Coliseum

The past seven days have been extremely exciting for all manner of gamers – regardless of where or how you play, there’s likely at least one announcement that occurred during the Summer Game Fest madness that got you amped. But, with so many showcases and so many reveals, it’s easy for smaller games to get lost in the shuffle alongside new God of War and Final Fantasy VII and Resident Evil and Fable announcements – doubly so for the indies highlighted in the week’s smaller showcases. Fortunately for you, Game Informer kept an eye on it all and today, we bring you a list of 10 of the best indies we saw during the 2026 Summer Game Fest week. 

There’s no significant order to these or strict rules – we here at Game Informer banded together to highlight 10 indie games you should keep an eye on. If there’s any indie game you’re stoked about that isn’t on this list, drop the name in the comments below – we’d love to see what you’re looking forward to!

Signet City

Citizen Sleeper and Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector are some of my all-time favorite games, so it’s a given that I’m going to play whatever developer Gareth Damian Martin, who develops games under the name Jump Over The Age, cooks up. It helps that their next project, Signet City, looks and sounds fantastic. Self-described as a “fungalpunk RPG,” Signal City takes place in the titular coastal city in sharp decline as a result of the biological computer (mushrooms) overtaking and outgrowing the silicon chip. Your job as a fungal parasite born into the city’s brackish waters is to inhabit the minds of remaining hosts and guide them into their “final season.” I’m presuming this means death, but that remains unclear for now. 

“From the stained wallpaper of the squats to the towering mountains that dot its skyline, grow through and into this strange city, changing it forever,” the game’s description reads. The game itself blends first-person exploration (Martin jokingly described it as Skyrim with mushrooms on social media) with tabletop-inspired narrative RPG design in a world inspired by post-punk 1980s Britain and “weird fiction.” The game’s black-and-white art style speaks to this, too, as does the use of brutalist architecture. 

It’s a big departure from the bright and hopeful Citizen Sleeper games but it sounds just as fascinating. Martin has earned my trust and I look forward to following these mushrooms wherever they take me when Signet City launches sometime in the future on PC. – Wesley LeBlanc

Burn-9

There are a lot of Metal Gear Solid-inspired games – even director Hideo Kojima borrows heavily from it in his post-MGS projects like Death Stranding and Physint. But usually, these games put you in control of the Snake parallel. Burn-9, however, has caught my interest by being a MGS-inspired game that doesn’t do that; instead, you play as the person in the chair, as it were. Described by developer 14 Hours Productions as a “Tactical Radio Action” game, another nod to MGS’s “Tactical Espionage Action” tag, in Burn-9, your job is to guide the last survivor of an elite black-ops team after a mission has gone terribly wrong. 

“When a top secret military research facility in the Antarctic goes dark, an elite strike force of cybernetically-enhanced black-ops super soldiers is dispatched to investigate and secure Burn-9 at all costs,” the game’s description reads. “Minutes into the mission, the helicopter is shot down. There is one survivor… and you’re her only lifeline.” As the team’s Operator, you will need to guide her to safety while navigating the tension and demands of the top brass and the harsh reality on the ground. What you share, what you hold back, and who you trust is up to you. 

Burn-9 is due out sometime this year on PC. – Wesley LeBlanc

Slayblade

It’s a Beyblade game, basically. Do I need to say more? Okay, probably, but if you’re like me, that’s enough. Revealed during SGF weekend madness as part of the Frosty Games Fest showcase, Slayblade comes from developer Henry’s House, the team behind 2022’s Kardboard Kings, and Oscar Brittain, and it sounds awesome. It’s a Y2K Beyblade-inspired roguelite with an emphasis on being “chill.” 

Its lo-fi city is inspired by PS1 aesthetics, and it features more than 60 blade parts to collect, unlock, and customize your Slayblades with, and if the music in the trailer is any indication, it’s going to be backed by an excellent score, too. Oh, and to get around the city, you skateboard – like c’mon, this is gonna rip (pun intended). 

There’s no word on when the game will launch, but you can play the Slayblade demo right now on Steam. – Wesley LeBlanc

Threads of Time

Threads of Time was not announced at this year’s post-SGF Day of the Devs live stream – it has been in development for some time – but the latest look dove into the style and story of the game deeper than we have to date. Turn-based games are experiencing a bit of a renaissance right now, so it’s not that Threads of Time is doing anything particularly new or unique. Rather, its selling point is that it is meant to recall those wonderful feelings we have been chasing of those experiences we had playing those 16- and 32-bit RPGs when we were young. And Threads of Time just happens to look like a really good one. The developers are specifically citing Chrono Trigger (an undeniable classic) and the HD-2D visuals just look fantastic. We can’t wait to get lost in its world when it comes out… eventually. Developer Riyo Games is also promising the involvement of noteworthy developers in the game’s creation, but says it will share more details in the future. – Kyle Hilliard

Mr. Records

Developer Glee-Cheese Studio is practiced at making rhythm games, having released Headbangers: Rhythm Royale and Musical Story, and Mr. Records looks to continue its musical track record. The game is full of original music as the developers are also the composers, and it’s got an enticing and unique premise, even though it is a style of game we’ve played before (which isn’t a complaint – I’ll take as many of these as game makers are willing to make). Mr. Records is an old man who owns a record shop and can walk through and experience the music he has for sale. This manifests as gameplay reminiscent of games like Bit.Trip Runner or HarmoKnight, where you 2D-platform through a level to the beat of the music. The visual style is also very charming and silly, and I want to see all the different types of levels and songs the game offers. It is, however, another one that does not yet have a release date. – Kyle Hilliard

