Hideo Kojima Loved Whalefall, but It Ruined Eating Squid for Him

Whalefall, the movie that sees Austin Abrams attempt to fight his way out of the belly of a sperm whale, has a fan in Hideo Kojima. The Metal Gear Solid creator and serious movie buff shared his thoughts on the film over the weekend, revealing a love for whales that has been with him since school — but says Whalefall has, as a result, put him off snacking on squid.

"It was a literary film that explored, in a somewhat metafictional way, the Steinbeck-like relationship between whales and humans as part of an ecosystem, alongside the familial bond between father and son. The visual effects were also outstanding. However, I don’t think I’ll be eating squid for a while," he wrote on Twitter/X.

I watched “Whalefall.” I had received a copy of Daniel Kraus’s novel, on which the film is based, quite some time ago, but hadn’t had the chance to read it yet. Kraus was also involved in writing the screenplay. It was a literary film that explored, in a somewhat metafictional way, the Steinbeck-like relationship between whales and humans as part of an ecosystem, alongside the familial bond between father and son. The visual effects were also outstanding. However, I don’t think I’ll be eating squid for a while 🦑. I love whales. They appear frequently in my games. When I was in the early years of elementary school, I researched whale ecology for a school project. Ever since then, I’ve been fascinated by their enormous size as mammals and their symbolic presence in the marine ecosystem. In MGS2, Raiden is swallowed, digested, and excreted by the enormous Arsenal Gear, a whale that swallows digital information. Whales also feature in MGSV and DEATH STRANDING. There are references to Herman Melville’s “Moby-Dick” as well. It’s a shame they didn’t make a program for the film 🐳.

— HIDEO_KOJIMA (@HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN) October 18, 2026

Director and writer Brian Duffield spoke to IGN for Fall Fan Fest 2026 about the making of the movie and revealed the unusual research he had to undertake when it came to whale guts.

"We would watch autopsies of beached sperm whales, and there's a bunch of endoscopies of beluga whales and dolphins that we would watch and then talk to the experts and see how much of that we could use and how much would be different with a sperm whale," he said.

"But yeah, it was a real weird time in my life where most everything I was watching was very graphic endoscopies and autopsies. My wife would walk into the room and I'd close my laptop lid, and she was just like - she knew I wasn't watching porn - she was just like, 'Just another autopsy?' I was like, 'Yes, it's my job.'"

Whalefall is in movie theaters now, and our review said it "pulls the viewer into an unthinkably frightening, incredibly gross, and panic-inducing environment that plays on primal human fears about being predator or prey." You can read more of that review here.

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PlayStation Shadowdrops Saros Zenith Update With Boss Rush, New Game+ and Fancy Golden Crown Powerups

A new update for Saros dropped today, adding some new features to the hectic Housemarque shooter. New Carcosan Modifiers allow players to further tweak the challenge, a boss rush mode lets you compete on leaderboards, and Arjun gets a golden glow.

Zenith adds 10 new Trial Modifiers to increase the challenge level. One example is “Hostile Regeneration,” which allows you to stun larger enemies, but you have to get in and finish them with a melee strike before they recover.

The update also adds New Game+, which adds mysterious new nodes to the Armor Matrix back at Passage. You use these to move through Eclipse Layers, which ramp up the challenge with new rules and deadlier enemies.

During Eclipse Layers, Arjun dons a golden crown and his armor glows. The more trials you have active, the more it glows and the flashier his gilded attire gets. Wearing the crown also grants access to new story and lore entries called Visions.

Then there’s Overlord Rush, accessed via the primary unit in Passage. This is a training simulation boss rush mode that lets you take down the fiercest Saros enemies and compete for a place on global leaderboards.

“Overlord Rush is divided into multiple Sets, each of which contains a different selection of Overlords,” the post on the PS Blog said. “The Incursion and Ascension Sets contain three Overlords each, and can be completed in 10 minutes, for a nice little Saros snack. The final Set is known as Totality. As the name implies, it lines up all eight Overlords from around Carcosa in one continuous gauntlet!”

Elsewhere, Housemarque has added a bunch of accessibility modifiers for people who are struggling with Saros, including the ability to slow projectiles down, giving you more time to dodge. “You have control over how much the game slows down, and can even choose if you want the setting to kick in automatically during combat, or if you want to manually toggle it on when things get hairy,” the blog said.

