Daniel Goldman of Kinjin Storylab, the creator of a number of award-winning stories, has announced that what he considers to be the best comic work of his career is making a comeback. Red Light Properties: Unfinished Business is an omnibus of the series and a fresh start for what's to come.

Red Light Properties: Unfinished Business is a collection of everything from the original Red Light Properties graphic novel in a hardcover book with a slipcase to keep it nice and secure. This collection is more than just what has come before; it includes 100 pages of comic books that have never been printed before. It's all coming to Kickstarter on October 1, 2024, for fans who love the series and comic book lovers who have yet to discover it to get their hands on.

Trust me, you're going to want to read this

Red Light Properties follows Jude and Cecilia. When they meet, sparks fly, and their future as an estate agency called Red Light Properties begins. Cecelia is the real business brain behind the operation. She manages their lives, including raising their child, getting in clients, pushing through every sale, and generally keeping life held together.

So what does Jude do? Well, he's got the ability to see dead people, and since it's previously haunted houses that Red Light Properties specializes in, he's got to keep up his end of the bargain and clear houses of spirits so they can be sold on the cheap to those who couldn't afford one otherwise. To do this, he needs to stay topped up on psychedelics, but that leaves him somewhere between reality and The Membrane that separates the physical world from the spiritual one. You can see how that could be a problem as a business partner, father, and husband, right?

Those who have followed the series for a while may know some of the stories included in this upcoming omnibus. "Goodnight Donnie Cheng," "Underwater," and even "Tight Shorts," which never made it off of Comixology, will all be included.

You can sign up to be notified of the Kickstarter's launch now. This will ensure you get an email as it goes live, so you don't miss out on any limited editions or early bird specials, which are always nice on new campaigns. I'd not heard about Red Light Properties before learning about this hardcover collection, but I love the concept and want to dive into all of it, which now I can do in Unfinished Business.

This Kickstarter is far from the end of the series. In spring 2025, Goldman plans on producing more Red Light Properties issues for fans to collect and read. If you've been looking for something new to add to your shelf, this is definitely one worth checking out when it goes live.

The post Red Light Properties: Unfinished Business brings the comic book back with 100 never-before-seen pages appeared first on Destructoid.

During the One Six Indie Showcase 2024, we were treated to a trailer for a brand new DLC for Rain World. This DLC, The Watcher, looks to take players to unfamiliar territory for a new Slugcat adventure, and fans want it to go as far as possible.

Eagle-eyed fans spotted several key details in the trailer for Rain World's The Watcher DLC, including a lack of Iterators, walking snails, and some fresh-looking animated backgrounds that hint at new environments. The franchise is known for an incredibly complex ecosystem that interlinks as you explore, with every environment impacting the other in some way. But fans want something that cuts deep from the DLC. A region or regions cut off from what we've seen before.

Where are the Iterators?

Long before the DLC's trailer was released, Rain World fans on the game's subreddit had been discussing what they wanted from it. User ANBpokeball sums up what a lot of other fans want. "Exploring new regions, seeing new creatures, meeting Slugcats other than the protagonist, and getting to meet one of the iterators other than Five Pebbles or Looks To The Moon."

This would be brilliant. Iterators are massive entities that house entire ecosystems. They're also said to create the rain that gives Rain World its name. In the base game and other DLC, you can see other Iterators in the distance when you reach the top of one, as high as you can go.

The featured image for this article shows a Slugcat at that point, and there's a shocking lack of Iterators. This hints that The Watcher DLC could be set at a different time, in a different dimension, or in a region separate from the rest of the franchise.

We can actually look to the Akupara Games page for the DLC for some clarity here. "Journey beyond to something, somewhere only ever glimpsed. When the world beneath your feet cracks and crumbles, will you hold on to all you once knew? Or dive into the unknown?"

It suggests we'll be somewhere in the Rain World series we've never actually been able to visit. Part of what makes the franchise so intriguing and gripping is its complex ecosystem that you sneak, run from, and fight your way through across many playthroughs.

From the sounds of it, I'd say we're heading to a dry location, somewhere the ground cracks and crumbles away from an Iterator. It could reveal the planet's past below the crust of dirt and away from the fairly familiar territories we've known around these large machines. Having played Animal Well earlier this year, I'm excited to play as another creature delving into the depths.

Fans want something new, and the trailer and description certainly make it look like that's what we're getting. We'll have to wait until March 28, 2025, to know for sure, and if you're new to the series, that should be just enough time to get caught up on everything you need to know before The Watcher DLC drops.

The post Rain World fans want new ecosystems and regions in The Watcher DLC appeared first on Destructoid.

Trench Crusade is a skirmish-scale tabletop game with miniatures, similar to Warhammer 40K, that pulls you into an alternate timeline in which the forces of hell are ravaging the Earth. The game is coming to Kickstarter and already has a pretty large following, so any miniatures fans won't want to miss it.

In Trench Crusade, you pick up, assemble, and paint the forces fighting with the armies of hell in an alternate version of 1914, 800 years after a group of heretical templar knights opened the gates and let the forces of evil swarm out. There are six factions to choose from, a set of skirmishes and bloody campaigns to play through, and over 60 miniatures to paint with gloriously unique designs so you can both impress and terrify your opponents.

When is the start date for the Trench Crusade Kickstarter?

The Trench Crusade Kickstarter campaign goes live on October 29, 2024. It's worth heading to the website and signing up to be notified when it launches because there could be limited early bird pledges. These ones always offer good rewards at a lower price, but once they're gone, they're gone.

At the time of writing, I don't know when the campaign will end. Most last for 30 days, but some can go on for more or less time, depending on the creator's goal or project. You tend to see the most attention right at the beginning and then right at the end, with a bit of a pause in the middle. That's what I'd expect to see from Trench Crusade.

As a miniature tabletop game, I think it will have a 30-day campaign. It has a fairly decent Twitter following, from which content creators have been slowly releasing new details of characters for a while. There are a few other groups, such as Discord, you can join through the game's website, where you'll also be able to keep up to date with any new details about the lore as they drop.

What rewards can you get from the Trench Crusade Kickstarter?

The rewards you can get from the Trench Crusade Kickstarter campaign aren't live at the time of writing. However, they will almost certainly include any or all of the 60+ miniatures featured from across all six of the main factions.

The Kickstarter page also mentions a hardback book that's part artbook and part rulebook to help you get an idea of what your units could look like once painted, but also how to play with them. I'm sure there will be some unique rulesets in there we've never seen before, and I'm excited to see how they impact a skirmish. There will be terrain tokens and more on offer, which I believe will likely include environmental elements to the game you can use as optional extras.

It's important to note that all of these rewards are available physically and digitally. I believe this will mean you can get the files to print your own units or pick units as a reward from a pledge if that's what you want. I don't own a 3D printer, so I'd like to pick up a set of units for one or two factions because everything I've seen so far looks fantastic.

The post Trench Crusade Kickstarter release date & campaign details appeared first on Destructoid.

When Space Goblin Studio's Astrobotanica was first revealed, I and many others were incredibly intrigued by how this new cozy sandbox survival game would work. You play as an alien who crashlands on Earth in its ancient past, and you must somehow use plants to save your species while surviving a primordial version of our planet.

It's a recipe for disaster but also a gripping premise for your next foray into a game that blends farming, research, base building, and even establishing a relationship with a Neanderthal tribe. There's so much going on in Astrobotanica, yet we know from massive cozy games like Stardew Valley and Subnautica that these many elements can coexist in harmony.

I spoke with Arek Wozniak, Space Goblin Studio's Studio Lead, about the game well ahead of its early access release. What I wanted to get out of this conversation was an understanding of the main gameplay loop, what the developer is aiming to deliver, and what inspired it.

Destructoid: Could you tell me about which games inspired you while making Astrobotanica? For example, it looks and sounds to me as if Subnautica was a big inspiration, even though the games are clearly very different when you get into the details.

Arek Wozniak: The studio is obviously composed of survival lovers, with each member having their own favorites. Subnautica is definitely one of them, and I totally get that the teaser trailer suggests a close cousin due to featuring plant scanning. But Astrobotanica drifts much further, which I’m sure will be obvious when we reveal more of the gameplay in the near future. One of the key focuses is exploration and problem-solving via scientific research. This is, of course, centered on plants, which are the real protagonists of the game.

Coming back to inspirations, I can confess that we’re great fans of Stardew Valley and Potion Craft. I also couldn’t not mention Sea of Thieves, as we’re absolutely in love with vibrant and stylized graphics. Finally, some gamers may also find the vibes of Slime Rancher once they know Astrobotanica better.

Destructoid: Can you explain the initial gameplay loop in Astrobotanica?

Arek Wozniak: CO2 is something you’ll have to replenish constantly but at a low pace. There’s not too much pressure, as ‘cozy’ is our master vibe to stay true to. You’ll be able to come back to your ship where some generators are still running. There will be plants to help you recover your CO2 levels. You’ll also be able to figure out other ways - whether via trial and error in the game or, perhaps, via your own research in abundant literature on greenery.

I wanted to point out really strongly that the lack of CO2 will not be the biggest challenge but something to keep in mind from time to time. Aside from this part, the core gameplay loop is built on the cycle of explore-survive-cultivate-repeat. A great part, and I mean the crucial part for survival in the long term, will require plant research, farming, and processing of the produce. This will become apparent step by step, without imposing, while other aspects, such as potion crafting and interaction with the environment and inhabitants, will also play their part as the game progresses.

Destructoid: How deep do the base-building/farming mechanics go in Astrobotanica?

Arek Wozniak: The base-building and farming mechanics are designed to be quite engaging and functional but without overwhelming complexity. For example, construction is based on blueprints, which helps you focus on gathering resources. Furthermore, structures have functional roles, and once completed and put to work, they will unload your burden so you can focus on exploration and research.

We’re also planning to implement progressing automation, so once you advance in the game, some manual tasks will become automated, such as watering or composting, so you’ll advance to more strategic planning. However, the key feature is potion-making or mixture-crafting. We’re still figuring out how to shape the nomenclature for drinks made of plants, perhaps tonics? Views and ideas are very welcome!

Destructoid: How much of Astrobotanica will we be able to play when it's released in early access?

Arek Wozniak: The plan is to set out at least three islands, each with its custom biomes, beautiful views, abundance of wildlife and foliage, and of course, native inhabitants. They will occupy a minimum area of 1.5 km² each. The islands will also feature cave networks and original mysteries to uncover and puzzles to solve. Players will have access to most options for the character development system P.R.I.M.A.L.

Destructoid: What is your plan for the game's early access development? Do you have a roadmap that you intend to stick to, is it open, or will you do a mix and incorporate requests from the player base?

Arek Wozniak: We’re yet to announce a specific roadmap, but I can reveal at this point that scaling is planned in two dimensions: First, by adding new islands to the map, and second, by developing advanced mechanics such as AI-driven animals. This is at least where we start, but once player reactions, suggestions, and criticism start coming, this plan may evolve a lot.

Destructoid: Astrobotanica looks like it leans heavily into the cozy genre while keeping a foot in the open-world survival crafting space. How does the game bridge these genres, and is it something both cozy fans and open-world survival crafting fans can enjoy together?

Arek Wozniak: It’s exactly right; we wanted to stand on the relaxation side of ambitious games and deliver a contradiction to hardcore survival. Isn’t it great that such games have started to appear in the first place to offer a “safe escape” by immersing into a pleasant and relaxing world? But it couldn’t be further from a shortcut, rather, it's a challenge to remove any obstacles in UX and gameplay to make the experience enjoyable and intuitive. To let it flow. This starts with, for example, the save-game feature, which can be done at any time and at any point. All the way to controlling a large base with abundant farms, which will still be easy and pleasant to manage. I won't comment on co-op play at this point, as this is planned for a slightly later stage.

