Naoki Hamaguchi is ready for something new. Following more than a decade of work as the director of the acclaimed Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy, Hamaguchi has more than earned his place among the acclaimed group of luminaries at Square Enix. However, with the announcement that Final Fantasy VII Revelation, the final part of the trilogy, is releasing in the first half of next year, it's time for Hamaguchi to grapple with a big question: What's next?

Though Hamaguchi is often looked at as part of the "new generation" of Square Enix developers, the Remake trilogy director has been around since the PS2 days, with his first official credits at the publisher appearing on Final Fantasy XII. However, relatively speaking, when compared to his fellow supervisors on the Remake trilogy, Yoshinori Kitase and Tetsuya Nomura, who joined Square in 1990 and 1991, respectively, Hamaguchi is the youngest of that trio. 

"There's a deep respect among each other between the three of us, and I really feel that during our day-to-day jobs," Hamaguchi tells Game Informer. "It's really nice to feel that, because both Nomura and Kitase, respectively, are the producer and the creative director of the overall FFVII franchise, not just the Remake series, so they have a much bigger role than I do, where I'm just in charge of the Remake series in general. Nomura and Kitase both put their full trust in me in terms of putting the Remake series in my hands, and that's really nice to see. But at the same time, unlike Nomura and Kitase, I wasn't involved in the development of the original Final Fantasy VII, so whenever I feel like I'm stuck in the creative process in terms of determining this particular moment or scene and what kind of weight it holds, what kind of meaning it has for the original, then it's really nice to have the two right by my side. I can just go to them and get their input if I'm ever doubting myself or anything."

Hamaguchi has been laser-focused on the Final Fantasy VII Remake series since its inception, leaving little time for other projects. But with Revelation right around the corner, and Hamaguchi's work on this trilogy garnering him more positive attention than ever before, fans are excited for what he could do next.

"Right in this moment, I'm fully focused on completing FFVII Revelation and ensuring we're delivering the FFVII Remake series in a perfect state, so that's where I'm right now," Hamaguchi tells me. "At the same time, I do see a lot of fans and community asking me to take on the helm for a FFVI remake [editor's note: PR later clarified Hamaguchi was talking in hypothetical terms]. [laughs] So, I'm seeing a lot of that floating online, but, you know, a Final Fantasy VI Remake or any other remake, it could be me, or it could be someone else. Personally, I think that it might be in better hands if it went to another creator in Square Enix."

However, Hamaguchi has been kicking around some ideas for what might be next for him. "In terms of what I personally want to do, obviously, I think my next creative work is also going to be a JRPG," he says. "When you look at all the other titles that we have released at Square Enix, not just the FFVII Remake series, I think Square Enix, as a brand, as a company, is more than capable of delivering this grand-scale RPG that could resonate to gamers across the world. Fans might have a lot of different expectations, but for me personally, I do want to take on this new challenge with another RPG title after this, whether it be Final Fantasy or a different IP. Again, we don't know. But personally, if it's not Final Fantasy, that's also exciting, because that could be a challenge for me. So, whatever it is, I hope fans look forward to it."

During that same weekend, Bloomberg ended its conversation with Hamaguchi in similar fashion, to which the director clarified that he is not interested in a remake. "It’s not going to be a remake!" Hamaguchi told the outlet. "As a team, I do think there’s an opportunity to work on a smaller scale, like a AA title, or a new Final Fantasy title or even a new AAA franchise. I think all those would be good."

For now, the next game scheduled to appear on Hamaguchi's resumé is Final Fantasy VII Revelation, which will become the first in the series to launch across all major platforms simultaneously. You can read Hamaguchi's thoughts on bringing Final Fantasy back to Nintendo here. If you're a fan of Queen's Blood, the collectible-card battler minigame from Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, you can read about some of the change being implemented in Revelation's version of the game here.

For tons of behind-the-scenes details on the development of the Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy, check out our cover story for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth here.