There’s also a new Auto Fire setting you can toggle on, which fires your weapon for you whenever you’re aiming at an enemy. You can also change the controls to aim with the motion sensor, for players who can’t get used to patting their head while rubbing their tummy and running on a treadmill at the same time.

“We here at Housemarque are super excited for everyone to get their hands on the new content Zenith adds,” Housemarque said. “I can’t wait to hear what players think about all the new control options, see your Crown-equipped Photo mode snaps, and compete (and likely lose) to your high scores in Overlord Rush.”

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Modern Warfare 4 Pays Tribute to Call of Duty Co-Creator Vince Zampella

Last December, co-creator of Call of Duty and co-founder of Respawn Entertainment, Vince Zampella, passed away in a car accident. He left behind an enduring legacy as one of the people who shaped first-person shooters and changed video games forever.

This week saw the release of Modern Warfare 4, the latest entry in a series that Zampella led the inception of almost 20 years ago in 2007. His contribution is honoured by his former studio, Infinity Ward, in the credits for its campaign.

Upon completion of the game’s final mission, which takes place midway through the credits, his name and the others belonging to those who have sadly passed away during its production are the first to appear on screen. These include Rainer Yang, Matt Canale, and Preetam Raj Bordoloi, who also helped craft Call of Duty over the years.

Zampella was instrumental in turning COD into the megafranchise it is today, initially leaving EA after leading design on Medal of Honor: Allied Assault to create the series, before later returning to found Respawn Entertainment, which went on to develop the Titanfall and Star Wars Jedi games. He will, perhaps, always be known best, though, for the development of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, which not only stands tall today as one of the greatest FPS campaigns ever made, but also changed how online multiplayer shooters are played to this day.

His legacy is honoured in Modern Warfare 4, and it's fitting that it happens to be one of the strongest entries in the series in many years, with fans praising it and the game’s very own Captain Price thanking them.

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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Player Reveals How They Beat the Campaign on One-Life YOLO Difficulty

One Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 campaign player has already finished YOLO mode, an ultra hard setting with realistic damage, where you go right back to the start when you die. Unlocked once you’ve completed the campaign on any difficulty, YOLO mode is the real test of your COD skills.

Warning! Spoilers for the Modern Warfare 4 campaign follow:

The player, Lost-Equivalent2352 on Reddit, said they managed to beat YOLO mode by taking advantage of their AI allies. “My technique was staying behind a wall for several minutes so that my dumb allies shoot at the enemies,” they said.

They would also use flashbangs and grenades to mop up the stragglers, limiting the chance the enemies could one-shot them. It took them around 20 hours to finish the successful run.

According to Lost-Equivalent2352, one of the toughest elements of the run was the mission “Retreat.” The nighttime mission charts the fall of Hajin, covering the tactical withdrawal of South Korean troops.

Because it takes place during a full-scale invasion, bullets are flying everywhere and civilians are running for cover. Any friendly fire counts as a death, sending players right back to the start of the game, so you can’t use grenades. The Redditor called their success here “pure luck.”

Elsewhere, Lost-Equivalent2352 said they do not believe it's possible to beat YOLO mode on a controller because you need to keep your distance, which requires the kind of high recoil control and precision you only get on a mouse. They also highlighted the double fight as Price against two of his former allies as one of the hardest sections.

Modern Warfare 4 introduces a rough and ready hand-to-hand combat system that lets you feel a bit like John Wick in certain sections. Unfortunately, it doesn’t give you much feedback when hits are coming, so parrying attacks is a bit of a spamfest.

It took Lost-Equivalent2352 three attempts and 40 hours across all attempts to nail a YOLO victory. All that for a Calling Card.

IGN’s review in-progress of the Modern Warfare 4 campaign gave it a preliminary score of 8/10. “It may not have quite enough to be considered amongst the very best Call of Duty campaigns, but if it’s to be the end of this particular saga, then at least Modern Warfare is going out on a high note,” the review said.

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Silent Hill Remake Studio Wants to Make Physical Games 'for as Long as Possible'

Silent Hill developer Bloober Team wants to make physical versions of its games "for as long as possible."

