Summer Game Fest 2025 returns in June to fill the vacuum left by E3 — may it rest in peace — and will be joined by a long list of showcases from the likes of Xbox and tireless independent organizers who will put on shows like Day of the Devs and Wholesome Direct. This year’s Summer Game Fest and Not-E3 extravaganza may look a little lighter, though. Publishers like Sony, Nintendo, and...
One of the great magic tricks of art — or perhaps just of the human brain — is the ability to transmute something hyper-specific and personal into something universal. Despelote is an autobiographical, semi-documentary game about being a kid in Ecuador during the country’s first successful qualifying run for the 2002 World Cup. It’s also just a game about the totality of being a kid: the play, the boredom, the...
The Switch 2’s mouse functionality is a nifty idea, but let’s face it, the prospect of scrolling around for hours with something that wasn’t designed from the ground up with that functionality in mind sounds like a recipe for hand cramps. Fortunately, you’ll have options. In April, Polygon had a chance to take the Switch 2’s mouse controls for a test run. At the time we noted that the Joy-Con...
The first time anyone jumps into Mario Kart 8’s 200cc mode can be a shock. The engine class is meant to be the hardest challenge in the game, but even so, racing in 200cc can sometimes feel egregiously punishing. There’s a reason for that: Apparently, the number does not accurately represent the jump in speed that Mario Kart 8 really throws at you. As highlighted by the ever-great Supper Mario...
Monoco is the de facto support unit in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. He is arguably the most versatile playable character in the game — thanks to the sheer breadth of his moveset — but he shines among the other damage-focused characters. Monoco is meant to set up advantageous scenarios for two other DPS party members to capitalize on. Monoco can fill up the enemy’s Break bar or even help take...
Pull out the tuxedo and order a martini — shaken, not stirred — because Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater’s James Bond-esque opening has finally been revealed, and it’s different. Konami rolled out the 3-minute clip on YouTube, showing off new footage and audio from the forthcoming espionage game that reimagines Metal Gear Solid 3’s cinematic introduction. Some key visual differences include the skeletal snakes from the original opening being...
Bandai Namco’s bold new take on Pac-Man — the 2D action platformer known as Shadow Labyrinth — has a secret: Despite being a grim sci-fi, Metroid-inspired game that looks nothing like a traditional Pac-Man sequel, there’s actual real Pac-Man gameplay in here. A new trailer for Shadow Labyrinth reveals the Maze, a portion of the game that for shorthand purposes looks a hell of a lot like Pac-Man Championship Edition 3. The...
With Tetsuya Nomura finally breaking a three-year silence to drop new Kingdom Hearts 4 details, what better time to revisit the series’ most iconic weapon? The Keyblade has long sparked debate — is it a sword? Should it be included in Cool Sword Day celebrations? Or is it simply a giant key-shaped billy club? Regardless of classification, the Keyblade stands as one of the most revolutionary one-handed fictional weapons, alongside...
Unlike most of her fellow party members, Lune can work equally well as a damage-dealer or a support in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, depending on your preferred playstyle. With the wide range of weapons and accessories in Expedition 33, you might feel like you can turn anyone into anything. A triple tank team? A team designed to shatter damage totals? The sky is the limit with the game’s robust system,...
During the course of developing Mario Kart World, the team making it were confronted with an important, potentially existential question: Does Mario, in fact, eat mushrooms? Meaning, do Super Mushrooms in the Mario universe need to be eaten, or simply touched to imbue Mario (and Luigi) with super powers? The answer to that question may seem obvious to you, but even 20-year Nintendo veteran Shintaro Jikumaru wondered if he really...