Diablo IV released in 2023 with a variety of issues. A solid foundation was placed and when I jumped into the game at launch, I was actually satisfied with what they delivered, but that doesn’t mean a perfect experience as endgame had a series of issues. It also didn’t help that seasons after its initial launch continued to show the problems of a more satisfying endgame loop.

Now in 2026, is the game worth playing today? Yes. After two expansions and now its thirteenth season, lessons have been learned and Blizzard has now placed the game to be in a state where it’s in its best form yet, both in story and endgame.

Diablo IV in 2026: What's Changed

Diablo IV is in a better state it has ever been in if you’re all about creating satisfying builds, clearing waves of enemies, and experiencing an endgame loop that always gives you that feeling that there’s always room for improvement in your preferred build.

Diablo IV now features the game’s narrative complete as what started in the base game finally concludes in the Lord of Hatred.

Endgame Activities

In endgame, it’s more complex and satisfying than ever as it now features these activities:

• War Plans (Lord of Hatred expansion required): Latest activity added in Lord of Hatred. Unlocked in Temis after completing the campaign, it lets you build a playlist of up to five endgame activities. Each activity in the chain rewards standard drops plus Activity Points that feed into per-activity skill trees.

• The Pit (base game): A timed, tier-based dungeon and the core endgame activity for those that love to compete in leaderboards and is pretty much the Greater Rifts seen in Diablo III. Still a fun activity that shows the strength of one’s build based on how fast and efficiently one player clears a run. It still has value as this activity rewards you to upgrade Paragon Board glyphs.

• Helltides (base game): Timed world events now expanded as these open world event now features a Blood Maiden boss and high-end chests that require more Aberrant Cinders to open. The longer you kill, the more difficult enemies will appear and if you die, you lose at least half of the cinders you’ve collected.

• Nightmare Dungeons (base game): More difficult versions of base dungeons activated by special Nightmare Sigils, which now comes with various rarities that dictate the amount of rewards earned when doing these custom dungeons. We have dungeons now that can rain unique currencies or have every chest be filled with just gold.

• Lair Bosses (base game): Special summonable bosses such as Duriel, Andariel, and Grigoire that require lair keys to open the chests dropped when defeating any of these bosses. This activity made grouping more valuable as more players in your group improves the quality of the drops, and each boss has unique item pools for those hunting for specific uniques.

• Infernal Hordes (base game): A wave-based endgame activity that increases in difficulty and reward throughout, culminating in a boss encounter. Each wave can be edited with the modifiers you pick between each round. The more you collect in this round, the better your rewards will be.

• Kurast Undercity (Vessel of Hatred required): A dynamic timed dungeon added in Vessel of Hatred where players quickly clear corridors, replenish the timer by killing specific enemies, and use offerings to customize the final loot. It feels like a mix of Nightmare Dungeons and the Pit as it’s all about speed and customizing what rewards you’ll get at the end of each run as you can trigger runs that only drop gems or weapons, with each offering to have their own set of rarity that also dictates how rewarding it can be.

• Tree of Whispers (base game): A bounty board-style activity. Doing certain activities will give you points, and upon hitting up to 10 will reward you with Whisper Caches that still remain to be the most rewarding out of everything.

• Echoing Hatred (Lord of Hatred): A new activity that puts builds to the ultimate test by facing unending demonic hordes that gets progressively harder. It’s also rare to trigger.

Diablo IV progression systems

In 2026, Diablo IV now features a variety of systems that have deepened the progression.

Talisman (Lord of Hatred): The return of set bonuses. A new item type in Lord of Hatred that adds Legendary, Unique, and Set-level bonuses to a gear slot. A big power boost for any character and is mostly where gear is built around in most class builds.

Horadric Cube (Lord of Hatred): The return of Diablo II’s best system. In Diablo IV, it acts as a major crafting system unlocked during the campaign. It can be used to transmute, customize, and create gear, consumables, giving value to even the most basic of items.

Rune System (Vessel of Hatred): Runes are back and are an alternative to slotting gems in your gear. Mixing different rune words in your gear gives unique possibilities such as triggering specific skills when doing certain actions.

Paragon Board (base game): The post-level-cap progression system. Still a vital part in Diablo IV and hasn’t changed much as players can attach a series of Paragon Board to further customize a class to cater to a specific build. Each Paragon level is one point and can be designed in a number of ways, and still a key factor as to why your build works the way it does.

Skill Trees (base game,reworked): Patch 3.0.0 rebuilt skill trees for all classes with more than 40 reworked choices, 80 additional options, and up to 83 available Skill Points, with Bonus Skill Variants that can alter how skills behave including changing their category or damage type. This was launched alongside the release of the Lord of Hatred, giving love to older classes.

These are the reasons why the game is best played with all expansions available. Playing the base game for its campaign will be a fun time in 2026, and while you can participate in the game’s current season for endgame, you will feel severely underpowered and struggling to find meaningful progression as there will be a lot of missing parts.

Season 13 doesn’t have a themed system

Because of the release of Lord of Hatred, Season 13 doesn’t have a unique system that changes how players can build their characters. This is due to the Lord of Hatred expansion adding so much to the game with the addition of the Talisman system (5-set pieces) and the Horadric Cube, which adds more deep customization to items and gear.

You could wait for season 14 when they add a new system, but without the features exclusive to each expansion, you’ll always feel like something is missing with your characters.

Who Should Play Diablo IV in 2026?

Those who dropped off should consider revisiting the game in its current state. If you dropped in Diablo IV in its first year, you’ll be surprised on how much the game has changed since then as many systems and quality of life features have been added and changed. Some introduced in past seasons have become permanent changes and certain affixes and effects have been given an overhaul, making it a completely different game, especially with all expansions available to you.

For newcomers

As for newcomers, it’s best to experience the base game before anything else. If you find yourself enjoying the gameplay and how the game does class progression, that’s when it’s worth considering to get the expansions.

The base game comes with five classes, and the campaign can roughly take as early as 15 hours if rushed to as deep as 25 hours if you take your time and even do side quests. You can join the current season with just the base game but again, you’ll feel crippled in terms of what you can do with your character, but can still do whatever seasonal content is available.

This is also an online-only game. You can play it as a single player game and ignore the players running around, and you are not required to group up with players.

If you want to get the complete experience, The Lord of Hatred expansion is all you need as the Vessel of Hatred expansion is now given for free to all that owns the second expansion.

Is it on PC Game Pass?

Yes, but just the base game is available on PC Game Pass. Probably the cost-efficient way to see if this is a game for you. The game really shines with all the other expansions available, so treat it as a trial of sorts and pick it up either on a sale in the future or now if you’re inclined to start the grind.

Diablo IV Price in the Philippines (2026)

If you plan to buy a physical copy of the game on consoles, a PS5 copy today will cost roughly PHP 1,995, which is expensive for a base game that is now 3 years old and is mostly online-only.

On Steam, it priced much worse for some reason. The standard version of Diablo IV will cost PHP 3,000 in full price, and if you get the Age of Hatred Collection, it’s priced at PHP 3,440, suggesting Blizzard suggests new players to commit to the full experience rather than checking the base game first.

Digitally, what you shouldn’t do is get the base game, then buy the Lord of Hatred expansion as Steam priced the expansion alone at PHP 1,970. If you believe you’ll enjoy the game and want everything, go for the collection as it will feel like you’ve only spent PHP 440 for the expansions.

In Battle Net, prices remain relatively the same. The base game costs $49.99, which is roughly PHP 3,000, but the Diablo IV Age of Hatred Collection is worse at its priced at $69.99, which is roughly PHP 4,300.

Whichever route you pick, Diablo IV is a commitment.

Diablo IV FAQ

Do I need to play Vessel of Hatred before Lord of Hatred?

If you care about the game’s story, yes. If all you care about is just the endgame, you can even skip the Lord of Hatred campaign, which has that option even at the very start. Blizzard made it easy for even newcomers to just do season and endgame content.

Is Diablo IV free to play?

Diablo IV is not at all free to play. At best, there will be limited free play events to entice newcomers still on the fence. They’ve done it in the past, and expect them to do these kinds of offers in the future as well.

Can I play Diablo IV offline?

Sadly, no. There’s no offline option and has remained that way since Diablo III.

Does Lord of Hatred include Vessel of Hatred?

Vessel of Hatred now feels like it’s part of the new expansion as if you do buy Vessel of Hatred in 2026, you’ve been scammed as there’s no option to buy the first expansion in digital stores, and there’s no physical copy of the expansion as well.

How many classes are in Diablo IV in 2026?

There are now 8 playable classes in the game. The game launched with 5 classes: Barbarian, Rogue, Sorcerer, Necromancer, and Druid. The Vessel of Hatred expansion introduced the Spiritborn class, while the Lord of Hatred expansion added the Warlock and Paladin.

About the Author - Carlos Hernandez

Carlos Hernandez is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Too Much Gaming, where he writes about video games, reviews, and industry news. A lifelong gamer, he would do anything to experience Final Fantasy Tactics for the first time again and has a love/hate relationship with games that require hunting for new gear to improve your character.

Bandai Namco Entertainment Asia and Square Enix announced that The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales, will launch its physical edition for PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2 in Southeast Asia on June 18, 2026. For those looking for digital copies, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam versions are now open for pre-orders too.

What Is The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales?

The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales revolves around Elliot and Faie as they travel around the world in a span of four distinct ages.

Combat is unique as it revolves around seven weapon types that is a mix of close-range swords, to chains and sickles. Each weapon is customizable through the game’s system called Magicite, adjust toward the player’s preferred playstyle. Faie then plays a support role as she complements Elliot with a range of magic that helps with exploration as she can clear a path or pick up unreachable items.

The visuals and presentation of this action RPG will look immediately familiar to fans of the Octopath Traveler series, and for good reason, as it comes from Team Asano and Claytechworks, which are best known for the JRPG series. It's a great showcase of what HD-2D can do, and one of the better ways to represent sprites in the current generation.

Thanks to the game’s demo currently available on the Switch 2, the developers applied quality of life improvements such as faster movement for Elliot, a refined weapon shortcut menu, and a more robust difficulty options.

Ahead of its June 18 release, here’s what’s available for pre-order and the different editions available for the game.

Pre-Order Bonuses and Editions

Players who pre-order the game now will receive Elliot's Departure Pack, which includes a Departure Brooch accessory that boosts currency and magicite fragment drops from enemies, along with an Attack Up sword Magicite.

Three editions are available:

• Standard Digital Edition: base game with pre-order bonus

• Digital Deluxe Edition: adds the Fairy Bangle, Cherry Blossom Anklet, and Roselle Ring accessories

• Collector's Edition: physical release that includes the base game, an original soundtrack, and a desk clock statue featuring Faie

The Steam version releases one day later on June 19, and digital pre-orders for Nintendo Switch 2 will be available at a future date.

About the Author - Carlos Hernandez

Carlos Hernandez is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Too Much Gaming, where he writes about video games, reviews, and industry news. A lifelong gamer, he would do anything to experience Final Fantasy Tactics for the first time again and has a love/hate relationship with games that require hunting for new gear to improve your character.

[Review updated with full score]

Developer Playground Games is back with another iteration of the Forza Horizon series, now set in Japan. In Forza Horizon 6, it's clear from the first few hours that they stuck with what worked in the last game, as this is yet another perfect home for car enthusiasts and those that just love to race. It's not too overly realistic, but also not too arcade-y. It's a perfect balance with accessibility for the player to tweak the experience towards either direction, resulting in one of the best open world racing games I've ever played.

Instead of starting as a legend of the Horizon Festival like in previous games, you and your friends are beginners in the event and must race your way to earning wristbands that grant access to other events, eventually reaching the famed Legends Island waiting at the very end. It’s a simple concept, as after the traditional wild intro race that transitions from one type of race to another, you are thrown into their take on a massive map set in Japan, which delivers a satisfying variety of race types. 

A Japanese Map Worth Exploring

Japan has always been requested by fans, and Playground Games didn't disappoint. The scale and detail of the environments is impressive in Forza Horizon fashion. I knew from the get-go that Playground Games is no slouch when it comes to visual fidelity. Their games always look amazing on both PC and Xbox. What's impressive is how optimized the game feels even on my low-range graphics card. I gave this a shot with an RTX 2060, now considered a budget card, and found no problems running the game at default high settings at 60 frames per second. Draw distance may take a hit at lower settings, but the environments and car details still look fantastic and buttery smooth during gameplay, even during a change in weather, with reflections and lighting and shadows delivering a photorealistic look even during day and night races. 

I can't attest to every single graphics card available, but it's good to know that those who haven't upgraded lately aren't left out or dealing with hiccups like occasional frame drops or assets loading slower than expected. There was barely any issue found when playing over 25 hours of the game so far, and it looks gorgeous either in motion or when parked to take in the sights. 

Their take on Japan isn't a full recreation of Tokyo, as it looks like a more compact version where you can do a few races within the city, then drive all the way to the mountainside to hit the always-snowy areas for some slippery races. The outskirts of the city have farmlands with hills and vertical landscapes that serve as perfect places for off-road rally races and drift competitions down mountains. There are also long stretches of roads for drag racing and other spots for online player gatherings and more. 

The game world is filled with collectibles like XP boards and Japanese food mascots to hit for overall points. There are hidden barns that host unique cars, and treasure cars hidden in the world where the player only has a photo as a clue to their location. The world is built for the festival, so the city and other locations are designed to fit the ongoing event, with barriers and borders set up so you don't find yourself driving through busy streets with pedestrians. It's mostly you, the car, and the road in front of you, and it was fun slowly exploring the map at my own pace. 

