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Press Start on April: GeForce NOW Brings 10 Games to the Cloud

Press Start on April: GeForce NOW Brings 10 Games to the Cloud


No joke — GFN Thursday is skipping the tricks and heading straight into the games. April kicks off with ten new titles, bringing fresh adventures to GeForce NOW, including the launch of Capcom’s highly anticipated PRAGMATA.

A dozen new games are available to stream this week, including Arknights: Endfield, which expands the acclaimed series into a full 3D real‑time strategy adventure. On GeForce NOW, every battle flows with precision and every mission looks sharper than ever.

So gear up, grab a controller or gaming device of choice, and get ready to stream — another month of great gaming is now underway.

Command the Frontier

Reclaim the frontier using cloud technology.

Arknights: Endfield from Hypergryph expands the acclaimed Arknights universe into a full, 3D, real‑time strategy role-playing game. Blending tactical planning with sleek sci‑fi aesthetics, the title invites players into a world featuring terraformed settlements, advanced technology and looming threats beneath the planet’s surface.

Set on the perilous planet Talos‑II, Endfield follows a group of pioneers uncovering lost secrets and battling hostile factions. The game seamlessly merges base‑building, exploration and combat — with squads of operators coordinating in real time to overcome environmental hazards and powerful enemies. Every decision impacts survival, progress and the unfolding mystery of the world.

On GeForce NOW, Arknights: Endfield can be played at the highest settings from virtually any device, enabling crisp visuals and high performance without compromise. GeForce RTX rendering brings the game’s metallic skylines and glowing wastelands to life, while ultralow-latency streaming ensures every tactical command lands with precision. 

Spring Into April

MegaMan Star Force Legacy Collection
He’s back.

Capcom’s Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection includes seven games and additional features, including a gallery of illustrations and music. Eleven‑year‑old Geo Stelar is a grieving boy who isolates himself after the mysterious disappearance of his astronaut father. His life changes when he encounters an extraterrestrial being named Omega‑Xis, granting him the power to become Mega Man. The collection streams instantly with GeForce NOW, turning any device into a Star Force terminal ready to save the world once more.

Check out what else is available this week:

Hozy (New release on Steam, March 30)
Cooking Simulator 2: Better Together (New release on Steam, March 31)
Legacy of Kain: Ascendance (New release on Steam, March 31)
Subliminal (New release on Steam, March 31)
Super Meat Boy 3D (New release on Steam, March 31)
I Am Jesus Christ (New release on Steam, April 2)
ALL WILL FALL (New release on Steam, April 3, GeForce RTX 5080-ready)
Arknights: Endfield (Official Site)
Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection (Steam)
Nova Roma (Steam and Xbox, available on Game Pass)
RuneScape: Dragonwilds (Steam)
Way of the Hunter 2 (Steam, GeForce RTX 5080-ready)

And look forward to the games coming throughout the month:

Vampire Crawlers: The Turbo Wildcard from Vampire Survivors (New release on Steam, April 21)
Samson (New release on Steam, April 8)
Replaced (New release on Steam and Xbox, available on Game Pass, April 14)
Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss (New release on Steam, April 16)
PRAGMATA (New release on Steam, April 17)
Outbound (New release on Steam, April 23)
Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era (New release on Steam, April 30)
Bus Bound (New release on Steam, April 30)

More of March

In addition to the 15 games announced last month, a dozen more joined the GeForce NOW library:

1348 Ex Voto (Steam, GeForce RTX 5080-ready)
BATTLETECH (Xbox, available on Game Pass)
Cooking Simulator 2: Better Together (Steam)
Despot’s Game (Xbox, available on Microsoft)
Diablo II: Resurrected (Steam)
Hozy (Steam)
King’s Quest (Ubisoft)
Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection (Steam, GeForce RTX 5080-ready)
Super Meat Boy 3D (Steam)
Warcraft I: Remastered (Ubisoft)
Warcraft II: Remastered (Ubisoft)
Way of the Hunter 2 (Steam)

What are you planning to play this weekend? Check out Crimson Desert on GeForce NOW in Anytime Anywhere Gaming’s YouTube review.

 



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Overthrown Review | TheSixthAxis

Overthrown Review | TheSixthAxis


Overthrown is pitched as a chaotic city-builder. Like a Minecraft mash-up with Kingdom Two Crowns, the player must explore the world and collect resources to build and develop their kingdom, all whilst protecting their home from those who want to destroy it and steal the crown. Despite this simple pitch, Overthrown is much more than just a city-builder; it’s also an exploration game, a combat game, a defence game and a survival game. As you’d expect, this is a lot of genre parts to stitch together, and the resulting product is a bit of a Franken-game. Some sections fuse together nicely, where others stick out like an oversized wolf-arm stitched onto a schoolgirl. On the plus side, the variety of gameplay elements fully fleshes out the bones of the game – unlike my Frankenstein’s monster metaphor which has definitely been stretched too thin now.

Throughout Overthrown, the player researches new innovations to unlock new structures, buildings and features for the kingdom – of which there are multitudes! The city-builder elements to the game are well stacked with options and the possibilities are endless. Even the landscapes can be adapted block by block to suit the player’s needs. This is a great chance to get creative, play around and make a unique and distinctive kingdom.

