On this week's Inven Weekly TOP Game Rankings, 'Onimusha: Way of the Sword' retained the No. 1 spot for two consecutive weeks. 'The Rhapsody of Zephyr Remaster', 'Zeus: God of Arrogance', and 'Dynasty Warriors 2: Complete Edition Remaster' each climbed one position to take 2nd through 4th place, respectively. Joining them in the upper ranks, 'Trails in the Sky the 2nd' debuted directly at No. 5.
In the middle of the chart, 'Princess Maker: Children of Prophecy' held onto 6th place, while 'Silent Hill: Townfall' rose one spot to 7th. On the other hand, 'EA Sports FC 27' dropped one rank to 8th. Rounding out the bottom of the chart, 'Minecraft Dungeons 2' made its entry at No. 9 and 'Nioh 3: Keian Disturbance' joined at No. 10. With three new titles entering the Top 10 this week, shifts were visible across both the upper and lower halves of the rankings.
Last Week's Issues, New Releases, Events, and News
Last week, new titles from Korean developers generated major buzz at TGS as they made a strong impression. Nexon Games featured 'Fareidolia' and NCsoft showed 'Astrae Oratio', while Netmarble revealed 'Shangri-La Frontier: Seven Deadly Seven', 'Solo Leveling: Karma', and 'Pearl in Blue', along with 'Bloomwalker'—part of the Ni no Kuni universe—during the Xbox Showcase. Furthermore, Smilegate showcased 'Miraesi' and 'Dead Account: Two Blue Flames', while LoadComplete Redbrick House received warm responses for 'Void Diver'. Overall, Korean studios enjoyed a highly successful showing at TGS.
As expected from one of the world's top three gaming trade shows, the week was packed with new information on titles announced at TGS. Details poured out for games slated to launch between late this year and early next year, including expansions for Monster Hunter Wilds and Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen, Square Enix's Romancing SaGa, the new Atelier entry Atelier Karia, SEGA's Persona 4 Revival and Stranger Than Heaven, Koei Tecmo's Wo Long 2 and Attack on Titan 3, as well as a new Fate game and Melty Blood shown at Aniplex's booth.
Meanwhile domestically, Neowiz filed a new trademark for 'Wonder of O'. Since 'Lies of P', which reinterpreted Pinocchio, contained many scenes reminiscent of Dorothy and 'The Wizard of Oz', speculation is widespread that their next title will be set in the Wizard of Oz universe. XLGames announced plans to self-publish 'ArcheAge Chronicles', and Smilegate's newly released title 'Eclipse: The Awakening' reached No. 1 on both major app stores. On a separate note over the weekend, Krafton's PUBG tournament 'PUBG Asia Stars' stirred major controversy across online communities due to operational issues; Krafton acknowledged the mismanagement, issued an apology, and concluded the tournament early without running Day 3.
What are the Notable New Releases, Events, and Updates This Week?
Starting on the 24th, this week will see a series of major new releases and large content updates. First, 'Warframe' introduces its new content update 'Narin's Ice Blade'. On the same day, 'Total War: Warhammer III' launches 'Lords of the End Times', making it a lineup worth watching for both action and strategy fans.
For new releases, 'Silent Hill: Townfall' and 'Control: Resonant' will both arrive on September 24. 'Silent Hill: Townfall' is a first-person horror game set on a remote Scottish island, where players trace the past using a portable CRT TV for clues. 'Control: Resonant' stars Dylan, brother of previous protagonist Jesse Faden, as an action RPG set in a Manhattan twisted by supernatural phenomena, combining melee weapons and powers.
On the 25th, EA's flagship football franchise with a solid global fanbase, 'FC 27', officially launches. Early access for Ultimate Edition buyers began on the 18th, with full official release starting on the 25th. Additionally, beginning on the 24th, 'VCT Champions Shanghai'—the season-ending grand finale of Valorant esports for 2026—will kick off an extended tournament to determine the ultimate champion.