Racing That Meets You Where You Are 

As for the racing itself, Forza Horizon 6 is a great time. Its physics are more forgiving and lean toward an arcade feel compared to what you'd expect from something like Forza Motorsport. Certain races feel realistic enough to satisfy car enthusiasts tackling the game with a wheel setup, while casuals who want to sit back and launch their Lamborghini off a ramp 50 feet into the air and land on a metal shipping container can do exactly that. Car damage and how certain cars handle turns can be questionable at times, but it doesn't completely ruin the immersion. The benefits of early braking, drafting at key moments, and even drifting to take wide turns off-road feel great to pull off. 

Most cars feel distinct from one another. I've gathered a collection that I use based on the type of race or activity at hand. My staples have become the 2020 Audi RS 3 Sedan for city racing, the 2016 Ariel Nomad for off-road, or my 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII MR for casual exploration. The cars I gravitate toward are slowly expanding, and I'm slowly appreciating the differences between each one as after multiple sequential races, you start to notice certain changes and behaviours of a car, like how it handles the initial acceleration, or how it might struggle with offroad sections. 

Two Ways to Play 

There are two main types of progression in Forza Horizon 6. Most competitive races earn you Horizon Festival points to unlock the next wristband, while the other track is Discover Japan, activities aimed at exploration and more on the casual side. 

You earn points by exploring new areas of the map, participating in Touge and Street Racing activities, progressing through the Drift Club Japan events, or taking part in day trips where characters convoy to different parts of the map and offer a bit of a history lesson on car culture and the details of Japan itself. There are even food delivery activities, which is silly due to how fast these trucks go, and chained stories like Yuji's Auto, where you help Yuji tweak certain cars by test driving them before and after tuning. 

It's a joy to just drive around doing random things, which result in stumbling upon a hidden barn, figuring out how to reach that XP board, or attempting to get three stars on the various activities like speed traps, jump ramps, and drift zones. These are the moments when the music shines. The game has a mix of Japanese and English tracks that cycle through its many radio stations. The radio DJs of each station aren't awkward at all, as they convey genuine excitement for the ongoing festival, a staple throughout the game, as it’s all about the celebration of the event, and the fun of it all. 

Audio design is also a treat, as you can hear the power of each car as the pistons fire off when shifting gears, or how the engines wind down as you make a hard brake for a tight turn. Whether it’s overrevving or hearing that another car is right behind, I appreciated the detailed sound design to the point where I adjusted the audio levels so as to not overwhelm the car sounds, as they enhance the overall experience.

Whichever path you focus on, it always results in rewards that fuel your car collection. Cosmetic rewards aside, you will regularly come across new cars or credits. There’s even cars for sale at a discount out in the world, so it's never too difficult to have the right kind of car. 

The One Thing That Stings 

Despite the generosity, there's one feature I wasn't a fan of: VIP status, a bonus for those who own the premium edition of the game that simply doubles credit rewards in each race. The game is generous enough on its own, but earning more than double compared to players who paid for the standard edition still doesn't feel great. There's also an option to buy a Treasure Map that instantly reveals the locations of every mascot and XP banner on the map, something I was never keen on in any game, but to each their own. 

You’ll Never Run Out of Things to Do 

The variety in Forza Horizon 6 is key, as there's always a new race nearby that's different from the one you just finished. After finishing a race in the city, the game will recommend nearby races you can mark and follow with the built-in GPS, or fast travel to if you've been there before. The gameplay loop is easy to embrace, as it can be addicting, and thankfully the world map isn't intimidating at first glance, as it slowly populates the more you explore and unlock wristbands, which function as progression tiers that open up more races and activities. 

Difficulty is also varied, with six presets for the AI you race against. I adjusted the difficulty whenever I found myself winning too comfortably and noticed real differences in AI behavior, with tighter cornering and more risk-taking visible at higher settings. The challenge is there for those who want it, and I appreciated that. I had races where I genuinely struggled to hold first place with a particular car, then tuned for better top speed on a track with long stretches, and that adjustment blew me to first place, easily.

For fun, I spent a few hours with tire and car damage active and the brake guide turned off. These little adjustments to craft a specific experience are available at any time, including the option to disable the rewind feature, a Forza Horizon staple that lets players roll back a few seconds if they miss a turn or find themselves flying off a cliff. This feature makes it more inviting for newcomers, as your first time playing a specific track will be less likely to result in a devastating loss.

Car customization returns, so you can create unique designs and color combinations to your heart's content. New to this entry is the ability to customize your garage and city home, allowing you to showcase your favorite cars and decorating the space with everything from ice cream stands to dinosaur statues. Players can also visit other players' garages and homes, a feature I didn't spend much time with, but one that seems like a fun addition for the creative types. 

The Online Way

During Forza Horizon 6's first weekend out for premium owners (who receive a four-day early access window before the game's official release), I focused on the online features to get a better understanding of them in a more natural setting. I'm glad I stayed patient, as online play was smooth and seamless with barely any hiccups to actual gameplay as you explore the open world.

While reviewing the game, it felt empty with an occasional player showing up nearby. Now it feels more alive and lived-in, as I see players passing by doing their own thing, occasionally sending simple emotes like "Hi" to interact. This level of shared world doesn't need to be interacted with directly, but it enhances the atmosphere as everything feels organic.

I don't see many players parking their cars in designated meeting spots yet, as most have just started and want to explore, but the in-game stunt event is now active with players registering. It's a simple but fun activity where players race together to hit a set amount of points per activity. Nothing too competitive, but something to do together for extra credits. There are also in-game drag racing spots where players line up and organize themselves, which I thought was neat when I came across a few doing casual races with each other.

There's also an option to start a convoy, which lets you group up with other players to explore the open world together.

This is the best way to play. Players can opt to play entirely offline, but I found joy running around the open world completing collectibles I missed in certain regions while queuing for an online race, and the wait was short, making it a seamless interruption to my exploring. Each match is mostly a three-race series, and almost any player can join regardless of level.

These online matches can be a mix of rally and street races with the car of your choice, races where everyone drives the exact same car, or one-on-one Touge matches. There are even drift matches for those into that sort of thing, with players able to do custom races and participate in unique ones like a hide and seek mode or battle royale racing to see who will be the last drivers standing.

Online races have their own progression that leads to more rewards, and based on my time across all modes, latency and connections were rock solid, as each race felt like a local match.

Things could change as more players jump in, but for those in Asia, it's reassuring to see appropriate servers in place delivering this kind of online experience.

Racing online doesn't play differently compared to AI drivers, but one standout feature is worth noting: the game briefly puts players in ghost mode if a massive collision between cars is about to occur, letting them pass through each other. A pile-up in online races usually leaves those caught in it far behind while those who dodged it surge ahead. This simple mechanic significantly reduces those situations, making most races feel winnable regardless of early contact.

Legends Island remains out of reach as of this writing, as it does require completing almost all activities in the game to earn the final wristband, which can feel like a grind if you’re just laser focused on reaching the end. I won't push it any further, as rushing would do the game a disservice. This is a game best experienced at your own pace.

Forza Horizon 6 is such a flexible racing game that I understand why many will cling to this entry in the franchise. It's a massive game. By the second-to-last wristband, the world map was so packed with activity icons that it was hard to see which ones I’d completed. There's so much to do that I had to pace myself, as reaching Legends Island currently feels like a prize that will naturally happen the more I play.

This is a fantastic open world racing game that is easily a must-buy for all types of racing enthusiasts. The balance and accessibility are spot on, and the amount of content here means completionists will have a field day. 

Verdict: 5/5 (Exceptional)

PROS

• Nice balance between realism and arcade racing

• Visually stunning take on Japan with varied locations

• An open world filled with activities

• A satisfying gameplay loop and progression that urges you to keep on going

CONS

• Paid bonuses like more credits

• It can come as a grind for some players to reach the endgame content

What I’ve Played 

• 30 Hours played so far

• Reached the purple wristband and I’m 4K away from earning the last wristband

• 4/7 stamps collected in Discover Japan

• Reached account level 115

• Currently own over 100 cars

*This review is based on a Steam review copy provided to the reviewer

About the Author - Carlos Hernandez

Carlos Hernandez is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Too Much Gaming, where he writes about video games, reviews, and industry news. A lifelong gamer, he would do anything to experience Final Fantasy Tactics for the first time again and has a love/hate relationship with games that require hunting for new gear to improve your character.

Embark Studios have updated their community to announce that they are slowing down monthly updates for their extraction shooter Arc Raiders for more meaningful ones, shifting towards releasing two major updates each year.

“Going forward, we've made the decision to release major updates twice a year – larger in scale, more impactful, with the goal to genuinely change how you play the game. Don’t worry, a dedicated live service team will continue running ARC Raiders day-to-day: regular live updates, plus balance fixes, bug fixes, store updates, and player events aren't going anywhere.” says Embark in their announcement.

Next Major Update is Frozen Trail, out this October

The next major update is called Frozen Trail, and will feature the game's biggest map yet, an "ambitious Arc Operation", new systems for progression, an improved skill tree, and new weapons, items, cosmetics, and more.

This update comes in light of the game's recent update Riven Tides, which sadly didn't move the needle for the community, as many were disappointed with the update despite it adding a new area and a new hovering Arc threat called the Turbine.

As you would have guessed, many are not too happy about the decision to slow things down. I find it to be a good move, though, considering that these monthly updates barely move the needle in terms of pushing me to play the game on a daily basis. The new Arcs and weapons don't entirely spice things up for me compared to other live service games, which makes me realize that gameplay is a major pain point, as going home after an extraction doesn't feel that satisfying anymore when loot barely feels rare or cherished as it does in other shooters. I'll share more about that in a later post.

Despite slowing down, the game is getting updated with a new late-game trader, giving players the ability to trade unique items for rewards that rotate on a weekly basis. The trader will also offer two notable rewards in exchange for high-value items:

• Extra Stash space to help you increase your capacity.

• The Expedition Vault. This allows you to carry over up to five items across the Expedition, so you can set your new Raider up with your favorite items or blueprints.

This confuses me, as the main value of doing an Expedition for me has always been the extra stash space, as almost everything else barely feels like a reward for throwing all your stashed gear into the trash. Now that there's an option to increase stash space without doing an Expedition, it makes the whole exercise even more questionable. The Expedition Vault, meanwhile, reads more like a move to make the option more accessible and less punishing for resetting rather than a genuine incentive.

We'll see how this goes. Developers stepping back and taking the time to assess how players actually engage with the game, instead of just churning out content on a monthly cadence, might shift the narrative around Arc Raiders. Because right now, anything Embark does seems to irritate one section of the community, or at worst, both.

About the Author - Carlos Hernandez

Carlos Hernandez is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Too Much Gaming, where he writes about video games, reviews, and industry news. A lifelong gamer, he would do anything to experience Final Fantasy Tactics for the first time again and has a love/hate relationship with games that require hunting for new gear to improve your character.

[Last Updated: May 11, 2026]

2026 is a big year for the industry as Rockstar Games is set to launch the next title for the most successful franchise in video game history. Grand Theft Auto 6 will launch in the Philippines with the rest of the world, so here's what you need to know before its release.

Grand Theft Auto 6 Release Date

GTA 6 is officially scheduled to launch on November 19, 2026, on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. There have been multiple delays since the game was announced. The last one was when the game targeted a May 2026 release, only to be pushed back to give the developers more time to polish and finalize the game.

Marketing is expected to go into full swing in Summer (June - August), which aligns perfectly with a November release, so it's very unlikely we will see any further delays at this point.

Grand Theft Auto 6 Price

Analysts are expecting Take-Two Interactive and Rockstar Games to aim for an $80 price tag for a standard copy in both physical and digital forms. Also expect higher editions with bonuses and other goodies.

If converted straight to Philippine peso, that could put the price of GTA 6 at roughly PHP 4,700 at launch. Nothing is official yet, and it could be slightly cheaper, but I expect it to be around the PHP 4,000 mark.

Pre-order dates haven't been announced yet, but once pre-orders and prices are revealed, local stores like DataBlitz and GameOne will update with pre-order details for those looking to secure their copy on day one.

What Platforms Will Grand Theft Auto 6 Be On?

GTA 6 is launching first on consoles, which is PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. The PC version will not be available at launch, which is expected as previous Rockstar titles have always come out on consoles first before releasing on PC. GTA 5 released on PC over a year later, though there's a chance the wait could be much shorter for GTA 6, given how popular GTA 5 remains on PC today thanks to GTA Online.

The PS5 version has not been officially confirmed to have PS5 Pro enhancement features, but it’s very likely. This is something worth noting if you’re looking for the best possible experience, despite the PS5 price increase that recently took effect in Southeast Asia, as a 2TB PS5 Pro now costs PHP 56,950.

PlayStation and Nintendo have a dominant hold on local retailers in the Philippines. Local retailers do sell Xbox Series X and its games, but they are not always updated on the latest titles and don't stock up as much as they do for the PS5 and Switch 2. If you play on Xbox in the Philippines, I suggest contacting your local retailer once pre-orders go live to confirm if you can reserve an Xbox copy.

GTA 6 will not launch with PS4 or Xbox One versions. A Switch 2 release for GTA 6 was also not announced, though, there are reports of developers testing a Switch 2 version, but nothing is official.

When Can I Preorder GTA 6 in the Philippines?

No preorder dates have been announced yet. Once Take-Two announces preorders, expect DataBlitz and other local stores to quickly react and update their websites and social media.

In the Philippines, reservation or preorder requirements usually require a downpayment of PHP 500. With the popularity and steep price of even a standard copy, I wouldn't be surprised if stores bump that up to PHP 1,000 due to demand.

Will GTA 6 Have a Physical Edition?

