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The one Steam Machine feature I didn't expect to change my gaming life

The one Steam Machine feature I didn't expect to change my gaming life

I’ve been living with the Steam Machine long enough now that the initial novelty has settled and I have a better sense of what it’s like to live...

yesterday 0

Polygon

Giovanni Colantonio

It's been 20 years since Persona 3 modernized JRPG characters

It's been 20 years since Persona 3 modernized JRPG characters

In 2006, Atlus released Persona 3 for the PlayStation 2 in Japan. While following the premise of the first two games and pushing the series'...

friday 0

Polygon

Paulo Kawanishi

3 Assassin’s Creed games Ubisoft should remake next after Black Flag Resynced

3 Assassin’s Creed games Ubisoft should remake next after Black Flag Resynced

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced is a hit, with a 94% score on OpenCritic. Players are enjoying it too (well, besides those microtransactions),...

friday 0

Polygon

Austin Manchester

Christopher Nolan's most political movie is also his worst, and it's not the one you think

Christopher Nolan's most political movie is also his worst, and it's not the one you think

With the release of The Odyssey, Christopher Nolan is facing some rather obnoxious backlash. Some people are complaining about the historical...

friday 0

Polygon

Brian Vanhooker

Assassin's Creed Black Flag's sea shanties are still the best part of the game

Assassin's Creed Black Flag's sea shanties are still the best part of the game

Remember, in 2021, when TikTok was suddenly awash with sea shanties? It remains one of the most inexplicable, albeit wholesome, online crazes of the...

16.07.2026 0

Polygon

Oli Welsh

Bonkers Persona 6 fan theory is too good not to be true

Bonkers Persona 6 fan theory is too good not to be true

Fans finally got their first look at Persona 6, the next installment of Atlus's hugely popular RPG-meets-social-sim series, back in June at...

16.07.2026 1

Polygon

Jen Glennon

Sony’s Crunchyroll store changes feel like subscription culture gone too far

Sony’s Crunchyroll store changes feel like subscription culture gone too far

For most people, an online store serves one purpose: you find something you like, you buy it, and a few days later it shows up on your doorstep....

15.07.2026 3

Polygon

Ryan Epps

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced's best weapon isn't Edward's Hidden Blade

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced's best weapon isn't Edward's Hidden Blade

Assassin’s Creed has come a long way since the series debuted back in 2007, and so have its weapons. Back in the day, Altair mostly just used a...

15.07.2026 3

Polygon

Austin Manchester

Obsidian doesn't need to work on a new Fallout game, they already gave us the best one possible

Obsidian doesn't need to work on a new Fallout game, they already gave us the best one possible

The recent massive Xbox layoffs have not spared even established studios such as Bethesda and Obsidian Entertainment. While the developer working on...

15.07.2026 4

Polygon

Francesco Cacciatore

Cities: Skylines is getting some serious competition later this year

Cities: Skylines is getting some serious competition later this year

The calendar of upcoming game releases is absolutely stacked with major launches leading up to GTA 6, but my list of most anticipated games just got a...

15.07.2026 2

Polygon

Josh Broadwell

I want to shove the new Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave hero into a locker

I want to shove the new Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave hero into a locker

The team at Intelligent Systems, developers of Nintendo's Fire Emblem tactical RPG series, have a knack for memorable and impactful character...

14.07.2026 6

Polygon

Jen Glennon

Octopath Traveler's Switch 2 upgrade is the worst way to handle a Switch 2 upgrade

Octopath Traveler's Switch 2 upgrade is the worst way to handle a Switch 2 upgrade

To celebrate the series' eighth anniversary, Square Enix announced that both Octopath Traveler 1 and 2 are getting Nintendo Switch 2 versions on...

13.07.2026 3

Polygon

Willa Rowe

7 years ago, Nintendo unleashed an irresistible anime soap opera on the world

7 years ago, Nintendo unleashed an irresistible anime soap opera on the world

When you think "soap opera," visions of hokey classics like Days of Our Lives probably come to mind. Or maybe some memories of Downton...

13.07.2026 5

Polygon

Josh Broadwell

Spider-Man is at his best when Peter Parker can't catch a break

Spider-Man is at his best when Peter Parker can't catch a break

Fictional characters aren't supposed to stay the same forever. Audiences expect them to grow, mature, and evolve over time. But the longer a...

13.07.2026 6

Polygon

Terry Terrones

300 new Pokémon is way too many new Pokémon

300 new Pokémon is way too many new Pokémon

This week, a fresh round of Pokémon Winds and Waves rumors and leaks suggested that next year’s mainline entry could feature 300 new Pokémon....

