Gaming

Genshin Impact: Should you play it?

Best free-to-play game right now?

Published

October 7, 2020

GadgetMatch

Have you noticed an influx of screenshots featuring cute, anime girls on your social media feed? If your answer is yes, then a lot of your friends may be playing Genshin Impact. It’s been a little over a week since the release. Here’s what you ought to know about the game.

Genshin Impact is a game by Mihoyo, the same creators of Honkai Impact. It’s a gacha based game that lets you draw rare characters and weapons. A gacha game is like a loot-box system. The idea is to push players to spend virtual currency to acquire various items.

To some that might be something to avoid. However, the developers made sure to give players a fair amount of perks for free wishes.

Getting started

To start things off, you’ll need a few things to draw wishes. These are: Intertwined fate, Acquaint fate and Primogems. Upon starting the game I was awarded with 10 Acquaint fate as a pre-registration milestone and 1600 primogems from launch rewards. That already gives me a total of 20 wishes.

Aside from that, I also received free wings of companionship that I can equip to my characters for use during gliding. Adding to that are 160 Primogems daily in my mail. You also get a sure 4-star characters or weapon every 10 draws. That’s not bad for a gacha game.

I’ve seen lucky people draw 5-star characters with their first 10 draws and some after loading up some cash in the game. Either way, you can still proceed with the story and gain Primogems by doing quests and opening chests.

A mysterious beginning

Genshin Impact starts when the twin protagonist gets separated by a god for a reason that has not yet been revealed or fully explained. You get to pick which twin your character you will be.

Your starting point will be on a beach east of the town of Mondstandt where most of the story quests begin. You’ll have a travel companion in Paimon. She will walk you through your tutorial and quests.

Paimon’s backstory has not been revealed yet and I think this is something to look forward to.

Pick up everything!

The gameplay is something that I really like.

You get a party of four, either solo or co-op. The party composition will depend on which element the character has and how it will help in the elemental combos. You can switch your party members during battle to maximize skills and damage.

You don’t get to assign stats to your characters. Instead it depends on the equipped weapon and artifacts. The characters, weapons and artifacts can be leveled up and ascended every 20 levels.

The drops from monsters and bosses can be used as ascension items. The rule is: pick up everything you see because it can be useful.

I had no problem progressing through the story even if I felt unlucky during my wishes. Genshin Impact is enjoyable whether you focus on the story or just got around its vastly huge map.

Playing on different platforms

Another good thing about Genshin Impact is that you can access your account on both PC and Mobile. They automatically sync. I tried playing on PC, a Samsung Galaxy s9+ and iPad Air. Transition was seamless and I played on whatever platform I found most convenient for me. The UI adjusts perfectly.

Regarding the controls, it’s the usual on keyboard: WASD for walking, spacebar to jump, F to pick up items, Q&E for skills, left mouse button for normal attack, 1-4 to change characters.

On mobile you just need to touch the action icons. Nothing complicated. Dodging and casting will not be a problem. It all comes down to preference on what platform you want to play on. Your progress syncs between PC and mobile.

The game is also available on the PlayStation 4. However, it has to be an entirely different account from the one you use on PC and Mobile. You can still play with your friends on PC and mobile if you’re using a PS4.

**Should you play Genshin Impact?**

On top of the cute characters and interesting story, the Japanese voice actors are known to have voiced some known anime characters. Being an anime fan myself, this got me more interested in the game.

I’m looking forward to future patches that would answer the questions that have piled up in my head and can’t wait to find out Paimon’s story.

If you’re looking for an open world, action-packed RPG that can be played alone or with friends, has some challenging quests and puzzles, and crossplay between PC, mobile. and PS4, then Genshin Impact is for you.

This gameplay feature was written by Jan Ariz Joy Franco or Rizu — her by her in-game name. She’s a full-time software developer and plays games to de stress. She just started streaming few months ago to help cope with the pandemic and wants to promote a toxic-free gaming environment. She’s a big fan of Super Mario. If you want to support her just drop a follow: http://facebook.com/rizuph.

Gaming

Life is Strange: Reunion now available on consoles and PC

Max and Chloe return for an emotional finale

Published

March 27, 2026

GadgetMatch

Bandai Namco Entertainment Asia and Square Enix have officially launched Life is Strange: Reunion, the latest entry in the narrative adventure series. Developed by Deck Nine Games, the title is now available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam and the Microsoft Store. A physical PlayStation 5 edition is also available across Southeast Asia.

The launch comes with an official trailer, marking the return of one of the franchise’s most beloved storylines.

A long-awaited reunion

Set 11 years after the original events, Life is Strange: Reunion brings back Max Caulfield and Chloe Price as they reunite to solve a new timeline-spanning mystery. This time, the stakes center on a devastating inferno threatening Caledon University–Max’s workplace as a photography teacher.

Returning from a trip, Max discovers the campus engulfed in flames, with lives lost across the university. She survives only by using her Rewind ability, a power that allows her to reverse time.

The situation takes an unexpected turn with Chloe’s sudden arrival–an outcome tied to the timeline-merging events of Life is Strange: Double Exposure. Now dealing with fractured memories and an unstable sense of reality, Chloe once again finds herself relying on Max.

Dual perspectives, new gameplay dynamics

For the first time in the series, players can take control of both Max and Chloe, switching perspectives as the story unfolds.

