I can already feel the itch crawling under my skin, the need for that familiar mix of frustration and satisfaction that can only be found in a Soulslike game. I'm talking about those games that require endless deaths and countless hours of gameplay, all for the sake of that one moment of victory. It's a genre I love to hate, and I'm itching for a new release.
Last year didn't bring much in terms of prominent Soulslike games, except for that Chinese one I can't seem to remember the name of. But this year, we have The Duskbloods, although there are concerns that it may be delayed. And from what I've heard, it's mostly a multiplayer game, which is not what I'm looking for. I want a full-fat, single-player adventure on par with Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Elden Ring. But I know these games take time to make, and I may just be being greedy.
The genre did see some promising releases in 2025, like The First Berserker: Khazan, but it's 2026 that holds even more promise with games like Code Vein 2, Nioh 3, Phantom Blade 0, Mortal Shell 2, Lords Of The Fallen 2, and The Duskbloods on the horizon. Of course, there's always the possibility of delays, but so far there's been no word on that.
Speaking of delays, I just found out that Anthem has been shut down after seven long years. While I'm sure there are only a handful of people upset about this, it does highlight the obsession with live service games that has been going on for quite some time. It's not a recent phenomenon, as publishers have been pushing for it since the PlayStation 4 era. It's a shame to see a talented developer like BioWare forced to make an online shooter, and I fear it may be the end of them. But at least EA seems to have learned from the experience and hasn't attempted a similar game since.
On a different note, there's an issue with RAM being bought up for AI, and it's causing problems for the next generation of consoles. This could potentially delay the release of new consoles, which is not good news after the slow-winded current generation. As a fan of Sony, I worry about how this will affect their upcoming releases. Will they have to stretch out their current lineup for a few more years? And what about the highly anticipated Horizon Zero Dawn 3? Will it be held back for the PlayStation 6 launch, or will it be released exclusively for PlayStation 5? Only time will tell.
While we're on the topic of upcoming releases, there are always those hidden gems that surprise us. Games like Blue Prince, The Séance Of Blake Manor, Skate Story, Sektori, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 were all unknown to most before their release in 2025. And now, there's another game that has caught my attention – Tainted Grail: The Fall Of Avalon. An open-world role-playing game set in the world of Arthurian legend, similar to Skyrim. I've added it to my wishlist, and I can't wait to see what other unknowns are lurking in the gaming world this year.
And speaking of unknowns, there's a game making waves on Twitch that I had never heard of before. It's an old school Dino Crises inspired game called Code Violet, and it's exclusive to PlayStation 5. Despite its numerous bugs and other issues, it seems to be a hit, which goes to show that sometimes a game can surprise us in unexpected ways.
As a fan of Hellblade 1 but not 2, I was relieved to hear that Ninja Theory is still up and running and working on new projects. However, it seems they had to make some cuts last year, and their other game was cancelled. It will be interesting to see how they continue the Hellblade series, and whether they will stick with the same characters or introduce new ones. Either way, I'm excited to see what they come up with, as their graphics and combat are top-notch.
And finally, there's the mystery of the missing Animal Crossing sequel for the Switch. Instead, Nintendo chose to release Fire Emblem, which seems like a strange decision. They've had ample time to work on it, so why is there no sign of it? Perhaps they changed their plans and restarted the project? We'll never know for sure, but I do think Nintendo has a habit of striving for perfection, even if it means delaying releases. And while they may have stumbled with Metroid Prime 4, I think their magic lies in their dedication to creating the best possible games.
Hello there, fellow gamers! It's been an interesting week in the world of gaming, with lots of discussions and debates happening on the Tuesday letters page. One of the hot topics was Nintendo's plan for the Switch launch, with some readers questioning its quality. Meanwhile, another reader predicted a delay for the PlayStation 6. As always, Games Inbox was filled with our readers' letters, comments, and opinions. If you want to join in on the discussions, don't hesitate to email us at the provided email address.
Speaking of discussions, let's talk about a genre that has been making waves in the gaming community – Soulslike. Many of us can relate to the feeling of wanting to die repeatedly while simultaneously loving and hating a game. And for our reader Benson, that game is a Soulslike, preferably from FromSoftware. However, he's been missing out on a proper single-player one for quite some time now. While he's aware of The Duskbloods' release this year, he's worried that it might get delayed. Plus, he's not sure if it's what he's looking for since it's primarily a multiplayer game. Benson craves a big, full-fat, single-player adventure that can rival Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Elden Ring. He knows these games take time to make, but he can't help but feel greedy for wanting one.
Moving on to another topic, our reader Meister shared an interesting observation about the recent shutdown of Anthem after seven years. It made him think about the trend of live service games and how it's been going on for quite some time now. He mentioned how it was already a thing in the PlayStation 4 era, and how publishers were determined to make it work. It's unfortunate that BioWare had to make an online shooter, and Meister believes it will eventually lead to their downfall. However, he noticed that EA seems to have learned from the experience and didn't try to make another live service game. Meister also pointed out that Sony and Ubisoft never learned this lesson, which was evident in their constant push for live service games.
On a different note, our reader Cranston expressed his concern about the RAM problem that's been going on. Apparently, it's being bought up to run AI, and Cranston believes it might delay the next generation of gaming. He's worried that Sony will have to stretch their already thin line-up for a couple more years, which he thinks is the worst thing that could happen. Cranston also speculates on Sony's plan for Horizon Zero Dawn 3, whether they'll hold it back for the PlayStation 6 launch or make it exclusive to the PlayStation 5. We'll have to wait and see what happens after Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet's release, as there's no news on what's coming after that.
Now, let's move on to some exciting game releases from last year that might have gone under your radar. Our reader Simundo shared a list of games that were unknown to most before their release. He mentioned titles like Blue Prince, The Séance Of Blake Manor, Skate Story, Sektori, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which turned out to be some of the best games of 2025. He also mentioned another promising game called Tainted Grail: The Fall Of Avalon, which got a full release last year. It's an Arthurian open-world role-playing game, and Simundo has added it to his wishlist.
As we start the new year, our reader Simundo is curious about what unknown games are lurking out there. He mentioned one game that's been causing a stir on Twitch lately – Code Violet. It's an old-school Dino Crises inspired game that's exclusive to PlayStation 5. Despite its numerous bugs and other issues, it seems to have worked, and Simundo believes it's an early contender for worst game of the year.
Next up, our reader Hyperloaf shared his thoughts on Ninja Theory's upcoming project, Hellblade 2. He's glad to hear that the developer will continue on despite the job cuts last year. Although he's not a fan of the second game, he believes it would be weird to suddenly turn it into a 'proper game'. Instead, he suggests setting it in the same world with different characters. He also thinks they might make the existence of the supernatural more obvious, which will simplify things. Hyperloaf can't wait to see what Ninja Theory has in store for us.
Last but not least, our reader Morseome has an interesting theory about why Nintendo hasn't fast-tracked an Animal Crossing sequel for the Switch 2. He believes that the company might have changed their plans and restarted projects. While some people may think that Nintendo is being weird or contrarian on purpose, Morseome thinks their 'magic' is simply a matter of perfectionism. He also mentioned the possibility of Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet's delay, and how it might have affected the release of Animal Crossing for the Switch 2. It's all just speculation, but it's definitely something to think about.
That's all for this week's edition of Games Inbox. If you want to share your thoughts, don't hesitate to email us at the provided email address. We'd love to hear from you! And as always, don't forget to sign up for our newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, along with the latest reviews and more. See you all next week!