On the downside, the actual gameplay in Overthrown can be a little fussy and frustrating. A few quality-of-life features fall short, leaving you feeling obstructed and exasperated. As you progress through the research tree to unlock new village structures, the selection wheel in build mode becomes overwhelmingly crowded and tricky to use. Moreover, the game doesn’t keep a tally of which buildings you’ve constructed or how many. Because of this – and the sheer quantity of buildings available – it’s easy to lose track of what they’ve recently unlocked and whether they’ve already constructed it.

Further to this, Overthrown provides next to no tutorials. Although this might be expected – or even enjoyable – for players who love the exploration and creative side of the game, the lack of guidance can make the town-builder elements of the gameplay cryptic and confusing. There’s little to no detail given on how the buildings, world elements and villagers interact, and inadequate time given to the player to experiment and work it out. The resources you need to unlock a building or make it function are shown to you as miniscule indefinable icons. Is that a flame? A sack? A piece of fluff? Oh no, that’s not a resource icon at all, it’s just a mark on my screen. As the in-game days tick by, the player is bombarded with urgent but bewildering messages on everything that’s going wrong with the village but with no explanation as to how to resolve it. Chaotic is certainly an apt description.

The wider world itself is enjoyable to explore; skim across the surface of a lake at top speed, pit beasts against outlaws to eliminate all your foes in one fell swoop, harvest stacks of resources all at once by dashing right through them. It’s a shame then, that the map features are so restrictive. Primarily, it’s impossible to tell which way your character is facing on the map. There was more than one occasion where I found myself speeding off into the wilderness, only to realise I’d gone completely the wrong way. What’s more, the aforementioned miniscule indefinable resource icons only appear in the area surrounding your character. Perhaps there’s more of what you need on the other side of the kingdom? Who knows! You’ll have to make your way over there and keep checking your map every few seconds to see if what you need turns up. That’s if you can tell which icon is which.

All in all, Overthrown has the potential to have a little bit of something for everyone. Perhaps with a few more improvements now that it’s reached a 1.0 release, and a jolt or two from an electrode – sorry, there’s that Frankenstein metaphor again – it could fulfil that potential.



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The Petit Planet beta is coming back with new updates, but you still need to hope for an invite

The Petit Planet beta is coming back with new updates, but you still need to hope for an invite


It’s been quite a while since we’ve heard anything about Petit Planet, the upcoming game from Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail developer HoYoverse. By most accounts, Petit Planet is the studio’s take on Animal Crossing, though with a few interesting ideas of its own.

The game’s most recent test took place all the way back in November, but its next big test isn’t far off.

Manage cookie settings

HoYoverse announced today that Petit Planet’s Stardrift Test is scheduled for April 21. This latest build will be available on PC, Android, and iOS. The beta will include new Neighbors, an updated Starsea Voyage, and more for you to do at the Galactic Bazaar.

Seeing as interacting with Neighbors is a core part of this life sim RPG, the confirmation that new faces will be available in this test is big news. Each Neighbor in Petit Planet is a character, with their own personalty and life story.

The Starsea Voyage now includes a map, too, which you can use to take you to other Islets. If you played any of the previous tests, you should already be familiar with this feature.

Watch on YouTube

The only bit of bad news here is that this remains a closed beta. You’re still encouraged to sign up on the official website, but you’re not guaranteed access. HoYoverse said that only a portion of players who sign up will be invited to the upcoming beta.

Petit Planet remains without a release date. If nothing else, it’ll be interesting to see the progress the game has made since last November’s beta.



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The Super Mario Galaxy Movie Swaps Heart for References

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie Swaps Heart for References


The first entry in The Super Mario Bros. Movie series was a surprise hit, a genuinely funny and heartwarming flick full of background references to classic Nintendo franchises for retro fans to enjoy. Sure, it might not have established a Smash Bros. cinematic universe, but it had a ton of potential to introduce people outside the established Nintendo fanbase to the characters.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie takes the franchise to the stars, bringing not only Rosalina into the mix, but Bowser Jr., Yoshi (as teased in the first movie’s post-credits scene), and even Fox McCloud to the series. It’s a huge escalation, which is fitting for a film based on Super Mario Galaxy.

Related

Super Mario Galaxy Duo Release Date Announced

The hit Wii titles Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2 will soon arrive on both Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 platforms

However, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie has a lot to live up to. The first film set a high bar, and the sequel doesn’t quite reach the same heights as its predecessor, despite its intergalactic setting.

The review ahead is spoiler-free and doesn’t ruin any surprises regarding references and cameos not shown in the trailers, nor the post-credits scenes.

How Does the Super Mario Galaxy Movie Compare to the Original?

Super Mario Galaxy Movie (2)
Image Via Nintendo/Illumination

A big part of why the original Super Mario Bros. movie worked was that it was an origin story, giving Mario a chance to find self-worth in the Mushroom Kingdom. This makes it all the more exciting when he overcomes each foe, culminating in the defeat of Bowser.

The problem with The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is that it doesn’t have the same emotional throughline. It’s mostly a straight “Rescue the Princess” story, with Bowser Jr. kidnapping Rosalina and attempting to free his father from imprisonment.

