Right, what do we have here, a new game called The Florist, ‘ey? About a woman delivering a beautiful flower arrangement to a lakeside town? Well, surely this is one of those wholesome, cosy games I’ve been hearing about! Nope! It is, in fact, a survival horror, and not the kind that’s trying to trick you like I just made a less than half-arsed attempt at.
After a few long sessions since yesterday’s surprise launch of Battlefield REDSEC, the free-to-play battle royale spin-off of Battlefield 6, it’s clearly coming after other grounded-ish military battle royales like PUBG and Call of Duty: Warzone. Hiding a fun mission structure within its streamlined familiarity — as well as an entire non-BR game mode — I’ve had the most fun when its map, called Fort Lyndon, is used to push the boundary beyond the requisite ever-shrinking storm. I still need some more time in the fray to nail down a final opinion, especially since most of the random squadmates I’ve matched up with in the main BR modes haven’t exactly been playing as a team. But for now, the squad-based, elimination-driven, free-for-all Gauntlet mode has impressed me more than the battle royale option itself.
With destructible environments, the ultimate buzzword (levelution), powerful vehicles that can alter the tide of battle or serve as fun chokepoints, and a baked-in squad system, Battlefield 6 seems like a perfect fit for a battle royale mode. But so far, REDSEC’s translation of Battlefield’s role-based structure feels like a shallow, if fun, take on the genre. Its hasn’t offered much yet to fully draw me away from Fortnite’s cartoonish chaos and electrifying events or separate itself from the likes of PUBG or Warzone beyond using Battlefield 6’s weapons and the Frostbite Engine. On the surface, REDSEC seems intent on reviving the rote 360-era conversation about shooters with a washed-out color palette because it seems so similar to its contemporaries.
Thankfully, REDSEC’s compelling mission structure takes a rewarding cleaver to the otherwise ho-hum military BR doldrums. They’re kind of like the missions and bounties you’d find in Fortnite, but with better rewards and more diverse challenges. Even with otherwise uncooperative squadmates, I found myself planting bombs and capturing waypoints to reap the benefits of well-communicated rewards. That seems to be REDSEC’s secret sauce: each in-game mission pops up like clockwork after a few minutes, only requiring a few button presses to get you to the next simple target.
Hinging on classic military FPS objectives like babysitting a planted bomb or picking up an important file so you can transmit its signal back to home base, these smaller sidequests add order to the otherwise chaotic pace of conquering the battlefield. Completing an objective will always come with some kind of supply drop. I really like how these drops are handled, offering a clearly communicated reward before accepting the mission, since some will alert nearby players to your presence.
In contrast, Gauntlet expands each of these extra objectives into full-fledged game modes, pitting a handful of four-player squads against each other to rack up the most points on each objective. The mode and objective will change throughout each of the four rounds, with the lowest-performing squads getting eliminated until only two remain. Rotating through different named locations within Fort Lyndon, each game mode uses a piece of the map and works more like a mish-mash between Fall Guys and a squad-based, free-for-all version of traditional Battlefield that’s easily been my favorite part of REDSEC for now.
Battlefield REDSEC’s slow-rolling storm just hasn’t done much to incentivize me toward a hard objective or new destination, but its mission structure usually got me (and any uncooperative squadmates) moving in the right direction towards otherwise flat attempts at the #1 spot so far. I’ll need more time to complete missions and snipe away at opponents across the map before delivering a final verdict, but for now, REDSEC at least has some unexpectedly interesting things going for it.
Because that sacred line called profit must always go up, we are seeing more and more game studios announce their intention to incorporate various forms of AI tech. PUBG publisher Krafton just recently referred to themselves as an AI-first company, the big wigs up top at EA are reportedly pushing for it hard, it is, seemingly, unfortunately, inevitable. Which makes Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick’s comments on it ever so slightly surprising – but only slightly, we’ll get back to that.
“The Wildest Adventure of Them All!” returns.
Limited Run Games has announced that it’s bringing NES side-scrolling platformer Little Samson to the Switch in 2026. The reveal took place during the company’s 10th anniversary stream.
Originally released in 1992 for the NES and directed by former Capcom designer Shinichi Yoshimoto (Strider, Ghouls ‘n Ghosts), Little Samson sees you controlling one of four characters — the eponymous Samson, a dragon called Kikira, the golem Gamm, or a mouse called K.O.
