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The list of Halo Campaign Evolved changes is quite extensive, ranging from things like completely new missions and weapons that weren't in the original to smart-link aiming, sprinting, and accessibility options. While there are a lot of changes, many of them are quite minor and might not be so obvious if you've not played Halo Combat Evolved that much. So, if you're curious to know exactly what's new and what's different from the original, here are all the changes I've been able to find in Halo Campaign Evolved. New Halo Campaign Evolved features (Image credit: Xbox Game Studios) Halo Campaign Evolved includes several major gameplay features that aren't available in the original game or the Halo Combat Evolved Anniversary remaster in The Master Chief Collection: Operation Meteorite bonus missions: On top of the remade campaign, this remake features three new prequel missions that tell the story of Master Chief and Sergeant Johnson during Operation Meteorite, adding a few more hours to how long it takes to beat Halo Campaign Evolved. Taking place one year before the events of the campaign, this operation sees the duo infiltrate and investigate a Covenant research vessel. Brutes make an exclusive appearance in these missions, wielding Spikers and Brute Plasma Rifles.Campaign Remix: Campaign Remix is a new mode that lets you replay missions with randomized elements, including available weapons, enemy factions, and active Skulls. It is unlocked after you collect any three Skulls.Four-player online co-op: Halo Campaign Evolved is the only way you can officially play some form of Halo 1 with three other players in online co-op. The game also supports crossplay and cross-progression, so you can play with anyone on any platform and even play on any platform without losing progress. You can also play Campaign Evolved in two-player split-screen on consoles only.Difficulty and accessibility settings: The usual Easy, Normal, Heroic, and Legendary difficulty options are still there, but you can also create difficulty presets that adjust things like friendly fire, damage resistance, and shield recharge rate – this is all on top of Skulls too! As for accessibility, there are plenty of changes you can make to the aiming crosshair, HUD, subtitles, input rebinding, and lots more.New Halo Campaign Evolved weapons, vehicles, and enemies (Image credit: Xbox Game Studios) The Halo Combat Evolved sandbox of weapons and vehicles, as well as the array of enemies you'll face, have been considerably expanded for this remake: Expanded weapon sandbox: The Energy Sword, Sentinel Beam, Fuel Rod Gun, SMG, and Needle Rifle have all been added to the main campaign. The Battle Rifle, Brute Plasma Rifle, and Spiker are exclusive to the new bonus missions, and the Needle Rifle is significantly more common in them too.You can drive Wraiths now: The Covenant Wraith tank is now pilotable in some levels, such as Assault on the Control Room. Most vehicles can also be hijacked now, but note that this works both ways, so the Covenant can ******* you right back!Equipment can be stored and used whenever you like: Unlike in the original where Overshields and Active Camo would activate as soon as you pick them up, Campaign Evolved treats them like Halo 3-style equipment pieces that must be deployed with a button press.Jackal snipers have been added (oh god): Jackal snipers are an infamously lethal foe in practically every Halo game except for the first one. Campaign Evolved rectifies this, adding them into plenty of missions.Flood Tank Forms join the fight: The large Tank Form Flood, first seen in Halo 3, appear in Campaign Evolved. They're rare and pose quite a serious threat, similar to a Covenant Hunter.Halo Campaign Evolved gameplay changes (Image credit: Xbox Game Studios) Halo Campaign Evolved also introduces some key gameplay change over the original that mostly serve to modernize the game: Sprint: As in Halo Studios' previous games, Master Chief has a dedicated sprint button in Campaign Evolved, letting him get around the ring a bit faster on foot.Smart-link aiming: While weapons like the Magnum and Sniper Rifle all had scopes in the original game, now Halo Campaign Evolved weapons benefit from some form of aiming thanks to the smart-link system that Halo 5 Guardians introduced. It essentially amounts to a small amount of zoom (usually 1.4x) that helps you more accurately shoot enemies that are slightly further away than is ideal.No health kits: Master Chief's health now regenerates like his shields. The original game's health kits that were necessary for healing Chief are therefore absent in Halo Campaign Evolved.Improved waypoints and objective tracking: Objectives and their markers are now almost always visible on screen, helping you stay on mission and navigate levels more easily. You can adjust how these appear if you find them getting in the way.Slightly redesigned levels: The Library has received the most significant changes to make it easier to navigate and more varied, with new areas and light bridge mechanics. Otherwise, most levels remain almost entirely the same in terms of layout, with some receiving small tweaks. As an example, the Forerunner cave that you drive the Warthog through in Halo no longer has that weird ramp section and is now just one continuous path.Skulls and Terminals: Collectible Skull modifiers and lore-based Terminals weren't in the original game but got added for the Combat Evolved Anniversary remaster. For Campaign Evolved there are even more of them to collect, with 42 Skulls (three per level for a total of 39 plus three Campaign Remix ones) and 13 Terminals (one per level). They're also all in different places compared to the Anniversary remaster, so your memories of those won't help.No PvP multiplayer: As the Campaign Evolved subtitle suggests, this game features only the campaign – no arena multiplayer.Halo Campaign Evolved visual and audio changes (Image credit: Xbox Game Studios) The most obvious change of all over the original is the visual overhaul, but there are plenty of other changes to things like dialogue and cutscenes that might go over your head: Updated graphics: Halo Campaign Evolved is a complete remake of the original Combat Evolved in Unreal Engine 5, so it benefits from the advanced graphical technology of that engine for stunningly rendered photorealistic textures and lighting. But, as I note in my Halo Campaign Evolved review, it does lead to some typical UE5 performance issues.New and altered dialogue and cutscenes: Narratively, Halo Campaign Evolved is the same as the original, but Halo Studios has added and adjusted plenty of dialogue and cutscenes. The new lines are mostly tutorials and explanation from Cortana and other NPCs. Some lines, such as "I don't keep it loaded, son, you'll have to find ammo as you go" from Keyes, and Cortana telling 343 Guilty Spark to "sod off", have been cut, however.The original Chief and Cortana voice actors are back…: Steve Downes and Jen Taylor, who voice Master Chief and Cortana respectively, have re-recorded their lines, including some new ones as mentioned above.…But Captain Keyes and Sergeant Johnson have been recast: Keith Silverstein, who you may know as Torbjorn from Overwatch, now plays Keyes, while Keston John, who stars in Call of Duty ****** Ops 6 and 7 and Yakuza 0 Director's Cut, voices Sergeant Johnson.The Covenant now speak English: Elites have various combat barks in human languages that let you know how fervently they fight for the Prophets and the Covenant. It also sounds like Grunt dialogue from Halo 2 and 3 has been repurposed. Overall, there's a lot less "wort, wort, wort". This Combat Evolved remake is out now in early access but the full Halo Campaign Evolved release time is still to come. In the meantime, make sure you've got your Halo Campaign Evolved pre-load sorted. © GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission. [/url]View the full article