Yes. Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick confirmed that both a physical and digital version of GTA 6 will be available at launch. Take-Two is also active in the Philippines, as they regularly run sales for titles like NBA 2K, a famous series in the country due to basketball being a famous sport here, so physical copies on day one here are very likely.

When Will GTA 6 Come to PC?

No PC release date has been announced. Don't hold your breath, as previous Rockstar titles have taken over a year at the very least before arriving on PC.

Will There Be a GTA 6 Bundle With PS5 or PS5 Pro?

There's a strong chance of a GTA 6 bundle for either the base PS5 or PS5 Pro, as Sony holds the marketing rights for GTA 6. A limited edition PS5 or DualSense controller will likely be announced before launch, or at the very least, a standard copy of the game bundled with the console.

About the Author - Carlos Hernandez

Carlos Hernandez is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Too Much Gaming, where he writes about video games, reviews, and industry news. A lifelong gamer, he would do anything to experience Final Fantasy Tactics for the first time again and has a love/hate relationship with games that require hunting for new gear to improve your character.

Sega revealed that developer RGG Studio’s upcoming title Stranger Than Heaven, is set to release sometime in Winter 2026. They also detailed the game’s main cast, a brief description of the combat system, the story’s various settings and premise, and more.

Don’t be fooled by the name as this is pretty much another prequel Yakuza/Like a Dragon title focused on the founding of the Tojo clan, a key organization for the whole Yakuza and Like a Dragon series. Set in multiple timelines to tell the story of Makoto Daito, a teenager born to an American father and a Japanese mother. Due to his mixed heritage, he was considered an outcast and eventually sought a better life in Japan..

What’s interesting about Stranger Than Heaven is that the story will allow players to explore five eras of Japan:

• 1915 – Kokura, Fukuoka (steelworks town)

• 1929 – Kure, Hiroshima (naval shipyard, heavy organized crime influence)

• 1943 – Osaka, Minami (entertainment district amid rising global tensions)

• 1951 – Atami, Shizuoka (postwar tourism hotspot)

• 1965 – Shinjuku, Tokyo (Kamurocho)

The best thing out of this is how each era shows the evolution of Japan as technology evolves and lifestyles change in each era.

Combat and the art of being a Showman

It also looks more grounded and dark in terms of tone, plus this is the first time I see a lot of blood and brutal attacks like stabbing with knives, hammers, and swords. RGG details the combat of having the player somewhat have control over Makoto’s left and right arms independently, allowing players to mix jabs and do specific attacks and follow-ups.

Makoto eventually finds a career in being a showman/promoter as the player will be coming across various entertainment talents that Makoto will recruit for the many shows he will help produce to earn money. You’ll be handling the promotion of each show you plan to work on, the setting and the setlist, and so on to hopefully make it a big success.

There’s also a system where players can pick up inspirations for music compositions through the various sounds found and heard in the game. From a person snoring, an enemy’s hammer hitting the wooden floor, to a train passing by, each of these can be picked up and later be used to create certain music as you also act as a producer in this game. Each era in the game is said to have different sounds to pick up.

Stranger Than Heaven main cast

The presentation also revealed the game’s main cast, which features Yu Shirota, Dean Fujioka, Snoop Dogg, Moeka Hoshi, Tori Kelly, Akio Otsuka, Tokuma Nishioka, Satoshi Fujihara (Official HIGE DANdism), Cordell Broadus, Ado, and Bunta Sugawara (the late actor, recreated via CG with family and Toei Company's consent, voiced by Takashi Ukaji).

If you want a clear detail of each cast member and Stranger Than Heaven’s two main systems, you can have a look at Sega’s livestream here, which officially starts at the 1 hour mark as it’s roughly 30-minutes long.

About the Author - Carlos Hernandez

Carlos Hernandez is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Too Much Gaming, where he writes about video games, reviews, and industry news. A lifelong gamer, he would do anything to experience Final Fantasy Tactics for the first time again and has a love/hate relationship with games that require hunting for new gear to improve your character.

Days after the release of Diablo IV's Lord of Hatred expansion, I jumped in with no real rush but a whole long weekend to absorb the whole game from the start. Playing as the new Warlock class, I went through the action RPG from the beginning to prepare myself for the new expansion, and it was the right decision, as the campaign hit much harder when the events of the base game and Vessel of Hatred were still fresh in memory. 

A Story Worth Revisiting 

This resulted in my loving the whole saga revolving around the demon Lilith and her father Mephisto, one of the Prime Evils in the game world and the older brother to Diablo, the Prime Evil the series is named after. It was a satisfying conclusion to what the base game established. 

Diablo IV’s story follows a lone wanderer that finds him/her to be bound by Lilith, and the game adopts a similar storytelling style to Diablo 2, where you are chasing after Diablo as he wanders through various regions of Sanctuary. Diablo IV feels much the same, as we are always a few steps behind Lilith as we try to put a stop to whatever she has planned in the mortal realm, because any major demon roaming free is never a good sign and always leads to utter destruction. 

The first half of the base game was as good as I remembered. Characters are established and the motives of the key cast are clear. The second half, however, felt like it dragged on my second playthrough, specifically the portion focused on Donan, a Horadrim mage who specializes in Soulstones. Fans of the series will be familiar with the terms I mentioned as he was indeed a key figure in the conclusion of the base game's campaign, but the focus on him felt too prolonged and slowed things down for me. 

The finale picked things up, leaving us with a cliffhanger where Mephisto has become a threat once more, and has become the catalyst for the game's first expansion, Vessel of Hatred. 

The Weakest Link 

When the first expansion released in 2024, I wasn't all that excited. It re-introduced Nahantu, essentially Diablo 2's Act 3 region, and once again we are chasing after someone, only this time it’s Neyrelle, one of their own, who is holding a Soulstone containing the Prime Evil Mephisto. 

To be fair, the base game's pacing issues are a minor annoyance compared to the entirety of the first expansion. I was thankful I didn't get it on day one. To put it bluntly, it was boring from start to finish. Neyrelle was the sole focus, and Lorath was completely absent throughout the campaign.

It didn't land as well as the base game. None of the new characters had any staying power in terms of personality, and no antagonist gave us any real sense of threat comparable to witnessing Lilith's ruthlessness and manipulation through flashbacks. 

The story told in Vessel of Hatred could have been a footnote in one of Lorath's journals, as I was genuinely struggling to stay interested. Thankfully, I was playing a new class, and the focus on learning my Warlock kept me going, because the base campaign and first expansion content provided enough experience to reach the game's new level cap of 70, meaning I was already earning Paragon Points before my first run through the Lord of Hatred campaign. 

Location-wise, the expansion felt like a dud as well. Unlike the base game, which took us through a variety of locales, Vessel of Hatred kept us mostly in dense jungles and tombs. The environments never felt distinct, and the boss encounters didn't hit as hard as the battle against Lilith herself or the Lesser Evils Andariel and Duriel, which were memorable in their own right, while the others felt like fodder.

The first expansion was clearly the weakest campaign content in the game, and I wouldn't be surprised if players weren't all that enthusiastic about the next one given how it concluded, with two years left to wait. Thankfully, Lord of Hatred was ready and waiting for me. 

The Payoff 

The second expansion picks up where Vessel of Hatred left off, though clearly time has passed. Mephisto, now freely roaming Sanctuary, has established a following through his new vessel Akarat, the founder of the religion Zakarum, posing as the prophet that has miraculously risen from the dead.

It's a strong setup that immediately establishes a Prime Evil's greatest strength: manipulation and mind games. Once word comes that he's headed to the islands of Skovos, we reunite with Lorath and continue the journey. 

From here, it's hard to go further without spoiling things, so I'll leave the details there. What I will say is that the second expansion hit the ground running with a major twist, and from that point it had me completely hooked. With the base campaign's second-half stumble and the first expansion being a complete dud, Lord of Hatred builds slowly before delivering a consistent rollercoaster of emotions, one that hit harder because all the prior context was still fresh. 

The campaign covered all its bases, giving newfound appreciation to Lorath, Mephisto, and Neyrelle, while also introducing new faces, bringing back old ones, and featuring two characters I'll keep a secret. 

It was the complete opposite of what I experienced in Vessel of Hatred. I was instantly invested and spent one whole afternoon playing through the campaign to completion. I honestly think it only hit as hard as it did because the full story was still fresh. It took me roughly 35+ hours of campaign content leading into it. The new expansion added roughly 10 hours to my overall playtime that weekend, and it was well worth it. The twists gave me goosebumps, which for me is a clear sign of genuine investment. The moment it ended, I wanted more, so much so that I went looking for detailed breakdowns of the events from previous games to refresh my memory even more to the never-ending conflict between heaven and hell. 

The Lord of Hatred campaign feels like it was crafted by people who genuinely adore the lore Blizzard has built. The music captures the weight and urgency of the situation, and the cinematics are once again proof that despite all of their faults, Blizzard remains among the best in the business when it comes to in-game cinematics. The last few hours are Diablo IV's best moments by far. 

They even managed to make an island feel expansive, using multiple biomes and varied color palettes to create the sense of vast, diverse content, a massive improvement over Vessel of Hatred. The boss encounters were enjoyable throughout, and the finale makes the scale of the threat genuinely felt. 

The Endgame grind begins once again

It was well worth the wait, and worth experiencing the story in its entirety, whether through playing it all like I did or through a detailed recap article or video covering the key plot points leading into Lord of Hatred. The campaign alone was worth the price of admission, but we all know the majority of Diablo players are really here to level up, murder waves of demons, and perfect builds that will ease through content to grind for more and push towards the endgame's highest difficulty tiers. 

I'm only at Torment 9 as of this writing and will share my thoughts on the endgame loop in a few days, but from what I've played so far, Blizzard has essentially pulled fan-favorite systems from across the franchise (primarily Diablo 2) and brought them together here with reasonable twists to them, while also giving older systems renewed purpose. Itemization feels fantastic, though that's after days of play on a single class, one that I think is in a great spot right out of the gate as I see potential build variety that I'm eager to explore further. 

I can confidently say that endgame feels like it's in a good place, giving players the freedom to dictate their own gameplay loop rather than funneling everyone toward a single activity. 

That alone is a big win for the community, but just like any game, the cracks will eventually show and the honeymoon phase will be over before we know it. Also, it seems like the new secret cow level does exist.

More soon. 

About the Author - Carlos Hernandez

Carlos Hernandez is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Too Much Gaming, where he writes about video games, reviews, and industry news. A lifelong gamer, he would do anything to experience Final Fantasy Tactics for the first time again and has a love/hate relationship with games that require hunting for new gear to improve your character.

Last updated: May 20, 2026
Platform: PC Game Pass (Windows via Xbox App)
Current price in PH: PHP 225/month ( 14-day trial available for PHP 59)

If you're subscribed to PC Game Pass in the Philippines and wondering where to start, this list can hopefully serve as a starter in case you feel overwhelmed on what game to play first, or if you’re returning and is wondering what game to tackle. We keep it updated as the library changes, so these are the games actually worth your time right now.

New to PC Game Pass? Check our sign-up guide for subscribers in the Philippines.

Editor’s Picks - Best PC Game Pass games right now

Forza Horizon 6 (New to Game Pass)

The visual fidelity found in this open world racing game is without question one of the best, but the real standout is the fact that this game is actually well-optimized and can be run by older graphics cards like an RTX 2060. Even on mid to high settings it was a joy to cruise around Playground Games' take on Tokyo, Japan, as you collect cars, race with other players, and slowly make a name for yourself in the Horizon Festival. It was a clear 5/5 when we reviewed it.

Vampire Crawlers

This is a nice take of rogue-like dungeon crawling from the creators of Vampire Survivors. It’s a deckbuilder by heart and you dungeon crawl through various biomes upgrading your deck and simply seeing if the decisions you make along the way can make you reach the end of each run. It’s challenging, addicting, and understands the beauty of deckbuilding roguelikes.

Hades 2

Speaking of roguelikes, this is probably the best one out there today. Supergiant Games’ latest title has left Steam’s early access program and is available in most platforms, including Game Pass. This is an amazing action game that keeps on giving despite the losses and successes. You keep going through the same gauntlet, same bosses, but is given a variety of ways to tackling each one, with a narrative and progress feels like it’s moving forward at a steady pace. It’s a no-brainer and is worth a download.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance II

A story-driven, open world, action RPG that continues the story of Henry in 15th-century Medieval Europe. It’s the perfect game to immerse yourself in medieval times as combat is grounded and methodical, and the choices you make have a solid impact in each of the stories you encounter when exploring the world. It will suck you in, because if you’re not careful, you’ll see yourself spending over 100 hours on the game with no stopping in sight.

Final Fantasy V

Square Enix’s classic JRPG Final Fantasy V was added recently on PC Game Pass and is honestly a great time for RPG fans to relive Square’s earlier titles as Game Pass currently has Final Fantasy 1 all the way to 5 available in the service.

These iterations retain the original game but has improved the graphics to cater to current resolutions and frame rates, allowing them to be played as they were intended. These versions also feature options to change the progression as you can turn off random encounters if you want to speed through or backtrack an area without being slowed down by unecessary fights.

More great games on PC Game Pass

• The Alters: 11 Bit Studios has something special with The Alters, a survival story where you play as the lone survivor of a space crew stranded on an unknown planet. To stay alive, you must clone different versions of yourself to help manage your mobile base.

• Warcraft 3 Reforged: If your first experience with Warcraft was through World of Warcraft, this is your chance to explore the games that started it all. Warcraft 3 Reforged modernizes the RTS classic with visual upgrades and new features. Originally released in 2020, it’s still a solid RTS experience.

