Chilla’s Art is a well-known developer duo in the Japanese horror gaming scene, and we’ve been graced with a very long list of retro and very spooky short games to play through. The latest of these games is Cursed Digicam, and it's getting a lot of attention. 

The story of Cursed Digicam follows a father as he? tries to free his dead daughter’s spirit from being trapped with the aid of a special camera made by a medium, and a website that promises to use the photos to free the spirit?. 

Of course, it’s not that straightforward, and there’s also a questionable mouse mascot who haunts ??you at every step, and a twisted tale to uncover as you play. 

The game also has a short list of achievements, most of which require you to take every photo that?? can possibly be taken in the three different locations. There are 35 photos in total across the three locations, so it can be hard to miss some, but here’s how to find them al?l. 

What are the codes in Cursed Digicam?

In every location, you’ll find a lot of four-digit codes scattered around. These codes can be entered on a nearby ??phone to give a hint about the location of a corresponding photo. In this g?uide, I’ll not only explain where to find the photo but which code corresponds to which as well. 

Photos at the Park in the evening in Cursed Digicam

There are a total of nine photos that can be taken at t?he Park while you’re there in the daylight, but you won’t be able to get all of them in yo??ur first playthrough. Once you’ve taken seven photos, the game will automatically progress to nighttime. 

Once you’ve finished y?our fi??rst playthrough, you’ll be able to select “Continue�from the main menu and revisit the park, picking up whichever of the photos you missed the first time around.

Photo #1 - Toilet Stall

This is the first photo you’ll be able to take and acts as a tutorial for using the camera. The ghost is found i?n the crack in the door of the toilet stall immediately to the right of the one you exit from. Taking this photo will open the door to the toilets, allowing you to venture out into the Park itself. 

Photos in the park at night time in Cursed Digicam

As soon as you’ve taken seven of the photos listed above, you’ll immediately be thrust into the darkness. There are 10 more photos to be taken at the Park during the night, although technically you only need?? to take eight to progress and go home. 

However, as long as you don’t choos??e to go home, you can take all 10 ph??otos and will have no need to return to this part later.

Photo #1 - Payphone

Enter the payphone and the door will cl?os??e behind you, preventing you from getting out again. Open up the camera and look at the window behind the phone, where you’ll find a reflection of the girl trying to reach the phone. 

After ??taking this photo, you’ll remain trapped in the payphone as water begins to rise. Don’t worry, this needs to just play out and once the water covers your head, you’ll be thrown out of the payphone to get more photo?s.

In this photo, the girl is looking at the mascot as it stands at the door. It will still be there when you turn around, and this is likely the first major jump scare you wi?ll encounter.

Photos at the apartment in Cursed Digicam

Once you head back to your apartment, the creep factor really kicks up a notch or five. There are 16 photos that can be taken in the apartment, but technically only eight are needed to p??rogress further into the story. 

It is possible to get more than eight photos on your first playthrough, but you’ll need to play through this section twice to get every possible photo. After taking eight photos, an incredibly creepy ghost will spawn by the front door, and taking her photo will prevent you from taking ??any more.

Photo #1 - Door gap

This is the first photo you need to take, and you won’t be able to leave the room until you’ve got ??it.

Photo #2 - Door gap reversed

Open the door where you took the first photo, then turn around and close it again? to take this photo through the gap on the other side.

Photo #16 - Front door

This is the ghost that will automatically spawn after you’ve taken eight photos. Capturing her photo will remove your abili??ty to take any more, progres?sing the story forward.

The post All ghost photo locations in Cursed Digicam appeared first on Destructoid.

Whether you want to start life over on a run-down farm or you want a new challenge to absorb all of your spare time, there’s never a shortage of cozy games ready and waiting to di??stract you from reality. 2025 is set to be a big year for the genre, with a myriad of announced titles set to release. 

Although games like Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing served to propel the coz?y gaming genre to a huge number of new players, the genre has been around for far longer. Some would pinpoint the bi??rth of cozy games with Little Computer People, released for multiple platforms in 1985. We’ve come a long way since then, but cozy games are still a firm favorite for many. 

Many cozy titles are set to release this year, make their way to new platforms, or leave early access behind. As something of a cozy gamer myself, here are 15 that I’m looking forward to? getting into. 

Kitori Academy

Although there is no set release date for Kitori Academy yet, and the Kickstarter page still suggests that the game should have been fully released in 2023, all signs point to this magical cozy game being released at some point in 2025. Of co??urse, that’s not set in stone, but the gorgeous?? art style and promising concept of the game are hard not to be hopeful about. 

In Kitori Academy, you take on the role of a wizard apprentice who attends the academy alongside their pet cat. If you’ve ever wanted to head?? off to Hogwarts, this will definitely appeal to you. Not onl?y can you train in the arts of potion brewing and spellcasting with an aim to tackle the curse that threatens the land, but you can also grow vegetables and build relationships with those around you. 

Discounty

Discounty is what would happen if Jojamart were in charge of Stardew Valley. Rather than trying to save the town from a money-hungry conglomerate, Discounty will give you control over the loc??al town store and hand you the power to pour contamination into the water stream. Or, you could take the other, more honorable route, but that’s been done before, right?

There are plenty of townsfolk to make friends with in Blomkest �or turn into enemies if you disturb the peace of the quiet town by growing ??your business too rapidly. You get t??o pick your stock, set the prices, and make trade deals to thrive one way or another. Essentially, you get to become Pierre, and that’s weirdly appealing. 

We Harvest Shadows

Admittedly, We Harvest Shadows can only be descri?bed as ‘cozy�if you ignore the large number of horror elements at play, but there are some who find relaxation in creepy surroundings. The game takes inspiration from the terrifyi??ng folklore surrounding the Appalachian mountains. You know the ones �“if you hear someone calling your name, no, you didn’t� 

But that’s just one side of We Harvest Shadows. The cozy elements come in the form of ??farming, fixin?g up your house, looking after your animals, and getting to know those who live in the area surrounding the farm. There’s a huge focus on slow-burn storytelling, rather than throwing you in at the deep end with pure horror and jump scares, so you can take your time enjoying the cozy before giving yourself nightmares. 

Fields of Mistria

Fields of Mistria is technically already available to play and has been since it entered Early Access in August 2024. There’s already so much to do, including over 40 hours of gameplay and endless customization, never mind all of the friends you can make along the way. However, it is set to leave early access behind at some point during 2025, fully packed with f??eatures that currently aren’t implemented. 

According to the roadmap, more levels are set to be added to the Mines, new NPCs are due to arrive, and many new items are likely to arrive, too. I’m very much a fan of Fields of Mistria, and those? who have played it already have fallen in love with the world and the people in it. It’s easy to lose hours while playing, and it’s worth diving in whenever you’re ready. 

Solarpunk

If you’re looking for a cozy game with space to drag your friends along for the ride, Solarpunk might be it, although it’s perfect if you want to do some solo gaming as well. It is a survival game with an emphas??is on rebuilding and thriving on futuristic floating islan??ds, although there’s a huge amount of cottagecore goodness to be found even in the technologically advanced setting. 

While the game will center around building up a farmstead using farming, crafting, and gathering skills and harnessing natural energy to po??wer?? it all, there’s also an exploration element to Solarpunk. Eventually, you’ll be able to build a private airship, facilitating travel to islands further afield so that you can gather resources and materials or make new friends along the way. 

Witchbrook 

2025 might be the year of magic-based cozy games, with Witchbrook being the second on this list based in the more fantastical realm. With instantly familiar graphics and an emphasis on friendship building, Witchbrook has all of?? the elements that point to success and is definitely wo??rth keeping an eye on as we get closer to release day. 

Once again, you enroll at a College of Witchcraft to learn everything there is to know about magic, but that’s not all there is to Witchbrook. You’ll be able to cook, grow plants, forage, and even soar through the skies on a broom. Eventually, you move on to postgraduate studies a??nd take on deliveries for the locals, allowing you ?to build friendships or romantic relationships with those both inside and outside of the college walls. 

While Waiting

Sometimes, it can be hard to sit back and watch the world around you without any input, but While Waiting is a cozy game that aims to challenge the control freak in all of us, no matter how big or small that part of us may be. The game even comes with a warning that it might get boring at t??imes, but that’s not necessarily the case.

While the aim of Just Waiting is overwhelmingly simple �just wait �there is no shortage of things to do or experience while you do. I mean, yes, you might technically be waiting fo??r a bus or for the rain to stop, and nothing you do will make that waiting time go any quicker, but there’s still a lot to interact with in each scene and many puzzles to figure out to complete objectives. 

Hello Kitty Island Adventure

I know that Hello Kitty Island Adventure was first released in 2023, but thanks to t??he exclusive availability on only the Apple Arcade, many people have never had the chance to play. Now, it’s coming to both Nintendo Switch and PC through Steam, opening up the Sanrio world to a whole new influx of players. 

With all of the most well-loved Sanrio characters (including Gudetama, a fact that makes my heart sing), Hello Kitty Island Adventure has won a long list of rewards for gameplay and design. There are 80 quests to complete, many? friends to make, crafting and gathering to be done, and all of it in Sanrio’s telltale kawaii styl?e. 

Ritual of Raven

Ritual of Raven isn’t the first cozy game from Spellgarden Games, but it is their first foray into the world of farming sims. You might be familiar with its previous cozy gem, Sticky Business, and the now familiar a??rt style has been transformed into a lively, story-based life sim that revolves around growing herbs in a magical world while accompani??ed by your trusty raven. 

Not only can you cultivate your herb garden with the power of magic, but you can also truly personalize your space with decorations. A few friendly neighbors are waiting to form friendships with you, and you can even learn how to control the phases of the moon in your own self-interest. Ritual of Raven has been on my radar since? it was announced in August 2024, and I can’t wait to dive in and play. 

Outbound

In Outbound, you’re in control of a camper van with a huge map to explore, materials to be scavenged, and endless customization options as you turn the camper van into your own ideal home on wheels. You can play both solo or with up to four friends, and there’s no right or wrong, making Outbound truly cozy in every sense of the word. 

