Atmosphere News, Tips, Tricks & Ideas

Amazon's excellent adaptation of the Fallout series for TV is available in its entirety now, and we loved it. However, not every Fallout fan is happy with how it seemingly rewrites what was thought to be established series lore, apparently retconning the ending of beloved black sheep, Fallout: New Vegas. Obviously, major spoilers for both New Vegas and Amazon's show to follow!

PUBG: Battlegrounds is somehow old enough to evoke nostalgia. The pioneering battle royale game, which entered Steam Early Access in 2017, will borrow a page from Fortnite’s playbook and honor its first map. Erangel Classic will recreate the old-school battlefield from the game’s inception for a limited two-week run in May and June.

Conquistadorio, the point-and-click adventure game by Morion Studio, just slashed its price from $9.99 to $0.99! Yep, you read that right. If you haven’t tried the game out yet, it might be a good time to do so now. Want to know more about the game? Keep reading!

We have the solution to Wordle on April 21, as well as some helpful hints to help you figure out the answer yourself, right here. We’ve placed the answer at the bottom of the page, so we don’t ruin the surprise before you’ve had a chance to work through the clues. So let’s dive in, starting with a reminder of yesterday’s answer.

Video games have often allowed the player to enter the role of a villain with great effect. Whether it's the dastardly deeds of or the potential to go down evil routes in series like, there are many great games where the player is a villain. Enter , from Strange Scaffold and Frost Pop, where the player is responsible for some extremely nefarious acts; but is there a valid reason behind them?

Helldivers 2's developers have considered adding underground maps, though we wouldn't hold our breath waiting for it to happen as it would require a huge commitment, and it'd likely be "friendly fire hell" anyway.

The new Helldivers 2 Democratic Detonation Warbond is now live, but developer Arrowhead has quietly added brand new ship modules to the shooter.

In a year packed with rad fishing sims, Dredgewas arguably the best. It came out in March 2023 and filled the wet, eldritch-horror-shaped hole in the year's gaming catalogue — and now, it's going to be a movie. Developer Black Salt Games and media company Story Kitchen are partnering to turn Dredge into a live-action feature film. The project's logline is, «Think The Sixth Sense on the water. A grounded atmospheric cosmic horror blend of HP Lovecraft and Ernest Hemingway.» That's not not a description of Dredge as a video game, so it looks like we're off to a fine start.

You’ll see many strange and wonderful things in your journey through No Man’s Sky, most of which will be seen on planets. These stellar bodies are home to countless flora and fauna, mineral resources, and sometimes, edible treats for your Nutrient Processor.

Of the many gaming subscriptions out there, the $11.99 per month Humble Choice is one of the good ones. That’s partially because Choice lets you keep and play PC games you received through the service, even if you choose to unsubscribe later on (unlike Xbox and PlayStation’s respective subscriptions). There are other benefits that I’ll explain below, but I won’t bury the lede any further.

Helldivers 2 players have spotted giant cloaked warships hovering in the sky above Automaton planets. While some assumed these were just Super Destroyers, screenshots of their silhouettes show that they're much, much bigger.

Helldivers 2 players might be in a spot of trouble, as they suspect they've sighted massive cloaked warships above Automaton-based worlds. 

Torn Away is a video game from another era. Not in terms of its World War 2 setting, but rather this game seems purpose-built for the iconic handheld of yesteryear, the Nintendo DS. Ostensibly a 2D Narrative Adventure, Torn Away is packed with 3D analogue-driven mini-games; from opening cupboards to lighting fires and repairing battered boots. Frequently, during such interactions, I felt the nostalgic need for a stylus and touch screen. Problematically, they were nowhere to be found, instead, my trusty gamepad would have to suffice.

If you grew up playing games like Tokyo Xtreme Racer, Need for Speed Underground, Wangan Midnight, and the like, you'll feel right at home in the driver's seat of a souped-up sports car in Night-Runner.

Love crossword puzzles but don’t have all day to sit and solve a full-sized puzzle in your daily newspaper? That’s what The Mini is for!

Still Wakes the Deep finally exclusively reveals a release date at the Future Games Show in an all-new trailer. The new footage also details more of the gameplay and environments of this mysterious and atmospheric horror game, set on a disaster-stricken 1970s oil rig called the Beira D.  

“Driving into the Void,” a new contender in the TPS (third-person shooter) arena, is prepping for its beta test, and you’re invited to be among the first to navigate its strange new world.