• Doom: The Dark Ages: The latest mainline entry in the legendary shooter series. It keeps the adrenaline-pumping gameplay but adds a more up-close, brutal combat style and a cinematic campaign that’s the longest in the franchise.

• Blue Prince: Blue Prince is a hidden gem that was released in April 2025 and surprised the world. You play as the heir to a mysterious mansion with a shifting layout that resets each day. Every run reveals more about the house and the story tied to your inheritance, and you’ll find yourself going back each day to uncover more about this mansion.

• Wasteland 3: If you’re excited for InXile Entertainment’s upcoming Clockwork Revolution, now is a great time to revisit Wasteland 3, a fantastic CRPG from 2020. It’s packed with deep mechanics, rewarding tactical combat, and choices that actually matter. If you enjoy smart positioning and character-building, this is an underrated gem you’ll appreciate.

• Dredge: Dredge is a top-down fishing adventure with a dark twist. You play as a lone fisherman exploring an eerie archipelago filled with secrets and strange characters. What looks like a simple fishing game slowly reveals a deeper, more unsettling world. It’s incredibly easy to lose track of time while playing this one.

• Metaphor: ReFantazio: Atlus’ latest JRPG surprised fans and newcomers alike with its Persona-inspired, high-fantasy setting, a gripping story, a likable cast of characters, and a turn-based combat system I actually prefer over Persona’s.

• The Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion Remastered: 2025’s worst-kept secret was shadow-dropped the same day it was announced back in April 2025. Oblivion Remastered updates the classic with a stunning visual overhaul and modern quality-of-life improvements while staying true to its roots. A must-play for longtime Elder Scrolls fans and newcomers to Cyrodiil alike.

• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33: The talk of the town for most of 2025. Yes, this was released day one in Game Pass and if you love turn-based RPGs, this is a must-try. This is easily my current Game of the Year pick for 2025, and quite honestly it found a place in my all-time list. This will shock you in many ways that by the end of it you’ll fully understand why it won Game of the Year in the 2025 Game Awards.

• Frostpunk 1 & 2: This survival city-builder series still lives rent-free on my hard drive. Frostpunk combines strategy and storytelling with brutally cold stakes. The sequel expands everything the first game introduced, making it the perfect pair for strategy fans.

• Aliens: Dark Descent: Think real-time XCOM, but set in the Alien universe. Dark Descent puts you in command of a Marine squad tasked with clearing Xeno-infested areas as they find ways to leave the planet they are stranded in. When you're spotted, it’s time to set turrets, fortify positions, and survive the onslaught. A tense, smart strategy game worth your attention.

• Cities: Skylines 2: probably one of the best city-sims out there today. Build complex city layouts or just create a more familiar area as you slowly handle issues that naturally occur as your city grows. The sequel delivers the same city builder but with a more challenging economy and better tools to make unique city designs.

• StarCraft 2 Campaign Collection: Real-time strategy games may be rare these days, but StarCraft 2 remains a gold standard. With all three campaigns (Terran, Zerg, and Protoss) now on PC Game Pass thanks to Microsoft's acquisition of Activision, it’s the perfect time to dive into this genre classic.

• Diablo IV: Diablo IV is a meaty game by itself and probably the cheapest way to check out if this action RPG is right for you. it’s in a solid state in 2026, but if we are talking about the base campaign alone, it’s pretty solid and is worth the space on your hard drive.

Leaving soon (May 2026)

These games are leaving Game Pass soon. If you any of them look interesting to you, download them before they're gone as they are expected to leave the service on May 31, 2026 .

• Against the Storm (Cloud, Console, and PC)

• Crypt Custodian (Cloud, Console, and PC)

• Metaphor: ReFantazio (Cloud, Console, and PC)

• Persona 4 Golden (Cloud, Console, and PC)

• Spray Paint Simulator (Cloud, Console, and PC)

What are the latest games added on PC Game Pass in May 2026?

Xbox updates PC Game Pass (also Xbox Game Pass) twice a month, and they just announced the second wave of games for May 2026:

• Forza Horizon 6 – Out now

• My Friend Peppa Pig – May 20

• Remnant II – May 20

• Luna Abyss – May 21 (Day One)

• Escape Simulator – May 26

• Echo Generation 2 – May 27 (Day One)

• The Outer Worlds: Spacer's Choice Edition – May 27

• Crashout Crew – May 28 (Day One)

• Kabuto Park – May 28 (Day One)

• Final Fantasy VI – June 2

• Jurassic World Evolution 3 – June 2

Is PC Game Pass worth it in the Philippines?

At PHP 225, that’s PHP 2,700 a year, a price tag that could equate to owning one new title at full price. If you see yourself playing multiple games each month, the price tag can easily be justified, but if you see yourself playing one game and barely exploring others, you might want to reconsider the subscription.

The library skews heavily toward Xbox first-party titles (Bethesda, Obsidian, Double Fine) and rotating third-party additions. Day-one releases for Xbox Game Studios titles are still part of the deal, which is where the real value is.

It's not for everyone as you have to ask yourself if you’re a player that’s open to exploring different kinds of games. We do live in a world where there are players that play only one game for years. If you stick to one game for months at a time or prefer owning your library, Steam is probably still your home. But if you like variety and want to try games before committing, PC Game Pass might be worth it for you.

See something missing or out of date? The library changes often, let us know.

About the Author - Carlos Hernandez

Carlos Hernandez is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Too Much Gaming, where he writes about video games, reviews, and industry news. A lifelong gamer, he would do anything to experience Final Fantasy Tactics for the first time again and has a love/hate relationship with games that require hunting for new gear to improve your character.

PC Game Pass has been available in the Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries for a couple of years now. If you’re one of the many Filipinos eager to get access to the large library of games PC Game Pass has to offer you can do so now and the process to sign up for it is easy to do. 

Last updated: April 29, 2026

How to sign up for PC Game Pass if you are in the Philippines

Currently, Microsoft is giving those in the Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries to preview the service, new users can sign up for a 14 day trial for PHP 59, then will be charge the latest monthly price of PHP 225, as Microsoft just reduced the monthly price in April 2026.

Step 1  - Create your Microsoft account

First thing you need is a Microsoft account. Get that setup, then head to the Microsoft Store on Windows to download the Xbox app. 

To prevent any issues, double check your PCs region if it’s set to your region. Go to ‘Settings’, then ‘Time & Language’, then at the left side of the tab enter ‘Region’. Look at ‘Country or region’ and make sure it’s set to the Philippines or whatever SEA region you’re in. This is to ensure that everything you’ll need to access PC Game Pass is visible for you and that you are charged in pesos.

Step 2 - Subscribe directly

It’s more simplified now as once you have the Xbox app installed, all you need is to get your subscription going.

Log in with your Microsoft account and click your username to open a dropdown to show a series of options, in that list, click “My Subscriptions”.

You’ll see PC Game Pass as the only plan available. Click “Manage” to enter your Microsoft account through a browser to subscribe. Again, if you’re a new user, the first 14 days will only cost PHP 59. After the trial ends, you can choose to continue through the new PHP 225/month price.

Subscribing can be done either through Paypal (local region works) or through your local credit card. Both options work well with no issue when we tested it.

Once subscribed you are good to go! Start download games!

What do you download first in PC Game Pass?

Just go nuts as there are numerous options here from shooters, RPGs to strategy games. At first glance, PC Game Pass offers a good opportunity to introduce yourselves to new series such as the Yakuza Franchise or even the entire Halo series. Also remember that Bethesda is now under the Microsoft banner, so you can have a good lineup of Fallout and Elder Scrolls games, Dishonored, and more.

Lastly, PC Game Pass also comes with access to EA’s lineup of known series such as Battlefield, Dead Space, Dragon Age, and more.

 Here are a few recommendations to consider.

(List updated on April 29, 2026)

• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (review)

• The Outer Worlds 2

• Ninja Gaiden 4

• Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2

• Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2

• Halo Infinite and the rest of the Halo franchise

• Hades 2

• The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered

• Like a Dragon” Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii

• Doom: The Dark Ages (review)

• Ball x Pitt

• Microsoft Simulator 2024 (review)

• Metaphor: ReFantazio (review)

• Hollow Knight: Silksong

• Indiana Jones and the Great Circle (review)

• Grounded 2

• Diablo IV

• Vampire Crawlers

Sometimes making it out of a six-plus-year development hell is worth it. Here to continue Capcom’s winning streak is the stylish, unique, and yet familiar Pragmata, the kind of bold new IP that we used to come to expect from big developers back when dev costs weren’t in the hundreds of millions and we didn’t know how good we had it. It’s a game that, despite its unique hacking mechanic, should feel instantly familiar to seasoned gamers to the point where everything about its design, from levels to character interactions to enemies, flows completely naturally despite its being obviously forged over many years into a nearly-flawless gem. This is a game that feels like a completely realized vision from top to bottom, which is a rarity in this modern age, and even more so for a brand new IP.

Capcom continues its generational run of quality

While playing Pragmata, I was reminded of a time two console generations ago when we would get banger after banger of third-person character action games, each with their own twists and gimmicks. I’m thinking of games like Vanquish, Metal Gear Rising Revengeance, Uncharted 1-3, El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron, and Lost Planet, among others. This game in particular feels inspired by multi-tasking concepts introduced in more recent titles, namely Platinum Games’ Astral Chain and The Wonderful 101, where combat is bolstered by a unique secondary gameplay element. Progression in all of the above games is straightforward and carefully curated, with difficulty ramping up gradually throughout, along with the stakes of the story. 

Take Your Precocious Android Daughter To Work Day

Pragmata delivers on all of that and a little more, as its wholly unique hacking mechanic sees your protagonists, moonbound engineer Hugh and Pragmata-class android Diana, stunning and opening up weak points on enemies so that your otherwise ineffective weaponry can actually deal damage to them. You’ll also be navigating a massive moon base, utilizing platforming, electronic lockpicking, and basic puzzle-solving skills within various (and often unexpected) environments, most of which are crafted with Lunafiliment, a highly-adaptable substance refined from material harvested from the moon. 

The story begins with Hugh and his team investigating a massive research station on the moon that’s gone silent. As their spacecraft begins to dock, disaster immediately strikes, and Hugh is separated from everyone else. He wakes up in captivity, where an android in the form of an eight-year-old girl helps mend his wounds. Hugh names the innocent, childlike robot Diana, and together they endeavor to investigate what happened to the station while fending off a hostile AI system called IDUS, which has weaponized the station’s robotic workforce against them.

Thankfully, Pragmata bucks the trend in many modern games of having a grizzled, cynical, or otherwise antisocial protagonist. Hugh Williams is a far cry from “sad dads” like Joel or Kratos in that he’s pretty open with Diana about his past and thoughts, and tries to keep a fairly positive and even-keeled attitude for her sake, even though they’re in the middle of a hellish situation. Your average person would barely be holding it together after losing their entire team, but Hugh toughs it out, both for the greater good and for the innocent childlike consciousness that seems trapped in a robotic body. Sometimes you see Hugh having to patch the cracks, and that makes him even more compelling. He’s a grounded, realistic badass.

Diana, of course, is exceptionally realized. She’s become the Internet’s surrogate daughter and an instant fan favorite character, with her wide-eyed innocence combined with a curiosity unique to a mysteriously-created AI with amnesia. In the game’s Shelter room, you can materialize acquired objects from Earth to give her various toys to play with, and whether or not you’re a parent, her interactions are just the best. 

The writing, vocal performances, and motion-capture animation bring these two central characters to life in a way that really carries the game and provides a strong emotional hook, even if the story is straightforward. It also helps your motivation that you’re fighting a single artificially-intelligent being rather than real people, so you never feel bad about dispatching the bots and uncovering the truth. There are some twists in the narrative, but most NPCs appear as simple holograms or text logs to be discovered.

Giant Bots Are What You’ll Fight, Walking on the Moon

The fact that the robots are mostly workers on the station explains why so few you encounter initially have guns or missiles, and overall the pace of the combat is manageable even for those without lightning-fast reflexes, provided one keeps their cool and doesn’t panic. Holding the left trigger brings up a hacking menu on the right-hand side of the screen. Hacking is accomplished with the four face buttons, so you can shoot and dash away while hacking, if you’re motivated enough. There’ll be a lot of travel between the right stick and the face buttons, unless you’re playing with a mouse and keyboard. You might think that this would be quite stressful, and it does get very intense later on, but enemies are fairly predictable in their movements, so you can kite around them to create space for yourself, pop off a few shots, and then get out. 

While the gameplay starts out pretty straightforward, you’ll unlock new weapons and hacking nodes that allow you to thoroughly customize your loadout and gunplay to your liking. You’ll also be able to upgrade your main weapon, suit, and hacking abilities, as well as increase your aptitude with individual weapons. There are also mods Hugh and Diana can equip to modify damage, timing windows, etc. You can prioritize stunning enemies, overheat them for increased damage output, damage them via repeated hacking, group them into mobs and increase critical and splash damage, or even turn them against one another with the Confuse node. 

The gunplay is crunchy and satisfying. In addition to the mainstays like a shotgun, a chargeable sniper rifle, and an explosive launcher, there’s a variety of options to tackle bots, making for a total of 16 weapons spread across three categories. You can reduce the hacking matrix with Sticky Bombs, trap a small group of enemies in place with the Stasis Net, stun and damage a group with the late-game Hacking Mines, summon Drones to deal damage, and even create a temporary shield to hide in. All of the offerings are fun to use and you’ll be forced to swap often, but you’ll have your favorites. Ammo is limited, so you’ll need to play it smart and ration big guns for the big threats. I tried to challenge myself by using the default weapons as much as possible. 

