Kotaku Friday, July 4, 2025 11:00 AM  As part of the run-up to patch 11.2, Blizzard is closing out Season 2 of World of Warcraft: The War Within with a couple of special events. One of them is a buff called Collector's Bounty which is aimed at transmog collectors and mount farmers. Here's what you might want to know before you jump in. |
Kotaku Friday, July 4, 2025 10:30 AM  I'm so incredibly pleased to welcome you to the fifth—fifth!—annual celebration of unknown or under-known indie games, Indie-Penance Day. It's the day Kotaku completes the sacrament of forgiveness for AAA coverage by dedicating large amounts of space to smaller games. It's also a good pun. |
Kotaku Friday, July 4, 2025 9:45 AM  There were two big surprises when Resident Evil Requiem debuted at Summer Games Fest. One was the timing of its appearance, coming roughly 17 minutes after executive producer Jun Takeuchi asked us to wait a little longer. The other was how Requiem draws on a strange, almost-forgotten corner of the Resident Evil franchi… |
Kotaku Friday, July 4, 2025 9:30 AM  One night, I pushed too far and took too many risks while playing Death Stranding 2. I was in the middle of an area infested with deadly BTs, aka evil tar ghosts who can kill you. I was running low on battery, meaning my exosuit would stop functioning and all my cargo would suddenly become too much for me to carry. I… |
Kotaku Friday, July 4, 2025 9:15 AM  I'm sure that any time you took an in-game screenshot of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, or any other original Nintendo Switch game, you would immediately want to share it on your favorite social media platforms to show off your latest gameplay exploits.… |
Kotaku Friday, July 4, 2025 9:00 AM  You could say the Marvel Cinematic Universe hasn't had the best last few years. Now, in 2025, we've had two new MCU films — Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts* — that were either critically panned and commercially disappointing, or critically loved yet struggling to make MCU-sized returns. Marvel is in… |
PCGamesN Friday, July 4, 2025 11:42 AM You can claim a stack of free Zenless Zone Zero Polychrome right now, as we prepare for the launch of ZZZ 2.1 and its next two Agents. Hoyoverse has just unveiled the new patch for its gacha game in full, but there's more immediate news. Today, Friday July 4, is the first anniversary of Zenless Zone Zero, and to mark the occasion you can get an impressive 1,600 free Polychrome right now. Whether you're looking to spend it immediately for Ju Fufu or save it for the newcomers, there's only a limited time to claim the bonus, so don't wait. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Zenless Zone Zero review, Zenless Zone Zero codes, Zenless Zone Zero banners |
PCGamesN Friday, July 4, 2025 11:01 AM July 4, 2025: There's a new Mugen code for more lucky spins. A code one thought expired has returned to the rotation, too. What are the new Mugen codes? The next in a long line of anime-inspired Roblox games is taking the player-made games platform by storm. Get a head start or catch up to your friends in a jiffy with this list of limited-time redeemables before they're replaced with fewer and fewer goodies as time goes on. Looking for other popular games to grind on the platform? Check out the latest Blox Fruits codes to jump into a mainstay, or Attack on Titan Revolution codes if you're after a slight change of pace. And if you want something massively different, try Grow a Garden codes instead. Continue reading Mugen codes July 2025 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Roblox games, Roblox promo codes, Roblox music codes |
PCGamesN Friday, July 4, 2025 10:54 AM The power of the zombie is in its relentlessness. Whether you're playing Dying Light, Project Zomboid, No More Room in Hell 2, or any of the other major undead-killing sims making moves today, every time you dispatch one shambling corpse it's immediately replaced by two others. You're never safe. You've got to stay mobile. Unless you're prepared to abandon all your supplies and make a dash for it at any moment, you probably won't survive. The Midnight Walkers is founded on this spirit. A hybrid zombie game and extraction FPS, it's set entirely inside a single building, and constantly pushes you to up sticks, keep running, and fight a fresh path to safety. The first playtest is live now, and it's already pulled in thousands of players. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best zombie games, Best FPS games, Best survival games |
PCGamesN Friday, July 4, 2025 11:12 AM Proving that it's not just Intel CPUs that get included in bundle bargains these days, Newegg has a fantastic AMD Ryzen 7800X3D deal going at the moment, which not only enables you to pick up this chip for just $369.99 ($80 lower than Newegg's list price), but you also get a free 1TB Team Group SSD with it. It's a decent PCIe 4.0 drive as well, which is faster than older PCIe 3.0 drives, and way quicker than older SATA SSDs. Importantly, you also get one of our favorite processors in this bundle. We gave this chip a score of 9/10 in our AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D review when it was released, and while it's since been superseded by the new 9800X3D, the cheaper price of the 7800X3D means it still has a strong place on our guide to buying the best gaming CPU. That's all thanks to this CPU's huge slice of AMD 3D V-cache that sits on top of the CPU cores, and massively improves gaming performance. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Ryzen 7 9800X3D review, Best gaming CPU, Radeon RX 9070 XT review |
PCGamesN Friday, July 4, 2025 11:14 AM The inZOI system requirements are certainly quite challenging, but not too surprising for a life sim game with an intense focus on realistic graphics. However, it's worth noting that the game is only in early access, so there's every chance the minimum requirements will become more demanding as the game nears a 1.0 launch. If you're planning to run inZOI on the highest settings possible, you're going to need one of the best graphics cards from our buyers guide alongside one of the best gaming CPUs. The strain of the graphics can get so high that you might want to reflect on what CPU cooler you have in place, or learn how to water cool you PC if you notice your rig cooking more than your Zois. Continue reading inZOI system requirements MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best graphics card, Best gaming PC, Best SSD for gaming |
PCGamesN Friday, July 4, 2025 10:24 AM Monster Hunter Wilds Title Update 3 will give its best new feature another useful upgrade, introducing the ability to swap equipment and item loadouts without having to head back into your tent. The launch of Monster Hunter Wilds TU2 has been met with a mixed response; while the RPG's PC performance has improved for some, many players say they're still unable to play with a satisfactory balance of image quality and frame rate. The new additions, however, are fantastic, including two tremendously satisfying fights against Lagiacrus and Seregios, layered weapons, and the aforementioned camp item box. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Monster Hunter Wilds armor, Monster Hunter Wilds weapons, Monster Hunter Wilds review |
PCGamesN Friday, July 4, 2025 10:18 AM When is the ZZZ 2.1 release date? Now that ZZZ 2.0 is here, it's time to look ahead to what awaits us in Version 2.1. If you're already saving up your Polychrome, we've got a full itinerary of everything coming to HoYoverse's urban fantasy in the next few weeks. ZZZ 2.1 "The Impending Crash of Waves" is the next update to hit the gacha game, and it picks up right after Phaethon and Yunkui Summit foiled the Exaltist plot in Zenless Zone Zero's last update. As Porcelumex launch an investigation into the underground research facility, Phaethon and friends soak up the sun at Fantasy Resort. We've also got an early look at upcoming characters set to make a mark on our Zenless Zone tier list, new locations, and more. Continue reading ZZZ 2.1 release date, characters, banners, events, and story MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Zenless Zone Zero review, Zenless Zone Zero codes, Zenless Zone Zero banners |
