Lightning attacks in Path of Exile 2
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Path of Exile 2 Hands-on Preview - The Next Great Action RPG

Path of Exile 2 is a seamless action RPG that runs impressively well despite recent delays that have pushed the Path of Exile 2 beta back to the end of the year. On the show floor of PAX East 2024, I…

March 23, 2024 | 10:05 EDT

Frogs living happily in a sanctuary in Kamaeru: A Frog Refuge
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Kamaeru: A Frog Refuge Preview - Eco-Conservation & Cozy Frogs

Over the past several years, the cozy game genre has exploded in popularity, attracting gamers of all ages and genders who want to relax and not feel stressed when playing a video game (novel concept…

March 22, 2024 | 01:27 EDT

Path of Exile 2 Preview Art
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Path of Exile 2 Hands-Off Preview - Introducing the Ranger Class and Path of Exile 3.24

Grinding Gear Games is kicking off the spring season with a wealth of updates centered around the upcoming Path of Exile 2, among other announcements to their slate of games. We had a chance to…

March 21, 2024 | 05:16 EDT

A player can be seen standing on their mech.
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Lightyear Frontier Preview - The Smoothest Survival Game Of 2024

Lightyear Frontier has been on my radar ever since I got an early demo at Gamescom 2022. Its stunning art style, unique premise, and robust systems impressed me almost two years ago. After sinking…

March 15, 2024 | 10:00 EDT

Nightingale Preview - Cover Image Bound Strangeness Inside of a Gloom Site of Power
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Nightingale Preview - Long Load Times and Odd Design Choices

The Victorian era is where some of the best science fiction and fantasy stories got their start. In Inflexion Games' Nightingale, you'll be able to experience a little bit of both genres in an always…

February 26, 2024 | 03:57 EST

Image of a Character in Enshrouded
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Enshrouded Final Preview - Survival Progression at its finest

I'm someone who loves checking out new survival games, partially because I'm (currently) the Guides Editor here at TechRaptor, but also because each one has its own take on the genre and offers a…

January 24, 2024 | 04:06 EST

Rayne Syndicate boss holding a Palworld sphere
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Palworld Preview - Let Freedom and Monkeys With Guns Ring

The world wasn’t ready for Palworld when it was first announced – a monster-taming game with…guns? It was hard to forget the image of using a sheep as a shield against incoming bullets or a squirrel…

January 18, 2024 | 12:00 EST

Smite 2 Key Art
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Smite 2 Preview - The Next Generation of MOBA

Over a decade on, the popularity of Smite cannot be understated. This is something I came to understand during my time at the Smite World Championships, which was held in Arlington, Texas just this…

January 17, 2024 | 09:00 EST

Sargon kicks a boss off his horse in Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
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Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown Final Preview - Is This Anime?

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is the most excited I’ve been for a Ubisoft game in a long while. Pitched as a modern take on the franchise, it blends the old sidescrollers with the Sands of Time…

December 13, 2023 | 12:00 EST

Tekken 8 Preview Key Art
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Tekken 8 Preview - Punching Above its Weight

I’ve always been a fan of fighting games, but it has been a long time since I picked up the Tekken series. Admittedly, it wasn’t because I had fallen out of love with it or anything, but because…

December 12, 2023 | 09:00 EST

GTFO Rundown 8 Preview
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GTFO Rundown 8.0 Preview - You're Already Dead

There’s something to be said for any game that allows itself to be challenging in today’s landscape of story modes and user-friendly content. 10 Chambers’ GTFO is one such project, one that has been…

December 7, 2023 | 10:11 EST

Key art for Wizordum by Emberheart Games and published by Apogee.
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Wizordum Preview - A Nostalgic, Dungeon Delving FPS

I distinctly remember the beginning of my boomer shooter obsession. Since I was either not born yet or far too young to play most boomer shooters on launch, my yearning to play more retro shooters…

November 28, 2023 | 10:00 EST

On Your Tail preview header with key art showing Diana arriving to Borgo Marina on a scooter.
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On Your Tail Preview - A Charming and Nostalgic Cozy Life Sim with a Mystery Twist

