|
← Previous Week (Jun 28 - Jul 4) |
This Week (Jul 5 - Jul 11) |
A lot of studios spent the week sweeping out the old to make room for the new. Between Tokyo Game Show 2026 taking shape, new crossovers keeping live-service titles in the spotlight, and a handful of mobile games announcing their end-of-service, this week just proved that the industry is moving in two directions at once: towards its next big release and away from the game players have called home for years.
Our reviews, meanwhile, are similarly varied, spanning pirate adventures, action RPGs, colony builders, cozy farming sims, and… a creature-collector gacha? Most of these games eventually hit a wall where the story stalls or the gameplay turns into a grind. Even so, they show promise, and they are more than enough to keep players busy this weekend.
Here’s a quick look at some of the week’s biggest gaming headlines.
Gaming News At A Glance
Palworld 1.0 Overhauls Nearly "Every Major System" and Adds World Tree
TGS 2026 Releases List of Exhibitors for 30th Anniversary Convention
Honkai: Nexus Anima Playable Demo Confirmed for HoYo FEST 2026
Mario Kart Tour Shuts Down After 7 Years of Service
FF7 Ever Crisis Will Go Offline on October 6
Other News and Developments This Week
Review Roundup: July 5 to July 11
Great Games Across Land, Sea, and Sky
⚫︎ Palworld 1.0
⚫︎ Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced
⚫︎ Granblue Fantasy: Relink Endless Ragnarok
Other Reviews This Week
Games With Promising Worlds Still Taking Shape
⚫︎ Honkai: Nexus Anima
⚫︎ Infection Free Zone
Other Early Access/Previews This Week
Gaming News At A Glance: Palworld Enters 1.0, TGS 2026 Readies for Its 30th Year, Honkai: Nexus Anima in HoYo FEST 2026, Mario Kart Tour and FF7: Ever Crisis Shut Down
Palworld 1.0 Overhauls Nearly "Every Major System" and Adds World Tree
After more than two years in early access, Palworld is finally ready for its 1.0 launch. In our interview, Head of Publishing & Communications John "Bucky" Buckley revealed that the release overhauls every major system while introducing new areas, mechanics, Pals, and a complete story that culminates at the long-awaited World Tree. Although existing saves will remain compatible, the studio recommends starting a new playthrough to experience the redesigned progression and narrative as intended.
Looking back, Buckley also reflected on how Palworld evolved from a factory simulation concept into one of Steam's biggest early access success stories, while acknowledging that many players initially misunderstood what the game was trying to be. Even with version 1.0 marking the end of early access, Pocketpair said support for the franchise is far from over. Spin-offs, collaborations, and other projects are still under consideration as the studio looks to expand the Palworld universe beyond the base game.
TGS 2026 Releases List of Exhibitors for 30th Anniversary Convention
Tokyo Game Show 2026 is expected to be its biggest event yet. As the convention celebrates its 30th anniversary, organizer CESA has confirmed that 759 companies from 51 countries and regions will exhibit across nearly 4,000 booths. The lineup includes companies such as Nintendo, PlayStation, Capcom, Square Enix, SEGA, and Bandai Namco, alongside first-time exhibitor Game Freak.
The expanded show will also feature collaborations and anniversary celebrations beyond the exhibit floor, including a Street Fighter 6-themed Red Bull stage, a custom Suzuki Hayabusa motorcycle inspired by Juri, and a new key visual illustrated by Zashikiwarashi.
Honkai: Nexus Anima Playable Demo Confirmed for HoYo FEST 2026
HoYoverse is giving more players a chance to go hands-on with Honkai: Nexus Anima before launch. The publisher has confirmed that the upcoming creature-collecting RPG will be playable at HoYo FEST 2026 through an exclusive Aspect Exploration demo, with attendees also able to pick up limited freebies while supplies last.
The announcement came shortly after Honkai: Nexus Anima entered its Evolution Test closed beta. HoYo FEST 2026 takes place from July 30 to August 2 across six Southeast Asian cities.
Mario Kart Tour Shuts Down After 7 Years of Service
The finish line is finally in sight for Mario Kart Tour, as Nintendo will be shutting down the mobile racer on September 29. Nintendo has also confirmed that there are no plans to release an offline version after support ends.
The announcement has been met with disappointment from longtime players, many of whom hoped Mario Kart Tour would receive the same treatment as Animal Crossing: Pocket Champ, which received an offline version. Others expressed concern over losing years of progress and collectibles, while some took the opportunity to look back on the game's legacy, noting that many of its original tracks will continue to live on through Mario Kart 8 Deluxe's Booster Course Pass.
FF7 Ever Crisis Will Go Offline on October 6
Square Enix announced that Final Fantasy 7 Ever Crisis will shut down on October 6, just over three years after its launch in 2023. Although sales of paid Red Crystals have already ended, the development team said support will continue through the game’s final months, with new events, the Before Crisis storyline, and the concluding chapter of the original FF7 story still on track for release.
In farewell messages, producer Shoichi Ichikawa and the development team thanked players for supporting the project. The game is another casualty in Square Enix’s mobile portfolio, following several live-service closures in recent years, as the publisher continues to scale back projects that fall short of its long-term expectations.
