Australia is back.

After years in game development obscurity following the global financial crisis, an article from GameIndustry.biz has called it: the resurgence of Australia’s game development industry. But, of course, there’s more to it than that.

That’s because the true hero of this comeback story isn’t the studios or the broader ecosystem — and that’s not to talk down their involvement and generosity to one another in supporting each and every game release.

But rather, it’s government support, both at a federal and state level. Many new games get off the ground thanks to state government grants. Meanwhile, larger companies operate competitively on a global stage — in spite of higher costs in Australia — thanks to the country’s fairly new Digital Games Tax Offset.

Yet government support can come with its own challenges, and at times puts the industry in a precarious position of constantly having to sing for its supper. Expanding on GameIndustry.biz’s coverage, this explainer aims to dig into that delicate balance, criticisms of the current regime, and what it all means. Let’s get into it.

What does government support in Australia look like for the gaming industry?

There are two main schemes that directly benefit games companies:

Grants: These are offered by the various screen-related peak bodies across the country and also by Screen Australia. They directly fund new games, often with stipulations that the funds earned go directly into game development. They are competitive too — not all games that apply get funded.

The Digital Games Tax Offset (DGTO): This is a 30% refundable tax offset for eligible businesses that spend a minimum of $500,000 on qualifying Australian development expenditure. That minimum amount is important here, as it rules out a lot of indie developers. This was introduced in the 2021–22 Federal Budget, and is incidentally up for review in the coming years.

So why does the Australian games industry prefer government support over other commercial mechanisms for funding?

This is an interesting one, as there’s definitely a push within the ecosystem for more support from the government. But then again, that’s not unique to Australia either.

Government support, whether in the form of a grant or tax offset, is broadly considered across the games industry as the a desirable form of funding, because it allows full creative control over the end product and is generally free of commercial conflicts of interest.

While the government remains a key stakeholder, its involvement tends to be more passive than that of a venture fund, company, or publisher.

What are the challenges with government support of the games industry?

First and foremost, it’s not permanent. It’s vulnerable to budget cuts, a change of government, or a simple change of priorities. That’s true of any government-led program.

Secondly, it’s public funds. This means it’s wide open to scrutiny and needs to provide a clear return on investment to taxpayers — even if it’s a cultural one. That accountability aspect can be difficult for the games industry to grapple with, and can also be difficult to measure more broadly.

That’s largely shouldered by Australia’s gaming peak body, the Interactive Games and Entertainment Association (IGEA). “Policymakers want to see employment, location and revenue statistics as a minimum, along with information on skills development and the cultural value of games,” IGEA CEO Ron Curry said.

It’s a “significant” challenge, he added, yet they’ve managed it to date. In March, IGEA announced that the Australian video games industry contributed $608.5 million in revenue to the economy. A strong figure for a sector with only 2,443 full-time employees.

That’s impressive. But is it all a bed of roses? Are there any industry criticisms of Australia’s regime?

While it’s not universally held, there is an undercurrent of frustration with the current grant regime.

Industry veteran and Xsolla’s Area Vice President Simon Slee said that while the grants are valuable for game development, their allocation often leans a little more towards supporting the “art” aspect of games as opposed to those that may be commercially successful. This may be because they are allocated by the screen arts government agencies, where the focus is on cultural narratives and getting people started in the industry.

“Culturally, it feels like there is a bit of an allergic reaction to making money sometimes,” he said. “It has to be a balance, and right now, we’re a bit too far in the art camp.”

Moreover, Slee adds that the system has created a perception among budding developers straight out of university that the correct pathway to making games in Australia is with the grace of a grant.

Slee also advocates that, as opposed to more direct government funding, they could lower the DGTO threshold to around $350,000 and provide offsets for the business of games services costs — both of which could help studios from grassroots indie level to more sustainable, longer-term businesses that can be financially self-sufficient.

He points to New Zealand as a country that has the right balance when it comes to evening out commercial return with the art of making games.

The other main criticism, which came to the fore earlier this year with Freeplay failing to receive a new grant, is that there is little in the way of funding for services or groups that support the gaming industry — or targeted support for launching a game, which is the biggest chokepoint for all new titles.

You mention New Zealand. So what has it gotten right that Australia’s missing?

A very different focus, for starters.

New Zealand has a national economic target for its games industry — and an ambitious one at that: an industry worth $1 billion in revenue by 2026.

This is partially guided by CODE NZ, a government-backed agency aimed at helping grow the sector from skills training through to game development. It was originally founded to support the Dunedin games industry, but in 2023, with government support, expanded its remit to the whole country.

The broader criticism of this approach is that by focusing on commercial return, it undermines creativity in the games that are produced. Though CODE NZ’s Industry Development Manager Vee Pendergrast refutes this.

“Creativity is a key criteria for us. Given Steam is sitting at over 20,000 new releases per annum for the past couple of years… creative project selection is part of the cut-through that any indie developer needs in a crowded marketplace.”

“However, CODE is very specific about informing developers about market trends, techniques to generate market validation and pitching, and training our audience to think commercially as well as creatively. It’s a Venn diagram, not separate circles.”

The numbers back this up. According to CODE NZ, around 35% of games that leverage its program succeed in securing a publisher, compared to the industry average of 0.0016%.

More importantly, the New Zealand government itself is championing similar figures and the sector more broadly — a stark contrast to most jurisdictions, including Australia.

“Games funding isn’t fickle when you can show the returns like we do,” Pendergrast added.

“Regardless of which side of politics is currently in government, return on investment and employment generation and retention talk louder than any ideology.”

So what do you make of all of this?

Some global contrast is needed. Australia and New Zealand are both ahead of so many other budding games industries, and both have different challenges too. In Portugal, for instance, the local games industry would greatly appreciate reduced versions of some of the policies discussed in this story.

As its head, Diogo Rato, Executive Director of local peak body Associação de Produtores de Videojogos Portugueses, put it, grants and tax-related support for new games would go a long way.

“For our emerging studios, ‘good’ support means funding the pre-production phase; grants for prototypes that bridge the gap between a student project and a viable business,” he said. The Portuguese local and national governments both support the ecosystem, but not to the extent of other countries.

Thanks to its current level of government support, the Australian games industry can take more moonshots than a lot of other jurisdictions. One striking feature of our ecosystem is that there are fewer indie games in Australia that fast-follow market leaders and attempt to copy their success than there are elsewhere in the world. And that is something to relish.

But it’s not perfect. Quietly fragile, in fact, as it puts the Australian games industry in a continual state of justification for art. As such, IGEA’s efforts to put a figure to that and support its continuity are admirable, especially when the grants funding many of the country’s newest games do not place as much emphasis on commercial return.

Though it doesn’t have to be that way, as Pendergrast explains: “If the premise is that government funding is vulnerable, then the obvious answer is to equip the studios and broader community with the skills so that they can find their own sources of development funding and not be wholly reliant on the government.”

Yes, Australia’s games industry is back. But if the government ever pulls the pin, for whatever reason, will it remain that way? If we’re finally now in any position of strength, that is now the challenge.

What do you think about the state of government funding for games in Australia? Or government funding of the games industry globally? Let me know in the comments.

For Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of Donkey Kong, Mario, and many other loved Nintendo brands, the worth of a videogame often comes down to its key moments. It doesn’t have to be complicated or overly cinematic either. Even the earliest Mario games threw players a memorable curveball when they first learned that the princess is in another castle.

While it’s difficult to pin down an exact quote in all the interviews he has given over the years, the sentiment remains the same: Great games should evoke emotion, challenge the player to want more, learn more. And many designers over the years have diligently followed this ethos.

We’ve run four of these greatest in gaming articles, but this has to be my hardest callout to date. Through a combination of gameplay, visual and sound design, moments in games can outshine even the most famous scenes in movies and iconic lyrics in songs. There are so many to choose from too. It seems like every game these days attempts to have at least one section that inspires emotion and sticks in your brain.

Yet, Substack’s game writing community delivered, picking scenes and segments I’d never even considered. (Keep in mind, there are some minor spoilers below, which I’ll attempt to flag). Here are some of their most memorable moments from the games they’ve played.

Raphael’s House of Hope fight, Baldur’s Gate 3

By Mike Piggott, Twisted Wonderland

In 2024’s Game of the Year, Baldur’s Gate 3, a fantasy RPG set in the world of D&D, you meet a character early on, a devil named Raphael. If you steal from his house in the Nine Hells, what results is one of the greatest boss fights in gaming. Upon entering his lair, if you’re sharp-eared you’ll hear subtle musical notes which play as you explore. These occur whenever Raphael appears in the game, and are a nod to Raphael’s Final Act, a song which begins with this fight.

This gothic and dramatic melody plays during combat, and is a delightful Disney villain-esque number, performed by actor Andrew Wincott (Raphael) and classical singer Mariya Anastasova. With the wonderful lyrics: Hell, Hell, Hell has its laws / Hell, Hell, effects and the cause / Curtain falls, but hold your applause / Squirm, squirm, for now down here come the claws!

An unforgettable moment.

Encountering Bowser for the first time, Super Mario 64

By Peter Monks, Late to the LAN Party

In the beginning, games were in 2D, and life was good and flat. But we were always yearning for the third dimension, and the early 90’s brought us the pioneers of 3D gaming. One of the biggest was introducing a famous mustachioed plumber to a whole new world. And what better way to do that than to have him fight his nemesis in a way we had never seen before.

Bowser now towers over Mario, huge in every way. Lumbering towards him, there is no hope of jumping on his head this time. Instead, we can now go around him! Grabbing his tail, the brand new Nintendo 64 controller invites us to twirl the analog stick around, faster and faster. We see bombs surround the arena, the inevitability hitting us in the head. All we need to do is aim, let go, and watch the fireworks.

So long, Big Bowser!

Arriving in the Village, Resident Evil 4

By Evan, Everything Unimportant

The opening sequence of Resident Evil 4 is a slow trickle of mounting tension that eventually explodes into a massive battle in the main village square. Leon Kennedy is blitzed with murderous villagers as you have no choice but to run around evasively and take shots when you can with limited ammo. There’s no end in sight, no hope that you could possibly take all of these enemies out before you’re overwhelmed. It’s already challenging enough to balance maneuvering and shooting to stay alive in the horde, but then…

…you hear the revving of a chainsaw. If the droves of sadistic villagers coming to tear you apart wasn’t enough, you’re faced with an enemy wielding a chainsaw that can kill you in one swing. The feeling of panic that you feel any time you see this enemy running towards you is enough to get your palms sweaty, and they tank a ton of ammo before they go down for good. Only the sound of a church bell tolling gives the player a chance to catch their breath as the horde is drawn away from you in a trance, but only after your blood pressure has been adequately spiked.

It’s an absolutely iconic opening and enough to let you know that Resident Evil 4 is in a league of its own.

