Insomniac has taken to X (formerly Twitter) to reply to a fan asking whether Spider-Man, the popular Marvel character, would ever make its way to Xbox.

The answer probably is not what Xbox fans were hoping for. However, history paints a more complicated picture. Platform strategies change. Public statements age. And with the next generation of Xbox approaching, this entire debate may end up being moot anyway.

So, let’s break down exactly what Insomniac said, whether that stance can be taken at face value, and why Spider-Man arriving on Xbox one day might not be as impossible as it sounds.

What insomniac actually said

Seemingly out of nowhere, Insomniac chose to crush the hopes of many Xbox fans, myself included.

Replying to a fan on X who asked whether Spider-Man would make the leap to Xbox, as it eventually did to PC, the studio kept things brief. It simply responded, “Not likely.”

That might sound definitive, but history suggests we should be careful about taking platform statements at face value.

Back in 2017, Insomniac made a very similar claim, stating that Spider-Man would never appear on Xbox or PC. We all know how that turned out. The entire trilogy is now playable on PC via Steam.

And it is not the first time fans have been told an Xbox port was unlikely, only for things to change later.

Helldivers 2 faced similar questions about a potential Xbox release. Arrowhead, the game’s developer, suggested that Phil Spencer, Executive Vice President of Gaming at Microsoft, and Sony would need to “duke it out,” implying it was improbable.

Less than a year later, the game arrived on Xbox, with Sony itself ultimately pushing the port to happen.

Why it doesn’t ultimately matter

Whether Sony decides to port Spider-Man to Xbox directly is one conversation. What matters more is what next generation hardware could realistically enable.

The next generation of Xbox is reported to be built far closer to a full Windows PC, according to reporting by our own Jez Corden. If that proves accurate, what Xbox defines as a console could fundamentally shift.

That change would potentially open the door to third-party storefronts. Epic Games has already commented on plans to bring its storefront to Xbox, while Steam has not publicly confirmed any similar move, however, given the nature of PC, installing Steam wouldbe possible.

If a Windows-based Xbox PC does materialize, access to PC storefronts could fundamentally change how we define “exclusive.”

Right now, PlayStation titles available on Steam include:

• Horizon Zero Dawn
• Horizon Forbidden West
• God of War
• God of War Ragnarök
• Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered
• Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales
• Marvel's Spider-Man 2
• The Last of Us Part I
• Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection
• Days Gone
• Returnal
• Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
• Sackboy: A Big Adventure
• Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut
• Until Dawn
• Detroit: Become Human
• Heavy Rain
• Beyond: Two Souls

Wolverine, Ghost of Yotei, and any other PlayStation “exclusives” that eventually make their way to PC would also be available on the next-gen Xbox this way.

For older titles like Spider-Man, the equation is slightly different. If Sony was encouraged by Helldivers 2’s performance on Xbox, it could view legacy releases as an opportunity to further capitalize on the Xbox ecosystem, much like it did with Helldivers 2.

It is also worth remembering that Marathon, an upcoming PlayStation title, is already set to launch day and date on Xbox, a platform that consistently shows strong engagement for shooters.

Do you think Spider-Man will ever officially land on Xbox, or will next-generation hardware make the question irrelevant? Let us know in the comments and make sure to take part in our poll below:

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

Epic isn’t just flirting with the idea of expanding beyond PC — it’s actively pushing to bring the Epic Games Store to the next‑gen Xbox. With the company reporting “serious growth” and confirming it has “been talking to the folks at Microsoft,” this isn’t a hypothetical. It’s a sign of how quickly the console landscape is changing as Microsoft warms up to third‑party storefronts and a more open ecosystem.

Epic Games is known for Fortnite these days, but did you know it also has a big PC gaming store? If you're reading this, I'm guessing the answer is yes, but it's no secret that it's often unfairly dismissed in gaming discourse.

Some analyses recently run with the idea that users aren't actively buying titles from the Epic Games Store, and that instead, Epic is training users to show up entirely for its free games only. Epic has also been the subject of debate over some of its publishing rules, with discussions raging over whether it's actually viable as a gaming store overall.

The data definitely says yes, as Epic shares its annual revenue reporting for 2025. To that end, we also caught up with Epic Games Store VP and GM Steve Allison to learn a bit more about where the platform is heading next.

Epic players actually are buying games, as the firm doubles down on "free"

In its annual report, Epic Games described a store that is steadily growing, despite claims to the contrary. Allison explained that spending on third-party games was up 57%, hitting $400 million last year for Epic, despite the fact that the industry overall is in a bit of a tough spot. Epic noted that its growth figures do not include first-party payment solutions. Some stores, like Apple's iOS, actively try to restrict games and app platforms from directing users to their own payment solutions. Epic does not, which allows companies to retain a bigger chunk of their revenue. Usage on third-party games also grew by 4%, hitting roughly 3 billion playtime hours.

Epic also hailed its free games program, noting that developers see a huge uplift when a game is free via its store, even on other platforms. We've heard similar from Microsoft when games are included in Xbox Game Pass — the boosted access seems to lead to an increase in virality for some titles, even on other stores. Epic sees this as a feature, not a bug.

"We take it very seriously," Allison says about its free games program. "The team loves to highlight games that they think are awesome, that may have been underserved or missed by players." Epic says that the free games it offers often see anywhere up to a 40% uplift on Steam and console platforms, driving interest and helping developers find new fans. But how does it help Epic itself?

"We bring in like 10 million new players a year through the program. It's very consistent. It's the best customer acquisition spend you can ever make, from a dollars-per-new-user standpoint," Allison explained. "It's really important for our players. I would never want to see us rug pull it away from people, it's kind of part of our identity."

Epic sees opportunity with Xbox's strategy, too, as it prioritizes user feedback

Epic, like Microsoft, is trying to build a PC store that competes directly with Steam, and potentially with each other. Despite this, Epic and Microsoft have collaborated fairly extensively in symbiosis. Epic depends on Windows, as does Xbox.

Fortnite is available on the Xbox PC store, making it one of the only other ways you can play the game. But much like Xbox, Epic is also working through a variety of user experience issues and tech problems that highlight how far behind both platforms are versus Steam in terms of polish.

"We're ripping out the underlying architecture," Allison says of the Epic Games Store, hinting at a big revamp for the near future. "We're well aware of complaints that the launcher can be slow to load, library taking up system resources — all these things will be profoundly improved when we ship this thing. It's coming in May or June. I saw a demo last week, the difference is significant."

Epic is also working on improving text chats between its games and platforms, bringing it in line with other services like Steam, Battle.net, and Xbox. Epic is also working on community tooling features, such as forums.

The next Xbox will have a layered interface to make Windows 11 more intuitive for controllers and TV sets, but it does require some legwork on the developers' part to truly optimize for it. On Xbox, Epic is also aware of the rumors. The next Xbox is a PC in essence, and thusly, will feature Steam, GOG, and indeed any PC store you want to install.

The next Xbox will have a layered interface to make Windows 11 more intuitive for controllers and TV sets, but it does require some leg work on developers' part to truly optimize for. Steam has its Big Picture TV mode, and Xbox has its Full Screen Experience mode. Epic is investigating these new opportunities as well.

"We've been talking about a bunch of these things," Allison tells me. "We've been talking to the folks at Microsoft. If they do follow through with allowing Steam and the Epic Games Store on the next generation of Xbox console hardware, we will be there. I'm fairly certain that'll require us to build an app that functions there."

Allison added that a fully Xbox Full Screen Experience-optimized Epic Games Store is not in the schedule right now, but is frequently talked about. "I expect we'll end up doing that. I can't commit because we're in the middle of these big projects. I'm a big, big fan. I've bought every version of the ROG Ally, including the new Xbox Ally. It's awesome to be able to play both Steam and Epic Games Store games on one device. We do need to build for it, but it probably won't happen this year. Maybe next year."

Epic deserves a lot of credit

Epic Games is something of a controversial company. The CEO's ... interesting opinions often provoke controversy, and the way the firm has upended the entire gaming industry with Fortnite has been both a blessing and a curse, depending on who you ask. Epic also did shut down Unreal Tournament, for which I will remain personally salty about ...

However, the many positives Epic has brought to the industry can't be denied. Epic has wielded Fortnite like a blunt object to drive iOS and Google to open up their mobile platforms for all developers, not just itself. The firm has some of the most generous revenue splits of any sales platform, and drove Xbox to follow suit with a similar cut on the Microsoft Store for PC. Epic is also removing all revenue sharing up to the first $1 million dollars, helping small and new developers find their footing.

Gaming has increasingly shifted towards "games as a platform," with Fortnite and Roblox at the top of the mountain. Epic could've cut itself off from the wider games industry. But, unlike Roblox, Epic has used Fortnite to try and promote "traditional" PC games to its vast and younger-skewing audience via the Epic Games Store. I think Epic deserves a ton of credit for that, in an era where games like Roblox would probably prefer the rest of the games industry straight up didn't exist.

If Microsoft truly intends to open the next Xbox to more third‑party stores, Epic’s timing couldn’t be better — and its ambitions couldn’t be clearer. The real question now is how far Microsoft is willing to go in reshaping the Xbox ecosystem, and whether players are ready for a console future that looks a lot more like PC. One thing’s certain: the conversations happening today could define the next generation of Xbox.

Over to you: If Xbox becomes a multi‑store platform, what does that mean for the future of console gaming? Let us know in comments what you think.

Steam could be heading into another period of legal scrutiny, following a $900m ruling in the UK after being accused of “rigging the market.”

Now, Turkey is looking to dramatically change how global digital game platforms operate within the country. If adopted, the proposed legislation would not only affect Steam, but also Epic Games Store and other major storefronts, unless they agree to comply with significantly stricter content regulation and oversight.

What the proposed law would change for players, platforms, and developers

Turkey may soon require digital platforms such as Steam and the Epic Games Store to establish a legal entity or official office within the country. Platforms would also need to appoint a locally based representative responsible for compliance and communication with authorities.

If the proposal moves forward, Turkey would grant enforcement powers to the Information and Communication Technologies Authority, including the ability to throttle platform bandwidth by up to 90%. At that level, download speeds would be so restricted that access to games would become effectively unusable.

The draft law would also introduce mandatory age ratings for games sold to Turkish IP addresses. Titles without recognised classifications could be removed from sale, raising the risk of large portions of digital libraries disappearing.

The legislation was drafted by Turkey’s Family and Social Services Ministry and is currently under review by ministry officials and relevant committees.

Industry estimates suggest that up to 60% of Steam’s catalogue could become inaccessible if the law is enacted. The impact would fall most heavily on independent developers, many of whom lack the funds or resources to secure official age ratings.

Xbox could potentially fall within the scope of this legislation, especially on PC, as the proposal is not platform-specific. Instead, it targets digital storefronts as a whole, meaning applicability would depend on how each service is classified under Turkish law.

In Microsoft’s case, the outcome would likely hinge on whether it views Turkey as a market worth the added regulatory and operational costs. With Xbox accounting for less than 10% of Microsoft’s total revenue, it is possible the company may decide that establishing additional local compliance infrastructure is not a priority if the legislation is passed.

As reported on by turkiyetoday, the legislation still remains as a draft, and there is currently no planned timeline for changes.

Do you think global game platforms should comply with Turkey’s proposed rules, or would the cost outweigh the benefits for both companies and players? Let us know in the comments and make sure to take part in our poll below:

One of the hottest topics in gaming this week has been Valve's dominance in the PC gaming market, as its game distribution platform Steam boasts significantly larger user counts and revenue totals than competing storefronts. The news that a £656 million (roughly $900 million) anti-trust lawsuit in the UK has been given the go-ahead thrust Valve's business into the limelight, and sparked debates about whether or not any aspect of it is anti-competitive.

The lawsuit alleges that Valve enforces "Most-Favored Nation" price-parity clauses that prevent game developers from selling their games for less than they do on Steam on alternative platforms, which it argues enables the firm to charge devs an "excessive" 30% commission fee for every game purchase. This, it's claimed, has driven game prices up as publishers seek to recoup costs, resulting in a worse deal for consumers.

Public support for the case seems to be, overall, fairly low — we asked our readers what they thought, and the overwhelming majority think Valve's business is fine, also — though some do believe Valve is engaging in anti-competitive practices. One such critic is none other than Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney, whose company maintains the Epic Games Store, one of Steam's largest rivals.

Thursday afternoon, Sweeney took to social media to take aim at one of Steam's policies that wasn't explicitly mentioned in the lawsuit: its requirement that developers use the Steam microtransaction API to handle all in-game purchases. Basically, this means a game can only let Steam players buy add-on content in game with their Steam Wallet, and can't take that option away or offer alternatives — and as it does with full game purchases, Valve collects 30% commission on these transactions.

"Steam’s rules do explicitly prohibit games from steering players to competing purchase methods, forcing everyone to pay 30% to Valve," he wrote. "Apple and Google did the same until the court explicitly found this practice to be unlawful. Now they don’t!"

Sweeney is referring to Epic's high-profile legal disputes against both Apple and Google that targeted their policies that prevented developers from linking to external payment methods in their apps, forcing them to use the iOS App Store and Google Play Store's systems and pay a 30% cut of their revenue to Apple and Google.

Ultimately, both companies were ordered to change these policies, and now Sweeney believes Valve should have to change its rule, too.

"Today, in the USA, developers are free to steer users of iOS and Android apps to competing purchase methods. Apple and Google collect 0% on those transactions," he explained. "On computers and smartphones, Valve is the only major store still holding onto the payments tie and 30% junk fee."

"This is the practice courts found illegal for Apple and Google," he added in another post.

Some have spoken out against Sweeney's point by highlighting games like GTA Online and Final Fantasy XIV that are on Steam and have payment systems separate from Steam's. However, he says the keyword here is "in-game"; the external shops titles like these use aren't linked in the games themselves, and have to be found outside of the game client.

It's true that this is the exact same policy that Epic successfully battled Apple and Google in court over, so it wouldn't surprise me if this specific part of Valve's Steam business ends up having to change in the future, also.

With that said, I do still think victory for larger anti-trust claims like the UK lawsuit Valve is up against will be extremely difficult for their proponents to achieve, though ultimately only time will tell. It will be interesting to see where that legal action against the Steam publisher goes, and if anything comes of it.

Do you agree with Tim Sweeney that Valve requiring developers to use Steam's payment systems for in-game purchases within Steam games is anti-competitive? How do you feel about the way it runs Steam in general? Share your thoughts in the comments, and make sure to vote in our poll.

Having recently released on Xbox via ID@Xbox, with support for Xbox Play Anywhere, the retro-styled Old West shooter has been steadily expanding its reach. Over the holidays, it was also made free on the Epic Games Store as part of Epic’s festive giveaway lineup.

At first glance, that kind of free release isn’t really thought of much. However, in this case, it appears to have had a weird and unexpected knock-on effect. During the same period, the game saw a noticeable boost in Steam sales, suggesting the Epic giveaway worked less as a substitute and more as a high-impact promotion.

Going free on Epic Games Store boosts sales on Steam?

I recently wrote about how Epic Games Store has seen significant growth in its user base over the past few years. Despite that expansion, spending has not grown at the same pace, particularly when it comes to third-party games.

Epic continues to rely heavily on free giveaways to draw players into its ecosystem. However, the data suggests many of those users do not stick around once the free games stop.

That context makes Blood West an especially interesting case. During its time as a free title on Epic Games Store, the game saw Steam sales rise by roughly 200%, according to the developer. Rather than pulling players into Epic’s storefront, the giveaway appears to have pushed visibility and purchasing activity elsewhere.

It reinforces the idea of Epic acting more as a discovery or entry point than a final destination. Players claim the free game, gain awareness, and then choose to buy and play on the platform where they already spend their time and money.

For smaller studios, that distinction matters. A free Epic Games Store release can function less like a lost sale and more like paid marketing, offering exposure on a scale that would otherwise be difficult to achieve. In Blood West’s case, that visibility appears to have translated directly into momentum on a competing storefront.

Do free games on Epic Games Store stop you from buying elsewhere, or do you still choose to purchase games on other storefronts like Steam? Share your thoughts in the comments or take part in the poll below.

Epic Games Store just posted massive growth numbers — jumping from 108 million users in 2019 to 295 million in 2024. But here’s the catch: third‑party revenue only grew 1.6% in the same period, according to a post on Reddit.

The reason? Epic leaned so hard into free game giveaways that it trained millions of users to log in, claim freebies, and never spend a dime.

Online discourse be damned (particularly on Reddit); the Epic Games Store has come under scrutiny in recent days as users compare its growth between 2019 and 2024. During that period, the platform grew by 173%, rising from 108 million users to more than 295 million.

However, that growth has not translated into spending. Third-party revenue only increased by 1.6% over the same timeframe, showing that while Epic has attracted a huge audience, very little of that audience is actually buying games on the platform.

The Epic Game Store problem

For those who do not know, the Epic Games Store is Epic’s answer to Steam, Valve’s PC storefront that dominates the market. Steam is the go-to platform for most PC players, in part because it simply works and does not get in the way of the user experience.

Steam was not always that way. When it first launched in the early 2000s, it faced heavy criticism, but that is a story for another time.

The Epic Games Store launched in 2018 and immediately tried to take market share from Steam by offering developers a better revenue split and by locking down exclusive releases. That approach did little to win over players, and Epic has since moved away from it, but does still provide a better revenue split.

Instead, Epic leaned heavily into free games to bring users onto the platform. While that strategy worked in terms of sign-ups, it also turned the store into a place many people only open to claim giveaways before closing it again, which is something I also do.

It is easy to point and laugh at Epic here, but the platform does, or at least did, offer a worse overall experience than Steam in almost every way. It launched without many basic features, and while it has spent years filling in those gaps, for some users, it has all come too late.

For example, Epic only added reviews in 2022, wishlists in 2021, achievements in 2021, gifting in 2025, and messaging in 2025 after removing them four years ago. It still does not offer family sharing or mod support, and this is just a few things; the list goes on.

Is this an Xbox PC problem as well?

It is easy to draw some parallels between the Epic Games Store and Xbox PC. Both are competing with Steam, and both lack features by comparison, but that is largely where the similarities end.

While it is easy to be cynical about Microslop, the Xbox app relies heavily on subscriptions through Game Pass rather than giveaways. PC Game Pass has seen 45% year over year growth, which shows that even with its feature gaps, there is an engaged audience willing to spend money rather than just opening the app to claim free games and leave.

While this is not directly tied to Xbox PC, console players also show a strong willingness to spend, especially on shooter titles. Even though PlayStation is estimated to outsell Xbox hardware by roughly 3 to 1, Xbox users still turn out in large numbers to buy certain games, which you can read more about here.

Unlike Epic, Xbox is also investing heavily in a cross-device ecosystem across cloud, console, and PC. The long-term goal is for future Xbox hardware to blur the line between console and PC, bringing Xbox and Steam libraries together in one place. That vision is what keeps me in the Xbox ecosystem, as it offers a more open and flexible future than a closed platform that simply repeats the same cycle each generation.