Destructoid: Farming is an element that often comes to games like Astrobotanica during early access as a fan-requested feature. Why did you choose/need to have it in on day one?

Arek Wozniak: I appreciate you pointing this out. As said earlier, plants, whether you call them flora, vegetation, flowers, or anything else, are the real protagonists in the game. Their life cycles set the tone and tempo, as well as their needs for fertilized soil and water. We just could not start anywhere else than from what gamers call “farming,” but others just call it “nature.”

Destructoid: Has anything outside of the games industry inspired you while making Astrobotanica?

Arek Wozniak: We always appreciated how great a source of accidental knowledge games can be, from learning about the basics of architectural planning via Minecraft to getting to know some carpentry via The Forest, to familiarizing ourselves with aquatic life via Dave the Diver - to name only a few.

So we thought, why not plants? They are older than us on this planet, exist in an abundance of species, and have been, for ages, providing for humans. They are at our fingertips every day for nutrition, healing, helping to express affection, decorating the house, you name it. The rest was practical creativity without imposing. Astrobotanica doesn’t require you to know any plant or reach for an atlas. But if you at some point start distinguishing chamomile from thistle or recognize sage during your weekend walks, it will mean we have done a good job.

Destructoid: What do you want players to get out of the game outside of having a great time playing it?

Arek Wozniak: I’m very humble in this regard, as I totally get it that different people may want different things from gaming. With respect to the variety of views, I hope a common denominator is spending quality, fun, and engaging time.

But let me share my big ambition to plant a seed in gamers' thinking. If just one person will look at their environment differently, let it be appreciation of vegetation around them, some interest in natural medicine, or just getting a potted plant to take care of where they live - I’ll be a happy man.

The post Interview: Understanding Astrobotanica’s cozy gameplay loop & inspirations appeared first on Destructoid.

Helldivers 2 fans are pretty happy with the game following the release of its 60-day update. Every buff and change feels solid. However, the massive improvement in gameplay has meant that frustrations with one item from the latest Warbond feel bigger than they actually are.

The Chemical Agents Warbond was released in Helldivers 2 a few days after the game's 60-day update. It brought with it a slew of chemical warfare-themed items like armor that looks like a hazmat suit, toxic gas-based Stratagems, and a healing sidearm called the Stim Pistol. But this last item, one that should help players out in a pinch, has become a slight source of frustration within the community. What should be a life-saver is definitely a meme at this point.

Stims only work if they hit

The Stim Pistol will provide a Helldiver with enough of a healing boost to survive their next hit. Provided the next hit isn't a Charger running them down or a misplaced Eagle 500KG Bomb. However, the healing a Helldiver is trying to provide their teammates won't work at all if they can't land the shot, and that's the toughest thing to do with this sidearm.

The problem is that it feels impossible to land a shot with the Stim Pistol. You can be in first person, aiming down sights, and have a Helldiver running right at you, but you'll still miss. It's definitely possible to land shots because I've seen players in the post-mission screens peppered with darts, but I have no idea how those darts found their mark.

If you've picked up the Warbond and are trying it out for yourself, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. If you're waiting to pick it up later, all you need to do is take one look at the Helldivers 2 subreddit to understand what's going on.

The Helldivers 2 community isn't worried about the issues with Stim Pistols, though. If this had happened before the 60-day update was released, it might have been the straw that broke the camel's back. With such a slew of buffs making the game as enjoyable as it was upon release, the Stim Pistol's inaccuracy fades into the background.

I have no doubt that developer Arrowhead Game Studios will fix the Stim Pistol in a future update. But nobody is that bothered about it right now. We've been spoiled with impeccable gameplay, a new Warbond, and even fantastic Superstore items. The game is in a great place at the time of writing, and you can see that in the community's reaction to weapon inaccuracy now compared to what it would have been just a week or so ago.

The post Helldivers 2’s most helpful weapon has created a frustrating problem appeared first on Destructoid.

Minecraft developer Mojang and MOD Entertainment revealed the Minecraft Experience: Villager Rescue in early 2024. The one-hour-long real-world activity had to be delayed, but now it's coming up for its Dallas launch on October 18, 2024, and all attendees can get their hands on an exclusive reward.

Anyone who buys a ticket and plays the Minecraft Experience: Villager Rescue will receive an exclusive in-game cape for Minecraft that's half-villager, half-zombie. It looks pretty great and acts as a nice bonus that'll help the event last even longer in your mind when you see it each time you log in. You don't even need to visit Dallas just to get the cape because the entire thing is going on tour, meaning there's a good chance it'll turn up near you in the future.

Now that's a nice cape

In the Minecraft Experience: Villager Rescue, iconic locations and creatures from the game are brought to life. You start in the forest, where you'll learn the ropes of how mechanics in this experience function. From there, you'll enter the village, where you'll pick up your quest and team up with other real players to complete your task. I'm going to go ahead and guess, given the experience's name, that you'll be rescuing a Villager.

There will be multiple biomes to explore and creatures to meet along the way. While you can gush over the dolphins, sheep, and pigs, the skeletons and spiders aren't so friendly. Luckily, the experience has everything you'll be used to from the game, so you'll be able to fend off any mobs.

The most interesting thing about the Minecraft Experience: Villager Rescue is the Orb of Interaction. This is an object you hold and take with you throughout the story to interact with objects, enemies, and every biome as you would in the game. It's got some sort of haptic feedback built in, so I imagine it vibrates in specific ways for each type of interaction, but it should also change color depending on what you're doing.

Considering you can build an entire universe in Minecraft if you work hard enough, a 1-hour experience sounds a little small. However, you do get to chill out in the Trading Post with a memento afterward, so you might be able to make an entire morning or afternoon out of it if you want.

Of course, the long-lasting reward from the experience is going to be that in-game cape. Given that you can only get it from this touring physical event, I can see it being pretty rare and desirable. Between this and the fact that you can keep the whole experience to an hour if you don't want to spend an entire day on it, I think the Minecraft Experience: Villager Rescue could be pretty popular, especially with fans who aren't excited for the movie.

The post Minecraft Experience: Villager Rescue is a real-life touring adventure with an exclusive in-game reward appeared first on Destructoid.

Despite developer Saber Interactive being hard at work making Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 as good as it possibly can be, it's managed to cook up a ferocious new game mode for World War Z: Aftermath. The new mode sounds like a tonne of fun, but only for those players ready to take on an impossible challenge.

Saber Interactive has been pretty busy over the last couple of months with the final prep and then the launch of Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2. On September 24, 2024, it's releasing a new game mode, Extinction Challenge Mode, for World War Z: Aftermath. This is the ultimate challenge for players, requiring skill, determination, and knowledge of every system just to have a chance at making it through a few checkpoints.

This new mode isn't built to be fun, it's made to push you

Extinction Challenge Mode for World War Z: Aftermath makes all zombies more aggressive and harder to kill as a baseline. There's usually a group of pretty docile or dormant zombies in each stage, regardless of difficulty. I imagine those are now gone, and needing to reload is going to be a bigger problem than it normally is with tougher and crazier hordes of undead throwing themselves your way.

The real run killer of this mode is that you're now dead after just one incapacitation. Usually, you can be revived at a few points throughout a level, but now it's only possible to respawn at checkpoints. Death is going to be more frequent because the mode also makes it harder to distinguish allies from enemies among the throng of bodies that's always around you.

I adore World War Z: Aftermath. I love the progression systems it has, and every mission on every difficulty feels just right. Seeing Saber Interactive continue to support it because of its players gives me hope that I'll be playing both it and Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 for years to come since the developer's latest game has a similar progression path for you to follow.

Saber Interactive initially released World War Z in 2019 before launching a current-gen version, World War Z: Aftermath, in 2021. It's been supporting the game ever since with a regular flow of content updates for both in-game skins, Twitch Drops, and much more. It's had a pretty stable fan base since launch thanks to receiving new features that feel as good as Helldivers 2's 60-day update but without the low points.

The Extinction Challenge Mode is just the latest example of what this developer is capable of when it's allowed to listen to a community and act on the feedback it provides. I can't say I'm excited about the prospect of dying over and over in this game mode, but I'm so happy that there are still fresh experiences to be had in one of my favorite games.

The post World War Z: Aftermath’s new Extinction Challenge Mode wants you to die appeared first on Destructoid.

Half-Life was initially released in November 1998 and has shaped the games industry as we know it in many ways. While it's been extensively remastered by fans and has dozens of mods or side stories to play, there was still a version no one could access. That is, until now.

LambdaGeneration, one of the largest Valve game communities, recently announced that a pre-gold build of Half-Life is finally available for anyone to download and play. The build is from October 1998, which is just a month before the full game's actual launch. Fans are incredibly excited about the release because, while it's likely very close to the final build everyone got on release day, there could be subtle, hidden changes that are always fun discoveries when looking back at older titles like this.

The flying scientist is back

You can download this pre-gold version of Half-Life from the official Archive.org page and try it out for yourself. The page has many useful tips for getting the game to run, which will definitely be needed if you're trying to play on a modern PC.

This build is technically what you'd call a beta build. It's from a point in development before the game went gold, which is when the developer is happy with the code and can have it printed onto discs and shipped.

As such, it might contain bugs, glitches, and a few features that you can't find in the final game, including that one that took Valve 25 years to fix. This could include different skins for enemies, entire rooms, or items that have been left in place for testing before being removed for the final build.

Some elements of game development were very different in 1998. For example, it wasn't uncommon for a game's final code to have to be hand-delivered to manufacturers or publishers. Despite there only being a month between this build and the final version of Half-Life, many changes could lie in the code, and it'll be exciting to see what hardcore fans dig up.

There are also many versions of Half-Life and the other games in the series that you've likely never heard of. One of the rarest is Half-Life: Uplink, which was a demo distributed with magazines ahead of the game's release. I think this just goes to show that no matter how many versions of a game you own and how much you research it, there's always something new to discover.

At a time when Half-Life: Alyx is the latest game in the series, and we're all gagging for Half-Life 3, this is a welcome new release. Even if it's yet another version of the first game. I first played Half-Life on PS2, but I remember the game's PC launch and the various big box releases you could get. Given their price now, I wish I'd bought them.

The post A new pre-gold build of Half-Life has just been released appeared first on Destructoid.

As we approach 2024's spooky season, Wizards of the Coast is ramping up its Secret Lairs. We've already got an entire haunted house set on the way with Duskmourn, but now there are more and more side sets to collect, like this Chucky Secret Lair Drop.

The Secret Lair x Chucky Drop is the perfect complementary set for Duskmourn. As players explore this haunted house realm within Magic: The Gathering, they'll encounter all sorts of horrors that would spook a normal person in any setting. Chucky is by far one of the most terrifying horror movie characters out there, and seeing the franchise enter MTG at this crucial point just feels so right. Each card looks incredible and will add an unsettling feeling for opponents when they see it because they know something bad is about to happen.

Every card in the Secret Lair x Chucky Drop

Below, I've listed every card in the Secret Lair x Chucky Drop. Each one, as you'd expect, features incredible artwork that's out of this world. If you're planning on crafting some new decks with all the Duskmourn cards, this is a set you should definitely be looking to loop in.

