the streamlined design that characterised the series during those years, and neither of them is exactly a masterpiece.

But after nearly a decade and a half without a masterpiece, Resident Evil 7: Biohazard rose from the swamp, driven by the brand-new RE Engine, which replaced the MT Framework and laid the groundwork for the now legendary "Capcom renaissance". Resident Evil 7: Biohazard went back to its roots and focused on pure horror (in fact, to an even greater extent than the "roots" themselves), but it was particularly the Southern setting, and to some extent, the first-person perspective that made it feel far fresher than the games that followed Resident Evil 4.

Since that release, the series has, by and large, gone from strength-to-strength. Two years after Biohazard, Capcom launched the first game in the remake series to enormous success, which is released in between the brand-new main games. The remakes of 2 and 4 are magnificent, whilst 3 was, in all fairness, a bit of a let-down, and although Resident Evil Village is an uneven game, it also offers some fantastic highlights. House Beneviento, for example, is in my book still the most terrifying thing the series has ever produced.

Despite the generally strong front the newer Resident Evil games have formed, I think it's fair to criticise the series' narrative momentum. The three remakes are, by their very nature, retrospective, but it irritates me a little that both Biohazard and Village feel very much like a scenic narrative detour, where there are certainly new, exciting things to see along the way, but the impatience to get back on track nevertheless sets in as you go.

So I want something new and fresh that simultaneously moves one of gaming history's most absurd sagas forward. It might seem like I'm talking out of both sides of my mouth, but Resident Evil Requiem actually presents an interesting, if not entirely perfect, solution. It works best when we play as the new protagonist, Grace Ashcroft, who is the undisputed star of the game's most excellent portion, the Rhodes Hill Chronic Care Centre. Unlike Biohazard and Village's Ethan Winters, Grace is an excellent addition to the Resident Evil cast, and her character—at once fragile and resolute—is tailor-made for the classic Resident Evil exploration that Rhodes Hill offers. The location bears a strong resemblance to both Spencer Mansion and RPD, but because, as Grace, you have to approach the task differently from the younger versions of Jill, Chris, Leon, and Claire - especially at the start - it feels fresh. This also applies to the approach to both the stalker enemies and the regular zombies, who, whilst retaining their old traits, have far more personality than before.

The first half of Requiem doesn't add a great deal to the overall mythology, but I can promise you that changes once Leon bursts onto the scene and embarks on a frenzied trip down memory lane in Raccoon City. Here we get momentum and new revelations, and although not all of them land quite as well as they might, I appreciate that the series is once again picking up the pace of the overarching story, even if that part isn't quite as strong as Grace's hair-raising hospital visit.

Whilst Resident Evil has been in full swing for quite a few years now, things have been different for Silent Hill. But after a couple of half-hearted and completely botched comeback attempts with Ascension in late 2023 and The Short Message in early 2024, things finally took off when, to many people's surprise, Bloober Team managed to bring the series' best game to a modern audience in a largely brilliant manner. Yes, it was too long, and the story perhaps didn't hit quite as hard as it did at the start of the new millennium, but Silent Hill 2 Remake still ranks among the genre's best games of recent years.

But it's one thing to bring the legacy gem back into the spotlight, quite another to deliver entirely new horrors. That is why it was hugely important for the series when Silent Hill f last autumn managed to take the series in a completely new direction. By moving the action to 1960s Japan, the little-known Neobards and Ryukishi07 showed that a Silent Hill game can easily take place outside the titular town and even outside the US, and still feel like a natural part of the series. The combat system may not have been quite spot on, but the setting, the atmosphere, and in particular, the story - which tackled social control, jealousy, and women's liberation - are so incredibly strong that the result is a game that can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the titles from Team Silent.

Silent Hill f is a really good sign, as it demonstrates the kind of courage needed to keep a series fresh. And it's also a good sign that, although Konami doesn't have Capcom's in-house development capabilities, it does have a small team to work alongside the partners hired to work on Silent Hill games. And speaking of partners, it seems that the series' mastermind, Motoi Okamoto, has developed a better knack for choosing the right ones. Following the flops of Hexa Drive's The Short Message (which he, incidentally, directed himself) and Bad Robot's Ascension, Bloober and Neobards proved to be far better choices, and the upcoming Townfall likely has the best partner to date on paper in the form of Screen Burn Interactive, which under its former name No Code, developed the fine indie thrillers Stories Untold and Observation. Townfall looks promising, and with its more tactile approach and Scottish town setting, it looks set to once again push the boundaries of the series. And should you fancy something more classic, Bloober is on its way with yet another remake. Next up is OG Silent Hill, and that game's more tangible story actually suits the Poles even better than the more ethereal Silent Hill 2.

Of course, it may be that both games flop, and Silent Hill is plunged into yet another crisis, but right now the outlook is rosy and the series' prospects look good. And all of us horror aficionados can count ourselves lucky for that. Like yin and yang, the two series have vastly different qualities, and the horror landscape is all the more wonderfully twisted when both are part of it. Even if one might wish that more other series outside the indie sphere could really make their mark (fingers crossed that Alan Wake 3 will one day become a reality). But until then, it's lovely to see my nostalgic horror memories from my teenage years in top form. So bring on more personal traumas, chilling one-liners, haunted towns, and sinister shadow organisations. I'm ready for them all!

Games To Look For - June 2026

ben@gamereactor.eu (Ben Lyons) — Fri, 29 May 2026 09:00:00 +0200

Okay, let's make this clear from the outset. While we usually use the introduction of Games To Look For as the place to lay the foundation of what's to come, teasing the kind of games planned for the month ahead, for the sake of June 2026, we're using this as the place to explain that the games we've selected are likely just a fraction of what will ultimately be offered. This month is always a complex one, as few games often arrive in June anyhow, which is an issue exacerbated by the fact that the array of showcases and events often lead to surprises where shadowdrops and unexpected launch dates are shared. So again, expect this list to be larger in practice after a few weeks than what it is as we head into the more mysterious month of June.

Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth (Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2) - June 3

To this end, we're kicking things off by spotlighting the arrival of Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth on both Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch 2. This is simply the game we all fell in love with recently, except now, as was the case earlier this year for Part 1 of the Remake Trilogy, it's set to become available on two platforms where it wasn't originally offered. If you haven't experienced Rebirth, we'd suggest using the steady June to do so.

eFootball Kick-Off! (Switch 2) - June 3

Considering eFootball has reached over one billion downloads across PC, mobile, and console, it's almost a little shocking that the game wasn't already available on Nintendo's Switch 2. We've had to wait nearly a full year of the Switch 2's life cycle, but the football simulation game is finally arriving, bringing a wealth of iconic players, clubs, stadiums, and tournaments, all built for the hybrid platform.

Gothic 1 Remake (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - June 5

One of the most iconic and genre-defining RPG experiences is set to return this month when Gothic 1 Remake arrives on PC and consoles. This project takes the famous adventure and gives it a fresh and glossy coat of paint, all while bolstering it with modernised features and mechanics that make it a worthy competitor to the biggest RPGs currently on the market. Set in an open world that dynamically reacts to the player, this Gothic remake is designed to be an experience like no other.

Solarpunk (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - June 8

As the slate of AAA launches is rather sparse this June, it leaves us plenty of room to spotlight some more indies, including Cyberwave's cosy survival game, Solarpunk. The premise of this project is to make a life in a technically-advanced world of floating islands, a realm you navigate by using an agile and customisable airship. With a variety of technologies to discover and tons of mechanics to master, this could be the perfect cosy adventure for solo players and cooperative fans alike.

Witchspire (PC) - June 10

In a similar vein to Solarpunk, Witchspire is an open-world survival crafting adventure but one that trades airships for broomsticks and technology for magic. The premise, either alone or with friends, is to create a life of your own in a fantastical realm where you can battle and befriend creatures, build a cosy and adorable sanctuary, and otherwise master epic magical abilities. Available solely on PC for the time being, Witchspire is arriving first as an Early Access project.

Beastro (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - June 11

What do you get if you cross a fantasy adventure with turn-based combat and a cooking suite? Beastro, of course! Timberline Studio's cooking RPG is set to make its arrival on PC and consoles this June, bringing a combination of gameplay styles and mechanics that are all about gathering ingredients, studying customers, crafting them the perfect dish, and leading them in turn-based battles with deckbuilding elements when their tummies are full to the brim.

Denshattack! (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2) - June 17

You'll be hard-pressed to find a more unique game than Undercoders' Denshattack! this June. This chaotic and striking indie experience is all about guiding a train through bizarre levels, where you can flip, trick, and grind the train cart over rails and through a colourful Japanese dystopia. Why, you might ask? To defeat an evil corporation, of course. Why else would you be kickflipping a train through Japan?

The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2) - June 18

Arguably the biggest game of the month we know about as of the moment, The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales is the next ambitious HD-2D adventure from the talented developers who gave the world Bravely Default and Octopath Traveler. And with experience with both of those series in mind, we should expect a similar project with this game, namely a multi-generation-spanning story that chronicles a tale stretching over 1,000 years and five unique ages. The main difference is how this game is doing away with traditional turn-based action in favour of real-time combat, a first for the HD-2D artistic direction.

EA Sports UFC 6 (PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - June 19

We often expect many of EA's sports games to arrive in late summer and early autumn to align with the start of the various sports leagues, but as there isn't really a season for UFC, the long-awaited next chapter in this series is looking to drop on solely PS5 and Xbox Series X/S in mid-June. Bringing higher fighter fidelity, real-time contact in action, and the new Flow States feature that looks to more authentically-represent each fighter, this is looking to be the most advanced officially licensed fighting game on the market.

Dark Scrolls (PC, Switch) - June 22

While we were initially expecting Doinksoft to debut its next project at the end of May, the developer had a last-minute change of heart and decided to push Dark Scrolls until mid-to-late June, all to give the game ample space amid a crowded late May indie window. With the launch now set for this month, fans will soon be able to experience a fantasy-themed action platformer, where the aim is to overcome intense challenges and combat scenarios as a variety of character classes, all displayed in stunning pixel art.

Star Fox (Switch 2) - June 25

Ever since Fox McCloud appeared in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie we have been waiting for the character and the Star Fox series to make a return in full effect. This June, we'll be seeing this in practice as Star Fox will arrive and bring a freshly remade version of the iconic Nintendo 64 game, known in many places as Lylat Wars, seeing Fox and the gang locked into intense aerial battles as they fight to take back the Lylat System from the villainous Andross.

That does it. Again, it's worth being aware that there will likely be a few surprises and additions to this list as the month of June progresses and the various events and showcases dish out a ton of reveals and news. Also, be sure to return in a few weeks when we explore what July 2026 has in store for gaming fans.

Echo Generation 2 Interview: Talking learnings from Echo Generation 1, AI's impact, adaptations, and more with Cococucumber

ben@gamereactor.eu (Ben Lyons) — Thu, 28 May 2026 14:00:00 +0200

You may be familiar with Cococucumber and its recent hit, Echo Generation. The indie title proved to be an incredibly well-regarded game when it launched a few years ago, which is what made the announcement of a sequel feel fitting and timely. If you're a frequent Gamereactor reader, you'll know that this sequel, Echo Generation 2, has now launched and that our dedicated review of the game is available to read. But if you are searching for more from the project and the developer, we also had the luxury to ask the team at Cococucumber a few questions to learn more about the title.

To this end, you can see the complete interview with game director Martin Gauvreau below, where we touch on a variety of subjects, including its complex story, what the developer learnt from making Echo Generation 1, what Cococucumber's stance on AI is, Echo Generation 2's run time, and more. Catch all of this and then some below.

Gamereactor: What did you learn from the development of Echo Generation that you wanted to make sure you built upon or addressed in Echo Generation 2?

Gauvreau: "There were a lot of lessons from the first game, but one of the biggest areas we wanted to improve was combat depth. In Echo Generation, status effects and card effects were more secondary systems. In Echo Generation 2, we completely overhauled them to make them central to the gameplay experience.

"Now, understanding status effects, card synergies, and how abilities interact is essential to succeeding in combat. We wanted battles to feel more strategic and rewarding, where players are constantly thinking about combinations and adapting their approach instead of relying on a single strategy."

Gamereactor: What led you to wanting to explore the past and creating a prequel-esque story in Echo Generation 2?

Gauvreau: "We felt there was a lot of potential in exploring the story behind Jack, the missing father from the first game. Players only saw fragments of his story in Echo Generation, so we wanted to dive deeper into what actually happened to him and how those events shaped the world.

"Since the first game focused heavily on the kids and their sense of adventure, Echo Generation 2 gave us an opportunity to tell a more mature and emotional story through Jack's perspective. It also helped create a stronger connection between the two games, with Jack becoming a central figure that anchors the overall narrative."

Gamereactor: With the story being told from the perspective of different characters, what steps have you taken to ensure that it all feels connected and has a natural flow?

Gauvreau: "Even though the game explores multiple characters and locations, we made sure there were strong recurring themes tying everything together. A big theme throughout the game is the idea of home and returning home, which is reflected in characters like Jack and Bulder. We also explore the importance of family, both biological family and found family, through characters like Sister M, Annata Z, Strix, and Noliva.

"Another important theme is the question of who gets to be a hero. Each character approaches that differently, but together their stories create a cohesive emotional journey across the game."

Gamereactor: What kind of creative flair can we expect from the unique character-driven chapters? Did you use this as an opportunity to flex your creative skills?

Gauvreau: "Absolutely. We saw this as an opportunity to really push the individuality of each character and their story. The locations vary dramatically, especially in Noliva and Annata Z's chapters, because we wanted players to experience different parts of the galaxy with its own tone and atmosphere. At the same time, the shared themes running throughout the game help unify the experience.

"We also approached combat in a similar way. Different characters lean into different archetypes and playstyles, and we encourage players to experiment with builds, synergies, and combinations to discover what feels most fun for them."

Gamereactor: What's your position on balancing the combat and the deckbuilding nature? Do you attempt to rein in the player at all, or do you like to encourage 'game-breaking' builds and combinations?

Gauvreau: "Early in the game, encounters are more controlled and players are introduced to mechanics gradually so they can learn the systems. As the game opens up, players gain access to more cards, status effects, and build options, and that's where experimentation becomes really important. By the late game, we want players to discover powerful or even "game-breaking" combinations.

"Part of the fun of deckbuilding games is creating builds that make you feel incredibly powerful, so we wanted to embrace that feeling rather than restrict it too heavily."

Gamereactor: What is Cococucumber's stance on using AI in game development, and was AI used at all in the production of Echo Generation 2?

Gauvreau: "Everything in Echo Generation 2 is handcrafted, as with all of our previous games. So much of the identity of Echo Generation comes from its artistic direction and attention to detail; AI cannot provide consistent results the same way.

"The voxel aesthetic is something we've continued to evolve and refine in the sequel. For us, that artistic process is an important part of the game's value. We wanted the world, characters, levels, and atmosphere to feel intentionally designed by artists rather than AI generated."

Gamereactor: How long do you expect a playthrough of Echo Generation 2 to take? How does it compare to Echo Generation?

Gauvreau: "We're aiming for a playtime that's similar to the first game, although it will likely be a little longer depending on how much players engage with combat and experimentation.

"Compared to Echo Generation, the sequel has significantly more depth across the board, from the world-design and storytelling to combat and character progression. A lot of players who've seen the game so far have described it as a major "glow up" from the original."

Gamereactor: This is the second chapter in the wider universe but how far do you think you can take Echo Generation? Would you like to make a third title or explore a spinoff adventure perhaps?

Gauvreau: "We definitely see a lot of potential in the Echo Generation universe and we're very open to exploring different directions in the future. That could mean continuing the main story, focusing on entirely new characters, or even experimenting with different genres or spin-offs within the same universe. Right now, nothing is off the table."

Gamereactor: If the opportunity arose, would you ever explore an Echo Generation adaptation, and if so, how do you think this could be handled?

Gauvreau: "We'd absolutely love to explore that possibility. An animated limited series in the style of Arcane could be a really exciting way to dive deeper into the world and characters. At the same time, there's also something very appealing about a live-action approach similar to Stranger Things, with an episodic structure that captures the mystery, nostalgia, and emotional tone of the games. The Echo Generation universe has a lot of storytelling potential beyond games."

Gamereactor: What's one part of Echo Generation 2 you feel people should be talking about more?

Gauvreau: "Echo Generation has always felt a little bit like a hidden gem to us, so honestly, we'd just love for more people to give the series a chance.

"If you enjoy the atmosphere of Stranger Things, classic RPGs like Final Fantasy VII, or strategic card-based combat games like Slay the Spire, we think Echo Generation 2 offers a really unique blend of those influences with its own identity and style."

Thanks to Gauvreau and Cococucumber for answering our questions. You can now play Echo Generation 2, as the game has launched on PC and Xbox Series X/S.

The blue slime turns 40: Happy birthday, Dragon Quest!

sebastian@gamereactor.eu (Sebastian Lind) — Wed, 27 May 2026 13:00:00 +0200

It was a hot and sticky summer evening in the Ginza district of Tokyo. The humidity was 100 per cent, but it felt like 1,000, and I suddenly found myself at a dinner party with a group of Japanese people who all shared a keen interest in Sweden. These Sweden enthusiasts had formed a club of some sort, where they would occasionally meet to practise Swedish and learn more about Swedish culture. My girlfriend at the time had dragged me along, and everyone was very curious about the real-life Swede who had ended up at the dinner table in the glitzy restaurant.

One of the men stood out a bit more than the rest. He was tall and lanky, wearing black sunglasses, and sporting a punkish style that stood in stark contrast to the rest of the group, who were dressed more "classy". It turned out that this man worked as an editor for the Japanese gaming publication Famitsu's Xbox magazine and he saw himself as something of an "outsider", a bit tougher and cockier than the typical Japanese way. Naturally, he also played a lot of Western games, watched American TV series, and generally had a "fuck off" attitude that was quite refreshing. But it was when the conversation turned to Japanese role-playing games and the newly released Dragon Quest IX that this tough guy melted instantly and he suddenly became very patriotic and spoke warmly of Dragon Quest, even though he was actually "too cool" for JRPGs. Such is the power of Dragon Quest in Japan.

My own history with Dragon Quest began a few years earlier, in the winter of 2005 to be precise. Having been completely blown away by Final Fantasy VI on the Super NES, I was already a devoted fan of Japanese role-playing games by this point. The Dragon Quest series, however, was unavailable and mostly something I'd read about and yearned for in various gaming magazines that raved about this hidden Japanese RPG treasure. So whilst many imported the US version of Dragon Quest VIII, mainly for the included Final Fantasy XII demo, my expectations were instead sky-high at finally getting to try out this legendary RPG series, and Dragon Quest VIII delivered, without a doubt!

It remains to this day a truly well-crafted RPG adventure that is enchantingly beautiful for the ageing PlayStation 2. Dragon Quest VIII went on to become one of my favourite games, and following this smash hit, I hunted down the Game Boy Color versions of Dragon Quest I, II, and III and simply basked in pure delight. Dragon Quest III is also an absolutely incredible game, whose original Famicom version is perhaps the most important Japanese role-playing game ever made. It introduced so much of what we take for granted today in the JRPG genre and was released not so long ago in a new version for modern platforms.

Since then, it's just gone from strength-to-strength for me, and the fact is I've completed every instalment in the series and some of them multiple times. But how did it actually come about that Dragon Quest in particular is so beloved in Japan? Why is this series almost sacred rather than "just" popular, like Final Fantasy? For an outsider to try to describe Dragon Quest's cultural significance is like trying to catch a river with your hands, as you can sense its flow, its chill, but never fully embrace its power. The series is not just a collection of games; it also functions as a cultural sediment with layer-upon-layer of design ideals, aesthetic values, and storytelling traditions.

Dragon Quest was born in 1986. It was a time when the Japanese games industry was still in the process of establishing itself as the dominant force it would become in the world of video games over the next decade or two. In the 1980s, American role-playing games such as Wizardry and Ultima made a big impression on Japanese game designers, but these were often complex and number-heavy, quite unfriendly, and really only for the truly die-hard fans, one might say. Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii then had the idea of distilling the American role-playing experience into something more accessible and narratively cohesive, something more... Japanese.

Dragon Quest thus became more than a simple imitation of Western role-playing games, rather being a cultural translation. Game mechanics such as experience points, levels, and turn-based combat were retained, but repackaged in a form that emphasised clarity and simplicity. This accessibility became not only the hallmark of the series but also a foundation for the entire Japanese role-playing genre. Dragon Quest established a kind of grammar for JRPGs, a set of conventions and rules that still resonate today in countless role-playing games. The iconic world map, the safe villages, the young and silent hero, and the epic journey from obscurity to greatness. Through Dragon Quest, all of this became not just design choices, but cultural archetypes.

Another crucial aspect of Dragon Quest's cultural impact in Japan is its visual identity. It was created by Akira Toriyama, one of the giants of Japanese popular culture, where Toriyama's style is characterised by a combination of childlike playfulness and iconic clarity. The characters are round, expressive, and almost naïve, and therefore also instantly memorable.

In Dragon Quest, this visual language translates into fantastic design. Monsters that in other contexts would have been terrifying appear here as charming, sometimes even cute, and the legendary blue slime, with its vacant smile and teardrop-shaped body, is not merely an enemy, as it has become a symbol of how Dragon Quest refuses to embrace darkness and how the series always filters even the most apocalyptic threats through a layer of kindness and humour. This is deeply rooted in Japanese storytelling tradition, where the serious often coexists with the comic, where the gentleness and cuteness of the aesthetic do not necessarily contradict a thematic weight. Dragon Quest is often about the end of the world, about demons and lost civilisations, but it always does so with a smile. A sad or sometimes melancholic smile, certainly, but never a cynical one.

To understand Dragon Quest's cultural relevance in Japan, we must also consider how the games have been consumed. On several occasions, the launch of new DQ games has led to schoolchildren staying at home, adults taking time off work, and long queues snaking through the streets of cities. A popular myth claims that, after the Dragon Quest III launch brought the country to a standstill, the Japanese government passed legislation to prevent new Dragon Quest releases on weekdays. This isn't strictly true, but the very existence of the myth speaks volumes. Being familiar with Dragon Quest in Japan does not necessarily mean you are a "gamer"; rather, it's a sign that you are part of the contemporary culture.

Perhaps Dragon Quest is so popular in Japan because the series is so consistent. Whilst other game series are constantly redefining themselves, Dragon Quest has stuck to its core principles. Each new instalment in the series is not a revolution but rather a ritual, as we return to the same familiar structures with the same melodies and that defining DQ feeling of slow but methodical progression. In a society characterised by a fast pace and high demands, such as Japan's, I cannot help but think that Dragon Quest must serve as a kind of cultural refuge or oasis. It's a promise of continuity and that good always triumphs over evil in an ever-changing present that can sometimes feel bleak and gloomy.

