Eurogamer.net Robert Purchese Feed

The Far Lands! Over 14 years later, the edge of a Minecraft world has been reached

Robert Purchese — Thu, 09 Oct 2025 14:43:50 +0000

It took 14-and-a-half years of walking but finally someone has made it to the edge of the world. Of Minecraft.

"The role of the console is shifting" - are rising prices the end for games consoles as we know them?

Robert Purchese — Mon, 06 Oct 2025 11:00:00 +0000

We're living in unprecedented times, and the future of consoles is in question. It's because of their price. Five years after this generation began, the consoles have never been more expensive, and it's not a pattern we're used to. We're used to prices going down - to manufacturing improvements shrinking both the physical size of the machines and their price. But not this time. This time, it's different.

What we've been playing - mud slides, 9-0 wins, retro difficulty anguish, and space hoppers

Robert Purchese — Sat, 04 Oct 2025 07:00:00 +0000

Hello and welcome back to our regular feature where we write a little bit about some of the games we've been playing. This week, Kelsey digs out the DS to play The Urbz, for some reason; Tom inadvisably asks Jim for some help in Baby Steps; Marie leaps over a wall on a space hopper; Ed is determined to learn Final Fantasy Tactics, which keeps kicking his ass; Connor buys Persona 5 Royal in a Steam Sale; Chris gives a potted review of EA Sports FC 26; and Bertie tries to work out if he likes Steam sensation Megabonk.

Clover Pit does for slot machines what Balatro did for poker, and I can't stop spinning

Robert Purchese — Fri, 03 Oct 2025 09:00:00 +0000

It's almost shameful. To play Clover Pit is to collide with gambling head-on. There, in front of you, is a slot machine, perhaps the purest expression of casino gambling there is. And there's the handle on the side of the machine for you to spin the drum within. Go ahead and rotate the columns of symbols in the hope they'll slow and stop into a scoring pattern on the screen. Did they? It doesn't matter - you can always spin again.

Capcom wants Resident Evil Requiem boss battles to test your wits rather than your shooting skill

Robert Purchese — Thu, 02 Oct 2025 10:55:37 +0000

Capcom has said it's looking more to the original Resident Evil games for ideas about how to challenge players with boss battles in the ninth Resident Evil game, Requiem.

Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 voice cast revealed, includes Returnal's Jane Perry and Still Wakes the Deep's Alec Newman

Robert Purchese — Wed, 01 Oct 2025 15:55:14 +0000

Paradox and The Chinese Room have revealed the voice cast performing in Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2, the action role-playing game which is barely a month away now. The game releases on 21st October.

Bloober confirms Silent Hill 1 remake in production, and won't rule out a Cronos sequel just yet

Robert Purchese — Wed, 01 Oct 2025 10:31:25 +0000

Polish horror specialist Bloober Team has revealed that the Silent Hill 1 Remake, which was briefly teased by Konami in the summer, is now in production.

Free Battlefield 6 seasonal content plans unveiled - first batch arrives a few weeks after launch

Robert Purchese — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 15:53:45 +0000

The first batch of seasonal Battlefield 6 post-release content will arrive 28th October, a few weeks after the game's 10th October launch, EA has announced. It'll bring new modes, new maps, new weapons, and more. And it'll be free.

Earth Must Die is a comedian-packed point-and-click in which you decide how much of a dick you want to be

Robert Purchese — Mon, 29 Sep 2025 16:19:27 +0000

Earth Must Die was one of the stand-out premieres in yesterday's PC Gaming Show. The cartoon-styled space romp shone with crisp and vibrant visuals, and boasted a cast list that read like a who's-who of British comedy.

Silent Hill f is selling faster than the Silent Hill 2 Remake so far

Robert Purchese — Mon, 29 Sep 2025 09:39:03 +0000

Silent Hill is doing good business for Konami at the moment. The just-released Silent Hill f is off to an even stronger start, sales wise, than the widely acclaimed Silent Hill 2 Remake released last year.

What we've been playing - potential games of the year, and good, and only good, games

Robert Purchese — Sat, 27 Sep 2025 07:00:00 +0000

Hello and welcome back to our regular feature where we write a little bit about some of the games we've been playing. This week, Tom reminds everyone that three stars is a good review score; Jim thinks he's found the next Balatro; Connor returns to work and to Hades 2; Bertie struggles to climb a train; and Marie outs herself as a Lego Jurassic World lover.

Can you tame a medieval wilderness? City-builder Farthest Frontier gets a very close 1.0 release date

Robert Purchese — Thu, 25 Sep 2025 14:03:53 +0000

I was really impressed by Farthest Frontier when I played it in early access a few years ago, so much so, I've been keeping an eye out for the full release ever since. And we now finally know when it will be: 23rd October, which isn't far away at all.

