CM Punk enters the ring, accompanied by a voice-over from the man himself as he gravely informs us that his career was never about gaining popularity, but doing it his way, on his own terms. It seems that the developers are extending the same freedom to us, as we get to experiment with what could have been if he hadn’t left the spotlight.

The trailer shows off some of the most prolific matches of CM Punk’s career, alongside a few that we’re going to see for the first time courtesy of WWE 2K26’s Fantasy Warfare mode. Quite a few big names are fighting against the former indie star as the trailer takes us through several of the key moments of his career. From JBL at the 2008 Summer Slam all the way to his feud-ending match against Drew McIntyre in Hell in the Cell at Bad Blood 2024, expect to be witness to a wrestling career that’s right up there with some of the finest to date.

WWE 2K26 hits the shelves on March 13 with early access opening up from March 6 for more premium edition purchasers. It’s available on the PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2.

This Madden NFL 26 guide has a small selection of the best tips and tricks players can use to get an edge both online and offline.

Player Transfer From College Football 26

If you’ve played College Football 26, you can transfer your custom player over into Madden NFL 26 and continue his journey to even greater heights. After finishing your college run, the process is simple: run Madden NFL 26, go to Superstar Mode and choose the transferred position. Confirm the various statistics and proceed to any further cosmetic customization you would like to apply to your player.

Perform well in the drills and your player will have a higher chance of being selected sooner in the draft.

Bonus XP From College Ultimate Team 26

Under Sets, there is a College Ultimate Team 26 to Madden Ultimate Team 26 Crossover Set with a single use opportunity and a year-long expiry. You may even be able to accomplish this without actually owning College Football 26, by simply playing the free trial of that game for a short while via EA Play. The effort is worth 125K XP, which is significant enough to be worth the effort.

Reticle Speed Settings

For best effect, set your Reticle Speed under Passing Mechanics in the Settings to about halfway, to give you plenty of time to successfully make accurate passes.

Skip Touchdown Showboating

In games versus with the CPU, you can skip the too-long, automatic showboat cutscenes after scoring touchdowns. This can save you a great deal of time, especially when you are focused on grinding for dailies and coins. All you have to do is veer towards the middle of the endzone, and when one or two steps from the line, perform a manual showboat to get a truncated celebration.

Quick End Challenges

Another time-saving mechanic can be used in Challenges that require you to win or play out the game entirely. If you are already clearly winning with roughly two minutes left, simply QB Kneel via Formation > Special Teams, to run out the clock.

Casual Online Matchmaking

When playing online, bear in mind that the greater majority of players are in the continental United States, specifically on the east coast. Therefore, the largest potential pool of casual opponents on weekdays will come online sometime after the end of school or working hours, and will go offline around bedtime. Outside of those hours you will almost consistently be matched up with tryhards and hardcore players.

Practicing Field Goals

There has been an apparent increase to the difficulty in kicking field goals, so if you would like to practice them without the pressure of a live match, you can use some specific settings in Practice mode to do so. Under Practice Settings change Practice Type to Offense only, with Difficulty and Game Style at your discretion. On the field, select the Formation tab, and then Special Teams to begin practicing field goals.

Timing Field Goals

When kicking field goals, your best bet is to pick a direction of travel for the gauge that you are most comfortable with, be it left to right, or right to left. Next, count down from when the arrow hits the far edge of the gauge and begins travelling in your preferred direction, then kick during the count. As you mash the kick button on a given number, make note where the arrow lands on the gauge. Depending on how fast you count, a perfect kick could be one-two-kick, or one-two-three-kick. With enough practice you will get a good rhythm down eventually.

Viewing And Buying Strategy Items

Strategy Item cards are available for every position in your team. Use the Catalog tab and the Type – Strategy filter to view every single one of the 98 Strategy card items available. This interface also makes it easy enough to access the Auction House directly for any given card that may catch your interest.

Upgrading Items

Upgrade your items, including season pass players and pack items for maximum value. Simply go to My Items, then select the item, and tab over to Upgrade in the top left. The upgrade path may require Upgrade Tokens, Training, or Coins, based on the item, all of which are acquired through gameplay. Once added, you can also opt to Refund it, if you change your mind.

Those are some tips and tricks to make things easier for you in Madden NFL 26.

This guide is all about farming for coins quickly and efficiently in Madden NFL 26 without wasting time or money.

Dailies and Weeklies

These run-of-the-mill objectives are the bread and butter of a steady coin income in the Madden franchise, and over the course of seasons, every coin will count towards the millions you will eventually accrue.

Events

These events are intended to be accomplished within a certain timeframe before they are rotated out. The coin rewards are huge even when failing to achieve a 10/10 win result. Additionally, you can acquire a number of packs to open, which in turn can be disposed of for their coin value.

Training Packs

The Store categorizes packs in several distinct sections, and the training tab in particular has a pack with assured quick sell coin value from the high 80+ OVR pulls. There will only be one pack available, but more packs should drop over the course of seasons.

Set Completion

Completing sets for their rewards is relatively easy, by simply sniping cheap deals on players in the auction house. Rinse and repeat as necessary, and reap those coin rewards which will always outweigh the coins spent acquiring the players for the set.

Auction House

The auction house in general can be a source for great deals that can be flipped or parlayed into set completion, both of which can turn a tidy profit. You will have to come to grips with using the filters, and being vigilant with new offers as they appear.

Those are all the methods for coin farming in order of complexity in Madden NFL 26.

This Madden NFL 26 guide has everything you need to know about quickly and efficiently reaching the current maximum level of 45 with your avatar.

Dailies

A tried and true strategy for 5000 easy XP each and every day. Checking your 3 daily objectives at the start of your play session for the day should be your routine. These objectives are always easy to complete, even if you are pressed for time, and should never take you more than 30 minutes to run through.

Achieving the 7-day streak which resets weekly, will also earn you some rewards.

Weeklies

Simply the weekly counterpart to dailies, these reset on Wednesdays, giving you ample time to run through them over the course of seven days. Slightly more involved than dailies, you still won’t have to struggle to complete them as they tend to be fairly mundane in-game activities with a certain number to achieve. Completion is worth 12600 XP each.

Events

These events are intended to be accomplished within a certain timeframe before they are rotated out. The rewards tend to be commensurate with this limited availability, and often have plenty of overlap with various daily and weekly objectives, saving you the trouble of grinding them out specifically.

Season Programs

Currently on season one, the programs tab has a single mission with a number of objectives to complete for about 6250 XP apiece. The objectives track in any ultimate team game mode, and will not expire as more and more missions are added over the course of the seasons. The current mission is worth 75000 XP in total, spread across 12 objectives.

Following this simple routine is all you need to do to reach your avatar’s maximum level at a comfortable pace in Madden NFL 26.

My first moments with the new Madden weren’t exactly ideal. After the 60 gigs of data were finished installing, I booted up the game and went through an unnecessary Ultimate Team Pass tutorial, something some will never use or fiddle with. My favorite team and difficulty sliders from Madden 25 carried over, so there was little to fiddle with in the settings, which I appreciate. But for new players, there’s a hefty range of sliders to tailor the experience to any skill level imaginable. Everything from the type of playbooks, evenly matched teams, four different passing types, and much more are adjustable.

