Coliseum

Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag’s modern-day storyline is an odd one. Though it’s a story I ultimately like (I am admittedly a sucker for this element of this series), it’s hard to deny that it feels a bit strained because of the events of Assassin’s Creed III before it, which effectively wraps up the storyline the games began in the first Assassin’s Creed. As a result, it’s somewhat of a nothingburger of a subplot, but it does provide some “Here’s where they are now” looks at key characters like Shaun and Rebecca. 

Nonetheless, with Ubisoft remaking this pirate adventure in Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced, which launches on July 9, developer Ubisoft Singapore is changing how the modern-day story plays out, and it’s quite a drastic change. It eschews what’s there – no more first-person office simulator – and replaces it with rifts, last seen in 2025’s Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Instead of being taken out of the historical story told through Edward Kenway, in Black Flag Resynced, players will find rifts hidden throughout the Caribbean that then tell “What If?” scenarios about this Assassin’s life. 

“[The] modern-day direction has changed quite a bit,” creative director Paul Fu tells me. “Desmond’s story has also come to a conclusion some time ago [at the point in the series when Black Flag originally launched], so it felt natural for us to evolve with the Animus Hub. Edward’s story is now being told in modern-day rifts, which are now almost like secret bottles that you find in the Caribbean, so they no longer strongly telegraph and push the narrative anymore; you have to actively search for these secrets, and they provide ‘What if?’ scenarios. 

“So, ‘What if Edward chose greed over his wife?’ for example. We wanted it to be a little more narrative-driven than they were in Shadows. But at the same time, we know that there are people who love the previous modern-day story as well. Personally, I’m one of them. I actually really like the Abstergo stuff, but we didn’t include that because it felt like it didn’t fit. But we did rewrite parts of the story to allude to that [narrative]. There’s an entirely new scene that helps us cover Bartholomew Roberts’ [story more] with something I won’t spoil right now, but I think people who have played Black Flag know what the story was, so we created a new scene […] to pull the heartstrings of fans when they play the content.” 

In another interview, game director Richard Knight tells me that Ubisoft is viewing Black Flag Resynced as the next flagship Assassin’s Creed, even if it is a remake of an older entry. He says that was taken into account when discussing how to remake the modern-day story of Black Flag. 

 

“[The modern-day story in Black Flag Resynced] continues some of the things you saw in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. But we also knew that we wanted something that was not completely disconnected because some players like the modern-day too, but some players will feel like, ‘Oh, I’m doing something else, but I’m here for Edward.’ We’re here for Edward, too, so we’re building around that. So with our modern-day, we wanted something that can still be that experience but also tie it back to Edward, and that’s where the ‘What ifs’ are important. You’re still exploring it in that sort of modern-day format, but you’re getting these ‘What if?’ stories that make you think about the characters and the choices they made.” 

I’m excited for Black Flag Resynced, and you can read my hands-on impressions here, but as a fan of the modern-day storytelling in the franchise, I’m nervous about these changes. They sound interesting, but I also hope it doesn’t completely erase the narrative that exists in the modern-day sections of the original Black Flag. Fortunately, I don’t have to wait long to find out as Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced launches on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on July 9. 

In the meantime, check out the Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced PC specs and requirements, and then read about this real-life $500,000 treasure hunt Ubisoft has launched to celebrate this remake. After that, read Game Informer’s original Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag review. 

How do you feel about these changes to the modern-day story? Let us know in the comments below!

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

Publisher:
Ubisoft

Developer:
Ubisoft

Release:
July 9, 2026

Rating:
Mature

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced was perhaps one of the worst-kept secrets in the gaming industry prior to its official unveiling earlier this year. I already knew so much about the game by the time Ubisoft finally decided to make it real, and since then, the developer-publisher has continued to release gameplay videos, behind-the-scenes breakdowns, screenshots, and more. In other words, there was very little left to surprise me ahead of my hands-on preview with the team in May at Ubisoft’s event space in San Francisco. And after roughly three hours with the game, yeah, I was correct – nothing really surprised me, but that’s okay. Black Flag Resynced is a textbook definition of a remake: modernized controls and visuals, quality-of-life tweaks and updates, and some added content to entice returning players to the glow-up. Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, the original 2013 game, is my favorite in Ubisoft’s long-running stealth series, mostly because it’s the best pirate action game ever made. 

