Author: Trafficblast

After the conclusion of the series’ previous anthology with Yakuza 6, there were big Kiryu-sized shoes to fill. As our new protagonist Kasuga Ichiban steps into the spotlight for Yakuza: Like a Dragon, developer RGG Studio proves it can still capture its signature blend of gripping melodrama and absurdist humor while creating something genuinely fresh for the long-running franchise. The reinvention isn’t just in the transition from action-brawler to turn-based combat, which is a great take on traditional RPG battles. It’s that the party dynamic in Like a Dragon enables a new kind of storytelling that the series hasn’t explored before, one that focuses on the power of embracing friendship and fighting together every step of the way.

Like a Dragon starts anew, providing an entry point for those who have never played a Yakuza game before. But it wouldn’t be a proper series entry without the core tenets that define Yakuza–things like captivating exposition-heavy cutscenes, exciting over-the-top fights, and a wealth of side activities that flood the streets of a lifelike Japanese city. In true Yakuza fashion, the tangled web of alliances, betrayals, secrets, and shifts in power across different organizations serve as the foundation for much of its character-driven story. And it’s as sweet as ever here.

Kasuga, Number One

Ichiban has a familiar background: born from nothing, scraping by in Kamurocho until a father figure with yakuza ties digs him out of serious trouble. Ichiban’s life revolves around that man, Masumi Arakawa, and he eventually follows in his footsteps by pledging himself to the Tojo Clan. Much of what propels Like a Dragon is the connection these two share–from Ichiban taking the fall for a family crime to uncovering why he’d been left for dead in another city after his 18-year prison sentence. Things change in time, and that good-natured kid who grew up loving Dragon Quest (literally in-lore) and doing harmless errands for the gang now has a lot to learn about the criminal underworld as he re-enters society.

Loud, goofy, naive, but always well-meaning, Ichiban sometimes lets his immaturity get the best of him. Others are there to help him learn and grow, and he never wavers in his dedication to the people around him. It rubs off on his companions, whose circumstances unite each of them as you unravel the mystery behind Ichiban’s exile to Ijincho, Yokohama (where most of the game takes place). Your core squad of Adachi, Nanba, and Saeko enter the scene for their own reasons–Adachi is the ex-detective whose goal is tied to yours, Nanba is the homeless man who saved your life and has more to him than he lets on, and Saeko is the barmaid who reciprocates the unconditional support she gets from the crew after a personal tragedy.

The Friends You Make Along The Way

Sometimes their motivations for sticking around for Ichiban’s messy yakuza business aren’t always convincing, but over time, the friendships they form become all the conviction they need. The familiar theme of deep emotional bonds is what Like a Dragon uses to bring something new to the series’ strong, established style of storytelling–the party system isn’t just an excuse to provide you with a team during the RPG combat. Throughout the story, the cast gets into trouble, fights their way out, drinks, and celebrates together, and they carry each other to the end. Much of the Yakuza series thus far was about the struggles of Kazuma Kiryu, a man who has a heart of gold, yet always kept everyone at arm’s length. Like a Dragon, however, flips the script and explores the power of letting people in, and it embraces the uplifting social dynamic its characters create.

Each main cast member has their own life stories to tell and gets a bit of the spotlight with Ichiban throughout the main campaign. But some of the more personal moments come through in what are called Drink Links–basically Persona-style social link scenarios where party members open up about their personal lives over glasses of whiskey at their home bar called Survive Bar. You increase a bond rating with them, improve social stats, and unlock combat perks along the way; more importantly, you really get to know the characters who are fighting alongside each other.

The Drama Of Yokohama

That general sentiment can also be applied to the Ijin Three, the trio of gangs that uphold a delicate balance in Yokohama–it consists of the Japanese Seiryu Clan, the Korean Geomijul, and the Chinese Liumang. The unnerving tension between them enriches the narrative, as these organizations become important for chasing the truth. A few of their members (who I won’t reveal for spoiler reasons) are great standouts as the story develops, and also bring out a bit of Asian diversity, giving Korean and Chinese characters more nuanced portrayals than in previous Yakuza games. In Like a Dragon, your enemies today could be your dearest allies tomorrow, and vice versa.

