Developer Pulsatrix Studios and publisher Fireshine Games have unveiled a new first-person horror game, A.I.L.A. Set in the near-future, the game will have players take on the role of game tester—Samuel—for a new fictional AI. Check out the trailer below.
As part of his job of being a game tester, Samuel will have to take on unsettling scenarios created by the AI by tapping into his darkest fears. The game hopes to tackle a host of different horror sub-genres throughout its different levels, with players having to take on cults, take part in medieval combat, and solve intense puzzles.
A.I.L.A. is being developed using Unreal Engine 5, and will be making use of the engine’s advanced graphical technologies including Lumen and MetaHuman. The game hopes to be an atmospheric game that immerses players deeply in its many worlds.
A.I.L.A. is slated for release on PC in 2025, and currently has a listing on Steam where it can be wishlisted.
Bandai Namco has released a new trailer for upcoming arena fighter Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero during Gamescom’s Opening Night Live. The trailer gives us another glimpse at the upcoming title’s gameplay, while also confirming that Ultimate Gohan and Super Buu will both be part of its expansive roster. Check out the trailer below.
Celebrating the fact that Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero‘s release date is 50 days away, the trailer shows off various characters duking it out, including Goku, Hit, C ell, Bardok, Beerus, Nappa and Trunks, among others. Capping things off, we also get to see a young Gohan train with Goku, before getting another flurry of action from different characters.
Earlier this month, another trailer had been released for Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero, showcasing characters from the Android Saga in Dragon Ball. Throughout the trailer, Android 16, Android 17, Android 18, Android 19, Dr. Gero, and King Cold, among many others, were shown off as playable characters.
Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is coming to PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S on October 11.
Developer Coffee Stained has announced Goat Simulator Remastered. Announced through a trailer, the remaster is coming ten years after the 2014 release of the original Goat Simulator. Check out the trailer for Goat Simulator Remastered below.
While featuring familiar gameplay, Goat Simulator Remastered will also include upgraded visuals, especially in its lighting, as well as 7 DLCs—GoatVille, Goat City Bay, Goat MMO, Goat Z, PAYDAY, Waste of Space, and Buck to School.
The developer has also revealed in the trailer’s description that many of the fan-favourite bugs from the original game will be returning in Goat Simulator Remastered, this time around as “intentional features”.
Goat Simulator Remastered puts players in control of rambunctious goat Pilgor. Players are then essentially let loose in a physics sandbox where they can destroy things to their heart’s content. Among other things, players are able to jump, kick, and lick various objects throughout the levels. The remastered release of the game will also be bringing back mutators for added replayability.
Goat Simulator Remastered doesn’t yet have a solid release date. It is slated for release in 2024 on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.
Developer Embark Studios has announced that extraction shooter ARC Raiders will be coming to PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S in 2025, and will be priced at $39.99. Announcing the release window is a new trailer, which you can check out below.
The studio has also announced that playtesting for the PC version of ARC Raiders is slated to kick off on October 24, going on until October 27. The studio also notes that, while ARC Raiders was originally announced as a free-to-play game, it will instead be sold as a premium game.
“There are many reasons for this change, and they all boil down to our conviction that a premium business model is a better fit for the type of game we’re building,” said the studio. “A premium model allows us to create a more focused, balanced, and engaging action-survival experience.”
ARC Raiders will have players setting off out of the safety of their underground colony in order to scavenge and hunt for resources. Along the way, players will have to deal with ARC machines, as well as other players, who will also be competing for the loot.
The decision to turn ARC Raiders into a survival extraction shooter from its original vision as a third-person co-op shooter was announced back in May 2023.
Amazing Seasun Games has released a new trailer for its upcoming multiplayer mech game, Mecha BREAK, this time around showing off some gameplay. Check out the trailer below.
The latest trailer for Mecha BREAK gives us a short glimpse at a 6-on-6 match happening in the game. Each player is piloting a different kind of mech, and some of their abilities are shown off quite extensively in the brief trailer.
Alongside releasing the trailer, the studio has also announced that Mecha BREAK will be getting a closed beta test in Xbox, from August 25 to August 27. This follows the previous open beta for PC players.
Mecha BREAK is a competitive multiplayer games where teams of 6 will be pit against each other. There will be a host of different game modes available once Mecha BREAK launches, including a 6v6 Battlefield mode, a 3v3 Arena m ode, and a 60-player PvPvE mode.
