Blackbird Interactive and Gearbox Publishing have released some more details about the upcoming space RTS Homeworld 3. The newest installment in the Homeworld series will feature a new roguelike-inspired multiplayer mode called War Games. Unveiled at GamesCom, the new mode creates a strategic co-op experience mixed with elements of roguelike gameplay.

War Games can be played solo or cooperatively with up to two others, meaning three players in total. Plays will select a starting fleet and command it through a series of three randomized combat challenges, hence the roguelike mechanics. Those who successfully manage their fleets through the objectives obtain Artifacts that can augment their ships.

Also, players will earn experience for progressing through War Games which unlocks additional Artifacts and starting fleets. Blackbird plans to continue evolving War Games even after launch with optional premium content expansions.

At a glance, this mode reminds me somewhat of the StarCraft 2 co-op mode. I was already looking forward to Homeworld 3, so a continuously replayable roguelike mode sounds like a great addition to the RTS. Typically there's not much reason to replay a campaign in this sort of title, so a mode like this is a perfect fit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmQ56YpYaAA

Additional campaign details and mod support

During Gamescom Opening Night Live we also got some campaign details in the Homeworld 3 Story Trailer. The all-new original story takes place decades after Homeworld 2 and focuses on the looming threat to the Hiigaran fleet.

A sudden brutal attack by a new enemy known only as the Incarnate forces the Hiigarans to cross into the Anomaly, and face new dangers inside.

We also got some details regarding planned mod support with Homeworld 3. Modders will be able to create their own content and share it easily with other players using mod.io. At launch players will also have the tools to customize ships and build their own levels for Skirmish mode within an Unreal game editor. Players will be able to place megaliths, resources, and other objects to create completely unique battlefields and maps.

By partnering with mod.io, Homeworld 3 mods will be available on both Epic Games Store and Steam when the RTS releases.

The sci-fi space RTS recently suffered a delay moving it out of the first half of 2023. Homeworld 3 now launches in February 2024 on PC via Steam and Epic Games Store.

The post Homeworld 3 reveals new roguelike multiplayer mode called War Games appeared first on Destructoid.

Baldur's Gate 3's first patch, aptly titled Patch 1, is officially live. This brings the BG3 version number to 4.1.1.3669438, so make sure you're on the proper version when you play next! It's important to do so because Patch 1 addresses over 1,000 bugs as well as introduces some balance changes and fixes some flow issues while playing.

According to Larian Studios, this patch tackles some visual bugs while adding some more post-launch polish. Enemies should no longer spot you when they shouldn't be able to, and random items should no longer defy gravity and float. Perhaps most importantly, romancing Shadowheart has been fixed meaning those who could not reach the conclusion of romancing her should now be able to. Thank Shar, am I right?

Larian also confirmed that Patch 2 is right around the corner and will feature significant performance improvements.

Finally, we got some more fun stats about player decisions in Baldur's Gate 3 so far. The most played class is Paladin followed by Sorcerer, and the least played is Cleric. Humans and Elves are the most chosen race followed by Half-Elf. On the flip side, Dwarf, Gnome, Githyanki and Halfling are the least played.

Looking through the patch notes, I see quite a bit of love being given to Act 3 which is honestly where it's needed the most. It's great to see Larian putting in the effort to make Baldur's Gate 3 even better when it's already so insanely good.

[caption id="attachment_398869" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot via Larian Studios[/caption]

Baldur's Gate 3 Patch 1 highlights

Larian has provided some highlights from the Patch 1 patch notes, which we've included below minus the spoilery ones. If you want to view the full patch notes you can do so here.

Showstoppers

• Fixed a bug where listening in on a conversation as Player 1 and then exiting the dialogue prematurely could result in not being able to interact with anything anymore.
• Fixed an issue causing the Reaction UI to not work correctly and potentially block progress in combat if you save the game in the middle of a reaction.
• Fixed loot in corpses sometimes not appearing in multiplayer until an item is dragged onto the corpse.
• Fixed a bug causing you to get a Game Over screen after helping Downed party members.
• Fixed the Helm of Arcane Acuity crashing the game. The condition is now capped to 7 stacks.
• Attacking an NPC during a dialogue after being Downed will now get you arrested rather than giving you a Game Over screen.
• Fixed an issue where characters could get stuck in an infinite falling loop.
• Fixed an issue with Marcus being resurrected by players hitting him with a dual-wield attack - the second hit will no longer revive him.

Story Flow and Logic

• Shadowheart should more easily follow up on her proposed romance moments in Act III.
• Jaheira and Minsc's paths are tied after you save Minsc, so if you've forsaken him, Jaheira should now follow after him.
• Fixed bug that made it possible to break up with Astarion without meaning to.
• The drider will now recognise that you're with him when reaching Moonrise Towers if you start following him in the middle of his route.
• Art Cullagh and Fist J'ehlar no longer get so scared of bears and spiders that their quest breaks.
• The Zhentarim will more consistently use the mines after their allies have fallen back to safety, and will no longer actively try to blow themselves up by checking active mines.
• Minthara no longer references irrelevant topics or passes judgement on companions more than once.
• Fixed the dialogue flow when dating Minthara.
• You can no longer recruit both Halsin and Minthara to camp in the same playthrough.
• Made it less ambiguous that you're starting a romance with Gale when choosing certain dialogue options.
• During Gale's spell-teaching scene, you now have the option to picture a future with Gale that falls somewhere in between kissing him and kicking him in the head.
• Fixed an issue where using non-lethal attacks on Auntie Ethel would still kill her.
• You can now opt to respect the privacy of the bugbear and the ogre outside the Blighted Village again. Don't get in the way of real love.
• Fixed a level design quirk that would allow you to use a spell like Misty Step or Dimension Door to skip part of the main quest sequence in Act II.
• Fixed an issue where the Baldur's Mouth headline about a cute cat could get accidentally overwritten.
• If Wyll isn't recruited, he will now recognise Avatar Karlach and initiate dialogue.
• Throwing a single coin at the beggars will no longer damage them.
• If Dolly Dolly Dolly curses you with the A Clown in Town condition for making her angry while inside the Moonlantern, she will now paint your face. That'll teach you.
• The Zhentarim at the Goblin Camp should now be more tolerant if you approach them.

Balance

• Made gold bounties more generous in several containers across the game.
• Increased players' HP bonus in Explorer Mode from +50% to +100%.
• Fixed the Freecast tadpole power to properly reset on Long Rest. It was creating infinite spell slots and Sorcery Points for sorcerers.
• Arcane Tricksters' Mage Hand Legerdemain now does not expire until destroyed, and does not lose Invisibility on Long Rest.
• You can no longer have multiple Mage Hands active at the same time.
• The Shield reaction can no longer be used while Silenced.
• Fixed not being able to create 5th Level spell slots from Sorcery Points.
• College of Lore bards can now pick which additional skill proficiency they receive. Bards that are already of the College of Lore need to respec to get this choice.
• Made sure proper spell DC is applied during multiclassing.
• Added spells to bards' Magical Secrets feature: Banishing Smite, Animate Dead, Crusader's Mantle, Hunger of Hadar, Revivify, Sleet Storm, Rage of Enfeeblement, Web, Entangle, Hunter's Mark, Sanctuary, Thunderous Smite, Bone Chill, Eldritch Morphic Blast, Fire Bolt, Ray of Frost, Sacred Flame.
• The Club of Hill Giant Strength now increases Strength to 19 and not some puny 15.
• Fixed a bug with ranged enemies reapplying Hunter's Mark constantly, even when not needed.
• Warlocks' Pact of the Chain summons now get to use their Extra Attack more than once.
• Fixed NPCs sometimes spotting you even if they're not supposed to be able to.
• Fixed an issue where multiple rolls trigger if you walk along the edge of a cone of vision.
• Danse Macabre ghouls will no longer kill you when you Long Rest.
• If you make a successful Saving Throw against a poison, you will now gain immunity to that specific poison for 2 turns.
• Meenlocks are now immune to the shadow curse.
• Helped Minthara remember how to use her weapons.
• Enabled trespass warnings for any additional characters that trespass after the first instead of immediately triggering combat.
• Fixed NPCs attacking outside of their turn when combat starts during forced Turn-Based Mode.

Usability

• Fixed dialogue notifications, like approval ratings and roll results, disappearing too early.
• The Launcher will now remember whether you chose DX11 or Vulkan.
• Fixed the incorrect amount of gold being displayed in all UI menus if the amount is too large.
• Fixed spells like Hex randomly shifting in order, causing you to misclick if you're moving and clicking around intuitively.
• Fixed players who are merely listening in on a dialogue being able to skip lines - only the speaker can now do this.
• Fixed an issue with Camp Supply values for the second local player in multiplayer if they joined during a game. Long Rests will, alas, no longer cost nothing.
• You can no longer interact with another player's inventory (e.g. send multiselected items or use their items) if their inventory is locked.
• Fixed the critical hit text sometimes not appearing.
• Improved the performance of the minimap when new map markers appear or old ones disappear.
• Dyed armour will now appear in the right colour in the Level Up screen.
• Halsin's Wild Shape tooltip will now correctly call him a cave bear.

Visuals

• Fixed the modesty filter not working on dragonborns.
• Fixed earrings on tiefling female strong character models.
• Added a Controller Style option, which allows you to override which controller's icons are displayed.
• Fixed an issue causing the clown makeup to not only not appear on Lae'zel's face when applied, but also remove her characteristic tattoos and makeup.
• Invoke Duplicity now works as an identical copy of your character. And they're not naked.
• Fixed a leather helmet, a metal helmet, and the Helmet of Smiting floating on some character models.
• Lae'zel's underwear will now more accurately reflect the colour of dyes used on it.

