Key Note Gaming

I’ve been a fan of the Yakuza or Like a Dragon series since the very beginning. As a magazine writer I was lucky enough to visit Sega’s headquarters in Tokyo during the development of the original PlayStation 2 title way back in 2005, and in my years at IGN I’ve reviewed a number of the remakes, sequels, and spin-offs of RGG Studio’s long-running crime series. At this point I’ve invested hundreds of hours into beating the absolute snot out of Japanese mobsters, either via the button-mashing combo-based style of the original adventures or the turn-based RPG form that’s become core to the most recent mainline entries. Thus I feel pretty well-equipped to handle anything that RGG Studio can throw my way at this point, which is why I was so shocked that the new combat system in upcoming series prequel Stranger Than Heaven so completely kicked my arse. At a recent BiliBili Game First Look event in Shanghai, I got some brief hands-on time with a brawling-based demo for Stranger Than Heaven. (...

A new weekend has arrived, and today, you can save on Donkey Kong Country Returns HD, Splatoon Raiders, AirPods Pro 3, and more. Check out our top picks for Saturday, June 20, below. Donkey Kong Country Returns HD for $44.99 Donkey Kong Country Returns is one of Nintendo's best platformers, and you can score this amazing game on Nintendo Switch for $44.99 this weekend at Walmart. This version of the game includes 80 total levels, with the 3DS-exclusive levels part of that. A Nintendo Switch 2 patch was released earlier this year, so you can play Donkey Kong Country Returns HD in 4K if you have a Switch 2. Save $10 Off Splatoon Raiders Physical at Amazon Splatoon Raiders is officially due out this next week, and pre-orders are still discounted for the series' first single-player-focused game! In addition to physical Nintendo Switch 2 copies, three new Splatoon Raiders amiibo of Frye, Shiver, and Big Man are also set to release on July 23. Tokyo Ghoul Box Set for $77.74 This bo...

If you plan on hopping into Halo: Campaign Evolved split-screen co-op when it launches for PS5 next month, you'll need not just one but two accounts with PlayStation Plus subscriptions to play. Halo Studios clarified the account requirements for the upcoming story remake with a Halo Waypoint Q&A yesterday. It serves as a deep dive into some of the hottest topics to emerge since the game was announced for PC and Xbox Series X | S – and PlayStation 5 – in October 2025, but not everyone is happy with what the team had to say. The breakdown confirms what is needed to play with others, with each platform demanding different requirements. For example, you'll need at least a Microsoft account and Xbox Gamertag, regardless of whether you're a PC, Xbox, or PlayStation user, to enable cross-play and cross-platform progression. Halo: Campaign Evolved's requirements on PlayStation, specifically, however, are especially steep. "If you’re playing split-screen on PlayStati...

Sea of Remnants has come a long way since we first looked at it last year . High on style, but short on details at the time, we praised the aesthetics, even if we needed to see more from the story and gameplay to know if it has the substance to go with it. Thankfully, we got a fresh look at Summer Game Fest 2026, and what a difference a year makes. The turn-based swashbuckling and realtime ship combat, combined with a healthy dose of mystery and outrageous characters, has my spyglass trained squarely on the Sea of Remnants. As the demo begins, it’s just me in a rowboat, the star-filled nights sky overhead, and the sea stretching infinitely in every direction. As I row forward, the ethereal music swells, and luminous sea creatures begin to coalesce around me. Just off my starboard, a whale made of light, shades of navy and turquoise, breaches the surface. A fleet of wraithlike boats join me in formation. Eventually, I come to a solitary ship's wheel extending above what I presume mu...

CD Projekt Red co-CEO Michał Nowakowski thinks the studio has yet to complete a "full redemption arc" after the "heartbreaking" launch of Cyberpunk 2077 , but he's hoping it can win back some fans with The Witcher 4 . Nowakowski reflected on the Poland-based game developer's journey during a recent conversation with Edge (via GamesRadar ). The interview saw him open up about how "heartbreaking" the launch of Cyberpunk 2077 was for the team – and for fans. "I'm not 100 per cent convinced we went through the full redemption arc," Nowakowski said. "I'm convinced that we lost the faith of some people indefinitely, and that's a fair thing." It's been nearly six years since Cyberpunk 2077 undid much of the goodwill CD Projekt Red had accumulated following the release of its 2015 hit, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt . Years of excitement for the futuristic dystopian RPG quickly fizzled out after launch-day players were met wit...