The future of PC gaming is Steam for now

Unfortunately for Xbox and Epic, PC users have had it very good for a long time with Steam. Its user-focused approach and stable feature set mean it has not given players many reasons to leave, which is likely why both Xbox and Epic now seem more focused on carving out their own lanes rather than trying to directly replace it.

In Xbox’s case, the next generation of hardware is expected to support multiple storefronts, including Steam and Epic. For Epic, it has taken a different route by allowing things that Steam does not, such as NFT-based games, and by publicly supporting the use of AI in development. Tim Sweeney (Epic's CEO) has also criticised Steam for requiring developers to disclose AI usage.

What once felt like a space where Epic and Xbox could not exist now feels like one where coexistence is possible, and that is fine. While neither platform is likely to take meaningful market share from Steam, neither of them needs to in order to succeed on PC.

That reality is reflected in how I use it. I still open the Epic Games Store to claim free games, while spending most of my time working through my Steam and Xbox backlog, often forgetting Epic is even there. That does not make Epic a failure, especially since it brought in over $1.09B in revenue in 2024. By comparison, Steam pulled in $1.6 billion in December alone. While Epic may never reach the same scale or goodwill as Steam, it does not need to in order to remain successful.

For many, Epic has become the “free game launcher” rather than a real storefront. Steam remains the place people actually buy and play, while Epic’s strategy left it with hollow growth. Whether you see this as clever marketing or a failed experiment, one thing is clear: Epic taught its audience to rarely open their wallets.

Do you use Epic Games Store and if so, how? Let us know by commenting and taking part in our poll below:

Hogwarts Legacy absolutely took the gaming world by storm when it launched in 2023, quickly becoming the favorite way to explore the Harry Potter universe for many people. Anyone who missed out when Hogwarts Legacy first arrived on the scene, now's your chance to see why this game was so successful.

During The Game Awards 2025, it was revealed that Hogwarts Legacy is the latest free game offered on the Epic Games Store as part of the PC gaming storefront's holiday celebrations. Yes, Hogwarts Legacy is completely free for anyone who uses the Epic Games Store, at least until Dec. 18, 2025.

Well, it should be, but you may have some issues actually getting it. Hogwarts Legacy was showing as unavailable for multiple members of the Windows Central team, and wasn't appearing at all in the Epic Games Store's "Free Games" section (which currently has lots of other holiday freebies for Epic's various games).

Those issues were temporary, but we're still having a variety of errors and lost connections. If you have trouble redeeming Hogwarts Legacy, don't panic! It's likely just an influx of traffic, and you have a week to add it to your library. If you already own Hogwarts Legacy on Xbox, though, it recently gained Xbox Play Anywhere support (meaning you can already go play it on PC or handheld).

Everyone else? Hogwarts Legacy is free at EpicGames.com for a limited time.

One of the more bizarre stories in gaming news right now is that of HORSES, a new indie horror game from developer Santa Ragione about working at an unsettling horse farm with some dark secrets over the summer (you may know of the studio from 2023's well-received visual novel Mediterranea Inferno, among other titles).

In the days leading up to its release on Tuesday this week, HORSES began making headlines when the news that Steam — Valve's PC gaming platform, and the biggest PC gaming storefront in the world by a large margin — banned it in 2023 began to circulate across the web. The developers claim Steam never provided them with detailed reasoning for the ban, and has refused to elaborate or reconsider its decision.

Then, in the eleventh hour, the Epic Games Store reached out to Santa Ragione to confirm it, too, was delisting HORSES, with the distributor citing an Adult-Only rating (Epic doesn't sell AO games) determined after filling out an International Age Rating Coalition (IARC) Questionnaire. However, the studio says that five weeks ahead of launch, the IARC process was already completed, and it resulted in a PEGI 18 and ESRB M rating.

But things only continued to get worse for the devs, with the game retailer Humble also axing its distribution of the title, too. Santa Ragione noted in an email sent to PC Gamer that the takedown came without an explanation from the storefront, and after Humble reportedly told the studio it would keep it available following Epic's ban.

The sole bright spot in all of this for the developer is the impact of the Streisand effect, with news of these bans driving gamers to buy and support HORSES on GOG and itch.io, where it remains for sale. On both platforms, it's currently the best-selling game.

That success may ultimately be the only thing that keeps the studio afloat. As noted in its new FAQ blog, Steam's ban drove external publishers away from working with Santa Ragione, forcing it to pursue unsustainable private funding to finish the game. The developer claims Steam also refused to give it keys for its previous title Saturnalia to include in bundles that would have helped with the financial troubles.

So, what's actually going on here? Why was HORSES banned from Steam, Epic, and Humble? After combing through all the information available to the public, two snippets from Steam's review sent to the developers stand out: "Regardless of a developer’s intentions with their product, we will not distribute content that appears, in our judgment, to depict sexual conduct involving a minor," and "This app has been banned and cannot be reused. Re-submissions of this app, even with modifications, will not be accepted."

Santa Ragione argues that no part of HORSES violates this policy, though it used to have a scene with a clothed child riding on the shoulders of one of the "horses" — in-game, the "horses" on its farm locale are naked, enslaved humans wearing horse masks — that was quickly changed to feature an adult instead.

The studio maintains that "The scene is not sexual in any way," and explains that while HORSES "does contain some sexual elements, the intent is never to arouse," and that "It is about tension, not erotic content."

But due to the second part of Valve's statement in which it makes its intent to rebuff any revisions or appeals clear, its judgement is ultimately final, and the game will never come to Steam unless it changes its mind.

As for the reason behind Epic's takedown, its own statement to the devs notes "explicit or frequent depictions of sexual behavior," along with the promotion of "abuse and animal abuse." Santa Ragione says neither are present, with nudity "completely censored via pixelation" and a story that serves as "a strong critique of violence and abuse in general." Humble's reasoning for its ban is unknown.

Steam and Epic's decision bodes ill for creativity

While I can understand Steam's initial choice to ban HORSES for its original scene with the young girl (this is by far the most likely explanation), the fact that it refused to consider revisions or appeals from the developers is frankly ridiculous, and Epic's own last-minute delisting is just as absurd.

It's ham-fisted rigidity from two of the biggest PC gaming platforms in the world, and a signal to studios that getting experimental with the themes and concepts of their projects is a massive risk. And because of the near-monopoly that Steam has over the market, it's one many indie devs can't afford to contend with. Santa Ragione's financial troubles are a clear example of that.

It's a sad reminder that games, as an artform, are still held to confusing, unreasonable standards compared to film and TV — and it's exactly what we don't need right now, with fears of censorship already being stoked by payment processors requesting that games with certain types of content be taken down, lest they stop working with Steam and other vendors.

I sincerely hope Steam, Epic, and Humble all reconsider, though I'm not exactly holding my breath. Regardless, HORSES is available for $4.99 at GOG now, with the game also selling on itch.io.

FAQ

Capcom has prepared a very special treat for Resident Evil fans this Halloween. During a recently released trailer recapping Resident Evil's history, Capcom has announced that pre-orders are live for Resident Evil: Requiem for home consoles and PC.

On top of that, Capcom has announced details regarding the game's special editions, pre-order bonuses, and much more.

Here's everything you need to know from Resident Evil: Requiem's pre-order announcement.

First and foremost, you can now pre-order the game at your favorite online and local retailers for the following platforms: Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store.

Additionally, there will be two special editions of the game and a pre-order bonus to purchase alongside the Standard Edition.

Pre-ordering the game will grant you access to a special DLC costume called 'Apocalypse', which is no doubt a reference to the Resident Evil: Apocalypse movie.

Next up, Capcom has a list of announcements regarding the game's Nintendo Switch 2 port.

Capcom has collaborated with Nintendo to release a Resident Evil amiibo of Grace Ashcraft in 2026 and a Resident Evil: Requiem themed Nintendo Switch 2 Pro controller for February 27, 2026.

Additionally, the Nintendo Switch 2 will receive the Resident Evil Generation Pack in 2026, which bundles together Resident Evil 7: biohazard Gold Edition, Resident Evil Village Gold Edition, and Resident Evil: Requiem.

Capcom then rounds its announcements up by stating that Resident Evil: Requiem will have a collaboration with Fortnite to celebrate Resident Evil's debut on the Epic Games Store.

By ordering the game on the Epic Games Store, you will receive a Grace Ashcroft costume to use in Fortnite after the game releases.

Are you ready to return to Racoon City for its requiem?

If my colleague, Jez Corden's preview of Resident Evil: Requiem is anything to go by, this game is shaping up to be Resident's darkest entry yet, both figuratively and literally.

It has a somber yet horrifying setting as we're returning to Raccoon City decades after it was blown to ruins at the end of Resident Evil 3, and the nightmarish monsters you will encounter will require the use of lights to drive them away, as bullets will not save you this time.

I enjoyed my fair share of Resident Evil games over the years (my favorite being the Resident Evil HD Remaster), so I can't wait to see new horrors await us when Resident Evil: Requiem launches on February 27, 2026.

FAQ

There are far too many launchers these days on Windows PC. Like, way too many to get a real count.

With the Battlenet and Steam as the OGs, we now have Epic Games Store, Ubisoft Connect, the EA Desktop App, GOG, and more. Heck, we have entire launchers dedicated to single games like Minecraft, Escape from Tarkov, Black Desert Online, Warframe, etc.

Some of these launchers require you to open another launcher to play a game! Up until this point, almost every Battlefield game on Steam required EA Desktop to launch. Not anymore!

As if you needed more reasons to get excited for Battlefield 6 after their multiplayer reveal, it's ditching the EA App if players buy the game on Steam. Instead, Steam players will only need Steam to play their game. Easy.

As per its recent FAQ, EA says, "Steam players will not need to use the EA App to play Battlefield 6, but will need an EA account." I'm honestly so happy about this. Like, way more excited than I should be. Let me explain. For the last few weeks, I've been hammering through ranks on Rainbow Six Siege X. Originally, I played it through Steam before realizing I had it on PC Game Pass.

Each of these launchers required Ubisoft Connect as well to run Siege. Instead, I dumped both platforms and decided just to play it through Ubisoft Connect. I lost Steam tracking, but didn't have to run two launchers on top of one another while running the game. I'm one of those PC guys who closes everything else when he's playing for peak FPS graphs.

I'd like to take this as a sign that EA is moving away from their desktop app entirely, but it doesn't seem likely.

Looking at Battlefield 6 on the EA App, on the store page, it still lists "The EA app" as "Login Accounts Required". That doesn't sound very Epic to me. You'll also still need an EA Account for the game, which has been standard for well over two decades.

I get the reason for multiple storefronts, I do. Why sell your game on another store where you'll only get 70% (or whatever your deal states with the store) rather than your own?

What bothers me are games that are still sold on other storefronts but also require their own store to be open. I understand the need for a unified experience, but can publishers start removing the unnecessary bloat?

I've seen plenty of games have cross-platform support. If you're going to sell it in said store, at least make it playable there. Simply placing it on Steam for it to only open another application before my game opens makes it feel tedious. Stop with these damn launchers, people, it's tiresome.

Maybe I'm alone on this, and what I'm writing will drift off into eternity without anyone having a care. But this Steam gamer couldn't be more excited about the fact that he'll be able to play his game natively on Steam.

In another surprising twist, as though EA has become the hero of the gaming industry, they announced they had no plans to launch Battlefield at $80. Instead, it will remain at the dwindling industry standard of $70.

I remember EA once had codes inside their games that were required for online play. So, if you bought the game used, you had to buy another online code for $10, which made sure players were always giving money to EA, even in the used market.

What a turnaround for them as of late.

Do you care that Battlefield 6 no longer requires you to launch both Steam and the EA App when playing? Let us know below or on social media. I have a feeling this might actually boost sales as a result.

Hey, would you look at that, another story about the CMA. I feel like it's been a year since I've heard about them, but lo and behold, they're somehow on the wrong side of the law, again.

In a statement released on X, Epic announced that it would not be releasing the Epic Games Store in the United Kingdom on iOS this year as a result of the recently released CMA roadmap. As a result, Fortnite's return to iOS is also questionable.

Further hammering the CMA in its statement, Epic unleashed a haymaker proclamation: "Four years after concluding that the App Store and Google Play Store are parallel monopolies, the CMA has done nothing to allow competing stores."

Years after taking Microsoft to court over its acquisition of Activision/Blizzard, it seems the CMA has lost its bite. Whether you supported the overall process or not, we're now entering a phase of the CMA where they've yet again chosen to go against the rest of the world.

Further in Epic's statement, they highlight how the E.U., and even the United States, have better practices in place than the U.K. does.

When it comes to the E.U., Epic praised them for their efforts, "The signature accomplishment of the Digital Markets Act in the E.U. was introducing competition through alternative stores on iOS devices, leading to the launch of the AltStore, Aptoide, and the Epic Games Store in Europe. But the CMA has deprioritized store competition entirely, to be considered sometime in 2026."

Next, Epic addressed payment methods on storefronts, noting that the CMA will enable developers to advertise alternative payment options.

Epic said, "The CMA also made a vague announcement about allowing developers to steer customers to payment services outside of apps, without referencing the kinds of restrictions, obstructions, and junk fees that Apple introduced in Europe to make a mockery of the Digital Markets Act."

Continuing, they highlighted how the lack of clarity will lead to Apple being Apple: "Unless Apple and Google are completely blocked from imposing fees and discriminating against apps using out-of-app payment, we can expect years of malicious compliance ahead, and no genuine restoration of market competition."

Will Apple be the better man and not impose those fees? Did you laugh yet, or do you want to reread the joke?

If the last few years have proven anything, it's that Apple will do anything to take its cut from developers from iOS devices. I get it, a business is here to make money, but when every country has ruled that you've monopolized your storefront in some form or fashion, maybe it's time you start being a little bit better?

For example, when you look at markets like Windows PCs and Apple computers, you can see why both Apple and Google have been accused of being a monopoly on mobile. Could you imagine if Microsoft banned Epic Games Store, Steam, and every other store available on Windows?

Looks like Apple's walled garden is growing some rotten fruit, huh? Not exactly Epic, is it?

What do you think about the ongoing battle between Epic and Apple? Are you surprised this is still happening? Let us know below or on social media. I want to keep talking about this until the day I pass.

Civilization is a legendary strategy series that got its start on PC. It's also a series in which its titles keep getting better after launch, especially as more updates, expansions, and DLCs arrive.

That's exactly the case with Civilization 6, which launched in 2016 and received new content up until 2023. There have been several bundles available over the years, picking up certain content alongside the base game.

Civilization 6's Platinum Edition doesn't have every bit of content released for the game, but it does include two expansions, six DLC packs, and the base game. Did I mention that it's completely free right now at the Epic Games store?

This 100% discount promo is expected to run only until July 24, 2025, giving you roughly another week to nab it before it returns to the regular $79.99 price.

What is included in the Civilization VI Platinum Edition?

As mentioned, the Civ 6 Platinum Edition doesn't have every bit of content made for the game; that's left to the Civilization 6 Anthology Edition, which is quite a bit pricier.

Does that really matter when you're getting the Platinum Edition completely free? Yes, you'll have to deal with the Epic Games launcher, but I'd say it's completely worth it. And you can always add any missing content to your library at a later date.

The base Civilization 6 game, naturally, is the root of this bundle. It's joined by the Rise and Fall expansion, as well as the Gathering Storm expansion.

Both expansions added a ton of content to the game, and I consider them crucial to the full Civ 6 experience.

The Platinum Edition bundle also includes six new civilizations with scenario packs attached.

• Civilization VI – Vikings Scenario Pack
• Civilization VI – Poland Civilization & Scenario Pack
• Civilization VI – Australia Civilization & Scenario Pack
• Civilization VI – Persia and Macedon Civilization & Scenario Pack
• Civilization VI – Nubia Civilization & Scenario Pack
• Civilization VI – Khmer and Indonesia Civilization & Scenario Pack

Alongside the 18 civilizations and 19 leaders that are included with the base game, you shouldn't run out of content anytime soon.

Civilization 6 is worth a try, even when it's not free

Civilization 6 launched with some mixed reviews, but as with most Civ games, it has since become a favorite of many players.

I've put hundreds of hours into the game — second only to Civilization 5 — and still feel the occasional urge to come back for one more round against old friends.

We reviewed Civilization 6 on PC when it launched in 2016, with former Windows Central writer Jen Karner remarking:

"Civilization 6 delivers a nearly flawless 4X experience that gives you everything you already love about the Civilization series, while adding new and interesting facets. Pick a Civilization and take over the world, whether that means wiping out every other major Civilization on the planet, or by exerting your control via science. There is tons to do, and we only barely scratched the surface here."

Civilization 6 also saw a launch on Xbox in 2019, and Windows Central Executive Editor Jez Corden said in his review:

"I've spent several dozen hours with the game, and I still feel like I've just barely scratched the surface. There are also expansions to explore with tons of new mechanics, content, and civilization playstyles I haven't even touched as of writing, alongside multiplayer modes, custom matches, and challenge scenarios. [...] Just beware. This game truly exemplifies the "just five more minutes" gameplay loop. Before you know it, you'll blink, and midnight will turn into 6 AM (as it did with me)."

What else can I say? Even if you don't like the game, it's not like you're out any money.

As mentioned, this free copy of Civilization 6 Platinum Edition is only available at Epic Games until July 24, so don't wait too long to at least add it to your library.

If you've been looking for a great new action game to play, I've got good news for you. For a limited time, Dead Island 2 — the $49.99 sequel to the original 2011 game and its 2013 follow-up, Riptide — is completely free to play and keep on the Epic Games Store PC platform.

This offer comes as part of the Epic Games Store's weekly free game program, and is scheduled to last from now until May 22, 2025 — next Thursday — at 8 a.m. PT / 11 a.m. ET. Adding it to your library is as simple as a few clicks on Dead Island 2's storage page; even if you don't play games on your PC and prefer using a console, you may as well get it for free while you can.

I reviewed Dead Island 2 back when it released in April 2023, awarding it four and a half out of five stars and calling it "an amazing action-horror game" as well as "everything a Dead Island fan could ask for." Ultimately, I still feel that it's one of the best action games released in recent years, and is a blast to play whether you're carving your way through the zombie apocalypse alone or with a group of friends in co-op.

Dead Island 2 takes place after the events of the older Dead Island games, and sees players try to escape a quarantined Los Angeles overrun with a deadly zombie virus. Like its predecessors, the sequel is almost completely centered around physics-driven melee combat against the infected, with numerous different zombie types facilitating the use of different tactics or hazards in the environment.

