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Get ready for a massive double-header of Nintendo news next week! Nintendo has officially confirmed two Direct broadcasts starting September 8, featuring a dedicated 30-minute Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary showcase followed by a 45-minute general Direct the next day. This is our best shot at getting an in-depth look at the highly anticipated Ocarina of Time remake slated for this year.

News & Reviews

Capcom’s Onimusha: Way of the Sword is a 10/10 Masterpiece · IGN After a 20-year hiatus, Capcom has revived its samurai series with near-universal critical acclaim and a perfect score. Taking cues from Sekiro’s rhythmic parry-heavy combat and God of War’s cinematic action, the game follows a highly expressive Miyamoto Musashi through Kyoto. It is a gorgeous, challenging, and surprisingly funny triumph that runs beautifully on the Steam Deck.

Hands-On with Exodus: The Spiritual Successor Mass Effect Fans Have Been Waiting For · IGN Developed by Archetype Entertainment and narrative-led by BioWare legend Drew Karpyshyn, our first look at Exodus confirms it is channeling pure classic Mass Effect vibes. The game boasts robust third-person combat where you slow time to command companion biotic and tech abilities, combined with a deep “Paladin/Immortal” morality system. Your romance choices are fully open to all genders with tasteful, reserved sex scenes—though sadly, you cannot romance Salt the Awakened Octopus.

Lego Skylines Preview: A Cozy, Relaxing City-Builder We Can’t Wait to Play · IGN Lego Skylines strips away the stressful, punishing logistics of traditional city-builders in favor of a gentler, more relaxing aesthetic. While you won’t build brick-by-brick, you’ll construct a living city using pre-fabricated structures designed from real Lego configurations. It strikes a wonderful balance between sandbox creativity and light simulation problem-solving that is perfect for cozy gaming sessions.

Halloween: The Game is a Jank-Filled Nightmare in Need of Serious Polish · IGN Illfonic’s new asymmetrical survival horror game has plenty of excellent ideas and a blast of a killer mode as Michael Myers, but its early build is currently a buggy, frustrating mess. Between broken animations, hilarious NPC AI, audio bugs, and outright game crashes on PS5, the title is incredibly rough around the edges ahead of its launch patch. Unless you are a diehard Michael Myers fan, you’ll definitely want to wait for updates.

Hideki Kamiya Tells Xbox CEO He’s Ready to Make Scalebound · IGN Bayonetta creator Hideki Kamiya has publicly called on new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma to resurrect the canceled dragon action-RPG Scalebound. Although his new studio Clovers is busy working on Okami 2, Kamiya insists he is one hundred percent serious about bringing his beloved, canceled Xbox-exclusive back to life if Microsoft wants to make it happen.

Bungie Subleasing Bellevue HQ Following Brutal Layoffs · IGN Reflecting the sobering reality of its current size, Bungie is subleasing over 210,000 square feet of its massive Bellevue headquarters. The developer cited its transition to a remote-friendly, “digital-first” model, though the move inevitably follows its third brutal round of layoffs in three years, which cut 292 employees in June.

Wonder Woman Casting Rumors Heat Up for Adria Arjona · IGN DC fans are convinced that actress Adria Arjona has been secretly cast as James Gunn’s DCU Wonder Woman after a cryptically worded Women’s Health workout segment went viral. While Arjona is officially cast as the deep-cut hero Maxima, her cryptic mention of “the woman I’m playing” coupled with intense physical training has ignited a whirlwind of internet speculation.

Free Games & Deals

While there are no free game giveaways in today’s news [SYSTEM NOTE: none mentioned in the sources], you can grab Capcom’s brand-new masterpiece Onimusha: Way of the Sword for PC on Steam for 18% off ($57.39) at Fanatical. Additionally, Xbox Series X|S players can snag Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade for just $10, or effectively save $10 on their Grand Theft Auto 6 Preorder by stacking discounted $50 Xbox gift cards at Newegg with promo code LDSF373. PC gamers can also upgrade their battle station with up to 65% off electric standing desks in FlexiSpot’s Labor Day Sale.

Also Worth Knowing

• Rockstar Censors GTA 6 Trailer for China (Source): Rockstar has published a heavily blurred version of its 27-minute gameplay reveal on Chinese social media platform Bilibili, completely obscuring nightclub dancing, smoking, and bloodied dead bodies.
• The Tetris Company Objects to White House Border Wall Clone (Source): The Tetris Company has publicly distanced itself and condemned “Build the Wall,” an unauthorized clone game hosted on the new Arcade.Gov site, stating they take copyright infringement very seriously.
• Spider-Noir Canceled After One Season (Source): Amazon’s Prime Video has canceled Nicolas Cage’s live-action 1930s detective superhero series despite high critical and audience praise.
• Nvidia Confirms DLSS 5 Will Eventually Hit Older GPUs (Source): Nvidia aims to bring its new neural rendering tech to RTX 40 series cards after first focusing on optimizing performance for the current-generation RTX 50 series.
• Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil Film Teased with Las Plagas Mutation (Source): An international teaser trailer for the upcoming film shows a tentacle parasite mutation resembling RE4’s Las Plagas, prompting major excitement and comparisons among fans.

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