Forza Horizon 6 will come to PlayStation 5, but not immediately

Robert Purchese — Thu, 25 Sep 2025 13:04:15 +0000

Forza Horizon 5 set a historic precedent earlier this year when it was released on PlayStation 5. It marked the first time Microsoft's exclusive Xbox racing brand had appeared on a Sony machine - historically a rival in the console space. It was a landmark moment in Microsoft's pivot to Xbox being more of a software company than a hardware-restricted one.

Forza Horizon 6 will be set exactly where we expected it to be set

Robert Purchese — Thu, 25 Sep 2025 09:33:32 +0000

The next grand open-world setting for the next Forza Horizon game will be Japan, Microsoft has accidentally announced, and it will be released in 2026.

Steam gets a navigation-based overhaul and a much needed storefront tidy up

Robert Purchese — Wed, 24 Sep 2025 11:11:00 +0000

Steam's had an overhaul. The world's biggest PC gaming storefront has had a tidy-up, making it appear much less cluttered and busy when you browse.

Baby Steps review

Robert Purchese — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 16:01:27 +0000

Baby Steps walks a fine line between frustration and accomplishment to provide a walking simulator and climbing experience quite unlike anything else.

Chinese McDonald's Black Myth: Wukong collaboration features black burgers and a ridiculous dressing gown with matching headband

Robert Purchese — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 09:22:49 +0000

Black Myth: Wukong continues to make a noise in China, this time through a nationwide McDonald's collaboration designed to coincide with this year's Mid-Autumn Festival.

What we've been playing - whispers, webs, houses and beasts

Robert Purchese — Sat, 20 Sep 2025 07:00:00 +0000

Hello and welcome back to our regular feature where we write a little bit about some of the games we've been playing. This week, Kelsey discovers a game like Unpacking on Steam; Tom manages to get his Steam Deck working; Marie puts her Spider-Man suit on; Ed goes with Blue Lions; Ian enjoys drop-kicking; Will argues that Battlefield 2042 wasn't as bad as people made out; Chris can't tell us what he's been playing because it's top secret (but also: Pokémon); and Bertie is smitten by the Vampire Survivor formula all over again.

Don't overlook The Invincible on PlayStation Plus, it's a gorgeous sci-fi mystery that lingers long in the mind

Robert Purchese — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 10:10:37 +0000

It's not how a game feels at the time but how it feels after that defines it. That's a thought I've been chewing in my mind like gum for most of the year. How it settles; that's the clincher. There can be extraordinarily strong feelings when you're playing a game, but months later, do you want to go back? Ask yourself. The answer is telling.

Borderlands 4 crashing on PC? There's a new patch for that

Robert Purchese — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 09:37:37 +0000

A patch for Borderlands 4 has gone live on PC, which claims to address many of the crashes plaguing the game. Specifically, crashes related to animation states, audio, collision checks, and "various" GPU-related things. Basically everything, then.

Even the studio that wrote The Wolf Among Us 2 doesn't know what's going on with it

Robert Purchese — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 15:00:00 +0000

Telltale's second series-slash-sequel, The Wolf Among Us 2, has become notoriously hard to pin down. Originally announced in 2017, the game disappeared when Telltale closed in 2018, then it was resurrected in 2019 only to disappear again in 2023, amid what sounded like burnout from crunch. And we haven't heard a peep since.

Remember episodic gaming? Former Telltale devs are bringing it back for the release of Dispatch, and there's a chance it might work this time

Robert Purchese — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 15:00:00 +0000

Episodic games, much like baggy jeans and curtain haircuts, may be about to make a comeback, and once again it's Telltale staff - former Telltale staff - who are leading the charge.

Your new Vampire Survivors obsession is Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor - and it's a feast of a game

Robert Purchese — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 13:24:26 +0000

I still can't quite believe Vampire Survivors popularised a subgenre. I'm not mad at it - I adore it. But who would have predicted such a simple-looking and simple-playing thing would inspire such a following? A game in which all you do is move an auto-attacking character around while avoiding the swarms of enemies chasing after you. A game about choosing the right upgrades. It became an obsession! So the copycats and variations followed. But their job was harder: they couldn't simply recreate it. This brings us to Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor, released in 1.0 today, a variation on the theme. And I'm pleased to say it's marvellous.

Today in video games - 17th September

Robert Purchese — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 08:15:00 +0000

Update: That's it for our coverage today. Thanks a lot for joining us.

Valheim coming to PlayStation in 2026, possibly alongside the long-awaited 1.0 release?

Robert Purchese — Tue, 16 Sep 2025 13:52:41 +0000

The set is nearly complete: Valheim is coming to PlayStation next year. Remember, the procedurally generated, multiplayer viking survival game is already available on PC, Mac, Linux and Xbox Series S/X (and Game Pass).

Easy queasy: Borderlands 4 FOV sliders may be coming to console

Robert Purchese — Tue, 16 Sep 2025 10:12:02 +0000

One technical issue the console version of Borderlands 4 is facing is a lack of a customisable field of vision slider, as the game has on PC. Currently the console FOV is low and the zoomed-in perspective is making some players feel sick.

