Meet PC Game Pass’ Summer Curator, Content Creator Cupquake

Last year, we invited content creator Bruce Greene to become our Autumn curator for PC Game Pass titles and, with a huge Summer coming up for the service, we’ve invited a new creator to help you find the perfect games for your collection. With hundreds of games to choose from, meet your helping hand – TikTok’s own Cupquake.

“Hey everyone, my name is Tiffany, but people online know me as Cupquake. I have been a gaming content creator for over 14 years and love to experience a variety of games. Gaming has always been a massive part of my life, and I love being able to share that experience with everyone online!”

If you want to find out more, read on for her thoughts on each of the games included. And if you want to hear more from Cupquake, make sure to follow her on TikTok.


Xbox Live
Xbox Play Anywhere

Among Us

Innersloth


541


$4.99

$2.99
PC Game Pass
Xbox Game Pass

Among Us
“This game gave me trust issues, but in the best possible way. A game of mystery and deceit, you must work together to find out who the imposter is before they murder and lie their way to victory!”


Xbox Live

Minecraft

Microsoft Studios


2001


$19.99

$9.99
Xbox One X Enhanced
Xbox Game Pass

Minecraft
“This is one of my all-time favorite games. There are endless possibilities in this sandbox game, and I have so many fond memories of playing it either solo or with friends!”


Xbox Live

Overcooked! 2

Team17 Digital Ltd


237


$24.99

$19.99
Xbox Game Pass

Overcooked! 2
“A game that will put your communication skills and friendships to the test! I played through this whole game with my husband. Who knew creating food recipes and dishes could be so stressful and fun at the same time!?”


Xbox Live

Disney Dreamlight Valley

Gameloft SE


339


$39.99

$29.99
PC Game Pass
Xbox Game Pass

Disney Dreamlight Valley
“This is one of my favorite cozy games that hits on another level of nostalgia. Build relationships with Disney characters while creating and designing a cute, custom town!”


Xbox Live
Xbox Play Anywhere

Gang Beasts

Boneloaf


772


$19.99

$7.99
PC Game Pass
Xbox Game Pass

Gang Beasts
“This party game is really easy to pick up. The character mechanics are silly, which adds to the quirkiness of the game. You will definitely get some laughs with this one!”


Xbox Live

Slime Rancher 2

Monomi Park


409


$29.99

$23.99
PC Game Pass
Xbox Game Pass
Free Trial

Slime Rancher 2
“Another big favorite of mine. Discover, collect, and breed adorable little slimes and collect their poo…I mean plorts for currency! You can also customize your farm as you discover the storyline.”


Xbox Live

GRIS

Devolver Digital


235


$16.99

$13.59
Xbox Game Pass
Free Trial

Gris
“This stunningly beautiful puzzle game is such a relaxing experience. It’s the perfect game to wind down and get lost in.”


Xbox Live

Stardew Valley

ConcernedApe


674


$14.99

$11.99
Xbox Game Pass

Stardew Valley
“Dare I say one of the best farming simulators you will ever play!? Its charming 8-bit art style feels a bit nostalgic, and it is so pleasant to play. The pacing is perfect, and the soundtrack is amazing.”


Xbox Live
Xbox Play Anywhere

Superliminal

Pillow Castle


450


$19.99

$15.99
PC Game Pass
Xbox Game Pass

Superliminal
“Prepare to have your mind blown! This puzzle game uses optical illusions and forced perspectives and is just a wonderful piece of art to experience!”


Xbox Live

Unpacking

Humble Games


337


$19.99

$15.99
PC Game Pass
Xbox Game Pass

Unpacking
“I would be lying if I said this game didn’t make me cry. It’s a cozy and quaint little game about… unpacking. I was surprised at the storyline for this one but also at how much comfort I got from unpacking and arranging items. “

The post Meet PC Game Pass’ Summer Curator, Content Creator Cupquake appeared first on Xbox Wire.

A Fists On, Feet First Look at Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree, Best Prices, and More!

