Gaming in county Early. Reviews, Walkthroughs, News

PC giant Valve has come up with a new term for when consumers can play a game ahead of its release because they pre-ordered.

The Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord remake by Digital Eclipse will leave Early Access and launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC via Steam and GOG on May 23, the developer announced.

Cooperative roguelike hack-and-slash game Rotwood is now available in Early Access for PC via Steam at a 10 percent-off launch discount price of $9.89, developer Klei announced. The price will change to $10.99 after May 8.

Dark Souls is often regarded as one of FromSoftware's best games, but even diehard fans have to admit that the back half is lacking. Between the lava pools filled with copy-and-pasted dragon butts in Lost Izalith and the pitch-black caverns in The Tomb of the Giants, it's clear that the endgame was rushed.

A stunningly accurate cosplay has received developer Larian Studios' seal of approval. After years in Early Access on PC, Larian's RPG was released last year to incredibly high critical acclaim, going on to win many Game of the Year awards and even making its way onto Screen Rant's "" list.

Valve has closed a loophole in Steam's refund policy that effectively allowed players to beat a game before its official release date and get their money back. The company has long had a policy in place whereby users could refund a game, no questions asked, as long as they haven’t played for more than two hours within 14 days. Until now, the refund policy was far more lenient for games in early access or advanced access, but Valve has nipped that in the bud.

Players that put more than two hours into pre-purchased or advanced access games will now be exempt from Steam's refund policy, says Steam, the maker of said policy and thus the final word on how it is implemented. As spotted by the Verge, this change is intended to combat a loophole where filthy time criminals could fill their stolen boots with ill-gotten fun pre-release, then get their money back.

PUBG’s original Erangel map is returning with “nostalgic” graphics and old-school balancing for two weeks only, Krafton has announced.

Hotel construction and tycoon game Hotel Architect will launch in Early Access for PC via Steam in 2024, publisher Wired Productions and developer Pathos Interactive announced.

Publisher Japanime Games and developers illuCalab. and FLIPFLOPs have released deckbuilder card game HEART of CROWN Online in Early Access for PC via Steam at a 10 percent-off launch discount price of $17.99. The price will change to $19.99 after April 30.

Moon Studios releases its biggest update for Early Access title No Rest for the Wicked with Hotfix 3 addressing a large number of community-driven issues including performance, game balance, and much more. Moon Studios' latest title has finally arrived, though as an Early Access title on Steam, where the developer can collect feedback and continue to improve the game before it launches in full. No Rest for the Wicked attempts to innovate the Action RPG genre, mixing elements of franchises like Diablo and adding some unique mechanics of its own.

No Rest for the Wicked developer Moon Studios has released the biggest update yet for its action role-playing game as it battles to improve its ‘mixed’ user review rating on Steam.

Krafton has taken a minority shake in Polish developer Far From Home.

I spend a portion of my every week surviving and crafting. And in the game, where the game is called Minecraft. I still have appetite left for Tinkerlands: A Shipwrecked Adventure, a demo that offers topdown, 2D construction and fights with giant frog bosses, among others.

Supergiant Games has asked Hades 2 fans and content creators not to share content that has been datamined from the Technical Test, as it was accidentally left in the files.

V Rising is an enormously popular vampire RPG currently in Early Access on Steam, where even in its currently unfinished state, it enjoys Very Positive reviews overall. Announced for PS5, we got a better look at the kind of gameplay particularly bloodthirsty players can look forward to sinking their teeth into.

As Manor Lords prepares to finally make its way to the public, developer Slavic Magic has stepped in to make sure fans’ expectations are in check.

Red Hook Studios will release turn-based roguelike RPG Darkest Dungeon II for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 on July 15 for $39.99, the developer announced. A bundle that includes the downloadable content “The Binding Blade” will also be available for $44.99. Pre-orders are available now via PlayStation Store.

Stunlock Studios has released a new gameplay trailer for vampire survival action RPG V Rising dubbed “Ruins of Mortium.”

Supergiant Games’ modern classic roguelike, Hades, is getting a sequel. Following a surprise announcement at the 2022 Game Awards, Hades 2’s early access launch is getting close. The game promises to take players beyond the Underworld in the company of a new heroine, Melinoë.

5 Lives Studios has released a seven-minute walkthrough video for Cozy Caravan, its recently announced game about anthropomorphic characters traveling from town to town as part of a guild dedicated to making people happy.

Fairytale kingdom city builder Fabledom will leave Early Access and launch for PC via Steam and Epic Games Store on May 13, followed by PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and Switch at a later date, publisher Dear Villagers and developer Grenaa Games announced.

The Switch version of open-world sailing simulation RPG Sagres is now available via Nintendo eShop for $19.99, publisher Kakehashi Games and developer ooze announced. It is available at a 10 percent off launch discount price of $17.99 until May 1.

