It​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ seems that the reason why The Simpsons: Hit & Run is a cult classic is already known to you if you have ever spent an afternoon playing the game with Homer Simpson—dodging Chief Wiggum, collecting Buzz Cola cards, and running over innocent mailboxes. This 2003 open-world adventure was not just another quick cash-in on a popular TV show, however. It was genuinely clever, full of charm, and, quite surprisingly, layered. So, it is not surprising at all that gamers are still asking for a remake, a sequel, or any other way to get back to the Family Sedan drive for more than 20 years now.

So, what was so unique about Hit & Run? First off, it was the very first game that let players be part of Springfield. To make it even better, it wasn’t just any Springfield—the entire universe was packed with references, visual jokes, and hidden Easter eggs that gave the game an assumption of being made by people who really loved The Simpsons. Radical Entertainment didn’t just throw together a yellow-tinged imitation of a city; they carefully rebuilt the likes of Moe’s Tavern and the Kwik-E-Mart and also included new lines from the original voice actors. It was like being sucked into a living, breathing episode of the show. The game had gone on to sell over three million copies and got quite a few awards, but the main point was whether it really embodied the outrageous, comedic nature of the show and, at the same time, made a GTA kind of homage to the early 2000s.

But here is the weird thing—and sort of sad. For many years, people have been wondering why the sequel to Hit & Run was never made. Obviously, the first game was a big hit. According to lead level designer Joe McGinn, the answer to this puzzle is both baffling and infuriating. What happened, as McGinn tells, was that Gracie Films brought a proposition to the developers to make three sequels with all the rights and the voice acting involved without charging a dime. Not charging a dime. However, someone at publisher Vivendi Universal Games said no to the offer without giving any reason. According to McGinn, they never found out who turned down the offer, and even the entire development team was quite shocked by the decision. Looking back, it is the sort of move that makes one want to shout “D’oh! ” very loudly. Turning down free Simpsons rights in the early 2000s?

It’s almost insane even now. The affection for Hit & Run has only grown with time, even though there was never an actual sequel to the game. People have kept on replaying and modding the game for years, and there are even some who have taken it as a challenge to completely overhaul it into a different game; for instance, they have created a fully-fledged Futurama-themed version just for fun. In January 2023, the complete soundtrack of the game was finally released on Spotify and Apple Music, and people on the internet couldn’t stop hoping that a remake would soon be released.

The signal became even stronger when Matt Selman, co-showrunner of The Simpsons, said that he would be delighted to see a proper remaster of the game. Obviously, making it happen is quite another thing. The Simpsons franchise is currently under the Disney umbrella, which means that licensing is a far more complicated affair. Besides, Radical Entertainment, the studio that was behind the first one, is not really there anymore in the same way. Therefore, any new version of the game would have to be created from scratch, and it’s quite a challenge to reproduce the very particular mix of humor, pandemonium, and nostalgia for which the game was so adored.

However, that hasn’t stopped the fans—some independent developers have put together impressive demos with Unreal Engine 5, but as there is no official green light, these hobbyists’ works are always at risk of vanishing.

Still, if the desire to go back to Springfield was ever in doubt, it definitely isn’t now. A well-done follow-up could be a lot better than the first one, given there are two decades of new material to utilize—characters, places, jokes. Imagine not just being able to visit Springfield, but also Shelbyville, Capital City, maybe even Itchy & Scratchy Land, all with today’s open-world tech. Such a game would be the top fans’ greatest dream. Until that time, Hit & Run stands out as a brilliant example of how to get a licensed game right—and a bittersweet reminder of what might have been if someone had just gone “yes” to a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Meanwhile, we’ll keep playing the original, listening to the soundtrack, and hoping that someday someone will bring us the return to Springfield we’ve been waiting ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌for.

Destiny​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ 2 has been a game that changes its core elements from time to time. With Edge of Fate, however, it seems like the changes went too far and resulted in a frustrating mess of new systems, currencies, and bugs rather than improvements. The usual scenario of a big expansion launch and the immediate flood of forum posts filled with confusion, anger, and jokes is well known to the fans. But this time, it is said to be an entirely different story. Players don’t only wonder where the new loot is; they actually question whether Destiny 2 can handle such turmoil of its own.