• Chucky: A 4/3 Legendary Creature Demon Berserker. Whenever an attacking creature dies, each opponent loses 1 life and you gain 1 life. Chen Chucky enters, until your next turn, creatures your opponents control attack each combat if able and attack a player other than you if able.
• Sorry Jack...Chucky's Back: Enchantment. Pay 2 life and 1 Black Mana: Return target creature from your graveyard to your hand.
• Tiffany, Bride of Chucky: A 2/3 Legendary Creature, Demon Rogue with Deathtouch. Boast - Pay 1 Black Mana, and target player searches their library for a card, then shuffles and puts that card on top.
• Friends to the End: Sorcery. Strive - This spell costs 2 more Red Mana to cast for each target beyond the first. Choose any number of target creatures you control. For each of them, create a token that's a copy of that creature, except it has haste. Exile those tokens at the beginning of the next end step.
• Play Pals Factory: Artifact. Whenever a nontoken creature enters, if Play Pals Factory is untapped, that creature's controller creates a 1/1 colorless Myr artifact creature token.

This set goes live on the Secret Lair website on September 30, 2024, and will cost you $30 to pick up. It's worth signing up to be notified of when it goes live because of the new way that Secret Lair drops work. Instead of being printed to demand, only a limited number of each set is now ever made, so you must get your order in fast if you want to pick them up.

The post All cards in the Secret Lair x Chucky Drop appeared first on Destructoid.

Wizards of the Coast has announced a third Hatsune Miku Secret Lair Superdrop, and it looks just as gorgeous as the first two. The Secret Lair x Hatsune Miku: Electric Entourage Superdrop launches on September 30, 2024, and it's one you won't want to miss.

The Secret Lair x Hatsune Miku: Electric Entourage Superdrop consists of five Planeswalker cards around which you could easily build a deck. While, of course, they're reskinned versions of cards we already know from Magic: The Gathering, the artwork is what we're all here for. If you want a gorgeous deck, or to simply add to your collection with some new Secret Lair cards, this is a great Superdrop to get in on because the Hatsune Miku ones have been incredibly popular in the past.

Every card in the Secret Lair x Hatsune Miku: Electric Entourage Superdrop

Below, I've listed every card in the Secret Lair x Hatsune Miku: Electric Entourage Superdrop and what their abilities are. The names are quite difficult to work out because, at the time of writing, all I have is the image above to go on. The abilities are easy, though, since the original cards are already out in the wild.

• Miku, Voice of Power: (3) Legendary Planeswalker. +2 - Create a 1/1 green Elf Druid creature token with "Tap to add 1 Green Mana." -2 - Destroy target artifact or enchantment. -6 - Draw a card for each green creature you control. Miku, Voice of Power can be your commander.
• KAITO, Mysterious Mayhem: (5) Legendary Planeswalker. +1 - Scry 1, then draw a card. -2 - Return target creature to its owner's hand. -8 - You get an emblem with "Whenever an opponent casts his or her first spell each turn, counter that spell."
• Miku, Divine Diva: (4) Legendary Planeswalker. +2 - You gain 1 life for each creature you control. -2 - Create three 1/1 white soldier creature tokens. -5 - Destroy all other permanents except for lands and tokens.
• Luka, Traveling Sound: (3) Legendary Planeswalker. +1 - Search your library for a swamp card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library. -3 - Target creature gets +X/+X or -X/-X until end of your turn, where X is the number of swamps you control. -6 - You get an embelm with "Swamsp you control have 'Tap to add four Black Mana to your energy pool'."
• Rin & Len, Harmony Incarnate: (5) Legendary Planeswalker. +1 - Draw a card, then discard a card. +1 - Target creature gets +1/+0 and gains first strike and trample until end of turn. -8 - Draw four cards. When you do, this card deals damage to any target equal to the number of cards in your hand.

Note that Wizards of the Coast has changed how Secret Lair Superdrops work. It used to be that you could pre-order at any point during a certain window of time before the Superdrop was closed forever. Those orders were then printed to demand and shipped out.

However, a new system, which Magic: The Gathering players really aren't fans of, now sees a set number of each Superdrop printed. You'll need to wait in a queue on the Secret Lair website to put in your order, but a bot or scalper could get in ahead of you and take all the cards for themselves.

Sign up for alerts if you want to get these cards because I guarantee they'll sell out quickly. The only way to ensure you get a pack is by being available on September 30, 2024, and at the Secret Lair website's disposal for at least an hour.

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Audiobooks are fantastic because they allow you to read on the go. Whether it's chores around the house, light work, staying fit with a run, or weight training, you can boost it all with an audiobook, and I find that mysteries are the best way to stay hooked.

There are thousands of mystery books in 2024 and just as many audiobooks. That makes it incredibly difficult to pick ones that you know you will be interested in and will appeal to that sense of intrigue that's so unique to all of us. I know not all mystery books hit that same sense of suspense for me as they do for my wife, which is why it's important to always be on the lookout for great entries. That's why I've put together this list: to help you avoid the duds and get right to the meaty and gripping mystery audiobooks that are filled with suspense.

Amazing mystery audiobooks to satisfy your craving for suspense

We Solve Murders: Richard Osman

We Solve Murders is a fantastic mystery audiobook that'll keep you guessing until the very end. Protagonist Amy works in personal security and ends up on a private island looking after a famous author. However, when a body and bag of money turn up, Amy has to turn to her father-in-law, Steve, to help her track down the killer and stay one step ahead of them so she doesn't become a victim herself. You feel like the protagonists are always on the back foot in the best way possible, making you want to listen to just one more chapter before you turn it off.

Precipice: Robert Harris

Precipice is an intriguing audiobook about a love affair in 1914. Venetia Stanley is an aristocrat and bohemian, a member of a socialite group called The Coterie. She's sleeping with the then-Prime Minister, who writes to her with explicit details of his desires and state secrets. After the war breaks out, an intelligence officer is assigned to uncover the source of the leaked top-secret information, and Valentia is in the firing line.

The Thursday Murder Club: Richard Osman

The Thursday Murder Club tells the story of a small retirement village where a group of four unlikely friends gather every week to investigate unsolved murders. However, when a murder occurs within their retirement community, the group jumps on the chance to use their skills and knowledge. After all, nobody takes old people seriously. But maybe they should because who knows what they get up to while we're not looking?

None of This is True: Lisa Jewell

In None of This is True, popular podcaster Alix meets Josie one night while celebrating her forty-fifth birthday. It turns out that the pair share the same birthday, and after another chance encounter, Josie convinces Alix to work with her on a new story for her podcast. Josie is unsettling, but Alix can't resist the chance to keep chasing the scoop. That is, until Josie disappears, leaving Alix a terrifying legacy that puts her and her family in danger.

Verity: Coleen Hoover

Verity follows Lowen Ashleigh, a writer struggling to make ends meet when she's hired by a prestigious author's husband to finish his wife's work following a family loss. Lowen uncovers an unfinished memoir amid a chaotic office and reads every page, knowing the revelations within would ruin the family and devastate her employer. Complications arise when Lowen develops feelings for her, making the choice between letting him read the undiscovered memoirs or keeping them a secret even more important. It's a decision that won't have the outcome anyone is expecting or hoping for.

How to Kill Your Family: Bella Mackie

How to Kill Your Family is the brutal story of how protagonist Grace Bernard discovers that her absentee millionaire father rejects every plea for help her mother sends his way. She's dying, and he won't lift a finger for her. That's why Grace meticulously plans out the murder of six members of her family before going about the rest of her life without a single regret. It's cold-blooded murder at its purest and in a form you can actually get on board with for once.

Prima Facie: Suzie Miller

Prima Facie has a great story, and the audiobook is read by none other than Jodie Comer, which I think is a great reason to listen to anything. It revolves around top criminal barrister Tessa Ensler. She's fantastic at her job, getting anyone off the hook as long as they've to plead not guilty. She never really considers the impact of what she's doing until a coworker assaults her. All she wants to do is make the thoughts go away and forget it ever happened. But she knows she needs to fight. As she lives through what so many victims do, having evidence turned against her, she pushes and fights for what is right in a system that's very obviously broken.

While Comer gives an outstanding performance in this audiobook, it's the intrigue and the flow of events that'll grip you. The law is something that seems so intangible and hard to grasp unless you have a deep knowledge of it, and that's exactly how the story ensnares you and keeps you on the edge of your seat.

You Like it Darker: Stephen King

You Like it Darker is a collection of some of Stephen King's best short stories. Each one looks at a darker part of the world, the universe, and fiction in general. There's a tale about inheritance with major strings attached, a mystery about how two gentlemen acquired a specific set of skills and a psychic burst that upends the lives of a group of people out of nowhere.

I think King does a great job of looking at the world and asking questions we simply don't want the answers to. It's not that the stories aren't intriguing, but the possibilities that lie between facts he explores are parts of the mind that you feel are best left untouched. Don't listen to these right before you go to bed.

Slow Horses: Mick Herron

Slow Horses is the first book in an engrossing series. It follows a group of MI5 agents who have all ended up at Slough House. It's where agents who have screwed up, gotten in the way of others, or become too reliant on a bottle are sent to while away the tatters they have left of their careers. However, each agent in this particular group wants to get back to their real jobs, hunting down enemies of the state and doing something for their country. They're willing to do anything to make that happen, even work together, which is no easy feat when you're a bunch of what are effectively failed spies.

The Family Upstairs: Lisa Jewell

The Family Upstairs begins as an upbeat tale about Libby Jones. She receives a letter that changes her entire life. She discovers who her birth parents were and that she's the sole inheritor of a luxurious house in a decadent part of London. The story soon takes a turn, though, because Libby's not the only one who has been waiting all these years for her to find out the truth. Her history is soaked in blood and shrouded in mystery, and a group of people she doesn't know are about to remind her of it.

The Night Manager: John le Carré

The Night Manager is a real treat of an audiobook I discovered a couple of years ago. It follows Jonathan Pine, the night manager for a very posh hotel in Zurich. He's learned to fear and hate one of the most powerful drug and arms dealers in the world in the power gap created by the end of the Cold War, Richard Onslow Roper. He wants nothing more than to have him taken down and for life to feel safe again, which is why he's willing to work with secret government agents to provide intelligence and immerse himself deep into Roper's life.

Cavendish & Walker Volume 1: Sally Rigby

Cavendish & Walker is an incredibly successful crime thriller series. This audiobook encompasses the first three entries—Deadly Games, Fatal Justice, and Death Track—and is a great way to get yourself some suspense-filled mystery audiobooks with a common thread woven through them. All three books follow the journey of a detective and forensic psychologist as they work together and grow to be a team who use their specific skills to hunt down criminals and bring them to justice in unorthodox ways.

The Household: Stacey Halls

The Household is a gripping tale about a house in the countryside that acts as a refuge for fallen women. Those who come to live there have lost their way in life and have been rescued from destitution and death. The trouble is, not every woman who arrives necessarily wants to be there. To make matters even more complicated, the benefactor behind the house and its legacy has just discovered that her old stalker is out of prison and back on the streets, meaning she's now more unsafe than those her household helps.

The Silent Patient: Alex Michaelides

The Silent Patient is one of the best mystery thrillers out there, and while other books can get you close to the level of suspense it brings to the table, very few are better. The story follows Alicia Berenson, a famous painter married to a just as famous photographer, Gabriel. That is until he returns late one night and gets shot five times by his wife. This would be an open-and-shut case if she'd talk, but she never does. Not until criminal psychotherapist Theo Faber manages to sit down with her to ascertain the truth. Even then, it's him and his motivations that are on trial instead of hers.

The Teacher: Freida McFadden

The Teacher is a thrill ride from start to finish that'll keep you guessing even once it's ended. It sees protagonist Eve go about her business as a math teacher at a local high school before things take a turn for the worse. The school was rocked by a student-teacher affair the year before, one that centered around Addie. Eve knows there's much more to the story all too well, and Addie will do anything to keep the truth, the real truth, from getting out.

