Following its Xbox Game Preview release this past April, Towerborne is now available on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, Steam, PlayStation 5, Game Pass (Premium and Ultimate), is handheld verified and supports Xbox Play Anywhere.
From the creators at Stoic, Towerborneis a cooperative, side‑scrolling action RPG brawler that blends fast, satisfying combat with deep customization and a hopeful, heroic tone. Venture across a crumbling world, uncover the mysteries of the City of Numbers, and fight back the corruption threatening humanity—solo or alongside friends.
The full game launch delivers:
A complete story‑driven campaign
New biomes, enemies, and bosses
Offline story play with optional online co‑op
Hundreds of missions, bounties, and side quests
A premium, one‑time purchase experience
Check out our last Xbox Wire post from Stoic’s CEO & President Trisha Stouffer for more information on what’s gone into this full game update.
As a thank you for their great support, Towerborne Founders will also get a special treat at launch with Day 1 access to unlock Brutal Mode — the ultimate endgame challenge, deadlier AI, elite Vanguard enemies, harsher encounters, and a less forgiving battlefield built to test true combat mastery.
High risk, high reward, unlock after completing the Campaign to earn increased loot and prove your build, skill, and execution against the game’s toughest fights.
Brutal from scratch is the ultimate proving ground! Start a new save, re-earn gear and skills, and fight through the full campaign under Brutal rules. Built for players chasing peak mastery, every victory reflects smart builds, sharp execution, and true command of the combat system.
Whether you’re returning from Early Access or stepping into the Belfry for the first time, now is the perfect time to become an Ace.
Towerborne is now available on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, Steam, PlayStation 5, Game Pass (Premium and Ultimate), is handheld verified and supports Xbox Play Anywhere.
Towerborne
Xbox Game Studios
☆☆☆☆☆ 221
★★★★★
PC Game Pass
Xbox Game Pass
Towerborne is an exciting side-scrolling Action RPG Brawler. Rise again as an Ace, an immortal warrior reborn to defend the Belfry against the darkness beyond its walls. Journey across a crumbling world, uncover the mystery of the fallen City of Numbers, and push back the corruption threatening humanity’s survival.
Master the Mayhem
Experience classic combo-based brawler combat combined with a modern RPG. Customize your Ace with powerful gear, experiment with diverse combat styles, and refine your skills through relentless battles. Every fight makes you stronger, every victory opens new strategies, and every weapon reshapes your journey.
Fight Your Way
Whether you want quick pick-up-and-play sessions or intricate systems to master, Towerborne lets you choose your play style. Its fast-paced, responsive combat rewards timing and creativity, making every encounter feel fresh and challenging as you grow stronger.
Grow Stronger Together
Join forces with up to three other Aces* or venture solo with Umbra lending unique abilities to your side. Teamwork amplifies the chaos and the thrill, where synergy and strategy make the difference between victory and defeat. Rally together to fight as one.
Take an Unforgettable Journey
Towerborne expands beyond combat with a compelling Story Campaign designed to spark excitement and fuel unstoppable action. For players who crave more than battles, Towerborne’s full story campaign brings to life the lore, characters, and stakes of the Belfry’s survival. Explore, progress, and uncover the world at your own pace and take your Ace’s journey offline then reconnect online to fight alongside friends without missing a beat.
The Living Population of NPCs is a fascinating addition – what does that offer the player?
Fulton: The Living Population is our cast of over 1,000 NPCs, each with roles, personalities and routines. That whole concept of persistent NPCs, each of whom is unique in a whole bunch of ways that you can go and interact with and mess about with, is incredibly complex.
When you start working on it, you realize that every settlement has to have enough houses with enough beds, for everyone in the settlement to go and sleep in at the end of the day. It was a fun day when we explained that particular requirement to our environment art team [laughs], but they rose to the challenge like they do with everything.
In games, you don’t normally have to connect the dots quite so precisely. You know, you’re just building a nice-looking town. But in Fable it also has to be a functional town.
As an example, early in development we couldn’t work out why one town was so empty during the day. And when we zoomed out into debug mode, it was because NPCs were getting up to go to work, but they lived too far away from their jobs. So, they started walking to work, but didn’t get there before their schedule told them to turn around to go back to bed.
It’s required a lot of working through, but it pays off because, honestly, as you play the game, you get to know the names of the individual NPCs. You get to know what they like, what they’re looking for in a partner, where they live, where they work, all that kind of cool stuff. It’s an extra dimension to traditional NPCs.
Does the Living Population tie into the main quest?
Fulton: Tying the main quest and the Living Population together in a really overt way didn’t seem like the right way to go, so we’ve deliberately linked them in the lightest possible fashion. You know, there are some times when characters in the main quest will reference your reputations, or the things you’ve done previously – but we never want to force a player to have to go and interact with those things in order to progress the main quest.
We know there are some players – we call them ‘Bards’ – who are just going to play through the main story. They’re going to start at the start, and they’re going to get to the end, and that’s going to be their experience. That’s entirely fine, that’s a totally respectable way to play.
But there are some players, who we call ‘Architects’, who we know are going to go and mess around with the systems and just see where they can push them, see what they can achieve with it, and we want them to have the freedom to do that at any point as well.
James Ohlen joined Wizards of the Coast back in 2019 after a 22-year stint at BioWare to create a new IP for the Hasbro-owned tabletop gaming company. Six years later, after cofounding Archetype Entertainment to ship a very Mass Effect-looking RPG called Exodus, he’ll no longer be head of the studio when the game eventually ships in 2027.
“At this stage, James felt his work on the game was complete and that the polishing and tuning were in great hands with the team,” Hasbro VP of Communications Abby Hodes told Bloomberg in a statement. She added that Ohlen asked to “shift his creative focus” and would remain a consultant for the company on tabletop gaming.
