Metroid Prime 4: Beyond Outlines Difficulty Options and Other Settings

By
Saras Rajpal
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Metroid Prime 4: Beyond Outlines Difficulty Options and Other Settings

Nintendo has revealed the difficulty options and other adjustable settings that will be available in Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. The game will release on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 on December 4. 

When you first start the game, a casual and normal mode will be available. The casual mode will lower enemy HP and reduce the damage you take, while normal features the default settings. When you first beat the game in normal mode, a hard mode will be available. Additionally, the following specific settings can be adjusted:

  • Adjust the sensitivity for thumbstick controls
  • Adjust the sensitivity for mouse controls
  • Adjust gyro aiming sensitivity
  • Adjust the screen display
  • Adjust the volume for music, voice, and sound effects
  • Adjust brightness
  • Turn on/off subtitles
  • Turn on/off visor shaking

Furthermore, Nintendo has confirmed that Prime 4 begins a new story for the series and that it is not required to play Metroid Prime, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, and Metroid Prime 3: Corruption in order to understand Beyond. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition will include two different graphics options: Quality Mode and Performance Mode. You can also play with mouse controls with Joy-Con 2. 

Recently, Nintendo of America released an overview trailer for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. The overview trailer focuses on what players can expect from Metroid Prime 4.  This includes a new look at the game’s setting, Viewros. Further, it shows a new look at the abilities Samus can unlock. These include the traditional morph ball, plus psychic abilities exclusive to Viewros, like the ability to control projectiles. Additionally, the trailer reveals that you can save Galactic Federation soldiers. Each soldier has full voice acting and quite well detailed facial models. 

Hytale Releases on Early Access on January 13

By
Saras Rajpal
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Hytale Releases on Early Access on January 13

Hypixel has announced that Hytale will release on early access on January 13, 2026. Additionally, it has released a gameplay video for the game’s Creative Mode.

Two weeks ago, the developers re-acquired the rights to the game from Riot Games. In a statement, Hypixel has described the progress it has made on Hytale since the announcement:

“Since the cancellation, we’ve rehired more than 40 former and new team members, bringing the total to 50. Reacquiring a game from a AAA studio and preparing an early access launch within weeks is rare, and players will be able to watch the progress as it happens.

If you don’t feel comfortable pre-ordering, please don’t. This is true early access, meaning it’s still very much unfinished and will be buggy for a while, but you have my and the team’s commitment to make Hytale the game we’ve always wanted it to be.”

The creative mode trailer outlines some of the tools players have to create entire worlds, such as terrain brushes and the ability to generate pre-fabricated structures. Check out the full reveal for creative mode for Hytale below:

Hytale will release in three editions, which cost $19.99, $34.99, and $69.99, respectively. Pre-orders go live on December 13. Lastly, the official website describes the game as follows:

Set out on an adventure built for both creation and play. Hytale blends the freedom of a sandbox with the momentum of an RPG: explore a procedurally generated world full of dungeons, secrets, and a variety of creatures, then shape it block by block.

Our Early Access release focuses on polished core systems – exploration, responsive combat, and robust building – alongside creator‑first tools for making your own content, crafting minigames, and running community servers.

Jump in, make your mark, and help us grow this world together!

Saga of Tanya the Evil II Premieres in 2026

By
Soul Kiwami
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Kadokawa has announced Saga of Tanya the Evil II, the second season of the TV anime adaptation of Carlo Zen and Shinobu Shinotsuki’s light novel series, will premiere in 2026. A new promotional video and key visual were revealed, along with staff and cast members.

Saga of Tanya the Evil II key visual
© カルロ・ゼン・KADOKAWA刊／幼女戦記2製作委員会

Takayuki Yamamoto is the new director of Saga of Tanya the Evil II at studio NUT. Kenta Ihara returns to write and oversee the series scripts. Yuji Hosogoe returns as the character designer and chief animation director.

The cast of the anime includes:

  • Aoi Yūki as Tanya Degurechaff
  • Saori Hayami as Visha
  • Shinichirō Miki as Rerugen
  • Tesshō Genda as Rudersdorf
  • Hōchū Ōtsuka as Zettour

The first season of Saga of Tanya the Evil is streaming on Crunchyroll.

Zen and Shinotsuki launched the novel series in 2013, and Kadokawa publishes the series digitally and in print. Chika Tōjo launched the manga in Monthly Comp Ace in 2016. Yen Press licenses both the light novel series and manga adaptation. 

