Game Design
Ongoing coverage on Game Design.
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After saying the first game is better than Nier Automata, Yoko Taro reckons he's gotta buy Stellar Blade: Blood…
Following his praise for Stellar Blade, Yoko Taro has expressed his intent to purchase the newly announced sequel, Stellar Blade: Blood Rain. Shift Up director Hyung-Tae Kim acknowledged Taro's enthusiasm, continuing a friendly exchange between the two creators whose games have influenced each other.
Review: to a T (Switch 2) – Cute Narrative Sim Loses Its Teachings To Tittering
The narrative simulation game 'to a T', designed by Keita Takahashi and developed by uvula, offers a cute art style and touches on themes of disability and acceptance. While the game presents a unique character experience and quirky musical numbers, its message becomes muddled in the latter half, and its accessibility options are limited. Performance on the Nintendo Switch can be jittery, and despite its charming elements, the game may not fully resonate with its intended audience or clearly convey its teachings.
Why Does Marvel’s Wolverine Look Like That?
Insomniac Games' Marvel's Wolverine showcased familiar action-adventure tropes and brutal combat during its latest State of Play demonstration. While the game promises a grotesque direction and satisfying violence, the article questions its lack of distinctiveness compared to other AAA titles and Insomniac's previous works. The author expresses disappointment that the game appears to be settling into a safe, albeit well-executed, mold rather than exploring bolder creative avenues for the iconic character.
I was big into Clutch's mix of story and racing styles, but the driving's a lot simmier than I expected
Clutch, an upcoming cinematic open-world action-driving game from Maverick Games, aims to blend professional and underground street racing with a strong narrative focus. While the game features detailed licensed cars and recreations of European cities, its driving mechanics lean towards simulation, similar to Forza Horizon, which may not appeal to players seeking a more arcade-style experience. The developers are investing heavily in mocapped actors and cutscenes to make players care about the characters and their stories, a departure from the more bland dialogue found in some other racing titles.
7 Days to Die update 3.0 gives you incredible control over how you play, but bandits are still AWOL
7 Days to Die update 3.0 introduces extensive sandbox settings, allowing players to customize nearly 150 aspects of gameplay, from player stats and zombie behavior to loot drops and trader availability. While the update adds significant control and new points of interest, the long-awaited bandits remain absent. The update also enhances item inspection and introduces adjustable item degradation.
Guild Wars 3 teases its more ‘seamless’ and ‘layered’ setting: Ancient Orr in all its glory
ArenaNet provided new details on Guild Wars 3's setting, which takes place in the 'golden age' of Orr, a thousand years before the original Guild Wars. The game will feature a more seamless and interconnected world with a focus on personal impact and evolving relationships with NPCs. The developers emphasized that newcomers will not need prior knowledge of the series to enjoy Guild Wars 3.
From Mr. Potato Head to a cosmic '70s documentary, Spore's creators share how it came to be
An oral history reveals the development of Maxis's Spore, with creator Will Wright and other team members discussing inspirations like the 'Powers of 10' documentary and various game genres. The creature creation system, influenced by Mr. Potato Head, was a complex challenge to implement in real-time.
Second Wind: Witchspire’s early access fixes everything that was wrong with the demo
The early access version of Witchspire represents a significant improvement over its demo, addressing numerous issues and refining core mechanics. The game now features more robust character creation, a clearer tutorial system, improved familiar AI, and better guidance for crafting and progression. While some minor jankiness and UI elements remain, the developers have clearly incorporated feedback, making Witchspire a much more polished and enjoyable experience that is worth checking out.
EVE Online's survival spinoff Frontier is a hardcore space sim you can play on a gamepad that's unlike…
EVE Frontier, a survival space simulator from Fenris Creations, is evolving beyond its initial blockchain-focused development into a hardcore experience playable with a gamepad. The game aims to blend EVE Online's emergent economy with exploration elements from No Man's Sky and Elite, featuring unique server-side modding and Rust-like survival mechanics. Recent hands-on previews highlight improved combat, striking art direction, and a focus on seamless interior/exterior transitions within its megastructure environments.
Lara Croft Is At The “Top Of Her Game” In Tomb Raider: Legacy Of Atlantis
Crystal Dynamics developers discuss their approach to creating Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis, a remake of the original game, aiming to blend elements from the franchise's 30-year history. They emphasize capturing Lara Croft's iconic confidence and physicality, ensuring the game is both a love letter to long-time fans and accessible to newcomers. The team also clarified that Lara herself is 100% human-crafted, while AI tools are used for early visualization in development.