The Hubble Space Telescope has once again mesmerized astronomers and space enthusiasts alike with its recent images of Jupiter, showcasing the gas giant's dynamic atmosphere filled with swirling storms and the iconic Great Red Spot. Captured on January 5-6, 2024 and thereafter shared by NASA, these portraits offer a glimpse into the tumultuous weather patterns and atmospheric phenomena occurring on Jupiter's colossal scale. With its exceptional clarity and precision, Hubble Telescope has provided unparalleled views of the planet's opposing hemispheres, each revealing its own unique features and characteristics.

The developers behind Outcast: A New Beginning are billing the sequel, launching today some 25 years after the trailblazing original, as a ray of sunshine amidst a trend toward games with dark, dystopian visions of the future.

This indie horror game may look like Animal Crossing: New Horizons, but I am begging you not to get the two of them mixed up. 

Transporting us to the outer reaches of our solar system, NASA's Juno spacecraft recently treated space enthusiasts to a captivating snapshot of Jupiter's iconic Great Red Spot. This immense storm, a celestial marvel twice the size of Earth, has graced the gas giant for over three and a half centuries.

In a groundbreaking discovery, NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has revealed intriguing details about a distant exoplanet, sparking a debate among scientists about its potential habitability. The exoplanet, known as TOI-270 d, lies approximately 70 light-years away and boasts twice the radius of Earth.

Pre-orders for an unannounced PS4 collection of beloved post-apocalyptic PC S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games are currently live in Japan, indicating that the atmospheric shooters could be headed to console for the very first time. Spotted by the ever-watchful Gematsu, pre-orders are currently available at Japanese retailers like Biccamera, Neowing, and Rakuten Book.

As someone who spends every working day being passively chilled out by mellow lo-fi beats, I'm incredibly excited to more actively relax with Tranquil Isle, a new self-styled "lo-fi townbuilding roguelike" launching this year.

Spyro first appeared in 1998 on the PlayStation, and he quickly joined Crash Bandicoot in becoming an icon of the era. The cute, fire-breathing, headbutting bundle of joy was a big part of our childhoods, as was his invitingly ambient world.

Sker Ritual is a big shift from the atmospheric stealth horror Maid of Sker that came out a couple of years ago. Designed to be played either solo or in online co-op, Sker Ritual takes the setting and backstory of the original game and completely reimagines the gameplay and atmosphere by making it a wave based FPS with score bonuses, upgrades and even some roguelike aspects. Having spent some time in the Early Access version and tried out the different maps, here’s what I think so far.

In a pioneering effort to address the growing concern of space debris, Japanese scientists from Kyoto University, in collaboration with Sumitomo Forestry, have developed a unique spacecraft known as the LignoSat. What sets this satellite apart is its construction material- magnolia wood.

The latest subject in my ongoing 'hey, look at this cool indie game I found' is a uniquely dark spin on some beloved RPGs with a wonderfully thick atmosphere and an innovative combat system unlike anything I've ever seen.

Sony has announced the latest lineup of games coming to their PS Plus Extra and Premium tiers this February. Subscribers can look forward to Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Need for Speed Unbound, four different entries in Bandai Namco’s Tales series, including the most recent Tales of Arise, and more. Premium subscribers have some things to look forward to as well, including newly-enhanced releases of Resistance: Retribution and Jet Moto 2.

Before she crafted the icy horror of True Detective: Night Country, showrunner Issa López made her mark with a wrenching horror fable about children facing off against human traffickers. Released in 2017, Tigers Are Not Afraid would become the writer-director’s calling card, a bleak horror-fantasy that established López’s knack for atmosphere and revealing characters via the things they dread. It also broke my damn heart.

There is no respite from solar storms for Earth. The Sun emitted a powerful X-class solar flare on February 9, reaching its peak at 8:10 a.m. (1310 GMT), resulting in shortwave radio blackouts across regions of South America, Africa, and the Southern Atlantic. Originating from sunspot AR3576, which had previously exhibited an M-class flare and plasma eruption on February 5, this recent solar flare marked a significant event in solar activity. Fortunately, by February 8, the sunspot had moved away as the sun and Earth rotated, thereby diverting the planet from the solar storm's direct trajectory.

The ’80s and early ’90s were a haven for a very specific type of arcade side-scroller. Ripped heroes brandished blades and vile wizards attempted to stop them at every turn, and that spirit is very much alive in Abathor, which is available to try out as part of Steam Next Fest.