Cinematic Scenes

• Made fixes to kissing scenes with the Origin characters across the game, for example to make sure physical contact is made properly, to account for shorter races, and to account for uneven ground.
• Fixed items like mugs and newspapers floating in the air during dialogues - the characters holding them were correctly hidden but the items themselves weren't. Ghosties begone!
• Fixed Scratch's position so you can try to get that ball out of his mouth. Whether he'll let you have it is another matter.
• Lae'zel no longer floats up and down during your dialogue where you discuss dating.
• Fixed some cameras that couldn't contain the force that is Astarion in a dialogue with him at night at camp. Also tweaked and added facial expressions where needed.
• Fixed a camera position when Karlach hugs you for the first time after getting her upgrade.
• Fixed the mind flayer not appearing in the cinematic dialogue with Dror Ragzlin if you manually trigger the dialogue.

Loot and Trade

• Traders who stock dyes now also stock dye remover.
• Made Lady Esther available to trade with after you've completed her quests.
• Fish vendors now have more fish to sell. That new bait must be doing the trick!
• Popper the kobold at the circus now sells more oddities.
• Lady Jannath will now have artsy items to trade.
• Skeletons around the Selûnite Outpost no longer have fresh food in their inventory.
• Lohse's portrait is now reachable, chief.

Misc

• Updated the credits and reformatted them into two neater columns.
• The Digital Deluxe DLC's D:OS2 bard songs are now also granted to companions as well, instead of just player avatars.
• All the extra bard songs from the Deluxe Edition will now be available even if you use Lohse's Lute of the Merryweather Bard from the Deluxe Edition.
• DLC rewards will no longer get removed if you load a save with that DLC not installed. Any rewards that were removed due to this will be restored.
• Steel Watcher idle sounds no longer take up streaming bandwidth.
• You can no longer climb the Shambling Mound.
• Optimised the walking bounds of Glut so that it navigates the world and the battlefield better.

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With Episode 3, The Expanse: A Telltale Series reaches the midpoint of its story. After the end of the second episode, we find Drummer and her crew piloting the Artemis toward the coordinates found on a data card in the first episode. Episode 3 begins with the Artemis approaching the location of those coordinates: an old derelict space station.

Interestingly, this is one of the earliest created space stations. It was built shortly after the creation of the Epstein Drive, which allowed interplanetary travel in the solar system. This station existed before the term "Belters," and before the formation of the OPA. This station was home to some of the first humans to leave Earth and settle in space.

[caption id="attachment_399107" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

The Expanse: A Telltale Series – Episode 3 (PC [Reviewed], PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S)
Developer: Deck Nine
Publisher: Telltale
Released: August 24, 2023
MSRP: $39.99

A monumental narrative episode that connects with the show

Until this episode, The Expanse: A Telltale Series has kind of been its own standalone experience in The Expanse universe. More specifically, it takes place before the events that unfold in the six-season television series. However, in Episode 3, the overall narrative actually connects with the show and gives us a more detailed look at the events leading up to it.

Honestly, I was curious if Deck Nine would end up doing this, but wasn't too sure if it would. After all, the events of The Expanse: A Telltale Series are canon in The Expanse universe. Part of me felt like it would just be its own separate standalone story that simply takes place using a character we came to love from the show. But let's be real here. If the goal is to make this a truly memorable experience, it would probably have to connect to the show in some way. Now that it does, the story definitely feels more impactful and meaningful. I'm more interested in seeing where we go from here with the final two episodes.

[caption id="attachment_399125" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

The gameplay loop continues

I had stated in my impressions of Episode 2 that I was afraid every episode would be exploring ship wreckage. For the first two episodes, that's what we were doing most of the time. Fortunately, we step foot in an actual space station for the majority of this episode, though exploring a structure in zero-G is obviously very similar to exploring what's left of a derelict ship.

While Episode 2 introduced a laser-dodging gameplay mechanic, Episode 3 features a new puzzle. For several spots throughout the space station, you have to direct power via cables to connect a grid of power boxes. It's honestly very simple and not difficult at all; you just trace where which cable goes to the next box and activate it. Once again, The Expanse: A Telltale Series is primarily a narrative-driven experience. However, it is nice to see the developer try to throw in some new gameplay elements with each episode, no matter how simple they may be.

[caption id="attachment_399111" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Yep, my choices mattered

In Episode 2, it felt like my choices were starting to matter. But, in Episode 3, it's very clear that my choices do in fact matter. Two big things happened at the end of the episode that made me curious—did I affect this outcome? In standard Telltale fashion, at the end of each episode, you get to see how your choices compare statistically to the choices of other players. While it appears one of the big things that happened does in fact happen no matter what, it appears as though the other big thing can be prevented. Sorry for the lack of detail here, I don't want to spoil anything.

However, it gets even more interesting. Out of pure curiosity, I speed-ran through Episode 3 again, specifically trying to change the outcome. Don't worry, I still planned to use my original playthrough going into Episode 4. With these types of titles, I find it most interesting to live with your choices. But I was surprised to find out that despite changing things, I still had the same outcome. I could be wrong, but I think it was actually a choice I made at the end of Episode 2 that had an effect on the outcome in Episode 3, which is great.

[caption id="attachment_399128" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

A solid experience so far

As we head into the final two episodes, I'm overall feeling pretty happy with The Expanse: A Telltale Series so far. My only issue with it so far may be the length in comparison to the price point. The Wolf Among Us was $14.99 for five episodes that totaled close to 10 hours. So far, through three of the five episodes of The Expanse: A Telltale Series, I'm at a little less than four hours. And the price is $39.99, over double the price compared to The Wolf Among Us.

Not taking the length and price into consideration, this has been a fun trek through the universe of The Expanse. And, I feel like it's about to get even more interesting as we head into the back half of the story.

In two weeks we will take a look at Episode 4. And on September 21 we will reach the conclusion of The Expanse: A Telltale Series with the final episode.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher. We're saving the score for the final episode to encompass the complete experience.]}

The post Review: The Expanse: A Telltale Series – Episode 3 appeared first on Destructoid.

Grab your space suits, because Factorio is heading to space. Developer Wube Software revealed in a blog post today that the first expansion for the popular factory-building game would be Space Age.

According to Factorio found kovarex, Factorio: Space Age will continue the player's journey after launching rockets into space at the end of the base game. Players will discover new worlds with their own unique challenges and exploit their resources. In doing so, new technological advances will be found. Furthermore, players will be able to manage their own fleet of interplanetary space platforms.

It's been three years since Factorio officially released, and over seven years since its Early Access release.

The popular factory building simulation title has over 133,849 total Steam Reviews with a 96% Positive rating.

[caption id="attachment_359125" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Wube Software[/caption]

A familiar direction for Factorio: Space Age

Hardcore Factorio fans will find the Space Age expansion pretty familiar. One of the most popular Factorio mods is the Space Exploration mod. As you might expect, this mod also takes you to space. In fact, the original creator of that mod, Earendel, is now part of the Wube Software team and is working on the Space Age expansion.

According to Earendel, despite the comparisons, the expansion will have plenty of reason for those who have and haven't played the mod to give it a try. Earendel believes Space Exploration is more targeted at challenge-seekers, while Space Age targets all Factorio players. While all the challenges of the Space Exploration mod can take 150-100 hours or even more to figure out, Space Age is a more streamlined and fast-paced experience between 60-100 hours.

As a big Factorio fan, I'm happy to see any content being released. I have just over 650 hours played so far—which are casual numbers to some—and would love to put in more. I've played the Space Exploration mod so obviously the overlap is concerning. But as an actual expansion, Factorio: Space Age can do more feature-wise than a mod can. Don't get me wrong, the Space Exploration mod is fantastic at what it does. But, some of the more clunky things such as piloting ships can be more streamlined in Factorio: Space Age.

While there is no solid release date for Factorio: Space Age, kovarex explains that their current release window is about one year from now. However, players interested in the expansion can look forward to weekly posts detailing its development progress.

The post First Factorio expansion takes us to the stars in Factorio: Space Age appeared first on Destructoid.

In an interview with GQ, Starfield Director and Executive Producer Todd Howard confirmed the open-world RPG does, in fact, have a New Game Plus mode.

Unfortunately, no actual details on the mode were provided. However, simple confirmation of the NG+ existing in Starfield is pretty exciting as it would be the first Bethesda Game Studios title to feature the mode. The NewGame Plus mod added NG+ support for Fallout 4, but otherwise, it has just been a highly requested feature.

According to the interview with GQ, your skill traits and backstory perks when creating a character will add a unique and exciting twist on New Game Plus and incentivize continued and repeat play.

[caption id="attachment_398844" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Bethesda Game Studios[/caption]

Even more content for Starfield with New Game Plus

Gamescom has given us an idea of how long we can expect to spend in Starfield. Bethesda's Head of Publishing, Pete Hines, even mentioned we could potentially spend hundreds of hours in a Starfield playthrough.

I'm very curious about exactly how New Game Plus will work. In an open-world adventure with over 1,000 planets to explore, a single playthrough will surely have plenty of content. I'm excited to see what sort of new features or content will be available by going on the journey again. Either way, now that I know Starfield has a New Game Plus mode, perhaps I won't spend hours going back and forth on the starting traits I choose.

