Vampire Survivors is the bargain-priced video game that Poncle just keeps delivering on. Alongside a few paid updates, the developer has continuously been giving us several free updates too. And today, another one has landed on all platforms.
This “super secret” update, called Darkasso, includes a brand new stage, a new relic, five new arcana (called Darkana), new skins for a couple of characters, and plenty of bug fixes.
Welcome to Next Week on Xbox! In this weekly feature we cover all the games coming soon to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows, and Game Pass! Get more details on these upcoming games below and click their profiles for further info (release dates subject to change). Let’s jump in!
A single-player, story-driven action-adventure game about hope, love, friendships, robots…and the power of words. You play Pax: exile, con-artist, Anomal — with the ability to weaponize language. Looking for a new life and a way out, Pax has been hired to transport an important package from Pacifica to Nova Scotia, across the Justice-controlled American Republic. Sounds like a legit reason for a road-trip, right?
A Lovecraftian survival horror game with disturbing and brutal gameplay, enveloped by the psychological horrors that exist somewhere between reality and the beyond. With a fractured mind you must: Investigate, explore, and fight for your life as you lose yourself trying to survive the unimaginable horrors within the walls of Clover Hill.
A side-scrolling shoot ’em up with retro aesthetics, dynamic combat, HD visuals and intense combat inspired by classic elements from both run ’n gun and shooter genres. Take on your adversaries solo or team up with a friend in local co-op! Float and maneuver through zero gravity stages, blast enemy swarms, take down screen-filling bosses and use companion cyber drones to increase your forward fire rate, cover your back and more!
An old school action platformer with pixel art graphics. Join the adventure as Yuhiko, a young ninja who has gone to the underworld to find a cure for his brother. Find Spirits in secret places – they will tell you a story or give you advice. Explore dungeons, fight monsters and meet new friends!
You are Emperor Hong, the esteemed Emperor of the Crimson Empire, and you have experienced profound loss. Faced with no other options, you are compelled to summon and seek the aid of the Yaoguai, forbidden but powerful creatures of the north with a taste for human souls, to assist you in resolving imperial challenges, enforcing your will, and supporting the welfare of your citizens.
He’s a dad and a radish. Dadish’s kids are missing and he needs your help to find them. After his children are lured away by dubious pop-up advertising, Dadish sets out to find them in his craziest adventure yet. Explore an exciting world, face off with fast-food themed foes, and reunite Dadish with his missing children in this challenging 3D platforming adventure.
Welcome to Parking Masters, where you’ll face the ultimate test of your parking skills in a variety of challenges! Maneuver vehicles through numerous levels, all designed with realistic physics and a captivating visual style.
A challenging game in which you defeat enemies on the board according to the numbers on the dice. Choose your moves using cards, position yourself strategically to defeat enemies on the board squares, and create tactics using action cards.
Build your own farm full of village houses, sheds and granaries. Build roads and design optimal fields with various crops. Choose what you want to plant or sow: apples, beetroots, cabbages, carrots, corns, leeks, onions, pepper, pumpkins, sunflowers, tomatoes, wheat.
Guide Arthbane’s campaign against the occupying Athracian army, balancing strategy and resources to defeat cunning rival generals. Recruit up to 16 units, visit the Chuckwagon to feed your troops, rally 11 legendary heroes – both new and returning favorites – to command in battle, and fight through 40+ missions in a race to turn the tide of invasion.
Rise to the top of the ATP and WTA world rankings as you smash through season after season as a world class competitor. Embody an official player or create your own. Train, strategize and win your matches one after the other, learning from your losses and building on your victories. Seize every opportunity to build your reputation, dazzle during press conferences, develop hard-fought rivalries and let your fans drink it all in.
Play as a little bird-like spirit that watches ancient civilizations evolve. You will discover unknown, giant, and beautiful environments and you will be able to enjoy the feeling of flying while exploring a whole world filled with beauty and little secrets. Within every area of the world, you must find a certain amount of memory shards to remember the path that leads to your destination and advance with the story. Once you have found all the memory shards you are free to explore the next area.
The Eightfold Path is an immersive puzzle and exploration adventure steeped in the teachings of Buddhism, inviting you to embark on a quest towards enlightenment. To reach the ultimate state of pure bliss, you must navigate through the labyrinth of desires and suffering that obscure true harmony.
In this tiny fantasy building experience, it is easy to do and very relaxing, just like a 3D jigsaw puzzle. Carefully observe the island, try to memorize it, then shuffle the blocks. Swap blocks to reproduce the desired island and the city will emerge. There is no time limit, logic challenges, or resources to manage, so you can calmly focus on the core mechanics while listening to a soothing soundtrack.
A series of three visually captivating and emotionally immersive visual novel games, each with its own unique narrative and hand-drawn graphics. The Trilogy invites players to explore the depths of the human psyche, confronting them with unsettling themes and thought-provoking storytelling.
