The Crucial T500 is one of the best-performing PCIe 4.0 SSDs on the market right now, going toe-to-toe with both the WD Black SN850X and the Samsung 990 Pro SSDs when hardware ed James tested it last year.
You have to spend a bit to get the top performance, especially now with memory manufacturers slowing production and SSD makers offering fewer discounts as a result. Fortunately, the 2TB T500 does have a decent discount going at the moment, worth $51:
The T500 takes the title of best high-end PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD for gaming in the RPS best SSDs for gaming guide, and boasts ridiculous sequential speeds of up to 7400MB/s and 7000MB/s for read and writes respectively. It’s worth reading through the list to see how it compares to other, but here’s a quote from James that explains how the T500 has edged above the competition:
Fallout Shelter, a free-to-play base-building and people management sim set within the post-apocalyptic Fallout world, has seen its daily revenue skyrocket from an average of $20,000 to $80,000, mobile analysis firm Sensor Tower said, as reported by GamesIndustry.biz. Downloads of the game have more than doubled around the launch of the Prime Video show, the data also revealed, from around 20,000 to over 60,000 within three days.
Sensor Tower’s data governs the mobile version of Fallout Shelter, but other versions of the game have seen an increase in players, too. SteamDB reveals a 24-hour concurrents peak of 5,713, when pre-TV show Fallout Shelter would average a figure in the mid 1,000s.
Perhaps Fallout TV show fans have flocked to Fallout Shelter because it contains official S.P.E.C.I.A.L. stats for the main characters, including Lucy (Fallout fans are trying to work out what XP level Lucy ends Season 1 with, given the events of the show.) Based on Fallout Shelter, we know Lucy’s character sheet:
Strength 4
Perception 7
Endurance 6
Charisma 5
Intelligence 6
Agility 5
Luck 7
If you’re wondering, here are how other characters look, courtesy of Fallout Shelter:
SteamDB reported that Bethesda’s Fallout games had more than doubled their concurrent players on Steam with the release of the Fallout TV series. That’s for Fallout 4, released in November 2015, Fallout New Vegas, released in October 2010, and Fallout 76, released in April 2020. The boost was significant enough to propel Fallout 76 to a new peak concurrent players Steam record of 39,455 — four years after it came out. Even the older, non-Bethesda developed Fallout games are enjoying a resurgence.
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.
The boss of Pocketpair has accused Chinese game companies of making Palworld clones, saying: “These are incredible times.”
In a tweet translated by Automaton, Takuro Mizobe, CEO of PocketPair, published a screenshot of a mobile and PC game called Auroria, alongside the following statement:
“Tencent is already making a Palworld clone game! In China, many companies are simultaneously developing mobile clones of Palworld, and the budgets are in the 10 billion yen-range, 10 times larger than Palworld’s… Next year, we might see many Genshin Impact-level creature (or bishojo) raising games… These are incredible times.”
Auroria, which has a Steam page as well as mobile store pages, is developed by Chinese studio Tianjin Wumai Technology Co., Ltd. According to its description, Auroria is an open-world, multiplayer, and cooperative sandbox game in which you design a base, “survive with your pals,” and start your own interstellar travel “in a relaxed and fun way.”
Auroria sounds and, based on screenshots and trailers, looks a lot like Palworld but in a space setting. It’s set for release at some point during the second quarter of 2024, so by the end of June.
According to Automaton, Auroria is published by HK Hero Entertainment Co., Limited, and Tencent. Tencent, namechecked by Mizobe in his statement, is reportedly working on a Palword-style mobile game, but it’s not the only one. NetEase Games’ Once Human has also been compared to Palworld. This is all part of a reported drive for fresh hits as existing cash cows lose their luster.
As for Pocketpair, it was of course accused of “ripping off” Pokémon with Palworld, which is often described as “Pokémon with guns.” Palworld launched in January and overnight became one of the biggest games in the world, setting records not only on Steam but on Xbox Game Pass, where it is the biggest third-party game launch ever. So far, the $30 ‘Pokémon with guns’ game has seen an incredible 25 million players, with 15 million copies sold on Steam and 10 million players on Xbox. Mizobe has said the company couldn’t handle the massive profits Palworld has generated.
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.