You’ll need to adapt your play style depending? on how far you venture, with everything from expansive fields? to treacherous mountains to explore, but your trusty camper van can go everywhere with you. You can also establish a base camp by building around the camper van, growing plants, and learning to cook the ingredients you cultivate. 

Crimson Hollow

And just like that, another magic-based cozy game is waiting to be tried. Crimson Hollow will allow you to try your hand at skills like mining, blacksmithing, herbalism, alchemy, and fishing because what would a cozy game be if there was ?no fishing? It’s almost a basic requirement at this p?oint. Almost. 

Outside of your own farming and gathering tasks, there are also quests to complete and townsfolk to meet, befriend, or become romantically entangled with. Building relationships will uncover new secrets or perks, and you’ll also be able to customize not only your character but also your home. With a cute cartoon art style and an intriguing story waiting to be told, Crimson Hollow is worth keeping on your radar.

Date Everything

Date Everything is proof that there’s a fine line between just-plain-weird and weirdly-cozy. Dating sims aren’t exactly a new thing, but Date Everything takes, well, everything, to the extreme. Rather than meeting and picking up regular people, Date Everything puts you in a house and offers you the chan??ce to date everything from the lamps to the ??dishwasher. How many times can I say “date everything�in one paragraph?

The concept is bizarre, but there’s a lot of appeal there. While I can’t say I’ve ever thought about the potential personified appearance of my TV cabinet, I’m intrigued to see what it could look like if given the chance to become something more than it currently is. There are 100 characters waiting to be pu?lled from the furniture and appliances; the whole pun-filled experience is fully voice-acted by a large number of recognizable voices, featuring three endings per character. That’s a lot to get absorbed in.

Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game

There’s something infinitely appealing about life in Hobbiton, The Shire, Middle Earth. It’s picturesque, quiet, laid back, and outside of the appearance of Gandalf and Pippin and Merry’s insistence on causing chaos, there’s very little dra??ma. That sounds relaxing, peaceful, and, dare I say it, ultimately cozy. 

In Tales of the Shire, you can immerse yourself in Hobbit life. Farming, fishing, foraging, and, of course, the most important task for any Hobbit, cooking. No Hobbit hole is complete without a well-stocked pantry, and second breakfast is the most important?? meal of the day?. Stock up on potatoes, and explore the village of Bywater to create connections with your fellow Hobbits, which is greatly helped by sharing meals.

Loftia

Loftia is a cross between a life sim?? and a small-scale MMO. You have your own floating island that can be customized and used to farm, forage, and craft your way to a brighter future. You can then join players nearby to form neighborhoods, using ethical energy to ?power your creations in this sustainable new world. 

Through the use of hydroponics, trellis farming, repurposing trash into usable furniture, and scavenging from abandoned factories, you can create a utopia while uncovering hidden stories to play through and locations to explore. There’s also the ability to adopt companions, including capybaras, turtles, and even some as-yet unrevealed endangered creatures. As if that’s not enough, you can dress them in adorable outfits, instantly making Loftia worth your time. 

inZOI

It’s been hard to avoid hearing about inZOI over the last few months, especially for those heavily into The Sims and other similar titles. inZOI takes the proven life sim concept and throws it into the 21st century with almost photo-realistic graphics and en?dless customization possibilities powered by what KRAFTON has promised to be ethical generative AI. 

There have been countless videos of early gameplay released through YouTubers such as MadMorph, and KRAFTON also released the character studio demo for a few weeks toward the end of 2024, allowing players a glimpse of what’s to come. And what’s to come looks incredibly impressive. With ultimate control over everything from the weather to the type of wild creatures you can encounter and the possibility to upload photos of your own items to import and use in the game, there’s no end of new things to try when inZOI eventually gets a full release on March 28.

The post Best cozy games coming out in 2025 appeared first on Destructoid.

You will get hurt as you venture through the Overgrown on your quest to defeat the Crowns in Hyper Light Breaker. You will get hurt a lot. If you want to survive long enough t??o reap the best rewards of your excursions, you'll want to learn how to heal.

How to make Medkits in Hyper Light Breaker

Using a Medkit is one of the most reliable ways to heal yourself in Hyper Light Drifter. Unfortunately, you don't start your first run with any, which made things pr??etty awkward for me when I tried to heal? after I got out of a tough fight. To get a Medkit, you first need to find a Golden Ration.

Golden Rations are the materials you use to access the vendors in the Cursed Outpost, and you'll need at least one of them to get a Medkit. So far, I've found two ways to get Golden Rations. The first ?is by exploring the Overgrown and finding them in golden chests. Golden chests seem to spawn near areas where Prisms spawn,? or at least they have for me. You'll need a certain amount of Bright Blood to open the chests, so make sure you have some before you look for one.

You can also get Golden Rations whenever you reset your Cycle. You're allowed to reset your current Cycle whenever you run out of Rezs. Pherus Bit grades for your performance whenever you reset your Cycle, and if you score ?high enough to go up a Rank, he?? gives you a Golden Ration.

Once you've got a Golden Ration, you can bring it to Pherus Bit in the Cursed Outpost and use it to get a Medkit. You'll start with two Medkits, but yo??u can upgrade your stash to hold more if you use more Golden Rations. Whenever you want to use a Medkit, h?it the C key.

How to use Medigems in Hyper Light Breaker

Once you use a Medkit, there are two ways to get more of replenish them. The first is by harvesting Medigems. These green plant h??eals you a little whenever you pick them up,? and you can also use them to refill a used Medkit. You need five Medigems to re-fill a Medkit, which you can do when you find a Shrine while you're exploring the Overgrown.

The locations of Shrines are marked on your map when you load a new versi??on of the Overgrowth and are easy to interact with. All you have to do is walk up to them and hold the F key to interact with them. Just make sure there aren't any enemies around; they will NOT hang back and wait for you to sort through your menu.

How to perfect parry in Hyper Light Breaker

The last and most dangerous way to heal yourself in Hyper Light Breaker is by performing a perfect parry. Enemies ??hit hard in Hyper Light Breaker, and they like to gang up on you, so I'd only recommend doing a perfect parry once you've whittled the herd down a bit.

To pull off a perfect parry, h??it the Q button right before an enemy hits you. Not only does this heal you, but it also seems to reflect projectiles back at enemies. It's risky, but it might save your life if?? you're out of Medkits and can't dash away from a persistent enemy.

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After eight years in development, a huge mod for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive has been blocked from a Steam release by Valve at t??he final hurdle.

The mod, Classic Offensive, says it has "the goal of bringing back the community aspects and aesthetics of CS," suggesting the game had become too focused on skins. Essentially, it wants to become the ultimate nostalgia trip back to Counter-Strike 1.6, using the newer visuals of CS:GO.

Classic Offensive mod blocked from Steam release

Classic Offensive made it through the now-retired Steam Greenlight system back in 2017, offering hope that it would eventually be able to release a free modification to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive on Steam.

With the release build submitted to Steamworks for review back in October, the team behind the mod received no response over the holiday season, delaying plans to launch on December 25, 2024. Now, in a statement on X, the Classic Offensive team has confirme?d that the mod's app has been retired "without any reason explained" after eight years of d?evelopment.

The retirement of the Classic Offensive app essentially kills its chances of being released on Steam, even after making "some requested legal ??changes due to the usage of Valve's IP." According to the creator, "The project has been sticking to the guidelines on how to release a mod on Steam," and the team has "followed the requirements and recommendations to the letter."

The Classic Offensive project has received no communication fro?m Valve since late 2020,?? and at no point was it directed to stop work on the project. It's described as "an? even worse form of C??ease and Desist," with the team feeling "required to tell any modding team related to Valve projects to reconsider what they're doing if their sole way of releasing is through Steam."

After eight years, their frustration is completely understandable, and the aim is to "try to get in contact with Valve employ?ees... to try to get things moving in the right direction." Whether it can be resolved fully remains to be seen.

The post Massi??ve Counter-Strike mod blocked from Steam release by Valve after eight ye?ars in development appeared first on Destructoid.

Marvel Rivals is rapidly becoming one of the most popular multiplayer video games running right now, and it's just reached a massive milestone on Steam. For a few hours, Marvel Rivals was the most-played game on Steam, outperforming some top-tier competitors and proving its staying power within the multiplayer s??cene.

Marvel Rivals' Season 1 launch turned it into the most-played game on Steam

When Marvel Rivals launched in December last year, it instantly became one of the most popular games on Steam. The game amassed over 2,000,000 players on Steam within hou??rs of its release, shattering expectations. However, some people remained unconvinced the game's time in the spotlight would last long. Some onlookers, including former Blizzard head Mike Ybarra, downplayed the game's success, predicting its post-launch hype would fizzle out fast.??

Luckily for fans, Marvel Rivals' harshest critics got a huge reality check when Season 1 dropped on January 10, 2025. According to SteamDB, Marvel Rivals racked up 644,269 concurrent players in the hours after Season 1 went live, breaking its previous all-time peak player count and sending it flying to the top of Steam's most-p?layed game chart.

While Marvel Rivals would lose its spot at the top of the pyramid within a few hours, it's impossible to deny how impressive that accomplishment is. In the short time it was the most-played game on Steam, Marvel Rivals outperformed some stiff competition. This included Path of Exile 2, Palworld, and Counter-Strike 2, all of which have become mainsta??ys on Steam's most-p??layed lists.

With Season 1 in full swing, the odds of Marvel Rivals' player count getting swelled by word-of-mouth are pretty high. If that? happens, the little hero shooter that could might end u?p topping Steam's most-played list soon.

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If you’re a PC gamer, then there’s no doubt that you have Steam in??stalled and a hefty library filled with titles to play at a moment's notice. Steam is well known for its periodical sales and events, but they can sometimes sneak up on you without any warning if ??you’re not careful. 

Th?ese speci?al events on Steam can be split into three distinct types:

• Seasonal sales: A period during which any game could become available at a discounted price.
• Fests: Themed sales events during which games of a certain type are available at a discounted price.
• Next Fest: Focuses on games that are not yet released, with a lot of demos becoming available to play and opportunities to connect with developers.

These events usually last for seven days each, with many occurring back to back with no break. It’s always worth keeping an eye on upcoming games ?from your favorite developers or publishers, as they can oft??en get on board with these events and release new updates to coincide with them, or otherwise release demos during a Next Fest event.

