This cinematic, side-scrolling adventure from indie team ZDT Studio, then, brings a strong, relatively unique premise, casting you as a resourceful cephalopod who leans on its natural abilities and intelligence to navigate tricky platforms and solve environmental puzzles. With clear inspiration ranging from Playdead’s Inside to Moon Studios’ Ori, and through presentation infused with cartoonish movement, characterful animation, and a whimsical score, ZDT delivers a thoroughly charming, yet thoughtful experience.

"Where things begin to falter slightly is in the precision of platforming, particularly as the game introduces more demanding sequences."

And likewise, to the studio’s credit, much of their vision comes through too. The game rarely stumbles outright, but the ingenuity promised isn’t fully realised either. See, Darwin’s Paradox! is built on a brilliant idea, but it rarely stretches its inspiration as far as it could. This is a platformer that’s enjoyable in the moment, but only occasionally as inventive as its premise suggests.

I go back to this review’s outset: octopuses are uniquely suited to the kinds of systems video games thrive on, and Darwin’s abilities reflect that in ways that are immediately intuitive. Camouflage lends itself to subterfuge, firing ink allows opportunities to disrupt threats and divert attention, and his tentacles’ suction-based movement allows for traversal across walls and ceilings.

Even smaller touches, like impressive compression seeing Darwin squeeze through tight spaces, reinforce the idea that this is a character defined by adaptability. There’s a pleasing logic to how Darwin interacts with the world, as if each mechanic has been plucked from the real-world and reimagined through a playful lens. Because of this, there are plenty of moments where it feels like Darwin’s Paradox! is tapping into something genuinely fresh, but its novelty doesn’t always carry through to the broader experience.

For all the creativity in its mechanical foundations, the game falls back on standard platforming tropes too often. Pulling levers and pushing boxes make up the majority of the game’s obstacles, bringing the overall experience down to something more conventional.

Yet, moment-to-moment, the game feels good in the hands. Movement is smooth and responsive, as Darwin shuffles, clings, and squeezes his way through environments with a fluidity that suits his character. Transitions between swimming, climbing, and platforming are handled seamlessly, often reinforced by expressive, almost-caricaturistic animation which gives even simple movements a memorable personality. Combined with lively environments – currents rippling through underwater sections, background machinery grinding in industrial areas, even fire engines responding chaotically to a factory blaze – it creates a strong identity which runs throughout.

Where things begin to falter slightly is in the precision of platforming, particularly as the game introduces more demanding sequences. Early on, the forgiving nature of movement works in the game’s favour, but later challenges expose a lack of clarity in how certain obstacles are meant to be overcome. Navigating giant rotating cogwheels or fast-moving conveyor belts feel less like tests of Darwin’s ingenuity and more like exercises in trial and error. I’m not talking Limbo-style learning-by-death, but it’s not far off.

And, because it’s not always possible to see far enough ahead to properly anticipate what’s coming, poor Darwin was squished, electrocuted, and burnt to a crisp often enough that it began to feel unfair. At best, these trickier “trial by death” sections break momentum, but worse: the charm and whimsy which the game’s mechanical systems are working hard to establish is replaced by unjust punishment and frustration.

"Each environmental puzzle is immediately understandable, and because of that, rarely surprising."

What would make these situations worse still are difficult puzzles. Yet, for a game that places so much emphasis on ingenuity, Darwin’s Paradox! delivers straightforward puzzle design. Now, I don’t believe this is inherently a problem; if it helps ease the pain of repeatedly failing through game design, then puzzles that are on the easy side are welcome. But, likewise, there’s value in keeping solutions readable and accessible too. However, this does sit slightly at odds with the expectations set by the game’s premise and its marketing alike. There’s no scope for experimentation here as most environmental obstacles funnel you toward a single solution.

In practice, this means puzzles feel functional rather than inspiring. As already alluded to, you’ll be moving objects into place and pulling levers frequently, alongside more contextual moments like sabotaging factory apparatus to manipulate the height of an object that you’ll inevitably use to scale an unreachable height.