Internal rifts and philosophical differences will always destroy organizations from the inside. When one group dedicates itself to good deeds to help the less fortunate, others see it as a chance to prey on the helpless and seize power. It’s an ever-evolving game of 4D chess you’ll see play out, and it instills an eagerness to see what happens chapter after chapter. Another piece of the bigger picture is right-wing nationalism, portrayed by a group called Bleach Japan. While Like a Dragon’s climactic political drama leans on the outlandish villainy of a power-hungry few, it takes narrative opportunities to express clear opposition to anti-immigration, anti-sex work, and anti-poor politics in key story beats, and these themes also become part of what drives Ichiban and company.

I’ve made it quite clear that I’m a sucker for Yakuza’s melodrama. However, I’m willing to admit that Like a Dragon has one too many simple plot twists, which can come across as a way to elongate the main story. Perhaps it bites off more than it can chew at the tail-end where plot points are introduced as quickly as they are resolved. They’re not bad story beats per se, but they can feel overbearing when there’s already enough enticing narrative established.

Regardless, Yakuza has built a reputation on captivating drama and strong characterizations, and it’s those expectations that its games will be judged by. With that criteria in mind, Like a Dragon hardly ever misses.

Like A Dragon Quest

Ichiban’s eccentric personality is a force of nature, and it’s even what fuels the combat system. His imagination runs wild, and in his mind, he sees himself and his friends as the heroes of the day, just like in Dragon Quest (Ichiban’s words, not mine). Enemies transform into possessed beings or extremely silly delinquents like aggressive chefs, unhinged nudists, or just bad dudes with glowing red eyes–some with punny names like “capitalist punisher” for evil salarymen or “hands catcher” for evil baseball players. And your own party members transform into their equipped jobs with sometimes ridiculous costume changes.

His reverence for Dragon Quest is charming, and shows that he really is a kid at heart; it’s part of what fills him with the determination to keep fighting, even in the most dire of situations. Like a Dragon asks you to suspend your disbelief more so than previous Yakuza games to accommodate Ichiban’s child-like imagination, and you know what? I’m here for it.

Like a Dragon uses a rather straightforward turn-based combat system with standard attacks, special moves (sometimes enhanced by simple QTE button prompts), and spells of different affinities and status effects. Managing your party’s various capabilities and strategizing to dispatch enemies in smart ways is at the core of the fun. How you handle your turns in relation to the enemies you face in any given battle presents a familiar but engaging puzzle-like challenge of devising the best course of action. When you barrel down consecutive fights in dungeon-like scenarios, combat maintains a steady, enjoyable flow, whereas the bigger set-piece boss fights test your command of the system. What was used as an April Fools’ gag actually comes together remarkably well for Yakuza’s own RPG debut.

Combat is also an opportunity for the game to crank up Yakuza’s tradition of ridiculous over-the-top moves, and it’s a big reason why combat is exciting to engage with. The spirit of the series’ wild heat actions comes through in the skills you’ll learn, like summoning aggressive fans by performing a musical act or leaping through the air to spit literal fire upon your enemies. The intricacies of combat are driven by the job system, which is essentially a set of swappable character classes that play differently with their own unique abilities. And as long as you build up a good variety of healing, buffs, and strong attack types, you’ll be in good shape.

Like a Dragon isn’t without its faults, however. It’s quite apparent in the last few chapters that the game began to rely on long drawn-out fights. I still had to stay sharp and maximize damage with each turn or use heals and buffs at opportune times to stay alive, but some of these moments boiled down to a war of attrition. Although I love that Like a Dragon can be really challenging, a little grinding is required to even survive against some bosses. Thankfully, there’s a late-game combat arena side activity that offers a ton of EXP and useful items, but the necessity of it breaks some of the momentum as you heard towards the conclusion. (And beware that there is a point in the story where you’re required to have lots of money, and if you haven’t invested time to make money, well you better get on it.)

