The makers of Demon Turf return with a full sequel that has some of the best 3D platforming action outside of a Super Mario game.

It’s 2026 and it doesn’t look like 3D platformers are ever going to be a big deal again. Genres go in and out of fashion all the time but except for a brief spell in the late 90s and early 2000s 3D platformers have had very little time in the sun. Even Nintendo won’t announce a new 3D Mario at the moment, and there’s still no new Astro Bot, and so it is that, as usual, indie developers have to pick up the slack.

Fabraz has already emerged as a champion of the genre, with 2021’s Demon Turf and its pint-sized follow-up Neon Splash. They’re currently working on a revival of Bubsy, which seems something of a poisoned chalice, but in the meantime they have this, a larger scale sequel to Demon Turf.

In Demon Turf, protagonist Beebz – a demon girl who wanted to unite all the turfs in Demon World to dethrone the Demon King – was just a 2D sprite but this time round everyone is a proper 3D character, in a game with considerably larger scope and ambitions.

The setting for Demon Tides is an implausibly diverse archipelago called Ragnar’s Rock, with Beebz on a visit to see her estranged father, before she and her friends get mixed up in a what is essentially a civil war between the ruling class, led by her dad, and the downtrodden proletariat. Beebz decides to side against her father, which leads to… a lot of platforming across an impressively large area.

Ragnar’s Rock is made up of dozens of different locations, divided up into three different sections of ocean, which you’re able to visit in any order you like. The game’s whole ethos is based on player choice and customisation, as while Beebz has a wide range of typical platforming moves she also has a number of demonic transformations, from a drill to the more obviously useful bat and sea snake.

You can only transform once, before hitting the ground again (unless you have special crystals to negate that) which means you’re constantly trying to plan out your movements ahead of time, sizing up the obstacles ahead of you in terms of which transformation will be most useful and when.

Almost all paths through a level have multiple ways you can tackle them, when it comes to both the route you take and the moves you use, which lends the game a great air of experimentation. It also creates a sort of organic difficulty system, since most platform layouts allow you to take them piecemeal or all in one combo style leap.

Your skillset is expanded further by collecting special talismans, which allow you to modify existing abilities, like adding a double jump for the snake form or tweaking how the drill works. There’re also special areas where you’re given specific abilities and power boosts just for that section.

Other talismans imbue Beebz with entirely new abilities, such as a Zelda style hand-glider or a pair of roller-skates. The range of options, and the fact that few of them are mandatory at any point, is hugely freeing and it’s very impressive that the game’s level design can accommodate everything.

This is all building on elements from the earlier games but while Demon Turf could be pretty tough for those unfamiliar with the genre, Demon Tides is a notably more forgiving experience – not least because you’re able to set-up your own checkpoints wherever you want. There are still plenty of difficult sections, especially off the beaten path, but the majority of the game is navigable by anyone.

That said, if you prefer a structured experience, and find more open-ended games too unfocused, Demon Tides’ charms may be less appealing. There are still some linear levels, and the game will always tell you where the nearest collectible is, but while it’s clearly taking a lot of notes from Super Mario Odyssey, it’s so loosely tied together it can feel rather random and empty, even if you do appreciate the freedom.

Some unremarkable boss battles and a lack of set pieces mean there’s less palette cleansing available, beyond just platforming. Combat is simplified from the original, to the point where most normal enemies succumb after just one hit, which makes that side of things feel very perfunctory. It’s so incidental that melee attacks end up using the same button as the dash move, but that only means you end up triggering the wrong one by mistake.

Demon Tides has some issues, but the core platforming is excellent and the freedom it allows is invigorating. What’s especially encouraging is that Fabraz is getting better with every game. Although that creates the seemingly impossible scenario where the next Bubsy game could end up being the best non-Nintendo 3D platformer of the generation. That would be quite the evolution but if Fabraz can pull it off then more power to them.

Formats: PC (reviewed) and Nintendo Switch
Price: £20.99
Publisher: Fabraz
Developer: Fabraz
Release Date: 19th February 2026 (Switch TBA)
Age Rating: N/A

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A poorly-timed tweet has caught the attention of PlayStation fans.