Each environmental puzzle is immediately understandable, and because of that, rarely surprising. Again, games of this type don’t necessarily need complex solutions. Heck, even Inside, amongst Darwin’s primary influences, thrived on a minimalist approach. But, alas, in Darwin’s Paradox! there are flashes of more engaging action, particularly when octopus-specific abilities like camouflage or ink come into play, but these ideas aren’t explored as deeply or appear as frequently as they should. There’s a lingering sense that the puzzles here could have been designed to accommodate multiple solutions, or at least make fuller use of Darwin’s aquatic skills and compound intelligence. The lack of ingenuity stands out here more than it does in Inside, for instance.

"However, if there’s one area where Darwin’s Paradox! consistently shines, it’s in its presentation."

What Darwin’s Paradox! does have, however, is a decent amount of variety in its environments, shifting from aquatic shallows, to tight, sewer-like tunnels, plus a raft of industrial spaces like steaming production lines, fluorescent offices, and elaborate packing facilities, and more, all amplified with Looney Tunes flair. Certain chapters are punctuated by lively setpieces too, and these moments – explosive factory escapes, crumbling tower evasions, tenuous highwire platforming – not only inject a welcome sense of urgency but embellish the game’s comedic undertones, supported further by a rather pesky seagull adversary.

That said, overall flow can occasionally feel uneven. In one particular area – the office-like interiors where I leaned on Darwin’s camo ability to blend into cardboard, ceiling tiles, and sofa cushions – visual whimsy dominated over spatial clarity. Whilst tonally this fits, I felt my way through moments of disorientation, where the way forward wasn’t immediately obvious. Now, I know I’ve prattled on about puzzles being too obvious, and thus not surprising, but in these multi-level layouts of impossible architecture I had to use the hint system to help nudge my progress along. This could be my own skill issue, of course, but my gut feeling is that the level design didn’t communicate its intent as clearly as it should.

However, if there’s one area where Darwin’s Paradox! consistently shines, it’s in its presentation. Darwin himself is full of personality, brought to life through expressive animation. His slower, cautious movements – almost eight-legged tiptoeing – are a particularly humorous highlight, with the intrepid mollusc’s actions exemplifying the game’s offbeat world. This cartoonish tone carries through to the narrative, which gradually introduces a surreal, conspiratorial edge befitting Konami’s famous tactical espionage action series, one that is directly referenced here by exclamation points and cardboard boxes.

"Darwin’s Paradox! is a game built on genuinely inspired ideas, and when it’s at its best this creativity is reflected in expressive movement, memorable characterisation, and varied environments."

From a technical standpoint, performance is generally stable, though the distinction between visual modes is clear-cut. ZDT themselves advise playing with performance settings enabled, so that’s what I did. It proved to be much smoother than the alternative quality mode which sees a noticeable drop in framerate for a minimal fidelity boost. For a game with such fluid movement and emphasis on exaggerated animation, performance mode is definitely the preferable setting.

Audio design is solid throughout, with plenty of environmental sounds and tactile effects to sell the space Darwin is creeping through. Even less noticeable sounds like the soft suction of Darwin’s tentacles adds to the overall immersion. The orchestral soundtrack supports the game’s tone well, even if motifs and melodies rarely stand out as defining elements.

In conclusion, Darwin’s Paradox! is a game built on genuinely inspired ideas, and when it’s at its best this creativity is reflected in expressive movement, memorable characterisation, and varied environments. The game’s playfulness makes it an experience that’s easy to enjoy, even if its sometimes shallow systems keep this enjoyment at surface level. So, while it may not evolve into something truly exceptional, Darwin’s Paradox! remains a charming and worthwhile adventure, even if its greater potential is never fully reached.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.

“This will enable us to offer competitive compensation for new recruits and create an environment where talented employees can thrive with a sense of satisfaction in their work,” it said in its announcement. The company has also revealed that all employees will receive a ¥5,000 increase in monthly salary (which is the first time it has ever done this).

