Microsoft announced that the next Deveoper_Direct digital event is slated to go live on January 18 at 12 PM PT / 3 PM ET and will showcase Xbox’s first-party lineup coming to the Xbox Series, PC, and Game Pass this year and beyond. The presentation will feature the upcoming Indiana Jones game from Machine Games, Avowed, Ara: History Untold, and Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2.

Behaviour Interactive announced that they are bringing Remedy Entertainment’s very own Alan Wake to their 4v1 online horror game Dead by Daylight as a playable Survivor. The famed writer will enter the fog sometime in January if testing goes well.

Microsoft is kicking off 2024 with a bang as PC and Xbox Game Pass will be bolstered with an impressive lineup of games such as Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Resident Evil 2, and Hell Let Loose being available in the first half of January.

Despite the limited Bluetooth connectivity and the average built-in microphone, the Inzone Buds remain a compelling choice for those seeking wireless Buds specifically for gaming on PC, mobile, and PS5.

I loved every minute spent in the cozy, quirky world of Super Mario RPG, bopping to the remastered music, smiling at its humor and hijinks, timing battle actions, and enjoying my time spent with its memorable characters. I may have been left wanting a little more, but kudos to Nintendo for bringing back this updated classic, warming the hearts of fans worldwide, and bringing generations together to experience the charm and wonder of Super Mario RPG. 

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora features a familiar open-world formula that is a perfect match for this adventure, as this is a planet with so much care and thought put in that despite its flaws, I found myself itching to explore what’s beyond all those floating rocks. But if you’re not on board with how Ubisoft does open-world games, then you’ll be struggling with half of the game’s core pillars right off the bat.

Sony Interactive Entertainment is now in full Holiday season as the PlayStation Store’s Holiday Sale is live and featuring discounts to 2023’s big hitters on PS5 and PS4 such as Alan Wake 2, Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3, Diablo IV, Final Fantasy XVI, and more.

Bandai Namco Entertainment and FromSoftware announced that the Armored Core VI Fires of Rubicon patch 1.05 will add ranked matchmaking to the game, new AC parts, new PVP maps, and more. The patch will go live on December 19, 2023.

It’s tough to recommend Final Fantasy XVI’s first DLC called Echoes of the Fallen as it doesn’t deliver much to the core experience, or even something completely different. At the current price point, I was expecting a bit more to stand out, maybe focus on one aspect of the game we haven’t seen before, but sadly this isn’t the case. You’re not missing much here as it would be best to wait for the second DLC called Rising Tide coming next year.

The PlayStation 5 is going on its cheapest sale during the 2023 holidays in the Philippines as the original PlayStation 5 console and select bundles are PHP 6,800 cheaper on December 18 until December 31, 2023.

Insomniac Games announced that the New Game Plus update for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 will be pushed back to early 2024 as they require more testing from the studio, but it also looks like they want to deliver a large update that not only comes with New Game Plus but with more features.

The MMORPG Guild Wars 2 is now in the Holiday spirit as the 2023 Wintersday event is now live, and features multiple seasonal events and new cosmetics players can earn by participating in the festivities and completing seasonal achievements.