Princess Peach: Showtime! – Are There Any Post-Game Unlockables?

Today’s AAA games require a lot of storage, and typically, they only get bigger post-launch as addition content and updates are applied. So, it’s somewhat surprising to report that Forza Motorsport – which launched at a very-meaty 130-GB-plus -- is actually shrinking in size with its latest patch. Forza Motorsport Update 7 will see the game’s file size reduced by around 25 GB on Xbox Series X and 29 GB on PC.

While the name Kareem Choudhry may not be as well-known as, say, Phil Spencer or Matt Booty, Xbox fans who keep abreast with the company’s announcements and showcases are likely to be familiar with his face. As corporate vice president of emerging technologies at Xbox, Choudhry was in charge of a lot of the more innovative things Microsoft’s gaming division offered in recent years, including backward compatibility and Xbox Cloud Gaming.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III and Warzone Season 3 has arrived, and as usual, it’s packed with plenty of new content to keep players busy. The core CoD: Modern Warfare III multiplayer experience is getting a bunch of all-new maps, Warzone is bringing back the Rebirth Island Resurgence map with a bunch of updates, and more crossover content is on the way, including Godzilla x Kong cosmetics, and… Cheech and Chong as Operators? Sure, man, groovy. Check out the launch trailer for CoD: Modern Warfare III/Warzone Season 3, below.

The “Pokemon with guns” phenomenon Palworld has dropped its latest update, and it’s a fairly beefy one. The big addition is Palworld’s first raid boss, Bellanoir, an intense battle you can adjust the difficulty on for some big rewards. In addition to that, the update brings a number of improvements to building, a bunch of new handy items, and more. You can check out a quick teaser trailer for Bellanoir, below.

One of the big stories of the past year has been the collapse of Embracer Group, as the failure to secure a major $2 billion investment resulted in the company cutting loose several major studios, either by selling or shuttering them, and laying off 1,400 employees. One of the studios Embracer let go of was Saber Interactive, which was sold to new company Beacon Interactive for a relatively meager $247 million (Embracer originally paid $525 million for them). You’d think the head of Saber might be bitter about this, but instead the company’s founder Matthew Karch is still singing Embracer’s praises in a new GamesIndustry.biz interview.

Market research and data tracking firm NewZoo has released their 2023 PC and Console Gaming Report, and it provides an interesting snapshot of an industry in a bit of a transitional mode. The gaming industry saw out-of-control growth during the pandemic, which fizzled a bit in 2022, but 2023 saw a return to modest growth with the PC/console market reaching $93.5 billion, up 2.3 percent year-on-year. This growth was largely driven by the PC market, which was up 3.9 percent year-on-year, while the console market was up 1.7 percent YoY. The PC market accounted for 43 percent of industry revenue, while consoles were 57 percent.

Microsoft has revealed the titles they’ll be adding to Xbox Game Pass on PC and consoles in early-to-mid April, and there are some solid things to dip your toes into. Subscribers can look forward to Lego 2K Drive, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, the new-release indie Harold Halibut, and more.

Keeping track of all the latest video games coming out is an increasingly complex task, what with multiple PC storefronts, Xbox One, PS4, Switch, mobile, and more to keep track of, but don’t worry, I’m here to help. Every month I'll be running down the games you need to be keeping an eye on, from the big triple-A headliners, to the indies you might otherwise overlook.

Rise of the Ronin is the latest joint from Team Ninja, and while it’s a large, challenging game, some might be wondering – what happens after I roll credits? Is there a New Game+ I can tackle? Are there are post-game features and content I can unlock? Don’t worry, we’re here to take some of the mystery out of Rise of the Ronin’s endgame…

Rise of the Ronin is the latest joint from Team Ninja, and unlike some of their past efforts, the game is surprisingly story-heavy. There are also a number of moments when you’ll be presented with important decisions to make, which begs the question – are their multiple endings? And how does one unlock them all? Scroll on down for the full lowdown on how RotR's story works…

Hellgate: London was a game ahead of its time in a lot of ways, introducing open-world looter and roguelike mechanics before those things became a hot trend. As such, the game is still remembered fairly well despite not being a huge seller at the time. Well, it seems the series may be coming back, because the original game’s producer Bill Roper has announced an Unreal Engine 5 sequel, Hellgate: Redemption, will be produced through his new studio Lunacy Games. Roper had the following to say about the revival…

Princess Peach: Showtime! is here, giving the Mushroom Kingdom monarch a chance to break out of the damsel role and do a little world-saving of her own. While the game is largely pitched to younger audiences, there are still a few things about the game that might inspire questions, and we’re here to help!