Mecha BREAK doesn’t yet have a release date aside from a 2025 window, and will be coming to PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.
Of the many upcoming open-world games, Papergames is touting Infinity Nikki as the coziest. While its last trailer focused on changing outfits and navigating the massive world of Miraland, the latest is about many of the creatures that inhabit its world. And what better way to showcase this than with a musical number? Check it out below.
It’s not just about cats, sheep and odd-looking chickens, though. Some creatures, like the massive grounded bird with a crown and buttons for eyes, look downright threatening. Other smaller creatures run around, causing chaos, and a giant bird swoops over fields. The development team hasn’t clarified its purpose, though it could be a flying mount.
Infinity Nikki is in development for PS4, PS5, PC, iOS, and Android. It doesn’t have a release window, but a beta has been announced for Q3 2024. Stay tuned for more details and check out some extensive gameplay from ChinaJoy 2024.
Genshin Impact has been nothing short of a revelation since its initial release roughly four years ago, to the point where it’s legitimately once of the biggest games in the industry right now, and soon it’ll be opening the gates for an even larger audience to dive into its offerings.
At Gamescom Opening Night live, miHoYo announced that Genshin Impact is finally coming to Xbox Series X/S on November 20. The developer made the announcement with a new trailer, which also showcased Natlan, another major nation that the game will be adding with an upcoming update. Check out the trailer below for a glimpse of what it will bring.
Notably, miHoYo hasn’t announced the game for Xbox One, even though on PlayStation it is a cross-gen title. It also remains to be seen whether we can expect Genshin Impact to release for Switch as well- or perhaps its upcoming successor?
Genshin Impact is currently available on PS5, PS4, PC, iOS, and Android.
Towerborne is indeed coming this year as previously planned, but its release plans have still changed quite significantly. As recently announced, the co-op action-adventure title is now set to release in early access first, and in the wake of that announcement, Microsoft and developer Stoic Studio have revealed more details.
For starters, disappointingly enough for those on Xbox, Towerborne’s early access release next month is going to be limited to Steam only. A specific release date is unknown, with Stoic and Microsoft only confirming that the game will release in Xbox Game Preview at a “later” date.
Additionally, it’s also been confirmed that upon its full release next year, Towerborne is going to be a fully free-to-play game, even though a Founder’s Pack will be offered with the early access version.
“The Founder’s pack lets us do two main things: one is that we can slowly see where problems are and get attention onto those areas quickly,” says game director Daniel McLaren. “The second thing, it invites a group of people that are really invested in the game, that believe in Stoic. They want to be a part of shaping the future of Towerborne.”
Towerborne is in development for Xbox Series X/S and PC. It launches in early access for Steam on September 10.
Part God of War, part Soulslike, The First Berserker: Khazanis a game that many have had their eyes on for a while, and after announcing a 2025 release window, Nexon has now further narrowed the timeframe within which to expect the action RPG.
With a new trailer at Gamescom Opening Night Live, the publisher confirmed that The First Berserker: Khazan will launch at some point in early 2025, though a specific release date is currently unknown. Ahead of that, later this year, the game will also get a closed technical closed beta test. The test will be available for players on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, and will run from October 11 to October 20.
Check out the game’s newest trailer below, which also offers more glimpses of its action-packed combat, the cel-shaded visuals, and some of the many enemies players will be locking horns with. The game is also has a playable demo available at Gamescom for attendees.
NetEase Games’ 6v6 competitive multiplayer title Marvel Rivals finally has a release date, launching on December 6th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. A new trailer is also available, showcasing Captain America and the Winter Soldier in action.
Bucky Barnes, the Winter Soldier, falls under the villains’ side. While possessing a handgun to fire at mid-range, he can also pull opponents close with his metal arm, dash forward, and uppercut them. His Ultimate turns his arm into a tentacled monstrosity as he leaps and slams opponents.
As for Steve Rogers, the legendary Captain America, he can shield charge into battle, blocking damage and sending it back. Rogers can also toss the shield, ricocheting between enemies and slamming down from above. The most hilarious bit involves reflecting Iron Man’s Ultimate, killing the latter instantly.
Of course, that’s not all, as NetEase confirmed that all heroes would be unlocked and free-to-play at launch and “beyond.” It’s yet to reveal the plan for post-launch seasons, so stay tuned for more updates.