There’s More To Life Than Fisticuffs

It’s not all drama, fighting, and silly superpowers, though. While the location of Kamurocho has become a sort of character itself, the much larger Ijincho (a mashup of the real Yokohama) does offer its own distinct vibe. Compared to Kamurocho, it feels like taking a deep breath of fresh air when you walk through the open spaces of Hamakita Park, shopping outlets on Isezaki Road, and the streets of Chinatown. Even the alleyways and homeless camps of the lower-class areas breathe life into Ijincho in equal measure. The city is bustling with things to do outside of the main story, as is Yakuza tradition.

My personal favorite of karaoke is back. The rhythm minigame presents another avenue for the characters to express themselves in an especially charming fashion. Nanba brings back the classic “Baka Mitai,” and Adachi belts out his own performance of “Machine Gun Kiss.” Saeko’s friendship anthem “Spring Breeze” warms my heart as she plays the piano while the rest of the gang enthusiastically cheers her on. And Ichiban’s own song, “The Future I Dreamed Of,” showcases his own inspirations as he reflects on his upbringing. When a few other characters join the party, the karaoke playlist grows. Having it back at Survive Bar, where everyone meets up and drinks together, really creates a homelike atmosphere for Like a Dragon.

One of the very important money-making minigames is Ichiban Confections, the business management simulator. You help a family business grow from selling sweets at a hole-in-the-wall shop to becoming C-suite executives with multiple ventures featured in commercials. It’s goofy as hell but quite involved, as you need to manage employees, assign jobs, and make investment decisions. You also have to play a separate and hilarious minigame where you frantically argue with shareholders to earn their support. There’s also Dragon Kart, which is an entire kart-racing minigame with its own ridiculous side story and tournament-style challenges. The last one I’ll mention is the quiz minigame, which exists under the guise of an adult school where Ichiban learns about history and culture (and even has its own Sega-themed quizzes), helping him improve social stats. These activities are lively and rewarding in their own small ways, whether it’s money, perks, gear, or genuinely funny side stories that build up the wild life of Kasuga Ichiban.

Even after spending 40 hours with Yakuza: Like a Dragon to complete its main story and experience a decent chunk of optional content, there’s still more to see and do with substories and conclusions to optional quests.

The Future Is Bright For Yakuza

As the game executes on a melodramatic, multi-faceted conclusion typical of a Yakuza game, you’re encouraged to reflect on the hardships and tragedies Ichiban had to endure. It’s rare, however, to also see the protagonist of a Yakuza game also do the same. You can see the journey, the struggles, the challenges, the growth, and the friendships worn plainly on his face. Yakuza has a penchant for exaggeration, this game really goes for it, and it works. Ichiban is an expressive character, sometimes to the point of parody, but it’s endearing and often inspiring. Ichiban is an idealist and a bit naive, but he’s also what his friends have made him through their own personalities and their sense of justice: a hero.

At so many moments, I stood up screaming at my TV in absolute excitement (and shed a few tears here and there), seeing how Ichiban develops, and how Like a Dragon ties back into the broader Yakuza lore for long-time fans. Ichiban stands tall among the legends that the Yakuza games have created, and Like a Dragon isn’t shy about drawing from that well again. Maybe it’s a bit on the nose, but for me, I can’t help but feel a reinvigorated passion for the franchise.

For RGG Studio’s first crack at an RPG, it’s a damn fine result. It delivers what I love most about Yakuza and introduces new ideas that largely pay off. Ichiban isn’t doing it alone, either. He has friends and mentors, ones who’ve helped him fight and overcome personal tragedies. It was an absolute thrill to watch him grow, and that’s what’s most important for a game so focused on its characters. Yakuza: Like a Dragon is a passing of the torch, and a fantastic entry in a beloved franchise that proves that it’s in good hands with Kasuga Ichiban.

After the conclusion of the series’ previous anthology with Yakuza 6, there were big Kiryu-sized shoes to fill. As our new protagonist Kasuga Ichiban steps into the spotlight for Yakuza: Like a Dragon, developer RGG Studio proves it can still capture its signature blend of gripping melodrama and absurdist humor while creating something genuinely fresh for the long-running franchise. The reinvention isn’t just in the transition from action-brawler to turn-based combat, which is a great take on traditional RPG battles. It’s that the party dynamic in Like a Dragon enables a new kind of storytelling that the series hasn’t explored before, one that focuses on the power of embracing friendship and fighting together every step of the way.