Gemini X

Seemingly announced outside of Summer Game Fest or a Summer Game Fest-adjacent showcase, Gemini X has a very straightforward pitch: Mega Man X meets Metroidvania. It turns out that for me, those words are my Manchurian Candidate-style phrase to perk me up and make me mad that I can’t play the whole game right now. I love Mega Man X (not Mega Man, to be clear), and I love exploring and building out a map. Other attempts at combining Mega Man X mechanics with other genres, like 20XX or even Capcom’s own Mega Man ZX games, haven’t quite worked for me. And this could be the case here, but the footage looks promising. I also just appreciate how unabashedly Mega Man X-ish it all is stylistically, even making sure the bosses seem inspired by animals. We have no release date on this one, but I will be keeping a close eye on it. – Kyle Hilliard

Vivarium

Vivarium’s art is nothing short of breathtaking. Perfectly emulating the texture of 90s anime, it’s a game you could see screenshots of, admire, and leave without even realizing they were stills from a video game. The accompanying gameplay is appropriately cozy, with a timer synced to the real-world passage of time to help you play slowly, grow closer to your neighbors, garden, cook, craft, and apparently uncover a “hidden truth” about the town. I hope it’s fun, but even if it isn’t, I’ll still probably play just to walk around its gorgeous world. You can wishlist it on Steam, but it’s also coming to Xbox and the Epic Games Store. – Charles Harte

Bad Magpie

It has been almost seven years since the release of Untitled Goose Game, and with developer House House busy making Big Walk, fans of mischievous bird games will have to look elsewhere. Luckily, Bad Magpie is one of the most exciting games to follow in that legacy that we’ve seen so far. Instead of Goose Game’s checklist of pranks, Bad Magpie takes place in a non-linear open world. Your only task is to mess with your surroundings, find secrets, and look for shiny trinkets as you hunt for the meaning behind your mysterious visions. Bad Magpie also seems to have a more heartfelt story – the titular bird only has one wing and has to hop to move around, and a shot in the reveal trailer during the Xbox Games Showcase shows its fellow Magpies flying off and leaving it behind. I’m looking forward to playing the game myself (and hopefully not crying during the cutscenes) when it comes out sometime next year on Xbox and Steam (where you can wishlist it now). – Charles Harte

Into the Wind

I generally think people throw around comparisons to Studio Ghibli and Miyazaki a little too liberally, but Into the Wind is a game that’s actually deserving of the association. Its Italian-inspired city and dogfighting gameplay are straight out of Porco Rosso, but its package-delivery mechanics (also reminiscent of Death Stranding) are closer to Kiki’s Delivery Service. It also has a generally whimsical tone that I’m excited to experience for myself: your vehicle is neither motorcycle nor plane, but a sentient motorcycle-plane; townsfolk ask for packages, but also live swordfish; and hitting an obstacle causes you to ragdoll off your vehicle and onto the ground. It’s coming soon to early access, but for today, it’s coming to my Steam wishlist. – Charles Harte

2 Fights 2 Tight Spaces

Fights In Tight Spaces was a slick card battle with a unique premise, enough so that it got a spin-off called Knights in Tights Spaces. But the original game is now getting a true sequel in the form of 2 Fights 2 Tight Spaces. The new game features online cooperative multiplayer for 1-3 players, alongside an attractive new visual style. The first trailer for the game looks great, featuring some exciting melees that see lots of environmental hazard attacks. But today didn’t just bring news of the new game – it has also shadow dropped into early access, so you can give the game a try right now if you like. – Matt Miller

Summer Game Fest showcase week is almost over, save for a 50-minute Nintendo Direct tomorrow. We got a PlayStation State of Play, the usual Summer Game Fest showcase, and an Xbox Games Showcase, not to mention a dozen more smaller showcases. Between them all, Game Informer published more than 100 stories covering the announcements, reveals, updates, and more. 

Alongside brand-new games, we saw many remasters and remakes. We have a running list of upcoming remakes that we’re constantly updating, but we thought we’d pore back through the past week’s showcases to highlight all of the remasters and remakes that appeared. Whether that’s reveals, updates, release dates, or something else, they’re all here!

All The Remakes And Remasters We Saw During The 2026 Summer Game Fest Showcase Week

Below, we’ll list all of the remakes and remasters we saw throughout the past week, in order of appearance (as best we can). Let us know in the comments below which ones you’re most excited about or if we missed any you’re stoked to play!

Rayman Legends Retold

• Rayman Legends Retold Is A Remake Of Rayman’s Best Adventure, And We Played Two Hours Of It
• Release date: October 1 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC
• New songs from Grant Kirkhope
• New music levels and new dragon-riding levels 
• New 3D visual style
• A new villain and reworked storyline 

Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis

• Tomb Raider: Legacy Of Atlantis Gets February 2027 Release Date In New Trailer
• Technically delayed: From 2026 to February 12, 2027
• Our biggest look yet at this Unreal Engine 5 remake of Lara Croft’s first-ever adventure
• It’s being developed by Flying Wild Hog and Crystal Dynamics, which is also working on Tomb Raider: Catalyst
• Snippets of gameplay amongst mostly cinematic stuff, but it looks great
• Oh, and dinosaurs!

