According to a report from The Hollywood Reporter, actor Sir Patrick Stewart has passed away at the age of 86. Stewart spokesperson, Kelly Bush Novak, shared that he died after “a brief and poignant journey with Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia.”
Stewart was best known for his roles as Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation (and its various spinoffs) and Charles Xavier in the X-Men films, but he did plenty of video game performing, too. Stewart played Emperor Uriel Septim VII in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, one of the first characters you meet in the game, and Zobek in Castlevania: Lords of Shadow. He also played Jean-Luc Picard in about 10 different Star Trek games and Charles Xavier in five different X-Men games.
Patrick Stewart as Jean-Luc Picard in the 1994 Super Nintendo game, Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Stewart will always be a crucial voice and face in the legacy of sci-fi entertainment. Jean-Luc Picard will undoubtedly be an enduring and important character in the Star Trek franchise, and that’s thanks to Stewart’s portrayal of the starship captain. His portrayal of Charles Xavier also helped to legitimize the comic book movie, and he will appear again as the character in this year’s upcoming Avengers: Doomsday.
Our thoughts are with his friends and family, and the millions of fans (of which I include myself) who are mourning his loss. Let’s all drink some Earl Grey tea in his honor today.
Ubisoft has released a fall update on the Assassin’s Creed franchise, providing news big and small on its flagship series. The news includes updates for existing games and smaller but significant insights on the various upcoming Assassin’s Creed games previously announced.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
In terms of current games, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is getting a long-requested New Game Plus thanks to a new update coming on November 5. This means you can start a fresh game while bringing over your progression items/level from your previous playthrough. This update will also introduce the following features:
An optional progression mode where Gear, Runes, and Masteries all contribute to Eivor’s overall Power
New runes, achievements, a stash system, and new rewards, including a Master Assassin outfit inspired by Naoe’s look in Assassin’s Creed Shadows
Mithril, a new resource to upgrade Divine Gear and strengthen runes
Divine Gear quality for all items
This news comes a few days after New Game Plus arrived in Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced.
Assassin’s Creed Codename Invictis
Codname Invictis, a PvP multiplayer game, remains in development as Ubisoft shares it has incorporated feedback from players who, according to Ubisoft, “saw great potential in the foundations but wanted more of the pillars that define Assassin’s Creed.” To this end, Ubisoft has spent months reworking Invictis to reflect this vague feedback and say the game is “now evolving in an exciting direction that better reflects those pillars while staying true to its multiplayer ambitions.”
Assassin’s Creed Codename Hexe
As for the next single-player Assassin’s Creed, Codename Hexe, Ubisoft says it will share the next major update on this game in 2027. First announced in 2022, Codename Hexe is set during the 17th-century reign of the Holy Roman Empire, and the era’s witch hunts will play a significant role.
Future Assassin’s Creed Remakes
With the release of Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced earlier this year, Ubisoft has given fans what they’ll likely see as a disappointing update on potential future remakes: “One thing we want to be transparent about today is that we currently have no other Assassin’s Creed remake actively in development. Our teams are already focused on the next chapter of Assassin’s Creed titles, including projects you haven’t heard about yet, featuring new settings and stories.”
However, Ubisoft adds that this door isn’t closed for good. “Like many of you, we love the idea of revisiting our classic titles, and we’ll keep exploring opportunities to bring older titles back,” says Ubisoft.
Assassin’s Creed Netflix Series
Ubisoft’s next update concerns the live-action Assassin’s Creed series in production for Netflix. They say the show is “nearing completion” in Rome and that award-winning composer Hannah Peel (Insomnia, Rogue Agent, Game of Thrones: The Last Watch) is composing the score.
Lastly, Ubisoft teases big celebrations are planned for 2027, which marks the 20th anniversary of the Assassin’s Creed franchise. It’s keeping details to itself for now, but states it’s “preparing a year of reveals, updates, rewards, and community moments. “
While the 2025 reveal of the Switch 2 came with many surprises, none were as unexpected as The Duskbloods. It’s a Switch 2 exclusive, multiplayer-only title from FromSoftware, the developer behind games like Dark Souls and Elden Ring; in other words, not your typical Nintendo game. While The Duskbloods was originally scheduled to launch sometime this year, today the developer announced it’s pushing the game’s launch to 2027.