About two weeks before its worldwide launch, Game Science’s Black Myth: Wukong has completed development. The developer announced the same on Twitter while reaffirming the hack-and-slash title would “release as scheduled.”
“Right now, our entire team is working hard on the final stages of experiencing, testing, and deploying the game,” it said. However, it will release a new trailer on August 8th, 10 AM Beijing time (August 7th, 7 PM PT). It also asked players to refrain from leaking information or posting spoilers for “unreleased content.”
“We sincerely hope that all the mysteries and surprises of Black Myth: Wukong remain intact until the moment you embark on your journey. Your anticipation and trust given in the past four years are always remembered.”
Black Myth: Wukong launches on August 20th for PS5 and PC. Based on the Chinese novel Journey to the West, the title focuses on the Destined One, who battles many challenges. Though it has some Souls-lite mechanics, the protagonist can also transform into different enemies and bosses to unleash their moves. Check out our feature for things you should know before buying.
Unfortunately, the Xbox Series X/S version won’t be released on the same day. It was delayed for more polish, but rumors indicate that Game Science has some exclusivity agreement with PlayStation. Head here for more details.
Dear Destined Ones,
Thank you for your patience! We’re thrilled to announce that the full development of #BlackMythWukong is complete, and the game will be released as scheduled.😉
Right now, our entire team is working hard on the final stages of experiencing, testing, and… pic.twitter.com/KOpj6F6xtJ
Whether the official announcement was prematurely leaked or is being saved for a bigger occasion (like Gamescom Opening Night Live on August 20th) remains to be seen. A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead is a spin-off of the successful movie series, set in the first few months following the brutal alien invasion.
As former student Alex Taylor, players must navigate the post-apocalyptic landscape, foraging for supplies (like inhalers, since she’s asthmatic) and sneaking past the aliens. The latter can’t see but are sensitive to sound, so one must beware of objects in the environment when exploring.
A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead is coming to Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. Stay tuned for more details and check out some more extensive gameplay.
Another upcoming game for Game Pass may have been leaked. Prominent leaker eXtas1s has claimed on Twitter that Saber Interactive and Focus Entertainment’s all-terrain driving aim Expeditions: A MudRunner Game is coming to Game Pass this month.
The leaker claims the game will be available for subscribers on both PC and Xbox. Though a specific date for its arrival is unknown, it is supposedly set to arrive this month. Previous leaks have claimed that Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy is also set to arrive for Game Pass on August 8, so if that is true, it’s possible that both titles get announced together.
In our review of the game, we awarded it a score of 9/10, saying, “When it comes to the joy of off-road driving, few games can capture the feel as expertly or effortlessly as Expeditions: A MudRunner Game.” Read the full review through here.
Well more than a decade after its original release, Shadows of the Damned is set to make an unlikely return with its upcoming remaster, Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered, and though even such a release would have been difficult to imagine until not that long ago, developer Grasshopper Manufacture believes the upcoming remaster may even potentially pave the way for a sequel- given a certain level of success, that is.
Speaking in a recent interview with Gematsu, when asked about whether Shadows of the Damned might see entirely new instalments following the release of its upcoming remaster, director and Grasshopper Manufacture founder Goichi Suda (aka Suda51) stated that should the remaster sell well enough and be well received, the studio could consider the idea of a sequel.
“If the remaster sells well enough, and if it seems like enough people really want it, then some sort of continuation of the series would absolutely be something we would at least consider working on in the future,” Suda said.
Considering the fact that Shadows of the Damned was a fully dead and buried IP until quite recently, fans will take even a slight chance of a sequel. Of course, for that, the remaster will need to make a big enough mark.
Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered is due out on October 31 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
Pokemon developer Game Freak is looking to expand significantly, by the looks of at. Spotted by DenFamiNico Gamer (via Siliconera), the Japanese company is set to hold a new recruitment campaign at the end of the month through which it’s lookin to hire in a large number of open positions.
In total, the company is looking to recruit in a total of 37 open positions, across disciplines ranging from programming and design to art and more. Several of the open positions specifically mention that they will be focused on development of Pokemon titles, with some being dedicated to new internal IP, others to research and development, and more.
As of March earlier this year, Game Freak had a total of 207 employees, so adding 37 new roles to that would represent growth of nearly 18 percent for the studio. It’s worth mentioning, however, that several of the new positions are set to be contract roles instead of permanent ones.
