Gaming

The mythic origins of Elden Ring’s spooky scary skeletons

• Elden Ring’s skeletons draw on worldwide mythological traditions.
• The article traces skeleton enemies beyond Dungeons & Dragons.
• FromSoftware makes basic undead foes unusually memorable.

The article examines how Elden Ring turns the familiar video-game skeleton into a memorable, irritating enemy, arguing that FromSoftware has refined the design of these seemingly basic foes. It places the game’s skeletons within a much older cultural tradition, showing that their appeal and symbolism extend far beyond…

FromSoftware fans should get excited for Armored Core

• Armored Core may be returning through FromSoftware.
• The series has 17 challenging mech-combat entries.
• No new game has been officially confirmed.

Polygon highlights rumours that FromSoftware may revive its long-running Armored Core series, encouraging fans of Elden Ring and Dark Souls to take notice. The video aims to explain the appeal of the franchise and why a potential Armored Core 6 would matter to the studio’s newer audience. Armored…

Elden Ring’s weird little guys, explained

The new Elden Ring trailer is chock full of little weirdoes, hecked up guys, and nasty creatures. We use our expert knowledge of From Software's oeuvre to accurately predict who they are, and what their deal is. #eldenring

Best New Books to Read in August 2026

• IGN recommends nine varied new releases for August 2026.
• Horror and supernatural stories feature prominently.
• Riley Sager and Max Doty’s novels receive detailed recommendations.

IGN highlights nine new books due in August 2026, spanning horror, fantasy, science fiction, romance and thrillers. The selection particularly leans into early “spooky season” reading, with several supernatural or unsettling premises. - The Unknown by Riley Sager (4 August): a dual-timeline thriller about actresses visiting an island…

Switch 2 Demo Kiosks Now Advertising September Price Hike

• US Switch 2 price rises to $499.99 on 1 September.
• The increase is $50 above the current suggested retail price.
• Nintendo has sold 23.68 million Switch 2 consoles worldwide.

Nintendo Switch 2 demo kiosks in the United States are now displaying a notice that the console’s suggested retail price will rise from $449.99 to $499.99 on 1 September 2026. The in-store messaging signals that the previously announced increase is imminent for North American buyers, following price changes…

Round Up: The Reviews For The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered On Switch 2 Are In

• Reviews welcome the Switch 2 port despite technical flaws.
• Scores range from 7.5/10 to 8.2/10.
• Bugs and uneven performance remain key criticisms.

Reviews of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered on Switch 2 are broadly positive, with critics praising the scale and enduring appeal of Bethesda’s role-playing game. However, they consistently warn that technical performance, bugs and dated design quirks prevent the port from being an unqualified recommendation. Nintendo Life…

Air traffic controllers head says hiring gamers will help

Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, commended the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Wednesday for its recent hiring surge targeting video game players. Daniels told NewsNation, The Hill's sister company, that gaming skills "absolutely" translate to working as an air traffic controller and called the…

Limited Run Announces Lord Of The Rings: War In The North Physical Release

• Limited Run will publish a physical War in the North release.
• Edition details, pricing and launch date remain unconfirmed.
• Switch versions add performance and quality-of-life improvements.

Limited Run Games has confirmed that it will release a physical edition of The Lord of the Rings: War in the North – Legacy Edition, following Aspyr’s recent revival of the game for Switch, Switch 2 and other platforms. The announcement matters to collectors and players who prefer…

Super Mario Sunshine’s Soundtrack Joins Nintendo Music Today, Here’s Every Song Included

• Super Mario Sunshine’s 58-track soundtrack is now on Nintendo Music.
• The album runs for 94 minutes and includes major game themes.
• Sunshine also joins Switch Online’s GameCube library on Switch 2.

Nintendo has added the Super Mario Sunshine soundtrack to its Nintendo Music app, giving subscribers access to music from the 2002 GameCube game. The release coincides with Super Mario Sunshine joining the Switch Online Nintendo Classics GameCube app on Switch 2, expanding Nintendo’s renewed availability of the title…

Cities Skylines meets Balatro in the excellent new roguelike city builder Combolands

• Combolands blends roguelike scoring with strategic city-building placement.
• Adjacency bonuses drive population growth and combo chains.
• The demo suggests a challenging, highly replayable game.

Combolands is a roguelike city-building game from Crux Games that combines Balatro-style escalating score targets and combo chains with the placement strategy of Cities: Skylines. Based on its Steam demo, Polygon finds the result absorbing and distinctive, because every building placement and adjacency bonus feeds directly into a…