Steam

An invasion of Super Earth is underway in Helldivers 2's latest update, bringing the once-distant frontlines of conflict close to home. Amid the chaos of the invasion, Helldivers were informed that the Illuminate have razed the neighboring planet of Mars, and players are already eager for some payback over it. In-universe news reports detailed the specifics, declaring that Mars has been razed by the Illuminate. The Helldiver Training Sites on Mars were part of the destruction, and the facility operators who were running the training have perished in defense of the planet. Opening the Galaxy Map in Helldivers 2 right now shows a destroyed, but still present, mass of rock. #Helldivers2 | #Helldivers2GalacticWar MARS HAS BEEN DESTROYED [Hidden Content] — Helldivers NOW (@Helldivers_NOW) May 20, 2025 Mars was, until a recent update, the training facility for Helldivers preparing to take part in the galactic spread of democracy. The sudden switch of tutorial zones already set off alarm bells a week or so ago, but now, the drive was clear: as part of the invasion, the Illuminate have taken something all Helldivers 2 players had a sentimental stake in. The official Helldivers 2 account posted some promotional art to X/Twitter, urging players to "Avenge Mars." Mars has been razed by the Illuminate. All Helldiver Training Sites across the planet, where rigorous, thorough, and safe training of the Galaxy's Elite has long occured, have been destroyed. The expert and seasoned facility PA operators who facilitated the training died… [Hidden Content] — HELLDIVERS™ 2 (@helldivers2) May 20, 2025 The attempt to stir up the hearts and emotions of Helldivers 2 players seems to have worked, too. Already, Helldivers players are leaning into the bit; one posts a GIF from Starship Troopers, referencing Rico's determination to squash the bugs after his hometown is destroyed, and another shares the closed fist meme that's become ubiquitous in record time. Helldivers 2 players will always lean into the universal storytelling. Still, alongside all the kayfabe Helldivers posts, some can't resist having some fun with it. "Hey, the only people who are allowed to kill Helldivers on Mars are Super Earth Drill Instructors!" wrote one user. And references to DOOM and various other media are pretty solid, too. The invasion of Super Earth by Illuminate forces is well underway in Helldivers 2's Heart of Democracy update, which went live today. Players can currently drop onto the planet to defend it against the extraterrestrial squids, and even with some new SEAF back-up, the situation seems chaotic. We'll see how this pans out over the next few Major Orders, but I'm not ruling out a few more gut-punches from Joel and developer Arrowhead Game Studios. Eric is a freelance writer for IGN. View the full article

This indie CRPG looks to take inspiration from classic Infinity Engine games. View the full article

The newly released RoadCraft is available on PCs and consoles, and there are some settings to tweak if you're gaming on your computer. There are issues on PC that have been popping up for players worldwide. A major reason behind the game's 'Mixed' early reviews on Steam has already highlighted the issues, but there are some simple solutions to try out. These tricks will prevent incidents of lag and stutter, and ensure that the only things to get stuck at are the environmental hazards. Best tips and tricks to reduce lag in RoadCraft Here are some steps to take if you're experiencing plenty of lag on your end (unexpectedly). Update your graphics driver to the latest version available. This becomes even more important if you're using an Nvidia card, as we have seen such issues in the past with recent launches like Doom: The Dark Ages. Updating your drivers is pretty easy, and both AMD and Nvidia offer automated installs to make it easy for you.Turn off V-Sync: Vertical Sync smoothens the gameplay experience, but it also increases the load on your dedicated GPU. An increased load will increase the chances of your hardware heating up and causing stutters in the process. It's better to turn it off as the relative decline in quality won't be significant.Using an Upscaler is also recommended. I have already noticed significant differences in overall smoothness when it comes to the general gameplay. Both AMD and Nvidia offer their patented upscaling methods.Putting a cap of 60 FPS is also going to prevent your hardware from targeting a higher value and prevent stutters in the process.Best video settings for RoadCraft Screenshot by Destructoid I am playing the game on the following hardware specs: Ryzen 5600G, RTX 3060 12 GB, and 16 GB of DDR4 RAM. Here's a set of video settings that I have been using to smooth my gameplay experience. Display Resolution: 1920x1080 (Can be 1440P if your monitor supports that).Render Resolution: PerformanceResolution Upscaling: DLSS/FSRFrame Generation: OffSharpness: 0.8V-Sync: OffMotion Blur Intensity: OffFPS Limit: 60Quality Preset: HighAniso-texture Filtering: 4XTexture Resolution: HighShadows: MediumScreen-space Ambient Occlusion: DefaultScreen-space Reflections: DefaultMirrors: OffEffects: MediumDetails: HighVolumetric Clouds: MediumVolumetric Fog: Medium The settings mentioned here will allow you to run RoadCraft without any chances of stutters or lag. If you have a better set of hardware than I, you can tweak the settings further, but always keep the FPS capped for the time being till we get more post-launch patches. The post How to fix lag and stutter in RoadCraft appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article