So, to get a remake that doesn’t attempt to change what made it great but enhances what’s already there? Well, that’s the best-case scenario, mate. 

Black Flag Resynced is gorgeous, as trailers and screenshots you’ve likely seen indicate. But it’s so impressive in motion. This Caribbean is gigantic, the second biggest explorable setting in Assassin’s Creed history (second only to Odyssey’s Ancient Greece), and it’s eye candy all around. Birds hang low in the distance as they glide over the masts of galleons and warships in the distance; turquoise waves crash against sun-kissed beaches, and explosions of green paint lush jungles while traces of hidden Mayan treasures and architecture ever so slightly peak out from the vegetation; blue-gray clouds bring raptures of rain that legitimately lowers visibility on the sea, but the golden sun behind them soon breaks through, and protagonist Edward Kenway, crewmate Stede Bonnet, and our crew begin singing one of the new shanties Ubisoft has added to this remake. Rose-tinted glasses often distort old memories, but Black Flag Resynced is what I’ve always seen in my head when I reminisce on this 2013 adventure – in that sense, this is a remake done right. 

Edward is still a hulking, formidable presence compared to his Assassin counterparts. However, modernized controls have finally given him a combat system that reflects that. Instead of waiting and countering a dozen enemies who, for some reason, choose to attack one by one instead of all at once, I take control of the scene with Edward’s new action-heavy attacks. I’m sure some players will bemoan the addition of a parry, but it’s a welcome one, though its explosive sound queue could be tuned down. Using Edward’s sword, pistols, leg sweeps, and kicks let me fight back with the rigor of a pirate rather than the bones of every other Assassin’s Creed protagonist of this time, and it’s perhaps my favorite update in the remake. This extends to the parkour, too, which borrows the latest advancements in Ubisoft’s tech to bring Edward’s aging 2013 moves in line with last year’s feudal Japanese Assassin’s Creed Shadows. 

 

The overall gameplay experience, with its reworked action, vibrant, updated visuals, and re-recorded voice lines, is a treat and an excellent proof of concept for Ubisoft’s first-ever remake. I’m cautiously optimistic about the complete package, as tweaks to the modern-day story and the new endgame missions that add to Edward’s already-complete narrative remain to be seen. Still, I’m already confident Black Flag Resynced will replace the original game’s icon on my desktop this July. 

Reviewed on:
PlayStation 5

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

Publisher:
Atari

Developer:
Fabraz

Release:
May 22, 2026

Rating:
Everyone

There is apparently a storied and infamous history to the Bubsy series, but I know little of it. And after enduring Bubsy 4D, a modern platforming take on the orange and obnoxious bobcat, I have no desire to learn of it. Bubsy 4D features a passable platformer style built upon comboing from one move to the next. I rarely felt the tight control I wanted over the mascot character, and it’s held back by repetitive and bland level design. That this platforming is placed within a nonsensical world with threadbare characters and villains, an unsightly visual style, and terrible writing doesn’t help. Six hours of Bubsy 4D felt like an eternity – if only I could travel through the fourth dimension to get my time back. 

The Woolies return in Bubsy 4D, capturing the sheepish BaaBots in an effort to gain more power. The BaaBots revolt, gain control, and steal Bubsy’s Golden Fleece, sending the titular character off on a collectathon adventure to find yarn, scrolls, and more. The leftover Woolies pose zero threat, and attacking them is a chore due to Bubsy 4D’s poor targeting; the BaaBots pose a slightly bigger threat, thanks to projectiles they fire, but still feel like a chore to defeat. There are only a couple of different BaaBots and Woolies, exacerbating the combat’s quickly earned staleness. Boss fights, which cap off the three five-stage worlds, present more of a challenge, but I was still playing Bubsy 4D, meaning the ceiling of fun remained claustrophobic. 

