Gaming

Every Zelda dungeon runs on the same promise: find a tool, open a door, find a better tool. A whole genre of games borrows that loop without Hyrule’s precise theme music, and every few years one of them, like Tunic or Death’s Door, breaks out and lands on everyone’s recommendation list. This list is for the games that usually don’t make the cut. By the genre’s usual definition, a Zelda-like is an action-adventure game with mandatory puzzle solving, progression gated by new abilities or items, and dungeons that stand apart from the overworld. These nine games hit at least three of those criteria — usually with a bit of an oddball twist. Grab your sword (or yoyo, or large key), it’s time for an adventure! Zelda, but: A girl searches a world of islands for her missing father. At one point, Tilia’s biggest problem was dealing with dirty dishes. Along with her father and sister, Tilia runs the family tavern in Limestone, a village on a small island — until disaster strikes. Pirates raid the island and kidnap her best friend…and then her father, in hot pursuit of the pirates, vanishes outright. Tilia grabs a sword and starts following their trail.

I've tried playing Resident Evil 2 remake many times over the years and have never quite managed to finish the thing. It's good — very good — and I enjoy it. But there's just something about its narrow corridors and the threat of an undead monster popping out of a locker that keeps me from coming back to it. I've been playing Capcom's Switch 2 port of it lately, though, and I might finally make it to the end this time. The port is exquisite, and horrors on an 8-inch screen are much easier for my nerves to handle than big-screen frights. Resident Evil 2 remake picks up just as the events of the original Resident Evil draw to a close. Leon Kennedy is headed down to Raccoon City to start his new job as a police officer, and Claire Redfield is searching for her brother Chris (one of the first game's protagonists). After a few near-fatal encounters with zombies along the way, they arrive in the city. Then their car explodes, and a bigger truck explodes, and the city's on fire and full of zombies, so they get separated. It's impossible to save the city, so the only thing they can do is try to find a way out.

A new take on Dracula, a horror movie inspired on Barney, and more Happy weekend! There’s something for everyone at the movies this week, from genre fare like Street Fighter and Whalefall to corset romance, with the new adaptation of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility. But if you don’t want to leave home, there’s also plenty to watch, from VOD to streaming. French auteur Luc Besson is back with his latest film, a new take on Dracula, starring Caleb Landry Jones and Christoph Waltz. Buddy is also available, following a group of kids trapped inside the surreal and creepy world of “It’s Buddy!”, a TV show hosted by an orange unicorn that looks a lot like Barney.

Bandai Namco announced a collection of five figures of Ayumu “Osaka” Kasuga from the Azumanga Daioh manga and anime will release as part of its Machiboke / Still Waiting for You Gashapon capsule line. The Japanese Gashapon Online page is already live and taking pre-orders until October 25, 2026, ahead of the release in machines in Japan. The online orders ship in February 2027, but they may appear in Japanese machines before then. There’s no word when they’ll be in the US and Japan yet. Other Machiboke items do appear worldwide as Still Waiting for You, so we should see these in North America. Recommended Videos All of the Osaka Azumanga Daioh Machiboke figures are based on scenes from the anime and manga depicting her waiting for something to happen. For example, the one of her holding a knife is based on the trip scene where she goes to wake up her teacher Miss Yukari by banging on a frying pan, but since she was half asleep she accidentally grabbed a cooking knife instead. She’s wearing her school uniform for each of the five items.