Blasting monsters in the chops with a Bruce Lee backfist—few things feel more badass than that. So, when FromSoftware said my “hands on” could be literally just that—using my mitts to kung fu the dung out of every shadow under the Erdtree—I was in. The mere idea of testing out Martial Arts in Elden Ring summoned a smirk to my face; three-hours of punch-a-riffic playtime later, it was a toothless ear-to-ear grin.

Ever since the Monk class in Diablo III—or the time I found the Hands of God in Demon’s Souls—I’ve been a big fan of the biff. Particularly in PvP. There’s something hugely satisfying about facing an armed foe thirsty for blood, but you serve them a tall glass of “wa-taaa” instead.

It’s also worth noting that I also decided to make my own Way of the Fist through Shadow of the Erdtree harder still by ignoring the helpful new damage buff system. The only ‘leg up’ I want to use is a heavy sidekick to Spartan Boot baddies off a cliff.

The only ‘leg up’ I want to use is a heavy sidekick to Spartan Boot baddies off a cliff.

For those of you who are curious, however, Shadow of the Erdtree has Scadurtree Fragments that can be redeemed at a Site of Grace to decrease the amount of damage enemies deal to you in this DLC. Alternatively, there are Revered Spirit Ash blessings, which will instead increase the amount of damage dealt by your spirit summons.

To hear more about how my particular brand of self-imposed masochism went, click here to continue. For now, though, I should provide some price options for Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree for you “mind’s already made up” types.

Best Prices for Shadow of the Erdtree

Shadow of the Erdtree Hands On

We are so back. These are the four words that invade my brain as I step into my 3-hour Shadow of the Erdtree demo. The fact that those four words will soon change to four others—oh God, please help—is something we’ll get to later. For now, though, let me make the opening majesty of this DLC live for you a little.

And I say a little, because I only really want to describe the barest tip of a massive iceberg that’s roughly the size of Limgrave. If you’re a fellow quadruple-digit-hours veteran, you already know that half the joy of Elden Ring is in its discovery, surprise, and deaths due to overconfidence. Shadow is still rooted in these things, so I’ll try to stick to the main trunk of my experiences. You know—not branch off. Treemendous puns aside, I truly believe many other undiscovered fruits and thorns await you in your own playthrough.

I’m taking the same approach to giving you a plotline beyond a basic overview. Though, to be fair, practically anything I mention here wouldn’t spoil much for 95% of you. Elden Ring is famously obtuse and evasive with its storytelling—none but a few lore-hoarding YouTubers ever really know (or can make educated guesses at) what the crap is going on. But this is just how we like it.

Pain By Numbers

What I’ll do first is hand you some numbers. You see, this demo had to take place on FromSoftware’s home turf, so my 1,200 hour character, Fierce Brosnan, could not be brought to bear.

The obvious downside to that: I was a fish out of water with unfamiliar traits, no Mithril-level long johns nor any of my Excalibur class weaponry. Clearly, the idea was to push me into trying out some of the 100 new weapons that will be in SotE. To save time, I’m outfitted with a handful of them. The ones I mention here will have to be acquired from a spot somewhere in the guts of this DLC.

There’s also an upside to being issued a pre-made Tarnished: The typically aloof FromSoftware was forced to show me its hand a little here. There’s been much evasion as to what level one ought to be at in order to enter these deadly DLC straits. In order to keep media and content creators reasonably effective within our three hour window, my demoers had to pick a number.

How tall do you need to be for this ride? The level numbers “120 to 200” are thrown about in my pre-demo pep talk, but in the end I’m offered a choice of three level 150 avatars. I ignore the Warrior and Sorcerer options to go with their Knight / Dex build (HP: 1939, FP: 110, Stam: 133, Poi: 42). Attributes (Vig: 51, Min: 18, End: 25, Str: 22, Dex: 80, Int: 11, Fai: 12, Arc: 10).

Waiting in the equipment is my new Martial Arts, called the Keen Dryleaf Arts.

All in all, my Knight seems like a pretty usable build, which my demoer insists will be “good enough” to be effective. That being said, you newcomers ought to be aware that From’s DLC tends to be significantly more difficult than the base games, so I’d grind higher than 150.

