As an eclipse looms over Menaphos, it’s time to face the darkness in the long-awaited final chapter to the Desert saga
Monday, July 28th, 2025, Cambridge, UK. It began with a Prince. It ends with an Eclipse. Return to the Desert today to discover the epic finale to RuneScape’s longest-running questline in Eclipse of the Heart, a brand new quest available now to RuneScape members.
Decades in the making, Eclipse of the Heart is the long-awaited final chapter to the 24 year-old Desert saga that began with a simple rescue mission – and ends with the Goddess of Destruction.
Having unearthed ancient gods and uncovered forgotten betrayals, your journey through the desert has shaped the fate of Gielinor. Now, as the eclipse looms over Menaphos, it’s time to face the darkness that’s been waiting all along. Rally allies, unravel mysteries, and stop the looming eclipse before Amascut, Queen of Destruction, devours the souls within.
Earn new rewards, feast your eyes on brand-new cutscenes, and discover visual updates for some familiar faces. Complete the Eclipse of the Heart Quest to unlock new rewards, including a brand new title, four Stone-Touched XP Lamps each worth 250,000 XP, Desert-themed cosmetics for your Lorehound companion, the Amascut’s Eye skybox override, and upgraded Magic Carpet Dust. Additional boons also await, granting players toggleable buffs and boosts.
Completing Eclipse of the Heart will also unlock the opportunity to confront Amascut, the Devourer, in a colossal showdown when she arrives as a new in-game boss encounter on August 4th. Regal, elegant, and unmistakably feline, Amascut is as deadly as she is divine. But don’t let her poise fool you – she’s terrifying when enraged.
To access Eclipse of the Heart, players must be RuneScape members, have reached level 90 Necromancy and level 65 Agility, and completed the Pharaoh’s Folly quest. They must have also met the various requirements to complete the Do no Evil quest and built the fort buildings required for the Fort Forinthry Storyline.
RuneScape is available now on PC, Steam, iOS, and Android, complete with cross-platform progression and play on PC and mobile.
About Jagex
Jagex is a leader in creating deep and engaging forever games that empower communities across PC, mobile and consoles. Jagex’s flagship MMORPG, RuneScape, has welcomed over 300 million player accounts to its world and is a $1billion + lifetime revenue franchise.
Today the RuneScape franchise exists beyond live operations; its titles are forever games that connect and inspire millions of players, with content and experiences both inside and outside of inexhaustible game worlds. Both RuneScape and Old School RuneScape, on PC and mobile, offer ever-evolving, highly active worlds and our community-focussed development ethos empowers players to have a real say in how each game is shaped. The most recent entry in the RuneScape franchise, RuneScape: Dragonwilds, launched into Steam Early Access in 2025. An open world survival crafting experience set in the RuneScape universe, RuneScape: Dragonwilds welcomes existing fans and new players alike to the ever expanding and evolving world of RuneScape. Jagex is headquartered in Cambridge, United Kingdom.
Strike gold in the latest content update featuring exciting new mining adventures, quality-of-life upgrades, and bug fixes. Now live on all platforms.
Burton-on-Trent, UK – 28 July 2025. Saddle up and grab your pickaxe, it’s time to head Beneath and Beyond! The latest content update for Cattle Country, the cozy frontier life-sim from Castle Pixel and Playtonic Friends, is out now for PC via Steam, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch.
This free update expands the Wild West experience with brand-new mining content, allowing players to delve deeper into the land they call home. Unearth rare minerals, uncover hidden mining objects like torches, ladders and dynamite, and maybe even stumble upon a few long-lost bandit treasures, all while enjoying numerous quality-of-life improvements and a wagon-load of bug fixes that make frontier life smoother than ever.
What’s New in ‘Beneath and Beyond’:
Expanded Mining System – New mine levels, rarer resources, environmental hazards, and surprises waiting in the dark. Dig deeper than ever before and uncover secrets beneath the soil, from glittering gems to long-forgotten bandit loot.
Above-Ground Additions – Life beyond the mines is getting a glow-up, too!