A big part of why the original Super Mario Bros. movie worked was that it was an origin story, giving Mario a chance to find self-worth in the Mushroom Kingdom.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is more about the spectacle and fast-paced action scenes than it is about wrapping it around a good story. Sure, there are attempts at heartwarming character interactions (which can’t be detailed due to spoilers), but they’re half-baked and don’t get the time in the spotlight that they deserve.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie Relies too Much on References

Super Mario Galaxy Movie (5)
Image Via Nintendo/Illumination

The first Super Mario Bros. movie was chock-full of references to Nintendo games, but most of them were background nods for eagle-eyed fans. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie puts the references front and center, to the point where anyone not versed in Mario lore is going to wonder what’s going on.

Characters use power-ups and weapons that aren’t explained on tons of occasions. Sure, Mario fans will recognize them, but it’ll make the film hard to follow for those who haven’t played every entry since the ’80s.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie puts the references front and center, to the point where anyone not versed in Mario lore is going to wonder what’s going on.

The pace doesn’t help things, as The Super Mario Galaxy Movie feels like it’s worried that people will get bored if exciting things aren’t happening on the screen at all times. Maybe it’s a well-grounded concern, one aimed at a generation of kids whose attention spans have been eroded by the Internet, but it can make the film overwhelming at times.

Rosalina & Fox are Done Dirty in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie

Super Mario Galaxy Movie (1)
Image Via Nintendo/Illumination

One of the bigger issues is how The Super Mario Galaxy Movie treats its new characters. Rosalina has a cool action scene at the start of the film, but spends most of the rest of the runtime in captivity, waiting to be saved. Sure, this is the fate of many Mario princesses, but the first movie did a great job of turning Princess Peach into a badass, and the same can’t be said for Rosalina.

The other problem is Fox McCloud, who can safely be described as the Poochie of the franchise. The other characters fawn over him way too much, and he feels out of place in the story, acting like a garish space rogue with a Dreamworks smile. It’s very obvious that Nintendo is gearing up for a Star Fox film, but it’s off-putting seeing the other characters putting him over so much, when he really doesn’t do anything that impressive.

The other problem is Fox McCloud, who can safely be described as the Poochie of the franchise.

It’s disappointing that Nintendo spoiled the Star Fox reveal so close to launch, as it would have been a huge mark-out moment for fans and may have made the bootlicking a little more tolerable. The promotional material also showed off the Pikmin, which should also have been left as a surprise, as they only have a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo.

Luckily, other crossover cameos haven’t been spoiled in official materials yet, and they’re way more charming than Fox and the Pikmin.

The addition of these new characters comes at a cost, as the Donkey Kong cast is absent from the film. While they’re referenced several times, they’re not part of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. Maybe they’re also in line for a spin-off flick?

The Super Mario Galaxy is Still a Decent Watch for Nintendo Fans

Super Mario Galaxy Movie (4)
Image Via Nintendo/Illumination

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie does have some bright spots. Yoshi is an amazing addition to the cast, even though it’s slightly surreal hearing him talk. Seeing the Super Mario Bros. 2 villains was a joy, especially when they’re mostly left out of crossovers (save for Birdo). Jack Black’s Bowser is a returning highlight, being just as hammy as he was the first time around.

The issue is that The Super Mario Galaxy Movie tries to cram in a little too much and relies way too heavily on established Mario iconography. It should have focused more on Princess Peach’s storyline and given less time to the villains, as Bowser Jr. just isn’t as interesting a foe as his father.

The issue is that The Super Mario Galaxy Movie tries to cram in a little too much and relies way too heavily on established Mario iconography.

Does that mean The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is bad? No. It’s just not as good as its predecessor. Nintendo fans will have brainless fun watching the fight scenes and pointing at the screen whenever they spot a Mario Sunshine reference, which is what it aims to be. Not every film needs to be The Seventh Seal: some films are candy for the eyes, and that’s a good summation of what The Super Mario Galaxy movie is when seen on the big screen.

Nintendo fans who want to switch off and enjoy some nostalgia will find a lot to love in this film. Hopefully, the inevitable third film will rein things in a little, but it’s not going to have much choice, as now that Super Mario Galaxy has been adapted, there isn’t much further to go in terms of scope, unless Mario’s Time Machine is next in line.

Thumbnail for the 3D Mario Games Ranked list, with Mario Sunshine, Mario 64, and Mario Galaxy featured.

Next

Every 3D Mario Game, Ranked

Every 3D Super Mario game has a special place in my heart, but screw sentimentality, let’s rank these things!

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Release Date

April 1, 2026

Runtime

98 Minutes

Director

Aaron Horvath, Michael Jelenic, Pierre Leduc, Fabien Polack

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Anya Taylor-Joy

Princess Peach

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Magic: The Gathering’s Avatar Collector Booster boxes are on a big $100 discount

Magic: The Gathering’s Avatar Collector Booster boxes are on a big 0 discount


Magic: The Gathering’s crossovers aren’t always created equally. For every Warhammer 40K Commander deck, there’s a set that doesn’t quite hit the same heights (we’re looking at you, Spidey), but the Avatar: The Last Airbender set was actually pretty great. One of the big draws for fans of the show will undoubtedly have been the card art, though, and while Play Boosters can net you a handy collection to, you know, play with, Collector Boosters are where you’ll find the set’s biggest earners and flashiest designs.


