Helldivers 2 shows no signs of slowing down, and their next content update bestows C4 and suppressors on players to choose tactics carefully, or go guns blazing with Redacted Regiment.

After just releasing a quality of space update, and following with taking the fight to the Automatons in Into The Unjust, Arrowhead Studios continues to keep its foot on the gas and send Super Earth’s defenders after those who would dethrone democracy. This time, there are options. The Ministry of Defence Research & Development teams have brought the latest suppression technology and spec ops gear to give Helldivers 2 players a new stack of ordinance to blow up those who would threaten Super Earth. The Redacted Regiment premium warbond is adding C4, suppressors, and new armour for Helldivers to join the fight with, and a trailer showcasing all the action can be seen below.

Helldivers 2: Redacted Regiment outfits defenders of democracy with two new primary weapons, the R-72 Censor and the AR-59 Suppressor. The R-72 Censor is a mid-range precision rifle with an integrated suppressor, while the AR-59 Suppressor is a fully automatic assault rifle, also equipped with a suppressor. Together, the weapons are designed to keep missions discreet. The P-35 Re-Educator dart-firing secondary pistol further supports stealth-focused play, allowing players who are detected to escape by inducing delirium in organic targets and causing malfunctions in inorganic ones.

Redacted Regiment also introduces the B/MD C4 Pack stratagem, which delivers explosive firepower for Helldivers. The backpack includes six C4 charges and a wireless detonator that supports both individual and simultaneous detonation. Explosive options expand further with the TM-01 Lure Mine, a throwable anti-personnel mine that adheres to surfaces and emits light to attract nearby enemies. Once targets move within range, the mine detonates with devastating results.

Aside from weaponry, Helldivers 2: Redacted Regiment deploys new armour sets and a new Hellpod booster to keep movements concealed. The RS-89 Shadow Paragon light armour and the RS–67 Null Cipher medium armour come outfitted with the Reduced Signature passive, which reduces your noise level and the range at which the enemy can detect you.

Helldivers 2: Redacted Regiment is a premium warbond, and it will arrive for players on January 20.

After five years, the PlayStation 5 is getting experimental with color. While we've gotten special edition designs and colorful faceplates in the past, this week, Sony announced a new line of “Hyperpop” faceplates that give the PS5 some especially bold new looks. Considering that this console generation has been disappointingly black and white, I for one welcome the return of loud gaming devices that you can’t hide from a date. No one’s going to believe that your toxic waste green PS5 is a router, Jerry. You better own it.

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

The Algorithm of Intent

Embark Studios finally stopped playing coy about how their machines sort the digital wheat from the tactical chaff. Patrick Söderlund basically handed the Reddit theorists a victory lap by confirming Arc Raiders employs aggression-based matchmaking. This system attempts to bucket the bloodthirsty PvP enthusiasts away from the folks who actually want to scavenge in peace. If you spend your time hunting players, you get a lobby of hunters. If you’re there for the loot and the atmosphere, the algorithm tries to find you a kindred spirit who won’t shoot you in the back the second a rare component drops. It is a bold move for an extraction shooter, a genre that usually thrives on the total lack of safety, but Embark is clearly trying to manage the salt levels of its growing player base.

Extraction Etiquette and the Predator Problem

The CEO admitted the system is hardly a perfected science. It functions as a secondary layer beneath the standard skill-based parameters and party-size filters. The logic is simple: the game tracks your propensity for violence. A week ago, this invisible hand started nudging the “kill on sight” crowd toward their own private hells. It aims to address the viral chaos of retired pros dunking on casuals, but it raises questions about how the game defines intent. If you only fire in self-defense, the system might still struggle to differentiate you from the aggressor. The tension of the extraction genre relies on that unpredictability. Sanitizing the experience too much could strip the game of its actual edge, turning a tense standoff into a predictable chore.

The post Arc Raiders Aggression Matchmaking: How Embark Studios Is Sorting Looters From Killers appeared first on Game Reviews, News, Videos & More for Every Gamer – PC, PlayStation, Xbox in 2026.

