Steam

The early access release of Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown has been a bit of a disaster, as server connection timeouts have entirely revoked access to the game for thousands of players. This issue is rather serious and has incited a lot of outrage, as it directly affects those who purchased the priciest $90 Gold Edition of Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown. View the full article

Let's start with a confession about one of my greatest weaknesses. I absolutely adore the HD-2D visual aesthetic from the Octopath Traveler series, and I'll play anything that employs it. Is your game unpolished with a bug that may or may not ruin save files? I'll take my chances with it in HD-2D. Am I also looking at a 30-hour plot that reads like your intern randomly threw up gobstoppers labelled with names, places, and plot twists? How concerning—now gimme my HD-2D. Obviously, if you choose to wrap this modern-meets-ancient art-style around one of the most celebrated RPGs of the golden age of gaming, well, winged serpents could not drag me away from your HD-2D quest. I'll clear my calendar for such a rejig, even if I didn't grow up with the NES original because it didn't launch in my country. For a few Aussies, like me, our introduction to DQ3 was a Game Boy port of the SNES refresh, which sold a million cartridges on launch day in '96. Apparently, it also caused 300 ********* fans to be arrested for truancy—a bit of gaming trivia I love almost as much as HD-2D. Speaking of delaying education, I'm going to tell you what to expect with Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake in two shakes of a Jackanape's tail. For now, though, let's service the needs of the "mind's already made up" types, because I know you exist. If that's not you, by all means skip the window shop by clicking here to continue. Preorder Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake Nintendo Switch Get it at Amazon - $84.95 $79.95Get it at JB Hi-Fi - $84.95 $83Get it at Mighty Ape - $84.95 $74 PS5 Get it at Amazon - $99.95 $89.95Get it at JB Hi-Fi - $99.95 $97Get it at Mighty Ape - $99.95 $74Get it at PS Store (digital) - $99.95 Xbox Series X|S Get it at Xbox Store (digital) - $99.95 PC Get it at GMG (Steam) - $89.95Get it at Steam - $89.95 The standard edition comes with the game, along with the preorder bonus (detailed below), which includes a handful of in-game upgrades for your team of heroes. Don't worry if you don't see your store of choice in the list above. We'll add new retailers as the listings become available. Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake Preorder Bonus Preorder the game from any retailer, and you’ll receive the following in-game items: Elevating Shoes x1Seed of Agility x3Seed of Magic x3Seed of Defense x3Seed of Strength x3Seed of Life x3Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake Impressions Here's the basic overview: Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake is a brand-new version of a classic RPG that first blew minds on the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1988. It’s a faithful remake that, despite the significant graphical revamp and refined narrative elements, doesn’t stray too far from the source material. If you're already an uber fan, you'd know that the first three Dragon Quest games represent the Erdrick Trilogy, and (kinda sorta spoilers) this third installment was actually a prequel that outlines the first steps of the adventure. Semi-confusing, no? Anyway, you must fill the 16-bit boots of a 16-year-old child of a hero named Ortega, who was sent to defeat the villainous Baramos. Your old man cocked it up, so the king sends you and a group of companions to rectify his mistakes. By the by, it should also be mentioned that you're not going to hit end credits and be left in a narrative lurch for long—Dragon Quest 1 and 2 HD-2D upgrades are in the pipeline for 2025. It's very much worth getting in on the ground floor now if you've been wondering what all the fuss is with this (soon to be) 12-games-thick franchise. While I only had roughly an hour's worth of hands on with DQ3, I found it to be surprisingly delightful and engaging, despite the somewhat creaky bones source material. I'm told that there will be new story elements and never before seen vocations for its heroes. Sounds like cutting room floor stuff that the diehard faithful will drool over. Getting into the technicals, I noted Performance and Graphics modes on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S, and more. The former translates to 60 frames per second, and the latter is a 4K resolution. Not sure why we can't have both there, to be honest. This being a turn-based combat affair with the only major motion being your top-down traipsings across the overworld...I just went 4K and was perfectly happy. I also noted that the devs are offering a choice between two protagonist appearances and three difficulty settings. If you do take the plunge there, you can always fall back on some quality of life features, including autosaves (with manual saves still available). Given that the combat here is light on the animations to preserve the OG feel, I was glad for the ability to speed the fisticuffs up with my shoulder buttons. Just give me my XP and a host of victory affirming, 16-bit-esque sound effects, please and thank you. Other welcome additions included two camera modes, and a mini map which could be toggled on. I also love this feature and wish it was in more RPGs that I have to finish in dribs and drabs—an NPC conversation log that saves the last 30 interactions. Looking back through my notes, it seems I also appreciated the now vestigial visual aesthetic where towns in the overworld appear like miniatures when compared to your super-deformed party. It's also cool that the level designers add in rolling topography to what were once pancake grid overworlds, not to mention some gorgeous dappled light caused by foreground trees and moving clouds up beyond your vision. It's modern things such as this—like the day/night cycle shoehorned in—that really make one appreciate the extra effort gone into enhancing this in sensible, non-destructive ways. Unless my eyeballs and instincts are deceiving me, this package already has the feeling of being built by a team who worship the original article. Playing a remake like that is always an infectious experience, and I can't wait to fill the gaps in my understanding of the "in the beginning" of a series I came to love later in the piece. November 15th can't arrive soon enough. Adam Mathew is our Aussie deals wrangler. He plays practically everything, often on YouTube. View the full article For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Valve opened the gates to new players in August to finally test Deadlock, the new third-person MOBA-shooter the developer had been working toward for many years—and it appears the exciting game is making Dota 2 players abandon ship. Deadlock was initially closed to the public, available only to a few thousand players. However, with Valve allowing existing players to invite their friends, the game quickly eclipsed 150,000 concurrent players in September. On the other hand, Dota 2’s player count has been on a downward spiral, dropping below 600,000; the game’s lowest player count in well over a year. While Dota 2’s player base has been declining since May, the drop has visibly accelerated with Deadlock’s growing popularity—especially among popular streamers like Shroud and AverageJonas. View the full article