With the Nintendo Switch’s successor set to be announced (and presumably released) in the coming months, it’s no surprise that studios focused on developing Switch titles are ramping up and expanding, especially amidst insistent reports that the upcoming console will support 4K and thus require more complex development pipelines.
After Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s controversial launch in 2022, The Pokemon Company and Nintendo had to issue an apology for the technical state of the launch, before assuring later that it was looking into ways to improve the state of future releases while still maintaining a packed release schedule. Earlier this year, reports claimed that the company was looking to take serious steps to avoid the technical issues that Pokemon Scarlet and Violet faced at launch.
You can find a full list of Game Freak’s open positions below:
Planner
Planner (scenario/setting creation)
[Contract] Sound Planner (Pokemon series development)
Character Model
Effects
Background Model
Cutscenes
Section Director
Lighting Artist
Human Motion
Pokemon Models
2D Art Designer
2D Art Designer: Background
[Contract] 2D Artwork Designer (Pokemon series development)
Project Manager
[Contract] Assistant Project Manager
Game Programmer
Game Programmer: Communication System
[Contract] Game Programmer: Characters (New IP)
[Contract] Game Programmer: Events (New IP)
[Contract] UI Programmer (New IP)
[Contract] Communication Game Programmer (Pokemon series development)
[Contract] Unity Engineer (Assigned to R&D Department)
[Contract] Animation Programmer (Assigned to R&D Department)
[Contract] Infrastructure Engineer (Server)
[Contract] Information Systems: Windows Infrastructure Engineer
Massive Entertainment’s Star Wars Outlaws has received a roadmap for its Season Pass, which includes information on its cosmetic bundles, story DLC packs, and more. At launch, Season Pass owners can access an exclusive mission, “Jabba’s Gambit,” and obtain the Kessel Runner Pack and cosmetics to make protagonist Kay Vess donning Han Solo’s iconic outfit.
The first story DLC, Wild Card, launches in Fall 2024 and focuses on infiltrating a Sabacc tournament. There’s more going on than meets the eye, especially when Lando Calrissian gets involved. Two cosmetic bundles – Hunter’s Legacy and Cartel’s Ronin – will also be available, providing more outfits for Kay and Nix alongside Speeder and Trailblazer cosmetics.
A Pirate’s Fortune is the second story DLC pack, launching in Spring 2025. Kay encounters space pirate Hondo Ohnaka, who seemingly wants her help to deal with a rival crew. Judging by the title, it may involve riches.
Before its launch this year, Warhorse Studios is bringing Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 to Gamescom in a big way. A new gameplay teaser debuts at Gamescom Opening Night Live on August 20th, followed by over 20 minutes of gameplay on August 21st.
The latter will also see press previews and hands-on impressions becoming available. From August 21st to 25th, attendees can go hands-on with a playable demo. Live news will also be shared throughout, which could mean a release date announcement. Stay tuned for further details and updates.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is coming to PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Henry of Skalitz returns as the protagonist, and notable historical figures like the King of Hungary and Sigismund the Red Fox will appear. Warhorse has touted two maps this time, resulting in a sequel twice the size of its predecessor. Check out the last revealed trailer for some combat gameplay and activities like archery.
After shining the spotlight in Life is Strange: Double Exposure’scast of core characters with a couple of its previoustrailers, with the newest look at the game, publisher Square Enix and developer Deck Nine have instead turned their attention to some of the locations that you’ll be visiting in the game.
Specifically, the trailer focuses on Caledon University, a Vermont’s premier institution for Arts and Sciences, where protagonist Max Caufield finds herself a student in Double Exposure. In addition to touching on the tragedies and supernatural oddities that Max will be grappling with at Caledon, the trailer also offers brief details on some of the many locations within its campus that players will frequent.
That will include a fine arts building brimming with all manner of art to peruse within a church repurposed as a gallery, an observatory where you can make use of a snazzy telescope to stargaze to your heart’s content, a bar where students and professors gather to relax and mingle, and even secret societies to learn more about. Check out the trailer below for more details.
Life is Strange: Double Exposurelaunches on October 29 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. A Nintendo Switch version is also in the works, but doesn’t yet have a release date.
After its first big content update for The First Descendant, Magnum Studio has released hotfix 1.0.6 to address several issues. These include further optimizing the PS5 version’s CPU load and an issue preventing the obtaining of Supply coins from seasonal and weekly challenges.