Combat, though, is an admittedly small slice of Bubsy’s adventure. The majority of Bubsy 4D tasks you with reaching the end of ludicrously designed levels – you’ll roll through pipes that string areas together, climb atop floating platforms and walls, and dodge desultory hazards in doing so. Finding the 150 yarn balls in each, which can be used to purchase a decent slew of costumes, and the hidden blueprint scroll, which is used to purchase upgrades and new abilities, are optional diversions. I took them on hoping to find fun, but these only compounded my frustrations. Some decent platformer bones exist here with a long-jump pounce, double jump, and a glide that can be used to create distance-gaining combos, but there’s no joy to be found in the staging of each level.

Random buildings, vehicles, and pedestrians hint that these planets might be home to civilization, but muddy visuals, a wonky camera, and bizarre obstacle progression make it hard to focus on any of the surrounding environment. Even the color palette of Bubsy 4D feels like an affront to my eyes. Moments of genuine fun tried hard to break through the paper-thin framework with which Bubsy must exist in here in Bubsy 4D, like in sequences where I climbed towers high into the sky, utilizing my entire platformer toolkit to ascend, but for most of the runtime, it felt like developer Fabraz’s efforts were working against me, not with me. 

There is voice acting, though it’s deployed poorly and randomly, and wasted on terrible writing void of humor, drama, tension, or anything worthwhile, really. These characters, which include Terry and Terri, Bubsy’s annoying nephew and niece, Virgil Reality, a scientist who feels as embarrassed about his association with Bubsy as I was, and Oblivia, whom Bubsy wants to impress but simply cannot, add zero to Bubsy 4D. Remove them, and nothing would change. 

 

I’ve heard little about Bubsy in my life, but what little I have heard hasn’t been great. In that sense, Bubsy 4D is a return to form; it’s bad, and perhaps fans will find fun in placing this game in Bubsy’s timeline of infamy. If Bubsy 4D is an attempt to bring new players to this 33-year-old franchise, though, its poor level design, characterization, and platforming will ensure it won’t.

Score:
4

About Game Informer’s review system

The annual summer PlayStation State of Play has been announced, and it will air ahead of Summer Game Fest on June 2. Marvel’s Wolverine is confirmed to make an appearance.

The State of Play will air beginning at 2:00 p.m. PT/5:00 p.m. ET on YouTube and Twitch. So far, Marvel’s Wolverine, developed by Insomniac Games, is the only confirmed title, and it will apparently kick off the broadcast, according to a PlayStation Blog post.

As for what other games could show up, known PlayStation projects include Naughty Dog’s Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophecy, Haven Studio’s long-gestating multiplayer heist shooter Fairgames, and Guerrilla Games’ co-op multiplayer Horizon game Horizon Hunters Gathering. We also know that Santa Monica is remaking the original God of War trilogy. 

We may also learn more from third-party console exclusives such as Kena: Scars of Kosmora, Phantom Blade Zero, 4:Loop, Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls, Big Walk, and Silent Hill: Townfall. You can check out our rundown from the last State of Play that aired in February for a better idea of which games could make another appearance during this broadcast. 

What do you hope to see at the State of Play next month? Let us know in the comments. To keep up with every video game showcase airing in the coming weeks, be sure to check out our 2026 Summer Showcase Schedule. 

Summer has arrived, ushering in the busiest and most exciting time of the year for the video game industry and its fans. Summer Game Fest, along with a bevy of video game showcases representing multiple genres and demographics, will reveal new titles, provide updates on known projects, and perhaps even a few surprises. If you’re looking for a show that caters to your specific gaming tastes or prefer to absorb every bit of news across multiple presentations, we have you covered. 

To keep up with every broadcast airing during the season, here is a list of showcases taking place this summer. You can use the tabs on the left to quickly jump to a specific day’s events. We’ll regularly update this list as new livestreams are announced. 

 May 21

May 21

Six One Indie Showcase

Start Time: 9 a.m. PT/12 p.m. ET
How to Watch: YouTube

What It Is: If you ask how many indie games the Six One Indie Showcase will have, the answer is “yes.” 61 games will be featured in just over 90 minutes, which should satisfy even the most passionate indie game enthusiasts. 

 May 27

May 27

AG French Direct

Start Time:  9 a.m. PT/12 p.m. ET
How to Watch: YouTube, Twitch

What It Is: Over 40 French-developed and French-speaking games will be spotlighted, including world premiere trailers and exclusive gameplay footage. Expect to see titles from publishers such as Dear Villagers, Nacon, The Game Bakers, and Devolver Digital, among others.  Games set to appear include Heave Ho 2, Fading Echo, Nocturnal 2, and Silent Planet – Elegy of a Dying World. 

