Game Freak's new action RPG is valuable because it cannot be mistaken for Pokémon. A different scale, tone, and combat language can reveal strengths hidden by one defining franchise.
Rebel Wolves says sales are secondary to making the RPG it believes in. That creative priority is healthy, provided ambition is matched by disciplined scope and honest production.
Subscription catalogs are at their best when they create a second launch for a game that was easy to overlook. Rise of the Ronin is a better argument for PS Plus than another day-one content race.
Spirit Vale's July 15 Early Access launch drew a surge of negative Steam reviews as servers, portals, waypoints, and skills failed. Its rapid hotfixes now matter more than the launch label.
Cyberpunk 2077 just crossed 40 million copies sold and CD Projekt is celebrating a historic comeback. As a betrayed 2020 preorder buyer, I'm floored by the ray tracing and still unconvinced Night City ever got a soul.
One year after launch, Elden Ring Nightreign still holds a player base rivaling Elden Ring itself, yet FromSoftware has gone silent on its future. A bittersweet anniversary.
