Video games

Video games

This article was originally published on Dec 26, 2017. To pass the time, I've been playing 2016's Doom on the Switch. I tend to lose myself in a game or two every holiday season, but never before has one clicked like this-let alone one that I've previously beaten on another platform. I've come to the inescapable conclusion that Doom is the ultimate holiday game. Let's run down the reasons.

It's certainly true that Strange Jigsaws came out as long ago as August, and it's also very much the case that the game has a blistering "Overwhelmingly Positive" rating on Steam with a remarkable 99 percent of player reviews giving the game a thumbs-up. But somehow, this stunning follow-up to 2024's lovely 20 Small Mazes has not received a single published review, and has gone forgotten in end-of-year lists.

The Pokémon Company seems likely t o reveal the upcoming Generation X games in February on the series' 30th anniversary, but if leakers have anything to say about it, Game Freak might not have much new information to give us by the time that showcase arrives. On December 24, a series of new leaks about the games, allegedly titled , began spreading online.

Revisiting Red Dead Redemption on the Nintendo Switch 2 has been the perfect opportunity to reminisce on everything it does so well. Its open world is barren yet fascinating and rewarding to explore. It has a memorable central cast of rogues and freaks typical of a Rockstar game. John Marston is as captivating as ever, especially after playing the 2018 prequel. Red Dead holds up remarkably well even 15 years later, and remains a benchmark for Rockstar's ascension to the top of the industry.

If there's a single trend that's dominated the last decade of media, it's attempts to harness nostalgia. Disney has endlessly pursued live-action remakes and the glories of old Star Wars adventures, and TV shows like King of the Hill, Scrubs, and Malcolm in the Middle are all getting revivals. Video games are also no strangers to capitalizing on nostalgia, as this year alone has seen well over two dozen remakes or remasters.

Donald Yatomi has been an artist in the videogame industry for a long time, including a lengthy stint at Bend Studio as Art Director where he shipped Days Gone. On his profile, his lists working at Toys For Bob for 20 months. But the really interesting thing is that during his time there he cites working on "call of duty, spyro."

Everybody needs a friend, and that's especially the case in Satisfactory, where it's just you against all of nature and capitalism. Thankfully, the Lizard Doggo is there to keep you company. And even if you prefer your alone time, there's a good reason to keep a pen of Lizard Doggos around. Lizard Doggos are short, friend-sized lizards with dog-like features. They have a physique similar to that of a Beagle, but are scaled and have armor on their back.

There's only so much you can do improve on chess, but you can at least make it a whole lot weirder. That simple fact led to the great Really Bad Chess in 2016, and now, a more recent spin on one of the most-played games in the world is available for free for a short time on the Epic Games Store for mobile. This time, it's an even bigger deviation from its origins, turning chess into a turn-based roguelike strategy game that's just as bizarre as it is captivating.

Alinea Analytics discussed the game in their latest newsletter, revealing that Skate has apparently managed to capture 23+ million players in 2025. That's a decent ollie up from October, when EA announced the game had surpassed 15 million players. At the time, Alinea said that those players had generated around $3 million in revenue. What's more, Alinea is also claiming that Skate is still bringing in 750k+ daily active users.

fans had to wait over a year for their Limited Run Games special edition of Sonic X Shadow Generations . The remaster/excellent pack-in game launched in October of 2024, but with multiple shipment delays, it took 14 months between launch day and the special edition's arrival on fans' doorsteps. Was it worth the wait? Absolutely not. Several fans are reporting that the package's Sonic and Shadow statues are showing up with various defects.

Microsoft has said it's committed to bringing Call of Duty to Nintendo Switch, and it could be coming as soon as next year. Reporter Jez Corden said "the first CoD Switch version is nearly done." He added that the game, whatever it is, will launch "in a few months." In another post, Corden said the release may not be "close" but it's "on the way" for a 2026 release.

"We've successfully brought back the classic era [Tomb Raider 1-6] and now the origin story of Lara Croft to modern Nintendo platforms," said Reese. "We can't announce anything at the moment, but the passionate response to this release is strong encouragement for us to continue exploring those possibilities."

He's staying with Sucker Punch through April 2026 to help with the transition efforts, and after that he said he plans to travel. He's also going to spend the time trying to "sort out which opportunities" he wants to pursue next. Fleming said he's considering a lot of different options for the future, including staying in games, moving to the wider technology space, getting into the "entertainment" business, and even working in the "advocacy/politics" areas.