Blog

Street Fighter 6 roster leak reveals new and familiar characters Following its appearance at Sony’s June State of Play presentation, the Street Fighter 6 roster has seemingly leaked online in concept art that showcases 22 new and familiar characters. Capcom officially announced Street Fighter 6 in February of this year in a roughly 40-second teaser trailer featuring Ryu and newcomer Luke. The publisher didn’t reveal much in the way of concrete details at the time but promised more details during the summer months. Fortunately, Capcom delivered on that promise this week by showcasing a Street Fighter 6 trailer during PlayStation’s June 2 State of Play broadcast. It didn’t take long for fans to begin picking apart the new footage and updated website, either. While scouring the official Street Fighter website, eagle-eyed fans noticed the names of several as yet unconfirmed characters. Site visitors even stumbled across match images that indicate the likes of Cammy and Guile will appear on the Street Fighter 6 roster. Street Fighter 6 roster leaks Twitter user Sigmaah uncovered and shared concept art featuring 22 different Street Fighter 6 combatants. While characters such as Chun-Li, Luke, and Ryu were previously confirmed to appear, the leaked art reveals a number of other familiar faces and newcomers. Classic fighters like Blanka, Ken, and Guile will return in the sixth mainline entry. Players can also look forward to once more getting their hands on fighters who joined the series in recent installments, including Ed, Juri, and Rashid. https://twitter.com/EightyThor/status/1532640278896582657 In addition, EightyThor followed up the Sigmaah post by translating each character’s name from Japanese to English. Every character on the bottom row – Lilly, JP, Kimberly, and A.K.I – will debut on the Street Fighter 6 roster as newcomers. Mimi, Jamie, and Marisa will also appear for the first time. Each fighter looks as though they’ll bring something fresh to the table, too. For example, Marisa is a boxer while the claws attached to A.K.I’s hands should pack more than a punch.

Street Fighter 6 World Tour revealed at State of Play: First-look gameplay & new fighters CapcomThe June 2 State of Play gave fans a first look at Street Fighter 6’s gameplay, including reveals for new and returning fighters like Ryu and Chun-Li. Following the excitement of Capcom’s Street Fighter 6 announcement in February, fans have been hungry to see the game in action. Now, Capcom has shown off the first look of Street Fighter 6 in action at the June 2022 State of Play, and it looks cleaner and flashier than ever. Fans were treated to a look at the game’s single-player ‘World Tour’ mode as well as over a minute of fighting between Ryu, Chun-Li, Luke, and Street Fighter 6’s newest character. Street Fighter 6 gameplay revealed The trailer begins with a panoramic view of Metro City before heading into a gym to see Luke training on a punching bag. As Luke finishes wailing on the sandbag, fans get another view of what appears to be a sprawling city that players can explore. Read More: Street Fighter 5 May 16 update patch notes: Luke nerf, SF5 bug fixes, character adjustments – Here, what looks to be a player-created character in a hoodie wanders the city, interacting with NPCs and even getting ready to battle one. This will be the game’s ‘World Tour’ mode which will serve as “an immersive single-player story experience.” Next, fans are shown series staples like Ryu and Chun-Li in action, along with Street Fighter 5’s newcomer Luke alongside an all-new character named Jamie. Though we have only seen a bit of Jamie’s moveset, it looks like he has a heavy focus on kicks with an almost capoeira-like fighting style. Next, fans are shown over a minute worth of Street Fighter 6’s new gameplay even showcasing what looks to be each of the four characters’ new supers. The trailer ends with a tease of the game’s Battle Hub mode “which will further expand the scope of player communication and engagement.” While no definitive release date was given, fans can look forward to Street Fighter 6’s launch sometime in 2023 on PS4 and PS5.

Street Fighter 6 players grossed out by Juri’s “foot fetish” move set Street Fighter 6Street Fighter 6 is finally here, but Juri players can’t get over the prominence of her feet in the game. Some players have even requested that she gets some shoes to conceal those grippers. Overall, the release of Street Fighter 6 has been a resounding success. Dexerto gave the game a perfect score, critical acclaim that’s been matched by many other review outlets. Fans of the series are high on the entry too, excited to get back to playing some old favorites as well as a number of fighters new to the series. However, some Juri mains aren’t too happy with the direction her character has taken in the latest Street Fighter installment. Those who play her, but aren’t a fan of how prominent her feet are in all of her animations, are hoping that she’ll get some shoes – to the point where some PC players want to mod them in. Street Fighter 6 players taken aback by Juri’s feet Juri’s been in the Street Fighter series since Street Fighter IV, and she’s become a fan-favorite character regardless of her relative strength in comparison to the rest of the cast. She’s been trending on Twitter since Street Fighter 6’s release, but not all the comments toward her have been praise. “Pour one out for all the Juri mains who don’t like feet, they cranked it up to a million in this game,” one player said. Many of Juri’s animations involve her using her feet for gestures and actions that would normally be done with someone’s hands, and the majority of her poses and moves feature her feet right in the camera. For those who don’t like feet or are just grossed out by them in general, it’s pushed them away from playing the character entirely. Even some long-time Juri players have decided to give other characters a shot in Street Fighter 6 over the prominence of her piggies. Some players on PC have lamented the implementation of Denuvo and the fact that it makes modding much more difficult. If it weren’t so hard, they would have given Juri shoes themselves. Meanwhile, many other players are just enjoying what Street Fighter 6 has done with their favorite character. There are even some Juri feet fancams out there. That said, feet content doesn’t carry the same weight as other fetish content – something some Tik Tok users found out the hard way when a Chun-Li filter was getting some users banned due to having some explicit images hidden within the filter.

Street Fighter 6 PC Requirements: Minimum & recommended specs CapcomThe Street Fighter 6 stage is all set. The big question for many PC players right now concerns its minimum and recommended specs and requirements, and we have all the answers. Keen to launch a pulsating Hadouken but unsure if your PC has got the juice for it? That’s a story every player on the block can relate to. Street Fighter 6 PC requirements, both minimum and recommended, will naturally be on every PC player’s search radar. It’s no surprise, given the rising anticipation for Capcom’s next big chapter in the iconic franchise. Die-hard fans and curious newcomers alike are all curious as to what rigs the technical powerhouse can handle. For those PC gamers wondering what requirements are needed to run Street Fighter 6, our handy hub has everything you need to know. Street Fighter 6 minimum specs If you’re not too bothered about maximizing Street Fighter 6’s visual output, then don’t worry. Here are the suggested, minimum specs required to simply play the game on PC. OS: 64-Bit Windows 10 – Processor: Intel Core i5-7500 / AMD Ryzen 3 1200 – Memory: 8 GM RAM – Graphics: GTX1060 (VRAM 6 GB) / Radeon RX 580 (VRAM 4 GB) – DirectX: Version 12 – Storage: 60 GB available space – Street Fighter 6 recommended specs On the other hand, if you want the title’s visuals to hit harder than a Chun-Li kick, then you’re going to want the recommended specs for top performance. Check out Street Fighter 6’s PC requirements in their entirety below to get the game looking its best. OS: 64-Bit Windows 10 – Processor: Intel Core i7 8700 / AMD Ryzen 5 3600 – Memory: 16 GM RAM – Graphics: RTX2070 / Radeon RX 5700XT – DirectX: Version 12 – Storage: 60 GB available space – There you have it! That’s everything you need to know about the minimum and recommended PC requirements for Street Fighter 6. For more content on the game, check out our guides below: Is Street Fighter 6 coming to Xbox Game Pass? | Street Fighter 6 voice actors | Will Street Fighter 6 have microtransactions? | Will Street Fighter 6 be on Nintendo Switch? | Can you play Street Fighter 6 on Steam Deck? | Street Fighter 6 editions & pre-order bonus | Street Fighter 6 characters | Street Fighter 6 World Tour mode | Is Street Fighter 6 crossplay? | Street Fighter 6 review

Street Fighter 6 hands-on: The series’ most exciting shakeup in years CapcomStreet Fighter 6 could be the game that expands the audience further than ever with impressive mechanics that feel like an amalgam of all that came before. Street Fighter 6 is everything I’ve wanted from a fighting game, even as a casual fan of the genre. Sure, I love throwing down as Scorpion, Kazuya, et al, but Street Fighter as a franchise has always felt so geared toward competitive play that my brief stint on Street Fighter 4 was an exercise in futility – like trying to punch through a rock. And yet, after just a short period of time playing Street Fighter 6, I may have become a true believer. It’s no longer a franchise I know through its characters – within an hour I was building strategies, layering mechanics, and delving more into the genre than I ever have before. Back to the streets Ever since the first reveal of Street Fighter 6, the game’s art style has been seared into the minds of players. Eschewing the cartoonish look of prior games, there’s a bizarre realism to everything except the character models. Perhaps most surprisingly, though, it works – every fighter (particularly male characters like Ryu and Luke) is absolutely jacked, with biceps the size of cars and thighs to match. Whichever character you play (I had eight to choose from), animations are incredibly fluid. That, combined with backgrounds that range from the iconic aircraft carrier to neon-drenched back alleys, make the game look absolutely gorgeous in motion. The smart injection of graffiti-style colors the fly out from Drive Impact attacks (more on those shortly) make it feel like something all its own, to the point where screenshots simply don’t do it justice. Nowhere is that felt more than with agile debutant Kimberly, who, despite the stealth-focused origins of her ninjutsu fighting style, is full of vibrancy. From a paint can projectile, to the ability to bounce around the screen, she’s full of character and makes a strong first impression with somersaults, rush-down attacks, and flashy special moves. Go for a Drive If you’ve come to this Street Fighter 6 preview looking for all the Shoryukens, Hadoukens, and, well, all the other iconic moves, then I’m pleased to tell you that they’re all present and accounted for. Beneath those classic quarter-circle inputs, though, there’s something very impressive indeed. Street Fighter 6’s Drive system feels like a refinement of everything added in the last few iterations, each one folded into the last to form a whole that’s not only more than the sum of its parts, but the most fun I’ve had in a fighter in years. Players have to manage a new Drive gauge, with an array of special attacks lopping off varying parts of the bar beneath your fighter’s health. At the lowest level, you’ll find the Drive Impact causes an explosion of color, as players absorb an incoming attack and retaliate with one of their own, much like Street Fighter 4’s focus attacks. EX moves return, too, now known as Overdrive Arts that can turn the battle at the cost of two bars of gauge. It’s not all about damage, though, Drive Reversals open up counterattack options, while Drive Rush can help close the gap against ranged fighters to unleash a flurry of fists and feet. Perhaps most useful, though, is the Drive Parry, which can deflect all attacks except for throws. That may sound like an overly casual addition, but timing it perfectly can lead to a Perfect Parry. This forces you to think about how you use your meter, and approach almost every situation. In our short time playing Street Fighter 6, we were even able to time a Drive Impact into an opponent’s own Drive Impact to cause the screen to slow down and each fighter be pushed back while their feet are planted, anime-style. It’s electric, and has me itching to watch the best players go toe-to-digital-toe. With classic and “modern” control schemes, players can spend less time trying to wrestle with the controls and more time wrestling with their opponents. However, you do lose out on a few crucial inputs that made the modern control system unsuitable for competitive play, as it locks you out of certain moves. However, if you’re just looking to get your feet wet and pull of some flashy moves, it’s more than servicable. That’s not to say the complexity is gone, though, and strategy is ultimately the most important thing in the game, but it’s sure to make Street Fighter 6 more accessible for those that need it. Return of the King? It’d be fair to say that 2023 is shaping up to be a big year for fighting games. Between Tekken 8 and Street Fighter 6, it’ll be interesting to see who comes out on top. Still, from just a few matches playing Street Fighter 6, I’m more excited about the franchise than I have been in over a decade. It’s a fast-paced fighter that dares you to play it slowly, with a methodical pace that’s sure to ingratiate it to new players and the best of the best alike.

Street Fighter 6 fans spot new fighter after State of Play reveal CAPCOMThe reveal of Street Fighter 6 was one of the biggest moments of PlayStation’s June State of Play, showing off flashy combat and new open-world exploration. It didn’t take long for eagle-eyed fans to spot a brand new character among the early screenshots. After a six-year wait, we got our first in-depth look at Street Fighter 6 during the June PlayStation State of Play, sending the community into meltdown. A host of new features were announced, including series-first open-world exploration. The three-minute trailer showed plenty of staple characters in action, from Ryu to Chun Li, but it also gave us our first look a Jamie, a brand-new character. After the reveal, savvy fans have spotted a hidden detail in a Street Fighter 6 screenshot, seemingly confirming another never before seen character. Shortly after the reveal trailer debuted, the official Street Fighter 6 website went live containing even more information to dig into. One section features a screenshot of the Battle Hub, an area where players can “seek out friendly rivalries.” Shared by APZonerunner, fighter game content creator Maximillian Dood zoomed in on a screen found on the right-hand side of the screen and discovered a handful of names on the “Event Counter.” Shout out to @maximilian_ who discovered this streaming on twitch, but there’s this image on the SF6 website, and if you zoom into the bracket, there’s… a load of character names. And on some of the smaller screens, there’s, er… literally images of Cammy and Guile mid-match pic.twitter.com/ShWNF25DNM — Alex Donaldson (@APZonerunner) June 3, 2022 Many of the names will be familiar to fans of the series, such as Juri, Zangief, Blanka, and Honda. But there was also a new character called “Kimberly” listed, hinting that she will be new for Street Fighter 6. The streamer also found monitors that showed Cammy and Guile throwing hands, two characters that were nowhere to be found in the reveal trailer. Juri, Zangief, Blanka, Honda, a newcomer called Kimberly… pic.twitter.com/QEBNGqLmIF — Alex Donaldson (@APZonerunner) June 3, 2022 Unfortunately, no further details about Kimberly could be found aside from the fighter’s name. The character’s appearance and move set are still unknown, but it does appear that Kimberly will be a new addition to the roaster along with Jamie. Street Fighter 6 is currently slated for a 2023 release, so hopefully, we’ll get a more formal reveal of the new character in the coming months.

Street Fighter 6 fans are clowning Luke’s new Perfect Win animation CapcomA video on Twitter revealed that Street Fighter 6 is getting Perfect Win animations, but fans are too busy clowning Luke’s dance moves. Street Fighter 6 isn’t coming until 2023, but Capcom hasn’t been shy about showing off the game in action. While most fan reception to the game has been positive, some have taken issue with aesthetic choices like the new music direction Street Fighter 6 is taking. Now, fans are clowning Luke, the new face of Street Fighter 6, after Capcom revealed each character will have unique Perfect Win animations. Street Fighter 6 fans clown Luke’s new animation The reveal came by way of Capcom Europe’s Brand Manager Matthew Edwards over on Twitter. Fans were able to play Street Fighter 6 at Japan Expo 2022, where Edwards witnessed one player getting a Perfect Win — or a victory without getting hit once — at a demo kiosk. Edwards tweeted out a short clip of Luke’s Perfect animation, which shows the fighter performing a little dance before the next round begins. While Edwards tweeted that “Luke is definitely from the TikTok generation,” other fans were not as gracious to Luke’s dancing, or the animation in general. “Oh my god. This looks so freakish with his stupid giant Popeye arms and tiny legs and waist,” said user ‘starstaringnerd.’ “Luke has tiny legs. He looks like a dancing hobbit…” replied another Twitter user by the name of ‘BigJimbo0100. However, other astute fans noticed that the reason Luke appears to have “tiny legs” is due to the offscreen recording and the angle of Edwards’ phone. “BTW…it’s just the camera angle of the recording making him look like that. No, he doesn’t have Jack-2 legs…,” noted user ‘emezie,’ who provided side-by-side proof showing it is just a trick of the recording. While emezie’s side-by-side photos do prove Luke’s proportions aren’t as freakish as the video would have fans believe, fans still seem to be split on the animation’s quality and its fit for Luke.

Street Fighter 6 is most popular fighting game at EVO before its release CapcomThough it won’t hit stores until June, Street Fighter 6 already counts as the biggest fighting game for EVO 2023. This year’s EVO tournament will take over Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino from Friday, August 4 through Sunday, August 6. Several fighting game tournaments are on the cards, too, each one bolstered by a minimum prize pool of $25,000. And since registration kicked off in February, competitors know exactly which games will sit at the center of attention. The full list of EVO 2023 titles includes Dragon Ball FighterZ, Guilty Gear: Strive, The King of Fighters XV, Melty Blood: Type Lumina, Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate, Street Fighter 6, Tekken 7, and Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3. Interestingly enough, it seems players already have a clear favorite. Street Fighter 6 is the biggest game at EVO and it’s not even out Evo closed early-bird registration for the 2023 event this past weekend and celebrated by sharing stats about which games have received the most attention from participants. It’s clear Street Fighter 6 will constitute the marquee title for the fighting game tournament, given that it sits at the top spot in early entry standings. Guilty Gear: Strive appears on the list at number two, with Tekken 7 rounding out the top three. Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and Dragon Ball FighterZ sit at fourth and fifth in the standings, respectively. The full list features in the following post from Evo‘s official Twitter account: Considering the excitement surrounding Street Fighter 6’s impending release, its standing in Evo 2023’s early-bird sections hardly comes as a surprise. Of course, the above list of most popular titles isn’t set in stone just yet. The event’s regular registration lasts from April 9 through June 9; meanwhile, late registration opens on June 10 and ends on July 11.

Street Fighter 6 director & producer reveal Fatal Fury crossover was years in the making CAPCOM / SNKI got the chance to speak with Street Fighter 6’s director and producer, Takayuki Nakayama and Shuhei Matsumoto, about the surprising Fatal Fury characters coming to the Capcom fighting game and why they chose to collaborate with SNK for this unexpected crossover. Summer Game Fest 2024 kicked off with a major announcement for Street Fighter fans, revealing four characters coming to Street Fighter 6 in Season 2. While Bison and Elena are returning from previous Street Fighter titles, players were stunned to see Mai Shiranui and Terry Bogard making an entrance from SNK’s Fatal Fury IP. This marks the very first time a mainline Street Fighter game has included guest characters from other franchises outside of Capcom — and while the two have collaborated in the past in the CvS series, it’s safe to say that no one expected them to ever link up again. I quizzed Street Fighter 6’s Takayuki Nakayama and Shuhei Matsumoto about why they chose to include Terry and Mai in Season 2, and the duo gave me the heartwarming backstory on how this collaboration came to pass. “Two years ago, when EVO had their first live event after the global health issue, they were talking with folks at SNK to see what they could do to kind of celebrate this moment, which led to this exchange of unique posters that both Capcom illustrators and SNK had that involved both their characters and the other company’s characters,” Nakayama told me. “And then from there, they talked about, ‘What else can we do to just get people more excited about fighting games in general?’ Which eventually led to the conversation of involving both Terry and Mai into Street Fighter 6. Hopefully, that helps get more people interested in fighting games, even if they aren’t necessarily very familiar with Street Fighter 6.” This brought up the inevitable question that had been bugging me since their reveal — does this mean that the Fatal Fury and Street Fighter universes are canonically connected? I couldn’t get a solid answer out of them, but Nakayama did say that the two worlds are somewhat interlinked thanks to this character crossover. “We can’t really speak too much about it since we’re Capcom, but our interpretation isn’t a very clear timeline. However, the Fatal Fury games, including this upcoming one, has a clear timeline. And then, that kind of universe is somewhat connected to Street Fighter 6 through this collaboration. “The reason why we decided to work with SNK for the inclusion of Terry and Mai is because we see Fatal Fury and Street Fighter as brother and sister, like sibling IPs in the sense that we’ve had people at Capcom who’ve worked on both Street Fighter 1 and Fatal Fury back in the day. And even though they kind of ran in parallel, they were somewhat indirectly connected between those two titles.” Terry is slated to join the fray in Fall 2024, while Mai will pick up the rear as the final Season 2 character in Spring 2025.

Street Fighter 6 devs confirm highly requested online features will return CapcomStreet Fighter 6 development team members have confirmed the game will include two highly requested online features for the brand new Battle Hub mode: rollback netcode and crossplay. Many fighting game fans know that one of the most important features in modern-day fighters is a strong netcode for online play. With Street Fighter 6 coming sometime next year, players are wondering how Capcom will improve the game’s new online Battle Hub mode. Now, members of the Street Fighter 6 development team have confirmed the game will include both rollback netcode and crossplay after launch. Street Fighter 6 will have rollback netcode and crossplay The confirmation comes by way of reliable sources attending Summer Game Fest’s in-person event, which is demoing Street Fighter 6 to attendees. Fighting game Content Creator Maximillian Dood confirmed “from the devs directly” that Street Fighter 6 will have crossplay, while GameSpot’s Tamoor Hussain confirmed the game “uses rollback netcode. Lots of people are asking.” For those who may not know, in simple terms, rollback netcode is a system that attempts to predict the actions opponents may take during online play to help combat excessive latency. Though many modern fighting games like Street Fighter 5 have adopted rollback netcode, other massively popular fighters like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate have neglected to incorporate it, much to fans’ disappointment. Confirmed from the devs directly. Street Fighter VI will have cross play. — Maximilian Dood (@maximilian_) June 10, 2022 Street Fighter 6 uses rollback net code. Lots of people are asking. — Tamoor Hussain (@tamoorh) June 10, 2022 Additionally, IGN’s Mitchell Saltzman confirmed these details directly with Street Fighter 6’s Director Takayuki Nakayama who said “As you know, Street Fighter 5 also had rollback netcode, but in terms of Street Fighter 6, it will have rollback netcode but it will not be the same as what we had in SF5, and this is something that we’re building from scratch.” It seems that Nayaka is taking online connection issues seriously, stressing that “There’s a lot of effort being put into the development of the netcode… We’re involving the battle team to participate in that development to ensure that the experience is seamless and that it actually feels good.” This is great news for fans looking to train competitively with other players via online play, as it will only make latency issues less noticeable. While online play will likely never achieve the same responsive feeling of playing directly next to someone on the same system, it seems Capcom is dedicated to making Street Fighter 6’s netcode as strong as it can be.

Street Fighter 6 Demo available now for PlayStation ahead of June release CapcomWorld Warriors, prepare! Street Fighter 6 is now available to play as a demo on PlayStation ahead of its release date on June 2, with other platforms soon to follow. On April 20, rapper Lil Wayne showed up on Twitch to host a special Street Fighter 6 showcase that revealed a ton of new content for the game’s World Tour mode. That’s not all; a slew of new gameplay options were also announced for the upcoming title, including battle damage, special sound cues, and even private rooms for online training. However, possibly the most exciting info to come out of the showcase was that Street Fighter fans can start playing a free demo version of the series’ next installment before its release this summer. How to get Street Fighter 6 free demo The surprise from this unexpected stream was the news that PlayStation 4 & 5 users can download a Street Fighter 6 demo version right now, on April 20, and presumably play it all the way up until the game’s release on June 2. To get the demo, navigate to the PlayStation store and search for the Street Fighter 6 demo. Simply hit download, and your SF6 demo will be available to play to your heart’s content! Right now, it looks like players will only get access to two modes: World Tour and Fighting Ground, which were previously unavailable in the game’s closed beta test that took place last year. In Fighting Ground mode, you have access to a Tutorial and Character Guides in the Practice mode, a One on One battle in Versus Mode, and Extreme Battle in Special Match Mode. Currently, you can only play as two characters in the Fighting Ground mode — SFV newcomer Luke and mainstay icon Ryu. It’s unclear if the Battle For those who aren’t playing on PlayStation, not to fear — you’ll be able to duke it out on PC for Steam and XBox Series X/S on April 26. The demo will be available on Xbox Series X|S and Steam on April 26! — Street Fighter (@StreetFighter) April 20, 2023 Until then, World Warriors will need to test their patience until the full game comes out on June 2. Bring it on! For more Street Fighter 6 news, check out our hub of all the game’s confirmed characters thus far.

Street Fighter 6 costs more than a month’s rent for some players CapcomStreet Fighter 6 has fighting game fans around the world excited to hop back into the iconic series, but in some parts of the world, Street Fighter 6 will cost players more than a month’s rent. The FGC is one of the most internationally prominent and active communities regarding both esports and casual play. The fighting game genre started in arcades making games like Street Fighter and Tekken accessible to everyone, popularizing them worldwide. People around the world having access to new fighting games is an essential part of keeping these communities alive. For example, prominent Pakistani pro player Arslan Ash wouldn’t have been able to get into fighting games without arcades, and he went on to win EVO 2019’s Tekken tournament. With the hype from Street Fighter 6‘s recent reveals has come the news that, in some countries, Street Fighter 6 will cost fans of the series more than their rent for the month. Street Fighter 6 costs more than rent in Argentina While Argentina is a fringe case for the game costing more than rent in some places, there are many contributing factors to what one Chilean fighting game fan has called “prohibitively expensive” prices for not only Street Fighter 6 but video games in general. It’s also important to remember that games like Tekken 7 and Street Fighter V launched with arcade cabinets, to the point where many players would go to the arcade to play rather than buy the game for a home console. For Latin American fighting game fans, arcades would provide a way to play these games without making a massive financial investment to buy the base game on launch. But arcades around the world are being phased out, and Street Fighter V didn’t even hit arcades at launch as detailed by an article from Red Bull. Even in a country like Japan, which has historically had a thriving arcade culture, the scene has been gradually dying out as players either choose to or are forced to play these games at home. Something many gamers can’t afford. While this discussion has included people from many countries across South America, Argentina’s pricing is so high for one major reason: taxes. The screenshots from the original tweet were taken from an Argentinian Steam user with a browser extension called Steamico that applies Argentina’s tax on foreign goods to the item before checkout to give users an idea of what they’ll be paying for a game. Before taxes, Street Fighter 6’s price would be $60 USD in the Argentine Peso (which works out to be around 10,000 Pesos), a massive financial undertaking for the average person living there. Tax on foreign goods takes that price even higher to around $100 USD for just the base edition of the game, not including DLC. The Ultimate Edition gets taken close to $180 USD, a hefty price even for someone living in the US. Given the choice between being able to have a roof over your head or getting your hands on the new Street Fighter, it’s no surprise that Latin American fighting game fans are feeling frustrated about the high price placed on the game.

Street Fighter 6 fans kick off after Capcom changes “iconic” Ryu theme CapcomCapcom has released Ryu’s new theme music in Street Fighter 6, but some fans are quite unhappy with the pivot away from his “iconic” Street Fighter 2 theme. Capcom recently debuted a bunch of Street Fighter 6 content following a Sony State of Play event which aired on June 2. During the reveal, fans got a much better idea of the new hip-hop and funk-inspired direction Capcom would be taking the iconic fighting game series in Street Fighter 6. Now, Capcom has unveiled Ryu’s new theme music for SF6, and many fans are not happy with the turn away from remixing Ryu’s most iconic theme from Street Fighter 2. Capcom reveals Ryu’s new theme for Street Fighter 6 The official Street Fighter Twitter account sent out a tweet that reads “Listen to Ryu’s new theme to feel the journey he has been on and his enthusiasm for the new one awaiting for him in Street Fighter 6.” Ryu’s new theme is oozing the funk and hip-hop DNA that permeates Street Fighter 6’s aesthetic, making for a new bombastic reinvention for the series’ leading man. However, many fans are not pleased with Ryu’s new theme, citing a massive departure from Ryu’s iconic theme that debuted in 1991’s Street Fighter 2. “Yea… we’re gonna need their iconic themes as an option lol. Out of everything amazing that’s been revealed, the music so far has been their weakest reveals” said Twitter user lariat_dubman. Yea… we’re gonna need their iconic themes as an option lol. Out of everything amazing that’s been revealed, the music so far has been their weakest reveals. They just sound like stock music that doesn’t mesh with the character’s personality. — Lariatooo (@honesttoehold) June 16, 2022 Hi @StreetFighter I saw that you got Ryu’s theme wrong but don’t worry, I fixed it for you 👍 pic.twitter.com/3zWK0j51hr — Bit Alemaunzinhuu 🇩🇪 ✴︎ (@alemaunzinhuu) June 16, 2022 Other fans echoed the sentiment, like kabrutustallone who replied “Everything in this game is looking fantastic but these new themes are just… unnecessary. Classics are classics, don’t change something that doesn’t need to.” However, many fans have taken to the replies to defend Capcom’s decision to reinvent Ryu’s theme in Street Fighter 6. “I see people hating on this song…This is a new generation of Street Fighter and I’m going to be honest. I don’t want to hear Ryu’s SF2 for the 100th time. This theme is funky. Will listen to it on repeat,” wrote Twitter user KeybladeHero_05. While some may not like the new direction Capcom is taking with the Street Fighter 6’s soundtrack, it’s clear that Capcom is ready to reinvigorate the Street Fighter franchise in some pretty big ways moving forward.

Street Fighter 5 player discover meta-defining combo after Definitive update CapcomStreet Fighter 5’s Definitive update gave the whole roster of fighters access to new combo possibilities; one player has found a new way to play with one of the game’s most classic characters. Characters were born anew through Capcom‘s Definitive update for their storied fighter, Street Fighter 5, as they were given more combo possibilities and potential. While fans may know Ryu and Ken as two of the most standard combatants throughout the franchise’s history, allowing for anybody to quickly pick up, the recent update has managed to turn Ken Masters on his head. New Ken Masters Combos Discovered in Street Fighter 5 People have been dropping into the ring in Street Fighter 5 to try out the new changes that Capcom gifted them. Capcom’s updates included updates to address bugs and the amount of damage that characters could dish out. Read More: How to invite friends in Guilty Gear Strive – More importantly, the way the game was played on a fundamental level. The Definitive update made adjustments to combos, reworking the system for every character in the process. Ken Masters was given an array of changes to his gameplay, but on the surface, it seemed that the character would still play the same and only that one way. The most significant change to Ken was a buff to his V-Trigger 1 skill. While his V-Trigger skill is active, Ken is able to cancel all versions of his Hadouken fireball into either equipped V-Skill. As many players don’t play with V-Trigger 1, some felt this change was pointless. One player, in particular, has found some new tech with Ken Masters that has us rethinking what is actually possible in Street Fighter 5. Street Fighter 5 player finds new Ken combo routes The person who found the Ken combos is Kazey77, who recently uploaded a video of his high-level Ken to YouTube. Kazey77 takes advantage of the updates and shows off seemingly everything that can be done with Ken in the definitive version of SF5. In the clip, he selects Ken with V-Trigger 1 and proceeds to cancel his fireball into a multitude of heavy-hitting combos that leave his opponent with little to no health left in some instances. At one point, Kazey77 tacks on the pressure from his fireball V-Trigger 1 cancel so much so that he defeats his opponent while they’re blocking. Intense. It’s hard to know where Ken currently sits in Street Fighter’s meta, especially since the changes are all so new. But, with what is possible from one of the most historically basic characters in the game, the possibilities of where this version of Street Fighter is headed has us on our toes.

Streamers conquer the Pringles Can Hands challenge PringlesSeven streamers took on the Pringles Can Hands challenge, proving that there isn’t a game that can’t be beat with a Pringles can stuck to your hand. Ever since QTCinderella first undertook the Pringles Can Hand challenge, streamers have jumped onto the bandwagon to try their hand at this task. QTCinderella pioneered the challenge during a cooking livestream, but it quickly spread to gaming streamers that wanted to see if they could conquer their favorite title one-handed. After weeks of streamers testing their mettle against every game from Call of Duty to Fall Guys to God of War, the Pringles Can Hands challenge has yet to meet a foe that didn’t put up a valiant fight. Pringles Can Hands challenge cannot stop gamers Eight streamers – QTCinderella, SweeetTails, MissMikkaa, BrookeAB, LobosJr, Lululuvely, EazySpeezy, and Scump – took down the Pringles Hand Can challenge on different games, enjoying a fun snack with their gaming session. Some were better than others, whilst BrookeAB and SweeetTails raged at the can whilst putting the fall in Fall Guys, QT made a whole cake and Lobos managed to get through one of the hardest games, Dark Souls! Overall the challenge didn’t stop the streamers from showing their gaming talent as there were plenty of triumphs once the players figured out how to navigate playing with one hand in a can. Mikka notched up the difficulty on GoW: Ragnarok to “Give me God Of War” and somehow managed to successfully beat the first boss Thor! Meanwhile, Lululuvely managed to hold her own playing Overwatch 2, dominating lobbies all with the can firmly affixed to her hand! Eazyspeezy managed to impress by doing a Minecraft speedrun in under 100 minutes, all while having a Pringles can on one hand. Scump managed to get not one, but two of the fabled nuke killstreaks whilst playing MW2, however on closer inspection it seems he hacked the challenge, cutting the bottom out of the can meaning he was able to dominate those lobbies as usual, still it’s the thought that counts right Pringles? The Can Hands challenge has shown us not to fear reaching down to those last few Pringles. If we do get stuck we can all sleep soundly knowing we can still game! You can find out more and watch all the steams at https://www.pringleschallenge.com/p/1

Streamer stunned as 48 hour Flight Simulator challenge ends in disaster Microsoft / izidore TwitchA Twitch streamer’s quest to fly around the world in Microsoft Flight Simulator was an incredible display of persistence and technical ability – but the game didn’t quite let him stick the landing. The streamer, known as ‘izidore,’ prepped flight plans, picked his Airbus out of the game’s extensive catalogue of planes and set up his IRL setup for the long haul. The two-stream 48-hour challenge to travel the globe was set, and the streamer had taken off without a hitch – but the trip had a few surprises with internet connection errors and game crashes along the way. Not one to succumb under the pressure of demoralizing early issues, izidore took his Airbus A320neo and trekked well into the night. Though he had unlimited Endurance and Range on his craft along with no fuel restraints, there were still bumps to overcome. However, the two-day flight wasn’t going to stop. Izidore did everything from constantly monitoring his computer’s connection, sleeping on stream, and more, just to make sure he could bring the plane to its final destination. After dozens of hours talking shop with his chat, the time had come to start his descent into the international airport. The only thing left to do after circumnavigating the globe was to stick the landing. There were plenty of questions looming about how to actually park the Airbus, but the streamer was adamant to find a way to manually land. The notification blaring ‘Overspeed’ noted how fast he was coming onto the runway. As he made touchdown, he celebrated, but then the screen went black. “You damaged your landing gear.” The game told him that he had crashed, prompting him to either restart or go to the main menu, but izidore was happy for what he had accomplished in spite of he bummer ending. “I landed it, that’s a lie,” the streamer said after ‘crashing’ his plane. “I don’t care, that’s a win. We landed. That’s a landing if I’ve ever seen it.” He was shocked at the landing, and a couple of more attempts didn’t yield any improvements, but for izidore, the feat was accomplished. The endeavor clocked in around 46 hours and was a huge test of persistence – and one of the most impressive trips in the Flight Simulator to date.