The initial idea behind Edge of Fate was to redefine the concept of the grind by introducing vertical progression, difficulty modifiers, and a completely new way of chasing gear. It sounds as if things were laid out quite simply, on paper. What the expansion does is link the tiers of new loot to the difficulty and Power, with the higher tiers providing better stats. But, in fact, as soon as one gets involved in the system, the notion of simplicity disappears. You’re now expected to handle Reward Scores, Reward Ranks, Reward Packages, and a quite overwhelming list of modifiers – approximately one hundred of them. The steps are: you pick the difficulty level, then you put some modifiers to make it even more difficult, and after that, you just wait for your final score to be high enough for the loot that you actually want. Breakpoints, calculations, and the hidden rules of the system are so confusing that even the most experienced Destiny creators cannot figure them out and hence explain them.

After that, there is a problem with money. Right after Bungie decided to put an end to the Legendary Shards, it added Armory Requisitions and Arsenal Credit. Instead of making players’ inventories lighter, the situation is such that we have more items to juggle than before. Zavala, the commander, offers you the chance to get powerful new gear every week, but to be able to grab it, you will have to govern these new currencies. Many players find it enough to make them long for the time when only engrams would overflow in the postmaster’s inventory.

However, the bugs are the biggest problem. Edge of Fate came with what seemed like a huge number of bugs. In fact, recent expansions have had their share of problems, but this time it is particularly difficult to handle due to the magnitude of the issues. Since almost all major systems have been replaced – weapon behavior, armor rules, leveling, ammo economy – it is quite a surprise that the game is still running. The list of Known Issues is quite long and includes: inoperative raid banners, missing exotic rewards, invisible Warlock ornaments in PvP, missions not giving loot, soft locks during boss fights, and even the Vex Mythoclast shooting incorrectly. To make matters worse, some PlayStation users who bought the Ultimate Edition were not able to access the expansion at all. Bungie corrected the mistake quickly, but the reason for that was the fact that it affected sales.

Meanwhile, Eververse appears to be in good shape, working without interruption, and constantly notifying players about the new items they can buy. If the rest of the game were as solid as its microtransactions, we wouldn’t be having this discussion.

It is important to mention that all of this is happening during a very stormy period for the studio. Apart from the layoffs, Marathon’s beta wasn’t received well, and Destiny 2’s player base keeps shrinking. This pressure can be felt by the veteran players as well. Desyncs cause the breakdown of raids in the middle of the fight, morale is low, and the community is wrapped in a fog of frustration. Many argue that the newly implemented systems inherit the worst features of several live-service models and hence result in something intricate, unrewarding, and tiresome to use.

For players who devoted thousands of hours to Destiny 2, this situation resembles a crossroads. A rebound from Bungie is not out of the question – fans who remember the times of double primaries in the early days know the studio is capable of making a dramatic turnaround. But, at the moment, it is quite difficult to see a clear way forward. The game urgently requires bug fixes, a more straightforward economy, and an emphatic stance towards the fans who have been with the game through every expansion, every balance patch, and every inconvenient currency overhaul.

Currently, Destiny 2 appears more as a challenge to one’s patience rather than a game. If Edge of Fate is a glimpse of what is coming, a significant number of Guardians might soon be scouting for an alternative place to ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌settle.

Were​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ you so excited that you even expected the new Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot DLC to surprise you with something great, and then saw your excitement crashing like a Saiyan pod in West City? If it is so, then you are not the only one. At first, Bardock – Alone Against Fate DLC was advertised to Leprechaun fans as a heavy, sad experience, going through one of the most famous stories of the whole series. Nevertheless, this promise has been eclipsed by the huge amount of bugs, glitches, and other kinds of technical issues with which the Z-fighters not only find it hard to continue their fight, but also to use their Senzu ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌Beans.

When the Bardock DLC finally dropped, everyone had high hopes. Fans were excited to put on Bardock’s shoes and face Frieza’s forces. But right from the get-go, problems began surfacing throughout the community. As GameRant points out, PC fans experienced issues such as voice lines and text not playing properly or not appearing at all. Others even had their camera jammed on Vegeta’s feet, while others were unable to even get the game to load, even with the most recent updates. For a DLC that you can complete in roughly 90 minutes if you avoid side quests, these bugs made a fast trip down nostalgia lane into a frustrating grind.

