There’s always some truth to a cliché, however much it may induce an eyeroll on every mention. In the case of Final Fantasy Tactics, the 1997 title has long been synonymous with weighty descriptors, from a ‘timeless classic’ to a ‘seminal masterpiece’, but the repeated use doesn’t make them less accurate. In fact, it left an indelible mark on Square Enix’s larger fantasy world and in the turn-based strategy space, as the main setting of Ivalice now enjoys a recurring presence across the franchise, and its job system was an evolutionary leap from tradition, while some of the core mechanics have grown into genre hallmarks. 

Returning with spruced-up aesthetics, Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles represents a dream come true for fans of the original in more ways than one. Instead of tweaking a beloved formula, this remaster wisely opts to honour its roots and refine the rougher edges, weaving together a brilliant, deeply nuanced narrative that remains relevant to the current political reality and intricate, versatile gameplay. Throw voice acting and quality-of-life updates into the mix, and there’s even more to love about the near-perfect remaster – although its redesign and the omission of content from the PlayStation Portable (PSP) version War of the Lions may not sit well with some.

Setting the stage for a roller-coaster ride of despair, betrayal, and hope, the romp opens with the introduction of Ramza Beoulve, a forgotten hero during a civil war between the ruling forces of Prince Goltana (Black Lion) and Duke Larg (White Lion) in Ivalice, known as the War of the Lions. There’s more to this game of thrones than it seems, however, and the narrator makes no secret of the unreliable annals of history and lays it out for the players – with the country’s leadership in limbo after the 50-Year War against the nation of Ordalia, both Prince Orinas and Princess Ovelia are candidates, but backed by different factions. 

The White Lion is on the side of the former, while the Black Lion supports the latter, thrusting Ramza, who now fights against corruption as a mercenary, and his adopted-brother-turned-Black-Lion-ally Delita Heiral, into opposing sides of the conflict. What unfolds along the way is a political thriller that explores the extent of manipulation by figures in power and religion, reminding players that the perceived “truth” is often a construct, and topped off with a generous helping of personal drama and tragedy. Sounds familiar? Welcome to the current state of the world.

The messaging is hardly the only element that has weathered the passage of time. Like before, the job-based mechanics in Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles involve assigning characters to a class, with Chemist and Squire as the starters to unlock more advanced options, learning and managing new abilities, and levelling them in combat to meet the prerequisites for the next level of specialisation. Each of the 20 jobs boasts its own set of action, reaction, support and movement skills, and players are free to change a unit’s job to another and mix-and-match their loadouts once learned, such that the competencies are no longer job-specific. 

The versatility allows for a great deal of experimentation across different play styles, and it ensures that the effort is rewarded. Apart from cultivating the ideal build for every job, there’s also a need to consider the synergy between party members, and it feels satisfying when the two come together neatly: Monks, for instance, may only attack with a fist in the beginning, but cross-equipping the dual-wield ability (after unlocking Ninja) turns them into a twice-attacking brawler who makes quick work of the enemy. It sounds easier than it actually is, as certain genre basics, including the act of using items, don’t work the same here, with only the Chemist and characters who have inherited the skill having access to them. Even so, not all consumables can be used right off the bat – whether it’s a potion or Phoenix Down, players will first need to spend Job Points (JP) and unlock the action.

The “simple to grasp, but difficult to master” rhetoric carries over to the battlefield, which retains the isometric camera from its past. Where the original suffered from obscured vision or awkward angles due to the 3D environment, however, the overhead perspective of the new Tactical View makes it easier to strategise character movement and actions by eliminating visibility issues. Fundamentally, the flow of combat remains unchanged: players assign their deployed units to a position on the grid-based field during the planning phase, taking into account variables such as elevation and terrain type. 

When it’s time to engage, the left side of the screen displays the turn order of all allies and enemies, with their travel distance dictated by a fixed number of squares. The party can comprise both generic units, recruited through the Tavern, and special named characters like Mustadio and Agrias, who all gain experience points and JP – prerequisites for levelling up – after completing an action. Topographical and weather conditions will trigger different effects, from stronger Thunder magic in the rain and the Invincibility status when submerged in water, to being poisoned in swampy lands. 

By extension, the older, more antiquated quirks of yesteryear would be familiar to longtime fans, but may take newcomers by surprise (and not necessarily in a good way). Resurrecting a fallen ally, for instance, has a chance of failing, which means wasting a turn, while strikes with a high success rate can miss at the most crucial of moments, resulting in defeat. The luck-based mechanics, alongside the chain reaction sparked by one wrong move, no matter how small, contributed to the game’s notorious difficulty, and that hasn’t changed much for Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles. 

What’s different is how it now eases players into the experience through various quality-of-life improvements, allowing for a gentler learning curve and smoother gameplay. Instead of fixing a standard mode, three difficulty modes have been designed for players of different skill levels: Squire (Easy), Knight (Normal), and Tactician (Hard). The updated action prediction system shows all vital information at a glance, including hit chance, damage taken or dealt, whether an attack would be countered, and the current JP of a unit, accompanied by the ability to reset movement, so long as no action was performed.

If a battle proves too unfavourable, there are quick options to restart from the beginning or change out the party loadout, load a previous save, or return to the world map and pick things back up at a later time. Scrolling through each character on the turn order list while holding down on the left trigger reveals more specifics, such as the type of spell being cast, the striking range, and when it will come into effect – a game-changer when managing glass cannons like ninjas or mages. While most of this information could be found previously, it was buried under layers of menus and tabs, making it a tedious, unintuitive affair. Fast-forwarding, a common addition to retro RPGs with a modernised sheen, is also available here, granting players control over the speed of their battles. 

Outside of combat, Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles continues its quest for improved accessibility. The lore of Ivalice is dense, and the array of characters can complicate the player’s understanding of their dynamics and roles in the overarching story, so a lot of care went into crafting an interactive timeline called State of the Realm. Taking a page out of Final Fantasy XVI’s Active Time Lore mechanic (a natural progression, considering Creative Business Unit 3 worked on both titles), it offers a comprehensive overview of major past and present events, complete with cutscenes that can be rewatched anytime, a glossary of in-game jargon, a clear, detailed breakdown of the zodiac compatibility chart, and useful tips.

Where strategic skirmishes between points on the map couldn’t be avoided in the original RPG, the remaster allows players to flee from them, or trigger a random encounter at will for grinding purposes. Side quests are now easier to follow, with indicators pointing in the right direction, while a job tree and one-pagers for the classes display unlock requirements and the full list of skills, respectively. These refinements are hardly flashy, but they go a long way in making the experience less overwhelming without sacrificing its essence.

It’s a pity, then, that Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles doesn’t feature content from War of the Lions, as the additional Dark Knight and Onion Knight jobs and recruitable allies from other Final Fantasy titles, including FFXII’s Balthier, would have taken well to the shine. Even so, the remaster is nothing short of stellar, accentuated by handcrafted visuals and full voice acting. 

Marking a departure from Square Enix’s affinity for its signature HD-2D aesthetic, the fantasy world boasts an updated graphical style that may not align with initial expectations. However, the slightly bevelled edges, canvas-like look, and soft focus lighting carry a distinctive charm that’s quick to burrow its way into the heart, complementing the watercolour hues of the beautifully animated opening scene. For purists and hardcore enthusiasts, the bundled-in Classic Edition brings back the old-school look, although it’d be welcome if there were an option to switch between the two on the fly. 

Breathing more life into the adventure is the impressive voice work in both the English and Japanese versions, adding emotional weight to important cutscenes. Whether it’s Joe Pitts or Shinnosuke Tachibana, Ramza’s cries of anguish and anger prove effective at dealing blows to the gut, with most of the roster, including minor figures like Rapha, enjoying fleshed-out characterisation. The occasional interaction between party members during combat also lends personality to their depictions, and it certainly helps that Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles delivers better translation pulled from War of the Lions, eliminating the issue of poor localisation in the original. 

It’s never easy honouring a beloved legacy, yet the remaster does so with ease. A faithful, thoughtful homage to its roots, it serves as a reminder of its well-earned reputation as a seminal work in the tactical RPG genre, and spruces up all the best parts of the experience through a visual overhaul. Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles may have omitted content from War of the Lions, but it’s no less memorable, promising an intricate, relevant narrative, deep gameplay, strong voice acting, and updated interface elements that will continue to stand the test of time.

Si Jia

Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.

The post Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles – Review appeared first on Geek Culture.

Sony and PlayStation are kicking off their 11.11 Power Deals, a major sale featuring discounts across its consoles, peripherals and games, giving the best opportunity for those in Southeast Asia to snag up the latest gaming products at a lower price.

Running from 31 October to 13 November 2025, sales highlights include big discounts on PlayStation consoles, with S$140 off all three current-generation machines, including the base PS5, the diskless Digital Edition variant, as well as the enhanced PS5 Pro.

In addition, PlayStation’s line-up of console peripherals will also see a price drop, ranging from its DualSense wireless controllers to the PSVR2 headset, with select first-party games like Astro Bot, God of War Ragnarök, and Death Stranding 2: On The Beach also seeing substantial discounts.

The full list of PlayStation 11.11 Power Deals promotional items can be found in the tables below:

Consoles

Peripherals

Games

PlayStation’s 11.11 Power Deals will run from 31 October to 13 November 2025.

Kevin Low

Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise “duds” like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3. He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying.

The post PlayStation Powers 11.11 With S$140 Off PS5 Console, Massive Deals On Games & Accessories appeared first on Geek Culture.

While niche, the horror puzzle-platformer sub-genre has garnered a fervent following as a more accessible (re: less scary) alternative to full fledged horror games, and although the scene has been largely dominated by indie titles or older releases like 2010’s Limbo, the Little Nightmares franchise has stood the test of time, becoming synonymous with the genre since its debut in 2017.

Originally developed by Tarsier Studios, the first game was an instant hit among fans and would go on to spawn a prequel four years later, which marked Tarsier’s final game in the franchise after it was acquired by Embracer Group. Supermassive Games, best known for its narrative-driven horror games like 2015’s Until Dawn and 2022’s Quarry, has taken up the mantle for its sequel, Little Nightmares III, and also finally brings the fan-requested co-op feature to the franchise, although with a catch (more on this later).

Much like the two games that came before, Little Nightmares III embraces the themes of childhood fears and vulnerability, although this time, it’s focused on two new characters, best friends Low and Alone, as they try and escape The Nowhere.

Once again, storytelling is left largely to the player’s interpretation, leaving them only the briefest of exposition that the duo are venturing in search of an undisclosed location on a scroll, filling the gaps in its narrative with symbolism instead, with each foe encountered on their adventures being a distorted representation of the duo’s past.

With the introduction of two new main characters, the sequel places a greater emphasis on their relationship, highlighting the strength of their friendship through the pair’s actions in the absence of voice lines. Nothing is as it seems, though, and much like past games, Little Nightmares III does feature a major twist, but, without spoiling too much, the game makes it far too obvious early on, diminishing its big reveal and lessening the impact of the game’s overall plot in the process.