Hay Dropper – Automatically feeds hay to your livestock, giving you more time to enjoy the open range.
Scratch Post – Place it in your barn or coop to keep animals happy and content.
Aquariums – Show off your prized catches by displaying fish in beautiful tanks right at home.
Horse Whistle Tune – Play a tune and call your trusty steed from afar, perfect for long treks or quick getaways.
Walleye Fish – Now available in lakes during spring and fall. It was previously uncatchable, but no longer out of reach for patient anglers.
A full list of all the changes and new content in the Beneath and Beyond update can be found on the community post here.
Whether you’re an eager greenhorn or a seasoned rancher, Cattle Country’s latest update gives you more ways to explore, build, and thrive beneath the prairie skies, and deep underground, too.
So dust off those mining boots and get ready to dig into something special. Beneath and Beyond is available now as a free content update for all players on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch.
About Cattle Country
Cattle Country is a cozy frontier life-sim where players can build their dream homestead, raise livestock, craft tools, and carve out a peaceful life beneath the wide Western skies. Set in a charming Wild West world, the game invites you to connect with a kind-hearted community, share stories, and maybe even find love among 18 romanceable characters.
But it’s not all sunshine and prairie roses, as trouble may be lurking, and defending your land from bandits is all part of life on the range. From mining for buried treasure and tracking wildlife, to customising your farm and uncovering secrets, Cattle Country blends heartfelt storytelling with laid-back gameplay. Whether you’re looking to settle down or strike it rich, there’s always something waiting just over the next hill.
Cattle Country is now available digitally on PC viaSteam ($18.99, £14.99, €18.99) PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch ($24.99, £19.99, €24.99 all consoles).
About Playtonic Friends
The studio that brought you Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair, Playtonic launched their publishing arm, Playtonic Friends to be a helping hand to indie developers around the world. Established in February 2021 Playtonic Friends has helped bring incredible titles such as B.P.M, Demon Turf, Blossom Tales 2 and Lil Gator Game to wider audiences.
About Castle Pixel
Castle Pixel are a small creative indie dev team based in the US and Canada. They are devoted to making big new adventures inspired by the classics they grew up with! Get ready for a new experience from the team that brought you Blossom Tales and Rex Rocket.
[Red Bank, New Jersey – July 28, 2025] — Pounce into the mystical land of Ailur in the upcoming indie soulslike Kristalaas the game launches into Early Access on the Epic Games Store with a demo today. Play as a feline warrior deemed as the “chosen Kristalan,” a warrior chosen to master the elemental magic from all six clans in Ailur, and prepare to face deadly trials, fight grotesque, curse-born monsters, and uncover deeply buried truths in this meow-gical adventure.
Kristala, developed by Astral Clocktower Studios, is an upcoming grimdark soulslike with a haunting atmosphere and a deep narrative focus. Enter Ailur, a land where magic is king and chaos often roams free. This world is inhabited by two races, the cat-like Anagativans and the rodent-like Kotan race — however, only the Anagativans can wield the ancient magic of the Sacred Six Kristals.
Key Features:
Challenging & Fast-paced Soulslike Combat – Master a precise and punishing combat system inspired by Sekiro and Dark Souls, with light/heavy attacks, perfect parries, well-timed dodges, and brutal aerial attacks and finishers.
Agile Protagonists & Catlike Abilities – Play as a feline warrior from one of six clans, each master of a distinct magic specialty and lore-rich culture. These catlike characters allow for interesting traversal and stealth mechanics, which players can enhance further via the Feline Skill tree.
Create your Cat – Personalize your feline warrior by choosing fur color, fur length, your clan, and your starting class. All of these choices will factor into building your unique playstyle. The paw-sibilities are endless!
Comprehensive Magic System – Each clan specializes in an ancient/elemental magic, sourced by the Sacred Six Kristals. Unlock and level powerful spells and spell perks for each clan on a comprehensive, branching magic tree to customize your playstyle.
Atmospheric, Story-Driven Worldbuilding – Immerse yourself in the mystical realm of Ailur, where ancient prophecies, cursed creatures, and lost civilizations weave a dark and emotional narrative.