It’s also worth noting that I’m decked from head to toe in Oathseeker plate armour. Secondary equipment-wise, I have access to Finger Creeper Ashes +16 (think: a shetland-pony-sized Addams Family hand), Gravebird Ashes +10, and a Black Knight Commander Andreas +10 summon.

I also have two swords and a shield that I’ll detail later on, because the challenge here is to rely almost entirely upon my fists and feet of fury. Additionally, waiting in the equipment is my new Martial Arts, called the Keen Dryleaf Arts +25 (Attk: 178+, 231) and it’s running an Ash of War named Whirlwind.

Leaving the Lands Between

Before I bid adieu to The Lands Between by touching that protruding hand at the Cocoon of the Empyrean Site of Grace, I have a quick chinwag with a knight named Leda (who I believe was the voiceover character in the Story trailer). She says she’s been guided along an honourable path by kindly Miquella to the Land of Shadow, a place where some of her friends already are. Should I find them, they will help me; she also won’t be far behind either, so perhaps we’ll meet again.

No other dialogue is forthcoming, so I walk forward and shake hands with my fate, literally. When I do, the world goes black…

Allow me to explain what happens next, like an old school Text Adventure. I spawn at the Land of Shadow starting point, at what I presume to be the south western bottom of this new map. It’s dark as hell, and I’m instantly surrounded by tall shrubbery. Beyond that hedge, it seems I’m also hemmed in by large cliffs to my north and south, and there’s a huge impassable sea at my back to the west. Eastward is the only way up, so I crest a small hill through a cave to be met with an absolute moneyshot of a vista.

I’m gawking directly east over a vast open meadow that spills away for ages until it eventually hits a large cliffside that’s garnished with a patchy pine tree forest. Beyond those nodding trees, the world tapers off into a thick mist that spans an indeterminate distance between what I can see and this distant, dominating Erdtree. It seems to be a younger or sickly sprout whose roots are half bonded to the top of some indiscernible structure.

Though I’m on the clock, I can’t help but stand here for a few minutes, watching as the wind tussles the prairie, flicks leaves past, and eventually pushes in a light drizzle of rain across this living lake of grassland. The whole scene reeks of opportunity, danger, and time wasting secondary-path locales.

The whole scene reeks of opportunity, danger, and time wasting secondary-path locales.

In the middle-distance to the south-east (and the edge of my demo playspace) are scant signs of ruined civilization—a highway gatehouse perhaps. On the horizon to my extreme north east, the imposing mountain fortress of Castle Ensis rises up out of the gloom, too.

In the yawning distance between me and that goal is a light sprinkling of ruined architecture, randomly jutting out of this vast field. Curiously, one of the most distant of these structures appears to be both on fire and…moving. More on that horror in a minute.

Venturing into Shadow

In my immediate vicinity, there are dozens of ghostly gold gravestones. Creepily, they sort of wink out of existence as I pass through them. Unwilling to add myself to their number, or become exposed to attack in that open field to God knows what, I turn to put the cliffside to my left, and I hug it in a north-to-north-easterly heading.

Pretty soon, I begin to sashay through a handful of small stonework archways. Some have avian-esque gargoyles atop them. A quick R3 click reveals what I already know, and as if by invitation, these non-concrete condors start to swoop in.

When Big Bird lands, I feed him a full six piece and soda with a four hit punch combo that instantly feels gratifying, damaging, and (unlike regular unarmed in Elden Ring) viable. You see, one can already play the base game with no weapons, technically, but that’s like saying you can steer a car with your feet. You could do it, but it’s not to be done—unarmed base damage was abysmal, and the scaling virtually non-existent.

I ground them with the sort of Tatsumaki Senpukyaku that’d get a thumbs up from Ken.

Martial Arts in Shadow of the Erdtree is a different beast altogether. Damage is comparable to a perfectly good sword, repeated strikes propel me forward a nice distance, and my kicks and punches pierce through ranks to hit enemies crowding behind their mates. More importantly, it’s just…fun and flashy to do.

Better yet, when these buzzards try to thwart my range by hovering in the air, I tap L2 for a Whirlwind kick. I ground them with the sort of Tatsumaki Senpukyaku that’d get a thumbs up from Ken Masters. It’s at this point that I fall head over heels with my own heels. Literally kicking arse with Martial Arts is all I wanna do for three hours now.

