Mafia: The Old Country’s Free Ride update finally has a release date: November 20. It adds a number of new features, including challenges, a first-person driving camera, classic difficulty, and photo mode.
The major update to Hangar 13’s narrative adventure is a callback to the original Mafia’s Free Ride Extreme and the Free Ride mode in Mafia: Definitive Edition. As explained by Peter Amato, Content Manager at publisher 2K in a post on the PlayStation Blog, Mafia: The Old Country’s Free Ride update is a collection of challenges separate from the main story that give players chances to revisit the world in a “more self-guided way.” Veteran fans of the series will find that Mafia: The Old Country’s Free Ride mode will be slightly different from previous titles as a result.
The repeatable challenges include combat, stealth, and different race types. Completing them earns you the Dinari in-game currency to spend on the new outfits, charms, weapons, and vehicles unlocked by progressing through this content (as well as on items unlocked via the campaign).
“We want players to explore the world in a freeform way, and Free Ride turns it into an expansive hub where you’ll find and access various challenges by travelling around, unlocking Hitching Posts, and meeting contacts,” Amato said. “Challenges are instanced and accessed via these contacts, and doing so will place you into a combat location or special world state.
“These combat encounters reuse mission locations, so once you’ve played the corresponding story chapter and unlocked a Challenge in Free Ride, you’ll get to re-experience areas in new ways. Races happen out in the world and we’ve placed them along less-traveled paths, so it should be fun seeing parts of the map you may have previously passed by.
“Of course, there may be new places to explore too, but that’s something you’ll have to discover for yourself…”
Elsewhere, there’s the Cinema Siciliano visual treatment, which Amato said makes Mafia: The Old Country feel like playing “a genuine piece of classic Italian cinema.” “The visual treatment is stunning and it feels like you’re experiencing a black-and-white movie shot on an old-school sound stage, while the vintage-sounding audio convincingly brings the whole thing together,” Amato explained.
All the new items earned by playing Free Ride are usable in the main story campaign. All the new elements are present from the start, so new players will have them as options going through the game for the first time.
The addition of first-person driving is a first for the Mafia franchise. And the Classic difficulty makes the game harder.
“Definitely,” Zelnick said when asked if The Old Country performed well enough to instill confidence to continue the franchise. “We’re really excited about Mafia, and I think that’s a great question because it is sort of a reset for the franchise. We don’t have anything to announce — that comes from the label — but it definitely performed well ahead of expectations.”
Take-Two stopped short of providing exact sales figures but said the early 1900s Sicily-set Mafia “quickly surpassed our internal expectations and affirmed our belief that consumer demand remains strong for premium, narrative-driven experiences that over-index on value.” Although it’s unclear when or how another Mafia game could materialize in the future, more new content and updates for The Old Country are confirmed to be in the works.
Mafia: The Old Country launched in August as a prequel for the crime drama video game franchise that got its start with the original Mafia in 2002. The series saw semi-regular releases up until the launch of the divisive Mafia 3 in 2016, with only a group of well-received definitive edition remasters arriving to break up the wait for more in 2020.
IGN’s Mafia: The Old Country review returned an 8/10. We said: “Mafia: The Old Country is a conventional but effective return to the linear and tightly story-driven format of the original Mafia and Mafia II, and it boasts a wonderful eye and ear for detail.”
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
Ark is one of those strange series to me that seems to have a ridiculous amount of cash to dispense, what with its star-studded cast in the animated adaptation. Gerard Butler and bloody Michelle Yeoh are in it! Not to mention David Tenant, Elliot Page, Russel Crowe and Vin Diesel, the final of whom is meant to be in the borderline MIAArk 2. But some of those voices will be appearing in-game through Ark: Survival Ascended’s next expansion, Lost Colony, which now has a release date!
The full release of Kirby Air Riders is right around the corner, and to make sure that everything is in tip-top condition on launch day (tomorrow), Nintendo has released a day one patch to up the game to ver. 1.1.1.
The patch actually encompasses ver. 1.1.0 and 1.1.1, the former of which adds in the game’s online modes, and the latter sets about fixing any unwanted bugs that might pop up along the way. There are a bunch of features included in this one too, such as the addition of a Team Battle to City Trial, the ability to share replays, and amiibo support for the upcoming Air Riders figures.