“Since our founding in 1969, Konami Group has engaged in creating new forms of fun by globally providing innovative products and services that capture the era’s crest of the wave,” it continued. “The source of our competitiveness in creating these products and services lies in our human resources itself, and we intend to continue to generate innovation driven by our diverse human resources. By consistently investing in human capital, including the raise of base salary this time, we will aim to improve employee engagement and continue to create better products and services.”

“Looking five to ten years ahead into the future, Konami Group is committed to achieving sustainable growth by securing diverse and talented human resources, maximizing the abilities of our employees and creating both a comfortable and satisfying working environment.”

This increase in salaries is likely part of the recent success Konami has seen, thanks to what has been considered by many as a long-awaited return to the gaming industry. While the company continued to release its Pro Evolution Soccer series—now known as eFootball—it had largely left what used to be considered its tentpole franchises like Metal Gear and Silent Hill by the wayside until just a few years ago.

While the release of Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 was a welcome sight for many, the 2024 release of Bloober Team’s Silent Hill 2 Remake was the first major AAA game published by Konami in quite some time. It was followed by 2025’s Silent Hill f. A remake of the original Silent Hill is also currently in development at Bloober Team.

In the meantime, Konami had also released a remake of classic PS2 game Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, in the form of Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, which went on to sell over 2 million copies as of earlier this month. Whether or not the remake was any indication of Konami’s plans for the future of Metal Gear is currently unknown. However, it is getting ready to release Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 2, which will bring with it Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots—a title that was still stuck as a PS3 exclusive—along with Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker.

For more details, check out the PC system requirements for Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 2.

Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly Remake was released earlier this month on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch 2. As its name might imply, it is a remake of the 2002 PS2 horror game, complete with updated visuals, high-resolution textures, and upgraded lighting and shadow contrast. Changes were also made to gameplay to make it more appealing to modern gaming audiences.

The title revolves around the sisters following a mysterious crimson butterfly and entering the long-abandoned Minakami Village. Trapped in what appears to be a never-ending night, Mio gets separated from her sister and must set forth to reunite with her. Along the way, she’ll run into many spirits, with her only real form of defense being the Camera Obscura—a strange camera that seems capable of sealing away hostile spirits.

Publisher Koei Tecmo has described the remake’s take on the Camera Obscura as being reworked to “offer a more intense and rich experience during combat and exploration.” Alongside dealing with spirits by taking photos, players will also be able to use tools like focus, zoom and filters, as well as special shots that can deal extra damage in combat.

In an interview back in February, directors Makoto Shibata and Hidehiko Nakajima revealed that the decision to remake Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly came about thanks to the demands of fans. “When we released recent remasters, we received many requests from fans asking specifically for Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly,” when asked about remaking the game, referring to 2008 Japan-exclusive Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse and 2014 Wii U title Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water. “Responding to those voices was the main reason behind this project,” they continued.

They also spoke about the designs of Mio and Mayu, noting that it was important for the studio to capture the original’s balance of color and overall image while ensuring that their outfits wouldn’t feel out of place in modern fashion.

“We designed the costumes with reference to the original color balance and overall image, while aiming for clothing that would not feel out of place if worn by someone today,” they explained. “Players can closely examine these details in Photo Mode, and we paid particular attention to textures and material quality.”

Shibata had revealed more details about the development of Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly Remake in an interview with us, where he discussed new technologies like PSSR, as well as some of the gameplay changes that players should expect from the remake.

In the meantime, players who are curious about Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly Remake can check out a free demo available on all platforms. You can also check out our review – we gave it a seven out of ten, praising the story and visuals while criticizing the combat and performance on PS5.

“With the latest PSSR update, Silent Hill f now delivers an even smoother gameplay experience than before,” said Konami’s production team. “Fine details – from swaying blades of grass to shadows cast across the ground – are rendered with greater clarity, deepening immersion in the fog-shrouded Japan of the 1960s.” A short new trailer highlights the difference between the current PSSR and its upgraded version with the latter pretty much eliminating any flickering.

