In this week's Inven Weekly TOP Game Rankings, 'Onimusha: Way of the Sword' held onto the top spot. 'The War of Genesis Side Story: The Rhapsody of Zephyr Remaster' also maintained 2nd place, while 'Dynasty Warriors 2: Complete Edition Remaster' moved up one spot to 3rd. Meanwhile, 'Zeus: God of Pride' dropped one rank to 4th, and 'Trails in the Sky The 2nd' held steady at 5th, keeping the top-tier layout largely unchanged.
In the middle of the chart, 'EA Sports FC 27' showed notable upward momentum. Rising two places from the previous week to 6th, it recorded the largest gain within the TOP 10. Consequently, 'Princess Maker: Children of Prophecy' slipped one spot to 7th, and 'Silent Hill: Townfall' also fell one rank to 8th.
Changes were observed in the lower ranks. 'Hearthstone - Reign of the Black Empire' debuted straight into 9th place, while 'Minecraft Dungeons 2' dropped one spot to 10th to stay within the TOP 10. Overall, while movement in the top 5 was minimal, the lower half of the chart saw significant reshuffling led by 'EA Sports FC 27' jumping two spots and a new title entering at 9th.
Issues, New Releases, Events, and News from Last Week
Last week, as the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games got underway in earnest, news of medals came in succession for the South Korean esports national team. First up, Young-chan Kim, competing in 'Gran Turismo 7', secured a bronze medal to claim the team's first medal of the tournament. In the fighting game discipline—featuring Street Fighter 6, KOF XV, and Tekken 8—the squad of Je-gil Yeon, Kwang-no Lee, and Jae-min Bae (average age 41.7) defeated Japan 5:2 in the final to take the gold medal. The 'Pokémon UNITE' national team also made it to the podium, claiming bronze after losing to Japan in the semifinals.
The outlines of new projects also began to emerge. Krafton filed a trademark for 'Windless: The First King', an open-world action RPG being developed based on author Yeong-do Lee's novel 'The Bird That Drinks Tears'. With a title appearing to be a subtitle confirmed for the first time beyond 'Project Windless', interest grew over whether the game is tied to the original novel's 'Hero King'. Red Jinkgo Games opened the Steam page for 'Project: Jindallae', an RTS billed as a spiritual successor to 'Imjinrok'. The game features three factions—Joseon, Ming, and Japan—and supports up to 8-player battles alongside 30 single-player stages.
A new title led by Takafumi Noma, director of 'Unicorn Overlord', was also revealed. Developed by the newly established Ignisphere Studio, the action RPG 'Dawngazer' offered a first look at its visuals and world via a teaser trailer. 'Dawngazer' is being prepared as the first game in the 'IGNISPHERE' brand IP, which plans to expand into figures, light novels, and other media in the future.
In live-service games, 'Monster Taming: Star Dive' marked its half-anniversary by adding the new 'Gaba Islands' region and outlining its Update 1.4 plans to overhaul combat, progression, and QoL features. 'Chaos Zero Nightmare' announced live operations plans under new director Seung-hyun Choi to expand character diversity and deck utilization.
'ARC Raiders' announced a beta test for a PvE mode with PvP removed, separate from its existing PvPvE mode. The test will run from October 13 to October 20, with no final decision made on whether it will be permanently added. Meanwhile, regarding controversies surrounding the management of 'PUBG Asia Stars 2026', Krafton issued an official apology over its operational and communication missteps and permanently banned players who utilized external information, bringing closure to the issue.
Notable New Releases, Events, and Updates This Week
Major new releases begin arriving this week starting on the 29th. First, 'Minecraft Dungeons 2' and 'The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Remastered' release side by side on September 29. As a sequel continuing its predecessor's legacy and a modernized classic respectively, major titles pack the schedule right from the start of the week.
On September 30, 'Princess Maker: Children of Prophecy', the first standalone entry in the series in roughly 18 years, makes its debut. On the same day, 'Nivalis Nights', where players enjoy life simulation and business management set in a cyberpunk city, will also launch. Following on October 1, 'Dynasty Warriors 2: Complete Edition Remaster' and the sci-fi survival horror action game 'End of Abyss' are set for release.
