Dune Awakening is a survival online MMO that sets players within the Dune world where Spice is power, and we get to see what players can do to fight for that power with the first actual gameplay footage of the game in action during 2024' Gamescom’s Opening Night Live event, as the video is roughly 5-minutes long.

More gameplay footage of Dune: Awakening during Gamescom Week

Fortunately enough, this is just a taste from developer Funcom as they plan to show 30 minutes of additional gameplay throughout Gamescom week. Those at the show floor will be able to witness new gameplay of the game when you visit the developer’s booth, but for those online, the game will be showcased further through various content creators this week.

“Revealing gameplay for the first time is always a big moment, especially in a game where the interplay between all these systems can create completely unexpected moments, but the team has done an incredible job and we can’t wait to see how the community reacts.” says Joel Bylos, Creative Director of the game at Funcom.

Working closely with both the Herbert Estate and Legendary, Funcom’s Dune: Awakening introduces an alternate history in which Paul Atreides was never born, giving players the opportunity to put the future of Arrakis in their own hands.

Third Dune: Awakening Direct Dated

Funcom is set to show more of the game beyond Gamescom 2024 as they announced a third Dune: Awakening Direct, an online show focused solely on showing more of the game with new gameplay footage and more details about specific features.

A beta for the game is coming but no concrete date has been revealed, but if you’re interested in being part of the beta, you can register through the game’s official website for a chance at getting in.

Dune: Awakening is a long way to go as it’s currently set to release in early 2025 on PC, with the PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S versions to be released at a later date.

During the start of Gamescom 2024, Bethesda and MachineGames revealed that Indiana Jones and the Great Circle will launch on December 9, 2024, for Xbox Series X|S, PC, and on Xbox Game Pass. It was also revealed that it will be time-exclusive as it will eventually come to PlayStation 5 in Spring 2025.

This is an interesting revelation considering that Xbox started the year by making four games come to multiple platforms — Hi-Fi Rush, Pentiment, Sea of Thieves, and Grounded. With a big ticket item like Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, it gives the impression that any title from Bethesda and anything under the Xbox umbrella could be available on PlayStation and other platforms. Doom: The Dark Ages, is also coming to PlayStation 5.

We were able to see a hands-off preview of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and learned new details about MachineGames’ next title and Indy’s next adventure.

I recently attended a closed-door digital event hosted by Bethesda, where they showcased new gameplay footage of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. I gained some key insights into MachineGames’ take on Indy’s next globetrotting adventure.

Update: During Gamescom 2024 Opening Night Live, it was revealed that Indiana Jones and the Great Circle will release on December 9 for Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Xbox Game Pass. It, will also release on PlayStation 5 sometime in 2025.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Preview Event

The gameplay presentation wasn’t live but featured a lengthy guided playthrough, highlighting various points in the campaign. This was also the first time we got a glimpse of the game’s UI during gameplay. The interface is clean and simple, displaying essential information: Indy’s primary weapon is shown at the bottom right, while an icon at the bottom left indicates the game’s disguise mechanic, which I’ll discuss further later on.

The Tools of Indiana Jones

At the start of the presentation, the developers explained Indy’s tools, each of which plays a crucial role in the overall gameplay. One standout is Indy’s camera, used to capture key moments during exploration. Players are tasked with taking specific shots, which reward Adventure Points. These points can be used to unlock new perks for Indy. With this mechanic in mind, I can already see myself scouring ruined temples, eagerly snapping photos to rack up points.

As you capture key figures or environmental elements, a pop-up appears on the screen, similar to gaining experience after completing a quest. This seems to be the game’s primary progression system, although MachineGames didn’t go into much detail about what exactly can be unlocked with these points, nor did they show the menu where these points are spent.

Next up is Indy’s iconic whip, which plays a significant role in both traversal and combat. In the new playthrough, the whip was primarily used for swinging Indy across gaps in third-person view. In one instance, the player threw a spear into a wall, creating a makeshift anchor that Indy could use to swing across. While the whip is mostly used for traversal, we also saw it in action during combat, similar to what was shown in the first gameplay trailer released months ago.

Speaking of combat, Indy has his trusty revolver ready for when gunfights break out. The new gameplay footage prominently features gunfights, with Indy even picking up a machine gun dropped by a downed enemy. We also got a closer look at the melee system, which allows players to block incoming attacks and counter with a series of humorous head smacks. It was thrilling to see new footage but I hoping to see more of the combat in it’s most raw form as it wasn’t enough to show off how gunfights will feel in the end.

From what I saw so far, combat in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle feels more subdued compared to other adventure games, giving the impression that this isn’t a game where Indy will be taking out 20 Nazis in one room. I’m not expecting a one-man army BJ Blazkowics situation, but I was hoping to see how thrilling combat can be in this game considering that this is being worked on by the folks that worked on the latest Wolfenstein games. This preview didn’t give me that, and while I do concede this is more of an adventure than a true action shooter, I was hoping MachineGames would flex their gun combat expertise to showcase that when the bullets start flying, it will be a fun ride.

Lastly, we saw Indy jotting down information in his journal, which will serve as the player’s reference point for solving puzzles and understanding key details. The journal seems to function similarly to those found in other adventure games like Uncharted or the Tomb Raider reboot, and can be brought up at any time.

Disguises – Dressing for the Occasion

One of the biggest reveals during the gameplay was Indiana Jones and the Great Circle’s approach to stealth. Players will have the opportunity to disguise Indy in various outfits that help him blend in when navigating hostile territory. In the presentation, Indy meets up with his partner Gina after discovering the entrance to some ancient ruins. They quickly realize they need an ancient key, but was unfortunately in the hands of the nazis and is heavily guarded. The gameplay then skips ahead to show Indy backtracking and disguised as one of the workers at the excavation site. He sneaks into a tent to steal the key but is briefly interrupted by a guard who asks him to pass a bottle of wine—Indy complies to avoid suspicion. This disguise mechanic seems to play a significant role, with the Indy icon at the bottom left of the game’s UI indicating the current disguise in effect.

However, the presentation didn’t show what happens if Indy is spotted by guards or if he acts suspiciously. Will a fight break out, or will the game reset before he’s caught?

At this point, MachineGames also hinted at side activities that players can encounter, which feel similar to side quests. We saw Indy walking through a bustling market and being approached by a vendor with information about a secret that piqued his interest. Although they didn’t show how these side activities play out, it suggests that Indiana Jones and The Great Circle won’t be strictly linear, allowing players time to explore and discover hidden content.

Third-Person Perspective – When the Camera Steps Back

MachineGames opted for a first-person perspective for this game, which initially seemed like a choice driven by the studio’s expertise in this viewpoint. However, Game Director Jerk Gustafsson and Creative Director Axel Torvenius emphasized during the Q&A session that they chose this perspective to bring players closer to Indy’s adventure, especially when solving puzzles and examining discoveries up close.

Despite this, the third-person perspective does make appearances. We’ve seen it in the first gameplay trailer, and in the new footage, it triggers when Indy uses his whip to swing across gaps or during climbing sequences. Once the climbing is done, the game quickly switches back to first-person.

