Earlier this year, those paying attention will have likely seen an unusual game cropping up on social media, all about digging a hole and seemingly nothing more.

Well, that game is A Game About Digging a Hole, and after its huge success on PC, it's now coming to consoles.

The viral hit indie title is tunnelling through to PS5 on 9th December 2025:

The game is very much a what-it-says-on-the-tin situation; it's all about digging a hole in pursuit of unearthing treasures in the ground outside your new home.

As you dig you find resources, which can be sold, and the cash you earn can be spent on upgrades to make the digging faster and easier.

It's a very simple feedback loop, and when you add on top a layer of mystery — just what will you find if you dig deep enough? — it makes for a short-lived but compelling experience.

The game only costs £4.29 on Steam, and we expect it'll be around the same on PS Store.

Are you curious enough to try A Game About Digging a Hole on PS5? Tell us in the comments section below.

As we celebrate the Xbox 360's 20th anniversary this week, I've been going back to one of its launch titles in the form of Perfect Dark Zero to see how it holds up and whether its mixed reaction over the years has been justified.

My personal history with Perfect Dark is a little muddled - the first memory I have of the N64 version is watching my friends play it and enthuse about how it was "like GoldenEye, but better". I obviously ended up playing the Xbox Live Arcade version years later and enjoyed it, but I think some of the impact from its launch was lost on me.

Perfect Dark Zero, meanwhile, has just been sitting on my shelf mostly untouched for the past 15 years-or-so. I'd always heard it was a disappointment compared to the original, and although I remember enjoying the multiplayer, I totally ignored the campaign. This week though, it was time to boot it up — through backwards compatibility on Xbox Series X in order to get the best possible experience — and see whether it's actually worth playing in 2025.

The first thing I'll say about Perfect Dark Zero is that it's such a time capsule of those early Xbox 360 days. There's a James Bond-esque intro that feels like it's desperately trying to appeal to the MTV generation (think Die Another Day), and a menu screen with flashy 2000s style presentation featuring an old-school Samsung logo in the top corner. You can totally see how this blended with the classic Xbox 360 "Blades" dashboard at the time.

Once the campaign began, I definitely felt how dated the game is as well. Movement is painfully slow at first, even in terms of how quickly the crosshair moves around the screen, while the gameplay feels like a mix of old-school FPS controls from the likes of Perfect Dark 1, GoldenEye and even TimeSplitters, as well as more modern takes on the formula that we'd seen in Halo 1 and 2. The cover system is clunky-at-best and would be perfected by the likes of Uncharted just a couple of years later, and the AI (particularly friendly AI) can act somewhat bizarrely at times.

So, yeah... in many ways, Perfect Dark Zero immediately feels like a game from 20 years ago. The way it plays out is reminiscent of 007: Agent Under Fire for me - the first James Bond title from the PS2 and original Xbox generation that did some ambitious things but ultimately didn't quite reach its potential (whereas 2002's 007: Nightfire definitely did).

And yet, despite all of that, I'm enjoying Perfect Dark Zero on my Xbox Series X right now. The campaign is muddled and I have little idea what's going on in the story (they don't tell you much), but the moment-to-moment FPS gameplay is at least decent and feels pretty good to play once you've got used to the pace and controls.

It's not uncommon for major console launch titles to carry a sense of "tech demo" with them instead of being fully fleshed-out releases (even Ryse: Son of Rome has that to a degree), and Perfect Dark Zero kinda feels like an example of this, but it does also try some ambitious things. There are numerous gadgets at your disposal, a healthy selection of weapons, some well-designed maps and objectives to complete, and even a vehicle-based section at one point.

These are levels that still remain legitimately enjoyable to play here in 2025, and carry with them a heavy sense of nostalgia for those early Xbox 360 days. It very much feels like travelling back in time to another generation when you're playing PDZ, but not to the point where you can't still have fun with it on a modern-day system.

I also really appreciate how it offers you the perfect amount of hand-holding. It's not a game that wants to guide you too much, but if you lose your way for whatever reason, it seems to quickly sense what's going on and begins providing you with subtle arrows and hints for where you need to go. A lot of today's titles could learn from this!

Speaking of a modern-day system, Perfect Dark Zero can look stunning at times on Xbox Series X. Some of the environments in particular are beautiful, and when you consider how games looked 20 years before PDZ came out (Super Mario Bros., Excitebike, etc.), it's quite incredible how technology advanced in such a short period of time. The Series X cleans everything up and allows Perfect Dark Zero to shine its brightest here in 2025.

The real shame is that Perfect Dark Zero's excellent and surprisingly in-depth multiplayer suite is seemingly dead these days. You've got tons of maps to choose from, a whole heap of customisation options, the ability to play with up to 16 bots, a ridiculous number of game modes including fan favourites like Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag and Infection, and yet there doesn't seem to be anyone playing anymore.

Why? Well, Halo 3's arrival in 2007 seemed to kill off the Perfect Dark Zero community, and that's probably no surprise considering how great that game's multiplayer ending up being. There was just no place for PDZ anymore as the years rolled on, but at least it's still playable to this day - maybe there could be a mini revival for it eventually?!

