Reviewed on: PlayStation 5
Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Publisher: THQ Nordic
Developer: Tarsier Studios
Release: February 13, 2026
Rating: Mature

Reanimal is an adventure game: you press forward, avoid untimely deaths, collect keys, and work with your partner to escape. But Reanimal is also a punctual game about the cost of war, and the children, always innocent, whose lives will forever be marred by the actions of adults – endlessly greedy, cruel, and disgusting. Developer Tarsier Studios has crafted its best gameplay yet, with cinematic cinematography, macabre puzzles, and a dynamic use of mechanical and engaging verbs. Its co-op design, however, is lacking, making little use of playing with someone beside you or in your headset. Playing with the AI instead solidifies that Reanimal is best played alone, soaking in the bloodshed Tarsier asks you to endure. 

Watch Our Reanimal Review:

As the name implies, animals play a significant role throughout the five-hour duration of Reanimal – they are metaphors for what the worst of humanity can become when their fangs come out, and the twisted and bloodthirsty creatures that will pursue you endlessly in this hell. Animal lovers beware: I bludgeoned raucous seagulls to death with a crowbar, listened to pigs squeal until they couldn’t anymore in a barn lit ablaze, and fired missiles at hulking horses, amongst other things. It was graphic and gruesome, but it was the only way to save the protagonist’s friends, and so I trudged on. This game is not kind, but it is touching in an admittedly sick way, revelatory of the struggles of children whose streets have become trenches and how far they must go to reclaim the innocence they deserve. 

Your enjoyment with Reanimal as a game will depend on how far you’re willing to follow these kids through hell to rescue that innocence.

Controlling the Boy with an AI companion controlling the Girl, his sister, reduces the dissonance that otherwise appears when laughing,yelling, and thinking out loud with someone on the couch next to you, playing as the Girl (and no, you don’t get to choose who plays as who). This somber journey is best played in silence, and the lack of smart co-op mechanics proves that point. As I searched for keys to unlock doors while hiding from elongated men, stretched and deformed to an almost unrecognizable state, I forgot the Girl was with me, save for her occasional grunts. While hiding from that same man, now ironing the cold and gray skin of the dead spilling out of every nearby apartment building, I never worried about whether the Girl was sneaking successfully to the next room over. In co-op, though, the communication between me and the person I played with shattered the tension, piercing an atmosphere crucial to the formula. 

A few strong moments do counter my feelings on the co-op. I enjoyed playing together for miniature combat arenas and boss fights that amp up the stakes and drama that the dreary, slow, and methodical puzzles keep at bay. The same goes for chase scenes, reminiscent of ‘90s platformers where I ran toward the screen, jumping over boxes and sliding under planks while sprinting away from something I can only describe as a perverse cross between a man and a lamb. 

 

Though I love this specific style of adventure game, its formula has waned in recent years as it felt like developers have struggled to introduce new terms to the diegetic vocabulary of the genre’s mechanics – I can only jump over gaps, open up trap doors that require two sets of hands, and solve simple environmental puzzles for so long. Tarsier is aware of this, adding a variety of verbs like shoot, beat and bludgeon, throttle, aim, and drive to the adventure lexicon, and Reanimal is the most arresting game yet of this ilk in some time. 

Its audio design matches the gameplay in stride, but the same can’t be said for its visuals – though horrendously gorgeous (and it runs perfectly), the various settings are bleak and drab. Fitting of the narrative, yes, but my eyes had little to feast on in an undisclosed apartment building, a sandy overrun highway, and a wartorn metropolis. The monotony of Reanimal’s grays does, however, allow explosions of color to shine with otherworldly terror and mystique. 

Reanimal is a simple game with a challenging subject matter. Those looking for a fun co-op experience should look elsewhere, as it is neither great as a shared experience nor fun. But it is thought-provoking and stimulating, and if you can stomach combat suicide, animal harm, and more – all proxies for the effects of war on the people who wage it and the victims of that destruction – Tarsier has created something worth wrestling with. 

Score: 8.25

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Konami has announced a new Silent Hill Transmission that will air on Thursday, February 12. The broadcast will share new updates on upcoming titles, including the mysterious Silent Hill: Townfall, which was first announced in 2022.

The broadcast will begin at 4:00 p.m. PT/7:00 p.m. ET and will likely be streamed to YouTube and Twitch (though Konami has not yet confirmed how to watch). Although Konami confirms that Silent Hill: Townfall will be a topic of discussion, it does not specify what else the Transmission has in store other than sharing “the latest updates from the Silent Hill series.”

Silent Hill: Townfall was announced during the first Silent Hill Transmission in October 2022, and is the only remaining project from that showcase that hasn’t released (the show also revealed the Silent Hill 2 remake, Silent Hill f, Silent Hill Ascension, and the film Return to Silent Hill). Next to nothing has been shared about Townfall since then; all we know is that Screen Burn (formerly known as No Code), the studio behind Observation and Stories Untold, is developing it. Townfall is also being co-produced with Annapurna Interactive. 

