Teamwork makes the dream work, and Charlie Cox certainly agrees. Following the title’s record-breaking nomination count for this year’s The Game Awards, the Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 star expressed his gratitude to his character’s motion capture artist, saying that all credit should be given to him instead.

Speaking at an event in Mexico, Cox acknowledged that while he was “thrilled” to receive a nod for his role as Gustave, it wouldn’t have been possible without Maxence Cazorla’s performance.

“Yes, I’m thrilled for this nomination,” he shared. “I’ve said this before, and I think it’s important to say: there’s an amazing French actor, by the name of Maxence Cazorla, who did almost all of the motion capture for that role in that game.

“So any nomination or credit I get, I really have to give to him — I believe that the performance of that character is really down to him, and my voice was just part of that process.”

The Daredevil actor is in the running for Best Performance at the annual awards show alongside co-stars Ben Starr (Clive in Final Fantasy XVI) and Jennifer English (Shadowheart in Baldur’s Gate 3), who voice Verso and Maelle, respectively, in the RPG darling. The trio faces competition from Erika Ishii (Ghost of Yōtei), Konatsu Kato (Silent Hill f), and Troy Baker (Indiana Jones and the Great Circle) in the same category.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is also nominated for 11 other nods: Best Direction, Best Narrative, Best Art Direction, Best Score and Music, Best Audio, Best Independent Game, Best Debut Independent Game and Best RPG, as well as the highly coveted Game of the Year.

Cox’s declaration hardly comes as a surprise to fans — the actor previously admitted to feeling “like a total fraud” after his performance earned overwhelming praise from players and critics alike, adding that he recorded most of his lines in about four hours as part of a voiceover gig set up by his agent.

“Apparently, the game is awesome — I’m not a gamer, I have no idea. I haven’t played it,” he said then. “People keep saying how amazing it is and congratulations, and I feel like a total fraud,” Cox continued. “But I’m so thrilled for the company, I’m so thrilled it did really well.” 

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 ‘Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’ Star Charlie Cox Says Mo-cap Actor Deserves All The Credit appeared first on Geek Culture.

Fans of Bungie’s online first-person shooter Destiny can now take their looting and shooting on the go, as the company has partnered with mobile gaming giant NetEase for the franchise’s first free-to-play live service mobile title, Destiny: Rising, which translates the hectic massively multiplayer online shooting action into an accessible, portable, and still immensely engaging handheld format.

Much like its two console and PC game counterparts, Destiny: Rising once again thrusts players into a war between humanity and alien invaders, but this time, it’s taking a leap into the past. Set multiple years before the events of 2014’s Destiny, the game is set in an alternate timeline and follows a character called Wolf, who is revived by a Ghost as a Lightbearer, humans capable of wielding special Light powers, in a quest to fight back against the alien threat and restore human civilisation.

Featuring gameplay most fans should feel right at home with, Destiny: Rising offers players the choice between traditional first-person perspective or over-the-shoulder third-person shooting, now with intuitive touch controls and some additional quality-of-life options to ease those new to the shooter genre, such as the ability to automatically aim down weapon sights when pressing the fire button. Additionally, the game features a plethora of options to tweak controls, such as gamepad support, key remapping and even controller dead-zone and sensitivity options players can adjust to suit their preferences.

Apart from taking on its main quests, players can also join others around the world in PvE raids or even PvP matches, with a fair play system that reduces everyone’s Character Relic level to one, ensuring a level playing field. Unlike the mainline games, Destiny: Rising lets players choose from a roster of playable characters, each with their own unique abilities and stories. Additionally, the game also features some systems not seen in past titles, like racing, the ability to dual-wield weapons, and various mini-games like a Flappy Bird-style side scroller or a collectable card game named Shadowshaper Duels.

As a free-to-play title, players might justifiably have concerns about its in-game monetisation systems, and while they are present, fans can rest easy knowing that it isn’t as egregious as most other mobile titles. Weapons are primarily obtained via gameplay, while its gacha system to get new characters definitely benefits paying players more, but all characters can be attained just by playing the game. Additionally, players should expect the live-service mainstays like battle passes and an energy system, with the latter currently being addressed by the development team to provide more freedom and fewer restrictions while still maintaining game balance.

Monetisation and gacha aside, Destiny: Rising is still an ambitious gaming undertaking that has largely succeeded in scratching that looter shooter itch even while on the go, with many players even remarking that it’s a return to form to the days of the OG Destiny. The developers’ commitment to player feedback, alongside the game being completely playable even for players who don’t spend a single cent – at least for now – means that this is one mobile title worth checking out, especially if you are a Destiny or looter shooter fan.

Destiny: Rising is now available for free on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.

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 App Of The Month — Destiny: Rising (Nov 2025) appeared first on Geek Culture.

Following its announcement on 13 November, Valve’s Steam Machine hybrid console has raised questions from the gaming community regarding its price point, but now, Valve coder Pierre-Loup Griffais has revealed that its cost will be more in line with that of a regular PC.

Speaking on Skill Up’s Friends Per Second podcast, Griffais explained that the Steam Machine will target comparable PCs on the market, with the aim to provide a “good deal” for the amount of performance it can push out.

“If you build a PC from parts and get to basically the same level of performance, that’s the general price window that we aim to be at,” Griffais explained “Ideally, we’d be pretty competitive with that and have a pretty good deal, but we’re working on refining that as we speak. Right now is just a hard time to have a really good idea of what the price is gonna be.”

When asked if the Steam Machine will see the same subsidies as other consoles on the market, like the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, Griffais said that it would not, although he added that Valve will try to remain competitive in terms of price versus the performance of the hardware on offer.

“Obviously our goal is for it to be a good deal at that level of performance, and then, you have features that are actually really hard to build if you’re making your own gaming PC from parts.” he added, noting that these include the hybrid console’s portable size, its low noise level, or the ability to be used with a TV remote or be switched on using a controller, further reiterating that the Steam Machine is “not really something that exists in the PC market right now”, making price planning a challenge at this point.

With the current generation of gaming consoles already being rather expensive due to price bumps over the years, the PS5 comes in at S$669 and S$799 for its digital and disc versions, respectively, while the Xbox Series X and S cost S$799 and S$469.9, it remains to be seen just how expensive the Steam Machine will get, but even if it does turns out to be pricey, let’s hope the hardware it packs is powerful enough to justify its cost.

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 Valve’s Steam Machine Hybrid Console Will Be Priced Like A PC appeared first on Geek Culture.

As video game developers seemingly run out of ideas for new titles, the industry has seen a game remake boom in recent years, with studios banking on the power of nostalgia by revitalising older titles for the modern audience. 

And it’s no wonder, since gamers are spending more on older games than new ones. According to a September 2025 report by insights consultancy firm MTM, 90 per cent of PC and console gamers have played a remaster or remake in the last 12 months.

For those wondering about the distinction between a video game remake or a remaster, a remake serves as a reimagining of an original game, but is built from scratch with updated graphics, gameplay and even story, while a remaster is merely an enhanced version of the original game, with improved visuals, sound effects, and voice recordings, but with no changes to the core gameplay.

Which means that unlike remasters, which tend to provide a mere boost in resolution or framerate, remakes are far more exciting, as titles are often built from the ground up while preserving the original’s core gameplay experience, meaning players don’t just get to experience older and less accessible titles, but a fresh spin on a classic title with overhauled visuals and sometimes even new content, allowing players to fall in love with them all over again.

And it’s not the appeal of nostalgia that brings older gamers to older classics, as MTM’s research indicated that 85 per cent of those who played a remaster or remake in the last year never played the original, which means they were attracted to the classic title based on reputation alone. 

Lastly, the research also shows that 76 per cent of 1,500 console/PC gamers in the US and UK (750 in each) indicated their desire for remakes and remasters by saying these games were  appealing, which explains the likes of Tomb Raider 4-6 Remastered, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 hitting shelves in 2025. 