So far, these are the only instances where the perspective changes. As for cutscenes, the crucial ones play out in full cinematic style, letting us see Indy in all his glory, interacting wth all the key characters in the story.

Indiana Jones and The Great Circle: MachineGames’ Longest Adventure Yet

During the Q&A session, the developers discussed the game’s length, confirming that Indiana Jones and The Great Circle is MachineGames’ longest game to date. While they didn’t provide a specific timeframe, I compared the length of their previous games with similar titles, leading me to believe that the game’s duration would be a reasonable length.

Motion Capture was all done in-house

One of the more interesting revelations during the Q&A session was that all the motion capture and design of Indiana Jones were handled entirely in-house by MachineGames, with LucasFilm providing guidance and their blessing. Despite LucasFilm having existing references for Harrison Ford’s likeness, especially with their de-aging work for the latest film Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, MachineGames chose to create their own assets, performing their own scans to recreate a young Ford for the game.

In the presentation shown, we witness more cutscenes and from what I’ve seen, they’ve done a fantastic job of respecting the source material, delivering moments that could rival the movies, with Troy Baker delivering a commendable performance as a young Indy. While there are moments where Troy’s natural voice comes through, he does an impressive job of capturing Harrison Ford’s tone, especially in more intense situations where Indy’s stress levels rise.

Final Thoughts

This presentation focused heavily on mechanics, with no big set pieces that one might expect from an adventure game. It offered a glimpse into the various elements of Indiana Jones and The Great Circle but lacked the kind of thrilling sequences that would make players eager to dive in. The combat footage, while intriguing, didn’t leave me thinking, “I want to play that right now” as everything feels interesting yet safe.

It’s worth noting that while new gameplay elements were shown, the presentation felt somewhat lacking in selling what to expect from this title to make it stand out beyond it being a known iconic franchise. I guess I was expecting a massive showing as MachineGames is still set to release the game this year. With the “Ber” months just weeks away, I’m starting to suspect that a November or December release is more likely if the 2024 release sticks. They’ll need to ramp up their marketing efforts and showcase a bit more of the game to convince players that it’s worth a subscription on Game Pass or a day-one purchase.

Indiana Jones and The Great Circle is the return of Indy to video games in a long time, and during a closed-doors digital preview event for MachineGames’ upcoming action-adventure title, Game Director Jerk Gustafsson and Creative Director Axel Torvenius confirmed that this is MachineGames’ longest game to date when asked about the average time it will take to complete.

Indiana Jones and The Great Circle game length

The question was straightforward, and while Jerk and Axel didn’t provide an exact duration, they did confirm that this would be the most extensive experience they've created. How long Indiana Jones and The Great Circle remains a mystery, but the developers’ emphasis on the game’s length suggests a substantial adventure.

Looking back at MachineGames’ previous titles, particularly the new Wolfenstein series, we see that Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus can be completed in roughly 11 hours, according to How Long to Beat if you focus solely on just the campaign.Similarly, Wolfenstein: The New Order takes about the same time, while Wolfenstein Young Blood, a spin-off title of their series, and the standalone prequel Old Blood, are shorter, at 9 Hours and 6 Hours respectively.

MachineGames’ Indiana Jones game is expected to offer more exploration, side content, and puzzles than their previous titles, aligning with the adventure genre’s typical gameplay. It wouldn’t be surprising if players spent significantly more time in this game, given its broader scope.

The Sweet Spot

It’s tough to pinpoint exactly where their new game will land in terms of game time as it can be longer by just a few hours I feel roughly 15 hours for an adventure like this seems like a nice sweet spot to avoid the feeling that they are dragging game time.

For additional context, looking at similar games like Uncharted vs Indiana Jones game length shows that Uncharted titles range from 9 to 15 hours, while the Tomb Raider reboot series clocks in around 11 to 13 hours. This comparison further supports the idea that MachineGames’ Indiana Jones game could follow a similar timeline.

For added comparison, we looked through the Uncharted series, and as Uncharted can be completed in roughly 9 hours, Uncharted 2 in 10 hours, with Uncharted 4 takes 15 hours. In the latest Tomb Raider series reboot, the 2013 Tomb Raider can take 11 hours while the next two sequels can take around 13 hours to complete.

It’ll be interesting what MachineGames has landed in terms of game length as you should remember that this is the studio stepping out of its comfort zone and doing something entirely different. From a fast-paced first-person graphic shooter like Wolfenstein to a globetrotting adventure in the shoes of the iconic Indiana Jones.

Indiana Jones and The Great Circle still doesn’t have a concrete release date but it’s still slated for a 2024 release and will be available on PC, Xbox consoles, and Xbox Game Pass.

I’ve made a rundown of the key information from the preview event and my impressions of what I saw.

HoYoverse announced that their free-to-play open world gacha game Genshin Impact is getting a major update at the end of the month. Version 5.0 will add the sixth nation of Teyvat which will come with various content and new areas to explore.

Here’s a quick rundown of what to expect from the 5.0 update, which is titled ‘Flowers Resplendent on the Sun-Scorched Sojourn’.

• New Nation: Natlan, the Nation of War, and Nation of Pyro, reveals the first three of six tribes

• Open to early and mid-game players: Map unlock criteria – complete all Mondstadt Archon Quests and reach AR 19; Archon Quest unlock criteria – complete all of Liyue's Archon Quests and reach AR 28.

• Transform into Natlan's Saurians: Tepetlisaurus (burrow underground, climb cliffs), Koholasaurus (swim), Yumkasaurus (reach great heights)

• Tribes: Children of Echoes, Scions of the Canopy, People of the Springs

• Characters: Kinich (5-star, Dendro, Claymore), Mualani (5-star, Hydro, Catalyst), Kachina (4-star, Geo, Polearm)

• Banner: 1st – Mualani, Kachina, Kaedehara Kazuha; 2nd – Kinich, Raiden Shogun

• Bonus to celebrate the anniversary
  

The new nation is called Natlan, and HoYoverse provided a good description of the new region.

The road to Natlan will open with an unlocked Teleport Waypoint that is accessible to players, even beginners and intermediates, who have completed the Prologue of the Archon Quest in Mondstadt.

Known as the Nation of Pyro, Natlan is located west of the Sumeru desert. The people of this nation are divided into six main tribes. The dragons of Natlan, more commonly called Saurians, are the result of a long evolution and have evolved to coexist with humans, and they have even become their faithful companions. With Version 5.0, players will be able to explore three of the six tribes, as well as encounter three types of Saurians who live together with the locals.

Mastering the abilities of the different Saurians can prove decisive in exploring the towering cliffs and flowing springs, and players can transform into a Saurian by indwelling them. The Tepetlisaurus are Saurians good at tunneling undergrounds and climbing cliffs, and they are the companions of choice for the Children of Echoes who call the canyons their home. The Yumkasaurus can pull themselves in the chosen direction and reach great heights with ease. They have taken up residence among the Scions of the Canopy, a tribe living suspended from the walls of steep cliffs. As for the Koholasaurus, they can move quickly on water and liquid Phlogiston, which explains why they are commonly seen with the People of the Springs near the sea.

