Category: Video Games

Early Dragon Age: The Veilguard Mods Improve Performance, Add Character Presets, and Remove All the Purple

Dragon Age: The Veilguard isn’t even a week old, but the mods are coming in thick and fast. In these early days, the most popular on Nexus Mods revolve around performance improvements on PC and various character presets, and there’s even one that strips the purple from the game to make it look more like a dark fantasy RPG.

Let’s start with the latter. Vktrfly’s Dark Fantasy Look-Up Table (LUT) mod is a reshade that aims to remove the purple/magenta elements from the game and give it “a darker, more atmospheric look.”

Ever since BioWare unveiled The Veilguard gameplay, fans have debated its art style, with some lamenting the developer’s decision to go for a heavily stylized, almost cartoony look compared to the more gritty, realistic prior games in the series. The Veilguard, with its smooth, purple-hued visuals, is certainly at the opposite end of the Dragon Age art style spectrum, with 2009’s Origins heavy on mud and blood-drenched medieval fantasy and Dragon Age 2 and Inquisition occupying a place somewhere in between.

But the most popular mod so far is ChemBoy1’s Anti-Stutter – Performance Enhancer – High CPU and Disk Priority – DATV mod, which enables high CPU and disk priority for the Dragon Age: The Veilguard executable. This can help with performance on weaker CPUs and slower disks, and helps reduce stuttering on all CPU and disks, ChemBoy1 said.

Also high on the most downloaded mods list is Nyctaginae’s preset and sliders for their Rook (Veilguard’s customizable main character), Ayse de Riva, a female mage and elf Antivan Crow (“Based on my OC of 15+ years, hope you like her!”).

Expect more elaborate mods to release as modders get to grips with The Veilguard. We’ve seen the likes of Larian and CD Projekt release official mod tools for Baldur’s Gate 3 and The Witcher 3 respectively, which have unlocked an explosion in each game’s modding scene. Perhaps at some point down the line, BioWare will do the same for Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

And that might be important in keeping the game alive, given BioWare has indicated it has no plans to release DLC for Dragon Age: The Veilguard, with the developer now turning its attention to Mass Effect 5.

In the meantime, fans are busy digging into BioWare’s latest RPG after Dragon Age’s release on Thursday, propelling it to new highs for an EA game on Steam. They have plenty to find even without DLC — estimates on IGN sister site HowLongToBeat suggest that it can take upwards of 88 hours to complete the main story while doing sidequests.

For more, check out our guide to the major choices in Dragon Age: The Veilguard as well as our complete romance guide.

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 Forever Winter devs answer complaints about water scarcity… by adding thieves who invade your HQ and steal your water

When nightmarish sci-fi extraction shooter The Forever Winter launched into early access in September it was somewhat messy. Bugs and maddening enemy spawns diminished the tension of being a fleshy human scavenger in a mech battlefield. But one feature annoyed some players much more – fresh water. See, you need to keep your headquarters stocked with water, as it gets steadily used by your settlement’s inhabitants. The catch being that this water diminishes even while you’re not playing the game. If it runs out completely, then everything you’ve collected gets wiped. The developers have listened to complaints about this most Farmville of mechanics, and they’ve answered in an interesting way. Water thieves! Now, on top of the usual downward trickle, burglars will come to steal your H2O as well.

It’s not as bad as it sounds.

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It’s Early Days, but Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket Already Looks Like a Smash Hit

Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket launched on October 30, and already there are signs it’s going to be a massive hit.

Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket is a mobile version of the Pokémon TCG for iOS and Android, developed by Creatures and DeNA and published by The Pokémon Company. Players swipe to open virtual packs of Pokémon trading cards, with “immersive cards” leaping into the world of the card’s illustration.

Players can open two booster packs every day at no cost, including cards with nostalgic illustrations as well as new cards only found in the app. But they must pay to open more, and it’s this mechanic that’s helping the money to roll in.

