Investment Policy

As a huge Xbox Game Pass fan, 2025 has been amazing so far! September was especially incredible – we got *Hollow Knight: Silksong* on day one, which was a dream come true, and *Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor* and *Frostpunk 2* are coming this week! It doesn’t stop there, though. I’m really looking forward to *Ninja Gaiden 4* and *The Outer Worlds 2* in October, and *Call of Duty: Black Ops 7* is slated for November. It’s a little bittersweet, though, because four games are leaving the service at the end of the month to make room for all the new stuff.

I think revealing Venom in the trailer for *Marvel’s Spider-Man 2* right after announcing *Marvel’s Wolverine* lessened the impact of the game’s story and its surprises. It heavily hinted that Venom would be the main villain challenging Kraven, which felt predictable given the symbiote’s appearance in the first *Marvel’s Spider-Man* game. Honestly, I wasn’t very impressed with the story in *Marvel’s Spider-Man 2*, and a lot of my issues stem from how Venom was handled.

I just finished playing *Concierge*, and wow, it’s a trip! It’s the first game from this small, two-person indie studio in Brazil called KODINO Artes, and it’s unlike anything I’ve played before. You’re stuck in this seriously messed up hotel that feels like it’s broken into a bunch of different worlds. The story is a puzzle, and you have to really *look* at everything – not just read the text. You use this glitchy camcorder to find hidden clues and secrets. And the craziest part? The game keeps changing up on you, blending genres as you go. It’s a surreal, thrilling experience, for sure.

I love cozy games when they combine the need to manage resources and build things with opportunities for players to be creative and express themselves. Games like these are most enjoyable when you can really make your mark on the game world, whether through farming, building, or even creating relationships. That’s why I’m a little worried that the new *Haunted Chocolatier* game, with its increased focus on fighting, might reduce those creative options. I especially hope the character creation feature, which is so popular, isn’t removed or significantly changed.

I remember when *Valheim* first came out on PC in 2021 – it blew up almost instantly! It sold over 3 million copies in just a month, which was insane, and now they’ve shipped over 12 million copies total. Last year, in 2023, it finally hit Xbox and Game Pass, which was awesome. But honestly, it’s a little weird that it *still* isn’t on PlayStation. You’d think they’d want a game like that with so many players on those consoles.

Game developers Bennett Foddy and Gabe Cuzzillo recently told Game Rant that they intentionally designed Nate’s adventure to reward exploration. They didn’t want to dictate how players should play, instead aiming for each attempt to be unique and full of surprises based on how much players stray from the main path. Ultimately, this design is both funny and challenging, making the experience feel more personal and rewarding for each player.

The *One Piece* manga is now revealing the story of the God Valley Incident. This event has been built up for years as one of the most important in the series, and the author, Oda, is finally sharing all the key details.

September was mostly defined by the popular launch of *Hollow Knight: Silksong* on Steam and other stores. But it wasn’t the only big game released this month. Another independent game, quite different in style, is also becoming popular and attracting more players.

Here’s what I think any new war game needs to really grab players and keep them coming back.

A great spot to quickly gain experience and level up in *Borderlands 4* is a small farmstead in The Howl area of Fadefields. You can reach it shortly after completing the game’s tutorial – it’s located just west of Horace’s Oversight.