It's therefore no exaggeration to say that the early Dragon Quest games did not merely influence the Japanese role-playing genre, but that they defined it. Final Fantasy, Phantasy Star, and Megami Tensei all developed in the shadow of Dragon Quest, either in dialogue or in opposition. But whilst Dragon Quest emphasised tradition, several of its competitors began to experiment with darker themes, science-fiction elements, and more complex systems, elements that might be more appealing to a Western RPG audience. One could therefore argue that Dragon Quest's limited international success is not merely a failure, it's also, in a sense, a consequence of the series' unique integrity. Dragon Quest has never attempted to adapt its aesthetics, tone, or gameplay systems to appeal to a broader, more global audience. Instead, the series has continued to appeal to its core audience, the Japanese people, with a consistency that borders on defiance.

Dragon Quest being more beloved in Japan than anywhere else is hardly surprising. The series acts as a mirror of Japan itself; with its respect for traditions, the beauty of form, and the blend of melancholy and humour. The blue slime still smiles unchanged, even 40 years later, whilst the world around it changes. And somewhere, in a flat in bustling Tokyo, I like to think that right now there sits a middle-aged punk-rocker, waiting respectfully for Dragon Quest XII, even though he's actually too cool for Japanese role-playing games. For Dragon Quest endures and is set to live on for at least another 40 years, not in spite of its reluctance to change, but thanks to it.

Trading Rock and Stone for Rogue and Like: Deep Rock Galactic: Rogue Core Interview with Ghost Ship Games

alex@gamereactor.eu (Alex Hopley) — Sun, 24 May 2026 14:00:00 +0200

Deep Rock Galactic: Rogue Core is out now in Early Access. Giving players a tougher, more combat-focused experience than the original Deep Rock Galactic, while maintaining a lot of what made players fall in love with the first game is a tricky task, but Ghost Ship Games' Marketing Manager Aaron Hathway told us how they managed it. Check out our full interview with Hathaway below, and take a look at our review of the Early Access experience here.

Q: Was the Deep Dive game mode from Deep Rock Galactic a key inspiration behind Rogue Core, and how did you evolve the experience from the base game?

Hathaway: "Yes — many years ago, when Rogue Core was just a twinkle in our eye, it stemmed from us playing around with the Deep Dive mission model. We wanted to experiment with a longer, more challenging endeavor, with this sense that you really put a crew together and commit to fighting through it or die trying. It's been through a lot of snowballing iterations and evolved since then. When we started working on Rogue Core more seriously, we quickly realized that it couldn't be a DLC for Deep Rock Galactic. We'd really have had to dial down our scope and ambitions if we wanted it to all fit into Deep Rock Galactic. It's been much more motivating - and fun - to explore new gameplay systems, art direction, weapons and damage mechanics when we don't have to 'justify' or balance it with regular Deep Rock Galactic. If we tried to mash it into Deep Rock Galactic, we'd risk screwing up the balance, or diluting that game's own identity.

We've had a lot of fun with the freedom to build stuff like new damage systems, weapons, progression structures, characters and themes. We think it's in a good spot, evolving on Deep Rock Galactic and in some places breaking away from it entirely. Rogue Core is a spinoff, not a sequel. It's intended to scratch a different itch than Deep Rock Galactic, and to co-exist alongside it."

Q: As far as we could tell, you can only have one player on each class in a team. What's the reasoning behind this?

Hathaway: "We imagine the Reclaimers of Rogue Core as distinct individuals. Like, in the game's universe, there is only one Slicer, Retcon, Guardian, and so on — these are their callsigns, rather than general class descriptors. Having class exclusivity reinforces that, and creates more of a sense of a hand-picked team of operators to fit the whole feeling of the game."

Q: How familiar do you have to be with Deep Rock Galactic to enjoy Rogue Core?

Hathaway: "You don't have to be familiar at all, but it helps. Rogue Core shares a lot of DNA with Deep Rock Galactic, so many fundamental controls will translate — movement, shooting, mining, traversal. At the same time, Rogue Core's gameplay experience is quite different from Deep Rock Galactic. It's faster-paced, harder, and more combat-focused. We'd say the game's difficulty probably starts close to the 'Hazard 3' experience from Deep Rock Galactic, and it scales up from there. So in that sense, the Deep Rock Galactic approach of "chill in the caves and mine a bit" will probably get you killed here.

So yes, some core skills do translate. But it's a different game, so it's a different gameplay experience. It's also possible that not having experience with Deep Rock Galactic would mean players can more quickly adapt to what Rogue Core asks of the players. We'll see!"

Q: What can you tell us about the narrative element of the experience. How will players discover the story in the gameplay loop, and do you see the story as having an end, to build further on the Deep Rock lore?

Hathaway: "Like with Deep Rock Galactic, we go for a "show, don't tell" approach with the game's story and lore. There's not a traditional linear narrative arc. It's more about collecting more details, pieces of a puzzle that might (or might not) fit together, so you can speculate about what's happening. We always want to make room for players' own interpretations. At the end of the day, our players' collective imaginations are always going to be more interesting than any single concrete story we'd make. So in that sense Rogue Core definitely does expand on the Deep Rock lore, but it's rarely served up neatly on a platter. You'll have to play a whole lot to catch all the thousands of different voice lines, hidden interactions and tooltips, and decide for yourself how they fit together and what they say about this world."

Q: There are nine levels in the game, which is quite a lot of content already, but do you have plans for extended replayability if teams want to put in hundreds or even thousands of hours?

Hathaway: "Yes! The Enhancement Tree and Chip-based upgrade system, along with different Bio-Booster decks, introduce a ton of ways to change and re-focus your starting build, with lots of different ways to synergize with the upgrades you get during a run. Since the game is harder than Deep Rock Galactic, we'd say there's an overall higher skill ceiling, so more 'room to grow' for players looking for that. We're also working on the Gauntlet challenge mode, which is by far the most punishing difficulty level we've made in a Deep Rock Galactic game.

We're also looking at more progression that isn't necessarily tied to increasing difficulty. But again, it's too early for us to commit to any details there, as we'd like to wait to see what the players want and how they engage with the game."

Q: There's a lot of extras on the ship, even for Early Access. Things like a gym and dance floor. Can we expect a lot more of this in the lead-up to 1.0?

Hathaway: "The good ship Ramrod has been designed with a whole lot of extra space, so we've certainly got room for expansion if we need it. We've got a lot of ideas here, but this is a place where it's more fun for us to keep quiet about it and wait to see how it pans out. We'll put this on the Early Access roadmap, but it's hard to say exactly where it is on our list of priorities. A lot of the Space Rig 17 expansions and improvements only happened because of patterns we saw of how people were engaging with the space. In any case, we're always on the lookout for more ways to annoy OMEGA."

Q: I found the loot system in the game to be really interesting, as it makes players have to collaborate a bit more to get the builds and items they want. What was the decision-making process behind the loot system?

Hathaway: "The shared loot selection introduces friction, but we think a bit of friction can be fun. It ups the stakes, and nudges players to consider their teammates a bit more. If we wanted a frictionless game, we could turn off friendly fire too. But we keep that locked in for similar reasons."

Q: We've not yet got the 9th level in the game to go through, but how long do you expect players to take in beating all 9 levels and/or reaching the end of the "main" objective?

Hathaway:"Looking at the average player experience in Deep Rock Galactic, we wanted to make the main progression of Rogue Core something you can get through in about 40-50 hours. Keep in mind, this absolutely doesn't mean full completion — it's just the barebones core, like if you only do the 'main quests' and ignore all the side missions and collectibles.

This was designed so that a more casual player could still have a meaningful experience with the game. But beyond that, there's plenty to replay and unlock. We've already seen people logging hundreds of hours in the Closed Alpha, and much of that was on versions of the game that had less content than it does now.

As we keep developing after our Early Access launch, our aim is to make the core experience even richer for the casual player while also offering even more depths of challenge and progression toward someone who wants to stick with Rogue Core for hundreds, or even thousands, of hours."

Q: Are there any other roguelikes or roguelites you were inspired by when making Deep Rock Galactic: Rogue Core?

Hathaway: "Roboquest, Gunfire Reborn and Risk of Rain 2 come to mind first. Some of us in the office were really into Witchfire as well, but I think those first three are safe to call the biggest inspirations for Rogue Core's roguelite aspects.

Far Far West came out too late in our own development process to play a big role in our inspirations, but we'd like to give them a shoutout anyway because they've made a great game and we admire how they've tackled the co-op roguelike experience. Yeehaw!"

Q: Could you talk a bit about the overall gameplay philosophy for Deep Rock Galactic: Rogue Core and how it balances so much happening on-screen without overloading the player?

Hathaway:"It's tricky with roguelikes, as you often want to keep track of a lot of different upgrades and synergies and balance that with fast-paced gameplay. We mentioned our shared upgrade system, and in that sense, we think this actually can help people avoid that overload you describe — it creates natural breathing room, as it gives the team a moment to come together, discuss their builds, and check out what makes sense for them. The start of each level also tends to start somewhat quietly, unlike in Deep Rock Galactic which can sometimes drop you directly into an absolute hellzone. So we think that's also a nice chance to check out your upgrades and do a bit of strategic thinking.

This is also an area we'll be looking at as we develop further, to see if we can't find more effective and efficient ways to help players understand their build and all the information coming at them in the course of a run. Again, keep an eye out for our Early Access roadmap."

Denshattack! Interview: Talking 'trainspirations', length, AI, and additional settings with Undercoders

ben@gamereactor.eu (Ben Lyons & Alberto Garrido) — Sat, 23 May 2026 11:00:00 +0200

Video games are one of the most creative forms of entertainment, offering an unmatchable marriage of interactivity and artistic vision. Even though that is often how we look at the medium, sometimes a game makes its arrival and stands out even among the most unusual and wonderfully creative options on the market. That's certainly how we look at Undercoders' striking and rather eccentric Denshattack!

This is, when you boil it down to its fundamentals, a 3D platforming experience. While that might sound rather normal for a video game, Denshattack! trades a familiar 3D platforming mascot and more slower-paced gameplay for hectic and colourful, anime-like chaos where the player controls a train of all things, and proceeds to flip, trick, and grind a public transport carriage through a crazy version of dystopian Japan.

Needless to say, Denshattack! is a unique game, one that caught our attention when we had the chance to preview it recently, describing the game as "crazy and demanding" and a "refresh" of the arcade genre. It won't be too long until you can play the full game either, as Denshattack! will be launching on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch 2 as soon as June 17, and with that date edging ever closer, we took the opportunity to ask developer Undercoders some questions about Denshattack!, with answers provided by founder, game director, and producer David Jaumandreu.

Gamereactor: We know the concept was based on putting a new spin on arcade games and skateboarding, but combining that with train carriages and Japanese characters seems a bit mad. Is it based on some kind of personal anecdote?

Jaumandreu: "It actually is! As you've pointed out, we're big fans of Japan, skateboarding, and trains. The idea came up while childishly playing with a Japanese train toy model as if it were a finger skateboard and thinking: wouldn't it be cool if trains could jump, grind, do flips...?

"From there, we started imagining how that idea could work as a video game: how the controls would feel, what kind of challenges there could be and how movement would work. At first, the team thought the concept was maybe too wacky, but once we started building prototypes and realised they were incredibly fun to play, we decided to make the game a reality."

Gamereactor: Denshattack! seems like the sort of game that's crying out for online leaderboards so you can compete against your friends or other users. Is this a feature we might see in the game's future? And perhaps on consoles?

Jaumandreu: "Yeah, why not! When we published the demo, which included one of the Trickparks, we noticed that the competitive aspect was really well received by players, and some crazy records were achieved. We took good note of that and further improved the Trickpark rules, balanced the scoring systems, tweaked the medals, etc., so players could enjoy the competition even more. So leaderboards are definitely something we'd love to look into if there's enough demand for them!"

Gamereactor: Although we don't yet know the full story of the campaign, we know the game is set in a post-apocalyptic, dystopian Japan. However, we reckon the concept of jumping between ruined buildings could be adapted well to other urban landscapes around the world. Could we have additional content set in other parts of the world, Europe, or even the United States... Chicago, or New York?

Jaumandreu: "We guess so! When we first came up with the idea for the game, we immediately made a connection with Japan. From our previous experiences backpacking through the country using its amazing railway system, we completely fell in love with it.

"We may not have such a high concentration of railway lines around here, but there are definitely some really interesting places and routes that could work perfectly as settings for more crazy train adventures. Denshattack Euro Tour? Why not!"

Gamereactor: How long will a playthrough of Denshattack! take a player?

Jaumandreu: "Beating the full game takes around 10 hours of gameplay if you're quick. For players that want to unlock every secret, pick up all collectibles and achieve all dares or get all the medals, there's even more gameplay time awaiting them!"

Gamereactor: What is Undercoders' stance on using artificial intelligence in video game development? Was AI used in the production of Denshattack!?

Jaumandreu: "As a creative team, creating a game ourselves is what makes us love our job and it's what we think makes games worth playing, with all their virtues and flaws. We're not big fans of AI, so it hasn't been incorporated into our development process."

Gamereactor: What's one part of Denshattack! you wish more people were talking about?

Jaumandreu: "Even though the game was designed from the ground up as a gameplay-focused concept, we've put a lot of love into developing its characters and story. We've tried not to spoil too much ahead of launch so everyone can enjoy discovering it for themselves, but we're really happy with how the game's narrative has turned out.

"We're looking forward to players discovering the world of Denshattack!: its lore, gang leaders, enemies, and the development of its protagonists. The stages have also been modeled after real train lines and real locations across the country, so we'd love to see how people recognise the settings and landmarks while playing."

Thanks to Undercoders and Jaumandreu for taking the time to answer our questions. Again, Denshattack! will be launching on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch 2 on June 17, with a demo currently available to check out.

Bringing Stealth Back: Thick as Thieves Interview with Jeff Hickman

alex@gamereactor.eu (Alex Hopley) — Fri, 22 May 2026 14:00:00 +0200

Everyone's looking for their partner-in-crime in life, and Thick as Thieves lets you literally commit crimes with your best bud, in its two-player co-op stealth experience. Or, if you want to keep all the loot for yourself, you'll still be impressed going solo by its immersive world and gameplay. We chatted with Game Director Jeff Hickman about how he and the team at OtherSide Entertainment brought the game to life, and attempted to revive a certain kind of stealth action immersive sim. Read the full interview below:

Q: It feels like stealth action, particularly first-person stealth action, has been quite a quiet genre in recent years. Why do you think this is and how does Thick as Thieves revive this beloved genre?

Hickman: "I actually think that stealth games exist all over the place, but they have been subsumed into other game genres as pieces and parts of those games. People really crave and love the idea of stealth, but it has to be done right.

I think Stealth Action games, especially ones with the type of emergent gameplay that Thick as Thieves has, is a difficult type of game to nail. The interplay between light and dark can be subtle at times and dramatic at other times. It takes a special team to find the fun in this type of game. And we have exactly the team to do it. Beyond that, I do think that these types of games don't follow an easy pattern for developers, and therefore they are a little risky for any team taking them on. We are willing to take that risk to make a super fun game for our players."

Q: When people think about the best of stealth action, they often think of amazing level design. What can you tell us about the process of making memorable and replayable in-game areas?

Hickman: "You will hear me mention the interplay between light and dark a lot. This is critical to the spaces that we make. We look at an idea for a new map with light and dark at the forefront, but we also are looking at entry and exit points, the space for a thief to move around, where we want the choke points, where we want security, etc... One of the initial things we do once we have a rough blockout of the space and the flow is to designate "hot" and "cool" zones. Players should always be confronting the choice of leaving a safe location to go through something that isn't safe to get to another safe location. The space also needs to make sense within the story and world that the player is moving through. It's super important not to jar the player into a sense of disbelief - gameplay and the fiction need to be in balance. This also makes each space memorable - a map that makes sense, a story that brings it together, and challenging but not punishing gameplay that players love."

Q: How do you balance challenges and benefits with the co-op aspect, so players don't feel overpowered or punished for bringing along a partner in crime?

Hickman: "It's actually pretty straightforward. We always err on the side of fun and giving rewards instead of withholding them. COOP players always share every piece of loot and reward within the level. You succeed together and are given all of the rewards that you have earned as a team - it's not competition, it's collaboration. If players want more difficulty, turn it up to Master Thief - we test it all the time; we've played this game more than anyone on the planet, and it's still a challenge for us, one that we enjoy."

Q: In the gameplay trailer, it looks like chaos breaks out once our criminals have stolen the artefact they're looking for. Is there always a frantic escape or will players get the chance to enter and leave like a ghost if they play their cards right?

Hickman: Actually, we encourage a more thoughtful escape, though the frantic escape can happen :) There is some time pressure that adds some tension to the escape, but sprinting at ANY time in our game is a dangerous proposition - our guards and especially the Haunstable are very sensitive to noise, and running - especially on hard surfaces - makes a lot of it. Proceed with caution! Sometimes the fastest way to move is also the quietest.

Q: On an average run, how long does it take to beat Thick as Thieves, and is there a sense of replayability with the levels to keep players coming back?

Hickman: "Are we talking about a single match?. The quick answers are, within 45 min, and YES! Now some details. Each match has a max length of 45 minutes. The player can choose to spend as much of that time as they desire or need. For a skilled player, many of the matches can be completed in 20 minutes or less, but you probably won't get all of the loot in the level, and moving fast is a dangerous way to play.

Replayability? You got it! Each map has three difficulty levels and also has a large number of variants in mission type, guard and trap placement, clues, and entry and exit points. Your favorite hatch might be boarded over, or that door in the basement could be blocked with a stack of boxes. The world isn't infinitely variable, but there are enough differences to keep you on your toes. And of course, once you've gotten the handle of playing with the Spider and the Zipwire, playing with the Chameleon and Disguise puts a different spin on things.

If we're talking about "beat the campaign", we've got a 16 contract sequence that is the main story for this chapter. We're calling it "4+ hours" because by about 4 hours in, you will have seen all of the main elements of the game. Honestly, it took me about a dozen hours to complete it the first time, but I've done it half a dozen times since then, so yes, I do think there's a value to replay - especially with co-op."

Q: Some stealth games feel like they make a player load saves over and over until they get the perfect run. Are thieves punished for triggering alarms and alerting enemies, or are they more incentivised to play through a level as they see fit, adapting to scenarios as they evolve?

Hickman: "The latter. We aren't big on punishment - players already have a challenging task, namely to get in and get out with the loot. We want the players to approach each map, mission and room and use some clever thinking on how to solve each element. Each room is an obstacle. Figuring out how to get through or bypass it is where a bunch of the fun is. Use your gear, fool the guards, turn off the traps, climb through the rafters, go through the tunnels - it's all up to you.

There are no saves - the game has been architected to be multiplayer from the very beginning, so no pauses, no saves. Rather than inching through the world puzzle by puzzle and "save-scumming" to get through something extraordinarily difficult, we've given the player some very powerful tools, and then it's up to them to set the difficulty appropriately. But, like all good stealth systems, if you kick the hornet's nest, it needs to reset. Players are going to get detected - detection equalling failure is one of the novice mistakes that people who dabble with stealth make early on; it's binary and unforgiving and frustrating. As a player, you need to be able to recover from your mistakes, and if you're successful in removing yourself from an alerted situation, the world needs to reset and let you re-approach it. That doesn't mean that everything is exactly the same - some guards will remain in a heightened state of alertness; perturbing a guard multiple times can incite new investigation behaviours, but the general rule is "choice, consequence, and recovery" - recovery is where a lot of the fun happens."

Q: Does your experience in MMOs and online experiences assist in making the co-op of Thick as Thieves feel an integral part of the overall experience?

Hickman: "Definitely. I spent two decades working in online, multiplayer games. One thing that I have learned, playing solo can be really great, but playing with friends can be even better. Make coop as easy to get into as possible, make the rewards work for both players, provide tools that help players play together and never penalize players for playing together."

Q: The city of Kilcairn feels like a strong character in its own right. How does having an immersive setting help enrich the overall experience of Thick as Thieves?

Hickman: "It's a wonderfully mysterious city to explore. We have a whole world of alternate history, stories, people to draw from and share. The story, alongside the visual expressions of the world and Kilcairn, really bring a sense of "familiar but different" to the game. We lean into the story to give context to why you are there - in this opening chapter, you're a new thief; you've just arrived, and you need to prove yourself. The very first mission you go on ends up being part of a much larger mystery, but also gives you a tool that will prove critical in your endeavours. THEN we expand the story to involve the player in the machinations of the greater world and politics. There may even be a few references to people (fictionalized versions of course) that folks have heard of before. I hope the players find it as fascinating as we do."

Q: If you could use any of the in-game gadgets in real life, which one would you choose and why?

Hickman: "Ooooh. Probably the Insult Fairy. It's truly comical in its insults and provides amazing distractive qualities without YOU being tagged as the insulter. Using it on my kids when they don't expect it would be hilarious. Maybe distract my wife so I can play more videogames ;)"

Assassin's Creed: Black Flag Resynced - an interview with director Richard Knight

martin@gamereactor.eu (Martin Carlsson) — Thu, 21 May 2026 18:00:00 +0200

At the end of April, I flew to France at the invitation of Ubisoft to preview the upcoming Assassin's Creed: Black Flag Resynced, a remade re-release using the same game engine that powers Assassin's Creed Shadows from last year. Rumours were rife, and few were likely surprised when the game was officially unveiled via a trailer just days before I sat down to play it for around four hours. A complete remake of the pirate game, which turns 13 this year, where for obvious reasons, there are countless improvements, expanded content, and elements that have been polished for this crowd-pleaser. I'm conducting my very first interview in my entire life (apart from dating) with the game's director and head honcho, Richard Knight, who was also involved in the original from 2013. In other words, the bloke knows his stuff, and by all accounts is the right man in the right place.

A band of pirates with a fresh take on the classic - ready to set sail.

I actually slipped away from the venue to recharge my batteries after being glued to my gaming station, mostly to process my impressions and breathe in something other than the smell of sweat and Red Bull, only to return a few hours later to bounce ideas off the director, a pleasant gentleman who was always ready with an answer, given his long history with Assassin's Creed.

There I was, playing in 4K at 60 FPS on a top-of-the-range PC.

Gamereactor: First and foremost, thank you for letting me come and for inviting us to this exclusive screening and being among the first to play Assassin's Creed: Black Flag Resynced. In my humble opinion, the game looks absolutely fantastic in every respect, based on the time I've spent with it. I have a few questions, which I hope to get answers to.

To this end, how long has Assassin's Creed: Black Flag Resynced been in active development?

Knight: "Since 2023, so it's been around... three years now? And we're still finishing it right now."

Gamereactor: With a launch coming up on July 9?