This is James Ohlen. He was the lead designer for Baldur’s Gate 1 & 2, Dragon Age: Origins, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and now he’s making EXODUS.
He has been referred to as the “godfather of Bioware design”. Without James, you wouldn’t have Baldur’s Gate 3 or any of… pic.twitter.com/5RwfX4GAGN
Updated with a new trailer during last week’s Game Awards 2025 showcase, Exodus touts all of the things fans loved about Mass Effect, including bespoke relationships with NPCs, but with a new time dilation twist where the impact of choices players make will show up when they return to past locations decades or even centuries in the future. It’s an expensive-looking game from a brand new studio that began work during the pandemic, which might be part of why the delayed project is still a couple of years from launching.
But Exodus isn’t just the potential start of a new franchise, it’s an entire world that Hasbro wants to use as a springboard for other products. Wizards released an ExodusTTRPG book earlier this year and would no doubt love to look at trading card and TV spin-offs if the game eventually becomes a Clair Obscur: Expedition 33-like hit.
Bloomberg also reports that Ohlen stepping down comes alongside Blizzard veteran and Dreamhaven co-founder Paul Della Bitta becoming head of Wizards’ Digital Ventures division underneath fellow Blizzard veteran John Hight. Plenty of other BioWare veterans still remain at Archetype, including Chad Robertson and Drew Karpyshyn.
Divinity was one of the biggest reveals at the Game Awards 2025. Hell, there was an entire demonic statue sitting in the desert for over a week to get people hyped. Actors were paid to sit in the front row of the showcase and get lifted into the air on pulleys to introduce the game’s first trailer. But what is it and why should you care? Here’s the little we know so far about Larian Studios’ next major RPG.
What is Divinity?
It’s a new game from Larian Studios, most famous for the acclaimed 2023 hit RPG Baldur’s Gate 3. Like that one, Divinity is also an RPG. Unlike that one, Divinity takes place in Larian’s own made-up fantasy universe instead of Dungeons & Dragons‘ Forgotten Realms. Larian’s land of Rivellon is still inhabited by humans, elves, dwarves, and so on, though it has some peoples you won’t find in BG3 too, and it still revolves around magic and demonic forces, but there are seven gods and more religious overtones. It started in 2002 with the studio’s first fantasy RPG, Divine Divinity.
“The gods are silent. Rivellon bleeds. New powers stir.” That’s the tagline for the new Divinity, which Larian promises will be its “most ambitious title yet” and even larger than Baldur’s Gate 3. It was revealed at The Game Awards 2025 with a massive statue and a gnarly cinematic trailer that suggests the world of Divinity may be on the verge of succumbing to some truly wicked hellspawn.
Wait, is this Divinity: Original Sin 3?
No, it ain’t. While fans of that turn-based sub-series would love to see Larian go back to that solid foundation, the company’s head of publishing was very clear that this isn’t a direct sequel. “There aren’t currently any plans for a new Divinity Original Sin 3 game but once we are ready to show what we’ve been working on we will,” Michael Douse wrote on X prior to Divinity‘s announcement. But Larian did name-check both Original Sin games in its press release, saying fans of those will have a better understanding of this new game’s world.
Here’s how director Swen Vincke put it in the announcement: “Despite our long history with the series, this is our first game entitled ‘Divinity.’ We’re ready to bring everything we’ve done previously into one place. This marks the beginning of something with more breadth, depth, and intimacy than anything we’ve created before. We’ve been building toward this moment ever since we took our fate into our own hands. This is the Divinity we’ve always wanted to make and you’re going to have loads of fun with it.”
Will Divinity be turn-based?
That’s one of the great debates raging among fans as alleged rumors circulate that Divinity might not be turn-based. That would be a big departure from Larian’s last decade of projects which have all been that way. Back in the beginning, however, the Divinity franchise was a real-time action series that played like Diablo. It’s not hard to see Larian going back to that, especially if Divinity is operating on a grander scale than past projects. Maybe it’ll be third-person action more in the vein of modern Dragon Age? Still, the studio has a history of sticking to what works and iterating from there. If I had to bet money, I’d say it’s probably still turn-based.
Is that old guy getting Wicker Man’d in the trailer important?
Larian Studios
Probably! Fans on the Divinity subreddit have been debating who it might be. One theory is that it’s a character called Lucian who’s the canonical hero for the original Divine Divinity, eventually getting godly powers and being worshiped. He also adopts a child named Damian who ends up being a vessel for demonic entities. Here’s one fan’s theory:
“The implication of this trailer seems to be that the people of Rivellon stopped worshipping the dead gods and committed, besides the seven deadly sins, the Original Sin of killing the powerless Lucian, which causes the Hellstone to spawn, as the last remnants of the gods and Source were destroyed that way.”
Much of this interpretation depends on where in the existing timeline the new Divinity takes place. Is it after Original Sin 2 or a prequel to the entire franchise? Or maybe somewhere in the middle? Whoever is being tortured in the game’s first trailer, it seems clear that all is not well in Rivellon and the demons are coming to take over.
When is Divinity coming out?
There’s no release date yet. Not even a release window or a whisper of one. Divinity: Original Sin II was made in three years. Baldur’s Gate 3 took six. A lot will depend on whether this is the only game Larian has in production or it’s working on something else alongside it. Either way, we probably won’t see it out in the wild until 2027 or beyond.
What platforms will Divinity launch on?
PC seems like a safe bet. Maybe even an Early Access launch like Larian did with Baldur’s Gate 3. It could be far enough away to be a cross-gen console release on both PlayStation 5 and PS6. Same for Xbox. Hopefully it runs well on PC handhelds and Valve’s Steam Machine. Maybe it’ll even come to Switch 2? Larian’s only other game to launch on a Nintendo platform was Divinity: Original Sin II.
