Game Design
Ongoing coverage on Game Design.
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Review: Saint Slayer: Spear of Sacrilege (PS5) - A Strong Action Platformer That Celebrates Classic Castlevania
Saint Slayer: Spear of Sacrilege is a delightful action platformer for PlayStation 5 that draws heavy inspiration from the classic Castlevania series. The game features fun combat, inventive level design with unique set-pieces, and a memorable chiptune soundtrack. Despite a slightly stiff jump mechanic, its replay value through collectibles and modifiers makes it a worthwhile experience for fans of early era Castlevania.
Nioh 3 One Month Later - Team Ninja’s Near Miss Still Lands as One of the Year’s Best Action RPGs
A month after its release, Nioh 3 continues to be a standout action RPG for the year, despite some uneven elements. Team Ninja introduced significant changes with an open structure and a new combat style, which largely succeed in refreshing the series. While the story and some world-building aspects could be stronger, the core combat remains excellent, making Nioh 3 a solid, albeit not perfect, release available on PlayStation 5 and PC.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 director "really proud" the gay romance he pushed for, which is somehow totally different to "woke" games' representation, is up for awards
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2's creative director Daniel Vávra expressed pride in the game's portrayal of a gay romance option, contrasting it with what he calls "woke" games. He emphasized player choice and natural integration, while also stating his annoyance with forced "woke" content in the entertainment industry. The game received award nominations from Gayming Magazine for its LGBTQ+ representation.
Silent Hill f's director believes 'I am not qualified to tell you how women should feel' and instead relied on female devs for insights to Hinako's fears
Al Yang, director of Silent Hill f, stated he is not qualified to dictate how women should feel and instead relied on female developers at NeoBards Entertainment for insights into the protagonist Hinako's fears. The game, set in 1960s Japan, explores themes of women's rights and the pressures faced by women, with monsters designed to represent these genuine fears.
I guess I shouldn't be surprised that 43% of you care the most about a game's world when it comes to RPGs
A poll reveals that 43% of RPG players prioritize exploring a game's world above all else. Story and impactful choices followed closely, while combat, characters, and side quests were also significant factors for many. Music was the least prioritized element among respondents.
Warframe of Mind: The big guide to picking a frame – Trinity, Ember, Loki
This guide discusses the selection and viability of Warframe characters, focusing on Trinity, Ember, and Loki. It analyzes their strengths and weaknesses in the context of the game's decade-long evolution and the current meta, offering insights into effective builds and playstyles.
Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred’s New Endgame – Everything You Need to Know | IGN First
Blizzard Entertainment appears to have addressed player feedback regarding Diablo 4's endgame content with the upcoming Lord of Hatred expansion. After playing a few hours and speaking with developers, the new endgame structure shows promise for long-term player engagement and variety.
I love Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream, but having no Switch 2 version is a mistake
Despite being a delightful addition to the Nintendo Switch library, Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream would greatly benefit from a Nintendo Switch 2 version. The article highlights how the game's customization mechanics and mini-games are hindered by the older console's hardware limitations and lack of support for the Switch 2's advanced mouse controls, which are now considered essential by the author.
RuneScape creators asked their mom to help design the MMO's first enemies: "Only much later did they even…
The creators of RuneScape, brothers Andrew and Paul Gower, initially enlisted family members, including their mother, to help design the MMO's first enemies. Former design director Mark Ogilvie shared that early asset creation was a family affair, with even younger siblings contributing. This bedroom project approach prioritized accessibility on low-spec hardware, contributing to the game's eventual popularity.
ICYMI: OPUS: Prism Peak Is Out Now On Switch 1 & 2, And The Critical Reception Is Glowing
Sigono's narrative adventure game, OPUS: Prism Peak, has launched on Nintendo Switch to glowing critical reception, achieving high scores on aggregate sites like Metacritic and OpenCritic. Reviewers praise its emotional storytelling, visuals, and mechanics, with some comparing its narrative style to Studio Ghibli films. The game is available for $24.99 in the US and £21.99/£22.09 in the UK, with a 10% launch discount available.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 voice actor Charlie Cox has finally played "a bit" of the game that landed him a Best Performance nomination, though he says he isn't very good at it
Actor Charlie Cox, who voiced Gustav in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, has played "a bit" of the game that earned him a Best Performance nomination at The Game Awards. While not a skilled player, Cox experienced the opening of the game and reflected on how modern video game storytelling differs from older titles like FIFA 98, Mario Kart, and Goldeneye 007.
