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Zelda: Majora's Mask Put Heartbreak At Its Core, And That's What Made It Special
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask celebrated its 25-year anniversary on October 26, 2025. Below, we examine how it leveraged its unconventional time-travel element to tell some memorable stories.
Even a series as storied as The Legend of Zelda has produced a black sheep or two in its long history, but perhaps no installment is as divisive as Majora's Mask. The second Zelda title released for the Nintendo 64 and the follow-up to the universally acclaimed Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask retained much of its predecessor's mechanics and assets, but it reframed them with a recurring three-day structure that proved to be controversial among fans at the time. But while this unconventional time loop contributed to the game's divisive reputation, it also gives it a unique identity among the series, and is the reason the game remains so moving more than two decades later.
Although Majora's Mask revolves heavily around time travel, it was not the first Zelda game to explore the concept. Time also plays a central role in Ocarina of Time, embodied in the eponymous instrument that allows Link to access the inner chamber of the Temple of Time and retrieve the Master Sword. Once he pulls the sword from its pedestal, he can freely trek back and forth between two distinct ages: his idyllic childhood, and the dark future that awaits Hyrule.
Continue Reading at GameSpotHow To Play Battlefield Redsec, With Or Without Battlefield 6
Battlefield Redsec is available now, having launched alongside Season 1 of Battlefield 6. The new battle royale game is free-to-play and also available as part of the Battlefield 6 experience, which can make it a little confusing if you're just getting started. Here's how to install and play Battlefield Redsec if you own Battlefield 6 already, and if you don't.
How to play if you own Battlefield 6If you already own Battlefield 6, you'll have an exceptionally easy time starting up Battlefield Redsec. All you have to do is make sure the game is updated to its current patch, start it up, and choose the Redsec option from the main menu. You'll see it listed on the side among other options like Campaign and Multiplayer. The patch is substantial, so give yourself a little time to install it (on Xbox Series X|S, it clocked in at a little over 21GB) but there's nothing else you have to do past that point. Enjoy!
How to play if you don't own Battlefield 6If you don't own Battlefield 6, the good news is you are still free to play Redsec--you'll just be accessing it a different way. There are standalone clients available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S that you will need to download in order to play:
Continue Reading at GameSpotBattlefield 6 Season 1 - All New Maps And Vehicles
Season 1 of Battlefield 6 adds three more multiplayer maps to the game. Two are brand-new, large-scale maps, and there is also a seasonal variant of an existing map. The new maps also introduce more vehicles to help you traverse the battlefield, which surprisingly includes a golf cart. In this guide, we'll highlight all the new maps and vehicles you'll find in Season 1 of Battlefield 6.
It's also important to know that these DLC maps and vehicles aren't all available at the launch of Season 1. The developer is rolling out Season 1 content in three separate phases. Season 1 starts with the Rogue Ops update, which is live now across all platforms. The California Resistance phase launches November 18, and the Winter Offensive arrives on December 9.
A first look at all three maps can be found below. We also covered all of the new BF6 Season 1 weapons and attachments can be found here.
Continue Reading at GameSpotCiri Actress Relied On The Books More Than Ever In The Witcher Season 4
The Witcher Season 4 is a turning point of the series, and not just for replacing Henry Cavill with Liam Hemsworth in the lead as the new Geralt of Rivia. This season is also a pivotal point for Freya Allan's Ciri, as it adapts the events of Andrzej Sapkowski's third Witcher novel, Baptism of Fire. And Allan really came prepared before the cameras rolled.
During an interview with GamesRadar, Allan said she reread the books to get ready for some of Ciri's upcoming stories.
"Going into Seasons 4 and 5, I felt like I was carrying out some of my favorite Ciri storylines," said Allan. "So it meant a lot to me. I also think some of these storylines are things that fans have been waiting for for a while, and they're kind of iconic moments in the book for Ciri ... More than ever, I relied on the source material a lot. I pulled a lot from that. It was really important for me to honor that, and I really had fans in my mind a lot of the time … I really wanted to make sure I knew every nook and cranny of Ciri's story in the books."
