aesthetic Archives

AppWizard

June 11, 2026

EVE Online’s survival spinoff Frontier is a hardcore space sim you can play on a gamepad that’s unlike anything else out there

EVE Frontier is gaining acceptance from the EVE Online community despite skepticism regarding its relevance amidst the crypto gaming trend. It features an innovative server-side modding system and showcased a combat arena experience at EVE Fanfest, where participants had ten minutes to compete. The gameplay is designed with a slower pace, reminiscent of survival horror games, and takes place in a moody nebula with immersive audio. The game's aesthetic combines cyberpunk elements with ancient motifs, and it introduces both manual aiming and auto-targeting weapon systems, allowing players to choose their combat style. This marks a departure from EVE Online's mechanics, which relied heavily on auto-targeting. A major update, Cycle 6: Sanctuary, is set to launch on June 25.

AppWizard

June 11, 2026

Once again players are right to suspect AI was used in a game, once again a dev apologizes for using AI in their game

1666: Amsterdam, a game led by Patrice Desilets, generated excitement during the Summer Game Fest with a narrative teaser featuring themes of witches and the supernatural. However, it was revealed that some visuals were created using artificial intelligence, leading to scrutiny from the gaming community. The studio, Panache, acknowledged this in a Reddit statement, confirming that some marketing and game assets utilized generative AI and that they are reviewing these assets. They assured players that the Early Access and full game will not include AI-generated assets. This incident highlights a trend in the gaming industry regarding the use of AI in development.

AppWizard

June 10, 2026

18 embargoes from Summer Game Fest just lifted, so let’s rank everything I saw in LA

Morgan Park attended a recent gaming showcase featuring various titles with mixed reactions from attendees. Grave Seasons had a demo focused on introducing townsfolk and watering seeds, with a plot twist involving a murderer left unexplored. Resident Evil: Veronica was presented in a Capcom theater segment that included a Q&A with producer Yoshiaki Hirabayashi, but offered little new information. Join Us combined management sim and third-person shooter mechanics, allowing players to expand a cult's influence while fending off a gang. Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 aimed for a Left 4 Dead-style co-op experience, but early impressions noted a lack of excitement in shooting mechanics. Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game impressed with its faithful recreation of the Nickelodeon show's aesthetic and attention to detail in character movesets. Gears of War: E-Day showcased visual engagement but revealed little about gameplay evolution, confirming a shift to 4v4 PvP modes. Bad Magpie featured whimsical chaos-driven gameplay, allowing players to disrupt a soccer match among mice. The Wolf Among Us 2 demonstrated smoother animations and an immersive experience through Unreal 5 and motion capture. Spyro: A Realm Beyond hinted at new gameplay mechanics, including an innovative flight system. Blood Message offered a grounded action gameplay experience set in the late Tang dynasty, blending stealth and combat. Stupid Never Dies featured a zombie protagonist who absorbs enemy powers in a roguelite format. Fable highlighted an intricate social sandbox system with various activities, though some interactions felt mechanical. Onimusha: Way of the Sword showcased exceptional combat mechanics, while N+ Infinity Times Two provided an exciting multiplayer platforming experience, particularly in its Tag mode.

BetaBeacon

June 10, 2026

The 19 best games on the Nintendo Switch 2

- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom Remastered have Metacritic scores of 95 and 94 respectively. - Hades II has a Metacritic score of 95 and has been praised for exceeding expectations with its gameplay loop and captivating storytelling. - Mina the Hollower, developed by Yacht Club Games, has a Metacritic score of 91 and is a top-down action adventure game inspired by Game Boy Colour classics.

AppWizard

June 10, 2026

Minecraft Dungeons 2: Expanding Exploration and Co-op Action

Minecraft Dungeons 2 was showcased at a private Xbox event in Los Angeles. The game features an interconnected world for exploration, allowing players to pursue objectives in larger environments. It introduces verticality, enabling players to jump and execute jump attacks. The art style has been refined, with concept art used during loading screens. Multiplayer gameplay supports solo play or teaming up with up to three others, both online and locally. The combat system retains exhilarating action while introducing new items and effects, with no distinct character classes. Players can equip four armor slots and utilize new equipment types like artifacts and talismans. A mini-inventory system has been implemented for quick equipment management. The demo took place in the Deep Dark biome, featuring familiar and new mobs, and included a challenging boss fight that emphasized teamwork. Minecraft Dungeons 2 is set to launch on September 29 for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 1 and 2.

AppWizard

June 10, 2026

Gemini Canvas helped Paris Hilton turn an idea into an app, and she didn’t write a line of code

Paris Hilton has created a custom productivity app named Iconic Ideas using Google’s Gemini Canvas, a platform that enables app creation without traditional coding skills. The app is designed to help manage thoughts associated with her ADHD and features a playful aesthetic with pink hues and sparkly elements. Users can earn "sparkle points" for completing tasks and can generate visual mood boards for various projects. This project highlights the decreasing barriers to app development, emphasizing that effective communication of ideas is becoming more important than coding skills in the creation of personalized applications.

AppWizard

June 10, 2026

New HD-2D Final Fantasy Announced For Consoles And PC

Final Fantasy Resonance is the first game in the Final Fantasy series to adopt the HD-2D style. It is a new addition inspired by the story arc of the mobile game Final Fantasy Brave Exvius, not a direct port. The game features turn-based combat, airships, chocobos, and characters like Cloud Strife and Tidus. It showcases HD pixel art and is set to launch on October 22, 2026, for PlayStation 5, PC, Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, and Xbox Series X/S.

AppWizard

June 9, 2026

Kingdom Hearts 4 shows first signs of life after 4 years of radio silence

Square Enix released a new 90-second trailer for Kingdom Hearts 4 during the latest Nintendo Direct, marking the first update since its announcement in 2022. The trailer features Sora in a scene with a gigantic Heartless in Quadratum, reminiscent of Tokyo's Shibuya district, showcasing his signature moves with a keyblade. Tetsuya Nomura shared artwork of Sora in the same attire earlier this year for the franchise's 24th anniversary. The game will be multiplatform at launch, available on Steam, Epic Games, Xbox, and consoles.

AppWizard

June 9, 2026

Google teams up with Paris Hilton to showcase Android and AI app building

Google has appointed Paris Hilton as an “Icon in Residence” for Android to explore the potential of Android’s AI tools in app development. Hilton, a Motorola enthusiast, previously collaborated with the brand and now focuses on the synergy between creativity and technology. The first initiative from this partnership is “Iconic Ideas,” a project within the Gemini Canvas framework that allows users to create personalized applications. The collaboration highlights features such as the Android-powered Razr Fold and various creative tools.

Winsage

June 9, 2026

Microsoft is Finally Letting You Move the Windows 11 Taskbar

Windows 11 introduces taskbar customization features that allow users to reposition the taskbar to any edge of the screen (top, bottom, left, or right) and resize it for improved workflow and adaptability. These features are currently available in Windows 11 Insider experimental builds. The Start menu and pinned icons automatically adjust to align with the new taskbar position. Users can enable smaller taskbar buttons to maximize screen space, which is particularly useful for compact devices. The taskbar can also be set to minimize at all times, only when full, or never. These updates aim to optimize screen space and enhance accessibility and personalization for diverse workflows and screen configurations.