The Little Nightmares franchise has always been known for its thought-provoking puzzles and thrilling monster encounters, and it’s no different this time around. Players will once again explore the twisted landscapes of The Nowhere in either solo or co-op, working together to overcome puzzles or nightmarish foes in order to escape.

With its new dual-protagonist focus, Little Nightmares III does offer some shake-ups to its well-established formula. Low and Alone each possess a unique tool, a bow for the former and a wrench for the latter, requiring an additional layer of cooperation when puzzle-solving or platforming.

These tools aren’t just for opening new paths, and as described by our preview, Little Nightmares III now features a greater emphasis on combat, with the pair having to use their tools in unison to defeat smaller enemies. It won’t be a Little Nightmares game without the feeling of vulnerability, however, and these tools are largely ineffective against the game’s larger foes, with gameplay instead transitioning to the traditional combination of stealth and chase sequences.

As a package, the gameplay presented in the sequel will largely be what fans expect, although the title is let down by two major missteps.

Firstly, with regard to its touted co-op feature, Little Nightmares III limits this purely to online play only, meaning those who were looking forward to playing it with their friends and family via couch co-op will be sorely disappointed. Although the game tries to make up for this shortcoming with its Friend’s Pass, which allows players to invite friends at no extra cost, this still requires two separate console systems, and with a lack of crossplay, this makes planning for a co-op session an even more frustrating experience.

The omission of local co-op functionality is a baffling decision for sure, especially considering how the game requires precise timing from both parties to overcome some obstacles. Certain levels do feature portions where Low and Alone are completely separated, which does explain why a traditional shared-screen co-op format wouldn’t work, but these issues could have been easily negated by implementing a split-screen format instead.

To make matters worse, the game does not feature a voice chat function, instead requiring players to use external tools like Discord. And with communication being such a big part of the co-op experience, this just feels like another easily avoidable hurdle for players to overcome. 

Playing the game solo isn’t without its issues either, largely due to the nature of the AI-controlled teammate. As a pre-programmed entity, the AI often performs required actions well ahead of time, such as ducking into a hiding spot or sprinting towards the exit, even before the threat makes itself known, which removes some of the tension of figuring things out on your own. Along the same lines, the AI will also sometimes solve environmental puzzles entirely on its own, and although a rare occurrence, it still makes it far too easy for the player.

Perhaps Little Nightmares III’s biggest downside, however, is just how short the experience is. The game is split into four chapters, and can be cleared in roughly four hours, a minuscule playtime, especially considering its S$50 price tag. In comparison, Little Nightmares II was one and a half hours longer despite costing S$10 less on launch.

One could argue that the presence of two main protagonists opens the potential for replayability, but in practice, apart from being able to use the different tools, this is far from the case, as the game’s narrative beats or puzzle solutions remain the same no matter the character.

It’s a shame, then, since what little that is on offer here is truly captivating, especially in terms of Little Nightmares III’s look and feel. Each of the game’s four chapters offers a wholly unique location to explore, from a dilapidated carnival to a twisted candy factory, each providing no shortage of tense moments as players run and sneak past the various Residents (the name of the humanoid monsters in the franchise).

And it’s the designs of these monstrous beings that continue to be the highlight of the series, with Little Nightmares III featuring four unique “boss” type creatures – one per chapter – for players to encounter. In series tradition, these Residents are the embodiment of the word creepy, often featuring warped body features, such as The Supervisor, an elderly woman sporting thick beehive-shaped grey hair and six elongated arms. Each of these foes also usually features different “phases”, able to contort their bodies in certain ways to switch up their actions as a player progresses, with the thrill of discovering the next major foe being one of the most exciting parts of the whole experience, as short as it might be.

Much like waking up abruptly from a dream that you were wholly engrossed in, Little Nightmares III might have taken its namesake a bit too seriously, as despite featuring unique and interesting locales with terrifying foes to encounter at every step of the journey, the title’s overall enjoyment is still marred by its poor implementation of co-op, and most importantly, its disappointingly short play time, making it a fleeting nightmare that ends just as things are starting to get interesting.

Kevin Low

Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise “duds” like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3. He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying.

The post Little Nightmares III – Review appeared first on Geek Culture.

If there are two things that Konami’s survival horror franchise, Silent Hill, is known for, it’s creepy fog-obscured towns and mind-bending psychological torment. And while the series has largely centred around its titular fictional town of Silent Hill since its inception in 1999, Konami isn’t a stranger to experimentation, even after seven mainline titles and multiple spin-offs.

That’s why it has teamed up with new developer NeoBards Entertainment (Resident Evil Re:Verse, Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection) for Silent Hill f, its first fully-fledged entry since 2012’s Silent Hill: Downpour, which takes the franchise away from familiar grounds, and back in time to Shōwa era Japan.

As a standalone spin-off, the new entry is set in 1960s Japan in the fictional rural town of Ebisugaoka and follows the tale of new protagonist Shimizu Hinako, a rebellious high school student ostracised by her peers, and tormented by her abusive father for being “weird” and preferring to hang out with boys.

After yet another argument with her father, Hinako storms out of her family home and meets up with the few friends she has – Rinko, Sakuko, and her best friend, Shu – only for the town to suddenly become engulfed in a mysterious fog and red spider lilies, killing Sakuko and spawning deadly red tendrils and deadlier mannequin monsters in its wake.

In true franchise fashion, Silent Hill f does away with traditional plot exposition and storytelling, instead letting players rely on subtle environmental clues such as newspaper clippings and notes to try and piece together what’s really going on. It wisely keeps the true nature of its narrative veiled behind elements of the supernatural alongside a heavy influence of ancient Japanese mythology, such as the town’s worship of Inari-sama, the kami (deity) of foxes, agriculture, and prosperity. 

Despite being vague, Silent Hill f’s dark tale is no less captivating, as players witness the downward spiral of Hinako’s deteriorating psyche across its brief 10-hour campaign. Don’t let the game’s short runtime fool you, however, as without spoiling too much, multiple runs of the campaign are needed to experience the game’s different endings, with new playthroughs also introducing additional missions and routes to keep runs fresh.

All this is backed by an amazing vocal performance by the title’s Japanese voice cast, especially actress and model Konatsu Kato (The 13 Lords of the Shogun), who plays Hinako. Kato’s delivery truly brings Hinako’s descent into madness to life, never failing to make audiences feel for the character with every spine-chilling scream of agony, as she witnesses her world and those she cares about crumble before her eyes.

As Hinako ventures along the decaying, empty streets of her once comforting town, she’s met with all sorts of grotesque monstrosities that fit perfectly within Silent Hill’s well-established lore and design, including the aforementioned mannequins, named Kashimashi, distorted representations of the townsfolk that emit a chilling creak with every movement, or the Oi-omoi, a bizarre creature made of multiple celluloid doll heads and parts merged together.

To deal with these foes, Hinako has no choice but to get up close and personal due to the title’s period-accurate lack of firearms, which departs from most games in the Silent Hill franchise. Instead, she will have to make use of melee tools like pipes, knives and other blunt objects to deal with threats using the game’s new action melee combat system.

While combat in Silent Hill f is unlike series tradition, it will feel instantly familiar for those with experience in the action-slasher genre, with Hinako able to perform a quick light attack and a slow but powerful heavy strike, all while avoiding enemy attacks using a dodge, or countering their strikes with a well timed heavy hit, leaving foes stunned for a duration in the process. Players must also manage each weapon’s durability, as they deteriorate with every hit and can break mid-combat if they aren’t careful, forcing them to scramble for new ones or repair the damage with a toolkit consumable, or if all else fails, hightail it and run.

On a surface level, combat might look and feel like a Soulslike title, especially considering the emphasis on timing, learning enemy attack patterns, and the presence of a stamina bar, this is far from the case as there’s much more room for error here. For instance, players can use a focus ability, which enables them to perform counters more easily in exchange for draining their sanity bar, which functions similarly to a mana bar.

Sanity plays a huge role in Silent Hill f’s combat, as not only can it be used for focus, it can also be spent to perform a devastating special strike that differs with each weapon type. Players must take care to manage their sanity, however, as using these strikes, alongside being hit by certain enemy attacks, will cause their max sanity to decrease temporarily until they can refill it using Hokora shrines, checkpoints littered throughout the map.

With melee being the game’s sole combat option, it does present the unfortunate downside of encounters growing stale as the game progresses. Apart from attaining new weapons, Hinako largely keeps the same moveset throughout the entire game, and while the title does boast far more enemy variants compared to games in the series like the Silent Hill 2 remake, encounters during the tail end of the title devolve into mindless brawls with the same two or three foes, making them a chore instead of eliciting any sort of tension.

That being said, even though combat is more lenient in the game compared to Soulslike titles, it’s still far from a cakewalk, as following in the series tradition of “everymen” protagonists, Hinako is just a high schooler with no combat experience, meaning she’s not accustomed to wielding heavy items in battle, a fact represented by much more sluggish movements in combat compared to other action titles. Her health isn’t the greatest either, and she can get downed rather easily if a player isn’t careful, although her stats, like health, stamina, and sanity, can all be upgraded periodically as the player progresses through the campaign.

For those concerned about the game’s overall difficulty, Silent Hill f does offer an interesting spread of accessibility options, as apart from including separate difficulty settings for both its combat and puzzles, each of the two initial difficulty levels, Story and Hard, also tweaks the game in unique ways other than just simply tweaking damage received from enemies.

Setting combat to Story essentially allows players to largely disregard the sanity bar, as in this mode, most attacks that usually drain the metre no longer do so, instead only dealing damage to health. Refilling the sanity bar also becomes automatic upon interacting with a checkpoint, whereas in Hard difficulty, players will have to spend Faith, a currency gained only by exchanging consumables and items at the Shrine. Changing the difficulty mid-game from Hard to Story is possible, but only after failing a scenario multiple times, and once changed, it’s impossible to then switch back to the harder difficulty setting.

Puzzle difficulty is where the game gets a little more interesting. Presented with the choice only at the start of the campaign, with no way to swap after the game commences, the choice of difficulty directly affects the solution for many of the title’s puzzles. These changes range from minor ones, like tasking players to find additional clues spread around the area to solve a riddle, or switching up the riddle itself, making the hints on what to do more vague as the difficulty increases. 

In an interesting twist, puzzles are not just affected by the difficulty but also by which ending route a player is on. Without spoiling too much, once again, each ending requires players to satisfy certain in-game conditions, like completing a quest a certain way, and clues for some puzzles change entirely based on these conditions. It’s a unique way to encourage multiple playthroughs while ensuring there are enough differences each time around for players to discover, and it further adds to the replayability of the title.

Combat might mark a departure for the series, but exploring the lonely town of Ebisugaoka is a Silent Hill experience through and through. From the tension of the constant fog that engulfs the town, obscuring the dangers that lurk within, to the supernatural elements of the game’s other locale, the mysterious Dark Shrine and its portrayal of traditional Japanese architecture, and from its glamorous Honden (a sacred part of a shrine that houses religious objects embodying the kami) to the magnificent Torii Gates that litter the landscape, each locale masterfully balances its creepy atmosphere with a deep respect for Japanese traditions and culture.

