Coliseum

Microsoft has laid off thousands of workers over the past few years to correct its financial spreadsheets, but “significant layoffs” are on the way for Xbox as part of new CEO Asha Sharma’s “Xbox Reset,” according to a new report from Bloomberg. In a new Xbox Wire blog post that is a copy-paste of an email sent to Xbox employees globally, Sharma and Xbox chief content officer Matt Booty discuss problems facing Xbox’s future and plans to course-correct. Though she doesn’t mention layoffs, the messaging in this joint post seems to signal the layoffs Bloomberg reports are incoming, according to its sources within the company. 

Bloomberg reports that, though the exact scale of the layoffs is unclear, they are expected to occur after the close of Microsoft’s fiscal year on June 30, alongside significantly slashed budgets for marketing and other areas of the Xbox business. Sharma and Booty say the company will end its fiscal year “at about a 3% accountability margin, down year-over-year,” with an annual revenue decline of nearly half a billion during that time alongside a $20 billion spend in ongoing investments in “content, platform, and hardware subsidy,” excluding Activision Blizzard King. Critically, a 3% accountability margin means that for every $100 Xbox makes, it keeps $3 as profit, as noted by Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier over on Bluesky. Sharma and Booty’s email reads, “Going forward, this cannot continue.” 

In that same email-now-Xbox-Wire-blog-post, Sharma and Booty indicate that Xbox overextended itself during its acquisition spree this generation, potentially hinting at studio closures to course-correct. “We expanded our studio system when we needed a pipeline of content to meet multiple strategies across subscription, streaming, and devices [editor’s note: Xbox has made clear it is pivoting away from recent “This is an Xbox” marking to return to exclusivity and a focus on Xbox-developed hardware],” it reads. “In the process, we have found ourselves overextended as we executed on changing strategies in a landscape of more readily available content. We are the fortunate stewards of industry-defining franchises that have enormous potential and player demand, but we have not adequately funded them to compete and win. At the same time, as we saw this past weekend at [the 2026 Summer Xbox Games Showcase], a reliable pipeline of first-and third-party exclusives and new IP is critical to our success. We need to reassess the balance between these and our investment priorities for the next 5 years.” 

The Verge reports that its sources suggest the planned layoffs and budget slashes could include a studio closure. 

Elsewhere in the post, Sharma and Booty write about the cost of console storage components, which has risen to five times their cost two years ago, and how Xbox needs a new business model and partnerships for hardware, “as we remain committed to [Project Helix].” The two also write that Xbox’s current platform infrastructure “is not built for the battle ahead,” with systems too complex and reliant on vendor dependencies to be as efficient as they feel the company needs to be.

“Now we start the next 100 days. It is important to have both optimism and realism as we work to reset the business,” the blog post reads. In its final paragraphs, Sharma and Booty write, “For some of you, these realities will be surprising and even frustrating to discover. We won’t succeed by hiding hard truths, nor will we succeed by doing the same thing and expecting results. Like the ‘everyday wins’ mentality from the first 100 days, we will sprint to make progress against hardware, content, experience, and services together.” 

This Xbox Wire blog post comes just days after Xbox’s big SGF-related showcase, where it revealed that Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution will be Xbox console-exclusive titles, alongside a new look at Fable, which will launch on PlayStation 5 as well as Xbox. We also interviewed Matt Booty at Summer Game Fest Play Days to discuss the current state of Xbox, which you can read here. 

[Source: Bloomberg, The Verge]

Platform:
PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC

Publisher:
Sega

Developer:
Ryu Ga Gotoku Studios

Release:
January 15, 2027

RGG Studios made a name for itself through the narrative action games in the Like a Dragon series. At a cursory glance, Stranger Than Heaven may look like it is simply using the core tenets of RGG’s most famous franchise to deliver the tale of Makoto Daito across multiple eras and cities in Japan. However, after getting my hands on it and speaking with studio head and Stranger Than Heaven executive director Masayoshi Yokoyama, it’s clear RGG is swinging bigger.

In 1915, Makoto arrives in Japan aboard a smuggler ship in Kokura, Fukuoka, one of the world’s largest metalworking hubs. However, it’s also a hub for seedy activities. As the story progresses and Makoto establishes himself in Japan, the locations and eras also progress. The story leading to Tokyo in the ’60s is inevitable, as Stranger Than Heaven tells the tale of the founding of the Tojo Clan, as it will appear later in the Like a Dragon franchise.