Become a master general. Strategically assemble your army from a selection of unique units and abilities to deploy into fast paced battles. Watch your masterplan play out, adapt as the battle progresses, all without the hassle of micromanagement.
A fusion of a classic arcade game and an action roguelike. The action is relentless. The soundtrack gets your blood pumping. The enemies are brutal, and the bosses are massive but that just makes eventual victory feel so much sweeter!
You are an ordinary citizen who missed the evacuation due to illness, and now you need to understand the situation to leave the city. The game is imbued with the atmosphere of the late USSR, combined with mysterious and mystical elements characteristic of the horror genre.
As a member of a mega-corporation, use this ultimate weapon to defeat your opponents and end the Third World War. Explore procedurally generated levels across the globe and face a range of enemies, from mutants in ruined cities to soldiers and robots in military factories. Only by upgrading your cyborg and unlocking new abilities can you defeat the malicious Allfather AI and put an end to the war.
Greetings, Travelers! As Genshin Impact approaches its fifth year, we are excited to welcome the sixth major nation of Teyvat — Natlan, in the upcoming version 5.0 Flowers Resplendent on the Sun-Scorched Sojourn going live on August 28. Known as the Nation of War or the Nation of Pyro where Saurians have lived alongside humans since time immemorial, Natlan and her people are distinguished from other nations not only by their unique tribal traditions and natural environments, but also by their agility and their unparalleled movement capabilities blessed by the power of Pyro. Today, we’ll share some useful tips to help you explore this new region like a local or in the form of a Saurian!
We would also like to invite all Travelers who have completed Archon Quest Prologue: Act III Song of Dragon and Freedom in Mondstadt to visit Natlan using an unlocked Teleport Waypoint located at its entrance. Travelers who reached Adventure Rank 28 or above who have completed the Archon Quest Chapter I: Act III A New Star Approaches in Liyue can move on to the Archon Quests in Natlan without having to first complete the prerequisite quests of other nations.
Become a Saurian
The dragons in Natlan are called Saurians, and they are the result of a long evolution and coexisting with humans. Located west of the Desert of Hadramaveth in Sumeru, Natlan has a varied panorama ranging from canyons and cliffs to flowing waters and hot springs, and even dangerous volcanoes. Version 5.0 will offer the opportunity to meet three of the six local tribes, the Children of Echoes, the Scions of the Canopy, and the People of the Springs, to discover how their members move in steep and difficult-to-cross landscapes thanks to their respective Saurians.
For reasons that are still unclear, Travelers are unable to unlock the power of the Pyro element upon their arrival in Natlan, but you will be able to transform yourself into a Saurian temporarily by indwelling them or their Spiritsconce to roam around during your adventure!
The first Saurian you may indwell is a Tepetlisaurus. They are faithful companions taken in by the Children of Echoes, the tribe known for its expert miners and talented dancers inside the canyon. Transforming into a Tepetlisaurus allows you to burrow underground and climb cliffs. By indwelling a Yumkasaurus, you will be able to move travel through mid-air swiftly, reach high places with ease, and experience for yourself why the Scions of the Canopy that hang from steep cliffs with ropes, adore these Saurians as extreme sports enthusiasts. If you approach the People of the Springs, a laidback tribe who is known for their hot springs, try indwelling the Koholasarus to take a dip in the water, hot springs, and even the flowing Phlogiston streams in the air.
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Use a new resource
In the Nation of Pyro, the Pyro element can materialize as a unique resource known as Phlogiston. Phlogiston comes in different forms and can be utilized by the locals as a brand-new resource in movement or combat. Once you indwell a Saurian, you may notice that your skills will consume a separate Phlogiston bar located to the right of your Saurian form. Natlan’s characters also have a Phlogiston bar which appears above their HP bar. Throughout your journey, you may come across Phlogiston, either as harvestable resources, or useful tools such as the Spiritways of flowing Phlogiston, offering fast tracks to the Koholasarus and warriors from the People of the Springs to travel.
Warriors of Natlan can further enhance their abilities through the ancient ritual of Phlogiston Engravings, and thus gain the Nightsoul’s Blessing. Glowing patterns will appear on characters under the influence of the Nightsoul’s Blessing, granting them an advantage in combat.
Team up with local warriors
As the Nation of War, Natlan has experienced countless crises and dangers in numerous battles in which both locals and Saurians have fought valiantly. The Ancient Names of brave warriors are passed down from generation to generation to honor their legacy. At the Stadium of the Sacred Flame, each of the six tribes designates a Champion from among the greatest warriors who make up its ranks, and we will have the opportunity to recruit three of them from the Children of Echoes, the Scions of the Canopy, and the People of the Springs. Each of these Champions is distinguished by unique traits and abilities reflecting their tribe.