Lastly, here’s an overview of the series, via Yen Press:

High above the blood- and mud-soaked trenches, a young girl pits herself against army mages in high stakes aerial duels with bullets, spells, and bayonets. Her name is Tanya Degurechaff and she is the Devil of the Rhine, one of the greatest soldiers the Empire has ever seen! But inside her mind lives a ruthless, calculating ex-salaryman who enjoyed a peaceful life in Japan until he woke up in a war-torn world. Reborn as a destitute orphaned girl with nothing to her name but memories of a previous life, Tanya will do whatever it takes to survive, even if she can find it only behind the barrel of a gun!

Layers of Fear: Final Masterpiece Edition Releases for Nintendo Switch 2 on December 19

By
Saras Rajpal
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Layers of Fear: Final Masterpiece Edition Releases for Nintendo Switch 2 on December 19

Bloober Team has announced Layers of Fear: Final Masterpiece Edition, which will release exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2. It will be available on December 19 for $39.99. 

The previously announced edition compiles Layers of Fear (2023), Layers of Fear: Inheritance, Layers of Fear: The Last Note, Layers of Fear 2 (2023), Layers of Fear: The Lighthouse, and Layers of Fear: The Final Prologue in one new package. This new version will feature motion-controls and other “Joy-Con interactions,” touchscreen support, and enhanced rendering in both docked and handheld modes. Check out the trailer showcasing Layers of Fear: Final Masterpiece Edition below:

Lastly, Layers of Fear is available now on PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and PC. The Steam page describes it as follows:

The canvas awaits its final brushstrokes. The stage calls for its lead actor. The novel needs its final chapter. It’s time to face your fears. One. Last. Time.

The series, which has left a mark on narrative-driven first-person psychological horror games, returns to tell its final spine-chilling story in Layers of Fear. The series’ crowning work is the definitive way to experience the critically acclaimed franchise as it features Layers of Fear and Layers of Fear 2, as well as all DLCs (including the new ‘The Final Note’ DLC that will give you a new perspective on the Layers of Fear storyline) and the never-before-told story of The Writer, which will tie everything together. Built on Unreal Engine 5, Layers of Fear supports HDR and 4K resolution to make the stunning visuals, and your nightmarish experience, as immersive and realistic as possible.

The Holy Grail of Eris Anime Casts Maaya Uchida, Natsuki Hanae and Jun Fukuyama

By
Soul Kiwami
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The Holy Grail of Eris anime

Drecom has confirmed that Maaya Uchida, Natsuki Hanae and Jun Fukuyama are joining the cast of the TV anime adaptation of The Holy Grail of Eris. Their respective roles include:

  • Maaya Uchida as Cecilia Adelbide
  • Natsuki Hanae as Enrique Adelbide
  • Jun Fukuyama as Dominic Hamsworth

The Holy Grail of Eris will premiere on January 8, 2026, at 11:56 p.m. JST on TBS and 28 affiliate channels in Japan

Reina Washio performs the opening theme song “Happy Ever After feat. YU-KA,” and Yukari Tamura performs the ending theme song “Camellia.”

The Holy Grail of Eris key visual
©常磐くじら・ドリコム／エリスの聖杯製作委員会

The main cast of The Holy Grail of Eris includes:

  • Kana Ichinose as Constance Grail
  • Sayumi Suzushiro as Scarlett Castiel
  • Yōhei Azakami as Randolph Ulster
  • M.A.O as Lily Orlamunde

The staff includes: 

  • Director: “Morita to Junpei”
  • Series Composition, Script: Kenichi Yamashita
  • Character Design: Chie Kawaguchi
  • Sub-Character Design: Jun Yukawa
  • Art Director: Nobuhito Sue (Kusanagi)
  • Color Design: Aiko Yamagami (T.D.I.)
  • Director of Photography: Yūko Kamahara (T.D.F.)
  • Editing: Yuriko Sano (T.A.P.)
  • Sound Director: Yūichi Morita
  • Production: Good Smile Film / DRE Pictures
  • Animation Production: Ashi Productions

Kujira Tokiwa and Yuunagi launched The Holy Grail of Eris light novel on the Shōsetsuka ni Narō website in 2017. Momoyama launched a manga adaptation on Square Enix’s Manga UP! platform in 2019. Yen Press publishes the manga physically, while Manga UP! publishes the manga digitally. A sequel manga, The Holy Grail of Eris -SEQUEL-, was launched on October 18, 2024 by S.Kosugi.

Lastly, here’s an overview of the series: 

Connie, an ordinary viscount’s daughter, is saved from a malicious lady’s attack at a ball by a beautiful noblewoman ghost. The ghost is Scarlett Castiel, the duke’s daughter, infamous as a notorious villainess who was executed 10 years ago.

