Initial buzz about Grounded was minimal; just an inkling that something fresh might emerge in gaming. Yet its sudden explosion into mainstream consciousness proved otherwise; mesmerizing millions with its blend of survival, exploration, and crafting gameplay. Obsidian Entertainment seems to have created some form of magical shrinking potion that allows us to experience life from an ant's point of view! Grounded was an unexpected sensation that captured everyone's interest surprisingly early. A stealthy title that initially managed to stay under the radar before blossoming into something amazing and inspiring players around the globe; suddenly everyone was talking about survival in backyard environments!

Crafting Depth, Overcoming Challenges...

I have spent endless hours wandering among towering blades of grass, building intricate fortresses, and fighting massive insects that would send any arachnophobe shrieking with fear. It is an extraordinary world with beauty as well as fear; every dewdrop could provide life support while spiders could pose grave threats; its ability to transform everyday things into extraordinary experiences is truly astounding. Far from me to recommend to those who buy PS5 games a title that I did not finish and totally enjoyed it. Grounded may contain quirks - software bugs not of the garden variety - which are sometimes annoying, yet these issues are easily overlooked given its sheer joy of discovery. Every corner offers new challenges; discovering an underground cavern or crafting a powerful weapon are always exciting experiences in Grounded!

Stealth and Survival Mechanics

Survival mechanics in Antsy are deceptively deep for such an apparently straightforward premise, from gathering resources, crafting tools, and building your base to exploring your surroundings and fortifying against monstrous insects lurking behind every corner. I spent hours fortifying my base only for it to become overrun with angry ants; an experience both thrilling and frightening at once! A game about being shrunk down seemed like an odd choice of subject matter; yet once I ventured into that unfamiliar and overgrown world I became fascinated and became fully immersed in its strange beauty, creating an unparalleled feeling of discovery!

An Engaging Experience for Both Beginners and Veterans Alike

Every blade of grass and dewdrop holds something special to reveal; there's great pleasure in exploring this miniature world and piecing together what happened here. Grounded's humor also stands out: from absurdly large bugs to its quirky dialogue, Grounded, among PS5 adventure games, manages to be both frightening and delightful at the same time. Grounded stands as proof of what can be accomplished with fresh perspectives and taking risks; its success speaks for itself and millions are playing this beloved title!

Final Thoughts: Exceed Expectations

Obsidian Entertainment has conjured an immersive universe that is both intimate and massive in scale. A backyard that was once mundane transforms into an expansive wilderness where every dewdrop may become its own lake; every pebble becomes its own formidable mountain; not simply another take on "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids." Obsidian has created something bolder - an immersion into an alienated reality where survival becomes ever-present anxiety. Grounded isn't without its problems; performance issues may hinder gameplay at times and some of the later game content feels thin at times, yet these are minor drawbacks in what otherwise represents an exceptional package.

If keeping just yourself alive in the Alaskan wilderness sounds tough, try having to keep several people alive all while fending off psychosis and Lovecraftian monsters. Sounds like a handful, right? That’s the kind of high pressure situation horror survival game Edge of Sanity throws at you, and it’s just had its release date locked in.

I don’t know about you but one of my purest joys in gaming is leaping over stuff. From Mirror’s Edge to Dying Light, mantling and running and jumping and landing is always brilliant and is something gaming absolutely nails. That’s why I’m looking forward to the newly-announced standalone entry in the latter series; Dying Light The Beast. If you’re looking forward to it too then there’s good news - you may be able to get the game for the grand price of nothing.

.

Read the full article on GamingOnLinux.

.

Read the full article on GamingOnLinux.

.

Read the full article on GamingOnLinux.

What are the best Minecraft texture packs? These colorful and game-altering texture packs can make your world a new experience. Of course, Minecraft's low-fi charm is part of the draw, but texture packs range from subtle changes to an all-over reskin, so you can choose just how much you want to leave vanilla Minecraft behind. We've scoured and tried a bunch of different packs to be able to recommend the very best.

Just like the best Minecraft mods and shaders, texture packs can help give an entirely new feel to one of the best PC games of the last decade, and it's just one of many ways of keeping the sandbox game feeling fresh after all these years. While some mods can alter Minecraft gameplay, and shaders change the quality and style of the graphics, texture packs allow you to add a new skin to existing blocks. Included in our list of the best Minecraft texture packs are realistic blocks, cartoonish overhauls, and cute changes to the way Minecraft mobs look.

Stellar Blade's planet Earth lies ravaged and abandoned; skyscrapers puncture its murky sky like monuments of fallen civilization; humankind now struggles for survival on distant space stations ejected by monstrous entities known as Naytiba; however there remains one spark of hope as Eve, an individual wielding an iconic Stellar Blade sword, descends upon it determined to recover what's been taken.

Does Stellar Blade Reminds of Other Games?

Stellar Blade's post-apocalyptic setting, where remnants of civilization struggle for survival amidst monstrous threats, may recall The Last of Us' dark and atmospheric world-building. (Just in case you did not played it - and I do not think there are too many real gamers who did not do it already - you must buy The Last of Us.) Both games feature an earth that has become hostile against humanity's efforts at survival - with abandoned skyscrapers contributing to feelings of desolation and despair that is present throughout both games.

Stellar Blade adds its own special twist by including elements of space travel and cosmic entities known as Naytiba into its sci-fi post-apocalyptic narrative, further creating an engaging experience for viewers. Eve's presence wielding Stellar Blade sword sets in motion an extraordinary journey focused on recovering what has been lost against impossible odds. The combat is very different between the games (and we will talk about it soon).

