Last time, you decided that an enemy which can’t see you but can sense you is better than one which only moves when you’re not looking. I concede that the former opens so many possibilities in games but god, I hate the latter in a way I enjoyi so much. Perfect terrible beings. But, science has decided and we must move on. This week, I ask you to pick between two forms of movement. What’s better: glowing wings, or slipstreaming?
Warhaven isn’t trying to create another epic medieval war game, instead, it wants to take what fans love about that period and fuse it with modern elements to redefine the sword action genre. While the battles may seem chaotic, Warhaven puts you in control of one of six warriors and back-to-back with 15 others to take down your enemies to secure an incredible victory with style and power. This third-person combat experience is meant to be visceral and weighty. You will feel every swing and hit, plus taking down your foes will feel as rewarding as ever.
Warhaven is an upcoming free-to-play game, and so to help you with the wait we are breaking down five reasons why you and your friends should give it a shot this summer.
When players step onto the battlefield in Warhaven, they will choose from six powerful warriors with unique strengths and weaknesses that need to be mastered or exploited to succeed. For those who are into a classical swordsman, you’ll feel right at home with Blade, a warrior who stands in the frontline to confront enemies with his mighty sword. If you prefer accuracy and precision, Spike utilizes a long spear to take down all who stand in her way. She specializes in penetrating enemy armor and parrying incoming attacks. Truly the Meister of combat.
For those who are fans of bulky tanks, Guardian and Warhammer are the grab-and-go. Guardian, as his name proclaims, uses a hefty shield that devastates others by bashing them backward or as a battering ram of sorts.
Warhammer, on the other hand, is a much more offensive tank. He swings his two-handed bludgeon that takes out multiple enemies at once and busts that frontline wide open.
Smoke is a trickster and a healer who can redirect enemy projectiles and heal her teammates at crucial moments. Lastly, Hush is a new warrior who will be joining Warhaven this summer. Unlike most other heavily armored warriors, she slices and dices through the battlefield with her dagger and makes full use of her agility to disorient enemies.
All these warriors can transform into an Immortal as they perform their roles while racking up kills and assists or capturing and defending objectives on the battlefield. The Immortals- Martyr, Darkgale, Hoet, and Raven – are game-changing warriors that can literally turn the tide of battle when brought forward at the right moment.
Warhaven is a game all about warfare and fighting alongside 15 other players in your quest for glory. It will be chaotic but don’t expect to mindlessly left-click and swing your weapons. You will need to be tactical with your attacks. The fray will constantly shift back and forth between a large-scale brawl and an intense skirmish due to the dynamics of the game. There are also ballistae, canons, siege engines, and more that will help you take down the opposing team. No matter where you stand, teamwork is the key, never forget that!
The team behind Warhaven built it to be as accessible as possible. When you first jump onto the battlefield, fighting is as simple as using left-click to swing your weapon and right-click to raise your guard. However, there is so much more to learn from each battle, including different warrior playstyles, their strengths and weaknesses, strategically using siege weapons, the right timings to becoming an Immortal, and so much more.
At launch, Warhaven will feature two exciting modes called Dominion and Skirmish. In Dominion, teams work together to capture footholds across the map and gain an advantage. The key to victory is strategically knowing which footholds to focus on and let go. In Skirmish, the controllable footholds are focused on the center of the map alongside the siege weapons and various tools. Skirmish is meant to be chaotic and more focused on the center of the map, whereas Dominion is for the strategists and can play out in many different scenarios from battle to battle.
Teamwork is of great importance in Warhaven, and so is fostering a positive and thriving community. Work together to earn Squad medals and build powerful Relics in the battle that let you respawn faster, fight better, and more. Outside of the game, the team also wants to support the game with tournaments, events, and open communication channels on Discord and beyond that will help them build the game the community wants and deserves.
Warhaven is coming soon and will be free-to-play. To stay up to date be sure to follow them over on Twitter and for more information, be sure to check out our Warhaven preview and Warhaven’s official reveal trailer in 4K. Don’t forget to wishlist Warhaven on Steam as well!