Like a Dragon starts anew, providing an entry point for those who have never played a Yakuza game before. But it wouldn’t be a proper series entry without the core tenets that define Yakuza–things like captivating exposition-heavy cutscenes, exciting over-the-top fights, and a wealth of side activities that flood the streets of a lifelike Japanese city. In true Yakuza fashion, the tangled web of alliances, betrayals, secrets, and shifts in power across different organizations serve as the foundation for much of its character-driven story. And it’s as sweet as ever here.

Kasuga, Number One

Ichiban has a familiar background: born from nothing, scraping by in Kamurocho until a father figure with yakuza ties digs him out of serious trouble. Ichiban’s life revolves around that man, Masumi Arakawa, and he eventually follows in his footsteps by pledging himself to the Tojo Clan. Much of what propels Like a Dragon is the connection these two share–from Ichiban taking the fall for a family crime to uncovering why he’d been left for dead in another city after his 18-year prison sentence. Things change in time, and that good-natured kid who grew up loving Dragon Quest (literally in-lore) and doing harmless errands for the gang now has a lot to learn about the criminal underworld as he re-enters society.

Loud, goofy, naive, but always well-meaning, Ichiban sometimes lets his immaturity get the best of him. Others are there to help him learn and grow, and he never wavers in his dedication to the people around him. It rubs off on his companions, whose circumstances unite each of them as you unravel the mystery behind Ichiban’s exile to Ijincho, Yokohama (where most of the game takes place). Your core squad of Adachi, Nanba, and Saeko enter the scene for their own reasons–Adachi is the ex-detective whose goal is tied to yours, Nanba is the homeless man who saved your life and has more to him than he lets on, and Saeko is the barmaid who reciprocates the unconditional support she gets from the crew after a personal tragedy.

The Friends You Make Along The Way

Sometimes their motivations for sticking around for Ichiban’s messy yakuza business aren’t always convincing, but over time, the friendships they form become all the conviction they need. The familiar theme of deep emotional bonds is what Like a Dragon uses to bring something new to the series’ strong, established style of storytelling–the party system isn’t just an excuse to provide you with a team during the RPG combat. Throughout the story, the cast gets into trouble, fights their way out, drinks, and celebrates together, and they carry each other to the end. Much of the Yakuza series thus far was about the struggles of Kazuma Kiryu, a man who has a heart of gold, yet always kept everyone at arm’s length. Like a Dragon, however, flips the script and explores the power of letting people in, and it embraces the uplifting social dynamic its characters create.

Each main cast member has their own life stories to tell and gets a bit of the spotlight with Ichiban throughout the main campaign. But some of the more personal moments come through in what are called Drink Links–basically Persona-style social link scenarios where party members open up about their personal lives over glasses of whiskey at their home bar called Survive Bar. You increase a bond rating with them, improve social stats, and unlock combat perks along the way; more importantly, you really get to know the characters who are fighting alongside each other.

The Drama Of Yokohama

That general sentiment can also be applied to the Ijin Three, the trio of gangs that uphold a delicate balance in Yokohama–it consists of the Japanese Seiryu Clan, the Korean Geomijul, and the Chinese Liumang. The unnerving tension between them enriches the narrative, as these organizations become important for chasing the truth. A few of their members (who I won’t reveal for spoiler reasons) are great standouts as the story develops, and also bring out a bit of Asian diversity, giving Korean and Chinese characters more nuanced portrayals than in previous Yakuza games. In Like a Dragon, your enemies today could be your dearest allies tomorrow, and vice versa.

Internal rifts and philosophical differences will always destroy organizations from the inside. When one group dedicates itself to good deeds to help the less fortunate, others see it as a chance to prey on the helpless and seize power. It’s an ever-evolving game of 4D chess you’ll see play out, and it instills an eagerness to see what happens chapter after chapter. Another piece of the bigger picture is right-wing nationalism, portrayed by a group called Bleach Japan. While Like a Dragon’s climactic political drama leans on the outlandish villainy of a power-hungry few, it takes narrative opportunities to express clear opposition to anti-immigration, anti-sex work, and anti-poor politics in key story beats, and these themes also become part of what drives Ichiban and company.