PlayStation has rolled out current-gen updates for every game under the sun, even remaking recent releases like Until Dawn and The Last of Us, and yet Bloodborne has been left to gather dust at the back of the Hunter’s Dream. View the full article

Halo: Campaign Evolved definitely features some major differences from the original game, but if there's one thing that's the same, it's that the Library mission will get players up close and personal with an onslaught of Flood enemies. If you're trying to track down the various Skulls in The Library, it can be a little distracting with the waves of enemies, so be sure to take out as many as possible before you start trying to collect this set. View the full article

Developer World's Edge has seemingly uncanceled an Age of Empires 3: Definitive Edition DLC that it scrapped last year, but all is forgiven since the upcoming Baltic Powers expansion is bringing two new civilizations, over 25 new maps, and so much more on September 10. Early last year, World's Edge said it was canceling an unnamed expansion that it revealed the year prior. The developer felt the project's announcement was "premature," and the team hadn't really built anything proper before sharing its plans with the player base. At the time, we didn't know much about the then-scrapped expansion outside of a tiny hint production director Earnest Yuen gave in 2024 by showing off the flags of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Denmark. (Thanks, PC Gamer!) Who would've guessed? World's Edge have now revealed The Baltic Powers, an expansion that adds both the Kingdom of Denmark-Norway and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth to the game as playable civilizations. While the developer hasn't outright confirmed that The Baltic Powers is, in fact, the same expansion it binned last year, all the signs point in one direction... "The Baltic Powers brings two new civilizations, new Challenge Scenarios, new game modes, more than 25 maps, and over 50 hero customizations," the dev's announcement post reads. "More importantly, it is built around what Age 3 fans value most: new strategic problems to solve, new matchups to learn, new ways to master the map, and new reasons to return for a game they love." The best part? You can try out the Danes and the Poles right now since The Baltic Powers' open beta is available over on Steam. The only other thing to note is that Age of Empire 3: Definitive Edition's free trial is being retired on Steam come August 13. "We're grateful to everyone who discovered Age III through the free trial, invited friends into the community, tried rotating civilizations, and joined the battlefield," the studio notes. Should free trial players want to continue strategizing in-game, then you'll need to buy the full release by next month. In the meantime, here are the best strategy games you can play right now. [/url]View the full article

