The Dungeons & Dragons Forgotten Realms: Heroes of Faerun – Player Expansion is, first and foremost, more than a mouthful. That's likewise true of its companion piece, the Forgotten Realms: Adventures in Faerun – Dungeon Master Expansion.

Heroes of Faerun is the slimmer (and slimmer-priced) of the duology. It aims to hook players specifically with a laundry list of items that typically get players hot and bothered:

• 8 subclasses
• 18 backgrounds
• 34 feats
• 19 spells
• 12 items
• 3 magic items
• 2 monsters

...and a partridge in a pear tree. It's that first bullet, however, that can excite players' imaginations. Players often brainstorm what they'd like to become; what they want to be when they grow up. Perhaps they have a (mean) Dungeon Master (that's me) that starts their players at Level 1 with a baseline character class, e.g., Fighter, Wizard, Cleric, Rogue. Or perhaps they have a (nice) Dungeon Master (not me) that lets the players start at Level 3—where subclasses unlock. 

In Heroes of Faerun, those eight subclasses are:

• College of the Moon (Bard)
• Knowlege Domain (Cleric)
• Banneret (Fighter)
• Oath of the Noble Genies (Paladin)
• Winter Walker (Ranger)
• Scion of the Three (Rogue)
• Spellfire Sorcery (Sorcerer)
• Bladesinger (Wizard)

While that covers eight of the baseline character classes, it leaves out the Barbarian, Druid, Monk, Warlock, and Artificer. That last one gets its own book: Eberron: Forge of the Artificer, which we'll dig into in the coming weeks.

But let's take a quick gander at one of those eight subclasses that do emerge in the Forgotten Realms.

College of the Moon (Bard)

"Inspire allies with primal tales." While Druids didn't get a new subclass in this book, the College of the Moon (Bard) traces its lineage to the druidic circles of the Moonshae Isles. These Bards are drawing directly from the fey energies inherent to the Moonshaes. They grow into the following benefits: 

• Level 3: Moon's Inspiration
  • Inspired Eclipse – Hand another character a Bardic Inspiration die, turn yourself invisible, and teleport up to 30 feet away. 
  • Lunar Vitality – Heal another character, heal them even more, and make them move faster.

• Level 3: Primal Lore. Duolingo teaches you to speak Druidic. You learn a Druid cantrip. Gain a free skill from a selection.

• Level 6: Blessing of Moonlight. Always have the Moonbeam spell prepared. Glow faintly like the moon. Heal someone just by looking at them.

• Level 14: Eventide's Splendor
  • Shadow of the New Moon – When you use Inspired Eclipse (from Level 3 above) you let another character also turn invisible and teleport up to 30 feet away. 
  • Vibrance of the Full Moon – Use a six-sided die roll instead of a Bardic Inspiration die when you use Lunar Vitality (also from Level 3 above).

More subclass overviews to come. Next up is the Knowledge Domain (Cleric) who will unearth secrets and master the mind. Or go straight to the subclass of your choice over on D&D Beyond.

Hey horror hounds and macabre mavens, if the dark and twisted is what you're into, set your timer for February 18th, because the PC release of Poppy Playtime: Chapter 5 will be creeping onto Steam to steal your soul - or at least your time.

Building off of it's predecesors, Poppy Playtime: Chapter 5 continues to explore the thematic universe of Playtime Co. lab, where The Protoype lurks, stalking through the halls, waiting. Titled "Broken Things", this chapter may be the creepiest venture so far, as players face off, yet again, against the deadly puppetmaster by solving puzzles and overcoming obstacles.

Features Include: 

• Stomach-churning terrors await you in this new section of the factory as you uncover the dark works hidden within The Prototype’s stomping grounds.

• In this chilling new layer of the Playtime facility, you will encounter the tortured denizens living in the darkness. They may aid you in your quest to defeat The Prototype, but can they be trusted? 

• Solve devious puzzles and overcome dangerous environmental obstacles with the power of new GrabPack tools and functionality.

• As you reach the true rotten heart at the center of Playtime, discover some of the company’s gravest sins.

If you're a fan of horror games, and if broken and creepy toys chill your bones, check out this delightfully terrifying trailer to get a sense of what you're up against - it truly looks delightfully dark and fun! 

Poppy Playtime: Chapter 5 — “Broken Things” launches February 18, 2026, on PC. Wishlist now on Steam and Epic Games. Console versions will be available in the months to follow. Poppy Playtime chapters 1-4 are available now on Steam, Xbox Series X/S & Xbox One, PlayStation 5 & PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch 2 & Nintendo Switch.