Dynasty Warriors 3: Complete Edition Remastered

• Release date: October 1, 2026
• 1 vs. 1000 action!
• This remaster packages together Dynasty Warriors 3 and Dynasty Warriors 3: Xtreme Legends 

Toy Story Retro Collection & Toy Story 3: Complete Edition

• Digital Eclipse Reveals Toy Story Retro Collection And Toy Story 3 Remaster
• Release date: October 15 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC
• It will feature Toy Story (1995), Toy Story 2: Buzz Lightyear to the Rescue! (1999), Toy Story 2 (1999), Buzz Lightyear of Star Command (2000), Toy Story Racer (2001), and A Bug’s Life (1998)
• Toy Story 3: Complete Edition is a separate release, but still launching on October 15
• Coming from Digital Eclipse, this collection will feature behind-the-scenes interviews and more documenting the history of these classic games

Resident Evil Veronica

• Resident Evil: Veronica Is A Code Veronica Remake And It Launches Next Year
• Release window: 2027
• The first ever trailer for Resident Evil Veronica reveals protagonist Claire Redfield in Paris, France, looking for her brother Chris
• Launching sometime next year, in 2027

The Wolf Among Us Remastered

• The Wolf Among Us 2 Gets 2027 Launch Window, And A Remaster Of The First Game Arrives This Holiday
• Release window: Holiday 2026
• Catch up on Bigby’s original adventure in The Wolf Among Us Remastered this Holiday season ahead of the sequel’s launch sometime next year

Final Fantasy VII Revelation

• The Third Final Fantasy VII Remake Subtitle Is Revelation And It’s Coming To All Platforms Simultaneously 
• Release window: Spring 2027 (can you believe that?!!!)
• Launching simultaneously on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC
• The game’s director says that Revelation’s theme is “resolve.”
• A new skydiving mechanic has been developed to let us leap from Cid’s airship and land on the ground below without any loading
• Characters will be able to wear new clothes and armor that will aid in their combat abilities 

Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee Remastered

• Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee Remastered Brings The Kaiju Brawler Back To Life This November
• Release date: November 3 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC
• Features include enhanced visuals, an improved unlock system, quality of life improvements, and more 
• Includes the addition of online multiplayer alongside the return of local couch multiplayer
• 12 monsters, including Godzilla, Ghidorah, Mechagodzilla, Rodan, and more to unlock

Barbie Rewind

• Barbie Rewind Is A Digital Eclipse Collection Of 16 Classic Games Baked Into A Dreamhouse Decorator
• Release date: November 12 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC
• Decorate your Barbie Dreamhouse with more than 250 pieces of furniture, decor, and accessories inspired by real Barbie playsets from across the decades
• Features 16 classic Barbie games, spanning 1991 to 2007, including the never-before-released Barbie: Vacation Adventure, Barbie Pet Rescue, and Barbie Horse Adventure: Blue Ribbon Race

Hitman Classic Trilogy Remastered

• Release year: 2027 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC
• Coming from Saber Interactive, these “faithfully remastered versions” of Hitman: Codename 47, Hitman 2: Silent Assassin, and Hitman: Contracts will feature enhanced visuals, an instant graphics toggle, Photo Mode, and more

Halo: Campaign Evolved

• Here’s The Release Date For Halo: Campaign Evolved (And Some Footage Of Its New Prequel Missions)
• Get Another Look At Halo: Campaign Evolved In New Cinematic Story Trailer
• Release date: July 28, 2026
• Launching on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC
• Gameplay footage of a prequel mission called Operation: METEORITE (a three-mission story arc set before Halo: Combat Evolved that follows Master Chief and Sergeant Johnson)
• Details for the base and premium editions of the game (with Master Chief skins, weapon skins, and more)

Persona 4 Revival

• Persona 4 Revival Gets February Release Date In First Gameplay Trailer
• Release date: February 27, 2026
• Launching on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC
• First official look at gameplay

Company of Heroes: Definitive Edition

• Release window: Fall 2026 on PC
• Three cinematic campaigns and four unique factions
• More than 50 multiplayer and skirmish maps
• Gameplay and UI improvements
• Enhanced environments, textures, and lighting
• 64-bit legacy mod support

Thief: The Dark Project Remastered

• Release window: Winter on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC
• Developed by remaster masters Nightdive Studios
• The original Thief, remastered with enhancements to graphics, textures, models, and animations
• Quality of life improvements

And those are all the remasters and remakes we spotted over the past week of showcases! 

Which remakes or remasters on the horizon are you most excited to play one day? Let us know in the comments below!

We got a dose of Master Chief during yesterday’s 2026 Summer Xbox Games Showcase, along with a July 28 release date for the upcoming Halo: Campaign Evolved. Now, developer Halo Studios has released another look, this time a cinematic story trailer that highlights the Spartan’s journey in the game (and even shows it running on a PlayStation 5). 

Running more than three minutes, this cinematic story trailer is chock-full of cutscenes from Halo: Campaign Evolved and gameplay moments from the classic missions of the shooter. “After crash landing on a mysterious ringworld known as Halo, the Master Chief is tasked with defending humanity against an overwhelming alien force: the Covenant,” the trailer description reads. “With the help of his AI companion Cortana, the Chief must uncover Halo’s dark secrets and fight to avert the annihilation of all life in the galaxy.” 

Check it out in the Halo: Campaign Evolved story trailer below: 

Halo: Campaign Evolved will not feature any PvP multiplayer elements, as the game’s name implies. It’s an Unreal Engine 5 remake of the original Halo: Combat Evolved, but it also includes three prequel missions starring Chief and Sergeant Johnson. 

Halo: Campaign Evolved launches on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on July 28. 

Are you going to play Halo: Campaign Evolved on PlayStation 5? Let us know in the comments below!

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

Publisher:
Focus Entertainment

Developer:
Asobo Studio

Release:
August 27, 2026

Rating:
Mature

Rats, exceptional emotional storytelling, tense stealth, and more rats: these are the elements that come to mind when I think of A Plague Tale. Watching the young protagonists Amicia and Hugo de Rune endure unimaginable hardships to combat a supernatural rat scourge in A Plague Tale: Innocence in 2019 and its 2022 sequel, A Plague Tale: Requiem, captivated me, and the series has become one of my favorites of the modern era. Although Requiem’s conclusion left some tantalizing narrative possibilities for the future, I doubt anyone expected a follow-up would take players to the past and center on that game’s standout companion, Sophia. 