Other News and Developments This Week
⚫︎ Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls Blocked in 132 Countries on Steam Because PlayStation Said So
⚫︎ Chasing Kaleidorider Limited KALEIDO Test Officially Starts in July
⚫︎ Honkai: Nexus Anima Reveals Chromatic Anima, Its Take on Shiny Pokémon
⚫︎ Sonic Forces Rival Rush Trademark Filed by SEGA in Japan
⚫︎ Lord of Mysteries CN App Store Lists November Release Following Grey Fog Test
⚫︎ Marvel Rivals Season 9 Reveal Confirms Jubilee as Next Playable Hero
⚫︎ Digimon UP Releases Worldwide on July 15
⚫︎ Apex Legends x Cyberpunk Event Launches July 14 With Night City, Skins, and Cyberware
⚫︎ Honkai: Nexus Anima Evolution Test Results Roll Out Ahead of July 9 Beta
⚫︎ Aether Gazer CN Announces Version 5.2 as Final Major Update
⚫︎ Pokémon GO Re-enacts Mewtwo Raid in New York for 10th Anniversary
⚫︎ Lord of Mysteries Open Beta Begins August 21 in China
⚫︎ Palworld OFFICIAL CARD GAME Gears Up for Global Launch on July 30 as Bushiroad Expands
Review Roundup: July 5 to July 11
Great Games Across Land, Sea, and Sky
Our reviews this week covered everything from long-awaited updates to fresh new adventures, but they shared a common takeaway: a great hook still needs to be executed well. Palworld 1.0 emerged from early access as a more complete take on its survival formula, while Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag Resynced proved that one of Ubisoft's strongest adventures still has plenty of wind in its sails. Elsewhere, Moonlight Peaks and Astro Colony showed flashes of creativity, even if some of their biggest ideas didn't always translate into equally rewarding experiences.
Palworld 1.0
Washing ashore on the Palpagos Islands drops you right into the heart of Palworld, an open-world survival game where capturing adorable creatures is only half the battle. This sandbox forces players to actively manage their hunger and construct bases while putting newly caught "Pals" to work. It’s an incredibly addictive loop of exploration and crafting that feels both intuitive and irreverent.
Sometimes, though, the world map can feel a bit empty, and the experience shines best when you begin to automate your workforce. There’s humor that’ll hook you in having a fire-type Pal sprint over to melt down metal ingots or in using a fluffy creature as a literal flamethrower. Although some structural grinding and occasional mechanical jank still peek through, the level of sandbox freedom here easily elevates it past standard survival fare.
Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced
Black sails are flying once again as Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced revisits Edward Kenway's pirate adventure with a full visual overhaul and a lot of quality-of-life improvements. This 1:1 reimagining follows the 20-hour journey of Edward Kenway, a flawed pirate chasing fortune across the West Indies before earning his place in the Assassin Brotherhood. It’s a gorgeous overhaul that largely renders the 2013 original obsolete.
However, that gorgeous new coat of paint can’t entirely hide some blemishes. Purists will likely balk at the complete removal of the modern-day Abstergo storyline, which creates some jarring narrative jumps despite the addition of new historical character epilogues. Roof parkour is frequently tripped up by frustrating collision detection bugs, and the aggressive new dynamic weather system regularly turns long-distance sailing into a tedious chore. Regardless, this is easily the definitive way to live out the ultimate pirate fantasy.
Granblue Fantasy: Relink Endless Ragnarok
Two years after the base game's debut, Granblue Fantasy: Relink expands its skies with the Endless Ragnarok DLC, a massive expansion that acts as a souped-up version of the original post-game epilogue. Taking place months after the Grancypher crew's victory in Zegagrande, the plot circles around the villain Beelzebub, who orchestrates a massive gauntlet of monsters across the Skydom to force the crew to grow stronger and prove themselves worthy of a challenge.
Unfortunately, the story hits a bit of a snag here; paced exactly like the arduous post-game content, the story unfolds at a snail’s pace, getting bogged down by a jarring barrage of wordy lore jargon that undercuts the emotional highs of the original campaign. Thankfully, the endgame loop is good, especially for players hunting for a brutal challenge.
Other Reviews This Week
⚫︎ Wuthering Waves Story Review [3.5 Phase 1] | Huanglong Finally Feels Like Home
⚫︎ Neverness to Everness Story Review [1.2 999 Nights] | A Hasty Distraction
⚫︎ Be Missed and Remembered: The Letter from Mayoiga Review | Feels Like a Classic in More Ways Than One
⚫︎ Moonlight Peaks Review [First Impressions] | Spooky Aesthetics Still Make for a Comfy Life Sim
⚫︎ Devil May Cry 5 Review | The Last Great Hack-and-Slash Game
Games With Promising Worlds Still Taking Shape
Not every game we played this week was a finished product; two games gave a glimpse of what they hope to become. Honkai: Nexus Anima already has the makings of a compelling creature collector. Infection Free Zone, meanwhile, is just a bit too repetitive to keep players invested over the long haul. Only time will tell, though, if these games will enamor players when they are fully released.
Honkai: Nexus Anima
Honkai: Nexus Anima may be easy to describe as Pokémon meets Teamfight Tactics, but our time with its Evolution Beta Test showed it quickly grows into something more. While its opening hours throw players into an overwhelming amount of lore, the world, creature collection, and branching RPG mechanics already make it feel like one of HoYoverse's most promising projects.
What stood out most was how naturally the Anima are woven into the world and how rewarding it is to experiment with team-building, even if the automated battles could use more impact. The beta still has rough edges, particularly in its presentation and combat, but it left us eager to see how the full game develops.
Infection Free Zone
Infection Free Zone imagines the zombie apocalypse as a survival management game that tasks players with rebuilding civilization one settlement at a time. The formula borrows from other city-builders and survival sims, but we found that its use of real-world locations and rewarding base-building loop give it an identity of its own, even in Early Access.
As settlements grow, however, the experience becomes bogged down by repetitive micromanagement and an unintuitive interface that makes routine tasks more cumbersome than they should be. There’s promise here, but it still needs more time to realize its potential.