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

The $205 Billion Mirage and the Industry Meat Grinder

The numbers for 2026 look like a victory lap on paper, with global revenues projected to hit $205 billion and a player base of 3.6 billion people, but the view from the street is far more jagged. We are living through a “high-low” reality where the corporate suites are celebrating a recovery while the people actually making the games are still dodging the axe. The “video game winter” is supposedly thawing, yet we are staring at another 7,500 projected layoffs this year, adding to the nearly 25,000 careers evaporated since 2024.

This isn’t a correction; it’s a restructuring of the human soul of the industry. The Saudi-led $55 billion acquisition of Electronic Arts is the ultimate symbol of this shift, where massive sovereign wealth is used to stabilize franchises like The Sims and FIFA while the mid-tier creative risk-takers are left to starve. The North American market, specifically California, has become a ground zero for this talent exodus, with over 50% of global cuts hitting the very region that built the modern blockbuster. We see a industry that has successfully scaled its profits while failing to sustain its workforce, a paradox that makes every $70 purchase feel like a vote for a system that is actively eating itself.

The GTA VI Messiah Complex and the AAA Anxiety

The entire 2026 calendar is basically a game of “hide from Rockstar,” as every other publisher tries to dodge the November 19 release of Grand Theft Auto VI. There is a dangerous level of “Messiah Complex” surrounding this one title, with investors and retailers praying it will single-handedly jumpstart console sales and consumer spending. It is a cultural black hole that has already forced games like Resident Evil Requiem and Wolverine to position themselves as the “early year” appetizers.

But counting on one game to save a $205 billion ecosystem is a delusion born of desperation. We are seeing a massive “AAA fatigue” where players are tired of $300 million budgets producing 100-hour checklists. The real winners of 2025 were the “Super Indies” and polished mid-market titles like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, which proved that a specific, human vision resonates more than a focus-grouped live-service chore. The industry is currently split between these bloated, risk-averse behemoths and the lean, creative cells that are actually doing the heavy lifting for the medium’s artistic credibility.

Silicon Scabs and the War for Creative Agency

Generative AI has moved past the “hype” phase and into the “practical threat” phase, with 87% of developers now using AI agents to automate everything from QA to environment art. The corporate line is that this “empowers” creators by removing drudgery, but the street reality is that it’s being used as a silicon scab to justify smaller headcounts. We are seeing a flood of “procedural slop” on storefronts that makes finding a genuine, hand-crafted experience feel like digging through a landfill. The rising cost of hardware, driven by AI data center demand spiking RAM prices, is making the entry point for high-end PC gaming even more elitist.

This is pushing the global majority toward mobile and cloud solutions, where companies like Tencent and Microsoft are fighting for the 52% of the market that lives on a smartphone. In emerging markets like India, which now boasts over 500 million gamers, the “console war” is a foreign concept; the battle is over data plans and low-latency streams. The future of gaming isn’t happening in a living room in Ohio; it’s happening on a 5G connection in Mumbai, where the monetization is aggressive and the barriers to entry are practically zero.

The Hardware Shakedown and the Post-Platform Future

The Switch 2 launch and the rumored “Steam Machine” revival are the last gasps of the traditional hardware cycle. We are transitioning into a platform-agnostic era where the device you hold matters less than the subscription you pay for. Cloud gaming revenue has crossed the $10.5 billion mark, proving that the tech is finally reliable enough for the mainstream, even if it kills the concept of digital ownership. The “Xbox Cloud” and “PS Now” evolutions are turning games into a utility like water or electricity—something you pay for monthly but never actually keep.

This shift favors the massive consolidators like the Saudi-backed EA or the Tencent empire, who can afford to play the long game while independent studios struggle with the “discoverability” crisis on flooded digital storefronts. The industry is effectively killing its middle class to fund its trillion-dollar dreams, leaving players with a choice between the high-fidelity corporate theme parks of the West and the high-engagement mobile loops of the East. It’s a complicated, brilliant, and deeply broken time to be a gamer, where the best art is often found in the shadows of the biggest failures.

The post The 2026 Global Gaming Grind: Trillion-Dollar Dreams and Empty Desks appeared first on Game Reviews, News, Videos & More for Every Gamer – PC, PlayStation, Xbox in 2026.