Post-Apocalyptic Survival and Cosmic Exploration

Stellar Blade creats its own identity in the action-adventure genre by mixing elements of post-apocalyptic survival with cosmic exploration, creating a compelling story around Eve's quest for redemption. Is the story engaging? It is engaging enough but quite linear, lacking any depth or mistery, pretty commercial if you ask me. (Check other games with similar combat in our article about exclsuive PS4 and PS5 games.) The Last of Us is a clear masterpiece where Stellar Blade is nothing of this kind, just a slightly above average single-player game that has superlative elements but also minuses in so many ways.

Steps for Making An Informed Deliberation.

So the question stands: is Stellar Blade worth spending space-bucks on? The answer will depend entirely on what appeals to you in a videogame experience.

Stellar Blade for Combat Connoisseurs:

Stellar Blade will offer an engaging combat system, rewarding skill and mastery through parries, evasions and Beta/Burst Gauges to unleash devastating attacks - providing gamers with an immensely enjoyable gameplay experience. Without a doubt, the main reason why someone will buy Stellar Blade is to experience the Sekiro-like challanging combat, the diversity of enemies and tough bosses. Of course, in a totally different setting, however, recognizable in the defense-driven approach of the award-winning Sekiro: Shaddow Die Twice.

Stellar Blade for Exploration Enthusiasts:

Stellar Blade offers an intriguing post-apocalyptic world just begging to be explored, perfect for anyone seeking adventure. Vast landscapes filled with crumbling cities and treacherous terrain offer ample thrills and spillover. For the truly daring spirit, this game may provide more than enough excitement!

Stellar Blade for Story Seekers:

Stellar Blade may leave some gamers wanting more, especially if narrative innovation is your top priority because this is a very linear tale lacking deepness, character development, and more. While its worldbuilding is exceptional, predictable plot points and character depth may cause them to disengage with it quickly, so these players are better served if they are looking elsewhere.

Conclusion

The story develops as Eve attempts to connect with what remains of human civilization while searching for four hypercores guarded by powerful bosses, each unlocking another piece of the puzzle: its secrets behind an apocalyptic event, exodus to space, and Naytiba origins. Combat is the main dish when it comes to Stellar Blade, and even if derivative, it is recognizable and similar to that of Sekiro: Shaddow Die Twice. After all, if you copy someone, choose that someone carefully. Although somewhat predictable in plot development and execution, its narrative doesn't lack charm and Eve is quite an attractive picture - exploring forgotten settlements while discovering stories about past inhabitants add emotional depth - creating a realistic world with crumbling buildings and abandoned street corners feeling lived-in rather than felt during tragedy's heavy weight.

Nuclear terror returns as an issue thanks to events during Ukraine's conflict and attacks against Chernobyl plant installations, prompting gamers to recreate scenarios revolving around them in this console game. Chernobylite is a first-person shooter at its core but it also has developed an important RPG base. Some label it as a hybrid, but I still believe it is a shooter-first video game. Stealth plays a role but shooting is the bread and butter of gameplay. The essence of the video game lies within its "mission completed, find materials, return to base - create something" cycle. If cyclical patterns appear boring to you, that may not be what this game offers you - at least not initially!

Similar to many but unique in its way... Chernobylite

Though an aesthetically appealing game, do not expect Horizon Forbidden West or similar open-world titles that take your breath away. While improvements have been made here there are visible increases in terms of atmosphere and lighting inside interior environments. It was compared with Fallout, Horizon Forbidden West, Wasteland 3, and more. There are commonalities but it is a safe assertion that Chernobylite is pretty different and if you're in the marketplace searching to buy PS4 shooting games, your search stops here. Technical improvements over earlier versions are obvious, with no deficiencies in terms of graphics and speed that make the game title appear more appealing compared to its counterparts on PS4 and Xbox One.

Technical improvements are obvious on PS5 and Xbox Series X

Chernobylite can reach 4K resolution at 30fps using PS5 graphics mode, providing Ray Tracing as well as enhanced textures and shadows; performance mode increases this resolution to 1080 px at 60 fps, boasting excellent graphic quality. Typically, objects and environments in PS5 tend to appear more realistic in terms of lighting effects such as shadowing and shadows than they do on PS4, although we must emphasize that we played it through on its version on PS5 for comparison purposes. One aspect that stuck out was how developers had to make compromises for Chernobylite to run properly on this specific hardware platform - not bad but certainly nothing that looked vibrant or polished.

Chrnobylite is a fantastic buy for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One

As soon as the PS5 version of my console game launched, my eyes were amazed to witness its superior graphics fidelity. Jagged edges that existed on previous generations of hardware no longer existed on PS5, while shadows provided for every leaf or blade of grass within their individual shadow. It's not surprising that if you buy PS5 games you'd prefer this version to the PS4. It is a good thing that developers offer free upgrades from PS4 to PS5 versions, so nothing is lost. There is much to appreciate in this collection; from its brilliantly designed systems that adapt easily, to fantastic vocal acting in English; to simple scavenging procedures like looking around your area for signs of fungal infection until collecting said fungal growth; everything here makes for an engaging adventure!