Driving in RoadCraft isn't easy, and it can be even more difficult if you're not observing the terrain. While you have a wide array of vehicles to pick from, not all of them are effective on every terrain. The tutorial itself gives you the first taste of the difficulties, as you can quickly get stuck in mud, with no way of escaping. This guide will help you to unstuck your vehicle in different terrains so that you can proceed with completing the quests at hand. Disclaimer: This guide will be updated with more scenarios as we encounter them on our playthrough. How to get your vehicle unstuck in mud in RoadCraft The first obstacle you'll encounter in RoadCraft is in the form of mud and water. It's part of the tutorial mission, and you'll be driving your starter vehicle. The opening bit is tricky to manage since the game only gives you hints at what's to be done. Screenshot by Destructoid You have three factors to keep in mind when trying to get unstuck from the mud (especially if there's water, which can damage the engine of your vehicle). Low Gear: Avoids wheelspin and your vehicle losing its control.AWD: Applies torque to all wheelsDiff. Lock: Prevents single wheel slippage. It would have been easier if you could turn all of them on and get out of the mud. Unfortunately, the solution is a combination of the three factors, and here's what I do. AWD should always be turned on if you're in the mud.Low Gear should be turned on if the mud is deep, and there's water filling up your engine. You'll want greater control, and Low Gear is great for that.When the water is deep, you'll also want to turn on Diff. Lock, as a greater control is required for your vehicle. Once you're out of the mud, make sure to turn all three options off. You can keep using AWD, but Diff. Lock and Low Gear will make it difficult for you to drive your vehicle swiftly. If you're still stuck, you can always press the R button to go back safely to the nearest base. This method isn't recommended as you'll be losing in-game progression, and your current objective will have to be restarted. The post How to get your vehicle unstuck in RoadCraft appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article

Новый шутер DOOM: The Dark Ages привлек на старте более 3 миллионов игроков — это абсолютный рекорд для студии id Software, о чем она объявила сегодня в социальных сетях. View the full article

Marvel Rivals has released gameplay footage of the upcoming Immortal Sovereign skin for the Duelist Scarlet Witch in the popular hero shooter, which is scheduled to release in the game's store on May 22 at 7 PM PDT. NetEase Games has confirmed that the villain Ultron will be the next playable character added to Marvel Rivals, though it hasn't announced when players will be able to get their hands on him just yet. View the full article

Learn about Raidou Kuzunoha and the occult cases he solves in Taisho-era Japan. View the full article

The Radeon RX 9060 XT will become available on June 5, priced at $300 for the 8GB model and $350 for the 16GB graphics card. AMD's main focus during its presentation was on the 16GB variant, which they're claiming will be the dominant, more widespread card in western markets, and... Read Entire Article View the full article

Sabotage Studio has released a free DLC to Sea of Stars alongside discounting the base game on all platforms. View the full article

