Spooky games are best played in one of two ways: Either you turn all of the lights out in the house to set the mood, or you tackle the unknown horrors with a few friends, all of you laughing and screaming along the way. Blumhouse Games and Dublin-based studio Gambrinous are happily encouraging the latter with Eyes of Hellfire, which launches on Steam Early Access today, as it uses one of Steam's game-sharing features to let your friends in on the action.

Steam's built-in Friend's Pass feature will allow one player who owns Eyes of Hellfire to share the game with up to four other players free of charge. However, those playing on the Friend's Pass will not have access to meta progression or other perks; only those who purchase the game will be able to take advantage of them.

Eyes of Hellfire is a "co-op Gothic horror game inspired by Irish folklore," according to the official announcement, which drops five players into a dark and spooky lodge with one simple goal: escape. The group must explore, solve puzzles, and fight against malevolent hordes of demons and other spooky entities in order to progress through the lodge and escape.

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Dragon's Dogma 2 was generally met with a pretty positive critical reception when it released last year, but it wasn't a complete crowd pleaser. A lot of its design decisions were quite divisive, and in his first media interview since leaving Capcom following the release of the sequel, game director Hideaki Itsuno explained that he made it that way very purposefully.

Speaking to VGC, Itsuno explained that he ultimately wasn't that surprised that the game wasn't universally beloved, because he designed it to not be. "I made the game not like a Nintendo one to be liked by all the people, but for a certain type of audience, so it's normal if some people outside that target audience don't like the game," Itsuno said. "However, people who enjoyed the game really loved it, appreciated the details and work. I'm very proud of it."

Itsuno also touched on why he decided to leave Capcom--his exit came only six months after Dragon's Dogma 2 came out--explaining that it was quite simply down to wanting to make an original AAA game as opposed to sequels for Devil May Cry and Dragon's Dogma. The game developer is now at the Tencent-owned LightSpeed Japan Studio, where he's working on a new action game.

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PlayStation has revealed next month's batch of free games for PlayStation Plus subscribers. All PS Plus members will be able to claim a trio of freebies starting September 3: Psychonauts 2, Stardew Valley, and Viewfinder. If you haven't claimed August's PlayStation Plus free games yet, make sure to do so before next Tuesday. You can also check out all the games that were recently added to the PS Plus Game Catalog for Extra and Premium-tier subscribers.

Regarded as one of the best games made by Double Fine, Psychonauts 2 is a creative tour de force that sees protagonist Raz return for another round of cerebral adventures. Years in the making, the game was well worth the wait when it first launched in 2021.

Almost a decade after it first launched, Stardew Valley is still a genre-defining indie game. It helped usher in a new generation of cozy farming games, and since it first arrived on the scene, the game has regularly been updated with new content that has helped solidify it as a modern-day masterpiece.

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Microsoft has made a key announcement about Xbox Game Pass, confirming today that Xbox Cloud Gaming will now be available to Xbox Game Pass Standard and Core users. It was previously only available for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which is the most expensive version of the subscription.

The change is live today for Xbox Insiders--this program is free and open to anyone. However, Microsoft did not announce when Xbox Cloud Gaming will be available to all Standard and Core subscribers.

Game Pass Ultimate costs $20/month, while Game Pass Standard is $15/month and Game Pass Core is $10/month. There is a PC-specific version of Game Pass called Game Pass PC that costs $12/month.

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Lego Captain Jack Sparrow's Ship (2,862 pieces)

$380 | Releases September 15

Preorder at Lego Store

Raise the anchor and stock up on parrots, because the next Lego set is preparing to set sail on the stranger tides of the Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise. As part of the Lego Icons line, Captain Jack Sparrow's iconic pirate ship, the Black Pearl, is making a comeback. This will be released on September 15 and is priced at $380, but if you're a member of Lego's free rewards program , you can parlay that membership into grabbing this set on September 12. Anyone preordering this will also receive the Lego replica of Jack Sparrow's legendary compass as a free gift when the set is purchased from September 12-18.