The stand-off over Synth M7-97 and blind betrayal, Fallout 4

By Dusty Gamer, Dusty Gamer’s Substack

If you’ve spent any time in the wasteland, you know the Brotherhood of Steel is a complicated beast. I’ve been in a “it’s complicated” relationship with them since the original games, with Fallout 3 coming the closest to winning me over. By the time I was climbing the ranks in Fallout 4, I was all in until the moment I handed that network scanner tape to Proctor Ingram.

The confrontation over Synth M7-97 is one of the most layered, tactile narrative sequences in the series. The dialogues with Elder Maxson are haunting; the zeal in his voice is unmistakable. It’s a moment that feels eerily prophetic today, as Maxson’s fear of uncontrolled technology echoes our own modern AI anxieties.

This stayed with me because it’s more than a plot twist; it’s a masterclass in agency. It taught me that with hope and a bit of silver-tongued diplomacy, you can navigate the wreckage of betrayal and the collapse of someone’s life mission and purpose to find a place where something entirely new can begin.

Facing Endsinger at the end of an epic journey, Final Fantasy XIV Online

By The Game Enjoyer, The Game Enjoyer Substack

If there’s anything that online RPGs excel at above every other type of videogame, it’s their ability to make the world feel alive and deep beyond what the player sees. When Square-Enix gave Naoki Yoshida the job to rescue Final Fantasy XIV, nobody expected its original story to last for 8 more years.

Over that time, players adventured, fought terrible foes, bonded and formed communities. When, at the end of 2021, the story that started back in 2010 and had converged with every expansion came to an end, it wasn’t a solo moment. Facing the Endsinger next to 7 other players, we were all at the same point, the final fight after years in Eorzea. When the enemy was felled, there was not the usual collection of loot, “gg” messages and leaving. Everyone stood there, knowing there was no going back: the story was over. Then I realised what an epic journey it had been all along.

The unscripted rollercoaster of each surface run, Arc Raiders

By InGameScientist, Just One More Turn

Heading Topside in Arc Raiders is dangerous business. The elements, robots, and sometimes other players all conspire to prevent you from making it back home safe. But it also gives birth to epic sequences of thrill, uncertainty, and finally, relief.

On one occasion, I went through the emotional rollercoaster of hiding from a haelstrom of rockets unleashed by one of the game’s most feared enemies to fighting against said enemy with fellow players, then losing some of those players to a downpour of rockets, and finally, escorting a downed player to safety.

The great thing is, I can look forward to and experience something unique and epic every single time I play the game. It’s the reason this is the only game I’ve played for the past several months: I get an epic 100+ hour RPG story experience condensed into an action packed 30 minutes.

Revan’s reveal, Star Wars: Knights of The Old Republic

By Cat, Cat’s Controller Corner
*Spoilers ahead*

Star Wars is known for one of the biggest reveals in cinema history. Knights of the Old Republic made that into something personal. Something that you had your own say in. In it, Revan wasn’t your father, the reveal was that they were you. Nothing is more quintessential to gaming.

This moment meant a lot for me as a kid because it was what really solidified my love for videogame stories. Not only was I seeing them happen, I was a part of them. It showed that those stories can be complex and have depth. It made me replay the game again and again because it was so impactful and fun. I sat through the same reveal time and again and each time I got chills. It was monumental for me and for the industry at large.

Also you can go to Korriban, the Sith academy planet, after finding out you’re Revan and tell everyone there and no one believes you and the fact that you can do that at all is fantastic.

The Coin, Legacy of Kain

By ROP, ROP’s Passions

Legacy of Kain is a saga built on revelations. With each conversation, what you believed to be truth fractures and reforms. History rewrites itself; like when Raziel or Kain introduce a paradox and the world reshapes to accommodate it. The Coin discussion is one such moment: deceptively simple, yet… a moment that remained ingrained in my memory of the Series.

“Suppose you throw a coin enough times… suppose one day, it lands on its edge.”

The coin represents choice, yet both of its faces promise ruin. Two outcomes, same Fate. Two paths, both foretold. And then, you realize… Raziel became that coin when Kain cast him into the Abyss as a calculated wager. And this wasn’t a gamble on prophecy’s design, but on its flaw: the impossible third outcome!

By the end, Raziel might not escape Fate, but… the edge wasn’t about evasion—it was about Defiance. Through acceptance, Raziel chose to live by shaping the lives around him in the best way possible and to show us that Free Will can exist even in a reality ruled by insurmountable Fate.

And therein lies the revelation: The Coin landed on its Edge!

Stepping out into Hyrule, The Legend of Zelda, Breath of the Wild

By Christena Maurer, Tunesdays With Mauer

The Legend of Zelda series is known for presenting stories of grand adventures. Each iteration of Hyrule promises heroic quests and valiant battles, from the music to the characters to the world design itself.

However, few moments capture the scale of the quest set before Link quite like the opening of Breath of the Wild, which had me staring in breathless silence on my first playthrough. Waking up from a hundred years of slumber in the Cave of Resurrection, Link finds some ratty old clothes and a Hylian-Tablet ahem “Sheikah Slate” before venturing outside.

Until this point, the sound design is understated and the colors are relatively dark. However, as Link squints into the sunlight and steps forward, the music swells and the camera pulls away to show the vast beauty of the world of Hyrule spread out before him.

And the fate of this world rests on his shoulders.

A Leap of Faith, Shadow of the Colossus

By The Videogame Storyteller, The Videogame Storyteller

Ever since Jumpman began leaping over barrels in 1981’s Donkey Kong, jumping has been among gaming’s most iconic mechanics. And yet, I struggle to think of a more exhilarating single use of the jump than when it was deployed early in the battle against Avion (the fifth colossus) in Shadow of the Colossus.

Not that Shadow of the Colossus is known for its intuitive leaping. The game’s notorious physics mean that Wander’s jump feels more like an ascending stumble than the effortless nature of Mario’s springs. This means that when the flying colossus Avion swoops down towards you like a gigantic bird of prey, you hardly feel confident in your pressing of the “triangle” button.

It’s a heart-in-your-mouth moment in gaming where danger is fast approaching and you must react. And just like with Donkey Kong’s barrels, there is really only one option. You must jump. So, you do. You jump, grab onto Avion’s wings, and then take to the sky.

Waking up in Tibet, Uncharted 2

By Evan C Moore, Play Moore

Nathan Drake woke up dazed. A stranger spoke to him in an unknown language. He bid Drake drink, stand, dress, and follow. We later learn that this stranger is Tenzin. Over the course of several minutes, Tenzin guides Drake through his hometown. I will never forget it.

The scene is calm, easy, and nonviolent. Drake’s only urgency is Tenzin’s encouraging voice to follow him. All the pleasantries and delights of Drake’s explorative nature are still present: the expansive views, the sheer beauty of this remote land. We are forgiven for thinking it a moment of peace.

But the scene is still hectic. Drake himself is recovering, and he does not know where he is. He doesn’t speak Tibetan. Outward beauty and inward strife.

That contradiction sticks with me. How can we enjoy a steady breeze or the image of children playing when the threat still looms over us? What greater moment can there be, but one of confusion in the face of peace?

When you suddenly end up playing as a ring, Kid Icarus: Uprising

By Calvin Barrett, Retro Journal
*Spoilers ahead*

Kid Icarus: Uprising was a far more innovative game than the general public gives it credit for. The narrative was perfectly interwoven with the ongoing gameplay as the gods of the world joked, argued, and bickered with each other as you desperately fought off hordes of demons in an attempt to just stay alive. But in chapter 18, after Pit had apparently died, the character suddenly takes control of... a ring. Yeah, with no introduction, you’re playing as a ring now. Passing from the little girl who discovers you, to a dog, and even Magnus, and a tank of a human that you met in the first chapter of the game. The world is entirely different now: Palutena is the antagonist, and the world has been plunged into darkness, just moments after you thought you were poised to save it.

Everything, and I mean everything, about the game is changed from this moment onward, down to the themes of the menus and the goddess who controls your flight path. Such a bold decision and such a drastic shift in momentum changed how I viewed not only Kid Icarus: Uprising, it became the standard for every narrative-driven game I’ve played since.

Encountering The Dragon Slayer Ornstein and Executioner Smough, Dark Souls

By Joe, The Saved Game

Those perturbing names from Dark Souls quickly became etched into my mind from the moment I first stepped through the fog and witnessed the shockingly beautiful cathedral within the depths of Anor Londo.

That grim boss fight and the unnerving atmosphere inside the otherwise ornate cathedral resonated with me. It was the beauty mixed with the challenge, the relief following the trial, and the powerfully epic music that made this moment stand out to me. My heart pounded as I faced them, my hands tightly gripped the controller as I dodged their attacks, and my soul became weary in exhaustion after I fell many times. However, the immense relief of victory made the pain worth it when I finally defeated them and received the Lordvessel from Gwynevere!

Years later, that ruthless duo set the bar for me when it comes to an incredible boss fight — with it becoming one of my greatest gaming moments of all time!

The death of Aerith, Final Fantasy VII

By Kamikaze Worm, Kamikaze Worm’s Gaming Adventures
*Spoilers ahead*

It’s 1997 and my little brother and I are aged 7 and 10 playing Final Fantasy VII.

Your team discovers Aeris praying and believes you are about to be reunited as a group when the unthinkable happens, and Sephiroth descends and kills Aeris with his sword.

Everything moves into slow motion and we watch as Aeris’ hair ribbon twirls to the ground and a glowing orb of materia tinkles down into the water below. Aeris theme begins to play and our tears begin to fall. We barely register the battle between our team and Jenova, so enraged we are by this turn of events.

We believed it wasn’t possible for us to lose one of our beloved team and we sat open mouthed as Cloud carried Aeris and gently dropped her body into the depths.

It remains the most emotionally charged scene from a game for my Brother and I that has been unmatched in the last 30 years.

Boss fight, or a moment of remembrance with Great Grey Wolf Sif, Dark Souls Artorias of the Abyss DLC

By Taylor V, Taylor V Substack

There are so many moments from video games that have stuck with me, but none of those moments compare to the Great Grey Wolf Sif fight from Dark Souls. If you ventured through the DLC (which took place in the past) you had the opportunity to save puppy Sif. If you did, then that one action transformed her boss fight into an emotional piece of storytelling.

As soon as she leaps off a giant tombstone she protects, your character falls as she stands over you. She takes one sniff and her eyes shift from anger to sorrow. Then she somberly walks over to her sword. That alternate scene always gives me chills. And that’s not all. Once her health gets low, she begins to limp and her attacks get slower. She is still the only boss that I hated to beat, but the storytelling aspect has always stuck with me.

When a mouse’s letter ends a cat’s pursuit, Post Mouse

By Systemfehler: Ich?, Systemfehler: Ich? Substack
*Spoilers ahead*

Post Mouse is a tiny, free puzzle game about a mouse delivering letters through an abandoned, ruined mansion. For hours, you’ve been piecing together hints about the people who once lived here –strange paintings, lives left behind. The game never tells you what happened to them.Then, in the basement, a black cat with glowing yellow eyes stalks you.