During the latest Nintendo Indie World, Memorable Games and Humble Games announced its story-driven life simulator On Your Tail, and it's actually a secret I had to keep for a while, having played a…

November 15, 2023 | 11:00 EST

Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth Preview Image Featuring Ichiban Kasuga With a grumpy face
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Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth Preview - The Ultimate Japanese Middle-Aged Man Simulator is Coming

Sega had a playable demo of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth at its booth at Tokyo Game Show, and you can bet that I had to give it a spin. As a big fan of the series, I have high expectations for this…

October 31, 2023 | 08:00 EDT

Key art for EA Sport WRC Showing off the three terrains and the TR Preview Overlay
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EA Sports WRC Preview - Rally Fun For Everyone

Codemasters have had a monopoly on good rallying games for quite a long time now. Even If you were into the sport back in the 90s then you probably tried out their Colin McRae Rally series. That…

October 12, 2023 | 11:00 EDT

Dragon's Dogma 2 Preview Hero Image Showing the Arisen
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Dragon's Dogma 2 Preview - A Gorgeous, Wild World We Can't Wait to Explore

Fans have asked for a sequel to Dragon's Dogma for a long time, and Capcom is finally delivering. While we still don't have a release date, this week at TGS I finally got my hands on a preview build…

September 23, 2023 | 11:05 EDT

A gameplay screenshot of a reward crystal in Witchfire with the preview overlay
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Witchfire Preview - I Keep Dying, But I Know It's My Fault

The Souls-like genre is booming with every permutation imaginable. Hot off the heels of Lies of P we have Witchfire, an FPS roguelite 'tough-as-nails' shooter that absolutely delivers on key elements…

September 21, 2023 | 04:42 EDT

Synduality: Echo of Ada Preview hero image showing a Cradle Coffin and a Magus
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Synduality: Echo of Ada Preview - A Promising New Anime-Style Mecha IP

At last year's Tokyo Game Show, Bandai Namco revealed Synduality, a mixed media project including both a video game and an anime.  While the anime series Synduality Noir has already been made…

September 20, 2023 | 02:00 EDT

Assassin's Creed Mirage Preview Image showing Basim and Roshan Dueling against sunlight
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Assassin's Creed Mirage Preview - So Long Gear Score, Hello Parry!

Assassin's Creed is reaching its 25th year, and after wading into deeper RPG territory for Odyssey and Valhalla, it is Assassin's Creed Mirage that's bringing the series back to its stealthy roots.…

September 12, 2023 | 08:00 EDT

Key art from Stronghold: Definitive Edition
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Stronghold: Definitive Edition Preview - A Blast From the Past

I'm terrible -- absolutely terrible -- at real-time strategy games, but that doesn't stop me from playing them. Even if my skill is lacking, the fun they provide is more than sufficient. And while I'…

September 10, 2023 | 11:30 EDT

A header image for First Dwarf featuring the title character.
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First Dwarf Preview - Dwarven Delight

I'm a simple man. I see a dwarf in a game? I play it. So obviously, I'm not skipping out on First Dwarf. It also helps that the game is quite good, if my preview session at PAX West 2023 is any…

September 10, 2023 | 11:00 EDT

Dungeons of Hinterberg featuring the title character, Luisa.
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Dungeons of Hinterberg Preview - It's Time to Explore

It might not be on your radar now, but it definitely should be: Dungeons of Hinterberg combines two addicting game genres into one potent combo. Half action role-playing game, half social sim, I can…

September 8, 2023 | 10:30 EDT

The player character attacks an enemy in Enotria: The Last Song
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Enotria: The Last Song Preview - The Flavors of Italy

Before PAX West, I got an email that described a game as “a Souls-like ARPG that embraces the Italian flavour.” Despite my last name, I’m not as in touch with my Italian roots, but I had to preview…

September 8, 2023 | 10:00 EDT

A station wagon modified with a lot of different materials, lit in a garage.
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Pacific Drive Is A Wholly Unique Roguelike Experience

Pacific Drive is one of the more interesting games to catch me eye lately. It takes place in a supernatural version of the Pacific Northwest, full of mystery. It’s a survival roguelike with…