The character you choose at the start of the game determines what playstyle will be the best for you, with some better at ragdolling the hordes around, others proficient at hacking off limbs, and one even capable of sneaking up on zombies to ambush them with devastating critical damage. Then, as you progress, you'll accrue special skill cards that pave the way for creative buildcrafting and unlock new moves to use in combat. A huge part of the experience is also finding and upgrading a huge arsenal of melee instruments, with everything from electric wire-covered sledgehammers to flaming claymore swords possible.

The best way to describe Dead Island 2 and "Hell-A" is that it's a wide open sandbox, and let me tell you: it's a lot of fun to play around in. Stellar animation work, comical physics interactions, and a ridiculously complex gore and dismemberment system called the "Fully Locational Evisceration System for Humanoids" (F.L.E.S.H.) all work together to make its melee action some of the most brutal and satisfying I've ever experienced. And paired with the excellent aforementioned gameplay variety, top-tier audiovisual presentation, and a hilarious B movie-tier narrative script, it offers some of the best dumb fun in all of gaming. I can't recommend it enough.

Sadly, Dead Island 2 isn't available for free on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Steam, PS5, or PS4, but you can play it on Xbox through Xbox Game Pass thanks to its arrival to the service last year. Significant discounts for the versions on these platforms are also available from a variety of retailers at the moment, so you don't have to pay the game's full $49.99 MSRP to get your hands on it.

One of the most developer-friendly game storefronts for Windows PC, iOS, and Android — as well as the biggest competitor to Valve's dominant platform Steam — is about to get even better this summer.

That app is the Epic Games Store, a launcher and distribution service launched by Unreal Engine and Fortnite creator Epic Games back in late 2018 on PC and eventually came to mobile devices last year. On Thursday morning, the company announced that two major new features are coming to the platform in June. The first is a change to its revenue share policy that will see game developers pay 0% of the first $1 million it makes each year on games it launches on a per-app basis.

"Starting in June 2025, for any Epic Games Store payments we process, developers will pay a 0% revenue share on their first $1,000,000 in revenue per app per year, and then our regular 88%/12% revenue share when they earn more than that," wrote the firm.

On top of that, Epic is also announcing that support for webshops — stores that offer microtransactions on in-game items — hosted on the Epic Games Store are coming to its platforms. Unlike in-app purchases that allow companies like Google and Apple charge developers fees, the firm says these out-of-app purchases on Epic won't have these royalties. Notably, the reveal of this upcoming feature comes immediately after a judge ruled that Apple has been skirting around an order to stop preventing developers from offering players out-of-app stores on Wednesday evening.

"In June 2025, we are releasing a new feature enabling developers to launch their own webshops hosted by the Epic Games Store. These webshops can offer players out-of-app purchases, as a more cost-effective alternative to in-app purchases, where Apple, Google, and others charge exorbitant fees," Epic explained in its blog post. "With new legal rulings in place, developers will be able to send players from games to make digital purchases from webshops on any platform that allows it, including iOS in the European Union and United States."

Another thing that's important to note is that while neither of the aforementioned features and policy changes inherently benefit players, Epic is making them quite a nice offer if they purchase something from Epic Games Store-based webshops. Specifically, you'll get 5% cashback on all transactions made in these stores that will go directly into your Epic Rewards balance, allowing you to then spend that money on other microtransactions and even full games.

A colossal win for game developers

The Epic Games Store was already hugely beneficial for game developers since it offers an 88%/12% revenue share policy — a significantly better deal than the 30% cut that Valve shaves off the top of all Steam purchases. With each of these new features, though, it just became an even more attractive platform to release titles on.

A full $1 million that doesn't have to be split between Epic and the developer per app per year will translate to quite a bit of increased revenue for developers over time, and the addition of support for Epic-based storefronts will also be a huge boon for mobile game developers in particular. That 5% cashback offer on purchases made in those webstores is nothing to scoff at, either.

From a user perspective, the Epic Games Store is still far from perfect; many important features like game gifting or preloading upcoming releases are glaringly absent, and while Epic says these are coming, it's frankly baffling that they haven't yet been added in six years after the platform's release. Even though most PC players still prefer Steam as a result, though, the Epic Games Store nevertheless remains a fantastic auxiliary service for game devs to publish on.

During the Christmas break from work, I spent a lot of time getting reacquainted with my Steam Deck. It's been neglected a little of late, not least because I also recently acquired an ROG Ally.

One of the things I finally got round to doing was installing and playing around with Decky Loader, a tool for adding useful plugins into the native SteamOS experience. Of all of these, one of my favorites is Junk-Store, which has become my new favorite way to get my Epic Games library onto the Steam Deck.

This is the best way to do it, now. As much as I love the Heroic Games Launcher, by doing things this way, you remove the need for any additional launchers to play your Epic library on the Steam Deck. Here's how to install it and how it works.

How to install Decky Loader and Junk-Store

Decky Loader is far more useful than just giving us this excellent way to access our Epic Games library, and despite being late to the party, it's easily the number one thing I'd recommend everyone uses.

We have a full guide on how to install Decky Loader on your Steam Deck if you need help getting it set up. It's fairly straightforward, but you will need a keyboard and mouse to make it easier, since you'll have to do it from desktop mode. But it's essentially as simple as downloading a file and installing it.

Once it's all up and running on your Steam Deck, press the QAM button (the three dots) and you'll see the new icon for Decky Loader at the bottom. Tap on this, then tap on the little icon that looks like a shop.

Search for Junk-Store and then simply tap on Install. You'll now have the Junk-Store option inside the Decky Loader tab, so the next part is to authenticate with your Epic Games account.

If you still have a keyboard and mouse connected, you can use this. If not, you'll need to press the Steam + X button combination to get the onscreen keyboard to show up. You're not adding your login credentials directly into the plugin, so you don't have to worry there, it opens the web login interface to link your account.

Once authenticated, you can start installing your games.

How to use Junk-Store to install your Epic Games library on the Steam Deck

The first time you use it, you may need to manually refresh the library to get your games to show up. Once complete, you'll have your entire Epic Games library there to install from, without needing to open up a dedicated launcher. The whole UI feels very similar to installing from your Steam library, though with some differences. The point is that it feels native. Using another launcher on the Steam Deck is far more jarring.

Installing games is as simple as tapping the install option. There is one caveat, though. It seems that if you back out of the plugin and go and do something else on your Steam Deck, the installation will cancel, and you'll have to do it again. It's no major disadvantage, though.

Games don't go into your installed tab in your library, instead going into the Non-Steam category, where anything you haven't installed from Steam goes. You still have the same options to customize the Proton version you're using, though, and you can also do this (and more) from within Junk-Store, too.

What you don't get is any kind of information on how these games play on the Steam Deck. For that, I'd still recommend going to ProtonDB and checking out the community feedback.

One additional thing you might need to do is change the location of where the games install. You can't do this on a per-game basis as with your Steam titles, but you can change from within Junk-Store's global settings. While in the plugin, hit the Settings cog, and you'll see an option to install either to the SSD or the microSD card.

Ultimately, though, this is the best way to integrate your Epic Games library into your Steam Deck. It will add your games straight into your main library, rather than requiring opening an additional launcher to do so. For that alone, it's well worth getting.

What you need to know

• Governor of the State of California, Gavin Newsom, has signed in to a law legislation that will force digital stores to finally be up front and honest about exactly what it is you're buying. 
• Digital content, including games, video content, music, and e-books, will have to be sold with a disclaimer that you're not buying the product, merely a digital license to use it. 
• The law comes into effect next year, and will be applicable in every instance that doesn't offer a full offline download and keep option for the product. 

It's nice when the politicians of the world do something genuinely of benefit to the masses, and that's exactly the case in California right now. As reported by The Verge, the Governor, Gavin Newsom, has signed in to law new legislation that will force digital stores to be honest about exactly what it is that you're buying. 

Specifically, that you aren't buying the content and you don't own it. At least, not unless a permanent, offline-enabled copy of said content is made available. In that case, the new law won't apply. 

For everyone else, it will. Storefronts like Steam, Ubisoft, Epic Games, and yes, the Microsoft Store, will all be required to adhere to the new law lest they open themselves up to be fined. 

A summary of the bill reads as such: 

"This bill would, subject to specified exceptions, additionally prohibit a seller of a digital good from advertising or offering for sale a digital good, as defined, to a purchaser with the terms buy, purchase, or any other term which a reasonable person would understand to confer an unrestricted ownership interest in the digital good, or alongside an option for a time-limited rental, unless the seller receives at the time of each transaction an affirmative acknowledgment from the purchaser, or the seller provides to the consumer before executing each transaction a clear and conspicuous statement, as specified."

In simpler speak, it basically means that these stores will not be able to tell you that you're buying something, without explaining exactly what you're buying. If that's merely a digital license to play a game, then so be it. The point is that, finally, the average consumer should be more informed over what it is they're getting. 

The rest of the world should follow suit

The digitalization of content has brought with it convenience, but also a lack of ownership. Both Sony and Ubisoft have made headlines in recent times in this vein. The former had to reverse a decision to remove digital video content from its customer's libraries, content they had paid for 'ownership' of. Ubisoft, meanwhile, killed The Crew stone dead by turning off the servers and not providing an offline mode for people to keep playing. 

While California's new law won't stop things like this from happening, it should at least help the consumers be more informed over what they're actually getting from these companies. If it means fewer game sales because folks start to become more cautious over handing their hard-earned without a guarantee of how long they'll be able to enjoy it, so be it. I'd argue, as in the case of The Crew, it is completely unacceptable for any game with a single-player component to have no offline access at all. Ubisoft at least seems to have learned a lesson there and will be adding offline modes to the later games in the series. 

I want rules like this to be wider spread. Consumers deserve to be well-informed. When you subscribe to Netflix, or Xbox Game Pass, you're very aware you're just borrowing content. But when you hit a buy button, wouldn't it be nice to know whether you actually are buying it? 

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The Steam Deck is a pretty awesome gaming handheld, but the fact that it cannot easily access game services out of the box other than Steam can make it feel a bit limiting. Thankfully, there's a helpful homebrew plugin called Decky Loader that widens the gaming handheld's initial abilities. With it installed, you can easily access your library of games on Epic Games, Ubisoft Connect, and more.

Plus, Decky Loader comes with a bunch of cool widgets and additional settings that you can install as desired. Here's how to get Decky Loader installed and enable its various features.

1. Turn on Developer Mode

To start things off, we need to make sure that the Steam Deck has Developer Mode enabled. Here's how to do that.

1. Press the Steam button.
2. Select Settings.
3. Select System.
4. Make sure Enable Developer Mode is toggled on (to the right)
5. In the left menu, scroll down and select Developer.
6. Scroll down to the Miscellaneous section and toggle on CEF Remote Debugging.
7. Press the Steam button again.
8. Select Power.
9. Select Restart and then Confirm.

2. Download Decky Loader in Desktop mode

With Developer Mode on and the handheld restarted, it's time to head to the Steam Deck's Desktop mode for the next stage of the Decky Loader install process.

1. Press the Steam button.
2. Select Power.
3. Select Switch to Desktop Mode.
4. You need to use Google Chrome for this to work. If you don't have it installed yet, open a browser (Mozilla Firefox is in the bottom tray by default). Press Steam button + X to bring up (or close) the on-screen keyboard and type in "Google Chrome download" into the search bar. Then, download/install the Debian/Ubuntu version of the app.
5. Using Google Chrome go to the Decky Loader download page on GitHub.
6. Click the big Download button.
7. After the app has downloaded, close out of Chrome and open the Dolphin file explorer (the blue file icon on the bottom tray).
8. Click on Downloads and then drag and drop the Install Decky file onto the desktop.
9. Double-click on Install Decky and run through the recommended installation settings. If your Deck is set to Beta Steam OS, choose the prelease option; otherwise, choose release. Then click OK.
10. After installation has completed, click OK.
11. Click on the Return to Game Mode icon on the desktop.

3. Activate Decky Loader's NonSteamLaunchers app

At this point, Decky Loader is on Steam Deck, but you haven't yet made it possible to access various game launchers. Here's what you need to do to install these.

1. Press the three-dot button on the right of the Steam Deck. This is the Quick Access Menu button (QAM).
2. Go to the outlet Plugin tab at the bottom and click on the small cogwheel Settings button.
3. Change the Store Channel drop-down menu to Testing.
4. Press the QAM button again and select the Store button next to settings.
5. Scroll down and install the NonSteamLaunchers app.
6. Press Install again.
7. Press the QAM button and select the newly added NonSteamLaunchers app.
8. Select Game Launchers.
9. Toggle on the game launcher you want to use.
10. Scroll down and toggle on Separate Launcher Folders.
11. Next select Install. Wait while installation completes.
12. When done, press the Steam button.
13. Go to Library.
14. Use R1 to switch to the Non-Steam apps and select the launcher you just added.
15. Select Play to open the game launcher app.

4. Download any other widgets or plugins you want

Decky Loader offers some really helpful features including the ability to add Discord to Steam Deck, install a video recorder, and add a better screenshot saving process. Here's what you need to do to install these widgets.

1. Press the QAM button.
2. Go to the Plugin tab and click on the Store icon.
3. Browse the list and install any widgets and plugins that look cool.

All game launchers that work with Decky Loader

As of the time of writing, these are the game launchers that currently work on Steam Deck via Decky Loader.

• Amazon Games
• Battle.net
• EA app
• Epic Games
• Gog Galaxy
• Humble Bundle Games
• IndieGala Client
• Itch.io
• Legacy Games
• PlayStation Plus
• Rockstar Games Launcher
• Ubisoft Connect

Just because a game launcher is put on Steam Deck does not mean that it has controller support. You might need to find workarounds to get the Steam Deck controls to work with certain games.

Now you can access a ton of cool features and various game launchers on Steam Deck

With these steps taken, your Steam Deck is now capable of accessing far more features and game launchers than it initially could.

Take some time to explore within Decky Loader to see all of the plugins and widgets it provides you with. You might find you like some of the new settings provided.

Remember that you will still need to log in to whatever game launcher services you access through Decky Loader, so be ready to enter your account information before you can start playing your different game libraries.

Controller support isn't always guaranteed to work on some of these services. As such, you might need to connect a keyboard and mouse to play certain games or try to find other solutions to play on Steam Deck.

Once Human is a video game; it's definitely a piece of software that players can download and play. You might be reading that sentence back and thinking, "What on Earth are you talking about?" At times, me too, because I can't precisely answer what this game is, but I know that I want to play more of it when it finally launches into early access in July. 

"What the hell is happening?" was the one and only question I kept asking myself. I was even holding a Northern Pike as a melee weapon; this game was getting fishy. I went off catching spirits and placing them in electrically powered glass Ghostbusters containers. Again, I repeat, what the hell is happening?

Whatever it was, I was hooked. The reason is something I can't outright explain, either. There's no one particular reason that stands out over the others. It's not like there's some Grand Theft Auto level-breaking feature that sets this game out amongst the others. For Once Human, it's a culmination of all its parts that come together to make something that, at its core, is fun. What's better than that?

What is Once Human?

Let's talk about what Once Human is on paper. The game is a PC-only multiplayer open-world survival game set in a post-apocalyptic future where Stardust, a mysterious element from beyond the fray, has polluted the world. Through this pollution, various forms of meta-humans have been born. Basically, mutants.

That's where the player comes in. You're a meta-human who's come of existence in the labs of some corporation where Stardust was used to experiment on people. Out of it came the monstrosities of enemies you'll fight, as well as the savior you'll come to be. The narrative is one of strangeness that becomes fun to follow in a cult-classical fashion.

Players can select from two distinct modes, either PvP or PvE, before jumping in. This choice will make or break your experience. Playing solo in PvE is easier, but PvP as a solo? Let's just say I had a lot of fun compared to some of the people I found in the world!

The objective after selection is simple: you're placed in a world with others and tasked with catching and defeating Deviations. These are potent creatures from another dimension powered by Stardust. You can use these creatures as forms of magical abilities with a proper cooldown. Each Deviation offers distinct advantages from one another, at least the ones I was able to find during this demo.

Once Human: What makes it good

The first question anyone should ask is whether a game is fun or not, and I'm pleased to report that Once Human is indeed a fun game to play. The culmination of systems offered to the player comes together in a well-rounded and fascinating way that provides a great hook as a live-service game. If you're worried about games with live service embedded into their DNA, then don't worry; from what I saw, the battle pass offered in this title doesn't create any P2W advantages. It remains cosmetic, much like other live-service games such as Sea of Thieves. We'll discuss more later.

The combat felt satisfying and worthwhile; different weapons offer a variety of playstyles for players to flex. I ran a simple sniper shotgun combo, preferring to pick off patrolling enemies of an area before sprinting in like a madman needing his next fix. I never felt like the central systems at play were janky or riddled with annoying bugs. Players can switch to other weapon types like melee, bows, SMGs, and assault rifles.

Enemies reacted to axe blows and bullets alike. It was refreshing to see foes that had natural physical responses. The player's action felt fluid and intentional, rather than being forced into a dynamic forced on you by the game. In a title where 80% of what you'll do is combat, I'm glad to report it's more than serviceable.

The whole premise of the game feels like a more streamlined version of Ark. Rather than having to worry about capturing and maintaining an army of dinosaurs in your efforts against the world and other players, you get to focus on capturing Deviations and flexing their extraordinary abilities. Action takes the forefront, and while there are certainly a slew of survival aspects for players to dig into, nothing is overly complicated, acting as a doorstop in the way systems in Nightingale can for many.

Gathering resources felt fun and manageable. I wasn't out running marathons for logs or having to hunt down deer until the sun came up. Easily attainable upgrades to my gathering tool continued to speed this process up. I was back at the base and doing the entertaining stuff, building, and crafting. 

What I loved most about Once Human is the culmination of systems working together. While they were wild in their use, like the fact I can attach a motorcycle garage to my house with basic mined resources you'd find in any survival game, the chaos in combination is hilariously good. I'm being serious, what's here is so freaking weird, but it performs fantastically.

I can't wait to jump in and explore things like the leveling system. I felt like I barely started to scratch the surface in my 12 hours of play. Things toward the bottom of the trees were blurred out until later, but the opening systems were instinctive and well-paced. Everything unlocked at a rate that felt balanced and carefully planned.

Once Human: What needs work

While the game's combat and central systems felt smooth, there's a lot of 'jank' found that can either detract from or enhance the experience, depending on how likely you are to laugh instead of critique it. For example, the dialogue system as a whole felt unfinished. For the first 30 minutes, my character never spoke. Instead, he flailed his arms a bit after I selected a dialogue option while the camera humorously panned to him. I figured this was par for the course until he randomly started speaking during some dialogue choices, and it gave me a slight jump scare.

Other times, the character's mouths didn't move. After approaching an NPC out on a mission and opening a dialogue with them, their mouth wouldn't move. It felt cheap, and it seemed like some of these things were being added at the last minute without any proper finish applied.