Bungie, the developer of the original Halo games and Destiny 2, is set to release its latest shooter project ‘Marathon’ into the world next week – but it looks like it might be in for a rough ride with PlayStation fans turning against it ahead of this weekend’s server slam.

Last Thursday, Sony made the decision to close down Bluepoint Games, the studio known for bringing remakes of classic titles such as Demon’s Souls and Shadow of the Colossus to PlayStation consoles.

Around the same time as the announcement, a poorly timed tweet from the official PlayStation X account promoted Marathon’s upcoming release date and server slam – and fans didn’t hold back on letting the publisher know how they feel.

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Replying to the tweet, one response reads: “Could you disband the Marathon team and rehire Bluepoint to make a Bloodborne remake? Thanks.”

Another adds: “Close this studio down instead. Sacrificing bluepoint for live service trash is a bad look.”

Meanwhile, a third writes: “Refunded! I’m not going to support any GaaS from PlayStation after closing down BluePoint Games.”

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The boycott response appears to be in response to Sony seemingly prioritizing live service games over single player experiences. It was widely hoped that Bluepoint would eventually work on a remake of Bloodborne for the PlayStation 5 following its excellent work on Demon’s Souls in 2020.

However, it appears that Bluepoint was actually working on a live service God of War game shortly before its closure, although this ended up getting scrapped.

Meanwhile, Marathon is set to be an extraction shooter with a slightly reduced price tag, but with the expectation that players will purchase seasonal battle passes for ongoing content updates.

Marathon’s server slam weekend will be available to play for free across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC this weekend, starting from February 26 and running until March 2.

Bizarrely, Sony will also be hosting a free playtest weekend for Horizon Hunters Gathering at the same time. That’s another new live service game based in the world of Guerilla Games’ Horizon series.

Despite a bountiful number of live service games coming to PlayStation this month, single player experiences do still remain a big pillar of the console’s upcoming catalogue.

Insomniac’s Wolverine game just got a release date of September 15, 2026, while Saros is set to land at the end of April.

We’ll have to see how Marathon’s server slam goes this weekend, but it does appear to have an uphill battle against it. With most extraction shooter fans quite happy playing ARC Raiders and gamers particularly skeptical of new live service titles – see Concord and Highguard – it will need to do a lot to break through to the masses.

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Bridgerton season four ended with a title card that paid tribute to a crucial member of the show’s team

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Bridgerton season four has now concluded on Netflix with the final four episodes determining the destinies of Sophie Baek (played by Yerin Ha) and Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson). As fans were absorbing the major revelations at the end of the season, they were caught off guard by a title card that surfaced at the season’s close.

The title card read: “In loving memory of Tony Cooper” and viewers have been eager to discover more about his involvement in the show. Tony served as a cast driver on Bridgerton, as well as its prequel Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story.

He has some remarkable credits to his name, having transported the stars around on set for films like Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning, Atlas and Downton Abbey: A New Era. He also contributed to the sets of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, Damsel and The Batman.

Tony collaborated closely with Netflix for many years, with one of his earlier credits being the historical drama, The Crown. Some of his earliest contributions were on the final three Harry Potter films. He fulfilled a vital role in some enormous franchises over the years, from Marvel to Disney.

Tony was not the sole crew member to have been acknowledged in season four of Bridgerton, as the final episode also paid tribute to Nicholas Braimbridge. Nicholas served as a set decorator for the series, as well as its prequel.

A fundraising page was established in his honour, explaining that he was an “expert faux finisher well known for his exquisite marbling and wood grain finishes, the knowledge of which was built up over years working with very top end interior designers and latterly within the film and TV industries”.

He predominantly worked in the fine decorative painting of large residential properties in London and overseas, before transferring his talents to the film and television industry, working across the art department, set decoration and set design. Title cards serve as a poignant means of acknowledging those who have played a vital role in the production of a film or series, yet have not necessarily appeared on screen.

Bridgerton has paid tribute to many of its cherished crew members throughout the years. Bridgerton’s second series was dedicated to Carole Prentice and Marc Pilcher, with Marc having served as a hair and makeup designer on the show. Carole worked as Covid production manager, ensuring regulations were followed so that filming could proceed safely.