Twitch has been testing a discovery feed for livestreams and Clips on mobile since last year, in hopes of giving users a new way to find new streamers to follow and, hence, spend more time on the platform. Now, the website has announced that it's rolling out the feature to all users later this month. The feed will first appear as a new tab in the mobile app and will allow viewers to switch between a scrollable feed for livestreams and another one for Clips. Like their names imply, the live feed will show users broadcasts from people they already follow and ongoing streams from people they don't based on their watch history. Meanwhile, the Clips feed will be filled with short snippets from live broadcasts.

In a group interview with content creators in London, Game Director Ion Hazzikostas confirmed that Blizzard plans to allow Dracthyr to roll other classes besides Evoker in The War Within. During the Interview, Ion confirmed that while that's the plan for the expansion, it won't be a launch feature, but he's hoping they'll be ready early on in the expansion. A glimpse of this future happened on the BlizzCon Warbands preview, when Blizzard has a Dracthyr character wearing leather gear by accident.

A new rumor suggests that the next Mortal Kombat 1 Kameo fighter will be an alternate-timeline version of Scorpion, with Harumi Hasashi donning the iconic yellow ninja mask instead of her husband Hanzo. One of the biggest additions to come from Moral Kombat 1 is the Kameo system, which allows players to select a supporting character from a separate roster to assist in matches. Most of these secondary combatants are classic versions of existingcharacters from the original timeline, which Fire God Liu Kang rebooted at the end of Mortal Kombat 11.

Publisher Bohemia Interactive has had a large impact on PC gaming over the past decade or so, with major genre-defining titles like Arma and DayZ to their name. But did you know Bohemia also has another major game it’s currently supporting that’s never been on PC? Initially released back in 2019, the free-to-play Vigor has attracted over 20 million players on Xbox, PlayStation, and Switch, but it's never been released on PC. Why? Honestly, I don’t know! Obviously, not every game has to come to PC, but Vigor is the type of experience that specifically does well on the platform, so it doesn’t make much sense.

Is waiting for Hades 2 to release starting to feel like a sisyphean endeavor? If so, push that boulder no longer. Supergiant announced yesterday that fans of the action roguelite can sign up now to be considered for an upcoming technical test, via Hades 2’s Steam page.

It won't be long before players can get their hands on Hades II, the sequel to 2020's critically-acclaimed roguelite by Supergiant Games. In a new post on X/Twitter, Supergiant Games announced an upcoming Hades II Technical Test along with instructions on how to join.

The Outlast Trials has received its first content update across all platforms since fully releasing in March, introducing the limited-time event Toxic Shock and two additional missions. An untitled release, it also includes multiple bug fixes and balance changes. This is the first step in an extensive roadmap for The Outlast Trials.

Super fans of Hades will soon get their first chance to get their hands on an early version of the game’s sequel soon. According to the recent update from the developer Supergiant Games, the team is “close” to launchingHades 2 in early access, but before it does, the game will have its first “technical test.” The team didn’t specify how long the technical tests will run, but we know they will “begin shortly,” via X on Tuesday.

If you're looking to get beta access to Hades 2, developer Supergiant Games has just opened sign-ups for the game's technical test.

Following the launch trailer of No Rest for the Wicked, Moon Studios has outlined pricing for its upcoming action RPG. It will cost $39.99/£34.99/€39.99 for early access, but from launch until May 2nd at 9 AM PST, players can pick it up for $35.99/£31.95/€35.99, a ten percent discount. The price is confirmed to increase once the title leaves early access.

Evil Empire, the developers behind The Rogue Prince of Persia, compared notes with Ubisoft Montpellier, the team behind The Lost Crown, since the two were being made around the same time.

The first big update, Ghost Galleon, has hit Witchfire. Though the game isstill in Early Access, the update brings a plethora of new content for players to conquer. 

The highly successful indie survival game V Rising is exiting early access on May 8, so Swedish developer Stunlock Studios has released new information on what players will find in version 1.0.

The medieval survival strategy RPG Bellwright is heading into Steam Early Access later this month on 23rd April.

First-person shooter WRATH: Aeon of Ruin will launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Switch on April 25, publishers 3D Realms and Fulqrum Publishing, and developer KillPixel announced.

Continuing our ongoing coverage of Yellow Brick Games’ debut action game, Eternal Strands, we sat down with some of the indie studios’ leadership team to discuss the origins of their scrappy studio, and learn more about the indie world they’re using their AAA backgrounds to create. First, we chatted with CEO Thomas Giroux and COO Jeff Skalski about the studio's origins, then we spoke to Chief Creative Officer Mike Laidlaw and Lead Writer Kate MacMullin about their journey to the indie scene, and the characters and story in Eternal Strands.