Building a Vibe: The Making of Delta Force’s Newest Map, Monument
Joe Meng, PR & Communications Manager, Team Jade
Delta Force has been out on Xbox Series X|S for a little more than three months. Available for free, the game provides three distinctive modes for players of various taste palette: Operations, the game’s accessible, Operator based Extraction Shooter; the Black Hawk Down PvE campaign; and Warfare mode, where players engage in vehicle and/or infantry skirmishes taking place on a growing roster of maps, with its latest addition: Monument. It’s big, with lots of POIs and routes, meaning it’s packed with gameplay opportunities. But this map is more than just a new playground with a new look. It’s delivering a vibe. I spoke with two developers from the team to find out what this map was all about, and why it was so special for the team.
The making of this map took a rebellious turn. Gameplay-first has always been Team Jade’s go-to recipe but with this map, the team decided to flip the script. “I think it really started with a tribute,” said Kai, Level Designer at Team Jade who worked on this map. “We really liked ‘Operation Monument,’ the first mission from Delta Force: Land Warrior. We were discussing what to make next, and someone tossed out: ‘Why don’t we do a pyramid?’ and instantly, everyone just knew—that’s it!”
“This wasn’t just about a simple remake,” he continued. “With modern tech, we finally had the power to actually deliver the desert atmosphere and pyramid experience we’d dreamed of. This was very much a continuation of that classic experience. Getting the opportunity to build content around this really fired us up.”
“We wanted this map to let players truly immerse themselves in the unique atmosphere of the local culture, and this became our top priority for this map,” Wei, the 3D Environment Artist, chimed in. “So, our team actually made the trip out there for hands-on research—to experience the real sand dune terrain and pyramid architecture for ourselves.”
The caveat here, is that the team had already built a prototype of the map, in a bunch of grey boxes as you’d imagine in the engine editor. The team thought the trip would just add some cherries on top, but they were wrong. This trip, as it turned out, changed everything.
“Honestly, picturing something in your head and seeing it with your own eyes are two completely different things,” Wei laughed. The already built “greybox” version of Monument, designed with a traditional gameplay-first, hand-crafted approach, “showed promising results in internal playtests, but when we actually stood among the pyramid complex, we realized the real terrain’s elevation changes and sheer scale far exceeded anything we’d imagined. The desert environment really amplifies the grandeur and mystery. This vibe is something that we must, we have to deliver with this map.”
After the team got back, they effectively redesigned the map, drawing inspiration from the actual terrain. This “authenticity-first” approach, bolstered by photogrammetry scanning done back in the HQ office, created natural combat spaces that felt more organic than anything they could have “hand-designed” from scratch. “It’s like every grain of sand, every brick carries a story,” Wei said.
But getting the look and feel right is only half the job for a map. That’s where level designing shines. “Overall, Monument is a map that combines the diverse combat experiences from… Warfare mode while showcasing distinctive regional culture,” Kai remembered. The battlefield is split into four sectors, each with its own feel, from an abandoned town in Sector A to the dunes of Sector C.
“Sector D brings us inside the pyramid itself, with a maze of passages,” he beamed with excitement. This is where the “vibe” and the “gameplay” truly merge. “Besides the orderly corridors built by craftsmen… there are also secret passages carved out by tomb raiders over the centuries. So if a frontal assault gets too tough, try switching things up and taking a different route; you might stumble onto something unexpected. Players want big maps filled with POIs and routes, and this map really just speaks to that.”
I asked Kai what the team was most excited for players to experience. “I can’t spoil too much,” he chuckled a bit, “but there’s this feeling as the battle progresses. You gradually move from the distant town, across the dunes, closer to the pyramid, and finally step inside, with each stage offering a totally different feel… It’s those moments where you breach that final interior, with sand trickling from the crevices and the distinct sound of the Ney flute in the music… that’s the stuff that sticks with me. Like, this is so cool. You don’t usually get to experience this in a shooter.”
“Players may have already seen pyramids in movies or history books,” he finished, “but this is their first chance to really explore one… running freely, driving at full speed, and fighting in its shadow. We hope everyone has a blast playing it.”
