Gaming

Ghostrunner: A cyberpunk wonderland

Jaw-dropping game

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Ghostrunner is a first-person perspective action game set in a dystopian cyberpunk world where you wake up with a cybernetic arm after being thrown out.

The game lets you navigate through a stunning dystopian cyberpunk world where you embark on swift kills and boss fights to get to your target. It was developed by a Polish development studio, One More Level and co-published by All In! Games and 505 Games.

Familiar but different

Ghostrunner is a slick slasher packed with lightning-fast mechanics set in a dystopian cyberpunk megastructure. The Keymaster and final boss, Mara, rules over everything with seething hatred over humanity. You will need to make your climb from your fall to discover tech that’ll help you fight enemies, piece together the world around you, and uncover secrets of your own identity

If you’ve played Mirror’s Edge, you’ll notice similarities. These spring from navigating your way through your surroundings in gravity-defying parkour. But, that’s as far as similarities go.

Ghostrunner lets you do all the flips and tricks while slicing your enemies with your katana, dodge bullets with your superhuman reflexes, and employ a variety of parkour techniques.

You’ll die…

A lot. But, I guess that’s part of the satisfaction that comes with playing Ghostrunner. The game has a one-hit-kill mechanic just makes it painfully harder to play for a klutz like me. It makes for excruciatingly painful deaths and stupid lucky playthroughs. I won’t promise you that this game won’t make you rage quit it. It might and it did for me.

Dying is part of the gameplay. It’s fundamentally what forces players to find better routes and play around in-game. And, when muscle memory kicks in or when you’ve finally gotten good, the unbridled satisfaction makes it all worth the horrendous tries.

A test of will

This game isn’t for quitters. It tests your ability to pick yourself up from one kill to the next. It’s brutal but it’s paradoxically fun. Ghostrunner cuts the crap on a lot of things and sticks to the fast-paced, clean-cut, and straight-forward plays. The plot is simplistic; the cyberpunk landscape is challenging, and the playthroughs force you to keep moving.

Jaw-dropping graphics

I could go on about how difficult this game was for someone who struggles to play first-person perspective games but, there’s more things that add to Ghostrunner’s charms besides difficult play with its no-fuss plotline. And, it’s the world you play in. It’s undeniably stunning. There are just layers upon layers to the colorful dystopian jungle and it manages to not feel repetitive.

The landscape transitions so well and help give perspective on the game’s story. As much as I’ve died an embarrassing amount of times, the world around me helps it feel less like I’ve shot myself on the foot the same way a thousand times.

Is this your GameMatch?

If what you’re looking for is a plot-heavy game that lets you dabble into the nuances of society through customizable characters, this isn’t it for you.

Ghostrunner is unapologetically a cool action game where you can feel at home slashing through enemies, breezing through a cyberpunk obstacle course and senselessly quick pacing. If you love a good speed-run, are up for quick brutal deaths, and parkour action games, this is a must-buy.

Gaming

CRISIS CORE -FINAL FANTASY VII- REUNION physical edition now available for Switch 2

Zack Fair’s story comes to Switch 2.

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Crisis Core

Bandai Namco Entertainment Asia and SQUARE ENIX have released the physical edition of CRISIS CORE -FINAL FANTASY VII- REUNION for Nintendo Switch 2 in Southeast Asia.

Players can also purchase the game digitally on the platform. Availability may vary by region and retailer.

Zack Fair’s story returns

Set in the mako-powered metropolis of Midgar, CRISIS CORE -FINAL FANTASY VII- REUNION follows Zack Fair, a young operative in Shinra’s elite SOLDIER unit.

Zack investigates the mysterious disappearance of SOLDIER operatives alongside his mentor, Angeal, and the legendary Sephiroth. His journey reveals the events that shaped the world of FINAL FANTASY VII and his connection to Cloud Strife.

The game revisits Zack’s story with an HD graphical overhaul of its character models, user interface, and environments. It also features fully voiced dialogue in English and Japanese, alongside an updated action-combat system.

Players can trigger Limit Breaks and Summons as they battle their way through the story. The game also supports handheld and docked play on Nintendo Switch 2.

A look back at Zack’s legacy

Originally released as a remaster of the PSP classic, CRISIS CORE -FINAL FANTASY VII- REUNION offers a refreshed take on one of the franchise’s most significant prequel stories.

In our GadgetMatch review, we explored how the remaster brings Zack Fair’s journey to modern platforms while preserving the emotional core of his story.

The release also gives players another way to experience the events leading into FINAL FANTASY VII, ahead of the upcoming FINAL FANTASY VII REVELATION, the third and final entry in the FINAL FANTASY VII Remake series.