The prodigal Prince has returned, and his comeback has gone down so well that he is doing it a second time. After his Metroidvania adventures in Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, which came out in January, gaming's iconic dual-blade wielding royalty is coming back for seconds in The Rogue Prince of Persia, a new 2D action-platforming rogue-lite title, arriving in Early Access on Steam on May 14. Developed by Dead Cells maker Evil Empire and published by Ubisoft, the next Prince of Persia game flaunts a colourful, cartoony art style and features platforming and action combat familiar to the series.

Donkey Crew, a small Polish indie studio that started as a Mount and Blade modding community before moving to Of Kings and Men and later Last Oasis, is now about to launch Bellwright on Steam Early Access.

City builder game Laysara: Summit Kingdom is now available in Early Access for PC via Steam, developer Quite OK Games announced. It is available at a 20 percent-off launch discount price of $15.99 until April 24, after which it will cost $19.99.

Survival simulation game sequel Endzone 2 will launch in Early Access for PC via Steam this summer, publisher Assemble Entertainment and developer Gentlymad Studios announced.

Palworld is arguably 2024's most popular indie title at the moment, having exploded onto the scene earlier this year, bringing in millions upon millions of players in just a couple of weeks. That is despite the game being pretty barebones in terms of features, which is understandable given it's still in Early Access, but developer Pocket Pair seems to be doing its best to give its fans something to do.

Roguelite action game Hyper Light Breaker will launch in Early Access for PC via Steam this summer, publisher Arc Games and developer Heart Machine announced.

Thunder Lotus Games will host a closed beta test for cooperative roguelike action game 33 Immortals from May 24 to June 2, the developer announced. It will run across Xbox Series and PC (Epic Games Store, Microsoft Store). Users can sign-up via the official website. Beta players will be able to unlock an exclusive skin in the full game.

Laysara: Summit Kingdom, the promising mountain-themed city builder from developer Quite OK Games and publisher Future Friends Games, has surprise launched on Steam, where it's expected to remain in early access for between six and 12 months.

Publisher Ubisoft and developer Evil Empire have announced The Rogue Prince of Persia for PC (Steam). It will launch in Early Access on My 14.

Ghost Ship Publishing and developer Northplay have released a new teaser trailer for real-time strategy game Dinolords.

Mega Crit has announced Slay the Spire 2 for PC (Steam). It will launch in Early Access in 2025.

Stunlock Studios, in cooperation with Konami, has released the gameplay trailer for the “Legacy of Castlevania” collaboration downloadable content for vampire survival action RPG V Rising due out on May 8 for PC and later in 2024 for PlayStation 5.

poncle will release Vampire Survivors for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 this summer, the developer announced.

Sandbox detective simulation game Shadows of Doubt will be available for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series alongside PC when it leaves Early Access later in 2024, publisher Fireshine Games and developer ColePowered Games announced.

Slay the Spire 2, a sequel to the beloved roguelike deck-builder, has been revealed at the Triple-i Initiative and is launching in Early Access at some point in 2025.

It’s been nearly a couple of years since Ubisoft announced that its Montreal studio had taken over development of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake from its Pune and Mumbai studios. At the time, it was said that Ubisoft Montreal would be building on the work that had already been done on the remake, but it now seems that the project has undergone a complete overhaul.

Dragon’s Dogma 2 is one of the strangest games of 2024 — this open-world RPG is packed with weird features that make it extremely hostile to players, throwing you straight into a dangerous fantasy land and barely explaining some of its core features. There are so many strange details in this game and we want to talk about them all. Here’s everything crazy we’ve discovered so far that you didn’t know you could do — and we didn’t know either until we played the game way too much.

The Astronauts have released the “Ghost Galleon” update for the Early Access version of dark fantasy first-person shooter Witchfire, which features a calamity redesign, and new classes, enemies, events, weapons, spells, and more.

Larian Studios has enjoyed widespread success with both Divinity: Original Sin games and, of course, Baldur’s Gate 3, and it’s no coincidence that all three had lengthy and successful early access periods. And though there isn’t much clarity yet on what the studio’s next game will end up being (other than the fact that it won’t be related to Baldur’s Gate or Dungeons and Dragons), it’s also likely to release as an early access title before getting its global launch.

Roguelike action game Rustil: Eternal Labyrinth Castle will launch in Early Access for PC via Steam on April 26, developer Shinden Games announced.

A Palworld player found a Lucky Cattiva, but in an unexpected turn of events, the Pal appeared trapped inside a mountain. Pocket Pair released Palworld in Early Access at the beginning of the year, and because of this, bugs and glitches appear regularly. While some bugs sometimes affect the player's experience negatively, other errors cause different situations, some unexpected and amusing.

After enjoying critical acclaimed with Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, it looks like Ubisoft is already gearing up to take the next step forward for the franchise. A recent report by Insider Gaming’s Tom Henderson claimed that the company had partnered with Dead Cells developer Evil Empire for development of roguelite title The Rogue Prince of Persia, and that it was set to launch in early access for Steam sometime this year.

A Baldur’s Gate 3 player has discovered a strange Dark Urge detail that may have huge lore implications in the game. The lore in Baldur’s Gate 3 is extremely extensive, and this secret won’t be noticed by every player.

Kill It With Fire 2, the science-fiction-inspired sequel to the first-person spider-hunter game, will launch in Early Access for PC via Steam on April 16, followed by a full release across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC at a later date, publisher tinyBuild and developer Casey Donnellan Games announced.

is a mobile action RPG developed by Netmarble for iOS & Android mobile devices, alongside PC. It's a pretty standard mobile title that features a lot of the elements that veterans of the platform will be familiar with, right down to a cluttered UI and the gacha unit pulls that have made this particular genre so infamous. With a lot of reverence paid to its source material and some surprisingly deep tactical options, however, there's a chance can make good on the promise of its explosive IP and deliver some fun.

Vampire survival game V Rising has been kicking around in early access for a couple of years now, so there’s a good chance you may have already picked it up. If you haven’t but are curious to give it a go, you might want to grab it sooner than later. Ahead of the game’s full 1.0 launch, its price tag will be permanently raised to almost twice its previous cost.

Word has it that a new Prince of Persia game is being developed by Evil Empire, the studio behind the hit indie roguelike Dead Cells — and it might launch sometime later this year. Ubisoft’s legendary Prince of Persia franchise had been nearly dormant for over 10 years when a new side-scrolling spin-off titled Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown was launched to rave reviews in January. Despite reportedly underperforming in sales, The Lost Crown was praised for its Metroidvania gameplay that blended platforming, combat, and puzzle-solving.

Publisher Gaijin Entertainment and developer Three Whales Studio will release post-apocalyptic online adventure game Age of Water for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC via Steam on April 18, the companies announced. The console versions are newly announced.

Insider Gaming has an incredible new rumor for fans who enjoyed The Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, as well as Dead Cells.

Dead Cells developer Motion Twin has released the first gameplay trailer for Windblown, its upcoming roguelike action game due out in Early Access for PC via Steam later in 2024.

Another player has ended up with a giant Pal in Palworld, specifically an enormous Anubis. One of the series' iconic Pals, the creature in question isn't an Alpha or Lucky Pal. The cause of its giant stature is a mystery, most likely caused by a random glitch in Palworld.

Two new games are being added to the PlayStation Plus lineup for April. Extra and Premium subscribers can snag the Metroidvania Tales of Kenzera: Zau on April 23, while the indie fishing management game Dave the Diver will hit the service on April 16.

The rarest currency you can farm in is Silver Coins, a special type of money used to buy some of the best gear in the game. Unlike common Sen currency, Silver doesn't come from discarding old items, but rather from completing specific tasks in a region. Anyone looking to purchase the strongest items will have to focus on certain content to earn their weight in Silver.

MINTROCKET will release DAVE THE DIVER for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 on April 16, the developer announced. It will also be available as part of the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog.

ARK: Survival Ascended, the action-adventure game with added domesticated battle dinosaurs, first appeared in Early Access in October 2023, and has been introducing new and returning players to the remade world of ARK: Survival Evolved ever since. Building on the original's mix of action, crafting, and combat, ARK: Survival Ascended uses the power of Unreal Engine 5, the variety of modding and the utility of cross-platform play to offer an upgraded way to experience the open-world exploration experience.

A Palworld fan has created an adorable original Pal called Mushgloom, showing what it would be like if the game had one more Grass/Dark-type monster. Palworld was released in Early Access with more than 100 Pals divided into nine elements, each with a different design and origin. While Palworld players wait for new Pals, the community has been showing its ingenuity by creating original Pals.

In 2019, indie Canadian studio Nine Dots released Outward, an unforgiving immersive action roleplaying game that immediately captivated an audience. Having sold over 1.3 million units to date, the game is now getting a sequel, as announced earlier this month by Nine Dots.

Stellar Blade is Sony’s big release for next month, but if you don’t want to wait, you can get a taste of the game today as a demo has just dropped (after being accidentally released for a minute earlier this month). The demo lets you experience the first chapter of the game or around one to two hours of gameplay. Check out a teaser trailer and a bit more detail, below.

Publisher Kakehashi Games and developer ooze will release open-world sailing simulation RPG Sagres for Switch, the companies announced. A release date was not announced.

Stunlock Studios, in cooperation with Konami, has announced the “Legacy of Castlevania” collaboration content for vampire survival action RPG V Rising. It will launch on May 8.

The PC version of free-to-play open-world adventure game Sky: Children of the Light will launch in Early Access via Steam on April 10, developer thatgamecompany announced.