Conclusion

Overall, Chernobylite is an excellent shooter, and no matter what device you play, the good parts are much more important and will offset the bad parts. Particularly, I believe that is one of the top choices in the first-person shooter category for players who buy PS4 games. With modern hardware, immersion increases to such an extent that I no longer recommend any other means for playing Chernobylite; using modern hardware simply enhances this experience further. Though glitches do still occasionally arise, the major ones no longer pose as much of a hindrance compared to before. One such instance was when switching from inside structures into open-world zones where frame rates drastically dropped when transitioning out of structures into them; that issue no longer arises.

Wear your best attire against radiation exposure as we embark on an adventure that blends survival, management, and RPG elements with first-person action gameplay and supernatural elements - with Chernobylite now 4 years after its initial release, is still worth it? We look forward to sharing more about this underappreciated shooter game in our review... If you want to find out what I was thinking about this shooter when it was released, I suggest you read my previous review: Chernobylite - You Have to Survive in the Exclusion Zone. I did not change my views, but the rant about the developers is irrelevant now. Reviews belong to their time and moment, this is why I revisit the game today.

What is Chernobylite?

Chernobylite can best be described as an action RPG that combines shooter elements with base building/team management. While this combination might seem unlike anything you would typically play on PlayStation 4, I can honestly attest that at minimum it works extremely well together to keep you engaged for hours on end! Chernobylite is made for shooter players looking to buy cheap PS4 games. While its PlayStation 5 performance may occasionally not meet expectations (with occasional frame drops from time to time and loading times that range up to 20 seconds max), its excellent mind management properties more than makeup for its limited consistency when played in Performance Mode and loading time that ranges up to 20 seconds max!

Lots of RPG Elements in this Hybrid Shooter - RPG

Scrap metal is a great source of scrap and various other metals as we leave the base (electronic elements or fuel ...), from Chernobylite we can create various kinds of items and work tables, ranging from simple kitchens in which we can cook some meals and prepare medicines and tables that are specifically designed for crafting or upgrading weapons such as traps, ammunition or even armor. A mission that is soon put to waste due to the appearance of the mysterious Stalker who can kill one of Igor's fellows and hurts another. However, Igor gets some Chernobilite the bizarre substance Igor had been looking for, and permits opening "wormholes" to allow the transport to different areas.

The Narrative Experience Checks All My Boxes

Chernobylite excels as a narrative experience because its branching storylines allow players to make crucial choices that impact not only themselves but also other characters as they search for their missing fiancee. To me, if you buy PS4 shooting games in 2024, Chernobylite is a no-brainer. From choosing companions and resource allocation decisions to dialogue choices that change outcomes - your decisions in Chernobylite's branching story provide endless ways for outcomes to change the game!

Survival Is More than a Physical Strive

Chernobylite puts our readers into the shoes of Igor, an engineer at the Chernobyl power plant who, upon receiving mysterious images from his deceased wife who vanished after its explosion thirty years prior, decides to return back into work at its site. Survival in Chernobyl is not simply about physical survival - it also takes an emotional toll. Nuclear terror reemerged during Ukraine's conflict when attacks against Chornobyl's facilities occurred, leading to more speculations surrounding the nuclear disaster. This title brings this topic front and center.

Conclusion: The Gameplay Is Better Than Expected

In my opinion, that may be a little skewed in favor as I enjoyed this game, Chernobylite is among the best PS4 games you can buy in the first-person shooter space. The gameplay in The Zone itself is captivatingly entertaining: Resource management becomes paramount as you scour for materials to craft equipment to tackle its anomalies and hostile factions; combat is fast-paced but focused around tactical approaches utilizing the environment as you target enemy positions; it is never about mindlessly shooting at foes; each bullet counts. Furthermore, the base building adds another level of strategy, permitting crafting gear, researching upgrades, and forging alliances between survivors, all while the countdown to each mission ticks away inexorably.

Both Remnant: From the Ashes and its sequel Remnant 2 offer thrilling boss encounters that require intricate strategy for success, cementing their place among gaming excellence in this genre. Bosses with unique movesets and abilities offer encounters full of variety; Remnant 1/Remnant: From the Ashes, who also has more varied bosses, stands out in particular by encouraging multiple tactics against each adversary precisely because they are varied. so you have to adapt to each situation.

Soulslike Combat

Remnant (both its predecessor and sequel) presents players with captivating and unforgettable combat experiences through its boss battles, marked by individual traits, detailed backstories and visually arresting displays of aggression. It's time to explore and buy PS5 games that have as their model the celebrated Demon Souls but are at the same time different and innovative enough to be worth playing: Remnant is one of those. Souls-esque games provide formidable challenges while providing profound depth that allows players to decipher animations, anticipate attacks and ultimately emerge victorious without succumbing to damage; an extremely satisfying feat!

Examples of Boss Fights in Remnant: From the Ashes and Remnant II

Here are some examples of boss fights from each game:

Remnant 1

• Gorefist: A large, lumbering beast that attacks with melee and ranged attacks.
• Shroud: A shadowy figure that teleports around the arena and attacks with a variety of projectiles.
• The Mangler: A grotesque creature that uses its long tongue to grab and pull players towards it.
• Brabus: A heavily armored knight that wields a large greatsword.
• The Ent: A massive tree creature that attacks with its roots and branches.
• Singe: A fire-based boss that uses a variety of fire-based attacks.

Remnant 2

• Obryk: A towering warrior who wields a massive shield and hammer.
• Erfor: A cunning assassin that uses stealth and poison attacks.
• Tian: A skilled archer that attacks from a distance.
• Ikro: A powerful ice mage that controls the elements.
• Brudvaak: A skilled horseman who fights alongside his war dog.
• Harsgaard: A powerful sorcerer that wields a variety of arcane magic.