The critically acclaimed RPG is coming January 22, 2026 to Xbox Series X|S and Xbox PC via the Microsoft Store.
Experience the story that changed gaming forever in a bold new way.
Step into Midgar – one of the most immersive and iconic videogame settings of all time.
Final Fantasy Remake Intergrade is coming to Xbox on January 22, 2026!
For many fans this is amazing news, but we realise there will be many players who have never experienced the world of Final Fantasy VII before. You’ve probably heard of the game, but you may be wondering: why is this such a big deal?
We will explain, but before we can talk about Final Fantasy Remake, we must discuss the legendary game that came before.
What is Final Fantasy VII?
1997 saw the release of a very special game: Final Fantasy VII. This RPG wasn’t just a critical and commercial hit – it was a literal gamechanger. Many credit it with popularizing the Japanese RPG across the West, especially since it was the first mainline Final Fantasy game to release outside of Japan or North America. For many players it was the first JRPG they ever played.
And what a place to start! Final Fantasy VII still stands as one of the greatest games in the genre. It had it all – an amazing story, brilliant command-based combat, incredible production values, unforgettable soundtrack and some of the most iconic characters in gaming. Even people who have never played the game will recognize the likes of Cloud and Sephiroth.
Final Fantasy VII Remake is the first game in a trilogy of full-length RPGs that reimagine this beloved game at a scale rarely seen in gaming. It offers an even deeper story, more insight into the characters and setting, new scenarios not featured in the original game, a fast-paced, modern combat system, an incredible soundtrack, and far more beyond.
If you’ve never experienced Final Fantasy VII before, it’s an amazing way to experience the story and characters that changed gaming forever. If you did play Final Fantasy VII the first time round, you’ll get to experience the world and its characters in a brand-new way.
Director Naoki Hamaguchi explains it best: “Our goal with Final Fantasy VII Remake was to capture everything that made the original game so special, but bring it up to date with the latest technology so that new players could be just as excited as players of the original game were when that released.
“For new players, this is where the story of Final Fantasy VII begins. If you’ve seen characters such as Cloud or Sephiroth in other games, and wondered where their story started, this is the game.”
The Story That Changed Gaming Forever
But what’s so memorable about that story? Well, here’s the basic setup.
The game takes place in Midgar – an industrial city controlled by the Shinra Electric Power Company. This immoral organisation uses massive reactors to suck mako from the planet – a substance used as a power source to give people comfortable lives, power the company’s weapons of war and more.
But mako is also the lifeblood of the planet, and the more Shinra uses, the more it harms the world.
The story begins when mercenary Cloud Strife joins the Shinra resistance group Avalanche on a mission to sabotage one of these planet-harming reactors. This dangerous mission sets off a chain of events that will change him and the city forever – and put him face to face with an enemy long thought dead: the sinister Sephiroth.
It’s a thrilling adventure, full of surprises that we don’t want to ruin here. But what really makes it stand out are the characters. The main cast of Cloud, Barret, Tifa and Aerith are some of the most beloved in gaming, and Final Fantasy VII Remake goes deeper into their personalities than ever before.
Even side characters get richer, more layered personalities – by the end of the game you’ll think of them as friends.
An Iconic Setting
Then there’s Midgar – the game’s iconic setting. It’s a cliché to say the city is like a character in its own right but… well, Midgar is like a character in its own right.
…what? Sometimes clichés can be right.
Known as the ‘City of Mako’, it’s a vast circular metropolis comprised of a top plate where the more well-to-do residents and Shinra employees live, and slums beneath which are… less pleasant.
Because of the top plate covering the sky, the people in the slums are forced to rely on artificial suns for light. Combined with the lifeless earth caused by the mako-sucking reactors, and mutated fiends that roam the wastelands between sectors, it’s a hard life for many who live there, but there’s life and community too.
It was an instantly memorable setting for the original game’s opening act, but Final Fantasy VII Remake brings Midgar to life like never before. With a full-length adventure set in this city, you get to really explore each area, get to know its people, and discover whole new parts of the city that weren’t in the original adventure.
Hamaguchi says that it was important that this city didn’t just look good – it also felt like a believable place: “At the start of development, the game designers and scenario writers created documents that detailed the setting and the world, including the economic status of the different regions.
This information was invaluable in helping us define which elements of the environment could be shared across areas, and which should be region-specific – right down to the ratio of text on the posters and the look and feel of the inhabitants in those areas!”
21st Century Combat
As you explore the city, you’ll encounter numerous threats – from snarling fiends to Shinra’s ample army of troopers and war machines.
Ironically, this is a good thing because it means there’s plenty of opportunities to battle – and Final Fantasy VII Remake has one of the best combat systems out there. It’s a hybrid system that combines elements of the original game with fast-paced action gameplay.
Here’s how it works: you attack, block and dodge in real time and as you do so, you’ll fill your ‘ATB’ gauge. Once it’s full, you can press a button to slow down the action and select a command for your fighter or their allies to carry out. Alternatively, you can set moves to shortcuts to unleash them without slowing down the action. It makes for fast-paced, exciting battles where skill and strategic thinking are both rewarded.
“We intentionally designed the game to be welcoming to all types of players – if you’re a fan of action games, or prefer something more tactical, there are different control modes that allow the game to be played to your preference,” Hamaguchi adds.
There are four playable characters (five including the extra episode’, and you can switch between party members instantly. Each one has their own very distinct playstyle, from Cloud’s quick and stylish swordplay, Tifa’s powerful single-target martial arts, Aerith’s magical might and Barret’s powerful ranged attacks.