Studio CEO Piotr Babieno opened up about the company's appreciation for physical media and collectibles during an interview with GamesRadar. He started his thoughts by touching on how the gaming landscape and player desires have changed as technology has advanced over the years, explaining that "we have reached a moment where you can't really do much more" in terms of visual and auditory fidelity.

"Like, OK, the game can have a slightly higher resolution and maybe better lighting and whatever, but will it make it a more engaging game? I don't think so," Babieno said.

The CEO for the studio behind the Silent Hill 2 remake and its in-development original Silent Hill remake also talked about how stats show "the majority of players are playing on hardware which is five, seven years old, if not older." He continued, saying, "But are they less interested in games because of that? I don't think so."

As AI shapes a new, controversial future in the gaming industry, the Bloober executive seems to be more interested in "thinking about other senses." It's this mindset that the team has carried into its new Nintendo Switch 2-exclusive 2.5D horror game, Onyx: The Dark Group. For this experience, which comes from Bloober subsidiary Broken Mirror Games, it's become about "putting horror back in your hands."

"As humans, we have four other senses, and AI can deliver something for what you see, for what you hear, but why not touch?" Babieno said. "I think the physical element of gaming will always, always be there."

When the conversation turned to the topic of physical games – which has become a hot-button issue in the wake of Sony's decision to kill disc releases for PlayStation games, as well as Rockstar's disc-less approach to Grand Theft Auto 6 – Babieno admitted he does see why some are beginning to favor digital releases. After all, as he said, "digital distribution is much easier, much cheaper, and will be more profitable for everyone."

For Babieno, it's hard not to think about how game collecting has affected him, personally, when looking to the future.

"Collecting games also [made] an emotional connection between the game and me, between the studio which produced the game and me," he said. "This little emotional touch is so important that, I think in some way, we would lose the opportunity of being closer with our fans [without it]. So, if we are able to produce a [physical] retail version of our games, we would like to make them for as long as possible."

Also during the interview, Broken Mirror's executive director, Tymon Smektala, who left Dying Light developer Techland to join the Bloober company earlier this year, said that he and Babieno both share a love for game collecting.

"Like, if I could unblur my screen, you would see lots of stuff behind me and I have lots of stuff that's not even in the camera, so this is what gaming is to us," he said during the video interview. "This is the gaming I know, and this is the gaming I expect. And as long as it will be possible, and as long as the big decision makers will allow us to have that, then of course I'll be into that."

Bloober's Silent Hill 2 remake was initially released for PC and PlayStation 5 in 2024 and received physical disc support at the time. Supporting that angle for future games will officially become more complicated when Sony ends support for PlayStation discs in 2028. The Silent Hill 1 remake was announced in June of last year and currently remains without a release date. It's unclear if it will be out before Sony ends support on its end.

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The Best Deals Today: The Adventures of Elliot, Pikmin 4, Mouse: P.I. For Hire, and More

A new weekend has arrived, and today, you can save big on Pikmin 4, The Adventures of Elliot, Doom: The Dark Ages, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Star Wars Zero Company, and more. Check out our top picks for Sunday, October 18, below.

The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales On Sale for the First Time

The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales was released this June, and for the first time, you can pick up a copy of the game on sale! Amazon has copies for all platforms discounted to $44.99 today, which is a great price for this action-based HD-2D game. In our 8/10 review, we wrote, "The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales isn’t without blemishes, but it’s still a great action-adventure game that continues to prove why the HD-2D art style is among the best around."

Pikmin 4 for $39.88

Walmart has digital copies of Pikmin 4 for Nintendo Switch on sale for $39.88 today. This is just in time before next month's release of Pikmin 4 – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Dandori Academy. If you grab a copy today, you'll be able to score the Switch 2 upgrade pack for $9.99. That beats paying $70 for a copy any day.

Doom: The Dark Ages - Premium Edition for $31.49

Fanatical has Doom: The Dark Ages - Premium Edition on sale today for $31.49. This edition packs in the base game, this Summer's Revelations DLC, and a few other bonuses, too. If you have not had a chance to check out id Software's latest, it's hard to beat this deal. The Revelations DLC is a great time.

Star Wars Zero Company for $47.97

Star Wars Zero Company is one of the biggest sleeper hits of the year, and you can save $12 off a physical copy today at Amazon. In our 9/10 review, we wrote, "Star Wars Zero Company is an excellent tactical game that does a fantastic job of slathering on the same cinematic look and feel we saw in Respawn's Star Wars Jedi games, incorporating strong characters and a storyline that's refreshingly centered on non-Force users and a non-traditional villain."