Pragmata also throws a fairly wide variety of bots at you and keeps things fresh by mixing up the rooms and arenas quite a bit. Towards the end of the game, you’ll be fighting off larger mobs that would have felt impossible just hours before, and that’ll be a testament to both your skill in adapting to the game’s multi-tasking and the game’s excellent design philosophy, where even in the midst of the most chaotic situation, you’ll feel like it isn’t out of the question to do a no-hit run… at least until the final levels.

Postgame challenges and tough side missions are the cherry on top

The game doesn’t end after the story concludes, either. Once you beat it, you have the option of diving into a curated New Game+ right off the bat, tackling Lunatic difficulty, or delving into the Unknown Signal postgame. Either way, you’ll unlock the juggernaut of a melee weapon, the Jackhammer. I’ve just started to dive into the Unknown Signal postgame, since completing this last gauntlet also requires you to tackle Mk. II versions of prior bosses and explore older areas to 100%. You’ll also be filling out 5 stamp cards for rewards, which include lore from a reporter who snuck onto the station, various outfits, bot data, hacking nodes, and mods. I enjoyed the sweet art gallery that’s unlocked from the get-go. I haven’t yet sunk my teeth into Lunatic. 

There are also 30 ‘training’ missions to unlock, which will test your movement speed, reflexes, aptitude with certain weapons, and hacking and locksmithing skills. Each of the training missions has three objectives, and some of them are frustratingly difficult to pull off and will take a lot of skill and patience to 100%. All things considered, you can rush through this game in probably 10 hours, but given how intensely I was playing through the training missions and exploring each level, my playthrough took me well over 15 hours.

Stunning visuals and soundtrack never get old

In terms of presentation, Pragmata runs excellently on the PlayStation 5 even on Resolution mode, which I ran it on exclusively. Though groups like Digital Foundry have done tests and seen frame drops in intense scenarios, the performance never felt noticeably slow or bothered me, although I’ll admit I’m not the most sensitive to frame drops. There’s also a Frame Rate mode that locks the game to 60fps with minor visual cutbacks, such as Diana’s hair, shimmer effects, and some textures. Apparently it’s recommended for users with VRR-compatible displays to smooth out the frame pacing. PS5 Pro uses PSSR upscaling to achieve even more fidelity. If you’re intent on getting Pragmata on a console, you’ll get the best experience with the PS5 or PS5 Pro versions, which really bring out the game’s inherent beauty.

Visually and aurally, Pragmata delivers quite the spectacle, with designs that can leave you feeling claustrophobic one minute, then wow you with wide vistas the next, before plunging you into more nightmare corridors. There’s a bit of the Starfield-esque NASA-punk aesthetic here, but also some unique touches. Director Cho Younghee was an artist for games like Nier: Automata, and the aforementioned Metal Gear Rising Revengeance, and his influence shows in the cool weapon and enemy designs, as well as Hugh’s many outfits. The soundtrack has exceptional range, as it’ll transition from quiet moments to quite intense electronic beats during combat and training missions.

Is the game perfect? It’s close, but I have several minor gripes. First off, there’s no Photo mode. Seems like a no-brainer for a future patch. Hugh’s movement is intentionally a little slippery, and he’s floaty in mid-air. This pays off in certain outdoor sections, and allows for mid-air combat, but some may wish for more options for weightiness in subsequent playthroughs or speedruns. Also, there’s no quick-turn or pivot function, which would have been useful in the quicker battles. 

Most importantly, Hugh’s face only appears during certain cutscenes, so for most of the game, you’ll be seeing him with his helmet on. There’s also no way of crouching to talk to Diana. Most of the time when you talk to her in the Shelter, you’re looking down at her. It’d feel more natural if Hugh could crouch down to engage with Diana closer to eye level. Also, there are times when the game feels almost too straightforward, like you’re just progressing through a labyrinth of corridors and arenas without much of a breather. 

The most touching, engaging, and unique game I’ve played in years

I really cannot recommend Pragmata enough. As far as I’m concerned, this is a $70 game being offered at the price of $60. Capcom has once again outdone themselves by delivering an exceptionally-polished brand new IP with lovable characters and a wholly unique take on dual-character combat, pairing excellent enemy and level designs with heavily customizable loadouts for an intense and addictive experience. The excellent team of Hugh and Diana are tested time and again by inhuman robotic renegades, but the gameplay feels so good that you’ll never tire of taking on these electronic Eldritch horrors.

Verdict: 5/5 (Exceptional)

PROS

• Unique, intense and addictive hacking and shooting gameplay

• Highly customizable loadouts combined with a fairly large enemy variety

• Excellent and unforgettable character relationships bolster a straightforward story

• Beautifully crafted art assets and soundtrack 

• Plenty of replay value including postgame and New Game+ baked in 

CONS

• Some may find it too linear

• No Photo Mode

What I’ve Played 

• Rolled credits after nearly 16 hours

• 2/10ths of the way through Unknown Signal

• Completed 3 out of 5 Stamp Boards

• Unlocked and beat (not completed) all training missions

*This review is based on a PS5 review copy

About the Author - Joseph Choi

Filipino-American gamer, professional shepherd and farmer, author, and filmmaker/videographer living in Central California. First consoles were the Game Boy and Sega Genesis, and I've been gaming since then, with a focus on Nintendo and Sony consoles.

Sony Interactive Entertainment revealed the new prices for their flagship console PlayStation 5 in the Philippines and the rest of Southeast Asia after they announced the global price increase back in March. Starting in May 2026, Filipinos will have to spend PHP 40,032 for a base PlayStation 5 (up from PHP 30,790)

When will the PS5 price increase take effect in the Philippines?

It is said that these prices will take effect starting May 1. The price revealed is only for what we believe is the base version of the PS5. There was no mention of how much the PS5 Pro will cost, but expect a significant price bump in retail stores.

The Philippines isn’t the only one affected as other Southeast Asia regions are also getting a PS5 price increase:

Singapore

• PS5 – SGD 849

• PS5 Digital Edition – SGD 764

• PS5 Pro – SGD 1,167

Malaysia

• PS5 – MYR 2,799 

• PS5 Digital Edition – MYR 2,499 

• PS5 Pro – MYR 3,999

Thailand

• PS5 – THB 20,990 

• PS5 Digital Edition – THB 18,790 

• PS5 Pro – THB 30,990

Indonesia (PS5 Pro price change not shown)

• PS5 – IDR 11,399,000

• PS5 Digital Edition – IDR 9,999,000 

Vietnam

• PS5 – VND 16,900,000

The PlayStation Portal is also getting a price bump and will also be in effect starting May 1st, 2026:

• Singapore – SGD 347

• Malaysia – MYR 1,099

• Thailand – THB 8,380

• Indonesia – IDR 5,199,000

Officially, despite it being available in the Philippines, the PlayStation Portal was never officially released in the region, thus no official pricing, but also expect a price increase if you do see the portable device in retail stores.

The PlayStation 5 was hit with another price increase this year globally. When it was announced, regions like the US, UK, Europe, and Japan had the new prices with Southeast Asia to be announced weeks after.

The official reason from Sony due to the global price increase was due to "continued pressures in the global economic landscape", a vague reasoning and a safe way of saying that the world economy is just not in a good place right now.

It’s a massive bump and it’s crazy that we now live in a world where devices don’t get cheaper but more expensive over time. The base PS5 I’m still using today was bought in 2021, and it cost PHP 27,990.00 that year. The last bump was a few thousands, but now costing over 40K makes console gaming a more premium mode of entertainment.

About the Author - Carlos Hernandez

Carlos Hernandez is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Too Much Gaming, where he writes about video games, reviews, and industry news. A lifelong gamer, he would do anything to experience Final Fantasy Tactics for the first time again and has a love/hate relationship with games that require hunting for new gear to improve your character.

Blizzard is all set for the release of Diablo IV’s upcoming second expansion The Lord of Hatred, a major addition to the action RPG that essentially will conclude the saga that started in the base game.

Lord of Hatred Pre-load now Available on all platforms

For those that pre-purchased the game before launch and are all set to jump into the new expansion, pre-load for The Lord of Hatred is now live on all platforms (PS5, Xbox, and PC). Pre-purchasing still has its perks as before the expansion’s launch, players that own the new expansion will not only get the Vessel of Hatred expansion for free, but can also play the Paladin class, one of the two classes from the new expansion.

When is Lord of Hatred launching in the Philippines?

The Lord of Hatred expansion officially goes live on April 27/April 28 depending where you are in the world. For those in the Philippines, you can jump in and start playing the new content on April 28 at 8 AM PHT.

As for the rest, here are the key timezones for your reference.

April 27, 2026

• Irvine — 4:00 PM PDT

• Austin — 6:00 PM CDT

• New York — 7:00 PM EDT

• Sao Paulo — 8:00 PM BRT

April 28, 2026

• London — 12:00 AM BST

• Berlin — 1:00 AM CEST

• Istanbul — 2:00 AM TRT

• Shanghai — 7:00 AM CST

• Seoul — 8:00 AM KST

• Philippines — 8:00 AM PHT

• Sydney — 9:00 AM AEST

• Auckland — 11:00 AM NZST

Diablo IV’s second expansion is significant as it concludes the major story that surrounds Mephisto, one of the Prime Evils and the older brother of Diablo. Lilith may be the main baddie in the base game, but the focus eventually shifted to Mephisto at the end and further continued that story point through Vessel of Hate and now Lord of Hatred.

This is going to be a major point for the action RPG as the new expansion and its two new classes (Paladin and Warlock) isn’t the only thing coming when the expansion drops as major skill tree overhauls for all classes will go live as well as other major changes to endgame are planned at launch.

About the Author - Carlos Hernandez

Carlos Hernandez is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Too Much Gaming, where he writes about video games, reviews, and industry news. A lifelong gamer, he would do anything to experience Final Fantasy Tactics for the first time again and has a love/hate relationship with games that require hunting for new gear to improve your character.

Housemarque is a special studio in Finland that I’ve been a fan of for years due to their titles Resogun, Alienation, and most recently, Returnal. Their latest effort, Saros, stems from their previous work, as this is an action bullet hell game with a hint of roguelike elements that kept me glued to the screen and laser-focused at dodging and weaving through all the chaos. It’s a game that felt like a culmination of what they’ve learned from Returnal, as they found what I think is a proper balance of challenge, accessibility, and showcasing why they are one of the top studios that can deliver a bullet hell experience like no other in 2026.

You play as Arjun, a Soltari enforcer and crewmember of the Echelon IV. His crew was tasked to reconnect with prior Echelon crews who’ve ventured to the planet Carcosa in hopes of making it habitable for humanity, but have now gone silent. This game didn’t waste any time, as Arjun is immediately met with hostility, both from machines and beast-like monstrosities. You eventually experience your first death, and for some reason Arjun is brought back to life in their base of operations called The Passage.

It’s mystery after mystery as you explore the rest of the planet and make contact with other members of previous crews, but you’ll start to realize that the planet’s sun is affecting people, and time passes differently, especially after your death. The game explores Arjun’s personal demons with other characters, but they’re kind of an afterthought and come off more like footnotes than actual character development that grows and helps the plot move forward.

No one besides Arjun and Nitya had any bearing or entry points for me to care to discover more about them. Mostly, the characters are a means to an end, as they’re apparently here to show you how this world affects humans, making this the weakest element in Saros, as towards the end I was left confused but not entirely frustrated by its story beats; all that I wanted was to overcome whatever the game threw at me, as it’s fun to move and shoot in this game.

It's a blink-and-you'll-miss-it situation with the side characters. There’s more dialogue and interactions than previous Housemarque games. From initial interactions, I’ll uncover something new or unique about a character, but it soon devolves to repetition that gradually disincentives me to talk to them any further. By the end of it all, at least three characters matter, and there’s really no true antagonist in the game, as it’s you VS the world, really.

Actor Rahul Kohli portrays Arjun and does a decent job, but he can only do so much with source material that struggles to go anywhere cohesive and meaningful. The CG cutscenes in the game are visually striking and greatly show the bleak and surreal situation they are in.

You can get more context about the game’s lore through various audio logs and text, and it’s easier to digest when compared to the narrative in Returnal, but honestly, I'm all about the gameplay with Housemarque, and they did a solid job with this title.

Mastering the Bullet Ballet

The moment you are given full control of Arjun, everything feels natural after the first encounter. The controls are tight and easy to understand, and how you attack and defend is more than just aiming, shooting or dodging.

Just like in Returnal, the alternate fire and your power attack are attached to one trigger, once again utilizing the sensitivity of the DualSense controller - slightly pressing the trigger lets you fire your gun’s alternate fire, while fully pressing it allows you to do one of the four available power moves.

For Returnal players, the first hours feel nostalgic and familiar, but then you’ll realize the implementation of a shield to block specific projectiles changes the game completely. You feel more in control of the fight, as you have a shield that absorbs certain projectiles. You won’t feel as lost when a rain of balls are slowly going towards you. Thanks to the shield mechanic, you clearly see a path forward. It’s no longer intimidating as the bullets in front of you paint a picture as to how one should engage.

You’ll get the full picture once you encounter your first boss, as Saros’ bosses are frantic battles that see you weaving through insane projectiles that never let up. I enjoyed the challenge from each boss, as they felt like puzzles to solve, with each one having multiple phases that add more to the encounter the closer you are to victory. You have to air dash, dodge, shield at certain times, and sometimes parry for a better result, all while shooting at the boss, which is relatively easy as you can hip fire, but also can go for weak points for more damage. 

Each boss is a spectacle, and I wouldn’t be surprised if a good amount of players might struggle with them, as there were a few fights that required multiple tries from me. The last encounter specifically took me the whole night to figure out. It’s such a highlight for the game, as even my wife was genuinely surprised at what was going on the screen, and how I was able to handle all of those moving pieces. 

