Surviving Mars: Relaunched Isn’t Just A Rework, It’s A Whole New Experience

Gabriel DobrevFounder, Haemimont Games

Summary

Surviving Mars: Relaunched is a re-introduction to our colony builder, with upgraded graphics, a reworked UI, and more.
The game includes previous Surviving Mars expansions as base content for all players.
Surviving Mars: Relaunched launches today on Xbox Series X|S.

Are you ready to set foot on Mars for the very first time – again? Welcome to Surviving Mars: Relaunched, a new way to play our colony-building management game for a new generation of spacefaring strategists!

When we launched Surviving Mars originally, we wanted to give gamers an experience that was grounded in reality and science, easy to understand, and built towards an ambitious future, and that was what we delivered. The heart of the game remains the same as always: from initial surface scans and deployment of drones, you will start building the critical infrastructure needed to support human colonists, including water systems, supply extraction, and environmental domes.

Once people start showing up, you can undertake more complicated tasks and developments to expand and maintain your colony, until your colony is sustainable without aid from Earth.

Since then, Surviving Mars has explored a number of new ways to bring efficiency, change, and even cute animals to the red planet. We released expansions that added Terraforming (Green Planet), Subterranean Mining (Below and Beyond), and Rival Colonies (Space Race) to the game. When we made the decision to come back to Surviving Mars and begin developing even more ways to play, we realized that there was an opportunity not just to share our ideas with our original commanders, but with a whole new crew as well!

That’s what brought us to Surviving Mars: Relaunched, a new version of our game that gives everyone lots of new features to try. For starters, we’ve upgraded the graphics, reworked the UI, and improved controller support, all to ensure the game looks and plays its best, especially now that it’s coming to Xbox Series X|S.

Next, we’ve included everything that was ever added to the original game – so players of Relaunched get access to features like Terraforming and Trains that were originally DLC with the base game, which means we can deliver updates and content based around those features, going forward. We’re also adding new features that have never been included in any version of the game before now, including factions and political management for your colonies!

We’re also giving all Martian Managers access to new ways to expand and play our game created by other players, with in-game mod support. You’ll be able to browse and install mods without leaving the game, allowing you to add community-made buildings to your planet, or explore new end-game mysteries.

With the most comprehensive version of Surviving Mars in your hands, all of us at Haemimont will have an ideal launch pad to bring more new content to the game from here on out. We’re already working on a new expansion for early next year, “Feeding the Future,” which will add new production systems and food options for your colonists to help add to their comfort – and sanity! We have another expansion, “Machine Utopia,” in the works after that one as well, which will allow you to colonize, optimize, and industrialize. It’s exciting to get to work on what feels like an all-new game for us, and start bringing life to all the ideas we’ve had, and still have!

Whether you’re about to experience Surviving Mars for the first time or whether Relaunched is the next chapter in your journey to the stars, we’re excited to keep growing alongside you and your colony, starting today. See you on board the rockets!

Surviving Mars: Relaunched

Paradox Interactive

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

See the Red Planet like never before, land for the first time all over again, and discover some brand-new secrets.

Welcome home! The award-winning sci-fi city builder is back – remastered, expanded, and more stunning than ever. Your mission: colonize Mars and survive the process, from exploration and infrastructure to welcoming human colonists and achieving long-term stability. There are new challenges to overcome, new strategies to plan, and now with an upgraded look and feel for a new generation of explorers.

All you need for this relaunched mission to create a thriving Martian settlement is a steady supply of resources, oxygen, decades of training, experience with sandstorms… and a curious attitude to discover the purpose of those weird black cubes that appeared out of nowhere. With a bit of sprucing up, this place is going to be awesome!

Surviving Mars: Relaunched brings together the original colony management game from Haemimont Games, its entire catalogue of expansions, improved and reworked, from major expansions to cosmetics and radio stations, as well as the all-new Martian Assembly update. Upgraded graphics together with updated UI will give veteran players the definitive Surviving Mars experience, and provide an ideal launch point for new commanders as well.

Are you ready? Mars is waiting for you.

The Dream of Martian Independence

The new Martian Assembly brings an expanded endgame challenge never seen in the original. Shape your Martian society through laws. Balance the needs and demands of your colonists, keep the peace and develop a long-term plan for Mars – up to and including independence from Earth!

Realistic Sci-Fi City Building

Building a thriving colony on a planet not fit for human life brings its own challenges. Construct life-support systems, power grids, domes, and supply chains, and keep them running, because blackouts on a planet without oxygen are never a good idea. And you’re not alone. With the included ‘Space Race’ expansion, rival colonies backed by competing sponsors add even more pressure as you fight for resources and the future of Mars.

Manage Resources, Survive Mars

Balance critical resources like oxygen, water, power, and food to keep your colony alive. Drones build and maintain your infrastructure, while the revamped ‘Martian Express’ adds trains that move people and supplies across longer distances. Every colonist has their own needs and behaviors and smart management is essential for their survival.

Discover, Research, Expand

Advance your colony through a deep research system that unlocks new buildings, production methods, and essential upgrades. Discover breakthroughs, resources, and hidden secrets reaching ‘Below & Beyond’ the Martian surface. With randomized maps, varied sponsors, and unpredictable Mysteries, every playthrough offers new challenges, and every decision shapes your story of survival and growth on Mars.

The Future of the Red Planet is Green

Terraforming is no longer a distant dream, it’s your next challenge. With the included ‘Green Planet’ expansion, you can engineer Mars into a more habitable world. As the environment transforms, introduce animal life with ‘Project Laika’, bringing the first creatures to thrive alongside your colonists. The future of Mars isn’t just survival, it’s building a self-sustaining, living planet.

The post Surviving Mars: Relaunched Isn’t Just A Rework, It’s A Whole New Experience appeared first on Xbox Wire.

Black Ops 7 — what to expect with the replayable co-op Campaign Endgame experience

The year is 2035 and the world is on the brink of chaos. When Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 launches on PS5 and PS4 on November 14, players will face new and returning threats in the co-op Campaign, culminating in the replayable Endgame experience.

With game launch only days away, let’s take a closer look at the story so far, followed by more Endgame intel.

Co-op Campaign and Endgame

In Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, PlayStation players will experience an innovative Co-op Campaign that redefines the Black Ops experience. Squad up or go solo across a wide spectrum of high-stakes missions.

From the neon-lit rooftops of Japan to the Mediterranean coast, uncover the truth behind The Guild and the weapon threatening to turn fear itself into a weapon of war. Players will also experience Avalon, an expansive city whose secrets ripple across the Campaign.

One overriding goal with the story of Black Ops 7 was to tell a story that could stand on its own while honoring the legacy of the series. Throughout development, there were meaningful opportunities allowing the reconnection of characters and storylines from earlier Black Ops titles, bringing them into this near-future setting where their presence could elevate the experience. However, it was important to ensure that even players without knowledge of Black Ops lore should expect a deeply immersive and connected story and world.

After completing the first 11 co-op Campaign missions, players unlock the Endgame, a replayable co-op experience designed for 1–32 players in squads of up to four.

Fight through escalating exposure zones throughout Avalon, leveling up Skill Tracks and Combat Ratings, completing dynamic Assignments, and escaping to preserve your hard-earned progress, all while earning Level and Weapon XP and unlocking Weapon Camos.

The Endgame journey

Your C-Link C.O.M.B.A.T. OS unlocks full Loadout customization. Your ultimate goal is to gain enough power to reach the highest exposure zones, where something is leaking massive amounts of toxin into Avalon.

Players begin by selecting an Operator and a Major and Minor Ability, defining your Operator’s unique approach to combat, including abilities like the Hand Cannon, Active Camo, Grappling Hook, and more.

Complete your Loadout, deploy, and then gain power in a match by completing objectives and defeating enemies to raise your Operator’s Combat Rating. When your Combat Rating levels up, you’re given the opportunity to choose one of two Skill Tracks or Skills. These Skills continue to expand as your Operator’s Combat Rating improves over time to the max level of 60.

There are six Skill Tracks in all, from the Gunner with Skills like improved Reload Speed and Fast Weapon Swap to the Surgeon with Skills like enhanced Health Recovery and Fast Revive.

If you’re killed in action, you lose it all. Get in, power up, and get out.

The story so far

It starts with Menendez, the Call of Duty®: Black Ops 2 villain who has returned, threatening to plunge the world back into darkness.

Raul Menendez

“Once again, you shall know fear.” — Raul Menendez

Raul Menendez first appears in 1986 as the leader of the Menendez Cartel. He has captured CIA operative Frank Woods and left him for dead. When Alex Mason learns of his friend’s plight, he leaves his son David behind to save Woods.

Woods yearns for revenge, getting the greenlight to invade the villain’s home. In the confusion of battle, Woods throws a grenade inside the house, accidentally killing Menendez’s sister, Josefina.

Several years later, Menendez gets even by tricking Woods into shooting Alex Mason. The villain then blasts Woods in both knees, crippling him. As Menendez suffers, now too shall Woods.

Menendez goes on to form the political movement Cordis Die, spreading propaganda depicting the organization as a defender of the globally impoverished while covertly inciting a second Cold War.

Alex Mason’s son, David, with the help of Woods, is finally able to put a stop to Menendez. Following a multi-generational manhunt, he puts the villain to rest… or so he thinks.

The next frontier: The Guild

As the world recoils at the news of Menendez’s return, The Guild, a global tech giant led by CEO Emma Kagan, rises to the challenge of defending humanity, promising peace through security using advanced tech to safeguard citizens and stand in open defiance against Menendez and his followers.

The fight continues: David and JSOC

Though they’re both enemies of Menendez, David Mason harbors doubts about The Guild’s true motives. It’s up to him and his cohort of elite JSOC Operators to get to the truth of it all, including reports of a weapon engineered to turn fear into an instrument of chaos.

Preorder Call of Duty: Black Ops 7

Black Ops 7 launches on November 14. Preorder your copy today.

Battlefield 6 Update 1.1.1.5 to Finally Fix Infamous Sledgehammer Drone Exploit and Deliver Weapon Dispersion Tweaks

EA and Battlefield Studios have published update 1.1.1.5 patch notes for Battlefield 6 and REDSEC, delivering a variety of quality-of-life changes for weapons and vehicles and, at long last, a fix for the sledgehammer Recon drone glitch.

The team behind last month’s new Battlefield game detailed everything arriving in the new update in the patch notes posted to social media today. It comes with a full breakdown for tweaks related to weapon accuracy, vehicle countermeasures, and other bug fixes before update 1.1.1.5 rolls out for Battlefield 6 and REDSEC tomorrow, November 11, at 1 a.m. PT / 4 a.m. ET.

Topping the list of changes is a fix for one of the most notorious bugs to arrive since the launch of Battlefield 6: the drone glitch. For the uninitiated, players have figured out that standing on top of a friendly XFGM-6D Recon drone and smacking it with a sledgehammer causes the device to fly upward. It began as a goofy activity for those looking to add a dash of comedy to their matches and quickly evolved into an annoying exploit, as players eventually learned it could be used to reach otherwise inaccessible vantage points.

The Battlefield 6 sledgehammer drone glitch will finally be laid to rest tomorrow, but it’s far from the only change on the way. Update 1.1.1.5 will also introduce a few tweaks to how vehicles operate. Both ground and air vehicle users will be happy to know the glitch affecting the use of countermeasures like flares has been fixed, which should result in more reliable protection against lock-guided missiles. A bug tied to incorrect vehicle spawns in Breakthrough and Conquest will also be fixed with tomorrow’s update.

In addition to general fixes for battle royal match flow as well as progression, audio, and UI, infantry will notice less dispersion when aiming down sights after sprinting. It, as well as other fixes related to player movement and shooting, should have players feeling more accurate when they’re on the move.

Battlefield 6 launched October 10 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X | S. It’s since received a waterfall of updates as EA and BF Studios continue their attempts to keep up with fan feedback amid regular seasonal drops. Recent highlights include an overhaul for progression that reduced requirements for many of the tougher challenges, as well as toned down colors for one of Battlefield’s most controversial skins ever.

While we wait to see how the Battlefield 6 and REDSEC community will respond to update 1.1.1.5, you can read about how some dedicated fans measured nearly 15 years of multiplayer maps and why another group of players started creating their own Portal Conquest maps. You can also check out our 7/10 REDSEC review and our 8/10 Battlefield 6 multiplayer review.

You can see the full patch notes below.

Battlefield 6 Update 1.1.1.5 Patch Notes:

We’re rolling out a Quality of Life update on 11 November at 09:00 UTC, bringing refinements to vehicle countermeasure reliability, weapon accuracy, Battle Royale match flow, and overall gameplay stability.

Major Updates for 1.1.1.5:

Fixed an exploit allowing players to ascend and access unintended areas when standing on a XFGM-6D Recon Drone by hitting it with the Sledgehammer.
Fixed an issue where Lock-Guided Missiles did not get countered as expected when met with enemy countermeasures such as flares.
Fixed an issue where vehicles did not spawn correctly in Breakthrough and Conquest.
Fixed multiple Battle Royale issues affecting match flow, squad revives, and End of Round transitions.
Addressed progression, audio, and UI issues, improving overall clarity, reliability, and immersion.

CHANGELOG

PLAYER:

Fixed an issue where dispersion would be higher than intended when going from sprint to firing in ADS.
Fixed an issue where dispersion would incorrectly scale with movement speed and always assume the player is moving at maximum movement speed for the stance.
Tuned landing animation to reduce excessive camera and weapon movement when aiming down sights, improving visual stability during and after landing. This update also resolves instances where the ADS aim could be displaced when sliding.

VEHICLES:

Fixed an issue where Lock-Guided Missiles did not get countered as expected when met with enemy countermeasures such as flares.

GADGETS:

Fixed an exploit allowing players to ascend and access unintended areas when standing on the XFGM-6D Recon Drone by hitting it with the Sledgehammer.

MAPS & MODES:

Fixed an issue where vehicles did not spawn correctly in Breakthrough and Conquest.
Fixed an issue where matches sometimes would start with all sectors and objectives active at the same time.
Fixed an issue in Strikepoint on Siege of Cairo where destruction did not reset at halftime.

UI & HUD:

Fixed an issue in Vehicle Customisation locked Anti-Air Vehicle presets did not display their unlock criteria as intended.

PROGRESSION:

Fixed an issue where the shotgun weapon challenge “Kill 5 Enemies With a Shotgun Without Reloading” did not complete properly.
Fixed an issue where progress for the “Engineer Specialist 3” Assignment did not save correctly.

PORTAL:

Fixed an issue where “SpawnLoot” would not spawn Ammo or Armor.
Fixed an issue where players with community creations privileges set to Block could still access user-generated Community Experiences when the party leader hosted a match.

AUDIO:

Fixed an issue where activating the BF PRO Radio Channel through the Commorose did not play any sound.

REDSEC

PLAYER:

Fixed an issue where Battle Royale (Quads) matches did not end after the last team was eliminated.
Fixed an issue where being killed immediately after a mobile respawn completed could result in the squad being eliminated instead of reviving remaining teammates.
Fixed an issue where players could become stuck in a top-down view of the map after redeploying.
Fixed an issue where players retained their Second Chance after redeploying and did not transition to the End of Round screen after their next elimination.

UI & HUD:

Fixed an issue where all squad members displayed the same highlighted stat on the Squad Placement screen.

PROGRESSION:

Fixed an issue where the “Battle Royal Master Challenge 4” did not track progress correctly.

Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).

The end of merch culture is upon us with an official Death Stranding exoskeleton

I am sure that, if I were a porter of any kind in the material world, I would find an exoskeleton quite helpful. Probably, anyway, I might also be too afraid that one would crush my bones, or fuse to my body in a horrendous accident that results in the government stealing me away to send me on top secret missions thanks to my strong part-robot body. None of that happened when I used an exoskeleton in both Death Stranding games, it was actually quite a useful thing to do. And now, apparently, I can try out what the experience of what using one is like, free of my silly little bits, with an – I kid you not – officially licensed Death Stranding 2: On the Beach exoskeleton.

Clash Royale is a PvP strategy game where you go head-to-head against other players, using cards to deploy units to attack your enemies’ base while defending your own. Below, you’ll find a list of all the Clash Royale codes currently available, and their rewards.

Active Clash Royale Codes (November 2025)

Below are all the working Clash Royale codes we know of, and what you can get for redeeming them. We’ve tested these codes and confirmed they work at the time of publication, but they may expire and stop working at any time.

REINABARRIGA: Snoring Dragon banner set

How to Redeem Clash Royale Codes

You’ll need to redeem Clash Royale codes on the official Supercell store. Log in using your Supercell ID, then scroll down to the bottom of the page and look for ‘Redeem a Store Code’ and enter your code below.

You must have a Supercell ID to redeem codes, so if you don’t already have one, open up Clash Royale and click the menu icon (3 horizontal lines). At the bottom of the menu, you’ll see a yellow button that says Supercell ID. Create your ID and then head over to the Store to redeem your code.

Once you’ve successfully entered a code, you’ll be able to see the associated rewards and the account you’re redeeming them to. Head back to Clash Royale to receive your reward.