Delta Force is now available for free on Xbox Series X|S. Season Ahsarah, featuring the Monument map, is available now. On top of this new map, the game is to introduce a new Engineer Operator, Gizmo and more content to the game. Delta Force will support console only cross-play with this new season, and native mouse and keyboard input, among other console-specific improvements.
The iconic series returns as the definitive free-to-play modern team-based tactical shooter, and featuring three distinct gameplay modes:
– Warfare: battle the enemy across land, sea and air in truly epic 32 v 32 PvP combat, featuring a wide range of vehicles and unique tactical gear.
– Operations: Delta Force meets the next generation extraction shooter as you deploy behind enemy lines with your squad, search for valuables, take on rival players, and extract before it’s too late. Alternatively, our PvE Raid mode offers challenging objective-based missions designed to push your squad to the limit.
– Black Hawk Down: step into the boots of legendary Delta Force operators for this remake of the classic series campaign based on the gripping 2001 movie.
We are committed to NO PAY-TO-WIN and development is driven by community feedback. Fair play is a top priority, and our dedicated G.T.I. security anti-cheat team ensures a fair gameplay experience by proactively targeting and removing cheaters.
Mafia: The Old Country‘s depiction of 1900s Sicily is teeming with immersive detail and dangerous encounters. With the new Free Ride Update, the developers at Hangar 13 are giving players even more freedom to explore and survive the Valle Dorata’s criminal underworld.
See all the additions included in the Free Ride Update via the trailer below, then read on for insights from Associate Design Director Josh Zammit about this free update for owners of Mafia: The Old Country.
How does Mafia: The Old Country’s Free Ride mode call back to, or differ from, past Free Ride modes?
Free Ride is a callback to the original Mafia’s Free Ride Extreme, as well as the Free Ride mode we shipped in Mafia: Definitive Edition. It’s a collection of Challenges separate from the main story that give players chances to revisit the world in a more self-guided way. Mafia: The Old Country’s Free Ride mode will be slightly different from previous titles, yet familiar to returning fans all the same.
This time, we’ve constructed several kinds of repeatable Challenges—including combat, stealth, and different race types—in a variety of new and familiar locations. Completing Challenges will earn you the Dinari in-game currency to spend on the new outfits, charms, weapons, and vehicles unlocked by progressing through this content (as well as on items unlocked via the campaign). We’ve also included a number of other fresh and exciting features for players to sink their teeth into, and I hope fans enjoy them.
What’s the first thing you’d suggest players to do when they enter Free Ride mode?
There’s a lot to explore in this update, so players will have plenty of potential starting points. But I’m excited for them to experience the Valle Dorata in the most immersive way possible, and to me, that’s First-Person Driving. The first thing I’d do is spawn my fastest car from the garage, turn on the First-Person Driving camera, and just joyride. The new Photo Mode is another much-requested feature I think players are going to love. So get out there, find some action and beautiful vistas, and take amazing screenshots to share with friends.
Which pieces of content are you personally most excited about?
We’re super proud of everything the team has achieved, so I find it hard to pick one that I’m most excited about. I love the races; it’s a ton of fun to drive around our world at high speed in the amazing old cars. There’s loads of technical corners, and the better you get, the more satisfying they are to navigate.
The Combat Challenges are great as well. Standoffs push your limits when it comes to openly engaging enemies, and Assassinations are fun to experiment with until you nail that perfect run. There is one piece of content I think players are going to find especially intriguing and unexpected, though I don’t want to spoil it. Keep an eye out for notes in Enzo’s apartment—one may end up revealing something cool to investigate.
Beyond extra Challenges and other added content, how does this update enhance one’s experience of the main campaign?
I’ve already mentioned First-Person Driving because it really hits differently, and that’s equally true during the story. Driving around with Cesare in first person is great fun, especially in Chapter 7. It adds to the immersion and feels like living in that moment with your best friend.
Cinema Siciliano is another fantastic way to experience Mafia: The Old Country. We’ve gone out of our way to make it feel like you’re playing a genuine piece of classic Italian cinema. The visual treatment is stunning and it feels like you’re experiencing a black-and-white movie shot on an old-school sound stage, while the vintage-sounding audio convincingly brings the whole thing together.
We’ve also added Classic Difficulty, adding a new degree of challenge and raising the stakes higher, making for even more reason to take another crack at Enzo’s journey.
On top of that, all the new items you can earn by playing Free Ride will be usable in the main story campaign.