Former CLG CEO explains why PoE devs are more passionate than Blizzard During his overlayed stream of the Path of Exile convention, Exilecon, current N3RDFUSION CEO and former Counter Logic Gaming executive Devin Nash laid out the reasons why he thinks Grinding Gear Games are doing a much better job than Blizzard. For the many fans that moved on from Diablo to Path of Exile, this past weekend’s ExileCon was quite the exciting weekend, with many claiming that the approach developers GGG took was the right one compared to Blizzard. While watching the even on stream, Devin Nash passionately drove home what he thinks is the primary difference between Blizzard and Grinding Gear Games developers: passion. “These are some of the last people who actually care about gaming,” Nash said. “People who are passionate. People who don’t need to monetize b******t f*****g transactions and bleed you for everything you’re worth.” “They deserve every single level of their success,” he continued. “It makes me so mad when I looked at this compared to BlizzCon.” At ExileCon, GGG announced several new projects, including a sequel in Path of Exile 2, a new expansion in Path of Exile: Conquerors of the Atlas, and a mobile version. After the mobile announcement, Grinding Gear CEO Chris Wilson came out and cracked yet another joke at Blizzard’s expense. During the mobile announcement, Nash highlighted that what GGG were doing was “such a good way” of unveiling a mobile game like that. While Blizzard’s announcement of Diablo 4 went over well at the most recent BlizzCon, their announcement of Diablo Immortal at last year’s event infamously went awry, as a lukewarm crowded booed and scoffed at the developers when they realized the only Diablo announcement was about a mobile game. Despite how surprising the PoE mobile game announcement was, fans were in even bigger shock about the sequel, which almost no one had any idea was coming. The sequel is a long way away though, as GGG don’t intend to start their beta for it until late next year. While the developers at Grinding Gear Games have admitted that there will be microtransactions in Path of Exile mobile, they’ve also said that their biggest priority is to make a great game first, and make money on it second. No information yet on when Path of Exile mobile will hit app stores, but it was available to try out on the show floor of ExileCon. Diablo Immortal is still available for pre-registration on app stores, and their lead developer, whose question about phones went viral, recently explained why they didn’t appear on the BlizzCon 2019 main stage.

Streamer found dead following five all-night livestreams Logan RickertA gaming streamer from China has died following a strenuous streaming schedule which saw them broadcast for five nights in a row. In Zhengzhou, China, a final-year student and gaming streamer by the name of Li Hao, died on November 10, 2023. According to Chinese news outlet ThePaper, Li died after broadcasting live for five nights in a row between November 5 and November 10. His roommates alledgedly found him breathing quickly while sleeping and unresponsive, they then called an ambulance and Li was later pronounced dead at the local hospital. Since his death, China Daily has revealed that the streamer worked for the Henan Qinyi Culture and Media Co. as a streamer and that he was required to work a vigorous streaming schedule to earn a minimum monthly salary of 3,000 yuan ($420). Chinese streamer dies after series of all-night gaming streams The Chinese streamer was said to have joined the broadcasting company interning as an online game streamer, in order to complete his curriculum requirements so he could graduate in June 2024. Li’s father has said that a “cooperation agreement” was agreed with his son, which required him to livestream for “240 hours in 26 days and upload 15 short videos each month.” According to China Daily, the records show that he had previously worked the day shift in October, however, he changed to the night shift on November 5, when his all-night marathon began. Henan Qinyi Culture and Media Co. has denied the allegations that they are responsible for his death. A legal representative by the name of Zhang, responded to the claims on November 17, stating that Li was allowed to choose the time and length of his livestreams and they did not make Li move to the night shift. “We provide the location and we take a commission from his tips, and it’s just a simple cooperation,” Zhang said, as well as denying that he was part of an internship at the company. Henan Qinyi has since offered Li’s family 5,000 yuan ($700) as compensation “out of humanitarianism,” with any further actions revolving around the situation needing to go through their legal channels.

Streamer discovers hidden menu in Atlas taken straight from Ark The launch of new survival MMO Atlas has been rocky to say the least, with multiple delays and server issues, and now discovery that it even reuses some of the exact same menu’s as Ark. ‘Ark: Survival Evolved’ comes from the same development team as Atlas, so players had already joke that it would be a ‘reskin’ but with pirates. However, that joke may not be too far from the truth, as players have now discovered that there is a hidden menu within Atlas which is a direct copy from Ark. First uncovered by Twitch streamer ‘Mukkayo’, the menu is only accessible when using an Xbox controller, and scrolling down past the ‘Exit’ option on the main menu. By selecting with ‘A’ on the Xbox controller, the menu will appear on screen – almost identical to that used in Ark: Survival Evolved. Esports consultant and journalist Rod ‘Slasher’ Breslau shared the discovery, asking “Atlas is basically a re-skinned version of Ark. How is this the number one game on Twitch?” A secret Ark menu has been found within Atlas. Atlas is basically a re-skinned version of Ark. How is this the number one game on Twitch? From streamer @mukkalp. pic.twitter.com/K2ckE2FIB6 — Rod Breslau (@Slasher) December 23, 2018 Other players began finding the menu for themselves, and to prove the point further, Mukkayo even launched both games side-by-side, opening both menu’s to show the similarities. Atlas’ popularity on Twitch may in fact be to its detriment, as streamers continue to find issues with game. On December 19, tens of thousands of viewers eagerly awaited the launch of the game, watching a countdown timer, but after the countdown hit zero, nothing happened for another hour, and the developers announced that it was delayed once again.

Streamer breaks down after first-ever FC on hardest Rock Band song YouTube/Acezero12078Twitch streamer acezero_12078 did the unthinkable and finally managed to full combo Rock Band 3’s Chiasm By Chaotrope on guitar. In games like Rock Band and Guitar Hero, scoring a “full combo” is where a player hits every note possible without breaking their combo chain multiplier. Prior to Acezero’s success, no one had managed to full combo Chiasm, which made the whole experience that much more incredible. The feat was so insane he had to upload the whole song to YouTube so everyone could witness the achievement. At 3:08, the out-of-breath streamer couldn’t believe his accomplishment and began to pant relentlessly as his chat celebrated the achievement. “There’s no way that just happened,” he gasped. “There is no way! Oh my God.” Given the extreme difficulty of the song, many people never expected Chiasm to be full combo’d, so this was a major deal for the Rock Band community. “No f**king way,” the emotional streamer went on. “Are you serious? I can’t breathe. My hands, I can’t even f**king feel my hands. My hands are just numb.” Finally, the streamer turned his camera back on and showed the amazing smile on his face. “It’s f**king over. F**king done!” he clapped. “That was so unexpected. I literally was not expecting… as soon as I hit it, my heart just sank.” Acezero went on to say that the whole experience didn’t even feel real and had no idea how he pulled it off. I just wanted to take a moment to really thank everyone for all of the support I have received over the past couple of weeks, without you Chiasm would not have been possible! Whether you have been with me since the beginning or new, I just want to say thank you all so much! 😀 — Chris (@AcezeroRB) April 4, 2020 On Twitter, the streamer thanked all his viewers for their support and claimed that it wouldn’t have been possible without them. As for the next song Acezero plans to full combo? He currently has hits sights set on Death In General by Gigakoops.

Streamer beats insanely difficult Kaizo co-op level in Mario Maker 2 NintendoTwitch streamer PangaeaPanga created and beat one of the most difficult Mario Maker 2 levels ever – an absolutely crazy co-op Kaizo level. Mario Maker quickly became a favorite among Mario fans as it allowed players to create and show off their custom levels, adding something completely new to the series. These levels have taken many forms, with some being fun adventures or joke levels while others are created to be as difficult as possible – also known as Kaizo levels. The second iteration of the game came out in June 2019 and added a long-awaited feature, online co-op. This allowed levels to be more flexible as they could include mechanics for two players, and led Pangaea to create possibly the ultimate Kaizo level. The streamer shared a highlight of the level on twitter, where he and a friend performed almost flawless teamwork to support each other through the deadly level. It includes things like opening blocked passages for each other at the perfect time, passing around shells, and numerous jump boosts. I promise this is the best thing you will ever watch. Welcome to Mario Maker 2’s very first (insane) Kaizo Co-op level ft. @TonesBalones_ PePanga Bros.: Hit Me Up Course ID: 1X4-P53-C3G#MarioMaker2 pic.twitter.com/WzDBX1sjJm— Panga (@PangaeaPanga) September 28, 2019 One of the most difficult parts of the level comes early on, where players have to time their jumps to perfection and hit four pixel-perfect jumps in a row to boost each other with shells, something that could only have taken endless hours of practice to accomplish. Things don’t get much easier from there, with two precise Yoshi drops being used, before another long series of incredibly difficult shell boosts lead the players to the end of the map. PangaeaPanga and his co-op teammate were incredibly happy with being able to beat the map and erupted in cheers, much to the delight of their stream chat. The streamer then described the clip as “the best thing you will ever watch” and seeing it in action was breathtaking.

Strayed Lights preview: Gorgeous presentation backed up by a unique slice of Soulslike combat EmbersStrayed Lights, the debut project from French studio Embers, dazzles with its charming visuals and captivating score, while challenging you with a unique form of Soulslike combat, one all but infused with rhythmic elements. First outings in the gaming landscape are no easy feat in terms of making a mark on the broader industry. Yet buzz has already been circulating around Strayed Lights since its stunning reveal earlier this year. Through its wonderfully original art style and an inspired take on the Soulslike combat loop, many were intrigued from the first glimpse. Now having played an early build of the title ahead of its April 25 release, we can put any concerns to rest in saying Strayed Lights certainly lives up to its premise. If the atmospheric level design doesn’t keep you charmed, then its simple yet effective spin on the action-adventure genre certainly will. We were left wanting more when the screen faded out at the conclusion of our preview, making this an indie release to keep an eye on in the weeks to come. A charming world with stunning vistas at every turn Making a splash from the opening frame Strayed Lights is bursting at the seams with thoughtful and richly detailed visuals. From the unnamed and silent protagonist in the foreground to truly beautiful environments encompassing every sequence, this game in motion is a sight to behold. Through its wondrous art style, no two areas feel the same as each section of the experience feels mindfully placed, merging its own original backdrops, fauna, and creatures to establish some truly memorable locales. Be it a more ominous landscape, with deadly sharp mountains cutting through an eerily lit night sky, or a serene forest with sunlight breaking through a swarm of trees on the horizon as birds scatter in the distance, from one scene to the next, presentation never falters. This sense of wonder is only further enhanced through not only a marvelous score from Austin Wintory, Grammy-nominated composer of Journey fame, but also its diegetic sounds as you traverse through its many varied regions. From the thunderous echoes of its orchestral soundtrack in moments of anguish, to lighter chimes amid moments of calm, the attention to sound design goes a long way in captivating the senses as you play. An almost rhythmic twist on the Soulslike formula Tying each new location together is a fun twist on the gameplay formula Souslike fans will know and love. While it’s not trying to be anywhere near as challenging as many greats matching the approach, Strayed Lights still executes it well while bringing a new layer to the table. Rather than simply timing dodges, parrying attacks, and landing strikes of your own, this indie title demands you do all that while matching certain elements. For instance, enemies donning blue visuals can only be countered if you match their blue color palette and then parry. Foes can swap their tactics with each cluster of blows, and even alternate between blue and red attacks mid-combo, requiring you to be alert at all times. Topping it all off, a number of more devastating attacks can’t be countered at all, interrupting your rhythm-game-esque flow as you dodge before catching the cadence again. You won’t find any musical notes on a track and striking to the beat isn’t a feature whatsoever, but in memorizing enemy attack patterns, timing your counters perfectly, and unleashing your own flurry of strikes, it all comes together as though you’re in the midst of a rhythm game. Flowing seamlessly from one action to the next, you almost enter a flow state when all works just right. It’s a good thing combat comes together so nicely as Strayed Lights is intentionally slim in other aspects. There’s no voice acting to be heard, no explicit storytelling to guide you along, and only essential HUD elements to convey details like health and abilities on cooldown. While this minimalistic approach may be offputting for some, it’s the gaps you fill yourself that can be the most satisfying at times. Whether or not the experience holds up through its full duration when the complete experience unravels in a few weeks, is anyone’s guess for now. But as credits rolled following our brief preview, we were left eager to find out more and continue refining our skills in the unique gameplay loop. You can see it all for yourself when Strayed Lights releases across PC, Xbox, PlayStation, and the Nintendo Switch on April 25.

Stray overtakes God of War as best user-rated PC game in 2022 Sony, Annapurna InteractiveUser reviews show that acclaimed cat adventure Stray has overthrown God of War (2018) as the best user-rated game on Steam in 2022. Santa Monica Studio’s award-winning God of War title hit PC earlier this year in January. It quickly racked up thousands upon thousands of positive review scores from fans and critics alike. BlueTwelve Studio’s Stray is currently experiencing similar levels of critical success, having launched across PC and PlayStation on July 19. But it seems that not even the godly power of Kratos can stand in the way of players enjoying a cyberpunk-themed cat simulator. Stray’s Steam user reviews are nothing to scoff at Content creator Skill Up notes that Stray has dethroned God of War (2018) as the “highest rated PC game of 2022” on Steam. This is according to data via Steam250, which lists God of War as the second best-rated title of the year, with a 97 percent rating from approximately 53,000 user reviews. At the time of writing, Stray sits at under 43,000 gamer reviews and boasts a rating of 98 percent. Interestingly, another recently released indie title rounds out the top three on the “Best of 2022” list. The experience in question is FuturLab’s PowerWash Simulator, which allows players to wash away grime with high-pressure water. Stray’s overwhelmingly positive Steam reviews hardly come as a surprise given the good word of mouth it continues to receive. And players aren’t the only ones fascinated by the feline-focused experience, either. As countless users have demonstrated in pictures and clips, pets love Stray, too. Evidently, that includes cats and dogs. As the year continues, it’ll be interesting to see how Stray fares against other major releases in terms of user reviews. The likes of A Plague Tale: Requiem and Company of Heroes 3 could shift the narrative.

Stray safe codes: All codes in every chapter Annapurna / BlueTwelve StudioStray is filled with puzzles and adventures. Four of these puzzles require a code to crack the safe. Here are the Stray safe codes and how to find them. Published by Annapurna and developed by BlueTwelve Studio, Stray is a dystopian adventure game where you play as a cat who’s trying to get out of the city they find themselves in. During this adventure, you will likely meet some puzzles that range in difficulty. Some of these puzzles require safe codes to let you open the doors or the safe itself. Finding the puzzles is typically not an issue, it’s finding the password to the door or safe in Stray that really poses a challenge. Luckily the answers are available and typically posted on the walls around the city or hidden behind something. Nevertheless, here are all of Stray’s safe code locations. Contents: The Flat door code location The first code you will come across is located in the flat where you first find your drone. The drone will direct you towards the door itself but will leave you struggling to figure out how to open it. Thankfully this can be done in a few easy steps. Once you have found the locked door you will need to turn around to face it from the end of the corridor. Then simply head into the open doorway on the right. Inside the room, you will need to look to the left wall, or the wall opposite the piano if you get turned around. On the board, covered up by the paint cans is Stray’s door code. Make sure you shine the torch or the code will be far too dark to see. The last step when looking for the code is to do what cats do best, pushing things on the floor. Jump up to the board itself and push the paint can over. This will reveal the code which is: 3749. Head back over to the locked door, punch it in and it will all be open. The Slums door code location This is the second and last Stray door code location you will need to find. It’s located in The Slums and more notably can be found in Seamus’ house. This time it involves telling the time, kind of. After finding out there is a secret room you will need to head over to the right of the room. When you see a picture of what looks to be Seamus and his father, jump up and scratch at it until it falls off. Once the picture has been pulled down a hint to Stray’s door code will be revealed, although you will need to translate it first. The translation will read “time will tell”. This is where telling the time comes in. Despite the fact that the clocks themselves are very different from what we are used to, they do all show a recognizable time. This is the code: 2511. After the code has been discovered turn to the right and scratch at the largest picture. The picture will fall, revealing the keypad. Simply enter the code and explore the secret room. The Slums safe code location The second safe code location is found relatively early on in the game. It can be found just after you meet the Guardian and rewards you with a Music Sheet. Knowing how to open the safe in The Slums is relatively simple. Once you have met the guardian head to the stairs on your left and go past a musician leaning up against a wall. Keep going until you reach a gate and head down to the left, the safe should be in sight. When you get close to the safe you will find Stray’s safe password which will be undecipherable. To decipher it, head to Elliot Programming and scratch on the door to open it. Once you’re into Elliot Programming simply speak to him and he will tell you to head to a place called Duffer Bar. It’s not too far from where the original Guardian is. Head in there and look for the neon sign. Jump up to the sign, scratch away the painting and it will reveal Strays safe code which is 1283. Then head back to the safe and you’ll be able to grab the reward. Midtown safe code location The last safe code is located in chapter 10 of the story, otherwise known as Midtown. This one thankfully requires little exploration and primarily happens in the same room. The first thing you will want to do is look out for the Electronics store. It’s relatively bright so shouldn’t be too hard. Then simply jump through the window and into the room itself. You may see the safe in the top corner, however it’s worth getting the code first. Once you have gone through the window, turn around to the unreadable poster and get the drone to translate it. This will provide you with the safe code for the Midtown safe. It’s backwards so the code would be: 8542. Then simply hop up towards the safe behind you and put in the safe code. That’s all of Stray’s safe codes and passwords unlocked. Be sure to check out our Stray hub for more information about the game, as well as where to find the Energy Drink locations in the Slums.

Stray: Release date, gameplay, trailers, PS Plus, platforms BlueTwelve StudioStray looks to be one of 2022’s cutest and most intriguing propositions. The journey of a lost cat in a big, scary city will inevitably tug on the hearts, and we’ve put together all the info you need on this adventure game. It turns out we really do need more games featuring animals as the protagonist because people love cats and dogs. Stray looks to be the perfect remedy for those in need of a compelling adventure game about a foraging feline trying to use and do what it can to find its way. Developers BlueTwelve Studio is remaining quite secretive on the adventure game and wants to leave a lot of the mystery within the game itself. So when does the game release? And what can players expect from it? Let’s find out meow. Contents Stray release date – Stray gameplay & story – Stray trailers – Stray platforms – Is Stray free on PlayStation Plus? – Stray release date Players will be purring at the fact that Stray will be coming to its various platforms as soon as July 19, 2022. The release date was confirmed during the game’s appearance at the June 2, 2022, edition of Sony’s State of Play event. Given that it’s quite close now, it’s probably a safe bet that Stray will be locked in for that date too. Stray gameplay & story Despite the game coming out so soon, we haven’t actually seen that much about Stray, but we do know that we’ll need to be on the tip of our toe beans to fight off enemy threats that infest the city to help the cat get to where it needs to go to. As well as combat situations, our stray cat will be hopping, jumping, climbing, and doing a variety of cat-related paw-kour to negotiate the dangerous streets of the game. Our precious kitty won’t be alone though, the cat will also gain companionship in the form of a drone called B12 that will help with dialog and much more. You can enjoy a few minutes of gameplay footage here. Other than that, the adventure, and nature of the setting, will remain a mystery until the devs release more information, or until the game is out! Stray trailers Stray’s debut trailer dropped during the summer of 2020 and it was a very cinematic sneak peek about the adventure of a curious cat. Other than the in-depth gameplay walkthrough we shared above, details have been quite scarce, meaning our next look at Stray came through the June 2022 State of Play release date trailer. Stray platforms It will not be a wider release for Stray with the adventure game only coming to PS4, PS5, and Windows. Players of any other format who are desperate for some stray action will need to invest in one of the aforementioned systems. Is Stray free on PlayStation Plus? It’s good news for members of PlayStation Plus as anyone who is subscribed to the model’s Premium and Extra Tiers will be getting Stray for free! So, depending on which Tier you’re signed up to, Stray will cost you nothing and you can enjoy it as part of your subscription. As well as Stray, there are plenty of other games in the pipeline: God of War: Ragnarok | GTA 6 | Overwatch 2 | Assassin’s Creed Infinity | Wolverine | Spider-Man 2 | Forspoken | KOTR Remake | Wonder Woman | FFXVI | Avatar Frontiers of Pandora | Sonic Frontiers | Dragon Age 4 | Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild sequel | The Witcher 3 next-gen patch | Avatar Frontiers of Pandora | Final Fantasy 16 | Street Fighter 6

Stray preview: Cat adventure has us feline fine BlueTwelve Studio / Annapurna InteractiveStray, the upcoming title from indie dev, BlueTwelve Studio – where players step into the shoes of a furry feline for a post-apocalyptic adventure – is shaping up to be absolutely purrfect, if our hands-off preview is anything to go by. Go for a walk, Dog’s Life, there’s another, slinkier pet in town. In Stray, players will experience a futuristic cityscape, where adventure, puzzles, and one of the cutest little droids you’ve ever seen come together in what may be one of the most unique games of 2022. In our hands-off preview, Dexerto had the chance to get a peek behind the curtain at gameplay in Stray, and what we saw had us eager to jump into the furry paws of this feline adventure. Move aside Lara Croft and Nathan Drake – there’s a new explorer in town It has to be said — I’m not a cat person. It’s not that I don’t like them per se, they are adorable – I’ve just always had dogs as pets in my family. And yet, what I saw during Stray’s hands-off preview session may have put my fondness for man’s best friend to the ultimate test. Stray, this apocalyptic, mystery-based adventure game, which according to the team, will take about nine to ten hours to complete (if you’re set on exploring and uncovering everything) is packed full of beautiful environments. Each of them tells its own tale – both through the world itself and the humanoid-looking robots inhabitants you’ll meet there. With several stories in Stray to uncover, whether that’s the cat’s own journey, the city itself, or B12 (your little robot companion) there’s plenty to learn. Speaking of B12, this cute drone is vital to uncovering the world and progressing throughout it, as it’s able to translate text for you, examine items, and according to the devs, will get more powerful over time. As you explore together, you’ll collect ‘Memories’, which are fragments of data that B12 gathers to teach you about the world and its lore. Read More: All PlayStation Plus Premium games – The feline protagonist is fantastically animated, using one of the game dev’s own cats as a reference point. As it navigates this post-apocalyptic world, I was blown away by the effort that the team had put in to fully realize it. Swann Martin-Raget, the producer at BlueTwelve, stated that designing a game with a quadrupedal character wasn’t easy, and there were plenty of technical challenges in regards to camera and animation — particularly due to its small size compared with the rest of the environment. It’s a cat’s life for me Throughout the presentation, it was evident that BlueTwelve has strived to make this virtual feline as realistic as possible in Stray. Whether it’s by being able to scratch on doors (which can call someone inside to open it), sofas, floors, or taking stock and watching a bit of TV – it’s all here. Specific areas will let you stretch out and take a well-earned nap, and there’s even a meow button (because of course there is). Feel like annoying your NPCs or even yourself? Martin-Raget stated that some cutscenes can even be meowed through to be “as annoying as you want to be.” You’ll even hear a little purr from time to time, and you’re able to interact with the robots in this world and, in some instances, even be petted by them. Read More: The Quarry review – Using all your ultra-tuned feline skills, you’ll knock items off of surfaces, block fans to progress to new areas, and even hop into a bucket tied by a bit of rope that makes for a perfect cat-sized elevator. There are plenty of physics-based puzzles to traverse, using the protagonist’s weight to progress forward, stealth sections where you’ll need to hide in cardboard boxes, or chases to escape an onslaught of enemies – some of who are blob-like creatures known as ‘Zurks’. This futuristic and simultaneously slightly retro action-adventure from BlueTwelve’s small indie team looks to be packed full of content to explore and uncover in its short overall runtime, and I can’t wait to explore this city once Stray arrives later this Summer on July 19, 2022.

Stray notebook locations: Where to find all notebooks in Chapter 4 BlueTwelve StudioOne of Stray’s most important moments is when you’re tasked with finding notebooks in The Slums, so here are all the places you can find them. Stray has proven to be a popular game with players, especially pet owners, as you take control of an investigative kitty that is quite resourceful in easily one of the better animal games. The game has several fun tasks for players to complete such as finding vending machines for Energy Drinks and also sussing out the safe’s secret code. During the course of Stray’s healthy runtime, a story development requires your cute cat to track down several notebooks. They’re not immediately obvious to find, so here’s a quick guide to help you out. Where are Stray’s notebooks in The Slums chapter? During the game’s early stages, a character called Momo breaks down a large part of the story and mentions some notebooks around The Slums area that contain crucial information. You’re then tasked with tracking four notebooks and here is where you can locate them. Momo’s notebook location Stray very much holds your hand with the first notebook as you’ll receive Momo’s notebook from the very character himself after heading to his apartment and having a conversation with him. It’s the tall flat with the giant orange sign on the outside. You can’t miss it as B12 chirps at you to head to it. Zbaltazar’s notebook location Your second notebook can be a bit sneaky, but not too troubling. To get there, browse the rooftops and look for a blue face square that looks like it’s tucked away behind prison bars. Once you get there, climb to the top, go to the left of the vent and unplug the power to the fan. Jump down the vent into the room and you’ll be on a bed. Knock over the stacks of boxes and the notebook will fall out for you to collect. Doc’s notebook location Staying with the rooftops, look out for a square blue face this time with two red lanterns above it and a basic balcony. Once inside, find the set of keys sitting nicely on a bed in the back of the library. You’ll need to translate a note to receive the keys. Now, head to the middle aisle and knock three big piles of books over. You’ll see a safe that you can use the key on and this will have the third notebook inside. Clementine’s notebook location Clementine’s notebook location can be seen if you do a 180 from Momo’s apartment and you’ll need to walk along a diagonal pipe to get there. The notebook is quite easy to spot as it will be on a monitor in the flat. Once you’ve done this, head back to Momo to progress the game’s narrative.

Stray Music Sheet locations: Where to find all Music Sheets for Morusque Annapurna InteractiveThere are plenty of collectibles you can find in Stray including Music Sheets. Here are all the locations you’ll need to get these items in the adorable cat game. While you’re busy exploring the post-apocalyptic world of Stray, you will come across various hidden collectibles like energy drinks and notebooks in the game. These are not visible in plain sight and will often require you to search unusual places to complete certain side quests. One of these collectibles is Music Sheets that Morusque will ask you to find. Once you bring them back to him, he will start playing the tune while the cat can enjoy a melodious nap beside him on a cushion. If you’re wondering how to find all the music sheets present in the game, our Stray guide has everything you need to locate them. Contents Every music sheet – Music sheet locations – Use of music sheets – How many music sheets are there? In Stray, there are a total of eight Music Sheets spread across different parts of the map. Although these are optional collectibles, they will reward you with in-game achievements. You must remember that you have limited inventory space. So, it’s better to collect a handful of them and bring it back to Morusque while going to find the rest later. Here’s a rundown of the location of all Music Sheets in Stray: First sheet: Inside Momo’s apartment. – Second sheet: Outside Clementine’s apartment. – Third sheet: Inside Elliot’s home. – Fourth sheet: From Azooz. – Fifth sheet: Inside Dufer Bar. – Sixth sheet: Inside Clementine’s apartment. – Seventh sheet: Inside Doc’s apartment. – Eighth sheet: Beside Morusque. – Let’s now walk you through each Music Sheet location in detail. All music sheet locations in Stray First sheet – Petite Valse The first music sheet will be located inside Momo’s apartment. It’s located below the neon sign and once you’re inside, head towards the bathroom. It’s on the left of the kitchen and you can find the sheet located on the shelf. You need to jump on the shelf to get your hands on it. Let’s now move on to find the second music sheet in Stray. Second sheet – Ballad Of The Lonely Robot You can find the second music sheet outside Clementine’s apartment, near the entrance. All you need to do is climb up to the roof and locate the balcony with a table and some chairs. Then you need to jump on the table and grab the music sheet and that’s how you collect the second one for Morusque. Let’s now look for the third piece of music in the game. Third sheet – Untitled The third music sheet is located inside Elliot’s home which is around the bar’s corner. It is situated on the ground floor of one corner of the room. Once you’ve made your way inside after scratching the door, you’ll find the sheet located on the floor. Now that you’ve grabbed the third music sheet in Stray, it’s time to head to Morusque and give these collectibles. Since you have limited space in your inventory, it’s best to collect some, give them to the musician, and return back to the alley for more. Fourth Sheet – The Way You Compute Tonight To collect the fourth music sheet in Stray, you’ll need to trade an energy drink with Azooz. He sells multiple items including a music sheet. If you haven’t collected an energy drink can yet. you can follow our guide in order to find the fourth sheet. It’s quite easy and doesn’t need maneuvering through the balconies and roofs. Fifth Sheet – Tomorrows The fifth music sheet in Stray can be found inside the Dufer Bar. It is located on of the tables adjacent to the pool table. It’s an easy one to collect and if you still haven’t paid Morusque a visit to give all of these collectibles, now would be a great time to loosen up your inventory. Sixth Sheet – Cool Down To collect the sixth music sheet in Stray, you need to head back to Clementine’s apartment. This time, it’s located inside. Make your way through the broken glass of the sliding door, turn right, and the sheet will be located on a bookshelf near the bed. Seventh Sheet – Mildly Important Information If you’re on your way to finding Doc’s notebook in his apartment, you can also collect the seventh music sheet in the game. Once you enter his house, you’ll notice a room with a piano where the sheet will be attached. The piano is totally playable and you may even make the cat run along the keys to play an impromptu tune. Eighth Sheet – Unreadable Sheet Music Now it’s time to collect the eighth and final music sheet in Stray. For this, you need to head back to Morusque and locate a password-protected safe in the trash on his far left. This safe code is a four-digit number and can be found from the bar in The Slums. Finding this one can be a bit tricky as you’ll need to head back right to where you started your music sheet hunting journey. What is the use of music sheets in Stray? As we mentioned earlier, music sheets are optional collectibles in Stray. It makes your feline journey melodious and once you’ve collected each of the eight sheets, you get awarded with a Music Badge. It’s an in-game achievement and completes the Meowlody trophy as well. So, there you have it – that’s the location of every music sheet in Stray for you to collect. While you’re here why not check out our safe codes guide for the game?

Stray mod lets you play the viral cat game as a dog instead Annapurna InteractiveDog lovers rejoice as a new mod lets fans play Stray, the viral cat sensation, as a french bulldog instead of the orange tabby. Annapurna Interactive’s newest title Stray has taken the internet by storm following its release on July 19, 2022. Thousands of fans have posted pictures and videos of their pets — both cats and dogs — reacting to their owners controlling the cat on their TV screens. Now, dog owners can see their canine companions react to seeing a dog moving around on screen thanks to a new mod that lets players control a french bulldog instead of an orange tabby cat. Stray mod lets you play as a dog instead The mod, called the ‘Happy Puppy’ mod, was created by Chris ‘crubino’ and is available for download on NexusMods.com. The mod allows players to control a black and white piebald french bulldog puppy, as to have it basically the same size as Stray’s cat. According to Chris, the mod is still early in development as there are “still so many things” they want to do with it, including adding bark sounds instead of the meow. Additionally, it seems Chris is also keen on making more skins for the dog instead of the standard black and white variety. Of course, the mod won’t work flawlessly, as some of Stray’s cat-centric animations like cleaning itself and scratching furniture will undoubtedly look a bit odd with a dog acting them out. Still it’s a pretty nice addition for players who prefer dogs over cats, or even players who own a black and white french bulldog of their own. Unfortunately, Nexus mods only work for PC players, so those who downloaded Stray on PS4 and PS5 are stuck playing stray as the default orange tabby cat. Those PC players interested in exploring Stray’s sprawling, futuristic city with a new spin should check out the mod for themselves.