If you’ve been narked about favourite bits of Fallout not yet appearing in Amazon Prime’s unexpectedly good live-action show, hold your horses. In an interview, the showrunners have talked about holding back certain “iconic elements” to do them in a hypothetical second season right rather than cram in all the greatest hits—and also so the show didn’t “seem like it was written by people who just like spent 10 seconds reading the Wikipedia page for Fallout and didn’t bother to like bring in some deeper cuts.”
It has been 19 years since Mario Kart DS first hit the tracks. That’s a pretty staggering length of time and one that we’ll probably need a little sit down to fully recover from. But hey, while we freak out about the passing of the years, check this out: speedrunners have found a handful of new shortcuts on the DS’ previously pretty water-tight circuits (thanks, Gaming Reinvented).
The biggie here is on the Waluigi Pinball track where a shortcut that was previously discovered in tool-assisted speedruns (TAS) has been seemingly proven humanly possible by speedrunner iMathII. It’s a tricky manoeuvre that requires the driver to hit a section of the spiral track justright, but if done correctly, the kart is hurled across a large portion of the circuit, landing by the pinball bumpers at the end of the lap. You can see it in action in the above video.
Coming to Game Pass: Manor Lords, Another Crab’s Treasure, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, and More
Megan Spurr, Community Lead, Xbox Game Pass
It’s nice to see you’re willing to take a break from watching “Fallout” on Prime Video, because I have the next round of amazing games for you to check out! We have new games coming to the Game Pass Core library, your PC, and even one you can download and start playing today! Let’s dive in.
Available Today
Harold Halibut (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) Available on day one with Game Pass! Harold Halibut is a handmade narrative game about friendship and life on a city-sized spaceship submerged in an alien ocean. Join Harold as he explores a vibrant retro-future world in his quest to find the true meaning of ‘home’. You can learn more about Harold Halibut in Xbox Wire’s recent hands-on preview here.
Coming Soon
Orcs Must Die! 3 (Cloud, Console, and PC) – April 17 Orcs Must Die! 3 ushers orc-slaying mayhem to a previously unimaginable scale. Solo, or 2-player co-op, arm yourself with a massive arsenal of traps and weapons. Slice, burn, toss, and zap hordes of repugnant orcs in this long-awaited successor to the award-winning tower defense series.
EA Sports NHL 24 (Console) EA Play – April 18 Just in time for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, NHL 24 is coming to Game Pass Ultimate via EA Play! Members can experience authentic on-ice action and give their Ultimate Team a boost with the EA Play Mega Players Pack until May 9, containing 30 items, all Gold Players, with at least five 80+ OVR Players for Ultimate Team mode in the game.
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes (Cloud, Console, and PC) – April 23 Available on day one with Game Pass! Gather your allies for Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, the grand JRPG adventure. Assemble your 6-party team from a cast of over a hundred heroes and shape your destiny in this lush, hand-crafted 2.5D world brimming with war, intrigue, and magic. Manage your town of vibrant characters, play delightful mini-games, and prepare for an unforgettable narrative of boundless charm.
Another Crab’s Treasure (Cloud, Console, and PC) – April 25 Available on day one with Game Pass! A soulslike adventure set in a crumbling underwater world. As Kril the hermit crab, you’ll need to wear the trash around you as shells to withstand attacks from enemies many times your size. Embark on an epic treasure hunt to buy back your repossessed shell and discover the dark secrets behind the polluted ocean.
Manor Lords (Game Preview) (PC) – April 26 Available on day one with Game Pass! Manor Lords is a medieval strategy game featuring in-depth city building, large-scale tactical battles and complex economic and social simulations. Rule your lands as a medieval lord — the seasons pass, the weather changes and cities rise and fall.
Have A Nice Death (Cloud, Console, and PC) – April 30 In this darkly charming 2D action roguelike, play as an overworked Death, whose employees have run rampant, completely throwing off the balance of souls – and his vacation plans. Grab your trusty scythe and show your employees who’s boss.
More Games Coming to Game Pass Core on April 23
For Game Pass Core members, there are three more games coming to the library on April 23! Become a badass space Dwarf in Deep Rock Galactic, dance the slow-motion ballet of destruction in Superhot: Mind Control Delete, and face total demolition derby madness in Wreckfest.
DLC / Game Updates
Ark: Survival Ascended – Scorched Earth – Available now Saddle up and stake your claim on the Scorched Earth! Build new Western-style structures like your own rootin’ tootin’ saloon, then tickle the ivories on your own piano for an authentic frontier experience. Hunt for buried treasure with your trusty shovel, tame hardy new creatures to pull your configurable wagon and even hop aboard your own chugging steam train to explore those harsh badlands!
