Cursemark, a dark fantasy action roguelike made in hand-drawn pixel art by Clyde Games and Mad Mushroom, has today launched on Steam Early Access. Players take on the role of a mage-knight, cursed and bound to the mysterious Unknown Lands, embarking on run after run of melee and magic combat. Players will also have to harness the power of weapons, spells, wards, and ultimates from across 7 schools of magic. Craft your spells in each run, with magic runes that slot, stack, and change the way every ability works for nearly limitless build diversity. The Unknown lands imprison and empower players as they explore their mysteries, solve riddles, open shortcuts, cleanse corruption, and optimize builds at shrines, forges, and other points of interest throughout the map as they strive to take down soulslike-style bosses that block their progress. [Hidden Content] According to the recent press release the main features of Cursemark are: Bear Your Curse: Play as a mage-knight cursed to venture through a mysterious and unforgiving land time and time again. Explore its mysteries, unlock devastating abilities, and augment your strength with runic magic. Hack. Slash. Cast: Engage in intense melee and spellcasting combat with sword, spell, ward, and ultimate abilities across diverse environments against lethal enemies and bosses. Define Your Playstyle: Slot magic runes into any ability, drastically changing how every attack, spell, ward, and ultimate work. Sword strikes that emit fireballs, lightning strikes that emit poison clouds … the possibilities are nearly endless. Discover the Unknown Lands: Rife with riddles, secrets, powers, and paths to unlock, the Unknown Lands are yours to explore and unravel. No hand-holding, no map markers. Forge Your Path: Pathfinding is part of your build, as the shrines, forges, and NPCs that dot the map are key to expanding your power and growing your skill and knowledge for future runs. Cursemark is available via Steam Early Access at a price of $14.99, with a 15% launch discount for a limited time. The post Dark fantasy action roguelike Cursemark now live in Steam early access appeared first on GamesBeat. View the full article
Expeditions Samurai Creative Director Jonas Waever discusses the long journey leading into the early access launch, co-op challenges, controller support, and much more in our interview. View the full article
Xbox fans, mark your calendars for October 6. During the latest Xbox Games Showcase, Gears of War: E-Day was officially given its release date, and if that announcement got you excited about reuniting with Marcus and Dom, what's even better is preorders are officially live. Of course, this Xbox exclusive will be available on Game Pass, but for those who aren't part of Xbox's subscription service, there are three editions available to preorder: the Standard Edition, Premium Edition, and the Collector's Edition. Below, we've broken down each of their prices and what they come with, so you can preorder your preferred version ahead of its release date. Gears of War: E-Day – Standard Edition Physical: See at Amazon - $69.99See at Best Buy - $69.99See at GameStop - $69.99See at Walmart - $69 Digital See at Best Buy - $69.99See at Xbox - $69.99 PC See at Steam - $69.99 The Standard Edition of Gears of War: E-Day - which is available in both a physical and digital format - is listed for $69.99. Alongside the main game, ordering early also sets you up with a preorder bonus of a character skin, weapon skin, and early access to the Gears of War: E-Day Open Beta, which we've broken down in further detail below. Gears of War: E-Day – Premium Edition (Digital) Digital See at Best Buy - $99.99See at Xbox - $99.99 PC See at Steam - $99.99 Premium Edition Upgrade See at Xbox - $30 The Premium Edition of Gears of War: E-Day, which is digital only, is available for $99.99 and is absolutely stacked with extras. There's also a Premium Edition Upgrade you can get, to add the Premium Edition extras to a standard copy, which costs $30. Here's everything it comes with: Gears of War: E-Day Premium Digital EditionPlay 5 Days Early (October 1, 2026)Emergence Customization Pack:Death’s Rendezvous Marcus Fenix Legendary Character SkinBloodied Hunter **** Kaliso Epic Character Skin“Death’s Rendezvous” Legendary Character Pose“We must improvise” Legendary Character Pose“Death’s Rendezvous” Legendary Weapon Skin Set“Emergence Omen” Rare Weapon Skin Set“Emergence Omen” Banner and Emblem“Death’s Rendezvous” Icon4 Additional Seasonal Customization Packs1,000 Iron (Premium In-Game Currency)Bravo Squad Signature Weapon Pack (for use in campaign only) Gears of War: E-Day – Collector’s EditionSee at Xbox Game Studios Shop - $299.99 If you really want to go big with your Gears of War: E-Day purchase, there's also the colossal Collector’s Edition. Priced at $299.99, it's full of exciting extras for fans to enjoy. Alongside everything in the Premium Edition, including the 5-day early access, here's what else it comes with: 15-inch collectible diorama statue of Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago (requires 3 AAA batteries, not included)1:1 scale replica of Carlos Santiago’s COG tags made of metal zinc alloy and brassIn-game photoArt PrintThank-You Note from The CoalitionLuke Preece designed Custom SteelBook CaseCollector’s Display PackagingGears of War: E-Day base game (Xbox customers will receive a physical disc, Steam customers will receive a digital code) This Collector's Edition is