As I finished setting the music playlist to my football experience, I found myself watching the menu movie, which showcases real footage of last season’s star players. To my dismay, this menu movie cannot be customized whatsoever, nor can it be turned off for a less distracting visual banner. I thought I was being a tad nitpicky when all of a sudden my game hard crashed. Okay, let’s try that again and hope my PS5 data isn’t corrupted.

"The menu movie cannot be customized whatsoever, nor can it be turned off for a less distracting visual banner."

I wanted to actually play the game, so decided to just do some offensive practice after loading it up again. Lo and behold, upon returning to the menu, I’m greeted with another dreaded hard crash. These were the only two crashes I’ve had throughout my time and they both occurred early on while watching the menu movie; weird. Anyway, why the fine folks at EA decided to torment Giants fans with the barrage of Eagles footage playing on loop is beyond me. You’re practically forced to select your favorite team in the game, so why not grace the menus with that team’s visuals instead of a stock movie on loop? Worse yet, some sub-menus are opaque to the point where you can see the movie playing through it, leading to visual confusion.

Anyway, on to the first game mode I checked out: Dynasty. Lots of bells and whistles got added to this year’s coach-centric Dynasty mode. But my main issues from last year remain mostly the same, albeit in different guises. Chief among the Dynasty disappointments are the clunky user interface and menuing. At the core of Dynasty is the vast level of control offered to players shaping their team. This micromanagement involves a LOT of menuing, which leads to laborious load times.

I’ll describe one egregious case example. You’re taken through not one, not two, but three separate loading screens when upgrading players with skill points, four if you count the load into the Player Upgrade menu itself. There is a helpful option to upgrade all players at once, but that takes control away from the player, automating the process. Manually allocating skill points shouldn’t take me through three loading screens per player. It’s simply inexcusable in a 2025 video game. Thankfully, browsing rosters doesn’t feel as sluggish as before, but man, upgrading players and coaches is downright awful.

Position battles are an admittedly smaller disappointment. I had a 2nd string HalfBack request he be the starter. Fair enough, just prove you’ve got what it takes through the three pre-season and you’ve got your spot. Well, he was doing great except for his single-game injury during the pre-season finale. He was automatically cut from starting position consideration due to this brief injury. As the head coach, I can still make him starter through the depth chart. But then what’s the point of position battles in Franchise? It’s even worse in Superstar mode where you are the player in question fighting for starting position. A bit of an oversight to not take single-game injuries into consideration of position battles.

Load time and position battle woes aside, the overhauled coach abilities and playsheets RPG-ify Franchise to a satisfying degree. Each ability has multiple tiers that get unlocked as you complete goals relating to the ability. You can really min/max your team through these abilities. For example, stacking up your highest tiered defensive abilities and playsheets will greatly raise your chances of turnovers and 3rd down stoppages. It’s fun to switch up abilities based on the team you’re playing against as it adds a good amount of strategy, making the player feel more in-control of weekly battles than ever.

"It’s fun to switch up abilities based on the team you’re playing against"

Madden 26 starts putting a smile on my face once I’m out on the field playing regular season games. You can tell there’s been substantial effort to bring the extravagant broadcast presentation to life this year. Teams now have their own pre-game rituals. In the case of my Patriots, I didn’t particularly love seeing Gronk out there striking the bell every single home game (interesting retirement gig), but the added pageantry and addition of mascots is noteworthy. Some teams even have little chants that play as you exit the matchup menu into the game. What’s more, Thursday and Sundays feature different presentations and commentators to match their real life broadcast counterparts.

The improved halftime show feels more substantial too, with updated scores and clips from games played that day. And I’m particularly thankful for the weekly recap show, which kind of fulfills the same purpose albeit in a more thorough manner. These weekly recaps keep me from looking at the sterile league standings and match menus every week.

We’ll get to the on-field gameplay soon, but it’s worth visiting Superstar mode briefly. The big difference from last year’s iteration is the new chapter structure. You’re still doing the same things, like getting drafted, fighting for starting position, and trying to get into the playoffs, but now it’s all guided through chapter objectives. Many early objectives require you to accumulate influence with a range of staff, fans, and even doctors. This is done through the Sphere of Influence map, which indicates how much experience points are needed to increase your influence level with staff. This is all much better telegraphed than last year’s more basic chemistry system.

"The big difference from last year’s iteration is the new chapter structure."

While not termed ‘storylines’ this time around, off-the-field player moments are largely the same as last year, but better presented. Scenes talking with your agent or coordinator look more natural and feature a greater number of backgrounds, though they still lack voice acting. While these changes are small, they are welcome and help make Superstar mode more appealing.

It was through my opening season as a receiving halfback where I first felt the subtle improvements in gameplay over last year. Everything just feels more well put together. Running feels intuitive and those sudden flatline tackles out of nowhere don’t’ happen as much, meaning the hit and hurt boxes have been improved. There’s clearly more complex animations and physics models going on here under the hood, but without being a total transformation. Like I said, it’s a subtle improvement. I also noticed that receivers don’t quite drop the pass as often when morale is low or they’re rattled, though it still happens more often than is reasonable. It’s noticeable how varied and organic EA managed to make touchdown dives, arm arcs when throwing, and of course tackles. There’s been some wild spin dives and flip hurdles that I’ve never seen in a football game before.

Finally, there’s Ultimate Team, EA’s ongoing live service model. Menus are still a slog to get through in this mode, with every sub-menu taking a three to five second load to initiate. This is largely the same Ultimate Team mode players have been used to for some time now with little in the way of innovation or additions.

"It’s noticeable how varied and organic EA managed to make touchdown dives, arm arcs when throwing, and of course tackles."

All in all, Madden NFL 26 is a competent football sim that can be tailored to any kind of experience you want, whether that be coaching a franchise, competing online in leagues, or just enjoying short exhibition games here and there. There’s not a vast number of improvements and overhauls, which follows the trend of sports games iterating rather than innovating. But the added presentation gloss, smoothed out gameplay animations, and wealth of options make this a worthy successor to last year’s game.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.

While there are loads of gamers to whom graphics take second place to the gameplay loop on offer, there are others who would choose to pass on even the most engaging experience if its visuals were not up to scratch. Luckily, 2025 has been very kind to both camps with these titles that have pushed the boundaries of what a modern video game can achieve in terms of visual fidelity.

Let’s dive in and take a look at the best graphics that 2025 has been graced with in the gaming world!

#15. Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii

Powered by the Dragon Engine like the titles that preceded it in the franchise, this standalone tale featuring Goro Majima brought excellent character models to the table although it earned criticism for its lighting and a bunch of recycled assets from Infinite Wealth. 

However, it earns its place among 2025’s best graphics owing to the fact that it was not current-gen exclusive, and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio had to ensure smooth performance on last-gen consoles and a wide variety of PC setups. It seems that the studio opted for a consistent experience all across the board which has since proved to be a prudent choice considering how well the game has been received by its players and critics alike.

#14. Atomfall

Rebellion managed to mitigate the criticisms that Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii received for its lack of current-gen goodness for the most part despite Atomfall also releasing for last-gen consoles as well. However you look at it, Atomfall brings the British countryside to your screen with visually stunning landscapes both indoors and outdoors.

The graphics supported the smaller scope of its world design very well, enhancing the experience for its players irrespective of the platform they were playing the game on. Eerily desolate ruins seamlessly blended into lush landscapes in an experience that brought a lot of humor and thrills to its post-apocalyptic story. It helped that the game was also relatively free of bugs, making the experience all the more realistic as a result.