PCGamesN Friday, July 4, 2025 10:22 AM What are the Zenless Zone Zero banners? If you're looking to expand your roster of playable agents, then wishing on banners is your best bet. These digital gacha machines form the basis of developer HoYoverse's monetization strategy, and they should be instantly familiar to anyone who's dipped into Genshin Impact or Honkai Star Rail. Zenless Zone Zero includes several event banners that offer the chance to pull characters, weapons, and Bangboo. Banners rotate regularly, so it's important to think strategically about whether to spend your ZZZ Polychrome on the current banner, or hold off until the next one. The ZZZ 2.0 banners include brand-new agents that can shake-up your Zenless Zone Zero team comps, so get set to start spending in HoYoverse's urban gacha game. Here's who you can pull in Zenless Zone Zero banners. Continue reading Zenless Zone Zero banners - next, current, and 2.1 banners MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Zenless Zone Zero review, Zenless Zone Zero codes, Zenless Zone Zero banners |
PCGamesN Friday, July 4, 2025 10:53 AM What is the next Monopoly Go event? With so many limited-time events in Monopoly Go, it can be hard to keep track of the rewards you can get your hands on. Monopoly Go events can last anywhere from a few hours to a week, so bookmark this page as we'll keep it regularly updated with the next events and their start and end dates. Monopoly Go is the latest online board game sweeping the globe, but completing all of these events won't be easy without some free Monopoly Go dice links, so check out our daily updated guide for some freebies and rewards before you get started on the next Monopoly Go tournament. Continue reading All Monopoly Go events, tournaments, dates, and rewards - July 2025 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best board games, Monopoly Go events, Monopoly Go dice |
PCGamesN Friday, July 4, 2025 10:49 AM July 4, 2025: We added the latest Monopoly Go dice links for free dice rolls for today. How can I get free Monopoly Go dice links? The household favorite board game has been reimagined as a free-to-play app on smartphones, allowing everyone to experience the thrills of Monopoly on practically any device. Everything that makes the board game special is here in Monopoly Go, so you'll be collecting properties and building hotels as you go around the board, and there are a variety of multiplayer minigames to get through along the way. You're going to need to get your hands on Monopoly dice rolls, but they are difficult to come by no matter how far you are into the board game. There are ways to earn additional dice rolls, including logging into the game every day to collect daily bonuses, progressing further in the game, and inviting friends to try Monopoly Go. While you can also spend real money to unlock more dice rolls, you may want to give our list of Monopoly Go dice links a try instead, especially if you're waiting for the next Monopoly Go Golden Blitz event. Take a look at all the currently active Monopoly Go free dice links for today. Continue reading Free Monopoly Go dice links July 2025 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best board games, Monopoly Go events, Monopoly Go dice |
PCGamesN Friday, July 4, 2025 10:00 AM The War Thunder system requirements cover a quite remarkable range of hardware, but gamers with relatively modern gaming PCs won't struggle to get the best out of this military game, where skirmishes take place on land, in the seas, and in the air. War Thunder is a game that continues to thrive thanks to the passionate community that is never afraid to let the developers know exactly how it feels about all changes. One other important reason that the community continues to grow is that you won't need the best graphics card or gaming CPU to get started. Continue reading War Thunder system requirements MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best free Steam games, Tank games, War Thunder system requirements |
PCGamesN Friday, July 4, 2025 9:51 AM I tried out plenty of great games while in LA for Summer Game Fest, but few dazzled me quite like Phantom Blade Zero. Combining elements of martial arts action games with a grim soulslike tone and sky-high difficulty, it left a big impression on me in two ways. The first was how it punished me over and over again, thanks to its new, extreme difficulty mode. The second? One of the best boss fights I've ever seen. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best action games, Upcoming PC games, Best ninja games |
PCGamesN Friday, July 4, 2025 9:41 AM Now that the Zenless Zone Zero system requirements have been around for a year, we were hoping for a little more detail on exactly which specs are needed for both minimum and recommended performance. Alas, the specs remain excruciatingly basic, with the game still only available on the Epic Game Store or directly from the game's website. Thankfully, like other HoYoverse titles, Zenless Zone Zero is quite a light game to run, so you won't need the best graphics card on the market to get started. That being said, getting a good frame rate and pretty visuals might still require your gaming PC to sport some more modern hardware, such as one of the best SSD choices being ideal to house the chunky game file. Continue reading Zenless Zone Zero system requirements MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best graphics card, Best gaming PC, Best SSD for gaming |
PCGamesN Friday, July 4, 2025 9:21 AM The fine wine phenomenon appears to have struck the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT, with new benchmarks across 16 games demonstrating some impressive performance gains. It's only been four months since the RX 9070 XT launched, yet the latest Adrenalin 25.6.3 drivers are already making a difference based on these new tests. There's no doubt that the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT earned its spot on our best graphics card buyers guide, with the mid-range AMD GPU delivering impressive performance for its price range. The 64-core RX 9070 XT with 16GB of VRAM launched shortly after the RTX 5070 Ti, and both cards were benchmarked at roughly the same time. Just four months down the line, numerous online users reported that the AMD card was performing better with the latest drivers, which warranted investigation. Continue reading New AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT drivers can boost frame rates by up to 27% MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Ryzen 7 9800X3D review, Best gaming CPU, Radeon RX 9070 XT review |
PCGamesN Friday, July 4, 2025 10:40 AM The League of Legends system requirements are so easy to meet, just about any laptop or desktop PC that still has life in it can get the game running. The only real barrier to entry for LoL will be your internet connection, as a ping rate higher than 100ms could result in the sort of lag that'll lose you the game. Other than that, League of Legends definitely doesn't require the best graphics card or the best processor from our buyers guides to run with decent frame rates. Even the Steam Deck is more than capable of running the game with good performance. That being said, if you want to compete with the best, you're going to want to aim far higher than the minimum and recommended specs. Continue reading League of Legends system requirements MORE FROM PCGAMESN: League of Legends ranks explained, League of Legends Mythic shop rotation, LoL tier list |
PCGamesN Friday, July 4, 2025 7:59 AM What are the Roblox the Hatch rewards? If you're up for cracking eggs all summer long, this is the officially sanctioned block-based event for you. Split across multiple biomes, hundreds of games, and with numerous mechanics, the goal is simple: collect all ten eggs of a single element to earn a prize. Get the lot and you'll spruce up your UGC catalog with glimmering goodies. Roblox the Hatch has spread into some of the best Roblox games on the platform. If you're not sure which ones to search for sacred eggs, let our guides, well... guide you. Double up with Fisch codes, Dig codes, and Arm Wrestle Simulator codes to claim in-game loot while you hunt for eggs to hatch. Continue reading Roblox The Hatch rewards - every free UGC item and how to claim them MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Roblox games, Roblox promo codes, Roblox music codes |