This has been a fun little nostalgia trip to celebrate the Xbox 360's 20th anniversary this week, and I'm far from finished with the campaign just yet, so I can see myself returning to try and complete it ASAP. The disc version works just fine on Series X, but keep in mind that it's included with Game Pass and is part of the Rare Replay collection.

If nothing else, it's a fascinating and quite bizarre walk down memory lane - a pre-Halo 3 era when the Xbox 360 was in its infancy and its eventual lineup of incredible games was only just starting to take shape.

It's such a shame that Perfect Dark Zero will remain the most recent entry in the series for seemingly a long to come, as there's clearly so much potential with it. The glimpses we saw of the Perfect Dark reboot hinted at something that could have been pretty special, and PDZ does make me long for a sequel, but perhaps it's never meant to be.

Have you been waiting over a year for Silent Hill 2 to come to Xbox? Well, you don't have to wait any longer! Konami and Bloober Team are releasing the game on the Xbox Store today, complete with an immediate 50% discount.

Despite bizarrely not appearing at the Xbox Partner Preview event, Silent Hill 2 Remake quietly started appearing for Xbox a few hours ago in certain regions, and now it's extending to even more countries - mostly at midnight local time.

It just so happens to be Xbox Play Anywhere compatible as well, meaning you get a free PC version if you buy it for Series X and S.

As for the game itself, here's the team's short introduction to its Silent Hill 2 remake:

"Investigating a letter from his late wife, James returns to where they made so many memories - Silent Hill. What he finds is a ghost town, prowled by disturbing monsters and cloaked in deep fog. Confront the monsters, solve puzzles, and search for traces of your wife in this remake of SILENT HILL 2."

If you never came across it last year, Silent Hill 2 Remake ended up being one of the best-rated games of 2024, racking up an 86 average for PS5 and 87 average for PC on Metacritic.

That makes it well worth considering for Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, then, and at a very reasonable price of just £27.49 / $34.99 on the Xbox Store right now, we think this one's going to prove a very popular purchase over the weekend!

• Silent Hill 2 (Xbox Store)

Infocom's original Zork trilogy is now open-source under an MIT license, thanks to the combined efforts of Microsoft’s Open Source Programs Office (OSPO), Xbox, and Activision (h/t: The Verge).

The three classic text adventures — which Microsoft OSPO director Stacey Haffner and the Microsoft vice president of developer community Scott Hanselman referred to in the announcement as "a cornerstone of gaming history" — were originally released between 1980 to 1982 for various home computers (such as the TRS-80 CoCo and Apple II), and have their roots in an earlier game that was developed between 1977 and 1979 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for a PDP-10 mainframe computer.

This original version was created by a group of individuals, including Tim Anderson, Marc Blank, Bruce Daniels, and Dave Lebling, with three of its four creators later going on to help form the influential adventure game company, Infocom, in 1979.

The latter version, on the other hand, was the work of Dave Lebling and Marc Blank, and was written in a new language called ZIL (Zork Implementation Language), which was designed so that games could be easily ported to different home computers with the help of a "Z-Code interpreter" rather than having to write everything again from scratch whenever they wanted to target a new machine.

The source code for all three games has been preserved for a while, thanks to the internet archivist Jason Scott, but according to the terms of the MIT license, people may now "use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software" as long as they include the correct copyright notice and this permission notice included. The repositories for all three games are available below, and include the source code and "accompanying documentation where available, such as build notes, comments, and historically relevant files":

• Zork I

• Zork II

• Zork III

In particular, this initiative seems to be targeted at helping educators first and foremost, with Haffner and Hanselman stating the goal of this license change is "to place historically important code in the hands of students, teachers, and developers so they can study it, learn from it, and, perhaps most importantly, play it."

This does not include "commercial packaging or marketing materials" associated with the titles, and "it also does not grant rights to any trademarks or brands, which remain with their respective owners."

The 3DO M2 is one of the most famous unreleased consoles of all time.

A successor to the ill-fated 3DO Interactive Multiplayer, the M2 promised the kind of power that would put the Saturn and PlayStation in the shade – but in 1996, 3DO sold the rights to M2 to Panasonic's parent company, Matsushita, which ultimately cancelled the project the following year.

The M2 did make it to market as a physical product, however – the FZ35-S was a kiosk-style unit intended for commercial purposes. As explained by the 3DO Archive, it featured the same hardware as the M2, but was incapable of playing the games which were powered by the arcade variant of the M2 hardware.

Thanks to the efforts of Dutchconsolefreak / @Clown57859, it's now possible to play an M2 arcade 'port' on a FZ-35S kiosk system – and it's Konami's 1998 one-on-one fighter, Battle Tryst.

The game is notable for the fact that it was originally intended to include fighters based on Castlevania's Simon and Richter Belmont.

Konami released four other games on the M2 arcade standard: Heat of Eleven '98, Evil Night, Tobe! Polystars and Total Vice.

