Eurogamer.net Dom Peppiatt Feed

Digimon Time Stranger reminds me of the best (and worst) of PS2 era RPGs, and that's why I can't put it down

Dom Peppiatt — Fri, 03 Oct 2025 14:36:15 +0000

I think Digimon Story: Time Stranger is secretly a PS2 era Shin Megami Tensei game. That's very much my taste in RPGs. Given this is sort-of a kid's game (OK, it's got a PEGI 12 rating because of 'bad language', 'in-game purchases', and - bafflingly - 'sex'), that is a pretty big surprise. I've come to this conclusion after sinking a good 50 hours into the game, and being taken on a surprisingly volatile journey as a result. The story is pretty guff, with a lot of shōnen-style anime filler injected into the meat to make it appear more succulent, but most of my emotive response has been to its design philosophy, its approach to dungeons, and some unbelievable pacing choices. I can close this game either loving it, or hating it. But, for the past two weeks, I've not been able to stop going back to it.

Part-MMO, part-FPS, Eve Vanguard's devs are toying with a fascinating solution for bad in-game behaviour: leverage toxic players' actions for content

Dom Peppiatt — Fri, 26 Sep 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Eve Vanguard is a strange proposition: part-MMO, part-FPS, part-companion game to the seemingly eternal juggernaut that is Eve Online, it's developer CCP's latest attempt to make a shooter that works as part of the storied universe. And I think, so far, it shows a lot of promise. The potential in Vanguard is the result of a passionate team being given (relatively) free rein to do what they want, as long as it's fun and abides by the Eve bible. In a world where many developers are looking at smaller games with shorter development cycles, Vanguard's gestation time - and trust from its parent company - is an increasingly rare thing.

Four years later, PlayStation and Insomniac gives Marvel's Wolverine a 2026 release window, debuts trailer full of blood, brutality, and blades

Dom Peppiatt — Wed, 24 Sep 2025 21:49:09 +0000

Other than that brief teaser from 2021, any official word on Insomniac's Wolverine has been slimmer than an adamantium claw blade. But today - finally! - at Sony's State of Play livestream, the developer has kicked down the door, made that trademark 'snikt' sound, and shown us an uber-violent trailer and behind-the-scenes video chronicling the development of the game so far.

Hades 2 review

Dom Peppiatt — Wed, 24 Sep 2025 15:00:00 +0000

In Hades, we meet Sisyphus, the once founder and king of Ephyra, now relegated to the underworld and tasked with pushing a boulder up a hill for eternity because he dared incur the wrath of Zeus. He's an unlikely ally; a cheerful chap seemingly content with his perpetual lot, keen to dish out advice, boons, and the odd joke. Sisyphus is a suitable parallel for Zagreus, in the first game: his task may be endless, but he can find the fun in it - no matter how many times the boulder rolls down the hill, he rolls up his sleeves and takes on the challenge once more with feeling.

Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles review

Dom Peppiatt — Wed, 24 Sep 2025 13:00:00 +0000

The story of Ramza Beoulve is presented to you as a historical accord - an account of a tale recorded by one historian and told to you by another. It's subjective, an interpretation of loose facts collected by an archivist with a notable bias: to celebrate the achievements of your protagonist, a man whose influences and inspirations have been concealed by the church. As such, different readings of this story can proffer different results. Historical records are spotty at best, and even when written by the victor, choose to omit often-important facts.

Would you play a Pokemon Go-like geospatial Death Stranding game with Smart Glasses and your phone? Hideo Kojima seems to think you will

Dom Peppiatt — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 06:41:53 +0000

Tonight, as part of the Kojima Productions 10th Anniversary livestream, called Beyond the Strand, we got a new update on the Death Stranding franchise. The stream promised to be "a celebratory event" that will include "special guest appearances as well as offer a glimpse into future projects," and it certainly lived up to that promise.

Here's our first look at the cast and concept art for Kojima's "stealth action" PlayStation title, Physint

Dom Peppiatt — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 05:38:10 +0000

Tonight, as part of the Kojima Productions 10th Anniversary livestream, called Beyond the Strand, we got a new update on the studio's Metal Gear-style project, Physint.

