Games

While many games are either constantly updated ‘live services’ or huge, sprawling adventures, there are a few that strike a perfect balance. These games offer the beautiful landscapes, satisfying shooting, and engaging exploration you’d expect from an open-world FPS, but can be completed in just a few hours. Surprisingly, these shorter experiences are often among the very best open-world titles available. Whether they’re hidden shooter gems or overlooked open-world treasures, they’re ideal for a quick, satisfying gaming session over a weekend.

On April 30, 1999, Nintendo released Pokémon Stadium for the Nintendo 64. The game allowed players to battle with the Pokémon originally found in the popular Red, Blue, and Yellow versions, but in a new 3D, turn-based format – a first for the series in the West. A similar game, Pocket Monsters Stadium, had been released in Japan a year earlier, but it wasn’t available outside of Japan. Given the huge popularity of Pokémon, it’s no surprise that Pokémon Stadium was a big success and remains one of the best-selling games for the N64. This was achieved despite receiving a respectable, but not outstanding, score of 78% on GameRankings.

GTO, or Grand Teacher Onizuka, is a popular comedy anime about a former troublemaker who becomes a teacher and helps his students. Since the original manga came out in 1997 by Tooru Fujisawa, there have been several live-action versions. A special titled “GTO Revival” aired in 2024, and now a brand new series is coming in July 2024 on Fuji TV in Japan. Excitingly, Takashi Sorimachi, who recently played Onizuka, will be returning to the role, bringing a fresh take on this classic story.

James Gunn participated in a conversation on Threads about whether elements from the Suicide Squad movies and Blue Beetle could become part of the new DC Universe (DCU) timeline. A fan asked if a scene of Bloodsport shooting Superman with a kryptonite bullet would fit, referencing the opening of the Superman film which showed Kal-El having just lost his first fight. Gunn explained why that idea wouldn’t quite work.

From now until May 3rd, you can download and keep the open-world action RPG from Warner Bros. completely free on the Epic Games Store. Creating an Epic Games Store account is free, so even if you don’t have a PC to play it on now, it’s worth getting the game while it’s free. This offer might not last forever, and you’ll own a highly popular game for future enjoyment.

The new PS5 version of Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag aims to stay faithful to the original game while also enhancing it in various ways. The developers consistently emphasize this goal, even in smaller updates about the game. For example, in a detailed article explaining how players can customize the on-screen display, they made a point of reiterating this commitment.

Developer Joe Richardson described playing a point-and-click adventure game on a console as a surprisingly enjoyable, yet unconventional, experience, comparing it to reading a classic, often outrageous, work like Rabelais on a modern e-reader. He playfully suggested players would find it delightfully offensive.

Blood: Refreshed Supply became available on December 4, 2025, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC through Steam, the Epic Games Store, and GOG.

Last year, creative director Mateusz Tomaszkiewicz estimated the game’s campaign would take 30 to 40 hours to finish. However, he recently shared in a Q&A that the average completion time is now around 50 hours, though it can vary based on how players approach the game.

Players won’t experience any disruption to their games. After buying a game, a simple one-time online verification will confirm the license, and then they can play without any further checks.