With so many different types of events spread throughout the year, it can be hard to keep track. Don’t worry, here??’s the rundown of every event happening on Steam in the first six months of 2025 so you can mark any that interest you on your calendar.

All Steam events (January 2025 - July 2025)

Real-time Strategy Fest (January 20 - January 27)

Idler Fest (February 3 - February 10)

Couch Co-Op Fest (February 10 - February 17)

Steam Next Fest - February (February 24 - March 3)

Visual Novel Fest (March 3 - March 10)

Steam Spring Sale (March 13 - March 20)

City Builder & Colony Sim Fest (March 24 - March 31)

Sokoban Fest (April 21 - April 28)

Wargames Fest (April 28 - May 5)

Creature Collector Fest (May 12 - May 19)

Zombies vs. Vampires Fest (May 26 - June 2)

Steam Next Fest - June (June 9 - June 16)

Fishing Fest (June 16 - June 23)

Steam Summer Sale - June (June 26 - July 10)

The post All ??sales and fest?s coming to Steam in first six months of 2025 appeared first on Destructoid.

Marvel Rivals Season 1 is here, and it introduces Reed and Susan Richards of the Fantastic Four as playable characters. Marvel Rivals players worldwide, myself included, are already falling in love with Marvel's First Family's founding couple. However, Mister Fantastic is attracting a cult following amongst One Piece fans.

Across social media, Marvel Rivals players can't stop comparing Mister Fantastic to One Piece's eternally optimistic protagonist, Monkey D. Luffy. As a Marvel Comics and One Piece fan, I can't help but agree with them.

Marvel Rivals players can't get enough of Reed D. Richards

If you're even distantly familiar with the Fantastic Four or One Piece, you may have already seen these two elastic boys placed side-by-side for comparison on forums and blogs. Both characters are famous for having bodies made of rubber, and some circles of comics and anime fans have compared and contrasted the two years before Marvel Rivals or it's runaway success were even glimmers in NetEase Games' ??eyes.

However, within hours of Mister Fantastic's initial reveal trailer going live, people began noticing an uncanny parallel between Reed and Luffy that cut deeper than their surface-level s?imilarities. Most of Reed's signature abilities see him inflate into an oversized version of himself, complete with puffed-up arms and fists that would make his rock?y-skinned best friend, Ben "The Thing" Grimm, jealous.

With his beefed-up compressed body and mammoth limbs, Marvel Rivals' Mister Fantastic spends quite a lot of time looking like Luffy's Gear 4 form. If you aren't familiar with One Piece, this is the fourth version of the enhanced form Luffy takes when he uses his Devil Fruit powers to? strengthen his body.

Mister Fantastic's pseudo-Gear 4 form is quickly becoming a meme among Marvel Rivals' player base. Many fans are flexing their artistic talent by sh??aring some outstanding fan art of "Reed D. Richards" on social media. Some are simple drawings that play up the joke, but others are full-on comics presenting Reed as the protagonist of a Shonen anime I want to read more about.

I've been reading Marvel comics and One Piece for years, and I'm honestly jealous I missed the similarities between Marvel's stretchiest genius and the Straw Hat Pirates' indomitable captain. Now that I've seen it, playing Mister Fantastic in Marvel Rivals has gotten even more fun.

The post Marvel Rivals players a??re comparing Mister Fantastic to Monke??y D. Luffy, and so am I appeared first on Destructoid.

Despite releasing to PS5 in 2020, The Last of Us Part 2 is only just about coming to PC. On the one hand, it will be the ?remastered version when it is released (it's up to you to decide whether a four-and-half-year-old game even needs remastering). However, if you're planning to get your gritty zombie action on via Steam or Epic Games Store, you won't be able to escape Sony's clutch.

As noted by VGC, if you want to play The Last of Us Part 2 on PC, you'll need to connect a PlayStation Network account in order to do so. Indeed, if you look on the game's Steam page,?? you can see it says so on the right-hand column.

This is despite two things:

1. TLoU is a single-player game, so it doesn't make sense to require a PSN account.
2. A similar tactic was tried last year with Helldiver 2. Guess how that went down...

It seems Sony has learned nothing

As the report from VGC also points out, having to have a separate account in order to play through Steam or Epic renders the game useless in countries that don't have PSN. Obviously, this means a lot of people around the world won't be able to play The Last of Us Part 2 (remastered or not) when ?it comes to PC this Apri??l.

While Sony has reneged on this decision in the past �doing a complete U-turn when it tried to introduce it to the aforementioned Helldiver 2 �the company also admitted it was "still learning what is best for PC players." However, this doesn't appear to be the case if Sony goes forward with PSN requirement?s for a PC port of a single-player?? game.

There was also the incident in September 2024 when a mod for God of War Ragnarök removed the PlayStation Network requirement altogether. This alone should show how unpopular it is. Will Sony relent for The Last of Us Part 2? It seems well within its best interests to do so. Sadl??y,?? I have no influence over that decision.

The post The Last of Us Part 2 requires a PSN account if you ?wa??nt to play it on PC appeared first on Destructoid.

If you can't wake up in the morning without a steaming mug of boomer shooters, a new one is comin' in hot. GRAVELORD is set to kic??k off its Early Access period of "unfiltered, hardcore carnage" on Janu??ary 22. 

Developer ??Fatbot Games has a nice little chunk of content lined up for Early Access. A full episode with eight levels will be available, along with a replayable bonus level. There are also plans for an integrated leve??l editor, but it sounds like we'll have to wait for the full release to try out our own designs.

For a quickfire taste of Quake-style act?ion with a side of mouthy protagonist, chec??k out the short but action-packed release date trailer below.

Fatbot is going all in on the boomer shooter distinction (and the "let's put the fun back in funeral" tagline). GRAVELORD looks appropriately fast-paced, with secret-filled levels giving players something to chew on when t??hey aren't blowing enemies away in rapid succession.

On top of the traditional FPS gameplay, GRAVELORD has collectible Tarot Cards that can boost combat options and power, as well as upgradeable weapons with varying modes of fire. I'm less enthused about the "badass protagonist," Queedo the Gravedigger. Queedo is billed as being "dumb as hell but strong as an ox," which is a great asset to ?have in a game like this. He also "has opinions" and comments on what's happening on-screen with his Cockney accent. Let's hope it ends up being funny without the need for any pejorative air quotes. 

If you can't wait until later this month, you can see more of what GRAVELORD is all about in the demo that's live now on Steam.

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Following up on the first round in October 2024, Capcom is getting ready for another Monster Hunter Wilds open beta t??est. This one officially kicks off on February 6 with content from the first test and a new hunting opportunity.

The meat of the new content is the ability to hunt Gy?pceros, a returning monster from the series. Features from the first test include Character Creation, Story Trial, and the Slay Doshaguma Quest. If you already made a character in the first test, fear not, because that data can be carried over to the second. It can ??also be carried over to the full game when it launches, but that doesn't apply to game progress.

Watch as producer Ryozo Tsujimoto announces the test and schedule with hi?s own eerily accurate custom character below.

There are two sessions planned, and you don't have to be subscribed to PlayStation Plus or Game Pass Core/Ultimate t?o try it out. Here's when you'll be able to play, complete with crossplay between the three platforms:

Monster Hunter Wilds open beta 2 schedule 

• Starts: Thursday, February 6, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. PT
• Ends: Sunday, February 9, 2025 at 6:59 p.m. PT

• Starts: Thursday, February 13, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. PT
• Ends:  Sunday, February 16, 2025 at 6:59 p.m. PT

There are also special bonuses in store for ?everyone who participates in the beta test. A decorative charm for your weapon or Seikret, as well as an item pack, can all be redeemed in the full game. 

According to Tsujimoto, they heard from a lot of players who either missed out on the first test or just want to play again. That prompted the planning for the upcoming test. He added that the team is still hard at work finishing the game, with adjustments and improvements underway that won't make it into the second beta in time. We'll see how those improvements stack up when Monster Hunter Wilds launches ??on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam on February 28.

The post Monster Hunter Wilds kicks off seco?nd open beta test on February 6 appeared first on Destructoid.

While Steam Deck has been a lot of people's go-to when it comes to handheld PC gaming, the likes of Lenovo have been making their own mark on the industry. The Legion Go has offered a decent alternative to Valve's portable system, but ??we're about to experience a first.

Lenovo is all set to launch the Legion Go S. Announced at CES 2025, the upcoming device will be more ergonomic and feature a smaller screen when compared to the current model. According to a post on Micro Center, a Windows 1?1 version will be launching sometime in January, and will have an RRP of $7??29.

However, if you're willing to wait a bit longer, there's an alternative model, which will come with SteamOS, the very same? softw?are that powers the Steam Deck UX. This version is expected to be released sometime in May.

Will others follow suit?

This is a pretty significant development. As the post above itself says, this makes the Lenovo Legion Go S "the first PC gaming handheld built on the SteamOS from someone other than Valv??e itself." Whether this will open the door for other third-party handheld manufacturers to do the same remains to be seen at t??his stage.

Whether you ??go for the Windows or Steam version, both of these new models offer a departure from the current Legion Go, according to Micro Center. As well as the aforementioned ergonomic design, the Go S also now has integrated controllers,?? rather than the Nintendo Switch-style ones you could remove from the device.

As for hardware specs, you can expect to find an AMD Ryzen Z2 Go or Z1 Extreme processor with a Radeon 700M GPU under the hood, as well as 32GB of RAM. Given that the Steam? Deck OLED has 16GB of RAM, we're already seeing just how Valve's system is starting to look less impressive as we move forward. I guess Newell and his team need to come out of the woodwork with something quick, especially if?? third-party devices are going to start using SteamOS.

The post Lenovo Legion Go S will be the first gaming handheld outsid?e Steam Deck to use SteamOS appeared first on Destructoid.

It seems like just yesterday that I was writing about a relatively unknown gem that seemed to be taking a certain corner of YouTube by storm, but it was ten months ago, and now I’m here to scream from the rooftops that That’s Not My Neighbor has now to Steam for all. 