Natlan, also known as the Nation of War, honors her warriors at the Stadium of the Sacred Flame, where the Champion of each tribe is chosen through a tournament. This is where the main story unfolds, as the player, accompanied by local warriors Kachina, Kinich, and Mualani, travel to the Stadium. To begin Natlan's Archon Quest, players need to reach Adventure Rank 28 and above, and have completed all of Liyue's Archon Quests.

New Characters

Those looking forward to the new characters will get to play around with Mualani and Kachina the moment Version 5.0 is in the first phase along with the Kaedehara Kazuha rerun. The new 5-star Kinich will debut during the second half and come with the Raiden Shogun. The stories for Natlan’s new characters will be available through the Tribal Chronicles, the new three-act quest chain.

Genshin Impact 4th Anniversary Celebration

The game’s 4th anniversary is just around the corner and HoYoverse is bringing back the special daily login event as players can earn up to ten Intertwined Fate, 1,600 Primogems waiting in their in-game mail, two exclusive gadgets — the Firstborn Firesprite and the Kabom Box, and more.

Furthermore, players can also invite a 5-star character from the Standard Wish lineup to their team for free. More updates on the Character Event Wish, Weapon Event Wish will be announced at a later date.

Genshin Impact’s Version 5.0 goes live on August 28, 2024.

Sega and Two Point Studio announced Two Point Museum, the third iteration of the studio’s strategy management simulator.

From the announcement trailer alone, you can tell the signature quirky humor and character design remains as Two Point Museum will deliver a similar experience found in Two Point Hospital and Two Point Campus, only this time with a museum flavor.

Sega provided a bit of information about the game as beyond creatively making your museum cater to specific visitors, Two Point Museum will feature exhibitions to retrieve rare artifacts to fuel your museum.

Exploring for Exhibits

Send your team of specialists on daring adventures to locate and retrieve rare artifacts across a range of exhibit types to varied levels of quality. As your team embark on more expeditions, you’ll begin unlocking locations hiding exciting new exhibits in many themes and styles, ranging from prehistoric to… well, let’s keep it a surprise!

Display these finds in your museum, keeping them well protected from the elements, vandals, thieves, and mischievous children. Keeping frozen cavemen on ice, security cameras alert and artifacts well-guarded to ensure your museum runs well.

Creative Curation

Unleash your creativity as you design your museum from top to bottom. With deeper customisation options, there are more ways than ever before to maximise your guest’s happiness, from tweaking the decorations to arranging the perfect gift-shop display.

Once you have set the perfect ambiance, organise guided tours led by engaging experts to give your guests the perfect day out. You can even highlight exhibits with the highest buzz - those that are show-stopping, informative, and aesthetically pleasing are sure to attract the most donations!

Guest-ertainment

Guests know best! Catering to the needs of your guests is key to keeping your museu moving and donations flowing. The different types of visitors who will tour your museum with their own interests, but they do have some things in common... they expect the place to be clean, have plenty of refreshments, ample toilets, and a gift shop filled with goodies.

Two Point Museum has no release date but the game will be available on PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, and Xbox X|S.

I had the chance to play a preview build of The Casting of Frank Stone, an interactive horror game developed by Supermassive Games. Set within the Dead by Daylight universe, the demo took around 45 minutes and left me with the impression that Behaviour Interactive has given Supermassive the freedom to do what they do best. The game echoes their previous work, both in gameplay and in how choices and events shape the overall story.

The demo begins with you playing as Sam Green, a police officer investigating a child's disappearance, which leads him to a steel mill in the dead of night.

Nods to Dead by Daylight

This brief introduction effectively sets the stage, featuring a few nods to the Dead by Daylight universe with plenty of Easter eggs for dedicated fans. However, The Casting of Frank Stone is primarily played like any other Supermassive Games title, where you make choices that influence key events and outcomes, with quick-time events adding further nuance, from subtle shifts to severe consequences.

The demo offered a glimpse of the various possible outcomes. Dialogue choices are limited to two options, a similar approach to titles like The Quarry as multiple A or B choices lead to a web of possibilities.

Choices and Outcomes

In terms of gameplay mechanics, Supermassive stays within their comfort zone. You explore areas in a third-person perspective and control multiple characters throughout the story. In the demo, you only play as Sam, exploring the mill, examining key objects, climbing fences, and squeezing through tight spaces to progress. Quick-time events are present, and the first one caught me by surprise. The game has integrated Dead by Daylight’s Skill Check system, where you must press a button to spot the dial to land on the right spot of in the dial. I wasn’t expecting this Dead by Daylight-inspired twist, and I failed to press the button at the right time, resulting in Sam injuring himself and losing his flashlight.

This injury didn’t affect much, as it only slightly altered how one scene played out. On a second playthrough, I discovered that if Sam hadn’t been injured and still had his flashlight, he could have used it to try and blind the threat, a slight change that didn’t completely change the outcome, though it does hint at the potential for varied experiences in the full game, making the player second guess whether their success or failed attempts are either major or minor changes.

The demo also showcased various quick-time events, none too complex, which is expected as the fun in these games lies in shaping the story.

Overall, the demo gives just a glimpse of how the game will play out. It’s another story-driven game with the classic Supermassive touch, which is a win in my book. I’ve always appreciated their approach to horror storytelling, even when it veers into typical clichés or B-movie territory. Some of their games are so bad they’re good, delivering humor and entertainment. As for The Casting of Frank Stone, it’s hard to tell if it will evoke the same feelings with less than an hour of content to sample, but knowing that Supermassive is doing what they do best is a promising sign.

Based on my experience with other Supermassive Games titles, I expect The Casting of Frank Stone will follow a similar pattern — offering a mix of major and minor consequences that shape the narrative, encouraging multiple playthroughs for different outcomes.

At most, this preview suggests that Supermassive isn’t attempting anything new or groundbreaking with this title. The difference here is the game’s setting within another developer’s established world.

The Connection to Dead by Daylight

The real question is whether The Casting of Frank Stone will add meaningful context to the Dead by Daylight universe. Behaviour Interactive has been steadily expanding the lore with each update, giving us more insight into the Entity, the Survivors, and the Killers. Will this game provide new lore for Dead by Daylight enthusiasts, or is it simply a spin-off filled with Easter eggs for dedicated players? It’s hard to tell if this game is more for Dead by Daylight fans or Supermassive Games fans, but hopefully, it strikes a balance between the two.

It’s also worth noting that The Casting of Frank Stone will feature a couch co-op mode for 1-4 players, where each participant controls the actions and decisions of one character. This feature adds an extra layer of unpredictability and replayability to the experience and is how I prefer to play games like it as I’ve done this even way back in 2010’s Heavy Rain, my first introduction to games like these.

The Casting of Frank Stone is set to launch on September 3, 2024 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC.

Publisher Krafton, best known for publishing games like PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds and the survival horror The Callisto Protocol,, has acquired the Japanese studio Tango Gameworks as well as the intellectual property rights to their latest title Hi-Fi Rush from Microsoft Gaming.