Video games roundup 16th September: Physical PlayStation game sales plummet, and Hades returns to Xbox Game Pass

Robert Purchese — Tue, 16 Sep 2025 08:29:36 +0000

Update: Thanks for joining us for another day of video games. Imagine I said that in a loud and cinema trailer-like voice. Catch up with the major talking points below.

"The game is pretty damn optimal" - Randy Pitchford responds to Borderlands 4 PC performance complaints

Robert Purchese — Mon, 15 Sep 2025 11:41:10 +0000

Gearbox Software boss Randy Pitchford has been busy defending Borderlands 4 against complaints of poor game performance on PC. He said the game was "pretty darn optimal" and that people shouldn't expect to be able to run it in huge resolutions at max settings and get incredible frame-rates.

15th September video games roundup: Valve's grip on adult games tightens as Randy Pitchford gives Borderlands 4 PC settings advice

Robert Purchese — Mon, 15 Sep 2025 08:21:09 +0000

Update: That was video games for today, Monday 15th September. The full transcript of everything that transpired can be picked over below. Happy pecking and see you tomorrow!

What we've been playing - "enjoy the rest of your evening going around in circles and dying lots"

Robert Purchese — Sat, 13 Sep 2025 07:00:00 +0000

Hello and welcome back to our regular feature where we write a little bit about some of the games we've been playing. This week, we've been banging our heads on Hollow Knight Silksong and trying to decide, for the most part, whether we love it or not. One moment we do, one moment we don't. But that's not all we've been playing. Tom's been struggling with technology again, Bertie's fallen down another rabbit hole, and Dom dug out the old Final Fantasy Tactics ahead of the remastered one's late September arrival.

12th September video game roundup: Nintendo mixes Switch 2 upgrades and new games in latest Direct

Robert Purchese — Fri, 12 Sep 2025 12:39:44 +0000

Update: The day is done. The Direct is done, and it's given us plenty to think about. Have a lovely weekend.

Slay the Spire 2 has been delayed but it wasn't Silksong's fault, promise

Robert Purchese — Fri, 12 Sep 2025 11:00:31 +0000

Slay the Spire 2, the sequel to the roguelike deck-building game that spawned a genre, has been delayed. Developer Mega Crit had been aiming for an autumn 2025 release, it said, but has now realigned for March 2026.

Today in video games - 12th September

Robert Purchese — Fri, 12 Sep 2025 08:30:35 +0000

It's Friday, 12th September and we're back with another day of video games goings-on. It'll all be sucked in here, through the flexi-nozzle vacuum of the liveblog, where we can ponder what it all means. What does it all mean?

French Lara Croft taking legal action against Aspyr for AI-generated voice use in Tomb Raider remasters

Robert Purchese — Thu, 11 Sep 2025 14:09:42 +0000

Françoise Cadol, the actor who voiced the French version of Lara Croft in all of Tomb Raider games from their inception to 2008, is taking legal action against Aspyr Media for the apparent AI-generated use of her voice in the Tomb Raider 4-6 remasters.

Parents: the new PlayStation Family App is out, and there are excellent opportunities for inter-family trolling

Robert Purchese — Thu, 11 Sep 2025 11:09:33 +0000

Sony has released a new PlayStation Family App on iOS and Android, giving you more - and more immediate - control over a number of aspects of your child's gaming.

11th September video game roundup: Our Hollow Knight Silksong review arrives and it's a biggie, and queer devs speak out against adult game delistings

Robert Purchese — Thu, 11 Sep 2025 07:14:02 +0000

Update: That was the world of video games today on 11th September - a very rainy day here on the southcoast of the UK. A full transcript of everything that occurred is available below to digest at your leisure.

Only nine franchises make up the top 20 all-time best-selling PlayStation chart in the US - can you guess how many are Call of Duty games?

Robert Purchese — Wed, 10 Sep 2025 11:29:38 +0000

In honour of PlayStation's 30th birthday yesterday in the US, data company Circana has dug out figures showing the top 20 best-selling PlayStation video games ever (date-range Jan 1995 to July 2025). Don't get too excited.

10th September video game roundup: Nintendo Direct announced for Friday, and Elden Ring Nightreign's new mode unveiled

Robert Purchese — Wed, 10 Sep 2025 08:30:13 +0000

Update: That was the world of video games today on 10th September - a very rainy day here on the southcoast of the UK. A full transcript of everything that occurred is available below to digest at your leisure.

The original PlayStation turns 30 years old in America today, so here are some nice stories about it

Robert Purchese — Tue, 09 Sep 2025 11:05:32 +0000

Feeling spritely? This shouldn't help: the original PlayStation console was released 30 years ago today in the United States, on 9th September 1995. It was a machine that would change gaming forever.

9th September video games roundup: Indy, Borderlands, Peak, PlayStation, and more

Robert Purchese — Tue, 09 Sep 2025 08:26:23 +0000

It's 9th September - I feel like a human calendar - and we're back with another coagulation of all of today's gaming news and events.

