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Video Game Previews May 16, 2026, 07:09 PM
Sit back and get comfortable, because today we’re taking a closer look at something truly bizarre. We’ve all played “rock-paper-scissors” at some point to decide who gets the last slice of pizza or the front seat in the car. But the developers at Handmancers decided to take it a step further and turned this childhood game into a full-fledged card RPG that recently launched in early access. If you’ve been looking for a reason to start trusting your fingers more than swords and magic again, then this review is for you. -
Video Game Previews May 14, 2026, 06:00 PM
There was a time when I played so many survival games that I almost lost interest in the genre altogether. Still, the original Subnautica impressed me so much that I would call it not just the most interesting game of its kind, but also one of the most memorable and important games overall. That is exactly why I, along with hundreds of thousands of other fans, had been waiting so impatiently for a full-fledged sequel. The moment has finally arrived: Subnautica 2 is now available in early access on PC and Xbox Series X/S. Time will tell whether it can surpass the original, but I am ready to share my first impressions right now — after spending time with the preview version. -
Video Game Previews May 12, 2026, 07:46 PM
Grinding Gear Games, the studio behind the Path of Exile series, has a tradition: every update is announced as a major event—with hours-long presentations about new systems and gameplay changes that the community then analyzes in detail for weeks. The closed stream for media representatives about the 0.5.0 update for Return of the Ancients was no exception. -
Video Game Previews May 7, 2026, 10:37 PM
After playing Throne and Liberty for 10 hours, I, the author of this piece, realized that this is an MMO that isn’t interesting for its combat or storyline, but rather for its scale, visuals, and the world’s elaborate design. As soon as the game lets you out of the starting corridors, it begins to captivate you with its vistas, the verticality of its locations, its vast spaces, and the feeling that you’re truly in a massive online world—not just a collection of arenas stitched together by quests. In the first few hours, the plot serves as a guide to the world, rather than a story that makes you care about the characters. -
Video Game Previews April 29, 2026, 11:15 PM
Many classic real-time strategy games are still alive thanks to their multiplayer modes, even as the genre itself is in decline. That’s why it was doubly intriguing to try the demo of Crimson Freedom from the Serbian studio Yboga doo — the developers pitch it as a story-driven single-player RTS. Releasing something like this in 2026 almost feels like a deliberate step into a niche, with little hope for major profits. And yet, even after just an hour with the demo, its potential is obvious. -
We played the press version of The Expanse Osiris Reborn. Is Owlcat Games making their own Mass Effect?
Video Game Previews April 22, 2026, 07:15 PM
While Bioware is going through a wave of layoffs and still can’t find a creative direction for the new Mass Effect (rumor has it the project is in early pre-production), many other studios are preparing to release their own space operas. Both indie teams and veterans from Bioware itself have joined this race. Their projects, without exaggeration, could overshadow the iconic series about Commander Shepard’s adventures. One of the main contenders is The Expanse: Osiris Reborn from the well-known studio Owlcat Games. We were lucky enough to get our hands on a beta version of the project, and we’re ready to tell you what this game is all about, how it plays, and what the developers still need to work on for their magnum opus to exceed all expectations at launch. -
Video Game Previews February 27, 2026, 06:03 PM
The paradox of Resident Evil Requiem is that it feels both like something new and refreshing — and at the same time like a return to the series’ roots. While Resident Evil 7 and Resident Evil Village boldly experimented with the formula and settings to the point where they could almost be mistaken for spin-offs, Requiem pulls classic zombies out of the closet, dusts off beloved characters, dives headfirst into references to the old days, and continues the main storyline, which, broadly speaking, hasn’t truly progressed since Resident Evil 6. It’s this pivot back to the franchise’s foundations that sets the project apart from recent numbered entries. As does Requiem’s unusual dual nature: essentially, it’s two games in one. At least that’s the impression after the first four hours of play. -
Video Game Previews February 6, 2026, 07:03 PM
Yesterday Capcom released a demo version of Pragmata for all current consoles: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch 2 (the PC trial version came out back in December). Launching a demo months ahead of release is a rather unusual move. Still, it makes sense: more than any other project from the Japanese company, Pragmata needs broader exposure. The game was announced back in 2020 and for a long time remained a dark horse in Capcom’s portfolio. We played through it several times and are ready to share our impressions. -
Video Game Previews October 22, 2025, 05:49 PM
Any studio tasked with creating a new entry in the Heroes of Might & Magic series faces an unenviable challenge. For the project to truly succeed, it must find an almost unattainable balance between old and new. On the one hand, the gameplay needs to stay as close as possible to the beloved Heroes of Might & Magic 3; on the other, it must introduce enough fresh ideas and mechanics so that players don’t ask themselves, “Why play this when the classics still exist?” In the case of Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era, the pressure is even higher: this is the first full-fledged continuation of the franchise in ten years — and after a string of disappointing entries. It’s no surprise that fans are approaching the project with caution and tempered expectations. Let’s see whether the Olden Era demo helps dispel skepticism around the game or only deepens it. -
Video Game Previews October 10, 2025, 06:38 PM
Among the many games announced this year, Valor Mortis confidently stands out as one of the most intriguing. A first-person souls-like is already something fresh and unconventional — especially one with such a unique setting and premise about Napoleon Bonaparte’s (Napoleon Bonaparte) army turning into monsters. However, the project is undoubtedly risky: there’s a reason why souls-likes are almost never made in first-person. The developers surely understand the skepticism from players, which is probably why they released a pre-alpha build on Steam — to prove the concept actually works. Let’s see if it does in practice. -
Video Game Previews October 7, 2025, 07:21 PM
Last week, Bulwark Studio unexpectedly released the first mission of Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus 2 as a free demo. Among the countless games based on the futuristic Warhammer universe, this one stands out as one of the most promising and anticipated. While the first Mechanicus didn’t reach the popularity of series like Dawn of War, it still attracted a devoted fan base. And judging by the sequel’s demo, the new project has every chance to grow that audience even further. -
Video Game Previews September 5, 2025, 05:34 PM
Hollow Knight: Silksong launched yesterday and immediately made waves: the project crashed major digital storefronts for several hours, including Nintendo eShop and PlayStation Store, and also peaked at over 500,000 concurrent Steam users. No one doubted that one of the most anticipated releases of recent years would cause a stir at launch, but the sheer scale of the frenzy is still striking. Naturally, hype of this magnitude breeds extremely inflated expectations. Whether they’ve been met remains to be seen, but judging by first impressions, Hollow Knight: Silksong is indeed a truly remarkable game. -
Vampire: The Masquerade — Bloodlines 2 Preview from gamescom 2025. It Looks Like We're in for a Great Game, But Not a Sequel to the Cult RPG
Video Game Previews August 19, 2025, 10:44 PM
It’s alive! After several delays, the firing of the mastermind and author of the first game, dropping writer Chris Avellone, changing developers, and a complete overhaul of the concept and game design, the development of Bloodlines 2 is finally coming to an end. Six years after its announcement and almost ten years since development began, the sequel to one of the most iconic RPG's has turned into a troubled long-term project that in its final iteration has little in common with the original. We were lucky enough to get a look at the first hours of Bloodlines 2 and to get an answer to the most important question: will the Vampire: The Masquerade franchise get another cult classic in its portfolio, or was all the time spent on development wasted? The answer is in our preview. -
Video Game Previews August 13, 2025, 07:52 PM
After the not-so-successful and lukewarmly received Battlefield 2042 and Battlefield 5, many players lost faith in the series and began to massively criticize EA and DICE for their irresponsible attitude towards the franchise. And yes, it’s hard to believe, but the widespread backlash and vocal statements from fans really did force the publisher to change its approach to developing the next main installment. Battlefield 6 can be described as a soft rollback to the gameplay and atmospheric formula of Battlefield 3 and 4, but with total improvements to all the aspects gamers have been asking for over the past 10 years. We spent about 20 hours in the open beta test and can confidently say: Battlefield hasn’t just returned to the industry in full force, but is also ready to show Activision and its Call of Duty how things should be done. -
Video Game Previews April 8, 2025, 07:56 PM
Wreckfest 2 is the sequel to the successor of the iconic FlatOut, which not only retained the key merits of the first part but also followed its fate: the game was released in early access as a rough draft, featuring only a framework of gameplay mechanics and an engine demonstration. Undoubtedly, fans of the first part will immediately appreciate the improved track design, physics, sounds, and driving sensations, but for regular players, this will not be enough. What the developers are currently offering on Steam can hardly be called even a demo version — the content is that sparse. In this review, we'll figure out whether it's worth buying Wreckfest 2 now or better to wait for the full release, which will take place in a couple of years. -
Video Game Previews April 2, 2025, 07:52 PM
A new player has entered the so-called "life simulation" market — inZOI. The game launched in early access on Steam on March 28 and immediately attracted massive attention: it skyrocketed to the top of the sales charts and earned thousands of rave reviews. The developers from Korea, Krafton, shook up the industry by promising realistic graphics powered by Unreal Engine 5, deep customization, advanced AI, and three large cities with unique atmospheres. And, as it turns out, these weren’t empty promises. However, calling inZOI the "killer of The Sims" still seems premature. Why? Let's break it down in our preview. -
Video Game Previews March 28, 2025, 04:41 PM
R.E.P.O. has been released in early access — a game about androids exploring deserted locations in search of valuables. We decided to find out why the game became popular, what can be done there without a storyline, and what does Alyonka have to do with it? -
Video Game Previews March 27, 2025, 06:15 PM
Pathologic 3: Quarantine has been released on Steam—a peculiar demo for the next installment of the cult series. However, the developers position it as both a prologue to the main story and a standalone experience. And not without reason. -
Video Game Previews March 26, 2025, 08:07 PM
Last year, Half-Life 2 celebrated another anniversary. The sequel, mind you, is already 20 years old! During the year of celebration, NVIDIA announced a remaster, which was supposed to update all the art content along with the addition of the trendy ray tracing. Unfortunately, the developers didn't quite hit the release date, and Half-Life 2 celebrated its birthday without a major update. Only six months later, we finally received a tiny portion of the promised remaster in the form of an hour-long demo. We couldn't ignore such a release and tested the «modernized» Half-Life 2 on an RTX graphics card. Does the game need a remaster? How much has the visual changed? And is it worth buying a GeForce RTX 5090 for a 20-year-old game? -
Video Game Previews March 25, 2025, 08:01 PM
Today marks the start of alpha testing for Shadow of the Road, a tactical role-playing game developed by the small studio Another Angle Games. The publisher, however, is none other than Owlcat Games — the team behind Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous and Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader. Last week, we had the chance to play the game, and now we’re ready to share our first impressions and highlight its most intriguing features.
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