Wednesday, 3 June 2026

007 First Light Review

A young, resourceful, and reckless James Bond is hitting the scene with IO Interactive‘s reimagined origin story 007 First Light.

We’ll spare you the overplayed “shaken not stirred” line – see whether this up-and-coming MI6 agent earns the number with our review…

007 First Light Review


In true series fashion, 007 First Light starts with a bang as a young James Bond finds himself in a helicopter crash. Out on a Navy training mission, he finds himself caught up in MI6’s happenings.

All previously sent MI6 agents have been captured, with yours truly the only one alive from the crash.

Following orders, Bond rescues the crew and blows the base up – also true to series form.

For his troubles, MI6 calls Bond to enlist in the recently reopened “00” program.

Running for six months, some recruits aren’t quite happy about this – but they decide to train Bond anyway.

007 First Light’s tutorial is truly wonderful. Akin to a movie montage, it provides quick info and gadgets to play around with. Players will get story beats and be ready to go in no time.

Before earning that cherished 007 title, Bond needs to complete one last mission…

Agent 009 has been located, and these new recruits need to bring him in.

Clocking in approximately 21 hours, 007 First Light is a meaty game with plenty of room for exploration.

Featuring third-person shooter gameplay with plenty of stealth options, 007 First Light’s shot also aims true. While guns handle well, its improv combat steals the show.

Run out of bullets? Throw the gun.

Engaged in fisticuffs? Slam his head into the sink.

No gun and got a guy in a distance? Lob that 8-ball straight to his skull.

007 First Light’s many options are truly staggering, always managing to be fluid every single time.

While host to the occasional clipping or wonky animation, 007 First Light’s presentation is at the top of its class.

Playing as Bond, 007 First Light naturally features a number of social activities.

An early main mission features a big chess tournament, tasking players with blending in to find Agent 009. For those that get caught in a restricted area, players can attempt to bluff their way out of trouble.

Bonds have always been smooth, and Patrick Gibson‘s rendition of James Bond in 007 First Light absolutely nails the character.

Of course, you can’t have Bond without Q-lab – and 007 First Light literally has the right tools for the job.

While still a recruit, players can pick from eight licensed watches for one’s spy gadgets.

This poor guy in Q-Lab always ends up being the test dummy each new gadget – always a fun time.

Without spoiling them all, 007 First Light features a watch laser, a stun flash bang combo, and a poison dart that makes people have to relive themselves. Missions also provide electronics and chemicals to refill one’s gadgets – there are a ton of options to play with.

That being said, I’m not the biggest fan of 007 First Light’s driving mechanics. Casually driving to a location while chatting is fine, but driving fast shows some flaws. The cars are nice, they are sponsored, and I do want to drive them; they just don’t gel like the gadgets do.

007 First Light feels like a James Bond movie in the best possible way. From its world, to James Bond himself, to even the other characters, the whole cast of 007 First Light absolutely nails their roles.

Do note that James Bond works alone in 007 First Light – no multiplayer modes are present. Not a dealbreaker on our end, but multiplayer aficionados best continue their Oddjob reign of terror in Goldeneye 007.

James Bond’s triumphant return to gaming in 007 First Light proves to be one of 2026’s best titles.

007 First Light Review

Reviewed On: PlayStation 5 (A digital code was provided)
Release Date: May 27, 2026
MSRP: $69.99
Platforms: PC, (via Steam and Epic Games Store) PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
Developer: IO Interactive
Publisher: IO Interactive
Aggregate Scores: Metacritic / OpenCritic / CriticDB


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System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster Now Available for Nintendo Switch 2

Players can challenge a perfect, immortal machine with today’s release of Nightdive Studios and Atari’s System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster for the Nintendo Switch 2.

Having players awaken from cryo sleep aboard the FTL ship Von Braun, System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster will have players fighting their way through hybrid mutants and deadly robots as they set out to save mankind from destruction. 

Originally released in 1999, System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster brings high-resolution models, bonus materials, and cross-play functionality to the classic.

See it for yourself with the previously released launch trailer below:

System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster – Launch Trailer | Nightdive Studios

System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster can be purchased for the Nintendo Switch 2 on  Atari.com or the Nintendo eShop

Note that System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster is also available for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and the PC via Steam.

Source: Press Release

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Tuesday, 2 June 2026

Subnautica 2 Early Access Review

An all-new alien world awaits with the Early Access release of Unknown Worlds and KRAFTON‘s Subnautica 2.

With a lot riding on this release, see whether players should go under the sea with our Early Access review…

Subnautica 2 Early Access Review


After arriving on a planet filled with water (and little else), players wake up deep underwater in a safety pod.

Tasked with fixing the pod to escape, players will head outside to fix said pod after a quick upgrade to make sure one’s lungs don’t collapse under the pressure.

Blasting off to the surface of the water, Subnautica 2 has players finding out what happened to the crew before your arrival – and finding a way to survive, of course.

Subnautica 2 was played exclusively in co-op for this review – those traveling solo might find things more difficult.

The title features story beats and info on the missing crew, but the crux of Subnautica 2 hinges on survival. This is a difficult title at the offset; you can’t even eat fish at first.

However, through mutations, exploration, and even stealth, players will eventually get the tools needed to chow down and create underwater buildings.

Subnautica 2 building mechanics are fairly straightforward, and finding basic resources are easy enough.