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Switch 2 Copies on Sale for $34.96

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth for Nintendo Switch 2 is on sale today for $34.99 at Walmart. This physical version of the game includes an exclusive Zack Fair Magic: The Gathering - Final Fantasy card, which is perfect for fans and collectors alike. If you've yet to experience this massive RPG, take a chance and pick up a copy this weekend at a discount. It's pretty great exploring beyond Midgar on the Switch 2, just saying.

007 The Daniel Craig Collection 4K Blu-ray for $30.81

If you've been looking for a fantastic new 4K Blu-ray to add to your collection, look no further than 007 The Daniel Craig Collection. You're getting Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, Skyfall, and Spectre all for $30.81. The unrated and extended version of Casino Royale is even included.

Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter for $39.99

Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter is the first entry in the beloved Trails series, and last year's remake brought new life to the original game. With 2nd Chapter out now, today is a great time to dive into this wonderful RPG series.

Save on Mouse: P.I. For Hire Physical Copies

Amazon has Mouse: P.I. For Hire copies on sale for $24.99 this weekend. This was one of the most anticipated games of the year, with its 1930s cartoon-aesthetic very eye-catching. In our review, we wrote, "Mouse: P.I. for Hire nails the aesthetics of both the 1930s cartoons and the detective stories that inspired it, and it’s also an amusing boomer shooter that largely feels good as you’re playing it."

Save $10 off Ocarina of Time Remake Physical Copies

Similar to previous Nintendo Switch 2 physical releases, Amazon has The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time available for $59.99 right now. This deal will end on release date, which is quickly approaching with us now in October. If you've yet to experience this masterpiece or are diving back into Hyrule, the Ocarina of Time remake is sure to be one of the most talked-about games of 2026.

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Dev Behind Russian Roulette Drinking Game Cancels Steam Demo Plans Following AI Copycat Concerns

The developer behind Russian roulette anime game Drunken Goddess Reflux has canceled its plans for a public Steam demo, citing concerns over potential AI copycats.

Alliance Arts and Who You's path to launch has seemingly been mostly bump-free since it was announced back in April. Featuring ghostly pinks and purples and a gameplay premise described as "shot glass Russian roulette with a demon who loves you enough to kill you," the recent reveal that it would launch this December only made its future feel clearer.

Part of that release date announcement included the promise that a demo would launch October 19, but as explained in an update post on Steam, those plans have changed. What was originally intended to be a public release for the Drunken Goddess Reflux demo has now been canceled in favor of a "closed play session for a limited number of participants." It's a last-minute move Alliance Arts apologized for, but its concerns related to rapidly advancing AI technology were simply too great to ignore.

"We are concerned that, based on the content of the demo, works imitating or replicating this game's presentation and gameplay could be quickly produced using AI or other tools and released ahead of the game's launch," the developers said in their list of concerns.

In other words, sending a demo out into the wild could open the door for nefarious individuals to use AI to generate a low-effort clone or copycat experience. For a team hoping for a successful launch in just a few months, someone coming in to steal its thunder could potentially throw a wrench into things.

Alliance Arts' fears emerge amid a time when AI is seeping into the gaming industry in ways most may not have ever expected. For example, mods – including mashups of Elden Ring and Super Mario 64 or Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Skate – have regularly gone viral on social media in recent weeks. With the controversial technology expanding in new, unforeseen ways every day, it's a risk the Drunken Goddess Reflux weren't willing to take.

Another bullet point concern listed in its message detailed restrictions on posting and streaming gameplay videos, but as the team explained, they "are not currently in a position to properly handle and manage those restrictions." With limited resources to keep nearly unrestricted access to a demo in check, Alliance Arts is moving forward with that closed demo.

"We will therefore hold online play sessions in a closed environment," the developer added, "open to those who have reviewed and agreed in advance to the participation requirements and the rules on posting and streaming gameplay videos."

Players interested in trying the demonic drinking game out were encouraged to join the Discord server presented in the Steam post. Otherwise, Drunken Goddess Reflux is still scheduled to launch on PC via Steam December 8, 2026.

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