Best pet reactions to Stray: Cats and dogs obsess over new cat adventure Annapurna InteractiveFollowing the Stray game’s launch on PC and PlayStation platforms, players began sharing adorable pet reactions across social media. Developer BlueTwelve Studio and publisher Annapurna Interactive unleashed Stray on the world earlier this week, inviting players to navigate their way through a neon-drenched cat adventure. The title takes place in a cyberpunk dystopia after the main character, an orange cat, becomes separated from loved ones. Suffice it to say, cat lovers around the globe can’t get enough of the acclaimed Stray experience. And it seems that pets – cats and dogs alike – have taken to the adventure, as well. Stray game inspires adorable pet reactions across the internet Cats and dogs have begun obsessing over the cute orange feline that stars in Stray, evidenced by photos and videos captured by their owners. The sharing of such content became so prevalent in such a short amount of time that someone took it upon themselves to create a Cats Watching Stray Twitter account. In videos posted by some pet owners, cats merely watch Stray being played with great curiosity. Others, however, try mimicking the on-screen cat’s movements or petting it through the screen. Just a few of the best pet reactions to BlueTwelve’s Stray game feature below: As one Twitter user noted, dogs appear transfixed by Stray’s in-game happenings, too. Stray has already proven an incredible success for BlueTwelve and Annapurna Interactive – and not just because of positive pet reception. As reported by industry analyst Benji-Sales, the cat sim smashed Annapurna’s concurrent player record on Steam. And though the game’s included as a PS Plus offer on the Extra tier, it’ll be interesting to see how well it fares on PSN’s digital sales charts for the month of July.

Stray Energy Drink locations: Where to get Energy Drink cans Annapurna InteractiveIf you’re wondering how to locate all the Energy Drinks in Stray, our guide has all the information for you to find them in the game. While you explore the post-apocalyptic cyberpunk city of Stray, you’ll come across many hidden collectibles. One of them is Energy Drinks. These are used as common currency in The Slums area and can be acquired from Vending Machines. There is a handful of them to locate in-game and while some are easy to find, others can be a tad bit tricky to locate. In case you’re wondering how and where to find all the Energy Drinks in Stray, our handy guide has everything you need to know. Contents How many Energy Drinks are there? There are a total of four Energy Drinks for you to find in The Slums area. It is the first large area of the game that has plenty of Vending Machines. A prompt will pop up whenever you try to interact with these machines, shooting out a can upon waiting for a brief moment. Here’s a rundown of the location of all Energy Drinks in Stray: First can: Opposite of Morusque. – Second can: Near R.I.P Humans. – Third can: Near the roof with an old sofa. – Fourth can: Near Grandma’s shop. – Let’s now walk you through each Energy Drink can location in detail. All Energy Drink locations in Stray First can You can find the first Energy Drink located opposite Morusque, the humanoid robot musician looking for music sheets. Take the path on the left of The Guardian and head down the stairs, you’ll find the first vending machine on the right. Interact with the machine after walking up to it and it’ll shoot out your first drink. That’s one of the four cans collected. Let’s head on to the next one. Second can You can get your second Energy Drink from the vending machine located beside one of the memories in the alley. Go down the alleyway, take left, and look for the wall with a memory written “R.I.P Humans” on it. Similar to the previous machine, interact with it and you’ll get your second can. Let’s head on to find the third can. Third can If you want to find the third Energy Drink in the game, you need to head to the top of the alleyway of The Slums. Find the rooftop where an old sofa is kept and head down to the floor below. You’ll find another vending machine located from where you can claim your drink. Now it’s time to locate the trickiest Energy Drink can in Stray. Fourth can You can find the fourth Energy Drink from a machine that is located on a small balcony among the buildings. There are multiple ways to reach this spot but the best way would be to locate Grandma’s corner. Climb onto the building on the opposite and head to the balcony of the adjacent building. You’ll find a live vending machine that will spit out the last can from The Slums area. What is the use of Energy Drinks in Stray? As we mentioned earlier, these Energy Drinks act as a common currency in Stray to buy items from Azooz. He is a humanoid robot merchant who sells collectibles like music sheets and mysterious relics. All of these drinks help to complete the side quests. Upon completion, you’ll be rewarded with a couple of in-game achievements. So, there you have it – that’s the location of every Energy Drink located in The Slums area of Stray. If you’re still wondering whether to get a copy of this game or not, our Stray review may help you make up your mind.

Strawberry Cookie Run Kingdom: Strawberry cookie and crepe cookie guide, tips & tricks DevsistersCookie Run Kingdom offers a variety of characters for you to choose from and in case you’re wondering about the Strawberry cookie and crepe cookie, we have you covered with everything you need to know. Strawberry-themed characters in Cookie Run Kingdom are usually front-line defenders who protect others from the enemy’s attacks. There are two different strawberry-based characters in the game – Strawberry Cookie and Strawberry Crepe Cookie. However, you should note that despite belonging to the Strawberry family and sharing the same primary attribute, both these characters have their own unique traits and abilities. Our guide will tell you everything you need to know to make the most out of these characters in the game. Without any further ado, let’s dive in and check out the Strawberry cookie and the crepe cookie in Cookie Run Kingdom. Contents Cookie Run Kingdom: Strawberry cookie The Strawberry cookie is a common-rated character who serves as the first line of defense. The cookie features just one special skill, Don’t Come Near! This ability allows the character to spin her lollipop, dealing damage to all nearby enemies. Read More: Cookie Run Kingdom codes – Although Strawberry cookie is mainly a supporting character, you can find her appearing as a Stage Boss alongside the Wizard cookie in the Grandberry Market Stage 11-23. Given that the character specializes in defense, you can easily defeat the stage boss with high damage dealing characters in the game. Cookie Run Kingdom: Strawberry crepe cookie Being an epic-rated character in Cookie Run Kingdom, the Strawberry crepe cookie features five different abilities. Read More: The best mobile games to play in 2022 – Same as the Strawberry cookie, the crepe cookie is also a defense character who specializes in blocking the enemy’s attacks. Here’s a list of all the five abilities of the Strawberry crepe cookie: The in-game appearance of the Strawberry crepe cookie first happens during the Castle in the Sky stage. Apart from that, the character makes a reappearance in a supporting role during the first chapter of Cookie Odyssey. So, there you have it – everything you need to know about the Strawberry cookie and the Strawberry crepe cookie in Cookie Run: Kingdom. For more tips and tricks on mobile games, make sure to check out our other guides: The best scary Roblox games | Mobile Legends: Adventure tier list | Clash Royale tier list | RAID Shadow Legends tier list | How to play Wordle | Arknights tier list | AFK Arena tier list | Illusion Connect tier list | Pokemon Quest all recipes | Clash Royale Princess guide | Clash Royale Valkyrie guide | How to Air Roll in Rocket League Sideswipe | All Stardew Valley Characters | How to get Clay in Stardew Valley | Everything about Jetpack Joyride 2

Strange GTA Online glitch is making cars explode randomly Rockstar GamesDriving around the streets of Los Santos in GTA Online can be a dangerous thing in online matches anyway, but a new exploding vehicle glitch has left players really confused. Grand Theft Auto fans might be looking forward to the new remastered Trilogy, coming in March 2022, but until then they have the full GTA 5 map to drive around. The game’s popularity has never been stronger, encouraging Rockstar Games into creating a next-gen optimized version – also coming out in 2022. But even now, eight years or more after launch, the community are still finding small problems with gameplay. This time, it’s an exploding car glitch. Cars are blowing up randomly in GTA Online If you have ever been cruising on the roads in GTA Online and noticed your vehicle has started taking damage without gunfire or enemy attacks, there’s a chance you have been affected. On October 11, a Reddit user posted a short video of it happening to them in-game. As you can see, the car starts to smoke up and eventually burn out, almost like it has a dangerous fault with it (which is, of course, not a feature in GTA). How many users this is affecting is unknown at the time of writing, but some members of the community have claimed this is something developers have tried to tackle in the past. Read More: 5 things Rockstar needs to do before GTA 6 – One player joked: “It’s what happens when you ignore your car’s warranty for too long,” while another said: “Back in the day when import-export was one of the main grind methods, people would interrupt the process to make all the players leave. Rockstar caught on and patched it so that if a player was suddenly dropped then reconnected in the lobby the I/E vehicle would catch fire.” Whether or not Rockstar will move to patch this problem remains to be seen. Until then, make sure you don’t stay inside the vehicle if this happens.

Stranded: Alien Dawn – Release date, platforms, gameplay Frontier FoundryStranded: Alien Dawn is a planet survival sim where you manage a marooned group of survivors. Here’s everything you need to know about the game including the release date, platforms, and more. Haemimont Games is a studio that has been making city-building strategy games for over two decades now. With their latest title, Stranded: Alien Down, the devs are delivering a survival simulation game that looks to continue the tradition of games they’ve become well known for. Here, we will go over everything you need to know about Stranded, including the platforms the game is available on, the release date, and gameplay. Contents Stranded: Alien Dawn – Release date Stranded: Alien Dawn released on October 12, 2022. Upon release, players are able to access the game and start building their group of survivors and defend them from alien attacks, cultivate the land, and make difficult decisions. Stranded: Alien Dawn – Platforms & Price Stranded: Alien Dawn is only available on PC through Steam, as of now. The price of the game is $29.99. While it’s possible the game eventually comes to consoles, no plans have been announced yet either by the developer Haemimont Games or the publisher Frontier Foundry. Stranded: Alien Dawn – Trailer Stranded was revealed in August 2022 with an absolutely gorgeous cinematic trailer. Since then, the devs have shown more of the game and what’s possible in its massive, sprawling world. The gameplay reveal gave a better look at how the moment-to-moment action will go down, and all of the intricacies of keeping the marooned survivors both alive, and happy.

Stranded: Alien Dawn Dunes and Moons update – Release date, new biome, survivor & more Frontier FoundryStranded: Alien Dawn may still be in early access but that only means it will get a plethora of new updates filled with exciting content – just like the Dunes and Moons update which introduces new survivors, biomes, and so much more. Here’s everything being added to Stranded: Alien Dawn in its Dunes and Moons update. Stranded: Alien Dawn is a planet survival sim where you have to keep a small group of marooned survivors alive while dealing with starvation, weather, disease, and more. It’s created by Frontier Foundry, the developers known for Planet Coaster, Deliver Us Mars, and many more popular titles. Combining the developer’s style and the survival elements, Stranded: Alien Dawn is filled with ever-updating biomes, survivors, and a compelling story at its heart, all of which is now being complemented with some brand new content. Here’s everything being added in Stranded: Alien Dawn’s Dunes and Moons update. Contents Stranded: Alien Dawn Dunes and Moons release date The Dunes and Moons update will be coming to Stranded: Alien Dawn on December 1, 2022, and can be found through their Steams early access page. You will need to own the base game before experiencing the Dunes and Moons update. Stranded: Alien Dawn Dunes and Moons new content New Desertum biome One of the main additions the Dunes and Moons update will be bringing to Stranded: Alien Dawn is a brand new Desertum biome. It’s a beautiful new experience filled with unique flora and fauna as well as providing a rather unforgiving rocky landscape for you to try and survive on. Beauty certainly comes with a cost. Skilled Desert Survivor Along with a brand new biome, the Dunes and Moons update will be introducing a new highly skilled survivor called Sora. Sora is a combat-heavy survivor, used to staying alive in the tricky conditions of Desdertum. She’s got great combat skills and is one of the hardier survivors currently in Stranded: Alien Dawn. New Moons Where there was originally only one moon you could select, Stranded: Alien Dawn is now putting three new moons into the game for you to choose from. They’ll be placed on the three survivors, Jason, Nyx, and Chaos, and will have a distinct impact on your gameplay and the challenge level of the game as a whole so choose wisely. Quality of life improvements New difficulty levels To help cater to the more experienced player enjoying Stranded: Alien Dawn, two new difficulty levels will be added to the game during the Dunes and Moons update. These two challenges will be called Very Hard and Insane. They’re designed for players who know exactly what they’re doing and want an even harder challenge. Difficulty adjustments While there are new difficulties being added to cater to players wanting a challenge, those wanting a bit of peace and quiet will now be able to with the difficulty adjustments coming through the Dunes and Moons update. The lower levels will be made easier and the range of difficulties will be much broader, especially with the added options. There will also be a peaceful option called the ‘Peace First’ rule which will turn off animal attacks and let you play safely. That’s everything coming to Stranded: Alien Dawn in the new Dunes and Moons update. While waiting for it to be released, take a look at some of these other upcoming titles: The Elder Scrolls 6 | GTA 6 | Assassin’s Creed Infinity | Wolverine | Spider-Man 2 | Forspoken | KOTR Remake | Wonder Woman | DokeV | FFXVI | Avatar Frontiers of Pandora | Sonic Frontiers | Dragon Age 4 | Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild sequel | The Witcher 3 next-gen patch

Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life review – Nostalgia battles pacing Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life captures all the successful elements of the cozy farming sim genre – but it just fails to translate over to certain platforms and is ultimately outshined by its more modern counterparts. Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life is the remake of the original and incredibly popular game, Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life, which is one of the best-selling Harvest Moon games out there, so it’s natural to see an incredible amount of hype for the adorably-styled farming simulator. However, as a beginner exploring the beautiful world of Forgotten Valley, I found myself wanting more, often feeling like features were missing, certain platforms were not considered, and certain elements lacked that cozy excitement from similar titles. Nevertheless, some of the core gameplay and more subtle elements brought the game into the light and proved to me why this remake is so anticipated. Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life key details Price: £34.99 / $49.99 – Developer: Marvelous – Release Date: June 27, 2023 – Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC – Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life trailer Inclusivity, simplicity, and nostalgia From the moment you start your Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life journey, you’re instantly met with a slight change. As opposed to the original design of the character, you now get to choose a male, female, or non-binary option, with the characters being totally customizable. It’s a small change but still feels particularly imperative for modern games. Once into the game, you’re met with instant nostalgia for many players, with Harvest Moon also embodying the same one cow and tons to learn kind of strategy. Ultimately, while the method of learning was a little confusing and rather overwhelming at the beginning, the ‘discover as you go’ attitude allowed me to experiment, explore, and uncover things on my own terms, knowing I can always look at the tutorial journal if I got stuck. This design gives beginners the chance to experiment and also allows seasoned players the chance to just get stuck in rather than dealing with cutscenes or needless tutorials. Forgotten Valley: Elements remembered and elements forgotten Tutorials and introductions aside, Forgotten Valley – in which A Wonderful Life is set – is brimming with possibility. Its small nature makes it easy to navigate, allowing you to make friends with all the villagers and be back in time to milk your cow all over again. However, the smaller design does also serve as a hindrance in some ways, with many of the days feeling rather repetitive since players can almost complete all the tasks of watering, romancing, digging, fishing, and taking care of animals before the day is through. Nevertheless, the villagers you meet along the way are just as memorable as Harvest Moon and retain their lovable qualities, even if I do wish there were more ways to romance a character rather than talking and giving them a gift. As for the events and jobs you can take part in during A Wonderful Life, I found myself initially inundated with exciting features. Fishing, farming, cooking, collecting, and tending to the animals felt simple yet rewarding but the real joy came from the archeology tent. Digging for relics and discovering treasures became a favorite of mine and proved to be a valuable resource when looking for a little gold. It broke the days up perfectly and almost felt like a little event each day. Timing and pacing leave much to be desired One of the unique qualities of Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life is its long-running story. Rather than simply allowing you to fall in love, get married, and have children, A Wonderful Life enables you to watch as your children grow up and enjoy the many years on the farm, with time flying by as events keep coming. However, while the overarching story and longer-paced details are undeniably enjoyable, I found the shorter-form elements to be almost boring, with day-to-day activities either dragging or not providing me with enough to look forward to. Sure, the digging and other activities were enjoyable but all-in-all, I usually found myself finished with my duties by 6pm, meaning there were over four more hours where I had no idea what to do. Combine that with the shorter years and seasons and I truly felt like A Wonderful Life didn’t quite have its pacing and timing as locked down as certain other cozy farming games, making me feel like money was hard to come by, crops wouldn’t have enough time to grow, and that the days were either dragging or flying by far too quickly. Visuals and sounds Aside from the gameplay, one element in which Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life truly thrives is through its visuals and sounds. Adopting an adorable cartoon style, it’s hard not to find all the characters and the animals incredibly lovable, greatly enhancing that cozy and simplistic vibe surrounding each location on the map. Combine that with the engrossing and fantastically calming ambiance and you have yourself an immersive cozy game of the highest quality – and that’s not even exploring the beautiful soundtrack laced throughout your adventures. Best suited for anything but mouse and keyboard One of the primary elements that let the game down from the offset was its controls. I began the game using mouse and keyboard controls and found it to be almost unplayable, with many elements not honed to such a style. The buttons were tricky to understand and navigating through menus or the game UI felt extremely disjointed and overly complicated. But, when I transferred to a controller, those frustrations eased and I had a much better time, even if it still held that overcomplicated design. The controls feel perfectly created for the Nintendo Switch but proved to be a source of confusion and frustration on PC. The Verdict – 3/5 Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life is a classic cozy farming game with few repercussions and plenty to experience. It introduces brand-new elements to the genre in the form of longer-running storylines and tons of events to enjoy. However, for me, it just fails to add anything particularly exciting to the already successful genre and left me wanting much more. Reviewed on PC

Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life Remake – Release date, trailers, platforms & more Marvelous, XSEED GamesStory of Seasons: A Wonderful Life will take players back to a GameCube classic slice-of-life farming experience. Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life Remake was announced at the 2022 September Nintendo Direct. Like the recent Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town Remake, XSEED and Marvelous have pulled a fan-favorite classic of the original Harvest Moon series forward, updating the story, gameplay, and mechanics for the Nintendo Switch console. The original Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life was released in Japan in 2003, with a North American release in 2004. The game was originally made for the GameCube, and focuses on the typical mechanics of the slice-of-life farming genre. However, the remake will build on these classic mechanics, updating gameplay and making it more enjoyable for a wide audience of farming-sim fans. Below is everything we know so far about Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life Remake. Contents Does Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life Remake have a release date? Yes, the game does have a release date. The Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life Remake will be released on June 27, 2023 meaning many will have to wait a while for it to release on their chosen platform. For those in Japan, it’s out right now, releasing on January 26, 2023. This is exciting news for fans who have finished up Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town, which was released early in 2021. Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life Remake Platforms Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life will be available to play on the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Microsoft Windows, Xbox Series X, and Series S upon release. Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life Remake Trailers The first trailer for Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life Remake was shown at the 2022 September Nintendo Direct. The trailer offers both cinematic views of the town, as well as live gameplay footage. Players are also treated to a confirmation that the art style will pay homage to the GameCube original, with a grittier color pallet and overall look compared to the brightly colored recent titles in the series. On March 21, 2023, Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life released a new Seasons Trailer. The trailer details each season and what may occur during that period, as well as hinting that the game will start you off in Spring. You can watch it below: Story of Season: A Wonderful Life gameplay Gameplay will be straightforward, with the protagonist character moving into a rural town, building a farmstead, meeting townfolk, and eventually getting married. However, A Wonderful Life Remake puts a spin on the slice-of-life progression, with the trailer depicting an aging process not seen in other games. Additionally, the children the player has with their spouse character will also age to adulthood, with the choices made during their childhood playing a role in the careers they pick once grown. It also appears the Camera tool introduced in Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town will be added to the classic slate of farm equipment, letting players capture special moments as they explore and build memories in-game. While the release date is still a ways out, Marvelous and XSEED will hopefully continue releasing updates and trailers in the coming months. This guide will continue to update as more information becomes available.

Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life fixes Harvest Moon’s biggest problem Marvelous, XSEED GamesThe Story of Seasons game series, previously known as Harvest Moon, has struggled to provide players with a full experience after the first few in-game years of progression. However, changes in A Wonderful Life Remake will finally offer a solution. Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life Remake was announced during the 2022 September Nintendo Direct, ushering the second major remake of a past Harvest Moon game in recent years. The previously remade Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town was the franchise debut for the Nintendo Switch, followed by Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town. Unfortunately, both games didn’t quite hit home with fans the way previous titles for the 3DS were able to. What makes Story of Seasons & Harvest Moon fun to play? The slice-of-life farming genre of gaming specializes in creating a slow-to-start – but progressively rewarding – gameplay experience that mimics the real challenges of building up towns and raising a plot of land to fruition. Because of this, the games must include progressively more difficult challenges that encourage players to work toward long-term goals. This can be breeding animals to achieve top-quality products, raising generations of crops to obtain the best quality seeds or upgrades to the farm and town that completely transform the location. While this was done very well in older games through the inclusion of golden animal products and rare crop seeds, recent installations of the game seem to focus more on graphics and RPG elements than the traditional gameplay that has pulled the player base in for years. Why Story of Seasons remakes are important for the series While many fans love a remake, there are many reasons Marvelous and XSEED have decided to overhaul older games in the series. Story of Seasons, previously known as Harvest Moon, was once worked on by Marvelous and Natsume. However, following their split in 2012, Marvelous rebranded the iconic series under Story of Seasons, while Natsume kept only the name “Harvest Moon”. Natsume would go on to release farming games using the past title, but players have vocalized frustration at the low-quality gameplay and high price tag. Because of this, remaking older titles under “Story of Season” gives Marvelous the chance to remind players that the iconic games of past decades belong to the new series, while also distancing the titles from Natsume’s influence. The remake of Friends of Mineral Town was brightly colored and true to the original gameplay. So much so, that it lacked content for a powerful system like the Nintendo Switch. An absence of farm customization, town exploration, and animal product variety quickly bogged gameplay down to tedious hours of crop-watering. Unfortunately, Pioneers of Olive Town also seemed to miss a beat, integrating widely popular exploration mechanics from titles like Stardew Valley into a lifeless world. Maker Machines bogged down product production, and a complete lack of late-game goals left many lost once they’d decorated their farms. While creating a pretty farm area is nice in Animal Crossing, it isn’t the best fit for a grindy, gritty series like Story of Seasons. How can Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life Remake fix gameplay? In the new gameplay trailer shared by Nintendo‘s YouTube channel, the first glimpse of the remake offers a series of cinematic and gameplay clips. While standard mechanics like farming and homestead management are included, a clip near the end of the video shows how the series is trying to evolve. According to the trailer, Story of Seasons players will be able to watch their protagonist grow old through gameplay. They can get married, raise a child, and see that child grow to be an adult – similar to the original game’s concept. Additionally, the children players raise will be influenced by parenting choices, making the long-term investment of their child important. Once grown, their childhood will affect who they turn out to be, and what career they choose they will follow. Players have begged for this type of progression in the Story of Seasons games in recent years, as many burn out after a handful of seasons into the game. However, the knowledge that the protagonist won’t be forever young, and that the choices made are done so on a limited clock, puts an entirely new type of weight on how gameplay progresses. How Aging could change future Story of Seasons games If Marvelous and XSEED were to continue the use of this highly sought-after mechanic in future titles of the series, slice-of-life gameplay could be very different in years to come. A system could be implemented that allows players to start a “New Game Plus” as the child of their previous character. It could also create the opportunity for farms to grow and change over multiple generations, allowing players to start new romances without having to completely rebuild their games from the ground up. Additionally, goals could be added to the games that carry through generations. While the first game could focus on setting the farm up, there could be a goal to breed show-quality animals in the next save or award-winning crops in another. The games could also lock certain animals and crop types behind this style of progression. Certain animal colors may only populate after so many generations of livestock have been bred, while super rare crops like gold or crystal varieties could only be obtained after so many generations of crossbreeding. This type of gameplay could revolutionize the farming genre, and create a much greater sense of satisfaction than “milk the cow” or “plant the potato”. While these aspects are lovely, having specific goals when setting up farms helps players stay connected, and prevents repetition burnout. While there is no way to know how the changes in Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life Remake will affect development choices in the future, there is hope the mechanics used in the upcoming game will help the farming series step into a new generation of gameplay.

Stormzy gives his early verdict on Watch Dogs Legion UbisoftFamous UK rapper Stormzy recently got his hands on Watch Dogs Legion. He had the unreal experience of playing his own mission in the game, and described his role as “easily one of the biggest highlights of my career.” Celebrities in games are nothing unusual. It promotes the title and it promotes the celebrity. Plus, the celebrity usually has some kind of liking for video games, anyway. So when Stormzy got a chance to play Watch Dogs Legion before its Oct 29 release, he was pleased. His involvement has received big coverage as he released his “Rainfall” music video in Watch Dogs Legion. The song is from his 2019 album “Heavy Is The Head” and the entire music video was shot in-game. But now, the musician has delivered his verdict on his appearance, and the highly-anticipated title itself. Stormzy’s take on Ubisoft’s version of London If it wasn’t enough that Stormzy got to have his music video be completely captured by Ubisoft’s engine, he also got to have Rainfall appear in Watch Dogs Legion as a mission. In it, you hack into the BFI Imax and broadcast his new video to London. It’s clear that the rapper has been very impressed by the whole scenario. He thinks Ubisoft has done a great job of capturing the capital city. “When I first played the game, I was meant to do missions and get a feel for the gameplay, and all I did was drive around London,” he said. Clearly the faithful imagining of the London Eye, London Bridge, Big Ben, and various other landmarks was too much for the famous musician to handle. “It’s not some bog-standard version of London, literally this is home,” he continued. When asked about his involvement, Stormzy said, “It’s so surreal because video games have been a staple part of my life. But to actually be in the game and you’re a full-fledged mission it’s just surreal.” He even joked about his nephews being able to see him in the game too. The 27-year-old seemed massively grateful for Ubisoft‘s part in helping with the upcoming title and implementing his avatar. Stick to Dexerto for more Watch Dogs Legion content leading up to the game’s release.

Stolen Steam Deck has fans wishing for more discrete packaging ValveA Steam Deck supposedly stolen by a UPS worker is making fans of the portable console wishing for more discrete packaging to hide its contents. The Steam Deck has been a massive success since its release, selling millions to fans of the gaming platform. Unlike other handheld consoles currently on the market, the Steam Deck delivers differently by allowing players to take PC games on the go. While there have yet to be Steam Deck-exclusive releases, popular titles like Monster Hunter Rise, Resident Evil, and Final Fantasy XIV are set to hit the platform in 2024. This is in addition to Steam’s hundreds of games that have already been made available. With the console continuing to gain popularity, there has also been a rise in thefts by various shipping companies, and fans are fed up. Steam Deck buyers are given everything but the console A Reddit post detailing one of the recent thefts sparked conversations within the community. One player from the Seattle area showed images of their package being completely empty upon arrival. “I couldn’t find the package, but eventually saw this on the stairwell and was pretty bummed,” said the poster. “The proof of delivery picture compared to the package pile is pretty suspicious, as well. I’ve contacted support already, so hopefully, I can get this situation resolved, but I was counting the days toward my delivery date and prepping games/plugins for transfer, and this happens.” Most of the Reddit thread showed others confirming that they, too, had experienced similar thefts. One commenter described their experience of getting the adapter, carrying case, and charger without the Steam Deck included. “They really need to remove the product name from the shipping label and use a more discrete box,” said one user. Steam has not announced any changes to the shipping situation regarding the Steam Deck. With the label clearly stating the contents, fans should be on the lookout when their consoles arrive.

Stitchy in Tooki Trouble review – A charming but wooden platforming adventure Stitchy in Tooki Trouble, Polygoat’s new 2.5D platformer aims to give gamers a healthy dose of nostalgia that scratches the itch of gaming greats like Donkey Kong and Crash Bandicoot. Taking the helm of the titular Stitchy, players are tasked with helping the scarecrow reclaim their corn and defeat the Tooki tribe. Founded back in 2017 in Belgium, indie devs Polygoat have created games ranging from educational titles through to VR experiences. Their newest outing is full of color, charm, and what is unmistakably a lot of love from the small, four-person dev team. I instantly fell in love with the titular scarecrow as we ventured through the first tutorial level together – full of lush jungle and deadly enemies. Stitchy in Tooki Trouble – Key details Price: $12.99 / £11.69 (pre-orders in Europe are discounted 25%) – Developer: Polygoat – Release date: 15 April, 2021 – Platforms: Nintendo Switch – Reviewed On: Nintendo Switch Lite – Stitchy in Tooki Trouble Trailer Stitchy is a strong main character It’s clear to see that Stitchy is crafted with total respect for the sidescrolling genre. Chock-full of whimsical set pieces and fantastic audio design, the game straddles the line between feeling both modern and timeless. Read More: Monster Hunter Rise review – The game’s music and the overall tone are exactly what players would expect of any cartoon platformer — cheerful, and upbeat. All of these elements blend together, following the typical recipe of what makes games like this fun to jump into. As players are taken on a journey through three vastly different worlds, they run, swing, jump, and body slam their way through a myriad of moving platforms, the Tooki tribe, gigantic waves, and runaway mine carts. Polygoat’s main character is undoubtedly one of the cutest additions to gaming we’ve seen in a while, too — Stitchy aims to stand up alongside some of gaming’s great mascots like Mario, Rayman, and Sonic. If the scarecrow was in a more fleshed out, well-rounded experience, this definitely could be the case, too. Unfortunately, the game’s genuinely lovely world design, graphic style, and music leave any semblance of a story and varied gameplay in the dust for poor old Stitchy. A strange story One thing that stands out a mile when playing Stitchy in Tooki Trouble is: what’s the story? Officially, the game centers around the scarecrow reclaiming all his corn after the Tooki sweep through the cornfield that they’re protecting and run off with it all – but the introductory cinematic fails to make this clear. It feels disconnected, and for those who jump into the game without knowing much beforehand, it feels as if Stitchy has no motivation whatsoever other than to pick up corn from all corners of the world. Read More: It Takes Two review – Even with this motivation, the game’s overarching storyline still feels lackluster. The gaming greats Polygoat are so inspired by have a clear story from the outset: Mario is set on saving Princess Peach from Bowser, or Crash aims to prevent Cortex’s quest for world domination. These stories don’t just stop there, though, they develop and change over the course of the gameplay. In the case of Tooki Trouble, though, the latter half of the plot point is exactly the same as when you’re first dropped into play. Gameplay: Movement, levels & enemies As Stitchy attempts to reclaim their corn, you’re also given the added completionist challenge, if you’re a completionist, of tackling levels within a certain time frame to get a better star ranking on that level. Further giving the levels replayability are the three pieces of the Tooki’s totems that are scattered throughout. This is all well and good, but the trouble is: the gameplay of each level is gratingly shallow. Stitchy in Tooki Trouble features a respawn mechanic that further adds to the frustration and monotony of the gameplay loop. After dying, you either respawn at a checkpoint within the level, or at the very beginning if you lose all of Stitchy’s hats. The issue with this, though, is how grating it feels to have to repeat a particular section of the game, especially when combined with how sluggish moving Stitchy feels. Controlling the scarecrow feels muddy, as if they’re tied down by weights; jumps that should easily be landed often end up losing you another life due to this, and it just isn’t fun to use. Read More: Oddworld Soulstorm review – Enemies are also extremely familiar, no matter which world you’re in. Brightly colored wooden fish attempt to block your path as they jump out of the water whether in the jungle zone or when you’re hopping over icy waters, and robots heckle you with fish bones as they try to trip you up no matter where you are. Glimmers of what the game could be are seen when executing a well-timed slam on an enemy, or chaining together jumps from one hazardous platform to the next in quick succession — but the overall experiences hold these back, and I found myself having to take breaks from the game before coming back to it. Dying at a challenge and having to try it over and over again is one thing, and it can often be rewarding when you finally figure out how to progress, but it never feels like this in Tooki Trouble. Instead, it just leaves you annoyed as you attempt to quickly rush back to the previous section that you died at. Beastly boss battles Despite the lacking gameplay loop, the game features absolutely fantastic boss battles at the end of each world. Ever wanted to fight a gigantic wooden, mechanical bird and an army of smaller ones? How about a gigantic Kraken-like Octopus? Polygoat has got you covered. Each battle introduces differing mechanics from the last, and it’s a shame that the sense of achievement you get from defeating each of these just isn’t there in the rest of the game. These take time to accomplish and require razor-sharp precision, but this precision can also take some of the fun away with finicky hitboxes for both Stitchy and the bosses. Rating: 6/10 Overall, Stitchy in Tooki Trouble suffers from a lack of cohesive story, weighty and unrefined mechanics, and a gameplay loop that can often leave you feeling more annoyed than challenged. Despite this, all the pieces of the platforming puzzle are definitely there – especially in the form of Stitchy, the cute world, music, and boss battles. Polygoat has created a diamond in the rough, but the formula needs a few tweaks before this scarecrow’s adventure can truly shine.