Fortnite has made its long-awaited return to the U.S. Apple App Store for iPhone and iPad users. Developer Epic Games shared and celebrated the news with a post on X/Twitter, letting mobile gaming fans know that they can finally go back to playing its massively popular battle royale experience after five years of waiting. The new Fortnite iOS store page is back the same as it was the day it left in 2020, though its description now starts with a new message: “Fortnite is back!” Fortnite is BACK on the App Store in the U.S. on iPhones and iPads... and on the Epic Games Store and AltStore in the E.U! It’ll show up in Search soon! Get Fortnite on the App Store in the U.S. [Hidden Content] [Hidden Content] — Fortnite (@Fortnite) May 20, 2025 At the time of this story’s publication, some U.S. Apple users may have trouble searching for Fortnite through the App Store itself, though Epic says this will change “soon.” In the meantime, you can click here to see its revived store page. For those in the E.U., you can also now download Fortnite through the Epic Games Store and AltStore. Fortnite’s reappearance on iOS devices like the iPhone and iPad brings an end to much of the drama surrounding Epic and Apple. It started in August 2020, when both Google and Apple announced they had removed Fortnite from their respective digital stores after Epic launched an update that decreased the price of V-Bucks while adding a direct payment system. At the time, the Fortnite studio explained that its decision was a direct result of what it was calling “exorbitant” store fees issued by Apple and Google. What followed was a years-long legal battle that kept Fortnite absent from official storefronts for the millions of players who were previously enjoying it through Apple and Google Play. That changed in April when Epic CEO Tim Sweeney said Fortnite would return to the iOS App Store in early May following a decision from a U.S. Federal District Court in California. A bump in the road involving continued blocking from Apple saw its return postponed, but now, after five years, Fortnite is finally back on iOS devices. Those who download Fortnite on an Apple phone or tablet will now have the option to purchase V-Bucks through the Epic Games Store or via in-app purchases. Those who pick the 2,800 V-Bucks pack for $22.99, for example, can choose to send the money directly to Epic, earning $4.60 (or 20%) back to be used on other offerings from the company. For more on Fortnite, you can read up on Epic’s Darth Vader AI bot. It’s a Star Wars collaboration that’s not been without issue, as players quickly figured out how to get it to say “f**k.” The Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) filed an unfair labor practice charge against Epic yesterday. Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He's best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe). View the full article

В сети появились слухи о том, что Borderlands 4 станет одной из первых игр с ценником в $80. Отвечая на вопросы обеспокоенных фанатов, глава Gearbox Software Рэнди Питчфорд не стал ничего опровергать — по его словам, сейчас "рассматриваются все варианты", но финальное решение примет издатель в лице компании 2K — она же Take-Two. View the full article

Переход Bethesda Game Studios на Unreal Engine потребовал бы фундаментальной перестройки процессов и занял бы лишнее время, которого у команды Тодда Говарда нет. Об этом рассказал разработчик Fallout 76 Дэн Нанни — бывший ведущий дизайнер Bethesda Game Studios Dallas. View the full article

AMD's Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 were fairly well received when they were released in March, ably competing with Nvidia's RTX 5070 and RTX 5070 Ti for the same or a little less money. We were impressed by the cards' performance and power efficiency, even if they still have some of the same caveats as older Radeon cards (lack of DLSS upscaling and lower relative ray-tracing performance being two). Today AMD is formally expanding its family of RDNA 4 graphics cards with the Radeon RX 9060 XT, a GPU that will go up against Nvidia's RTX 5060 and RTX 5060 Ti GPUs. These GPUs have just half the compute units of the RX 9070 XT, but at $299 and $349 for 8GB and 16GB configurations, they ought to be decent options for 1080p or entry-level 1440p gaming PCs (with the eternal "if you can find them" caveat that comes with buying a GPU in 2025). AMD says the new GPUs will be available "beginning later this year" from the typical range of partners—AMD released renders of a reference GPU design, but sometimes these are starting points that manufacturers can take or leave, rather than products AMD intends to manufacture and sell itself. Read full article Comments View the full article

There were over 500 days between the first and second trailer for Grand Theft Auto 6, but the new showcase highlights plenty of technical details that weren't as obvious in the first one. The potentially biggest game of this generation of consoles is nearly here, despite being delayed until May 2026, and the latest trailer has only further amplified the ridiculous levels of hype around it. Rockstar has always pushed the boundaries of the gaming industry, and the technical elements shown in the latest trailer shows that the studio is doing so once more. View the full article

