The Talos Principle

The Talos Principle is on its way back, with a new announcement and continuation by the way of The Talos Principle 3

If you somehow thought you were free after escaping before, The Talos Principle 3 is on the way back to us to drive us to insanity with even more puzzles to solve. Yes, it looks as if Croteam still has more to show us and to tell us with this IP, and we are all going to have to solve even more next year. That is when The Talos Principle 3 is currently slated to land on the PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. That might be a little confusing for anyone reading this in the future, but maybe you will be able to pick up on the context clues to solve that little puzzle. A little appetizer before we dive into the bigger title that the team will have for us when it is ready.

There is not much else to say about The Talos Principle 3 at this point, as we only have the following teaser that came with the announcement and a few of the broad strokes to expect from it all. Like the fact that we are going to get bigger puzzles with all-new mechanics built in. Some new music to listen to in the game as we go, with many brand-new tracks from the performer behind all of it so far. All with the final bit that we will have the full story of The Talos Principle come to an end by the end of this one. Along with a look back at everything that led to the finale, to better make sense of it all, beyond being a fun logic and physics-based puzzle game that picked up the slack when others in the genre left us all wanting more. We will see for certain in 2027 if that will truly be the case with all of this.

Are you sad to see that The Talos Principle is going to be coming to an end with this one, or do you think it will be a perfect way to cap all of this off? How many new puzzles and mechanics will we see in this one, and how many will be brought back from all of the other games in the past? Will the full story make perfect sense by the end, or will there be a few things left for us to puzzle over after all is said and done? Let us hear all of those thoughts in the comment section further down. While it is still new for The Talos Principle 3, we are excited to see what else will be coming out for the game. Please keep checking the website and all of our social channels to keep up with us and how this title is progressing out there. I am sure you will want to see how it all comes out and ends.

Crimson Stag

Wander deep into the folklore of the Crimson Stag, with a new title on the way called the Curse Of The Crimson Stag

While the Nacon Connect showcase leaned into a few other fun horror-themed things, some of us might have missed another on the way with the announcement of Curse Of The Crimson Stag. A new narrative adventure that One-O-One Games is working on with Daedalic Entertainment to bring it all to the PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch 2, and PC. A new title that is also leaning more into the folk-horror genre as a thing for us all to have more nightmares about. As long as you don't fall victim to what the Crimson Stag is going to bring you as you investigate the darkness in the title. All of that sounds intriguing, but let's take a deeper look at what the game is truly going to bring us all, so we can make sure it is a folktale we're going to want to hear.

The following teaser for Curse Of The Crimson Stag does not show much of what the game will have us do, but it shows us quite a bit of the environment we'll be in when playing. For what the gameplay will truly be holding, it looks as if the game will be a new investigation game that will have us wandering an old hotel in the American Northwest. A hotel that has all manner of puzzles and lore hidden about that we're going to need to record and piece things together in. We are playing as a character called Brit, who is here to record a documentary for it all, so it does make sense to a degree. Where all of the horror and folklore will come in, will be in the way of the Crimson Stag tales being true, and along with a ghost hunting associate, Brit will be in for a weird time in life. That is about the basics that we have at this point in the announcement for the game, but it is a new horror title for us all to keep our eyes on in the coming future. Have a look and get ready to see a new tale unfold.

Do you expect the tales of the Crimson Stag to be something truly original in this game? Will there be more than just walking and investigation when it comes to the gameplay? How do you feel about the look of the setting, and will that play a larger role than the description lets on? Would it be interesting to see this all be a Scooby Doo story with the hotel owners trying to garner some new business? Let's have all of those thoughts down in the comment section of the page here. Curse Of The Crimson Stag definitely intrigues me, so I'll be watching for all of the news and updates that will be coming after this announcement. Please watch the site and all of our socials to make sure you catch all of the updates as they land as well. Let's all see how the folk-horror genre is going to get pushed forward after all of this.

Hollowbody

A release date for Hollowbody on the consoles is now set, with Hollowbody landing there this coming June

It might have taken a bit of time, but the tech-noir survival horror title, Hollowbody, is now on the way to the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S after a solid run on the PC. A solid two-year run there before Headware Games was able to get it to make the jump over to the other platforms. That does mean, though, that we're going to have all manner of updates and additions added into Hollowbody from where it first started. Maybe, we'll have a few more before June 5^th comes around, and we're all able to experience what the game has to offer. That would be the release date for the console version of the game, just in case you weren't following what I was trying to drop out there for you.

Since it has been 2 years since you might have heard of Hollowbody, it's a title set in the future, but using the visual style of the past to give us this new horror. One that sees a black market shipper, who is on the hunt for a missing partner, crashing down in a zone that has been left alone for a good reason. That reason being that it is filled with all of the horrors that we have been alluding to. Now, Mica will have to survive it all, solve some puzzles, and find as much ammo as possible to be able to escape the area. Along with all of this, and for those players of Hollowbody from years ago, we'll have a few more puzzles, locations, lore, and languages added in than what came with the original launch of the game. All things that are in the PC version currently, but you might have missed after playing the game so long ago.