 May 28

May 28

Thinky Direct

Start Time: 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET
How to Watch: YouTube, Twitch

What It Is: Puzzle game fans can enjoy this 2nd-annual broadcast that focuses squarely on “cerebral and problem-solving games,”, as described by the event’s organizers. Expect to see a batch of over 40 puzzle games, including world premieres, launch dates, and updates for known titles. 

Indie Quest 

Start Time: 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET
How to Watch: YouTube

What It Is: If you love indie JRPGs, this is the showcase for you. This year, expect to see over 30 trailers with guest appearances from popular creators sprinkled about. 

 June 1

June 1

Midsummer Nights Scream

Start Time: 11 a.m. PT/2 p.m. ET
How to Watch: YouTube

What It Is: The Horror Game Awards will present its summer showcase for new and exciting horror titles on the horizon. The over 2-hour presentation promises a staggering 100+ games, half of which will have world premiere trailers. 

 June 4

June 4

Latin American Games Showcase

Start Time: 2 p.m. PT/5 p.m. ET
How to Watch: YouTube, Twitch

What It Is: This year’s showcase features 15 titles – including 9 world premieres – with confirmed looks at games such as Shade Protocol, Kernel Hearts, Colorbound, Sigils of Nightfall, The War in Chiapas, and Tenebris Somnia.

Women-Led Games Showcase 

Start Time: 4 p.m. PT/7 p.m. ET
How to Watch: YouTube, Twitch

What It Is: The annual celebration of majority-women studios and creators will boast five world premieres and announcements for games like Soulframe, We Were Here Tomorrow, and Come to My Party. 

 June 5

June 5

Summer Game Fest

Start Time: 2 p.m. PT/5 p.m. ET
How to Watch: YouTube, Twitch

What It Is: The flagship showcase of the summer returns, hosted by Geoff Keighley and GameSpot‘s Lucy James. If it’s anything like previous years (it will be), expect two hours of world premieres, surprise announcements, and long-awaited updates. 

Day of the Devs

Start Time: 4 p.m. PT/7 p.m. ET
How to Watch: YouTube, Twitch

What It Is: If Summer Game Fest is the flagship stage for AAA titles, Day of the Devs is the indie game equivalent. Viewers will get to see some of the biggest and most exciting indie projects, both anticipated and newly revealed. 

June 6

June 6

Southeast Asian Games Showcase 

Start Time: 8 a.m. PT/11 a.m. ET
How to Watch: YouTube, Twitch

What It Is: The Southeast Asian game development scene gathers to share exclusive reveals, trailers, and updates. 

Wholesome Games Direct

Start Time: 9 a.m. PT/12 p.m. ET
How to Watch: YouTube, Twitch

What It Is: The show for cozy game lovers returns to share over 50 games as well as updates for Wholesome Games Presents titles Is This Seat Taken?, Usagi Shima, and Miki Delivery. 

Story-Rich Showcase

Start Time: 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET
How to Watch: YouTube, Twitch

What It Is: Fellow Traveler is best known for publishing games like 1000xResist and Citizen Sleeper, but it’s hosting its first digital showcase specifically to highlight narrative-focused titles. The 1-hour presentation will feature new game reveals and release date announcements for 26 games, including those from developers SFB Games (Tangle Tower, Crow Country), Happy Broccoli Games (Duck Detective), and Rusty Lake (Servant of the Lake). 

Future Games Show Summer Showcase

Start Time: 12 p.m. PT/3 p.m. ET
How to Watch: YouTube, Twitch

What It Is: Hosted by voice actors Alix Wilton Regan and Troy Baker, this double feature will be front-loaded by the Future Games Show, which will feature world premieres, exclusive trailers, and more. Immediately following the broadcast is an extended gameplay reveal for the upcoming sci-fi RPG Exodus. 

June 7

June 7

Xbox Games Showcase + Gears of War: E-Day Direct

Start Time: 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET
How to Watch: YouTube, Twitch, Facebook

What It Is: Xbox’s big annual broadcast will, as it always does, prop up titles from its first-party studios and third-party partners. The only game we know for sure will appear is Gears of War: E-Day, which is getting its own deep-dive presentation after the Xbox show ends that will feature new gameplay and project insights. 

