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Tag: Windows games

  • Overwatch 2 Gets A Game Mode No One Asked For This Weekend

    Overwatch 2 Gets A Game Mode No One Asked For This Weekend

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    Image: Blizzard

    This upcoming weekend, January 12-14, embattled hero shooter Overwatch 2 will replace its popular Quick Play mode with Quick Play: Hacked, a lightning-fast version of the main game inspired by hacker character Sombra. Arcade and Competitive mode will not be affected by this change.

    This Modern Warfare 3 Gameplay Feature Spices Up A Weak Campaign

    According to Blizzard’s blog post announcing the new mode, this is the first in a planned series of Quick Play: Hacked events going forward. “We want to explore new and fun ways to change core Quick Play gameplay. Changes will happen periodically and only for a limited time,” the blog post reads.

    Read More: Overwatch 2 Left A Trail Of Broken Promises In 2023

    Here’s what Quicked Play: Hacked will entail:

    • Respawning times are now 75 percent of their original time
    • Payloads in Escort and Hybrid maps will move 60 percent faster
    • Taking control of the Objective Point in Hybrid is 40 percent faster than normal
    • Taking control of the objective point in Control is 40 percent faster than normal, and scoring the capture progress percentage is 80 percent faster
    • Taking control of the objective point in Flashpoint is 20 percent faster than normal, and scoring the capture progress percentage is 40 percent faster
    • When you play an Escort, Hybrid, or Push map, the initial match time has been reduced to 70 percent of the original time, and any time extensions are also reduced to 70 percent of the total time added
    • These changes only apply to all players who play in Role Queue and Open Queue Quick Play modes during the duration of the event and will return to normal after January 14. Competitive Play and Arcade modes are not affected by these changes

    Blizzard’s choice to replace Quick Play entirely has been met with some intense feedback from fans, as it’s a go-to mode for so many Overwatch 2 players. Quick Play is where they go to try out new strategies, practice new heroes, and hone their skills without the pressures of Competitive mode. Personally, I never play it, because I’m a masochist and like to try (and fail) to juice my rank every time I boot up the game. But removing Quick Play entirely means robbing a core chunk of your playerbase of the only way they play a game. Blizzard seems to have anticipated some blowback, as the blog post asks and answers a question about not including Quick Play: Hacked in the Arcade mode.

    The Arcade is meant for game modes that typically only play one specific map type (like Assault) or completely different ways to play Overwatch. The Quick Play: Hacked changes affect the core gameplay of our main mode, while still aiming to bring a more balanced play experience that is unique from the traditional ruleset.

    Is that a satisfying answer for the legions of Overwatch 2 players who have stuck around through the shift to 5v5, the sunsetting of Overwatch 1, the adoption of a free-to-pay model with predatory pricing, or the gutting of its promised PvE mode? You tell me.

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    Alyssa Mercante

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  • Persona 3, GTA 5, And More Of The Week's Essential Gaming Tips

    Persona 3, GTA 5, And More Of The Week's Essential Gaming Tips

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    Image: Ubisoft, Atlus, Rockstar Games, Mundfish / Shedworks / Nintendo / Claire Jackson / Kotaku, Screenshot: Remedy Games / Kotaku

    If you’re stuck on a tricky boss fight or a challenging puzzle, or just want to make the most of your time with a new release, we’ve got you covered. Here are some of the tips we found most helpful this week.

    The Best Resident Evil Goes VR And More New Releases | The Week In Games

    Everything We Know About Star Wars Outlaws

    Kay and ND-5 speak in a bar.

    Image: Ubisoft

    Massive Entertainment’s upcoming open-world Star Wars game, Outlaws, is coming to PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S sometime in 2024. The game doesn’t follow Jedi and deal with The Force, but instead will give us a look into the seedier side of life in the Star Wars universe as it follows the exploits of a smuggler and scoundrel in an open-world format encompassing multiple planets. Let’s take a look at everything we know about the next trek to a galaxy far, far away. – Kenneth Shepard Read More

    You Need To Play Persona 3 Before It Leaves Xbox Game Pass

    The cast of Persona 3 stands against a white background.

    Image: Atlus

    Persona 3 Reload, the from-the-ground-up remake of Atlus’ beloved PlayStation 2 role-playing game, is coming out on February 2. But while the 2006 classic is getting a modern retouching very soon, it won’t include everything added to the original in the updated Persona 3 Portable and Persona 3 FES editions, the former of which is on Game Pass right now for Xbox and PC. So if you want to play one of the best additions to the base game, you still have a chance before Persona 3 Portable leaves Game Pass on January 14. – Kenneth Shepard Read More

    GTA V Is Leaving Game Pass, But These Great Games Will Remain

    A white man aims an assault rifle just off camera.

    Image: Rockstar Games

    If you’ve been playing Grand Theft Auto V or GTA Online via Game Pass lately, you might need to pony up and buy a copy to sustain your criminal enterprise. Rockstar’s crime saga is expected to leave Xbox Game Pass in about two weeks. – Claire Jackson Read More

    Kotaku’s Weekend Guide: Four Great Games To Kick Off The New Year

    Images from Atomic Heart, Sable, and Zelda are arranged in a collage.

    Image: Mundfish / Shedworks / Nintendo / Claire Jackson / Kotaku

    Happy new year! This week the Kotaku weekend guide returns with a brisk list of games for your consideration. Maybe some of these you hadn’t considered playing before, or perhaps others have been sitting on your backlog. In that case, consider this your reminder to get working on that stubborn list of yours. – Claire Jackson Read More

    The Whole Alan Wake ‘Remedyverse’ Is On Sale Right Now On PC

    Alan Wake looks off screen with a disturbed look on his face.