I’ve made it quite clear that I’m a sucker for Yakuza’s melodrama. However, I’m willing to admit that Like a Dragon has one too many simple plot twists, which can come across as a way to elongate the main story. Perhaps it bites off more than it can chew at the tail-end where plot points are introduced as quickly as they are resolved. They’re not bad story beats per se, but they can feel overbearing when there’s already enough enticing narrative established.

Regardless, Yakuza has built a reputation on captivating drama and strong characterizations, and it’s those expectations that its games will be judged by. With that criteria in mind, Like a Dragon hardly ever misses.

Like A Dragon Quest

Ichiban’s eccentric personality is a force of nature, and it’s even what fuels the combat system. His imagination runs wild, and in his mind, he sees himself and his friends as the heroes of the day, just like in Dragon Quest (Ichiban’s words, not mine). Enemies transform into possessed beings or extremely silly delinquents like aggressive chefs, unhinged nudists, or just bad dudes with glowing red eyes–some with punny names like “capitalist punisher” for evil salarymen or “hands catcher” for evil baseball players. And your own party members transform into their equipped jobs with sometimes ridiculous costume changes.

His reverence for Dragon Quest is charming, and shows that he really is a kid at heart; it’s part of what fills him with the determination to keep fighting, even in the most dire of situations. Like a Dragon asks you to suspend your disbelief more so than previous Yakuza games to accommodate Ichiban’s child-like imagination, and you know what? I’m here for it.

Like a Dragon uses a rather straightforward turn-based combat system with standard attacks, special moves (sometimes enhanced by simple QTE button prompts), and spells of different affinities and status effects. Managing your party’s various capabilities and strategizing to dispatch enemies in smart ways is at the core of the fun. How you handle your turns in relation to the enemies you face in any given battle presents a familiar but engaging puzzle-like challenge of devising the best course of action. When you barrel down consecutive fights in dungeon-like scenarios, combat maintains a steady, enjoyable flow, whereas the bigger set-piece boss fights test your command of the system. What was used as an April Fools’ gag actually comes together remarkably well for Yakuza’s own RPG debut.

Combat is also an opportunity for the game to crank up Yakuza’s tradition of ridiculous over-the-top moves, and it’s a big reason why combat is exciting to engage with. The spirit of the series’ wild heat actions comes through in the skills you’ll learn, like summoning aggressive fans by performing a musical act or leaping through the air to spit literal fire upon your enemies. The intricacies of combat are driven by the job system, which is essentially a set of swappable character classes that play differently with their own unique abilities. And as long as you build up a good variety of healing, buffs, and strong attack types, you’ll be in good shape.

Like a Dragon isn’t without its faults, however. It’s quite apparent in the last few chapters that the game began to rely on long drawn-out fights. I still had to stay sharp and maximize damage with each turn or use heals and buffs at opportune times to stay alive, but some of these moments boiled down to a war of attrition. Although I love that Like a Dragon can be really challenging, a little grinding is required to even survive against some bosses. Thankfully, there’s a late-game combat arena side activity that offers a ton of EXP and useful items, but the necessity of it breaks some of the momentum as you heard towards the conclusion. (And beware that there is a point in the story where you’re required to have lots of money, and if you haven’t invested time to make money, well you better get on it.)

There’s More To Life Than Fisticuffs

It’s not all drama, fighting, and silly superpowers, though. While the location of Kamurocho has become a sort of character itself, the much larger Ijincho (a mashup of the real Yokohama) does offer its own distinct vibe. Compared to Kamurocho, it feels like taking a deep breath of fresh air when you walk through the open spaces of Hamakita Park, shopping outlets on Isezaki Road, and the streets of Chinatown. Even the alleyways and homeless camps of the lower-class areas breathe life into Ijincho in equal measure. The city is bustling with things to do outside of the main story, as is Yakuza tradition.

