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A little more than a year on from its launch, you'd be forgiven for thinking PlayStation had already thrown in the towel on the PS VR2. Very little has been released for its next-gen headset, and since it isn't backwards compatible with PS VR games, its library ******** extremely limited. That changes on August 7 as PlayStation has confirmed that's the date you'll be able to ***** your PS VR2 up to a PC and play games on Steam. You're going to need to buy an adapter if you want to do that, though. View the full article

It's time to get a shift on if you've been eyeing anything from the bumper Call of Duty ***** currently on at the Xbox store, as it will end this Saturday, June 8. Microsoft has been leveraging the extensive Activision Blizzard library in a big way with huge discounts on top games as it continues to recoup its incomprehensibly large $75bn buyout of ActiBlizzKing. While many are waiting for the CoD catalog (as well as ****** Ops 6) to arrive on Xbox Game Pass, this is a great opportunity to spend your cents sensibly if you'd rather own your games. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: Like MW3, ****** Ops 6 is just "DLC" according to Call of Duty HQ ****** Ops 6 leaks confirm return of divisive Zombies feature MW3's Kar98k is here and this build is already cracked View the full article

I beat Dragon is *****’s first boss at 5 AM. I ***** about 3 seconds later. I thought I was in a cutscene, watching him ****, and I was - for about three seconds. Then the cutscene ended, and one of his little skeleton minions whacked me in the face, and I was back to the start. But I knew I had a build that worked. I felt lucky. Twenty minutes later, he went down again, and I kept going. When I finally bought it and respawned at the Fountain of Life, I was happy to drag myself to bed… but I was also already planning the next run. What I’m saying, then, is that Dragon is ***** is a game for sickos (complimentary), and I’m sickos. Developed by Team Suneat, who you may know as the team behind Blade ********, Dragon is ***** is part Castlevania, part Diablo, part roguelite, all pixel art hack-n-slash glory. Throw in some unique RPG and progression elements, and Team Suneat’s latest dish is shaping up to be finger-licking good. Let’s get it out of the way: whether you’re traipsing around the corrupted, skeleton-infested remnants of a once-sacred forest or just walking through a camp of tired, worn-down, hopeless soldiers, Dragon is ***** features absolutely stunning pixel art. You can practically hear these brittle tree branches swaying in the wind and smell the desperation of the small groups of soldiers working to keep the monsters at bay. Combine that with some excellent and atmospheric music, and Dragon is ***** is selling an aesthetic - and a mood - from the word go. But mood, tone, and aesthetics are only part of the package. Dragon is ***** plays well, too. It’s a side-scrolling hack-n-slash with an obvious reverence for Castlevania - the Spellblade’s dodge animation is a very clear callback to Alucard’s dodge animation in Symphony of the Night - but it marries that with a Diablo-esque UI and loot system that allows you to re-roll individual stats on weapons and armor. The leveling system resembles Diablo IV’s - spells and abilities are segmented into tiers like “Basic Skills” and “Core Skills” with several options and upgrades, and spending enough skill points unlocks the next tier and its corresponding abilities. It opens up some neat build opportunities that encourage you to specialize in abilities that complement each other and build your gear around those skills. There were two classes in the build I played: the aforementioned Spellblade, who specializes in elemental magic attacks, and the Berserker, who builds Madness by using his Basic Skills and then cashes out for big damage with his Core Skills. They play very differently: the Berserker is slower, tankier, and hits *******, but the Spellblade is faster, has a more generous dodge, and can build combos by stacking skills that use the same kind of magic. Both, however, feel fantastic, and it’s fun to build a cool combination of abilities and spells to cut through the demons infesting Dragon is *****’s world. But what I like most so far is the way Dragon is ***** handles ****** and progression. This is a roguelite. That means that when you ****, everything about your character resets: your level, items, power-ups like Artifacts and Soul Gems, everything that makes your build your build, with only two exceptions: your gear, and Magic Stones, a special currency that you can use to buy gear and reroll your stats. After a few runs, you’ll have a good feel for the abilities you like and the stats you’ll want on your gear to support them. Building up your gear after a run matters, but like the best roguelites, what happens during the run is what separates a close victory from a brutal defeat. During your run, you’ll come across Magic Stones and keys that will allow you to open special chests, which are always useful, and gold you can spend at stores for temporary power-ups or new abilities; Artifacts, which will let you carry more than one potion, upgrade your health and resource pools, boost your damage, or give you special perks like making enemies more likely to drop potions or dropping more Artifacts once you open a certain number of chests; and Soul Gems, which offer flat upgrades to your core stats. Clearing areas gives you your choice of a pair of chests that contains one of these things, but you’ll also be able to buy them in stores and find them in certain areas. There are also special chests scattered throughout the environment that you can open with unique keys you can