In exchange for her rescue, Connie is compelled to investigate Scarlett’s case for her revenge. As Connie goes undercover, enters into a fake engagement,
and even confronts powerful nobles, she draws closer to uncovering an enormous conspiracy…

SCRAP, Shueisha Games and Aka Akasaka’s Kami and Miko is Getting a New One-Shot Manga

By
Soul Kiwami
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Kami and Miko manga

2025’s 52nd issue of Shueisha’s Young Jump magazine confirmed that SCRAP, Shueisha Games, and Aka Akasaka’s new Kami and Miko browser game is getting a new one-shot manga. The Kami and Miko manga will debut in magazine’s next issue on December 4 with illustrations by Rei Narahashi.

In Kami and Miko, player experience a “world creation puzzle-solving” game where players become “Kami” and solve mysteries with Miko, who has been reincarnated through the ages. Together, they save humanity from hunger, epidemics, and other threats. Oshi no Ko and Kaguya-sama: Love is War creator Aka Akasaka as the game’s scenario and character designer. 

The final volume of the Oshi no Ko manga series by Aka Akasaka and Mengo Yokoyari released on December 18, 2024 in Japan. The final chapter of Oshi no Ko, chapter 166, released in the November 14, 2024-due issue of Weekly Young Jump magazine. All chapters are available to read right now on Manga Plus in English.

Oshi no Ko Season 3 premieres on January 14, 2026. The cast of the first two seasons, including Takeo Otsuka as Aqua, returns in the third season. New cast members include Mamoru Miyano as Hikaru Kamiki, Hina Kino as Tsukuyomi, Yuto Takenaka as Shun Yoshizumi and Yōji Ueda as Tetsu Urushibara. 

Lastly, here’s an overview of the series, via Manga Plus:

“In the world of showbiz, lies are weapons.” Goro works as an OB-GYN in the countryside, a life far removed from the entertainment industry. Meanwhile, his favorite idol, Ai Hoshino, has begun her climb to stardom. The two meet in the “worst possible way,” setting the gears of fate in motion! The amazing Aka Akasaka and Mengo Yokoyari team up to depict the world of showbiz from a completely new perspective in this shocking series!

Haibara’s Teenage New Game+ Anime Premieres in April 2026

By
Soul Kiwami
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The staff of the new anime adaptation of Kazuki Amamiya’s Haibara’s Teenage New Game+ (Haibara-kun no Tsuyokute Seishun New Game) light novel series confirmed the anime’s April 2026 premiere on TBS. A new promotional video, key visual, and main cast were also revealed.

©雨宮和希・ホビージャパン／「灰原くんの強くて青春ニューゲーム」製作委員会

The anime’s main cast includes:

  • Yūto Uemura as Natsuki Haibara
  • Kanon Takao as Hikari Hoshimiya

Misuzu Hoshino directs the anime at Studio Comet. Keiichirō Ōchi oversees the series scripts, Hiromi Ono designs the characters, and Sōnosuke Takao is composing the music.

Hobby Japan shipped the first volume of Haibara’s Teenage New Game+ in December 2021. A full-color vertical comic adaptation by Misaomaru launched in June 2023, and the final arc began with the ninth volume on July 1, 2025.

Lastly, J-Novel Club publishes the series in English and describes the story:

We all have embarrassing memories or deep regrets from high school, right? Socially anxious college senior Natsuki Haibara sure does. When he thinks back on that time of his life, all he has are fleeting fantasies of a happy adolescence that could have been. Imagine his bewilderment and surprise, then, when he inexplicably finds himself seven years in the past—one month before his first year of high school!

Can Haibara avoid his previous mistakes, make his way to the top of the school social pyramid, and end up with the girl of his dreams? Or will he be forced to relive three years of solitude as the most hated guy in school? He’ll need all the help he can get in order to succeed, from a workout regimen to online how-to guides, a childhood friend, and plenty of sheer willpower. Watch as Haibara takes a second shot at his teenage years!

Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku Season 2 Premieres January 11, 2026

By
Soul Kiwami
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The staff of Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku Season 2 confirmed that the anime will premiere on January 11, 2026, at 11:45 p.m. JST on TV Tokyo and affiliate channels. The anime will stream 30 minutes later on Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, and Lemino in Japan, and a new key visual was released.

Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku Season 2 key visual
©賀来ゆうじ／集英社 ©賀来ゆうじ／集英社・ツインエンジン・MAPPA

The new Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku Season 2 cast members include:

  • Ryōta Suzuki as Yamada Asaemon Shugen
  • Kōji Yusa as Yamada Asaemon Jikka
  • Maaya Uchida as Yamada Asaemon Kiyomaru
  • Sayaka Ōhara as Yamada Asaemon Isuzu

Crunchyroll will stream Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku Season 2 outside Japan.