She’s fast and looks dangerous. You stumble, the letter falls open. You begin to read aloud: “Dear Irene, it’s been a while, hasn’t it? Mom’s been muttering your name... I really hope you don’t hate me still.” The cat stops. She sits right in front of you and listens. The letter is from her sister. An apology and invitation to come home.When you finish, the cat – this creature you feared – looks at the letter and whispers: “Someone sent a letter... to me?”You smile while you nod ,she lets you go and as you leave, she bows her head over the letter and says, quietly: “...and thank you.”

That four-hour game? It was worth it for this one moment.

Tifa nearly meets her end at the Mako Reactor, Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth

By Harrison Polites, Infinite Lives
*Spoilers ahead*

Twenty hours in, just when you start to think Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth is a straight rehash of the original, it throws you a curveball. Out of nowhere, Tifa -- one of the game’s most beloved and iconic characters -- is knocked into the Mako Reactor in Gongaga by a confused Cloud Strife, manipulated by the game’s big bad: Sephiroth. It’s a segment that smartly subverts the player’s expectations: we spend the whole game bracing for Aerith’s death — the most iconic moment in the original — only to see Tifa nearly meet her end midway through instead.

There are whole conspiracy videos about the significance of this scene, revolving around how Tifa — not Cloud — is perhaps the ultimate foil for Sephiroth’s plan for his new timeline. Sephiroth makes a concerted effort to remove her from the equation here, more so than in the original game. That reads to me as a setup for a much larger role in the third game — and I think we’ll look back at this moment accordingly. It had me glued to my chair, yelling at the TV, and it’s not one I’ll forget any time soon.

There’s plenty of moments that haven’t been mentioned here. Tell us about your favourites, or discuss the ones featured here in the comments below.

Like most business ideas on the internet, it all began as a chat thread.

Former Kotaku Australia editor Mark Serrels and fellow journalist Jackson Ryan were discussing the dismal fate of gaming journalism in Australia, spurred on by the closure of Kotaku Australia in 2024. The pair both contributed to the website — Serrels at one point served as its editor — and later worked together directly at CNET Australia. They were well aware of the gaping hole the closure left in Australia’s already receding games journalism industry.

They tossed around ideas for a new platform. Something they could operate within the constraints of their current roles. Serrels runs consumer advocacy group CHOICE’s editorial division, meanwhile Ryan freelances across both science and videogames journalism. A newsletter? A TikTok channel? A YouTube show? Nothing stuck until the most retro variant of media around came into the c…

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Surely someone at Capcom has noticed the coincidence. For a game series that’s built around bioweapons, zombies and mutating monsters, Resident Evil has seen its own steady evolution.

The franchise started as a puzzle-box survival horror game, then made a sharp turn into action with the release of Resident Evil 4. It veered a little too far into action with Resident Evil 6 and since then the series has been trying to find a middle ground between horror and adrenaline. It’s toyed with various camera perspectives, lead characters and plot scenarios, trying to strike this balance.

The core problem being: How can you scare the player when the playable character is a shotgun-wielding zombie-destroyer by the end of the game? The power creep ultimately undermines the horror. It’s hard to feel afraid when you’re all-powerful. But keeping the character weak and vulnerable also detracts from the fun.

Resident Evil Requiem’s latest iteration’s solve for this is pretty simple: they compartmentalise the game across two characters — Grace Ashcroft, the mousy FBI analyst, and series stalwart Leon S. Kennedy. While this is very much Grace’s story, you play as both, alternating between them as the game progresses.

Grace’s sections are pure survival horror and, big call, some of the best I’ve played to boot. The best regular weapon she gets is an upgraded pistol. Beyond that, she uses her brains to survive. She can craft items, (using mutated blood, don’t think about it too deeply) and the majority of her gameplay revolves around environmental puzzles.

Leon, on the other hand, comes in packing just about everything aside from a rocket launcher. He gets all the boss fights, can parry incoming attacks, and is a literal bioweapon-mincing machine.

In the spirit of evolution, this review is also going to be a bit different.

I’ve brought in another Resident Evil superfan, Scanlines, to help me break down this game. It’s a long discussion, and we go into a lot of detail. So if you are looking for a quick verdict: We both loved this game and felt it was up there among the series best. Though, its duality and plot create a few issues.

With that: I’ll pass it to him. What are your initial impressions? What do you think?

Scanlines: I think Capcom’s decision to split the game in this manner — though not without a few minor issues — was a stroke of genius. I was nervous to start this game and the heavy cutscenes in the first hour made me wary, but it all turned out great.

Ever since Resident Evil 7, Capcom has been juggling three different generations of Resident Evil fan — classic fans, action fans and modern fans — in a way where it always felt like one of those groups was losing out. Resident Evil Village is my least favourite of the modern RE titles and where I felt this friction the most; fans of classic survival horror like me were forced to play a contrived first-person shooter sequel to the best survival horror game since the GameCube, and action fans couldn’t even enjoy Village in third person until some time after release. In essence, the Grace, Leon split in Requiem turns one of modern Resident Evil’s Achilles’ heels into its biggest selling point.

Not up for the survival horror and stalker enemy? Just a few hours in and you’ll get to indulge in the Leon S. Kennedy power fantasy. Prefer survival horror? Well, Grace is the protagonist of the story — more so than Leon — and the first half of the game is survival horror Resident Evil at its most tense.

Modern Resident Evil fans get a game that isn’t a truncated version of something that released on the original PlayStation 30 years ago, and it advances the story. Everyone wins.

I’m going to echo your big call, Harrison. I replay these games every year — original hardware, headphones on, in front of the glow of my CRT or at my computer in the dark — and not since Resident Evil 2 Remake in 2019 have I felt the level of tension and dread Requiem provokes. Some jump scares had me flying out of my seat. The way certain mechanics from the very best of the survival horror era are reused put a massive smile on my face when I realised what was going on and how I was supposed to be using the Haemolytic Injector.

Grace’s half of the game is a sweet, short dose of the finest survival horror ever crafted… but I felt Leon’s half didn’t quite live up to past adventures; the enemy variety, set-pieces and weapons roster don’t hold a candle to games like Resident Evil 4 or 5. I’d be interested to know if you felt the same way.

Harrison: Yeah, you are bang on. I think we’re going to be agreeing for most of this article.

Before I delve into Leon, I just wanted to add: whoever came up with the idea to make the zombies just that bit more human with this new mutated T-virus — absolute stroke of genius. It adds a level of characterisation to the enemies that just isn’t present in many other survival horror games.

Enemies focus on light switches, which you can use to distract them, or attempt to clean up after corpses you leave in your wake. Others literally apologise while going for your jugular. These aren’t just monsters — they are victims. This is almost always the case with Resident Evil games, but it really hits home hard here. It’s innately more creepy than lifeless corpses lurching around the place.

Scanlines: That part of the new zombies took a long time to settle for me. When I first encountered the Chef in the kitchen, a combination of my juvenile humour finding his voice and dialogue funny, the heavy cutscenes at the beginning and a lingering bitter taste in my mouth from Resident Evil 8 set alarm bells ringing — but after my first hour in the Care Centre I really fell in love with the concept.

Gunning down one zombie and hearing it whimper “Sorry” as I waited to see that tell-tale blood pool to know the deed was done was a moment of emotional poignancy this series rarely hits.

Obviously this is a reference to RE3 Remake, but as you say, it reminds the player that these people are victims of bio-organic weapons and recontextualises every horrifying monster as an innocent you’re forced to put down. That feeling never left me.

Harrison: Speaking of lifelessness — this brings me to your earlier question. While it was interesting to return to Raccoon City in the second half of the game, it was a very dull, colourless environment. As you would expect from a place that survived a nuclear fallout, I guess.

Yes, it was riddled with easter eggs from past games, including a few nods to the very niche Resident Evil Outbreak 1 and 2. And it’s the ultimate power fantasy watching Leon essentially quash legions upon legions of undead.

However, this part was the most forgettable for me. Cool, yes. But I think the environments lend so much to these action games, because you are essentially doing the same thing for a few hours. This is a tricky one to parse — it’s not bad by gameplay standards more broadly. The combat scenarios designed for this section are top notch compared to other action shooters.

The tilted-over building where you use the glass floor as a weapon. The elevator ride from hell down a dilapidated apartment block. Even the weird gas station fight segment with a chainsaw. It’s all outstanding in hindsight. And I appreciated Leon’s weapon upgrade system and the linking of kills to points — reminiscent of the arcade modes in prior games.

Scanlines: I’m going to take this opportunity, now that we’re discussing art style and graphics, to say I played using the third person camera rather than in first and that in general the presentation of Requiem didn’t blow me away. The facial animations are all quite stiff and there were moments where I noticed some very muddy-looking textures; the dreaded yellow paint and yellow tape also make a return, and I hate how you can’t turn the film grain off in this game. The drab colours in Raccoon City exacerbate all of this.

This was such a difficult area to evaluate. I agree that the set-pieces are all outstanding and I loved the easter eggs — I burst out laughing at the hidden Tofu one — but part of me feels a bit sad that the PlayStation 1 version of the RPD has been erased from history here. They make a big song and dance about returning to Raccoon for the first time in about 25 years, but we’re not really returning to it, are we?

We’re revisiting the 2019 remake, not classic Resident Evil. The upgrade system was brilliant but I do miss the weapon variety from RE4 Remake — I felt like I was waiting for a new set of guns that never materialised.

Harrison: That’s such a great point. This is a nostalgia trip without the nostalgia. Though, I replayed Resident Evil 2 Remake after finishing this, and it hits a bit harder now because of this new game.

After finishing Requiem, I can’t help but long for more of what we got within the first few hours with Grace. As we both know, she has another moment later in the game, but it’s quite linear in comparison. I just wanted another sprawling survival horror section to cap off Requiem. The Rhodes Hill hospice was the game for me.

Scanlines: It’s funny to think that the biggest issue with Requiem is probably that it should have given us more. I’m happy to feel that way about it, especially after Resident Evil Village — a game I felt dragged on and on. It is a shame about the linearity, though; that late-game stealth section involving a certain classic enemy was top-tier, and the juxtaposition in gameplay served to highlight how far Leon has come.

Harrison: That’s a good jumping-off point for another discussion. Changing gears a little: given we’re both well versed in Resident Evil canon, what do you think about the game’s plot and Victor Gideon as the big bad? There’s also a world where Jill Valentine or Claire Redfield could have been in this game rather than Leon.

Scanlines: In general, I feel the franchise has come to rely too much on legacy characters, especially Chris and Leon. I would have preferred Claire or Jill, but let’s face it — they have neither the marketing power that shareholders like nor the meme potential that the internet sees in any Leon appearance.

