‘Diablo IV’ Heads to Game Pass as Microsoft Eyes 4 Games to Expand Beyond Xbox

Microsoft is bringing its first Activision Blizzard title to Game Pass, following its successful multibillion-dollar acquisition of the company: The 2023 hit Diablo IV will be available on the subscription service starting March 28. Microsoft announced the news today during an episode of the Official Xbox Podcast, which also served as an attempt to clear … Read more

‘Spec Ops: The Line’ Disappeared. It Won’t Be the Last Beloved Game to Vanish

On January 30, X gaming account Wario64 spotted something strange: Yager’s seminal cult classic Spec Ops: The Line had been unceremoniously removed from online storefronts without warning. Developers who made the game were just as baffled as fans. “Makes no sense,” tweeted the game’s director, Cory Davis. “Especially because the themes portrayed in Spec Ops: … Read more

The Console Wars Are Over. Some Influencers Won’t Let Them Go

A handful of Xbox titles may soon lose their exclusivity status and move to platforms like PlayStation and Nintendo Switch. Good news for players who own those platforms. Not so for everyone. Rather than rejoice that more people may be able to enjoy their beloved games, parts of the Xbox community are furious about what … Read more

Nintendo hikes sales forecast of Switch console to 15.5 million units

Nintendo has kept players interested in its ageing Switch console series through key games with characters such as Super Mario and Zelda. Charly Triballeau | AFP | Getty Images Nintendo said on Tuesday it now expects to sell 15.5 million of its flagship Switch consoles in its current fiscal year, upping a previous forecast, after … Read more

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth Passes the Torch Forward

While every new entry stands on its own to a certain extent, the Like a Dragon series has always worked, too, as an ever-growing exploration of a cast of surprisingly pure-hearted gangsters and the elaborate conspiracies in which they’re involved. Sakamoto says this is intentional. Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio makes a continual effort to provide … Read more

Review: ‘Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth’ Is an Impressive Achievement in Storytelling

Things weren’t looking good for Ichiban and friends. A corrupt police officer and half a dozen of his cronies cornered us in a sleazy dive bar, and we were horribly underleveled. With a single button tap, the tables turned—or, more accurately, exploded into hundreds of pieces. I summoned Chitose “Buster” Holmes, a formidable henchwoman with … Read more

13 Best Cozy Games (2024) for Switch, PlayStation, Steam, Xbox

It’s the perfect time to start playing cozy games. And by cozy games, I mean the opposite of what you might think. For some, video games are about loud noises, intense competition, and cutthroat leaderboards. These cozy games embody the opposite feeling. They’re mindless but not uninvolved; inviting but not harrying. They’re meant to evoke … Read more

‘Palworld’: How ‘Pokémon With Guns’ Became an Overnight Hit

In the grass ahead lurks a cotton-ball puff of a creature with stubby appendages, round, yellow eyes, and a macaroni-noodle smile. Appropriately named Lamball, it is one of many island creatures that can become your pal, with the right touch: smashing it over the head with a big wooden stick (to weaken it, of course), … Read more

‘Palworld’: 6 Beginner Tips for Getting Started

The first breakout video game of the year is also the most outrageous. Palworld, dubbed “Pokémon with guns” by the internet writ large, takes base elements of survival games, like Rust, and mixes them with collectible, edible little creatures for a satirical twist. (Yes, you can give your adorable companions machine guns to use.) Released … Read more

Mass Layoffs Are Causing Big Problems in the Video Games Industry

As games like Baldur’s Gate 3, Alan Wake II, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Spider-Man 2, and so many more marked 2023 as a year of instant hits and commercial success, developers were suffering. Layoffs rolled across the industry worldwide, knocking out a reported 6,500 jobs from studios like Amazon Games, Ubisoft, … Read more