Summer Game Fest is finally done (though we're still posting plenty of previews from our time at the show). That means it's finally time to play video games instead of just getting excited about the ones that we will be playing in September, which is apparently when all video games except Grand Theft Auto VI are releasing.

Below you will find our recommendations of what to play this weekend (or watch or play on a tabletop), but before that, here is a longer-than-usual list of some of the biggest stories of the last two weeks. This really only scratches the surface. We wrote a lot of stories.

• The 25 Most Exciting Games Of Summer Game Fest 2026
• RGG Studio Head Talks Tupac's Controversial Stranger Than Heaven Inclusion
• Tomb Raider: Legacy Of Atlantis Director Discusses Use of Generative AI In The Upcoming Unreal Engine 5 Remake
• The Lost Wild Preview - Everyone's Stalked By The Dinosaur
• The Nintendo Switch 2 Remake Of The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time Drops In 2026
• Kingdom Hearts IV Gameplay Trailer Revealed, Will Launch Simultaneously On Consoles And PC
• Here's Everything Announced During Nintendo's 2026 Summer Direct Presentation
• Sega Confirms And Responds To Generative AI Content In New Crazy Taxi Game
• Naoki Hamaguchi On Bringing Final Fantasy Back To Nintendo
• How Final Fantasy VII's Tifa Arrived In Street Fighter 6

Reviewed on: PlayStation 5
Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Publisher: Play by Play Studios
Developer: Play by Play Studios
Release: June 9, 2026
Rating: Everyone

Everybody who knows about NBA The Run wants it to be the spiritual successor to the beloved ‘00s EA Sports Big franchise, NBA Street. The spirit is definitely there, and its brand of streetball is friendly to newcomers with enough complexities to please fans, but the insistence on its always-online structure keeps it from achieving true greatness.

Created by Play by Play Studios, a new team that includes a number of EA Sports veterans, NBA The Run is a fast-paced 3v3 arcade-style basketball game that strikes a good balance between flashy and strategic skill-based play. Its knockout tournaments are its bread and butter, both as a squad and solo. Knockout Squads feature team-based 3v3 play, and Knockout Solos gives you full control of the trio you pick.

Whether you choose to head online solo or with a squad of three, The Run is built around its roster and does a good job making each NBA star’s kit feel authentic. Steph can shoot a trey from anywhere, but his shots are easily blocked. Wemby is thought of as the best player in this version of the game, but keeping him away from the paint can force bad jumpshots instead of easy dunks. This is all stuff to consider when picking your ballers, and the rulesets make the metagame fun.

That’s where The Run is different from other basketball games. Every game has randomized rules determined at the beginning, which gives each game a sense of balance and enhances that “one more game” hook.

One such example is Triple Threat, where three-pointers are worth three while other shots are only worth one. There’s also Dunkfest, where dunks are the more valuable shot type. That often means relying on your online teammates to play towards the objective, which can be perilous. I often encountered teammates online doing nothing but dunking when the rules clearly stated three-pointers were the way to win. It’s just better with friends, so you know which players they pick and how each selection will complement your team based on the rules.

Human or bot issues aside, I always had a smooth experience finding matches online. Its focus on fast matchmaking and rollback netcode is a strength, but it’s a double-edged sword. Online tournaments are all the game has. There’s no story, no create-a-player, and while the game features a nice roster of over 32 playable NBA stars and 5 fictional streetball legends to unlock, the lack of accessible lore makes the fictional legends feel like nothing more than grind rewards. If you solely want to ball online, this is a great way to do it, but for everyone else, it leaves much to be desired.

 

With the game always online, the lack of couch multiplayer is its biggest hindrance. Couch multiplayer is obviously less common today than it was in 2003, but it is an expected arcade sports staple, and it’s The Run’s most disappointing exclusion.

