Rockstar

Monster Hunter Wilds has had numerous ups and downs since it launched earlier in the year, to the point where it has, arguably, become one of 2025's most divisive games. On release, the action RPG was met with super strong review scores and positive player feedback; the finished product sported dramatic improvements over the somewhat disappointing beta tests that had taken place in the months prior. But as hunters made their way through the main story and eventually stumbled into endgame hunts, the cracks started to show. Wilds was quite roundly criticised for its claustrophobic campaign, a general lack of challenge, and poor optimisation (especially on PC). From there, opinions started to take a nosedive as Capcom struggled to provide immediate answers. Updates came and went, but nothing seemed to satisfy those who wanted more from the game — many having experienced the best of previous titles Monster Hunter World and Monster Hunter Rise. Over the last few months, Capcom has undoubtedly improved the experience with big updates, dropping additional monsters, quests, and activities. But as the game's dwindling sales numbers suggest, Wilds clearly lost momentum after its initial honeymoon period. Still, the ongoing negativity hasn't stopped the title from winning big at PlayStation's annual Partners Awards in Japan. Wilds won a 'Grand Award' for "outstanding worldwide sales" (again, the vast majority of which came at launch), and was voted as one of the year's top five PlayStation games by users. As per IGN, director Yuya Tokuda spoke after the ceremony, and was quick to thank players for their support. "Immediately after the release, we apologised for the inconvenience caused by the volume of content and the difficulty level. Despite this, we were delighted to receive various awards, including Users' Choice awards," he said. "We would like to thank all the players who have given their opinions and spoken warm words even in this situation. The development team was able to turn everyone's feedback into an asset and work on the update with all our strength, and I think the result was also the reason why players voted for us." The team has obviously been trying to turn things around with Wilds, so it does feel like Tokuda's attempting to clear the air — if only for a minute. "In order to make Monster Hunter Wilds better, the fans’ voices gave us power. There are still updates left to come, so we will continue to do our best," producer Ryozo Tsujimoto added. Tokuda goes on to assure potentially lapsed players that Wilds is in a better state these days, commenting: "If you beat the game immediately after its release and stopped playing, I would appreciate it if you could pick it up again." It's assumed that at some point next year, Wilds will be getting its inevitable expansion — and that'll end up being a pivotal moment for the game. Indeed, both World and Rise benefitted massively from the endgame content and systems that their own expansions delivered, bolstering the entire experience in the process. The hope is that Wilds will, ultimately, share a similar fate — but it's definitely got a bigger mountain to climb in terms of pleasing its players. What are your hopes for Monster Hunter Wilds going forwards? Will you be diving back in for Title Update 4 on the 16th December? Prepare for another quest in the comments section below.

Just like September's interesting analysis of Star Wars Outlaws on Switch 2 and Series S, Digital Foundry returns with a fresh look at another Ubisoft title that's been ported over to the Nintendo system this week - and once again, this one uses the Xbox Series S version as its jumping off point. Yes, in its latest tech review on Assassin's Creed Shadows, DF notes that "this ambitious port succeeds by starting from the cut-down Xbox Series S" version, pulling back a little further than the Microsoft machine to achieve these results on Switch 2. It's an intriguing comparison that once again sheds some light on how these two systems stack up. The team goes on to mention more cuts as well, namely to reflections, water and cloth simulations: In summary, DF reckons that Ubisoft "made the right calls with one or two exceptions" when porting Assassin's Creed Shadows to Switch 2, and while the Nintendo hybrid device turns in some impressive results, it doesn't quite match up to Xbox Series S in some key areas. You can check out the full video of this tech review up above while the written version is down below - and yep, it's going to be interesting to see how this battle continues in the coming years!

Summitsphere is giving Antonblast fans one last hurrah, one year after the game first launched on PC. And it's a content-filled update befittingly titled 'THE END'. On 18th December 2025, The End is bringing four brand new bosses, a boss rush, multiple new game modes (including Hard Mode), new music, and new spray cans, among lots of other little additions coming to the 2024 platformer, which is heavily inspired by the Wario Land series. Let's have a look at the specifics coming with The End in just a few weeks, courtesy of Antonblast's Steam page: That's a lot for an ending, isn't it? Any excuse to go back to Antonblast, which we loved back when it launched on Switch last year. And it's received a performance boost since launch. Have you picked up Antonblast on Switch? Will you be checking out the update this month? Blast down to the comments and share your thoughts.