    Screenshot: Remedy Games / Kotaku

    If you’ve been eyeing (or playing) Alan Wake II lately but haven’t yet played any of the other titles in Remedy Games’ growing “Remedyverse” of connected stories, then you might want to take a look at the Epic Games Store right now. During its “Developer Spotlight” sale, Alan Wake Remastered, Alan Wake American Nightmare, Control, and both the standard and deluxe versions of Alan Wake II are all available for some pretty generous discounts. – Claire Jackson Read More

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    Kotaku Staff

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  • New Call Of Duty Gun Has A Delightfully Annoying Easter Egg

    New Call Of Duty Gun Has A Delightfully Annoying Easter Egg

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    The newest Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III and Warzone bundle includes an SMG that features a silly animation that references the annoying “Update Requires Restart” message players commonly encounter when trying to boot up either game. Just be prepared to spend $20 to get this new gun.

    This Modern Warfare 3 Gameplay Feature Spices Up A Weak Campaign

    Call of Duty games released in the last few years have frustrated fans with a prompt asking them to restart the game due to an update. This message often appears before jumping into the main menu. While on console this restart might only take a few seconds, PC players might have to wait a minute or more before they can start playing. It’s been a problem since at least 2020 and is still a thing in MWIII and battle royale spin-off Warzone. The message has become so ubiquitous over the years that it has become a meme within the CoD community. And Activision is ready to laugh at itself while taking some money from you, too.

    On January 5, the “Insert Coin Mastercraft” cosmetic bundle appeared in MW III and Warzone’s in-game stores. While the bundle includes a bevy of cosmetics—including a new ‘80s-themed outfit, loading screen, and player emblem—The Arcade Rhythm submachine gun is the coolest part of the pricey pack.

    That’s because if you inspect the weapon, you’ll be treated to your soldier bringing the SMG up to their face, trying to log into Call of Duty by mashing a button, and then being greeted with the annoying update prompt. This leads to the soldier bashing the gun in frustration, which likely mimics how many CoD players have reacted to the prompt.

    I’m not a Call of Duty player anymore these days, but I’ll admit that it’s nice to see this franchise, which is usually so damn serious, make fun of itself. Plus, the Arcade Rhythm SMG comes with a neat pixel-death effect that basically de-rezzes everyone you kill, Tron style. And it even features pixelated muzzle smoke, which is a nice touch.

    Once again Call of Duty keeps tempting me with cool retro video game skins and weapons, like that Doom shotgun from last year. And once again I have to hold strong. I’m already spending too much money on Fortnite. I can’t afford another battle royale in my life.

     .

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    Zack Zwiezen

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  • Fortnite Player Recreates *That* Saltburn Scene In-Game

    Fortnite Player Recreates *That* Saltburn Scene In-Game

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    Image: Amazon MGM Studios

    Have y’all seen Saltburn yet? If you haven’t, Emerald Fennell’s black comedy which stars Barry Keoghan and Jacob Elordi as two Oxford University students spending a summer at the titular mansion, is pretty okay to great depending on whichever scene you’re talking about. Though it’s not as “weird” and unsettling as you might’ve heard (I saw it recently and thought all the hooplah was greatly over exaggerated), it does have one or two scenes that have fast become memes on TikTok, Twitter, and other social media sites. Scenes like the final one (some NSFW spoilers ahead) where Keoghan’s character dances naked with his penis flopping around throughout the mansion to Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s “Murder on the Dancefloor”. Of course it was only a matter of time before someone remade that scene in Fortnite.

    Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga’s Air Combos Make Me Feel Skilled AF

    TikTok user nxganussy posted a clip of their character dancing through the Lavish Lair mansion location on Fortnite’s map with “Murder on the Dancefloor” playing in the background. While their character is not nude like Keoghan is at the end of Saltburn (no Peely’s swinging around here), the vibes of the final scene are still perfectly captured within Epic’s battle royale. Well, until they’re discovered by another player who kills the vibe by killing them. That part didn’t happen in the movie.

    I planned to spend this next paragraph ruminating on whether or not Fortnite players could recreate other Saltburn scenes in the game, but lo and behold, nxganussy had already recreated the Bathtub scene, in which Keogan’s character drinks Jacob Elordi’s inseminated bathwater. This recreation is a little more abstract, but I admire the creativity.

    The next question is when do we get Saltburn skins in Fortnite? Then we could really recreate those scenes as authentically as possible. That’s probably not going to happen, but a guy can dream. Fortnite recreations are a pretty prevalent part of the game’s community at this point, ranging from game recreations to pop culture moments that capitalize on hot new memes. And even if what those memes are based off of are decidedly NSFW, Fortnite’s cartoonish, sanitized world make the recreations somewhat age-appropriate and hilarious for those in the know.

    Fortnite has been adding a lot of new modes and features as of late, from a Lego mode to a Rock Band-like one that still doesn’t support the plastic instrument controllers it should, yet. But it sounds like Fortnite players are eating as good as Keogan was out of that bathtub, am I right?

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    Kenneth Shepard

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  • Fan-Revived MMO Given Official License To Continue

    Fan-Revived MMO Given Official License To Continue

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    City of Heroes was a beloved MMORPG that launched in April 2004 and lasted just over eight years. In that time it won a dedicated community of players who, even after the game died, kept playing the MMO via private servers that existed in a weird legal gray area. But now, the developers behind City of Heroes have given one private server the official thumbs-up to keep on keeping on.

    The Top 10 Most-Played Games On Steam Deck: August 2023 Edition

    In 2012, the superhero MMO City of Heroes was officially shut down. A lot of people were upset and sad about it. But not everyone stopped playing. In 2019, it became public that a secret, unofficial private server running the game had existed in the years since the game’s death. Following a meltdown of the game’s community, the folks running that server eventually released the game’s code online and some other private servers popped up. But there was always a fear—hence the first private server being kept secret for so long—that developer NCSoft would one day show up and put a stop to all this since the company owned the original code and IP.