Ninja Theory head, Dom Matthews, noted the team’s excitement to collaborate with Sony while also being impressed by “the quality of particle effects with this latest update, helping to bring key gameplay moments to life through enhanced visuals.” Remedy’s graphical technical director, Tatu Aalto, also noted how the improved image upscaling resulted in “efficient stochastic sampling without sacrificing image stability” and how it “responds quickly to visibility changes in games, keeping motion clear while improving temporal stability.” The result is even “better, more stable image quality” in Control and Alan Wake 2.

Those worried that Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth on consoles would never fully depict the beauty of its characters’ hairstyles should also rejoice. Director Naoki Hamaguchi notes how “fine details such as character’s hair are naturally restored.” Of course, “less flickering and afterimage feeling” is also a bonus. You can also expect sharper edges for wildlife scenery in Nioh 3, whether it’s foliage or various flowers.

And while Capcom didn’t provide any additional comments on the technology, it will be available for Monster Hunter Wilds and Dragon’s Dogma 2. Resident Evil Requiem was the first title that leveraged Upgraded PSSR, and the results have been quite stunning thus far. Stay tuned for more details on other titles that will implement it in the coming weeks.

It’s quite the love letter to Marvel fans, bringing a veritable bunch of classics to your screens. You get to join the X-Men, Captain America, Silver Surfer, Spider-Man, and even Venom on adventures that you might remember from a time when you needed to slot a coin into a machine before you could play. Maybe you enjoyed them through 8-bit or even 16-bit cartridges.

With up to six players able to join in on the fun via online multiplayer on select games, and a whole lot of fun options like the Archives, a music player, a gameplay rewind feature for those tough encounters, a museum where nostalgia practically lives, rollback netcode for X-Men: The Arcade Game and even a cheat menu, there’s a lot to like about this one.

We’re itching to dive in when it drops on March 27, 2026, when it releases for the PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, and PC via Steam. Until then, the trailer below should help pass the time.

The last major milestone hit by the game was back in October 2025, when Konami had confirmed that it had shipped more than 2.5 million units worldwide, counting physical and digital sales.

Silent Hill 2 is a psychological horror game that revolves around James Sunderland having spent three years mourning the death of his wife, who passed away from a terminal illness. However, one day, he gets a strange letter signed by his wife, Mary, asking him to meet her in their “special place”—the town of Silent Hill. The remake was released on PC and PS5 back in October 2024, and eventually made its way to Xbox Series X/S in November 2025.

The original release of the game happened back in 2004 on PS2, Xbox and PC, and saw an immensely positive critical reception thanks to how it handled its horror aspects, including a tense atmosphere, as well as its deep storytelling and well-written characters.

Being such a beloved game, Bloober Team had spoken about having to dive into plenty of fan theories for the purposes of research during the development of the remake. Level designer Anna Oporska-Szybisz noted during a GDC talk last year that one of the core areas of this research was the Labyrinth.

“I can’t tell you how many hours we spent watching, reading, discussing all the elements that we can [find] on the internet,” Oporska-Szybisz said. “Our main goal has always been to respect the fans and never, ever disregard any of their theories.”

“I don’t like everything that I found there, to be honest, but when we started analyzing them and finding all the cons and pros behind them, I started to love the way that people were thinking about the Labyrinth, and wanted to incorporate as many things as I can in it.”

Since then, Bloober Team has gone on to develop and release another horror title—Cronos: The New Dawn. Director Jacek Zięba spoke about how the studio felt like underdogs until the release of Silent Hill 2 Remake.

“We are starting to stop feeling like underdogs all the time after Silent Hill,” he said. “The Silent Hill era wasn’t so easy in the eyes of the public. There were a lot of voices: ‘Oh no, Bloober is doing this. They will destroy that.’ It was very tough for the whole company to stick to our guns and put all our heart into that thing, even if most people don’t want it. We proved people wrong, so that’s nice.’”