The fierce smuggler became an invaluable ally to Amicia and Hugo and now stars in her own prequel adventure, Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy. Set in 1333, 15 years before Requiem’s events, on the Greek island of Crete, it stars a younger Sophia on a quest to a mythical island, trading sneaking and slingshots for sword duels and tomb raiding. The Greek myth of the Minotaur also plays an unexpected but intriguing role. Eager to get my hands on it, I traveled to Paris, France, to play the entirety of Resonance’s fourth chapter and walked away extremely impressed with how well the franchise’s first foray into the action genre is shaping up.

The Right Fit

After launching Requiem, series developer Asobo Studio wanted its next adventure to give fans a new experience while also expanding its universe. The team also needed a break from telling another overwhelmingly grim narrative. “When we finished Requiem, we’re like, okay, it was a pretty huge game, emotionally very exhausting because of the story,” creative director Eric Chort says. “It was really strong and really hard for us emotionally. So we’re like, okay, perhaps we make a break with Amicia in this hard story, but we still love Plague. So what can we do with that?”

Asobo batted ideas around before realizing it wanted to create an experience more steeped in action-adventure, à la Tomb Raider and Uncharted, as a fresh challenge. The question became how to link this new game while reinventing everything else. It found its answer in Sophia, Requiem’s popular companion, whose backstory was largely a mystery. As a smuggler and a sailor, she’s fierce, well-traveled, clever, and more than capable in a fight; these traits made her the perfect character to design new gameplay systems around while opening up storytelling possibilities. After all, Sophia didn’t gain these skills overnight. Sophia also told Amicia that she had no desire to kill again, a seemingly throwaway line that Chort says offered fertile narrative ground to sew; if she used to kill, just how good was she at taking lives, and why did she stop?

According to lead writer Carol-Ann Bañuls, the Sophia we meet in Resonance remains a cunning force but lacks the inner calm she has in Requiem. “So this is the kind of character you admire for her strength, but who really resonates in you when you start to see the cracks beneath the armor,” Bañuls tells me when I ask how this Sophia differs from her older self. “So this is the difference, because in Requiem, she’s already really in control of her emotions […] she knows already her heart. You can feel she went through some traumas, but you don’t know yet what it was because it’s 15 years before.”

Bañuls assures me this is still A Plague Tale despite Resonance’s swashbuckling tone. The weighty, emotional storytelling fans expect of the series will remain intact, and Sophia will likely be put through the wringer, mentally and physically. “We have to go dark at some point,” Bañuls teases.

A Sharper Edge

Chapter 4: To Hell it Runs opens with Sophia, joined by a comrade named Leni, already on the legendary Minotaur’s Island, the game’s primary and singular setting, and they find themselves at the precipice of an ancient temple. The pair exchange banter about surviving a devastating raid by Venetian forces on their plunderers’ gang, and as my demo progresses, it’s clear these two share a close relationship. Chort tells me Leni is one of several companions who will assist Sophia at various points in her journey. 

The staircase leading to the temple has long since collapsed, so I need to find another route. I’m prompted to open Sophia’s journal, which, like Nathan Drake before her, allows her to sketch important clues and other visual hints. A page displaying the temple door has a doodle of a tree with a cloth hanging from one of its branches. I search around and see this tree at the top of a small hill. A quick look reveals a small side path that takes me up to the tree, offering a basic example of how important the journal will be for proceeding when stuck.

As we shimmy over a cliff above the door, I hear the boom of nearby cannonfire.

”Dammit, they’re already here,” Sophia says.

“Already?” an incredulous Leni replies.

“They” refers to the Venetian soldiers who have seemingly followed the pair to this island and are just as eager to break into this temple to plunder its secrets. Sure enough, we reach a perch above the door and spot a group of soldiers slamming a battering ram into the colossal doors. To reach the other side without being seen, Sophia must use one of her primary tools, a grapple hook, to swing from the branch to, in theory, the temple above the soldiers. I say “in theory” because the branch snaps, causing her to slide down the sloping earth, jumping right into the fray of the surprised soldiers in a sequence that feels very Uncharted-coded. Surrounded, she has no choice but to fight her way out.

Sophia battles with a sword in one hand and a dagger in the other. Players can find other swords by exploring. Each sword offers a unique perk; the falchion deals bonus damage after a successful critical strike, while the kopis lets the last hit in a combo deal stun damage. You can unlock up to seven swords, and they can be missed, making them purely optional. Chort confirms Sophia will never use any other type of weapon, and that’s just fine, because the combat is fantastic as is. 

Sophia cuts down foes with three-hit melee attacks, and she can block, dodge, and, most importantly, parry incoming offense. Parrying feels great, and nailing three consecutively fills a stagger meter below the enemy’s health bar; once full, the target becomes open to attack. Pressing and holding the attack button unleashes a charged attack using Sophia’s dagger that can stun certain targets and trigger a violent execution if their health is low enough. Her grappling hook is a weapon, as well, used to bind and yank a target towards her. Sophia can also kick enemies to break their guard, but I much prefer to channel my inner Leonidas and kick them off ledges to send them plummeting to a hilarious demise. If you ask me how many times I killed a foe in this way, the answer is “yes.” 