    But on January 4, the devs behind the unofficial fan-run project Homecoming announced that NCSoft had no plans to kill the most popular City of Heroes private server. Instead, the company did something surprising and provided the devs with an official license to maintain a City of Heroes server.

    In a post published today on the Homecoming forums, the folks behind the private server thanked fans for waiting patiently over the last few years after teasing in 2019 that it was in talks with NCSoft about the project.

    “Homecoming has been granted a license to operate a City of Heroes server and further develop the game – subject to conditions and limitations under the contract – but, as between us and NCSoft, NCSoft still owns the City of Heroes intellectual property and its derivatives,” the devs behind the project explained.

    A video showing someone playing Homecoming

    The devs confirmed that accounts and characters are “safe” and won’t be deleted. They also announced that new content will continue to be created for Homecoming, that access will remain free, and that the project will continue to be funded entirely through fan donations.

    As part of this new deal, it seems other private servers might not stick around. The team hopes players will come to Homecoming and they can centralize the community more. The Homecoming team confirmed that part of the deal requires a single “in-house installation and patching solution” and this was why the team spent time developing its own launcher.

    While there are still plenty of questions and details to work out, the overall reaction has been mostly positive. This is a surprising turn of events and a very rare example of fans being allowed to officially keep a game alive. It also shows that there are ways to preserve and keep MMOs going after they officially shut down, assuming there is fan interest and support for the dead game.

    MMOs have always been a tricky thing for game preservationists to deal with and this City of Heroes deal shows that there are other solutions available if companies can play nice with fans and modders.

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    Zack Zwiezen

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  • Gay Call Of Duty 'Ship' Makes Fanfic Site’s Top Ten

    Gay Call Of Duty 'Ship' Makes Fanfic Site’s Top Ten

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    Some of you may be surprised that a gay Call of Duty ship is in the top ten of fanfiction site Archive Of Our Own’s annual, unofficial roundup, but I’m not. Not long after the 2022 release of Modern Warfare II, a bevy of TikToks bimbofied Call of Duty character Simon “Ghost” Riley, who is only ever shown in-game wearing a full face mask with a skull emblazoned on it. The baby girl-ification of the decidedly masculine character led to a massive increase in Archive Of Our Own (AO3) stories shipping Ghost with fellow hard-boiled military man, John “Soap” MacTavish.

    This Modern Warfare 3 Gameplay Feature Spices Up A Weak Campaign

    According to the roundup, which ranks the pairing tags with the “greatest gain in total fanworks” posted to AO3, the two potential lovebirds are the sixth-most popular ship on the site, and the second-most popular from the world of gaming, falling behind only Genshin Impact’s Kaveh and Alhaitham. The next gaming ship on the list? Baldur’s Gate 3’s vampire hottie Astarion and the player-character Tav. Check out the entire list below.

    As you can see, Good Omens’ angel and devil duo Aziraphale and Crowley top the list, likely thanks to the performances from Michael Sheen and David Tennant in the Amazon Prime series based off of the Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett book of the same name (they were 30th last year). In second place, we’ve got a tried-and-true ship: Harry Potter’s Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, followed by Dazai Osamu and Nakahara Chuuya from the Bungou Stray Dogs manga. In fourth place, the holdovers of 2022 stand strong: Stranger Things’ Eddie Munson and Steve Harrington, though they’re down from their first-place ranking in 2022. The newest addition to the AO3 rankings is Genshin’s fifth-place spot, which is rather impressive, and then there’s our Call of Duty Task Force 141 boys, who jumped up a whopping 75 spots this year—and I think I know why.

    Call of Duty’s Ghost and Soap, in love

    Late last year, Ghost became such an iconic character for shippers and ThirstTok fans that even wildly popular influencer Brittany Broski (you may know her as Kombucha Girl, though she has long since grown beyond that moniker for me and millions of others) was openly pining for him on the social media platform. In September of this year, Broski bought herself a Cameo (a personalized celebrity video you can purchase for yourself or a really funny birthday present) from former Ghost voice actor Jeff Leach, who offers videos of himself wearing full Ghost cosplay for $99. The subsequent clip of her watching her personalized Cameo almost sent me into orbit.

    Though it may initially seem like there’s several degrees of separation between the inherently masculine and bombastically bro-y Call of Duty series and very graphic, gay fanfic, AO3’s 2023 roundup is here to dispel your disbelief. I did a cursory glance to see what kind of content was on offer and found comics depicting Ghost as an actual ghost who provides emotional support for a very-much-alive Soap, a story where you’re a new recruit to Task Force 141 and the masked man piques your sexual interest, and one where Soap’s aunt brings home a new SAS boyfriend for Christmas who turns his attentions to her nephew instead. The Ghost content is either deliciously raunch or adorably sweet, but almost all of it is very, very gay.

    The layered, complicated connections between the military and LGBTQIA+ people has a long and messy history, but clearly something about Ghost and Soap is clicking with fanfic writers across the world. Are there any other additions to this year’s list that surprise you?

    Correction 01/02/2024 at 4:00 p.m. EST: It’s Michael Sheen in Good Omens, not Martin.

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    Alyssa Mercante

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  • Tips For 2023's Biggest Games And What To Watch Out For In Early 2024

    Tips For 2023's Biggest Games And What To Watch Out For In Early 2024

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    Image: Asobo Studio / Flying Wild Hog / Kotaku

    A new month is nearly here, as well as a new year, and that means updates to the PlayStation Plus catalog. January kicks off 2024 with three new games available for Premium, Extra, and Essential members to download starting on January 2, as well as some goodies if you happen to be a space ninja. – Claire Jackson Read More

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    Kotaku Staff

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  • Christmas Miracles, Terrific Memes, And More Of The Week's Best Gaming News

    Christmas Miracles, Terrific Memes, And More Of The Week's Best Gaming News

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    Photo: Valve / Kotaku / Roman Samborskyi (Shutterstock)

    A Steam user on Christmas Eve had a question: How do you earn just one measly little Steam Point? They were at 68,999 points and wanted to hit 69,000 because, you know, it’s a nice number and all that. However, because of how Steam Points are earned, there seemed no simple way to get that one measly point. But then a Christmas miracle happened. – Zack Zwiezen Read More

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    Kotaku Staff

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  • January's PS Plus Games Bring B-Movie Thrills, Plague-Ridden Chills

    January's PS Plus Games Bring B-Movie Thrills, Plague-Ridden Chills

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    A new month is nearly here, as well as a new year, and that means updates to the PlayStation Plus catalog. January kicks off 2024 with three new games available for Premium, Extra, and Essential members to download starting on January 2, as well as some goodies if you happen to be a space ninja.