Continue Reading at GameSpotAmazon Cuts Hit Video Game Division, Reducing Work On MMOs
In a sudden move, Amazon will eliminate more than 14,000 corporate jobs as part of a massive layoff, with many of these job losses affecting the tech giant's gaming division, according to a new Bloomberg report.
According to a memo that Bloomberg saw, the job cuts largely fall on Amazon's offices in Irvine and San Diego. It's unclear exactly how many of the 14,000 jobs are part of the company's gaming division, but the central publishing unit has been hit, with the intention of reducing work on big-budget games and MMOs.
Steve Boom, Amazon's vice president of Audio, Twitch, and Games, said in an email that it was a "difficult decision" to make despite the successes of the company's first-party AAA game development and publishing teams.
Continue Reading at GameSpotAll New Battlefield 6 Weapons In Season 1 And How To Unlock Them
Battlefield 6's first season features plenty of new weapons to unlock, but not all of them are available at launch. Season 1 is scheduled to roll out in three phases, so you'll have new weapons to unlock with each update. In this guide, we'll list all the Season 1 weapons and attachments, as well as explain how you can unlock each.
Battlefield 6 Season 1 starts with the Rogue Ops update, which is live now across all platforms. The California Resistance phase launches November 18, and the Winter Offensive arrives on December 9.
All of the Season 1 weapon details can be found below. The Rogue Ops weapons are available to unlock for free in the BF6 Season 1 battle pass, while the ones arriving in later updates will likely be unlocked through in-game events or challenges.
Continue Reading at GameSpot8BitDo All-Button Arcade Controller Gets First Big Discount At Amazon
8BitDo All-Button Arcade Controller (Xbox/PC)
$80 (was $100) | Exclusive Prime Price
See at Amazon8BitDo All-Button Arcade Controller (Switch/Switch 2/PC)
See at Amazon
8BitDo's All-Button Arcade Controller for Xbox and PC is on sale for its lowest price yet at Amazon. If you are an Amazon Prime member, you can get the leverless fight pad for only $80 (was $100). The Xbox All-Button Arcade Controller launched in July alongside a retro-themed Nintendo edition for Switch and Switch 2. You can save 10% on the Nintendo version if you click the coupon box on Amazon's store page.
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Pokemon Legends: Z-A's City Comes To Life Through Its Strife
Early in Pokemon Legends: Z-A, the towering and gaunt AZ makes a grim proclamation: The game's setting of Lumiose City "bustles today with Pokemon and people, but beneath the surface lurks a terrible grief."
Walking around Paris-inspired Lumiose, it's evident that as the city undergoes earth-shattering changes, uncertainty and anxiety permeate the air. Amidst catching 'em all and being the very best, the thematic core of Pokemon Legends: Z-A is a question: How does a city solve its problems?
In the five years following the events of Pokemon X and Y, during which Team Flare wreaked havoc in the region, Lumiose City experienced an exodus, and property values plummeted. In response, the city initiated an urban redevelopment plan and charged the tech corporation Quasartico Inc. with its creation and implementation. This company wields extraordinary power over the city's infrastructure and governance, essentially putting Lumiose under a tech oligarchy.
Continue Reading at GameSpotPeter Molyneux Claims Masters Of Albion Will Finally Break His OverPromising Streak
Famous--or infamous, depending on your point of view--English game designer Peter Molyneux has opened up about his forthcoming and reportedly last game ever, Masters of Albion, calling it a "redemption title" for all the years that he overpromised and underdelivered.
In an Edge interview (via VGC), Molyneux said that promising his games will do A, B, and C has always led him into trouble when those promises never came to fruition, citing his previous projects like the God game Black & White and the RTS Dungeon Keeper.
"I think that line in Fable--'For every choice, a consequence'--wasn't delivered on well enough," Molyneux explained. "I think the possession mechanic that we had in Dungeon Keeper wasn't delivered on enough. The open-world freedom that we had in Black & White, I think it was good at the start, but it didn't deliver enough at the end. And Masters of Albion is an opportunity to mix all those together. Even though one is an RTS, one is a god game, and one is a role-playing game, why the f**k can't we mix them all together?"