Not a fan of the 8BitDo 64 controller's rather simple black and white colour schemes? Then we have some good news to share with you.

8BitDo has just announced that it will be releasing a new colourway for the Bluetooth controller early next year, which more closely resembles the Nintendo 64 classic grey controller.

That means, instead of the buttons all being one colour, like on the black and white models released earlier this year, the new controller will instead line up a little more closely with what you remember from back in the day, boasting a red start button, blue and green A&B buttons, and an all-yellow C-pad.

This new controller will cost $44.99 ($5 more than the Black and White versions that are already available) and will reportedly ship near the beginning of next year, on January 30th, 2026.

Images: 8BitDo

The 8BitDo 64 controller was originally designed in conjunction with Analogue for its new 4K N64 console, the Analogue 3D, which was released earlier this month, and was based on the company's 'Ultimate' line of pads. However, it can also be used in conjunction with other platforms, too, including the Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, Windows 10, and Android (9.0).

Noticeably, it does away with the three-pronged design of the original N64 controller (exchanging the gun-style Z-trigger from the middle prong for two new Z triggers positioned at the top of the pad), and also introduces three additional buttons on the face – Screenshot, Minus and Home – which offer different benefits.

In addition to this, it also switches out the original N64 Analogue "Wand" for a Hall Effect Joystick, incorporates a built-in vibration feature (for use with the Analogue 3D and Nintendo Switch N64 Online library), and includes a turbo feature.

Interested? You can pre-order the controller here.

The technology that powers the games we play has evolved over the past few decades to the point where graphics have transitioned from simple, blocky sprites to blindingly photorealistic in a relatively short period.

However, the tech which allows us to interface with our games has enjoyed a somewhat less dramatic development; sure, analogue control might be the norm now, but it's easy to forget that the first game console to use analogue joysticks was the 1292 Advanced Programmable Video System, which hit the market all the way back in 1978.

Still, that's not to say that the world of gaming controllers hasn't seen its share of innovation and creativeity, as a new tome from Bitmap Books proves.

Images: Damien McFerran / Time Extension

Trigger Happy: A Visual Celebration of Video Game Controllers is a 396-page epic which aims to chart the history of the video game controller via 200 different examples. It's packed with 560 amazing photos snapped by Christian Wenk, who co-authored the book with veteran game journalist Steve Jarratt (EDGE, Official PlayStation Magazine, Official Nintendo Magazine).

Wenk's photography is truly stunning – I'd even go so far as to say it's some of the best controller imagery I've ever seen. Jarratt's expertise comes in when describing the impact of some of these devices – some of which were arguably little more than design dead-ends (who remembers the Batman joystick?) but remain interesting artefacts nonetheless.

Images: Damien McFerran / Time Extension

Flicking through the pages, I was amazed at how broad Trigger Happy is; there are controllers featured here that verge on the totally obscure, so the book neatly sidesteps the usual issue of familiarity that plagues many similar ventures.

But that's not all; sprinkled throughout are comments from industry luminaries such as Trip Hawkins, James Rolfe ('The Angry Video Game Nerd' to you and me), ex-Rare artist Kevin Bayliss, and DOOM co-creator John Romero.

I often feel guilty about not investing enough time in researching the history of the humble video game controller, so Trigger Happy feels like a breath of fresh air – and a book that has already encouraged me to look on eBay for a reasonably-priced Seaman gamepad.

Without any previous notice and out of nowhere, an Xbox Series version of the Silent Hill 2 Remake has appeared online through the official Microsoft Xbox Store in various regions.

Right now, the game has an entry for US stores, but without an actual price tag and only showing the message "Not available separately". However, the Australian store does include a price tag for the base game, being at $49.97 AU, while the Deluxe Edition of the game goes for $57.47 AU. The game is also available for purchase in a bundle alongside "Silent Hill f", with both bundles offering a standard Dual Pack and a Deluxe Dual Pack as well.

Many considered the game would have been unveiled in the recent Xbox Partner Preview from today, but it wasn't featured.
It's still unknown if the game will be properly announced by Microsoft or any of the official Xbox accounts later today, or in the spawn of the weekend.

This also seemed to have fueled some rumours about a plausible upcoming Silent Hill 2: Born From A Wish DLC, but there has been no official word from Konami about any potential DLC for the game.

Source

There are many things synonymous with James Bond, and one of those is Aston Martin — a car brand he's been driving since Goldfinger.

Well, fans will be pleased to know that the tradition of driving these swish supercars is set to continue in 007 First Light, as this new trailer reveals:

The game will feature the Aston Martin Valhalla, albeit kitted out by Q with various gadgets and weapons.

It's only allocated to 00-status agents, and our young Bond isn't at that level in the game, but presumably he'll get behind the wheel whether he has permission or not.

007 First Light is due for release on 27th March 2026, and we got to see some extended gameplay footage a little while back.

While it left some question marks with noticeable performance hiccups, the game looks like a fun mix of Hitman's sandbox stealth and something more action-packed, like Uncharted.