Weirdly, the name has been tweaked in the smallest possible way, and the title has come to Steam as â€?em>That’s Not Your Neighbor,â€?but itâ€?™s still very much the same game that was previously only available ??as a direct download from the creator Nacho’s itch.io page. Sadly, it seems that the itch.io page no longer works, so if you want to play, you’ll need to get the game through Steam instead. 

There is an increased cost to this, with Steam having the game priced at $8.49 USD, while the price on itch.io was only $2.99 USD suggested. Having said that, I always thought that That’s Not My Neighbor provided enough game play to be worth far more than it was selling for, so the new price tag doesn’t seem too bad.

If you ever played Papers, Please, then you’ll thoroughly enjoy That’s Not Your Neighbor. As a doorman in a block of flats in 1955, you need to figure out which peo??ple trying to enter are your actual neighbors and which are “doppelgangers.�I’m not sure that’s the most appropriate word for these monsters who try to enter, with far too many eyes or bits missing, but it’s u?p to you as the security to figure out which is which.

You can ?call up to apartments to double-check that the person trying to get in isn’t already home, check their ID for discrepancies, and ??then either grant or deny access. If you think somebody is a doppelganger, you’ll need to call the Doppelganger Detection Department (D.D.D.) to have them “taken care of� to put it in the gentlest of terms. I'm sure it gets more than a little bit gory behind the shutters that thankfully descends in that scenario.

You won’t find out whether you accidentally killed an innocent neighbor until the end of the day when you either get to come to work the next day, or you’re punished for your lack of attention to detail, which becomes a problem if you’re like me and have a memory ??like a sieve. Remembering someone's 12 digit identification number so that you can compare it to the one you’ve just been ??handed by a could-be-doppelganger is a pain. Bring a pen and paper.

Honestly, even with the increased price, That’s Not Your Neighbor is worth checking out if you have some t??ime to spare and are itching for something new and challenging to play. There’s a lot of fun to be had, and even some jump scares. 

The post That’s Not My Neighbor comes to Steam, with a very slight tweak to the name appeared first on Destructoid.

It feels like we finished a Steam sale just for another one to begin. Ah, the year-end sales, where bulky wallets go to die. The 2024 Steam Winter Sale is live, ?bringing tons of discounts to some?? of the greatest games you can find on the storefront.

The Winter Sale has rolled in like a chilly blizzard, bringing discounts on countless games. Some of the year's best titles are on sale, so be sure to check your wishlist. Heavy-hitters like Silent Hill 2, Helldivers 2, Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2, and some other seque??ls are at least 20% off today.

You can also find steep discounts on the best games that didn't c?ome out in 2024.

• The excellent Persona 5 Royal is 60% off
• The adorable and challenging Tunic can be yours for half price
• It Takes Two takes you on a co-op journey for 80% off
• Control Ultimate Edition will blow your mind less than a tenner
• Hogwarts Legacy takes you back to the magic at a 75% discount

The 2024 Steam Winter Sale brings discounts on games aplenty

There are many, many games on sale starting this week. Be sure to stop by our Best Steam Winter 2024 Deals guide to get our thoughts on more game discounts. The page includes what we feel are the best deals on open-world games, co-op games, action games, and more. I wish we had more comedy games, as it is an underappreciated genre. But I'm thinking of picking up Thank Goodness You're Here for some dry British chuckles at a 30% discount.

Unlike the autumn sale, however, the winter sale doesn't include discounts on the Steam Deck hardware. The handheld is in stock, though. If you want to stuff one in your stocking this winter, you must to do so at full price.

The 2024 Steam Winter Sale lasts ??until January 2, 2025, at 10? am PT.

The post The 20?24 Steam Winter Sale has b??egun, with thousands of discounted games appeared first on Destructoid.

Christmas has arrived early for PC gamers as the Steam Winter Sale 2024 is underway, and there are plenty of products under??? some great discounts.

This is the last mainstream Steam sale for 2024, and it begins right ahead of the Christmas season. Whether you're buying for your own or a key to send to your?? loved one, there are plenty of great deals to choose from.

Disclaimer: List to be updated.

Best featured deep discounts in Steam Winter Sale 2024

The featured deep discounts include some of the biggest discounts currently live. The category includes a few age-old classics and a few recent launches as well. The main parame??ter for this category is the amount of discount you? can get.

• Metro Exodus has a 90% discount on the base version
• The Forest currently has a 90% discount.
• Grim Dawn is now cheaper by 90% if you're going for the base version.
• The all-inclusive State of Decay 2 Juggernaut Edition is cheaper by 90%.
• Assassin's Creed Origins is now cheaper by 90%.

Best Steam Winter Sale 2024 deals on 2024 release

This list exclusively includes games released in 2024. Few of the games mentioned here aren't exactly up to the mark, but the? current discount certainly make them worth a second shot.

• Avatar Frontiers of Pandora is currently on a 60% discount.
• Metaphor ReFantazio has a discount of 25%, and it's a good deal on one of 2024's best release.
• EA FC 25 has a discount of 60% on the base version right after it won the best sports/racing game of the year award at TGA 2024.
• Warhammer Space Marine 2 has a discount of 25% on the base version, and you can enjoy the Obelisk update at a discounted price.
• Star Wars Outlaws is cheaper by 35% as part of the Steam Winter Sale 2024.

Best Steam Winter Sale 2024 RPG deals

There’s a host of amazing RPGs you can pick up for c?heap during the sale.

• Cyberpunk 2077 is an amazing game after CDPR’s hard work, and the base version is available at a discount of 55%.
• Hogwarts Legacy is now off by 75%, which is one of the biggest discounts of the game so far.
• Dragon Age Veilguard is already having a 35% discount.
• Witcher 3 will always remain as one of the greatest RPGs, and it’s now 80% cheaper.
• Elden Ring is arguably one of the finest Soulslike of all times, and you can enjoy it while paying 40% less.

Best Steam Winter Sale 2024 Open World game deals

This c??ategory is filled with great choices, and here are a few you can ?pick.

• Red Dead Redemption 2 is an evergreen title that’s available at a discount of 70%.
• GTA V might be old, but it’s time for a refresher ahead of GTA VI, and it will cost you 40% less.
• Fallout 76 is no longer the broken game it once was, and you can save 75% on your purchase.
• No Man’s Sky keeps receiving new content, and you can get it 60% cheaper.
• Suicide Squad Kills the Justice League has a mammoth 95% discount. It might not be a great game, but the Winter Sale deal makes it worth your time.

Best Steam Winter Sale 2024 Co-Op game deals

These are the pe??rfect deals to pick if you want to have a g?reat time with your buddies.

• It Takes Two is my favorite co-op title of all time, and it's 80% cheaper.
• Sons of the Forest is 50% off, and it's fun playing alone but becomes amazing when playing with a partner.
• Dead by Daylight‘s base edition is available at a 65% discount.
• Don't Starve Together can often become a hardcore survival experience, and you can purchase it for a deal of 66% discount.
• Horror adventure The Outlast Trials is having a 50% deal at the moment.

Best Steam Winter Sale 2024 Strategy game deals

Here are some excellent strategy games y?ou can choose.

• Balatro is has been a remarkable experience, and it's 10% cheap. As a deal, the number isn't great, but the original price itself is pretty affordable.
• Hearts of Iron 4‘s base version is 70% cheaper.
• Crusader Kings 3 and all its expansions are available at a discount of 70%.
• Space sim Stellaris is having a 90% discount, and all its expansions are also available at reduced price.
• Planet Zoo is 75% cheaper as part of the latest sales, and you can also get the expansions for cheap.

Best Steam Winter Sale 2024 Action game deals

While some great choices are already mentioned?? in the lis??ts above, here are a few more worth your consideration.

• Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is a great choice at 50% discount, and you can pick up the GOTY edition, which comes with all the expansions.
• Hitman: World of Assassination has dozens of hours of content available at a discount of 90%.
• Spider-Man Remastered is currently having a 50% discount.
• Star Wars Jedi Survivor is available on a 75% discount deal.
• You can enjoy Assassins Creed Mirage while saving 60% on the full price.

Best Steam Winter Sale 2024 Survival game deals

The recently launched Stalker 2 has a 10% discount, but there are other titles? with bigger ones.

• Rust is always fun alone and with friends, and you can save 50% on a purchase.
• Raft has received loads of upgrades, and it’s currently 33% cheaper.
• Both Subnautica and Subnautica: Below Zero are amazing single-player experiences that are enjoying 50% deals.
• Oxygen Not Included takes a funny yet serious approach to space survival, and the base version is 66% cheaper.
• Astroneer recently got the Glitchwalkers DLC, and you can pick up the base version at a 67% discount.

Best Steam Autumn Sale 2025 Horror game deals

Halloween might be over, but the season of horror games continues with s??ome fantastic deals.

• Diablo 4, if you can include it in horror, is available at a 40% discount.
• Resident Evil 4 Remake does justice to the original launch, and it's now cheaper by 50%.
• Atomic Heart is an excellent mixture of horror and FPS, and it’s 67% cheaper than its usual price.
• Remnant 2 is available at 50% off on the base version.
• Dead Space Remake reimagines the classic horror, and you can get it at 75% less.
• Dying Light 2 Reloaded Edition can be picked up at a 60% discount.

The post Best Steam Winter Sale 2024 deals appeared first on Destructoid.

By now, we've all grown accustomed to apps and websites giving us a brief overview of how we've been using their services across the year, and St??eam is no different. Just like how Spotify Wrapped gives y?ou a breakdown of how many mushy Phil Collins songs you've listened to throughout the year (just me?), Steam Replay 2024 tells you your gaming habits over the past 12 months.

When you next log in, you'll get to access your summary, which �as described in a recent post �is "fun-filled, fact-filled, friend?-filled." In no way does it make me judge myself?. Nope. Not a bit.

You p?robably don't need me to go over exactly what you can expect to find in Replay, but these end-of-?year digests can provide an interesting insight into what kind of games you play and/or what kind of gamer Steam sees you as. Your mileage will vary, obviously.

How many games did you play in 2024?

I was in two minds about whether or not to share mine with you all. There's nothing really embarrassing about it. And now that I've said that, I ?feel I've inadvertently implicated my?self and the only way to clear my name is to link to my Steam Replay.