Environmental details aside, Silent Hill f also revels in its intense graphic violence, which extends far more than just the presence of blood and guts during combat encounters. The title’s various cutscenes – one late-game scene in particular – feature some of the most visceral examples of body horror seen in a video game in recent years, and will surely delight fans of the horror sub-genre, or elicit countless winces from casual horror enjoyers.

With Silent Hill f, Konami has proven that it doesn’t need to rely on the franchise’s familiar settings to provide an experience worthy of the long-running psychological horror series. The studio might have taken some risks with its new melee-focused combat system, and while that aspect might be hit or miss, there’s something about 1960s Japan and its culture that makes it a perfect fit for the franchise, balancing its inherent beauty with the tragic tale of a young woman’s spiral into madness.

Ebisugaoka might not be the foggy town many have come to know and love, but make no mistake, within its windy alleys lie a memorable experience throughout, and marks an essential chapter for any Silent Hill fan.

Kevin Low

Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise “duds” like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3. He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying.

The post Silent Hill f – Review appeared first on Geek Culture.

Revenge is a tale as old as time itself, and for Sucker Punch Productions’ massive action-adventure sequel, Ghost of Yōtei, it’s the driving force behind leading lady Atsu’s every action, as she traverses the picturesque environs of 1600s Ezo (present-day Hokkaido) enacting bloody vengeance against the Yōtei Six and all who wronged her.

Situated in the shadow of the magnificent Mount Yōtei, Ezo is as beautiful as it is fun to explore, with breathtaking sights and landmarks to uncover at every step of the journey, a beauty highlighted by the limited edition Ghost of Yōtei-themed faceplates for the PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Pro, decked out in intricate gold streaks forming the shape of Mount Yōtei, alongside engravings of the game’s various landmarks scattered throughout.

Following in the same theme, the limited edition Ghost of Yōtei DualSense Controller accentuates its curves with striking golden brush strokes all around its chassis, with sword cuts and battle damage strewn throughout to give it that weathered look mirroring Atsu’s treacherous journey. Speaking of our heroine, her silhouette is proudly displayed on the touchpad, outfitted in her signature Wolf outfit and dual katanas. Check out the PS5 faceplate and Dualsense Controller in the video above, which also covers the impressive Ghost of Yōtei Collector’s Edition!

To celebrate the launch of Ghost of Yōtei, Geek Culture is teaming up with PlayStation Asia to give away these Ghost of Yōtei-themed console premiums to three lucky winners. As a bonus, each winner will also receive one set of Ghost of Yōtei exclusive merchandise, comprising a Tsuba Pin, Omamori Charm and a Knot Tote Bag.

Three winners will walk away with one of the following sets (note: the PS5 faceplates are only compatible with the redesigned console variants introduced in 2023):

1. Ghost of Yōtei Limited Edition DualSense Controller + Merchandise Set
2. Ghost of Yōtei Limited Edition PS5 Pro Faceplate + Merchandise Set
3. Ghost of Yōtei Limited Edition PS5 Faceplate + Merchandise Set

ENTER NOW TO WIN

For a chance to win a set of Ghost of Yōtei console premiums and merchandise, simply complete these steps: 

1. SHARE THIS POST and TAG a friend or more**
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3. Fill in the form and answer the question(s) below.

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The giveaway is open to all residents of Singapore. The giveaway closes on 12 October 2025 @23:59hrs (GMT+8). 3 lucky winners with the correct answers will be picked at random and contacted via email by 14 October 2025. Good luck! 

**These steps are entirely optional, but we greatly appreciate it if you choose to show some support to Geek Culture by sharing and tagging the post so that we may be able to bring more giveaways to you all in the future!

Kevin Low

Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise “duds” like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3. He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying.

The post Geek Giveaway: ‘Ghost of Yōtei’ Limited Edition PlayStation 5 Plates, Controller & Premiums Worthy Of The Onryō appeared first on Geek Culture.

How far would you go to deliver righteous vengeance? That’s exactly the question posed by Sucker Punch Productions’ massive action-adventure sequel, Ghost of Yōtei, trading the tale of fragile honour in the face of a massive Mongol invasion of its predecessor, Ghost of Tsushima, with a more personal one of bloody revenge, ramping up the action to eleven in the process.

Set a whopping 329 years after the original, Ghost of Yōtei follows the tale of Atsu, a girl who is left for dead after witnessing her family murdered in front of her by a band of outlaws known as the Yōtei Six. 16 years later, Atsu returns to Ezo (present-day Hokkaido) after her stint as a mercenary in mainland Japan, equipped with the tools to become the Onryō, a spirit of vengeance — something that’s celebrated by the game’s Collector’s Edition.

Here’s everything that comes in the Ghost of Yōtei Collector’s Edition:

• Ghost mask with stand
• Sash
• Tsuba
• Art Cards
• Zeni Hajiki coin game and pouch
• Papercraft Ginkgo Tree
• Full Ghost of Yōtei game (Digital Deluxe Edition), which includes the following additional content
  • In-game mask
  • Atsu + Yōtei Six avatar set
  • Sword Kit
  • The Snake armour
  • Digital Deluxe armour dye
  • Digital Deluxe horse and saddle
  • Charm
  • Traveller’s maps (early unlock)

As the centrepiece of the Collector’s Edition, the intricately crafted Onryō mask presents a life-sized depiction of what Atsu dons as she delivers her terrifying vengeance to those who wronged her, featuring game-accurate details from Ghost of Yōtei like the streaks of gold lacquer inspired by the Kintsugi art form.

Additionally, the PlayStation 5 console has also received a special Ghost of Yōtei Gold Limited Edition Bundle (not included in the Collector’s Edition), with special plating decked out in that same Kintsugi design shaped to form Mount Yōtei, alongside etchings of the various landmarks found in the game. The included special edition DualSense controller also sees a similar makeover, covered in gold brush strokes, battle damage, and the silhouette of Atsu proudly displayed on its touchpad.

The Ghost of Yōtei Collector’s Edition retails at S$318.90, while the limited edition Ghost of Yōtei PlayStation 5 console is priced at S$869.

Kevin Low

Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise “duds” like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3. He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying.

The post Unboxing The ‘Ghost of Yōtei’ Collector’s Edition & PlayStation 5 Bundle! appeared first on Geek Culture.

From magnificent palaces, sakura cherry blossoms, and fields that stretch as far as the eye can see, to an era rife with war and violence, it’s no wonder that ancient Japan has become such an appealing setting for video games, allowing players to immerse themselves in a picturesque setting that balances beauty with tragedy.

The premise and heritage made Sucker Punch Productions’ 2020 samurai adventure Ghost of Tsushima an instant hit among players, and considering how well fans resonated with Jin Sakai’s heroic one-man stand against an entire Mongol army invasion, it’s no surprise that the studio is aiming for similar success with its follow-up, Ghost of Yōtei. 

This long-awaited sequel introduces not just a new protagonist and narrative, but also a new region of Japan to explore – the island of Ezo, known in present-day as Hokkaido. And while the sequel improves upon the original in many ways, it isn’t a complete upgrade, and ends up being a few steps forward, but also one step back.

Set in 1603, 329 years after the events of Ghost of Tsushima, the game follows Atsu, a girl who witnesses her family murdered in front of her by a band of outlaws known as the Yōtei Six. Pinned to a burning tree and left for dead, Atsu survives her ordeal and escapes South to mainland Japan, where she would go on to train as a mercenary and hone her skills in combat.

Sixteen years later, Atsu returns to Ezo with a singular goal – hunt down and eliminate all members of the Yōtei Six, consisting of the Snake, the Kitsune, the Ōni, the Dragon, the Spider and their leader, the disgraced samurai Lord Saitō. With her foes believing that she died in the fire years ago, Atsu quickly gains a reputation as an onryō, a spirit of vengeance, risen back from the grave to deliver bloody justice to all who wronged her.

While Ghost of Yōtei’s straightforward revenge tale is one that’s tried and tested within the action-adventure genre, it’s sadly the game’s weakest point and pales in comparison to its predecessor. While Jin’s tale of overcoming impossible odds in the face of adversity was glorious to see unfold, Atsu’s journey is a huge letdown, never growing into something more than a personal vendetta. 

This isn’t helped by the fact that Atsu herself isn’t a likeable character, and while she faces many of the same development opportunities as Jin, the latter eventually grew out of his stubborn ways and gradually realised that it takes more than a single person to face an army. Atsu, on the other hand, adopts her lone wolf persona to an egregious extent, and for the vast majority of the title, never cares who gets hurt along the way, be it friend or foe. It’s this almost toxic nature that’s guised within the veil of “strength” that makes her hard to root for, and even moments of loss that are meant to be emotional fail to connect when you know that Atsu is the one responsible for it in the first place.

To this end, it’s the game’s side characters – who won’t be named due to spoilers – that carry its narrative beats through the adventure, providing that much-needed touch of humanity to balance out Atsu’s one-track mind. It’s a shame that the studio decided to spotlight Atsu’s self-destructive personality and leave those with actual emotional depth on the sidelines, as the game’s plot would have been much more palatable if the roles were reversed.

Taking Ghost of Yōtei’s inferior storytelling aside,  the game excels in every other aspect, most especially in its gameplay, which builds upon the already strong foundations of the original to provide returning fans with something fresh, but that also feels instantly familiar.

Like Ghost of Tsushima, players will explore the island of Ezo largely without guidance, with the game offering the same natural in-game ways to guide players to places of interest, such as the return of the yellow bird or fireflies, which they can follow to discover various landmarks like hot springs or bamboo stands. New to the game however, is the spyglass, which players can pull out at any time to mark points of interest manually, allowing them to chart their own path towards their goal. While the game was marketed as allowing players to tackle the Yōtei Six in any order, this isn’t actually true per se, as most of the six won’t be immediately available to players, with the game subtly guiding players towards a certain canon order to deal with them.

Other new additions to the title include how Atsu gains skill points, as unlike its predecessor’s traditional experience point system gained by completing missions, players can only gain abilities here by seeking out Altars of Reflection spread across the map, which rewards them with one skill point each, encouraging exploration rather than simply rushing through its main storyline. 

Side activities have also seen a huge boost in variety with the additions of new ones like wolf dens to unlock specific skills for her wolf companion, which can appear occasionally during stealth or combat. In addition, returning activities like the aforementioned hot springs and bamboo strikes can now have optional gameplay elements, such as tasking a player with removing weeds from the area, which then causes various animals to spawn. Admittedly, this doesn’t add any gameplay benefits, but it’s always interesting to see what sort of critter would emerge in the background next.

Combat and stealth have also seen some shakeups, but largely remain exactly how returning players remember them, just with a few new aesthetic changes thrown into the mix. Take Ghost of Yōtei’s new weapon system, for example, which allows Atsu to wield a variety of tools other than her katana, like a yari (spear), an odachi (large dual-handed sword) or the Kusarigama (ball and sickle chained weapon), which is essentially a reskinning of the originals stance system, as each will counter a different enemy type. 