While there are a few other systems that felt a little tedious to work with, the only one worth mentioning now came down to controller support. Almost highlighting this feeling of things that were overlooked, controller support wasn't even enabled for the demo. Even though it's verified to work on the Steam page, it doesn't work. Discovering that bummed me out after swapping over to my laptop to do some light-hearted work on my PvE character.

The real sense of concern comes from how Netease and Starry Studio plan to implement microtransactions in Once Human. While the developers are on record saying that they will never put pay-to-win transactions in the game, I'm only cautiously optimistic. It's the publisher that has me worried.

Netease has a mixed history when it comes to releases in the last couple of years. Diablo Immortal launched in almost a meme state, given how much money players had to spend to reach maximum upgrades. Then there was Dead by Daylight Mobile, which has skins players can buy that provide better stats and killers with perks that are fully locked behind paywalls. While Bloodstrike, another Netease Game, is heralded for its cosmetic-only microtransactions. Let's hope Starry Studios wins the ideology debate.

Once Human: Summary

Like I've said multiple times throughout this preview article, Once Human is a joy to play. There's nothing that should keep players from jumping into the game when it drops next month on July 10. It's free-to-play with the promise of no pay-to-win, that's an automatic download from me.

Doing a little research, the demo build that was available was an older one. The build was even older than their last beta playtest. I'm told much of the "jank" I experienced here are things that are either already polished or planned for release. I guess we'll see in a couple of weeks.

Plus, the game won't cost you anything to try. It's one of the few survival games over these past couple of years that's hitting full release without Early Access on Steam. While it did go through a few betas over the last year, all of those were closed and free without any microtransactions. Not only does this game have the hype by word-of-mouth, but it seems like it has a competent and confident developer behind it.

I can forgive the bugs here and there, especially when a game feels this good otherwise off the rip. After watching previews from YouTubers like Force Gaming over the past year, I wasn't sure if this was a game I'd even like. Now I'm convinced, and others should be too once they try it for themselves.

Once Human launches on July 9 for Windows PC on Steam and Epic Games Store. The game will be free-to-play.

What you need to know

• Dark and Darker is an unforgiving extraction dungeon crawler PvPvE adventure.
• Created by Ironmace, former developers under Nexon, the game was removed last year during a legal battle between the two companies.
• Dark and Darker has now returned to Steam, available to play today!

Dark and Darker, a unique blend of Escape from Tarkov and medieval times, offers a thrilling dungeon-based PvP extraction experience. The outcome of your adventure, whether it's a successful loot run or a challenging escape, is determined by your party's skill and the luck of the draw. This title, which sparked a frenzy last year for gamers, is now making its highly-anticipated debut on Steam. 

What? When? How?! I'm as surprised as everyone else. This is huge news for the game and a massive win for fans. Only days after announcing they were launching a free-to-play option, Dark and Darker has returned home to Steam, a little over a year after Nexon sued the developers for copyright infringment.

I expect this free-to-play option to allow gamers to move their legacy accounts from Epic Games Store or the Blacksmith launcher to Steam without rebuying. At least, I hope that's the case. As someone who bought the game through Blacksmith, I'd love the opportunity to move the game to Steam without having to rebuy it. I'll be testing this out as soon as I get the chance!

For those who are uninitiated, Dark and Darker is one of the best extraction games on the market. The game features multiple classes, including Rogue, Ranger, Wizard, Druid, Bard, Warlock, and more! Whatever your play style, there is something for everyone here. As Steam puts it, Dark and Darker is an unforgiving hardcore fantasy FPS dungeon PvPvE adventure. Band together with your friends and use your courage, wits, and cunning to uncover mythical treasures, defeat gruesome monsters, while staying one step ahead of the other devious treasure-hunters.

Players wanting to try something new, I urge you to download it today and try out the free-to-play version! There's no harm in trying something free, is there?

Let me know what you think below or on social media. Heck, maybe we can play together! My friends and I all love Dark and Darker and can't wait for the fresh meat to enter the arena! Play it now on Steam or on the Epic Games Store!

Microsoft opened Pandora's (X)box earlier this year. 

Following rumors and speculation, Microsoft revealed that it will bring Sea of Thieves, Grounded, Pentiment, and Hi-Fi Rush to PlayStation, ending decades of console gaming tradition. Microsoft's increased support of the PlayStation ecosystem will inject even more cash into the Microsoft Gaming operation, which leaped by 40% in revenue last quarter, thanks in part to the acquisition of Activision-Blizzard. 

Microsoft has insisted that its initial experiment will only involve those four games, but given how high Grounded and Sea of Thieves have been riding on the PlayStation Store, it's fair to assume even more Xbox games will come to PlayStation in the future. Halo, Forza, Gears of War, Starfield — we have no real idea if anything is off the table, which begs the question — how will Xbox differentiate and drive interest in the next generation without the promise of exclusive games?

Microsoft has discussed internally with its teams that the next Xbox will represent the "biggest technological leap" in a generation so far. Xbox Game Pass also continues to be the best value subscription in all of gaming, which should eventually see games like Call of Duty itself enter the service. But perhaps Microsoft is banking on yet another unique "feature" to remain competitive next gen, too. 

Xbox lead Phil Spencer hinted in a recent interview that it wants to see PC storefronts, like Epic Games, Steam, itch.io, and GOG.com, available on Xbox, too. This would be a huge departure from established console doctrine, which suggests that the closed ecosystem subsidizes comparatively cheaper hardware while remaining competitive with mid to high-end gaming PCs (although, obviously, nowhere near the super high-end). Opening up Xbox to competing stores potentially disrupts that model, too, which, by extension, could also disrupt today's Xbox console user. 

Microsoft has a lot of questions to answer before it opens yet another Pandora's (X)box, and Xbox's paying customers deserve answers to these questions before any formal announcement is made, in my view. 

1. Will we still have to pay to play online?

As I noted in the intro, console hardware is subsidized heavily by the services and software attached to them. Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo sell consoles at very slim profit margins and make up the difference by selling games, microtransactions, and subscription services on top of it. It's similar to how the printer business models work, where companies like HP sell you the printer relatively cheap and make money back on the far more lucrative closed-ecosystem ink services. You can even buy ink subscriptions these days, and there's even ink DRM. 

In any case, one of Microsoft's most profitable "innovations" was the creation of Xbox Live, complete with its monthly subscription. Xbox Live Gold (now Xbox Game Pass Core) gives you access to multiplayer services, exclusive discounts, and a small pool of older games to play at your leisure for $10 per month. Xbox Game Pass Core continues to generate enormous amounts of revenue for the Xbox platform, and removing it overnight would eat a huge chunk out of the profitability of Xbox consoles in general. Even though it feels like a relic of a bygone age, removing it would be difficult — console platforms are already enduring squeezed profit margins owing to the sticky price of silicon, inflation, and other factors. 

If Microsoft opened up Xbox to Steam, Epic Game Store, GOG, and so on — would they still require Xbox Live Gold to play online on those storefronts? Steam et al. do not charge a fee to play online on their respective platforms. Nor will they ever. I can't imagine Microsoft will paywall Steam etc. on Xbox for access. But that creates another question — how will Microsoft monetize the Xbox console hardware in this scenario? Will the hardware end up being more expensive to be more profitable? Will that make the prices less competitive with Sony's PlayStation 6 and the Nintendo Switch 2? It could offer some powerful differentiation against those competitors if Microsoft was to drop the Xbox Live Gold multiplayer fee, but I wonder if the economics work long-term in that situation. 

It would indeed be an odd universe if I could play Call of Duty, Fallout 76, or Sea of Thieves premium multiplayer experiences for free via Steam on my console, but need to pay a subscription to play it via Xbox. Furthermore, how will these experiences sit side-by-side in the first place?

2. How will you avoid degrading the 'console' experience? 

Sticking with the topic of Call of Duty and other multiplayer games on a future Xbox console, how will Microsoft reconcile the multiplayer pools between these separate game versions?

On Steam, games like Call of Duty, Overwatch, et al. often have anti-cheat layers installed on top of them to prevent hackers (with mixed success). They also expect keyboard and mouse inputs and often have aim assist disabled. Some games are more "peripheral aware" than others. However, Microsoft and other platform holders have already shown a near-total inability to detect hacking tools like XIM, which convert keyboard and mouse signals to spoofed controller signals on an Xbox console, giving players an absolutely massive advantage. 

If Xbox comes closer to Windows to enable Win32 games like those delivered by Steam, won't that simply ramp up the "hackability" of an Xbox console? It's a question many will ask. 

Furthermore, if Xbox is now offering the Steam versions of identical Xbox games, complete with free multiplayer, that could negatively impact matchmaking speeds on Xbox consoles. Already, the setting to disable "cross-play" between console and PC is so obscure on Xbox, and the fact that cross-play is enabled by default has degraded the console pool of competitive multiplayer on Xbox. Players who disable cross-play end up in a much smaller pool of players, making matchmaking completely impossible in some regions and in some games. Cross-play was a great idea for co-op and PvE games, letting players play together, but cross-play in competitive shooters has been a bit of a disaster for game quality and balance. Mouse and keyboard players can turn faster and acquire targets more rapidly with a mouse, and on the flip side, aim assist on consoles will provide an uneven advantage in other situations and in other games, too. 

By opening up the floodgates to PC players this way, Xbox is potentially going to force even more Xbox players to matchmake with PC players, which could mean more hackers, fewer console players in the pool, and lead to a downward spiral of general FPS quality on the console that pretty much pioneered competitive console FPS. That is, if Microsoft doesn't have a plan in place. I suspect people would like to know what the plan is. 

3. Why would developers still support Xbox Store versions to sit side-by-side with Steam?

With Microsoft putting Steam and Epic Game Store on the Xbox, it will, of course, bring a lot of benefits. Games that have historically skipped Xbox, or simply aren't interested in the console ecosystem, or simply can't factor it into their development costs, will become de facto available on Xbox as a result. This could even extend to Sony's games, which are available on both the Epic Game Store and Steam store via PC and Windows. God of War running on Xbox hardware becomes a little more likely in this situation, but Sony may opt to block the games there rather than deal with the "optics" it could present. 

Either way, it also creates a problem. If a developer already has tight costs and thin margins, it may simply become more logical to forego an Xbox version of a game entirely. Microsoft has worked incredibly hard to bring games and franchises like Yakuza, Final Fantasy 14, Persona, and more to the Xbox ecosystem. And now, developers who perhaps were already questioning investment in the "Xbox Store" will do so even more. 

If it's a truly open system at that point, Microsoft can't force developers to offer their games on the Xbox Store in exchange for availability on Steam. Furthermore, Steam and Xbox Store versions of games often have different price points, different sales events, different launch dates, and more. Microsoft might be opening a can of worms here. What's to stop a scenario where Xbox players are forced to use Steam simply because developers don't think an Xbox port is worthwhile? What about Xbox customers who don't want to use Steam and simply want the Xbox experience and Xbox library they've always had? Has Microsoft asked any of its existing customers if people actually want the scenario they're proposing? Are the benefits worth the costs? Are there even any real benefits to begin with? Or could this be another case of "you WILL like it," like the bundled Xbox Kinect nobody wanted in 2013?

So many other questions

There could be huge benefits to bringing Steam and other PC stores to the Xbox console ecosystem. Getting games that have console exclusivity on PlayStation potentially as a consequence of Xbox being more "PC-like" is a clear benefit. Dropping the Xbox Live Gold paywall for a more Steam Deck-like offering could also offer huge differentiation against PlayStation as well. But there are so many unanswered questions. 

I doubt players will be booting into a Windows desktop environment, installing programs, and dealing with Windows UAC pop-ups, but it does beg the question. What will the user experience look like on this console-PC hybrid? Will PlayStation block their games via Steam and Epic Games Store on Xbox hardware? Will Steam Workshop and other mods be supported? Will I be able to sideload stuff like the Genshin Impact or Riot Games launchers? Will the hardware remain subsidized and affordable, with Microsoft getting less of a cut or maybe even no cut at all, if players flock to Steam instead of Xbox? Is Xbox Game Pass alone good enough to fund all of this? How do you guarantee that the console experience will remain unmaimed when it comes to hackers, cross-play, and different input modalities? Etc. Etc. Etc. Ad Nauseam.  

Related: On the strange future of Xbox

I can't help but feel like Xbox could be walking into another "2013 Xbox One reveal situation" here, where they create heaps of confusion by trying to upend familiarity chasing "predictions" and trend data. Ironically, many of Xbox's predictions in 2013 for the future of gaming became true in the end — but people didn't want to hear them nor accept them. People don't like being forced to accept change, and even if all console competitors are gearing up for a more open future like this, being unclear about the plans is potentially even worse than just saying nothing at all. 

I hope Microsoft is prepared, and furthermore, I hope Microsoft doesn't take its console audience for granted (again). 

What you need to know

• Epic Games Store frequently gives away free games.
• This week, The Outer Worlds: Spacer's Choice Edition and Thief are free.
• The Outer Worlds was nominate for 20 award, winning role-playing game of the year at the D.I.C.E. Awards.
• Both are available until April 11.

Outer Worlds is a highly praised open-world RPG that offers an immersive experience through its engaging mechanics and storyline. The game follows the journey of a colonist who becomes stranded in space during their travel to the Halcyon system. Decades later, after being awakened by a peculiar scientist, the player takes control of the narrative and embarks on an exhilarating adventure.

Outer Worlds has amassed a huge following and garnered rave reviews from fans and critics alike. It was nominated for four awards at the Game Awards show and won role-playing game of the year at the D.I.C.E. Awards. In total, it earned 20 nominations from various outlets. No wonder they're making a sequel!

In our review, Jez Corden awarded it an impressive 4.5/5 stars. However, the Spacer's Choice Edition launched confusingly only two years later. Initially, it faced some issues, especially on my PC. But now, it has evolved into the definitive version of Outer Worlds, offering enhanced performance and a compelling reason to upgrade.

With great pleasure, I share the exciting news that The Outer Worlds: Spacer's Choice Edition is now available for free on the Epic Games Store! Yes, you read that right. For the unbeatable price of zero dollars, you can now experience the game that all colonists deserve. Download the Epic Games Store and start your adventure.

On another note, Thief is also free! While I don't have nearly as many glowing things to say about Thief, I remember playing it on Xbox One and being used as a huge talking point for console wars. It launched to lukewarm reviews, earning a 67 on Metacritic.

That said, I don't see any reason for players not to jump on these deals. While I realize that the Epic Games Store isn't the ideal place for many to play, it's free. If you love Big Macs, you're telling me you wouldn't eat a free one if it came in a Burger King box? Yeah, that's what I thought.

Both are free until April 11. Please pick up Outer Worlds: Spacer's Choice Edition at a minimum. It's, quite honestly, my game of the year from 2019. There's a reason it was nominated for the same at the Game Awards. You won't be disappointed. 

Epic Games Store has just been throwing out free games weekly for a while now, with some offerings being better than others. To my surprise, this week's free game listings from EGS includes Call of the Wild: The Angler—one of my favorite fishing games ever. You can add The Angler to your Epic library for free until March 28, and the money you save on the base game can be used to splurge on picking up the latest South Africa reserve DLC that is available now. Not a PC player? That's okay, you can also enjoy Call of the Wild: The Angler on console, and as part of an Xbox Game Pass subscription.

While I am undeniably known as the local Call of Duty nerd, I have an incredible soft spot for cozy and wholesome games. I spend so much time grinding in the gory and grimy world of Modern Warfare 3 and Warzone that I find it nice to take a break from the anguish of war for something combat-free from time to time. This need for a change of pace has fostered my love of farming simulators, and I even wrote a review of the cozy space farming sim Lightyear Frontier recently. Farming is great, but my (not-so) secret love is fishing simulators. 

At the end of August 2023, most of my peers were so stoked for the impending release of Starfield, and it was absolutely dominating nearly every conversation about gaming. I was the odd duck out, however, who is not particularly interested in sci-fi enough to be on board with what Starfield had to offer. I was also looking for a break from my usual COD sessions with the bros each night ahead of the launch of Modern Warfare 3 that November. Little did I know that the surprise launch of Call of the Wild: The Angler on Xbox and Game Pass would become the solution to my problem.

I was already a fan of the Call of the Wild series from having previously played Expansive Worlds' theHunter: Call of the Wild, because—yes—I like hunting simulators, as well. Diving into The Angler seemed like a no-brainer for me, but it was getting the COD squad on board with the slower pace of angling. It turned out to be a much easier sell than I was expecting because there's one thing the development team at Expansive Worlds gets really right. It's even in their name. The world of The Angler is so surprisingly full.

The Angler plunks players down into these vast nature reserves, similar to what we saw with theHunter. Expansive Worlds didn't just focus on creating lush waterways with diverse fish offerings, the entire world is worthy of exploration. There are times when you want to just stop and sit at your favorite watering hole, and there are times when you want to see if the game will just let you hike up that mountain on the horizon. Spoiler alert: it will. And it will likely take you an hour or more to do it. And it's going to give you such an incredible view that for a few minutes, you're going to forget you're in a video game.

The base game for The Angler, which is what you'll get for free from Epic or as part of your Xbox Game Pass subscription, takes place on the Golden Ridge nature reserve. Here players will find sprawling lakes, narrow streams, and hidden ponds. Two NPCs, the friendly warden and the shopkeeper, provide quests and training on how to play the game. There are plenty of collectibles to keep you busy, as well.  Additional DLC content adds 3 new reserves for those who want to take their angling around the globe. 

The Norway DLC features delightful scavenger hunts and charming tales of trolls, along with deep cave water systems and lakes aplenty. The Spain DLC reserve takes anglers to a quaint village on the coast, where a restaurateur and shopkeeper will keep you busy with quests and fishing challenges that test your rod and reel combinations. The latest DLC is set on a South African reserve, where players can take a trip back in time by visiting the local dinosaur park. Each DLC pack can be picked up individually or purchased as a bundle with the first Nature Reserve Season Pass. 

Expansive Worlds has recently revealed that a second Nature Reserve pass and additional DLC content for the future are in the works. While the engine for the game has hit its limitation on how big the fish added can be, there's still plenty of room for a variety of species from around the world. Now—if you'll excuse me—I have to go see about drowning some worms and finding dinosaur fossils in South Africa.

What you need to know

• Remedy announced that the minimum requirements for Alan Wake 2 have been lowered. 
• The new minimum required GPUs are either a GeForce GTX 1070 or a Radeon RX 5600 XT.
• The game used to require the GPU to support mesh shaders but Remedy removed this requirement to allow more GPUs to play the game.  

Alan Wake 2 has been in the headlines for all the right reasons since it was released. It performed well critically, and we loved the game in our Alan Wake 2 review where we stated "There's an ocean of darkness waiting in Remedy Entertainment's latest game." Now, thanks to some hard work to optimize the game by Remedy, even more players will be able to play the game. 