Still Wakes the Deep review – Oil work and no play makes for authentic horror experience When playing through a game for the first time, one of the more rarified characteristics is authenticity. – something beyond the flashing lights and mind-numbing gameplay loops that define so many releases. Enter Still Wakes the Deep, a game that brings so much to the competitive survival horror genre. Still Wakes the Deep is developed by The Chinese Room, a UK-based team that got its start developing mods for Half-Life 2. Since then, it has become best known for horror sequel Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs and the eerie adventure release Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture. The DNA of the latter is undeniable in this latest effort. The developer has taken all of the lessons from the already impressive Rapture and applied them here, except almost every element of Still Wakes the Deep is an improvement. Linear story-focused horror is often a genre that relies on inane jumpscares and short-term jumps, so finding a departure can be difficult. Fortunately, The Chinese Room has delivered a package that should act as a narrative benchmark for video game horror releases from this point forward. Still Wakes the Deep key details Price: $34.99/£29.99 – Developer: The Chinese Room – Publisher: Secret Mode – Release Date: June 18, 2024 – Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 and PC (+Game Pass for Xbox and PC) – The setting was rigged from the start One of the key aspects behind the game’s success is its setting. Players find themselves stranded on a North Sea oil rig in 1975. You’ll take on the role of Cameron “Caz” McLeary, an electrician by trade who finds himself working at the behest of his best friend and Godfather to his children, Roy. This isn’t out of the goodness of his heart, though. See, Caz has been a naughty boy back on the mainland. This has attracted the attention of the increasingly interested police. It’s another major reason he’s ended up here, adding strain between him and his wife which is threatening to tear his family apart. Right from the outset, the game lets you know something important about its setting—this is not a state-of-the-art oil rig. That’s putting it mildly, too. Cabins are entirely out of action thanks to leaky ceilings, crumbling walls, and failing electrics. A chance encounter with a maintenance worker drives this home, and workers discuss the possibility of a general strike over working conditions. This isn’t just set dressing—it’s critical to the way the rest of the game plays out. When the horror kicks in, crumbling infrastructure presents some of the greatest dangers. As a wider setting, the oil rig (and the North Sea it’s found in) work brilliantly for the horror that permeates proceedings. You are a long way from help. The sea churns ruthlessly beneath you, threatening to swallow you in an instant. Still Wake the Deep feels heavily inspired by the isolation of The Thing, except you’re right in the middle of it. No way out. Traversing the rig after things go wrong is also a tough ask, with Uncharted-style platforming in horrendous conditions. These mechanics are relatively simple, largely revolving around climbing and jumping, but every move feels precarious like it could all end terribly for Caz in a split second. Isolation is not so splendid The first throes of the game see Caz make his way up to his boss, Rennick’s, office. Rennick, as it turns out, is furious with Caz after the police made their search for the electrician known. After a tense and extremely sweary conversation, Caz is given his marching orders and sent to the helipad for removal from the rig. This is where everything goes wrong. Before departing the rig is hit by what feels like a major earthquake. A crew member is sent overboard, and in our attempts to save him, we follow him into the depths. Fortunately, you’re rescued, but after waking up, you may not feel so lucky. Things have gone very wrong. The limited crew we encounter all seem terrified by whatever caused the damage. This isn’t a gas bubble of underwater explosion though, it’s some kind of organic threat. Fleshy tendrils weave throughout the rig, and strange organic masses cause weird distortions in our vision if we go too close. Whatever this is, it’s killing everyone off… or worse Former friends are transformed into amorphous blobs, cycling phrases from when they were a little less fleshy. The strange nature of the threat synergizes perfectly with the game’s setting. Those who have seen the Natalie Portman-fronted Annihilation will know roughly what the game’s threat looks like. It has the potential to corrupt and destroy, reducing previously memorable characters into disturbing tools for its parasitic machinations. Caz is no hero Still Wakes the Deep’s gameplay is undeniably limited. Like The Chinese Room’s previous games, there’s not a plethora of mechanics for you to utilize for your survival. You’re mostly limited to interacting with certain items and objects, perhaps throwing them to distract threats. However, this can be to the game’s advantage too. This lack of agency lends itself brilliantly to the idea that Caz isn’t an omnipotent hero, but instead a normal man. It’s reminiscent of the excellent Alien: Isolation – though even that gave the player some chance to combat the Xenomorph temporarily. Here, Still Wakes the Deep exclusively forces the player to hide when the danger gets real. The earliest example of this is a former crewmate patrolling the laundry room. Taking the form of a fleshy blob with a human torso and head attached to it, it lurches around the room, looking to make you its next victim. Caz is forced to skulk in the darkness and tuck himself into cupboards when the enemy approaches. The most agency you have is to throw nearby objects into the distance in a sometimes vain attempt to get the monster to move away. These sections of the game are genuinely frightening. Building up the courage to step out of the cupboard and make a break for it is when the game comes to life. If ill-timed, things can devolve fast. In one instance, my timing was less than perfect, and I was spotted quickly. I was then chased in a pant-wetting intense moment that saw me escape by squeezing myself through a tight area where the walls had collapsed. The game offers a story mode that makes stealth sections significantly easier to progress through for those who’d like an assist. While this is a brilliant push for further accessibility that allows more players to experience the game’s narrative, it’s worth keeping the standard difficulty on if able. A cast adrift It’s not all the big things like the setting and the horror that make Still Wake the Deep work though – It’s the smaller things. The game is set in the sea north of Scotland and, as such, local accents play a big part in the texture of the game. Rather than going for the annoying caricatured versions of Scottish and Irish accents that we so often hear, the development team took advantage of voice actors from the Isle of Skye, Aberdeen, Glasgow, and Dundee. It’s impossible to overstate how grounded this game is because of that. There isn’t a single moment of clunky execution in dialogue sections, with characters using real colloquial terms and humor (think bampot and bahookie), that makes the rig feel like a realistic community before it all goes wrong. For those who may find the dialogue hard to parse, the game offers multiple subtitle options. One of those is simply listed as English, and it puts across the meaning of the sentence without including the specific terms used by the characters in some cases. In addition, it’s also possible to set subtitles to Scots Gaelic, a language that finds its roots in Old Irish. For those who don’t know, the percentage of the Scottish population that actually speak this language is very low. Including it is a lovely way to introduce the language to a new audience and preserve it in video game form. The choice is demonstrative of the developer’s respect for the culture that the game is rooted in. Underneath all of the cosmic horror and unspoken tension, the narrative is brought home by characters that feel textured and filled out. You’ll struggle to find a more grounded and realistic game in that regard. The Verdict – 4/5 For fans of horror video games, Still Wakes the Deep is one of 2024’s safer bets. It doesn’t have the perpetual terror of a game like Outlast, but that isn’t what it’s going for either. The peaks and troughs between genuine fear and relief turn the game into a rollercoaster of anxiety, but one that lets the player breathe. Though it isn’t hugely long or particularly demanding, it’s a welcome break from the formula of so many mechanics-focused games, making this a welcome return from The Chinese Room. This puts you in the shoes of a protagonist in a movie, with a curated story. Just be aware that what starts as a Ken Loach film quickly turns into something John Carpenter would be proud of.

Still Wakes the Deep achievements and trophies guide The Chinese RoomStill Wakes the Deep is a horror release from experienced genre developer The Chinese Room, and, all things considered, there’s a lot to love. There are also plenty of achievements and trophies to get, so here’s our full guide to what you need to do to secure them. Still Wakes the Deep follows electrician Caz McLeary as he works on an oil rig in the North Sea. Things quickly go wrong, and Caz is presented with a Lovecraftian horror summoned from the depths after being disturbed by the rig’s operations. What follows is a heady blend of Alien: Isolation-style gameplay and a narrative that feels like it has been plucked directly from Stephen King’s head. Along the way, there are plenty of trophies and achievements to collect. Complete Still Wakes the Deep achievements and trophy list As a spoiler warning, some of the achievements below relate directly to the game’s story, including its conclusion. Here is every Still Wakes the Deep achievement and trophy. That’s the full list! There are 20 missable trophies in total, so make sure to look out for those in particular if you are hunting that Platinum or 1000 Gamescore.

Stephen King let Alan Wake quote him and only charged a dollar Remedy EntertainmentAccording to Creative Director Sam Lake, using a Stephen King quote in the original Alan Wake only cost Remedy $1. The original Alan Wake opens with the eponymous character quoting the storied author’s take on nightmares and their existence outside of logic. Wake’s opening monologue begins as follows: “Stephen King once wrote that ‘Nightmares exist outside of logic, and there’s little fun to be had in explanations; they’re antithetical to the poetry of fear.’” It’s a fitting start to a game where the protagonist constantly feels as though he’s living a waking nightmare – one possibly of his own creation. With Alan Wake 2 finally set to launch this fall, all eyes are on what’s next for the character. But the sequel often warrants another glimpse into the past, too. Out of such a discussion recently came an interesting revelation about how Remedy ended up using Stephen King’s “nightmare” quote. Stephen King charged Remedy $1 for Alan Wake’s opening quote Speaking with Eurogamer, Creative Director Sam Lake mentioned that he “really, really desperately wanted a quote from [King]” to begin the first Alan Wake adventure. Fortunately for Remedy, the author had no problem singing off on the idea; he didn’t ask for much in return, either. Lake told the publication that Stephen King charged the studio next to nothing for the quote’s usage in-game. “It’s my understanding he wanted $1 for us to get the rights to use it. [It was] so very generous,” he said. At the time of writing, it’s unclear if the words of Stephen King will similarly feature in Alan Wake 2. The author’s influence litters the original game, though, so it stands to reason that Remedy may have also taken inspiration from King when building the upcoming sequel. Either way, fans of the series should brace themselves for an even more terrifying adventure this time around. Remedy developers have confirmed the Alan Wake sequel will lean heavily on the trappings of survival horror. Players can see what that means for themselves when Alan Wake 2 creeps onto PC and consoles on October 17.

Stellaris is a huge space exploration playground, but cheats and codes activated from the game’s debug console commands can add a whole new dimension on PC.\n\nStellaris may have launched all the way back in 2016, but the huge grand strategy title has kept growing through DLC and console ports ever since. If you thought you’d exhausted all there was to offer, though, then we’ve got news for you – Stellaris cheats can change up the game massively.\n\nLike the classic games of old, there’s a wealth of ways to tweak your game – either to give yourself an advantage or to change certain parameters. Here are all the Stellaris cheats and console commands we’ve found so far.\n\n\n\nContents\n\n \tStellaris cheats and console commands list\n\n \tCheats\n \tMajor events\n \tTesting commands\n \tUI changes\n\n\n \tHow to access the debug console\n \tHow to use Stellaris cheats on console\n\n\n\n\n Stellaris’ galaxy gets even bigger when you add in its huge number of cheats.\nStellaris cheats codes list: all console commands\nIf you’re looking to give yourself an advantage, there are plenty of Stellaris cheats to choose from – courtesy of the Stellaris Wiki:\n\n\n\nCommand\nEffect\nParameters\n\n\nactivate_all_traditions\nActivates all Traditions\n-\n\n\nactivate_ascension_perk\nActivates the specified Ascension Perk, pressing tab reveals the names\n[name]\n\n\nactivate_tradition\nActivates the specified Tradition, pressing tab reveals the names\n[tradition id]\n\n\nadd_anomaly\nAdds [anomaly id] to the selected celestial body\n[anomaly id]\n\n\nadd_intel\nAdds [amount] of intel towards [target], default 10\n[target] [amount]\n\n\nadd_opinion\nIncreases the [source] empire’s Opinion of the [target] empire by [amount], default 40\n[source] [target] [amount]\n\n\nadd_relic\nGrants [relic id], writing all instead of the ID grants all relics. The same relic can be added multiple times.\n[relic id]\n\n\nadd_ship\nCreates a fleet with one ship of [design id], pressing tab reveals the NPC ship names\nNOTE: Spawned juggernauts will not be able to build, upgrade or repair ships\n[design id]\n\n\nadd_spynetwork_value\nAdds [amount] of infiltration progress on [target]\n[target] [amount]\n\n\nadd_trait_leader\nAdds [trait id] to [leader id], entering only the leader ID reveals all trait IDs for that class\n[leader id] [trait id]\n\n\nadd_trait_species\nAdds [trait id] to [species id]\n[species id] [trait id]\n\n\nai\nToggles the AI on or off\n-\n\n\nalloys\nAdds [amount] of Alloys, default 5000\n[amount]\n\n\nbuild_pops\nAdds [amount] of robot pops to the selected planet, only works if the empire has the technology to build robot pops\n[amount]\n\n\ncash\nAdds [amount] of Energy Credits, defaults 5000\n[amount]\n\n\ncolonize\nStarts the colonization process of the selected planet using a copy of the pop with the ID given, uncolonizable celestial bodies will not make colonization progress\n[colonizer pop id]\n\n\ncommunications\nEstablishes communications with all empires\n-\n\n\ncreate_megastructure\nCreates a Megastructure in the current system, pressing tab reveals the IDs\n[megastructure id]\n\n\ncreate_navy\nCreates a fleet using your most recent designs that uses [amount] percentage of Naval Capacity, 1 means 100%\n[amount]\n\n\ndamage\nAll ships in the selected fleet take [amount] hull damage\n[amount]\n\n\ndebug_nomen\nAI empires always refuse player proposals\n-\n\n\ndebug_yesmen\nAI empires always agree to player proposals\n-\n\n\neffect add_building =\nAdds [building id] to the selected planet, multiple-planet unique buildings will be removed a month after being added\n[building id]\n\n\neffect add_deposit =\nAdds [deposit id] resource deposit or planetary feature to the selected celestial body\n[deposit id]\n\n\neffect add_district =\nAdds [district id] to the planet\n[district id]\n\n\neffect add_planet_devastation =\nAdds [amount] of Devastation to the selected celestial body, negative values lower it\n[amount]\n\n\neffect country_add_ethic =\nAdds [ethic id] to the player empire, using more than 3 ethic points will remove lowest attraction ethics\n[ethic id]\n\n\neffect country_remove_ethic =\nRemoves [ethic id] from the player empire\n[ethic id]\n\n\neffect create_archaeological_site =\nAdds [archaeological site id] to the selected create_archaeological_site, enter random to create a random archeological site\n[archaeological site id]\n\n\neffect force_add_civic =\nAdds [civic id] to the player empire\n[civic id]\n\n\neffect force_remove_civic =\nRemoves [civic id] to the player empire\n[civic id]\n\n\neffect remove_modifier =\nRemoves [modifier id] from the selected planet, or empire if none is selected\n[modifier id]\n\n\neffect shift_ethic =\nShifts the player empire’s ethics to [ethic id]\n[ethic id]\n\n\nelection\nStarts a ruler election\n-\n\n\nend_senate_session\nPasses/fails the currently voted resolution\n-\n\n\nengineering\nAdds [amount] of Engineering tech points, default 5000\n[amount]\n\n\nevent\nTriggers [event id]\n[event id]\n\n\nfederation_add_experience\nAdds [amount] of Experience to the Federation, default 1000\n[amount]\n\n\nfederation_add_cohesion\nAdds [amount] of Cohesion to the Federation, default 200\n[amount]\n\n\nfederation_add_cohesion_speed\nAdds [amount] of Monthly Cohesion to the Federation, default 10\n[amount]\n\n\nfederation_examine_leader\nTriggers a Federation succession\n-\n\n\nfinish_research\nFinishes all active research\n-\n\n\nfinish_special_projects\nFinishes all special projects\n-\n\n\nfinish_terraform\nFinishes all terraforming processes\n-\n\n\nfood\nAdds [amount] of Food, default 5000\n[amount]\n\n\nforce_integrate\nIntegrates [target] empire into the player’s empire\n[target]\n\n\nforce_senate_vote\nEnds the current senate recess\n-\n\n\nfree_government\nToggles allowing player to change governments without the time limit\n-\n\n\nfree_policies\nToggles allowing player to change policies without restriction, including policies previously disabled\n-\n\n\ngrow_pops\nAdds [amount] of growing pops to selected planet, default 1\n[amount]\n\n\ninfluence\nAdds [amount] of Influence, default 5000\n[amount]\n\n\ninstant_build\nToggles instantly finishing constructions and upgrades\nWARNING: This also applies to enemy AI so only used while paused\n-\n\n\nintel\nGives sight of the entire galaxy\n-\n\n\ninvincible\nPlayer ships will not take damage\n-\n\n\nmax_resources\nFills all resource storages\n-\n\n\nminerals\nAdds [amount] of Minerals, default 5000\n[amount]\n\n\nobserve\nSwitches to observer mode, use the play command to revert control\nWARNING: If the game is unpaused in observer mode the AI will take control of the player empire\n-\n\n\nown\nTake ownership and control of the selected fleet, starbase, or planet, or if none is selected takes ownership of the planet ID given as an argument. Uncolonizable celestial bodies will be created as colonies but have no capital building\n[planet id]\n\n\nphysics\nAdds [amount] of Physics tech points, default 5000\n[amount]\n\n\nplanet_class\nChanges the selected celestial body to [celestial body id]\n[planet class id]\n\n\nplanet_happiness\nAdds a modifier with [amount] Happiness to the selected planet, default 100\n[amount]\n\n\nplanet_size\nChanges the size of the selected planet, can go above regular sizes but above 78 will move the planet backward\n[size]\n\n\nplay\nSwitches player control to empire [empire ID]\n[empire ID]\n\n\nremove_trait_leader\nRemoves [trait id] from [leader id], entering only the leader ID reveals the name for all current traits.\n[leader id] [trait id or index]\n\n\nremove_trait_species\nRemoves [trait id] from [species id]\n[species id] [trait id]\n\n\nresearch_all_technologies\nInstantly researches all non-repeatable technologies. Add 1 for space creatures and crisis techs too. Add a second number for [amount] of repeatable technologies.\n[boolean] [amount]\n\n\nresearch_technology\nInstantly research [technology id]\n[technology id]\n\n\nresource\nAdds [amount] of [resource], default 5000\n[amount] [resource]\n\n\nskills\nAdds [amount] of skill levels to every leader under player control, default 1\n[amount]\n\n\nskip_galactic_community_cooldowns\nAllows proposing resolutions from the same group without cooldown\n-\n\n\nsociety\nAdds [amount] of Society tech points, default 5000\n[amount]\n\n\nsurvey\nSurveys all planets, requires at least one science ship\n-\n\n\ntechupdate\nRe-rolls the currently available tech choices\n-\n\n\nunity\nAdds [amount] of Unity, default 500\n[amount]\n\n\nunlock_edicts\nUnlocks all edicts\n-\n\n\nbranchoffice\nTake ownership of a planet branch office\n-\n\n\nminor_artifacts\nAdds [amount] of Minor Artifacts, default 5000\n[amount]\n\n\nmenace\nAdds [amount] of Menace, default 5000\n[amount]\n\n\nimperial_authority\nAdds [amount] of Imperial Authority, default 10\n[amount]\n\n\n\nStellaris console commands: Major Events\nThese codes can kickstart a series of events within the game.\n\n\n\nID\nMajor event\nNotes\nRequired selection\n\n\nanomaly.95\nVoyager 1\nCan start the Solar Coordinates event if the Sol system exists somewhere in the galaxy\nShip or Starbase\n\n\nanomaly.186\nLimbo\nWith the right technology and AI policies, you can resurrect them as a new colony or as a new empire\nShip or Starbase\n\n\nanomaly.3085\nThe Prince\nEvent with small but permanent opinion effects\nShip or Starbase\n\n\nanomaly.4051\nEchoes from the Deep\nGrants the Improved Working Environment edict and positive modifiers\nShip or Starbase\n\n\nanomaly.4081\nAbandoned Sensor Array\nGrants the Extensive Sensor Searches edict\nShip or Starbase\n\n\nanomaly.4105\nFumes Lie Thick\nGrants the Improved Energy Initiative edict\nShip or Starbase\n\n\nanomaly.4136\nTranslating Settlers’ Texts\nGrants Master’s Teachings: The Greater Good edict\n-\n\n\nanomaly.4141\nTranslating Explorers’ Texts\nGrants Master’s Teachings: Philosophical Mindset edict\n-\n\n\nanomaly.4151\nTranslating Traders’ Texts\nGrants Master’s Teachings: Diplomatic Trust edict\n-\n\n\nanomaly.4166\nTranslating Warriors’ Texts\nGrants Master’s Teachings: Warring States edict\n-\n\n\ncolony.100\nAbandoned Terraforming Equipment\nAbandoned Terraforming Equipment Special Project\nPlanet\n\n\ncolony.3005\nThe Doorway\n\nPlanet\n\n\ncolony.3007\nHigh-energy Dimension\nModifies the Dimensional Portal Job\nPlanet\n\n\ncolony.3008\nThe Null Void\nModifies the Dimensional Portal Job\nPlanet\n\n\ncolony.3009\nMirror Mirror\nModifies the Dimensional Portal Job\nPlanet\n\n\ncolony_mod.101\nTitanic Life Study: Success\nAllows the recruitment of Titanic Beast armies\nPlanet\n\n\ncountry.1\nSublight Exploration Probes\n-\n-\n\n\ncountry.50\nHabitable Worlds Survey\n-\n-\n\n\ncountry.53\nAlien Specimen Procurement\n-\n-\n\n\ncountry.200\nRadical Cult\n-\n-\n\n\ncountry.250\nThe Hunt for the Hyacinth\n-\n-\n\n\ncountry.1000\nWanderlust: Rogue Scientist\n-\n-\n\n\ncountry.1100\nMass Extinction Through the Ages\n-\n-\n\n\ncrisis.199\nPrethoryn Scourge\nImmediately spawns Prethoryn invaders. Use “”crisis.10″” to initiate the crisis’ natural progression\n-\n\n\ncrisis.50\nRise of the Sentinels\nDoesn’t require the crisis but will add its sound effects\n-\n\n\ncrisis.71\nSentinel Fleet Donation\nDoesn’t require the crisis or the Sentinels\n-\n\n\ncrisis.105\nLong live the Queen!\nSpawns the Domesticated Prethoryn Queen\nFleet or Starbase\n\n\ncrisis.1000\nThe Unbidden\n-\n-\n\n\ncrisis.1100\nThe Aberrant\nDoesn’t require the Unbidden\n-\n\n\ncrisis.1200\nThe Vehement\nRequires the Unbidden\n-\n\n\ncrisis.2000\nThe Contingency\nSkips the Ghost Signal events. Use “”crisis.2005″” to initiate the crisis’ natural progression\n-\n\n\ncrisis.2400\nCybrex Return\nDoesn’t require the crisis\n-\n\n\nfallen_empires_awakening.1\nSleepers Awake\nMust select a Fallen Empire with the play command beforehand or YOU will awaken\n-\n\n\nfallen_empires_tasks.1\nA patronizing or machine Fallen Empire sends a random gift\n-\n-\n\n\ngalactic_features.301\nFallen Empire mothballed fleet\n-\nFleet or Starbase\n\n\ngalactic_features.401\nSpace Storm Hits Galaxy\n-\n-\n\n\ngalactic_features.403\nSpace Storm Dissipates\n-\n-\n\n\ngalcom.16\nThe Birth of the Galactic Community\nOption to instantly create or join the Galactic Community\n-\n\n\nnomad.1\nThe Nomads\nWill not spawn if a Sentry Array is completed\n-\n\n\nprecursor.98\nVultraum Home System Located\nSpawns the Vultraum Home System\n-\n\n\nprecursor.598\nYuht Home System Located\nSpawns the Yuht Home System\n-\n\n\nprecursor.1098\nFirst League Home System Located\nSpawns the First League Home System\n-\n\n\nprecursor.1598\nIrassian Home System Located\nSpawns the Irassian Home System\n-\n\n\nprecursor.2098\nCybrex Home System Located\nSpawns the Cybrex Home System\n-\n\n\nstory.107\nAmoebas Pacified\n-\n-\n\n\nstory.207\nCrystals Pacified\n-\n-\n\n\nunrest.4200\nUnrest: Revolt\nTargeted planet’s population revolts and attempts to break away. Can be used on other empires.\nColony\n\n\naction.96\nBirth of the Galactic Market\n-\n-\n\n\nakx.8888\nHorizon Signal\n-\nFleet or Starbase\n\n\nleviathans.3103\nDreadnought Repaired\n-\nFleet or Starbase\n\n\nwar_in_heaven.1000\nWar in Heaven\nWill awaken two fallen empires if none awakened\n-\n\n\nutopia.3000\nEnter the Shroud\nWorks even if still on cooldown\n-\n\n\nutopia.3021\nAvatar (army)\n-\n-\n\n\nutopia.3190\nThe Chosen One\n-\n-\n\n\nutopia.3304\nWhisperers in the Void\nOption to form a covenant\n-\n\n\nutopia.3305\nComposer of Strands\nOption to form a covenant\n-\n\n\nutopia.3306\nEater of Worlds\nOption to form a covenant\n-\n\n\nutopia.3307\nInstrument of Desire\nOption to form a covenant\n-\n\n\nutopia.3308\nEnd of the Cycle\nOption to form a covenant\n-\n\n\nutopia.3320\nThe Reckoning\nRequires accepting the covenant in the previous event to work properly\n-\n\n\nsyndaw.1000\nMachine Uprising\n-\n-\n\n\nfallen_machine_empire.1\nAncient Caretakers Awaken\nMust select the Ancient Caretakers with the play command beforehand or YOU will awaken\n-\n\n\nmarauder.85\nMercenaries Become Available\nMust be triggered multiple times for each Marauder empire\n-\n\n\nmarauder.500\nThe Drums of War\nMust select a Marauder Empire with the play command beforehand or YOU will become the Horde\n-\n\n\ndistar.172\nNeural Symbiosis\nOption to get the Brain Slug Host trait for some pops and leaders\nShip or Starbase\n\n\ndistar.232\nJunk Ratlings\nCreates the Ketling species if the Junk Ratling systems exist\n-\n\n\ndistar.236\nJunk Ratlings\nCreates the Ketling Star Pack empire if the Ketling species exists\n-\n\n\ndistar.260\nWild Eukaryotes\nCreates a pre-sapient species with the Docile Livestock trait on the planet\nPlanet\n\n\ndistar.1001\nParadise Lost\nCreates a nearby system with the a Gaia World and a Stone Age civilization\n-\n\n\ndistar.1081\nAzizians\nOption to enable the recruitment of Azizian armies on a random owned world\n-\n\n\ndistar.2050\nAlien Entity\nSpawns the Enigmatic Cache in the galaxy\n-\n\n\ndistar.3014\nThe Nivlac (unfriendly)\nCreates an empire with a permanent -100 opinion modifier\n-\n\n\ndistar.3016\nThe Nivlac (friendly)\nCreates an empire with a permanent +100 opinion modifier\n-\n\n\ndistar.5006\nThe Voidspawn\nThe selected planet is turned into a cracked world from where a Voidspawn hatches\nPlanet\n\n\ndistar.11000\nSpawn L-Cluster\nSpawns a sealed L-Cluser\n-\n\n\ndistar.13000\nThe L-Cluster (L-Drake)\nDoesn’t require the L-Cluster but will open every L-Gate as well\n-\n\n\ngraygoo.1\nThe L-Cluster (Gray Tempest)\nRequires the L-Cluster to work\n-\n\n\ngraygoo.100\nThe L-Cluster (Dessanu Consonance)\nRequires the L-Cluster to work\n-\n\n\ngraygoo.400\nA Quiet Stroll\nEncounter Grey\nFleet or Starbase\n\n\nancrel.4000\nWhispers in the Stone\nCreates the Whispers in the Stone archaeology site\nPlanet\n\n\nancrel.6130\nZarqulan’s Chosen\nAllows colonizing Holy Worlds and gives +150 permanent opinion from Holy Guardians\n-\n\n\nancrel.10050\nSecrets of the Yuht\nUnlocks the Initiate Yuht Cleansing Process decision\n-\n\n\nancrel.10004\nArcane Deciphering (Auto-Forge)\nUnlocks a Fallen Empire building\n-\n\n\nancrel.10005\nArcane Deciphering (Sky-Dome)\nUnlocks a Fallen Empire building\n-\n\n\nancrel.10006\nArcane Deciphering (Dimensional Fabricator)\nUnlocks a Fallen Empire building\n-\n\n\nancrel.10007\nArcane Deciphering (Affluence Center)\nUnlocks a Fallen Empire building\n-\n\n\nancrel.10008\nArcane Deciphering (Nourishment Center)\nUnlocks a Fallen Empire building\n-\n\n\nancrel.10009\nArcane Deciphering (Class-4 Singularity)\nUnlocks a Fallen Empire building\n-\n\n\n\n Create or destroy empires at your whim with these codes.\nStellaris cheats: Testing Commands\nThese Stellaris console commands trigger actions, as well as prompt developer features.\n\n\n\nCommand\nDescription\nParameters\n\n\n\n\n3dstats\nToggles 3D Stats (FPS and render time)\n-\n\n\nactivate_relic\nActivates the triumph effect of [Relic ID]\n[Pop ID] [Ethic Key]\n\n\nadd_ethic_pop\nAdd ethic to a pop\n[Pop ID] [Ethic Key]\n\n\nadvanced_galaxy\nSimulates a game in the year 2400 (every default empire gains colonies, technologies, and fleets)\n-\n\n\nai_anomalies\nToggles whether human empires get ai-only anomalies\n–\n\n\nalienfx\nAttempt to change computer lights with Alien FX\n-\n\n\nambient_object\nSpawns an ambient object of the specified type.\n[type]\n\n\nattackallfleets\nMakes all player fleets target all other fleets\n-\n\n\naudio.playeffect\nPlay the sound effect with the given name\n-\n\n\naudio.setactivegroup\nSets the active audio group\n-\n\n\naudio.testeffectweights\nTest the random distribution of the weighs for a sound effect\n-\n\n\nberserk_ai\nAI aggression set to 10\n-\n\n\nblend_post_effect\nBlends to a new post effect setting\n[nSetting] [vTime] [nMode]\n\n\nborders\nCalculates map borders\n-\n\n\ncasusbelli\nAdd a Casus Belli against the given target empire\n[casus belli key] [country id]\n\n\ncheck_save\nCheck save and load persistence\n-\n\n\nclear_debug_lines\nClears any persistent debug lines\n-\n\n\nclear_debug_strings\nClears any persistent debug strings\n-\n\n\nclearflag\nClears an event flag on a specific target\n[type] [flag] [target id]\n\n\ncollision\nDisplays collision boxes and circles\n-\n\n\ncommunications\nEnable/disable communication with the target empire, leave with no arguments for all\n[target country id]\n\n\ncontact\nStarts first contact with all empires\n-\n\n\ncontacts_summary\nHides who holds casus belli on the contacts screen\n-\n\n\ncontrol\nUsed to occupy planets. If there is no war with the owner of [planet id] control will be reverted instantly.\n[planet id]\n\n\ncopy_pop\nCopies a pop to the selected planet using the id of a single pop.\n[pop id]\n\n\ncrash\nCrash the game\n-\n\n\ndebug_achievements\nTODO\n-\n\n\ndebug_achievements_clear\nTODO\n-\n\n\ndebug_dumpevents\nPrints fired events\n-\n\n\ndebug_stats\nShows game performance stats\n-\n\n\ndebuglines\nToggles debug lines on/off\n-\n\n\ndebugtexture\nDebug drawer for textures\n[texture name] [transparency] [alpha channel]\n\n\ndebugtooltip\nReveals debug info in tooltips such as a pop ID for pops, and planet ID for planets.\n-\n\n\ndeltat\nScales Delta Time with given value\n[delta_t] [scale value]\n\n\ndemocratic_election\nStart a democratic ruler election\n-\n\n\ndeposits\nShows stats for deposits\n-\n\n\ndiplo_3rd_party\nDoes diplomacy between two players from 3rd party perspective.\n[diplo] [actor id] [recipient id]\n\n\ndump_ai_build_plan\nPrints what the AI intends to construct next\n-\n\n\ndump_origins\nPrints all origins in the galaxy\n-\n\n\neffect\nExecutes an effect script.\n-\n\n\neffect remove_megastructure\nRemoves the selected megastructure\n-\n\n\nerror\nShow errors in log\n-\n\n\neventscopes\nPrints the scope trees of current events\n-\n\n\neventstats\nShow event statistics.\n-\n\n\nfactions.showallfactions\nPrints all factions and information on them.\n-\n\n\nfactions.showattraction\nPrints attraction levels for every faction.\n-\n\n\nfactions.spawnall\nSpawns all possible factions. They will disappear immediately if 10 years haven’t passed.\n-\n\n\nfast_forward\nFast forward a set amount of days\n[amount of days] [observer]\n\n\nfilewatcher\nToggles filewatcher\n-\n\n\nftl\nEnable/Disable unlimited FTL, obsolete\n-\n\n\nfullscreen\nToggles fullscreen\n-\n\n\ngame_over\nExecutes the specified type of Game Over\n[victory type index]\n\n\ngame_paused\nPauses or resumes the game\n-\n\n\ngfxculture\nSets graphical culture for player empire, pressing tab reveals the culture keys\n[culture key]\n\n\ngoto\nMoves camera to position\n[x] [y]\n\n\nguibounds\nDisplays the bounds of GUI elements\n-\n\n\nhdr\nToggles HDR\n-\n\n\nhelp\nPrints the help documentation for a command.\n[command name]\n\n\nhelphelp\nNo help for you!\n-\n\n\nhsv\nConverts RGB to HSV\n-\n\n\nhuman_ai\nToggles AI for Human countries\n-\n\n\nhuman_anomalies_for_ai\nAllows the AI to get regular anomalies\n-\n\n\ninfo\nToggles Debug info.\n-\n\n\nkill_country\nKills the current empire.\n-\n\n\nkill_leader\nKills specified leader.\n[leader id]\n\n\nkill_ruler\nKills the current ruler.\n-\n\n\nkill_pop\nKills [Pop ID] pop\n[Pop ID]\n\n\nlockcamera\nLocks the camera to the current position.\n[debug_lockcamera, lockcamera]\n\n\nmap_names\nRegenerates map names.\n-\n\n\nmature_galaxy\nSimulates a 100-year-old galaxy.\n-\n\n\nmemtest\nUsed to test for memory leakage with certain functions.\n[iterations]\n\n\nmessage\nShows every message type on the top bar.\n-\n\n\nnogui\nToggles GUI on/off\n-\n\n\nnomouse\nToggles mouse scroll wheel on\\off\n-\n\n\none_year\nRun the game for one year then logs how long it took.\n-\n\n\novernight\nSets the game up for an overnight session.\n[ticks per turn]\n\n\nparticle\nToggles particle debug info.\n-\n\n\nparticle.miplevels\nTODO\n-\n\n\nparticle.useringbuffer\nTODO\n-\n\n\nparticle.wireframe\nTODO\n-\n\n\nparticle_editor\nSpawns a particle editor.\n-\n\n\npath\nFinds path between stars.\n[from index] [to index]\n\n\npeace_on_player\nThe targeted country offers peace to players.\n[country id]\n\n\nplanets\nLists every type of planet and the amount of each.\n-\n\n\nplayers\nLists every human player in the current game.\n-\n\n\npopulate\nFills all housing on selected planet with pops\nWARNING: Will hang the game as of version 3.0\n-\n\n\npp\nGives the player minerals\n[amount]\n\n\nproduction\nDumps some debug info about production\n-\n\n\nrandom_ruler\nReplace the ruler with a new random one\n-\n\n\nrebuild_sectors\nRebuilds sector boundaries\n-\n\n\nrecalc_fleet_presence\nRecalculates fleet presence cache, useful if loading old saves.\n-\n\n\nregenerate_border_colors\nRegenerates border colors for empires with the same primary color\n-\n\n\nreload\nReloads assets\n[file name]\n\n\nreload_galaxy\nStarts a new game\n-\n\n\nreload_graphical_map\nReloads the graphical map\n-\n\n\nreloadfx\nReloads the shader\n[arguments: map/mapname/postfx or *.fx filename]\n\n\nremove_ethic_pop\nRemoves an ethic from a target pop.\n[pop id] [ethic key]\n\n\nremove_notification\nRemoves all notifications belonging to the player\n[amount]\n\n\nrendertype\nPrints the current` rendering type.\n-\n\n\nresources\nShow stats for resources\n-\n\n\nreverse_diplo\nSends a diplomatic command from the target to the player.\n[diplo] [id]\n\n\nrun\nRuns the specified file with list of commands. The file should be placed in the root Stellaris folder in your My Documents. The file must be called ‘[insert file name here]’ without the brackets. The file should be in the INI extension.\n-\n\n\nscaling\nEnables/disable scaling of models.\n-\n\n\nsmooth\nToggle frame smoothing\n-\n\n\nspawnentity\nSpawns specified entity at the cursor position. The entity names are found in the gfx folder in the .asset files.\n[entity name]\n\n\nsrgb\nToggles RBG color mode\n-\n\n\nsurrender\nSurrender and gives in to all demands. Using only [country id] parameter lists wars with their appropriate war_ids for a given country.\n[country id] [war id]\n\n\nswitchlanguage\nReload localization files and switches language\n-\n\n\ntechweights\nPrints weights for the tech tree of the player\n[tech area]\n\n\ntest_achievement\nUsed to test an achievement trigger\n[achievement]\n\n\nthreading.taskthreadcount\nReturns the number of CPU threads used\n-\n\n\nticks_per_turn\nControls the number of ticks per turn\n[amount of ticks]\n\n\ntime\nReturns the local system time\n-\n\n\ntrigger\nTests a trigger script (*.txt) when placed in the \\\\Paradox Interactive\\Stellaris\\ folder\n[trigger script]\n\n\ntrigger_docs\nPrints docs for triggers and effects\n-\n\n\ntrigger_file\nTests the trigger script, and crashes the game\n-\n\n\nversion\nCopies game version to clipboard\n-\n\n\nvolume\nModifies music volume\n[volume delta]\n\n\nwar\nThe first country declares war on the second with the given wargoal\n[attacker country id] [defender country id] [war goal]\n\n\nwarexhaustion\nAdds the given war exhaustion for all of an empire’s active wars\n[amount]\n\n\nwindow\nOpens a GUI window element\n[arguments open/close] [window gui name]\n\n\nwireframe\nToggles forced wireframe on/off\n–\n\n\n\nStellaris console commands: Graphic interface codes\nThese cheat tweaks allow you to customize Stellaris’ game’s user interface.\n\n\n\nCommand\nDescription\nParameters\n\n\n\n\nalerts.showall\nToggles displaying all UI alerts\n-\n\n\ndraw.asteroids\nToggles rendering of asteroid belts.\n-\n\n\ndraw.background\nToggles rendering of the background space texture.\n-\n\n\ndraw.borders\nToggles rendering of border colors and empire icons.\n-\n\n\ndraw.center\nToggles rendering of the galaxy center glow.\n-\n\n\ndraw.clusters\nToggles rendering of white circles in the galaxy map. Empires seem to be distributed evenly across clusters.\n-\n\n\ndraw.combatdebuglines\nToggles rendering of lines during combat showing which targets a ship is focusing on. A line also shows where the ship was located before combat.\n-\n\n\ndraw.dust\nToggles rendering of the galaxy dust.\n-\n\n\ndraw.greenscreen\nToggles rendering a green screen behind the background. Turning of the background (draw.background) will give you a totally greenscreened game that you can use for video purposes. You should also use line draw.navigationarrows and draw.systemlines.\n-\n\n\ndraw.hyperlanes\nToggles rendering of hyperlanes.\n-\n\n\ndraw.names\nToggles rendering of empire and nebula names on the galaxy map.\n-\n\n\ndraw.navigationarrows\nToggles rendering of the arrows and names towards neighbors of a system.\n-\n\n\ndraw.nebula\nToggles rendering of nebulas on the galaxy map.\n-\n\n\ndraw.neighbors\nToggles rendering of cyan and yellow lines in the star map. Cyan lines are drawn from a system to its neighboring systems. Yellow lines divide the map into cells with each cell belonging to a single system.\n-\n\n\ndraw.objects\nToggles rendering of stars, ships, stations, planets and arrows towards neighboring systems.\n-\n\n\ndraw.pathtosystem\nDisplays a slider with default value -1. When a ship is selected a path will be rendered from the ship’s system towards the system corresponding to the ID in the slider. An ETA is displayed for every jump made. ETA says “”X Days”