Combat feels snappy, parries are deliciously weighty and impactful, but what I’m most impressed by are the dynamic interactions. Foes can be knocked into each other to create realistic collisions, which can also stagger them. I make heavy use of this to manage the often large mobs, kicking one foe into a group to send them stumbling over like bowling pins. Knocking foes into solid surfaces like walls has the same effect, and contextual executions mean Sophia has unique kill animations depending on how she and the enemy are positioned. Leni and other companions who join Sophia during her journey also lend a hand in battles. 

Combat’s quality is even more impressive given that Resonance is Asobo’s first action game. The previous Plague Tale games are stealth-forward experiences, so Chort says the team played many action games to figure out how to approach Resonance’s action, ranging from superhero fare like Marvel’s Spider-Man and the Batman: Arkham series, to more challenging titles like Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and Sifu. The team eventually found its blueprint in a modern PlayStation classic. 

“…we started to find our way with Ghost of Tsushima,” Chort says. “So, combat against a group of people, dodging, countering, the fact [that] it’s pretty realistic in terms of animation and violence, of what is a samurai. So we are like, ‘Okay, so for us, what is being a plunderer? So what is Sophia?’ So she’s agile, she’s tricky, she’s visceral, violent. So this is the basics. And then, as we had the basics with Sofia, then our reference with Ghost of Tsushima, we iterated a lot.” 

Tomb Raiding

Outside of combat, exploring the temple requires solving several cleverly designed environmental puzzles in a row. Chort tells me that the ratio of puzzle-solving to combat is evenly split in Resonance, and several of the riddles I tackle require using a mysterious orb Sophia carries. The true significance of this artifact is being kept under wraps, but when exposed to sunlight, it emits a glow revealing hidden markings in the environment. 

In one hallway, I hold up the orb to illuminate hidden ink marking the spiked pressure plates I can step on safely in a room filled with them. Another riddle requires using the orb to reveal a hidden maze on the floor; I carefully follow its paths to various exits to find the corresponding symbols at their ends, which are tied to an elaborate door lock in a way I won’t spoil. I unravel several ancient contraptions in a row, each leading Sophia and Leni deeper into the temple. When I’m not sure how to proceed, hitting up on the d-pad asks Sophia’s companion for hints, which start as vague and layer more instructions with each subsequent inquiry. 

Exploring can also uncover collectible (but non-functional) relics from the present and the past. You can also find Resonance Points, skill points used to unlock abilities from a tree. You earn Resonance points in greater quantities by fighting, though you find them in singular units lying around. Speaking of exploration, Chort confirms Resonance is not an open-world game, but instead a more directed experience similar in scope to the last two games. 

Later in the chapter, I open one particularly grand door and trigger a playable flashback set centuries prior. I’m in a past version of the same room, surrounded by dozens of ancient Minoan soldiers. However, I now control Theseus, the legendary Greek hero famous for slaying the Minotaur, in a fiery battle ritual in a room lined with torches. After chanting figures praise the Minotaur, a ritualistic fight breaks out amongst the soldiers. 

These mysterious visions Sophia experiences occur throughout the adventure, and they’re a primary reason for why she’s come to Minotaur Island in the first place. Neither Chort nor Bañuls wants to reveal much about the plot implications of these segments, but the latter does discuss the myth’s thematic significance to the overall narrative.  

“The Minotaur symbolizes violence, instinct, and loss of control,” Bañuls explains. “And with Sophia, it was the perfect character to do that, because she really struggled to be vulnerable with people in her life. So we really got deep in this. And I could maybe tell you a line we have in the game. It’s ‘Monsters hide, sometimes behind familiar faces.’ And I think it can [be a] résumé [for] the game.”

Armed with a sword as Theseus, I slaughter anyone in reach, kicking more foes into a big hole in the center, 300-style. I’m then prompted to unleash a Focus Attack, a big sweeping assault activated by simultaneously pressing two attack buttons after a meter fills (done by landing successful strikes). When this short sequence ends and I regain control of Sophia, she now has the ability to perform the Focus Attack in her time. 

One would assume Sophia will learn other combat abilities in this manner, but a “perhaps” is all I can get out of Chort when I ask if that’s the case. Asobo seems especially secretive about the Theseus segments, making me all the more fascinated to know how this iconic myth weaves into Sophia’s journey. 

All In The Name

One huge element of A Plague Tale appears notably absent from Resonance: rats. Bañuls is hesitant to say much when I ask if the dreaded Macula curse that plagued Amicia and Hugo has any presence in this prequel. She does clarify that the rats are more closely linked to the plague that befell France during the historical period in which the previous games take place and, thus, have no ties to the myth of the Minotaur. However, she does tease that the island hides other secrets that may be just as otherworldly. 

I conclude my interviews with the developers with one question: Why is the game called Resonance? Chort is, again, hesitant to divulge much but offers that “It’s a lot about the story and the background of Sophia and what you discover on the island; her past, what she has in mind, what sort of things that she’s feeling from her childhood, and that makes her come to this island. So I can’t say a lot about that, but yeah, definitely, it’s what’s happening on the island that has a real sense with the name Resonance.”

“What I like about the word resonance [is that] it has two significations,” Bañuls explains. “It’s the way the sound resonates in the place or in an object. And there is definitely something about a call for Sophia. The island is calling her in some way. And resonance also means how you go through things, how you feel things, how it resonates in you. So it was the perfect name to have all the [meanings] in it, and I think it makes sense now.”  

I’m eager to learn the meaning of the name and much more once Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy arrives later this year. With the Uncharted series on ice and Tomb Raider only now making its comeback after a lengthy hiatus, Sophia’s solo outing is one to keep an eye on for those who have missed this flavor of third-person action-adventure games. If the rest of the game maintains the high quality of this gameplay slice, Resonance may be the entry that finally earns this perhaps underappreciated franchise more widespread love.