You can check out its original teaser trailer below:

Beyond Townfall, the other Silent Hill project confirmed to be in production is Bloober Team’s remake of the first Silent Hill game, which was first revealed in June 2025. There’s a good chance we’ll hear more about that title, but anything else beyond that is anyone’s guess.

February 12 is a big day for showcases, as the Silent Hill Transmission airs not long after an hour-long PlayStation State of Play. What do you expect or hope to see during the Silent Hill Transmission? Let us know in the comments. 

Developer and publisher Unknown Worlds Entertainment has revealed that Nintendo Switch 2 Editions of Subnautica and Subnautica: Below Zero are launching next week, on February 17. The upgraded editions of these uber-popular underwater survival games will bring enhanced resolutions and frame rates to deep-sea adventures, alongside other improvements like optimized Joy-Con 2 controls and more. 

Plus, if you already own Subnautica or Subnautica: Below Zero on Nintendo Switch, you can upgrade to the Switch 2 editions for free via the Nintendo eShop. Unknown Worlds says both games have received graphical improvements for Switch 2 – when docked, players can expect 1440p resolution, while handheld mode supports 1080p. The games run at 60 FPS, docked and handheld, and the optimized Joy-Con 2 controllers enable more precise movement and refined interaction. 

"What has always made Subnautica special is the community around it, from the stories players share to the discoveries they make and the sense of wonder that comes from exploring an unknown world together," Unknown Worlds producer Michael Varette writes in a press release. "Bring Subnautica and Subnautica: Below Zero to Nintendo Switch 2 is about welcoming new players into that community, while giving longtime fans a chance to explore these worlds again in a way that feels fresh, smooth, and more immersive." 

Subnautica and Subnautica: Below Zero launch on Switch 2 next week on February 17. 

Elsewhere in the world of Subnautica, Unknown Worlds has released a fifth developer vlog for the in-development Subnautica 2, and it focuses on new multiplayer features. 

For more, read Game Informer's reviews of Subnautica and Subnautica: Below Zero. 

Are you going to check out these games on Switch 2 next week? Let us know in the comments below!

PlayStation is hosting a State of Play tomorrow that will feature more than an hour of third-party, indie, and first-party games. While it's likely we'll see Housemarque's Saros, considering it launches in April, there's one PlayStation 5-exclusive we probably won't hear more about. That game is Marvel's Wolverine – when someone on X asked the official Insomniac Games account when the studio would release more information about the game, Insomniac responded with, "Spring 2026." 

This is a bit surprising as tomorrow's State of Play is one of the longest in recent years, with promised updates about PlayStation's first-party output. With Marvel's Wolverine due out sometime this year, you'd think this State of Play would be a great spot to highlight the game once more. But, it sounds like Insomniac won't be ready to do so until this Spring (which, for reference, begins March 20 in the U.S., where the studio is based). 

In the meantime, get refreshed on how the game is shaping up in the latest Marvel's Wolverine gameplay trailer: 

There's still a chance Marvel's Wolverine could appear during tomorrow's State of Play, perhaps as a surprise, but temper your expectations. For more, read Game Informer's list of our most anticipated games of 2026 and beyond, and then read about why 2026 looks to be a great year for nerdy fandom. After that, read Game Informer's interview with the general manager of Marvel Games for a look ahead at the company's plans. 

What games do you hope to see during tomorrow's State of Play? Let us know in the comments below!

Platform:
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Koei Tecmo, Game Freak
Release: March 5, 2026

Pokémon Pokopia is an easy sell – befriend a wide roster of beloved pocket monsters, build them homes, and spend some quality time with them. It's such an easy sell, in fact, that it would be very easy for the teams involved to phone it in, coasting on the cozy premise and the powerful brand identity. After playing it myself, I'm delighted to learn this isn't the case.

I visited New York City in late January to preview some upcoming Switch 2 games, and while I've already written about Super Mario Bros. Wonder, the Virtual Boy, Resident Evil Requiem, and Pragmata, I saved the most exciting game for last. After playing Pokémon Pokopia for a little over an hour, I'm ready to pack my things and move into a quaint Pokémon town. Its habitat system seamlessly combines the joy of customizing a town with the long-running tradition of Pokémon catching, and I can't wait to spend more time with it.

Solo Gameplay

My preview begins with a fresh save file. Players in Pokopia embody a Ditto, a shapeshifting Pokémon, which models its appearance after its long-lost trainer. Customization options are simple to start, with only two style options per piece of clothing. However, trailers show trainers wearing more diverse outfits, so I assume they become available later.

After waking up, I find myself in a cave with a strangely colored Tangrowth who calls themselves Professor Tangrowth. They explain that it's been a long time since they've seen any Pokémon or humans around, and is shocked at my appearance. Behind them, a strange device starts making noise, and as I approach, we realize it's a Pokédex. Professor Tangrowth says they've never gotten it to work before, and that it likely responds to me because I look like the trainer that it used to belong to. Still, we have no clue what happened to them.