While development of “The Duskbloods” is at the final adjustment stage, we have made the decision to move the launch window to 2027. We apologize to players who have been kindly awaiting the release of this title and thank you for your patience and support. During the network test, we saw active interest in the core concepts of the game, including combat, strategic depth, and player expression. To further enhance these aspects, we have decided to move the launch, allowing time for final adjustments to game rules and balancing.
We attended a hands-on preview session earlier this year and came away very positive, and sentiment was similar following the game’s closed network test (that is, when the servers were working properly). It’s not surprising that the devs have changes in mind following so much public feedback, though it is a little surprising that it will take until sometime next year for those adjustments to be complete.
Rockstar Games has released a new original song in Grand Theft Auto VI called “Pusher” by the game’s composer duo, Justice. You can listen to it now on all major streaming services, including Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube. Alongside this sneak peek at the game’s original score, Rockstar says the GTA VI original score album, aptly titled Grand Theft Auto VI: Original Score, will be released on all major streaming services, as well as on double CD and triple vinyl, on December 11.
The original score will feature 30 tracks from the band’s full suite of songs composed for GTA VI, including the previously released “Flower in a Hurricane” by Justice, featuring Tame Impala, SZA, and King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, plus a number of digital bonus tracks included across all formats.
You can listen to the new original song, Pusher, below:
GTA VI launches on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X on November 19.
However, you’re looking for advice on which of the three visual modes Phantom Blade Zero offers you should use on your PS5. This here piece is for you.
Breaking Down Phantom Blade Zero’s Graphics Options
Phantom Blade Zero has three visual modes on PS5 Pro: Quality, Balanced, and Performance. I tested all three. My personal favorite was Balanced, which gives you an upscaled (checkerboarded) 4K resolution at 40 FPS, as long as you have a 120Hz TV with VRR. If you have a 120Hz TV, it likely has VRR because most major manufacturers include it with 120Hz. I like this mode because the upscaled 4K looks beautiful, just a hair less than native 4K, and if you aren’t someone super trained on those details, I’d wager you won’t notice the difference. The best part is that this mode offers 40 FPS gameplay, which, contrary to how math works, is halfway between 30 FPS and 60 FPS; I’m not kidding, look it up. As such, 40 FPS feels much smoother than 30 FPS, and you’re still getting crisp 4K resolution. It’s a win-win for me and my go-to mode when a game offers it.
That said, if you don’t have a PS5 Pro, you won’t see this Balanced mode.
The Performance mode offers an upscaled 2K resolution with a pretty locked 60 FPS. Phantom Blade Zero is an extremely fast, fluid action game, so I think many people will want the buttery smoothness of 60 FPS gameplay. If that’s you, pick the Performance mode. Sure, its resolution is lower, and it will look blurrier and less crisp than the other two modes, but if you aren’t switching back and forth often or looking at side-by-side images, you likely won’t notice.
Quality mode is native 4K resolution (absolutely beautiful, the best visual image you can get playing Phantom Blade Zero), but at 30 FPS… and for a game like this, I don’t think 30 FPS does it justice. I don’t really recommend this mode for combat, but if you’re just waltzing around Wulin, grabbing screenshots and such, turn it on and bask in the wonders of developer S-Game’s art team.
Note: There is an option for ray tracing on PS5 Pro. I tested all three graphics modes with it on and off and noticed zero performance changes or issues. So, use ray tracing – it’s nice!
So, to recap:
Quality Mode: Native 4K resolution at 30 FPS
Balanced Mode: Upscaled 4K resolution at 40 FPS
Performance Mode: Upscaled 2K resolution at 60 FPS
And, in case you missed it, below is an image of the PC system requirements and specs needed to play Phantom Blade Zero on Steam and the Epic Games Store:
Longtime Sonic the Hedgehog voice actor Roger Craig Smith, who also voices iconic characters such as Ezio Auditore, Chris Redfield, and Batman, is the new voice of Phantom Blade Zero protagonist Soul, according to developer S-Game. Smith replaces former voice actor Jay Maksenuk, who can still be heard voicing Soul in various trailers and gameplay videos.