Knight: "Yes."

Gamereactor: Does Resynced feel like you're preserving an important part of Ubisoft's legacy or is it more about correcting elements that you feel the original didn't quite get right or succeed with?

Knight: "That's an interesting question. I would say that, it's kind of in the name, Resynced, right? We want to remake the original because there are certain things that, you know, are just a bit dated or don't hold up as well. But the original still stands on its own; you can still play it today. You can still buy it, it's still just fun, I can finish it. But we always had this dream, what if it were today; what if we had the latest Anvil [engine]; what if we had some of the gameplay from Shadows or Mirage? What if we put all of these things together, what can we get?

"So there's a bit of preservation for sure, and we wanted to preserve Edward's story and flavour. It still has to feel like him. But at the same time, we're like, you know, we have to dream a little too. We have to ask ourselves, what would it feel like to make that game today?"

Gamereactor: With today's technical standards and the latest game engine, Anvil Engine, which is really cutting-edge from what I've seen?

Knight: "Yeah, and not just the visuals but in gameplay too, where can we take it?"

Gamereactor: What is the most historically inaccurate element that you've chosen to include in the game, simply because it's fun and enhances the enjoyment of the game? And are there any mini-games or new side activities added to keep players entertained between missions and the main story?

Knight: "Okay, so there's a bunch of questions. Yeah, the first part, let's just say, our goal with this is to be authentic first and foremost to the original game. And that means even if they made historical, you know, mistakes, it's just... that was how they played with history at that time and we wanted to follow that. So, you know, we still have things like harpooning and animal hunting. A lot of this is what you think of those today; they were things that made a lot of sense in the original game and we don't want to betray players' trust by not including those. But yes, it also means that we have little fun elements like the bicorn versus tricorn debate and the Spanish flag debate.

"So there are certain things where we're just like, 'OK, there's a lot of nuance to the discussion, but we're going to stick with what's authentic to Black Flag, then.'"

Gamereactor: Yes, and I imagine there'll be quite a bit of pandering to the fans as well?

Knight: "Of course. And to the second part of your question, we didn't add new mini-games per se, but you know, pretty much all of the old ones are there if you want to harpoon or hunt or play a board game; those things still exist. But I guess the one little thing I'd like to add is that now we have a shanty player, so, if you're just someone who likes to keep sailing and sing a certain song, and you hold a button on the D-pad right now, it'll bring up a sort of visual iPod player and you can choose which song you want the crew to sing."

Gamereactor: Yeah, I noticed that, very neat.

Knight: "Yeah, yeah, and it was important for us to do that, because we're like, we're going to add new shanties like: "Oh no, what happens if the player has to randomise 50 times" to find the one they want, right? So just a little thing, but sometimes it's just the little things that get you from A to B. The other thing we've done, and it's worth mentioning briefly, is that, like most modern games, we've included fast travel. So if sailing isn't really your thing and you just want to head back to Havana, you can simply go to the map and click."

Lucy is one of the new characters you can recruit, and she unlocks new gameplay possibilities via the game's flagship, The Jackdaw.

Gamereactor: If you play the new version and then return to the original from 2013, what do you hope feels significantly improved in the new version, and what do you hope is exactly the same as before?

Knight: "What I hope remains the same is the spirit. Like, even if the mechanics are different and you can crouch anywhere, that you'll still go like "Oh, I feel like I've already had this experience with Resynced". What I hope feels improved... I hope the combat feels fresh and more relevant to modern games. It's, you know, it can still be fast-paced and brutal, but there's more scope for skill now. I hope you all appreciate the new naval combat options we've introduced with the alternate-fire weapons, the officers, and the abilities they bring, and I hope you feel those things actually help. You know, maybe they felt a bit missing in the original.

"And then finally, I hope that you also appreciate just the flow of the game as well. There are certain things we've introduced—the rope dart—much earlier in the game now. We've introduced the 'ram dash' ability much earlier in the game. We're doing certain things with, sort of realising that players like these things and they like them a bit earlier to give them more choice, more expression. And I hope that - as much as I like the original game - maybe you appreciate it, but I can do those things sooner."

Gamereactor: It's basically a 2.0 version of Black Flag?

Knight: "Yeaaah... or... In a way, in a way."

Gamereactor: A major focus in Black Flag has always been time at sea and naval battles. You've removed the loading screens when going ashore. Is the game completely seamless now, with no loading times at all? And also, are there any adjustments or new features regarding the ship, The Jackdaw, or the ocean that are completely new or that you've built upon in Black Flag Resynced?

Knight: "So, we do have one big open-world map. And so the map has been expanded a little bit to include, you know, the tip of Florida and Cuba and some other places that were a bit harder to reach. We only travel to other locations for... there are two parts that people might remember from the original game, one of which was North Carolina, and the other was Charleston, so some places in the United States. And for those, you know, we're not going to add, say, 200 kilometres of sea to get to them.

"But the great thing is that with modern technology, the load times are extremely fast to get there. And then if you want to come back, it's also extremely fast. So we make a point of otherwise having one big cohesive world with just a little bit of... extra stuff, extra locations, and places to visit on the way."

Gamereactor: Are there any adjustments or new features regarding the Jackdaw or the ocean in general that are completely new or that you've built upon in Resynced?

Knight: "So the big thing for us was the new abilities through the officers and then the new alternate fire weapons for the Jackdaw, which is really cool in my mind because when you get one of these new alternate fires; like for example for the broadside, you just have to press a button at any time, there's no going into a menu and choosing the right thing. It's just, it's there... And so you can make that tactical decision on the fly about what to do. Similarly, the officer abilities. They're, I mean, they're just... they just switch on and then, whether it's Lucy's perfect brace, which is about, you know, it's a skill-based timing to reduce damage, or Dead Man's extra shot, which might sound like 'Oh, free more damage!' but you still have to wait for that extra volley and aim it properly, and maybe you're bracing at the same time. There are a lot of factors to consider. So we think it adds an interesting sort of extra layer of management to ships. Beyond that, it's just, you know, if you go find your nearest harbour master or captain's cabin, you can change the look of your ship.

"I mean, some of these things were in the original game too, but we made a point of ensuring you can have different sails and different... all these things."

Gamereactor: You've mentioned that you've updated and adapted Black Flag Resynced to a more modern Assassin's Creed standard. Have you looked at previous titles such as Valhalla, Mirage, Shadows, and have you drawn inspiration from any of these and then implemented it in Black Flag Resynced?

Knight: "Absolutely. I mean, all of them, to a certain extent. You have to be because it's, you know, a remake. We have to be a bit like historians and look at what works best in certain games and then decide what works best for Black Flag Resynced. So in some cases, there's something that works perfectly, and in some cases there's something we won't take. You know, Shadows, there are certain things we've taken. Like the light and shadow gameplay that's brilliant. But we don't need Edward to crawl around on the ground on his stomach. It doesn't make sense for him, so we take what makes the most sense. And the same goes for the other games too. So you know we have certain animations from [Assassin's Creed] Unity even just like in the case of some of the combat takedowns. If it makes sense, if it's something Edward would seem to do, and it's sufficiently inexpensive for us to use, then we'll use it, right? But similarly, if it's something that only makes sense for Samurai, we won't do it.

"So, it's just the cool thing about the Anvil Engine and working with part of this brand is that we can, to a certain extent, we can take the things that make the most sense, or at least adapt them to what makes some sense for us. And in some cases that just means brand new stuff for you and it doesn't matter what the past did, we need to do something new going forward. But it's really helpful to go like 'Oh, how did a blow dart work 10 years ago?'"

Gamereactor: So, was Black Flag chosen for any specific reason? There are older entries in the series that could also have benefited from a remake or a complete overhaul, for example, the very first game in the series. Why did the choice fall on Black Flag specifically and is it because it's a fan favourite?

Knight: "It is definitely a fan favourite! [laughs] That is part of it, but what I would say is, if you think of it beyond numbers; going one, two, three, four, five, we try to think of what the brand is, these different experiences, different points in history, different exciting characters. And so when you look at Black Flag, it's like, okay, check, great character, check, great setting, the Caribbean, check! You could be a pirate and you could be an assassin; it ticks all those boxes. And then it ticks the final box, which is it's old enough, and whilst it still holds up, there are loads of exciting things we thought we could do with it.

"So they take that to the brand and then they also go, 'Okay and you're Ubisoft Singapore, you worked on the original Black Flag, you worked on the games before Black Flag!' So you have this long history with the brand. We also have a background in water tech and naval gameplay. So all these things just kind of made it a shoe-in. But it really came down to just how exciting an opportunity was it? Does the character work, does the setting work? Are these things we're ready to revisit?"

Blackbeard, a legend as gruesome and mad as, well... the rumours.

Gamereactor: You introduced new characters in the very first trailer who have their own missions and play a part in the story. Was it difficult to integrate completely new elements and characters into an already existing world and storyline, and what challenges did this present?

Knight: "I couldn't say it's any more difficult than game development already is. It was like an exciting opportunity in the sense of, okay, we've always wanted to add these officer characters to help establish the family of the Jackdaw and the people working under Edward's command, because that reflects on him too what kind of pirate leader he is. But we also thought about it from a gameplay perspective: what kind of gameplay benefits would they bring?

"And then the final element to this is that not everybody remembers, but Black Flag is actually, even though it's a fast-paced epic, it's a bit of an epic. It has time jumps, it has multiple instances where Edward is imprisoned, there are places for us to fit things in. There are certain stories that haven't been fully told, there's Blackbeard and certain other characters. So there are all these little places where we can add a bit. And with the officers in particular, yeah, they're new characters. But they sort of feel at home on the Jackdaw, and so as long as we make sure they fit in from a gameplay and narrative perspective, I mean, the rest will sort of..."

Gamereactor: Yeah, and they do add more hours of gameplay, I mean, it is new content, isn't it?

Knight: "Yeah, and certainly when you make a remake, some people are like 'Okay - but you're going to give me new content, right - please?' So, of course we wanted to make sure we had some and it just seemed like a natural way to do it because, we really... Edward's story had already been told, right? We're not here to write a brand new ending "in the next 10 years of his life", we're here to tell the story. So we wanted something that kind of fits within that story and helps perhaps tie up some of the things that happened within it."

Expect epic naval battles, skirmishes, and assassinations galore.

Gamereactor: Last question: Are there any new secrets, Easter eggs, or hidden objectives that you've added that you can share? Will we be fighting the Kraken or perhaps other horrors of the deep?

Knight: "As always, I can neither confirm nor deny any secrets. Let's just say developers love secrets. But yeah, that's all I can say."

Richard Knight, director of Assassin's Creed: Black Flag Resynced.

Assassin's Creed: Black Flag Resynced launches on July 9 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Expect a review just in time for that.

Following the success of Esoteric Ebb: A chat with Christoffer Bodegård

joel@gamereactor.eu (Joel Petterson) — Wed, 20 May 2026 09:00:00 +0200

There are games, and then there are games. Esoteric Ebb is certainly the latter and, in my opinion, one of the best titles released in recent years. We praised it to the hilt in our review back in early March, because it really does deserve the reception it got. But just as with games, there are also developers, and then we have people like Christoffer "Chris" Bodegård who manage the feat of delivering both games of insanely high quality (read our review of Esoteric Ebb here) and being so unbearably nice, knowledgeable and funny all at the same time.

Before Esoteric Ebb was released, there was quite a lot of nervousness and stress ahead of the launch. Bodegård didn't know, of course, that he had a massive hit on his hands, so we felt it was time to sit down and chat about the game following its reception.

"Hi Christoffer! First of all - how are things at the moment? Have you managed to secure any deals since the launch?"

Hey there again! Things have actually just started to calm down properly for the first time. There's about a month to go now until the Steam Summer Sale, and things will probably heat up again then. But right now? It's dead calm!

"And huge congratulations on the release of {Esoteric Ebb}. How have the last few months been for you emotionally?"

Thanks! It's actually been really nice. After version 1.2 was released, I felt the game was in good enough shape to start making some longer-term plans. Things like potential localisation, porting, and so on. All that takes time, so right now I'm mostly doing a lot of groundwork and enjoying the fact that the game is a success!

I asked Christoffer if he had any new photos we could use...

"When did you start to realise that the game was actually making a real impact?"

Four moments: the first was when I showed it to my sort-of mentor at the park. He's the sort of person who's very sparing with praise, so when he said, 'This is actually quite good,' I knew I was on the right track. The second time was when the PC Gamer article first came out, and I woke up to a dozen messages from people congratulating me. And the third time was when the demo made it into the top ten on Steam Next Fest on the last day. And finally, the fourth time was when I saw that the game had reached 'Overwhelmingly Positive' on Steam. It's absolutely mad that it's gone so well.

"Now that people have actually finished playing Esoteric Ebb - which reaction from players or the press has surprised you the most?"

I suppose what surprised me most was how many people were moved to tears. I myself felt very emotional when writing certain passages, but I've never written anything before that had such an effect. But I suppose that if you shed a tear whilst writing it, perhaps that somehow rubs off on the readers.

"Is it a bit unsettling too? That people become so emotionally attached to something you've sat alone writing for years?"

I suppose my overall aim in writing is simply to make the player feel something. So I feel it's been quite a success! I like to shock and surprise, sort of. And I think the best way to do that is to present a story that might seem superficial - like a colourful and comical D&D adventure - and then slowly persuade the player to care excessively about the world and its characters. So I'm really just happy that I've managed to make people feel something, for a brief moment.

"We have a new piece of cleric artwork by Westberg that you're welcome to give an exclusive reveal of." - Christoffer Bodegård

"You've been working on the game for a very long time. How much do you think both you and the project have changed along the way?"

I've actually got the hang of interactive writing! It took a few years. Politically, I've also changed and grown a lot, which was the whole point. I really wanted to use Ebb as a way of exploring my own ideological journey - so now I'm absolutely ready for the election this autumn!

"Do you perhaps feel that developing the game made you more humble about how people actually behave in politics? I mean, was Esoteric Ebb an eye-opener for you too?"

Yeah, I learnt a hell of a lot about people, that's for sure! I think I also became increasingly aware of just how much we're all driven by ideology. That is to say, the ideas and concepts we debate are always created and filtered through our material circumstances. And when circumstances change, it's bloody important to keep track of exactly how. Especially today, when circumstances seem to change every single week (or so it feels), our ideologies have to keep up.

Luckily, I wrote most of Ebb's text in 2025 (about 600k words), so everything is as relevant and 'up to date' as I possibly could make it. Then it'll be interesting to see how long all this stuff I'm writing about stays relevant.

"After so many years working on the same project - is it hard to even know who you are without the game anymore?"

Interestingly enough, it feels more like this world is simply a natural progression of everything I've created since I was old enough to make things up in my head. And especially since everything in the game is so connected to and influenced by all my D&D adventures, it feels more like I've just been playing a really big, digital campaign that everyone gets to be part of rather than just my usual players/mates. But it's really nice to take a break after such an intense session, hah!

This is from the review of Esoteric Ebb.

"Have the players in your past campaigns recognised themselves in characters or situations? And is there a quest or character in the game that was literally conceived around a table with dice and snacks?"

No quests are directly linked to the campaigns; it's mostly just characters and references that are relevant in that way. But I made sure to send the dialogue for Ôst, Kraaid, The Duck, and Razz to my players, so they could double-check the voices and tone. Their secret boss fight was very popular, I can tell you. Plus, the lads are absolutely chuffed that people liked their brilliant Slogdog joke.

"You've mentioned before that work on Esoteric Ebb began before Disco Elysium was released. Does it feel liberating or frustrating that so many people still describe the game using that particular comparison?"

That particular comparison is definitely intentional! It was my strategy from the outset to create a game that would be compared to DE, but which differs in tone and content. I knew that if I used the Chimes system, along with this vertical dialogue format, and followed the same non-linear design philosophy - that would be enough for people to hold them up side by side. At the same time, I also knew I'd never be able to reach the same level of literary depth and Eastern European wisdom. So I didn't even try. Ebb is a fun D&D session with me, and nothing else. I make that as clear as I can right from the start of the game - which I think means that the comparison with DE ends up being a positive thing. And I see it as a huge compliment that some people even compare the writing! Although my style is much simpler, I probably got better and better at prose during production. There are some bits towards the end of the game that I'm really proud of!

"Do you think people sometimes underestimate just how difficult it actually is to write this kind of game?"

People underestimate just how difficult it is to make games in general, and interactive writing is certainly part of that phenomenon. But as someone who likes to use figures in my arguments, I usually point to Steam's own statistics: the two genres on the platform that sell best (on average) are - if I'm not completely off the mark - role-playing games and strategy games. Why? My theory is that it's simply because, on average, they are the hardest games to produce. And RPGs with interactive narratives are, in a way, a niche within that niche.

I also think the problem is that the know-how simply isn't there. People compare 'game narratives' between {The Last of Us} and Disco Elysium as if they exist within the same practical art form, and I just don't buy that. Both are wonderful. But I would never assume that the person who wrote the script for one would have the skills to create the script for the other. And in the average discussion about games (among both players and developers), it seems that the distinction simply doesn't exist in the vocabulary. That's my view, at any rate.

One thing I'm trying to do with the little I've learnt during Ebb's development is to spread that knowledge. If indeed there is such a thing. Simply because I'd love to see more games that make use of interactive writing. 'Interactive Writing' is, incidentally, a term I had to sort of make up, precisely for this reason. There's otherwise no real term that describes the practical work where writing and design come together. As far as I know, anyway.

"Otherwise, wouldn't it have been cool to show off the front of the vinyl?"

"And personally, I prefer to look stupid."

"These days, many indie games try to be quirky or clever in their dialogue. What do you think distinguishes well-written game dialogue from text that's just trying to sound clever?"

A lot of it comes down to taste, which is hard to define. Many people think my style is also 'millennial quirky' - and especially with comedy, which is so incredibly subjective that you can barely analyse it. But generally, I try to create characters who could actually exist. That's sort of my fundamental goal - that the dialogue should stem from logical character traits and that these people could have existed in real life.

And personally, I prefer to sound stupid. I went through a phase in my life where I wanted to sound clever. But the more I learn about everything, the more I'm content to accept that I still have a great deal left to learn.

"This is actually one of the many things I researched during my time at university! I'm very intelligent."

"Is that why so much dialogue in games can feel as though the characters are trying to win an argument rather than talking like real people?"

Partly. That's also the reason why we shoot so many people in so many games. Conflict is fun! But I'd also say that game dialogue in particular struggles with subtlety. A good film script should probably have a lot of so-called subtext, where you have to read between the lines to get the point. It would be strange if everyone just said exactly what they were thinking and feeling. But if the player is controlling one of the characters - then the game writer has to make sure the player gets that subtext! And it's incredibly difficult to get the player to keep up and make informed choices. That's why it makes sense (and I do it all the time too) to be much clearer in the writing, and specifically to let the player control characters who are overly 'clear' in how they speak and think.

Here's yet another reason why Disco's skill system is so brilliant. Through internal monologues, it's much easier to let the player get the point without it feeling too stiff. This is actually one of many things I researched during my time at university! I'm very intelligent.

"And then there's a variation on the Norvik image."

"The game strikes a very natural balance between humour and rather dark, existential themes. Do you have a personal limit for when a joke goes too far or when a scene becomes too heavy?"

I genuinely believe you can joke about anything. It's just a question of when and how. Which are two pretty damn important points. In Ebb, I tried to maintain exactly the same tone as I do when I run D&D - that is, darkness exists and the world is realistic. I have zero interest in exploring certain topics, and every interest in exploring certain others. I was definitely nervous when I chose to delve into certain darker themes in the game, but I see it this way: if it's scary to write about it, then it's probably worth exploring. It's just a matter of writing it in a way that's well-researched, deeply developed, and genuine. Sounds easy, doesn't it?

"What was the hardest part of writing Esoteric Ebb? Not the most technically challenging aspect - but purely on an emotional level."

The internal political debates. I saved them until the end - three months before the game was released. Because I knew that a great deal of the protagonist's political development would be based on precisely these, and I also knew that they would be severely limited by my own political and philosophical knowledge. But I drank loads of tea and sat down in early December 2025 and wrote them all, one by one. And it was here that I really had to examine exactly what my own biased thoughts, fundamental ideological pillars, and feelings were regarding topics such as democracy, men and women, migration, and loneliness.

Then I didn't really have time to go through it all, so I just had to put it out there and see what people thought. It was scary. I had no idea whether what I'd written was coherent, well-written, or socially acceptable. It's very interesting to read what people are writing about it online, though.

"You've written a massive amount of dialogue for the game. Was there any character, quest or scene that nearly drove you mad trying to finish?"

All the bloody encounters. That was the only part of the game where I actually enlisted the help of my editor, Phil Jamesson, who had to write drafts for four of the later battles, based on my design. There's just so much unique content that needs to be written for these - imagine, they can be played in so many different orders. There are so many different choices - every round must have unique attacks and actions. And every subsequent round is influenced (and often entirely based on) the choice you made previously. And for there to be tactics and strategy and AGENCY in these, everything has to be properly designed as well. I'm very proud of the final boss fight, though. It's really cool.

"Is there any aspect of Esoteric Ebb that you're particularly proud of, but which players might not have noticed yet?"

There are a few mechanical quirks in the design that trick players into thinking they're doing better than they actually are. This leads to more exciting clutch moments' I'm very proud of that, especially since literally zero players have noticed it.

The troll fight was dramatic. This image is also from the review.

"How much of the game's world, characters or atmosphere is drawn from your own experiences, Swedish settings or people you've met throughout your life?"

Pretty much everything. It's fun to see people around the world comparing Norvik to their own experiences, but at its core, it's a very Swedish story. What exactly that means is open to interpretation - just like all the other allegories I play with, I like to let the player decide for themselves.

"You seem very interested in politics, philosophy and social structures. Do you think the gaming medium has got better or worse at writing about such topics over the last ten years?"

I'd say that the gaming medium hasn't developed much over the last ten years. The industry has changed a lot, but the art itself (and how indie creators build) feels the same as when I started the process in 2015. Compared to 1995 to 2005, and 2005 to 2015, it's like night and day. So today I'm mostly interested in developing interactive writing as a format for exploring, as you say, politics, philosophy and social structures. Games are, in my opinion, the hardest medium in which to create narrative. Which is why it has also, historically speaking, been seen as a medium with poorer storytelling. It's bloody hard to create good narratives in games! And when we do succeed? Then it's mostly through linear storytelling. Usually through an emulation of film. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with emulating film. Film is brilliant. But I don't want to make films. I don't want to write linear stories. I want to make games.

"You say that the gaming medium hasn't evolved much over the last ten years - but is there any modern game that actually gave you the feeling that 'okay, something new is happening here'?"