available for both Xbox Series X and Steam customers. According to the Gears of War website, "The XBOX Series X version includes a physical disc. Steam customers will receive a digital token." Gears of War: E-Day Preorder Bonus No matter which edition you decide to preorder, you'll get a couple of legendary skins alongside early access to the Open Beta. In terms of the former, the skins you'll get are: Exfil Dom Legendary Character SkinExfil Legendary Weapon Skin Set According to the Gears of War website, "Character skin is only applicable to the Dominic Santiago character in Horde Siege and Versus. The weapon skin set is applicable to all eligible weapons in Horde Siege and Versus." They also note that, "Players who digitally pre-order Gears of War: E-Day are automatically granted access to the Legendary Exfil Dom Character Skin and Legendary Exfil Weapon Skin Set and will not receive a code." While those who preorder a physical edition, "may receive codes to redeem via an email or printed receipt when you receive the game at launch." This depends on region and retailer. The Open Beta is the other part of this preorder bonus. This begins on August 6, and their website notes that "Exact Beta timing and availability details will be announced soon." As far as Beta Codes go, the Gears website also says that, "Players who digitally pre-order Gears of War: E-Day are automatically granted Early Access to the Open Beta and do not require a Beta Code. Players who pre-order a physical edition should expect to receive a Beta Code at the point of ***** from participating retailers, granting entry into Open Beta for Early Access." What Is Gears of War: E-Day? Gears of War E-Day is the latest game in the Gears franchise, but it's not a sequel. Oh no, we're heading back to where it all began: Emergence Day. This origin story brings back Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago, with Studio Creative Director Matt Searcy saying in an interview with Xbox Wire, "We never leave Bravo Squad for the entire game. The entire story is told from their perspective. Even though there’s an event going on all over the world, we never jump anywhere else. You only see what they see and learn what they learn." Unfortunately for PS5 owners, Gears of War: E-Day is also an Xbox console exclusive. If you can't wait to play, get a preorder in so you're ready for October 6. Other Preorder Guides Hannah Hoolihan is a freelancer who writes with the guides and commerce teams here at IGN. View the full article
The video game industry is running scared of GTA 6. Given how packed September is, that much is clear. But there are two video games that are throwing caution to the wind and braving the behemoth that is Rockstar’s next epic — and they’re unlikely comrades in arms indeed. Atari seems to have decided it is better to meet GTA 6 head-on than steer clear, announcing two games due out in November. First up is Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee Remastered, coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, PC via Steam, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2 on November 3. And while there’s all this talk about GTA 6 potentially costing up to $100, Godzilla has swooped in to undercut Take-Two's ambitious revenue plans with a $29.99 price point. Take that, GTA 6! If that wasn’t enough for GTA 6 to contend with, it’s got a new Barbie game coming out on November 12, just a week before Rockstar presses the go button. Digital Eclipse’s Barbie Rewind will launch later this year across PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X and S, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2 priced $29.99. This is a big deal, folks, because in Barbie Rewind, players can "intertwine a brand-new Barbie DreamHouse design game with 16 classic Barbie games from the Y2K era." Here’s the official blurb: A cozy, creative world inspired by Barbie invites players to reimagine the iconic DreamHouse. Style each room with a fabulous collection of furniture, decor, and accessories inspired by real Barbie playsets released over the past 65-plus years. To access many of the playset items, Barbie will challenge players to reach achievements by playing a collection of Barbie video games from the 1990s and 2000s. It's not quite the video game equivalent of Hollywood's 'Barbenheimer' phenomenon (Barbzilla? Godbie?), but I am left wondering: with Godzilla coming out November 3 and Barbie launching November 12, will there be any players left for GTA 6’s November 19 launch? This is a devastating one-two punch from Godzilla and Barbie before GTA 6 has had the chance to land a hit, and I’m not sure even Rockstar can take it on the chin. So, if Rockstar announces yet another GTA 6 delay, you know why. Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at *****@*****.tld. View the full article