Actually, no. Still not doing it. However, what I did find interesting about my summary is how Supermarket Simulator is wedged right between Phasmophobia and 7 Days to Die. The first two are n??ot surprising, but I didn't think I'd played the latter that much this year. Clearly, Steam says oth??erwise.

I'm also not surprised to see that horror dominates my playing habits. This has been typical with me over the three y?ears Steam Replay has been running. I also see that survival, classic, and FPS form a big part of my prefer?ences. Yep, yep. These all check out, too. But as you can see, absolutely nothing there that would make someone raise their eyebrows at me. Just good old violence and horror.

The post Steam Replay 2024 recaps your ?year in ga?ming �how does yours look? appeared first on Destructoid.

Christmas is approachi??ng, so it's time to get into the holiday spirit. Everyone has their own version of what this looks like, and for many gamers, this involves keeping the spooky s??eason rolling after Halloween.

There's an interesting niche of Christmas horror games on Steam, giving players the best of both worlds. Here are 10 I reckon you should give a try this holiday season. Note that these aren't just games set on Christmas. Instead, the holiday is the central theme in these games, just like Die Hard being set at Christmas doe??sn't make it a "Christmas movie" (sorry).

Tattletail

The year is 1998, and you just got a Tattletail (which, for legal reasons, is not a Furby) for Christmas. It won't shut up, and you must keep it happy by feeding it, groomi?ng it, and letting it charge. If you don't, it'll make more noise, attracting the attention of the deadly Mama Tattletail.

Tattletail's end goal is to collect various gift eggs throughout the game without being killed in t?he dark by Mama Tattletail. It's a simple concept but one that provides some suitably festive scares.

Christmas Massacre

Puppet Combo's Christmas Massacre ??is a stylish stealth slasher game where you play as Larry, an individu??al who dresses up as Santa Claus and is told to kill indiscriminately by his Christmas Tree.

Gruesome, gory murder is the only name of the game here, underlined by some cool PlayStation 1-style graphics. If you're after a mindless Christmas horror game this year, then Christmas Massacre should be exactly what you want.

September 7th

Ignore the name - September 7th is a ga??me about Christmas. When you receive a Christmas Elf as a holiday gift, strange occurrences begin in your home.

This game falls into the walking simulator genre and is extremely short. But what it misses in length, it more than makes up for in its incredibly eerie atmosphere. Perfect for a ??short burst of holiday frights.

Crimson Snow

Crimson Snow is another Christmas walking simulator, this time focused on surviving a single night alongside your girlfriend. A terrifying intruder has interrupted the festivities, and your acti?ons will determine whether you both will make it through.

Crimson Snow has some striking visuals and makes great use of tension. It never really lets up in?? this regard and even has multiple endings f??or a solid amount of replayability.

Irony Of Nightmare

If an intense atmosphere is what you're looking for, Irony of Nightmare is perfect. It's just you, an u??ninvited guest, and a fight for survival.

What sets Irony of Nightmare apart is its focus on puzzles, of which there are plenty to solve here if you're go?ing to make it ?out alive.

Christmas Nightmare

Christmas Nightmare is jump-scare central. And t?o be fair, it's pretty effective at this throughout its approximate 1-h??our playtime, even if it might get old for some.

Here, you play as Connor, who just wants to relax over the holidays after a hard day at work. As usual, all is no??t as it seems, as the festi?ve period turns into a fight for survival.

Krampus Kills

I'd recommend Krampus Kills just on the strength of? the appearance of the titular antagonist. DangerousBob Studio did a fantastic job in making Krampus a menacing foe to meet in a dark festive home.

Th?is game is a change of pace from the others on this list in that it's a high-octane shooter instead of a walking simulator. You'll fight evil elves, snowmen, and of course, Krampus himself. The shooting is a litt?le janky, but it's part of the charm!

Christmas Night

Christmas Night is a collectathon and tense walking simulator about getting onto Santa's nice list. His naughty list?? is a little more deadly than usual, so it's something you want to avoid.

There are some cool visuals and tense set pieces here. Pick it up for cheap for one of the best Christmas horror?? games on Steam.

Evil Holiday

Suspenseful but with a bit of Christmas corniness, Evil Holiday is an interes??ting festive title. It does a good job timing its jumpscares and has a solid atmosphere to boot.

If you fi?nd it's not for you, it doesn't waste your time, as it's quit??e a short experience.

For Goodness Sake

The text-heavy For Goodness Sake is a 20-m?inute horror experience that is free to play. Complete cho??res around the house while avoiding being taken by Krampus, like those before you.

Several endings mean you can get a few playthroughs out of For Goodness Sake, making up for its short runtime.

The post 10 Best Christmas Horror Games on Steam appeared first on Destructoid.

I love stealth games. Everything from Hitman to Splinter Cell to the old Thief games is my bag. Even horror games that encourage hiding in the shadows do it for me. I just love being sneaky (read: cowardly). So I was pleased to see that the upcoming Thick as Thieves will almost certainly b?e ticking that box for me.

The trailer shows a new stealthy game that has you leaping about like the acrobatic burglar you are, stealing from the wealthy. What has me even more intrigued is the game is being brought to us by some of the developers behind the aforementioned Thief series, as well as Deus Ex; classics in the genre, I'm sure you'll agree.

Specifically, we've got Paul Neurath, executive producer of Thief: The Dark Project and Thief 2: The Metal Age, as well as director Warren Spector, who worked on the original Deus Ex. We've also got game designer Greg Lopiccolo, who, along with Spector, was involved with Thief: The Deadly Shadows.

Good stock, overall

As for what Thick as Thieves will be like, the teaser above suggests it's got lashings of some of the teams' past work, along with hints of Dishonored...and do I detect a hint of We Happy Few? Maybe only in the? visuals,?? but I'm quite excited about it all the same.

It's also gunning for multiplayer, so you can "match your cunning against rival thieves." As for what the story will involve, well, here's what the Steam page has to say:

Chart your rise to master thief in a glittering, gloomy 1910s metropolis blending industry, magic and intrigue. Your choices unlock unique playstyles and strategies that shape your thief character. Tell your story through a fusion of emergent multiplayer gameplay and dynamic storytelling. Immerse yourself in a living world where no two nights are ever the same, ensuring endless challenges and discoveries.�/p>

The game promises plenty of replay value, a rich world set in an alternative timeline, and an "ever-shifting, treacherous city." So when is Thick as Thieves out? There's no release date available, but you can wishlist the game right now. It's also coming to PS5 and Xbox Series X|S,? as well as PC. No idea if it'll be coming to Game Pass yet, though.

The post Thick as Thieves is an upcoming stealth game from Thief and?? Deus Ex devs appeared first on Destructoid.

Last night (or early this morning, depending on where in the world you are), The Game Awards kicked off. Along with honors aplenty, we also got announcements, including a premier of the new Witcher game. Among these was also the next iteration in the Killing Floor series.

Aptly named Killing Floor 3, the below trailer shows the high-octane violence that's afoot, along with the developer �Tripwire Interactive �saying the game is aiming for a March 2025 release. At this stage, there's no exact date for its launch, but you can wishlist it now on Steam.

Killing Floor 3 is also coming to PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, with full crossplay capabilities. You can also join the closed beta by going to the official website here. Tempted to join up myself. I'm a bit of a fan of the o??thers in the series, you see.

Getting mad Doom vibes

Having played the first two Killing Floor titles, I'll be intrigued to know where Tripwire takes things from here. From the trailer above, it still maintains its chaotic, co-op FPS goodness �something we all know the franchise for �but is anyone else getting a hint of modern Doom in there, or is that just me?

But is Killing Floor 3 coming to Game Pass? I want to know! There doesn't appear to be anything saying so, and the official Xbox page doesn't mention it, either. As such, it might not be a?vailable on the service. It seems that it is not on day one.

Whatever the case, I'm looking forward to getting back into the thrill of taking on hordes of grotesque beings. The first game especially holds a place in my heart, despite me not having anywhere near the minimum hardware to run it when it was released in 2009 (I was using a netbook...not even a laptop!). Also, can you believe it's been nearly ten years since we had a Killing Floor game? Where does the time go?!

The post Killing Floor 3 is coming March 2025, and the series’ trademark violence returns appeared first on Destructoid.

The Early Access launch of Path of Exile 2 �a sequel that's been several years in the making �has been met with a pretty fantastic reception. As well as a review score of "Very Positive" on Steam, Grinding Gears' newest action RPG also pulled in over half a million players in just a couple of days.

So far so good, it seems. Although, it's not even been a week yet. It's very much early days, still. M??uch work needs to be don?e, and no time like the present, as the developer has sent out the first major patch for the game.

Version 0.1.0d of Path of Exile 2 has started rolling out, and comes shortly after GGG announced it had initiated some QOL changes to the game, with promises that m??ore would be on the way, along with the full patch notes. Well, today is that day, and the update comes with a host of adjustments, tweaks, and bug fixes, as well as changes to trigger gems and energy gain.

Path of Exile 2 version 0.1.0d patch notes

You could read the full changelog here. However, I've handily pasted it ?below to save you from opening a new browse?r tab. Why yes, I am generous.