But are remakes and remasters the same? According to a November 2025 report by entertainment research firm Ampere Analysis, which tracked data from January 2024 to September 2025, video game remakes produced around 2.2 times the amount of consumer spending as remasters did during that time frame 

Take Xbox, for example, which recently announced Halo: Campaign Evolved, a remake of the original Halo: Combat Evolved’s (2001) campaign, now rebuilt from the ground up with high-definition visuals and cutscenes, alongside adding new content. Furthermore, the Halo franchise’s second and third games are also set to see remakes of their own, at least according to insider leaks, signalling a shift in the studio’s strategy to bring the classic shooter series to a new generation.

Of course, Halo is far from the only video game franchise set to see a revival, as here are 10 remakes to keep an eye out for in 2026 and beyond. Let’s just hope that these titles won’t end up worse than the originals.

Dragon Quest VII Reimagined

Release Date: 6 February 2026
Original Release: 26 August 2000
Developer: Square Enix, Hexadrive
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 1 & 2, PC

Framed as a reimagining of the original 2000 JRPG instead of just a mere remake, like its name suggests, Dragon Quest VII Reimagined overhauls the classic 2D experience into a new 3D hand-crafted aesthetic, bringing the characters designed by the legendary Akira Toriyama to life in a whole new light alongside a charming diorama art style.

It isn’t just about looks, though, as gameplay is set to receive a much-needed modernising with battle speed adjustments, an auto-battle feature, and a new Moonlighting mechanic to assign characters with two vocations at once. The original title’s notoriously complex narrative will also be streamlined, making the journey more accessible to newcomers.

Yakuza Kiwami 3 + Dark Ties

Release Date: 12 February 2026
Original Release: 26 February 2009
Developer: Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, PC

RGG Studio is finally set to give perhaps the weakest entry in the Yakuza franchise the modernising it so desperately needs, as not only will Yakuza Kiwami 3 feature the same overhauls seen in past Kiwami titles, it’s getting a bunch of fresh content too.

Leading man Kazuma Kiryu will now have two fighting styles at his disposal, a revamped version of his original The Dragon of Dojima Style, alongside a new Ryukyu Style, which arms him with eight different Okinawan weapons. What’s more, the game is also set to launch with an entirely new chapter, Dark Ties, which shines the spotlight on fan-favourite villain Yoshitaka Mine in his own prequel adventure.

Halo: Campaign Evolved

Release Date: 2026
Original Release: 15 November 2001
Developer: Halo Studios
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC

The aforementioned Halo: Campaign Evolved is possibly the boldest move by Xbox in a long while, as the remake will mark the franchise’s first appearance on Sony’s PlayStation platform since its debut in 2001.

This means all console fans can look forward to experiencing the classic shooter, now rebuilt from the ground up in Unreal Engine 5 and boasting a ton of additions and reworks such as redesigned levels, gameplay and narrative additions to reflect later Halo titles, two-player splitscreen and four-player online co-op, and most notably, three brand-new missions set before the events of the game featuring Master Chief and Sgt. Avery Johnson.

Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake

Release Date: 12 March 2026
Original Release: 27 November 2003
Developer: Koei Tecmo Games
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, PC

As perhaps the most unique horror franchise of the early 2000s, Fatal Frame (also known as Project Zero in Europe and Australia) made waves for its signature photography-based ghost-hunting gameplay. The franchise might have quietened down in recent years, but that’s not stopping developer Koei Tecmo Games from revitalising the classic titles with remasters of both its fourth and fifth entries, Maiden of Black Water and Mask of the Lunar Eclipse.

Now, the franchise’s second entry, which is often lauded as one the its best, is getting the same treatment, but this isn’t a simple resolution boost this time around, as Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake will boast a complete overhaul from its graphics to gameplay system, updating the iconic Camera Obscura mechanic for a more engaging experience across exploration and combat. Oh, and the game’s sisters, Mio and Mayu, can now hold hands too, amazing.

Gothic 1 Remake

Release Date: Q1 2026
Original Release: 15 March 2001
Developer: Alkimia Interactive
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC

When it launched back in 2001, Gothic redefined the RPG genre with its groundbreaking exploration, alongside being one of the first in the genre to feature fully voiced dialogue. It was far from perfect, though, heavily criticised for its bugs and poor control scheme, something Alkimia Interactive intends to address this with its upcoming remake.

Rebuilt in Unreal Engine 5, the Gothic 1 Remake is set to be a faithful recreation of the genre-defining title, which apart from the usual visual overhaul, will most importantly modernise its combat system to fix the original’s greatest flaw. Best of all, a playable prologue demo is now available on Steam, offering a glimpse of what’s to come.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

Release Date: 2026
Original Release: 28 October 2003
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PC

It’s safe to say that Ubisoft’s upcoming remake of its classic action-adventure title, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, has had a rough time since its announcement in 2020. Initially developed by Ubisoft Pune/Mumbai, things quickly fell apart upon the reveal of its first trailer, which was ridiculed for its unimpressive graphics. 

Following two delays, first by two months and then indefinitely, development was subsequently taken over by the far more experienced Ubisoft Montreal, with an expected release date now sometime in 2026. Looking at the troubled remake’s track record and the recent kerfuffle with Tencent, it will honestly be quite a miracle if the title even meets this deadline, but for a series as loved as Prince of Persia, Ubisoft should just take as much time as needed to get it right.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

Release Date: TBA
Original Release: 15 July 2003
Developer: Saber Interactive
Platforms: PlayStation 5, PC

We are now heading into rather rocky territory, with a bunch of remakes that have simply been announced, but don’t feature any concrete gameplay details at the point of writing. First up is Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, the iconic RPG originally helmed by BioWare, which was announced to be receiving a remake back in 2021, with barely any news since.

Initially worked on by Aspyr, development soon stalled one year after its announcement, followed by reports that the project had switched hands to Saber Interactive, and then, nothing, like the game itself had fallen to the literal dark side. Cut to 2025, Saber studio head Matthew Karch came forward to reassure fans that “the game is alive and well”, so who knows when we’ll actually see a first proper look at the title.

Max Payne 1 and 2 Remake

Release Date: TBA
Original Release: 24 July 2001 (Max Payne 1), 14 October 2003 (Max Payne 2)
Developer: Remedy Entertainment
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC

Remedy Entertainment, a studio well-known for its expertise in making shooters with excellent narratives such as Control and Alan Wake, stirred excitement in the gaming community when it announced that it was teaming up with Rockstar to remake the first two games of the latter’s classic shooter franchise, Max Payne. 

The remake is set to combine both games into a single package, and while details are scarce, the project was reported to be in “full production” as of August this year, with Remedy CEO Markus Maki describing that the game has been hitting its milestone goals in a recent quarterly investor report, so hopes are high that we will be able to learn more about the Bullet Time pioneers revival in the coming months.

Silent Hill Remake

Release Date: TBA
Original Release: 23 February 1999
Developer: Bloober Team
Platforms: TBA

Fresh from the success of its 2024 remake, Silent Hill 2, Bloober Team is set to give the horror franchise’s debut entry the same treatment.

Apart from its initial announcement trailer revealed during the Konami Press Start Showcase in June this year, which offered no other details other than the fact that the remake was in development, the only information we know about the upcoming project is that it’s currently in full production, with one of Bloober’s two internal first-party production teams being entirely dedicated to its development, meaning fans will just have to sit tight and wait for the fog to clear on the elusive title. 

The Witcher Remake

Release Date: TBA
Original Release: 26 October 2007
Developer: Fools Theory, CD Projekt Red
Platforms: TBA

CD Projekt Red is certainly keeping busy, as apart from working on its massive RPG follow-up, The Witcher 4, the studio is also looking to the past and remaking the first game in the series.

Developer Fool’s Theory is in charge of the remaking efforts, with creative supervision from The Witcher series staff and CD Projekt Red, with the game built in Unreal Engine 5. Apart from that, nothing else is known about the title, so it remains to be seen how the studio will modernise the original game’s infamous rhythm-based combat system, or if it will forgo it altogether for a more standard system seen in later titles, but one thing’s for sure, with the unfortunate downward spiral of Netflix’s series adaptation, fans need a good Geralt adventure now more than ever.