I was always comparing Requiem to Resident Evil 7 while playing. That was the last time we were introduced to a major new character. I think I speak for most of the fanbase when I say that Ethan Winters wasn’t particularly interesting or well-handled; Ethan had too much background and dialogue to be a player self-insert, yet Capcom were obsessed with hiding his face for a while there.

That game’s big twist was excellent too — it recontextualised a disconnected story into an integral part of the modern timeline. By comparison, I felt Grace was a little cheated in Requiem. Her character arc isn’t all that strong, and despite having a much more interesting personality and closer ties to the canon than Ethan, she lacks agency. Leon and Gideon’s actions force her into situations — Grace doesn’t follow a mission like, say, STARS Alpha Team in RE1.

On the plot more broadly — I’m not a fan. I was seriously disappointed when a certain character was killed off unceremoniously in a cutscene, and the big plot MacGuffin felt much too far-fetched. Gideon was delightfully creepy and I enjoy his lore, but I have to say — as a Resident Evil GameCube super fan, with that remake being my third favourite game ever — my heart did sink a little that RE1’s sequels got all the nostalgia bait. We returned to the series’ origin and somehow managed to completely ignore the first game.

Harrison: I’d actually never thought of that, which is a shame — I agree, the remake of the first Resident Evil game rocks and holds up to this day.

Plot-wise: I think they started strong but didn’t really know how to finish it. For a game built around honouring the series, there aren’t any real lasting implications from it.

Scanlines: I agree on the lack of lasting implications; for a game that was supposed to be about tying up loose ends… we sure have a lot of new ones.

Harrison: Yes, they did end up adding in another mysterious group to keep tabs of. I’m running out of red string for my Resident Evil conspiracy pinboard!

We’ve covered a lot of ground in terms of gameplay and story. One way I always like to cap off my reviews is by looking at the value of the game — its cost relative to its gameplay.

It’s not cheap. Capcom bumped the price up in Australia to $107 AUD ($69 USD), around $10 more than their last title. For that, I got a solid 12 hours of gameplay. It is designed to be replayed, but without too much variation. Insanity mode features slightly changed item placement and enemy difficulty, but that doesn’t have me rushing in for a second run.

How I pine for the days when a second character featuring in the game meant an entirely different playthrough. We seem to be getting further and further away from that with Resident Evil. That said, I reckon I’ll replay this over the years. For me, it’s a no-brainer if you love survival horror or Resident Evil. Though these games do go on sale, I could totally understand others waiting for that. What do you think? Any closing thoughts?

Scanlines: I’m glad you brought this up, Harrison, because the price versus value debate is one I have a lot of thoughts on. Modern gaming reminds me a lot of GameCube-era Nintendo sometimes — during that console’s heyday, a lot of their games had excessive bloat in order to inflate the runtime. Wind Waker being longer than Ocarina of Time sounded better on paper until you realised the extra length was hunting for Triforce Shards. Where am I going with this? I don’t think hours equate to value.

Most of the greats aren’t particularly long games and nobody cares — what matters is that you enjoy the experience and don’t feel ripped off. Resident Evil games have always been short and replayable, and on a personal level I’m tired of playing games that take weeks to finish.

I think the price is worth it through the lens of replaying the game once a year, as I do, and certainly for Resident Evil players who like to speedrun — but Requiem certainly isn’t a game to buy at full price for those hoping for extra modes or just looking for one particular gameplay style.

All of that being said, there are barriers to that classic Resident Evil replayability here and I share in your fondness for the classic two-character system.

The front-loaded cutscenes grind down the opening hour, and there should have been an extra difficulty in there, because Insanity mode is meant for players who have already unlocked infinite ammo and other bonuses.

They try to position Classic mode as a stop-gap, but I don’t consider being forced to use Ink Ribbons a higher difficulty — to me, that’s just the way Resident Evil is meant to be played.

Harrison: Hard agree. I played with Ink Ribbons turned on for my first run!

Scanlines: It’s been a pleasure to join you, Harrison. I’ve been relatively critical of Requiem here, but my overall opinion is that this is the best Resident Evil game of the decade so far and about on par with Resident Evil 2 Remake.

Reviewed on: Playstation 5 Pro, RTX 5070, i7 12700KF PC.

Worth playing if you like: Other Resident Evil games? But you don’t need us to tell you that. The Evil Within, Dead Space.

Available on: Playstation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series S and X, Windows, Steam.

Are you a fellow Resident Evil fan? Given it’s not that long, have you played through Requiem and do you have your own thoughts? And what do you think of this format for reviews? Let us know in the comments.

Like the best birthday speeches, I’m going to try and keep this one brief. And by the end of it, you’ll know why. Though I will say now, it’s not bad news!

Looking back over the past two years, this platform has absolutely exceeded any expectation I had of it. Over 600 people now subscribe to this newsletter, 16 pay for it too.

With those funds I’ve been able to commission journalism at a rate that’s meaningful, worthwhile and puts genuine value on it. It’s something I’m incredibly passionate about and I did not think it would happen until years from now.

This year, I’ve got even bigger ambitions, albeit personal ones. I’m undertaking something that I’ve wanted to do my whole life: living abroad.

For the next 12 months, I’ll be operating as a digital nomad, primarily in Europe and the UK. Travelling, learning, writing and hopefully gaining insight that I’ll be able to feed back into this newsletter. I’m starting my journey in Lisbon, Portugal — a known gaming hub in the region — and plotting it out from there.

This is something I’ve always wanted to do, but life just got in the way. Despite my global roaming, this newsletter won’t lose its Australian focus. If anything, it will add to it. Gaming execs and publishers here are incredibly well-travelled. I’m often popping into their text messages or inboxes while they are boarding a flight.

There are, however, some trade-offs:

• To maintain my day job, I’ll have to more strictly stick to a once-per-week publishing regime, with the occasional bonus newsletter. It’s a cadence many of you expect anyway.

• Beyond that, there may be a few brief 1-2 week breaks throughout the year. Basically, every time I take a week off work, I take two weeks off the newsletter to enable a running start. It’s a policy that has served me well, and is key to keeping the newsletter running for three years on top of a full-time, self-run PR operation.

• Lastly, my ability to play games (and therefore review games) will be a bit limited. I won’t be lugging my PS5 around the world, so I’ll be confined to my Steam Deck and Nintendo Switch 2. There’s a world in which I consider picking up a Steam Machine as it’s a smaller unit, but I can’t make plans on a device that has no release date.

The one big upside: I’ll be able to go to (and will try to make time for) European and UK gaming events, and learn more about the industry. That, I believe, will put me in better stead for future reporting.

In closing… I realise that I genuinely suck at brevity. It was the goal, given I’m knee-deep in trip planning and odd jobs that come with renting out a house and packing for a year abroad. It’s been a hectic few months planning all of this!

I’ll post my movements via this newsletter and Substack Notes, and maybe I’ll get to meet some of you while I’m abroad. Perhaps at an event, or over coffee. I’m keen if you are!

Stay tuned for a cool collaboration review of Resident Evil Requiem with Scanlines later this week.

For paying subscribers, I’ve included a bit below about my broader goals, thoughts and ideas on Substack and newsletter growth below.

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Players are in for a good scare when they pick up the latest copy of Resident Evil Requiem. But it turns out the real horror occurred within the first 24 hours of the game’s launch.

In what has to be up there as one of the most dystopian moments ever seen in gaming journalism, long-running UK games website Videogamer published an AI-generated review of the latest in the storied survival horror series amid all the other launch reviews.

It came onto readers’ radar when the review was automatically ported onto Metacritic, a review aggregator that drives significant traffic to websites around the world. Outrage ensued.

It gets worse. The piece is attributed to an AI-generated journalist. Yes, you read that right. Something ripped straight out of Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, where its main newsreader is revealed to be an AI designed to subtly influence public opinion (sorry for the spoiler there), is now in a rudimentary form,…

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It was a classic case of too many games, too little time.

I downloaded The Drifter at the end of October. I could only play it on my Steam Deck — a less frequented device for me — so the game was already at a disadvantage. I booted it up, played 10 minutes to get the gist ahead of a developer interview with co-creator Dave Lloyd from Powerhoof for another story.

I remember saying the game was a unique commentary on homelessness on the call. Lloyd played a straight bat at the time, agreeing with my point. In retrospect, he must have eye-rolled on the other end of the line — another games journalist who has no bloody idea. This game is as much about homelessness as Stranger Things is about the ‘80s. It’s a present theme, it’s interesting, sure, but it’s so far from the core story.

As a result, I was intrigued, but it didn’t grab me. In that month I’d bought six other games and expansions. I was midway through

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Many could see the smoke well before the fire, but less than a few months into Australia’s social media ban for under-16s, one of the world’s largest video game platforms for that age group is under scrutiny.

As of last week, Roblox, a sandbox game where players can design their own experiences, is in the crosshairs of both the eSafety Commissioner’s office and Anika Wells, Australia’s Federal Minister for Communications.

The eSafety Commissioner, the Australian government agency in charge of policing the social media ban and other online safety matters, issued a formal warning to Roblox focused on moderating and policing its in-game chat features, putting it on notice over concerns around the potential for child grooming.

This was followed by an open letter from Minister Wells, asking for a meeting to explain how Roblox is ensuring the safety of its users, and that it is seeking advice from Australia’s…

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Over 100,000 flock to Melbourne International Games Week events each year. While your average gamer will tell you that the three-day expo PAX is their absolute highlight of the week, those in the games industry will give you a very different answer.

Parallels, an event nestled in the middle of the very crowded week, has become the undisputed staple of the Australian indie game development community.

“It provides a chance for devs from all walks of life and experience levels to finally connect,” Ben Shuster, editor of Qualbert and Game Community Manager at Gameloft Brisbane, told Infinite Lives.

“Where else can you share a drink with a fellow local dev and bond over shared trauma, and seconds later be speaking with Team Cherry about the store-crashing success of Silksong? It offers an important space outside the crowded PAX expo hall, celebrating the sheer creativity and absurdity of games that you’ll not find elsewhere…

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Once again, I have defeated god.

There’s a trope among Japanese role-playing games (JRPGs) that the final boss is always some form of all-powerful divine entity. A reawakened ancient evil god. Someone who has become a god. Or a deceptive god, that was quietly evil all along.

Yet, despite calling the ending of the game a few hours in, having spent 100 hours playing Octopath Traveller 0, I was enthralled almost all of it. I genuinely didn’t skip a cutscene. In the game’s final moments, and final fight I audibly chuckled and delighted at just how over the top it all was.

Yes, I was again fighting god, but not in a way that I expected. I really don’t want to spoil it here. But rest assured, that’s a high bar for someone who really should be looking into whether there’s any kind of rewards program for crushing wayward deities.

