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There’s been a bit of everything in gaming this week, with slip-ups, reveals, and updates driving discussion across the community. Blue Protocol: Star Resonance found itself in the spotlight after its music mix-up, while Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream drew attention with its latest trailer and the drama surrounding its characters. Elsewhere, PlayStation’s Gran Turismo 7 contest put the focus on its community, while Pokémon Champions drew mixed reactions following its launch.
Over on the reviews side, there’s a bit of everything this week. Super Meat Boy 3D brings its signature challenge in a new dimension, while The Weeping Swan: Ten Days of the City’s Fall leans into a more atmospheric, story-driven experience. Meanwhile, Raccoin: Coin Pusher Roguelike keeps things light with its addictive arcade-style gameplay, and Early Access titles like Road to Vostok and Super Alloy Crush round things out with two very different takes on survival and action.
Here’s a quick look at some of the week’s biggest gaming headlines.
Gaming News At A Glance
Blue Protocol: Star Resonance Devs Apologize Over Granblue Fantasy Music Mix-Up
Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream’s New Trailer Turns Up the Drama
PlayStation Contest Lets One Fan Appear in Gran Turismo 7
Pokémon Champions Launch Stumbles Amid Performance Issues and Missing Features
Forza Horizon 6 Reveals Japan Map in New Trailer
Other News and Developments This Week
Review Roundup: Apr 6th to Apr 10th
A Rage-Inducing Platformer, a Tragic Historical Tale, and an Addictive Coin-Pushing Roguelike
⚫︎ Super Meat Boy 3D
⚫︎ The Weeping Swan: Ten Days of the City's Fall
⚫︎ Raccoin: Coin Pusher Roguelike
Other Reviews This Week
A Gritty Survival Shooter and a Pick-Up-and-Play Action Brawler
⚫︎ Road to Vostok [Early Access]
⚫︎ Super Alloy Crush [Early Access]
Other Early Access/Previews This Week
Gaming News At A Glance: Blue Protocol Mix-Up, Tomodachi Life Drama, and Gran Turismo 7 Contest
Blue Protocol: Star Resonance Devs Apologize Over Granblue Fantasy Music Mix-Up
Blue Protocol: Star Resonance developers issued a public apology after players discovered that the game had been using a soundtrack from Granblue Fantasy titled "Dahli Island", in several in-game dungeons. The team explained that the track was originally intended as a placeholder during development but was mistakenly left in the live version due to a management oversight.
The developers have since replaced the audio, temporarily restricted access to the affected areas, and "conducted an emergency inspection of all audio resources", confirming that "no other unauthorized assets were found". However, the response did not fully ease player concerns, as some questioned how the issue went unnoticed for months and raised concerns over copyright.
Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream’s New Trailer Turns Up the Drama
Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream released a new trailer titled "Part-Time Jobs and Full-Time Friends," highlighting Angie and Crystal’s friendship while introducing part-time jobs. The video shows Crystal taking on roles such as a cashier, model, and waitress, and supporting Angie through her ongoing romantic setbacks.
The trailer builds on its ongoing character drama, including Angie’s failed confessions and Hugh’s eventual marriage to Dr. Winters. A new scene showing Hugh calling Angie "jest-a-friend" on live TV drew strong reactions from viewers and many have even started calling for a redemption arc for Angie.
PlayStation Contest Lets One Fan Appear in Gran Turismo 7
Gran Turismo 7 is the first game to feature The Playerbase, a new PlayStation community program that gives one fan the chance to be scanned into the game and appear as an in-game character. Applications are open until April 26.
The selected participant will also help design a custom logo and vehicle livery, both of which will be permanently added to the game. Sony Interactive Entertainment also confirmed that The Playerbase will expand to other PlayStation Studios titles in the future.
Pokémon Champions Launch Stumbles Amid Performance Issues and Missing Features
Pokémon Champions drew mixed reactions from players following its release. Players criticized its technical performance and its limited gameplay format. Many fans expressed disappointment over the absence of traditional 6v6 battles, while others pointed out performance issues and bugs at launch.
The release also drew concerns over its limited content, including a smaller roster and missing key elements expected from competitive play. Some players described the experience as "barebones". Others see it as a fresh start for the game’s meta, arguing that the restrictions create a unique "reset."
Forza Horizon 6 Reveals Japan Map in New Trailer
Forza Horizon 6 has revealed its "Official Initial Drive" trailer, giving players a first look at its long-awaited Japan setting. The preview highlights a wide range of locations, from neon-lit city streets to quieter countryside roads lined with cherry blossoms, along with a selection of vehicles including the game’s cover car, the 2025 GR GT Prototype.
Alongside the trailer, the full map was unveiled, described as the most dense and vertical in the series so far, stretching from urban areas to mountainous regions. Pre-orders are now live across multiple editions, with early access and additional content offered in higher tiers. The reveal has been met with strong reactions from fans, particularly around the setting and smaller details like its Japan-inspired radio station.