Do not be deceived by its dull introduction! At first, Remnant: From the Ashes may appear unassuming with characters seeming interchangeable and an ineluctable narrative producing no thrills or spillover. Don't fall prey to its subpar opening sequence though! You will soon be hooked! But once you begin shooting at demons, the atmosphere changes significantly: clicking of reloads and hits are instantly familiar, reminding us of horror shooter classics such as Clive Barker's Undying or recalling Left 4 Dead's hectic atmosphere.

Conclusion

Gunfire Games stands out among recent attempts such as Immortal: Unchained in its ability to bring Dark Souls' framework into a shooter context with satisfying results, especially through shotguns and hunting rifles that deliver a satisfying punch. Solo experiences often fall short in meeting challenges posed by difficult bosses compared to teamplay dynamics enjoyed by three players or more. Bosses that come accompanied by dangerous mobs make solo play an unpredictable cat-and-mouse game that puts even experienced gamers to shame! I was convinced to buy Remnant: From the Ashes by other players and reviews who compared it with Demon Souls. I liked other Souls-like games too... Nioh may lack Bloodborne's captivating game world and characters, yet its extensive long-term content trumps this fact; nevertheless, it offers an enjoyable, stimulating, and intelligently orchestrated journey similar to what can be found within Souls games.

Steam store page – Twitter/X – Wikipedia

I know that I’m extremely late when it comes to the Palworld hype. Palworld released in early January 2024 and currently, since there aren’t a lot of updates dropping, the hype died out. Yet, the roadmap looks extremely promising. Since this game is still in early access, I’m always hesitant in writing about the game. Since, you never know which mechanics or things will change and evolve during the early access period. Especially since we are currently only at v0.1.5.1. So, I decided to hold off on my first impression/review article for now. But, I wanted to talk about this game. So, here are some things I’d love to see in the full version of Palworld or even in one of the next updates.

First of all, what is a Palworld?

Palworld is a combination of several games, all thrown into one. It’s easy to describe Palworld with saying which games it combines.

Foremost, at its core, it’s a game you can somewhat compare to Ark Survival Evolved. When I first started playing, I noticed the similarities right away. The way how you have a crafting system to build your base, and you have monsters running around you can tame/catch is totally here as well.

I haven’t played a lot of Ark, so I can’t say if this mechanic is also present in Ark… But, the fact you can use your monsters to preform tasks in your base reminded me quite a lot of The Survivalists. A game where you are stranded on an island, and you can train monkeys to preform actions for you. The big difference is that now certain monsters can only preform certain tasks, instead of the monkeys just copying you.

Now, a lot of other articles describe this game as Pokémon with guns. After playing this game, I think that’s a somewhat unfair comparison. When I think Pokémon, I think a journey with gyms and an evil team. I think turn based battles and a big ending tournament as its conclusion. While some Pals share a very similar design language to some Pokémon, most of the mechanics of what makes a Pokémon game aren’t in this game. The other big mechanic is the capture mechanic, but by now this isn’t exclusive to Pokémon games anymore. Especially since we have games like Coromon.

There are also influences of the latest Zelda games. Especially Tears of the Kingdom. There are these huge, strong bosses roaming around on the huge open world map, you can beat at any time. Also, the korok seeds to upgrade your character are also here in the form of effigies and Pal souls to upgrade your monsters.

This game really feels like the developers looked at all the games they liked playing, looked at what worked and threw it all together into one pot and shook it until it all clicked together. The mechanics of this game really click extremely well together. If I didn’t know any better, I wouldn’t be surprised if I said that this was a finished game.

There are some silly bugs here and there and in some spots, this game feels unfinished. But, overall the game we have currently is amazing and if you would enjoy a game like this after reading what I wrote here… Give this game a try. I only told you the most basic things in this game. This game is a survival game with elements from a lot of other games like those I have already mentioned but also Minecraft, Dragon Quest Builders and various others.

Let’s talk improvements

While the game is a lot of fun to play at the moment, there are some things I wish that were improved or updated. While you get a lot of warnings that there are: save corruption bugs, crashes and bugs… Besides sometimes the lighting engine giving up for a moment or the AI of the pals or enemies doing some funky stuff, I haven’t seen too many worrying things.

Take for example this floating rock screenshot here. I have explored roughly half of the map after 35 hours of play, and this was the only floating rock I could find. That’s extremely impressive, especially since if you look at the size of the map… It isn’t small at all. In the future, new islands and area’s will be added so if they deliver them with this kind of quality, I have no complaints.

Well, I do have one recommendation. I’d love to see more landmarks in the map. Currently, almost all the landmarks in the game are based upon the terrain. I’d love to see more villages or ruins of them. I loved finding these things in the Zelda games and letting my mind wonder what happened there. It’s a very difficult balance act, since too many landmarks would make the map feel crowded and limit the amount of possible base locations.

Basically, I’d love more reasons for me to go exploring these regions and get unique rewards. Besides completing the Paldex, there isn’t a lot of reason to go exploring in certain area’s. And when you have set up the right kind of farms and work stations for your pals in your bases, the chance you run out of resources is rather small.

