Previews
20 article(s)Hands-on previews and first impressions of upcoming games.
Gamescom ONL 2026: The Witcher, Metro 2039, and Silent Hill Townfall Confirmed
Gamescom 2026's Opening Night Live shapes up as a packed affair: additional content for The Witcher, a confirmed appearance by Metro 2039, and fresh footage of Silent Hill Townfall headline the slate. This is no ordinary lineup—three franchises with heavyweight nostalgia and demanding fanbases, all on the same stage. The pressure on publishers is real, and managing expectations without disappointing audiences will be a high-wire act.
Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 4: Sonic, Ryu, Lara, and Sora Together
Epic Games just confirmed Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 4's roster: Sonic the Hedgehog, Ryu from Street Fighter, Lara Croft, and Sora from Kingdom Hearts are joining the same season. Four major franchises, four separate publishers, one Battle Pass. It's Epic's usual gamble taken to a rarely seen level. Before launch, we break down what this lineup reveals about the game's crossover strategy and what players can reasonably expect.
The Blood of Dawnwalker: Rebel Wolves Reveals All Before Launch
Weeks before release, Rebel Wolves publishes a six-minute recap video covering the entire project: narrative choices, combat system, character progression, and open-world structure. A rare move that feels less like marketing and more like an admission of complexity. What this condensed preview reveals about the studio's ambitions—and the real risks The Blood of Dawnwalker is taking.
Star Wars Zero Company: BitReactor Proves the XCOM Formula Still Works
Ten hours with Star Wars Zero Company is enough to understand why this pairing seemed both obvious and risky. BitReactor, a new studio staffed by Firaxis veterans, didn't try to reinvent turn-based strategy—it applied a proven formula to a universe that needed it without knowing it. The result is solid, sometimes exciting, and raises questions about long-term depth.
Star Wars Zero Company: BitReactor Succeeds Where Others Feared to Tread
Ten hours of gameplay make it clear that Star Wars Zero Company is far more than a stylistic exercise. BitReactor, a studio founded by former Firaxis veterans, applies XCOM mechanics to the Star Wars universe with a rigor that catches you off guard. The question is no longer whether the marriage works—it does—but whether the studio can sustain its promises over the full campaign.
The Witcher 3 Gets New DLC Reveal at Gamescom 2026
CD Projekt Red officially confirmed that the opening ceremony of Gamescom will showcase the next DLC for The Witcher 3. Geralt returns to action, years after Blood and Wine. The question isn't whether the studio can still deliver solid content for this game—it's understanding why now, and what it reveals about a studio whose The Witcher 4 is still years away.
Xbox at a Crossroads: Halo French Dub, Fable, The Wolf Among Us 2, and Mara
This past gaming week sent mixed signals about Xbox's platform health: a controversial French dub for Halo Campaign Evolved, Fable still struggling to prove itself, The Wolf Among Us 2 resurfacing, and the mysterious Mara emerging. Behind these scattered updates lies a fundamental question: does Microsoft still know where it's headed?
Halo Campaign Evolved: A Reassuring Grip on a Remake That's Found Its Way Back
Two missions played in advance, and already the impression that Halo Studios understood what Infinite missed. The Silent Cartographer and the control room command regain their original tension in a remake that goes far beyond a fresh coat of paint. The question is no longer whether Halo can return — it's already happening. What remains is verifying that the promise holds up over time, because a few hours don't make a full review.
Halo Campaign Evolved: Hands-On with a Sequel Unlike Anything Else
Twenty-five years after Combat Evolved, Microsoft and Halo Studios are back with a title that carries the legendary name without being a simple remaster. Arriving July 28 on Xbox Series, PS5, and PC, Halo Campaign Evolved has been placed in the hands of the press. First impression verdict: the project is ambitious, occasionally surprising, and carries a genuine gameplay proposition—but also raises some questions worth asking before launch.
Hitman Classic Trilogy Remastered: What the Original Three Games Teach Modern Assassins
Saber Interactive resurrects the first three Hitman games in a remastered collection arriving at the perfect moment. With IO Interactive riding high on 007 First Light's success and World of Assassination's Freelancer Mode still evolving, it's time to look back. What did Codename 47, Silent Assassin, and Contracts invent that the World of Assassination trilogy sometimes left behind? An in-depth preview of a collection that deserves far more than just nostalgia.
Ragnarok Console Project: The Multiplayer Roguelite Hits All Platforms
A surprise from Japan: Ragnarok Console Project launches simultaneously on PS5, Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC. Behind this rebooted title lies a multiplayer roguelite built for group sessions, drawing from the Norse mythology of the Ragnarok Online franchise while carving its own identity. First impressions on a project that could shake up cooperative action-RPGs.
007 First Light: IO Interactive Invents Bond Before Bond — First Impressions
IO Interactive temporarily leaves the sterile corridors of a luxury hotel for the slippery terrain of espionage in training. 007 First Light promises to tell a story no one had dared tackle seriously: the genesis of a cold killer, before the tuxedo, before the martini, before the legend. Does the studio behind Hitman have what it takes to carry James Bond without betraying either the franchise or its own DNA? First impressions on an editorial gamble as ambitious as it is risky.