Final Fantasy 7is easily one of my favorite RPGs, but that doesn't mean that every second of the game is perfect. WhileFF7's capacity to reinvent itself at every turn tends to stop it from ever dragging, virtually any game of its scope is going to be a little uneven, and it's no exception. My biggest qualms tend to emerge fairly late in the experience, and with Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 on the way, it could finally have the opportunity to buff up the most repetitive elements. View the full article

Французский профсоюз Solidaires Informatique объявил, что генеральный директор Ubisoft Ив Гиймо, директор по персоналу Мари Дерен и сама компания как юридическое лицо будут вызваны в суд по делу о сексуальных домогательствах и дискриминации по расовому признаку. View the full article

A new Mandalorian skin is about to hit the Item Shop, and leaks have revealed the cosmetics' prices, the release date, and information on the Mandalorian weapons and items coming to Fortnite soon. Fortnite has had a lot of success when teaming up with Star Wars in the past, which is why the two have joined forces for a fully themed mini-season. When the Galactic Battle season became available on May 2, players instantly received tons of content, but then they were hit with a dry spell for over two weeks. View the full article

There are quite a few rumors that Injustice 3 is in the works, after developer Netherrealm Studios and publisher Warner Bros. Games released Mortal Kombat 1: Definitive Edition last week, presumably ending major content updates to that game. A lot of fans were holding out hope that more missing MK characters would make their way to the game in the future. That hope seems to have been dashed, however, leaving the question of where NRS and WB go next. View the full article

Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 has announced that the Dragon Ball Daima Pack is coming out on May 22 for PC and consoles. That is yet another update that Bandai Namco will release for Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2, which has been giving the fighting game something new to offer players regularly. View the full article