Turning a mobile game into a console success

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Welcome back to the Infinite Lives newsletter; what a time to write about gaming. I originally intended this first piece back to be a gentle ease into the new year. A light read, covering off the major points that will shape this year.

It may just be writer’s enthusiasm from taking almost a month off from penning this newsletter, but as I kept going, the thoughts really piled up.

We really are living in a fascinating time for the sector, where so many ideas and trends are actively affecting the way games are made, the way we play them, and the overall health of the industry.

There’s a lot to talk about. So let’s get into it. Here are the big questions that I think will shape gaming this year.

Will the gaming industry continue to try to hike prices?

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EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the last edition of Infinite Lives for 2025. I’ll be back the week of January 26. New to the newsletter and want more? Check out my Greatest in Gaming section to discover other writers on Substack. There’s also plenty of unlocked content in my backlog, so be sure to take a look.

The savviest games industry critic could not predict just how good this year would be for videogame fans.

It was destined to be a year where everything was overshadowed by the launch of Grand Theft Auto 6. What we instead got was a watershed year for gaming, with some of the best titles we’ve seen in over a decade.

If I had to pick one word that really defines the best of what this year has to offer, it would be storytelling. This year’s top titles were defined by their ability to convey meaningful, emotional stories to players. And for my money, that’s a great trend for the industry to follow with future games.

Yes, games have been telling incredible stories for decades now. I’m sure many shed a tear when Aerith met her end to Sephiroth back in Final Fantasy VII in 1997. But I still find instances where stronger writing — or at least a greater focus on it — could have taken a title from being ordinary to exceptional.

As more studios dabble with AI experimentation in 2026, I think there’s going to be a real motivation to outsource plot writing to the bots as a non-essential aspect of building a game. The same goes for voice acting too.

But that would be a mistake. As this year’s best games show, if anything, developers should be over-indexing on writing and world-building.

Anyway, let’s get into it. Here are my top three best games for the year. I’ve gone ahead and unlocked all my reviews for my top three as summer reads, if you’ve missed them.

1) Ghost of Yotei

If you were ever searching for an argument that PlayStation game exclusivity is hurting Sony, look no further than Ghost of Yotei.

This game is outstanding and, dare I say it, a sleeper hit for this year, that shouldn’t be one. Despite very favourable reviews and scores, it nary registered a mention at The Game Awards, winning no prizes.

As I wrote in my review at the time, Ghost of Yotei doesn’t really reinvent the wheel, but it streamlines and hones many of the mechanics seen in the original game. That’s all layered on top of a really meaningful and well-told vengeance story, with a very strong artistic direction to boot.

It’s slated for a PC release next year, broadening out the number of people who can play it. I can’t help but feel the game will get its due when that happens.

2) Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

You don’t need me to tell you to go play this game. Given all the accolades it’s received, in all likelihood, if you regularly play video games, you’ve already picked it up. Or maybe not, given the game’s stance on AI.

But let me instead tell you why I personally think it’s special. This game grapples with grief in a way that perhaps no other game to date has really managed. Incredible writing, storytelling and voice acting come together in a package that will set the bar for gaming for years to come. Regardless of the size of the production and development team, that’s ultimately what I think makes it special.

My only mark against the game: I still think the general clumsiness of the third act is somewhat overlooked by a lot of critical reviews. There’s just no clear indication on how to tackle it, and I’d still strongly recommend looking up a guide if you are playing through. Still, I’m heartened to hear anecdotally that despite the game being somewhat difficult, many casual players are picking it up and making it to the very climatic ending.

3) Donkey Kong Bananza

A distant third on my list, but possibly the Nintendo Switch 2’s best game to-date. This is another case of hardware exclusivity hampering the overall success of the title. We’re all used to Nintendo games only releasing on Nintendo devices, but this was a Switch 2 exclusive, meaning only the most devoted early adopters of the new console have likely played it.

This is a game that ends stronger than it starts, especially if you are a fan of the original Donkey Kong Country series. But it also breaks new ground for 3D platformers. Literally. Almost every surface is destructible in this game, leading to a lot of unique and interesting design choices.

Anecdotally, this game also plays really well as a co-op title, so if you have a partner or child who is gaming curious, be sure to give that a go.

What came close?

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 — I played this game on the recommendation of a friend, and what a suggestion it was. If not for wanting to feature a more accessible Nintendo game in my top three, I’d easily swap this for Donkey Kong: Bananza. It’s a really robust role-playing game that’s tricky at first, but gets incredibly satisfying as you master its systems. I was really hot on this when it first came out, and I stand by my call. If you are into role-playing games and haven’t given this a go, look it up during the holiday break.

Hollow Knight: Silksong — The long-awaited sequel is such an excellent game, and I want to bat for the home team here, given it’s Australian! But its sharp difficulty curve and, at times, mean game design—especially early on—make it hard to broadly recommend. You’ve already played this game if you loved the original. If you are new to the series, it’s still a fantastic entry point. Be ready for a challenge, but the experience itself is incredibly rewarding.

Blue Prince — Almost a year on and accounts still vary for this game. I loved my time with it, but its randomness can absolutely frustrate players, especially early on. It seems the players that got the most joy out of this game kept playing after the first ending. But I stopped there, really feeling like I’d had my fill. I agree with Al Thumm’s take in my recent predictions piece: games like Blue Prince are ushering in a return to form for puzzle titles, and that’s only a good thing.

Mario Kart World — Great game. The most technical, difficult-to-master, Mario Kart to date. But Nintendo has absolutely dropped the ball on the long-tail management of it. This could have been the first truly online Mario Kart, with continuous updates and reasons to keep playing. Once you finish all of the cups, there’s just very little to do. A missed opportunity.

Letdowns:

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond — I’m still stinging from this one. Great shooter, not a great Metroidvania. Crushing, given this series has a strong fan base that waited years for this game. Don’t let me stop you if your a big fan of this series. It’s just not as good as it could be.

Pokémon Legends Z-A — Why is Nintendo tolerating such corner cutting for one of its marquee franchises? Still fun, but we can do more with the world’s most valuable intellectual property. Its fans absolutely deserve better!

Assassin’s Creed: Shadows — Still a good game, just wish the map was smaller and denser, and the story wasn’t primarily told through the last two character missions.

My most played game?

Final Fantasy XIV Online — The game I play when I have nothing to play, and despite all of the amazing games on offer in 2025, it’s still my most-played game this year. That’s highly likely due to savage raiding, where this year I cleared my fifth raiding tier. Not sure if I’ll go for my sixth in the New Year.

This game strongly rewards those who stick with it, as some of the recent patch content has been excellent. A standout: one of the new raids has an absolute ear-worm of a track written by Rage Against The Machine’s Tom Morello.

There’s some renewed momentum here ahead of the next major expansion, which will likely come out late 2026 at the earliest. Though, there’s been little in the way of teasers or new information for it.

Yet, despite its marketing slogan than there’s “no better time to play”, I’m a bit reluctant to suggest this game to brand new players. On my count it takes over 100 hours to get up to date with the new content and play through all prior patches, just to get to the stuff everyone is talking about or streaming. You can pay to skip content, but that’s ill-advised, as there’s a skill hurdle that older content helps you surpass.

There have been moves to make this easier and playable without needing to engage with the multiplayer aspect of the game. That includes making the first two expansions and the base game free to play. But that doesn’t address the fact that it remains a major time sink for those who are new to get to current content.

I’ll be keeping an eye on Final Fantasy XIV as well as the other ‘forever games’ next year. Can a game really last forever? I think within the next few years, we’re going to find out.

Other notable games this year

Age of Mythology: Retold — I love a good real-time strategy game, and this is one of the best. You can typically only play these games using a mouse and keyboard, but this game reboot has absolutely nailed controller play. With a steady supply of DLC, it’s definitely worth a look if you like this genre—even if you only own a gaming console.

Hades 2 — Did you miss this game? I snuck in a play through just as it came out, but ran out of time to review it. It’s missing some of the soul of the original game, but is a strong rogue-like all the same that really expands on the ideas of the original game. A great holiday game!

Elden Ring Nightreign — After a month of false starts and several calls to my internet provider earlier this year, I finally got this working. It’s heaps of fun slogging through it with a pair of friends. But there’s no real on-ramp for new players, and an expectation from the existing player base that you know what you’re doing from the get-go. So I’d watch some YouTube explainers ahead of diving in. You’ve been warned.

Disclosure: I typically purchase all of my games I review or mention in Infinite Lives. However, I accepted two 60-day game-time codes for Final Fantasy XIV this year from the game’s publicist, but purchased the expansion back in 2024.

I’ve missed so many games in this piece. Including many indie titles that I’m looking to play over the holiday break. What are your standout games of the year? Also any suggestions for what to play over the Australian summer? Let me know in the comments.

Let’s get this out of the way: I’ll be the first to say that typically, prediction pieces can be a bit of a waste of time.

Back when I was a tech reporter many moons ago, pulling these stories together was usually an exercise in finding the most outlandish claims to hang a headline off. So they weren’t really a representation of what’s actually going on, just what made for the most interesting copy. And, truth be told, in most sectors, everyone’s crystal ball is just as hazy as anyone else’s.

Yet in gaming, I’ve found people’s takes on the future to be quite intriguing, conservative, and as a result, more astute. For an industry built on creating the fantastic, its key participants and veterans are quite realistic and pragmatic, hardened by just how difficult it is to create, launch and succeed in gaming.

Even with last year’s predictions, where I mainly polled Substack writers, I was pleasantly surprised at just how many of them came true:

• The rise of AI-based NPCs, as seen with Whispers of a Star

• More use of gaming intellectual property in TV and film, a Zelda movie is now a reality

• Further troubles for Ubisoft…

• More ports for the Steam Deck and other handheld consoles, with the Switch 2 launch ramping up this trend.

• Gaming journalism’s struggles continue — though there are some green shoots.

• And while this feels more like an observation than a prediction: release dates were few and far between this year with no details until months before the game came out. The only game we really knew about going into 2025 was Grand Theft Auto 6, and that was delayed twice in one year!

Yes, there were a few misses. Nintendo isn’t getting into VR yet, but there’s always next year.

So this year, I’ve doubled down on this idea, focusing on industry participants. I asked everyone I interviewed or sourced comments from in 2025 to provide a prediction for 2026. It’s a good mix of indie developers, marketers and other support services for games, as well as key gaming journalists. Not everyone got back to me—many were too busy, which at this time of year is fair enough.

I didn’t lead the predictions either. Last year, I asked contributors to try to provide unique takes to avoid doubling up. So this piece is more or less a raw snapshot of the Australian gaming industry’s psyche heading into the new year.

What’s on people’s minds heading into 2025? Read on.

