Key Note Gaming

When you have a series that's consistently gotten new games for almost 40 years, you have to think about how younger generations will be able to play them. That, and, of course, thinking about your bottom line, has led every publisher to lean more and more into multiplatform releases . On top of PC ports, Square Enix has released a decent amount of remasters and special editions of the Final Fantasy series specifically for Nintendo's handheld. The Final Fantasy games hitting Switch isn't entirely unprecedented. The connection between Final Fantasy and Nintendo dates back to the series’ infancy, when the first game debuted on Nintendo's Famicom system in 1987. In fact, the first six mainline Final Fantasy games debuted on Nintendo platforms before Square Enix jumped to PlayStation as the series’ primary platform with Final Fantasy 7. We've got a lot to look forward to on both Switch systems in 2026, including Final Fantasy VII Remake Integrade on Switch 2 and ph...

Resident Evil Requiem will feature gameplay set within a busy city environment, a new Nvidia trailer has revealed — prompting a mixed response from fans. Comments on today's new Requiem trailer published by Nvidia range from praise for the look of the location to shock at the fact that it exists in a Resident Evil game. It's fair to say that Capcom's survival horror series has never featured an area like this, with cars driving, and pedestrians strolling down a city street. But today's glimpse is just a glimpse, with a few shots of the area and a brief snippet of protagonist Grace Ashcroft walking along. It remains to be seen how expansive this actually is in-game. "I am immediately alarmed by this," Resident Evil fan Sakaixx wrote on reddit , after seeing the trailer. "RE Engine and open layout really doesn't mesh well." "Open world and Capcom don't mix," added another fan, EbolaDP. Others meanwhile said the city environme...

NetEase and developer Everstone Studio have outlined its January roadmap for the open-world action-RPG, Where Winds Meet , which includes new modes, campaign missions, quests, puzzles, and bosses. The developer is set to push out the newly-announced Version 1.2 update on January 9. We can expect updates every week of the month, including the final chapter in the Kaifeng campaign — described as "the most formidable challenge yet" — and a competitive Guild Battle Pre-Season (more on that below). You can also partake in limited-time festivities via the Jianghu Martial Games, and visit the Nine Mortal Ways Camp and mysterious puzzle cave, Mistveil Prison. "Hidden in the Ghost Market beneath Kaifeng, the Nine Mortal Ways Camp Serves as a gathering place for sect members with diverse personalities, full of intrigging encounters, secret treasures, and bustling fun — but beware of the scams!" the team teases. Version 1.2 also ushers in "large-scale, coordinated m...

Ever since Cyberpunk 2077 came out in 2020, fans have debated Act 1, which sees V befriend Jackie Welles and attempt to make it big in Night City before the infamous heist mission goes horribly wrong. Some feel the game would have been better had Act 1 been extended and given players more time with the much-loved — but short-lived — companion character. But what does the creative director of Cyberpunk 2 think? Taking to social media , CD Projekt's Igor Sarzynski said extending Act 1 before the heist wouldn’t have made Cyberpunk 2077 a better game, and he used Star Wars to back up his point: “it's like saying we should spend more time on Tatooine with farmer Luke before he got involved with all this Jedi stuff.” Then: “the motivation / goal in this section of the game is pretty vague — 'get to the top' — which, prolonged and without stakes or pressure would result in meandering, unfocused experience.” Act 2 picks up after the shocking events of Act 1 and Jackie’s ...

The original art director of Magic: The Gathering, Jesper Myrfors, has once again taken to social media to offer some interesting behind-the-scenes insight into the early days of the game, this time explaining his efforts to ensure Magic "celebrated female empowerment along with male empowerment" through a simple rule: "No babe art!" In a Facebook post over the weekend, Myrfors spoke at length about his intentions for inclusivity in card art, and his efforts to hire women artists for the game. He says he wanted to ensure that Magic was appealing to women and men, particularly in the midst of a wider gaming environment that was often "less appealing for women" in no small part due to portrayals of female characters as "window dressing". Here's how Myrfors put it: When I was art directing Magic, one of my rules was "No babe art!" That is no artwork that shows a scantily clad woman in a subservient or weak position. I really di...

“Anime Souls” is a term often used to describe the original Code Vein. And while that is a very simple but fair descriptor – it is after all one of the very few soulslike games with an undeniably anime aesthetic – it also doesn’t really describe what was actually cool about the 2019 action RPG. For instance: the emotional storylines of your companion characters, delivered in these excellent sequences where you relive their most tragic memories; the phenomenal score by the wonderful Go Shiina; the flexible Blood Code system that allowed players to switch up their stats and playstyle without having to respect their whole character while also being able to pick and choose skills from other “classes.” There was certainly room for improvement in the core combat and level design, but it had great ideas, and would benefit from some refinement and iteration. And that’s what Code Vein 2 seems to be all about: Refinement and iteration. Based on the three or so hours that I’ve played, Code Ve...

Red Dead Redemption 2 fans are searching for answers to a newly-discovered mystery that's been hidden within Rockstar's cowboy sequel since its original release. After more than seven years, a group of Red Dead aficianados recently realized they'd stumbled on something no one had reported previously — a series of mysterious spiderwebs that began spawning on eight telegraph poles throughout the game's vast world, each during a specific hour of the night. Two weeks on, more clues have now been found, and it's become clear that this is a deliberate secret included by Rockstar within the game, which players are now rushing to uncover the full meaning of. Similar to Red Dead Redemption 2's quest involving dreamcatchers (and a familiar spiderweb mystery in GTA 5), players discovered in late December 2025 that these newly-found spiderwebs contain a feather which can be shot free — though the webs themselves only appear for one hour of in-game time each night. A...