#13. Sniper Elite Resistance

Rebellion features on this list a second time with its excellent take on Nazi-occupied France in Sniper Elite Resistance. Once again, the studio managed to pull off an excellent graphical feat despite the game being available on last-gen platforms, with great lighting, impressive details, and a very visceral kill camera that made good use of its solid performance and framerates.

While its character models did receive some flak for being too similar to 2022’s Sniper Elite 5, it is still a visually impressive game that lets its players hunt their targets from the shadows with increasingly creative ways to take them down.

#12. Ninja Gaiden 2 Black

Team Ninja’s efforts to bring one of its classic titles to a new generation of gamers were well worth the effort, with Ninja Gaiden 2 Black receiving praise for the visual upgrade it brought to the table.

The remake’s excellent use of Unreal Engine 5’s to bring new and more detailed character models, assets, Ray Tracing, Chromatic Aberration, Motion Blur, and so much more to the game not only helped present a more current-gen experience, but made the remake stand tall among other remakes of popular games.

On the graphical front and otherwise, this remake deserved all of the praise it has received since its release.

#11. The First Berserker Khazan

While FromSoftware’s Soulslikes have played it safe when it comes to graphical fidelity, Neople decided to go the other way, and The First Berserker Khazan immediately stands out among its competition in the genre thanks to its distinct art style and visuals. Its medieval European environments were a treat to see thanks to the 3D cel-shaded anime art style that was a perfect fit for its Dungeon & Fighter inspirations.

Khazan’s journey across the Pell Los Empire was a visual treat made even more satisfying by a solid combat loop, making it one of this year’s most exciting experiences on all fronts.

#10. Monster Hunter Wilds

The developer ensured that its move from the MT Framework to the RE Engine was an absolute banger on the graphical front. While there were concerns about Monster Hunter Wilds’ first open word beta, the studio was quick to correct any faults and release a title that has raised the bar for graphic-intensive open-worlds.

Monster Hunter Wilds’ varied biomes boast an astounding level of detail while a dynamic weather system brings those environments to life in so many ways. From the roaming herds in all of them to particles of dust interacting with the wind, and very realistic lightning and rainfall effects, this is a game that has made excellent use of current-gen platforms to present a very solid experience  – and a dazzling improvement over anything that came before it.

#9. F1 25

Widely touted as an improvement over its last iteration, the latest title in the F1 franchise makes impressive use of Lidar technology to bring real-life tracks from the 2025 F1 World Championship to life with truly impressive levels of detail across the board.

Tearing across tracks like Zandvoort, Bahrain, Melbourne and so many more has never felt more real and authentic thanks to Codemasters’ stellar efforts at creating an experience that puts you in the driver’s seat, letting you race with your favorite drivers in a game that blurs the line between the real thing and a digital recreation of it.

#8. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth PC

This remake of its 1997 classic remains as impressive on the PC as it does on the PS5. Cloud Strife’s adventures after events in Rebirth are a sight to behold, with excellent visuals being backed up by solid performance.

Its lighting and improved textures make the Grasslands absolutely hum with life after a prologue that showcases Midgar in ruins. Things only get better from there in this adventure that builds on the original game in many ways, making good use of Nvidia’s DLSS to sustain a very high frame rate while delivering very impressive visual fidelity all around.

This is one of those games that must be seen to be believed.

#7. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 PC

Swinging and leaping across the streets of Marvel and Insomniac’s take on New York never felt this good, with Peter Parker or Miles Morales being reflected in every glistening window pane as they tear across the city on the way to the next crime they’re trying to stop.

This PC port of a title once exclusive to the PlayStation 5 makes for an excellent graphical showcase, with Ray Tracing taken to new heights in the city and inside of its buildings.

With support for ultra-wide monitors being thrown into the mix, Insomniac addressed a few initial hiccups to truly achieve a superhero landing when it came to its explosive adventure’s graphics, ensuring that it was supported by a wide range of PCs through a variety of settings that allowed its grand set-pieces to shine while quieter moments were made all the more impactful as well.

#6. The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered

The gaming community was obviously delighted to have a remake of the 2006 classic from Bethesda shadow-dropped on the same day it was announced. Cryodill’s Unreal Engine 5 makeover immediately took the spotlight with its revamped textures, improved character models, and Ray Tracing goodness making their presence felt in the game’s latest avatar.

Its graphical improvements worked well with tweaks to gameplay, bringing Oblivion to life in ways that mattered to its players. Kudos to Virtuos for a visual overhaul that managed to bring a refreshingly new experience to the table while remaining faithful to the beloved classic that inspired its latest work.

#5. Kingdom Come Deliverance II

Kingdom Come Deliverance II features a lot of graphical improvements over the original that made the experience an absolute visual treat. The Kingdom of Bohemia has never looked better, and has never been as free of bugs as it has in this title.

With DLSS and FSR upscaling, Ray Tracing, improved shadows, and a whole lot of other graphical goodies, this game brought its fields and castles to life in a way that complemented the grand adventure it aimed to deliver on. Just try and ignore how many hits to the face its enemies can take and you’re left with what we can only describe as a visual masterpiece.

#4. Assassin’s Creed Shadows

Although the delay to Assassin’s Creed Shadows was indeed unbearable, the developer’s take on ancient Japan was a graphical marvel, and is one of those games that just forces you to stop and take in the sights.

Jaw-dropping vistas were nudged by a gentle breeze as we tore across lush fields and crowded cities as either Naoe and Yasuke, while Japan’s dense forests were not just there for show and forced us to find alternate ways to reach our destination. The revamped Anvil engine worked wonders for a dynamic weather system that brought a meaningful impact on the core gameplay loop on offer in a title that has breathed new life into the aging franchise.

We certainly can’t wait to see where the Assassins go next if Shadows’ incredible visuals are an indication of the series’ future.

#3. DOOM: The Dark Ages

With impressive visuals being backed up by a newly added Path Tracing update, Doom The Dark Ages is a showcase of just how far modern systems have come to delivering experiences that were simply impossible a few years ago

The game makes short work of its improved enemy density while combat is a smooth, buttery affair thanks to id Software’s smart use of modern features like DLSS and innate Ray Tracing compatibility. Just be sure that the Path Tracing update doesn’t cook your graphics cards when you take on hordes of enemies with its revamped combat system.

#2. Clair Obscur: Expedition

Sandfall Interactive’s runaway hit is a graphical marvel, bringing Lumiere’s varied landscapes and locations to life in an adventure that blends cinematic flair with a very immersive gameplay loop.

Every character on your screen looks like they could exist in the real-world while the game’s duration brings little to no technical snags – a marvel in and of itself. Whether you’re bounding across the land or soaring through the skies in its later acts, Clair Obscur: Expedition lives up to the visual technique it is named after, balancing light and darkness in a way that complements the excellent story it aims to tell.

#1. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach

Sam Porter’s efforts to bring Mexico and Australia into the Chiral Network’s fold is nothing short of a visual masterpiece. Kojima Productions’ efforts to build on the success of the original Death Stranding shines through in every drop of rain that falls down from the sky, and in every gust of wind that throws up particles of dust as he makes his away across a  frontier that is now expanded in size, scope, and visual fidelity.