Then there’s FF7R EPISODE INTERmission – a two-chapter tale that takes place concurrently with the main story. It focuses on ninja Yuffie Kisaragi – an excitingly agile fighter who offers another playstyle to dig into!
As you can hopefully see, Final Fantasy VII Remake is more than just a simple revisitation of a landmark game. It’s a boldly ambitious, incredibly high-quality and – most importantly – wildly entertaining adventure that’s a perfect introduction to this incredible world. We can’t wait for new players to discover it for themselves on Xbox – and take their first steps on an unforgettable journey.
Final Fantasy VII RemakeIntergrade launches January 22, 2026 for Xbox Series X|S and PC via the Microsoft Store. Thanks to Xbox Play Anywhere, you can play the game across console, PC, even the new ROG Xbox Ally, picking up where you left off each time.
FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE INTERGRADE
SQUARE ENIX
☆☆☆☆☆ 8
★★★★★
*Please note that FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE INTERGRADE Digital Deluxe Edition contains certain items not available in this bundle.
The award-winning FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE INTERGRADE* retells the original story up to the escape from Midgar, with breathtaking visuals, fast-paced gameplay, and additional story elements.
This RPG delivers unforgettable characters, a powerful narrative, and a hybrid battle system that blends real-time action with strategic, command-based combat.
It also includes FF7R EPISODE INTERmission, a side story starring Yuffie Kisaragi that offers a fresh perspective running in parallel to Cloud’s journey.
■ STORY
Mako, the lifeblood of the planet, is also a highly valuable energy source.
The Shinra Electric Power Company exploits this essence, draining and refining it to fuel their reactors, and in doing so, has all but seized control of the world.
But resistance rises. A ragtag group of idealists, known as Avalanche, is determined to protect the planet.
In the city of Midgar, Cloud Strife, ex-SOLDIER turned mercenary, joins Avalanche on their mission to blow up Reactor 1.
As the echo of the blast ripples through Sector 8, the city is set ablaze. In the flames, a fallen nemesis from Cloud’s past appears, challenging his memories and his identity.
Once more begins a story that will shape the destiny of the entire world.
*This game is a partial remake of FINAL FANTASY VII, first released in 1997. It is the first title in a multi-part series based on the original game. It reimagines the Midgar portion of the story with expanded scenes, new characters, and additional narrative layers.
■ FF7R EPISODE INTERmission
Play as Yuffie Kisaragi, a young ninja from Wutai, as she infiltrates Midgar on a mission to steal the ultimate materia from the Shinra Electric Power Company.
STUNNING VISUALS
Explore Midgar like never before with stunning visuals and richly detailed environments that bring the city’s layered, industrial districts to life, all while staying true to the spirit of the original game.
DYNAMIC COMBAT WITH STRATEGIC DEPTH
The innovative battle system combines strategic command-based gameplay with fast-paced action. Seamlessly switch between characters, harness the power of materia, summon iconic creatures, and unleash devastating limit breaks.
ICONIC CHARACTERS, UNFORGETTABLE STORY
Follow Cloud Strife, an ex-SOLDIER turned mercenary, as he joins Avalanche to take on the Shinra Electric Power Company. Cloud and his allies Barret, Tifa, and Aerith are pulled into a battle that will decide the fate of the planet.
EXPANDED CONTENT
FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE INTERGRADE offers quests, mini-games, and missions set in expanded areas of Midgar. Encounter new characters and experience exciting content that adds even more depth to the story.
ICONIC SOUNDTRACK
The epic soundtrack has been fully remastered, with re-arranged and orchestrated tracks that dynamically respond to the action, offering an immersive, emotionally charged musical experience.
■ Content included in this product
FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE INTERGRADE contains the following content:
– FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE full game
– FF7R EPISODE INTERmission (Episode featuring Yuffie Kisaragi)
– Weapon: Cacstar
– Armor: Midgar Bangle
– Armor: Shinra Bangle
– Armor: Corneo Armlet
– Accessory: Superstar Belt
– Accessory: Mako Crystal
– Accessory: Seraphic Earrings
– Summoning materia: Carbuncle
– Summoning materia: Chocobo Chick
– Summoning materia: Cactuar
*The additional weapons, armor, accessories and summoning materia can be obtained from the Gift Box accessible via the main menu.
*The weapon “Cacstar” can only be used in FF7R EPISODE INTERmission (Yuffie episode)
Legacy of the Forge builds on Kingdom Come: Deliverance II’s blacksmithing profession with new recipes, assistants and a customisable forge and homestead.
Learn how the upcoming DLC uses authentic medieval history for inspiration, drawing on historical records, archaeology, and guild traditions.
A new Blacksmith Prestige stat helps players expand and personalise their new home and workshop.
Legacy of the Forge is the next slice of DLC lined up for this year’s bestselling medieval RPG, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II. With its focus on blacksmithing, the update’s been designed to not only add a host of satisfying new gameplay features, but also give players fresh new avenues for customisation and roleplaying.
As with all things at Warhorse Studios, the process of building on this intriguing world begins with a deep understanding of life in the real medieval Europe. Thankfully, the team is well-resourced when it comes to looking back through time.
“We have historians here in Warhorse and it’s part of their job to study all of the papers and the books from this time,” says Jan Zeman, Narrative & Gameplay Designer, when asked about the process of building out Legacy of the Forge’s historical foundations.“We also have old tax documents which state how much you might pay to a baker, or a blacksmith. In the Old Town of Prague, for example, we know that there were a certain number of people working in a certain kind of job.
“Then we have the archaeological evidence – even a proper forge! Or we’ll find a document that describes the tax list of burghers in Prague at the time. It tells us that a Mr Turnowsky had a mill located on this part of the riverbank.”