Speaking about bases, currently you can only have three bases. Most likely, this is done to improve the multiplayer performance. Since, the game emulates the three bases in the background, so you can easily have a base close to big ore clusters to farm those while you are working in your other base. If you don’t place a cap on those, it’ll tank the performance of any computer or server. Yet, I’d give the tools to the player to increase the cap. Personally, I think Minecraft has one of the best systems with the game rules. You can almost change anything to your playstyle and even disable or remove caps that are there for performance reasons. You already have quite a lot of toggles and sliders in Palworld, but I’d also expand on that.

Currently, the building system is decent, but it needs a lot of polishing up. The biggest problem I have with the building system are the stairs. It’s a nightmare sometimes to place stairs to go from one to another floor. Also, why can’t we place a full wall next to stairs? Most likely because some pals their hitbox would do some crazy stuff? Also, placing certain items or crafting stations on elevated floors doesn’t always work the best.

On top of that, besides the visual look of the floors, walls and ceilings, what’s the point of being able to unlock stone foundations? As a test, I tried to build a high tower with wood and one with stone. I didn’t find a difference. I’d love to see more meaning to what I unlock. Granted, stone can’t burn down. So, if you have any raids with flamethrower or fire enemies, your base isn’t in danger. But what’s the difference between stone and metal, then?

I honestly think that it’d be a bad idea if PocketPair only created more content and not make the mechanics have more depth. For example, something I’d love to see them implementing in the pal task system is a mechanic I love in Cult of the Lamb. When you welcome a new member in your cult, you can set the main focus of a member there. I’d love to see that you are able to set the main focus per pal. For example, when things are damaged in the base after a raid, you select one pal to go and get the repair kits and repair all damages first before going to do their usual tasks. Or when you have a pal that can do multiple things, and you mostly need that pal to pick up items, you could disable their other abilities. Maybe we need some items for that and those items can be only found in the wild, and we need to hunt for them. That’s an interesting idea to lure players out of their bases.

Dreaming like a madman

There are some UI elements I’d love to see change as well. First, I’d love to have a mini-map. The compass at the top of the screen only shows things in roughly 300m range, and that’s too short. Especially since in some areas the warp spots are spread quite far apart. A mini-map where you can pin certain things like the nearest warp spot would be amazing.

Secondly, in terms of the weapons. I’d love to see their stats before I craft them. Now it’s a guessing game that if I craft a certain weapon, if it’s going to be stronger or better than the one I currently have. It’d also be amazing if the durability is shown outside the inventory as well. There is some space in the UI element at the bottom right, so why not show it?

Now, in terms of the inventory. Sometimes I have issues with combining stacks of items. Sometimes I have to do it twice or thrice before they are combined. This is a rather small things, but outside of those… I don’t have a lot of small quality of life things that I could recommend. Maybe that if you sleep during the day in your bed, you can skip to night if you are hunting the nightlife pals?

Maybe there is one quality of life feature I think would be amazing. Quite often, when I’m hunting the stronger pals, I have my pal instructions set on “Focus on the same enemy”. I think it would have an amazing option if you have a feature where you are able to say to your pal if they are allowed to kill the wild pal or not. Since, if they are dead, you can’t capture them.

There is one attack that is a double-edged sword. In the Pokémon games, you have the self-destruct attack. You also have this one in Palworld, yet, some wild pals with this attack always take it over their other attacks. These bee pals always swarm me and instead of being able to weaken them, so I can catch them, I just get blown up. You barely have a chance to do any damage to weaken them to make capturing possible.

I just remembered one other quality of life feature. You can create saddles, gloves and other things to do special things with your pals. But, why I am allowed to create more than one? I mean, I can only use one of them at a time and they can be interchanged. So, if you make a saddle for a certain bird pal e.g. Helzephyr, that means you can use it on all Helzephyrs you catch.

But the biggest quality of life feature PocketPair could add is a mini-map inside caves/dungeons. The times I almost got lost in these caves is insane. Especially since there are only a handful of rooms in these and it’s easy to get turned around and confused.

Now, to completely change the subject… I wish there was more music in the game. The soundtrack in this game is amazing. Sadly, there isn’t enough in the game at the moment, so there are some silent moments. A little bit more ambient tracks would go a really long way in this game.

But, I saved one of my biggest things for last. That is inventory management. This is a total pain in bases. Since pals can put things inside chests, you can forget organisation. Thankfully, while crafting, the game pulls from all resources in your base, but if you need a certain item to use at another base, have fun to go searching through all your chests. What I usually do, if I can, is start crafting an item with the one I want to move and then cancel it. Since it drops the resources then and there. Now, how to solve this without breaking the game and the idea that pals can put things in chests? What if you have a new skill that pals can have? An organisation skill and depending on the level, they either put red things with red things or make a weapons chest and come to complain to you when there aren’t enough chests for their organisation?

If your base is fully set up, the proper of a lack of depth starts to show as well. When you build your base, why should you return to it besides needing to craft or repair your weapons? Give us some activities we can do in our base when we build them. I mean come on, we even have the amusement furniture set. If only we could play some mini-games with our pals to increase their sanity for example? Since currently, there is not a lot you can do when a pal is stressed.

Of course, a certain balance needs to be maintained. The more things a pal can interact with, the more chance you have to create lag or overwhelm the player. Also, the more depth you create, the more things you have to maintain and maybe that’s not the type of game that PocketPair wants to create. How I currently see Palworld is a playground sandbox in the schoolyard. It’s an amazing playground where you can make your own fun but it’s only part of the schoolyard and only has a swing, some monkey bars, a climb rack, a small castle and a slide. It’s all solid built and amazing to spend your time in… But, then you notice the potential this sandbox has to grow. What if we enlarged that sandbox with another castle, so the multiplayer can be player vs player as well? Or wait, why don’t we add an underground to that sandbox?