Other bugs, like fewer monsters spawning in White-night Gulch’s “Fortress Outskirts”, outposts starting without any cooldowns, and abnormal enemy spawn rates in specific outposts, have also been fixed. Jayber has also received some fixes, like his turret not being usable or the taunt effect not working.
Kyle has also received some fixes, including one that fixes the overwhelming damage from “Superconductivity Thrusters” when using status effect-focused Modules. Check out the full hotfix notes below for more details.
The First Descendant is available for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, and PC. Check out our review here, and learn more about future updates, including a guaranteed drop system and rewards for dismantling excess Descendant and weapon blueprints, here.
The First Descendant Hotfix 1.0.6
Patch Details
Content Improvements
An indicator will be displayed when a slot item that already expanded the relevant slots to the limit is included as bundle content, making it easier to check.
Also, the price of the slot item will be deducted from the overall bundle price before the purchase, if the number of the slots already reached the limit.
Optimization Improvements
[PS5] Improved some CPU load issues.
Bug Fixes
1) Battle Pass
Fixed an issue where the acquisition of Supply coin as a reward for Season/Weekly Challenge was not possible.
If you completed the Season/Weekly Challenge before the patch, you will receive the Supply Coins upon logging in after the update.
2) Mission
Fixed an issue where fewer monsters were being spawned during the “Fortress Outskirts” mission in White-night Gulch.
Fixed an issue where outposts would start without cooldown.
Fixed an issue where monsters were respawning abnormally at certain outposts.
*Please note that taking advantage of system errors or specific actions to gain higher benefits than intended will be considered abnormal gameplay behavior.
3) Descendants
Fixed an issue where Jayber’s Turret removal was intermittently not possible
Fixed an issue where the taunt effect of Jayber’s Medical Turret enhancement would intermittently not work.
Fixed an issue where Valby and Ultimate Valby’s “Clean Up” skills would not end.
Fixed an issue where the relevant effect would not appear around Viessa’s legs when using her skill “Frost Road”.
Fixed an issue where Kyle was not able to use his skill “Superconductivity Thrusters” if his max HP exceeded a certain value when his level was between 22 ~ 25.
Fixed an issue where Kyle’s damage from “Superconductivity Thrusters” would increase abnormally when using modules that apply status effects.
Fixed an issue where Yujin had to equip a lower-level reactor to achieve higher healing output when the power of his skill was low, rather than using a higher-level reactor.
4) Equipment
Fixed an issue where motion would continue if a player maintained the zoom state while the “Single Reload for Peace” effect of the “Peace Maker” was active.
5) Module
Fixed an issue where the Grappling Hook could intermittently be used beyond its range when the “Mid-Air Maneuvering” module was equipped.
6) Miscellaneous
[Russian] Fixed a UI display error of Pyromanic Sub Quest.
[German][French][Italian][Polish][Portuguese][Russian][Spanish] Fixed an error on “Yujin”’s “Solidarity Healing” skill tool tip.
Fixed an issue where the newly added Amorphous Material Pattern ‘MutantAA’ tooltip was incorrectly displayed as Freyna Amorphous Material in some languages.
I‘ve played my fair share of horror games, and I like to think that at this point, it takes plenty for me to be scared, but I can confidently say The Mortuary Assistant is legitimately one of the scariest games I’ve played in some time. Is it a spotless gameplay experience? No. Can it occasionally feel held back due to issues with controls, visuals, and the like? Definitely. But is it going to scare the absolute, ever-loving crap out of you? You know, it’s more than just a little likely that it will.
In The Mortuary Assistant, you play as Rebecca, a young woman who’s been hired as an assistant as the River Fields Mortuary, a creepy mortuary that is the subject of some rumours, though not enough to deter Rebecca from pursuing her professional goals. But what starts off as a seemingly ordinary job turns into something much more sinister, when her boss locks her in the mortuary at night, telling her that a demonic entity is haunting the facility and has attached itself to Rebecca. The only wait out now is to go about her job, figure out wat kind of demon is haunting her, and try and get rid of it before it fully possesses her.
"Is The Mortuary Assistant a spotless gameplay experience? No. Can it occasionally feel held back due to issues with controls, visuals, and the like? Definitely. But is it going to scare the absolute, ever-loving crap out of you? You know, it’s more than just a little likely that it will."