Xbox has rolled out a new label for console exclusive games, visible now on your Xbox Series X/S dashboard. This month, Xbox confirmed it had decided to make the upcoming Gears of War: E-Day a console exclusive when it arrives on October 6. Clockwork Revolution will also be a console exclusive when it launches in 2027. Now, Gears of War: E-Day features a brand new "EXCLUSIVE" label, similar to other previous game labels that denote a game is optimized for Series X/S, or featured as part of a subscription service such as Game Pass or Ubisoft+. The label certainly makes clear the game will no longer be arriving for PlayStation 5 (as had once been planned), though it's worth remembering that the title will still also launch on PC. Still, the label will likely prove useful helping mark out the titles that Microsoft has decided it will make exclusive — something chief content officer Matt Booty has said will be chosen on a "case-by-case basis" , but not include ...

Analysis of a new PlayStation business document has highlighted an official change to Sony's multiplatform release strategy, with PC no longer described as part of the company's first-party launch focus. The change, picked up from Sony's latest 229-page filing to the U.S Securities and Exchange Commission by Game File, is the clearest sign yet of what has previously been reported — that PlayStation is backing away from launching its first-party games on PC, at least when they're single-player. Just yesterday, Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier relayed comments from an internal meeting chaired by Herman Hulst , in which the PlayStation CEO stated that single-player narrative games would only launch on PlayStation consoles in future. This means there will be no PC port of Insomniac Games' upcoming Marvel's Wolverine , Santa Monica Studio's God of War Laufey, or Naughty Dog's Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. Online live-service games will still get PC la...

A new game called TBH: Task Bar Hero has emerged out of nowhere as one of Steam's most played games, but there's also a lot of drama surrounding it. The new game was released on Steam last month for free, and it currently has over half a million concurrent players, making it the third most-played game on Steam behind Counter-Strike 2 and Dota 2. The new game is unique in that you don't actually have to play it. As the name implies, Task Bar Hero embeds itself into your PC's taskbar, and little pixel characters go on adventures, fight foes, and collect loot all while you work, browse the web, or leave your PC running. Of course, you can take control yourself if you want to, but it's an RPG that is constantly active so long as you open the game. The loot can even be sold on the Steam marketplace for real money, which can then be used to buy other things on Steam. However, there's a lot of controversy surrounding this new viral game. Users are reporting false ban...

Hold onto your Sheckles. Grow A Garden 2 was released just last week on Roblox but has already amassed over 300 million visits. The sequel adds a nefarious nighttime stealing mechanic, meaning that during the 2:30 minute long darkness you can trespass into another player's farm, grab some plants, and hightail it back to your turf. The catch? Your intended victims could be at home and ready to enact some vigilante justice with a shovel, have set traps, or have invested in a garden gnome to attack intruders. There was theft in the original Grow A Garden, but it cost Robux. Now you can live your vegetable heist dreams, and the only cost is the danger of getting caught. Grow A Garden 2 also adds props, which can be purchased in the center of the market area at the Prop Shop. They can range from the mythic Teleporter Pad Crate, which costs 50,000,000 Sheckles to a Ladder Crate, which is common and costs 30,000. For a list of all props and item chances in Grow A Garden 2 you can check ou...

Final Fantasy 14 players in Japan now have the opportunity to get in-game cosmetics and items by paying their real life taxes, as reported by Famitsu . These rewards include the online MMORPG’s Megashiba Mount. Japan has a Hometown tax initiative (Furusato Nozei), which allows people to redirect portions of their residence tax to other areas of the country, even if they don’t live there. In return, you can choose a special gift from the region (everything from local snacks and traditional handcrafted items, to hotel stays and local cultural experiences). The scheme launched back in 2008 with the aim of directing tax funds back to rural, less-populated areas, but now almost every municipality in the country offers some kind of reward via the scheme. It’s a win-win as local governments receive more funds, while taxpayers receive presents in exchange for tax money they would have had to fork out anyway. In recent years, some areas have started offering digital rewards. For example, last y...

