Gaming

Forspoken review: Outspoken with little to speak of

Wait for a sale

Published

February 2, 2023

Luigi Leonardo

It doesn’t take a lot to create a decent roleplaying game. All you need is a fish-out-of-water character, a vast open map, and a seemingly endless list of objectives. Though it has all three, Forspoken struggles to keep up with its pretenses as a Western roleplaying game.

First, the good

Credit to where it’s due, Forspoken is a fun game for the first few sections. Exploring the incredibly huge map with magical parkour is enjoyable. Eclipsed only by Elden Ring’s Torrent, magic parkour is one of the most innovative ways to quickly traverse large distances, especially after learning more advanced techniques.

Likewise, fighting balanced enemies with limited powers provides enough of a challenge to keep players on their toes in Athia. Neither the player nor the first enemies feel overpowered.

Unfortunately, the game’s novelty quickly evaporates after you figure out that you have to repeat the same motions dozens upon dozens of times. Forspoken’s map is much larger than it ever should have been. Though abundant in number, every point of interest is separated by large distances, some platforming challenges, and a battle sequence. The greater map is empty. Do this over and over, and the game gets stale quick. With adequate rewards, this shouldn’t be a problem, but Forspoken also suffers from a communication issue.

A communication issue

For most roleplaying games, completing an objective on the map usually nets palpable rewards for the player: a significant experience boost, new skills, new gear, or a bag of loot. An open-world game necessitates a lot of exploring. Even if a game is repetitive, earning substantial rewards is satisfying, at least. Forspoken does not have this — not in an easily discernible way, at least.

Treasure chests, which account for most of the points of interest on the map, reward players with a litany of crafting materials. Most of which will go unused because the game doesn’t easily tell players how to use them. After a dozen hours of collecting materials, I had a wealthy cache of each ingredient to make practically anything. Even then, I had little idea where each one went.

The map’s major rewards — new cloaks, new nail arts, and experience — also do little to explain how Frey improves with each completed objective. Clearing out an enemy camp, for example, rewards players with +1 magic. The game does not tell you how much damage that conveys. Certainly, after completing a few of these, Frey feels stronger, but it’s not easy to see how much stronger, especially when most enemies are bullet sponges with absurd health pools anyway.

Plus, these don’t even scratch the surface of objectives wherein the main reward is literally just a lore dump you have to read from a menu.

Difficulty shouldn’t always mean more enemies

Another issue with clearing out Athia’s large map is how Forspoken handles difficulty. Though there are options to adjust difficulty, the game relies on a limited bag of tricks to make it more difficult for players: increasing enemy health and quantity. In moderation, relying on this strategy works. However, Forspoken does this to an obnoxious level.

Prepare to fight five mini-bosses in one encounter for a lore entry. What compounds this issue more is an insane enemy health pool which causes encounters to last a lot longer than they should. One mini-boss encounter took me 15 minutes, even with appropriately leveled gear and the right spells.

Because of the sheer number of enemies, an encounter can stun-lock Frey for an absurd amount of time. The player can hardly prevent this since it relies on chance. Despite offering a wide array of moves, the risk of knockbacks shoehorn players into a slow run-and-gun tactic (which might not even play into an enemy’s weaknesses), instead of using each ability to the max.

On paper, Forspoken’s combat offers a fluid way to take down enemies by seamlessly switching between spells and moving through the battlefield with magic parkour. Unfortunately, an imbalance in enemy strategies bogs the game down in prolonged sequences that often reward players with only middling boosts.

A lack of optimization

For a game released on modern hardware, Forspoken took a while to launch. The game was delayed a few times. Given how delays often work, you’d think that it would release in a fairly optimized state. It’s not.

Though I haven’t hit major game-breaking bugs, there were a number of performance dips throughout the game. Even on performance-focused settings, framerates dropped to a standstill when there were high particle effects on screen. Frey constantly clipped through the terrain and found herself stuck on finnicky edges (which sometimes required reloading from previous saves).

The game is also dragged down by numerous cutscenes. Though not a bug per se, it’s not a great sign of optimization that the game has to pause for a cutscene just to show enemies arriving. For a game featuring fluid movement and combat, Forspoken often takes players out of the action by pausing for unnecessary cutscenes.

Better on sale

Overall, Forspoken is persistently flawed. However, amid the game’s shortcomings, the title still has an exciting combat and movement system. Plus, if you disregard the tedious open world, Forspoken’s linear story, featuring the wide range of abilities, are enjoyable. My interest always bounces back after beating one of the game’s main bosses.

Still, it’s hard to call Forspoken a game worthy of its AAA price tag. It might be better to wait for a discount.

Gaming

IKEA, Xbox launch nine-piece YXSTABY gaming collection

Gaming inspired furniture

Published

November 6, 2026

Rodneil Quiteles

Gaming setups don’t have to look like dedicated gaming rooms. IKEA and Xbox are making that easier with their new YXSTABY collection.