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

The 2018 console launch was a struggle for anyone trying to maintain immersion while the hardware was gasping for air. PS4 and Xbox One were basically fighting for their lives trying to render the Rattay woods, often resulting in a blurry mess that did a disservice to the meticulous world Warhorse built. Now, with the power of the PS5, we finally get to see the mud and the blood of the medieval landscape without the frame rate dropping into a slideshow. It is about time console users got a version that reflects the actual quality of the game. The noise about PC players already having access to these features is irrelevant. This release caters to the couch warriors who want to lose themselves in 15th-century politics without being tethered to a desk chair.

Riding the Wave of the Sequel’s Success

After the second game proved to be such a massive success, going back to the beginning feels essential. The world-building in this franchise is top-tier, and having the original title run natively on modern hardware completes the circle for a new generation of fans. This edition is a welcome addition to the library, filling a gap that has been bothering perfectionists for years. We are looking at a chance to experience the full arc of Henry’s evolution with the smooth performance and high-fidelity textures that the PS5 hardware provides. The anticipation is high because the foundation is solid, and seeing the origins of the story with modern stability is a win for the community.

Authenticity and the Waiting Game for February

Everyone is watching to see how this port handles the heavy lifting of the PC’s ultra settings on a console architecture. If the execution is right, we are looking at the definitive way to play a masterpiece. The inclusion of the Czech dubbing on console is a major milestone, bringing a level of grit and immersion that was previously locked behind a keyboard and mouse. It respects the players who stuck by the franchise on consoles despite the technical hurdles of the past. February will show us if the optimization matches the ambition of the original vision, but the prospect of a native, high-performance experience is enough to keep the hype alive.

The post Kingdom Come Deliverance PS5 Port: Why Console Players Finally Get the Henry They Deserve appeared first on Game Reviews, News, Videos & More for Every Gamer – PC, PlayStation, Xbox in 2026.

Estimated reading time: 12 minutes

The year 2026 is shaping up to be a total collision course of legacy sequels and high-budget gambles that might actually pay off. We are looking at a calendar where the industry finally stops leaning on the cross-gen crutch and starts pushing hardware to its absolute limit. Between Rockstar’s inevitable gravity well and Capcom reviving dead samurai franchises, the release schedule looks like a minefield of potential masterpieces and expensive flops. I’ve parsed the hype, filtered the noise, and ranked these projects based on their likely market dominance and cultural footprint.

The Titan That Will Swallow the Industry: Grand Theft Auto VI

Rockstar is finally ready to show us where the money went. November 19, 2026, is the date everyone is circling with a mix of excitement and genuine dread for their free time. Expected to push the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S to their absolute breaking point, this is the biggest thing happening in 2026, period. It’s the kind of project that forces every other publisher to move their release dates out of sheer terror. Expect a level of detail that makes current open worlds look like a collection of cardboard boxes. It’s going to be a massive commercial beast, and we’ll see if the writing can still hit that cynical Rockstar sweet spot in today’s world.

The Brutal Edge of Superheroes: Marvel’s Wolverine

Insomniac is carrying the PlayStation brand on its back right now, and this PlayStation 5 exclusive is their most aggressive move yet. We’re expecting a visceral, R-rated Logan that refuses to play nice. If you want a game that feels like a punch to the gut, this is the one. It’s got the high-budget polish and the talent to be the biggest thing outside of the Rockstar orbit. It’s going to sell millions on brand name alone, but the raw grit is what will make it stay on your hard drive. This is easily the silver medalist for 2026 success, catering to everyone who wanted the Spider-Man quality with a lot more blood.

Horror Royalty and Speed Demons: Resident Evil 9 and Forza Horizon 6

Capcom is calling this one Resident Evil: Requiem, and the word on the street is that it’s the bridge connecting the entire series for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. It’s horror for the masses, polished to a mirror finish. Right next to it, Forza Horizon 6 is finally taking the festival to Japan as a flagship Xbox and PC title. The car culture there is legendary, and if Playground Games nails the neon aesthetic of Tokyo and the rural mountain passes, it’s going to be the visual benchmark for the hardware. These two are the heavy hitters for the mid-year window that will dominate the conversation.