Lego Captain Jack Sparrow's Ship (2,862 pieces) $380 | Releases September 15

One of the fastest ships in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series, the Black Pearl is a 2,862-piece model and it comes with Lego minifigures of Jack Sparrow, Will Turner, Gibbs, Cotton, Anamaria, Marty, Elizabeth Swann, and Hector Barbossa. once it has been fully constructed, the Black Pearl measures 64cm (25 in.) tall and 64cm (25 in.) in length. The ship also includes numerous interactive elements, like a working wheel and rudder system, dials that can be rotated to position the port and starboard cannons, and interior sections.

By splitting the boat at its waterline, you can gaze into the captain's quarters and the crew compartments. There are even some nice nods to the films with the accessories, like one of the 882 cursed gold pieces that were the focal point of the first Pirates movie.

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This isn't the first time that we've gotten a Lego replica of the Black Pearl, as the first one was initially released back in 2011. In comparison, the 2025 version is much bigger and far more detailed since it can accommodate minifigures. The strange thing about this set is that it isn't labeled as the Black Pearl, as Lego has instead gone with "Captain Jack Sparrow's Ship" on the box and in promotional materials. You could argue that this is the default name for the ship given its association with Sparrow.

If you're looking for some background noise while you build this model, you can grab the entire Pirates of the Caribbean on Blu-ray, as Amazon has all five movies available in one bundle for only $45.

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Final Fantasy 14 has been live for over a decade now--exactly 12 years today, as long as you're starting from A Realm Reborn--and it's been available on several platforms throughout its lifespan. It launched on PC and PS3, but support for the latter ended following the release of Stormblood in 2017. On the PlayStation side of things it's currently available on PS4 and PS5, but a recent interview with game director Naoki "Yoshi-P" Yoshida suggests you might want to consider preparing to move to another platform.

Speaking to TweakTown about the game's future on PS4, Yoshi-P spoke of how he wants to keep supporting the game, even on older hardware. His current major concern is in relation to the PS4's OS, and hardware regulations made by Sony. "These regulations are related to the limit of the data, and because there's that limit of the data, well, we are continually incorporating updates for Final Fantasy 14 and we are now approaching that limit," Yoshi-P explained.

"And so for this limit that's in place, we have been asking Sony Interactive Entertainment from our side to increase that just for Final Fantasy 14, and they have kindly been doing that so far. But they've told us now that they are also reaching their limits. So I will repeat myself: I do want to provide support for platforms as long as possible."

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Yooka-Re-Playlee Standard Edition

$50 | Release TBA

Preorder at Amazon

Yooka-Laylee earned mixed reviews upon its release in 2017, but that didn't stop it from gaining a faithful following of 3D platforming fans charmed by its Banjo-Kazooie-inspired gameplay--which should come as no surprise, as its developer, Playtonic, consisted of many former Rare employees. While the series has continued with the well-received 2D sidescrolling spin-off, Yooka-Laylee And The Impossible Lair, Playtonic is resurrecting the original Yooka-Laylee with an enhanced remaster dubbed Yooka-Re-Playlee launching for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch 2, and PC in the near future. We don't know the specific release date just yet, but physical preorders for the game are already live, and you can secure your copy for just $50 at Amazon.

Yooka-Re-Playlee Standard Edition $50 | Release TBA

The $50 Yooka-Re-Playlee Standard Edition is the only version of the game announced so far. No preorder bonuses have been announced yet, either. Nevertheless, you can preorder physical PS5, Xbox Series X, and Switch 2 copies at Amazon. It's likely other retailers will offer the game soon. Digital preorders are not open yet, but you can wishlist the game on the PlayStation Store, Xbox Store, and Steam.