Image: Wizards of the Coast

Buy from Amazon ($346)

The trouble is that they’re not cheap, and that makes keeping an eye out for deals on them (particularly by the box) all the more important. And, while Amazon might rank pretty low on the places you’d probably want to buy your cards from, a 23% discount off the list price of a Collector Booster Box is a solid discount for Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Unlike Play Booster Boxes (30 packs), a Collector Booster box contains just 12 packs at a price of $455.88, so you’re still paying about the same rate buying in bulk as you would be by buying each pack on its own for $37.99. This discount shifts that equation somewhat. If you’re on the fence about Collector Boosters, it might not change your mind, but it brings each pack to around $29 — a decent chunk of change off of each one. Each pack contains 15 cards, and everything is guaranteed to be a full art, foil, or special card treatment.

For context, this deal last came around in February and marked a new low price of $346 for the box, so you’re close to the lowest price around, too.

For more on Magic, be sure to check out Polygon’s coverage of the Secrets of Strixhaven set, including a very pricey card that’s making a surprise return.



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Here Are Your Free PlayStation Plus Essential Monthly Games For April, 2026

Here Are Your Free PlayStation Plus Essential Monthly Games For April, 2026


Another month has passed and that means it’s time for another batch of PS Plus “free” games to be announced. So, what can we look forward to adding to our libraries in April?

As always, the following games are available to any with an active PlayStation Plus membership. Be sure to add them to your library. Once that’s done, you can go back and donwload them whenever you want provided you have an active subscription.

And once again, I’m going to note that PlayStation still isn’t following up on its announcement that PS4 would not longe be part of the monthly offerings. I guess I should finally ask them for a comment on that, right?

The following games will be available from April 7.

The headline game this month is Lords of the Fallen (PS5). Developed by Hexworks and published by CI Games in 2023, it’s a dark fantasty-RPG that a reboot of the original 2014 game with the same name. It holds a decent score of 71 on Opencritic, and is heavily influenced by the souls subgenre. A sequel is due out this year, so this is a fairly timely offering.

“Overthrow a resurrected demon god in this all-new adventure set in an interconnected world five times larger than the original game. In Lords of the Fallen, you play as one of the fabled Dark Crusaders, who must journey through the realms of the living and the dead to disrupt the reign of Adyr, a cruel tyrant who has ushered in a new age of devastation for humanity. Along the way, you’ll endure colossal boss battles and get to grips with a fast and challenging combat system. With nine character classes and hundreds of weapons to choose from, you’ll customize your hero and develop your own play style as you set out to defy the gods.”

Next up, we have Tomb Raider I-III Remastered (PS5, PS4), which is exactly what it sounds like. Developed by Aspyr and Saber Interactive and published by Aspyr, this package launched in 2024 and did pretty well with the critics, scoring itself a 75 on Opencritic.

I’m interested in trying this one because I have a lot of nostalgic love for the Tomb Raider games, but always felt like they would be incredibly janky by today’s standards so I haven’t gone back to them. This is the perfect excuse.

“Play the original three Tomb Raider adventures: for the first time ever, play the complete experience with all expansions and secret levels on modern platforms in this definitive collection. Experience the classics boasting upgraded graphics, with the option to switch to the original polygon look at any time. The collection includes a new Challenge Mode: replay levels with customized modifiers and complete achievements to unlock 10 New Outfits that enhance Lara’s abilities.”

Finally, Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream (PS5) is another 2024 release, developed by Dimps and published by Bandai Namco. A “fair” rating and score of 70 on Opencritic means it didn’t exactly blow the world away.It’s a multiplayer title based around doing raids, and that’s the extent of my knowledge.

“Galaxia, a new system allowing players to relive the past, has been added to ALfheim Online; however, Galaxia spins out of control causing players from all over time and space to be displaced! To set the timeline back on track, Kirito must work with fallen friends…and foes. True to the Sword Art Online series, join a raid party and prepare for a fight with high difficulty bosses together! How you prepare for the fight is the key to victory. Each with their own specific role on the battlefield, 21 SAO characters from various arcs are gathered to fight. Team up with a total of 20 players from around the world in one of five parties comprised of 4 players each for multiplayer co-op action!”



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Frasier Pinball, Horses In Among Us, And More Of The Best Gaming April Fools' Day Jokes Ever

Frasier Pinball, Horses In Among Us, And More Of The Best Gaming April Fools' Day Jokes Ever


Foolin’ around

Today is April 1, otherwise known as April Fools Day, aka the day you can’t trust anything you see on the Internet. To mark the occasion, we’re taking a fond look back at some of the best gaming pranks of all time. Check out our favorites and let us know if we missed any great gags of yesteryear.

April Fools’ Day approaches every year with a palpable sense of curiosity and dread. For every half-smile we crack at a gaming company’s attempt at a prank, there are other times we hold our heads in our hands, wondering what that company was thinking.

In this gallery, we’ve collected some of the best April Fools’ efforts from gaming’s long history. From a magazine article that sent street fighters a-flutter to a keyboard consisting of a single key, these are the pranks that made us laugh the most. PSA to game companies: These are the kinds of jokes we like. You can also check out our previous roundups for the 2024 and 2025 April Fools’ Days, and try to guess just how many companies joked about releasing dating simulators.

Spoiler: It was a lot.

GameSpot’s Breath of the Wild Guardian video

Yes, we’re starting the list with one of our own pranks. No, we are not biased in the slightest. On April Fools’ Day in 2017, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was not even a month old, and players were still discovering all of its hidden secrets. We thought we’d capitalize with this cheeky video on how to mount a Guardian, and then turn its laser weapon on other enemies. If only it were true.