However, trying to power everything up is where things get a little complicated.

When creating an underwater base, all pods require power to both provide air and block water. Power is also needed for one’s workshops, sub bay, mod station, and other spots.

While power options are abundant, only a few options are available in the beginning.

Thankfully, turning stations off is easy; you’ll probably just forget and shut your base down by mistake.

Outside of survival, Subnautica 2 prides itself on its exploration elements. When you get a scanner, that scanner actually helps in gameplay. Fish, plants, objects, and gear can all be scanned, and covering enough equipment lets players gain the ability to make it. Requiring players to explore to proceed, it’s also a race against time due to oxygen.

I liked that added tension!

Chairs can also be found out and about in Subnautica 2 that grant inventory upgrades.

However, when compared to the stellar survival title Windrose, I preferred its method of massively stacking items.

Unfortunately, Subnautica 2’s item stacking pales in comparison.

Some items only have a stack of 10 in one’s inventory before it starts a second stack. In addition, there are 15 slots in your backpack to start, which feels artificially designed to waste time on grinding.

While not as big of a problem once you get the submarine, it’s very annoying early on.

That being said, Subnautica 2’s world and atmosphere are excellent. It truly does feel like an alien world – a later point had me outside the sub, hanging on as we crossed the darkness towards some ancient ruins.

Seeing a brief flicker above, I looked up to see three massive creatures swimming like whales above us. While they didn’t see us, it was a cool scene…until a giant squid creature got our sub.

We stopped exploring for a while after that.

As of this writing in early June, Subnautica 2 features a few minor bugs, including fish and objects clipping. However, for Early Access, things were mostly intact. However, those that go off into the underdeveloped parts of the map might have some trouble.

Even in Early Access, Subnautica 2 provides a great co-op survival experience perfect for a weekend getaway. KRAFTON did good on this one, seeing a bright future in Unknown Worlds’ exotic alien world.

Subnautica 2 Early Access Review

Reviewed On: PC (A digital code was provided)
Release Date: May 14, 2026
MSRP: $29.99
Platforms: PC (via Steam and Epic Games Store)
Developer: Unknown Worlds
Publisher: KRAFTON
Aggregate Scores: Metacritic / OpenCritic / CriticDB


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Alec Hamlin Fire & Ice RGX 2026 Guest of Honor

Known for his mega-popular videos on red-hot hits like Red Dead Redemption 2 and Grand Theft Auto V, Comedic Content Creator Alec Hamlin of DontBeSmartAlec fame will be a Guest of Honor at Fire & Ice RGX 2026 this month.

With over 600k subscribers across his many social media platforms, Alec Hamlin has also done comedy sketches on aliens, South Park, Family Guy, and more.

You can even book Alec Hamlin for a personal video on Cameo!

Happening in a few short weeks, learn more about previously confirmed Fire & Ice RGX 2026 Guests of Honor and happenings below…

Attendees can get their Fire & Ice RGX 2026 tickets online before the event, and tickets will also be sold at the door. Attendance to Fire & Ice RGX 2026 is also free for children under 10 (with paid adult)!

Looking for a place to stay the weekend of Fire & Ice RGX 2026?

Make sure to check out the designated “Hotels” section of the Placer Tourism website – this link features a number of discounted hotel rates!

For those feeling social, be sure to follow the official Facebook, Twitter/X, and Instagram social media channels.

Source: Instagram

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8 Ball Strike Cup In-Game Tournament Beginning June 12

Award-winning mobile gaming developer Avia Games has announced that the 8 Ball Strike Cup in-game championship tournament for 8 Ball Strike will kick off June 12.

Starting June 12, players can take part in the 8 Ball Strike Cup, with a total prize payout of $30,000 in cash rewards and $50,000 in in-game Bonus Cash. Note that both be shared amongst the top eight players in the playoffs. 

Meanwhile, the champion of the  8 Ball Strike Cup will win $10,000 cash, along with a signed jersey from AFA players and football legends Lionel Messi, Enzo Fernández, and Julián Alvarez!

Vickie Chen, CEO of AviaGames, said the following:

“We’re excited to celebrate our partnership with the AFA with our first-ever tournament and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our players.

Transforming 8 Ball Strike’s everyday gameplay into a high-stakes challenge creates the perfect global stage for our influencer partners, and we can’t wait to watch players go head to head for the thrilling prizes.”

From July 16 to July 17, the tournament’s Championship is set to be livestreamed and hosted by popular video game creator and entertainer Troydan.

Troydan said the following:

“I can’t wait to work with AviaGames to bring more excitement to the 8 Ball Strike Cup Championship as a commentator.

I look forward to players bringing their A-game and energy to this one-of-a-kind event!”

Florian “Venom” Kohler also said the following:

“As a lifelong fan of pool, I’m excited to see how the 8 Ball Strike Cup brings the technique, creativity, and pressure of the game into a new competitive arena.

It should be a lot of fun to watch the players compete, break down the big moments, and see what kind of shots and strategy show up during the Championship.”

Learn more about the 8 Ball Strike Cup via its official website.

Meanwhile, one can get 8 Ball Strike for the mobile device of their choosing for free via its official website.

For those feeling social, make sure to follow Avia Games via their official Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram, and LinkedIn social media channels.

Source: Press Release

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007 First Light Review

A young, resourceful, and reckless James Bond is hitting the scene with IO Interactive ‘s reimagined origin story 007 First Light . We’...