Caledonian Road: Andrew O'Hagan

Caledonian Road follows the fall of Campbell Flynn. Through five interconnected families and their rise and fall through fame and power, the secrets of Caledonian Road will be exposed as every world comes crashing together. It's a tale woven through the movements of every family and its place in the pecking order, one that you'll find yourself suddenly gripped by when you think it's time to turn it off, even if you weren't from the first chapter.

The Coroner: M.R. Hall

The Coroner is the first entry in an incredibly engrossing series. It follows protagonist Jenny Cooper as she flees her broken life, a husband who has left her, a son she can't connect with, and far too much wine, as she becomes a coroner and massively oversteps in a case she can't let go of. She dives into the politics, motivations, and every little piece of information surrounding a death that doesn't sit right with her and uncovers much more than she bargained for.

Good Rich People: Eliza Jane Brazier

Good Rich People is about a wealthy couple who likes to ruin self-starters who manage to claw their way close to the top and make a bit of cash—enough to be comfortable, at least. However, the couple picks a fight with one woman who has been fighting and scrapping all her life, and she's not about to break just because these people want to play games with her.

Murder on the Orient Express: Agatha Christie

Murder on the Orient Express needs no introduction. The titular train is packed with guests, including renowned private investigator Hercule Poirot. After getting stuck in a snowdrift, someone is murdered in their cabin, and Poirot sets about questioning everybody in an attempt to uncover the culprit. It's a classic whodunit with a cast of memorable characters I love returning to because it's just such a joy to be enveloped by. A really great starting point for anyone dipping their toe into the genre.

Waiting for the Night Song: Julie Carrick Dalton

Waiting for the Night Song is a tale of two friends who have their close relationship ruptured by something they were both a part of one summer. Years later, they must return to the forest where their innocence was lost. Tensions are rising with local workers, and the environment is threatening. All of this will reveal a terrible secret, one that could cause serious damage to the locals and the surrounding area.

Never Saw Me Coming: Vera Kurian

Never Saw Me Coming is a book about Chloe. She's a typical college student who loves frat parties but who also lacks empathy, doesn't feel guilt or fear, and never stops planning to murder the childhood friend who wronged her. She's part of an experiment monitoring seven young people like her until one of them is murdered. From there, it's a game of cat and mouse as Chloe fights for her life and to bring her own plans to fruition now that the study has been tampered with.

The Terminal List: Jack Carr

The Terminal List is a story of revenge from the perspective of a wronged soldier. James Reece's entire squad was murdered as part of a government conspiracy, one that he intends to uncover and bring into the light after it's made out to be a terrorist attack. He's on the hunt for blood with nothing to live for, no one he cares for to be threatened, and everything to gain by taking down some of the most powerful people on the planet.

White Out: Danielle Girard

In White Out, we follow Lily, a woman who awakens from a car accident with no memory of anything except a few Bible verses and the image of a man with a bloodied head, a poor murdered woman left in a dumpster, and Kylie, the local town's only detective. The three are all tied together by events that the dead woman and Lily share, but Lily's memory is going to need to return if they're ever going to solve the mystery behind what happened to them.

Revenge: James Patterson

When David Shelley, a retired bodyguard, is called back in by the family that employed him to investigate the death of their daughter in Revenge, it's revealed that she fell into a seedy underworld. Her father demands retribution, but even Shelly wouldn't tangle with some of the characters he wants to take down, but he has to if justice is ever going to be served.

Twenty Years Later: Charlie Donlea

In Twenty Years Later, you'll find an intriguing tale of Avery Mason. She's a TV host who knows when a story will be a hit with her audience, and she's found a fantastic one. A woman named Victoria died while accused of the murder of her married lover. Before her death, she called her sister, Emma, and asked her to prove her innocence. Now Avery is working with Emma to uncover the truth behind this murder 20 years later and figure out what really happened to the married lover, a successful author found hanging from a balcony all those years ago.

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When you're done with the campaign in Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2, there's still a lot of work for you to do. Every class has a skill tree to unlock perks at every level using experience gained from PvE and PVP activities. But you can speed the process up.

It's easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of things you need to level up in Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2. Not only do you need to level up classes to unlock new perks and customization options, but you've got to grind their weapons too, so you can open up stronger ones with more interesting skins. However, it doesn't need to feel like a marathon because there are a few ways you can optimize your levels and experience gained.

How to level up fast in Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2

Below, I've listed the best ways I've come across that will help you level up quickly in Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2. The most important thing is to have fun. So, if any of these options don't feel fun to you, try something different because there's no point having a terrible time in a game like this.

10. Follow the advised level progression in Operations mode

This is the most important tip in the entire article. Operations mode has an advisory level range for every difficulty. While you gain more currencies from higher-difficulty missions, you'll have a terrible time doing them if you're under-leveled. The difficulty level ranges are as follows.

• Minimal: Level 1-5
• Average: Level 5-10
• Substantial: Level 10-15
• Ruthless: Level 15+

Note that this is the level your class must be at for the missions. I had the worst time pushing into a mission on a difficulty that I wasn't ready for, and it took forever just to lose it in the end. Hitting missions within your level range will ensure you always finish the missions and get the XP you're after.

9. Change classes regularly

Changing classes between missions will ensure you're always trying something fresh. I often find that I need to change my class when I jump into a mission anyway because one of the other players in the squad is already running it.

While yes, it's nice to grind out one class after the other, and you can definitely do that if you want to, this practice will make leveling up easier overall. A helpful team player is a better team player, and you don't want to be the Heavy hog.

8. Use the weapons you're comfortable with until they're maxed out

Don't stress yourself out by grinding multiple weapons and reaching each level cap simultaneously. Weapons change per class, and you can alter yours as you select a new class on the go. It's easier to roll with the default weapons first, level them up to their maximum, and then start tweaking builds so you're still making meaningful progress. You need time to learn each weapon, so make things straightforward, and don't worry too much about changing up your guns every single time.

7. Opt for Quick Match Operations missions

Quick Match is a godsend for grinding out experience. Just select your difficulty level and matchmake into someone else's mission. You'll get all the XP from a successful completion, and you won't need to set up everything every time you want to play. This helps out other players, too, so it's a win-win.

6. Jump into one PvP match every two Operations missions completed

PvP in Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 is an acquired taste. It's not easy by any stretch, but it's a different mode that will break up the monotony of Operations mission after mission. Hit a PvP match every now and then so you don't get bored by repeating missions, and you'll give yourself another way to earn some additional XP.

If you end up enjoying PvP more than Operations, you could even shift your grind over to this mode entirely. There's definitely something to be said for getting good at PvP because prestige levels are on the way at some point over the game's first year of updates.

5. Keep an eye out for Gene-Seeds in Operations mode

Gene-Seeds are additional items you or anyone else in your team can pick up in Operations mode. The goal is to hold it and take it to the end of the mission without dying. If someone drops it, someone else needs to pick it up. These provide extra XP for mission completion, so they're well worth keeping an eye out for.

4. Play the objective and don't go for every execution

It's easy to want to go in for every execution you can get in Operations mode. However, this won't net you as much XP for your weapons because you're just not using them as often. Unless you're running a class like Vanguard or Assault, stick back and do what your class does best.

Snipers are best at killing from afar, Heavy is great for laying down and suppressing fire, and every other class has its strengths that utilize weapons over melee as well. If your goal is to gain more XP, stay back and blast those Xenos.

3. Equip perks and upgrade weapons with every level you gain

Give yourself a break from playing missions and head to the Armory to equip yourself with the perks you've unlocked every time you gain a level. It's only a small thing, but it'll make each class you level up stronger as you grind, and the stronger you are, the easier it is to play more missions and grab all that XP you're after.

2. Stick with a team for as long as you can

Once an Operations mission ends, you don't need to head off and matchmake again. You'll stick with the same team for as long as they don't quit or kick you. I find that it's better to try to keep with the same team for as long as possible because you'll find that you gel well together after understanding how everyone plays.

Of course, the best team to play in is one with your friends, but I've had the best time playing with randoms too. As long as everyone is doing their part and you're having fun flying through missions, there's no need to quit and matchmake again.

1. Pick a Chapter cosmetic to unlock, then pick another, and then another

This last tip is one that's incredibly important for your mindset. It's so easy to get bogged down in the numbers for your weapons and how many perks you've unlocked for your favorite class. However, Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 has pre-set Chapter customization options for every class that you can purchase once you've earned enough Armory Data.

Open these options and pick one that you like because of the colors or because of that Chapter's values in the wider lore. Then, once you know which Chapter you want to pick up first, play until you've unlocked it for every class. Then repeat this process until you've got every Chapter unlocked.

It's such a small thing in the great scheme of the game, but it'll help you pull back from the numbers and focus on something that's a lot more fun to grind for. If you're focused on earning just a little more Armory Data instead of a set amount of XP, you're more likely to hit your goal. It just so happens that this goal will also net you a tonne of XP.

The post 10 tips to level up fast in Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

A Bump in the Road is the quest in Fallout 76 that sees you join a business partner and start your own caravan company. This is an intrinsic part of the Fallout universe, and now you get to engage with it every time you log in.

You'll need to seek out the A Bump in the Road quest in Fallout 76 by heading to Skyline Valley on the map. It should be automatically added to your quest log as a side quest once you're in the area. Check your Pip-Boy for details and track it so you don't lose sight of what you should be doing. As for tackling the quest, you're going to need to get a little violent and learn the ropes of what it takes to be a caravan guard in the Appalachian Wasteland.

How to complete A Bump in the Road in Fallout 76

Below, I've explained how to complete A Bump in the Road in Fallout 76 in easy-to-follow steps. It's not a hugely complex quest, but there are points that can trip you up if you don't know what to do, as well as some tough enemy encounters that will throw you off.

Step 1: Investigate the flare

The first part of this quest sends you to a lookout tower to investigate a flare. It's pretty straightforward in theory. Just head to the location marked on your map and have a look around. That is until you reach this location and realize that you're in for a tough fight.

The area is filled with high-level Super Mutants, and they're out for blood. One has a minigun up in the tower, a few have grenades, and the others just want to rip you apart with blunt objects. Bring your most powerful weapons to this fight because they won't let up. I ended up ripping them apart with a powerful axe because I couldn't land a shot.

Once you've cleared out all the Super Mutants, and make sure you really have cleared them all out, you need to search the cage underneath the lookout tower. There's a body in here with an item called Luke's Holotape that you must pick up and listen to.

The Holotape has a harrowing final note on it from Luke, a man working as a caravanner who took a risk he shouldn't have. He asks you to pick up the cargo from the Brahmin he was using and take it to Milepost Zero. You'll find the Brahmin next to the cages of flesh at the top of the camp.

Step 2: Visit Milepost Zero

Your next objective is to visit Milepost Zero, a new location right at the bottom of the map. I fast traveled to a nearby camp and walked along to it, but make sure you watch out for Feral Ghouls in the area because they are no joke.

Here, you'll meet Marley. She's trying to start her own caravan company and needs a little help. If you want to help her, you're going to need to buy into the company to get it off the ground. This costs 500 Caps, which isn't cheap, but it also won't take you long to earn that many if you play well.

Step 3: Complete a Caravan: Skyline Drive World Event

Once you've paid your way in, you'll need to head out and complete a Caravan: Skyline Drive World Event. This is pretty simple to do either by speaking to Marley and asking to run a caravan or by joining a World Event that's already in progress. The symbol you want to pick to join this World Event on the map looks like a Brahmin head and will transport you directly to it.

These World Events aren't the easiest to complete. The Brahmin, your caravan, will head to its destination, and you've got to defend it from everything under the sun that tries to kill it. I encountered some incredibly high-level enemies doing this, including a Blue Devil, which wasn't fun at all.

There will also be sections of trees on the road that slow your Brahmin down. You'll need to cut through them with your weapons and rush the Brahmin on to get the mission done within the time limit. However, once you reach that destination, you'll receive a big package of Supplies and other useful items.