Oh yes, loads! Most of them are games that haven't been released yet, but which will hopefully be released in a few years' time. Sometimes I get a few private previews, which is fun. But of games that are out there, which have really succeeded with interactive writing...

{Pentiment} was an instant classic. Incredibly well-designed. Roadwarden had a really interesting structure and a cool world. {Citizen Sleeper} managed to blend extremely cool systematic storytelling with interactive writing.

And then, Baldur's Gate III managed to hold a narrative together with interactive writing, even though the player character is completely dynamic. Which might not sound like much of a challenge, but I promise you - there's a reason why all the great examples of interactive writing throughout history (from Planescape: Torment to {Mass Effect}) always have a very restrictive protagonist.

"I just didn't have time to write unique thought bubbles for every single character in the game. Because there are over sixty characters. It's mad."

"And, of course, THE BIKE ARTWORK."

"Were there any ideas or systems you loved but were ultimately forced to cut?"

Teleportation and mind reading! Two spells, Misty Step and Detect Thoughts, both of which are technically implemented in the game. But both are unusable. Misty Step was simply too tricky to implement - I didn't have enough areas where it would be interesting to teleport, and if I'd allowed the player to teleport anywhere on the map, they'd have got stuck. And you can cheat your way through Detect Thoughts if you want - but if you try to read someone's thoughts, the dialogue is just empty. I simply didn't have time to write unique thought dialogues for every single character in the game. Because there are over sixty characters. Crazy.

"Give me $500 million and ten years, and I can sort it out for you! Thanks!"

"If you were given an unlimited budget and a larger team - what would be the first thing you'd want to expand in Esoteric Ebb?"

To be honest, I wouldn't have done anything major. Perhaps you could add a few more visuals, sort out the voice acting, and polish it up a bit more - but I'm happy with Ebb.

But if you gave me endless funds to make another game, I'd definitely start production on a first-person open-world immersive sim set in Norvik. Imagine Ebb's art style, but in first-person, and with all the 5e mechanics adapted for a game that both emulates D&D and acts as an Elder Scrolls Killer. Give me $500 million and ten years and I can sort it out for you! Thanks!

"How much of that are you saying ironically - and how much do you actually mean?"

I never joke. But let's put it this way: I'm pitching it openly simply because it'll probably never happen. But if Ebb had sold fifteen million copies, I'd have started this project straight away. No question about it. Then, of course, I want to keep working on 'smaller' games like Ebb, where I can sit on my own and write and programme the whole thing. But it would also have been fun to start up a bigger project, where I have much less control. And here in Skövde, the university produces a few hundred talented game developers every year - people who I know would have loved to work on a game like that.

But unfortunately, the financial situation is what it is right now. Most game companies are lucky if they can get half a million to a million dollars in funding. So let's just say it's a joke. For now.

"...I just hope that Disco Elysium's legacy leads to more games like that - games that I like.""

More merchandise is on the way - but these dice are too cool not to order. Don't you agree?

"How do you see the future of this type of narrative role-playing game? Is there a risk that the genre will become too defined by a single game and its legacy?"

I think the main risk is that the genre will lure in developers who think they're producing a similar game without focusing on interactive writing. Disco Elysium was a magical evolution of Planescape: Torment - and Esoteric Ebb is perhaps a mix of the two. Now, I'm obviously very biased, but I think these three reach a level of interactive writing that I prefer. There are a few other games that spring to mind, such as Troika's Arcanum and {Bloodlines}. {Deus Ex} too. New Vegas? But honestly, it's so rare that I just hope Disco Elysium's legacy leads to more games like that - games that I like.

"What do you think Swedish game developers are generally better at than the rest of the world?"

From what I can see, it's mostly just about trying out crazy things. Especially here in Skövde, we have an incredibly good environment where developers can build companies, get support, and create really cool games. Games that - because we have the opportunity to take such risks - can be a bit crazy. I mean, Ebb might look like a pretty solid idea in hindsight. But trying to make a sequel to DISCO as a solo developer? That's just plain madness, to put it bluntly.

"And finally - what are your plans now? Have you started looking ahead to your next project, or are you still fully focused on Esoteric Ebb?"

A bit of translation. A bit of porting. And then loads of prep for the next game! We've also started selling some merch, and there'll probably be more of that a bit later. Can't say much more at the moment, but I can guarantee I'll be having a right good time in any case.

Update:
Esoteric Ebb was released on PC in early March - and in response to a question about whether the game will be released on more platforms (which was added after the interview had finished), Chris replied as follows:

"I want to release Ebb on every possible platform, but nothing has been decided yet. So we'll see if it's one specific platform first, and more later, or if it's all at once, like in 2027/2028!"

Man O' War: Corsair - Does it hold up?

alex@gamereactor.eu (Alex Hopley) — Mon, 18 May 2026 12:00:00 +0200

Last week, when we took a look at Warhammer 40,000: Rites of War, we glanced at a game that really was from a bygone age. In a way, Man O' War: Corsair is quite similar. It follows a setting that was killed off by Games Workshop, only to be brought back years later. But, Man O' War: Corsair does not take us back to the heady days of 90s gaming. It's not even as old as the 2000s. Instead, this game released only ten years ago, in the April of 2016.

Now, games have evolved a lot since then, and Evil Twin Artworks' Man O' War: Corsair certainly looks a bit older than it is, but it's the youngest game we've reviewed in these weeks of classics so far, and one of the titles you'd have to question its status as a classic on the most. That's not just because it's young, by the way, but the reception was quite mixed at launch.

Like a fair few of the games under the Warhammer Classics banner, I didn't play Man O' War: Corsair when it launched. I was busy playing Total War: Warhammer instead, or more accurately waiting a month for it to come out. Therefore, I can't speak to the quality of Man O' War: Corsair when it did launch, but from reading through old reviews it seems like a bit of a mixed bag. It's a very unique game, that much I'll give it. Where you usually expect great battles fought on land or in space with Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000, Man O' War: Corsair takes us to the high seas of the Old World, giving us an open-world pirate game where we're quite free to do as we please. You can explore a story in the campaign mode, or set up custom battles, a bit like Warhammer: Mark of Chaos.

Weirdly, I'd say that Man O' War: Corsair feels like the most dated game I've played so far in this series. I'm all for graphics that have an older charm, but Man O' War: Corsair doesn't necessarily have the nostalgia associated with truly old games and their visuals, because it's not that old. It's like someone looking 60 at 23. Back at its original release, the game did struggle with the fact that it was unfinished, and while a lot of work has been done on the Warhammer Classics release, there are still some lingering issues that aren't really bugs but are more just shortcomings of the original experience. Animations, for example, would require a full rework to look nice, as would the game's sound.

Still, if you do want to experience a genuine one-of-a-kind type of Warhammer game, Man O' War: Corsair fits that niche well. It makes me wish that Creative Assembly would have crafted some really cool naval battles in their Total War: Warhammer series, because when you and your crew are kicking Skaven and Orcs off your ship, it can be quite chaotic and fun. It's just really unpolished. It's not old jank that you can find a bit of charm in, but there is quite a bit that detracts from the gameplay, which is unfortunate when Warhammer pirate adventure is such a strong idea on paper.

This is probably the first game I'd say doesn't hold up, then. Man O' War: Corsair comes with its DLCs and plenty of bug fixes if you pick it up today, but it's hard to think of who this game is for unless you've played it and loved it already. If you want to try something new and really unique in the Warhammer world, then this might scratch that itch, but I can't imagine it sticking in your play rotation for more than a couple of long afternoons spent sailing around the open seas. Actually, if you really want to have some sort of Black Flag replacement in time for the remake, but don't care to revisit the original game, then you can have your naval combat here, just with a lot less polish and much worse visuals. Sorry Man O' War: Corsair, you have your charm, but it's not a pirate's life for me.

Mina the Hollower Interview: Discussing the delay, length, AI, inspirations, and secrets with Yacht Club

ben@gamereactor.eu (Ben Lyons & Emily-Maisy Milburn) — Sun, 17 May 2026 12:00:00 +0200

In just a couple of weeks, the makers of Shovel Knight, Yacht Club Games, will be making a return when they look to debut their next highly anticipated action-platformer known as Mina the Hollower. Coming to PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch, the debut is planned for May 29, and with the launch edging ever closer and less than two weeks away, we've had the luxury of speaking with the developer to learn a little more about the project.

In the full interview that you can see below, we posed a slate of questions to Yacht Club's programmer David D'Angelo, where we talked about the delay pushing the game out of 2025, the inspiration behind the various levels, the expected length of the game, the studio's stance on artificial intelligence, and more.

Gamereactor: Mina the Hollower was originally expected to launch in October. How has the extra development time allowed you to improve the game?

D'Angelo: "We've added crazy amounts of polish! Mina is our biggest game yet with billions of combinations for what the player can equip or how they can route through the game. We really needed that extra time to make sure that no matter what path you take, you'll have a great experience!"

Gamereactor: Why did you decide to choose a mouse as the protagonist and what made you want to build the game around a cast of animal characters?

D'Angelo: "The key action in the game, burrowing, led us down the path to creating a mouse character. From there, we created a cast of all kinds of animals, creatures, and even sometimes humans!"

Gamereactor: Mina wields lots of different weapons, how will this play into the combat in the game?

D'Angelo: "Each of the 5 weapons give a unique playstyle, some are slow but have long reach, some are fast but make you fight in close quarters. We wanted to not only create a combat experience that matched your personal playstyle, but might encourage you to swap weapons around based on the challenge in front of you. 14 Sidearms, or secondary weapons, are also within Mina's reach - the way these complement the 5 core weapons provides an additional layer of strategy!"

Gamereactor: What can players expect from their adventure into the Tenebrous Isles? Is there real-world inspiration behind the choices of environment?

D'Angelo: "Players can expect a true adventure!! Secrets and mysteries abound - there's something to discover at every turn!

"The world and many of the environments were inspired by real world locations and events. Often we might start with a creepy play like a Louisiana waterway for Nox's Bayou, or an anxiety-rich time like the California Gold Rush for Bone Beach. The way the main city, Ossex, relates to everything is borne out of our studies of the Victorian Era; many things about that time still ring true today!"

Gamereactor: How long is Mina the Hollower? How does it stack up to Shovel Knight?

D'Angelo: "For first time players, it'll run about 20 to 30 hours. Imagine it like all the Shovel Knight campaigns in one! It's quite the adventure... but we crammed the same density of fun you'd find in any Shovel Knight game!"

Gamereactor: We're expecting plenty of secrets to uncover. How much exploration off the beaten path is required to see everything that Mina the Hollower has in store?

D'Angelo: "Quite a bit! There are large optional areas, more than a dozen optional bosses, tons of upgrades, story bits, and more that you might never see! That said... nothing is a waste of time: every optional pursuit we built to feel like it's the one and only path!"

Gamereactor: Mina the Hollower has a distinct 8-bit visual style similar to what we've come to expect from Yacht Club. What do you think makes this art direction continue to stand out in the modern day and is it challenging to make such an art style feel modern?

D'Angelo: "We continue to hear over and over, "Your hardest challenge will be getting people to buy a pixel game." We think any art style will stand out as long as it's top of the line! We work tirelessly to make sure every pixel is perfect, every character and monster design is interesting and unique... It's a big challenge, but we love the aesthetic, and we think everyone else will too!"

Gamereactor: What is Yacht Club's stance on AI and has AI been used in the production of Mina the Hollower at all?

D'Angelo: "We all got caught up in AI fever like the rest of the world, but we didn't find it was very effective for what we're doing. Maybe our work just isn't that generic! We've found some ways it can help... like Google or a thesaurus, but it hasn't affected what's in our game."

Gamereactor: What's one part of Mina the Hollower you feel people aren't talking enough about?

D'Angelo: "It's an econovania! From the story to gameplay, currency plays a major part of how the game unfolds... we hope people are excited to think about how to spend every bone!"

Thanks again to D'Angelo and Yacht Club for answering our questions. Stay tuned for more from the game as we edge ever closer to the launch date on May 29 on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch.

The essence of the editor: an interview with Kazuhiko Torishima

david@gamereactor.eu (David Caballero) — Sat, 16 May 2026 14:00:00 +0200

"It's a web magazine. We were print too in the past, but we are all digital now".

Kazuhiko Torishima, the legendary manga editor behind Dr. Slump and Dragon Ball, was naturally interested in what Gamereactor was format-wise, before we sat down to talk at the 26th Comicon Napoli. Comes with the turf.

Described to me in the days prior as someone direct, serious but fun, with interestingly unique opinions, and sometimes even complicated, during our conversation, albeit brief, he made it very clear that he had (and still has) a knack for connecting content to audiences. The magic to link artists, production, and business. What he himself calls the essence of the editor.

It was his blunt honesty, and the fact that he always spoke his mind, that late Akira Toriyama appreciated the most about him. And it is thanks to Toriyama-san, whom fans have missed since his passing two years ago, that Torishima-san has been more willing as of late to attend conventions such as this massive, beautiful one in Italy.

Here's a transcription of our chat together, with some excerpts and reflections from his panel.

Kazuhiko Torishima Interview - The Essence of the Editor.

★ As an editor, which would you say was the key to identifying stories and characters that could become massive hits in manga?

Is this regarding a certain mangaka or a manga in general?

★ In general, how do you find what's special for it to become a success?

I don't have an answer! (Laughs)

Naturally, if you have the ability to know the future and by knowing beforehand what is going to be a success, of course, it would have been a very boring thing. Like the bingo card. In the bingo card, you have the numbers, and this is not a hit, it's not a hit, and it might happen that the rest of the numbers would hit.

So the essence of the editor, the work of the editor is to catch first-hand how the audience reacts and try to convey all this message to the mangaka in order to give a direction

★ Having worked with him and elevated his art, it's now two years after Toriyama-san's passing, how would you define the legacy together?

[Reflects slowly, thoughtful] Well, you know, this was not only Toriyama-san's stance, but my stance as well, because the main audience for us was the kids, the main readers. And as kids, by definition, they're powerless human beings, they do have so many problems, they could be sad, they don't know how to stress out, to get rid of the stresses, and so the manga could be a means to forget all the sadness, all the annoying things, and all the things that they might be bothered about.

So Toriyama and I, we used to talk for hours about this. Because at school, the kids have the teachers who are sort of just not teachers, they rule their world in the school. And at home, they have their parents, and the parents, they rule the kids' world. And of course, the kids have no money. They don't have the means to enjoy themselves, to forget about stress and all the sadness. So by reading the manga, they can get into another world and have an experience, an adventure, where they can forget any issues, any cause of their stress, and they can really enjoy it. So that was something typical that we talked about.

★ That's a beautiful answer.

[Torishima-san smiles and laughs]

Beyond the spicy takes on Jujutsu Kaisen, Demon Slayer, Chainsaw Man, Blue Lock, or even his reported dismissal of Dragon Ball Daima as "shit", from his panel the day after it'd seem that Torishima-san indeed fears that manga is becoming too adult, too wordy, and too expensive. It linked back to our question: if kids stop reading manga, the future pipeline of mangaka disappears.

★ We had the pleasure of having Horii-san last year here at the Comicon Napoli. What do you think of Dragon Quest as perhaps the main bridge between manga, anime, and video games?

So, let's say the most popular definition, the difference between manga, anime, and video games. So the manga is something written, you add colour, it becomes anime. And then when you start playing, and by using your hand, you start to move the pieces, then it becomes a game. That's, let's say, the most popular definition of the three means.

Don't miss: Yuji Horii's best tribute to the late Akira Toriyama: "We can make a next title using what he had left"

Of course, nowadays we can do all of these things by using just a smartphone. Naturally, we can have the manga, anime, and the games, the video games, one close to the other. But it's just a physical closeness, because the features of each mean, the manga, anime, and the video games, they are totally different.

Therefore, the creator, let's call the author of the manga, anime, or the video game, they have to really and deeply understand the main features of that manga, the anime, and the video game. Otherwise, they cannot be created properly.

As you said, I had a chance to support and to contribute to the Dragon Quest manga, and the anime, but none of them had a real hit. So, you know, the main reason I failed is because by knowing and deeply understanding the main feature of each mean, the core of each medium, we should have given the main purpose and the main work to a mangaka, an anime producer, and a video game producer, in order to let them do their work.

★ Do you think today's manga industry still gives editors enough time and authority to shape young authors the way Shonen Jump did in the Golden Age? Or has the speed of the market changed that relationship forever?

Basically, it has not changed at all. So the main difference between, let's say, the Golden Age or Shonen Jump was that now, if a manga is a success, then they start to talk immediately about the anime and the game. And, as I already told you, manga, anime, and video games are really close, but different. So it's very important that the editor really understands the difference among the three, and otherwise it might happen that it fails as a project.

So, of course, if we aim to have a perfect manga, a perfect anime, and a perfect video game, it would be too much stress. But I think that the main means which is important is the manga. So we have to pour all of our effort into the manga, and then we can aim for half of the success with the anime, and then maybe we might succeed.

So I think that the main essence, there are three tricks to be successful in the three mediums: That the protagonist should be properly described in the other (the game or the anime). And this is backstage, but even for the anime or the game, we have to choose the best person ever to create that anime, to create that video game, and be responsible and accountable. And finally, you should avoid to work with a company because it's famous.

From Torishima-san panel at Comicon Napoli the day after, one main editorial insight was the contrast between Toriyama "hating" manga and therefore making Dragon Ball incredibly synthetic, readable, and universal, versus Oda being deeply in love with manga and his own story, making One Piece richer but also heavier and less approachable for kids. A fascinating paradoxical idea: Toriyama's reluctance became part of his genius.

★ Talking about famous, and I think you've shared your opinion in the past regarding this matter, but let me ask you, what is your take on more modern massive manga hits, such as Attack on Titan or One Piece? Would you have edited them yourself?

You might not know, but when I was the chief editor, I said no to One Piece, to the manga version [Says Torishima-san firmly hammering the table with his fist]. But all my staff, the team, told me, no, no, no, we have to print it, print and support it. And after two hours, two-hour long discussion, I said, okay, we'll try. So if, and this is a big IF, if I was [Eiichirō] Oda's editor, maybe One Piece was never around! [Laughs]. Or I would have forged Oda more, and maybe he had worked upon something more than just One Piece!

★ That's funny. Thank you so much for your time. Arigato gozaimasu, Torishima-san.

---

Brutally candid, old-school, and almost provocatively purist, Torishima-san comes across as the guardian of manga's fundamentals: harsh and sometimes dismissive, but not negative for the sake of it. He still thinks like a top editor who cuts through manga with a red pen: judging manga by clarity, readability, character function, audience impact, and whether children can actually access it, with a coherent philosophy behind the bluntness: manga should be economical, character-driven, approachable, and capable of creating future generations of readers and creators.

At the 26th Comicon Napoli, he was treated by artists and fans from around the world like the legend of the medium that he is.

Lego mania: 8 adaptations that could make for wonderful Lego games

ben@gamereactor.eu (Ben Lyons) — Sat, 16 May 2026 11:00:00 +0200

It's time for TT Games to return and to flex their muscles as arguably the preeminent Lego video game developer when the highly-anticipated Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight makes its arrival on PC and consoles on May 22. With this project less than a week away and with TT Games having a variety of other Lego adaptations under their belt, we've been pondering what other movies, series, games, and beyond could make a fantastic Lego video game experience. Check out eight picks from us below and let us know if there are any obvious other options that you think we've missed.

Avatar

Lego notoriously aligns with major entertainment brands for its many adaptations and that's what makes this immediately stand out. This could be presented like Legacy of the Dark Knight, in that we get an openly explorable version of a Pandoran biome where we can do whatever we like as Jake Sully or our own Na'vi, while also having more focussed key story missions that unravel and re-tell the key events from the first film. Naturally, all of this would be with that signature Lego humour and style.

Toy Story

We've selected this one as more of an homage to Lego games of the past. Instead of serving up a broad open-world and bolstering it with missions, this game would simply offer a more linear experience that chronicles the current four Toy Story movies and sees players stepping into the shoes of Woody, Buzz, Jessie, and the rest of the iconic toy gang. If you enjoyed the original Lego Star Wars games, and even the slightly more expansive Lord of the Rings, Pirates of the Caribbean, or Harry Potter options, this could be a modern alternative to that style of Lego experience.

Speed Champions

Yes, we had Lego 2K Drive a few years ago but this game is looking to tap into a market that's continuing to gain traction and attention: kart racers. Speed Champions is Lego's own brand but surely it would serve as an excellent platform to incorporate its collaborations with Formula 1 and even major automotive brands like Ferrari, Bugatti, Porsche, even Pixar's Cars at a stretch. This could be for Lego what Speedstorm is to Disney.

Lego City

Okay, so there have been many Lego City games in the past but our thoughts here is to tap into another increasingly popular category, namely life sims. This could be a modern way for Lego to offer its own sociable Animal Crossing-like experience, a way for fans of all ages to build a property of their own while existing in a world filled with charismatic (perhaps even licensed) NPCs, and maybe also other players. Like Speed Champions, this could be Lego's way to tap into the Dreamlight Valley-like space.

Dragon Quest

Lego games are pretty much all real-time action games where the player controls every moment of combat, but Dragon Quest could make for a rather unique experience Lego has never really offered before. Turn-based RPG action matched up with a fantastical tale all set in a stunning brickified world. We haven't really seen this offered by Lego, which is precisely what could make it such a unique premise and way to introduce a younger audience to a type of games that used to be incredibly commonplace for gaming youngsters in the 90s and 2000s.

Super Mario Maker

This also just feels like a natural fit, especially since the growing number of Lego Super Mario products. An obvious solution would be a brickified version of a 3D platformer, but let's be real, we all just want a regular 3D Mario platformer, so why not combine a more modular Nintendo experience with a modular toy. Bosh! Lego Super Mario Maker. Tons of building potential, a focus on UGC, delightful platforming fun for a variety of demographics. Tell me you're not just a little bit intrigued?

FIFA Street

We've seen EA experiment with a few different ways of offering more arcade-like football experiences, and even seen FIFA follow suit with its FIFA Heroes experience, but the established fans seem to know what they like from these types of simulated football games and arcade action isn't really part of the equation. But perhaps what it needs is a brickified flair? Think FIFA Street but in a world of blocks and played with quirky minifigures who could even be Lego versions of football icons from the present and past. Essentially, we're talking about Rematch with a Lego filter over the top and which could serve as a place for Lego to expand its array of partnerships, in the same way that a Speed Champions game taps into the motorsport/racing segment.

Game of Thrones

Lastly, a series that has never really cracked the video game adaptation challenge as of yet. The vision here is something of a middle-ground between the Avatar and Toy Story options above, something akin to Lego Lord of the Rings, where we get portions of the wider Westeros to explore while simultaneously following a more structured linear campaign that retells the main story of A Song of Ice and Fire, replacing the smut and more mature themes with silly Lego jokes and gags. Essentially, less whoring and incest, more rubber duckies and oddball references to other entertainment.