Is Stellar Blade coming to Xbox Series X/S & PC? SHIFT UP CORPORATIONWondering whether Stellar Blade will be coming to Xbox Series X|S and PC? Well, our handy hub has you covered. Stellar Blade is an upcoming action-adventure game that aims to wow players with its visuals, high-octane combat, and sci-fi setting. The game looks to be inspired by Yoko Taro’s Nier Automata, with it heavily focusing on flashy fight sequences and fluid character animations. Players will need to master a variety of deadly combos if they wish to take down the epic bosses and save humanity from extinction. However, many prospective players will be wondering if Stellar Blade will be coming to Xbox Series X|S and PC. So, here’s everything you need to know about whether Stellar Blade will be coming to other platforms. Is Stellar Blade coming to Xbox & PC? No, Stellar Blade will not be coming to Xbox Series X|S and PC. The game is currently a PS5 exclusive, which means you’ll only be able to play the game on this platform. In an interview with the Japanese publication Famitsu, project lead, Kim Hyung-tae stated the following: “I felt that I wanted to release a high-quality game on a single platform. And then, when it came time to decide on the platform, I determined that PlayStation 5 would offer the most optimal gaming experience.” The developers have said that Stellar Blade will “take full advantage” of the DualSense controllers’ haptic feedback and the console’s graphical capabilities. Whether Stellar Blade will ever come to Xbox Series X|S and PC in the future remains to be seen, but for now, you’ll only be able to play on PS5 when it launches on April 26, 2024.

Stellar Blade shocks with revealing costume & fans are going wild SHIFT UP CORPORATIONStellar Blade has caused a stir in the gaming community after one of its most revealing outfits was showcased during the demo. Just like Nier Automata’s 2B, Stellar Blade’s protagonist has made headlines for her design. The developers have even stated that they spent a lot of time modeling Eve’s backside, while her figure is based on a famous South Korean model. According to Hyung-Tae Kim, the idea of having an “ideal” and “attractive” character was one of the game’s main points. Stellar Blade certainly doesn’t shy away from fan service, and the game has even been given an “adults only” rating in Korea and a Mature ESRB rating. However, there’s one Stellar Blade character outfit that has the gaming community going into a frenzy due to its revealing nature. Stellar Blade shocks with revealing character outfit Following the Stellar Blade demo that was posted on the PlayStation Store on March 9, 2024 – PS5 players have had a chance to get a glimpse of gameplay. While the 45-minute demo has been pulled from the store and consoles, that hasn’t stopped players from fawning over one particular outfit. The cosmetic in question is Eve’s Skin Suit. As the name suggests, the Skin Suit leaves very little to the imagination. According to the 1-star outfit’s official description, Eve’s Skin Suit “covers the body of the Airborne Squad Member and deploys on its own, or expands and contracts depending on the situation. In other words, it’s like living skin.” However, for those who wish to use Eve’s Skin Suit, you’ll need to take extra care as her Shield is disabled when it’s equipped. This certainly makes sense considering there’s very little protection going on here. “The cosplays are going to be wild,” wrote one commenter. “I feel like I’m gonna be having a hard time paying attention to the boss fights then blame my ‘lack of skill’ for it,” joked another. With around 30 unlockable outfits in Stellar Blade, players will certainly have a lot of choice when it comes to customizing Eve. Whether any of them will spark a bigger buzz from the community than Eve’s Skin Suit remains to be seen.

Stellar Blade review: A debut that rises above the noise to flourish Stellar Blade is the first console game from South Korean developer, Shift Up, but does the PS5 exclusive feel like a first rodeo from the studio or is it ready to stand with the likes of Bayonetta and Nier Automata’s 2B as gold standards in the action genre? Stellar Blade has certainly had an interesting ride since its public reveal. The PS5 exclusive, originally titled Project Eve, was first announced back in 2019. Since then, the sci-fi action-adventure game’s main protagonist, Eve, has sparked what could charitably be called, spirited debate. That was largely down to Eve’s divisive, eye-catching design, which was modeled after the famous South Korean model – Shin Jae-eun. Director Hyung-Tae Kim also made headlines when he revealed his team paid “extra special attention” to Eve’s backside – an area that won’t come as a surprise given the team’s appetite for creating provocative female characters in its mobile titles Destiny Child and Goddess of Victory: Nikke. Stellar Blade is definitely filled to the brim with fierce action sequences, fanservice outfits, as well as, yes, jiggle physics. However, the key question is – is it more than that? Does its Soulsborne combat and semi-open world environments manage to move the needle of the genre, or is it all purely surface-level titillation? Stellar Blade: Key Details Price: $69.99/£69.99 – Developer: Shift Up – Release Date: 26 April 2024 – Platforms: PS5 – A familiar story packed with not-so-subtle references Stellar Blade takes place in a post-apocalyptic future where Earth has been overrun by mysterious creatures called Naytiba – grotesque, fleshy beings that have brought humanity to the brink of extinction. The remnants of civilization have been forced to abandon Earth and establish a Colony in outer space. It’s here where humanity aims to launch its grand counterattack and remove the Naytiba threat for good by using Angels – deadly androids that have been created for the sole purpose of eliminating this alien threat. This is where Eve comes in. As a member of the 7th Airborne Squad, you must piece together the mysteries surrounding the Naytiba, and discover how and why humanity found itself endangered. If this all sounds reminiscent, it’s because it is. I often found myself drawing parallels between Stellar Blade’s narrative and Nier Automata’s, which should come as no surprise considering Director Hyung-Tae Kim revealed that Yoko Taro’s android epic was a major influence. Even Nier’s composer, Keiichi Okabe, has lent his hand to Stellar Blade’s excellent soundtrack, blurring the lines even further between both games. There are also sprinklings of Battle Angel Alita, Blade Runner, and biblical references thrown in for good measure, with characters often questioning the philosophical notions of what it means to be human. While Stellar Blade’s multi-ending narrative never delivers the same impactful beats and heartfelt moments of Yoko Taro’s epic, it does feature plenty of mystery and some nice reveals that kept me invested – particularly when it came to the outcomes of the local inhabitants of Xion and Eve’s companions Adam and Lily. Sekiro-style action befitting Soulsborne greats While I enjoyed Stellar Blade’s story, even if it did feel like overly familiar territory, it’s the game’s Soulsborne-style combat that sets it apart from being a mere Nier clone. While you’d be forgiven for thinking Stellar Blade’s gameplay would follow similar hack-and-slash trappings of Nier Automata and Bayonetta, it’s more akin to FromSoftware’s Sekiro in that boss fights are more like a rhythmic dance where learning tight parry windows and perfect dodges is the key to success. Even just fighting the game’s rank-and-file enemies, you have to be careful and look out for opportunities to counter your foes’ attacks with well-timed parries that deplete their Balance meter. Once this bar has been reduced to zero, Eve can follow up with a deadly Retribution Attack – a flashy move that sees humanity’s hero plunge her sword into her fleshy foe for devastating damage. These unique finisher animations look incredibly stylish and can even instakill enemies, rewarding those that master an enemy’s attack patterns. I was often in awe over just how brutal and sleek these moves look, and I found myself perfecting the parry window of each Naytiba just to see what fatal finisher the devs had cooked up. The same finesse has also gone into Eve’s Beta and Burst skills, special moves that can be activated once you’ve built up enough energy by landing light and heavy attacks. For example, the Shock Wave Beta skill releases energy from Eve’s Sword that damages and stuns. This makes it particularly useful for locking down agile bosses, such as Stalker who relies on lightning-fast claw swipes to slice and dice human enemies. Meanwhile, the Tempest skill from the Burst skill tree sees Eve charge up for a brief period, before unleashing a storm of blades, shredding through enemy shields and health bars in the process. When you’re not busy stringing together light and heavy attack combos to unleash Beta/Burst skills, you’ll be able to poke enemies from afar with Eve’s blaster. Just like the game’s melee-focused abilities, this ranged weapon can be upgraded and tailored toward your playstyle. Early on in my playthrough, I opted to put my Drone upgrades into leveling up the Charged Blaster Rail, which sends out a powerful beam of energy when fully charged. If you’re not a fan of the Blaster Rail, you can always turn your attention toward the shotgun, homing missile, and rocket upgrades. If that wasn’t enough, Eve can enter Tachy mode, a special powered-up state that increases her attack power and mobility, while giving her invulnerability for a brief period. This is perfect for those clutch moments in boss fights where you either want to press for the kill or avoid an otherwise fatal hit. Deadly yet accessible Stellar Blade’s over-the-top combat often reminded me of popular battle anime like Demon Slayer and Jujutsu Kaisen, with special moves feeling like a spectacle to pull off. This was especially true when all these systems came together in a brutal crescendo, and on subsequent playthroughs I felt sorry for my otherworldly opponents – even if they had shambled straight out of a H.R. Giger painting. Shift Up has gone above and beyond when it comes to creating a stylish combat experience that not only looks great but also runs smoothly as well. During my 35-hour playthrough using the game’s performance mode, I only encountered one noticeable frame drop when running around the Great Dessert, and that was after I purposely corralled a horde of enemies together for some quick Crescent Slash kills. You may be reading this and feeling like you’ve been bombarded with keywords, but fortunately Shift Up eases you into all these mechanics. This is largely done through the game’s brilliant training mode, which is accessed through Eve’s skill tree and is a godsend for anyone who wants to practice the game’s combos and various skills in a safe environment. If you still find yourself struggling, then you can always unlock skills that make it easier to parry and dodge. Failing that, Stellar Blade does come with three difficulty options, with both Story mode (easy mode) and Normal mode being selectable at all times – you’ll need to beat the game if you wish to test your skills in Hard mode though. To that end, Stellar Blade feels much more forgiving than any Soulsborne game I’ve played, and that’s great, especially for any player who is concerned about accessibility. Stellar customization options While Eve herself can’t be leveled up in the traditional sense, you can upgrade all her combat and survival skills. Various Exospines and Gear attachments can also be socketed into Eve’s system, which serves to enhance certain attributes like her crit rate, melee/range attack, defense, skill power, and more. During my first playthrough, I opted for a build that reduced the recharge time of Beta and Burst skills, giving me more opportunities to spam my most powerful attacks. While there’s not as much depth as Nier Automata’s Chipset system, there are enough Exopsines and Gear attachments to make it your own. Sadly, the same can’t be said for Eve’s weapon choices. Those looking to wield more than just a sword will come away disappointed. In fact, it’s one of the biggest letdowns with Stellar Blade. The lack of interchangeable weapons feels like a missed opportunity entirely, especially given how the game’s bosses wield everything from razor-sharp katanas to hulking hammers and spears. It would have been great if Eve was given a similar kickass arsenal, or if she could craft weapons from boss drops. One area you do have a great deal of input over is how you want Eve and her crew to look, with 30 outfits being unlockable for free. The majority of these revealing cosmetics are purchased through the game’s vendors after maxing out their affection meter. Other outfits like Eve’s Swimsuit are rewarded after completing specific sidequests and can be found in the game’s overworld. But before you go looking through Eve’s Wardrobe, you might want to consider drawing your curtains and locking your doors. If you live in a shared household, then good luck as Shift Up has certainly pushed the boundaries on these clothing options, particularly when it comes to Eve’s Ghost in the Shell-inspired Skin Suit. Beautiful environments brimming with collectibles Stellar Blade’s semi-open world environments are some of the best I’ve seen on PS5. You’ll find yourself trekking through scorching hot deserts, skating along the dilapidated structures of flooded city ruins, and walking through creepy metro stations that would feel right at home in Capcom’s Resident Evil series. During the latter section, the game removed my melee weapon and forced me to use Eve’s blaster to shoot the shambling sacks of flesh that roamed the blood-soaked hallways. Reading the above, you might assume Stellar Blade’s environments fall prey to the usual lifeless trappings of the post-apocalyptic genre. Sure, there are your usual ruins and ramshackle towns to boot, but there’s also plenty of beauty to be found throughout this world as well. One of the most visually striking areas had me walking through a space station that featured traditional Chinese moon gates, where purple wisteria flowers elegantly hung from the ceiling. The wooden hallways then led me to a beautiful garden with a cherry blossom tree at its center. Each location is begging to be explored too as Shift Up has crammed its environments with a treasure trove of collectibles and chests. These little loot boxes often require access codes, which are found on the skeletal remains dotted around the game’s environments. Some chests can only be opened by solving riddles, while others feature small shooting minigames and quickfire button inputs to access their contents. With the tantalizing prospect of unlocking new outfits, upgrades, deadly pieces of gear, or crumbs of lore, I often spent hours scouring each location. Fortunately, backtracking is painless as Stellar Blade features Dark Souls-style Bonfires that enable Eve to fast travel between locations, upgrade skills, replenish healing items, and even chat with her comrades. You’ll certainly need to get used to hopping between locations if you wish to find all 49 soda cans that Shift Up has hidden throughout the game. Finding all of these beverages will reward you with items and an exclusive outfit. There are also the usual RPG sidequests, with Eve being able to fulfill requests through the in-game bulletin board. These quests are your typical affair, and task you with killing X amount of enemies, gathering items, and tracking down missing persons. There’s even a fishing minigame that can net you a fair amount of gold, depending on your commitment to becoming Earth’s greatest android angler. While you can complete Stellar Blade without ever interacting with any of these extras, the environments are appealing enough to warrant the hunt for collectibles –especially when using Eve’s parkour abilities to wall run and jump between highrise sections of the map. With Stellar Blade putting such a heavy emphasis on unlocking new outfits for Eve, I was disappointed to find that I could no longer access any of them upon starting a new game. While there is an exclusive suit given to those who beat the game, it’s a small consolation prize and does little to sweeten the prospect of having to unlock every suit from scratch. I can understand not being able to keep Eve’s skills for fear of trivializing combat, but the removal of cosmetics when starting a new game is baffling. Perhaps even more damming is the lack of loadable save states, which means you’ll need to play through the game from the very beginning if you wish to see all the endings. Hopefully, Shift Up can add New Game+ at some point in the future to address these issues. More than just a pretty face Stellar Blade manages to rise above being just a fanservice affair. Yes, it comes packed with enough fanservice and revealing outfits that would give Dead or Alive a run for its money, but the thing is, when you peel all this back, you have an incredibly comprehensive experience that delivers razor-sharp gameplay, fluid combat animations, and some beautiful environments to boot. Stellar Blade may be Shift Up’s first foray into console gaming, but this PS5 exclusive has the look and feel of a quality AAA title produced by a team that has been pumping out polished games for decades. With its expert blend of Soulsborne-style combat, flashy character animations, and brilliantly grotesque bosses, Stellar Blade manages to stand firmly alongside the very games that inspired it. While its overly familiar narrative may not touch upon anything new and its lack of New Game+ may stop it from gaining full marks, this is one game Nier Automata and Sekiro fans will want to pick up on day one. If this is Shift Up’s major debut, then I can’t wait to see what Director Hyung-Tae Kim and his stellar team cook up next. The verdict – 4/5 Stellar Blade has landed a critical hit, successfully slicing through the crowd of well-established action-adventure game giants. If you’re a fan of sleek and stylish combat, with sprinklings of Soulsborne and Nier Automata vibes, you’ll feel right at home when playing Shift Up’s triumphant console debut. Editor’s note: Right after this review was published, an update added New Game+ to the game. The changes enable players to utilize all previously unlocked skins, skills, and items. If you click on a product link on this page we may earn a small affiliate commission.

All Stellar Blade pre-order bonuses and editions SHIFT UP CORPORATIONStellar Blade pre-orders are now live, so here’s everything you need to know about the price and pre-order bonuses. The Stellar Blade release date is nearly here, which means you’ll soon be able to delve into the sci-fi action and save humanity from extinction. With its blisteringly fast combat, epic boss fights, and next-gen visuals – Stellar Blade has quickly become one of the most highly anticipated games of 2024. So, if you’re aiming to play the action-adventure game upon release and want to know what bonus goodies you can get, then our Stellar Blade pre-order bonus and editions guide has you covered. All editions of Stellar Blade There are two editions of Stellar Blade – Standard and Digital Deluxe. As you can imagine, the Standard edition comes with just the base copy of Stellar Blade, while the Digital Deluxe features several extra cosmetics for Eve and goodies to help with your playthrough. Stellar Blade Standard Edition – $69.99/£69.99 Stellar Blade full game for PS5 – Stellar Blade Digital Deluxe Edition – $79.99/£79.99 As we mentioned earlier, unlike the Standard Edition of Stellar Blade, which only comes with the game – the Digital Deluxe features some exclusive cosmetics for Eve and her companions. We’ve listed all the extra bonuses below: Stargazer Suit for EVE – Half-rim Glasses for EVE – Quadruple Rectangle Earrings for EVE – Stargazer Wear for Adam and Lily – Stargazer Pack for the Drone – 2,000 SP EXP – 5,000 Gold in-game currency – Stellar Blade Pre-Order Bonus (Standard and Digital Deluxe) If you preorder Stellar Blade before the game’s release date on April 26, 2024, you’ll be gifted the following pre-order bonuses: Planet Diving Suit – Classic Round Glasses – Ear Armor Earrings – Be sure to check out our Stellar Blade hub for all the latest news on the upcoming action-adventure game. If you click on a product link on this page we may earn a small affiliate commission.

Does Stellar Blade have a photo mode? Shift UpDoes Stellar Blade have a photo mode? Well, you can find the answer to that very question in our handy hub. A Stellar Blade photo mode is one of the most eagerly anticipated aspects of the game, alongside Eve’s unlockable skins. After all, being able to capture the sleek Nier Automata-inspired combat and lush environments will be a bonus for any player looking to document their playthrough. So, whether you’re looking to play the Stellar Blade demo or are eagerly awaiting your Stellar Blade pre-order bonuses, then you likely want to know if the game has an internal photo mode. Well, fortunately, our Stellar Blade photo mode guide has everything you need to know. Does Stellar Blade have a photo mode? No, Stellar Blade won’t feature a photo mode. Speaking to Famitsu, Stellar Blade game director Hyung-Tae Kim revealed that Stellar Blade won’t launch with a photo mode. “We’re currently concentrating on the development of the main game, so we don’t have a photo mode ready yet,” said Kim. “If there are any requests from users, I will do my best to answer them.” This will come as a disappointment and even a surprise, especially since Stellar Blade features a large variety of skins for Eve. Of course, this won’t stop players from taking screenshots and videos using the PS5’s internal features. Whether a Stellar Blade photo mode will be added to the game in the future remains to be seen, but if there are enough requests, it looks like it could be added post-launch. Before you go snapping those Stellar Blade demo screenshots, be sure to check out our Stellar Blade skins guide to see just how many will be in the game upon release. Stellar Blade Hub | How long is Stellar Blade | All Stellar Blade pre-order bonuses and editions | Is Stellar Blade coming to Xbox Series X|S & PC | Is Stellar Blade open world

Stellar Blade model: Who is the face behind Eve? SHIFT UP CORPORATIONStellar Blade used a famous South Korean model for its design of Eve, so find out who is behind the game’s main protagonist. Stellar Blade is the latest action-adventure game that has caught the attention of the gaming community, with its sleek combat animations and eye-catching character designs. The game’s female protagonist has caused quite a stir online, with people both praising and calling out Eve’s design. However, Stellar Blade’s Game Director, Hyung-Tae Kim has now confirmed that Eve is based on a famous South Korean model. So, if you’re wondering who the Stellar Blade model is, then we have the answers to that very question. Stellar Blade model Stellar Blade’s protagonist, Eve, was based on the South Korean model Shin Jae-eun. When Game Director Hyung-Tae Kim officially confirmed fan suspicions in an interview with Push Square, where the developer explained the reasoning behind the move. “We thought that [Shin Jae-eun’s] body shape would be a good reference for the character that we were pursuing. But the face was created originally in-house – it’s just the body of the model that we scanned for the game.” Since Stellar Blade was announced, there has been a lot of discourse surrounding Eve’s design with people both praising and criticizing the character’s proportions. However, Kim believes this comes down to “how you define beautiful bodies.” The director then went on to say the follwing: “We wanted to come up with the most attractive-looking body for the user, so this is why we made the decision to work with her.” To further prove that Eve is modeled after a real-life model, Shin Jae-eun even uploaded a video back in 2020 of the body capture shoot. While you wait for Stellar Blade’s release date, be sure to check out our other guides below to get the latest updates. All Stellar Blade outfits | Stellar Blade pre-order bonuses | Is Stellar Blade coming to Xbox & PC? | How long is Stellar Blade? | When is Stellar Blade out?

Stellar Blade gets adults-only rating in Korea for nudity & violence ahead of PS5 launch SHIFT UP CORPORATIONPS5 exclusive Stellar Blade has received an adults-only rating in South Korea for its depiction of nudity and violence. Stellar Blade is no stranger when it comes to making headlines. This is largely down to the design behind the main character Eve, who Director Hyung-Tae Kim believes is one of the game’s main selling points. Eve has even been modeled after a famous Korean model, which Kim notes as having “the most attractive-looking body.” The director also famously revealed how his team put “extra special attention” into the creation of Eve’s backside. So, it will likely come as no surprise that Stellar Blade has received an adults-only rating in Korea. Stellar Blade given adults-only rating According to Korean website, This Is Game, there are two main reasons for determining the rating revealed by the Game Commission. The statement reads as follows: “There is direct explicit expression of body exposure, such as the female character appearing to be naked among the costumes, and there is expression of violence including expression of the character’s mutilated body and expression of red blood during the game.” Of course, this will come as no surprise as Kim noted how Stellar Blade is “entertainment targeted for adults.” When discussing the reasons behind Eve’s design, the director said: “Honestly, when I play a game, I would like to see someone who is better-looking than myself,” continued Hyung-Tae Kim. “That’s what I want. I don’t want to see something normal; I want to see something more ideal. I think that is very important in a form of entertainment.” Eve also has a lot of outfits that players can unlock, with many of them being revealing and providing fan service. Combine this with the heavy emphasis on blood and visceral combat, and it’s not surprising Stellar Blade has received such a rating. PEGI and ESRB have yet to review their classifications for Stellar Blade, but it will likely receive a similar age rating when it releases later this year.

Stellar Blade ESRB rating given M for deep cleavage, revealing costumes, & more SHIFT UP CORPORATIONStellar Blade’s ESRB has been revealed ahead of its PS5 launch, so here are all the reasons for its M rating. Stellar Blade has certainly caught the attention of the gaming community, and the game’s Director Hyung-Tae Kim believes this could be due to protagonist Eve being one of the game’s main selling points. Not only has she been modeled after a famous Korean model, which Kim notes as having “the most attractive-looking body,” but the team has even put “extra special attention” into the creation of Eve’s backside. It’s because of the sexualized nature of the main character, that the PS5 exclusive was given an adults-only rating in Korea. Well, it looks like Stellar Blade’s ESRB rating shares a similar rating. Stellar Blade ESRB rating revealed ahead of PS5 launch According to the official ESRB website, Stellar Blade has been rated M for Mature. The main reasons for this rating, are as follows: “Blood-splatter effects occur frequently as enemy creatures are slashed and dismembered. Some cutscenes and battle sequences depict close-up images of impalement, dismemberment, and decapitation. The game depicts some female characters in revealing costumes (e.g., deep cleavage; skintight, flesh-toned body suits), with breasts that jiggle during combat. The word “sh*t” appears in the game.” Stellar Blade’s ESRB rating will certainly not come as a surprise, especially since Kim has been vocal when it comes to creating “entertainment targeted for adults.” When discussing the reasons behind Eve’s design, the director said: “Honestly, when I play a game, I would like to see someone who is better-looking than myself,” continued Kim. “That’s what I want. I don’t want to see something normal; I want to see something more ideal. I think that is very important in a form of entertainment.” Stellar Blade launches exclusively on PS5 on April 26, 2024. Be sure to check out our Stellar Blade guides below for all the latest news and info. All Stellar Blade outfits | Stellar Blade pre-order bonuses | Is Stellar Blade coming to Xbox & PC? | How long is Stellar Blade? | When is Stellar Blade out? | Stellar Blade model | All Stellar Blade bosses

Stellar Blade Director talks about the challenge of developing Eve SHIFT UP CORPORATIONStellar Blade’s Director, Hyun-Tae Kim, spoke about the inspirations behind the game’s protagonist, Eve. As well as the challenges the team faced while designing and developing her. Stellar Blade finally launches next month. There’s been plenty of discussion about SHIFT UP’s forthcoming action-adventure title ahead of its release. Thanks to its depictions of both violence and nudity, the game’s been given an adult rating in South Korea. On top of that, there’s been plenty of buzz around the design of the characters, especially the protagonist, Eve, who’s appearance is based on that of South Korean model, Shin Jae-eun. During an interview with Famitsu, director, Hyun-Tae Kim, recently shared some insights into how the team went about designing Eve, and what inspired their choices. As well as some of the difficulties they encountered along the way. Focusing on futuristic designs When it comes to the costumes, the narrative and setting were what helped inform the team’s choices. Stellar Blade’s setting is science fiction. A future where Earth has been reduced to a desolate wasteland and humans instead live on colonies. The protagonist, Eve, comes from the 7 Colony and has been tasked with reclaiming Earth. “Since it’s a sci-fi story, I wanted to incorporate something which would be difficult to realize with physical costumes.” Kim explained, “We actively used glossy and luminous lighting elements to create a futuristic design.” While some of the costumes were inspired by looks in anime or movies, Kim says the team strived “to be able to come up with ideas without restrictions” to “express the diverse charms” of both Eve and the culture of the colonies. Although, despite the abundance of shiny, skintight suits Stellar Blade has on offer, Kim has cautioned players about letting the fanservice go to their heads. “Skinsuits don’t have any defenses… The difficulty of the gameplay will increase significantly,” he said, “so we recommend you wear clothing as much as possible.” Capturing the ‘flow’ of Stellar Blade Kim has already been quite open about what he expects to see in the game’s he plays, going on the record as saying he likes “to see someone who is better-looking” than him when he’s playing a game. But visual appeal wasn’t the only thing Kim, and the team, drew inspiration from when working on the designs for Eve and Lily. “I think it’s beautiful, in and of itself, when people move their bodies directly,” Kim said, explaining another aspect which inspired the character designs and costumes in Stellar Blade. “I’m also fascinated by the flow of movements, the swaying of costumes and hair… I was very particular about the physical expression of the costumes, and [Eve’s] long hair was the result of being aware of this flow.” Kim explained the team’s intention was to capture “a variety of movements during battle,” enhancing the feeling of movement and flow in combat. Although not every aspect of their vision was easy to realize. “A long ponytail was a big challenge.” He admits. Going on to explain getting the hair to bounce and sway in a way that looked natural and stable was one of the major difficulties in the development process. “If it weren’t for that hairstyle,” he joked, referencing Eve’s ponytail, “maybe the development period could have been shortened by about a year.” Stellar Blade releases on April 26 for the PlayStation 5.