Within hours of its theatrical release, You Can See Everything has shot to the top of every significant media ranking website there is. At the time of publication, it’s sitting at a perfect 100-percent Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, a 4.7 stars average on Letterboxd, and a 98 metascore on Metacritic, putting it at number 26 on that site’s best movies of all time. You Can See Everything pits surrealist Nathan Fielder against Theranos con-artist Elizabeth Holmes in a Lying Liars Who Lie-off disguised as a documentary. According to early reviews, it’s so good it’s scary. I’m legit scared to see it, fearing whatever tricks of the mind Nathan Fielder pulls will irrevocably damage my psyche. I’ve seen both seasons of The Rehearsal, so I know that’s a damn sure bet to make. I was admittedly having audible reactions to You Can See Everything, so much so that I got a dirty look from the guy in the row ahead of me but like idk how u can see some of that shit and not have an audible reaction — Jared Gilman (@realJaredGilman) October 16, 2026 really don't think I will mix up scrambled eggs the same ever again…

In a movie as nonsensical as the new Street Fighter adaptation, getting too into the weeds of “consistency” with the video games might seem like a fool’s errand, but there is one thing about the film that myself and other fans of Capcom’s fighting game series are having trouble getting past: What the hell did they do to Cammy? For those not in the know, Cammy’s place in the Street Fighter universe is that of a tool turned into a hero. She is one of series villain M. Bison’s “Dolls,” a group of young women brainwashed by the Shadaloo organization. Cammy has been a mainstay of the series since Super Street Fighter II, and has spent much of these games fighting against Bison and trying to reclaim her autonomy. However, she was at one point a servant of Bison, and that is the role she plays in the Street Fighter movie. That’s not the part that Street Fighter fans are beefing with; it’s that the typically stoic soldier has been turned into a depraved, flirtatious, Harley Quinn-style character that feels like a stand-in for a different character.

After years of development and perhaps more hype than for any game, GTA 6 is set for release on November 19 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Predicting that it will be an enormous success commercially is perhaps one of the safest bets anyone could make. But just how big will the launch be? And what records could GTA 6 beat if it delivers? Lucia and Jason in GTA 6. The records The last GTA game, 2013's GTA 5, was a huge hit right out of the gate. It brought in $800 million in revenue over its first 24 hours and $1 billion in its first three days . Even a decade later, the game remains a sales juggernaut, eclipsing 230 million copies sold and counting . Rockstar's latest game, 2018's Red Dead Redemption II, launched with $725 million in revenue over its opening weekend . It's gone on to sell more than 87 million copies, making it one of the top five best-selling games ever . Outside of Rockstar, Bethesda's 2015 RPG Fallout 4 had a gigantic launch, shipping 12 million copies for launch day alone , generating sales in excess of $750 million. So to sum up, here are the records that GTA 6 is expected to surpass: GTA 5: $800 million in 24 hours and $1 billion in three days Red Dead Redemption

I love collecting physical games but I realize digital games aren’t all bad. Swapping seamlessly between what’s in my PlayStation 5 library is a lot less of a pain than it would be if I had to get up and swap out discs each time. I also don’t have to worry about my console library creating actual physical clutter in my home, or a digital game getting lost or broken. But I also have zero control over what Sony decides to do with my digital purchases, whether they’re compatible with future hardware, or even whether they’re still playable in a world where PSN servers eventually shut down. So what’s the solution? We’d love to hear your ideas. While my first choice would be for Sony to back off from its decision to end PlayStation discs entirely, it’s also worth thinking about how digital game ownership should be improved in an all-digital gaming ecosystem. Kotaku broke the news on what this could look like earlier this week. Rep. Ritchie Torres announced plans to bring legislation to Congress that would provide the first step toward codifying digital ownership rights.

This week, there's a major MCU show out and a prequel to an iconic horror franchise Happy weekend! It’s a good time to be a TV fan. Over the past weeks, Mike Flanagan's Carrie remix and an anime based on an Anthony Bourdain manga have made their long-awaited debuts, offering something that suits everyone's interests. Avatar is also back, inspiring numerous Polygon articles about Seven Havens and what the new series means for the franchise's future — and past.

