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Is selling DLC for a game still in early access unethical? Because you’re selling extra for a incomplete game?

I think it entirely depends on how you view Early Access. The point of Early Access is to get additional funding from interested players to pay for the rest of the game's development. Without enough money earned during Early Access, the "full" game is not going to happen. When I worked on an Early Access game, we didn't earn enough from the players buying in to finance the remainder of development, so the game was delisted and we were all either let go or transferred to other game teams.

As such, I don't think it's unethical. The developers need the money to pay for the rest of the game's development. We are not pretending the game is "complete" and the players/customers know the game won't ever be "complete" if we don't secure enough money somehow. The full scope of the content is known at the time. The risks are known at the time. Players have all of the information they need to make a fully-informed purchasing decision. If you think that the risk of the game not making it is not worth spending for, you can choose not to spend.

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Dragon Eclipse Is Slay the Spire Meets Pokemon

Dragon Eclipse has not long hit Early Access, and while it’s a little light on stuff to do right now – what with it currently only having one run boss, three difficulty levels and a few different monsters and tamers to pick from – it’s already an incredibly cool take on the roguelike deckbuilder that […]

Victorian sandbox Nightingale banks on a big summer patch to turn its fortunes around

While admitting “shortcomings” to Nightingale’s initial launch, six months into early access Inflexion Games’ devs say that they’re “proud” of the title and yet “not satisfied” with where the game is at right now, including lower player numbers. CEO Aaryn Flynn and Art and Audio Director Neil Thomson recorded a video to announce that now […]

Half Sword playtest rebalances its medieval weapons, quite literally

Half Sword playtest rebalances its medieval weapons, quite literally

Every so often an idea sparks in my head. It says - buy a lot of swords. I don’t listen to this voice very much, mainly because I know I’d be absolutely useless if swordplay ever did become part of my life and I would rapidly lose my limbs, and potentially my life. Thankfully, games like Half Sword exist where I can try out my love of sword swinging in a safe space, and a big new update has just made its medieval arsenal even more realistic.

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Slay the Spire leads a big Humble roguelike sale, with up to 95% off

Slay the Spire leads a big Humble roguelike sale, with up to 95% off

As PCGamesN’s resident roguelike enjoyer, it’s my duty to tell you about the best of the best. The cream of the crop. The crème de la crème. I’m always coming back to the likes of Dead Cells, Slay the Spire, Hades, and Enter the Gungeon because they have almost infinite replayability, but there are always more roguelikes to try. It can be daunting, especially with your Steam backlog growing by the sale, but a new Humble offering is here to offer up some classics of the genre, and they’re up to 95% off as well.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Slay the Spire review, Best card games , Slay the Spire mods

Ark Survival Ascended to add an adorable pal alongside Aberration DLC

Ark Survival Ascended to add an adorable pal alongside Aberration DLC

As the Ark Survival Ascended Aberration DLC creeps closer, developer Studio Wildcard lifts the lid on another accomplice joining the roster. Arriving alongside the new expansion pack, which is currently scheduled for the start of September, this cutesy critter will be available to players who have purchased the Bob’s Tall Tales add-on for the dinosaur survival game, and it feels like a make-good for people sad that a similar option missed out on the community Aberration creature vote.

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The Rogue Prince of Persia release date estimate and the latest news

The Rogue Prince of Persia release date estimate and the latest news

When is The Rogue Prince of Persia release date? Two Prince of Persia games in one year — yes, that’s the world we’re living in. After years of silence, the legendary side-scrolling series appears to be back in a big way. Unlike Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown which is a traditional Metroidvania, this game has been designed as a roguelike.

Developed by Evil Empire, one of the studios responsible for the critically acclaimed Dead Cells DLC, The Rogue Prince of Persia utilizes the series’ key elements, while tying in roguelike game mechanics to make the game infinitely replayable. Here’s everything you need to know about The Rogue Prince of Persia, including its estimated release date, the early access launch, and more.