Our first companion from Natlan is Kachina, a four-star Geo polearm wielder from the Children of Echoes. Not only will we meet her from the very beginning of our journey, we can even recruit her for free as a reward for completing Act I of Natlan’s Archon Quest. Kachina is able to summon Turbo Twirly and ride it to scale walls and cliffs in daily exploration, and also unleash ground-slam attacks to deal AoE Geo DMG in combat.
Kinich, famous for his hunting skills in the Scions of the Canopy, is a five-star Dendro claymore warrior who wields the grappling hook expertly, so as to swiftly swing through the air and easily reach great heights, or link to enemies and perform Loop Shots to deal significant damage. Interestingly, Kinich is accompanied by the Almighty Dragonlord, Ajaw, who is capable of unleashing dragon-breaths at intervals to deal AoE Dendro DMG when Kinich casts his Elemental Burst.
If you’re visiting the People of the Springs, Mualani, the owner of a watersports equipment store and a renowned local tour guide, is your ideal companion. Fond of watersports including swimming, surfing, and beach volleyball, this five-star Hydro catalyst wielder can mount her Sharky Surfboard and quickly move across water, liquid Phlogiston, and flat ground. In combat, as Mualani surfs around on her Sharky Surfboard, she can mark enemies in her path and inflict Sharky’s Bites on them, dealing increased Hydro DMG after multiple hits.
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Natlan’s three playable characters are able to locate and mark local specialties, which benefits their entire party while interacting with certain harvestable items: Kachina can restore Stamina, Kinich can increase Movement Speed, and Mualani can restore Phlogiston. In version 5.0’s Event Wishes, Mualani and Kachina will debut in the first phase along with Kaedehara Kazuha’s rerun, and Kinich’s debut will come with the Raiden Shogun in the later phase.
Try the Tribal Chronicles
To better unveil the history and heroic tales of each tribe, the Reputation System returns to Natlan through the Tribal Chronicles, a new series of three-act narrative quests for each tribe that weaves together traditions, stories, and people that replaces the Story Quests in Natlan. Visit each tribe’s Obsidian Totem Pole to unlock their Tribal Chronicles, as well as their Bounties and Supply Notices. Completing these Tribal Chronicles not only provides a deeper and immersive understanding of the customs and culture of different tribes but also earns Tribe Reputation EXP and rewards for the corresponding tribe.
In addition, World Quests, exciting stories, as well as Archon Quests await you in Natlan with many surprises and rewards. However, we will leave Travelers to explore all this new content at their own pace. The Sacred Flame burns with an incandescent glow, and ignites the hearts of the brave! We look forward to seeing you in-game when Genshin Impact version 5.0 goes live August 28!
The Terapagos ex Ultra Premium Collection contains:
1 foil promo card featuring Terapagos ex.
1 foil promo card featuring Lapras ex.
1 foil promo card featuring Cinderace ex.
8 foil Basic Energy cards.
1 magnetic 3-card protector with base.
1 playmat.
1 deck box.
1 metallic coin.
6 damage-counter dice.
2 condition markers.
18 Pokémon TCG booster packs.
A code card for Pokémon TCG Live.
The only question is, which Terapagos ex are we getting in this set? The standard ex card could be a bit underwhelming, considering the price of this set. We’re betting on the full art ex or the stunning Special Illustration Rare ex. It really is anyone’s guess at the time of writing. Still, the SIR Terapagos ex has a unique rainbow border, making it a desirable chase card for the set.
The full art is still stunning, featuring Terapagos ex against a holo silver background with multicolored stars. It also features the rainbow border, which is a lovely addition to this set for all Stellar Forme Pokémon.
We’re also putting our money on the base ex variants of the included Lapras ex and Cinderace ex. However, getting their complete arts in this set would make this one of the best Ultra Premium sets we’ve had. Returning to 151, we got two illustration rares featuring Mewtwo and Mew and a Gold Mew, so we could be surprised with this Ultra Premium Collection.
Unlike Ed, I wasn’t deemed important or youthfully handsome enough to get Black Myth: Wukong review code, leaving my only hopes of conducting some hardwarey performance investigation with the recently released benchmarking tool. The one that, by the admission of developers Game Science themselves, “may not fully represent the actual gaming experience and final performance at the time of the game’s release”. Monkey nuts.
Crytek’s sweaty and superlative survival boss-rush shooter Hunt: Showdown has been relaunched as Hunt: Showdown 1896, introducing a comprehensive technological update alongside a chronological leap forward to a new map in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. As is tradition for big 2.0-style updates, some players absolutely loathe it, with recent Steam user reviews dragging the consensus underwater.
Publisher Hyper Real has revealed Telebbit, an intriguing 2D platformer that utilises teleportation as its main gameplay hook.