Daredevil Actor Charlie Cox Finally Plays Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Admits He's Not Very Good At It
Actor Charlie Cox, known for voicing Gustave in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, has finally played a portion of the game and admitted he is not very skilled at it. Cox compared the game's narrative detail to a "movie you get to participate in," reflecting on how modern games differ from titles he played in his youth like FIFA 98 and GoldenEye 007. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
Here's everything in FF14 7.5 shown during Live Letter 92, including the return of Final Fantasy's most sinister villain
The Final Fantasy XIV Live Letter 92 provided a detailed preview of the upcoming Patch 7.5, 'Trail to the Heavens,' launching April 28. The update includes the first part of a new Main Scenario Questline, the conclusion of the Echoes of Vana'diel alliance raid, and the introduction of the new Beastmaster limited job. The presentation also showcased new dungeons, trials, PvP updates, quality-of-life improvements like consolidated dye systems and expanded glamour dresser options, and the return of characters like Zero and Golbez, with a tease of Kefka's involvement.
Best Gaming Cellphones for 2026
This guide ranks the best gaming smartphones for 2026, focusing on sustained performance, thermal management, and gaming-specific features. The ASUS ROG Phone 9 Pro takes the top spot, followed by the RedMagic 11 Pro and ZTE Nubia Z80 Ultra, with other notable mentions including the OnePlus 15 and Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max.
Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era is leveraging player feedback to deliver the strategy RPG I've longed for…
Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era developer Unfrozen is incorporating extensive player feedback for its Early Access release on April 30, 2026. Changes include renaming the Sylvan faction to Grove and redesigning the user interface to be more reminiscent of older titles. The team is also focusing on difficulty balancing, drawing inspiration from original creator Jon Van Caneghem's 'Fun AI' concept.
Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era is a strong comeback for a strategy RPG series with few modern competitors, though it could explain itself better
Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era marks a return for the strategy RPG series, developed by Unfrozen with support from Ubisoft and Hooded Horse, and featuring series creator Jon Van Caneghem. While the game offers familiar gameplay mechanics and a bustling world, reviewers note that its presentation can be jarring and the interface could be clearer, particularly regarding combat depth and city management. Despite these criticisms, the game is seen as a promising comeback for a niche genre, with potential for deeper strategic play as players become more familiar with its systems.
Strategy fans have spoken – Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era's fae faction "wasn't meeting…
Developer Unfrozen has renamed a faction in Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era from 'Sylvan' to 'Grove' following community feedback. The change aims to better represent the faction's intended theme of diverse fae creatures and elemental beings ahead of the game's Early Access launch.
Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream devs say there was 'a big debate' about whether Miis should fart — 'We really obsessed over getting the sound just right'
The developers of Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream engaged in a significant debate regarding the inclusion of a Mii farting quirk, ultimately deciding to make it an optional trait. Sound director Toru Minegishi stated the team was highly focused on perfecting the sound effect for this feature. Development for the game began in 2017, with the creators aiming to evolve the series beyond its Nintendo 3DS iterations.
Student Dev’s Pixel Frog Game Takes Top Prize at Taipei Show
Shane, a student developer, won the Best Student Game award at Taipei Game Show 2026 for Froggo's Adventure: Drifting Sky. The pixel art game features a unique mechanic where players use a frog's tongue to eat enemies and then spit them out as weapons. The award highlights the game's innovative design and polished production values for a student project.
Slay the Spire 2 patch – first major update brings plenty of changes – here’s what’s new
Slay the Spire 2 has received its first major update on Steam, introducing significant changes to gameplay balance and features. The patch includes reworked map generation, adjusted shop relic prices, and character-specific balance changes for Ironclad, Silent, Regent, and Necrobinder. Additionally, new Neow relics, enemy reworks, visual upgrades, and a revamped leaderboard system with badges have been implemented.
