The developers at Sucker Punch have openly acknowledged that Ghost of Tsushima, and its upcoming sequel Ghost of Yotei, owe a lot to samurai cinema. Before Ghost of Yotei is released this fall, Sucker Punch is teaming up with Alamo Drafthouse for special screenings of a curated collection of samurai movies that inspired the game.

Sucker Punch shared the announcement on its social media channels, and revealed that the five films in the screening series are The Tale of Zatoichi by director Kenji Misumi, the 13 Assassins remake by director Takashi Miike, Lady Snowblood by director Toshiya Fujita, Ran by the legendary Akira Kurosawa, and Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance by director Kenji Misumi. The screenings will be held in select Alamo Drafthouse locations between August 2 and September 4.

In collaboration with @alamodrafthouse , a curated film series inspired by #GhostofYotei will be showing in select Alamo Drafthouse locations August 2nd through September 4th.
⚔️Way of the Samurai will include five films:
The Tale of Zatoichi
13 Assassins
Lady Snowblood
Ran… pic.twitter.com/3BQIEzwn9z

— Sucker Punch Productions (@SuckerPunchProd) July 17, 2025

During the development of Ghost of Tsushima, Sucker Punch struck a deal with the estate of Kurosawa to create a black-and-white Kurosawa mode. That mode will make a comeback in Ghost of Yotei, alongside a collaboration with Takashi Miike for a mode that depicts some very up-close and personal kills. Samurai Champloo director Shinichirō Watanabe also received his own mode in the game, which adds some original lo-fi tracks to Ghost of Yotei's soundtrack.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Italian retro gaming YouTuber Once Were Nerd recently revealed that he was visited by Italian law enforcement, with concerns that his reviews of third-party gaming handhelds could be in breach of Italian copyright law. If charged, the YouTuber could face jail time or hefty fines.

The YouTuber revealed on his channel, as reported by Insider Gaming, that he is being investigated by the Guardia di Finanza, a law enforcement agency under Italy's Ministry of Economy and Finance. Armed with a search warrant, the agency seized his phone, as well as over 30 handheld gaming systems.

The concerns center around third-party handhelds Once Were Nerd has reviewed on his channel, by manufacturers such as Anbernic and GoRetroid. The handhelds often ship with unauthorized ROMs of various retro games originally published by companies like Sony and Nintendo.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Later this year, Sucker Punch's Ghost of Yotei will carry on the legacy of Ghost of Tsushima. Nate Fox and Jason Connell directed both games, and they have a plan to keep Ghost of Yotei from making players feel like there's an overwhelming amount of things to do in its open world.

While speaking with VGC, Fox and Connell noted that Ghost of Yotei won't feature a lot of guidance for players about where they should go. Instead, it will let players choose their own path through the game.

"The thing that Jason and I love the most is that moment when you're on your horse and you're looking at this big, beautiful landscape," said Fox. "And maybe the wind is telling you, if you would like to continue the story, go that way. But you see something out of the corner of your eye that catches your curiosity. And you say, 'you know what? I'm going to go check that out.' That moment where the game's not telling you really about where to go or what to do. It's you. That's the most beautiful thing about open-world games."

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Hyperactive 2D action platformer with wicked fast attacks, omnidirectional dashing, and time-freezing! Play well enough to transform and unleash 100% power! Take to Neopolis as Neon, punching your way through all manner of robot to get your creator's body back. Shred through enemies at lightspeed with attack chaining and dashing so tight it'll make you think other games are running in slow motion. Transform into an engine of destruction at 100% power, and show the world what you can really do! Oh, and "lightspeed" isn't an exaggeration; you can literally freeze time (and the level timer) to get the advantage on your enemies!

Shadow Labyrinth is a 2D action platformer and a genre-twisting alternate take on the iconic Pac-Man. As Swordsman No. 8, awoken by a floating yellow orb, PUCK, on a mysterious planet where relics from past wars remain, you are chosen to become the instrument of its will. To survive you will discover many secrets, start preying on your enemies, and become the apex predator as embrace your true purpose. Search the remnants of an age-old intergalactic conflict, started long before your arrival, and discover new powers and abilities. Use them to traverse an alien world as you battle dangerous creatures and evolved monstrosities. Team up with PUCK, and dive deeper into the maze of a mysterious alien world. Find out the truth behind your presence in this world, what does PUCK want and why it chose you.

Robert Jordan - The Wheel of Time

Paperback Box Sets

See at Amazon

Fantasy fiction readers who haven't read Robert Jordan's beloved high fantasy series The Wheel of Time can take advantage of an awesome box set deal at Amazon right now. The first three books in the series are available in a paperback box set for only $12.36 (was $33), which breaks down to $4.12 per book.

To complete the 15-novel series, you'd need to pick up four additional box sets. None of the other sets are as cheap as the first one, but you can get each for $20 or less. Longtime fans who haven't picked up the special 30th Anniversary Edition of The Eye of the World can get the nice hardcover edition of the first book in The Wheel of Time for over 50% off right now.

Continue Reading at GameSpot