12.07.2026 5

Polygon

Ari Notis

The makers of Hades owe everything to a beloved 15-year-old action RPG

The makers of Hades owe everything to a beloved 15-year-old action RPG

By the time Hades 2 arrived in early access in May 2024, everybody knew to watch it closely. The first Hades had presented thrilling roguelike RPG...

12.07.2026 10

Polygon

Jason Venter

Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag just isn’t the same without its modern-day sections

Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag just isn’t the same without its modern-day sections

I never played Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag when it first launched in 2013. I’m kicking myself for that negligence right now. Its new remake,...

12.07.2026 3

Polygon

Giovanni Colantonio

After 2 years, Marvel Rivals finally made Black Widow fun to play

After 2 years, Marvel Rivals finally made Black Widow fun to play

Marvel Rivals' Black Widow rework is here — finally. The erstwhile spy's been in an odd, controversial place since the hero shooter...

11.07.2026 2

Polygon

Josh Broadwell

Critical Role's new campaign proves D&D fans should stop sleeping on Daggerheart

Critical Role's new campaign proves D&D fans should stop sleeping on Daggerheart

Months after its first announcement in May, Critical Role’s gothic and foreboding Age of Umbra: Sallowlands has arrived — and it’s just as...

11.07.2026 5

Polygon

Aimee Hart

Don't be surprised if Xbox goes full Marvel with Halo and Fallout

Don't be surprised if Xbox goes full Marvel with Halo and Fallout

Xbox CEO Asha Sharma's big company reset came with a promise to re-invest resources into ventures that would boost Xbox revenue — alongside...

10.07.2026 5

Polygon

Josh Broadwell

Xbox just killed its shot at making the next Baldur's Gate 3

Xbox just killed its shot at making the next Baldur's Gate 3

This week, Xbox announced a sweeping overhaul of its business that will see the company cutting 3,200 total jobs by next summer. That decision has...

10.07.2026 4

Polygon

Giovanni Colantonio

Season 3 of Mushoku Tensei proves anime's most controversial fantasy hasn't lost its magic

Season 3 of Mushoku Tensei proves anime's most controversial fantasy hasn't lost its magic

[Ed. note: This article contains spoilers for Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation season 3.] Season 3 of Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation opens...

10.07.2026 5

Polygon

Francesco Cacciatore

Dark Souls popularized the worst control scheme and I'm sick of it

Dark Souls popularized the worst control scheme and I'm sick of it

I’m not sure when exactly the change happened, but I sure am sick of it. Over the past few years, it feels like every action game developer has...

09.07.2026 4

Polygon

Ari Notis

Hollywood has spent 25 years chasing the wrong lessons from The Lord of the Rings

I hope Magic: The Gathering never stops making Universes Beyond sets Fantasy films have become remarkably good at looking epic. Massive armies....

08.07.2026 3

Polygon

Terry Terrones

No RPG needs to be longer than 40 hours

I won't mourn PlayStation discs We need more games like The Last of Us 2 and fewer stories for 'everyone' I’m not one to police how...

06.07.2026 6

Polygon

Giovanni Colantonio

We need more games like The Last of Us 2 and fewer stories for 'everyone'

No RPG needs to be longer than 40 hours Superhero fatigue isn't a real thing, Marvel just makes bad movies now When I think about the last 10...

05.07.2026 7

Polygon

Josh Broadwell

I won't mourn PlayStation discs

Patch Notes is a weekly newsletter bringing you the best of Polygon, sent on Fridays and published on the site on Sundays. You can subscribe here. Let...

05.07.2026 10

Polygon

Oli Welsh

35 years ago, Square achieved something even modern RPGs rarely do

Final Fantasy 4 is a big deal. Not just because it was the series' first Super Famicom-slash-Super Nintendo installment. Not for the debut of the...

05.07.2026 8

Polygon

Josh Broadwell

House of the Dragon is far better than George R.R. Martin wants you to think

Attack on Titan went south long before its controversial ending Baldur's Gate 3's most beloved feature is overrated and weakens the game If...

05.07.2026 6

Polygon

Aimee Hart

In defense of FF7's Cait Sith

Final Fantasy 7 features some of the most beloved characters ever to be featured in a video game. Everyone admires Cloud’s too cool for school...

04.07.2026 8

Polygon

Jen Glennon

Baldur's Gate 3's most beloved feature is overrated and weakens the game

Magic needs to suck it up and ban Sol Ring from Commander immediately The Ringer's Mallory Rubin reveals her spiciest Game of Thrones take There...

04.07.2026 7

Polygon

Francesco-Cacciatore

Attack on Titan went south long before its controversial ending

I vividly remember the episode that Attack on Titan lost me. It wasn't the controversial ending where Eren Yeager became one of anime's most...