Indie devs will continue to blend genres; Nintendo’s Switch 2 lineup will grow – Ben Schuster, editor at Qualbert, Game Community Manager at GameLoft Brisbane

With the rising popularity of the roguelike crossover genre, as seen with recent indie titles like BALL x PIT, Balatro, and Cloverpit, there’s a high chance this trend will continue into 2026. Independent developers will continue to push the boundaries of genre, as we see familiar concepts like coin pushing and deck-building combined with addictive gameplay loops.

Entering the second year of the Switch 2, I expect we will see the announcement of a new 3D Mario title, coinciding with the release of the Super Mario Galaxy movie. I’m certain Nintendo will also drop a teaser announcement for a new Zelda title, as well as the release of the first Mario Kart World DLC pack.

Frustrations with gaming discoverability will grow in 2026 – Alex Harding, Founder of The IndiEXP

The battle for indie game discoverability will only get more difficult with there being more games launching each and every day and less press media keeping their heads above water to cover them. We’ve already seen a shift in external discoverability be dictated by YouTubers and Twitch streamers, and with TikTok becoming an increasing avenue for awareness, written media (unfortunately) just doesn’t have the influence it once did. Not only that, but it also puts more pressure on the indie developers, stressing that you can’t just make a game and make big money anymore; another Slay the Spire clone just isn’t going to cut it. It’s up to them to create new and innovative experiences – otherwise, it’ll just end up in the virtual Steam bargain bin.

The rapid release of new games will make discoverability even harder – Kate Hall, co-founder at PlayIndies

In 2026, indie games will continue to thrive. Quickly-developed titles will continue to launch. More “friendslop” is on the horizon! And I’m here for it. The market has been oversaturated for years, making it a challenge to break through the noise. The era of spending several years on an indie project is coming to an end as more teams embrace the new strategy of quick iteration and rapid release. 2026’s indie scene will be more oversaturated than ever, requiring agile, bold marketing strategies to earn awareness. I’m ready for the challenge. Bring it on!

Indies are on the rise and will finally get their time in the sun next year – Briar Francis, Special Counsel at Thomsen Geer

While Silksong broke the internet, in my very humble opinion any number of indie titles deserved equal recognition this year. That hype, coupled with near-weekly news of mass redundancies at big conglomerates and the rise of content houses churning out unfulfilling slop games, makes me feel like the tide is turning. As we wake up to the reality of what it takes to make great games, my prediction is that both consumers and developers alike will seek out independent studios for intentional, rewarding games from businesses who create by a more ethical and sustainable ethos.

The stalemate on AI in gaming will break next year – Aaron Vernon, Split Atom Labs, maker of Land of Livia

In 2026, AI will finally break its stalemate with the games industry. It’s usually an early adopter for tech, but GenAI has been an exception. Developers are split, console and PC players mostly dislike it, while mobile gamers who drive the largest slice of revenue don’t seem as worked up about it. But the amount of money pouring into this space is enormous, so the power law will take effect. Someone will ship a game that uses AI in a way that’s genuinely fresh and fun. Expect a 100x outlier that forces the industry to recalibrate.

Generative AI in gaming will self-correct, as various gaming studios behave as they always have – Chad Habel, Bad Plan Studios, makers of End of Ember

It’s a pretty safe bet that next year we will hear more about Generative AI in game development, from predictions of a cataclysmic bubble burst to some dystopian future worse than anything Asimov could have imagined. Practical use cases are only just emerging and we don’t know quite what the future looks like.

Here’s an utterly vanilla prediction though: the future with gen-AI is likely to look quite similar to the past without it. Although this disruptive technology is producing some visible disequilibrium right now, the big systems will right themselves and settle into the same patterns that have established themselves over decades and centuries. Corps will be corps, indies will be indies, and gamers will be gamers. The only thing that is certain is that the next truly big thing (like COVID, or the GFC before it) is going to come without any warning.

Microsoft’s Forza Horizon 6’s launch could test the waters with generative AI – Alice Clarke, Australian gaming journalist and reviewer

My prediction for 2026 is that Forza Horizon 6 is either going to be the most incredible racing game we’ve ever seen, taking full advantage of the Japanese setting to have a satisfying mix of surfaces, good vignettes about Japanese car culture, and some new modes based on player feedback. There is so much potential there for my new favourite game.

Or, Microsoft will force it to be shoved full of so much AI slop and terrible AI translations that it will be basically unplayable. There probably won’t be much in between.

Granted, there will probably be other games involving cars released in 2026, but (as usual) the majority of my focus is on Forza Horizon. While I’m normally comfortably confident that it’ll be incredible, Microsoft’s brutal redundancies and aggressive push to generative AI means that I can no longer be sure about that, and I hate this feeling. Ever since Microsoft invested in OpenAI, the whole company has been like Sideshow Bob with the rakes.

Puzzle games find funding as interest grows – Al Thumm, CEO of Lamplight Forest, makers of As Light Fades

My thoughts for 2026 are less of a prediction and more where my headspace has been the last few years. Having released a hardcore puzzle game this year, I’ve been quite focused on the puzzle community and the interesting growth happening there.

Thinky Games has been putting a lot of hard work into growing the puzzle community, and over the last few years publishers like Annapurna, Devolver and Raw Fury have had some surprisingly great results, both creatively and commercially, backing puzzle titles like Lorelei and the Laser Eyes, The Talos Principle, and of course the breakout hit Blue Prince. Similarly, Jonathan Blow’s next big game, The Order of the Sinking Star, is coming out in 2026 and is bound to make waves.

So while I wouldn’t say puzzle games are having their moment, I’d say a more subtle culmination of factors (perhaps helped out by high-profile examples like Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom’s greater emphasis on puzzles) is resulting in increasing potential for bigger puzzle ideas to get funded and find big audiences and perhaps more importantly, through style/atmosphere/narrative etc, transcend just being seen as puzzle games, and thus break out of that niche audience (the stylish and mysterious Lorelei is a great example of this).

Adjacent to that, also in the thinky-realm, I think the indie immersive sim space is coming up fast and I wouldn’t be surprised to see some breakout hits from there in the next few years!

(Editor’s note: Al is not affiliated with Thinky Games)

Mixtape will be Australia’s next big indie game, and physical media may make a return – Mike Roberts, Studio Head and Creator, The Kids From Yesterday, makers of Dolven

Mixtape, by Beethoven & Dinosaur (published by Annapurna Interactive), is going to be a landmark for the Australian indie game scene—both critically acclaimed and commercially successful. I played the demo at SXSW Sydney 2025 and called it then: Mixtape could be the Almost Famous of video games. It’s the 2026 title I’m most hyped for.

My bonus take: The cultural zeitgeist of the global game-buying public will keep noticing the downsides of a fully digital world and begin marching back toward ownership and physical media. Including, but not limited to, game magazines!

(Editor’s note: Mike is not affiliated with Mixtape or its development)

Direct-to-consumer sales will continue to grow – Simon Slee, Regional VP ANZ, Xsolla

While 2026 won’t be a pivotal moment for “direct sales”, this trend will accelerate as more games adopt some level of direct and evolving monetisation, either through their own communities, or indirectly through content creators.

Changes around alternative payments (Apple vs. Epic), distribution fragmenting, and reduced organic game discovery (on Steam now too) are forcing game studios, who are increasingly having to self-publish, to consider a mix of other revenue streams to diversify risk and find their audience in a saturated market.

Game studios are already doing the work building direct player communities, why not simply offer the game directly and capitalise on the relationship, which is a better experience for all, rather than send it all to the walled-garden platforms who are heading towards becoming a download site at this point.

Hope for the Australian gaming industry, as a drier funding market leads to innovation – Dave Lloyd, Partner at Powerhoof, makers of The Drifter

In 2024 funding dried up for most Aussie devs and the outlook felt bleak. In 2025 things haven’t improved, but the vibe has changed—the Aussie game industry’s pulled itself up by its bootstraps and we’re getting on with it. There’s hope. It’s an echo of similar hardships from the 2008 Global Financial Crisis, which resulted in the birth of Australia as a powerhouse for indies and world-class original IP. In 2026 we’ll start to see a new wave of Aussie games announced—less reliant on overseas funding and more than ever our own unique thing.

The industry will shift to smaller teams as a new normal – Edmond Tran, Managing Editor of This Week In Videogames

My hot take (or rather, hot hope) is that we’ll be able to see the landscape visibly shift towards small and medium-sized games from small and medium-sized teams being embraced as the new normal, both in terms of investors and publishers as well as audiences.

We’ve seen a clear fallout over the last few years of medium-large studios staffed by AAA veterans pitching ambitious games, being shut down or closing or having live games getting cancelled, and audiences realising that short, focused games are great, actually. Perhaps 2026 will finally be the year the wider industry wakes up and has its clarity moment after a regretful hangover.

Realism and immersion will improve as graphic capabilities surge forward – Joel Gibbs, JG Games, maker of Fall of an Empire

I think in 2026 we’ll see more progress in ultra-realistic rendering using Gaussian splatting, but we won’t be seeing a game use it for another few more years until lighting and animation are figured out.

We might see an actual game released that uses a world model like Google’s Genie 3 (check out the paint demo, it’s crazy). This would be a huge step forward for realism and immersion, but takes away some of the sense of curation. Good if you like open-world freedom, bad if you like your games to be like movies. Game development may become like what they imagined in 90s sci-fi.

I don’t think we’ll see much progress in VR, I do think we’ll see plenty more arguments about AI, and I think that web3 will stay buried.

What do you think of these predictions? Do you have any interesting takes for 2026? Leave them in the comments.

Infinite Lives will have one more edition coming out this year (Dec 30), before taking a break until after Australia Day (January 26).

To say that expectations were high for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond may be the biggest understatement of gaming in 2025. The title went through arguably one of the most tortuous, protracted development processes ever seen with a videogame.

Originally allocated to developer Bandai Namco, Nintendo scrapped their full build of the game in 2019, and handed it back to the developer of the original Metroid Prime, Retro Studios. Their track record spoke for itself. In the intervening time, Retro took on the Donkey Kong series, reviving the 2D platformer series across two incredible games.

After getting the go-ahead, Retro then proceeded to remake the original Metroid Prime, released in 2002, as a training exercise for the new game. But news of the new title was scarce. Metroid fans collectively held their breath.

Now, almost two decades after the release of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, we finally have a sequel. But, as a fan…

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It’s one of the most absurd ways to end a videogame. In the original The Outer Worlds, the fastest way to finish is to fly a spaceship into the sun.

To do this, you need to create a low-intelligence character, and then when prompted insist that you personally – instead of an AI – will do the maths required for a complex space jump on a derelict spaceship.

The ship’s computer chimes in: “Does your captain seriously intend to do a micro jump in-system with engines that haven’t been powered in 70 years? On a derelict ship?”

Your AI replies: “That’s what my captain intends, yes.”

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Below is Infinite Lives first paid contribution, from Australian writer and journalist Naomi Jackson. Paid for at rates well above the industry average for videogame writing. Thank you to all the paying subscribers that have made this possible — it’s a huge milestone for this publication.

