Team Fortress 2fans have penned an open letter to Valve, calling for the Washington-based developer to reform the controversial Casual Mode so that “the game [can] grow once again”. “For the past nine years, since the Meet Your Match update, TF2 has been constrained by a fundamentally flawed matchmaking system […] that replaced the original and more reliable Quickplay system,“the letter reads. “Casual Mode was introduced without prior warning or community input, and it arrived in an unplayable, unstable, and deeply unpopular state for almost a year after its release....

Summary TheDonkey Kongseries began over four decades ago with the popular arcade game that introduced the titular gorilla as well as Nintendo’s future mascot, Mario. Both characters have continued to appear in games together while also having their own series that allow them to showcase their unique abilities and worlds. Throughout the years, Donkey Kong and his friends have encountered a plethora of fascinating characters, from members of the extended Kong family to memorable villains....

Unfortunately, not every video game can be successful. There are countless titles out there, and plenty don’t get the same attention or appreciation as others. Sometimes, a game’s lack of success is unsurprising. Perhaps the premise is clearly too niche, the marketing isn’t good enough, or it’s releasing at the wrong time. Whatever the reason, the signs of imminent failure are there. Yet, occasionally, a game can have those signs, but it still ends up being a huge hit....

Quick Links Mario Kart Worldis here at last, giving us many new systems and mechanics to experiment with to set new PBs and overcome the fierce competition. And, as always, you’re able to expect a handful of new items to be added to the mix, enhancing the chaos and sandbox experience of this series. While many items will be returning from previous Mario Kart entries, not all of them will work the same as you remember, and the list of new ones will change things up dramatically, forcing you to learn what they are and how to strategically use them to cross the finish line victorious!...

In the 1,232nd episode of thePokemonanimated series, Ash Ketchum died. Okay, he didn’tdiedie. But Ash and his partner Pikachudidwalk off-screen towards a rainbow, never to be seen again, which is as close as you can get to dying in the world of Pokemon. Over the last two years the Pokemon series has continued on with a new cast of characters on a journey of their own, but the hole in our hearts left behind by Ash hasn’t, and may never be filled....

Atlus is the king of rereleases, remasters, and remakes, and that trend continues with its newly announced remake ofPersona 4, Persona 4 Revival. Just like its previous project, Persona 3 Reload, Persona 4 Revival will be a full remake of the original game, but with some as-yet-unannounced changes. Persona 3 Reload is great, but it failed in several aspects, like not including the female main character and making The Answer into a separate DLC....

Level progression in video games needs to be well balanced. If a game allows you to level up too soon, you become too overpowered and there’s nothing challenging left. If the levelling up is too slow, then you’reforced to bang your head against a wall over and over again. However, it seemsBaldur’s Gate 3has managed to perfect the levelling system. The game is built in such a way that you don’t blast through the levels and become a walking god, nor does it make you grind so much that you can only use yourmost powerful abilitiesin the last few encounters – many games do this as a way to justify New Game+....

Open-world games give you a vast area to roam around and explore. Some of these games take place on a contained planet, while others let you venture into space and reach brand-new planets. What’s more, some open-world games even let you reshape the ground underneath your feet. Here, we are going to take a look at some of the best open-world games that let you reshape nearly everything around you. This includes buildings and structures, as well as the land itself, which is known as terraforming....

I don’t think it’s controversial to say that Borderlands has leaned too heavily into schlocky, so-called “toilet humour” over the past few instalments. The series has always been lighthearted, but the original two games had antagonists with real substance; there was humour, yes, but they also inspired a sense of dread when you crossed their path. I get the sense that the last few games have forgotten that humour without substance doesn’t make a compelling game, and a recent developer diary from Gearbox tells me that the team is aware they need to re-ground the series withBorderlands 4....

Capcom Fighting Collection 2is the latest refinement of the titular company’s long-running formula. Unlike the first entry, which was focused primarily on Darkstalkers titles, or the Marvel Collection, which, true to its name, included every Marvel fighter Capcom has ever made, this one is pretty unique. As is expected from Capcom at this point, each title in this collection runs well, comes with a training mode, and features buttery-smooth online play....

ThePokemon TCGfosters an inclusive community that encourages everyone to play together and enjoy a welcoming environment, unless you’re one of these Mega Evolutions. Following the release of Mega Dragonite, there are 53 Pokemon with Mega Evolution forms (including Primals). Most of these Pokemon received their ownMega Evolution cards in various sets from the XY era,and even though someMega Evolutions are seen as budget options,every one of them featured incredibly detailed artwork....

Donkey Kong Bananzamight have a bit of a confusing canon with Pauline being so young, but Diddy Kong and Dixie Kong at least give us an idea of the game’s timeline. When Donkey Kong Bananza was first revealed, it was easy to assume that it took place after all of the Donkey Kong games. That changed very quickly after it wasconfirmed that Oddrock was actually a younger Pauline, adding a ton of confusion about where in the Donkey Kong timeline Bananza takes place....

Before the launch ofDragon Age: The Veilguard,BioWarehad to set up a group of entirely new companions, and tie them into a story that had been set up inDragon Age: Inquisition. This was pulled off with the Vows & Vegeance podcast, which ran for eight episodes, and introduced us to each member of the titular Veilguard. Now, that podcast has taken home an award of its own. Vows & Vegeance won the prize for Best Audio/Podcast at the Tribeca Festival, being named the top piece of audio media to come out within the year....