Sadly, Bardock’s buggy release is only the latest in a series of issues that have been bothering Kakarot. Save data corruption has been a recurring bugbear since earlier DLCs, such as Battle of Gods and Trunks: The Warrior of Hope. Players have written horror stories on GameFAQs of losing a full playthrough—one even fell from a level 300 Goku to level 89 after a save file was corrupted. And the worst part? There is still no way to disable auto-save, which might have saved some of these losses. As one gamer put it, all Bandai Namco has to do is provide us with a manual save option—but that request remains on Shenron’s to-do list.

Things don’t improve much when you take the platform-specific issues into account. On the Nintendo Switch, the base game usually plays fine—until you get to post-game, where crashes become frighteningly regular, particularly in docked mode. Ironically, the DLC itself runs better, but as soon as you switch back to the main game, it crashes so frequently that you might as well call it a mini-challenge. Others have reported that switching to handheld mode or turning the system off between play sessions helps slightly, which suggests memory leak problems. On the PS5 side, gamers have encountered a strange issue where the game requests a PS4 disc, despite having the PS5 digital copy. Reinstalling doesn’t remedy it, and the only reported workaround is pulling out the ancient PS4 disc just to access the new content.

The reaction from the community has been a mix of humor, helpful troubleshooting suggestions, and outright frustration. Some players crack jokes about running around the globe as Bardock well past the end of his DLC, because of a party menu glitch. Others get stuck in battles that last only a couple of blows, taking away any sense of challenge. There are even occurrences that feel almost too bizarre to be true, such as battling Demon King Piccolo as Prince Vegeta. But whereas some bugs are humorous, most are simply tiring. Forums are full of players posting their issues, seeking solutions, or simply ranting to others who are experiencing the same chaos.

What hurts the most is the deafening silence from the developers. For all the grievances regarding save corruption, auto-save failures, and game-breaking bugs, there has been precious little official word. No worthwhile patches, no proper communication—just fans left in the dark, hoping for a miracle patch. Until then, the best advice is to save your games, shut down between playthroughs, and perhaps keep something close by to squeeze when the bugs pile up.

And still, the fans continue to return. Perhaps it’s because the world of Dragon Ball is simply impossible to resist. Perhaps it’s the expectation that the next patch will somehow put everything right. Or perhaps, like Bardock himself, we simply don’t know when to quit—despite the odds, or the save files, being against us.

If​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ you were a fantasy fan and used to fantasize about elves and dragons and epic quests when you were a kid, The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO) is probably something that you know. But if you did try it years ago when it was very grind-heavy and had a subscription model, then you might be shocked by how far it has changed. Currently, ESO is less of a grind and more about creating a massive, customizable RPG world that is friendly to all, solo players, and hardcore raiders as well. It is interesting to find out how ESO transitioned from a small circle MMO to one of the most inclusive and content-rich RPGs out ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌there.

ESO’s Expansions: Building a World, One Chapter at a Time

ESO’s history is presented through expansions that add new zones, features, and, occasionally, entire classes. Morrowind launched with the Warden class and battleground PvP. Summerset introduced the Psijic Order skill line and jewel-crafting. Elsweyr returned dragons to Tamriel and the Necromancer class. Greymoor returned players to Western Skyrim, introducing vampires, werewolves, and the Antiquities system.

Greymoor’s Antiquities system specifically set the industry standard by allowing prospectors to unearth Mythic items—equipment so potent it revolutionized the way people created their characters.

The momentum did not slow down. Blackwood brought the Companions system, allowing solo players AI companions with personalities and quests of their own. High Isle responded with Tales of Tribute, a collectible card game, along with even more companions. Necrom brought large story reveals alongside new recruitable allies, and the newest expansion, Gold Road, revealed Scribing, a system that allows for skill customization in ways the game has never before.