PCGamesN Friday, July 4, 2025 7:55 AM The Rust July update is here, and it's absolutely packed with changes. We're a couple of months on from the introduction of the jungle biome to the tremendously popular survival game, which remains the top dog on Steam over a decade after it first helped to define the genre, and developer Facepunch is looking as strong as ever. The new Rust update today includes a wealth of very welcome improvements, including a party system, a deployable snapping tool to make building much easier, and Outpost spawning. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Rust system requirements, Rust commands, Rust servers |
PCGamesN Friday, July 4, 2025 7:54 AM AMD's next-gen CPU tech could reportedly enable the company to make a new gaming CPU with more than double the amount of cache found in the acclaimed AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D. According to a new leak, AMD is working on a way of stacking multiple layers of 3D V-cache, which could enable the firm to make a 12-core gaming CPU with a massive 240MB of L3 cache, which could have a profound impact on gaming performance. As we found in our AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D review, loading this CPU with an enormous slice of extra cache under the CPU cores gave it a significant advantage in our game benchmarks, as it reduces the likelihood of the chip having to page your slower system memory for data. If AMD can indeed stack multiple layers of this cache in a single chip, then this potential next-gen processor could take the future top spot on our guide to buying the best gaming CPU. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Ryzen 7 9800X3D review, Best gaming CPU, Radeon RX 9070 XT review |
PCGamesN Friday, July 4, 2025 7:52 AM July 4, 2025: We added the new ZZZ codes from the 2.1 livestream. What are the new Zenless Zone Zero codes? We love a freebie. Whether it's free Polychrome, Investigator Logs, or Bangboo Algorithm Modules, the latest in-game redemption codes are the fastest, cheapest, and easiest way to get free items while also skipping the gacha grind. With that in mind, we've collected all the latest codes available to redeem right now. HoYoverse periodically release ZZZ codes for their gacha games that coincide with major updates and livestreams, but the developer also loves to stealth drop codes, too. Now that Zenless Zone Zero is finally here, there are a ton of redeem codes waiting for you to scoop up. As our Zenless Zone Zero review attests, there's a lot of currency and materials to gather in the free PC game, so here are all the Zenless Zone Zero codes to get ahead in the latest update. Continue reading ZZZ codes July 2025 and how to redeem MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Zenless Zone Zero review, Zenless Zone Zero codes, Zenless Zone Zero banners |
PCGamesN Friday, July 4, 2025 7:42 AM July 4, 2025: We've added new Bingo Blitz free credits to our list for July 4. What are the new free Bingo Blitz credits? You won't be playing much bingo without them, that's for sure. Even if you've exhausted your usual free credits in Bingo Blitz through login rewards and premium subscriptions, the secret to playing another round is through our Bingo Blitz credits links. New Bingo Blitz free credits links work in much the same way as Monopoly Go dice links. One click and your account is automatically topped up with credits ready to be used on multiple rounds or one big blow-out session with multiple cards. The choice is yours. Continue reading Free Bingo Blitz credits July 2025 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Bingo Blitz credits, Best card games, Best PC board games |
PCGamesN Friday, July 4, 2025 7:14 AM What are the Roblox The Hatch egg locations? With ten egg types scattered throughout as many biomes, grabbing a full set without someone else getting to them can be tricky. But having others around is a blessing in disguise, and we're going to explain how you can use others to complete the Hatch event. The Hatch is far from the first major Roblox event. Likely taking the place of last year's The Games for a Summer without a major sporting event, the Hatch follows The Hunt, The Haunt, and a bunch of others, taking the best Roblox games around and turning them into UGC farms. Looking for more official rewards? Check out our list of free Roblox promo codes for more. Continue reading Roblox The Hatch egg locations and how to farm them MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Roblox games, Roblox promo codes, Roblox music codes |
PCGamesN Friday, July 4, 2025 7:28 AM What are the best old games on PC? Nostalgia is a big part of gaming in 2025, but some classic games are still impressive decades after their launch. To give you some ideas of the top old games to try, we'll cover the best old multiplayer games that are still popular before going into cult classics and old titles that spawned massive series. You'll read about the best strategy games, majestic ancient RPG games, trusty ol' point-and-clicks, and other legendary games of yore. The likes of Max Payne, Quake, and Half Life has influenced countless games in recent years, but you can still play them now if you want to understand why they're so important. Continue reading The best old games to play 2025 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best RPG games, Best story games, Best old games |
PCGamesN Friday, July 4, 2025 6:51 AM What are the latest Valorant skins? It can be hard to keep track of all the available weapon skins, but we've gone through them all to provide the ultimate guide to every single one in the game. When Valorant was Project: A and little was known about the game, Riot made one thing clear - it would be a game for skin collectors. Since 2020, the game developer has actively been churning out virtual cosmetics for one of the best PC games, and Valorant now has at least ten skins for every single weapon. But who's keeping count? Well, we are. If you're looking to plan your next Valorant purchase or prepare for the next Valorant Night Market, then keep reading. Continue reading All Valorant skins, bundles, tiers, and prices MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Valorant Night Market dates, Valorant ranks, Valorant crosshair codes |
PCGamesN Friday, July 4, 2025 6:42 AM What are Valorant ranks? We've taken a deep dive into the Valorant ranking system, to show you how they work, and what the current distribution is. Looking at these figures, we can glean all kinds of information, like where you sit against the average player, as well as how much time and energy you've put into the FPS. Like all competitive FPS games, Valorant has a couple of different ways it measures ranking progress and the overall rating of players against each other. Each player has an overall Valorant rank, but there's also a dedicated 'Act rank' for each act. On top of that, there's also a concept called 'rank rating', which is connected to MMR. Here's everything you need to know about Valorant ranks, the current rank distribution, and competitive play. Continue reading Valorant ranks order, distribution, and ranking system explained MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Valorant Night Market dates, Valorant ranks, Valorant crosshair codes |