Death Stranding 2 pushed the boundaries of what games can hope to achieve in terms of immersive visuals. Its varied biomes feel alive, thrumming with life and showcase the Decima engine’s prowess alongside that of the talented team behind this absolute delight.

It helps that the new gameplay elements and story beats work well to keep players coming back to this stunning world for more.

We can’t wait to see what else this year has to bring to the table. But we will say that 2025’s upcoming releases have their work cut out for them on the visual front.

From innovative twists on tried and tested gaming tropes to ambitious sequels that seek to surpass their predecessors’ wild success, the second half of 2025 is all set to blow us away with a slew of titles that seek to push the boundaries of what a modern video game can offer its players.

To that end, let’s take a look at some of 2025’s upcoming titles that are worth your attention.

Hollow Knight Silksong

This indie follow-up to the original Hollow Knight is sure to shake things up with Hornet taking over from the original protagonist in a new adventure that sees her bring her acrobatic skills to its combat while its platforming trappings bring a redesigned approach to side quests and an expanded roster of enemies as she explores a new land called Pharloom.

From what we’ve seen of Hollow Knight Silksong, it certainly recaptures the magic and charm of its predecessor. If it’s anything like the original title, this one is definitely worth diving into when it hits the shelves later this year.

Ninja Gaiden 4

Ninja Gaiden fans are sure to be counting the days to October 2025 as they wait for the seventh mainline entry to the iconic franchise. Developed by Team Ninja, this new addition to the franchise’s illustrious lineup includes a new protagonist called Yakumo while Ryu Hayabusa is also making a return to the story.

Another interesting returning character is Dark Dragon, a well-known antagonist from earlier titles who brings the power of the Underworld to threaten our heroes. But with new skills like the Bloodraven Form, Yakumo is sure to complement Hayabusa’s trademark efficiency in dispatching any threats that come his way.

Ninja Gaiden 4 has all the makings of what made previous titles in the franchise as great as they are, while its new additions are sure to elevate it to new heights.

Little Nightmares III

October 2025 is shaping up to be quite a busy month for the gaming community. This standalone sequel to the first two titles in this puzzle-platforming horror franchise from Supermassive Games introduces two new protagonists, Low and Alone, placing them in a new world called The Nowhere with new, frightening threats trying to keep them trapped as they attempt to escape.

With online co-op allowing you to bring a friend to the party while Low’s ranged weapons and Alone’s melee capabilities bring interesting gameplay mechanics to the table, this could be a nightmare you don’t want to wake up from.

Pokemon Legends: Z-A

Game Freak’s take on Pokemon for the original Switch and the newly launched Switch 2 is sure to bring a thrilling way to engage with the popular IP thanks to the new real-time combat system that requires careful positioning of your Pokemon in battle and timing their attacks to maximize their efficacy.

There’s also the new Pre-emptive Strike mechanic that lets you attack an unaware trainer at specific times at certain locations and side quests that players can complete to improve their rankings. The Kalos region is sure to see a lot of activity as players explore Lumiose City and its surroundings while coming into contact with Zygarde, the Legendary Pokemon whose role in the game is yet to be disclosed.

Lost Souls Aside

Sony Interactive Entertainment’s penchant for bringing novel experiences to the table shines through in this upcoming action-adventure RPG from Ultizero Games. There’s an evil Empire and a resistance group called GLIMMER that fights against its oppression.

While that may seem a little cliche, protagonists Kaser and his companion Arena are certainly not, bringing transforming weapons and other cool abilities to the field as they attempt to rescue the former’s sister Louisa from the hands of the Voldrax, an enigmatic group of invaders. Each of them comes with their own motivations and backstories that are sure to bring an interesting narrative to life, making this title an exciting and potentially heady mix of story and gameplay that can be quite addictive.

Ultizero has been proud to wear its inspirations – which include the likes of  Ninja Gaiden, and Final Fantasy – on its sleeve, which makes us very optimistic on the combat system this game is bringing in August 2025.

Borderlands 4

This sequel to 2019’s looter-shooter Borderlands 3 puts its players in the shoes of a Vault Hunter, the leader of a resistance that fights against the Timekeeper and his Order in the world of Kairos, whose protective barrier has weathered away after Lilith teleports Pandora’s moon away.

There are new vehicles, tools, the return of co-op with upto three other players, and an open-world touted to be the largest and most seamless in the franchise to look forward to when this Unreal Engine 5 powered title gets to its September 2025 release, while Nintendo Switch 2 owners might to wait a little longer to join in on its unique brand of chaos.

Directive 8020

In what’s shaping up to be a busy year for Supermassive Games, this interactive survival horror drama puts you on a colony ship called the Cassiopeia where you control five of its crew in an adventure that puts you in complete control of their respective fates. One wrong choice could see them wiped off the board although the newly introduced Tuning Points mechanic could help ease the tension surrounding your choices by allowing you to turn back the clock and try a different path.

QTEs, real-time combat, a focus on stealth, a bunch of versatile tools, and so much more wait for players brave enough to take on the threats on Tau Ceti f, a planet that the crew must explore in order to survive against a mysterious shapeshifting alien that is hell-bent on removing them from the board. It’s a premise and gameplay loop combo that has us quite excited to try out in October 2025.

The Outer Worlds 2

Set in an alternate timeline in which corporate interests rule most of society, the new first-person action RPG is sure to build on the original title in ways that make this new outing a much more ambitious proposition.

That’s good news considering that we get to explore the newly-introduced colony of Arcadia as an agent for the Earth Directive, exploring mysterious rifts while uncovering the conflict between vested interests in the region. It has the makings of an adventure that blends branching narrative paths, combat, and stealth in a story that could very well alter our perceptions of the world around us as we uncover more of Arcadia’s internal strife.

It’s an adventure we’d gladly embark upon in October this year.

Mafia: The Old Country

Hangar 13 is taking the Mafia franchise back to its roots, exploring the origins of the Torrisi crime family in 1900s Sicily, where players take on the role of protagonist Enzo Favara who escapes a life of slavery to be a part of a story that is sure to be the stuff of legends.

A third-person action-adventure title, The Old Country brings cinematic flair to the franchise’s penchant for explosive narratives, eschewing Mafia 3’s open-world for a more linear experience this time around. Moreover, if the trailers we saw recently is any indication, this is an experience that could very well be the definitive one for fans of the franchise when it releases in August 2025.

Any game that explores the origins of one of the modern world’s most prominent presences in organized crime is sure to bring a lot of emotional heft, and grand set-pieces to the table and we simply cannot wait for its August 2025 release.

Cronos: The New Dawn

Following the success of its remake of Silent Hill 2, The Bloober Team is all set to bring its best work to the table in its upcoming survival horror adventure that follows the story of The Traveler, an agent for the mysterious Collective, who indulges in time travel shenanigans in their quest to rescue people from The Change, an event that forced them to transform into monstrous beings called Orphans.

The Traveler brings both melee and ranged abilities to the table while their enemies can literally come back from the dead unless they are properly burned after they are disabled. Making things worse is the fact that these resurrected beings can prove a lot more troublesome than they used to be, making this a game that could have a lot of nuance for players to tackle when it comes out later this year.

Dying Light: The Beast

For fans of the original Dying Light’s protagonist, Kyle Crane is making a triumphant return, bringing new abilities like a brand new Beast Mode and superhuman power against the zombies of Castor Woods, a new location that the game takes place in.