According to estimates from Appmagic reported on by mobilegamer.biz, Pokémon TCG Pocket is earning around $3 million a day, making over $12 million in just four days. That’s more than the eternally popular Pokémon Go is currently making on app stores, according to estimates ($1 million every day). If Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket keeps that revenue pace up, it’ll make over $1 billion a year.

Appmagic said most of the money Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket is making comes from Japan, then the U.S., followed by Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, New Zealand, and France. Officially, Pokémon TCG Pocket passed 10 million downloads on November 2, but Appmagic estimates it’s now over 12 million.

Of course, Pokémon TCG Pocket will need to see explosive growth to reach the height of Pokémon Go’s glory days, but it does look like all involved will be pleased with this start. The success comes at a troubling time for The Pokémon Company – in August Pokémon video game developer Game Freak suffered a significant data breach that saw 2,606 cases of current, former, and contract employee names and email addresses accessed. The Pokémon Company has also joined forces with Nintendo to sue Palworld developer Pocketpair over “multiple” patent infringements.

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.

Review: Mario & Luigi: Brothership (Switch) – Easily The Best Mario & Luigi RPG Yet

Gonna get yourself connected.

As the very first Mario & Luigi RPG to be released on a full-fat home console, we’ve been champing at the bit to discover whether or not Nintendo would capitalise on the extra grunt of the Switch to serve us up the biggest and best turn-based Bros. romp yet in the form of Mario & Luigi: Brothership.

We had some concerns during our preview. As much as we love the new graphical stylings and flashy additions to the series’ core combat, early areas were rather small-scale and not quite as challenging or inventive as we’d been prepping for. However! Fear not intrepid explorers, for more alluring high-seas hijinks, as it turns out, were waiting just around the corner. They have corners at sea, right?

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Will Nerf a Perk So Overpowered Some Call It a Wallhack

Treyarch has confirmed plans to nerf Call of Duty: Black Ops 6’s Recon perk after a backlash from players since the game’s launch last week.

The Recon 3-perk bonus lets players see enemies through walls for a short time after respawn, as well as add a HUD edge flash when an enemy is outside your view, and you leave no death skulls when killing enemies. To activate the Recon bonus, you must equip three Recon perks, for example Ghost, Engineer, and Vigilance.

It’s the seeing enemies through walls bit of the Recon perk that has sparked much debate within the Call of Duty community, with some even calling it a wallhack. Black Ops 6’s competitive multiplayer is played out on mostly small, close quarters maps with frequent dying and respawning, and being able to see enemies through walls on respawn, however briefly, provides a significant advantage.

This advantage is so significant that Recon’s 3-perk bonus is seen as essential to remain competitive, which means perks from the Enforcer and Strategist categories are being left behind. And with the addition of the hugely popular Nuketown map last week the power of Recon was exacerbated. This is a tight map often filled with chaotic death, so having most players running around with Recon means it’s very difficult to stay alive for any significant amount of time.

Over the weekend, with dissatisfaction at Recon reaching a head, Faze content creator Swagg called on Treyarch to nerf Recon, and associate director Matt Scronce answered the call with the simple: “Incoming.”

While we don’t have any details yet, Scronce’s message has already sparked a positive response from Black Ops 6 players who’ve blamed Recon for having a miserable experience with Multiplayer. The hope is the change comes in sooner rather than later, with Season 1 set to launch November 14.

If you’re jumping into Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 multiplayer, check out our Essential Multiplayer Tips and Tricks to help you get started. We’ve also got a full weapons list, a guide to all multiplayer maps and game modes, and details on how to unlock all Black Ops 6 operators.

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.

It’s never too early in the week to play 4D minigolf

I didn’t sleep last night for entirely self-inflicted reasons and my brain feels like that one accursed hoover bag you refuse to empty, because there is no way of doing so that won’t turn the neighbourhood into Silent Hill. I need to avoid any complicated write-ups, or my brain will detonate similarly and paint north London grey.