Launching on the Switch eShop on 24th October 2024 and developed by IKINAGAMES, it’s currently giving off heavy Celeste vibes, albeit with a more cyberpunk-esque aesthetic with a hefty dollop of attitude. Heck, it looks like it’s even got bits of fruit floating around the stages that require collection.
Since it exploded onto the scene with its stunning debut trailer in 2020, Black Myth: Wukong has had an air of something different about it. At first glance, the gameplay is reminiscent of other action role-playing games, but its monkey protagonist, visual fidelity and wide variety of enemies have continued to excite players eager to explore the rich fantasy world inspired by the classical Chinese novel, Journey to the West. As the game prepares to launch on PS5 and PC on August 20th here’s a few things we’ve noticed that set Black Myth: Wukong apart from other games in the genre.
Respec and Retry
Many players have already identified the similarities between Black Myth: Wukong and other action RPGs, and in some cases the comparisons are apt. Black Myth: Wukong is designed to be challenging, and its gauntlet of big bosses with even bigger health bars will keep you on your toes. But with every unsuccessful attempt at besting your foe, you have the option to take a new direction.
As the Destined One defeats enemies throughout the world and accrues experience, they level up and gain Sparks which are used in the Self-Advance skill tree to awaken more abilities and spells. What makes Black Myth: Wukong different however is the ability at any point to visit a Keeper’s Shrine (the game’s equivalent of a bonfire or checkpoint) and ‘Reignite the Sparks’, returning all the spent Sparks to you, ready to reallocate.
If one particular boss is a problem for the primate protagonist, take the opportunity to explore new combat options and tailor your abilities to the fight at hand. Not only does this mean you have a wider range of options in combat, but it also means you’re never locked in to one type of playstyle as you’re free to shake it up whenever you want.
Put a Spell on You
Throughout your adventure as the staff-wielding and spell-casting simian you’ll encounter a wide variety of enemies, known as Yaoguais, who are diverse in their designs and their attacks. To counter the threat they pose, the Destined One has a number of abilities to invest in, from unlocking Staff Stances that switch up heavy attacks, to spells that can be used to control the battlefield.
The spells themselves are derived from Chinese mythology, and are designed to complement that game’s proactive and nimble combat. Immobilize is a control spell that freezes enemies, and even bosses, in place, interrupting their attacks and opening them up to attacks of your own. Cloud Step is a mobility spell that leaves a decoy of the Destined One behind while they turn invisible, so you can reposition and unleash a powerful attack from thin air. Then there are the transformations which turn you into monsters you have defeated along your journey.
Unlike other action RPGs where the pressure is high but options are limited, Black Myth: Wukong encourages players to cycle through all the abilities on offer and take the fight to enemies. With only dodging available to avoid attacks, playing offensively and utilizing spells as part of a combat strategy is key to succeeding against these formidable foes.
Transformations
One of the most fascinating aspects of Black Myth: Wukong is the protagonist’s ability to transform into monsters, taking on their abilities and using them against enemies. These transformations are inspired by the original classical Chinese novel, Journey to the West, and happen in two ways. In the first instance, defeating certain enemy bosses and taking their weapon grants a transformation spell that is used to morph into them, so you can embody their look and abilities.
The second form of transformation is done with Spirit Skills. After building up enough Qi during combat, unleash the powerful signature ability of a Yaoguai. To unlock more Spirit Skills, defeat challenging monsters and absorb their left-behind spirits–similar to Sparks, the spirits of Yaoguais can be cultivated and swapped out at Keeper’s Shrines.
With a unique mythological Chinese setting, fluid animations and varied combat options, Black Myth: Wukong is looking to make its own mark on the action RPG genre, and you can experience it soon when it launches on PS5 and PC on August 20th.
Any gags I could make about an update that lets Total War: Warhammer 3’s dawi play tall are far too obvious for the discerning comedic palette that brought you such bangers as that time I just wrote “(penis)” a bunch so the Overkill’s Walking Dead page wouldn’t quote me out of context, so let’s just dive right in to the details. The strategy game’s 5.2 update is on the horizon, and tagging along with it are the first of the “extra bits” the team teased in June. I’m very excited about them. They sit somewhere between the usual patch fare of stat tweaks and errata, and the weightier faction facelifts that come alongside paid DLC. They’re also focused right where Immortal Empires needs them the most: depth, rather than width. In the dawi’s case, quite literally.
For years, our PC storage has wobbled and buckled beneath the tyranny of gigantic Call Of Duty installs. Like 13th century peasants straining to convey huge, teetering loads of freshly quarried LMGs, our SSDs cry out for justice. Perhaps scenting imminent rebellion and a mass audience desertion to low-poly shooters with more civilised file sizes, Activision have relented. Future installations of the much-padded FPS will be “smaller and more customised”, though in a last cruel stroke of villainy, they want you to download a large update to prepare the ground.