My personal favorite of karaoke is back. The rhythm minigame presents another avenue for the characters to express themselves in an especially charming fashion. Nanba brings back the classic “Baka Mitai,” and Adachi belts out his own performance of “Machine Gun Kiss.” Saeko’s friendship anthem “Spring Breeze” warms my heart as she plays the piano while the rest of the gang enthusiastically cheers her on. And Ichiban’s own song, “The Future I Dreamed Of,” showcases his own inspirations as he reflects on his upbringing. When a few other characters join the party, the karaoke playlist grows. Having it back at Survive Bar, where everyone meets up and drinks together, really creates a homelike atmosphere for Like a Dragon.

One of the very important money-making minigames is Ichiban Confections, the business management simulator. You help a family business grow from selling sweets at a hole-in-the-wall shop to becoming C-suite executives with multiple ventures featured in commercials. It’s goofy as hell but quite involved, as you need to manage employees, assign jobs, and make investment decisions. You also have to play a separate and hilarious minigame where you frantically argue with shareholders to earn their support. There’s also Dragon Kart, which is an entire kart-racing minigame with its own ridiculous side story and tournament-style challenges. The last one I’ll mention is the quiz minigame, which exists under the guise of an adult school where Ichiban learns about history and culture (and even has its own Sega-themed quizzes), helping him improve social stats. These activities are lively and rewarding in their own small ways, whether it’s money, perks, gear, or genuinely funny side stories that build up the wild life of Kasuga Ichiban.

Even after spending 40 hours with Yakuza: Like a Dragon to complete its main story and experience a decent chunk of optional content, there’s still more to see and do with substories and conclusions to optional quests.

The Future Is Bright For Yakuza

As the game executes on a melodramatic, multi-faceted conclusion typical of a Yakuza game, you’re encouraged to reflect on the hardships and tragedies Ichiban had to endure. It’s rare, however, to also see the protagonist of a Yakuza game also do the same. You can see the journey, the struggles, the challenges, the growth, and the friendships worn plainly on his face. Yakuza has a penchant for exaggeration, this game really goes for it, and it works. Ichiban is an expressive character, sometimes to the point of parody, but it’s endearing and often inspiring. Ichiban is an idealist and a bit naive, but he’s also what his friends have made him through their own personalities and their sense of justice: a hero.

At so many moments, I stood up screaming at my TV in absolute excitement (and shed a few tears here and there), seeing how Ichiban develops, and how Like a Dragon ties back into the broader Yakuza lore for long-time fans. Ichiban stands tall among the legends that the Yakuza games have created, and Like a Dragon isn’t shy about drawing from that well again. Maybe it’s a bit on the nose, but for me, I can’t help but feel a reinvigorated passion for the franchise.

For RGG Studio’s first crack at an RPG, it’s a damn fine result. It delivers what I love most about Yakuza and introduces new ideas that largely pay off. Ichiban isn’t doing it alone, either. He has friends and mentors, ones who’ve helped him fight and overcome personal tragedies. It was an absolute thrill to watch him grow, and that’s what’s most important for a game so focused on its characters. Yakuza: Like a Dragon is a passing of the torch, and a fantastic entry in a beloved franchise that proves that it’s in good hands with Kasuga Ichiban.

Countless television shows get the axe each year for a dozen reasons. But every time a network or streaming service cancels a show in 2020, it’s hard not to blame it on COVID-19. The latest show to be snuffed out is Hulu’s Castle Rock, Stephen King’s horror anthology series, Variety reports.

If there’s any other connected transmedia universe apart from the Marvel Cinematic Universe that has stood the test of time, it might be Stephen King‘s loosely connected bibliography of horror stories. Castle Rock brought them all together, telling stories set in the fictional town of Castle Rock, Maine.

The show brought together actors and characters from and related to King’s huge library. Actors that popped up throughout the show included King alums Tim Robbins (The Shawshank Redemption) and Bill Skarsgard (It). Characters, meanwhile, included the niece of The Shining’s Jack Torrance and Annie Wilkes from Misery, among others. JJ Abrams executive produced the series through his Bad Robot production company.

King is one of the most adapted authors ever. Even if the cancelation of Castle Rock hurts, he has plenty of other stuff in the works. HBO Max has a Shining-inspired series called Overlook in the works (also produced by Bad Robot), while CBS All Access is putting together a remake of The Stand, which airs in December.