I suppose we'll know soon enough. Starfield releases on September 6 on PC and Xbox Series X|S. It will also be a day-one title on Xbox Game Pass. Players who pre-ordered the Premium Edition will get early access to Starfield on September 1.

The post Starfield has a New Game Plus mode appeared first on Destructoid.

During the Gamescom Opening Night Live 2023 stream, two cool dudes—Todd Howard and Geoff Keighley—stood on stage and discussed Starfield.

"People have been wondering what the main questline is going to be after you create your character," Geoff explained to Todd, highlighting the deep character customization system in Starfield. "I saw even someone on the internet this week created you I think, did you see that? Someone tweeted out a picture that they had somehow figured out to get you in there."

Todd laughed, then followed up with "I see a lot of things on the internet...I'm not sure that's real."

So that got me wondering: Did someone actually make Todd Howard in Starfield? After doing some searching, I was able to find this image of what appeared to be a pretty accurate portrayal of Todd Howard in Starfield:

[caption id="attachment_398417" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via @sergioodoardi on Twitter[/caption]

It looks like Todd Howard was right

As great as it looks, Todd Howard was right. It's not real. Even though it may look like a detailed version of Todd Howard in Starfield, it's just a fake. More than likely just a really good Photoshop. As @FabianoLPeres on Twitter pointed out, the hair shaders that we've seen from videos highlighting the character creation simply do not match up. Don't get me wrong, the hair shaders look great and very detailed—but not to this extreme.

Also, the Twitter user that first posted the Todd Howard in Starfield image, @Sergioodoardi, has posted another Starfield character creation fake: Commander Shepard from Mass Effect. However, in this image, it's a lot more obvious that this is just intended as a funny photoshop.

With the Early Access launch of Starfield rapidly approaching, it won't be long until we start seeing some cool creations. I'm sure we'll end up seeing a pretty solid depiction of Todd Howard after all.

Starfield releases on PC and Xbox Series X|S on September 6. It will also be on Xbox Game Pass.

The post Did someone actually make Todd Howard in Starfield? appeared first on Destructoid.

During Gamescom Opening Night Live we got to see the first official gameplay trailer for Crimson Desert. It's no surprise, but the gameplay looks like a revamped and enhanced version of the combat from Black Desert Online.

The war-torn and medieval fantasy world of Pywel looks absolutely beautiful, and I can't wait to explore it. Not to mention about halfway through the trailer we get to see some quality fishing gameplay. Why can't every game have fishing? In the video the player caught a nice sized Barracuda that looked like it could be consumed to replenish 150 HP.

Despite how beautiful and honestly polished the open-world action-adventure title looked, there was no release date or timeframe.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdmoGYg8tB0

We first saw Crimson Desert during the 2020 Game Awards. It's been in development for quite some time now by developer Pearl Abyss, creator of Black Desert Online. It was originally announced as an MMORPG but by the end of 2020 Pearl Abyss announced that was no longer the case. Instead, Crimson Desert will intertwine a single-player and multiplayer experience.

Despite its many flaws—and abhorrent pay-to-win mechanics,—Black Desert Online has one of the best combat systems ever in an MMORPG. Seeing Crimson Desert utilize an even more enhanced version of the combat system has me excited to try it out.

There is no release date yet for Crimson Desert, but we do know it is coming to PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.

The post Crimson Desert shows off beautiful world and even fishing, but still no release date appeared first on Destructoid.

During Gamescom 2023, Blizzard revealed Season 2 for Diablo 4: Season of Blood. It looks like Blizzard will be following the originally promised quarterly release schedule for Diablo 4 seasons. Season of Blood will release on October 17, almost exactly three months after Season of the Malignant.

After a pretty lackluster Season 1, hopefully Season of Blood adds more meaningful content, especially in the end-game of Diablo 4.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lF65c670lpM

The announcement trailer didn't give us much information, other than that we'll be accompanying a new character named Erys. Erys is voiced by actress and producer Gemma Chan and leads the effort against a deadly new evil in Sanctuary. Based on the trailer, the new evil seems to be some blood-thirsty vampire-like creatures with extremely pointy teeth.

At the end of the trailer, we get a few quick glimpses of new features coming in Season of Blood. A new questline, new vampiric powers—which will probably replace the existing malignant hearts—and five new endgame bosses. Honestly, the endgame bosses could be pretty exciting, as that's currently a lacking feature of Diablo 4 compared to other ARPGs like Path of Exile.

Also, it appears we'll be getting updates to renown rewards, gem and stash storage, and resistances and status effects. Without concrete details it's hard to know how exactly to feel. But, all of these sound like good things, so I'm excited to find out more.

Diablo 4 Season 2, Season of Blood, will release on all platforms on October 17.

The post Diablo 4 Season 2 is Season of Blood, starts October 17 appeared first on Destructoid.

Inflexion Games revealed during Gamescom that Nightingale would be getting one more final delay. The survival crafting adventure will now release in Early Access on February 22, 2024.

Despite the delay, we also get an official release date trailer that shows off some more gameplay. I have to admit, the procedurally-generated Victorian universe is looking better than ever.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dcRqDhVVV8

"After years of dedicated work from the team, we are thrilled to announce that Nightingale will enter Early Access on February 22nd, 2024," CEO Aaryn Flynn said in a press release. "That date is a few months later than we previously announced. But as a studio, we’re committed to quality, and we take player satisfaction very seriously. We want to ensure that the game delivers on the expectations of our community, who have played a vital role in the development to date. We strive to ensure that Nightingale not only fulfills our vision but also becomes a cherished place for our players to explore and discover with their friends for many years to come."

With this trailer being titled "Official Release Date Trailer", surely this has to be the last delay, right? I've been very excited about Nightingale since its announcement. I'm a huge fan of these open-world survival crafting games, especially with Nightingale spanning multiple worlds. It has the potential to be a truly unique experience in the genre.

Nightingale will now release in Early Access on Steam and Epic on February 22, 2024 at a pricepoint of$29.99

The post Nightingale Early Access release delayed to early next year appeared first on Destructoid.

During Gamescom, developer Supermassive Games revealed the next entry in the Little Nightmares franchise: Little Nightmares 3. We got a first look at the gameplay in the third dark atmospheric adventure title that will be released in 2024.

Players will follow the journey of Low and Alone, two friends looking to escape the nightmarish world of The Nowhere. In typical Little Nightmares fashion, players will encounter signature elements including dubious puzzles and memorable monstrosities including the Monster Baby we see in the trailer.

Also, from a gameplay perspective, the sequel adds a new element. Both of the characters have their own unique items to progress through the journey. As such, teamwork will be a big part of the adventure with two-player online co-op. However, for those looking to play solo, you will still be able to do so. But instead of another player, AI will control the other character.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFHOsobwFrA

Little Nightmares and Little Nightmares 2 are staple dark atmospheric adventure titles in my opinion. It looks like that will only continue with Little Nightmares 3. If you were a fan of the first two, chances are you already know you're getting this one.

Little Nightmares 3 will release in 2024 on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch.

The post Little Nightmares 3 looks like the creepiest entry yet appeared first on Destructoid.

During the gamescom Opening Night Live pre-show, Frontier Developments released a new Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin trailer showing off the third faction: Nighthaunt. The spectral horde joins the Stormcast Eternals and Orruk Kruleboyz has confirmed factions in the RTS. The fourth and final faction has yet to be revealed.

Alongside the reveal of the new faction, we also got a release date. Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin will release on November 17 on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.

Fellow Age of Sigmar fans will have some options when purchasing an Edition of the game. The Standard Edition will include the game for $59.99, while the Deluxe Edition will also include four Alternate Hero Skins and two Profile Customization Sets for $69.99. Those devoted to the Order can also splurge for the Ultimate Edition at $74.99 which includes everything the Deluxe Edition does plus the first to Hero DLC that will release post-launch. Pre-orders of both the Deluxe and Ultimate Editions also get the RTS three days early on November 14.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mn35LpoE7Sw

Conquer Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin in Conquest Mode

We also got a first look at an all-new game mode in the trailer: Conquest Mode. The single-player challenge mode allows players to face off against a series of repeatable combat scenarios. These scenarios are procedurally generated challenges for 1v1 skirmishes that result in a final battle. Along the way, rule-breaking twists will change the terms of combat including reduced vision, faster movement speeds, or strict time limits. Progressing through the mode will earn you a high score, as well as the seed number for that challenge. Sharing that specific Conquest Mode challenge seed number will allow other players to try to beat your high score.

Multiplayer options will also be available at launch with both 1v1 and 2v2 cross-platform competitive multiplayer.

The new Nighthaunt faction will be the antagonist in the campaign as well as playable in Conquest Mode and multiplayer. Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin will release on November 17 on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.

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As we get closer to the Cities: Skyline 2 launch, developer Colossal Order has been highlighting various features of the city builder with weekly video releases. Today's video highlights the new Game Progression system which looks more in-depth than the original Cities: Skylines.

There are 20 milestones in total that you can strive for with each one unlocking new rewards. Unlocking a milestone will earn you some cash as well as some expansion permits and development points.