Techland’s upcoming survival horror title is an experience we have been waiting for since its existence was leaked in 2023, forcing the studio to bring what was originally intended as a DLC for Dying Light 2 as a new standalone title that allows for cooperative multiplayer with up to four players.

Crane seeks revenge against the Baron, an unknown antagonist who had experimented on him in the past, and is presumably the catalyst of his new adventure that is due to release in August 2025. Those zombies won’t know what hit them once we get to take them on!

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond

Owners of a shiny new Nintendo Switch 2 are sure to be eagerly waiting for this action-adventure title that has long been in the making. With development moving from Bandai Namco back to Retro Studios back in 2019, the new title follows Samus Aran’s battle to survive the hostile threats of Viewros, a new planet that serves as a stage for this grand adventure.

Samus brings new psychic abilities to his repertoire of skills, which are sure to come in handy as he faces off against deadly threats in an experience that could be a great way to show off what Nintendo’s new console is truly capable of when it launches later this year.

Gears of War Reloaded

The Coalition’s stalwart Xbox exclusive franchises finally makes its way to the PlayStation 5, being the second remaster of the popular 2006 title from a franchise that needs no introduction to knowledgeable members of the gaming community.

This “reloaded” experience brings 4K, 60fps gameplay to a title that stays at the top of several great shooter titles, while also bringing all of the DLC and additional content for the original game into one, very attractive package.

With high dynamic range and variable refresh support on compatible displays and spatial audio technology support, it’s clear that this remaster is way more than a fresh coat of paint, and is sure to bring a smile to the faces of franchise veterans and newcomers alike in August 2025.

Jurassic World Evolution 3

We just cannot wait to build our very own Jurassic park in this management and construction simulator from the stables of Frontier Developments. There’s a whole lot of dinosaurs to manage that all come together to inhabit a theme park that offers a lot of options to truly make it your own.

There’s also a campaign mode that sees Jeff Goldblum return to the role of Dr. Ian Malcolm is you’re still on the fence about this one. For those of you who are as excited to get started on your take on Jurassic Park in Evolution 3, we’re sure that you too have marked your calendars for its October 2025 release.

EA Sports Madden NFL 26

As the first current-gen exclusive title in the franchise’s illustrious lineup, Madden NFL 26 is sure to bring a lot of visual and gameplay improvements to the table in comparison to previous games from its past.

The new game brings a lot of changes to an already brilliant Franchise Mode, a new weather system, dynamic injury recovery systems, and many other additions that are sure to bring new layers of realism to the table. What’s even better is that there’s only a little over a month remaining for the game to become available. It’s time to brush up on your skills and bring your A-game to the pitch this August 2025.

Hell Is Us

Rogue Factor’s upcoming action adventure title is unique thanks to a design philosophy that makes this game one that you experience entirely on your own. It forgoes tried and tested mechanics like quest logs, markers, and map waypoints in order to present an experience in which you utilize your own wits and memory to uncover the mystery of protagonist Remi’s quest to learn more about the fate of his parents in a hellish landscape which brings supernatural horrors to life.

Furthermore, Remi’s health directly affects his stamina in a mechanic that would be right at home in a Soulslike title. Its narrative chops are not to be ignored either, as the game explores complex themes such as the impact of war on a granular level alongside explorations of mortality and the occult that are sure to leave a lasting impression when it makes its debut in September 2025.

Silent Hill f

NeoBards Entertainment’s upcoming mainline addition to the very popular survival horror franchise is sure to bring thrills and chills in equal measures when it releases this September.

Built around the unique Japanese philosophy that an excess of beauty can sometimes give life to the most horrific of evils, this game takes the action to the shores of Japan to create an experience that is as authentic as it is terrifying.

The town of Ebisugaoka is sure to bring a lot of traumatic encounters to protagonist Hinako Shimizu’s trek through its streets, with NeoBards designing new horrors for her to face from the ground up in an experience that is shaping up to be a very unsettling Silent Hill game. We can’t wait to see what we find – and eventually learn to take down – in this truly terrifying title.

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater

This remake of Hideo Kojima’s excellent 2004 stealth-action adventure brings an Unreal Engine 5 powered layer of visual polish to the original experience while staying true to the innovative game mechanics that made Big Boss’ origins story as Naked Snake hit as hard as it did.

Aside from a more realistic visual canvas, there are a ton of quality of life improvements tuned to make the most of current-gen systems while the New Style control scheme is sure to bring a refreshing change from the original game’s controls, allowing returning players to experience the game in entirely new ways.

While we would like to see more of the remake’s gameplay in action prior to its August release, we’re still waiting with bated breath to dive back into the story that put Big Boss on the road to his iconic presence in stories across the franchise’s history, and to relive the tragic events that set him on the path in 1964.

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers

Chinese developer Lenzee’s upcoming attempt to imitate the success of Game Science’s Black Myth Wukong has many Soulslike fans eager to take control of Bai Wuchang, a pirate who finds herself tearing across the lands of Shu during the Ming Dynasty’s later years.

She desperately searches for a cure to a condition that could eventually lead to a gruesome end, but comes very handy in her encounters against bosses and enemies that seem to be an excellent showcase of the studio’s creative chops.

It also brings unique twists to the traditional Soulslike formula, requiring that players take down an evil version of herself when she dies under specific conditions, making regaining your lost experience points all the more challenging if you play your cards wrong. With only two weeks to its release at the time of writing, this is a Soulslike that could very well find a place among the genre’s greatest hits.

Ghost of Yotei

This PlayStation 5 exclusive has some big shoes to fill considering it is a follow up to Jin Sakai’s poignant and haunting encounter with the vicious Mongol army that we got to experience back in 2020.

While the original Ghost of Tsushima Island is long gone considering the new time period that this game takes place in, Atsu takes up the role of the game’s protagonist in a tale of revenge that spans across the lands of Mount Yotei in Japan’s Ezo region. As a wandering ronin who is deadly with her father’s katana, she pursues the Yotei six, a group of deadly adversaries who are responsible for the deaths of her family as well as her attempted murder.

With the order in which you hunt them down being left entirely up to you, Sucker Punch and Sony Interactive Entertainment are sure to bring a darker and more emotionally taxing experience this time around, while the new open-world could expand on the size and scope of its predecessor in ways that make Ghost of Yotei a game that could rise to prominence among the very best of PlayStation exclusives.

We just can’t wait to pit our blade against our enemies with both style and substance in the sequel to one of our most favorite PlayStation titles this October.

Despite how crowded the current handheld landscape is, there’s still plenty of room for PlayStation supply something only they can. With Nintendo and Microsoft going in two opposite directions with handheld philosophy, Sony has an opportunity to throw a wrench into all of that and do something different. But first, how are Nintendo and Microsoft at opposite ends of the handheld spectrum exactly? Well, The ROG Xbox Ally X doesn’t take full advantage of Xbox’s quirks in the same way the Switch 2 does. It’s an ASUS device with some Xbox branding slapped on, but not truly an Xbox machine crafted by Microsoft. While the Ally X harnesses perhaps the most powerful handheld processor on the market in the AMD Ryzen Z2 A, the third-party machine lags behind the Series S/X with regards to backwards compatibility. The Xbox Ally X supports 1000 Xbox titles, but won’t be able to play older legacy titles from the Xbox 360 or Xbox One like the first-party consoles can. It’s basically an Xbox themed Windows handheld, an impressive one at that, with superb performance.