8:00 pm: Eugene Harrow has just finished his first therapy session with Dr. Fink. That’s one out of (likely) many, and so he sets up shop in the motel next door; the only one in the small town of Rue Valley. After checking in, he heads to his room. When the clock reads 8:47 pm, he experiences something that’s out of a doomsday scenario: the skies are set ablaze, and the whole world blacks out. Just then, Eugene finds himself back in Dr. Fink’s office, with the clock reading 8:00 pm. While this could have been brushed off as a vivid dream, our protagonist quickly finds out that he is in a Groundhog Day-type situation. Every night, at 8:47 pm, the day ends up the same dramatic way, only for it to reset back to 8:00 pm. What is the reason for this occurrence, and how can Eugene get out of this loop? That’s for you to find out in Rue Valley. An isometric RPG with a comic book flairWith its isometric perspective and having received praise from Disco Elysium leads, Rue Valley has been looped in as Disco-like. It plays like one, with a point-and-click gameplay that has been well optimised for controllers, especially with the ability to highlight interactive elements with the shoulder buttons. Despite these similarities, Rue Valley stands on its own thanks to its original artistic direction and contemporary setting. Its 2D parallax art style leans heavily into a comic book aesthetic. From its fonts and panel-style text to its stylised palette and stop motion-like animations, it draws more visual parallels with comic books than cRPGs. This does help it pack its own flair, without necessitating comparisons with other isometric RPGs. The presentation is enhanced with professional voice-overs. This is a bonus with a game as text-heavy as this one, helping break the monotony and easing newcomers to the genre. However, there are some inconsistencies with the VO. Even within the same conversation, some lines are recorded, while others aren’t. The game would also have benefited from having voice acting for Eugene’s internal monologue, which is more than frequent in this game. There is also a lack of character animation during conversations. This is especially noticeable during long stretches of conversations, which this game isn't lacking. These rough edges don’t necessarily ruin the experience, but they do make extended dialogues feel longer. That said, the strength lies in the story and character development. There is more than meets the eye in the seemingly quaint town of Rue Valley. Beyond Eugene’s need for therapy, the town’s inhabitants are dealing with their own stuff, and you get to dig deeper as you interact with them throughout the game. You learn how each character is interconnected, and get to experience relatable family squabbles to heartwarming moments. There is an overarching theme of mental health that underpins the main plot and the story of each character. The ‘small town secret’ premise and the element of having small decisions accumulate into meaningful results are apt to explore such themes. A loop with purposeThe premise of a looping cycle might not sound appealing at first, with the inevitable repetition that it implies. Rue Valley earns its keep by employing this loop to its strength, using it as a clever pacing device that builds urgency and adds meaning to your investigative leads of choice. As the town’s inhabitants are engaged in the same activities across every loop, events are time-based. Some NPCs will be in different locations based on the time of day, and may act differently at different times. As there is only so much Eugene can do within the 8:00-8:47 pm window of a single loop, this forces you to pursue different leads and experiment with your investigative approach once the day resets. While each day will feel familiar, they will feel fresh as more options open up from talking to other people to accessing new areas. The timed mechanic also helps draw you back into the game. As the clock reaches 8:47 pm, you might not finish all of your leads, so you'll be motivated to pursue them in the next loop. Nevertheless, some aspects of the loop do get excessively repetitive, like waking up in Dr Fink’s office and even leads that require backtracking across multiple loops. You do unlock some shortcuts to areas you need to visit, which does help, but there are recurring elements that you have to contend with. Mind powerAs Eugene investigates the mysterious loop in a bid to get out of it, his main tool is his mind. Having mental health struggles recently, he might not be at his sharpest, but slowly progressing across loops does help build his confidence and his mental acuity. This is where Rue Valley’s investigative mechanic comes in. This game doesn’t rely on combat but, rather, on Eugene’s investigative skills. His approach is determined by his personality traits (which you build when starting the game) and his mood. The mood or status effect varies through the game based on your in-game actions and decisions, and different moods can alter Eugene’s base personality, leading to new investigative routes. This is the game's version of 'skill checks', leading to different conversation outcomes and paths to investigate. If you are too cynical, for example, you might be blocked from a truthful response in a conversation. However, there is an element of smoke and mirrors with this mechanic, as, unlike other isometric RPGs, you are not able to pursue any options you fancy from the get-go. The game purposefully restricts your options, especially at the start, which can feel deceiving. Another mechanic that ties into Eugene’s investigation is the Mind Map. This helps you recall events of the day and facts that you learn about people in town. The Mind Map turns these fragments of information into ideas, and with enough inspiration and willpower points, you can turn that idea into an intention. By following through on intentions (or investigative leads), you will have access to new dialogue options that will lead you through the journey of completing that intention. However, not all that you intend can be successfully achieved, adding a layer of challenge to your quest. Rue Valley: a time-loop story with intentionDespite the repetition by design, Rue Vallley, for the most part, mitigates tedium with variety. The new investigative paths that open up by following new intentions reward persistence. However, it falls short compared to the iconic cRPGs it draws influence from. This is due to the game often railroading you on specific tracks, without offering the freedom to explore other routes that have become quasi-expected of games of this genre. There is also a lack of variety in side quests, and in-game choices aren’t as nuanced. Rue Valley might be best not compared to the likes of Disco Elysium, and it does stand on its own. Its exploration of mental health thematically and mechanically is intriguing and refreshing, but does not ultimately reach the heights that its predecessors set. Nevertheless, it is a notable accomplishment as Emotion Spark Studio’s debut game, and I hope they improve on their formula in their next game. Rue Valley Release Trailer