Though this is a major connection to RGG’s flagship franchise, the team didn’t go out of its way to add nods to the series of games that it leads into. Similarly, just because this exists in the same world and carries a similar aesthetic doesn’t mean combat feels the same. Instead, Stranger Than Heaven adds a much more intentional style of fighting that primarily utilizes the shoulder and trigger buttons; the right and left shoulder buttons are mapped to control Makoto’s right and left arms, respectively, while the triggers control his corresponding legs. You can also dodge and block directionally to land brutal counterattacks, or squeeze both triggers to grab or tackle opponents.

It sounds complex, but I played through three encounters across three eras, and by the time I finished the fights, the mechanics were singing. The first fight saw Makoto unarmed against a group of standard men in Kokura in 1915, while subsequent encounters took me to 1929 Kure and 1943 Osaka with weapons in tow. Using a large crowbar for crowd control was enthralling, and my final challenge was a one-on-one knife fight against a brutal swordsman. Though the earlier battles allowed me some degree of brute-force success, the Osaka fight against the swordsman required me to be patient and precise with my parries; one false move could cost me the vast majority of my health bar. In fact, it took me seven tries before I successfully ended his reign of terror in the streets of Osaka.

Seeing RGG develop various combat systems in parallel – two distinct Like a Dragon fighting systems, the directional combat in Stranger Than Heaven, and fighting-game mechanics in the recently unveiled Virtua Fighter Crossroads – is impressive. Not unlike its protagonists, this studio can master varied fighting styles. “It’s not really about the systems; it’s about the experiences,” Yokoyama says. “You’re able to customize the experience to fit the story, like it’s an extension to accentuate it in the best possible way. That’s why, for example, in Like A Dragon 7, we went for the turn-based system, because until then, we were having these stories where it’s single-character fights, but for Ichiban Kasuga, his story was that of fighting with friends to achieve a goal. So for that, a turn-based, party-based system just felt right. It’s the same thing for Stranger Than Heaven: having the system we chose of really tense, visceral battles really just fit the character and fit the story.”

 

RGG Studios’ reveals at Summer Game Fest gave new meaning to the word “Stranger,” as the cast was revealed to include not only Snoop Dogg, but also the late Tupac Shakur, who has been dead for almost 30 years. The reaction in the gaming community was mixed, with many questioning how respectful it was to include the legendary rap artist in the role, and if the likeness would be handled with care. After Snoop Dogg was cast in the role of Orpheus, Makoto’s best friend, the hip-hop artist recommended Tupac’s likeness for the role of Amaru. RGG worked closely with Snoop, Shakur’s likeness owner, Amaru Entertainment, and Shakur’s family and intend for his depiction to honor the rapper without disrespecting him.

I did not get to see Amaru in my gameplay, but it does assuage initial worries that the studio didn’t involve anyone from the late rapper’s family. We won’t know for sure until Stranger Than Heaven is out early next year, but Yokoyama’s caution on the topic gives me hope. by Brian Shea

Platform:
Switch

Publisher:
Nintendo

Developer:
Nintendo

Release:
July 2, 2026

Rating:
Everyone

Rhythm Heaven has been one of the more underserved Nintendo franchises over the last decade and a half. Excluding the compilation-style 3DS release in 2015, the last all-new entry in the franchise arrived in 2011 on Wii, meaning it’s been around two and a half full console generations since we last played a brand-new game in the series. That changes soon with Rhythm Heaven Groove on Switch, and we had the chance to get our hands on the franchise-reviving entry.

Rhythm Heaven Groove features the largest collection of rhythm-based minigames in franchise history, with more than 80 solo games and more than 30 multiplayer games across cooperative and competitive modes. On top of that, players can unlock access to a mini rhythm-based RPG called Beatspell.

In the single-player mode, the sheer variety of games on offer is impressive. Yes, they’re all rhythm-driven, but each brings a different gameplay mechanic, and perhaps more importantly, a new earworm with which to play along. Hoop Trundling puts you at the end of a line, tasking you with following the rhythm of those in front of you as you jump through incoming hoops. Brolly Good Show adds some complexity by having you open and close your umbrella in time with those next to you. Disc Dog was one of the more challenging ones, as you needed to jump to catch a frisbee seven beats following a toss. The final challenge in the first collection is Feeding The Beast, where you control a dinosaur-like creature eating plants to the beat. 