PC Gaming Show

Start Time: 12 p.m. PT/3 p.m. ET
How to Watch: YouTube, Twitch

What It Is: PC Gamer‘s annual showcase will feature numerous trailers for games targeting PC, if not exclusive to it. 

 June 8

June 8

Frosty Games Fest

Start Time: 3 p.m. PT/6 p.m. ET
How to Watch: YouTube, Twitch

What It Is: For the second year, the Frosty Games Fest provides a stage to show off over 50 games created in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. 

 June 9

June 9

Access-Ability Summer Showcase

Start Time: 8 a.m. PT/11 a.m. ET
How to Watch: YouTube, Twitch

What It is: Host Laura Kate Dale’s annual broadcast shines a much-needed light on accessibility features and design choices in upcoming games.

 June 12

June 12

The UploadVR Showcase

Start Time: 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET
How to Watch: YouTube

What It Is: Those who enjoy gaming in virtual reality can tune in for updates on and exclusive looks at upcoming VR titles. 

 TBA

TBA

The MIX Summer Game Online Showcase

Start Time: TBA
How to Watch: YouTube, Twitch

What It Is: The MIX Showcase always excels at raising awareness for small developers and titles, and we expect the 2026 edition to be no different. Expect plenty of new game announcements, trailers, gameplay, and more. 

The wait is over: this week, Lego Batman finally returns in Legacy of the Dark Knight, and according to our review (which I wrote!), it’s a worthy addition to the Caped Crusader’s gaming history. If you’re jumping in blind, however, you might miss some simple mechanics that let you get ahead in the game, so we’ve compiled this list of tips to help you put your best Lego foot forward.

The Difficulty

When starting the game, players will have the option between three different difficulty levels: Classic, Caped Crusader, and Dark Knight. If you have experience with action games, we recommend starting with Dark Knight. In our experience, even this level of challenge is easier than every Batman: Arkham game’s standard difficulty, and it arguably gets easier as you unlock skills and upgrades to boost health and damage.

That said, you can change the difficulty at any time, and there’s no achievement for completing the game on the higher difficulty levels, so feel free to adjust as you see fit. The accessibility tab in the menu also has tools to cater your experience even more precisely, with options to decrease game speed, retain studs when you die, autocomplete QTEs, and more.

Waynetech Chips

Waynetech chips are Legacy of the Dark Knight’s upgrade currency used to improve gadgets. You spend them at Gadget Work Benches that become unlocked during the Spelunking mission, which follows the Iceberg Lounge sequence in Chapter One.

While you’ll get Waynetech Chips from caches in each level and around Gotham City, the game makes it less obvious that you also get them as rewards for some other side content. For example, finding lost zoo animals, unlocking fast travel points, completing quests for The Case of Waylon Jones, and many other activities can each reward two Waynetech Chips each, though sometimes you’d unlock cosmetics instead.

Click the image to enlarge. You can also find Waynetech Chips in the Batcave.

Gadget Work Benches

You can only upgrade your gadgets at Gadget Work Benches, which are available between missions in the open world. Some are marked on the map, and there are some in the Batcave, but if you don’t want to travel quite that far, there are also workbenches available in all of Bat-Mite’s stores. Since every store has an identical layout, you just need to enter and turn to the left – it leans against the same wall as the door.

Replaying Missions

If you don’t find all the collectibles on your first go, don’t worry; you can replay missions from the batcomputer at any time. Checkpoints conveniently break them up, too, so you likely won’t have to replay the entire level just to get one last Waynetech Cache.

Moving Quickly In The Open World

While it’s fun to use the Batmobile and other land vehicles in the open world, a lack of a minimap or GPS function makes them a little difficult to rely on, especially since many quests and collectibles are on top of buildings. The city’s road structure also means it’s typically faster to travel as the crow (or bat) flies by grappling into the air and gliding between rooftops.