You can read the announcement from the publisher here, but simply put, Krafton is investing in the Japanese market by giving the studio a second life further to pursue the famed rhythm action game Hi-Fi Rush.

As part of this strategic agreement, KRAFTON intends to collaborate with Xbox and ZeniMax to ensure a smooth transition and maintain continuity at Tango Gameworks, allowing the talented team to continue developing the Hi-Fi RUSH IP and explore future projects. KRAFTON intends to support the Tango Gameworks team to continue its commitment to innovation and delivering fresh and exciting experiences for fans. There will be no impact on the existing game catalog of The Evil Within, The Evil Within 2, Ghostwire: Tokyo, and the original Hi-Fi RUSH game.

This move comes months after Microsoft made the decision to shutter four studios multiple studios within the Bethesda company and one of them was Tango Gameworks.

The studio was founded in 2010 and was formed by Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami and the was responsible for projects such as The Evil Within series, Ghostwire Tokyo, and Hi-Fi Rush, which was shadow-dropped on PC and Xbox consoles when it was revealed in 2023.

Xbox acquired the studio in 2021 as part of the massive $7.5 billion purchase of Bethesda’s parent company Zenimax.

The Krafton acquisition is the company’s attempt at “expanding its global footprint and enhancing its portfolio with innovative and high-quality content.”

What does this mean?

Tango Gameworks will be given the support to keep the studio running and will likely work on more Hi-Fi Rush projects. It will take a while before we hear anything concrete from the Tango, nor do we have a full picture of what this deal entails and how much freedom Krafton will provide the studio.

For those that haven’t played Hi-Fi Rush, I highly recommend the title as it was the biggest surprise in 2023, a charming action game with a unique mix of action and rhythm gameplay that was easily my 2023 game of the year, giving it an easy 5/5 when I reviewed it last year.

Before Microsoft’s announcement to close Tango Gameworks, Xbox released Xbox titles like Hi-Fi Rush on multiple platforms to expand the game’s player reach. Those also no longer Xbox exclusives are Sea of Thieves, Pentiment, and Grounded.

Capcom revealed that their fresh new IP Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess has reached over 500,000 players since it was released on July 19, 2024, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Game Pass on day one.

New Mazo Talismans

To celebrate Kunitsu reaching this milestone, Capcom will be updating the game with three new Mazo Talismans: Jubilee, Dancing Crane, and Amaterasu

As a token of our gratitude to all players, we are giving away three Mazo Talismans which can be equipped on the main character Sou: Jubilee, Dancing Crane, and Amaterasu, which is a collaboration with "Okami". This gift is open to all players, including those who have already played Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess as well as those who will purchase the game in the future.

These new Mazo Talismans are more for fun and cosmetics as it doesn’t actually affect gameplay beyond wasting a Talisman slot that are usually used to give player advantage in a stage.

Here’s what these new Mazo Talismans do if a player equips it:

• Jubilee – the villagers near the player start dancing in turn.

• Dancing Crane – normal attacks are replaced by dancing and fireworks are shot off during the dancing technique.

•  Amaterasu – flowers bloom at Soh’s feet as he moves.

The update also comes with a few bug fixes to improve the game even further.

Together with the new milestone and game update, Capcom released a developer series with the first video giving insight on the game’s setting.

Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is one of those unique and satisfying titles released from Capcom in years. The art direction and musical score does this game justice as it elevates a satisfying action tower defense gameplay loop with so much enemy and strategy variety that when I finished the game I easily spent over 20 hours.

For those interested in giving this game whirl, you can do so for free as there’s a playable demo now available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC that gives you a great idea of the game.

Capcom is slowly rolling out new details for their upcoming action RPG Monster Hunter Wilds by dropping quick videos describing the game’s new combat mechanics as well as featuring the new features of each weapon type available in the game.

This serves as a countdown of sorts as Capcom will be showing Monster Hunter Wilds in a big way at Gamescom 2024 as this will be the first time the game will be playable to the public, so it only makes sense to release small snippits of how each weapon will work in Wilds as many will get their hands on them from August 21 to August 25 in Colongne, Germany.

Here’s a quick rundown of what was released so far.

Focus Mode

Basic Weapon Mechanics

Greatsword Feature

Heavy Bowgun Feature

Insect Glaive Feature

Gunlance Feature

Hunting Horn Feature

Long Sword Feature

Charge Blade Feature

Hammer Feature

Light Bowgun Feature

Sword & Shield Feature

We’ll update this as more videos are released from Capcom.

Monster Hunter Wilds is the next mainline entry in the famous Monster Hunter franchise and will launch sometime in 2025 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam.

Capcom’s lineup isn’t focused on Monster Hunter Wilds at Gamescom as they will also setup demo stations for Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess, Ace Attorney Investigations Collection, and Street Fighter 6 to showcase DLC character Terry Bogard for the first time.

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.

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: Khazan is 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. 

The First Berserker: Khazan is in development for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. 

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.

The first time we saw a trailer of Black Myth: Wukong I joked that it looked great and would probably never actually come out. That was August 20, 2020. Exactly four years later the fantasy action game isn’t just available to play, it’s shattering records on Steam for single-player and online games alike.

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Madden 25 on PS5

We’re seeing an injection of fresh life into this year’s Madden thanks to the return of college football with EA Sports College Football 25’s release. The college football franchise comes off an 11-year hiatus, tying nicely into Madden 25’s pro football package. But the return of college football can only do so much for Madden 25, as this year’s experience feels more like a mechanical iteration from past entries rather than a comprehensive overhaul.

Surprisingly, the biggest innovations in this year’s Madden are found in nitty-gritty gameplay details rather than in modes or presentation. EA has been proudly campaigning its new BOOM Tech physics suite; a physics package that incorporates realistic tackles and individualized player movements. By extension, the iconic Madden Hit Stick has been re-engineered so that you can control your tackles through risk/reward hit timings. I’m a terrible tackler in these games and even I found the Hit Stick timings to be intuitive and fun to pull off, even if it sometimes resulted in the carrier breaking through a poorly timed hit.

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

— Black Myth: Wukong (@BlackMythGame) August 6, 2024

Stormind Games’ A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead is launching on October 17th, according to a recent tweet from PlayStation. Though it’s been deleted, Gematsu has a screenshot of the same, which includes a clip from what could be a more extensive trailer.

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.

Ubisoft revealed what to expect from the season pass of their upcoming open world game Star Wars Outlaw, which is set to release on August 30, 2024.

If you’re familiar with Ubisoft’s season pass offering, you won’t be surprised with the contents of this package as this features new content that will be released soon after the game launches.

Here’s how Ubisoft describes the two Story DLCs planned for Outlaws.

Star Wars Outlaws: Wild Card – Coming Fall 2024

Kay is hired to infiltrate a high-stakes Sabacc tournament, but as she crosses paths with the notorious gambler Lando Calrissian, she soon learns that another game is being played.

