Indie developer Chimera Entertainment is taking its gorgeous 4X strategy RPG, Songs of Silence, 1.0 on November 13th for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. Blending a story-driven campaign, with fast-paced tactical battles and resource management, Songs of Silence features a 15-ish hour story campaign, as well as PvP and co-op multiplayer skirmishes. Perhaps its most striking feature is the beautiful Art Nouveau art style. On the gameplay front, you will assemble an army of over 100 units as you attempt to defeat rival kingdoms for resources as you rebuild the realm.
I first discovered Songs of Silence a couple of weeks ago and it has wedged itself in my brain ever since – this one is definitely going on my PS5 wishlist. Check out the new 1.0 launch trailer below.
The Metro series is good, real good. Based on a series of Russian novels, the well-developed lore behind the scenes certainly sets the stage but the games just deliver on that promise weaving excellent action and set pieces through its storylines. Metro Awakening is the upcoming addition to the series that mostly found its conclusion with Metro: Exodus; but this time the game follows a doctor rummaging through the Russian underground instead of a combat veteran rampaging past its checkpoints and opposing forces. So expect more story and stealth than bullets and bravado, although from the gameplay below, things do kick off only a few minutes in with a mounted machine gun against a wave of onrushing aliens. What also should set this entry into the series apart is that Khan, who's tale you are to follow, is fully voiced to better flesh out the story and interactions with other characters; unlike the Artyom from the original trilogy of games who was a silent protagonist. Then there is the fact that the creator of the original novels, Dmitry Glukhovsky, has been closely working with this newest game to get the tone and feel right; and that it's in VR. Did I mention the VR? Well, it's in VR, which probably benefits both ways. Taking the primary focus off of third person shooting and into first person interaction should play to the strengths of VR as a medium.
Metro Awakening releases November 7th. Pre-orders of the deluxe edition on PSVR2 and Steam VR can get early access starting tomorrow, November 5th. When the game releases in full it will be available on PlayStation VR2, Meta Quest 2, 3, 3S, Steam VR, and Viveport.
It actually makes a lot of sense.
The biggest thematic shift in the Dungeons & Dragons 2024 Dungeon Master's Guide is "fun." Publisher Wizards of the Coast wants lots of it, more of it, and for you to keep making it. Before you get to the text of Chapter 1: The Basics, the (admittedly very fun) full-page artwork is captioned:
You don't need a magical game table to play D&D, but wouldn't it be fun?
The word fun is mentioned 31 times in the first 15 pages of the DM's Guide. This is a change from the 2014 5e DM's Guide, which mentioned the word fun sparingly and, sometimes, seemingly on accident. That's all changed in the 2024 DM's Guide. In a chapter that conversationally describes the many roles and responsibilities of a DM, the 'fun count' keeps going up:
Even in the Example of Play section, it describes letting a player step in the way of a monster's attack because it gives the player "a fun heroic moment."
Then there's a sidebar for not the Rule of Cool, but the Rule of Fun:
D&D is a game, and everyone should have fun [ding!] playing it. Everyone shares equal responsibility in moving the game along, and everyone contributes to the fun [ding!] when they treat each other with respect and consideration: talking through disagreements among players or their characters, and remembering that arguments or mean-spirited squabbles can get in the way of the fun [ding!].
People have many different ideas about what makes D&D fun [ding!]. The "right way" to play D&D is the way you and your players agree to and enjoy. If everyone comes to the table prepared to contribute to the game, the entire table is likely to have a wonderful and memorable time.
But that sidebar isn't all. The fun discussion continues:
Then there is an entire section titled "Ensuring Fun for All" that wraps up Chapter 1. There is a Game Expectations sheet that serves as a broad outline for important meta topics to cover during your Session 0, before the actual gameplay begins. The Game Expectations sheet is a new concept that has emerged among D&D tables over the past 10 years. It covers potentially sensitive elements (such as spiders, snakes, demons, romance, and mind control). It describes Hard Limits and Soft Limits on such topics.
If a player puts a hard limit on romance, for instance, it means that player is asking for that topic to not be mentioned or even included in the campaign.
Or if a player puts a soft limit on, say, demons, it means that player would like those topics handled with care or off-camera, so to speak.
All of this, of course, is to "ensure the game is fun for everyone." But Chapter 1 continues its fun tirade:
If nothing else, the new DM's Guide wants to put the "fun" in Dungeons & Dragons. Fungeons, if you will. If you cram all of these mentions of fun all together (as I've done here), the word "fun" stops making sense. But Chapter 1 means well. And rather than try and define what fun is for all people—because it varies from person to person—the chapter simply provides sound advice on how to access fun for you the DM and your table of players. Fun is hard to define. All I know is that D&D has a lot of it.
I wasn't going to mention this, but out of nowhere, Chapter 1 has a picture of Zuggtmoy, the Demon Queen of Fungi ... probably just so Wizards could sneak "fun" onto the page a couple more times (get it? Fun guy?)
The new D&D 2024 Dungeon Master's Guide is out in early access now on D&D Beyond if you've preordered it. Otherwise, the book hits store shelves November 12. If you've read our review of the D&D 2024 Player's Handbook and feel like you're ready to be on the DM's side of the DM's screen (or if no one else is willing to take on the job), then the new DM's Guide is your next step.
Fresh off the review from my colleague Jason, I am here to make a confession. I actually had a lot of fun playing Call Of Duty Black Ops 6 multiplayer mode simply titled as Zombies. Sure I'm a fan of Left 4 Dead, G.T.F.O, and any game where you shoot down endless hordes of creatures with your friends. I even played The Descent for a bit, which is more of a top down shooter, but I digress. I have two Call of Duty streams on my content pages. Who am I?
This isn't a review, per se, but it is a full resolution of "don't knock it 'til you try it." I will also bring to light that if not for Game Pass, this would've been a no for me, so I'm glad I made the space for the 137 GB monstrosity. I just wanted to clear the air. I know nothing about this game. I have seen the toxicity it produces, and the realism does nothing for me. Beautiful game, just not my cup of tea.
I do love Zombies though. You can play the game solo, or with a team, and you can't just go in tearing things up. You need reps. You need strategy. You need to run. And you need to die. You will do all of those things. Once you ready up with your pew pew 9mm weapon, and your knife, once you learn how to use it (Thanks, Loot Lovas Lounge), you're off and running. You're told to hit some markers on a map, and to hit those markers, you need essence. Not the magazine, even though you use magazines in this game. I got off track.
As you maul through zombies, you realize they come in rounds, and the longer the rounds, the more zombies that come. You get essence from killing these freaks, and use that to get through laser barriers and get to the next checkpoints. You can also use essence to set traps for the zombies, like electric fields, and a standee that shoots laser beams from her eyes. Essence also gets you new guns, and more armor slots (Thanks, DJ Coolbreeze), but it doesn't stop there.
Essence will get you upgrades to your weapons, and your operators. You can get different stamina perks, and something called "pack a punch", which upgrades THE WEAPON IN YOUR HAND (thanks, Me) with max ammo, and bullet power. You can also get one for melee purposed, and punch the dim lights out of some brain dead heads. Lastly, you can get ammo from an ammo crate for a smooth 250. That isn't the only in game currency though.
You can also pick up salvage, dropped sometimes by your undead enemies. Salvage is the same idea, except it can only be used a certain stations. You can upgrade the rarity of your current weapon, or add napalm, or electricity to the weapon you currently wield. If it can't be upgraded, the game will tell you. All of this, while running from Zombies, and waiting for an extraction, is the name of the game. Except, we never made it to extraction.
This is where the loadout comes in. The loadout doesn't come to you until you hit level 5, and then you can change your starting weapon. Weapons level up as you use them, so if you want to unlock a new weapon in the assault rifle category, you're going to have to level up. You will eventually be able to augment your weapon as well. I just upgraded my sub machine gun because I used it a lot., and now it's more powerful, but there are diminishing returns. You can also change your tactical and lethal weapons, so instead of a regular grenade, you can start out with C4. You can pick those up in the field.
The gobblegum, and the Field upgrades are still something I am not privy on. I don't know how to trigger them, and my gobblegum load out is absurd, as I tried to get rare and even legendary ones to pop up. If you don't know what I'm talking about, it's ok. I don't either. If anyone wants to go to the comments on my streams and tell me, it would be very appreciated.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is available right now, in bundles. Or get that sweet sweet Game Pass, and don't shell out another dime more than the monthly subscription. While some people only want to play one mode, and won't branch out for fun (Thanks for nothing, Charles), I invite you. Give Zombies a shot. I can't believe I just typed that.