For more details about Silent Hill 2 Remake, check out our review from back when it first came out. Also take a look at why we loved it enough to make it our game of the year for 2024, amidst heavy-hitters like Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Astro Bot, and Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree.

The title is a ground-up remake of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, which was originally released on PS2 back in 2004. While it features enhanced visuals and gameplay that take advantage of modern-day hardware on PC and consoles, the storyline has been left untouched, with many of the original voice actors returning to play the game’s beloved characters once more.

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater takes place in the 1960s. Protagonist Naked Snake has been tasked with extracting a defecting Soviet scientist, but as he gets close to the completion of his mission, finds himself betrayed by his long-time mentor, The Boss, and the fact that the Soviet Union has been working on a super weapon of its own, dubbed the Shagohod.

After being allowed a few days to recover from the injuries he sustained during the initial mission, Snake is once more sent into Soviet Russia to take down this super weapon. Along the way, he also has a secondary objective of taking down The Boss and her specialized super soldiers, known only as the Cobra Unit. The story is filled with several plot twists mixed in with over-the-top boss fights and intense stealth gameplay. For more details, take a look at our review, and check out our thoughts on how it acts as a love letter to action movies.

Director Yuji Korekado and producer Noriaki Okamura had spoken about working on the remake of Snake Eater back in December, and how it was a matter of “now or never” for the developers.

“Because the series has been around for a long time, we have a wide variety of fans,” said Korekado. “And we are conscious of being respectful to the previous games in the series. With this remake, we thought about how it would be best to bring the game to modern players, while respecting the thoughts and concepts of the original creator. However, if you reproduce the original work exactly as it is, some aspects can be difficult to play [for today’s gamers], so we adapted them.”

Okamura went on to discuss the state of the Metal Gear franchise after the departure of series creator Hideo Kojima back in 2015.

“With losing the original staff, it was challenging figuring out how to continue the series,” he explained. “We would start and stop talking about developing something new all the time. However, given our age, and how the number of developers with knowledge of the Metal Gear series was decreasing, we decided that if we didn’t resurrect the series now, it would become difficult to do so. Because it’s such an incredible series, I decided that now was the time.”

In the meantime, Konami has also confirmed that it has been working on a new set of remasters for the Metal Gear franchise, with the company having recently announced that Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 2 will be coming to PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch and the Switch 2 on August 27th. The collection will include Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, and Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker.

Developed in collaboration with Marvel Games and Konami, the collection also includes Spider-Man/X-Men: Arcade’s Revenge, Spider-Man/Venom: Maximum Carnage, Venom/Spider-Man: Separation Anxiety and Silver Surfer. Seven other titles have yet to be revealed, and we’re excited to see what else is in store.

Of course, that’s not all – Chris Huelsbeck, responsible for scoring classics like Star Wars: Rogue Squadron 1, 2 and 3, will be contributing new tracks for the collection. Other features include the option to save anywhere in all of these games, the ability to rewind, a cheats menu, and even rollback netcode for X-Men: The Arcade Game. If that wasn’t enough, there’s also a Museum where you can view box art and marketing materials for each title.

Marvel MaXimum Collection doesn’t have a release date, so stay tuned for more updates. In the meantime, you can check out Marvel Cosmic Invasion if you’re hankering for some old-school beat ’em up action.

Interestingly, Xbox users have also noticed Peace Walker HD being taken down from the Microsoft Store. The title was available on Xbox consoles through backwards compatibility thanks to the Xbox 360 release of Metal Gear Solid HD Collection, which included Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence (and by extension, Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake), and Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker.

Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 2 was unveiled last week, and will essentially fill out the empty spots of the canon games that remained unplayable on modern hardware. Along with the two games, Metal Gear: Ghost Babel will also be playable on consoles after having spent more than two decades exclusively available on Game Boy Color.

Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 2 will be coming to PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch and the Switch 2, and is slated for release on August 27th.