Read the full article on nintendolife.com
Humble Choice is always a good deal for PC gamers who like a variety of game types. But the online storefront just launched a promo code that gets you October’s Humble Choice games for just $10, rather than the usual $14.99. All you have to do is enter promo code SPOOKY25 at checkout, and you’ll save $5. This month’s eight-game lineup is pretty great, with Atomic Hearts, V Rising, System Shock, Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town, and more. Read on for the details.
Here’s the full list of PC games included in this months’ Humble Choice:
All of the games are delivered in the form of Steam codes. Most of the games are excellent as well. Our critics gave V Rising and System Shock a 9/10, while Atomic Hearts got an 8/10. From our Atomic Heart review: “This is a lengthy, tough, and terrific-looking shooter that has us bathing in the blood and gears of elaborately designed enemies both biological and robotic and dispatching them with an impressive set of combat options.”
Humble Choice is a gaming subscription that gets you a new bundle of PC games each month. So if you don’t want to continue getting a new bundle each month, you’ll have to cancel your subscription, which is easy enough to do (I’ve done it myself). Anytime a bundle I want is on offer, I sign back up and then cancel after I’ve gotten my games, just to ward off future unwanted auto-payments as I have enough subscriptions in my life.
Members also get a few other benefits from a Humble Choice subscription. You save up to 20% off other games on Humble Store, depending on how long your subscription has been active (it starts at 10% off with one month). You also get access to more than 50 classic DRM-free games in the Humble app (the current lineup includes A Short Hike, Getting Over It, and more.
Finally, 5% of your membership fee is donated to a worthy cause each month. This month’s charitable organization is Whale and Dolphin Conservation.
While we’re on the subject of game deals at Humble, the PC game storefront is also running the Humble Halloween Mega Sale, with big savings on tons of games, including Alan Wake 2 for $14.99, Silent Hill 2 for $45.49, and many more.
Disclosure: Humble Bundle is owned by Ziff Davis, the parent company of IGN. Humble Bundle and IGN operate completely independently, and no special consideration is given to Humble Bundle announcements or promotions for coverage.
Chris Reed is a commerce editor and deals expert for IGN. He also runs IGN’s board game and LEGO coverage. You can follow him on Bluesky.
I’m two for two on writing about games set on the moon today, but sometimes that’s just how it is! This time around it’s about a newly revealed game called Descent of Lunaris, a dungeon-crawling, turn-based RPG whose devs say it’s inspired by classics like Wizardry and Shin Megami Tensei. And, truth be told, it truly looks like a game for sickos, who I’d like to clarify here I am referring to with every sincere ounce of love in my heart.
EA just introduced its new, destructive take on battle royale with Battlefield REDSEC, and Battlefield 6 base game players are already slamming it with “Mostly Negative” Steam reviews.
PC users who head to Steam to check out the standalone Battlefield experience, which launched across PC and consoles for free yesterday, will be met with a flood of negative Steam reviews across the board. At the time of this piece’s publication, just 35% of REDSEC Steam user reviews were positive, with positive reviews in all languages fairing just slightly better at 39%. Both measurements result in a dark red, Mostly Negative label.
A wave of negativity for Battlefield’s latest crack at battle royale arrives as Battlefield 6 players continue to express their dissatisfaction with the premium experience. Calls for changes to the base game reached a boiling point with the launch of Season 1 yesterday, and now, criticism is spilling into REDSEC.
Although Battlefield 6 and REDSEC exist as separate multiplayer offerings, both EA and Battlefield Studios games share unlocks tied to many challenges, cosmetics, and battle pass unlocks. Where this has evolved into a problem is how one experience might affect another, with many Battlefield 6 players complaining of weekly challenges that require them to play battle royale.
“I wouldn’t hate it so much if I wasn’t forced to play it for challenges in the main game,” one negative Battlefield REDSEC Steam review says. “But I am. So I do.”
“This is not why I bought Battlefield 6,” they add.
“Oh, but you just can reroll the challenges!” another negative review says. “Yeah and 3 of them are sill for the BR because they are pushing it hard on people that would not touch it even once…”
Other PC players agree that challenges granting large amounts of Battlefield 6 battle pass XP shouldn’t be tied to another experience, but dissonance isn’t the only thing tanking REDSEC Steam reviews. Some base game players are using Valve’s digital storefront to air out grievances related to multiplayer map sizes.