It’s a straightforward premise that still manages to have enough layers to it to remain interesting in several ways. From a narrative perspective, The Mortuary Assistant’s immediate narrative ropes in multiple other threads to keep things interesting, from the shady history of the mortuary itself, to Rebecca’s traumatic past and how it is informing the horrors that she’s now experiencing, to the constant tension brought about by the impending threat of the demonic presence itself. The game does a solid job of feeding bits and pieces of new information to you, and piecing them together to gain a deeper insight into Rebecca’s past or the mortuary’s backstory remains consistently engaging.
It’s not the story, however, that serves as the star of the show here. No, what makes The Mortuary Assistant worth your time is just how ridiculously scary it can be, and in more ways than one. It starts off with subtle things such as creepy whispers or windows and doors banging shut or shadowy figures that are briefly visible in the corner of your eyes, but as the game progresses, things quickly become increasingly sinister and downright evil.
Horrifyingly animated monstrosities can pop up anywhere in the environments, you can come across creepy writing in various places, corpses can just get up and start shambling away- The Mortuary Assistant has a healthy roster of different kinds of scares at its disposal (several of which are new ones that have been added with this definitive edition re-release), and not only are the overwhelming majority of them legitimately petrifying, the game also does an excellent job of rarely letting you feel comfortable about whether or not you’re ready for what nightmares you may face next. Admittedly, some of the scares do repeat sometimes, which means they end up losing their impact (especially when they’re more deeply tied to the story). Given the fact that this is a game that encourages multiple replays, that repetition can potentially be an issue.
"Horrifyingly animated monstrosities can pop up anywhere in the environments, you can come across creepy writing in various places, corpses can just get up and start shambling away- The Mortuary Assistant has a healthy roster of different kinds of scares at its disposal."
But The Mortuary Assistant isn’t just a straightforward walking horror sim. What sets it apart from your regular indie horror hit is its core gameplay structure. You are, of course, working at a mortuary in this game, which means you’ll be spending plenty of time getting bodies out of cold storage and embalming them (which, as you might imagine, is inherently disturbing in and of itself, especially given how actively involved you are in every step of the process), and while you’re doing that, you’re also tasked with not only figuring out what kind of demon you’re being haunted by (where the game feels somewhat similar to multiplayer indie horror sensation Phasmaphobia).
Every part of both of these critical processes is also highly technical. Embalming a body is a multi-step process that has you moving throughout the facility as you work with different kinds of equipment and items, from identifying the physical marks on a body and draining blood out of it to sewing their jaws shut and more. Just as involved and technical is the process of investigating and identifying the demon that is haunting you, and ensuring that you’re not getting any steps wrong in everything you do is always critical. The involved nature of Rebecca’s work, the attention you’re required to pay as you attempt to discover what demon is haunting you, and the game’s incredible knack for consistently keeps ramping up scares all combine together to make for some great gameplay tension. Every step of the way, The Mortuary Assistant is trying to get you to slip up under its terrifying pressure.
That’s not to say that the gameplay is devoid of any and all issues, however, chief among them being the controls. I never played this game on PC, but I’m assuming it would have felt much better to control with a mouse and keyboard. With a controller, simple things such as moving and looking around feel clunky and frequently inaccurate, and everything from picking up and using objects (which you’ll be doing a lot of) to interacting with things in the environment can feel a bit clunky. Just as problematic is the general UI and the menus, which struggle with issues ranging from issues with readability to occasionally unresponsive inputs.
"If you’re looking for a game that can legitimately terrify you while also delivering genuinely engaging gameplay, even with its aforementioned issues, this one is well worth looking into."
That lack of polish rears its head in audio and visual side of things as well. The Mortuary Assistant is a decent looking game, especially for a low budget indie title, but it does suffer from several noticeable technical issues, from muddy textures and frequently choppy animations to audio glitches and more. The game’s strengths in other areas admittedly make it easier to overlook such issues, but there’s no denying that they can drag the experience down a little bit.
Two years ago, The Mortuary Assistant released on PC, and though it wasn’t an overnight sensation by any means, it did catch the attention of a fair few people, but hopefully, it’ll see much wider success with its console release. It is definitely let down by its technical issues, and the moment to moment gameplay can feel a bit clunky because of the controls, but at its core, The Mortuary Assistant is a really good horror game. If you’re looking for a game that can legitimately terrify you while also delivering genuinely engaging gameplay, even with its aforementioned issues, this one is well worth looking into.