Nintendo announced that it will raise the repair costs for the Switch and Switch 2 in Japan starting on November 16, 2026. The official sites include the new prices for each individual part. As a note, this seems to only affect users in Japan. The English site for Nintendo lists prices from October 2021 as of the time of writing. It also did not make any announcements regarding a price increase. Recommended Videos Each individual part has separate prices based on the specific issue that might need to be handled for the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 repairs. It’s important to note that not every issue is seeing a price increase. It appears that most of the price increases have to do with the actual Switch itself, rather than parts like the dock or the JoyCons. For example, it will cost 26,400 JPY ($167.30) to fix a Switch that won’t turn on or freezes or won’t charge. Prior to November 16, 2026, this would cost 16,500 JPY ($104.55). Fixing a JoyCon remains 2,860 JPY ($18.10), though. This applies to the Switch 2, as well. The Nintendo site did not mention why it would increase the prices for this.

Posted: Oct 16, 2026 8:00pm UTCIs Captain Price dead? It’s a reasonable question to have at the end of Modern Warfare 4’s campaign, considering how often characters we thought were gone have come back over the course of the four-game story — I’ve lost track of the number of times Graves has returned now. We spoke to developer Infinity Ward to get an answer, and we got one. Well, kind of. In a mid-credits scene, Mads Mikkelsen’s The Archer can be seen taking a captive Captain Price away on a truck. An ambush allows Price to break free, though, as the vehicle crashes, leaving The Archer to scuttle away into the snow as our hero wrestles with a metal pipe sticking out of his stomach. After stumbling after the villain, Price turns the tables on him and uses said pipe to puncture his throat, leaving the rogue Russian minister of defense very much dead in the middle of a frozen-over lake. Ghost then arrives on the scene to share his former squadmate's final breaths with him as Price lies still, presumably dead, next to his victim. But is he? I asked Jeff Negus, narrative director at Infinity Ward, if that’s the case. “I'll say this.

Ghost of Yōtei sales appear to be trailing behind Ghost of Tsushima, but that doesn't mean it's not still pulling big numbers on PlayStation 5. That's according to Alinea Analytics head of marketing analysis Rhys Elliott, who shared data related to Sucker Punch Productions' 2025 sequel on X/Twitter. Although this is sales information that has yet to be confirmed by Sony, it may still give us a peek behind the curtain at how Ghost of Yōtei has fared on PS5. The result: Sucker Punch's action follow-up has done well in its first year, even if it hasn't quite managed to pass up its predecessor. Alinea's analysis puts Ghost of Yōtei sales at about 5.4 million units, generating $407 million in revenue so far. Highlights from that update put the physical slice at a notable 36.8%, while PlayStation Store discounts remain largely few and far between. Around 500,000 copies were sold in Q3 2026 alone. Alinea also reported that 50,000 players have picked up the digital Complete Edition – which comes with new content, including the recently released Echoes of Sekigahara expansion – in the two weeks since PlayStation launched it as a replacement for the digital base game.

Physical discs don’t solve the problem on their own, though. Many games sold on discs still require online servers to function, and generally, the end-user license agreements make it clear that the user is purchasing a revocable license, not actual ownership of the media, even if the files are burned onto something physical. There are also numerous examples of games where the version that shipped on the disc was meaningfully distinct from the version players ultimately know because of patches. So it makes sense that consumers and their representatives are turning to legislation like this to drive a change in industry practices.

As I continue my way through Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse (now blessedly disentangled from the platforming challenge that hemmed me up earlier this week), I find myself really vibing with the game’s soundtrack. The sound team at Evil Empire chose to go with an eclectic downtempo collection of work that feels in tune with the current musical zeitgeist, obsessed with the Lofi Girl and her many musical siblings. It’s a good fit that makes the game stand out sonically in much the same way that it does mechanically and visually while still feeling good to listen to. It’s not obnoxious in the way some soundtracks can be, where louder, busier songs can burrow into your brain and become mercilessly stuck, like the harpsichords blaring in the Long Library in Symphony of the Night. I could play the Belmont’s Curse soundtrack in the background during a work day and be quite relaxed with the resulting ambiance. I’m particularly fond of “Bone March,” a track that plays during your exploration of the Paris Catacombs, and “Iron Clock,” the theme for the Clock Tower.