When this first story pack is released, Season Pass owners will also get the Hunter’s Legacy Bundle and the Cartel Ronin Bundle with additional outfits for Kay and Nix plus cosmetics for Kay’s speeder and her ship, the Trailblazer.

The release of the Wild card Story DLC will also come with more cosmetics bundles — Hunter’s Legacy, and Cartel Ronin,

Star Wars Outlaws: A Pirate's Fortune – Coming Spring 2025

The Trailblazer’s reputation precedes Kay as she runs into veteran pirate Hondo Ohnaka, who is looking to settle old scores with a ruthless gang of pirates.

The season pass also features some added content for early purchasers of the package as you get an extra mission on launch day titled ‘Jabba’s Gambit, and character cosmetic pack for main character Kay and Nix. More cosmetic.

Star Wars Outlaws is the next open world game offered by Ubisoft as it will be available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S|X, and PC.

Developer 11 Bit Studios announced that they will be delaying their upcoming city builder sequel Frostpunk 2 to simply polish the game even more and enhance game mechanics based on player feedback gathered during the game’s latest beta tests. So, from a July release, they’ve decided to now release the game on September 20, 2024.

Based on a Steam post from Design Director Jakub Stokalski and Art Director Lukasz Juszczyk, they shared what resulted in their decision to push the game my roughly two months.

“Based on the surveys we received after playing Beta, the average rating you gave us was 8 out of 10. We’re super grateful for that! At the same time, it was only a small slice of a work-in-progress, still-growing game. While our backlog is plentiful, it was an opportunity for us to listen to what you enjoyed, and what didn’t quite land yet”.

“This allowed us to prioritise things better, and bring upfront the features and modifications we were already working on. But we also realised that to guarantee the best possible experience on launch, we need more time to finish the development of Frostpunk 2. That’s why we made the difficult decision to postpone its release to September 20th, 2024”.

The added time to work on the game isn’t only focused on just polish as they plan to work on new additions to the game’s mechanics, such as an ‘extensive” UI and UX enhancement, and a new city feature called Zoom Stories where you can zoom-in specific parts of your city to see the day-to-day life of your people.

Feedback is generally positive, but the team things they can improve it even further based on feedback, and i’m all for it.

Frostpunk 2 will launch on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC through Steam and Epic Games Store. The post-apocalyptic city builder will also be available on PC and Xbox Game Pass on day one.

PGDX 2024 featured numerous developers, big and small, showcasing their titles during the 3-day event. On day 2, Atlus and Sega took center stage to present their upcoming JRPG, Metaphor: ReFantazio, with Atlus’ game designer Naoto Hiraoka leading the showcase.

A Message from the Game Director

The showcase began with a video of Metaphor’s game director, Katsura Hashino, sharing a few words about the JRPG. He provided a quick overview of the concept and vision for the title, which takes a high-fantasy route instead of the modern setting familiar from the Persona and Shin Megami series.

Hashino emphasized that Metaphor marks a return to the basics of JRPGs while retaining the distinctive art style seen in recent Atlus titles. If you’ve played Persona 5 or Persona 3 Reload, you know what I’m talking about.

The Development Team

During the showcase, Hiraoka highlighted the impressive development team behind the game:

• Director: Katsura Hashino (Shin Megami Tensei 3, Persona 3)

• Character Design: Shigenori Soejima (Persona 3, Persona 4, Persona 5)

• Composer: Shoji Meguro (Persona 3, Persona 4)

• Concept Art Designer: Koda Kazuma (NieR: Automata)

• Gauntlet Runner Design: Ikuto Yamashita (Neon Genesis Evangelion)

• Archetype Design: Yujio Himukai (Etrian Odyssey series)

Atlus, Sega, and Southeast Asia

While the showcase was mainly focused on Metaphor: ReFantazio, Hiraoka then shared the importance of Southeast Asia, especially the Philippines as Atlus titles have a strong fanbase in the region.

Filipinos have been feeling the presence of Sega recently as the region was treated with multiple events hosted by Sega to promote Persona 5 Tactica at Moon Rabit Cafe back in October 2023, then Persona 3 Reload at High Grounds Cafe at the start of this year. Sega was also present at previous events such as ESGS 2023 where they had theirbooth featuring their recent and upcoming titles for con-goers to give their titles a try.

With Metaphor: ReFantazio being a new IP for the company, Hiraoka hopes it will receive similar enthusiasm from Filipino fans.

Soon after, giveaways were given to those in attendance.

Metaphor: ReFantazio is set to release on October 11, 2024, for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC (via Steam). You can learn more details of the game’s combat here, or if you’re interested in the different editions available, Altus is offering an Atlus Brand 35th Anniversary edition that comes with tons of bonus items.

Despite the success of Destiny 2’s The Final Shape expansion, which concluded the 10-year-long light versus dark saga, developer Bungie has been hit with another major layoff wave. This is their second layoff wave since being acquired by Sony in 2022. This decision affects 220 employees, which is 17% of the studio’s workforce.

Destiny 2 The Final Shape received an impressive 89 critic score and a 7.8 user score in Metacritic, the franchise’s highest score to date. According to Steamdb, Destiny 2 reached its second all-time peak as the launch of The Final Shape expansion garnered 314,634 concurrent players on one platform, a couple of thousands shy from it’s all-time peak on Steam.

“These actions will affect every level of the company, including most of our executive and senior leader roles,” said Bungie CEO Pete Parsons in an announcement post at Bungie’s official website.

Parsons then explained how the company reached this decision:

“For over five years, it has been our goal to ship games in three enduring, global franchises. To realize that ambition, we set up several incubation projects, each seeded with senior development leaders from our existing teams. We eventually realized that this model stretched our talent too thin, too quickly.  It also forced our studio support structures to scale to a larger level than we could realistically support, given our two primary products in development – Destiny and Marathon. “

“Additionally, in 2023, our rapid expansion ran headlong into a broad economic slowdown, a sharp downturn in the games industry, our quality miss with Destiny 2: Lightfall, and the need to give both The Final Shape and Marathon the time needed to ensure both projects deliver at the quality our players expect and deserve. We were overly ambitious, our financial safety margins were subsequently exceeded, and we began running in the red.”

Another major change within the company is that one of Bungie’s incubation projects, described as an “action game set in a new science-fantasy universe,” will be transferred out of Bungie, with development continuing under a newly formed studio within PlayStation Studios.

What does this mean for the Future of Destiny and Bungie?

It’s hard to have a clear idea of the future of Destiny 2 as the game is coming off the final conclusion of a narrative they’ve been telling since the franchise started back in 2014. After the conclusion of The Final Shape expansion, new stories are slowly being told to carry the effects of the saga’s conclusion, but many, including myself, are unsure if Bungie’s plans for the series will be able to replicate the same success.

As for Bungie as a studio, it’s incredibly sad that the success of The Final Shape expansion didn’t stop the bleeding. It seems that the layoffs were inevitable, and the success of the expansion merely determined the extent of the impact. The loss of 220 employees is significant, more than double the number of layoffs from October 2023 when the company laid off 100 employees. This is demoralizing to see, especially since Bungie was acquired by Sony in 2022, with leadership promising no layoffs post-acquisition. This is obviously not the case.