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Awesome Games Done Quick is returning in January 2021 with the same online-only format seen in this year’s Summer Games Done Quick, as reported by Eurogamer. With participants streaming from the comfort of their own homes, we’ll be seeing games like Hades and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, as well as runs requiring special set-ups, like a Beat Saber showcase on the game’s hardest difficulty.

As the first Games Done Quick event since Supergiant’s Hades got its full release, it’s good to see it on the list even if only as a bonus game. The game list has plenty of classic titles including the requisite Metroid and Zelda runs, but also has some oddities that will be well worth a watch. PeekingBoo will be running Celeste entirely on a dance pad, while another run will spend an hour on the infamously bad Zelda CD-I game Wand of Gamelon–with all cutscenes.

AGDQ will also have a section devoted to Super Mario Bros. 35, as the only event that will coincide with the game’s limited release. The schedule includes both a showcase match and a battle showcase for the unique Mario Bros. battle royale.

The list also features games like Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair, Divinity: Original Sin 2 DE, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2, and heaps more.

Awesome Games Done Quick will run from January 3-10, with the event raising money for the Prevent Cancer Foundation. The full list includes over 170 runs–you can check out the rest of them for yourself here.

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Xbox Game Pass subscribers will soon be able to access games from the EA Play catalog, and they’re now able to better prepare themselves for this influx. Games from EA Play can now be preloaded, and it looks like they’ll be available to play from November 10.

The Verge‘s Tom Warren has reported on Twitter that games from the EA Play list can now be preloaded. They won’t be playable for another week, but you can prepare yourself now for when all of these games are available.

We’ve checked and can verify that Battlefield V and other titles from EA Play can now be pre-installed by Game Pass subscribers who do not own these games.

EA Play contains over 70 games on Xbox–here’s the complete list. Its inclusion makes Game Pass even better value. This only applies to the console version of EA Play, though–the PC still requires a separate subscription.

It was previously announced that EA Play would be available to Game Pass subscribers in November, and that’s now coming to pass. Some other major games recently added to Game Pass include a trio of classic point-and-click adventures and the upcoming console release of Gears Tactics.

The Xbox Series X, which you’ll also be able to play all of these games on, launches November 10.

The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope gives me a little hope for the future of Supermassive Games’ horror series. Some smart gameplay tweaks ensure that Little Hope still highlights Supermassive’s vital role in the modern adventure space, but it also highlights why the studio’s future games need to be better than this for those smart changes to really shine.

Little Hope, like its immediate predecessor Man of Medan, is a mashup of horror tropes and subgenres. It borrows iconography from The Blair Witch Project. It borrows its Puritan-era paranoia from The Witch (and Arthur Miller’s non-horror play The Crucible). And its conceit, which finds a group of college students and their professor stranded in the woods after their bus crashes, hangs on a premise that will be familiar for fans of Stephen King’s The Mist or John Carpenter’s The Fog. As the game progressed, I became increasingly skeptical that those threads would come together in a satisfying way. In the end, they don’t, but I still had a good time on the ride to that disappointing conclusion.

Little Hope begins with a flashback to the 1970s and a brief introduction to a troubled family of six. Dad is a heavy drinker. The older sister feels isolated and depressed. And, in a hint at the spiritual warfare that will dominate much of Little Hope’s second half, the younger sister has been held back repeatedly after church to speak with the reverend. These glowing embers of drama soon blaze up into a literal raging fire when the younger sister leaves her doll on the stovetop. In the ensuing blaze, every member of the family meets their grisly demise, save Will Poulter’s Anthony, who helplessly watches on.

Our focus soon shifts to another group–a professor, John, and four students, Andrew, Angela, Taylor, and Daniel–who are attempting to regain their bearings after a bus crash leaves them stranded in the woods. The bus driver responsible for the crash is missing, and the field-tripping group finds themselves surrounded by a mysterious fog that sends anyone who ventures into it back in the direction they came. Each member of this group is a dead ringer for a member of the family from the game’s opening. And, as the group ventures into the abandoned town of Little Hope, they begin to have visions of earlier doppelgangers, former inhabitants of the town caught up in the lethal paranoia of 17th-century witch trials.