Are you ready to see what Hollowbody is going to bring to the consoles in a few weeks? Does this make you want to replay the PC version of the game once more? Will this lead to more added into the game over a little bit more time? Are you a fan of the older visual styles when it comes to your horror games, or do you want something that looks a bit more realistic? Let's hear it all out in the comment section down the page here. With any luck, we'll hear more for Hollowbody in the future. So, please watch the site and all of our socials to see when that all comes about. Even if we don't have more for this one, there's still a whole lot of other fun we have to share with the world, and I'm sure you'll be glad you kept coming back to see it all.

Directive 8020

We sit down and review Directive 8020. The next in the bigger Dark Pictures Anthology universe. Here is our review of Directive 8020.

We are finally able to launch into space with a new horror experience, as Directive 8020 has finally hit the PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC in its full form. We had a chance to see all that Supermassive Games had to offer in this latest outing into The Dark Pictures Anthology to see if we can still scream in space. Well, a fictional space and future that we have yet to see out there in the real world. That is why we get titles like Directive 8020, so we can all fear the unknown and be ready to fight back if things do go sideways. Something that truly happens in the game, and now we are here with our review to let you know if you should take flight with this experience, or let it sleep forever in the cryochambers that we will need to safely travel the universe out there and find these horrific aliens that we usually find in our sci-fi stories.

Story

Welcome aboard the Cassiopeia. A new deep-space science ship has been sent out to look for new planets that humans can invade. Well, more than they can head out to and colonize when Earth has run its course. In Directive 8020, we get to experience the lives, and maybe deaths, of the various members of the crew as they are on this voyage. One that should be of scientific discovery, but it looks as if life has other plans. Well, more of a lifeform that has found its way onto the ship and has a way to mimic other living beings. Can we make the correct choices to get home safely, or will we watch as all of the crew slowly meet an end and the mission becomes a failure? The choices will always be ours…

Hated

I am going to get one of the bigger things out of the way, Directive 8020 feels insanely short for this style of game. Part of this is that even with a lot of exploring and finding hidden secrets, it only took me about seven to eight hours to get to the end. That sounds like a lot, until you realize that a good portion of this is just watching the game play out consequences based on past actions, with little to no reasoning why, in the moment, they are going down the way they are. I get that Directive 8020 is a narrative game and falls into the choose-your-own-adventure style, but there were so many action sequences that played out based on a dialog choice I made episodes before. I know other titles that the team has made have offered up the chance to play through those sections instead of just watching them, so it feels like a step backward to not allow for that in this one. Let me feel and see the consequences instead of feeling like I am being told about them. Let this feel less like I am watching someone else play the game, and just let me play. Something I thought we would see after The Quarry and The Casting Of Frank Stone, instead of stepping back to what we had many times over before.

Going along with that, and something you can see in the full gameplay we have for Directive 8020 below, some choices happened out of nowhere and just for exploring. Not a terrible thing in general, but sometimes this happened with no way to back out, even if the game and character could. Especially, when there is a specific game mechanic that comes up at the beginning that states we will have to actively press and hold a button at points we cannot move back from without using the rewind function. There was a point where I was searching for one of the crew members, and I was just taking in the area. I made one slight step forward, and then I was locked into a path I did not want to go down. Another time in Directive 8020, I saw something that was obviously one of the entities, but because I took a step the wrong way with the controller, the game actually made me have to slowly walk toward them from across the room. A room I could have walked through or stealth-walked through without needing the interaction. Yes, there is a way to go back and change that, but when rules are dictated at the start, and then the game does not have to follow through, that feels like more of a fault than it is a feature.

Lastly, and this one will get different mileage depending on your story tastes, but the story for Directive 8020 just felt like something we have seen a few times before. Not just the premise, as it is very Aliens and The Thing coded from the videos we had leading up to launch, but it truly felt like it was playing things by the numbers. Sometimes, to the point where it was so easy to spot the good and bad choices we had to make in the game. I will not spoil any of that, and you can watch what I did play out down the page, but the story just fell a little flat to me. Even with the bigger "twist" that was dropped near the end of the penultimate episode. A twist, to me, that made it feel like none of the choices in Directive 8020 truly mattered. It helped to explain that all of the branches of the narrative always started to take the shape of a family tree in the American South, but there felt like there was so much more they could have done. Especially after the game was pushed out from the original launch. Again, that is for me, and I do take in a whole lot of Sci-Fi content out there, but this story felt like it just had to follow the same one many others have done, when it could have given us all a vastly different experience.

Loved

The reason I have for not liking a few things above in Directive 8020 all stem from one place, the creature and environmental design of this game is fucking spectacular. No question about it, and I would love to see some of it recreated in horror mazes and events in the real world. It is why I fell in love with exploring so much of the game, as the ship truly felt lived in, and there did not feel like there was any tomfoolery in the layout, as it felt like everything could truly exist out there just based on the physical location of things. It did not fully dawn on me that was truly going on in Directive 8020 until later in the game, but when I had that "Ah Ha" moment, I was able to see how much time the team put into all of this. Not just with the ship, but even the life form that we are encountering on the ship. Even when it started to feel rather familiar when it came to the story, the actual design, animations, and audio that came from it truly felt inspired. Again, I think I would fall in love with a practical design of this for any haunt, even if it was done to a third of the level of detail Supermassive Games put into all of that. That by itself would be worth the price of admission to this experience. I do not think I can stress any of that enough.