The foes players will encounter throughout the game are much more formidable too, as apart from Atsu having much less health than Jin did, most enemies also come equipped with two weapon types and can swap them at will, meaning players must always be on their toes to counter their ever-changing arsenal, and that things can become quite hectic when faced with a large group of them at once. 

To assist her in combat, Atsu can also find and equip different upgradable armour sets, and unlike those seen in the original game, which mostly gave flat stat bonuses, here they provide a more substantial gameplay change, such as one that provides bonuses only when equipped with the correct counter weapon, or one that gives a new skill like being able to block rifle shots, further encouraging experimentation and hot-swapping to meet different situations.

In essence, combat is meant to elevate the experience seen in Ghost of Tsushima, not change it completely, offering the same variety for newcomers while still allowing returning fans to feel right at home. It’s more of the same, but that isn’t a bad thing.

On the stealth end, the changes are much less substantial. The only major addition to sneaking comes from the Kusarigama, which now enables Atsu to assassinate enemies from afar in exchange for spirit points, with upgrades that allow it to be used on larger brute enemies or remove its spirit cost altogether. The “observe the leader” mechanic is also gone here, as players gain their new weapons by seeking out masters in their own separate missions, meaning stealth runs are less emphasised and more of an option for those who wish to do so, which is always good to see.

As players explore Ezo in search of the Yōtei Six, they will also do so in the absence of a traditional journal or mission objective system, with Ghost of Yōtei instead opting for a more natural clue system, which allows players to gather information on their targets naturally as they explore the world. This can come from talking to villagers in town or highlighting points of interest from afar with the spyglass, but also from interrogating the final enemy in an encounter. These all unlock mission “cards”, which can then be browsed via the map and point players towards their objective. It doesn’t completely change how objectives are handled and ends up feeling like a roundabout way to reach the same goal, but props to the studio for trying something new.

Either way, exploring Ezo is always a sight to behold, with Sucker Punch once again proving that they are unmatched when it comes to world design that balances untouched nature and pockets of lived-in spaces. Ghost of Yōtei is split into five biomes, each with its own unique flavour, and from exploring the open plains of Tokachi Range, to braving the cold atop the icy mountains of Teshio Ridge, or climbing to the peak of the titular Mount Yōtei, there’s always something interesting to discover, and visually, the game never fails to stun too, amping up the original’s particle effects like the way Atsu kicks up fallen leaves or how trees sway in the wind to an impressive degree.

In many ways, Ghost of Yōtei is simply more of what made Ghost of Tsushima so amazing to begin with, offering a fresh take on its combat systems while providing new ways to engage in its improved roster of side activities. It’s just a shame that Atsu and her shortsighted tale of mindless vengeance can’t hold a candle to the warrior that came before, but then again, that’s why legends exist, and try as the Onryō might, she falls short of truly attaining the title of the Ghost.

Kevin Low

Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise “duds” like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3. He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying.

The post Ghost of Yōtei – Review appeared first on Geek Culture.

Insomniac Games has finally announced its latest project, a bold new take on Marvel’s Wolverine, developed in partnership with Marvel Games and Sony Interactive Entertainment. Building on the studio’s success with the Marvel’s Spider-Man franchise, this upcoming title promises a fresh, emotionally charged interpretation of the iconic mutant.

Actor Liam McIntyre (Spartacus 2010 – 2013) steps into the role of Logan, bringing depth and intensity to a character known for his volatility, resilience, and inner turmoil. The narrative follows Wolverine as he hunts for answers to a shadowy past, confronting enemies determined to keep those secrets buried. With his trademark healing factor and relentless drive, Logan is prepared to claw his way through any obstacle.

The game explores Wolverine’s duality as a reluctant hero and living weapon. Once provoked, he unleashes his adamantium claws and berserker rage in fast-paced, brutal combat sequences designed to leave a lasting impact. Players can expect fluid, visceral action that showcases Wolverine’s raw power and precision. Insomniac’s portrayal emphasises Logan’s emotional complexity, his pain, rage, and the burden of his violent nature. As he navigates a world that demands blood for truth, Wolverine remains a solitary force, unafraid to get close when it matters most.

With this announcement, Insomniac continues its tradition of reimagining Marvel legends with cinematic storytelling and cutting-edge gameplay. Wolverine is set to be a defining chapter in the studio’s expanding superhero universe.

Want more? Here’s a behind the scenes look at the Marvel’s Wolverine:

Wolverine may be known for his solitary nature, but his journey is anything but isolated. Fans will recognise familiar faces like Mystique and Omega Red, who either join forces with Logan or stand in his way, including the ruthless Reavers faction that keeps him constantly on edge. The trailer teases even more danger with the appearance of a prototype of a menacing purple robot, hinting at the scale of threats ahead. Set against a backdrop of global intrigue, Wolverine’s quest for truth takes him through high-stakes environments, from the shadowy alleys of Tokyo to the icy wilds of Canada and the lawless streets of Madripoor, each one a stage for brutal, unrelenting combat.

Marvel’s Wolverine is coming exclusively to PlayStation 5 consoles in Fall 2026.

Yonk

Yonk is a geek who is fortunate enough to have an equally geeky Star Wars fan for a wife, who owns a LEGO Millennium Falcon encased in a glass coffee table as their home’s centre-piece.

The post ‘Marvel’s Wolverine’ Is As Brutal And Visceral As Expected, Nuff Said appeared first on Geek Culture.

It’s very fitting that NBA 2K26 is a direct reflection of the career of its Superstar Edition Cover Athlete, 10-time NBA All-Star champion, Carmelo Anthony. The hype surrounding this year’s iteration is a great reminder of the young Syracuse legend, who cemented his place as one of the best college basketball players of all time with just one season. You then get flashes of awe and brilliance for the former player for the Denver Nuggets, New York Knicks, Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Lakers, with that familiar stellar presentation and gameplay, akin to prime New York Knicks Melo lighting up Madison Square Garden. However, after that feeling of novelty and surface improvements wears off, you’re left with Lakers Melo, a once-great, ageing all-star who can’t hit the highs audiences have grown accustomed to.

Likewise, NBA 2K makes it to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame because of its legacy, and NBA 2K26 is no exception. It’s no revolutionary change that its community has been crying out for, but it still hits its spots. Perhaps the most comforting thing to know is that Visual Concepts actually pays attention to their community, with the biggest changes this year delivered on the court.

Right after tip-off, once you crank that right analogue stick back to test out an absurd Stephen Curry Harlem Globetrotter-esque 4-point jumper, you’ll notice the return of a familiar sight: the curved bar shot meter. Replacing the confusing and infuriating ring/arrow mechanic from last year, the bar’s green zone (which guarantees a make) adjusts based on how much a defender covers your shot. Wide-open shots without a defender in sight mean a thicker green bar and a greater chance of scoring. This means that unless you’re a living metronome with perfect hand-eye coordination, you’ll have practically no chance of making a shot with someone right up in your face. It makes clear 2K’s stance on shooting mechanics moving forward — less randomness and more skill — something the majority of its die-hard community can get behind.

With the new green-or-miss shooting mechanic introduced, players will soon notice that defending takes a back seat as players start locking down their timings and get better, but it’s akin to the 140/150 points current teams are scoring in this modern age of the NBA. However, gameplay feels inexplicably slower, though that’s not a bad thing. NBA 2K26’s improved “ProPlay” motion engine transposes real-life basketball tape into in-game animations, and gone are the days of last year’s sluggish movement, where players felt like they had solid cast-iron basketball shoes on. Players no longer glide and skate (almost teleport) to their spots during set plays, and gamers can actually see each player’s feet moving, planting and cutting with purpose.

What’s more, the introduction of Go-To Shots complements the way the NBA 2K series emphasises replicating the exact moves and tendencies of some 450 players in the league. It won’t take you long to spot Nikola Jokic’s signature Sombor Shuffle or James Harden’s controversial step-back three-pointer being employed by the AI, almost to an ungodly degree.

Like the layers on top of a cake, NBA 2K has always paid very close attention to its presentation and NBA 2K26 looks and sounds great, where you can even see the beads of sweat on LeBron James’ back as he attempts a drive towards the rim. The biggest caveat is that newer players can look more like wax figures from Madame Tussauds — visually accurate but inexplicably lifeless.

Ironically, what makes NBA 2K26 stand out as a visual and auditory spectacle is its attention to detail. Crowd noise gets progressively louder as the time trickles down to the last quarter of a tight match. Commentary is flawed at times, but the iconic quips and vocal idiosyncrasies of noted sports commentator and NBA 2K stalwart, Kevin Harlan, have always made it feel like you’re actually listening in to a proper regular-season game. Halftime shows feature cheerleaders dancing different routines, mascots on unicycles, and dance cams looking out for overly-enthusiastic fans eager to bust a move in the bleachers — all combined for an amazing atmosphere in religiously replicated arenas unique to each team. You won’t see any two fans in the crowd that look the same, from the sold-out Crypto.com Arena to a high school in Vermont.

Perhaps the most frustrating aspect here is the lack of consideration towards how all these new features and integrations actually ruin NBA 2K26’s performance on lower-spec hardware like a PS4 or Xbox One. Player cutscenes after a highlight play look smooth as butter, but gameplay feels delayed and a second slower once you’re back controlling your players. The pursuit of having the most beautifully looking sports game has now seemingly buckled under the weight of all the new textures and rendering, making it feel like one step forward, two steps back.

Speaking of Vermont, this year’s MyPlayer follows the story of MP, an unknown teenager from the middle-of-nowhere, where your chances of landing in the NBA are little to none. The wacky storyline takes a turn when, after just recording MP takes a grand total of 10 jumpshots — he gets invited to attend an elite player camp on the other side of the United States, which then kickstarts your journey to the big leagues.

Gameplay-wise, though, it’s addictive. MP’s performance in every game does feel significant and substantial in how his career plays out, but the constant story beats and cutscenes feel artificial and contrived just to make it make sense. The dialogue that MP has blabbering is something a normal human being wouldn’t say, let alone a baller aspiring to play in the NBA. MP comes off as whiny and unlikeable, and making him a “content creator” just sprinkles salt on the wounds. And it really doesn’t help that NBA 2K’s option to scan your actual face to have on MP relies on a janky phone app using the outdated technology (where you take low-resolution selfies from your phone’s front camera), resulting in user-generated characters that, at best, look like a Halloween costume gone wrong.

NBA 2K26’s next biggest offline mode, MyGM, also hasn’t received the attention it deserves. Despite the introduction of “Offseason Scenarios”, the game’s franchise mode, where you get to play as the manager of any team from the past and present, feels like Santa Claus got lazy and packed last year’s leftover Christmas presents with new wrapping paper.

Given out after the end of each season, there are unique, multiple-year-long quests for each franchise that players must fulfil to satisfy fans and management. The perk and attribute point systems don’t make a significant enough difference compared to making player trades and signing big free agents. If the ultimate goal is to win championships and/or earn lots of money, go all out and make these objectives non-negotiable, i.e. winning a title doesn’t guarantee that players keep their jobs, especially if more money is spent than the team owner wants to. The novelty of planting a MyPlayer character right smack into Kobe’s Lakers dynasty wears thin after a couple of seasons.

