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MindsEye From Ex-GTA Producer Is A Day-One Car Wreck [Update]MindsEye is the first new game from longtime Grand Theft Auto producer Leslie Benzies and his studio Build A Rocket Boy, and it’s not going well. After tons of pre-launch red flags, the techno thriller shooter is now out in the wild and suffering all the day-one woes: bugs, poor optimization on PC, and underlying… Read more...

KotakuJun 11

There’s Nothing Wrong With the Switch 2 Launch Games Library Whenever a new system launches , debates also ensue about if it’s worth buying right away. Partially due to the quality of the console itself. But the titles that launch alongside it can also make or break a debut. While the Switch 2 launch library might not seem as exciting in some ways, I think it ended up being a really solid collection of games you can play for weeks , months, and in the case of some years to come. One criticism going in to the Switch 2 is the flagship launch title is Mario Kart World . As of March 31, 2025, the Nintendo IR site noted Mario Kart 8 Deluxe sold over 68.2 million units on Switch 2, Mario Kart 8 sold 8.46 million on Wii U, Mario Kart Wii sold 37.38 million on Wii, Mario Kart 7 sold 18.99 million on 3DS, and Mario Kart DS ended up at 23.6 million on DS. Financially, it makes sense. Over multiple console and handheld generations, we see the demand at a glance. Also, given what happened with the Switch installment and room for growth, I think we’ll absolutely see a Booster Course Pass or some other sort of ongoing update schedule. This is the company coming in with a title that will be huge at launch, enjoyed alone or with others, and probably supported for a few years. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QeqO0kFz-E Next is that we actually do have some entirely “new” launch window games for the Switch 2 that add incredibly lengthy experiences to the library. I played Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma . That could easily be a 30-40 hour game just from the campaign and before you get into the daily life, find a partner and settle down, enjoy the post-game with a virtual family experience. Moreover, the Switch 2 experience even without the upgrade pack is making me reconsider only giving it an 8 when I wrote the Switch review, because it’s closer to a 9 on the new system. Deltarune Chapters 3 & 4 is something I’m going through now, and it’s also a solid commitment. FAST Fusion ended up being a great budget racer in the series with a lot of replayability and, honestly, the kind of challenge is that is sort of missing in Mario Kart World single-player sometimes. While I’m sure it won’t be game of the year material, Tamagotchi Plaza is going to fill that launch minigame collection hole that folks invest in when they want something silly and short to play with others. Even though Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time came out on other platforms a bit ahead of Switch 2, this is a 10/10 game that makes you feel like you’re only scratching the surface after 100 hours. It’s a huge “get” for a new console. Besides, we also need to consider the value of the HD remasters and definitive editions of games coming to the Switch 2 at launch. While these are returning titles, I think three are exceptionally valuable here. Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster is an updated release of one of the most creative JRPGs Square Enix released in the last 10 years, and it is still absolutely captivating. It looks fantastic with the updated graphics. The single-screen version works great! Yakuza 0: Director’s Cut ’s extra story and multiplayer modes are pleasant extras for what I consider my favorite entry in the series. (The story is so much fun.) Raidou Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army is going to bring an underrated Shin Megami Tensei spin-off to modern systems for the first time so soon and, as I said in my preview , it’s a wonderful game that deserves this second change at a wider audience. Even the bad games in the Switch 2 launch library offer their own type of value. Survival Kids isn’t a good Lost in Blue installment, but it is the type of title adults or older kids could play with younger children to get them adjusted to the console. It’s also one of the first examples of the GameShare mechanic, offering a bit of a proof of concept to show how sharing one game among multiple local consoles could work in a low-stress, no-consequence environment. Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour isn’t all that much fun and should have been either $5 or free, but it does offer a lot of insights into why the company made certain design decisions via quizzes and tech demo minigame examples. Image via Marvelous Image via CD Projekt Red Image via Sega As for the ports, they represent a really well-rounded bunch of genres. Whenever a new Nintendo console or handheld’s shown up, it’s often been accompanied by versions of titles that past systems couldn’t. With the Switch 2 launch games, we are both seeing that and getting titles that might’ve had issues on other handhelds like a Steam Deck getting a specific version tailored to this type of experience. Street Fighter 6: Years 1-2 Fighters Edition does that! It looks fantastic, even with compromises. Plus, it involved the motion control mode that could provide a workout. Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition is something of a wonder. It runs way better than I expected. Sid Meier's Civilization VII - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition fits the bill with integrated mouse controls. And, like many of the new titles, they’re lengthy games that take up dozens of hours. I’d even consider all of the upgrade pack games valuable members of the Switch 2 launch library. In each case, titles are running better than ever. For those who might’ve skipped the Switch 2, it’s a wealth of proven games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild or Tears of the Kingdom , Pokemon Scarlet and Violet , Super Mario Odyssey, and Xenoblade Chronicles 3 that will work better than before. With upcoming paid expansions for Kirby and the Forgotten Land and Super Mario Party Jamboree , it’s adding major content updates with more to do. These are opportunities to maybe see how great games become even more wonderful with added power and adjustments behind them. The Switch 2 launch library is packed with great games. There might not be as many first-party endeavors immediately available, beyond Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bananza, and Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour , but every other element is filled with lengthy, well-executed, and meaningful games that showcase the system’s capabilities and could keep us occupied for hundreds of hours. The Switch 2 is available now worldwide. The post There’s Nothing Wrong With the Switch 2 Launch Games Library appeared first on Siliconera .