IGN’s live-action Legend Of Zelda trailer

We’re not the only publication to pull a Zelda-themed video prank. Some of you may recall when IGN produced a full trailer for a live-action movie adaptation of Nintendo’s adventure series, which honestly could have served as a good starting point for a real film. Perhaps the upcoming project directed by Wes Ball will take some pointers.

Game Informer’s Darth Clark

Rounding out a trifecta of April Fools’ media mischief is the ever-irreverent Darth Clark, who has terrorized the Game Infarcer section of Game Informer’s April issue for years. His presence was particularly felt in 2013, when multiple GI readers wrote to the editorial staff of Clark’s column–despite the word “parody” at the bottom of the page.

Among Us Horse mode

Someone at Among us developer Innersloth was clearly watching old episodes of Mr. Ed in 2022, as the company released a trailer for a mode featuring equine versions of the little spacemen just in time for April Fools’. The four-legged friends did make their way into the game for a limited time, so while some might have been annoyed, you can’t look a gift (space) horse in the mouth.

Frasier pinball

Also in 2022, Stern Pinball created quite a stir with this limited-edition Frasier pinball set to enjoy after eating your tossed salad and scrambled eggs. Unfortunately, the link in the post rolled right into a song by a guy named Rick, which left Frasier fans wanting more.

World of Warcraft T.I.N.D.R. Box

Sometimes, even Level 70 Death Knights need love. This was the focus of Blizzard’s World Of Warcraft T.I.N.D.R Box prank in 2015, which gave players an in-game item that, once given to a garrison member, could help them find their true love. WoW has a long history of April Fools’ jokes and great fake patch notes.

Final Fantasy 14’s fighting game

Technically this entry came after April Fools’ Day–April 25, to be precise–but the idea of a Final Fantasy XIV fighting game was a tantalizing one. Sadly, Ultimate Fight never came to be, but for one shining moment, we believed.

The Yakuza April Fools’ RPG video that ended up being what Yakuza 7 actually was

While Yakuza 7 was in development, Sega and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio released an April Fools’ trailer detailing a shift in the franchise’s combat mechanics from a free-flowing action style to a turn-based model. Legend has it that fan reaction was so positive, the studio decided to actually make the change, and Yakuza: Like A Dragon as we know it was born.

Overwatch googly eyes

Sometimes, the best pranks are the simplest ideas. Blizzard came through with an incredible idea in 2020, and all they had to do was put googly eyes on every playable hero in Overwatch. It’s hard not to laugh when a badass like Doomfist is staring at you with those big ol’ eyes.

For Honor tiny characters

Honey, we shrunk the swordsmen! Ubisoft’s contribution to the April Fools’ festivities in 2020 was a small one, but it made for some big laughs watching ferocious battles play out amongst such tiny combatants.

NZXT gaming handheld with keyboard

PC maker NZXT’s April Fools’ joke in 2022 had the slight tinge of prophecy attached to it, as they unveiled the fake H-AND handheld PC. The fictional kit came with a “32-core 64-thread APU,” a “tenkeyless pullout keyboard,” “plenty of RGB,” and more. While the keyboard was certainly silly, portable PCs have since gained popularity, so maybe they were on to something?

Razer HyperSense suit

Razer took the “metaverse” idea and kicked it into high gear with the HyperSense suit, a “highly advanced, full-body gaming suit” powered by haptic technology. We laughed, then immediately winced thinking about its implementation in Meta’s legless Horizon Worlds universe.

Corsair 1% keyboard

Corsair riffed on its own K100 keyboard with the K1–a single key hardwired into a PC and surrounded by RGB lighting. What’s more, the single key on the K1 was the “F” key, so we had to pay respects to the joke.

FFXIV Tactics Alexander

Sometimes April Fools’ jokes are funny, and sometimes they’re just cruel. Tactics Alexander, a completely fictional retro turn-based RPG “revealed” by Square Enix in 2017, is one such example of April cruelty. Why can’t this be real?

Ms. Pac-Man Google Maps

Google likes to turn its search engines into a joke during April Fools’ time, and sometimes that means the Google Maps platform turns a map of the world into a massive game of Ms. Pac-Man. This is the kind of April Fools’ innovation we like; maybe we get a Google Maps Mario Kart course in due time?

PlayStation Flow

No, we’re not talking about the console-exclusive indie hit from Thatgamecompany, we’re talking about the 2015 video Sony released of submersible gaming equipment. The goggles for your eyes and the bands for your arms and legs would combine to let you actually swim through underwater moments in your favorite games. As far as elaborate April Fools’ Day pranks go, Sony had a winner here.

Sanic Collection

The “Sanic” meme featuring a child’s drawing of Sega’s iconic hedgehog reached new heights in 2018, when Sega created actual official merchandise featuring the off-shoot Sonic. The merch was only available for a week, though–“gotta go fast,” indeed.

Fight Sheng Long in Street Fighter II

Finally, we have one of the most iconic pranks in video game industry history: Here’s the time Electronic Gaming Monthly convinced a legion of players that Sheng Long–a mistranslation turned into a person–was hidden in Street Fighter II somewhere. A version of the character eventually did debut in Street Fighter 4, and while he was under a different name, Gouken bore a very real resemblance to the old prank version.