Ready to claw into the haunting world of Kristala? Download the demo on the Epic Games Store here. Purchase the Early Access version of Kristala on Epic Games Store, and don’t forget to drop a wishlist!
About Astral Clocktower Studios
Astral Clocktower Studios is a US-based women-led indie game development studio dedicated to crafting immersive, story-driven fantasy games that speak to players on a deeply personal level. The studio’s debut title, Kristala, blends dark fantasy themes with fast-paced combat and fluid parkour. Set in a rich, lore-filled world, Kristala’s feline characters and unique mechanics offer a fresh take on the soulslike genre. Kristala is currently in Early Access on Steam and the Epic Games Store, with release plans for PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch following a full PC release later this year.
Bask in a galaxy of glory as this combat racer pushes you to the limit.
[July 28, 2025] – The countdown is over and the race has begun! Star Racer is available now on PC via Steam. Dash through the cosmos past your rivals, turn them to stardust to overtake their spot on the podium, and pick the right racer for each track so you never fall out of first place.
Throughout Early Access, players got a taste of high-speed mayhem with an intergalactic selection of vehicles and racers, racetracks, game modes, a killer live soundtrack, and the powerful course editor. But with the launch of Star Racer 1.0, the galactic race goes full-throttle.
Hit the starting line with new tracks across four Grand Prix Cups. To make it through these races unscathed, you’ll need to master the dangerous cosmic highways of Star Racer. Roar through the cosmics, hit the skies, and shoot down any rivals who may get in your way. Want to add a twist to your racing? Take on over 50 Event Races that constantly change the rules of the road, throwing in hazards and objectives that can make even the best racers falter.
Bested the Grand Prix and Event Races? Try your hand at the course editor to create a chaotic track and share it with the galaxy. Add sharp turns, speed boost pads, and unexpected jumps to keep racers guessing as they zoom through your course. With new online functionality via Steam Workshop, you can now upload your creations, browse community-made tracks, and download your favorites..
Key Features:
Heart-Pounding Races: Engage in intense, high-speed battles across intergalactic racetracks. Drift, boost, fire, and soar your way to the front of the pack with cunning strategy and split-second reflexes! But beware the cosmic dangers that lie ahead. Only the most skilled racers will survive the chaos and claim victory.
Concrete & Clouds: Leave the competition in the dust—both on the ground and in the skies! Experience high-octane action with gravity-defying glides and aerial combat. Blaze across pavement, soar through the stars, and make your rivals eat stardust.
Track Editor: Unleash your creativity with a powerful, dynamic track editor. Build challenging circuits, share them with friends, and master the most daring designs. The race is yours to shape!
Event Races: Think fast, adapt faster. Event Races turn traditional racing upside down with wild, unpredictable challenges. Dash across tracks consumed by lava, take a break with a game of intergalactic golf, or master precision-based “break the targets” trials. With fresh scenarios rotating in, no two races are ever the same—only the bold will survive the madness.
Local Multiplayer: Grab up to three friends and dive into split-screen madness! With support for up to 4 players in local multiplayer, Star Racer turns every couch into a launchpad for wild, competitive fun.
Featured Tracks by Grant Kirkhope: In addition to music from Mason Lieberman and Jules Conroy, legendary composer Grant Kirkhope brings his signature flair to the cosmos. Known for classics like Banjo-Kazooie, GoldenEye 007, and Mario + Rabbids, his signature sound fuels select tracks with epic energy.
Star Racer 1.0 slams on the gas and launches today on Steam. Racers can rev their engines with the newly discounted price of $9.99 USD, plus an additional 20% launch discount for a limited time. Join the Discord and connect with your new cosmic rivals.
About Whatnot Games
Whatnot Games is an independent studio founded by game industry veterans with the goal of offering high-quality, high-quantity, smaller games, with worse graphics. Yes, really. We aim to remove the common bottlenecks of AAA development that lead to 5+ year long development times, and give players more fun, sooner.
