The Gaming News Thread (for news that doesn't need a thread)
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Vincentdante
Chuunibyou
cfx
Student Council President
I had been going to mention this demo but forgot to post.
I had been looking forward to the game before but wanted to try the demo to verify that and due to some impatience as well I also wanted to see what it would look like (on PS5) since I suspect most of what has been shown is the PC version. I totally loved it. I had to play a few times to beat the boss because I suck at games like this but that didn't matter.
Dai
Combat Butler
It does take a while to get into the game's unique rhythm. I think what made it click for me was when I realised that stopping midway through a hack doesn't reset its progress, so you can dodge or reposition without having to redo the whole puzzle. I don't think the demo explained that.
cfx
Student Council President
There's the aspects unique to this game like that, but I just suck at anything with FPS-type controls and will probably never really be good at such. The demo took me about 38 minutes when I made it through, and I'm seeing other times like 17, or even 10 or less. But I don't care about that aspect; I'm not competitive at all so as long as it's fun for me it is fine.
Dai
Combat Butler
Sony State of Play February 2026: Everything announced
Here's everything announced during the February 2026 Sony State of Play.
www.eurogamer.net
Last night's Sony State of Play was once of their better streams in recent years. Highlights included: Legacy of Kain Defiance remaster, a new Dead or Alive is in development, Metal Gear Solid 4 is finally getting ported in August, new 2.5D Castlevania, amazing trailer for Silent Hill: Townfall, Rev. Noir (a new JRPG from Konami), and the PS1 version of Time Crisis is getting a May release with added gyroscopic controls. Capcom and Konami had an especially strong showing.
Spark_Heal
Student Council President
You go to bed and wake up to the news there is a new Dead or Alive in development. Good times.
cfx
Student Council President
I never expect much from these since the big games that most are excited about tend to not interest me at all, but this one was pretty good for me.
Castlevania: Belmont's Curse looks good and Brigandine: Abyss was an unexpected nice surprise. Rev.NOiR is possibly interesting though barely any gameplay is in that trailer so it's hard to tell what kind of JRPG it actually is so far. Looks like action rather than turn-based so that was disappointing since I'd prefer the latter. Was also nice to see a different trailer for Pragmata.
I'm cautiously excited for a new Dead or Alive though I haven't liked the series since 3 so keeping expectations in check there. Marvel Tokon continues to look good though I can also tell it's going to be so chaotic that I'll have no idea what is going on haha.
Darwin's Paradox! also looks hilarious and fun:
Castlevania: Belmont's Curse looks good and Brigandine: Abyss was an unexpected nice surprise. Rev.NOiR is possibly interesting though barely any gameplay is in that trailer so it's hard to tell what kind of JRPG it actually is so far. Looks like action rather than turn-based so that was disappointing since I'd prefer the latter. Was also nice to see a different trailer for Pragmata.
I'm cautiously excited for a new Dead or Alive though I haven't liked the series since 3 so keeping expectations in check there. Marvel Tokon continues to look good though I can also tell it's going to be so chaotic that I'll have no idea what is going on haha.
Darwin's Paradox! also looks hilarious and fun:
Lucky_Deity
Dragon Knight
I'm so glad my favourite fighting game series is back with DOA, despite that I never picked up DOA6 but with what I did play I couldn't get into it compared to 5 and earlier titles but I'm ready to give it a fresh chance with Last Round as well as DOA7 on the horizon now.
I've never really played much of Castlevania but with me getting into Metroid lately and this new game looking great, I'll be picking this up.
I'm yet to pick up Vol. 1 of the MGS Master Collection but that and Vol. 2 are must-buys eventually. I adore MGS4, I'm so glad it's not stuck on the PS3 anymore. I've never played Peace Walker though so that'll be good to play. I was hoping Rising would be included but always next time if we're getting a Vol. 3 which I assume will include MGS5 as the other major title. It is neat we're getting Ghost Babel as well. I'm also hoping a Vol. 3 will include Portable Ops and the Acid series to complete the series (I don't see Twin Snakes being included).