Conan Exiles: Age of War Chapter 4 – Available now In the new Sacred Hunt, embark on a quest to fell the champions of Jhebbal Sag, Lord of Beasts. Discover a new hub area and uncover a new mystery. Unleash brutality with fatalities. Daze enemies by bringing their health low and then finish them off with a range of savagely animated finishing moves, depending on the weapon you have equipped. If there is glory in gore, you will find it.
Grounded: Fully Yoked Edition – Available now The ultimate Grounded experience is now bulging with new content that’s sure to get you pumped! Experience new ant queens, new game + mode and an exciting array of new gear. Are you ready to get Fully Yoked?
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Perks
Fallout 76 Vault 33 Survivor Kit – Available now Vault-Tec is happy to offer Vault Dwellers a handy bundle of Wasteland survival and a sturdy Vault 33 Backpack to use in this vast open-world multiplayer entry in the Fallout universe.
The Elder Scrolls Online 10th Anniversary Pack #1 – Available now Celebrate 10 years of The Elder Scrolls Online with a Perks bundle that includes three Grand Gold Coast Experience Scrolls and 500 Seals of Endeavor. Explore and quest solo or with friends in the award-winning fantasy RPG today.
Leaving April 30
The following games are leaving the Game Pass library soon. Jump back in before they go or save 20% on your purchase to keep them in your library!
Mortal Kombat 1’s upcoming DLC character Ermac has a brand new Brutality that veteran Mortal Kombat fans have recognised as being inspired by a nearly 30-year-old Fatality.
During a livestream held to show off the soul-obsessed ninja’s new telekinetic moves for Mortal Kombat 1, developer NetherRealm revealed Ermac’s new Brutality, a Telekinetic Slam that sees his hapless opponent (Reptile, in this case) repeatedly slammed into the ground until the only thing left to do is explode in a shower of gore. Check it out in the tweet video below:
In Mortal Kombat, Brutalities are special match enders that are performed with special input commands. They’re not as flashy as Mortal Kombat’s iconic Fatalities, but some players prefer them.
Veteran Mortal Kombat players instantly recognised Ermac’s new Brutality as being ripped straight from 1995’s Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, in which Ermac made his debut alongside his Telekinetic Slam Fatality. So, with Ermac’s entry into Mortal Kombat 1, NetherRealm is recreating a near 30-year-old Fatality in Brutality form. Check out a comparison clip from X/Twitter user TQT below:
The livestream also gave fans a closer look at Ermac’s redesign. When Mortal Kombat 1 developer NetherRealm revealed DLC character Ermac in the summer of 2023, it suffered a backlash from the community for what many considered to be a downgrade compared to the Mortal Kombat 11 version of the red-clad ninja.
The version of Ermac seen in the Kombat Pack reveal last year showed the character without a mask, which meant fans got a view of Ermac’s new dehydrated mummy face. But that wasn’t the only issue. Ermac’s design was seen as simplistic without much of the detail that fans love from previous versions.
Now NetherRealm has finally unveiled Ermac gameplay, it has shown the character’s improvement in design. For a start, the character now wears a mask, and appears to have a more detailed outfit. Elsewhere, Ermac’s powers now glow in teal.
Here’s the official blurb on Ermac:
Ermac is a collection of souls bound together by Quan Chi’s dark magic that are intended to function as a group mind. But that spell is temporarily undone when Ermac is defeated by Mileena and the mind of King Jerrod, deceased ruler of Outworld and one of the souls in Ermac’s collection, takes control and rejoins the royal family, aiding Empress Mileena’s reign. Eventually, the amalgam of souls reestablishes control, and Ermac retreats to Outworld’s shadows. No longer Quan Chi’s slave, nor bound to the royal family, he must find a future worth fighting for. In the new video, Ermac’s devastating moveset is on full display, including his ability to teleport, levitate, and utilize a legion of souls to grab, lift, and slam opponents to the ground.
Ermac joins Mortal Kombat 1 in Early Access form today, April 16, with a full release set for April 23. Kameo character Mavado joins the Kameo roster later in May. You need the Premium Edition or the Kombat Pack to play early. The Mortal Kombat 1 Kombat Pack includes the Jean-Claude Van Damme character skin for Johnny Cage (available now); one-week early access to six playable DLC characters – Omni-Man (available now), Quan Chi (available now), Peacemaker (available now), Ermac (coming April 16), Homelander, and Takeda Takahashi; and five DLC Kameo Fighters.