I love how the game doesn’t feel like a frantic panic to survive despite so many things happening at once. When the chaos begins and attempts to overwhelm you, I instantly know what needs to be done, when to dodge, when to raise my shield, the benefits of grappling, and who to target. 

There’s a decent amount of enemy variety on the many biomes available in the game, and it really pushes me to never stay still. There’s always a new element that forces me to prioritize one after the other, from some enemies shielding others to stationary ones adding projectiles to further pressure the player as they try to get distance from the hordes of enemies. There’s also a system where you can trigger an eclipse that changes the enemy behaviour, essentially making it harder for the player as it also affects pick-ups.

I sort of get why Housemarque wanted to rename bullet hell to bullet ballet, as it does feel like there’s a rhythm to it, a set of steps that need to be done to get a smooth flow to coming out alive with the least amount of resources spent. This is where the musical score shines, as it ramps up at the right time. The sounds accompanying the most chaotic encounters mirror the intensity of the battle in a way that made me think of Doom at certain points.

Death isn’t all that painful

Don’t let the word ‘ballet’ throw you. The challenge is very much there as I had my fair share of deaths that set me back. With Saros having roguelike elements, a death brings you back to the game’s hub, and you have to go through the start of a biome all over again until you reach that area’s boss. Upgrades you pick up are lost, and some of the resources used to permanently upgrade Arjun are also lost.

But each death never felt like it halted my progress. A death still resulted in my progressing in permanently upgrading Arjun, and at times, I’d even move the story forward. It’s not as punishing as true roguelikes, as the inherent randomness each time you revisit each biome feels minimal.

The only essence of it being a roguelike is dying, losing what you picked up, and starting from the beginning, but it’s no longer a steep climb, as Saros’ main hub allows you to teleport to any biome, so don’t expect needing to do three biomes in one go to reach biome 4. You can just do a location at your leisure, beat a boss, and even leave before starting the next section of the game.

This makes each run much shorter than for example runs in Returnal, which get relatively longer the more you progress into the game. On average, a run in Saros takes only around thirty minutes. The longest run I’ve done was over an hour and ten minutes, but that’s only because I did a run when I started in biome 1 and went all the way to biome 3 without ever stopping. The player can control the pace, as you don’t have to commit so much time with the game, and death isn’t so painful.

This is significant, as I missed the point that Returnal can be a visual overload for players, so multiple runs can be tiring. Saros is in the same boat, so it’s great to see that this game can be taken in bite-sizes, if needed.

The randomness of each biome is also to a bare minimum, as you are not left with the possibility of getting an insanely difficult first encounter at the beginning of the run that may leave you feeling like you were cheated out of a run. Each run does go through the same biome layout. What you find in chests and the encounters can differ between each run, but it feels like two to three iterations of a room rather than a random pool of possibilities.

It’s hard to sell this to fans of roguelike games, as I would treat this more of a Doom: The Dark Ages kind of experience where you are pitted against waves of enemies stuck with you. Each run doesn’t mean the chance of creating a unique loadout as much as it feels more like you’re deciding what flavor of gun you’d like to use this time around.

That’s due to the upgrades found to be basic in nature. The Artifacts you find in each run can be as basic as base stat increases to getting healed after every kill. Stronger artifacts have better effects, but also drawbacks like increased recoil. The problem is that it doesn’t change your loadout or playstyle all that much, so I had runs where it felt better to not pick any of the ones with drawbacks. I felt strong and capable without them, and in fact I liked the added challenge.

The only real decision-making lies in what weapon and power I should be using based on the situation I'm in. There’s a variety of weapons with different iterations for each weapon type, and both the power and weapon you find in a run come with a series of perks that can determine how comfortable you are at certain ranges. 

There’s a shotgun with a grenade launcher alternate fire, a crossbow that splits into multiple homing projectiles when it hits its target, a lock-on assault rifle, and a rifle that shoots discs that slowly damage enemies as long as it’s attached to them. There are different variations, and choosing between them is the only hard decision in any given run, as they are all good and fun in their own way.

Accessibility done without sacrifices

In its basic nature, Saros is challenging and fun, but not punishing when compared to Returnal, as that game only had the dodge being the most effective form of defense. What they did to make Saros more flexible for all types of players is adding a system early on where you can tailor your runs by adding modifiers, giving players the ability to make it easier or harder depending on your preferences.

Whenever you add a modifier that makes it easier, you also need to add a modifier that negatively affects your runs. You need to find a balance, but the system does a good job for those that want a toned-down experience or a run where if you blink, it’s over. It’s a system that felt like something one would unlock after finishing the game the first time, but I appreciate it being open early on, as you don’t need to engage with it if the base state of the game fits you.

There’s a lot I had to adjust before starting the game, as by default aim assist and tracking assist were turned on. There’s a lot I had to adjust to cater to how I play, but it clearly shows that Housemarque wanted the player to be able to tailor their experience based on their preferences, and make the onboarding experience as smooth and inviting as possible. I still don’t know why motion blur is on by default in 2026, though.

Carcosa Engulfed by the Sun

The world of Saros is bleak but bright with floating rocks, mysterious organic life, and locations of past civilizations and modern ones left abandoned to an inevitability that humanity couldn’t comprehend. The mystery persists throughout, as the many statues and structures are a haunting enigma. The moments where you can pause and take in the scenery are rare, but when you do get the chance, all you grasp is how lost this world is, and how it seems there’s no sense of hope for anyone looking for it.

It’s a mostly bright visual spectacle with color palettes hardly straying away from orange, yellow, or brown, so if you’re not keen with that color combination, it’s going to be hard for the eyes for some.

Saros has a level design that gives the impression that I'm exploring a series of locations instead of a series of boxed rooms, which is a big upgrade in terms of presentation and level design. There’s tons of platforming that tests your use of the various mechanics, and secrets that’ll require just a bit of effort to unlock that locked gate for an extra chest. You’ll also see obstacles with a series of projectiles blocking your path that’ll call for a bit of finesse to preserve your limited health pool.

It’s great exploring side sections the first time, but it loses its appeal at the latter half after multiple runs in the same biomes, as again, the artifacts aren't as impactful as I would have hoped in terms of your run’s overall loadout. 

Visual detail and technical performance is rock-solid even on a base PS5 (can’t comment on PS5 Pro), with it hitting a consistent 60 fps. I find it unusual to not have the option of higher visual fidelity versus a flat 60 fps, the common visual option most games offer on the PS5. I didn’t experience any issues technically as there was no crash or even any noticeable fps drops, which is impressive for this particular bullet hell game, as I'm not exaggerating as to the amount of simultaneous elements moving all at once. 

Housemarque has delivered one of the best-feeling action games of 2026. Saros is an absolute blast to play. The gameplay loop is tight, challenging, and spectacular in all the right moments. It's not the deep roguelite its structure implies, isn’t as hardcore as its previous title, and the story won't stick with you, but when the “bullet ballet” clicks, there’s nothing like it, and you’ll be left hoping other studios deliver similar experiences.

Verdict: 4 / 5 (Fantastic)

PROS

• Boss fights are spectacular, and feel like multi-phase puzzles

• Bite-sized runs and biome teleportation make it far more accessible and less punishing than Returnal

• Robust accessibility options and modifier system available from the start

• Tight, responsive controls, enjoyable but challenging gameplay, with the shield mechanic being the star

CONS

• Narrative outside of Arjun and Nitya is largely forgettable, leaving most characters as a backdrop

• Roguelite elements are too bare-bones to satisfy genre fans as there’s limited build variety and minimal run randomness

• Artifacts you pick up rarely change playstyle in any meaningful way

What I’ve Played 

• Took me 16 hours to finish the game

• Spent over 20 hours with most of Arjun’s upgrades unlocked

• Beat all bosses and tried every weapon iteration

*This review is based on a PS5 review copy

About the Author - Carlos Hernandez

Carlos Hernandez is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Too Much Gaming, where he writes about video games, reviews, and industry news. A lifelong gamer, he would do anything to experience Final Fantasy Tactics for the first time again and has a love/hate relationship with games that require hunting for new gear to improve your character.

Microsoft has again changed the price for PC Game Pass, but this time it's a reduction, as it's now PHP 225 ($13.99)/month, down from PHP 320 ($16.49)/month.

New Xbox CEO Asha Sharma expressed that the cost to subscribe to PC Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is "too expensive for too many players." The drawback of the price reduction? No more future Call of Duty titles available on day one for subscribers.

A reasonable trade, as most subscribers don't generally keep their subscriptions up for just one game, let alone one released yearly.

In October 2025, PC Game Pass prices went up significantly overnight, jumping from PHP 175/month to PHP 320/month — a steep increase for those in the Philippines. With it now down to PHP 225/month, the service feels like a more viable option for Filipinos who love to explore and play multiple games.

Does PC Game Pass fit the Philippine market?

It's hard to tell if Filipinos will embrace PC Game Pass, as those who do explore other games are mostly attached to Steam and prefer owning them. At PHP 320/month, it still felt a bit tight despite me being the right fit for the service, as I'm the kind of guy who loves playing a wide variety of games. But for the majority that tends to stick to one game, in a region that's heavily mobile-focused and loves free-to-play titles, even at a reduced price of PHP 225 is still not a no-brainer.

The price decrease does give it a decent argument, though, thanks to its current library. Day-one titles are still a thing for PC Game Pass subscribers, and you have access to most of Xbox's first-party catalog. The service was just recently updated with Hades 2, Replaced, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, Ansolum, and other bangers in their own right.

There's also the Bethesda lineup and the Blizzard lineup to consider as most of their franchises are available on the service, even the newer titles. Even 2025's Game of the Year winner Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 remains available across all versions of the service.

Microsoft says it continues to refine the service, and this is a good step forward under the new CEO's leadership. If they're willing to lower the cost by removing features like Call of Duty on day one, dropping Fortnite Crew from Xbox Game Pass Ultimate could be another option, though that hasn't been announced and it remains part of the Ultimate package for now.

How do I Sign up for PC Game Pass in the Philippines?

The process is actually more streamlined and easier than when it was first added in our region years ago. Here’s an updated version of our sign up guide and suggestions of what games to download first.

About the Author - Carlos Hernandez

Carlos Hernandez is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Too Much Gaming, where he writes about video games, reviews, and industry news. A lifelong gamer, he would do anything to experience Final Fantasy Tactics for the first time again and has a love/hate relationship with games that require hunting for new gear to improve your character.

Bungie has released their extraction shooter Marathon’s first major update for season 1 that’s meant to shake up the meta and give a fresh spin on the game after being out for over a month. Based on player feedback, nerfs and buffs were implemented, alongside improvements to player onboarding and UI. There’s also a new event that entices players to play nice.

The mid-season update can be read here as it’s a long list of changes, but here are the highlights.

Marathon Update 1.0.6 Highlights

C.A.R.R.I. Event Now Live

The first event for the game is live and it’s generally meant for players to help other Runners to complete their objectives when grouped, and exfiling together as solo players. Yes, if you cooperate to leave together, you get rewarded.

The C.A.R.R.I. event will last until the rest of the season as each exfil can reward you with CyberAcme Commendations, a new material that lets you buy unique items from the new section of the CyberAcmen armory. It’s another batch of gear to buy, but the interesting one here is that you can use this new currency to buy items that increase faction experience for each of the other factions, giving players another opportunity to speed up their progress on a specific faction.

Solo Progress might be easier and more friendly

I don’t expect Arc Raiders levels of cooperation with the new event, but there might be more VOIP usage in solo after this patch as players can now use the new Mercy Kit item that allows players to revive downed enemy runners.

The patch also increased faction reputation gains while playing solo, as it was slower to progress compared to playing with a team. Lastly, they also included a cheap self-revive kit that can be found in raids, which again gives another element to stay alive in case AI takes you down when playing free kits or a cheaper kit.

New Player Experience Changes

When players start playing the game for the first time, the first map Perimeter will have its beginner version last until Seasonal Level 12, allowing solos to not encounter players until season level 12. They also added five new contracts (quests) that will only be available in Perimeter (beginner) for new and existing players below level 12 to help understand the game’s systems more.

UI has been updated as well as icons for Implants, Weapon Chips, and more have been changed to hopefully make it easier to distinguish what it is at first glance. We’ll have to see if that will be the case after a few games.

Hopefully this helps as this is one of the biggest pain points for a game this punishing. If you are new and starting out, here’s my beginner’s guide that will hopefully make things a bit easier for you.

Thermals gutted, Snipers, Biotoxic Disinjector, and bully SMG Nerfed

This is the spicy section of the update as the most performing weapons have been adjusted. Bully SMG is essentially less reliable at hitting targets as before, which is reasonable considering that this is the go-to weapon for even highly geared players in Cryo. It’s a fantastic gun and it being less accurate gives other guns a chance to look viable. Expect the Copperhead RF and BRRT SMG to make the rounds in raids as these weapons are hardly used due to the Bully existing.

Snipers are heavily nerfed for this patch. For one, rare thermal attachments are removed from the game entirely, making thermals rare for snipers and other guns as I believe the purple mods with thermals are left. The real kicker is that the Longshot’s rate of fire was nerfed from 90 RPM to 60 RPM, rightfully so as getting hit by the sniper felt like I was getting hit by a single-shot rifle with good rate of fire. They also lessened the accuracy from repeated shots, so don’t expect easy kills now with this rifle. Outland also received a rate of fire nerf from 43 RPM to 39 RPM.

The change in snipers alone will change the meta considerably, especially in Dire Marsh.

Lastly, the Biotoxic Disinjector, the red weapon you get after beating the boss in CryoArchive, received another wave of nerfs across the board. The grenades it spits out isn’t as effective, and these grenades can now damage the player with the weapon.