Razer is on a roll with its new cute releases, from its Pokemon Espeon and Umbreon Collection to its Pikachu and Eevee Collection - but now it's got Sanrio Edition keycaps out in the wild. The new Sanrio Edition Razer Keycap Blind Box set was originally unveiled on Razer's community blog on July 12, 2026, but a new X (Twitter) post now reveals that it's available at Target stores in the US. These keycaps feature five designs of Hello Kitty and friends and can be swapped for your ESC key to inject it with that 'cute and cozy' factor. Only if you're okay with pressing a large replica of Sanrio's top mascot characters over the far easier-to-press original key of your gaming board. Your keyboard's about to get a lot more charming.Every Razer Keycap Blind Box – @Hellokitty and Friends Edition holds one of five beloved @Sanrio characters, with a chance to unbox a secret chrome variant. Pop it on and give your favorite characters a forever keyboard.Now… pic.twitter.com/K8CQqeFbK4July 23, 2026 Cute keycaps aren't exactly a new phenomenon. If you're as chronically online and immersed in the 'cute and cozy' world of gaming builds as I am, you've likely seen plenty of videos of them in the past and have been contemplating adding them to one of the best gaming keyboards you've got in your setup. However, these cute keycaps in particular include the likes of Hello Kitty and my personal favorite Sanrio character, Kuromi, holding real-life Razer tech. While Razer doesn't state exactly what each character has amongst the palm of their paws, I could spot the white model Razer BlackShark V2 Pro that's perched on Cinnamoroll's head from a while away. It also appears that Pompompurin has managed to get his hands on the white model Razer Wolverine V3 controller. It's hard to decipher what laptop Kuromi has her hands on, but I at least hope she's got the Razer Blade 16, which currently sits on our best gaming laptops guide. (Image credit: Sanrio/Razer) Sanrio fans have no shortage of Razer goodies (Image credit: Razer/Sanrio) While the Sanrio Edition keycaps have yet to appear online, you can currently grab the Cinnamoroll Edition Razer Kraken Kitty V2 BT wireless gaming headset, which is now available to pre-order via the official Razer online store for US fans. US: $139.99 at Razer ***: Check stock at Razer These keycaps are designed to fit MX cross-stem switches, which include the likes of the Razer BlackWidow V4 line-up. Their pricing hasn't yet been unveiled so I can't let you know what you can expect to fork out for these cute bling bags. However, if you're heading to a local Target near you to grab a few bags regardless, do make sure to check what board you have first to ensure it's compatible before spending a fortune on these randomized keycaps. Talking of which, as you'd likely already surmised by now, they're available in blind boxes and cannot be purchased as a set. You have your "chance" to unbox one of the five designs and a secret chrome variant, which appears in one out of every 24 boxes, according to Razer. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of blind boxes, as you don't know what you're buying. There's every chance you could end up with just five Kuromi keycaps, and as much as I adore her, there is such a thing as too much Kuromi. If you're in the same boat, you could alternatively grab Razer's Sanrio accessories from its Hello Kitty and Friends lineup starting from $27.99 at Amazon, no blind boxes included. View all Razer Sanrio PC gaming accessories at Target Not a Sanrio fan? Our team has also rounded up the best gaming chairs, the best gaming headsets, and the best gaming mice if you're looking to refresh your PC setup. [/url]View the full article

With Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game now available on PC and PlayStation 5, The Gameplay Group and PM Studios revealed plans to continue updating the game with more features and content. It's a good time to be an Avatar fan, as the franchise is certainly seeing plenty of new content to consume between a new film, an upcoming animated series, and now the highly anticipated game, Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game. View the full article