Expansion permits allow you to add new tiles to add to your city, expanding the bounds in which you can build your metropolis. You can also use expansion permits to check out the exact resource and quality aspects of a prospective tile.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtytQ9rX3Bc

New development points system introduces progression trees

The addition of development points is where it looks like progression in Cities: Skyline 2 will really shine. Development points are required to add city services such as fire departments, water and electric utilities, educational buildings, and more. Each city server has its own unique tree that you will spend development points on to unlock new buildings. As your city grows and the demands of your population change, you will have to unlock new buildings to address them. The further down the tree you progress, the more advanced each building is offering higher levels of sophistication and specialization.

For example, when addressing the transportation needs of your population, you will first unlock basic transportation services like buses. However, from there you will have to choose from several options. You could choose to unlock trains, trams, and eventually subways. Or, you could go down the water tree and unlock boats or even the air tree and unlock planes and eventually even a space center.

Also, it looks like milestones will progress differently in Cities: Skyline 2. Cities: Skylines progressed and unlocked milestones based simply on reaching new population highs. Bu int Cities: Skyline2, each milestone requires a certain amount of XP to unlock it. According to the video, you'll unlock XP passively based on population happiness as well as actively by investing in your city and placing key buildings or building up infrastructure like roads.

I saw some pretty interesting-looking buildings on the development tree in the trailer. I'm not exactly sure what I'll be able to do with a Large Hadron Collider, but I'm excited to find out. I'm excited to see what other cool things we can unlock via progression in Cities: Skyline 2.

Cities: Skylines 2 releases on October 24 on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.

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Even though we have to wait a while for Path of Exile 2, the original is still going to be receiving new seasons. In fact, the new patch 3.22 season titled Path of Exile: Trial of the Ancestors releases tomorrow, August 18, on PC and Mac. Console players will get the new season launch a week later on August 23.

I'm a huge fan of Path of Exile, but I know it can be very hard to get into. Even back when I started playing years ago, the learning curve was a bit much. On top of that, every season adds more mechanics and features. This is great for veteran players, but for those looking to try to learn the game, it only adds to the hassle. A lot of prospective players figured they'd wait until Path of Exile 2 to try relearning the game. However, now that we know it won't be entering beta for almost a year, I wanted to do my part to try and help make PoE more accessible.

Do I need to follow a Path of Exile build guide?

The first thing you need to do in Path of Exile is pick your League Starter Build. While in most action RPGs you can just throw points into what you want as you go, that's unfortunately not the case for PoE. I mean, you sort of can. But, eventually, you're going to hit a point in your experience where you will wish you had just stuck to an already existing build—especially if you're not a veteran player. Once you've got a few seasons under your belt and you have a better idea of how exactly PoE works, you can definitely try to formulate your own build. Until then, trust me when I say: you can still have fun in PoE when following a build guide. 

As a final note before we jump into the builds, keep in mind that builds change with each season. It's not uncommon for PoE developer Grinding Gear Games to do sweeping balance changes making some builds less or more viable with each season. Interestingly, this season didn't change too much when it comes to existing builds. As such, this is a great season to jump in as we already have an idea of what builds work and which ones do not. Here is the best Path of Exile (PoE) 3.22 Trial of the Ancestors League Starter Builds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJNGeWTO5_s

Path of Exile (PoE) 3.22 Trial of the Ancestors League Starter Builds

For each build I list here, I will name the build, a brief summary of how the build plays, as well as a link to a reputable build guide that lays out in detail how to build your character to successfully play that build.

Righteous Fire Inquisitor — The best overall League Starter build in Path of Exile Trial of the Ancestors 3.22

Build Guide: Righteous Fire Inquisitor by Pohx

Righteous Fire Inquisitor has been a staple Path of Exile League Starter build for as long as I can remember. It's also often recommended to beginners due to its easy playstyle. Once you have the proper gear, most content can be completed by activating your Righteous Fire and running around. Every few seconds you stop moving only to reactivate Consecrated Ground. Even though this build definitely excels at map clear, it can still be solid for most boss encounters. The only downside really is that the AoE radius of Righteous Fire isn't astronomical. As such, you will often quite literally be face-tanking encounters. Thankfully, Inquisitor offsets this a bit with more tankiness. If you're having a tough time surviving, you can even switch to Juggernaut for more survivability. Once you've reached the end-game and start farming a lot of currency, Elementalist is an option for even more damage.

Boneshatter Juggernaut Build — The best melee League Starter build in Path of Exile Trial of the Ancestors 3.22

Build Guide: Boneshatter Juggernaut by Zizaran

Melee has been in a really strange place for a while in Path of Exile. However, recent improvements to Boneshatter have made it extremely viable, especially at the league start. Its damage scales very well even without optimized gear. So long as you can get a decent weapon, you don't have to worry about damage with Boneshatter. By going Juggernaut, survivability is also improved making this one of the best all-around melee builds PoE has to offer. If you are playing in non-hardcore, or have more experience with PoE, you could also try Slayer. Boneshatter Slayer won't have quite the survivability as Juggernaut, but it will do more damage.

Explosive Arrow Ballista Build — The best balling on a budget League Starter build in Path of Exile Trial of the Ancestors 3.22

Build Guide: Explosive Arrow Ballista Elementalist by Palsteron

Explosive Arrow Ballista Elementalist in particular became a strong build a few leagues ago. Every league it's assumed it's going to get nerfed, but that's yet to happen. This build does not require any Uniques so you can literally start decimating bosses and clearing maps without any investment into your gear. In fact, with the most basic of gear, you can start clearing maps as soon as you reach the end game. As if this wasn't enough adding optimized gear only pushes this build even further. This means that while most League Starter builds eventually reach a cap where you have to switch to a better build, Explosive Arrow Ballista does not have that problem. Once you start clearing maps and farming currency, you can actually reinvest in your same build and eventually clear all content with it.

Detonate Dead Elementalist — The best boss-killing League Starter build in Path of Exile Trial of the Ancestors 3.22

Build Guide: Detonate Dead Elementalist by ds_lily

With most League Starter builds, boss damage can wind up being a problem. With this Detonate Dead Elementalist build, boss killing will never be a problem. In fact, this build specializes in killing bosses while also having a decent map clear speed. By going with the Elementalist ascendancy, we're able to increase boss damage even more. However, as you could imagine, this build is not that tanky. Once you get the playstyle of Detonate Dead Elementalist down, you can literally kill uber bosses with the most minimal low-budget gear. If killing bosses is your goal with this Path of Exile league, definitely consider trying this build.

Lightning Arrow Deadeye — The best map-clear League Starter build in Path of Exile Trial of the Ancestors 3.22

Build Guide: Lightning Arrow Deadeye League Starter by Crouching_Tuna

Sometimes you just want to zip through your maps, pushing a few keys and clearing out the entire screen. If that's your cup of tea, take a look at Lightning Arrow Deadeye. This ranged bow build is able to stack flat Elemental Damage and achieve insane DPS. Once this build gets going you can fire many projectiles at once, each of which chain through enemies as they hit them. This build excels at clearing out an entire screen full of enemies quickly. Unfortunately, it is a bit lacking when it comes to boss killing, so definitely look at other options if that's your goal. That's not to say it isn't possible, just that it isn't its strength. The build is also a bit on the squishy side, though you're always at range with this build anyway.

As you can see, there are definitely more viable ranged than melee builds. Unfortunately, that's just the current state of Path of Exile. Once the league starts and we get a look at how some other builds are doing we may update this list.

The post Best Path of Exile (PoE) 3.22 Trial of the Ancestors League Starter Builds appeared first on Destructoid.

It's officially Call of Duty hype time, as Activision has officially revealed the next chapter in the Modern Warfare series: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. The FPS will serve as a direct sequel to last year's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

This newest entry is being co-developed by Sledgehammer Games and Infinity Ward, which is the same as the 2011 release. The reveal includes some details on the new content coming to Call of Duty including the first-ever Modern Warfare zombies mode. We also got a reveal trailer that shows off some of the campaign:

https://youtu.be/mHDEDDrGYvo

New Campaign and multiplayer as expected

The new campaign will pick up right where Modern Warfare 2 left off. According to the release, players can expect action-packed cinematic experiences like before as well as new free-form Open Combat missions. Player choice has never really been a component of the Call of Duty campaigns, so it will be exciting to see how far they actually go with these free-form missions. Even though full details aren't available just yet, the release does mention being able to make use of any operable vehicles on the map.

For multiplayer fans, all 16 maps from the 2009 version of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 will be available. The maps have been modernized and new modes and features have been added. Furthermore, 12 all-new core 6v6 maps will also release with post-launch live seasons. Ground War and War Modes are also making a return.

Activision also revealed three new "gameplay innovations" that will be debuting with Modern Warfare 3. Tac-Stance introduces a middle ground between hip-fire and aiming down sights. The new stance improves weapon performance when entering tight hallways and cramped rooms. Evolving Loadouts adds new levels of customization to Create-a-Class. The new feature allows you to fine-tune cutting-edge military equipment including gloves, tactical vests, boots, and more. Finally, After-Market-Parts is a special set of customization options that allows you to construct a unique weapon configuration to fit your playstyle.

Overall all three new features sound like nice additions. Obviously we'll have to see them in action to know for sure.

Finally, as promised, Modern Warfare 3 multiplayer will "Carry Forward" from Modern Warfare 2. This means all content and weapon progression will move into Modern Warfare 3, including all unlocks. This will make everything you've unlocked accessible on day one.

[caption id="attachment_397208" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

First-ever Modern Warfare zombies mode

Fans of Call of Duty zombies mode can rejoice, as the feature will finally make its way to Modern Warfare. This will also include the largest Call of Duty zombies map ever. Furthermore, the mode will get an actual story that tells us more about the Dark Aether Zombies in the Modern Warfare universe. There will be several missions across different regions with varying degrees of difficulty, as well as some of the biggest enemies we've seen yet in Call of Duty.