PCGamesN Friday, July 4, 2025 9:07 AM The Fortnite Super season is underway, but you might want to check the Fortnite system requirements to make sure your PC is up for the task of running the popular battle royale game before diving in. With the additions of the new Superman and Robin skins to the extensive catalog, there's no end of awesome superheroes for you to play as. Fortnite is one of the best free games on PC, but a lot has changed since it first launched as a crafting survival game back in 2017. Given its age, you won't need the best GPU to run Fortnite in 2025, but we can help you find the best Fortnite settings if you're struggling to get decent performance in-game. Continue reading Fortnite system requirements MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Fortnite map, Fortnite skins, Fortnite weapons |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Friday, July 4, 2025 11:40 AM  "It felt like a blank slate, just waiting to be experimented with," MadAborModding tells me. The modder, who's currently working on expanding an impressive proof of concept for Fallout 4-style house building into a full-blown Cyrodiilic settlement system, says that Oblivion Remastered's behind-the-scenes differences to other Bethesda games are what drew him to it. "With so much of the game now running on Unreal Engine," he explains, "I saw an opportunity to approach modding from an entirely new angle." |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Friday, July 4, 2025 11:12 AM  "I am going to screw on my happy cap and try to find some upbeat/quirky news, because I feel like we could do with a bit," I declared to the RPS Slack just now, after writing our eighth layoff/cancellation post this week. The very next thing I click is a link for a game about building hell. Not today, Satan. "Amnesia flying meat orb! Amnesia flying meat orb!" suggests James. James, you are not helping. Why are you never helping. Oh, what's this? An unbeatably broken Elden Ring Nightreign bossfight? Perhaps this is the champion who will lead us out of our endless technofeudal apocalypse. No seriously, I think Animus, Ascendant Light is really onto something, here. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Friday, July 4, 2025 9:46 AM  The new MMO from the Elder Scrolls Online developers would reportedly have been a sci-fi noir affair in which players swing around tall buildings on grappling lines, and do aerial dashes while shooting and looting. Call it Blade Runner Spider-Man. Call it Destiny 2077. Call it whatever you like, frankly, because it has been abandoned as part of wider layoffs at parent company Microsoft, the outfit that made tens of billions of dollars in profit this past financial quarter, yet has decided to jettison thousands of staff in the name of "discipline" and "continued success". |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Friday, July 4, 2025 7:42 AM  Room 17 of the British Museum contains an entire tomb - a two-thousand-year-old burial site framed by featureless lavenderbox walls, like an asset conjured up in a video game editor. Known as the "Nereid Monument" for the presence of sea nymphs among the pillars, it is thought to have been constructed for the Xanthian ruler Arbinas in what is now Türkiye, and appears in the Museum care of the 19th century British archaeologist Charles Fellows, who, in the Museum's words, "brought many antiquities back to England with the full permission of the Ottoman Turkish authorities". Modern-day Turkish repatriation organisations dispute this framing, naturally, and are campaigning for the monument's return to the lands on which it once stood. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Friday, July 4, 2025 7:28 AM  The Stop Killing Games campaign's petition to the European Commission has hit a major milestone, surpassing a million signatures. However, the YouTuber behind this effort to stop companies from rendering games unplayable by shutting down their servers is still asking for more folks to get their pens out and sign, due to concerns about fakery. If you're out of the loop, Ross Scott originally launched Stop Killing Games back in 2024, after Ubisoft pulled racing game The Crew offline. Cue a lot of debates about terms of service which tell folks that when you buy a game, you're not buying permanent access to it, but rather a license to play it for as long as it exists. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Friday, July 4, 2025 6:51 AM Subnautica 2 creators offer no explanation for sudden regime change, instead promise "no loot boxes"  The studio making underwater survival game Subnautica 2 have promised fans that "nothing has changed" despite a recent drastic change in leadership at the company. The game is still planned to be a single player survival adventure with optional co-op. "Nothing has changed with how the game is structured," said a statement posted to Unknown World's website yesterday. "It will remain a single-player first experience, with optional co-operative multiplayer. No subscriptions. No loot boxes. No battle pass. No microtransactions." Okay nameless statement, this still dosn't clear anything up. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Friday, July 4, 2025 5:47 AM  January 12th, 2026. It's my next birthday, and also now the date that BioWare exosuit shooter Anthem will finally be taken offline. I very much assume the two things are unrelated. The live-service thing that EA abandoned doing live-service stuff for not that long after its well-documentedly difficult development was followed by a lukewarm release is finally going the way of the dodo. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Friday, July 4, 2025 4:41 AM  Sorry, historical farming village folk. You live in the sea now. Ok, fine. By the sea. But that's the best we can do. Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord's War Sails expansion is due this Autumn, and TaleWorlds have put out a new deep dive blog covering what to expect from the big battle strategy RPG's first foray into wavely warfare. Shiver me tambourines and other such phrases that would have confused a viking, here's the first trailer in case you missed it. |
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Siliconera Friday, July 4, 2025 12:00 PM
Nova Hearts is such a fun idea for a game. Superheroes! Love! Feeling like you're getting to be Sailor Moon finding your Tuxedo Mask! The problem is that while the visual novel mechanics well and it can sometimes be funny, the actual romance isn't all that great and the turn-based RPG-style battles are the absolute worst. It's such that I found myself wishing it was a more straightforward VN with no combat and maybe even no romance due to how awkward some relationship elements turn out.
Luce is back in her hometown of Vermillion after terrible experiences at college. A situation happened regarding performance in a class, nothing went as she hoped, and she's in recovery mode at her mom's. Except she doesn't really get a chance. Her childhood friend Will and CJ, who they went to school with as kids, stop by and she's soon headed to a party planned and executed by the guy behind her first kiss, Sasha. Except while there, strange monsters appear. Luce and CJ transform into super sentai, discover after the fact that Will possesses the same powers, and decide to protect the town as Luck, Chaos, and Wish.
In general, I really appreciate the execution in Nova Hearts. The story is told through visual novel-style cutscenes and moments in which Luce is in her room texting people on her phone. Relationships develop as a result of responses, with an astrology app letting you see if you're close to being friends or possible lovers with other individuals. Sometimes, these segments can be quite clever!
The weird thing is that the narrative and characterizations in Nova Hearts are at their most awkward and worst whenever romance is involved. Rather than actually getting to know people and see relationships develop naturally through conversations, such as in some life sims, JRPGs, and Japanese-made otome games, the execution here makes me feel like Lightbulb Crew is in a rush to immediately make things happen. Before you even get to know a person, you can essentially have Luce leering and awkwardly hitting on people. Sometimes the dialogue selections for them come across as such a cringe pickup line that I actually avoided making that choice in-game because it felt inappropriate to say to someone I'd just met. (This happens with Basile, as an example.)
I felt like it got in the way of the plot too. Yes, we know going into it that Nova Hearts will feature dating sim elements and an opportunity to romance characters. But instead of that coming up as a complement to a story exploring what's happening in Vermillion, why Luce, CJ, and Will gained powers, and stopping it, it feels like it forces its way into the forefront of everything. Luce just got back to town and very obviously going through a thing, so maybe the first thing her longtime friend shouldn't be doing is encouraging her to find a hook up at a party? Childhood friend Sacha comes up? Talk about how not only he was Luce's first kiss, but Will was dating him too. Learning combo moves? One of them is associated with a "romantic" rope-tying class. There is nothing wrong with being sex positive, but the way in which Shoreline Games wrote it makes every relationship come across as incredibly superficial, even with folks Luce is talking to on a regular basis. If I'm going to virtually flirt with someone and shoot for an ending with them, I should at least know who they are as a person.