What do you think about our picks? Does anything stand out to you?

Jonathan Blow on creating an epic puzzle saga and lessons learned from past projects for Order of the Sinking Star

alex@gamereactor.eu (Alex Hopley) — Thu, 14 May 2026 15:00:00 +0200

When you attach a name like Jonathan Blow to a new project, you're bound to get people's eyes on it. Even if Blow wasn't attached, though, Order of the Sinking Star would still look like a puzzle game worth watching. Over a thousand puzzles feature in this expansive adventure game, which balances creative puzzling with a strong narrative core. It seems really unique, and we took the chance to chat with Blow in a Q&A session held back in March. Check out the full interview below:

Q: I was really interested by the idea of having 1000 puzzles in a game. With such a large number, how do you give them all a hand-crafted feel?

Blow: "They're all completely handcrafted. Some games are designed by you just sort of filling out the content of the game and then you fix some stuff and then you're done but this was really not that way because we cared a lot about the quality of the individual puzzles and we've revised some of the puzzles many times, some of them like 12 times. We probably made um more than 3,000 puzzles and then sort of cut it down to really get the best and so you know that is a lot of stuff. Sort of explains why it took so long to finish the game."

Q: How many of the puzzles will players have to beat to complete the game, and how much content will they have to interact with?

Blow: "Once we realized the game was starting to get big this issue came up. You can't expect everybody to like commit to doing this giant game; there's such a thing as just having a satisfying time playing a reasonably sized game and so we structured the game so that we can be maximally accommodating to that. There's three end games essentially they're all good end games so it's not like it's not like you get a bad one and then you have to work harder to get a good one it's more like um you know there's a first end game where once you get to that you could consider yourself reasonably satisfied as having completed the game um but you know for people who want to play more and want to dig in and and go further we leave a way to do that and to find the rest of the game. This is actually a real trick to make because it's not enough to just put the endings in but you have to feel like you really finished the game from the first ending and not like 'oh we just let you win after playing some portion of the puzzles.' Because that's less satisfying so part of the trick is to keep the extended part of the game sort of hidden away so you don't feel like you're expected to play it until you get there."

Q: We've seen puzzle games in the recent past have a strong community feel. Do you envision this with Order of the Sinking Star and do you see the community having to come together to solve some of the game's toughest puzzles?

Blow: "When you put together everybody on the internet that's like a really powerful amount of brain power and they'll solve things that you think are hard very quickly just because there's a lot of people and they're trying a lot of things. So if you did that if you designed parts of the game for that explicitly then regular people just playing the game wouldn't be able to solve those things right and so you got to be careful when thinking about that kind of stuff but for individual puzzles no. I think for understanding everything that's going on in the game and like finding all the things and figuring out how to get to all the things - because like I said you know there's some stuff that's hidden and pretty hard to get to - and as well as just putting together all the clues of what what exactly is everything that's happening in the story and all that that I think that's much more amenable to internet group solving."

Q: I know you've said there's three endings for players to find, but how long does it take on an average run to beat the game?

Blow: "We're still tweaking that. I think right now it's probably a long time still it's not 10 hours yeah it's probably more like 50 or 60 hours. The problem is again it's a little bit challenging because we can tune back how much stuff you have to do to get there but then again it just feels like oh we just let you walk to the exit or something. I mean that's an overstatement it's a 50 hour walk to the exit or something but actually I mean that 50 that I just pulled up is a random guess. It's hard for us to test it internally because we know all the puzzles and stuff and so actually what we're doing we're starting some new play testers on the game soon and we'll just see how long it takes them to get there then we'll have a more accurate number."

Q: How do you keep the strength of the narrative core throughout?

Blow: "It's challenging because the game is very non-linear we wanted to give people a lot of choice about where they go and in what order you see things. I'm a little bit undetermined and so the story has to be very structured around that it has to be written such that like oh you might see this thing before this thing you might see this thing after that thing.

We do a lot of implication in the story rather than outright telling...toward the beginning of the game the story is more linear because you kind of have to understand the basics of the game before you go out into the general exploration part. During that, the story tends to have more of these linear plot elements and then as you get further on it becomes more character and world interactions with occasional things happening and that just that lets people have a lot of freedom without us forcing them to to do stuff so it's more like the setting and the characters sort of ooze in while the player's playing through the game. It's like how when you listen to an audiobook for a language while you're sleeping or something like that it's something that comes in maybe while in the background you're focused on a puzzle."

Q: Are characters and dialogue held back to keep that mystery with the story?

Blow: "The core idea of the game is about these worlds coming together the game mechanics coming together and interacting, right? When you make a story for a game it can either go with the gameplay or it can like clash with the gameplay and it's always better if it goes with the gameplay and so in this game you know the characters are uh part of what's fun is they're defined by what they do. The thief pulls stuff and the wizard teleports and all that and so if you think about it that starts to suggest their character traits and and what they're like and then the characters kind of start to write themselves at some point like 'how how would this character react to seeing this thing from this other world?' and and that tends to be interesting as a player.

The worst kind of story stuff is when it's just telling you what you're already looking at. It's like I can see this why are you telling me this right? And so it adds a dimension to what's happening and it gives you more information about the characters in the world but again it comes in very small packets...it's literally often it's like 15 seconds that's all it takes yeah to say a couple of things and then you go to the next level and maybe it's 25 seconds or something but it's never super long."

Q: The art style for Order of the Sinking Star is super interesting and unique, how did you go about creating it?

Blow: "First of all we're very careful to keep the puzzles very readable which is a strange thing so when we first went to mock up the game the walls are just like cubes. Then the impulse is to go and say: 'Okay we're gonna make this look really good now.' But that makes it hard to play the game because you need to know where the grid lines are."

Q: Jumping off from that, are there any lessons taken from past projects which helped develop Order of the Sinking Star?

Blow: "You always learn from every game and you take that forward but the problem with me is the games that we do are so different from each other that it's very hard to take a direct lesson. Historically in games that would be a reason why sequels would be really good is because the first game you were just figuring it out and then you make the sequel and it's all polished but the thing is I've never made a sequel so we kind of do that in the middle of the game. Because this game has gone on for so long we definitely took a lot of lessons from the early phase of development into the later phase of development...I actually so I'm not going to name drop other games because this is a criticism of them but I definitely played puzzle games in the past year or two that have an [issue with needless sokoban]. So we made this rule uh in design that there's no unnecessary sokoban in this game um the only time sometimes there might be elaborate sequences of things that you do but they're all on topic."

Q: You've touched on never doing a sequel. Is this something you actively decided or a pattern you've fallen into?

Blow: "Early on to be an indie game developer back when I started you had to really not be money motivated because there wasn't really such thing until like 2007 or really early 2008 there was no such thing as an indie developer who made a lot of money. We were all in it because we wanted to make interesting games. When you looked around at that time you definitely saw as you still see this commercial mechanism that likes to produce sequels and sequels to sequels. So there's that aspect which is just I wanted to be creative I didn't want to do this other thing, and then I did Braid and that was very well received and you would naturally think like oh let's do a sequel but when I finished that game I sort of felt at the time that I had done all the good puzzles that there were.

As it turned out when we did the Braid Anniversary Edition I had more puzzle ideas so it apparently wasn't that hard. At the time, I didn't see that and then with The Witness it was the same thing. I just felt like well we we sort of did everything that I want to do here and I don't know what a good sequel would be like. Obviously with The Witness you could do The Witness 2 and it's just like a different island that looks cool but the excitement of the game was the newness of the idea and you can't do that in a sequel because it's not new anymore. [Order of the Sinking Star] is the game that I actually think could have the greatest sequel potential because you could do different worlds coming together with different mechanics and it would be pretty fresh. However, I'm not sure I want do that. I mean never say never but it was just so much work to get here where we are now."

Q: In quite saturated markets like puzzlers, top-down games, and fantasy titles, how do you make Order of the Sinking Star stand out?

Blow: "When I think about non-puzzle games that have this kind of perspective, I'm mostly thinking about Diablo-style games. That's a very different thing game mechanically obviously but also aesthetically like all of those games have gone in for this there's a lot of skulls look which is fine right but but we're just in a different category of fantasy right we're in more of a like lighter fantasy...there's monsters that'll kill you in this game but right uh but they're not the focus of the game and so it's not that same kind of a mood and so I think that sets us apart from a lot of those games right away. There were older fantasy style games if you think of the game like Magicka or something that was a little bit lighter it's maybe a little more like that. In terms of puzzle games, the thing about them is a lot of them are low budget and so once you get into a territory where you're trying to make things look nice it starts to not look like any other puzzle game."

Order of the Sinking Star is scheduled to release in 2026. This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

Asha Sharma: The Xbox turnaround no one saw coming

jonas@gamereactor.eu (Jonas Mäki) — Wed, 13 May 2026 17:00:00 +0200

Although Phil Spencer served as head of Xbox for an exceptionally long time, from 2014 to 2026, it came as a complete shock when he announced, without any warning, that he was leaving his job while Asha Sharma takes over. Opinions are divided on how good or bad Spencer has been in the role (both sides likely have valid points), but all sources agree he's a likable person with a deep-rooted passion for gaming, a trait that has earned him solid support from Xbox fans even when the Xbox division has faced challenges.

Phil Spencer handed the controller over to Asha Sharma and her right-hand man, Matt Booty.

Sharma, on the other hand, came from Microsoft's AI department, and regardless of where you stand on the issue of AI, you've surely noticed that a great many people detest AI-driven content. They simply want their games to be created by humans with some kind of thought and soul behind them. On top of that, she was definitely not a gamer and had some suspicious Achievements that many believed could indicate she'd had a profile fabricated to pretend to be a "real gamer."

The concern was simply that we'd now got someone who knew nothing about games and who would turn the Xbox division into an AI factory for soulless, mass-produced games and since she doesn't care about games, Xbox was once and for all dead and buried. I saw several people in my social media feed declaring that they were now leaving Xbox behind.

Several true Xbox veterans have met with Sharma since she took office for reasons that remain undisclosed, including Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb and Seamus "Father of Xbox" Blackley.

For my part, I usually try not to be overly negative—people actually need to be given a chance first—but I wasn't exactly super positive either. The complaints did have some merit, though. I, like probably most people, thought it would be business as usual when Sharma took over Spencer's and Sarah Bond's legacy and continued the shift toward making Xbox more of a service where hardware was, at best, seen as a necessary evil.

Now, Sharma has been Xbox head for two and a half months, and I haven't heard a single negative word about her in almost exactly two months. So... what happened? Well, Sharma barely had time to sit down behind Spencer's old desk before things started happening at a breakneck pace, to such an extent that not even the most optimistic among us could have anticipated anything like it. Even Spencer's biggest fans suddenly seem to think he might have stayed on as Xbox head for a couple of years too long, while those who've been critical of him feel they've been proven right all along.

With that in mind, I thought I'd list what Sharma has accomplished in two months and two weeks as Xbox boss. And spoiler alert: when you lay it out like this (in chronological order), even I'm surprised, and I've written about all of this before when it was announced.

How would you sum up Asha Sharma's first few months as head of Xbox?

Asha Sharma: Two months and two weeks on the job:

Appointment and promise of "Return of Xbox"

Sharma takes office on February 23, and already in her first statement, she promises to focus on major and diverse titles and, above all, "the return of Xbox". That's exactly what the community wanted to hear, but talking is easy; delivering is hard.

Promises quality games without "soulless AI slop"

It's probably her background as an AI director that immediately made her want to shoot down the talk that Xbox would become an AI powerhouse. That's why she immediately and unequivocally promised a no to "soulless AI slop".

Stronger focus on Xbox hardware and "it starts with the console"

What role do Xbox consoles play in the future of Xbox? It's strange that we even need to ask the question, but that's the reality today. Fortunately, a major one, as a stronger focus on Xbox hardware is promised.

Helix is officially in the works, and we'll be seeing more of it this year, but we don't know when.

Microsoft reveals the next Xbox - Project Helix

Of course, Sharma hadn't cobbled together an Xbox in two weeks; Spencer and Bond deserve the credit for that. But Sharma still showcased the console, hyped it up, and the rest is her doing.

Scrapping the "This is an Xbox" campaign

Fans hated the vague idea that "everything is an Xbox," a campaign that spokesperson Sarah Bond is said to have launched. Sharma's chair had barely even warmed up before the campaign was tossed in the trash and wiped from all websites ("What, we never said that?!?").

Quick Resume was fixed in record time

One of the Xbox's best features is Quick Resume, which lets you have multiple games running at once and jump right back in where you left off. But in online titles, it worked poorly, and you often had to close the game manually. Fans have been complaining about this since the console launched in 2020, and just a month after Sharma took the job, it was fixed.

Maybe Netflix will be included with your Game Pass subscription in the future?

Talk about a Netflix partnership and flexible Game Pass models

Should Game Pass have some kind of partnership with Netflix so you can access one or the other with the same subscription and save a few bucks? Maybe the possibility is currently being explored, and a review of Game Pass with more flexible models is promised, including a really cheap ad-supported version so everyone can afford it.

The Xbox team is keeping up the momentum and promises a long-awaited Achievement makeover

Achievements is the system that started it all, with progression across games tied to a single account, something that Sony and Steam, for example, have outright copied. But Achievements hasn't received much love over the past decade, despite fans' requests, and now it's finally happening.

Expanded backward compatibility on the way

Microsoft has suspended the backward compatibility programme twice before. The easy titles have been released, and issues like licensing are making it increasingly difficult to resolve. Despite this, there have been clear indications that there will be even more backward-compatible games, likely as part of the 25th-anniversary celebration this autumn.

When Xbox turned 20, new backward-compatible games were added, and it looks like it's that time again this year. Is there a specific title you're missing?

Forget Microsoft Gaming, now it's all about Xbox

The Xbox name faded further and further into the background under Spencer, disappearing from the Game Pass branding, while the gaming division switched from Xbox to Microsoft Gaming. Sure, there are theories that this was done for business reasons ahead of the Activision acquisition, but regardless, Xbox is now once again more visible and prominent.

Major price drop on Game Pass Ultimate

It's been just over six months since Game Pass saw a shocking price hike of roughly 50%. There were loud complaints on social media, and many simply felt it was no longer worth it. As a result, the price was slashed significantly at the end of April, and the new Call of Duty was removed from the service. This is likely a win for Call of Duty players as well, since the price cut effectively covers the cost of the game. It was also promised that more content would be added to further increase the value.

Xbox is considering exclusive games again

It had certainly been rumoured and hinted at, but it still came as a bombshell. Microsoft's multi-platform strategy hasn't even really got off the ground yet ({Indiana Jones and the Great Circle} came later to the PlayStation 5, and the same goes for {Forza Horizon 6}, and Call of Duty isn't coming to the Switch 2), but they're already starting to consider rolling back parts of it with a review. It's likely there will be more exclusive games and, above all, time-exclusive titles moving forward.

This is what the new Xbox logo looks like.

New Xbox logo that feels like a return to the original

After using a minimalist black-and-white logo for a long time, Xbox is now going back to basics with a green glass logo reminiscent of the dashboard from the first Xbox console.

Asha Sharma shuts down Gaming Copilot for Xbox before the service even launched

No focus on AI, as mentioned. The service, which was announced around the same time Sharma took office, has already been discontinued. There won't be any AI keeping track of our gaming.

Focusing on more passionate and experienced Xbox veterans on the team

Via social media, Sharma announced that major changes are coming to the Xbox team. More specifically, she has "promoted leaders who helped build Xbox, while also bringing in new voices to help push us forward. This balance is important as we get the business back on track."

https://bsky.app/profile/xbox.com/post/3ml7dqn5xjs2a

New boot-up sequence

In just a few days, your Xbox will look different when you start it up (check out the Bluesky post above), and one might suspect that this is what we'll see in the upcoming Project Helix as well. The new animated green and shinier logo, along with an updated boot sound, are meant to provide a more premium and nostalgic feel. And we agree.

In short, it's hard to argue that Sharma hasn't had an incredibly strong start. The positive news has been coming thick and fast, and it's all been exactly what fans love. There hasn't been much positive Xbox news since the launch of the Xbox Series X/S, and it must be said that she has been a real shot in the arm for the green team. Of course, there is still much to be done, and the new console, its marketing, Game Pass, and exclusive games are the major battles ahead that will determine the future of Xbox.

We talked about Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on Nintendo Switch 2 with MachineGames

jonas@gamereactor.eu (Jonas Mäki) — Tue, 12 May 2026 11:00:00 +0200

With Indiana Jones and the Great Circle officially making its debut on the Nintendo Switch 2 today, May 12, we had the opportunity to speak with developer MachineGames to learn about the challenges of bringing the acclaimed action-adventure experience to the hybrid successor system. In the full interview you can see below, creative director Axel Torvenius answered our questions, including what the team learnt about bringing Indy to Switch 2, what compromises they had to make, and more.

Gamereactor: What have been the biggest technical challenges in getting the game to work on Switch 2?

Torvenius: "With {Indiana Jones and the Great Circle}, we have very large maps, very large environments with a lot of high-fidelity geometry, materials, and textures, a lot of characters and things moving around. To get that running smoothly and solidly on the Switch 2 was a lot of work from the internal engineering team at MachineGames. We did need to lock the frames per second to 30 to allow for a smooth, stable player experience."

Creative director Axel Torvenius has answered our questions about the Switch 2 version of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.

Gamereactor: Which single compromise was the hardest to accept in the Switch 2 version?

Torvenius: "None! [laughs] I think the biggest compromise was to go down from 60 to 30 frames per second. And other than that, there were really no compromises. Our main mission for the Switch 2 version to not scale back and cut down on content. So, other than the frame rate, the game - and the experience the Switch 2 user will have - is equal to what you would experience on an Xbox Series S."

Gamereactor: Is there anything about Switch 2 that has surprised you?

Torvenius: "The biggest surprise was how little we needed to change in terms of gameplay systems, hint systems, or player guidance. I'm not saying that the game worked magically out of the box because a huge amount of hard work went into the Switch 2 version by the engineering team, looking at smart optimisation.

"We were surprised early on to see that there was so much on the game system side of things that actually worked extremely well, allowing us to deliver a one-to-one experience with the previous version."

The Switch 2 version features high-quality graphics (all images in this interview are from the Switch 2 version), and MachineGames is pleasantly surprised by its performance.

Gamereactor: Are there any features or strengths of Switch 2 that you've been able to take particular advantage of?

Torvenius: "Yeah, plenty. Working with Switch 2 has been super cool and very interesting. It has allowed us as game developers to further work with how the consumer experiences the game. Particularly, we looked at the mouse controller configuration and the gyro controller support. I think the gyro controller support is the coolest one because it allows you to do subtle tweaking in terms of aiming and picking up assets in the world.

"Then, of course, the biggest and most obvious feature with the handheld is that it's handheld, so that you can experience the game on the go, regardless if you are on a train or at the bus stop, you can now experience the game basically anywhere."

We really enjoyed the cinematic adventure.

Gamereactor: Is there anything in the original game that, in hindsight, makes you feel like "we should have handled that better"?

Torvenius: "Sounds maybe like I'm bragging, but no. We are very happy with the end results. We did design a game in the very beginning of the game production cycle where we kind of knew what game we wanted to do. We maybe didn't have all the answers upfront, but because we knew what game we wanted to do, that's basically the game that we delivered by the end at release. There haven't been that many sacrifices or things that made us deviate from the original plan. So, no real regrets."

Gamereactor: Do you have any examples of experiences from the development of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle that you'll be able to apply to other games in the future?

Torvenius: "What we've been trying to do at MachineGames for a long period of time is to have a couple of pillars around which we centre our production. And that is basically that we allow the game to dictate tech, so we build tech around what type of game we want to make. The other thing is that we have three core pillars, which is the narrative beats, the game design beats, and then of course the art, which includes all the arts, audio, animation, and the visual arts.

"And then these three are, of course, bound together by the tech and by the engine, our Motor engine. And basically, regardless of which project we do, these are the foundations that we rest the production upon.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is also available for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series S/X, and is included with Game Pass.

"There are absolutely extremely interesting learnings from the development of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. I think some of the biggest are that it forced us to think in new ways, in terms of a more open-ended mission structure. We had never worked on maps as large as we've done with Indiana Jones, so there were a lot of learnings and experience that we gathered from that.

"Otherwise, it's been a very pleasant experience developing the game."

Gamereactor: Over the past few years, single-player games have seen a resurgence, how do you view your own place in that trend?

Torvenius: "I think as a game developer, we are in a very fortunate position in this world. It's humbling to be able to work with making games. We're basically creating entertainment for people all around the globe. So far, we have been able to create numerous great, interesting games, and I'm hoping that we can continue to do so. I know, at least for a fact, that I have many more games inside of me that want to get out.

"And regardless of which perspective we are, you know, first-person, third-person, I think that is to some extent less important. I think the important thing is to be able to just continue to create great games, rich with experiences."

Today marks the launch of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on Switch 2.

Gamereactor: How do you feel the audience's expectations for movie-licensed games have changed in recent years?

Torvenius: "Hard to say. I mean, I can at least say that from what we've seen in terms of the reception of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, the reception has been great. I think we are absolutely actively contributing to showing that the synergy between games and movies exists. And I do think that there are many great movies out there that could be turned into games, and I think there are many games out there that could be turned into movies."

Gamereactor: Is this a one-off adventure, or do you already have ideas that call for a sequel?

Torvenius: "Right now we are focusing on getting the Switch 2 out into the hands of Switch 2 players."

Warhammer 40,000: Rites of War - Does it hold up?

alex@gamereactor.eu (Alex Hopley) — Mon, 11 May 2026 11:00:00 +0200

Last week, in this series of articles looking at the Warhammer Classics, we didn't really go back too far in time, looking at the 2013 board game turned into a digital experience that is Space Hulk. This time, we're really turning back the clock, to a game that came out just three weeks after I was born. We've dug back into Warhammer 40,000: Rites of War, the strategy game from DreamForge released in 1999.

1999 was a massively different time for games and for Warhammer, and it's easy to see when you look at the dated visuals and models of Warhammer 40,000: Rites of War. The game is a top-down, turn-based strategy game based on the Panzer General 2 engine. It sees you play as the Eldar or Aeldari as they're known today, defending the galaxy from the bioengineered Tyranids and their Hive Fleet. If you're into your modern Warhammer 40,000, it might seem a bit strange that we've got a game premise that doesn't make mention of the Imperials or humans. Don't worry, they do show up in the campaign as the Eldar team up with humanity in order to fight off the greater evil of the Tyranids, but still, you wouldn't expect Xenos to be the protagonists of a game like this these days.