TheW, the game’s single-player mode for the WNBA, is a good new start for those interested in crafting a female-centric story. Although a truncated version of MyPlayer, it gives an insight into female basketball, something that has been overlooked all these years but has been gaining significant traction as of late, thanks to real-life superstars like Caitlin Clark and Cameron Brink.

What’s more, WNBA player cards also make their debut in NBA 2K’s online fantasy team mode, MyTeam. Akin to how female players were introduced in EAFC’s Ultimate Team, NBA 2K26 follows closely in their footsteps, giving players more options in how they want their teams to lineup. The new WNBA-only games and challenges also incentivise players to use these female cards, giving a fresh layer and landscape to MyTeam.

However, it’s hard not to talk about MyTeam without addressing the elephant in the room —microtransactions. Admittedly, it’s easier this year to put together a half-decent starting five without spending an additional cent, especially with the intergender squads added to the mix that shakes up the tactics and strategies one can employ to outsmart their online opponents. But the moment you come up against those in the higher ranks, you’ll soon realise, after seeing teams put together with overpriced guaranteed superstar packs and bedazzled jewel-themed players, that cash is king.

Like a virus, the Virtual Currency bug is a rampant and convenient option for those who prefer to use money to buy their way to the top, ingraining a culture where many prefer to spend a lot of money (plenty of times more than the initial price of NBA 2K26 itself) to make their players look cooler and play better, overlooking what was initially a game that rewarded someone’s hard work and grind to getting that 99 overall. As soon as you load up the live-service offering of MyCity (an MMORPG-esque world that your player lives in), you get bombarded with retail stores, other players with crazy cosmetics on their avatars — most zipping around from point A to point B in their go-karts (which, to no surprise, can be bought with real money).

Even though microtransactions have been ubiquitous to every major game out there, there was that slight glimmer of hope that NBA 2K26 bucked the trend, until you get dominated by a 7’6 99-rated kid who had unrestricted access to his mom’s credit card. It seems like the endless stream of rewards to chase, clothes to put on, and player cards to buy is here to stay.

Yong Le

Everything changed when his parents bought him a PlayStation 2 for Christmas. Since then, he’s been hooked on all things esports, video games, and music. If he’s not livestreaming his shenanigans, he’s probably out taking mirror-selfies with his friends, vigorously debating over the Internet’s Meme of the Year.

The post NBA 2K26 — Review appeared first on Geek Culture.

Remaking any gaming title can be a tricky balancing act, especially one that was beloved in its heyday. On one hand, developers can modernise an older title, adding new gameplay systems that bring it more up to speed with the current crop of titles, but this risks the possibility of devoted fans lamenting the changes and how it deviates from the original vision. On the other hand, the game can be kept completely as is, barring a graphical upgrade, but this also poses another risk, that some aspects may not hold up as well as they did in the past.

For Konami’s Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, the team has adopted the latter approach when it comes to remaking its legendary 2004 stealth-action title, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, preserving the experience in nearly its entirety, so while this is still every bit the masterpiece it was before, there are some aspects of the game that have aged in the last 21 years, even if this is one that fans and newcomers alike can treasure once more.

Originally led by renowned gaming mind Hideo Kojima (Death Stranding) and his team, Metal Gear Solid Delta’s narrative has been left nearly untouched from the original, except for its Unreal Engine 5 graphical touch-up. This does make sense, as with the departure of Kojima in 2015, adding any new elements, no matter how small, or changing existing narrative details in any capacity might not pay the proper respect to the title’s original vision, nor sit well with fans.

This means that everything is just like how returning fans would remember it, with the same dramatic political espionage tale set against the backdrop of the Cold War. For those uninitiated, our main hero, codenamed Snake, embarks on a Virtuous Mission in 1964, entering Russia behind enemy lines to extract a Soviet defector named Sokolov, a rocket science genius in charge of developing a mysterious war-ending weapon.

Of course, things don’t go as planned, and while trying to extract Sokolov, Snake gets betrayed by his mentor, The Boss, who defects to the Soviet Union alongside her new squad, the Cobras, a team of supernaturally enhanced soldiers, and joins Colonel Volgin of the GRU, who directly opposes the current Russian leadership. The Cobras kidnap Sokolov and force him back to work, leaving Snake with a new mission – infiltrate the Grozny Grad facility to extract Sokolov once again, find and destroy the nuclear-missile-firing tank known as the Shagohod, and eliminate The Boss. It sounds complex now, but Kojima was clearly at the top of his game when he wrote this.

The MGS franchise set the gold standard for many video games and just like the original, the story plays out with the same overdramatic absurdity and dialogue lines that nobody in the right mind would speak in real-life, such as describing the exact features and specifications of a firearm with explicit detail while in the middle of a conversation, or endless out-of-place monologues and “inspiring” speeches that invokes cringe rather than any emotional reaction, this is truly a game of its time.

On the flip side, the game features many elements that are rare to see in this age of censorship and easily-offended audiences, and these aren’t there just for fan-service either, with their inclusion making sense in the game’s context, such as the side character Eva, a spy who uses her sexuality and “assets” to gain an upper hand behind enemy lines. Given the sometimes extreme approach to political correctness in this day and age, Snake Eater is a great reminder of the fun and class of a bygone era, and surprisingly, now a refreshing take on storytelling and characters. If anything, this might help remind gamers of the good old days when writers could weave ideas into their stories without the fear of backlash, and didn’t have to water down their vision to appease specific groups within their audience.

When it comes down to it, Metal Gear Solid Delta’s narrative might prove divisive, especially for those not looking through the rose-tinted lens of nostalgia. Its unapologetically cheesy nature might be charming at first, but can prove tiresome considering cutscenes and dialogue bits take up roughly half of its 10-hour runtime, meaning those looking to jump into the title for the first time have to first understand that this is a serious tale told in an inexplicably goofy manner, and that’s the beauty of it.

This is no different when it comes to gameplay, as minimal changes have been made to its stealth formula when compared to the original. The biggest difference lies in the titles’ new playstyles – ‘Legacy’, which opts for the original bird’s eye view camera angle alongside the old control scheme and first person aiming, and ‘New’, which adopts the now more traditional third-person shooter control scheme, alongside an over-the-shoulder aiming option.

No matter the control scheme selected, Metal Gear Solid Delta plays out in the same stealth-focused format the series is known for. While full-on combat is always an option most of the time, this is a title built around stealth, offering a showcase of that emergent gameplay the series is known for, where almost every action leads to unique outcomes.

While not as vast in terms of stealth options as the later Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, the game still features a host of ways to tackle every situation. Apart from crawling through thick grass, sneaking behind enemies and taking them out, which itself is a multi-step process due to enemies able to realistically hear Snake’s footsteps, players can also make use of a number of items to get the upper hand, such as the series iconic cardboard box, or even throwing down an adult magazine to keep guards distracted.

The camouflage system also makes a return, with Snake swapping out different outfits to match whatever terrain he is currently in, with each offering a bonus or detriment to how easily he can get spotted by an enemy. It’s still an innovative system so many years later, and one that has been further streamlined in this version, with players now able to quickswap camo presents by simply holding down a button, eliminating the downtime needed to filter through menus.

This is joined by two other features that further push its survival-style gameplay – the injury and stamina systems. The former comes into play whenever Snake is severely injured, tasking players to manually patch themselves up by using specific medical supplies to treat individual aspects of a wound. 

Gunshot wounds, for example, must be treated by first using a knife to remove the bullet, closing it with a Styptic, then covered with a bandage and finally disinfected. Injuries come in a variety of types, such as burns, cuts or even attached leeches, each with its own steps to treat, meaning players will constantly have to be on the lookout for each type of medical item to efficiently heal their wounds. In a rather neat touch, every major wound inflicted also leaves Snake with permanent scars, potentially making every player’s Snake different by the end of the game, depending on how well they perform.

The stamina system, on the other hand, forces players to constantly keep stock of edible items to fuel Snake along his journey. This constantly draining meter can be replenished by many animals or items encountered in the environment, from harvestable mushrooms to Soviet field rations, and even full-on animals like giant fish, spiders or vultures, with each item giving a different amount of stamina recovery and even special effects for some.

And it’s always a good idea to keep Snake well fed, as running out of stamina leads to a variety of negative debuffs, such as slower natural health regeneration, shakier aim, shorter time to hold your breath while swimming, or reduced accuracy. Most interesting of all, Snake’s stomach will start to growl when he is hungry, which alerts enemies near him, which is a humorous yet realistic use of what’s otherwise a common system seen in other games.

It’s this dedication to realism that shows how well certain aspects of the game have held up over time, with little minute details that add to the immersion of the title, helping to maintain the illusion that this is a living, breathing world that reacts to a player’s action every step of the way. Some other examples include leaves sticking to Snake’s legs when leaving high grass, him walking over bodies realistically instead of simply phasing over them, and Vultures landing and eating the bodies of fallen enemies in the mountains.

Despite this, the game is far from perfect. Look a little closer, and its cracks in gameplay start to show, particularly in terms of Snake’s movements. Controlling Snake can be a frustrating affair, especially in close quarters, as his movements are extremely floaty, meaning that players can accidentally overshoot pieces of cover if they’re not careful, leading to some cases where being spotted can feel unfair. Cover is one system that hasn’t particularly aged well, as the game requires players to hold down the movement stick towards cover to stick to it, and sometimes, this outright doesn’t register, leading to instances where a player will unintentionally walk out from behind the object and get spotted.

Although clearly not the focus, gunfights are particularly dull too, with aiming using the new over-the-shoulder never feeling quite right compared to the more traditional first-person view. The aforementioned unreliable cover system also serves to its detriment here, meaning employing tactical cover to cover movements advance on faraway foes simply isn’t an option. Enemies are also ridiculously bullet-spongey when not aiming at their head, meaning fights can either be too easy or too drawn out, depending on where a player aims their sights, with no balanced middle ground.

Boss fights are also hit and miss, usually boiling down to the same pattern of hiding and waiting for an opening to shoot back, although players familiar with the unique systems of The End and The Sorrow’s encounter will be glad to know that these at least have been kept intact. Still, it feels like a missed opportunity to freshen up the others with unique systems of their own and make them truly unique, because as it stands, the other bosses just feel like copy-and-paste clones of each other.

And then, there’s the dated level design. Much like the original title, Metal Gear Solid Delta is split into small-sized areas, each separated by a loading screen, and players will soon start to get really familiar with each of their layouts, as the game often tasks players with backtracking to previously explored locations over and over, which again, does line up with the games original vision and layout, but especially considering today’s gaming standards, level loading screens should firmly be a thing of the past.

Finally, there’s the performance, and while previous criticisms can still be forgiven due to the remake faithfully adopting its source material, the game’s poor framerates are inexcusable. Running on the base PlayStation 5, the game hardly hits its targeted 60fps on performance mode, save for interior scenes with barely any environmental props. 