Breathtaking Keanu Reeves would "love" to be Johnny Silverhand in Cyberpunk 2

Robert Purchese — Mon, 08 Sep 2025 16:18:55 +0000

Hollywood actor Keanu Reeves has said he would love to reprise the role of Johnny Silverhand in Cyberpunk 2.

8th September video games roundup: Scrutinising the Saudi takeover of Evo, and Ghost of Yotei has the nicest locales

Robert Purchese — Mon, 08 Sep 2025 08:23:25 +0000

Update: That was the world of video games today on 8th September. A full transcript of everything that occurred is available below to digest at your leisure.

What we've been playing - it's not all Hollow Knight Silksong you know

Robert Purchese — Sat, 06 Sep 2025 07:00:00 +0000

Hello and welcome back to our regular feature where we write a little bit about some of the games we've been playing. This week, predictably, we've been playing Hollow Knight Silksong. How could we not? It's an historic event in video games. It broke various gaming stores. But that's not all we've been playing, I promise.

Hollow Knight Silksong features the voice of Stardew Valley creator Eric Barone

Robert Purchese — Fri, 05 Sep 2025 09:06:22 +0000

Stardew Valley creator Eric Barone has voiced a character or two in Hollow Knight Silksong.

5th September video game news round-up

Robert Purchese — Fri, 05 Sep 2025 08:16:59 +0000

It's not over yet. Hollow Knight Silksong launched around the world yesterday afternoon and brought gaming storefronts to a standstill. It's out. We're playing it. And now we've had an evening with it, what do we think? And what do you think? Let's see what the game's impact has been.

Is Hollow Knight Silksong's 'cheap' price a problem for other indie games? Devs and publishers weigh up its impact

Robert Purchese — Thu, 04 Sep 2025 09:20:19 +0000

Here's a complaint I never thought I'd hear: Hollow Knight Silksong is too cheap.

4th September video games roundup

Robert Purchese — Thu, 04 Sep 2025 08:13:18 +0000

Update: That was the world of video games today on 4th September. A full transcript of everything that occurred is available below to digest at your leisure.

I never expected Love is Blind to make me feel good about video games in 2025, but here we are

Robert Purchese — Wed, 03 Sep 2025 10:21:14 +0000

What's your instinctive reaction when games are mentioned in popular culture? Do you shimmy forwards eager to hear what people have to say, delighted that something you enjoy is getting air time? Or do you flinch, worrying what stereotypes and negative perceptions are about to be perpetuated?

3rd September video games roundup: No Man's Sky enjoys renaissance as Evo community mutinies

Robert Purchese — Wed, 03 Sep 2025 10:19:31 +0000

Update: That was the world of video games today for 3rd September. A full transcript of everything that occurred is available below to nibble on at your leisure.

2nd September video games round-up: Call of Duty film in development at Paramount and Silksong leads September Game Pass games

Robert Purchese — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 08:21:33 +0000

Update: That was the world of video games today on 2nd September. A full transcript of everything that occurred is available below to nibble on at your leisure.

1st September video games round-up: A new PlayStation State of Play scheduled for this week

Robert Purchese — Mon, 01 Sep 2025 08:27:26 +0000

Update: That was the world of video games today on 1st September. A full transcript of everything that occurred is available below to digest at your leisure.

What we've been playing - cat chases, ninja nostalgia, and wobbly oblong spaceships

Robert Purchese — Sat, 30 Aug 2025 07:00:00 +0000

Hello and welcome back to our regular feature where we write a little bit about some of the games we've been playing. This week, Victoria searches for cats in Paris, Dom practises for Silksong on Shinobi, Ed enjoys the Rogue Prince of Persia, Marie calms herself by building ramen houses, Matt makes a wobbly oblong spaceship, Bertie goes ghost hunting, and Connor blasts through an old Resi.

Hollow Knight: Silksong's release date causes delays for more games than you might think

Robert Purchese — Fri, 29 Aug 2025 11:50:46 +0000

Have you heard of a game called Hollow Knight Silksong? Silly question - the chances are you heard little else during Gamescom week. This near fabled sequel finally got a release date after several long years of development, and large parts of our gaming world erupted in response. The Gamescom queues to play Silksong were enormous. History had happened. The 4th September - mark it in your diary.

29th August video games round-up: What went wrong with Football Manager 25, and Steam age verification in the UK

Robert Purchese — Fri, 29 Aug 2025 08:18:40 +0000

Update: That was the world of video games today on 29th August. A full transcript of everything that occurred today is available below if you wish to digest it all at your leisure.

28th August video games round-up: MGS Delta issues acknowledged by Konami and lay-offs after Perfect Dark

Robert Purchese — Thu, 28 Aug 2025 08:39:08 +0000

Update: That was the world of video games today on 28th August. A full transcript of everything that occurred is available below if you wish to digest it at your leisure.