The two biggest tips here are grapple launching and fast gliding. You can grapple launch by holding the jump button (that’s X on PlayStation or A on Xbox) as the grappling hook pulls you towards a ledge. You’ll know it’s worked if you hear an extra whirring sound as you move through the air, and if you pull it off, your character will launch straight into the sky past the ledge, preserving your momentum.

Once you’re in the air, you can click the sprint button to glide even faster. The game’s gliding is very generous, and gravity affects you relatively slowly, so you can even speed-glide between Gotham’s huge islands without worrying about hitting the water.

Of course, keep in mind that this only applies once you unlock both gliding and the grappling hook. You’ll have both at the end of the Waynetech R&D mission near the end of Chapter One.

Skill Bricks

Golden skill bricks are unlocked at the end of each main level and allow you to unlock skills from the skill menu. While gadget upgrades are character-specific, the main skill unlocks apply to everyone, so it’s a good idea to spend the bricks as soon as you get them. It’s worth noting that this is not organized as a skill tree, so you’re free to skip upgrades you’re not interested in and save your bricks for the best ones.

Crucially, some open-world events also reward you with skill bricks, typically when you complete a certain task. There are plenty of skill bricks only unlocked this way, so try to prioritize open-world activities if you’re nearing the end of Chapter Five and want to unlock more skills before completing the game.

Locked Open World Activities

Plenty of open-world activities will spawn in before you’re able to complete them, typically because you haven’t unlocked certain characters yet. The easiest way to tell is by checking the map. If there’s a padlock next to the icon, it’s unavailable to you at that moment. You’ll also be able to tell if you click the right stick to use the Detect ability and notice a question mark over an element in the environment. Typically, this image is the portrait of the character needed to solve that puzzle, so if it’s a question mark, you haven’t unlocked them yet. 

Click the image to enlarge. The circled icons can’t be completed until I unlock more characters.

Activity Towers

Once you unlock Batgirl in Chapter Four, you can use her hacking batarangs to hack into red and white radio towers across the map. There’s one in each district (so potentially multiple on one island, depending on the island), and after activating it, you’ll reveal every map icon for that district. If you want to find individual encounters yourself, you don’t have to activate them, but it makes a completionist playthrough much easier.

Quickfiring Gadgets

Every gadget can be quickly activated in combat by tapping the right trigger. While it seems like an obvious move with something like a Batarang or Catwoman’s whip, even Batgirl’s drone or Robin’s cable launcher are great combat tools to fire off on a whim. It’s typically an easy way to deal with crowds of enemies if you’re being overwhelmed, especially if one or more of them have weapons. Additionally, your gadgets will usually interrupt an enemy winding up for a big attack, so a quick gadget can stun foes with guns or swords before making big attacks.

The Best Skills To Get

You’ll unlock different skills in the skill menu, though many will be locked until you reach certain points in the story. Here are the ones you should prioritize:

Hyper Combo – Increase the maximum stud combo multiplier

This is available multiple times in the Exploration side of the upgrade window, and it’s wise to unlock as early as possible if you’re interested in cosmetics. Studs are used to unlock new suits and vehicles for every character, and the earlier your multiplier is increased, the more studs you’ll amass as the game goes on.

At this point in the game, I have the top three tiers unlocked, but the bottom abilities (which includes some of the skills listed below) won’t be available until later.

Full Power – Collect Hearts while at full health to deal extra damage for a few seconds

This skill is one of the last available, but it allows you to deal more damage and generate more focus when you pick up hearts. This is especially useful because using a focus takedown is guaranteed to drop a heart, so you can create a powerful loop by using takedowns to generate hearts, then using those hearts to build focus to quickly perform another takedown.

Extra Focus – Add an extra bar of focus

This option is available several times, and it’s always worth it. If your focus bar is full, any damage you do won’t gain any more focus, so it’s nice to be able to store up more while waiting for the right opportunity to do a takedown.

Combat Focus – Increased rate of Focus generated by basic attacks.

This upgrade is in the second tier of combat upgrades. Focus powers most of your strongest moves, so it’s always good to generate as much of it as possible.

Nintendo has revealed Pictonico, a new mobile game launching next week. The party game takes existing photos from your phone or tablet and turns them into WarioWare-esque minigames. 

