George Yang

George is a freelance writer specializing in video games and other entertainment.

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My longform interviews and reporting can be found here:

Crunchyroll •

Creating the Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Switch 2 and Xbox Ports

With the release of the Nintendo Switch 2, an increasing number of game developers are porting their more demanding games over to the console handheld hybrid system. It finally has enough horsepower to run them well. One of the shining examples is the Final Fantasy VII remake trilogy project, including the first game from 2020 and its 2024 follow-up, Rebirth.

Additionally, following a period of PlayStation exclusivity, both games are now on Xbox too. Final Fantasy VII Remake launched for Switch 2 and Xbox Series X|S back in January, while Rebirth is set to launch on June 3 for both platforms.

I spoke with Square Enix director Naoki Hamaguchi about the challenges of porting the games to Switch 2 and Xbox, as well as what players should expect with the third and final installment of the Final Fantasy VII remake series.
Crunchyroll •

OPUS: Prism Peak and the Art of Looking Closely

SIGONO is an independent studio based in Taipei, Taiwan. It’s best known for the OPUS series, which is an anthology of games composed of different narrative-driven games. They often touch on emotional themes such as belonging, love, and finding your place in the world.

Games in the OPUS series usually have a sci-fi setting, involving space, whether it’s traveling through it like in OPUS: Echoes of Starsong, or trying to find Earth using a telescope like in OPUS: The Day We Found Earth.

However, the latest game in the series, OPUS: Prism Peak, takes a different approach. It adopts a magical fantasy setting instead, and focuses on the whimsy of photography. I spoke with SIGONO co-founder and producer Brian Lee about the game’s anime inspirations, gameplay mechanics, and its various themes.
NPR •

How South Asian representation in gaming is growing

East Asian game developers have long been prominent in the industry — take Japanese exports such as Nintendo's Pokémon. In recent years, Chinese games like Genshin Impact and Black Myth: Wukong have had worldwide success. And more recently, Korea has hit its stride with games such as Crimson Desert, Lies of P and Stellar Blade.

Over the past decade, indie games from South Asian studios have obtained more modest success overseas, including the roguelite Asura from India-based Ogre Head Studio and the action adventure Raji: An Ancient Epic from Nodding Head Games, also based in India.
Crunchyroll •

Orbitals is a Video Game Love Letter to Retro ‘80s and ‘90s Anime

Orbitals is a co-op adventure game that follows two young space explorers named Maki and Omura as they go on an intergalactic adventure to save their home. Its art direction is inspired by 1980s and ‘90s anime, emphasizing hand drawn animations and thick lines. It’s a striking visual style that helps it stand out amongst other anime-inspired games. Orbitals is also a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive and is set to launch later in 2026.

I sat down with Orbitals developer Shapefarm to play one hour of the game, as well as speak with the studio about its artistic process, how it’s making its colorful debut with an original IP, and its stance on how modern technology impacts development.
MMORPG.com •

Interview: Double Fine's Kiln Feels Surprisingly Like A MOBA

Double Fine Productions has always been a studio creating odd games. It’s best known for Psychonauts, an excellent platformer that’s surprisingly one of the studio’s more straightforward games. Since then, Double Fine has created some weirdly charming adventures like Costume Quest, Massive Chalice, and Rad. Last year’s Keeper was the studio’s most abstract game yet, following a walking lighthouse and a bird as they travel through a surrealist post-apocalyptic environment. It also featured no spoken dialogue, instead using visual indicators to convey emotion and gameplay.
Crunchyroll •

The Team Behind Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection on How the New Game Came to Be

The Monster Hunter Stories series has been a wonderful spin-off of the mainline Monster Hunter adventures. Instead of real-time action, Monster Hunter Stories takes a more traditional Japanese RPG route with a Pokemon-style collectathon angle that rivals even Nintendo’s iconic franchise. Additionally, it opts for a turn-based battle system instead of real-time action, further establishing its own identity from the main games.
Crunchyroll •

The Team Behind Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake on What to Expect From the Game

The Fatal Frame franchise has seen a resurgence lately with recent remasters of its fourth and fifth entries, Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse and Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water.