More details are to come as we get closer to release. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 releases on November 10 on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.

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I had the opportunity to get an early look at Astronaut: The Best ahead of its August 15 release. Admittedly, I knew very little before jumping in. All I had seen is this Launch Announcement Trailer that had silly 2D graphics that reminded me of Homestar Runner. This is also studio Universal Happymaker's first title, so I didn't have much history to rely on.

But then on the Universal Happymaker YouTube channel, I saw videos showing off Astronaut: The Best going back as far as six years. And, after learning more about the title, I found out the team of four has actually been working on it for over eight years. Whenever a team is willing to put that amount of passion and dedication into their work, I'm more than willing to try it out. And with Astronaut: The Best, I'm oh so glad that I did.

https://youtu.be/EbkPomZBxyE

Bring glory to Flaustria

The premise of Astronaut: The Best is rather simple. The previous director for the space program of the great nation of Flaustria has failed. Unfortunately, the program is in shambles, but the five High Priests have brought you in to fix things. Over the course of five missions, you're tasked with doing everything in your power to train your astronauts for space. However, like any grand space program, there are some hurdles.

First off, Flaustria isn't the only nation with a space program. You'll have to deal with a rival nation plotting to sabotage and curtail your program in any way. Each mission has a unique focus, but along the way, you'll also have to deal with the competing space program.

Also, the five High Priests each have their own desires for how they want the space program handled. It's your job to consider all the options to figure out what gives you the best chance of success while also keeping the High Priests happy. Each of the five High Priests has their own unique personality, leading to some pretty comical interactions.

For example, in mission two the High Priests deemed it necessary for two of my astronauts to partake in a boxing match against astronauts from a rival nation to show our superiority. This is all while trying to prepare them for the space mission, mind you. Before the fight, High Priest Inside Track, who is in charge of the economy of Flaustria, paid me a visit. He subtly asked me to throw the match so we could make a lot of money. As you can imagine, it can be challenging juggling the demands of the High Priests while trying to successfully get to space.

[caption id="attachment_396459" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

These may not be the best astronauts for the job, but it's up to you to change that

Each astronaut that you recruit has five stats and several unique traits. Most of the time you'll have to train your astronaut in a specific stat in order to unveil the trait. Some are good, some are bad, and some are both. Typically these traits give you an increase or decrease in specific stats. Sometimes the traits aren't stat-related at all.

For example, I had one astronaut who was a pirate in her off-time and was willing to share a cut of her pillaging gains with the space program. This gave me some more funds to train the astronauts each week. Or, at least it would have. Unfortunately, I also had an astronaut that was obsessed with the latest designer clothes and would bill it to the program. In the end, the two usually balanced each other out, but as you can imagine this can create unique hurdles for how you approach a mission.

Overall, Astronaut: The Best is a time management game. Each day you'll be visited by a High Priest, then choose how you want to train each astronaut that day. Training them too much will stress them out, which can lead to them having a breakdown with destructive results. However, you can give them the day off to relieve stress or use consumable items that do the same.

The gameplay reminds me a lot of Cultist Simulator mixed with a world like Papers, Please, or Not For Broadcast. If you like all those titles, you'll get into Astronaut: The Best.

[caption id="attachment_396460" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Astronaut: The Best does what it does well

If you're looking for a quirky time management game set in an intriguing—and comical—world, you want to check out Astronaut: The Best. I only got to play a couple of missions, but there are five in total. Each mission has its own branching storyline and narrative based on your choices along the way. This creates quite a bit of replayability, even if the mission count seems low at first. Events and tasks that pop up throughout each run are also procedurally generated, making each playthrough unique.

Don't let the screenshots fool you. They almost did me, and they made me a bit worried about what I was getting myself into. But, after playing, I can tell you this is the perfect graphical style for Astronaut: The Best. You can learn the fundamentals very quickly, and each time you play you will learn more about how to increase your chances of success with the space program.

Oh, and you also get to chat with a six-legged lion. Where else can you do that?

Astronaut: The Best releases on PC via Steam on August 15. It's also Steam Deck verified.

The post Astronaut: The Best is a fun quirky occult management game about running a space academy appeared first on Destructoid.

Blizzard has released details on the upcoming Diablo 3 2.76 PTR that will be running August 15-August 29. More specifically, this update highlights what will be coming to Diablo 3 Season 29: Visions of Enmity.

If you've played any Diablo 3 season you'll quickly notice this upcoming season looks pretty monumental in comparison. On the flip side, Diablo 4's recently released first season, Season of the Malignant, is pretty lackluster.

I've gotta admit, it's a bit odd that after a decade of 28 pretty simplistic seasons for Diablo 3, we're just now getting a feature-filled season that includes a new mode, an intriguing new seasonal theme, and some bigger class balance changes.

Is Diablo 3 about to get a better season than Diablo 4?

[caption id="attachment_396258" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Activision Blizzard[/caption]

Popular ARPG mode Solo Self Found coming to Diablo 3

First is a new single-player mode with its own unique Leaderboards for seasonal content. SSF is a very popular mode in Path of Exile, so it makes sense for it to come to the action RPG. In this mode, it's a truly single-player experience. You can't group with others, ever, meaning you can't trade and will never get an experience bonus for group play.

This mode has been requested for a while because, in the current state of Diablo 3, a group of four is always the fastest to progress each season. That's fine, but having a separate leaderboard that acknowledges solo play is definitely not a bad thing. Furthermore, SSF mode will also be available on Hardcore mode, meaning you only have one life.

[caption id="attachment_396260" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Season 29 is Visions of Enmity and will have a Paragon Ceiling

Diablo 3 Season 29 is titled Visions of Enmity. Disturbances around Sanctuary have created pocket dimensions that can be accessed by stepping into Diablolical Fissures. These special areas have a chance of spawning by slaying demons in the open world. Inside are unstable visions with powerful enemies who can create further fissures, amplifying the potential rewards along the way.

Furthermore, some monsters will have new affixes including Enervating, which creates an AoE around the monster that reduces player movement speed and cooldown reduction. There's also Necrotic, which reduces players healing until they are healed above 95%, and Resource Leech, which causes hits to remove 65% of the player's maximum resource.

A Paragon Ceiling is also coming for the first time in Season 29. Players will only be able to assign 800 Paragon Points in total to their character, with 200 for each category. In previous seasons, there was no cap on Paragon Points but it would take longer to get each subsequent point. Furthermore, you can now put up to 200 Paragon Points in each specific attribute as opposed to the previous limit of 50.

Finally, several big class balances are coming, especially to Crusader, Demon Hunter, and Witch Doctor.

Diablo 3 Season 29: Visions of Enmity will be available on the PTR for two weeks from August 15-August 29. If you're interested in joining, you can find more details on the official PTR Preview post.

The post Diablo 3 is getting a better season than Diablo 4 appeared first on Destructoid.

A teaser at the end of the 2022 THQ Nordic Digital Showcase hinted a new South Park game was coming. Naturally, it was assumed that it would be the next installment in the popular South Park RPG series. However, it appears that won't be the case.

During the 2023 THQ Nordic Digital Showcase, South Park: Snow Day was officially revealed. Players will battle through the snow-piled streets of South Park with up to three friends. Apparently, the highlight feature is that South Park will be in 3D, though I'm not sure that's a good thing.

We also got a reveal trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEv35KH-DXQ

I think I'd rather have another 2D RPG

Even though South Park: The Stick of Truth and South Park: Fractured but Whole weren't for everyone, I could definitely appreciate what they were going for. A comical adventure in the world of South Park intended for fans of the show. Also, there's something to the 2D charm and honestly, it looks kinda goofy in 3D.

In fact, the trailer reminded me a lot of the South Park game on N64. Obviously with more modern visuals, but the same sort of goofy 3D graphics and gameplay.

No details on the actual game were provided other than it will be 3D and feature co-op multiplayer. It kind of looks similar to Fat Princess to me, but it's hard to really tell until we know more.

South Park: Snow Day will release in 2024 on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch.

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Reports had surfaced earlier this year from Nickelodeon that the popular TMNT comic book, The Last Ronin, would not be hitting the big screen but instead would be getting a 'God of War-style' AAA video game. As it turns out, those reports appear to be true. During the 2023 THQ Nordic Digital Showcase, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin was officially revealed. TMNT: The Last Ronin follows a lone surviving turtle in a dark alternate future battle-ravaged New York City.

THQ Nordic also dropped a very simple reveal trailer, though it doesn't really tell us much.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nx2ixJFWXcg

I have to be honest, I completely forgot this was a possibility, even though Nickelodeon subtly revealed it earlier this year. When I saw the Nick logo I thought we were getting another Spongebob title. I have nothing against Spongebob, but this is definitely way better.

Unfortunately, we didn't get any sort of details other than it will be based on the best-selling comic book. Also, it's worth noting that this is an official adaptation of TMNT: The Last Ronin, so it will probably follow the story of the comic.

TMNT: The Last Ronin will be coming to PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. No sort of release timeframe just yet.

The post Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin revealed, with very little info appeared first on Destructoid.

Earlier this year GeForce Now accidentally leaked a few unannounced titles, including Titan Quest 2. Unfortunately, such leaks aren't always accurate, so I didn't get too excited.