find or buy in the store. Artifacts also have synergy, which means that finding two or more of the same type will add bonuses so you can really dish out the hurt if you’re smart about how you build during a run. If you’re looking for depth, Dragon is ***** seems like it’ll have it, but you will have to get a little lucky, too. That means that you’ll probably have to alter your build on the fly if, say, you’re a Spellblade playing with a lighting build and you get an Artifact that boosts ***** damage. Luckily, it’s easy to do… provided you have the coin. Naturally, environments also change each time you go through them, so no two runs are alike, which is good, because you’re probably going to ****. A lot. At least initially. At the start of each run, you can only carry one potion, and whether or not you’ll find another one or the ability to carry more than one at a time is largely luck. Sometimes, a run just isn’t going to work out in your favor, and you’re going to ****. Because your gear - and your ability to buy more gear, reroll a stat on any piece of gear you have, and the keys to those special chests - carries over between runs, you’re always progressing, even if it may not feel that way. But once you come back to the opening town after a particularly close run and replace your Magic items with Rares, and see how fast stuff ***** as a result? You really feel it. You’re always progressing, even if it may not feel that way. And once you get into the groove of Dragon is *****’s combat, it feels incredible. Like any roguelite, a lot of learning to deal with any given ****** is just practice. At first, you might not know what an ****** does or how to deal with them. The first time I fought Longmore, a three-headed tree that serves as the game’s first boss and the guy that kept me up until 5 in the morning, I had no idea how to deal with the insane number of flaming, demonic skulls he was sending at me, and when I got to him, I barely had any health left to learn. Needless to say, I ***** real fast. The last time? I was cutting down the enemies standing between me and him like they were barely there, and when I made it to the ******, the skulls barely hit me. I was wearing items with more dodge, so I was avoiding some of them automatically, but I was also better at dodging them manually. I barely got hit. In my time with it, Dragon is *****’s progression rewarded me for creating a build over time and being smart with my gear, but it also rewarded me for getting better as a player. It’s a hard line to walk, but Dragon is ***** seems like it’s on the right path. With Dragon is *****, I had to stop because I needed to sleep. I do have a couple of minor concerns. First, while Dragon is *****’s lore is cool, its writing is a little flat. Characters announce who they are, what they do, how they feel, and then dispense lore without much flavor or personality. It’s a small qualm, but when everything else looks and feels so good, it does stand out. The other is that the UI, especially in shops, doesn’t always give you a good idea of how many resources of each type you have. But it’s early days, and Team Suneat has plenty of time to iron this stuff out. Usually, when I finish previewing a game, it’s because I’ve done everything I want to do. With Dragon is *****, I had to stop because I needed to sleep. In a world where I didn’t have to type this up, dear reader, I’m still playing Dragon is *****. So far, it’s beautiful, feels wonderful to play, has interesting and unique progression systems that reward long-term planning and player skill, and every run feels unique. If Team Suneat can keep this up, well… the sky’s the limit. For now, I’m left thinking of the next run. In another world, I’m past Longmore, past that *****, cutting down demons and slinging spells like the daylight is never coming. Unfortunately, previews don’t write themselves. But tonight? I’m diving right back in. I have a dragon to *****. View the full article For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Image: Sony The PlayStation VR2’s PC adapter is now official. Just a few days after a certification revealed that Sony was working on the adapter, which would add PC support to the PS5-exclusive headset, the company officially unveiled the connector. It launches on August 7th and will cost $59.99. Sony says the device will support all Steam VR games, including big-name titles like Half-Life: Alyx. In addition to the new adapter, Sony says players will need a DisplayPort cable to work with Steam titles on PC. (As well as a Steam account, obviously.) You can check out the minimum system requirements right here. In a blog post, Sony explains that there will be some feature differences depending on whether you’re playing on PS5 or PC: PS VR2 was... Continue reading… View the full article

Gigabyte is taking the whole "every PC can do AI" concept to a new level with the new Gigabyte AI TOP components and software. These components are aimed at making it easy for those who can't afford high-end server-grade hardware to build a high-performance AI training PC, with them based on regular consumer products but optimized for heavy-duty training tasks. While these new Gigabyte parts are unlikely to jump to the tops of our guides for things like the best graphics card - as those guides are aimed at being the best products for gaming, not AI - they could well be the sort of thing you might want to seek out if you're looking to get into AI in a ******* way but are on a limited budget. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: MSI is already planning to release a new Claw gaming handheld AMD and Nvidia combine forces in new Asus gaming laptop range Asus' new gaming keyboard is all aluminium and carbon fiber View the full article

