Posts

We’re three weeks away from the release of theResident Evil 4 remake, and in preparation of its imminent launch Capcom chucked over a fresh batch of in-game footage for us to talk about. The 17 minute long video showcased various sections from the game, including a late-game boss fight and a greatly expanded early area that sees Leon exploring a series of creepy caves. As Rock Paper Shotgun’s ResidentResident EvilLiker, I took it upon myself to obsessively study each individual frame of this video file to uncover its hidden secrets....

The hexciting return of Triumph’s 4X tactics fantasy Somehow, it’s been almost a decade since the last numberedAge Of Wondersgame. Despite dipping their toes into the sci-fi realm withAge Of Wonders: Planetfallthree-odd years ago, developers Triumph are now returning to their fantastical 4X strategy roots withAge Of Wonders 4, due out on PC in just a couple of monthson May 2nd- and what a homecoming it’s shaping up to be. I’ve spent the better part of a week and half playing an early build of AOW 4, getting to grips with its enormous array of customizable factions and hero types in its generous crop of single-player realm maps....

Believe it or not, that’s a 26% reduction below its UK RRP. The Alienware AW3423DWF is a monitor we’vetalked abouta few times, as this 34-in ultrawide QD-OLED manages to outperform almost everything else on the market - albeit with a four-figure price tag thatalsoeclipses almost every alternative. Now though, this 3440x1440 165Hz gaming OLED has dropped in price by a sizeable 26% or £310. That brings the monitor well into three-figure territory at £880, still pricy but a reasonable value given that this Dell monitor is head and shoulders above its IPS, VA and TN opponents....

For better and worse Dead Island 2seems destined to be a competent but unoriginal take on the zombie smashing genre. I am undecided if I find the prospect an entertaining diversion or a mind-numbing waste of time, but a new, extended 14-minute demonstration might help you make up your mind. Here’s the video: The demonstration goes into a lot of detail aboutDead Island 2’s combat, using the brawler character Dani as a starting point....

A sandy summer vacation The next game from the studio behind The Surge,Atlas Fallen, was announced last year with a CG trailer that didn’t give much away. A few snippets of gameplay at the end of the trailer revealed speedy action against giant beasts and a semi-open world desert you can slide across - and who doesn’t love sliding in games? We now know when to expect developer Deck13’s latest, as the team have announced a May 16th date for PC and consoles....

According to sources talking to Reuters Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard is likely to be approved by EU regulators, according to areport by Reuters. Three people “familiar with the matter” have apparently said that the offer of licensing deals to rivals, such as Nintendo, Nvidia and Sony, have succeeded in addressing EU antitrust concerns. The sources further told Reuters that it was not expected that Microsoft will be required to sell any assets in order for the deal to be approved....

And through the weekend That series is presumably destined to be yearly, although Frontierran into a community backlashin October last year when they announced a coming update to F1M22 would be the last “that addresses player-reported feedback, or suggested changes and additions.” They walked the comment back quickly, blaming “crossed wires”, and said that more updates were in development which would address “the most important topics raised by the community.”

The money raised is split between three different organisations Humble Bundle’s latest is raising money for relief efforts in southern Türkiye and northern Syria due to the earthquakes which have killed over 50,000 people and displaced thousands more. The bundle compiles over 60 games, including some heavy hitters such asGotham KnightsandXCOM 2, alongside some smaller gems likeBackboneandCris Tales.The Earthquake Relief Bundleis available for £25/$30 (or any higher price) until March 8th and all proceeds will be going to charity....

Turn on all the mucky filters and revel in the fancy mess The Half-Life: Ray Traced mod builds uponXash3D FWGS, an open-source replacement engine, by adding real-time path tracing. This fancies up the game’s lighting with more dynamic shadows and reflections, volumetric lighting, and all that. Light fills rooms, niches are appropriately shadowy, spinning fan blades and grates cast exciting shadows, glass refracts objects behind it, god rays beam down, signs and slimes glow, reflections capture everything around them (including Gordon himself), our boy casts his own full-body shadow, a few areas have added dramatic lighting, and so on....

Say goodbye to goats and superheroes March means Springtime has begun and it’s finally time to say goodbye to Winter - and a fresh batch of Game Pass leavers. This month’s leaving soon list is bulkier than usual, with games such asGuardians Of The Galaxy,Goat Simulator, and Undertale all waving goodbye on March 15/16th. Leaving PC Game Pass in March: You can complete most of this list pretty comfortably in two weeks, except forThe Nonary Gameswhich last a few dozen hours....

Sniffers inbound We already know all the major features of theMinecraft1.20 update, including theaudience-voted Sniffer mob, pluscherry blossom biome and archaeology activities. We didn’t previously know its name, though: the Trails & Tales update. Mojang announced the namein a blog post, but also in a new video series called Minecraft Monthly: There are some things in this video I personally didn’t already know. For example, armour trims are soon coming to the Bedrock beta version....

Is that a Kill Bill? Martial arts brawlerSifuhas put a date on its upcoming Arenas expansion and Steam release: March 28th. We’ve known about the free update since last April’sroadmap, but developer Sloclap have finally released a trailer detailing the new modes in the expansion. All very exciting stuff for fans of the kickpunching adventure, although, if you’re my kind of nerd, you likely got a kick out of all the film references in the trailer....

Use this map as a step by step guide to finishing Sons Of The Forest Looking for a Sons Of The Forest map which shows you where to get everything you need?Sons Of The Forestwastes no time in dropping you into the middle (or sometimes the edge) of a gigantic and merciless island populated with cannibals and grotesque mutants alike. There’s a fair few items and weapons to find, particularly in the northwest quadrant of the island, but locating them is a different story - particularly when you realise that you have to obtain a lot of items in the right order if you want to progress through the game....