I’ve come down with some kind of malady this weekend, presumably from all the shared spaces that I had on trains to and from Paris a few days ago. That’s making the prospect of battling through the rest of the Black Ops 7 campaign a bit of a tricky one to psyche myself up for, so I’ve booted up Metroid Prime Remastered to get into the groove ahead of Metroid Prime 4. It’s really rather good with the modern controls.
In the News This Week
There was a State of Play this week, which brought a bunch of trailers and announcements, but the biggest news of all came from Valve:
- Valve announces the Steam Machine, Steam Frame, and Steam Controller
- Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls Closed Beta 2 announced for December
- Elden Ring: Nightreign: The Forsaken Hollows DLC is coming out in less than a month
- Paralives Early Access release has been delayed to May 2026
- Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly Remake is coming out in March
- Pokémon Pokopia gets a March 2026 release date
- Ride 6 announced and it is eyeing a February 12th release date
- Red Dead Redemption releases December 2nd for PS5, Xbox Series XS, Switch 2, mobile and Netflix
- Death Stranding Isolations is an original animated series coming to Disney+
- Football Manager 26 update 2 has been detailed
- ARC Raiders update 1.2.0 is called North Line, adds the Stella Montis map
Games in Review & Featured Articles
A good crop of reviews, though we’re yet to pin a number onto Black Ops 7
- Lumines Arise – PS5, PC, PSVR 2, PC VR – 9/10
- Atelier Ryza Secret Trilogy Deluxe Pack – PS5, NSW2, PS4, NSW, PC – 9/10
- Reach – PSVR 2, PC VR, Quest 3 – 8/10
- Tales of Xillia Remastered – PS5, XSX|S, NSW, PC – 8/10
- Forestrike – NSW, PC – 7/10
So let’s deal with the covert elephant in the room, with our first impressions of Black Ops 7, focussing on the co-op campaign and some multiplayer. After that, I also had some impressions from the opening hours of Metroid Prime 4, with new psychic abilities, and a comedic relief sidekick…
Dom had a busy week, delivering a look at the Early Access release of Where Winds Meet, a preview of Octopath Traveler 0, and a hardware review from the modernised GameCube controller, the BattlerGC Pro.
Rounding out the week, What We Played featured Forestrike, Black Ops 7 and Anno 117: Pax Romana.
Trailer Park
The Fallout Season 2 trailer shows us more of New Vegas
Gran Turismo 7 Power Pack adds 24-hour races alongside Spec III update in December
See the Steam Machine, Steam Frame, and Steam Controller announcement
Your Achievements
What have you been playing this week?
- Andrewww’s been enjoying Alan Wake 2, though finds it less scary than he’d expected, and some rather unusual sections.
That’s the round up for this week’s round up. Enjoy the weekend, and we’ll catch you for more gaming shenanigans next week!

I hope you feel better soon! It sounds like a challenging weekend, but taking time to rest is important. Wishing you a smooth recovery!
Thank you for your kind words! Rest is definitely crucial, and I’m also trying to stay hydrated and enjoy some comforting tea. It’s interesting how shared spaces can sometimes lead to unexpected health issues.
You’re absolutely right about hydration—it can make a big difference in recovery. It’s interesting how shared spaces can sometimes lead to unexpected illnesses; I guess it highlights the importance of good hygiene practices. Wishing you a speedy recovery!
I completely agree about hydration! It’s also worth noting how important rest is during recovery; sometimes, just giving our bodies a break can really help. Hope you feel better soon!
Absolutely, rest is crucial! It’s interesting how our bodies often need extra sleep to boost the immune system during illness. Listening to what our bodies need can really aid in recovery.
You’re so right! It’s fascinating how our immune systems respond to rest and recovery. Sometimes, a few extra hours of sleep can make all the difference in bouncing back. Hope you’re feeling better soon!