Asus has revealed three powerful new gaming laptops at Computex; the ROG Zephyrus G16 and the TUF A14 and 16. Each of these new laptops uses AMD's new AI CPUs alongside Nvidia laptop GPUs, making for a best-of-both-worlds design purpose-built for the best gaming performance possible. On paper, these new portable powerhouses can claim to be among the best gaming laptops at various prices, but it's the Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 that leads the pack on performance and design based on our early hands-on impressions from Computex so far. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: Asus' new gaming keyboard is all aluminium and carbon fiber This new carbon fiber and glass gaming mouse weighs just 47g Asus ROG Ally X is real and it's everything we hoped for - hands on View the full article

A new MSI Claw has been leaked, named the Claw 8 AI+, alongside a Fallout-branded version of the current A1M model. This new handheld is set to be the first Intel Lunar Lake handheld and MSI hopes it will improve on the company's poorly optimized predecessor. The original MSI Claw didn't come close to featuring on our list of the best handheld gaming PCs due to basic gaming performance issues. However, the new MSI Claw 8 AI+ is set to be among the early adopters of Intel's Core Ultra 200 chips and Battlemage GPU architecture meaning it could make a huge statement if this technology lives up to the hype. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: AMD and Nvidia combine forces in new Asus gaming laptop range Gigabyte just made it easy to build your own AI modelling machine Asus' new gaming keyboard is all aluminium and carbon fiber View the full article

The long-awaited Baldur's Gate 3 mod support is finally almost here, as Larian outlines when we can expect it, what it will offer, and how the future of BG3 is looking as it moves on to whatever is next. Whether you want to make Karlach blue, take away Gale's beard (please don't), or add nuclear arms to The Forgotten Realms, the possibilities for what modders can do in Larian's RPG are about to expand tenfold. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: Try these games if you liked Baldur's Gate 3 The 23 best Baldur's Gate 3 mods Baldur's Gate 3 director says the vast RPG required a "bit of crunch" View the full article

SteelSeries has built up quite the reputation in the headset market over the years and while its premium offerings are where you will find the best overall experience, the revised Arctis Nova 5 Wireless is a surprise package that won't break the bank. This new headset takes the focus away from being a plug-and-play device, instead releasing alongside a companion app, packed full of over 100 game-specific sound profiles. The SteelSeries Nova 5 has all the makings of one of the best wireless gaming headsets and is priced just right for where the market is at the moment. However, every time it does something great, like the pre-baked sound profiles, there's a contradicting ******* that stops it from feeling like the total package, such as only being able to edit these profiles on PC. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: MSI is already planning to release a new Claw gaming handheld Free Steam keys June 2024 and how to redeem AMD and Nvidia combine forces in new Asus gaming laptop range View the full article

The abandoned cistern puzzle is one of those easy-to-miss pieces of content in Baldur's Gate 3, but anyone who's following the Jaheira/Minsc storyline or has encountered the Stone Lord in the Counting House will find themselves in Baldur's Gate's damp and dank underbelly eventually. In order to progress both Jaheira's companion quest and the quest to investigate the Stone Lord, you'll need to follow Minsc's trail down into the sewers after you confront him at the Counting House. Once here, you'll find yourself faced with a few fights as well as a tricky puzzle. View the full article

A prominent leaker is sensationally claiming a new Splatoon game is in active development and goes by the codename “Spiral” internally at Nintendo. The ***** comes from Midori, a Nintendo leaker who has been throwing out a lot of supposed leaks this past week. They even claimed a new Zelda game and a new entry in the Nintendo Sports series are being developed. View the full article

Fallout 4 is packed full of quests that will have the Sole Survivor choosing between two sides of an argument. Sometimes those choices are easy with clear good or evil options, such as whether to sell a child or helping settlers versus raiders. But sometimes the choices are more morally gray and a good example of this is the quest "Human Error," which is less clear-cut and can depend heavily on how the Sole Survivor feels about synths during that playthrough. View the full article

Since the ****** of E3, June has descended into a chaotic clusterfunk of trailers, broadcasts, announcements, and a generalised frenzy of publicity-seeking barking noises. Summer Game Fest has emerged as a hub for a lot of developers seeking eyes. The 2-hour show hosted by marketing man Geoff Keighley will be broadcasting on Friday, blasting you in the ocular nerves with, probably, a lot of games. However, most of these games will not be brand new, exciting reveals, said Keighley himself in a fresh Twitch Q & A. "There will be, definitely, new announcements," he said, "but the show is largely focused on, I think, existing games that have new updates for fans." He's mentioning this ahead of time, he said, to set expectations. Read more View the full article