All of this also highlighted how intriguing many of the characters in Directive 8020 actually were. Ignoring the main story and focusing on them, again, felt as if the team had a solid blueprint to start from. Highlighted only more when it came to one of the newer features that was added into Directive 8020, the fact that you can have conversations with each other even when they are locked away. Even if they have been converted by the lifeform, which is a thing that happened a few times to me in the game. Each one of them felt like a real person, and not a cookie-cutter archetype that was brought to life by a great voice actor and motion capture. That would have been the easier thing to do, sure, but there were always little things like fist bumps, inside jokes, and other personality traits mixed in that were not just spelled out as we have seen in their past titles. All of this just to build up the fact that we cared if or when any of them met an early end. I was more upset by my first death in my blind play due to liking the character and not because I failed at making the correct choice. Those little things that gripped me and pulled me in, just like a good horror title should.

One last thing that I will hit on here for Directive 8020, is that I do have to give some credit to the QTEs and other basic mechanics we have to perfect while playing the game. Many of them felt like they made sense in the moment, or things like opening a door felt like it added true tension as you played the minigame to open the door as the lifeform stomped around the area. Even new things, like the stealth gameplay, worked way better than I expected them to, as that could have been something the team could have "phoned in" just to say they had it. In Directive 8020, there were parts where it started to feel like a true survival horror game, as we watched the entity move about randomly, hid behind various bits of debris, or used random things in the world to lure it away. That could have boiled down to making a basic choice or playing out a QTE, but there was only one time while playing where I felt like it was more frustrating than fun. Full disclosure on that, though, it was more to the level of tension I had already been through and just wanted the character to have a break, more than just having another one slapped on to pad the runtime. So, a good frustration as were many of these little mechanics the team placed in for us to play with.

Overview

Many of my issues with Directive 8020 definitely stem from personal preference and the levels of Sci-Fi content I consume. I will need to admit that from the start. Those who only dabble and love a fun horror title, this is going to be one for you, that is certain. It might not be a perfect game, and it does feel as if Supermassive Games left out things that worked well from their other titles, but it was still a solid experience. That might be why I also wanted more than just the eight episodes we did get. I will caution again, mainly if you are going for a no-rewind playthrough, be careful when exploring or taking in the sights. Directive 8020 will start you down a path you cannot easily walk back from, but I guess that is why there is a rewind feature during the core experience. They had to have known that players would want to look at everything they could and see just how things were being told in the environment. An environment and creature design, I desperately am begging to see on display at a theme park this Halloween. It really is that amazing.

I give Directive 8020 4 0 Death Secrets on the 0 Death Secret scale.

Directive 8020 was developed and published by Supermassive Games for the PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on May 12^th, 2026. A PlayStation copy of the game was provided by the publisher for reviewing purposes.

Better Than Dead

The Early Access for Better Than Dead is finally here, and we can get a solid feel for what Better Than Dead will be bringing us all

It is time to take aim and head into the world of bodycam video games, with Better Than Dead having its Early Access kicking off on the PC. It is understandable if you have been lost in which one this is, but we will remind you that it is from Monte Gallo and MicroProse that we have seen in the past. Yes, a solo developer on this one, and it is looking to give us all the most realistic camera angle we can expect. As long as Better Than Dead pans out the way that we are all hoping that it will. We will have to see how this Early Access goes, and how it will be able to grow and shape from there. Those still not fully familiar with this one, well, let us dive a little further into what this version of the genre is going to be offering up out there.

While there are many titles like Better Than Dead out there or on the way out there, this one follows a woman on a revenge arc in the world. It just uses the bodycam style to help show how brutal all of this is going to be. Especially as it sounds like this poor woman was exploited, used, and left completely broken by those we are going to have to bring some street justice to. I am not going to say much further on the why she is doing things, as I hope that you are able to piece that all together based on context clues. What we do get to experience in Better Than Dead is that this woman has picked up a gun to take out some trash, and is recording it all through the bodycam she is wearing. Which will be where our POV in this first-person shooter will be, so it gives us all a bit more of a grounded feeling in the virtual world. It also helps to hide any of the weird blemishes or uncanny valley of things that we can get when it comes to our realistic video games out there. Have a look and see why you should be furiously shooting these terrible humans out there.

Will you be taking a run at Better Than Dead now that it has hit Early Access, or will you be able to hold out until the final version of the game launches? How dark do you expect the themes to go in this title, and will they be able to give us the dark story with the revenge arc as we might want to see out there? Are you a fan of the bodycam style of video game, and does it help to land things in a realistic way for you to experience, rather than just fighting for photorealistic textures? Let us have all of those thoughts fired off in the comments so we can discuss all of them. Now that Better Than Dead is firing on many cylinders, we can expect there to be some updates flowing out there as it all carries onward. Keep coming back to the website to see those updates and follow all of our social channels to see when things go live around here. We have so much to share, and you will not want to miss out on any of those updates. I am sure of it.

