Orbital Strike: Zero Hour
A relentless sci-fi shooter that pushes hardware to its limits with destructible environments and a surprisingly deep squad-tactics layer.
PC, Xbox Series X | Reviewed by James Holloway
★ EDITOR'S CHOICE — MAY 2026
Ironveil Chronicles: Shattered Realms
Genre: Action RPG | Platform: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X | Developer: NovaSpark Studios | Reviewed: May 2026
9.4
Outstanding
Ironveil Chronicles: Shattered Realms is the kind of game that arrives once in a generation — a sprawling open-world RPG that manages to feel both epic in scope and intimately personal. Developed over five years by NovaSpark Studios in collaboration with narrative designers from across the Asia-Pacific region, Shattered Realms sets a new benchmark for what interactive storytelling can achieve.
The world of Ironveil is procedurally enhanced rather than fully procedural, meaning the core narrative geography is hand-crafted while secondary biomes, dungeons, and encounter zones are dynamically generated with enough variety to feel genuinely surprising on each playthrough. After 62 hours of play, our reviewer had still not exhausted the main continent, let alone the three island chains accessible via late-game sailing mechanics.
Combat draws inspiration from classic action RPGs but introduces the "Resonance" system, where chaining elemental attacks with party members builds a shared energy bar that can be discharged in spectacular combination finishers. The system rewards coordination without punishing solo players, and the difficulty scaling is among the most thoughtful we have encountered in recent memory.
What Works
- Breathtaking procedural landscapes
- Morally complex narrative branches
- Innovative Resonance combat system
- Outstanding orchestral soundtrack
- Excellent performance on PC and PS5
What Doesn't
- Occasional texture pop-in on open world
- Some side quests feel repetitive
- Inventory management is cumbersome
- Online co-op limited to 2 players