Resident Evil 4's helpless companion character Ashley was once planned to star in a newly-designed intro made for Capcom's acclaimed remake. Everyone knows by now how Resident Evil 4 opens: with fan-favorite character Leon S. Kennedy thrown into the action as he investigates the abduction of Ashley Graham, the U.S. president's daughter. And in the final version of the brilliant Resident Evil 4 Remake , this is again how the game begins. But Capcom planned — and at least partially built — a new introduction sequence dubbed Chapter 0 which would have seen players sneak around as Ashley, before she's finally dragged off by brainwashed ganados. And now, a fresh video showing some of the mission has been put together. Ashley's Chapter 0 would have taken place in an expanded version of the forested area outside the game's main village, close to where Leon is ultimately seen creeping along at the beginning of the remake. A snippet of this survived in a trailer fo...

We've rounded up the best deals for Sunday, January 4, below. Don't miss your chance to save on these deals! Kingdom Come: Deliverance II for $29.99 If you're on the hunt for one of the most talked-about RPGs of 2025, look no further than Kingdom Come: Deliverance II . This hit RPG is on sale this weekend at Amazon for 50% off, so you can take home a copy for $29.99. Fantasian Neo Dimension for $26.70 Fantasian Neo Dimension is the latest game from a legendary creator who needs no introduction: Hironobu Sakaguchi. This incredible turn-based RPG is a joy to play through, featuring a great story with music from the all-time great Nobuo Uematsu. Pick up a Nintendo Switch copy today and add it to your collection for only $26.70. Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition on Switch 2 for $59.99 Cyberpunk 2077 is still one of the most impressive games you can play on Nintendo Switch 2. This is an excellent port that feels great to play, whether in handheld or TV mode. ...

2025 finally saw the long-awaited arrival of Nintendo’s next console: the Switch 2. But now, it’s time to turn the page to 2026 and talk about what’s in store for Switch 2’s sophomore year. Nintendo already has a pretty fleshed out release calendar for both Switches, a blockbuster movie set to hit theaters, with plenty of surprises surely in store as well. Here’s what to expect from Nintendo in 2026. Nintendo in 2026: What’s Already On the Books Before we get into wild speculation, here’s a recap of what we already know is coming to Switch and Switch 2 in 2026. There’s already a lot to look forward to, as Nintendo remains very consistent in pushing something out pretty much every single month. That pattern begins this month, as we’ll all return to our weed-infested islands and face the wrath of our neglected villagers when Animal Crossing: New Horizons gets a free update on the original Switch and a Nintendo Switch 2 edition on January 15. New Horizons 3.0 is available to players...

Arc Raiders developer Embark Studios has confirmed one of the community’s biggest questions since the game came out: it does indeed feature ‘aggression-based matchmaking.’ This means that if you’re big into PvP, you’ll be matched up with players who are like-minded. Similarly, if you prefer PvE, you’ll be matchmade with players who tend to avoid conflict with other players. Arc Raiders’ player versus environment versus player gameplay has resulted in a number of viral clips showing how friendly encounters can quickly devolve into a fight to the last. Yes, you can play solo or in parties up to three, working as a team to progress through the game. However, other players are a constant threat. This has sparked a vociferous debate within the community about the etiquette that has formed in-game, with a retired pro gamer going viral for relentlessly killing casual Arc Raiders players . It turns out that Arc Raiders will lean on your playstyle when it comes to matchmaking. This ‘aggr...

We've rounded up the best deals for Saturday, January 3, below. Don't miss your chance to save on these deals! Fantasian Neo Dimension for $26.70 Fantasian Neo Dimension is the latest game from a legendary creator who needs no introduction: Hironobu Sakaguchi. This incredible turn-based RPG is a joy to play through, featuring a great story with music from the all-time great Nobuo Uematsu. Pick up a Nintendo Switch copy today and add it to your collection for only $26.70. Samsung P9 Express microSD Express Card for $32.99 If you're a Nintendo Switch 2 owner, a microSD Express Card is an absolutely essential purchase . The internal 256GB of storage is nowhere near enough for most players, especially with huge games like Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade set to take up over a third of that space later this month. You can save $20 off this 256GB microSD Express Card at Amazon and instantly double your Switch 2 storage. Tales of Graces f for $19.79 Tales of Gr...

Well, I can confidently say one thing about being “the Xbox guy” at IGN: it’s never boring. Granted, it is often frustrating , depressing , weird , and occasionally shocking . But there’s almost never a dull moment. So went Xbox’s 2025. As I looked back on last year’s version of this column , I found that I got plenty of my forecasting right, a few things wrong, and there was some stuff I could’ve never predicted . And so as I look ahead to Xbox’s 2026, I will once again expect the unexpected – but I’ll also dig into everything we can reasonably surmise about what could maybe, possibly be the last full calendar year of the Xbox Series generation before Microsoft seemingly gears up to release a console/PC hybrid . The thing is, a month ago, this piece would’ve been a heck of a lot easier to write. It would’ve been all about Microsoft’s Big Four – Halo, Gears of War, Fable, and Forza – all returning in the same year for the first time in over a decade(!) to deliver Xbox’s biggest an...