For new players, all of these elements will be present from the start, and having them as options throughout the game is going to be awesome. I’d recommend playing through on one of the original difficulties first, but if you’re confident in your skills—or just want to get punished—Classic puts them to the ultimate test.
How does First-Person Driving change the feel of exploration?
Though it’s something the team always wanted to include, this is the first time we’ve officially supported first-person driving in the franchise. We’re massive driving fans, so it was important to get the details in the cars right.
In terms of how it impacts exploration, it obviously changes the way you see things as you drive around immersed more firmly in Enzo’s shoes. I’ve spent many hours traversing the Valle Dorata with it now, and still stop to marvel at details I rarely noticed while zooming around in our classic third-person view. Tackling races in first person offers another new way to test your abilities, as dust and smoke from other cars add an intense and exhilarating perspective that the detached camera can’t easily convey.
How does Free Ride mode make use of the game’s map in ways that the main game didn’t or couldn’t?
We want players to explore the world in a freeform way, and Free Ride turns it into an expansive hub where you’ll find and access various Challenges by travelling around, unlocking Hitching Posts, and meeting contacts. Challenges are instanced and accessed via these contacts, and doing so will place you into a combat location or special world state.
These combat encounters reuse mission locations, so once you’ve played the corresponding story chapter and unlocked a Challenge in Free Ride, you’ll get to re-experience areas in new ways. Races happen out in the world and we’ve placed them along less-traveled paths, so it should be fun seeing parts of the map you may have previously passed by.
Of course, there may be new places to explore too, but that’s something you’ll have to discover for yourself…
Mafia: The Old Country’s Free Ride Update is available November 20, free for all PlayStation 5 players. If you haven’t picked up the game yet, PlayStation Plus Premium subscribers can try it via a Game Trial beginning Friday, November 21.
Remember that MTG: Avatar Collector Booster Box I shared yesterday? Well it’s just dropped by nearly $100, so get your preorder in before prices go up. Seeing as you all liked the Final Fantasy Anniversary Collection deal so much, I’ve also included the HD-2D remakes of Dragon Quest I – III on Nintendo Switch. It’s a pixel art kind of week.
TL;DR: Deals for Today
The Prismatic Evolutions Figurine Collection is also dropping from today at potentially four different retailers, so if you missed out on your preorder I have all the inside scoops on where it’ll show up and when. I’ve also got a couple of essential gadget deals for your desk and car too, so let’s get straight into it:
Prismatic Evolution Figurine Collection
Missed out on preorders? Well multiple retailers will be selling the Prismatic Evolution Figurine Collection out of the gate. Here are the details on when I think they’ll be on sale and where:
Black Friday Arzopa Portable Monitor Deals at AliExpress
A portable USB monitor has many practical uses, such as a secondary display for your laptop or a travel-friendly screen for your Nintendo Switch or Steam Deck handheld gaming PC. Ahead of Black Friday, Arzopa is hosting some big markdowns on its popular lineup of portable USB monitors via its official AliExpress storefront. Combined with some general AliExpress coupon codes, these deals are the lowest prices I’ve seen all year long. All of the portable monitors listed ship free from the United States, which means you don’t have to worry about tariffs or long shipping times.
Magic: The Gathering | Avatar: The Last Airbender Collector Booster Box
The price on this has already dropped by nearly $100 to $455.88 compared to yesterday, so now is a better time than ever to get your preorder locked in. Avatar: The Last Airbender is one of the best things Nickelodeon put out when I was a kid, and its fandom still beats strong. This Universes Beyond MTG set hasn’t only got me back into Avatar, but it’s got me on MTG Arena to learn the game, not just collect it when I can. Collector Boosters aren’t for playing, it’s for those who want some solid binder material with far better pull rates than standard play boosters. There’s a premium for that of course, but Amazon won’t charge until it ships, which means you’ll probably have a day or two to get the money you need together.
Final Fantasy I-VI Collection Anniversary Edition
For Final Fantasy fans who haven’t played the 2D old school games, or for those who are fans of the sprite-based RPG vibe, this is the deal for you. It features a re-arranged soundtrack by original series composer Nobuo Uematsu, improved gamplay, a user interface overhaul, auto battle options and more quality of life improvements. 47% off makes this collection a no-brainer.
