Tabletop Tavern is, currently, not quite where it needs to be to properly scratch that Total War: Warhammer itch. The units can be a bit flaky, charges lack impact, and there’s just not enough to do to keep early battles interesting. What is it, however, is a great concept with a lot of personality: you’re playing actual tabletop miniatures inside a medieval tavern, gradually building up your army across Slay The Spire style branching progression nodes. I’m absolutely rooting for it, simply because there’s still so little offering a comparable strategy experience to Total War, and also because it’s made by a solo dev. Trailer below, and here’s a Steam demo.
Updated descriptions in US, Canada, Japan, not yet in Europe.
Nintendo Switch 2 is sporting all sorts of modern technology and one other addition is variable refresh rate (VRR) support.
This has been highlighted on Nintendo’s official website alongside all the other upgrades for this new hardware. Nintendo has been nice enough to provide a description about what exactly this technology does:
Switch 2 is an evolution of the original device in all sorts of ways, but there’s also a fair bit of overlap with current and existing systems in place.
With this in consideration, Nintendo has today issued a reminder about how the current Switch Online game voucher service isn’t eligible with Switch 2 exclusives. In other words, you can’t redeem games like Mario Kart World or Donkey Kong Bananza which have now been confirmed as games exclusively available for Switch 2.
Before Cyberpunk 2077, the Polish developer CD Projekt Red was best known for its work on The Witcher series including the award-winning third entry.
With its futuristic title now confirmed for the Switch 2, it’s got many Witcher fans wondering if it will maybe one day bring The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt to Nintendo’s new hardware in some way or form, following the “impossible port” on the original Switch.
Mass Effect is one of the most beloved RPG series of all time, with many fascinated by the characters, locations, and secrets hidden throughout its universe. If you’re a huge fan of the games looking for more, Fanatical just relased a new bundle featuring 11 different Mass Effect graphic novels and art books. You can score almost $140 worth of items for just $8.99 with this bundle.
Mass Effect Comics & Art Book Bundle Available Now at Fanatical
There are two tiers available in this bundle. The first will give you access to three products for $1.99, while the second offers a total of 11 different books for $8.99. Eight different graphic novels, including the Mass Effect: Evolution series, are included in this bundle, each written by key members of the Mass Effect writing team. Many of the franchise’s most beloved characters are featured in these comics, which makes these a must-read for any Mass Effect fan looking to peer beyond the games.
In addition to the comics, you’ll also score three amazing Mass Effect art books. This includes The Art of The Mass Effect Universe, The Art of The Mass Effect Trilogy, and The Art of Mass Effect: Andromeda. If you’re interested in learning how the Mass Effect games were conceptualized or simply wish to look at gorgeous concept art, these art books contain over 600 pages of material to scroll through.
All books will be DRM-free and downloadable in PDF format, so you can ensure you will have access to this collection wherever you go. This bundle won’t last forever, so be sure to secure yours now at Fanatical if you’re interested. At only $8.99, it’s a pretty cheap investment.
Noah Hunter is a freelance writer and reviewer with a passion for games and technology. He co-founded Final Weapon, an outlet focused on nonsense-free Japanese gaming (in 2019) and has contributed to various publishers writing about the medium.
We all know just how influential EarthBound is at this point. Despite initially underselling and putting people off with weird marketing campaigns, the game (and, in turn, series) is one of the most beloved games on the SNES. So it’s no wonder that EarthBound-inspired games are a dime a dozen.
Here’s one that may have flown under the radar for many, however — Jimmy and the Pulsating Mass from solo developer Kasey Ozymy, a “guy from Texas” who loves Japanese and Japanese-style RPGs. His debut game, made entirely in RPG Maker, launched on Steam and itch.io in August 2018. And now, Ozymy’s studio, Starseed Games, is partnering with publisher Electric Airship to bring the turn-based RPG to all consoles, including Switch.
After about six hours of side scrolling through the dark fantasy dystopia of Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree, I find myself equal parts captivated by a detailed world I’ve only just begun to understand, and worried the combat that takes place within it could wear thin throughout the supposed 40-hour runtime. The story has been really compelling so far, full of body horror monsters, an extremely dark society controlled by the creepiest people imaginable, and decisions that are designed to make you squirm. But in between visits to the nearest town and chatting with my growing party back at camp, I’ve been blowing my way through fights that aren’t very novel or challenging – and while it’s too early to say for sure, that already seems like kind of a big problem for an action-RPG with soulslike sensibilities.
Ah, yes. The ol’ “is this a soulslike?” question. Is every game in 2025 technically a soulslike? I dunno – at this point, probably. Do genre labels matter even a little bit? Absolutely not. Well, regardless, Mandragora definitely borrows certain ideas you’ll recognize, like save points that respawn enemies, highly deadly bosses, and a leveling currency that can be permanently lost upon death if you fail to retrieve it. But it’s also got a bit of 2D platforming and exploration, dense skill trees for each of its six character classes, and some pretty in-depth equipment and crafting systems that place it pretty squarely in the action-RPG space. (No, not an ARPG, because those are… you know what, nevermind.) It’s a good mix that stands out as its own kind of thing, but the important part is that you’re going to be swinging melee weapons, dodge rolling away from attacks, slinging spells, and swinging across gaps with a grapple hook.
As you do so, you’ll get to know Faelduum, Mandragora’s pessimistic and creepy world that’s been overrun by evil creatures who have left humanity cowering behind city walls. You play as an inquisitor who gets involved in a witch hunt and is sent out into the world in search of evils to kill, all while the creepy voice of a monster you sympathy murdered whispers things in your head (long story). I don’t know where this is all going just yet, but I’m intrigued by its setup, and that’s despite the fact that I’m pretty over edgy fantasy settings in general.
This has got to be my 30th soulslike in the past couple of years, many of which really love the whole creepy fantasy vibe, so I was worried Mandragora would be more of the same – but that fear has been unwarranted. I’ve been impressed with the depth of Faelduum, the cast of characters who occupy it, and the troubling choices I’ve been asked to make within it. I’m very curious why witches in this universe traded in their pointy hats and broomsticks to appear as overly large flesh monsters, or why the entire world has been consumed by evil creatures while humans hide in ruined, deeply unjust cities, or why the heck my character has been absorbing dark energy called Entropy into his body, which really seems like something that’s probably not going to work out for him later on.
I’ve been impressed with this world and the characters who occupy it.
The environments can admittedly look a bit generic on the surface when running from place to place, but Mandragora uses a really neat painterly art style during cutscenes or when talking to other characters, with animated portraits you’d expect to find hanging in the halls of Hogwarts. I’m also genuinely interested in the characters I’ve met, like the reckless treasure hunter and incorrigible lady’s man who’s been making my maps or the kind-hearted blacksmith who builds weapons he’d never have the heart to use himself. Their dialogue has been pretty decent, and I’m excited to see where the larger story goes as a result.
However, when it comes to the action itself, so far I’ve mostly been fighting a whole lot of sluggish soldiers and pushover rats, which have me dodge rolling back and forth each time they take a swing, then getting a few hits in before doing so again. Not only does there not seem to be much to the combat, I’ve already seen repeated boss fights after just a handful of hours – usually not a great sign for overall enemy variety. That said, I’ve also only played as one of the six classes as of now (a dual-bladed agility-focused warrior) and perhaps I simply chose one of the more milquetoast characters or haven’t hit the point where they start to become interesting. With dense skill trees filled with powers to unlock and lots of equipment left to loot and craft, there’s plenty of time for me to potentially fall in love with these 2D bouts.
As a side scroller, there’s also a fair bit of platforming and secret hunting to be done, but those sections have mostly worked as the most minor of breaks in between combat sequences. There’s been little in the way of puzzles to solve or any memorable sections where dodging traps and perilous pitfalls was front and center in these early hours. Of course, there are clear metroidvania-style tells that I still need to obtain some special tools or abilities to unlock more options, like the grapple hook it feels very obvious I am eventually going to get, so here’s hoping that whatever lies ‘round the bend will add a little more depth to this aspect of Mandragora.
As we didn’t get review code until close to launch, the PlayStation dashboard estimates I’m only 20% through the campaign, and the description on its Steam store page claims the story is 40+ hours long, so only time will tell if the platforming and combat can rise to the same level as the story and art. As of now, I’m certainly enjoying myself enough to keep pushing through and see how things develop at least, and if Mandragora’s RPG menus filled with an insane number of possibilities are any indication, there’s quite a bit left to see before my final review next week.
If you’re rocking the ASUS ROG Ally X, you already know internal storage won’t take you far. Big games, emulators, mods, and media add up fast. Instead of juggling what to uninstall next, a solid external SSD gives you room to breathe, no matter where you are.
Cyberpunk 2077 had a notoriously rough launch back in 2020. The game is in far better shape today, but memories of five years ago had us feeling slightly apprehensive when the open-world RPG was announced as a Switch 2 launch title — are we going to see a launch day repeat? Does Switch 2 have the power for decent performance? What about the sections that even the PS5 struggles with?
To put some of those worries to rest, the tech wizards over at Digital Foundry have gone hands-on with the Switch 2 version of the game, and are here to provide a technical breakdown of what they saw.
Xbox April Update: Buy Games with the Xbox App on Mobile, Stream Your Own Game on Console, and More
Dean ShimabukuroSr. Product Marketing Manager, Xbox Services Marketing
This month brings a variety of exciting updates across our gaming platforms, including easy and convenient purchasing within the Xbox app on mobile, the ability to stream your own game on Xbox consoles, recommended ways to free up storage space, and more. Read on below for more information on these features and others coming soon to your favorite devices.
Xbox App on Mobile
Buy games, Join Game Pass, and Redeem Perks Directly from the Xbox app
We’re excited to announce that one of the most requested features from the Xbox community is coming to the Xbox app. Players will soon be able to buy games and add-on content, join Game Pass, and redeem Perks directly from the Xbox app on mobile. Be ready to play on day one by pre-ordering games like Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 and then set it to pre-install on Xbox consoles from the app. Buy games like Assassin’s Creed Shadows and MLB The Show 25. Players will also be able to join Game Pass directly from the Xbox app. Ultimate members can redeem Perks like the Sea of Thieves Seventh Serving Emote directly from the app.
This experience will start to roll out to beta users on iOS and Android and will be available soon for everyone on the Google Play Store on Android devices and the Apple Store.
If players already have a saved form of payment, the Xbox app will display a Buy button on game detail pages, allowing them to purchase games and add-on content with just two clicks.
Xbox Consoles
Stream Your Own Game – Now on Xbox Consoles
Starting today, Game Pass Ultimate members can now stream select games they own in addition to the Game Pass catalog on their Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One consoles. This will broaden the previously announced devices from November, that includes Samsung Smart TVs, Amazon Fire TV devices, Meta Quest headsets as well as other browser supported devices like PCs, smart phones and tablets. Members can save time and hard drive space and play their games immediately without needing to download and install them first.
To start streaming from an Xbox console, go to My games & apps > Full library > Owned Games.
Cloud playable games will display a cloud badge on the game page.
Use filters to find games more quickly. Choose Filter > Ready to play > Cloud gaming.
To start playing, select the game and then choose Play with Cloud Gaming.
Start streaming directly from the Store app after buying select cloud playable games.
Stream Your Own Game – Over 100+ Games
We’re continuing to add more games to the Stream your own game collection for Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta). Game Pass Ultimate members can stream from a library of over 100+ cloud playable games on supported devices.
Recently added:
Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed
Kill It With Fire
LEGO Marvel Superheroes
Lost Records: Bloom & Rage Tape 2
Monster Jam Showdown
Squirrel with a Gun
Subnautica 2
Wanderstop
Coming soon:
Agatha Christie Murder on the Orient Express
Amerzone: The Explorer’s Legacy
Barton Lynch Pro Surfing
Bratz Flaunt your fashion
Construction Simulator
Empire of the Ants
Mandragora
PAW Patrol Grand Prix
Paw Patrol World
Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate
Predator: Hunting Grounds
SpiderHeck
Starship Troopers: Extermination
Steep
Teardown
The Game of Life 2
Undisputed
Way of the Hunter
Wizard of Legend II
Check out the full list of cloud-playable games available to stream on supported devices here. For more information, learn more here.
Access Xbox Remote Play From More Devices
Players can now play any game installed on their console by visiting xbox.com/remoteplay on any device with a supported web browser. While access to Xbox remote play will no longer be available directly from the Xbox app on mobile, players will still be able to play from their mobile device’s browsers.
In addition to streaming from the web, players will soon be able to access Xbox remote play on more devices, including supported Samsung Smart TVs, Amazon Fire TV devices, and Meta Quest headsets.
By unifying Xbox remote play and Xbox Cloud Gaming on Xbox.com, we’re able to support more devices, open access to the store on the Xbox app on mobile, and make it easier for our teams to optimize the streaming experience and build new features going forward.
As a bonus, starting this month, backward compatible games from the original Xbox and Xbox 360 will be streamable via remote play across all supported devices.
Free Up Space in My Games & Apps
With today’s update, we are introducing a new and improved way to free up storage space on all Xbox consoles. In addition to displaying unused add-ons and shrinkable games, we will now include recommendations for removing duplicate copies of games and games that players no longer have access to. Try out this feature by heading to My Games & Apps > Manage > Free up space.
Game Hubs
New game hubs on Xbox consoles have arrived. Game hubs include relevant information about the game selected, such as player stats, achievements, friends currently playing the game, recent captures, available add-ons, events, and more.
For a subset of players, game hubs will appear whenever a player selects a game from their recently played games or installed games lists. The default focus in game hubs is always on the Play button, so players can jump right into the action with a quick double-tap from the game tile to start playing.
A new setting has been introduced that allows players to launch games directly, instead of through game hubs has also been added. To activate it go to the personalization settings or to My games & apps > Manage > Games & apps.
In Case You Missed It
Xbox Consoles – South of Midnight Dynamic Background
South of Midnight introduced a new dynamic background for Xbox Series X|S consoles, allowing fans to customize their consoles to match this exciting new game.
To learn how to customize your Xbox Series X|S console by choosing a dynamic background, visit the Xbox Support page.
Help Shape the Future of Xbox
Stay tuned to Xbox Wire for future updates and the latest and greatest Xbox news. For support related to Xbox updates, visit the official Xbox Support site.
We love hearing from the community, whether you have a suggestion for a new feature that you’d like to see added, or you want to give feedback on existing features that could use some improvement. We’re always looking for ways to improve Xbox experiences for players around the world. If you’d like to help create the future of Xbox and get early access to new features, join the Xbox Insider Programtoday by downloading the Xbox Insider Hub for Xbox Series X|S & Xbox Oneor Windows PC.