New modes, customization, combat systems, and a major DLC chapter incoming
[July 28, 2025] – The revolution never sleeps. Comrade Bear Games has revealed the first wave of post-launch content for Twilight Wars, including major gameplay updates and a narrative-driven DLC coming in the months ahead. Driven by community feedback, these updates bring new difficulty modes, deeper customization, dynamic combat, and expanded story content.
Standalone Scenarios are self-contained tactical missions outside the main campaign, designed for replayability and experimentation. New scenarios will roll out based on player interest and engagement. Scenarios are available now, but looking ahead, a major narrative DLC will expand the world of Twilight Wars with a powerful new faction, recruitable agents, and high-stakes missions.
To improve accessibility, an Easy Mode will offer a story-focused experience, while a Very Hard Mode caters to veterans seeking tougher, more consequential battles. Additional updates include randomized missions that scale with player progress, plus unlockable cosmetics for customizing agents and enhancing role-playing elements. Combat is also evolving with Battle Arena Conditions and Interactive Combat Objects, introducing dramatic new environments, like moving trains and burning rooftops, to keep encounters fresh and cinematic.
Key Features:
Tactical Espionage Combat: Action-packed dungeon crawling with turn-based combat set in a high-stakes cyberpunk world. Features a fresh twist on “permadeath” where agents can fall—but not always forever.
Assemble the Unlikely: Recruit a team of charismatic operatives with unique skills, clashing personalities, and complex motivations. Balancing their strengths—and their conflicts—is key to survival.
Mission-Critical Decisions: Each mission is a new challenge. Rescue hostages, split squads, battle elite bosses, and customize your approach based on the mission’s demands and agent specializations.
Build the Base, Rebuild the Legacy: Reconstruct your underground HQ with high-tech modules for healing, training, research, and agent revival. Plus, a cozy cat companion to keep spirits high.
Morality in the Machine: Shape the story through your choices and your evolving relationship with Shi, the Agency’s AI. Navigate moral dilemmas that lead to multiple narrative endings.
Cozy Cyberpunk Aesthetic: A unique visual and musical style that fuses gritty neon dystopia with a surprisingly warm, lived-in vibe—welcome to the world of “cozy cyberpunk.”
Twilight Wars is now available on Steam. For more updates, visit the Comrade Bear Games website for all things Twilight Wars.About Comrade Bear Games
Comrade Bear Games is an indie studio founded in 2019 by Sergey Golubkin, a former Nival and Ubisoft producer and renowned board game designer. Twilight Wars brought together 20 talented developers from around the world to create a deeply philosophical, mechanically rich cyberpunk experience.
Marvel’s Friendly Neighborhood Super Hero Inspires in New Set, Launching Globally this September
Renton, WA – July 25, 2025 – Today, at a special San Diego Comic-Con panel, Wizards of the Coast revealed new cards from Magic: The Gathering | Marvel’s Spider-Man. Launching globally on September 26, 2025, the set brings Marvel’s Spider-Man and his most infamous foes and friends into Magic: The Gathering.
During today’s panel, fans in attendance were given a first look at some of the spectacular cards coming to the set, including:
Showcase Scene cards, which combine to form a stunning scene that looks like it came straight out of a comic book.
Art from iconic Spider-Man comic covers by artists such as Steve Ditko, featured on cards inspired by iconic characters.
Magic: The Gathering | Marvel’s Spider-Man marks the beginning of a new chapter in the Magic | Marvel collaboration, following the fan-favorite Secret Lair drop earlier this year and at the end of 2024. This set invites players into a web of thrilling encounters, with cards featuring Spider-Man, Miles Morales and Gwen Stacy, along with villains including Venom, Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, and more.
Magic: The Gathering | Marvel’s Spider-Man brings the excitement of high-flying action and heroics to dynamic card treatments through original artwork and gameplay mechanics that reflect Spider-Man’s agility, ingenuity, and unbreakable sense of responsibility.
Additional previews and product details will roll out beginning the first week of September ahead of the set’s worldwide release on September 26. Fans can follow along at Magic.Wizards.com and join the conversation on social media using #MTGxMarvel.
