What we've been playing - "I simply didn't know if a first-person shooter could work as a Soulslike"

eurogamer.net Oct 17, 2026

What we’ve been playing – “I simply didn’t know if a first-person shooter could work as a Soulslike”

Curated by Shubham · TechCapsules · Oct 17, 2026

AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication

The article reviews several games, noting Connor’s completion of the long‑awaited FTL, Sherif’s mixed impressions of the first‑person Soulslike demo Guns of Eschaton, and the author’s enjoyment of VR mini‑golf in Walkabout Mini Golf. Sherif questions whether a shooter can function as a Soulslike, citing distant enemies, limited ammo, and awkward controls. The piece also highlights the game’s Wild West setting, supernatural themes, and the potential for a unique genre blend.

💡 Why It Matters

· Guns of Eschaton’s hybrid design challenges conventional genre boundaries, prompting debate over how far mechanics can be stretched while maintaining core gameplay identity.

Capsules Gaming

Read full article on eurogamer.net

Devs are canceling their demos to stop AI users from stealing their…

Alliance Arts cancelled the public demo of its Russian roulette‑style game Drunken Goddess Reflux, citing fears that AI could replicate the concept and release a copycat before the official launch. The studio will instead host a closed playtest with stricter posting and streaming restrictions. The decision reflects growing concerns among indie developers about AI‑driven reverse engineering, following high‑profile cases of rapid game cloning after the release of tools like Anthropic’s Claude Opus 5.5. The move underscores the tension between open community engagement and protecting intellectual property in the gaming industry.

💡 The shift to closed testing signals a broader industry struggle to balance community feedback with safeguarding creative assets in an era where AI can accelerate imitation. It highlights a new frontier of intellectual‑property risk that could reshape how indie studios release and promote their titles.

gamesradar.com · Oct 17

How Bloober Team’s “Japanese approach” to business revived its image to land…

Bloober Team’s publishing arm, Broken Mirror Games, has secured a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive for its upcoming horror title Onyx: The Dark Grip, marking the first Nintendo‑exclusive horror game in over a decade. The deal was confirmed in an interview with Bloober CEO Piotr Babieno and Broken Mirror executive director Tymon Smektała, who emphasized the difficulty of gaining Nintendo’s trust and the “Japanese approach” to business that helped seal the partnership. The game, built in 2.5D psych‑horror style for handheld‑only play, casts players as both a deity and a possessed individual. Its exclusivity follows the critical success of Bloober’s Silent Hill 2 remake, which restored the studio’s reputation and opened doors to the Japanese market.

💡 The Switch 2 exclusive proves that high‑budget horror can thrive on a handheld platform, expanding Nintendo’s genre portfolio and validating Bloober’s resurgence as a trusted horror developer.

ign.com · Oct 17

I Bought a Steam Machine – Here’s Why (and How It’s Going)

After joining a waitlist on a whim, tech editor Jackie Thomas received a purchase email for Valve’s Steam Machine 512 GB model with a Steam Controller and had three days to decide. Initially hesitant due to the device’s price and the convenience of his docked Steam Deck, PS5, Xbox Series X and Switch 2, Thomas revisited reviews during the window. Dissatisfied with recent console first‑party offerings and ongoing subscription fees, he found Valve’s consumer‑friendly approach appealing. He ultimately ordered the Steam Machine moments before the deadline, citing its seamless integration with his extensive Steam library and 4K TV performance. While not more powerful than his consoles, the system’s SteamOS environment and the Steam Controller quickly became his preferred gaming setup, prompting him to prioritize the Steam Machine/Deck combo over future console purchases.

💡 Valve’s Steam Machine demonstrates that a PC‑centric console can attract seasoned gamers disillusioned with traditional console ecosystems, reshaping hardware loyalty.

ign.com · Oct 17

The ASUS Xbox ROG Ally X20 Handheld Gaming PC Is Officially Released…

The ASUS Xbox ROG Ally X20 handheld gaming PC launched today and is now shipping from Best Buy at $1,299.99. The device, first previewed for preorder in August, arrives with a transparent black chassis, gold‑accented menu buttons and a 7.4‑inch OLED screen capable of 1,400 nits brightness. Internally it retains the AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme processor, 24 GB LPDDR5X RAM and a 1 TB SSD, making it the most powerful Ryzen‑based handheld on the market. New features include DisplayPort 2.1 via a second USB‑C port, drift‑resistant TMR joysticks, a rotating D‑pad with 4‑ and 8‑way modes, haptic‑feedback impulse triggers and rubberized grips. IGN’s Jackie Thomas praised the X20, recommending it over the Steam Deck, while open‑box units are selling for as low as $789.99 now available.

💡 The X20 pushes handheld PC performance to a new tier, forcing competitors to rethink power‑to‑size trade‑offs.

eurogamer.net · Oct 17

Art of Rally follow-up Over the Hill’s biggest success is finding a…

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💡 It proves that a driving title can thrive by prioritising atmosphere and player‑driven discovery, expanding the genre’s definition beyond high‑octane racing.

gamesradar.com · Oct 17

Ray Liotta saved GTA: Vice City’s “awful” writing, Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser…

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💡 Liotta’s star power proved that a single, high‑caliber performance can transform a video‑game script into a cultural touchstone, underscoring the value of cinematic talent in interactive storytelling.