A Grave Situation

With a new sense of cockiness, I continue north. The mini-archways with easy-to-spot raptors give way to an actual cemetery featuring gnarled trees that perfectly camouflage my feathered friends. In my haste to escape their swoops, I accidentally dive-roll down into The Western Nameless Mausoleum via a short staircase. At the base of it [minor spoiler here] is a boss mist barrier to a Blackgaol Knight whose opening gambit is a crossbow that pings 9 bolts in about 3 seconds. That’s all I’ll say about him.

Returning back up to the same surface entrance a short while later, I consider poking around the cemetery until I spot half a dozen of these weird pool noodle things poking out of the ground. Glowing in an eerie bioluminescent blue, they’re about seven foot tall, and they are peaceful…until I charge up a flying kick into one. Instantly, all twelve become a pissed off hive mind. I have to book it when they all sprout angry pink heads and then try to whack-a-mole me into my own grave.

I bail eastward into the open field again, whereupon I hit the Three-Path Crossroads and some choices open up. To the south, there’s that dilapidated gatehouse, adjoined by yet another cemetery. A quick poke down there reveals some lethargic shadow folk whose hobbies include silent prayer to the Erdtree or casting swift moving, near-endlessly-homing skull magic at me. Further south than that unwelcoming committee is a Map Fragment you’ll really want to get.

They are peaceful…until I charge up a flying kick into one.

Alternatively, going east from the Three-Path crossroads yields a bit more grassland, weird stone spiral columns, more mini mausoleums, and roving packs of candelabra + sword wielding tree goons. Pruning my way through them reveals the first of the 100 new weapons in this DLC. It’s something my demoers have already added to my build, wicked dual scimitars that are held “ninja reverse-style.” The one I own is a Keen Backhand Blade +25 (220+, 367).

Any progression eastward is thwarted by a large canyon that scars this land from north to south—a non-water-based moat that may only be crossed via a highway-sized bridge to my north. Curiously, when I squint across this abyss, I get a free ticket to an endlessly repeating show.

It’s tough to discern who’s who from the bleachers, but it seems a fellow knight is trading culture with a trio of 8-foot-tall trolls. At least one of these beasts desperately wants this human to join his club. Literally. Big wooden one.

Distracted by a dozen other things to do and see, I forget to make my way down to reach them, and am left wondering if they’re one of Leda’s pals. Feels likely.

Shadow of the Erdcolossus

Shrugging, I turn northwest to an even more awe-inspiring sight. One of those fire giant things from the trailers dominates the prairie between myself and the castle’s bridge. Burnie Boy is basically a wicker Shadow of the Colossus understudy with a lit brazier for a head and chest. Technically, he does have an actual face. Three of them, in fact. Mask-like objects adorn his abdomen and each upper thigh. Freaky stuff.

While watching in intimidated silence, I note that this lumbering monstrosity is tracing a slow circular patrol across this meadow. However, on the edge of his commute stands hope in the form of a reasonably-sized chunk of stonework. The message that pops into my head: “Visions of Cover Cheese, Try Peck and Roll.”

Fireman Spam has become my new nemesis, and I can’t wait to make him snuff it.

I sprint to the perceived safety of that little brick oasis while giving my target a wide berth, only to be horrified as I’m spotted from an incredible distance away. Hobo Stove On Legs then kicks the ground in front of him to send an arcing wave of car-sized lava boulders at me. It’s an overkill amount of projectiles. By some small miracle, I thread through with a dive-roll before reaching cover.

What happens next, during my brilliant plan to nip at his cankles while he wallhumps the stone column between us? Chaos. Whenever I round my cover to strike, he raises that hoof and delivers a stomp with AoE flames. Upon learning that this attack can flare “through” my cover, I horse up and gallop the hell out of Dodge to the north.

The fact that I’m nearly unhorsed by a farewell lava ball assault as I’m tearing away at top speed, tells me a mounted assault on that dude might be suicide, too. Needless to say, Fireman Spam has become my new nemesis, and I can’t wait to make him snuff it. Preferably with kung fu.