Railguns Improved

Across the board all railguns have been improved as we hardly see them being used, and one of the big reasons is that charging the weapon at full will automatically shoot the charged shot, so it was difficult to time the shot and make it connect. Now, we can hold it indefinitely.

The VOO Zeus RG and Ares RG have been buffed with increased base magazine sizes, improved charge times and more. A good change considering it’s more used to sell than use due to its value cost.

Recon Buffs Could Make the Shell Meta

The changes to the Recon Shell are live in this update and essentially makes it a true wall-hack of a Shell. The Recon’s Echo Pulse can now distinguish which are UESC or enemy players, and Tracker Drones are said to be more reliable now when used.

We’ll see, but clearly knowing if there’s an enemy player with Echo Pulse is a game changer in terms of team compositions and possible solo, as solo runs are mostly infested with Assassins staying in the shadows.

11 New Deluxe (Blue Rarity) Unique Weapons Added

This is one of the most exciting additions to the patch as Perimeter and Dire Marsh now have 11 new rare weapon variations. I’m still not entirely sure what these uniques are, but these types of weapons are essentially weapons with a mod that can’t be removed from the weapon but makes it stand out from the standard versions of that weapon type.

There’s more to the new patch, but these are the biggest changes that will likely shake up the game for all players.

Want my full thoughts on Marathon after over 100 hours? Here’s my review.

About the Author - Carlos Hernandez

Carlos Hernandez is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Too Much Gaming, where he writes about video games, reviews, and industry news. A lifelong gamer, he would do anything to experience Final Fantasy Tactics for the first time again and has a love/hate relationship with games that require hunting for new gear to improve your character.

SEGA announced that the next character to be released in the Character Pack for Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles 2 will be Shinobu Kocho (Infinity Castle), as she will be available starting April 17.

Shinobu will be the sixth DLC character to be released in the seven-character pack, as the last one to complete the bundle has yet to be announced. Kaigaku was the first to be released last year on October 30. It was then followed by Zenitsu Agatsuma (Infinity Castle) on December 2, Akaza (Infinity Castle) on December 19, Tanjiro Kamado (Infinity Castle) on February 13, Giyu Tomioka (Infinity Castle) on March 11, and now Shinobu.

These are considered the strongest forms of these characters as the Infinity Castle arc is the last for the series, and in the manga, concluding Tanjiro's whole journey and the battle between the Demon Slayer Corps and father of all demons Muzan.

Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles 2 is an action arena fighting game that launched on August 5, 2025, for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam.

About the Author - Carlos Hernandez

Carlos Hernandez is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Too Much Gaming, where he writes about video games, reviews, and industry news. A lifelong gamer, he would do anything to experience Final Fantasy Tactics for the first time again and has a love/hate relationship with games that require hunting for new gear to improve your character.

Developer 4A Games and publisher Deep Silver are partnering with Microsoft for an Xbox First Look online event, revealing the fourth mainline entry in the post-apocalyptic Metro series. It's called Metro 2039.

It's been seven years since Metro: Exodus, a game that still holds up remarkably well and remains one of the series' most-recommended titles for fans of single-player first-person shooters.

An Xbox exclusive seems unlikely, but Metro 2039 and past titles in the series heading to Game Pass wouldn't be surprising.

About the Author - Carlos Hernandez

Carlos Hernandez is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Too Much Gaming, where he writes about video games, reviews, and industry news. A lifelong gamer, he would do anything to experience Final Fantasy Tactics for the first time again and has a love/hate relationship with games that require hunting for new gear to improve your character.

ZeniMax Studios has been working on The Elder Scrolls Online for over 12 years. It's an MMORPG I've jumped in and out of at various points during its life cycle, and with the game's recent content plan shift in 2026, I decided to return with a fresh account on my PS5 - a new character and a new mindset about what I was hoping to get out of it, and if ESO is worth playing in 2026.

I first played the game on Steam and have around three characters maxed out. I've logged over 200 hours, which isn't much considering how long the game has been around, but enough to experience what's there once you hit the level cap. I've never tackled the game's more challenging content like Trials, but I've completed the veteran versions of each dungeon and spent time in the game's PVP offerings.

With that out of the way, it's safe to say I'm fairly familiar with ESO to some extent, and for the most part, I enjoyed my time with the game. It just naturally fell out of my usual rotation, and that's not entirely the game's fault. I'm just someone who moves between a lot of different games. But I noticed something the last time I revisited it: I was treating it as an MMO fix.

I have a history with MMORPGs thanks to World of Warcraft, Final Fantasy XIV, and Guild Wars 2. Naturally, I treated ESO as a game that would satisfy my itch for chasing the best gear, building the perfect loadout, specializing in a role, then rushing to the endgame to tackle the toughest content.

Only now have I realized that's not ESO's strongest element at all. What this game does best is let you treat it like a single-player Elder Scrolls open world experience, so I focused on just that.

Focused on my adventure in Tamriel

When PlayStation Plus offered the Gold Collection in March, I took it as an opportunity to approach the game through a completely different lens. I jumped in as a Necromancer with little to no advance reading, and set off to explore Tamriel as a High Elf.

What stood out in the first few hours was how populated the game still feels, despite not offering cross-play support. Granted, this was during the height of the PS Plus promotion, so an influx of new players made sense, but there were also veteran players roaming major cities, dueling each other, playing instruments, or just passing through on their way to whatever they had planned for the day.

Approaching it more like an open world game, I naturally kept to myself, but the presence of these players going about their business still gave the PlayStation community a sense of life, even during my usual play hours as someone based in the Philippines, where most of this MMO's player base skews toward US time zones. The main chunk of the game's population also lies on PC, mind you.

The Main Adventure (Week 1)

I ventured off and focused on my first major zone and the game's base main story, a story I've completed multiple times before, so I mostly skipped the dialogue.

As I progressed, I noticed leveling was remarkably easy thanks to a 100% experience bonus from an ongoing in-game event. So easy, in fact, that the beginner zone, the first major base zone, and the main story were all I needed to climb to the level cap (level 50) within a week. And that was at my own pace, as ESO is currently my wind-down game before bed, so there was no rushing involved.

I made use of experience scrolls from rewards and ran daily randomized dungeons for the additional boost, which gave me more time to appreciate my class' abilities. I settled into a fun loadout of nuking enemies with Necromancer spells before finishing off stragglers with my skeletal mage and staff. I had a plan for this class and it was going pretty smoothly.

I was focused on the mage aspect of the class, but I can see the potential in a stamina-based approach, which I'm eager to work toward in the future. That's one of the beauties of ESO: a class isn't locked into a role, it provides a specific flavor or playstyle. I can work towards being a DPS, healer, tank, or a mix of all three.

The game also now has subclassing, which lets you swap core skill lines with those from other classes. I started dabbling in this toward the second week and I'm enjoying the flexibility.

Level 50 is really just the start

Once week two began, I started to see a routine building up. At max level, there's still a handful of zones filled with their own multi-chained storylines and rewards that entice players to complete the area. Getting my gear to CP 160 (the max gear score in ESO) and earning more skill points to add more flexibility to my character were just two of the goals I had after hitting level 50. At this point, I had spent over 30 hours on the game with this new character, and I still had a laundry list of things to work on.

I then started exploring Summerset, one of the game's expansions, which came with its own set of rewards. I unlocked the Psijic Order skill line and found that each expansion has its own daily quests with enticing rewards. The next 20 hours were spent focused on this single expansion zone while keeping up with the daily routines I had built for myself. Expansions are massive in scale, and to think I still have a couple more accessible to me feels daunting.

The Live Service Side of Things

Regardless of how I was treating it as an open world game, it's hard to avoid the live service features designed to keep players logging in. The Jubilee event rewarded me with a cake tool that earns 300 Trade Bars each day, a valuable currency for purchasing cosmetics. On top of that, there's a daily dungeon bonus for queuing with random players, daily mount upgrades that improve speed, stamina, and inventory space, and Tamriel Tomes, one of the game's newer reward systems that functions like a battle pass, where simply logging in earns you points toward it.

I'm not faulting these systems for existing, but a routine formed quickly, one where skipping them feels like leaving experience and gold on the table. Both still matter past level 50, as experience earns you Champion Points for further character progression, and gold fuels just about everything else.

At this point, I was slowly failing to treat it as just an open world game. That's just how I am, but none of this is required to enjoy ESO as a single-player experience. The amount of content and quests available stands entirely on its own.

Even those looking for solo challenges outside of group content are well served. Daily quests in expansions send you after world bosses, and they can be genuinely tough alone, as each one has a set of mechanics that force you to adapt on the fly. I had one boss that took me 20 minutes to beat. My experience and gear were clearly showing, but I came out the other side having completed the quest. Tough and rewarding in equal measure.

The bigger surprise came a few minutes later. After finishing, I stuck around to sort through my inventory. The same boss respawned quickly, and while I left it alone, another player came along and went in solo, taking the boss down in under two minutes. An eye-opener. With enough time invested, I could build my character to be just as capable.

The Elder Scrolls Online is a massive Open World Game

As I write this, I'm over 60 hours in and I don't see myself stopping anytime soon. I've only explored four zones (one of which is an expansion) and that honestly feels like about 10% of what the game has to offer. It's a big game, one that keeps expanding the list of things I can do on any given day.

Every new expansion I move into means another set of daily quests, new world bosses, and gear and encounters worth testing myself against. The stories are typical Elder Scrolls fare (subjective by nature), but ESO is a genuine treasure trove of storylines. I've encountered characters and quests worth lingering over, and plenty more that earned the skip button.

My first two weeks put me in a good position to really feel how ZeniMax will be delivering new content through their seasonal plan. Season Zero is live, but so far I've only experienced the new battle pass system. I'll be sharing my thoughts on that in the coming days. The new Night Market zone goes live on April 29 and runs until June 17, and I'll be following up on how it feels as a newer player once it does.

It's impressive what ZeniMax has built here. I understand now why this game has stayed active for over a decade. It's not a groundbreaking experience that redefines the MMO genre, but it leans hard into its strengths, as the developers continue to balance solo play, MMO-style content, and PVP in a way that few games manage. And I haven't even touched PVP yet.

Despite having the Gold Road Collection, I only touched the Summerset expansion. A player with just the base game will have a similar experience. Had I not had the collection, I would likely have gone to the Morrowind expansion, which is now part of the base game anyway, plus Orsinium, Thieves Guild, Dark Brotherhood, and Imperial City, previous paid DLCs now just added to the main game for all players.

It's a monster of a game with a lot to offer, and easily the best recent Elder Scrolls experience available while we wait for the next mainline entry from Bethesda. That wait will take years based on how long they are taking in creating The Elder Scrolls 6, but that's fine. We have ESO.

About the Author - Carlos Hernandez

Carlos Hernandez is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Too Much Gaming, where he writes about video games, reviews, and industry news. A lifelong gamer, he would do anything to experience Final Fantasy Tactics for the first time again and has a love/hate relationship with games that require hunting for new gear to improve your character.

Bungie has rolled out another round of maintenance for their extraction shooter Marathon, this time with update 1.0.5.3, which mostly addresses knife dominance in close quarters and the effectiveness of Bubble Shields.

Beyond wider concerns like cheating in Ranked, melee damage has been a major talking point in the community, as no one feels safe when a player closes in with a knife, even without gear that boosts its damage. Blue shields can still be taken out with a couple of hits, and purple shields aren't all that safe if caught off guard.

This led players to run triple Assassin teams, as I've experienced firsthand these groups roaming buildings with narrow corridors, going stealth or smoking the area, then slicing through anyone who gets too close. A shotgun or keeping your distance easily counters these tactics, but the knife hits hard enough that it feels like a genuine close-quarters option rather than a last resort. Thankfully, this change only affects damage to other players. Melee remains to be a solid choice to shred most UESC bots quietly.

The other major change targets the Bubble Shield, one of the best tools for defensive and offensive engagements alike. This protective dome is so effective it makes any shotgun more lethal than it should be, even melee benefits from it, and when a team downs a player, they can secure the kill by dropping a Bubble Shield around the downed body to force a 2v3 situation.

The nerf gives it 33% less health, and its rarity has been bumped from blue to purple, making it a more valuable and harder-to-find item going forward.

Decent changes overall. Melee and Bubble Shields aren't gone from the meta from what i’m seeing, they're just less oppressive moving forward.

Here’s the full patch notes.

Marathon Update 1.0.5.3

Combat

Knife

• Reduced the maximum lunge distance by ~10% and trimmed down the targeting angle by ~20%.

Bubble Shield

• Increased rarity from Deluxe (blue) to Superior (purple)

• Reduced bubble HP by 33%

• Removed vulnerability to Volt Weapon damage

• Increased resistance to UESC damage by 17%

Runners

Stats

• Melee Damage

  • Reduced bonus damage provided by the Melee Damage stat from a maximum of 100% to a maximum of 50% against enemy Runners. Damage against non-Runner targets is unchanged.

  • DEVELOPER NOTE: Melee in Marathon is intended to be a high-risk but potent method to contest close-quarters weapons like shotguns and submachine guns. However, the breakpoints for quick melee kills show up too early in the Melee Damage stat progression, which means additional investment into a build isn't required to get the maximum effective output. We don't want to compromise on having melee feel powerful, but believe that getting to that maximum output should be the result of meaningful buildcrafting and upgrade progression. Our goal for this change and the knife lunge changes above are that the knife remains a powerful backup tool, but requires more thoughtful play - both in and out of run - to be most effective.

Thief

• Fixed additional Grapple-related slide cancel movement exploits.