Stellar Blade devs reveal plans for DLC and possible sequel SHIFT-UPKorean developer SHIFT-UP says it’s considering a PC version of Stellar Blade, as well as a possible sequel to the highly acclaimed AAA title. The news of a possible Stellar Blade sequel comes from a public filing with the Korea Composite Stock Price Index in May 2024. In the filing, SHIFT-UP expressed interest in developing a PC version of the game, saying it wants to focus on developing its own unique IPs. That’s not all; the company also revealed that they’re currently working on a new IP called Project Witches, which they plan to launch in 2027. “Beyond Stellar Blade, we are developing a new [intellectual property]-based game, Project Witches, for release in 2027 or later, and are considering a PC version of Stellar Blade and a sequel,” the filing reads, as per Gematsu. “We believe that our ability to develop new [intellectual properties] that can be successful without relying on existing [intellectual properties] will enable us to grow sustainably compared to other game companies that are locked into existing [intellectual properties].” Stellar Blade fans have even more to be excited about, as SHIFT-UP also mentioned the possibility of DLC for the game, including collaborations with other IPs. “For Stellar Blade, we have plans to introduce new gameplay elements, including downloadable content releases, a PC version, and new [intellectual property] collaborations,” the statement reads. Interestingly, the filing also references titles like God of War and Final Fantasy as examples of franchises that have maintained longevity by releasing “high-quality sequels and maintaining a long-term monetization base,” providing an argument for SHIFT-UP to make a sequel and create its own iconic series. SHIFT-UP’s upcoming new IP, Project Witches, will feature crossplay across PC, consoles, and mobile devices. The filing describes Witches as a “next-generation mega subculture [intellectual property] that will surpass Goddess of Victory: NIKKE.” Witches is an anime-style, AAA title with an urban, sci-fi setting. It’s set to be another action RPG, and another original IP that SHIFT-UP hopes to debut in its ongoing plans to emerge as a major gaming powerhouse amongst the competition. Stellar Blade has proven to be a major hit with gamers, winning PlayStation’s Players’ Choice Poll for April 2024 and entering as a possible Game of the Year contender, marking a strong first impression for the studio’s first-ever AAA offering.

Stellar Blade dev says they put “extra special attention” into Eve’s backside SonyStellar Blade director Hyung-Tae Kim says the team put extra time into creating Eve’s backside while creating the game. Stellar Blade is one of the most highly-anticipated releases of 2024 for PlayStation 5. The game received a slot during PlayStation’s State of Play on January 31, where a release date of April 26 was revealed. Shift Up, the studio behind Stellar Blade is known for the attention to detail they bring to their characters. Most famously, the “butt jiggle” physics that was added to Gacha game Goddess of Victory: Nikke. It is yet another title where the developers spent extra time on the character’s backsides. In an interview with Games Radar, Hyung-Tae Kim gave more insight into the creation of Eve for the upcoming single-player adventure. Stellar Blade is “entertainment for adults” Stellar Blade’s main character, Eve, is modeled after a South Korean model named Shin Jae-eun. According to the developers, the idea of having an “ideal” and “attractive” character was one of the game’s main points. “When it comes to the design, we put special attention on the back of the character because the player is always facing the back of the character when they’re playing,” said Hyung-Tae Kim. “That’s what they see the most of, so we thought this was pretty important.” Stellar Blade will be rated M when it releases on PlayStation 5, which Hyung-Tae Kim also touches on in the interview. Not only is the game’s content violent, but it seems that the fan service also plays into the rating. “Honestly, when I play a game, I would like to see someone who is better-looking than myself,” continued Hyung-Tae Kim. “That’s what I want. I don’t want to see something normal; I want to see something more ideal. I think that is very important in a form of entertainment. This is, after all, entertainment targeted for adults.” Players can see Eve up close and personal when the game launches on April 26. As a Sony-exclusive title, Stellar Blade will not be made available for Xbox, Nintendo Switch, or PC.

Stellar Blade demo release date & times SHIFT UP CORPORATIONThe Stellar Blade demo release date has finally been announced, so here’s exactly when you can download it from the PlayStation Store. Stellar Blade is one of the most highly anticipated games of 2024. In fact, the RPG has already caused quite a stir within the gaming community. This is largely down to Eve being modeled after a famous South Korean model and the devs announcing that they have spent a lot of time modeling her backside. Combine this with clear inspirations from Yoko Taro’s Nier Automata, and you seemingly have a recipe for success. However, before you go placing that Stellar Blade pre-order, you’ll want to play the game’s demo. So, here’s exactly when the Stellar Blade demo goes live and what it entails. Stellar Blade demo release date The Stellar Blade demo will be available to download March 29 from 7am PDT / 2pm GMT. For those who complete the demo, you can carry over your save data when the full game releases on April 26, starting from the last checkpoint. It’s important to note that your save data must stored on your PS5, if you wish to load your demo data. According to the PlayStation Blog, the demo takes place from the very beginning of the game when Eve, a member of the 7th Airborne Squad, is sent to Earth on a mission to reclaim the planet from the Naytiba, up to the first boss fight. The blog also notes that there is also a “little surprise included for players who complete the first stage.” Quite what this “surprise” will entail remains to be seen, but for now, that is everything we know about the Stellar Blade demo. In the meantime, head over to our Stellar Blade page for the latest news and guides. All Stellar Blade outfits | Stellar Blade pre-order bonuses | Is Stellar Blade coming to Xbox & PC? | How long is Stellar Blade? | When is Stellar Blade out? | Stellar Blade model | All Stellar Blade bosses

Best Stellar Blade Drone builds & how to upgrade Shift UpThroughout Stellar Blade you’ll be followed by your little Drone companion, but here’s how to upgrade it and create the best builds for your Drone. During the opening hours of Stellar Blade, your Drone will be operated by Adam to provide Eve with instructions and exposition while she explores the game world. It can also be used to highlight things on your map or HUD. However, as the game progresses the Drone becomes a lot more helpful and can be upgraded with various abilities. It can be used to unlock higher-level loot containers out in the world and eventually doubles up as a gun to blast enemies at range. Here’s how to upgrade your drone in Stellar Blade and the best ways to use it effectively in combat using some powerful Drone builds. Contents How to upgrade the Drone in Stellar Blade – Best Drone builds in Stellar Blade – How to upgrade the Drone in Stellar Blade You can upgrade the Drone quite early in Stellar Blade once you pick up your first Drone Upgrade Module in the building site. This will allow you to add the Hacking Tool to the drone so that you can open more loot containers around the world, there may even be some from earlier you’ll want to go back and open. The Drone can be upgraded by accessing the Repair Console at a campsite and scrolling across to the Drone dropdown menu. You’ll also notice slots for Slugs, Stinger Missiles, and a Charge Blaster Railgun. There’s also an option to upgrade the Drone’s Scanner to make locating items in the wasteland easier to find. Once you reach the game’s hub area of Xion, you’ll then be able to use your Drone as a gun. This happens automatically in the story as Lily upgrades it for you, but from there you can decide how to upgrade your Drone’s firepower. Best Drone builds in Stellar Blade Drone Upgrade Modules will be limited at first, but in time, you’ll get enough to upgrade your Drone’s gun fully. However, before this, you’ll need to be a bit more selective and prioritize the path that’s most useful to you. It’s tempting to try and unlock all three gun options as soon as possible and upgrade them equally, but this will make you a Jack of all trades and a master of none. So, instead try to stick to one of the following Drone builds: Balanced Drone build When we say balanced, we don’t mean upgrade everything equally. So for this build, spend some upgrades on your basic gun (Slugs), some basic upgrades on your Scanner, and choose either Stinger Missiles or the Charge Blaster Railgun, but not both. This way, you’ll be able to use your gun to shoot targets at a distance, which is necessary for some puzzles, and not worry about running out of ammo as often. Of course, you’ll also have a more powerful option for elite enemies and bosses. We recommend maxing out which over option is most helpful to your playstyle. So, if you use your gun often in combat, prioritize Slugs, but if you mostly use your gun as a tool, focus your efforts on Stinger Missiles or the Charge Blaster Railgun – not both. This way you’ll have some powerful ranged options in combat. Exploration Drone build This build involves prioritizing your Slugs and Scanner and fully upgrading these skill trees as soon as you can with Drone Upgrade Modules, rather than bothering with Stinger Missiles or the Railgun. This means while you’ll have less heavy firepower, you’ll have a powerful and reliable gun that can be used against most enemies including bosses. However, the only downside is you’ll need to rely on your melee skills in tougher battles, as your gun will just be one other weapon in your arsenal and can’t be relied on for heavy support. But in truth, melee alone can carry you through most boss fights. Boss Drone build While you’ll still be able to use your Slugs against the average enemy and in puzzles, your main focus here will be on upgrading your Drone to use against bosses and other elites. This will involve you using all of your Drone Module Upgrades on either Stinger Missiles or the Charge Blaster Railgun. Ammo will be limited of course, but you’ll have a very powerful gun to use against bosses when you get an opening. For those who are happy to rely on melee and basic Slugs while exploring the wasteland, but want some extra ranged support in boss fights, this is the build for you. Once you’ve fully upgraded one of the two heavy weapons, consider investing some Modules into your Scanner. That was you can find more items while out in the world. Of course, in time you’ll be able to upgrade your gun down all three of these paths, fully upgrading Slugs, Missiles, and the Charge Blaster Railgun. But while Drone Module Upgrades are scarce, it pays to choose one of the above Drone builds. Stellar Blade model: Who is the face behind EVE | All Stellar Blade outfits so far | Will Stellar Blade have micro-transactions | All Stellar Blade bosses announced so far

Stellar Blade: All voice actors & cast list SonyStellar Blade, the highly anticipated action-adventure from Shift Up, drops on April 26 for the PlayStation 5, so here is all the voice actors attached to the cast. Stellar Blade is shaping up to be a major PlayStation 5 release for April 2024, the game is set to offer “a total of 22 languages and nine different voiceover dubbings.” Voice dubs will include Korean, English and Japanese. Although there’s a caveat with the Japanese voice overs. They won’t be available regions other than Japan due to conditions in their Japanese contracts. Here’s all the known voice actors & cast for Stellar Blade. We’ll continue to keep it update with all the info that’s revealed in the coming weeks. All Stellar Blade English voice actors Lilly: Rosie Jones Rosie Jones will likely be recognizable to many players. She’s worked on several popular games, including providing the voice of Bex, Nadira and various other NPCs in the recent Baldur’s Gate 3. Rosie Jones also voices Tesleen in FFXIV’s Shadowbringers expansion and the voices of Pixel and Poppy in 2020’s Beyond a Steel Sky. Eve: Erica Lindbeck After hearing the English VAs in this year’s promo trailers, there is some speculation amongst some fans Erica Lindbeck will be providing the voice of Eve, however there’s been no official announcement about her involvement with the project. All Korean Stellar Blade voice actors Adam: Jae-heon Jeong Blizzard fans may recognise this voice when they hear it. Jae-heon Jeong also provides the voice acting for Imperius in the Korean dub for Diablo 3, as well as Kael’thas Sunstrider in WoW’s Korean dub. He’s also served as the Korean voice actor of countless animated characters, including Speed-o-Sonic Sound from One Punch Man and the iconic Looney Tunes character, Bugs Bunny. Eve: Ri-na Park Ri-na Park is an up-and-coming Korean VA and Eve will be her first Triple A title role. She’s provided voice acting for the idol anime Shining Star. She also provides the Korean voice for Caramel Arrow in Cookie Run.

SteelSeries reveals new PS5 and Xbox Series S|X headsets SteelSeriesIn a sea of headsets, SteelSeries brings its best to current-gen consoles with the Arctis 7X and 7P. Picking a gaming headset has never been trickier, with so many manufacturers and models, all with a variety of features – it can be hard to pick the right one for you. Thankfully, SteelSeries has bought its award-winning Arctis 7 range to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series consoles with the Arctis 7P and Arctis 7X respectively. Are they worth your money, though? We put each of them through their paces. Design Whether you’re playing on PlayStation or Xbox, the design of each of these Arctis headsets remains the same. While the 7X features a black finish with a geometric green print on both sides of the headband, the 7P offers a cleaner look – mimicking the PlayStation 5’s white, blue, and black design, although it’s also available in black, too. Each features a retractable Discord-certified ClearCast noise-canceling microphone, with a ski goggle headband design and AirWeave ear cushions for comfort. The 7X allows for both game and chat audio mixing using the right side’s earcup dial, while the 7P offers mic monitoring instead. As for onboard controls, there’s a 3.5mm headphone jack, a micro-USB port for charging, a mic mute button, and a volume dial, all on the left cup. If you’ve seen a SteelSeries headset over the last few years, then there’s little to surprise you with these new entries – although that’s no bad thing. For our money, they’re still some of the cleanest-looking headsets available. Audio Quality Both the Arctis 7P and 7X offer SteelSeries’ excellent speaker drivers, meaning directional audio can help players listen out for an opponent lying in wait in Warzone or Apex Legends. Despite each headset’s lightweight form-factor, there’s plenty of punch to their output, too. For one, grenade explosions in the likes of Black Ops Cold War will leave your ears ringing, while the sound of a stadium chanting in FIFA 22 feels more akin to the real thing. Mic quality remains excellent, as we’ve come to expect from SteelSeries, and the 7P’s mic monitoring allowed us to hit a sweet spot with ease. Features Both headsets offer 24 hours of battery, while the USB-C dongle adds connectivity to the Arctis 7X or 7P for phones, tablets, or the Nintendo Switch. Sadly, though, there’s no Bluetooth functionality. While the Arctis 7P doesn’t currently offer surround sound capabilities on PlayStation consoles, Sony may unlock that functionality in the future. It’s also worth noting that that 7X has the advantage of working on Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo consoles, as well as PC. The 7P won’t work with Xbox, though, thanks to Microsoft’s own proprietary wireless technology not being in the dongle. While a PlayStation headset not working on Xbox consoles may not be news to some, multi-platform gamers may well want to opt for the 7X knowing it can play nicely with both systems. Verdict With impressive battery life, clear audio, and a comfortable fit, it’s hard to look past the SteelSeries 7P and 7X headsets as great options for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S respectively. Not only are they great for gaming, but the retractable mic makes them ideal for listening to audio when watching a movie or enjoying music, too. The Arctis 7X and the Arctis 7P are available now for £174.99 | EU €199.99 | $149.99 each.

SteelSeries Prime lineup offers high-quality mice and headsets SteelSeriesSteelSeries’ latest Prime range is dedicated to esports, allowing players to take their game to the next level with new mice and headset options. If you’re of a competitive nature and love to win, then peripheral manufacturer SteelSeries has just what you need to get in the winning habit. Their newest range, Prime, is designed to offer everything a gamer needs – while stripping away everything you don’t. Why take their word for it? SteelSeries peripherals have been used by esports pros to win more prize money than any other brand, and those same pros have helped co-develop the Prime range. Ahead of the festive period, here are some of the finest options available from SteelSeries that’ll make a perfect gift for yourself or your squad. Contents: Mice The mouse is at the core of any competitive gaming setup, whether you’re clicking units, spending gold, or popping heads. With that in mind, the SteelSeries Prime Mouse lineup introduces a new technology dubbed the “Prestige” switch. In layman’s terms, it uses magnets to allow for more consistent clicks per minute. In practical terms, that means you’ll be able to settle into a more predictable click pattern, while also seeing improved response times. It’s not just the clicks, though. You’ll find movement is much more accurate in-game thanks to TrueMove Pro sensors that make these mice twice as accurate as those from the leading competitor. SteelSeries Prime mouse SteelSeries’ most-affordable Prime mouse offers the Prestige Switch and TrueMove Pro sensor in a form factor that weighs just 69g. With a matte finish to help with grip and a shape that’s been tested with esports pros, it also uses Tilt Tracking to help eliminate unwanted tracking during quick flicks – ideal for Valorant and CS:GO players. You can buy it now for £59.99 | EU €69.99 | $59.99 SteelSeries Prime+ mouse Taking everything in the Prime mouse up a notch, the Prime+ version offers additional RGB controls alongside an improved TrueMove Pro+ sensor. There’s even a customizable lift-off sensor, so you can tweak when your lift-offs are registered as you move to make that all-important headshot. In fact, SteelSeries has the world’s lowest and most accurate lift-off sensor. You can buy it now for £79.99 | EU €89.99 | $79.99 SteelSeries Prime Wireless If you prefer to play wirelessly, then SteelSeries has you covered. The Prime Wireless mouse offers the same Prestige Switches, on-board settings, and lightweight form-factor (80g), while also cutting the cord. Switching to the TrueMove Air means no loss in accuracy, while also offering 100-hour battery life. Once the battery is drained, 15 minutes of charging offers 15 hours of gaming time. If you’re worried about any wireless lag, don’t be – SteelSeries’ Quantum Wireless 2.0 connection removes lag. You can buy it now for £129.99 | EU €139.99 | $129.99 SteelSeries Prime Mini If you’ve got smaller hands, or are looking for something a little more portable, then the SteelSeries Prime Mini packs all of the features of the Prime mouse product line into a form-factor that’s 12% lighter than its bigger brother. This means you get the consistent crispy clicks that the Prime series is known for, as well as its lightning-fast sensors with improved comfort. You can buy it now for £59.99 | EU €69.99 | $59.99 SteelSeries Prime Mini Wireless As you can imagine, the Prime Mini also comes in a wireless variant. That means that while its wired sibling has a strong, super-mesh USB-C cable, the wireless version offers SteelSeries’ Quantum Wireless 2.0 tech for lag-free performance with no cable – along with 100-hour battery life. You can buy it now for £129.99 | EU €139.99 | $129.99 Headsets Audio is a crucial part of playing competitively. Aside from the immersion you’d expect as a consumer, SteelSeries’ latest entry in its iconic Arctis line of headsets represents the manufacturer’s finest effort yet. Arctis Prime Arctis Prime offers high-fidelity audio drivers which help identify directional audio, so you can hear an opponent creeping up on you in Warzone, or the telltale audio cues of a character hiding from you in Dead By Daylight. The retractable bidirectional microphone uses the same tech as aircraft carrier deck crews, while the included cable means it can be used on all platforms with a 3.5mm jack. Finally, it maintains the long-running Arctis design, meaning comfortable gaming for hours. You can buy it now for £99.99 | EU €119.99 | $99.99 Arctis 7X and 7P Aside from the Prime range, SteelSeries also offers a pair of headsets aimed at PS5 and Xbox Series S|X gamers. The Arctis 7X and Arctis 7P, for Xbox and PlayStation respectively, bring industry-leading 24-hour battery life to next-gen, while also offering 2.4GHz wireless connectivity, a noise-canceling mic, and Arctis speaker drivers. Perhaps the killer feature is the included USB-C dongle, which lets the 7X and 7P connect to anything with a USB-C connection. You can buy both now for £174.99 | EU €199.99 | $149.99 Arctis 9X While PlayStation and PC gamers have been able to use the Arctis 9 and Arctis 9P, Xbox fans can finally enjoy the headset that’s received more than 50 critical awards from media and content creators. The Arctis 9X offers a 20-hour battery, built-in EQ, and the strongest, most reliable wireless connection on an Xbox headset – and it’ll work on Xbox One and Xbox Series S|X. You can buy it now for £189.99 | EU €219.99 | $199.99

Steelrising: Release window, trailer, gameplay details, & setting Nacon / SpidersSteelrising is an action-adventure game from Nacon/Spiders about a robot uprising in eighteenth-century France. Here’s everything we know. Steelrising is an upcoming Soulslike game from the studio that brought us Greedfall and The Technomancer. The game will be set in an alternate version of France, during the reign of Louis XVI, but one in which clockwork robots have risen in rebellion instead of a hungry populace. Essentially, Steelrising reimagines the French Revolution, pitting humans against murderous automatons. The game was first revealed at the Tokyo Game Show in 2021. Here’s everything we know about Steelrising, including when you can play it, on which systems, and an overview of the gameplay. Contents Does Steelrising have a release date? – What platforms will Steelrising be on? – Trailer – Gameplay and setting – Does Steelrising have a release date? Steelrising will release on September 8, 2022. The game was supposed to arrive in June 2022 but was delayed by a few months in April 2022. What platforms will Steelrising be on? Steelrising will release on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. There’s been no word on if the game will be released on PS4, Xbox One, or Nintendo Switch. Trailer The Steelrising trailer from the Tokyo Game Show 2021 can be watched below: Gameplay and setting Steelrising players will take control of Aegis ‘The Angel of Death’. A robot herself, Aegis is caught up in the conflict between humans and robots and will likely need to find a way to resolve the conflict – by eliminating the villains on both sides. The robots are described as feeding on death, meaning that every time a human dies, their forces become stronger. This will likely apply to Aegis too. However, the gameplay has primarily focused on combat with a variety of steel enemies, meaning a robot-like Aegis could be humanity’s only hope. So far, the gameplay looks like a mixture of the Soulslike style, blended with more traditional hack ‘n’ slash adventures like Bayonetta and Devil May Cry. We were able to spend some time playing the game, here’s what we thought of it so far. So, that’s everything we know so far about Steelrising. For more on the biggest upcoming releases, check out our pages on some of the most-anticipated games that have been announced: The Elder Scrolls 6 | GTA 6 | Overwatch 2 | Assassin’s Creed Infinity | God of War: Ragnarok | Wolverine | Spider-Man 2 | Forspoken | KOTR Remake | Wonder Woman

Steam users outraged over “disgusting” new advertising technique ValveA new wave of advertisements has triggered discontent among Steam users, as some developers and users appear to be resorting to new advertising methods by commenting on game reviews left by players. A Redditor posted screenshots to the Steam community, revealing comments in response to reviews of games such as Dave the Diver and SnowRunner. The comments contain unsolicited advertising for other Steam games, and many have criticized this approach as “disgusting.” One such comment reads: “Hello! You might be interested. We are making a similar game! We plan to finish it by the end of summer! Check out the page of our game. If you like it, add the game to your wishlist, it will help with promotion! Thank you and sorry for the inconvenience!” The comment then includes a link to the game’s page on the Steam store. This controversial method appears to be a widespread issue on Steam at the time of writing, with many other players sharing similar experiences on Reddit. The community has spoken against these advertising tactics, even going so far as to report the comments and the advertised games on Steam. One user aimed to “name and shame” one particular game for engaging in this “disgusting type of advertisement.” Other comments included strong warnings and suspicions against such practices, such as “Those are scams, no one would advertise like this.” “It’s a scam. They advertise something they threw together in a couple of hours, and literally anyone that buys it is pure profit,” one user wrote. “I wouldn’t click on the links; I’m assuming they’re fake sites where they take your info,” another warned. While the digital marketplace has faced its fair share of controversies in the past, this new form of advertising takes a different and more personal approach by targeting individual users’ game reviews. It remains to be seen how Steam will deal with the new wave of spam advertisements.

Steam users “insulted” by $1000 Call of Duty bundle DexertoSteam users have discovered the ultimate bundle for all Call of Duty games but it’s at a discounted price that some consider to be insulting. There are dozens of CoD titles to choose from on Steam, although most don’t have an online server to play on. Without a multiplayer server, most of these games are used simply for their Zombies or story modes instead. The lack of multiplayer functionality in many of these games has users questioning the value of the bundle, especially considering that most of the games included are still being sold at a premium price of $60 a piece. It’s exactly this price tag that has caused the bundle to reach almost $1000. Steam isn’t one to leave users without a discount for purchasing a bundle of video games. Often to buy more than one game or a bundle of DLC, it’s not uncommon for Steam to give up to 50% off these items. However, when it comes to the ultimate CoD bundle, Steam has been notably sparing with its discounts. It may be $1000 at the start, but Steam was only willing to offer a 10% discount on the entire series of Cod. So don’t worry—the 10% discount brings the bundle down to just under $1000 at $962. Steam users weren’t impressed by the lackluster discount on over a decade-old games that are still outrageously priced. As expressed in a Reddit post, some community members had strong opinions about the bundle. “They are still selling a 12-year-old game with no servers at the full $60 price,” stated one commenter. However, another person pointed out the reasoning behind the bundle’s price and Steam’s lack of a discount. “The thing is, the only people who would consider this are people who probably already own a bunch of the titles. Like, someone brand new to the franchise isn’t going to start with a $1000 full collection of the series. Only pre-existing fans would consider this, but the deal loses value for them for every title they already possess.” explained another. For those who want to inherit the entire collection or may have many of the games, the Steam CoD bundle may be exactly what you’re looking for.

Steam user spends over $500,000 to set new highest account level record A new record for the highest account level on Steam has been set, with the user spending an estimated half a million dollars to crack level 5900. Steam account levels are earned through playing games and unlocking badges. However, it’s also possible to simply purchase badges from the market to gain levels faster. Players who want to show off a high account level will need to spend some serious cash on the Steam marketplace to rank up. Some of the wealthiest users have been competing to be at the very top. For a long time, well-known CS skin collector ST4CK held the highest level, at over 5000 – which he said cost around $500,000 to attain. Now, he has lost that top spot to a new rival, who has eclipsed him by almost 1000 levels. The new highest-level holder was brought to the attention of CS2 streamer ohnePixel. The streamer broke down just how ridiculous a feat it is – with the 5101 badge never being seen before. Unsurprisingly, the user, who goes by stasik, is also the proud owner of countless high-tier CS2 skins. These include multiple AWP Dragon Lores and M4A4 Howls, costing tens of thousands each. “These people have crazy money,” ohnePixel explained. “He spent over $500,000 to get this Steam level. Like what kind of person are you if you have half a million to spare on a Steam level? You only do it to flex on the internet.” Upon checking the user’s skins in-game, ohnePixel even discovered sticker crafts that spell out racial slurs – which could risk having the account banned. The estimated value of his inventory is as high as $300,000, putting a total value on the account of close to $1 million. According to the account, the owner is from the United Arab Emirates, but this can’t be confirmed. ST4CK, who previously held the top spot, received a community ban in 2023 for unknown reasons, but it was later overturned. Since ohnePixel’s video, stasick has continued to level up his account, which now sits at 5960 at the time of writing. The level is so high that Steam does not have a custom badge for it. Presumably, cracking level 6000 is next.

Steam starts 2024 hot with new all-time player count record on the platform ValveGaming platform Steam has started 2024 off with a bang, the popular PC-friendly service breaking its all-time player count record. Steam is one of the biggest gaming platforms of all time, bringing in millions upon millions of players with its extensive variety of content and major releases. For smaller devs, Steam is a place to release early access versions of upcoming games to help get player feedback and tweak features ahead of a full release. For bigger AAA titles, Steam is often seen as the go-to platform for PC gamers, with yearly sales typically a time for fans to pick up some of the biggest games for a fraction of the full price. While the platform has always brought in impressive numbers, Steam has started 2024 off with a bang. Breaking its record for the highest number of logged-in concurrent users with a massive 33,675,229. This number surpassed the previous record that was set in March of 2023. As well as this, Steam also broke another record for the number of users actively engaging in gameplay, hitting a new high of 10,837,140 concurrent players. It is unclear what has prompted such a giant surge in gamers to log onto Steam. With no major releases dropping over Christmas, gamers are speculating that this increase in player count could simply be due to many having time off work over the New Year break as well as the recently released Steam Deck increasing in sales numbers over the Christmas period. A game that has found major player numbers for the first time in years is Monster Hunter World, the game also breaking records for its concurrent player count since 2021. Given this, there is a chance that this game, as well as the aforementioned factors, could be playing major roles in the giant spike in gamers jumping on Steam. Regardless, these two record breaking achievements from Steam promise a big 2024 for the company. For all the latest gaming news and updates, be sure to check out Dexerto’s full coverage here.

Steam reportedly adding way to hide games from other users ValveA dataminer and founder of SteamDB says Valve plans to give Steam users the option to mark games as private, hiding them from other users on the platform. Steam may be getting a long-requested privacy feature soon. According to dataminer and SteamDB creator Pavel Djundik, Valve appears to be planning to implement a new option that would give users even more control over what games their friends can see. This would allow users to hide specific games from others on the platform. The feature is, to many, long overdue, and it seems Steam users know exactly how they plan to use it. “Mark as Private” would allow Steam users to hide selected games from friends Steam’s privacy options have historically been pretty limited. You do have the option to set your account or certain features to either Public, Friends only, or Private, but this impacts all games in your library. While there is a “Hide” option, that’s specifically for clearing games from your own library, not hiding them from others. As Djundik has found, that may change soon with a planned “Mark as Private” option. This would allow you to hide specific games from prying eyes while still enjoying them privately. Of course, some Steam users know exactly what kinds of games they’ll be using this for. Many comments on Djundik’s tweet come from those who have been deterred from adult anime games and other potentially embarrassing content by the fact that their friends can see what’s in their library, even if they never actually open it. Those who may feel sensitive about their, say, Counter-Strike 2 or Destiny 2 playtime will also be able to use the feature to hide just how many hours they’ve spent in those games. Mark as Private could also help developers, particularly indie devs. “i can finally playtest Project Wingman 3 without leaking it,” joked Project Wingman writer and producer Matthew Nguyen.

How to get Steam Replay 2022: Recap your most-played games SteamSteam Replay is the gaming platform’s new way to recap your most-played games of 2022. Check out how many hours you played, as well as the number of games and achievements you ticked off along the way, by following these instructions. Nearly every service has a recap of sorts nowadays. Want to see your Spotify Wrapped, your Twitch Recap, or even how many hours you dumped into Valorant? You can do all of that, and now you can even do it on Steam with the all new Steam Replay. Launching in 2022, the publishing platform is outing users for their gaming habits. Whether you play one game over and over again, are an indie connoisseur, or an achievement hunter, the Steam Replay goes through all of that. If you want to check out what you played across the year, here’s how you can see your own Steam Replay for 2022. How to see your Steam Replay 2022 Getting access to your Steam Replay for 2022 could not be easier. All you have to do is follow these steps: Log into Steam. – Go to the Steam Replay landing page – Click through to see your recap, including your most played games and hours per month – You can choose to make your stats public and share with your friends (or the wider world), or keep them entirely to yourself. What stats are in your Steam Replay 2022? Steam Replay 2022 goes through a number of stats. Of course, the big ones are the amount of games you played, and how much time you dedicated to each. Steam even goes the extra mile by breaking it down for your most played games, including the amount of sessions you played, and a monthly breakdown of when you were most active. There are smaller stats it tracks too. It tracks the amount of achievements you completed across the year, your longest playing streak, and what era of games you prefer — broken down into new, recent, and classic releases. If you want to check it all out for yourself, log in and get your yearly Steam Replay now.

Steam players shocked by insane file size of Ark Survival Evolved Studio WildcardSteam players have been revisiting their libraries over the festive season, as many have chosen to avoid re-installing the original Ark Survival Evolved game over its enormous file size. Ark Survival Evolved has proved to have a loyal following since the action-adventure survival game first released all the way back in 2015. Despite it being criticized for having various bugs and improvements needed since launch, the developers continued to provide further updates and various DLC expansions over the years. Since then, the developers released a next-generation remaster of the game on October 25, 2023, titled Ark Survival Ascended, and have officially announced Ark 2 is coming, but has no release date. However, with it being the festive holiday season and the remaster costing around $40 on Steam, PC players who already own the original game in their libraries looked to revisit the game, before instantly avoiding it over its massive file size to install. Steam players avoid Ark Survival Evolved over huge file size Steam player BlacklogGamingJunkie revealed they would be avoiding it on Reddit: “Wanted to revisit this game but then saw its install size!” After reviewing their library, the player said they “didn’t remember it was this large,” and showed a Steam screenshot which stated the space required needed to install Ark: Survival Evolved was 329 GB. This is a stark difference to the remastered release of Survival Ascended, which according to Steam requires just 70 GB. Many were in disbelief and flooded the comments to suggest the reasons why. Many players put the reason down to all content added over the years, “Its the expansions. Each one adds a map and the maps are huge. I’d bet the base game with the first map probably was around 60 GB.” While others blamed the developers: “Devs are just really lazy with versioning, so they keep all the old unused sh*t.” As another called it “the least optimized game of all time.” With Ark having continuous updates and DLC expansion packs over nearly a decade and set among expansive worlds, it is no surprise that the game has racked up a considerable file size. Despite this, it is considerably larger than most games across Steam.

Steam giving away Warhammer 40K game worth over $35 Proxy StudiosSteam has sales all the time, offering players the chance to pick up some excellent games at a reasonable price. In that tradition, the very well-received Warhammer 40K: Gladius – Relics of War is available in the store at a staggering 100% off. Warhammer 40,000: Gladius – Relics of War is an impressive attempt at a turn-based 4X game set within that universe. Its design quickly immerses seasoned players of the TTRPG in the chaos of the planet Gladius Prime. There, four factions (Astra Militarum, Space Marines, Orks & Necrons) battle it out for supremacy. Each has its own unique units, technology tree and playstyle, with the randomly generated worlds offering high replayability. One of the most impressive aspects of the game is the building and construction systems. These allow players to construct defenses and new units that can quickly spiral a given game into widespread, spectacular fun. Warhammer 40,000: Gladius – Relics of War also features a solid single-player that is entirely different depending on which faction you choose. This drastically alters the fate of the planet as each faction seeks to achieve its ends. The multiplayer is a mixed bag, purely because it can be a little unreliable. Though the game itself is perfect for taking on real players, most games will be via direct connection protocols. This can lead to some poor experiences against those with slower internet speeds. The sale is available until 30 May, with Steam users able to pick up the full game for the princely sum of $0/£0. The only caveat to this is that the sale is continuing “while stocks last.” Though it is a digital game, the developer, publisher and Steam will have earmarked a certain number of free copies to include in the sale. After that, the game will go back up to its usual full price of £35. All of this comes as part of the Warhammer Skulls 2024 Steam sale. This sees many reductions for games set within the universe, including Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2.