Microsoft opened the floodgates of Xbox games jumping to PlayStation a while ago now, but at last week's New Game+ Showcase, the team in green announced two more big titles are heading to the team in blue this February.

First up is Obsidian Entertainment’s fantasy RPG, Avowed, which is coming to PlayStation 5 on February 17^th alongside a major anniversary update for all platforms. The update includes a new game plus mode (how fitting), a new weapon, new playable races, and more. Pre-orders are available now for the PS5 version, which will include support for PS5 Pro, haptic feedback, and adaptive triggers. It’ll set you back $49.99 on Sony’s machine.

Coming later in the month, on February 26^th, is side-scrolling fantasy beat ‘em up Towerborne from Stoic, the developers of the Banner Saga trilogy. February 26^th coincides with the game’s full 1.0 release which will complete the story campaign, add new bosses, new player abilities, new difficulty settings, and a redesigned world map. It also marks a major pivot away from being a free-to-play live service game to a premium, what-you-see-is-what-you-get one.

Avowed looks dope, and I will play anything made by Stoic, so it looks like February just got a lot busier for me.

We all saw that a new Megaman is coming, but Alloy Mushroom doesn't want to wait. They'll do it live. 

On January 22nd, there will be a demo available for a game called Super Alloy Crush. It is said to be Megaman inspired, but looks more like if Megaman and Final Fight became best friends. The sidescrolling rogue-like co-op beat-em-up promises that it'll scratch that Rockman itch. You'll get your choice between Muu, who uses hand to hand combat, and Kelly, who uses firearms and martial arts. You have to see this trailer to believe it. 

There will (eventually) be three game modes. Story mode is your campaign. Battle Rush seems like a boss rush mode, and then there's the Ultimate Challenge, which we will probably get smoked in. Allow Mushroom says there will be over 50 tech-arts, which are permanent perks, and those contain hundreds of other powerups, like a multi air jump, or infinite Overdrive Burst energy. 

Check out the trailer below, and get ready to play the demo on Steam January 22nd. 

Fire Emblem fans are poised to have a banner year in 2026. Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave is scheduled to come out at some point this year, returning fans to the world of Fire Emblem: Three Houses (one of the best games in the series). And while they wait, Nintendo just gifted Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack members with one of the rarest and most expensive GameCube titles - Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance.

Fire Emblem fans know that completionism for the franchise is nigh impossible. Many titles were only released overseas, never making it to the US or getting an English translation. Other titles have simply become rare, and that's the case with Path of Radiance. Released towards the end of GameCube's life cycle, the game was a mild hit for Nintendo - doing well enough to at least ensure that future games in the series would be released in the West. But as the popularity of the franchise increased in the United States, the cost of that GameCube disc skyrocketed. You can now pick up a gently used copy of Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance on eBay for about $250.

Enjoy a super old 480p trailer, courtesy of IGN. The game looks better on Switch than this, btw.

So the release of Path of Radiance on Expansion Pack represents, for most gamers at least, the first opportunity to play the game. Just buckle up - this game comes from an earlier era of Fire Emblem, before "Easy Mode" was  thing. These days, gamers playing Fire Emblem can enjoy a nice cushion while employing some sloppy tactics. But if you play Path of Radiance, you are playing with permadeath. Your strategic acumen better be on point, because if a character gets killed in battle, they are gone from your game for good.

Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance is now available to download from the GameCube interface on Switch and Switch 2 for Expansion Pack members. I've already got it downloaded, and can't wait to dive face first into a world of hurt. 

Publisher NetEase Games and developer Joker Studio have announced the first closed alpha test for open-world ocean fantasy RPG, Sea of Remnants, which will begin on February 5^th. Additionally, the team shared a lengthy new look at gameplay footage and there is a lot to unpack here.

The new trailer starts out looking reminiscent of Sea of Thieves, if I’m being honest (which isn’t a bad thing), before revealing that it is far more than a mere clone of Microsoft’s pirate RPG. In a brisk five minutes, Sea of Remnants showed off a kraken fight, a bonfire dance party, island homestead building, naval combat, character customization, drinking games, mahjong, action RPG-style melee combat, environmental puzzles, loot mechanics, crew customization, boat races, food preparation, firework shows, a concert, and…shooting fish out of the sky. I guess that’s a little more difficult that shooting them in a barrel. Not to mention, the main character guy looks like Billy Butcherson from Hocus Pocus.

Whatever the heck this game is (a lot, apparently), I’m all about it. If you’re just as intrigued as I am, you can sign-up for the closed alpha test by liking the official trailer post on Sea of Remnants' social media, or joining the official Discord server. But you only have until January 23^rd to sign-up, so act fast.