Vegetation in particular causes a major hit on performance, and judging that players will be spending a decent bulk of their time in forests means they have to deal with said sluggish framerates constantly. The title also suffers from sudden performance drops, like in a late-game area, a relatively small hangar bay with a giant tank at its centre, the framerate would plummet to the low 40s whenever the camera is pointed at the vehicle, resulting in an uneven overall gameplay experience.

At least the one major difference between Metal Gear Solid Delta and the original, its revamped graphics, is one aspect of the game that has really paid off. Built in Unreal Engine 5, it’s a truly remarkable leap in visual fidelity, breathing new life into every otherwise unchanged cutscene and playable area. 

Performance hit aside, the forests of the game really stand out now with the added density of the grass and trees, giving a better illusion of scale and making the small areas appear much larger than they seem. This upgrade extends to the game’s other outdoor environment, too, the hilly mountain ranges, with players now able to see far into the distance. Coupled with the aforementioned tiny yet impactful little details strewn in throughout, Metal Gear Solid Delta’s graphical overhaul will no doubt serve to finally allow returning fans to experience the game that now looks like how they probably remembered it back in the day.

When it comes down to it, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is a tough title to judge, as its faithfulness in adapting the timeless stealth-action classic, although one that should be commended and even applauded, does have the downside of amplifying just how dated some of the original title’s systems feel in the modern gaming context. Still, this remake is undoubtedly the definitive version of Kojima’s third tactical espionage action adventure, and one that should be enjoyed by both returning fans and newcomers, although for the latter, it’s best to alter expectations before jumping in.

Kevin Low

Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise “duds” like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3. He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying.

The post Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater – Review appeared first on Geek Culture.

It has been almost a year since we last got our hands on S-GAME’s Phantom Blade Zero at Tokyo Game Show 2024. Earlier this year, the developer released a lengthy 6-minute “Year of the Snake” trailer, and now, we get to play one hour’s worth of the game at Gamescom 2025, which includes pretty much everything showcased in that latest trailer, and a whole lot more.

But before that, let’s dive a little into the story. The game follows an elite assassin named Soul, who is framed for murder. With only 66 days to live after a mystic healer’s cure, he must uncover the truth and defeat powerful enemies using every skill in his kung fu arsenal, before time runs out.

Phantom Blade Zero is a high-octane action RPG rooted in Chinese kung fu, set within a haunting Wuxia-inspired world that fuses traditional martial arts with a gritty, stylised kung fu-punk aesthetic. Drawing influence from classic kungfu films of the ’80s and ’90s, the game delivers meticulously choreographed, fast-paced combat where each strike and weapon movement is grounded in authentic physics, capturing the weight, speed, and momentum of battle.

Here’s the full PlayStation 5 Pro footage captured in 4K @ 60fps for your viewing pleasure. This Gamescom 2025 PS5 demo offers a self-contained, one-hour portion taken from a chapter of the full game.

And here’s a bonus 15-minute speedrun of the same demo, except we deliberately skipped past the Red Wraith boss fight, only to have her show up later on during the second phase of the Chief Disciple’s Fallen Hope boss fight. This creates a tougher fight for players looking to challenge themselves.

More casual action game fans will also be pleased to know that the game will feature three difficulty settings: Wayfarer (Easy), Gamechanger (Medium), and Hellwalker (Extreme), with the hardest mode being unlocked only after the game is beaten on its normal difficulty. This further emphasises the title’s focus on accessibility and how it’s not being positioned as a Soulslike, or rather, as a more approachable Soulslike compared to other recent entries to the genre.

Phantom Blade Zero doesn’t have a release date yet, but it will launch on the PC and PlayStation 5, with support for enhanced visuals on the PS5 Pro.

Yonk

Yonk is a geek who is fortunate enough to have an equally geeky Star Wars fan for a wife, who owns a LEGO Millennium Falcon encased in a glass coffee table as their home’s centre-piece.

The post ‘Phantom Blade Zero’ Unleashes Gritty Wuxia Demo At Gamescom 2025 appeared first on Geek Culture.

Eat, escape, and maze – these are the three core gameplay tenets of legendary arcade icon Pac-Man, which exploded onto the gaming scene in the 1980s as a simple yet addictive maze chase game, steadily building an extended legacy that includes sequels and spin-offs, including 1982’s Ms. Pac-Man, high-definition remakes such as 2007’s Pac-Man Championship Edition, as well as genre-redefining open world spin-offs, such as the Pac-Man World platformer franchise. 

With over 45 games under its belt, one would think developer Bandai Namco has run out of ideas for the lovable yellow puck, now proudly adopted as its mascot. But that’s hardly the case, as the publisher is attempting the biggest Pac-Man transformation in celebration of its 45th anniversary, flipping the script on the until-now family-friendly character and his games. Enter Shadow Labyrinth, a gritty 2D sidescrolling action Metroidvania with the darkest themes ever in the Pac-Man franchise, and the most punishing entry to date. 

Serving as a sequel to PAC-MAN: Circle, the sixth episode of the 2024 Amazon Prime Video sci-fi gaming anthology series Secret Level, Shadow Labyrinth centres on an unnamed protagonist simply given the title Swordsman No. 8, who awakens on a mysterious planet and encounters a familiar sentient floating yellow sphere, Puck. Having been stranded for decades, Puck summoned No. 8 into the world – her eighth try, to be exact – to defeat an all-powerful AI bent on dominating the galaxy, thrusting the duo into a globe-trotting adventure filled with danger around every corner.

While the plot may seem simple on the surface, the devil truly lies in the details, with the title celebrating Bandai Namco’s rich history by being set within its UGSF (The United Galaxy Space Force) in-universe timeline, which strings the narratives of the studio’s classic sci-fi arcade games such as 1981’s Bosconian, 1982’s Dig Dug, and 1991’s Starblade together. A clear love letter to fans, the title is filled with everything from passing references to extreme deep cuts.

The unintended consequence of this is that its narrative might alienate the general and much younger audience, and can even sometimes delve into confusing territory. For one, there is an almost complete lack of voice acting, barring a select few cutscenes spread out sporadically, with the game instead presenting its story via the Japanese role-playing game trope of character grunts accompanied by lines of text. No. 8 also never says a word, and although this has a logical explanation, his inability to argue and simply follow Puck’s every order limits the potential for a back-and-forth between the two, which could go a long way in character development.

For those unfamiliar with the UGSF, the game’s constant barrage of unfamiliar terms can soon dampen the experience, as it expects players to understand its many complex subject and topics without explanation. Shadow Labyrinth is unapologetically built for the most diehard fans, something that, for better or for worse, extends to its core gameplay as well.

As a 2D side-scrolling action platformer, its core gameplay concepts and controls will immediately feel familiar to players experienced in similar titles like Hollow Knight (2017) and Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights (2021). What sets Shadow Labyrinth apart from other games in the genre is its integration of elements from Pac-Man, specifically how it adapts the classic arcade game’s maze and eating themes.

As a game designed in the Metroidvania format, No. 8 and Puck travel across multiple sprawling biomes throughout their journey, each providing opportunities for free-form exploration and hack-and-slash combat. Following Pac-Man’s themes of maze, each of its different biomes is further split into smaller interconnected zones, a literal maze of winding paths that may or may not be accessible to the player at any given point in time, due to the genre’s design that encourages backtracking after gaining new skills to open up new areas.   

Platforming doesn’t simply consist of running or jumping, either, as No. 8 will gain multiple traversal skills gradually over his journey, which play a big part in the game’s platforming challenges, with the two main special abilities being ACTIV shot and Mini-Puck mode. 

The former, which is essentially a grappling hook, may seem like something that’s been done countless times, but not in its execution here. Players still have designated points within the environment to grapple towards, but unlike most games where the system is largely automated, here, everything is manual and dictated by input or direction. As a result, players have to manually control the direction from which the grapple shoots, and once they reach the grapple point, the subsequent distance and angle will also affect the speed and trajectory thereafter, allowing them to feel more involved in the platforming. 

Mini-Puck mode, meanwhile, provides a unique way of traversal with direct references to its Pac-Man inspiration. At set points on the map, No. 8 will encounter rails that can be activated via a stone tablet, and when he does so, the pair can combine into a Mini-Puck, a yellow circle identical to the original Pac-Man, who can then ride the rail just like in the original arcade games, even featuring pellets to munch on, complete with the iconic wakka wakka sound effect.

Combat-wise, Shadow Labyrinth starts with a rather basic moveset, comprising a simple three-hit combo, but as it progresses, No. 8 and Puck will gain a host of special abilities, including a timing-based parry, a throwable mine, and a skill that fires Puck forward like a missile. Tying combat together is the duo’s ultimate form, a massive mech known as GAIA, which can not only turn the tides of battle temporarily when activated, but can also be used to gain resources, which directly correlates to Pac-Man’s other core concept, eat.

After defeating any foe, apart from them dropping Ora, the game’s currency, their slain caracasses will be left on the ground for a limited amount of time. Using the Devour ability within this window, which absorbs the fallen foe and gains valuable resources that can be used to purchase equippable perks, unlocks all manner of enhancements like improved skill damage or increasing the range of the grapple.

It cannot be abused however, as alongside combat skills and dodges, these all drain the player’s ESP bar, or a mana gauge. This meter refills slowly, and if completely depleted, will disable No. 8 from using any such skills for a rather lengthy amount of time, making skill management especially important.

It’s not just basic foes that can be devoured. No. 8 will be able to use this skill on the game’s many boss encounters as well, with Puck fusing with him to form a giant dark variant that swiftly gobbles even larger boss carcasses in one go, earning him a new major ability for his efforts. 

The type of skill received is dependent on the boss’ movement, however. A giant jumping frog, for instance, rewards No. 8 with the double jump technique, while a Loss Ness monster-esque turtle creature grants GAIA the ability to use its laser breath. Skills acquired from bosses generally add to the No. 8’s arsenal of traversal moves and open up previously inaccessible locations, forming Shadow Labyrinth’s core gameplay loop of exploring new areas to reach its major boss, earning a new ability, and enabling access to the next new biome.

On the surface, these systems seem like a pretty engaging experience, but there’s an aspect that some may find daunting or even a hard sell – mechanically-difficult gameplay, which extends to all aspects of its design. From a platforming and exploration standpoint, Shadow Labyrinth is completely void of any objective markers often highlighted in modern platformers. This is a title that doesn’t just encourage player agency; instead, it outright demands it, leaving it up to the player to place their own waypoints on the map (of which they only have a limited number) and forge their own journey, with getting lost or venturing to an area they shouldn’t be in yet being part and parcel of the experience.

And while exploration difficulty can admittedly be subjective, the game’s backtracking is undeniably frustrating due to a head-scratching design choice. Like its Metroidvania counterparts, there are checkpoints strewn across the map that allow players to save their progress and recover health, but unlike those, the title splits them into two different types – larger ones known as Miku Sol and smaller ones simply called checkpoints. Interacting with the latter lets players save and replenish their health – something the former can do, too, plus the refilling of limited HP Tanks (health potions), upgrading No. 8 and equipping perks and skills.