BioShock 2 team nearly made "Destiny before Destiny existed" with one canceled 2K game, ex-dev says: "I…
Former 2K Marin programmer David Lindsey Pittman revealed details about a canceled game codenamed Project Richmond, which would have been a 'Destiny before Destiny existed.' The game was envisioned as a co-op, BioShock-inspired shooter set in a tundra environment with a '60s/70s suburban timeloop theme. Despite Pittman's strong desire to develop the game, it never progressed beyond the prototyping stage before 2K Marin was closed in 2013.
Stranger Than Heaven preview: Immaculate vibes collide with a static combat system
Stranger Than Heaven, a new IP from Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, aims to blend immaculate vibes with a unique combat system that allows for independent control of Makoto Daito's left and right sides. The game spans five distinct eras in Japan's history, offering players a chance to witness the country's evolution over 50 years. While the world-building and ambition are praised, the preview notes that the combat system needs refinement before its January 15, 2027 release.
Saw: Genesis is a bloody blend of Dead by Daylight, The Outlast Trials, and nu-metal music video death scenes, and I…
Saw: Genesis is an upcoming asymmetrical multiplayer horror game that blends elements from Dead by Daylight and The Outlast Trials, set within the universe of the Saw film franchise. Developed by Broken Mirror Games and Anshar Studios, published by Bloober Team, the game features a vulnerable killer, the Judge, and a roster of characters facing elaborate traps. It is scheduled for a Fall 2026 release on PC.
Recension – Gothic 1 Remake
The Gothic 1 Remake offers a brutally challenging retro experience, retaining the original's unforgiving difficulty and open-world exploration without hand-holding. While visually updated with Unreal Engine 5, the game suffers from performance issues and occasional crashes on PlayStation 5, necessitating frequent manual saves. Despite its steep learning curve and potential for frustration, the remake is praised for its cohesive world-building and meaningful choices for those willing to invest the effort.
Preview: Tomb Raider: Legacy Of Atlantis Sees An "Unfettered" Lara Put The Survivor Era Behind Her
Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis, a remake of the original game, is set to launch on February 12, 2027, for Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC. The game features a more confident Lara Croft, drawing from her experiences in the Survivor trilogy, with a more stylized and optimistic art direction. Developers Crystal Dynamics and Flying Wild Hog emphasized a return to the series' acrobatic roots in both gameplay and combat.
Gen Atlas Creator Fumito Ueda on Creating Emotional Masterpieces: ‘I Do Think About Leaving a Mark in People’s Hearts’
Fumito Ueda, the creator behind Shadow of the Colossus and Ico, discusses his approach to crafting emotionally resonant games, including his upcoming sci-fi mech title Gen Atlas. He aims to create experiences that leave a lasting impression on players' hearts.
Tomb Raider: Legacy Of Atlantis preview - the past and future of Lara Croft
Tomb Raider: Legacy Of Atlantis is a reimagining of the original 1996 game, developed by Crystal Dynamics and Flying Wild Hog, and published by Amazon Game Studios. The preview highlights a commitment to classic Tomb Raider gameplay, emphasizing exploration, puzzle-solving, and physical movement, while integrating modern cinematic design and Unreal Engine 5 technology. The game aims to merge all previous incarnations of Lara Croft into a cohesive identity and is set for release on February 12, 2027, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis Makes a 30-Year-Old Adventure Feel Brand New
Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis, a remake of the 1996 original, aims to modernize Lara Croft's classic movement with updated combat and exploration mechanics. The game seeks to blend the original's feel with contemporary design approaches.
Nobody Made a Game About Early Parenthood. So She Did.
Danish developer Julie Normann Bjørnskov has released an expanded demo of her hand-drawn puzzle adventure game, Escape the Baby Alarm, on Steam ahead of Steam Next Fest. The game transforms the chaos and emotions of early parenthood into surreal escape room puzzles, drawing inspiration from real-life experiences. Bjørnskov aims to create an honest and emotionally resonant game about parenting, with a PC version planned and a mobile version in the future.
VV ULTIMATUM Weapons Tier List – All Faction Weapons Ranked!
This VV ULTIMATUM Weapons Tier List ranks all faction weapons as of June 11th, 2026, to help players identify the best options regardless of their chosen race or build. The list categorizes weapons from S-Tier (most balanced) down to D-Tier (least popular), providing commentary on their performance, stats, and drawbacks.
