Games

The new Pokémon game, *Pokémon Legends: Z-A*, is launching on October 16th for both the Switch and the upcoming Switch 2. Today, The Pokémon Company also revealed that a special free Pokémon will be available to celebrate the launch. According to the Pokémon news site Serebii, players will be able to receive a code for a special Slowpoke in a Cherish Ball soon after *Pokémon Legends: Z-A* is released, alongside the latest shiny Pokémon for *Scarlet & Violet*.

Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter is the first game in the expansive Kiseki series. It introduces Estelle and Joshua as they become members of the Bracer Guild and explore the kingdom of Liberl. What begins as a quest to become accomplished Bracers soon uncovers a dangerous plot that could destabilize the entire kingdom. Players can expect a lengthy adventure, with an estimated playtime of around 80 hours – more than twice as long as the original Japanese release.

According to recent reports, a Metroidvania game and a new installment in the *God of War* series are both currently in development. The new *God of War* game appears to share thematic similarities with previous titles, but features Kratos wielding a curved, Egyptian-style sword, reminiscent of the weapon used in *Prince of Persia*.

Details about the plot of *The Batman – Part II* are still secret, but director Matt Reeves has hinted at who the next villain will be. He says it will be a character who hasn’t been prominently featured in a live-action Batman movie before. This immediately limits the possibilities, as most Batman villains have already appeared in animated films or comedies like *The LEGO Batman Movie*.

Jennifer Walters was left in charge on the planet New Sakaar by the Hulk, expecting a short-term assignment. However, maintaining order has proven difficult given the ongoing conflict, and she now faces a major challenge. She’ll need more than just her legal skills to succeed – she might even need to take up arms.

The popular animated musical *Trolls Band Together*, from DreamWorks Animation, is now available on Prime Video. It hadn’t been on a major streaming service since leaving Netflix in May. This is the third *Trolls* movie, following *Trolls World Tour* (2020), and brings back Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake as Poppy and Branch. They’re on a new adventure because Branch’s brother has been kidnapped by a pair of aspiring pop stars, leading Branch to reconnect with his former bandmates, BroZone.

Many players who experienced *Planetside 2* on PC and PS4 remember it fondly. Surprisingly, very few game developers have attempted to create something similar, despite its success. Today, with so many ongoing live-service games, the large-scale, persistent online shooter genre feels like a thing of the past, rather than the innovative step forward it once seemed to be. It begs the question: what happened?

Hyperfunk is a new game coming to PCs and consoles, though a release date hasn’t been announced yet. Check out the first teaser!

You’ll finally be able to play *Hamrazu:Re* at Tokyo Game Show 2025! The event takes place from September 25th to 28th at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan.

You’ll finally be able to play *Monster Eater* at Tokyo Game Show 2025! The event takes place from September 25th to 28th at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan.