Xmas is almost here, so it’s time to play Skeal Ba-ya-ya, ba-da-da-da-da-da, ba-ya-ya Image credit:RPS / Nick Cummings The nights are heavy, the sun is frail. The mountain moans its hunger. The rivers are frozen scars and the trees are become hard flashes of black lightning. Bells haunt the wind and peculiar bearded men appear in the fireplaces, to be chased away with pies and brandy. The roses, strangely, are in bloom....

Yokai farming sim Tales of Seikyu gets an early access release date, may or may not let you date a handsome otter man On the otter hand, maybe it’s better to leave the heart wanting Image credit:ACE Entertainment Alright, look, I get it. There’s a lot of farming sims already. There’s even the odd anime inspired farming sim here and there. But Tales of Seikyu , which fits into that second camp, is different, I promise, because it has dating - and I think you can date an anthropomorphic otter man....

After a rocky year, Risk of Rain 2’s next bit of DLC looks to offer some stable ground More maps, more survivors, more risk Image credit:Gearbox/ Risk of Rain Team Risk of Rain 2 is still trudging along, it seems, as yesterday publisher Gearbox announced that a new expansion is on the way, Alloyed Collective. In a post over on Steam , the Risk of Rain team explained that alongside updating the game’s previous bit of DLC, Seekers of the Storm, they’ve brought on some “additional folks that are familiar with Risk of Rain to help us build out the next DLC....

All cheats and console commands in Schedule 1 How to cheat your way to the top in Schedule 1 Image credit:TVGS Looking for a list of all cheats and console commands in Schedule 1? The latest early access success on Steam is Schedule 1, which invites players to fulfill their drug kingpin dreams by starting out as a minor pusher and then selling enough weed (and harder stuff) to claim respect from everyone needing a fix....

Alone In The Dark review: a neatly crafted reboot that seems afraid to step into the unknown Bad manors Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/THQ Nordic Developer: Pieces Interactive Publisher: THQ Nordic Release: March 20th 2024 On: Windows From: Steam , GOG Price: £50/$60/€60 Reviewed on: Intel Core-i7 10750HF, 16GB RAM, Nvidia RTX 2070, Windows 10 Detective Edward Carnby looks very different these days, and not only because he’s made of a lot more polygons....

Our favorite gaming SSD is over $360 off for a limited time. Image credit:RPS Photo Composite / Western Digital WD_BLACK 8TB SN850X NVMe Internal Gaming M.2 SSD $511.78 (was $879.99) See here The WD Black SN850X was named “the best PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD for gaming” in RPS’ best SSD roundup , and for very good reason as well. According to RPS Tech Editor, James Archer, this is an “outrageously” fast PCIe Gen4 NVMe drive with read speeds of 7,300MB/s and write speeds of 6,600MB/s, with models including 1TB, 2TB, 4TB and 8TB options, and it’s also PlayStation 5 compatible if you’re interested in the console side of things as well....

AMD Ryzen 9000 delayed after first chips fail to meet “quality expectations” Ryzen 5 9600X and pals pushed back to August Image credit:AMD In a certifiably not-great week for gaming CPUs, AMD have announced that the new Ryzen 9000 series is being delayed for a few days. That’s thanks to initial production units not being up to standards, an AMD executive admitted, and comes shortly after rivals Intel copped to a potentially chip-killing fault in their latest Core processors....

Anti-porn group who tried to ban GTA 5 claim credit for Steam’s sex game crackdown Australian org Collective Shout declare “victory” after Valve policy change Image credit:Rockstar Valve recently changed Steam’s rules and regulations to give banks, payment processors, and internet service providers some control over the definition of acceptable “adult content” on Steam, in line with their own respective policies. As Valve suggested to RPS in a statement, it was either that or risk a credit card firm or bank blocking Steam purchases at large....

Arc Raiders update rips out one of the game’s most maddening puzzles Guitars now sold at Shani’s Image credit:Screenrant / Nexon Arc Raiders has a new Headwinds game update that, amongst many other things , removes an extravagantly drawn-out puzzle from the game’s Buried City map. Introduced in December, the puzzle in question saw people tracking down and pushing 15 buttons in a certain order to unlock a secret chamber containing an actual, strummable guitar....

Arknights Endfield: How does the pity system work? Trying to wrap your head around Arknights Endfield’s pity system? Here’s exactly how to guarantee a six star operator. Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun / Gryphline Need a rundown of how Arknights Endfield’s pity system works? Once you’ve completed the opening segment of this free-to-play sci-fi RPG, you’ll gain access to the game’s Headhunting menu. Headhunting is your home for all things gacha-related, and as expected for a game with gacha mechanics, that means there’s a pity system to learn....

