Open-World Games That Are Better Than You Remember

Let’s be real, sometimes a game launches with issues – bugs, bad performance, or just isn’t quite what we hoped for. And yeah, it’s totally fair to call those things out. But honestly, first impressions can be deceiving. With so many rushed releases these days, and our expectations being higher than ever, I think we should revisit some open-world games that didn’t get the love they deserved. Maybe they’ve been patched up, or maybe we just missed out on a genuinely fun experience the first time around. I think it’s worth giving them another shot.

The Apothecary Diaries Creator Officially Confirms The Setting Isn’t China

I was absolutely hooked on The Apothecary Diaries when Season 1 premiered on October 22, 2023! It ran for 24 amazing episodes all the way until March 24, 2024, and I was thrilled when Season 2 came back so quickly on January 10, 2025, with another 24 episodes that finished up on July 4, 2025. But the excitement doesn’t stop there – we’re getting a Season 3 in October 2026, and even an original movie in December 2026! I can’t wait!

Epic Games CEO Throws Shade at Valve Over the Steam Deck Price Hike

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney criticized Valve after they announced a price increase for the Steam Deck. Valve confirmed on May 27th that the handheld gaming device would cost more, with the 1 TB model seeing a price jump of up to $300. Sweeney implied that Valve CEO Gabe Newell was personally profiting from the increase, jokingly suggesting it was due to supply chain issues impacting the parts needed for his yachts. Newell is known for his love of yachts and even purchased a yacht building company, Oceanco, in 2025, in addition to owning his own large yacht.

A24 Has Just Released a ‘Haunting’ The Shining Replacement

The Backrooms is a unique horror project stemming from a popular internet story, or ‘creepypasta,’ that first appeared on 4chan. These online tales described endless, unsettling spaces with pale yellow walls, and eventually inspired a web series created by visual effects artist Kane Parsons, known online as Kane Pixels. In 2023, A24 Films announced they were making a full-length movie based on the series, with Parsons directing. What’s particularly remarkable about Backrooms is that Parsons was only 19 years old when the announcement was made, making him A24’s youngest ever feature film director by a significant amount.

7 Times Star Wars Games Predicted the Future of the Franchise

Occasionally, Star Wars video games have actually shaped or even foreshadowed developments in the broader Star Wars universe. Before Disney acquired the franchise, George Lucas viewed what’s now known as ‘Legends’ material as a sort of testing ground. He’d incorporate ideas he liked into the official story, but anything he didn’t use still existed as its own separate continuity.

New Open-World Creature Collecting Game Is Taking the World by Storm

I’ve played a lot of monster-catching games over the years, but honestly, Pokemon is still king. It basically created the genre with Red and Blue, and it’s been huge ever since – like, one of the biggest entertainment franchises ever. You can see its influence everywhere; tons of developers, from small indie teams to the big guys, have tried to make their own Pokemonlike games – think Dragon Quest Monsters or even newer titles like Temtem. But now, there’s a new contender coming from Morefun Games and Tencent that’s looking to take on Pokemon*’s crown.

LEGO Pokemon TCG Contest Has 5 Dynamic Sets as Finalists

Although LEGO hasn’t officially announced anything, images of upcoming LEGO Pokémon sets have appeared online. The Pokémon franchise has become incredibly popular over the past thirty years, giving LEGO plenty of options for sets. Currently, it looks like LEGO is focusing on the original Pokémon games, but they’ll likely create sets based on later generations as well, moving beyond Pokémon Red and Green.

New Open-World Zombie Game on Steam is DayZ by Day, Dying Light by Night

As a fan of both DayZ and Dying Light, I know they offer really different zombie survival experiences, so I didn’t expect The Left Behind to be a perfect blend of both. What I’ve found is that it doesn’t try to be! It doesn’t have the hardcore PvP stuff from DayZ or the crazy parkour of Dying Light. Instead, it really focuses on that feeling of exploring a detailed world – the way the game looks is a big part of it, and it’s done from a similar camera angle as DayZ. Plus, just like Dying Light, nighttime is genuinely terrifying! I’m hoping that, combined with the option to play alone or with up to three friends, it all adds up to something really special.