The future of Destiny 2 is now uncertain within its community. Some players remain optimistic, while others consider The Final Shape expansion as the “true end” of the game. For players who have committed to the game for years, it’s a hard pill to swallow seeing such an amazing expansion followed by job losses. As of this writing, 850 employees remain at Bungie, focusing on Destiny 2 and continuing development on their next shooter title, Marathon.

Are you a player of Destiny 2? What do you think about the layoffs and the future of the franchise?

I was fortunate to sit down and talk to Ranida Games’ CEO and studio head Ben Banta, along with the head of business development, Walter Manalo. Ranida Games participated in the recently concluded Xbox Game Camp Asia event, and they shared their experiences and also gave us a glimpse into the current state of video game development in the Philippines.

Ranida Games, based in the Philippines, started in 2015 and is known for infusing Filipino culture into its games. Their notable titles include the mobile game PBA Basketball Slam, which features official PBA licensing, and Bayani, a PC and mobile fighting game inspired by revered Filipino historical figures like Jose Rizal and Andrés Bonifacio.

What is Xbox Game Camp?

The program, which started in 2020, aims to "empower people from traditionally marginalized communities and non-traditional backgrounds to realize their potential in the gaming industry and grow thriving games communities and industries around the world." It has had different iterations in various regions, including Africa, Sweden, Korea, and now Asia.

Opportunities for local Filipino game studios to gain such exposure are rare. Banta and Manalo shared that they eagerly embraced this opportunity despite their years of experience in the industry. The team was "hungry to learn".

"Even if we are veterans, it doesn’t mean we know everything," Banta said. The program allowed them to be mentored by industry professionals, providing insights and advice on game design, narrative, and marketing. Banta was particularly thrilled to be mentored by veterans like Ken Lobb, known for his work on the original Killer Instinct game. This was an event that took place over a few weeks through online sessions.

Xbox Game Camp as a Creativity Catalyst

At Xbox Game Camp Asia, participants were tasked with either enhancing their current projects or starting something new. Ranida Games, known for fighting and sports games, stepped out of their comfort zone to pitch a narrative-driven cooking simulator game called Soul Food.

They produced a trailer for Soul Food and polished the concept for Xbox Game Camp Asia. The game features a cyberpunk-like setting where players create food that can potentially bring back customers' lost memories. It’s a crazy mix of ideas and concepts developed in a short time but showcases how programs like Game Camp can inspire creativity.

Ranida Games plans to reveal this project to the public at this year’s PGDX but time will tell if it's a project the studio will pursue to completion.

Xbox's Support for Southeast Asia

Xbox’s presence in the region and its outreach to local studios like Ranida Games provide developers like Banta and Manalo with more confidence in the future as they continue tackling new projects.

"Xbox being in Southeast Asia gives us the confidence to know there’s someone we can reach out to and ask for help,"

Both Banta and Manalo emphasized the value of Game Camp, highlighting how the studio can revisit previous sessions and utilize the resources provided to elevate their game development process.

Related articles: Fallen Tear: The Ascension — CMD Studios’ Bold Leap into Indie Development

Addressing Industry Challenges

With Xbox’s growing support for developers worldwide, it puts a spotlight on the other challenges in the Philippine video game industry. Studios like Ranida Games have been fortunate to operate for years, but much is still lacking.

Mentorship and Learning: One of the critical needs identified by Banta and Manalo is the importance of mentorship. Despite their experience, they emphasized the value of learning from industry veterans. "We want to learn so we can teach," they said, highlighting the necessity for continuous education and knowledge sharing within the industry. Programs like Xbox Game Camp greatly help here.

Accessibility to Development Kits: Accessibility remains a significant issue. Although Ranida Games specializes in mobile and PC platforms, they face challenges in expanding to consoles due to limited access to development kits. This barrier hampers their ability to diversify and reach broader audiences, or have the opportunity for their developers to learn development in those platforms.

Budget Constraints: Budget constraints are another major hurdle. While Ranida Games aspires to develop its own titles, financial limitations push teams to juggle outsourcing projects to support larger endeavors abroad. This issue is prevalent across many local studios in the Philippines, where outsourcing services are often the primary source of revenue. The need for financial support and investment is critical for these studios to thrive independently.

Public Perception and Comparisons: Banta and Manalo also shared that local developers often face unfair comparisons to triple-A titles. With their games, such as PBA Basketball Slam and Bayani, being compared to franchises like NBA 2K or Tekken, there is a need for greater public awareness of the unique challenges and achievements of local game development. Increased recognition and understanding can help shift perceptions and garner more support for homegrown talent.

Despite these challenges, there is optimism for the future. Banta and Manalo believe that showcasing Filipino innovation and creativity is key to advancing the industry. Events like the 2024 PGDX, which feature sections for indie developers, provide much-needed exposure and opportunities for local talent to shine. The presence of foreign visitors from the video game industry at such events further enhances the potential for international recognition and collaboration.

The Road Ahead

The experience of Ranida Games at Xbox Game Camp Asia highlights the transformative potential of such programs for game developers in the Philippines. Through valuable mentorship, creative challenges, and exposure to industry veterans, studios like Ranida Games are gaining the tools and confidence needed to innovate and grow.

Ranida Games soldiers on. I’ll keep an eye on Soul Food and see how that project materializes. As for other projects, they did mention development on Bayani stalled but is now back on track to release a new character for their fighting game. Bayani is still in Steam’s Early Access program since 2019.

Despite the significant hurdles of limited access to development kits and budget constraints, the passion and talent of Filipino game developers remain undeniable. For Banta and Manalo, mentorship and support are critical in bridging the gap between potential and realization. 

Warner Bros. Games has officially acquired Player First Games, the developer behind the recently launched MultiVersus, a free-to-play platform fighter video game.

Player First Games will continue its operations under the leadership of its co-founders, Tony Huynh and Chris White. Huynh, the Head of Player First Games, and White, the Head of Technology at Player First Games, will now report to Carlos Barbosa, Vice President and Studio Head of Warner Bros. Games San Diego.

David Haddad, President of Warner Bros. Games, expressed his enthusiasm about the acquisition:

“We have worked with Player First Games over several years to create and launch MultiVersus, and we are very pleased to welcome this talented team to Warner Bros. Games. The bright and creative team at Player First Games adds to our extensive development capabilities.”

Tony Huynh also shared his excitement:

“Our team is excited to join the Warner Bros. Games family, and we feel that this will be great for MultiVersus overall. We are working to make the MultiVersus game experience the best it can be and having our development team integrated with the publisher is optimum for the players.”

About MultiVersus

MultiVersus, developed by Player First Games with production support and live management by Warner Bros. Games San Diego, features an ever-expanding roster of popular characters from Warner Bros. Discovery franchises. The game is available now as a free download for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 consoles, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One consoles, and PC.