“Bring Order To Chaos.” That’s how tactical shooter Ready or Not sums up your role as part of Special Weapons and Tactics, or SWAT. As a commander, you lead an “element” of four officers through a gauntlet of ripped-from-the-headlines catastrophes in fictional Los Suenõs, California—the “City of Dreams,” not angels. Some missions merely touch a nerve, while others evoke mononymic American tragedies like Columbine, Pulse, Waco, or Vegas with the serial numbers filed off. Developer VOID Interactive has stated that it intends Ready or Not to immerse players in split-second, volatile situations, leaving them with an appreciation for the totalizing physical and psychological strain these officers endure for our sake. Order comes to chaos at the end of a gun. You mash X to scream “I wanna see hands!” at everyone in sight, civilians and gunmen alike. It’ll piss you off when they don’t comply. You’re here to help. Non-lethal means of submission will net you the best rating at the end of a mission, but nobody’s perfect. Indulge me in a quick history break.

Viz Media shared a tentative launch window for the first volume of the English version of the JoJo’z Bizarre Adventure: Part 8 – JoJolion manga. We’ll see it debut in Summer 2027. Pre-orders aren’t open yet, but it will likely be $25 per volume just like Stone Ocean and Steel Ball Run. Recommended Videos Since this is still a rather early announcement, a lot of details aren’t pinned down yet. The official English cover art for the JoJolion manga wasn’t shared, so only the Japanese version’s cover for the first volume appeared in the announcement. We do know this will be a hardcover release, just like Viz Media’s others for the series. It also noted there will be color pages. With Stone Ocean and Steel Ball Run, the first six pages appeared in full color and the rest were black and white. Go Ad-Free With Siliconera+View the site with no ads, be able to provide direct feedback about what we cover, and be automatically entered into our monthly PC game giveaway. Join Siliconera+ With parts 7 and 8 of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Hirohiko Araki started a new alternate universe and timeline with different versions of characters.

Since taking over the DC cinematic universe in 2022, DC Studios co-chairmen and CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran have overhauled Warner Bros.' comic book-to-screen strategy. The new DCU officially launched in 2024 with the animated series Creature Commandos, and Gunn and Safran have since built out an all-new universe for the likes of Superman, Green Lantern, and Batman to play in. There have been ups and downs so far, as well as big shifts in Gunn's original vision for the DCU, which imagined a 10-year plan to explore the DC Universe across films, television, and video games. There are still some lingering projects left over from the pre-Gunn era of the DCU, including a new Matt Reeves-led Batman movie and the fate of Peacemaker, the series starring John Cena that spanned two eras of DC film and television — and left fans contending with a major cliffhanger. So, what's next for the DCU? Here’s everything DC is currently planning to put in theaters and on TV screens, this year and well into the future.

Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave's DLC weapons give your army a sizeable advantage, though they do come with a few drawbacks. Obtaining the weapons involves completing a new subquest, and each of the four playable Flame Lords gets a special weapon. There's a bit of timeline funkiness involved in getting those weapons to Part 2 or beyond if you've already completed someone's Part 1. It's worth the hassle, though. These weapons are only available as part of the Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave expansion pass, and they've been added to the game as Wave 1 of the DLC. Below, we explain how to get Fire Emblem Fortune's Weave's DLC weapons and what to expect from them. After you purchase and download Fortune's Weave's expansion pass, you'll get an in-game notice about the new weapons. It mentions a subquest, but says nothing about what it is or where — or when — to find it. Here's how it works, though. Each Flame Lord gets one of the new subquests, and the quest becomes available as soon as you get access to the bulletin board in Dagsion. That's roughly during Chapter 4, though when in that chapter depends on the character.