While the direction "dating" takes doesn't exactly make the Nova Hearts romance options incredibly appealing, the turn-based combat system is one of the slowest and worst I've encountered. A set number of battles come up as part of the story during certain events. The general enemy designs are repeated throughout each "chapter," with the boss featuring the only novel design. You're forced to trudge through fights, selecting from only a handful of commands, though in my experience the only worthwhile options are anything with AOE to hopefully end things as quickly as possible. Even the most basic enemies feel like a slog and potentially a challenge since there's no real "leveling up." Your party members remain at a stagnant HP. Attacks will always do a fraction of damage to any opponent. Some of the bosses will involve pretty unfair attacks. It isn't fun. You aren't even getting to level up individual abilities in the "fitness" app at a brisk pace, since those will tend to require a minimum of 500 points. Combo attacks mean more waiting, since you need to try and sync up attack timing, and those can be helpful! But you're limited to four equipped at a time instead of just… I don't know… allowing me to use any combo I please in a game where combat crawls and a boss fight can be completely unfair at times?
I don't think the Switch is the ideal platform for Nova Hearts either, as there are a number of technical issues. The biggest issue I encountered involved loading. There are substantial loading times between getting into the game, getting to the text message menu in Luce's room between story segments and fights, and between fights and story segments again. If you aren't spending an absurdly long time waiting to get through a battle, then you're dealing with unexpectedly long loads to get to or from them.
On the Switch, some bugs come up during those Nova Hearts fights too. During the first boss fight, an instance came up in which Wish fell during the fight to an attack from that foe. When she did, that opponent just… disappeared. Chaos and Luck attacked the enemy as usual, beating the character on their next turns, and then the effect animation for the one falling showed up where the person should have been. When I'd check the Power Up app during a fight to check enemy attacks or set ally combos, it'd often say "Power Name Very Long" instead of an actual opponent's attack when in the enemy section, which was pretty weird.
The concept behind Nova Hearts is good and I like some story elements, but I'm not a fan of its romance and hate its combat. The relationships come across as awkward and superficial, with the script never really providing reasons why I should want Luce to end up with anyone besides "they're hot." The combat crawls along, is unenjoyable, and doesn't feel fair sometimes. Top it all off with some issues with the Switch version, and I'd say it's best to look to other dating sims on the system.
Nova Hearts is available for the Switch, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC.
The post Review: Nova Hearts Romance Interrupted by Tedious Fights appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Friday, July 4, 2025 9:00 AM
McDonald's Japan will have a Hello Kitty Happy Meal set this summer, along with a limited edition of Suika Game to enjoy. You'll only be able to download the game by buying a Hello Kitty Happy Meal and scanning the QR code it comes with, and the game will only be downloadable from July 11 to August 8, 2025. [Thanks, Denfaminico!]
This year's Hello Kitty toys from McDonald's are all practical in some way, with three of them featuring a tanned version of Hello Kitty. The first set of toys will be available from July 11 to 17, 2025. Then, the second set will come out from July 18 to 24, 2025. Afterwards, from July 25, 2025, you'll be able to get all of them in stores. The toys you can get are:
Here's a trailer going over everything:
As mentioned earlier, the Hello Kitty Suika Game will only be available to download after you scan the QR code on the Happy Meal box. You'll have from July 11, 2025 to August 10, 2025 to download it. It plays like the usual Suika Game, in which you combine fruits to make bigger ones. However, depending on when you download it, you'll get a different summer and Hello Kitty theme. The fruits also have a Hello Kitty bow on them, or they resemble quintessential Japanese summer icons. For example, there are water yo-yos and plastic bags of goldfish.
The Hello Kitty McDonald's campaign will start on July 11, 2025. The normal Suika Game is available for download on the Nintendo Switch and mobile devices.
The post Hello Kitty Suika Game Appears Alongside McDonald's Happy Meal in Japan appeared first on Siliconera. |
Destructoid Friday, July 4, 2025 11:24 AM
July marks the start of the endgame for the EA FC 25 community, and it will begin with the release of the FUTTIES promo.
The last promo of Ultimate Team should be almost two months long, as it will finally transition to the global release of FC 26. As always, FUTTIES will mark the best period of playing Ultimate Team when our clubs should be packed with fodder and 98-99 rated items.
Let's take a look at all the rumors surrounding the upcoming promo and what to expect from it.
Table of contents
EA FC 25 FUTTIES promo release date (expected)
FUTTIES is expected to go live on July 11, which officially marks the end of the Shapeshifters promo. However, we might be able to get our first glimpse at the new promo cards on July 10, which will mark the start of Season 9. The upcoming season will be branded around FUTTIES cards, along with more packs and evolutions for the players to enjoy.
What to expect from the FUTTIES promo?
I am not expecting any changes from the promo from how it worked in the last few years. Social media leaks have already suggested that there will be different FUTTIES teams. These teams will have cards available in packs, along with new items via SBCs and objectives.
You can also expect to see plenty of promo cards being re-released into packs once again. You'll be able to find them from your stored packs and then use them to complete various SBCs and more.
Additionally, we might finally be getting regular cards with five playstyle+ and evolutions that add four playstyle+. As of writing, there have been very few evolutions that add a fourth playstyle+, so I am looking forward to it.
Only a few selected icon cards have five playstyle+ so far in Ultimate Team, and the last promo could add more items with the same number of playstyles. Whether EA Sports adds regular cards with five playstyle+ remains to be seen.
EA FC 25 FUTTIES promo player predictions
FUTTIES should have special cards for active footballers, Icons, and Heroes. The card designs should be different for them, and I believe 96 will be the lowest overall ratings (and 99 being the highest). Here are some of the players I think will be part of the FUTTIES promo to some extent. Remember, these are just predictions and not official names.
Of course, only time will tell if any of these names ultimately make it to the official teams. Most of these stars should still be available in packs as part of their older promo cards.
The post EA FC 25 FUTTIES promo expected release date, features, players, and more appeared first on Destructoid. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destructoid Friday, July 4, 2025 11:14 AM
As if we ever wanted to see it, the Resident Evil series is getting a real-time strategy entry, exclusively for mobile. The game, called Resident Evil: Survival Unit, will get an official announcement trailer on July 10, while its release date is yet to be confirmed.
Resident Evil: Survival Unit will be a "strategy game for mobile users" that "offers a fresh take on the Resident Evil universe" and "stays true to the essence of the franchise." The game is being developed by JOYCITY in collaboration with Aniplex, with Capcom overseeing the production. JOYCITY is known for its mobile strategy games, having recently worked on another major IP in the same manner, Pirates of the Caribbean: Tides of War, a resource-management strategy title.
It seems that Capcom is aiming to expand the reach of the long-standing Resident Evil franchise by introducing the series to new platforms and genres, just as hype is at an all-time high for the upcoming Resident Evil: Requiem. That game is also looking to change things up a bit with a new protagonist that isn't the fearless hero we're used to, but rather a more human, easily-scared character that will certainly help up the horror vibes.
Both that tonal shift and this new mobile game might indicate that Capcom wishes to take the franchise in a new direction, which honestly could be a good thing. After all, Resident Evil 7 and 8 were rather similar, the latter also going for those action vibes of some older titles. Speaking of which, change can also be horrible (remember Resident Evil 5 and 6?), but let's not be doomers and hope for the best.
We will find out more about this new and surprising Resident Evil game on July 10 at 5 pm CDT and hopefully not be disappointed by how it looks.
The post Requiem isn't the only Resident Evil game releasing soon appeared first on Destructoid. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destructoid Friday, July 4, 2025 10:21 AM
The Stop Killing Games initiative, formed to prevent publishers from making games unplayable, has finally crossed its one-million signature threshold. This success came as a result of an industry-wide effort from just about every big-time creator. However, it remains unclear if it will succeed in changing anything.
Started by Ross Scott, also known as Accursed Farms on YouTube, the Stop Killing Games initiative was formed after Ubisoft killed its online-only racing game, The Crew, without offering an offline mode post-mortem.
Those like Scott believe that killing games via server termination is a heavy encroachment on consumer rights whereby once you purchase a product, you should be able to use it. Even so, Ubisoft and other publishers continue disabling their video games after a certain period (like EA's Anthem, most recently), making them unplayable after servers are taken offline, which is an inevitability for live-service titles.
And it seems enough people agree with Scott, so much so that the initiative has crossed the one-million signature threshold necessary to initiate a process with the European Union, which will be obligated to take it into account once the prerequisites are met. And that's where we come upon the first issues that may or may not spell the doom of this initiative, its noble cause notwithstanding.
First and foremost, the signatures have to be validated. According to a Rock Paper Shotgun report, Scott has already expressed worry that too many of the signatures will be made invalid during the audit, which is set to follow the signature campaign itself. He has called on folk to continue signing the petition, as hundreds of thousands of signatures can be invalidated, rendering the initiative moot.
He also added that some were maybe "spoofing" signatures on the initiative, which, since it is not a petition, is a criminal act that can lead to additional troubles.
On the other hand, the government of the United Kingdom said earlier this year that it doesn't have any plans to change existing consumer protection laws to account for video games being taken offline, marking the first instance of a major institution responding to the movement. There is a separate initiative in that country that is gaining ground, but its fate remains unclear.
Additionally, video games have been, for decades, considered not as products but as "licences" that you purchase, i.e., you rent out a game for however long the developer intends for it, and have to face the fact once it goes off the grid. Changing a decades-old fact is quite challenging, especially via government institutions that tend not to even debate initiatives on the floor.
However, Stop Killing Games is a European Citizens' Initiative, meaning that the European Union has to consider it in detail, if all the prerequisites are met, which can take over a year.
Scott and his peers now have to collect all the signatures, categorize and organize them, and then pass them on. Several processes with several months of waiting follow, which can add up quite quickly, meaning that we won't know the real outcome of the initiative for a little while.
When all is said and done, it'll move to Parliament, where we can only guess at what the EU MPs will decide. If they do move in the favor of consumers, it'll mark one of the biggest redefinitions in gaming history that will fundamentally change how video games are treated as products.
The post Stop Killing Games has crossed its threshold—but can it really make a dent in the AAA industry? appeared first on Destructoid. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destructoid Friday, July 4, 2025 9:15 AM
It's been a month already since the Nintendo Switch 2 launched. Let that sink in for a moment, Destructoid. But not for too long, as we have to have a discussion over Mario Kart World and its price.
It has and will likely always be a big sticking point, and the conversation hasn't died down after launch. So I want to use this article as a pseudo-way for the community to come together and decide once and for all if Mario Kart World is worthy of being Nintendo's first 80-dollar game. And to be fair, I'll be playing devil's advocate for both sides to keep the discussion fair.
On the one hand, there are a lot of arguments for the game not being worth $80. Many critics feel like the game is typical Mario Kart with a gimmick and doesn't really offer anything new. Even the main menu is the same with limited options, no way to properly play with friends against randoms online, and not enough online options to let people play the game the way they want, only how Nintendo wants you to play it.
As for the people who do think it's worth the price, there is no denying that free roam does offer a lot of ways to enjoy the game at a leisurely pace, with a bunch of missions and secrets to discover. You also have a bunch of new modes, ways to race, a knockout tour, and a ton of new racers. And the game's visuals in most places are quite stunning.
But it's really down to personal opinion on whether you feel it was worth the price, and whether you feel like you have gotten your money's worth from your purchase, not just from the game, but from the Switch 2 as a whole. For me, I am enjoying playing Switch 2, especially games that have a Switch 2 framerate upgrade from the previous console. But let us know in the comments what your thoughts are.
The post One month in. Is Mario Kart World worth the $80 price point? appeared first on Destructoid. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destructoid Friday, July 4, 2025 7:54 AM
Hey Destructoid, and welcome to a new series I'm trying to set up revolving around all things retro gaming. I haven't quite decided on an overarching theme for this quite yet, instead looking at different topics from across the retro spectrum.
Maybe sometimes I'll discuss beloved games from my childhood that I wish had gotten more love over the years, maybe look back at retro gaming history for the new generation, or maybe I'll just waffle about modern retro devices that don't hold up to playing a game on a CRT.
But for now, and to make things simple, I wanted to focus on one aspect that I remember quite fondly—Pokémon. Or rather, what started as a love and turned into an obsession with Pokémon retro spin-off games. And I think the N64 spin-off games were where it all began.
There were five Pokémon games on the N64, if you can believe it. Pokémon Stadium 1 and 2, Pokémon Snap, Pokémon Puzzle League, and Hey You, Pikachu! each with their gimmicks and wild gameplay. These don't even include the Japanese exclusive N64 game, the first Pocket Monsters Stadium, which had a handful of playable Pokémon over the full 151 at the time.
As a spoiled kid, I had all of these, and they were some of the games I remember playing the most, outside the classic games on Game Boy and Game Boy Color. I remember pestering my parents, saving up change, doing odd jobs around the neighborhood, to be able to save to afford them, especially the Pokémon Stadium games which were so hard to find at the time in any local store, (though I wasn't fortunate enough to get the Pikachu N64 console.)
I've had a chance to replay a lot of the games lately after dusting off my old consoles to set up a Pokémon collection in my office, and I have to say, I have no idea how Hey You, Pikachu! and Pokémon Puzzle League got greenlit! Not only are they weird spinoffs, but I'm convinced Hey You, Pikachu! doesn't work back then and even now, and I found myself screaming at Pikachu to listen, only to spend hours being ignored before giving up.