Max’s Rewind power lets players revisit decisions, reshape conversations, and manipulate environments to solve complex, time-based puzzles. Meanwhile, Chloe brings her signature Backtalk ability, allowing her to push conversations in her favor and access situations Max cannot.

This dual-character approach expands both narrative depth and gameplay variety, offering different ways to uncover clues and influence outcomes.

A character-driven finale

Life is Strange: Reunion continues the series’ focus on grounded, emotional storytelling, with choices that carry meaningful consequences. The game builds toward a dramatic climax that aims to close out Max and Chloe’s journey.

As the final chapter in their story, Reunion positions itself as both a continuation and a conclusion–tying together years of narrative threads while delivering a new mystery shaped by time, loss, and choice.

Gaming

Nintendo will make it cheaper to buy digital games than physical

Physical releases will have the same price.

Published

March 26, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

The days of lining up for a newly released game are well and truly over. Though some games still experience shortages in brick-and-mortar stores, such as the widely successful Pokémon Pokopia, gamers can get their titles digitally. Now, Nintendo is making digital releases more enticing by offering a tempting discount on the eShop.

Starting in May, Nintendo will start charging different prices for the physical and digital releases of first-party games. While physical releases will still have the same prices going forward, digital releases via the eShop will enjoy a discount.

The discount, of course, will likely depend on the title itself. Nintendo has already given the upcoming Yoshi and the Mysterious Book as the first example. The new platformer will cost US$ 70 from retailers. However, it will cost only US$ 60 on the digital eShop.

The company says that the new pricing scheme “simply reflects the different costs associated with producing and distributing each format.” With the prices of chips skyrocketing, it’s no surprise that the physical release is more expensive than the digital one.

To be more technical about it, Nintendo has started skipping a physical game card for a while now. The physical release of Pokémon Pokopia, for example, has only a game-key card or a code to download the game. In this format, physical releases are just pretty cases you can display on your shelf.

Also, digital releases do carry the added risk of getting delisted on the whims of the developers, the publishers, or Nintendo itself. It is, however, still a cheaper option, especially in a world where getting any discount is a welcome thought.

SEE ALSO: Nintendo sues the United States

Gaming

Razer Blade 16 (2026) packs more cores, faster memory

Razer’s thinnest gaming laptop yet

Published

March 26, 2026

Rodneil Quiteles

Razer has officially unveiled the 2026 version of its Blade 16, doubling down on what it does best: squeezing high-end performance into an ultra-slim chassis.

This year’s refresh focuses on meaningful internal upgrades. That includes a new Intel Core Ultra 9 processor, faster LPDDR5X memory, and NVIDIA’s latest RTX 50 Series laptop GPUs — all while keeping the Blade 16 as the thinnest gaming laptop in Razer’s lineup.

Performance gets a serious bump

At the core of the new Blade 16 is the Intel Core Ultra 9 386H, featuring 16 cores and up to 4.9GHz boost clock. Razer claims a 33% increase in core count versus the previous generation, translating to stronger performance across gaming, content creation, and AI workloads.

There’s also an integrated NPU capable of up to 50 TOPS, enabling faster on-device AI tasks like image generation and live translation.

Memory gets a notable upgrade too. The Blade 16 now supports up to 64GB of LPDDR5X-9600MHz RAM, which Razer positions as the fastest available in a laptop today. The result: quicker responsiveness for heavy multitasking, creative apps, and AI-assisted workflows.

On the graphics side, NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 50 Series (Blackwell architecture) brings DLSS 4 and enhanced AI capabilities for both gaming and creator use cases.

Display and design stay premium

Razer isn’t fixing what isn’t broken. The Blade 16 retains its signature CNC-milled aluminum chassis, measuring just 14.9mm thick and weighing around 2.14kg.

The display remains a highlight. You get a 16-inch QHD+ OLED panel with a 240Hz refresh rate, now brighter and certified for VESA DisplayHDR TrueBlack 1000. It supports full DCI-P3 coverage, Calman calibration, and NVIDIA G-SYNC, making it just as suited for creators as it is for competitive gaming.

Battery life and efficiency improve

Despite the performance gains, Razer is also pushing efficiency. Thanks to Intel’s newer architecture and system-level optimizations, the Blade 16 can hit up to 13 hours of productivity use and up to 15 hours of video playback under ideal conditions.

That’s a notable improvement for a machine in this class, especially given its slim form factor.

Connectivity and audio step up

The 2026 Blade 16 gets a future-ready connectivity suite, including Thunderbolt 5, Wi-Fi 7, and Bluetooth 6.0. There’s also a full set of ports, from USB-A to HDMI 2.1 and an SD card reader.

Audio gets an upgrade too. The six-speaker system now supports THX Spatial Audio+ with virtual 7.1.4 surround, aiming to deliver more immersive sound both on speakers and headphones.

Price and availability

The Razer Blade 16 configured with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 (16GB VRAM) and 32GB LPDDR5X-9600MHz RAM is priced at US$3,499.99 / €3,599.99 MSRP.

It is available now, exclusively via Razer.com and select RazerStores worldwide.

Still the Blade, just sharper

At a glance, the 2026 Blade 16 doesn’t reinvent the formula. But under the hood, it pushes performance, memory speed, and efficiency forward in ways that matter.

It’s still the same idea: a no-compromise gaming laptop that looks like it belongs in a minimalist workspace — just faster, smarter, and a bit more future-proof this time around.