A24's Death Stranding film isn't a direct adaptation, will tell an "original story" set in the world of the games

Dom Peppiatt — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 05:29:04 +0000

Tonight, as part of the Kojima Productions 10th Anniversary livestream, called Beyond the Strand, we got a new update on the Death Stranding movie. Notably, the project is not going to be a direct adaptation, but an original story set in the world of Sam Porter Bridges, Fragile, and the other characters we recognise from the games.

Kojima and Xbox team up to show off a new OD teaser, "or maybe a signal", running on Unreal Engine 5

Dom Peppiatt — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 04:51:20 +0000

Tonight, as part of the Kojima Productions 10th Anniversary livestream, called Beyond the Strand, we got a new update on the studio's peculiar work-in-progress, OD.

Resident Evil Requiem - and not just a cloud version - is coming to Nintendo Switch 2, along with other RE Engine Resi games

Dom Peppiatt — Fri, 12 Sep 2025 14:07:41 +0000

At today's Nintendo Direct, Capcom confirmed that Resident Evil 7, Village, and Requiem are coming to Nintendo Switch 2. And no, they're not like the janky cloud version of Resi 7 that launched in Japan back in 2018, but a full-fat, Switch 2-native version. Nice.

After selling 1.4m copies on Steam, Stardew Valley-inspired Dinkum hits Nintendo Switch this November

Dom Peppiatt — Fri, 12 Sep 2025 13:22:52 +0000

You may not be aware of it, but the Australian-themed Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley-inspired title, Dinkum, was one of the breakout Steam games of 2022. The game sold over 350,000 within a month, and the title has gone from strength to strength since, racking up a total of over 1.4m sales since its 14th July early access launch in 2022.

There's a new Nintendo Direct this Friday (and it's just before a major Mario anniversary)

Dom Peppiatt — Wed, 10 Sep 2025 12:57:01 +0000

There have been rumours circulating for a while, but now we have confirmation: Nintendo is hosting its next Nintendo Direct presentation this week.

Putting Star Wars in Destiny 2 sounded like a slam dunk, but the morning after Renegade's release date was announced, players seem unhappier than ever

Dom Peppiatt — Wed, 10 Sep 2025 09:59:24 +0000

It's not a good time for Bungie. This year's Destiny 2 expansion, The Edge of Fate, is widely regarded as one of the worst expansions the game has ever seen - a big feat to achieve when you're 11 years old. As intriguing as some of the new story developments in the expanding world of Destiny are, little could soften the impact of some atrocious decision-making from the sandbox and gear teams within the studio: the grind in Destiny has rarely been worse, and fans' patience for the MMOFPS is becoming increasingly thin.

"I'm picking it up a lot faster" Hollow Knight newcomers and veterans respond to the first few hours of Silksong

Dom Peppiatt — Fri, 05 Sep 2025 13:00:00 +0000

Silksong is real. It's finally here. I've played about seven hours of it already. Whether it's exploring the first few screens of the world and happening upon Bone Bottom or plucking away at the first real test of a fight against Lace, the game uses the same formula as Hollow Knight and wields it to equally incredible effect.

Valor Mortis is more Dishonored than Dark Souls, but if anyone can pull off a hard-as-nails hybrid, it's the Ghostrunner devs

Dom Peppiatt — Thu, 04 Sep 2025 16:00:00 +0000

Here's a bit of inside baseball: Gamescom is a busy show. More often than not, you're booked back-to-back for hours on end, zipping from one appointment to the next in a flurry of interviews, previews, and meetings. I pack my schedule so tight I don't stop for lunch, and playing just 30 minutes of a game at a time can spin you out a bit and make everything sort of blur into one. With all that in mind, I still couldn't tear myself away from Valor Mortis - the hardcore first-person RPG from the Ghostrunner devs - when it was my final appointment of the day. I stayed at the demo station until I beat the boss. That, in an environment like Gamescom, is high praise indeed.

What's so special about the original Hollow Knight? The intoxicating power of Team Cherry's invisible, insistent guiding hand

Dom Peppiatt — Thu, 04 Sep 2025 08:36:50 +0000

It's not just locked doors, imposing bosses, and top-tier traversal. It's a world, a sensation, a desperate and lonely feeling communicated through screen and pad. It's chains and foliage obscuring the foreground, as imposingly huge bugs slink about in the background. The depth of parallax art and the grit of an impossible fight. The feeling of movement as you flap your wings or dash over pits or scramble up walls. The world is dying, but you feel alive and vital within it. From vanishingly small beginnings to power comparable to godhood, Hollow Knight isn't just a good game: it's one of the best ever made.