Other News and Developments This Week
⚫︎ Don’t Starve Devs Tease Potential Sequel
⚫︎ Pokémon Pokopia Garden Opens in London with Free Public Access Through September 2026
⚫︎ My Hero Academia UNITED SURVIVAL Announced as Free-to-Play Mobile Title Releasing in 2026
⚫︎ State of Decay 3 Alpha Tests Start May; Sign Ups Now Open
⚫︎ Frostpunk 2 Reveals Breach of Trust DLC, Confirms Frostpunk Switch Port
⚫︎ Pokémon GO April 2026 Events Bring Back Gigantamax Kanto Starters and Sustainability Week
⚫︎ Overwatch Updates Anran’s Look After Fan Criticism
⚫︎ Devil May Cry 5 Characters Join Tsukuyomi: The Divine Hunter in Crossover Event
⚫︎ Plants vs. Zombies 3: Evolved Early Access Now Live in Ireland, Philippines With More Regions Coming Soon
⚫︎ PUBG x Stellar Blade Collab Features EVE Contender, Weapon Skins, and More
⚫︎ .hack and Xenosaga Soundtracks by Yuki Kajiura are Rereleasing This May 27
⚫︎ Overwatch New Hero Sierra Debuts With Season 2 This April 14
⚫︎ Pokémon Champions Devs Apologize for Rocky Launch, Promise Improvements
⚫︎ Borderlands Mobile Surprise Launch Hits iOS With US-Exclusive Limited Test
⚫︎ Rhythm Heaven Groove Confirms July 2 Release, Reveals New Gameplay Teaser
⚫︎ Temtem: Pioneers, a New Palworld-Like Survival Spin-Off, Revealed at Triple-i Initiative
Review Roundup: Apr 6th to Apr 10th
A Rage-Inducing Platformer, a Tragic Historical Tale, and an Addictive Coin-Pushing Roguelike
This week’s review lineup brings a bit of everything, from punishing platforming to story-driven experiences and even a surprisingly addictive arcade-style game. If you’re in the mood for a challenge, Super Meat Boy 3D pushes its signature difficulty into a new dimension, packed with deadly traps and precision-heavy levels. For something more narrative-focused, The Weeping Swan: Ten Days of the City’s Fall leans into its heavy themes and atmospheric presentation, following two characters through a war-torn world. On the lighter side, Raccoin: Coin Pusher Roguelike turns a simple arcade concept into something hard to put down, helped along by its satisfying, almost ASMR-like sound design.
Over on the Early Access side, we also got a look at Road to Vostok, a gritty survival FPS set in a war-torn border zone, and Super Alloy Crush, a side-scrolling action brawler that blends fast-paced combat with progression across runs.
Super Meat Boy 3D
Super Meat Boy 3D is a precision platformer that takes the punishing series into 3D, tasking players with navigating deadly traps and near-impossible levels to rescue Bandage Girl from Dr. Fetus. It builds on the original title with over 150 levels, unlockable characters, and Dark World stages that push its already tough platforming even further.
It features tight controls, creative levels, and plenty of replay value. Its non-linear progression helps ease the grind, though it isn’t the easiest game to get into. Its boss fights and familiar story don’t add much to the experience, but for players willing to stick with it, it offers a satisfying and challenging ride.
The Weeping Swan: Ten Days of the City's Fall
The Weeping Swan is a linear visual novel set during the fall of the Ming Dynasty, following scholar Fang Zhiyou and a young girl named Little Yan as they navigate a war-torn world. Told across two timelines, it blends historical tragedy and psychological horror.
It has its rough edges, including lackluster endings, uneven character development, and some technical and translation issues. Still, it stands out for its strong atmosphere, striking visuals, and full voice acting. It makes for an engaging experience overall, especially for those who value presentation and mood as much as the story itself.
Raccoin: Coin Pusher Roguelike
Raccoin: Coin Pusher Roguelike is a roguelike strategy game built around the arcade coin pusher, where players drop coins, trigger cascades, and build synergies to reach higher scores each run. It combines simple, physics-based gameplay and uses different coin types, chips, and prizes that change how you play each run.
It’s easy to get hooked thanks to its satisfying gameplay loop. The visuals are charming, and the sound design stands out, especially the ASMR-like clinking of coins that makes every cascade feel rewarding. However, the game only features one cabinet, the cardboard cabinet. It’s not a major issue, but it’s an odd design choice that may leave some wanting more variety.
Other Reviews This Week
⚫︎ People of Note Review | Good, But Not Noteworthy
A Gritty Survival Shooter and a Pick-Up-and-Play Action Brawler
This week also brings in a pair of Early Access titles worth keeping an eye on. Road to Vostok drops players into a harsh, war-torn border zone where survival means carefully scavenging and picking your fights as you push deeper into dangerous territory. Meanwhile, Super Alloy Crush takes a more fast-paced approach, following two Cosmic Hunters as they battle through stages and return between runs to power up before heading back out.
Road to Vostok [Early Access]
Road to Vostok is a single-player survival FPS set in a post-apocalyptic border zone between Finland and Russia, where players scavenge, loot, and fight their way through dangerous areas in an attempt to reach the militarized region of Vostok. It leans heavily into resource management, combat, and exploration.
It gets a lot right with its atmosphere and gunplay. However, its overly punishing AI and lack of quality-of-life features can make it frustrating at times, such as the absence of a clear interaction cursor and items blending too easily into the environment. Gun audio can also be overwhelming, making it harder to pick up on other important sounds. It’s still an enjoyable experience overall, and it has room to grow as development continues.
Super Alloy Crush [Early Access]
Super Alloy Crush is a 2D side-scrolling action brawler with roguelike elements, following two Cosmic Hunters who crash-land on a hostile steel planet while chasing a legendary treasure. Players go through stages filled with enemies before returning to a hub to upgrade their characters and prepare for the next run.
It’s a solid pick-up-and-play experience with a good amount of upgrades and unlockables to keep things interesting, but it can get repetitive, especially as runs start to feel similar over time. There are also some balance issues and slower resource buildup that can be frustrating. It’s still enjoyable in short bursts, with room to improve as development continues.
Other Early Access/Previews This Week
⚫︎ Forza Horizon 6 Review [Preview] | Beautiful Roads With a Whole Lot of Oversteer