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.
Hot on the heels of the breakout success of The Last of Us and Fallout TV shows, many are wondering which video games would make a great pick for the next great series. Dragon Age is often suggested as a good candidate for the TV show treatment, but according to its co-creator, that would be a “terrible idea.”
In a series of tweets, David Gaider, who created the setting for fantasy role-playing series Dragon Age and was its lead writer while at developer BioWare, said any Dragon Age TV show would have to be “more than a rote adaptation” in order to surface what makes the game’s story unique and interesting, which, he suggested, would be unlikely.
Gaider agreed with a user who said the problem with adapting fantasy IPs like Dragon Age, Elder Scrolls, or Baldur’s Gate, “is that outside of gaming, they’re just generic fantasy from a visual style standpoint. And their hours of stories are probably better in a game then in a show.”
“Yeah, you take away the interactive element and you’re left with a pretty stock standard fantasy story,” he replied. “It would take a pretty deep dive to distill the elements of each that make them unique and interesting. Not impossible, but it would take more than a rote adaptation.”
Gaider sounded unimpressed with Dragon Age’s existing animated spin-offs, Dawn of the Seeker and Absolution, saying: “I’ve never seen them, nor am I interested to.”
He added: “As I recall, none of the folks who did the animated shows (while I worked at Bio, at any rate) were particularly interested in authenticity. My (baseless) assumption was always that the IP had been foisted on the animation team out of necessity.”
Gaider’s thoughts on Dragon Age are clear, so which video game does he think would make a good TV show? He suggested Disco Elysium, but only if it’s along the lines of the role-playing masterpiece: “I want to see a David Lynch-style (on acid) Disco Elysium,” Gaider said. “Or maybe Banishers.”
“It would need to be as weird and experimental as the game or there’d really be no point,” he added. “Which, of course, means it’d never happen, but it’s interesting to contemplate just HOW weird it could be.”
In 2020, a Disco Elysium TV show adaptation was announced as coming from the producer of the Sonic the Hedgehog movie. Developer ZA/UM reportedly partnered with dj2 Entertainment to develop the TV series, although work was described as in the early stages. Little has been said since.
As well as Dragon Age, BioWare is known for its science fiction series, Mass Effect. Over the years reports have suggested a Mass Effect adaptation was under consideration, with The Witcher star Henry Cavill even teasing his involvement. So far, nothing has come of it.
Gaider’s views on a potential Mass Effect TV show reflect his views on a potential Dragon Age TV show. Responding to tweets, he said: “Is there any way for it NOT to be just a painted over Star Trek, though? Because we’ve got plenty of Star Trek at home, kids.”
And, on a potential Mass Effect movie: “In what way would it be amazing and not something we’ve seen a dozen times, though? Do you mean ‘amazing to me, a fan already familiar with the story and universe’?”
As for Dragon Age, the next game in the series, Dragon Age: Dreadwolf, is set for a reveal this summer.
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.
Following a mild-to-moderate outcry, Ubisoft have clarified that queasy worm gangster Jabba The Hutt isn’t, in fact, a Star Wars Outlaws special edition or season pass exclusive. The apparently much-beloved star slug will appear in every edition of the game, but if you scrape together the credits for the Gold or Ultimate Editions, you’ll get access to a Jabba’s Gambit mission as part of the game’s season pass.
It’s a timely clarification, because I’ve just checked on Xitter and yes, #Jabbagate has been trending… in reference to unflattering photos of Donald Trump in 2016. And also, Steven Gerrard in 2020. And… Wrestlemania in 2017? Jabba is quite the meme these days, it seems.
A little while back, we covered the efforts of Eclipse Team, a group of modders looking to create what they deem to be the most ambitious mod of Super Mario Sunshine ever. Dubbed ‘Super Mario Eclipse’, its effectively being billed as an unofficial sequel to the GameCube classic, and as part of the modders’ efforts, they managed to recreate the 2001 SpaceWorld demo level in full.
The mod releases later this year on 30th June, 2024, but it’s not the only option if you’re hankering to experience the original SpaceWorld demo. Another modder by the name of Portable Productions has created ‘Super Mario Sunshine 2001’ (thanks for the heads up, Gaming Reinvented), which will be a fully playable mod accurately recreating elements from Nintendo’s own demo.
