Gaming

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 feels fresh but familiar

Definitely nailed the landing

Published

August 11, 2025

Some games punish you for every mistake, but Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 makes failure oddly fun. Even after bailing for the hundredth time, I still found myself hitting “retry” again and again.

It’s a perfect blend of nostalgia and high-energy skateboarding adrenaline — the kind of mix that hooks you in whether you’re a seasoned pro or, like me, just really bad at the game.

Beefy tutorial

I missed the franchise’s first big refresh a few years back, so I made sure to run through the full tutorial this time. Totally worth it.

It covers everything — from ollies, kickflips, and grinds to wall rides, transfers, and advanced tricks whose names I’ve already forgotten.

The tutorial shows you every move, but it’s up to you to chain them into combos for big points. You’ll need those skills for the other game modes.

Steady progression

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 has a nice throwback feel to it in that you can totally conquer the game with skill alone. That’s something that feels fresh in today’s era of microstransactions.

Career Mode requires you to complete a set number of objectives per map to unlock the next one. For someone like me (read: not exactly a skateboarding prodigy), that meant plenty of retries — but each run felt different.

For someone not very skilled like yours truly, it took plenty of tries before I was able to unlock different maps. But those different tries all felt unique. Each run, you’re free to do whatever you want.

There were runs where I was gunning for one objective the first minute. But when it felt unachievable in that run, I quickly pivoted to a different objective making the run feel worth the try. That’s why every run feels fresh.

Objectives range from racking up points from combos, completing collectibles, or map-specific objectives that involve NPCs or completing transfers and tricks unique to that stage.

New skaters, create your skater

The game didn’t just bring back the skaters from the original release. They also added a healthy number of new and notable skaters from all around the world.

The new skaters in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 include Chloe Covell, Yuto Horigome, Jamie Foy, Zion Wright, Letícia Bufoni, Margie Didal, Rayssa Leal, Aurélien Giraud, Nora Vasconcellos, Riley Hawk, Nyjah Huston, Tyshawn Jones, Shane O’Neill, Leo Baker, and Lizzie Armanto.

Most of my runs were done with Philippine pride Margie Didal. Fun fact: this writer actually met Margie Didal before her rise to global prominence when she represented the Philippines in the Olympics. There’s just something inherently cool about meeting someone in person and them being a character in a video game later on.

Sticking with one or two skaters can be to your advantage as you try to unlock more maps. You gain stat boosts and more familiarity with the skater’s capabilities as you go along.

As you progress, you also unlock more customization options. These range from cosmetics to adding tricks to your arsenal.

As you rack up more tricks, you’ll become more ready to create your own skater or unlock more skaters. My first target was to unlock Michael Angelo from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – Mickey + Skateboarding just feels right. Definitely a cowabunga moment.

There are more skaters available making it a prime candidate for massive replayability.

Is Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 your Game Match?

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 qualifies as both a quick pickup-and-play or a game that you can really sink your teeth into. There are plenty of maps and characters to unlock and each run feels fresh. Upping your skills also feels challenging but not unattainable. That makes this game an easy Swipe Right.

It’s the perfect in-between game when you want to take a break from RPGs or those really big story-driven AAA games. And there’s plenty to do in the game that you’ll likely be able to squeeze plenty of playtime from it for the next few years.

Gaming

Tides of Annihilation opens first public demo at Gamescom 2026

First hands-on

Published

August 6, 2026

Leez

Tides of Annihilation will make its public playable debut at Gamescom 2026.

Developer Eclipse Glow Games announced that attendees can try an extended demo of the upcoming action-adventure game during the event in Cologne, Germany. Players can find the demo at Hall 6, Booth B-050 inside Koelnmesse.

The studio will also reveal a new trailer during Gamescom Opening Night Live on August 25, before the show floor opens.

Demo offers more exploration and combat

The Gamescom demo gives players a longer look at Tides of Annihilation. It features branching paths that lead to different exploration routes and combat encounters. Players can also explore key locations and experience several of the game’s biggest set pieces.

“Gamescom will be an incredibly important moment for our team since this will be our first global playtest and we’re excited to see how first-time players experience our game,” said Ary Chen, Game Director and Co-CEO of Eclipse Glow Games.