Want a French-made RPG that takes inspiration from Japanese RPGs and was actually made by a team of 30? Edge of Memories should scratch that itch

Dom Peppiatt — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 14:59:43 +0000

We're all still recovering from Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 fever, right? Whilst the dev has revealed there's more set in the world of Maelle and pals to come, I can only imagine I speak for a fair few of us when I say: I want more French-made role-playing game goodness. To that end, I booked in some time at Gamescom 2025 to play something that may not be on your radar - a follow-up to 2021's underrated Edge of Eternity curio, Edge of Memories.

15 years later, Scott Pilgrim EX proves that Toronto's most problematic bass player has what it takes to become beat-em-up royalty in 2025

Dom Peppiatt — Wed, 27 Aug 2025 13:00:00 +0000

You know why a bass line is important in a good rock song, right? It's the whole foundation, the beating heart of the music that underpins everything else the song has to offer. That slick riff that comes in before the chorus wouldn't land as well without some nice syncopated bass notes to make it soar. The drum fills wouldn't feel as at home in the transitions without the bass to glue them to the rest of the beat. Even vocal melodies, when orchestrated properly, are elevated by a nice, recognisable and reliable bass line.

Pragmata's blend of shooting and hacking is the most stressful new idea I've seen in a shooter in generations, and it's brilliant

Dom Peppiatt — Thu, 21 Aug 2025 08:00:00 +0000

We've said it before, here, already: Pragmata represents Capcom at its weird, experimental best. To me, it's in line with Exoprimal and Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess as a game that shows the publisher is confident to let its studios run with any ideas they have. Whilst those two may not have been commercial (or in Exoprimal's case, critical) successes, I think Pragmata has a bigger shot at penetrating through the mainstream thanks to three key things: it's a shooter, its main character is more of an everydad - his name is Hugh Williams, for goodness sake - and it has one of the most exciting genre hybrids I've seen in a while.

Somehow, Resident Evil Requiem's 'big thing that follows you around' formula still invokes as much dread as your heart can take

Dom Peppiatt — Wed, 20 Aug 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Jack and Marguerite Baker in Resident Evil 7. Lady Dimitrescu in Resident Evil 8. Mr. X in the Resident Evil 2 Remake. Nemesis in the Resident Evil 3 Remake. You'd think after four games, the formula would be getting a bit rote, a bit boring. You're a (somewhat) powerless survivor whisked out of your comfort zone, and something supernatural and evil is trying to kill you. Rinse, repeat, right? But no. Each of these games has offered something different.

Onimusha: Way of the Sword is one of those rare game previews that made me think 'OK, yeah, I'm going to Platinum this one'

Dom Peppiatt — Wed, 20 Aug 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Way back in 2016, I downloaded and played the first Nioh public alpha. Team Ninja, the veteran action game developers behind Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive, working on a game that took inspiration from Dark Souls, was too much of a perfect idea to ignore. Within 10 minutes of playing that alpha - which was so bastard hard the devs had to tune down the difficulty for the next demo, and consequently the full release - I knew something to be true: I would get the Platinum trophy in this game.

Not only is Hollow Knight: Silksong real, I've played it, and it's harder and faster than the original - but is it better?

Dom Peppiatt — Wed, 20 Aug 2025 10:20:02 +0000

Hornets are generally considered pests because of how aggressive they are. Their stings are more dangerous than those of bees, and as a genus they are generally considered some of the most vicious insects out there. Their stings can kill (and about 62 deaths a year are attributed to hornets in the US alone). Makes sense that you'd use one for a video game protagonist then.

Everything announced at Opening Night Live, Gamescom 2025

Dom Peppiatt — Tue, 19 Aug 2025 21:13:46 +0000

It's Gamescom Opening Night Live time, and that means Geoff Keighley's back and ready to dish out loads of gaming news and information. As part of the presentation, Keighley and the crew behind Opening Night Live took to the stage with brand-new trailers, announcements, reveals, and more, kicking off this year's Gamescom event in Germany. You'll find a complete list of everything announced during the showcase below.

EA's upcoming Skate understands that the soundtrack is just as important as the gameplay, confirms over 100 songs

Dom Peppiatt — Fri, 15 Aug 2025 17:00:00 +0000

When you think of skateboarding games, what is the first thing you think of? For me, it's the music - whether it was being introduced to the impeccable drum work of Josh Freese in The Vandals' Euro-Barge on Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1, trying to get my voice as high as 3 Inches of Blood's singer in Deadly Sinners in Tony Hawk's Underground 2, or learning how to play Jack White's part in Girl, You Have No Faith in Medicine after hearing it in Skate, music is an integral part of these games.

Did Uniqlo know what it was doing with this Pokémon Magikarp t-shirt slogan?

Dom Peppiatt — Wed, 13 Aug 2025 13:36:02 +0000

I'm not sure about you, but whenever I'm scrolling a property owned by Meta (that's Facebook or Instagram, for the most part), I get advertised these 'splash blankets' that promise to be 100% waterproof and provide clean, dry sheets 'no matter what accidents might happen'. The adverts themselves are fairly innocuous; people knocking over glasses, pets coming home from their walk with wet paws, accidental dinner spillages when couples are eating dinner on their beds (for some reason).

If the wait for Hollow Knight Silksong is killing you, Xbox Game Pass just dropped another all-timer Metroidvania you should probably try

Dom Peppiatt — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 15:14:21 +0000

Early 2017 was a pretty good period for Metroidvania games. In February we saw Hollow Knight land on PC, and just one month later, a scrappier, weirder game called Rain World hit PC and the PS4. Hollow Knight, of course, now has the spotlight - it's one of the most successful and beloved indie games of the past decade - but Rain World also made a splash (pun not intended), just in a much more subtle way.

Would you rather stop playing a game than lower the difficulty? The First Berserker: Khazan devs reckon you would

Dom Peppiatt — Tue, 05 Aug 2025 09:12:33 +0000

Are you the sort of player that would rather drop a game altogether than simply bump the difficulty down (if such an option exists?) If so, then you might be in better company than you think - at least that's what the developer of The First Berserker: Khazan has deduced from poring over its player data, anyway.

After Devil May Cry 5 outsells Monster Hunter Wilds in Capcom's latest financial quarter, publisher's share prices tumble

Dom Peppiatt — Thu, 31 Jul 2025 12:07:28 +0000

It's been an interesting year for Capcom, so far. After the successful launch of Monster Hunter Wilds earlier this year, the keystone franchise for the developer appears to have hit a snag, as sales have declined rapidly in the post-launch window. As the game released, it broke records for Capcom as its fastest-selling game ever, and enjoyed the biggest physical launch of any game in the series.

Watch today's Nintendo Direct right here

Dom Peppiatt — Thu, 31 Jul 2025 10:06:42 +0000

Join us today to watch the 31st July Nintendo Direct, live at 2pm UK time (that's 6am PT or 9am ET for those of you watching in the USA, and 3pm CEST for our European readers).

Call of Duty plans to remove Modern Warfare 2 and 3 from game launcher to reduce the frankly comical size of the installation file

Dom Peppiatt — Tue, 29 Jul 2025 15:03:45 +0000

If you're the sort of player that jumps into the yearly Call of Duty experience, there's probably one thing that's stuck with you more than anything else: that obscene download size.

As Monster Hunter Wilds complaints mount, Capcom assures fans it's prioritising difficulty and rewards with a revised roadmap

Dom Peppiatt — Tue, 29 Jul 2025 12:58:31 +0000

Monster Hunter Wilds has had a rough time of it since launch. From day one, players on PC in particular have been criticising the game's performance (though that was recently addressed, to some degree, with a much-needed patch that took aim at stuttering and shaders). But aside from the complaints about performance, faithful hunters have also been knocking the game's approach to difficulty and content variation, bemoaning the easy hunts and comparative lack of end-game content.

I'm so pleased we're getting more Pokémon Concierge, a show that understands the brand (and its audience) perfectly

Dom Peppiatt — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 16:30:00 +0000

As of next year, the Pokémon series will have been around for 30 years. As Nintendo and The Pokémon Company begin to transition to properly adult care of this venerated franchise, one thing is becoming abundantly clear: Pokémon still appeals to audiences of all ages.

