Publisher Krafton had called it a “game-as-a-service” Likewise, they clarified that the game is “not multiplayer focused”. Co-op will be an “entirely optional way to play the game”, with singleplayer available as it was in the original. Financial reports are, of course, designed for shareholders and not for the gaming public. Shareholders know that “games-as-a-service” games make a lot of money, and is probably a term they’re more likely to understand and be excited by versus “Early Access but with patches....

As the Steam Next Fest continues, we’re like “what’s the deal with the Townscaperlikes?” This week The Electronic Wireless Show podcast is a bit shorter because I accidentally stopped recording in the middle of it, and then had to sort of restart. Though movie magic you will never know the difference, except I just told you. Oh no! Anyway, with theSteam Next Festongoing, I noticed an uptick in games and demos for games that are just about making a nice diorama, and have no goals or real restrictions....

I told you flares were back Calling dusty post-apocalyptic city builders a trend is probably a stretch, but not by much. I suppose it’s a natural extension of the post-2000s explosion of the survival sim from “literally about 3 ever made” to “does your tetris remake really need the hunger meter”. Games likeAgainst The Stormporting over the roguelike element as well certainly suggest it. In my head, that’s probably whyNew Cyclehangs out more withEndzone Dash A World Apart, andSurviving The Aftermath....

It’s a refurbished unit, but with a three-year warranty and no bad sectors. Need to store a lot of non-critical data? Live in the US? Want to maximise value over speed? Have we got the storage device for you: a refurbished 12TB Seagate enterprise HDD. These drives typically go for around $130 new, but you can pick them up for just $82 in “refurbished - excellent” condition on Ebay US. Their specialist HDD seller promises fully tested drives with zero bad sectors and a three-year warranty, which sounds great at $6....

The Thermalright Assassin X 120R SE Plus is a solid option, especially at this price. If you’re on the lookout for a powerful yet inexpensive CPU cooler, this discounted option from Thermalright might be a good shout. It’s down to £15.90 from £18.90, turning an already good value CPU cooler equipped with two fans into an absolute bargain. This CPU cooler ought to be powerful enough to deal with all but the very hottest CPUs - think Intel’s Core i9 models that often require a 240mm AiO liquid cooler or better to sustain a full all-core load....

Tiny Trinket Games tell us why they’re trading deeper characters for more involving exploration The success ofBaldur’s Gate 3is a double-edged sword for other CRPGs launching in its wake. On the one hand, there’s arguably a hungrynew audiencefor such games; on the other, you’re going up against one of thebest RPGsever made.Expectations are high, but Tiny Trinket Games' co-founder Stefan Nitescu remains unfazed as his three-strong team prepare to releaseZoria: Age Of Shatteringon March 7th....

Stuck on today’s Wordle word for February 8? Read our hint or find the answer below! This guide is for a previous day! Looking for today’s solution? Check out theWordle hint and answer for Thursday 12th December! Need a hint for today’s Wordle answer?Wordleis an addicting but challenging test of word acumen. Luckily, you’re in the right place for some assistance. Every day, Wordle presents its legions of players with a deviously simple quandary: can you guess the right five-letter word within just six guesses?...

As he plots his final decade or so of garage RPG development, Vogel is remastering past work “I really fight being envious of Larian,” says indieRPGdesigner Jeff Vogel. “Or any other big company. Because everyone’s scared, everyone has hard times, and the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. I’ve had a very successful life where I’ve earned enough and gotten enough stability. And so I’m really happy with my choices....

Alongside new stickers, guns, maps and tweaks The latestCounter-Strike 2update re-introduces Arms Race, a belovedmultiplayermode fromCounter-Strike: Global Offensivein which players level up and are handed new guns as they moider each other, with victory going to the player who levels all the way up and performs a final knifekill. I’ve played many variations of this mode - which was originally a mod, Gun Game - over the years in other games, and it’s always a laugh, for the simple reason that it can be tuned to allow less proficientFPSplayers to catch up with their brethren, by introducing less powerful or harder-to-master weapons at certain levels as “speed bumps”....

A bugged voice line has potentially spoiled Mr. Freeze as a DLC playable character Much hay is made of the concepting of Batman villains, especially from 60s TV series ft. Adam West. It’s done within canon, even! The Condiment King was created for the 90s animated series as a play on those kinds of whimisical, pun-focused villains. He shoots sauce and says things like “You just don’t cut themustard, Batman!”. Maybe when you have to put out at least one issue a month, you throw a lot of villain spaghetti at the wall and see what sticks, and once something does you then go about making “guy who has a thing for the calendar” more of a rounded character - a sinister dude with a weird backstory....

“We really have to think very hard about taking on any kind of project like that” The director ofFinal Fantasy 8has shot down hopes that the next numberedFinal Fantasymight see a remake once theFinal Fantasy 7 Remaketrilogy comes to its conclusion. The reason? Simply that it’s a lot of damn work. Speaking ahead of FF8’s 25th anniversary this month, Yoshinori Kitase - who also serves as the series’ producer - toldIGNthat if a hypothetical remake of VIII were to happen, he’d look to “really rework” the game’s divisive Junction system used for its summons (aka Guardian Forces), character stats and abilities such as magic....

Shielded Center Aldi and Lidl are two all time greats of the supermarket genre. I love their legally distinct take on many of the biggest brands, like the “Racer”, which is basically a Snickers bar. Except I actually prefer the Racer! I can’t remember if it’s Aldi or Lidl that do them, but the “Mini Delight” chocolate sticks are also exceptional. Anyway, Armored Core. Or should I say,Exterminator? Yes, there’s an Aldi Armored Core that’s just opened up in town and it’s actually not half bad....

Your Gold Saucer date night just got way more interesting Square Enix showed off 20 more minutes ofFinal Fantasy VII Rebirthduring a special State Of Play stream last night, and holy heck, they sure are bringing it with the mini-games in this one. There’s a whole Gwent-like card game called Queen’s Blood (watch out Triple Triad), dolphin ride obstacle courses, playing with Mooglets, the return of Intergrade’s FortCondorbattles, a strange bit of chicken wrangling, photographing Red XIII, frog jumping… and that’s before we even get to all the stuff at Gold Saucer....