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Of all the games to make me question the Nintendo Switch 2 ecosystem, I never could have guessed it would be remake of Yooka-Laylee.

Made by some of the team behind the Nintendo 64 classic Banjo-Kazooie, Yooka-Replaylee has been on my radar for a while now. I felt the original was good, but needed a bit of polish. So when I saw the game on the Switch 2 eShop, I thought, why not? It’s a decently powerful console. I played the original on my Switch with no issues. Surely this would be the same.

Well, as it turns out, it’s one of the weakest versions of the game, with a capped frame rate that dips even lower at certain moments. There’s promises floating around to patch this, but no concrete dates. Despite Nintendo buffing the power on its latest console, the trend of developers releasing reduced versions of their games on the Nintendo consoles persists, all without advertising any differences on the eShop listing.

This has happened to me before. I bought Palworld on Steam Deck, expecting it to perform similarly to the PS5 version on the device, albeit scaled down. No prizes for guessing, but it did not. Yet on Steam, this was a simple return. I booted it up, saw it wasn’t playing the way I’d like, closed it immediately, submitted a return and — given I’d played less than two hours — got equivalent funds back in credit in less than a day.

I tried the same thing with Yooka-Replaylee. Wrote a thoughtful email to Nintendo requesting a refund as the version of their game — similarly priced to other console versions — was an inferior copy to others retailed at the same price, adding that this was not advertised by them on the eShop page. What followed was an automated email, giving me a minimum half an hour of work to record video of the game and log all faults to then qualify for a return. Being a tad cynical, it’s likely to stall out any further queries. It worked.

This is just one example of how Nintendo is lagging behind the times when it comes to the new digital world. And while once it was a quirk, as this generation of devices unfurls, it’s becoming a mitigating factor for the company and its devices. One that limits it to being a vehicle for Nintendo games, and that’s about it.

But… The hardware is brilliant

Let’s pull it back a little.

Six months on from purchasing the Switch 2 at launch, I can’t speak more highly of the device itself. From a hardware perspective, it’s an improvement on the original Switch in almost every way — except for the lack of an OLED screen. It runs smoothly, the Joy-Cons feel more substantial, the new Nintendo games look great. While it’s not my focus, from what I have read and heard, Nintendo has a sharp focus on parental controls, which make it a standout device in this regard. Also, when it comes to device-exclusive games, it can’t be beat. I’m beyond excited to (finally) play Metroid Prime 4: Beyond this weekend.

There are still plenty of reasons to buy a Switch 2, and I’m not alone in my thinking here either. The device will no doubt have stock issues globally this Christmas, as it’s selling like hotcakes. Nintendo has revised up its estimates for Switch 2 sales, after announcing over 10 million units sold in less than three months from launch this year. It’s the fastest-selling gaming device of all time, and it hasn’t even seen a holiday season yet.

However, as an early adopter, my Switch 2 is gathering dust. The last time it got a good workout was with Pokémon Legends: Z-A back in October. That’s largely because I’m hesitant to download anything but Nintendo-exclusive games on the device.

The limitations of the Switch 2

There are a few reasons for this. First and foremost: I’m not sure it will run well, as seen with Yooka-Replaylee. But there are other factors too. I just can’t do as much with games that I purchase on the Switch. I can’t easily share the game with a family member or second device. And crucially, there are other more robust ecosystems, with a higher bar for quality control that now have portability baked in — the primary point of difference for the original Switch. Valve’s Steam ecosystem being the go-to example.

I had a run in with that second major sticking point earlier this year, when I donated my old OLED Switch to my seldom-gamer brother. I wiped it, in order to transfer all of my games across to my new device. He wanted to play Zelda: Breath of the Wild — a near 10-year-old game. I suggested that with Nintendo’s new system, I could lend him the game, a featured touted with the release of virtual game cards.

Little did I know that in order to do so, I had to physically go to his house with my Switch 2 in order to transfer it to him. Literally hold the console within centimetres of his to initiate the transfer. Given he was hours away from a flight interstate he ended up just buying the game himself.

I understand the logic here. It would be like physically giving my brother the game card. It’s an anti-piracy measure. It perhaps encourages additional purchases of games that cost money to make. They absolutely deserve adequate renumeration. I get it. But… it’s 2025.

Game lending between at least one trusted, verified family device over the internet is a readily available feature on most other game systems. So much so, that I didn’t assume I’d have to cart my Switch 2 over to his house to do it.

The persistent eShop problem

Speaking of other ecosystems, the Nintendo eShop, despite a redesign for the better on the Switch 2, is still haphazard. While efforts have gone into fixing this, game discovery is still difficult unless you already know what you are looking for. This strongly disadvantages and discourages indie developers from committing to the ecosystem.

There’s so much opportunity here. This can become a community hub, a way to share game experiences among friends, and curate user reviews. Instead, thanks to the store surfacing them for me, I now know of weird flying simulators and obscure pop-up dating sims that I’d never buy. These games are getting equal weight on the store against those that took years to create, and a significant chunk of their development budget to port.

All of these complaints are fixable. The Switch 2 eShop has already improved since launch. And further to this, Valve went through a similar transformation of its Steam store years ago when faced similar criticisms. They are software updates, though some require a shift in mindset from Nintendo. In fact, what the Switch 2 looks like now as an ecosystem could be totally different in years to come.

Can Nintendo stay ahead without change?

I have no doubt that Nintendo’s Switch 2 will continue to sell, even with only a handful of Nintendo exclusive games available right now. As I said, it’s a great device for the current market. Iteration over total innovation of the Switch was the right call.

Years down the line though, as Steam expands into consoles with the Steam Machine, PlayStation properly embraces portable gaming and Microsoft maybe manages some kind of tangible pivot, I’m not so sure.

Nintendo’s strength has always been its first-party games. The likes of Mario, Zelda, Pokemon and Donkey Kong are only playable on its consoles. But as devices and games both grow more expensive, and the release times between major games continues balloon, this should give the most devout Nintendo fan pause.

In terms of price: We’ve seen this dynamic recently emerge with streaming services. Where once they were all cheap enough that you could own several of them, now increasing prices are forcing customers to chop and change their subscriptions. This is a strategy, a means of stifling emerging competition by taking up more of your wallet. And I wouldn’t be surprised if we see the same dynamic in gaming, as various industry players test how ‘recession-proof’ it actually is.

Nintendo continues to defy market realities slamming other industry players both with its games and devices. The Switch 2 seems unstoppable, for now. But some tactical adjustments to its online ecosystem and customer support could insulate it from future headwinds.

There’s a lot of other challenges with Nintendo’s broader online ecosystem, this article didn’t touch on all of them, so feel free to leave a comment on any I’ve missed. Also, what’s your take on the Switch 2? Are you an early adopter? Getting one for Christmas? Let me know in the comments.

If there’s one thing PlayStation exclusives tend to nail it’s a game about revenge.

Some of the console’s greatest hits — God of War, The Last of Us Part II, even the original Ghost of Tsushima — focus squarely on this theme. In games, this generally sets up a final boss fight, and then the story more or less works backwards from there.

Given this, Ghost of Yotei shouldn’t be that remarkable. There’s a lot of other competing factors that make it easy to skip. It’s the second AAA game this year set in Edo-era Japan, with Assassin’s Creed: Shadows looming large over it. Even its launch window is smack bang in the middle of a whole bunch of other sequels, including Hades 2, The Outer Worlds 2 and of course, Hollow Knight: Silksong.

Yet, what developer Sucker Punch has produced here is by all measures a triumph that is very hard to fault. It is arguably one of the best action-adventure exploration games I’ve played in a while that crucially doesn’t overstay its welcome.

It’s also, in my view, the best and most human revenge plot PlayStation has published to date. Without spoiling either game, it feels like it’s been made for those who found themselves yelling at the TV in frustration at the end of The Last of Us Part II. The ones who thought that game should have ended about three hours earlier than it did.

You know who you are, and I’m right there with you.

Humanising “the Onryo”

While building on the mechanics of the first game, Ghost of Yotei isn’t really a sequel to 2020’s Ghost of Tsushima. The game is set hundreds of years in the future, on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido with an unrelated plot.

The protagonist of the game, Atsu, is the sole survivor of a massacre of her family on their farmstead by the now-notorious Yotei Six. She flees to the south, trains for over a decade in the way of the warrior, and returns as an adult ready to exact her revenge. It sets up a compelling ‘Kill Bill’ style of story, where Atsu proceeds by crossing names off her list. Your first few minutes of the game are spent painting them onto a sash.

What makes this quest for vengeance so unique is the humanity that Atsu shows as she works to complete her goal. She’s initially presented as a one-dimensional character, dubbed “the Onryo”, a spirit whose sole goal is vengeance. As the game progresses, her reputation as this spectre of hatred grows, yet her journey challenges her resolve. She learns to accept, love and eventually, even forgive.

While the main plot beats aren’t too surprising for this kind of story, it’s ultimately their delivery that cements their meaning. These moments, poignantly voice-acted and paced to not overwhelm the player, add so much colour and emotion to the title. It defies what could have easily been a ‘kill them and be done with it’ style of game — the kind of nuance we’d expect from a book, maybe a movie, but not really a videogame.

Restraint-enabled success

Given the timing of the games, comparisons here can’t be helped between Ghost of Yotei and Assassin’s Creed: Shadows. Perhaps the foundational point separating the two is restraint. By pairing all of its mechanics back, menus and user interface, Ghost of Yotei actually accomplishes more than its rival.

That all starts with map design. The frictionless gameplay we saw in the original Ghost of Tsushima makes a clear return, and is very much improved. It’s very easy to flow from one activity to the next in Yotei. You can boot up the game, wander and stumble on meaningful things to do. The guidance system, in the form of wind that helps guide you to your objectives, and golden birds that direct the player to nearby points of interest, greatly assist.

Building on this, the game focuses on density of objectives, rather than the size of its world. You can ride from one end of Ghost of Yotei’s main area to the other in under 10 minutes. But along the way, you’d stumble across over a dozen activities and points of interest. One quest also tends to feed into another too. As a result, it’s easy to just melt into a rhythm with Yotei, going from point to point, playing at your own pace and dipping into the story when that exploration loop gets stale. That feels like the most enjoyable way to play this game.

Tiny changes make all the difference here. In a departure from the original, the entire map is displayed upon booting up the game. It’s a relief more than anything. The surprise ‘second island’ of the first title is a key churn point for that game, especially if you aim to do everything the first island has to offer before proceeding.

Another small thing: activities are broadly not revealed on the map until you discover them. It alleviates the laundry-list feeling that you need to undertake every task in order to play the game properly; a common gripe with longer open-world games. Completing a task also unlocks fast travel to that point on the map. As one would expect with a PS5 exclusive, it’s near-instant, showing off the promised hardware capabilities of the device.