There’s never been a better time to give your games library a spring clean and make room for some banger new titles. Whether you're chasing chill vibes, story-rich sagas, or gloriously chaotic co-op, my deals listicle offers a little something for everyone (and at low gil prices). Let’s dig into the standout gems across Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X, PS5, and PC. This Day in Gaming In retro news, I'm celebrating the 15th birthday of my huckleberry, the rootin' tootin' Red Dead Redemption. To tell the tale true, I've got vivid memories of my launch ride being a bumpy one—where the low end of bugs were freezes and the spectacular high watermark belonged to Donkey Ladies (rideable NPCs spawned with human bodies and **** faces). Patched-out nightmare fuel aside, RDR became a blessed Western odyssey and another notch in Rockstar's gunbelt for touchstone gaming experiences. Us veteran cowpokes still swap campfire stories about our first "ride to Chuparosa (Mexico)" moment. Aussie bdays for notable games - Metroid II: Return of Samus (GB) 1992. Get - Red Dead Redemption (PS3,X360) 2010. Get - Fire Emblem Fates (3DS) 2016. Sequels Contents NintendoXboxPlayStationPCPC GearLEGOHeadphonesTVsNice Savings for Nintendo Switch On Switch, Sea of Stars is a steal at A$33, a modern retro RPG made by the devs behind The Messenger. Meanwhile, the Scribblenauts Mega Pack (just A$4!) is perfect for creative chaos; mainly because you can summon Cthulhu. NBA 2K25 (-68%) - A$29Sea of Stars (-35%) - A$33Scribblenauts Mega Pack (-90%) - A$4Lego The Incredibles (-92%) - A$7Lego DC Super-Villains (-90%) - A$8 Expiring Recent Deals Sonic Frontiers (-51%) - A$49Sifu (-70%) - A$18Lego Ninjago Movie (-45%) - A$49Shin Megami Tensei V (-32%) - A$54Dragon Ball FighterZ (-44%) - A$50Untitled Goose Game (-50%) - A$15 Or gift a Nintendo eShop Card. Switch Console Prices How much to Switch it up? [/url] Back to top Exciting Bargains for Xbox Xbox Series X owners can grab Lies of P for A$58, a twisted Pinocchio-inspired Soulslike that started life as a small studio’s dream and went on to snag multiple Game of the Year nominations. Crisis Core: FF VII Reunion (A$46) is a polished prequel featuring one of the most melodramatic sword exits in JRPG history. CoD: ****** Ops 6 (-19%) - A$89Split Fiction (-16%) - A$59Lies of P (-35%) - A$58Crisis Core: FF VII Reunion (-46%) - A$46 Xbox One ****** Team Racing Nitro Fueled (-26%) - A$51Burnout Paradise Rem. (-75%) - A$7Need for Speed Hot Pursuit Rem. (-80%) - A$11 Expiring Recent Deals Robocop- Alex Murphy Ed. (-90%) - A$10Metaphor: Refantazio (-27%) - A$83******: The Old Country (-12%) - A$79Ori and the Will of the Wisps (-67%) - A$13No Man's Sky (-60%) - A$35Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age (-51%) - A$39It Takes Two (-65%) - A$20Unravel Two (-75%) - A$7 Or just invest in an Xbox Card. Xbox Console Prices How many bucks for a 'Box? [/url] Back to top Pure Scores for PlayStation Over on PS5, Final Fantasy XVI (A$44) trades party combat for full-blown Eikon duels of Kaiju scale. And if you’ve not played Astro Bot (A$89), know this: it’s essentially a love letter to PlayStation history with more Easter eggs than a Cadbury factory. Death Stranding 2 (-21%) - A$99Gran Turismo 7 (-29%) - A$88NBA 2K25 (-68%) - A$38Final Fantasy XVI (-48%) - A$44Astro Bot (-19%) - A$89CoD: ****** Ops 6 (-19%) - A$89 PS4 Red Dead (-68%) - A$29Ni No Kuni: WotWW (-80%) - A$13Crysis Rem. Trilogy (-75%) - A$18 Expiring Recent Deals Ghost of Yōtei (-21%) - A$99******: The Old Country (-12%) - A$79Assassin’s Creed Shadows (-19%) - A$0The Last of Us Part II Rem. (-14%) - A$69Cyberpunk 2077 (-35%) - A$71Ghost of Tsushima Dir. Cut (-58%) - A$46Spyro Reignited Trilogy (-65%) - A$24Tactics Ogre: Reborn (-21%) - A$55 PS+ Monthly Freebies Yours to keep from May 1 with this subscription Ark: Survival Ascended (PS5)Balatro (PS5/PS4)Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun (PS5/PS4) Or purchase a PS Store Card. What you'll pay to 'Station. [/url] Back to top Purchase Cheap for PC On PC, Helldivers 2 (A$41) is peak co-op carnage(because your own squad is often more dangerous than the enemy) and Inside (a ridiculous A$3) is a dark, beautiful indie darling that ends in a way you definitely won’t predict. Helldivers 2 (-31%) - A$41RoadCraft (-17%) - A$51Cyberpunk 2077: Ult. Ed. (-45%) - A$65Inside (-90%) - A$2.99Limbo (-90%) - A$1.49 Expiring Recent Deals Elden Ring Nightreign (-12%) - A$55Dungeons of Hinterberg (-67%) - A$11Sleeping Dogs: Def. Ed. (-85%) - A$4Witcher 3 Comp. (-90%) - A$5Baldur's Gate 3 (-20%) - A$71 Or just get a Steam Wallet Card PC Hardware Prices Slay your pile of shame. [/url]Laptop DealsHP Envy x360 16" 2-in-1 (-39%) – A$1,399HP Laptop 15.6" Ryzen (-34%) – A$1,049ThinkPad E14 Gen 5 (-35%) – A$869Lenovo Yoga 7i Gen 9 (-41%) – A$1,229Apple 2024 MacBook Air 15-inch (-16%) – A$2,094Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 5 (-36%) - A$879Lenovo ThinkBook 16 Gen7 (-27%) - A$1,018Desktop DealsLenovo neo 50q Gen 4 Tiny (-35%) – A$639Lenovo neo 50t Gen 5 Desk (-20%) – A$871.20Lenovo Legion Tower 5i (-29%) – A$1,899Monitor DealsARZOPA 16.1" 144Hz (-55%) – A$159.99Z-Edge 27" 240Hz (-15%) – A$237.99Gawfolk 34" WQHD (-28%) – A$359LG 27" Ultragear (-42%) – A$349Component DealsMSI PRO B650M-A WiFi Motherboard (-41%) – A$229AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D (-7%) – A$876Corsair Vengeance 32GB (-35%) – A$82Kingston FURY Beast 16GB (-30%) – A$48Storage DealsSeagate One Touch Portable HDD (-24%) – A$228Kingston 1TB USB 3.2 SSD (-17%) – A$115SanDisk 128GB Extreme PRO (-63%) – A$29SanDisk 32GB Ultra SDHC (-53%) – A$9.90 Back to top Legit LEGO Deals Expiring Recent Deals Botanicals Daffodils (-48%) - A$12Minions’ Music Party Bus (-42%) - A$35Deep-Sea Research Submarine (-33%) - A$39Construction Steamroller (-33%) - A$10 Back to top Hot Headphones Deals Audiophilia for less Galaxy Buds2 Pro (-31%) – A$239Technics Wireless NC (-33%) – A$365SoundPEATS Space (-25%) – A$56.99Sony MDR7506 Pro (-18%) – A$199 Back to top Terrific TV Deals Do right by your console, upgrade your telly LG 43" UT80 4K (-24%) – A$635Kogan 65" QLED 4K (-50%) – A$699Kogan 55" QLED 4K (-45%) – A$549LG 55" UT80 4K (-28%) – A$866 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]