The issue here lies in which of the two can be used in the game’s fast travel system. All of those are only available at the larger Miku Sols, and while each area is often littered with small checkpoints, most will only feature two or three Miku Sols that are extremely spread out, so the player must often travel a needlessly long distance when trying to backtrack to a specific location, making it a chore to trawl through the same locations multiple times. It would have made more sense to allow players to fast travel to both types of checkpoints, making exploring previous locations much less of a slog.

It’s clear, then, that Shadow Labyrinth was designed with a much more hardcore target audience in mind, especially considering its combat difficulty. This isn’t quite on the same scale as FromSoftware’s Dark Souls franchise, where even the weakest minion can kill players in three hits, but rather due to its extremely strict margin for error. Enemies, and especially bosses, will often dart around the screen in quick succession, and since coming in contact with their bodies damages the Swordsman, taking damage can feel cheap in some instances. 

The high barrier to entry is further exacerbated by the sheer number of moves players will need to juggle when tackling some of the game’s major bosses. Taking the previously mentioned frog boss as an example, where the constant hopping around the arena, alongside the spewing of icicles that prevent player movements, requires players to rely on the various grapple points in the area for mid-air combat, and it’s no easy feat. Apart from jumping, aiming their grapple shots to maintain airtime and taking care not to launch straight into the boss mid-air, there’s also the balancing act of strategically taking pot-shots at the foe and avoiding his attacks with mid-air dodges, which can only be used one time per jump and forces players to return to the dangerous icy ground to refill the skill. 

For lack of a better word, the entire fight is a mess of button presses and panic-induced mis-clicks that can result in many game overs before the eventual victory – and even then, it still feels like pure luck. It should be noted that this is but one example, with boss fights getting increasingly more difficult as the game progresses, requiring much more complicated move combinations. 

The game’s strict health potion system doesn’t help, either, as some difficult fights are preceded by small checkpoints, which only refill health and not potion count, so players will have to travel much further back to refill their stock, and then take extra care to avoid using them on their return journey. Here’s the kicker – if they fail in their subsequent attempt, they will have to do it all over again. 

The above points might excite some players, and potentially become a big selling point for the title, but not everyone is as capable of remembering and juggling multiple button combinations in the heat of the moment. Coupled with an absence of any difficulty settings, or rather, a complete lack of any accessibility options whatsoever, Shadow Labyrinth seems to be catered to only the most avid of platformer fans, which does seem counterintuitive considering the title is supposed to be a 45-year celebration of a prominent gaming figure known by fans of all skill levels.

At least having such a dedicated target audience means the game can go all out in its world design, featuring a plethora of callbacks and references that will only be understood by fans of the UGSF saga, with enemies, characters, and even entire level designs being based on classic Bandai sci-fi games, once again cementing the title’s stance as a celebration of Pac-Man, but the studio as a whole.

Still, even with the fan service, the platformer cannot escape the echoes of a slightly low-budget product. The low-resolution textures of some of its environments are often a jarring immersion breaker, while some interactable objects, such as rocks or rope, don’t blend in seamlessly with the rest of the scene, making them feel like 2D flat images pasted haphazardly within the level. While it’s evident that a lot of love has been put into handcrafting the various environmental elements, they don’t always come together as well as what’s expected from a modern game release.

Shadow Labyrinth’s ambition to flip the Pac-Man tradition on its head and bring it to unexplored territory should be applauded, and to its credit, it does innovate on the Metroidvania genre with features that directly tie back to the franchise’s core concepts. However, those looking to venture forward into this darker version of the iconic yellow puck need to be clear on just what they are getting into, as this isn’t the same family-friendly adventure the franchise is known for. Instead, it’s an unforgiving thrill built only for those with immense experience in the genre, or lifelong fans of Pac-Man and Bandai’s sci-fi classics. 

In other words, this is a closed-door, invite-only celebration of Pac-Man’s 45th birthday, not one that’s open to the general public.

Kevin Low

Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise “duds” like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3. He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying.

The post Shadow Labyrinth – Review appeared first on Geek Culture.

All right, everyone, let’s mosey, as a long-requested character is finally coming to Astro Bot. The latest free update for Team Asobi’s adorable platformer will add five new challenge levels to the Vicious Void Galaxy map, bringing the total number of levels to over 90, with more secret bots to rescue.

While the name of one stage remains a secret, the other four are confirmed to be Twin-Frog Trouble, Suck It Up, Handhold Havoc, High Inflation. Atsu, the protagonist from Sucker Punch’s forthcoming Ghost of Yōtei, has been announced as part of the bot lineup (coinciding with the PlayStation State of Play presentation focusing on the highly anticipated sequel to 2020’s Ghost of Tsushima), alongside two all-too-familiar faces: Cloud and Sephiroth.

The former shows up after completing High Inflation, and beating all five new levels unlocks the One-Winged Angel. The iconic Final Fantasy VII pair are hardly the only Square Enix representation — 2B from Nier: Automata and Chrono Cross‘ Serge are also due for a cameo in the game.

It’s a (final) fantasy come true for fans, who have been clamouring for their addition since launch. Astro Bot debuted with a whopping 173 cameos across PlayStation history, from more niche titles like LocoRoco and Legacy of Kain to popular franchises spanning God of War, Uncharted, Horizon Zero Dawn, and more, so the lack of Final Fantasy VII, traditionally associated with the brand in both the 1997 oriinal and remake forms, came as a surprise then. It sure took a while, but hey, better late than never.

Astro Bot has received multiple free updates since its release in September last year, and continues to be a shining example of success despite its apparent AA scale. The PS5 exclusive beat various AAA titles to clinch four awards at last year’s The Game Awards, with Team Asobi president Nicolas Doucet attributing its success to smaller-scale development.

Si Jia

Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.

The post ‘Astro Bot’ Finally Gets Square Enix Representation In Free Update appeared first on Geek Culture.

This interview has been edited for clarity.

It’s no secret that video game auteur Hideo Kojima (Metal Gear franchise) started work on a sequel to his hit game, Death Stranding (2019) before the pandemic began in 2020, but ultimately chose to adjust his narrative to reflect the impact that COVID-19 had around the world.

After all, Kojima’s ability to make games that have an uncanny parallel to real-world events marks just one of the legendary game director and producer’s talent in analysing trends in societal and political behaviour, and developing an intriguing narrative out of it, including the spread of misinformation, fake news and rise of artificial intelligence (AI) from Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (2001).

And what drove his decision was around the real-world isolation he felt during the global lockdown, itself a topic he wrote about and developed in the original game, not realising that his first game since his departure from leading Japanese developer and studio, Konami, about courier Sam Porter Bridges (Norman Reedus) hired to deliver items and supplies to isolated colonies after a global catastrophe, and ultimately reconnecting these pockets of people via a wireless communications network, would draw real-world parallels just a few months later.

So what better way to revisit the theme, now based on actual experiences, explained the legendary creative mind behind the new sequel, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, during the Taipei stopover of the Death Stranding World Strand Tour 2, where he was also joined by the game’s art director Yoji Shinkawa.

“During the pandemic, I felt very lonely,” Kojima shares in an interview with Geek Culture. 

“There was no one in the office, and all the staff were working remotely. I even got sick during this time.” These personal experiences of disconnection became a crucible for the game’s narrative and design, as Kojima-san then described his haunting walks through empty streets, a surreal landscape that directly mirrored the game’s post-apocalyptic world. 

“Usually, busy paths were completely deserted. Benches were sealed off, and there were hardly any people,” he recalls. “It looked really like there was no one in the world.”

These solitary walks helped Kojima establish an updated basis for Bridges, as the global events now mirrored the desolate world of Death Stranding 2, and the pandemic’s enforced social distancing and sense of disconnection became a key inspiration for the game’s exploration of human connection and loneliness.

“We had almost like a martial law. People wouldn’t be allowed by the government to walk outside during the pandemic,” he says, further sharing how the COVID-19 pandemic profoundly influenced the game’s core themes of human connection and isolation, but also proving that even in the most challenging times, creativity can find its most powerful expression.

And while the narrative plays a key role, there’s also another aspect in video games that draws in players, namely game design and design itself, and it falls on Kojima’s longtime collaborator Shinkawa to turn words into detailed visual creations in a Hideo Kojima game.

And it’s an intricate creative process for all involved, notes Shinkawa, providing an example using the striking red Ghost Mechs. Its design was born from a fundamental artistic principle of creating something truly individualistic. The key concept of the character design emerged from a big coffin, which became the structural basis for the characters’ unique form.

Kojima’s visual direction played a crucial role in shaping the characters’ appearance, resulting in a design that feels almost ritualistic, with the red armour, in particular, creating a sense of destructive energy that sets the Ghost Mechs apart.

Drawing further inspiration from unexpected sources, Shinkawa incorporated elements reminiscent of Kojima’s alien designs, particularly the characters’ head, which was heavily inspired by H.R. Giger’s works of the iconic Xenomorph from the Alien film franchise, now easily recognised around the world. This approach resulted in a visual style that is both alien and familiar, ritualistic, and yet dynamic.

Having worked closely together with Kojima for over 30 years, since Policenauts in 1994, Shinkawa has a comfortable working relationship with the noted game creator, but he also recognises how impactful the journey has been and how he has Kojima to thank back when he joined Konami in the ‘90s, as “otherwise there would be no Yoji Shinkawa here today.”

“When I was in my senior year in university, I applied for a job at Konami, and during my second interview, I had to decide which division I wanted to go to,” reminisces Shinkawa-san.

“At the time, I kind of said yes to work on a zombie gun shooting arcade game because I wanted to work on 3D models,” and before anyone can raise a point, Kojima-san acknowledges with a laugh, “Yes, it was a very crappy game.”

Ultimately, he didn’t go that route, because Kojima approached him in the early ‘90s to ask if he would like to work on his new concept for Metal Gear Solid. At the time, Kojima was already working on Policenauts, so he roped in Shinkawa-san to clean up all the robot designs, while concurrently starting on making a model for Metal Gear Rex, but not in the offices.

“I asked Yoji to kind of make a model of Metal Gear Rex at home,” recalls Kojima-san.

“He did it at home in 3D. So at that time, back in the ‘90s, there was no email or digital communication, so I would call Yoji every day at around 5pm to ask how he’s doing, and how the modelling was coming along.”

Thankfully, the duo’s current approach to the game’s design philosophy is broader, incorporating a sense of purpose with world-building within the game. For example, Kojima notes at a separate press conference in Taipei with selected media, that his favourite tool is the ring-shaped terminal worn by Sam in the sequel, instead of the handcuff-shaped terminal in the original that symbolises a kind of restraint. 

Since Sam is no longer part of the Bridges organisation, it would be strange for him to still wear handcuffs, necessitating the creation of a ring-shaped accessory, which is activated like a competition ornament. Each of the five main members of the headquarters uses a different finger to activate their ring, and players can observe these details in the game.