Dawn of War? More like Dawn of Time

It makes Warhammer 40,000: Rites of War somewhat akin to Warhammer 40,000: Fire Warrior. It's uniquely of its time in that it doesn't only see humanity as the protagonist faction of the setting. Whether you're a die-hard Space Marine fan or not, it's always nice to see another perspective here and there, and Warhammer 40,000: Rites of War offers that. It helps that there's some nice cinematics in the campaign, too, making you forget how old the game you're playing is.

Largely, for the Warhammer Classics label, Warhammer 40,000: Rites of War has been left mostly untouched. It's compatible with modern machines, which means its playable, but whether it holds up is another question entirely. The game's visuals are dated, there's no getting past that. The movement of the models is slow and a bit janky, but really lets you tap back into what gaming was like in the late 90s. To be honest, even by the time this game was out, it seems a little dated, but there's an old-school charm when you're playing that's really easy to appreciate.

Warhammer 40,000: Rites of War lets you peel back the curtain a bit on a time long forgotten. The sprites, even if dated, are well-crafted, and some of them even look like the models you can collect today (which is maybe a bit damning on how GW has barely updated the Aeldari range until recently). The missions are varied and quite fun, letting fans of tactical experiences test themselves in a variety of scenarios and environments. I've not really played many hex-grid tactical games, and considering Warhammer 40,000: Rites of War's age, I expected to get quite a harsh treatment. When I did give it a go, though, I found that the game was surprisingly lenient to newer players. It'll pick up its pace later on, and you can have non-campaign battles that can be set up how you like, but it isn't as unforgiving as some other tactical games of the same era.

Still, Warhammer 40,000: Rites of War feels like a game for quite a specific audience these days. You can't ignore the game's age, and so you'll have to be someone who can appreciate an older look in order to get the most out of your experience. Also, it seems unless you already have a nostalgic connection with Warhammer 40,000: Rites of War, the game will only appeal if you're already a Warhammer 40,000 fan, and one who has a fondness for the Aeldari. It'd be lovely to see the other "good" factions in the universe get the Space Marine II treatment. But, until that time, we'll just have to make do with the old goodies.

A brief history of Wings - The best, and also the last, major game from Cinemaware

palle@gamereactor.eu (Palle Havshøi-Jensen) — Sun, 10 May 2026 12:00:00 +0200

Many people probably remember Cinemaware best for Defender of the Crown, which was the publisher's first major release for the Amiga, but they were also behind classics such as The King of Chicago, It Came from the Desert, Rocket Ranger and, of course, Wings. Although Wings wasn't Cinemaware's final game, it's nevertheless regarded by many as the company's swan song and it was probably also the last game to carry the true Cinemaware DNA.

Cinemaware was founded by husband and wife Robert Jacob and Phyllis Jacob back in 1985. Jacob had become interested in the burgeoning games industry, where he took on the role of a sort of agent/middleman between the young game developers, who were scattered everywhere programming various games, and the big, cash-rich game publishers, who were keen to get their hands on these young talents' creations. At one point, Robert Jacob became acquainted with the new Commodore Amiga, which had not yet been released at that time. He was immediately captivated by the machine's many possibilities and made a decision that would change his life; he no longer wanted to be an agent for other game developers, he wanted to be part of the action himself.

So, together with his wife, he founded Cinemaware, and as the name clearly suggests (combining the words "Cinema" and "Software"), Robert Jacob had a vision that the games should "feel like a film, but play like a game", a very ambitious goal in the mid-1980s, given the hardware available at the time. Robert Jacob teamed up with John Cutter, a designer and programmer from Gamestar, who had previously worked mainly on sports games. Cutter was Cinemaware's first permanent employee (there were a number of freelancers working on a casual basis) and he served as Associate Producer on Defender of the Crown, but subsequently became the man behind the design of a number of Cinemaware's biggest titles.

Both Jacob and Cutter were deeply inspired by classic Hollywood films, which is quite evident when looking at a number of their biggest releases. Cinemaware's probably best-known game, Defender of the Crown, was inspired by the film Ivanhoe; The King of Chicago by various gangster films such as Scarface and The Untouchables; It Came from the Desert by 1930s monster films; and Rocket Ranger was inspired by 1950s sci-fi B-movies. Jacob and Cutter had long talked about making a "pilot's story", and so the choice fell on Wings when they had to decide on their next major project. Wings was named after the 1927 silent film of the same name, which was precisely a romantic "pilot's story" and, incidentally, the first film to win an Oscar for Best Picture; this happened in 1929 and it is, in fact, the only silent film ever to have won a Best Picture award at the Oscars.

There were plenty of flight simulators and other flight games for the Amiga, including 1942, Banshee and, not least, Knights of the Sky. However, Jacob felt that none of them captured the "romance" and the stories surrounding the pilots of the First World War, including the German Manfred von Richthofen (also known as "The Red Baron") and the French René Fonck, who was the most successful Allied pilot with 75 confirmed kills. Jacob felt that these same stories were entirely absent from the Second World War, where the focus was more on weapons and machinery rather than the heroism of young men who, when they climbed into those simple aeroplanes, did not have the odds in their favour when it came to returning home alive.

Development of Wings began in 1989 and John Cutter took on the role of producer and designer, as he had so often done at Cinemaware, where his commitment to narrative depth and cinematic presentation had helped to shape the studio. Compared to other games in the late 1980s, the visual aspect of Cinemaware's games was always in a league of its own, compared to the graphics in other games, which usually consisted of small square pixel figures or small angular sprites. A sign of Cinemaware's commitment to high visual quality can be seen in the fact that, for their first truly major title, Defender of the Crown, they hired the legendary Jim Sachs as art director, resulting in one of the most beautiful and atmospheric games ever released on the Amiga.

The problem with Cinemaware's games was often that they weren't the best-playing games one could imagine, and criticism had begun to emerge about this here and there, and this had not gone unnoticed by Robert Jacob and John Cutter. So they decided that Wings should be the best-playing game Cinemaware had ever produced, and no compromises were made anywhere. Not even with the narrative, for in fact Wings was probably the game that told the most complete Cinemaware story.

If you take a step back, Wings is, at its core, not a flight sim at all. Yes, there's plenty of flying in the game, but it's actually more of an adventure game that tells the story of a young pilot's experiences during the First World War. The whole story is told through the pilot's diary, offering a glimpse into his thoughts, his guilt and his fear as friends die, pilots go missing and the pressure mounts on the young pilot. The stories in the diary were inspired by the accounts of real pilots from the First World War, and this helped to make the game far more personal and emotional than what was experienced in other games at that time. By this point, many other developers had gained a firm grasp of the Amiga hardware and had begun to explore it in earnest, pushing it to its limits; this meant that quite a few games felt more like playable tech demos, as there was suddenly a heavy focus on the technology and new technical details, rather than on the story and narrative.

So, whilst telling a gripping story, John Cutter and his designers addressed the criticism through the gameplay. Wings offers three different types of gameplay; standard "strafing runs" where, in an isometric view, fly at low altitude and attack targets on the ground with your machine gun (much like the hugely popular Blue Max from the Commodore 64); there are top-down bombing missions, which are slightly more tactical than the "strafing" section; and finally, there are dogfights in full 3D high above the green fields and forests.

The game reacted to how you performed in the various missions, amongst other things, the tone of the diary became darker if you performed poorly. The game contained more than 200 missions, but you risked missing out on some of them. Wings was designed in such a way that the diary spanned a fixed period, and if you were wounded or taken out of service, you could miss a number of missions whilst you were away from the front.

Wings was a major project, and Robert Jacob and his team had learnt from the problems they encountered during the development of Defender of the Crown. The game was developed in just 10-12 months, and there were more than 12 people on the team, considerably more than the handful typically involved in game production at the time. Wings was released for the Amiga 500 and Amiga 1000 in October 1990; it was Cinemaware's most complete game and proved to be both a critical and commercial success for the company.

It's regarded by many as Cinemaware's best game (though Defender of the Crown is probably best remembered by many) and one of the best narrative games on the Amiga ever. It was not a cheap game to produce either, as there are no official figures on what the development costs amounted to, but based on previous interviews and various estimates, it's thought that Wings may have cost between $300,000 - $500,000 to develop, which is around 3-4 times more than a typical Amiga game at the time.

Wings was one of the more demanding games at the time of its release, as it actually required 1 MB of RAM, which was twice as much as a standard Amiga 500 was equipped with, and four times as much as a standard Amiga 1000 came with. This meant that, upon release, Wings only worked on Amiga machines equipped with RAM expansions of at least 1 MB, and not many people had that at the time. Shortly afterwards, a 512 KB version was released; the games were largely identical, but a couple of the most cinematic sequences had been removed from this edition. Incidentally, the game was supplied on three floppy disks due to the large amount of graphics it contained, while the 512 KB version was supplied on two floppy disks.

Wings was the last major game from Cinemaware. The financial problems had begun to grow ever larger for Cinemaware, and although Wings was their best game to date, it was not enough to save the company, which had to close down the year after its release. It probably didn't help matters that, shortly after the release of Wings, Cinemaware splashed out a whopping $700,000 on a CD version of It Came from the Desert, which NEC had asked them to produce for their TurboGrafx CD console. That may well have been the project that finally drained Cinemaware's coffers. The most ironic thing is probably that the game wasn't finished before Cinemaware had to close down and it was completed independently of Cinemaware on a tight budget the following year.

Many will look back on Wings as one of the best games from the Commodore Amiga. It was only released for the Amiga in its original form, but has since been released in updated versions for the Game Boy Advance (2003), BlackBerry (2013), PC (2014), and Mac (2015). But as is typical with these updated versions, produced without the involvement of those who originally created the game, they were nowhere near as charismatic as the original game.

Cinemaware was one of the most uncompromising development studios of the 1980s and they helped make a huge impact on the entire gaming industry with Wings, Defender of the Crown and several other games. They showed us all how games could also be presented, namely with an emotional story and a visual quality that was miles ahead of everyone else. In a later interview, Robert Jacob described Wings as Cinemaware's most complete game and the one that truly delivered on his original vision for Cinemaware, namely to create games that "felt like a movie, but played like a game".

The ten best-looking covers: NES

jonas@gamereactor.eu (Jonas Mäki) — Sat, 09 May 2026 11:00:00 +0200

10. Kid Icarus

One of my absolute favourite NES games also had one of my all-time favourite covers, a fact further enhanced by the fact that it was one of only two "silver games" (the other being Metroid) released during the early part of the NES generation. It's playful, stylish, and immediately makes you want to check out what sort of game it is. In other words, Pit's adventure began before you'd even inserted the cartridge into the console (and taken it out to blow on it again, and tried once more).

9. Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

Both The Legend of Zelda and Zelda II: The Adventure of Link had really smart and stylish covers, where the luxurious gold colour and the fact that you could glimpse a gold cartridge through a hole in the front contributed significantly to the overall look. Whilst many like the shield motif of the first game, I've always thought that the sequel's super-cool sword stood out more, and the contrasting blue colour in the title gives it a slightly cooler feel that perfectly accompanies what is perhaps Link's toughest adventure to date.

8. Tetris

While digital is now prevalent, in the past age of physical media, it was important to have really good covers so that the rather primitive pixels would feel more luxurious than they were. In a pure puzzle game, this was particularly important, as it wasn't something children wanted (since gaming was essentially a children's hobby during that era). Fortunately, Tetris was included with the Game Boy at launch, which meant it found its audience, and thanks to a stunning NES cover, it also became a hit on the NES. It was a cover so stylish it would look right at home as a painting in any art museum.

7. Super Mario Bros.

It's chaotic and action-packed, and crammed with so many delightful details that you just can't help but linger on Mario's first adventure. The design of the Mushroom Kingdom hadn't quite taken shape yet, so Bowser is barely recognisable and the only ones you can really spot are Mario himself and a poor Goomba. However, this gives the cover a connoisseur's charm that's hard to resist, especially as this is where it all really began.

6. Life Force: Salamander

If you check out our article on Mega Drive covers, it's packed with metallic, edgy covers that just scream hard rock. That was the design of the time, and it's still absolutely stunning. We were already seeing signs of this during the NES era, and the best example comes from the utterly superb, yet somewhat forgotten, Life Force: Salamander. One of the NES era's edgiest, most fun, and best-sounding games, complete with perhaps the best co-op of the generation... and also one of the best-looking covers.

5. Ice Climber

For many, this was their first encounter with the NES. Ice Climber came bundled with the console and offered an absolutely delightful puzzle-platformer, which was at its very best with a Player 2, whether you played with or against each other. Few front-cover illustrations have ever more clearly depicted what lies hidden amongst all the ones and zeros on the cartridges than this typically quirky Japanese game cover.

4. Little Nemo: The Dream Master

This is a cover that doesn't really stand out from the crowd until you look at it more closely. It's an illustration worthy of the era's finest Disney posters, truly exuding the classic 80s children's book vibe with its cosy colour palette and overall fairy-tale feel. The more you look, the more puzzled you become about what the pyjama-clad Nemo (whose adventures are based on the film Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland) is actually up to with flying alligators, a walking bed, an angry tree, and punk snails, an image that would fit perfectly in any cosy child's bedroom.

3. Mega Man

Mega Man received three wildly different covers when it launched around the world: A somewhat run-of-the-mill Japanese one with manga motifs, an absolutely magically ugly American one, and a rock-solid European one. It looks dystopian and sinister, and at least made me feel that Mega Man was a matter of life and death, even though I was playing as a rather cute robot boy just a few pixels tall.

2. Castlevania

A cover where absolutely every aspect fits perfectly. Dracula looks utterly evil, Simon Belmont invites action with a whip raised high, and before him we find an epic fantasy landscape and the ominous Castle, which would go on to become a cult classic, and form the basis for countless sequels and even anime. Of course, we didn't know that back then, but anyone who saw the cover realised straight away that it was something truly special, and even today it remains fabulously beautiful.

1. Super Mario Bros. 3

After the first two Super Mario games had covers featuring more action, Nintendo opted for something a bit more classy for the third instalment. Mario could fly for the first time, and this dominated the cover, complete with a striking yellow/orange background that really made the game shelves pop when it was released. The result was a timeless cover which, in a rather cluttered era, stood out as bold and memorable, whilst still conveying both joy and energy. Minimalism before it became a thing, quite simply, and the absolute best cover of its generation.

Phantom of the Opera 1/6 Action Figure is a marvel to behold

ossi@gamereactor.eu (Ossi Mykkänen) — Thu, 07 May 2026 11:00:00 +0200

Collectible figures are a cornerstone of pop culture, and when done right, they're nothing short of genuine art pieces. Italian studio Kaustic Plastik, known for its passion-driven craftsmanship and dedication to classic film characters, proves this once again with their Phantom of the Opera figure, which delivers not only a 1/6‑scale (roughly 30 cm tall) rendition of the character but also an impressive trove of accessories inspired by the legendary silent film.

Any lingering thoughts of "toy" or "doll" vanish the moment you see the Phantom's signature box. Standing over a meter tall and weighing more than 10 kilograms, the packaging alone promises premium quality. Inside, the figure and its accessories are divided into three separate boxes, each carefully cushioned with thick protective padding.

One of these boxes contains the Phantom of the Opera figure itself — the collection's Standard Version. Alongside the figure, you'll find three sets of interchangeable hands (all without visible ball joints), a few spare joints, a striking nameplate base, and a ghostly mask included for the fastest online buyers. The Phantom arrives fully dressed: collared shirt, vest, suit jacket, dark trousers, and glossy dress shoes. Over the suit sits the character's iconic black cape, complemented by a blood‑red tie. All clothing is made from real fabrics, tailored snugly to the body just like a miniature bespoke suit. The materials feel soft and premium, giving the entire ensemble a convincingly realistic presence.

The sculpting is meticulous down to the veins on the hands. The photorealistic finish is elevated by impressively hand‑painted textures that bring the Phantom to life. From the slicked hair curls to the dark under‑eye shadows, from the yellowed teeth to the bloodshot eyes, the head sculpt looks as if Lon Chaney himself stepped out of the 1925 film. The box claims the eyes are movable to enhance expressiveness, but despite finding two magnetic points in the head, I couldn't get them to shift at all. The interchangeable hands attach tightly and require some force to swap, though the high‑quality materials seem to handle the stress well.

Articulation is solid. The arms bend freely at the wrists, elbows, and shoulders, though they don't raise much above chest level. Still, the range is enough for expressive poses, from playing the organ to holding a violin. The legs rotate naturally outward, and the knees bend smoothly. Thanks to magnets hidden in the shoes, the figure can stand firmly even in more dynamic stances or sit convincingly when posed.

The Deluxe Version adds a second box filled with atmospheric accessories to build a cinematic display. The highlight is a massive church organ — still imposing even at 1/6 scale and weighing several kilos. The organ includes the main console, pedal board, bench, and sheet‑music stand. Its weight and finish almost suggest real wood, though I can't say for certain. Still, you can practically hear the Phantom's music when looking at it. The bench's plush‑looking purple cushion is unfortunately plastic. The organ features two tiers of keys, static drawbars above them, and fully extended pedals beneath. The base is lined with soft velvet to prevent scratches and improve grip.

Alongside the organ, the box includes a quill with an inkwell, a fedora, a silver jar, a sheet‑music book with real notes, and several readable letters. The organ can be decorated freely with these props, and multiple hidden magnets help keep items in place. The black fedora surprisingly doesn't fit the figure's head; it's meant purely as a display piece or something for the Phantom to hold.

Buyers of the Exclusive Edition receive a third box, limited to just 180 units worldwide. Inside is a massive stone base modelled directly after the film's crypt. The detailed stone texture is topped with an embroidered, real velvet carpet that drapes beautifully over the steps, adding depth and dimension. Magnets embedded in the floor allow the Phantom to stand securely. The underside of the base is also lined with velvet for grip and safe handling. The set also includes a sheet‑music stand with ornate wooden‑style carvings and a violin with a bow. The violin's detailing, from chin rest to individual strings, is remarkably lifelike. With the Phantom's various hand options, you can pose him playing the instrument, though I couldn't coax any sound out of it.

Kaustic Plastik has done exemplary work with this Phantom of the Opera figure. Considering the source material is a 101‑year‑old black‑and‑white film, the result is astonishingly realistic. The detailed sculpting, real fabrics, clever magnet use, and painstakingly authentic paintwork turn the Phantom and his many accessories into true art pieces that honour the classic. Whichever version you choose, you're getting serious value for your money.

Kaustic Plastik: Phantom of the Opera 1/6 Action Figure
Standard Version (List Price €290)
Deluxe Version (List Price €495)
Exclusive Version (List Price €550)

Gunnar Optiks Cyberpunk 2077 Dex

alex@gamereactor.eu (Alex Hopley) — Mon, 04 May 2026 15:00:00 +0200

Gunnar Optiks, the eyewear brand that markets itself on creating stylish as well as safe sunglasses and glasses, has been stepping into the world of gaming crossovers for some time now. There have been glasses modelled after Borderlands, The Witcher, and Fallout characters, as well as a handful of other IPs. The selection is careful, as it seems Gunnar Optiks doesn't want to just flood the market with swathes of sunglasses in different colour palettes, but has a key design in mind when it approaches or is approached for collaboration. If you want an example of this, the Cyberpunk 2077 Dex pair of glasses from Gunnar Optiks feels like it fits perfectly.

There are plenty of Cyberpunk 2077 characters who wear sunglasses, most of which stick around a bit longer than Dex. That's not to say the menacing Night City fixer doesn't leave his impact, but Johnny Silverhand also wears shades, and is arguably the game's most-iconic character. But, if we're talking Cyberpunk 2077's most-iconic glasses, I would give the award to Dex's shades, and Gunnar Optiks has done a brilliant job in recreating them about fifty years before they get put on by the fixer.

As you can see, I'm not exactly a doppleganger for the Night City Fixer Dexter DeShawn.

Designed very much in the same style you see in-game, the Gunnar Optiks Cyberpunk 2077 Dex has oversized, angular shield lenses, with a magnesium alloy finish. They're lightweight, but with a premium feel to them that you'd expect from glasses that cost £100+. It's nice to see that Gunnar Optiks isn't just cashing in on people's love of Cyberpunk by ramping the price up, though. As we'll discuss, there are plenty of additional features that make these glasses a smart purchase for gamers, or anyone that worries about too much screen time having a negative effect on their eyes. Even if you're not thinking about strutting your stuff in town wearing these frames, you can still find plenty of use for them.

It would be a waste not to show the Gunnar Optiks Cyberpunk 2077 Dex off, though, as they're a great pair of sunglasses. I received the amber lens tint in my sample model, which is quite a yellowish colour, allowing your eyes to be seen through the glasses. As someone who may hold the trophy for looking the least like Dexter DeShawn, I was a bit worried to see how they'd look on me, but after wearing them for some time and trying them with different outfits, their 90s futurism feels oddly fitting for me, and I don't recoil in the mirror when I catch myself wearing them. The amber max or sun tints may give you a more Dex-like look, but the glasses look as premium as they feel, even if you don't think you'll match them at first.

Speaking of style, you also get some lovely accessories as part of your purchase. A Night City-inspired microfibre cleaning cloth (something I've used sparingly considering the smudge resistant tech on the glasses does such a good job at preventing smears), and a brilliantly unique puffer jacket-style sleeve to keep your glasses safe. These little items aren't likely to define your purchase, but they do show the attention Gunnar Optiks puts into pleasing fans and making the collaborations include more than just a pair of snazzy specs.

As I said before, these glasses aren't just about style, and have a wider functionality that makes them particularly attractive to gamers. Gunnar's lens technology battles against harmful UV and blocks blue light, too. I've worn these glasses not just to see how they'd look for this review, but I've spent hours with them sitting patiently on the bridge of my nose. Working, gaming, watching TV and movies, even. You do notice the glasses, but that's largely because of the filter the lenses give you, blocking blue light and giving everything a warmer, softer glow. The weight is there and present, but the glasses are light enough that if you find anything distracting to do, you're unlikely to notice them at all.

Gunnar Optiks Cyberpunk 2077 Dex are designed for quite a specific user. Someone who wants big, boastful specs and is also thinking about the practical use they'll have for them in their daily life. They're the most unique pair of glasses I've seen from Gunnar Optiks' gaming collaborations, but like the others, they're incredibly stylish and functional. I always love gaming merch that doesn't scream "I AM A GAMER" at everyone within a mile radius, and these glasses do just that. They're simply cool, and give you a great outfit accessory while helping you keep eyestrain out of your life.

Space Hulk - Does it hold up?

alex@gamereactor.eu (Alex Hopley) — Mon, 04 May 2026 11:00:00 +0200

There's often quite a large difference in how Warhammer miniatures are depicted in lore versus their tabletop counterparts. Read through the Codex of any one faction, and you'll be shocked to learn they've not taken over the galaxy yet considering how it makes them sound like the most powerful force in the universe. Nevertheless, there are games which feel like they bring a good mesh of classic, dice-roll rules with enough honouring of the lore that you're not left feeling like one force is massively over or underpowered.