The nine-piece collection combines IKEA’s furniture design expertise with Xbox’s understanding of gaming. It brings together functional furniture and playful accessories inspired by Xbox controllers.

IKEA launched the collection in the Philippines on November 4 at its Pasay showroom. The event featured interactive room setups that demonstrated how the furniture fits into everyday homes.

The launch also included a cosplay runway inspired by IKEA’s iconic blue and yellow FRAKTA bag. Guests explored immersive gaming stations and experienced the collection firsthand.

Gaming furniture designed for everyday homes

YXSTABY addresses the challenges of fitting gaming setups into shared living spaces. Its furniture supports different gaming positions while keeping accessories organized.

The gaming lounge chair accommodates both forward-leaning gameplay and relaxed reclining positions. A rolling side table keeps gaming accessories within reach.

The collection also includes flexible storage for cables and accessories. Its felt inserts protect stored items, while its foldable design doubles as a laptop stand.

Families can also move their gaming setups between rooms. A TV stand with castors makes it easier to relocate equipment without dedicating an entire room to gaming.

Xbox controller-inspired accessories

Xbox’s influence extends beyond the collection’s gaming furniture. Several accessories take inspiration from familiar controller elements.

The Gaming D-pad cushion recreates the controller’s distinctive directional button. A stainless steel platter also borrows its design from the D-pad.

Another standout is the tilting thumbstick stool, which takes inspiration from an Xbox controller’s analog stick. A mirrored display box gives collectors a dedicated space for controllers and other gaming memorabilia.

Bringing gaming into Filipino homes

IKEA Philippines Sales Leader May Castillo highlighted the collection’s relevance to local households.

She pointed to the Philippines’ strong gaming culture and the country’s high engagement with video games across different devices.

IKEA Philippines Selling Manager Sarah Cox said the collection draws inspiration from Xbox controllers and how gamers actually play. It also incorporates IKEA’s playful approach to furniture design.

The collaboration brings together two brands with different strengths. IKEA understands how people use their living spaces, while Xbox understands what players need from their gaming setups.

The result is furniture that makes gaming more convenient without making the rest of the home feel like a gaming room.

Gaming

The next Elder Scrolls game is called Sentinel

And it will be set in Hammerfell.

Published

November 4, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Can you believe that it’s been over eight years since Bethesda announced The Elder Scrolls VI. Since then, we’ve seen neither hide nor hair of the upcoming title. Today, the studio has mercifully revealed a tiny bit more about the game including its title and setting.

Historically, the Elder Scrolls franchise is not known for its numbering. It’s not The Elder Scrolls III, IV, and V; it’s Morrowind, Oblivion, and Skyrim. Now, we know what The Elder Scrolls VI will be called — Sentinel.

The name is also a huge clue as to where the game will take place. Besides being the name of the game itself, Sentinel is also the capital of Hammerfell, a region in northwest Tamriel. The teaser, which shows a sword being uncovered from a pile of sand, confirms this. After all, the Alik’r Desert is one of the region’s highlights.

Now, Hammerfell is not a new region for players. The region, especially the titular Sentinel, was previously featured in The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall. Obviously, not a lot of gamers would have played this classic game before, so a return will introduce the region to a lot more modern players.

Unfortunately, despite throwing us a bone with the name and the setting, Bethesda did not reveal when the title is coming. Given that Grand Theft Auto VI is launching very soon, the time is ripe for the launch of another much-awaited title.

Gaming

Wild Rift Patch 7.3, celebrates K/DA comeback

K/DA returns with FIRESTARTER

Published

November 2, 2026

GadgetMatch

Riot Games is celebrating the return of virtual K-pop group K/DA with new music, exclusive skins, and major gameplay updates in League of Legends: Wild Rift Patch 7.3.

After a six-year hiatus, K/DA returns with FIRESTARTER, the group’s newest track and the title track of an EP featuring three additional songs. The release marks a new chapter for the virtual group, which brings its latest musical era to the mobile MOBA through the new HEATBRINGER skinline.

To celebrate the comeback, Riot Games hosted FIRE IT UP: The K/DA Comeback Party in the Philippines. The event brought fans together for a listening party featuring music from across Riot Games’ virtual acts, live Wild Rift gameplay, community activities, and exclusive photo opportunities.

Attendees also experienced live AAA ARAM matches featuring gameplay disruptions and augments inspired by Riot Games’ musical universe, including HEARTSTEEL, Pentakill, and TRUE DAMAGE.

K/DA returns with new HEATBRINGER skins

The K/DA comeback introduces the HEATBRINGER skinline, featuring new looks for the group’s four original members: Ahri, Akali, Evelynn, and Kai’Sa.