Dragon Quest HD-2D Remakes
Dragon Quest I, II and III HD-2D remakes are all out now on Nintendo Switch, with I and II also out on Nintendo Switch 2. Nintendo Switch titles can be played on Nintendo Switch 2 if you want the full game on-cart rather than a game-key card, which requires a sizable content download to play. Of course you’ll miss out on graphical fidelity and other upgrades.
JVSCAM 130,000RPM Cordless Electric Air Duster with Adjustable Tips
I love my cordless electric air duster, it comes in so handy for my desk and gaming rig, with the added attachments turning it inot a mini vacuum cleaner or duster. Ditch the cans of compressed air when cleaning out your keyboard and get one of these bad boys, you won’t regret it for under $20.
AstroAI P10 Car Battery Jump Starter
Unless you’ve been stuck with a dead battery waiting for your breakdown cover to pick you up, you have no idea how handy these things are. They fit right in the trunk of the car, ready to save the day when you’ve left your headlamps on at night or need a bit of juice to get you to your local mechanic. With $50 off, this is something everyone should have in their diesel and gas cars.
Up to 50% off Pokémon TCG and Free $60 Gift Card
Imagine getting Pokémon TCG Booster Bundles for free, or paying $20 to $30 for an Elite Trainer Box, cool right? Well it’s a real deal, and here’s how to do it. Start by applying for a Amazon Visa card, then if accepted you’ll get an instant $60 Amazon gift card added to your account, which means free Booster Bundles, Premium Collections and Booster Blisters.
If you’re after something more expensive and want to knock the price down before using the $60 gift voucher, you’ll need an AMEX or Discovery card. By paying $1 on your Pokémon TCG items in your basket, you’ll receive an automatic discount up to 50%. So whatever you need to pay after the gift card is cut in half. That’s not bad when you’re talking Elite Trainer Boxes and Booster Boxes. If this discount doesn’t apply, check the loyalty page on Amazon to see if you’re eligible.
TCGPlayer 10% Cashback Black Friday Event
You read that right, everything is eligibe too. Buy something, get 10% back as in-store credit. With sets like Mega Evolution and Phantasmal Flames finding new floors, this is 100% the best time to fill those gaps in your binder. The sale kicks off on Black Friday, November 28. and ends on Cyber Monday December 1.
Elegoo Saturn 4 Ultra Resin 3D Printer Deals
The Elegoo Saturn 4 Ultra line of Resin printers are perfect for anything that needs intricate detail, especially the 16k model, although the standard ultra does an amazing job too. The Saturn 4 Ultra and Mercury V3.0 wash is a perfect starter kit for anyone wanting to get into the hobby.
Elegoo FDM Printer Deals
What if I said I printed a full sized Stormtrooper helmet on a Neptune 4 Max in one go? It was such a fun project and this printer can handle some insane projects on the large and small side. In fact all of these FDM 3D printers are great for printing anything practical. I’m looking at you cosplayers.
Meta Quest 3S 128GB (Gorilla Tag Bundle)
$50 off a Quest 3S isn’t a bad deal to say the least, and you also get the “Cardboard Hero: Gorilla Tag” game bundled alongside a three month trial to Meta Quest Horizon+, which means free access to over 40 games. You can also upgrade to the 256GB version and get Batman: Arkham Shadow bundled in instead for $329 instead of $399.99. Now that’s an early Black Friday deal.
TMNT: The Last Ronin Box Set
This set contains three hardcover graphics novels encompassing the TMNT: The Last Ronin continuity. That includes “Lost Years”, “The Last Ronin”, and “The Last Ronin II: Re-Evolution”. I won’t spoil them for you, but this is one of the best series i’ve ever read, and I’m not a massive TMNT fan. And you won’t be charged for your preorder until this bad boy ships. Not a bad deal at all with that cheeky 25% off.
Christian Wait is a contributing freelancer for IGN covering everything collectable and deals. Christian has over 7 years of experience in the Gaming and Tech industry with bylines at Mashable and Pocket-Tactics. Christian also makes hand-painted collectibles for Saber Miniatures. Christian is also the author of “Pokemon Ultimate Unofficial Gaming Guide by GamesWarrior”. Find Christian on X @ChrisReggieWait.