After emerging from the cave, I encounter a dehydrated Squirtle collapsed on the ground. Luckily, Ditto can use its signature transform ability to copy moves from certain nearby Pokémon, so I add Water Gun to my repertoire and hydrate Squirtle with a refreshing splash. Pretty soon, I also meet Bulbasaur, who asks me to water some shriveled plants in the area, including grass, flowers, and trees. Doing so restores the flora to a healthy state, making Bulbasaur so happy that they teach me the move Leafage, which I can use to plant grass in the overworld. When I combine it with Water Gun, it becomes tall grass, and I can start creating habitats.

As I alluded to above, the habitat system is a core mechanic that I'm looking forward to seeing fleshed out in the full game. If certain elements are nearby each other in the overworld, they form a habitat, and over time, certain Pokémon can appear in each. Some are made of natural decorations: four patches of tall grass can summon Bulbasaur, while four patches of grass around a tree can summon a Scyther. Others are made of craftable decorations, like how a punching bag and weight bench can summon a Hitmonchan or how boxes on a cart can summon a Makuhita.

Each habitat can spawn in several Pokémon of differing rarity as well, so even though I successfully create a handful, I can see in the menu that each one can spawn a few more if I'm patient or get lucky. It's sort of like exploring a route in a mainline Pokémon game where you know a certain creature can appear rarely. I find it satisfying to have my sustained patience and effort rewarded.

Town-building and simulation games often have hundreds of furniture items and decorations, but I'm typically only concerned with crafting items related to my personal aesthetic. The habitat system intrigues me because it incentivizes engaging with parts of the system I would otherwise never touch, creating reasons to keep crafting new items rather than making the ones I want and moving on. For example, I would not be excited to unlock an ice sculpture in Animal Crossing, but in Pokémon Pokopia, I'd be excitedly pondering which ice-types might appear when I place it in my town.

Bulbasaur eventually leads me to a crafting table, where I can fashion some of the aforementioned furniture out of items I've collected nearby, like sticks and leaves. Some decorations, like a straw bed I make for Bulbasaur, can make the Pokémon residents more comfortable and improve your relationship, so it's not just about attracting new visitors.

There's also a demolished Pokémon Center nearby. While the building itself lies in ruins, I can access the PC outside, which gives me some simple challenges to complete, like collecting a certain number of resources or adding new entries to my Pokédex. Upon completion, the PC says I've raised the environment level, gives me some new challenges, and opens up a furniture shop. The shop easily has two dozen more items I can acquire right away, but also includes a daily rotation, with certain items only available each real-world calendar day.

Sadly, my demo time ends here, and it's time for us to transition into a new save, this one based on the game's wireless multiplayer.

Wireless Multiplayer

I'm one of four Dittos now, visiting someone else's world, and it's immediately clear that we're all characters with a lot more progress than before. In addition to my other moves, I have Cut, which I can use to fell trees and mow grass, and Rock Smash, which allows me to break the world's blocks Minecraft-style. We can also surf as Lapras and fly as Dragonite, and unlike the other moves, Ditto fully transforms into these Pokémon, though it's as smaller, chibi-style versions with Ditto's signature goofy face.

Our goal is to rebuild the Pokémon Center on this island, and while it's not the main focus for most of us, it's easily done, only requiring a handful of sticks, leaves, and two nearby monsters. I'm far more consumed by the level of customization I see in this save file. A second island we can swim to has half a dozen houses, each with its own Pokémon residents. Espeon and Umbreon share an address (which is very cute), while Dragonite has a log cabin all to itself. Arcanine has its own place as well. At one point, a player removes a signpost from Arcanine's front lawn, and it gets angry, roaring for a replacement.

The island also has a different house, which requires a short loading screen to enter – the representative behind me informs me that this is a pre-made housing kit, while the Pokémon's houses are player-made, block by block.

In Pokopia's earliest hours, terraforming wasn't something I even considered doing, but now that we all have the option, the four of us absolutely let loose. We're having fun, sure, but it also lets us test the game's boundaries; for the most part, anything we can destroy is something another player placed. The houses, for instance, look great, and I know they're player-made because I can smash them apart and pocket each element. It's always exciting to get a glimpse at a game's sandbox options and know confidently that within a few days, players are going to build some very elaborate works of art.

I emote on a music stage while another player runs in and smashes each part of it to bits. Later, a duo breaks a hole in a fancy water fountain, spilling water all over the town. At one point, one of my fellow players even builds up to the height limit and hops off to see if there's fall damage. Thankfully, there isn't, though his trainer does splat back into its Ditto form on the grass below.

Perhaps most exciting is the fact that most of us are visitors to this world. It's player 1's save file, but we've all joined with local wireless play, and with few exceptions, like inviting wild Pokémon to the town, we have free rein to customize (or smash) as we see fit. This means it's completely feasible to invite some friends to help you build a large structure or team up to progress one save file together, and I'm glad it's not a limited, pared-down experience.

Pokémon spin-offs are very hit or miss for me, but after playing a bit of Pokopia, my gut says this one will be a hit. It balances the aesthetic and accessibility of Pokémon with open-ended, relaxed mechanics found in cozy simulation games, and it does so without feeling boring or overly simple. I'm looking forward to playing the final product when it launches in just a few weeks.