The Steam listing for the collection has revealed the kind of hardware that PC players will need for the title, and most surprising in this is the fact that it requires a minimum of 16 GB RAM. Since Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots was made for PS3—a console with 512 MB of RAM—and Peace Walker was made for PSP —a handheld with either 32 MB or 64 MB of RAM depending on the hardware revision—the relatively higher RAM requirements might indicate the level of extra visual polish we might see.

The idea that the games are simply running through emulation rather than being fully ported to modern platforms also has some merit, which could go on to explain the hardware requirements since emulation software also tends to have its own hardware overhead requirements, especially in terms of processing speeds and memory.

Konami has also confirmed that, while Metal Gear Solid 4 won’t be getting back its multiplayer Metal Gear Online mode, the online co-op mode for Peace Walker will be kept intact for the Master Collection Vol. 2 release. This is great for the latter since it features many optional missions structured like Monster Hunter‘s quests. However, Konami hasn’t yet confirmed whether or not we will see the Monster Hunter collaboration missions make it into the Master Collection Vol. 2 release, which involved hunting down a Rathalos, among other things.

Both Metal Gear Solid 4 and Peace Walker fill out important gaps in the overarching story of the franchise. While the former marks the end of Solid Snake’s story, closing off all loose plot threads by its climax, the latter gives us a greater glimpse at how Metal Gear Solid 3 protagonist Naked Snake would continue his transformation into Big Boss, with its ending and final boss fight directly leading into the events of Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes.

Solid Snake—voiced by a returning David Hayter—will be an Attacker, and will become available to pick in-game once the season—dubbed Operation Silent Hunt—kicks off next month. The character will be a permanent addition to the roster, and will be available in all of its game modes. A second video, showcasing Snake’s various abilities and weapons, gives us a look at what kind of threat he poses on the battlefield.

Solid Snake is armed with a TACIT .45 semi-automatic pistol with an integrated suppressor, the F2 assault rifle with a forearm grip, and the PMR90A2 designated marksman rifle. His main gadget is the Soliton Radar MKIII, which allows him to find nearby enemies and get the drop on them. Snake is also trained in on-site procurement, and can find utility pouches near fallen players. These pouches can be picked up to replenish grenade and gadget uses, extending Snake’s utility throughout a match.

Players might be worried about the Soliton Radar MKIII, since it offers an incredible level of tactical utility thanks to it being a mini-map in a shooter that typically doesn’t have one. However, one of its big drawbacks is that it can only show you the floor that you are currently on. Along with this, while the view is quite detailed in showing you breakable walls and floors, it isn’t as wide, only offering a glimpse into nearby rooms rather than the entire floor.

Year 11 Season 1 will also bring with it a new limited time event game mode, which pits players against each other in a 4v4 infiltration match. The mode revolves around Snake and Zero leading teams of operators to recover stolen data. Metal Gear fans will also be happy to learn that there are new skins for other characters, like Gray Fox for Jackal and Meryl for Ash.

“We’re excited to bring the world of Metal Gear Solid series into Rainbow Six Siege with Season 1’s new Redacted event, a limited‑time 4v4 infiltration mode where Snake and Zero lead a team of elite operators to recover stolen data. Players will also discover exclusive skins such as Jackal as Gray Fox and Ash as Meryl, and we’re thrilled to have David Hayter lend his iconic voice to Snake’s in‑game cues” said creative director Joshua Mills during the announcement. “The team also went a step further with ‘Last Assignment’, a new mission for Dual Front designed as a special nod to long‑time Metal Gear Solid series fans.”

Looking to the future, Year 11 will bring in more content. Season 2, for instance, will feature a remaster of Dokkaebi, changing the operator into a “high-pressure intel-denier Attacker”, complete with a new arsenal. The season will also bring the Calypso Casino as a new map from the classic Rainbow Six Vegas games. Season 3 will introduce a new Defender, along with a new long-term progression system dubbed Operator Mastery. Closing off the year, Season 4 will introduce the Social HUB where players can hang out together in-game.