Combat also feels as seamless as navigation in Ghost of Yotei. It’s not complicated, initially containing three buttons and a parry system. Through adding in additional weapons, tools and gear, over time it becomes more sophisticated. Enemies eventually start to outnumber you and vary up their tactics too upping the difficulty.

Duels, however, take it all to another level. These solo fights, primarily with bounty hunts or bosses, are tense moments of gameplay that take the same combat mechanics and kick them into overdrive. Most boil down to learning timings for parries and when to press the advantage. They are also gorgeously framed like a piece of stylistic old Japanese cinema, with Atsu staring down each opponent, sword drawn. Each one feels handcrafted and unique, with each enemy throwing a new combo or trick into the mix. Without spoiling anything, some later duels are absolute standouts of the entire game.

For those hoping for a quieter approach, stealth is in the game, and it is possible to focus on it over outright combat. But it’s not a standout. In many instances it feels way more satisfying to charge enemy camps than take them out by range or quietly. There’s missions that require it, but Yotei is not reinventing the wheel here. It’s nothing we haven’t seen before. But that’s OK. It doesn’t get in the way of the overall experience.

And in fairness, if there is one aspect that Assassin’s Creed: Shadows has over Ghost of Yotei, it lies in parkour and climbing mechanics. Atsu just looks a bit clunky as she scrambles up ropes, leaps to ledges or navigates natural obstacle courses. It’s my only fault in what is a fairly faultless package. Again, they aren’t bad here, the mechanics and animations are just stronger in Shadows. But it’s hardly a qualifying reason for marking down this game.

Standing up to its price tag

Aesthetically, Ghost of Yotei is perhaps up there as one of the best-looking PlayStation 5 games around. Bright colours punctuate what could have been very monochrome plains, snowfields and coastal plateaus. They add a sense of whimsy and mythology to the landscape. Yet while superstitions play a role in the game’s overall story, despite its landscape design this is not a game that leans heavily into the supernatural.

Similar vibrancy is seen with the game’s soundtrack, primarily punctuated and led by the Japanese instrument the shamisen—Atsu also plays this at various points on her journey. It’s designed to elevate the experience as opposed to distract from it, and given the game’s striking visuals I think this is the right call so as not to give the player sensory overload.

The overall look and feel of the game is important, as Ghost of Yotei is priced at a premium, retailing for $125 AUD. And I believe, unlike a lot of other ‘premium’ PlayStation games I’ve played in the past 12 months, it actually justifies its hefty price tag. This title pushes gaming as a genre forward in a positive direction.

Beelining the story, you are looking at around 15 hours of gameplay, but I doubt anyone but speedrunners will play it this way. It’s just too easy to get lost exploring and spend well over 40 hours seeing all there is to see. At no point does it become exhausting or unsatisfying. Smooth fast-travel mechanics also raise the value of each minute spent in this game. Yotei players spend more time in the action and less moving from one point on the map to the other.

Reading all of this, you are likely thinking that Ghost of Yotei doesn’t really bring anything groundbreaking or new to the table. And you would be right. This may go some way to explaining why it didn’t muster up a nomination for Game of the Year at The Game Awards.

Despite distancing itself from the original narratively, this is a sequel in the truest sense. If you like the original, you will like this game. Yotei perfects mechanics from Tsushima, adds in ideas that may have been left on the cutting room floor and greatly streamlines others.

But in an era where AAA games are perhaps getting too ambitious, too big, too bloated—while an ageing gaming population gets more conservative with its time—this is not only fine, it’s perhaps a path forward. Just because the hardware permits games that are larger than life, doesn’t mean it should be so.

It’s a genuine disappointment that this game may miss out on further acclaim, largely because it launched in a year of standout titles. For those with a PS5, it is well worth your time. In my view, it genuinely has been snubbed. But if the game itself is any frame of reference, there’s only one path forward for its maker, Sucker Punch.

Revenge.

Reviewed on: Playstation 5 Pro

Worth playing if you like: Ghost of Tsushima, Horizon: Forbidden West, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of The Kingdom.

Available on: Playstation 5, Playstation 5 Pro. Releasing on PC at a later date.

Other recent reviews on Infinite Lives:

Valve sure knows how to blow up the internet. Less than a couple of weeks, stories are still flowing thick and fast about every available ounce of information on Valve’s new gaming machine.

The latest? It’s confirmed (more or less) that it won’t bundle a new Valve original game, like Half-Life, with the device.

For those unfamiliar, the creator of the game marketplace Steam will next year launch a console device aimed to sit under your TV (or PC) screen, with specs comparable to the Xbox and Playstation 5.

It’s bringing one of the world’s largest, most active marketplaces to a console audience. One that thrives on game discovery, discounting, user reviews and serving as a platform for every niche title imaginable.

This actually has massive implications for Australia and our local indie game development scene. Perhaps more than many other markets.

To say Australian game developers fixate on Steam would be an unde…

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Dave Lloyd tried something novel this time around when launching his latest game: the old-fashioned approach.

Typically, indie studios resort to YouTube streamers and content creators to build buzz and awareness. In addition to engaging them, Lloyd’s studio Powerhoof took a risk hiring a PR firm to manage a global process for videogame journalists to review his game, The Drifter.

Even though this produces free exposure for the game, pitching traditional media can be expensive gamble. This kind of support can cost a studio well over $20,000 and for a small bootstrapped indie title — potentially its entire marketing budget. Moreover, there’s no guarantee that reporters will give a positive review, or even express any interest in the game.

While Lloyd is the first to admit there’s no one method for launching a game, in this instance his hunch to buck the trend of influencer-only approach paid off.

“I think there are about 39 Metacritic reviews for The Drifter, whereas we had about five for Crawl,” he said. “So quite a big difference.”

That density mattered. Lloyd says the volume and timing of reviews, all landing within a tight launch window, creates a snowball effect that pushes visibility on platforms like Steam. “That general critical mass of coverage really makes a difference in pushing people to check out a game.”

Less than a decade ago, Lloyd’s thinking here wouldn’t be novel. In fact, the overall success of any game would somewhat depend on whether videogame journalists decided it was worth initially checking out, possibly covering its preview and then reviewing it at launch.

It speaks to the waning power of both gaming media outlets and critical reviews. The industry now sees media reviews as less the ultimate gatekeeper of success, and instead one of many levers that can be pulled to drive attention to a game. Some see it as a much needed correction of power. Others, the downfall of a key institution supporting the industry, giving way to a pay-to-play marketing channel run by content creators.

The consensus, however, is that critical gaming reviews and coverage from traditional media mean a lot less than they used to. And the trend isn’t reversing any time soon.

Industry veteran and Regional VP of ANZ at Xsolla, Simon Slee, remembers a simpler — but arguably more expensive — time in games marketing, one that was at its prime less than 10 years ago.

“If you had a big game and needed coverage by a certain date, you’d fly journalists to BlizzCon or E3 for behind-closed-doors previews,” he said, presenting his personal views to Infinite Lives, not those of his employer.

“You’d pay for their flights, they’d get exclusive access, then produce a multi-page preview. That was a negotiated package: exclusivity, page count, ad placement, cover placement. PR teams chased those exclusives.”

“As the industry moved online, that became much harder,” he explains. Digital exclusives now have a lifespan measured in seconds, not weeks. A splashy reveal on YouTube or IGN is swallowed almost instantly by the broader internet.

When games launch, studios are now fighting to capture a fleeting slice of online conversation — a window that might last 24 to 48 hours at best. With more than 10,000 games launching on Steam in 2025, that’s more crucial than ever before.

“Digital exclusives have a lifespan of seconds, which reduces their value to media,” Slee says.

“That’s one reason studios shifted to creators. A creator’s first-hands-on Twitch stream is now the new ‘exclusive preview,’ and everyone tunes in. It’s no longer a private, behind-closed-doors moment for press, it’s a communal moment for fans.”

As Slee explains, there are myriad reasons why the industry now favours creators for reviews.

“Younger audiences in particular learn about games through creators,” he said.

“There’s also instant call-to-action: a creator shares a link, and a viewer can buy the game immediately. Traditional reviews don’t have that,” he adds. While some video-game newsrooms have dabbled with affiliate links for accessories and hardware, media reviews by and large don’t include these due to ethical considerations.

Yet, Slee adds, traditional media reviews still have their place in the ecosystem, but more as a point of validation than a driver of sales.

“Even if creators generate the hype, studios still want those pull-quotes: ‘Game of the year,’ or ‘Best shooter,’” he says, referencing accolade trailers where studios market quotes from reviews to drive conversion.

“They also want strong Metacritic scores.” Metacritic, a service that collates review scores from gaming outlets, has become an informal currency for the industry. “Validation matters behind the scenes: if you’re a developer pitching your next game, saying ‘Our last game got 8/10 on IGN’ and showing a slide full of accolades helps secure funding and publishing deals.”

Those scores can also open doors. Lloyd notes that certain game showcases or placements in online marketplaces are only available to titles with a high enough Metacritic score. And that’s important for any emerging title. “Probably 90% of our traffic is people finding it through Steam, not traditional media,” Lloyd says.

When it comes to game reviews, there’s a palpable friction between content creators and traditional games media, largely around the question of ethics.

Across the Australian games industry, there’s a view that creators require payment to even look at a game. Alex Harding, founder of indie game PR firm IndiXP, says that’s somewhat of a myth. It often comes down to whether the game is good content for their audience and has some momentum already behind it.

“The more excited they [content creators] are about the game, the more likely they are to just stream it when offered a free copy or demo,” Harding says.

He also offers a foil to the idea that all traditional media are faultless in their approach. Without naming individuals, Harding says he’s had journalists from large gaming outlets request game codes with the intention of reviewing, only to publish nothing and disappear — essentially netting themselves a free game.

“It happens a lot,” Harding adds. “I have a whole spreadsheet for tracking it.”

As for receiving payment for exposure, Harding says that in cases where the game isn’t adding enough value to the creator’s audience, payment is warranted. He argues the broader industry often underestimates how hard it is to maintain a following and continually create content.

“They absolutely deserve to be paid for their work… they need to consider their own expenses,” he says.

Zooming out, the games industry is wrestling with two competing realities. Developers want a media ecosystem that can interrogate games with curiosity and independence. Many, to an extent, lament the overall decline of games journalism and resulting decline in reviews for smaller, more niche games.

Yet, in the same breath, the industry increasingly favours anything that can shift copies right now. Visibility has become such a brutal bottleneck that even old taboos have quietly collapsed.

“I was around when the idea of someone paying for a review was a horrible scandal,” Lloyd laments, adding that sadly its slowly becoming more of a norm.

This is the third in a series of pieces looking at the changing nature of press videogame reviews. This piece focuses on industry views, you can find links to the first two (with journalists’ perspective and how modern reviews work) below.

The next piece will ask creators and streamers for their take on the matter. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.