Storage brands usually start with a standard model and wait a few years to launch a more premium version down the line, but not Samsung. The Samsung 990 Pro has topped our best SSD for gaming guide for as long as I can remember, but now the Samsung 990 SSD has landed long after its premium predecessor. While bizarre, I'm appreciative to see any new drive hit the market. Especially one that provides speeds that aren't too far behind those of its Pro model, which has reached staggering prices in 2026 as a knock-on effect from the RAM Storage Crisis, which is still having its fun with pricing and availability of the best PS5 SSDs and PC drives alike. I'm honestly thankful to see any new storage that's £212.19 / $269.99 (1TB) and £411.99 / $529.99 (2TB) launch prices have yet to be shaken up a notch. That being said, Samsung's newest 990 SSD shouldn't be your top choice if you're after the speediest drive, and if you can manage to find its Pro counterpart at a similar or cheaper price point, which is still achievable if you know where to look. Design (Image credit: Future/Rosalie Newcombe) There isn't anything that really separates this DRAM-less drive from others available today. Much like the Samsung 990 Pro SSD, this is your standard M.2 SSD with an all-****** PCB and some Samsung branding pasted on top so you don't forget what drive you're inserting into your gaming rig. I will note that this model is not yet available with a heatsink, so you don't get access to that swanky cyberpunk-looking red and ****** version which you can grab for the Pro model. However, both drives share the same M.2 2280 form factor, so nothing is stopping you from using it with this SSD, should you have one lying around. Features The 2TB Samsung 990 SD is a PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe M.2 drive available in 1TB and 2TB capacities that utilizes a DRAM-less design that's powered by Samsung's V-NAND and HMB (Host Memory Buffer) tech. It has a 400 endurance rating and comes with a 3 year warrantly. As a DRAM-less SSD, it's not intended to be as speedy as its Pro counterpart, but the line as to what speeds it's meant to be competing with gets a bit blurry. The 2TB model I was provided with for this review states the drive provides read speeds up to 7,000 MB/s. That's all well and good, but meanwhile the official Samsung product page and marketing for the drive state it can achieve sequential read and write speeds up to 7,250 and 6,450 MB/s. I'm going to guess the sticker on the box that was provided to me ahead of release might be a little inaccurate, but I wanted to state it here in case the images of the provided box made matters a bit confusing. Besides its speeds, the 990 is designed to be more efficient and power-savvy than previous models in the 990 lineup. Samsung exclaims that it provides "up to 38% improved performance per Watt" over the 990 Pro and that it can handle large files with ease. The drive and its data can also be managed by Samsung's Magician suite, the brand's proprietary software, which allows you to transfer data and track the health of the latest solid-state drive. Performance After spending some time with our CrystalDiskMark benchmarking tool, it was the box sticker that was closer to the mark for the 2TB capacity model, at least where my testing was concerned. The Gen 4 drive managed to achieve an average 7,094.84 MB/s and 5,851.1 MB/s read and write speeds after being put through a series of four tests. This is not quite the 7,250 and 6,450 MB/s as found on the Samsung website and not enough to take the 990 Pro down a peg, but it's still pretty impressive. Let's not forget, the 990 Pro achieved 7,462MB/s reads and 6,877MB/s writes during our older review, so I'd assume this DRAM-less release would be far, far behind its more premium counterpart instead. Read speed (MB/s) Write speed (MB/s) Test 1 7,111.25 5,830.20 Test 2 7,104.49 5,876.95 Test 3 7,101.11 5,850.22 Test 4 7,062.51 5,847.03 Results (average MB/s) 7,094.84 5,851.1 As always, speeds need to be put to practice, so I dug out some of my favorite PC games to see what the 990 was truly capable of. There's only so much that numbers on a screen can tell you. My favorite team-based hero shooter, Marvel Rivals, loaded up in an average of 38.13 seconds (over a ******* of three tests) from its launch menu to its start screen. I was pretty happy about that, as Season 9 just recently dropped and the sooner I can get into the