Systems That Change the Game

ESO expansions serve to do more than just add pretty new places—they frequently remake how the game is played. Consider Antiquities: it’s the sole way to get Mythic gear, which provides special effects that can entirely transform your build. Pieces such as the Ring of the Pale Order, which heals you as you damage things, or Faun’s Lark Cladding, which allows you to run through things while charming them, have been staples for some playstyles.

The Companions system, introduced in Blackwood, also transformed the solo experience. With recruitable characters like Mirri, Ember, and Azandar, you’re no longer forced to adventure alone. These companions aren’t just filler—they level up, learn skills, and respond to your decisions, adding more depth to the world.

Gold Road’s Scribing system is the newest upgrade, allowing the player to customize their skills like never before. It’s a grind to max out, but the reward is the possibility of building a character that’s yours alone.

The Solo Player’s Paradise

ESO excels at solo play. Level scaling means the game never locks you out of content, regardless of your character’s level. You are free to explore anywhere, pursue any questline, and play as you see fit. For soloists, companions bring even more assistance, so Tamriel feels full of life without being a group-play experience.

The Changing Meta: Classes, Builds, and Gear

Similar to any progressive RPG, ESO’s meta changes with every update. Currently, the Arcanist is the PvE raid carry of choice due to its combination of raw power and simplicity, while the Nightblades are best for PvP and healing. Necromancers lost some momentum in the latest update, but they’re still good options.

Mythic items continue to define builds, as pieces such as the Oakensoul Ring, Sea-Serpent’s Coil, and Harpooner’s Wading Kilt provide players with fresh, bold ways to play.

The Player Experience: PvE, PvP, and Everything In Between

ESO succeeds as a casual-friendly MMO RPG. You can play it like a single-player Elder Scrolls game, dive into mid-level group content, or roll into hardcore raiding if that’s your style. PvP has gotten better since the game first came out, but performance issues, particularly in Cyrodiil, persist, so expectations should be managed there.

On the brighter side, performance on next-gen consoles is much smoother, and the game is more alt-friendly than ever. Add to that the stunning sound design and breathtaking zones like Summerset and West Weald, and you’ve got a game that constantly rewards exploration.

ESO’s Place in the RPG Landscape

The Elder Scrolls Online is not an MMO—it’s a living RPG that adjusts to the way you desire to play. You’re either a lore fanatic, a creator of special characters, a collector of mighty equipment, or an explorer who prefers to roam and discover. Whatever you are, ESO has cut out a niche for you. Its growth has brought it closer, more tailored, and more immersive than ever. If you’re searching for a fantasy world to get lost in, ESO still stands as one of the best.

Have​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ you noticed the fact that CRPGs-the crunchy, text-rich, choice-based computer role-playing games of old-are once more trendy? Maybe it seems like you have moved into another world if you were a fan of the illegal late-night playing of Baldur’s Gate or Planescape: Torment. The games that were your childhood favorites and that you used to play every hour of the day are now leading the charts, getting awards, and attracting the same kind of mainstream recognition that is given to shooters or gigantic open-world games. What changed? Let’s see how two very different games – Baldur’s Gate 3 and Pentiment – have led to the CRPG revival ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌again.

Baldur’s Gate 3: Larian’s Love Letter to D&D (and to Us)

When Larian Studios acquired the Baldur’s Gate brand, fans were sky-high with anticipation—and plenty of skepticism. I mean, how do you top a series that’s essentially holy in RPG circles? But Baldur’s Gate 3 didn’t merely fulfill those expectations—it blew them totally out of the water. After having cut their teeth on the Divinity: Original Sin series, Larian already had a firm grip on tactical combat, environmental mayhem, and an immense sense of freedom. But this time, they went all-out Dungeon Master.

The payoff? A virtual D&D campaign that responds to every crazy, brilliant, or ridiculous choice you make. From perception tests to sleight of hand rolls, everything works with actual dice rolls, and the friends you recruit along the way have rich enough backstories that you’ll care about what happens to them. Whether you’re building a tower out of crates to rescue someone or inadvertently causing a civil war in co-op, the game rewards creativity at every turn.