Doom: The Dark Ages has swiftly reached three million players, becoming the biggest game launch ever by id Software. As the latest entry in a seminal FPS series, Doom: The Dark Ages rolled out to a strong reception across PC and consoles on May 15, 2025. View the full article

Editor's note: This review in progress is based entirely on the Early Access version of Game of Thrones: Kingsroad, and will be updated with final impressions after the playing the 1.0 version at launch. Game of Thrones is a series synonymous with epic battles, familial betrayal, and mythical creatures. It’s no wonder, then, that developer Netmarble used it as the backing for its latest mobile-friendly open-world RPG, plopping you right into the middle of the original HBO show with one major goal to achieve: Power. Yet, after 20 hours gallivanting through the Early Access version of Game of Thrones: Kingsroad’s northern factions, consolidating my wealth ahead of its full launch this week, I can’t help but feel worried about what lies ahead as I work my way toward a final review. It’s not the towering enemies or backstabbing friends waiting for me down south that I fear – it’s the reality of just how much grinding (or money) it’s going to take to get there. Set during the events of Game of Thrones’ fourth season, Kingsroad allows you to join the story as a bastard child and sole remaining heir of House Tyre. With your lord father unwell, your job is to explore Westeros in search of support so that you can buck the bastard title and ascend to lead your people when the time comes. You’ll meet plenty of familiar faces along this journey, too, from Jon Snow and Samwell Tarly to less likeable characters like Roose and Ramsay Bolton. While it might seem like a dense point in the overall plot to drop in, Kingsroad does a decent job of introducing the series’ broader themes through a speedy tutorial, which briefly takes you beyond the Wall to lay up the threat of the White Walkers and the world’s ongoing dynastic conflicts. Before you grapple with the inherent drama of Westeros, you’ll need to pick a character archetype to play as – a decision that will dictate the style of combat you’ll use as you level up. There are three options to choose from: A balanced sword-wielding Knight, a beefy axe-wielding Sellsword, and a nimble dagger-wielding Assassin. Inspired by Tormund and Brienne of Tarth, I opted for the hulking Sellsword, whose rage and size could sweep through larger groups of enemies with relative ease. If you’re indecisive (like me) and want to mix up your playstyle, the good news is that you can start up an alternate class at any time from the main menu and share loot between your warriors. You’ll still have to replay the central story missions with each one, but this helpful feature at least allows you to sneakily boost their stats and speed through the early game. Once you’ve made your choice, you’ll also be able to mould their look using Kingsroad’s surprisingly complex character creator. Alongside sliders that control each muscle of the face, you can choose beard length and colour, add battle scars, and even adjust the sheen of their hair. It hasn’t got the intense depth of something like Dragon’s Dogma 2 or inZOI, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I could tweak my progeny's features to my liking. Westeros has been faithfully recreated, but that initial sheen wears off quickly. You can’t simply walk into King's Landing and have your wish to rule House Tyre granted, though. To earn your regal title, you’ll need to work your way up the food chain and earn the respect of the ruling Ladies and Lords of the land. This means completing side quests, clearing out bandits and fiends, and collecting as much loot as you can carry to upgrade your armour. On the surface, this might sound like an enticing fantasy workload. Unfortunately, Kingsroad doesn’t quite have the technical chops to make these tasks truly draw you in. At first glance, Westeros has been faithfully recreated, and I relished the opportunity to take in the vast icy presence of the Wall and explore the cobbled walkways of Winterfell. However, that initial sheen wears off quickly when you linger a little too long in an area. Patches of grass pop up and down uncannily, and objects or NPCs all start to repeat. Suddenly, this mythical world loses its lustre and feels like a strange simulation. That isn’t helped by how odd the NPCs look and move, with many of the citizens I came in contact with acting as either overly dynamic animatronics or still paintings that eerily follow you with their eyes. This unsettling style is most noticeable in conversations, with some villagers' jaws and eyes oscillating in unnerving fashion as they explain their routine predicaments. This strange locomotion applied to my own movement as well, and no matter if I was on foot or mounted, it always felt as though I was skating on ice. That was more noticeable on frosty ground, which is surely intentional, but it frequently seemed like I was skidding on top of dry earth as well, with a slight delay to all my actions. Drifting my mount through twisty country roads was funny to begin with, but the constant unwieldy nature of movement gets frustrating fast. Often enough, I would catapult myself off the edge of a hill into an enemy camp without the ability to quickly course correct. Combat is also a mixed bag, with lots of repeated attack patterns whether I was taking on an area boss or a simple grunt. The foes I was facing