    Is Alan Wake Worth Playing Before Its Sequel? | Total Recall

    This month in particular is great if you love third-person games. A Plague Tale offers satisfyingly beautiful stealth action, while Evil West is here to let you blow up some demonic bad guys. Also, don’t forget to snag December’s games (that includes Lego 2K Drive, Powerwash Simulator, and Sable) before the new month kicks off.

    PS5 and PS4: Evil West

    In our review of Evil West, Kotaku’s Zack Zwiezen praised the third-person shooter as “a simple, honest-to-god, linear and fun, goddamn video game:”

    There is no getting around it: Evil West is silly, but in a good way. Its narrative has a lot in common with the best B-movies and pulp stories from the past. Characters act more like people pretending to be people, than real humans. Dialogue is filled with swear words and exposition. All of it is cheesy and silly in the perfect kind of way. Combined with the steampunk gadgets, monsters, and violence, it really does play out like a grindhouse flick you might have caught on TV at like 2 am back in the 90s on TNT.

    Howlongtobeat.com estimates you can get through Evil West’s story in about 11 hours, or 19 if you want to take a completionist route.

    Get more from Evil West’s developer on PlayStation

    Are you a PlayStation Plus Premium or Extra subscriber? You can download Flying Wild Hog’s 2016 FPS Shadow Warrior 2. You can also snag its sequel, Shadow Warrior 3 on sale for just $14 until January 18. And if you’re in the mood for some side-scrolling, samurai hack ‘n slash fun, Trek to Yomi is on sale for $8 until January 18.

    PS5: A Plague Tale: Requiem

    This rat-infested third-person sequel to 2019’s A Plague Tale: Innocence features some gorgeous visuals and a lovely score. It might be a tad buggy from time-to-time, but if you like sneaking around in the dark and avoiding rats, this one is worth a download. On A Plague Tale: Requiem, former Kotaku writer Ashley Bardhan said:

    The environment itself is a spectacle, a black-and-white cookie sometimes lit by the Mediterranean coast’s burnt-orange sun, sometimes spotted with flies as Amicia trudges around the game’s stacks of dead bodies that get dumped and burned and forgotten. Requiem is also heavy on vibration feedback, and crouching through thick braids of grass and the misplaced brightness of lavender always feels good and tense.

    A Plague Tale: Requiem offers a 17-hour story, with close to 30 hours if you’re looking to complete everything it has to offer.

    Grab the first Plague Tale on sale before January 6, 2023

    Don’t like jumping into a sequel without playing the first game? Good news: A Plague Tale: Innocence, which introduces us to Amicia and Hugo, is on sale until January 6 for just $12.

    PS5 and PS4: Nobody Saves The World

    Nobody Saves The World impressed us back in 2022 with its satisfyingly grindy (yes, grindy like in a good way) progression and fun combat. In our impressions of it, Kotaku’s Ethan Gach said:

    If you like filling up meters and testing out new and creative builds for dispatching enemy mobs efficiently, like I do, it’s a recipe for several long nights of fun. Drinkbox has tried to keep tedium to a minimum by making new milestones come quickly and often. Dungeons you might have to grind a handful of times before taking down a larger boss subtly remix themselves each time in a roguelite fashion so they feel more like theme park rides than prisons.

    Free Warframe stuff!

    Looking to spice up your Tenno’s wardrobe? The Warframe: Syrinx Collection is a great way to add some new cosmetics to your existing collection or a great way to get some variety if you’re just starting out with this free-to-play sci-fi looter shooter. According to Sony’s official blog, you can claim the following items on January 2:

    • Syrinx Chest Plate
    • Syrinx Shoulder Plates
    • Syrinx Leg Plates
    • Baza Rifle
    • Cassowar Polearm
    • Storm Color Palette
    • Essential Base Damage Mod Bundle
    • Essential Critical Damage Mod Bundle
    • 2x Orokin Catalysts
    • 170 Platinum
    • 7-Day Affinity Booster
    • 7-Day Credit Booster

    Which game are you most likely to download first?

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    Claire Jackson

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  • The Week's Best Gaming Tips, From Starfield Features To God Of War DLC

    The Week's Best Gaming Tips, From Starfield Features To God Of War DLC

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    You may not have a disembodied, talking head you can consult like Kratos does, but you do have us. This week, we’ll help you make the most out of your Stadia controllers, experience the features Starfield intends to implement in the future, and look back at all the PC gaming you enjoyed in 2023.

    Read more…

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    Kotaku Staff

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  • Six Years Ago, The Most Stylish RPG Ever Revived A Dying Genre

    Six Years Ago, The Most Stylish RPG Ever Revived A Dying Genre

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    Now that we’ve entered the final few days of 2023, the year’s bumper crop of new game releases has slowed to a trickle. With long, lazy days looming ahead, it’s a lovely time to cuddle up with one of the biggest, beefiest games in your backlog. And if you’re looking for beef, RPGs are the way to go. On December 15, Atlus announced that Persona 5 crossed a major sales landmark. The modern fantasy RPG and its spinoffs have now sold more than 10 million copies worldwide. Nowadays, the Persona series seems like a sure bet. But just a few years ago, itwas a niche fascination for a few devoted weebs. If you haven’t checked it out already, now’s your chance.