General Improvements and Changes

• Passive Block chance now applies to blockable hits from all directions, as opposed to just hits from in front.
• Player size is now set to Zero units while dodge rolling instead of One unit.
• Some smaller monsters can now be pushed while dodge rolling. This includes monsters such as the Adorned Beetles in Keth.
• Inscribed Ultimatums and Djinn Baryas now display whether you will obtain Ascendancy Skill Points upon completing the Trial of Chaos or Trial of the Sekhemas respectively.
• Removed World Map Pins for encounters that were not from specific locations in Areas. ie. From Monster drops.
• Improved attack in place behaviour.
• Rain of Arrows and Firestorm now have a hit-rate limit to prevent cases of them absolutely obliterating very large bosses. This will have little to no impact outside of boss fights with very large hitboxes.
• Leech has been buffed.
• Boneshatter now more reliably hits your target.
• The duration of Armour Break has been increased to 12 seconds (previously 6).
• To improve performance, Incinerate now creates circular areas of ignited ground instead of segments.
• Added CTRL+Click shortcut to open the Currency Exchange at the appropriate NPCs.
• Added a button to travel to the Trial of Chaos on the world map.
• Added art for Close Combat Support.
• Added 2D art for the Defiance of Destiny Unique Amulet.
• Added "Ascendancy Skill Points" as a keyword, which details how sets of Ascendancy Points are obtained.
• Added search functionality for Gemcutting and vendor inventories when using a controller. Keybinds for searching Stash on a controller have also been updated.
• Added Gemcutting restrictions option for Gamepad.
• Added suggested Supports for Time of Need.
• Updated the suggested Supports for Bonestorm.
• Added an option for opening the Trade website to the main menu for consoles.
• Runes now sell to vendors for more Gold.
• Updated art for Reserved Life and Mana.
• Updated the description on Runes to clarify that once socketed they cannot be replaced.
• Auras and Curses that affect ally or enemy resistances now display values in the Skill popout panel.
• Tweaked the audio of the Kiwi Pets, Chimera Pet, and Baby Crowbell Pet to reduce their impact in town areas.
• Updated the wording on the Invoker's "...and Protect me from Harm" Ascendancy Passive Skill to clarify its functionality.
• Updated the description on Hexblast to clarify that it only detonates a single Curse per Enemy in its radius.
• Updated the description on Fiery Death Support to clarify that the Supported Skill does not need to kill the ignited enemy itself.
• Reduced the defenses provided to monsters by the Magma Barrier modifier.
• Walking Goliaths no longer use their suicide attack if they are Rare.

Trigger Gems and Energy Gain

Trigger gem ??energy gain? was not in the right place, and it was far too easy to use ailments to trigger spells. One problem with the previous system is that if we balanced it to make triggering happen in boss fights then the triggering would happen far too often during clearing. In order to address this, we are now making "Monster Power" part of the calculation for energy gain.

This means that it's far easier to trigger skills from Unique Monsters than it is from normal monsters, but you also hit many more normal monsters when fighting. Another issue was using low-level skills with unconditional ailment applications such as Flame Wall to ignite enemies for triggering. In order to make the source of the ignite matter, we are making the energy g??ain dependent on the strength of the ignite. We have also rebalanced all energy gain across the board.

Ultimatum Changes

• Generally improved balance across the board with Ultimatum monsters, bosses and modifiers. Mostly targeting outliers that were too difficult and bringing them in line.
• The monster density of Ultimatum encounters has been made more consistent.
• Stormcaller Runes, Blood Globules, Heart Tethers and Impending Doom rings no longer spawn while a player is on a lift or near the altars in the Vaal Soul Core room.
• Fixed a bug where Player Minions could get stuck at the top of the lift in the Trials of Chaos.

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a bug which caused enemies to be Primed for Stun or Electrocute earlier than intended while in a party.
• Fixed a bug where Gemling Legionnaires with the Integrated Efficiency Ascendancy Passive Skill allocated could lose their 3 additional Skill Slots if they were empty when entering a new area.
• Fixed a bug with party member reviving when using WASD input where you could revive party members from too far away.
• Fixed a bug where "Waystones found have a chance to be a tier higher" on the Atlas Passive Tree wasn't working.
• Fixed a bug where the Audio Mix setting was not being remembered when restarting the game.
• Fixed a bug where one of the small Passive Skills in the Fleshcrafter cluster was not connected to the Notable Passive Skill. It is possible for your Passive Skill Tree to be reset if you had this cluster allocated, apologies!
• Fixed a bug where you could not open a portal in The Riverbank in Cruel difficulty.
• Fixed a bug where some of Zalmarath, the Colossus' skills could persist after their death.
• Fixed a bug where opening a full-screen panel while disenchanting could prevent you from performing any actions until you relogged.
• Fixed a bug where some fire spells, such as Volatile Dead and Incinerate, were not functioning correctly with Raging Spirits.
• Fixed a bug where "Buffs on you expire Slower" from the Prolonged Assault Notable Passive Skill and other Chronomancer Ascendancy Passive Skills was applying to Debuffs and other effects as well as Buffs.
• Fixed a bug where non-reviving Minions were spawning a Remnant from the Grim Feast Buff when dying in your presence.
• Fixed a bug Infernalists with the Pyromantic Pact Ascendancy Passive Skill allocated were considered to be on Low Infernal Flame if they were at 50% of Maximum Infernal Flame or lower, instead of 35%.
• Fixed a bug where the world map icon for Candlemass in Cruel was not updating correctly.
• Fixed a bug where you could be unable to upgrade Gems despite satisfying the Attribute Requirement by having the Adaptive Capability Gemling Legionnaire Ascendancy Passive Skill allocated.
• Fixed a bug where Fiery Death Support was not dealing damage correctly.
• Fixed Infusion Support Gems on Herald skills applying the gain damage as extra elemental damage to all attacks instead of just the damage from the Herald skill
• Fixed a bug where Expedition encounters could fail to generate in the Decay Map.
• Fixed a bug where Quality on the Sacrifice Skill was causing Minions to Revive 0-5% more slowly, instead of more quickly.
• Fixed a bug where the exit portal for the final boss in Trial of the Sekhemas did not visually display upon killing the boss.
• Fixed a bug where socketed Skills you didn't meet the requirements for were missing their name in the Skills menu when using a controller.
• Fixed a bug where the Elemental Storm skill granted by the Stormweaver's Tempest Caller Ascendancy Passive Skill could sometimes place the storm underneath you.
• Fixed a snapshotting bug with the "Loads an Additional Bolt" Crossbow modifier.
• Fixed a bug where the Contagion Skill was not spreading Poison.
• Fixed a bug where Tempest Bell could become invisible.
• Fixed a bug where NPCs were missing their name labels in Hideouts when using a controller.
• Fixed a bug where signing into a guest account on PlayStation 5 could delete your friends list in-game.
• Fixed a bug where you could sometimes be unable to enter your hideout on PlayStation 5.
• Fixed eight instance crashes.
• Fixed six client crashes.
• Fixed a client crash that could occur on Xbox.
• Fixed three client crashes that could occur on PlayStation 5.

The post Pat?h of Exile 2 v0.1.0d rolls out �here are the patch notes appeared first on Destructoid.

Inti Creates is great at pumping out fun and attractive 2D action games, and 2023's Gal Guardians: Demon Purge cemented that notion further. Now a date is in place for the sequel, which PQube will publish on March 27, 2025. 

Titled Gal Guardians: Servants of the Dark, the next entr??y ?is on the way to PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam. The followup was originally revealed in September, promising more cooperative action ahead of its Tokyo Game Show appearance later that month. ;

This time around, the setting shifts from a single castle to the wider demon world surrounding it. Player characters Kirika and her younger sister Masha each ha??ve different abilities, making it essential to switch between them as you explore. In addition to the single-player swapping, online co-op is available for those who would rather explore simultaneously with a friend. 

You can see the demon maid sisters in action in the releas??e date trailer below.

Known in Japan as Grim Guardians, the first entry had to change its name in the west due to a legal claim from the owners of fantasy series Grimguard. While the western release is listed as digital-only for now, Japan is getting a physical edition in April. The limited edition version packs the game with an art book, an acrylic chain, and a ??two-disc sound??track CD. 

Fitting for its ex??panded scope, P?Qube describes the sequel as a "fully-realized Metroidvania," complete with the ability to switch between Casual, Veteran, and Legend styles. Kirika and Masha's sub-weapons and abilities can be used to unlock different routes throughout the world so it should be fun to experiment with exploration when this one launches early next year. 

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2024 was another huge year for games, with enough to keep everyone occupied for the foreseeable future. Despite constant decision paralysis, though, the eight hours I spent with the deranged, demolition-happy Dynamite Anton and his coworker Annie in Antonblast were the most unabashed fun I had p??laying games all ?year.

Ever since Summitsphere's buckwild platformer was first announced, I have been preparing myself to play the spiritual successor to some lost Wario Game Boy Advance game. I wasn't, however, prepared to play a Sega Genesis game. That's exactly what this is; it has a very specific, and I say this with love, funk to it that you only get from the library of Genesis or Sega CD. Perhaps, in some alternate universe, Antonblast dropped in the mid-90s on both Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo, the latter version playing a bit more brightly with ??some rigid edges. Mayb e with fewer belches, screams, and profanity-laden proclamations.

Our gruff title character is on a side-scrolling mission to get his coveted spirits back from Satan, who wants Anton for himself so he can become the reddest person in the world. Anton and Annie â€?both playable from the start â€?set out to stop Satan with some assistance from a beleaguered casino owner named Brulo. To do so, the?y'll need to blast through 12 stages, seeking out Anton's spirits, setting Brulo's detonators, and getting the hell out of there before the whole damn level explodes. 

Antonblast (PC [Reviewed], Nintendo Switch)
Developer: Summitsphere
Publisher: Summitsphere
Released: December 3, 2024
MSRP: $19.99

Despite the distinct aesthetic, Antonblast wears its Wario inspirations loud and proud. Hopping on specific pads lets him leap in and out of the foreground with ease. Anton can charge in a similar manner, too, paving the way for momentum-based platforming that comes in especially handy at the end of each stage. Once Anton sets off the detonator, IT'S HAPPY HOUR, and he has a few short (but relatively generous) minutes to go back from whence he came in the most explosive way possible. These escapes are often the most challenging and thrilling sections. While Antonblast is generous with checkpoints throughout the main stages, you'll still probably find yourself attempting some of these move-it-or-lose-it escapes multipl?e times before succeeding. 

Everything cribbed from the Wario Land series is amped up by an order of magnitude. And for the record, there's always room for more like it. Bricks, dumpsters, and discarded bathtubs burst and shatter as Anton plows through them, the screen screeching to a split-second halt each time to heighten the impact. Enemies standing in your way go flying off the screen with a cartoonish whizz, one of dozens of Saturday Morning sound effects that make playing Antonblast feel like a spoonful of sugar-coated cereal shot straight to the?? veins. Even by the time the credits rolled, I never found myself tiring of Anton's exuberant shouts, or the way he sounds like a bomb dropping from a B-52 whenever he does a nose dive from an improbable height. 

