|
← Previous Week (June 14 - June 20) |
This Week (June 21 - June 27) |
The final week of June brings another exciting wave of announcements, beta tests, and long-awaited reveals. Silver Palace opened recruitment for its biggest closed beta yet, Lord of Mysteries finally showcased its ambitious open world before the Grey Fog Test, and Astrae Oratio offered players a look into its magical school life and gameplay. Meanwhile, HoYoverse locked in July's Evolution Test for Honkai: Nexus Anima, while Love and Deepspace stirred up the community with the debut of its sixth love interest, Valko.
Over in reviews, well-known games returned with something new to offer. DELTARUNE Chapter 5 slowed things down for heartfelt character moments; Star Fox made a triumphant return to the skies with a polished remake, and Frostpunk 2: Breach of Trust gave players an even bigger challenge through another brutal test of survival.
Here’s a glimpse at some of the week’s biggest gaming headlines.
Gaming News At A Glance
Silver Palace Opens Recruitment for Dichotomy Test
Love and Deepspace’s New Werewolf Love Interest, Valko, Sparks Fan Debate
Lord of Mysteries’ Shows Preview and Beta Test Announcement
Astrae Oratio Finally Drops New Character and Gameplay PV
Honkai: Nexus Anima’s Next Evolution Test Available on July 9
Other News and Developments This Week
Review Roundup: June 21 - June 27
Great Time for Revisits and Additions
⚫︎ DELTARUNE Chapter 5
⚫︎ Star Fox - Switch 2
⚫︎ Frostpunk 2: Breach of Trust DLC
Other Reviews This Week
Gaming News At A Glance: Silver Palace Gets a Beta Test, Honkai: Nexus Anima Gets a Beta Test, LOTM Gets a Beta Test, and LADS Gets...A Werewolf
Silver Palace Opens Recruitment for Dichotomy Test
Silver Palace has opened registrations for its upcoming Dichotomy closed beta test, with applications available until July 16 and a test schedule to be announced later. The MMORPG’s PC-exclusive, limited-access beta will introduce the game's largest playable update yet. This includes access to the male protagonist, new characters, additional areas, and gameplay.
Alongside the announcement, a new cinematic trailer, Black Knights' Tango, teased a mystery involving the missing Augurian Reactor and the protagonist's detective work in Silvernia. The developers also confirmed that Silver Palace will embark on a Global Expo Tour from July through November, offering hands-on demos, exclusive merchandise, and special activities at major gaming events worldwide.
Love and Deepspace’s New Werewolf Love Interest, Valko, Sparks Fan Debate
Love and Deepspace has revealed Valko, the game's sixth romanceable character, who will debut alongside Version 6.0, "A Shattered Quiet," on July 9, 2026. The werewolf CEO with the ability to manipulate metal, Valko, will receive his own romance storyline and future companion variants. Players may also get an early look at the character during Anime Expo 2026, where Infold will host themed activities connected to his introduction.
However, the reveal has sparked mixed reactions within the community. While many fans have praised Valko's werewolf concept, personality, and design, the other half has criticized aspects of his appearance and questioned how rushed he feels compared to existing love interests. Despite the debate, many players are excited to see a new romance option added to the game, marking the next new love interest introduced since Caleb joined the roster in early 2025.
Lord of Mysteries Shows Preview and Beta Test Announcement
Lord of Mysteries, an upcoming open-world MMORPG based on the famed Chinese web novel, has finally released its first official gameplay trailer ahead of the Grey Fog Beta Test on June 26. The five-minute clip shows a large fantasy world filled with detailed environments, cinematic events, and powerful enemies ranging from angelic beings to monstrous creatures inspired by the novel's setting.
The preview shows combat featuring firearms, melee weapons, and magic, alongside extensive character customization, mounts, vehicles, multiplayer raids, and even third-person shooter elements. The video of the game has quickly garnered attention, earning over one million views on Bilibili. While the upcoming beta will be exclusive to China, the launch of an English website suggests a global release is planned for the future, though no official date has been announced.
Astrae Oratio Finally Drops New Character and Gameplay PV
NC and Dynamis One have released a new promotional video for Astrae Oratio, providing a closer look at the game's turn-based combat, daily life activities, and main cast. Set in an alternate 1989 Tokyo, the game focuses on a particular group of middle school students that secretly use magic to deal with supernatural threats while balancing their everyday lives.
The preview trailer introduces multiple characters and hints at a larger mystery surrounding the game's world. Developed by former Blue Archive staff at Dynamis One and published globally by NC, the anime-style RPG is still targeting a 2026 release, though an official launch date has still yet to be confirmed.