Sabotage Studio is officially releasing its last update for Sea of Stars today. The news dropped in a video uploaded to the company’s YouTube channel, which details today’s update and outlines some plans for the future. 

Dubbed “Sunset Edition,” the update mainly adds a new animated intro cinematic to the game, both to clarify some later events in the game and to serve as a fitting capstone on the project’s development. Additionally,  the description of Sabotage’s recent video reads, “We also revisited the balancing for Normal and Hard modes. Splitting the attributes of the Tactician’s Mettle relic into two separate relics (Tactician’s Mettle and Ray of Sunset) enables a ‘Normal’ experience that demands more grit.”

Sea of Stars is also launching on GOG.com and Switch 2 today. The Switch 2 version will be a free upgrade for those that have the Switch 1 version and adds GameShare, allowing up to three players to play in local co-op. The video also announces plans to make a collector’s edition of Sea of Stars alongside iam8bit, with more details to come at a later date.

For now, Sabotage Studio is moving onto its next game, called Project Sparrow. It’s been in the works for over a year, but as it’s only recently entered full production, Sabotage CEO Thierry Boulanger made it clear that it’s not quite ready to share yet.

Sea of Stars: Sunset Edition is available today on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, iOS, Android, and PC via Steam (where it’s currently 50% off), the Epic Games Store, and GOG. For more on Sea of Stars, check out our review of the game, our impressions of its Throes of the Watchmaker DLC, our interview with Boulanger about the games impressive success, or our cover story, first released back in Game Informer issue 354.

Platform:
PlayStation 5, PC

Publisher:
Konami, Annapurna Interactive

Developer:
Screen Burn

Release:
September 24, 2026

Silent Hill: Downfall is, in several ways, following the blueprint for a successful renaissance that worked wonders for Resident Evil. It roared back with a well-received remake of a beloved second entry in 2024’s Silent Hill 2, saw a proper sequel that served as a reinvention of sorts with last year’s Silent Hill f, and now it’s making the jump to first-person in Silent Hill: Townfall. As a fan of developer Screen Burn’s (formerly known as No Code) last released game, the sci-fi horror adventure Observation, I’ve been itching to see how it would handle Konami’s most frightening franchise. After watching a hands-off gameplay demo at Summer Game Fest Play Days, the game looks to be a fusion of franchise staples with Screen Burn’s intriguing quirks.

Screen Burn is based in Glasgow, Scotland, so to imprint its unique cultural roots, Silent Hill: Townfall takes place on the Scottish island of St. Amelia. The bespectacled Simon Ordell returns to this island, beckoned by a mysterious woman appearing on his portable television device, begging him to find her. This handheld CRTV is Townfall’s reinvention of the classic Silent Hill radio and the game’s centerpiece mechanic. The screen occasionally displays video of this woman as her static-filled messages fuel Simon’s search. Screen Burn went as far as to record the CRTV’s videos using old cameras and equipment to create footage that matches the appropriate quality.

As Simon explores the abandoned city streets (with buildings rendered using photo scans of real Scottish towns), the sense of dread immediately sets in. There’s no music, and the ambient noises that occasionally break the oppressive silence can be startling. The CRTV acts as a compass of sorts; following the static signal eventually leads him to a house. Simon knocks, but no one answers. However, the door is ajar, so he cautiously creaks it open and enters the abode. 

A pile of letters lies at Simon’s feet, the top of which is addressed to Zoe Ellis. Simon calls out to Zoe, but again is met with silence. It’s here that Screen Burn tells us that Simon is not a chatty protagonist. He rarely speaks aloud when he’s alone, so his inner thoughts are presented as plain text on screen, such as “No one is here,” or “The girl in this photo looks happy” when examining a framed picture. As he inspects both floors of the impressively rendered home, Simon finds gauze used for healing and a flashlight missing batteries. Later, he enters the kitchen and finds an unexpected and disturbing item: an organ transplant container. A combination lock seals the box shut, so we’ll have to wait before we see what’s inside. Simon then finds a closet under the stairs, but it’s pitch-black inside. It’s time to look for batteries for the flashlight. 

Simon heads upstairs, and at the center of the room sits a side table with a framed portrait of himself. Why would there be a picture of him at this house? As he ponders that, he finds some batteries in one of the rooms, gets the flashlight working, and heads to the stairway closet. Now that he can see inside, he finds the problem: the fuse box needs an electricity card inserted into it. Perhaps it’s because I’m American, but I have no idea how this system works. The demoer explains that, back in the old days in Scotland, you needed to buy special cards from stores to insert into a fuse-box-like panel to turn on the power. Or at least, that’s the gist of it.  But this puzzle highlights Screen Burn’s desire to do away with the more outlandish, unrealistic puzzles of other Silent Hill games in favor of more grounded, believable riddles centered on old technology. 

Simon needs to visit a news store to find an electric card, which will bring him back onto the streets. He pulls out his in-game town map that marks points of interest and, when flipped over, has a legend on the back. He eventually finds the news store, but the front door is locked; he needs to find another way to enter. Unfortunately, it’s at this point that we meet our first enemy. A grotesque bipedal creature shambles in, its torso bound by straps like it’s wearing a straitjacket. Its head, so to speak, is impaled by a metallic rectangle, giving it’s skull an axe-like appearance. Simon is unarmed, so his safest option is to avoid being seen. 

You can peek behind corners, and Screen Burn touts how its take on this mechanic is more advanced, meaning you can peek at additional, more flexible angles while remaining concealed. We also get to see another feature of Simon’s seemingly supernatural CRTV: the ability to reveal enemies through walls. Instead of sticking your neck out to see where a monster lurks, holding up the radio reveals a digital silhouette of nearby threats to provide a heads-up on their position. Using this feature, Simon slips past the monster unseen and enters a back door to the store. He finds an electri-card and his first weapon, a wooden 2×4, and exits. It’s a good thing he found that weapon because he comes face to face with the broad-headed creature he’d previously avoided.