You can hear Smith’s rendition of Soul in the official launch trailer for Phantom Blade Zero, however, below:
Game Informer has reached out to S-Game for a comment or statement on why the VO was changed and will update this story if it learns more.
I can pull back the curtains a bit on how last-minute this change seemingly was for Phantom Blade Zero. For most of my time playing Phantom Blade Zero for review (you can read it here), Soul was still voiced by Maksenuk. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the English VO at the time, so I played most of the game using its excellent Chinese VO. However, about a week into the review period for Phantom Blade Zero, developer S-Game told me the VO for Soul had been updated (the team had previously said this update would happen ahead of time).
S-Game didn’t say why or who at the time, but after listening to it post-update, it was clear to me it was Smith; his voice is iconic and hard to miss. I was basically at the end of the game at that point, so I didn’t get to hear too much, but overall, I like Smith’s inclusion as Soul’s VO.
Nonetheless, if you’re jumping into Phantom Blade Zero at launch, the Soul you play as will be voiced entirely by Smith. Let us know in the comments what you think of it after you’ve had some time with it!
Phantom Blade Zero is finally out, and it was worth the wait; you can read why in my review here. Whether you’re new to the action genre or a dedicated student of the blade (or blades, rather, there are 55 weapons in Phantom Blade Zero), this action debut from Beijing-based developer S-Game does a lot. I’ve spent more than 50 hours playing the game and have a pretty good grip on its systems and mechanics. So I’m going to share the Phantom Blade Zero tips and tricks I wish I’d known before starting.
You can find my tips and tricks below, but if you discover any that aren’t on this list, please share them in the comments at the bottom of this article!
Phantom Blade Zero Tips And Tricks
Phantom Blade Zero Tips And Tricks
Switch main weapons often: Sha-Chi is a magical, force-like energy that runs through Phantom Blade Zero’s underground martial realm, Wulin. It’s shown on the bottom left of your screen as a yellowish bar under your HP. It’s not quite stamina, as sprinting and using standard attack buttons don’t deplete it. However, your more powerful Sha-Chi attacks (Triangle/Y) do deplete the Sha-Chi, as does blocking enemy attacks with L1/LB. Your enemy can also break your Sha-Chi with multiple and/or powerful attacks. When your Sha-Chi is low or depleted, switch to your second main weapon, as it will come out with a stylish attack AND a full Sha-Chi bar. Your other weapon will then have a cooldown (that can be decreased as you level up), but when that cooldown is over, you can switch to the other main weapon with a full Sha-Chi bar once more – it’s this rotation that will keep you from ever being left open and helpless with an empty Sha-Chi bar.
Try every weapon: Phantom Blade Zero has 30 main weapons and 25 Phantom Edge weapons, which are limited-use (requiring you to build up charges to use). You’ll earn some by completing main quests and defeating bosses throughout, but many are optional finds that require you to stray from the golden path. No matter how you find a weapon, you must try every single one you find. I can’t tell you how many weapons I found, started using, and quickly said, “Oh yup, this is going to be my new main,” only to discover another new weapon that replaced it. There are so many cool weapons and the next weapon you find could be your new favorite weapon.
Don’t hoard upgrade materials: I know, I know. We all hoard materials, potions, and this and that because we might need them later. But I’m telling you: Do not hoard your materials in Phantom Blade Zero. Developer S-Game wants you to upgrade all of your weapons and discover ones you like, dislike, love, and hate. As you upgrade weapons, new combo abilities and perks are added, making them feel even more unique and powerful. You will discover so many upgrade materials – seriously, like so many. You’ll also find plenty of revert items that let you extract every resource poured into a weapon, so you can use those materials on a different weapon. For the most part, though, many of the weapons use their own unique materials that maybe one or two other weapons will use so you can safely upgrade without worrying about sacrificing an upgrade for a different weapon.
Explore everywhere: Phantom Blade Zero has an incredible map, one of my all-time favorites. It is both visually engaging and an excellent tool for your playthrough. You can follow the golden path, marked by golden objective markers, but doing so will rob you of plenty of engaging side content. Stray from the golden path to explore caves, hidden alleys, buildings, underground tunnels, and more. Following the story-critical purple side quests, the white side quests, and the white collectible markers will take you to new places to explore. However, there’s even more to find that none of the objective markers will guide you to, so always look for a path to stray down.