“We have information from all around the Czech Republic, and from looking further around Europe too because this information is so rare. You need to read all of them and then think: ‘How might this look in Kuttenberg at this time?
“We may not have the evidence to say exactly where the forges in Kuttenberg were, but it’s an industrial town in a medieval time so there’s going to be one. It’s a game, and we need to put it somewhere!”
As you develop your own forge in the new update, you’ll eventually entice a pair of assistants to work alongside you. These workshop companions not only provide you with useful wares as you go about your own blacksmithing business, but are essential helpers when it comes to crafting some of the new recipes you’ll discover in Legacy of the Forge.
While the assistants in the DLC are older and more experienced than the apprentices who would have served a 15th Century Bohemian blacksmith, the inspiration for their presence here is clear enough.
“In Legacy of the Forge these guys are more like your colleagues, rather than apprentices,” says Zeman. “The more important point is that in medieval times there were only a few places for workshops.
“Let’s say there were three blacksmith workshops in the area, as dictated by the guild. That means you could only have three proper blacksmiths, and if you wanted to do more work you needed some apprentices to help you. If they grew enough in skill, they could perhaps go on to open their own workshop. “
It would not have been easy for these apprentices to set up shop wherever they pleased, however. This was an intensely political world, after all, and blacksmiths were an essential (not to mention highly-trusted) component of a functioning feudal society.
“It was seriously strict. It was very hard in medieval times to have your own workshop in the town as a stranger. You could be the son of the blacksmith, you could marry into family, or you could be the stranger – but that last way is hard.
“No-one wants strangers getting into these positions because of the politics involved. You wouldn’t want to elevate outsiders to a high position of influence. In this DLC, the workshop is empty and available to Henry for a reason!”
Another example where the past is used as just a gentle pointer for development can be found in the new Blacksmith Prestige stat. As you increase the level of your Prestige, you’ll gain access to new colour options for your house, new furniture and new structures for your garden like bee hives and an alchemy lab.
“Historically if you wanted to repair your house, you needed a permit from the town council. The guild not only owned the house but controlled the number of workshops and apprentices in the area, as well as the technology any given blacksmith could use. You didn’t have to pay rent to the guild, but you did have to take care of the place.”
“We needed something easy for our players to understand though, rather than some complicated political interactions about changing your house’s appearance. It’s not fun to do paperwork in the game, and so we have a Prestige stat you can raise through activities, and then buy things from there.”
These are just a handful of the clever ways Warhorse has taken inspiration from the past, without sacrificing gameplay for the sake of historical accuracy. As for your own personal workshop, you’ll be able to open for business when Legacy of the Forge lands on September 9.
Legacy of the Forge
Deep Silver
☆☆☆☆☆ 9
★★★★★
$13.99
Return to Kuttenberg and put your blacksmithing skills to the test to acquire and repair a legendary burned-down forge, where your father, Martin, spent his youth as an apprentice. Establish your own home in the heart of Kuttenberg, designing the forge itself as well as its surroundings and your very own private quarters, with the ability to customize and furnish to aid your gameplay.
Venture down memory lane and learn of your father’s legacy as a blacksmith, revealing a part of his life that has remained hidden—until now. Uncover the mystery of an ambitious masterpiece your father once worked on and follow in his footsteps to complete it. Become a forge master and build upon your new blacksmith prestige, helping the people of Kuttenberg with sword crafting, and some more quirky requests.
In addition to new daily quests, Henry will unlock the ability to earn cash, enabling a brand-new home customization system with over 100 million combinations to personalize your forge, private quarters, and its surroundings. Once decked out, your forge becomes a place to return to and call home.
Legacy of the Forge is the second story expansion for Kingdom Come: Deliverance II and is included for Expansion Pass and Gold Edition owners.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard is out tomorrow, October 31. Whether you’re a seasoned veteran of developer BioWare’s fantasy RPGs or a newcomer looking to see what all the fuss is about, it’s worth noting that The Veilguard represents a pretty drastic shift from the tactical, open-zone RPG gameplay of its predecessor, Dragon Age: Inquisition. So no matter what your previous experience, there are a few things worth noting before you dive into this long-awaited return to Thedas. I’ve put over 60 hours into the game, so here are a few things I’ve learned for you to keep in mind as you get started. – Kenneth Shepard Read More
Play it on: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC Current goal: Get some gaming spooks in for the season
This year, Halloween fell on a Thursday, and I was so busy with work and other things that I didn’t manage to make much time for spooky gaming in the days leading up to it. I still have a hankering for some interactive scares, however, so this weekend, I hope to play one of the landmark games in the history of survival horror, officially translated into English and released in the States for the first time: Clock Tower. The new version, Clock Tower: Rewind, comes to us courtesy of WayForward and represents my first real chance to play the 1995 SNES horror classic.
I actually don’t know much about the original Clock Tower, and I’ve kept it that way on purpose, as I want to go in knowing as little as possible and figure it out for myself. It’s scarier that way. But in short, it’s a 2D, survival horror point-and-click game that tells the story of Jennifer, a teenage orphan who’s adopted by a family with a big, spooky manor, and finds herself stalked by a horrifying entity known as Scissorman. WayForward’s release lets you play an enhanced version of the game “which features numerous gameplay additions and quality-of-life refinements,” and I may check that out as well, but for starters, I’ll be playing in Original mode, and experiencing the game just like it was when it scared the socks off of so many Japanese players way back in 1995. Sure, it may be November now, but I’m gonna linger in late October for just a little bit longer if it’s all the same to you. — Carolyn Petit
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Kenneth Shepard, Moises Taveras, Carolyn Petit, Ethan Gach, and John Walker
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6is a game about shadowy organizations causing geopolitical turmoil and well-timed headshots. It’s also an RPG about making the progress meters fill up. When it comes to the latter, Black Ops 6‘s first patch is already increasing XP rewards for certain modes to keep the level-ups flowing.