Step 4: Return to Marley

Head back to Marley at Milepost Zero and talk with her. Since you're now part of the caravan company, you get a say in who you hire. This will cost you Supplies, which you can earn more of by completing more Caravan World Events.

The employees you hire will add new elements to the caravan company's HQ. For example, I hired a Brahmin Tamer, which allows you to have easy access to Brahmin Milk. There are several employees to hire, and you'll eventually want to invest in them all by completing more World Events and spending those supplies. Over time, you'll create an incredibly profitable business.

After making your first hire, you'll complete the quest. This leaves you all set up for more caravan runs and the prospects of building a booming business in the post-apocalypse.

The post How to complete A Bump in the Road in Fallout 76 appeared first on Destructoid.

Developer Digital Extremes has revealed some of the quality-of-life improvements coming to Warframe with its Koumei & the Five Fates update. Interestingly, there's a huge focus on streamlining the game for newcomers, something Warframe has seen a lot of over the last couple of months.

The Koumei & the Five Fates update for Warframe launches in late 2024 and brings with it a new Warframe for players to master, as well as additional story content to dig into. However, in a recent blog post, Digital Extremes showcased how this update will also make the game more approachable as a newcomer. The game has seen loads of people join after leaving Destiny 2 following Bungie's layoffs, so this update couldn't come at a better time.

Demystifying the basics

There are loads of quality-of-life changes in this update that I wish I had when I was first getting into Warframe, but it's good to know they'll be there for new players. For example, stats have been shifted from your starter Warframe to make things a bit less overwhelming when jumping into the experience as a fresh player. A few other things, such as opening hacking puzzles and the time to intubate your first Kubrow have had time reductions to get you into the game and help you understand it much faster.

There's also going to be much more guidance in the game. A good example of this is when you come to sell unmastered items. You'll soon be greeted by a popup that tells you it's better to hit Rank 30 with it before selling it so your Mastery Rank benefits as much as possible from your time played.

New abilities that you unlock will now have their input shown alongside their information on-screen when you first unlock them. I can't tell you how many times I've thought that it's great I have a new ability for a Warframe that I have no clue how to trigger.

What might be the best improvement, though, is Relic breakdowns. This is a small tab that'll appear when you hover over a Relic, displaying the owned and crafted status of their rewards. Relics are an abuse mechanic in Warframe, but they're essential to unlocking Prime Warframes without spending real-world cash, so they're a necessary evil. Soon, they'll just be a little less evil to work with.

It won't end with Koumei & the Five Fates either. Digital Extremes has explained that future updates will tackle other systems such as the Star Chart and understanding the order of main and side quests. Once you're into Warframe, these don't pose much of an issue at all, but they're definitely a barrier to entry that would be hard to push past without the game's incredibly helpful community on hand.

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Publisher Focus Entertainment has responded to dozens of the questions that Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 fans have been asking since the game's release. Chief among the answers are details of changes coming to Veteran difficulty and PvP spawn camping, though many more are listed.

Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 is an incredibly solid title that blew fans away when it was initially released. Over 2 million players jumped in within the first week, and it doesn't feel like things have slowed down since. Focus Entertainment has been welcoming questions from fans when it comes to requesting features and feedback, and the publisher has now answered a lot of these in a massive Q&A session on Steam.

Soon, Chaos won't be able to track our spawns

The most impactful responses from Focus Entertainment that I've noted are for difficulty and PvP. Veteran difficulty for the game's campaign is going to be adjusted in the future because it's just too challenging when playing solo. Part of the problem is that the AI bots aren't as useful as they could be, but this is by design because developer Saber Interactive doesn't want the bots to take all the glory and focus from the real players.

This is something Focus Entertainment goes into great detail on because a fair few players have called out the bots for not being as good as them in each mission. The same goes for certain weapons, or every weapon that isn't the Melta Gun, that feel as though they're underpowered. This is being looked at and changes are on the way, but there's no date on when.

The fix that I think is the most important is a fix for spawn camping in PvP. You can walk around to the enemy team's spawn point with a Heavy class and annihilate them for more than a minute before the spawn resets to the opposite side of the map. Thankfully, spawn protection is coming in a future update, after which I think PvP will be in a much better state.

There are loads of other tiny fixes on the way that'll make Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 feel even better as we play it for dozens more hours while unlocking every perk and cosmetic. While we won't be getting Chaos Space Marine armor, it does look like XP sharing for kicked players, new classes, and more melee weapons are definitely on the cards.

Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 really delivers the Warhammer 40K fantasy in video game form. There's so much to do in it already, and with features like PvP prestiging and more Operations missions on the way, there's never been a better time to dedicate your life to the Emperor and join in.

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The Chemical Agents Warbond has just dropped in Helldivers 2, but players are gushing over the new Sueprstore armor. Its design fits the Warbond really well, and as a lovely added bonus, it looks like something you'd see enemies wearing in a Wolfenstein or Warhammer 40K game.

The Chemical Agents Warbond adds all sorts of chemical warfare-based weaponry and cosmetics to Helldivers 2. It's a premium Warbond, meaning players must spend some premium currency to pick it up, but they see to be gravitating more towards the other new premium item that's been added to the game. A set of armor with a terrifying sci-fi gas mask and latex material that looks incredibly flammable but very good at keeping out lethal toxins.

The ultimate crossover

As a huge Helldivers 2 fan, this armor, the AF-91 Field Chemist set, is now my favorite in the game to date. The other options in the Chemical Agents Warbond are great, but this one, as has been pointed out by pretty much every player on the game's subreddit, feels like we're finally getting the crossovers with other universes that we've been after.

The gas mask looks like it would fit really nicely in Wolfenstein 2009 among the occult soldiers you battle. Of course, it could easily be inspired by the newer entries in the series. A gas mask on a soldier is part of the DNA of the Wolfenstein games, and I'll happily rock something that reminds me of them while spreading freedom for Super Earth any day.

The other type of soldier that this armor set reminds players and Warhammer 40K fans of is the Death Corps of Krieg. I've included an image of one of these soldiers above so you can see the similarities. To be clear, nobody is accusing Arrowhead Game Studios of copying here. The developer has just released the 60-day update for Helldivers 2 and has clearly been working on armor sets that lean into the other franchises fans like to reference in the game while keeping them in line with the Super Earth universe's visual aesthetic.

The flavor text on this armor set reads as follows. "This armor, together with its friendly-faced helmet, is instantly recognizable from the beloved children's show 'Jen Shriver the Science Diver'."

It deepens the Helldivers 2 lore and makes the set even better because it's obviously absolutely terrifying. But I can imagine Helldivers looking at each other and pointing because they're instantly reminded of a children's TV presenter and not a spooky monster from Doctor Who or some other bringer of death.

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Developer FuturLab has announced that the Shrek Special Pack for PowerWash Simulator will be released on October 10, 2024. The DLC adds a selection of new levels from the Shrek cinematic universe alongside a fancy new costume to wear while cleaning.

PowerWash Simulator's Shrek Special Pack was revealed during a Nintendo Direct earlier in 2024, but no release date was given for it at the time, outside of a fall release window. Now we know exactly when we'll be able to return to these fantastical lands and experience the messier side of it all. FuturLab has also confirmed the locations we'll be able to clean up, including one that I'm particularly excited about because it's definitely going to be the most covered in colorful spills and thrills.

I need a hero

The levels that the Shrek Special Pack takes PowerWash Simulator players to in October are as follows.

• Shrek's Swamp: The big green ogre's home turf has been coated in a thick layer of colorful grime that has the audacity to make it look more fun. Clean it all up and admire the easter eggs and attention to detail in every inch of the location that's been painstakingly pulled together from the movies.
• Duloc: Duloc castle is usually dull and grey, but a few artistic knights took it upon themselves to spruce the place up. Clean up all their hard work and get the castle back to being as efficient and oppressive as can be.
• Fairy Godmother's Potion Factory: This is the location I'm most excited about. It gets colorful and messy in the movies, and everything is just as disorganized and unsightly as you'd expect from the aftermath of Shrek 2. There are even working machines to clean up as you go, which is no easy feat by yourself.
• Dragon's Lair: Dragon's treasure is as dirty as can be, so you need to return it to its shining glory. There are tasty treats to uncover in the grime, though I'm not sure I'd eat them after seeing what was on top of them.
• Hansel's Honeymoon Hideaway: Shrek and Fiona really pulled a number on this place. Sort it out, and try not to let your imagination get too carried away while you do.

Every level can be played in co-op or solo, so you can clean and clean until you're completely cleaned out. As with most levels in PowerWash Simulator, there are easter eggs and audio tidbits to unlock as you clean up each section of every level. This means it's well worth cleaning everything to 100%, just in case you miss an iconic callback to any of these fabulous films.

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The Electric Trilogy challenge in Hitman World of Assassination is one you must complete on the Haven Island location, and it requires you to electrify all three main targets to death. This is no easy feat unless you know exactly what you're doing.

Haven Island is a dense location in Hitman World of Assassination. It's got three main targets to kill and several core areas that they'll move through. You can even kite one of the targets across the entire map if you want. But we won't be doing any of that to tackle the Electric Trilogy challenge. Instead, we're going to make every target come to us so we can take them all out simultaneously. It feels appropriate that this challenge was added with The Drop DLC pack for the game because it's just as complex in theory but relatively simple in practice as that Elusive Target mission.

How to complete the Electric Trilogy challenge in Hitman World of Assassination

Below, I've outlined the best path for completing the Electric Trilogy challenge in Hitman World of Assassination. Use the Resort Pier starting location and bring a silenced pistol and a coin, at the very least. It would pay to bring an Emetic Poison Vial with you, but you can pick up a substitute later if you don't have one.

Step 1: Grab a disguise

The first thing you need to do is head along the pier and to the left from your starting location. Keep going until the pier leads onto the beach. You can pick up an Emetic Flower at the location shown in the map reference above. Note that you don't need this if you've brought an Emetic Poison Vial.

Keep running along the left-hand side of the island until you reach the villa. This location is shown in the map reference above. There's a camera above the main doorway that's worth shooting out. However, you can climb over the wall if you follow the left-hand wall up the island until you spot the gap at the top.

Vault over the wall and duck into the grass. This is where you need to use your coin to lure a guard down to you, subdue him, and take his disguise. If you've unlocked the lab hatch here, take that downstairs. Otherwise, you'll need another route.

Step 2: Get into the lab

Next, make your way to the location shown on the map reference above. The entrance to the lab is next to the bar on the beach, underneath the staircase to the villa. You've got to wait for a lab tech to exit the lab, get a drink, and then follow him through the door when he heads back inside.

You'll have no trouble sneaking into the lab if you're wearing the guard disguise. From there, head downstairs and into the glass room above the servers. This is where things start to get tricky.

Step 3: The setup

Head left out of the glass room, careful to avoid the camera, and up onto the walkway. You can shoot the camera behind you out as well as the one looking over the servers. Your main target is actually a plug in the central podium on the lower floor. You can see it in the image above as the tiny yellow item on the left, out of the three yellow icons in the middle of the room.

Shoot the plug and take the time to ensure it's broken. This will save you precious time later on. Now, you need to get back into the glass room you entered when you first came down here.

The ventilation system is on the right-hand side of this room, but one of the lab techs will stand close to it, shredding paper without moving unless you make him. To do this, flick a coin onto the same raised floor as him but close to the steps leading up to it.

This will distract the tech, at which point you must get up to the ventilation system and use your Emetic Poison, whichever you've brought, to poison the entire system. After a few seconds, everyone in the server room will get sick and begin to leave.