The first-person combat is weighty and deliberate, much like in most Silent Hill games, but in a new perspective. He takes some overhead swings at the monster, creating sickening impacts, but the creature is too fast and too powerful. After just a couple of headbutts, Simon goes down. He may be fragile, but he has a useful and intriguing trick up his sleeve in the ability to instantly revive. This is due to an IV that’s, for some reason, attached to his left arm, and the revive can only be done once per death, it seems. We don’t get to see how round two goes because it’s here that the demo ends.

I love first-person Resident Evil games because I find the more intimate perspective ratchets up the scares tenfold. The same feels true of Silent Hill: Townfall. The demo retained the oppressive atmosphere I’d expect from the series as well as some presentational and gameplay staples, and I’m intrigued to see Screen Burn layer its own take on puzzle-solving. I don’t know what to make of Simon or his plight yet, but it has my curiosity as well as my attention. I look forward to uncovering the answers when Silent Hill: Townfall launches on September 24. 

Publisher:
Sega

Developer:
Ryu Ga Gotoku Studios

The Virtua Fighter franchise has been one of innovation. After pioneering 3D polygonal fighting in 1993, each successive entry has added new folds to the formula en route to 2006’s critically acclaimed Virtua Fighter 5. However, following that, something happened: The series vanished. Sega has released revisions of Virtua Fighter 5 over the years, with the most recent one hitting just last year, but an all-new series has eluded fans. With the developers behind the Like a Dragon series and the also-upcoming Stranger Than Heaven, RGG Studio, at the helm, Virtua Fighter is finally coming back in 2027, and it may be its most innovative title since the advent of the series.

Amid a broader landscape, which sees Sega reviving many of its dormant classic franchises, with new entries in series like Shinobi, Golden Axe, and Crazy Taxi either recently released or on the horizon, Virtua Fighter also being revived makes sense. Still, according to RGG Studio, it was less about timing and more about the team figuring out an appropriate innovation to continue pushing the series forward.

“Just to talk about why there hasn’t been one in so long, it’s because every time we release a new number, there had to have been a really big, innovative part; it’s almost like our duty,” head of the Virtua Fighter IP Toshihiro Nakaya says. “The new title has to be something really awesome, innovative, and creative. That’s why it took so long to get where we are. And because in that amount of time, the video game landscape has changed dramatically, the new concept here is breaking the mold of what a fighting game is, and releasing an amazing package of a game.”

To achieve this innovation, RGG Studio established what it considers a new genre, the fighting adventure, with the aim to move beyond the scale of traditional fighting games and revitalize the franchise. In that way, Virtua Fighter Crossroads features a large-scale narrative that, according to RGG Studio, expands beyond what the fighting-game genre has seen to this point. Leveraging the studio’s storied history with narrative-driven action games, like the Like a Dragon games, combined with an all-new action movie-inspired combat system, Virtua Fighter Crossroads redefines the franchise.

Taking place in a fictional Southeast Asian city called Vilasapara, players find themselves in familiar setting for Like a Dragon developer: an area full of unsavory characters, run by gangs. Here in Vilasapara, firearms are banned, but that doesn’t mean violence isn’t absent. In fact, in this seedy society, most disputes are settled via fisticuffs, to the extent that the city attracts people who are down on their luck in search of money through underground fight tournaments. 

For narrative inspiration, RGG looked toward The Watchmen comic series, to find a narrative that is simultaneously both outlandish and believable. “[Previous] Virtua Fighters have a story, but it’s never been, in-game, really well documented,” creative director and producer Riichiro Yamada says. “But we still want to pay homage to that, but really modernize it, so that it makes sense in the current climate. The other really important point we really drove home is that it has to be believable, even though it’s sort of a different world, and some stuff might be a little off, like RGG does with their stories, it makes it very grounded.”

In keeping with that philosophy, the next in-universe tournament is not so underground, as President Bato introduces the Vila Fight Fest tournament in hopes of boosting the economy. Meanwhile, a mysterious man known as The Bakunawa Killer has been targeting martial artists in the city. This serves as the jumping off point and backdrop for a story that follows four protagonists through a living city full of a venerable buffet of content for players to explore. In addition to the battle content, players can visit restaurants, participate in side quests, play minigames, and even expand and develop relationships. 

In addition to that, the story is multi-branching, adapting to the choices and actions of the player. “It’s a big differentiator between other RGG titles,” Yamada says. “There hasn’t been a game like this, so that’s why we’re calling it a crossroad-style adventure.”

The combat itself is more technical than a standard RGG game, drawing inspiration from the fighting game genre as a whole. Action Adventure mode features multi-opponent fights that add new twists into the franchise, but one on one battles, similar to traditional Virtua Fighter mechanics, are also available to play. However, everything just has a completely new sheen of modernity, with new systems like Break and Rush, where you can target parts of your opponent’s body to “break” them, giving you the advantage. 

Meanwhile, Flow Guard is a new cinematic defense system to give players more control over how they guard against incoming attacks, and Stunner attacks open opponents to take additional damage. And thanks to RGG’s love of action movies, as evident by pretty much its entire catalog, the battles play out in much more cinematic fashion; in one final blow I witness, the camera zooms in on the recipient’s face as the punch connects and his tooth goes flying before he collapses in defeat.