Continue Reading at GameSpotNintendo Wants Mario To Live Past 100 Years Old
As Nintendo celebrates 40 years of the Super Mario Bros. series, a couple of iconic developers want to see the popular plumber make it to his 100th anniversary. Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto and Super Mario World director Takashi Tezuka discussed how the Nintendo mascot can live on for decades and decades to come in a recent book.
VGC reported on and transcribed a new Nintendo Museum book focusing on Mario's 40th anniversary. In it, Miyamoto and Tezuka--alongside other developers--are asked about the plumber remaining a cultural icon in 2085. "One might think it would be a miracle if Mario was still here after 100 years, since we make things while not knowing when our players may get bored with them," Tezuka said.
Tezuka, who also directed Super Mario Bros. 3 and produced Super Mario Bros. Wonder, noted how "different times bring different kinds of fun." The developer pointed out that what Mario is capable of doing in games today has changed a lot since the NES era.
Continue Reading at GameSpotPlayStation Owners Will Be Able To Playtest Upcoming Halo Games, It Seems
An update on the Halo Insider website indicates that PlayStation players can join test sessions for future Halo games. It's hardly a surprise, coming after the bombshell news that the Halo: Campaign Evolved remake--and subsequent entries in the series--will be on PlayStation.
On the Halo Waypoint website, the page for opting in to console playtests now includes checkboxes for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 4 Pro, PlayStation 5, and PlayStation 5 Pro.
The Halo Insider program has given fans of the storied Xbox franchise opportunities to participate in playtests, or "flights," for Halo: The Master Chief Collection and Halo Infinite. According to Halo Studios, major improvements to The Master Chief Collection were "the direct result of flighting and feedback" from players.
Continue Reading at GameSpotThe Wachowskis Wanted Hideo Kojima To Make A Matrix Video Game - Report
Between the original Matrix and its first sequel, The Matrix Reloaded, Lana and Lilly Wachowski had the ambitious idea to tie in the story to a video game as well. The project that eventually came out of that was Enter the Matrix, which was published by Atari. But if the Wachowskis had their way, that game would have reportedly been made by Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima.
Konami's former VP of licensing, Christopher Bergstresser, recently shared an account of Kojima's meeting with the Wachowskis while speaking with Time Extension. According to Bergstresser, the biggest reason it didn't happen was because of Konami executive Kasumi Kitaue, who shot down the idea immediately.
"The Wachowskis were big fans of Kojima," related Bergstresser. "So Kazumi Kitaue, Kojima, Aki Saito (who still works with Kojima), and I were at the Konami HQ, and we got a call from the Wachowskis, who wanted to come in and meet with Kojima. So they did! The two of them came in with their concept artist, and effectively they said to Kojima, 'We really want you to do the Matrix game. Can you do that?' Aki translated this into Japanese for Mr. Kitaue, and Kitaue just looked at them and told them plainly, 'No.' We did still get to enjoy the Matrix Japanese premiere and afterparty, though."
Continue Reading at GameSpotModders Reveal Bully Online, Bringing Multiplayer To The 20-Year-Old Game
It's been nearly 20 years since Rockstar Games' Bully came out, and while there's no word of a sequel, the next best thing may have dropped: a mod that introduces online multiplayer to the high school action sim.
As reported by IGN, a group of modders has finally revealed Bully Online. Led by YouTuber, developer, and "massive Bully fan," SWEGTA, the project has been a long time coming, but is inching ever closer to an early-access launch in December 2025 for those who support the team on Ko-Fi. At the time of this writing, it appears the developers have received at least 76 Ko-Fis.
What is Bully Online, though? According to the YouTube video's description, the mod "allows you and your friends to play minigames, role-play, compete in racing, fend off against NPCs, and much more." SWEGTA described it in greater detail in the nearly nine-minute video below, stating that it's a "mix between minigames, free-roaming, and role-playing." There's a "fully fleshed-out inventory system," letting you earn money in-game to spend on Bully goodies from items to housing to vehicles. It sounds like the online modes of other Rockstar games, such as GTA Online and RDR Online.