The stages are all spread across a small hub area, complete with shops that contain exorbitantly-priced health power-ups, some single-use items, and other superfluous knick-knacks. Anton will eventually be able to afford most of it with the way he tends to rack up casino chips along his path of destruction. All you ??really need is maybe a single extra heart to help deal with the damage, especially on the increasingly tough boss battles scattered through the hub. 

The bosses are truly a delight. They all have their own absurd gimmicks, and none of them feel like retreads, even when you end up squaring off against more than one jacked-up mole. It's clear they put a ton of thought into them, from the first wrassling ring showdown to the multi-stage final battle with Satan. It's Treasure by way of Earthworm Jim. You'll likely die and retry a lot as you try to figure out the best strategy against each foe, but thankfully, the longer fights have checkpoints before each new form. This is one of those little slices of grace that keep Antonblast from sliding over from fun to frustrating. 

Thanks to tight controls ??and a move set that's exciting to master, barreling Anton through all these challenges is an exercise in haphazard glee. There are certain areas that call for more precise platforming, but most problems can quite literally be solved by ramming your head into them repeatedly. The overwhelming visuals fit this style of play nicely. It never seems as if Antonblast is overdoing it, because nothing else would make sense. When Anton or Annie turn into a pinball or set off on a rocket swordfish �two of many stage gimmicks that refuse to wear out their welcome �the cacophony of screams and violent environmental eruptions that ensue feel right. 

All of this madness combined with a pitch-perfect soundtrack from top to bottom to make a piquant spirit that widened my eyes more than a few times. That's ultimately what impresses me most about Antonblast. It is such a tightly-realized vision that you can't help but appreciate and respect it. The energy levels are absolutely through the roof. There are no doubt a small handful of frustrations to b???e found and some of the saltier, the fully-voiced dialogue might keep you from showing it to the younger members of the family; none of that should hold you back.

Everyone should play Antonblast at least once, but good luck with that. There are still spirits to collect, and I'll be riding this rollercoaster again in no ??time. Now, bring on the speedruns; this is gonna be a�I'm not gonna say it, but you get it.

^{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: Antonblast appeared first on Destructoid.

After 12 years of waiting, fans must have been quite delighted to see Path of Exile 2 finally drop on PC and console the other day. According to the game's Steam page, Grinding Gears' follow-up to i??ts popular action RPG is going down a storm so far. In fact, it's hitting some pretty big numbers, according to r?ecent data.

As always, we turn our attention to SteamDB �the third-party website that tracks all things related to Valve's gaming platform. Despite the fact that Path of Exile 2 has only been out a few days, it's already racked up?? 578,569 players on PC, with over 498,000 getting involved in the past 24 hours.

This is even more impressive when you realize the game's out ?in early access. Of course, it's been on more than a few people's radars, so it stands to reason that hype may be part of the reason we're seeing such impressive figures so soon after the early access launch. To say nothing of the number of console players who must have logged in.

The path continues

At the time of writing, Path of Exile 2 is at the number two spot on Steam's Top Sellers chart, though this is pretty typical for new re??leases. However, I'm pretty sure I saw it at number one yesterday, having temporarily knocked the Steam Deck from its pedestal. But it seems normal service has resumed.

Work is obviously still ongoing, and the developer recently ?said in a post on X that a hotfix is on the way. This small update will make it so "Raging Spirits can only summon 5 Raging Spirits ?per cast at all levels." The team also says it will be "making adjustments to other Trigger Meta-Gems," so keep an eye out for that.

Another post on X says Grinding Gears has been keeping an eye on feedback, and has been pleased with how the launch over the weekend went. Keep doing what you're doing, I guess, if you're currently playing and enjoying Path of Exile 2.

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Being a major one-stop digital storefront for many-a-PC gamer, Steam has dominated the market for around 20 years. It is a co??nvenient place to purchase and play games online, and it's easy to see why this is, but all the sales and discount events that occur throughout the year make it even more alluring.

While we've just had the Autumn Sale, Steam is by no means done for 2024. With the closing weeks of the year now upon us, we still have ??one ??more event to go: the Steam Winter sale. But when is it happening, exactly?

Well, you still have some time to prepare as, according to a post from Steam that lists all the events of 2024, the Winter Sale will begin on December 19 and end on January 2, 2025. There's also a countdown clock on SteamDB, which shows that �at the time of writing �it'll officially begin in just over 10 days and four hours, with it scheduled to kick off at ?18:00.

Winter may be cold, but Steam could be in hot water

As always with these things, we can't be sure what games will actually be discounted until closer to the date (or on the date itself). For the Winter Sale 2023, Steam saw such titles as Mortal Kombat 1, Dave the Diver, Red Dead Redemption 2, Elden Ring, and even Starfield get?? prices slashed temporarily, with some games having as?? much as 80% off.

Of course, it's not all bells that are jingly. Steam's owner and developer Valve is currently embroil??ed in an antitrust lawsu??it. The suit was recently granted a "class action" status, with the file claiming that the 30% commission the company takes on games sold via its platform (compared to Epic Games Store's 12%) is "anti-competitive."

Having said that, we gamers needn't worry ourselves too much about that right now. We're getting closer to the Steam Winter Sale 2024 and, with that, the closing mo?ments of what has been a pretty bleak year for the industry. Go out?? with a smile and more games in your library, I guess.

The post When is the Steam Winter 2024 sale? appeared first on Destructoid.

Thanks to Steam dominating the PC gaming market, Valve is one of the biggest companies in the industry. However, it's not all sales and discounts, as an ongoing case file??d against Gabe Newell and his team has had a recent update.

According to court documents seen by Gamesindustry.biz, an antitrust lawsuit brought against Valve and its Steam client has now been granted a "class action" status. This takes the case to a new level, which could see any company that uses the gaming client to sell products j?oin the dispute.

The original lawsuit was filed in 2021 by two developers: Wolfire Games in April and Dark Catt Studios in July. Now, according to the report, the lawsuit will "apply t??o any developers, publishers or individuals who paid a commission to Valve in connection with a game sale."

What's the dispute about?

Anyone who's a frequent gamer knows that Steam is almost the final word in providing a digital storefront for anyone who prefers gaming on PC. This has bee??n the way for years. However, with such power over the market, a price is paid. Quite literally.

Currently, Valve takes a commission on any game that's sold through its client to t?he tune of 30%. The a??ntitrust lawsuit filed in 2021 argues that this is an "anti-competitive" strategy, particularly as Steam is the market leader in PC gaming, with some 75% of PC games being sold via the service.

Many studios may agree that �as noted by Wolfire �this commission is "an extraordinarily high cut." If the case goes ahead, it seems t??hat any developer and publisher who has dealt with Valve since January 28, 2017, may be able to get involved.

This is also not the first time the company behind Steam has come under fire. Back in June, Valve was getting sued for ??"rigging the market" in the UK by "overcharging" on its prices.

One of the arguments for the ?case being brought forward by Wolfire and Dark Catt is Steam's "Price Pari?ty Provision," which prevents other clients �such as Epic Games Store �from offering a better price than what's listed on Steam.

The lawsuits filed by both developers are being consolidated ??into one case. At the time of writing, Valve has?? not issued an official statement.

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The Steam Autumn Sale 2025 is now live, and there are plenty of amazing deals and discounts you can avail to ??increase the number of games that are p??resent in your library.

The sale will be running until December 4, so there??'s plenty of time for you to grab some of the titles that are mentioned here. While they're all great games in their rights, the Steam Autumn Sale 2025 discounts make them even better. Let's take a look at the best deals that you can grab.

Disclaimer: List to be updated.

Best featured deep discounts in Steam Autumn Sale 2025

The featured deep discounts include so??me of the biggest discounts currently live. The category includes a few age-old classics and a few recent launches as well??.

• The Hunter Call of the Wild has a 90% discount on the base version
• Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order gets a 90% discount.
• Killing Floor 2 is running a 95% discount deal.
• Far Cry 5 is available at a 90% discount if you go for the base version.
• Psychonauts 2 can be purchased for just 10% of its full price.

Best Steam Autumn Sale 2025 deals on 2024 release

This list exclusively includes games ??released in 2024. Some might not be amazing when bought at the full price, but the discounts make them worth a se??cond shot.

• Avatar Frontiers of Pandora is currently on a 60% discount.
• Metaphon ReFantazio has a discount of 25% (one of the best releases of 2024, and the discount makes it sweeter).
• EA FC 25 has a discount of 50% on the base version (great if you're a football/sports game lover).
• Warhammer Space Marine 2 has a discount of 20%.
• Star Wars Outlaws is cheaper by 25% as part of the Steam Autumn Sale 2025.

Best Steam Autumn Sale 2025 RPG deals

There's a host of amazing RPGs you c?an pick up for cheap during the sale.

• Cyberpunk 2077 is an amazing game after CDPR's hard work, and the base version is available at a discount of 55%.
• Hogwarts Legacy can be picked up at 70% discount.
• Project Zomboid keeps getting more patches, and it has a 33% discount.
• Witcher 3 will always remain as one of the GOAT-ed RPGs, and it's now 75% cheaper.
• A new Monster Hunter game is coming soon, and you can play World at 67% off.
• Persona 5 Royal can be purchased at a 60% discount.

Best Steam Autumn Sale 2025 Open World game deals

This category is filled wit?h great choices, and here are a few you can pick.

• Red Dead Redemption 2 is an evergreen title that's available at a discount of 70%.
• GTA V might be old, but it's time for a refresher ahead of GTA VI, and it will cost you 40% less.
• Fallout 76 is no longer the broken game it once was, and you can save 75% on your purchase.
• No Man's Sky finally turned 'Very Positive' on Steam, and you can get it 60% cheaper.
• Suicide Squad Kills the Justice League has a mammoth 95% discount.

Best Steam Autumn Sale 2025 Co-Op game deals

These are the perfect deals to pick if you want to have a great time with your ??b??uddies.

• It Takes Two has a discount of 75%.
• Sons of the Forest is 45% cheaper.
• Dead by Daylight's base edition is available at a 60% discount.
• You can enjoy Don't Starve Together's Hallowed Nights update at a 66% discount.
• Horror adventure The Outlast Trials is having a 50% deal at the moment.