September 7, 2023 | 12:00 EDT

Lost Eidolons: Veil of the Witch title image with the main characters.
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Lost Eidolons: Veil of the Witch Preview - Strategy Strikes Again

Last year's Lost Eidolons was an exceptional take on the turn-based tactics genre. It took what I loved most from games like Fire Emblem and XCOM and put forth a truly admirable spin on the genre. So…

September 7, 2023 | 11:00 EDT

Pieta looks into the camera during a cutscene in Lords of the Fallen
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Lords of the Fallen Preview - A Soulslike Surprise

If you remember the couple years after Dark Souls’ success, a flurry of Soulslikes came out, chasing those bloodied coattails in hopes of tasting that same estus-laden success. Lords of the Fallen in…

September 7, 2023 | 10:30 EDT

Stalker 2 Heart of Chornobyl Key Art Showing a Stalker and the game's logo
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S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl Preview - Still Rough but Promising

While S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is still several months away I sat with a preview build of the game at Gamescom in Cologne. It provided me with the opportunity to test some of the…

September 6, 2023 | 04:00 EDT

Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore header image with the title character.
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Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore - More than a CD-i Game

Call it morbid curiosity, but if you're anything like me, you'll gravitate towards the upcoming Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore due to its visual similarity to those weird, clunky, downright notorious…

September 6, 2023 | 10:00 EDT

An image of the title character for Infinity Strash: Dragon Quest The Adventure of Dai.
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Infinity Strash: Dragon Quest The Adventure of Dai Preview - Anime Goodness

Video game adaptations of manga and anime are nothing new, but Infinity Strash: Dragon Quest The Adventures of Strash features a surprisingly refreshing game mode, showcased at PAX West 2023. But…

September 5, 2023 | 11:30 EDT

The player character approaches a dog in Animal Well
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Animal Well Preview - It's Feeling Magical

One thing to know about PAX demo stations is that these games are (usually) all running on some sort of PC configuration. What stood out to me when approaching the Animal Well booth at PAX West, then…

September 5, 2023 | 10:30 EDT

Big Boy Boxing header
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Big Boy Boxing Preview - A True Successor to Punch-Out

The great thing about PAX is that you often find hidden gems. To say a game is a "gem" is cliche, true, but if any game deserves that description, it's Big Boy Boxing. Since the initial debut of the…

September 3, 2023 | 09:30 EDT

Life by You Key Art - Humans enjoy their time in town as the sun sets.
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Life by You Preview - The Sims May be About to Have Some Serious Competition

Life by You is the new life simulation in development at Paradox Tectonic, and it obviously positions itself as a competitor to the storied Sims franchise. At Gamescom in Cologne, TechRaptor was…

August 29, 2023 | 09:00 EDT

A spread-shot cover of Jusant, showcasing the games logo, and the main character walking towards a rocky pillar that goes off-screen.

Jusant Preview - Jus(an)t Over The Hills

If there’s one thing you have to applaud Don’t Nod for, it’s their drive to toy with how stories are told through their games. While their bread and butter reside in Telltale-styled episodic content…

August 24, 2023 | 12:00 EDT

Pepper Grinder header
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Pepper Grinder Preview - It's Drillin' Time

I don't know how Devolver does it, but the publisher is an expert when it comes to scooping up simple but absurdly fun indie titles. As it so happens, one of Devolver's latest published titles,…

August 24, 2023 | 11:00 EDT

Like a Dragon Gaiden The Man Who Erased His Name Preview Kiryu fighting a gangster

Like a Dragon Gaiden The Man Who Erased His Name Preview - Kicking It, Agent Style

If Kazuma Kiryu could stop getting into trouble, I’m pretty sure the world would stop turning, so it makes perfect sense that he’s back as the protagonist of Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased…

August 23, 2023 | 04:37 EDT

Fate Samurai Remnant Berserker Miyamoto Mushashi
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Fate/Samurai Remnant Preview - Unlimited Fun Works

With impressive spin-off titles such as Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes, and Persona 5: Strikers, Omega Force and Koei Tecmo might have raised the standard for…