The most notable release this week is 'Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve', launching on October 2. The first numbered sequel in roughly seven years, it highlights large-scale dogfights, formation gameplay, and a campaign with deeper character stories. Players take on the role of a fighter pilot who lost their homeland, sortieing from the aircraft carrier 'Endurance' as their base to experience the series' signature aerial combat and military drama.
Updates and tests are also packed into the same day. 'Last Epoch' kicks off Season 5, 'Wrath of the Frost God', adding new bosses, skills, and system improvements. 'Astraea Oratio', a modern supernatural RPG developed by Dynamis One and published by NC, will also run its CBT from October 2 to 6, showcasing core content such as combat and narrative ahead of official release.
Offline, HoYoverse's comprehensive game festival 'HoYoLand 2026' takes place at KINTEX in Ilsan from October 2 to 5. Five titles—'Honkai Impact 3rd', 'Genshin Impact', 'Tears of Themis', 'Honkai: Star Rail', and 'Zenless Zone Zero'—will participate this year, featuring themed on-site attractions and fan-creation exhibitions.
What Were Last Week's METACRITIC Scores?
Metacritic scores for several new titles were revealed this week, showing mixed fortunes ranging from titles scoring in the 90s to those lingering in the 50s.
First, 'Endless Legend 2' earned positive reviews with a Metacritic score of 81. Its asymmetrical faction design, where management mechanics differ significantly by faction, and its 'Tidefall' system—where dropping sea levels reveal new lands and resources—were particularly well received. Reviewers noted that this extends the thrill of exploration, often concentrated in the early game of 4X titles, into the mid-to-late game. Its unique worldbuilding, art, and tactical combat were also praised, though a somewhat complex UI and minor AI and balance issues were cited as drawbacks.
Conversely, 'Rivage' and 'Qlippoth of the Sacred Mother' received relatively lower scores. 'Rivage' posted a score of 62 based on 5 reviews, earning praise for its space station-based time loop setting, puzzle design around managing limited resources to discover new paths, and an atmospheric sense of isolation. However, critics noted that repeated loops and restrictive progression created fatigue. 'Qlippoth of the Sacred Mother' recorded a score of 57 based on 4 reviews. While its unique combat system—reading enemy telegraphs to interrupt attacks with skills and counters—was well received, repetitive battles, insufficient system explanations, and overly complex lore and jargon were cited as drawbacks.
'Well Dweller' earned the highest score on this list, recording a 91 based on 7 reviews. Its unique atmosphere—contrasting a cute protagonist, a small bird named 'Glimmer' wielding a matchstick as a weapon, against a dark fairytale world with grotesque enemies and bosses—received especially strong praise. Smooth movement and combat, alongside seamlessly connected exploration and world design, were highlighted as key strengths, with critics agreeing that it elegantly refined the core tenets of the Metroidvania genre. However, some pointed out that certain encounters become less challenging in the late game once fully upgraded, and that QoL features such as the map and shops left room for improvement.
'Silent Hill: Townfall' received generally favorable reviews, scoring an 81 based on 72 reviews. Its somber atmosphere set in an isolated Scottish town, evocative environment design, and psychological horror narrative weaving together the pasts of various characters were cited as key strengths. Exploration and puzzles utilizing a handheld CRT device were praised as fresh, with many noting that it preserved the franchise's signature dread while employing new approaches to exploration and stealth. On the other hand, critics noted that certain puzzles were overly cryptic and stealth sections varied in quality.
Ahead of its release, 'Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve' is earning strong acclaim, sitting at an 87 based on 53 reviews. Its refined controls for the series' fast, intuitive arcade aerial combat, diverse mission design, and expanded campaign scale were cited as primary strengths. Many reviewers also praised how it elevates narrative weight and immersion compared to its predecessor by combining cinematic direction, companion characters, and music. In particular, the thrill of high-speed dogfights, scale of the battlefields, and visual rendering of cloud formations were well received, though some noted that lengthy cutscenes occasionally interrupt campaign flow and mission quality can be uneven.
New Game Popularity Poll
This week's vote features a popularity poll for games newly released or scheduled for release between August 28 and October 29. Outdated titles have been removed from the poll, and new games have been added accordingly.