Additionally, there was news from the 'Last Epoch' development team. Releasing a director's message directed at Korean players on the 21st, the developers stated they will continuously improve Korean localization quality starting with Season 5. Furthermore, Season 5, titled 'Wrath of the Frost God' and kicking off on October 1, will feature a new boss Morditas, new skills, item faction changes, UI improvements, and more.
Meanwhile, HoYoverse has been running the final test for its new title 'Petit Planet' since the 20th. 'Petit Planet' is HoYoverse's first-ever planet life simulation game, where players become the planet's 'Star Warden' to freely terraform terrain, zone areas by function, and cultivate a unique home of their own. The release is slated for winter 2026.
What Were Last Week's Metacritic Scores?
Last week, Metacritic scores were revealed for Animo, Fire Emblem: Ten Thousand Purple & Red, Trails in the Sky the 2nd, Another Eden Begins, Control: Resonant, and FC 27.
First, Pawprint Studio's open-world monster-capturing RPG 'Animo' recorded a score of 78 based on 8 reviews. The distinctive designs of over 200 Animo, the vibrant open world, and the 'Twining' system—where players fuse with captured Animo to utilize their abilities—received particularly positive reviews. Reviewers also praised how using each creature's powers for exploration and puzzles seamlessly connected monster collecting with open-world exploration. On the other hand, combat itself was criticized for being somewhat simple and low in difficulty, while a cluttered UI, an overwhelming number of systems, occasional dragged-out quests, and hand-holding guidance were also listed as drawbacks.
'Fire Emblem: Ten Thousand Purple & Red' scored 89 based on 70 reviews, earning some of the highest praise in the series. Key highlights included its massive narrative structure where multiple protagonists' storylines intersect and converge, deep tactical combat, and extensive customization allowing players to freely develop characters and classes.
In particular, many reviews noted that the addition of diverse victory conditions and new combat mechanics further expanded the strategic depth signature to the series. Conversely, its massive playtime well exceeding 100 hours, combined with excessive side content and management elements, created repetitive stretches and caused the pacing to drag toward the endgame.
'Trails in the Sky the 2nd' scored 91 based on 17 reviews, making it the highest-rated title of the week and earning a 'MUST PLAY' badge. The compelling conclusion to Estelle and Joshua's narrative continued from the previous game, along with its character writing and high-quality narrative resolution, received the highest praise. The modernized graphics, cutscenes, and voice acting were also lauded for effectively capturing the emotional tone of the original.
In combat, expanding player options by building upon the system that blends real-time action and command battles with new additions like Brave Rush was warmly received. However, frequent backtracking through areas visited in the previous game, a slow-paced opening, and the high entry barrier of jumping directly into 2nd given its direct narrative continuity were noted as drawbacks.
'Another Eden Begins' recorded a score of 73 based on 15 reviews. Stripping away the gacha and online elements of the mobile original to restructure it into a complete standalone JRPG was positively evaluated, along with its time-travel narrative and party-swapping combat system. On the flip side, lingering traces of its mobile roots left exploration and combat feeling monotonous with overly easy early-game difficulty, while separate character DLC was also cited as a disappointment.
'Control: Resonant' got off to a strong start, scoring 84 based on 63 reviews. The surreal space expanded to Manhattan, unique art design, and Remedy's signature worldbuilding and direction were highlighted as major strengths, while exploration using aerial movement and dashes was also well received. The shift from the gunplay-focused original to a melee-centric action RPG earned praise, though high enemy health pools and repetitive combat encounters were noted to make combat feel monotonous at times. Confusing map design and navigation while exploring the expanded areas were also mentioned as flaws.
'EA SPORTS FC 27' scored 75 based on 11 reviews. Increasing the importance of manual input on defense and enhancing attacker movement and tactical elements were viewed positively, with Career Mode improvements and the new 'The Grounds' content highlighted as key updates. Conversely, legacy issues such as certain player AI movement remain, and the lack of substantial changes to Ultimate Team was noted as a drawback.
Most Anticipated New Game Poll
This week's poll covers games released or scheduled for release between August 21 and October 22. Titles past their window have been removed, and new upcoming games have been added.