After three-and-a-bit years in early access, the striking Junji Ito-inspired spook ’em up World Of Horror is committing to a release date for the full game: the 19th of October. This is technically a delay from the previously planned summer launch, but I’m pretty sure it’s illegal to launch a horror game in summer anyway. This is also when it will launch on consoles.
We are thrilled to announce that Nova Lands, the highly anticipated video game, will be launching on Xbox One on June 21, 2023. Prepare yourself for an immersive experience as you step into a vast and diverse world teeming with unique biomes, fascinating creatures, and endless possibilities.
Explore and Customize Your World
Nova Lands combines the elements of base building, automation mechanics, and adventure to offer players an unparalleled gaming experience. As you embark on your journey, you’ll be captivated by the stunning landscapes and challenged to survive and thrive in this mesmerizing universe.
With an array of building and crafting mechanics at your disposal, you can customize your structures and equipment to suit your individual needs and style. Unleash your creativity as you unlock new technologies that will aid your mission of survival and prosperity.
Master the Art of Automation
In Nova Lands, advanced automation technology becomes your ally. At the beginning of the game, you’ll unlock the ability to create and configure bots with unique functions, revolutionizing the way you approach industry and resource management. Witness the satisfaction of watching these bots in action as they tirelessly carry out their assigned tasks.
There are three types of bots available to you. The purple collector bot can be assigned to gather specific materials and deliver them to any location you choose. The yellow logistics bot transports collected materials to the areas where they are most needed. Finally, the blue fighter bot can be utilized for hunting or defense, depending on the situation.
But that’s not all. Nova Lands offers a plethora of tools to assist you in automating your planetary industry. Drones are at your disposal to efficiently deliver materials between islands, while specialized transporter arms work hand-in-hand with logistics bots to move extracted resources.
Reach for the Stars: The Space Station Beckons
As you expand your industrial empire, Nova Lands presents the opportunity for even greater achievements. In due course, you will have the chance to engage in interplanetary trade and construct your very own spaceship, opening up a new realm of possibilities.
Venture into the vastness of space and pay a visit to the Space Station—an interstellar hub bustling with life. Here, you will encounter NPCs, embark on quests, peruse intriguing shops, and uncover various points of interest waiting to be explored.
A World of Wonder and Danger Awaits
Nova Lands is a world comprised of multiple islands, each brimming with its own unique minerals, flora, fauna, and points of interest.
Along your journey, you will encounter NPCs who offer quests and equipment upgrades, and some may even become your allies. However, beware of the dangers that lurk in the shadows, for dangerous creatures also inhabit this captivating world.
As you venture deeper into Nova Lands, you’ll unveil a tapestry of mysteries waiting to be unraveled. Prepare to discover the secrets that lie beneath the surface and unravel the enigmas that will shape your journey.
Join Nova Lands on June 21
Mark your calendars and gear up for an exciting adventure of base building, automation, and interplanetary exploration. Nova Lands will be available on Xbox One starting June 21, 2023. Immerse yourself in a world of boundless creativity and adorable bots that assist in automating your interplanetary industry. Get ready to embark on an unforgettable journey across the vast expanse of Nova Lands!
Pre-Order Nova Lands now. Be a pioneer, shaping and conquering with endless possibilities today!
HypeTrain Digital
BASE BUILDING
New planet, new home. Build your new base with all sorts of resources available to you, from basic rocks and wood to rare and unknown materials. Unlock new possibilities with every new building, maximize efficiency, and push deeper to other islands.
AUTOMATION
As you progress through the game, you will be able to automate more and more things, freeing up more time to explore! Your little helper bots will be instrumental in helping you do that.
WHAT ARE THE BOTS?
The bots are the tipping point where your ingenuity will begin to shine. These little self-sufficient machines can form entire production chains and sustain your industry all on its own. They’re easy to set up and manage.