Bonus: Splinter Cell Remake

Release Date: TBA
Original Release: 18 November 2002
Developer: Ubisoft Toronto
Platforms: TBA

This is one title that fans have been yearning for for ages, as following the release of Splinter Cell Blacklist in 2013, the iconic stealth franchise has remained in the shadows since, with Ubisoft seemingly ignoring fans’ pleas to revive what was once the studio’s flagship franchise, instead content with disappointing them by simply having protagonist Sam Fisher cameo in other games like Ghost Recon and Rainbow Six Siege.

Imagine fans’ surprise when it was announced back in 2021 that a remake of Sam Fisher’s first outing was in development, and now imagine their subsequent disappointment when the game would go radio silent for the next four years, with the only news about the remake after being the unfortunate exit of its director, David Grivel. With no indication of whether the project is even alive at this point, Ubisoft is really taking Fisher’s mantra of stealth and silence a little too far.

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 2026 & Beyond – Top 10 Video Game Remakes & Revivals Of Ageing Classics appeared first on Geek Culture.

HoYoverse, the team behind gacha-based live-service gaming giants Genshin Impact and Zenless Zone Zero, has unveiled its next title, Varsapura, an open-world RPG that’s set in Singapore.

As revealed via a lengthy 31-minute gameplay video, Varsapura is currently in development and will run on Unreal Engine 5, with the studio also recruiting developers for roles at both its Singapore and Shanghai offices.

Running on an Nvidia RTX 4090 pc, the gameplay trailer looks to take place at the start of the game, with the player character, who the game teases will be customisable to “match each viewer’s preferences”, signing up for an organisation known as SEAL (Shadow Emergency Alliance) and facing off against monsters using unique weaponry like an umbrella or literal paper folders. Although plot details remain slim, the game will revolve around a phenomenon known as Mindrot, alongside something called “Cognosea disruption events”.

After the initial indoor section, the trailer cuts to an open-world driving section, which gives an extended look at the game’s Singapore-inspired setting, with locals undoubtedly recognising notable landmarks like street signs bearing the names of Serangoon and Rochor, or in-game representations of the Bras Basah area, Parliament House and the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd.

While still in its very early days, Varsapura looks to be not only one of the studio’s most ambitious RPGs yet, but also the most interesting, with its unique local setting. No info has been revealed on the game’s inevitable gacha monetisation systems either, and since the studio is still in the process of looking for developers to work on the game, it might be a while before more info is revealed on HoYoverse’s next big title.

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 ‘Varsapura’ RPG From ‘Genshin Impact’ Developer HoYoverse Is Set In Singapore appeared first on Geek Culture.

Xbox has once again shone the spotlight on its upcoming third-party games at its Partner Preview showcase, with a barrage of titles shown off in a quick-fire 30-minute livestream.

Featuring a good mix of trailers for both highly anticipated triple-A releases like IO Interactive’s 007 First Light and Eclipse Glow Games’ Tides of Annihilation, as well as surprising indie follow-ups like Vampire Crawlers, here’s a handy breakdown of everything announced at the show:

Tides of Annihilation

Hailing from Chinese studio Eclipse Glow Games, Tides of Annihilation made waves upon the release of its reveal trailer back in February for its beautiful fantasy aesthetic and its equally gorgeous main protagonist, Gwendolyn. Its latest combat trailer gives a better look at the game’s combat, which looks to be an interesting mix of Bayonetta and Devil May Cry, with a unique system where players can control both Gwendolyn and her summoned ally, Lamorak, simultaneously during battle.

007 First Light

This might not be the next big gameplay trailer fans were hoping for, but hey, any news is good news for such a highly-awaited game like 007 First Light. Taking on the role of Bond, players will no doubt need some fancy cars while on their missions, such as the Aston Martin Valhalla showcased in the trailer, featuring a hybrid twin-turbo V8 engine alongside a Q-Type 7.62mm machine gun turret. Now that’s something you don’t see every day.

Zoopunk

If this upcoming hack-and-slasher’s anthropomorphic bunny main hero looks familiar, that’s because Zoopunk is by the same team behind the 2021 metroidvania, F.I.S.T.: Forged In Shadow Torch. This time, the game seems to play out more like a traditional third-person action title, with its trench coat-clad rabbit hero using dual blades to slice up nasty beasties. The game will also allow players to swap between characters, such as a raccoon or a rhino.

Raji: Kaliyuga

Now this is a sequel no one saw coming, as the 2020 action-adventure Raji: An Ancient Epic is getting a follow-up in Raji: Kaliyuga, and while its reveal trailer only features a bunch of cinematics, it does offer a look at the game’s new secondary character, Raji’s brother Darsh, who joins her journey this time around. According to the game’s description, Raji will once again wield acrobatic martial arts and her Trishul, while her brother will use Siddhi powers that control gravity, time, and energy, as the duo journey to the Eternal Summit to save or destroy the universe.

Reanimal

Tarsier Studios, the original team behind the Little Nightmares franchise before Supermassive Games took over for Little Nightmares III, has revealed the next gameplay trailer for its upcoming survival horror platformer Reanimal, which offers a first look at its myriad of gameplay systems apart from running and hiding. Players will be able to traverse over water via a boat, alongside what appears to be melee combat, wielding a pipe. The co-op adventure has also released a demo and opened pre-orders ahead of its launch on 13 February 2026.

Vampire Crawlers

As a spin-off of the worldwide sensation Vampire Survivors, Vampire Crawlers takes the concept and transforms it into a casual first-person turn-based dungeon-crawler with roguelite elements. This title is planned for release sometime in 2026 and will be available day one on Xbox Game Pass.

Hitman World of Assassination – Eminem vs. Slim Shady

Much like Thanos gathering the infinity stones, IO Interactive’s Hitman World of Assassination has been steadily adding more outrageous celebrity cameos, from Conor McGregor to Jean-Claude Van Damme and now Eminem, and it’s a double-whammy too, as the DLC will see Agent 47 teaming up with Eminem to face off against his younger alias, Slim Shady. Talk about Eminem-ception!

Armatus

One look at the main character design of Armatus and some gamers might instantly recognise its development team, Counterplay Games, better known as the guys who made the ambitious but ultimately failed live-service slasher Godfall. Now, they’re taking another stab at glory, this time with a third-person shooter set in the demon-infested ruins of Paris. And since it’s 2025, the game will also be a roguelite, because of course it is.

The Mound: Omen of Cthulhu

Based on Lovecraftian horror, The Mound: Omen of Cthulhu is a first-person survival shooter that’s set to feature co-op, psychological horror, and Indiana Jones-esque exploration, as players use old-timey weapons like flintlocks, bows and blades to fend off supernatural entities and possessed humans alike, with what seems to be a trust system that can turn a player’s allies against them.

Total Chaos

Here’s one to add to the growing list of survival/psychological horror titles to check out, as Total Chaos seems to be a blend of Resident Evil, Call of Cthulhu, and Doom, featuring intense first-person melee and ranged combat with tight, eerie corridors and no shortage of grotesque foes. Best of all, the game is out right now on PC, Xbox and Game Pass.

Dave The Diver on Xbox + In The Jungle DLC

The iconic pixel-art deep-sea diving adventure is back, as Mintrocket’s Dave The Diver heads to Xbox consoles ahead of the release of its upcoming DLC, In The Jungle, which is set to launch in 2026, bringing a new forested setting alongside additional underwater beasts to face like a giant crocodile.

Crowsworn

Hoping to reach the same heights of success as Hollow Knight: Silksong, Crowsworn is yet another side-scrolling 2D platformer which features a plague doctor-like character in a tophat wielding a giant scythe.

Echo Generation 2

As a sequel to the 2024 turn-based adventure, Echo Generation 2 is set to shake up the formula by turning the series into a deckbuilding RPG, and follows Jack, an ordinary Dad on a mission to escape a mysterious dimension.

Roadside Research

Here’s a goofy one, as in Roadside Research, four players will take on the roles of aliens trying to blend in and prepare for an invasion by running a petrol station, which will no doubt lead to plenty of co-op shenanigans.