All I’m saying is that currently Palworld has an amazing foundation. The biggest issue at the moment is that the game lacks depth. While the current roadmap has a lot of expansions and more content, I hope PocketPair doesn’t forget to also make it more than just surface level. For example, imagne that the raid bosses can be captured and barely have an unique skills. Why should the player do the raids then? What reward do you get out of it? Not all mechanics can be fun because they are enjoyable to do. Players will get bored and they will look for a way to spice things up or to challenge themselves.

Now what that said, I’m going to close off this article. I’m quite excited for the future of Palworld and I’m going to wait a few more updates before I decide to write a review on the game. But overall, I’m really liking what I see. The basis of an amazing title is here already and I think we are going to get an even better game when this comes out of early access. Let’s wait and see what happens when the first big updates drop. Especially the raid bosses that got teased a few weeks ago.

Thank you so much for reading this article and I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. What do you think of PalWorld and what should be added or changed? Let me know in the comment section down below. Also, what do you think of my idea’s? I’m curious, feel free to leave a comment about that one to. But, I also hope to welcome you in another article but until then, have a great rest of your day and take care.

Hello fellow gamers,

Guess what? I just scored a sweet freebie: a Steam key for V Rising. It’s like one of those action RPGs—think Diablo, Path Of Exile, and hey, even Valheim—it’s got that survival vibe with building stuff and crafting goodies.

Now, let me level with you—I’m not always into the whole point-and-click RPG thing. Too much of that and my wrist starts crying for mercy. But you know what they say, never knock it till you try it. So, I figured, why not give V Rising a shot?

From what I’ve heard, it’s got all these cool elements mashed together. You can slay monsters, build up your base, craft gear—sounds like a recipe for some serious gaming fun, right?

I’m all about games that mix it up. I mean, who doesn’t want a bit of everything? You get your action fix with the monster battles, your strategy kicks in when you’re plotting your fortress, and then there’s the crafting part where you get to create some epic gear. It’s like being a one-stop-shop for all things gaming.

Plus, the whole survival angle? That’s a game-changer. It’s not just about bashing bad guys; it’s about surviving in a world that wants to eat you for breakfast. I dig that kind of challenge—it keeps you on your toes, you know?

So, yeah, even though I might not be the biggest fan of clicking my way through an RPG marathon, I’m willing to give V Rising a whirl. Who knows, maybe it’ll surprise me. Maybe it’ll be the game that makes me rethink my whole gaming playbook.

And hey, getting a free Steam key? That’s like finding money in your pocket you forgot about. It’s a win-win situation. Worst case, I play for a bit, have some laughs, and move on. Best case, I find my new gaming obsession.

Anyway, if you have any comments, questions or reactions then please post them in the comments section below. Also, please consider following, liking and sharing to your friends.

Thank you for reading.

Striving for Light: Survival might sound like a strange name, but it might just be my new favorite action roguelite. Striving for Light: Survival is...

The post Striving for Light: Survival Beta First Impressions appeared first on ISK Mogul Adventures. Written by .

Whiteout Survival has passed $1 billion in gross revenue.

That's according to Sensor Tower's latest estimates, with the analytics firm saying the milestone was reached in 17 months.

It's the third fastest 2023 title to achieve this feat, following in the footsteps of Monopoly Go and Honkai: Star Rail.

Read more

Out of all the horror properties Dead by Daylight fans have been asking for, there’s always been one that’s stood head and shoulders above the rest in terms of the loudness of the requests. It’s not Friday the 13th’s Jason, it’s not the classic version of Freddy from Nightmare on Elm Street - in fact it’s a different Freddy altogether. That’s right, fans have been wanting Five Nights at Freddy’s in DBD for years - and now it’s finally going to happen.

Once Human has a built-in survival guide to clarify many of its varied, and sometimes confusing, mechanics. But even after reading the entry on fishing, new players might still feel unenlightened. It seems simple enough, but once you get your hands on a fishing pole, you might find that the question remains: how do you actually fish in Once Human?

Fishing in Once Human

Get yourself a fishing pole

This is the simplest step, as you’ll probably already have the mats required. Go to the Supplies Workbench, where you can craft your own fishing rod almost right away. You just need 20 Logs and 10 Copper Ingots.

Make or buy fishing bait

Hopefully, as you’ve run around Once Human's post-apocalyptic, Stardust-polluted world, you’ve picked every bit of corn you came across. At the Supplies Workbench, you can make 1 Dough Fish Bait using 1 Corn.

If you’ve made it to Meyer’s Market, the second zone in Once Human, you can also buy bait. There are docks on the south side of the settlement, where a lady named Margerie sells Bait for 50 Energy Links, as well as Formula: Bait so you can learn how to make your own at the Supplies Workbench for 3 Rubber.

During fishing events, Margerie also sells other types of bait, and you’ll find vendors with different stock as you progress further into the world. Upgrading your Cradle will also unlock better bait recipes and fishing poles.

How to catch fish

Drag your newly crafted fishing pole to the hotbar, then find yourself a body of water big enough to house fish. Hit the hotkey to equip your fishing pole and press R to open the bait menu. Every fish you hook, whether it’s successfully caught or escapes, uses one Bait, so make sure you have plenty.