Title card tributes are typically on-screen text graphics that honour actors, crew members, or producers at the beginning or end of a film or television episode. They act as an enduring and respectful acknowledgement of an individual’s contribution to the project. The title cards are especially fitting given the themes explored in the latter half of the season.

Title cards can also be employed to honour individuals not directly connected with production, as was illustrated in Bridgerton’s prequel, Queen Charlotte. The opening episode of Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story was dedicated to the memory of Jacqueline Avant, who was shot and killed in December 2021.

She was the mother-in-law of Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos, who had a keen interest in Queen Charlotte. Her fascination is what inspired Sarandos to initially approach creator and showrunner Shonda Rhimes about the Bridgerton prequel.

Bridgerton has been renewed for season five as each of the Bridgerton siblings are set to have their love stories told on-screen. There may well be more title cards to come in upcoming seasons.

Bridgerton season 4 is on Netflix

​North Yorkshire Council is currently considering the future of a ban on parking motorhomes overnight on parts of the coast following an “overwhelming” number of objections.

​An Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO) was introduced to restrict overnight parking at Sandsend, Royal Albert Drive, and Cayton Bay after NYC said the number of motorhomes had reached an “unacceptable level”.

​However, the council will only be able to use data gathered from two locations – Sandsend and Royal Albert Drive – as signs at Cayton Bay were subjected to vandalism.

​Cayton Bay, with its wide sweeping bay, a year-round dog-friendly beach, clean water, and affordable parking is “a magnet for holidaymakers and is a beautiful place to explore, no matter what time of the year you decide to visit”, North Yorkshire’s tourism website promises.

​According to a council report, not all visitors attracted to the ‘magnet for holidaymakers’ were impressed by the ban on overnight parking.

​“Members will note that the original ETRO included a third site at Cayton Bay south of Scarborough.

​“Unfortunately, due to episodes of vandalism to the signage, we were unable to obtain an appropriate period with the regulation in place to have a meaningful trial of the prohibition here,” a report presented to councillors states.

​The report goes on to state that “as mentioned above, we were unable to commence the ETRO in Cayton Bay due to persistent external factors”.

​Ahead of the order expiring in May, the council has been carrying out consultations to find a way forward.

​Since its introduction, thousands of residents have reportedly also complained about the “displacement effects” of the order and a decision on its future will be made this spring.

​The council’s report stated that “motor caravans are as welcome at seafront parking locations as any other vehicle in the daytime, but extended stays, which usually include overnight parking, restrict the ability of other visitors to find suitable parking when visiting the area for recreation”.

​Fire safety concerns have also been a key consideration, according to the council, which noted that the Fire Authority “has received a number of complaints and attended incidents on the Marine Drive and Royal Albert Drive, and has concerns with regard to fire spread”.

​Members of the Scarborough and Whitby Area Committee are set to discuss the issue at a meeting in Whitby on Monday, March 2.

Chippies across York and North Yorkshire were celebrated at the 38th Annual Fish and Chip Awards, a ceremony held last night (February 25) which aims to celebrate fish friers across the nation.

The National Federation of Fish Friers (NFFF), the body which organises the awards, hosts 14 different awards with eateries around North Yorkshire taking the crown in a number of the most prestigious categories.

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In the highly competitive Takeaway of the Year award, The Scrap Box in Dunnington was deemed the best chippy in the country – taking the number one spot from a shortlist of ten exceptional chippies, including two other North Yorkshire chippies: Mister C’s in Selby and The Fish Bank in Sherburn-in-Elmet.

They also received an award for their marketing initiative.

Elsewhere in the county, Trenchers in Whitby was voted Restaurant of the Year – beating out competition from Bristol, Rotherham, and Devon to be crowned the best in the nation.

In York itself, Haxby Fish and Chips were recognised by the judges in two categories with Abigail Baker named as the runner up for Drywite Young Fish Frier of the Year and owner David Miller given an award for Outstanding Contributions to the industry.

At the time that the shortlists were revealed in November, Andrew Crook, president of the National Federation of Fish Friers which organises the awards, said: “The 38th instalment of the National Fish & Chip Awards is one of the most amazing competitions we’ve had the pleasure of running.

