We're not ones to waffle on about mobile technology here at PG. We just want a phone that can take care of the basics - and then use its processing power to run games as well as possible. Spending the best part of £1,000 for such a device doesn't always appeal to people, understandably. ... [MORE]

Roguelike card game Pirates Outlaws is about to up the ante by introducing an intense arena mode. It comes to us as part of the game's first major update, and it's available right now for Android and iOS players. Arena mode takes all cards, relics, and enemies from the main game and gathers them together in a single arena. You'll progress through various stages, with new boss encounters being a regular occurrence. And it's sure to keep you on your toes, as there's no map or AP to manage; instead, you'll be given a different reward panel with pre-selected actions at the end of every battle. ... [MORE]

Here’s some news that I guess might please someone out there: Capcom has today announced that the deeply iffy Resident Evil 5 and the really rather awful Resident Evil 6 are both coming to Switch on October 29th. If the earlier release of the actually good Resident Evil 4 is any indication, we can expect both games to be priced individually at a frankly maddening £29.99. The original news of the ports came during E3, though today’s announcement confirms when we can expect to see both games grace Nintendo’s platform. They are, of course, both survival horror games in the loosest sense, and they follow on from the Switch release of Resident Evil, Resident Evil 0, Resident Evil Revelations 1 & 2, and Resident Evil 4. ... [MORE]

Nerial, the team behind the beloved mobile game series Reigns, is teaming up with Herve Marly (Skull, The Werewolves of Miller’s Hollow) and Bruno Faidutti (Diamants, Mascarade, Citadels) to release an intriguing strategy board game, Reigns: The Council. Now, you can enjoy the thrill of backstabbing friends and family, which, as a particularly big fan of relationship-wrecking lying games like Coup, sounds like a wonderful time. ... [MORE]

Pokemon Go and beloved, long-running anime/manga One Piece will be teaming up at the end of the month for a frankly bizarre crossover event. Quite how or why this came about is anyone’s guess, but I don’t care, it sounds cool, and now I desperately want a straw hat-wearing Pikachu. The special event will run from July 22nd to July 29th, and the main draw is obviously the aforementioned Straw Hat Pikachu. In other straw hat-related news, you can also get a neat straw hat for your trainer to wear. This concludes our straw hat update for the month of July, 2019. ... [MORE]

Webzen’s MU Origin 2 has today received a huge new update that adds a bunch of fresh gameplay content, including new maps, bosses, and the ability to alter your character’s costume. MU Origin 2, for those who haven’t yet given it a go, is the latest title set in the beloved fantasy universe of MU, a series dating all the way back to the early 2000s. It’s an MMORPG where you’ll go on epic quests, raid dungeons, take down powerful bosses, and grow to master its deep and rewarding combat system. ... [MORE]

After a short beta period, PUBG Mobile version 0.13.5 is slowly becoming available for all iOS and Android players. It includes a host of both slight and sizable improvements, as well as the latest Royale Pass. The Royale Pass this time around has a ‘Summer Carnival’ and ocean theme, so you can probably expect lots of garishly-coloured cosmetics and weapon skins. This is now the 8th full Royale Pass that PUBG Mobile’s put out. ... [MORE]

For those looking for some early Christmas present ideas, Konami has just announced that it’s partnering with My Arcade to release two Contra-themed consoles – a handheld and a mini arcade cabinet – this "holiday season". The Contra Pocket Player and the Contra Micro Player are proper retro-enthused collectables that allow you to experience the run-and-gun classic in a neat new way. The Pocket Player, as the name suggests, is a handheld console, and the Micro Player is a sort of mini arcade cabinet. ... [MORE]

For those looking for some early Christmas present ideas, Konami has just announced that it’s partnering with My Arcade to release two Contra-themed consoles – a handheld and a mini arcade cabinet – this "holiday season". The Contra Pocket Player and the Contra Micro Player are proper retro-enthused collectables that allow you to experience the run-and-gun classic in a neat new way. The Pocket Player, as the name suggests, is a handheld console, and the Micro Player is a sort of mini arcade cabinet. ... [MORE]

I started playing Stranger Things 3 before I started watching the new season, and that was a mistake. It's probably pretty obvious to most people, but games based on TV shows (wait, what do you call a TV show that isn't broadcast on TV networks?) are usually made for the fans of that show. Shocker.Stranger Things 3 is no different in that regard, but it also gave me a unique perspective. While playing the game I kept asking myself; "Is this how the show goes? Is killing rats a thing thrown in to make the game more engaging, or is the show primarily about killing rats?"You'll be happy to know that I have now watched the latest season, and to my surprise, killing rats is included, but it downplayed significantly. Probably for the best.So in case you haven't caught on yet, Stranger Things 3 is an adaptation of the latest season of Netflix's Stranger Things, and here is the essential information you need to know about it: no, you can't really play this if you don't watch the series, and no, you can't jump into this without watching the latest season.When I went in blind, I was hoping to get a completely different perspective on the Stranger Things story. I wanted to see what it was like to experience that sci-fi tale in a video game environment, being an active player in the world instead of passively watching it all play out. Well, there's not much reason to bother. Stranger story ... [MORE]