Best Steam Autumn Sale 2025 Strategy game deals

Here are some excellent strategy games you c??an choose.

• Balatro is a GOTY nominee, and it's 15% cheaper than its usual price.
• Hearts of Iron 4's base version is 70% cheaper.
• Crusader Kings 3 and all its expansions are available at a discount of 70%.
• Space sim Stellaris is having a 75% discount, and all its expansions are also available at reduced price.
• Planet Zoo is 65% cheaper as part of the latest sales.

Best Steam Autumn Sale 2025 Action game deals

While some great choices are already mentioned in th?e lists above, here are a few more worth your consideration.

• Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is a great choice at 50% discount.
• Hitman: World of Assassination has hours of content available at a discount of 90%.
• Spider-Man Remastered is currently enjoying a 50% discount.
• Star Wars Jedi Survivor is available on a 75% discount deal.
• You can enjoy Assassins Creed Mirage while saving 60% of your budget.

Best Steam Autumn Sale 2025 Survival game deals

The recently launched Stalker 2 does not have a discount just yet, but there are some deal??s to explore.

• Rust is always fun with friends, and you can save 40% on a purchase.
• Raft has received loads of upgrades, and it's currently 33% cheaper.
• Subnautica is an amazing single-player experience that is enjoying a 67% deal.
• Oxygen Not Included takes a funny yet serious approach to space survival, and the base version is 66% cheaper.
• Astroneer recently got the Glitchwalkers DLC, and you can pick up the base version at a 67% discount.

Best Steam Autumn Sale 2025 Horror game deals

Halloween might be over, but the seaso??n of horror games continues with some fantastic deals.

• Diablo 4, if you can include it in horror, is available at a 40% discount.
• Resident Evil 4 Remake does justice to the original launch, and you can pick it up at a discount of 40%.
• Atomic Heart is an excellent mixture of horror and FPS, and it's 67% cheaper than its usual price.
• Remnant 2 is available at 50% off on the base version.
• Dead Space Remake reimagines the classic horror, and it's 70% cheaper than usual.
• Dying Light 2 Reloaded Edition can be picked up at a 60% discount.

The post Best Steam Autumn Sale 2025 deals and discounts appeared first on Destructoid.

The Steam Autumn Sale 2024 has arrived, predictably slashing prices on countless games while giving non-Steam ?Deck owners a chance at one for a lower cost. It's the biggest Steam sale until the next one, which shouldn't be too far? away.

?Regardless, there's plenty to browse until the Winter Sale rumbles on in like an oncoming avalanche. For those who have been holding off on buying some of the top games of 2024, now's the best time to check that wishlist. Well, i??f you can. As expected, the Steam Store is struggling a bit today as folks log in to see what's been discounted.

Checking my wishlist, I might finally have the excuse to pick up RoboCop: Rogue City, which has been sitting pretty on my list for about a year. It's at a whopping 60% off for the sale.

Autumn 2024 marks a new Steam Sale and Steam Award nominations

The Steam Autumn Sale 2024 starts today and rolls until December 4 at 10 am Pacific. For those who don't feel like looking at a calendar, that means you have a week to figure out if you want to grab the RPG epic Metaphor: ReFantazio at 25% off (hint: you probably do). That's about how much time you have to check out the Steam Deck, which is also on sale. You can pick up the 512GB version for 25% off.

There are plenty of other 2024 hits on sale starting today. Another Crab's Treasure is a Soulslike indie gem starring a crab trying to get his shell back �it's 34% off today. One of the year's best games is Helldivers 2 (I'm biased), nominated for four awards at The Game Awards 2024. You can learn what the buzz is about and spread some sweet liberty after picking it up for 20% off.

Speaking of best games, starting today, you can nominate your favorite games of 2024 for the annual Steam Awards. While it might not be as loud as The Game Awards, it's at least a bit less obnoxious, with far fewer ad breaks. Check it out and vote by clicking here.

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The constant underdelivery, delaying and cancellat?ion of season passes is a consistent problem in ?the gaming industry. It's evident that Valve is fully aware of this, because it recently changed the Steam guidelines for game publishers that release new Season Passes and DLC.

The Steamworks Documentation site updated its guideli??nes for Season Passes, with new rules that force publishers to list?? all the DLC included in a Season Pass, to describe every single piece of content that will be present in each DLC, to add a specific release date and to release a minimum of one DLC before they make the entire Season Pass available for purchase.

However, the part that caught people's attention was its new policy on canceled DLC. The new Steam guidelines explicitly state "If you cancel a DLC in a Season Pass, c??ustomers will be offered a refund for the value of unreleased DLC". On top of that, while Steam will allow publishers to delay the release date of a DLC if they can't release it by the quarter they promised, Valve will take action i??f they delay it more than 3 months after the promised date, and it will do by removing the Season Pass from its store or refunding all customers.

The new Steam policy favors gamers instead of companies

Naturally, gamers all over social media websites - like Bluesky or Reddit - reacted positively to Steam's new policy on canceled and delayed DLCs. Some of them praised Valve for using its monopoly on PC gaming to actually improve its customer's experiences, while others accused companies of b??reaking their promises and getting away with people's money. And they're not wrong because there is a precedent for all of this.

As some people pointed out, the game Empire of Sin has had a second ??Expansion lis?ted for over 5 years. While the publisher didn't technically cancel it, it still hasn't come out, e?ven though it still is available for pre-purchase on Steam. Another notable example is Assasin's Creed Shadows, which Ubisoft suddenly?? delayed to February 2025 a? few months ago and canceled its entire Season Pass, claiming that it would give out the first expansion for free to those who pre-purchased it beforehand. G?amers are unhappy with the companies that easily exploit this new business model, so it's good to know that Valve and Steam are doing something about it.

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Horror fans have been waiting a long time for this, but GSC Game World finally released STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl unto the world yesterday. Amidst many setbacks �including the ongoing conflict in Ukraine �the team has had to push back development, par??tly to take care of them??selves.

Fortunately, it looks like the wait has been worth it. As of right now, STALKER 2 is rocking the Steam charts. It's currently dominating the Top Sellers list, coming in at number two just be?hind the Steam Deck.?? Of course, pretty much everything ends up behind the Deck. In terms of video games, GSC's newest release is number one.

That puts it ahead of the likes of Disney Dreamlight Valley (which recently launched its Storybook Vale DLC) and Counter-Strike 2, as well as Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, which fell a couple of places recently.

The numbers speak for themselves

The developer has expressed delight at STALKER 2 surpassing 100,000 concurrent players on PC. At the time of writing, SteamDB is showing 113,587 peo??ple logged into the game within the past 24 hours, ?with over 65,000 currently in a game.

Of course, this is common for new releases, especially ones many have been looking forward to. Games that have been hyped typically find themselves atop the Steam Top Sellers list, which does take into account pre-orders??.

How long Heart of Chornobyl will stay up there is anyone's guess, but we have seen a bunch of launches recently which could knock it down fairly quickly, such as the aforementioned Disney Dreamlight Valley DLC, as well as Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024.

No doubt STALKER 2's biggest fans will stic?k around, though. In any case, GSC Game World has said it intends to stick around, and is proud of what's been accomplished so far in what the studio is describing as its biggest project to date.

The post STALKER 2 shoots to the top of the Steam chart appeared first on Destructoid.

The latest entry in the Shiren the Wanderer series made its way to?????????????????????????? Nintendo Switch in the west back in February. Now it has its eyes on a PC release, with Spike Chunsoft lining up a Steam launch for this winter.

When Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island first debuted on Switch, it brought some updated features along with it. In addition to some quality of life updates to exploration, the roguelike made it even easier to stream with an enhanced Live Display Mode.

All of the free feature updates will be available on the Steam version when it launches. Spike Chunsoft also plans to bring the Plus Pack �paid DLC that introduces 10 new dungeons and mo??re �to Steam.

RPG beats to relax/study to

If the music of Shiren the Wanderer has you tapping your toes through each dungeon, the digital soundtrack is also coming to Steam soon. Spread across three discs, the soundtrack includes a whopping 109 tracks that span 330 minutes of jam time. The Serpentcoil Island sound??track will a??lso be available on iTunes, YouTube Music, and other platforms through noisycroak Records. 

As for the aforementioned free update features, they include more dungeons and playable characters. You'll be able to tackle the six new dungeons and the playable Kokatsu Shiren and Tatsumi Shiren from the start. If you're a fan of roguelikes, there's a lot to chew on in what serves as a pretty solid entry into the wider Shiren series. 

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Known for developing games of high-quality and excellent writing, Obsidian Entertainment's fantasy RPG Avowed is no doubt on a lot of people's radars. The Fallout: New Vegas studio is looking to release its new title early next year, but there is an opportunit?y to play it sooner.

However, it will necessitate forking over some extra dough. According to a recent blog post on Xbox Wire, you can get a copy of Avowed on February 13 �as op?posed to February 18 �if you're prepared to buy the Premium Edition.

How to get Avowed Early Access as easily as possible

You can pre-order the more expensive version of the game, which will set you back $90 instead of $70 for the Standard Edition. In addition to getting to download and play "up to" five days earlier, the Premium Edition also gives you access to a digital artbook and soundtrack, as well as?????????????????????????? two premium skin packs.

The post goes on to say pre-orders are available on Xbox Series X|S, the Xbox App, Steam, and even Blizzard's Battle.net service. You can also, if you so choose, buy the? Standard Edition and upgrade to Premium at a later date, which will give you the bonuses plus the early access. It will, however, cost you an additional $25 for the privilege.

Avowed will a??lso be available on Game Pass from day one. Additionally, Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers can play via their Battle.net membersh?ip.

As for the exclusive skin pack, these have been inspired by "characters and regions from Pillars of Eternity." If you're like me and you're wondering if you need to have played this game before diving into Avowed, it seems as though that won't be necessary.

Although the latter does take place in the same universe as the former, no knowledge of Pillars of Eternity is required. If you're a fan of Obsidian games overall, then Avowed sounds like it??'s going to be one to look out for, w?hether you play it five days early or not.

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