Time To Wake Up

Out of the Steam Next Fest, we have a new demo for Time To Wake Up, and it aims to walk us through so many thrills before it’s Time To Wake Up

The demos are starting to flow out there on the PC due to the Steam Next Fest, with Time To Wake Up getting a new slice out there to entice us all. This would be that little psychological thriller title from Eye Blink Twice that we had to show off not too long ago. One where our eyes and blinking will be part of the mechanics to help get us out of the surreal mazes that will be in the game. It sounds weird and surreal, until you take a look at the gameplay for Time To Wake Up. Something that you can now do live on your PC if watching all of the gameplay footage out there is not enough for you. I'll also dive a little further into the game to help you to understand why you should give at least the demo a little try out there. It won't cost you anything but time, but I do know that can be a precious thing for a few of you.

Those just now catching up on Time To Wake Up, this is a bit of a walking-sim and stealth title that will place us in a bunch of worlds based on our memories from back in school. This is why there seem to be a lot of children 's-themed elements and levels in all of the footage we've had for the game up to now. We can move freely to traverse these memories, but we also need to make sure that we avoid all of our classmates in general. That is partially where the blinking mechanic for Time To Wake Up comes in, as that will change the surroundings, move elements, or reset things that might have gone wrong. Amongst other things that the blinking can do in the game, but that is still to be seen in the final version, where the limits are. All of this, to most likely, work through a bit of past trauma and bad memories that are keeping us locked in our heads. It could be a lot different than that in practice, but you'll need to play the game or the new demo out there to truly see where all of this is going.

Will you be giving the demo for Time To Wake Up a bit of a playthrough now? Will any of the demo elements spoil the bigger story that the game will be trying to tell? What will happen if we do run into our classmates in these dreams we are wandering in? How different will all of the blinking truly make the world as we progress through it all? Let's drop all of those thoughts down in the comment section so we can discuss them all. We'll see what else we can dig up for Time To Wake Up going forward, so please watch the site and all of our socials to make sure you don't miss out on any of it. The game does look as if it is going to be a lot of fun, and give us something we don't normally get to experience out there. Give the demo a try. What do you have to lose but a little bit of time and PC storage space during that time?

Dracula

Head into Count Dracula’s castle once more, but in a new title that has been announced by way of Dracula: The Disciple

We've had many of the classic monsters coming up recently with new titles, and now we are here with Dracula: The Disciple. A new puzzle title on the way to us all from Cyanide Studios and Nacon for the PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC that will be giving us more of the famed vampire. Although this one might not fall in line as one might expect from a title that has Count Dracula in it. This one will be in a dark and gothic setting, sure, but we are doing more of the research and focusing more on the various puzzles in the game instead of all of the normal nonsense that comes with vampires. A bold strategy, and now we get to see just how some of that might be panning out when it comes.

While we might not be playing as the count himself in Dracula: The Disciple, the game's premise does sound like it will lend to a fun puzzle title to go through. Especially as we'll be playing as a dying French archivist named Emile Valombres who happens to be looking for a cure to that whole dying thing. That's what leads Emile to Dracula's castle, where he finds all of the experiments, documents, and various other secrets hidden about. The perfect things to try and grant that level of immortality he's searching for. Not to mention, Emile does seem to be suffering from that whole vampiric condition too, so he will need to solve all manner of supernatural puzzles, practice some alchemy, and wander the castle grounds looking for even more to unearth along the way. Sounds like it is going to make for one epic night of gaming for us all. Have a little look at the reveal, even if most of it is not the actual gameplay we can expect in the end.

Did the name make you think that we would be facing off with Dracula at some point? Will other vampires be trying to slow any of our progress as we go through all of this? Will the gameplay feel a little more on the cartoony side of things, or will we get some truly dark moments tossed into the mix? Do you think this is going to end well for Emile when all is said and done? Let's dig into all of those questions and any others that might come about now that we know the game is on the way. We'll do what we can to keep the light shining on Dracula: The Disciple around the site. Please keep coming back to see all of that, and follow all of our socials to know when new things go live. This one might be the nice little break we need in the mix of all of the other monsters we have to deal with in the other games… and in the real world…

Aliens

Head back into the Aliens universe with the announcement that we are getting Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 this Summer

The Xenomorphs will just not stay down, as we now have the announcement that Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 is on the way to us all. The 4-player co-op title is coming back from Cold Iron Studios, along with Daybreak Games, to give us all more to shoot at and survive. Not only that, but a few more things are in the wings for our Colonial Marines with this one. Just as we should all be expecting, they aim to bring Aliens: Fireteam further into the future. A future that will see this title on the PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC this coming Summer. Such a quick turnaround from announcement to launch, and I'm all in for it. Especially as I get to see more of those Xenomorphs and how some of them have grown over the years to give us all new threats to put down. Let's all have a deeper look.

One new thing you might have noticed for Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 that I've already mentioned is that this one is a 4-player co-op instead of the 3-player co-op we had in the last title. All with the classes from before, but a new Specialist class has been added to the mix of things to keep us all wanting progress and evolution. Given that the Xenomorphs have done that in this one, giving us new versions of them, we're going to want to try to stay ahead of all of that. Along with all of the ammo and various other weapons we are going to be able to use, that should help to make quicker work for them all. That all does depend on how the new Horde Mode maps are all laid out, along with how close to and different they all might be from Aliens: Fireteam in the first place. There's not much else to say that the following gameplay footage will not do better, so have a look and see if we are going to hear more screams in space, or if we might be able to silence some of them along the way. We'll probably just have more screams when all is said and done.