Good, the grubby paid clan plan for Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 is being "adjusted"

Robert Purchese — Wed, 27 Aug 2025 12:59:32 +0000

Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 publisher Paradox appears to be rethinking its plan to charge for two of the six playable clans in the game.

27th August video games round-up: the future of Clair Obscur, Final Fantasy 14 Fan Fests announced, and Resident Evil Requiem gets extreme

Robert Purchese — Wed, 27 Aug 2025 08:35:44 +0000

Update: That was the world of video games today on 27th August. A full transcript of everything that occurred today is available below if you wish to digest it all at your leisure.

26th August video games round-up: Helldivers 2 releases on Xbox and indies delay games due to Silksong

Robert Purchese — Tue, 26 Aug 2025 08:30:08 +0000

UPDATE: That was the world of video games today on 26th August. A full transcript of everything that occurred today is available below if you wish to digest it all at your leisure.

What we've been playing - the fabled Hollow Knight, the much-anticipated Bloodlines 2, and more

Robert Purchese — Sat, 23 Aug 2025 07:00:00 +0000

Hello and welcome back to our regular feature where we write a little bit about some of the games we've been playing. This week, our away team returns from Gamescom and our home team recovers from Gamescom. What a week! Have you had your head turned by anything?

Star Fox man's new game Wild Blue looks delightfully, deliriously like Star Fox

Robert Purchese — Thu, 21 Aug 2025 11:55:41 +0000

So this is what Star Fox man Giles Goddard has been up to: making a game that looks just like Star Fox. It's even got a team of anthropomorphic animals flying the spaceship-fighter-planes. It's even got those boxy aiming windows. It's even got the same bright-skied vibe. There's no denying what Wild Blue's inspiration was, and I'm A-OK with that.

No Path of Exile 2 1.0 release this year, as DDOS attacks blamed for server issues and huge new update revealed

Robert Purchese — Wed, 20 Aug 2025 21:00:00 +0000

Path of Exile 2 developer Grinding Gear Games had previously and optimistically said a 1.0 full release might happen this year. GGG gave it a 65 percent chance of happening when I spoke with the studio in March. But those ambitions have now been ruled out.

The vampirey Witcher-alike The Blood of Dawnwalker is fast becoming one of my most anticipated RPGs

Robert Purchese — Wed, 20 Aug 2025 12:55:03 +0000

There's so much I like about The Blood of Dawnwalker. It turned my head earlier in the summer when a debut gameplay trailer was released, and my head is still firmly turned - spun like Linda Blair's in The Exorcist - now that I've watched a gamescom presentation for it. It's part Witcher, part Vampire, part Kingdom Come, and if the modest Polish team can deliver what it's promising, The Blood of Dawnwalker could be great.

This sucks: you'll have to pay for two clans in Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2

Robert Purchese — Tue, 19 Aug 2025 19:39:05 +0000

As Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 finally gets a release date it looks like it will hit - 21st October 2025 - so comes news you'll have to pay to access two of the six clans in the game. Clans here act like your character class, determining what kind of gameplay role your character will adopt, as well as giving you a sense of storied belonging in the world, so they're no trivial thing. And they're not cheap.

More action than RPG, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 struggles to convince after a few hours' play

Robert Purchese — Tue, 19 Aug 2025 19:38:41 +0000

I can't hide it: I'm a little disappointed. The wait for Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 has been an excruciating one. This is the long-awaited follow-up to the flawed but respected Bloodlines 1 from 2004, and it was originally announced in 2019 with a release date of 2020. But it was systematically delayed, then full-on suspended, before being resurrected at The Chinese Room (Still Wakes the Deep) where it's been reshaped for release. Bloodlines 2 has had problems. The question is: does it still have problems and has it been worth the wait?

After all these years, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 gets an actual proper release date

Robert Purchese — Tue, 19 Aug 2025 19:38:09 +0000

The long-awaited and much-troubled Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 will finally be released on 21st October 2025, Paradox has announced. It's coming to PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series S/X simultaneously.

Gamescom Opening Night Live 2025 livestream and blog

Robert Purchese — Tue, 19 Aug 2025 17:10:36 +0000

It's Gamescom Opening Night Live time, which means Geoff Keighley's back with a probably slightly too long broadcast, containing, we hope, some exciting game announcements. I'll be joined in the commentary box by Tom Orry and we'll be watching the broadcast and bringing you a blow-by-blow account of it, right here. We also have a number of our team there at the show, so maybe they'll cause some mischief in the auditorium as we watch.

What we've been playing - we've made a change but don't panic

Robert Purchese — Sat, 16 Aug 2025 07:00:00 +0000

Hello and welcome back to our regular feature where we write a little bit about some of the games we've been playing. This week, we're making a slight change in an effort to get you a wider view of what the team - the entire team - has been playing. Expect to read more opinions on what we've been playing, but slightly shorter entries so we can fit them all in.