This Modern Warfare 3 Gameplay Feature Spices Up A Weak Campaign
An October 26 update for the game listed a handful of changes and bug fixes, including a series of map exploits, a problem with matches quickly replacing players that leave, and various glitches in Black Ops 6‘s well-received Zombies mode. The changes that are most noteworthy were to XP, though. Four modes will now get boosted rewards.
Increased XP and Weapon XP rates for modes that were awarding less XP than expected
Team Deathmatch
Control
Search & Destroy
Gunfight
“Our team is closely monitoring XP rates for all modes to ensure players are progressing as expected wherever they play,” the development team wrote. XP earned and other rewards often start out a little stingier at launch since it’s always easier to increase them later once the data from millions of people playing comes back, rather than the reverse.
There are already lots of different strategies for optimizing XP gain in multiplayer. Obviously, playing better—landing headshots, chasing objectives, and unloading killstreaks—all accrue rank-ups faster. Some players also recommend playing Hardpoint instead of Domination because players in that mode are more likely to actually play objectives. Others suggest grinding out all of those camo challenges. And, of course, no new Call of Duty launch is complete without sickos crushing cases of Monster Energy for double XP.
Black Ops 6 players had latched onto one easy trick for getting bonus XP by exploiting the decoy grenades for guaranteed kill assists. Treyarch nerfed that one in the above patch as well, though.
With the release of Vessel of Hatred, Diablo IV has seen its most significant changes since its original launch in June 2023. Adding a completely new region, Nahantu, along with a wealth of added characters and modes and a brand-new story, the expansion pack is the very definition of a game changer. But it goes even further than that, bringing in entirely new ways to upgrade items, a revamp of the World Tiers, new animal-morphing classes, and a new level cap. However, we meet change without fear, offering a litany of guides to get you up to speed.
For instance, Diablo IV now has NPC Mercenaries you can hire to come with you on your brawling, but you’re only going to find them by following a specific series of quests. Then there are those Spiritborn classes that let you pick between being able to possess the powers of a Jaguar, Eagle, Gorilla, or Centipede…Wait, centipede? No, we’ve checked, that’s definitely correct—and apparently one of the best choices for end-game content.
And this all follows on from piles of massive changes earlier this year, which saw the introduction of loot-fest The Pit, a new way to improve loot called Tempering, the addition of Mythic Uniques, and Infernal Hordes to battle. It’s mayhem!
But worry not, as here we’ve collected every guide we’ve published for Diablo IV’s big changes, which will see you flying toward the new level cap in no time at all.
Play it on: PC, Switch, PlayStation, Xbox Current goal: Make my stronghold a little nicer
If I’m honest, most of my gaming time this weekend will probably go, once again, toward the incredible UFO 50. (I now have my first two cherry carts!) However, it’s probably time I start mentioning other games on occasion here in the Weekend Guide, so instead I’ll talk about something else I’ve been playing lately, Pillars of Eternity, the 2015 fantasy CRPG from Obsidian Entertainment which follows in the footsteps of genre-defining classics like Baldur’s Gate and Icewind Dale. It’s absolutely epic in scope, immediately thrusting you into a world with its own rich, captivating history and lore—a world we’ll soon get to revisit in Avowed—but it’s also intimate and personal, with exceptionally well-written characters navigating life in a world filled with conflict and strife.
Early on, your character is awakened to their skills as a Watcher, someone who can see and interact with the souls of others. This not only allows for some great fantasy RPG plot hooks, but also brings the history of the game’s world to life in a way it otherwise wouldn’t be. You might, for instance, encounter someone who, in a past life, was part of the marauding hordes driving others out of their homes, and see how their soul was marred by the trauma of participating in something so monstrous, or you might be pulled into the experience of someone who was persecuted by those hordes. William Faulkner famously wrote, “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” It’s true of our world, I think, and in Pillars of Eternity’s Eora, you really feel the way that the past lingers, shaping and haunting the present.
Of course, all the great pleasures of CRPGs are here—gorgeous lands to explore, engaging tactical combat, epic quests—and all of that is crucial to what makes Pillars of Eternity so exceptional. But for now, I’m particularly smitten by the writing, so smart and so rich, and characterized by a tremendous respect for the player, trusting us to come to grips with the world and its history upon being thrown in head-first, and trusting us to appreciate its profound thematic depth without needing to spell things out for us or lampshade what it’s doing. It’s so great to encounter genuinely mature writing in a game, especially when it’s married to gameplay as rich and captivating as what’s on offer here. — Carolyn Petit
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Kenneth Shepard, Carolyn Petit, Zack Zwiezen, Ethan Gach, and John Walker
Image: Square Enix, 505 Games, Capcom, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studios / Sega, Blizzard, Sega, Blizzard, Kojima Productions, Screenshot: Capcom
It’s the start of a new month, which means there’s a host of hot, new games coming your way. It can get overwhelming, scanning through the various game marketplaces to decide what you should spend your hard-earned money on, so we’ve gathered 34 games coming out this month that we’re stoked for. We’ve also spotted some great sales you may want to take advantage of, like Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, the original Resident Evil trilogy, Diablo 4 ahead of its huge expansion, and a bunch of turn-based RPGs at a steal.
We also beg you to check out Yakuza 0 before watching the upcoming Amazon Prime series, let you in on the things we wish we knew before playing the Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster, and highlight everything Hideo Kojima is working on. Click through for all the helpful hints of the week. You’re welcome.
