2026’s Gaming Year in Review: The Year We Finally Got It Right
The Year Gaming Grew Up
2026 was the year gaming stopped apologizing. After years of sequels that felt like corporate checklists and open worlds that collapsed under their own weight, this year delivered something rare: confidence. Developers stopped chasing viral trends and started making games that respected players’ intelligence. They didn’t just give us more—they gave us better.
And yet, for all its highs, 2026 wasn’t without its missteps. Fire and Ashes proved that horror games still struggle to understand what scares players, while GTA 6’s embargo leak reminded us that even the most anticipated titles can’t escape the curse of hype. But the wins? Oh, the wins were good.
Let’s break it down.
The Port That Proved Perfection Isn’t Dead
Resident Evil 2: Deluxe Edition – Switch 2 (2026)
When Capcom announced Resident Evil 2 for the Switch 2, skeptics scoffed. How could a 25-year-old game—one built for PS1-era hardware—possibly translate to modern hardware without losing its soul? The answer? Flawlessly.
At $39.99, the Deluxe Edition isn’t just a port; it’s a masterclass in what a remaster should be. Running at 60 FPS with 4K visuals, it preserves the original’s tension while adding modern polish. The Raccoon City of 1998 feels alive again, and the Switch 2’s haptic controller makes every gunshot, every chainsaw rev, and every desperate crawl through the sewers visceral.
This isn’t just a good port—it’s proof that perfection isn’t just possible; it’s expected. Read the full review here.
The Laptop That Made Us Forget Portability Exists
ASUS ROG Strix Scar 18 (2026) – The Ultimate Gaming Beast
If 2026 was the year gaming grew up, the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 18 was the year hardware grew up too. This isn’t a gaming laptop—it’s a desktop that happens to be portable. We’re talking a 24-inch 4K OLED display, an Intel Core i9-14900HX, and an NVIDIA RTX 4090 that runs Cyberpunk 2077 at native 4K with DLSS 3.
But here’s the catch: It weighs 9.9 pounds. That’s not a typo. That’s a statement. This thing is a powerhouse, but it’s also a brick. If you’re the kind of gamer who lives out of a suitcase, you’ll either love it or hate it. For everyone else? It’s the future.
PCMag UK’s full review calls it “a party on the lid, a powerhouse on your desk.” We’ll take it.
The Horror Game That Forgot What Horror Is
Fire and Ashes – The Anti-Horror Horror Game
Not every game in 2026 hit the mark. Fire and Ashes, a first-person horror game from ASD Studio and Axyos Games, is a perfect example of what happens when developers think they understand horror but don’t.
The game’s premise? You play as a firefighter in a haunted forest, battling supernatural forces while solving puzzles. Sounds great, right? Wrong. Fire and Ashes commits every horror sin in the book:
- Telegraphed jumpscares (you see the monster before it attacks)
- No real tension (the