    6 Things To Know Before Starting Persona 5 Tactica

    Back in 2017, when Persona 5 first debuted outside Japan, critics and audiences had largely soured on turn-based role-playing games, waving them off as dated and passé. The previous year, Final Fantasy XV ditched menu-driven gameplay for rapid-fire action combat that was flashier and faster than the venerable Square Enix series had ever been. It seemed like turn-based RPGs were a thing of the past—until Persona 5 set the world on fire.

    Buy Persona 5: Amazon

    The game takes place in modern-day Tokyo, and follows a group of teen vigilantes known as the Phantom Thieves. By day, they’re just conspicuously attractive high school students. By night, they summon demonic Pokémon known as Personas to fight crime and corruption in supernatural dungeons known as Palaces. P5’s stylish, anime-inflected presentation stood out in the late PlayStation 4 era, which skewed heavily toward realism. Innovative combo mechanics kept enemy encounters feeling snappy and unique. The game drew sky-high review scores and currently sits at an enviable 93 on Metacritic. Not too bad for a genre past its prime, right?

    Persona 5 Royal – Take Over Trailer – Nintendo Switch

    An expanded and enhanced edition, Persona 5 Royal, was launched worldwide in March 2020. Royal came to Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PC, and Xbox consoles in October 2022. And like any good video game phenomenon, Persona 5 spawned a heap of crossovers and spinoffs. In addition to a dedicated anime series, the cast appeared in a rhythm game (2018’s Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight), a Switch-exclusive action RPG (2021’s Persona 5 Strikers), and this year’s strategy RPG, Persona 5 Tactica. Oh, and protagonist Joker also joined the roster of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. 

    Persona 5 isn’t without flaws. Okumura’s palace, which you’ll encounter late in the game, is an absolute chore. And the game’s portrayal of same-sex relationships is about as subtle as a sack of hammers. Oh, and it easily takes more than 100 hours to beat. If you can forgive those shortcomings, it’s an excellent way to wile away the final hours of 2023—whether you play the vanilla version or Royal.

    Persona 5 Royal is available on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch, and is often on sale for $30 or less. (Used copies of vanilla P5 on PlayStation 4 are even cheaper!)

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    Jen Glennon

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  • This Time-Loop Horror Game Is Secretly One Of 2023's Best Stories

    This Time-Loop Horror Game Is Secretly One Of 2023's Best Stories

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    Eric Schulkin

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  • The Best Video Game Surprises Of 2023

    The Best Video Game Surprises Of 2023

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    Screenshot: Larian Studios

    You’d expect a new Bethesda game would be the biggest RPG of the year, but nope. Instead, it was Baldur’s Gate 3, which officially launched earlier this year to rave reviews. We’ve written a lot about the game already on the site and you should check out those posts, too.

    What I wanted to talk about here is how incredible it was to see a turn-based, PC-focused, Dungeons & Dragons game developed by an independent studio and released via early access explode like the latest Call of Duty or GTA.

    Everyone I knew was playing it. Everyone online was sharing screenshots. Everyone was talking about all the people they were digitally fucking in the game.

    It was wild to watch and a reminder successful games don’t always need flashy years-long marketing campaigns featuring big stars and Super Bowl ads. Instead, sometimes, you can just make a really good game that people want and you’ll sell millions of copies. And maybe end up inspiring a lot of erotic fan fiction.

    Any big 2023 video game surprises we missed? What unexpected developments got you all excited this year?

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    Zack Zwiezen

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  • Sad News: Zack Snyder Willing To Direct Live-Action Fortnite Movie

    Sad News: Zack Snyder Willing To Direct Live-Action Fortnite Movie

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    Zack Snyder, Film director and guy-who-spells-Zack-correctly, is out promoting his new Netflix film, Rebel Moon. But because he’s talked about Epic’s popular battle royale shooter Fortnite in the past, people keep asking him about the game and recently, someone wondered if he would be willing to direct a movie based on the franchise. According to Snyder, “of course” he would.

    Dead By Daylight Devs’ New Game Is Fortnite Meets Doom

    Rebel Moon is a gritty, space-adventure that is poised to set up a larger franchise for Netflix. Let’s check out what the critics are saying about Snyder’s newest movie…oh…oh boy…ouch…well…uh… actually, let’s talk about something else and not that seemingly horrible film. Instead, Snyder has some thoughts on the world of Fortnite and making a live-action movie based on the ever-expanding free-to-play game he’s been enjoying for years.

    As spotted by IGN, during a December 15 interview with Etalk, the film director behind Man of Steel, 300 and that Dawn of the Dead remake where the zombies run was asked if he would ever “want to combine” his two passions for filmmaking and playing Fortnite.

    “I mean, of course,” Snyder quickly replied. He further added that he was trying hard to get skins based on Rebel Moon added to Fortnite, a game that is famous for its many brand crossovers. That didn’t happen, but Snyder doesn’t seem bitter about it and is still into the Fortnite universe.

    “Look, Fortnite is an amazing world, and it is an amazing distraction for me,” Snyder said. “It’s really cool, and the alchemy that they’ve created there is really unique. When I started playing it I thought I knew what it was and then it was something entirely different.”

    When playfully pushed by the interviewer about his vague answer, Snyder added: “You definitely don’t know. You definitely can never say never. That’s my mantra in this business.”

    If Zack Snyder does end up making a Fortnite film, I will expect a big starring role for Rick and Morty’s Mr. Meeseeks as that is, according to the filmmaker, the main skin he uses when playing the game. What a movie that will be.

      .