As D&D owner Wizards says "of course we want to do a successor" to Baldur's Gate 3, we wonder who will make it and what kind of game it will be

Robert Purchese — Fri, 15 Aug 2025 15:00:00 +0000

It would be silly if Wizards of the Coast, the brilliantly named company in charge of Dungeons & Dragons, didn't do a follow-up to Baldur's Gate 3, given the barnstorming success that game has enjoyed - and the wonders it's done for the D&D brand. Indeed Hasbro, the owner of Wizards, has talked quite openly about wanting a successor before, which is why it's no surprise to hear Wizards president John Hight tell The Game Business just the other day that, "Baldur's Gate [3] is an incredible game, and of course we're going to do a successor." But it begs the bigger question of who will make it.

Bongo Cat cracks bot problem as inspired multiplayer mode arrives, and creator takes new idea to Gamescom

Robert Purchese — Fri, 15 Aug 2025 14:34:52 +0000

Can he do it again? The creator of Steam sensation Bongo Cat, Marcel Zurawka, is taking a new idle typing game to Gamescom as he searches for a publisher for it. He won't tell me what it is yet when we talk on Discord, because he only has a small build to show publishers, he says, and is a month or two from revealing more. But if Zurawka can leverage even a fraction of Bongo Cat's audience to play the new game, it could be huge.

As AOL bins dial-up for good, it's impossible to fully state the impact it had on gaming and the internet - but we've tried

Robert Purchese — Thu, 14 Aug 2025 08:00:00 +0000

AOL is binning off its dial-up internet service after 30 years, which, frankly, is more surprising for the fact AOL still offered a dial-up internet service than for the fact it's closing it. Regardless, it's a milestone moment. AOL opened the doors of the internet for millions of people; its name was synonymous with it. And yes, I know that most of those people were Americans, the acronym AOL standing for America Online after all, but AOL did operate in the UK. I vividly remember having an AOL promo disk in a cardboard sleeve. I think it came attached to a newspaper - things like that happened back in the 90s. I remember trying to use it once, too, and being whisked away to an AOL-themed portal of bite-sized internet games and fledgling news services, and beautifully ugly 90s websites. The internet back then was a proper mood (there's a game called Hypnospace Outlaw that recreates it, if you don't know.)

BIOS shock: getting past Battlefield 6's anti-cheat error was the faffiest thing a PC game has ever required of me

Robert Purchese — Wed, 13 Aug 2025 11:52:19 +0000

I'm used to PC gaming being fiddly but I've never experienced anything like trying to get the Battlefield 6 beta working before.

Grounded 2 reminded me: sometimes, no world matches our own as a setting for a game

Robert Purchese — Mon, 11 Aug 2025 08:05:49 +0000

Recently I've been spending a lot of time looking down. Not because I'm fascinated by my feet or because there's dog shit on the street to dodge. There is some, and there was this one time I walked unaware into a fresh pile near here, wearing an open-toed plaster cast, which wasn't pretty. It went down between my toes, which is, probably, a bad enough experience to change my walking habits, but it's not the reason I've been looking down. I've been looking down because I'm reappraising what's there. I'm looking again at blades of grass to see how tall they actually are; I'm looking again at the skins of fallen berries to judge how strong they'd actually be if woven into armour; and I'm sizing up every insect I see from the imagined perspective of being an inch high. I'm thinking about Grounded.

What we've been playing - deathly road trips, short hikes, and co-op vacancies

Robert Purchese — Sat, 09 Aug 2025 07:00:00 +0000

Hello and welcome back to our regular feature where we write a little bit about some of the games we've been playing. This week, Tom O wants your recommendations for co-op games now that he's finished Split Fiction; Victoria discovers the joys of A Short Hike; and Bertie plays the strangest driving game he thinks he's ever played.

Grounded 2 early access review

Robert Purchese — Wed, 06 Aug 2025 11:05:28 +0000

The ant-sized thrills of Grounded return in a sequel which lays exciting foundations for the future. There's work to do but, already, an exciting adventure to have.

Grounded 2 wobbles while walking a line between frustration and brilliance

Robert Purchese — Tue, 29 Jul 2025 13:03:02 +0000

I've had a mixed experience with Grounded 2. It flip-flops between brilliance and frustration. The magic of living in an insect kingdom that's been made massive around me, by virtue of my being shrunk, is absolutely still here. I will never tire of watching spiders the size of cars prowl around the blades-of-grass forest around me, or bees buzz like helicopters above. And now there's more everything: more insects, more world, more variety, more story, more nuance to its systems, more things to make. In every way, Grounded 2 has widened and deepened - sometimes quite literally. There's a much clearer sense Obsidian knows the game it's making now and what the community wants from it. But with this added game-framework also comes busywork and a sense of grind, and a feeling of sometimes being held back from doing what you really want to do.

"We approached payment processors because Steam did not respond" - Australian pressure group Collective Shout claims responsibility for Steam and Itch.io NSFW game removal

Robert Purchese — Mon, 28 Jul 2025 12:29:44 +0000

Australian pressure group Collective Shout has claimed responsibility for the recent Itch.io and Steam developments that have seen the platforms change how they deal with - and in some cases remove - NSFW games and content from their respective platforms.