Dave the Diver is going to look a little better in a few decades

Dave the Diver has long been a favorite here in the GameSpot offices, thanks in part to its retro-inspired pixel-art visuals. But could the game be even better with an injection of ultra-realism? The answer is a definite maybe, but you’re going to need the patience of a saint to experience the ocean depths in glorious 3D. In 2025, developer Mintrocket announced Dave the Diver: Remastered, and the bad news is that you’ll have to wait until 2049 to play it. The good news is that it’ll be out before The Elder Scrolls 6, at least.

Delta Force replaced humans with kitties, was instantly better

Look at you, with your human senses and opposable thumbs, playing your PC games. You lack the hunter’s instinct of nature’s perfect–and cuddliest–killing machine, and it’s no wonder that Delta Force decided to ditch humans for cats. Tactical gameplay with extra fluff, these killer kitties were announced to be the perfect replacements for fallible humans, thanks to their night vision, instincts, and general disdain for human life.

The Talos Principle addressed the brainrot generation

Thanks to years of doomscrolling and brainrot internet content culture, our brains are more cooked than an egg that has been microwaved for too long. Fortunately, Croteam saw an opportunity and carped that diem by introducing a “streamlined” version of its puzzle game, The Talos Principle. Perfect for anyone who didn’t feel like charging up their neurons to help them overcome the game’s riddles, this new version of the game replaced walls of text with emoji and added Serious Sam games for background noise.

Heck, you could even generate your own puzzles in the game, using a level editor. But because having an idea and actually executing it are two different things, Croteam added a one-button prompt to do all the hard work for you.

Cyberpunk 2077 floppy disks looked cool and cumbersome

Cyberpunk 2077 has been easy to purchase, but in a truly evil act, CD Projekt Red announced that a floppy disk version was in development–97,619 3.5-inch floppies, to be exact. It would probably take a while to copy all that data over, and the purchase didn’t include a storage container for all those neon yellow diskettes.

Powerwash Simulator turned to grime

In an update that made us feel ill, developer FuturLab announced an update for Powerwash Simulator that sucked all the hygienic joy out of the game. Instead of being able to blast filthy environments with streams of purifying H20, players would instead make these areas worse with tools that sprayed mud and slime everywhere. Please give us a minute; we need to go lie down for a spell.

Sega CLC was the ’90s take on video game expansions

Humanity called it hubris when we built a gaming tower to the heavens, but we called it the next logical step in preserving our nostalgia. Sega’s Cartridge Loadable Content allowed us to have all the Sonic games we could ask for on our Sega Genesis, ready to play and completely stable if constructed on a day without any wind pressure whatsoever.

Rainbow Six Siege you later

Now those are good optics! While there’s no all-in-one solution to a scope that works well at any range in Rainbow Six Siege, this little joke suggested the next best thing. Instead of a single scope, how about all of them? A couple of years back, Ubisoft suggested attaching several of them to your weapons, and it sure was a sight to behold.



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Look like Sauron in Crimson Desert by picking up this Frostcursed set

Look like Sauron in Crimson Desert by picking up this Frostcursed set


Crimson Desert has a bunch of solid armor sets that either provide good protection or simply look cool. However, there is one set that stands out in our eyes, especially for you LOTR fans out there.

This is the Frostcursed set, and it makes you look like Sauron. Yes, the incredibly feared One Ring creator.

It is a little tricky to get the full look, but we’ve got all the info on where to find it all.

How to get the Frostcursed Armor set in Crimson Desert

As just alluded to, the Frostcursed set is split up into pieces, requiring you to head to different locations in order to complete the package.

Here is where you can find all of these, so you can look equal parts both scary and powerful.

Crimson Desert Frostcursed Plate Cloak location

The first part of the set we’ll head for is the Cloak, which can be found at the Sanctum of Expiation. This is situated in north Demeniss and can’t really be missed since it’s one of the larger structures in the area.

We recommend that you pick up the Abyss Nexus slightly north west of the Sanctum because you’ll need an easy fast travel point close by after securing the cape.

Once you’re at the Sanctum, head up the first set of steps and look for an opening with two illuminated lamps. Do an immediate left, and there should be another opening blocked by roots.

Remove the roots by focusing your light, go inside, and open up the treasure chest containing the Frostcursed Plate Cloak. The exit will be blocked, so use that aforementioned fast travel point to get out.

Crimson Desert Frostcursed Plate Helm location

Moving to the Helm, go south east of the Sanctum of Expiation, and you should be able to see a barn followed by some small ruins.

Crimson Desert Frostcursed Plate Helm location

Enter these and look to the right hand side, where there will be a dimly lit opening covered by greenery. Focus your light on these to burn them away.

Head inside and open the chest to pick up the Frostcursed Plate Helm.

Crimson Desert Frostcursed Plate Gloves location

Now, for the Gloves, go further east of the ruins location to where you can find a large waterfall.

Crimson Desert Frostcursed Plate Gloves location

If you’re at the top, fly down to the base and use the stab function to go into the waterfall itself. On controller, you can do this using RB+Y/R1+Triangle.

Inside is a chest which will provide you with the Frostcursed Plate Gloves. There’s a few other goodies scattered around, so ensure you get them also before leaving.

Crimson Desert Frostcursed Plate Boots location

The Boots are a similar find to that of the Gloves, since you’ll need to go into a waterfall.

This one can be found slightly north east of the other waterfall you were just at and has a few larger rocks in front of it.