game and work my way through the new battle pass, the better. In comparison, the game loaded to its start screen in 39.5 seconds from the onboard PNY CS1030 drive of my testing rig, so there was a tiny improvement - though it was not all that noticeable in practice. Counter-Strike 2 loaded in an average of 26.80 seconds on the 990 SSD, which was a few seconds behind my rig's onboard PNY drive. It was a similar case for Dispatch, which loaded to its start screen at an average of 17.11 seconds compared to the PNY drive's 15.21 seconds. Of course, as I was using a stopwatch to time each game, it wasn't an exact science, so there should be a little margin of error to take into consideration. Either way, I had no issue bouncing into a variety of my go-to PC games practically as fast as I'm used to, and the SSD didn't falter or have any issues throughout the entirety of my testing time. On-board storage load time 990 SSD load time Marvel Rivals 39.5 seconds 38.13 seconds Counter Strike 2 22.99 seconds 26.80 seconds Dispatch 15.21 seconds 17.11 seconds When it came to actually running Marvel Rivals off the 990 SSD, the drive continued to thrive. These days, there's a lot of on-screen clutter now that we've got characters like Jubilee setting off a barrage of fireworks and bright lights everywhere, so I was more concerned about my graphics card giving up the ghost than this SSD. Yet, after many hours of matches under my belt, Samsung's 990 kept chugging along just fine, and I didn't notice any dramatic difference whether I was rumaging through the various event screens or trying to get to the character select screen to select my main, Invisible Woman, as soon as possible. During testing, I regrettably did not have a DC meter to check the temperature of the drive. Yet after a few check-ins throughout my time loading up games and spending far too many hours diving back in Marvel Rivals, Windows 11 informed me that the 990 SSD sat around the 48-degree mark. Should you buy the Samsung 990 SSD? (Image credit: Future/Rosalie Newcombe) Recommending SSDs in this day and age is tricky. While there are still plenty of impressive drives to go around, and the 2TB Samsung 990 counts as one of those in my eyes, but it's pricing leaves a little to be desired. The Samsung 990 SSD launched for £411.99 / $529.99, which is a lot to pay for a little bit of extra storage. Especially when you consider that the 2TB 990 Pro originally launched for $309. That's a little over a $220 difference in just a few years, and without jynxing the situation, I fully expect the 990 SSD to rise from its $529.9 MSRP in the future if current SSD prices are anything to go by. (Thanks RAM Storage Crisis.) That being said, as of the time of this review, its price thankfully hasn't shifted. This is where I'd usually recommend you grab it now before stock is all gobbled up and gone for good, but you can grab alternatives like the WD_Black SN7100 for just $289.99 at Amazon, and even the 2TB 990 Pro is down to $389.99 at Amazon. If you're browsing retailers at a time when its Pro counterpart is bouncing between eye-watering prices, and yet the Samsung 990 SSD is still at its original price? Then I'd absolutely recommend you grab it to give your PC a boost. However, if luck is on your side and the same-capacity 990 Pro is the same price or even cheaper, you might as well still go for the more premium (and faster) option, even if the speed difference is only marginally higher than this DRAM-less drive. How I tested the Samsung 990 SSD As with all of the SSDs that come past my testing bench, I put the Samsung 990 through its paces by hooking it up to the M.2 drive of my testing PC, and running it through the benchmarking tool CrystalDiskMark. With it, I ran the drive through a series of four tests and calculated an average from those speeds. That average was then compared to its advertised on-the-box speeds. Additionally, I downloaded titles like Marvel Rivals, Counter-Strike 2, and Dispatch t via Steam and timed how long it took to load to their respective start screens and compared this to past SSDs that I've tested so far. To read more about the ways we test SSDs and the rest of our gaming tech, have a look at how we test SSDs and our hardware policy. Check out our guides to the best SSDs for PS5, the best PS5 external hard drive, and the best Xbox Series X hard drive if your gaming platform of choice could use a little boost. [/url]View the full article