Grounded could grow into a trilogy - and there are already ideas that could fill a potential Grounded 3

Robert Purchese — Wed, 23 Jul 2025 13:00:00 +0000

Obsidian surprised us by announcing a sequel to shrunken-player backyard survival game Grounded earlier this summer. We assumed that Grounded, released in 2022 after two years in early access, had more years of live development ahead of it, which is often the case for multiplayer survival games like it. But that was never apparently the intention for Grounded.

Will Grounded 2 come to PlayStation and Switch 2? "Grounded was on all those platforms," teases Obsidian executive producer

Robert Purchese — Wed, 23 Jul 2025 10:00:00 +0000

Obsidian has given Eurogamer a good indication of how long Grounded 2 will be in early access for, and whether the game will come to PlayStation and other platforms besides Xbox and PC.

"It's not going anywhere if people still want to play it." As Grounded 2 gets ready to launch, Obsidian promises it's not the end of the road for the original game

Robert Purchese — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 16:06:30 +0000

Obsidian has expressed a strong interest for game preservation to Eurogamer while talking about whether Grounded 2 will usurp and replace Grounded 1 when it arrives in early access at the end of July.

What we've been playing - speedrunners, elusive secret doors, and guessing games

Robert Purchese — Sat, 19 Jul 2025 07:00:00 +0000

Hello and welcome back to our regular feature where we write a little bit about some of the games we've been playing. This week, Bertie makes it to Room 46 and also tries his hand at speedrunning, and Tom O pretends he's not playing Rematch.

Remember when BioWare's Anthem was exciting? Such a moment did exist

Robert Purchese — Thu, 17 Jul 2025 11:06:02 +0000

Even Anthem was exciting once. It's easy to forget now EA has sentenced BioWare's multiplayer shooter to the gallows, but there was a moment in time where the gaming world watched the reveal of Anthem with bated breath. What we were seeing wasn't Mass Effect or Dragon Age, these series the studio had clung to for so long, but something brand new. And for a moment, it dazzled. For a moment Anthem looked like the future.

Next year's Phasmophobia overhaul will be so significant it will feel "like playing a new game"

Robert Purchese — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 12:10:00 +0000

Five years after its Early Access release, it might feel like you've seen everything Phasmophobia has to offer, but there's an update in the works that is so significant that when it launches, the game's creator told Eurogamer, it will feel like you're playing a new game.

Phasmophobia will begin seeding lore to build story for the film

Robert Purchese — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 10:26:35 +0000

Phasmophobia creator Kinetic Games will be creatively involved in the recently announced film, and, the studio has told Eurogamer, it will begin seeding lore across the game in order to develop a story for it.

The story of Phasmophobia: How The Witcher 3 inadvertently saved the ghost-hunting game that sold 25 million copies

Robert Purchese — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 09:00:00 +0000

"There wasn't always a ghost."

What we've been playing - furniture dating, mansion mysteries, and football

Robert Purchese — Sat, 12 Jul 2025 07:00:00 +0000

Hello and welcome back to our regular feature where we write a little bit about some of the games we've been playing. This week, Tom O pretends he's playing a different game to Rematch; Bertie shares what sounds like an obsession with Blue Prince; and Bertie steals his partner's experience with a dating game and tries to pass it off as his own.

The singular power games have to grow in our minds

Robert Purchese — Sun, 06 Jul 2025 09:00:00 +0000

Games have a singular power that I don't believe any other medium has. Try this: has the meaning of a screenshot ever changed for you the longer you played a game? Have you ever experienced the feeling of looking at a screenshot early on and not understanding it, and then, many hours later, looking again and understanding it completely?

What we've been playing - penny drops, obsessions, and recuperation

Robert Purchese — Sat, 05 Jul 2025 07:00:00 +0000

Hello and welcome back to our regular feature where we write a little bit about some of the games we've been playing. This week, Bertie puts his feet up and ponders the effect our changing mindsets have on the games we play; Ed finally gets Death Stranding, and finds himself falling for it; and Tom O struggles to pull himself away from Rematch.

Playing A Short Hike developer's unfinished Paper RPG reminds us we're as shaped by the ideas that don't make it as we are the ones that do

Robert Purchese — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 13:00:00 +0000

We live in a world where we see finished products. Mostly finished products. Early Access has changed the moment in a game's development where we're invited in to play, but usually, we're still on a road to release. There's a linear progression: a developer begins a project and then works on it through to launch; an idea begins and develops and ends. That's how we think about games, about what the process of making them is. But what about the game ideas that don't make it, what about the ideas that never get that far, the creative cul-de-sacs and dead ends? Think about how many ideas you've had in your life and how far each of those ideas got. How many went the distance? How many resulted in a fully formed thing? Because I believe we're just as shaped by the ideas that don't make it, as we are the ones that do.