Did you expect that we would be seeing a sequel to Aliens: Fireteam? Do you think that the new class will help to justify why we need 4 players instead of 3? How many new Xenomorphs are we going to see running around the maps out there? Will all of the maps be different, or will we have many of the same ones we have already get updated for the newer system? Let's hear all of those thoughts and everything else you have to share about the game down in the comments. Now that we can see that Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 is going to be a big thing, we are ready to have all that we can for it up on the site. Watch things here and on all of our socials to make sure you are ready for this new fight when it lands this Summer. Even if it still might be more than a few more months until we have bigger news for it all.

The Sinking City

The first look at the gameplay for The Sinking City 2 is here, and it looks to advance all we knew from The Sinking City

After what felt like so much silence for The Sinking City 2, we are finally here to see some of the true gameplay we can expect in the game. Not that Frogwares has been completely silent about it all, but there has yet to be anything more than the pre-rendered cinematic to let us know that this sequel is in the works. Not even a little bit on how, or if, they were going to change much from the formula that seemed to work in The Sinking City the first time around. Now, it looks like those Elder Gods are blessing us all with a look that shows how it has evolved and what we are going to be seeing on the PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC this coming Summer. Let us all take a plunge into it all right now.

Those who played The Sinking City the first time around might remember how the game followed a very basic third-person shooter style of gameplay, along with a bit of investigation. It was not my perfect cup of tea, but it worked for the masses out there and was not a terrible design in general. It looks like things are getting a slight shift, but still taking those same principles, but dialing it up a bit more. That is The Sinking City 2 is starting to look like it will use a similar style to all of the action as we have seen in many of the more recent survival horror titles when it comes to the combat and exploration. It is giving some strong Resident Evil 4 vibes, just with the monsters and others revolving around the Lovecraftian style of horror rather than just biological. Something that feels like it is pulling me further in for this title, when the last one did not leave the best taste in my mouth. At least as far as the action went, but now it looks as if it is going to blend the great story with some proven gameplay. Have a look and see what I am on about here.

How did you feel about the core gameplay in The Sinking City, and does this look as if it is going to bring us more of the action that has been perfected over the years? How often will we need to be the badass gunslinger, and how often will we find ourselves wandering about the horrors of Arkham? Will there be a bigger balance on the investigation to action side of things, or will this one lean more into the action and leave some of the exploration as a linear path? Let us have it all out in the comment section down the page here. We are certainly going to have a whole lot more as we get closer to the Summer and the release of The Sinking City 2. Just keep on finding your way back to the website or following along on all of our social channels to see how all of this is going to play out. I am truly excited for this one, and insanely glad to see that the team is evolving and not just trying to give us more of what we have already had.

Video Games

A lot has gone on this week in video games. Here is a recap of what we covered in the world of video games on the site this week

The time has passed right along, and we are at the end of yet another week with so many video games dropping and getting updates. We even had a few hit us up out of nowhere to get us all further excited for Hunter: The Reckoning – Deathwish and now Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Rageborn. Not video games I was expecting this week when it started with Control Resonant. Again, not a bad thing, but we did not plan for so much fun and also getting our Mouse: P.I. For Hire review out there in the wild. These are all great things, just none of them could have been perfectly planned behind the scenes over here. I will stop with all of that and just move right along.

Next week might be just as insane when it comes to video games out there, with a few studios and publishers not looking to be part of some of the different circuses out there. That should lead to a great place for us all when it comes to all of this. We also have a very special review on the way next week, which should have a full bit of gameplay with it. We are still currently editing all of that, but are aiming to make sure that all drops when the written review comes out. We cannot say much more, but just keep an eye out for all of that. Along with some of the other behind-the-scenes celebrations, we will have a few personal milestones from the team.

As with every other week now, here is our list of video games we were able to cover in the news for the week. Have fun reading through all of it, and hopefully, you will learn something you did not know before. Until next week, have fun with all of those video games, and Happy Gaming!

• Control Resonant Walks Us A Bit Further Into A Paranaturally Warped Manhattan
• Get Ready To Fight More Of The Undead In The World With Decayed
• Learn All Of The Rules Of Spycraft Before The Launch Of 007 First Light
• Let’s All Head Deep Into Space To Satisfy The Dark Curiosity
• It Reaches Will End Most Of Us All Very Soon
• The Station Is Going Crazy For Act II Of When Sirens Fall Silent
• Survive, Build, & Dominate With The New Features In Conan Exiles Enhanced
• A.A.U. Black Site Gears Us Up To Rush Into The Early Access
• Walk The Path Into The Dreamy Early Access For Hypnos
• Dread Neighbor Has Launched Out Of The Shadows To Scare Us All
• Learn To Give Some Forgiveness With The Launch For WILL: Follow The Light
• BrokenLore: DON’T LIE Places A New Demo To Get Us Ready For The Terror
• Take In The Pillars Of The Hunt Coming With Hunter: The Reckoning – Deathwish
• Review — Mouse: P.I. For Hire
• Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Rageborn Reveals A New Eco-Activist Taking Action

Werewolf

The Werewolf: The Apocalypse line carries forward with the reveal out there for Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Rageborn

It was certainly a great day for the World Of Darkness, as it looks like we have another fun title on the way with the reveal for Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Rageborn. Not only a new title in the IP line, but one of the first that Creā-ture Studios is working on with Nacon out there to give us all something to enjoy on the PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch 2, and PC. Especially great after the lackluster title we had before, and this one leans into the Werewolf: The Apocalypse 5^th edition ruleset that is out there currently. It's not my favorite, but given that the video game is just using it as a base, that could all change by the time this one lands for us in 2027. That does seem like the year this IP is going to be popping off.