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    Zack Zwiezen

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  • Massive Hack Reveals New Venom And X-Men Games Coming By 2030

    Massive Hack Reveals New Venom And X-Men Games Coming By 2030

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    The 1.3 million files leaked as part of the recent ransomware attack on Insomniac Games contain tons of confidential information, including Sony’s projected plans for all of the studio’s upcoming games on PlayStation 5 and beyond. Those alleged roadmaps include a standalone Venom game, a Ratchet and Clank sequel, multiplayer spin-offs, and multiple X-Men games by the year 2030 and beyond.

    Spider-Man 2’s New Web Wings Make It Feel Like A Proper Sequel

    It sounds like more than fans would have expected, even from Sony’s most prolific first-party studio. Two roadmaps are included in the leak, which was first reported by Australian cybersecurity site CyberDaily and is now widely circulating on social media.

    The first one begins in 2023 with Spider-Man 2 and shows a Venom game arriving in 2025, Wolverine launching in 2026, Spider-Man 3 coming in 2028, a new Ratchet and Clank coming in 2029, and the studio’s first X-Men game releasing by 2030. That slate then culminates with a “New IP” planned for 2031-2032.

    But video game development is messy and release dates are notoriously fickle and projects are often canceled, especially this early on. Another set of slides viewed by Kotaku, labeled “Insomniac Games Roadmap Extended” includes even more projects with slightly different dates. There, Wolverine is expected in 2025, followed by Spider-Man 3 in 2027, X-Men in 2029, a “New IP” in 2031,” X-Men 3 in 2033, and a second “New IP” in 2035. Multiplayer spin-offs are also sprinkled in there, with Spider-Man 2‘s online mode arriving in 2024, Wolverine’s online mode arriving in 2026, and X-Men’s Online mode arriving in 2028.

    That’s a ton of projected games and dates, so here’s a quick summary:

    • 2024: Spider-Man 2 multiplayer
    • 2025: Venom
    • 2025-2026: Wolverine
    • 2026: Wolverine multiplayer
    • 2027: Spider-Man 3
    • 2028: X-Men muliplayer
    • 2029-2030: X-Men
    • 2031-2032: New IP 1
    • 2035: New IP 2

    Insomniac’s future seems clear: spawn an entire new Marvel Cinematic Universe on PlayStation. And while we don’t have tons of details for these upcoming projects, one slide does give a pretty clear rundown of what fans can expect from the standalone Venom game. The game will apparently continue the storyline of Spider-Man 2 and setup Spider-Man 3, briding the games the same way Miles Morales did between the first two. Venom and various Spider-Heroes will be swappable as they fight through “Carnage-infected” NYC boroughs. Insomniac is estimating the game will be about 8-10 hours total.

    What fans can expect from the future of Insomniac’s Spider-Man series is murkier. Some of the materials reference the possibility of Spider-Man 3 being split into two parts. It seems like the studio will then shift fully over to X-Men by the end of the decade, though these plans are obviously subject to change. It’s possible the multiplayer spin-off will provide a live-service model for Sony to keep rolling out new missions and mini-story beats, though unless assisted by outside studios, that amount of post-launch work probably wouldn’t dovetail too well with Insomniac’s other ambitious plans.

    How exactly will Sony be paying for all this? Interestingly, another slide from the leaks shows the apparent terms of the PS5 maker’s licensing deal with Marvel for the X-Men games. The franchise will be all but exclusive to PlayStation until 2035, with over $600 million in “committments.” It’s a huge bet on the comic book mutants. We’ll see how it pays off by the time the PS6 comes out.

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    Ethan Gach

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  • The Hottest Gaming Takes, From PS5 Pro To The Game Awards

    The Hottest Gaming Takes, From PS5 Pro To The Game Awards

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    Does anyone else feel like the PS5 just came out, not that long ago? Well, there’s already an abundance of chatter about a potential mid-gen Pro version of Sony’s strangely designed console. And we’ve also got a Game Awards rundown for you too.

    The Week In Games: Dark Knights And Dark Princes

    These are the week’s most interesting perspectives on the wild, wonderful, and sometimes weird world of video game news.

    Finally, A Clever Indie RPG For People Who Suck At Undertale

    The protagonist casts a spell that says "Dude" in Leximan.

    I wonder what happens if you cast “canola”?
    Screenshot: Marvelous Europe

    True confession: while I admire and enjoy the heck out of Undertale, the hugely influential 2015 indie RPG that rewards a peaceful approach to conflict, I’ve never actually managed to complete a pacifist run of the game. That’s because I stink at its bullet-hell combat, which demands lightning reflexes and near-perfect memorization throughout its lengthy and brutal boss battles. So you can imagine my delight when I happened upon an adorable RPG that swaps twitchy, rage-quit-inducing challenges for gentle word puzzles. – Jen Glennon Read More

    Kotaku Asks: What Do You Want From A Potential ‘PS5 Pro’?

    Image for article titled The Hottest Gaming Takes, From PS5 Pro To The Game Awards

    Photo: Hopix Art / Kotaku (Shutterstock)

    Rumors about a supercharged PS5 (or “PS5 Pro,” if you will) are floating around the internet once more. Whether there’s merit to these rumors, of course, remains to be seen. There’s little use speculating about specs for a rumored, potentially nonexistent console. So, instead, let’s ask if we would even want such a thing in the first place. – Claire Jackson Read More

    Toss Yourself In Front Of A Moving Car In This Wild Indie Game

    Photo of a street-based game that challenges visitors to avoid being detected by an AI-powered camera.