Early Battlefield 6 adopters have called for larger multiplayer maps as far back as the August beta tests, with the October 10 launch only adding fuel to the fire, as launch locations failed to live up to expectations for the community. At least a few negative Steam reviews even praise REDSEC’s exclusive battle royale map, Fort Lyndon, with their frustrations mostly summed up with one question: Why does the free-to-play game get the map sizes that premium players are asking for?
“Oh wow a nice big map with lots of POIs and flanks,” another negative REDSEC review says. “If only we could get something like this for the main game.”
“It’s trying to be too much all at once,” another Steam user review adds. “The map in this Battle Royale is so good it’s criminal that it’s not being used for Conquest right now.”
As Battlefield 6 players aim to leave their mark with REDSEC Steam reviews, there are plenty of comments actually related to the new standalone experience itself, too. Many are positive, applauding how BF Studios blends classic Battlefield mechanics with other popular battle royale experiences, like Call of Duty: Warzone. Launch also ushered in a spike in activity, with Steamdb recording a 24-hour peak of 549,766 Battlefield 6 players yesterday.
REDSEC, which encompasses Gauntlet and Portals modes in addition to its battle royale mode, is getting love in the Battlefield community, but there is still a general feeling that the experience is incomplete. Specifically, it’s the lack of a solo queue option and battle royale fatigue that many are calling out – both in negative and positive reviews.
“No solo Mode… When will they learn the overwhelming majority of players play solo?” one negative review asks. “It doesn’t feel good to play with randoms against premade coordinated squads.”
“Fun update, the battle pass is not half bad,” a positive review adds. “Only problem with me is not having a solo battle royal mode.”
REDSEC is just 24 hours into its time in the public’s hands. Seasonal updates will continue to offer shared experiences between REDSEC and Battlefield 6. Season 1 launched yesterday, introducing the new Blackwell Fields map for multiplayer, with more mid-season maps and guns set to follow in November and December.
EA has addressed fan feedback in the past, with the latest update introducing fixes for a controversial green skin and some of the bothersome lighting effects that have distracted players since launch. In the meantime, some players have been content simply using their time to draw on walls with the Engineer repair tool.
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
Ring ring. Ring Ring. Ring ring. The stern and bespectacled manager of Blake Manor’s hotel appears for the eighth time. You’re looking a bit narked there mate, I, the investigatorman, observe. Yes, he says yet again, I’m a bit stressed and busy on account of our telegram machine having gone kaput. Makes sense, I reply, can’t think of any other reasons why you might be pissed off. He shuffles back into his office for exactly five seconds. Ring ring.
You’re being haunted in the demo for spooky detective puzzler The Séance of Blake Manor, which released in full earlier this week, having had a demo up on Steam for a good while. However, I can confirm having taken in the first night of that demo that you’re also give the power to do the haunting yourself.
For reel.
Ever since Viewfinder was first announced for Switch earlier this summer, we’ve been eager to find out how the award-winning photo puzzle game would hold up on the Nintendo hybrid. Well, today we learned that we don’t have long to wait.
Thunderful and Sad Owl Games have announced that Viewfinder will arrive on the Switch eShop on 3rd December, slotting itself into the same week as Metroid Prime 4, Octopath Traveler 0, MARVEL Cosmic Invasion, Assassin’s Creed Shadows and every other game under the sun, it seems.
Read the full article on nintendolife.com
It’s time, Commander. Arcadia’s waiting — and so is everything that’s trying to destroy it.
In The Outer Worlds 2, you step into the boots of an Earth Directorate agent sent to investigate how skip drives are causing rifts that are threatening all of the colonies, including Arcadia, and every faction has its own idea of how to control “fix” them. The Order of the Ascendant wants to study the rifts, believing they hold the key to solving the Universal Equation—for the good of all, of course. Auntie’s Choice wants to control them, seeing an opportunity to dominate trade routes across the galaxy and boost profit margins. And the Protectorate? They want to control the rifts to keep the others out. Fortunately, anyone who calls that out will be mentally refreshed into perfect agreement. Everyone thinks they’re right, and they’ve got the speeches to prove it.
Who is right or wrong is up to you to determine. This is your story after all…
The Outer Worlds 2 brings back its signature Perks and Flaws system, giving you the freedom to decide what you’re great at, and what you’ll regret later. Perks sharpen your edge; Flaws keep you humble, offering tempting trade-offs that can turn a weakness into an opportunity… or just a funny story. The worlds of Arcadia are built on sprawling reactivity, bending the story to your every choice and making it nearly impossible for any two journeys to match. And if they do, you can be mentally refreshed until they don’t.