The reveal trailer shows examples such as turning a portrait into a corn-eating minigame where you move the subject’s mouth to chomp on food, or pulling down crabs pinching someone’s face. “Rediscover old photos of loved ones and see them in a whole new light as they navigate everything from zombie attacks, quirky costume changes, carnival challenges and more,” reads Nintendo’s press release. Pictonico also offers a Score Attack mode, a board-game-style stage-clearing challenge, and even a fortune-telling feature. 

The game features 80 minigames and is “free-to-start”, Nintendo’s terminology for free-to-play. This means you can download and play Pictonico for free, but a disclaimer notes that “Purchase of a game volume is required for gameplay, but you can play a demo of some minigames for free.” According to the game’s FAQ,  the “free” version is actually a demo with access to only three games. Players must purchase “game volumes”, basically packs that include an unknown number of minigames, to gain full access to content. Nintendo has yet to confirm how much a game volume will cost or how many will be for sale. 

Pictonico launches on May 28 for iOS and Android, and players can pre-register starting today. 

Reviewed on:
Switch 2

Platform:

Publisher:
Nintendo

Developer:
Nintendo

Release:
May 21, 2026

Rating:
Everyone

I adore the 1995 Super Nintendo game, Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island, but I am mature enough to admit that each new Yoshi game is worth examining on its own terms. Yoshi and the Mysterious Book has no obligation to be a new retread of that 30-year-old game and it isn’t. I admire the willingness to try something different. This adventure plays more like a unique puzzle game with Yoshi aesthetics, and the result is a largely rewarding experience that rarely challenged me, but didn’t have a problem delivering the charm.

You’re still eating creatures and throwing eggs as we have been for three decades, but The Mysterious Book doesn’t fight against you. Yoshi really can’t take damage, and the closest thing to a traditional video game death is falling down an endless pit that immediately transports you back to safety. I would almost be comfortable calling it a cozy game, an admittedly fuzzy genre qualifier, but it does mechanically play like a smooth, classic Nintendo 2D platformer.

4K resolution looks good on Yoshi, and exploring the pages of Mr. E with Yoshi’s stilted movement gives it a stop-motion style that is inviting to look at. The designs of all the creatures, both familiar to the world of Yoshi and completely new, look great, but it’s their various animations that stand out. You don’t spend much time in the “real world” where Yoshi is just a boring old shiny dinosaur who uses every single animation frame, and I was always eager to be back in the pages to embrace the paper visuals.

The reward for progress isn’t overcoming jumping and combat challenges, but rather figuring out and acknowledging every little potential interaction possible in each level. That process can be joyful when you accidentally activate unexpected interplay, like getting mud all over a flower character riding your back and washing them off by running through some water. When the game points that out, marks it down in the book, and says, “Isn’t that neat?” I am inclined to agree.

 

It is less fun, however, when the key to completing a level or puzzle is something vague like, “You should probably look for a cave somewhere,” or the solution is arbitrary, like eating all the butterflies. Thankfully, few puzzles create impassable barriers, and you can purchase hints too, but it also means there isn’t much incentive to find everything and chase forward progress beyond seeing what’s new.

As is the case with many recent comparably structured Nintendo games, you will see credits and experience the paper-thin narrative conclusion at what is ostensibly the halfway point of the game. I like this setup, and without spoiling specifics, the tools, nostalgic references, and levels after the credits are a highlight. They don’t address my inconsistent feeling of reward for solving puzzles, but I appreciate how the game opens up at that point.

Yoshi and the Mysterious Book is, by design, an inviting game with little challenge – a pleasant vacation where all the animals want to be friends and the soundtrack sounds like colorful bubbles bursting in front of a double rainbow. I admit I pined for the stress I associate with Yoshi taking care of a helpless baby, but this low-stakes adventure (potentially Yoshi’s lowest) does take care in making you feel acknowledged and generally rewarded in its attempt at a new style of puzzle-platformer.

Score:
7.75

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Update, May 18:

Back in March, Bloomberg reported that then-upcoming PlayStation 5 games like Saros and Ghost of Yōtei would not be released on PC while Sony charted a return to console exclusivity. Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier, who wrote the aforementioned report, has now revealed on Bluesky that PlayStation CEO Hermen Hulst told staff in a company town hall meeting this morning that all future PlayStation single-player games will, in fact, be exclusive. 