In spite of the legacy of the Baldur’s Gate IP and the track record of Larian Studios as a developer, few could have accurately predicted the level of success that Baldur’s Gate 3 went on to enjoy upon its launch last year. Widely regarded by one and all as one of the greatest games of its kind, the fantasy RPG has been showered with endless praise from all corners since the day it exited early access last year- and Larian has still just kept going.
As a single-player RPG, no one really would have expected Baldur’s Gate 3 to be as well supported following launch as it has been, but Larian Studios has maintained an impressive cadence of updates for the game. Over the course of the last year, since its full release on PC, Baldur’s Gate 3 has seen a bevy of hotfixes and six major patches, with a seventh yet to come, all of it arriving for free and adding a host of new features and improvements to what was already an unabashed masterpiece.
Here, then, we’re going to take a look at some of the biggest ways Baldur’s Gate 3 has grown, improved, and evolved in its post-launch period, and we’re going to do that by going over each of its major patches one by one. Without further ado, let’s get started.
PATCH 1
Coming within less than a month of Baldur’s Gate 3’s 1.0 release, its first patch was one that wasn’t focused on adding anything as much as it was on polishing. No major new features or bits and bobs were added to the game with Patch 1, but Larian Studios did introduce a whole host of fixes to the experience nonetheless. In total, the first full patch that was released for the megaton RPG has more than a thousand fixes, with several bugs, glitches, inconsistencies, and what have you being addressed. In areas ranging from the UI, character-specific scenes, and balancing, to the visuals, loot, and more, Baldur’s Gate 3’s first patch smoothed over wrinkles of varying sizes all throughout the experience.
PATCH 2
Less than a week after Patch 1, Larian Studios put out Patch 2 for Baldur’s Gate 3, and though the developer still hadn’t quite got into the swing of adding major new features to the game by this point, Patch 2 did lean more in that direction than the first one did. For starters, significant performance improvements were made across the board, which was much needed. Even with all the universal praise that it enjoyed right out the gate, Baldur’s Gate 3 was still a game with more than a few technical issues in those early days (especially once you got to Act 3), and Patch 2’s performance optimizations brought tangible improvements on that front.
Patch 2 also brought with it what Larian dubbed Withers’ Wardrobe of Wayward Friends, which added the ability to remove co-op party members from your campaign, something that couldn’t be done until that point. Beyond that, the patch added several scenes tied specifically to Karlach (including a new epilogue scene), in addition to continuing to make bug fixes, polishing optimizations, and the like.
PATCH 3
Roughly a month later, in the latter half of September, Patch 3 arrived, which went hand in hand with Baldur’s Gate 3 releasing for Mac. Granted, that’s not exactly a platform with a huge gaming audience, but it did open up the game to yet more people, which is always a good thing, especially when the game in question is as good as this is.
Far more noteworthy, of course, was the fact that Patch 3 brought with it the addition of what Baldur’s Gate 3 dubbed the Magic Mirror, an item that players could interact with in their camp in order to change their cosmetic appearance and other aspects of your character to their heart’s content. That entailed changing your hair, facial features, pronouns, voice, and the like, which players had been requesting to see in the game ever since its launch. That in and of itself made Patch 3 quite a well received step forward for the game- and yes, it, too, brought plenty of additional polish and bug fixes.
PATCH 4
After adding new and heavily requested features to Baldur’s Gate 3 with its second and third post-launch updates, with Patch 4, Larian Studios decided to focus once again on optimizing and polish rather than adding anything. Coming more than a month after the third patch, Patch 4 arrived with over a thousand fixes, similar to the very first post-launch update that the game received. From combat to story scenes, from character and class specific balancing to visual bugs, from crashes to UI issues, there was plenty that Patch 4 addressed. On top of all of those fixes, it also added new accessibility options, such as a colour blind mode with multiple settings, as well as support for AMD FSR 2.2.
PATCH 5
Arriving at the end of November, Patch 5 was by far the most packed patch to be released for Baldur’s Gate 3 up to that point. In addition to continued layers of polish, with its fifth major post-launch patch, the RPG added a host of new features, some of which were quite significant. Chief among the additions was an entirely new playable epilogue. Set several months after the main story, the epilogue brought with it well over 3,000 new lines of dialogue, new cinematics, and more, all of it meant to serve as a final goodbye to all of the characters.
