Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds is quickly approaching the finish line, scheduled to launch in September. I got the chance to play the kart racer for a second time recently, and my opinion of the game is largely unchanged from my verdict during Summer Game Fest: It's dropping the best aspects of its predecessors to become something closer to Mario Kart. This second session, I spent a little more time with the game, getting a chance to race on additional tracks and play as the previously unavailable Hatsune Miku and Ichiban Kasuga.

CrossWorlds sees you jump into a kart or onto a hoverboard and compete against several other racers from Sega's catalog of Sonic characters (plus a few guests from other franchises!). Each race across the 24 different tracks is three laps, with the second taking place in an entirely different world after the racers teleport through a travel ring. Whichever competitor is in the lead as the racers approach the second lap chooses which world everyone hops over to, with two options given at random from a total pool of 15 other worlds.

It's an interesting gimmick, best seen in the Grand Prix mode that was the focus of both the SGF preview and my latest hands-on. In that mode, you're awarded a number of points depending on your place, which are added up at the end of a series of races to determine the ultimate winner. Each Grand Prix is four races, with the fourth and final race taking place across the three previous tracks--the first lap is on the track from the first race, the second lap is on the track of the second race, and so on.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

The iconic SHINOBI returns in an all-new 2D action platformer with a unique hand-drawn look created by the team behind the hit brawler Streets of Rage 4. Play as the legendary Shinobi Joe Musashi, master of the ninja arts. After finding your village burned to the ground and your clan turned into stone, you must set off on a quest for vengeance, ready to face an unparalleled evil and avenge your clan.

Play as Cobra, the space pirate, in an action platformer adapted from the famous anime series. Along with Lady Armaroid, your loyal partner, and equipped with your iconic Psychogun, you must solve a mysterious threat hanging over the entire universe. Travel from planet to planet to save three enigmatic sisters, whose fate is tied up with a fabulous treasure sought by the Pirate Guild. You will need to shrewdly use Cobra’s weapons and gadgets to defeat your enemies and complete the levels filled with obstacles and traps, which will be no pushover for our space rogue.

As a Master Crony, qualified or not, you'll step into this immersive idle business world where building, crafting, and upgrading are only half the battle. The rest? Well, that’s where things get interesting. Purchase factories, manage markets, and craft products to build your world-class manufacturing empire. But don’t forget the fun part - sabotaging your competition with some good old-fashioned corporate espionage. In a live economy where your decisions shape the market in real-time, business is anything, but boring. Who said being the boss couldn’t be fun?

From the creator of X-COM, Julian Gollop, comes Chip ‘n Clawz vs. The Brainioids - a unique blend of 3rd person action and real-time strategy. The alien Brainioids have invaded Earth and stolen all our precious Brainium crystals in their Grav Spheres. Only Chip ‘n Clawz, a young inventor and his robo-cat, can thwart their evil plans by taking control of each sphere, all the way up to the Mothership itself!

Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - Nintendo Switch 2 Amiibo

$20 (was $40)

See at Amazon See at GameStop

Street Fighter 6 - Nintendo Switch 2 Amiibo

$20 (was $40)

See at Amazon See at GameStop

The Legend of Zelda and Street Fighter 6 Amiibo figures that launched alongside the Nintendo Switch 2 are steeply discounted at Amazon and GameStop. All four Tears of the Kingdom Sages are on sale for $20 each, down from $30. The trio of Street Fighter 6 characters are also available for $20, but these are 50% discounts, since each one retails for an eye-watering $40. Fans can also snag the GameStop-exclusive Street Fighter 6 Amiibo Card Starter Set for $20 (was $40).

At the time of writing, GameStop had all seven Zelda and Street Fighter Switch 2 Amiibo for $20 each, but Amazon only has four figures for this price: Tulin and Sidon from The Legend of Zelda and Luke and Jamie from Street Fighter. That said, we'd recommend checking the store pages for all seven figures, because Amazon's prices have changed a couple times already. It's likely Amazon will soon price match the other two Sages from Zelda.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Without being hyperbolic--and as someone who has been an on-and-off again Overwatch fan since the original game's release back in 2016--I don't mean it lightly when I say that I believe Overwatch has never been better.

I've critiqued the series quite a bit throughout the years. In my Overwatch 2 review, I wrote at length about how it felt "detached from the principles and charm of the original," was seemingly struggling to retain its identity, and how its new monetization models felt disingenuous and "at odds with the spirit of the original Overwatch." Harsh words, yes, but I meant them. I was frustrated by what one of my all-time favorite games had become, and worried that I'd be chasing the same bliss I felt playing in 2017 endlessly and to no avail.

So, with all that said, how did we get here?

Continue Reading at GameSpot