Once you complete all games in a collection, you unlock the Remix, which combines the preceding games into one song. Unified by the song’s beat, I enjoyed how it kept me on my toes, even in the first collection. I can’t wait to see how it ramps up in difficulty and chaos as the games themselves become more involved.

Each minigame provides a familiar yet unique challenge, and ends with an assessment of how you did. If you do well enough to earn the “Amazing” rating, you get a medal. I made it my personal goal to get medals for every rhythm game I was able to play, and sadly, I only fell just shy in the second part of my single-player gameplay when we jumped ahead to the third collection of games. There, I played two games: Slice N Dice and Hop, Stop N Roll. Slice N Dice put me in control of a woman chopping veggies in her kitchen, while Hop, Stop N Roll turned me into a lucky cat figure hopping and rolling in time with other cats. Both were more demanding than the games in the first collection, which meant more fun for me.

In multiplayer, I played two games with a group of four players. Cake Wait is a competitive game where a timer counts down from 10 and everyone needs to press a button as close to when the clock hits 0 as possible. This resulted in some tense moments between players, because the clock disappears as the seconds tick away, serving as a strong test of timing. Then, in Ninja Bodyguard, the four of us worked together to protect a carriage from archers. This experience was less tense but delivered the same rhythmic fun as the other games, but with an added layer of camaraderie.

My gameplay session ended with Beatspell, the unlockable RPG-style mode built into Rhythm Heaven Groove. After earning a certain number of medals, new chapters of Beatspell become available. I played through the first two chapters. As encounters progress, you tap different commands as the beat progresses around a diamond chart. Each command casts a different spell. For example, tapping B on one corner, then A on the next, casts the flame spell to deal damage to the enemy you’re facing. However, if you add down on the d-pad on the half-beat between them, it instead casts Cure on yourself.

After taking down two monsters from a group called The Four Fears, my session ended. I have always enjoyed Rhythm Heaven, and I’m beyond happy that the Switch’s popularity has enabled Nintendo to take more chances on dormant franchises. I’m excited to see how the single-player offerings play out as you get deeper into them, and I look forward to busting this game out at future friend gatherings.

Ubisoft has announced a new wave of organizational restructurings resulting in the closures of two studios and hundreds of layoffs. 

As reported by Insider Gaming, the publisher sent an internal message to staff stating how it has been evolving to “simplify how it operates, reduce its cost base and strengthen the company for the long term.” To that end, it has shuttered its studios in Winnipeg and Belgrade.

Ubisoft Winnipeg opened its doors in January 2019 and served as a support studio for titles such as Rainbow Six Mobile, Far Cry 6, and Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. Winnipeg’s closure has reportedly impacted 65 employees. Ubisoft Belgrade had existed since 2016 and worked on several titles, including the recently revealed Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced. Roughly 100 employees are reportedly impacted.

Additionally, layoffs have been announced at Ubisoft Barcelona (51 employees) and Ubisoft San Francisco (the exact number of impacted employees is unknown, but was described by Insider Gaming as being “dozens”). The publisher also announced plans to restructure the Barcelona studio to focus on Rainbow Six projects. In total, Ubisoft’s internal message states that up to 380 employees may be affected, according to the message obtained by Insider Gaming. 

Today’s news is the latest development in a company-wide restructuring that has persisted since 2024. It follows the formation of subsidiary Vantage Studios to manage the Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six franchises and an organizational “reset” announced in January that led to several game cancellations, including the long-awaited remake of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time.

In the past two years, Ubisoft has shuttered studios in Leamington and Halifax and disbanded the internal team responsible for the well-received Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown due to underwhelming sales. Ubisoft also proposed layoffs at studios such as The Division developer Massive Entertainment and Trials developer RedLynx. Ghost Recon developer Red Storm Entertainment lost 100 employees in March and, while still in operation, has ceased active game development.

Today’s news comes after Summer Game Fest, where the publisher showcased upcoming titles such as Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced and Rayman Legends Retold. While it has other Assassin’s Creed projects in the works, as well as the long-in-development Beyond Good & Evil 2 and Splinter Cell remake, it’s unclear what Ubisoft has in the pipeline in the foreseeable future. 