    This time, I know I’m onto a winning strategy. I’ve gathered three parking cones, and set about plopping one atop my head and the others on the ends of my arms, Mega Man buster cannon-style. I ask my friend nearby to punch the start button for me. Squishing my legs together as one, like I’m hopping on a tiny pogo stick, I bounce through the (fake) crosswalk, my silhouette on the large screen most closely resembling an 8-bit cactus. – Jen Glennon Read More

    A Beautiful Indie Game Makes Climbing Feel Sublime

    A Beautiful Indie Game Makes Climbing Feel Sublime

    Breath of the Wild and Assassin’s Creed could learn something from Jusant

    The Best Reveals From The Game Awards 2023

    The Best Reveals From The Game Awards 2023

    The industry’s big night delivered a slew of announcements and more than a few surprises

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    Kotaku Staff

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  • The Best Gaming Tips Of The Week, From God of War To Xbox Deals

    The Best Gaming Tips Of The Week, From God of War To Xbox Deals

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    It’s a quiet week for major releases, but a big week for savings and DLC from some of the biggest games in the land, like God of War Ragnarok and Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.

    God Of War Ragnarök DLC: Spend 19 Minutes In Valhalla

    Here are some of the tips and guides we found most helpful this week.

    Xbox Series X Just Got A Massive Price Drop

    Photo: Ian Gavan (Getty Images)

    In case you still needed to do some last-minute Christmas shopping for the gamers in your life (or for yourself), Microsoft has temporarily slashed the price of its most powerful gaming console, knocking the cost down by $100. – Levi Winslow Read More

    How To Get Dipplin’s New Evolved Form In Pokémon Scarlet And Violet

    Dipplin is shown in a grassy area beneath apple trees.

    Image: The Pokémon Company

    Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s Indigo Disk DLC adds a handful of new monsters to catch, one of which is, as fans had theorized, an evolution to Dipplin called Hydrapple. This means one of Applin’s diverging evolutionary lines finally has a third form. But if you’ve had a Dippllin since it was introduced in The Teal Mask DLC, you might be curious why it hasn’t evolved into this new form in the time between the two expansions. That’s because Hydrapple’s evolutionary method hadn’t been added to Scarlet and Violet until now. Here’s how to evolve your candy apple dragon into its final form. – Kenneth Shepard Read More

    12 Things To Know Before Playing God Of War Ragnarök: Valhalla

    Kratos walks toward a bright light.

    Screenshot: Santa Monica Studio / Kotaku

    God of War Ragnarök’s new, free DLC Valhalla is out now, and it’s a pretty great combat showcase that has the added benefit of giving Kratos some much-needed therapy. But if you’re unfamiliar with the punishing, repetitious nature of the roguelike genre or just haven’t booted up Ragnarök lately, it can knock you on your ass. Worry not, because we’re here to give you some general tips to help you face your demons. So grab your axe, blades, and spears, and let’s walk into Valhalla together. – Kenneth Shepard Read More

    Alan Wake 2: New Game Plus Is An Excuse To Play This Work Of Art Again

    Gif: Remedy Entertainment / Kotaku

    Alan Wake 2, Remedy’s survival horror sequel, came out in late October, but if you’re already longing for another trip through the spiral, I have good news: “The Final Draft” update has arrived, and with it a new game plus mode and new story content. Not convinced? Then just watch this trailer and try not to lose your mind at the 30-second mark. – Claire Jackson Read More

    Grand Theft Auto V Joins PlayStation Plus This Month

    Trevor fires a gun at people off camera.

    Image: Rockstar Games

    Oh hey, we’re just burning through December, aren’t we? Well if the 2024 release calendar is lookin’ rather slim to you, might I interest you in some new additions to Sony’s PlayStation Plus service? This month includes quite a few tempting offers. – Claire Jackson Read More

    Where To Find Every Essential Resource In Lego Fortnite

    Lego minifigurine characters as rendered in Fortnite.

    Screenshot: Epic Games

    George Carlin famously said “a house is just a pile of stuff with a cover on it.” At its core, Lego Fortnite is the same. Epic’s new collab with Lego has become an absolute phenom since it launched December 7, seeing a daily peak of around 2 million concurrent players. Like all good sandbox survival games, it’s driven by the need to gather, store, and organize piles of stuff. But not all stuff is created equal. Some stuff, like wood and granite, is readily available. Other stuff is harder to find. This guide is concerned with the latter, giving you insight on where to find the hard-to-find materials like knotroot, flexwood, and more. – Mo Mozuch Read More

    Buy Alan Wake 2 And Get Alan Wake Remastered For Free On Epic Games Store

    Alan Wake talks to a stranger on a payphone.

    Screenshot: Remedy Entertainment / Kotaku

    Curious about Alan Wake 2 but never played the first? Well if you’re a PC gamer, I’ve got some good news: Grab a copy of Alan Wake 2 on the Epic Games Store during its holiday sale and you’ll get a free copy of the 2021 remastered version of the first game. – Claire Jackson Read More

    Check Out Call Of Duty’s New Map For Free This Weekend

    A character in a skull mask holds up a gun to the camera.

    Image: Activison / Kotaku

    Yeah, so that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III campaign wasn’t great. The multiplayer though? That’s a different story. And if you’re at all curious about some shooty fun between friends across some classic maps, good news: You can play the game for free from December 14 to 18. – Claire Jackson Read More

    Come Catch Kratos’ Hands With This Ragnarök Brawler Build

    Come Catch Kratos’ Hands With This Ragnarök Brawler Build

    With the Valhalla DLC out it’s a great time to tackle those bosses who’ve been bodying you

    Baldur’s Gate 3 Xbox Saves Are Disappearing, Here’s How To Avoid It

    Withers stands in a dark crypt.

    Screenshot: Larian Studios / Kotaku

    Baldur’s Gate 3 shadow-dropped on Xbox after winning Game of the Year at The Game Awards, and Larian Studios is already pushing out updates and hotfixes as the dust settles. If you’re playing the fantasy epic on your Xbox, you may be at risk of losing your saves, and Larian is warning players to update their system to avoid the issue. – Kenneth Shepard Read More

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    Kotaku Staff

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  • GTA VI Trailer Makes 1989 Tom Petty Song A New Hit

    GTA VI Trailer Makes 1989 Tom Petty Song A New Hit

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    Tom Petty’s song “Love Is A Long Road,” which was released in 1989, has become a posthumous hit for the rockstar after it was featured in the trailer for Grand Theft Auto VI, which will be set in Petty’s home state of Florida. What do you think?