This doesn't solve the game's biggest problem though, which is that it's still locked in the much less popular Epic Games store. The last number we have for sales of the game is that it has sold 1.3 million copies, which is the fastest-selling Remedy game ever, but the game has yet to recoup its development costs. If the game were to launch on Steam, it would likely double or triple these sales numbers, but it is one of the Epic Games Store's major exclusives. 

What are the minimum requirements for Alan Wake 2?

As you can see in the image above, the minimum requirements for playing Alan Wake 2 now show that the game can be played on a GeForce GTX 1070 or a Radeon RX 5600 XT. This means there are about 14 or so new GPUs that can play the game if my research is correct. You will still need to have an Intel i5-7600K or AMD equivalent or newer with 16 GB RAM, running Windows 10/11 64-bit, and 90GB of space on an SSD to play the game. 

If you're interested in checking out other patch notes for recent patches, feel free to check them out at the Alan Wake website. For a quick glance comparison at the new and old minimum system requirements, check out the differences below. 

Current Alan Wake 2 minimum system requirements

• Video Card: GeForce GTX 1070 or Radeon RX 5600
• Processor: Intel i5-7600K or AMD equivalent
• Memory: 16 GB RAM
• OS: Windows 10/11 64-bit
• Hard Drive Space: 90GB SSD

Previous Alan Wake 2 minimum system requirements

• Video Card: GeForce RTX 2060 or Radeon RX 6600
• Processor: Intel i5-7600K or AMD equivalent
• Memory: 16 GB RAM
• OS: Windows 10/11 64-bit
• Hard Drive Space: 90GB SSD
  

If we take a look at the previous minimum system requirements, we can see that an RTX 2060 or Radeon RX 6600 was the minimum GPU required. That means that all of the RTX 1600 series cards were excluded from playing the game, which make up a large percentage of the overall players according to the Steam Hardware Survey.

I went through the Steam Hardware Survey and tried to grab each GPU that is between the new minimum RTX 1070/Radeon RX 5600 XT and the old minimum RTX 2060/Radeon RX 6600 and get the percentage of the total gamer population to see how many new players will have access to play Alan Wake 2 thanks to this change.

Roughly 14.25% more players can now buy the game, if they are willing to install the Epic Game's Store. The decision by Remedy to lower the minimum requirements seems like the juice will have been worth the squeeze. 

You can see the official @alanwakeofficial Instagram account post the update below as well. 

Remedy is on the rise and moves like these win long-time fans. 

With recent reports that Remedy has purchased the rights to the Control series from 505 games, as well as the Max Payne remake under development, and Alan Wake 2 being a Game of the Year nominee, Remedy is on a meteoric rise. 

It's great to see a company that has so many irons in the fire continue to improve and work to bring its games to more gamers. Remedy makes some of the most unique games in the industry, with games like Quantum Break starting to get the love it deserves. While Alan Wake 2 didn't win Game of the Year last year, it did win a lot of other categories and did receive a nomination. 

Other companies should look to Remedy and see that sometimes we can expand the player base instead of trying to nickel and dime through pointless battle passes, microtransactions, or artificial grinding that can be skipped through in-game purchases. 

Hopefully, Alan Wake 2 can start to turn a profit soon, and more people will pick up and play this awesome game. Opening the game up to around 14% more gamers was a smart move and I'm glad to see this type of strategy in 2024 from a game studio. 

Palworld and Enshrouded are currently all the craze, but look out, another survival game is coming to town. Nightingale is splashing onto the scene in what Inflexion Games hopes to be glorious fashion. Taking notes from Enshrouded developers with their former game, Portal Knights, Nightingale is a real-based survival title where players will forge their own path across procedurally generated worlds.

Work your way towards the fabled city of Nightingale as players use the Realm Card system to craft cards in a bid to progress, explore, craft, and build in worlds that only they and their friends will see. To top it all off, Nightingale gives off heavy steampunk-inspired vibes. A favorite of many!

What is Nightingale?

Best Answer: Nightingale is a PVE open-world survival crafting game played solo or cooperatively with friends. Build, craft, fight, and explore as you venture through mystical portals into a variety of unique and fantastical realms.

Nightingale is a procedural survival crafting game where players will be tasked to take on new worlds via the Realmwalker system. As stated by Inflexion Games, "You are stranded beyond our world, cut off by the collapse of the arcane portal network. This catastrophe has left you fighting to survive in a labyrinth of beautiful and dangerous Fae realms. Your goal: become a skilled Realmwalker, and navigate the web of transdimensional portals. Only then can you discover your way to the magical city of Nightingale, the last known bastion of humanity."

When discussing what will be available to players in Nightingale come launch, “At the beginning of Early Access, the following features and content will be available. However, this is subject to change and everything featured is a work in progress:

• A multitude of realms to explore across three different biome types (forest, desert, and swamp)
• A large variety of creature types to hunt - from the smallest rabbit through to imposing Apex creatures
• Comprehensive building and crafting tools, alongside estate management
• Progression system spanning all aspects of gameplay
• Solo and online cooperative play up to six players.”

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When does Nightingale release?

Best Answer: Having pushed their date by two days, Nightingale will launch into Early Access on February 20th, 2024. While the full schedule for Early Access has yet to be revealed, the developers have stated they plan for Early Access to last around 9 to 12 months.

After a few stress tests, with the previous one lasting only a few hours at the beginning of February, Nightingale will launch on February 20th, 2024. After moving the release date up by two days, Inflexion Games made the following announcement, "Mark your calendars because we're opening the Portal network ahead of schedule! Nightingale will now launch into Early Access on February 20th, 2024. This will not only allow you all to start your adventures as a Realmwalker two days earlier than originally planned, but also give our team a head start in addressing any issues at launch before the busy weekend period."

As for how long the game would remain in Early Access, Inflexion Games noted this on their Steam page, "We currently predict that Nightingale will be in Early Access for 9-12 months. However, we don’t want to stick to a date and underdeliver on the experience. We’ll make sure that Nightingale will only leave Early Access when it’s ready."

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Is there a Nightingale roadmap?

Best Answer: No roadmap has currently been shared with the public. They have expanded briefly on their plans during Early Access by promising new biomes and the city of Nightingale. Once an official roadmap is revealed, we'll make sure to share it here.

When buying a game, especially one in Early Access like Palworld, players generally want to know what sort of planned support there will be post-launch. Things are no different for Nightingale. 

As stated by Inflexion Games, “We anticipate that Nightingale will evolve and expand significantly throughout Early Access, including the addition of more story content, new realm biomes to explore, as well as the introduction of the fabled City of Nightingale itself.”

Outside of this information, nothing else has been shared that involves plans for the future. However, we can build a basic list of ideas:

• Improved and new gameplay features
• New Realms
• New Realm Cards, including minor cards
• More crafting materials and recipes
• More weapons and items for players to use

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How much does Nightingale cost?

Best Answer: No price has been given as of yet, but considering games of similar scope and genre, it will likely be somewhere around $29.99 USD.

While the official price hasn't been revealed, a bot on their Discord currently lists the price as $29.99. Many other games in the genre, like Palworld and Enshrouded, were also launched at $29.99.

As for whether the price will change, Inflexion Games has made a statement on their Steam page to answer the following question: "Will the game be priced differently during and after Early Access?" 

“No current plans, but we will evaluate a price increase during Early Access and communicate any changes ahead of a 1.0 release.”

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Is Nightingale on Xbox or PS5?

Best Answer: At launch, the only available platforms will be Steam and the Epic Games Store. There are no current plans to bring it to consoles, such as Xbox and PlayStation.

Upon launch, Nightingale will be released on Steam and the Epic Games Store. However, that doesn't mean other platforms have been ruled out. Often, many games choose to release exclusively on PC in Early Access, only to come to consoles at a later date once the game has more features and is in a more stable state. 

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Is Nightingale on Game Pass?

Best Answer: Nightingale will not be available via Game Pass as of now. However, that doesn't mean Nightingale won't come at a later date. Microsoft has been known to show a lot of love for co-op games on Game Pass.

Microsoft is known for pushing coop games via Game Pass, especially with the addition of games such as Grounded and Valheim. Microsoft also isn't afraid to add these games to PC Game Pass prior to them being available on consoles, again noting Valheim.

As to whether Nightingale will eventually come to Xbox or Game Pass, one can only speculate. Nightingale, assuming the game is a success, would be an excellent addition to the service.

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Does Nightingale have multiplayer?

Best Answer: Like many survival titles, Nightingale will feature 2 to 6-player co-operative play. You can also choose to play solo.

Many survival games are released with coop, and Nightingale is no exception. Launching alongside Palworld and Enshrouded, other cooperative survival titles, Nightingale looks to put its own personal spin on the genre.

Players can host games of up to 6 players through Nightingale's official dedicated servers. At launch, private dedicated servers will not be available to players. This will allow Inflexion Games, former developers at Bioware, to better track and analyze player issues, performance, etc.

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Does Nightingale have PvP?

Best Answer: While many survival titles, like Rust and Dayz, have a focus on PvP, Nightingale will not have any PvP. Inflexion Games has promised to focus solely on single-player and cooperative experiences for its player base.

There are many survival games that concentrate on PvP for their communities. Especially in PC games like DayZ, Rust, and SCUM, it's very easy to see how many players desire a PvP-focused game. All have a current concurrent player count between 10,000 and 100,000 players.

Nightingale takes the alternate approach, focusing solely on PvE and cooperative play. While Palworld has promised to add PvP aspects, it's hit some ridiculous numbers at launch while only featuring PvE. Other survival games, like Enshrouded and Sons of the Forest, all forego PvP in favor of making a more streamlined, cooperative experience for players.

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Does Nightingale have a 3rd person mode?

Best Answer: Nightingale will feature a third-person mode after a desire was shared by the fanbase. When initially revealed, Nightingale did not have a third-person mode, but it was added as of June 2023.

Nightingale will support third-person, but Inflexion Games quickly pointed out on their Steam FAQ that it could be buggy.

"Nightingale started off in first-person only mode and that continues to be the default mode of the game, but based on significant community feedback, we began working on a third-person mode in 2022 and officially added it to the game in June 2023. Third-person mode should largely be functional at launch, but may experience a few more visual bugs than first-person."

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Is Nightingale procedurally generated?

Best Answer: All realms within Nightgale will use procedural generation upon creation. Even when using the same realm cards, the world you roll will look different than another player's world using the identical combination.

Procedural generation is commonly used in many games to help in multiple ways during game development. In some instances, it's also used as a standout feature in order to create more replayability for the game. A prominent example of this would be Minecraft. 

Nightingale will also use procedural generation. When entering a new realm, the area players enter will be created on the spot. No two areas will ever look exactly the same. However, players can expect to learn that certain card combinations will generate specific resources, bosses, areas, etc. Even if said areas are procedurally generated, there will still be standout features of the area, as I described above.

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What are Realm Cards?

Best Answer: Realm Cards are the method by which players will unlock more realms. Players will craft them using resources gathered from Realms and, in combination with other Realm Cards, unlock quite a few different worlds with a plethora of various effects of items, enemies, resources, and more.

According to the developer, "Realm Cards are the main way Realmwalkers open the portal network. Players will be able to craft them based on materials they find in the environment and will be able to affect several things in the Realm they travel to." 

They've also added another Realm Card feature, the Realmic Transmuter. "While the functionality of Realm cards remains the same, Minor Realm Cards are now activated at Realmic Transmuters found in each Realm. Realmic Transmuters transform the Realm you're currently situated in instantly based on the magikal properties pertaining to the card."

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How does Nightingale progress save?

Best Answer: Save progress in Nightingale will be tied to each individual player. Personal mission progress will not be shared. World progress will be server-based.

As per Inflexion Games, "Nightingale allows players to progress through quests and challenges at their own pace. Main progression is character-based, so asynchronous co-op multiplayer won’t leave other players missing mainline content."

As for built structures, items, weapons, etc, these will all be shareable with other players in your session. So long as players each set that realm to what Inflexion Games referred to as their respite point, others can boot that realm up at any time without the original host.

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Does Nightingale have controller support?

Best Answer: Nightgale will have full controller support on both Steam and Epic Games Store. Players can fully utilize standard Xbox controllers, as well as DualSense via USB.

These days, games rarely launch without some controller support; when they do, players are quick to point out it's missing. Nightingale will feature full controller support for Xbox and PlayStation controllers. The only caveat is that the DualSense will work via USB, while the Xbox controller will not require such a connection.

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Is Nightingale playable on Steam Deck?

Best Answer: It's unknown if Nightingale will work on Steam Deck, as according to the developers, "We are currently working on Steam Deck compatibility and hope to provide an update ahead of Early Access launch or soon after."

Steam Deck, ROG Ally, and more handhelds have been making quite a splash since their introductions. With that, many games attempt to target said audience with their games by either working around the hardware limitations of the handheld market or creating specific modes that said hardware can handle. So what about Nightingale?

Thus far, Nightingale doesn't look like a game that will be easily handled by the Steam Deck. My guess is that Nightingale won't run exceptionally well on handhelds at launch. There is a chance, down the road, that Nightingale could very well work on Steam Deck and other handheld devices.

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Update Jan. 11 11 a.m. ET - The free period for Guardians of the Galaxy has now ended. 

Original article follows.

What you need to know

• Epic Games Store frequently releases games for free via the storefront.
• All players need is an account; they don't even need a payment method.
• Guardians of the Galaxy, released in 2021, is now free through Epic Games.
• It will be available until January 11th, 10:00 AM PST
• The game went on to win Best Narrative at the 2021 Game Awards show.

The Epic Games Store has been giving away free titles consistently since its launch in 2018. To do so, they've spent millions in acquiring games that range from indies to AAA titles such as Alien Isolation, Plague Tale: Innocence, and Death Stranding. All players need to do is create an account and purchase the game through the storefront for $0.00. 

I'll be the first to admit that I should have taken advantage of this deal more often. Being pressed about using a different platform that isn't Steam is a similar quality found in many PC gamers, one that we should start to drop. Of all moments, now is the point to cast those sentiments aside. My personal Game of the Year for 2021 and former Game Awards Narrative winner of 2021, Guardians of the Galaxy, is now free on the Epic Games Store.

While I didn't technically play this game until it launched on Game Pass in early 2022, I still found it rocked its way to the top of my list through a mixture of rich characters, funny dialogue, and gameplay that pushed the harmonious aspects of the cast. 

You don't have to take my word for it; check out some snippets of what users say about it themselves on Steam (Epic doesn't have user reviews as of writing).

Our own Richard Devine was head over heels for it, saying, "Guardians of the Galaxy looks good, sounds great, plays well, and above all else, is an authentic experience based on Marvel's misfits."

So, what's keeping you from playing it? If you have a capable PC, there's no reason not to try. Even if you're not an enormous fan of the Epic Games Store, it's time to redownload or open it up. The galaxy needs its Guardians. 

What you need to know

• The GOTY Edition of Fallout 3 that includes all five of the game's DLC expansions is available for free right now on the Epic Games Store, and once you claim it, you'll get to keep it forever.
• This offer is only available until December 24, 2023 at 8 a.m. PT / 11 a.m. ET, so make sure you take advantage of it today before it goes off the table.
• Fallout 3 was Bethesda's first Fallout game, and is also widely regarded as one of its best RPGs. Even today, 15 years later, it remains a fan-favorite.
• Codes for the Steam version of the game are also heavily discounted right now, and you can play it on Xbox through Xbox Game Pass.

'Twas the night before Christmas, and piles of presents were nestled under the tree. Yet all your heart yearned for was a copy of Fallout 3. With great sadness, you realized to get it would cost a fee. Yet, there was no reason to fret, my dear friend — the Epic Games Store offered it for free!

...or something. It's actually December 23, so it's not quite the night before Christmas yet, but you get the point: the ultimate Game of the Year edition of Fallout 3 that includes all five of its DLC expansions is being offered for free right now on the Epic Games Store, and once you claim it, you'll get to keep the fan-favorite RPG forever. This offer is only available until December 24, 2023 at 8 a.m. PT / 11 a.m. ET, though, so make sure you take advantage of it today before it comes off the table.

Released back in 2008, Fallout 3 was the first game in the franchise that developer Bethesda put together after acquiring the post-apocalyptic RPG series from Interplay Entertainment in 2007. It's also notable for being the first Fallout game in a 3D space; previous titles had an isometric 2D perspective.

Set in 2277 — 36 years after the events of Fallout 2, and 200 after nuclear war devastated the world — Fallout 3 takes place in what used to be parts of Maryland, Virginia, and Washington D.C. that are now known as the "Capital Wasteland." The player takes control of a young adult who's spent their entire life in a specialized underground bunker known as Vault 101, though after their father mysteriously leaves the Vault and heads to the outside wasteland, they too venture out to look for him.

During your journey as "The Lone Wanderer," you'll come across countless different settlements and factions in the open world, and will be able to interact with them in a number of different ways. Quests also have plenty of varied outcomes depending on choices you make and actions you take, and attentive players will also be able to find tons of unique weapons, armors, and pieces of fascinating lore that flesh out the Capital Wasteland. Additionally, as you level, you'll be able to rank up different skills that improve how effective you are at persuasion, healing, sneaking around undetected, and pretty much everything else you can do.

It may be over 15 years old now (goodness, time flies), but Fallout 3 still stands tall as one of Bethesda's best RPG titles, and also one of the best Xbox games and best PC games for fans of the genre. Honestly, dated graphics aside, I'd even say it's a better game than Starfield — and right now, you can get it for free and keep it forever. Why not pick it up?

If you're not a fan of the Epic Games Store and would prefer to own Fallout 3 on Steam, you can currently get a Steam code for the base game for just $2.13 on GreenManGaming thanks to its Winter Sale, with the GOTY Edition only a few dollars more at $5.61. You can also get a copy of the GOTY Edition on Xbox for a few dollars off on Amazon right now. Additionally, on both Xbox and PC, Fallout 3 is playable through Xbox Game Pass, though annoyingly, only the PC version includes the game’s DLC.

What you need to know

• Alan Wake 2 is available now on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and Windows PC via the Epic Games Store.
• The latest patch for Alan Wake 2 is now available on all platforms.
• This patch contains over 200 fixes, including an improvement to image quality on consoles in Performance mode and on Xbox Series S.

One of the best games of the year is getting even better. 

Remedy Entertainment shared the details on the latest patch for Alan Wake 2 on Wednesday. This patch includes over 200 fixes across all platforms, meaning players should have a better experience regardless of where they choose to play the game. 