Erosion

As yet another upcoming roguelike, Erosion combines pixel graphics with sci-fi and wild west themes in a twin stick shooter package, taking cues from 2021’s Sifu with a time-based mechanic where every death leads to the world advancing by a decade.

Clover Pit on Xbox

The nightmarish slot-machine-based roguelike Clover Pit heads to Xbox consoles, letting a whole new system of players live out the thrill of gambling – without any actual gambling – with a supernatural twist that lets them manipulate the machine to turn the odds in their favour.

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 ‘Tides of Annihilation’ & ‘Vampire Crawlers’ Headline Xbox Partner Preview For Nov 2025 appeared first on Geek Culture.

Capcom’s 2024 action RPG sequel Dragon’s Dogma 2 has reached a major sales milestone, as the studio has announced that the game has sold 4 million copies worldwide.

This comes via a post on the game’s official X/Twitter page, which read, “Thank you to the 4 million Arisen around the world! We’re grateful to share the immersive fantasy world of Dragon’s Dogma 2 with you all, where freedom and adventure await,” additionally noting that these figures are as of 5 November 2025.

This milestone is especially impressive considering it’s already half the lifetime sales of the game’s predecessor, 2012’s Dragon’s Dogma, which combined with its expanded edition, Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen, took over a decade to reach, so the fact that its sequel took less than two years to hit the halfway point is a true testiment to the game’s success.

Unsurprisingly, fans took to social media to express their hopes for a Dark Arisen-style expansion for Dragon’s Dogma 2, begging Capcom not to abandon the game, which received its last update back in April this year. Judging by how well-received Dark Arisen was when it launched in 2013, it’s no wonder that fans wish for its sequel to get the same treatment.

Dragon’s Dogma 2 was released in March 2024, and although it was received well by critics, its appeal was hampered by a plethora of technical issues across PC and consoles, some that hasn’t even been fixed almost two years later, as seen by its current “Mixed” Steam review rating, with many players reporting that it feels unfinished and poorly optimised, some even accusing Capcom of abandoning the title.

By announcing its sales milestone, Capcom is at least acknowledging Dragon’s Dogma 2’s success and its fans. Whether this translates to more updates incoming to fix the game’s remaining issues, or even an expanded addition like Dark Arisen, that’s for the now 4 million Arise to wait an find out.

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 Capcom’s ‘Dragon’s Dogma 2’ Sells 4 Million Copies, Fans Hope For Story Expansion appeared first on Geek Culture.

It isn’t the first time Pokémon have soared across the skyline of Singapore, but that doesn’t mean fans should miss out on the fun. After a successful run in 2023, Singapore Cable Car is back with a new Pokémon Day-to-Night Adventure featuring fan-favourites from the first generation, set to run from 22 November to 30 April 2026 across the Mount Faber Line, which spans Mount Faber Peak to Sentosa.

The excitement begins at the entrance, where a cheerful Pikachu and wall decor spotlighting Gengar, Charmander, Eevee, Jigglypuff, and, of course, the beloved yellow mouse, greet visitors. Along the stairway leading to the merchandise store and the station are decals of various critters, followed by photo spots in the open area.

Each of the five featured Pokémon adorns the outside of the cabins, with the theming carrying over into the interiors. When nighttime rolls around, the cable car experience transforms into an interactive affair – guests are invited to shine their complimentary UV torch onto the roof of the cabin, revealing UV-reactive decorative elements and one out of five Pokémon silhouettes: Gyarados, Pidgeot, Charizard, Dragonite, or Aerodactyl. Those who are feeling particularly lucky may want to keep their eyes peeled for Mew, a rare sighting reserved for a few cabins only.

After taking to the skies, a merchandise store awaits at Mount Faber Peak. From usual offerings like plush toys and apparel, including glow-in-the-dark shirts, to customisable charms and trading cards, there will be no shortage of keepsakes to bring home.

The Pokémon Day-to-Night Adventure experience takes place from 22 November to 30 April 2026. Tickets for a round trip on the Singapore Cable Car to Mount Faber Line are available at S$33 for adults and S$22 for children aged four to 12. Alternatively, there’s the Cable Car SkyPass for $45 and S$35, respectively, which gives access to unlimited rides for one day. All tickets can be purchased at the counters or through the official website.

From 1 to 31 December, those who participate in the Snap, Tag & Win contest can also stand a chance to win prizes by sharing a daytime photo/video of themselves in the cable car with any Pokémon and a nighttime photo/video with Mew, tagging @MountFaberLeisure, and setting their account to public on Instagram or TikTok. A total of 25 winners will be selected across the period.

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 Roost In The Singapore Cable Car With Fan-Favourite Pokémon & Interactive Night Experience appeared first on Geek Culture.

This interview has been edited for clarity.

To the modern players, video game remakes are a dime a dozen these days, but only a few truly satisfy. When remaking an older video game for a new generation, especially one that is a part of a beloved franchise, special care must be taken to ensure that any new additions or modifications don’t overshadow the original experience, but rather, help to elevate it to new heights while retaining its core identity.

Such is the case for Dragon Quest, often considered as one of the most iconic JRPG (Japanese Role-Playing Game) franchises in history. Comprising 11 mainline titles since its debut way back in 1986 and with a majority of them released between 1986 to the early 2000s, it’s no wonder that many of them deserve, and have received a new lease of life for the modern gaming generation. 

With perhaps the original trio of titles, also known as the Erdrick Trilogy, already reintroduced for the modern era in the form of this year’s Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake and 2024’s Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake, where does that leave the remainder of the series in the remaking efforts? 

As indicated earlier, rather than simply releasing remakes in chronological order, developers Square Enix and Hexadrive are instead skipping and jumping forward a few titles, and next up on the remake list is 2000’s Dragon Quest VII, and for good reason too. The original release made history as the best-selling PlayStation game in Japan then and this time, the team isn’t content with a mere HD-2D fidelity boost. Instead, the team is rebuilding its visuals from the ground up, while also offering notable tweaks to its gameplay and narrative with the aptly named Dragon Quest VII Reimagined.

Despite looking like a completely new title on the surface, the team has taken the steps to ensure it remains faithful to what fans of the 2000 original will remember, and Geek Culture had the opportunity to chat with game producer Takeshi Ichikawa, alongside other Southeast Asia media, to get a better understanding of what this entailed.

Perhaps the most pertinent question is about the game’s unique naming convention, and why it is choosing to label itself as a “reimagining”, rather than a straight remake. 

“While this work is based on the original version, all elements have been completely revised so that it can be enjoyed in today’s world,” explains Ichikawa, adding that the team consulted with Yuji Horii, the creator of the Dragon Quest franchise, to get his blessing to use the “reimagined” subtitle, to further drive home the idea that this isn’t just a simple remake, but rather a complete reassessment and revamp of the game at a fundamental level.

So how did the team go about fulfilling this lofty goal? According to Ichikawa, the team focused on rebuilding the game’s three major pillars – its visual style, combat and narrative.

Even in its original state, Dragon Quest VII already presented a unique visual flair, especially when it came to its characters. Designed by the legendary manga artist Akira Toriyama of Dragon Ball fame, characters in the game differed from other mainline titles in the franchise as they were drawn shorter and more adorably, leading to a “doll-like” look. It was this well-established visual identity that birthed the idea for the remake’s hand-crafted look.

“For the main characters, we actually created dolls and scanned them to create game models,” explains Ichikawa. “We then created the other NPCs, monsters, and backgrounds directly using CGI to match the visual expressions and overall art direction of the scanned models.”

Dragon Quest VII Reimagined’s hand-crafted style extends far beyond just its characters, as the game’s many sprawling world environments, which were previously presented as simple 2D overlays, have now been completely redone in a unique diorama style to match the doll-like nature of characters and monsters, something that, as described by Ichikawa, effectively fit with the original’s top-down camera angle.

On the gameplay front, the remake’s additions may not be as in-your-face, but are equally important nonetheless. In this aspect, the team decided not to focus on adding grand new additions to switch up the core experience, but instead to tweak it in small but notable ways to improve the gameplay flow.