Crimson Desert Frostcursed Plate Boots location

Do the same stab technique at the base and you’ll be inside where you can open the chest for the Frostcursed Plate Boots.

Crimson Desert Frostcursed Plate Armor location

Finally, we have the Frostcursed Plate Armor to complete the set.

Yes, you guessed it, you’re heading even more north east from the previous waterfall. This time, you’ll have to go over the mountainous region if you haven’t reached this destination already, so be prepared for a bit of a trek.

Crimson Desert Frostcursed Plate Armor location

Once you’re there, do the same stab on the right-hand water stream, and you’ll be met with a blocked entrance.

To get through, use Force Palm directly on the gold colored rock, and you will break through. Inside will be the chest as well as a bunch of mineable areas, which could be amazing if you’re running low on materials.

Open the chest and the Frostcursed Plate Armor will be yours.

There is no specific weapon attached to this set, but if you secure the Frozen Anguish, this is the closest sword to match the look.

The post Look like Sauron in Crimson Desert by picking up this Frostcursed set appeared first on Adventure Gamers.



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Resident Evil fans have adopted a Love & Deepspace character as the son of Leon S. Kennedy and one of his potential spouses

Resident Evil fans have adopted a Love & Deepspace character as the son of Leon S. Kennedy and one of his potential spouses


Warning: Contains (very minor) spoilers for the ending of Resident Evil Requiem.

In an intersection of my particular interests that I most certainly didn’t have on my 2026 bingo card, fans of the Resident Evil franchise – and in particular its recently-released ninth main entry, Resident Evil Requiem – have suddenly become obsessed with a very different favourite of mine: sci-fi otome gacha mobile game Love and Deepspace.

Often when fans of a well-regarded industry staple like RE take a sudden interest in a newcomer like LaDS, especially one that’s very openly female-gaze-coded, it’s to dunk on something they find objectionable. So I was very pleasantly surprised to learn that members of the Resi community have in fact taken to LaDS because of a sudden fondness for one of the characters – and it just so happens to be my own clear favourite husbando, aloof yet kindly doctor Zayne.

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So, what made the Resi fandom decide to adopt LaDS in general and Zayne in particular? Well, it all comes down to a small scene in RE9 that gained a disproportionate amount of attention: a slight gesture co-protagonist Leon Kennedy makes in the game’s good ending that was interpreted by many players as him removing a wedding ring from his inner jacket pocket, presumably placing it back on his finger now that the danger of the situation has finally passed. This all happens while Leon’s back is to the camera, incidentally, so there’s a good deal of ambiguity at play here; but nevertheless, fandom did what fandom does and ran with the idea.

Officials at Capcom have gone back and forth on whether this was intentional or not, with game director Koshi Nakanishi initially dismissing the popular fan interpretation, but later electing to stir up further speculation by appearing to lean into the idea. Either way, though, there’s no putting that genie back in the bottle, and conjecture is now rife as to who Leon might have married during his 13-year-long absence from the games’ timeline. Ada? Claire? Ashley? Chris? Someone altogether more surprising? Given that Leon has generated a sort of adorably awkward chemistry with basically every other character he’s shared a scene with since 1998, the possibilities are abundant.

But just what does this have to do with Love and Deepspace? Well, even if you don’t play the game, its enormous popularity means that anyone who spends sufficient time on social media is probably familiar with the lovingly realised, hyper-detailed 3D models of the five love interests – and post-Requiem, it didn’t take eager shippers long to point out that LaDS’ Bachelor #2, Zayne, bears a strong similarity to the theoretical child of Leon and his long-time frenemy-with-benefits Ada Wong.

Love and Deepspace character key art: Zayne sits on a sofa and loosens his tie.

Zayne possesses ice-themed superpowers, which is honestly the least relevant thing about him when it comes to this theory. But in RE4make I did once see Leon perform an idle animation that had him lovingly caress a button that promptly dumped liquid nitrogen onto his own head so, um, there’s that.Image credit: Papergames / Infold Games

There is a certain resemblance between Zayne’s sharp features and those of Ada’s latest model in the RE Engine games, for sure; and while the likeness to Leon is a bit more tenuous, assuming that a preference for curtained fringes and practical yet dapper suits is genetic among bundles of pixels, I can definitely see that too.

There’s also the remarkable coincidence of both Zayne and RE9-era Leon having prominent scarring on their hands as a major plot point, although I’m not sure most Resi fans have got that far in their reasoning yet. Regardless, though, those exhibiting a tongue-in-cheek desperation to “prove” somehow that their ship is the one that sailed off-screen are going all-in on the theory that Zayne is the offspring of a Leon/Ada marriage. If nothing else, Leon’s seemingly bottomless well of awful puns surely means that he’s a prime candidate for fatherhood.

A close-up of a middle-aged Leon S Kennedy sitting in the driver's seat of his car during his introduction in Resident Evil Reqiuem.

As well as being a total daddy, obviously. | Image credit: Capcom

As a Resi fan who’s also well-versed in LaDS lore, I declare that there are pros and cons to this theory, as you’d expect. Leon, Ada, and Zayne are a rare group of video game characters for whom we have pretty firm canonical birth years, so as of October 2026 when RE9 takes place, we know that Leon is around 49, Ada a few years older at 52-ish, and Zayne a mere babe of five (since he won’t start exchanging longing looks with LaDS’ heroine until far-off future year 2048). So the Wong-Kennedys would be older parents, for sure, but it’s not totally unfeasible, especially if they managed to drag their whole will-they-won’t-they schtick out well into middle-age, which feels plausible.