Bait selected, hold down the left mouse button. Just clicking the mouse button will give you an error message that you “cannot fish here.” Some players (not me) will believe the message and run around to different water holes, trying to fish and growing increasingly frustrated. So, hold down LMB.

A green circle indicates where you’ll cast your line; it turns red if you’re over a non-fishable area. Move the circle to an ideal location and release LMB to start fishing.

Once you cast your line, two new indicators appear on the screen. The one in the bottom center represents the fishhook’s location on the water’s surface. Once it bobs downward and the icon turns blue, click and hold LMB to begin reeling in your fish. You only have five seconds to click, or the fish will get away.

The indicator on the right side of the screen shows two gauges: Escaped vs. Hooked and Break vs. Slack. You want the Escaped/Hooked bar to fill up; the Break/Slack bar will ideally remain in the middle. If this second bar empties, the fish escapes.

To successfully reel in a fish, rotate the camera in the direction opposite to the way the fish is swimming. Then hit F to take it off the line.

What to do with caught fish

Fish decays over time, like other perishable foods in Once Human. At the beginning of the game, you’ll have a basic recipe to grill it up on the Stove, but it will still go bad in 24 hours. To preserve it, you can dry it out with Salt on the Meat Drier or keep it cool in the Refrigerator once you’ve unlocked those facilities.

Other uses for fish include:

• Put one in a Fish Tank (Cradle > Building > Display Facilities)
• Use special catches as currency at certain vendors like Margerie
• Make melee weapons with certain species

Now that you know how to fish, you have a readily available food supply as you combat the Stardust pollution in Once Human and work to heal the land.

The post How to fish in Once Human appeared first on Destructoid.

The Fallout 76 of today is a far cry from the sparsely populated wasteland it was at launch. In the six years since Bethesda’s open-world multiplayer survival RPG launched to a decidedly lukewarm response, the team has worked hard to transform it into a vibrant playground for post-apocalyptic shenanigans. With the Milepost Zero update currently in testing on the PTS, PCGamesN sat down with lead producer Bill LaCoste and creative director Jon Rush to talk about how its new caravans are just the addition it needs.

Combining the action RPG combat of Diablo with the survival and base building of Satisfactory, The Riftbreaker is an impressive genre mash-up. It’s a fast and fluid mix of ideas where you bounce between calm moments of construction and frantic fights, but you’ve always had to do this alone. That’s not going to be the case for much longer though, as developer Exor Studios details all the mechanical changes coming to the new co-op mode, and you can still sign up to give it a try ahead of time. Best of all, The Riftbreaker is dirt cheap right now in a Steam sale.

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

When is the next DBD chapter release date? New chapters seem to be arriving in Dead by Daylight all the time, with new characters, maps, perks, and more coming to the horror game. Thanks to regular communication from the developer, we can use the roadmap to determine when the next content update arrives.

With around four new chapters a year, it’s a wonder the team at Behaviour are able to come up with new perks and powers for the new DBD killers and survivors. Somehow they do, and the year nine Dead by Daylight roadmap confirms a total of nine new characters once again. We've had Vecna as part of the Dungeons and Dragons chapter, and the next is up in July - here's what we know about the next DBD chapter so far.

What are the best Minecraft seeds for 1.21? In essence, seeds are codes that Minecraft uses to generate worlds for you. With the right seed, you can live your every fantasy in this amazing game, like easy-access strongholds for speedrunning, beautiful landscapes for building, or rare structures for looting. Given the infinite nature of Minecraft seeds, we've scoured the internet and tested out own to find the coolest and most demanded seeds.

You can leave your world generation completely up to fate, but if you’re unlucky, you could spend hours looking for a Minecraft village, an ancient city, desert temples, or whatever else you want to experience in the sandbox game. So that you don't waste time exploring a bad seed, keep reading our comprehensive list of 40 cool Minecraft seeds, or use the handy jumplinks to find the specific experience you're looking for. Unless otherwise stated, these seeds work for Minecraft Java version 1.21, the latest version of the game, so make sure your Minecraft launcher is set up for version 1.21 before heading into the game, or you may get different results. You will use these seeds in Bedrock edition thanks to parity, but some structures may differ.

The medieval King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table are usually depicted as heroes, fighting off the Anglo-Saxons as they try to take over Britain. In Sworn, a new co-op roguelite that takes inspirations from Diablo and Hades, Arthur is corrupted, and you must fight through a fallen Camelot to slay him and save the realm.

I have a confession to make: I am one of the three people on this planet who didn’t love Balatro. This is, admittedly, not Balatro’s fault. Traditional card games have never sparked any particular joy within me. The red-and-white procession of numbers and shapes is all a bit too dry for my taste, and my transparent poker face leaves me ill-equipped for psychological warfare. Balatro and OTA IMON Studio’s Zet Zillions may only be direct competitors insofar as they both let you throw cards around a screen, yet I have to commend the latter for being the first deckbuilder to turn my head in 2024.

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

Monster Hunter is one of the greatest action RPG franchises in the history of the genre, offering unparalleled combat experiences. There's something incredible about getting a group of allies together and taking on an enormous creature with a deadly weapon. If you've not experienced MH for yourself, the latest Steam sale may be the perfect opportunity.

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

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

There is no other game quite like Devil Daggers. Created by Sorath and originally launched in 2016, Devil Daggers is a contest of skill and perseverance, its steadily increasing difficulty calling to mind Gears of War's horde mode, its bullet hell design offering an FPS game spin on shmups like Ikaruga or Battle Garegga, and its infernal visuals taking notes from Doom or Quake. It's a tremendous work, endlessly compelling and, best of all, available for just under $3 USD right now.