Get the superb, XCOM inspired strategy game Invisible, Inc for just $3

Get the superb, XCOM inspired strategy game Invisible, Inc for just $3

There are far too many excellent turn-based strategy games to play them all these days, and with even more coming to PC everyday, going back to the landmark releases gets harder and harder. But if you missed it, Invisble, Inc from Don't Starve developer Klei Entertainment is worth a return, particularly if you miss XCOM 2, and need something to fill the gap before (hopefully) XCOM 3. Oh, and if it helps, you can get it for just $3 right now.

Starship Troopers: Extermination is leaving early access just in time for a console release

Starship Troopers: Extermination is finally leaving early access, and to celebrate, developer Offworld has confirmed that the sci-fi FPS will also be making the jump to console.

Starship Troopers: Extermination launched in early access back in May 2023, initially providing just a small sample of the first-person shooter on Steam. Now the game is ready for a full release debut on PC via Steam, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S on 11th October, 2024.

But that's not the only exciting announcement Offworld had for us. Casper Van Dien – Johnny Rico of the original 1997 Starship Troopers film – will be making a grand return as he will be commanding players during the single-player campaign, "testing their mettle against hordes of enemy Arachnids with the aid of three original NPC allies to prove themselves worthy of selection".

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Dark and Darker is back on Steam, and now it's free to play

Medieval looter Dark and Darker has finally returned to Steam as an early-access, free-to-play game.

Developer Ironmace confirmed the news at last night's Summer Game Fest show, during which it also revealed that the "unforgiving hardcore fantasy FPS dungeon PvPvE adventure" would be free to play on the Epic Games Store, too.

As a thank you, the team has added a "massive content update" which includes the Ice Abyss area, new boss Frost Wyvern, and an all-new Druid class.

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The entire Manor Lords economy has just been revamped

The entire Manor Lords economy has just been revamped

Collecting resources is one of the most important steps to building up your kingdom in Manor Lords. Without money, you stand no chance of becoming a settlement with any power or influence over those who surround you. Despite this, developer Slavic Magic has noticed that a few too many leaders have been hoarding wealth, which has made running a kingdom a little too easy, so a new king's tax is being implemented.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Manor Lords early access review, Best strategy games, Manor Lords system requirements

Overlooked Steam shooter inspired by Left 4 Dead has a huge new update

Overlooked Steam shooter inspired by Left 4 Dead has a huge new update

If there's a Left 4 Dead-shaped hole in your gaming catalog, may we direct your attention to Hellbreach: Vegas? Made by a one-person dev team, which is pretty darn impressive if you ask me, the multiplayer FPS game could be just what you need to fulfill your cravings for tearing through hordes of undead flesh. Even better, it's just received a big update with a new map and a game mode to enjoy.

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Wuthering Waves release date, gameplay, trailers, and guides

Wuthering Waves release date, gameplay, trailers, and guides

Looking for Wuthering Waves guides? After several years of development, the time has finally arrived for Kuro Games' gacha game to dazzle us with its sci-fi open world, monster collecting, and cast of complex characters.

If you're a fan of RPGs like Genshin Impact and Tower of Fantasy but miss the flair of spectacle fighters like Devil May Cry, then Wuthering Waves might be for you. If you're keen to dive into everything the free PC game has to offer, we've got all the WuWa guides you need to get started, as well as a gameplay overview to help you get to grips with the gacha game's myriad mechanics.

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Legendary horror FPS game blows up on Steam, and you can play it free

Legendary horror FPS game blows up on Steam, and you can play it free

Tripwire Interactive has been a mainstay in PC gaming since 2006. Over the years, it's put out beloved games like Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45, Red Orchestra 2: Heroes of Stalingrad, Rising Storm, and Maneater. It's also responsible for Killing Floor 2, the multiplayer horror FPS sequel to one of its first games, and a project that's become a modern classic in the genre since it came out in 2016. Last year, though, Tripwire announced that it's making Killing Floor 3, which will likely cause the current iteration's player base to dry up over time. More recently, the company also announced that it would no longer be updating Killing Floor 2 either and, though its servers will remain live, decided to see the classic shooter off in style with a final free weekend.