THE ISLANDS AND EXPLORATION
Just like you’re not the only person to land on this planet, your started island is one of many! Kickstart your industry to get all the tech you need and comfortably explore other islands. You’ll come across various biomes, creatures, landmarks, caves, and some really important people…
COMBAT
Of course, there’s a blaster you can fire, and critters large enough to be a real menace! Engage in combat and gather rare materials, or, go the full pacifist route and remain a kind guest to this planet – even when boss creatures are concerned. Be prepared to offer valuables to make peace with them, however.
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While F1 Manager 23 is lining up on the grid for release on July 31, we’re jumping into a few of the new features that are now included in the most authentic F1 management simulation to date.
Race Replay is a brand-new mode for F1 Manager 23 allowing you to relive every race and pivotal moments from the 2023 F1 season.
Starting Grid is the first way to prove yourself in Race Replay. Choose any team and take on the starting grid and conditions from any real 2023 race and see if you have what it takes to beat the real-life outcome. You’ll need to manage your drivers, tactics, and tyres to produce the optimal performance for the team.
Race Moments let you jump directly into crucial, real-life scenarios faced by teams during the current season. Join Alpine at the Miami Grand Prix, where Esteban Ocon is battling to keep Charles Leclerc behind and choose the perfect time for your pit stops to ensure you beat the pursuing Ferraris. Or, take charge of McLaren after a hectic 29 laps at Albert Park and see if you can lead Oscar Piastri to a points finish at his home race.
With new Starting Grids and Race Moments being added to the game following every race weekend of the 2023 season, Race Replay is your opportunity to get closer to the action than ever before!
New for 2023 is the Sporting Director: a key staff member responsible for trackside operations, bringing with them the ability to manage and improve your pit crew. Your Sporting Director will have their own set of performance ratings that will be crucial to develop to ensure they get the best out of your pit crew during training.
Pit-crew training schedules are set monthly. You can choose between preset regimes or create a custom plan (You can even set morning/afternoon plans per day!). Go balanced or focus on specific areas you need your crew to improve on. Pit Stop Errors will put focus on improving consistency, while Fatigue Reduction will give your crew members more rest days, reducing the likelihood of a fatigue related mistake.
Confidence is key when hurtling around a circuit at 200mph in an F1 car and things are no different in F1 Manager 23.
Going into each race weekend, your drivers will have a baseline confidence level for each session. How you set up the car and how much time you give your drivers on-track in Practice will play a fundamental role in your drivers’ confidence and performance for Qualifying and Race sessions. If successful, your drivers will be more confident when the lights go out and be more likely to make that all important overtake. If they’re involved in a failed battle or incident, they will lose confidence! It’s up to you to keep an eye on how your driver is performing before issuing them commands.
Authenticity to the sport is at the heart of F1 Manager and this year we’ve taken it even further. You’ll see more on-track battles and wheel-to-wheel action going into corners, including that all important sprint to the first corner.
You’ll notice more variety in racing lines as drivers that are pushing hard will be more aggressive on the kerbs, while a driver that is conserving tyres may take a more passive approach to corners. New Driver Tactics will play into the previously mentioned Driver Confidence and influence how each race pans out while the ERS Battle Assist will make it easier to overtake/defend at those pivotal moments.
And last but not least, a new, more visual way to immerse yourself. Building upon the broadcast-style presentation, where we showcase all the action with real trackside camera angles, we’ve added Helmet Cam to F1 Manager 23.
Introduced into F1 over the last couple of years, you can now get a driver’s-eye view of every corner, every battle and every incident in game.
The immersion is ramped up immediately when you switch to the helmet camera and see your driver’s hands shifting rapidly from left and right as they tackle every apex. Or cut to the car behind and watch from their eyes. It really must be seen in action to appreciate how realistic it looks.
F1 Manager 23 features a plethora of improvements and features, bringing you ever closer to all the drama and action from the real F1 season, while setting you up with all the tools to prove yourself for years into the future. Find out if you have what it takes to be a Team Principal from July 31.
PlayStation players who pre-order F1 Manager 23 will unlock three extra Race Replays. Deluxe Edition purchasers will also gain access to twelve exclusive scenarios for Race Replay.