2026’s slew of summer game showcases is almost over, and while they have provided a pretty robust gamut of options, one flavour has felt prominent this year: nostalgia. A new Resident Evil that’s a remake of an old Dreamcast game. A new God of War that aims to meld together the series' old (2018) and older (2005) approaches. A new Virtua Fighter, the first mainline addition to the series in two decades. A new Crazy Taxi, of all things. Xbox’s showcase, or at least its opening third, relied on nostalgia more heavily than most. A translucent green Series X console, just like that 2004 special edition Xbox. A remake of 2001’s Halo: Combat Evolved, now even shinier than its shiny remaster. Playground’s Fable reboot, featuring the villain from the 2004 original. And Gears of War, rewinding time to put Marcus and Dom back on the frontlines together for the first time since 2011. There’s little question as to why Xbox is retreating to its glory days, but it’s also obvious why the past has taken such a firm grip of triple-A development in general. The promised big bucks future of live service, which increasingly dominated the state of play for the best part of a decade, is collapsing beneath the entire industry. The next generation of players seem to only be interested in messing around in user-created content machines like Roblox and Fortnite – they couldn’t care less about carefully-constructed level design, character development, or impactful choices. And so it’s the old-school console audience, now permanently wearing rose-tinted glasses after enduring almost an entire console cycle obsessed with whatever the next "forever game” would be, who are the current liferaft for gaming’s most traditional sector. And, like all the dads who rushed to the cinema for the first time in 25 years to see Top Gun: Maverick, we’ll all fall prey to the nostalgia honey trap. And when I say “we”, that very much includes myself. I (and probably you, based on the stuff IGN readers seem to flock to) want games that transport us to different worlds. Games that spin a fantastic story with brilliant characters, told through compelling and creative gameplay. It’s why so many of us are here, and it's been the bedrock of triple-A gaming for generations. It never really went away – most of what I play every single year falls into that category – but the never-ending threat of unsustainable budgets, dwindling sales, and the “death of single-player”, no matter how legitimate, has increasingly made these things feel like they're on the brink. As if we’re in danger of losing them. So no wonder we’re nostalgic. It’s easy to sneer at gaming’s nostalgia trap, and many will. There’s definitely space to critique how it arrests our medium’s development. But I approach every game in the hope that it will excite me, and nostalgia can still do that, provided it’s wielded correctly. For instance, I adore Halo, but can’t say a remake of Combat Evolved was ever on my wish list. Fable, meanwhile, feels far more exciting; a game that takes the ideas that fuelled a beloved original, but reinvents them with the aid of a whole new team with a new, more modern perspective – a Fable in a post-Witcher world. But of all the throwbacks, it’s Gears of War: E-Day that captivated me the most this year, which has taken me by complete surprise. Feels Like Gears, Plays Like New When E-Day was first announced in 2024, I wasn’t wholly convinced. While I felt that The Coalition's takeover of Gears following original developer Epic Games’ tenure had shifted it into flawed territory, I was hoping that the studio would have course corrected for the next chapter of Kait’s currently-hanging-from-a-cliff story. Instead, it was going backwards. E-Day’s first gameplay trailer, shown as the opening strike of this year’s showcase, also left me unenthused and disappointed. Not only was this prequel rewinding time in-universe, it also seemed to be rewinding its design, back to an era of cramped, confined corridor shooting. Yes, Gears 5’s open world is rough, but it at least pushed for something new and ambitious. Was The Coalition going to leave that all behind? Yes. But also no. The 27-minute E-Day Direct that followed Xbox’s showcase turned my disappointment into renewed excitement. Sure, the open world is gone, but this prequel isn’t a retread beholden to a two-generation-old design formula. During the direct, The Coalition’s studio creative director, Matt Searcy, explained that the goal was to create something that “feels like Gears, but plays like new” – the idea of a game that feels nostalgic despite being driven by brand new ideas. “We took advantage of [Unreal Engine 5] to bring Gears up to speed with where modern gaming is, without losing what makes it authentic,” Searcy told Xbox Wire in a new interview. “You’re playing a sweaty Gears game — but it’s entirely built from scratch to capture the emotional core of those older games.” While the proof will ultimately be in the playing, there were several things in the Direct to indicate that there’s genuine ambition underpinning E-Day. The game has been built on what the devs term an “empty hard drive” - everything has been built from scratch, and so nothing is shackled to anything from the past for either legacy or development pipeline sake. Everything from cover to reloading to headshots to navigation has been crafted for how it should feel in 2026, not for how it used to be. For instance, you can now slide into or under cover, mantle obstacles higher than your head, leap across chasms and drop down from rooftops – the kind of movement that once would have been considered ******** for the hulking human tanks of the COG. But it’s E-Day’s approach to its world, the sprawling city of Kalona, that has me the most interested. While I disliked Gears 5’s barren open world, I hoped that The Coalition would build on its foundations to make it work. The studio has not done that. Instead, it’s done something that, at least on paper, seems much better. Like everything else in its “empty hard drive” approach, it’s scrapped what came before and reconsidered what original