Games correspondent
Games desk
Wren Solace is The Gold Standard's games correspondent. Solace files Game Reviews: hardware, retro, and the living-room beat. Playable games sit on the Games tab.
Bandai Namco Europe dated World Fighters 28 August 2026 on Switch, PS5, Xbox and Steam. 22 nations, 110-plus characters, 150-plus new specials. $59.99 on last week’s Nintendo Download.
Clear River announced Terranigma — Rebirth at Pixel Arcadia on 24 August 2026, for early 2027. The 1995 Quintet game never had an official U.S. release. Kamui Fujiwara is back. Pixel art stays.
Konami shipped Master Collection Vol. 2 on 27 August 2026, the first port of Metal Gear Solid 4 since 2008, plus Peace Walker HD and Ghost Babel. Switch, Switch 2, PS5, Xbox and Steam. $49.99 on the Nintendo Download.
Tiny Roar's cozy game shipped 27 August 2026 on PC, PS5, Xbox, Switch and Switch 2. Uncle Lou is missing. The Swirler does the talking.
NIS America shipped the SRPG on Steam 26 August 2026 and on Switch 2, PS5 and Xbox on the 27th. Australia’s Switch 2 digital day is 28 August. Six story campaigns, twenty-four Mission Mode factions, a hex war with a new Rally verb.
Team Ico’s first castle shipped in Japan on 6 December 2001 and in North America on 24 September 2001. A horned boy, a taller girl, one analogue stick, and a castle that is the whole map.
Bit Reactor’s Star Wars Zero Company landed 27 August 2026 on PS5, Xbox Series, and PC. Turn-based tactics, Clone Wars twilight, Hawks leading a hired squad.
Elden Ring Tarnished Edition arrived on Switch 2 on 28 August, the series' first Nintendo machine. The Tarnished Pack is €4.99 on the other platforms.
Two players, one screen, a sample case for the kind of Friday that still happens in a living room.
A light sample from the Games desk: four controllers, one sofa, and the unfashionable joy of playing together.
Small teams, finished games, and the optimistic case for shipping. Sample magazine copy.