Now you can turn off the ventilation system to clear the gas. Run down into the server room and pull out all four servers from the stacks around it. These are pretty obvious, but you'll need to be fast because lab techs will come down to investigate the distractions. You need to pull all four at once to trigger the alert and draw in your targets.

Step 4: Wait for the kill

Once you've pulled all four servers and triggered the alert, your targets will make their way down to the central podium. If a camera has caught you, it's worth heading there first to sabotage the data, but it's not essential.

From here, head back up to the walkway where you shot the plug. Either side will do. You've got to wait for all three targets to be on the podium. Then, shoot the water cooler next to them. This pours water all over the floor and onto the plug, electrocuting all three and completing the Electric Trilogy challenge.

Exit the mission however you want. My preference is the plane on the beach because you can access it via the ladder just off of this walkway. For completing this challenge, you'll unlock the ICA Proximity Micro Taser, which is an incredibly useful tool for future kills in Hitman World of Assassination.

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Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered has officially been rated by the ESRB for both Windows PC and PS5. This confirms the remaster's existence after a couple of years of speculation and alleged leaks, and it comes at a convenient time for the PS5 Pro's launch.

Seven years after its initial release on PS4, Horizon Zero Dawn looks to be returning to modern consoles and PC as Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered. The game was inadvertently leaked through its ESRB rating, which details how the title is coming to both PC and PS5. There's nothing new or noteworthy outside of the inclusion of a PC release in this rating, believe me I eagerly read through it all, but it seems possible, given the PS5 Pro launches later in 2024, that the game will be part of Sony's marketing for the new console.

A new dawn

Horizon Zero Dawn was initially released in 2017 for PS4 and quickly grew a dedicated fan base who love the ideas it brings to life, of tribal human cultures living in a post-apocalyptic world filled with advanced animal-like machines that are an intrinsic part of the ecosystem.

The remaster has been rumored for a couple of years at this point, and fans seem receptive to it because the game was beautiful on PS4, so the prospect of it looking even more impressive on PS5 and PC is incredibly inviting. I absolutely adore Horizon Forbidden West, which was released on PS5 in 2022, and it looked stunning, so I'm quite excited to see some actual footage of Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered when the time is right.

Considering that the PS5 Pro is set to release in November 2024, it's possible that Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered will be a game the company uses to promote it. After all, the whole point of the PS5 Pro is that it makes games look as good as possible, and with this being a title from first-party studio, there's no better way to showcase that.

Of course, all we have is a rating for the game. We have no details on a release date or a list of improvements and new features. So it's just as likely that it won't be released alongside the PS5 Pro, especially because another game in the franchise, Lego Horizon Adventures, is slated for a 2024 release, and we still don't have a launch date for it.

We'll have to wait and see what Sony does on both fronts, but it's important to remember that each game will also run on current PS5 consoles. There's no need to pick up a brand-new $700 PS5 Pro until we're told that it's required to play specific games or that games will have some features that are exclusive to the newer device.

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Developer VEA Games and publisher Knights Peak have announced that Nikoderiko: The Magical World will be released on PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S, and PS5 on October 15, 2024. The game pulls inspiration from some of the best platformers of the 90s and looks to be filled with nostalgic moments.

In Nikoderiko: The Magical World, you take on the roles of Niko and Luna, either solo or in co-op with a friend. You'll platform your way through challenging levels and boss encounters and work your way across seven memorable worlds to defeat greedy villain Grimbald of the Cobring Gems Company, who has put the animals of this world to work mining treasure for him. It's a simple story but one that sets the tone and serves as a great excuse to play through just one more level before you stop.

Relive classic platforming levels in a new light

I grew up playing platformers like Crash Bandicoot, Donkey Kong Country, and my personal favorite, MediEvil. I adored these titles because they had simple gameplay that grew in complexity over time without ever getting bogged down in so many systems that they felt unapproachable.

They also featured so many memorable moments, from boss stages to particularly tough levels that drove me around the bend, and even funny moments between my friends and me as we laughed about how Sir Daniel Fortesque walks.

Nikoderiko: The Magical World looks to have all of this and more to offer with modern visuals and quality-of-life improvements. Bosses can pop through stages as you rush through them using a 2.5D camera. You'll find yourself working through tight, linear levels chasing an objective or running from something big, pushing to grab every collectible and finish each level just to see what you unlock next.

I don't have all the information at the time of writing, but based on the trailer, I'd say this game will have just as many reasons to replay every level as titles like Crash Bandicoot did. Collecting items and unlocking hidden paths to secret levels are in the DNA of this genre, so I'd be very surprised if something similar wasn't in Nikoderiko: The Magical World.

Indeed, the game's Steam page confirms you'll collect items to unlock mounts and magical friends. I just hope there's a little more under the hood when we get our hands on the game.

We cannot wait for the world to play Niko’s adventure. It is truly our (humble) love letter to the past thirty years of fantastic jump & run classics.

Dmitry Smirnov, Creative Director, Nikoderiko: The Magical World

Aside from the minecarts and, quite frankly, gorgeous art direction, I think what sets Nikoderiko: The Magical World apart from other modern platformers is the inclusion of couch co-op. This has always been important, but so few modern games have it as a feature. With less than a month until launch, I'm excited to see how the platforming community receives it and whether the game can live up to the titles that inspired it.

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Hooded Horse, the publisher of Manor Lords, Against the Storm, and many other titles, has announced that it's signed CyberStorm's upcoming sandbox simulation game, Junxions. In it, players craft the perfect transportation system for bustling city streets, and it looks quite satisfying.

Junxions is, for me, the best part of any city management game like Cities Skylines 2. Once you've outlined where your roads need to be and placed all the businesses, housing, industrial units, and everything else a city needs, it's time to get to work on efficiency. This means looking at your traffic and working out where the bottlenecks are because there are always bottlenecks, and spending hours reworking the roads until traffic jams are ancient history.

Titivate traffic to your heart's content

Junxions will be released in early access in 2025 and will require players to construct intricate transport systems across a variety of maps. You can play through a series of hand-crafted challenges, hit sandbox mode to test out just how much of a mess you can make with dozens of travel systems at once, or import a real neighborhood into the game to fix up.

I have to say, I'm pretty excited about pulling a few of the local towns into Junxions because it's been well over a century, and several local councils still refuse to change so that traffic doesn't come to a halt during school pickup.

I believe partnering with Hooded Horse will unlock the full potential of Junxions and make it the ultimate traffic simulation game. Together, we'll deliver Junxions to more players than ever and, more importantly, continue working on our dream of developing the perfect city simulation game.

Lead Developer, CyberStorm, Thomas Wagner

Part of what you'll be doing with each junction you tweak and change is to account for multiple forms of traffic at once. For example, a roundabout has several entrances and exits to consider, and anywhere there are traffic lights, you've got to think about the people using them.

There's so much that's hard work in city management titles. Even the best ones have flaws you learn while playing and must work around rather than fix. Junxions stands out as a game in the same genre that doubles down on a single aspect to provide what appears to be an uncompromising experience you could play for days and still not get bored of. If it sounds good to you, then check it out on Steam and wishlist it so you don't miss its early access release next year.

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There are a plethora of Stratagems for players to use to devastating effect in Helldivers 2. While heavy weapons and resupply drops are useful, sometimes the best tool for the job is a slew of shells from the Orbital 380MM HE Barrage on your Superdestroyer.

You'll unlock new Stratagems over time in Helldivers 2 as you play more missions and earn rewards from, hopefully, successful objective completions and extractions. While your basic weapons are fine and will net you a tonne of kills and help you support your team, sometimes you need something bigger to throw into the mix, like the Orbital 380MM HE Barrage or a Thermite Grenade. But none of these weapons are useful if you don't know what to do with them.

How to get the Orbital 380MM HE Barrage in Helldivers 2

To get the Orbital 380MM HE Barrage in Helldivers 2, you need to buy it from the Stratagems tab in your Superdestroyer's Ship Management menu. It costs 7,500 Requisition Slips, but that's not too much considering how much you usually earn while tackling missions for a Major Order. Following the game's 60-day update, the gameplay is in a much better place, so you should really be struggling with too many Requisition Slips, if anything.

How to use the Orbital 380MM HE Barrage to maximize kills in Helldivers 2

The key to using the Orbital 380MM HE Barrage to maximize kills in Helldivers 2 is waiting for the perfect time to use it. Once triggered, the Stratagem will cause your Superdestroyer to slowly fire massive shells down in the general vicinity you've marked with your targeting beacon.

The shots from the Orbital 380MM HE Barrage are devastating. They'll cripply Bile Titans and cause havoc for Automaton armies, but if you use them on a single foe, you're not going to rack up that many kills for a Personal Order or your squad.

I find that waiting until a huge horde of enemies is chasing you is the best time to use the Orbital 380MM HE Barrage. Chuck it down in front of you and then run over to it. By the time you reach it, the shells should be raining down, and they'll cause all sorts of trouble for whatever is pursuing you.

Another great time to use the Orbital 380MM HE Barrage is when you find a bug nest or an Automaton factory. Anywhere, there are lots of enemies clustered together, and more emerging all the time, which is great for racking up the kills. You'll also inadvertently close Bug Holes and destroy Fabriators, which are bonuses when you're not overwhelmed and ripped to shreds by the enemies of Super Earth.

Best loadout for Orbital 380MM HE Barrage in Helldivers 2

The best loadout for you in Helldivers 2 is one you're comfortable with and know well. Stick to the Stratgems you trust and have the timings down to muscle memory for, and you'll be able to complete any Major Order thrown at you.

That said, it can be difficult to determine which Stratagems best complement the Orbital 380MM HE Barrage in Helldivers 2. I've put together a good base for you to use below, but feel free to add in what works for you as you go.

• Orbital 380MM HE Barrage
• Stalwart
• Anti-Personnel Minefield
• Guard Dog Rover

The idea here is that you call down the Stalwart and Guard Dog Rover at the start of a mission or right after emerging from your Hellpod. The Stalwart is a solid heavy weapon with which to clean up enemies, and the Guard Dog Rover will have your back when there are loads of them around.

As I mentioned above, you need to use the Orbital 380MM HE Barrage around huge groups of enemies for maximum kills. This can be problematic if those enemies spot you and aren't caught in a shell blast. Use the Anti-Personnel Minefield to create a barrier so whatever isn't killed by all your other weapons will explode as it tries to chase you down.

As for primary, secondary, and throwable weapons, go with what you can use well. These change for every player, and they really don't add much into the equation when looking at your Stratagem loadout, so just use whatever feels comfortable and gets you loads of kills.

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Following the release of Helldivers 2's 60-day update, players seem pretty happy with the buffs and changes that have been brought to the game. The one weapon fans have latched onto isn't a primary, secondary, or Stratagem, though. It's the Thermite Grenade.

The buff to Helldivers 2's Thermite Grenade in this 60-day update sounds like a mistake, but I believe it's very deliberate. Prior to the update, the Thermite Grenade would attach to enemies, give them a little tickle, and warm them up with a spark of fire when it exploded. Now, it scorches foes before causing a colossal explosion that can crack open a Bile Titan's carapace and spill its gooey innards all over a planet's surface.

You're going to need sunglasses for this one

The official patch notes for Helldivers 2's 60-day update note that the damage for the Thermite Grenade has been increased from 100 to 2,000. It takes less time for the device to start sparking and dealing damage, and the time to explosion has been decreased slightly, too. While the carry capacity for the Thermite Grenade has dropped from 4 to 3, I think that's the most balanced thing about these changes, given its newfound power.

Regardless of where you look, Helldivers 2 players are talking about how powerful the Thermite Grenade is. Among the dozens of meme posts about it on the game's subreddit, the above post is my favorite because it shows how you can down a Bile Titan, the apex predator of the Terminids, with just one of these grenades.