Official mod support for Baldur’s Gate 3 will be introduced as part of the game’s next major update in September. Larian Studios said it plans to fine tune the new feature through two test phases. Beginning today, a closed alpha will see the studio “working closely with a small team of mod authors from the community” to further develop modding tools. Read More... View the full article

Okay, let's talk serious PC gaming favorites, the retro and contemporary classics that have made our beloved platform into what it is today. Runescape, lovingly relaunched as Old School Runescape, definitely belongs in the annals of PC history. Likewise, Left 4 ***** and, more recently, DayZ - if zombies and survival are two of gaming's most popular tropes, DayZ is the game that combines them most effectively. Now let's take all three of these games and mix them together. From the makers of pioneering '90s MMORPG Tibia, this is like a new Runescape game with zombies and guns instead of goblins and spells. Read the rest of the story... View the full article

AMD has revealed a $3,500 GPU and multiple next-gen processors based on the Zen 5 architecture. The new AMD products were announced alongside several other novelties as part of the 2024 edition of Computex. View the full article

Genshin Impact has officially introduced a new five-star Dendro character named Emilie for update 4.8. Even though update 4.7 has not arrived yet, developer HoYoverse has revealed which characters will be joining the playable roster in the next update. View the full article

One imaginative Helldivers 2 player has come up with armor concepts that have their own unique design. Armor sets in Helldivers 2 are an integral part of any loadout, offering the wearer a level of protection and increasing their survivability. They are divided into three categories: light, medium, and heavy, each with its own benefits and drawbacks. It can sometimes get confusing to choose the best armor set for the character, as there are a plethora of options available in the game. View the full article

Starting with the hardware, the ***** TV Stick 4K Max is the flagship, boasting a zippy 2GHz quad-core processor that makes it Amazon's "smartest and most powerful streaming stick yet." It doubles down on speed with Wi-Fi 6E support and twice the storage of the previous top model. Read Entire Article View the full article

As has recently been announced at a Sony State of Play, **** of War Ragnarok will be making its way to PC in the near future. Following in the footsteps of other games like Ghost of Tsushima, The Last of Us, and its predecessor, **** of War (2018), Ragnarok continues a now-ongoing trend of PlayStation exclusives receiving PC ports years after their initial release. And, while these games remain largely the same on PC as they were on the PlayStation, there tend to be some changes to entice both new purchases and double-dips. View the full article

Larian Studios finally confirmed when Baldur's Gate 3's highly-anticipated Patch 7 will drop and while it's still a few months away, it's bringing a major feature to the game. After the developer announced that it had officially wrapped up development on its sprawling Dungeons & Dragons RPG, many fans questioned whether any additional content would be provided for Tav and their party of adventurers. While Larian may not be working on any DLC or expansions, the studio is instead allowing players to build their own creations thanks to official mod support. View the full article

"May your heart be your guiding key" could ironically be one of the most damaging mantras to live by if you're a Kingdom Hearts fan. Because as much as we pour our love into the series and long for that all-important Kingdom Hearts 4 update, we could (once again) end up crushed on an emotional and spiritual level by the end of Summer Game Fest. That is, according to organizer and host Geoff Keighley. Sigh. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: Rumored Kingdom Hearts movie could be more Sonic than Final Fantasy [Hidden Content] Square Enix is selling some really weird Kingdom Hearts merch View the full article

A new Honkai: Star Rail ***** has revealed more information about one of the upcoming characters, the leader of the Oak Family, known as Sunday. He has already made multiple in-game appearances, which led many players to wonder if and when he would become part of the playable roster. View the full article

Baldur's Gate 3's next big update, Patch 7, is set to arrive in September, bringing with it the previously teased extra evil endings and official modding tools. Between now and then, the latter'll be undergoing a series of tests, with the first of those kicking off today. Yup, while Baldur's Gate 4 won't be coming from it, Larian's still got some not quite DLC-sized add-ons to make to its masterpiece. Gotta have something to do while you hunt for folks to fill out your cool new studio, I guess. In community update 27, Larian provides a bunch of new details regarding exactly what the mod support roll-out entails and will look like ahead of Patch 7 arriving in September. Read more View the full article

In terms of updates, Baldur's Gate 3 is—for the most part—starting to wind down, with the latest patch released in February of this year and Larian shifting gears to work on its new RPGs. That's only normal (the Sword Coast doesn't need battle passes), but there's still one more patch left in the oven: Patch 7... Read more.View the full article