Bridge to Terrorbiffya

The elevating field northward becomes progressively rockier and foggier—akin to a Scottish Highland. When I crest this hill, I’m at yet another crossroads. Further northwards dips down into a huge open valley pocked with more ghostly gravestones, I can’t see where it ends because the land gets eaten by a Stephen King level of horror-hiding mist.

I’m not permitted to venture down there. And, frankly, I don’t even want to go.

Directly to my west stands a Moria-esque archway carved into the cliffside, beyond it lies the Belurat Castle Settlement (whose labyrinthine streets snake higher up to the House of the Dancing Lion). Dismounting, I run due east to the aforementioned overpass. The game christens it the Ellac Greatbridge. But I just think it’s ok.

That’s mostly because it’s littered with debris, rows of chevaux de frise, and a guard of half a dozen zombie vikings. Worse, a giant ballista that fires accurate, arcing explosive rounds every 8 seconds has a long and commanding overwatch on me. See what I mean? Averagebridge, at best.

Sadly, my heroic plan to serpentine charge through said artillery, kill the shooter, and then use his weapon against the bridge mobs fails (you can’t use it). So, I lure these norsemen, one by one, into the nearby soldier encampment beyond. Just as I force-feed a knuckle sandwich into the last of them and the intensity of this tent city lessens, the true owners of these bivouacs pounce.

Chief among these unhappy campers is a knight chieftain, wielding a shield the size of a large metal door and what looks to be an engine block on a stick. Adopting a When In Rome approach, I strap my left arm with a Messmer Soldier Shield +25 (196+, 43) to better absorb his hits and answer with either a heavy sidekick or a jumping superman punch to his grille.

Uppercut, elbow, roundhouse, sidekick, backfist, back-kick—I ding that tinman until he’s crushed for recycling.

When he’s stunned, I clobber him with my full R1 six-hit combo. I’m talking uppercut, elbow, roundhouse, sidekick, backfist, back-kick—I ding that tinman until he’s crushed for recycling.

A little further to the east, beyond a much-needed Site of Grace, I encounter a mid-boss who receives a different style of pasting. Being a 15-foot heavy-hitter with a penchant for slow stomps and vertical sword strikes, I opt to deliver faster hits in a longer combo, a technique facilitated by “two-handing” my Martial Arts with Triangle + R1.

I’m even more delighted with the new strikes in this 11-hitter. We’re talking double-tapper roundhouse kicks and a finisher that’s this powerful two-handed clapfist to the ears of your opponent. Or, in this case, either side of old mate’s shinbone.

Despite being level 150 still, I’m reasonably effective in this fight, though I do fall victim to the second irritation of my demo experience (the first being a brief moment of mass object pop as riding across the grasslands). While cheesing this mid-boss around the corner of a large cathedral, I fall victim to him vertically chopping me through the building by a wide margin with a sword that could be God’s own letter-opener. It’s a legacy issue in Soulsbornes that should have been made extinct by now, but I adjust for it and make him pay with his life.

The Dismount

A short distance beyond this menace, the staircase and ladder-filled cathedral district thickens in complexity. In short, Shadow of the Erdtree finally starts to do what I love best about this series—that spaghetti-wind level design that offers up boltholds, ambush points, and loot-hiding cul de sacs. In the case of the latter, a nearby one hides a meme-tastic sword, the Keen Milady +25 (263+, 320).

After a few satisfying test swings, I tip a phantom fedora to it, and stubbornly stick with my fists for the remaining 2 hours of demo time. In fact, I basically decide then and there to do my full launch day run like this, purely because I’m so utterly enamoured with haymaking horrors, unleashing running flying kicks into faces, or simply Crit Attacking fools with brutal kidney-strikes.

And it’s at this point, I’ve just realised that I’ve gushed for far too long about a very, very small, fraction of my time with Shadow of the Erdtree. I’m going to hit pause on my tale for today. Hopefully, an opportunity will arise for me to regale you with the remaining 2/3rds of the demo, where I effectively turn back, cross over Ellac Okaybridge, and head westward to a major objective.

