European age-ratings body PEGI begins raising age-limit of loot box games, like EA Sports FC, to 16

A fantastic example of how to rewrite battle mechanics to suit a full-fat RPG - it's just a shame about all the actual writing. Spoilers follow for every mainline Final Fantasy game.

The Switch 2 compilation explodes the possibilities of casual gaming as if it was nothing Casual gaming is a term that most of us who are passionate about the video game medium are conditioned to hear as a pejorative. Casual games are superficial, we think reflexively. In trying to please everyone, they're designed for the lowest common denominator. They're shiny and bland, lacking grit and friction.

The first HD-2D entry in Square Enix's beloved RPG franchise is big on nostalgia and little else When asked what defines the series he created, Hironobu Sakaguchi is reported to have said, “Final Fantasy is Final Fantasy if it has a blue window with text in it.” It’s a tongue-in-cheek answer that speaks to the certain je ne sais quoi of Square Enix’s legendary RPG franchise. There is, however, something far more important that defines it: crystals.

Whether or not Final Fantasy Resonance, the new reimagining of the now-defunct Brave Exvius mobile game…resonates with you will probably depend on when you started playing Square Enix’s long-running RPG series. Though Square Enix says it wants the game to be a potential entry point into a franchise full of them thanks to its anthology format, after putting about a dozen hours into the game, I feel like it’s the kind of nostalgic comfort food that is mostly for people who grew up during the series’ 8- and 16-bit era rather than something that might pull anyone else in.  After stripping out all the gacha mechanics from Brave Exvius and giving the visuals an HD-2D facelift, Resonance is the kind of thing that some fans, those who miss the simple days of gorgeous pixel art and turn-based battles, are likely yearning for. It also has one of the least engaging stories and casts I’ve ever experienced in a Final Fantasy.

Mad Pierrot would be scary even if he weren't the most overpowered character in the series Cowboy Bebop's most terrifying villain is still pure nightmare fuel

Image credit: Infinity Ward, Activision. The Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 campaign is currently available in early access, and if you're among the many who pre-ordered a copy in order to play it before launch, you've likely noticed a locked difficulty setting that's harder, even, than Realism.