platforming Archives

AppWizard

March 7, 2026

The Legacy of Kain: Defiance remaster does the best thing possible—it gets out of the way

Legacy of Kain: Defiance, a 2003 video game, has been successfully remastered by Crystal Dynamics. The remaster maintains the original's gothic charm and narrative while enhancing graphics for modern displays. It introduces a new third-person camera option, allowing players to switch between this and the original fixed-camera angles. The remaster balances new features with the classic experience, refining gameplay and addressing bugs without overshadowing the original game.

AppWizard

March 7, 2026

Get Up, Samurai. Cyberpunk 2077 Is Coming to Xbox Game Pass

Last month, Xbox Game Pass added The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. In March, Cyberpunk 2077 is a notable release, along with a variety of other games. Xbox Game Pass is available on multiple platforms, with subscription plans starting at a monthly fee. To a T, created by Katamari Damacy's Keita Takahashi, is available for Game Pass Premium, Ultimate, and PC subscribers, featuring a teenager in a T-pose navigating a seaside town. F1 25, the latest in Codemasters' Formula One series, is now available for Game Pass Ultimate and PC subscribers, featuring last season's teams and circuits. Planet of Lana 2: Children of the Leaf is available for Game Pass Ultimate and PC subscribers, continuing the puzzle-platforming journey of its predecessor. Construction Simulator launches on March 10 for Game Pass Ultimate, Premium, and PC subscribers, allowing players to manage a construction company. Cyberpunk 2077 debuts on March 10 for Game Pass Ultimate and Premium subscribers, featuring a mercenary named V in a dystopian setting. DreamWorks Gabby's Dollhouse: Ready to Party is scheduled for release on March 17 for Game Pass Ultimate, Premium, and PC subscribers, based on the animated Netflix series. Microsoft will remove six titles from Game Pass on March 15.

AppWizard

February 21, 2026

Psychological Horror Platformer LOVE ETERNAL Challenges (A God’s) Gravity on PC and Consoles Today

LOVE ETERNAL, developed by brlka and published by Ysbryd Games, has been released on PlayStation 5|4, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam. The game features a narrative where the protagonist, Maya, experiences a surreal nightmare during a family dinner, becoming ensnared by an ancient god in a transformed, eerie realm. Players navigate a castle filled with intricate platforming puzzles, requiring mastery of gravity and spatial awareness to overcome various obstacles. The game includes exploration of atmospheric environments and encounters with other prisoners and doppelgängers. LOVE ETERNAL is priced at USD 19.99 and supports multiple languages.

AppWizard

February 17, 2026

High on Life 2 review – skateboard-powered sequel is much easier to like than its painful predecessor

High on Life 2, the sequel to Squanch Games' first-person shooter, features advancements despite ongoing technical issues. Players return as an intergalactic bounty hunter following the defeat of the G3 cartel, now tasked with dismantling Rhea Pharmaceutical. The game introduces a variety of missions involving eccentric billionaires and mad scientists, with a notable mission set on a convention planet. The gameplay includes skateboarding, enhancing movement and combat. The sequel's tone is improved, with better character development and less abrasive humor, although the shooting mechanics remain lacking. Technical challenges persist, including significant bugs, but accessibility options have been added to enhance inclusivity.

AppWizard

February 16, 2026

This week’s new PC games are a treasure trove of the scary, eerie and occult, plus a charming Star Trek game

A diverse array of new PC game releases includes: - Book Smugglers: A point-and-click adventure set in 19th century Tsarist Lithuania focused on forbidden literature. - Stormbridge: A combination of tower defense and city-building elements. - Dobbel Dungeon: A turn-based tactics game using dice rolls in an ogre-battling setting. - Astrobotanica: An early access puzzle and survival game featuring an extraterrestrial botanist on prehistoric Earth. - Alien Morgue: A game where players conduct autopsies on extraterrestrial beings. - Under The Island: A top-down dungeon puzzler with six distinct biomes. - Ritual Party: A multiplayer experience blending humor and horror. - Placid Plastic Deck: A Quiet Quest: A card-battler with a suspicious premise. - Beyond The Doors: A surveillance simulation involving mysterious requests. - Roach Post: A roguelite puzzler using cockroaches to assemble postage stamps. - Forgotlings: An action-adventure game set in a world of sentient objects. - Blank: A platforming experience in a cavernous origami world. - Kill The Witch: An early access 2D action platformer featuring a witch with a baseball bat. - The Killing Stone: A cursed board game set in the Arctic. - Star Trek: Voyager - Across the Unknown: A strategy management game based on the TV series. - FUR Squadron Phoenix: A space simulation game with vibrant gameplay mechanics. - PARANORMASIGHT: The Mermaid's Curse: A mystery horror novel about ghastly fishwomen. - Demon Tides: A platformer inspired by the N64-to-Gamecube era. - Styx: Blades Of Greed: An open-world goblin stealth game. - Love Eternal: An introspective horror platformer. - Key Fairy: A hand-drawn, pacifist bullet-hell game. - Nightsoil: A game exploring turd collection in an emotive context. - Ys X: Proud Nordics: An updated entry in the Ys series with bumpslash combat mechanics. - Horripilant: An incremental dungeon clicker with grotesque creatures.