Xbox seems to be gradually molting away its brand purity with its ‘play anywhere’ initiative and third-party manufacturing, which is quite the different approach from any of its more exclusive-minded competitors. I’ve been seeing plenty of gamers saying they’d just rather play all of Xbox’s games on their Steam Deck or an older Asus ROG than shell out the cash for the new Xbox themed ROG, and it’s not an entirely facetious statement. The ROG Xbox Ally doesn’t run on proprietary Xbox hardware or anything, and it certainly doesn’t house any exclusive games you can’t play on other handhelds or PC, so why bother? Well, the power and sheer quality is inherently attractive, and that power part of the equation is something Nintendo has only recently cared about.

This is where Nintendo’s own Switch 2 comes in. While Microsoft is handing their handheld keys to other manufacturers, Nintendo maintains their hybrid approach to console making, following up on their success with the original Switch. The Switch 2 is a highly versatile machine, capable of playing Mario and Zelda on the train as well as on a 4K TV. While the Switch 2 largely went with an ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ mentality regarding its design, its identity remains purely Nintendo. And Nintendo have stated numerous times in the past that it doesn’t see itself as competing with other console manufacturers. Nintendo is out there doing its own thing, banking off the massive success of the Switch with its more or less iterative follow-up, the Switch 2, and it doesn’t care if Sony or Microsoft try to compete with it. After all, unlike Xbox, Nintendo isn’t going to outsource its main gaming IP or put Mario on other platforms any time soon. Fans buy the Switch because of its exclusive games, its fun hybrid capabilities you can’t get elsewhere, and that special Nintendo magic that accompanies their propriety hardware.

So, Nintendo is off in its corner doing its own thing and Microsoft is more or less handing the reigns of its handheld to the PC manufacturers. Where does Sony fit into this? Well, PlayStation has two choices regarding their next handheld: either compete with the PC  handheld market with an Xbox Ally-like device or harness its brand identity in a similar way that Nintendo has with the Switch. I think it has to do the latter considering how stuffed the PC handheld market is getting. After all, it’s not only Valve and Asus taking advantage of the handheld boom, Intel has been producing their premium MSI Claw powered by their Lunar Lake chip. While Lenovo’s Legion has SteamOS built-in, making its line of handhelds highly sought-after.

Sony would be wise to reflect on their own unique legacy in the portable space. Back in the early 80s, a phenomena called the ‘Walkman effect’ emerged. Headphones became something of a fashionable trend thanks to Sony’s original portable cassette player, the Walkman, gave listeners on-the-go bands and orchestras. Sony was known for portability, so why aren’t they anymore? Well, Nintendo was the first to enter the handheld gaming market with the Game Boy and it’s been on a roll in the market since. Sony was somewhat late to handheld gaming, releasing the PSP in 2004 while Nintendo already had close to a dozen different handheld devices by then. And their last handheld effort, the PS Vita, undersold thanks to steep console and memory card prices and, as executives stated at the time, ‘the rise of the mobile market’. But Sony’s first handheld outing was special and it’s worth looking back at what made it click for so many.

The most obvious thing the PSP did to challenge the Nintendo DS was utilize UMD discs to provide better performance and graphical power. The PSP was also responsible for a lot of handheld ‘firsts’. It was the first gaming handheld with an internet browser, the first disc-based portable gaming system, and was really the first gaming handheld with exceptionally strong multimedia support. While Sony can’t exactly mimic its impressive lists of ‘firsts’ with another handheld machine today, it can do something else the PSP did remarkably well: supply strong first-party exclusives ideal for an on-the-go experience. Gamers got Metal Gear Solid Peace walker, GTA: The Chinatown Wars, Final Fantasy VII Crisis Core, and a plethora of other excellent first-party games thanks to the PSP. And what’s more, these games integrated portability into their design ethos, making for uniquely mission-based gameplay in series’ that were otherwise long-winded. This combination of computing power, versatility, and brand exclusivity made the PSP the only successful Nintendo handheld competitor at the time. Could Sony challenge Nintendo’s dominance in the market once again?

The chances are higher than we’d probably think, considering the strong demand for portable gaming experiences right now. The only question is if PlayStation can stand out from the PC-oriented handhelds and the Switch 2 enough to hold its own. Pulling off a PSP type moment – mixing exclusive brand identity with versatile power – might be what Sony needs to carve out a successful and beloved modern gaming handheld.

Sony’s most recent handheld attempt, the Vita, may not have worked out as well as Sony and us fans wanted, but that was then. This is now; an age where computing chips are far more efficient and cheaper to make and cross-play and cloud gaming is commonplace. APU (which is basically a fusion of GPU and CPU into a single chip) development has virtually transformed since then, allowing for a far greater synthesis of power without the size or cost problem. Furthermore, Sony’s PSSR AI upscaling technology, which has been used in the PS5, can allow for higher resolutions without straining the GPU side of the APU chip.

Heck, Sony can even take some of the framework and experience that they’ve built with their PS Portal into their next dedicated handheld device. While the Portal is something of a PS5 extension (kinda like a Wii U tablet), there’s no denying just how ‘PlayStationy’ the device is. It’s pretty much got PS5 DualSense controller grips grafted on it for crying out loud. They have the external schematics already half-done, now they just need to get AMD’s next-gen GPU in there and figure out a way to cut costs and unify the whole package as a standalone handheld.

Their learnings creating the PS Portal comes at the absolute perfect time in history to make the next dedicated Sony handheld. With the PS5 over half-way through its lifecycle, we’re quickly approaching the beginning of the PS6. A Sony handheld would help bridge the gap between PS5 and PS6 beautifully, wouldn’t it? The PS Vita follow-up should be powerful enough to play PS5 games, but it could also potentially play early PS6 games as well, eschewing in new players into the PlayStation ecosystem while allowing a premium portable experience for fans already inside it. The handheld will have immense cross-play opportunities considering the PS5 and PS6 cross-pollination, and house all games and data already on users’ PS5 and PS6.

But as we know, merely introducing a portable option into an existing ecosystem isn’t enough, and Nintendo and Xbox already do that to great success. PlayStation should also harness its unique and historied library of older games, presenting their handheld as a bastion for classic gaming totally unique outside the emulation space. There are still boatloads of PS1, PS2, and PS3 titles stuck in limbo without a modern port. The newest PlayStation portable machine could leverage that absence by housing those forgotten titles within its ecosystem. Better yet, Sony could anchor the PSP and Vita libraries by making many of those first-party gems available on the next handheld. Few PSP and Vita first-party games have been ported to modern systems, making a new handheld a perfect home for them today.

If Sony were especially crafty, they could make certain classic ports exclusive to the handheld. Imagine if it had Gran Turismo 1-4 on the handheld storefront as well as Mega Man Legends, Metal Gear Solid 4…Okay, I’ll stop before I get too excited. A Bloodborne Remaster? Okay, now I’m just dreaming. But seriously, there’s a colossal ton of games that modern PlayStation systems don’t support and a portable system is a great opportunity to open up the floodgates. Heck, even just throwing those PS Plus Extra and Premium classics on a storefront that anyone could buy regardless of membership tier, would go a long ways toward getting players interested in another Sony handheld. It’s a given that it should be backwards compatible with PS4 and PS5 games, but if it went further, it would get even skeptical budget-conscious gamers intrigued, especially if they have nostalgia for the forgotten PS1/PS2/PSP games.