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Inventive new RPG launches to great reviews but few Steam players

Inventive new RPG launches to great reviews but few Steam players

One of the most compelling RPG games to launch so far this year is the final version of Dread Delusion. Inspired by earlier, pre Oblivion and Skyrim entries to The Elder Scrolls series, like 1996's Daggerfall and 2002's Morrowind, Dread Delusion offers audiences a fantasy world that avoids the typical elves and wizards, Western European medieval aesthetics to provide something truly, well, fantastic instead. Since it left Early Access on Steam earlier this week, the game's enjoyed a positive reception. Unfortunately, though, its player count has struggled to reach the same heights as its reviews so far.

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No Rest for the Wicked's performance improvements are so good, Moon Studios has updated its recommended specs

Moon Studios has outlined the changes coming to the first patch for its early access dark fantasy action RPG, No Rest for the Wicked.

"This patch brings significant CPU and GPU performance improvements (especially when it comes to traversal and “heavy” areas), keyboard control remapping, a new mouse/keyboard control scheme, increased inventory stacks, chest inventory access at vendors / crafting, bows using stamina, earlier housing access, Quality of Life and 45+ bug fixes," the team explained in the patch notes, saying the patch "celebrates" the game's two-week anniversary.

Given the long, long list of performance improvements and optimisations, Moon Studios has now revised its recommended PC specs for the RPG, the updated version of which is available below:

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Stellar vampire survival game continues Steam climb after 1.0 launch

Stellar vampire survival game continues Steam climb after 1.0 launch

Now that V Rising 1.0 has arrived, it’s time to take on the world’s most famous vampire in the survival game. With plenty of new features like an extra region to explore, more weapons to use against the undead, and new difficulty options, it’s no surprise that we’re seeing the popularity of V Rising increase after Steam Early Access. In fact, the game’s doing so well that it’s on track to demolish its previous max concurrent player count.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: V Rising system requirements, V Rising tips, The best V Rising base locations

No Rest for the Wicked's performance improvements are so good, Moon Studios has updated its recommended specs

Moon Studios has outlined the changes coming to the first patch for its early access dark fantasy action RPG, No Rest for the Wicked.

"This patch brings significant CPU and GPU performance improvements (especially when it comes to traversal and “heavy” areas), keyboard control remapping, a new mouse/keyboard control scheme, increased inventory stacks, chest inventory access at vendors / crafting, bows using stamina, earlier housing access, Quality of Life and 45+ bug fixes," the team explained in the patch notes, saying the patch "celebrates" the game's two-week anniversary.

Given the long, long list of performance improvements and optimisations, Moon Studios has now revised its recommended PC specs for the RPG, the updated version of which is available below:

Read more

No Rest for the Wicked's performance improvements are so good, Moon Studios has updated its recommended specs

Moon Studios has outlined the changes coming to the first patch for its early access dark fantasy action RPG, No Rest for the Wicked.

"This patch brings significant CPU and GPU performance improvements (especially when it comes to traversal and “heavy” areas), keyboard control remapping, a new mouse/keyboard control scheme, increased inventory stacks, chest inventory access at vendors / crafting, bows using stamina, earlier housing access, Quality of Life and 45+ bug fixes," the team explained in the patch notes, saying the patch "celebrates" the game's two-week anniversary.

Given the long, long list of performance improvements and optimisations, Moon Studios has now revised its recommended PC specs for the RPG, the updated version of which is available below:

Read more

Last Epoch dates its second season, featuring two huge upgrades

Last Epoch dates its second season, featuring two huge upgrades

With Diablo 4 Season 4 just around the corner and bringing a complete overhaul to Blizzard’s loot system, and Path of Exile 2 still on the horizon, ARPG fans like myself have plenty on their plate to look forward to. But perhaps even more exciting is news of Last Epoch Cycle 1.1, the second season for the masterful new action RPG that just launched into 1.0 to widespread acclaim. The next cycle promises some very important, game-changing upgrades, and we now have a date for our calendars.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Last Epoch review, Last Epoch builds, Last Epoch tier list

The best V Rising base locations

The best V Rising base locations

What are the best V Rising base locations? When talking about V Rising base locations or castle locations, we mean the flat, elevated plains that can be used for building. You can claim one of these spots by placing a castle heart, as explained in our V Rising beginner’s guide. Although there are many castle locations in V Rising, it’s difficult to determine which one is the best, especially as a new player.