The best example of this is Dragon Quest VII Reimagined’s new “Moonlighting” system, which now allows characters to hold two vocations, also known as classes or jobs, at once, allowing them to swap between the two on the fly, as compared to the original, where players needed to enter an area known as Alltrades Abbey and complete a quest line to unlock an NPC who manages vocation changes.

“The previous job system posed a dilemma when changing jobs from a maximum proficiency state, as the character would temporarily become weaker,” explains Ichikawa, “By adding the ability to hold multiple jobs this time, we’ve made it easier to not only change jobs, but provides a deeper job system overall that’s a little different from the original version,” adding that the team has been careful in adjusting the title’s overarching balance to match this new dual job system.

Apart from Moonlighting, Dragon Quest VII Reimagined’s other gameplay additions similarly tackle the themes of accessibility, and mostly serve to address one of the original’s most debated aspects, its massive duration, which saw players pouring over 100 hours in a single playthrough.

One way to streamline this was the inclusion of combat aids seen in some later JRPGs, such as the ability to adjust battle speeds, an auto-battle function, and even a way to skip battles completely just by attacking foes on the field once the level gap between the player and enemies hits a certain level. 

“One of the visions that we had for combat was that we wanted the standard, normal battles to proceed quickly, but also to encourage players to take the time to deliberate and strategise their approach for more challenging encounters like boss battles,” adds Ichikawa.

Furthermore, basic navigation while exploring the game’s world is set to be much more streamlined, something we experienced in our hands-on preview session held during Gamescom Asia X Thailand Game Show 2025 in Bangkok. Unlike the original title or other early entries, which mostly relied on organic exploration with minimal or no guidance from the game as to what to do next, Dragon Quest VII Reimagined now provides players with directional cues to make navigating its massive world more streamlined and, most importantly, more accessible to franchise or even genre newcomers.

While the team has taken the steps to ensure players won’t get lost as easily, they still understand that some might see it as a positive, and desire the game’s original trial-and-error way of doing things, and hence will include the option to disable directional cues, offering an experience closer to the original game.

Finally, in terms of the game’s narrative, what Ichikawa refers to as its “scenario”, Dragon Quest VII Reimagined will maintain the original’s surprisingly dark storyline, albeit in a different structure. As explained by Ichikawa, the original game was structured as a series of short stories, so in the remake, they are switching things up “by rearranging the order of each scenario, making some optional or even cutting some scenarios that had little relevance to the main plot”, adjusting the pace to provide a “more intense scenario experience” and helping to ease the “bloated” nature of the original title.

With the changes and enhancements seen in these three pillars of Dragon Quest VII Reimagined, the revamped classic is set to enjoy the best of both worlds, capturing that same feeling of the original while offering tweaks that not only make it feel fresh but also lower the hurdles to entry and allow for more gamers to experience a legendary piece of JRPG history.

Dragon Quest VII Reimagined is set to release on 5 February 2026 for all major platforms.

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 ‘Dragon Quest VII Reimagined’ Is More Than Just A Remake Notes Producer Takeshi Ichikawa appeared first on Geek Culture.

In the case of long-standing franchises like Dragon Quest, it’s inevitable for some instalments to receive more love and attention than others. Reverence for the Erdrick Trilogy, which concluded its modern retelling with the October 2025 release of Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake (Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake was released last November), remains undisputed, since the first three games established the identity of the JRPG genre, creating a sense of legacy through a strong overarching story that connected all three titles thematically.

Momentum for the series continued through to Dragon Quest VII, marking a major milestone for the franchise. Not only was it the first mainline entry to launch outside Japan since 1992’s Dragon Quest IV, it also made history as the best-selling PlayStation game in Japan while also introducing tweaks to the series’ formula, where the party travels to separate continents instead of exploring one large world. The huge size, spanning over 100 hours in a single playthrough, would later become both a strength and a point of contention among fans, ultimately spawning a more streamlined experience in the form of a 2013 remake for the Nintendo 3DS (2016 for the English version).

Dragon Quest VII Reimagined is Square Enix’s latest shot at breathing new life into the beloved series, and as the title suggests, it looks to introduce fresh elements that align more with modern expectations. Coming from a 90-minute preview held during gamescom asia X Thailand Game Show 2025 in Bangkok, it’s obvious that developer Square Enix wants to make the series more accessible, as the updated, intuitive gameplay presents a convincing case for series veterans to relive the journey, and especially for newcomers to get started without the creakiness of the original. 

Establishing a distinctive visual flair right off the bat, the hands-on demo covered two segments of the existing story: Emberdale and Wetlock. The signature HD-2D aesthetic featured in the Erdrick Trilogy remake has been replaced with a handcrafted 3D look, bringing a doll-like quality to the characters and diorama elements to the field. Rather than an immediate charmer, it slowly eases players into a muted colour palette that may appear incongruous with the series’ bright, lively design, but it makes sense from a particular standpoint – the game is known for its dark narrative overtones, which would be a neat thematic fit. 

Moving into the Emberdale scenario, the plot remains unchanged from before. The player is quickly (re)introduced to the Hero and his allies, Maribel and Keifer, who arrive in the titular village as it prepares for a deity-honouring festival known as the Return of Fire Ritual, which involves a pilgrimage up the volcano, Burnmont, to return the flame to its core. It’s here that the resident clairvoyant Palmela reveals a premonition, with her response serving as a taste of the brand of humour to expect from the remake, if players choose to doubt her claims: “Shut up! I wasn’t asking you!” (sorry, geez). 

Naturally, exploring Burnmont leaves the trio open to combat encounters that sport revamped mechanics. Following Dragon Quest tradition, battles unfold in a turn-based sequence, where commands, comprising Attack, Skills, Items, and Defend, are assigned to and executed by party members. Each of them is tied to a specific vocation, the franchise’s version of the job system, with the Hero, Maribel, and Keifer classified as Fledging Fisherman, Mini Mayoress, and Heir Apparent, respectively, and carrying their own set of strengths and weaknesses. 

It’s familiar territory for fans, except this time, every vocation boasts a signature ability ranging from receiving a huge attack boost to defensive capabilities like greatly reducing the damage taken. In Dragon Quest VII Reimagined, these power-ups can be activated when the character becomes worked up and enters Let Loose mode – triggering the Hero’s Ocean’s Devotion, for instance, will neutralise the next strike for all allies. The all-new addition injects a bit more depth into gameplay, as players have to decide when to save or use them, especially in the showdown against the Glowering Inferno in Burnmont.

A bigger change is the cheekily named Moonlighting feature, the central focus of the Wetlock section in the preview. Unlike before, where characters were only limited to one vocation at a time, multiple assignments are now supported, turning them into hybrid builds: Sailor / Thief for the Hero, Pristress / Mage for Maribel, Martial Artist / Warrior for Ruff, who steps into Keifer’s role here, and Destiny’s Dancer / Troubadour for Aira (localised as Aishe in the Western release), who was originally absent from this scenario. 

As old-timers would know, the sword fighter only joined the group after the completion of the first three major island arcs, and her early recruitment in Dragon Quest VII Reimagined brings a fresh sense of vigour and synergy. Alongside a versatile physical loadout, her Troubadour vocation unlocks Encore, a move that temporarily reduces all allies’ MP costs to zero and is a godsend for the magically inclined Maribel, while Ruff’s Art of Chivalry provides cover for the member with the lowest HP and delivers a counterattack. 

Moonlighting, alongside other quality-of-life improvements, such as auto-battle and fast forward, tightens the pace of combat and makes it feel more dynamic, which sits better with modern audiences. As with Emberdale, the major beats for Wetlock are all retained, following the party’s search for the source of the flood that inundated the entire island, and their descent into an underground temple where another major fight lies in wait. 

Navigation is also more accommodating, especially when compared to Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake. Where the latter is rooted in organic exploration (otherwise known as the lack of signage), Dragon Quest VII Reimagined guides players with directional cues, as demonstrated in Burnmont, and still keeps the hand-holding in check, requiring them to figure out the next course of action by themselves during some gameplay portions. That’s not to say that the trial-and-error process is bad – in fact, it should be encouraged – but there’s merit to trimming the fat for such a long journey (Did we mention that the completion of side quests doesn’t count towards the over 100 hours of play time?). 