“Fish and chips is a national treasure, and the skill, passion, resilience and desire to serve communities with the best food shown by the takeaways we’ve announced today is a great representation of what makes our industry so special. We can’t wait to reveal the winner in a few months’ time.”

The Clintons have previously accused the panel’s Republican leader, James Comer, of “partisan politics” in his handling of the investigation. They described the legal summonses as “nothing more than a ploy to attempt to embarrass political rivals, as President Trump has directed”.

North Korea’s leader has warned his country could “initiate arbitrary action” and “completely destroy” South Korea if its security was threatened.

Kim Jong-un added that South Korea’s “complete collapse cannot be ruled out”.

The remarks appear to be Mr Kim’s most direct warnings against Seoul and were reported by state media KCNA on Thursday.

Mr Kim revealed plans to expand the country’s nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missiles arsenal, ruling out discussions with South Korea and labelling them as the “most hostile enemy”.

He added that the country would focus on expanding its nuclear arsenal, and prospects for bettering relations with the US rested entirely on Washington’s attitude.

The comments highlight the increasingly different approaches pursued by Seoul and Pyongyang towards each other.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung responded to Mr Kim’s comments on Thursday by saying the value his country needs to espouse is peace.

“A long-established sense of hostility and confrontation cannot be eliminated in an instant. We ‌must build trust through continuous efforts,” Mr Lee said.

However, speaking at the country’s week-long Ninth Congress of the ruling Workers’ Party, Mr Kim vowed to develop stronger intercontinental ballistic missiles.

The country also wants to develop attack systems that use artificial intelligence, unmanned drones, and weapons that can hit enemy satellites, KCNA said.

The Congress is reported to have wrapped up with a military parade in the capital on Wednesday.

The presence ‌of Mr Kim’s daughter, known as Ju Ae, will fuel further speculation over whether she is being groomed as his successor.

North Korea has assembled around 50 warheads and possesses enough fissile material to produce up to 40 more, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) estimated last year.

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The thinktank also believes that Pyongyang is accelerating the production of further fissile material.

The North’s leader has so far not accepted overtures by US President Donald Trump, whom he met with three times during the 79-year-old’s first term, but he has left the door open for discussions with the US.

“If the US withdraws its policy of confrontation with North ‌Korea by respecting our country’s current status… There is no reason why we cannot get along well with the US,” he said, according to KCNA.

Mr Trump plans to travel to China from 31 March to 2 April.

South Korea’s spy agency has speculated that the two leaders could meet around that time.

Small kitchen appliance brand Sage has topped several of our recent kitchen tests. And no, it hasn’t paid to be there. Categories are often tested by different experts, yet the brand has still been named as the purveyor of our best toastie maker, best sparkling water maker and, of course, our highest rated coffee machine.

Many of the brand’s appliances are well-finished in stainless steel, bringing a quality to your kitchen that can’t be found at lower prices. Still, when food writer and kettle and toaster tester, Imogen Hope named Sage’s £119 Soft Top Luxe Kettle her best kettle, we decided it was worth further investigation.

Here, Imogen sets out exactly why she thinks it’s worth spending this on a kettle, while I, Recommended’s home and garden editor, explain why I would reach for her value buy, instead.

What you need to know about Sage’s The Soft Top Luxe Kettle

Before we dive into the pros and cons, here’s what £120 of kettle will buy you.

Hope tested the stainless steel iteration (colours from pink to burgundy are also available) and was impressed with the build quality, free of any flimsy plastic. Surprisingly, though, it’s a simple kettle. You will find no variable temperature settings, touchscreen or keep-warm function here. But you won’t need to read a manual to decipher its two buttons either (one for the lid and one to boil), and thoughtful details like a transparent side panel and lid make it easy to see how much water is inside and if it is close to boiling.

The ergonomic handle is comfortable, and there are clear markers from between two and seven cups to show how much water it contains. Its most notable feature is a soft-close lid (hence the name), which slowly and smoothly opens to give plenty of access for filling, and prevents any risk of hot water splashing should you need to open the lid right after boiling.

“But this circle will close with me teaching him a lesson.

“He’s not fighting some weight-drained super middleweight. I am in shape and will bring home this victory.”

Fury is signed to Frank Warren’s Queensberry, but TKO president Mark Shapiro said on Wednesday that Zuffa Boxing will promote the fight, which will be shown on Netflix.