For more information about CRISIS CORE -FINAL FANTASY VII- REUNION and other Bandai Namco Entertainment Asia titles, visit the official website.

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Gaming

Dune: Awakening makes it way to the PS5 and Xbox Series X

Surviving the harsh land of Arrakis one sandstorm and bloodlust at a time

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Back in June of 2025, Funcom released its multi-nominated open world survival game, Dune: Awakening. Inspired by the renowned movie franchise, the game takes place within the deserts of Arrakis as players survive and thrive through intense combat and strategic decision making. Now, in the big 2026, Funcom is finally bringing that experience to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S players as Dune: Awakening officially launches on console!

For the newbies finally getting it on console, here’s all you need to know:

Take the lead or do it together

Dune: Awakening takes you into the desolate land of Arrakis, and gives you the option to do it on Single Player or Multiplayer upfront. Through your own bidding in strategy, combat, and resource management, your goals are simple: survive the terrain, make more allies than enemies, and conquer the land through your affiliation to the powers that be.

This version of the game is as exact and as one-to-one as it possibly could with the PC version released last year, down to the story arcs, quests, and PvE/PvP areas you take on. Since launch, Funcom has introduced new weapons, areas, and cosmetics through DLCs that will be available to console players, as well. Also, several key features in story and mission progression that have changed on the PC version will take into effect.

If you want to engage with multiplayer, it is still a viable option when you want to gather more resources and reinforce your bases against other players and the natural elements. However, you still won’t be able to host your own server on a console just yet, as it is more stable to do so on the PC version.

Become whoever and whatever to survive

Character customization became the game’s bread and butter through its extensively library of features and unique take on story progression. As you begin your journey, Lady Jessica welcomes you in and asks you on your origin story, mentorship, and initial skill set — all of which are to your choosing based on your play style. Honestly, none of these completely influence the difficulty in progressing the story too much but it will give you full control of the experience.

As you progress further into the game, you will unlock more skills and abilities to aid you in your quest for power and survival. These will help you earn XP, along with accomplishing tasks, gathering resources and researching newer technologies, plus engaging in combat both within the PvE and PvP areas. Ultimately, you and, potentially, other players must build enough rapport and influence to shape the world of Arrakis to your liking.

Consistent visual expectations

For most players on the PC version, graphical fidelity relied heavily on the hardware of choice. When transitioning the game into a console-friendly environment, Funcom worked out the details seamlessly by adding a Performance and Quality mode. In this fashion, you can opt for crystal-clear graphics at a decent 30 FPS or go for a constant 60 FPS to keep up with the action.

Left: Performance | Right: Quality

No matter which mode you choose, the overall visual identity of the game doesn’t change drastically. Environments look rich and vibrant, while the tiniest of details within character models are preserved. Although, given frame rate differences, rendering of background elements also reflects that but it won’t ruin the gaming experience.

Dune: Awakening will be available on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S on September 22. For Xbox Game Pass owners, this will also be a Day One release with Play Anywhere support and cross-play within Xbox and PC players upon launch.

Funcom has also planned an exciting map update later this year plus potential DLC tie-ins to the upcoming Dune: Part Three theatrical release in December.

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Gaming

Valve unveils price of the Steam Frame

The VR headset starts at US$ 1,059.

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The trifecta is complete. Almost a year after announcing their new hardware, Valve has finally unveiled the price tag of the Steam Frame, complementing the Steam Machine and Steam Controller revealed a few months ago.

Whereas the Steam Machine is a console of its own, the Steam Frame is a traditional VR headset with a pair of controllers for both hands. Unfortunately, despite being in a different segment, the headset is not immune to the rising prices of technology. The Steam Frame will start at US$ 1,059 for a 256GB model and can go up to US$ 1,299 for the 1TB model. On the plus side, each box will come Half-Life: Alyx packaged along with the headset.

Here’s a more detailed rundown of what you’re getting. The Steam Frame will ship with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, paired with 16GB of RAM. Each eye comes with a 2160 x 2160 LCD screen, putting out images at up t0 a 144Hz experimental refresh rate. As mentioned above, the headset will start with 256GB of storage but can go up to 2TB. It will come packaged with SteamOS 3 and a rechargeable 21.6Wh battery.

This might be a hard buy for some. The industry currently has more affordable options, for one. Also, virtual reality isn’t the most thriving segment of gaming today.

If you’re still decided on buying one, however, Valve is using its lottery system. Interested customers can sign up from now until September 17. The company will then randomize the purchasing order. Those who draw the first ones in the lottery can get a purchase email as soon as September 18. Meanwhile, anyone who registers after September 17 will automatically be put at the back of the queue.

SEE ALSO: Valve announces its own console called the Steam Machine

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