The fighting game will soon enter its second season as it was announced in Evo 2024 that Samurai Jack and Beetlejuice will be joining the fighting game

Why This Acquisition Matters

This acquisition could be a double-edged sword. For Warner Bros. Games, this bolsters their portfolio even more, especially in the fighting game genre considering they have Mortal Kombat in the mix. For Player First Games, this could either bolster their efforts in supporting the game in the long run or struggle to meet both expectations from Warner Bros. and the community that has stuck with them during the open beta phase.

Only time will tell but Warner pushing through with this acqusition shows promise with the developer’s potential in the long run, beyond MutiVersus.

In a recent Blizzard livestream, Blizzard and various Diablo IV team members unveiled our first good look at Diablo IV’s upcoming new class called the Spiritborn debuting when the Vessel of Hatred expansion goes live later this year.

It’s an entirely new class based on the new region called Nahantu, where the expansion will take place. It’s a unique class that calls up four Spirit Guardians to help him fend off the hellish monstrosities found in Sanctuary.

Here’s what to expect from the new class:

SPIRITBORN

• The Spiritborn are an entirely new class in the Diablo series that call upon the strengths of four Spirit Guardians: Jaguar, Gorilla, Eagle, and Centipede. They are masters of hand-to-hand combat with a versatile playstyle that allows them slay demons with the aid of spirit energy.

• Hailing from the brand-new Nahantu region, the Spiritborn have a rich history that revolves around their dedication to protecting the Spirit Realm, a ghostly reflection of Sanctuary where the souls of the jungle have a purpose beyond life.

• The Spirit Guardians represent the connection between humans and the natural world. The warrior sees her strength in the Gorilla, the hunter sees his speed in the Jaguar, the strategist sees their vigil in the Eagle, and the apothecary sees her practice in the Centipede and the decay it devours.

• Utilize the new Skill Tag, Incarnate, to embody the traits of a Guardian and receive a passive bonus.

• New Legendaries and Uniques tailored to the Spiritborn will be available with the Vessel of Hatred expansion. These items can lean into different playstyles of the Spirit Guardians, augment or amplify skills, or amplify a player’s inherent power.

• A new class quest will be available for the Spiritborn once players have reached Level 15. Embarking on this quest will allow players to become attuned to the ways of the Spirit Guardians and unlock the Spirit Hall.

• Use the Spirit Hall to enhance a Spiritborn build by choosing a Primary Spirit for a special bonus and the addition of the Spirit’s Skill Tag to all Skills. At Level 30, players can choose a secondary bonus from the same Guardian or a different one that will either strengthen the bond or intertwine it with another Guardian’s mechanics.

Diablo IV’s first expansion, Vessel of Hatred, will launch on October 4, 2024 for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC.

Grinding Gear Games revealed the 3.25 update of their ever-popular action RPG Path of Exile. Titled Settlers of Kalguur, the July expansion contains various balance improvements set to shape up the meta and add new content when the expansion goes live on July 27.

Settlers of Kalguur will add a long list of balance work, but just like previous seasons, a new league will be introduced.

Here’s what you need to know about the Settlers of Kalguur Challenge League:

“In the Settlers of Kalguur Challenge League, players will help Kalguuran pioneers build the town of Kingsmarch and establish trade between Wraeclast and their homeland. Players will focus on mining exotic resources, hiring and protecting skilled workers to construct and defend the town, and build out a harbor to establish and manage trading. Once the town is constructed and trade is underway, players will be able to buy and sell currency and other stackable items in the Currency Trade Market, and craft and recombine powerful weapons and items on the Runesmithing Table.

Ascendancy classes will be refreshed with the addition of the new Warden class, as well as a rework of the Gladiator. The Warden will replace the Raider class, focusing on elemental attacks, damage mitigation and a specialization in Tinctures, which can now be found throughout the land. The Gladiator class maintains powerful skills for Bleeding and Block, along with receiving newly designed skills including the opportunity to invest in Retaliation Skills, a new type of skill that allows you to unleash devastating damage upon meeting certain conditions in combat.

Endgame content will see changes to many Scarabs, a 6th Map Device Slot, new encounters in Tier 16 and Tier 17 Maps, updates to Blight and Ritual and more. There will also be a set of new Chisel types and a massive increase in the drop rate of Valdo's Puzzle Boxes.“

The developers shared the patch notes for update 3.25 and as expected, it’s quite extensive as it tackles various changes to certain skills concepts and even adds quality-of-life changes. For those interested in deep diving into the changes one by one, patch notes are right here.

Console Love

The reveal of 3.25 also came with the developers improving console performance on PS5 and Xbox Series X as the action RPG is now taking “full advantage of PS5 and Xbox Series hardware” as you can expect a huge reduction in load times and texture pop-in. Good news as console performance has been criticized as of late, especially players on the PS5.

Path of Exile 2 Closed Beta coming soon

Grinding Gear Games also announced that they are hard at work in developing Path of Exile 2 and that the first closed beta test for the sequel will happen soon, encouraging players to sign up for a chance at being the select few to try out the game before launch.

The Settlers of Kalguur expansion goes live on July 27, at 4 AM (GMT+8).

The theme park simulator Park Beyond was just updated recently with its fourth DLC release called Beyond the Skies of Arabia, a new pack that adds new options for players to customize their ideal park.

The DLC pack comes with new theme park maps, entertainers, flat rides called the Star Map and Power Loop 1.0, and shop-building prefabs inspired by the tales of Scheherazade. The highly requested coaster type called the Spinning Coaster was also added, as well as over 230 themed scenery items to customize your future parks around the new DLC.

Park Beyond has been out since 2023 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam. Those who own the game’s annual pass will get the Skies of Arabia for free, including the two other DLC packs released so far — Beyond Extreme, and Beyond Depths. With Skies of Arabia out, this completes the content planned for those who own the annual pass for 2024.

No word if more content will be played for the game for the rest of 2024 and beyond.

Bandai Namco Entertainment and FromSoftware have delivered an expansion for their blockbuster action RPG Elden Ring that hits all the spots and chews up any player naive enough to think that their overpowered characters stand a chance against the new content. It’s roughly 20-30 hours long, depending on a player’s eagerness to explore and their skill in dealing with the most difficult encounters. This is no picnic. This is no half-baked add-on to satisfy the masses. This is a true expansion in every sense of the word, and despite a hefty price point, it’s probably the best piece of DLC ever released.

A DLC meant to frustrate and push your skills past your limits

Off the bat, it’s smart for FromSoftware to gatekeep the Shadow of the Erdtree by requiring players to defeat a specific boss on the main path, plus an optional boss that’s guarding the entrance to the DLC. The optional boss, whom less than half of players defeated before the DLC’s release, was a great test for players thinking of rushing into the new content, as the area where said boss resides is normally only reachable after 50+ hours of game time (faster for veteran players, of course). With this in mind, I had to replay the game to prepare myself for the new content as I made a new character and also revisited my old characters, since the last time I played Elden Ring was back in 2022.

I was rusty, and with good reason. But no matter how much I prepared for the DLC, it wasn’t enough. I never felt a sense of ease while exploring this new area. The bosses were unforgiving, something that I and most of the soulslike community greatly appreciated. There’s no sense of respite or big opening, as once you enter the boss' domain, you’ll need to bring your best as they’ve tailored these fights with the expectation that players engaging with them are seasoned and well-equipped. 