The Mystery of Eigengrau is a notable entry in the growing world of mobile horror games. It is a new mobile horror game by Rigor Mortis Interactive. The game is story-driven and inspired by classic horror titles like Amnesia. It features puzzles and is set to release in the next 1-2 months.

When catching firearm-wielding creatures in Palworld, a low chance of success usually deters any would-be monster-tamers from trying. But one explorer managed to capture a wildly overleveled creature and beat the whopping 3-in-10,000 odds. 

Starfield's "biggest update yet" rolled out last week, adding many stability improvements and graphical enhancements, including some pretty dazzling changes to the RPG's lighting effects.

Earth witnessed f X-class solar flares a number of times in the last few months. For the unaware, X-class solar flares are the most intense flares which can result in long-lasting radiation storms. In December, there were two instances of terrifying X-class solar flares hitting the planet, one of which caused a radio blackout in the polar regions for almost 3 days. Now, another solar storm danger has been highlighted as a massive sunspot on the solar surface could hurl out M-class solar flares towards Earth. Know all about this solar storm danger.

Google recently unveiled three exciting features to Google Meet, the popular video communication service, making your virtual meetings more engaging and personalised. These features have already started rolling out, promising a more dynamic and enjoyable experience for everyone. Let's dive into what these new additions are and how you can make the most of them.

Great news for fans of The Elder Scrolls and mobile gaming. Bethesda Games Studios has revealed a brand new fantasy sim from the team behind Fallout Shelter. 

In Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book, Mowgli is left in the jungle as a child and taken in by a pack of wolves, raised as one of their own. Mowgli adapts to jungle life, able to survive its dangers and communicate with the animals that live within it, while other humans become alien to him. In The Cub, the boy is left on Earth following the Great Ecological Disaster and is raised by wolves, adapting to survive the dangers of a collapsed civilisation. The Cub wears its narrative influence on its sleeve, but adapts it enough to create a new story accompanied by great visuals and an engrossing soundtrack.

The nominations for the 24th annual Game Developers Choice Awards (GDCA) have been announced, and two of the biggest games this year are up for the most awards. There are some smaller contenders in the mix. 

Arriving hot on the heels of the first issue of Duke, Cobra Commander #1 is the latest entry into the rapidly expanding Energon Universe. Written by the ubiquitous Joshua Williamson, drawn by Andrea Milana and colored by Annalisa Leoni, it focuses on the origins of the infamous G.I. Joe villain. 

Despite still being over a year away, the anticipation for Grand Theft Auto 6 is already incredibly high, as players are still going over the reveal trailer to discover every little secret it may hide. Not being content with what Rockstar Games shared with fans of the series, some players have started creating their own screenshots, and one particular set shared online a few days ago shows how much AI can understand the franchise's atmosphere.

Tabletop RPG design studio Son of Oak has had enormous success with City of Mist, a game that combines superhero action with a setting steeped in noir atmosphere and mythological magic. In fact, it's so full of cool ideas that I put it in our list of the best alternatives to D&D. 

Sam Barlow’s acclaimed interactive cinematic mystery game Immortality is making its way to PlayStation 5 on January 23. The game first arrived on Xbox Series X/S and PC in August 2022.

Ray tracing is coming to Diablo 4 this March. Announced during Nvidia's CES 2024 Special Address, the update will offer ray-traced reflections and shadows to better show off the carnage you leave in your wake.

EA is expected to reveal EA Sports College Football 24 this coming Monday.

Ukrainian developer Frogwares has emerged victorious following a lengthy legal battle with then-publisher Nacon over the Lovecraftian detective game The Sinking City. Frogwares is now the sole publisher of the IP across all platforms, and this development hopefully signals the end of the tumultuous tale.

There are some solid additions for Xbox Game Pass subscribers to enjoy as we kick off 2024. With the headliners of the month being Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and Resident Evil 2.

Microsoft has announced the games coming to Xbox Game Pass in January 2024, with Assassin's Creed Valhalla and Resident Evil 2 headlining this month's offerings.

Going into 2023, it seemed like the year was poised to be a landmark one for the horror genre, and it mostly delivered the goods. Some games expected for 2023, like the Silent Hill revival, didn’t materialize, but we still got rock-solid remakes of games like Dead Space and Resident Evil 4 and some terrifying new nightmares like Alan Wake 2. So, summon up your courage for Wccftech’s Best Horror Games of 2023…

While the unaided eye or binoculars can reveal much of the night sky, a telescope reveals so much more. Seeing Saturn's rings or the Moon's craters with your own eyes can be an “oh wow” moment. However, choosing the right telescope can be tricky. There are telescopes with lenses and telescopes with mirrors.

Lies of P is one of 2023's most pleasant surprises. It's a twisted take on the classic tale of Pinnochio, incorporating elements made famous by FromSoftware's Dark Souls series. Korean newcomer Neowiz Games knocked it out of the park with its debut, delivering some competent competition and the closest thing to a Bloodborne successor we've seen to date.

If you watched The Game Awards at the start of December (and, lord knows, many of us did), you’d be forgiven for thinking that there was only one stellar horror remake this year: Resident Evil 4.

From the moment Haru takes her first steps through the big wooden resort double doors, Pokémon Concierge exudes a bubbly warmth. The stunning coastal locale she finds herself in serves as an oasis for Pokémon and humans alike. A Hoppip gently floats through the lobby; a Rattata leans over to examine a map with people; a Lampent floats along with luggage as a Charmander wearing leis hops with excitement; a small child plays with a towering Metagross on lush green grass.

Every scrap of information on Rockstar Games's Agent provides us with a look under the curtain of what might have been. As a general recap, this project was originally announced at E3 2007 during Sony's conference as a PlayStation 3 exclusive. The title was only shared two years later, though, when Rockstar founder Sam Houser revealed:

2023 has been a ground-breaking year for NASA. From receiving asteroid sample to launching Psyche spacecraft, the US space agency achieved various milestones. As the year ends, we have compiled a list of 10 achievements of NASA.

This is not investment advice. The author has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Wccftech.com has a disclosure and ethics policy.

This is not investment advice. The author has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Wccftech.com has a disclosure and ethics policy.

It’s that time of year again! We're recognizing the most outstanding members of our community and celebrating them for all they do to create a positive atmosphere here at IGN. From users who comment daily to those who visit sparingly, we are grateful for your passion for and dedication to having spirited conversations with your fellow community members.

Time in Little Alchemy 2 is a unique element you can unlock as you progress through the game. Unlike the other ingredients and final items you make, Time only becomes available after a certain point. Therefore, you won’t be able to discover Time in Little Alchemy 2 by placing specific elements together, as it’s directly tied to your progress.

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Five Nights at Freddy's: Help Wanted 2 is getting called out for its Glamrock Freddy jumpscare, which some have called the "worst" in the modern era of the series.

Free Range Game's hairy spelunking simulator comes hot on the heels of The Lord of the Rings: Gollum, a low point of the year and a horrible adaptation of Tolkien's IP. While it isn't as abjectly awful as Daedalic's folly, The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria is, sadly, also a disappointment.

In a groundbreaking study, NASA has unveiled a revelation that expands the search for extraterrestrial life. Researchers have identified 17 exoplanets positioned beyond our solar system that might boast subsurface oceans beneath their icy exteriors. The intriguing aspect lies in the possibility of periodic eruptions, resembling geysers, breaking through the frozen crusts of these distant worlds.

NASA PACE mission is all set for its 2024 launch. NASA is set to launch the Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, Ocean Ecosystem (PACE) mission with the aim of enhancing our understanding of Earth's atmosphere. Advanced polarimeters will be employed to study the interplay of light, aerosols, and clouds, contributing to a deeper comprehension of their impact on air quality and climate. Aerosols, encompassing tiny particles like smoke, dust, and pollutants, may appear inconspicuous, yet they play a crucial role in influencing our climate by absorbing and scattering sunlight, determining the amount of solar energy reaching Earth's surface.

Yu Yu Hakusho, from its earliest form as a manga series in the pages of Weekly Shonen Jump, has always been a genre high-wire act. That’s no surprise considering its talented author, Yoshihiro Togashi, specializes in blended tones and subjects in his work; Level E is sci-fi and comedy, while Hunter x Hunter is a sprawling epic of martial arts adventure, familial trauma, and intricate fantasy. But Yu Yu Hakusho, which begins as a supernatural comedy with juvenile hijinks and morphs into a bare-knuckle action series full of grim horror, is the most prominent example of Togashi’s categorical collages. And the latest adaptation of it, a five-episode live-action Netflix series, is no different.

Adorable and nostalgic building sim Summerhouse is like a "tiny interactive love letter" to childhood summer holidays, and now it has a demo. 

It feels like we are finally coming out of culture’s obsession with zombies. Sparked by the success of The Walking Dead, this craze has lasted for a surprising amount of time given how decayed and rotten many of the media representations are. It’s refreshing to see the subject given a new twist though, and Undying offers a more personal and emotional take on the usual undead apocalypse. Rather than a buff soldier or hardened survivor, you play as Anling, a mother trying to protect her son, Cody, during the initial outbreak of a zombie virus. Right as the game begins Anling is bitten and must try to balance the worsening symptoms of infection with her responsibility to look after and teach Cody. The result is a truly harrowing narrative that speaks to a more human perspective than is common in this genre.

The original Alone in the Dark was revolutionary, for the time. Skeptical as I am about attempts to play on classic stories and high-profile names, I recently spent time with Pieces Interactive and THQ Nordic's upcoming reboot of the series, one that revisits the setting of the 1992 game that practically invented survival horror. To my pleasure, I found that, true to their word, it wasn't an attempt to recreate or reboot the first game. Instead, it's something different. It's a new and fascinating story drawing on the same elements that I love: cosmic horror, detective fiction, psychological horror, and the good old Southern Gothic.

Well, the good news is a new Monster Hunter's on the way — hooray! The bad news is we'll have to wait until 2025 play it — boo. Still, we do at least get an atmospheric teaser trailer to scrutinise until Capcom is ready to reveal more.

So after 2023, folks might be cautious about any new game that combines Arkane and vampires, and rightfully so. But at The Game Awards tonight, Arkane Lyon – AKA the ones behind the Dishonored games and Deathloop – came and debuted their latest game with Bethesda, which featured a cinematic with a barbershop in Paris that had a lot of crucifixes and a creepy atmosphere. At the end, though, the customer in this barbershop was revealed to be none other than one Eric Brooks, AKA Blade. Yep, Marvel’s favorite daywalker is officially getting a new game, as seen below.

The Game Awards 2023 is underway right now, and we’re expecting a night full of video game recognition and, of course, reveals. Geoff Keighley’s annual December show has been home to some big game announcements, and we’re expecting no different tonight.

Destiny 2’s Season 23 started strong, featuring the new Warlord’s Ruin Dungeon and activities like The Coil. But beneath the surface, it’s possible Bungie and Destiny have received a blow that’s impossible to recover from.

Flashback fans curb your enthusiasm, because Microid's 2023 Flashback 2's not even a 2D cinematic platform game. This PS5 pseudo 3D adventure doesn't have any of the subgenre's gameplay traits that Push Square noted when reviewing a title like Another World. It also doesn't continue in the tradition of great sci-fi themed video games, so this buggy, slowdown ridden mess will be a shock to the system for Flashback fans, which breaks their Conrad B. heart.

One month after a major round of layoffs impacted roughly 100 Bungie employees of 1,200, those remaining at the Destiny developer say the cuts, as well as other cost-cutting measures, came alongside an apparent scramble by studio leadership to avoid a total Sony takeover.

You know those dystopian notions of seas boiling over thanks to climate change? Well, China has a neat idea to accelerate a process which is already giving us the warmest sea surface temps on record. Heating up the oceans directly with computers.

Yesterday, December 5, a minor solar storm struck the Earth sparking auroras in the arctic circles. It was a minor affair, but the solar activities have been relentless with the Sun nearing the peak of its solar cycle. In the last 24 hours, three separate M-class solar flares have erupted on the Sun, releasing extreme ultraviolet radiation. The radiation has resulted in triggering short-wave radio blackouts on Earth, as per data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. It is unclear at this point whether any of these eruptions have released coronal mass ejections directed at our planet, which could further cause solar storms in the coming days.

Inkle are hands down one of the most interesting developers in terms of their treatment of narrative. From their most famous title, 80 Days, to my personal favourite, Heaven’s Vault, they have a knack for telling incredible stories in innovative ways. It’s no surprise, then, to hear that I was hugely excited to get my hands on their newest title. A Highland Song is a departure for Inkle in terms of genre and style but very much continues their impressive track record.

Botany Manor is an enigmatic puzzle adventure game that tasks players with solving riddles to grow plants within a mysterious estate. The game first raised eyebrows during its reveal at a Nintendo Direct last November, and we can exclusively reveal that it’s arriving next spring.