Despite the sprawling cast, you only control the present-day versions of the characters. As you do, you make dialogue decisions by pointing the needle of a compass at one of two spoken options or the ever-present option to just be silent. Your choices affect the dynamics of character relationships and also cause changes to their personality traits.

As this story unfolds, it becomes increasingly clear that Little Hope’s time-hopping ambitions impede its ability to do much successful character work in the here and now. I have only vague ideas of who John, Angela, Taylor, Daniel, and Andrew are. In previous games, Supermassive has presented characters as well-acted archetypes, then allowed players to further define their personalities within those boundaries–playing to or against type. Here, the types are so ill-defined that it becomes difficult to even have an opinion on what each character would or wouldn’t do. In a bonus unlockable interview with Will Poulter, the actor described his character as socially awkward. “I guess he was socially awkward,” I thought. But, as I thought back through the game, I realized that impression came from a line where his character, in effect, told another character that he was socially awkward. There isn’t nearly enough in the moment-to-moment character interactions to surface these details. As a result, Little Hope’s central cast don’t feel like three-dimensional characters. Some of them aren’t even successful archetypes.

As you explore, you control your character’s movement and flashlight beam as the camera frames them in old-school Resident Evil-style angles. This is one of my favorite quirks of Supermassive design; it’s one of the few studios in modern mainstream games carrying the torch for fixed camera horror. But the fact that much of Little Hope takes place on a lonely road means that Supermassive doesn’t have as much room to play around with point of view. Most of the time, Little Hope employs what amounts to a slightly zoomed out third-person perspective, which feels like a missed opportunity given Supermassive’s talent for shot composition.

There are some positive changes, though. Little Hope seems far more technically sound than Man of Medan, and the story handles Supermassive’s trademark branching paths more smoothly than ever as a result. While Man of Medan noticeably hitched at times as it attempted to bring everything together and, presumably, cycle between different versions of cutscenes depending on which members of your party were still alive, Little Hope feels like it’s telling one seamless story. Little Hope genuinely nails the feeling that everything that is happening is authored. For example, in one scene that could play out with burgeoning couple Taylor and Daniel alone or with the pair accompanied by older nontraditional student Angela, Daniel says something to the effect of, “We’ll both get out of this, you’ll see.” It works as is when it’s Daniel and Taylor alone. But it becomes a character-building moment when Angela is present and, excluded from Daniel’s “both,” pointedly clears her throat. In this way, Little Hope manages to use the constraints inherent to its flexible narrative to do some good character work, even if that work is squandered in their overall development.

Additionally, the QTEs that define Supermassive’s adrenaline-pumping approach to life-or-death action are at their best here. Instead of just popping up randomly, the timed button presses now appear first as a warning–smartly positioned on-screen to mirror the placement of the button on the controller–before you are required to press them. This doesn’t remove the tension, but it does give you a better chance of succeeding without first spending multiple playthroughs learning the timing.

The Traits system, however, pushes the other direction. As you make decisions, the personality traits, like “Fearful” or “Reckless,” are accentuated. If you make enough decisions leaning in one direction, a padlock symbol will appear next to that trait in your character profile, indicating that that trait is now an unchangeable part of your personality. I can explain it now, but it took me two full playthroughs to understand how this system works because none of this is explained upfront. This system, which is opaque and not tutorialized, has major consequences late in the game. But as you play, no context is given for the lock appearing next to the trait, and it’s immensely frustrating to see a character’s fate tied to a system the game didn’t explain. Tying personality traits to a character’s fate may make narrative sense, but it’s presented in such a murky way that it results in certain late-game character deaths that feel completely out of your hands. While the UI has been improved to its best iteration in Little Hope, the Traits system ensures that shepherding your characters through the game is still a frustrating five-hour-long exercise in trial-and-error.

Still, despite its faults, Little Hope can’t help but remind me of the reasons I love Supermassive’s take on the modern narrative adventure game. The studio is masterful at producing tension through gameplay as simple as a well-timed button press, and Little Hope is a high-water mark for the studio’s technical proficiency. While the story and character work are uncharacteristically lackluster, Little Hope still manages to offer a solid foundation for Supermassive’s future.