Games

It’s been a great time to be a Pokémon fan lately, even without official news! Leaks related to the next generation of games – currently believed to be called Pokémon Wind and Wave – have been popping up online, with some new details emerging in February. These leaks suggest we’ll learn about Gym types, the game’s overall theme, and the different island settings. While it’s important to remember these are unconfirmed, an official announcement for the new Pokémon game is coming soon.

Blizzard is making big changes to Overwatch in 2026. They’re simplifying the name – dropping the ‘2’ from Overwatch 2 – and launching five new playable characters all at once. The game will also shift to a yearly story format, with each year focusing on a new storyline. The first story arc, called Reign of Talon, began with the character Vendetta defeating Doomfist and becoming the new leader of his villainous group.

In Nioh 3, the best way to regain Ki faster is to increase your Intellect stat. As you play and defeat enemies, you’ll earn Amrita, which you can use to improve your stats. Raising your Intellect not only boosts your health but also speeds up your Ki recovery, extends how long effects last, and increases damage with both Samurai ranged attacks and Ninja melee and ranged attacks.

Many exclusive games on the PlayStation 5 offer a variety of settings that let players customize how the game looks and plays, going beyond the standard experience. Even some games available on multiple platforms have a single option that can significantly improve combat, alter the visuals, or even change the game’s style without losing what makes it unique.

While Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 didn’t remaster as many maps as Modern Warfare 3 (2023), players are disappointed with the choices Treyarch has made. Many fans are getting tired of seeing the same maps – like Hijacked, Standoff, Slums, and Firing Range – reappear constantly. Although these maps are popular, players want to see more variety and risk-taking. The return of Drive-In in Black Ops Cold War felt unexpected, but it worked well and felt fresh because it hadn’t been remastered before. Hopefully, future seasons of BO7 will be more creative with map remasters, choosing maps that best suit the current gameplay. However, bringing back Slums in Season 2 feels like more of the same, and Nuketown is a prime example of overly safe and repetitive remastering.

No horror game is perfect, but some truly nail the feeling of being genuinely scared. When it comes to creating a creepy atmosphere, using realistic sounds, and leaving you with a lasting sense of dread, these games are among the best.

The main draw of Resident Evil 5 is its cooperative gameplay. Building on the action of Resident Evil 4, it lets two players team up – one as the series veteran Chris Redfield and the other as the new character Sheva Alomar. I really enjoyed playing it with my brother when it first came out on Xbox 360, completing everything the game had to offer. Now, as I revisit the Resident Evil series ahead of its 30th anniversary, I wanted to share that experience with my wife. Unfortunately, Capcom has significantly worsened the split-screen co-op mode in the newer versions of the game for modern consoles.

Throughout 2025, numerous online reports have suggested the next Xbox could combine the power of a PC with the convenience of a console. This would mean developers could create games for it using a standard PC toolkit, possibly an improved version of Microsoft’s Game Development Kit. Like the new ROG Xbox Ally handheld – which offers both the Xbox Store and Steam – the new Xbox might also support multiple digital game stores. These rumors seem more likely given recent comments from Microsoft, which indicate they’re planning a more open and versatile Xbox experience that lets players easily continue games across different devices.

The Nintendo Switch is already the company’s most successful console ever, having sold over 155 million units since its release in March 2017. However, its successor, the Switch 2, is quickly becoming even more popular. By the end of 2025, the Switch 2 had sold over 17.3 million units, making it the fastest-selling game console in history. Although some players initially felt the game selection was limited when it launched last June, Nintendo and other developers have significantly expanded the library. Two exclusive games coming out in early February 2026 demonstrate the growing variety of titles available for the Switch 2.

As a Nioh 3 player, let me tell you, knowing how to use emotes is a huge deal. Whether I’m celebrating finally taking down a tough boss, or just saying hi to another player I run into, emotes are essential for getting the full experience.