“The team has poured heart, soul, and maybe even a few tears into developing the game over the last few years, and it’s finally our opportunity to share it with players. We’re looking forward to seeing their reaction.”

Members of the press and content creators can also schedule private hands-on sessions with the development team during the event.

Arthurian-inspired adventure

Tides of Annihilation blends fast-paced action with a Neo-Medieval vision of modern London. The story follows Gwendolyn after an Outworld invasion leaves the city in ruins.

Driven by a mission to save her sister, she travels between a shattered London and the mythical realm of Avalon. Along the way, she uncovers the mystery behind her newfound powers. She must also decide the fate of reality itself.

Eclipse Glow Games is developing Tides of Annihilation for PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5.

Gaming

Street Fighter 6 adds first Filipino fighter Yasmine to its roster

Eskrima fighter joins battle

Published

August 6, 2026

Rodneil Quiteles

Street Fighter 6 has officially welcomed Yasmine, making history as the first Filipino martial artist to join the franchise’s playable roster. The new character is now available across PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2 as part of the game’s Year 4 content.

Yasmine practices Eskrima, having learned the Filipino martial art alongside her older brother under their grandfather’s guidance. She wields Karambit knives in battle and embarks on a journey to find her missing brother.

Players can access Yasmine by purchasing the Year 4 Character Pass or Year 4 Ultimate Pass. Her default outfit features traditional Eskrima-inspired combat attire, while a school uniform serves as her second costume. In combat, she specializes in fast, aggressive attacks that build toward an enhanced Bayani Mode.

Yasmine is the first of four Year 4 fighters, followed by Arjun, Tifa from the Final Fantasy VII Remake series, and Bosch. Her release also arrives alongside battle balance adjustments affecting the entire roster.

Onimusha crossover arrives this week

Capcom also announced a limited-time collaboration between Street Fighter 6 and Onimusha. Running from August 7 to August 31, 2026, the event introduces Oni EX character colors, themed Battle Hub decorations, avatar items, and additional rewards for players who log in during the event.

The update also adds new Avatar Arcade courses, additional ending scenes, a Frame Meter option for Avatar Random Match, and refreshed Master ACT rewards.

Philippine launch event set for August 9

Capcom will celebrate Yasmine’s debut with an official Philippine community launch event on Sunday, August 9, at Salud! by Primera Bar & Restaurant in Palanan, Makati. The event runs from 2:00 PM to 9:00 PM and features a double-elimination tournament, gameplay showcases, giveaways, and community activities.

Attendees can also receive limited-edition Yasmine merchandise, including event T-shirts, lanyards, and collectible keychains while supplies last. Special guests and cosplayers are also scheduled to appear. Admission will be on a first-come, first-served basis and is subject to venue capacity.

Gaming

Gangstar Mirage City launches on August 20 with SEA localization

Join a faction now for a chance to win rewards

Published

August 5, 2026

GadgetMatch

Gangstar Mirage City is set for a full regional launch on August 20, with localization for the Southeast Asia region.

Published by Level Infinite, the free-to-play multiplayer, urban, open-world action game is available for download on iOS and Android.

The full regional release features an expanded open world, a new PvP Arena mode, and local languages.

In Gangstar Mirage City, players can team up for up to 4-man co-op heists, drive powerful vehicles, customize their arsenal, build an empire, and fight for control of Rooklyn City.

Players can register on gangstarmiragecity.com for in-game rewards.

In Southeast Asia, players can also register as a member of their respective local faction and get an exclusive in-game Avatar to represent their loyalty:

Philippines: Manila Brigade
Indonesia: War Kanda
Malaysia: Taiko Tedung
Thailand: SIAM APEX

Factions will be ranked based on how many players join and support them. The winning faction will enable all members to get 300 Diamonds, sent directly to their accounts.

Meanwhile, all players, including those who already began their journey in Rooklyn City with the soft launch last July, are invited to join the Global Vault Heist.

Reaching the final Registration Milestone will unlock the Full Tilt Vehicle Pack. These are the rewards up for grabs per milestone: