Brad Lang

A new mod for takes aim at Astarion's appearance, making him look less like the monster that stole Christmas. In the months after its launch, Larian Studio's massive role-playing game has been the recipient of innumerable mods that adjust everything from the overall graphics to minute tweaks like how NPCs' eyes respond to the player. Yet while there are plenty that change the appearance of the game's more notable characters, this particular mod takes aim at a very specific issue with Astarion.

Following a series of controversial weapons nerfs in , developer Arrowhead Studios confirmed that it will soon be adjusting the difficulty on certain enemies. When the most recent balance patch for dropped, the community was divided on how certain weapons had been adjusted, insisting that the developer should focus on buffing equipment rather than making it weaker. In the days that followed, players have vocally expressed their frustration that their favorite firearms are now no longer effective on the game's harder difficulty settings.

The long-awaited New Game+ update for is finally here but it's also managed to introduce a bizarre and potentially frustrating glitch to the game. The latest patch for Insomniac's hit super-hero game introduces a wealth of new content for both Peter Parker and his Spider-Partner Miles Morales as well as some quality-of-life improvements that make an already-excellent even better. As a free update, all of these extra features can be enjoyed without paying a cent but players need to be aware of a major bug that may ruin their enjoyment.

Retro gamers can rejoice as publisher EA has brought several of its most revered games to Steam, making them more accessible to players. Since EA launched its own platform in the form of Origin in 2011, many of the company's games have been missing from Steam, and while they were still available to users, having to split up one's library can become tedious. Fortunately, a handful of revered and influential titles have escaped the confines of Origin and they're going for some really good prices.

While developer Arrowhead Studios has been hard at work tweaking certain elements of the game, one unfortunate player proves that some aspects may need to be balanced even more. can be a particularly punishing game, especially on the higher difficulties but given that squads are equipped with plenty of powerful weapons and Stratagems, any enemy can generally be thwarted. Even the terrifying Bile Titan, the monstrous king of the Terminids, can be toppled with a well-placed Orbital Precision Strike, but five at once might be too big of a task.

and fans may want to study up for a motorcycle license because Toyota's latest project is right up their alley. The ever-popular pocket monsters are some of the most beloved fictional creatures in the world, a fact that has proved especially useful to The Pokémon Company given how much merchandise it tends to sell. Sometimes though, the opportunity to create real-life versions of Pokémon goes a little beyond simply recreating them as adorable plush toys...

While some reports suggested that the entire Trilogy would be exclusive to the PlayStation 5, that turns out to not be the case. The fact that Square Enix and Sony have an exclusivity deal for the franchise has frustrated many Xbox players who insist the games should also be made available on their console. While the latest release, , won't be played on a Series X|S any time soon, that doesn't mean the remakes won't ever land on Microsoft's consoles.

As fans eagerly await news on Capcom's next remake, a recent update to one of the older games on Steam may shed some light as to what players can expect. is known as one of the most iconic video game series of all time, spawning all kinds of spin-offs and adaptations across comics, novels, movies, and streaming series. The games are so well regarded that Capcom was able to pull out some of the titles that haven't aged all too well and turned them into modern masterpieces with its excellent series of remakes.

If you're a fan who's desperately looking for a new adventure, then this new RPG might be exactly what you're looking for. Following the release of, a soft reboot of the sci-fi franchise, Bioware's sci-fi games have been dormant as the studio quietly continues development on the fifth mainline entry in the saga. While players look forward to that, it might be time to turn to the tabletop to satisfy that craving to send all those pesky Reaper packing back into deep space.

fans who want to take their love of The Wasteland to the next level can now order and design their own customizable Xbox controller. Following Microsoft's acquisition of Bethesda in 2020, the developer's brands have become almost synonymous with the Xbox console and is no exception as the games' retro sci-fi aesthetic makes for a theme that's unique and aesthetically appealing. Such is the case with a new range of controllers that allow users to create a color scheme and pattern that evokes their favorite in-game faction.

may be the latest game to chronicle the New Kid's journey in the titular town, but franchise co-creator Matt Stone explained that there's a good reason it's not a true sequel to . The long-running animated series stumbled on gold in 2014 with the turn-based RPG, which earned glowing reviews and sold well enough that the aforementioned follow-up arrived in 2017 to even more fanfare. Despite the success of these adaptations, the next game in the franchise is taking a decidedly different approach to the town of South Park.

Experienced players may want to start practicing their boost starts because Nintendo is hosting an official tournament soon!is known for its competitive scene that manages to pull in both casual and hardcore players thanks to its high skill ceiling and accessible mechanics. While some fans may be weary of the eighth game in the series, which was first released a decade ago, that hasn't stopped the community from keeping in shape and shaving off seconds on those circuits.

Fans looking forward to the release of may want to set aside a healthy amount of free time before leaping into the action. Capcom's long-awaited sequel to the cult-classic action role-playing game is set to expand on the original's monster slaying formula with a larger open-world, more in-depth combat mechanics, and a wealth of quests that will require players to use all their wits to bring down towering beasts. Much like the first, the second game will be massive and will take a while to complete.

As players gear up for the launch of on PC, they may want to start deleting some unnecessary files off their SSDs. Since Sony has begun bringing over some of its more popular titles to PC, fans who lack a PlayStation 5 can finally get a taste of the console's widely-praised catalog of exclusive titles. Of course, now that modern hardware largely runs off some heft technology, the only limit for players on Steam and the Epic Game Store is the power of their computer.

While PlayStation 5owners may be desperately waiting for the console's next major release, they might want to turn their attention toward the catalog of games that are due for a major remaster. Since Sony's console and many of its associated franchises span all the way back to the 1990s, it stands to reason that some characters and franchises would be forgotten amongst those that proved more popular. Sometimes, that's not enough to keep a series dormant since the actual game fans originally slept on was so good, Sony sees it fitting to give it a second chance.

Aside from a brand new character, the next major update for will allow players to get in touch with their inner alchemist. Since its launch in 2020, developer miHoYo has spent a great deal of time and effort ensuring its free-to-play RPG is fresh with new content and activities to keep players occupied. Previous additions to the game have generally been well-received but the latest patch may include one of 's best features yet.

While looks to provide players with an authentic Arrakis experience, two iconic parts of creator Frank Herbert's world haven't made it into the game. Given the gigantic scale of and the various aspects that must be included to authentically adapt the sci-fi universe, it stands to reason that certain aspects would need to be changed or added through future updates. Fortunately for players, developer Funcom has good reason for leaving out some iconic parts of the franchise.

may already be overflowing with different character creation options, but one dedicated player is going above and beyond to add another popular race to the game. Since developer Larian Studios has been so inviting to modders, fans of the role-playing game have spent plenty of time creating original content to expand upon the already massive experience. Despite how faithfully captures the essence of, some players want even more diversity.

As fans await any kind of news on the highly-anticipated sequel, a recent update to the game's Steam profile has renewed the community's hope. Fans of the original have waited for many years for an update on the development of the sequel, but developer Team Cherry has largely remained silent. Outside of a few teaser trailers, players are clutching at any kind of new information they can get their hands on.

may soldier on as one of the most beloved role-playing games of all time, but that doesn't mean that it's perfect. Aside from the various bugs and glitches that have plagued the game since its release, one of the longest-standing complaints is that the artificial intelligence governing the game's NPCs isn't all that compelling, resulting in enemies that don't require strategy or skill to defeat. Fortunately, a new mod has taken aim at the problem.

Taking his passion for democracy one step further, a fanhas created his own Super Earth broadcasting service to keep players informed on the state of the galactic war. Keeping in tune with the satirical nature of the game, players of the co-op shooter are all working together to «liberate» planets from the evil forces of the Terminids and Automatons in a large-scale meta-game. To track their progress, Arrowhead has inserted several fictional news broadcasts that keep Helldivers informed of their contributions to the war effort, but one user has taken this propaganda to the next level.

often hosts celebrity guests, but a player's latest discovery should appeal specifically to Taylor Swift fans. In its decades-long run,has often featured celebrities through in-game references and even full-blown digital recreations of famous actors and musicians. The latest chapter in the sprawling life-sim is no different, but on this occasion, superstar Swift is at the center of the inside joke.

fans are no strangers to innovating on the battlefield, but one player has made calling in support from Stratagems easier than ever before. After dropping down onto whatever besieged planet catches their attention, Helldivers are provided access to a range of Stratagems that involve plugging in a series of inputs for their orbiting Destroyer to send down equipment, supplies, and even deadly explosives. In the heat of battle, that process can be rather difficult, but fortunately, for some players, it just got much simpler.

After finding an immense amount of success on Steam, both and are the target of scammers trying to trick consumers into purchasing the wrong product. Whenever a game manages to make waves within the community, there's always someone who tries to capitalize on the hype by either creating an inferior project or by simply editing a Steam listing to obscure an already existing game. Fortunately, internet-savvy users are usually quick to point out listings that aren't legitimate.

Despite tumult at developer Gearbox, the studio wants fans to know that isn't in any trouble. Since being acquired by parent company Embracer in 2021, many fans of the long-running shooter role-playing game have expressed concern regarding the state of the project. Now, after reports suggest that Gearbox will soon be sold to a new parent company, employees make it clear that the work on the franchise is progressing steadily.

To celebrate the launch of , developer and publisher Square Enix unveiled a new look at . Given that both games hail from the studio, they share a great deal of the same DNA given that several characters have appeared throughout Sora's adventures. The villainous Sephiroth, who is taking center stage in, is even available as a so-called «Super Boss» in the original .

People have been playing for over a decade at this point, but in all that time, it's doubtful they've reached a character Level of 1337. series has been a massive success story for Bethesda since the first game released in 1994. That success extends to the fifth installment in the main franchise, which remains incredibly popular with players.

As players fight tooth and nail to reclaim planets overrun by Terminids and Automatons, developer Arrowhead reveals that the intergalactic war is managed by only a single person. While the core loop involves running around alien planets and gunning down various enemies, there's a much larger scale meta-game at play that sees the community fighting to take control of several endangered planets. Given that opposing factions seemingly respond to player-led pushes, many assumed it was simply an automatic difficulty setting to make the experience more challenging.

is filled with challenging encounters against a plethora of tough characters, but one of the most infamous just became even harder. Throughout their journey through Night City, players will encounter plenty of crime lords and mob bosses, and while most of them are pretty intimidating, many would agree that Matilda K. Rose aka Sasquatch takes the cake. Her battle is difficult for most mercs on their first try, and unfortunately for them, it's now even harder.

Steam may be filled with zombie survival games but is putting a unique spin on the genre by placing players in a digital recreation of their hometown. The undead have risen in cities around the world, but generally speaking, if players aren't in the United States or the United Kingdom, there's a good chance their neighborhood has yet to be represented. Fortunately, wants to prove that surviving a zombie outbreak is possible anywhere in the world.

A new game is in development but fans of the killer shark will only be able to get their fix through . There have been plenty of games since the original film first terrified audiences, but the franchise hasn't returned to the medium for some time now. Fortunately for those who long to chomp down on digital swimmers, the iconic sea creature is returning through one of the most successful games of all time.

A datamine of seemingly confirms that developer Arrowhead is already planning on giving players some new tools to help defend Super Earth. Now that the game's serves have finally stabilized after a massive surge in popularity, dedicated fans are looking to the future, hoping to catch a glimpse of what could be added to the experience in future updates. Fortunately, based on the unearthed information, there's plenty to be excited about.

A recent patch for has altered the game's ending by tweaking one of Aerith's most iconic lines. released in 2020 as the first of three games planned for the new series. The next,, releases on February 29.

is littered with mysteries for players to uncover, but one has stumped fans since the game launched into early access in 2023: the Artifact. The puzzle sphere has long confused survivors, especially those who managed to track down its various pieces and create the final item only to discover that its use was yet another enigma. Fortunately, after the 1.0 patch, dedicated fans have finally figured out what it does.

may be Fromsoftware's most-played game, but that doesn't mean fans have managed to unearth all of its hidden treasures. While dedicated adventurers can take pride in their dedication to hunting down secrets, it would appear that some pots have yet to be upturned. Director Hidetaka Miyazaki confirmed as much, noting that while the majority of 's secrets have been found, there's at least one that's eluded the player base.

may not have released with much fanfare, but in the few days since the game hit Steam, the roguelike deckbuilder has already garnered plenty of praise from players. The genre isn't unfamiliar with sleeper hits, with titles like and earning massive and dedicated fanbases for their simple, yet infinitely challenging gameplay loops. Based on what players are saying, may be the latest game to join the ranks of surprise hits.

's ongoing range of Squishmallow plushes continues to draw the eye of collectors and fans alike, especially as the variety of pocket monsters increases. While the range already includes plenty of fan favorites like Teddiursa, Piplup, and franchise mascot Pikachu, Dragon-Types have been sorely under-represented. Fortunately, that's about to change with the reveal of the official Dragonite Squishmallow plush, which is set to become very difficult to purchase.

If wasn't great enough already, developer Larian Studios is going the extra mile by working on a modding system that should make tweaking the experience even easier than before. While there's already a healthy modding community available for players to explore on PC, the console versions of the game haven't quite had the same kind of attention. That's set to change with an upcoming update that should allow even more players to mod the Forgotten Realms to their heart's content.

, one of the most highly-anticipated games of the last decade, is now available on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. Released in April 2023, the zombie-fueled RPG continues the long-dormant series' tradition of blending action and gore on the beach, however, with so many other major releases throughout 2023, the game didn't quite receive the attention it arguably deserves. While may have been in development for close to a decade, critics widely praised its satisfying, if simple, gameplay loop as well as the visceral gore engine that turned every encounter into a bloodbath.