While pacing adjustments remain to be seen, and that will be the make-or-break factor for the game’s return as one of its biggest flaws back in the day, the remaster appears to have a firm grasp over honouring legacy and, well, reimagining. It feels much of the same, and some parts are different, including a previously announced new ending, held together by a modernised sheen that gelled well enough in the preview. For newcomers, Dragon Quest VII Reimagined is shaping up to be its most enjoyable and intuitive yet.

Dragon VII Reimagined is scheduled to release on 5 February 2026 for all major platforms. 

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 ‘Dragon Quest VII Reimagined’ Revisits Classic Adventure Through Modern Lens appeared first on Geek Culture.

Apple has unveiled the finalists for this year’s iteration of its App Store Awards, recognising 45 of the best apps and games across 12 different categories spanning the company’s various devices, like the iPhone, Mac, or Apple Vision Pro.

Selected by Apple’s App Store editorial team, these finalists represent the cream of the crop in terms of providing excellent user experiences, technical innovations, or design, and celebrate the developers whose apps push creative boundaries or help improve users’ lives. App Store Awards winners will be announced in the coming weeks.

“We’re thrilled to celebrate the App Store Award finalists, a diverse and talented group of developers from around the globe,” said Apple’s head of App Store Worldwide Carson Oliver, “Their commitment to excellence is an inspiration, resulting in experiences that empowered users to tap into their creativity, achieve more through technical innovations, and discover new adventures through the world of gameplay.”

Here’s the full list of Apple App Store Award finalists for 2025:

iPhone App of the Year

• BandLab (BandLab Singapore)
• LADDER (Ladder Technologies)
• Tiimo (Tiimo)

iPhone Game of the Year

• Capybara Go! (HABBY)
• Pokémon TCG Pocket (The Pokémon Company)
• Thronefall (Doghowl Games)

iPad App of the Year

• Detail (Detail Technologies)
• Graintouch (IORAMA)
• Structured (unorderly)

iPad Game of the Year

• DREDGE (Black Salt Games)
• Infinity Nikki (Infold)
• Prince of Persia Lost Crown (Ubisoft)

Mac App of the Year

• Acorn (Flying Meat)
• Essayist (Essayist Software)
• Under My Roof (Binary Formations)

Mac Game of the Year

• Assassin’s Creed Shadows (Ubisoft)
• Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition (CD Projekt)
• Neva (Devolver)

Apple Arcade Game of the Year

• Katamari Damacy Rolling LIVE (Bandai Namco Entertainment)
• PGA TOUR Pro Golf (HypGames)
• WHAT THE CLASH? (Triband)

Apple Vision Pro App of the Year

• Camo Studio (Reincubate)
• D-Day: The Camera Soldier (TARGO)
• Explore POV (James Hustler)

Apple Vision Pro Game of the Year 

• Fishing Haven (Devs United Games)
• Gears & Goo (Resolution Games)
• Porta Nubi (Michael Temper)

Apple Watch App of the Year

• GO Club (Arkade Club)
• Pro Camera by Moment (Moment Inc)
• Strava (Strava Inc)

Apple TV App of the Year 

• HBO Max (WarnerMedia Global Digital Services)
• PBS KIDS Video (PBS KIDS)
• Super Farming Boy 4K (Renxo Europe Limited)

Cultural Impact Finalists

• Art of Fauna (Klemens Strasser)
• A Space for the Unbound (Toge Interactive)
• Be My Eyes (Be My Eyes)
• Chants of Sennaar (Playdigious)
• despelote (Panic Inc)
• Focus Friend (B-Tech Consulting Group)
• Is This Seat Taken? (Poti Poti Studio)
• Retro (Lone Palm Labs)
• StoryGraph (The StoryGraph)
• Venba (Visai Games)
• Whoscall (Gogolook)
• Yuka (Yuca)

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 ‘Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition’ & ‘BandLab’ Lead The Charge For Apple’s 2025 App Store Awards Finalists appeared first on Geek Culture.

There’s a word often used in Singapore, ‘rojak’, which is Malay for “mixture” and can refer to either a salad dish comprising mixed fruits and vegetables or similarly, the process of lumping things together willy-nilly and calling it a day. Where Winds Meet, a free-to-play, online-only wuxia RPG (role-playing game) from NetEase and developer Everstone Studios, perfectly encapsulates this phrase, as the game is a mish-mash of genres, ideas, and inspirations thrown together haphazardly, except unlike in rojak, where each ingredient complements the other, here it’s the complete opposite, resulting in a whole that’s worse than the sum of its parts.

On first glance, Where Winds Meet offers an enticing prospect, especially for those daunted by other genre staples’ emphasis on online or social aspects. Despite being an online-focused RPG, the title isn’t positioned as an MMORPG (Massively multiplayer online role-playing game), and instead offers a sprawling story campaign that can either be tackled in co-op with up to four players or done entirely solo, and this is in addition to the usual MMORPG mainstays like raids too.

Set against the Wuxia or Chinese martial arts theme, Where Winds Meet should ring familiar for those experienced in the genre. Players will take on the role of a nameless warrior wandering the lands in a fictional version of tenth-century China, venturing into the lands not just in search of riches tucked away in the multitude of dungeons or caves spread throughout, but also to seek out eight martial arts experts that litter the world to learn their secret fighting skills, all while navigating the chaotic era of political fragmentation, war, and shifting allegiances.

While this certainly sounds interesting on paper, in reality, what could be an epic tale of self-discovery turns into a mess of utter confusion and missed plot points due to the game’s atrocious use of AI machine translation for its English localisation. This is a China-made game after all, and under the guise of AI translation, those without an innate understanding of Mandarin will have to deal with awfully translated subtitles instead, which can range anywhere from head-tilting sentence structures, to complete nonsense. 

Take the wuxia, or 武俠 phrase. The first word, 武, means martial or military and in this context, martial arts, while the second word, 俠, refers to chivalry, but more of a code, which means there is no easy translation for this phrase, and the AI used here fumbles, a lot. Let’s take some simple phrases used in perhaps every other game, for example. While most, if not all, other titles use “Interact” or “Use” to describe performing actions like opening chests or collecting items, here, it’s “Enable”. Similarly, while describing points of interest that are above or below a player is simply presented in other titles with, well, “Above” and “Below”, for some reason here it’s “High Ground” or “Low Ground”.

This might seem like nitpicks, but bear in mind that these are the most basic of examples, something that Where Winds Meet already struggles with, so it’s not hard to imagine how poorly it handles an entire fictional country’s worth of in-game lore. To make things worse, the game is plagued with technical issues in this regard, from subtitles not matching to spoken words, character voices overlapping each other, or, in worst cases, voice lines not playing entirely. If you thought the plot in Kingdom Hearts was hard to follow, you’re in for a treat, as here, it’s literally a struggle.

That said, those who understand Mandarin and the concept of wuxia might find something interesting about this game, but that’s also a cultural thing as even with Star Wars or Star Trek, some things will get lost in translation when adapting either for an Asian audience. The developers clearly want the game for a global audience, but using AI to do the groundwork isn’t helping its cause.

Where Winds Meet’s complex, if not complicated, nature extends to its gameplay too, although here it’s fortunately not as negative. As a wuxia game, combat is unsurprisingly built around being flashy and high-intensity, with players equipping two of seven total weapon types, including blades, spears, fans or even umbrellas as they engage in both human and beastly threats throughout the lands.

At its core, combat draws inspiration from Sucker Punch’s Ghost of Tsushima or FromSoftware’s Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, with a heavy emphasis on patience, studying enemy attack patterns, and parrying or dodging accordingly. Getting hit or performing most actions in battle, except for well-timed parries, chips away at a player’s stamina gauge, leaving them vulnerable upon being fully depleted, making deflecting hits the most viable playstyle, especially when faced with powerful foes.

