Operation Backlog Completion 2026
Jul 102026
 

Ahh, Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis… remember when I thought it was a gacha I might actually play?

Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis came out in 2023 and was meant to cover the entire Final Fantasy VII Compilation.

At the time, I stopped because I wanted to play Crisis Core before experiencing the abridged version in Ever Crisis, but also because its gacha format just turned me away.

(Since I never mentioned it again, you probably already guessed that I never went back to it after playing Crisis Core.)

Well, Square Enix has now announced that Ever Crisis will be shut down on October 6. Shutting down after three years is nowhere near as bad as some, but it’s one of the many reasons why I don’t like that type of game.

Not only that, but it seems they never even got around to all the promised Compilation stories, so Before Crisis will be handled in three chapters across the next three months.

It seems like a lot of players are displeased with Ever Crisis in general, though. The biggest impression I got while reading reactions to the shutdown is that it never quite delivered on what it promised, a playable collection of the entire Compilation. Maybe it’s a good thing I never got into it after all.

What do you think about the end-of-service announcement for Ever Crisis?

Jul 082026
 

Last October, WayForward confirmed a new Shantae game was in development during a Limited Run Games showcase.

There was no information about the next game beyond a picture of Shantae and Risky, but now we have another teaser.

At Anime Expo, WayForward revealed new art of Shantae along with a 2027 release window.

The 2027 release window is great, but I find the art even more interesting because of its implications. Instead of her usual hairstyle, Shantae has three braids that end in spiky balls that look like the Pike Ball weapon. Since past games in the series have had Shantae’s hair be her primary weapon, that suggests gameplay might be a little different… especially since the initial teaser also showed Shantae with a different hairstyle.

My guess is that abilities this time around will be tied to different hairstyles and this will effect both combat and traversal. That would be an interesting twist on the standard gameplay.

Either way, I’m excited to learn more! (This also reminds me that I need to play Risky Revolution, since I didn’t at launch.)

What are your hopes for the new Shantae game coming out in 2027?

Jul 062026
 

Double Fine is a game developer that we talk about most often because of Psychonauts and Psychonauts 2, both of which I love.

I’m not sure I ever wrote a review here of Psychonauts, but I did put it on my list of must-play games back in 2016.

Meanwhile, I found Psychonauts 2 to be a thoroughly enjoyable sequel.

Those aren’t the only Double Fine games I’ve played, but they’re the ones that mean the most to me. Anyway, there were some concerns recently that Double Fine was in danger of closure due to changes at Xbox. After previously being independent, Double Fine was bought by Microsoft in 2019.

Well, now they’re independent again, as announced today.

It’s much better news than them being closed, and I hope they’re able to get back on their feet after this and keep making great games.

What do you think about the news with Double Fine?