However, RGG is hesitating to go more into the fighting mechanics, even telling us that it will ultimately be up to the players and community on whether or not the game is tournament-ready. “There’s a lot of fighting game players who are going to want to know more details, more nitty gritty, more mechanics, and we hear you,” Yamada says. “We just really want to show off that this is a new game, there’s action adventure, there’s a whole new concept. But of course, down the line, we will be explaining more and more for you guys later. It is sort of a new genre of fighting adventure. For me, the most important bit is just people can pick it up and they’ll love the game. They’ll play it, they’ll have a great time, and it’s a fusion of both genres. All that matters is people love the game.”

I’m disappointed I didn’t have the chance to play Virtua Fighter Crossroads, and I have additional questions about how this will all come together while still retaining the soul of a fighting game. However, it’s impossible to deny that Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio is taking massive swings in hopes of completely flipping not only the fabled Virtua Fighter franchise on its head, but also expanding what a fighting game can even be, just as it did in 1993.

Believe it or not, Persona 4 Revival was first revealed a year ago today, when a trailer dropped during the Xbox showcase and gave the first confirmation that the highly-rumored game was real. Yesterday, we got a new look at its gameplay, along with a release date reveal, during the Xbox Games Showcase, but there are still plenty of unanswered questions. Luckily, it sounds like developer Atlus wants to give us more of those details fairly soon, as it’s announced a Persona 4 Revival Broadcast will air next week. It will begin on June 18 at 4 p.m. PT / 7 p.m. ET, and you’ll be able to find it on the official Atlus YouTube channel, right here.

Persona 4 Revival is a remake of the beloved JRPG first released on the PlayStation 2 in 2008. Revival, much like 2023’s Persona 3 Reloaded, will update Persona 4’s visuals and mechanics to more closely align with the modern entries in the series, first established in Persona 5. While we expect a general facelift and quality of life improvements, it’s yet to be revealed just how different Revival will be from its source material. It also appears to include at least some content from Persona 4 Golden; fans have spotted footage of an interaction with a character named Marie that does not appear in the base game. 

We’ll learn more at this broadcast next week, on Thursday June 18. Persona 4 Revival is scheduled to be released on February 18, 2027 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. For more Persona, check out this week’s reveal of Persona 6. For more Summer Game Fest, check out Game Informer’s coverage hub.

Game Informer can exclusively reveal that The Blood of Dawnwalker, the vampire RPG launching this September that’s also our current cover story game, is getting the art book treatment later this year. More specifically, The Blood of Dawnwalker: The Art of the Game will be published on November 24, just a couple of months after the debut game from Rebel Wolves launches on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on September 3. 

Titan Books is publishing the art book, which is set to feature 192 pages of artwork, behind-the-scenes insight, and exclusive interviews exploring the creation of this new world. It’s being authored by Matthew Pellett, a veteran magazine editor and gaming consultant whose writing contributions include bylines at Edge, PC Gamer, Official Xbox Magazine, Nintendo Gamer, and more. It will be published as a hardcover book for $50. 

Here’s a look at the official cover for The Blood of Dawnwalker: The Art of the Game: 

For the uninitiated, The Blood of Dawnwalker sees Rebel Wolves draw on their veteran experience and history working on RPGs like The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077 to deliver a vampiric story set in 14th-century Europe. As the Black Death plague spreads across the wartorn lands, vampires seize on the opportunity to leave the shadows and claim what they feel denied of for centuries: freedom and power. Other mysterious creatures of the night follow suit, and protagonist Coen, himself turned into a Dawnwalker – human by day, vampire by night – must fight against the clock to save his family. Uniquely, Coen will fight with a sword in unique directional-based melee combat by day, but can tap into his vampiric abilities and deadly claws at night. 

You can read plenty more about that in Game Informer’s The Blood of Dawnwalker coverage hub, which includes all kinds of stories, such as: 

• Exclusive Details On How Romance And Infamy Are Handled
• Just how Choice-Driven Is Rebel Wolves’ Debut Game?
• How The Combat Hopes To Keep You Immersed In The Action
• A Choice-And-Consequence Playground Lives Up To The Witcher 3 Pedigree

“Go behind the scenes of Coen’s journey in this book, featuring exclusive interviews and artwork exploring the creation of this intricate and dark world of monsters, characters, and scenery,” a press release for The Blood of Dawnwalker: The Art of the Game reads. “Packed with hundreds of illustrations from concept art to final designs, this book is essential for anyone interested in video game art, especially medieval, fantasy, and supernatural settings.” 

The Blood of Dawnwalker: The Art of the Game will be published on November 24. The game itself launches on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on September 3. 

Are you picking up this art book? Let us know in the comments below!

Nintendo has announced it will host a Nintendo Direct presentation tomorrow, on Tuesday, June 9, at 7 a.m PT/10 a.m. ET. It was announced in the Nintendo Today app, and Nintendo says it will run for approximately 50 minutes, followed by a 95-minute Nintendo Treehouse presentation. 

It’s been a jam-packed week of reveals for publishers and developers alike across various showcases, like last week’s PlayStation State of Play, Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest showcase, and the Xbox Games Showcase. Fans have been clamoring for news from Nintendo about a suspected Direct, and it’s finally happening. As for what to expect, there’s still a lot we don’t know about 2026 and the Nintendo Switch 2, like the release dates for Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave, FromSoftware’s The Duskbloods, and more, not to mention the impending release of Splatoon Raiders. 

The Nintendo Direct will air on the company’s YouTube channel here. 

In the meantime, check out Game Informer’s reviews for the Switch 2’s biggest releases of the year so far, including Mario Tennis Fever, Pokémon Pokopia, and Yoshi and the Mysterious Book. 

What do you want to see at this Nintendo Direct? Let us know in the comments below!