SiliconeraJun 11

Survive deadly foes and vicious dinosaurs in the updated Steam Next Fest demo for FerociousTake a trip to Ferocious’ isle, loaded with hostile mercenaries, and a flora and fauna that’s decidedly jurassic in theme. It’s a dino crisis! There are a few classic properties that immediately sprung to mind when we saw the new trailer for Ferocious. A game that was not on our radar til now (somehow), tinyBuild … The post Survive deadly foes and vicious dinosaurs in the updated Steam Next Fest demo for Ferocious appeared first on BrutalGamer .

BrutalGamerJun 10

Slice and dice through Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound’s new demoUpcoming 2D hack ‘n’ slash Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound has a brand new PC demo to try this week, as a part of Steam Next Fest. Limited time ninjitsu One of the more exciting side-scrollers coming up, Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound takes the classic action property back to its roots for a ninja-hacking, demon-slashing 2D adventure. Leaving … The post Slice and dice through Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound’s new demo appeared first on BrutalGamer .

BrutalGamerJun 10

Review: Kabuto Park Can Be a Simple Bug-Catching Sim Kabuto Park attempts to capture a moment. It’s summer. You’re a kid. You have no responsibilities and very little supervision. There are bugs everywhere, but they’re friends and not fearsome. All of this makes for a perfect opportunity to obsess over the little critters and share them with your friends. While the result is a game that’s a bit short and is best played in small doses due to a simple gameplay loop, finding these little guys is still quite pleasant. You’re a young child who is about to enjoy 30 days of summer vacation. How? By catching bugs. Your new friend Midori kicks off August by introducing you to the joys of exploring places like a farm, a lake, a forest, and a swamp to find unusual critters. Once you do, you can level them up and battle them in a big tournament for cash and candy. Why? Well, it’s a way to spend some time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORNPGBfcHXQ&ab_channel=WholesomeGames Kabuto Park is an incredibly simple bug-catching sim. You start out with access to one area, then need to participate in battles in the tournament to earn enough money to upgrade the boots and reach new spaces. Catching involves a timing-based system, during which pressing the confirm button on a blue patch lets you move closer for increased green area catching opportunities. You start out being able to catch two bugs per area, with a tool upgrade increasing that, but since time doesn’t pass until you compete in that day’s tournament battle and there are only a handful of spots to search in each location, it’s not really worth investing in anything beyond a boots to reach new spots and guide to increase odds of encountering uncommon and rare bugs. Catching and battling are also rather breezy affairs. So while you can pay in-game coins for Honey to increase the green patches during a moment when you find a bug, I didn’t really find that necessary. As for battling, you basically watch as your team of three bugs pushes up against an opponent’s trio. The goal is for one side to push the other out of the “ring,” with the cards in the deck adding skills that can be supportive, defensive, or offensive. However, since you can see the opponent’s stats right away, it is easy to just… overpower them and win. Especially since there are certain bugs that are extremely OP, catching repeats of bugs means you can “sell” them for candy used to level ones you own up, and the early game bugs can be as good as endgame ones depending on your cards and moveset. For example, a Goliath Beetle is ridiculously strong, has a temporary buff card that keeps the team from being pushed back, and owns an incredible Overcharged Kick attack card. But then, all the rare bugs I found seemed to possess the best sorts of movesets and stats. Even if I tried to experiment with a Wind-based card deck, it just wasn’t worth it to deviate from my other lineup. Screenshots by Siliconera Easiness aside, I will note that another issue is that Kabuto Park doesn’t feel exactly perfect on a handheld gaming PC like a Steam Deck or Lenovo Legion Go. It isn’t optimized for a control scheme that only uses a controller. The mouse sensitivity and speed is too high, so it’s incredibly easy to overshoot with the cursor when browsing menus or making selections. Using the touchscreen is an option, but then there are some inputs where just tapping isn’t enough and you then need to press the A button to confirm the actions. I will say the fact that it is short, affordable, and easy meant I found it easy to appreciate other elements. The bug designs are quite cute. They’re stylized, but still recognizable. Especially with certain ones like an Orchid Mantis. I could use bugs I really liked or found strong, since they do remain viable for a long time. There are shiny bugs, just like there are shiny Pokemon, which incentivized the whole catching process and made me want to return to areas where I’d already found every critter. Also, while it can get a little repetitive, the fact that it is brief helps keep it from getting tedious. Kabuto Park feels like the type of game you play for about 15-20 minutes every day for a week when you need to take a minute to relax. It’s never taxing. The challenge is minimal. The bugs are cute. I doubt anyone will spend longer than a few hours 100%-ing it, but it’s enjoyable in moderation. Kabuto Park is available for PCs. The post Review: Kabuto Park Can Be a Simple Bug-Catching Sim appeared first on Siliconera .