Also, at least in LaDS’ English localisation, Zayne doesn’t actually have a canonical last name, so I mean… it could easily be Kennedy, or Wong, or some hyphenated mash-up of the two, certainly. Unfortunately for this theory, though, he is literally the only character in Love and Deepspace whose parents are both identified – and are in fact still alive, even making an occasional appearance in the story. And while they aren’t important enough to the plot to have names, they do have a firmly established backstory: both are doctors, like their son, and have spent most of the past several decades in far-flung places providing humanitarian emergency medical outreach — which makes them seem distinctively un-Leon-and-Ada-like.

A screenshot of the Aeon's Canon animated card art from Love & Deepspace shows Zayne with the heroine's booted foot on his chest pinning him to the floor as she points a sword at his neck.

Definitive proof? I think so. Also yes that is Zayne’s future wife stepping on him while threatening him with a sword (like father like son…?)Image credit: VG247 / Infold Games

So on balance it’s starting to look like Capcom and Infold haven’t actually been secretly collaborating on perhaps the least likely but arguably best video game crossover ever – but I do love a shared universe theory, the more unhinged the better, so I’m onboard even if my inner lorekeeper can’t stop pointing out these pesky contradictions. Yes, even though I’ve always personally preferred the idea of Leon ending up with either Claire, Ashley, or Luis (sob) – this is the first time I’ve seriously considered dabbling in Aeon (that’s Ada/Leon shipping, for the uninitiated).

Wait, I’ve just realised: “Aeon’s Canon” was, I kid you not, the seemingly arbitrary and nonsensical name of the new Zayne card released for LaDS’ second anniversary back in January! I mean: “Aeon” is “canon”? I take it all back, this cannot be a coincidence and is evidently proof of a deep-level multi-developer conspiracy…

Other LaDS fans are also revelling in the unexpected fun of finding their favourite game in the Resident Evil fandom’s spotlight, with some even pointing out that Zayne’s personal Mr Hyde – his alt-universe doppelganger and occasional main-timeline bodysnatcher Dawnbreaker, a man ostracised as a suspected serial killer when he is in fact euthanising victims of an incurable cosmic infection just before they transform into dangerous monsters – does kind of feel like he originates from the world of Resident Evil, actually, so who’s to say that isn’t where the connection lies? It’s all coming together.



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One Chart Shows Just How Unprecedented PS5 Price Hikes Are

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One Chart Shows Just How Unprecedented PS5 Price Hikes Are


Later this week, the launch version of the PlayStation 5 with a disc drive will start selling for $650. Make no mistake, that’s a lot of money. It might not be the most Sony has ever charged for a base console before, but it’s certainly the most it’s ever charged for a piece of hardware that originally came out over five years before. In fact, it’s not even close.

The price increases are unprecedented, if not completely unexpected. I’ve recently seen some people rationalize the PS5 price hikes by pointing to the launch prices for previous console generations. When adjusted for inflation, the original PS1 launched at $642. The first PS3 model, which essentially contained an entire PS2 inside of it, launched at a whopping $966 in today’s dollars. But launch prices don’t tell the most important part of the story.

While buying a new gaming console in the year it came out has certainly always been a luxury, aggressive price cuts also made those same consoles much more affordable after just a few years of being out on the market. In the midst of competition from Nintendo, Sega, and Xbox, Sony has historically moved fast to shave hundreds of dollars off the sticker price of its hardware.

By the mid-point of each console cycle, the price of a PlayStation was typically around half of what it had been at launch. Here’s a graph that shows what that used to look like and how the PS5 price hikes are a complete reversal of a long-standing trend:

Kotaku

A PlayStation price curve that used to go down and to the right now looks more like a horseshoe. The price-cut dynamic first started shifting in the PS4 era. There were only two notable price drops of $50 each, and they happened in quick succession. While the console started out cheaper than some of the others, it also didn’t get as cheap as they had by the end of its lifecycle. Whether because of declining cost savings from manufacturing improvements, Sony’s growing dominance in the high-end console market, or possibly both, the company wasn’t as aggressive in trying to make the hardware as affordable at the end of its lifecycle as it had been in the past.

The PS5 launched in the middle of a pandemic and a historic supply chain crunch. Record inflation and recent tariffs imposed on one of Sony’s biggest markets for gaming have also made it hard to draw analogies to the past generation. But had Sony simply kept the launch PS5 at $500 through the entirety of the generation, inflation would have done the work of delivering some degree of savings to consumers who waited. Instead, the disc-based version went up $50 last year and will go up another $100 this week. This holiday, six years into the PS5 lifecycle, it will technically cost more than the PS1 did at launch.

Blame it on the RAM crisis, trade wars, and a possible calculation on Sony’s end that people will pay what they need to in order to play Grand Theft Auto 6 this fall. But it can’t help that Xbox has almost completely retreated from hardware, the Switch 2 is competing on power, and Valve’s living room gaming PC remains, at least for now, MIA.

With less direct competition than ever, there’s less pressure for Sony to deliver a version of the PS5 more people can afford. A luxury gaming device might be something Sony can continue to make money on, but it’s not something that will help a console gaming market that’s already stagnating.



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