Granblue Fantasy: Relink introduced a brand new audience to the floating islands of Zegagrande and the adventuring Skyfarers of the Granblue Fantasy series back when it launched in 2024. Marking the first console RPG adventure for the primarily mobile gacha series, Relink let players pull off dazzling arrays of anime spectacle as they worked together either with their CPU-controlled party or with their friends to tackle quests and monsters. Now, we are mere weeks away from diving into the massive new expansion, Endless Ragnarok, and during SGF we had a chance to sit down and speak with the creative director, Tetsuya Fukuhara, and narrative director, Sanshiro Hidaka, but also get some hands-on time with the new expansion. Some of the most jaw-dropping moments of Relink were when Granblu's heroine, Lyria, would summon her big ol' lizard pal, Bahamut, to let him do what dragons do best - rain fire/laser breath down on chumps. Lyria's ability to summon Bahamut is a pretty big d...

Call of Duty: Black Ops 1 and 2 are being brought to new platforms in July, courtesy of Iron Galaxy. Treyarch confirmed today that its beloved Call of Duty games are making a grand return via new ports, courtesy of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 developer Iron Galaxy. These ports will only be available on PlayStation, though it's unclear which PlayStation platforms. The initial leak for these ports indicated they'd likely be available on PS4 and, as a result, would also be available to play on PS5 through backwards compatibility. It's currently unclear if PS5 will get native ports. Treyarch also confirmed that the ports will include campaign, multiplayer, and Zombies, so players will get to experience the full packages. It's not known if players will be able to carry over their progress, if cross-play will be enabled with other versions, or if these ports will simply live in isolation. While Treyarch made no mention of any upgrades coming to Xbox or PC, keep in mind...

The entire development team for Luna Abyss , a well-received shooter that was released just a month ago, has been laid off. Hollie Emery, the CEO of Kwalee Labs, revealed the news in a LinkedIn post. Emery claimed that the decision to make the development team redundant was completely outside of their control. The decision was made despite piles of critical praise for Luna Abyss (the game holds an 81 on Metacritic). Unfortunately, it doesn't appear to have made a commercial splash. Luna Abyss peaked at 317 concurrent players on Steam, suggesting it hasn't found a big audience. The development team was made up of nine people, all of whom are now seeking work. The team spent seven years working on the game, which entered development in 2019. IGN first previewed the game back in 2023 and expressed plenty of optimism for the overall vision that Kwalee Labs had for Luna Abyss. That optimism trickled into another preview of the game earlier this year , ahead of the game's releas...

Forza Horizon 6 for PC and Xbox was released just last month. This is the perfect excuse for you to finally upgrade from a controller to a bona fide racing wheel. Logitech via its official eBay store is offering a fantastic deal on its most popular racing wheel. Right now you can pick up a refurbished Logitech G29 Racing Wheel and Pedal Set for PS5 and PC for just $145 shipped. The G29 retails for $330 new. It comes with a 1 year Logitech warranty, which isn't quite as long as the 2 years you get purchasing new, but a lot better than the standard 3 to 6 months you typicall get with a recertified model. Save 56% Off the Logitech G29 Racing Wheel and Pedal Set If you're a big fan of racing games and you've been using a DualSense controller or gamepad this entire time, then this price drop might be the excuse for you to step up your immersion to the next level. The G29 as already one of the best racing wheels under $300, and definitely the best racing wheel under $150. Sta...

June's Nintendo Direct had some exciting news for Kingdom Hearts fans. Alongside a surprise trailer for Kingdom Hearts 4 , the Kingdom Hearts Collection 1-3 was also announced. If it caught your eye and you're hoping to pick it up for your gaming library, preorders for the collection are live right now at various retailers ahead of its release on October 8. No matter if you're interested in a physical or digital copy of the Kingdom Hearts Collection 1-3, we've broken down where it's available to preorder right now for $74.99, alongside any bonuses it comes with. Check them out at the links below, and secure your copy to have in time for release day. Preorder Kingdom Hearts Collection 1-3 – Amazon Exclusive Edition PS5 (Physical) See at Amazon - $74.99 Nintendo Switch 2 (Physical - Game-Key Card) See at Amazon - $74.99 Amazon has its own exclusive physical edition of the Kingdom Hearts Collection 1-3 available to preorder right now which comes with a double-sided...

