'Palworld' has secured the top spot on the INVEN Weekly TOP rankings for the second consecutive week. Following it, 'Dragon Sword: Awakening' climbed to second place, overtaking 'Assassin's Creed: Black Flag Resynced.' On its launch day, it ranked first in domestic Steam sales and fourth globally, currently maintaining a 'Very Positive' rating on Steam. To show appreciation, developer Hound13 is offering a limited-time free distribution of paid DLC.
In the mid-tier rankings, 'Blind Three Kingdoms' jumped an impressive four spots to reach 6th place, a rare feat for a domestic indie game. It is followed by 'Granblue Fantasy Relink - Endless Ragnarok.' Although it briefly fell out of the rankings last week due to new releases like 'Palworld' and 'Dragon Sword: Awakening,' it has returned to the list as many gamers continue to enjoy it on platforms like Steam. Meanwhile, 'Steins;Gate Reboot' landed in 8th place, buoyed by pre-launch anticipation.
The hot new release of the week is 'Halo: Campaign Evolved,' a remake of 'Halo: Combat Evolved,' which launched the iconic Xbox franchise. Built with Unreal Engine 5, it features enhanced visuals and direction, along with three new prequel missions featuring Master Chief and Sergeant Johnson. The inclusion of a 5-day early access period for those who purchase the Premium Edition has generated significant interest, helping it climb the Steam top-seller charts.
However, despite the initial buzz, critical reception is somewhat divided. While it achieved a respectable Metacritic score of 77 on PC (82 on PS5, 84 on XSX|S), the lack of PVP multiplayer and optimization issues, such as cutscenes being locked at 30 FPS, have held it back, leading to reviews that fall short of its legendary reputation.
Notable New Releases, Events, and Updates
The open-world action RPG 'Dragon Sword: Awakening,' developed by Hound13, officially launched on Steam on the 23rd. This is a self-published, single-player package version of the previously live-service 'Dragon Sword.' The biggest difference is the business model: unlike the character-gacha-based 'Dragon Sword,' 'Dragon Sword: Awakening' has shifted to a paid package model, where all characters can be acquired solely through in-game play. Additionally, the developers have revamped the modeling for characters like Lute and Seris and added new content to differentiate it from the original.
'Stepper Retro,' the latest in Team Tetrapod's supernatural mystery adventure series, also officially launched on the 23rd. While inheriting the tense deduction and solid storytelling of its predecessor, 'Stepper Case,' it introduces new 'Retro' and 'Re-story' systems to provide a fresh investigative experience.
The new Splatoon series title, 'Splatoon Raiders,' also launched on the same day. As the first spin-off in the series, it is uniquely focused on single-player gameplay, unlike the team-based competitive nature of previous entries. Players wake up on a mysterious island and must work with fellow survivors to defeat salmonids and uncover the island's secrets. Multiplayer is also focused on cooperation rather than competition, allowing players to enjoy the game with friends via online or local communication.
'Dino Blade,' which garnered attention during the last Steam Next Fest, officially launched on the 24th. The game attracted global interest for its unique concept of combining dinosaurs with Soulslike mechanics. It has been praised not just for its creative idea, but also for the high quality of its combat and boss battles. Having surpassed 500k Steam wishlists before launch, it remains to be seen if it can maintain this momentum in its full version.
This Week's ISSUE: Highly Anticipated Domestic Indie Games 'The Relic' and 'Kusan' Imminent!
This week sees the official launch of 'Halo: Campaign Evolved,' a reimagining of Master Chief's first battle. This remake of the 2001 'Halo: Combat Evolved' campaign goes beyond modernizing graphics and controls, adding new missions, weapons, and vehicles. On consoles, it supports 2-player split-screen co-op, and online, up to 4 players can play through the campaign together across platforms. As the first Halo title to launch on PS5, it is expected to be a meaningful entry point for newcomers to Master Chief's story.
Two highly anticipated domestic indie games are also launching on the same day. First, Project Cloud Games' 'The Relic: First Guardian' is an action RPG set in a fantasy world. Players embark on a quest to recover fragments of a shattered, massive relic, and instead of fixed classes, they can freely customize their combat style based on weapon and equipment combinations. The game features heavy action centered on powerful boss battles and a unique worldview.
CircleFromDot's 'Kusan: City of Wolves' is a hardcore top-down shooter set in a neon-lit fictional Asian city. Players dive into a city controlled by criminal organizations to uncover a conspiracy involving former comrades. The core of the combat lies in rapidly chaining firearms, melee attacks, and various equipment attached to a prosthetic arm. It also features an arcade-style structure where players repeatedly tackle short, densely designed stages to aim for higher grades. With both games boasting distinct visuals and action, domestic interest is expected to be high as they launch on the same day.
Beyond game releases, there are notable events to watch. 'ChinaJoy 2026,' China's premier comprehensive digital entertainment exhibition, will be held from the 31st to August 3rd at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre. It is a massive event where both local Chinese game companies and global firms showcase new titles and the latest technology, covering animation, esports, hardware, and digital content. With Chinese game companies becoming increasingly active in the global market, it will be interesting to see what new titles and business strategies are unveiled this year.
Last Week's Metacritic Scores?
Last week, new Metacritic scores were released for titles including 'Splatoon Raiders,' 'Avatar Legends: Fighting Game,' 'Dive or Die,' and 'Culdcept Begins.'
First, 'Splatoon Raiders,' the first spin-off in the Splatoon series, recorded a score of 81 based on 70 critic reviews. It was praised for naturally integrating the series' signature fluid movement and ink-based combat into a single-player-focused adventure. Key strengths included the exploration of the mysterious island, cooperative play with allies, and diverse stage design. Conversely, some pointed out a lack of replayability and content scale compared to the competitive-focused main series.
'Avatar Legends: Fighting Game,' released on the same day, also recorded a 81. Although only 12 reviews have been aggregated so far, all registered critic reviews are positive, marking a smooth start. The hand-drawn 2D animation, combat styles that capture the personalities of the original characters, and fast, responsive controls were well-received. However, with only 12 initial characters, long-term success will likely depend on future character and content support.
'Dive or Die,' a roguelike published by Dear Villagers, recorded a 79. While the score could fluctuate due to the small sample size of 4 reviews, it was praised for the tension of exploring a world shrouded in darkness, striking visuals, and atmospheric use of music. The structure of navigating without a map might feel somewhat unfriendly, but the process of gaining new information and meaningful upgrades through repeated failures provides motivation for replayability.
'Culdcept Begins,' the first new entry in the card/board game series in about 10 years, recorded a 78 based on 14 critic reviews. The series' unique system of rolling dice to move on a board and summoning creatures with cards to occupy territory remains intact. High strategic depth utilizing over 400 cards and various combinations, along with the unpredictable flow of matches based on luck, were cited as major strengths. On the other hand, the relatively long duration of a single match and the potential for outcomes to be heavily influenced by dice rolls were noted as polarizing factors.
New Game Popularity Poll
This week's poll covers games released or scheduled for release between June 27 and August 27. Consequently, games like 'Star Fox' and 'Dead or Alive 6: Last Round' have been removed from the poll, while titles such as 'Permafrost' and 'Captain Tsubasa 2: World Fighters' have been added.
![]()
- Hongman "Nowl" Yoon
- Email : nowl@inven.co.kr
Sort by:
Comments :0