ABOUT MARVEL Marvel is one of the world’s most prominent entertainment brands, built on an unparalleled library of iconic characters and stories that have shaped pop culture for 85 years. The Marvel brand spans entertainment, including film, television, publishing, licensing, games, live events, digital media, and more.
Magic: The Gathering’s compelling characters, fantastic worlds, and deep strategic gameplay have entertained and delighted fans for more than 30 years. Fans can experience Magic through the tabletop trading card game, the digital game Magic: The Gathering Arena, a New York Times bestselling novel, and a critically acclaimed comic book series. With more than 50 million fans to date, Magic is a worldwide phenomenon published in more than 150 countries.
About Wizards of the Coast
Wizards of the Coast develops and publishes legendary games that inspire creativity, forge friendships and build communities of global fans. A division of Hasbro, a leading games, IP and toy company (NASDAQ: HAS), Wizards delivers premium experiences for gamers across tabletop, video games, and digital platforms based on both new and time-honored brands, including its best-known franchises MAGIC: THE GATHERING and DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, and from Hasbro’s unparalleled portfolio of thousands of iconic marks.
Wizards’ diverse studio network includes first-party developers Archetype Entertainment, Invoke Studios, Atomic Arcade and Skeleton Key as well as co-venture and license partners. Headquartered in Renton, Washington, Wizards fosters world-class talent to create unforgettable play experiences on all platforms. To learn more about Wizards, visit https://company.wizards.com or Wizards of the Coast on LinkedIn.
About Hasbro
Hasbro is a leading games, IP and toy company whose mission is to create joy and community through the magic of play. With over 164 years of expertise, Hasbro delivers groundbreaking play experiences and reaches over 500 million kids, families and fans around the world, through physical and digital games, video games, toys, licensed consumer products, location-based entertainment, film, TV and more.
Through its franchise-first approach, Hasbro unlocks value from both new and legacy IP, including MAGIC: THE GATHERING, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, MONOPOLY, HASBRO GAMES, NERF, TRANSFORMERS, PLAY-DOH and PEPPA PIG, as well as premier partner brands. Powered by its portfolio of thousands of iconic marks and a diversified network of partners and subsidiary studios, Hasbro brings fans together wherever they are, from tabletop to screen.
For more than a decade, Hasbro has been consistently recognized for its corporate citizenship, including being named one of the 100 Best Corporate Citizens by 3BL Media, a 2025 JUST Capital Industry Leader, one of the 50 Most Community-Minded Companies in the U.S. by the Civic 50, and a Brand that Matters by Fast Company. For more information, visit https://corporate.hasbro.com or @Hasbro on LinkedIn.
There’s always something interesting about trying out a new indie game. While there are plenty of indie developers that happen to be trend chasers, there are just as many that want to set out and try something different and sometimes that game they’ve created turns out to be amazing or at least happens to hit a particular niche that hasn’t been explored before. Other times, it simply falls flat or is downright bad and when it comes to Lightbulb Crew’s Nova Hearts it is unfortunately the latter. With a colorful presentation and enticing aesthetic this visual novel/turn-based RPG seemed like it had potential, but where did it go wrong?
Story
After a number of bad experiences happened during her time away at college and living with her father in the big city, Luce has returned home to her small town of Vermillion to live with her mother again and try to recover. With an understanding mother, Luce may have had a chance to try and come to terms with what happened but before she’s even unpacked her old friend Will and CJ, who she only knew vaguely in elementary school but is treated like a “bestie” find that the best way to meet the summer is to go on an adventure in the biggest party the city has and it just so happens to be hosted by the boy Luce had her first kiss with too.
Despite being thrown into the social deep-end right out of the gate, that is far from the only dire event Luce will face that night at the party as CJ and Luce soon find themselves transforming with magical girl like powers, or magical sentai more-like, and having to battle against fluffy furballs that have begun attacking people at random. Soon the pair meet up with Will who also has gained this new mysterious power and the three form a team of super hero magical girls called Luck, Chaos, and Wish. They’ll have their work cut out for them though as not only have these little random monsters started appearing but larger more intense creatures have also begun to roam around, seemingly capable of commanding these minions and the town of Vermillion itself is seemingly filled with mysteries that unfold all at once in the final chapter.