I won’t comment on the quality of Marathon, the game, because I’ve not had the chance to play it, though obviously it’s not been received with all that much fanfare. You know what I did quite like? Marathon, the short film, the one that came with the game’s reveal from Alberto Mielgo. It felt like a strong promise of a (more-or-less) fresh sci-fi world, the performances were subdued, it felt larger than life. Good stuff! Yet as many things currently are, it’s been scrutinised over potential AI use, prompting Mielgo to put out a (understandably aggro) statement.
I like to think of the mainline Dragon Quest series sort of like a donut. A donut may have sprinkles on top, be glazed, or maybe tied in a knot, depending on where you get it, but at its heart, you know what to expect when you bite into one. You know you will get a delightful treat of fried dough, sweet, and usually covered with some sort of other goodies, and in Dragon Quest’s case, you know you can expect a grindy turn-based RPG, the distinctive designs of Akira Toriyama, and the vexation that comes with trying to dispatch smiling metallic blobs. That familiarity is comforting and the differences exciting, all at the same time. Dragon Quest is the same way, and even after nearly 40 years, even the latest entries all these years later, feel like a DQ game. After sinking my teeth into the upcoming Dragoon Quest VII Reimagined, slaying slimes and solving mysteries, this latest looks to retain that same DQ goodness.
Dragon Quest VII Reimagined marks the third iteration of Dragon Quest VII, the best-selling entry in Japan, following the original 2001 PlayStation release just before the PS2, and the mid-2010s 3DS remake.
Running around the dreary village of Wetlock, where my demo took place, I got a good look at the new art style of Dragon Quest VII Reimagined in action. Coming off the sprite-based goodness of the HD-2D Erdrick Trilogy remakes of Dragon Quests I & II, seeing this new handcrafted style was quite a spectacle. The use of real-world materials as textures in the clothing and gear of the main characters, thanks to the highly detailed puppets that were made and scanned in, gives this version of DQVII, and Prince Kiefer’s broad chin, a distinct vibe and feeling all of its own.
The use of real-world materials as textures in the clothing and gear of the main characters, thanks to the highly detailed puppets that were made and scanned in, gives this version of DQVII, and Prince Kiefer’s broad chin, a distinct vibe and feeling all of its own.
Speaking to Reimagined’s producer, Takeshi Ichikawa, he explained that this shift in style was done to better capture the unique proportions and style that the characters in Dragon Quest VII have. “They’re drawn shorter than the other mainline Dragon Quest characters. So we kind of wanted to leverage that. We explored a lot of ideas of visual styles that leverage the adorableness and the cuteness of those short characters.”
Taking out my reverence for sprite-based games, the new style of Reimagined is impressive, but at least for me, it took some getting used to, and one that I’m not entirely sold on just yet. As you might expect from a DQ game, the distinctive art of Akira Toriyama is expertly rendered in this new way, but with representations of real-world materials such as the weave that made up the Bag O’ Laughs enemy, or more pronounced scales, felt… odd? It’s hard to describe, but it’s that “off” feeling whenever you see a more realistic version of your favorite cartoon or anime character, like seeing actual hair strands on Goku. Okay, maybe it isn’t that level of odd, but you get my point.
I also noticed that the colors seemed rather muted compared to what I’ve come to expect from these games and Toriyama’s Dragon Quest work. The green of the hero’s little hat and outfit that I am used to being a vibrant spring-time green looked more like the color of a cloak – like what a sneaky elfish ranger may wear when trying to be seen among the brush, for instance. I’m also a bit bummed that we are losing out on party members changing their appearance based on the vocation they have equipped that was featured in the 3DS version, but I imagine making that many outfits for the puppets would have taken a considerable amount of time to do, and then scan in for the game, so I’m willing to forgive that one.
Trimming the Fat
Square previously mentioned that, for Reimagined, the team removed non-critical storylines and other content, including Grondal, El Ciclo, Providence, the Casino, and more, to streamline the experience and make it more approachable. One area that the team has paid special attention to is the opening few hours, which, speaking from experience, really drag on, with your first encounter with a slime not coming until close to three hours in. It was a barrier that caused even Ichikawa-san to give up the game back when he first played it as a child in elementary school. Thankfully, he promises that you will be slaying your first critter within an hour of starting up the game this time.