As it approaches its second early access anniversary, Enshrouded gets a 1.0 release window for later this year A proper date hasn’t been set yet, however Image credit:Keen Games More and more as time goes on I feel that if I blink a whole two years will pass, and suddenly a game like Enshrouded , which is coming up to its second early access anniversary, will be gearing up for its proper 1....

Atomfall’s first expansion takes you to a wicked new island when it arrives next week Isle of Fright Image credit:Rebellion Developments Developer Rebellion Developments revealed a first look at Atomfall’s first DLC expansion yesterday. Titled Wicked Isle, it unsurprisingly brings you to an island called Midsummer Island that is, in fact, a bit wicked, but like, in the bad way, not in the something a teen in the 2000s would say about something they like kind of way....

Avowed: Best Giatta companion build Here are the best abilities for Giatta, your animancer Wizard companion in Avowed Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Obsidian Wondering what the best build is for Giatta, your third companion in Avowed? Giatta is an animancer Wizard in Avowed - basically, someone who studies the energy behind souls and figures out ways to manipulate them. Those who played the Pillars of Eternity games are probably familiar with animancy, which is a controversial practice in Avowed’s world of Eora, but if you haven’t, all you need to know is that Giatta is an excellent healer who deserves a place in your group purely for her support skills....

Axe Ghost is mix of Tetris, Sokoban, and Gloomhaven - a sort of ‘Tekken’, if you will Please don’t think about that too much Image credit:Tomasz Kaye. Brevity soul’d or no, wit can also be the enemy of honesty; a fundamentally performative pin brooch with an artificial sheen. When I go back over my notes after playing a game, at least two-thirds of them will routinely be useless and powerfully crap jokes I’ve written in lieu of practical points because - even in a document no-one but me will ever read - I cannot bear to cease reminding myself that I’m an implausibly clever sausage....

Battle Aces is a fast and furious mechabug RTS from Blizzard talent that turns Starcraft into a game of cards A blizzard of potential Image credit:Uncapped Games Battle Aces is billed as “a vision of the future for real-time strategy ” but if you glance at a screen, you might think you’re staring into the past: another toonified science fiction world of scuffed, shiny nodules, lanes and arenas, an overly functional colour scheme, and hotkeyed hordes of little and large units that appear devoid of personality, even by top-down generalissimo standards....

Best Borderlands 4 Vex builds The best builds for the Phase Phamiliar, Incarnate, and Dead Ringer skill trees Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/2K Looking for the best Borderlands 4 Vex builds? Vex is the latest Siren poster child in Borderlands, and aside from being a cool Goth witch with plenty of sass, she boasts a tonne of versatility with her playstyle. Want to summon minions, rip apart mobs with a spectral cat, or focus purely on elemental damage that can incinerate all opponents?...

Best Light Bowgun in Monster Hunter Wilds These are the best endgame Light Bowguns in Wilds right now Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Capcom What is the best Light Bowgun in Monster Hunter Wilds? The Light Bowgun is a familiar sight in Monster Hunter; immense ranged firepower in a lightweight package that still allows mobility while you fight, rather unlike its bulkier brethren. By now you’ve likely taken a glance at the Light Bowgun weapon tree and seen just how many Monster Hunter Wilds has to offer you, but we’re here to help you narrow down the choice a little....

Black Myth Wukong Awaken Wine Worm locations Improve your healing by finding Awaken Wine Worms in Black Myth Wukong Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Game Science Looking for Awaken Wine Worms in Black Myth Wukong? They may not sound too delicious, but using Awaken Wine Worms to upgrade your drinks is a good idea, as these rare materials will improve the drink’s healing effect. With 12 Awaken Wine Worms in total, you can upgrade more than one drink if you’d like, such as the common Coconut Wine or the rare Lambbrew....

Borderlands 4 gets an earlier release date, as accidentally revealed by Randy Pitchford “Oops - timezones” Image credit:2K Games First-person “comedy” shooter Borderlands 4 will be released sooner than previously expected, according to a video accidentally tweeted too early by Randy Pitchford. The original date of September 23rd is being shifted in some sort of bizarre anti-delay. “Everything is going kinda the best case scenario,” says the Gearbox CEO, “and so the launch date for Borderlands 4 is changing....

Borderlands makers Gearbox don’t quite escape Embracer layoffs despite recent sale, as studio confirm fresh cuts No jobs related to development of games were affected, studio claims Image credit:Gearbox Software Despite seemingly escaping the Embrace(r) of death through their sale to Take-Two at the end of last month, Gearbox Entertainment haven’t quite emerged unscathed. The studio has confirmed a number of layoffs shortly after the announcement of the sale, while clarifying that no positions related to the development of games were affected....