It feels like the writers at Lightbulb Crew were trying to aim for something special here, or at the very least inclusive, when it came to Nova Hearts’ storyline and characters but unfortunately it all sort of falls short of the mark. The storyline, which we won’t go into too much detail here, is as formulaic as they come with some little twists right near the end that help expand upon earlier elements but they come far too late to actually feel impactful. A few characters get a bit of development here and there but nothing worthwhile, if anything a few even regress. It also doesn’t help that a lot of the characters in the game are paper thin at best which is not a good look for a dating game meant to be “inclusive” to nearly every sexuality and gender identity.
Throughout the visual novel portions of Nova Hearts players will make choices with Luce that almost always simply boil down to answering questions from her friends, enemies, or frenemies, that will raise or lower their friendship and romance meter but these decisions are entirely out of left field at times and often don’t even give players a chance to actually, you know, change things. On countless occasions Luce was given the choice to ogle or openly flirt with a newly introduced or random character like a horndog while others saw her needing to pick from an option of choices that were just flat out bad. What if we don’t want to date any of the current three choices that are presented? Not an option at this point. Even then when players do manage to find certain elements the plot tends to devolve into making no sense whatsoever with what characters are actually talking about, and even later knowledge doesn’t help clear up these inconsistencies.
As mentioned before, the dating aspect is superficial at best and it seems more like Luce, CJ, and Will are more than eager to jump anyone’s bones if given the chance or altogether despite it being clear that at least at one point some characters had feelings for only one person only for it to get tossed right out the window potentially. Even directly trying to choose options to beat away romantic choices with a stick saw characters still liking Luce regardless as shown through the Astro.link app that players can view their relationship status on. This can lead to some frustration when trying to target a romantic option, especially given the game’s abhorrent save system and lack of menu options.
Nova Hearts features only three save files that generally only save the beginning of a scene rather than mid-conversation and to actually “reload” players either need to finish a scene entirely or quit out of the game as there is no way to return to the menu otherwise, making fixing a poor dialogue choice an annoying task, especially since one, at least according to the very glitched achievements we will mention later, saw Luce locked in with a character shortly after meeting her.
Gameplay
As mentioned before, Nova Hearts is part visual novel and part turn based RPG. Players will play through the visual novel segments until they eventually find themselves thrown into a set amount of battles that, when completed, will allow them to continue the storyline. Unfortunately all of these gameplay elements lack quality of life features that one would expect from both genres they are trying to combine here. The visual novel dialogue sequences have no option to pull up a dialogue log, skip previously read text (making replays a slog), or even reload if not in Luce’s bedroom as mentioned before, while the game’s turn-based combat is some of the slowest and simplest that we’ve seen in a while.
Nova Hearts‘ combat system is straight up boring in its design. It features a “timeline” style where the unchanging three party members (occasionally players will have less) all have moves that require certain “preparation” time before an attack, buff, heal, or debuff can be sent out. The same can be said in terms of enemies. Players can choose to delay their attacks to line up their party members’ attacks together to perform “combos” that can be quite powerful when used correctly but given that only four of the eight possible combos can be equipped at any time, it’s a limited system. What is also limited is the fact that there is no real character growth in terms of strength here. Sure, players will earn a a type of XP that can be spent to increase damage, healing, or even delay rate of certain attacks but a fighter’s health or defense will never increase. In fact, players will go right into the final boss with only a hundred health still for two of their party members and when multiple foes can dish out eighty damage a hit with no chance to revive, good luck.
All of these types of combos and attacks, whether done by the player or the enemy, are done in the slowest way possible and there is no way to increase the speed in any way. Using AoE attacks can lighten the load a bit but there are some real cheap encounters late-game and gimmick style bosses that drag the entire experience down and make combat feel like a chore, even compared to the near non-stop hornfest that are the main characters talking to one another. Unfortunately, should players lose in a fight the best they’ll be offered is simply some minor XP that can be used to try to improve a skill, though this is minimal help at best especially against a certain pair of late-game bosses.