Complete every quest with a purple icon: The golden objective markers are for the main quests. Obviously, you need to do those. You’ll also stumble upon quests with purple objective markers. While these are technically optional side quests, I highly recommend completing them all. They might as well be main quests because the only way to get the “perfect” ending (the only one that will be satisfactory, to be honest) is to complete every purple quest before heading toward the game’s finale. S-Game says skipping the purple quests means missing “roughly one-third of the game’s content and reaching its most basic ending.”
The game has a “last chance” warning before the finale: Enjoy the game at your own pace and don’t stress about completing this or that in the lead-up to the finale because when you reach the final area, the game will make it very clear you’re heading toward the ending, with a clear “this is your last chance to clean up and complete side content” type of message. When you see that, make sure you’ve completed every purple quest.
Focus your efforts on individual boss phases: Phantom Blade Zero is definitively not a Soulslike, despite clear nods and inspirations to the formula. Still, its bosses will remind you most of a Soulslike because they can be wild and challenging. Many of them are single-phase bosses – take down that health bar and the fight is over. However, some of them have multiple phases (usually just two). Focus on completing the first phase; use all your medicines, abilities, and everything else to take it down, because even if you die in the second phase, the first phase will remain complete. When you die and respawn at the bonfire-like Phantom Bell, return to the boss to start the second phase.
Track down every Memory Flower: Memory Flowers are optional collectibles that really shouldn’t be. They’re pretty easy to spot while exploring: a single tall, glowing blue flower standing among a circle of smaller blue flowers. Interact with them, and you get to listen to an interesting story vignette. Most of these flowers are part of a set of one, two, three, or more. When you complete a set, you will gain HP. Smaller sets grant a 3% HP boost, while the largest Memory Flower sets grant a 10% HP boost. Interacting with these Memory Flowers is completely optional BUT interacting with them and completing sets is the only way you can gain additional HP in the game. So, like, make sure you find them.
If you hear coins jingling, you’re near a treasure master: The game hints at this in the second biome, but a mysterious man collects treasures across Wulin. After you talk to him, he will ask you to find three specific treasures (in green-glowing treasure chests) in each region and reward you with an interesting accessory or something else. However, you can’t pick up this scavenger-hunt quest in each region until you find the man. The best way to track him down is to listen for coins jingling. If you hear that sound, look around. You should see a sword or three stuck into the environment around you, with a chain of golden coins hanging from it. If you see this, it means the man is nearby.
The game has search-action/Metroidvania elements: the aforementioned Phantom Edge weapons are great for combat, but a handful also double as tools for exploration. Some can destroy floors beneath you to reveal hidden tunnels; others can unlock secret staircases, while another lets you grapple to places previously out of reach. As you explore, you will come across areas you don’t yet have the Phantom Edge to reach. Make a mental note of this place (the map will also mark it with the tool you need), and return later when you have what you need. Sometimes it opens a path to a chest; other times it leads to completely new areas ripe with secrets, treasures, enemies, secret bosses, and more.
Region-Specific Tips And Tricks – SPOILERS
Region-Specific Tips And Tricks – SPOILERS
S-Game shared some recommendations for Phantom Blade Zero’s various biomes in the review process, and I found them quite helpful, so I figured I’d pass along that information to you. Consider the tips and tricks below spoilers for the game’s various regions.
Weeping Creek Valley
When you reach the massive Sha-Chi tower (it looks like it belongs in Final Fantasy VII’s Midgar), heading up will take you through its various story-oriented paths. However, be sure to head back down near the entrance at some point. A hidden boss here drops a great weapon after you defeat them.
After you defeat a boss named The Hunt, return to the Sha-Chi tower by fast-traveling to the Phantom Bell at the top. Here, you can use the newly acquired Hunter’s Chain Sickle to reach the previously unreachable area above and obtain a key that opens up a large portion of the Weeping Creek Valley map.
After opening up that large portion of the Weeping Creek Valley, keep an eye out for the Crane Phantom Bell. These specific bells unlock new cutscenes and yield critical story information about Soul’s journey.