Preorder at Amazon

Yooka-Re-Playlee is a massive rework of the original, featuring improved graphics and animations, new and retooled in-game challenges, and tons of new unlockable content. Playtonic also added helpful tools like a map system to help you navigate its sprawling 3D world and keep track of which challenges you've completed. On top of all that, it will also feature a reorchestrated version of the soundtrack composed by Grant Kirkhope (Banjo-Kazooie, Mario+Rabbids, Viva Piñata), David Wise (Donkey Kong Country), and Steve Burke (Viva Piñata).

If you're looking for other 3D platformers to keep you busy Yooka-Re-Playlee arrives, Kirby and the Forgotten Land is an easy recommendation. Not only did the base game earn rave reviews, but its Star-Crossed World expansion arrives for Switch 2 on August 28, bringing with it a slew of new content to explore. Donkey Kong Bananza is another great choice that launched earlier this year on Switch 2, and its destructive environments and colorful characters quickly made it a Game of the Year contender. There are also plenty of great 3D platformers on the original (which are also playable on Switch 2), like Super Mario Odyssey, which is on sale for $52.49 (was $60). Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury is also discounted, letting you pick up the two Mario adventures for just $51.90 (was $60). Over on PS5, you can check out Astro Bot. Featuring characters from classic PlayStation games, it's both an incredible platformer and a nostalgic trip through PlayStation's history.

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Sales of the Switch 2 are significantly outpacing sales of the original Switch in the US over similar periods of time. That's according to new data from research firm Circana, which published its latest monthly sales report today, August 27.

The data shows that the Switch 2 has now exceeded 2 million units sold in the US since launch in early June. That's 75% ahead of the pace of sales for the original Switch back in 2017.

Unsurprisingly, the Switch 2 helped propel total US gaming hardware sales in July, which surged by 21%, from $317 million in July 2024 to $384 million in July 2025. The Switch 2 was the only major console platform that posted growth in July 2025 in the US, with PS5 dollar sales dropping by 47%, Xbox Series X|S sales sliding by 69%, and original Switch spending declining by 52%.

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Ahead of its launch, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 developer The Chinese Room says it is reevaluating its plans to charge players extra if they want to align with two of the six vampire clans in the game. During Gamescom week, the developer officially announced the October release date for the game and the special editions for Bloodlines 2. The two extra clans, Lasombra and Toreador, will be unlockable via the $22 Shadows and Silk add-on pack--this is also included in the pricier deluxe edition of the game and the Santa Monica Memories DLC--and this decision did not go over well with fans of the series.

"We are listening to your feedback about the Lasombra and Toreador clan access, and we're making adjustments ahead of launch to reflect this. We will share more information about what this means as soon as possible," community developer DebbieElla wrote in the Bloodlines 2 Discord group (via ResetEra).

Just what those adjustments will be remains to be seen, but during Gamescom, The Chinese Room justified its decision to paywall two of the game's six clans by saying that they were developed as additional work, per the request of publisher Paradox Interactive.

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Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is an easy contender for that coveted game of the year award, having been received incredibly well by critics and players alike. But as with any breakout success from a brand-new studio, there unfortunately comes an annoying question: What's next? Developer Sandfall Interactive is still staying mostly quiet on that front, but in a recent interview with game director Guillaume Broche, it has been at least confirmed that Expedition 33 will not be the only Clair Obscur game.

Speaking to YouTuber MrMattyPlays (thanks, TheGamer), Broche explained that "Clair Obscur is the franchise name. Expedition 33 is one of the stories that we want to tell in this franchise. Exactly what it will look like and what the concept will be is still too soon to announce, but what is sure is that this is not the end of the Clair Obscur franchise."

Broche played it understandably coy here, as Expedition 33 only came out in April this year. With how long game development takes--and with Broche noting in this interview that he wants to keep the team relatively small going forward--we probably won't know what a potential sequel looks like. The game is quite notably inspired by the Final Fantasy series, which generally takes an anthological approach to its releases, so there are still questions over whether a Clair Obscur sequel would be a direct follow-up, or something new entirely.