It is worth noting that while playing on the Xbox Series X the title ran perfectly fine and loaded quickly as well, which was good to try and avoid some of the dialogue issues with characters from time to time, but it is also worth noting that not did the “phone” screen players use in-between scenes to talk with their allies froze on multiple occasions and would not let us leave the options menu, but the entire achievement system also appears to be incredibly buggy. Achievements for meeting certain characters came an entire chapter after they were meant to, multiple possible spoilers were revealed by a random achievement unlocking in the same conversation that had nothing to do with it, and even those that seem like they should have unlocked remain unobtainable.
Audio & Visuals
One thing Nova Hearts has going for it is style and we only wish there was more of it to see. The character portraits during conversations are nice and expressive while the character designs themselves are vibrant and varied but when it comes to combat, the actual enemies that players will be facing off against are unfortunately almost entirely slight re-skins of one another with the only change-ups happening between chapters. Bosses have unique designs at the very least and the background artwork is quite a treat. It is also nice to note that there are some animated transformation scenes but sadly these are kept rather tame and limited, especially since seeing some of the enemy bosses transform would have been neat as well given that they “say” they’ll be changing forms only to never actually do so.
There is no general voice work through Nova Hearts, there are some minor grunts and chirps of characters speaking slightly when responding either positively or negatively in visual novel segments and the usual grunts and groans of combat and nothing else. The soundtrack consists of fairly standard music that gets more tense during fitting segments such as boss battles and when players are at low health in a fight and in danger of losing but these tracks don’t stand out in any noticeable way.
Overall
It really does feel like there were good hearts and intentions behind the indie game Nova Hearts with the story it is trying to tell and the characters that it features, it just all happens to come together in the wrong ways. Between visual novel segments that lack all of the standard visual novel features and combat that is so dreadful players will wish they could skip it entirely combined with buggy achievements makes this relatively short visual novel one that had a lot of potential behind it but simply never reaches that “spark” that might have helped set the passion ablaze.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
God of Weapons, a unique arena survival game that blends action RPG, roguelike, and bullet hell elements, is launching on PlayStation 5 on July 31, 2025. This highly-rated title delivers intense combat with a strong dose of tactical decision-making. The game was previously released on PC and Xbox consoles.
Developed by independent Vietnamese studio Archmage Labs, God of Weapons originally launched on PC in 2023 and was released for Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S in June 2025. The game holds an 85% positive rating on Steam from around 4,300 reviews. On Xbox, it currently has a Metascore of 74/100.
Arena Survival with Fast-Paced Combat
God of Weapons is a dark, isometric arena survival game featuring action RPG mechanics, roguelike progression, and bullet hell chaos.
Your mission: survive relentless waves of monsters as you climb the floors of the Tower of Zhor. The story follows a fight against the spread of chaos and destruction. Combat is intense, demanding both reflexes and smart tactical planning.
Each level is procedurally generated, and every run brings a new random set of skills, gear, and enemies.
Weapons attack automatically, so your focus is on dodging blows and carefully choosing your loadout—especially since inventory space is limited.
Players can collect a wide variety of melee and ranged weapons, along with accessories and special combat abilities. As you progress, you’ll unlock stronger gear and skills to survive longer and fight harder.
Key Features of God of Weapons:
Arena survival gameplay
Intense, fast-paced combat
Roguelike, action RPG, and bullet hell elements
Diverse hordes of monsters
Tactical gear and inventory management
The release date for God of Weapons on PlayStation 5 has been set for July 31, 2025.
First-Ever Global Livestream Reveals New Playable Characters Ezio and Kassandra, New Gameplay, and Abundant In-Game Rewards
HONG KONG, CHINA – JULY 26, 2025 – Following its first-ever global synchronized Special Program, developer Bluepoch announced today that the landmark Reverse: 1999 x Assassin’s Creed collaboration event will launch worldwide on August 7, 2025. The highly anticipated, globally synced version update for the 20th Century Time-Travel Strategic RPG will introduce new playable characters, including Ezio, Kassandra and Alexios, new stories, gameplay mechanics, and a wealth of free rewards.