We thought Hitman’s time-limited Elusive Targets had peaked with the addition of Casino Royale’s Le Chiffre recently, but this new one takes the metaphorical cake.

As hip-hop fans will know, in Eminem’s most recent album, The Death of Slim Shady, he attempted to lay his alter-ego to rest.

But it seems like his other self continues to haunt him, and it’s up to Agent 47 to help.

IO Interactive’s Yann Roskell teased on the Xbox Wire:

“The level is packed with psychological, dreamlike twists that mirror Slim Shady’s fractured reality. Set within a medical facility in Hokkaido that has been reconfigured into the chaotic Popsomp Hills Asylum, the mission follows Agent 47 as he infiltrates a surreal environment where doctors, patients, and performers blur into one. Slim Shady has transformed his former operating theatre into a fully equipped broadcasting studio, where he delivers erratic live performances to a captive audience of staff and inmates. Players must track him across several interconnected areas, for example, a recording studio or a bizarre ‘Group Training Session’ where he brainwashes the doctors to participate in his evil scheme of weaponizing music.”

If you don’t own the game, you’ll be able to play the mission for free as part of the Hitman Starter Pack. But keep in mind, the Elusive Target will only be available from 1st December to 31st December.

In addition, a DLC pack featuring a new suit, four items, and home base cosmetics connected to the mission will be available alongside the duration of the promotional period, so check that out if you want to expand Agent 47’s locker with some Eminem-inspired items.

Returnal may not be the best-selling PS5 exclusive, but it’s attracted a slew of copycats. The latest of those looks to be ARMATUS, a roguelite third-person shooter launching in 2026.

This game is set in the “demon-infested ruins of Paris”, which some would argue is just modern-day France. But we think the dev’s taking a few creative liberties with the various firearms and celestial powers you’ll have access to.

Here’s what the blurb says:

“Knowledge is a weapon, and death is never the end. Each run, wield your scythe and a gun of your choosing against brutal demons hellbent on your destruction. To overcome them, evolve your combat style with powerful celestial abilities and passive enhancements. Die and you will revive to fight again. Fight, die, revive, and try again. Push forward to get farther each run and master your arsenal.”

The combat in the trailer looks tight, but we’ll need to try it for ourselves to see if dev Counterplay Games can match Housemarque’s buttery smooth game feel.

As part of today's Xbox Partner Preview event, Microsoft has brought two new titles to Xbox Game Pass - yes, two XGP shadow drops on one day! The games in question are Total Chaos and CloverPit; both bringing different flavours of horror to the service on November 20th.

Of course, we're going to detail both of these new Game Pass titles down below so you have a better idea of what you're looking at here - and do bear in mind that as these additions have only just been announced, it may take a little bit of time for them to show up as playable on XGP.

Without further ado, here are your two new Game Pass shadow drops:

CloverPit (Series X|S, PC, Cloud)

"CloverPit is the demonic lovechild of Balatro and Buckshot Roulette, a rogue-lite that traps players in a hell of their own creation. Locked in a rusty cell with a slot machine and an ATM, you must pay off your debt at the end of each round, or fall to ruin – literally!"

Total Chaos (Series X|S, PC, Cloud)

"Fort Oasis is no paradise—it's a decaying nightmare where reality crumbles. The creator of Turbo Overkill unleashes survival-horror stacked with mysteries and monstrosities. Scavenge to craft weapons, while a voice on your walkie-talkie guides you into the island's depths."

After what felt like an age of early access waiting, Hades II finally arrived as a console exclusive on Switch and Switch 2 back in September. Two months on, and that Switch 2 release has scored a physical edition — what's more, it's a beauty.

We were lucky enough to get our hands on the new box today, and feast our eyes on all of the goodies within (a download code to a digital soundtrack, a 'Character Compendium' booklet, and the full game complete on cart). The nicest surprise of all, however, was the reversible cover art, giving us an option between the standard red banner of a Switch 2 physical, and something more... artsy.

Flipping the cover insert over, you're treated to alternate artwork featuring the game's protagonist, Melinoë, on the front of the box, while a dark and brooding image of Hecate adorns the back.

It's a neat touch, and one that we're sure you'd like to check out for yourselves, so we've assembled the following gallery detailing everything you get in the Hades II Switch 2 physical edition, and a closer look at the all-important art. Enjoy!

Hiroshi Kubota, a former Sega staffer who worked as a sound programmer and composer, has passed away, we're sad to report.

The news was broken by former colleague Koichi Namiki on social media and picked up by @allcityslopshop.com. According to Namiki, Kubota had been "battling illness for a long time."

Kubota joined Sega in 1989, and, as documented by Sega Retro, one of his earliest ventures was the Mega Drive port of Sorcerian, for which he composed half of the new tracks with Tokuhiko Uwabo.

He also arranged the music for Michael Jackson's Moonwalker, adapting Jackson's iconic songs for the Mega Drive version. Another arrangement task was taking Masato Nakamura's music for Sonic the Hedgehog and converting it to run in the Mega Drive's SMPS (Sample Music Playback System) sound engine.