NBA The Run does its best to make up for what it lacks with a high attention to detail that makes it easy to see the love for streetball culture. The gameplay, art style, and overall presentation hosted by the legendary DJ, Bobbito Garcia, feel like it all belongs, and that’s what matters. The love of the game is what’ll keep me playing, and it’s easy to feel the team’s love of the sport. Play by Play made clear its plans for ongoing iteration without annualized releases, so hopefully many of these shortcomings can be rectified post-launch to make it the definitive streetball game it wants to be. As it is, it’s too barebones to wholeheartedly recommend, but there’s a great game of basketball waiting for you if you don’t mind only playing online matches.

Score: 7.25

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Ever since Crazy Taxi burst onto the scene in 1999, it has been associated with American rock band, The Offspring, in particular, the band's fast-paced 1997 track, "All I Want." The music became such a key part of the package that when the original entry in the series was brought to PS3, Xbox 360, and PC without the synonymous tracks from bands like The Offspring and punk-rock outfit Bad Religion, it was a major point of criticism from fans. We spoke with series creator Kenji Kanno not long after the reveal of Crazy Taxi: World Tour on the importance of those songs and how they ended up in the series in the first place.

According to Kanno, when he began developing a new Crazy Taxi game, as originally reported in 2022, the conversation often circled back to the soundtrack. "Music is very important for Crazy Taxi," Kanno says. "Every time I talk to stakeholders about the game, they ask the same thing: 'Will you have The Offspring? Will you have Bad Religion?'"

And the emphasis and importance placed on music in Crazy Taxi have been significant, dating back to the very first game. According to Kanno, it was integral to the development of the original title, and finding the soundtrack has been a crucial part of development in many of the projects he oversees.

"When I design a game or when I create a game, the first thing I decide on is actually the theme song," Kanno says. "I decide on the song, and then I tell [the development team], 'Hey, we're going to make a game based on this song,' and I make them listen to it on repeat. Like, they can be a designer, they can be a programmer; they have to listen to the song on repeat, and then they can work on the game with [mimicking "All I Want" while pantomiming typing] 'Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah!' playing in the background. [laughs]"

The exterior of Tower Records in Shibuya

As for how The Offspring landed in Crazy Taxi, it all stemmed from doing what many music fans who grew up in the '90s were accustomed to doing: going to a nearby record shop and sampling new music, hoping to find something that resonated. For Kanno, that journey took place in one of the most iconic record shops: Tower Records, which is still open to this day. 

"I went to Tower Records in Japan," he recalls. "I listened to a bunch of songs, like, all day. A bunch of songs all day, and when I came out, what I narrowed down to was The Offspring and Bad Religion."

The upbeat tempos and punk rock vibes of those songs are felt throughout Crazy Taxi's design, so it makes sense that these songs were the starting point for the original game's creation. That moment was so important that a Tower Records location became one of the destinations in the original Crazy Taxi. Songs like "All I Want" and "Change The World" by The Offspring, as well as "Ten in 2010" by Bad Religion, became mainstays for Dreamcast owners and arcade-goers, so much so that all three of those songs were present in the demo of Crazy Taxi: World Tour that I had a chance to see.

From everything we saw, Crazy Taxi: World Tour looks like an appropriately chaotic modernization of the original premise. However, the game has attracted some controversy upon the reveal that generative AI was used during its development. We also asked Kanno about the team's use of that technology in development. You can read what he has to say on that topic here. 

Crazy Taxi: World Tour arrives on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2, and PC in 2027.

Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Publisher: Saber Interactive
Developer: Saber Interactive
Release: 2026
Rating: Teen

My nostalgia for Turok begins and ends with 1997’s Turok: Dinosaur Hunter for Nintendo 64. Few things were cooler to 10-year-old me than shooting dinosaurs – or really dinosaurs in general – but I never engaged with the franchise beyond this title. Chalk it up to a lack of interest after hitting middle school, but I still raised a curious eyebrow when a new game resurfaced in an attempt to revive the franchise’s video game relevance. That has yet to happen since the N64 era, but Turok: Origins may be the best shot the series has had in decades. 

