Game Design
Ongoing coverage on Game Design.
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They Got Shenmue In Your Virtua Fighter (And Yu Suzuki Said Go For It)
RGG Studios' creative director Riichiro Yamada revealed that Yu Suzuki, the creator of Shenmue and Virtua Fighter, gave his approval for the new story-driven direction of Virtua Fighter Crossroads. Suzuki's positive feedback motivated the team to incorporate more narrative elements into the fighting game, moving beyond its arcade roots.
Atelier Karia gets a 2027 release, Atelier Yumia gets a Switch 2 glow up
KOEI TECMO announced that Atelier Karia: The Night Kingdom & the Guide of Memories will be released in early 2027. Additionally, an upgrade pack for Atelier Ryza: The Alchemist of Memories and the Endlessly Enchanting Atelier is now available for Nintendo Switch 2, offering improved resolution, framerate, and shorter loading times.
Interview: Fenris Creations CEO Hilmar Pétursson on the future of AI in EVE Online
Fenris Creations CEO Hilmar Pétursson discusses the company's rebranding from CCP Games, its independence from Pearl Abyss, and a new collaboration with Google DeepMind. The interview explores the future of AI in EVE Online, its potential impact on game design, player experience, and internal development processes, as well as updates on EVE Frontier and EVE Vanguard.
Choose My Adventure: How the week from hell stole my time in Final Fantasy XIV
The author discusses personal challenges that impacted their playtime in Final Fantasy XIV, including work demands and 'tanxiety' related to playing the Gunbreaker class. Despite these obstacles, they express a commitment to continuing their in-game journey and completing upcoming raid content.
You'll be able to change some parts of Final Fantasy 7 Revelation's story, but no matter what there's only one ending
Square Enix has revealed that Final Fantasy 7 Revelation will allow players to make choices that affect certain story beats, though there will only be one singular ending. Director Naoki Hamaguchi explained that these choices aim to provide a unique experience for each player leading up to the final battle, even if the ultimate outcome remains the same.
How Eve Online, A Blood Expert, And A Trip To The Moon Came Together For The Strangest Of Promotions
Fenris Creations (formerly CCP Games) is collaborating with players and a blood expert, Mark Crowther, to create the 'Capsuleer Edda,' an epic poem about Eve Online written with player blood. The project, initially envisioned as a simple blood-inked poem, evolved due to technical and ethical challenges, leading to a complex process involving blood processing and DNA analysis. The Edda aims to preserve the history and spirit of Eve Online and its players for thousands of years, with potential plans to send it to the moon.
Big Walk was born during a COVID lockdown out of a distaste for birthday party Zoom calls
House House's multiplayer puzzle game Big Walk is set to release on August 4th. The game was conceived during COVID-19 lockdowns, with developers aiming to create a space for friends to connect, inspired by the limitations of virtual birthday parties. Proximity voice chat was an early focus to facilitate this social experience.
Star Wars Zero Company: How Some of the Greatest Minds in Tactics Games are Pushing the Genre, Again
Star Wars Zero Company, the debut title from Bit Reactor, a studio founded by former Firaxis developers, is a turn-based tactics game set during the Clone Wars. Players will lead a company of mercenaries, customizing their protagonist Hawks and recruiting a diverse roster of characters. The game blends RPG storytelling with XCOM-style tactical combat, featuring a deep bond system between characters and a specialization system for combat roles.
Stars Reach's Raph Koster wants the MMO to be as "wiki-resistant" as possible to keep "the magic more alive"
Raph Koster, lead designer of the upcoming MMO Stars Reach, aims to make the game "wiki-resistant" to preserve a sense of discovery and emergent gameplay. He explains that the game's procedural generation and dynamic systems mean players cannot simply look up strategies, fostering a more organic and evolving player experience. Stars Reach is set to enter early access this summer.
SGF 2026: SPRAWL zero Preview—Movement Never Felt This Good
SPRAWL zero is a forthcoming first-person shooter developed by MAETH and published by Kwalee, heavily inspired by early 2000s FPS titles like Half-Life 2 and Halo. The game features fast-paced combat with mechanics like weapon swapping, throwable items, and special abilities such as Bullet Time and Gravity Shield, emphasizing fluid movement and reactive gameplay.