In that newly opened area, you will also discover the first Long Pillar. There are five of these in the game and you must complete each pillar to get the perfect ending. These are some of the most difficult boss fights in the game, so don’t sweat it if you need to return to them later when you feel more powerful.
Crimson Forest
Treasure master Quick Hand Zhang, whom I alluded to in the spoiler-free tips and tricks above, will task you with finding three Relics in the Crimson Forest. Find them and give them to him to receive a special Phantom Edge weapon. Remember: The Relics he wants are only found in green-glowing treasure chests.
Keep an eye out for a special Banyan tree with a human-like face. Interact with it to start a three-phase challenge trial that ends with a boss fight (it’s a boss you’ve already defeated, but tougher, with some new moves). Completing this trial (and the other five Human-Faced Banyan trials) will earn you a Banyan Heart. You need this item to unlock specific nodes on Soul’s upgrade tree.
In the Mirrorwood of the Crimson Forest, be sure to collect all of Inasis’ Memory Flowers. Doing so will increase your HP and make the Crimson Forest chapter-ending boss less difficult.
Village of Lu
Search out and collect all five of Mu Xiaokui’s ribbons. This is technically a side quest, but finding all five of them will add another phase to the Village of Lu chapter-ending boss. Completing this phase rewards you with an awesome weapon.
Collect all six of the Firefly Memory Flowers. This unlocks a hidden boss in the Village of Lu and begins an important side quest called Secrets at the Heart of the Lake. You must complete Secrets at the Heart of the Lake in order to get the perfect ending.
A powerful acolyte boss is hidden in a scarecrow in the north of the Village of Lu. Defeat this boss to get the Blazing Mask, which is needed to later unlock a late-game area (that you must complete to get the perfect ending).
When you reach the Puppet Testing Grounds in the final stretch of the Village of Lu, be sure to explore the entire area so you don’t miss a magical portal. Interact with it to encounter the Three-Eyed Puppet. This will help you defeat the Three-Eyed Puppet later and unlock the perfect ending.
Most of the enemies in the Village of Lu are puppets, so they have no flesh or blood to tear through. As a result, any weapon with a bleed effect is less effective here. Use weapons with high guard-break stats and shield-breaking power.
At the end of the Village of Lu chapter, return to Young Master Lan and Old Man Gen to continue their side quests.
Pangzhen
Pangzhen is by far the largest and most sprawling region in the game. Take your time – it can be overwhelming.
Before fighting the boss Blaze, be sure to explore the city and find an accessory that reduces fire damage. You’ll be thankful you did.
Similarly, be sure to find an accessory that reduces lightning damage before facing Chang Hong.
And finally, before facing Flame, the Lion Dance Grandmaster, search out an aquatic miniboss and defeat them to obtain Youloong’s Deluge. This Phantom Edge lets you spray water, dampening the Lion Dance Grandmaster and making his fiery attacks less effective.
Beside the Lion Dance Hall in Pangzhen’s backstreets, you can find the second scarecrow acolyte boss. Defeat them to obtain Leiting’s Thunder Mask, another perfect ending-critical item.
Many of the routes in Pangzhen are blocked by thorns. By the end of this chapter, you will have the Flaming Mane, which lets you burn through thorns. This opens up new parts of Pangzhen, so backtrack and explore them.
The side quests involving Young Master Lan and Old Man Gen continue in Pangzhen, so keep an eye out for them.
After completing all story-critical content in Pangzhen, you can technically head towards the finale but I highly recommend not doing that. There are more optional (technically) areas to explore that you really shouldn’t miss.
The Mandate’s Encampment
This area is technically optional. Don’t skip it.
After defeating Gu Wanyue in Pangzhen, head into the well to find a key to the Mandate’s Encampment. Then, head back to the Village of Lu to reach the Mandate’s Encampment (bottom-left area of this region).
An optional boss is in the top-right corner of the Mandate’s Encampment map. Defeat this boss to get the Soft Snake Sword, one of the game’s most fun weapons.
Explore every nook, cranny, alley, and building in the Mandate’s Encampment. Lots of story secrets are hidden within.
After defeating the Mandate’s Encampment chapter-ending boss, head through the magical portal and interact with the Three-Eyed Puppet a second time (the first time is near the end of the Village of Lu).