Steam delights fans with meme-filled 20th anniversary celebration ValveValve is marking 20 years of Steam with a trip through memory lane that’s filled with nostalgia, memes, and references to its games. On September 12, 2003, Valve launched Steam, which has gone on to become the largest distribution platform for PC games. To celebrate the platform’s 20th anniversary, Valve has returned Steam’s homepage to its original green coloring. It has also released a little timeline that goes over Steam’s accomplishments alongside reminders of what was going on in pop culture during those years – with a particular focus on the memes. Steam’s little celebration has delighted fans, particularly of the long-dormant Portal and Half-Life series. Steam’s anniversary page celebrates Half-Life, Portal, Team Fortress 2, and more Valve’s Steam timeline provides a quick overview of each year from 2003 to now that goes over Steam milestones, important events, and major games that released on the platform, many of which are currently on sale. What really has fans excited, though, are the little graphics for each year. These combine Valve characters with something that was big that year, such as a movie or meme reference. For example, 2008’s combines Left 4 Dead with the cover of the book Twilight, which surged in popularity when the first film in the series released that November. One year fans are finding particularly amusing is 2018. This features Portal protagonist Chell asking Wheatley to play “Despacito,” of course referencing the “This is so sad Alexa play Despacito” meme. Given that Chell has always been a silent protagonist, the idea of her first words being a meme is pretty hilarious. Other highlights include Half-Life’s G-Man recreating the “Grant Gustin next to Oliver Queen’s grave” meme with Gordon Freeman’s tombstone, Portal’s GLaDOS with a pixilated rainbow trail to reference Nyan Cat, and the Spy from Team Fortress 2 wearing the infamous blue and black/white and gold dress. There’s even a little tease for Valve’s upcoming game Counter-Strike 2 that comes with a “Barbie and Ken mugshot” reference. Happy birthday @Steam! 🎉🪅🥳 — CS2 (@CounterStrike) September 12, 2023 And don’t forget to claim your CS2 Animated Avatar from the Points Shop! https://t.co/0b4tGK1w4o pic.twitter.com/PoxYPmNWLX Several pieces of the artwork, including the Counter-Strike 2/Barbie meme, are available for free in the Steam Points Shop. Steam’s 20th anniversary is a big milestone, so it makes sense for Valve to celebrate it with some nostalgia for fans. Though many of the franchises included haven’t received new entries in quite some time, the new artwork is a little reminder that Valve hasn’t entirely forgotten about the games that got the company where it is today.

Steam Deck user makes horrible mistake after setting Shrek as boot up video Valve/DreamWorksA Redditor made the entire original Shrek movie their boot-up video on their Steam Deck in one of the most hilarious blunders in recent memory. Shrek is one of the most beloved and iconic animated movies of all time. While it has grown a huge amount of fans, one person, in particular, may have taken their love of the movie a little bit too far. A post on the Steam Deck subreddit has gone massively viral after one user made their boot-up video the entire Shrek movie, making it impossible to access the console without sitting through a 90-minute feature-length movie. Steam Deck owner makes a Shrek-sized blunder User thstephens8789 posted to the Steam Deck subreddit a video of a crucial error they made to their portable gaming console. On the Steam Deck, owners can make many of changes to the console, one of the being what the boot-up video is. Some Deck owners have made theirs the iconic GameCube opening, while others have made it the original Xbox 360 boot-up animation. Stephens, seemingly accidentally, made theirs the entirety of the first Shrek movie. “Help!! I’ve set my boot video to Shrek and now I can’t use my Steam Deck until it’s over!” Users in the comment section hand an absolute field day with jokes and poking fun at Stephens error. One redditor said, “Grab some popcorn and enjoy your foolish error. The real challenge will be if you can fix it in only one watch-through.” Another added, “This is the funniest thing I’ve seen all day.” Hopefully, for Stephens sake, they can fix the error before rebooting the system and having to rewatch the DreamWorks movie all over again.

Steam Deck pre-order guide: release date, price, specs, games SteamThe Steam Deck is Valve’s foray into the portable console market to compete with the Nintendo Switch. Here’s everything you need to know about the Steam Deck ahead of its release. The Nintendo Switch has been running unopposed as the only portable console in town for some time. However, now Valve is entering the space with the Steam Deck. A powerful portable console that allows players to bring their Steam library with them when they go out the house. Those who have a massive backlog of games and little time to sit at their PC and play them will be especially interested in the Steam Deck. The console is offering PC level gaming, not just on console, but on a portable console. Is it too good to be true? Here’s everything we know about the Steam Deck in one place. Contents When does the Steam Deck launch? – Steam Deck preorder guide: Price and specs – What games are playable on the Steam Deck? – Will other gaming services arrive on Steam Deck? – When does the Steam Deck launch? The Steam Deck is officially set to launch on Friday, February 25. While Steam’s new device originally planned to release in December 2021, delays saw it pushed back into the new year. Although a concrete target was unclear at first, the Steam Deck release date was locked in for good on January 27. Steam Deck preorder guide: Price and specs There are three versions of the Steam Deck you can preorder via the Steam store. The only difference in specs between the three is the amount of storage each contains. It starts at 64GB (enough for a handful of games) and runs up to 512GB (which could store a very diverse library). Steam Deck 64GB (eMMC SSD): $329 USD Comes with carry case – – Steam Deck 256GB (NVMe SSD): $529 USD Faster storage than eMMC SSD – – Comes with carry case and exclusive Steam profile bundle Steam Deck 512GB (NVMe SSD): $649 USD – Faster storage than eMMC SSD – Premium anti-glare etched glass screen – Comes with exclusive carry case, Steam profile bundle, and virtual keyboard theme – – The hardware of each version remains the same. They all come with a custom AMD APU (accelerated processing unit), as well as 16GB of RAM to take on more high-end games. The screen comes in at 7 inches at 1280×800 resolution, slightly bigger than the Switch’s 1280×720 resolution (although the new OLED model will feature a 1920×1080 resolution). While the FPS cap isn’t known, the refresh rate maxes it out at 60Hz. The battery life isn’t anything to write home about — maxing out at eight hours of gameplay. However, with a dock on the way, you’ll be able to port it like a Switch and hook it up to your TV to play on the big screen. Players will have to put down a deposit to preorder the Steam Deck. However, if you change your mind, this is refundable as either cash (for the first 30 days) or Steam Wallet credit. What games are playable on the Steam Deck? The Steam Deck is designed to let players access their Steam library on the go. However, titles will need to be compatible with the console’s specs. We imagine most games will run on Steam Deck in time, although there’s likely to be some that the console struggles to run. Read More: Is Xbox Game Pass worth it in 2022? – The good news is that the console will likely cause the Steam Library to split into two groups, games that are optimized for Steam Deck and games that are not. Developers could also offer versions of their games that can run on Valve’s console rather than a high-end PC. This practice could be similar to how developers adapt games to other existing consoles like the PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch. The following games have now been revealed (thanks to SteamDB) for the console’s launch: Aliens: Fireteam Elite – Ape Out – Castle Crashers – Celeste – Circuit Superstars – Cuphead – Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin – Dark Souls III – Death Stranding – Death’s Door – Dishonored – Final Fantasy – Guacamelee! 2 – Gunfire Reborn – Hollow Knight – Hot Wheels Unleashed – Into the Breach – Mad Max – Manifold Garden – Mark of the Ninja: Remastered – Noita – Portal 2 – Psychonauts 2 – RAD – Record of Lodoss War-Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth- – Remnant: From the Ashes – Risk of Rain 2 – Rogue Legacy 2 – Sable – Scarlet Nexus – Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice – GOTY Edition – Super Mega Baseball 3 – Tetris Effect: Connected – The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth – The Messenger – Total War: Warhammer II – Tunche – Webbed – Will other gaming services arrive on Steam Deck? While the Steam Deck will be primarily designed for downloading and playing games from Valve’s Steam service, the company has confirmed that third-party software. This includes additional storefronts like Origin, Epic Games Store, and Ubisoft Connect. Should the owner wish, they could replace SteamOS with a completely different OS, although only those who know what they’re doing should attempt this. Xbox’s Phil Spencer has confirmed that the Steam Deck will include Xbox Cloud Gaming through the system’s browser. This means that those with Xbox Game Pass subscriptions can access, download, and play games from that service. Essentially, this means the Steam Deck can also serve as a portable Xbox Game Pass console – which could be a game-changer for both Xbox and Valve.

Steam Deck 2 being planned despite backorders for the original ValveAccording to Valve, the company plans to release a Steam Deck 2 in the future, with the hopes of making the handheld a multi-generational product. Valve’s Steam Deck handheld received positive reviews across the industry on release, praising the handheld’s power and overall potential. With the Steam Deck in incredibly high demand, Valve has redoubled its efforts to boost production which has helped with the extremely delayed ship times. It seems that positive reception reassured Valve, as the company revealed it is already planning further iterations of the Steam Deck for the future. Valve planning Steam Deck iterations The news comes from Valve itself, which wrote, designed, and published a free eBook about the development of the Steam Deck and much more. In this eBook, the company said, “In the future, Valve will follow up on this product with improvements and iterations to hardware and software, bringing new versions of Steam Deck to market.” If that weren’t clear enough, Valve goes on to explain that they view the handheld as a “multi-generational product line.” “We will learn from the Steam Community about new uses for our hardware…and we will build new versions to be even more open and capable than the first version of Steam Deck has been.” While it’s great to hear that Valve is already planning further iterations of Steam Deck down the line, it does seem a bit early to announce these plans. Considering the company has been struggling to fulfill back orders thanks to ongoing parts shortages among other things, talk of a new version may seem premature. Still, Valve also directly compares the Steam Deck to PCs, which are built upon in iterations over years and years. While it’s still unclear what the future of Steam Deck will hold, Valve seems to think it has a bright future ahead of it.

Steam Deck 1TB SSD is $50 off for Black Friday & the lowest price we’ve seen Western Digital’s 2230 NVMe for the Steam Deck has hit a historical low of $79.99, with $50 off for Black Friday. The Steam Deck is a raging success and with an OLED model on the way, potential upgrades are always on the mind. Western Digital came out with their official branch of “gaming” 2230 NVMes, specifically for the Steam Deck, ROG Ally, and a host of other handheld devices. It’s probably the lowest we’ve seen a 1TB drive of this format before too. The closest we’ve seen is Sabrent at $89.99. Steam Deck SSD from Western Digital gets price slashed for Black Friday The Steam Deck has just recently lowered the prices of all its older LCD models. We still think the LCD model is an incredible device, even with the OLED model arriving too. Upgrading it is super simple, and we take you through that in full. Even if you grab a Steam Deck OLED at 512GB, you’d be saving $30 by going this route and upgrading yourself. It’s basically a win-win. 2230 drives were originally meant for manufacturers to easily cram in large amounts of storage in a smaller form factor. Companies like WD never really expected to be making these for consumers at this level before. Earlier in the year, Western Digital did team up with Framework to launch the drives on their store, but now Best Buy has it with $50 off. Games are getting much, much bigger and the Steam Deck can fall victim to that quite a lot. Even 1TB can be sometimes a little too small, so we fully recommend looking at some of the deals around microSD cards too. There’s a 1TB card with a steep discount. If you click on a product link on this page we may earn a small affiliate commission.

Steam cracks down on “fake” game developers & refunds scammed users ValveSteam has officially addressed the wave of fake games that flooded that site at the end of February and scammed multiple users. Game developers uploaded fake copies of popular titles to Steam’s storefront to scam players into buying their titles. The most notable scam came from the popular title Helldivers 2. A game that has amassed hundreds of thousands of players since releasing on February 8. These fake developers posted an identical storefront of Helldivers 2 to Steam and put the game at a high discount to entice players. One had the game listed for 50% off while another had it at a staggering 75%. Multiple people fell for the scam which resulted in Steam having to issue refunds to those affected. In addition to the refunds, these accounts were also banned. Scammed Steam users receive refunds One of the users affected by these discounted game scams took to Reddit to share a statement made by Steam to them regarding the situation. However, those within the comments were concerned about what this could mean for the platform in the future. “Unfortunately, fake versions of the games were uploaded to Steam, that shared the same name as popular games on Steam,” said the support statement. “You purchased one of these fake games. We have banned the company that published them and refunded your purchase.” What these fake game developers were attempting to accomplish confused multiple commenters. One person pointed out that Steam often withholds money made from storefront purchases. This means that the “developers” would not be able to run away with the money easily. “I wonder if the fake games contained some malware,” questioned one commenter. “Like if they were some malware, keyloggers, etc?” Users who purchased fake games have no proof that the games contained malware, but the possibility exists since these were not genuine copies of the game. As others have pointed out, although developers may not have received payment, they could have inflicted more damage by issuing malware.

Steam community save Fall Guys after devs pleaded to stop ‘review-bombs’ Devolver DigitalDevolver Digital and Mediatonic’s new game ‘Fall Guys’ was getting ‘review-bombed’ shortly after its August 4 release due to problems with its online launch – this prompted the devs to ask the community to stop the barrage of negative reviews. On Valve’s Steam online marketplace, the multiplayer party game was getting thrashed with reviews from people who couldn’t connect to the game. The problem got so bad, players were reportedly queuing up for lengthy times before getting a notification that there was a connection error. The same connection problems persisted on PlayStation 4 where an influx of people rushed to play since the title was included in the August free games for PS Plus subscribers. While the devs attempted multiple fixes as the crowds kept filing in, they noticed the bad reviews started to stack up based on the problems. We’re currently being review-bombed on Steam… ☹️ We’re working really hard to get running smoothly for SO MANY players! We know it’s super frustrating, but if you could hold off from negatively reviewing – Until you get chance to play the game, it would really help us out ♥️ — Fall Guys (@FallGuysGame) August 4, 2020 “We’re currently being review-bombed on Steam,” the Falls Guys devs said. “We know it’s super frustrating, but if you could hold off from negatively reviewing – Until you get chance to play the game, it would really help us out.” The unforgiving nature of negative reviews can be really damaging for small titles. While bad games can certainly merit bad reviews, early grievances for Fall Guys mostly revolved around the servers and not so much the content of the game. “Servers are mostly down,” one reviewer said. “If you get lucky getting into a lobby, there is almost no chance that this lobby starts. Also there are tons of error messages popping around. Just move your release date if your game is buggy af.” While there are reviews that contain legitimate critiques of the game, the devs saw a rise in negative takes from people with less than an hour logged into Fall Guys calling for a fix to the connection. https://twitter.com/americandadlive/status/1290737649834229760?s=21 Fortunately, an hour later, the team saw a second wave of reviews. This time, however, it was a “positive-review bomb” that was met with pleasant surprise from the Fall Guys studio. “Wow, you are seriously the best!” the Fall Guys account tweeted. “You’ve positive-bombed our review score back to Mostly Positive! I didn’t know that was a thing? Thank you so much for your belief in what we’re building here!” Read more: 5 must-know tips before you play Fall Guys – At the time of writing, there’s around 10,300 reviews for Fall Guys on Steam with around 8,000 positive reviews and 2,000 negative reviews. Wow, you are seriously the best! You’ve positive-bombed our review score back to Mostly Positive! I didn’t know that was a thing? Thank you so much for your belief in what we’re building here! Hopefully server issues will continue to improve! ♥️ Community of The Year 2020 ♥️ pic.twitter.com/6Cha74fwb4 — Fall Guys (@FallGuysGame) August 4, 2020 Prior to launch, the beta was showcased throughout YouTube and Twitch streaming communities, leading to massive hype for the colorful party game. As launch day progresses, the devs and community are hoping Fall Guys will stabilize to let more people in on the jelly-bean-filled action.

Steam bans Super Seducer 3 even after creator offers “safe” version Richard La Ruina / SteamValve’s platform Steam has banned the controversial dating simulator ‘Super Seducer 3’, prompting the game’s creator to hit out at the decision. The Super Seducer video game series has attracted much discussion in the streaming community especially. The brainchild of Richard La Ruina, the game is essentially a dating simulator, with players controlling a male character who has to choose from various lines of dialogue to try and seduce women he meets. Despite the controversy the games have attracted – criticized for their depiction of both men and women – they have been streamed by some of the biggest content creators in the world, including Amouranth, Mizkif, and xQc. La Ruina recently produced the series’ third iteration, but it has been banned by Steam and entirely removed from the platform. The creator originally had difficulties getting the game onto Steam, but the platform has now rejected the game, even in its altered and censored form. Read More: Dr Disrespect praises GTA RP servers – “Steam have BANNED and removed Super Seducer 3 from the store,” La Ruina tweeted on March 20. “They will not allow it to be released in any form. Our page is gone and 61,700 wish lists are gone. Prior to this they told me expect either “approval or feedback”. We repeatedly said we’d do whatever they needed.” Attached to the tweet was a series of screenshots showing communication between the game’s designer and Steam, in which the distribution site describe their decision as “final”. Richard’s pleas to reconsider are also rejected, with Steam saying: “We are not going to sell the game or re-review it.” Steam have BANNED and removed Super Seducer 3 from the store. They will not allow it to be released in any form. Our page is gone and 61,700 wish lists are gone. Prior to this they told me expect either “approval or feedback”. We repeatedly said we’d do whatever they needed pic.twitter.com/hVuDcvzL2n— Richard La Ruina (@RichardGambler) March 20, 2021 Richard’s tweet states that they were willing to make alterations to the game to ensure it could be sold on Steam, but it appears that the platform chose not to pursue a watered-down version and have opted to remove the game entirely. Their statement explains that they do not “ship sexually explicit images of real people”, and that the Super Seducer games have put them at an “impasse”. La Ruina has said that the team behind the game are working on another way to sell the game and should have “have something ready this week.”

Steam bans all crypto-based games from online store ValveSteam has banned all crypto-based games from their online store following an update to their rules and guidelines. Founded in 2003, Steam has maintained its position as one of the largest digital game distribution platforms on Windows, with recent expansions to Mac OS and Linux. It currently handles over 125m active users and over 50k games are uploaded to the store. With tens of thousands of games available for purchase at any time, they’ve curated their content on the platform by providing a set of rules that developers much abide by when uploading their creations. On October 14, Steam adjusted the onboarding rules with specific mentions of “applications built on blockchain technology,” effectively banning all crypto-based games from its online store. Steam bans crypto games It appears that Steam is officially removing existing blockchain games from the store. The developers of the NFT based game ‘Age of Rust’ have taken to Twitter to express their thoughts and concerns on the matter: “A few minutes ago, we were notified that @Steam will be kicking *all blockchain games* off the platform, including Age of Rust, because NFTs have value. Behind the scenes, we’ve had good communication and have been upfront with Steam.” Community: A few minutes ago, we were notified that @Steam will be kicking *all blockchain games* off the platform, including Age of Rust, because NFTs have value. Behind the scenes, we’ve had good communication and have been upfront with Steam. #blockchaingames #NFT 1/4 pic.twitter.com/W4pR3Xl63q— Age of Rust (@AgeofRust) October 14, 2021 The dev went on to explain why the change is being made: “Steam’s point of view is that items have value and they don’t allow items that can have real-world value on their platform.” There have been numerous games on the platform with blockchain integration, with Mir4 being one of them. Mir4 has gained popularity despite increasingly negative views, allegedly because according to the website, you can earn DRACO, which is its own custom cryptocurrency. At the time of writing, Valve (the company behind Steam), has yet to make a comment on the guideline change. We’ll update this article once we know more.

Steam Awards 2023 winners called a “sick joke” as players want voting system changed ValveThe winners of Steam Awards 2023 are out but players have been left perplexed by the results, with some going as far as to call it a “sick joke”, and many want the voting system changed. Although the Steam Winter sale is one of the best times for PC gamers to grab their favorite games at discounted prices, players aren’t impressed with the yearly awards that have also been handed out during the sale. Many were left confused with Red Dead Redemption 2 and Starfield’s Steam Awards wins this year in particular. While Baldur’s Gate 3 has won the Game of the Year award on Steam, many of the other results have left players scratching their heads. Steam Awards 2023 winners called “ridiculous” A user posted the winners of Steam Awards 2023 on Reddit and the community immediately started criticizing the current voting system. One player said, “RDR2 WON LABOR OF LOVE???? THEY OFFICIALLY ABANDONED IT IN 2021 AND HAVE LEFT IT TO DIE SINCE.” Another user agreed and added, “this really shows that Steam awards need a change. How about the nominees are just the winners? You actually have some rather decent nominees, while the final winners are always just a dumb popularity contest.” Some players also feel Steam needs to work on their award titles as “Labour of love is badly phrased.” “People have to actually read the description to understand that they are asking for the most supported game” they continued. To RDR2 being declared as the winner of “Labour of Love”, a player said, “Meanwhile, Deep Rock Galactic gets nominated like every year, because that’s a game which really deserves this title, never wins. Just sad.” The recent reviews of Starfield on Steam are mostly negative. When it won the award of “Most Innovative Gameplay”, a player got tempestuous and said, “I want to know how Starfield won for innovative gameplay. What the f**k was so innovative about empty f***ing planets and loading screens everywhere?” One commenter simply said, “This is some sick joke lmao.” It remains to be seen if Valve will take note of this criticism for next year’s awards.

State of Decay 3: Trailer, platforms & everything we know Undead LabsState of Decay 3 is the latest survival-horror title from the hard-working people at Undead Labs. Whilst the team continues to support previous entries in the series, here’s everything we currently know about State of Decay 3. There’s a lot of love for the State of Decay games as they typically feature a ton of unruly, hostile zombies, but rather untypically discourage combat against them. Whilst you can engage them, it’s easy to become overwhelmed, and the player should instead focus their efforts on fortifying their position, recruiting survivors, and strengthening their foundation. This formula has resulted in two successful Zombie games, as well as State of Decay 3 which is on the way. Since its Xbox reveal in 2020, we hadn’t heard much noise regarding State of Decay 3 until further footage of the game emerged at the Xbox Showcase 2024. Contents Does State of Decay 3 have a release date? There is no release date for State of Decay 3 just yet, with the game still very much in its development phase. The most recent look at the game at the Xbox Showcase 2024 unfortunately offered no further clarity on even a potential release window. What platforms will State of Decay 3 be on? State of Decay 3 will be released on Xbox, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store, according to the game’s official website. The Xbox Showcase 2024 confirmed that it will also arrive on Game Pass on day one. Like previous games in the franchise, State of Decay 3 will not be available on PlayStation. State of Decay 3 trailer The most recent Xbox Showcase finally gave us more of a look at the upcoming game. Not only did it establish more of the same moody, tense atmosphere that the previous entries were known for, but we also know that Zombie animals will enter the fray. We know a lot of information about plenty of other games coming out, so here’s a selection of games to check up on: The Elder Scrolls 6 | GTA 6 | Overwatch 2 | Assassin’s Creed Infinity | God of War: Ragnarok | Wolverine | Spider-Man 2 | Forspoken | KOTR Remake | Wonder Woman | DokeV | Avatar Frontiers of Pandora | Sonic Frontiers | Dragon Age 4 | Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild sequel | The Witcher 3 next-gen patch | Avatar Frontiers of Pandora

Start snapping away as the LEGO Ideas Polaroid Camera goes on sale LEGOAre you ready to start snapping away at the fun-filled moments the new year holds? Well, the LEGO Ideas Polaroid Camera has gone on sale. Here’s what you can expect from this kit and how much it costs. The original Polaroid OneStep SX-70 Camera is iconic. When introduced in 1977, this instant film camera was an, ahem, instant hit. It was hugely popular among photographers, no matter their level of skill, all over the world. In addition, it brought instant photography to a host of households. Why? Well, who wouldn’t want to skip the cue at the film studio and have their camera develop their pictures by itself? Although you will have to use a touch of imagination to capture your favorite moments with this LEGO Ideas set, don’t let that stop you. The LEGO-reimagined Polaroid OneStep SX-70 Camera is sure to become a favorite LEGO kit among LEGO builders and hobbyists alike. Besides, you can always take a picture of it when the build is complete. Why wouldn’t you? It looks brilliant. So, what can you expect from this brick-built camera? For starters, the LEGO Ideas Polaroid OneStep SX-70 Camera is equipped with myriad true-to-the-original elements. Indeed, this set features an array of iconic design details, such as the familiar Color Spectrum, reminiscent of the authentic model. There are also many functional items, such as a working viewfinder (how cool is that?). In addition, you can load the three illustrated Polaroid photos included in the set into the opening film door. What’s more, pressing the red shutter button ejects one of the latter. There is also an exposure compensation dial. In addition, the kit comes with a buildable Polaroid Time-Zero Supercolor SX-70 Land Film pack. So you can store the photos you have taken. You will have to use your imagination for the latter, though. However, with its authentic design, the LEGO Ideas Polaroid OneStep SX-70 Camera will undoubtedly make for an eye-catching display piece in your home, office, or photography studio. There’s no doubt that it will fit right in next to your other vintage cameras. It’s also a great conversation starter. Designed for photography enthusiasts aged 18 and up, the set comprises of 516 bricks. The LEGO replica of this classic Polaroid camera measures three-and-a-half inches tall, three-and-a-half inches wide, and six inches deep. Priced at $79.99, the LEGO Ideas Polaroid OneStep SX-70 Camera is finally available. Indeed, it’s time to start building (and snapping) away with this nostalgic new LEGO kit. If you click on a product link on this page we may earn a small affiliate commission.

Starfield’s “dreadful” temples are driving players to cheat for first time BethesdaThe repetitive nature of acquiring Starfield’s cosmic powers is driving some players to look for ways to avoid the process completely. Among the many features of the Starfield, players can unlock special powers by visiting Temples scattered across the galaxy. These powers range from manipulating gravity to summoning alternate versions of oneself, adding a layer of depth and strategy to the gameplay. However, the repetitive nature of the Temples where these powers are unlocked has left players frustrated and looking for shortcuts. Players are now starting to take matters into their own hands, with some even using cheats for the first time to bypass the game’s “dreadful” temples. One player took to Reddit to share their experience, stating, “This game broke me in my stance on cheating.” They explained how they had always enjoyed Bethesda games without resorting to cheats, but the repetitive nature of the Temples in Starfield pushed them to their limit. They confessed to cheating to max out their powers, just to avoid the “stupid loop” of the Temples. Other players used the thread as a chance to share their thoughts, not just on the Temples, but on how to spice up the gameplay. While one well-received comment simply states that they “refuse to believe the temples were actually playtested beyond the conceptual stage,” another was more critical, writing that even “a moth could solve the puzzle.” Others have looked to mods to provide an improved gameplay experience, with one player sharing the “Starborn’s Bounty” mod that gives random power-ups after killing Starborn, similar to how absorbing a dragon’s spirit in Skyrim worked. Starfield players have previously voiced their frustrations with the repetitive nature of these temples, drawing unfavorable comparisons to Skyrim’s Word Walls, which were often guarded by dragons or located at the end of dungeons, providing a sense of accomplishment and challenge. In contrast, completing Temples in Starfield involves flying around a room collecting sparkling lights, a process that needs to be repeated for all 24 powers. As the Starfield community continues to slam the repetitive nature of the game’s temples, fortunately, mods can provide a somewhat enjoyable workaround for players.

Xbox boss claims Starfield won’t be a Skyrim “reskin” BethesdaBethesda’s Starfield will be so much more than Skyrim in space, according to the head of Xbox Game Studios, Matt Booty. Here’s what he said. Starfield is an upcoming sci-fi RPG developed and published by Bethesda. The game shares a lot of similarities with games like Skyrim, part of The Elder Scrolls series, and Bethesda’s other large RPG franchise, Fallout. Those who’ve played games like Fallout 4 and Skyrim will be instantly familiar with some of the basic mechanics of Starfield, due to it sharing an engine with them. However, Starfield is a completely different game, one that is all about space exploration and existing on multiple planets. “Skyrim in space” Starfield is set to be a much grander project than anything Bethesda has attempted before, but the game has been unable to shake the description as “Skyrim in space” since it was announced. As originally reported by Gamespot, Xbox head Matt Booty spoke about Starfield in an interview with the Friends Per Second podcast. When asked if the game was Starfield in Space, Booty said: “Having had the chance over the last year and a half or so to spend more time with Todd Howard and see how he works and see what he brings to game design, I’m confident he’s not going to sit still on what was built before. It’s just not his approach to come in and reskin something, right?” “The things that excite me first are the visual style. For lack of something better I’d call this NASA-punk. I think there’s gonna be an awful lot of new stuff Bethesda fans and Todd Howard fans have not seen brought to the game.” Bethesda’s main franchises like The Elder Scrolls and Fallout have always had some commonalities in terms of gameplay, mostly around how you explore and interact with NPCs. It seems likely that the game will carry some strands of Elder Scrolls and Fallout DNA, although it sounds as if those concerned that Starfield will be just Skyrim in space can rest assured.

Starfield voice cast: All characters and voice actors confirmed so far BethesdaHere are all the voice actors that make up the cast of characters you can expect to hear in the vast universe of Starfield. Starfield is undeniably one of the most highly anticipated games in 2023. The popular release of games like Zelda and Baldur’s Gate 3 have certainly posed a challenge for Starfield’s potential GOTY nomination, but Bethesda aren’t holding up, releasing small details about the game whenever they can. Which is only serving to increase the hype. Small details and features are ideal, but the game would be nothing without a great cast of voice actors behind it. So, here are all the confirmed voice cast for Starfield, as well as where you may have heard them before. All confirmed Starfield voice cast and their roles Currently, despite the game coming out soon, we don’t have much confirmation regarding who these voice actors will be playing. Nevertheless, the confirmed voice actors starring in Starfield are below: Craig Sechle: Adoring Fan – Victoria Atkin: Role Unknown – Seth Allyn Austin: Role Unknown – Cyrina Fiallo: UC Security Female – Tiffany Villalobos: Role Unknown – Ana Carolina Valverde: Role Unknown – Dimitry Rozental: Role Unknown – Walles Hamonde: Role Unknown – Stephen Oyoung: Additional Voices – Starfield voice actors and actresses So there you have it, that’s everything we currently know about the Starfield voice cast. While waiting for the game to release, take a look at some of our other handy Starfield guides and content: Starfield Achievement list | All Starfield skills | Will Starfield have mod support? | Is Starfield’s universe procedurally generated? | How big is Starfield? | Will Starfield be on Steam Deck? | Is Starfield on PS5? | Starfield PC requirements: Recommended & minimum specs | Will Starfield have a Photo Mode at launch? | Is Starfield coming to Nintendo Switch? | Is Starfield single-player? | Does Starfield have New Game Plus mode?

Starfield fans divided over decision to have a silent protagonist BethesdaBethesda Game Studios’ confirmation that Starfield will feature a silent protagonist has divided fans who look forward to the role-playing title’s 2023 release. Starfield’s lengthy gameplay presentation counted among the highlights of this past weekend’s Xbox + Bethesda Games Showcase. For the first time, the Bethesda-based development crew treated the public to a look at Starfield’s shooting mechanics, character customization, and exploration. The gameplay reveal also featured instances of dialogue exchanges between characters. However, it wasn’t clear if the player-controlled character had the ability to respond with voiced lines. Bethesda has since set the record straight on this front. Starfield’s protagonist will be silent In a post on its official Twitter account, Bethesda Game Studios revealed that Starfield’s protagonist will never speak. Some fans in the thread below the tweet applauded the news, with prospective players such as Octavian and Nick Eickman expressing their frustration with the voiced protagonist in Fallout 4. Others like Raziel argued that voiced leads in western RPGs often disrupt the immersion of truly role-playing your own character. Yes, dialogue in @StarfieldGame is first person and your character does not have a voice. pic.twitter.com/A8384m6rGN — Bethesda Game Studios (@BethesdaStudios) June 13, 2022 On the other hand, a contingent of Starfield fans, Tenkay23 and Yusuf Farra among them, think a silent protagonist marks a step backward. Thus, western RPG players have begun to debate whether fully voiced leads in the likes of Mass Effect and Cyberpunk 2077 make or break the role-playing experience. Silent and voiced protagonists both come with their fair share of positives and negatives; for now, the jury’s out on whether Bethesda made the right decision for Starfield. Players will get to judge that much and more for themselves when the long-awaited title finally hits PC and Xbox platforms in 2023. Unfortunately, the developer has yet to announce a concrete release date.