However, this time around Koei Tecmo has opted to give the arguably best entry in the series, Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly, the full remake treatment. With overhauled visuals, more intense combat, and new content, Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake seeks to take the series into the modern age. It’s one of the most unique Japanese horror franchises out there, and Koei Tecmo is hoping this remake will bring in some new fans.
The Ringer •

How ‘Call of Duty’ Got Dethroned in 2025

There are very few constants in the video game industry. The decades-long console wars waged by PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo are winding down. Business models are evolving to prioritize subscription services, free-to-play games, and microtransactions. And our gaming libraries are increasingly digital, with physical copies becoming collector’s items. But if there’s one thing that you could always count on amid the upheaval, it was Call of Duty’s overwhelming dominance. That is, until 2025, when the shortcomings of the online shooter’s latest incarnation, combined with a concerted attack by two rival games, conspired to take Call of Duty down.
Epic Games Store Blog •

How 007 First Light brought its characters to life

007 First Light, the next game from Hitman developer IO Interactive, is a new and original take on the iconic spy franchise. Since it's starting from the ground up with a younger, fresher James Bond, naturally he needs an equally compelling villain. Enter the Pirate King Bawma, leader of a massive black market arms hub known as Aleph, a fictional city in Mauritania. Played by musical legend Lenny Kravitz, Bawma is shaping up to be a formidable match for the charming MI6 agent.
Crunchyroll •

Kazutoyo Maehiro and Hiroshi Minagawa on What They Want Fans to Gain From FINAL FANTASY TACTICS - THE IVALICE CHRONICLES

FINAL FANTASY TACTICS was first released in 1997 for the original PlayStation and has since been lauded as one of the best video games ever created. With its engrossing story, likeable cast of characters and deep gameplay mechanics, it has stood the test of time. Now, almost 30 years later, Square Enix has remastered the title as FINAL FANTASY TACTICS - THE IVALICE CHRONICLES, complete with graphical enhancements and quality-of-life additions to make it more accessible to more people than ever before.
Epic Games Store Blog •

How Battlefield 6’s Portal lets you build your own war

One of the standout new features in the Battlefield series is Portal, which was first introduced in Battlefield 2042. Portal enables players to create custom game matches called “Experiences,” and implement their own rules and gameplay options. This gave the Battlefield community tools that dramatically extended the game’s lifecycle. Now Portal is coming back in Battlefield 6, improved and better than ever.
Crunchyroll •

SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance Creative Director Ben Fiquet on Breathing New Life Into a Franchise He’s Loved Since Childhood

SEGA has recently taken the initiative to revive some of its classic and dormant IP, including Virtua Fighter and Crazy Taxi. One of them, the ninja action series Shinobi, just received its first brand new entry since 2011. SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance is a 2D action side-scrolling platformer that sees the return of series protagonist Joe Musashi. This time around, Streets of Rage 4 developer Lizardcube has taken the reins of the series to create SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance. The studio blended both classic platforming and action with modern art and control sensibilities to create a unique experience that feels both nostalgic and up-to-date.
Crunchyroll •

Game Director David Jaumandreu on Wanting a 90s Seinen Anime Aesthetic for NINJA GAIDEN: Ragebound

The Ninja Gaiden series has seen a resurgence in 2025 with the release of NINJA GAIDEN Black 2 back in January and the recent launch of NINJA GAIDEN: Ragebound last month. To top it all off, the next mainline entry, Ninja Gaiden 4, is set to release in October.

NINJA GAIDEN: Ragebound sees the classic ninja series return to its 2D roots with sidescrolling action and nostalgic NES-style pixel art. While modern 3D games are all the rage these days, Koei Tecmo isn’t letting Ninja Gaiden’s history fall by the wayside and worked with developer The Game Kitchen (best known for the excellent 2D side-scrolling action game, Blasphemous) and publisher Dotemu to honor Ninja Gaiden’s 2D origins.

Crunchyroll sat down with NINJA GAIDEN: Ragebound director David Jaumandreu to discuss how the development teams brainstormed the game’s ideas, characters and art style.
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