At the beginning of the year, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealthlaunched a hell of an opening salvo. The latest installment in the long-running Like a Dragon/Yakuza series is comically full of things to do. On one hand, it’s a turn-based RPG epic, splitting its narrative between two larger-than-life protagonists in entirely different settings complete with their own villains, party members, and side stories. On the other hand, it is more game than anybody could possibly need, housing several side activities, minigames, and at least two-full sized games within itself. If you’re a person whose chief concern about a game is getting the absolute most bang for your buck, there has rarely been a better game to pick up than Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, which is now discounted at $42 on both PlayStation and Steam. – Moises Taveras Read More
I was staring at a wall. It was an early mission in Ubisoft’s latest behemothic RPG, Star Wars Outlaws, in which I was charged with infiltrating an Empire base to recover some information from a computer, and this wall really caught my attention.
Screenshot: Ubisoft / Kotaku
It was a perfect wall. It absolutely captured that late-70s sci-fi aesthetic of dark gray cladding broken up by utilitarian-gray panels covered in dull blinking lights, and I stopped to think about how much work must have gone into that wall. Looking elsewhere on the screen, I was then overwhelmed. This wall was the most bland thing in a vast hanger, where TIE Fighters hung from the ceiling, Stormtroopers wandered in groups below, and even the little white sign with the yellow arrow looked like it was a decade old, meticulously crafted to fit into this universe. I felt sheer astonishment at the achievement of this. Ubisoft, via multiple studios across the whole world, and the work of thousands of deeply talented people, had built this impossibly perfect area for one momentary scene that I was intended to run straight past.
Except I ran past it three times, because the AI kept fucking up and I was restarted at a checkpoint right before that gray wall over and over.
Screenshot: Ubisoft / Kotaku
I’m struggling to capture the dissonance of this moment. This sense of absolute awe, almost unbelieving admiration that it’s even possible to build games at this scale and at this detail, slapped hard around the face by the bewilderingly bad decisions that take place within it all.
To be excited about a beautifully crafted wall is to set yourself up for an aneurysm when you start to notice the tiny, inflecting details on characters’ faces, or the scrupulous idle animations of a bored guard. Then as I tried to conceive that this same level of care was taking place across thousands of locations in multiple cities over a handful of planets, my genuine thought was: “It’s ridiculous that we mark these games on the same criteria as others.” How can someone look at this, this majesty, and say, “Hmmm, seven out of ten?” And then a guard sees me through a solid hillside and ruins fifteen minutes of painstaking stealth, and I wonder how it can be on sale at all.
In 2024, we have reached the most deeply peculiar place, where AAA games are feats that humanity would once have recognized as literal wonders, and yet play with the same irritating issues and tedious repetition as we saw in the 90s. This contrast, this dissonance, is absolutely fascinating.
Screenshot: Ubisoft / Kotaku
Ubisoft strikes me as the leader in this bizarre space. I have, for years, been delighted and bemused by what that company is capable of creating, albeit often not in positive ways. The Assassin’s Creed series routinely builds entire cities, even countries, in authentic detail, to the point where we almost take it for granted. It has always struck me as the most horrendous waste that a game like Assassin’s Creed Odyssey can recreate ancient Greece in such wonderful detail, and then gets thrown away, that entire digital space never used again for anything else. It could be given to the world, offered as a setting for a thousand indie games, reused and recycled as such an achievement deserves. Instead, it’s there for that single game, where we reasonably kvetch about the frustrating details of a broken quest, or at how crowd AI bugs out at crucial moments.
And this is only to touch on the art and architecture. We’re not even mentioning the fantastic writing, the exquisite voice acting, the sound effects, the musical score, the lighting, the concept art that makes such designs possible, and the direction and leadership that can bring all these disparate parts together. All as a backdrop to my repeating the run across the gantry because a distant AI decided to be triggered by a Nix it couldn’t possibly see, or because that time when I pressed Square it decided to throw a punch instead of trigger a takedown.
Screenshot: Ubisoft / Kotaku
I’m old enough to remember a time when we’d lament that a beautifully drawn point-and-click adventure was no fun to play, and be so disappointed that such lovely artistic skill had been the backdrop for illogical puzzles and bad writing. Imagine the camera shot pulling out from that adventure game and revealing the room it’s in, the house that contains that room, the town that house is in, the city that town forms part of, and the country in which that city exists—that gets you close to the scale at which the same issue plagues us 40 years later.
Just that opening city in Outlaws, Mirogana, is more than gaming was capable of ten years ago, let alone 40. It, alone, would be enough for an entire game, with plots and missions and characters. And it’s a blip in this game’s mindblowing breadth. I cannot over-express the scale of what’s offered here, and how incongruous it feels that it can all feel so easily dismissed given such fundamental errors. Errors that mean the game attracts headlines like, “Star Wars Outlaws Is Too Simplistic For Its Own Good.” And I get it! I know what the article means! It’s right that its stealth is banal and badly implemented, and yet such a core element of the game. But God damn, why are we able to reasonably call this creation “simplistic”?
I’ve no idea what the solution can possibly be, but I feel it sits somewhere in a new order of priority. One that involves scaling back the ambition of everything that a large-scale developer knows it can achieve, and re-focuses resources on fixing the absolute basics that it so often cannot. Because the tragedy of a piece of art like Outlaws—or any number of other architectural masterpieces that we see come and go in this industry every month—being able to be sniffed at with a (deserved) 7/10, is too awful.
At Gamescom this year, I saw a talk (currently embargoed) about how wind will cause a game’s world to behave differently, and on one level it was incredible stuff, a technological marvel. But on another, it’s going to offer absolutely nothing if that game’s basic loops are dreary, or if the enemy AI is going to endlessly run into beautifully rendered walls. It could end up being a 7/10 game with technologically astounding wind.