Notably, Remedy Entertainment says that image quality on consoles should improve when playing on Xbox Series S, or when playing in performance mode on Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5. You can check out the full list of patch notes below:

Global

• Various localization fixes, such as improved subtitle timings for all languages
• Improved localized audio for live-action cinematics
• Various audio-related improvements and additional polish
• Improved lip sync in some instances
• Fixed various graphical issues in the environments
• Fixed various minor issues in cinematics
• Minor improvements to image aliasing in Performance mode and Xbox Series S
• Improved lighting
• Fixed lighting bugs in multiple locations
• Various UI-related fixes and additional polish
• Various gameplay fixes and improvements
• Minor gameplay finetuning
• Improved auto-aim for specific circumstances
• Fixed rare player character animation issues
• Fixed various issues in the Case Board
• Fixed various map issues
• Several conversations failing to trigger and thus blocking progress later have been fixed
• Fixed Rose’s dialogue choices, sometimes not being selectable, blocking progress
• Fixed a rare issue with Saga’s lines not playing when going to the Sheriff’s Station, blocking progress
• Resolved a potential problem in the player getting stuck in a Case Board Tutorial
• Fixed exploration rewards for Lighthouse 

Mission specific

• INVITATION
  • Fixed a bug where Saga could get stuck in the environment (“Crazy forest”)
• CASEY
  • Fixed potential issue with players able to get stuck when falling from ladders
  • Fixed potential issues with Dark Presence (it remains a threat)
  • Fixed a rare crash
• ZANE’S FILM
  • Fixed a bug where Alan could fall through the environment
• SCRATCH
  • Fixed a bug where Saga could fall through the world
  • Fixed a bug in where a gate could get locked after reloading a save game, causing the player to get blocked from progressing
  • Fixed an issue where, in rare circumstances, the player could end up outside of the game world when opening the map
  • Fixed an issue where, in rare cases, the Lighthouse key could not be picked up
• WE SING
  • Fixed a bug where Alan could get stuck in the environment
• ROOM 665
  • Fixed an issue that caused the Oceanview Hotel Lobby Echo not to align correctly (this one was really annoying; we apologize)
• MASKS
  • Fixed an issue where if the player performed specific tasks in an unpredictable order, the mission progress could get blocked
• DEERFEST
  • Fixed an issue (much to Rose’s chagrin) with physics-related props that could block the player in and halt progress
• COME HOME
  • Fixed an issue where the player, in rare instances, could not exit the radio, TV, or manuscript interact modules. 
    
    

PC issues

• Fixed a bug that could cause graphics settings to reset when launching the game
• Improvements to PC Window handling logic
• Fixed mouse cursor sometimes not appearing in menus 

Analysis: A fantastic game gets even better

Alan Wake 2 was already a fantastic experience, so it's good to see the team at Remedy addressing any remaining problems. In my review of Alan Wake 2, I noted that it was an awesome (if messy) time, and part of that was due to running into several technical issues, so newer players not having to deal with those problems is a good thing. 

I have seen some Xbox players complaining about an audio drop issue, primarily in the earliest chapters of the game. If you're one of the ones that has experienced this problem, please be sure to share if this patch fixed it for you or not.

Remnant 2 has become one of my favorite games of 2023. Blending a perfect mixture of Soulslike difficulty and boss fights alongside gun-based combat. Throw in incredible puzzles, and you've got yourself a recipe to make my must-play list. Along with that comes plenty of challenging hardships players will face. Follow us as we try to help you along the way with our Remnant 2 guides. 

Today, we're taking on the Nightweaver, Dreamcatcher weapon, Red Prince, and more! I'll try to make this dive into Losomn as painless as possible!

So, you've started in Morrow Parish? Then get ready for what I consider one of the better questlines in Remnant 2. You'll meet larger-than-life characters that almost make no sense as to why they exist, discover a piece to unlocking the Invader and Archon archetypes, and defeat one of the most demanding bosses in the game. Let us get started.

Progress through the Morrow Parish as you normally would until you come to the locked gate of the Sanatorium. You'll know you're on the right path when you do. For now, there's nothing you can do to unlock this. You'll have to make it further to do so.

You'll encounter multiple side areas, but one of these paths will lead you directly to the Sanatorium. For me, it was the longest way around. I found plenty of fantastic side zones that you should try for yourself, from the Cotton Kiln, to the Great Sewers.

Find the dolls

You'll eventually come to a broken wall that surrounds the Sanatorium. Enter the building, where you'll encounter a new enemy type, the unsexy nurse.

Ultimately, you'll come across a safe. The code to this safe can either be deciphered later, via a song a crazy woman behind a door sings, or by entering 2971! Inside the safe, you'll find one of my favorite secondary weapons, the Double Barrel shotgun. Once upgraded, this thing one-shots almost every single smaller foe in the game, trivializing some mobs. 

Adjacent to this room is your next objective. You'll find a carved doll, the first of three you'll need to find. Why do you need to? If you want the Dreamcatcher weapon, Invader, or Archon class, you'll need it.

Boss Guide: Ripsaw

Now go ahead and open the front door of the Sanatorium. You can head toward the gate and open it. After you do, walk toward the shed in the courtyard. There, you'll meet the Ripsaw boss. This guy deals massive damage if you allow him to flog you with his chainsaw.

• His main form of attack is to charge the player with his chainsaw fully revved. Wait until he gets near you, then roll toward his attack. Use your invincibility window to dodge through him.
• After this attack, he'll stop, and eventually, his chainsaw will die. This is an incredible opportunity to hit him with whatever you have. Bleed and fire weapons such as Merciless or the Fire Bullet mod work well. In other words, put some sort of effect stack on him.
• His other attack is trickier to dodge. Occasionally he'll teleport right next to you, and as he does, he'll take a swing. Meaning the moment he gets near you; he's already dealing damage. However, this attack is telegraphed. Before it happens, a glitch pattern will appear near the player. Dodge the moment you see this, and you'll be okay.

Once he falls, he drops the third-floor key as well as the Striker mutator. It's a melee mutator that can be equipped only on melee weapons. Any hit by said weapon with the mutator equipped increases melee damage by 3% for 10 seconds for a total of 5 maximum stacks.

Find the dolls again

Now you can take the carved doll in the back of the shed. This gives us two dolls in total. The final is at the top of the Sanatorium. Work your way up and collect the final doll, where you'll find the Prison Cell Key as well outside on the balcony

Head downstairs and talk with the imprisoned doctor behind the steel door. She's inside being a crazy lady. Tell her you've found all the dolls and give them to her. She'll then sing a song that, when deciphered, gives us the original safe code, 2791. 

Go ahead and open the door, even as she tells you not to. Walk in and collect the Nightweaver Stone Doll.

Next, proceed back up to the third floor. You may have seen a glowing door painted on the wall prior; if not, go ahead and find it. Now walk through it and proceed to meet Nimue.

Nimue

Once you've been teleported inside, proceed forward. After a short jog through a tunnel, you'll come face to face with a giantess of a woman, Nimue. She'll tell you that you need to kill the Nightweaver before the Nightweaver kills you. To do this, you'll have to enter her lair. 

The only way inside is to find the heart of one of the Nightweaver's victims. Once you're done with the conversation, choose to be teleported to another area in Losomn. From here, you'll need to find the Gilded Halls.

Boss Guide: Red Prince

You can skip the fight with the Red Prince and obtain the Bloody Steel Splinter, which can be crafted into the Blood Draw mod. This mod shoots chains that impale up to 5 targets within 15 meters, dealing 10 damage. The enemies will then be pulled towards the caster, dealing 250 damage split equally among enemies and applying 275 bleed damage over 15 seconds. To do this, collect 3 King Coins.

However, you can also fight him instead. Fighting him is obviously the more challenging of the two options, but it's also the only way players can obtain the Firestorm mod. This mod generates a whirling cyclone that sucks in nearby targets (including the caster) and applies burning for 10 seconds. The cyclone's center deals 75 fire damage per second and lasts 15 seconds.

What should you pick?

In my personal opinion, if you have the skill and fortitude to take on the Red Prince, you should. As the Firestorm mod is one of the best in the game. Whipping out flocks of enemies in an instant. The hardest part of using the mod, is making sure you don't kill yourself.

Once you've reached the Red Prince, go ahead and make your decision. Whatever you choose, you'll be able to take the next step toward the Nightweaver.

The fight (If you chose to do so)

• Flame Wave: The Red Prince swings his sword, sending a flame arc toward the player. Evade through these by using your invisibility frames. There's no other way to dodge this.
• Flame Circle: You'll need to get to the center of a giant fire circle. Anything outside of this center will die. Flame walls appear around you; find the center of this area to survive.
• Duplication: The Red Prince will periodically create two versions of himself. They don't have a lot of health, so take them out quick. Otherwise, they will apply burn and curse to the player on hit.
• Teleport: The Red Prince will close distance with the player by teleporting next to you. He'll take a four-swing combo, so get ready to dodge.

Once he's down, collect your mod and head outside of the arena.

Whether you defeated the Red Prince or chose to give him the 3 King Coins, there is a door outside of his throne room that is now open. Head down this door until you come across the Nightweaver. She'll disappear, leaving behind her most recent victim. You can collect the Soulkey Tribute from this body and return it to the Sanatorium.

Once back at the Sanatorium, head downstairs to the web you may or may not have seen earlier. Interact with it and place the Nightweaver Doll inside to receive the Dreamcatcher. Place the Soulkey Tribute to go ahead and face the Nightweaver.

Boss Guide: Nightweaver

• Phase One Attacks:
  • Slam: The Nightweaver will charge the player and cause an area-of-effect type attack. Players can dodge this by timing their evade to match when the wave hits.
  • Crystal Shots: She
• Phase Two Attacks:
  • Minions: The Nightweaver will occasionally summon spiders to assist her during the mansion phase of the fight. There's nothing special about them; simply drop them. If you're able to follow her into the room she's in during this phase, you can deal massive damage while she stands still. If you manage to break her heart during this phase, you can also claim the Nightweaver's Finger which can be crafted into the Nightshade melee weapon.
  • Charge: While crawling on the ground, she'll again make a charge attack. This time, she takes two rather quick swings. The windup to this attack is short, so be on guard for it.

Once finished, claim your Cursed Dream Silks. Turn this in at the home base for the long gun, Nightfall. This weapon is rather excellent and is one of my favored firearms in the game. It comes with the Dreadwalker mod allowing players to enter the Nightmare Realm. Doing so grants infinite ammo for the weapon, a 35% increased fire rate, 10% lifesteal, and it becomes fully automatic. It also makes the wielder harder to hit. The effect lasts for 10 seconds.

Congrats on defeating the Nightweaver and claiming victory over Losomn! Make sure to check out more of our Remnant 2 guides to help conquer the worlds around you!

Meet Remnant 2, the love child of Dark Souls mixed with the action of Gears of War. Blazoned with guns, outlandish boss fights, challenging underlings, and loot to boot, Remnant 2 is one of my favorite games this year.

One of the favored elements is the archetype system. Allowing players to play how they want to, they can pick and choose different classes, skills, and more to help defeat the worlds ahead of them. The Invader class is one of the strongest, featuring abilities that allow players more opportunities to negotiate damage and endure. So how the heck do you get it? Follow this guide to find out.

Perks and Skills

Prime Perk: Shadow

When placed in your first archetype slot, you'll receive the Invader class prime perk. Casting one of your Invader skills leaves a decoy for 3 seconds. This decoy will draw enemy attacks. Your attacks also deal an additional 5% damage to any enemy not targeting the Invader themselves.

Every archetype gets four perks that players will unlock and upgrade as they level said archetype. Starting at level 1, players will only have access to their first perk, which is noted as a damage perk. At level 2, players unlock their team perk, followed by a utility perk at level 3, and a relic perk at level 4.

Perks:

These get upgraded versions as well. The damage, team, utility, and relic perk are upgraded at levels 6, 7, 8, and 9, respectively. These upgrades are more than a small tick, as they not only increase the original stat modifier significantly but add even more value. Let's look at the Invader perks to get a better understanding of exactly what it is I mean.

• S.H.A.R.K.: This is the Invader's damage perk. Sprinting for 1 second or evading adds a stack of momentum which increases ranged and melee damage by 0.7% for 15 seconds. This effect stacks five times. 
  • The upgraded version of this perk is even better. Granting a better stack of momentum, which adds a 7% increase to ranged and melee damage when sprinting for 1 second or evading, as well as increasing your ranged and melee critical chance by 1% for 15 seconds. All of these effects can have a maximum of 5 stacks as well.
• Loophole: The team perk grants 5% life steal to all ally ranged and melee damage against enemies distracted by the Invaders decoy. This perk is only useful when Invader is used in slot one, as the prime perk needs to be active.
  • When reaching level 7, this effect is increased to 7.5%. 
• Circumvent: The utility perk offers a reduced cost to evade and combat slide by 10%.
  • At level 8, the cost is reduced by 15%. Perfect dodges also gain an additional 15% reduction.
• Override: Using a relic reduces your threat generation by 25% for 10 seconds. When this perk is active, the next evade leaves an empowered decoy that lasts for 4 seconds.
  • When upgraded, the decoy lasts for 5.5 seconds.

Skills

• Void Cloak: The beginning skills for Invaders. This allows players to automatically perfect dodge incoming direct damage for 60 seconds. This means Area of Effect damage, or indirect damage, won't trigger this effect. Every auto-evade that is triggered reduces the timer by 33%-100% based on the damage absorbed and also spawns a decoy for 3 seconds. 75-second cooldown.
• Worm Hole: At level 5, players can now cast the Worm Hole skill; the next ranged or melee attack within 5 seconds will deal 300% increased damage. This skill is best paired alongside Hunter. Popping a critical skill with a high-damage, low-ammo weapon will give Worm Hole the best bang for your buck. 35-second cooldown.
• Reboot: This skill initiates a data backup when used. The caster's current health, stamina, relic charges, ammo, and adverse status effects are stored for 30 seconds. While active, players also gain 15% increased movement speed and damage reduction by 10%. Reactivating the skill restores all saved values from the backup and spawns a decoy that lasts for 3 seconds. 55-second cooldown.

As you can see, the goal is to reach level 10. Reboot is absolutely busted and provides the player an extra life every 55 seconds. 

Trait

The trait for Invaders is called Untouchable. At level 1, players increase their invulnerability window by 3%. Each level roughly increases this by 3%, all the way to 30% at level 10.

What pairs well as a second archetype?

Invader enhances damage while creating room for survivability. Doubling down on one of these two is the way to go. 

When playing in a group, pairing Invader with Hunter or Gunslinger works best. Gunslinger is my personal favorite, as this increases your overall damage by a significant amount. Adding not only to your raw damage numbers but increasing reload speed and fire rate with the level 10 Bulletstorm skill. If you want to focus on the survivability aspect, then switch over to Medic, Challenger, or Summoner. 

I'm personally split between Medic and Summoner. While Medic provides a free heal or shield for allies every 30 seconds, Summoner also provides a constant regenerative healing effect. Pairing this with the decoy and throwing out one or two summons to deal damage while your run around evading and healing is excellent as well. I suggest Medic for group play and Summoner for solo.

How to obtain?

To get the Invader archetype involves one of the hardest quests to obtain it, second only to the Archon, which we'll cover in another guide. First, you'll need to acquire the Dreamcatcher weapon if you haven't already.

To get the Dreamcatcher, players will need to have Losomn unlocked. This area feels heavily inspired by Bloodborne and has some enemies to match it. You'll also need the Nightweaver questline. If you don't already have this, reroll the campaign.

With the weapon in hand, proceed through the game until you reach Root Earth. Which is the final world you'll find in Remnant 2, no matter your path in the game. This world is entirely preset, so your playthrough won't be any different. This will be in the exact location every time.

Keep on going until you've reached an area called Corrupted Harbor. It's here that you'll find a cargo bay area. In said area is a side passage the player can take that will lead to a somewhat larger opening. A stone with a glowing purple light is nestled in the middle of the zone. Approach it with the Dreamcatcher equipped and strike the area. You'll obtain the Walker's Dream.

This item is consumable, so equip it on your hotbar. Use the object, and you'll be transported to a nightmarish version of the area with a monstrous boss before you. Buckle up, kid.

Boss Guide: Bane

• Like the taller versions you came across leading up to this area, he'll slowly approach the player. Keep your distance, and focus attack his eye.
• A raised foot means a shockwave attack is incoming. Wait for the wave of the attack to approach you, then dodge.
• Periodically, Bane will summon other enemies to fight you. The nastiest of the bunch is a somewhat ravenous shaman. Prioritize these enemies before turning your attention back to Bane.

After toppling this giant, you'll receive two items. One, will be the Supercharger mutator, which increases charge speed of bows and fusions rifles by 10%. The second item is the Wooden Shiv. 

Head back to Ward 13 and find Wallace. Turn in the Wooden Shiv for the Serrated Root Blade item. Congrats, as you've now unlocked the Invader archetype! Make sure to check out our other guides if you're struggling with anything in Remnant 2!

Remnant 2 is Gunfire games take on the souls genre. Where once sword and magic dominated in a fantasy realm, Remnant 2's version features guns, lasers, and Star Gate portal worlds. Fight through expansive, procedurally driven worlds in solo, and in coop. Remnant 2's combat is as tough as some of its systems, which aren't exactly forthcoming with some of the details. That's what we're here for, though. 

Follow our guides on how best to tackle these dungeons, enemies, and various bosses. We'll help you get the most out of your experience. It should be easy since we already went through all the pain and suffering for you. 

In this guide, we'll look at unlocking the engineer, who can drop sentry guns to help you manage Remnant 2's bestial swarms. 

Remnant 2: What is the engineer class?

The Engineer class is one of my favorites in Remnant 2. Giving solo players another great option to help take on the hordes of enemies and bosses alike while helping to defeat that feeling of playing alone. It's much like playing Roland from Borderlands; the archetype can deploy different types of sentry guns depending on the skill selected.

Remnant 2 Engineer: Perks

There are four perks to unlock for every archetype. Each will unlock at a certain level and their separate upgrades. Perks 1, 2, 3, and 4 unlock at those levels, while their upgrades unlock at levels 6, 7, 8, and 9, respectively.

• Metal Worker: Being the initial perk the class acquires, it increases skill damage by 5%. It also grants heavy weapons with 5% extra ammo capacity and 2.5% increased health. When upgraded, skill damage increases by 50%, and the skill critical chance increases by 10%. This perk increases your turret damage significantly. Heavy weapons gain 50% extra ammo capacity, 25% max health, 25% max health, and 25% weakspot damage.
• Magnetic Field: At level 2, players can grant allies a 15% damage reduction when standing within 2.5 meters of heavy weapons. This perk gains the added benefit of gradually replenishing ammo to allies within the same radius.
• Heavy Mobility: Player movement speed is increased when using a heavy weapon by 35%. When upgraded, players evade speed and distance is also increased by 25%.
• Surplus: On relic use, heavy ammo is refilled by 15%. This bonus is doubled when the weapon is not in use. Once players reach level 9 and upgrade this perk, Engineers will drop ammo over the maximum amount on the ground for other players to use.