    “Like when ‘The Times They Are A-Changin’’ went to number one after being used in a Mortal Kombat fatality.”

    Lukas Lindestaf, Grain Supplier

    This Week’s Most Viral News: July 14, 2023

    “It’s always sad when someone doesn’t get their flowers until after they die.”

    Mariana Federspiel, Audiologist

    “Even in death, he can’t escape Florida.”

    Theo Wolff, Journalism Critic

     

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  • Dev Behind Controversial Shooter The Day Before Shuts Down Days After Massive Steam Launch [Update]

    Dev Behind Controversial Shooter The Day Before Shuts Down Days After Massive Steam Launch [Update]

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    The drama-filled saga behind one of Steam’s most-anticipated games of 2023 just took its weirdest turn yet. The Day Before maker Fntastic announced it will cease operations less than a week after accusations of swindling players with a massive bait-and-switch when it came to the true nature of its The Last of Us-looking survival game.

    The Top 10 Most-Played Games On Steam Deck: September 2023 Edition

    “Today, we announce the closure of the Fntastic studio,” began a statement tweeted by the studio on December 11. “Unfortunately, The Day Before has failed financially, and we lack the funds to continue. All income received is being used to pay off debts to our partners.”

    Fntastic wrote that it worked “tirelessly for five years” on the shooter without ever taking money from players through Early Access, pre-orders, or crowdfunding. While the future of The Day Before and the studio’s other online games is “unknown,” the servers will apparently remain operational for the time being.

    “We apologize if we didn’t meet your expectations,” the statement continued. “We did everything within our power, but unfortunately, we miscalculated our capabilities. Creating games is an incredibly challenging endeavor.”

    At the same time its cutting its losses, Fntastic also seems to be denying accountability for the current mess surrounding The Day Before. One of Steam’s most-wishlisted games earlier this year, players flocked to the relatively unknown release which hit over 400,000 viewers on Twitch and 30,000 concurrent players on PC on its first day live.

    What they quickly discovered, however, was that the Unreal Engine game that shined in trailers was not the zombie survival MMO originally marketed, but rather a buggy and relatively empty extraction shooter. The $40 release was panned in thousands of Steam reviews with players calling it a “scam,” complaining of server issues and broken levels, with many submitting refund requests.

    The flash-in-the-pan launch, which left The Day Before with a rating of “mostly negative,” followed months of debate about whether the game was even real. After accusations of exploiting voluntary labor, misleading fans with plagiarized trailers and asset flips, and a legal dispute that temporarily got the game pulled from Steam amid multiple delays, players began to wonder if The Day Before was all smoke and mirrors. It might have been better if it had been.

    Fntastic rejected speculation impugning its integrity and motives last week, crticizing those who “didn’t believe in us.” “To our future player who will dive into this game on December 7: We made this for you so that you will enjoy the game and it becomes a celebration,” the studio wrote in a statement at the time. “Together, we will continue improving the game and adding content.”

    Just four days later, that no longer seems to be the case.

    Update 12/11/2023 5:53 p.m. ET: The Day Before has been removed from Steam.

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    Ethan Gach

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  • Finally, A Clever Indie RPG For People Who Suck At Undertale

    Finally, A Clever Indie RPG For People Who Suck At Undertale

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    True confession: while I admire and enjoy the heck out of Undertale, the hugely influential 2015 indie RPG that rewards a peaceful approach to conflict, I’ve never actually managed to complete a pacifist run of the game. That’s because I stink at its bullet-hell combat, which demands lightning reflexes and near-perfect memorization throughout its lengthy and brutal boss battles. So you can imagine my delight when I happened upon an adorable RPG that swaps twitchy, rage-quit-inducing challenges for gentle word puzzles.

    6 Things To Know Before Starting Persona 5 Tactica

    Leximan, from developer Knights of Borria, immediately caught my eye among the many booths at December 8’s Day of the Devs indie showcase. That was largely due to its monochromatic pixel art style, which is interspersed with trippy splashes of color. You play as a pointy-hatted wizard with a slinky, gliding stride, navigating your way through a variety of colorful dungeons and puzzles.

    Read more: 20 Cool Indie Games You Won’t See At The Game Awards

    As is the case in any worthwhile dungeon, you’ll encounter baddies to dispatch, and Leximan puts a unique spin on the genre’s familiar turn-based combat. When you enter battle, you’ll see a swirling cloud of word fragments on the bottom half of the screen, which you can then use to create mystical incantations. There’s a variety of solutions to any given situation, and the most obvious word may not be the correct option—or the most interesting one. You might have a pretty clear idea of what will happen if you cast “Fireball,” but aren’t you the slightest bit curious about what might happen if you chose “Hairball” instead?

    Leximan | Announcement Trailer

    Once you’ve landed on your approach, the ensuing dialogue will dance and shimmer on the screen, often in vibrant contrast to the game’s mostly black-and-white aesthetic. On occasion, the game’s entire interface will transform or change color—as when I cast “yellow” in response to a foe wielding a green shield. These inventive riffs on the familiar combat system combine to allow each encounter to feel distinct and memorable in its own right. At least during my brief demo, there wasn’t any hint of the kind of spammy, repetitive encounters that often plague retro-styled role-playing games.

    With its full-hearted embrace of punny turns of phrase, I wasn’t surprised to discover that the team behind Leximan is based in the UK (Cornwall, to be more precise). There’s a distinct dryness and Python-esque sensibility in the writing here that feels distinct from Undertale—and its many imitators—in a welcome way. If you’re a fan of an offbeat RPG with oodles of personality, this is one to watch.

     Leximan does not yet have a release date, but you can wishlist it on Steam to keep on top of future updates.

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    Jen Glennon

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