He battled Ulcerative colitis in the mid-'90s, even going as far as to retire from Sega at the start of 1994. This was thankfully short-lived, and Kubota appears to have returned to the company in April of the same year.

Kubota's other credits include Advanced Daisenryaku: Deutsch Dengeki Sakusen (1991), Dyna Brothers (1992), Panic! (1993), Formula One World Championship: Beyond the Limit (1994), Ristar (1995) and Sword of the Berserk: Guts' Rage (1999).

As well as working in the realm of video games, Kubota was also an accomplished jazz pianist and performed at the weddings of Sega Sound Team members Masayuki Nagao, Kazuhiko Nagai, Chikako Kamatani and Yukifumi Makino.

The library of unofficial colorization projects for the original Game Boy keeps on growing, and today, another classic for the original Game Boy joins the list of fully colorized games thanks to the romhacking scene.

Marc Robledo, a renowned romhacker known for his romhacking work like the Mega Man World 4 & 5 DX projects and the most recent colourization romhack released by him being Mole Mania DX, has released yet another full colourization project, with this colourization being for the 1990 title "Burger Time Deluxe", a port to the Game Boy of the classic arcade title released back in 1982.

The gameplay for Burger Time is quite simple, with the player having to move between different levels through stairs to drop down the ingredients and form a full hamburger while avoiding certain objects and obstacles. Interestingly enough, Burger Time was later re-released for the Game Boy Color but under a different license, using the Flintstones branding and changing the graphics to accommodate Flintstones characters, but the original Burger Time Deluxe never got a Game Boy Color release.

Those interested in trying out this new colorization hack for Burger Time Deluxe, can do so by download the patch file from Romhacking.net and bringing their own ROM for the patching process, or even compile the project from source thanks to Marc providing the full source code as open source on his GitHub.

"Burger Time DX" Source code at GitHub
"Burger Time DX" Romhacking.net Project Page

It’s another GTA Online Weekly Update and it’s a big one to make some money in the casino before mansions get added. Plus, we have the the usual rotated discounts and more. This Event Week will run from November 20th through November 26th.

GTA Online Content Updates

Mansions Construction Continues

Rockstar Games will be releasing a brand new GTA Online DLC next month with a heavy focus on mansions. These new properties will be sold by Prix Luxury Real Estate. The company have begun construction of new mansions in the Vinewood Hills. You can visit these construction sites in West and East Vinewood Hills before they’re completed.

New Listing Missions

To help generate some income for such expensive properties, “New Listing Missions” have been added to the game and you can up to 4x GTA$ and RP on them. Want to find out how to access and complete them? Check out our guide here.

This also comes with the Prix Luxury Real Estate VIP Program. Ear the Gold Tier of this program by December 7th to earn rewards that will be important for the next GTA Online update. The rewards are as follows:

• GTA$2,000,000 off all Prix Luxury Real Estate listings

• GTA$1,000,000 cash bonus

• New Rockstar Games Varsity Crew Neck Sweater

Given the fact that Rockstar are giving you up to $3m off mansions…they’re about to be expensive! To get these rewards, you need to complete all of the New Listings Missions by December 7th.

Free Rewards VIP Program Continues

As part of the “VIP Program”, Rockstar are giving away several items over the course of the next few weeks. Simply log into GTA Online once before December 7th and you’ll earn 5 items. You’ll receive these within 72 hours of logging in. The items are:

• Übermacht Revolter with the Sessanta Nove Monogram livery

• Santo Capra Cap

• Black Santo Capra Ornate Tee

• Black Santo Capra Ornate Mini Dress (Ladies Only)

• Black Santo Capra Coin Pool Sliders

FIB Priority File

The FIB Priority File in GTA Online this week is The Black Box File. Priority Files pays double.

Salvage Yard Robberies

• The Duggan Robbery: Enus Jubilee

• The McTony Robbery: Gallivanter Baller ST-D

• The Podium Robbery: Dinka Sugoi

Podium Vehicle

This week at the Casino in GTA Online, take your daily spin with the lucky wheel for your chance to win the Dinka Jester Classic, which costs $790,000 from Legendary Motorsport. GTA+ members now get 2 spins per 24 hours.

Prize Ride Challenge

This week in GTA Online, place top 4 in the LS Car Meet Series for 2 days in a row to unlock the Gallivanter Baller ST as the Prize Ride vehicle. It costs $890,000 from Legendary Motorsport..

Premium Test Ride Vehicle

This week’s GTA Online Premium Test Ride Vehicle is the Principe Deveste Eight for PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC players.

Test Track Vehicles

This week’s GTA Online Test Track Vehicles are the Nagasaki Hot Rod Blazer, Weeny Dynasty & Western Zombie Bobber.

Luxury Autos Car Dealership

The GTA Online Luxury Autos Car Dealership located in Rockford Hills has two cars on show for purchase. The cars this week are the Karin Everon RS & Übermacht Revolter with the Sessanta Nove Monogram livery.