August 18, 2023 | 09:47 EDT

Palia Preview - Cover Image Standing in Kilima Village While Delaila Walks Down the Stairs
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Palia Preview - Just Shy of Greatness

The juggernauts of the cozy gaming space have a new competitor: Palia, an MMO "community sim" that has just launched into open beta. Our Palia Preview will explore how Singularity 6's inaugural game …

August 12, 2023 | 11:14 EDT

Palia First Impressions - Cover Image Standing in Kilima Town Square with Other Players Fooling Around
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Palia First Impressions - Tailor-Made for Fans of Cozy Games

Cozy, casual games have grown in popularity with the resurgence of Animal Crossing, so it should come as no surprise that competitors are stepping up for a slice of the pie. In my Palia first…

August 8, 2023 | 11:25 EDT

Leroy Smith taunts his opponent during his intro scene in Tekken 8.
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Tekken 8 Preview – Bringing the Heat

When I got access to the Tekken 8 preview period via the closed network beta, the code came with some character guides to help me prepare for “a weekend of good a** Tekken.” It felt like a direct…

August 2, 2023 | 10:05 EDT

Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon Preview
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Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon Preview - An Iron-clad Resurrection

The return of Armored Core is something that continues to surprise me. How many years has it been since the last entry in the series? Far too many for such a storied franchise considering the last…

July 25, 2023 | 11:12 EDT

Carvain, one of the major characters in Blue Protocol, readies his spear against enemies
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Blue Protocol Preview - Tales of Online??

Last month at Summer Game Fest, I got a chance to preview Blue Protocol, one of Amazon’s latest publishing forays into the MMO space. I got about 40 minutes of hands-on time, which was enough to see…

July 25, 2023 | 09:44 EDT

Image of looking down from the water tower on a battlebit remastered map
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BattleBit Remastered Preview - Made For Battlefield Fans

I said this on the podcast this week, but BattleBit Remastered is exactly the game I wanted right now. If you're someone who misses the days of Battlefield 4, and completely bounced off Battlefield…

June 26, 2023 | 10:30 EDT

One Lonely Outpost Preview - Cover Image Using the Mining Omnitool on Some Rocks
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One Lonely Outpost Preview - Farming on a Strange New World

There are more Farming RPGs coming out every year, and One Lonely Outpost aims to innovate on the standard formula by adding some new mechanics and defying the genre's conventions. Read on to see if…

June 26, 2023 | 08:17 EDT

Forever Skies Preview - Cover Image Flying the Ship Toward a Greenhouse Tower
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Forever Skies Preview - Could Very Well Be the Next Raft

There aren't very many survival games that capture the fun and challenge of Raft, but developer Far From Home has a serious contender in the genre. In this preview, I'll show you why Forever Skies is…

June 23, 2023 | 10:00 EDT

A picture brought to life in Viewfinder
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Viewfinder Preview

It’s not every day you run into a first-person puzzle game that frames things in a new way – and Viewfinder does that in the most literal sense. By challenging your perception of 2D photos in 3D…

June 19, 2023 | 10:35 EDT

The key art for Lysfanga: The Time Shift Warrior
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Lysfanga: The Time Shift Warrior Preview

At Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest, Quantic Dream’s Spotlight label revealed Lysfanga: The Time Shift Warrior. The second I saw it, I knew I had to check it out, and luckily, it was at Play Days,…

June 17, 2023 | 11:45 EDT

the key art for Fae Farm
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Fae Farm Preview

Cozy farming sims have had a big renaissance since Stardew Valley came along, and it’s even usurped Harvest Moon and Story of Seasons as touchpoints of the genre. Phoenix Labs, known for creating…

June 16, 2023 | 01:58 EDT

Gord art depicting a tribal shaman standing outside of pallisade walls as two villagers look on over the top. Many monsters surround the shaman.
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Gord Preview - Oh My Gord!

RTS games are a heavily explored genre, so how do you make it fresh? Well, one option is to set it in medieval Europe, have it heavily feature human sacrifice, and fill it with disgusting eldritch…

June 16, 2023 | 01:40 EDT