Unlike its inspirations, however, pulling off parries in Where Winds Meet is a significantly more frustrating affair, with the window for parrying or i-frames (invincibility frames) while dodging enemy attacks never feeling quite right, leading to many instances where damage is received even though it seemed like the timing was right. To make up for it, the game does offer “Assist Deflection” – another example of poor translation, as grammatically it should be “Deflection Assist” – which slows down time just as a player is about to get hit with a powerful blow, allowing them to deflect easily at the expense of depleting the stamina bar by a slight amount, but admittedly this does dampen the flow of battle.

In true MMO fashion, combat is also supplemented by a plethora of additional skills split into two categories. Weapon martial arts, which like its name suggests, are tied to specific weapons, and for some baffling reason, must be unlocked before a player is able to wield said weapon (which means that fancy great sword you just picked up won’t be usable unless you actively hunt for an associated skill), and mystic arts, powerful abilities earned by exploring the world and completing side activities, letting players perform feats like leaping to distant areas or breathing fire.

If this sounds complicated, that’s because it really is, as Where Winds Meet tries to cram in as much content as it can, regardless of quality. This is perhaps best seen in the game’s world and progression, and the lands are absolutely filled to the brim with activities to partake in and side missions to discover, alongside its main quest. Alas, it’s quantity over quality, as every major “open-world bloat” seen in similar titles is seen here, such as no shortage of fetch quests, escort missions or your standard “go to area and kill X amount of enemies” type objectives. Once in a while, players might stumble on a questline that’s actually interesting, such as controlling a Mahjong-playing dog or learning Tai Chi from a bear.

At least, while exploring the lands, players will have no shortage of sights to behold, as just like it has done with everything else, the world in Where Winds Meet is designed to overwhelm your senses, a sprawling playground of places to go and things to discover. There’s a good amount of environmental variety, too, with its many different regions mostly feeling unique, from the calm of a countryside filled with blossoming trees and tranquil lakes to snowy mountain peaks or massive walled-in cities like Kaifeng.

With so much content on offer, interesting or otherwise, praise must still be given to Where Winds Meet for its fair handling of monetisation despite being a free-to-play title, especially in such a crowded genre filled with titles that operate on egregious systems to squeeze out as much real-world currency as possible. Players are given access to the entirety of the game, which can easily span 30 to 40 hours for a single playthrough, without spending a single cent, with monetisation limited to only fancy cosmetics for those who want to make their characters stand out. Here, it’s pay to look good, not pay to win, and that alone is deserving of respect.

Overall, it’s Where Winds Meet’s most ambitious goal, its sense of scale and the desire to throw as many different gameplay systems as possible at the player, that are ultimately its undoing. Yes, players can lose dozens, if not hundreds, of hours in its world doing anything from exploring, questing, fishing and the like, but the main issue is that none of these systems are actually particularly fleshed out, making the game just a massive bunch of bloat just with an incredibly enticing price of admission.

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 Where Winds Meet – Review appeared first on Geek Culture.

In the blink of an eye, the year is nearly coming to an end, and that means it’s time for another round of celebrations of this year’s gaming achievements at the annual The Game Awards (TGA 2025). Ahead of the awards show on 11 December 2025, the list of game nominations has been announced, and it’s a big win for smaller developers, with Sandfall Interactive’s RPG Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 leading the charge and making TGA history with a record-breaking 12 nominations.

In addition to being nominated for Game of the Year, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 also clinched nominations for Best Game Direction, Best Narrative, Best Art Direction, Best Score and Music, Best Audio Design, Best Independent Game, Best Debut Indie Game, Best RPG, alongside three of the game’s cast nominated for Best Performance.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 isn’t the only title from a smaller developer gaining recognition at this year’s awards, as Supergiant Games’ Hades II and Team Cherry’s Hollow Knight: Silksong both made their mark this year, with six and five nominations, respectively. Determined not to be beaten by indie games, two major triple-A releases also received major recognition, with Kojima Productions’ Death Stranding 2: On the Beach and Sucker Punch Productions’ Ghost of Yōtei both garnering seven nominations each.

TGA 2025 will be broadcast digitally on 11 December 2025 via Twitch and YouTube, and for the first time, on Amazon Prime Video, so viewers can expect the usual barrage of game trailers and musical performances alongside the awards ceremony.

And like in previous years, Geek Culture will be part of this milestone event for the video game industry and we are proud to be a part of the jury and championing the gaming choices for Southeast Asia.

Here is the full list of this year’s nominations:

Game of the Year

• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
• Donkey Kong Bananza
• Hades II
• Hollow Knight: Silksong
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II

Best Game Direction

• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
• Ghost of Yōtei
• Hades II
• Split Fiction

Best Narrative

• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
• Ghost of Yōtei
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
• Silent Hill f

Best Art Direction

• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
• Ghost of Yōtei
• Hades II
• Hollow Knight: Silksong

Best Score and Music

• Christopher Larkin (Hollow Knight: Silksong)
• Darren Korb (Hades II)
• Lorien Testard (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33)
• Toma Otowa (Ghost of Yōtei)
• Woodkid and Ludvig Forssell (Death Stranding 2: On the Beach)

Best Audio Design

• Battlefield 6
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
• Ghost of Yōtei
• Silent Hill f

Best Performance

• Ben Starr (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33)
• Charlie Cox (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33)
• Erika Ishii (Ghost of Yōtei)
• Jennifer English (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33)
• Konatsu Kato (Silent Hill f)
• Troy Baker (Indiana Jones and the Great Circle)

Innovation in Accessibility

• Assassin’s Creed: Shadows
• Atomfall
• Doom: The Dark Ages
• EA Sports FC 26
• South of Midnight

Games for Impact

• Consume Me
• Despelote
• Lost Records: Bloom & Rage
• South of Midnight
• Wanderstop

Best Ongoing

• Final Fantasy XIV
• Fortnite
• Helldivers 2
• Marvel Rivals
• No Man’s Sky

Best Community Support

• Baldur’s Gate 3
• Final Fantasy XIV
• Fortnite
• Helldivers 2
• No Man’s Sky

Best Independent Game

• Absolum
• Ball x Pit
• Blue Prince
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Hades II
• Hollow Knight: Silksong

Best Debut Indie Game

• Blue Prince
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Despelote
• Dispatch
• Megabonk

Best Mobile Game

• Destiny: Rising
• Persona 5: The Phantom X
• Sonic Rumble
• Umamusume: Pretty Derby
• Wuthering Waves

Best VR/AR

• Alien: Rogue Incursion
• Arken Age
• Ghost Town
• Marvel’s Deadpool VR
• The Midnight Walk

Best Action Game

• Battlefield 6
• Doom: The Dark Ages
• Hades II
• Ninja Gaiden 4
• Shinobi: Art of Vengeance

Best Action/Adventure

• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
• Ghost of Yōtei
• Hollow Knight: Silksong
• Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
• Split Fiction

Best RPG

• Avowed
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
• Monster Hunter Wilds
• The Outer Worlds 2

Best Fighting

• 2XKO
• Capcom Fighting Collection 2
• Fatal Fury: City of Wolves
• Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection
• Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O World Stage

Best Family

• Donkey Kong Bananza
• Lego Party!
• Lego Voyagers
• Mario Kart World
• Sonic Racing: Crossworlds
• Split Fiction

Best Sim/Strategy

• Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles
• Jurassic World Evolution 3
• Sid Meier’s Civilization VII
• Tempest Rising
• The Alters
• Two Point Museum

Best Sports/Racing

• EA Sports FC 26
• F1 25
• Mario Kart World
• Rematch
• Sonic Racing: Crossworlds

Best Multiplayer

• Arc Raiders
• Battlefield 6
• Elden Ring Nightreign
• Peak
• Split Fiction

Best Adaptation

• A Minecraft Movie
• Devil May Cry
• Splinter Cell: Deathwatch
• The Last of Us: Season 2
• Until Dawn

Most Anticipated Game

• 007 First Light
• Grand Theft Auto VI
• Marvel’s Wolverine
• Resident Evil Requiem
• The Witcher IV

Content Creator of the Year

• Caedrel
• Kai Cenat
• MoistCr1TiKaL
• Sakura Miko
• The Burnt Peanut

Best Esports Game

• Counter-Strike 2
• Dota 2
• League of Legends
• Mobile Legends: Bang Bang
• Valorant

Best Esports Athlete

• brawk – Brock Somerhalder (Valorant)
• Chovy – Jeong Ji-Hoon (League of Legends)
• f0rsakeN – Jason Susanto (Valorant)
• Kakeru – Kakeru Watanabe (Street Fighter)
• MenaRD – Saul Leonardo (Street Fighter)
• Zyw0o – Mathieu Herbaut (Counter-Strike 2)

Best Esports Team

• Gen.G (League of Legends)
• NRG (Valorant)
• Team Falcons (Dota 2)
• Team Liquid PH (Mobile Legends: Bang Bang)
• Team Vitality (Counter-Strike 2)

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 ‘Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’ Sets The Game Awards 2025 Record With 12 Nominations appeared first on Geek Culture.