And let’s talk about the presentation—Baldur’s Gate 3 brings serious AAA polish to a genre that’s often been fine with walls of text and static portraits. We’re talking 170+ hours of fully voiced dialogue, motion-captured cutscenes, and character performances that rival those in big-budget films. The result is a game that feels epic and personal all at once, where your choices truly matter, and the fallout can be shocking, hilarious, or heart-wrenching.

It’s not without its flaws, however. The last act falters somewhat, with some muddled questing logic and performance drops in the crowded city of Baldur’s Gate. Still, Larian’s reputation for working on things post-launch, releasing enormous patches and free Definitive Editions that make good games great all-time.

Pentiment: The Art of Small-Scale Storytelling

If Baldur’s Gate 3 is the high-octane, big-budget headliner, then Pentiment is the subtle indie gem that slips in and follows you long after the credits start rolling. Developed by Obsidian and helmed by Josh Sawyer, Pentiment takes place in the Holy Roman Empire—not necessarily your average RPG backdrop. And rather than swords and spells, it goes all-in on dialogue, investigation, and simmering tension.

You control Andreas Maler, an artist embroiled in murder mysteries and religious unrest in a small Alpine town. The game abandons standard RPG systems in favor of a more story-oriented system in which your character’s history—your education, your travels, your beliefs—influences the way that the story develops.

Pentiment draws from everywhere, from Disco Elysium to The Name of the Rose, and it pays off. It’s seriously rooted in history, concerned with the lives of commoners and the paradigm-breaking moves of a world that transitioned from manuscripts to printing presses. The aesthetic, medieval-manuscript-inspired style isn’t just a look—it’s crucial, drawing you into the period in a way that no level of realistic graphics could.

It also becomes unexpectedly philosophical. Andreas’ inner monologue is provided by historical and mythological characters who pipe in with advice, argument, and commentary as you make choices that determine the destinies of families and whole communities. Some of your decisions have time limits, and you won’t see everything in one playthrough. Although not every branch feels as significant as you’d wish, there’s still an actual feeling that your choices are important.

Yes, it’s a quieter, more measured game with some narrative stumbling blocks. But what Pentiment does best—its commitment to intimacy, historical specificity, and multi-layered storytelling—is a welcome respite from a genre that more often than not prioritizes size over subtlety.

Nostalgia vs. Now: What the Community’s Saying

Of course, any discussion about CRPGs must take into account the rabid (and sometimes argumentative) RPG fanbase. Just take a look at the RPG Codex’s list of the top 70 PC RPGs. It’s a mix of heavy-hitting classics like Baldur’s Gate 2, Fallout, and Wizardry 7, with newer hits like Baldur’s Gate 3 popping up, though not always as high as you’d think. As one commenter pointed out, “nostalgia plays heavily in this list,” and another confessed to only the new Pathfinder games coaxing them away from replaying the classic Infinity Engine games.

It’s a reminder that to many fans, the “best” RPG isn’t necessarily about excellent mechanics—it’s about nostalgia. Yet even the most hardline old-school fans are beginning to see how games like Baldur’s Gate 3 and Pentiment are paying respect to the past while also pushing the genre forward.

Why It Matters: A New Golden Age for CRPGs

So why now? Why are CRPGs suddenly in the spotlight? Perhaps it’s because technology has finally reached a point where these games have always aimed to be. Or perhaps it’s because the developers who are creating them now are the same gamers who spent their late nights playing Fallout 2 at 2 AM and wishing they could create their epic tale someday.

Whatever the reason, it’s a great time to be a fan of games that embrace story, choice, and a bit of chaos. Whether you’re rolling dice in Faerûn or chasing clues in 16th-century Bavaria, one thing’s clear: CRPGs are back—and they’re weirder, smarter, and better than ever.

The​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ evolution of gaming hardware at Nintendo has been just as debatable as the company’s wins and losses. The success of Nintendo with the Wii was amazing; nevertheless, the company also encountered a substantial amount of failure with the Wii U. As a result, the responses to new console announcements are still very mixed, which is somewhat surprising. In any case, it looks like the Switch 2 will restore Nintendo’s dominance as the gaming industry leader, not only because the company is a step ahead of its previous mistakes but also because it is more in tune with the needs of today’s ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌gamers.

A Hybrid Success Story

While Nintendo might not have been as successful in the home console, it still managed to be a handheld gaming giant for years. However, the first Switch changed the game entirely by effectively merging the two worlds. In fact, not only was its hybrid nature clever, but it also made sense. In other words, portability was not merely a selling point anymore, but a central feature, and that flexibility was what made the Switch reach such a wide variety of people.

Among other things, the gaming industry itself has undergone a radical transformation since the Wii U period. The modern consumer expects a high level of standardization. For instance, they want their libraries, DLC, and save data to be able to migrate seamlessly from one console to another. In the words of one expert, “It is becoming very difficult to persuade players to switch between the different generations when games that they like to play are still running perfectly on their old consoles.” Backwards compatibility has evolved to be the standard.

Backwards Compatibility as a Starting Point

Fortunately, Nintendo does appear to realize that. The Switch 2 will natively support both physical and digital Switch games. That alone provides it with a huge advantage. Instead of coming out with a meager initial range of new games, the Switch 2 will have thousands of games available immediately. High-profile future releases like Metroid Prime 4 and Pokémon Z-A are already committed to the new hardware, giving it a healthy launch.

But that huge library comes with its own headaches. When the first Switch shipped, it had minimal third-party competition, allowing early exclusives to take center stage. This time around, the Switch 2 will find itself in a much more populated ecosystem. With Microsoft already announcing Call of Duty support and other publishers sure to follow suit, competition for player eyeballs will be intense.

A Power Boost Where It Counts

Spec-wise, the bar is higher than ever. The first Switch was great for its era, but in terms of hardware, it’s now surpassed by things like the Steam Deck. As much as Nintendo usually doesn’t pursue bleeding-edge performance, the Switch 2 should at least keep up with something like the PlayStation 4 Pro or Xbox One X—a fair benchmark for games these days.

4K resolution is also in the cards, particularly with the majority of homes now having 4K televisions. Instead of emphasizing native 4K, Nintendo will depend on Nvidia’s DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) tech. This AI-driven upscaling technique could provide a visual enhancement for both new and current games without calling for premier processing capability. That would imply that older titles such as Breath of the Wild or Super Mario Odyssey might appear crisper and perform better without requiring a complete remake. 

New Tricks for a Familiar Form Factor

There’s also a rumor of innovations in how the Switch 2 interacts with TVs. Wireless connectivity has been rumored, eliminating clunky docks and cables. It’s like a more mature version of the Wii U’s two-screen strategy but with an emphasis on convenience over attachment. Picture playing Mario Kart where one player is on the TV and the other is on the handheld screen—no split-screen required.

And it’s not merely visual. The Switch 2’s improved hardware should make everything run better overall. It’s reported that most current Switch games will load more quickly and play smoothly on the new console, even without dedicated updates. That being said, frame rate caps and other in-game restrictions will still be present unless developers update and optimize their games.

A Digital Shift in Nintendo’s Strategy

Nintendo’s vision for online services and digital content is changing, too. Physical games remain its core business, but digital uptake is increasing. More recent experiments—such as surprise multiplayer trials and a new music app—hint at a more significant and inventive digital future. Such services might have a greater part to play in constructing sustained enthusiasm for Switch 2.

One difficulty? Nintendo’s first-party slate. The original Switch received a tranche of Wii U ports and high-profile exclusives. This time, Nintendo is increasing its in-house development teams and collaborating with third-party developers to keep the momentum going, but establishing that content pipeline requires time.

The market itself has shifted, too. The initial Switch benefited from debuting just as there was a worldwide trend toward home-based entertainment. Without such a wind at its back this time, Nintendo will have to rely more than ever on innovation and reliability to keep players engaged.

A Platform Built for the Future

Nevertheless, Nintendo has a significant edge: a huge, engaged player base. The company just announced 127 million annual active users—more than ever. And if those players can bring their purchases and progress along with them to a new device, adoption is an easier sell.

The Switch 2 doesn’t have to move 150 million units to be a success. By focusing on backwards compatibility, improved performance, and digital growth, Nintendo is putting itself in a position for long-term success. This isn’t a new console—it’s an intelligent refinement of a platform that already revolutionized the way people play.