Zelda: Ocarina Of Time remake announced on Switch 2 - but not the way you'd expect
Nintendo has announced a full remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, featuring more realistic graphics than previous iterations. While details are scarce, the remake is expected to launch this year and may deviate from the original's 1:1 gameplay and level design. The announcement follows a trend of accurate rumors surrounding the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2.
The Guild Wars games have always been set in a world abandoned by the gods, in new MMO Guild Wars 3, you'll see why they left
ArenaNet has announced that Guild Wars 3 will be set 1,200 years before the original game, during the time the gods abandoned the world of Tyria. Studio head Colin Johanson confirmed the MMO will not feature a subscription fee or battle pass, aiming to offer a different player experience. The game is planned to enter beta next year.
Big Walk's creators reflect on their six-year journey
House House developers Nico Disseldorp and Stuart Gillespie-Cook reflect on the six-year development of their upcoming co-op exploration game, Big Walk. Inspired by COVID lockdowns, the game emphasizes social interaction through proximity chat and will launch on August 4, 2026, for Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, PC, and Mac. The team discusses their decision against using Early Access to maintain their creative process and how the game's unique mechanics, like muffled voice chat for puzzles, are difficult to describe but core to its appeal.
Telltale Games is back, but can it learn from its past mistakes?
Telltale Games has resurfaced with a new trailer for The Wolf Among Us 2 and an announcement that PM Studios will publish the game and a remaster of The Wolf Among Us. CEO Jamie Ottilie discussed the company's overhaul of its technology and processes, including a shift to Unreal Engine 5 and a focus on avoiding past mistakes like mandated crunch and formulaic storytelling. PM Studios CEO Michael Yum emphasized their creator-first philosophy and commitment to providing production stability.
Stars Reach could be the second coming of the sandbox MMO, with player-built cities and 40+ Star Wars Galaxies-style…
Stars Reach aims to revive the sandbox MMO genre with ambitious features like player-built cities and procedurally generated planets. Creator Raph Koster describes it as a blend of Star Wars Galaxies, RuneScape, Eve Online, and Ultima Online, emphasizing deep simulation and a wide range of player-driven professions. The game is slated for early access this summer.
God of War Laufey director says there's "definitely" some "long-term potential" in bumping into the many gods that Kratos has butchered
Ariel Lawrence, director of God of War Laufey, discussed the potential for future games to feature characters who were previously killed by Kratos. She stated that the franchise has long-term potential to explore the consequences of Kratos' actions and the fate of the gods he has slain. Lawrence emphasized that any such encounters would need to be well-integrated into the narrative.
8 Switch 2 Launch Games for Weekend Gamers (2026) | TAG
This guide recommends eight games for the Nintendo Switch 2 that are suitable for players with limited weekend gaming time. It highlights titles like Mario Kart World, Balatro, and Hades II for their short session-friendliness and suggests avoiding live-service games. The article also provides advice on budgeting and managing a game library for weekend-only players.
Getting Started with D&D in 2026: A No-Nonsense Beginner's Guide | TAG
This guide provides a no-nonsense approach for beginners looking to start playing Dungeons & Dragons in 2026, emphasizing its nature as a collaborative storytelling game. It recommends starting with the 2024 core rulebook update and suggests minimal initial purchases, such as dice and a character sheet, with the Starter Set being ideal for Dungeon Masters. The article also debunks common myths about time commitment, complexity, and required creativity, and offers alternative RPGs for those who might not find D&D suitable.
EVE Online: Cradle of War gives rookie pilots a safer way into New Eden’s mega wars
EVE Online: Cradle of War, the first chapter in the Theatres of War trilogy, has launched, introducing the Military Campaigns system to integrate player actions into larger empire conflicts. This expansion aims to provide new and existing players with safer avenues to contribute to wars through various roles, including combat, logistics, and resource gathering, with consequences impacting New Eden's infrastructure and stargate connections. The update also adds eight new ships, a PvP-free starter region called Exordium Starter Space, and a new Epic Arc titled Visions of Greatness.
Why So Many Great Games Hide a Casino Inside
In-game casinos have become a popular and reliable side activity in many video games, offering players a way to engage with simulated gambling using virtual currency. This trend is driven by factors such as pacing, depth, atmosphere, and the thrill of risk-free betting, while also helping developers avoid legal complexities associated with real-money transactions. The success of features like the Diamond Casino in Grand Theft Auto V suggests this trend will continue in future open-world and RPG titles.