High-Budget Fantasy Gambles: Fable and Rise of Hydra

Microsoft needs Fable to be a home run on Xbox and PC. It’s been in the oven forever, and while the pedigree of Playground Games is undeniable, translating that British wit into an RPG is a different beast entirely. It’s a dark horse that could dominate the holiday season if it finds its voice. Then there’s Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra, aiming for a cinematic launch on consoles and PC. With Amy Hennig involved, the expectation for a cinematic powerhouse is sky-high. It’s a straightforward action play that will move units on the Marvel name alone, even if it doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel.

The Thinking Man’s Games: Control, Slay the Spire 2, and Tomb Raider

Remedy doesn’t make games for everyone, and that’s why they’re great. Control: Resonant is headed to PS5, Xbox, and PC for the heads who want their brains scrambled by high-brow weirdness. It’s a specific vibe that won’t hit GTA numbers, but it will be the critical darling of the year. Slay the Spire 2 is the indie king here, likely dominating PC first. It’s pure mechanical perfection that will ruin your sleep schedule. Meanwhile, Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis is trying to prove Lara Croft still matters across all major platforms. Reimagining the original is a safe move, but it needs to do more than mimic the Uncharted formula to stand out in the 2026 meat grinder.

Nostalgia Plays and Specialized Hits: Onimusha and Monster Hunter Stories 3

Capcom is digging into the vault for Onimusha: Way of the Sword for PS5, Xbox, and PC. It’s a nostalgia play that has a dedicated following but might struggle with a younger audience that didn’t grow up with the PS2. Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection is another specific win, likely finding a home on Nintendo’s next hardware and PC. These are solid performers that know their lanes and stay in them, providing that old-school flavor for the players who miss the straightforward brilliance of the early 2000s.

The Wuxia Dream and the RPG Newcomers: Phantom Blade Zero and Blood of the Dawnwalker

Phantom Blade Zero looks incredible in motion, like a Hong Kong action flick come to life for PS5 and PC. The concern is whether the gameplay holds up under the flash. It’s a new IP from S-Game that could be the breakout hit of the year if the difficulty is tuned right. The Blood of Dawnwalker is the first outing from Rebel Wolves for consoles and PC. It’s got that CD Projekt Red DNA, and RPG fans are starving for something with that kind of depth. It’s a long shot for the top of the charts, but it has the street cred to be a sleeper hit for the hardcore crowd. So lets wayt for Phantom Blade Zero a bit to see.

The Nintendo Guard and the Creator’s Return: Mario Tennis, Yoshi, and Gang of Dragon

With the Switch 2 in full swing, Nintendo is dropping Mario Tennis Fever and Yoshi and the Mysterious Book. They’re the reliable revenue earners—low risk, high polish. They won’t set the world on fire with innovation, but they’ll be in every household with kids. There’s also the faint hope for a Super Mario Galaxy 3 announcement to coincide with the movie, though that’s leaning more toward wishful thinking for the Switch 2.

Toshihiro Nagoshi is also stepping out with Gang of Dragon on PS5 and PC. It’s a gritty urban adventure from the man who gave us Yakuza, and while it’s a niche appeal, the quality is usually undeniable for anyone who likes their games with a bit of street-level grime.

The Expansion Fatigue and the Valve Pipe Dream

Blizzard is trying to keep the lights on with World of Warcraft: Midnight on PC, but the real test is Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred. After the last expansion left a lot of the community feeling cold, this move on consoles and PC is starting to look like a play for a player base that’s already moving on to greener pastures. Then you have the absolute madness of the Half-Life 3 hope. Every year some optimist thinks Valve is finally going to count to three on PC, and 2026 is no different. It’s the ultimate believe-it-when-I-see-it situation, but the cultural weight of that brand is so heavy it can’t be ignored even if it’s probably just another beautiful lie.

The Cult Creeps and Horror Junkie Fixes

The 2026 horror landscape is a chaotic mess of legitimate scares and nostalgia bait. Hellraiser: Revival is bringing body-horror back to consoles and PC, which carries weight if you actually care about visceral aesthetics. The Sinking City 2 is also crawling out of the woodwork on PS5, Xbox, and PC, trying to fix the jank of the first one while leaning into that damp, Lovecraftian misery. Then there is the Fatal Frame: Crimson Butterfly remake for consoles, which is basically the IP holders realizing that we’ll pay for the same trauma twice if the ghosts look high-def enough.