But for those who just want new experiences, the next Sony handheld could also bring us something the PSP and Vita did so well: exclusivity. Now, I’m not a console exclusivity supporter, but there’s no denying the amount of quality titles you just couldn’t play anywhere else except on PSP. Launching its new handheld with a spinoff Jak and Daxter or Ratchet and Clank exclusive would certainly grab a few players who otherwise wouldn’t be interested (especially given Jak and Daxter’s long absence, just saying).

On the tech side of things, It has to have an attractive screen, particularly sporting OLED capabilities, to stand out and even eclipse what something like the Switch 2 is offering. And lastly, what everyone cares about: price. Like the PS3 and Vita, the next Sony handheld will make or break on its price point. It can have the most advanced APU processing in the world but if it’s $800, it’ll live and die as a niche product. Sony needs to aim at something reasonable yet realistic considering the goal to deliver PS5 graphics. Gamers probably wouldn’t bat an eye at a price hovering around where the OLED Steam Deck is sitting now but anything more will cause some hesitation.

Of course, like many things, price will be a challenge for Sony to figure out . With the economy as unstable as it is, there’s really no telling just how expensive chips will be to produce in the coming year. Another challenge is setting itself apart from its PS5/PS6 offerings as well as other competitive handheld systems.

The key to the PSP’s success was a brilliant mix of brand identity and versatile power, and now’s the perfect time to harness that combination for a true next-gen handheld. Sony should leverage both of these approaches and mix them into something truly PSP-like. Make a first-party machine capable of playing the exclusive Sony IP that everyone craves while also jamming it with the latest tech and multi-media support.

Sony has a chance to truly delight gamers with a unique handheld experience they can’t get elsewhere. It’ll take a bit of brand specialization and perhaps even some exclusive games to differentiate itself from other PlayStation experiences or those from other handhelds, but if it means bringing back Metal Gear Solid 4 or a new Sly Cooper, I’ll gladly take it.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

To the chagrin of many, one of those Nintendo-exclusive quirks that Hitman openly engages with is game key cards. That’s right, Hitman Signature Edition is a physical game key card, meaning the data isn’t fully on the cartridge and must be downloaded online. It joins a growing list of physical in-name-only game key card Switch 2 games. That alone may disappoint collectors, but it’s especially frustrating given the game’s hefty 61 GB install size—currently the second largest on Switch 2, behind Split Fiction.

Despite its compromise as a game key card game, the Hitman Signature Edition fails to utilize many of Switch 2’s more positive features. Mouse controls in a third-person game about perfectly aimed assassinations? Who needs it. Apparently not the Switch 2 version of Hitman World of Assassination. Yes, that’s right, there’s no functionality with the Joy-Con 2’s mouse control mode in Signature Edition. You have to rely on the good old analog stick for all of your silent takedowns and sniper rifle shots.

"Despite its compromise as a game key card game, the Hitman Signature Edition fails to utilize many of Switch 2’s more positive features."

But mouse aiming isn’t the only Switch 2 quirk completely abandoned by Hitman Signature Edition, gryo aiming gets ignored as well as touchscreen control. I’m still wary of using styluses or my own grimy fingers on the Switch 2 screen personally, but the function could’ve added a cool slick way to access menus and equipment with the swipe of a wrist. As for the control options actually present in the game, they work well enough.

Using the Joy-Cons detached feels more ergonomic than the Switch 1 Joy-Cons due to the larger surface area and more responsive left/right triggers. Attaching the Joy-Con 2s to the Grip suits the more tense situations you get up to in Hitman thanks to the magnets locking onto the Grip rather tightly. And of course, handheld feels similar to the Grip attachments. I did miss the opportunity to use more accurate mouse controls for gun aiming, but the slightly improved Joy-Con 2 thumbsticks provide solid sensitivity to match the player’s own style and comfort. And thankfully, there are indeed aiming sensitivity adjustments and control rebinding in the game’s menus.

"But a stealth game is more than just aiming, it’s about keen audio senses. In this arena, the Switch 2 perfects the kind of subtle directional audio needed for a Hitman game."

But a stealth game is more than just aiming, it’s about keen audio senses. In this arena, the Switch 2 perfects the kind of subtle directional audio needed for a Hitman game. Nintendo’s touted 3D directional audio is bold and quite noticeable. Even to someone used to PS5’s 3D audio and the like, the Switch 2’s audio really stands out. You can clearly hear sounds from every direction, lending Agent 47 the ideal soundscape to plan a route and strike. The Switch 2’s 3D audio is a marked improvement to the Switch 1, and it’s equally impressive whether docked or in handheld mode.

That’s a running theme with my experience with this game, by the way, the handheld mode just particularly wows me. The game takes a knock from the docked mode’s 1080 resolution down to 720 in handheld sure, but man do the texturing, colors, and sheer detail look wonderful nonetheless. This is thanks to the much larger HDR handheld screen, which allow for PS4-Pro-tier reflections and shadows. Docked mode still looks slick with its 4K capability, but the absence of ray tracing puts it behind other versions of Hitman World of Assassination.

"As far as the quantity of game you’re getting here, it’s quite the complete package."

Handheld mode even manages to win me over regarding framerate. While handheld mode limits the frames just as much or even moreso than docked, it does feature variable refresh rate on the Switch 2’s HDR screen. As Nintendo clarified, they don’t support VRR while docked to a TV, meaning frame stutter is more apparent and inconsistent on external screens. I don’t even mind that Hitman doesn’t stay at a stable 60 fps on Switch 2, but the persistent micro-stutter on my TV just makes me want to exclusively play it in handheld mode where that issue doesn’t exist.

Finally, the game did crash twice on me. Once during the ICA tutorial in Hitman 1 and another in the first mission of Hitman 3. Given my long play sessions, two crashes ain’t too bad, but it’s still worth pointing out.

As far as the quantity of game you’re getting here, it’s quite the complete package. 2016 marked a reboot of the Hitman formula with the excellent Hitman 1. That game was the start of a trilogy that would end up under the inclusive ‘World of Assassination’ moniker. And of course, as the name implies, Hitman World of Assassination Signature Edition includes the reboot trilogy in full.

Unfortunately , cross-progression is absent—even if your IOI account is linked—making it impossible to carry over your save data from other platforms to the Switch 2. With a game so steeped in player progression, having to start anew is a tough sell for players already enjoying the game on other platforms. I’m also seeing a save file issue that players seem to be experiencing, namely that previously saved online files can’t be accessed offline. Well, as of this morning, I can load up a previously online save file of a game and continue it while offline. A day 1 patch may have remedied that incongruency, but I’m not entirely sure.

"Hitman has never been run and gun action-packed game. Rather, success depends on careful observation and decent stealth instincts."

All of the main campaign missions from the trilogy are fully playable offline. However, as many fans are aware, World of Assassination operates with elements of a live service model. If you’re playing strictly offline, you’ll miss out on the hundreds of mission challenges and side activities tied to the online features. There was a faint hope that the added portability and Nintendo’s brand strength might convince the developers to enable offline access for these modes, but no such luck. It’s a bit of a letdown, especially when using the handheld in areas with unreliable internet.