Then there was the new Honor Mode, a higher difficulty setting that brought with it more difficult boss fights, the introduction of Legendary Actions, save scumming and several known exploits being removed (only from the new mode), permadeath, new rewards, and more. On the flipside, there was also the new Custom Mode, which as its name implied, allowed players to customize a variety of different aspects of the gameplay experience to suit your particular tastes.
Add to that some noticeable UI improvements, support for dynamic resolution scaling on PS5, more performance improvements in Act 3, and much more, and Patch 5 was easily the biggest update to be released for Baldur’s Gate 3 at the time that it came out- and still is, in fact. Speaking of which…
PATCH 6
Arriving in February earlier this year, more than two months after Patch 5, Patch 6 was clearly coming at a point where Larian Studios was gearing up to move on from Baldur’s Gate 3. Though the studio was, of course, continuing to further polish the experience with hotfixes as and when they were needed, with the majority of major features that Larian wanted to add in the game already being in the game, the pace with which patches were being released slowed down significantly. Not that anyone was complaining- Baldur’s Gate 3 is a ridiculously massive full featured game as is.
Even so, Patch 6 wasn’t completely without highlights of its own. It added new cinematics and scenes to the game to further strengthen the bonds and relationships between the core characters, as well as new idle animations for party members when they were in camp. By this point, with Baldur’s Gate 3 available on all the platforms that could possibly run it, the game’s post-launch support was clearly close to wrapping up by this point.
PATCH 7
Patch 7 is Baldur’s Gate 3’s next big patch, and is currently in beta, which means it won’t be too long before Larian Studios releases it in full- and once again, it’s going to be a big one, with plenty of major features set to be added. One in particular that many have been waiting for is official mod support, following which following which players will be able to create, share, and download community mods, all through an internally integrated Mod Manager.
Also on the way are new, evil endings, which are described as appropriately darker conclusions to the story for players who have made choices to reflect the same throughout their playthrough. That will, of course, involve new cinematics, new story content, new music, and more. Then there’s dynamic split-screen support (which will merge screens when players are close to each other), improved multiplayer banter, new Honor Mode mechanics, the addition of existing Honor Mode mechanics in Custom Mode as options, and much more.
Patch 7 is set to launch for all players at some point in September.
THE ROAD AHEAD
Larian Studios has done a phenomenal job with Baldur’s Gate 3. From its lengthy early access period to its full release to the excellent way it has been support post-launch, right from the off, it has been a labour of love for Larian, and the studio has left no stone unturned in ensuring that the acclaimed fantasy RPG can be the best possible version of itself. And incredibly enough, in spite of the fact that Larian has already gone above and beyond in consistently adding to and supporting a game that was already humongous with more than a year’s worth of free post-launch support- in spite of that, there’s still more to come.
Hotfixes will, of course, continue to arrive, which means more optimization tweaks, performance improvements, bug fixes, quality of life upgrades and what have you are certainly on the way. Beyond that, however, Larian says a couple more significant features are still set to be added to the game as well, including a photo mode and cross-platform multiplayer.
Presumably, Larian Studios is approaching the end of the road with Baldur’s Gate 3, and once it is done, the studio will be deserving of all the plaudits in the world not only for the game itself, but also how well it has been supported following its release. Hell, even many mainly multiplayer, so-called live service games can learn a thing or two from Larian.
The first major post-launch update for miHoYo Games’ Zenless Zone Zero goes live on August 14th. Version 1.1 “Underground R&B” focuses on Zhu Yuan, Qingyi and Seth of New Eridu Public Security as they deal with the Mountain Lion Gang and become intertwined with the mysterious Jane Doe. Check out the trailer below.
The update adds two new S-Rank characters – Qingyi, a Stun character who inflicts Electric damage, and Jane Doe, an Anomaly character specializing in Physical damage. The latter is also a boss during the new Special Episode, though players will briefly control her during some story segments. Seth is a new A-Rank character, focused on Defense while dealing Electric damage, and there will also be a new “Officer Cui” S-Rank Bangboo.
Other additions include “Inferno Reap,” allowing players to battle Nineveh straightaway. Repeated attempts are available, with rewards to earn. Camellia Golden Week, a new event, will also be available after the update goes live, offering an A-level W-Engine, Polychromes, and other materials as rewards.
Stay tuned for more details when Version 1.1 goes live. Zenless Zone Zero is available for PS5, PC, iOS, and Android. Check out our review here.
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