were a rotating crew of the same faces, the only difference being how many I would face at once. You dodge or dash out of the way of enemies and then return their hits with a mixture of light, heavy, and special attacks that don’t really attempt to do anything unexpected or fresh. Occasionally, I would be surprised by a quest that required me to use some strategy, like separating select enemies from a larger pack to get an advantage – but more often than not, combat simply came down to taking on gaggles of soldiers until I’d meet their overly familiar boss. Combat is a mixed bag, with lots of repeated attack patterns. The story cutscenes surrounding my actions were at least enticing, pulling at my heartstrings as they urged me to help find missing children or take out bandits that were attacking weakened farmers. Sadly, the actual process of completing those tasks quickly felt thankless because of the rote combat. There are upgrade trees that can diversify your moveset as you level up, and I’m keen to investigate them further to see how they impact encounters in the full game, but in this early portion, fighting is mostly monotonous. Thankfully, you can find platforming puzzles nestled across the sizable, icon-covered map that offer a decent reprieve from the mindless fighting, even in spite of the floaty movement. Amongst the medieval castles and quaint villages, dilapidated buildings and cliff faces hide secrets that you can pinpoint with your area scanning tool. Hidden doorways and chests await, usually providing useful caches of loot or lore. When you’re wandering around and getting into the flow of it all, Kingsroad can start to resemble something like a stripped-back mobile port of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. The interface design and structure of the open-world and combat seem particularly derivative of Ubisoft’s viking odyssey. It’s not a bad skeleton for a Game of Thrones game, though it can feel a bit egregious at times as you use your ping to highlight hidden enemies. That said, barriers are set up around this open world in the form of Recommended Momentum requirements. Momentum is a bit like Gear Score in Destiny, a numerical valuation of your stats that takes into account your armour and skill progression, equipped accessories, and more. You’ll need to buff every aspect of your character in order to surpass the criteria required for exploring a new area, which is a reasonable enough limitation if properly tuned. But, rather predictably for a game with its eye on a mobile audience, the trove of consistent loot I was earning from early missions inevitably started to dry up, and I came face to face with the real amount of work needed to continue unlocking story missions. This is where the sinister undertone of Kingsroad’s live service design really starts to rear its head. The bevy of activities available are persistently counterbalanced by the copious microtransactions peppered throughout. Even beyond the bog-standard battle pass and abundance of different in-game currencies, I was surprised to see just how much of the actual gameplay was tied to some form of transaction. For example, when you die in combat, you can choose to wait 30 seconds or pay to come back faster with all your healing items intact – an essential inclusion if you want to avoid trawling back to camp to buy more items. Alternatively, you can fast travel the slow way by hoofing it to a special signpost, or pay for a premium version where you can warp for free from anywhere on the map. Annoyingly, all of these features impact how efficiently you can reach the Momentum requirements needed to progress, so you’re always goaded to put your hand in your pocket. 20 hours in, it feels as though I've barely scratched the surface. Behind every passably accessible system was a far more user-friendly one, but only if you’re willing to fork out for it. It felt as though Netmarble was more concerned with making Kingsroad just frustrating enough to encourage people to spend a bit of cash rather than making the base game reasonably enjoyable on its own. While it’s naive to assume a free-to-play game such as this wouldn’t offer some form of paid content, a cash-based system has been implemented into almost every corner of what’s here, and it cheapens both the world you are exploring and any success you may find there. Perhaps what’s most upsetting about this model is that beneath the plethora of currencies and grind-heavy progression, Kingsroad does have the capacity to capture the magic of its source material. Riding on a dire wolf across hazy pastoral lands and watching them gradually gain a coat of frost feels cinematic on occasion (and, again, as long as you don’t stop to look too closely). Plus, the stories of the quests I’ve tackled so far do well to curate a tragic atmosphere. But when push comes to shove, the mythic world I was reaching for was always shoved just slightly out of reach by some intrusive nudge to pull out my wallet. If there’s a silver lining, it’s that it still feels as though I’m barely scratching the surface Game of Thrones: Kingsroad despite sinking over 20 hours into it already. There’s so much more I want to explore in the 1.0 version before I deliver my final verdict, like artefacts, upgrade trees, and the estate management systems. As of right now, though, one thing is abundantly clear: When you play Game of Thrones: Kingsroad, you pay or you die. View the full article For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