Prograis, 37, is a former world champion at light-welterweight, but has two losses in his past three outings, including to Jack Catterall and Devin Haney.

Benn’s most recent outing was in November when he defeated Chris Eubank Jr in a rematch.

Both bouts against Eubank were at middleweight, but Benn intends to campaign at welterweight as he seeks to earn a world title shot.

“My last fight there showed the world exactly who I am and what I’m about,” he said.

“Fighting on the biggest stages, in the biggest shows, I fear no-one.”

Fury, who has not fought since losing to Oleksandr Usyk in December 2024, will fight Russian Arslanbek Makhmudov.

The fact that Keir Starmer’s government have promised to put women and girls “at the heart of everything we do” in our international work is right and proper, recognising the growing threats of violence and of essential rights undermined everywhere.

However with dramatic cuts to our international development budget already underway there will be competition for what shrunken resources remain. We need to ensure that one of the key building blocks to fulfilling that ambition to empower women and girls – access to clean water and sanitation does not suffer.

WASH services – Water, Sanitation and Hygiene – are incredibly important if we are to reduce the almost 400,000 deaths of young children every year from diseases including cholera and diarrhoea. One in four people globally still lack safe drinking water.

But that is only part of the story. The United Nations has drawn a direct line between a lack of safe water and sanitation and much wider problems including food and supply chain shortages that can spark conflicts.

The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on WASH I chair, backed by the wisdom of charity Water Aid, has previously highlighted in a landmark report how previous cuts to UK aid spending on WASH “put our national health security at risk” – because they raised the risks of infectious diseases and antibiotic-resistant “superbugs” spreading across the world.

It’s something that the great British public “gets” too. Significantly, 54 per cent of the British public put clean water and toilets in their top priorities for spending development aid. MPs and government should take heed.

A failure to provide clean water and sanitation makes it impossible to achieve the aim of giving women and girls more control over their lives – because it is they who disproportionately carry the burden of collecting water. That means dragging them away from school and from work and putting them in greater danger from gender-based violence.

In addition, as Evelyn Mere, the country director in Nigeria WaterAid, put it so powerfully when describing the impact of WASH cuts to MPs recently: “The number one thing is that girls are unable to stay in school because they have no decent toilets and no place to manage their menstruation in dignity and privacy. Once menstruation starts, they stay away from school. That negatively impacts their educational performance in school and begins the journey of disadvantaging them in life.”

For all these reasons, it is alarming that WASH services are likely to be targeted in the aid cuts that will strip £6.5 billion from our aid budget by 2028 – some 40 per cent of the money available.

Ministers have admitted the UK will be “moving away from the direct delivery of WASH services”, arguing developing countries can step in with our help to “strengthen” their capabilities. Closer partnerships are welcome, of course – but not if that is a cover for cuts. Alarm bells are ringing.

This government must not repeat the mistakes of previous Conservative administration who slashed WASH spending by 78 per cent at the turn of this decade – making a mockery our commitment to the UN goal of universal WASH access for all by 2030.

Consider also how, just 15 months ago, the UK and Nigeria signed a pioneering strategic partnership, naming economic growth, jobs and reducing aid dependency among its aims. All of this is undermined by failing to fund WASH services, because people must take sick days and spend money to treat diseases caused by unsafe water and lack of sanitation. That is a drag anchor on the Nigerian economy.

WaterAid has highlighted evidence that Nigeria could benefit from a $26 billion (£19bn) “sanitation economy” by 2030, where small businesses sell toilets, people find jobs building them, and young women train as plumbers – just as India provided 100 million toilets in less than a decade – if the UK invests in WASH services. It would help to deliver the very economic boost the partnership seeks.

I was proud when Labour’s former interim leader Harriet Harman was appointed as the UK’s special envoy for women and girls, to in her words “play a key role in standing up for the rights of all women and girls at a critical time”.

However, that noble promise cannot be met if the UK shrinks back from playing its part in ensuring the most basic rights of all, to water, sanitation and hygiene.

Rupa Huq is the chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene and Labour MP for Ealing Central and Acton

This article has been produced as part of The Independent’s Rethinking Global Aid project