Game Informer has contacted Ubisoft for comment and will update this story should we receive one. 

This past weekend at Summer Game Fest 2026, I played a new movement first-person shooter from 1047 Games, the developer behind Splitgate and its polarizing sequel. Empulse, the studio’s new multiplayer title, channels Titanfall 2 in the best ways. Players fight over control of a hulking, pilotable mech by using grapple hooks, wall-running tech, and P.A.I.N.T. grenades that splatter the map with special effects.

Empulse releases on Steam via Early Access on June 24 for $19.99 and is also available to play during Steam Next Fest beginning June 15, 2026. Watch the video below to learn more about why I enjoyed playing Empulse at Summer Game Fest. 

Splitgate Dev’s New FPS Channels Titanfall 2 In The Best Ways:

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Platform:
PC

Publisher:
InnerSloth

Developer:
InnerSloth

Rating:
Rating Pending

Whether you know it as Werewolf, Mafia, Blood On The Clocktower, or the ever-popular Among Us, the hidden-identity impostor niche is a staple at game-loving parties everywhere for a reason. What happens when you take the party staple into single-player territory, though?

While we’ve got the likes of Gnosia and Raging Loop, Among Us Story: On Guard offers a tonally different take on the social deduction genre. In my demo at Summer Game Fest 2026, I got to sit down (literally) with a Switch 2 and see how Innersloth was tackling an Among Us murder mystery.

Though the setting is still very much Among Us, the section I played felt less like a single-player version of the party game and more like a Hercule Poirot serial set within the Among Us universe. After a brief intro, framing the demo as a sort-of virtual reality excursion, I was put in the bean-sized shoes of the Guard. Every Crewmate in Among Us Story bears a role-based moniker: Captain, Doctor, Engineer, and Cook.

Guard discovers a dead Cook, just as several Crewmates enter the room. Framed as the impostor, Guard is almost sent tumbling out of the airlock, until a sudden twist of fate helps him escape through the vents. From there, Guard’s only choice is to seek clues and discover the Impostor hiding among the ranks.

Immediately, the humor of Among Us Story: On Guard felt front-and-center. It’s charming and clever, filled with plenty of in-jokes for Among Us players (including numerous card-swipe gags) and in-character bits for the different Crewmates. The hard-boiled detective Guard, grumbling to himself about how vents are a criminal’s hallway, genuinely made me laugh out loud several times. And one section, where I had to chase the Engineer around a circular room as he and Guard argued, was a delightful hit of interactive physical comedy.

 

Among Us Story’s actual investigation is fairly straightforward; there were always signposts to the next clue, and most of the puzzle-solving didn’t require too many steps. It didn’t seem overly simple, but more that none of the mysteries felt like they’d leave me scratching my head for too long. Little moments also included the tactility of Among Us’ tasks, ranging from scooping beans into a coffee machine and making a cup of joe to, yes, card-swiping.

As someone who grew up on detective stories, ranging from Encyclopedia Brown to Columbo, I really like where Among Us Story: On Guard is heading. It’s the type of game I could easily recommend for parents to play with their younger kids, where they might enjoy the shared deductions and cartoonish antics of the little bean-shaped Crewmates. Doctor’s streaming side-hustle, Engineer’s antics, and Guard’s noir detective internal monologue all immediately made me think that On Guard would have anyone in the family laughing and invested in the single-player Among Us story.

It turns out, Among Us works quite well as a single-player story if you put it in the right hands, and Innersloth has found a capable crew for On Guard. My interest went from pure curiosity to genuine interest, as this might be a winner for longtime Among Us fans and families alike.

Ah, 2007. We, of course, primarily remember it as the International Heliophysical Year, but there were plenty of other things happening, too. We all walked out of our Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End screenings thinking, “Sure, that was fine,” and jammed out to the High School Musical 2 soundtrack on our drives home. And once we got home, we played some good video games.

Or at least, the people in charge of greenlighting video games seem to think so, because many of the games that were announced or detailed during Summer Game Fest are follow-ups or sequels to the fourth International Polar Year, or as it is known colloquially… 2007.

These are our favorites.

Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve is a sequel to Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation

Ace Combat 8: Wingsof Theve | Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation

This one is pretty straightforward. In 2007, there was an Ace Combat game. Then, 12 years later (and a few spin-offs in between), there was another numbered one, Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown. And now, seven years later, we’re getting Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is a sequel to Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 | Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

19 years after the release of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, we are getting a new fourth Call of Duty: Modern Warfare titled Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4. But this is not a remake of that 2007 game. No, this is a sequel to the reboot from 2019, which was simply called Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. I don’t know why you’re confused. The numerical ‘4’ is in a different spot in the title.

Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis is a new version of Tomb Raider Anniversary

Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis | Tomb Raider Anniversary

Tomb Raider was originally released in 1996, but in 2007, Crystal Dynamics released Tomb Raider Anniversary, which reimagined Lara’s original adventure and her search for Atlantis. Now, later this year, Crystal Dynamics is releasing Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis, which reimagines Lara’s original adventure and her search for Atlantis.

Halo: Campaign Evolved is a sequel to Halo 3

Halo: Campaign Evolved | Halo 3

This may be a little confusing, but stick with me. The second remake of Halo: Combat Evolved, now titled Campaign Evolved, is a follow-up to Halo 3, even though Halo 3 takes after Combat Evolved, of which Campaign Evolved is a remake. Also, the best place to play Campaign Evolved when it releases will be the PlayStation 5 Pro. Sorry, I don’t make the rules.

God of War Laufey is a sequel to Loki

God of War Laufey | Loki

In 2007, many of us were playing what is arguably the PlayStation 2’s swan song, God of War II. It was directed by Cory Barlog, who is now the man in charge of God of War and the driving force behind its 2018 reboot. And sure, God of War II is canon in the world of Laufey, but have you heard of Loki? The game, from developer Cyanide and publishers Focus Home Interactive and DreamCatcher Interactive, was released in 2007 and, I believe, stars Loki (I haven’t actually played the game) and apparently combines Aztec, Egyptian, Greek, and Norse mythology. Sound familiar?

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin is a sequel to TMNT

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin | TMNT

Remember TMNT? The 2007 animated film that was written and directed by Kevin Munroe and was kind of a sequel to the live-action films from the 90s? Chris Evans played Casey Jones? Sir Patrick Stewart was there? Anyway, Ubisoft made a video game adaption of that movie, and Game Informer gave it 6.25. Technically, especially considering The Last Ronin jumps into the future of the Ninja Turtles canon, this is a sequel to that 2007 game. Kind of.

Silent Hill: Townfall is a prequel to Silent Hill: Origins

Silent Hill: Townfall | Silent Hill: Origins

Silent Hill: Origins, the PSP game (the PS2 version released in 2008), takes place in 1999 and is a prequel to the original Silent Hill. Silent Hill: Townfall takes place in 1996, making it a prequel to that game. And if there are not direct, overt references to Origins in Townfall, we’re going to be livid.

Stuntman: Hollywood is a sequel to Stuntman: Ignition

Stuntman: Hollywood | Stuntman: Ignition

Remember Stuntman? The game about being… a stuntman? Well, the second game, Ignition, came out in 2007. And now, nearly two decades later, we’re getting another one. This one has the car from Back to the Future. If I had that car, I’d use it to go back in time to 2007 and tell everyone to get ready for Half-Life: Alyx and to give up on Half-Life 3. Your kids it are gonna to love it*.

_*Roblox

Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave is a sequel to Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn

Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave | Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn

Radiant Dawn dropped in 2007 during a time when Fire Emblem was not yet cool. It was still that one series that everyone knew from the characters in Super Smash Bros. Melee. The sword guys with the colorful hair, right? Now, however, Fire Emblem is cool! And this new one has four playable protagonists.

Spyro: A Realm Beyond is a sequel to The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night

Spyro: A Realm Beyond | The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night

The Eternal Night is part two of 2006’s The Legend of Spyro reboot trilogy, which featured Elijah Wood as Spyro and Gary Oldman as Ignitus well before it was cool to be an actor in a video game. They did this game after doing Lord of the Rings and Batman Begins. They were ahead of the curve. We’re doubtful A Realm Beyond will follow up on the events of the middle chapter of The Legend of Spyro trilogy, but Spyro is in both games. That we know for sure.