While the likes of Industry Giant used to rule the production line game roost back in the day, more recent entries in the series have a lot more competition to face up against these days. Ambitious breakout hits like Satisfactory, simple yet satisfying experiences like Shapez 2, and obscenely addictive games like Factorio are now the go to destinations for folks that love building and resource management. Now seeing a resurgence, three years after launching in early access, Captain of Industry is the latest challenger to see a huge spike in popularity. After dropping a massive update last week, it's now setting new player count records on Steam. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: Industrial factory building game gets big upgrade and new map editor View the full article

Epic Games has announced that Fortnite is now available on iOS devices in the United States App Store. Fortnite is currently in the middle of its Star Wars-themed Galactic Battle mini-season, which has added iconic characters like Emperor Palpatine, Mace Windu, General Grievous, and Jar Jar Binks to the game. View the full article

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has one of the greatest stories of any modern video game, and it's packed full of devastating moments. These moments are part of what makes the story so powerful, as Clair Oscur certainly doesn't shy away from the hard topics. You won't be able to avoid the saddest parts of this story, but there are plenty of melancholic and tragic moments in the side content as well.Warning: This article contains major spoilers for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.While the main story is enough to bring anyone to tears, completing each character's relationship quest in Clair Obscur and following each of their stories to the end will also prove to be extremely emotional. These tragic moments amount to something deeper, and they allow Clair Obscur's underlying themes of loss, grief, and acceptance to have a real impact on the audience. View the full article