Kaori Makita directs the anime at MAPPA, with Twin Engine in charge of planning. Akira Kindaichi is in charge of series composition, Akitsugu Hisagi is the character designer, Yoshiaki Dewa is the composer, and Ayako Suenaga is the color designer. Chika Toda joins the staff as the new photography director for Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku Season 2, and Junichi Higashi is the new art director. 

The original Hell’s Paradise manga by Yuji Kaku was in serialization from 2018 to 2021 in Shueisha’s Shonen Jump+ magazine. In the west, Hell’s Paradise was published by VIZ Media.

Lastly, here’s an overview of the series, via Crunchyroll:

Gabimaru reigns as the strongest and most ruthless assassin in his village. But now finds himself on death row—with only one way out: retrieve the Elixir of Life from a sinister island. Longing for freedom, he accepts the challenge. But with fellow convicts vying for the same prize and demonic beasts lurking, how will Gabimaru survive this harrowing quest?

CODE VEIN II Previews Story in Prologue Trailer

By
Soul Kiwami
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CODE VEIN II Prologue Trailer

Bandai Namco has released the new “Prologue” trailer for action RPG CODE VEIN II to preview the game’s main story.

CODE VEIN II launches January 30, 2026 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam. Here’s an overview of the game, via Bandai Namco:

CODE VEIN II features a deep narrative where players and characters are bound by blood, fate, and destiny, set in a future where the last remnants of humanity and Revenants struggle against a world on the verge of collapse. The player’s journey will span across haunting, post-apocalyptic landscapes including the flooded ruins of the Sunken City, The Undead Forest, the isolated MagMell Island, and more. As the story unfolds, players will encounter the legendary heroes, Revenants who may hold the keys to saving this collapsing world. Among them are Josée Anjou, the “Queen of Solitude,” who once ruled a sanctuary swallowed by the sea, and Holly Asturias, a healer burdened by the title of “Reaper Witch.” 

CODE VEIN II features distinctive gameplay for an action RPG, where players use blood drained from enemies to unlock a variety of powerful skills, build strategy for combat with Blood codes, and use unique weapons and equipment called Jails to overcome challenging foes and epic bosses. CODE VEIN II also features a deep customization system for the game’s protagonist, where players can customize their characters to perfection with a vast array of settings for body type, hairstyle, facial expressions, accessories, makeup and more.

Trouble Witches Final! Episode 01: Daughters of Amalgam Launches December 15

By
Soul Kiwami
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Trouble Witches Final! Episode 01: Daughters of Amalgam

ININ Games announced Rocket Engine and Studio SiestA’s side-scrolling shoot ’em up Trouble Witches Final! Episode 01: Daughters of Amalgam is coming to the west for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 on December 15. A physical Special Edition will be available for $49.99 with a special box, an artbook, and the original soundtrack CD, and pre-orders are available now at the ININ Games Store.

Trouble Witches Final! Episode 01 Daughters of Amalgam Special Edition

Trouble Witches Final! Episode 01: Daughters of Amalgam released on July 6, 2023 physically and digitally in Japan for 5,720 yen.

Lastly, here’s an overview of the game, via ININ Games:

Originally released in 2007 by the developer of Cotton Reboot!, Trouble Witches has evolved into the ultimate Cute ‘Em Up experience after over a decade of development and updates. Now, in Trouble Witches FINAL! Episode 01 Daughters of Amalgam, this manic shooter returns with a visual overhaul, new game modes, and its most complete version ever.

Key Features

      • Adorable Witches: Play as 12 unique characters with distinctive abilities, attack styles, and magical familiars for endless strategic depth.
      • Bullet-Hell Gameplay: Experience exhilarating shoot ’em up action with extreme danmaku mechanics that will put your reflexes to the test.
      • Unique Combat System: Summon the Magic Circle to slow down enemy fire and convert bullets into gold coins. Spend your earnings at the Pumpkin Shop on Magic Cards that grant powerful abilities, clear bullets, and protect your witch from harm.
      • Vibrant Visuals: Stunning hand-drawn 2D character designs combined with beautifully reimagined 3D stage backgrounds for a fresh, eye-catching experience.
      • Complete DLC Pack: Includes all previously released DLC content (Cotton available separately).
      • Endless Replayability: Infinite fun for both casual and hardcore players, thanks to 8 different game modes.
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