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The upcoming live-action Death Stranding movie is being directed by Michael Sarnoski, but that wasn't always a guarantee. Noah Sacco, the head of films at A24, said in an interview that he originally approached game director and writer Hideo Kojima for the job.

"Are you sure you don't want to direct?" Sacco recalled saying to Kojima in an interview with The New Yorker.

That's all Sacco had to say on the matter, so we don't know what the conversation between the film boss and Kojima might have included, or how Kojima may have responded to that question. In any event, Kojima is not directing the movie.

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Destiny: Rising is about to launch onto mobile devices this week, and for players who might have been concerned about performance, developer NetEase wants to ease their minds. Mobile shooter games haven't always been the most stunning, but the developers recently revealed that the Destiny mobile game will be presented at up to 90fps on iPads.

"We're thrilled to announce that Destiny Rising will support 90fps on selected iPad devices! No extra tweaking needed," the announcement read. "The game will automatically recommend and adapt to the optimal settings for your device. Smoother gameplay incoming!"

Considering that even Fortnite on mobile is supported with 60 FPS, bumping that up to 90 sounds impressive. Even in Destiny 2 for PS5 during Crucible runs, it can reach up to 120fps, but PvE typically drops to 60fps, which still looks great. As for players on Android, it seems it'll be 60fps, but at least the game features full cross-play between all mobile platforms.

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When you think Ubisoft, you usually think about its tentpole franchises like Assassin's Creed and Rainbow Six Siege, but the company has also released several great small-scale games across PC, console, and mobile. Some of these IP have been dormant for years, but Atari has inked a new deal to acquire five Ubisoft classics and bring them to modern platforms.

As part of the deal, Atari has purchased the IP for Cold Fear, I Am Alive, Grow Home, Grow Up, and Child of Eden. These were all one-off games (save for Grow Home and Grow Up) published by Ubisoft and developed by numerous teams, but in terms of console releases, most of them remained locked to Xbox 360 and PS3. Aside from their PC, Xbox 360, and PC releases.

"Millions of players have experienced these worlds over the years, and this will open the door for longtime players to revisit those memories while inviting new audiences to discover them for the first time," Ubisoft VP of New Business Deborah Papiernik said in a press statement (via BusinessWire). "Atari has a rich gaming legacy and deep appreciation for these classic titles, and we're excited to see how they'll evolve and connect with players in fresh, meaningful ways."

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We're about a month out from the release of Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, and later this week Sega is offering up another opportunity for you to try out the game through its latest Open Network Test--and an opportunity to see if you come away from it feeling better than us.

A new trailer shared on the official Sonic the Hedgehog YouTube channel provided a nice overview of what you can expect from this latest beta test for the game, including how long it's running, and what kind of customization options will be available.

When does the Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds Open Network Test start?

The exact dates the network test kicks off depends on where exactly you're located. In the US, for those in a PT timezone, it's running from August 28 to September 1, whereas in the ET timezone, the UK, and Japan, it's running from August 29 to September 1--it's all at the same time; the dates just differ because of timezone differences.

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It should now be easier to refund PlayStation games, as Sony has scrapped its chatbot in favor of a more streamlined process.

If you want to refund a game, you can't do it from your console. Instead you'll need to log in to the PlayStation website or open the PlayStation app and follow these instructions, but the process is still quite simple.

How To Refund A Game On the PlayStation Store Or App

1. Go to the PlayStation store.
2. Click on the three dots in the top right corner.
3. Select the option that reads "Transaction History"
4. Select one of your purchases and choose the "request refund" option.

There are restrictions on what games you can refund. Generally speaking, you can only refund games purchased in the last 14 days and those you haven't played or downloaded. Special circumstances or a faulty product might get you an exception, but you'll have to explain your case to PlayStation's customer service.