For those who want something extra from their experience with The Outer Worlds 2, the Premium Edition and Premium Edition Upgrade are available now. They include the Moon Man’s Corporate Appreciation Prize Pack, a digital artbook, the game’s soundtrack, and an Expansion Pass featuring two upcoming story add-ons. Consider it your official Earth Directorate field upgrade — because in Arcadia, even heroes need a little help from marketing.
The rifts are unstable, the factions are restless, and your choices will shape the colony’s fate. Whether you stand with order, faith, or profit, one thing’s certain: Arcadia won’t survive without interference.
Good luck, Commander. The Universe needs a hero, but you’ll have to do.
The Outer Worlds 2 is available today for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, ROG Xbox Ally handhelds, Battle.net, Steam, and PlayStation 5. It is an Xbox Play Anywhere title and available day one with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.
Xbox Game Studios
Upgrade* from Standard Edition and receive the following content:
– Up to 5 days early access
– DLC Pass for 2 future story expansions**
– Moon Man’s Corporate Appreciation Premium Prize Pack
– Access to The Outer Worlds 2 Digital Artbook & Original Soundtrack
*Requires base game or Xbox Game Pass membership (PC or Ultimate only), all sold separately.
The Outer Worlds 2 is the eagerly-awaited sequel to the award-winning first-person sci-fi RPG from Obsidian Entertainment (just look at the exciting number of dashes in this sentence!). Time to clear your calendar – get ready for an action-packed adventure with a new crew, new weapons, and new enemies in a new colony! So much newness!
As a daring and most likely good-looking Earth Directorate agent, you must uncover the source of devastating rifts threatening to destroy all of humanity. Your investigation leads to Arcadia, home of skip drive technology, where the fate of the colony, and ultimately the entire galaxy, rests on your decisions – your strengths, your flaws, your crew, and the factions you choose to trust.
Explore a New Frontier
The Arcadia colony is engulfed in a factional war, as the Protectorate’s so-called benevolent rule is challenged by the rebellion of their religious order and a corporate invasion. As destructive rifts spread across the colony, each faction fights to control or close them for their own ends. Navigate diverse zones, uncover hidden lore, and shape the fate of a system on the brink!
Your Commander, Your Way
Build your character with the abilities and choices that reflect your playstyle. The colony reacts to your every move, crafting a narrative that’s yours to own -whether you’re a disciple of diplomacy, an astute strategist, a crusader for chaos, or something different altogether. And yes, you can dumb!
Enlist Your Companions
Recruit companions with unique traits, backgrounds and goals. Whether you choose to help them achieve their ambitions or steer them toward your own objectives, your influence shapes their growth (or death), making them an integral part of the immersive story you create together.
Xbox Game Studios
The Outer Worlds 2 is the eagerly-awaited sequel to the award-winning first-person sci-fi RPG from Obsidian Entertainment (just look at the exciting number of dashes in this sentence!). Time to clear your calendar – get ready for an action-packed adventure with a new crew, new weapons, and new enemies in a new colony! So much newness!
As a daring and most likely good-looking Earth Directorate agent, you must uncover the source of devastating rifts threatening to destroy all of humanity. Your investigation leads to Arcadia, home of skip drive technology, where the fate of the colony, and ultimately the entire galaxy, rests on your decisions – your strengths, your flaws, your crew, and the factions you choose to trust.
Explore a New Frontier
The Arcadia colony is engulfed in a factional war, as the Protectorate’s so-called benevolent rule is challenged by the rebellion of their religious order and a corporate invasion. As destructive rifts spread across the colony, each faction fights to control or close them for their own ends. Navigate diverse zones, uncover hidden lore, and shape the fate of a system on the brink!
Your Commander, Your Way
Build your character with the abilities and choices that reflect your playstyle. The colony reacts to your every move, crafting a narrative that’s yours to own -whether you’re a disciple of diplomacy, an astute strategist, a crusader for chaos, or something different altogether. And yes, you can dumb!
Enlist Your Companions
Recruit companions with unique traits, backgrounds and goals. Whether you choose to help them achieve their ambitions or steer them toward your own objectives, your influence shapes their growth (or death), making them an integral part of the immersive story you create together.
The post The Outer Worlds 2 Is Available Today appeared first on Xbox Wire.