Starfield: Release date, trailers, platforms & everything we know BethesdaBethesda’s Starfield is finally here and it’s undoubtedly one of the biggest games of the year. Here’s everything you need to know about the RPG. If you’re an RPG fan and have spent any time playing an Elder Scrolls or Fallout game, you’re likely very excited about Bethesda’s latest project, Starfield. This marks the studio’s first new IP in over twenty-five years, having been referred to as “Skyrim in space” by Game Director Todd Howard, it promises to give fans an epic space adventure across a massive explorable universe. Here’s everything you need to know about the game, including gameplay details, platforms, and official trailers. When is the Starfield release date? Starfield will be released on September 6, 2023. Originally, Starfield was set to release in November 2022 but was pushed back to this year along with Redfall. Not only that, but those who preorder the Premium and Constellation editions will also be able to play five days early from September 1. After years of waiting, RPG fans are almost able to finally get their hands on Starfield. What are Starfield’s release times? Bethesda has posted the official global unlock times for Starfield, which takes into consideration both early access and the regular street date. Notably, those who preordered the RPG’s Constellation or Premium Editions will gain access five days early on September 1. Early Access Release Times: United States on August 31 – 5:00 PM PT / 7:00 PM CT / 8:00 PM ET – Europe on September 1 – 1:00 AM BST – Global Launch Release Times: United States on September 5 – 5:00 PM PT / 7:00 PM CT / 8:00 PM ET – Europe on September 6 – 1:00 AM BST – A full graphic with several different territories listed features in the post below: Will Starfield be on PlayStation or Xbox Game Pass? If you’re on Sony’s console, we have bad news — Starfield is launching as an Xbox Series S|X exclusive on console, and coming to PC. It seems a fair assumption that Elder Scrolls 6 will follow suit, but we don’t know for sure. As a first-party title, it’ll come to Xbox Game Pass and Game Pass for PC on day one, too. In a Bloomberg interview in 2020, Phil Spencer, the head of Xbox, said that the company would honor the contracts already in place for games like Deathloop and GhostWire Tokyo. Moving forward, though, Bethesda’s new releases would be exclusive to Xbox hardware and systems that support Xbox Game Pass. in an interview with The Telegraph, Todd Howard discussed the decision to make Starfield an Xbox and PC exclusive. “You don’t ever want to leave people out, right? But at the end of the day, your ability to focus and say, this is the game I want to make, these are the platforms I want to make it on, and being able to really lean in on those is going to make for a better product.” What is Starfield? Starfield is a new RPG that takes players to the Settled Systems, a series of planets and space stations 50 light years from our own galaxy. While we don’t have much to go on story-wise, players can expect first or third-person combat and exploration across a thousand planets — yes, that’s right, a thousand — spread throughout a hundred systems. Players begin working for Constellation, a series of explorers dealing with the fallout (get it?) of a huge, universe-spanning war. In true Bethesda Game Studios fashion, though, the narrative setup is very much a jumping-off point for letting players explore the galaxy at their own pace. There are branching paths, multiple dialogue options, and even the chance to build your own spaceship in your image. As you’d expect from the team behind Skyrim (or as we like to call it, the “sneaky archer simulator”), character builds will play a huge part in Starfield, too — with players able to select skills, set a series of traits when starting their adventure, and research new upgrades as they progress. There are factions, too: United Colonies – a futuristic Space Republic (think NCR in Fallout New Vegas) – Freestar Collective – a space western fantasy, people out on the frontier trying to survive (think Minutemen from Fallout 4) – Ryujin Industries – which represents corporate life in space. Described as the “best start” for the player, but they’ll need to “apply for [their] job.” – Crimson Fleet – Pirates and the game’s main villainous faction. The player can side with the pirates and spy on them. This lets them play for the bad faction while still remaining a good guy. Or the player can join the pirates fully. – The Red Mile – We don’t know much about them, but they got teased in the latest Xbox showcase as an organization beyond the reach of civilized space. – Character Creation With Starfield, Bethesda has said they’ve given players more options than ever before. You start off by picking from around 40 preset characters and then alter them from there. All the usual Bethesda facial tech is there, with nose, chin and facial hair all being fully customizable. You can also choose backgrounds and traits. Backgrounds: These come with a collection of three basic skills and help start flesh out who your character is and where they’ve come from. They can come in handy in random situations, depending on if your backstory fits the brief. Traits: These are completely optional skills that give you certain advantages and disadvantages. You can choose up to three, and they vary from selecting a certain religion to having an “adoring fan” who will follow you around and find items for you Gameplay Skills There are five different skill trees for you to put experience into, and each one will change the way you interact with the game. for example, the Xenosociology skill will allow you to mind-control aliens, while Boost Pack gives you extra mobility. Skills allow for a variety of different areas for you to invest in, including stealth, combat, and of course, speech. The skill trees are: Physical, Social, Combat, Science, and Tech. Building You can also construct your own outposts, which allows you to harvest resources, rest your companions, and. There’s a dedicated base building mode that gives you more clarity when planning, and you can also place objects and buildings manually. You can even add crafting and resource stations that automatically harvest items when you’re away. Ship Customisation Every space port will allow you to buy and sell ships, as well as add modifications to them. Each individual part of the ship, such as weapons and shields, can be upgraded and adjusted on it’s own. You’re also able to change the overall shape, look, and paint job. Changing ships also changes what they look like on the inside, and allow you to add additional features like rest areas for NPCs. Your companions can also bring new skills to the table, and you can carry crewmembers onboard to change how your ship operates. Combat The Starfield team has overhauled animations and the “feel” of combat, and has included the largest system of weapon mods in any Bethesda game. Using boost packs is a significant part of gameplay, and Zero-G areas add a new mechanic to fighting because bullets will propel you backwards. Energy weapons allow you to fight from more stable positions. We also saw some mysterious gravity powers being used in the latest trailer, which could hint at a more supernatural side to the game. Starfield preorder deals As Starfield rockets towards its September release date, many players are now looking for the best preorder deals. There are three different editions of Starfield available for preorder, each with its own unique bonuses. Starfield Constellation Edition preorder The Constellation Edition of Starfield comes with a whole host of bonuses including the following: Base game – Starfield Chronomark watch and case – Constellation patch – Starfield steelbook display case – Shattered Space Story Expansion (upon release) – Up to 5 days early access – Constellation Skin Pack: Equinox Laser Rifle, Spacesuit, Helmet and Boost Pack – Old Mars Skin Pack – Access to Starfield Digital Artbook & Original Soundtrack – Credit Stick with Laser-Etched Game Code – This ultimate edition will set you back $299.99 and is available to preorder at the following stores: Starfield Premium Edition Upgrade preorder The Starfield Premium Edition offers players plenty of bonus content for an extra $34.99. Base game is sold separately – Shattered Space Story Expansion (upon release) – Up to 5 days early access – Constellation Skin Pack: Equinox Laser Rifle, Spacesuit, Helmet and Boost Pack – Old Mars Skin Pack – Access to Starfield Digital Artbook & Original Soundtrack – Starfield Standard Edition preorder For those that are looking for just the base game, the standard edition is the one for you, costing $69.99. If you preorder the base game, you’ll also gain access to the Old Mars Skin Pack. Trailers Check out a chunky 15-minute slice of gameplay below, narrated by Todd Howard. The video showcases exploration, combat, and even the size of the game’s universe. Believe it or not, the game was revealed back in 2018 with a short teaser which you can see below. The 2023 Xbox Games Showcase also featured a story trailer for Starfield ahead of the game’s dedicated direct. Is Starfield multiplayer? If the idea of exploring a huge galaxy with friends appeals, we’re sorry to say that Starfield is single-player only. Thankfully, No Man’s Sky and Elite Dangerous both offer multiplayer spacefaring adventures, so all is not lost. If you click on a product link on this page we may earn a small affiliate commission. So, there you have it. That’s everything you need to know about Starfield. For more on the biggest upcoming titles, be sure to check out the following: GTA 6 | Assassin’s Creed Infinity | Wolverine | Spider-Man 2 | Forspoken | KOTR Remake | Wonder Woman | FFXVI | Avatar Frontiers of Pandora | Dragon Age 4

Starfield & Redfall delayed to 2023, but gameplay coming “soon” BethesdaMicrosoft and Bethesda’s huge RPG Starfield has been delayed, along with Arkane’s Redfall, with both games now targeting the first half of 2023. Starfield, the first new IP from Bethesda Softworks in years, has been delayed from its 2022 release date, along with Arkane Studios’ vampire-slaying shooter, Redfall. While Starfield had been given a release date of November 11 of 2022, Redfall still held a more nebulous “Summer 2022” window before the announcement. Starfield and Redfall delayed The news comes by way of a tweet from Bethesda’s official account. “The teams at Arkane Austin (Redfall) and Bethesda Game Studios (Starfield) have incredible ambitions for their games, and we want to ensure that you receive the best, most polished versions of them,” the statement says. “We want to thank everyone for their excitement for Redfall and Starfield. That energy is a huge part of what inspires all of us every day and drives our own excitement for what we are creating.” It’s not all bad news, though, as the statement also says “we can’t wait to share our first deep dive into the gameplay for both Redfall and Starfield soon,” suggesting we’re likely to hear more at the Microsoft and Bethesda gameplay showcase. Read more: Everything coming to Xbox Game Pass in May – While we’ve seen plenty of Starfield in recent dev diary videos, we’re yet to see actual gameplay of the project outside of in-engine demonstrations. Redfall, on the other hand, remains under wraps following its announcement at E3 2021. In an interview with the Washington Post, game director Todd Howard had previously said of Starfield: “We’re confident in the date. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be announcing it.” Both titles will come to Xbox Game Pass at launch.

Starfield player’s in-game wife blasts them for tipping too generously BethesdaA Starfield player got in trouble with their in-game romantic partner for over-tipping, calling the interaction “too real”. Starfield’s companions help add flavor to your journey through the stars. Space can be a lonely place, so bringing a friend or loved one is not such a bad idea (of course, unless they all annoy you and you go it alone.) If you play your cards right, you can end up in a marriage with one of four characters from Constellation. You and your other half can then go throughout the galaxy discovering the mysteries of the universe on your ship. While that’s all grandiose, that doesn’t mean that your relationships are immune from smaller petty squabbles, as one player found out. Relationship trouble can even reach you in Starfield Reddit user sharkweek posted a thread, detailing an interaction they had with Andreja, who they were married to. While on a tour of Titan, the player, who had bags of credits, decided to tip the guide generously for 500. As they explain, that didn’t entirely go well for them. “Without missing a beat the camera switched to Andreja who said, “Why not just throw away our entire credstick!?” She then folded her arms and rolled her eyes at me.” They then commented this interaction felt “too real”. This isn’t universal behavior between all of your potential romantic partners though. One user commented, “Funny, because Sarah seems to like it when I bribe or tip people for whatever reason.” Another said, “I had Barret with me during that quest and he liked it and also matched my donation for the guy.” These kinds of little interactions do add a nice layer of depth to the characters. They all have their distinct personalities, and it’s fun to see them react to your actions in the world – even when they are scolding you for spending too much.

Starfield players are flying solo to avoid Constellation crew’s constant complaints BethesdaStarfield fans are choosing to travel solo rather than pair up with Constellation crew members who are reminding players of unbearable coworkers. Bethesda’s Starfield offers players the opportunity to explore space and even form romantic relationships with their crew members. While some are sharing the love by marrying two companions simultaneously, others are doing all they can to avoid some of these pesky companions. One Starfield player shared their frustrations with the crew members of Constellation in a lengthy Reddit post, writing, “I made a ship big enough to travel with the whole crew, but I immediately regretted it.” “Sarah just lectures everyone all the time, and the only time anybody said anything else it was them wanting a free therapy session or wanting to complain about whatever thing I just did that they disagree with.” The player’s solution? Opting for solo adventures or teaming up with Vasco, the robot companion, to avoid what they humorously dubbed as “The Attack of the Space Karen” and “The Under-Achiever Express.” The player even compared members of the Constellation crew with typical workplace roles, writing, “Sarah is like the HR person that complains about everything. Always vigilant to find a chance to ruin the fun or lecture somebody from her high horse.” They didn’t stop there, comparing other crew members to various office stereotypes, from the obedient coworker to the absentee one coasting on family connections. Many other Starfield fans agreed with the player and shared their own experiences and strategies for dealing with the Constellation crew. One player wrote, “I disliked Sarah so I made an outpost on a desolate moon called ‘Sarah’s Penance’ and stranded her on it.” However, amid the sea of complaints, one Constellation member did find some love. Walter Stroud, described by the original poster as the “typical geriatric CEO,” received praise from players. “I actually really like Walter. Which is saying something since he’s a billionaire. Yes, he’s a billionaire. But he just loves spaceships, exploring, and his wife. That’s sweet,” one player wrote. Whether it’s the Constellation crew members’ constant complaints or how they continually dwell on their exes, it seems that Starfield players are growing tired of these familiar faces.

Starfield player designs “ridiculous” Empire State Building spaceship ESBNYCA Starfield player has amazed the community by revealing their impressive spaceship designed to look like the Empire State Building which they’ve named the Empire Space Building. The Ship Builder is one of the most popular features in Starfield. That’s no surprise as it lets players create some of the craziest spaceships. Be it a slice of cheese, Transformers, or even Gen 1 Pokemon there’s really no limit to what players can pilot. The best part is that ship designs will only get better once Starfield’s modding community gets more involved. We’ve seen plenty of both incredible and hilarious designs but this latest ship created to look just like the Empire State Building might be the most insane yet. Empire State Building ship amazes Starfield fans A Starfield fan posted on Reddit showing off their unique spaceship designed to look just like the Empire State Building. Dubbed the Empire Space Building, this enormous spacecraft goes beyond all limits. The creator described it as a “flying 37 story building,” and admitted that it was barely able to get airborne as Starfield suffered frame drops and crashes whenever it took off. One fan was amazed by the creation: “Hands down my favourite ship I’ve seen so far, how ridiculous is this. Can you walk all the way through it,” to which OP confessed they had never tried, fearful doing so would cause issues. “I NEED to see a video of this thing taking off. I want to see a giant building fly into the sky from New Atlantis,” another player responded but the ship’s creator was once again not keen to test the waters. Others joked about the potential to accidentally board instead of going straight to the cockpit as well as just how unbearable the ladders on this colossus would be. Those looking to recreate the Empire Space Building are sadly out of luck. The original creator shut down the idea of making a tutorial because of how unstable it is and it requires modding as the ship greatly violates the maximum height limit.

Starfield launch breaks the record for highest number of Game Pass subscribers in a day BethesdaMicrosoft has revealed that, thanks to their newest exclusive title Starfield, the record for the number of Game Pass subscribers in a single day has been broken during the launch of the new intergalactic exploration experience. One of the biggest releases of 2023 has been Starfield. Despite Microsoft and Xbox being heavily scrutinized for their lack of first-party exclusive titles, their latest game, Starfield, has been a massive hit for the brand. Starfield is a giant space exploration game, allowing players to build their own ship, traverse through uncharted worlds and come face to face with the lifeforms and unique nature of each. The Bethesda title serves as a brand new IP for the gaming company, which is best known for The Elder Scrolls franchise and Fallout series. However, the newest financial report from Microsoft reveals that Starfield has potentially played a major role in booting Game Pass subscribers. The new details reveal that the Microsoft subscription service just broke its record for the highest number of new subscribers in a single day. What day was this, you ask? The official launch day for Starfield on Game Pass. Given that the game has already surpassed over 6 million players, this news isn’t too surprising. Further reports on social media added that “Satya Nadella announces on the Microsoft Earnings Call that Starfield launch generated the highest single day ad of Game Pass Subscribers in the history of the service.” Starfield has been met by near-universal praise both critically and commercially. While some have issues with the game’s basic combat mechanics and limitations on exploration and customization, there is no denying that the game has been a massive hit for Microsoft. And after this new report indicating that Game Pass has broken a new record, Microsoft will likely continue their plans to release their big exclusives on Game Pass as a way to further boost the service. For all the latest gaming news and updates, be sure to check out Dexerto’s full coverage here.

Starfield fans spot ominous hidden message in gameplay trailer Eagle-eyed fans stumbled across an ominous message hidden in the city known as Neon while rewatching Starfield’s gameplay reveal trailer. Bethesda Game Studios unveiled the first look at Starfield gameplay earlier this month during the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase. The lengthy gameplay presentation ran approximately 15 minutes in length, offering viewers a glimpse at everything from exploration and gunplay to character customization and crafting. Developers also confirmed the massive role-playing experience will boast upwards of 1,000 explorable planets across 100 systems. It stands to reason that quite a few of these locations will play host to formidable threats. Starfield’s gameplay on Neon hides an eerie message Since Bethesda unleashed the gameplay preview, Starfield fans have combed every inch of footage looking for clues. Reddit user DapperNurd shared several interesting finds, including pieces of art and graffiti that stood out. One bit of graffiti in the city of Neon seems particularly ominous. The scribbled art in question reads, “They Are Coming,” with a thick white circle drawn around the words. Twitter user Odah – Ladders managed to get a better shot of the warning sign: On Neon you can see a very interesting graffity… “”They are coming”” who…is coming? #Starfield pic.twitter.com/OazU7OWtYz — Odahfield (@Odah_SFA) June 16, 2022 Of course, the “They” in the message above could refer to almost anyone in the world of Starfield. Perhaps it’s a seedy corporation, a mysterious alien menace, or some destructive crime syndicate. Regardless of who or what the graffiti references, this attention to detail makes it seem as though Starfield players will have plenty to explore upon setting foot on Neon and the game’s countless other locations. And the wait for the experience itself is slowly coming to an end. Though it originally boasted a November 2022 release date, Starfield will now launch on PC and Xbox platforms on an unspecified date in 2023.

Starfield gameplay reveals character creation, ship combat & over 1000 planets to explore BethesdaSince it was first teased in 2018, fans of Bethesda games have eagerly awaited a glimpse of Starfield gameplay. Luckily, the Xbox Games Show 2022 treated player to an extended gameplay preview after a nearly four-year wait. Legendary game creators behind the Fallout and Skyrim series are taking their ground-breaking RPGs to space with Starfield. The new IP was teased in 2018, and Bethesda finally gave players an extended look at gameplay during the Xbox Games Show 2022. Head of Bethesda Todd Howard introduced the game as the studio’s “most ambitious game to date.” He also claimed that players can “be who they want and go where they want” but this time, in space. The first look at gameplay featured gunplay, story elements, character creation, and a few of the nasty space creatures you’ll find during your adventure. Starfield gameplay shows off combat on foot and in space The Starfield gameplay reveal started off with the player touching down on the moon of Crete in the year 2330. Players exited their ship alongside a droid into a desolate environment sparsely populated by plants and unsettling alien lifeforms. A few moments later, the player approached a research lab drawing their weapon before facing the space pirates inside. This sequence showcased Starfield’s gunplay as the player easily took down the pirates with an SMG and a few grenades. But the real gem of the trailer was the space combat. Players can freely pilot their ships in space picking fights with other galactic travelers. But there’s more to these interstellar dogfights than dealing blindly firing at spacecraft. Players can focus their fire on different parts of their opponent’s ship taking out specific systems like thrusters or weapons. There are also different weapons that can be equipped to spice up these dog fights. Character creation and custom ships Bethesda is often known for its limitless character creators, and Howard claims Starfield contains the studio’s most flexible character creation system yet. It allows players to customize every element of their character from their facial structure, body shape, and even the way they walk. There’s also a long list of character backgrounds to choose from, each one granting three starting skills. These backgrounds also open new dialogue options in certain scenarios. As well, players can build their own bases, modify weapons, and don clothing that outwardly expresses the player’s personality. But a focal point of the creativity Starfield allots its players was the ability to build your own spaceship. This system allows the player to completely customize the look and layout of the ship, both inside and out. And players even have the ability to handpick their own crew to run their ship. The world of Starfield is massive To end the show, Todd Howard showed players just how big Starfield actually is. He showed the planet Jemison which features a large city called New Atlantis. But he also explained how players could land anywhere on the planet to freely explore its surface. He explained that players can land on and explore every planet in every system that Starfield has to offer. How many planets are in Starfield you might ask? Players can explore over 1,000 planets across 100 different systems. These aren’t all going to be highly-populated planets, however. Some will be barren, resource-heavy ice balls while others flourish with both flora and fauna. Despite the extensive look at gameplay, players won’t be able to explore the galaxy until 2023. Starfield launches on Xbox consoles and PC next year and will be available on Xbox Game Pass at launch.

Elder Scrolls fans find something very familiar in Starfield gameplay BethesdaWhile pouring over Starfield’s gameplay reveal trailer, eagle-eyed Elder Scrolls fans spotted some similarities between the sci-fi RPG and Elder Scrolls 6’s lone teaser. Bethesda Softworks unleashed a brief teaser trailer for Elder Scrolls 6 during E3 2018. Details about the project remain scant, however. Developer Bethesda Game Studios has geared much of its focus towards wrapping up Starfield in recent years. And the fruits of such labor will finally come to bear sometime in 2023, though the title previously boasted a November 2022 due date. Bethesda and Xbox unveiled more of the spacefaring adventure during their joint showcase over the weekend to the delight of many. The gameplay reveal came complete with a look at shooting mechanics, traversal, and explorations. Starfield gameplay reveal features Elder Scrolls similarities Perceptive onlookers noticed something else during Starfield’s gameplay preview – a planet whose terrain seems to bear a lot in common with the only location shown for Elder Scrolls 6 (above). Reddit user Quasimofo170 called attention to the similarities on the Starfield subreddit, sharing a screenshot of mountainous Starfield terrain that looks as though it belongs in the Elder Scrolls teaser. Other Redditors said they, too, spotted the uncanny resemblance. And many believe it could be purposeful, perhaps a quick nod to another work-in-progress at Bethesda Game Studios. Starfield’s confirmed 1,000 explorable planets open the door for myriad possibilities in terms of location design. As such, a Tamriel-inspired locale in the upcoming role-playing title doesn’t seem too farfetched. In addition to a potential Elder Scrolls 6 Easter egg, the recent Starfield preview teased the title’s character customization, lock-picking mechanics, and resource mining. Glimpses of the third-person shooting gameplay were also on display, offering a quick look at how the action will unfold when things get hairy.

Starfield gameplay details revealed: Weapons, planets and alien minigames BethesdaStarfield was Bethesda’s centerpiece during the Xbox E3 2021 show, but the only gripe fans had was the lack of gameplay information. Lucky for them, Todd Howard has since revealed more hints about how it will work. Starfield is set for a November 2022 release date. – Microsoft’s joint E3 2021 press conference with Bethesda did not reveal any gameplay. – New Todd Howard interview dives deeper into gameplay and what to expect from their new world. – This is a never-before-seen world that Bethesda have created, but what do we know? We know that it’s going to be set in space – that’s been crystal clear from the get-go – but we’ve also been told the game will be a shooter, with one gun shown off in the conference on June 13. It remains nameless, for now. It had been described as a first-person shooter in the past, though Bethesda’s executive producer Todd Howard has suggested there will be more flexibility than first thought. Starfield will be first-person and third-person During an exclusive interview with the Telegraph, a UK-based newspaper, the man behind Morrowind, Oblivion, and Skyrim spilled more details on Starfield. The article is under a paywall, so not every fan looking forward to the game’s launch may have seen it. He said: “I will say this: it is a first-person and third-person game, like our other ones. We like that style of gameplay. First-person for us is still our prime way of playing. So you can see the world and touch all those things. “It’s also a bit more hardcore of a role-playing game than we’ve done. It’s got some really great character systems – choosing your background, things like that. We’re going back to some things that we used to do in games long ago that we felt have really let players express the character they want to be. So I think when you see it being played, you would recognize it as something we made.” Cities and alien minigames Players of Skyrim and Fallout will be wondering how big this new installment is, and whether or not it stacks up – in terms of size. He told the Telegraph that while the team doesn’t want to set “crazy expectations”, the developers working on the project are designing cities in a similar way to previously. “It’s very big, yeah. People are still playing Skyrim and we have learned from that,” Todd said. “We spent more time building [Starfield] to be played for a long time, if you so chose that you just wanted to keep playing it. It’s got some more hooks in it for that, that we added later to a game like Skyrim… while still making sure that somebody who just wants to play it, and go through the main quests and “win”, or feel they’ve accomplished something large is doable.” He also confirmed there will be multiple planets in the Starfield solar system, and that alien races (you heard that right) will be possible in some terrains. Star Wars comparisons and Starfield weapons Taking on a space theme draws obvious comparisons to other popular franchises in the sci-fi genre, such as Star Wars and Star Trek. However, the Bethesda chief isn’t ready to make comparisons. “This isn’t Star Wars, or Star Trek, it’s kind of its own thing – and I think as we show more, hopefully, it’ll carve out its own niche. “So if you look at the ship – you can probably design a much sleeker ship 300 years in the future, right? But this has touchstones back to the current space program. So in your mind, you can draw this line between them. Like there are various guns the player has, and other weapons and things like that… but the more exotic ones feel exotic in the reality of the game versus not.” There’s only been one weapon revealed in the Starfield trailers, as of June 2021, and players may be wondering how they work in space. After all, it is a huge vacuum. Howard added: “I won’t go too deep into it but we did find ways to do that where you believed it in the reality of Starfield. So, yes, we have lasers. We have lasers in a vacuum [laughs]. And there is sound in a vacuum as well. So we found some ways that I won’t go into right now to make it so the player and us have the ability to do those things. But that took a little time.” Clearly, there’s going to be plenty for players to sink their teeth into and in future gameplay showcases, we should be able to explore this new world even deeper. Starfield is set for a November 11, 2022 release date – and will be exclusive to Xbox and PC platforms.

Starfield gameplay: All trailers, screenshots & features released so far BethesdaThe much anticipated upcoming Bethesda title Starfield was finally given a big update at the recent Xbox and Bethesda 2022 showcase, with gameplay footage, trailers, and more images now circulating about the game than ever before. If you were excited about No Man’s Sky on release, Starfield should be right up your alley. First announced way back in 2018, Starfield is a brand new IP from Bethesda, a game studio known for its worldbuilding and expansive gaming experiences such as the Fallout series and The Elder Scrolls franchise. While it was originally given a November 2022 release date, it has since been pushed back to early 2023. However, players have been given glimpses at early gameplay through trailers, screenshots, and features. Here’s what we know so far. Starfield trailers Prior to July 2022’s Xbox and Bethesda showcase, not much footage had really been shown about Starfield. There was an initial announcement trailer in 2018 that only really gave away the title, and a small teaser trailer in 2021 again didn’t reveal much else. However, the latest showcase made up for the lack of updates in a big way. Gamers were treated to an extensive fifteen minutes of footage that showed off some impressive gameplay as well as giving gamers some insight into the plot of the game. The footage opens with some space exploration, taking place on Anselon’s moon Kreet. The gameplay shows off some impressive and immersive visuals. While Kreet itself appears to be quite a barren and desolate area to explore, gameplay footage later on shows off more vibrant and interactive areas to explore. The opening moments of the story trailer is a cinematic of the player’s ship arriving into the Capital City of New Atlantis. A voiceover from an unnamed character explains the existence of a series of artifacts in the galaxy that appear to have some level of power and secrets to uncover. This character appears to belong to a group called the Constellation, the last group of space explorers. From there, the trailer cuts to different moments and conversations, giving gamers a taste of the larger world to discover and the different factions that exist within it. Starfield screenshots The screenshots for Starfield show off an impressive variety in the types of planets and areas you’ll be able to explore. Between deserts, jungles, and even cyberpunk-looking cities, it seems as though developer Bethesda is going all in to make this galaxy as expansive and diverse as possible. Starfield features From what has been seen so far, Starfield seems to include all the classic features of a Bethesda game with added sci-fi elements and space exploration, something new and fresh from the developers. Customization has always been a strong suit for Bethesda and it appears as though they won’t be holding back when it comes to Starfield. Of course, gamers will be able to fully customize their character’s look but also their background skills and traits. There will also be a skill level up system that will be broken down into particular categories. These categories are physical, social, combat, science and tech abilities. Players will also be able to build and establish outposts, the layout and location of these safe houses completely up to each individual player. Characters met during adventures can also be hired to work at these locations to help maintain them. Arguably the most exciting feature that has been revealed is that players will have the ability to create their own unique spaceship essentially from scratch. From the ship’s design to its crew, gamers will be able to fully deck out their ship how they please.

Starfield fans complain an important omission “completely ruins immersion” BethesdaStarfield is a certified hit whether you love it or hate it but one thing has even people who love the game conceding some points. The lack of furry friends has taken some people out of the game and not for the reason you’d think. Starfield is keeping the staff at Dexerto pretty busy and while we’re enjoying our time with it, it’s not without its problems. Whether it’s the performance issues on PC or the universally disturbing smiles of its NPCs, the immersion can be a little inconsistent. While these problems are quite pronounced, it’s the well-documented lack of dogs in Starfield that has fans scratching their heads (and cats but whatever). Not just because everyone wants to pat one either. Reddit user u/Hbimajorv calls the absence of these pets “Hands down the most unrealistic thing about Starfield.” Sounds like a bit of a weird hang-up but after hearing the primary argument we’ve got to admit, they’re kind of onto something. Starfield explains away its lack of dogs via an item description for a chocolate bar that claims certain breeds of canine are extinct. Fans have taken this and extrapolated that the lack of any cat and/or dog in the game means they all went extinct. Herein lies the crux of u/Hbimajorv’s claim that it’s the most unrealistic part of Starfield. Why? Because we would have saved them. Right? “Humans may absolutely loathe each other but the lengths that they will go for their pets, hell even strays, is unparalleled,” u/Hbimajorv explained. Fans in the comments firmly agreed. “When I learned that pets were extinct in the Starfield universe it completely ruined the immersion for me,” one user said. “You’re 100% right about this,” replied another. We’d certainly give all the credits in the galaxy to save dogs from extinction and given the history of canines in space, the omission feels a little odd. Cats are a different story though. Early marketing material featuring cats had some fans speculating that our feline friends may have been cut content. They don’t have a chocolate bar dedicated to them after all. While we can’t tell you how to get a dog in Starfield, we can certainly let you know how to get the best ships and weapons. For other Starfield tips, check out our guides for the game below. Starfield all main story missions | All skills | All factions | All console commands | All difficulty levels explained | All achievements | All skill books | Level cap | How to remove bounty | How to fast travel | Easy XP | Easy credits | Best traits | How to get a house | How to mod weapons and equipment | How to assign your crew | How to add DLSS | How to pick locks | How to customize ship | How to dock ship | Where to sell items | Best movies like Starfield

Starfield’s ESRB rating confirms wild romances, violent combat and drugs Bethesda SoftworksThe age rating for Starfield is now live, with the ESRB description confirming wild romances, in-universe drugs, and violent combat encounters. For the most part, Bethesda has kept a tight lid on all things Starfield-related for quite some time. That will soon come to an end, though. To the delight of prospective players, Bethesda and Microsoft plan to host a Starfield Direct in just a few weeks. The broadcast will air on Sunday, June 11 after the Xbox Games Showcase ends. It’s likely the Direct will shed more light on combat, romances, and other aspects of the role-playing experience. Fortunately, the game’s ESRB rating has at least confirmed what players can expect from the new IP. The ESRB rating for Starfield unveils a host of fresh details The ESRB has posted its rating and description for Bethesda Game Studios’ upcoming space-set adventure. Notably, Starfield will launch with a “Mature” rating due to the appearances of “Blood, strong language, suggestive themes, use of drugs, [and] violence.” The Rating Summary notes that the “fast-paced combat” may result in instances of blood-spatter effects, explosions, and cries of pain. Things may get a little spicy after the player character shares a bed with romantic partners, as well. For instance, post-sex dialogue may include the following lines: “Life is a sexually transmitted disease that’s a hundred percent fatal,” or “I’m all for getting a little wild, but next time let’s try it without the jetpacks.” In addition, the RPG will feature a fictional drug, Aurora that players can access by purchasing it from merchants or stealing. Most interesting is that the description for the ESRB rating seems to contradict Starfield details previously shared by Australia’s classification board. The Australian Classification still features a listing where sex is marked in the “None” column. The ESRB description confirms characters will engage in pillow talk after some form of intimacy. But it’s possible Starfield will cut to black for whatever intimate scene takes place, then pick things back up in time for the lovers to exchange funny pieces of dialogue afterward. Perhaps Bethesda Game Studios will clarify all of the above and more when Starfield Direct airs in June.

Starfield early access: Start date & how to get BethesdaStarfield‘s early access period has begun and if you’re wondering how you can get your hands on the RPG before its official launch, we’ve got everything you need to know right here. Bethesda’s latest project has finally landed in early access. With plenty of planets to visit, and ships to customize, it’s no wonder players worldwide are already suiting up for their space adventures in Starfield. While the game officially launches on September 6, 2023, there is a way to play up to 5 days early, so if you’re particularly eager to start exploring the big, vast universe, it could be the option for you. Here’s everything you need to know about Starfield’s early access period. How to play Starfield early access To gain access to Starfield early access, potential players will need to buy one of Starfield’s special editions that features the early access bonus. If you’re unsure which versions come with early access, here’s a quick look at the viable options for you to consider: Starfield Premium Edition – Starfield Premium Edition Upgrade – Starfield Constellation Edition – Pre-purchasing any of these Starfield editions will grant the early access that you’re looking for! Starfield early access start date Early access for Starfield commences on September 1, 2023. It’s been confirmed that anyone who gets their hands on early access will be able to download and enjoy the game a full five days before the game’s full launch on September 6, 2023. Using this information, it’s easy to work out that this will make September 1 the early access launch day for the game. So, if you’re keen to start your planet-hopping sooner than most, you’ll want to secure yourself early access ASAP. Keep up to date with all the latest Starfield news right here with our informative and helpful content: Starfield all main story missions | All skills | All factions | All console commands | All romance options | All achievements | Level cap | How to remove bounty | How to fast travel | Easy XP | Easy credits | Best traits | How to get a house | Is Starfield on PS5? | Is Starfield on Nintendo Switch? | How to add DLSS | How to pick locks | How to customize ship | Starfield difficulty settings explained