For it’s on that heading that lies the castle domain of Shadow of the Erdtree’s first full-cutscene boss. I can say that he will be a major migraine for all but the best of you, but one you’d be absolutely nuts to miss out on. Alternatively, here’s the account of one of my US contemporaries who scooped up an axe and made a beeline to that other castle.

Because after the full three hours my instincts were telling me nothing but good things about the remainder of this DLC. There is little doubt in my mind. The pieces seem very much in place for Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree to become one of the most essential bits of extra content I’ve played since the venerable Bloodborne: The Old Hunters.

And as you veteran Tarnished should already know, my Soulsborne compliments don’t get much higher than that.

Adam Mathew is our Aussie deals wrangler. He plays practically everything, often on YouTube.

Just Cause creators Avalanche lay off 50 people and close their Montreal and New York studios

Just Cause creators, Mad Max developers and Rage 2 co-developers Avalanche Studios have announced that they will lay off 50 developers – nine per cent of their global workforce – and close their New York, USA and Montreal, Canada studios in order to “ensure a stable and sustainable future for the company”.

The announcement post doesn’t go into much detail about either the reasons for the layoffs or how exactly Avalanche will be supporting the departing staff, adding only that “our focus is now on supporting all Avalanchers through this challenging time” and that “we’re grateful for the invaluable contributions of those leaving and remain committed to creating incredible gaming experiences for our players.”

Avalanche’s Montreal studio had been open for all of eight months. The studio was founded in October 2023 after Avalanche acquired and integrated Monster Closet, who were themselves founded in 2021 by former developers of such headliners as Halo, Prince of Persia and Assassin’s Creed. Avalanche’s New York studio, meanwhile, dates back to 2011.

Read more

This Jackery Explorer 31,000mAh Power Bank Is TSA Carry-on Eligible and Only $99.99

Amazon is offering the Jackery Explorer 100 31,000mAh Power Bank for only $99.99 after a $50 instant discount. This is the largest capacity power bank we’ve seen that’s TSA carry-on eligible. It also uses superior LiFePO4 battery cells, can charge up to 3 devices simultaneously, and boasts up to 100W charging output via USB Type-C.

Jackery Explorer 100 31,000mAh Power Bank for $99.99

At first glance the Jackery Explorer 100 looks like one of those large power stations you might use as a backup battery for your home. But actually, this thing is pretty small, small enough to fit on the palm of your hand. It measures only 5″x3.4″x3.4″ and weighs about 2 pounds. This is a 99Whr power bank, which means it just barely squeezes its way under TSA’s sub-100Whr requirement. With a 31,000mAh total capacity, this is definitely the largest TSA carry-on eligible power bank we’ve posted on IGN.

Unlike most smaller power banks which use lithium-ion cells, the Jackery Explorer 100 uses LiFePO4 cells. They’re usually more expensive and also a bit heavier, but in exchange you get inherently safer battery chemistry and a much longer lifespan, both in terms of number of cycles and calendar aging.

The Jackery Explorer 100 has three outputs: two USB Type-C with PPS and Power Delivery up to 100W total, and a USB Type-A with 28W of charging for a total of 128W. The Steam Deck supports up to 45W max charging, the ASUS ROG Ally up to 65W, and the Nintendo Switch up to 18W. That means ou can charge a Steam Deck, ASUS ROG Ally, or Nintendo Switch at its maximum charging speed. In fact, you could almost charge all three at their maximum charging rate simultaneously.

Jackery is a well known brand that’s based out of Fremont, California. They’re very reliable and are often a great alternative to the juggernaut Chinese companies like Ecoflow and Bluetti. This power bank is UL 94V-0 certified and includes a 2 year warranty.

For more options, check out our favorite power banks for 2024.

Magical Delicacy’s Mix Of Metroidvania And Gastronomy Hits Switch In July

A dash of this, a splash of that.

If you’re into Metroidvanias and cooking (and who isn’t?), then good news, you’ll be able to enjoy both at the same time with the upcoming title Magical Delicacy on Switch, launching on 16th July 2024.

