Key Note Gaming

As the years go by and current hardware becomes increasingly incompatible with the past, the first Gothic gets harder and harder to play, making it the perfect target for a remake. The 2001 RPG is a cult classic for a reason, ahead of its time in worldbuilding and nuanced NPC interactions. While Gothic 1 Remake pulls the original into the near-modern era in terms of presentation and controls, it doesn’t touch much else. This is a mixed blessing. It’s great because Gothic already forces a higher level of engagement and immersion out of those who play it, refusing to hold your hand in a way that still resonates in 2026 – but it’s own sparks of brilliance are regularly challenged by the poor quality of its story, the inconsistent pacing of quests, and shallow combat, and none of that has changed either. I first played Gothic soon after The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind, which came out around the same time. I immediately identified them as similar games in many ways, but different in at least...

Before the set launches on June 26, you can preorder the Magic: The Gathering Marvel Super Heroes Jumpstart Booster box for $114.93, 31% off the sticker price of $167.76. It's sold and shipped by a third party, but there are a few trustworthy vendors for trading card games on Amazon and Collectors Expedition is one of them. New Price Drop on Marvel Super Heroes Jumpstart Booster Box Each Marvel Super Heroes Jumpstart booster box comes with 24 Jumpstart booster packs. Compared to regular Play or Collector booster packs, Jumpstart boosters each contain 20 cards instead of 15. And each pack has a one in 51 chance of encompassing an entire Marvel Super Heroes or villains theme. Playing Magic Jumpstart kits are slightly different than a traditional game of Magic. Here, you'll open two packs, shuffle them together to form a synergistic 40-card deck, and do battle from there. So the Jumpstart box is both a great way to introduce new players to Magic by teaching them the basic mechani...

Action RPG Valor Mortis has conceded defeat when it comes to the September gaming arms race and announced a short delay. Last week, it became abundantly clear that September is going to be one of the most crowded months for video game releases in history. It seems to be the rough cut-off for most game launches before GTA 6 hits the business like an atomic bomb. There are a couple of exceptions, like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, which is being released in October. However, it appears most other games don't want to be too close to the blast radius of GTA 6. Of course, the overwhelming amount of September releases means that the situation arguably isn't much better for some games. As a result, Valor Mortis (a game that announced its release date on Sunday), has decided to push into October to have a better chance. The game will now arrive on October 13th. "We want to give Valor Mortis (and your wallet) some room to breathe," said developer One More Level in a stateme...

Swords are awesome. Whether you're a Final Fantasy 7 fan or not, there's no denying the draw of a massive buster sword. It's like an oversized meat cleaver that looks incredibly inconvenient to use, but absolutely awesome to display on your wall. It's one of those things you didn't know you needed until an Amazon discount suddenly thrusts its way into view. Which is exactly what's happening right now with this Cloud Strife replica sword. It's made out of stainless steel and is currently discounted to its lowest price in months. We posted this on the IGN Finds X account yesterday and it was easily one of the most popular items of the day at this price. Listen, nobody actually needs a giant sword, but that doesn't mean you can't yearn for one. Final Fantasy 7 is one of the most popular games in the world and definitely the most popular in the franchise thanks to its characters. Cloud has become one of the most recognizable faces in the series, even ...

Defense wins championships. It’s an old adage that you’ll hear across both college football and the NFL. Great teams – championship teams – make stops in the big moments. They separate a receiver’s soul from their body when they hit them. They instill fear. That’s probably why EA started off with defense when talking about College Football’s junior season. Many of these changes are also coming to Madden as well, so let’s get back to the gridiron and talk about it. One of the big changes is improved coverage that comes through a system EA is calling Look for Work. What this means is defenders won’t just wait until an offensive player enters their zone to cover them. Now, they’ll play with anticipation, which means better coverage. The other big changes are smart zones, which will allow you to make global coverage changes with a couple quick button presses. You want your guys to play conservatively? You can do that. Or, if you want them to be hyper aggressive and try to jump a route for ...

The developer of 1666: Amsterdam has apologized for its use of AI assets in the game's playable prologue, which is available now on PC. In a statement posted to X/Twitter, the studio acknowledged "concerns" had been raised by those who had played the 30-minute experience and spotted in-game art that appeared AI-generated. Panache Digital Games, which previously made ape survival game Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey, announced 1666: Amsterdam last week during the Summer Games Fest livestream . It's a concept that Panache founder Patrice Désilets devised years ago following his acrimonious exit from Ubisoft, where he co-created Assassin's Creed. The statement admits that Panache's team of artists used AI to generate "early versions of assets," which will now be replaced for the game's full version. It's unclear if these were always set to be replaced, or are simply being changed due to backlash. "A number of people have raised questions...

Crimson Desert has now sold over 6 million copies worldwide, Pearl Abyss has announced. The impressive milestone was achieved less than three months after the game went on sale — just 83 days, to be exact. Crimson Desert sold 2 million copies on launch day, and passed 5 million within its first month. “Your adventures and tales continue to make the journey of Crimson Desert even more special,” the South Korean developer said. “Once again, thank you to every Greymane who has stepped into Pywel and experienced the world of Crimson Desert in their own way.” Pearl Abyss CEO Jin-young Heo added: "We are sincerely grateful to players around the world for helping Crimson Desert achieve meaningful success in the global market despite being a new IP. To provide more enjoyable and better experiences, Pearl Abyss will continue moving forward and taking on new challenges." Crimson Desert launched on March 19 and was an instant hit for Pearl Abyss. In its latest financial results, which ...