I hopped into the game to see if the Thermite Grenade is really as powerful as fans are saying, and I can confirm that it is. This grenade, which is locked behind the first page of the Freedom's Flame Warbond, is fantastic.

Coupled with the increased movement and aiming speed and every other balance change in the 60-day update, Helldivers 2 feels like it did at launch once more. The game is fluid and lets you run across planets, killing hundreds of enemies with a vast array of futuristic weapons.

But it's also very good at reminding you that your absurd power doesn't make you invincible. Indeed, I used Thermite Grenades to close Bug Holes and create walking bombs among the Terminids I faced. I also got caught in the blasts of more than a few of my grenades, leading to two Chargers crushing me simultaneously when I landed after one particularly uncomfortably close explosion.

A few months, or even days ago, I would have said that Arrowhead Game Studios would be stepping in this week to nerf the Thermite Grenade. We're less than 24 hours into this update, though, and Helldivers 2 players adore this explosive and every other change they're experiencing so far. I'm hopeful this is the turning point the developer and community were waiting for, and we can get back to waiting for the Illuminate to rear their ancient alien heads and spark a new leg of the Second Galactic War.

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Following the reveal of the first piece of concept art and details for the next Battlefield entry, fans are reminding each other to avoid jumping on the hype train. This community feels like it's been burned before with past entries, and now "no pre-orders" has become its motto.

The first piece of concept art for the next Battlefield game was revealed in an exclusive with IGN. In the accompanying interview piece, Head of Respawn & Group GM for EA Studios Vince Zampella pointed to Battlefield 3 and Battlefield 4 as the peaks of the franchise's modern era shooters. While that's encouraging and exciting news, fans remain skeptical and are trying to hold each other accountable to avoid creating an uncontrollable hype train.

Don't get carried away

Zampella doesn't announce that the next Battlefield game, which still doesn't have an official name, will follow the same path as Battlefield 3 and Battlefield 4. However, he does point to them as the peak of the series' modern era. "I mean, if you look back to the peak or the pinnacle of Battlefield, it's that Battlefield 3… Battlefield 4 era where everything was modern."

For any other series, a situation like this, a return to what fans consider to be the best it ever was, would be a time to rejoice. However, Battlefield fans feel like they've been here before with Battlefield V and Battlefield 2042. They've gotten excited about a new game before realizing that it just doesn't live up to the older titles and drop off it almost immediately.

That's why fans like user Stan Tannev on Twitter are reminding each other not to pre-order the game. It's the same in comments on this article on the Battlefield subreddit. There's a sense of genuine excitement for the return to the modern era, but the community is also saying that DICE needs to prove it's listened.

While pre-orders aren't the be-all and say-all for a game's success, they're a massive early indicator of success. If the Battlefield community stays strong and withholds pre-orders until a multiplayer beta or demo goes live, at the very least, it'll send a strong message to the powers that be.

Adnan Muse puts the experience of being a Battlefield fan over the last couple of years into context better than anyone. "Bro, they got me last time for $100, NEVER again."

Gone are the days when AAA games held enough power to guarantee success. Call of Duty, arguably Battlefield's biggest competitor, dominates the shooter market. This next entry needs to differentiate itself and stand out in the market if it wants to win back its community and attract newcomers amid a sea of similar shooters that do roughly the same thing. There's a reason players keep going back to Battlefield 3 and Battlefield 4 after all.

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Project T, a PvE co-op shooter set in the Dead by Daylight universe, has been canceled. Developer Midwinter Games cites "unsatisfactory overall results" following a deep analysis from internal risk assessment and commercial teams.

Midwinter Games initially sought feedback for Project T from players who signed up for its early Insider Program to ensure the game was on track to deliver. While many players provided positive responses in feedback surveys following the few playtests Project T had, it wasn't enough to counteract the negative feedback or make the game a viable commercial product.

Lost in The Backwaters

The above statement was sent to everyone in the Project T Insider Program. It explains how the team was able to get valuable insight into the game much earlier than normal development cycles allow. As such, this enabled the company to see something was seriously lacking when it came to making Project T a viable product it could sell, leading to its cancelation.

I think it's important to note that the first paragraph of the statement concerns the business side of things. At this point in development, the company doesn't see whatever signifiers are required to know that the game is worth investing money and time in. It's brutal and cold, but is hopefully a reflection of authentic player feedback taken into consideration. At the end of the day, the balance is off, and the company can't take that kind of risk.

However, the second paragraph is much more heartfelt. It thanks players for their support after explaining how canceling Project T wasn't an easy decision to make. I'm sorry to see the game go because I thought it offered a brilliant new way to explore the Dead by Daylight universe for those who don't gel with that title's gameplay.

Publisher Behaviour Interactive had this to add on Project T's official Discord server:

"While it’s a sad day for Project T, this early access approach has proven its value for us here at BHVR in how we can get valuable, early insight on our emerging projects. We have other exciting projects on the horizon, and we intend to rely once again on this Insider community to continue giving us valuable feedback and support. The server will be locked down at 5pm EST, but we invite you to stay around and be the first to know when new projects kick off."

It's a bittersweet time for all those involved, but I think if anyone knows when a game's early development needs to be shut down because it's just not going to be a viable end product, it's game developers and publishers. I'm keen to see what else Behaviour Interactive has in the works that will benefit from this early access process Project T had.

Project T was initially revealed during Behaviour Interactive's Dead by Daylight Year 8 anniversary livestream. Midwinter Games was clearly very passionate about the game and wanted to try something different with its Insider Program. It offered members access to playtests so that it could continuously assess what direction development should move in.

Unfortunately, those playtests and this innovative style of development led to Project T getting lost in The Backwaters realm of The Entity that it brought to life. The only way to see the Trespasser characters and monsters that hunted them now is through videos on YouTube. That is unless Behaviour Interactive brings the ideas seen in Project T to live in a future Dead by Daylight Chapter.

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Wizards of the Coast has revealed yet another Ghostbusters and Secret Lair crossover for Magic: The Gathering. We've had an entire set dedicated to Slimer, but this one focuses on the animated TV series, something many of us grew up watching.

First, we had Secret Lair x Ghostbusters: Slimer! as a Superdrop, and now we have Secret Lair X The Real Ghostbusters as another. This second set looks at various episodes from throughout The Real Ghostbusters TV show, containing hand-picked moments that fit well with the mechanics of the cards they've been used for. The artwork is reminiscent of the original show, too. It's a nice touch I love as both a fan who watched the series growing up and someone who enjoys Magic: The Gathering today.

Every card in the Secret Lair x The Real Ghostbusters Superdrop

Below, I've listed every card in the Secret Lair X The Real Ghostbusters Superdrop, so you know what's coming and whether you want it for your decks. The last set was all about building up a graveyard and then bringing those creatures into the game. This set instead focuses on clearing the graveyard.

• Ecto-1: A */* Artifact Vehicle. Tap to exile up to two target creatures from a single graveyard. Ecto-1's power and toughness are each equal to the number of cards exiled with it. Crew 2.
• Ghostbuster's Patch: Instant, choose one -

  • Ghostbuster's Patch deals 4 damage to target player or planeswalker.
  • Permanents you control gain indestructible until end of turn.
  • Target creature gains double strike until the end of turn.

• Careful Study: Sorcery. Draw two cards, then discard two cards.
• Answer the Call: Instant. Search your library for a creature card, reveal that card, put it into your hand, then shuffle.
• Total Containment Failure: Sorcery. Pay 2 black mana to Suspend 3. Each player exiles all creature cards from their graveyard, then sacrifices all creatures they control, then puts all cards they exiled this way into the battlefield.

As you can see, all of these cards are geared towards getting cards out of graveyards and then empowering their owner. I particularly love Ecto-1 because you could very easily combine it with a card that throws a few creatures into your graveyard and create feedback loop that makes a massive monster you can wipe out your opponents with. I also love how Ghostbuster's Patch is a fantastic juxtaposition of something all Ghostbusters fans love, but if you come up against that, it's going to be terrifying.

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You've probably played (or seen) Vampire Survivors gameplay by now. You start out underpowered and must move around the map auto-attacking enemies until you earn enough experience to unlock a new weapon or item.

Over time, you'll get even stronger more weapons and upgrades, each one synergizing with the others in your growing arsenal. But what if I told you that those weapons and items could be Pokemon-like ancient spirits with a whole range of abilities? Enter Wildkeepers Rising.

Guardian up

That entire premise is exactly what sold me on Wildkeepers Rising. Developer Lioncode Games has evolved the genre that Vampire Survivors epitomizes and made something that feels fresh and new. Each level sees your character, a Wildkeeper, start with nothing but a single weapon. You'll explore a huge map with biomes and varied terrain in search of Guardians to help you push back the waves of enemies rushing you.

Guardians are ancient spirits who have been sealed away. You'll see them on the map from the start of a level, and choose between a few with every Guardian Stone you collect. The design for these spirits is inspired by the works of Hayao Miyazaki & Akira Toriyama, and they really are outstanding. Each one has a distinct design that tells a little story about what its abilities are, whether that's a huge twisting tail, massive jaws, or an arachnid-like appearance.

The game retains a top-down 2D view, but the hand-painted nature of every sprite makes them look a lot more tactile. It just brings the game to life in a way that looks like you should be able to reach out and pick up each character on the screen. Like an army created from 2D images drawn onto paper but with the thought processes and detail behind them that you'd expect from a movie like Princess Mononoke.

Over the course of any level, you can collect up to four Guardians, but they're not all offensive powerhouses. For example, Buzz is a huge beast with a powerful attack and special spin ability and Riza lays eggs that produce tiny spiders that swarm enemies. But then there's Smack, a chunky little spirit who buffs the attack power of his fellow Guardians.

The goal is to craft a team of four Guardians who complement each other. So, you could pick up Buzz first to get your damage out. Then, you can grab Smack to ensure you've got increased damage for everyone throughout the run. Later, you can acquire Kiraboom, who builds up energy for an explosive special attack. Finally, you can get my favorite, Murkle, who is a blue snail that fires purple globs at enemies with an almost machine gun-like speed.

While Guardians can faint, they won't die. They'll be incapacitated for a short time and then return to the fight. Lioncode Games explained how there will be items in the early access version of the game, and more may be added over time, some of which could help heal Guardians and your Wildkeeper.

More control at your fingertips

Unlike other bullet heaven titles, you've got a little more control in Wildkeepers Rising. Guardians follow you with predictable movement patterns so you can direct damage as you explore and pursue objectives. Each Guardian also has a special ability that you can trigger. Saving these for moments when you feel overwhelmed or one of the choke points on the map, like a bridge, is imperative.

As you might expect, there are more than just Guardians and items to acquire in the game. You're presented with a slew of upgrades to choose between as you gain levels. These can boost everything from speed to health, attack power, and even push a Guardian's special ability to be even better. Teh game has a rarity system that guides you through the best upgrades to pick for your current build, but you're free to craft whatever sort of build you fancy.

I asked Lioncode Games if there was a limit on these upgrades. It explained that, while you'll eventually hit a point where you can't upgrade an aspect such as speed if you keep picking speed upgrades each time you've offered them, there's no hard limit on how many upgrade screens you'll see. This means that you can keep growing in power with every run until you reach your objective.

A reason for each run

The map in Wildkeepers Rising has been carefully crafted with three distinct biomes: The forest, desert, and caves. They're far from the basic 2D backgrounds that act as an excuse for rushing around killing enemies in other bullet heavens. Trees, rocks, and other parts of the environment can't be passed through or over by enemies, Guardians, or the player's character, making for engaging runs where enemies track you around paths and obstacles.

