“I hope creators and audiences alike can recognize AI as a tool”.
Back in June, Level-5 CEO Akihiro Hino acknowledged that, like a great many companies working in the games industry, his firm was exploring the use of Generative AI as “a tool for communication and efficiency improvement.”
Fast forward to the end of the year, and Hino’s view of GenAI appears to have become a little more positive. As noted by Kotaku, he posted a lengthy response to the online “commotion surrounding AI,” pointing out that many companies in the gaming sector are now incorporating AI into their development process at some point.
The holidays are almost here, and we’ve rounded up the best deals for Saturday, December 27, below. Don’t miss your chance to save on these late discounts or gifts!
Ninja Gaiden 4 for $49.99
Ninja Gaiden 4 was developed by both Team Ninja and PlatinumGames, offering a wild and immensely satisfying action combat system. Instead of solely focusing on Ryu, a new protagonist, Yakumo, was introduced alongside him. With two characters to play as, there are all kinds of new abilities and mechanics to utilize as you trek across Tokyo to combat an evil threat. If you haven’t had a chance to check out this brand-new entry, you can pick up a copy for $49.94 today at Walmart.
Save on Assassin’s Creed Shadows for Nintendo Switch 2
Launched earlier this month, Assassin’s Creed Shadows is finally available on Nintendo Switch. Right now, you can save $10 off the physical copy at Amazon. This edition packs in all the game’s DLC, updates, and more into one package for Switch 2 owners.
Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake for $49.99
One of the most anticipated RPGs of 2025, Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake, is down to $49.99 this weekend. This remake transforms the original two Dragon Quest games into gorgeous experiences with numerous updates and tweaks to modernize the experience. I’ve had a blast checking this one out over the last week, especially with how much work has been put into DQII.
Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves for $30
Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves was one of the biggest fighting game releases of 2025, marking a long-awaited return to SNK’s beloved Fatal Fury series. The Special Edition is on sale for only $30 this weekend, and this is the best package to buy if you’ve yet to pick this game up. The first year of DLC is included for free, including both Ken and Chun-Li from Street Fighter.
Samsung P9 Express microSD Express Card for $32.99
If you’re a Nintendo Switch 2 owner or expecting to become one this holiday season, a microSD Express Card is an absolutely essential purchase. The internal 256GB of storage is nowhere near enough for most players, especially with huge games like Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade set to take up over a third of that space next year. You can save $20 off this 256GB microSD Express Card at Amazon and instantly double your Switch 2 storage.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 for $35
Black Ops 7 is the latest Call of Duty, with the game releasing just a few weeks ago. Despite this, it’s already on sale at Amazon for $40, which makes this a perfect last-minute gift.
Save on The Art of DOOM: The Dark Ages
Art books are a great way to gain greater insight into the development of your favorite games. This DOOM: The Dark Ages art book was released a few weeks ago, and it’s already on sale for just under $31. Featuring over 200 pages, you can dive into behind-the-scenes art of the Doom Slayer, his weapons, and even enemies or locations.
Mega Man The Complete Series Blu-ray for $31.97
Amazon has the complete Blu-ray of the animated Mega Man series on sale for $31.97 today. This set contains all 27 episodes of the original series, which totals over 10 hours of content!
Astro Bot for $39.99
Astro Bot is a must-own game for any PlayStation 5 owner for many reasons. The fun platforming adventure is a trip across PlayStation’s iconic history of games, with cameos from many of the beloved characters that shaped each console generation. Today, you can score Astro Bot for $39.99 at Amazon, which is the lowest we’ve seen it so far.
The latest core series entry in the Doom franchise, The Dark Ages, which came out earlier this year, is seeing a major discount on physical copies of the Standard Edition for both PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. Right now, you can grab Doom: The Dark Ages for 50% off off from Best Buy during its Year-End Sale. That’s $35 in savings for one of the best shooters of 2025. It’s a better deal than Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Take 50% Off Doom: The Dark Ages for Xbox and PS5
Developed by id Software and published by Bethesda Softworks, Doom: The Dark Ages is a prequel to Doom (2016) and Doom Eternal. This dark fantasy FPS follows the origins of Doom Slayer long before being found in a Sarcophagus in a UAC on Mars. It also helps fill in the holes in the Doom storyline, getting into the history of demons and Sentinels during a medieval war against Hell.
In Mitchell Saltzman’s review of Doom: The Dark Ages, he gave it a 9/10, stating it’s “a new flavor of the legendary shooter series that’s heavier and more grounded, but no less energetic and exhilarating.” A new shield brings awesome offensive and defensive options, while you still get tons of Doom’s traditional guns for a fun way to take out the thousands of demons in your path. Plus, that classic heavy metal soundtrack perfectly complements the stellar design in every aspect of this game.
“In this age of diversity, the manufacturer itself has stubbornly refused”.
Nintendo may have originated the concept of the cross D-Pad, but the company has practically abandoned this control method on both the Switch and Switch 2 (although thankfully not on the Switch Lite and Pro Controller), leaving some old-school players feeling a little left out.
One of those people is legendary game designer Hideki Kamiya, who has been speaking to 4Gamer about his gaming impressions of 2025 (thanks, Stealth).
RPS Advent Calendar voting remains an esoteric and mercurial process, even to those of us who practice in it. If two games get the same amount of votes, which goes higher in the list? Did Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor technically release in 2025 or 2024? These are questions most of us dare not ask, and those that do often vanish mysteriously overnight. Until January 3rd or so, when they come back from holiday.
One thing’s for sure: I had a bunch of games that no-one else voted for. Don’t be sad, games. I still like you.
Fans of the long-running RPG Final Fantasy have a chance to tell Square Enix their thoughts about the series in a new online survey. It’s available until 9th January 2026 and features over 30 questions.
If you’re a Metroid fan and happen to be located in the United States or Canada, Nintendo is currently running a Metroid Prime ‘Legacy Sweepstakes’ featuring a “bounty” of prizes.
It’s no secret that Ninja Gaiden has had a huge 2025. Things kicked off early in the year with Ninja Gaiden 2 Black, a new version of the beloved classic brought to modern platforms with enhanced visuals. Later on, we got Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, a 2D sidescroller from The Game Kitchen. However, perhaps nothing was more exciting than Ninja Gaiden 4, the long-awaited follow-up to Ninja Gaiden 3. If you haven’t had a chance to check out this brand-new entry, you can pick up a copy for $49.99 today at Walmart.
Ninja Gaiden 4 for $49.99 at Walmart
Ninja Gaiden 4 was developed by both Team Ninja and PlatinumGames, offering a wild and immensely satisfying action combat system. Instead of solely focusing on Ryu, a new protagonist, Yakumo, was introduced alongside him. With two characters to play as, there are all kinds of new abilities and mechanics to utilize as you trek across Tokyo to combat an evil threat.
In our 8/10 review, we wrote, “When it comes to combat, there are few games I’d consider to even be in the same ballpark as Ninja Gaiden 4. It is quite simply the most fun I’ve had with a 3D action game since Devil May Cry 5. Its disappointing story, bland level design, and uneven boss battles certainly put a damper on the package as a whole, but they haven’t stopped me from continuously coming back for more all the same. Blemishes and all, this is the best pure action game since Hi-Fi Rush, and hopefully it doesn’t take another 13 years for the next one.”
Noah Hunter is a freelance writer and reviewer with a passion for games and technology. He co-founded Final Weapon, an outlet focused on nonsense-free Japanese gaming (in 2019) and has contributed to various publishers writing about the medium.
