I’ve been watching a lot of anime lately, and it’s great to see so many favorites returning with new seasons – they’re really building on what made the originals so good. There’s one series reaching a really important turning point, and another that could easily become my pick for the best new anime of the year. I’ve put together a list of seven shows you absolutely shouldn’t miss right now.
The original Crackdown was a successful game published by Microsoft for the Xbox 360, selling over 1.5 million copies in its first six months and winning several awards. This success led to Crackdown 2 in 2010, continuing the series. However, a sequel, Crackdown 3, faced significant development challenges and wasn’t released until 2019 on the Xbox One – almost ten years after Crackdown 2. Sadly, Crackdown 3 didn’t meet player expectations.
PlayStation 5 owners can get the game Gotham Knights for only $7 on the PlayStation Store until February 26th. Developed by WB Games Montreal – the team behind 2013’s Batman: Arkham Origins – Gotham Knights launched in 2022 as a separate story from the Batman: Arkham series. It’s a standalone game and remains so four years later, but it was inspired by the Batman: Gotham Knights comic books.
Although the console is over five years old and benefited from some remaining holiday deals, it’s still remarkable that Sony’s system performed better than Nintendo’s brand new one, even if the difference wasn’t massive.
I’m working on my New Year’s goal to play twelve PlayStation 5 games that weren’t released on the PS4, and for February, I’ve chosen Deathloop, developed by Arkane Studios.
This situation brings up important questions about what’s next for Microsoft’s gaming business, especially since it’s been focusing on releasing games on multiple platforms for the last year and a half.
Everyone knows a sequel to Cyberpunk 2077 is in the works, thanks to leaks and online discussion. But the new Cyberpunk 2077 project isn’t what most people expect – it’s a trading card game (TCG). And for those following CD Projekt Red’s other releases, it’s not entirely a surprise. This TCG looks fantastic, and it’s a shame it’s not getting more attention. It has the potential to be something truly special, even in a crowded market of gaming options.
Players who meet the requirements can now try out Battlefield 6 from EA and DICE for free. The 2025 release was already very popular, becoming the best-selling game in the US last year – a first for the Battlefield series. Its success was due to being a strong first-person shooter, but also because Call of Duty, a major competitor, wasn’t as strong last year. Only a few other recent games, like Hogwarts Legacy and Red Dead Redemption 2, have reached the top of the yearly sales charts. This free access should also bring some new players into the game for those who are still enjoying it.
This week, Pokémon Go announced a new, more difficult type of raid battle called Super Mega Raids, and introduced two new Mega Evolutions originally from Pokémon Legends: Z-A. These Super Mega Raids will first appear during the Pokémon Go Tour Kalos event this weekend, offering a bigger challenge for players. The new raids and Mega Evolutions will become available worldwide starting February 28th with Pokémon Go Tour Kalos – Global. Niantic also confirmed that Mega Dragonite, which they previously hinted at, will be available starting during the Go Tour Kalos event.
The classic series M.A.S.K. is returning with a new comic book from Skybound and Image Comics! The creative team includes writer Dan Watters (known for Batman: Dark Patterns), artist Pye Parr (New Gods), colorist Pierluigi Casolino (DC vs Vampires), and letterer Rus Wooton (Transformers). Excitingly, this new M.A.S.K. series will be part of the Energon Universe, connecting it to the worlds of Skybound’s popular Transformers and G.I. Joe comics. These franchises have been linked from the start, and now M.A.S.K. joins them as the third major series in this shared universe.