Meigu Lake
Meigu Lake introduces a Sha-Chi-powered boat that lets you explore the islands in Meigu Lake. It feels a lot like exploring Midgard in God of War (2018). You’ll find lots of secret areas and treasures while boating around, including a Human-Faced Banyan tree, a Long Pillar, the third scarecrow hiding another acolyte boss, a Quick Hand Zhang hideout, and another Sha-Chi tower to explore.
There are three locations on Meigu Lake critical to getting Phantom Blade Zero’s perfect ending:
Collapsed Theater: Collect all six surrounding Memory Flowers, visit the island, defeat the boss here, and obtain the Illusory Pipa Strings.
Archway: Near the north of Meigu Lake, a massive archway stands. After obtaining the Illusory Pipa Phantom Edge weapon, head here for a secret area.
To the west is a large expanse of floating ice: Head there to find a special mirror. After you collect all four acolyte masks, return here (there’s a Phantom Bell nearby for fast travel) to unlock a late-game optional area that’s critical for the perfect ending.
Mountain Of Imprisonment
The Mountain of Imprisonment is another technically optional area, but it really shouldn’t be.
You need the three missing components of the Illusory Pipa to reach the Mountain of Imprisonment:
You can get one piece by defeating a hidden boss in the Village of Lu.
You can obtain the second piece by defeating the chapter-ending boss in the Mandate’s Encampment.
You obtain the third piece by defeating the hidden boss at the Collapsed Theater in Meigu Lake.
Once you have all three pieces, return to Myst at the Pangzhen tavern; she can restore the Illusory Pipa.
After defeating the chapter-ending boss of the Mountain of Imprisonment, continue exploring downward to meet an important character.
Here, the third and final Third-Eye Puppet portal sits. Head in and interact with the puppet once more.
After defeating the chapter-ending boss here, return to the Crimson Manor beneath the Sha-Chi tower in the Weeping Creek Valley. Use the Puppet’s Tongue item you should now have to open the gate and explore the Crimson Manor.
At the base of Crimson Manor, a hidden boss awaits. Defeat it to obtain the final acolyte mask and the important item called the Crystal Puppet Eye [Yang].
The last few regions of Phantom Blade Zero are for you to discover. You have everything you need. Remember these tips and tricks – good luck!
Those are all the tips and tricks we have for you! If you have any you think we should add, let us know in the comments below! If you haven’t already, please read my Phantom Blade Zero review to learn why you won’t want to miss this action game.
Phantom Blade Zero is a sprawling Wuxia adventure, the best action game of the year, and one of my favorite action games ever. It offers a lot to do, from main story quests to dozens of side quests, collectibles, hidden bosses, secret areas, and more. I highly recommend checking out Game Informer’s list of Phantom Blade Zero tips and tricks before jumping in. It mentions some tasks required to achieve the perfect ending, but here I’ll break down exactly what you need to see it.
As a note, getting the perfect ending in Phantom Blade Zero isn’t that unreasonable. It requires doing a lot of the game’s side content, but it’s not shrouded in mystery or puzzles; you just need to complete certain things before heading into the finale. I’m going to keep these requirements relatively spoiler-free, and honestly, without the wider story context, they’ll be a lot of mumbo jumbo proper nouns that don’t really mean anything. If you’re set on getting the perfect ending, I’d bookmark this page, and as you play Phantom Blade Zero, more and more of these requirements will start to make sense. However, if you think even a name or proper noun is a spoiler, be careful reading these requirements.
Here’s How To Get The Perfect Ending In Phantom Blade Zero
The following requirements don’t necessarily have a set order. You could technically ignore all of this and then go after everything right before the game’s “last chance to get things done” warning near the finale. So don’t sweat about picking up this or that at a certain time in your journey – do it when you want to. Just make sure you have the following requirements completed before heading past the “last chance” warning.
Obtain Crystal Puppet Eye [Yin] and Crystal Puppet Eye [Yang]
Complete the optional Mountain of Imprisonment region, and you will receive the Crystal Puppet Eye [Yin]
After defeating the hidden boss in the Crimson Manor (a late-game residence in the Weeping Creek Valley), you will receive the Crystal Puppet Eye [Yang].
Defeat all four Acolyte bosses: Throughout Phantom Blade Zero, you will encounter four strange scarecrows. One is in the Village of Lu, one in Pangzhen, one in Meigu Lake, and one in the Crimson Manor in Weeping Creek Valley. That Crimson Manor mask is the last one you can get. When you interact with these scarecrows, you will be warped to a special arena to fight an Acolyte boss. Defeat all four Acolyte bosses to obtain the following four masks: Yanru’s Blazing Mask (fire), Leiting’s Thunder Mask (lightning), Guhe’s Venom Mask (poison), and Hansui’s Frost Mask (ice).
These bosses are extremely challenging, but each uses a specific element when they attack. Equip resistance accessories to counter this elemental damage and gain an edge in battle.
Enter the Meigu Lake mirror: After obtaining the four Acoylte masks, head to Meigu Lake. Once there, use the Sha-Chi boat to sail to the west side of the region, where lots of ice floats near a snow-covered mountain. Dock the boat and move forward; you will discover a mysterious mirror. With all four masks, you can enter the mirror and head to a special realm. This realm is technically optional, but you need to defeat the chapter-ending boss here to get the perfect ending.
After you defeat the chapter-ending boss, insert the two Crystal Puppet Eyes into the statue.
Complete all five Long Pillars: The first four are in Weeping Creek Valley, Crimson Forest, Meigu Lake, and the special mirror realm I mentioned above. You can find the fifth Long Pillar in the non-optional finale area of Phantom Blade Zero.
Collect the White Serpent Eye, Black Serpent Fang, and Red Serpent Tongue, and then follow the game’s main quests into the finale. I won’t name this place because it is somewhat spoilery, but it’s part of the main quest and impossible to miss.
Collect all of Quick Hand Zhang’s Relics: You will run into Quick Hand Zhang five times (in five different regions) throughout Phantom Blade Zero’s main quest. Each time, he tasks you with finding three Relics in green-glowing treasure chests. Make sure you find all of the Relics before heading into the finale. You’ll know you’ve done them all because it will mark his quest as complete.
Beat the game: If you’ve done everything above, head to the Phantom Blade Zero finale. Beat the game to unlock the perfect ending, dubbed “The Final Battle.” Congrats!
Witchbrook is a game I’ve been looking forward to for a while, and today’s Nintendo Indie World showcase finally confirmed the game’s release date: January 28. Any game from Chucklefish, best known for publishing Stardew Valley and developing the Wargroove series, is worthy of my attention, and Witchbrook looks more exciting the more we see of it. See it for yourself in the release date trailer below.
The game mixes cute pixel art with a robust suite of magical gameplay systems. As you go to a witch college to learn spells, you’ll also build a life in the town, making friends, working jobs, decorating your home, and more. It was an appealing pitch when it was announced nearly 10 years ago in 2017, and it remains so to this day. After a long stretch of relative silence, last year the game was scheduled to launch sometime in 2026. Obviously, the team has faced some delays since then, but we’re just glad it’s actually coming out.
Witchbrook’s release date was announced during today’s Nintendo-specific stream, but it’s coming to all major platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2, Switch, and PC.
The year is nearing its conclusion, and the last big AAA titles are rolling out one-by-one. But today, it was all about the independent titles on Nintendo’s latest Indie World Showcase, highlighting new games from smaller indie teams coming to the Switch and Switch 2.
It was a TKTKTK
Here’s everything we saw at the October 2026 Nintendo Indie World Showcase.
Witchbrook
Today’s Indie World Showcase started with a big headliner, as the long-awaited witch-life simulator Witchbrook got a release date. Chucklefish and Robtality’s cozy magical world goes live on January 28, 2027.
Winds of Viridia
Fans of 3D platformers should probably keep an eye on Winds of Viridia, which looks like a colorful game with a lot of interesting movement and exploration. Shark Jump’s fantastical platformer is arriving next year, but if the wait’s too long, a free demo is coming today on the eShop.
City Of None
From one of the co-creators of Celeste, City of None has a gorgeous pixelated art style and colors that immediately remind me of Game Boy Color classics. It’s a 2D platformer where you leap around, fight enemies, and explore the strange city around you. The jumping and fighting look solid, and I really like the mysterious atmosphere and art direction. City of None’s set for sometime in 2027.
