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The Skyrim table in Pinball FX VR is dominating my office

by: Eric -

Pinball FX VR continues to grow at a rapid pace, with the developers at Zen Studios continually adding more tables every couple of months. The basement arcade that players inhabit (and decorate) has become even more of a labyrinth of fun this week, as a new room containing the beloved (and semi-long-lost) Bethesda tables has magically appeared behind the Godzilla/Kong room.

 

I've played all three of the Bethesda tables (Skyrim, DOOM, and Fallout) extensively on PlayStation 4, but it has been a few years since I actively engaged with them. And though I am an enormous Fallout fan, the Skyrim table has once again risen to the top of the heap as my favorite, just as it did back in the PS4 days. The other tables are cool, but the Skyrim table is stellar.

Though all of the tables offer some good fun, the Skyrim table does something that the Fallout and DOOM tables do not. Though you can create characters on both the Skyrim and Fallout tables, the Skyrim table actually retains your character (along with it's current skills, money, and loot) and allows you to carry it forward into subsequent games. Fallout makes you start from scratch every time, sinking a few points into your SPECIAL chart (or choosing to have them randomly assigned). But at the start of a game of Skyrim pinball, the machine asks you if you want to continue your quest with your previous character. In practical terms, that means that my elf mage will be waiting for me every time I want to play, and that makes an enormous difference. 
 
It's crazy how much this ability to build a character pushes the Skyrim table to the front of the pack for me. Though I've just started with this amazing VR version of the Bethesda pack, I've already locked in on Skyrim as my favorite. Ten years later, and my tastes haven't changed a bit.
 
Of course, I've always enjoyed playing these games in mixed reality, so I've plunked the Skyrim table smack dab in the middle of my extremely Fallout-themed office. Sure, the result is a little discordant (and the Skyrim table is HUGE), but I get a kick out of playing this way, so I'll deal with the Bethesda mashup. (And yes, that is the special edition Indiana Jones globe. It just kinda fits in with the Fallout stuff. Bethesda-Bethesda-Bethesda mash-up, if you will.)
 
 
Pinball FX VR is available to play on Meta Quest 3. The Bethesda table pack releases today, February 12.

Reunite a baby boar with his family in Adorable Adventures, coming to PC and consoles this year

by: Jason -

Developer Wild Sheep Studio, the co-developer of 2024’s award-winning Mastro VR, has announced its next game, Adorable Adventures, coming to PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S in early 2026. So, like, any day now.

Adorable Adventures certainly looks the part as you guide Boris, an adventurous baby boar searching for his family following a forest fire. Using Boris’ astute sense of smell, you will navigate stunning landscapes based off 3D scans and audio recordings of Cevennes National Park, located in southern France, which is near the Montpellier-based development studio. Using those scans, the studio has crafted a serene atmosphere of forests, highlands, and peaks for Boris to explore as he tracks down his family members and takes on side quests such as park cleanup, time trial races, and photography challenges.

A free demo for Adorable Adventures is available now on Steam, and it can be wishlisted across platforms. It looks absolutely adorable. There, I said it.

Dark fantasy extraction RPG Mistfall Hunter moves launch to July, adds PS5 version

by: Jason -

Mistfall Hunter, a dark fantasy extraction RPG, announced today that it has pushed back its launch to July 2026, partially due to the addition of a PlayStation 5 version. The new release date will allow for a simultaneous global launch across PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PS5. The extra development time will also allow developer Bellring Games to implement additional improvements including a combat overhaul that eliminates the “energy-exhaustion” mechanics in favor of a more fluid combat system.

With the changing of dates, other dates have changed too, and the new playtesting schedule for Mistfall Hunter includes a small-scale invitation-only technical test in April, followed by a larger beta test on June 15th ahead of the global release in July.

Check out a recap of the most recent beta test below:

A new Ringside Report for WWE 2K26 gives us more info on the CM Punk Showcase mode

by: Nathan -

Yesterday 2K revealed the trailer for the Showcase mode of WWE 2K26 and this years Showcase will focus on "The Best in the World" CM Punk. Today we got a Ringside Report for Showcase mode that goes more in depth of what to expect this year. 

Between the trailer and the Ringside Report here is a list of confirmed matches so far...

  • CM Punk vs. JBL (Summer Slam 2008)
  • CM Punk vs. Rey Mysterio (Armageddon 2008)
  • CM Punk vs. Randy Orton (Wrestle Mania 27)
  • CM Punk vs. The Rock (Elimination Chamber 2013)
  • CM Punk vs. The Undertaker (Wrestle Mania 29)
  • CM Punk vs. John Cena (RAW, February 25th 2013)
  • CM Punk vs. Brock Lesnar (Summer Slam 2013)
  • CM Punk vs. Drew McIntyre (Bad Blood 2024)
  • CM Punk vs. Seth Rollins vs. Roman Reigns (Wrestle Mania 41)
  • CM Punk vs. Eddie Guerrero (Fantasy Warfare)
  • CM Punk vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin (Fantasy Warfare)
  • CM Punk & AJ Lee vs. The Miz and Maryse (Fantasy Warfare)

Probably the biggest addition to this years game is something I know a lot of people are going to be very excited about. In all previous years of Showcase mode, you had to go through each match and complete objectives throughout the match. Completing those objectives would then unlock rewards like wrestlers and arenas. Well this year if you want to still want to unlock everything the old fashion way you can but if you want everything all at once you just need to compete the Gauntlet mode. Gauntlet mode has you select either CM Punk or AJ Lee and you need to beat a 20 man Gauntlet match. Doing so will earn you 100% completion and will instantly unlock everything in the mode for you. 

WWE 2K26 launches on March 13th for PS5, Series X, PC and Switch 2. 

The Pragmata demo turned a skeptic into a believer

by: Jason -

I’ve been keeping an eye on Capcom’s upcoming sci-fi action title, Pragmata. With a weirdness akin to Death Stranding and third person shooting, it had my curiosity, but after playing the free demo, it has my attention. I know a demo convincing someone to play a game isn’t the most shocking headline in the world, but here’s the thing – Pragmata’s puzzle-based hacking combat looks cumbersome. Putting out a free demo was a wise move, as experiencing it for myself was a revelation in terms of the game’s potential.

The kicker is that (at least in the demo) every single combat encounter begins with a hacking minigame, but the execution of that minigame is brilliantly simple. You aim at an enemy with the left trigger, which brings up a hacking grid that requires you to move from a starting point to a green box to complete the hack. A successful hack lowers an enemy’s defenses and allows you to shoot them. So, on PlayStation, while holding the left trigger to aim, the face buttons are used to solve the hack. Triangle moves up, Circle right, Cross down, and Square left. And that’s it. It was so intuitive that I felt silly for questioning it, but sometimes playing is believing, and I can’t wait to play more.

So, bravo, Capcom, for putting out a demo, which is available now across platforms if you’d like to check it out for yourself. Pragmata launches April 24th for PC, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and Xbox Series X|S.

Relive the career of the "Best in the World" CM Punk in WWE 2K26's Showcase mode

by: Nathan -

Showcase mode has been a staple of the WWE 2K games for a while now where we take a trip down memory lane in a playable documentary style game mode where we get to play through WWE history. 

The subject of WWE 2K26's Showcase mode is none other than the "Best in the World" himself, CM Punk. Narrated by CM Punk himself, the Showcase mode will allow players to relive and play through some of CM Punk's most memorable moments and matches throughout his WWE career. 

From the trailer, here are some of the matches that are seemingly confirmed via the gameplay... 

  • CM Punk vs. JBL (Summer Slam 2008)
  • CM Punk vs. Rey Mysterio (Armageddon 2008)
  • CM Punk vs. The Rock (Elimination Chamber 2013)
  • CM Punk vs. John Cena (RAW, February 25th 2013)
  • CM Punk vs. Brock Lesnar (Summer Slam 2013)
  • CM Punk vs. Drew McIntyre (Bad Blood 2024)
  • CM Punk vs. Seth Rollins vs. Roman Reigns (Wrestle Mania 41)

Much like last year the Showcase mode will also include a lot of fantasy "what if?" style matches where CM Punk will face off against dream opponents in matches that never happened. Three of those in the trailer that we saw include...

  • CM Punk vs. Eddie Guerrero
  • CM Punk vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin
  • CM Punk & AJ Lee vs. The Miz & Maryse 

WWE 2K26 launches on March 13th 2026 for PS5, Series X, PC and Switch 2. Those who buy the King of Kings, Attitude Era or Monday Night Wars editions of the game get one week early access on March 6th. 

Lumines Soundtrack now available, listen stress free

by: Joseph -

Enhance announced that the soundtrack to Lumines Arise is out now, by the talented Hydelic and Takako Ishada. You can either purchase it on Bandcamp (Available in 24bit WAV format), or stream it on YouTube, Apple Music, Spotify, Soundcloud, and other streaming services

There are 37 tracks here, and a song for practically every mood. The best part is you don't have to worry about clearing squares as you're listening. It's also coming to steam at a later date, again, in mp3 or 24 bit WAV. 

Here's a sample. You know what to do. 

Ringside Report #2 for WWE 2K26 gives us a deep dive for this years gameplay changes

by: Nathan -

Today 2K dropped another Ringside Report for WWE 2K26 and today's blog focuses on all of the new gameplay changes this year. 

In the trailer we got footage of the new match types the Dumpster Match, I Quit Match, Inferno Match and the Three Stage of Hell match. Some good stuff here as in the I Quit match it appears that either weapon grappling moves or weapon submissions are back again as we see Bron Breakker giving Seth Rollins and armbar through a chair to get him to say "I Quit". My only concern with these new match types is the Dumpster match as it looks like a reskinned Casket match. Now granted yes these two match types are pretty much the same but the Casket and Ambulance match can be unbearable with the button mashing mini game to win. Unfortunately it looks like this may be the case for how to win the Dumpster match as well. 