And so I come back to that wall. And I thank everyone involved in making it so special, the artists who spent so long ensuring it felt authentic, and the level designers who placed it, and the people responsible for collision detection who ensured I couldn’t walk through it, and the people who coded the Snowdrop engine so it could exist at all, and the producers who encouraged the developers who implemented it, and every single person who was in some way responsible for making me that wall to momentarily stare at. And I wish I hadn’t had to sneak past it quite so many times.
Metaphor: ReFantazio will make you feel like you’re part of an RPG version of Game of Thrones. Set in the kingdom of Euchronia, the king has been assassinated—now you have to participate in a tournament for the throne.
You, the protagonist, come from the Elda Tribe. Despite your powers, you are discriminated against throughout the kingdom. That won’t stop you from participating in the fight for the throne. This turn-based combat RPG by Atlus is not as bloody as Game of Thrones, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be fun. You can raid dungeons, see beautiful sights, and explore the world of Euchronia.
A lot of The Veilguard’s systems seem to draw heavily from Mass Effect, and that includes a spin on Andromeda’s ability loadouts. Since you can’t access all your abilities on a wheel like you used to, The Veilguard has you decide on what attacks you’ll have at your disposal on a given quest and assign them. The showcase had a warrior version of protagonist Rook kitted out with a “This Is Sparta”-style kick, a grappling spear used to draw enemies in close, and a shield-like aura to protect her from damage. They definitely seem to be going for a tanky, brawler build, and picking the abilities best for whatever approach you’re going for will be key to defining your playstyle.
Also in the loadout is an Ultimate ability called Warden’s Fire, which rains down an area-of-effect attack on enemies. It sounds like this might be exclusive to Grey Warden Rooks, one of the origins you can select for your hero in the character creator at the beginning of the game.
It’s now possible to quickly and easily play the original 1997 Diabloon your PC or phone via a simple website. Just load it up on your browser and you can start killing demons and skeletons like it’s the ‘90s all over again.
Diablo IV – Bear Bender Build
The original Diablo was developed by Blizzard North and released in January 1997 for PC. Its single dungeon, evil monsters, creepy town, and loot-filled catacombs forever changed the action RPG genre. Today, the OG Diablo might seem a bit small and simple compared to the wild open-world adventure we find in 2023’s Diablo 4. But Diablo’s vibes are still unmatched by any of its sequels, and now you can experience the classic ARPG for free on your phone or PC browser.
As spotted by PC Gamer, a new website has popped up that lets you play the shareware version of the original Diablo in your browser. This new web-based port of the game was built using Diablo’s original source code, which was previously reconstructed by GalaXyHaXz and the Devilution team and can be found on GitHub.
Blizzard / Izie
Now, keep in mind that unless you own Diablo and upload the “DIABDAT.MPQ” file, you won’t have access to everything found in the retail release. Still, the shareware version of Diablo lets you play as a warrior who can’t talk to NPCs, but can kill demons and loot weapons in the dungeon under the church in Tristram.
In my testing, this browser-based port of Diabloplays really well. I had no issues exploring the dark corridors and killing zombies and skeletons. Just toss your old Diablo save and DIABDAT.MPQ file onto a service like Google Drive or a USB stick and you can play Blizzard’s seminal ARPG anywhere with an internet connection.
In fact, you could be playing Diablo right now on the device you are currently using instead of working or reading the last sentence of this blog.
The Crimson Diamond is AVAILABLE NOW!! (Launch trailer)
Play it on: Steam Current goal: Solve an old-fashioned mystery
A few weeks ago, I mentioned how I was captivated by Unavowed, a point-and-click adventure from the folks at Wadjet Eye. Well, I’ve finished that one (it was great) just in time for a brand-new entry in the genre to come along. And while Wadjet Eye’s output is most reminiscent of ‘90s adventure games that offered full voice acting and elegant drag-and-drop interfaces, this new game, The Crimson Diamondfrom designer Julia Minamata, is influenced by an earlier era of adventures, ones that ran in EGA and had you typing in what you wanted your character to do. I can’t wait to explore its mysteries.
The Crimson Diamond is perhaps most reminiscent of Sierra adventures, especially the Clara Bow games which saw their plucky heroine tossed into murder mysteries during the roaring ‘20s. Itcasts you as Nancy Maple, a young woman investigating the discovery of an unusually large and valuable diamond in a town in northern Ontario, Canada. It’s clear from the trailer that her investigations will find her encountering people with motives of their own, some of them sinister, and land her in no small amount of peril. Sign me up!
People often talk about the evolution of adventure games from text parsers to purely graphical interfaces as a net good, as if text parsers were just a crutch, a relic from the genre’s early days that we no longer needed, but I’ve always thought of them as two fundamentally different approaches, each with their own strengths. I think there are ways in which the presence of a text parser can encourage creative thinking that a purely graphics-based interface doesn’t always allow for, and in addition to digging into the plot of The Crimson Diamond, I’m eager to see how it uses this design element that so rarely gets employed in modern games. All in all, it sounds like a perfect fit for a cozy weekend. —Carolyn Petit
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Austin Williams, Carolyn Petit, Moises Taveras, Kenneth Shepard, and Ethan Gach
Cat Quest III departs from the first two games of this light-hearted action-adventure series in a variety of ways, especially with its pirate-themed naval combat. Still, it also retains a lot of familiar gameplay mechanics and concepts that ensure if you played the previous games, you’ll feel right at home. Whether you’re a returning player well-versed in Cat Quest’s history, or you’re brand new to the franchise, we’ve compiled a solid list of tips to help you get started in this feline-focused adventure. – Billy Givens Read More