Sword of the Sea
The sword-surfing adventure from the makers of Abzu and Journey is coming to Nintendo Switch 2 on October 29, 2026 – tomorrow! It’s a gorgeous adventure that earned a Must-Play badge from us, so it’s worth your time if you like the kinds of gorgeous, beautiful adventures Giant Squid (developer of Abzu) is known for.
Tenjutsu
Take an overhead camera angle, brawler gameplay, and some John Wick sensibilities, and you’ve got Tenjutsu, a stylish roguelike where you use your martial arts prowess to tear apart crime syndicates. I really enjoy the look and vibe of this one, and it’s from one of the designers of Dead Cells, too. Tenjutsu might be one to keep an eye on when it arrives on Switch 2 in 2027.
Threads of Time
RPG fans have been eating well, and it looks like the feast could continue next year with Threads of Time. The time-traveling RPG is coming to both Switch and Switch 2 next summer, and it’s looking absolutely gorgeous.
Dumpster Gang
Ah, raccoons. Nature’s most adorable little scamps. If you and your friends have ever wanted to live out the dream of being a rambunctious band of raccoons wreaking havoc on the town, Dumpster Gang sets out to give you just that fantasy in March 2027.
Super Battle Golf
I’ve already enjoyed quite a bit of Super Battle Golf on PC, so I’ll tell you now: if you enjoy golf games and want some Mario Party annoy-your-friends antics wound around them, Super Battle Golf should be on your radar for its March 25, 2027 launch on Switch 2.
R.E.P.O.
Another port of a PC multiplayer mainstay, the co-op physics-driven horror-looter R.E.P.O. is coming to Switch 2 in 2027. This is one for the crowd that likes to be scared one moment and laughing hysterically the next.
Haunted Paws
Rounding out the co-op section, Haunted Paws has you and a pal playing as a pair of pups searching for their person in a haunted mansion. The side-scrolling 3D look makes it seem like a less-scary Little Nightmares, and the concept is pretty fun. Look for this one on Switch and Switch 2 in May 2027, or try out the free demo later today.
Kitsune: The Journey of Adashino
Enjoy shrines, towns, and strange night-time journeys into the unknown? Follow a fox girl and her frog friend on an adventure through a strange island in Kitsune: The Journey of Adashino on Switch 2 and Switch in spring 2027. I’ve said it a few times in this recap, but wow, the art here is great.
Slime Rancher 2
The second entry in the slime-collecting, home-building sim adventure is coming to Switch 2. Pick up adorable slimes with your vacuum, build a home for them, and explore the Rainbow Island around you in January 2027. Plus, there’s an exclusive in-game item for the Switch 2 version.
Spirit Crossing
From the makers of Cozy Grove, this multiplayer game encourages players to build a home above the clouds with friends and explore the world around them. Spirit Crossing looks like a big world to make your own alongside your pals, starting November 16, 2026 on both Switch and Switch 2.
My Arms Are Longer Now
Want something a little sillier? My Arms Are Longer Now is a game about, well, really long arms. With numerous Australian comedians lending their vocal talents to the project, this seems like it could be a quirky, charming, and delightfully funny experience when it arrives on both Switch and Switch 2 on March 11, 2027.
Petal Runner
The delightfully Game Boy-styled critter delivery game Petal Runner is aiming for a full launch. I’ve played a bit of this one at events over the years, and it’s charmed me every time. If you like nostalgic adventures with a surprisingly heartfelt core, you should mark down the March 8, 2027 launch, or check out the free demo arriving later today.
Raccoin: Chaos Max Edition
The chaotic coin-pushing game Raccoin is coming to Nintendo Switch 2. It’s just like those token-shoving games you remember from arcades but with a number of wild and wacky means of pushing even more coins over the edge run-over-run. Raccoin: Chaos Max Edition hits Switch 2 on November 10, 2026, and a free demo is out later today.
Closing Montage of Additional Dates:
Tanuki: Pon’s Summer – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition – November 10, 2026
Finding Polka – Spring 2027
Floor Plan: Slap Out Of It! – Spring 2027
Lost and Found Co. – Early 2027
Bao Bao’s Cozy Cleaning Services – Available later today