Clash Royale QR Codes (November 2025)

In addition to promo codes, there are also Clash Royale QR codes you can scan to obtain rewards. You’ll need to scan these QR codes using your device, or click on the QR codes on this page using your device’s browser to automatically open the rewards page in your app.

The Clash Royale QR codes currently available are:

67 Emote

Royal Ghost Boo Emote

That’s all we’ve got for Clash Royale codes at the moment, but keep checking back for new ones!

Jen Rothery is a Deputy Editor on the IGN Guides team looking after live service games, and we assume her favorite hobby is playing PEAK and falling down the mountain over and over again, because she does it a lot.

There’s no plans for cross progression in Helldivers 2 right now, but don’t lose all hope just yet

Anyone that’s spent any amount of time playing Helldivers 2 recently will already know that the thing the game needs right now isn’t new features, its fixes. A massive patch dropped last month bringing in over 200 bug fixes (you know, the technological kind of bugs), as part of the dev team’s promise to get the game in running order again. That promise even extends to holding off on adding new stuff for the time being. When it comes to new stuff, however, one thing you shouldn’t expect for the time being is cross progression.

UK Charts: Hyrule Warriors: Age Of Imprisonment Just About Scrapes Into The Top Five

Not a huge calamity.

The latest UK Charts are in, and for some reason, we feel compelled to highlight that Bluey: The Videogame has reentered the charts at number 38 – congrats to all who celebrate.

Otherwise, yes, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment has made its debut at number 5, coming in behind EA SPORTS FC 26, Football Manager 26, Mario Kart World, and Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It’s a decent start, but it’s clear this particular spin-off doesn’t command the same popularity as the mainline Zelda series. It’s also important to consider that there still aren’t that many Switch 2 consoles out in the wild in the UK.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Fallout 4: Anniversary Edition Out Today – The Wasteland is Yours to Explore Again

The post Fallout 4: Anniversary Edition Out Today – The Wasteland is Yours to Explore Again appeared first on Xbox Wire.

How Lumines Arise evolves the puzzle genre, out Nov 11

Lumines Arise releases tomorrow, November 11, 2025, on PlayStation 5. It’s been over 20 years since the original Lumines was released at the launch of the PlayStation Portable in 2004. Lumines Arise is a complete reimagining of the series’ block-dropping puzzle gameplay using the latest technology possible on the PS5 (with optional PS VR2 compatibility). We’re confident that you’ve never had a puzzle game take you on an emotional, sound-and-light-filled, synesthetic journey quite like this, whether you’re a longtime fan or picking up Lumines for the very first time.

I’m Game Director Takashi Ishihara from Enhance, and I’d like to take this opportunity, alongside Executive Producer Tetsuya Mizuguchi, on this release-day eve to reveal some behind-the-scenes info on the game’s development and share with you why we think Lumines Arise is so different.

You may be familiar with our previous title, Tetris Effect: Connected (available on PS4 and PS5, and also optionally playable in PSVR/PS VR2). Believe it or not, that game took a lot of influence from prior Lumines titles. In turn, Lumines Arise now incorporates many of the things we learned during the development of Tetris Effect, bringing them back into Lumines.

Tetris Effect and Lumines: A shared language

If you’re even a little bit familiar with Tetris Effect: Connected, one look at Lumines Arise and you can tell it comes from the same development team. Playing either one may make it seem like inducing synesthesia (a phenomenon where stimulating one sense involuntarily stimulates others simultaneously) was effortless, but it was actually incredibly difficult to pull off!

At Enhance, synesthesia is an everyday word and exploring this sensory crossover concept continues with Lumines Arise—we wanted every stage in the game to link the experience with your emotions as well. Tetris Effect: Connected did this too, and its Journey mode narrative (though subtle) resonated deeply with players, inciting some powerful emotions in players by the end of the game.

To do this effectively, we had to construct a shared vocabulary within the development team to communicate to each other the vision of what we wanted to achieve in each stage, the feelings we wanted players to feel, and whether or not we were meeting that goal. Being open and honest about what you’re seeing and feeling can be difficult in any work environment, but even with new members joining the team that weren’t part of Tetris Effect: Connected, we were able to do it.

Divergent journeys

In Tetris Effect: Connected, we depicted a journey of the heart using music, lyrics, and visuals. For Lumines Arise, the single-player Journey mode is about your personal progression from darkness into the light.