The festive season is all about celebrating with the people who matter, and Suntec City is embracing the spirit of the festive period with an attraction of its own – Pokémon-themed installations, experiences, and activities from now until 28 December at Suntec City Atrium (Tower 1 & 2), to embrace the holiday joy in its own style.

Instead of the usual festive decorations, the vast offerings make it ideal for different visitor types, from longtime franchise fans to those simply looking to soak up the experience, and even visitors in Singapore, to create new memories together with their loved ones. For aspiring Trainers, the Holiday Cabin is a fun, mixed reality interactive experience that invites them to step into the shoes of a true Pokémon Trainer – by pitting them in a thrilling race against time. Groups of 15 players must uncover beloved Pokémon like Pikachu, Snorlax, and Eevee. Suntec+ App members will enjoy the perk of free entry, but non-members don’t need to fret, for registration is quick and comes at no extra cost.

Swinging by the Dance Patio on a weekend opens up the opportunity to catch the trio in the flesh at 5pm, as they rotate through a meet-and-greet lineup that also includes the Generation 9 starters of Sprigatito, Fuecoco, and Quaxly. On 15 and 22 November, and 13 and 20 December at 3pm, high-energy dance performances by Pikachu and friends are set to light up the space, with inflatable installations of Tepig, Chikorita, and Totodile (the starter trio of Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest game in the series) situated here on other days for photo-taking moments.

Pokémon encounters are only part of the training life, however. After all, it’s through exploring uncharted territory that new bonds and experiences are forged, with this spirit of discovery translating to the New Trainer Journey initiative, available to Pokémon Trading Card Game (Pokémon TCG) newcomers. Located at the Trading Card Game Zone, it serves as the first step into the world of the highly popular Pokémon TCG, where beginners are assigned a same-day slot for their training session after registering for and collecting their physical tickets. A fair word of warning – slots will be limited daily from 22 November, so be sure to act fast!

Upon completing the 30-minute playthrough, each participant will receive a starter kit comprising a deck case, a deck shield, a demo deck of 30 cards, a playmat flyer, and a voucher. As for seasoned players, get ready to face the heat as the space transforms into a gathering ground for casual battles, so remember to bring along your strongest deck, or put the other ones to the test.

Marking a departure from turn-based tradition, Pokémon Legends: Z-A features full real-time combat that fans can get a taste of in a trial experience on the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. These tryouts, open to all visitors, follow the same dates as the Trading Card Game Zone, serving as a two-in-one invitation to participate in some hands-on fun and embark on a new journey this season.

The thrills don’t stop there, as Pokémon Go players get their blood pumping further by taking on the Gym with their strongest team, or join forces to participate in Raid Battles to gain experience points (XP). Rewards aren’t just reserved for the battle-hungry, though – those who stop by Event PokéStops scattered around Suntec City or complete Timed Research tasks will walk away with rewards ranging from more XP to higher chance encounters with the starter trio of Pokémon Legends: Z-A.

Back at the Atrium, daily fun puzzles based on “Who’s That Pokémon?” will also be unveiled on the three-metre Advent Christmas Tree from now to 25 December, inviting visitors to put their knowledge to the test and stand a chance to win a Pokémon Trading Card Game Fun Pack and S$30 Suntec City e-Voucher. Longtime fans, it’s time for you to shine!

Don’t forget to visit the retail pop-up to grab some Pokémon keepsakes and take home a part of the experience, with the selection ranging from trading cards to collectibles and more.

Before heading off, snap a photo or two at the other themed installations around Suntec City, including a six-metre Pikachu inflatable at the entrance of Esplanade MRT, a 12-metre Christmas tree and snowfall show at Suntec Plaza, and Pokémon-themed photo zones featuring festive AR filters on the first and second floors of the mall.

And just like how the holiday joy is spread throughout the mall, there will be no shortage of festive shopping excitement. Whether it’s for yourself or others, spending is its own reward, with different tiers offering delightful redemptions that include a Holiday Edition Pokémon Gift Bag Set and Holiday Edition Pokémon Rug, Suntec City e-Vouchers, and more, as detailed below (limited to one single same-day receipt):

• Minimum spending of S$60
  • Holiday Edition Pokémon Gift Bag Set (2-pc)
  • S$3 Carpark Dollars
  • Retailer’s e-Voucher
• Minimum spending of S$120
  • Additional S$5 Suntec City e-Voucher
  • Additional HSBC Cards Exclusive: S$10 Suntec City e-Voucher
• Minimum spending of S$180
  • Additional Holiday Edition Pokémon Rug (available from 1 December)
• Accumulated S$1,000 spend from now to 30 November
  • Additional S$80 Suntec City e-Voucher+

With a variety of digital-led and physical experiences, installations, and charming merchandise in store, Suntec City looks set to make this a special November and December to remember. The Pokémon cheer will make franchise veterans and casual enthusiasts feel right at home, but everyone else can take comfort in a sense of warmth and joy, as new memories are forged with their loved ones. Be sure to check out Suntec City’s Catch the Holiday Magic website for the full lowdown on all the fun-filled activities and special rewards from now till 28 December!

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 Catch The Holiday Magic & Spread Pokémon Joy At Suntec City Singapore This November appeared first on Geek Culture.

Rockstar’s cowboy classic Red Dead Redemption is saddling up for a release on modern consoles, with the base game and its Undead Nightmare DLC arriving on the PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch 2 on 2 December 2025 alongside a surprise release on Netflix and mobile.

This follows a recent ESRB rating that appeared for the title, signalling its imminent release on modern platforms, and now, the news has been confirmed via a post on Rockstar’s official Twitter/X page.

According to a post on Rockstar’s Newswire page, Red Dead Redemption and Undead Nightmare will arrive on the modern console generation with “enhanced image quality, HDR support, and resolutions up to 4K” on the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, with its Nintendo Switch 2 version receiving “support for DLSS, HDR, mouse controls, and 60 frames per second gameplay at high resolution”. Additionally, owners of the game on PS4, Nintendo Switch, or the digital backwards compatible version on Xbox One will be eligible for a free upgrade, alongside the ability to use past saves on the PS4 and Nintendo Switch to pick up where they left off.

In a surprise move, Red Dead Redemption will also be heading to mobile platforms, with its iOS and Android versions receiving “mobile-friendly control options”. Netflix members will also be able to download the game on their mobile devices as part of their subscription.

Originally released in 2010, Red Dead Redemption was one of Rockstar’s most beloved games and marked the second chapter in the franchise following 2004’s Red Dead Revolver. The game was ported to the PS4 and Nintendo Switch in August 2023, with a PC debut the following year. With its launch on modern platforms, hopes are high that its prequel, Red Dead Redemption 2, will also follow suit with modern enhancements, as fans have been clamouring for a modern-gen version of the game since Grand Theft Auto V received the enhanced treatment in 2022, as the now-ageing title is in dire need of a 60fps boost, something not currently available on modern platforms.

Red Dead Redemption and Undead Nightmare will ride to the PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, iOS, Android and Netflix on 2 December 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 ‘Red Dead Redemption’ Rides To Nintendo Switch 2, Mobile & Netflix In Dec appeared first on Geek Culture.