04.07.2026 20

Polygon

Corey Plante

Magic needs to suck it up and ban Sol Ring from Commander immediately

Baldur's Gate 3's most beloved feature is overrated and weakens the game If you're building a Commander deck in Magic: The Gathering,...

04.07.2026 10

Polygon

Jake Kleinman

8 years later, it's time to admit Red Dead Redemption 2 is a terrible game

I was, as the kids say, gassed when I finally got my hands on Red Dead Redemption 2. At the time, I was writing for a now-defunct video game website,...

04.07.2026 70

Polygon

Ford James

Dwayne Johnson's Jumanji movies are better than Robin Williams' — and it's not even close

Toy Story 5 is the most vital film of the 21st century The Ringer's Mallory Rubin reveals her spiciest Game of Thrones take Back in 2017, when...

03.07.2026 7

Polygon

Brian Vanhooker

Nintendo as we know it today wouldn't exist without one amazing game

Theme park rides. Fruit snacks. T-shirts. Bibs. These days, if there’s a surface available, Mario and other familiar Nintendo mascots are probably...

03.07.2026 5

Polygon

Jason Venter

After Civ 7's big updates, I'm convinced its future is bright

A couple of majorCivilization 7 updates this year have transformed the 4X game, mostly for the better, and reignited my hope for its future. Firaxis...

03.07.2026 20

Polygon

Josh Broadwell

Pokémon TCG Pocket's hot streak foiled by the most boring pack in months

Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket has had its fair share of ups and down since its launch in 2024. The card-collecting game’s monthly updates were...

02.07.2026 10

Polygon

Giovanni Colantonio

Please stop feeding PS5 Pro trailers into YouTube's 1080p wood chipper

Ubisoft published a new Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced trailer showcasing how the game looks on PS5 Pro, and it reminded me how these 4K...

01.07.2026 9

Polygon

Josh Broadwell

30 years ago, this underrated RPG introduced a mechanic that changed the genre forever

The past few decades have been kind to the role-playing genre, offering a broad variety of experiences. Some franchises have stayed with us for most...

01.07.2026 10

Polygon

Jason Venter

We’re still waiting for the first truly great Game of Thrones video game

For a time, Game of Thrones was on top of the world. Based on George R.R. Martin’s still-unfinished A Song of Ice and Fire novels, HBO’s show was...

01.07.2026 10

Polygon

Austin Manchester

Star Trek's best new show is radically changing Captain Kirk for the better

Captain Kirk. Mr. Spock. Dr. McCoy. The Enterprise. Even people who have never watched an episode of Star Trek know some version of those characters...

29.06.2026 10

Polygon

Terry Terrones

Star Fox has me nervous about Nintendo's Ocarina of Time remake

Nintendo has a monumental task in front of it. Later this year, it will try to iterate on perfection with a full remake of The Legend of Zelda:...

28.06.2026 10

Polygon

Giovanni Colantonio

I was wrong about The Legend of Vox Machina

Hindsight really is everything, and that’s never been truer than with the animated adaptations of Critical Role's mega-popular Dungeons &...

27.06.2026 10

Polygon

Aimee Hart

The best thing about Star Fox is the music

It's often said of remakes and remasters that the most effective ones are not the most dazzling, but those that look like the images the...

27.06.2026 10

Polygon

Oli Welsh

One of 2021's most acclaimed games still packs an emotional punch 5 years later

It’s easy to compare Chicory: A Colorful Tale, the June 2021 indie hit from developer Greg Lobanov and publisher Finnji, to a 2D Legend of Zelda...

26.06.2026 10

Polygon

Lillian Ali

The Pokémon card game desperately needs a new reservation system and now there's a perfect model

Earlier this month, The Pokémon Company released the First Partner Illustration series 2 collection, a starter-focused set with nine collectible...

24.06.2026 10

Polygon

Patricia Hernandez

This 100-hour dark fantasy nightmare is the perfect obsession for Game of Thrones fans

Elden Ring is a family matter The fantasy saga is a genre most video games don't try to tackle, at least not on the scale of something like...

24.06.2026 10

Polygon

Josh Broadwell

I love Tom Holland, but he'll never surpass my favorite Spider-Man movie

Hot take: Tom Holland is the best Spider-Man. While I also really like Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield, when Holland debuted as Spider-Man, he was...

23.06.2026 5

Polygon

Brian Vanhooker

1 year ago, KPop Demon Hunters saved the world

Unless you were sleeping under a rock, we’re almost certain you’ve heard of Sony Animation and Netflix’s animated masterpiece, KPop Demon...

22.06.2026 10

Polygon

Aimee Hart