Games

Open-world games still have some kinks to work out. Many feel too big, overwhelming, and filled with unnecessary content – essentially, they need to be more concise. Developers often assume players want massive worlds, believing bigger is always better, but that’s not necessarily true. A smaller, more focused world can actually be much more enjoyable to explore. A great example is the 2025 RPG Atomfall, a fantastic and often overlooked game that I highly recommend.

A24 is launching its new prequel series, Crystal Lake, which will be available to stream on Peacock. The show features Linda Cardellini (known for her roles in Avengers: Age of Ultron and DTF St. Louis) as Pamela Voorhees, Jason’s mother. It explores the events before a devastating accident at the Crystal Lake summer camp that turned the Voorhees family into killers. Fans have been eager to find out when Crystal Lake would debut on Peacock, and the premiere date has now been announced.

I’m really excited about the new 1.06.00 update for Crimson Desert! It just dropped on PS5, Xbox, and PC, and it feels like a big one. The biggest addition, for me, is definitely the Special Mounts – finally, we can ride the animals we tame! It’s something a lot of us have been asking for. Plus, Pearl Abyss added an Extraction feature, which is super helpful for getting materials to improve your gear. It’s a great update overall!

As a huge fan of the Fast & Furious franchise, I was really excited to hear the news at the NBCUniversal Upfronts! Jimmy Fallon had Vin Diesel on stage, and Vin announced they’re expanding the universe onto Peacock with four new shows. Apparently, we’re going to get even more Fast & Furious content, which is amazing! Vin’s going to be an executive producer, and while it’s not confirmed yet, he hinted that he might reprise his role as Dom Toretto too, because he said fans are really wanting to see more of the original characters. Fingers crossed!

At its heart, Call of the Elder Gods is a puzzle game, and thankfully, the puzzles are its strongest feature. Each puzzle offers a good-sized area to investigate, with clues and notes scattered around. These clues not only help solve the puzzles, but also reveal the game’s story, encouraging players to explore and uncover the mysteries within.

To mark the launch of the full-cast audio edition of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, we’ve partnered with Audible to share a special sneak peek. The clip, which is over two minutes long, revisits the Battle of Hogwarts, where Harry, Ron, and Hermione try to destroy Voldemort’s remaining Horcruxes while he attacks the school with his forces. Fans will also hear something missing from the original films – Peeves the Poltergeist helping the students and staff fight the Death Eaters, mischievously dropping exploding pods on their heads! You can listen to the exclusive clip here:

The complete version of Mortal Kombat 1, called the Definitive Edition, is now available on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch 2. It includes the original game, plus all previously released downloadable content – both Kombat Packs and the Khaos Reigns story expansion. This bundle also features all the Kameo fighters that were added as DLC, including Tremor, Khameleon, Janet Cage, Ferra, and Mavado.

So, I heard about this new game engine being developed in Europe – it’s called the Immense Engine. The creator, Brussee, wants it to be completely European-made and hosted, meaning it’ll follow all the rules and laws here. Basically, he’s building it as a real alternative to the engines we usually see coming out of the US and China. It’s cool to see someone trying to create something independent and locally focused!

Fox announced its fall 2026 TV schedule (according to Deadline), and Bob’s Burgers won’t be on Sunday nights this fall. The show will return in January 2027 as part of Fox’s midseason lineup, similar to how Family Guy was handled in the past. Instead, new episodes of the live-action series Animal Control will air during the Sunday night Animation Domination block.

Clear River Games is bringing a classic arcade collection to Nintendo Switch and PS4 on August 29th. Called Flying Fire Shark!!!: Toaplan Arcade Garage, it features the beloved games Flying Shark and Fire Shark. Originally released in Japan in 2022, this is the first time players in the West will be able to experience this collection.