Premium Deluxe Motorsport

Simeon’s Auto Shop has five cars available to purchase and test drive in GTA Online. They are the Bravado Verlierer, Hijak Ruston, Lampadati Furore GT, LCC Innovation & Western Cliffhanger.

Gun Van Contents

Weapons

• Heavy Rifle (50%, GTA+ 50%)

• Military Rifle (10%, GTA+ 30%)

• Battle Rifle (10%, GTA+ 20%)

• Marksman Rifle (10%, GTA+ 20%)

• MG (10%, GTA+ 20%)

• Nightstick (10%, GTA+ 20%)

• Baseball Bat (FREE)

Throwables

• Pipe Bomb (10%, GTA+ 20%)

• Proximity Mine (10%, GTA+ 20%)

• Sticky Bomb (10%, GTA+ 20%)

Body Armor

• Super Light Armor (10%, GTA+ 20%)

• Light Armor (10%, GTA+ 20%)

• Standard Armor (10%, GTA+ 20%)

• Heavy Armor (10%, GTA+ 20%)

• Super Heavy Armor (10%, GTA+ 20%)

Premium Race

This week’s Premium Race is Eight Figure Bonus.

HSW Time Trial

This week’s HSW Time Trial is East Vinewood.

RC Time Trial

This week’s RC Time Trial is Construction Site I.

Time Trial

This week’s Time Trial is El Burro Heights.

Weekly Challenge

The GTA Online Weekly Challenge for this week is “Complete The Diamond Casino Heist two times”. You’ll earn the The Diamond Strike Vest and GTA$100,000 for doing so.

Discounts

FREE

• Casino Master Penthouse

• Casino Master Penthouse Party Penthouse Package (GTA+)

30% off

• Arcade Properties plus Upgrades and Modifications

• Albany V-STR

• BF Surfer Custom

• Declasse Mamba

• Dinka Blista Kanjo

• Dinka Vindicator

• HVY Insurgent Pick-Up

• Imponte Arbiter GT

• Invade and Persuade Tank

• Karin Sultan Classic

• Karin Sultan RS Classic

• Lampadati Tropos Rallye

• Maibatsu Penumbra FF

• Maxwell Vagrant

• RUNE Zhaba

• Vulcar Warrener HKR

Bonuses

• 3x GTA$ and RP on Open Wheel Races

• 2x GTA$ and RP on New Listings Missions (4x for GTA+ Members)

• 2x GTA$ and RP on The Diamond Casino Heist Finale

• 2x GTA$ and RP on Casino Story Missions

• 2x GTA$ and RP on Casino Work

• 2x GTA$ and RP on Community Race Series

• 2x on Casino Daily Visitor Chips

GTA+ Benefits

A new month of GTA+ perks has gone live and it has a new perk! It now includes access to GTA Online.

Apparently, we must warn you about the content of the latest gameplay trailer for Hellraiser: Revival, because it’s seriously graphic stuff.

While there is a heavily edited version on YouTube, dev Boss Team Games is encouraging you to watch the red band version on its official website, which is much more explicit. Obviously, your discretion is advised.

The trailer itself is pretty rough, showing all kinds of mutilation and sexual deviation. Based on what we played of the title at Gamescom, though, we reckon this should absolutely be on the radar of any survival horror fan.

Here’s what the blurb says about the game:

“Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival introduces a totally new Hellraiser story starring Aidan, who must unlock the dark powers of the mysterious Genesis Configuration puzzle box to save his girlfriend from the terrifying horrors of Hell. Discover a realm of terrors as you take on dark cultist worshippers, sex-crazed deviants, and infernal monstrosities, harnessing unique abilities and an arsenal of jaw-dropping weapons that can be instruments of both misery and delight. You’ll have many ways to defend yourself – but can you save yourself from an eternity of torment?”

There’s still no official release date attached to the title, but Saber Interactive’s saying it’ll be out in 2026.

Have you got the stomach for this kind of sadism? Let us know in the comments section below.

Reanimal is one of the headline games for today's Xbox Partner Showcase, but the key detail from the show has gotten out ahead of time: the PS5 horror title will release on 13th February 2026.

PC platform Steam currently lists the release date on the game's landing page, offering up a horror-fueled alternative to any early Valentine's Day dates.

The title comes from Tarsier Studios, which made the first two Little Nightmares games before leaving the franchise behind for Reanimal. "In this horror adventure game, a brother & sister go through hell to rescue their missing friends and escape the island that they used to call home," is the setup.

In addition to today's news, a PS5 demo will go live on the PS Store, containing the opening chapters of the game. On PC at least, Reanimal will cost £34.99, so expect a similar price on PS5.

Will you try out the Reanimal demo, and are you looking forward to the game? Let us know in the comments below.

[source store.steampowered.com]

PS4 classic Bloodborne turned 10 this year, and to celebrate, Sony did absolutely nothing whatsoever. Companies have no duty to celebrate anniversaries in any substantial way, but given the FromSoftware game's status as a fan favorite, it was hoped that something might happen.