What we've been playing - passenger games, tunnels, and thrilling near-misses

Robert Purchese — Sat, 28 Jun 2025 07:00:00 +0000

Hello and welcome back to our regular feature where we write a little bit about some of the games we've been playing. This week, Bertie delves deep into his uncle's enigmatic mansion; Donlan gets into a fight in a tunnel; and Tom O has the kind of gripping football match Liverpool and Milan would be proud of.

Steam's fourth most played game doesn't really make any money, and its developer says it's better off that way

Robert Purchese — Thu, 26 Jun 2025 13:00:00 +0000

Bongo Cat, currently the fourth most played game on Steam - a placing it's held for a few months now - doesn't actually make any money. Despite having had around 150,000 daily concurrent players since April, making it at this moment more popular than blockbusters like Elden Ring: Nightreign and Dune: Awakening, Bongo Cat isn't able to recoup the miniscule development costs it has.

Fantasy Life i might be the star of the Switch 2 launch, providing both the Animal Crossing and RPG experience it needs

Robert Purchese — Sat, 21 Jun 2025 11:00:00 +0000

What a strange and wonderful game. It took me about four hours to pin down what Fantasy Life is, because by turns it's Animal Crossing and then it's a role-playing game, and then it's something else. The form of the game shifts and shimmies during the opening hours as a constant stream of new ideas are introduced, and it's only as they begin to settle that you begin to appreciate what an intoxicating blend it can be.

What we've been playing - cops, kicks, cups and climbs

Robert Purchese — Sat, 21 Jun 2025 07:00:00 +0000

Hello and welcome back to our regular feature where we write a little bit about some of the games we've been playing. This week, we've got a bumper crop! Alex tries out being a police officer, Tom O tries out being a footballer, Dom excels as a monk, and Connor lets it die.

Obsidian says Grounded 2 won't have LAN multiplayer either, and it's a huge shame

Robert Purchese — Wed, 18 Jun 2025 10:03:23 +0000

Grounded 2 won't have local multiplayer support, just as there wasn't - and still isn't - LAN support in the current Grounded game. "We can confirm that Grounded 2 will be consistent with the prior game and does not support LAN multiplayer," a spokesperson from Obsidian told Eurogamer. I asked for an explanation why but was told Obsidian had nothing further to share.

What we've been playing - lessons in communication and, um, trash-talking

Robert Purchese — Sat, 14 Jun 2025 09:29:10 +0000

Hello and welcome back to our regular feature where we write a little bit about some of the games we've been playing. I bet you didn't even notice it's a couple of hours late this week. Shh, don't say if you did. This time, Bertie learns a lesson or two about communication while Tom O tackles Mario Kart World's Free Roam missions.

The Alters review

Robert Purchese — Fri, 13 Jun 2025 16:08:12 +0000

The Alters achieves something tense and new by merging strategy base-building with third-person exploration and a sci-fi story about cloning yourself. But repetition and complicated busywork mar the overall effect.

Tainted Grail: Fall of Avalon is better than I expected it to be, and piggybacks on the small-team RPG momentum of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Robert Purchese — Tue, 10 Jun 2025 08:12:50 +0000

There's a strong and immediate sense of Elder Scrolls to Tainted Grail: Fall of Avalon. In so many ways it feels like the exact same experience. First-person: check. Fantasy: check. Begins in a prison cell: check. Skills increase as you use them: check. Stealth works the same (even the icon is identical), combat and dialogue feel familiar. This is a copy of Elder Scrolls barely concealed.

Xbox Games Showcase June 2025 livestream and blog

Robert Purchese — Sun, 08 Jun 2025 09:49:55 +0000

We're back this Sunday afternoon to cover the summer Xbox Games Showcase live. The show begins at 6pm UK time (7pm CEST/ 1pm EDT/10am PDT) and our updates will appear automatically below. You can also leave comments and chat along with us while watching the stream. You know the drill.

What we've been playing - Switch 2s and sand worms

Robert Purchese — Sat, 07 Jun 2025 07:00:00 +0000

Hello and welcome back to our regular feature where we write a little bit about some of the games we've been playing. This week, we get all excited about the arrival of Nintendo's new console, the Switch 2, and we pop on our filtration suits and head into the deserts of Arrakis with the launch of Dune: Awakening.

Share a selfie of yourself using Switch 2 GameChat and win Nintendo Lego

Robert Purchese — Fri, 06 Jun 2025 16:17:37 +0000

A new console has arrived - have you noticed? The Nintendo Switch 2 is finally here. And to mark the occasion we've teamed up with Nintendo to do a prize giveaway.

Summer Game Fest 2025 Opening Showcase live stream and blog

Robert Purchese — Fri, 06 Jun 2025 15:12:29 +0000

The annual cascade of Summer Game Fest broadcasts formally begins tonight with the Opening Showcase at 10pm UK time (11pm CEST/5pm EDT/2pm PDT). We'll report all of the major announcements from it here, as they happen, while also chatting with you. So grab a tea or a coffee, or something harder if you like, and join us for the show.