Game Design
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Somehow a movie that gave me nightmares as a kid has been turned into the delightful Metroidvania palate cleanser I…
The new Metroidvania game, Little Nemo: Guardians of Slumberland, offers a delightful and accessible experience reminiscent of classic platformers, contrasting with the darker themes of its animated movie inspiration. Despite a modest Kickstarter campaign, the game features a beautiful art style and joyful soundtrack, providing a refreshing change of pace from more punishing titles like Hollow Knight.
The Call of Duty schism: Why fans are trapped in a forever war with each other
The Call of Duty series is experiencing a significant schism among its player base, driven by creative differences between its primary development studios, Infinity Ward and Treyarch. This divide manifests in player preferences for distinct gameplay styles, such as Infinity Ward's grounded realism versus Treyarch's faster-paced, more experimental approach. The article examines how this long-standing conflict, exacerbated by Activision's demanding release schedule and studio roles, impacts the franchise's direction and player loyalty.
Bungie have killed off a speedy movement exploit in Marathon's latest update, and they'll do it again if they have to
Bungie has patched a movement exploit in the live service game Marathon that allowed players to gain excessive speed by animation cancelling the Thief runner shell's grappling device. The developer stated that rapid repositioning in the game must have a meaningful and understandable cost, and unbounded movement is unhealthy for the desired pace of play. Bungie also announced changes to their duos experiment, disabling duo queues on Dire Marsh and enabling them for Outpost starting April 1st.
Former Overwatch lead Jeff Kaplan has "over 5,000 hours" in Rust and calls it "the pinnacle of PvP games," but his own survival game takes cues from World of Warcraft
Former Overwatch lead Jeff Kaplan expressed his deep admiration for Rust, calling it the "pinnacle of PvP games" after accumulating over 5,000 hours of playtime. While his new survival game, The Legend of California, draws inspiration from the genre, it will focus more on base-building and open-world multiplayer elements reminiscent of World of Warcraft, rather than Rust's intense PvP.
Studio Ellipsis Offers a Glimpse of What Players Will Experience in Nightholme with Gameplay Trailer
Studio Ellipsis has released a new gameplay trailer for their upcoming multiplayer horror hunt game, Nightholme, showcasing core gameplay mechanics. Players can sign up for a closed beta scheduled for Summer 2026. The trailer highlights player roles as Grimrunners and Grimspawns, objectives like hunting bosses or pursuing quests, and the importance of the Terror Seed for progression. Studio Ellipsis Head Alex Amancio emphasized a community-first approach and the goal of making games unpredictable.
Everything we know about Elder Scrolls Online’s Season Zero, plus future seasons and a return to Skyrim
ZeniMax Online Studios has detailed upcoming content for The Elder Scrolls Online, including Season Zero 'Dawn and Dusk' launching April 2nd with the Night Market and challenge difficulty options. Future seasons will introduce Thieves Guild content, new quests, naval combat, and revamps to existing dungeons, culminating in a return to Skyrim in 2027 with an Excursion Zone. The game will also launch on PC Game Pass and Xbox Play Anywhere on June 2nd.
The Elder Scrolls Online 2026 Seasons Detailed — Too Much Gaming | Video Games Reviews, News, & Guides
ZeniMax detailed the 2026 seasonal content roadmap for The Elder Scrolls Online, introducing new event zones, difficulty options, PvP rewards, and story continuations. Season 0 will feature the "Dawn and Dusk" event with "The Night Market," while Season 1 will focus on the Thieves Guild with new stealth mechanics and a questline involving Sheogorath. The game will also be available on Xbox and PC Game Pass starting June 2.
Bungie patches Marathon's slide cancel movement tech, says no movement freaks allowed: 'Unbounded movement, while expressive and clip-worthy, is ultimately unhealthy for the pace of play'
Bungie has patched Marathon to remove a slide cancel movement exploit that allowed players to gain unintended momentum. The studio stated that rapid repositioning must have a meaningful cost, and unbounded movement is unhealthy for the game's intended pace. This change aims to maintain a specific pace of play and prevent exploits going forward.
Marathon review - ignore the noise, this game speaks for itself | Eurogamer
Marathon is a challenging multiplayer shooter that rewards strategic risk-taking and punishes mistakes, drawing comparisons to Dark Souls for its steep initial learning curve. The game emphasizes fair gunplay and avoids catering to a "lowest common denominator" audience, offering a high-stakes experience akin to Halo crossed with Rainbow Six Siege when played with others, or a solo equivalent of Alien: Isolation.