Sony's latest push into mobile territory is MLB The Show Mobile, just announced and soft launched in the Philippines. Developed in-house at San Diego Studio — developer of the main MLB The Show series — you can get a sense of the free-to-play game in the below trailer: The official website describes MLB The Show Mobile as "a new standalone experience built from the ground up to deliver realistic baseball gameplay on mobile devices". Built for both iOS and Android, the game is currently only available in the Philippines, but it'll come to more territories in future. The game will feature current and legacy players, as well as all real stadiums. You'll be able to bat, pitch, and field using touch controls, and you'll gradually build your dream team by collecting player cards. You can then earn XP and upgrade your players to make them more valuable. For Sony's mobile plans, this seems like a no-brainer — bringing one of its popular franchises to a whole new audience. Hopefully the global rollout won't be too far away so everyone can get to grips with this new take on MLB The Show. What are your thoughts on MLB The Show Mobile? Is this something you'd like to play? Tell us in the comments section below.

We're still a week away from the last major gaming showcase of 2025 in the form of The Game Awards, but this Thursday's PC Gaming Show sounds well worth watching - even from an Xbox perspective. The PC Gaming Show: Most Wanted showcase is said to be "powered by Xbox Game Pass", which basically means Game Pass is the big partner here. The focus of the event is to highlight the 25 most wanted games of the moment, but we also know we're getting "new trailers, announcements and behind the scenes looks at over 50 games". Here's a list of stuff that's already been confirmed for the showcase: A new trailer from Team 17 for the soon the be released 4-player co-op shooter, Rogue Point A behind the scenes look at High On Life 2, the latest intergalactic action-adventure from Squanch Games releasing February 13 A new trailer for Cairn, the beautiful survival-climber from the creators of Furi and Haven Tripwire Interactive will be unveiling a new trailer for first-person shooter Killing Floor 3 Soulmask will debut a new gameplay trailer for its ancient Egypt DLC 'Shifting Sands' which adds more powerful Gods-themed masks and takes us out of the jungle and into the desert with flying ships A new trailer for open world adventure Witchspire from Envar Games A brand-new trailer for space flight sim, Remnant Protocol Plus announcements from developers such as Dotemu, Lightbulb Crew and Playstack. Nothing has been spelled out in terms of whether we'll be getting any Xbox Game Pass reveals at the PC Gaming Show: Most Wanted event, but the close partnership suggests it's pretty likely. At the very least, we can see from the list above that High on Life 2 will be there - a title that's already confirmed to release on Game Pass in February 2026. If you're interested in finding out for yourself, you'll be able to watch the PC Gaming Show: Most Wanted event via the video above at 12pm PST / 3pm EST / 8pm GMT / 9pm CET on Thursday, December 4th. We'll be watching it as well, and we'll have a roundup of everything that was shared - including any potential Xbox Game Pass reveals!

We were delighted to see Ustwo Games' gorgeous mobile puzzler, Monument Valley 3, make the jump to Switch earlier this year, and today the dev has given us even more story chapters to sink our teeth into — for free! The 'Garden of Life' expansion is now available on Switch, bolting four additional chapters onto the end of the main game, packed with even more of the series' signature perspective-bending puzzles. There are even some hidden optional puzzles to find in the bonus levels, for those after even more. The expansion drop accompanies the news that MV3 is now back on mobile, so you can check out all the extra content wherever you please. If the above trailer didn't do enough to sell you on the new freebie, here's a statement on what you can expect from the expansion by lead designer Emily Brown, and a handful of screenshots: Images: Ustwo Games You'll find Monument Valley 3 and the previous two series entries on the Switch eShop right now. Those who want to experience the full trilogy from start to finish can even pick up the collection in physical form from iam8bit.