The full card list for upcoming Pokémon set Storm Emeralda was just revealed, showing us the Japanese versions of every card in the English Delta Reign set. While collectors will have to wait a while longer to see all the SIR and IR treatments that make mouths water and packs fly off the shelves, we do now know all 76 of the main set cards. Read the full story on Wargamer: Pokémon TCG's Storm Emeralda set just dropped its full card list, and Kyogre and Groudon look sweet View the full article

Ubisoft has just confirmed that Assassin's Creed ****** Flag Resynced has reached another impressive milestone, with the remake selling over 3.5 million copies in its first 14 days on store shelves. This confirmation comes via a recently published Ubisoft earnings report, which heavily praises Assassin's Creed ****** Flag Resynced's launch and claims that other Ubisoft titles have "performed in line with expectations." View the full article

A fun looking sci-fi solo / co-op roguelike with fully destructible environments, Weather the Swarm set to release in 2027. Read the full article here: [Hidden Content] View the full article

Halo: Campaign Evolved has finally arrived, and players will quickly find out that the main differences from the original game in terms of gameplay mechanics come in the form of collectible Skulls. There are 42 total Skulls in the new Halo remake, with three on every Mission and Bonus Mission, as well as three that automatically unlock. View the full article

Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls’ open beta just kicked off, but PC players are reporting “inexcusable” performance issues and stuttering, even on powerful rigs. View the full article

Nintendo has shared a new Xenoblade Chronicles 2 – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition overview trailer. View the full article

Hideo Kojima still wants to go to space, but for now he's going to keep making games, and he says that's a good thing. Metal Gear Solid creator Kojima really hasn't kept it quiet that one day he wants to go to space, so much so that Valve boss Gabe Newell tried to set Kojima up with a tour of SpaceX. Over on Twitter, Kojima recently posted a video of his comments during a panel at Il Cinema in Piazza – a film festival in Rome – where he explains (translated by Genki_JPN) his current thoughts about his space travel aspirations. "I want to share this with all of you: We all want to make our dreams come true, right?" he begins. And obviously he isn't talking about his dreams with "voluptuous nude women," reanimated "decomposing bodies," and a very impolite coach, as he explains, "I want to go to space and I want to make a movie." However, he adds, "it wouldn't be good if those dreams just came true." Hideo Kojima says his dream is to go to space, but for now he wants to keep on making video games!"I want to share this with all of you: We all want to make our dreams come true, right?Take me for example, I want to go to space and I want to make a movie etc. Those are… pic.twitter.com/F7Wz3L81XQJuly 24, 2026 "That's because dreams are goals," Kojima explains, "The idea is to achieve the second, third, and fourth dreams along the way before reaching your ultimate dream." He adds that "for the time being, I think I'll keep on making games without going to space." I would say perhaps he can go to space once he retires from creating games (although he said he has no plans to retire). However, at that same event, he also said he wants to die in a movie theater, preferably just after the trailers, so unless they build theaters in space, he's probably going to have to come back to Earth at some point. The original Metal Gear Solid is free to play on Steam this weekend as Konami gears up for Master Collection Volume 2. [/url]View the full article

This Disgaea spinoff takes an action RPG twist on the usual tactical stylings. View the full article

That was fast? 007 First Light only released back at the end of May, and it appears that Denuvo Anti-Tamper DRM has now been removed. Read the full article here: [Hidden Content] View the full article

Halo: Campaign Evolved strongly hints that another Halo remake could be on the way. Rumors have been swirling for a while that Halo Studios is planning to remake Master Chief's entire original trilogy – Halo CE, Halo 2, and Halo 3 – in the same style as its newly-released revamp, Halo: Campaign Evolved. That means yes to sprint, no to multiplayer, and sweeping changes to the rest of the game (new levels, weapons, updated visuals, etc.) For anyone crossing their fingers for Halo 2 and Halo 3 to get the same treatment, good news! Halo: Campaign Evolved rather explicitly pours fuel over the fire of those rumors in its secret ending, unlocked by completing the game on Legendary difficulty. (Don't worry, there's no hard spoilers here.) Finishing the fight on the game's toughest difficulty rewards you with an alternative ending that's surprisingly different to Bungie's 2001 shooter. The part that's important here is a line uttered by our good old Sergeant Avery Johnson, who caps off the entire game with: "See you in the sequel!" While that's not hard confirmation of a Halo 2 remake in itself, the implication is crystal clear since an inevitable Halo 7 isn't exactly a sequel to Halo: Campaign Evolved, and I doubt HD Johnson is telling folks to go back and play the original Halo 2 after the series' latest remake. Halo 2 has also actually been remade once before in Halo 2 Anniversary, which came bundled with The Master Chief Collection, but that was the case with the series' first game too, so it's not exactly a deal breaker for Xbox Game Studios. The iconic Xbox sequel was also infamously a victim of a turbulent development cycle that left tons of content on the cutting room floor. The "finishing this fight" line became so recognizable in the first place because Master Chief did not, in fact, finish the fight until an entire game later when Halo 2's cliffhanger ending was finally resolved. My point is, Halo 2 perhaps stands to benefit more than its older sibling should it get another, more comprehensive remake. It's also worth nothing that Halo 2 Anniversary was beholden to the source material's exact level layout since you could switch between both graphical options on the fly – a Campaign Evolved-style remake would presumably allow for more dramatic changes. Our Halo: Campaign Evolved review calls it a "faithful remake of the 2001 classic that highlights exactly why the original Halo holds up so well 25 years later," even though Halo Studios could've done more to put its own spin on the classic game. Halo 3's final mission could have been a flying banshee scene inspired by Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. [/url]View the full article