Review: South of Midnight (PS5) - The Most Beautiful Simple Game - Push Square
South of Midnight features outstanding visuals, audio, and a Deep South setting that make it one of the best-looking games this generation. While the gameplay mechanics become repetitive and run out of new ideas, the strong presentation elements carry the title to a mostly satisfying conclusion on PlayStation 5.
Hotel Barcelona Interview: SWERY on Rebuilding the Game After Launch
SWERY discusses the challenges and development of Hotel Barcelona, acknowledging that while the concept and roguelike mechanics are strong, the game suffers from technical issues like framerate hiccups and input lag. The review also notes juvenile humor and poor writing.
Arc Raiders' latest update brings its best improvement yet: Making late spawns less awful
Embark Studios has released the Flashpoint update for Arc Raiders, introducing new weapons, an airborne enemy, and improved loot. The update also addresses a long-standing player frustration by making late spawns less frequent, increasing the likelihood of players joining fresh servers. This change aims to improve the player experience following the introduction of free loadouts.
Zelda: Ocarina of Time fans share hopes for its rumored remake – not just "prettier graphics," Nintendo, just "swing for the fences" but don't make "Ocarina of the Wild"
Fans are discussing potential remakes of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for the Nintendo Switch 2, with rumors suggesting a Holiday 2026 release. While some desire updated graphics and gameplay, others hope for more than just visual improvements, expressing a desire for expanded areas and modern features without altering the core experience.
The Canadian Game Awards Has Unleashed It's 2026 Nominees & New Location
The Canadian Game Awards have announced the nominees for their 2026 ceremony, which will be held on May 21st at Toronto's John W.H. Bassett Theatre. Victor Lucas will receive the Game Changer Award. The awards celebrate Canadian developers and releases from 2025, with categories including Game of the Year, Studio of the Year, and Best Indie Game.
Choose My Adventure: Where Winds Meet ends as intriguingly and confusingly as it started
This article expresses confusion and mixed feelings about the game Where Winds Meet, highlighting its beautiful visuals, engaging combat, and massive world, but criticizing its convoluted story, inconsistent tone, and poorly implemented progression systems. The author suspects machine translation issues and a generally confusing user interface contribute to the game's shortcomings, leaving them unsure if further exploration is warranted despite its potential.
Homura Hime Dev Didn’t Want Players to Run - So They Changed How Combat Works
The developer of Homura Hime discusses the game's evolution from a 3D bullet hell title to a blend of bullet hell and melee combat, inspired by games like NieR: Automata and anime like Kill la Kill. Key design choices, such as a mobile blocking mechanic that builds skills, were made to encourage player engagement and maintain confrontation during dodging, differentiating it from pure hit-and-run tactics.
The consensus is that Crimson Desert has terrible storytelling—it's not true
Despite a consensus that Crimson Desert's storytelling is weak, this article argues it's not terrible and contains compelling individual quests and character moments. While the overarching narrative lacks structure, the game offers engaging stories, particularly those involving the Greymane faction, which are elevated by strong characters and voice acting, comparable to elements found in The Witcher 3.
Crimson Desert Beginner Guide: 20 Tips I Wish I Knew First
This guide offers 20 tips for new players of Pearl Abyss's action-adventure game, Crimson Desert, to navigate its complex systems and challenging combat. It emphasizes understanding the game's mechanics, such as parrying and fast travel, and prioritizing character progression through health and stamina upgrades over early combat skills. The guide also highlights efficient resource management and the importance of using in-game tools like the lantern and bell towers.
The impossible alchemy of Lucid Blocks is a reminder that 99% of videogame crafting is boring
Lucid Blocks offers a unique and enchanting approach to crafting, contrasting with the often mundane systems found in other games. The game's 'Apotheosis' mechanic, which involves combining items in a circle with unpredictable outcomes, frames crafting as a rite of transcendence rather than simple resource management. This peculiar system, filled with religious and alchemical references, encourages experimentation and wonder, even if it sometimes resembles a gacha experience.
Marathon review - ignore the noise, this game speaks for itself
Marathon is an extraction shooter that distinguishes itself with spellbinding combat and high-concept maps, moving beyond its aesthetic to offer a compelling gameplay experience. While the game presents high stakes and quick time-to-kill mechanics, its unique Shell abilities, diverse maps, and superb shooting mechanics provide a rewarding experience. Despite some minor UI and storytelling quibbles, Marathon's quality and style speak for themselves, making it a strong entry in the genre.