However, as part of the 2023 THQ Nordic Digital Showcase, we got a first look at Titan Quest 2. The action RPG will be coming to PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. Even though we didn't see any gameplay, the announcement trailer did show off Ancient Greece as we've come to appreciate it in Titan Quest.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bY6yb8OoFvw

I can't wait to explore Ancient Greece again

Titan Quest was a very popular ARPG that came out back in 2006 on PC. Eventually, it was remastered and re-released on PC as well as consoles, and it received several DLC expansions that brought the title back to life. Praised for its build diversity, itemization, and replayability, Titan Quest also served as the framework for the popular ARPG Grim Dawn.

According to THQ Nordic, the sequel will return to the classic mythology-inspired setting of Titan Quest. The upcoming action RPG is being developed by the creators of SpellForce 3. Furthermore, Titan Quest 2 will feature some of the staples from the original, including a flexible character system, meaningful loot, and challenging combat. Also, TQ2 will include online multiplayer just like the original Titan Quest.

Without getting a look at the gameplay, this is about as excited as I can get. I put hundreds, maybe even thousands of hours into Titan Quest as a teenager. It was clearly a passion project from Diablo 2 fans. Despite how great D2 was, I personally enjoyed Titan Quest overall more.

THQ Nordic didn't provide any release timeframe yet, but hopefully we'll get some more details about Titan Quest 2 soon.

The post Titan Quest 2 is real and I’m very excited appeared first on Destructoid.

At 3 p.m. ET on August 11, THQ Nordic will be airing its 2023 THQ Nordic Digital Showcase. THQ Nordic has promised a showcase with world premiere announcements as well as further feature news and reveals for already announced titles.

Specifically, Alone in the Dark, Gothic, Outcast: A New Beginning, Wreckreation, and Trine 5 will be in the show.

Those interested in watching the digital showcase with us can do so on the THQ Nordic YouTube or Twitch channel.

You can also watch along below:

https://youtu.be/6rRCEMRPo-E

What can we expect from the Digital Showcase?

Once again, we have been told there are in fact some world premieres coming to this showcase. Furthermore, some of the titles they confirmed to be speaking about are releasing in the next few months, so I'm sure they will be highlighting those in particular. Trine releases at the end of this month on August 31. Also,  Alone in the Dark releases on October 25, so I'm sure we'll see some more gameplay from it.

Their showcase last year ended with a hint at a new South Park game which we have yet to get more details on. Who knows, maybe we'll get more info on that.

Personally, I'm hoping to see anything Darksiders. I am excited about the Gothic remake so definitely down to see more of that, and maybe even a release date. For now, all we know is that THQ Nordic considered 2024 as the realistic release window for it.

The post Let’s watch the 2023 THQ Nordic Digital Showcase today appeared first on Destructoid.

In a Community Update post on Steam, Larian Studios has revealed just how much players are loving Baldur's Gate 3. More specifically, users have a combined playtime of over 10,000,000 hours; which equates to over 1,225 years. With a current all-time peak of 814,466 concurrent players on Steam, it was obvious that BG3 was getting serious playtime. But, even still, these numbers are massive.

Larian also revealed some pretty interesting stats from the opening weekend. Half-Elf is the most picked race and much to my surprise, Paladin is the most chosen class. Not that there's anything wrong with Paladin, I just expected it to be something more obvious: like Barbarian or Rogue, or even Wizard. Githyanki and Halfing aren't the go-to choices for that many people, nor is the Cleric class.

[caption id="attachment_396145" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Would you like some choices for your choices?

Most players appear to be veering on the side of good, with 65% choosing to save the Grove. Don't worry: those in the other 35% decided to assault the Grove, so did I. I had my reasons.

Despite at least 2.5 million copies of Baldur's Gate 3 being purchased, only 368 players have finished the RPG. That's really a true testament to how much there is to actually do in BG3. I've got over 30 hours of playtime so far and I'm still in Act I, and loving every second of it.

There were a few more interesting stats in the post as well. Of all the Origin Characters that players can choose, Gale was the most picked. I wonder if it's due to all the possibilities of being a Wizard with their many subclass choices. Furthermore, 12% of all player deaths were caused by friendly fire. I finally started my co-op campaign just last night and can definitely feel this statistic.

Perhaps the most important stat of the opening weekend: Scratch has been petted over 750,000 times. To be honest, I think that's a rookie number, everyone! Make sure you're petting Scratch.

[gallery columns="5" link="file" size="large" ids="396166,396167,396168,396169,396170"]

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Surfing the sands of Atlas Fallen can be a daunting task when you first start playing. The dunes are harsh, and the sun god's wrath can be difficult to overcome. To help you with your adventure, we've put together 7 beginner tips for challenging Thelos in Atlas Fallen.

Try out the Knuckledust weapon

Even though you start with the Dunecleaver and Sandwhip unlocked, you will obtain the Knuckldust very early. The Knuckldust is a fist weapon that can ramp up to deal massive damage.

I actually played through a fair portion of Atlas Fallen before trying out the Knuckledust. After giving it a try I never swapped it out, as it synergizes well with the Sandwhip. It may end up being your favorite weapon too.

When fighting multiple enemies at once, a good offense is a good defense

In some scenarios, you may find yourself under attack by an onslaught of lesser enemies, perhaps mixed in with a stronger enemy. Your instinct may be to play it safe and keep evading around, but I've found this to be quite difficult at times. It always seems like once I'm encountering too many enemies at once, their attacks just so happen to line up. It gets to a point where it's quite challenging to keep evading or parrying a flurry of attacks.

On the flip side, you can often focus down and take out a lesser enemy in just a few hits. Doing so will mean one less attack you have to worry about coming at you, therefore going on the offense often ends up benefiting you defensively as well.

[caption id="attachment_395889" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Look for pulsing blue lights in the sand to raise objects

One of the non-combat abilities of the Gauntlet allows you to Raise objects out from under the sand. Sometimes this will unveil an anvil that you can upgrade, heal, and fast travel at. Other times, it will be a structure that you can climb to get to a higher elevation and find some hidden goodies.

Finally, you can also Raise up chests from under the sand that may hold Essence, Shards, and even equipment to enhance your build.

Do some sidequests

Even though sidequests don't really enhance the story in any way, you can sometimes obtain quality rewards for doing them. If you find yourself wanting a break from beelining through the main story, visit a quest hub and grab a few side quests. Often times they're grouped up within the same area so you can knock a few out at once.

Be sure to check the rewards afterward, as you may pick up an item that fits well into your playstyle.

Don't always evade; make use of your parry

Once you've mastered the art of dodging via evade, it can be tempting to do so to every attack. However, a successful parry can be even more beneficial than dodging an attack. Keep an eye out for the enemy to flash red before an attack, which means the attack can be parried. Some attacks may take several subsequent parries to have the intended effect, so keep at it.

[caption id="attachment_395890" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Check the inventory of new vendors when you find them

Throughout Atlas Fallen, you will encounter several different vendors. Most are found inside villages and quest hubs, with some also located in key story areas.

Vendors can carry all sorts of items beneficial to your progress, including equipment, Idols, Essence Stones, and more. There's also the Travelling Vendor who, as his name suggests, travels the world. You can always guesstimate his location based on his kite flying high in the sky wherever he currently is. After defeating certain encounters, the Travelling Merchant may update his inventory, so be sure to check it out frequently.

Don't forget to Shatter

In the heat of battle, it can be easy to forget how powerful your Shatter attack is. Keep in mind that it depletes your Momentum Bar, so you will lose the benefits of the Essence Stones you currently have enough Momentum for.

However, Shatter is very strong. If you're running out of heals and are particularly close to defeating a powerful enemy, but aren't sure if you will be able to survive long enough to defeat it: use your Shatter. It can deal an insane amount of damage if you have your Momentum Bar completely filled up, and it is often worth executing as opposed to saving the Momentum.

Hopefully, these beginner tips will help you as your journey through the deserts of Atlas Fallen.

The post 7 beginner tips for braving the sands in Atlas Fallen appeared first on Destructoid.

We're about two weeks away from the release of Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon. Those playing on Xbox who have preordered the game can preload Armored Core 6, letting you can play as soon as it releases. Unfortunately, PlayStation and PC gamers will have to wait a bit longer.

[caption id="attachment_395926" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Bandai Namco[/caption]

Armored Core 6 preload size

The download size when you preload Armored Core 6 on Xbox is about 53GB. This is a bit on the smaller side in comparison to games like the recently released Baldur's Gate 3, which ended up being about 122GB. However, FromSoftware has always managed to keep the file sizes of its titles in check.

For comparison, the massive open-world Elden Ring was under 50GB on consoles and only 60GB on PC. Dark Souls 3 was only 25GB on all platforms.

When we look at the file sizes of Elden Ring, Xbox as a platform was right in the middle. Therefore, it's possible the size of Armored Core 6 will be smaller on PlayStation and bigger on PC.

[caption id="attachment_395925" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Bandai Namco[/caption]

What about Armored Core 6 preload on PlayStation and PC?

Unfortunately, there's been no word on a pre-load date for Steam users on PC. Even though we don't have a date, typically Steam grants a couple of days of pre-load before a AAA release.

PlayStation players on the other hand will be able to pre-load Armored Core 6 starting on August 23, which is two days before it releases.

Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon releases on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S on August 25.

The post You can preload Armored Core 6 now on Xbox appeared first on Destructoid.

