Kotaku

So far, 007 First Light feels like an awesome blend of what makes a good James Bond story work. It’s equal parts moody espionage thriller and high-octane action film, and its gameplay mechanics reflect these tenets well, despite it forgoing some risk-taking in terms of exploration and combat. Despite playing it safe, it feels like IO Interactive has concocted a recipe for a great 007 game, if not a mechanically revelatory one. The game truly shines when it comes to its story, characters, performance capture, and sandbox elements, and even when combat feels like it treads familiar ground, it’s some of the most fun and engaging I’ve had the pleasure of previewing, with enough of its own DNA to set it apart from the pack. From what I played, I anticipate 007 First Light will be a standout among 2026’s slate of blockbusters. [3-Hour Hands-On Impressions]

For now, I’ll say Housemarque’s “house style” of tough-as-nails roguelike dipped in symbolism has managed to capture lightning in a bottle twice, and in a PlayStation ecosystem where Sony threatens to homogenize all its output, this studio maintaining what makes it distinct in the company’s catalog is just as challenging a feat as anything you’ll face in the game itself. Saros is a prickly, demanding game whose hours of physical and mental carnage will make it difficult to parse for some, but I keep diving back in and finding new philosophical and mechanical challenges to overcome each time.

What isn’t a mystery is how Titanium Court won the latest IGF Awards. Some will call the traffic jam of all these dynamic variables a roguelike, but I like to think it sees the hidden richness hiding beneath the chaotic shifting pieces of a match-three. A box of candy whose surprises can be complex, riddling and dangerous.

A few late-game difficulty spikes, some heavy-handed story elements, and a few lackluster weapons hold back Mouse: PI For Hire a bit, but it’s still an incredibly creative, inventive, unique, and action-packed FPS that mixes classic cartoon animation, noir cliches, and satisfying gunplay into something that is unlike any shooter I’ve played before.

Dosa Divas is, in the end, as blemished, bruised, and beautiful as its slickly animated characters and lavishly illustrated world. It feels like Outerloop threw the whole kitchen sink at this game, and while I admire its craft as well as the various spices and ingredients thrown in the mix here, it feels like the essence of what Dosa Divas is trying to communicate was lost in the concoction.

Pragmata is short, but it’s also sweet. Plenty of games will tell you that parenthood is hard and requires you to self-actualize in ways you never have before, but Pragmata is for those who have already done that work. Pragmata feels like an older game, but maybe it’s also a sign that in the years since the games it was influenced by first came out, the way that games treat parenthood has changed for the better.

It seems Horizon 6 is trying to rein the franchise in a bit, though its wild opening is a reminder that this is still a Horizon sequel, so expect some exciting shenanigans, too. After playing a few hours of Forza Horizon 6, I’m excited to hop into the full game. [Hands-On Impressions]

For those who loved GTA IV‘s grittier tone, especially those opening hours, and who can put up with a lot of jank, Samson: A Tyndalston Story could be worth checking out. Just expect a lot of road bumps on this urban adventure.

I adore how the game escalates as you progress, with challenges becoming not only tougher but much more involving, while enemies step up with attacks that don’t just do more damage but are more interesting to deal with. Few games get this close to perfect.

Reunion has all the trappings of a “Fix Fic” written by a disgruntled fan who desperately wanted some third option at the end of Life Is Strange a decade ago and was miffed that Don’t Nod denied it to them.