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Nearly two decades ago, director and screenwriter Christophe Gans brought the Silent Hill franchise to the big screen. Next year, Gans will revisit the franchise with Return to Silent Hill, a live-action adaptation of Silent Hill 2. Now, a new teaser trailer for Return to Silent Hill reveals the return of the iconic Pyramid Head from both the game and the first movie.

Jeremy Irvine takes the leading role in the film as James Sunderland, a man who is haunted by the loss of his wife, Mary (Hannah Emily Anderson). James is also summoned to Silent Hill by an enigmatic letter he receives that claims Mary is waiting for him in town despite her apparent death. Everything that James encounters in Silent Hill is conjured from his own personal Hell, including Pyramid Head.

So far, the majority of the movie's cast is under wraps. However, Evie Templeton is reprising her role as Laura from last year's Silent Hill 2 remake. The franchise's longtime composer Akira Yamaoka is also providing the score for Return to Silent Hill.

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When EA teased in June that it was bringing back its popular college basketball franchise, some wondered when they might actually get something to play. As it turns out, it's not going to be anytime soon, which is not much of a surprise.

EA Sports executive Sean O'Brien told USA Today that EA is "up for the challenge" of building a new college basketball game. Currently, the company is "in the process of trying to figure out how that could come together."

While it's still very early days, O'Brien went on to say that the hope is for the new game to include every D1 men's and women's basketball team, and he admitted getting this done is a "daunting task."

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Helldivers 2 is putting up huge numbers at the moment, partially thanks to a major collaboration with Halo--but one of the iconic Halo weapons in the ODST Warbond is causing the game to crash. Here's what we know about the bug and how to avoid it.

The bug has been detailed under known issues in Helldivers 2's Discord, and concerns the ODST MA5C Assault Rifle. "When on the bridge, if all players equip this weapon from the armory and then the host leaves it will cause your game to crash," the bug report reads. The crash is currently impacting players on all platforms, and Arrowhead is investigating a fix.

For now, thankfully the crash is not too difficult to get around. To avoid any possibility of this crash ocurring, Arrowhead recommends equipping the ODST from the loadout instead of the armory.

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Path of Exile 2's next update The Third Edict is set to add a whole new act, region, and plenty of other new content to the game--but it's the new asynchronous trading system that really has players excited. Grinding Gear Games has shown off the system's new in-game market browser, just days out from the update drop.

GGG explains in the video that the in-game trade browser wasn't quite ready to be shown off when the studio did its initial content drop for The Third Edict, but it's now ready to go. The in-game market browser works similarly to PoE 2's official trade website, allowing players to search for items they want in the player-to-player trade system. The new asynchronous trade system means the seller no longer has to be online for a trade to take place--buyers can now purchase it directly from the seller's Hideout.

The seemingly simple feature brings a major quality-of-life improvement for PoE 2 players, simplifying what was previously a fairly involved, multi-step process into an easier task. The asynchronous trade system is set to come to the original Path of Exile in future too, provided its integration into PoE 2 goes smoothly.

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In case you needed any more confirmation that Criterion is now all in on Battlefield, the Burnout creator and long-time Need For Speed custodian is now officially branded as "A Battlefield Studio"--leaving the future of the Need For Speed franchise in question.

As spotted by The Gamer, a user from the Need For Speed subreddit spotted Criterion's new official subtitle on EA's website, where "A Battlefield Studio" now appears under the usual studio logo. Members of the subreddit are understandably not too optimistic about what the change means for the Need For Speed franchise, which is still ostensibly under Criterion's purview.

Criterion is now “a battlefield studio”.
by u/aleyyyy420 in needforspeed

The rebranding is really just confirming what we already knew--in February this year, EA announced that Criterion was being moved under the Battlefield Studios banner in order to support the single-player experience for Battlefield 6. At the same time, it was announced that development on the next Need For Speed title was being paused--though EA has promised that the franchise is not dead.

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