AppWizard

January 30, 2026

Is Reanimal coming to Game Pass?

Tarsier Studios is set to release a horror platformer titled Reanimal, featuring grotesque creatures and a narrative about a brother and sister trying to escape a nightmarish landscape. The game will not be available on Xbox Game Pass at launch, and Tarsier Studios has not confirmed its future inclusion. However, Reanimal will be accessible through Xbox Anywhere for both Xbox and PC platforms.

AppWizard

January 21, 2026

This beautiful Metroidvania blends Hollow Knight Silksong and Nier Automata, and I hate that it’s slipping under the radar

MIO: Memories in Orbit is a newly released Metroidvania game featuring a visually striking art style, currently available at a launch discount. Players control Mio, a robot in a sci-fi ark called The Vessel, and must navigate through platforming challenges and combat to uncover their purpose and prevent The Vessel's shutdown. The game includes basic combat mechanics and a unique ability system for customization. It features cel-shaded graphics with watercolor tones, creating an immersive visual experience. The game is priced at .59 / £14.95, reflecting a 12% discount from its Steam price.

AppWizard

January 20, 2026

Warhammer 40K: Space Marine II & Death Stranding Heading to Xbox Game Pass

- Resident Evil Village is available on Cloud, Console, and PC through Game Pass Ultimate, Premium, and PC Game Pass. - MIO: Memories in Orbit is launching on day one with Game Pass for Cloud, Handheld, PC, and Xbox Series X|S. - Death Stranding Director's Cut will be available on Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S on January 21. - RoadCraft will be available on PC on January 21. - Ninja Gaiden Ragebound will be available on Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S on January 21. - The Talos Principle 2 will be available on PC and Xbox Series X|S on January 27. - Anno: Mutationem will be available on Cloud, PC, and Console on January 28. - Drop Duchy will be available on Cloud, PC, and Console on January 28. - MySims: Cozy Bundle will be available on PC on January 29. - Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine II will be available on Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S on January 29. - Indika will be available on Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S on February 2. - Final Fantasy II will be available on Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S on February 3. - Quarantine Zone: The Last Check is available now on PC. - The Sims 25th Birthday Bundle will be available on PC on January 22. - Grounded 2 Garden Update will be available on Cloud, PC, and Console on January 27. - Dead by Daylight - Stranger Things DLC will be available on January 27. - Sea of Thieves Season 18, Act 2 will be available on Cloud, PC, and Console on January 22. - Several titles will be leaving the Game Pass library on January 31, including Shady Part of Me, Cataclismo, Starbound, Lonely Mountains Snow Riders, Paw Patrol World, Citizen Sleeper 2 Starward Vector, and Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap.

AppWizard

January 19, 2026

Big Hops is a charming platformer with some great movement and a classic vibe, but most importantly it lets you rotate several bugs for science

The author expresses an interest in indie platformers, particularly highlighting the game Big Hops developed by Luckshot Games. In Big Hops, players control a small character named Hop, and the game is described as charming and affordable, promising a delightful experience despite some imperfections.

BetaBeacon

January 2, 2026

Best Mobile Games for 2026

- Rockstar Games' Red Dead Redemption was released on mobile in 2025, including the original story campaign and Undead Nightmare expansion, priced at .99 or available through a Netflix subscription. - Subnautica also transitioned to mobile, offering a survival adventure set on an alien oceanic planet, optimized for touch controls and supporting controllers, priced at .99. - Persona 5: The Phantom X delivered a mobile-specific RPG experience with gacha mechanics and turn-based combat, maintaining ties to the original Persona 5 storyline, and offering free-to-play mechanics. - Where Winds Meet is an open-world wuxia title on mobile with demanding hardware requirements, featuring cross-progression support and light monetization. - DREDGE brought its Eldritch fishing simulation to mobile, included in Google Play Pass for subscribers, priced at .99. - Cassette Beasts is a premium turn-based RPG inspired by Pokémon on mobile, offering cassette monster collection and combat, priced at .99. - Destiny: Rising brought the FPS MMO experience to mobile for free, with typical NetEase monetization strategies. - Enter the Gungeon and Exit the Gungeon were released on mobile simultaneously, offering bullet hell and platforming gameplay with touchscreen and controller support. - Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown combined platforming and Metroidvania elements in a 2.5D action-adventure on mobile, offering offline play and full controller support.