Puzzle League also feels like a bad puzzle game during a time when it felt like everyone was trying to make one, as they were simple and cheap to get out. It feels like they could have stuck any IP on it and it would have been the same game and experience, but they decided, of all things, to do the Pokémon anime series!?
Moving from the weird to the wonderful, though, it's hard to really have the same experience with Pokémon Snap and the Pokémon Stadium games now, like you would in the past. I remember the first time I played Pokémon Snap as a kid and went through the Tunnel, unsure how to unlock the next level. There were no online guides to follow, and I detested strategy guides.
So, cut to a young kid hitting an Electrode at the end of the Tunnel to unlock the Volcano stage for the first time as his eyes widen and a sheer sense of joy runs across his face from working it out, and you can see where I'm getting at. Those eureka moments don't really exist in modern-day gaming.
Not to mention the Pokémon Stadium games, with their abundance of mini-games, campaigns, and content. It was also the first time we ever got to play with Pokémon on a console to battle each other instead of the pixelated screens on the Game Boy. It was a game-changer at the time and a really cool experience that really can't be replicated.
Of course, we could mention the ability to play Pokémon Game Boy games on the TV through both Stadium games, and how that connection of handheld and home console has been a core theme for most of Nintendo's history up until the Nintendo Switch 2. But I think I'll save that for a future Retro Rundown!
Each game, both good or bad, really left a lasting impact on me that enhanced my love for the series, and while nowadays Pokémon spinoffs on all platforms are an expectation instead of a novelty, the N64's games will always have a lasting impact on me.
The post Destructoid's Retro Runback I – Weird wonderful world of Pokémon N64 appeared first on Destructoid. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destructoid Friday, July 4, 2025 7:52 AM
Eventually you'll farm all the Upgrades in Roblox's Squid Game X but I'm here to talk about the best ones to buy first if you're a beginner or mid-game player. We'll also take a look at the best game passes and see which ones are worth the Robux. Let's analyze and rank each one in our Squid Game X tier list for upgrades and passes.
Table of contents
Squid Game X Upgrade Tier List
All Upgrades are good in certain scenarios so there's no D-Tier today but I'm here to show you the best Upgrade in Squid Game X to get first. These are usually upgrades that have a wide variety of uses in multiple games to give you an advantage. Note that some are really useful for Night Brawl which can happen at any time randomly after any game. You'll eventually farm them all so check out our farming tips for coins after the tier lists below. Check out the ranking reasons and tips for all Upgrades below.
S-Tier Upgrades
A-Tier Upgrades
B-Tier Upgrades
C-Tier Upgrades
Squid Game X Game Pass Tier List
In general I wouldn't recommend buying the game passes in Squid Game X since they're not worth the Robux. You can pretty much just farm everything in this game with Coins (farming tips below). This is why there's not S-Tier, none of them are a must-have. That said, if you have some extra Robux here are the most useful ones to have. Let's analyze and dive into each game pass separately below.
A-Tier Passes
B-Tier Passes
C-Tier Passes
D-Tier Passes
Squid Game X Coin Farming Guide
Besides winning Squid Game, here are some methods to farm coins in Squid Game X so that you can unlock all Upgrades fast:
That's it for my Squid Game X tier list for Upgrades and Game Passes as well as my coin farming guide. Don't forget to check out our Squid Game X codes for free rewards.
The post Roblox Squid Game X Tier List – Best Upgrades & Game Passes appeared first on Destructoid. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destructoid Friday, July 4, 2025 7:16 AM
Charging $80 for a digital-only game that's entire story is lampooning capitalism is an ironic twist of fate here, but somehow Xbox has managed to find a way with The Outer Worlds 2—and i'm still pissed off about it.
When the initial announcement that The Outer Worlds 2 would be digital only on Xbox systems found its way online a few weeks ago during the Xbox Games Showcase 2025, it ticked me off. And now that I've had time to sit back and watch the discourse unfold during weeks where we have seen massive Xbox layoffs, games cancelled, and other unfortunate situations unford. That feeling has not gone away.
This feeling was only boosted when I walked into my local video game store, saw a box for The Outer Worlds 2 deluxe edition for pre-order on Xbox, got excited, and then saw the text "Digital Game Code" slapped on the box like some kind of insult.
The audacity to charge $80 for a digital game alone is bad enough, when the whole idea behind digital games to begin with was cutting costs from production to make games cheaper and easier to find as an alternative if people wish to go down that route, makes me more mad than I care to admit. With the keyword here being 'alternative.' Digital was always an option for big games like this, not the ONLY option.
I know I'm probably one of the only individuals to care about this (and if I'm not, please keep me sane by saying something in the comments below), but I think this among other decisions the Xbox team has made over the year's like closing Tango Gameworks after Hi-Fi Rush become a beloved title, make me feel like the people at the top of Xbox are out of touch with gamers and only care about forcing people into more Xbox Game Pass subscriptions, as it's clear that this is where Xbox sees its future.
I know I'm waffling. If anything, I needed a space to write down my frustrations, but I really hope Xbox reserves this decision somehow and gives Xbox owners some form of physical media, at least in the future for those who collect games and love games.
And it's not like the game doesn't have any form of physical media. Thank whatever deity that you can buy physical copies of the game on the PS5, if not for the sake of those who love collecting physical media, but for the prospect of game preservation.
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Destructoid Friday, July 4, 2025 6:47 AM
The Matrix Contract is an interesting proposition available for all Mecha Break players, and it can reduce your in-game grind significantly if you don't spend money on microtransactions.
For the most part, Mecha Break can be enjoyed without spending a dime. While there are plenty of sentiments that suggest that the game is P2W (pay-to-win), I disagree for different reasons. However, spending real-life money is always going to have a few extra benefits, and that's where the Matrix Contract comes in.
Table of contents
How does the Matrix Contract work?
The Matrix Contract is like a paid upgrade option available for all Mecha Break players. To check out the offer, you'll have to start the game and complete the tutorial. Go to the Logistics tab, and then you'll find Matrix Contract as the first option.
I am unsure if this upgrade has Steam's regional pricing, but it costs approximately $12 after applying a 40% discount. This amount might slightly vary for you based on your location and applicable tax laws. It's a one-time purchase: the Matrix Contract is valid for your account as long as you continue playing Mecha Break with the same Xbox/Steam account.
There are some interesting benefits you get from your purchase.
Is the Matrix Contract worth it?
The answer depends on what kind of Mecha Break experience you're looking for. First, the benefits of the Matrix Contract are not purely cosmetic. It's pretty clear that Strikers will require Mission Tokens to unlock. If I ignore objectives, you should require 150 games to get enough Tokens for unlocking a mech. With the Matrix Contract, that requirement gets slashed by half.
Moreover, it also doubles the Mission Tokens you earn from all types of objectives, which reduces the grind further. In the long run, the added benefits are definitely worth getting the Matrix Contract. The Inferno mech is one of the best Attackers in the current meta, and you get access to that immediately.