It would be easy to forget amid the whirlwind of Palworld 1.0 coming out just two weeks ago that Pocketpair handles other games as well. The latest indie project to emerge from the publisher is an island-builder that looks both incredibly clever and like it'll completely absorb all your time given half a chance. The game in question is known as Clicky Islands, it's got an easy, pixelated aesthetic, and it comes from a pair of Polish developers known as Karrot Games. Pocketpair shares a new look at the release, which merges town management, clicker mechanics and the satisfaction of watching your creation gradually become autonomous. "It's a really fun mix of clicker, incremental, automation and town building!" John 'Bucky' Buckley, head of communications and publishing at Pocketpair, says on Twitter. "It is, I promise, very addictive!" [Hidden Content] He would say that, but he also points towards a new demo on Steam on the back of Pocketpair distributing the game, and I can tell you, there's definitely something here. Even after just a few minutes of playing, I could feel myself getting sucked in, which is a good sign for anything. My first impressions were brief, but I'm immediately taken by just how quickly Clicky Islands gets you moving. The early game of city builders can be a little slow, as you're guided through all the menus and mechanics, but this is much more about just, well, clicking around and seeing how you go. The use of Factorio-type automation for how your civilization operates makes it immensely satisfying. The clicker elements push you to make quick decisions too. I eagerly await more, and the full version is set for this year at some point. Palworld lead promises "you will always be able to play" Pocketpair's survival game: "Why would you assume it had an 'end of service?'" [/url]View the full article

The highly rated Steam app Beam Eye Tracker just recently released a public Beta for their impressive looking eye-tracking app for gaming. Read the full article here: [Hidden Content] View the full article

We have the dates and details for a new Hell Let Loose Vietnam playtest, including what to expect with the new, more open airfield map. Read the full story on PCGamesN: Hell Let Loose Vietnam is holding an open playtest this weekend, with a new map to boot View the full article

Daybreak Game Company and Cold Iron Studios, in collaboration with 20th Century Games, have announced Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2, the sequel to the cooperative third-person survival shooter set within the Alien universe, will launch worldwide on August 25 for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Epic Games Store, and Steam. According to a press release, Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 drops up to four players into the boots of Colonial Marines deployed to the most hostile corners of the Alien universe. This is not a rescue mission – it’s a fight for survival. Xenomorphs stalk the corridors, ambush from the shadows, and swarm in overwhelming numbers. Players will need to coordinate with a fireteam, leverage each class’s unique abilities, and adapt on the fly as encounters escalate from tense standoffs to all-out war. The press release states that the game will feature deeper squad mechanics, smarter enemies, and a fully customizable Specialist class, AFE2 delivers the definitive co-op Aliens experience. Image credit: Daybreak Game Company / Cold Iron Studios The Digital Standard Edition of Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 will be available August 25 on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Epic Games Store, and Steam for SRP $49.99. Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 – 40th Anniversary Premium Edition will be available simultaneously across those platforms for SRP $69.99. The 40th Anniversary Premium Edition includes the base game and the following DLC that draws from the broader Alien universe. The DLC content is also available on August 25, 2026 as a $19.99 Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 – 40th Anniversary Premium Edition Upgrade for players who purchased the Digital Standard Edition. Ripley’s Hive Exterminator Pack includes an exclusive cosmetic outfit themed to Ellen Ripley’s appearance near the dramatic climax of 1986’s blockbuster masterpiece, Aliens. All player-created characters can wear the outfit, adding a visual homage to one of cinema’s most iconic characters. Players can also exclusively wield Ripley’s modified pulse rifle, featuring a fiery surprise and further customize their marine with exclusive decals and more. Herk Mondo’s Pest Pack draws inspiration from the over-the-top comic-book hero. It includes an appropriately wild outfit, perfect for taking on xenomorphic threats – and anything else that gets in the way of the thrill-seeking badass. It also includes an exclusive weapon, Herk Mondo’s massive, modified pulse rifle and a host of decals and other elements to make customizable characters stand apart from the pack. Additionally, Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 players can bring Alien: Romulus to AFE2 via the Rain’s Jackson’s Star Pack, available to all editions on August 25 for $9.99. The pack includes an outfit based on Rain Carradine, the protagonist from the 2024 film. It also includes Rain’s specially modified pulse rifle, featuring a deadly cryoweapon as an underbarrel bonus. It’s an effective way to immobilize (and shatter) rampaging enemies, highlighting AFE2’s new element-based weapon mods. Players can also further customize their marine with a variety of special decals and enhancements. The post Daybreak Game Company and Cold Iron Studios confirm Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 release date appeared first on GamesBeat. View the full article