SiliconeraJun 8

Instants Scrapbooking Game Relies on Context Clues and Logic Unpacking set something of a trend with cozy puzzle games by offering ambient storytelling as we engaged in activities, and Instants builds on that in a similar way by adding scrapbooking to the mix. We’re organizing things yet again. However, this time it involves logic puzzles that requiring finding the correct order of events for images to create a chronologically correct scrapbook. How much you get out of the experience depends on the investment you put into it. While Unpacking leaves character identities and finer details up in the air, we’re more certain of who we are and what’s going on in the puzzle game Instants . Our character enjoys making scrapbooks. Family and friends come to us to create collections based on supplied images, postcards, and memories. We can check and see who the “cast” involved are. It’s also possible to read cards and the backs of pictures for additional details. In each case, we need to put everything together to commemorate special moments. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jqQYZsy_XE&ab_channel=Endflame If you want to go through Instants rather quickly, it is absolutely possible by ignoring the decoration element of the scrapbooking game. After all, it involves just dumping pictures in proper chronological places. Someone just in it for the logic puzzles can sometimes jam in all the pictures onto two or four pages without any additional decoration or fanfare. As you do, you’ll see lines appear that dictate accuracy in your recording. Green ones show the proper order is maintained. Any color other than green is an alert that you’ve gotten things mixed up and need to swap things around to ensure the pacing is preserved. Order goes from upper left to bottom right, so people putting four photos or items on a page will need to put the first in the upper left corner, the second in the upper right, the third in the bottom left, and fourth in the bottom right, and so on. From what I saw, Instants is very good at determining accuracy, just like Unpacking was with items, so I never had an issue when arranging items. Also, the Steam Deck and handheld gaming PCs are supported, so it’s easy to play on the go. Images via Endflame However, I think Instants is a game best played by someone who has a lot of free time and genuinely enjoys scrapbooking and organizing photo albums. There are a lot of creative elements for decorating and labeling pictures in the album. The assignments tend to involve special moments, families, or occasions. As such, it really leans into trying to go all out and have fun with it. Since I went through it for a playtest, I couldn’t take that type of time with it. But I actually am going back through it at a much slower pace, which is the ideal way to play, and genuinely having fun decorating the virtual books. Instants takes the same sort of puzzle approach as indie darling Unpacking , and it works for this cozy game! Someone in it for the challenge can speed through, taking in visual and written clues to find right answers. People who want to take their time and absorb themselves in the simulation can ease into it. Especially since there are a lot of decorative elements and you aren’t limited by number of pages. It’s quite pleasant and offers a peek into people’s lives. Instants is available on the Switch and PC via Steam . The post Instants Scrapbooking Game Relies on Context Clues and Logic appeared first on Siliconera .

SiliconeraJun 8

Fans Desperate For Half-Life 3 Are Tracking Gabe Newell's Superyacht In Hopes Of Manifesting A Summer Game Fest MiracleNot-E3 is in full swing today with Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest Live showcase scheduled for the evening of June 6. No one but the Game Awards host and his close circle of confidants and business partners knows what will be announced during the event, but fans are once again praying for the impossible as fanatics… Read more...