Ah, a minigolf game! I think I can just about hack the concept of minigolf, on this most desperate of Mondays. It is golf but mini. Bonzai golf. Digestible! Intuitive! Why, I’ve managed to write 100 words without even looking at the Steam page. Let’s do so now. Wait a minute, this isn’t minigolf. It’s Mini Mini Golf Golf. What is Mini Mini Golf Golf? “Destabilize the present and plunge into a neon psychohistory of a bizarre entity in distress,” the Steam page explains. “This is not a game about minigolf.” It is too late to flee.

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Thysiastery is an anime Legend Of Grimrock, and you can attack the dinosaur merchants if you’re a complete monster

One of my lesser quality tests for an RPG is whether the shopkeepers complain at you for not buying anything. Grumpy shopkeepers, good RPG. This most specific of litmus tests has served me well, although I must admit that I’d happily upgrade it to ‘shopkeepers you can attack’, would that not disqualify 99% of games. But not turn based dungeon crawler Thysiastery, it turns out. This “dungeon crawler RPG featuring traditional roguelike and turn-based gameplay” apparently trusts you enough to let you recklessly batter its friendly wandering lizard merchants. You’d be a monster for it, of course, but it’s nice to have options.

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“Venus Vacation PRISM – DEAD OR ALIVE Xtreme -” Coming March 6th, 2025 & Available for Pre-order

The new immersive romantic adventure game for consoles, “Venus Vacation PRISM – DEAD OR ALIVE Xtreme,” is set to be released on March 6, 2025. Pre-orders for both the physical version and the digital version have begun today. More information about the Digital Deluxe Edition is available on the official website.

The recently released First Trailer showcases the six beautiful girls featured in the game, their intimate interactions, and heartwarming date scenes – all packed with charm into this unforgettable adventure.

Additionally, we have announced a collaboration with the popular illustrator “Yom.” In the Digital Deluxe Edition, players can enjoy costumes designed by Yom, and special episodes. To celebrate the release of this title, we have also unveiled original illustrations of Misaki and Nanami.


“Venus Vacation PRISM – DEAD OR ALIVE Xtreme -” Coming March 6th, 2025 & Available for Pre-order

Experience true romance and a thrilling sense of closeness!

As the boss on the Venus Islands, where summer is everlasting, you will interact with the girls you encounter there. Your story with the girls will unfold based on the choices you make, resulting in a variety of outcomes. The heart-fluttering sensation caused by casual gestures, the thrill felt as you draw closer to your love interest, the worry about which girl to choose… Are you ready to experience true romance on the islands of everlasting summer?

The following are the 6 girls featured in this title.

・Misaki, the shy part-time staff, always by your side.

・Honoka, the comforting laid-back schoolgirl with a secret.

・Tamaki, the tempting mature and sexy beauty.

・Fiona, the love-struck naive princess.

・Nanami, the natural cool beauty that effortlessly draws attention.

・Elise, the strict yet cool and beautiful supervisor.

A wonderful romance awaits you at the Venus Islands.

Having multiple interactions with each of the girls will sometimes get you invited on dates. Gorgeous, vivid visuals and fully-voiced animations will make each date an enjoyable experience, as if the two of you are in your own world. The smiling face of a carefree girl, her profile as she watches the ocean waves in the evening, her eyes as she looks shyly up at you—each of these random moments can be photographed by you during your dates! Remember to keep your absolute favorite photograph as a memento of your date.

　More information will become available on the official website and on our social media channels. Please follow us for upcoming announcements!

Platform　　　PlayStation®5/PlayStation®4　

Genre　　　Immersive Romantic Adventure

Release Date　　　March 6th, 2025

©KOEI TECMO GAMES CO., LTD./KOEI TECMO TAIWAN CO., LTD. All rights reserved. 