Tomba! 2: The Evil Swine Return Special Edition now has a confirmed release date on PS5 — and it's soon! Publisher Limited Run Games announced this one all the way back in June of last year, so it's nice to see that it hasn't somehow been forgotten. It launches in just a couple of weeks, on the 15th December. This is obviously a follow up to Tomba! Special Edition, which dropped for PS5 and PS4 in August 2024. However, we should note that the PS4 version of Tomba! 2's Special Edition has been cancelled. Much like its enhanced predecessor, the sequel will feature modern quality of life features, like the ability to save anywhere and a rewind function. It'll also boast a museum mode full of artwork form the original release. Tomba! 2 is widely regarded to be an improved sequel. A sprinkling of new mechanics, more ambitious level design, and a shift to full 3D graphics earned it some really strong review scores back in 1999, when it first launched for the PS1. Will you be leaping into Tomba! 2 this month? Pick up some pigs in the comments section below.

The latest Xbox Game Studios title making the leap to PS5 is Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, a highly acclaimed aviation sim landing on the console on 8th December, 2025. Aspiring pilots may be interested to know what's expected of them with regards to Trophies, and fortunately, the list has made its way online prior to release. Over on PSNProfiles, the full rundown of digital trinkets is available for your perusal, and it looks like a fairly manageable to-do list, albeit time-consuming. One Trophy requires that you spend 50 cumulative hours in the air, for example, which sounds like a lot, but it's probably quite achievable if you partake in all the game's missions and activities. To get the platinum, you'll need to complete training and earn your private pilot licence, take a whole bunch of photographs, complete 100 weekly challenges, and perform various flying feats. These include 30 successful seaplane landings, 50 successful landings at heliports, performing touch-and-go manoeuvres, and visiting several landmarks via hot air balloon. It's certainly going to keep you busy if you want that plat, then, but we feel like the people interested in Flight Sim are probably gonna play it enough regardless. Are you onboard for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024? Will you be aiming to collect all the Trophies? Tell us in the comments section below.

Some very brief — but new — clips from Resident Evil Requiem have been made public by way of a Japanese television show about the series. In the footage, we see protagonist Grace shooting a zombie on a staircase, only for it to attack her and reveal there is a second undead man nearby. Based on the decor, this scene looks to be taken from the hotel location that shall play an important part in the campaign. Catch the new gameplay below: The footage falls in line with virtually everything else we've seen of Resident Evil Requiem up until now, which is to say not a lot. The game is out for PS5 on 27th February 2026, meaning it's already only three months away. In a surprising move — as all recent Resident Evil titles have received one — it's been said Requiem won't be getting a demo prior to launch. Is Resident Evil Requiem one of your most anticipated games for 2026? Let us know in the comments below.

In the absence of Dino Crisis, TeamKill Media's upcoming shooter Code Violet looks set to fill the void. The PS5 exclusive sci-fi action horror title has been on the radar all year, and was expected to launch back in November. Unfortunately, it hasn't hit its launch plans, and has been delayed to 10th January 2026. However, with this delay comes some good news: Code Violet has now gone gold, meaning the game is effectively finished, and the remaining time will presumably be spent squashing last-minute bugs. All this news comes via a lengthy statement posted on the studio's social accounts: In a nutshell, the team ran into some issues relating to "unlocking entitlements" for the game's deluxe and pre-order editions, and to circumvent all that, it's decided to simply release one standard edition of the game. This version will include "all the bonus outfits, items, and perks", so those who wanted the deluxe editions won't be missing out. That said, anybody who pre-ordered the deluxe edition will be receiving full refunds. TeamKill Media is working to get Code Violet back up on the PS Store for pre-ordering. It sounds like we'll be seeing more gameplay and trailers of the game in the lead-up to its launch in the new year. It's been a bit of a bumpy road to release, then, but despite the delay, this seems like a net positive outcome. Hopefully the game can deliver a good experience that's worth the wait. Are you looking forward to Code Violet? Tell us in the comments section below.