Gears could be in 2026. “We’re not an open-world game, but this [Unreal Engine 5] technology has allowed us to build an entire city that feels alive,” Searcy told Xbox Wire. “In previous games, you see linear levels that are often disconnected — you load from one to another, they have different vistas, and don’t feel super cohesive. When we look at Kalona in the [UE5] editor, we can literally lift up the camera and look at this entire, integrated city.” E-Day is a linear game set in a non-linear city. This should hopefully mean that, as we work through the campaign, Kalona’s districts will feel like actual city streets rather than levels that funnel us from one encounter to the next. The Direct explained that, while there will be linear levels, they will lead us into open districts where we’ll have the freedom to explore. The slides and jumps that create the new, more kinetic combat system are repurposed here to navigate through a more realistically-scaled city neighborhood. At a time when we’ve become so accustomed to the freedom of open-world games but almost sick-to-death of their prevalence, this seems like an ideal reinvention of Gears’ campaign structure. That increased space opens up more interesting combat opportunities. The Direct showed us how you can approach an encounter head-on, classic Gears style, or seek out a flanking route thanks to optional entrances into a building, or even climb up high to a balcony and snipe from afar. It’s not exactly the “play how you want” sandbox of something like Far Cry, but it’s a widening of the Gears experience only unlocked through a significant rethink of Gears’ playspaces. The result of all this is something that seems like a 2026 follow-up to the original Gears of War, rather than the series at large – kind of how all these new Alien and Terminator projects try to be a sequel to the good originals and not the bad stuff that came after. Those projects have had mixed results, but I think the approach might work here. I think this is good nostalgia, the kind that revisits beloved ideas without being beholden to them. A lot of players now talk about how they just want Xbox 360 games with better graphics, and while I understand the sentiment, that’s not what I want. I want new games, built with new tech, crafted with new ideas, that have the heart and soul of Xbox 360 games. Or, as Searcy puts it, a game that “feels like Gears but plays like new — a return to the feelings we had when we played the original games, now reimagined, evolved, and enhanced with the power of a new engine.” And so I’ve got a good feeling that Gears of War: E-Day may have the juice. And when I say “juice”, I mean gallons and gallons of gloopy red stuff erupting from chainsaw wounds. Matt Purslow is IGN's Executive Editor of Features. View the full article
Back in 2020, Senua studio Ninja Theory announced a new game, Project Mara, that aimed to "recreate the horrors of the mind" with a "real-world and grounded representation of mental terror." A year later we got a look at the game's absurdly photorealistic apartment, but beyond that it pretty much fell off the radar until yesterday, when studio head Dom Matthews said work on the project has been ended... Read more.View the full article
Tracking down Caine in Gothic Remake took me longer than I'd like to admit. This missing mole is apparently somewhere in the Swamp Camp, but if you're ever been to that sprawling mess of ramshackle huts and walkways, you'll understand the issue. If you recall that Caine is Cor Kalom's apprentice, then speaking to him will give you some guidance... Read more.View the full article
While Runescape proper may follow a more modern approach to MMO design than its Old School sibling, the years certainly could've been kinder to it. This year, Jagex has gone to town on bringing RS' visual fidelity up several notches, and its player avatars are next on the list. When you log in after the latest update, available now, you may find that your character is looking a little more life-like than usual. Read the full story on PCGamesN: Runescape's "biggest visual overhaul" in over a decade has arrived, and its fresh faces are a huge improvement View the full article
Pablo Clark may have a single published game to his name, but what a board game it is. The Old King's Crown seemed to swoop in out of nowhere last year, garnering hundreds of thousands of dollars of support on Kickstarter. Wargamer editor Alex Evans calls it "the most captivating board game I've ever played", and he's far from alone. Read the full story on Wargamer: The Old King's Crown creators discuss their debut smash hit and the "ugly truth" behind board games View the full article
On Monday, Games Workshop took a breather from the relentless hype for the new edition of Warhammer 40k to announce something completely unexpected - a pair of brand new Space Marine kits for Warhammer: the Horus Heresy. There's a replacement for the venerable Mk IV Tactical Squad, and a brand new Mk IV Assault Squad, both of them updated to be in scale with the rest of the plastic Horus Heresy range. Read the full story on Wargamer: Under cover of 11th edition hype, GW unveils another host of Horus Heresy Space Marines View the full article
Privacy Notice: We utilize cookies to optimize your browsing experience and analyze website traffic. By consenting, you acknowledge and agree to our Cookie Policy, ensuring your privacy preferences are respected.
[Hidden Content] the full article