It didn't, of course, but there is one way you can still mark the occasion: a series of new Bloodborne vinyl sets offering select tracks from the soundtrack. Pre-orders are opening up today.

Available from Laced Records, you can purchase up to three different versions of an expanded vinyl that extra songs on it not featured in the original release. Volume 2 includes "four songs not included in the original vinyl release from the base game, as well as five boss cues from The Old Hunters DLC, including 'Ludwig, The Holy Blade' by Nobuyoshi Suzuki and 'Lady Maria of the Astral Clocktower' by Yuka Kitamura".

Bloodborne Vol. 2 LP

A new Bloodborne Vol. 2 LP featuring nine tracks (inc. The Old Hunters OST) presented on a single red, white and marble disc, housed in a deluxe gatefold sleeve with gold foiling.

Bloodborne Vol. 1 LP - Laced Records Exclusive

A new Laced-exclusive variant of the original Bloodborne soundtrack (21 tracks) first released in 2019, presented as a double LP with turquoise, white and black marble discs, housed in a deluxe gatefold sleeve with gold foiling.

Bloodborne Vol. 1 + Vol. 2 LP Collector's Boxset

A special Laced-exclusive 3LP collector’s boxset featuring both of the soundtracks above and a slipmat adorned with Caryll Runes – the perfect collector’s piece for die-hard Bloodborne fans. The collector’s box and slipmat are available to purchase separately if fans already own the original Bloodborne soundtrack on vinyl and want to bring it together with Vol. 2. This is a must-have for any Bloodborne fan.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is now available on PS5 after one year of Xbox Series X|S and PC exclusivity, and much like that original launch, the hardcore title comes with a long list of technical faults on PS5.

We have had access to the open world game for a few weeks now for review purposes, but have encountered numerous bugs, glitches, and performance issues during that time. A day one patch has been promised to fix many of those flaws, and now the game is out, so too is update 1.7. Based on our experience, it is essential that you update the game to this version to ensure the best experience available on PS5.

Once we've tested S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 with its day one patch enabled, we'll have a full PS5 review to publish.

As for what the patch entails, here are the highlights from team GSC Game World, with hundreds of other improvements said to be included:

• Major A-Life Overhaul

NPCs and mutants now actively fight for and lose control of territories. Most points of interest, checkpoints, and locations (except hubs) are constantly contested.

• Master Difficulty

A new ultra-hard mode, selectable only at the start of a new game. Features tougher balance, no autosaves, and disabled manual saves. Progress is saved only when leaving hubs or during major story moments.

• Inventory & Equipment UI Rework

Redesigned interface showing protection against Zone hazards. Consumables and artifacts now have five quality tiers instead of three. New radiation balance bar for equipped artifacts.

• Stamina & Energy Drink Changes

Three movement speeds: walk, jog, and sprint. Overusing energy drinks now causes hand tremor and aiming penalties.

Outlets who have chosen to review the PS5 version based on what was available pre-release have landed on a Metacritic rating of 75 so far, based on eight verdicts. This is only a very slight increase on the Xbox Series X|S and PC versions, which both sit at a 73.

There'll be more to come from STALKER 2 in the future as well, as the Ultimate Edition contains a season pass promising at least two expansions. Are you braving the potential technical faults to play STALKER 2 on day one? Let us know in the comments below.

Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds gets a bit spongier this week, as its SpongeBob SquarePants DLC pack is now available in the kart racer.

Those who own the season pass or Digital Deluxe edition of CrossWorlds will already have access, or you can buy the pack separately for $5.99/£4.99.

Here's a look at what you're getting:

The DLC adds both SpongeBob and Patrick as playable racers, alongside the Patty Wagon vehicle and a brand new track that takes the game to Bikini Bottom. You're also getting new music, emotes, and sounds included.

SpongeBob is the second premium DLC pack for CrossWorlds, with the first being Minecraft. Coming up next will be Pac-Man, followed by Mega Man, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Avatar Legends.

If you don't want to fork out for all that, though, SEGA is at least updating the game with freebie content as well. It was recently announced that NiGHTS, AiAi, and some Sonic comics characters are joining the fun for free.

Are you dipping into Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds for the SpongeBob DLC? Tell us in the comments section below.

Earlier this week, G-Mode announced it would be reissuing another rare mobile spin-off to Atlus's 2004 tactical RPG, Stella Deus, as a G-MODE Archives+ title for Nintendo Switch and PC (thanks Gematsu!).

Stella Deus: Time of Alchemy was originally released in 2007 for i-Mode compatible feature phones (mobile phones with limited functionality that predate modern smartphones).

It is the follow-up to 2006's Stella Deus: The Spirit of Darkness, which G-Mode reissued back in September, and, much like its predecessor, once again focuses on a world embroiled in a bitter religious war, where a strange mist called Miasma has also begun destroying everything it comes into contact with.

Within this setting, players will take control of a group of heroes who must embark on an adventure to heal the dying land, with the gameplay being divided between visual-novel-style story segments and tactical battles played out on an isometric grid using Action Points.