The Expanse: A Telltale Series picks up right where the first episode left off. Things were in a bit of disarray, so the opening moments of The Expanse: A Telltale Series Episode 2 are a bit hectic. However, Camina Drummer is now the captain of The Artemis, which means our choices should now matter more than ever. Even though we're technically still in the first half of the series, by the end of the episode I certainly feel like things are moving forward.

[caption id="attachment_395756" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

The Expanse: A Telltale Series – Episode 2 (PC [Reviewed], PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S)
Developer: Deck Nine
Publisher: Telltale
Released: August 10, 2023
MSRP: $39.99

A familiar gameplay loop

I have to admit, Episode 2 is very similar to Episode 1. We start out onboard the Artemis, before encountering a ship debris field. We navigate the wreckage, find a few hidden items, then finish out the episode back on the Artemis. Don't get me wrong, the narrative moved forward in Episode 2. But with each of these episodes only lasting about an hour and a half so far, I'm starting to worry a bit.

Listen, I understand...this is The Expanse. It makes sense that we've spent all of our time in the depths of space so far. But, that doesn't make it a fun gameplay loop. Space looks just as beautiful as it did in the first episode, but navigating the derelict ship felt a bit too much like I had just done the same thing. It would be cool if we get to explore a station at some point, or even maybe visit Earth, Mars, or even another planet. Even though that's highly unlikely given the overarching narrative of The Expanse, I do think it would be cool to do.

About halfway through the episode, there is a new gameplay element in which you have to navigate the wreckage while dodging the lasers from drones that are searching for you. It's nothing game-changing, but it is nice to see Deck Nine trying to add some new gameplay mechanics into a narrative-focused title.

[caption id="attachment_395755" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Choices do seem to matter

While I seemingly made some big choices in the first episode, I wasn't sure if they were actually going to end up mattering or not. Furthermore, I went out of my way to complete some "side missions", obtaining various items my crew had requested.

To my surprise,  the choices I made actually seemed to impact what happened throughout this episode, which is great. Also, it seems like going out of my way to gather those extra items also made a difference too. For example, in Episode 1 our medic had requested a new laser crystal for our surgical device on the Artemis. I was able to find it and in Episode 2 someone required a surgical procedure. The procedure was seemingly effective specifically because I found the laser crystal. I am a bit curious about what would have happened had I not found it.

As a side note to The Expanse fans, this is definitely the Camina Drummer from the show. As I said in my impressions of Episode 1, Cara Gee knocks it out of the park. I'm really glad they were able to get her to reprise the voice of Drummer. There are a few choices you have to make throughout this episode, and they certainly felt like Drummer options. At the end of the episode, we catch up with our crew on the Artemis. We really get to see the effects of Drummer being captain, which I'm sure is setting up future episodes.

In two weeks we'll take a look at Episode 3 at which point I think we'll have a good idea of the direction The Expanse: A Telltale Series is taking.

The post Review: The Expanse: A Telltale Series – Episode 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

Atlas Fallen is a very ambitious title from developer Deck13. While overall it shares some similarities to their previous title, including Lords of the Fallen and The Surge 2, it's also their first step away from the Soulslike genre. At its core Atlas Fallen is a third-person action RPG that focuses on speed and fast-paced encounters. While you sometimes encounter groups of smaller enemies, the bulk of your enemies is giant hulking beasts, which quickly becomes a staple of the gameplay.

[caption id="attachment_395703" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Atlas Fallen (PC, PS5[reviewed], Xbox Series X|S)
Developer: Deck13
Publisher: Focus Entertainment
Release: August 10, 2023
MSRP: PC: $49.99, PS5 & Xbox Series X|S: $59.99

In Atlas Fallen, the world lies in ruin due to the savage sun god Thelos. Most of the once lush landscape is now entirely sand dunes with the occasional dead tree or patch of dried-out grass. The inhabitants are forced to serve Thelos by extracting a powerful resource called Essence from the world and delivering it to him. Some people have pledged loyalty to the sun god in exchange for an elevated status or a more desirable job in the harsh desert. Others are tasked with performing slave-like labor, extracting Essence, and transporting it across the dunes.

The protagonist discovers a powerful ancient Gauntlet that is able to manipulate Essence to shape the sand, granting its wielder powerful weapons and powers. With this newfound strength, the player sets out to lead a rebellion and put a stop to the savage rule of Thelos.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGQfhGubWns

All hope relies on the Gauntlet

The Gauntlet allows you to equip two of three potential weapons at all times. The Dunecleaver is a powerful heavy weapon axe and hammer hybrid. The Sandwhip is a fast attacking whip that also allows you to close distances quickly. Finally, the Knuckledust is a hard-hitting fist weapon that also allows you to grow additional arms as you pound your foe. Each weapon has its own specific attacks and combos that synergize differently with the other weapons. Honestly, the three weapons are unique enough, but once I found the combo of weapons that worked for me—Sandwhip and Knuckledust—I never really found the need to ever us the third weapon.

While beating up on majestic beasts in the desert, you'll also learn how to master Atlas Fallen's Momentum system. Momentum is a bit of a risk-reward system. As you successfully land attacks, you will fill up your Momentum bar. As its filled, you will be able to carry out more hard-hitting special attacks. However, the fuller the bar is, the more damage you take when you are hit.

It's a great premise, but it honestly feels like it misses the mark a little bit. There's not truly any risk to be had, because at the end of the day you're just going to be focusing on beating down your enemy. I never really stopped building momentum to consider the risk of doing so. Instead, I'd just try to land as many attacks as I could while also prioritizing not getting hit so I didn't risk taking additional damage.

Throughout the world you will find deposits of Essence, as well as from dropped enemies. With this Essence you can unlock new abilities and upgrade your Gauntlet, increasing its capabilities.

[caption id="attachment_395700" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

A truly beautiful world

Visually, the world of Atlas Fallen is simply beautiful. I literally found myself stopping to look around the vast open landscapes, and admiring the beauty of the ruins scattered amongst the sands. The detail in some of the areas such as the Knights of Bastengard Stronghold is second to none.

As you progress through the world you will visit three different areas in total. Each one has a main hub that you will pickup the bulk of your quests from. Additional optional quests and collectables are peppered all throughout the area as well, in no short supply. Your Gauntlet also has the ability to raise buried objects up out of the sand, which can include chests and even structures that allow you to reach higher elevation areas.

Some of the colossal beasts that you encounter are pretty incredible as well, both in size and appearance. Fans of Monster Hunter will find familiarities here, as some of the bigger monsters have various body parts that you can focus on. If you deal enough damage to them, they will break, causing massive damage to the enemy and also dropping special loot. Unfortunately, I found loot to be mostly irrelevant throughout Atlas Fallen. I still tried to break as many monster parts as I could, but never found the materials I obtained for doing so to really matter.

In fact, this is perhaps one of the bigger issues with Atlas Fallen. A lot of the systems in place are great in premise, and even have their own intricacies to them. However, in most cases they fall short in terms of relevancy. In a vast open world action RPG like Atlas Fallen, equipment and itemization should be important. Unfortunately, this isn't the case. In fact, I think it would be quite possible to play through all of Atlas Fallen without bothering to equip anything you've obtained throughout the entire experience.

[caption id="attachment_395704" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

But, not everything is beautiful

Unfortunately there are some pretty sizeable problems with Atlas Fallen as well. The biggest issue without a doubt is the voice acting. Don't get me wrong, I don't expect every title to have Baldur's Gate 3 level of voiceovers. But the voice acting in Atlas Fallen isn't even average, it's downright terrible. Some of the non-important side NPC's were alright, but the playable character as well as your main companion, Nyaal, were not great. It really took from the overall experience.

From a lore perspective, the weight of the world is on these two character's shoulders. But you wouldn't have known that based on their monotone line delivery. I know I'm emphasizing this a lot here, but can't stress how bad it is. We're talking worse than Peter Dinkelage as Ghost in Destiny 2 before they replaced him.

Overall the story of Atlas Fallen had a lot of potential, but it falls short and overall I think the voiceover was a big part of it. Furthermore, the story felt a bit rushed at times. In total it took me just over 14 hours to complete Atlas Fallen, but I did a good bit of the optional content it had to offer. If someone was beelining through the main story quests only, I would not be surprised to see a sub 10 hour completion. However, if you do choose to take your time and really explore every nook and cranny to obtain every collectible and complete every side quest, I could see it taking 20 hours.

Also, a lot of the potentially fantastic features in Atlas Fallen end up feeling tacked on. There's a feature called Watcher's Fury where once you've done enough to draw the attention of the eye of Thelos, he will create a massive sandstorm on your location. Inside the storm an onslaught of enemies will attack you, all while you have limited visibility. When I first encountered Watcher's Fury I was excited to see the outcome of it. You have the choice of running and escaping the storm, or fighting all the enemies to the end. At the end you get some rather basic loot...and that's about it.

All in all, the Watcher's Fury felt pretty lackluster in every way. Furthermore, I only experienced the Watcher's Fury a few times throughout Atlas Fallen, making me wonder why it existed in the first place.

[caption id="attachment_395708" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

A flawed but good experience

Overall, I like Atlas Fallen. It's great to see Deck13 step outside its comfort zone and show us their take on an open world. It's a good time, but it could have been a great time.

This was honestly a tough title to review for me. In some ways, Atlas Fallen shows glimpses of a truly remarkable AAA title. The world is vast and beautiful and lively. But in other ways, it just makes me wish it had been more. The combat system had the potential to leave a memorable mark on the genre. But, in reality, it will instead probably end up being forgettable instead. It felt like perhaps Deck13 played things way too safe with their first non-Soulslike endeavor.