Although they appear similar, the puzzle gameplay in each is distinctly different. And the differences don’t stop there. With Tetris Effect, we tried to create a “zen-like” state where players could enter a flow that impacts your inner self. Lumines Arise is the opposite—this is an outward journey where you start alone on the first stage and embark into the outside world, encountering various stimuli, experiencing diverse emotions, and meeting other Loomii player avatars along the way. This is the “Arise” part of Lumines Arise. The narrative of leaving your comfort zone, getting out into the world, and discovering something new.

Where Tetris Effect’s visuals were often abstract and introspective, Lumines Arise transports you to real-world environments, including neon-filled city streets (Neon Streets), a peaceful winter landscape (Snowfall), a chaotic nightclub (Mirror Ball), and serene coastal vistas (Island Breeze). Some levels connect you to food so closely you can taste it (yes—Slice & Dice has fruits and vegetables) or creatures you might encounter out in the world, so you can experience their beauty (Goldfish Tango, Seahorse Sway) or fearsome nature (Spider Webs or Serpent Clash).

This “out in the open” narrative is something we wanted to challenge players with in Lumines Arise. The single-player Journey mode has over 35 stages, and we hope you’ll share what feelings and emotions arose during your experience.

Committed to puzzle games

When many people hear “puzzle game,” they might imagine something easily playable on a handheld device.

However, there’s a reason why we at Enhance dare to continue pursuing puzzle games using consoles connected to your TV or in VR. Puzzle games are a genre that, until now, haven’t significantly evolved or changed in terms of music, visuals, or overall experience. We want to change that.

Unlike other games that are more of the “easily enjoyable for a short time” variety, we want to create experiences designed for deeper immersion in a living room, a private space, or VR, allowing players to “play for a long time, forever.” Puzzle games are well-suited for the type of synesthesia connection we at Enhance strive to deliver—games that just feel good to play.

Don’t worry, though—we want to make games in this and other genres that are fun, too! Not only is Lumines Arise a fully formed single-player game, but we also have competitive cross-platform multiplayer, leaderboards you can tackle solo, a variety of rule-changing Missions, and more.

Astro Bot lands in Lumines

We’ve been eager to collaborate with other game creators and forge a connection between Lumines Arise and other game worlds as well. With Lumines Arise releasing on PlayStation 5, an Astro Bot collab was at the very top of our wishlist. Thanks to the amazing people at Team Asobi and PlayStation, we were able to make it happen!

We thought, “What would happen if Astro Bot entered the world of Lumines Arise?” Our biggest concern was balancing the look of our world with the impeccable charm of Astro Bot. We needed to merge Astro’s adorable silhouette and design with the visual style of Lumines in a way that felt natural. We truly had to “feel” our way through it.

We also received direct feedback from Nicolas Doucet, the director of Astro Bot. His comments deepened our already strong appreciation for Astro and spurred us to create something great. The completed Loomi’s adorable yet sharp dance moves perfectly sync with Lumines Arise’s music. I think Astro Bot fans are gonna love it, too. What do you think?

Astro Bot is available exclusively as part of the Lumines Arise Digital Deluxe Edition. Please enjoy working your way through Journey mode with Astro Bot, or playing together as a partner in Burst Battle multiplayer battles.

Tips From the developers

Finally, for everyone playing starting tomorrow, here are a few simple tips from me to help you improve at Lumines Arise.

Master the Timeline

In Lumines, Squares you create don’t disappear immediately. They only clear when the Timeline passes across the screen from left to right and reaches them. The key to high scores is judging the Timeline’s position and deciding whether you can build Squares before its next pass.

If you rush and stack too many blocks, you might not be able to form large Squares. The strategic trick is to deliberately hold off on stacking blocks, then build a large Square all at once right after the Timeline passes!

Use the Center and Sides of the Playfield

If you get tricky blocks like a Checkerboard block that’s hard to use to form Squares easily, don’t hesitate to drop them into the open space on either side. Moving blocks left or right wastes time, so focus on forming Squares in the center and dropping unwanted blocks to the sides—essentially keeping your workspace clean. This makes forming Squares much easier.

New Players, Check Out Training Missions

While the rules of Lumines Arise are simple—create Squares to clear them—you might find yourself wondering at first, “How do I boost my score?” or “How do I aim for Combos?”

When that happens, try going into Missions and trying the Training Missions found within. Here, you’ll find 60 different challenges, covering everything from basic techniques that’ll improve your puzzle play to useful advanced techniques. You can learn step by step, at your own pace, and repeat any of these to keep honing your skills. We highly recommend checking it out.