Here's a list of features:

• Tactical battles using an Action Point (AP) system.

• Effective Zone (EZ) system enables powerful team attacks when allies and enemies are within range.

• Unique skills and combo attacks for each character.

• Character strengthening with Class Change.

• Craft powerful gear through item synthesis.

• 50 stages of strategic gameplay.

• An original scenario set in the Stella Deus world.

Despite being a follow-up to The Spirit of Darkness, Time of Alchemy is described by G-Mode to be an entirely standalone game, meaning that you won't have had to play the other game in the series to get something out of it.

It releases on Nintendo Switch today in Japan (November 20th), with the PC (Steam) release being planned for December 4th. Much like Spirit of Darkness, the Steam version will be released worldwide, but sadly won't feature English language options, meaning your interest may vary.

Nevertheless, if you still want to check it out, you can wishlist the game here.

The arcade market may be a shadow of its former self, but that doesn't mean its most distinguished veterans aren't still plugging away with new cabinets and titles.

Sega Amusements has just revealed that it is updating its Daytona Championship USA arcade title with a new "motion" version, evoking the "taikan" ("body sensation") craze that Sega spearheaded in the '80s with games like Hang-On, Space Harrier, and After Burner.

Here's what Sega Amusements has to say about the new model:

"Daytona Championship USA Motion Edition makes its world debut in a striking new motion cabinet. Featuring a custom air-ride system engineered for reliability, every twist, turn, and bump delivers an adrenaline-fueled rush. Its race car cabinet, chrome accents, chequered flag header, vivid lighting, and iconic Hornet High Class livery make it a show-stopper on any arcade floor."

As spotted by Arcade Heroes, this isn't an all-new cabinet – Sega Amusements previously used it in Apex Rebels, a racing title it co-produced with 3MindWave.

Daytona Championship USA (also known as Daytona 3 Championship USA) is the 2017 successor to Daytona USA (1994) and Daytona USA 2: Battle on the Edge (1998), and was mainly developed in the UK.

The Daytona series also includes Daytona USA: Championship Circuit Edition (Saturn, 1996) and Daytona USA 2001 (Dreamcast, 2000).

Yesterday, AYANEO held a special "Sharing Session" for its upcoming "premium" handheld, the AYANEO Pocket VERT, going over some of the features that will be included with the Game Boy-style device.

Many of these features we'd already heard about in the past, such as the fact that it will include diamond-cut shoulder buttons, a 3.5" 1600×1440 LCD screen, and will offer "10× pixel-perfect Game Boy scaling". But there was also another surprise announcement from AYANEO's CEO, Arthur Zhang, which we can safely say we didn't expect.

That announcement was that the device will actually include a large hidden dual-mode trackpad located beneath its glass front, which will be situated beneath the D-Pad and buttons.

This touchpad is being described as suitable for "diverse use cases" and will reportedly be programmable to act as a stand-in for both joysticks, if you decide to try and load up any games featuring analog movement.

Of course, this isn't the first time AYANEO has added a touch-screen to a Game Boy-inspired device. If you cast your mind back to last year, you may remember that AYANEO previously included a trackpad on its Pocket DMG device, with the option there being a stand-in for its missing right analog stick.

Reviewing that machine, Hookshot's editorial director Damien McFerran called that solution "surprisingly decent" despite his initial "misgivings". So, it will be interesting to see how its implementation here will compare.

Other than the hidden trackpad, AYANEO also shared that AYANEO Pocket VERT will feature a high-density 6000mAh battery and active air cooling, and has stated it will also include the MagicSwitch key, previously introduced on the Pocket DMG, to control the volume. Three colourways are also expected to be available at launch. These include Midnight Black, Moon White, and Lava Red.

Right now, it's currently unknown exactly when the AYANEO Pocket VERT will go on sale or what chipset will be powering it, but we'll keep our eyes peeled for any more news as it emerges.

With three weeks to go until the Mega Dimension DLC drops, Pokémon Legends: Z-A has unveiled its next brand new Mega Evolution, and this time it's a Mythical Pokémon getting an upgrade.

Zeraora was first introduced in Pokémon Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon, way back in Gen VII, and its Mega form makes a few subtle changes to its original design.

Its mostly-yellow fur has turned black, and there's now a lot more blue on its knees, head, and chest. its blue tuft on its head has turned to something resembling a horn, and it has a few blue spikes across its body in general. And, lastly, it now has two ponytail-like features instead of one.

It's definitely one of the lighter Mega Evolutions we've seen so far, especially compared to Mega Chimecho, but hey! The Thunderclap Pokémon has its fans.

Images: The Pokémon Company

According to the Pokédex, "The electric energy it stores in its body is equivalent to ten bolts of lightning. Protrusions on its forehead, chest, back, and the backs of its hands are where the electric energy is particularly concentrated."

We'll be getting one more Mega Dimension update in two more weeks (2nd December), which will likely be another Mega Evolution. Stay tuned until then!

What do you think of Mega Zeraora? What 'mon do you want to see go Mega? Let us know in the comments.