If you’re wondering whether a first-person Soulslike works or not, you can now sign up to playtest Valor Mortis

I think my big problem with the proliferation of Soulslikes as a genre is twofold: one, that so many games get labelled as such despite not being such, and two, they’re all much too similar. There might be mechanical differences, but there’s no big thing that clearly sets them apart from what FromSoftware already does so well, not even an aesthetic overhaul. That’s part of why I quite liked Lies of P, and why I’m curious if cautious about Valor Mortis.

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State of Play September 2025: Everything Announced So Far (Updating Live)

Sony’s next State of Play is happening later today, September 24, and it promises more than 35 minutes of reveals and news from developers around the world, including an extended look at Housemarque’s Saros.

While we don’t know what other surprises this State of Play has in store for us, we will be here covering all the biggest announcements right here, live as they happen. So, be sure to keep checking back to ensure you don’t miss a thing!

The State of Play kicks off at 2pm PT/5pm ET/11pm CEST, and Sony did note we will also be getting a look at third-party and indie titles, as well as updates from “some of our teams at PlayStation Studios,” meaning there may be more than just Saros to look forward to.

This particular show takes place during the week of Tokyo Game Show, and it’s also just a few days before the much-anticipated launch of Ghost of Yotei on October 2, so the Ghost of Tsushima sequel will most likely show up. Could we also get a glimpse of Marvel’s Wolverine from Insomniac? Or perhaps Naughty Dog’s Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet?

Either way, we don’t have much longer to wait to find out!

How to Watch Today’s PlayStation State of Play

If you want to watch today’s PlayStation State of Play with us, you can watch with us at any of the links below or atop the page right here! We will also have a Podcast Beyond post-show following the State of Play, where our PlayStation experts will break down all the greatest and not-so-great moments from the show!

Star Trek: Voyager – Across the Unknown looks like a field day for micro managers in its first gameplay trailer

Anyone fancy taking a journey across space? Last month, Daedalic Entertainment announced it is publishing Star Trek: Voyager – Across the Unknown, a “story-based survival strategy game” from developer gameXcite. It was only a quick reveal though, so I’m sure they were quite Xcited to reveal a first look at gameplay in a trailer earlier today.

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Reminder: You Have Just One More Week To Play Star Wars: Hunters

Do or do not, there is no try.

If you have been meaning to check out Star Wars: Hunters for the last 16 months but never found the opportunity to do so, you’re time’s almost up. This is your friendly reminder that the servers will be closing one week today on 1st October.

Zynga announced the game’s closure back in March of this year, telling fans in a blog post, “We understand this news may be disappointing and want to assure you that this decision was not made lightly”.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Xbox Insiders – We’re Looking for Users Interested in New User Research Opportunities  

Xbox Insiders – We’re Looking for Users Interested in New User Research Opportunities  

As we continue to look for new ways for Xbox Insiders to provide feedback to Team Xbox, we’re looking for users interested in future user research opportunities in addition to what’s currently available in the Xbox Insider Program.

Please take a few minutes now to take the Microsoft Games User Research Survey and let us know if you’re interested in these upcoming user research opportunities. Please note that by taking this survey, you will be joining a panel of users that are interested in games user research with Microsoft. This could mean receiving invitations and incentives (when applicable) to take part in onsite or remote research studies.

How to Get Xbox Insider Support and Share Your Feedback

We want to thank all the Xbox Insiders for the feedback you share with us. Your feedback is a key part of our process. If you’re an Xbox Insider looking for support, please join our community on the Xbox Insider subreddit. Official Xbox staff, moderators, and fellow Xbox Insiders are there to help. We recommend adding to threads with the same topic before posting a brand new one. This helps us support you the best we can!

If you aren’t part of the Xbox Insider Program yet and want to help create the future of Xbox and get early access to new features, join the Program today by downloading the Xbox Insider Hub for Xbox Series X|S & Xbox One or Windows PC. For more information on the Xbox Insider Program, follow us on Twitter at @XboxInsider and keep an eye on this blog for all the latest news.

Other resources:

For more information: follow us on X/Twitter at @XboxInsider and this blog for announcements and more. And feel free to interact with the community on the Xbox Insider SubReddit.

The post Xbox Insiders – We’re Looking for Users Interested in New User Research Opportunities   appeared first on Xbox Wire.

There’s a Mario Kart World Listing on eBay for Just $55 for the Nintendo Switch 2

If you picked up the non-bundle edition of the Nintendo Switch 2 console but you changed your mind and now want Mario Kart World Tour, there’s a way you can get it for close to the bundled price. The eBay seller “Pezz’s INC” has listed a “like new” (new but opened) copy of Mario Kart World for just $54.25 with free shipping. This game normally costs $79 new. This is the best price I’ve seen for a domestic (non-imported) version of the game. The seller seems to be legitimate with 300,000 feedback and a 99.9% rating. There are also positive reviews from people who bought the game from this listing.