I do think there is reason enough to experience Atlas Fallen. Especially if you are a fan of the action RPG genre. It may not leave a lasting impression once you've completed the adventure. But it will be enjoyable enough along the way to hold your interest. Also, I didn't get the opportunity to try it out but you can play the entirety of Atlas Fallen co-operatively. Honestly, while I don't think that would fix any of the bigger flaws. However, I do think it could enhance the experience overall.

Perhaps the best words to summarize Atlas Fallen is this: I can't wait to see what Deck13 does next.

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

The post Review: Atlas Fallen appeared first on Destructoid.

UK-based Indie team Cathedral Studios has announced their upcoming free-to-play horror FPS, The Bornless.

Developers with the studio come from some big franchises including Far Cry, Borderlands, and Call of Duty. Even though the shooter doesn't release until 2024, the team plans to host frequent open-access weekends until launch. While most shooters put the story on the backburner, Cathedral Studios wants to make it a big part of The Bornless.

"We aspire to lead in technology, but for us, the story holds paramount importance," stated Toby Saunders, CEO at Cathedral Studios. "We've strived to weave an immersive, captivating narrative while ensuring an enjoyable gaming experience."

We also got an Early Access Launch trailer highlighting the creepy goodness that The Bornless has to offer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpQOvVPyaKw

Lovecraftian? Yes, please.

To be honest, I'm down for trying anything Lovecraftian. I feel like the theme has gotten the short end of the stick in recent times, so hopefully The Bornless can change that.

In The Bornless, demonic forces interweave with the human realm wreaking havoc in the town of Farmouth. Players will discover the secrets of the Church of Orobas as they look to balance the universe against the unholy powers in Farmouth.

As for the gameplay, there are eight playable characters each with their own intricate backstories. As you progress you will learn more about them and progress through a diverse skill system. It looks like co-op play will be a big feature of the game, which is a great touch on the genre.

Furthermore, players will be able to join or create their own Faction. Doing so unlocks access to Safehouses that allow you to build custom bases and take part in competitive tournaments.

Overall, I get sort of Dead by Daylight meets Killing Floor based on the trailer and details about the shooter. This is definitely a good thing, as both games have been rather revolutionary when it comes to the cooperative horror genre. It's also free-to-play, so it's hard to argue against giving it a fair shake.

The Bornless will release on PC via Steam and Epic Game Store in 2024. Fans interested in checking out The Bornless earlier can visit the official website to sign up for upcoming playtest periods.

The post The Bornless may be the Lovecraftian Horror game for me appeared first on Destructoid.

After briefly teasing it last week, Behaviour Interactive has released the full details of their upcoming Dead by Daylight: Alien crossover. If you aren't content playing as the Survivor Nic Cage, you'll now be able to play as Ellen Ripley. Those looking for a new Killer will get the classic Xenomorph alien from the movies. Furthermore, players will be able to escape the Xenomorph in a new Nostromo Wreckage map themed after the crashed ship.

“Alien has been and continues to be one of the best sci-fi stories ever told – and to be able to collaborate with 20th Century Games on bringing this story into Dead by Daylight is a privilege for all of us at Behaviour Interactive,” says Mathieu Côté, Head of Partnerships for Behaviour Interactive.

The Xenomorph takes Stealth Killer to the next level, striking Survivors from the shadows with its razor-sharp tail. The Alien Killer also has a power called Runner Mode allowing it to walk more stealthily on four legs, reducing its Terror Radius.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3XKx4KKCXU

Some other cool new additions as well

A new interactive Map function called Control Stations is scattered throughout the Nostromo Wreckage map. Seven in total will spawn, allowing Survivors to interact with them to get a new Tool: the Remote Flame Turret. Also, the Xenomorph will be able to enter and exit tunnels underneath the Control Station, making it versatile for everyone.

The new Remote Flame Turret tool has a defensive attack that staggers the Xenomorph and ends its unique power. Furthermore, the tool adds a complex gameplay element as Survivors will have to strategically place the turret and use it at an ideal time. Also, if the turret overheats, players need to repair and protect it as the Xenomorph can destroy it.

The Dead by Daylight: Alien crossover is releasing on all platforms on August 29.

The post Escape the Xenomorph in Dead by Daylight: Alien crossover appeared first on Destructoid.

During the August 8 Pokemon Presents, The Pokemon Company announced two classic Pokemon titles are coming to Nintendo Switch Online. First up is the Pokemon Trading Card Game which came out on Gameboy Color in 1998. The second is Pokemon Stadium 2 which hit N64 in 2000.

Both titles are coming to the Nintendo Switch Online service today, August 8. While it appears Pokemon TCG will be available on the base NSO service, Pokemon Stadium 2 requires the Expansion Pack.

While Pokemon TCG certainly isn't one of the traditional Pokemon games like Red, Blue, Yellow, etc., it's still fantastic. In fact, I remember playing it after those titles and thinking it was such a unique take on Pokemon. Instead of choosing a Pokemon at the start, players choose from one of three different TCG decks and begin their adventure to become the world's greatest TCG player. Similar to traditional games, you head out to defeat the eight Club Masters and earn their Medals, comparable to Badges.

Pokemon Stadium 2 is a sequel to the original which is actually the first time we saw Generation II Pokemon in full 3D. Back in 2000, the popular sequel was also the only Pokemon title to use the N64 Expansion Pak. In Pokemon Stadium 2, players focused more on Pokemon battles rather than catching them all.

Overall these are two great Pokemon titles being added to the service. Hopefully, this will also pave the way for the more traditional Pokemon GBC titles to come later.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QiLe4pTHAE

The post Pokemon TCG and Pokemon Stadium 2 coming to Nintendo Switch Online appeared first on Destructoid.

The story surrounding the popular multiplayer fantasy dungeon crawler Dark and Darker just keeps getting crazier. Despite their current ongoing lawsuit with Nexon, Ironmace plans on releasing Dark and Darker in Early Access today. For now, Ironmace has partnered with subscription-based gaming platform Chaf Games. A purchase button is currently available on the Dark and Darker store page on Chaf Games but does not appear to be working at this time.[Update: Looks like it is officially available now, at this link.]

After a very popular beta period earlier this year, South Korean developer Ironmace was met with a lawsuit from Nexon claiming Dark and Darker had many similarities to its game in development titled P3.

Furthermore, Nexon alleged that a former employee named Mr. Choi leaked P3 assets on an external server to Ironmace. According to their claims, Mr. Choi was a project team leader for P3 before he was fired in August 2021. Nexon also argues that Mr. Choi convinced other teammates on the P3 project to follow him in joining Ironmace and using P3 assets to develop Dark and Darker.

Throughout the entire lawsuit, Ironmace has claimed its innocence. According to the developers, Dark and Darker uses Unreal Engine assets and handmade code, not stolen P3 assets. Furthermore, Ironmace claims Nexon is trying to copyright a game genre, which is not possible.

[caption id="attachment_395352" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Ironmace[/caption]

Ironmace still wants to bring Dark and Darker to Steam

Back in March, police reportedly raided Ironmace's offices in Seongnam searching for evidence of Nexon's allegations. Later that month Nexon issued a cease and desist notice to Ironmace in regards to the development of Dark and Darker. A couple of days later the title was delisted completely from Steam due to a DMCA notice filed by Nexon.

Despite a goal to release today on Chaf Games, Ironmace still plans to return Dark and Darker to Steam as soon as possible. "We cannot ignore the largest PC Storefront in the world," Ironmace CEO Terence Park told PCGamer.

Dark and Darker will release in Early Access later today for PC.

The post Dark and Darker releasing in Early Access today, despite complications appeared first on Destructoid.

As promised, Devolver Digital streamed their Devolver Delayed showcase today. In typical Devolver fashion, the showcase lasted a whopping three minutes with the goal of turning a negative announcement into a positive one. The upbeat video offered an opportunity to celebrate the games we can't play yet.

Overall, the video had a bit of a Nintendo Direct vibe with a similar red and white color theme. Furthermore, the narrators in the background of the video kept an upbeat tone as they went through each title one by one. As I said, classic Devolver Digital fashion.

Here's the three-minute Devolver Delayed Showcase in its entirety:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkvgkZH6hYc

Five Devolver Digital published titles delayed until 2024

In total, five games have been pushed back to next year. Perhaps the biggest delay is the action-adventure title The Plucky Squire. As the video put it, the 2D/3D adventure game forgot about the fourth dimension: time.

Stick it to the Stickman, Anger Foot, Skate Story, and Pepper Grinder are also all now releasing in 2024.

This year has already seen some big releases, with quite a few still planned to round out the final months of 2024. Furthermore, the contested release schedule for the rest of the year might make one consider a brief delay. However, Devolver Digital pointed out that these titles simply need a little extra time.

Also, even though these five titles will see a delay, the showcased ended with Devolver pointing out there are still titles launching this year. Gunbrella, Wizard with a Gun, The Talos Principle 2, The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood, and Karmazoo are still slated for 2023. Finally, the DLC for Broforce Forever and McPixel 3 are also going to release this year.

No one likes delays, but Devolver definitely handled them in a fun way. Even still, if you're a Devolver fan you have a lot to look forward to in the future with some very interesting releases coming in both 2023 and 2024!

The post Devolver Delayed reveals five titles delayed until 2024 appeared first on Destructoid.