You also get additional rewards from the Seasonal section on a weekly basis, which varies based on the offerings. I strongly feel that the double income after a mission and the instant unlock of the Inferno Striker make the Matrix Contract worth it, as long as you play the game for a significant amount of time.
The post Is Mecha Break Matrix Contract worth it? appeared first on Destructoid. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destructoid Friday, July 4, 2025 4:53 AM
Hey Destructoid, and happy first weekend of July. It's that time of the week where we sit down and discuss our plans for the next few days and what we intend to play, whether it's something recently released, or something we are looking to dig deep into to pass the time.
First of all, happy July 4th weekend for everyone who celebrates it! Hope everyone has a good three-day weekend full of games and BBQ this time of year. But now, let's get on to the good part.
The start of July has been a bit slow for releases, but with the Steam Summer Sale ongoing, its the perfect time to buy a bunch of games we have been holding out for and work on any backlogs we have, ahead of the bigger releases coming out the next few weeks like Donkey Kong Bananza and Tony Hawk 3+4 Remake.
But enough about the future, let's discuss today.
I plan to play a bit more PEAK this weekend to try and clear some more of the harder Ascent levels by myself or with friends, while trying to secure the last of the achievements I need to get a filled-out sash. It's taking quite a while, and I like the challenge, so I'm hoping to tick off some more self-made challenges before the end of the weekend.
Outside of PEAK, there aren't really any other games I'm personally looking to play, even when I look at my backlog. I might try to have a few games of REMATCH with my little brother if we can both find the time, but nothing else really sticks out. So i'll waffle about what some of my colleagues have been up to, and then you all can let me know in the comments what your plans are so I can get some unique suggestions.
A few friends and colleagues are still trying to get through the recent PALWORLD update and get all the new Terraria items and Pals that were released in it. Some are also playing through some old retro games to pass the time, or trying out various Switch games that got patches on Switch 2 to improve their performance.
I used to speedrun Super Mario Odyssey, and with Donkey Kong Bananza being made by the same team, I might go back to that to find any moons I couldn't get previously when trying to 100 percent complete the game to get in the mood for later this month. Otherwise, I'm all out of ideas.
The post Happy July 4! What are you playing this July 4 weekend, Destructoid? (July 4-6) appeared first on Destructoid. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destructoid Friday, July 4, 2025 4:39 AM
Another Steam sale has arrived, and with it, big discounts on countless big-name games and indie hits alike.
Red Dead Redemption II is 75 percent off, Ghost of Tsushima is 33 percent off, The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion - Remastered is 20 percent off, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is 45 percent off, and Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine II is 40 percent off, to name a few. The sales are all over the place.
As I usually do in Steam sales, I picked up several very cheap games instead of one or two moderately priced ones, which is why my backlog is so massive. I picked up Furi, Gris, Little Nightmares II, Voidigo, Akimbot, Forgive Me Father 2, Lightning Katana, and 16BitSurvivors all for about $40.
My Steam library numbers in the 600s because of sales like this, so I'm curious as to what your number looks like. How many Steam games have you got in total, and what's the damage been like in this Steam sale in particular?
Sometimes, I just can't help myself. If I see a bunch of games for two or three bucks, I'll add them all into my cart and then watch them sit in my library as I tell myself, "I'll play you one day, I swear." Damn you, Gabe Newell.
So, what about you, dear reader? Got any good deals from this sale? What have you picked up, plan to pick up, or are trying to control yourself from buying? (You are stronger than me.) Let us know in the comments below what's piqued your interest in this year's sale before it ends on July 10.
The post Have you picked up anything good from the 2025 Steam Summer Sale, Destructoid? appeared first on Destructoid. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destructoid Friday, July 4, 2025 4:28 AM
Mecha Break has been attracting plenty of players since its global release on July 1 (July 2 in some regions), and it offers plenty of value for free-to-play players.
However, it's one thing for a game to be available for free to all, and another for it to be fair for its player base. It's quite obvious that those willing to spend real-life money will have certain advantages. In case of Mecha Break, the push you get from unlocking your wallet is very minimal in the current build, and here's why I believe it's pretty fair to those who don't want to be involved in microtransactions.
What makes Mecha Break free-to-play friendly?
Every free-to-play game needs to tick certain boxes if we don't want to deem them as pay-to-win.
In the case of Mecha Break, Strikers play the most significant roles when it comes to gameplay. At launch, there are 15 Strikers, and 12 are available for free. You can switch between these 12 mechs at ease. Out of the three locked strikers, only Inferno is top-tier, and you can use Stego instead if you want to play an Ultra-Heavy Attacker.
All three locked Strikers can be unlocked for 15,000 Mission Tokens each. Mission Tokens are the standard currency inside Mecha Break that you earn after every match. You also get this resource by completing different in-game objectives. On average, you get to earn around 100 Mission Tokens per match (this doesn't take into account daily/seasonal objectives, so your net income will be more).
Yes, you can spend a one-time amount and get a special contract that offers certain privileges. It unlocks Inferno immediately, and you'll always earn double Mission Tokens, along with a host of other rewards. However, do I feel that the difference is ground-breaking? The answer, right now, is no. Yes, Inferno is an excellent Striker out of the three locked ones, but there are enough good, and perhaps better, alternatives available to all for free. If you want, you can always unlock Inferno with your Mission Tokens.
There is are premium currency in Mecha Break called Corite. You can buy them with real-life money, and they can be used in the user market to get various items. Out of everything you can get with Corite, there are Mods. Yes, these mods do have in-game effects when fitted with your mechs. However, there's also something worth noting about these mods: they can only be used in the Mashmak mode. This mode is close to what Extraction in other games feels like.
The Mashmak mode is a PvPvE mode, and yes, there are faults with its design. I feel that Mashmak being fully Co-op and PvE will have provided more fun, as we have the PvP modes for competitive gameplay. But you can't pay your way to better results in the PvP modes because your mods aren't allowed over there.
To wrap up, you have great Strikers available for free from the very start. My favorite is Tricera, and it's arguably one of the three best mechs in the current meta (the best Defender as well). Mods are the only item you can purchase with real money, but they're only available in Operation Storm (the Mashmak mode). You can also farm mods from this section, but that's a grindier process.
I fail to understand how exactly the game is pay-to-win in its current iteration. Yes, the in-game economy has loads of issues if you're a fan of cosmetic customizations. Skins cost way too much, and players should have an easier way to customize the looks of their Strikers. But these customizations and skins have no direct correlation with how many wins you can get or how easily you can rank up in the PvP modes.
That could change in the near future if the developers follow a different path. For now, you can easily enjoy Mecha Break without spending any money. The frequency of your ranking up will depend entirely on how well you can drive and manage your Strikers and master the roles.
The post Why Mecha Break isn't pay-to-win, for now appeared first on Destructoid. |
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