Deck-building card games have exploded in popularity over the last few years in the indie space, and no game is more plenary of the burgeoning genre than Inscryption. The game exploded onto the scene in 2021, accumulating multiple Game of the Year nominations and awards for its challenging and complex gameplay. Oh, and be prepared to be scared. If you haven't played the game, you're in luck because it is having one of its most significant sales on Steam since it first launched, marking the perfect opportunity to hop in for the very first time.

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

The Wild West is such a fantastic setting, yet it sometimes feels a little underutilized in gaming. Classics such as Gun, the original Red Dead Revolver, and the excellent Call of Juarez paved the way for Rockstar’s masterful Red Dead Redemption 2. Yet new boomer shooter Chambers, from the developer of the surreal Golden Light, blends that western charm with fast-paced classic FPS games like Doom and Quake, and you can try an early taste thanks to a prequel available to play now as a free Steam game.

The Fallout 4 next gen update was a disaster. We knew it was likely to break mods upon release, but a spate of other issues immediately cropped up on all platforms, not just PC. While Fallout 4 enjoyed its best player count in years thanks to the success of the show, we were all met with a mess of a patch that Bethesda has finally promised to fix, and we don’t have to wait long.

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

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

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

Mechs seem to be everywhere right now. Armored Core 6 was a smash hit, and succeeded in bringing the series back from extinction. Titanfall 2 had its servers fixed and is playable again, and the upcoming Mecha Break looks to bring robot-driven PvP to the mainstream. As part of this resurgence, The Forever Winter aims for a different, more horrific angle – rather than the power fantasy of piloting the mecha yourself, you’re left to survive in a wasteland populated by 'bots that won’t hesitate to rip you apart. This is AC6 meets the brutal, survivalistic world of Fallout.

Few co-op games have been such a surprise as Sker Ritual, which in under a month has seen it receive a whopping 84% rating on Steam with 2,659 reviews coming in. A zombie shooter from a team best known for developing in fields like single-player horror and interactive movies may not seem like a natural fit for a game of this sort, but Wales Interactive has definitely made it work.

The lesson of Content Warning is that it's way more fun to be scared when your friends are filming it. The goofy (and surprisingly scary) game has just gotten its first major update, and now there's a bunch more stuff in the Old World to film and/or be terrified by. Plus: hats!

How do you upgrade your Manor Lords burgage plots? Burgage Plots are the name for houses and their surrounding land in Manor Lords, and you want the most top notch properties available if you’re going to want more families to move into the area. Upgraded burgage plots can also provide additional production areas or farms, as residents can tend to chicken coops or goat sheds in their back yard.

Manor Lords is all about the careful division of resources, the successful management of your residents, and the formation of strong armies - be it for offense or defense, and our Manor Lords beginner’s guide can help you get started. As you progress through the strategy game, one of the most precious resources of all is healthy people, and more people will only move in when you have suitable living quarters, or burgage plots, for them.

What are some cool Minecraft build ideas? The sandbox game remains one of the best of all time over a decade on from its release, but such a long time in one game means you might be running out of ideas. We've been there: you've already built a city, a castle, or even a Wild West outpost, so what's next?

Luckily, there are plenty of unique builds, farms, and creations out there to inspire your next Minecraft project. Unlike our favorite Minecraft house ideas or Minecraft castles, for example, this list is more varied, and contains plenty of inspiration. From a stylish Minecraft Nether Portal to automated farms, from massive decorative builds to homely aquariums, these ideas can be copied directly or simply used to inspire your next Minecraft build.

Wondering how to gain influence in Manor Lords? If you're just getting started in Manor Lords, there's a lot to take into consideration. You've got to keep your families happy, fed, and watered, as well as maximizing your region's production, and making sure your army is in place should any barons come knocking. That's all without thinking of the much bigger picture.

Speaking of, if you've spent any time on the 'map' tab then you'll see you occupy one of several regions in the area of this city-builder game. If you hover over any of the other regions in Manor Lords, you'll need high standing influence or King's Favor to move into other territories. So, how do you gain influence in Manor Lords?

How do you increase your settlement level in Manor Lords? The strategy game throws a lot at you at the beginning, so it's not always clear or easy to know where to start. It's good to get to grips with the basics, and that includes the smooth running of your settlement, and how to increase settlement levels to attract more families and earn development points.

Increasing your settlement level doesn't only lead to better and bigger upgrades for you and your villagers, it also provides much needed influence. This is by far the easiest way to go about raising your influence in Manor Lords in the early stages of the strategy game. So, here's how to increase your settlement level in Manor Lords.

What are the best farming games on PC? There's something about the repetitive nature of tilling and planting a field. Witnessing the slow payoff of your crops growing makes you feel in tune with nature - even if you are still sitting in front of your computer screen. The best farming games on PC can vary a lot in genre and gameplay, but all eventually come down to getting your hands dirty.

Some of the best PC games that include farming are meant to be experienced alone and focus on the relationships between your protagonist and a cast of local characters. Others, like multiplayer games Staxel and Farm Together, are all about building something with friends and the fun of creating something together that’s more than a prewritten story, so the genre is still full of variation. Whether they're cute and casual town games like Stardew Valley or more realistic business ventures like the Farming Simulator series, we've found a mix of the best farming games that should hit every quadrant of the agricultural games graph.