Ahead of Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Volume 2 releasing next month, Konami is letting everyone play Metal Gear Solid for free this weekend. 2026 has been a landmark year for those of us who are still obsessed with the year 1998. Spyro is getting a new entry, Resident Evil Requiem felt like as much of a sequel to Resident Evil 2 as anything else, Pokemon Gen 1 returned, and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is set to get a remake releasing later this year. So, not to be outdone, Konami decided to remind everyone what the real best game of 1998 was, and is letting everyone play Metal Gear Solid. Over on Steam, the Master Collection Volume 1 edition of 1998's Metal Gear Solid is free to play for anyone right now, which grants you access to the PS1 classic, as well as its expansion pack Metal Gear Solid VR / Special Missions, and the Japanese exclusive Integral. On top of that there's a full screenplay and "Master Book" which features artwork, character bios, a series timeline and the like. This free weekend also arrives alongside Metal Gear Solid Master Collection's deepest Steam discount to date at £24.99 | $29.99 (which it's only been at twice before in the previous two Steam Summer Sales). The best part of this deal, however, is that Metal Gear Solid is not really all that long. You could absolutely beat the entire game as part of this free weekend and experience one of the all-time greats free of charge Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol 2 brings 4K 60fps to MGS4 and Peace Walker, Konami announces, but Switch 1 still gets saddled with 30fps. [/url]View the full article

A brand-new open-world anime game launched on Steam late on July 22, and it has already gathered a very strong review rating from 500+ players on the platform. Overall, for fans of anime, open-world games, or games like Genshin Impact, this is something new on Steam to check out. View the full article

A World of Warcraft game master has been fired from Blizzard Entertainment after the community caught them using "development-only spells" to help their friends breeze through a dungeon and instantly wipe two bosses. Essentially, they were caught helping some mates cheat. The cheating scandal first came to light earlier this week when a couple of Reddit users shared evidence that a game master had used insta-kill abilities usually reserved for Blizzard employees to demolish at least two bosses. A player from the group all but spelled out the situation in a stream with Yumytv, too: "I go to my GM friend and I'm like bro please can you do me a solid? This thing has 20 million [health] bro, can you please just one-shot it?" Things sort of escalated from there, with the community wondering how commonplace incidents like this were. "Now you know it exists, therefore the pandora's box is wide open," one Redditor writes. "Which make you question a lot of stuff." Were secret GMs all around, helping their pals achieve titles and record runs? As PC Gamer reports, Blizzard has now investigated the incident, fired the employee responsible, and assured folks that GMs aren't regularly manipulating games in secret. "As we mentioned, we internally monitored and confirmed a recent incident in which a World of Warcraft group gained an unfair advantage by abuse of access to development-only spells on a live realm," community manager ****** 'Kaivax' Jordan writes in a recent forum post. "Our tools confirmed what was also surfaced in community discussions, and we have investigated the incident carefully. We can confirm that this was the action of a single Blizzard employee, in violation of our Code of Conduct. This employee is no longer with the company effective immediately. We are also taking action against the player accounts that were complicit in this violation. "It has always been the case that a small number of Blizzard employees can use developer tools and spells on live servers: this lets us test and make urgent fixes to the live game when they’re needed," Kaivax explains. "Every use of these internal spells and commands on live realms is logged and shared with our Platform Security team to help ensure that the occasional use of this access is warranted. The use of development tools for anything other than development work is against company policy. It's because of the process we have in place around use of these tools that we're confident this incident was isolated to one individual." The community manager than thanks everyone who brought the information to light, alongside community-led sites. "When your findings line up with ours, it helps confirm that our own tools are catching what they should, and we're grateful for the way we work alongside you all to protect the game and each other." "You'll never get another World of Warcraft or Morrowind in the current climate," id Software producer says as constant layoffs batter the industry. [/url]View the full article

A panel will be held during San Diego Comic **** on July 25, where Bit Reactor and voice actors will discuss working on the upcoming game. View the full article