Crazy Taxi: World Tour is a sequel to Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars

Crazy Taxi: World Tour | Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars

Fare Wars was the last sort of proper new Crazy Taxi game (though there was an iOS game in 2014). It combined Crazy Taxi and Crazy Taxi 2 into one game exclusively for PSP. World Tour will finally answer the lingering narrative questions that were left hanging in Fare Wars, like, “Does that guy with the green hair have a passport? And is it up to date? And is a new Crazy Taxi only possible with the use of generative AI?” We will finally learn those answers.

Star Trek: Shadow Frontier is a sequel Star Trek: Conquest

Star Trek: Shadow Frontier | Star Trek: Conquest

Star Trek: Conquest will forever go down in history as the Star Trek video game that happened to release in 2007 when we looked up if any Star Trek video games happened to release in 2007. Somewhat relevant, however, is that the game does take place around the Star Trek: The Next Generation timeline, which is where Shadow Frontier protagonist, Ro Laren, was introduced. She doesn’t appear to be in Conquest, though. Did you know Star Trek: Conquest was published by Bethesda, the Skyrim guys? That’s kind of interesting, I guess.

Is Xenoblade Genesis a sequel to Genesis Rising: The Universal Crusade?

Xenoblade Genesis | Genesis Rising: The Universal Crusade

To be honest, I’m fairly certain it is not. Genesis is a new Xenoblade RPG. Genesis Rising: The Universal Crusade (which did release in 2007) is a real-time strategy game that takes place in space. But you know what exists in space? Planets. And you know where Xenoblade Genesis is probably going to take place? On a planet. Maybe. With the knowledge of the series’ history, even that is questionable.

What’s your favorite 2007 game that you’re looking forward to playing soon? Also, did you notice that At World’s End released in May and High School Musical 2 released in August so its soundtrack actually wouldn’t have been available to listen to on the way home from seeing Pirates of the Caribbean? Associate editor Charles Harte did when he edited this piece for me!

Platform:
PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC

Publisher:
Warner Bros. Interactive

Developer:
AdHoc Studio

Release:
2027

It’s been a long road to Bigby’s next adventure in The Wolf Among Us 2. In the 13 years since the first entry, Telltale has died and come back to life, and the specific branch of adventure games it gave rise to has seen many iterations come and go. So now, in 2026, The Wolf Among Us 2 has a somewhat-appropriate air of mystery surrounding it.

In a behind-closed-doors, hands-off play session I got to direct — by choosing which verbal responses Bigby would have in certain scenarios — I saw what shape The Wolf Among Us 2 is taking. It’s familiar, sure, and maybe wouldn’t surprise you. But a lot of work under the hood has me surprisingly optimistic about how this Telltale, made up of newcomers and former Telltale creatives alike, is re-approaching the 3D adventure space.

Telltale’s Zak Garriss and Jess Campbell walked me through a segment they said is later on in The Wolf Among Us 2’s first episode. Fabletown sheriff Bigby, or the Big Bad Wolf, is still acting as a hard-boiled detective for the Fables living in New York. As a liaison for the NYPD, he gets roped into a series of murders alongside the regular human (or “Mundie”) Faye. The situation appears to involve the supernatural, possibly even a Fable, and we dropped in as Bigby met up with Faye to look into a new lead.

This tip quickly turned into a trap, as the two are locked in a hotel room by a magical barrier. After Faye’s attempts to escape are met with a shocking blast back into the room, Bigby (or rather, the player) has the choice to tell her it’s magic or not.

Telltale’s branching dialogue options, neatly colloquialised as “X will remember this,” were a stylistic choice to signify decisions and consequences. The Wolf Among Us 2 doesn’t ditch that – I saw several choices that could potentially affect later conversations – though I didn’t get too much of a sense of exactly how. More novel to me were the potential diegetic changes, like how certain characters might receive information or offer hints.

 

Puzzles are delightfully obscured. Bigby and Faye can search for clues to the esoteric rhymes and bindings keeping them locked inside their newfound apartment prison. Little hints of potential leads and visual indicators lead to deductions, and it seems like there’s as much room to solve it yourself as there is to have Faye help you out, flavoring her and Bigby’s relationship the whole way.

The Wolf Among Us 2’s greatest evolution might be under the hood, though. Rather than using Telltale’s original engine, the new Telltale is using Unreal Engine 5. Garriss told me the team is using a custom renderer to create the visual look and feel of The Wolf Among Us inside Unreal Engine 5.