You also have Ghost Master: Resurrection for the strategy nerds and Crisol: Theater of Idols, a PC-focused shooter where your own health is literally the ammo. Poppy Playtime is still kicking around too, proving that the mascot horror trend is far from dead on all platforms.

Indie Grinds and Licensed Brawlers Fighting for Scraps

Mewgenics is finally looking like a real thing on PC, and anyone who knows Edmund McMillen knows that it’s going to be a disgusting, addictive masterpiece. Alongside it, we have Neverway and 1348 Ex Voto representing the smaller, more personal projects that usually end up being the games we’re still talking about five years later. On the fighting front, it’s a weird mix of licenses for all systems. Invincible VS and Avatar Legends are clearly aiming for that specific fan crossover, while Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls is trying to carve out its own space in a genre that is notoriously hard to break into. These games won’t be topping the charts, but they provide the texture that keeps the industry from becoming a monotonous loop.

The Nintendo Trap and Remedy’s Backlog

Nintendo is playing the long game with the Switch 2, and their 2026 lineup is a masterclass in emotional manipulation. There’s the faint hope for a Super Mario Galaxy 3 announcement to coincide with the movie, though that’s leaning more toward wishful thinking for the new hardware. On the technical side, everyone is wondering what’s happening with the Max Payne 1 & 2 Remakes. While Remedy is pushing Control: Resonant, the shadow of those noir classics looms large over PS5, Xbox, and PC. If they manage to drop both in the same window, it’ll be a total takeover of the mid-tier market. Meanwhile, Poppy Playtime is still kicking around on all platforms, proving that the mascot horror trend is far from dead for the audience that likes their childhood toys turned into homicidal monsters.

Licensed Brawlers Fighting for Scraps

On the fighting front, it’s a weird mix of licenses for all systems that feels like a fever dream for the tournament scene. Invincible VS and Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game are clearly aiming for that specific fan crossover, while Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls is trying to carve out its own space in a genre that is notoriously hard to break into. These games won’t be topping the charts or making Rockstar-level money, but they provide the texture that keeps the 2026 calendar from being a monotonous loop of the same three genres. It’s the grit at the bottom of the pan that actually gives the year its flavor, even if most people are too distracted by the shiny stuff at the top to notice the real work being done here

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Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

Assetto Corsa Competizione (ACC) received version 1.10.4 on December 22, 2025. This update introduces the official 2025 Fanatec GT World Challenge season as a free addition for PC simracers on Steam. While several major media outlets like Traxion.gg have reported this as the final content drop for the simulation, the official notes from Kunos Simulazioni does not use the word “final.” Instead, the developer describes it as a substantial update to align the game with the current real-world racing season.

New 2025 Content and Driver Rosters

The update adds a total of 95 official liveries to the simulation. This includes 86 designs for the GT World Challenge Europe and 9 for the GT World Challenge America. Accompanying these liveries is a revised driver set that reflects the actual lineups for the 2025 season. The update also integrates the 2025 GTWC Europe season as a standalone single-player championship mode. It is important to note that this update focuses on liveries and rosters rather than new car models; vehicles like the Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo and the Ford Mustang GT3 are not included in this patch as the underlying 3D models were not developed for the ACC engine.

Verstappen.com Racing and Emil Frey Ferrari

A major highlight of this update is the inclusion of the Verstappen.com Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 operated by Emil Frey Racing. For the 2025 season, Thierry Vermeulen and Chris Lulham competed in the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup using this car, eventually securing the Gold Cup team and driver titles. While Verstappen.com Racing has recently confirmed a multi-year partnership with Mercedes-AMG starting in 2026, the 1.10.4 update provides the chance to race the Ferrari 296 GT3 in its championship-winning 2025 colors. This is the definitive version of the Verstappen-backed Ferrari program before the team transitions to the Mercedes-AMG GT3 platform and shifts its technical partnership to 2 Seas Motorsport for the 2026 campaign.