Enter Space Hulk, a 2013 game brought back to us via the new Warhammer Classics label. I've been going over quite a few of these games, seeing whether they stand the test of time, and Space Hulk is the newest game I've had the chance to play so far. Taking its name from the 1989 board game, Space Hulk sees you take charge of Terminator Space Marines as they lumber through a massive collection of dead spaceships known as a Space Hulk. There, terrible, unknown threats are lurking around every corner. Alone, not a single Genestealer is enough to take you down, but let yourself get surrounded in the dark corridors of this impossibly huge shipwreck, and you'll be brought down in surprisingly quick fashion.

Space Hulk is a rather simple game, especially when just going through the single-player missions. You get plonked down in a grid-based map with corridors that are just wide enough for your big Terminator body to squeeze through. Then, you're asked to complete an objective or two. As you go through the game's story chapters, you'll get tougher and tougher missions, but the gist of it is really easy to pick up, even if you're unfamiliar with the board game or universe as a whole. It's pretty much a 1-to-1 conversion of the board game, with all the simplicity that comes with that. This may be a con for some, as it doesn't allow for really nuanced strategy, but if you enjoy the formula, you won't find it switching up on you every few hours to completely redefine the type of challenge you get.

Personally, as a big fan of the lore, I enjoyed watching Terminators in action. The slow, powerful movements of the waking tanks shows how these units are the most-feared melee specialists of the Space Marine forces, but also how they can get taken out if deployed in the wrong fashion. Invincible one minute, split open like a tin can by Xenos claws the next. There's a great atmosphere set up in Space Hulk, making you feel quite vulnerable even if you are in the toughest suit of armour the Imperium has to offer.

This re-release of the original experience also comes with the added DLC for free, which is a nice bonus if you're stepping in for the first time and want to get all that was on offer back in 2013. Adding three extra campaigns, the Space Wolves as a playable Chapter throughout, and two skin DLCs, you get quite a lot of content added in for the price of £16.49 without any Steam discounts. I've not gone through it all to test out if the game's still worth it, but I have to give a shout-out to the Space Wolves DLC for adding an additional element of replayability to Space Hulk. Taking the Norse-inspired Terminators for a spin was a blast, and gave me a refreshing gameplay twist whenever I wanted to step out of the bulky red shoes of the Blood Angels.

Like a lot of the other games on the Warhammer Classics label, where Space Hulk might fall a bit short is in its lack of online multiplayer. You get lots of content via the DLCs, yes, but if you wanted to jump into the darkness of the endless Void with a friend via the internet, you can't sadly. There's also the aforementioned chance that the gameplay gets a bit stale for you, considering its repetitive nature. But, if you're a fan of the old-school board game, or looking for a Warhammer experience that goes beyond first or third-person action and sweeping strategy, you'll find a unique, atmospheric tactical experience in Space Hulk, a game that holds up, but might not be for everyone.

Screen Time - May 2026

ben@gamereactor.eu (Ben Lyons) — Sun, 03 May 2026 12:00:00 +0200

The summer is almost upon us and for cinemagoers that can only mean one thing: the season of the blockbuster is about to commence. This May is setting an excellent precedent for a busy theatrical summer, with tons of promising films making their arrival and being supported by exciting and anticipated movies and television on streaming platforms. This month's episode of Screen Time is a big one, so settle in to see what you should be watching in the weeks ahead.

Before we get into things however, a quick reminder: we've based our choices on a UK release calendar, so be sure to check locally for accurate information and listings.

The Devil Wears Prada 2 - May 1

To start the month we have a totally fabulous sequel to look forward to, as Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci all return for The Devil Wears Prada 2. This follow-up flick builds on the original and sees the cast reuniting for another exploration into the high-pressure and cutthroat world of fashion, one where we see former apprentices facing off in a battle to take the crown.

Hokum - May 1

Adam Scott has been tormented in all manner of ways in film and television over the years but never quite like this. The Severance star is headlining Neon's horror flick, Hokum, a frightening project that sees a horror writer travelling to a distant Irish inn to scatter his parents' ashes, only to discover that the property is haunted by a cruel and vengeful witch.

Swapped [Netflix] - May 1

Netflix has a whopping slate of projects on the way this month and it all commences with the striking and majestic Swapped, an animated flick that follows a woodland creature and a bird as they trade bodies in a Freaky Friday-like turn of events. This change of fate requires the unlikely pair to team up to survive, with nature doing its best to cut their adventure short. With Michael B. Jordan and Juno Temple in the leading roles, this flick looks to be perfect for all ages and fans.

The Sheep Detectives - May 8

What do the sheep do when the shepherd is murdered? This isn't some bizarre philosophical contemplation as rather it's the premise of The Sheep Detectives, a movie that sees a herd of sheep working together to solve the mystery of their murdered shepherd, in what is being described as a "new breed of mystery". In this flick, Hugh Jackman leads an all-star cast that also includes Bryan Cranston, Emma Thompson, Brett Goldstein, Patrick Stewart, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bella Ramsey, and more.

Remarkably Bright Creatures [Netflix] - May 8

So far, May has been a treat for all those who love a wholesome adventure and this won't be changing with Netflix's Remarkably Bright Creatures. This movie follows an elderly widow as she befriends an octopus in the local aquarium, all before learning a life-changing piece of news. With Sally Field in the leading role and bolstered by Lewis Pullman and Alfred Molina, expect an emotional and sweet tale in this delightful adaptation.

Devil May Cry: Season 2 [Netflix] - May 12

The first of a couple of treats for gaming fans this May, Devil May Cry returns to Netflix for a second round of episodes that chronicle how Dante continues to wage war with Hell, all while dealing with his returning twin brother, the ruthless and more apathetic Vergil. With intense anime action sequences promised, any fans of Capcom's legendary series won't want to miss this one.

The Punisher: One Last Kill [Disney+] - May 13

Anyone who has been following the second season of Daredevil: Born Again will notice that there's been a distinct lack of Jon Bernthal's Frank Castle. But fear not, this summer will be all about the Punisher both on Disney+ and in cinemas with Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Speaking about the former, in mid-May, The Punisher: One Last Kill arrives and sees how Frank tries to move past being fuelled by revenge, only to be pulled back into a fight that needs him.

Mortal Kombat II - May 15

It's certainly not a poor month for video game fans in the world of film and television, as next up is the sequel to the ruthless action flick, Mortal Kombat. This aptly named follow-up will see the champions of Earthrealm locked in bitter fights to the death with the warriors of Outworld, all in an effort of stopping a complete invasion of the former by the latter. Now bolstered by Karl Urban's Johnny Cage, this film will be chock-full of fatalities, combos, and iconic references.

Dutton Ranch [Paramount+] - May 15

Yellowstone may be over but its wider world still has plenty of stories left to tell, including what happened to Rip and Beth after the husband and wife pairing left their home for good. We'll get an answer to this in May when Dutton Ranch begins streaming on Paramount+ and sees the duo attempting to build a new life for themselves in Texas, a task that is far from simple when facing off against the established titans of the state.

Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan Ghost War [Prime Video] - May 20

Not to be confused with the Chris Pine film, or even the Ben Affleck-led alternative, or even really the Harrison Ford movies, this flick is the next chapter of John Krasinski's time as the iconic CIA operative. Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan: Ghost War is an action film that succeeds the recent TV series and sees how Jack navigates betrayal and treachery while facing an enemy who was thought to have been dealt with long ago.

Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed [Apple TV] - May 20

It's a bit of a steadier month for Apple TV but there are a few treats worth highlighting. One such example is the series Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed, which follows Tatiana Maslany's single mom known as Paula, as she gets caught up in a bizarre web of murder and blackmail after becoming the unfortunate witness to what seems to be a grisly crime.

The Boroughs [Netflix] - May 21

The Duffer Brothers have become a very sought-after commodity in the world of Hollywood following the success of Stranger Things, but for the time being, the duo are sticking with the iconic streamer to create a new series that follows a bunch of pensioners as they fight to protect themselves against an otherworldly threat that seems to be stealing their time. The Boroughs is a supernatural adventure that brings together an interesting cast, headlined by Alfred Molina and bolstered by Bill Pullman, Alfre Woodard, Denis O'Hare, and Clarke Peters.

The Mandalorian and Grogu - May 22

It's been a while since a new Star Wars film has debuted in cinemas but this May is set to change that. The Mandalorian and Grogu will be looking to bring the iconic warrior and his minute Force-wielding ally to the big screen, in a chaotic adventure that takes the duo across the galaxy far, far away, to encounter threats, enemies, and villains of all kinds and manner.

Passenger - May 22

Are we sure it isn't October already? This May has been an absolute treat for horror fans and it will be going out with a bang too. From director Andre Øvredal, Passenger is a terrifying concept that explores what happens to the many folk who go on road trips each year and simply never make it to their destinations... Following a young couple as they're haunted by something twisted and malevolent, this film will make you fear the open road.

Spider-Noir [Prime Video] - May 27

It's a great time to be a Spider-Man fan, as this year will bring a new season of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, the anticipated Spider-Man: Brand New Day blockbuster, and the more unusual live-action series, Spider-Noir. This focuses on Nicolas Cage's Ben Reilly, all as the Spider-Variant operates in 1930s New York City and deals with criminals and gangsters, both as a private investigator and a web-slinging hero. Available in colour and in a stunning black-and-white alternative, this will be Prime Video's big project in May.

Backrooms - May 29

And here comes one final horror film for good luck! A24 has given talented young visionary Kane Parsons complete creative control to make his Backrooms concept into a feature-length flick and the end result is this mind-boggling and unsettling movie starring Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve. The premise essentially explores how folk become obsessed and lost in a series of weird rooms located in the basement of a furniture showroom.

Power Ballad - May 29

What would you do if someone became famous from your hit song? That's effectively the premise of Power Ballad, a comedy flick that follows Paul Rudd's Rick, a washed-up wedding singer, as he looks to reclaim the fame that Nick Jonas' Danny has reaped from a track that was cooked up by Rick during a late-night jam session.

Star City [Apple TV] - May 29

Apple TV is in the process of closing the curtain on For All Mankind, its epic sci-fi drama series that explored the race to the Moon from the angle of the United States. However, as one door closes another opens, as they say, and this May will see the start of Star City, an alternative narrative that instead shines a spotlight on the Soviet Union element of the wider narrative and how the Russians attempted to become the first nation on the moon through its ambitious space programme.

Wow, what a month. You'll have plenty to chew through but if you're already keen to hear about what June 2026 has in store, stay tuned as we'll be seeing what cinemagoers and streaming service users have to be excited about in a few weeks.

Dungeons & Dragons: How to get started in 2026

alberto@gamereactor.eu (Alberto Garrido) — Sat, 02 May 2026 11:00:00 +0200

Dungeons & Dragons. "The world's greatest role-playing game". It wasn't the first to appear (though it came close, and was certainly the first to be commercially released), but it has been the most significant for the cultural and social phenomenon that is role-playing. Over the course of its more than 50 years, millions of people, of all ages and backgrounds, have experienced all manner of adventures, saved countless worlds and created countless others. One could say, and I don't think I'd be wrong, that D&D has represented the greatest exercise in collective literary creativity in the universe.

But since Dave Arneson and Gary Gygax pooled their ideas to create the first edition of D&D, a lot has happened, and not all of it has been good. Fortunately, the 'witch-hunt' by various Christian associations and parents of school-age children, the misnamed reports on supposed satanic influences and, above all, the singling out and mockery of those players as 'geeks' are now a thing of the past. It's curious to look back at that era through the lens of 2026 because, right now, being a geek is the mainstream in the world of entertainment. And being a fan of Dungeons & Dragons is, for want of a more concise expression, 'cool'.

If you're reading this, it's probably because you're someone who enjoyed the film Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023), or perhaps you thought that the game the Duffer brothers drew on to cement their global success with Stranger Things was more than just a simple board game. Or perhaps, whilst scrolling through your YouTube feed, you came across a game session from one of the most famous shows of the last ten years, such as Dimension 20 or Critical Role. Maybe you were inspired to explore this world after watching The Legend of Vox Machina or the recent The Mighty Nein. Or perhaps you've started following the Dungeon Masters series that Wizards has just started posting on YouTube. Or perhaps someone close to you simply invited you to play for the first time, and you just said yes. Whoever you are, you're welcome to the hobby.

As I was saying, Dungeons & Dragons is now all the rage and stronger than ever before in its history. Part of this success, as the lead designer of the fifth edition of the game (and the current 5.5 Edition), Jeremy Crawford, told us at the recent San Diego Comic-Con Málaga 2025, is also fuelled by those live shows mentioned earlier. As he told those of us attending his panel live, the game had to "listen to the players. Listen to their suggestions, but also their complaints. Accessibility was one of the key factors (...) We needed to focus all our attention on all of you"

Dungeons & Dragons 5.5, a multiverse for every kind of player

That is why Wizards of the Coast, the company that manages the official D&D material (although there are many other publishers and third-party materials just as good as the official ones), has completely revamped its Starter Set. For many, this is the first step into the hobby. This starter kit retains its essence of 'your first adventure' and gives you the first monsters to slay and treasures to plunder, but it has also recognised the signs of the times. These days, D&D is no longer just 'pen and paper', though it can be, and that formula now feels somewhat more limited than the elaborate offerings of other board games.

The Starter Box moves in that direction, significantly increasing the 'physical' materials. On this occasion, we have used the Heroes of the Frontier Starter Box provided to us by Wizards of the Coast, taking advantage of its localised release in German, French, Italian, and Spanish, which is the version we have used here. Its contents are exactly identical to the English version that we reviewed last year, and it wouldn't make much sense to go into detail about them again here. However, if as well as reading what's inside you'd like to see it all, I recommend you take a look at our unboxing of the Heroes of the Borderlands Starter Set.

But wasn't this supposed to be about learning how to play? Aren't you going to open the box? Of course I am, and I can tell you that I've had the chance to try out the Borderlands Heroes Starter Box with not just one, but two different groups. One was my regular group of players, all seasoned veterans of tabletop RPGs and D&D. The other, complete novices, whom I guided through their first game. From these two experiences and my own, first as a player and then as a DM, I've gleaned a few points to bear in mind when you find yourself in the same situation. Because there can be no single 'How to Play D&D'. Every table is unique, just as every character, situation and dice roll is. I can't tell you how to defeat Strahd von Zarovich, but I can 'teach' you to piece together the fragments of his story and those of the characters of Barovia to create a fantastic tale. And so, by taking in every detail, every clue, or every battle, when the time comes and you stand before Strahd, you'll know what to do.

1. As a player: Focus on enjoying the game, rather than trying to master it

It's quite normal that before playing Dungeons and Dragons for the first time, you've already fantasised about being a powerful sorceress skilled in Alteration spells, or perhaps a silent and lethal rogue assassin. You might even have simply thought about wanting to travel the world talking to all the animals and even transforming into one of them as a druid. All that is well and good, but when the moment of truth arrives, it sometimes turns out that the character you imagined could do things like cast lightning bolts or fireballs can't actually do so (or at least, not yet), or perhaps you rush into combat eager to fight and a goblin with a bow and a good damage roll knocks you unconscious on the very first turn. I've seen these situations play out at the table, and I've seen how some people have realised that this is neither a sprint nor a hero simulator. In D&D, you play a character, and there are many ways to resolve the same situation. Sometimes it will come down to the players' imagination and creativity. Other times, to the result of a few skill rolls, or a combination of both. And if you fail, you and the rest of the group will have to make do with another dose of creativity and dice. And so on. The aim of D&D isn't to win; it's to have fun, survive the adventure and, if possible, walk away with a few extra gold coins in your pocket.

2. As Dungeon Master: Maintaining the pace and balance of the game is easier said than done

Another misconception held by most players is that they are playing against the Dungeon Master, but nothing could be further from the truth. A DM must guide the story, act as a referee regarding the rules, and exercise control over the monsters the adventurers face. Some DMs prefer to be more restrictive regarding the group's freedom of action, so as to ensure the story unfolds exactly as they have so carefully planned. Others surrender to the chaos at the table and the group's wild ideas. Personally, I don't fully agree with either of these two approaches; instead, I would try to follow a middle ground between the two. Before you start playing D&D, whether it's a one-shot (a short adventure that begins and ends in the same session) or you're starting a campaign that could last for years, it's best to sit down with your group before you even create the character sheets and ask them: What do they hope will happen in this adventure? What would they like to explore with their characters? Do they prefer to focus more on exploration, roleplay, or combat?

Of course, for a gaming session to work and for everyone to have a good time, there needs to be some sort of script and preparation, and plenty of 'what if...' scenarios to anticipate the players' choices. But as a DM, your duty is to your players, not to your story. Is that plot you've been preparing for two weeks going nowhere because the players are trying to avoid it or sabotage it? That's a clear sign you need to change course. Sometimes a good 'zero session' solves far more problems by establishing a minimum common ground than making a radical shift three months into the campaign. Listen to your group, be assertive. Give them the freedom to choose, and if you see them straying too far off course, give them a new hook to bring them back to the main story.

You'll have already noticed that being a DM involves a lot of responsibility and a certain amount of pressure to ensure everything goes smoothly. It's the most difficult role at the table, but I can also guarantee it's the most rewarding, if you manage to ensure the rest of the group has a good time.

3. As a player: Don't try to understand everything on your first go

One of the best things about this Starter Box is that it guides players and helps them get into the swing of things, even if they've never played Dungeons and Dragons before. Among the many background, treasure, and monster cards, there are four basic mini-guides on what you can do on your turn, whether it's standard actions or combat. Furthermore, in the latter case, it explains how to understand your different options in combat and the cost of each decision.

No player can be expected to understand everything they can or cannot do in their first few gaming sessions. Don't hesitate to ask the DM if there's anything you don't understand, but generally speaking, if you have the sense that 'that makes sense in the situation', it's likely to be a valid option. By the way, if you really want to get the most out of your character, their equipment and their potential, I recommend that once you've completed the three mini-adventures in Heroes of the Borderlands, you get hold of the 5.5 Edition Player's Handbook. The definitive guide to fully customising your character.

4. As Dungeon Master: Don't be shy and make the most of all that brand-new printed material.

OK, let's face it. There are certain things in the Starter Set that probably 90% of players will never cut out of the cardboard sheet. Gold coins and power points, for example. It's not that they aren't useful, but they aren't necessary if you keep a simple tally in a notebook beside you with a pencil. I think that in this case, this approach to traditional board games might slightly distort the concept of what a role-playing game is, where it's best not to have too many objects to hand that take you out of the action. Power points can simply be kept as tally marks in the margin of a handwritten sheet of paper, just like the treasure you carry in your pockets. Leave those little cardboard cards in the box: they'll distract players more than they'll help them.

But character and monster sheets and cards... now that's a treasure trove! And priceless. Normally, if you want to buy monster stat sheets for games from the official Wizards of the Coast boxes, you'll find the prices are quite steep for things that, well, are just cardboard. Another option is to make them yourself using coloured sticks, or even venture into the expensive (though beautiful) world of play miniatures (which would be enough for another article just as long as this one). But the D&D Starter Set, at this price and also offering three adventures, dice, a player's handbook and the maps, is very, very good value for money. Take the monsters to your next dungeon and hide these treasures there too. When the time comes, having these tokens can turn an 'ordinary' session into a memorable day in your campaign.

I hope this brief history lesson and these little tips based on my experience, both before and during my games with the Heroes of the Borderlands Starter Box, have been useful to you. Enjoy this hobby, because it's one of the best things in life. That, and the people you'll share it with.

Call of the Elder Gods Interview: Speaking sequel ambitions, length, AI, and adaptation potential with Out of the Blue

ben@gamereactor.eu (Ben Lyons) — Fri, 01 May 2026 15:00:00 +0200

Following the breakout success of Call of the Sea in 2020, developer Out of the Blue Games went back to the drawing board to figure out how it could expand and grow the IP and lead to more experiences based on H.P. Lovecraft's works. Six years later and we're seeing this vision coming to life in the anticipated sequel, Call of the Elder Gods.

Designed as an official sequel but also a game that new players can pick up and experience without needing prior knowledge of the series, Call of the Elder Gods is set to take the Lovecraftian series to a whole host of new locations, serving up challenging but engaging environmental puzzles along the way.

With the launch of Call of the Elder Gods planned for May 12 on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch 2, we had the opportunity to speak with Out of the Blue's creative director, Tatiana Delgado once more, to learn some final interesting bits of information ahead of the launch. Catch the full interview below.

Gamereactor: What led you to wanting to create a sequel to Call of the Sea and how have you fundamentally built Call of the Elder Gods so that fans don't need to experience the original game?

Delgado: "While we were developing Call of the Sea it was clear to us that we wanted to know more about Harry after the post-credits scene. It felt like there was more to explore there. Our initial idea was to create a series of games that focused on different Lovecraftian tales, and for this second game, we wanted to continue the story where the postcredits scene finished. At the same time, we've made sure Call of the Elder Gods works as a standalone experience, so new players can jump in without needing to know the first game.

"During production we took care in defining the pieces of information that the players were going to learn after each level, and we made sure that the necessary elements of Call of the Sea were told along the levels, but that it didn't feel overwhelming to the players. This way fans would identify them and enjoy them, but newcomers would learn the pieces they needed."

Gamereactor: What did you learn from the development of Call of the Sea that you wanted to make sure you incorporated in Call of the Elder Gods?

Delgado: "We learnt some things that we wanted to improve:

"The character speed was too slow, and it was a problem for some players. We adjusted and added different speeds depending if the character is in an interior or an exterior. Exploration and puzzle solving should feel nice, and not boring.

"Some people thought puzzles were too difficult and others thought they were too easy. For a puzzle game it is very hard to please all the players, so we tried to add tools that could customize the difficulty, like hints inside the game, or removing the journal and some voice over lines that hinted too much of some puzzles.

"We also wanted to incorporate more characters, to allow interactions and dialogues."

Gamereactor: With Call of the Elder Gods taking the story to different locations around the world, how will this impact the gameplay and challenges in ways that we didn't see with Call of the Sea being set on one island?

Delgado: "It allows us to play with not only different settings but also with buildings (a mansion, a lost radio station), technology of different kinds... And this not only helps visually but also provides a way to create new puzzles based on that technology and settings."

Gamereactor: As Call of the Elder Gods is a sequel to Call of the Sea, what should players be expecting in regards to the length of the game? How do the two compare and what will an average play through require from a time perspective?

Delgado: "This game is a bit longer than the first one, but we didn't want to extend gameplay time just for the sake of it. This game would be around 6 hours. We want to create experiences that resonate with the player."