I realize hearing terms like “streamlining” or “more approachable” – along with the mention of cut content – may be off-putting to hear for some folks, or even causing some to be concerned that Reimagined will be a “diet” version of Dragon Quest VII. Obviously, the small snippet I did get to try out doesn’t give me much insight into how the cut and adjusted narrative content impacts things. At least from a gameplay standpoint, Reimagined feels just like a Dragon Quest game should, with the new mechanics and features feeling right at home.
Get a Second Job
Dragon Quest VII is part of the small and exclusive club of series, alongside the likes of Dragon Quests VI, IX, and III, that features a vocation system that lets you swap around the jobs, and as a result, the abilities of your party members. Reimagined further expands on this with the introduction of Moonlighting, which allows each character to have not just one, but two jobs, with abilities to pick from and level up, giving me flashbacks to Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age. I am a self-admitted job-system sicko, and even though a ton of jobs were still locked and hidden in the snippet I played, I could have easily spent my entire time tinkering around with different combinations of roles and seeing how they played off of each other. I appreciated that Reimagined also clearly shows what the requirements are to unlock new vocations, too, meaning I will be able to really target the ones I want when Reimagined releases!
After fights, I would earn vocation points that act as experience that will level up whatever ones I had equipped. It looks like Reimagined pulls from the 3DS version’s school of vocations, as my characters could only use skills of the jobs they had equipped. Vocations also come with associated “Perks” —special actions they can take when specific criteria are met, essentially a Limit Break of sorts. These can be big attacks, heals, or buffs that will help you turn the tide of particularly nasty boss fights, which Dragon Quest games are never lacking in.
Finding Fragments
The aspect of Reimagined that I was most interested in checking out and seeing how this latest version would handle was the magical fragments, which are, debatably, the most defining mechanic of this seventh installment. These artifacts, which you collect and then stick together like LEGO to reveal new locations to visit, can be a real pain to find. The previous 3DS remake had a special finder on the system’s bottom screen that would alert you when one was nearby, and really eliminated a good bit of the frustration and headache from tracking the suckers down, so I was really curious how this new game would address it.
This time around, fragments simply will show up on your minimap. When you collect them, they will appear greyed out, alongside a support system with the strange Caretaker and adjusted locations for the pesky tablets to make the whole hunt easier. I do hope there is still some challenge in finding fragments in the final release. I don’t need to feel like Indiana Jones uncovering a long-lost and forgotten artifact, but I don’t want to feel like a toddler picking out the square from an assortment of circles and triangles either.
Tweaked for You
There were other handy little tweaks and additions that aided me in my quest to discover missing townsfolk around Wetlock. I stumbled on special Goddess statues that I could save and heal at, which made them far more attractive spots to do some level and job grinding. Reimagined brings over some of the help options from the HD-2D remakes, like being able to toggle fully healing when a character levels up and adjustable difficulty settings, among others, to help bring this tale into the modern era with modern expectations. One unfortunate feature that Ichikawa-san and the team weren’t able to work out was a good way to use the lizard-gecko creature in this new game, never making it past early discussions on how you could utilize this creature. But at least our favorite little critter has made its triumphant return to the character art for the hero after being completely absent from the 3DS release.
When Dragon Quest VII first came to the West in 2001, a year after the PlayStation 2 was released, its dated sprites on 3D backgrounds were competing with the evolutionary leap of the RPG in Final Fantasy X that same year. The 3DS version suffered a similar though not as troublesome, release window in the States, coming to the aging handheld a mere six months before the Switch would begin its campaign to conquer the world with the likes of Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Super Mario Odyssey, and a little game called The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, redefining what was possible with a handheld gaming device. Dragon Quest VII Reimagined marks the first time that this story is being told from a standpoint of being already outdated on arrival in the West.
After my 45 minutes were up, I had successfully solved the mystery of the disappearing citizens of Wetlock, climbed to the top of a tower to avoid a devastating flood, and vanquished the monster behind it. All in all, a typical day in the life of a Dragon Quest hero and his friends. While many aspects of Dragon Quest VII Reimagined are still a mystery, all of those special little qualities and personalities that have kept this series going for almost 40 years are still on display. I am eager to see all that this new version has to offer and just how the removal of some story beats and addition of new ones impacts the overall campaign, along with what the new gameplay mechanics bring to the Dragon Quest DNA. 2026 may just be the year that the rest of the world really sees what has made Dragon Quest VII the best-selling entry over in Japan, giving it the stage to finally shine.