Continue Reading at GameSpotBrick Like This, An Official Lego Party Game, Is Available Now For Only $20
Brick Like This! A Lego Party Game
See at AmazonFor the second year in a row, it's looking like an official Lego tabletop game is going to be one of the most popular board/card games during the holiday season. Last year it was Monkey Palace, a fun strategy board game for up to four players. This year it's Brick Like This, a collaborative party game for up to eight players. Brick Like This: A Lego Party Game--not to be confused with Lego Party, the video game--is available now for only $20 at Amazon and other major retailers.
Brick Like This and Monkey Palace were designed by Dotted Games, a studio under the Asmodee umbrella dedicated to Lego board games. Based on the sustained success of Monkey Palace and how well Brick Like This appears to be performing out of gate, it seems likely we'll be talking about Dotted Games' third Lego board game this time next year.
Brick Like This! A Lego Party Game $20Brick Like This supports 2-8 players and is recommended for adults, teenagers, and kids ages 7 and up. It's a fast-paced game that's dynamically designed to offer a different experience each time you play.
Players are split into teams of two in a race to see who can build miniature Lego models the fastest. One player builds the model based on instructions communicated by their partner. There are 92 shape cards and 48 total Lego pieces. Models have a minimum of five bricks and a maximum of eight bricks. You're awarded more points by opting for models with more pieces--though the instructor won't know what the model actually looks like until they flip the card over.
In addition to the regular shape cards, there are 20 challenge cards that introduce restrictions for builders and instructors, such as building the model with your eyes closed or with one hand and limiting the types of hints you can provide as the instructor.
When a team completes the model, they flip the hourglass, which starts a 30-second countdown to the end of the round. After six rounds, teams tally their scores and declare a winner. Each game takes around 15 minutes total.
See at Amazon Lego Recreate Activity Cards $10-$12 EachIf you're buying Brick Like This to play with your kids or as a gift, there's another newly released Lego experience that could make for a great stocking stuffer this holiday.
One of Lego's main book publishing partners, Ameet Verlag, created a series of activity kits for kids ages 6 and up. Dubbed Lego Recreate Activity Cards, each themed kit comes with at least 30 cards and 25 Lego pieces. Each card tasks you with completing a challenge using the bricks in the box. Lego Recreate Activity Cards are themed around broad topics like tech, space, animals, and magic as well Lego City and Ninjago. Most of the kits are priced at $10.
See at Amazon Monkey Palace: A Lego Board Game $39.25 (was $42)If you haven't played the studio's debut game Monkey Palace, I'd highly recommend for family game nights if you like strategy and puzzle games.
Two to four players take turns building staircases and decorating the makeshift palace. While the project is a collaborative effort, you're in competition with your fellow builders for Banana Points.
Monkey Palace is recommended for players ages 10 and up. There's more "traditional" Lego building involved with this one, as it comes with 231 Lego pieces and an official Lego baseplate.
Each game takes around 45 minutes, and no two games will be the same. Adding to the replay value is the inclusion of two double-sided maps, which are placed on the baseplate to alter the starting foundation. Here's what's included with Monkey Palace:
- 231 Lego pieces
- Lego baseplate
- Lego tray
- 2 Double-sided Ground Maps
- 67 Monkey Cards
- 14 Bonus Cards
- 3 Trophy Cards
- 4 Player Boards
- 1 Rule Book
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Continue Reading at GameSpotSims Spin-Off Series Coming To PlayStation And Xbox For First Time - Report
A year after arriving on Switch, MySims Cozy Bundle might be on the way to PlayStation and Xbox platforms. A new report states the package--which includes MySims and MySims Kingdom--will come to PS5 and Xbox Series X|S next month. If so, it would be the first time that The Sims subseries has been released on Sony and Microsoft's console platforms.
Dealabs (via Insider Gaming) reports that MySims Cozy Bundle is slated to launch November 18 for PlayStation and Xbox. It's unknown whether this includes PS4 and Xbox One, but the price point is $40, according to the report. That's the same entry cost that EA charged last year when MySims Cozy Bundle hit Switch.
MySims originally debuted on Wii and Nintendo DS in 2007. The game spawned a whole Sims subseries, including MySims Kingdom, MySims Racing, and MySims Party. Next week, MySims Cozy Bundle is slated to arrive on Apple Arcade.
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