To level with you from the jump, I’m not sure how any anime kid born in the 90s could possibly approach Sand Land with any real semblance of objectivity. Akira Toriyama’s work defined generations and genres, a singular point of influence so crucial to the definition of taste, to the fabric of nostalgia, that the pitch of “what if you could play a game set in the pages of his art” is immediately, and understandably, disarming. Sand Land, adapted from the manga and anime series of the same name, delivers on that pitch with varying degrees of success, a charmingly clumsy romp with eyes bigger th ..read more

As a long-standing fan of low profile keys, I’ve consistently felt that there just aren’t enough low profile options in the mainstream gaming keyboard market. That might not be an issue any more, however, because I think I may have found my forever keyboard. The ASUS ROG Falchion RX Low Profile, aside from having an unnecessarily long title, is a 65% form factor board with low-profile optical switches and a very unassuming look at first glance. This thing’s hiding some pretty top-notch features though, and manages to do a lot with a little while also looking pretty stunning. Starting at the ..read more

Razer has unveiled the latest in its Viper gaming mouse line with the Viper V3 Pro, an ultralight, wireless symmetrical esports mouse which is available now and comes in either a black or white colourway. The company says it’s designed the Viper V3 Pro in collaboration with world-class esports pros like Zekken, which has resulted in the ultra-lightweight design at just 54g (black version) or 55g (white version), and the development of Razer’s “most precise” optical sensor in the excessively-named Razer Focus Pro 35K Optical Sensor Gen-2. The sensor is geared for more than its 99.8% resolution ..read more

Frequent and fairly reliable Ubisoft leaker, Tom Henderson at Insider Gaming, has once again published new “leaked” information regarding an upcoming Assassin’s Creed title, and one that’s still largely shrouded in mystery – Assassin’s Creed: Codename Hexe. First announced a couple of years ago alongside the still-to-be-released Assassin’s Creed: Codename Red and the Assassin’s Creed Infinity platform, Hexe appeared to be an altogether spookier entry that’s rumoured to take place around the Witch Trials of the 16th century. Now, this new report from Insider Gaming seems to confirm this and mo ..read more

Stellar Blade, the PS5-exclusive action adventure from SHIFT UP and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, is due to launch soon on April 26th and looks to be a fresh and exciting new experience with gorgeous visuals and nail-biting combat. A free demo will be available to download and play starting March 30th at 1AM AEDT, with save progress carrying across to the full game. With launch coming up, we’ve taken the time to go over everything from where to pre-order the game and get the best deal, to what editions of the game will be available, pre-order bonuses, trade deals and more. Chec ..read more

With E3’s demise now signed and sealed, one new in-person gaming show is looking to fill the space left in the June season of gaming – IGN Live. The inaugural event is set to take place in a venue in downtown Los Angeles across a full weekend, this June 7th to June 9th, and will also be broadcast across the world as part of IGN’s fifth year of Summer of Gaming activities. The event will feature the multi-day stage show covering games, movies and shows, interviews, celebrity panels and other fun stuff from the likes of Amazon Games, Netflix, Atari, Bandai Namco, Square Enix and more. There’ll ..read more

Sure, I may regret throwing my last $40 down on a Princess Peach-themed cap from the My Nintendo store with payday still a distant dream, but how could I not. Yes, Nintendo Australia has just added a variety of new Peach-flavoured items to its merch store, all direct from Nintendo TOKYO and exclusive to its own store in Australia, and there are some very nice items available. You’ve got said cap, which is a lovely and understated design that sports Peach’s golden crown embroidered on the front, and a hot pink underbrim that reads “Our princess is on another adventure!” – very g ..read more

Following a drop of some new SNES titles a couple of weeks ago, Nintendo has just added two more games to its library of Nintendo 64 classics. The new games are a pair of very different racing games, with the ultra-fast and futuristic racing of Extreme-G accompanied by the more platformer-like action of Iggy’s Reckin’ Balls. Both games feature split-screen multiplayer so you can get your old friends over and sit around the TV like the good ol’ days. Being N64 titles, these ones are exclusive to subscribers of the more expensive Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership tier membershi ..read more

One of gaming’s greatest mysteries is surely the lack of any single-player DLC for Rockstar’s gargantuan success story, Grand Theft Auto V. After GTA IV received two widely-enjoyed expansions in both The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony, it seemed to make sense that the sequel – and enormous commercial success – would follow suit. Alas, that wasn’t the case, with Rockstar teasing Story Mode DLC for the game all the way back in 2013, but confirming its cancellation a few years later. Eagle-eyed dataminers did eventually unearth evidence of these expansions though, which would se ..read more

Fortnite getting its first Nintendo character in Metroid’s Samus Aran would have been a monumental moment for the game, but it never quite panned out, and now we might know why. In an interview with Game File’s Stephen Totilo, former Epic Games Chief Creative Officer and lead creator on Fortnite, Donald Mustard (who was also behind the excellent Shadow Complex), spoke about the trajectory of the live service megahit, lamented the fall of its live events, and even spoke about the now-public knowledge that Samus nearly made it into the game. That little detail was first revealed in the midst of ..read more