Remnant 2 Engineer: Skills

• Vulcan: At level 1, players can use the Vulcan, which acts much like a minigun. Like all weapons the Engineer can deploy, you can either carry it ala Master Chief or put it on the ground in an automated fashion. Two guns are always better than one. Turrets will prioritize the enemy the player is shooting at first; if the player hits the skill button again, you can enable autonomous targeting. 
• Flamethrower: Once players reach level 5, they get the all-powerful Flamethrower. This weapon is especially good in Yaesha and, later on, Root Earth. Root-ridden enemies are highly susceptible to fire. This skill is an absolute must for players using this class in these portions of the game.
• Impact Cannon: Level 10 introduces the Impact Cannon. While in your hands, the weapon acts as a powerful railgun-type weapon. Hold to fire, and a strong projectile will launch within a moment dealing devastating damage. While deployed on the ground, it will unleash a disastrous AoE-type attack. Hitting everything around it as though a shotgun hit it.

How to unlock the Remnant 2 engineer

Unlocking the Engineer class becomes far more manageable once the Explorer class is obtained, but it's possible without it. The corresponding guide was done using the Explorer class. However, players can instead find a similar rock formation at the edge of the map to obtain the Engineer armor and class. If you want to use the Explorer class, check out our guide on the very subject.

To obtain it, players must first reach N'Erud. In doing so, you'll need to look for the Titan's Reach checkpoint. In this world, there seem to be two "outside" areas that players can reach. In both playthroughs of N'Erud, I found this checkpoint in the second outside area. This can be either the Timeless Horizon or The Eon Vault area.

Scanning the outskirts of the map using the Explorer class, you'll eventually come across an outline of a dead alien in the fog. This fog will cause the Curse effect on the player. When reaching a full stack, this instantly kills them. Before jumping in, you can use a Purified Salve, which not only cures Curse but gives the player resistance to the effect.

Grab the armor off of the corpse, then jump to the left side. Down a few meters, you'll find the Alien Device. After grabbing it, don't worry about making it back. You'll most likely be dead within the next second or two anyways.

Turn in the Alien Device

Now head back to Ward 13 and find Wallace. Trade with him, and you'll have the option to obtain the Drzyr Caliper. It'll cost 1000 scrap, the Alien Device, and 10 Lumenite Crystals. Check out our scrap and Lumenite guide if you're having trouble obtaining those.

The Engineer archetype is now yours! Congratulations!

Remnant 2 is one of the best Xbox games and best PC games of 2023, somewhat unexpectedly. For more Remnant 2 guides and news, head here. 

Remnant 2 is Gunfire games take of the Souls genre. Where once sword and magic dominated in a fantasy realm, Remnant 2's version features guns, lasers and Star Gate portal worlds. Fight through expansive, procedurally driven worlds in solo, and in coop.

Follow our guides on how best to tackle these dungeons, enemies and various bosses. We'll help you get the most out of your experience. It should be easy since we already went through all the pain and suffering for you!

Remnant 2 materials list: What are these things for?

• Scrap: Currency for purchasing items, upgrades, mods, etc.
• Lumenite Crystals: These generally drop from elite enemies in the game. They're a requirement for upgrading, crafting, and more. They're an essential resource that the player will always need more of. So, where's the best place to get these?
• Iron: The types of iron ingame are: Iron, Forged Iron, Galvanized Iron, and Hardened Iron. These are the basic materials needed to upgrade weapons from their base levels.

Remnant 2 Best Farming Gear (Optional)

• Vacuum Seal Ring: Increases automatic pickup range for scrap by 100%. Picking up scrap, iron, or ammo grants a shield for 10% of max health for l0s. Does not stack. This is found as a random world drop in N’Erud.
• Scavengers Bauble: Increases scrap pickups by 50%. Automatically picks up any nearby crafting materials. Another random world drop, this one is found in Yaesha.

Early Game

Lumenite Crystals

Early game, it's easy to obtain via the Labyrinth. Go to the Fractured Ingress checkpoint. From there, when facing the portal, turn left and head up the staircase. At the top, some smaller enemies will spawn alongside an elite on the far side of the area. Take out the smaller foes first, then follow up with the elite. Feel free to spend your weapon mods.

Pick up the scrap, upgrade materials, and an easy Lumenite Crystal. Then you can do one of two things here. Either run down to the checkpoint and use it or swallow your Liquid Escape. No matter which you end up doing, you'll cause the enemies to respawn in the area. Giving you another chance at a Lumenite Crystal. 

Hotkeying your Liquid Escape is slightly faster, as this kills you and respawns you at the checkpoint down the staircase. Thus skipping the time that it takes to run down there.

Scrap

Killing enemies and harvesting scrap is the best option through your first few worlds. If you want to save up early, you can beat whatever world you roll first, then reroll it in adventure mode a few times. If you come across an item you've already acquired, you'll make an excellent 250 to 750 scrap from it. Picking up the same things repeatedly can cause some serious scrap to pile up quickly. Meaning repeated boss encounters can give an average of 1,000 scrap per fight.

Another method is by selling items. Lumenite Crystals sell for 150 a pop, while Blood Moon Essence sells for 125. I was able to go out in Yaesha to trigger a Blood Moon event in the Faithless Thicket, where I racked up around 6 or 7 essences for every Root Fairy I killed. If you're wondering what they look like, check the photo below.

Shoot the orbs from the sky and they'll be drawn to you giving you one Blood Moon Essence per orb. 

Iron

Taking on enemies and completing worlds will gradually give players the necessary upgrade materials. Thoroughly exploring areas will also grant players a decent amount of materials. If you're running a few short, they can be purchased from vendors in Ward 13.

Late Game

Lumenite Crystals

The best farming method for these is to head to the Corrupted Harbor on Root Earth. Starting from the checkpoint, head forward towards the boss area and kill the elites along the way. You should end up with anywhere from 7 to 9 Lumenite Crystals every run. 

Using a high-crit weapon is best, as the elites here are extremely slow and sluggish. Making their eye weak spots incredibly easy to take advantage of. You can also use the Merciless weapon if you have it to apply Bleed. This allows players to swap between these guys when there's two or three available to kill in a single area.

Scrap

Again, Root Earth is the best area for this. Most enemies drop scrap, making it extremely easy to get. I like to run through this area with the Alpha/Omega you get from the last boss or basic LMG upgraded. You can also sell the Lumenite Crystals from the elites, giving you an extra 800 scrap every run.

Iron

Root Earth is the end all. I really can't recommend this area enough to players. Elites drop materials, and so do basic enemies from time to time. 

Remnant 2 is Gunfire games take of the Souls genre. Where once sword and magic dominated in a fantasy realm, Remnant 2's version features guns, lasers and Star Gate portal worlds. Fight through expansive, procedurally driven worlds in solo, and in coop.

Follow our guides on how best to tackle these dungeons, enemies and various bosses. We'll help you get the most out of your experience. It should be easy since we already went through all the pain and suffering for you!

Enemies

• Root Flyers: As the name implies, these guys float around. They also shoot annoying energy balls at the player that deal a decent amount of damage but are easy to avoid. Sidestep around these guys and take these suckers out!
• Root Slasher: These guys come at you first as a hulking giant slasher. Dropping them is step one, killing their flying form is step two. If left alive, they bury themselves and emerge once more in their hulk form.

Puzzle Guide: Nameless Tower

Coming into the Nameless Nest, you'll first find a checkpoint. Walk by it, making sure to activate it. Continue forward, and you'll come across a rather large tower standing tall amongst the landscapes near it. Take note of the staircases leading up as well.

At the first staircase, there's a lower wall. Approach it, and you'll discover it's an illusionary wall. Inside is a dial, one of which you may have seen in places such as The Lament or Imperial Garden. Next, we'll need to find those symbols.

Carry on up the staircase and approach the tower. In the middle, there will be an elevator; let's take it up top. Don't worry; rolling won't cause you to fall off. Trust me, I tried.

Once you reach the canopy, you'll see a chest before you. Go ahead and open it; inside is some scrap, upgrade materials, and the Slayer's Crest. The ring boosts melee damage by 25% when attacking enemies from behind. Although, I can't think of many opportunities I've had to do so.

Now, let us head back down. Once at the bottom, activate the elevator again, but jump off before it goes up. The old Dark Souls trick. As the elevator ascends, you'll notice familiar symbols rising that match the dial in the illusionary room at the bottom of the staircase. Please take note of the characters, as you'll need to remember which ones and the order in which they're shown. While I'm not entirely sure, these symbols are most likely refreshed on every rerolled world like other puzzles. 

Enter the illusionary room again and interact with the dial. The symbol at the bottom of the elevator will correspond to the same symbol on the innermost ring of the dial. And likewise, the symbol at the top of the elevator must match that of the symbol on the outermost ring of the dial. 

Once they're appropriately lined, dial it in. A door before you will unlock, allowing you to grab the Blooming Heart. My favorite relic as of late. On use, the Blooming Heart heals the user for 35% of the caster's max health over 5 seconds. It spawns 3 healing orbs, which grant 35% of the caster's max health over 5 seconds. These orbs last for 20 seconds. Recasting removes previous orbs. A someone who's mainly playing solo, this effectively grants me 140% healing for 20 seconds. When I do play coop, this gives easy team heals for my partners.

The rest of the area is a straight path, with Root Flyers attacking you from everywhere and giving a sneak peek at what's ahead. Along the way, you might come across another boss, The Wealk Stalker and The Gnarled Archer.

Boss Guide: The Weald Stalker and The Gnarled Archer

You'll potentially come across this boss after dropping down a few stone ledges into what appears to be a small underground lair. It's only a chance you'll see them here, as they can also spawn in the Imperial Garden, Forgotten Field, or the Expanding Glade.

Attacks

• Lightning Strike: The Gnarled Archer shoots an empowered version of the Root Slayer archer attack. Coming from above, this hit as an electrical discharge, stunning the player and dealing a considerable amount of damage. If you see the cloud forming above you, roll away. Shotting him in the head during his attacks will cause him to become stunned.
• Gunfire: The Weald Stalker will take shots at the player using an empowered rifle. Hitting his head repeatedly, just like the archer, will cause him to stun lock and cancel his attack.
• Summon Enemies: They'll spawn Root Sniper and Root Warts during the fight. Having a coop partner or Handler archetype to pull aggro makes this incredibly easy. If not, focus these foes to down quickly.

Dodge these attacks and focus-fire one of the targets down. Personally, I found the archer to be far more annoying overall. So, dealing with him first felt best. Once he was out of the way, I could more easily deal with the sniper. Once the sniper is down, the loot is yours.

They'll drop Corrupted Lumenite Crystals, scrap, upgrade materials, and the Bandit mutator. On hit, the mutator grants a 10% chance to return spent ammo directly into the magazine of this weapon.

Boss Guide: Mother Mind

Toward the end of the dungeon, you'll encounter a grey boss wall next to a checkpoint. Go ahead and gear up and get ready for the fight ahead. You'll be greeted with a cutscene upon entering the arena.

Attacks

• Summon Flyers: Mother Mind will occasionally summon flyers to fight the player. When she does, focus on these extras as they deal considerable damage over time if ignored.
• Blood Pool Splash: The boss will occasionally drop large pools of blood on top of the player. It's best to avoid these 
• Slash N' Hack: Mother Mind attacks with her arms. She'll generally do two full melee attacks before changing tactics. Delay your roll a small bit to avoid the slash, then get ready to roll a second time on the follow-up attack. You can also avoid the spinning slash attack by sticking to the back wall of the arena.
• Floor Drop: The cliff on which you reside on will need to be abandoned when rocks start to fall. After dealing around 33% damage, she'll go up in the air before slamming down on the rock ledge. This will cause the entire thing to crumble, and if you're standing on it, you'll fall as well. This attack instantly kills.

Once down, Mother Mind will drop a Lumenite Crystal, Tome of Knowledge, scrap, as well as the Cordyceps Gland. Turn this into McCabe, and she'll give you the Tremor weapon mod. Once equipped this mod fires a projectile that cracks the ground and spawns shockwaves that deal 75 damage within 9m for 6 seconds. The shockwaves inflict 3 stacks of impact.

Remnant 2 is Gunfire Games' version of Dark Souls meets guns. A twisted tale of saving worlds from the evil Root, your character is tasked with taking on the corruption seen on multiple planets. Take on bosses with challenging mechanics and puzzles that are fit for the most lavish enthusiasts.

How about the Cathedral of Omens? Well, you better get energized for a dungeon filled to the brim with all the lever-action fun a cowboy can manage. In this no-holds-barred fight to the death, you'll experience gutwrenching action that'll keep even the sweatiest players busy. Just kidding, it's a puzzle room.

Coming into the Cathedral of Omens, you'll first find a checkpoint. Grab it and continue forward. On your way, you won't find any enemies. The challenge here is all played from your mind!

When you finally reach the puzzle room, you'll be greeted with a mechanical mass unlike any other. Fractal lenses, light, shadows, and shapes surround the center area. You'll see symbols above doorframes and levers at the front and sides of the room.

These levers control the motorized mechanism before you. What does each do?

• The lever to the left side of the room controls two adjacent circles. 
• The lever in the middle rotates the two circles in line with one another. 
• The final lever on the right side of the room controls the symbols on the floor.

Now turn your attention to a room to the right. Inside is a book with a page of symbols corresponding to those on the floor, a few pages of triangular shapes, and a corresponding paragraph or two detailing their meaning. Combining this information, the puzzle room becomes clearer.

The objective is the find the triangular symbols above the doorframes and correlate those to the ones inside the book. Every passage in the book has three to four words in bold that relate to a symbol on the front page. Our goal with each puzzle is to match the triangle on the floor to the triangle above the door and make sure the symbols related to said triangle only encircle the words in the corresponding passage.

Let's break down every puzzle.

Puzzle Guide: The Moon

• Face the right side of the room to see the Blood Moon door. 
• Match the triangle on the ground to that of the doorframe. 
• This puzzle's affiliated paragraph mentions the Moon, Ravager, and Sun. Meaning those are the three symbols we need to incircle. 
• Follow the screenshot above for emblem and circle placements.

What's inside

Behind the door, you'll find two chests that comes with scrap, upgrade materials, and a possible relic fragment.

Puzzle Guide: The Calamity

• Face the middle of the room to see the Calamity door.
• Match the triangle on the ground to that of the doorframe.
• The book mentions the Ravager, Doe, and Death.
• Follow the screenshot above for the emblem and circle placements.

What's inside

Inside is the Faith Seed, which can be used to craft the Astral Burst mod. This mod fires a short-range burst of 7-star fragments, which deal 35 damage each. Fragments bounce off walls up to three times, dealing 35% additional damage per bounce. Weakspot hits deal reduced damage.

Puzzle Guide: The Hope

• Stand at the back of the room and face the entrance. This puzzle does not correspond to a door.
• Match the triangle on the ground to the symbol above the entrance.
• The passage for the Hope puzzle refers to the Ravager, Doe, Sun, and Life. We'll need to get four symbols inside a circle.
• Follow the screenshot above for the emblem and circle placements.

A pedestal will rise from the center of the room. On top of it, will be the Sagittarius Bow. I absolutely adore this weapon! It comes with a base damage of 98, as well as the mod Starfall. The mod fires a powerful arrow that deals 30 damage and opens a 7m portal that rains down star fragments. Each fragment deals 50 damage within 4m. Lasts for 6 seconds. Pairing this with an AOE booster will do some severe damage to packs of enemies.

That's it for The Cathedral of Omens guide. Make sure to follow us closely for other guides as they drop over the following weeks. We're diving deep to gather any of the game secrets others may need help with. Until next time, check out some of our other guides if you need them!

Remnant 2 is my favorite game so far this year. I've always had a soft spot for games like Dark Souls, Elden Ring, Surge, and others. This time around, Gunfire games introduces guns and laser beams into the equation. Melee is still and option, but you'll spend the majority of your boss-killing wielding some of the most original weapons since Doom.

Playing solo or coop, it doesn't matter. Remnant 2 features some of the best experiences to be had this summer in a video game. Come check it out and read our guide below on how best to conquer these worlds.

NPC Guide: Meidre

The Dappled Glade is a simple extension of the Forbidden Grove, or at least it was for me, I've also spotted it in the Faithless Thicket during coop. Regardless, you'll come across her in your travels somewhere in Yaesha. The highlight of the area being Meidra. She can be found phasing out of an enormous purple willow. She'll speak to you and give you a quiz that adds a corresponding trait depending on your answers.

Answer in a more devilish tone if you wish to obtain the Bloodstream trait, which increases grey health regen by 0.3 per second with each level. Give responses that are more of divine variety, and you receive Barkskin. This gives 1% damage reduction per level, up to a total of 10%. Arguably, to me, the slightly better trait to obtain. 

Check out the table below if you want to be 100% sure of your answers.

Weapon Guide: Sorrow

You may or may not already have the Tear of Kaeula, a ring from Kaeula's Rest. If you do, you have an opportunity to trade it for Sorrow, a five-shot crossbow with the built in weapon mod called Eulogy. This mod allows the user to recall bolts that deal a base 30 damage to enemies when being pulled from, as well as when striking enemies on the way back. Any additional bolts over 5 (the maximum capacity) will be issued to reserves. Every bolt returned also grants 2% health to the user. Not bad!

To obtain the tear, check out our Kaeula's Rest guide. As well as some of our others below!

Remnant 2 is Gunfire games take of the souls genre. Where once sword and magic dominated in a fantasy realm, Remnant 2's version features guns, lasers and Star Gate portal worlds. Fight through expansive, procedurally driven worlds in solo, and in coop.

Follow our guides on how best to tackle these dungeons, enemies and various bosses. We'll help you get the most out of your experience. It should be easy since we already went through all the pain and suffering for you!

Enemies and layout

• Root Zombie: Walking targets as far as I'm concerned. The one concern they bring is their randomness. They'll spawn in front of you as often as they will behind you during a fight, potentially overwhelming you in numbers. Stay consistent in taking this out ASAP.
• Root Wart: These guys have slightly more health but can be taken out either from a distance or a well-timed dodge. As they'll dive to explode on you, but you'll have a decent moment to dodge out of the way.
• Root Shaman: If there's a shaman in the mix, kill it immediately. These guys will resurrect the zombies infinitely until they're down.
• Root Hulk: Big Root Zombies that essentially that have equally more health as the damage they deal.
• Root Rot (Optional): A smaller version of the Rot boss. This guy hangs out beneath the angel statues in one variation of the dungeon.
• Root Angel (Optional): Depending on the version of the Twisted Chantry that you get, you may or may not have an option location where these come from. They're terrifying statues that mimic Weeping Angels from Dr. Who. Whenever the player is not looking at them, their stone steps can be heard moving toward you. Look back at them, and they'll freeze in their tracks. They cannot be killed.

There are two layouts which seem to be at work for Twisted Chantry. The first layout we'll talk about, is the one I encountered. The layout of this area is pretty straightforward. 

For me, it went in a big loop winding downward. On the way, there are two bosses in this place. Depending on how you choose to tackle them, I faced Rot first.

