My Articles

The Outerhaven •

Tee Lopes’s Reimagines Classic and Modern Shinobi Music in this DJ Set

If you have played Streets of Rage 4, Sonic Mania, or the recent Shinobi: Art of Vengeance (which I absolutely love), you already know these games share one thing in common; incredible soundtracks. The latest entry stands out even more thanks to the powerhouse duo of Tee Lopes and Yuzo Koshiro. Now, Tee Lopes has brought that same energy to a special DJ set that remixes and reimagines tracks from both classic and modern Shinobi games. If you are a longtime fan of the series, you are in for a tre...
The Outerhaven •

How to Find Alberich the Winged Doom in Absolum

Finding Alberich the Winged Doom in Absolum, is part of a larger questline involving Karl, and this marks just the first stage of that journey. To begin, you’ll need to have acquired Brome and likely completed the main story. This is a random occurrence, but once you’re at the hearth or hub, a conversation will occur between Karl and Brome. Karl expresses frustration that, with the Underking now siding with Azra, and given that Karl was forged rather than born, he believes he’ll be the last of h...
The Outerhaven •

How to Find Hagen the Spectral Doom Boss in Absolum

If you thought you had seen everything Absolum had to offer, think again. Hidden within its world lies Hagen the Spectral Doom, a massive decaying dragon waiting for someone bold enough to disturb his rest. The steps to summon this secret boss are not obvious, but once you know what to do, it is simple to pull off. Step 1: After choosing your character and leaving the hub area, select the uppermost path that leads to the beach. Step 2:  Continue forward until you reach an area filled with the b...
The Outerhaven •

How to Stay Airborne for 15 Seconds in Absolum with Cider

One of the achievement / trophy in the fantastic roguelike beat-’em-up Absolum requires you to stay airborne for 15 seconds while playing as Cider. At first glance, that sounds like a daunting challenge. The description might make you think you have to pull this off in combat while fighting enemies, but that’s not actually the case. As I discovered, there’s a much simpler way to earn it. This trick feels almost like cheating because of how easy it is. Select Cider, then head over to the training...
The Outerhaven •

Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game Announced at New York Comic Con 2025

Coming out of New York Comic Con 2025, a brand-new fighting game based on the beloved Avatar universe has been revealed, Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game. Described as a fast-paced 1v1 fighter, players will be able to battle as their favorite characters from across the Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra franchises. Built with rollback netcode and full cross-play support, this upcoming fighter aims to preserve the expressive hand-drawn animation style that made the animated serie...
The Outerhaven •

Are Target Stores Phasing Out Xbox Games? Here’s What We Found

During one of my usual Reddit dives, I came across a post claiming that a Target store had stopped selling Xbox games. According to the poster, who happens to work for that Target store, while Nintendo Switch and PlayStation titles were plentiful, Xbox games had completely disappeared from shelves. Naturally, I wanted to see if this was true, so I visited two different Target locations near me. The first store I hit up felt like a ghost town. Outside of NBA 2K26, Madden NFL 26, and EA Sports Col...
The Outerhaven •

NYCC 2025: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Are Officially Coming to Magic: The Gathering

It’s finally official. We can cut it with all the rumors, Magic: The Gathering is teaming up with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Today at a special New York Comic Con panel, Wizards of the Coast and Nickelodeon revealed Magic: The Gathering | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT), a new Universes Beyond set launching globally on March 6, 2026. The announcement brings decades of Turtle Power into the world’s premier collectible card game, uniting Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, Raphael, and t...
The Outerhaven •

NYCC 2025: Invincible Season 4 Officially Announced

As if we all didn’t see this coming, seriously, who didn’t? Amazon has officially announced at New York Comic Con 2025, that Invincible is coming back with Season 4. Yep, it’s happening, and maybe even sooner than expected, with the new season premiering on Amazon Prime in March 2026. Sure, there’s no exact date yet, but honestly, just knowing it’s coming is good enough for me. To help set the mood, Amazon dropped a cute little skit featuring Mark (Invincible) and Eve, where Mark is hilariously...
The Outerhaven •

Absolum review (PC) – Dotemu’s First Original IP is Simply Stunning

It’s not the first time that 2D beat ’em ups and roguelikes have crossed paths, but Absolum, from Dotemu, Guard Crush Games, and Supamonks, takes the concept further, feeling like a true evolution of the formula. The gameplay blends the tight, polished combat of Streets of Rage 4 with the chaotic energy of Hades, while echoing classics like Guardian Heroes and Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara. As Dotemu’s first original IP, Absolum stands as a bold, stylish fusion of roguelike unpredict...
The Outerhaven •

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Crosses 5 Million Copies Sold, Major Update in Development

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has officially surpassed 5 million copies sold worldwide, marking a huge milestone for Montpellier-based studio Sandfall Interactive and publisher Kepler Interactive. The announcement comes just six months after launch, confirming the game’s place as one of 2025’s breakout hits in narrative-driven RPGs. For those keeping score, back during May 2025, it was reported that the smash-hit RPG has surpassed 2 million copies sold worldwide. So, hitting an additional 3 millio...
The Outerhaven •

K-Pop Demon Hunters Musicians Learn Their Album Went Platinum Live on The Tonight Show