“We’re not trying to reinvent that,” Garriss says. “We want to honor that. We want to bring it, maybe, to a more vibrant life in certain ways.”

Another subtle but notable shift is the way in which Bigby moves around. In The Wolf Among Us 2, Bigby moves a bit freer; more like a third-person action-adventure title than a traditional adventure game. Bigby walks around the room in full motion with a camera that can go over his shoulder, which feels like a sharp contrast from the more point-and-click feel of locomotion in the first game. Again, it might seem like a slight modernization at most, but it’s an easy example of how the team is incorporating both new concepts and backgrounds from their work since The Wolf Among Us 1.

“Now that we’re in these spaces that are more free-roam exploration, there [are] concepts that they couldn’t fully play with, that now we can,” said Campbell.

This means an inventory system, optional assistance for puzzles, and other quality-of-life upgrades that should make The Wolf Among Us 2 feel a little more in conversation with modern games. And while Bigby’s new adventure is still broken up into discrete episodes, it will be a singular release.

Returning to my demo, this is where The Wolf Among Us 2 can still build a rollercoaster of tension, similar to a procedural television show. As Bigby and Faye slowly uncover the truths hidden inside the apartment they’ve been trapped in, and potentially even a lead on what particular Fables we’ll be dealing with (attentive fans have likely already made the connection from the recent trailer at Summer Game Fest), there’s a gradual build to the sudden unveiling of these truths. The Wolf Among Us 2 still retains all the drama and mystery you’d hope for in a noir-styled fairytale murder-mystery.

One point the team was a little cagey on was whether any choices or outcomes from the first Wolf Among Us would play into the events of The Wolf Among Us 2. The latter takes place six months after the former, and one might assume — or at least hope — that any major outcomes from the first could be reflected, in some way. Garriss notes the complexity of the situation, but does say that Telltale doesn’t want to avoid it.

“It’s about finding the elegant way to bring in those past experiences, in a way that will […] surprise and delight players,” Garriss says.

When I asked whether Telltale is planning any continuity between choices, having them carry over from 1 into 2, Garriss told me “maybe,” and that the team will announce more on that down the road.

It does seem like this iteration of Telltale is trying to narrowly thread the needle of expanding upon the beloved original while forging its own path, and in my brief glimpse, it’s succeeding. Even as a somewhat-involved observer, I was a little disappointed to see the demo come to a close; I was invested in Bigby’s new troubles, the murder-mystery at hand, and the evolving relationship and tensions between Fabletown’s sheriff and the detective out of her element, Faye.

If the result is a spruced-up, enhanced new murder-mystery for Fables fans, that’s already a promising outcome. But Telltale’s early showing didn’t just clear my internal bar; it quickly became one of the games at SGF I couldn’t get out of my brain. In an era where adventure games are flourishing once again, I’m hopeful for the modern Telltale’s take on one of its predecessor’s most well-regarded works.

Puzzle-driven games can walk a thin line: too easy, and surmounting the challenge doesn’t feel rewarding; too difficult, and players might just look up answers or walk away. The first Escape Academy navigated this balance well, but with the follow-up, Coin Crew Games has to balance that tightrope walk in a much larger world.

Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School returns to the titular school, where students’ courses in Arts, Sciences, and more are layered in intricate puzzles and, sometimes, deadly escape rooms.

Where Back 2 School expands the scope is in its open-campus approach: players can roam the grounds, with access to different rooms, challenges, and curriculum gated by puzzles and other required resources.

Whether you’re playing by yourself or in co-op with a friend (locally or online), you must solve puzzles, big and small, to check off quest markers and move forward with the story.

“I think a big thing that the open world has allowed us is more variety in the kinds of puzzles we can offer,” said puzzle designer Jacob Surovsky. “A big part of our development process is testing, and we playtest to make sure that what we’re asking the player to do is reasonable to do in the amount of time we’re asking you to do it.”

The open world, however, lets Coin Crew remove the frequent timer restrictions of the first Escape Academy. Puzzles can linger in the environment, and players can stare and scratch their noggins to their heart’s content, without fear of a ticking clock.

