Tyler Treese

Electronic Arts has released the official gameplay trailer for EA Sports UFC 4, which shows off what players can expect from its revamped combat systems. Every aspect from battling for position in the clinch to sinking in submission attempts have seen an overhaul from past entries.

Sony gave the first look at the upcoming PlayStation’s controller. Called the DualSense, it’s a significant departure in terms of form from the DualShock design, which was kept relatively unchanged from the original PlayStation through the PlayStation 4. With significant upgrades, such as haptic feedback and adaptive triggers, the DualSense looks to be Sony’s best controller yet and marks a return to the PlayStation’s spirit of innovation after a series of underwhelming revisions.

There’s no lack of laughs in Guildmaster Story. Canadian indie developer Will O’Neill has been able to find a niche within gaming by creating titles with dark, realistic stories that focus on social commentary.

“Sometimes showing things just the way they really are is the biggest contribution you can make toward the cause,” explains Ahmad Jadallah, the director of development at Saudi Arabian studio Semaphore. He’s looking to help fix representation of the Arab world in videogames, and hopes that his team’s upcoming survival game Badiya will be able to do just that.

One of the great things about the Yakuza series is how much content is in each entry, and Yakuza 6: The Song of Life is no different. In addition to the great story, there’s also 51 optional missions to undertake. These feature some fan favorite characters from past games, a few new faces, and some of the funniest moments.

I talk to NieR: Automata director Yoko Taro about a variety of subjects.

Wheels of Aurelia is set in 1978 Italy, and this historical background wound up being the real star of the experience. For those unaware, the Italian political climate was forever changed with the kidnapping and subsequent death of former Prime Minister Aldo Moro.

Five years ago indie studio Minority Media released Papo & Yo on the PlayStation Store. The 3D puzzle-platformer features contrasting settings of a fantasy world where monsters exist and the broken down favelas of Brazil. As the player continues solving block puzzles and attempting to keep their friendly beast of a partner away from the frogs that enrage him, they start to learn that this isn’t a story of fantasy, but of a young boy trying to find an escape from an alcoholic and abusive father.

Not enough games take the time to embrace the smaller moments. I really hope that changes in the future, as games continue to mature as a medium. That’s not to say that grand life-or-death moments don’t have their place in gaming, as I adore plenty of stories that do them well. It’s just that these types of risk-filled tales don’t have to be forced into every story, especially when the strengths clearly lie elsewhere.