Unlike the Werewolf: The Apocalypse titles we've had in the past, this one looks to be using the isometric shooter aspect when it comes to the basic design. While we'll have guns in the game, that won't be the main focus, as the team has looked into making sure we have at least three of the five forms to play with in the game. Some for combat and smashing things, others for investigating, and some just for basic travel around the world. Not the way I would have expected it, which is why Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Rageborn does look as if it could be standing out from the pack a bit more. Then you add in the groups, hunters, and various other bosses we're going to have to face, and this one could be the title some of us have been waiting for. Even if it would be nice to have a good version of an action-brawler title, I'm getting off topic. Have a look at what has been revealed for this one just a little further down the page to see if it is going to be your next big step into the IP when the game does finally howl at the moon.

Were you expecting to see this kind of game when it comes to the Werewolf: The Apocalypse IP? Will this breaking of the mold be the best-selling point we could've wanted for the game? Will we be able to build out the character as we see fit, or are we going to be locked into a specific breed in this title? How deep into the lore will the game go for those fans who are all about that sort of thing? Let's discuss all of that and more down in the comment section. As fans of the World of Darkness and all that it brings, expect us to have all that is possible for Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Rageborn on the site for you. Just watch things here, or on all of our socials, to make sure you are seeing all that you can before and after the game launches out there.

Mouse

We sit down and review Mouse: P.I. For Hire. A new rubber-hose animated title that offers a noir investigation. Here is our review of Mouse.

We are finally on the case out there, with the launch of Mouse: P.I. For Hire for the PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch 2, and PC. A title that started as a basic little proof of concept so very long ago, and now Fumi Games has it on the market so we can see if that concept truly pans out. That is the concept of a detective noir-setting game, where all the animation follows the rubber-hose style of the 1920s and 1930s. Mouse: P.I. For Hire is not the first to give that a try, but it does feel as if it is the first one to take us into the era with the story and setting. That all said, how does it all hold up? That is why we are back here with another review for you all to take in, along with a lot of gameplay to see if it will vibe with you. Let us drop into the investigation of it all right now.

Story

Something is not right in the city of Mouseburg. The populace just wants to live out their days, make some cheese, and maybe take in a few good shows along the way. They do not always seem to have that luxury, as the power players behind the scenes and criminals are always up to something, and now Jack Pepper has been pulled back in to solve so many more cases. In fact, we pick up with Jack right at the height of one such case, only to fall into a weird mouse hole of other plots, crimes, and murders. Will our Mouse P.I. be able to put all of the clues together and solve the cases? Let us all find out.

Hated

As we have constantly seen from the start for Mouse: P.I. For Hire, this is generally a stylized first-person shooter title at its core. That is not the gripe here. The issues seem to come in when it comes to some of the basic controls that have been perfected in that genre of game for quite some time. Not just with the features added in for this title specifically, but also when it comes to the basics of crouching and the like. Even the use of a dashing system, which seems to be in here just to be in here, none of it feels like it flows, or it breaks up what we all know works. Like needing to hold down the crouch button to do that, and adding in a stamina meter that has no real bearing on the game, as it never felt like I needed to use anything more than once before it could fully recharge. Not the biggest of issues, from the sounds of it, but then add in the fact that some of them would just happen during the game while I was aiming to perform something else or in a firefight. It does not help a boss battle out when my Mouse dashes into the fire because of the controller mapping, when I am just trying to strafe about. More so when it is not very helpful to the rest of the game, when it does work as planned.

Extending from the basic controls for Mouse: P.I. For Hire and how they caused a bit of pain, we need to move into the actual shooting and combat in the game. While not the worst I have experienced in the FPS genre ever, this also feels like it was a little shaky for me. This could be due to the way that the NPCs move or that the hitboxes were a little off, but there were more than a number of times I would hit something directly, and no damage would be taken. Sometimes, even watching the bullets go right through some of the enemies on screen. This never felt like it was something to fault on my side, but with the core of the game. There were even times I would shoot enemies with the shotgun at point-blank range, and not even a little health would drop. Sometimes, you could even see the animations playing for some of the special ammo and weapons, but nothing would change for the target. It was a weird thing, and maybe it was a feature in Mouse: P.I. For Hire, but to me it felt more like a bug that needs to be patched out. As of this writing, I have yet to see any of that, but it could be something that is coming down the line if enough players encounter it as I have.