There’s no denying that Netflix’s K-Pop Demon Hunters is one of the platform’s most successful animated films. From its stunning animation and fantastic voice acting to the infectious music created for the film, it’s a total package. I’ve heard several of its tracks—like Soda Pop and, of course, Golden—playing on the radio more than once while cruising down the highway. So, I wasn’t surprised to see musicians EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami, the singing voice trio behind Huntr/x who sang Golden,...
The Outerhaven •

Battlefield 6 Will Push Your PC to the Limit — Here’s What You’ll Need

With Battlefield 6 launching this month, EA Motive has finally revealed the official PC specs—and it’s time to see if your rig is truly ready for battle. Whether you’re rocking a modest build or a GPU that could power a small sun, the studio has outlined everything you’ll need to experience its signature large-scale chaos in full glory. From the bare-minimum setup built for 1080p warfare to the ultra-tier configuration that unleashes 4K visuals hot enough to melt your face, Battlefield 6 looks t...
The Outerhaven •

Interviewing Milestone on Reviving Screamer and the Future of Arcade Racing

During Gamescom 2025, the world learned that Milestone was working on an all-new arcade racing game titled Screamer. This announcement hit a little closer to home for me than most, as it marks the return — or rather, the reimagining — of a classic PC-only racer from the 1990s that drew heavy inspiration from Ridge Racer and Daytona USA. After decades of dormancy, Screamer is back, this time with an anime-influenced aesthetic and even fighting-game-inspired mechanics — a combination that immediat...
The Outerhaven •

Spectator Mode Podcast Ep. 203 – Is Xbox Game Pass Still the Best Deal in Gaming

With the announcement that Xbox is changing up Xbox Game Pass and raising prices, Keith, Jordan, Karl, and Scott discuss whether Xbox Game Pass is still the best deal in gaming or if perhaps it’s time to move on from it. Get ready for that blend of chaos, and interesting conversation that only we can bring to you on this episode of Spectator Mode Podcast. Thanks for listening, and please, if you enjoy the show, leave a rating on Spotify or Apple Music. And if you have questions for us or want u...
The Outerhaven •

The OneXFly Apex Aims to Redefine Handheld PC Gaming Power

If you’ve been following the handheld PC gaming market, you know it’s heating up fast. Between the ROG Xbox Ally X, Legion Go 2, and the newly revealed GPD WIN 5, which looks like an oversized PlayStation Vita with a massive battery, competition is fierce. Now, OneXPlayer has joined the fray with its newest entry, the OneXFly Apex, and it’s shaping up to be a powerhouse. Announced earlier this week, the Apex trades AMD’s Z2 Extreme SOC for the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 Strix Halo APU, offering far more...
The Outerhaven •

Dan Forden Departs NetherRealm Studios After 37 Years of Mortal Kombat History

Longtime sound designer and composer Dan Forden has announced his departure from NetherRealm Studios. Best known to fans as the man behind the iconic “Toasty!” Easter egg in Mortal Kombat, Forden shared the news on Instagram with a heartfelt message reflecting on his decades in the industry. “Wednesday was my last day at NetherRealm,” Forden wrote. “We made a lot of fun stuff over the years. I’m really proud of what we accomplished as well as how much fun we had making that stuff. There are so m...
The Outerhaven •

Data Mining Game Demos Isn’t Fandom, It’s Spoiling the Fun

Data mining has been around for years. For those unaware, it’s the practice of digging through the code of PC demos, betas, or unfinished builds of games to extract information developers haven’t made public. Some see it as exciting, an early peek behind the curtain. But for others, myself included, it’s nothing more than a spoiler machine that robs developers of the ability to surprise the players who enjoy being held in suspense of what’s to come.  On the surface, datamining might look harmles...
The Outerhaven •

MARVEL Cosmic Invasion Demo Smashes Into Steam Next Fest

Publisher Dotemu and Tribute Games have officially launched the public demo of MARVEL Cosmic Invasion as part of Steam Next Fest, giving fans their first chance to experience the new arcade-style tag-team brawler. The demo itself offers two playable stages: the bustling streets of New York City and an intense battle aboard the Helicarrier. Players can choose from nine heroes, including Spider-Man, Wolverine, She-Hulk, Storm, Venom, Nova, Phyla-Vell, Rocket Raccoon, and Captain America. The game...
The Outerhaven •

Spectator Mode Podcast Ep. 202 – Wolverine, ROG Ally, Code Vein 2, Nintendo Shake-Up, and TGS 2025

In this episode of Spectator Mode Podcast, the crew dives into a packed week of gaming news and industry shake-ups. We kick things off with our current playthroughs before jumping into the exciting Wolverine gameplay and Dynasty Warriors 3 Remastered reveal during Sony’s State of Play. Xbox finally confirms the long-rumored ROG Xbox Ally prices, Code Vein 2 raises release date concerns, and Nintendo of America sees a major leadership change as Doug Bowser retires. We also tackle the buzz around...
The Outerhaven •

MY HERO ACADEMIA: All’s Justice Launches February 2026

We finally have a release date for MY HERO ACADEMIA: All’s Justice, the next entry in the franchise’s video game series, February 6, 2026. This game is based on the anime and manga, and will adapt the climactic Final War arc while introducing new gameplay systems, exclusive cinematics, and the largest roster in the franchise’s gaming history. In All’s Justice, players will experience the final clash between Heroes and Villains through both Story and PvP modes. The single-player story retells the...
Load More Articles