Back in the summer, Xbox developer Obsidian reassured fans that Avowed's Fall 2025 update was still on track - but plans have since changed, and this update has now morphed into a bigger content drop set to arrive in February 2026. To mark the game's one-year anniversary next Feb., Obsidian says that it's delivering "our biggest update yet" for Avowed - featuring "everything originally planned for fall, plus additional features". We'll throw the team's updated roadmap down below: As you can see in the above image, this 2026 anniversary update will bring New Game+, photo mode, a new weapon type, new character presets and more - and that list is set to grow now that the team is taking a little more time in bringing its next update to players across Xbox, PC and Game Pass next year. As for what's coming after this update, well, we don't know much about the longer-term future of Avowed right now - but it sounds like the team could be working towards a sequel at some point! That's by no means confirmed just yet, but it was discussed recently by a former Obsidian developer.

In 2020, Square Enix released an interesting 'stopgap' in the Octopath Traveler series called Octopath Traveler: Champions of the Continent. This free-to-play mobile game took the gacha approach to design, regularly launching new units and storylines to interact with as the years rolled by. The company wrapped up that initial version in January this year, but it decided to design a new standalone version for consoles: Octopath Traveler 0. Not quite a straight port of the original nor a brand new game, this fresh release converts a previously more fractured game into a cohesive traditional JRPG that features no online elements or microtransactions and feels more in line with what you’d expect from a proper numbered entry. And while it’s not the true successor to Octopath Traveler II, OT0 nonetheless stands tall as another great entry in the series. Captured on Nintendo Switch 2 (Handheld/Undocked) The narrative here is arguably the most interesting aspect, as it somewhat bucks the series trend of offering various disconnected narratives following each of the primary protagonists. For one thing, there’s now technically only one protagonist (your self-insert MC) and everyone else is merely an incidental addition to the plot. And while there’s still a nonlinear, chapter-based system that allows you to pursue the main story at your leisure, each chapter is now focused on a specific antagonist. Even though intraparty interaction is still kept to a minimum, the storyline is nonetheless significantly more streamlined and in line with what you’d expect out of a typical JRPG. You begin as a resident of the cosy, friendly town of Wishvale, which is very quickly pillaged and razed to the ground by a nasty group of villains. After reconnecting with another survivor, you set out on a campaign of vengeance several years later, hunting key leaders of the attack, setting up the first arc of the overarching narrative. What I really liked about this storytelling approach is how much more personal and interesting it made the rogues' gallery of villains. Not only do the ensuing chapters explore some of the antagonists' moral greyness, but there are some genuinely surprising and dark plot twists that add to the satisfaction when you finally get a chance to punch these people in the mouth. Captured on Nintendo Switch 2 (Docked) I was always a fan of the way the first two games handled their braided narratives, but choosing to centre the narrative this time on one protagonist and various villains that have made their life hell is an interesting and ultimately worthwhile change. That all said, the length of the campaign is a long haul. Given that this is based on a live-service gacha that grew quite a bit, there are literally years of storylines to experience—the developers themselves flagged that it should take you roughly 100 hours to clear, and that’s not including the mountain of optional side content. I wouldn’t say that this tremendous length is necessarily a mark against Octopath Traveler 0, but just be aware that the pacing and quality can vary over that time, as any narrative of that size can get unwieldy in some places. Captured on Nintendo Switch 2 (Handheld/Undocked) Gameplay otherwise follows the standard formula of previous games, wherein you explore a sizeable open world, pick up quests, fight in turn-based battles, explore dungeons, and utilise Path Actions to interact with the various NPCs you come across. Initially, you only have two party members, but as you discover and explore new towns, you eventually grow the party to just over 30. All of which is to say, this is exactly how you’d expect a new Octopath entry to play, and while I would have liked to see more innovation on the gameplay side of things, it’s tough to argue that the team didn’t stick the landing with the execution of their gameplay loop. Combat remains largely the same, with a key difference being that you now have eight active party members instead of four. Only four of them are active during a given round, but when a party member’s turn comes, they can tag out to let their backline partner take an action instead. The backline is more than just a reserve in case someone gets knocked down, too, as all characters in the rear at the end of every round also gain HP and SP. Captured on Nintendo Switch 2 (Handheld/Undocked) Though the eight-character setup doesn’t massively change the overall flow of combat that we’re well familiar with by now, I really appreciated the additional strategic depth offered by the extra members. You effectively build BP (Boost Points) twice as fast now, which can lead to some crazy combos if you plan out your team right, and there’s a lot more to think through as you consider the various skills and abilities of each member and plan in advance how you’ll place them in the overall formation. Do you put two