The entire Lumines Arise team has been eagerly awaiting the day we could finally deliver this game to PlayStation fans.

We hope you’ll immerse yourself in the exhilarating experience created by the perfect harmony of puzzle action and its corresponding sound and light effects. There’s still time for PS Plus members to grab a 10% discount by pre-ordering, so be sure to take advantage of this offer.

We look forward to welcoming you to the world of Lumines Arise on PS5 (and optional PS VR2 compatibility) starting tomorrow!

What’s New in Enshrouded’s Latest Update, Wake of the Water

Survival action RPG Enshrouded released in Early Access last year and became an instant hit, reaching more than a million players in four days and currently sitting at “Very Positive” on Steam with nearly 75,000 reviews. Developer Keen Games has consistently updated the game in the months since, and its newly released Update 7, titled Wake of the Water, is its biggest to date.

If you’re not familiar with Enshrouded, it’s a mix of lite survival, exploration, action RPG combat, and base building in a world you can completely terraform. An all-consuming fog known as The Shroud corrupts everything it touches, and you must scavenge for materials you can use to craft gear to survive the unforgiving environment and the mutated monsters it creates.

You can play solo or with up to 16 players in co-op, and voxel-based building allows you to create a home that’s only limited by your imagination and willingness to put in the work. Construction can be shared across servers from around the world, so you can visit them yourself, and there are some truly staggering player builds to see.

Take German YouTuber Kontreck and his community’s build, which you can see here. They fully re-created Isengard from Lord of the Rings, a feat that required more than 22 million voxels and 54,000 decoration items with nearly 4,400 hours of work and 61 days of building time across 15 players. And all the materials were farmed by hand, with no mods or cheats used.

The Wake of the Water’s biggest splash (that’s the only water pun, we promise) is the introduction of swimming and new water-based gameplay. Most of what you can do on land you can do underwater, with new animations. That includes opening treasure chests, collecting plants and other loot, pushing buttons to solve puzzles, and using an underwater mining tool to gather ore. There are also floodgates and new water-based puzzles where you can fill rooms to reach previously inaccessible levels, as well as traps that will try to drown you.

The main thing you can’t do underwater is fight, which is why the new enemy faction of lizard people presents a problem. Called the Drak, they can pursue you underwater with spears drawn, so you always need to be aware of your surroundings and how to get back to the surface quickly. The Drak can fight on land too, but at least then it’s a fair fight.

The other headlining addition in the update is Veilwater Basin, Enshrouded’s first water biome. This being a new type of environment, it brings a lot of other new things with it. That includes quests and lore journals, as well as points of interest ranging from settlements to temples to Shroud Roots and Elixir Wells. There’s also a bunch of new materials and resources for crafting and base building, so many that we couldn’t possibly list them all here. Trust us, there are a lot.

As we all know, you can’t have a water biome without fishing, so that’s been added too. You can now automatically collect worms when terraforming dirt, which can be used as bait. Other types of bait include moths, fireflies, and frogs. There are five fishing rods of varying quality, and casting your line in a body of water will begin a minigame. Fish will bite at a random time, then try to flee to either the right or left. You need to pull your rod in the opposite direction, then reel it in when the fish is tired. Do this repeatedly until it’s caught, and the difficulty of the minigame will depend on what fish is on your line and the quality of the rod you’re using.

If you’re more focused on building up your base, then good news: Water can move dynamically and be used as a source of plant irrigation or to power new parts of your base. You can dig irrigation channels to run water to your plants, which will grow faster in watered soil. And some new plants (like rice and algae) will only grow if submerged.

There’s a new buildable water wheel, which will rotate when in contact with flowing water. And you can connect it to an advanced grinding wheel if the flow of the water is strong enough to power it. There’s also a new watering can, which you can fill up manually at lakes or water barrels, and you can use it to fill pools or water plants at your base. What wild and creative ways to use moving water will the community figure out? Only time will tell, or maybe you can become the trendsetter.

On top of all the water-focused additions, there are also refinements to gameplay and quality-of-life improvements. New spells and skills have been added, stats have been rebalanced on several pieces of gear, wands have more inherent mana regeneration, customizable UI labels for chests and signs have been added, and lots more.

Like we said, there’s a ton here to keep players busy for a long time. For more info on Enshrouded or the Wake of the Water update, you can check out the official website or follow the game or developer Keen Games on Twitter or Discord.