Vault and Armory

• Fixed an issue causing the Vault and Armory to sometimes appear to be empty.

• Fixed an issue causing the Armory item refreshes and free daily items to not appear consistently.

Contracts

Traxus

• Removed “in a single run” condition from Traxus Return On Investment 4/5.

Zones

Cryo Archive

• Fixed an issue that would cause an exfil countdown to reset if the 1st crew member to enter left the circle, even if the other crew members were in the circle.

New to Marathon? We have a beginner’s guide that will hopefully ease your time with the game’s initial hours. We also have a full review as I gave it a 3.5/5 after spending over 100 hours with the game since launch.

About the Author - Carlos Hernandez

Carlos Hernandez is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Too Much Gaming, where he writes about video games, reviews, and industry news. A lifelong gamer, he would do anything to experience Final Fantasy Tactics for the first time again and has a love/hate relationship with games that require hunting for new gear to improve your character.

I’ve spent over 100 hours on Marathon, Bungie’s newest game since Destiny 2, and they delivered an extraction shooter that is addicting despite its high risk concept. Blink and your run is over, but win and you’ll feel like you’re at the top of the world. It’s hard to get into,  but once you get over Marathon’s initial hump, you’ll appreciate its satisfying gunplay, impressive level design, and a gameplay loop that keeps me going for more.

The gameplay loop is the usual extraction shooter concept, as you load in solo or with a team with a set loadout, complete a certain task, loot valuable items, and extract alive. Die in any way and you lose everything you brought with you.

Durandal is watching

Players take on the role of Runners, individuals that work for various companies that fuel their ability to throw their subconscious into disposable bodies called Shells to infiltrate key locations in Tau Ceti IV, a planet that was in the process of being the next habitable home for humanity. It’s all about gaining resources, and more importantly figuring out what happened, as Earth has lost contact with the settlers already in Tau Ceti, as well as to Marathon, the gigantic colony ship that ferried over 24,000 humans to the new planet. 

What happened is better known to those who played the original Marathon trilogy of games (also developed by Bungie), as this extraction shooter is set 100 years afterwards. For those unfamiliar, it’s a mystery tucked away within audio logs and reports unlocked when doing specific challenges and quests in this new game.

I wanted to know more about the Marathon ship, the antagonist AI Durandal, and the security officer player character from the original trilogy. It’s a sad way to re-introduce this fleshed-out world, as I dove in with zero knowledge about the series, but realized early on how interesting Marathon’s backstory really is, making me wish that a remake of the original game was in the cards.

Marathon’s rich story is paired with an art style that’s loud and immediately striking, but not always in a good way. Environments and characters feel like they’ve been splashed with paint, highlighting clashing colors and chaotic visuals that can be overwhelming at first. It’s the kind of presentation players will either love or completely hate.

I lean toward the latter. While it gives Marathon a strong identity, it also adds unnecessary friction to a genre that’s already hard to get into. That said, there are standout elements, as the faction designs and the distinct look of each Shell help anchor the chaos and give the game some clarity in places where it matters.

The art is subjective, as the real struggle in Marathon is the player’s onboarding. The initial Server Slam was my first taste of the game. And it was clear on my first day that there’s a lot of friction players will have to endure to get to the good stuff.

The New Player Experience will be a Struggle

The UI and inventory system is Marathon’s weakest element, as it can be intimidating at first glance to know what is valuable to pick up and bring back home. For example, when you find an Implant (an item that increases your Runner’s stats),  you’ll have to hover on the item to understand what it does. For a beginner, that’s too much information to take in, especially when you find a new item during a run with the possibility of a player ready to ambush your team. 

Before a match, going through the management system and factions took a bit of getting used to as well, from all the weapon attachments, the understanding of salvage items, consumables, to what Cores can do for each Shell. It’s overwhelming, making the first hours of Marathon a hard sell to those not familiar with the Escape from Tarkov journey. This is also not my first extraction shooter, so if I felt annoyed by navigating its systems, what more for someone completely new to this type of game?

Server Slam was a blessing, as these pain points were left behind that weekend, and on launch day, I knew what to expect. With experience under my belt, my focus was no longer spent absorbing everything about the game but just playing it, and I was having a blast.

Bungie still delivers top-notch shooting

I’m a big fan of Bungie’s gunplay. From Halo to Destiny, it always felt snappy and satisfying. I didn’t simply play Destiny 2 for years just for the loot grind, it’s also because it was just fun to shoot things in a Bungie game, and that’s still the case in Marathon.

Marathon comes with a solid roster of guns covering short-, mid-, to long-range encounters. The WSTR shotgun feels powerful and is something you can trust in narrow passages, and the LMGs in the game feel weighted but pack a punch to hold a line through their built-in shields and bigger ammo counts. Sniper rifles feel great to shoot (though a bit overtuned), and most of the rifles and guns have distinct properties and rate of fire to stand out. There’s only a handful that fall on the tail-end in terms of effectiveness, but the spread of viable weapons add value to the looting of the game, as it’s exciting to find a Longshot sniper rifle or any shotgun in this game. 

With Marathon being an extraction shooter, the tension is at an all-time high as gun fights feel simultaneously arcade-y and tactical. Players with better gear have an advantage, but lower-geared players with better positioning can come up at the top. The heat system also grounds player movement, as any movement action like jumping, sliding, or using Runner skills will increase your Heat meter. When it maxes out, you are a sitting duck, as all you can do is mostly walk. This vulnerability gives room for rewarding good decision-making and better planning. Bungie then added a class system to provide another layer to the gunplay, as players can pick Shells that have a set of skills and passives that cover a specific role.

Team play and understanding the environment are also key, and the game’s audio design has done a fantastic job at allowing players to naturally react based on sound alone. I can tell aurally if a player triggered an air drop event, or if someone tried to enter the tox room, a special loot room filled with toxic gas that slowly eats away at your health. I know if a player is below me, walking in water, and what kind of Shell they are using due to the unique sounds of their skills. It’s not in the same audio design quality as Hunt Showdown, but it’s definitely close, as I feel crippled without proper earphones.

The Solo and team play experience

Marathon comes with the ability to play with a team of three, a team of two, or solo. In teams, firefights can end in an instant or drag on with proper communication. I've played with friends and it's the best way to experience the game, as Marathon feels more tuned for team engagements. Don't expect much from random players, as like any game that matches you with people you don't know, the experience can be painful as they hardly coordinate or work with you. It can be exceptionally hard in the Asia or Oceanic regions due to the language barrier.

For solo, it’s more of a survival horror game than anything.

When I was playing alone, the starting days felt tame. You could tell when someone was around, as we have players figuring things out on their own terms. But as the weeks go by we now have experienced solo players just creeping about, avoiding unnecessary noise, and preparing ambushes for incoming players. There are games where I barely hear anything out of the ordinary, and when I find someone it feels like we were both startled by seeing each other. 

It’s a tense experience, as it should be. This is how most of the solo experience tends to be in extraction shooters. Going in solo matches you with other solo players, but those who want to challenge themselves can go with the Rook Shell, where they come in during the tail-end of a match filled with teams, as they are tasked to extract with any goodies, and have a set loadout to fight against 3-man teams still alive in the raid. Both are fantastic experiences, but solo players won’t get the full Marathon experience, as you can’t jump into the endgame map Cryo Archive alone, as you need to go in with friends or a group of random players.

As much as it sounds punishing insofar as dying means losing all current equipment, Marathon is actually quite forgiving due to the Faction quests and their rewards. Progressing through the six available factions will provide players with upgrades like higher overall heat capacity, more stash space, the ability to buy better shields, or access to free items and sponsored kits for a reasonable price. The higher I get in each faction, the more accessible the better loadouts become. 

Blue shields and bigger backpacks become common for me as the weeks go by, and with players also progressing and having access to better items, the power level naturally increases as the days go by, which is clear and evident as the game ages.

There’s even a barter system that allows players to get ammo, weapons, or specific guns by trading certain items you commonly find in any map. Progressing through Factions makes me feel like losing gear isn’t so painful anymore, as I always have alternatives, and multiple losses are mostly covered by one big win.

Bungie Created a Solid Shooter for A Small Audience

With Destiny 2 at an all-time low, most of Bungie’s attention went to Marathon, another sci-fi title that will barely attract a solid casual audience, but will definitely turn the heads of the masochist, players that get the thrill of the fight where adrenaline goes on an all-time high. This game will make you shake, give you sweaty hands, and some might say it can be a horror game at certain moments. 

As much as people are wondering why Bungie went for a niche subgenre, one thing for sure is that they nailed why it’s now loved by many.

Masters in Map Design

Marathon’s difficulty gave me the impression that it can be treated as a roguelike of sorts. It launched with four maps, and each one feels relatively harder than the next, as if I'm going through a challenging mountain climb. Each map feels good to jump into and play even after spending hours on each one. Perimeter is the first and most straightforward of the bunch, while Dire Marsh is more complex, with fog elements and open spaces that give snipers and other long-range weapons a place to shine, while providing narrow spaces to allow other weapons to flourish.

The third is Outpost, a smaller but condensed map that revolves around teams working towards getting access to the Pinwheel, the structure at the middle of the map that has multiple entry points with each entrance meeting at the center. It’s an intense race to who will get inside and escape with all the goodies.

The endgame is Cryo Archive, the last available map that’s not on Tau Ceti, but on the Marathon ship itself. It’s only available on weekends and requires a minimum gear value to enter, forcing players to bring their best gear for an attempt at earning the game’s top gear.

This is the most demanding and difficult map I have ever experienced from Bungie. I’ve played and overcome many of Destiny 2’s biggest and most challenging raids that required 6 players to coordinate in order to complete a series of encounters. Cryo Archive is more difficult than any of those, as this is multiple teams going in with their best gear, all with different objectives, working towards opening any of the seven locked vaults in the map. Each of these vaults has unique mechanics and requirements to unlock. They need a coordinated team, and none of them are easy. You then top that off with other teams coming in to mostly shoot on sight.

It’s exhilarating and something Bungie should be proud of, as the feeling I had when going through a run, unlocking vault puzzles, all the while hearing a team nearby ready to engage us gets my heart racing every time.

I have only scratched the surface of what Cryo Archive has in store for me, as I’ve only extracted safely a few times and have only looked inside one vault (didn’t open it, killed the team that did). There’s even a boss encounter at the final vault that I have yet to complete. 

Cryo Archive is exceptional in terms of being the endgame, as it’s the final leg in the game for now. It’s an experience that requires planning and preparation before making each attempt. I compare the map to someone literally climbing a mountain. You can’t just go and do it. You need to prepare, gather your friends, and get enough resources to see if you can make it to the top. Some will make it there faster than others, but the end goal is clear.

Despite its complexity and difficulty, I'm not a fan of it being only available at certain times, as I believe players shouldn’t navigate their life around a game’s schedule. As of this writing, Cryo Archive will be available on Thursdays to Sundays, while the rest of the days, the game’s Ranked mode will be active in its absence. I understand that people need time to gather resources, and that the game’s item economy will be overbloated faster, but time is gold, and not everyone can play on the weekends. That’s just the fact, and it’s yet another pain point that narrows Marathon’s audience to specific players. 

Despite the many losses and frustrations, I have come to appreciate what Bungie has delivered in Marathon. It launched with solid performance across the board, with very little issues that would frustrate its player base. I’m playing on the PC and running the game on an old system running an old RTX 2060, but it runs and looks smooth at 60 frames per second, making it a game accessible for PC owners that don’t have top-end specs.

Devs are reacting rather quickly by patching exploits and issues that could sour the ever-growing meta of the game, and I find myself itching to jump to get myself ready for yet another run at Cryo.

A Fantastic Shooter that asks a lot from players

Despite all of my praise, this game is a hard sell, as it’s a game for those who’ve already understood the thrill of extraction shooters. It’s not as overly complicated as Escape from Tarkov, as that remains to be the ultimate hardcore extraction shooter experience, but Marathon isn’t the casual experience seen in Arc Raiders. It sits comfortably in the middle, leaning more toward Tarkov, as it’s one of the more punishing shooters out there.

I commend Bungie for aiming at a specific experience. If you’re into extraction shooters and are coming from one and looking for something different, this fits the bill perfectly. This isn’t a shooter that was watered down, nor does it feel rushed and underbaked. Everything feels polished and ready for consumption. The team knew what kind of game they wanted to make and they stuck with it, absorbed player feedback, and launched with a game capable of capturing a solid player base. As you play more of the game and understand its look and systems, you’ll see the where you need to be and it’s a goal many still cling to reach one day, as the Cryo Archive map has created this ultimate goal that’s worth pursuing.

But I can't stress this enough - this is a game made for a specific kind of player. Players that love the thrill of a gun fight, the challenge of losing it all, and the rewards that come with proper planning and smart decision making, as Marathon delivers a level of tension hardly seen in shooters.

Verdict: 3.5 / 5 (Great)

PROS

• A Satisfying take on the extraction shooter genre

• Snappy gun play and an overall challenging gameplay loop

• One of Bungie’s best map designs

CONS

• Intimidating onboarding for newcomers

• Content like Ranked and Cryo Archives are only available at certain times

• Bold art direction that won't appeal to everyone

What I’ve Played 

• Reached level 70 this season and have explored all three maps extensively

• Have all Factions over level 15, with two maxed out

• Experienced Ranked and have done multiple runs of Cryo Archive in two separate weekends

*This review is based on a Steam review copy provided to the reviewer

About the Author - Carlos Hernandez

Carlos Hernandez is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Too Much Gaming, where he writes about video games, reviews, and industry news. A lifelong gamer, he would do anything to experience Final Fantasy Tactics for the first time again and has a love/hate relationship with games that require hunting for new gear to improve your character.