Boss Guide: Rot

You'll need the "coffin" layout to get this optional boss. You'll find a coffin in the center of a room, as shown in the picture below. The player must jump from the ledge into the center of the coffin in. Crouching, you can then step out and find a swarm of Root Zombies. Kill them all, and the boss will spawn when moving forward

If you play it right, this guy is an absolute pushover compared to Legion. Walking into the water is dang near a death sentence, as you can't move freely through the liquid. The best advice I can give you is to use the staircase you came in on to kill him. He'll come after you, but jumping off the stairs when he comes on it and running back on after will keep him away. Shoot him in between having to move; this boss is a piece of cake.

The Rot drops the Twisted Extender Mutator, which increases magazine capacity by 20%. I've been using an LMG, and this mutator extended my capacity from 150 to 180 total rounds per clip.

Root Angels - Secret Room Guide

If you have the alternative layout, you'll see statues of what I call Root Angels. I love and hate these enemies since they strongly remind me of Dr. Who. The enemy that would kill you if you weren't looking at them. This has also been done in the SCPP, for those familiar. 

These statues contain a blue crystal in their forward, shoot all four crystals, and a secret staircase will open in the floor. Walk down, and you'll encounter an empowered slasher-type enemy.

Dispatch it, but keep an eye on the Root Angel, as it will one shot you if it gets close enough. Go ahead and grab the treasure chest ahead along with the items it contains. You can head back up afterwards and proceed ahead to Legion.

Boss Guide: Legion

The nightmare is a circular portal device that pulses above the head of the boss. While the red aura is active and emanating, it can cause madness but is much weaker than gunfire. Take this time to pump it full of lead or whatever ammunition your weapon fires. Hit it and hit it hard. Keep your madness meter in check, and duck behind a wall when it gets too high. You can't attack the boss directly. The only way to hurt him is by hitting the red circle.

A wave attack will occasionally arise from the back of the room where the boss is sitting. When this arrives, the only way the player can avoid taking damage is to time their roll. This will completely negate injury using i-frames. Keep an eye on it throughout your fight with the circle.

Upon defeat, the boss will drop Agnosia Driftwood. This can be used to create the mod, Fargazer. This power called forth an eye of Legion to gaze at the player's AIM target. For every 0.25s Fargazer focuses on a target within 25m, a stack of MADNESS status is applied for 5s. Each stack deals 9.1 damage per second. Max 10 stacks and will last 30.6s. The enemy will take a whopping 91 damage a second when maxing stacks. 

That's it for our Twisted Chantry guide. Let us know if you feel there's anything that absolutely needs to be added, or some correction in a variation that you saw!

What you need to know

• Some games are coming to the Epic Games Store for the first time, and in celebration, these games are free for a limited time.
• The Elder Scrolls Online is free to own forever on the Epic Games Store through July 27, 2023.
• Meanwhile, the Homeworld Remastered Collection will be free starting on July 27 and running though Aug. 2, 2023.
• You just need an Epic Games account to redeem these games and keep them.

If you're looking to grab some Windows PC games for free, you're in luck. 

A couple of titles are headed to the Epic Games Store for the first time, and to celebrate the new platform launch, these games are free for players to redeem and keep forever. All players need is an Epic Games Store account, which is free to create in the event you don't have one already.

The first game is The Elder Scrolls Online, the base version of ZeniMax Online Studios' and Bethesda Softworks' MMORPG. This game is free to grab right now through July 27, 2023. 

Claiming the game for free through the Epic Games Store will reward you with the Sigil of the Alliance War Back Bling for Fortnite, and if you buy the Necrom expansion, you'll get the Ebonheart Battleaxe Pickaxe and Ebonheart Battleaxe Back Bling items as well.

Next up is the Homeworld Remastered Collection from Blackbird Interactive and Gearbox Software, which will be free for players to grab starting on July 27 and ending on Aug. 2, 2023. The Homeworld Remastered Collection multiplayer beta includes cross-play with the Steam version of the game, so friends can play together no matter where they own the remastered space strategy games. 

Windows Central's take

Free is free, so even if you're not the biggest user of the Epic Games Store, you should absolutely make sure to redeem these games. 

This is good timing for anyone who has yet to get into The Elder Scrolls Online, as it's perfect to try out before deciding to get the fantastic new expansion, The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom. Meanwhile, Homeworld 3 is coming next year, and if you've never played the first two games, the remasters have some great quality-of-life changes that make them very approachable for newcomers.

What you need to know

• Epic Games Store have launched Epic Rewards, which will reward gamers with 5% back on their purchases.
• The 5% rewards will apply to the purchase of games, apps, add-ons, or virtual currency and can be used as a discount on future purchases.

Do you like free stuff? Of course you do! That’s why you love the Epic Games Store, where you can get free games every week and never spend a dime on anything else... probably (or quite possibly not, considering Epic reports $355 million dollars in third-party spending last year.) But hey, free is free.

The Epic Games Store, has just launched a new reward scheme, named Epic Rewards. Epic Rewards will give customers 5% back, in-store credit, for every eligible purchase they make. 

From today, Epic Rewards can be earned purchases made on the Epic Games Store. So that's games, apps, add-ons, subscriptions and even some virtual currencies like Fortnite V-Bucks. You'll get 5% back as credit to your Epic Rewards account two weeks after your purchase, and show up in your digital wallet to be redeemed on anything you want from the store, if you actually want to pay for anything that is. That being said, there's also a pretty great sale going on right now. 

Still, joking aside, Epic's reward scheme is more generous than Steam and Nintendo's programs, so despite the memes, you can't fault Epic for trying to tempt more customers to its storefront. Steam has Steam Points, which give you 100 points for each dollar spent. These points can't be used against future game purchases though, only cosmetic items for your profile or animated items for supported games.

Nintendo's reward scheme offers Platinum and Gold points, for completing tasks and purchasing games, and these can be redeemed against future purchases but these tend to be at a 1% value rather than 5%. Xbox also has a scheme called Microsoft Rewards, which is actually a rather great way to get Xbox Game Pass for free. 

Epic Reward points also have a generous expiry date on them of 25 months, so if you are a regular customer of the store you'll have plenty of time to build up a balance worthy of another freebie. 

Gaming laptop deals: Dell | Walmart | Lenovo | Best Buy | HP | Amazon | Razer 

Epic is known for offering tons of free games through its store front in its attempts to take on Steam. Death Stranding is available to play for free right now until May 25. Epic also only takes 12% of revenue from developers and publishers, as opposed to Steam's 30%. It hasn't stopped them from getting in gamer's bad books in the past, with their timed exclusivity deals on games like Borderlands 3 leading to outrage on social media from people who just don't want to download yet another launcher.

Do you make purchases from Epic Games, and if not will this win your wallet? Comment below!

Epic Games Store demonstrates platform exclusivity as a modern practice in video game publishing, with specific titles being moved away from Steam, but that hasn't stopped me from playing them on my Steam Deck. Unfortunately, Epic still doesn't offer an official Linux installer for its platform, making it a little tricky. Still, my guide offers two fully-tested methods of installing Epic games on Steam Deck, so take your pick.

Before we get started, know that any apps or games installed outside the official Steam Deck store will default to the console's internal storage, not your microSD card or other external drives, but you can change to the proper directory. Check that you have enough free space on the Steam Deck solid-state drive if you prefer the first option, the size of which depends on which Steam Deck model you chose (64GB, 256GB, or 512GB.)

Installing Epic Games with Heroic Games Launcher

The fastest way to access the Epic Games Store is by using the community-made open-source Heroic Games Launcher app. Designed for Linux, it's compatible with Steam Deck and includes support for GOG Galaxy games too. For now, we'll focus on using it to install titles from the Epic Games Store with some super-simple steps.

How to install Heroic Games Launcher

Heroic can be manually downloaded as a 'Flatpak' archive via Flathub from any Linux PC. Luckily, it's easier to find and install using the Steam Deck, skipping a lot of manual work and getting you to the games much faster.

1. Hit the left-side STEAM button to open the quick menu.
2. Navigate down the list to highlight and select Power.
3. On the power menu, navigate to and select Switch to Desktop.

Alternatively, you can briefly hold down the power button to access the power menu a little faster. A Switching to Desktop ... notification will appear whichever method you choose. After a short wait, the Steam Deck will boot into its Linux desktop environment, just like you would expect on any regular PC.

4. Locate and open the Discover app, which is usually pinned to your taskbar with an icon resembling a blue shopping bag. Otherwise, you can find it in the System tab of the applications menu.
5. Using the search function in the top-left of Discover, look for Heroic Games Launcher.
6. Find Heroic Games Launcher in the list of results and hit Install.

Heroic Games Launcher is the perfect replacement for the official Epic Games Store, but booting into the desktop mode whenever you want to play them isn't too efficient. You can take a few additional steps to have them appear in the library of your Steam Deck alongside regular purchases as a non-Steam game.

7. Return to Steam in desktop mode. Navigate the top-most menu to the Games tab and select Add a Non-Steam Game to My Library ...
8. A new window titled Add a Game will appear with a list of your software. Navigate this list until you find Heroic Games Launcher.
9. Check the box to the left of its title, then hit Add selected programs.
10. Close the Steam application and launch the Return to Gaming Mode shortcut from the desktop or applications menu.

Back in the SteamOS Deck UI, you can find Heroic Games Launcher in the non-Steam game category and use it to install any Epic Games Store title from your account as usual. The downside to using Heroic is you won't have any information on compatibility, such as the list of Steam Deck verified games, so be prepared to troubleshoot any problems yourself. It's undoubtedly the easiest way to access your Epic Games Store library on Steam Deck until a possible return to the Steam store.

Manually install the official Epic Games Store

For the user who prefers complete control over everything happening on their Steam Deck, you can manually install the Epic Games Store for Windows by using the Proton compatibility layer and treating it like a non-Steam game. It's easier than it sounds, and I'll break everything down for you in easy-to-follow steps.

How to install the official Epic Games Store

1. Hit the left-side Steam button to open the quick menu.
2. Navigate down the list to highlight and select Power.
3. On the power menu, navigate to and select Switch to Desktop.

Alternatively, you can briefly hold down the power button to access the power menu a little faster. A Switching to Desktop ... notification will appear whichever method you choose. After a short wait, the Steam Deck will boot into its Linux desktop environment, just like you would expect on any regular PC.

4. Open Firefox (or your preferred web browser) from the taskbar or applications menu and navigate to the official Epic Games Store website.
5. Hit the blue download button to grab the Windows .msi installation file, usually located in the top-right corner of the page.

Alternatively, you can download the EpicInstaller on a separate desktop computer and transfer the file to your Steam Deck via microSD or other methods. Note where the .msi file is located, usually in the default Downloads folder if you used Firefox.

6. Launch the Steam application from your desktop or the applications menu while still in desktop mode.
7. Navigate the top-most menu to the Games tab and select Add a Non-Steam Game to My Library ...
8. A new window titled Add a Game will appear with your software list. Ignore the listed apps; instead, hit the Browse ... button at the bottom.
9. Navigate to the folder containing the "EpicInstaller" file you downloaded earlier and change the File type filter from Applications to All Files; otherwise, it will remain invisible.
10. Select the installation file, then hit Open to have it appear with a checkmark in the Add a game window, then hit Add selected programs.

If you cannot see the EpicInstaller .msi file in its folder, make sure you have changed the File type filter to All Files. Steam Deck defaults to *.desktop extensions, so SteamOS will not recognize Windows installers unless you change this filter.

7. Highlight and right-click (left touchpad) the EpicInstaller in your library on Steam desktop mode and hit Properties.
8. On the left-side menu, select Compatibility and check Force the user of a specific Steam Play compatibility tool.
9. From the drop-down list, select the most recent stable build of Proton, rather than Proton Experimental, to reduce the likelihood of bugs and crashing.
10. Launch EpicInstaller from the non-Steam games category from the desktop version of Steam and follow the instructions to install the software to its default location. The installer will automatically close upon completion, but there's more work to do.

Finalizing the installation

So far, you've successfully installed the Epic Games Store into the filesystem of your Steam Deck. However, it won't open without one extra step to locate and launch it with the Proton compatibility layer. The file we just ran is designed for Windows, and the brains behind your console run on Linux, so we need to tell Steam where to find the installation directory.

Open the Dolphin file manager from the  taskbar or applications menu and navigate to the following directory: home/deck/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/compatdata

Here, you'll see a collection of folders named as strings of numbers. These folders are the applications and games installed on your Steam Deck, so you need to figure out which one is the Epic Games Store we just installed. Thankfully, it shouldn't be too difficult to find since non-Steam apps have a much higher number than official games, so start at the folder with the longest number and search for the following directory:

.../pfx/drive_c/Program Files (x86)/Epic Games/Launcher/Portal/Binaries/Win32

Once you've found it, you should see it contains the EpicGamesLauncher.exe file we need to complete our installation.

1. Inside the Dolphin file manager, right-click (left touchpad) the EpicGamesLauncher.exe file and hit Copy Location.
2. Back in the desktop version of Steam, right-click EpicInstaller and hit Properties.
3. Clear the Target field and paste (STEAM+X opens an on-screen keyboard) the location we just copied. This shows Steam where the .exe file is located.
4. Clear the Start in field and paste the same, but this time delete everything after Program Files (x86)/Epic Games/ to point Steam to the correct Epic Games directory.

These last steps might seem picky, but they explain to Proton where the Windows installation of Epic Games Store is located within your Steam Deck. Thankfully, you're all done with the hard part. If you'd like to make things look a little nicer, you can rename the EpicInstaller to something cleaner like Epic Games Store within the same right-click Properties menu you used on the Steam desktop version.

Installing games and customize artwork

Once you've decided on your method for installing the Epic Games Store, it's time to install some games. Return to Gaming Mode on your Steam Deck via its shortcut on the desktop and navigate to the non-Steam category, where you'll find your Epic Games Store shortcut.

Some pop-up notifications mentioning free games and special offers can cause issues with the screen resolution when running the official software, so consider disabling those under the Desktop notifications section in the Epic Games Store settings menu.

I prefer Heroic Games Launcher since it combines Epic Games Store and GOG Galaxy games into one place, but the Steam Deck offers freedom for its user to choose thanks to the Desktop Mode opening up the Linux backend. If you need artwork for your non-Steam shortcuts, check the community-led website SteamGridDB to make everything look more official in the SteamOS carousel.

Select a non-Steam shortcut while running Desktop Mode to view its page and right-click in the empty space for options to set custom backgrounds, logos, and artwork in portrait and landscape. You'll need to launch an app or game at least once for it to appear in the recently played list and apply landscape art.

Unfortunately, running Epic Games Store through Proton does not circumvent the anti-cheat block of games running on Steam Deck, so you won't be able to play multiplayer games without official support on Linux.

It's still a fantastic method of accessing more single-player games on your Steam Deck, even if some might need some of the best Steam Deck accessories, such as mice and keyboards, due to a lack of official virtual joypad profiles.

If you're reading this to help you decide if Valve's portable PC is worth a purchase, check our full Steam Deck review to see why we love it. Remember: installing even more games and apps outside of SteamOS will take up extra space, so consider external storage such as a microSD card.

I was born a little too late for many of pop culture's finest Saturday morning cartoons. I grew up in the era of Kids' WB, 4Kids anime dubs, and the DC animated shows. I missed out on some of the staples, like He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, ThunderCats, or the original Transformers. Still, there are elements from this time that I just innately understand: the art style, the corny dialogue, and the flashy magic or technological systems they made up. I may not have grown up with a lot of it, but it's had an impact on animation and genre over the past couple of decades.

That's where MythForce comes into play. The game, developed by Beamdog and published by Aspyr Media, takes the aspects you remember from properties like Masters of the Universe and turns them into a dungeon-crawling, roguelite RPG with humor, bright visuals, and a fair leveling and progression system. The more you play, the stronger your characters get, and more importantly, the more impressive the loot becomes.

Beamdog is known mainly for developing remasters of games like Baldur's Gate and Planescape: Torment, so the team seems to understand fantasy tropes. In MythForce, you can choose between four heroes: the mage, the knight, the hunter, and the rogue. They all fall into standard classes you'll recognize if you've ever played a game of Dungeons & Dragons (probably even if you haven't), but they also have their own unique personalities and features to give them more depth. For my first round, I played Maggie, the mage of the group who just graduated from the mage academy and has a can-do attitude.

Each character starts off with three basic abilities and a passive. The mage, for example, has a blink teleporting power, a familiar that acts as a sentry and can deal damage to nearby enemies, and a force field. Victoria, the knight paladin, has a shield throw, a charge, and a rallying cry that makes enemies attack. You can play in up to 4-player co-op, going through partially procedurally generated rooms in dungeons. You get to the end of the dungeon, and you have to face a boss, but you mainly have to defeat groups of enemies that increasingly become more challenging. The dungeon I traversed started off with basic skeletons, but quickly grew into skeletons with ranged weapons and then, even more surprisingly, large mushrooms that can attack you both close-up and ranged with poisonous projectiles.

As you progress, you also level up and can equip perks that can increase your damage or magic ability. It's standard fare, although there are options to equip random perks that can either make or break your run. It's annoying, but also funny when you get a perk that's for a completely different class. The more you do dungeon runs, the more permanent upgrades you can get for your characters, making subsequent runs easier over time.

MythForce, in its current state, does a lot with a little. I wasn't expecting a fully fledged game with this hitting Early Access soon, but with even just the one dungeon I faced, I saw a lot of small complexities. The enemies have simple designs, but the exact threats vary wildly. However, there's still a degree of steady pacing, so you never feel overwhelmed by the progression. It feels like your adjustments are adding up to the final battle, and you learn little techniques over time that help you out, like when to dodge and which abilities to use where.

What got me super interested in the game, which was shown off at GDC, was its loot system. I'm a big fan of looting experiences, and MythForce already has a great foundation. Each dungeon room has at least a few chests you can open for random loot, from money to stronger weapons and health items. There are also fountains that can heal you or revive fallen comrades, among other things. So while the dungeons are fairly basic looking on the surface, exploration is encouraged before moving onto the next room.

Finally, the aforementioned Saturday morning cartoon influences are on full display, even this early on. It's in the art style, of course, which summons images of arcade games like Dragon's Lair and He-Man, and makes the game look like it came straight out of the 1980s. However, it's decidedly modern, with humorous banter between characters and a focus on relationships and storytelling, as well as the looting and roguelite elements that have become a staple of dungeon crawlers. It's like Gauntlet, but in a new form.

There's a lot that still needs to be done here (it's in Early Access, so note there will be bugs and opportunities for improvement that you can easily report to the developers). However, with its steady flow of combat, satisfying but simple loot system, and characters ripe with potential, MythForce is shaping up to be a new kind of co-op experience for those who caught Masters of the Universe on TV or played games in arcades and for those who didn't.

MythForce is currently available to wishlist on the Epic Games Store. It'll be available in Early Access starting on April 20, 2022, with the first episode: Bastion of the Beastlord.