For Shinkawa, his joy in design can be found in the little things, such as the small truck and the tricycle introduced in this game because when it comes to designing machines, he aims for those that could only exist in games, animation, or movies. He pays special attention to how these machines interact with players and the environment, ensuring unique experiences not possible in reality.

If anything, it’s the reconnection that Kojima wants players to feel after spending time with the game, which is about reconnecting the world through delivery. 

“The team prepared various gameplay options, from direct combat to stealth, hoping the game would help rekindle connections formed during the pandemic,” he explains.

Now that the sequel has been released to critical acclaim, there is the question of what’s next, with the recent health scare for Kojima that required an operation and an evaluation of his life’s priorities, there has been a revised approach to his understanding of life and death, and the cycle of life.

“So from a living thing, everything started from nothing, and then light, and this kind of goes on and on if we look at a map of a space, like a universe. So, from looking at a very macro point, it means that this circulation is nothing really, it’s always evolving,” muses the 61-year-old and the father of two when asked about his thoughts on future generations. 

“So (it’s the) same as just human beings. If you look at human beings, (a) child is raised by adults, and then the adults pass on to the children, and that children become adults, and pass on to their children. It’s kind of similar, is what I think.”

Yonk

Yonk is a geek who is fortunate enough to have an equally geeky Star Wars fan for a wife, who owns a LEGO Millennium Falcon encased in a glass coffee table as their home’s centre-piece.

The post Isolation & Inspiration: How The Pandemic Shaped ‘Death Stranding 2’ For Hideo Kojima & Yoji Shinkawa appeared first on Geek Culture.

Regardless of the times, the tragedy of reality is that strife and dissolution will always persist in life. In the eyes of renowned video game designer Hideo Kojima, the road to a united utopia is achieved not in distance, but in relationships and social bonds. It may sound like a tenet from a hippie with an appetite for 80s and 90s cinema, but Kojima has masterfully illustrated this theme in Death Stranding, a delivery game by his then-newfound studio Kojima Productions. To some, the game was Kojima’s magnum opus, and to others, a glorified walking simulator filled with cinematic cutscenes. Now, with Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, fans are eager to see what Kojima’s sequel has to say about exchanging sticks (violence) for strands (unification). 

Narratively, Kojima has proven he has the tools and talent to spin a compelling, conceptually highbrow and cinematic tale about bringing humanity together. However, like any delivery errand rooted in the realities of painstaking mundanity, those who wish to experience the story and truly understand its message must be willing to trudge through extensive amounts of jargon and route planning.

For the uninitiated, the world of Death Stranding begins with both a bang and a whimper, where souls of the dead who are unable to move on in the afterlife (represented by beaches) become ghost-like entities unseen by the naked eye, known as Beached Things (BTs). As more people die, more BTs roam the earth. Anyone swallowed by a BT results in a voidout, an explosion of energy akin to an atomic bomb and leaves a giant crater in its wake. In addition, the rain ages anyone who gets caught in it. Consequently, humanity has been driven to isolation, going underground in clusters or alone. To survive, these communities rely on porters to deliver materials and precious resources, and you are one such courier, Sam Porter Bridges, played by a returning Norman Reedus (The Walking Dead). To ensure the safety of porters, they use Bridge Babies (BB), a fetus extracted from a brain-dead mother and stored in a pod, to detect BTs. 

In the first Death Stranding, players are tasked with connecting bastions across the United States of America, integrating these communities into a “Chiral Network”, and thus unifying a fractured country into a new United Cities of America (UCA). Players do so by taking on deliveries and travelling between these bases, and through this journey, they learn of how BTs are formed and how they serve as precursors to the next Death Stranding, an Extinction Event that can wipe out all of humanity.

While the UCA was the focus of Death Stranding, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach brings us to Australia through a portal known as a “Plate Gate” located on the southern edge of Mexico but the name of the game here is still the same — deliver precious cargo across Australia’s isolated communities and integrate them into the Chiral Network. Each order you take on will throw you into similar loops of planning your route, outfitting yourself with equipment for the journey, transporting the cargo to your destination, be awarded points (also known as “Likes”) based on your performance, and integrate the community you’ve arrived in to the Chiral Network. Including the cutscenes for the main story, players will be experiencing this game loop for about 40 hours.

Compared to the UCA, the biomes Australia takes you to have shown how the Decima engine has evolved in generating its visual assets in leaps and bounds. Right from the start of the prologue and opening credits, the game looks and feels like a documentary, showing realistic, breathtaking dunes, rock formations, and cityscapes. Compared to the first game, there is less blue sand and so much more red dust, white snow, green foliage, and grey abandoned buildings, which makes porter work more pleasant through the hours. 

Porter work in Australia is more complex compared to Sam’s journey across the UCA as in addition to the usual bandits, brigands, and BTs, Sam now has to prepare for harsh weather, environmental conditions, encounters with dangerous wildlife, and occasionally fight against robotic terrorists known as “Ghost Mechs”. Instead of just grabbing your gear and going, you now have to actively weigh your options and choose the lesser evil to your next destination. More often than not, the shortest route – logically a straight line – may not be the optimal option as you may encounter BTs along the way, which may not be your cup of tea. 

Instead, you may want to make the detour and brave climbing rocky mountains, which introduce a different type of horror in managing your stamina, hoping you do not fall and damage your cargo or succumb to landslides and avalanches caused by earthquakes (dubbed ‘Gate Quakes’). That said, environmental dangers are a welcome inclusion in the world of Death Stranding. Experiencing natural disasters in your travels, like bush fires, Gate Quakes, and rising water levels, brings a level of dynamics not present in the first game. 

To prepare you for greater dangers ahead compared to your time in the UCA, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach also takes a more action-oriented approach to its combat, with a wider arsenal of tools and weapons at your disposal to confront your adversaries. On top of the usual assault rifle, shotgun, and blood grenade to get rid of BTs, the game offers more innovative tools like a Blood Boomerang that uses blood bags instead of bullets, which is a great de-facto silent way to fight your enemies, or a Tar Cannon that can put out bushfires and act as a flamethrower at the same time. There’s even a grenade that you can use to capture BTs, so you can use them to fight other BTs.

In addition to a wider arsenal of tools is a new character progression system. You will be awarded skill points known as ‘Memory’, to invest in various APAS Enhancements, which make your next journey slightly easier. These enhancements come in nodes you activate, like ‘Aim Assist’ for your weapons or ‘Instant Cargo Binding’, where the scattering of cargo is prevented whenever Sam falls over. Your mastery of weapons (represented by levels) and other statistics like Carrying Capacity will also increase based on the equipment you use and the route you take. 

The game is also more lenient to failure. While players were met with a “Game Over” screen once a BT swallows any human being in the first game, getting swallowed by a BT in Death Stranding 2 will result in the formation of a crater in the environment, making the area inaccessible for travel. This would just translate into a minor inconvenience where players would have to make a detour to reach their next destination. Killing people in the first game is a dangerous endeavour as dead bodies become potential candidates to cause a voidout, thus, a “Game Over” screen that hampers progress, and there is an urgency to incinerate dead bodies by personally transporting them to an incinerator. In Death Stranding 2, however, the denizens of Australia will dispose of any dead bodies that lie in your wake, resulting in a reduction of your total accumulated Likes. That said, although a wider arsenal of weapons and added room for failure empower you to boldly confront BTs and brigands more often, getting caught by the dead feels more inconsequential, which weakens one of the game’s central themes of valuing human lives for connection. 

Although the utilisation of the incinerator in the first game feels like work, it encourages players to be more creative in adopting non-lethal ways to accomplish their tasks, and therefore, there is always room for an incinerator in Australia. Thankfully, you will be able to switch between lethal and non-lethal modes for all weapons, and weapons are pre-set to non-lethal, so there is no need to adopt lethal methods throughout the game.

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach also takes a more deliberate, deeper approach to world-building, featuring more individuals studying the effects of the Death Stranding event, and other lore-specific aspects like chiralium and the tar. Although a greater depth to the world of Death Stranding is introduced, the game suffers from too much unnecessary complexity in introducing parts of this world. Why is there research on how tar and chiralium affect groundwater, and how is it relevant to our story? How does the tar help in healing diseases? Even the characters in the game do not currently know. 

While you may argue that learning about the effects of the Death Stranding alongside the denizens of this world plays a part in the immersion, how the game’s lore is uncovered and communicated may just be too convoluted for any layman. The work is important, mysterious, and so complex that it can go over the heads of the casual player because what does “parasitic chiral microbes” and “tar current fluctuations” even mean? Fortunately, the game includes a corpus that spells out events of the story so far and jargon players may not be familiar with if they did not play the first game, and this helps elevate them to the same level of understanding if they are willing to pore over walls of text. 

On the grander scheme of things, it’s more exciting to brood over the game’s core themes of connection and how specific socio-political issues like expansionism and gun violence affect connected communities, which could have been explored more instead of convoluted world-building. The main question posed to players at the start of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach was, “Should We Have Connected?”, and even Sam questioned the underlying agenda for expanding the chiral network outside of the UCA into Australia, citing concerns for the expansion to be politically masked by civility and acting as a vehicle for humanity’s destruction. 

To that, it would seem that Kojima’s stand on the matter is that humanity deserves to connect and establish relationships despite being in the wake of calamity, and this statement is expressed masterfully once again in the main events of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach. The story is wholesome and sometimes predictable; however, Norman Reedus’ Sam and the supporting characters involved in the game’s events have proven to be pivotal emotional backbones to its messaging.

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach introduces both new and returning casts, all of whom play characters who are beautifully written. Norman Reedus has shown his deep understanding of grief in his performance as Sam, who is not only dealing with the harsh working environments as a porter, but also in his struggle to emotionally handle the deaths of those he loves. Meanwhile, scenes by Shioli Kutsuna (Deadpool 2) as Rainy are sure to tug at your heartstrings and bring tears to your eyes.

The player is also transported to the Spirit World against Luca Marinelli’s (The Old Guard) Neil, a mysterious spirit of a dead porter, similar to that of Mads Mikkelsen’s Cliff Unger in the World War 1 trenches of the first game. Although scenes with Marinelli are not as tense as Mikkelsen’s mysterious, power-bringing aura, Marinelli brings an air of explosive intimidation in his character that can hold his own without comparison to Mikkelsen. On the other hand, Elle Fanning’s (Maleficent: Mistress of Evil)Tomorrow is also a memorable highlight in performance, spearheading most of the game’s action-packed cutscenes, which are measured, exciting, and well-choreographed.

Returning to the scene as the main villain is Troy Baker’s Higgs. Although Baker is a natural at conveying the pained madness of Higgs as a character, the game’s culmination, including the final fight and his conclusion, was underwhelming and anticlimactic.

Regardless, returning to the world of Death Stranding in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach was worth the 40 or so hours to finish, including savouring every moment of the game’s main storyline cutscenes. 

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is released exclusively on the PS5 on 26 June 2025.

Joey Leong

Crack open a cold one with Joey, because the moment you approach him, he will start talking about film and video games for days. He spends his waking moments during the weekends meditating on how the latest movie he’s watched or game he’s played has impacted his worldview.

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