F1 Manager 23 is available for pre-order now on PS4 and PS5, launching digitally on July 31.
You know what works for me? To do lists. ThroughLine Games should give that a go, because here they are announcing a new game in the same world as 2019’s platforming adventure Forgotton Anne. It’s a parallel universe where forgotten items, known as forgotlings come to life and endeavour to be remembered again. This new game, due out in 2024, is actually called Forgotlings, and you play as one called Fig in a similarly actiony platformy adventure in a 2D “semi open-world Metroidvania”. Fig is, by the way, an artist’s wooden posing doll, and even though he has a head his face is in his torso. I find this greatly distressing and will not stand for it.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge gets a new Dimension Shellshock DLC for PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation and Xbox One later this year, publisher Dotemu and developer Tribute Games have announced.
The DLC adds Usagi Yojimbo as a new playable character to the well-received beat ‘em-up. The rabbit samurai is the star of the self-titled comic book series and has popped up in the various Turtles animated series.
There’s also a new game mode, fresh original music from composer Tee Lopes, and alternative colour schemes for playable fighters.
Meanwhile, a second free update is set to be released, which adds an additional range of colour palette options separate from those included within the Dimension Shellshock DLC.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge was a critical and commercial hit, with over one million copies sold.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. Send news tips to wesley_yinpoole@ign.com.
The development of Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 has already been a bumpy ride. Publisher Paradox stated they were “happy with progress” on the game in 2021 following a switch in developers (whoever they may be) and delay after delay, but a new announcement from Paradox today has some a little worried.
“We want to provide the best value to those of you who supported us via digital pre-order,” the publisher said in a statement posted to its official blog. “We are thus offering refunds to anyone who has pre-ordered any edition of Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2.”
The first Diablo 4 player to hit Level 100 in Hardcore mode was left speechless after his character was lost forever following a disconnect.
Souaïb ‘carn’ Hanaf was livestreaming Diablo 4 when the game disconnected. After logging back in, carn discovered his max level Hardcore Barbarian was gone, leaving him no option but to create another character and start all over again.
Diablo 4’s Hardcore mode features permadeath, which means if a character dies it’s gone for good.
Clearly upset and confused, carn wonders whether he has suffered a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack. He then spends some time searching Diablo 4’s menus for a trace of his character, to no avail.
“This is the one thing when I was playing the beta that I was praising Blizzard for,” carn says.
“Like, holy shit, a DC-proof game. But no. I guess not.”
Then, after an extended period of silence: “I don’t know who I’m even supposed to talk to about this.”
It’s a heartbreaking moment given the time and effort carn put into the character, which is set to be immortalised on Blizzard’s Lilith statue as part of the race to max level Hardcore challenge.
And the scene is a stark reminder of the perils of always-online video games. The clip of carn’s disconnect is sure to fuel complaints about Blizzard’s decision to make Diablo 4 unplayable offline.
It remains to be seen whether Blizzard is able to recover carn’s character or, even if it is able to, whether it would be willing to.
“I’m not expecting it,” carn says of the potential for Blizzard to restore his character.
Despite this disconnect, Diablo 4 has enjoyed a relatively smooth launch, and is a smash hit.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. Send news tips to wesley_yinpoole@ign.com.
As well as it runs on your average desktop PC, it wasn’t until I began playing Diablo IV on the Steam Deck that its demon-thwacking really clicked for me. Largely because this was my first experience of it with gamepad controls, and using thumbsticks and face buttons to move and toss out spells just feels more… I don’t know, direct? Like I’m actually controlling my Necromancer and her boney bodyguards, not just clicking a unit and watching their animations.
It helps that Diablo IV’s Steam Deck performance is surprisingly spry, with fast 45-60fps framerates within reach even when leaving the majority of graphics settings on Ultra quality. Unlike all of the other best Steam Deck games, there’s no native support for its Battle.net launcher, but with some resourcefulness, that needs only be a temporary barrier.