I've never really played much of Castlevania but with me getting into Metroid lately and this new game looking great, I'll be picking this up.
I'm yet to pick up Vol. 1 of the MGS Master Collection but that and Vol. 2 are must-buys eventually. I adore MGS4, I'm so glad it's not stuck on the PS3 anymore. I've never played Peace Walker though so that'll be good to play. I was hoping Rising would be included but always next time if we're getting a Vol. 3 which I assume will include MGS5 as the other major title. It is neat we're getting Ghost Babel as well. I'm also hoping a Vol. 3 will include Portable Ops and the Acid series to complete the series (I don't see Twin Snakes being included).
Lucky_Deity
Dragon Knight
Pokemon FireRed & LeafGreen are releasing on Switch Feb. 27th (Pokemon Day)
Really excited for these, I've never owned these before but I have played them many times by other means but it'll be great to have them officially and with PKMN Home support (beats sending them through multiple systems).
I do hope the event PKMN (Mew, Ho-Oh, Lugia and Deoxys) are included like how Celebi was with Crystal on the 3DS.
Really excited for these, I've never owned these before but I have played them many times by other means but it'll be great to have them officially and with PKMN Home support (beats sending them through multiple systems).
I do hope the event PKMN (Mew, Ho-Oh, Lugia and Deoxys) are included like how Celebi was with Crystal on the 3DS.
cfx
Student Council President
Ariana and the Elder Codex now has a demo for PS5 and Switch:
ifi.games
That seems to link to the US PlayStation store, so here is the UK link:
Ariana and the Elder Codex Demo
Or just search for "Ariana" on your local store and it should turn up.
I played this previously via the Japanese demo and was impressed.
「Ariana and the Elder Codex」
The Librarian Ariana's mission is to repair the Seven Hero Codices, which have been altered. Due to the terrible damages, magic has vanished from the world. Side-Scrolling Action RPG
That seems to link to the US PlayStation store, so here is the UK link:
Ariana and the Elder Codex Demo
Or just search for "Ariana" on your local store and it should turn up.
I played this previously via the Japanese demo and was impressed.
cfx
Student Council President
New trailer for Pragmata is out; release date has moved forward one week from April 24 to April 17:
Here is the Japanese audio version for weirdos like me that prefer that.
Unlike previous trailers, no English subtitles on it this time though:
In yesterday's Capcom Showcase, some info was given also on the deluxe edition after this trailer:
Here is the Japanese audio version for weirdos like me that prefer that.
Unlike previous trailers, no English subtitles on it this time though:In yesterday's Capcom Showcase, some info was given also on the deluxe edition after this trailer:
Spark_Heal
Student Council President
Probably a big story on a technical side: Nvidia showed off their new technology and it is the fastest and angriest my feed has been in years.
DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) is Nvidia's software designed to force games to run at higher resolutions and faster frame rates. In theory it's just a bit of tech to make games look nicer and feel better on high-end equipment. They have been trying to get AI generation to be an integral part of the process in recent iterations with very mixed results because the program can't predict what the player is going to do and how the game will respond fast enough to build a consistent image. The technology just can't keep up.
They showed off the newest version - DLSS5 - on £4000 hardware this week. It's immediately been hammered with criticism from all conners of the internet, including from professionals in the industry and major publications. It is causing all sorts of problems in the pursuit of 'objectively better' and more 'realistic' graphics. It can't tell that a scene might be lit darkly because it is a horror game and instead brightens everything. The most controversy has been how it handles characters because the machine learning interrupts making characters more realistic and attractive in ways that completely change their designs. Men have less emotion and squarer jaws. Women have fuller lips, shadows on their face is turned into eye shadow and they are suddenly given make-up. And Nvidia have been trying to argue this is how characters need to be designed. So it's currently a very, very expensive technology that most people can't afford, that most developers cannot account for, that will also flatten the art direction into what the AI's files say is the best way for a person/scene to look. It's just a mess and it doesn't seem like they are able to wiggle out of these issues that have been building for years.
DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) is Nvidia's software designed to force games to run at higher resolutions and faster frame rates. In theory it's just a bit of tech to make games look nicer and feel better on high-end equipment. They have been trying to get AI generation to be an integral part of the process in recent iterations with very mixed results because the program can't predict what the player is going to do and how the game will respond fast enough to build a consistent image. The technology just can't keep up.
They showed off the newest version - DLSS5 - on £4000 hardware this week. It's immediately been hammered with criticism from all conners of the internet, including from professionals in the industry and major publications. It is causing all sorts of problems in the pursuit of 'objectively better' and more 'realistic' graphics. It can't tell that a scene might be lit darkly because it is a horror game and instead brightens everything. The most controversy has been how it handles characters because the machine learning interrupts making characters more realistic and attractive in ways that completely change their designs. Men have less emotion and squarer jaws. Women have fuller lips, shadows on their face is turned into eye shadow and they are suddenly given make-up. And Nvidia have been trying to argue this is how characters need to be designed. So it's currently a very, very expensive technology that most people can't afford, that most developers cannot account for, that will also flatten the art direction into what the AI's files say is the best way for a person/scene to look. It's just a mess and it doesn't seem like they are able to wiggle out of these issues that have been building for years.
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cfx
Student Council President
From what I have seen, I think it's terrible. It's destroying artists' intent. If it catches on, games may not be designed with any real artistry to them at all and just let the AI do it all. Ugh. 
I don't like the current versions of this upscaling and frame generation like the current DLSS or PSSR, but I guess those are necessary evils since everyone is insistent on 4K or higher resolutions with high framerates and ever increasing levels of detail in some kind of chasing of "realism" and computing power to do that the traditional ways is becoming unfeasible. I'm also someone who prefers stylized graphics over such realism (which I find boring), and only has 1080P monitors with no intent to replace them so all of this feels personally completely unnecessary.
I don't like the current versions of this upscaling and frame generation like the current DLSS or PSSR, but I guess those are necessary evils since everyone is insistent on 4K or higher resolutions with high framerates and ever increasing levels of detail in some kind of chasing of "realism" and computing power to do that the traditional ways is becoming unfeasible. I'm also someone who prefers stylized graphics over such realism (which I find boring), and only has 1080P monitors with no intent to replace them so all of this feels personally completely unnecessary.
Dai
Combat Butler
I've been watching this story unfold all week, and it's deeply troubling. Some of the results are technically impressive, especially in making Starfield's janky "I <3 2006" character models look like they belong in a modern game, but there are so many other things to be concerned about that it negates the positives.
Some of the controversies have been well covered elsewhere, such as the algorithmic averaging out of artistic intent, and the scope for publishers to axe even more developers by letting them spam the AI button to turn undercooked games into a superficial replica of a finished product. It was especially tone deaf of Nvidia to use RE9's Grace as the poster girl for their AI yassification overlay, since the gaming community has rapidly connected with her flawed humanity, and turning her into a glossy pin-up model tramples on that. Then there's the fact that they needed two 5090s to get this working. If this is what maxed out DLSS5 looks like on 50-series GPUs, I dread to think how a pared back version would look on my new 5070, which is a hell of a thing to find myself thinking about a graphics card I bought a few weeks ago for more than the cost of a PS5. DLSS5 is clearly tech intended for the 60-series or later, which means any current gen implementation is likely to be using gamers as beta testers.
Something I've seen less discussion about is how obviously cherry-picked the trailer shots are. It's mostly static scenes with nothing stressing the usual gen AI pressure points like hand movement, facial expression changes, or fast action. Is there any chance of this keeping up with a melee action game, for example?
Overall, it feels like a cheap, cynical shortcut to an awkward estimation of next-gen visuals. For years we've been seeing diminishing returns in the increase in graphical quality bought with increased hardware power, and DLSS5 feels like a smoke-and-mirrors trick intended to look like a generational breakthrough at a glance. If I have any hope for future implementation of this tech, it's that we have currently only seen it slapped onto already completed games. It may integrate more smoothly with development workflows that take it into account from the outset. But who knows.
Shadow Cat
Dragon Knight
This is a post that might need its own thread or not?