Generally speaking, the best base locations in this multiplayer game are spacious, close to other regions, close to important resources, close to points of interest such as merchant camps, and (especially when playing on a PvP server), easy to defend. Although a base location with multiple exits is often preferred on PvE servers, as this will save you some walking time, players on PvP servers typically prefer base locations with a single entrance point and a large, secondary plateau, as this is easier to protect against raiders.

In this list of V Rising base locations, we’ll show you some of the best locations to build your castle in V Rising version 1.0.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: V Rising system requirements, V Rising tips, The best V Rising base locations

Gray Zone Warfare is deploying hotfixes, but performance remains grim

Hardcore tactical FPS Gray Zone Warfare is proving to be yet another of 2024’s unexpected successes, shifting over half a million copies when it launched into early access last week. Unfortunately, in its attempt to eat Escape from Tarkov’s lunch – a timely one, given that game’s self-inflicted DLC misery – it’s currently choking on the wishbone of some truly dire performance issues. Even players with tip-top graphics cards are seeing heavy stuttering while out in the field, and none of the updates released thus far, including today’s Hotfix #3, have done much to soothe it.

Said hotfix does include some fixes for other widespread problems, including a second attempt at preventing players from becoming headless when rejoining a server (an amusing though resilient glitch, given a previous hotfix had also tried to nix it). But having played a bit of this third patch on a usually reliable RTX 4060, there’s clearly an awful lot of work left to do before Gray Zone Warfare performs acceptably.

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Hades 2 early access review: a roguelike of witchy crowd control with a sparkling new cast

Scylla and the Sirens are a rock band of mythical boat wreckers who insist they have tons of fans. (They do not.) As a boss battle in Hades 2 they are a deadly trio that has bested me more times in the last few hours than I care to admit. But as a sign of things to come for this early access roguelike sequel, they are an encouraging bunch of characterful malcontents. The harbingers of a confident, slash-happy action game, and another poppy adaptation of classic Greek japes.

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Manor Lords’ medieval micromanagement means making many messes

This peaceful, pastoral scene actually represents a ton of hard work!

Enlarge / This peaceful, pastoral scene actually represents a ton of hard work! (credit: Slavic Magic)

Do you ever look around at modern civilization and boggle at the sheer complexity of it all? Do you ever think about the generations of backbreaking labor needed to turn acres and acres of untamed wilderness into the layers of interconnected systems needed to provide basic necessities—much less luxuries—to both early settlers and their generations of descendants?

All that infrastructure work is much harder to take for granted after playing Manor Lords. The Early Access version of the game—which netted a million Steam sales in its first 24 hours last month—forces you to do a lot of the heavy lifting that many other city builders tend to gloss over. And while there are still a lot of Early Access rough spots, what's already there can make you appreciate just how hard it is to build a functioning society from nothing but raw materials and hard labor.

Let go of my hand

In many other city builders, you act as something of a detached, bureaucratic god. Lay down some roads, set aside some zoning, and watch as the microscopic masses automatically fill in the details of the housing, commerce, and industry needed to create a functional society.

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Hades 2 system requirements

Hades 2 system requirements

What are the Hades 2 system requirements? Rarely do games only offer a minimum baseline that you will need to beat, but Hades 2 is one such game, at least for now. The follow-up to the hugely successful action roguelike may change its specs throughout early access, but we don't see it becoming a problem provided you're not gaming on a moldy potato.

While you may proudly own one of the best graphics cards, Hades 2 makes it clear that such power isn't necessary. Like its predecessor, the requirements are easy to clear even for near decade-old machines, to the point where, right now, there isn't even a specific gaming CPU featured in the specs.

Continue reading Hades 2 system requirements
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