Today’s LoLdle quote is the perfect way to end the week, particularly if you know a League of Legends champion with a strong complex about their not-so-great height. If you’re unsure of which short queen or king says LoLdle‘s Sept. 6 quote, we’ve got the answer. Who says, “It’s only a short way. Is that a short joke?!” in LoL? The LoLdle quote on Sept. 6 is, “It’s only a short way. Is that a short joke?!” The League champion who says this line is Veigar. View the full article

Seven-star Incineroar Tera Raids are popping up in the Paldea region in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, and it’s your job to beat the cat with the right partner Pokémon by your side. From Thursday, Sept. 5 at 7pm CT and to Sunday, Sept. 8 at 6:59pm CT and again from Thursday, Sept. 12 at 7pm CT until Sunday, Sept. 15 at 6:59pm CT, you have the opportunity to challenge and catch Incineroar with the Mightiest Mark in a special Tera Raid event. The Alola ***** Starter is feared as one of the best ‘mons in competitive play, so don’t expect this raid battle to be easy. It’ll take a strong counter to take this cat down. View the full article

Combat log in Rust can be a lifesaver—especially during intense PvP battles. The log displays stats like the number of attackers, weapons used by them, hits, and, most importantly, damage dealt to everyone involved in the gunfight. This helps you decide whether to continue engaging in combat (if they’re low) or flee the area if possible. With that in mind, here’s how to check the combat log in Rust. View the full article For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

If something’s on a downward trend, you can say it’s subsiding. As “Subside” is one of the clues in today’s NYT crossword puzzle, the answer (if you can’t figure it out) may make you feel like you’re on this downward descent. And that’s why you’re here. This clue is three down in the Sept. 6 NYT Mini Crossword puzzle, and although there are many synonyms for this particular word, there’s actually only one that fits into today’s crossword puzzle—the answer to this crossword clue’s below. View the full article

The game will have a playable demo build at the event. View the full article

Sony says it doesn’t have enough original IP content to lean on for releases, which is a very odd sounding statement for fans of the company’s original games. Sony’s CFO, Hiroki Totoki, told Financial Times in an interview “whether it’s for games, films, or anime, we don’t have that much IP we fostered from the beginning.” Totoki made this statement while ironing out a larger idea for a “creation shift” aimed at carving a path for Sony’s future. In order to dominate the market further, the company now needs to find more IP. It’s just… Sony actually does boast plenty from across decades of gaming history. View the full article