My last major gripe I will lay down for Mouse: P.I. For Hire has to be with the overall story and how it is presented out there. I know that they were going for a detective noir thing, with a bit of humor added in. None of that seemed to land with me, and the humor always seemed to fall flat. It does not feel like it was the writing, and if I had to place any blame, it could be with the performances of it. That is very subjective, so take all of that as you will. I just always found myself going along with the game just to see the levels and explore the world that was built, with very little engagement with the story. I would follow along to know the next location I would need to drive to, and kind of understand why I am shooting the various NPCs in the game, but nothing pulled me in to care outside of getting to the next agenda item. It was a weird feeling, and while I did not vibe with it, I will say it was never grating enough to make me want to stop playing. I am just recommending that you watch some of the past videos or a little bit of story gameplay to see if it will hit for you, as it does not feel like it will be a thing for everyone.

Loved

There was a lot of hate I just dropped for Mouse: P.I. For Hire, but that does not mean it is not a fun game in general. Specifically, I will need to sing a few praises on the character and level designs that were out there. Even when some of them feel like hallways or specific paths we need to follow, there always seems to be some extra level of charm dropped into the mix that will keep you always moving and wanting to see more. Sometimes this is from some silly little animated thing placed into the background. Sometimes, it is because it always feels like there are fun and hidden paths that can be discovered by just placing your feet in the shoes of the detective. This was one of the bigger elements that drew me in to keep playing Mouse: P.I. For Hire when things started to fall flat. I felt like I needed to find all of the clues, secrets, and other elements the design team placed in the world. Even if many of them did nothing but fill up collectible areas, tick a few minor boxes, or had my gamer brain feeling accomplished for taking the time to investigate everything. Even when some of these things led to dead ends, there was still the reward of finding the new paths, and it feels so weird claiming that was always a rewarding feature of the game.

Even though I did gripe about the story and reason we were supposed to be going through everything in Mouse: P.I. For Hire, I will have to say that all of the enemies and bosses were interesting and engaging. Even when it was frustrating that none of my attacks or weapons were doing anything to them, they felt like they were something new and not just a clone of a past encounter with the art style slapped on. I will admit, some of them I had no clue why I was shooting at them, but gods was it still a fun and engaging experience to go through. I still have memories of the robot mouse boss fight that was technically set in three waves, but broken up so well that each wave felt like a wholly new boss fight. Even when some of the cheaper attacks, or swarms of basic enemies came out, Mouse: P.I. For Hire somehow made it fun to go through the motions and try out new things along the way. That was generally how I learned the time of some of the various weapons and environmental attacks, as I would just test them out on the basic enemies, since they all felt like they interacted differently, even though it was the same. Again, something not expected, and it was able to pull me back in when I was lost in the sauce of everything else.

Lastly, and I know this is one that comes from everyone out there who has played Mouse: P.I. For Hire, but the animation style and music of the game were top-notch. I am not a fan of nostalgia or anything that aims to use that as a selling point, but this one got me to fall in love with all of the classic things we have experienced for over a century now. Yes, this was a fresh take on all of it, but at the core, the rubber-hose and music were all pulled from what our great-great-grandparents loved. Not something that will pull me in, but by the gods did Mouse: P.I. For Hire do that. I will argue that the world and design of it did a better job than many of the other titles that have tried it in the past. Even the video games that did it well still felt a little flat compared to this one. So, massive kudos to the team for pulling that off, as I know that is not an easy feat to accomplish out there. Which is possibly why some of the above issues were so glaring to me when they might have fallen into obscurity had I not been impressed with the animation and music as much as I was.

Overview

Those looking for a nostalgic-looking FPS title are going to love Mouse: P.I. For Hire. There is no doubt in my mind about that. If you are looking for a truly engaging story and reason behind all of the things you are shooting, you will most likely be left wanting. That is not to say that Mouse: P.I. For Hire is a bad game, but you might have the same issues I had and then feel as if you are wasting time and money with it all. Maybe, if some of the core mechanics I had issues with were patched out a bit, there would be a lot more love. That all said, watch the following gameplay we have for the game, and you will quickly see if this one will be for you. I know there will be more who love it than hate it, which is what I am going for here.

I give Mouse: P.I. For Hire 8 Blocks Of Cheese on the Blocks Of Cheese scale.

Mouse: P.I. For Hire was developed by Fumi Games and published by PlaySide for the PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch 2, and PC on April 16^th, 2026. A PlayStation copy of the game was provided by the publisher for reviewing purposes.

Hunter

Learn how to be a better Hunter, as we get the solid pillars coming to Hunter: The Reckoning – Deathwish next Summer

It is not all too shocking that during the recent event that Nacon held that we'd have some massive updates for Hunter: The Reckoning – Deathwish. I know I was waiting for it, and Teyon took the stage to make sure none of us were let down at all. Even if we still have to wait until 2027 to get the game on the PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, we have a little more to look at on how the game is coming along. Not only that, but this new look at Hunter: The Reckoning – Deathwish takes us into a bit of the character creation, the abilities they will have, and then drops in a little bit of gameplay for us all to look at. No longer are we stuck to only the cinematic CGI video we had before. Such great news, even if it is only a little bit.