Sea of Remnants launches this year for PlayStation 5 and PC.

After five season, Stranger Things has finally come to an end and while the final season certainly left a lot to be desired, as someone that has been a fan of the show since the very beginning, I was satisfied with the finale, especially the epilogue, which had me blubbering like baby for that final scene. 

But Netflix isn't gonna let this cash cow die anytime soon and Stranger Things is doing another collaboration with Dead by Daylight as Chapter 2 of the collaboration will launch later this month and include two new Survivors and a new Killer. 

• Survivor: Dustin Henderson
• Survivor: Eleven
• Killer: "The First" (Vecna)

Eddie Munson and Robin Buckley will be joining the game as well as Legendary outfits for Dustin and Nancy respectively. 

Stranger Things: Chapter 2 launches in Dead by Daylight on January 27th. 

I will be the first to admit, that my perfect 10 review of Hades II was not as polished as I would have wanted it to be. There were so many elements about the game that I didn't want to spoil. I just put a whole lot of word salad together and slapped a 10 on it, because I wanted everyone to go into this game fresh of it's prequel. Now that it's been out of early access and on PC and Switch 2, I must heap more praise on the amazing Hades II. And I won't take up too much of your time, so I'll give three reasons. 

First off, is the story. This is not just the story of Melinoe, daughter of Hades and Persephone. This is also the story about what happened to Zagreus between the events of Hades and Hades II. This also is about the timeline, and speaking of time, how the big bad in this game came into power. Chronos is way worse than Hades. While Hades told you that you were stuck in hell, Chronos eggs you on, and tells you that finding him is inevitable. He knows you're coming, because, as the titan of time, he's seen it. The game tells you the story of Headmistress Hecate, and how Melinoe' came into witchcraft, also revealing the ties between that and Greek mythology. Every single character has a story arc. They never run out of things to say. With full voice acting. There is never a time where you read dialogue. This is the polish behind Hades 1 and 2. It just keeps going. The enemies and bosses even have back stories. They just wow me every time I interact with them.

Second, is the ease of the controls. I have never controlled a character better than Zagreus, until I got a hold of the absolute butter that is Melinoe. Every single button push has an instant action and reaction. I can dash around the levels, attack when I need to, and dodge when it's necessary. These games are on the short list of games where if I get hit, it was probably my fault. Most enemy attacks have a lead in, or a hit box. The game is difficult on purpose at some points, if only to keep you from thinking you're the best. You're not. You can use the permanent upgrades at home base to get there, but you're not the best. Still. Even if you've gone through both paths multiple times, the game finds ways to make it harder. It consistentlyy challenges you to be better. To get good. 

Third, is the amount of devices at your disposal to get better.  The tarot cards and the grasp that you can choose for each run just open up to a threshold to ease the pain a little. The headmistress's cauldron lets you conjure up incantations to push you further into the game and story. The items you collect help you upgrade all those the weapons and further your grasp with the tarot cards The fates list of prophecies are achievements I want to check off, because they reward me with items I need to make my weapons kick more mythological butt. And even after all that, the game rewards you when you turn up the heat for yourself. High risk...you know the rest. 

Honorable mentions will go to the music. I've been listening to the music from Hades II an unhealthy amount. My Spotify wrapped revealed that Darren Korb was my most listened to artist in 2025. This is not even a joke. There are also 4th wall breaks and easter eggs all through the game. The second boss, a siren, sings to you, with a full band, while they try to kill you. If you turn the music off in the settings, she acknowledges it, and berates you for it! It's the little things that make this game stand far apart from others, and it's why I gave it a 10. 

If you're not playing Hades II, you're missing out. But please, play Hades 1 and beat it 10 times first. Yes. I said 10 times. Well done, Supergiant. Well done. 

At CES, MOZA is showcasing a few products for the racing and flight sim fans. Some are new, some are old, but they all look really solid.

First up we have the MOZA KS Pro Wheel. This butterfly shaped wheel looks like it'll have more than enough controls at your fingertips. On the front is a 2.99" screen, which you can customize with MOZA's software. And you'll get plenty of lighting options as well. 

Another new wheel MOZA will be showing off is the MOZA CS Pro Wheel. This GT3 style wheel will also have a 2.99" screen at the top center. There's an option six paddle layout and with the standard 6x70 bolt pattern, you can put it on many third party wheel rims.

One of the more beautiful wheels I've seen is the MOZA Porsche Mission R steering wheel. What sets this one apart is the large 5.4" OLED display in the center. The glass screen makes it look and feel very premium. To help with rendering some really cool looking setups, there's a built in 1.3GHz quad core processor. Everything about the Porsche Mission R screams high end and if you're around at CES, you can check it out in action.