Final Fantasy returning to turn-based combat through the upcoming Final Fantasy Resonance is a pretty big deal, even if you were just going off the reception to its initial reveal. Many folks, including myself, are thrilled to see the series' name attached to a game with an HD-2D art style and have the story of Brave Exvius get adapted in the form of Resonance. In my exclusive hands-on preview of Final Fantasy Resonance , I experienced first-hand just how its rethinking turn-based combat with a stagger system, the Job-like Visions, and intricate party customization. And I got to dig deeper into its inspirations, namely Final Fantasy V, in a conversation with producer Keisuke Nakashima and director Hiroto Furuya . There's also this lingering feeling that turn-based RPGs have had a resurgance in recent years. By no means did they ever go away – look at the continued success of Atlus RPGs (Persona, Metaphor, Shin Megami Tensei) and Square Enix's own (Octopath Traveler and Drag...

Viral hide-and-seek paint game Meccha Chameleon is celebrating 2 million copies sold with the launch of a new map later this week. Developer lemorion_1224 announced the sales figure update with a post on their Steam page . It's a quick thank you to the fans who have found the game, promising to gift them a new map at some point in the next few days. "2 million copies sold! Thank you so much!" a version of the statement posted to X/Twitter said. "A new map will be added in the second half of this week!" The party game, which lets players blend into environments by painting their bodies, released June 9 on PC via Steam. A separate Steam post from June 13, just two days ago, thanked fans for helping it reach 1 million copies sold. There's no denying that it's a strong start for the latest entry in the trend of multiplayer games known for their unique gameplay and low price point. Many online refer to this genre of game as "friendslop," and it...

The upcoming Dead by Daylight movie will be helmed by Icelandic film director Thordur Palsson (The Damned, The Valhalla Murders), using a screenplay from Alexandre Aja (director of Never Let Go, Crawl, and Piranha 3D) and David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick (the writer of three films in The Conjuring series, and both Aquaman films). The news was announced during the Dead by Daylight 10th anniversary broadcast , with Blumhouse founder Jason Blum and producer Stephen Mulrooney joining Palsson on stage. "For me, the main thing is capturing the feeling of playing Dead by Daylight," said Palsson. "The main thing is I want to capture the feeling of looking over your shoulder. I want to capture the dread, the tension, the fear of what's waiting for you in The Fog." "I love horror that stays with you after it's over, and that's the cinematic experience we want to bring to the big screen for you guys." Iconic locations like The MacMillan Estate and Greenvil...

As months of teases come to a head, Behaviour Interactive is ready to unpack major reveals with its big Dead by Daylight 10th Anniversary Broadcast, and we're here to gather all of the highlights. Through ups, downs, and steel beams named Jim, Dead by Daylight has survived 10 years as not only an endlessly mutating asymmetrical horror game but also an enormously popular multiplayer game in general. Since its original release on June 14, 2016, Behaviour has injected a collection of original Killers and Survivors, as well as an ever-expanding roster of licensed collaborations that have seen franchises like Child's Play, Halloween, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Resident Evil, Saw, Silent Hill, Alien, Five Nights at Freddy's, and many, many more enter the fray. As Dead by Daylight rolls out the welcome wagon for the long-awaited debut of Friday the 13th Killer Jason Voorhees , fans are hoping to see Behaviour celebrate its birthday with potential announcements for more license...

After three years of calling New Orleans, Louisiana the home of the Pokémon North America International Championships (NAIC), the ever-growing tournament and event is moving to McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago, Illinois in 2027. The news comes out of the closing ceremonies today at Pokémon NAIC in New Orleans. Though New Orleans has been “fantastic” in many ways, Chicago may be even better, said Chris Brown, The Pokemon Company’s (TPCi) Director, Global Esports and Events Producer. “It’s a world class city.” When planning events of this scale, TPCi looks at a few important factors: geographical accessibility, room for growth, and, casually speaking, vacationability. “Chicago checks all the boxes,” Brown said in a group interview. As far as geographical accessibility goes, New Orleans has direct flights from 55 different airports around the world from four different countries, according to FlightConnections.com . Chicago, on the other hand, has the largest airport in the U...