If you are here only for the gameplay for Hunter: The Reckoning – Deathwish, that comes up near the end of the video below, and shows off the team heading out into the World Of Darkness, investigating, and shooting at things. Not the most exciting when it comes to the IP, so take that as a bit of a warning since we're all still waiting to see how the rest of the tabletop will be filled in. That is the part that is highlighted a bit with the character creation, and it does sound as if we're going to have all of the various Hunter archetypes in the game to choose from. This, of course, means that there will be more than just shooting and looking at the supernatural things out there. Further excitement comes from the fact that the team is using quite a bit from the tabletop books to flesh all of that out. Along with a rather robust character creation system that gets further glossed over, but I'm sure that is due to the game still being in early development, and they don't want us to fall down the same pitfalls that everyone did when it came to Bloodlines 2.

What kind of Hunter are you going to try and play when the game launches? Will we be able to make the whole team, or will the game offer up AI bots to fill in the spots that we are missing? Are you glad that they are going with the Reckoning rules for this title? Will any of this crossover into any of the other World Of Darkness games we are getting at the same time? Let's have those thoughts all tossed out in the comment section down the page here. We're going to be all over Hunter: The Reckoning – Deathwish as new things come out for it, so please join us on the site and our socials to keep up. I have a feeling we're on the verge of getting a massive info dump for the game, and maybe a lot of true gameplay to take in. Fingers are staying crossed that it will give us all that feeling of sitting around the tables again, but with fewer things left up to our imaginations.

BrokenLore

The BrokenLore fun carries onward, with a new demo out there for the upcoming BrokenLore: DON’T LIE before Steam Next Fest

I'll have to admit, it is starting to get a little confusing with so many of these titles getting updates and releases, but I'm trying not to get too paranoid now that we have a new demo for BrokenLore: DON’T LIE out there on the PC. It is a bit ahead of the Steam Next Fest, where there will be a larger showcase from Serafini Productions, but that is a little bit of the point. To make sure we are all up to date on things for the BrokenLore lines, while not being too shocked when we see the next big update out there. That, or the team just wanted to make sure the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S crowd were a little more jealous of things. Damn, there's that paranoia creeping back in, and I need to set it aside so I can just enjoy the demo that we now have.

There doesn't seem to be a good gauge on how much of BrokenLore: DON’T LIE will be in the mix for this demo, but it is something new for the title to get us excited for it all. It also gives us a better look at the main character we are going to be playing as, Junko, and the deteriorating mental state that she is in. One that seems to have her retreating from conflict more than heading into it. Not a strange thing for most to go through, but given the horrors that we are going to need to face down in BrokenLore: DON’T LIE, that could make things a bit difficult. It wouldn't be much of a psychological horror title out there if we didn't have all of those extra little things to worry about. That all said, have a look at the latest video we have for the game, or just snag the demo that is out there on the PC to get us all worked up, and make all of the console gamers a little more jealous that they have to wait for the full release to get what this one is aiming to bring.

Will you be diving into the paranoia of BrokenLore: DON’T LIE with this new demo? Will the console gamers get a chance to experience any of this before it launches? Will we get a final release date for the game out of the next big convention that is coming? How do you think our character will grow as the game places her in some of the most terrifying instances of things out there? Let's hear it all out in the comment section down the page here. When we have another fun nugget of information to drop for BrokenLore: DON’T LIE, we'll certainly have it all here. Please watch the site and all of our socials to make sure you are caught up as the development carries forward. It looks like it will be another in the IP and horror lines to keep us all up thinking just a bit longer.

WILL

It is time to set sail with WILL, as we have the official launching day here for WILL: Follow The Light

After a little bit of a delay, we can finally set sail with WILL: Follow The Light out there on the PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. A tale of adventure, exploration, and various other things that TomorrowHead Studio has been working into their latest title. Not to mention, it does look as if we are going to have quite a bit of sailing about the world out there as we explore the lighthouse and island that will be close by. That is part of the mission that Will finds himself on in the game, so it would be a little off if none of that played out. Thankfully, the launch of the game and the latest trailer for the release show us all just how much of that we can expect. Let's all have a look at the hidden stories we're going to uncover now that the wait is finally over.

In addition to all of the sailing and other elements that we have to see here in WILL: Follow The Light, the main core of the game will be the narrative we are going to go through. This will be a story between fathers and sons, as it has claimed, and that will all build into the puzzles and other challenges we see as the game progresses forward. Made only worse by the fact that there is a deeper mystery going on with the message that Will received after a disaster stuck his hometown to kick off the events of all of this. So, expect there to be panic and all manner of emotions to come up in the game as we take this journey. A solid little break from the action-packed and gritty titles that are always floating out there, just with the added elements of potentially tugging on heartstrings more than many of us might expect. Have a look at the following trailer for the launch to see if this is going to be one you are also going to set sail with.

Are you excited to set out on the story that we are going to have in WILL: Follow The Light? Will there be more action than we expect in this title? How many sections will we get to ride on the dogsleds in the wilderness? How much of the game will be sailing around and listening to audio logs to uncover the truth? Let's have that discussion in the comment section and hear it all out now that we can experience what the game has to offer. There's not much else to expect from WILL: Follow The Light, that's for sure, but if there's anything new to share, we'll have it up on the site for you. Just watch out for all of that, or follow all of our socials to see when things go live out there. We have so much in the works still, and you'll want to be able to catch all of it as it drops.