When choosing your name during character creation in Fallout 4, it may be worth selecting one of the many names that Codsworth, the first employable companion in the post-apocalyptic RPG, recognizes. While you may be after a more customized experience and want to choose your own or a unique name, having other NPCs directly address your character is considerably more immersive. View the full article

There are many ways to play Stardew Valley, but for some fans there's one ultimate goal. These players strive for nothing short of perfection, aiming to reach 100% completion of the game. The highly coveted milestone requires players to complete every achievement, including finding all the collectibles, catching all the fish, maxing out every relationship, and crating every item and recipe in the game. It can take hundreds of hours and, as one player recently found out, the smallest mistake can derail the journey toward perfection. View the full article

Thank your own personal deity—possibly Big Brother ****—it's Friday! Today is very much about Astro ****, the star of the moment that's garnering many a 10/10 to enjoy a braggable "94" on Metacritic. As somebody who's 100%ed the pants off of it already, I can confidently say that paying $89 instead of 110 bucks is a wise investment you won't regret. In retro news, I’m baking a big 22-shaped birthday cannoli for ******. Set within the fictional city of Lost Heaven in the ‘30s, this (literal) OG on PC blew my mind at launch with its complex ****** drama, comparable GTA III-esque action, and hilariously deformable cars. Better yet, the final scene of Tommy Angelo—taxi driving mook inducted into "myah, see" mobster by chance—is one of gaming’s most unforgettable dismounts. The classy-as-***** remake of this truly is an offer you can't refuse. This Day in Gaming Aussie birthdays for notable games. - ****** (PC) 2002. Redux - Phoenix Wright: Justice For All (DS) 2007. Redux - I Am Alive (PC) 2012. Get Table of ContentsNintendo SwitchPCXboxPlayStationLEGOThe Weekly Top 10Nice Savings for Nintendo Switch Expiring Recent Deals Or gift a Nintendo eShop Card. Switch Console Prices How much to Switch it up? [/url] Back to top Purchase Cheap for PC Expiring Recent Deals Or just get a Steam Wallet Card. PC Hardware Prices Slay your pile of shame. [/url] Back to top Exciting Bargains for Xbox Expiring Recent Deals Or just invest in an Xbox Card. Xbox Console Prices How many bucks for a 'Box? [/url] Back to top Pure Scores for PlayStation Expiring Recent Deals Or purchase a PS Store Card. PlayStation Console Prices What you'll pay to 'Station. [/url] Back to top Legit LEGO Deals Expiring Recent Deals Back to top The Top 10 Games in Australia (According to IGEA and Game Sales Data.) W/E: Aug 25 Borderlands 3New Tales BorderlandsGTA VRainbow Six SiegeBorderlands GOTY******: TrilogyMinecraftMadden NFL 25Monster Hunter RiseHogwarts Legacy Back to top Adam Mathew is our Aussie deals wrangler. He plays practically everything, often on YouTube. View the full article For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Another title has joined the Xbox Game Pass games for September. The new addition brings a touch of adventure to the lineup with some extreme sports. The Ubisoft 2021 title brings the total number of new games available this month up to five. It's also the only multiplayer game to be offered to subscribers this month. View the full article

Street Fighter 6 has sold four million units globally. As the latest entry in Capcom's juggernaut franchise, Street Fighter 6 released to multiple platforms in June 2023. Since then, it has been said that the franchise has sold more than 50 million units overall, dating back to the first Street Fighter in 1987. With seven mainline games, and over 20 variations and versions of previous titles, many fans claim that the series' success continues to grow indefinitely. View the full article

Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 is already off to a strong start, netting a 24 hour peak of 134,302 concurrents. Its start was good for fifth overall on Steam's charts despite only being able to players who purchased the Gold and Ultra editions of the game. But it wasn't an entirely flawless victory for the anticipated sequel. Players soon reported problems with joining the server, including members of the IGN staff. Fans quickly took to X/Twitter and other forums to express their frustration with the experience. Fix the servers. "Joining server" is ******** all of us. And being stuck on "joining server" after completing a mission isn't fun. We have to close the game and reopen just to be told to redo the mission we just completed — kurokami️ (@kurokamekami2) September 5, 2024 Similarly, while Space Marine 2's Steam reviews currently sit at "Mostly Positive," a few fans complained about graphics drivers and a lack of ultrawide support, among other issues. Focus Home Entertainment acknowledged the problems in a post to its official website, saying, "We are aware of the technical issues you're encountering on #SpaceMarine2 and are sorry for the inconvenience. Our teams are currently working to fix them.Please keep providing feedback and make sure your read this note on the most common issues." We are aware of the technical issues you're encountering on #SpaceMarine2 and are sorry for the inconvenience. Our teams are currently working to fix them. Please keep providing feedback and make sure your read this note on the most common issues: [Hidden Content] [Hidden Content] — Focus Entertainment (@Focus_entmt) September 5, 2024 The full post lists some of the most common issues, including crashing on the first cinematic, controller problems, and infinity loading. It also notes that linking Steam and Epic accounts is not required to play the game, saying that the Epic Online Services installation was implemented to "support optional cross-play between Steam and Epic players and to synchronize friend lists between the two stores." Otherwise, we were generally positive in our review of Space Marine 2, writing, "Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is a terrific third-person shooter with a compelling story, loads of weapons that are a blast to use, and a healthy variety of enemies to use them on. It once again borrows many of its ideas from the Gears of War series, but they’re good ideas, and Space Marine 2 does a fine job of making them its own. And while the Operations PvE mode that accompanies it doesn’t currently offer enough to keep me coming back, the deep customization options for your Space Marine do look promising if it’s supported in post-launch updates as planned. Besides, when you’re eviscerating aliens on planets as pretty as these, it’s hard not to leave satisfied." Space Marine 2 is slated to fully launch on September 9 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Kat Bailey is IGN's News Director as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot. View the full article

World of Warcraft‘s 20th Anniversary Event, which spans November and December, features many incredible activities and events. There’s one standing out above the rest though: The Blackrock Depths Raid, which players can’t wait to play again. Blackrock Depths elicited a love-hate relationship from WoW players when it first ran because it was so extensive and lengthy, and there was so much to do; it often didn’t feel worth it. All those quirks also gave it it’s long-standing charm though, with many veterans loving just how much there was to learn and conqueror in Blackrock Depths—which is why, now that it’s returning for WoW‘s 20th Anniversary, the fandom simply can’t wait to load it up. View the full article

Baldur's Gate 3 Patch 7 has brought a major new option for modding to the table, and it could change what the future of the game looks like. As developer Larian Studios prepares to eventually step away from the ongoing work on Baldur's Gate 3, putting more tools into the hands of the community helps ensure that the game will be able to live on for much longer. The new toolkit will still have some major restrictions, but it makes changing some aspects of the game much easier than before. View the full article

The new game will be available simultaneously in ********* and English. View the full article

Note: This update is for the Steam Deck Beta and Preview channels, and includes new features that are still being tested. You can opt into this in Settings > System > System Update Channel. GeneralFixed a rare 3.6 issue that could cause filesystem *********** on Steam Deck 64GB Fixed a 3.6 regression where an already-inserted SD card would not always be detected on cold boot and would require re-insertion Fixed an issue where updates would could sometimes be applied incorrectly if the unit was powered off abruptly near the end of an OS update Fixed an issue with copy-pasting UTF-8 text across applicationsDisplayImproved frame pacing with VRR on external displays Fixed an issue where internal display could be abnormally limited to a lower frame rate after disconnecting an external display with VRR enabled Fixed a 3.6 regression where the screen would be blank during part of the boot sequence Fixed a 3.6 regression where the frame limit would not apply properly in specific conditionsDeveloperSplit package reinstallation step out of `steamos-devmode` command and into new `steamos-unminimize` command. `steamos-devmode` now simply enters read-write mode and initializes the pacman keyring for use, and is much quicker.View the full article

Call of Duty: ****** Ops 6 developer Treyarch confirmed that the powerful Jackal PDW submachine **** has been nerfed for weekend two of the ongoing beta. The team is listening to player feedback from the Call of Duty: ****** Ops 6 beta and introducing new content during the second weekend as well, including new weapons and maps. View the full article

In Star Wars Outlaws, Kessel Sabacc is one of the various mini-games you can play to earn credits and other treasures. It is also crucial to understand the game for one specific mission, especially if you want to meet one of the game's Experts. There are various ways to play Kessel Sabacc, but you will need to know the ins and outs of the game and strategies to win before investing heavily in it. View the full article