Developer Saber Interactive has reimagined Turok as an Unreal Engine 5 shooter that can be played alone or in co-op with up to two other players. I played the game in the latter form during Summer Game Fest, partnering with two other media members. The game is a prequel set many years before the 1997 game, starring futuristic warriors from the ancient Order of the Turok battling the Xenia, a race of alien reptilians vying for dominance across the universe. This means completing missions across several planets, many of which are inhabited by dangerous wildlife, including the series’ staple threat, dinosaurs. 

Across a roughly 12-hour story campaign, players blast through alien wildlife as one of three classes: Cougar, Bison, or Raven. Cougar is the weapons specialist ideal for offense-minded players; Bison is the vanguard offering defensive options; Raven favors ranged attacks. Despite their differences, all three classes pack plenty of firepower. 

During the two missions I played, I tried out the Cougar and Bison. Teams can feature multiple players using the same class, so if you want a flock of Ravens, you can do that. According to game designer Carlos de Maria Castillo, Turok: Origins has been balanced to accommodate all class combinations and synergies. Castillo also touts that each class is highly customizable in terms of weapon loadouts, so even two players sharing the same class can feel distinct from each other. 

If you’d rather play solo, Turok: Origins offers a fully offline single-player experience; you won’t be given bots to make up for a lack of teammates. Co-op play features drop-in/drop-out, and the game adjusts to teammates with different states of progression. Players keep everything they earn while playing co-op, such as currency and upgrade resources, to take back into their game. “You don't feel like you're wasting your time when playing [with] two other people that are maybe more advanced in the story,” says Castillo. 

Turok: Origins can be played in first- or third-person; switching between perspectives is a button press away. I played each mission from both viewpoints, and I had a good time regardless, so the choice comes down to preference. 

That leads into my larger compliment: Turok: Origins is very fun to play. Sporting three weapons for each class, the gunplay feels good, and gunning down waves of incoming raptors, giant insects, and Xenia warriors is a good time. The Cougar carries a shotgun-like blaster, while the Raven can fire a bow with exploding laser arrows. Each class also sports four special abilities that operate on a cooldown. The Bison can create a protective barrier for teammates to huddle under, and the Cougar can unleash a powerful sonic scream like Banshee from X-Men. When enemies are near death, they become vulnerable to an execution finishing move. 

In the midst of mowing down targets, smaller objectives can surface. In the first mission, we needed to disable several shield generators to expose a larger target, for example. Large boss fights, such as a rampaging Tyrannosaurus Rex armed with rocket launchers on its back, require coordination. Against these bigger foes, using a scanner can reveal weak points to home in on. 

As you race from objective to objective, taking time to explore can uncover secrets, including hidden areas, special enemy encounters, and collectibles such as weapon skins. Platforming challenges complement the firefights. Some revolve around using a grapple hook to zip across gaps and hazards. One mission inside an ancient temple tasked us with leaping across waterwheel platforms without falling to the watery depths below. 

 

Missions are designed to be highly replayable, according to Castillo. “There are plenty of planets, and some planets you have multiple quests on, and then you come back to them, to different parts of them, because you know they're very big,” he tells me. Castillo promises a substantial endgame that includes a new difficulty option that unlocks post-game, as well as enduring progression systems. He also confirms Saber has post-launch content planned. 

While there is an overarching narrative that Castillo says fits organically within the Turok mythos, I’d be lying if I said that, as I coordinated with my teammates, cheered when we took down a tough opponent, and laughed when someone mistimed a jump, I cared about the narrative. It remains to be seen if Turok: Origins tells a compelling story, but playing it gave me flashbacks to blasting through Outriders with two friends; I could not confidently tell you what happened in that game’s story because it was more fun to shoot things while chatting with my buddies about literally anything else. I can already see Turok: Origins becoming our next “hangout game”, and the demo, frankly, was more fun than I expected it to be going into it. The strong gunplay, fun abilities, and, if you desire it, enjoyable co-op position Turok: Origins as a potential sleeper hit for shooter fans this year.