The skins give the champions a new visual identity inspired by K/DA’s latest musical era, with fiery red and white elements that bring their stage presence to the Rift.

The collection also includes Prestige K/DA HEATBRINGER Evelynn.

The new skins are exclusive to Wild Rift and are scheduled to launch on November 4, 2026.

The comeback extends beyond the cosmetics. With FIRESTARTER and its accompanying EP now available on major music streaming platforms, K/DA’s return brings together Riot Games’ music and gaming communities.

Wild Rift Patch 7.3 overhauls marksmen and item builds

Beyond the K/DA celebration, Patch 7.3 introduces significant gameplay changes that reshape champion builds, jungle strategies, and objective control.

One of the biggest changes targets marksmen, giving critical-strike builds more room to scale. Base critical-strike damage increases from 175% to 200%, while the attack-speed cap rises from 2.5 to 3 attacks per second.

Several marksmen also receive individual adjustments, including Ezreal, Kai’Sa, Twitch, Lucian, Caitlyn, Draven, Miss Fortune, Samira, Zeri, Jinx, Vayne, and Ashe.

The item system gets an overhaul to support these changes. Players can explore new or redesigned options, including Hexoptics, Yun Tal Wildarrows, Fiendhuler Bolts, Stormrazor, Rapid Firecannon, and Immortal Shieldbow.

Lifesteal also receives changes intended to support basic attacks, on-hit damage, and abilities treated as basic attacks.

Support items are part of the update, too. Echoes of Helia is positioned toward offensive supports who want to convert damage into healing, while Ardent Censer, Staff of Flowing Water, and Harmonic Echo also receive changes.

Jungle changes reward efficient farming

Patch 7.3 also changes how junglers approach the early and mid-game.

The updated jungle system rewards consistent camp clearing with bonus gold and introduces a catch-up mechanic for junglers who fall behind. This reduces the pressure to constantly gank and encourages players to balance farming with opportunities to assist their teammates.

Clearing camps also progresses Ecosystem Protection stacks, allowing Smite to scale from 600 to 1,000 and eventually 1,400 true damage.

These changes make efficient farming more important when preparing to secure major objectives such as Baron Nashor, Rift Herald, and Dragons.

Epic monsters also adjust to the pace of each match, scaling according to the average player level rather than simply growing stronger as time passes.

Turrets receive substantial changes as well. Plating now extends to outer, inner, and inhibitor turrets and remains permanently. The new Crystalline Overgrowth mechanic lets turrets accumulate crystals that champions can detonate with their first basic attack.

Together, these changes place greater emphasis on lane pressure, defensive positioning, and coordinated pushes. Winning team fights remains important, but teams must also turn their advantages into meaningful objective damage.

Hwei, Sylas, and Rek’Sai join the roster

Patch 7.3 expands the champion roster with three additions: Hwei, Sylas, and Rek’Sai.

Hwei, the Visionary, brings a flexible set of abilities to the mid lane. His Subject: Disaster, Subject: Serenity, and Subject: Torment ability groups give him tools for dealing damage, supporting allies, and controlling opponents.

Sylas offers explosive damage and crowd control. His kit includes an ability that pulls enemies into a stun-to-knock-up combination, while Kingslayer restores health based on his missing health. His ultimate lets him steal an enemy champion’s ultimate ability.

Rek’Sai brings another approach to initiating team fights. Her Unburrow ability knocks up nearby champions, while her ultimate helps her track nearby enemies before striking.

These additions give players more options for adapting their team compositions and strategies.

Ranked play and game modes get updates

Competitive players also get changes to Ranked and Legendary Ranked.

The S/A and MVP scoring systems now evaluate performance according to a player’s lane and champion role instead of relying on a single universal metric. Strong performances can also yield more Ranked energy.

Legendary Ranked receives adjustments to its seasonal entry requirements for former Grand Masters, alongside a new trial format designed to help top performers advance from Legendary Commander Rank.

Players looking for something different can also try Rift Rumble, a new 3v3 mode played on a symmetrical map. Teams battle for kills and compete to capture ultimate stones that can change how their champions secure eliminations.

Meanwhile, AAA Realm continues to evolve with a music-themed season and new augment cards. These include Sonic Waves, which draws inspiration from Riot Games’ musical acts, including HEARTSTEEL, Pentakill, and TRUE DAMAGE.

A new era for K/DA and Wild Rift

With FIRESTARTER, the HEATBRINGER skins, and a sweeping gameplay update, Patch 7.3 connects Riot Games’ music and gaming communities through a shared celebration.

K/DA’s return gives fans a new soundtrack and fresh looks for their favorite champions, while the gameplay changes introduce new ways to approach champion builds, jungle farming, and map control.

Players can follow Wild Rift Philippines’ official social media channels for updates on the latest patch, champion releases, and in-game content.

K/DA returns with FIRESTARTER.