After 105+ minutes of gameplay and breakdowns, we have finally arrived at the launch week for Masahiro Sakurai’s latest joint, Kirby Air Riders.
The game is mere hours away from boosting onto Switch 2 on 20th November (that’s tomorrow!), and that means that it’s time to take a look at the reviews and give you a summary of all the different opinions out there.
We spend more time than ever scrolling, swiping, and streaming. Most of it passes by in a blur, and habits like doom-scrolling fill the time but leave us feeling empty. But there’s one type of entertainment that feels different – one that gives back, turning moments into meaning – and in a way that our social feeds rarely do. Gaming.
That’s the story behind The Culture of Play Report, a new look at why play feels different and why so many people say it’s time well spent. To get a truer picture of how players feel about gaming, we partnered with Edelman Data & Intelligence to survey 1,500 adult video game players in the U.S. – representing a broad mix of play styles and perspectives, from core players to casual participants, across diverse demographics and backgrounds (you can read more about the report’s survey below).
The findings reveal three key reasons players keep coming back: meaning, connection, and self-expression. It’s something you’ve known for years, and now the world is catching on: gaming just might be the most fulfilling, socially connected, and powerful form of entertainment today.
Meaningful Play
Nearly 68% of players surveyed say gaming is more emotionally fulfilling than their other hobbies, and three in four reported feeling that they’re doing something meaningful when they play. At Xbox, we think that’s for good reason: games don’t just entertain us – they ask something of us. When we build, explore, or compete, we create our own joy. The reward isn’t passive. It’s personal.
Likes Fade. Play Lasts
Six in ten players in our study made lifelong friends through gaming, and more than half say their communities have supported them in tough times. In a world of fleeting interactions, gaming helps build something lasting – real connection. Connection so real, in fact, that three in four players we talked to hope to pass their love of play on to the next generation.
Over the past 12 months, 46% of our players on Xbox chose to game together across titles like Call of Duty, Forza Horizon 5 and Fortnite that consistently deliver these shared experiences.
Play Shaped By You
Everywhere else online, algorithms decide what we see next. But in games, we decide who we are, what we do, and how we play. That freedom matters. But freedom doesn’t mean going at it alone. Nearly half of players surveyed say they often feel overwhelmed by too many choices in gaming, almost nine in ten find curation useful, and eight in ten say they’re open to smarter ways to discover what to play next.
That’s why we’re exploring new tools like Gaming Copilot to keep discovery simple and make every session feel a little more personal, without taking away the choices that make play yours.
The Culture Play Built
Every day, millions of players are building more than just games. The meaning, connection, and self-expression they find through play have reshaped how we tell stories, share ideas, and see ourselves. When people are fulfilled by play, they create, share stories, connect, build worlds, remix trends — and that creativity is now part of our collective culture.
Gaming’s influence shows up everywhere: in the movies we watch, the music we stream, the clothes we wear, and the communities we form. It’s proof that play doesn’t just reflect culture — it helps build it.
Your Turn
Everyone has a moment that reminds them why they play – a favorite game, a shared win, or a friendship that’s lasted long after the game ended. For nearly 25 years, Xbox has been about bringing people together through play –and creating moments and experiences that turn players into friends, teammates, and even family.
As we enter our 25th Anniversary year, we’ll celebrate your stories and connections that define the heart of Xbox. These insights will help us keep shaping what comes next, because we believe everyone should have the chance to create those moments – playing the games they love, wherever they are.
How We Conducted the Culture of Play Report Survey
Microsoft commissioned Edelman Data & Intelligence to conduct a 20-minute online survey among 1,500 video game players in the United States, between June 25 and July 2, 2025. The panel of survey respondents were carefully selected to closely match U.S. population demographics and the respondents are representative of American men and woman, ages 18 and older.
The audiences analyzed in this report include three distinct segments: Core Players (who spend most of their entertainment time gaming and following gaming news closely), Enthusiastic Players (who spend a quarter to half their entertainment time gaming and casually follow trends), and Casual Players (who primarily play on mobile or tablet and rarely follow gaming news).