An easy example of how this shifts Escape Academy 2 away from its predecessor is the jumping puzzle I found. A professor tasked me with acquiring some goods from the storehouse – one that’s more of a store than a warehouse – and I needed to get some cash to buy the items. Escape Bucks can be found littered around the grounds, but the fastest path to some walking-around cash is through Extra Credit (side quests). And one side quest wants you to climb up tall buildings and tag them with paint.

 

The jumping puzzle was so-so for me. Jumping adds an interesting dynamic to Escape Academy 2, and I did like the variety, but as someone eager for puzzles, I didn’t find the platforming challenge appealing. Maybe if I were playing co-op with someone who doesn’t love tough head-scratchers but does love hopping between platforms, they could earn some cash for us to progress while I took the mentally taxing options.

“We want to give the players, with the Extra Credit especially, options in how they choose to engage with the puzzles, and which puzzles they choose to engage with,” Surovsky says. “The Extra Credit kind of gave us the biggest axis of freedom of design.”

This way, Coin Crew Games can segment off some of the more difficult puzzles for those seeking them. And they certainly do have some tough ones. After completing enough small tasks and earning my Escape Bucks, I tackled a longer puzzle that had me guiding a lab rat through a Rube Goldberg machine.

Cryptic clues, layered in color association and phonetic inferences, slowly unfurled a path to the end for my intrepid lab rat. Bouncing a basketball across trampolines, launching paper planes from a slingshot, and plunking down train tracks all helped get him there, though the end result was a long run on a rat wheel.

I really enjoyed the moments when Escape Academy 2 let the puzzles get dense and involved, encouraging me to grab a pad and pen to feverishly scribble notes and ideas. There’s still some polish and touch-up in store, I’d hope, as the scope of the expanded academy led to some minor graphical mishaps and other small nitpicks; nothing I haven’t seen in an early look at a game, so I’m not overly concerned about its final performance.

The first Escape Academy was a charming co-op escape-room romp, and the sequel looks like it’s trying to broaden its horizons in all directions without losing the core curriculum. So far, it’s working. Here’s hoping Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School aces the final.

This has been a big year for video game adaptations. With titles like The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Mortal Kombat II, and Iron Lung already out, fans have been treating to a wide spectrum of game adaptations. However, it isn’t slowing down, as we still have Resident Evil, The Angry Birds Movie 3, and Street Fighter to look forward to before the year closes. That last film, Street Fighter, is of particular interest to many, thanks in large part to its zany cast, but also due to the pitch-perfect trailers that showcase a fun balance of zaniness and excitement.

During my recent interview with Street Fighter 6 director Takayuki Nakayama and producer Shuhei Matsumoto, I asked about the team’s involvement with the rapidly approaching adaptation. “I’ve been super involved in the making of the Street Fighter movie,” Nakayama says. “I’ve been involved in the script-writing and worked closely with the director, Kitao [Sakurai]-san. I even had a chance to go to the production studio and monitor that as well. I’ve been there from the get-go.”

For Nakayama, nailing the tone was of the utmost importance. “The fighting aspects are going to be badass and serious in tone, but I also want to get the humorous vibe, and also try and get the tone of how things were when Street Fighter II was alive and active, since it takes place during that time. It’s not something I want people to overthink. It’s a fun movie. It’s a great popcorn movie. Just go there and enjoy the show!”

One of the main attractions of Street Fighter is its wide-ranging cast. Whether you’re talking about David Dastmalchian as M. Bison, 50 Cent as Balrog, Jason Momoa as Blanka, or Cody Rhodes as Guile, the all-star cast of huge personalities was shocking upon first reveal but, at the same time, oddly perfect in many ways. For Nakayama, it’s the three main characters who are his favorite castings.

“Ryu, Ken, and Chun… they are all great, especially Ryu: Andrew Koji,” Nakayama says. “He had a lot of respect for the series and the original game. He always had this, ‘What would Ryu do?’ mentality, and tried to get into his mind. Cody Rhodes, who plays Guile, was super adamant about playing this particular role. He really wanted to be Guile. Cody’s child was born during production of the movie and he obviously wanted to be with his family, but his wife told him, ‘This is your dream role. You’ve got to be there!’ As soon as the child was born, they FaceTimed and the entire staff came to say hi and congratulate him. It felt like a family to him.”

Street Fighter is set to arrive in theaters on October 16. You can see the latest trailer below.