When players actively shape a story – whether through action or choices – it makes the consequences of their decisions, and any resulting surprises, feel more impactful. Let’s look at some of the most memorable plot twists in video game history and how they affected players. These will be brief overviews, as the stories are often quite detailed, but we’ll cover the key points.
My coworker, Drew Swanson, believes that Borderlands 2 was a unique success for the series, and not representative of the overall trend. Neither Borderlands 3 nor Borderlands 4 (as of now) have been as popular or long-lasting, and it’s unlikely they ever will be. Considering the consistent, improved gameplay, it seems clear to me that the character Handsome Jack is the key to the game’s success.
Despite controversy surrounding its AI implementation, Embark’s game ARC Raiders became a huge success in 2025. Released in October, the extraction shooter quickly gained popularity, reaching over 481,000 players on Steam at its peak and receiving positive feedback from both gamers and reviewers. Remarkably, it retained 91% of its player base even into 2026. Many predicted ARC Raiders would struggle, launching as it did between the highly anticipated Battlefield 6 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. However, those established franchises haven’t impacted ARC Raiders‘s success. In fact, Battlefield 6 has seen a significant drop in players – losing 85% of its active users in just three months, while ARC Raiders continues to thrive.
Sometimes, the story seems to protect Luffy from losing, which isn’t fair to the characters fighting him. Here’s a look at some of those opponents who actually deserved to win.
I’ve always loved Toshiyuki Itahana’s work, and while a lot of fans know him from Final Fantasy 9, he actually contributed to so many other games in the series! Beyond that classic, he worked on Final Fantasy 11, Final Fantasy 13-2, Final Fantasy 14, and even Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy 13. It’s amazing how much he did – he also designed art and characters for the Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles and Final Fantasy Fables games, plus titles like Final Fantasy Explorers and Mobius Final Fantasy. He really left his mark on the whole Final Fantasy universe!
This review explores the properties of burst-covering codes, a powerful technique for correcting concentrated data errors.
Recently, it’s been tough for gamers to find and afford the latest computer hardware. A global shortage of RAM caused prices to jump, and some stores were selling RTX 5090 graphics cards for $3,000 or more, with prices expected to keep rising. Nvidia hasn’t officially addressed the situation, but rumors suggest they may have a solution that could be good news for those building PCs.
Despite this financial extravaganza, our beloved Bitcoin couldn’t quite keep up with the jolly good show put on by some of its sprightlier altcoin companions. How quaint! The year wrapped up just shy of last year’s record-much like a poorly timed punchline that just doesn’t land. 😏
A recent Videocardz report indicates that DLSS 4.5 will include improvements to its Super Resolution technology, along with a new feature called ‘Dynamic Multi Frame Generation’.
I’m so excited! Hytale is finally entering early access on January 13th! It’s going to be a long road to the full game, and the developers have a lot of work ahead of them, but I can’t wait to start playing and see how it evolves.