Technical Improvements and System Changes

Version 1.10.4 implements GEN5 temporal anti-aliasing (TAA), which targets long-standing visual artifacts such as shimmering and ghosting in the Unreal Engine 4 architecture. This change improves image clarity on high-resolution displays. Additionally, the TV camera system has been adjusted to provide a more authentic broadcast perspective during replays. A critical technical detail for this update is the potential reset of the menuSettings.json file. Drivers will likely need to reconfigure their UI preferences and controller settings upon their first launch after the patch. The Balance of Performance (BoP) has also been revised to ensure the 2025 grid remains competitive for both league racing and official SRO esports events.

Platform Availability and Compatibility

Currently, the 1.10.4 update is available only on PC via Steam. For PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S users, the 2025 season content is expected to arrive in 2026 following the platform certification process handled by Untold Games and 505 Games. It is confirmed that the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions of the game will not receive this update. Official support for eighth-generation consoles ceased during the version 1.9 cycle because the hardware is unable to support the latest physics calculations and graphical refinements like the GEN5 TAA system. This creates a technical split where older consoles remain on a legacy version while current systems continue to receive seasonal parity.

Context Within the Kunos Universe: Assetto Corsa EVO and Rally

The shift in development focus for ACC is clearer when looking at the broader Kunos portfolio in late 2025. Assetto Corsa EVO, the next generation of the franchise, reached version 0.4 in early December, introducing features like the Nürburgring Nordschleife and a dedicated ranked multiplayer system. Furthermore, Kunos has expanded its reach with Assetto Corsa Rally, which launched into Steam Early Access on November 13, 2025. Developed in partnership with Supernova Games Studios, AC Rally utilizes a specialized version of the Kunos physics engine designed for jumps and loose surfaces. This diversification confirms that while the core ACC team has transitioned to newer projects, the studio is actively managing multiple simulations simultaneously.

The Outlook for 2026

The official silence regarding a hard stop to ACC development suggests that the platform may still see maintenance in 2026. As long as ACC remains the official platform for GT World Challenge esports, further BoP adjustments and stability patches are a reasonable expectation. While version 1.10.4 is the most comprehensive update for the 2025 season, the lack of a “final” label from Kunos allows for the possibility of continued technical support and seasonal minor content as the 2026 real-world championships begin.

Massive Savings: Limited-Time 2025 Holiday Discounts

Drivers looking to enter the simulation or complete their collection can take advantage of a significant promotion currently active on Steam until January 5, 2026. The base version of Assetto Corsa Competizione is currently listed at a 75 percent discount, while the comprehensive bundle featuring all released car and track DLCs is reduced by 60 percent. This pricing represents a deeper discount than the game’s typical seasonal sales, providing the most cost-effective entry point to date for those wanting to experience the full 2025-spec grid before the offer expires on January the 5th 2026.

The post ACC 1.10.4: The 2025 Season Update and the Future of the Franchise appeared first on Game Reviews, News, Videos & More for Every Gamer – PC, PlayStation, Xbox in 2026.

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

Sony has officially launched its massive holiday sale, and it is a complete blowout. For those who skipped the release-day prices, the PlayStation Store has slashed costs on some of the biggest games of the year, alongside a mountain of older classics. Most discounts are sitting comfortably between 50% and 75%, with a few standout titles dropping as low as 85% off.

This is a deep sale that covers hundreds of titles, so whether you are looking for a massive RPG to sink your winter break into or a quick indie hit, the value here is hard to ignore.

The Big 2024 Newcomers

The most notable part of this sale is the aggressive pricing on very recent releases. Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, which has been praised for its immersive realism and full Czech dubbing, is already at 50% off. You can find that same 50% discount on Assassin’s Creed Shadows, making it a great time to jump into feudal Japan.

If you are after a unique RPG experience, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is currently 20% off and even includes Czech subtitles. Other major newcomers on sale include Battlefield 6 at 30% off, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered at 33% off, and the psychological horror of Silent Hill f at 40% off.

Catching Up on the Classics

The discounts keep climbing from there. Cyberpunk 2077, which has become a masterpiece after its recent updates, is 55% off. For horror fans, Alan Wake 2 is a steal at 70% off. If you’re looking for a budget-friendly pick Hogwarts Legacy is available for a fraction of its original prices.

A Massive Catalog to Browse

The sale is far from limited to these headlines. Deep discounts are also live for Astro Bot, Baldur’s Gate 3, Space Marine 2, and Star Wars Outlaws. Whether you’re hunting for a 100-hour epic or a casual co-op game, this is likely the best time to buy before the new year.

