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Forbes
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘Borderlands 4' Hands-On Previews Are Here, And They Are Fantastic
Borderlands 4 I have yet to see anything in Borderlands 4 previews that suggests to me that it's not going to be great, and in the wake of pre-orders (at a $70 price) launching this week, now we have a large batch of hands-on previews that have dropped from various outlets and creators. Well, the good news is that the Borderlands 4 previews are almost all universally positive, and have a general sense of the series being 'back.' The bad news is…well, I'm not really seeing bad news. Here is a smattering of highlights from the previews, which come from both outlets and YouTubers deep into the scene: IGN: 'After several hours dipping our toes into what is sure to be a massive looter shooter, we're much more optimistic about its odds of recapturing our affections after years apart.' Game Informer: 'With Gearbox, it truly feels like Borderlands 4 is taking those steps to change the direction of a franchise that had been drifting away from me for more than a decade, while still remaining staunchly true to its overarching identity.' Screenrant: 'It's hard to distill everything I loved about my time playing Borderlands 4 down to a digestible length. I could go on for far too long about how great the new throwing knives are or how this is easily some of the best-written Borderlands content, thanks to the game's humor staying grounded in its own world as opposed to relying too hard on dated internet culture.' FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder Moxsy: Joltz: EpicNNG: This echoes the sense the previews gave, that this had taken the immense amount of feedback and criticism from the (still very successful) Borderlands 3. Two areas that have been significantly addressed are the dramatic increase in mobility, ranging from grappling hooks to gliding, to make the combat feel more fast-paced and modern. It's also refreshing to hear that the writing is less meme-y than it used to be, harkening back to the BL1 days of the series where sure, there was comedy, but it didn't go overboard to the point of being exceptionally lame (something BL3 had in spades). spades). Borderlands 4 recently moved its release date up to September 13, 2025. Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford said that it was just confidence in the product, not trying to avoid Bungie's Marathon, which it previously shared a release date with (as of yesterday, Marathon is delayed indefinitely anyway) or avoiding the not-yet-announced GTA 6 (which was eventually delayed to May 2026). So, he was right. Borderlands 4 was already one of my most-anticipated games of the year, possibly the most-anticipated, given the thousand hours I've put into the past games. Now? I'm doubling down on that. I cannot wait. Follow me on Twitter, YouTube, Bluesky and Instagram. Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The previews for Death Stranding 2 are so good, Hideo Kojima's worried too many people will like it: "Maybe this is a problem"
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. In the run-up to Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, previews have been positive all around. For most developers, this would be excellent news, but not Hideo Kojima. He's now a little worried that perhaps what he's made isn't divisive in the way that he'd like. He explained his feelings to Game Informer during a premiere event for Death Stranding 2. "Anything that lasts 10 years, 20 years, it has to be new. And most of those are not received well at the start," Kojima says. "That exists for 20 or 30 years, and then looked back on, with people saying 'This is great.'" A considerable amount of entertainment at the moment is "easy to digest," Kojima argues, and in his mind, Death Stranding needed emphatic fans, thus he wanted to make something where a minority loved it, but those people became truly dedicated to it. He mentions how Metal Gear wasn't talked about much until a decade after the original. "For Death Stranding 2, when I tested it, it wasn't like that," he admits. "Everyone liked it. That's why I said, 'Maybe this is a problem.' It was more than my prediction, in the first Death Stranding, everyone had pros and cons." The audience dynamic he's looking for is more like four out of 10 players who are profoundly moved by the work, while the rest are unsure. This seemed closer to the truth for Death Stranding, an odd game in many respects, that some players got thoroughly into straight away, and plenty more were left a little bemused. For Death Stranding 2, the climate is different. It seems like more people are on board from the off. When the game comes out on June 26, we'll know if players are having an easier time with it compared to its predecessors. Kojima's comments speak to a creative anxiety about creating something that lasts in the cultural lexicon, rather than being a fleeting sensation. He's spoken openly about his desire to inspire others and leave a legacy of encouragement for anyone creative. Regardless of how On the Beach fits into that paradigm, it should spur plenty of discussion. If Death Stranding and Metal Gear Solid ever crossover, Kojima knows who should be a porter, even though they "won't be able to carry things so much"
Express Tribune
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Kingdom Hearts IV development update reveals new screenshots and confirms continued progress
Square Enix has provided a fresh development update on Kingdom Hearts IV, accompanied by a new batch of official screenshots posted to the franchise's English and Japanese Kingdom Hearts X accounts on 14 May 2025. The images feature both cinematic and action elements. While the large header screenshot shows protagonist Sora in battle, the smaller visuals include what appear to be cutscenes, an enemy encounter, and a potentially playable Mickey Mouse — although this could also be an unconventional camera angle. In a message released alongside the screenshots, the development team wrote, 'We're currently working hard on Kingdom Hearts IV and will continue pouring ourselves into the game's development. We're dedicated to making this an experience that lives up to your expectations.' A follow-up post added, 'We are equally excited and can't wait to share more about Kingdom Hearts IV when the time is right. Until then, we appreciate your patience.' Kingdom Hearts IV was originally revealed in April 2022 through a trailer marking the franchise's 20th anniversary. Since then, information has been limited, aside from an exclusive interview with Game Informer two months after the reveal. Directed by series creator Tetsuya Nomura, the title follows Kingdom Hearts III, which released in 2019 and earned widespread critical acclaim. A release date for Kingdom Hearts IV has yet to be announced.