Finally for the flight sim folks, MOZA will have their previously announced MOZA MRP Rudder Pedals there as well. This aluminum alloy frame looks solidly built with stepless tilt adjustment +/- 25 degrees. Rotation is set to +/- 30 degrees and there's 1cm of travel. Connection to your PC can be done either through USB or an RJ11 connection to one of their flight bases. It's launching today for a price of $349 with a $65 optional damper.

Unlike last year with NVIDIA bringing in the Blackwell line of video cards, this year’s CES won’t be showcasing anything new in terms of hardware for team green. What we’re getting though are some software updates that should bring about some nice improvements for gamers who use DLSS.

DLSS 4.5 is now available and what comes with it are improvements to the Transformer model that powers this tech. The new model will produce much better image quality by reducing ghosting and improving the smoothness of edges. Also, we’ll be getting better temporal stability.

During the CES 2026 pre-brief, NVIDIA showed some of this in action. In Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, a video was played of the character swinging a sword. The old DLSS4 Super Resolution showed the ghosting of the sword as it swung across the character’s body. With the new Transformer model, that ghosting is all but gone. In Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, a video of an enemy in the distance showed some jagged edges that were prominent on the arms and back of the man. On the DLSS 4.5 side of things, that’s all cleaned up producing a much cleaner image.

All told, the new Transformer model looks really nice and it looks like it will be a nice upgrade to an already awesome tech from NVIDIA. It’s available now for all RTX cards and you can use the NVIDIA app overrides to enable it. It’s compatible with any game that’s already supporting the current DLSS 4 version and if you’re playing at 4K Ultra settings, NVIDIA recommends using Model L.

Frame generation is an interesting subject. Some people hate it, others love it. I’m in the camp of only using 2X as my max Frame Generation multiplier. With DLSS 4.5, NVIDIA’s launching an up to 6X frame generation multiplayer, but it’s also dynamic.

You set the target frame rate you desire and Dynamic Multi Frame Gen will only turn on when the FPS gets below the target. It might only do a 2X or 3X, but can go up to 6X now if it needs to in order to stick to that target frame rate. It’s going to be user controllable so if you don’t want to use it or want to keep it at a lower multiplier, you can still do so. Look for Dynamic Frame Gen to be made available this Spring 2026 and only for Blackwell cards.

Other than those two changes, there has been no improvements done to Reflex or Ray Reconstruction. I’m excited to see how the new transformer model does and I’m happy to see it available so quick after the announcement.

Remix has been an interesting tech for modders to breathe new life into games. Today, NVIDIA announced a new feature called Remix Logic. With the past implementations, the changes made to the game would affect it globally. With Remix Logic, these changes can now be more granular and event driven.

NVIDIA showed an example where Gordon Freeman opens a door in Half-Life 2. The scene outside is that of night time. He closes it and opens again and we now see a day time scene. Gordon closes and opens the door one more time and now the outside shows a winter environment complete with snow fall.

This isn’t just limited to actions by the player. In another example, an enemy is sneaking up to Gordon when you see the screen’s color change with some chromatic aberration and some shaking. This is all handled by Reflex Logic tying some event to have these graphical changes take place.

Reflex Logic should give modders a lot more control over scenes and graphics and now they can limit to a certain portion of the game and to something that takes place there as well.

On the hardware side, NVIDIA is partnering with some display manufacturers to launch G-Sync Pulsar displays. G-Sync Pulsar combines VRR with backlit strobing syncing. With the 360Hz panels that start at 27” and 1440P, G-Sync Pulsar some scenes can be blurry even when you have it running at very high refresh rate. G-Sync Pulsar helps make a scene clear from motion blur and NVIDIA says the up to 4X motion clarity improvement can make a monitor run at a perceived 1000Hz. Acer, AOC, Asus, and MSI will be launching displays with this tech starting at $599.

Some more quick notes, GeForce Now will have a native app coming to Ubuntu with more Linux distributions later on down the road. FireTV clients will also be getting a GeForce Now app as well. NVIDIA has finished their rollout of GeForce RTX 5080s to GeForce Now for everyone to use. Finally for those who like to play flight sims, HOTAS support is here for GeForce Now so get those controllers up and running on Microsoft Flight Simulator streaming from NVIDIA servers.

So there’s NVIDIA’s announcements for CES. They also had a few AI items, if you’re interested. No new hardware, but hopefully we’ll get something in the second half of this year. Also fingers crossed that hardware prices stabilize as well.