One thing I was particularly curious about in the lead-up to Baldur's Gate 3's mondo-big Patch 7 was its change to Alfira, a fairly significant side-character and quest-giver. In the lead-up to release, Larian mentioned that Alfira would be able to level up and even respec with Withers, raising questions about her storyline and how it intersects with one of BG3's origin paths in particular. In brief: Don't go crazy, she's not a full companion now or anything. Spoilers for Baldur's Gate 3 Act 1 and The Dark Urge below... Read more.View the full article

Warning: The below story is packed with FULL SPOILERS for Baldur's Gate 3, particularly Karlach's new evil ending. You've been warned! Larian Studios dropped its highly anticipated Patch 7 on PC today, and with it comes a slew of new cinematics for players doing evil runs. While fans hop back into the RPG and discover the new content, one origin character's new evil ending is getting a particular amount of attention. If you're wondering why Karlach, everyone's favorite tiefling Barbarian, was trending on X/Twitter today, that's why. One fan showed her new evil ending, which you can watch below, and it's going viral just by virtue of being "absolutely metal." PATCH 7 SPOILERS! Karlach's Evil Ending in Patch 7 is absolutely metal. She goes absolutely insane! Holy *****, what a delivery!! @SamanthaBeart #BG3 #Karlach [Hidden Content] — Gali | Currently playing DA2 (******) (@gali_le0) September 5, 2024 In the clip, we see Karlach, if you're playing her as an origin character, after she's taken control of the The Netherbrain, essentially making all of Baldur's Gate her pawns. No longer the golden retriever of the group, Karlach is fully embracing her newfound control as she gives a menacing monologue to the citizens in front of her before summoning a hoard of enemies from Avernus. And, in a truly metal twist, the clip ends with her yanking her infernal heart out of her chest. About time she got rid of that dang thing. In addition to just how badass the whole cinematic is, fans are also praising voice actor Samantha Beart's new voice lines. Beart even took the liberty of highlighting one fan's, uh, passionate response to the new ending. So the last patch of BG3 has been implemented, the evil endings are out (careful of spoilers, Karlach enjoyers), and I'm framing this [Hidden Content] — Samantha Béart is Karlach (@SamanthaBeart) September 5, 2024 Other fans talked about how the new scene displays the anger and darkness that Karlach has, as she also talks about Gortash, her friend/employer-turned-betrayer, in the clip. "THIS is the Zariel-brained anger filled darkness she has, absolutely unleashed," one fan wrote. HOLY ***** this is utterly insane??? Woah,,,,, my heart aches for the path that would lead to this but ***** THAT WAS AMAZING!?!?! [Hidden Content] — Captian Mewonweyonweyon (@MellonWellon) September 5, 2024 HOLY ***** i don’t know how to feel about this one [Hidden Content] — ******** (@slut_dumbass) September 5, 2024 It's somewhat ironic, too, that a Karlach ending is at the center of a Baldur's Gate 3 conversation yet again. In a previous patch, Larian tweaked the ill-fated character's non-evil ending to give her story "better closure." Karlach isn't the only one getting a new evil ending, however, and Larian already previously revealed a dark new cinematic for a Dark Urge origin character. As for the console players waiting to ***** into the Baldur's Gate 3's massive Patch 7, which also includes official mod support, Larian said earlier today that it should arrive on consoles sometime this October. Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she's not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons. View the full article

Ever wanted a Stardew Valley style life sim that's mashed together with a fantasy RPG like Fable? Well, Mirthwood is just a few days away from filling that gap in your life. Ahead of its launch next week, a roadmap for its post-launch plans has been revealed, and it's mighty impressive. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: Stardew Valley and Fable mashup Mirthwood locks in release date Skyrim meets Rimworld in new fantasy life sim you can try right now Medieval fantasy game is Palia meets Skyrim, and it's gorgeous View the full article

The countdown to the next EA Sports FC title is well and truly on, with players champing at the bit to start building teams, solving early SBC puzzles, and most importantly, start making all the best trades to build their coin coffers. To do that, Ultimate Team players need access to the handy EA FC 25 Web App—an important tool that’s nearly here. Table of contentsEA FC 25 Web App and Companion App release dateAll EA FC 25 Web App features EA FC 25 Web App and Companion App release date The EA FC 25 Web App will be released on Wednesday, Sept. 18. Then, one day later, the handheld Companion App version will update on Thursday, Sept. 19. View the full article