Mario Kart World for $54.25

Currently there are only two original first party games released for the Switch 2 console: Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza. Mario Kart World is a completely new addition to the MK series, with the last new entry being Mario Kart 8 way back in 2014. Mario Kart Word’s biggest updates include a completely open world design with interconnected tracks, a big and boisterous “Knockout Tour” multiplayer mode, and a massive visual overhaul that looks great on a 4K TV. Logan Plant reviewed Mario Kart World and wrote that “Mario Kart World may not make the most convincing case that going open-world was the boost the series needed, but excellent multiplayer racing, incredible polish, and the thrilling new Knockout Tour mode still more than live up to its legacy.”

Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn’t hunting for deals for other people at work, he’s hunting for deals for himself during his free time.

Pokemon Legends: Z-A Makes a Major Change to Mega Evolutions

Mega Evolution is making a major comeback in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, and as IGN learned in a recent hands-on with the new action-forward title, there’s more than one new spin on the years-old mechanic: you can trigger Mega Evolution multiple times in a single battle.

In the core Pokémon games, like in X and Y where Mega Evolution was introduced, you can only Mega Evolve one Pokémon per battle, even if your first Mega Evolution Pokémon faints.

Unexpectedly, that wasn’t the case during IGN’s battle against a Rouge Mega-Evolved Victreebell in Legends: Z-A–they were able to Mega Evolve all three Pokémon on their team capable of Mega Evolution, as long as they gathered the required Mega Power.

In Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the Mega Ring icon in the bottom right of the screen displays how much Mega Power you currently have. Each attack builds up Mega Power, but you can also charge it up by collecting Mega Power orbs in Rogue Mega-Evolved Pokémon battles, and by breaking certain crystals in the city.

We didn’t get to test if you can Mega Evolve multiple times in trainer battles, but were told by a public relations representative that you’re not limited to a single Mega Evolution per battle–as long as you have the Mega Stone and Mega Power to support it. It’s also been confirmed you can Mega Evolve the same Pokemon multiple times, as the Mega Evolution is retained only as long as you have the Mega Power to sustain it.

Read more about Mega Evolution, and how Mega Power can be used besides Mega Evolution, in Pokemon: Legends Z-A in IGN’s final preview, plus check out every new Pokemon in Legends: Z-A revealed so far.

Casey DeFreitas is a deputy editor on the guides team at IGN and has been catching Pokemon since the very beginning. Catch her on socials @ShinyCaseyD.

This Spider-Man Magic Card Is Already Selling for $1,250 Ahead Of Release Day

Marvel’s Spider-Man set for Magic: The Gathering arrived in prerelease form last week, and if you cracked open some packs early, then you could be about to be happier than Eddie Brock on Emo Night.

That’s because, aside from the Infinity Stone debut for the new set, one card is already up for a market price of $1,250 on TCGPlayer. Here’s what you should be looking out for.

For this new set, Wizards of the Coast has released a series of Spectacular Spider-Man cards with a textured foil finish. There are five different versions going for a lot of money right now, and while it’ll be tough to find them unless you’re looking in the horrendously overpriced Collector Boosters, one is reaching new heights of market value.

The Bombastic Bag-Man Suit, pictured above, is up for $1,250 on TCGPlayer, meaning its market value is actually higher than The Soul Stone right now. The thrown-together suit, which includes a Fantastic Four hand-me-down and a literal paper bag, is clearly well worth it for collectors.

Curious about its comic book origins? It stems from Reed Richards removing the symbiote from Peter Parker, leaving our hero without any clothing. Johnny Storm ‘helpfully’ loaned the wall-crawler the costume we see here, but we can’t quite tell if the “Kick Me” sign is on Peter’s back.

The fun suit isn’t alone, either. The Six-Armed Spider-Man suit is up for $1037 right now, and while all of these prices could change in the next few days, you’ll undoubtedly be over the moon if you find one.if you find one. Next up, a personal favorite of mine, The Black Suit, is up for $949, while the Spider Armor MK 1 Suit is $850. Rounding things out, the awesome Future Foundation Suit has a market value of around $850, too.

If you’re looking to go chase these rare cards without wanting to pay the big bucks, then unfortunately, you might just be out of luck. Collector’s boosters are the best chance at scoring these rare finds, and they’re sold out completely except for resellers (who are charging upwards of $1000 for just 12 Packs).

Lloyd Coombes is an experienced freelancer in tech, gaming and fitness seen at Polygon, Eurogamer, Macworld, TechRadar and many more. He’s a big fan of Magic: The Gathering and other collectible card games, much to his wife’s dismay.

Monster Hunter Wilds’ collab with Final Fantasy 14 looks like a neat way to do some digital cosplay

Capcom and Square Enix announced earlier this year that Monster Hunter Wilds and Final Fantasy 14 would be collaborating with one another, and the first trailer for the former’s collab received a proper look in today. It’s coming as part of the action game’s third title update, so there’s more included than just Final Fantasy bits, but that does seem to be the main thing here. So what’s included?

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Video: Hades 2 Casts A Spell Over Us On Switch 1 & 2

Time never stops.

Rejoice, Gods and Goddesses! Hades II launches on Switch and Switch 2 tomorrow, 25th September 2025. Gosh, can time slow down a little bit? There are so many games coming out at the moment.

You’ll see reviews have gone live at a number of sites today and might be thinking “wait, where are NL’s impressions?” Well, they’re coming very soon! So keep an eye out in the coming days.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com