Schreier writes on Bluesky, “SCOOP: PlayStation Studio business CEO Hermen Hulst told staff in a town hall Monday morning that the company’s narrative single-player games will now be PlayStation exclusive, confirming Bloomberg’s reporting from earlier this year.” 

That “single-player” callout is a big distinction, as PlayStation recently launched Marathon, Bungie’s excellent first-person extraction shooter, on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, and upcoming PlayStation console-exclusives like Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls (releasing in August), which is a multiplayer title, are planned for PC too. But Uncharted and The Last of Us maker Naughty Dog’s upcoming single-player sci-fi game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, will be a PS5 exclusive (if we’re following the logic of Hulst’s town hall announcement). 

The original story continues below…

Original Story, March 4:

After releasing first-party games like Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, God of War Ragnarök, and The Last of Us Part II on PC over the past six years, PlayStation is returning to console exclusivity going forward. That’s according to a new report from Bloomberg, which also says single-player games like last year’s Ghost of Yōtei and the upcoming bullet-hell shooter Saros will not be released on PC.

This is part of a wider shift in release strategy, which will see PlayStation still launch multiplayer games like this week’s Marathon and Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls (releasing in August) on other platforms like PC and even Xbox, while single-player releases are expected to remain exclusive to PlayStation 5. 

Bloomberg cites sources familiar with PlayStation’s plans for this strategy, adding that reasons for the shift include PlayStation games not selling as well on PC, concerns that PC releases could hurt the console brand (and sales), and a lack of consistency in release quality and schedules. The report says PlayStation is now returning to console exclusives, which is a notable shift away from its biggest rival, Xbox, which now releases most of its titles on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC. This year’s Forza Horizon 6 and Fable are launching on PS5, for example. 

According to Bloomberg, there were plans to bring Ghost of Yōtei to PC, but those plans were scrapped in recent weeks alongside other planned PlayStation PC releases. That said, previously announced games like the aforementioned Marathon and Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls are safe and still coming to PC, as are others like Death Stranding 2: On The Beach and Kena: Scars of Kosmora. 

The report ends with notice that some executives at PlayStation may not be happy that games like God of War Ragnarök, a beloved sequel in a series that has only ever appeared on PlayStation consoles and handhelds (okay, and on mobile phones that one time), will likely be playable on an Xbox in the future, if the anticipated next-gen console from Xbox is capable of playing PC games as rumored. 

Though players have seen PlayStation games come to PC over the past six years, it seems those days are over, prompting a returning question: Do you buy a PlayStation 5 to play the company’s next big release, or do you skip it altogether? It seems PlayStation is betting on players to do the former. 

[Source: Bloomberg]

Do you think this is the right decision for PlayStation? Let us know in the comments below!

Roughly a month and a half after Sony announced price increases for the PlayStation 5, the company will raise the prices of PlayStation Plus Essential (the cheapest tier). Both 1-month and 3-month subscriptions will increase starting May 20 due to “ongoing market conditions,” according to the announcement. 

Starting May 20, the price of a 1-month subscription will increase to $10.99, up from $9.99, while the 3-month subscription will increase to $27.99, up from $24.99; basically, the 1-month subscription will increase by $1, and the 3-month subscription will increase by $3. 

Sony notes that this price change will not apply to current subscribers (except those in Turkey and India) unless your existing subscription changes or lapses. As for the ongoing market conditions, Sony keeps it vague, but it’s likely alluding to rising memory costs due to AI buy-up, existing economic and market struggles, and tariffs implemented by the U.S. President. 

This PlayStation Plus Essential price jump comes after Sony raised the price of a base PS5 to $649.99 (up from $549.99), the PS5 Digital Edition to $599.99 (up from $499.99), and the PS5 Pro to $899.99 (up from $749.99) back in March. It also raised the price of the cloud- and remote-streaming PlayStation Portal device to $249.99 (up from $199.99).  This is also the first PS Plus price adjustment since Sony raised the price of its 12-month subscriptions back in August 2023. 

Speaking of PlayStation Plus, Sony revealed last week that Star Wars Outlaws, Red Dead Redemption, and Time Crisis headline this month’s Plus offerings. 

How do you feel about this price jump? Let us know in the comments below!