Watch today's Pokémon Presents presentation here

Dom Peppiatt — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 12:05:09 +0000

Today's the day! The Pokémon Company's next Pokémon Presents broadcast goes live in just under an hour, at 2pm UK time - and you can watch it right here on Eurogamer.

Bungie wants to give new Destiny 2 players a "more curated experience", but the real issue is winning back all the lapsed ones it already has

Dom Peppiatt — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 15:04:22 +0000

Last week, I had the urge to go back to Destiny 2. Once a staple of my gaming diet, my legendary Warlock has sat, unbothered, in his little ship in orbit around the Tower for over two years, now. I didn't even go back for the assumedly spectacular ending, and the final expansion to the 'Light & Dark saga', in the form of The Final Shape. I just didn't care. Lightfall had put a pin in the game for me, nearly 10 years after my initial flirtation with my 'forever game' in Destiny 1's mind-blowing alpha.

Job losses, studio closures, cancelled games: what we know about Xbox's devastating wave of layoffs

Dom Peppiatt — Fri, 04 Jul 2025 16:13:01 +0000

It's been a devastating week for the games industry as hundreds of employees have lost their jobs at Xbox as a result of a round of layoffs across parent company, Microsoft - layoffs that have totaled in excess of 9000. It's been a depressingly regular story in the video games industry over the past few years, and it's likely things are going to continue in this vein throughout the rest of 2025. It's bleak out there.

Podcast special: Ashly Burch on the importance of queer roles, mental health, and authentic representation in gaming

Dom Peppiatt — Fri, 04 Jul 2025 14:00:00 +0000

Hello! Eurogamer's week of features celebrating the intersection of queer culture and gaming continues today with a Pride-themed edition of the Eurogamer Podcast. In the spirit of the week's festivities, and given this is a timely and necessary look at why queerness is important to gaming, we're making this podcast completely free. So, whether you're a supporter or not, please sit back and enjoy a very special chat with actor and writer, Ashly Burch. To catch up on everything you might have missed this year and in Pride Weeks past, you can visit our Pride Week hub.

"The heart has no bounds": A study of polyamory in games, how it's done well, and where we should go next

Dom Peppiatt — Tue, 01 Jul 2025 14:01:17 +0000

Hello! Eurogamer's week of features celebrating the intersection of queer culture and gaming continues today as Dom Peppiatt explores polyamory in games. To catch up on everything you might have missed this year and in Pride Weeks past, you can visit our Pride Week hub.

After suffering an influx of overwhelmingly negative Steam reviews, can Capcom turn around Monster Hunter Wilds with the upcoming Title Update 2?

Dom Peppiatt — Mon, 23 Jun 2025 16:04:16 +0000

Monster Hunter Wilds has been having a rough time of it lately. Over the course of the past week, Capcom's seventh 'main' Monster Hunter title has racked up over 2,000 negative reviews. Most embittered reviewers are lamenting the game's poor PC performance, whilst others criticise Capcom for the poor optimisation and lack of PC-specific support.

With Raidou Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army, Atlus proves that the muddy ground between remaster and remake can be a good thing, actually

Dom Peppiatt — Thu, 19 Jun 2025 15:00:00 +0000

I really don't think anyone out there does it like Atlus. For better or for worse, really. The studio marches to the beat of its own drum without a hint of self-consciousness, spinning weird tales about Satanic rites, the power of friendship, and the end of the world (localised to the city of Tokyo). Whether you're looking at the parent Shin Megami Tensei series, the spin-off Persona games, or the Metaphor-shaped wunderkind that landed last year, Atlus always lands on its feet.

I am so glad I waited to play Pokémon Scarlet and Violet on Switch 2

Dom Peppiatt — Tue, 17 Jun 2025 13:28:32 +0000

Somebody once told me that Pokémon Scarlet and Violet would be the best game in the series if it wasn't for the Nintendo Switch. I was dubious and downright rude about it. Where's the heart? Where's the charm? One bread-shaped dog isn't enough to get me back in, not with those trees. But god, I was wrong. In fact, I don't think I've ever been this wrong about a Pokémon game.