healer characters together to maximise your healing output? Or do you pair one with a DPS character who will need to get cycled to the back to recover? The previous two games regularly asked you similar teambuilding questions, but here that more strategic approach is present to a much higher degree. On the other hand, individual character progression has been kneecapped a bit, and I'm not as much a fan of how it’s been implemented. The ability to multiclass in previous games kept character-building interesting throughout the whole experience as you constantly unlocked new class types and found new ways to combine different class abilities to lead to some units that truly 'broke' the game. Here, there are no second classes; you can only progress a character along their default assigned class. Captured on Nintendo Switch 2 (Handheld/Undocked) There is some variation introduced by equipping Battle Skills and Support Skills gained from NPCs, granting boons like the ability to utilise wind attacks or increased healing output. However, these feel more limited than giving a character access to all the abilities that come along with a new class, and it leads to characters feeling pigeon-holed into the clear roles they’re designed to fulfil. There’s something to be said about having a roster of bespoke characters who become simply more of what they already are at the beginning, but I’ve always viewed the Octopath Traveler games as encouraging you to find ways to make party members overpowered by building them far beyond their initial loadouts and here that definitely feels reined in. Given that there’s technically only the one protagonist in this game, the Path Action system has been adapted. Now your protagonist can do all the actions (such as stealing, inquiring, or haggling) and the success rate is determined by how much you’ve grown their wealth, power, or fame stats by completing various quests and side quests. Which stat gets checked depends on what the character you’re talking to values most, and this also affects what path actions are available to use on them. Overall, this doesn't feel like a significant change, but I appreciated how it gave you reason to regularly return to towns, as many NPCs are clearly way above the levels you’re at when you initially meet them. Captured on Nintendo Switch 2 (Handheld/Undocked) Perhaps the headlining new feature is the addition of townbuilding elements while you slowly rebuild Wishvale to its former glory. Simply talking to your carpenter friend, Stia, or interacting with a workbench will turn the overgrown ruins of the once-quaint town into a grid where you can place new buildings, paths, and decorations according to your liking. Some of these buildings have a more functional passive value, too, such as how the pub allows you to bring food and prep dishes to give yourself an edge in battle for a certain number of turns. As you find new towns, some NPCs will have the 'Invite' Path Action, which lets you invite them to Wishvale to contribute to the community. Every NPC has some sort of passive ability that can affect things like crop production speed or JP (Job Points) gain in battle, and housing them in your town lets you build these up over time. Plus, inviting more residents causes the overall town level to increase, unlocking new structures to build, and lets you place more homes where you’d like. I appreciated how the townbuilding managed to feel both instrumental and optional to the game’s progression. Though there are plot reasons for why you have to build up the town to a certain point, it’s something that you can otherwise choose to ignore if you’d rather just stay on the road and keep pushing on to the next quest. Captured on Nintendo Switch 2 (Handheld/Undocked) On the other hand, there’s plenty to dig into here if you want to get in the weeds of building the most picturesque town possible as you regularly return to reap the rewards. And while there are concrete gameplay benefits from investing in and interacting with your town, they aren’t so enormous that you’re handicapping yourself if you choose to only return to Wishvale when necessary. As far as visuals are concerned, this entry falls neatly between the fidelity of the previous two mainline games. It's clear that it was built with many reused assets from the first Octopath Traveler, but there are some details and flourishes present that will remind you more of the second game. The Switch 2 version runs quite well, too, and seeing the action unfold at 60fps makes everything appear that much nicer. It definitely feels like a slight step down if you’re playing this right after putting a lot of time into Octopath Traveler 2, but overall the HD-2D art style here still holds up exceptionally well and looks gorgeous in motion. Captured on Nintendo Switch 2 (Handheld/Undocked) Much like how the visuals feel like a blend of the previous two games, the soundtrack offers a variety of tracks and remixes from its predecessors, with some new tracks thrown in there to accompany the new content. Though it’s a bit disappointing that we didn’t get a new full-fledged soundtrack for this release, the new music feels right in line with the previous tracks, which are just as excellent as they were when we heard them for the first time. ConclusionIn many ways, Octopath Traveler 0 feels like a ‘victory lap’ for the beloved series, remixing various elements that you’re familiar with from the past games while introducing some interesting new ones to spice things up a bit. Importantly, this prequel does not feel like a proper Octopath Traveler 3, but that doesn’t mean that it isn't still an incredibly good time and a much better JRPG than most genre peers. Even if it's a retread in some ways, though, an absolutely monstrous amount of content, interesting new gameplay elements, gorgeous visuals, and compelling storytelling all come together to make Octopath Traveler 0 a must-buy.