Metro
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Kingdom Hearts 4 gets new update as Square Enix cancels spin-off
Square Enix has canned a previously announced Kingdom Hearts spin-off, as it looks to 'reboot' its business. It's been over three years since Disney crossover Kingdom Hearts 4 was revealed, in April 2022, and we haven't seen or heard anything about the sequel since. Square Enix also announced a mobile spin-off entitled Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link during the same 20th anniversary video. The GPS-based action role-playing game received a closed 'prototype test' in January 2023 and was originally supposed to come out in 2024, but it was delayed. Now, Square Enix has announced Kingdom Hearts: Missing-Link has been cancelled entirely, which is surprising as its story was supposed to lead into Kingdom Hearts 4. 'We wish to convey our heartfelt apologies to everyone who has been looking forward to the start of service,' an announcement post reads. 'Although we worked hard on developing and adjusting the game in the hope that it would be enjoyed by lots of players, we determined that it would be difficult for us to offer a service that players would find satisfactory over a long period of time, leading us to the decision to cancel development. 'We would like to take this opportunity to express our thanks to everyone who gave us their support and assistance with the multiple closed beta tests. We are truly sorry to have to make this announcement.' To sweeten the bad news, Square Enix provided an update on Kingdom Hearts 4, perhaps to reassure fans that it does still exist. 'The Kingdom Hearts series will continue,' the post adds. 'We are hard at work on Kingdom Hearts 4, and hope you'll continue to support the series as you keep an eye out for further updates.' While it's unclear why we haven't seen anything from Kingdom Hearts 4 for so long, Square Enix has undergone a major overhaul to its business over the past year. Lower than expected sales for Final Fantasy 16 and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth caused a shift in strategy at the company, towards a more selective, higher quality approach – resulting in many cancelled projects. Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link appears to be another casualty of this pivot, but it is an interesting decision considering the spin-off was set to have ties to Kingdom Hearts 4's narrative. In an interview with Game Informer from 2022, series director Tetsuya Nomura described Missing-Link as being 'connected in many ways' to the next mainline entry. In its latest financial results, Square Enix emphasised its intention to 'reboot and awaken' its business, by promoting 'multi-platform strategies' and 'rebuilding the domestic studios portfolio', among other plans. 'Under the new management structure, we reviewed all projects at our domestic studios, including HDG and SD titles, and decided to discontinue development of some titles and invest additional funds in titles that require refinement, thereby steadily implementing a strategy of selecting and concentrating development resources,' reads the business plan. 'We will continue to control the scale of development investment in a disciplined manner.' More Trending As part of this three year plan, Square Enix states its aim to 'shift from quantity to quality', with the intention of releasing 'major titles mainly in key IP steadily' after 2027. Square Enix has several games planned for the Switch 2, including Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster and Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade. Elsewhere in the plan, Square Enix announced it is working on a video game with TBS Television, the Tokyo-based network which is known for producing shows like Takeshi's Castle and Ninja Warrior. While it's unclear when we could get another glimpse at Kingdom Hearts 4, the next likely candidate is Summer Game Fest on June 6, 2025. Email gamecentral@ leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter, and sign-up to our newsletter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader's Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. MORE: Sony to increase first party games output as PS5 sales continue to fall MORE: More Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders live now in UK with limited camera bundle MORE: New Persona annoucement due this week but prepare for disappointment