Gamereactor: What is Out of the Blue's stance on AI usage in video game development and was AI used at all in the production of Call of the Elder Gods?

Delgado: "We didn't use AI during the production of Call of the Elder Gods or in the final game. We believe that the human touch is incredibly important for all forms of art, and we really value the ability to control fine details in the work we produce.

"As for AI usage in video games generally, we think it could be a useful tool when it comes to early-stage prototyping, but we wouldn't want to use it in anything that we ship to players."

Gamereactor: What's one part of Call of the Elder Gods that you feel people should be talking about more?

Delgado: "The feeling of adventure and our interpretation of Lovecraft's works. We love that fans say that our unique takes of the Lovecraftian mythos are very close to the sources but we give them a twist to make them unique and different."

Gamereactor: There are a lot of HP Lovecraft novels and works that you can draw inspiration from, so do you have a grand idea as to where you'd like to take the franchise or is this a game-by-game basis? Would you ever explore a multimedia expansion perhaps?

Delgado: "With Call of the Sea we already launched an official Call of Cthulhu ttrpg campaign, so we are open to expand our universes. We believe our stories would fit in any media: TV shows, movies, comics... But right now we are focusing on the launch of Call of the Elder Gods."

Thanks to Out of the Blue and Delgado for answering our questions. For more from Call of the Elder Gods, you can read our recent preview of the game, catch one of our latest in-person interviews with Delgado below, and otherwise experience the game for yourself soon when it launches on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch 2 on May 12.

Games To Look For - May 2026

ben@gamereactor.eu (Ben Lyons) — Fri, 01 May 2026 11:00:00 +0200

Boy, has it been a busy start to the year. After an incredibly hectic and exciting February, March, and April, it's finally time for the last hurrah of spring, and to this end, May 2026 is following suit by serving up a truly promising slate of games. From horror to platformers, racing games to action epics, this month has it all. We've gathered the games you should be keeping tabs on, all in the form of the latest instalment of Games To Look For.

Mixtape (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - May 7

Kicking off the month is the next project to be published by the indie and AA experts over at Annapurna Interactive. Mixtape is a coming-of-age adventure tale developed by Beethoven & Dinosaur, which follows a quirky trio of friends as they head out on one final adventure, laid out in the form of a mixtape of memories with a backing of alternative music from some of your favourite bands. With a stop-motion style of animation and a colourful art direction, this is looking to be an adventure you won't want to miss.

Directive 8020 (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - May 12

A significant change of pace from an indie coming-of-age story. The horror experts over at Supermassive Games are back this May for the next tale in the wider The Dark Pictures universe. Regarded as Directive 8020, this is a sci-fi adventure that follows a cast of astronauts as they attempt to survive on an isolated spacecraft while a shapeshifting monster hunts them down and sows disarray in their ranks. It's as they say, in space, no one can hear you scream...

Call of the Elder Gods (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2) - May 12

Half a decade after delivering the memorable Call of the Sea, developer Out of the Blue Games is back this month for the next chapter in the wider narrative. Known as Call of the Elder Gods, this Lovecraftian narrative puzzle adventure picks up after the events of the first game and sees how a professor and student travel the world and attempt to solve mysteries tied to concerning visions and impossible dreams. With stunning environments and mind-bending challenges to overcome, Call of the Elder Gods is for those looking for another unsettling and eldritch story.

Outbound (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, Switch 2) - May 14

Another significant change of pace as now we're moving onto Square Glade Games' Outbound, a peaceful and cosy life-simulation project that is all about experiencing the journey and not necessarily worrying about the destination. The premise is to hop into a camper van and then proceed to travel around the vibrant and natural world, soaking in each vista and living sustainably off-grid with up to four of your friends. This is a game about crafting, customising, and exploring, and is a lovely option to welcome in the summer.

Forza Horizon 6 (PC, Xbox Series X/S) - May 19

There are a handful of major AAA titles planned for this May and without question one of the biggest is the next adventure from Playground Games. The beloved and immensely popular Forza Horizon series is heading to Japan for its sixth instalment, bringing together a combination of high-octane street races, stunning open-road trips, and chaotic off-road carnage. Set in a colourful and busy open-world with real-world locations to explore, this chapter in the series is set to be its most promising to date.

Thick as Thieves (PC) - May 20

After previously giving the world memorable Thief games, Warren Spector and Paul Neurath will soon be back for a similar stealth-action game, this time from their new studio known as OtherSide Entertainment. This project in question is Thick as Thieves, a thrilling and tense title where the aim is to complete heists and capers, stealing valuable artifacts and loot throughout a series of short-session missions in either solo or cooperative modes. Based in an alternate-history Scottish city, Thick as Thieves is one for the co-op fans to keep in mind.

Yoshi and the Mysterious Book (Switch 2) - May 21

While there are a few major Nintendo Switch 2 exclusives coming up this summer, for May, there is only one key project worth keeping tabs on. This is Yoshi and the Mysterious Book, a unique and page-turning platform adventure that revolves around the iconic green dinosaur as it literally dives into the narrative and begins exploring the stories curated by the unusual Mr. E. With a variety of biomes and locations to conquer, plus tons of abilities to master, Switch 2 owners won't want to miss this promising platformer.

Zero Parades: For Dead Spies (PC) - May 21

ZA/UM has had an uneven few years following the arrival of Disco Elysium, with all manner of situations affecting the developer's standing. But this May, it will be looking to get back on track by serving up its next great adventure, a weaving narrative-heavy project known as Zero Parades: For Dead Spies. Regarded as an espionage RPG, this game follows a tormented operative as they attempt to complete one final assignment despite all the cards going against them.

Gallipoli (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - May 21

As there are so many major games stealing the spotlight in the latter half of May, you might be looking forward to something a little different to break up the flurry of AAA launches. If so, and if you're a fan of multiplayer shooters, then you won't want to miss BlackMill Games' Gallipoli, the fourth instalment in the developer's ongoing and expanding World War 1 series. As the name suggests, this game is based on the Gallipoli theatre of war and delivers battles and action set in the Mediterranean and seeing how the British Empire faced off with the Ottoman forces.

Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2) - May 22

We all seem to love a TT Games' developed Lego adventure, which is what makes this May all the more exciting. After previously delivering a multitude of Caped Crusader stories, now the spotlight will be shone on the history of Gotham's greatest protector, all in Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight. Chronicling different eras and tales based on the DC hero, this project will expand on the Lego format with its most ambitious exploration and combat systems to date.

Bubsy 4D (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, Switch 2) - May 22

Many younger fans may be completely oblivious to who the wise-cracking bobcat known as Bubsy is, as the platforming icon hasn't exactly been relevant in recent times. However, the folks over at Fabraz aim to change this soon, as with Bubsy 4D, we'll be presented a new and chaotic platforming title, which sees the legendary character running, jumping, gliding, and rolling around a whole-host of alien biomes and planets in the effort of collecting yarn and saving Earth's sheep. Yep, it's weird but that's why we love Bubsy.

007 First Light (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - May 27

Finally, to cap off May is perhaps its most-anticipated project, as the developers over at IO Interactive will be launching its James Bond action-adventure experience known as 007 First Light. Regarded as an espionage origin story, this game follows a young Bond as he joins the 007 programme and proceeds to face off with a terrible new threat while stopping a coup at the heart of the State. With striking set pieces and thrilling action, this game is one that won't want to miss when it launches this month.

That concludes another episode of GTLF. We'll be back in a few week's time to shine a spotlight on what June 2026 will bring for gaming fans around the world.

The ten best-looking covers: Dreamcast

jonas@gamereactor.eu (Jonas Mäki) — Fri, 01 May 2026 09:00:00 +0200

10. Sonic Adventure

Let me say straight away, as a huge Dreamcast fan (one of my all-time favourite consoles) - it certainly wasn't a console with particularly eye-catching packaging, especially in the EU, that I've chosen to stick with. But in tenth place we still find this iconic hedgehog, which finally got his own platform game for the first time since the Mega Drive era. It's packed with that lovely 'no-nonsense' attitude that prevailed in the late 90s and also signals a great deal of confidence from Sega, which, after all, did have a fantastic product.

9. Samba de Amigo

It's hard to define what constitutes a Sega game, but if I were really to try, I suppose the common thread is that there isn't one. Sega was everywhere all the time and you never knew what they'd come up with next, and the sequels were rarely as good because their madcap projects were based on unique ideas that, after one game, didn't feel quite so unique anymore. This is reflected in the cover of the maraca simulator (beloved Sega... really?) Samba de Amigo, a mix of Mexican festival posters and classic Sega chaos, which makes the whole cover feel like a rhythmic exclamation mark. It's impossible not to feel happy.

8. Jet Set Radio

Few games, if any, have exuded more genuine coolness and attitude than Jet Set Radio, in which the quirky, funky GG's take on both oppression and colourful rival gangs such as the Noise Tanks and Love Shockers - by painting graffiti. Jet Set Radio is often considered the game that pioneered cel-shading, and the cover does a good job of trying to capture all the attitude hidden amongst the ones and zeros on the disc inside.

7. The House of the Dead 2

Many Dreamcast covers feature computer-generated artwork using that iconic technology which wasn't quite ready yet, giving everything a slightly cheap look (was it even cool back then? I can't actually remember). Today it feels typical of the era, but gives off a slight Temu vibe. One exception, however, is The House of the Dead 2, which was not only a phenomenal game, but also had a cover that was a perfect fit. It's dark, gritty and almost a bit theatrical, featuring truly classic horror film zombies. Gothic but not kitsch, and classic horror film on VHS.

6. Virtua Tennis

Although the game featured superstars of the time such as Yevgeny Kafelnikov, Carlos Moyá and Jim Courier, it did not include any players' names in the title, nor did they appear on the cover, which was instead dominated by a fuzzy tennis ball in full flight, along with a small, generic player on the right-hand side. It was a different era; gameplay was the main focus, and licences and the like were nowhere near as important, so the cover is not only different, but also period-appropriate and really cool.

5. Ikaruga

"But you said it was just the EU, you klutz". some of you might be thinking that. But I would argue that this still holds true for Ikaruga, as it was region-free. It was one of the last major Dreamcast games and an absolutely phenomenal shoot 'em up, where it was just as much about getting shot at as it was about actually shooting yourself. The cover art is a sort of Zen meets mecha, and you can really see what kind of world awaits you when you press the power button and the Dreamcast kicks off with that scrolling logo, and I love it.

4. Skies of Arcadia

This is adventure romance in its purest 90s form. The blue hues of the scenery, the airship and Vyse striking a heroic pose create a sense that you are standing on the threshold of a whole new world. I'd liken the cover to one of the era's young adult novels, but with a stronger influence from Japanese popular culture. It also demonstrates just what a powerhouse Sega was, capable of challenging Enix and Square themselves during this era, even in a field such as Japanese role-playing games. All of this is conveyed in a warm, inviting manner, packed with the promise of discovery in an epic cover.

3. Chu Chu Rocket

I reckon many of you will have a problem with this option being ranked so highly, but I consider this to be one of the most visually daring covers for the Dreamcast. It has zero commercial potential, but as a gamer, it's impossible not to love the playfully flat colour scheme, the garish orange-and-blue contrasts, and the delightful characters that make it look like a poster for an experimental Japanese children's programme. It's strange, charming and utterly unforgettable. Just like the game.

2. Power Stone

I'm passionate about both games and their covers. Here, the feel of 80s adventure films meets delightful Japanese design and classic comic book vibes. The characters are arranged like an ensemble cast on a film poster, with colours that really pop. Just one look is enough to make you want to dish out a beating with Captain Fokker (or Falcon, as he was called in Europe - I had a Japanese Dreamcast) to that grandiose music on the vibrant levels. Pure magic.

1. Crazy Taxi

Of course, one could say it's a dull choice - a logo on a plain background. I choose to see it differently. This cover is graphic punk. The yellow background is so aggressively monochrome that it practically burns itself onto your retina, and combined with the flaming racing logo, I can almost hear The Offspring playing in my head just by looking at the image. It's simple, loud and iconic, one of the most recognisable covers in the entire Dreamcast library and one that truly embodies the game in a great way.

Directive 8020 Interview: Speaking AI, runtime, horror inspiration, and The Dark Pictures connection with Supermassive Games

ben@gamereactor.eu (Ben Lyons) — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 15:00:00 +0200

It's been a longer journey than initially expected, but this May, Supermassive Games will be returning and offering up the next chapter in The Dark Pictures universe. Known as Directive 8020, this is a science-fiction horror story that follows a crew of astronauts as they attempt to survive on an isolated vessel while being tormented by shapeshifting creatures thirsting for blood.

With launch planned for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S on May 12, we recently had the chance to speak with Supermassive and specifically creative director, Will Doyle, all to learn a bit more about Directive 8020. From horror inspirations, action-packed gameplay, AI in game development, expected runtime, and The Dark Pictures connection, we discuss this and more in the full interview you can read below.

Gamereactor: You seem to have dropped The Dark Pictures branding from the game. Is Directive 8020 still classed as part of this wider series or is it a fully-fledged standalone project?

Doyle: "Directive 8020 is set in the same shared world as our other titles. It is an intense, branching narrative game where your choices matter and you control a cast of characters where everyone can live or die. The deluxe edition of the game features costumes sets and collectible dolls that highlight characters and monsters from our previous Dark Pictures games. So yes - 100% Dark Pictures.

"We are delighted to continue the series, but after a short break we wanted to ensure that our messaging is clear for our audiences. After we wrapped season 1 of the Dark Pictures Anthology, we did an extensive player research study in preparation for Directive 8020. This study revealed that many newcomers thought that they had to play through our games sequentially - partially due to terms like "Season."

"For Directive 8020, we have settled on the tagline "A Dark Pictures Game", which tells our fans that it is part of the shared universe, without suggesting that it is an essential follow-on to other games in the series."

Gamereactor: How has the extra development time following the delay allowed you to improve and enhance Directive 8020?

Doyle: "We know our fans have been waiting patiently for Directive 8020 ever since it was teased at the end of The Devil in Me. We really wanted to use the extra time to focus on polish and create the best version of our game. Like our other games, Directive 8020 is extremely cinematic, so any extra time spent on editing and polish really benefits the overall experience. We're really excited by what we've achieved, and we hope our fans love it too."

Gamereactor: What were your inspirations behind the story of Directive 8020 and how much research into space travel did you do in preparation?

Doyle: "Each of the Dark Pictures games have drawn on a different genre of horror. This time, we wanted to explore space horror. John Carpenter's "The Thing" was a big inspiration, primarily because we wanted to create a shapeshifting monster. Over the years, many of our fans have asked us to make a game based on The Thing, probably because the theme of trust fits so well with our choice and relationship mechanics. And the monster itself is obviously pretty sick!

"But this story takes inspiration from a lot of different movies - Aliens, Sunshine, Life, and more - and books, including H.P. Lovecraft's "Mountains of Madness." It's also, in part, a follow-on to "House of Ashes," the third Dark Picture.

"We did do quite a bit of research when creating this one. The story really began from two real-world points of inspiration: first, the Moon Landings, where Apollo 10 (effectively, the dry run for the actual landing) was short fuelled to prevent the crew from attempting it themselves. In our story, the spaceship Cassiopeia is sent to do a similar test run on Tau Ceti f and is also short fuelled. Secondly, Directive 8020 itself was a real-world NASA directive that enforced quarantine procedures if the crew of the shuttle encountered extraterrestrial life in space."

Gamereactor: How has focussing on a futuristic premise changed how you go about inducing fear into a player?

Doyle: "Setting the game in space gives us so many opportunities to create feelings of dread (and wonder!). While it's so vast, it is also intimate, as you're cooped up together in a vessel. Claustrophobia and isolation are key feelings too. Space is terrifying, as you're effectively surrounded by death. Everything beyond the walls of your bubble is hostile to human life. This makes it a perfect setting for a horror story."

Gamereactor: What made Lashana Lynch such an excellent choice for the role of Astronaut Young?

Doyle: "She was brilliant! We wanted a British female lead for our game and we were so happy to get Lashana on board. She's very much on the top of her game, having starred in The Day of the Jackal, The Woman King, Captain Marvel and the 007 franchise. So, we felt very lucky to get her to join us. She really delivered in her performance, giving us the character of "Young" that we really wanted when creating her."

Gamereactor: With alien lifeforms that imitate humans on the cards, how do these impact cooperative play? Will there be an Among Us-like imposter system to have to manage?

Doyle: "The multiplayer mode is up to 5 player couch co-op with each player controlling a character at a time. This will be mirrored exactly in the online version, which will be released in a free post-launch update.

"There is no "Among Us" style system - you're all on the same side. Instead, you play through the story with your friends and on the way make decisions that affect how the story plays out. You can all work together to agree on decisions or just make your own choice and live with the consequences for the group."

Gamereactor: It seems like the gameplay will be the most hands-on and action-packed we've seen to date from Supermassive, so how have you gone about approaching difficulty, balancing the game between veteran players and less familiar individuals who perhaps are tuning in through the cooperative feature?

Doyle: "Directive 8020 does feature intense encounters with real-time threats, but these moments can be tailored to your liking using difficulty and accessibility settings. On the easiest difficulty setting, your character can always exploit a very forgiving parry mechanic when cornered. We also offer a custom difficulty mode where you can tailor the encounters to your own preferences - for example, playing QTEs on Hard, but setting the parries for real-time threats to Easy. This works across single-player and our couch co-op multiplayer mode.

"Directive 8020 is more hands-on than our previous titles, but it still features impossible dilemmas, intense cinematic drama, secrets, and everything else you love from our previous Dark Pictures games."

Gamereactor: What's the reasoning behind not being able to support online multiplayer at launch?

Doyle: "It's simply a matter of time. We have been focussing on making the single-player and offline couch co-op multiplayer as strong as they can be. That extra polish is something we're proud of."

Gamereactor: What is Supermassive Games' approach to utilising artificial intelligence in its projects? Do you have a set of guidelines in place that you stick by?

Doyle: "The story of Directive 8020 explores what it means to be human, so it's no surprise that this game has been made entirely by humans."

Gamereactor: How long do you expect a playthrough of Directive 8020 to take?

Doyle: "If you immerse yourself in the story and really dig into the secrets and messenger interactions, it's about 8 hours long. As a choice game, it can end earlier than that if you make the wrong decisions! But your first playthrough is only the start. We have introduced a new feature in Directive 8020 called Turning Points. This "story map" allows players to rewind and revisit key decisions, tailoring the experience to different playstyles. Some players will want to uncover every possible outcome or just follow a different path by keeping a favourite character alive. So, we expect this to add many more hours to the time players spend on the game. We've had some test groups spend more than 20 hours digging into all the possibilities that the story can offer."

Gamereactor: Have you thought about bringing Directive 8020 to Switch or Switch 2?

Doyle: "At the moment, we're fully focussed on the launch platforms - PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC."

Gamereactor: What's next for The Dark Pictures series and Supermassive Games? Do you envision further chapters in the wider series?

Doyle: "We're fully focussed on Directive 8020 right now and can't wait for it to launch. Of course, we're always investigating other stories and ideas for the Dark Pictures series and are working on some of these now."

Thanks to Supermassive and Doyle for taking the time to answer our questions. Again, you will be able to play Directive 8020 in around two weeks, when the game launches on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S on May 12.

Warhammer: Mark of Chaos - Does it hold up?

alex@gamereactor.eu (Alex Hopley) — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 11:00:00 +0200

Before there was Total War: Warhammer, there was Warhammer: Mark of Chaos. First released in 2006, this game let you build massive armies of Warhammer units without spending hundreds on plastic figures, gave you distinct, enjoyable campaigns, complete with battles that really came to life. Is all of that best left in the past, though, now we have Creative Assembly's expansive trilogy? Or, is it worth returning to Black Hole Entertainment's incredibly detailed RTS that felt like one of the best Warhammer games at the time of its release?

Warhammer: Mark of Chaos lets you control a variety of factions. Chaos, The Empire, Orcs & Goblins, Dwarfs, Elves both High and Dark, and Skaven. If you just want to see battle after battle, you can throw whatever armies you like at each other in CPU Skirmish battles or over LAN multiplayer if you can find a buddy on your local internet. If you did that, you'd have fun, finding an action-packed, if graphically dated, strategy experience. But, you would be missing out on the real meat and potatoes of Warhammer: Mark of Chaos, which is its campaigns.

Warhammer: Mark of Chaos Gold Edition (the one you can get on Steam as part of Warhammer Classics) comes with the Battle March expansion, meaning you get three campaigns, able to play as The Empire, Chaos, and Orcs & Goblins. These campaigns are each brilliantly crafted, comprising of missions where you build your army and put it to the test again and again, ending each act with a large battle that feels as challenging as it does cinematic. I can't tell you how many times I played these campaigns on repeat as a kid. They really are for Warhammer Fantasy what Dawn of War was for 40k when it first released, and are just as rewarding no matter which faction you choose to play. The Chaos and Empire campaigns specifically are fun as they run parallel to one another, meaning when you turn evil or good you can beat up the protagonist from the other campaign.

Aside from that, you could argue there's not a big, overarching strategy element outside of the battles. Unlike in Total War: Warhammer you're not painting the map your colour or managing an empire. Instead, you're either going from mission to mission or Skirmish to Skirmish, testing out different units, builds, and heroes. There's an old-school simplicity there that's to be appreciated, and it allows Mark of Chaos to focus on making the battles really great. I'd argue they're on a par for cinematic feel with the battles from the Total War: Warhammer games. CA offers us greater scale, more detail, and wider unit rosters, but for the time Mark of Chaos had no peers. It took us 10 years to get an upgrade with Total War: Warhammer.

Warhammer: The Old World as it's now known feels like it has lost a bit of the character it once had. After Games Workshop killed off the Warhammer Fantasy setting and replaced it with Age of Sigmar, it feels a bit hollow to see new things in the Old World. However, Mark of Chaos comes from a time where there was investment in Warhammer Fantasy as an IP. Where it felt like even though it was losing in popularity to 40k, that it still had a life of its own and you get that feeling in the gameplay. Characters are fresh and engaging, the stories have weight, and even if you don't have nostalgia for this era of Warhammer, the care the developers put in gives an infectious attachment to the setting.

It's quite easy to recommend Warhammer: Mark of Chaos, even today. Sure, its graphics are dated and its gameplay has been done better by Total War: Warhammer, but if you want a story-focused Warhammer Fantasy RTS, there's not really a game out there today that does it much better. The only real downsides are that there's no online multiplayer, and that the game lacks some quality-of-life options that I've grown used to in strategy games today, like allowing me to speed up time when I don't want to watch my units walk over a barren landscape for 5 minutes. Otherwise, if you like fantasy games, strategy games, or old-school Warhammer, you'll want to return to this classic, or give it a go for the first time. The best classic I've revisited yet.