KotakuJun 6

Get Every Borderlands Game And All The DLC For Only $35 On SteamIn September, Borderlands 4 —the next main entry in the popular first-person looter-shooter series—launches on consoles and PC. As a Borderlands sicko, I’m very excited. And if you’ve been wanting to replay the older games or check out some of the spin-offs or DLC you might have missed over the years, a new Steam sale… Read more...

KotakuJun 5

PSO2 New Genesis Sonic the Hedgehog Style Heroines Debut Sega announced Phantasy Star Online 2 is celebrating Sonic the Hedgehog again for his 34th anniversary, and this time it involves a Sonic Style Heroines AC Scratch Ticket in PSO2 New Genesis . It launched alongside Special Training quests involving Sonic and Shadow, a Sonic Collab SP Scratch, decorations in Central City, and a paid Sonic Collab: Suits/C-Space Pack. The PSO2 New Genesis AC Scratch Ticket: Sonic Style Heroines debuted first on June 4, 2025. The three main highlights are the Fashion Items Aina’s Sonic Outfit, Manon’s Shadow Outfit, and Nadereh’s Tails Outfit. The Sonic pieces are available as Sonic Apparel T1 [Se], Sonic Apparel T1/B [Se], Sonic Apparel T2 [Se], Sonic Apparel T2/B [Se], Sonic Apparel Hood, and Sonic Apparel Beret. The Shadow ones are Shadow Apparel T1 [Se], Shadow Apparel T1/B [Se], Shadow Apparel T2 [Se], Shadow Apparel T2/B [Se], Doom Wing, Shadow Apparel Veil, and Shadow Apparel Headband. The only Tails items are Tails Apparel T2 [Ba], Tails Apparel T2/B [Ba], and Tails Apparel Visor. There are some themed MTN emotes in the set and other cosmetics. Here are the three pieces of concept art for the Sonic Heroines outfits based on the clothes Aina, Manon, and Nadereh wore in PSO2 New Genesis. Images via Sega And here are in-game screenshots: Images via Sega As for the Sonic Collab: Suits/C-Space Pack, that costs $9.99 . It will debut on June 6, 2025. We could buy it at the AC Shop, though people could also go through the Microsoft Store, PlayStation Store, or distribution clients like Epic and Steam. This gives the Sonic Head and Sonic Costume [SE] for a character to wear. A number of other items are included as decorations, which are listed below: BP: Sonic - Block (x1) BP: Sonic - Floor (x1) BP: Sonic - Loop (x1) BP: Sonic - Palm Tree (x1) BP: Sonic - Sunflower (x1) BP: Sonic - Ring (x1) BP: Sonic - Spring (x1) BP: Sonic - Dash Ring (x1) BP: Sonic - Sonic Statue (x1) BP: Sonic - Tails Statue (x1) BP: Sonic - Knuckles Statue (x1) BP: Sonic - Amy Statue (x1) CS: Sonic - Eggman Statue (x1) N-Augmentation Success Rate +30% (x1) N-EX EXP Earned +50% (x3) N-Rare Drop Rate +50% (x2) Premium Set (15 Days) (x1) Salon Free Pass (x1) There’s also a teaser screenshot of those additions, which you can see below: Image via Sega Finally, as a reminder, here’s how Central City looks in-game, for a limited time, and some of the Sonic Collab SP Scratch items. These all show up starting on June 18, 2025. Statues of characters like Sonic, Shadow, Amy Rose, Tails, Knuckles, and Eggman all appear. As for the SP Scratch, it features Sonic-inspired armor and Chaos Emeralds. Meanwhile, the Special Training: Sonic Sprint and Special Training: Shadow Sprint quest screenshots show how we’ll collect rings and fight themed foes. Images via Sega A lot of these Sonic the Hedgehog elements can also be seen in the June 2025 Update Information trailer for PSO2 New Genesis . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDt0Cpp9-LU&ab_channel=PhantasyStarOnline2NewGenesis-Global This isn’t the first time we’ve seen Sonic in the MMORPG. He often makes cameo appearances, with one of those being in 2023 . Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis is available to play on the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC. The post PSO2 New Genesis Sonic the Hedgehog Style Heroines Debut appeared first on Siliconera .

SiliconeraJun 4

Steam DB Reported Hollow Knight: Silksong PC Data ChangesSteam DB noted there's been activity surrounding the PC version of Hollow Knight Silksong that will launch on Steam.

SiliconeraJun 3