The little things make these DLC bosses far more difficult in comparison to those in the base game. Foes that dual-wield are the worst, as there’s always a lingering second attack that punishes those too reliant on the i-frames of their character’s dodge, or who find refuge in their high-poised shield block. Some combos feel like they go on forever, something that personally tested my stubbornness while learning their move sets. Every major boss felt like a massive roadblock. I’ve spent hours on several encounters, resulting in this review coming out rather late as I’ve been struggling with some of them, and this is exactly what I wanted and expected from the DLC. 

“Git gud?” Definitely. As in any soulslike game, the feeling of finally achieving victory over these monstrosities brings a unique high that I’ll always appreciate. It feels like a heavy fog has lifted, resulting in a new path filled with other encounters ready to deliver a similar feeling.

Messmer the Impaler was one of the toughest bosses that stood out for me, but what I appreciate about FromSoftware’s boss fight philosophy is that some bosses feel difficult or easy depending on the player’s playstyle and build. As I progressed through the DLC, I saw colleagues and friends express that one particular boss or another was far more difficult than the ones I personally found challenging. I had a conversation where I was saying that Messmer and the final boss tested my limits, but Rellana and another boss were far more punishing for them. Each boss brings a new set of challenges, either forcing players into familiar places or uncomfortable positions through sheer pressure. You need to keep adapting.

An open world that’s beautiful and knows how to inflict pain

Beyond the boss encounters, Shadow of the Erdtree’s open world delivers yet again with a strong sense of exploration, rewarding those eager to upturn every rock in the hopes of finding something rewarding. The quality of the environments is on par with the base game. Some might even argue that the art direction has improved. FromSoftware’s design philosophy has emphasized how exploring is king, and each new weapon or item entices me to give it a shot, and since I’m using a character with a crazy amount of materials, upgrading them to make them viable for the DLC content was a breeze.

My new favorite is the Milady weapon, equipped with a unique moveset that somehow decimates new enemies, breaking their poise and leaving them open for easy punishment. The DLC not only provides new weapons but also new Incantations, Spells, crafting items, armor sets for flair, and a lot more.

When you explore and gain the new DLC items, don’t think it’ll be a breeze going from one new boss to another, as the open world has its fair share of crazy enemies that could be mini-bosses in their own right thanks to their crazy move patterns. I never felt safe despite being over level 150+, as they designed the DLC to make every hit and every damage taken mean something, keeping the tension. The unfamiliar will be punished by this world, and no amount of health or leveling up will prepare you for ambushes and traps found in either the new dungeons or locations.

New upgrades - Scadutree Fragments and Spirit Ash Blessings

There’s a sense of balance in the DLC as the game gets a bit more manageable if players pick up Scadutree Fragments and Spirit Ash Blessings found in the new map, another major incentive to explore the land.

As mentioned in my initial impressions on the DLC, you will come across items called Scadutree Fragments as you explore the new location. These items increase a player’s damage output and enhance their damage mitigation. Spirit Ash Blessings improve your summons and increase the life total of your trusty steed, Torrent, making them all more resilient against the expansion’s most deadly foes.

Simply put, there will be more room for error with these upgrades. It doesn’t necessarily make the game easier, but it will make the difference whether your character can survive three boss attacks instead of two. I like the additions, as it brings the experience back to its roots - ergo, despite your level and weapons, these encounters will always feel like you’re always a few seconds away from revisiting the ‘You Died’ screen for the nth time.

Planting more lore seeds for the diehards

The Shadow of the Erdtree expansion also has its fair share of storytelling in the most FromSoftware way. Things are still vague, but there’s a series of new characters introduced that provide more context to this part of the world, with new details that will entice lore enthusiasts that pieced the Elden Ring world together. Remember those living pot creatures? We get more information about them. You might find a piece of added lore by simply stumbling upon a deep dungeon complex with a short boss waiting at the end. 

I was never much of a fan of the storytelling style of FromSoftware’s soulslike games, and if you’re on the same boat, don’t expect much to change here, as they embrace their style and deliver it the same way as they did in the base game. 

This is one of the meatiest expansions I’ve ever encountered in a video game. It could be its own game. All of the additions Shadow of the Erdtree makes are everything a Soulsike fan could hope for, as they’ve delivered a challenging experience with fresh ideas not only in the boss encounters, but in the environments, enemy variety, and even new items that freshen up the co-op and even player versus player space. While many think the price point for the DLC is a bit steep, I can clearly say what you get here more than justifies the asking price, and if you love Elden Ring, you should definitely not skip Shadow of the Erdtree.

Verdict: 5/ 5 (Exceptional)

PROS

• Fascinating boss battles that are challenging and unique

• A massively beautiful new location filled with novel surprises, enemy types, and encounters

• New equipment and spells freshens up the two-year-old game, encouraging new builds revolving around them

• Scadutree Fragments and Spirit Ash Blessings are a great solution to preserve the game’s unique experience

CONS

• Price point might feel a bit steep for some

• The requirements to access the DLC are necessary but intimidating

What I’ve Played 

• Beaten all of the key bosses (missing some optional)

• Explored most of the new location (I think)

• Played the DLC through two characters

*This review is based on a review copy provided by the publisher

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.

Also coming to Game Pass later this month is Mafia: Definitive Edition, which will become available for subscribers on August 13. 

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.

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.

Star Wars Outlaws launches on August 30th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. Check out ten new things we learned about it based on new gameplay. You can also head here for the PC requirements or discover its various accessibility options.

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.

Squires, take a look at our #Gamescom2024 roadmap for #KCD2! ⚔️

We have lots of surprises planned for you. Will we see you there? pic.twitter.com/KXTjJuxypF

— Kingdom Come: Deliverance II (@KingdomComeRPG) August 5, 2024

After shining the spotlight in Life is Strange: Double Exposure’s cast of core characters with a couple of its previous trailers, 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 Exposure launches 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.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.

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.

For Baldur’s Gate 3’s biggest fans who haven’t stopped talking and thinking about it since it launched, it probably doesn’t feel like Larian Studio’s Dungeons & Dragons RPG was released a year ago. Yet, here we are, a full trip around the sun since the RPG left early access and was finally unleashed on the world. For…

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While many gamers await the much anticipated PlayStation 5 Pro, Microsoft has introduced a few new options of its own. There isn’t a new Xbox Pro model or anything just yet, but for the first time, we are getting an all-digital Xbox Series X.

The new all-digital version, available in Robot White, offers 1TB of storage and all the speed and performance of the standard Xbox Series X. The new model looks very similar to the regular hardware; the only major difference is the absence of a disc drive. This model will retail for $449.99, which represents a $50 savings over the disc drive version.

Apparently it’s 2012 all over again, and publishers are once more attempting the move of requiring always-on internet connections to play single-player games. That’s been revealed to be the case for Call of Duty: Black Op 6's single-player campaign, not just on PC as it has been for years, but now on consoles too.

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