I see a lot of people on Twitter celebrating NIS America cancelling their Switch 2 Game Key Card release of Starbites. With the main reason against GKC's being - Its not a physical release because there is no data on the card
So no data on the card means you need to download it before you play it... correct?
How is this any different to games like Super Smash Bro's and Animal Crossing that have compulsory updates before you can play it? Even on a console thats never had the cartridge played before, is not connected to the internet and can't bing Nintendo servers to check.... It still asks for an update before playing
Dont get me wrong, full cartridge would be great. But I don't see how a GKC is any different than having day one updates on Xbox/PS. Only difference is most Nintendo games aren't like 100+gb downloads so wont take hours to download
Personally I would rather have the choice of GKC's over Digital Only. At least you have the option to sell or lend the game out
And if Nintendo services go down in the future and you loose access to your GKC's,,,, well at that point you have lost access to digital downloads and physical cartridges that require updates... so kinda in the same position, no game for you
I see a lot of people on Twitter celebrating NIS America cancelling their Switch 2 Game Key Card release of Starbites. With the main reason against GKC's being - Its not a physical release because there is no data on the card
So no data on the card means you need to download it before you play it... correct?
How is this any different to games like Super Smash Bro's and Animal Crossing that have compulsory updates before you can play it? Even on a console thats never had the cartridge played before, is not connected to the internet and can't bing Nintendo servers to check.... It still asks for an update before playing
Dont get me wrong, full cartridge would be great. But I don't see how a GKC is any different than having day one updates on Xbox/PS. Only difference is most Nintendo games aren't like 100+gb downloads so wont take hours to download
Personally I would rather have the choice of GKC's over Digital Only. At least you have the option to sell or lend the game out
And if Nintendo services go down in the future and you loose access to your GKC's,,,, well at that point you have lost access to digital downloads and physical cartridges that require updates... so kinda in the same position, no game for you
Dai
Combat Butler
In practical terms, there's no difference at all. I think the reason there's been more widespread anger about game key cards comes down to the transparency of how they're marketed. The negatives are being made a lot more apparent to people because Nintendo has been so up-front about what they are. Conversely, games that need updates to work are something that publishers have often tried to sneak in through the back door, burying it in small print on the back of boxes, hoping that it won't be noticed by people whose consoles are online all the time anyway.
Shadow Cat
Dragon Knight
This has actually made me think of one major positive of GKC's
Games that ship like: "Includes game X on the Cartridge, Includes Download Code for Games Y and Z"
What sounds like it includes a single use download code in the box for other two games (Someone will need to confirm if this is the case, I'm looking at the resident evil triple pack collection btw)
Where as a GKC will ship with all 3 codes attached to the cartridge itself, so there would be no worries about loosing part of the collection when buying second hand or if you want to lend your copy out
BrokenPhoenix
Stand User
My stance on digital games and GKCs has actually softened a lot since the Switch 2 came out - I appreciate the convenience of digital a lot more and not having to have physical space for every single game I want to play (and of course, constantly switching carts/discs around). Don't get me wrong, I still love pure physical and will always go physical for must-plays, but I appreciate the benefits of digital more now.
The main difference is that on PS for example, you'll still have your v1.0 of the game on the disc, which can be played and installed with no internet/server connection. There are still plenty of PS games that are perfectly playable out of the box.
With a GKC, that won't be the case and your GKC would be unplayable.
Ultimately though, with more and more games shipping unfinished and with significant bugs requiring patches, "true" physical is slowly becoming less of a factor. Your v1.0 game on the disc/cart won't be much use if it needs a patch for it to be in a playable state.
The main difference is that on PS for example, you'll still have your v1.0 of the game on the disc, which can be played and installed with no internet/server connection. There are still plenty of PS games that are perfectly playable out of the box.
With a GKC, that won't be the case and your GKC would be unplayable.
Ultimately though, with more and more games shipping unfinished and with significant bugs requiring patches, "true" physical is slowly becoming less of a factor. Your v1.0 game on the disc/cart won't be much use if it needs a patch for it to be in a playable state.