Now that we’re done talking about Switch-specific and online stuff, let’s get to the bloody heart of Hitman World of Assassination—those expertly-crafted sandbox missions. The formula places you in the shoes of Agent 47, tasked with eliminating targets through stealth, subterfuge, and all manner of creative wackiness. Missions take place is some intricate gorgeous locations, sporting an open-ended sandbox nature that I’ve come to love. Players are encouraged to experiment with disguises, eavesdrop for vital intel, and explore a variety ways to approach an assassination.

Hitman has never been run and gun action-packed game. Rather, success depends on careful observation and decent stealth instincts. Whether you’re rigging a robotic security system to backfire on a tech CEO’s demonstration or staging a fatal ‘accident’ involving a loose chandelier, the thrill lies in executing a hit with style and subtlety.

"Hitman: World of Assassination – Signature Edition on Switch 2 delivers an expansive and rewarding stealth-sandbox experience for handheld or docked play."

And of course, Hitman is known for its immense replayability, which perfectly suits handheld play for drop-in, drop-out sessions. As players level up a location’s Mastery, they unlock new tools, outfits, starting positions, and story paths. Mission Stories—a form of guided narrative within each level—allow for dynamic interactions and branching possibilities. Dozens of variations exist within each map, letting you shape events to your liking, even if the overarching plot remains linear.

Hitman: World of Assassination – Signature Edition on Switch 2 delivers an expansive and rewarding stealth-sandbox experience for handheld or docked play. It runs reasonably well and offers impressive content value. I just wish VRR functioned while docked because man, that stutter sure is noticeable (even to my untrained eye). The big bummer for Nintendo-heads will be the complete absence of Switch-specific quirks like mouse controls and gyro. Still, it’s a competent port of an excellent game, and worth a purchase considering its high price point on other platforms and smooth Switch 2 portability.

This game was reviewed on the Switch 2.

So, what exactly is Cyberpunk 2077 for those who’ve somehow missed the ride? At its core, it’s a deeply narrative-driven RPG where your decisions, both big and small, ripple through the world in surprising, sometimes devastating ways. Whether you’re navigating major story beats or casual street-level interactions, your choices shape not only your own path but also the lives of those tangled up in Night City’s chaos.

The choice-and-consequence system is one of the game’s strongest aspects, delivering meaningful results that feel organic. That said, the base game never quite reaches the storytelling heights of The Witcher 3. There’s a certain inconsistency in tone and polish that makes some moments fall short of the brilliance you’d expect from CD Projekt RED.

"Arguably the most impressive game available for Nintendo’s new hardware at launch, and boy—what an exceptional port this is."

But then Phantom Liberty arrives and everything changes. This is where Cyberpunk 2077 truly finds its soul. A taut, espionage-fueled thriller soaked in tension, deception, and moral ambiguity, the expansion keeps you on edge from start to finish. Every major character has conflicting agendas, and their arcs are rich with depth and surprise. The writing, pacing, and atmosphere feel dialed in finally living up to the game’s potential. And for those left cold by the base game’s original endings, Phantom Liberty introduces a new one that not only lands harder, but might just be the definitive conclusion to V’s story.

For a deeper breakdown of the gameplay mechanics, I’d highly recommend checking out our original review linked here. But to summarize: Cyberpunk 2077’s Night City is absolutely packed with things to do—from explosive combat encounters to a rich skills and customization system that rewards creative playstyles. The world is a visual and mechanical playground, and with the addition of Phantom Liberty and the many substantial patches CD Projekt RED has rolled out over the years, the game has evolved from mediocrity into something truly impressive. You’re easily looking at over 100 hours of content, with plenty of replay value thanks to the game’s multiple endings and branching paths.

What’s even more impressive is how the game encourages experimentation. Whether you’re hacking enemies mid-fight or engaging in stealth, it all feels quite rewarding. It’s a far cry from the game’s original state, and it finally feels worthy of its immense promise. Simply put, the gameplay still slaps—and when paired with the revamped systems and cybernetic upgrades, it delivers one of the most complete cyberpunk experiences available today.

But the million-dollar question: How does it perform on the Switch 2? Arguably the most impressive game available for Nintendo’s new hardware at launch, and boy—what an exceptional port this is. Visual compromises are, of course, expected, but what CD Projekt RED and the porting team have pulled off is nothing short of remarkable and stunning.

"The Switch 2 version of Cyberpunk 2077 is a shockingly good version of the game."

All of which is to say, to have this game with all its content, including content only running on PS5 and Xbox Series as far as consoles go, available on the Switch 2 at launch is an audacious move. It’s almost a challenge and a proclamation – this is what this machine is capable of already – running a game this technically demanding right out of the gate.

And the Switch 2 version of Cyberpunk 2077 is a shockingly good version of the game. It stands in stark contrast to the Witcher 3. CD Projekt RED’s previous game had been similarly ported to the original Switch, and while that port was impressive in getting that game to run on a device that was functionally equivalent to a mid range tablet from 2016, it was not a transition without losses. The Witcher 3 on the Switch looked noticeably worse – it flat out looked like a last gen version of the game compared to all the other ones.

Cyberpunk on the other hand, does not suffer this way on the Switch 2. While it is a worse looking version than high end PCs, the PS5, and Xbox Series, it is very much still a version of the game that is within the same ballpark of visual quality and performance. Rather than it feeling like a whole generation behind, when you play it in docked mode, it feels like it’s from the same generation, merely running at lower settings. Noticeably lower – no one will mistake Switch 2 footage for PS5 footage – but still very much part of the same conversation.

On the Switch 2’s handheld screen, it looks completely stunning, coming to life on the smaller screen where it targeting a 1080p resolution works much better than in docked mode (it also runs in 1080p in docked mode in both performance and quality modes; the resolution is fine, and DLSS is really pulling its weight here, but this is one of the primary giveaways that the game is running on a lower powered device).

"This game also makes good use of the HD Rumble haptics built into the Joycons, and the Pro controller."

On the Switch 2’s 1080p screen, the game running in native resolution looks sharp and crisp, and the visual cutbacks are a lot harder to notice. The performance mode bumps up the frame rate to 40fps (though uncapped), and nocks resolution down to 720p. Personally speaking, I don’t know if the performance Mode is worth it in this case – the frame rate seems choppier than the locked 30fps cap in Quality Mode, and the graphics also look worse (the sub-native resolution means the image is softer). In my experience, playing it in quality mode is the way to go on Switch 2.

Performance and graphics are also noticeably better on Switch 2 than they are on other portable devices such as Steam Deck. CD Projekt RED promised this would be the best portable version of the game, and it seems like they have delivered on that front. They’ve also leveraged other parts of the Switch 2 hardware, like the mouse controls on the Joycons. Players who want finer control over aiming during combat in particular are likely to find this option intriguing. This game also makes good use of the HD Rumble haptics built into the Joycons, and the Pro controller.

On the whole, this is a great version of a game that has by now become a truly fantastic and legendary experience. It’s good to see that Cyberpunk 2077 survived the transition to Nintendo as lot better than The Witcher 3 did. This is a version that can be recommended on its own merits, rather than being one that you should only play if you have access to none of the other ones. It’s a little worse looking and performing than the other console versions, but it holds its own well, outperforms most of its portable peers, and also leverages a bunch of the Nintendo Switch 2’s features.

This game was reviewed on the Nintendo Switch 2.