Honkai: Nexus Anima’s Next Evolution Test Available on July 9
HoYoverse has announced the Evolution Test, the next closed beta for Honkai: Nexus Anima, with recruitment open until July 3 and the test scheduled to begin on July 9. Available on PC, iOS, and Android, the beta will allow selected players to try the game's creature-collecting and auto-battler systems ahead of launch, with all progress being reset after the test concludes.
The announcement was accompanied by a new trailer and gameplay showcase featuring additional characters, Nexus Anima, and visual improvements made since previous tests. Players also received a closer look at the game's world, where they can collect, raise, and evolve creatures while building strategic teams for battle.
Other News and Developments This Week
⚫︎ Suikoden: STAR LEAP Confirms Release Date Announcement Coming Soon
⚫︎ Persona 4 Anime Streams Free on YouTube and ABEMA for Limited Time
⚫︎ Aniimo Enters Global Closed Beta on July 9th
⚫︎ Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection Additional Side Story: Rudy, Releases Today
⚫︎ Animal Crossing: New Horizons Collabs With Baskin-Robbins in Japan for Summer Ice Cream and Merch
Review Roundup: June 21st to June 27th
Great Time for Revisits and Additions
This week takes players back to familiar games and added content. Whether it was a new chapter to an ongoing game, a Nintendo classic making a comeback, or a city-builder raising the stakes with a campaign, each offered something interesting for both newcomers and longtime fans. We see that DELTARUNE Chapter 5 focused more on character build-up with fun gameplay twists before its climax. In the skies, Star Fox proved its arcade-style gameplay holds up well decades later. Meanwhile, Frostpunk 2: Breach of Trust solidified its survival formula with diplomacy, warfare, and an added story.
DELTARUNE Chapter 5
DELTARUNE Chapter 5 is a heartfelt set-up before the series goes into its final chapters. Rather than answering the game’s mysteries, this chapter spends more time developing its characters and their relationships. Set in the colorfully designed Flower Kingdom, the adventure sprinkles some lighthearted humor, emotional storytelling, and fun encounters while introducing new characters, enemies, and music that fit into DELTARUNE’s quirky world.
For gameplay, Chapter 5 keeps its mix of turn-based RPG combat and bullet-hell mechanics while adding a twist with platforming sections, making it arguably more fun. While players may be hoping for major lore reveals here, they may find that the story’s pacing slows down in this section. Overall, Chapter 5 still serves as an adventure that helps deepen players’ connection to the cast, leaving them eager to see where the story goes next.
Star Fox (Switch 2)
Star Fox (2026) is a modern remake of the classic Star Fox 64, bringing Fox McCloud’s iconic adventure back to life on Nintendo Switch 2 with updated graphics, expanded storytelling, and new gameplay features. While the core plot keeps the familiar battle against the evil scientist Andross, the remake adds fully voiced cutscenes, cinematic storytelling, and deeper character development for Fox, Falco, Slippy, and Peppy. Players also get a look at Fox’s relationship with his father, James McCloud, making the story a bit more personal than previous versions.
The gameplay stays faithful to the arcade-style space combat while being able to encourage multiple playthroughs. New additions include Joy-Con 2 mouse aiming, co-op campaign support, Challenge Mode missions, and an 8-player multiplayer mode with objective-based battles. While the campaign is relatively short, its alternate paths, score-chasing gameplay, and enhanced presentation make it a good revival.
Frostpunk 2: Breach of Trust DLC
Frostpunk 2: Breach of Trust introduces a new story-driven scenario set in the city of New Edinburgh, where players assume the role of the newly elected First Citizen following the death of the city's former leader. Facing a worsening food crisis after the neighboring settlement of Aurora cuts off supplies, players must decide whether to resolve tensions through diplomacy and trade or resort to military force to secure their city's survival.
The expansion adds several new mechanics, including trade negotiations, warfare, conscription, and geothermal tremors that periodically damage the city and threaten its population. Alongside new factions, buildings, laws, and events, Breach of Trust delivers a more risky yet challenging experience that hinges on the consequences of leadership. The DLC comes as a strong addition to Frostpunk 2's city-building formula.
Other Reviews This Week
⚫︎ SAND: Raiders of Sophie Review - First Impressions | Boundless Yet Bare
⚫︎ Dead or Alive 6 Last Round Review | A Lofty Promise That Needs Time
⚫︎ Umamusume: Pretty Derby Review - 1st Anniversary | Should You Play in 2026?
⚫︎ Horizon Forbidden West Review | Still One of PlayStation's Best, Four Years Later