As revealed during the livestream, players will be able to recruit three legendary Assassins. EzioAuditore da Firenze and Kassandra will be available through special limited-time banners, while Alexios can be recruited for free by completing in-game activities. These characters have been designed from the ground up to integrate deeply with Reverse: 1999’s unique combat system; Ezio can switch between different weapons, and Kassandra can alternate between skill trees to adapt to any battle.
Players can expect the following abundant in-game rewards:
Free 5-Star Character: Recruit Alexios for free by participating in the event.
Free Monthly Pass: All players can claim a free monthly pass (players can get 2700 Clear Drops in total, which is 15 free pulls).
Free Garment: A new garment for the character APPLe will be available for free.
Generous Gacha Pulls: Players can obtain at least 43 free pulls for each of the collaboration character banners.
Collaboration Summon Extra Prizes: The banners for Ezio and Kassandra will feature new Collaboration Summon Extra Prizes, rewarding players with an extra copy of the collaboration character after 100/160/220/280 pulls.
The new story will unfold in two phases. In Phase I, Vertin and the team will travel to Renaissance Florence and fight alongside characters from Assassin’s Creed II. The adventure continues in Phase II, as the story shifts to Ancient Greece, where players will join forces with the heroes of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey to investigate the Acropolis of Athens in order to foil a plot by the Cult of Kosmos. The update also introduces new garments for beloved Reverse: 1999 characters themed around both Greek mythology and the Assassin’s Creed universe.
Download Reverse: 1999 now on the App Store, Google Play, or Steam for PC, and prepare for the first-ever globally synced version launching on August 7.
Reverse: 1999 is a 20th Century Time-Travel Strategic RPG. On the last day of 1999, “the Storm” descended upon the world, turning back time. Players take on the role of the Timekeeper, Vertin, who is uniquely immune to the effects of the Storm. With the help of your assistant Sonetto, you will travel to different eras to seek out arcanists who can sense the coming of the Storm and save them from being “sifted out” of the timeline. Reverse: 1999 is a cinematic adventure featuring stunning visuals that blend retro and modern aesthetics and full English voice acting with authentic accents.
About BLUEPOCH GAMES CO. LTD
Established in 2020, Bluepoch is an ambitious, passionate, and globally-focused company. Our team has committed itself to exploring the vast potential of anime through the creation of dreamlike, immersive, and heartfelt games. Our imagination is as infinite as the starry universe.
About Assassin’s Creed
Since it first launched in 2007, the Assassin’s Creed series has sold more than 200 million games worldwide. The franchise is now established as one of the best-selling series in video game history. Recognized for having some of the richest, most engrossing storytelling in the industry, Assassin’s Creed transcends video games, branching out into numerous other entertainment media.
Luce has returned to her hometown and not only meets up with old friends and flings from her past, but suddenly finds herself gifted with superpowers as the town is overrun with strange monsters. Watch as we battle against and “date” our way through Shoreline Games’ Nova Hearts.
Nova Hearts – Gameplay
Nova Hearts is a vibrant, character-driven action RPG that blends anime-inspired storytelling with turn based combat and rich relationship-building mechanics. Set in a futuristic world where emotions power high-tech gear known as “Heartsuits,” players step into the role of a young pilot navigating both battlefield chaos and heartfelt connections. As tensions rise between rival factions and ancient secrets awaken, your choices in and out of combat shape not only your fate—but the fate of everyone you care about.
With a unique fusion of turn-based gameplay, deep customization, and meaningful dialogue options, Nova Hearts offers a fresh take on narrative-driven action. Build bonds with a diverse cast, explore lush neon-lit cities and ruined landscapes, and uncover the true power behind the Spark in this emotional, adrenaline-charged journey from indie developer Shoreline Games.
Nova Hearts Developer: Lightbulb Crew Publisher: Shoreline Games Platform: Windows, Playstation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch Release Date: June 19, 2025 Price: $19.99 USD
Not Recommended – “Nova Hearts shows heartfelt intent but flounders in execution: stripped-down VN segments, rough romance, and clunky combat, snuff out its brief spark of potential.”