You can use this to your advantage in the forest and kite enemies to a choke point before wiping them out with a special ability. Likewise, enemies can surprise you somewhere like the caves and pin you against a wall with wave after wave of minions until you're overwhelmed. This means you've got to pay attention to where you're going and learn the map over time so you don't get caught out.

Wildkeepers Rising features a story with main and side quests to keep you invested in the world and push you to do just one more run to see where said story is going. It won't all be available when the game is released in early access, but you'll be able to play a decent chunk to get an idea of how the gameplay loop and flow of every run works.

Objectives range from reaching a specific point on the map to rescue a Wildkeeper or Guardian to retrieving an item or beating a boss. These massive foes are the true test of your understanding and skill in the game. If you know what you're doing, you should be able to stomp them with a well-crafted build you've constructed while making your way to the boss.

It's not all high-octane action, though. Between missions, you can visit the spirit realm to check in on every Guardian you've rescued and used so far. In this location, you'll see them in their homes and get an idea of how they interact and what they get up to when you're not around. This is the game's version of a Pokedex or Paldeck, which I think is essential. In games with creatures like this, there's nothing better than getting to know the beautiful and intriguing creatures you're playing around with.

This is where you'll finally have a chance to appreciate the artwork in Wildkeepers Rising. The enemies look mad and dangerous while you're out on a mission, and the panic of almost being overrun takes all your focus. Having a space to really look at each Guardian's appearance and take in the intricacies of their design is a really nice feature.

A long road ahead

As I've mentioned a few times, Wildkeepers Rising is still in development and will be initially released in early access on Steam. Lioncode Games has a roadmap for features it wants to add, such as weapons, more Guardians, and the game's entire story. However, it's also aware that it must work with its community to identify features players want in Wildkeepers Rising and implement them as well.

The gameplay I was shown during a preview event looked like a fantastic base upon which to build. You can already see how frantic runs are going to become as enemies move around the map through available paths to hinder your progress and create some intense moments.

The most exciting element is definitely the range of Guardians on offer and the fact that they can be upgraded so regularly over the course of a 20 to 25-minute run that you feel like you're always growing in power. These rewards for standing your ground and fighting back against enemies are more than enough to make me want to stretch a run out a little longer before completing an objective and moving on.

At the time of writing, Lioncode Games plans to have various difficulty levels to make every mission engaging and give you a reason to return and replay the story. There's a lot to love, from the elements on show, but with more, I can see myself losing dozens of hours collecting Guardians and seeing just how far I can push a build or challenge run.

The important thing is that nothing is off the table for Lioncode Games. It's ready to work on what players want from Wildkeepers Rising, and I think that's a fantastic stance for a game like this that could easily go on to entertain its community for years to come.

The post Wildkeepers Rising blends the creature collecting & bullet heaven genres into your next ‘one more run’ game appeared first on Destructoid.

Pathea, the developer behind My Time at Portia and My Time at Sandrock, has announced a third game in its cozy life sim series. My time at Evershine pushes the franchise into a new age with a story-driven campaign, brand-new art direction, and a wild frontier to tame.

My Time at Evershine promises to redefine the life simulation genre. As you can see in the trailer below, it boasts a bold new art direction, but the changes go much deeper. In addition to the cozy life sim elements fans know and love from the series, there's a deep RPG system with quests and a major storyline in place. Pathea aims to broaden the game's appeal with these new elements, offering much more variety and multiple paths for players to pick when it comes to progression or an endgame.

Your time to shine

As with previous entries, Pathea will be launching a Kickstarter campaign for My Time at Evershine on September 24, 2024. You can sign up to be notified when it goes live and keep track of every milestone it hits. If you're a fan of the franchise, it's also worth joining the official Discord server so you can chat with the developer and learn even more about this title.

In addition to revamped mechanics and the renewed vision for combining story with the cozy life sim elements fans know, My Time at Evershine is set to have a 40+ hour narrative. As you play, you'll explore a vast and engrossing world, get stuck into the town management side of things, and, of course, pursue a meaningful relationship with one of the many romanceable characters.

The two most striking changes in this latest installment are the larger story elements and the focus on exploration. The story has a more defined antagonist, and it sounds as if it'll give you more of a reason to play the game each day rather than just waiting for your potatoes to grow.

You'll be building a new settlement on the edges of the Free Cities. This requires you to recruit settlers and slowly build up an infrastructure that can sustain itself and thrive before the story is over. The influence of the Duvos Empire is a monolithic opposing force, but instead of fighting it with firepower and rebellion, it sounds very much like you'll be pulling together a band of people and magical creatures who simply want to exist outside of the regime.

This sounds a lot like Fallout 4's settlement system to me. But what I want to see from it is more characters with deep backstories just living a simple life in a small settlement, putting their knowledge or craft to use in a kind, mellow way as opposed to what they've done in the past. I definitely don't want to be constantly told about other settlements I must go out and save, but it may come with the RPG territory.

You can play solo or in multiplayer with friends, but you'll also recruit up to three NPCs to help you out during the day. Each one has its own needs you'll have to take into account while playing, and Pathea has outlined that it's aiming for 8-10 romanceable characters. Given the new art direction, I can see a lot of fans getting hot under the collar for My Time at Evershine's cast very quickly.

Evershine is a new location you'll explore in the series' overarching story. It's nestled between the Duvos Empire and the Alliance of Free Cities. Both powers are moving to secure as much land as possible after the Duvos Empire decided to lay claim to the Orzu Ruins, which is where you come in. You've got to make Evershine a defensible position just in case things go south, and ensure it's set up to last for decades as the Alliance of Free Cities expands.

The post My Time at Evershine is a new era for Pathea’s cozy life sim series appeared first on Destructoid.

Updated: September 16, 2024

Checked for new codes!

Slimes might seem small and easy to kill, but in Slime Slaying Simulator, you're faced with killing so many in a world packed with them that they'll become the bane of your existence. In these vast worlds, fighting slimes is a noble cause for which you're handsomely rewarded.

While the game's name might make you think of a cheap knock-off Dragon Quest title, this Roblox game is far from it. In Slime Slaying Simulator, you're taught the basics and then are sent out into the world to kill slimes, earn new gear, and unlock new parts of the world so you can conquer the Slime Queen and many more monstrous enemies. You can even hatch friendly slimes to help tackle the bigger enemies and ensure the world is saved from a sticky, gooey end.

All [NEW] Slime Slaying Simulator Codes List

[NEW] Slime Slaying Simulator Codes (Working)

At the time of writing, there are no working codes for [NEW] Slime Slaying Simulator. The game was only released in early 2024 and is still very much in early development. I confirmed this when I jumped into the game and received a reward for being one of the players who tried it out early.

The only boost to your profile you can get is from having Roblox Premium, which entitles you to Double Gifts. The Gifts in-game are timed chests that award your guild XP and help you level up faster. This game is a bit of a grind when it comes to these systems so having more Gifts is definitely a good thing, especially while the game is still early on in development.

[NEW] Slime Slaying Simulator Codes (Expired)

At the time of writing, there are no expired codes or, as I've mentioned above, codes of any kind for [NEW] Slime Slaying Simulator. The game is still being created, so we'll have to wait for codes to be issued once the bulk of the work has been done and the developer is happy that the game is in a good place so players can start getting some.

Related: Bellwright is a promising start for a settlement-builder in which you enact a rebellion

How to redeem codes in [NEW] Slime Slaying Simulator

Since there are no [NEW] Slime Slaying Simulator codes at the time of writing, it's impossible to say how you'll redeem them once they're out. However, I believe it will be a similar process to other Roblox games in that you'll have a dedicated Redeem button and a textbox where you'll input codes and see rewards applied to your account.

How can you get more [NEW] Slime Slaying Simulator codes?

When codes start to be issued for [NEW] Slime Slaying Simulator, they'll appear on the game's Roblox page and the creator's Twitter account. If you've been playing a lot, it's worth keeping an eye on both of these, as codes could start to go out at any point. While there could be a code collaboration with some of the other games the creator has worked on, that's not certain, so we'll keep an eye out and add any additional sources we find to this article as we see them.

Why are my [NEW] Slime Slaying Simulator codes not working?

If your [NEW] Slime Slaying Simulator codes aren't working, there could be one of two things wrong. First, the codes might have expired, so you won't be able to claim their rewards. Second, you might be misspelling the codes. You must type in the codes exactly as they appear in this article because they're often case-sensitive and won't function if you get them wrong.

If you've found a code we haven't and it doesn't appear to work, there's a good chance it's not actually a code. While it's worth trying every code just in case you get a reward, some will never work because they're either made up or have been posted incorrectly.

Other ways to get free rewards in [NEW] Slime Slaying Simulator

Free Gifts is the only other way to get free rewards in [NEW] Slime Slaying Simulator. These are timed chests that you can see on the right-hand side of the screen and will open over time. A Roblox Premium membership will increase the number of Free Gifts you can get. However, you'll get enough to make the game feel great to play without that membership.

What is [NEW] Slime Slaying Simulator?

[NEW] Slime Slaying Simulator is a Roblox game in which you're tasked with killing slimes and not much else. The worlds are filled with slimes to kill, and they come in a variety of colors that determine their strength and power. You'll upgrade your character over time and push through each world, killing the massive bosses like the Slime Queen as you go.

I really love the pet slime mechanic that you can play with. It allows you to earn eggs and hatch slimes that will follow you and help you in combat. Nothing is more satisfying than using slimes to kill bigger slimes and make the world safer. I'm also a sucker for any game with a decent grind, and repeatedly killing slimes for loot just feels great in this game, especially because you can see the drop rates for certain enemies in the main hub.

The post [NEW] Slime Slaying Simulator Codes (September 2024) appeared first on Destructoid.

Undertale and Deltarune developer Toby Fox has posted an update on the highly anticipated Deltarune Chapters 3 and 4. He says the Chapters are developmentally complete and are in the process of being localized for every region in which they'll be released.

In Fox's last update on Deltarune Chapters 3 and 4, he explained how the game would go on sale once Deltarune Chapter 4 was complete. While the blog post he's shared explains how all of his work on developing both of these Chapters is done, they're not finished and ready to go on sale just yet. He anticipates that Deltarune Chapter 3 will be ready for proper testing by mid-October and that he'll know more about where Deltarune Chapter 4 sits in the next update blog he posts.

Not quite ready for your eyes

According to Fox, the content for Deltarune Chapter 3 was completed a while ago. At the time of writing, 8-4, a Japanese localization company, is working on the game's translation. Its job is to ensure that every line is displayed correctly in Japanese. Then, in mid-October, the plan is to begin testing the game on PC to work out if everything is ready to go for a full release or if more work is required.

Deltarune Chapter 4 is much further behind, but its development also came after Chapter 3, so it's to be expected. The content for both Chapters 3 and 4 was completed on September 1, 2024, which was an internal goal Fox and others in the team had set. Chapter 4 may need a few big fixes here and there, but the bulk of the work needed is the Japanese localization. This will happen as soon as Chapter 3 is fit for players, and a preliminary run-through is already underway.

To date, Fox explains that six people have played through Deltarune Chapter 4, and everyone's enjoyed it. That's all well and good, and the previous titles, Undertale included, really speak for themselves. But it would still be best to reserve judgment on how good each Chapter is until you've played them for yourself.

The final development detail from this blog post, which also includes a huge list of merch you can buy to celebrate Undertale's 9th anniversary, is a tidbit on Deltarune Chapter 5. Don't get too excited. While yes, this Chapter is now being worked on, it's the project that those who have completed work everywhere else are moved onto. It's a great start, but we won't be seeing that fifth Chapter very soon at all.

The post Deltarune Chapters 3 & 4 are complete, barring localization appeared first on Destructoid.