Daily Deals: Apple AirPods 4, Echoes of Wisdom, Sonic X Shadow Generations, and More

The weekend is officially here, and we’ve rounded up the best deals you can find! Discover the best deals for Sunday, November 3, below:

Save Big on Apple AirPods 4 at Woot

Woot has a solid discount on the standard Apple AirPods 4 model. This is the latest AirPods release from Apple, and we aren’t expecting Gen 5 to come for at least a few years. If you’re still using either Apple AirPods 1 or 2, this is a significant upgrade that can make your listening experience infinitely better.

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom for $49.99

Echoes of Wisdom just released last month, acting as the first Zelda game where Zelda is the playable character! In our 9/10 review, we said “The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is far more than some second-tier spinoff, combining the expertly crafted dungeons and item progression you’d expect from a 2D Zelda with the wild creativity provided by Tears of the Kingdom.”

Super Mario Bros. Wonder for $44.99

Super Mario Bros. Wonder was one of the best platformers of 2023, and you can save $15 off the game right now at Woot. Wonder introduces many new mechanics to the series, including three new power-ups and the Wonder Flower. This flower changes each level into something wild, and you can never quite predict what will happen!

LG – 48″ Class B4 Series OLED 4K UHD Smart webOS TV for $649.99

Today, you can save on this LG 48″ Class B4 OLED TV, with $850 off the MSRP. If you’re looking for an OLED TV that’s perfect for PS5 or Xbox Series X, this is one of the best on the market, especially considering the price. It’s not likely you will be able to find this model priced any lower in the near future, so be sure to pick this one up before it’s gone.

Save on Deadpool & Wolverine Products

Amazon has the Deadpool & Wolverine 4K UHD Steelbook available on sale for $47.99. It was originally priced at $65.99 and shipped with that price, so this might be the discount you’ve been waiting for if you held off on purchasing it initially. Additionally, you can save over $25 off Deadpool & Wolverine: The Art of the Movie. This art book contains over 220 pages, showcasing various behind-the-scenes art from the film.

Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition for $24.99

Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition brings together new speedrun challenges for some of the biggest NES titles. You can race with players around the world to reach the top of the leaderboards, with new challenges available each week!

Sonic X Shadow Generations for $39.99

Sonic X Shadow Generations just released this week, and you can already save $10 off a Nintendo Switch copy at Woot. This package includes a remastered version of Sonic Generations and a brand-new campaign focused on Shadow. Both 2D and 3D levels are included, making for the ultimate package for any Sonic fan.

Anker Prime 27,650mAh 250W USB Power Bank

Woot! (owned by Amazon) has just dropped the price on its highest capacity power bank: The Anker Prime 27,650mAh 250W Power Bank is down to $99.99 (originally $180). Amazon Prime members get free shipping, otherwise it’s an extra $6. This is the best price we’ve seen by a fair amount; the previous historic low was $120 during Prime Day. It also happens to be the best Steam Deck and Asus ROG Ally X charger you can get. Very few power banks can match its 250W output.

Save on Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is on sale for the very first time at Amazon. With the game’s outstanding success, physical copies have been somewhat hard to come by recently, so this is a great deal overall. If you’re looking for a deeper discount, though, it might be worth waiting for Black Friday. In our 8/10 review, we stated, “Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is a terrific third-person shooter with a compelling story, loads of weapons that are a blast to use, and a healthy variety of enemies to use them on.”

2B S.H.Figuarts Figure On Sale

While a new NieR game is likely still far away, you can celebrate the series by adding this NieR: Automata Ver1.1a 2B figure to your collection. Based on the NieR: Automata anime, this set contains both a figure on 2B and Pod 042. Multiple accessories are bundled in, including an alternate face plate, optional hands, and a weapon.

Fire Emblem Engage for $39.99

Fire Emblem Engage saw the return of countless Fire Emblem heroes of the past like Marth, Lyn, and more. This is a great entry point to the series for new fans, while offering a storied return to the past for series veterans. In our 9/10 review, we stated “Fire Emblem Engage proves itself worthy enough to be counted alongside the legacy it honors so well.”