Gaming
The Horizon Forbidden West gameplay trailer is an eye candy
Feels like watching a high budget CGI film
I’m sure this is true for most games that were released over the last four or five years, but after taking time to really watch the Horizon Forbidden West gameplay trailer, I couldn’t help but smile and just marvel at how far gaming presentation has come.
For context, I started playing games on a the Nintendo Family Computer (Famicom). Titles like Super Mario Bros, Battle City, Tetris, and many others introduced me to gaming. Over the course of my childhood I also experienced playing on the Game Boy and the Sega Genesis through classmates, friends, and other relatives.
But our next console, which came at the cost of my older brother’s college fund (priorities, right?), was the original PlayStation. This would influence and largely shape my thoughts and feelings towards gaming.
The three Final Fantasy main line titles: Final Fantasy VII, VIII, and IX, had me captivated with the fantastic world-building and deep gameplay and good story-telling. Metal Gear Solid II helped me lived out my action-hero dreams. And Spider-Man by Neversoft and Activision made me love my favorite superhero even more.
I’m a sucker for vast worlds and great storytelling. And the cut-scenes on the aforementioned games that felt like rewards for beating certain sections of the game had me asking, “I wonder what it would be like if the gameplay looked like the cut-scenes?”
Well. We’re here now. We’ve gone from awkward pointed polygons to photo-realistic games. We’ve been here for a while but it’s still a sight to behold.
Horizon Forbidden West
The Horizon Forbidden West trailer began with Aloy speaking with an injured ally. She learns that Erend — a major supporting character in the first game Horizon Zero Dawn — has been captured. She sets out to free her comrade and what ensues is the rest of the gameplay.
From here the trailer showcases a little bit of combat, a little bit of traversal (that holographic hang glider looks hella cool), and a lot of jaw dropping visuals.
The sprawling environment, the robot dinosaurs called Machine, and the beautiful… uhm… horizon, and the dialogue and the voice acting — these all contribute to a game presentation that had me looking back and just appreciating where we are now.
Of course, it helped that while moving around, and even during combat, the game’s HUD was barely there. Leaving us to really soak in the visuals and be immersed in the story.
We’re so spoiled. Games really look like actual CGI films now. And the Horizon Forbidden West gameplay reveal is just the perfect showcase of everything I’ve come to love about story-driven games: fantastic world-building and deep gameplay and good story-telling.
AMD has launched the new AMD Radeon RX 9050 graphics card, expanding the Radeon RX 9000 series with an affordable option.
This brings AMD RDNA 4 gaming technologies to mainstream gamers with a retail price of US$ 279.
The particular GPU is designed for responsive gameplay at 1080p. That’s for esports and modern AAA titles.
Some popular titles it can run at high frame rates on a 1080p resolution include: Cyberpunk 2077, Forza Horizon 6, Pragmata, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, Valorant, and Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege, to name a few.
This highly efficient, drop-in upgrade features a 92W TBP and fully supports the latest AMD FSR technologies, next-gen raytracing, and high-quality AV1 video streaming.
Key specs:
- Architecture: AMD RDNA 4
- Compute Units: 16
- VRAM: 8GB GDDR6
- Game Clock / Boost Clock: 1.92 GHz / Up to 2.60 GHz
- TBP: 92W
In line with the Radeon RX 9050 launch, AMD has also released AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition 26.7.1.
This driver introduces official day-one support for Radeon RX 9050, alongside early multiplayer access for Gears of War: E-Day.
Users can download the software here.
Gaming
NBA 2K27 gameplay trailer showcases new dunk mechanics, Rucker Park, and more
First gameplay details revealed
NBA 2K27 is giving fans their first look at this year’s gameplay.
2K has released the official gameplay trailer for NBA 2K27, showcasing enhanced visuals and several gameplay updates ahead of the game’s September 4 launch. The trailer also features cover athletes Victor Wembanyama, Caitlin Clark, and Derrick Rose while teasing changes across Gameplay, MyCAREER, MyTEAM, MyNBA, and the MyPLAYER Builder.
The publisher also confirmed the Preseason Breakdown: NBA 2K27 Game Reveal, which streams on August 18 at 10:00 AM PT. During the presentation, 2K will reveal this year’s biggest gameplay innovations and mode updates before Early Access begins on August 28 for Deluxe Edition and Ultra Edition owners.
Smarter AI and a new Dunk Meter headline gameplay changes
NBA 2K27 introduces several gameplay refinements based on community feedback.
AI defenders now contest shots more effectively and hold their defensive positioning better, especially in online modes like The REC. The changes aim to create a more balanced experience on both ends of the floor.
The game also introduces a fully dynamic Dunk Meter. Instead of locking in the timing at takeoff, the meter continuously evaluates defensive positioning throughout the dunk attempt. Open driving lanes create a larger green window, while late defensive rotations shrink it, making each dunk attempt feel more responsive to the action on the court.
MyPLAYER Builder expands with more Badges
The MyPLAYER Builder now features 53 total Badges, up from 40 in last year’s game. Players can also experiment with 19 brand-new Badges designed to support more specialized builds.
Cap Breakers are also making a return. This time, players can preview attribute boosts directly inside the Builder before finalizing their character.
MyTEAM and MyNBA receive community-requested updates
MyTEAM introduces the franchise’s first unified Auction House across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2. The shared marketplace creates the largest pool of community-listed cards in the mode’s history. It should also make card prices more consistent across supported platforms.
Winning an auction is now faster, too. Purchased cards go straight into your collection without a verification delay.
MyNBA also receives several franchise management updates that reflect today’s NBA. These include second apron salary cap rules from the league’s latest collective bargaining agreement and the ability to offer No-Trade Clauses to free agents.
Rucker Park comes to MyCAREER
The City returns with the same centralized layout introduced last year. This time, however, it gets a new nighttime look filled with neon lights.
NBA 2K27 also recreates the legendary Rucker Park. The iconic streetball court serves as the setting for this year’s MyCAREER prelude story, Fire & Concrete, and also appears in the Street Kings mode.
NBA 2K27 launches on September 4 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC via Steam, and Nintendo Switch 2. Players who purchase the Deluxe Edition or Ultra Edition can jump in early starting August 28 through Early Access.
Gaming
God of War Laufey finally confirms its highly anticipated launch date
Set your calendars next year.
It’s about time we get excited for God of War Laufey. The upcoming entry into the acclaimed franchise takes off on a tangent as it follows Faye, Kratos’s late wife, as she traverses an afterlife filled with similarly deceased gods. It’s a different perspective but with still the same action we’ve come to expect from the series. Now, we know when to expect it: February 16.
In the ongoing Norse saga, Faye’s death is everything. Her passing pushes Kratos and Atreus towards a path that eventually led to Ragnarok. In Laufey, a deceased Faye wakes up in Everywhen, an afterlife where gods from different mythologies converge. She then discovers that the carefully laid plans she made to help her husband and her son are unravelling, so she has to find a way to save the living world from past the veil.
Laufey will still have the iconic battles that the God of War series is known for. However, because Faye is nimbler than the burly Kratos, fighting is more fast-paced with a mix of grounded and air-based fighting. All in all, there’s a lot to be excited about for Laufey, despite its different take on the series.
Over the weekend, during San Diego Comic Con, PlayStation confirmed when the title is launching. Thankfully, it’s not a long wait. God of War Laufey is launching for the PlayStation 5 on February 16 next year.
Additionally, Santa Monica Studio has also confirmed that Kratos will lead another entry after Laufey.
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