We also got to see the new ragdoll physics engine in action so now when you slam opponents onto weapons or the steel steps they will actually react to this instead of just glitching out like it does in previous games. These physics also extend to ledges as we Becky Lynch throw Natalya off a ledge in the scrapyard and her body just crumples on the ground when she lands. Great stuff. I have a feeling this will make Hell in a Cell matches more exciting. 

Next they showed off the new weapons in action including the shopping cart and the thumbtacks. It looks like there is a lot you can do with the shopping cart as you can wheel your opponent around in it, attack them while they are in the cart and dump them out of the cart. We got to see the thumbtacks as well with Trick Williams slamming Ethan Page onto the tacks and the tacks do indeed stick to their body after landing on them. This year they are bringing back a highly requested feature where you can now stack tables on top of each other and during title matches the belt will be on a podium at ringside. Crowd brawling has also been extended to more match types with more moves you can perform inducing multiple people being able to be on the barricade at once. 

Presentation is also getting a big overhaul with the addition of more interactive entrances allowing you to set off pyro and taunt during an entrance all with the press of a button. There are also new cutscenes for rivalries when simply playing "Play Now" to where you will get cutscenes with rivals coming to the ring and attacking you during normal matches outside Universe mode. The commentary team is finally being updated as have four announcers including Michael Cole, Corey Graves, Booker T and Wade Barret. It's unclear if we can choose which announcers we want for the match because in the footage they show Michael Cole, Corey Graves and Wade Barret in the booth in another match they show Michael Cole, Wade Barret and Booker T at the booth. There is also a new "broadcast mode" option where the camera cuts will look like you are watching a live WWE production. 

A more in depth blog post with all of the additions can be found on their official website

For me the one thing I am really excited about are the updates to weapons and the rag doll physics. I play a lot of No DQ styles matches and the way the weapons have worked in the past gets really old really quick as there isn't a lot you can do with them. I'm happy with what I have seen so far as it looks like we can now perform more moves with the weapons and with the rag doll physics this is going to match matches like Ladder matches and Hell in a Cell matches a lot more fun. 

WWE 2K26 launches on March 13th for the standard edition and March 6th for the King of Kings, Attitude Era and Monday Night Wars editions of the game.

Horizon Hunters Gathering is a co-op action game set in the Horizon universe, coming to PS5 and PC

by: Jason -

When rumors first started swirling of a co-op Horizon game, my first inclinations were that the Horizon series is ripe for a Monster Hunter-style spin-off. Well, here we are folks, a Monster Hunter-style spin-off called Horizon Hunters Gathering was just announced by Guerrilla Games. No release date was announced but it is in development for PlayStation 5 and PC.

The co-op action game lets up to three players team up to take on various missions and machines from the Horizon universe. These hunts are designed to be challenging and re-playable, with a lot of loot to be gathered for crafting along the way.

So far, Guerrilla has revealed three hunters. Each hunter will have a unique story and lore, as well as distinct playstyles with either melee or ranged weapons and perks. Speaking of story, Horizon Hunters Gathering will include a narrative campaign that will evolve post-launch and is fully canon to the overall Horizon universe.

In terms of game modes, two modes were announced today: Machine Incursion, a wave-based mode culminating in a boss fight; and Cauldron Descent, a multi-stage mission with changing rooms that will take a bit longer to complete.

When you’re not out hunting, you will spend time at Hunters Gathering, a social hub where you can connect with other players, prepare for the next hunt, customize your Hunter, or upgrade your gear.

The best part is that we don’t have to wait terribly long to get a taste of Horizon Hunters gathering, with a closed playtest taking place at the end of February, which you can sign up for here.

The Legend of Khiimori launches in Early Access on March 3rd

by: Jason -

Have you ever wondered what you’d get if you mixed Death Stranding with the horse mechanics of Red Dead Redemption 2 and the Mongolian empire? Well, that’s where The Legend of Khiimori comes in – a 13th century Mongolian empire delivery sim that looks right up my alley.

Today, developer Aesir Interactive – the folks behind Police Simulator: Patrol Officers – shared a five-minute developer walkthrough that takes us through the gameplay loop of a Yam system courier. You’ll be delivering cargo and diplomatic messages across Mongolia, earning prestige along the way. Each route must be strategically planned, and you’ll want to pack the proper resources for both you and your horse to survive the untamed wilds.

The location and requirements of the delivery will help you determine which horse is the right one for the job, and you can breed authentic horses based on real-world genetics to have your stable ready for whatever challenges come your way.

Check out the new walkthrough below to prepare for Early Access on March 3rd. The full 1.0 release is planned for consoles in addition to PC, so hopefully we won’t have to wait too long for that.