We know what you’re thinking: “Gosh, another Metroidvania?”, and yeah, we get it. But look, this one looks pretty cool and we’re admittedly enamoured with the idea of a more ‘cosy’ Metroidvania that also allows us to unleash our inner chef. Bring on those Michelin Stars, we say.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance launches June 14 on PS5 and PS4 – full details on enhanced gameplay

Hello, I’m Shigeo Komori, the Game Director at Atlus and we are excited to bring Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance to PlayStation fans. In celebration of today’s new trailer, I want to share more details about the game ahead of its June 14 launch on PS5 and PS4.  


Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance launches June 14 on PS5 and PS4 – full details on enhanced gameplay

Battle system 

SMT V: Vengeance introduces a multitude of new skills across 270 new and familiar demons, including powerful new Magatsuhi Skills. These unison skills are unlocked after receiving a new kind of talisman called a periapt, which states the skill and demons required to use it. Gather these demons as your allies to command the tactical advantage in battle: unleash fearsome attacks, improve your chances with support skills, or bestow life-saving healing effects on your team. 

More powerful skills mean more powerful foes – explore the apocalyptic netherworld known as Da’at and encounter glowing red enemies called Magatsuhi demons. These enemies are stronger than your typical demon and will hunt you down if you’re not careful! Emerge victorious and you will be rewarded with higher amounts of Macca, EXP, and even stat-boosting Incense. Be on your guard, as unlike normal enemy encounters these demons will wield fierce Magatsuhi Skills.  

As a reward for our devoted fans, when certain conditions have been met the level cap will be increased from 99 to 150. Additionally, upon completing specific tasks the game will unlock the punishing Godborn difficulty mode, with all enemy demons now level 150 – a challenge that will test the prowess of even the most hardened SMT veteran. 

The battle system has also received various updates and adjustments, such as being able to use magic skills during auto-battle. These system updates and new elements will be applied to Canon of Vengeance and Canon of Creation. 

New demon experiences 

Players can now take control of an individual demon during special side quests. During these quests the player will guide the actions of a demon, such as fan-favorites Alice and Pixie, as well as new characters like Nahobeeho, to complete a variety of non-combat tasks around various locations throughout the game. These quests give players a better understanding of an area by using each demon’s particular skills for exploration and allow players to spend more time with their favorite demons. They also allow players to better understand demons and their personalities, especially their thoughts about humans. Upon the quest’s completion, the demon may become your new Demon Navigator! 

SMT V: Vengeance also adds more ways to interact with demons through a new feature called Demon Haunts. Here the player can enjoy special conversations with demons, friends, and even Aogami to improve the Nahobino’s abilities. Receive new rewards and level up through conversations, and even take a nostalgic picture of your favorite demon or ally with the free camera mode (available only in Demon Haunts). Talking with your demon party members will increase their stats as well, so be sure to return to these safe areas to chat often and create an unstoppable team! 

Greater field exploration

Map exploration has been enhanced by including elements like Magatsuhi for fast travel, a sky view for a wider look around the area, and a full map view unobstructed by the Abscesses that previously blocked the path. Magatsuhi Rails provide shortcuts and open more areas to explore compared to the original, including secret locations that can only be discovered via rail travel. The Canon of Vengeance storyline includes entirely new locations in Da’at, and we hope players feel a sense of wonder as they explore the vast Shinjuku Ward and mysterious dungeon Shakan. 

Traversing Da’at is never a chore with a Quest Navigator by your side, and with a greatly increased number of friendly allies we know you’ll find the perfect companion to accompany you on your epic journey. Netherworld investigation is also even easier with the addition of two support features for Quest Navigators: they now leave a vapor trail to track their movements, and stopping points will emit a pillar of light from the spot where they are first discovered. Reading the map is also easier with additional unique icons and quest markers.

New accessibility features

There have been dozens of small updates and revisions to make things more interesting and accessible, such as the increased pick-up range of relics, the ability to read tutorials at any point, gaining the initiative even after enemy detection by striking them from behind, reduced ambushes from aerial enemies, an increase in the number of Miracles (which have various positive effects), and the further enhancement and variety of actions for demon encounters.