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We had these report cards in elementary school that, in addition to grading us on school subjects, also evaluated how we were doing on general life skills. I did pretty well in classes besides math, but the two skills I repeatedly failed were “penmanship” and “following directions.” I am simply not very good at reading and understanding explanations before I begin a task, and it’s this tendency that’s making the game Uncle Chop’s Rocket Shop a bit of a nightmare for me, but also really fun.

Uncle Chop’s Rocket Shop came out in 2024, and it’s been sitting in my Epic store library for a while before I finally decided to check it out this week. You play as Wilbur, a fox-headed dude who inherits an intergalactic mechanic’s shop and has to fix enough spaceships to make growing rent payments. There’s more plot than this– I’m only a few in-game days in, and I’ve already encountered mystical beings, thieves, meteor showers, and other hints that this isn’t just a job simulator. It’s possible to die, but the game is also a roguelike, with upgrades to your mechanic’s shop persisting between runs. But the bulk of your day is taken up by choosing from a number of repair jobs and getting them done to the customer’s satisfaction.

There are two modes to choose from: one with time pressure, where customers will get angry if you don’t fix their ships fast enough, and one that does away with the clock but makes the repairs harder and more exacting. I hate time pressure in games so opted for this more chill mode. This seems like a good way to learn the game, and especially how to come to grips with its giant, weird manual.

When you go to refill a customer’s fuel pump, for instance, you’ll see a symbol that will tell you which tab in the manual to go to, which you do by physically pulling the book out of your inventory and clicking through its pages. There, you’ll get a variety of images, brisk instructions, and references to other parts of the manual that will help you troubleshoot and solve the problem. My fuel jobs have been pretty basic–remove the fuel cell, refill it at my fuel station without filling it too far and exploding it, putting it back in. Oil is a little more complicated–in addition to the oil levels, there’s the oil quality to consider, as well as a pump, heat gauge, and other gadgets that could be busted. A recent job included both of these tasks and two new complications. There was an alarm that wouldn’t stop timing out and locking me out of the other ship modules, which had to be disarmed with a series of puzzles, and a “tomfoolery” module that required buying a new repair station to fix and then playing a whole other video game to calibrate.

The actual fixing is wonderfully tactile, with lots of buttons to press and levers to pull and bolts to unscrew. Just like in real life, you have to make sure you do all these things–I’ve lost money for forgetting to close a panel back up, or gotten stuck because I was flipping switches in the wrong order. The manual tells you all this, but it’s written like a real professional manual that assumes a certain familiarity with the objects at hand. Everything you need to know is in there, but it can be a little baffling to get your head around, especially if you’re not a great visual learner or are me, who cannot help himself from skimming the instructions before diving into a ship’s guts. In the game’s time-pressure mode, I imagine learning a new task for the first time requires an overwhelming amount of speedreading and making good choices, but in my chill mode I have no justification for not taking the time to look everything over first besides being a dumbass. I find it hard to understand the manual without experiencing the thing it’s describing, but going step-by-step often gets me stumped if a problem is deeper in the book. I’ll plunge ahead with unearned confidence, run into problems, give the manual the most cursory glance, dive back in, and get stumped again, in an absurd loop I have no one to blame for but myself.

I hate reading directions, but I do like research, so I enjoy looking stuff up in the manual even if I’m not fully digesting it. It’s hard not to get impatient to fiddle with all the strange machines, which give me some great Spaceteam vibes. The computer I’m playing Uncle Chop’s on sits next to an Ikea bookshelf I put together myself also without reading the instructions in full, and which is now listing to one side because I didn’t pay enough attention to the importance of rigorously attaching its shitty plywood back. Looking up from a game that reminds me I apparently haven’t grown at all as a person since third grade to real-world proof of the fact that I haven’t grown at all as a person since third grade is a lot, and the in-game consequences for my bad habit feel like a reminder that there will also be real-world consequences when my bookshelf inevitably collapses. At least in the game I’ll get a chance to start again, unlike my bookshelf, which will destroy everything around it when it forces me to pay for my hubris.

Uncle Chop’s Rocket Shop is available on PC and consoles.