Lastly, there are two big changes from the previous game: the ability to save anywhere on the map rather than the limited leyline founts, and Estoma, a shield to avoid enemy encounters has been updated from a skill to a Miracle, allowing the player to spend Magatsuhi instead of MP, freeing up a valuable skill slot. 

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance launches June 14 on PS5 and PS4. I hope you enjoy the game!

Phantom Spark is a hover racer of impeccable chill and wistful fantasy worldbuilding

I was a diehard WipeOut player as a kid. Seriously, me and the boys used to roam the streets of Bradford looking for F-Zero players to bully, at least till the RollCagers rocked up and stole our lunch money. Mind you, I think I was probably less interested in WipeoUt’s racing than its trackside landscapes, which remain exquisite decades on – all those sweeping album-cover facades with their animate fixtures that thickened and solidified into full-blown peripheral cities as the series progressed.

I am similarly hooked by the worlds of Ghosts Ehf’s Phantom Spark, which are a million lightyears from WiPeout in terms of their influences and atmosphere, much as the underlying hover-jockeying is a million lightyears away from WipeouT in terms of its gentleness and lack of combative elements. But these spaces are just as mesmerising to fly through and think about when not focussed on finding the perfect line through the next corner, or avoiding a patch of grass. Small wonder, given that the game’s art director is Joost Eggermont, whose streaking astral contraptions and “small interactive moments” I’ve long admired, but never managed to write about until now.

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Bungie Dev’s Cryptic Tweets Spark Destiny 3 Speculation as Expansion The Final Shape Launches

As Bungie launches Destiny 2 expansion The Final Shape, fans think one developer has teased Destiny 3 with a series of cryptic tweets.

The Final Shape concludes Destiny’s overarching story by placing the player inside the Traveler in a face-off against the mysterious The Witness. It’s the culmination of 10 years of often bewildering Destiny storytelling, and will hopefully provide answers for the game’s player base.

But in previous videos, Bungie developers have teased that The Final Shape is not the end of Destiny 2 or even the series, with the developer – now owned by Sony – also working on multiplayer game Marathon. In a series of tweets marking the release of The Final Shape, Bungie executive creative director, Luke Smith, discussed the road to The Final Shape’s release and the effort its developers put in to make it happen. But it’s the mention of the word Hope three times, each capitalized, that has set the cat among the pigeons within the Destiny community.

Here’s the tweet in question:

Our Hope is always the same with Destiny games, expansions, seasons, DLCs, exotic missions, secret missions, in-game events, merchandise, et cetera – we genuinely Hope you enjoy the time you spend with it. Anything we’ve made or will make, that’s the Hope.

That tweet was enough to set off a number of Destiny content creators on the future of the series, and there’s rampant speculation across social media and forums.

Or, this could be nothing, and Smith may in fact be referencing Paul McCartney’s infamous Destiny song Hope for the Future, which, if you’re so inclined, can be watched below:

For now, the focus is on The Final Shape and its three planned episodes. Echoes kicks off next week on June 11, Revenant is set for October 2024, and Heresy rounds The Final Shape off in February 2025, although of course the plan may change.

Beyond that? Bungie is yet to say. Destiny 3 could be an opportunity for Bungie to reset the series with a potentially next-gen entry-point that would bring in a wave of new players. But, after 10 years of Destiny, the studio may decide to leave Destiny behind for new franchises, as it did when it left Halo behind all those years ago.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Jacking in to Stellaris as a fanatical cyberpunk corporate cult in The Machine Age

From the moment I understood the weakness of my flesh, I thought: no bother, like. Everyone has different skills. Then, I realised that some other people might be less enlightened than me about the whole ‘having limits’ things, and that there was a lot of money to be made hawking implants. Enter space strategy story-spewer Stellaris, specifically, it’s spost specent spee-LC The Machine Age. It adds many options for your space civs, most of which I’m too rusty with the ever-yawpening sandbox’s myriad nuances to appreciate. But what’s this? A new origin that lets you play as techno-religious corpo-cult obsessed with transcending the limits of their meat prisons through cybernetic augmentations? I recognise that from toys! Let’s do some clicking.

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