This article may hit a little late, but fortunately for you, you can play scary games all year round. I just asked the fine folks at Gaming Nexus what is their favorite spooky or scary game to play. And I specifically asked for the favorite, not the scariest. I'll go first.
Joseph - Resident Evil VII: Biohazard
Let me start off with the fact that I do not play scary games. I hate them, because they scare me. In my early days of streaming, I played Resident Evil VII, super late, for the first time. There was no reason for this game to be as scary as it was. This was the introduction of Ethan Winters, and his girlfriend Mia, who was also half antagonist. Then you meet her family, and they're worse. This was also the first Resident Evil in first person, and though the Ethan Winters sequel Resident Evil: Village was toned down. the Bienviento House, was a return to Biohazard form, and I did not take it well.
Randy - Inside
Inside is a 2016 sequel to the black and white hit Limbo, where you die, and die again. The protagonist is silent through most of the game, and though most of it is puzzle and strategy based, the graphic deaths include drowning, getting mauled by dogs, and electrocution. Randy remembers that there was a preorder bonus of a human blob, courtesy of the Real Doll company. So there's that.
Randy has in fact played Inside, and penned one of the THREE reviews on this very site. He says "Inside was pretty much three hours of me shaking my head, clutching my chest, and realizing every few minutes that my mouth was hanging wide open. This is a game that will still be talked about five years from now—even 10 years from now.". And that was in 2016, so we're right smack dab in the middle. I've deleted the statement that Randy has never played the game.
Eric - Exorcist: Legion VR
Anything horror in VR, in my opinion, will always be scary. Of course, our editor in chief would choose Exorcist: Legion. Based on the the Exorcist III, the 2017 VR hit has been described as "truly terrifying". The game comes in chapters, and "tests your resolve and courage". Eric specifically brings up a scary church with a dead pig, possessed statues, and made him question if even playing the game was a good decision. I know I won't be playing it. There's crying babies in the trailer. No thank you.
Jason - The Last of Us Part 2
You may think The Last of Us Part 2 is an action adventure game that happens to have zombies in it, but I have to agree that it is a very scary, dare say horrifying experience. This game plays with your brain, and tugs at your heart, before ripping it out, only to put it back in. Then it rips your heart out again. There are scenes in the cinematics alone that are absolutely gut wrenching, and it doesn't help that there are even more infected in this game. I believe this is the one with the sneaky infected, who you have to hear coming out of nowhere, and that's terrifying. I have not played this since the first playthrough. I hope those who are watching the show are ready for season 2. It's not going to be pretty.
John - Half Life Alyx
Another VR immersive experience, Half Life Alyx is graphically stunning. Released in 2020, the visuals and levels are amazing to see in VR, but John picked out the "Jeff Level", which is chapter 7. Readily available via playthroughs online, the sounds alone creep me all the way out. I guess I would have to play it, to make it that far, but again, VR horror games are a no no. Jeff can't see you, but he can hear you, and that's all I need to say. Just think. Blind monster, chasing you, waiting on you to make a sound. No.
What is your favorite spooky game? I would say leave it in the comments below, but the internet doesn't know how to act, so if this gets shared to our other socials, consider yourself one of the good ones. Happy Halloween!
*UPDATE: the publisher reached out to clarify that Diggerland pass is a family pass*
Yes, this is real, and yes, that equates to $644,138.98 US Dollars. The mad lads at publisher Wired Productions and developer Just Add Water are upping the ante for collector’s editions in the video game industry. This (extremely) special version of DIG VR, the Meta Quest VR game all about operating heavy digging machinery, is available to order now over at the publisher’s website.
The DIG VR collector’s edition includes a litany of incredible items. Here is the list, pulled directly from the press release:
Folks, that is how you do a collector’s edition. But do be sure to read the fine print, because there is a catch – shipping is not included. Also, it will take about six months for your order to be ready once placed, meaning you’ll have plenty of time to figure out how to get two full-sized pieces of industrial machinery hauled to your front door. Or maybe right through it.
If you don’t have half a million pounds sterling burning a hole in your knickers, you can also just buy the game a la carte for 14 pounds sterling, which equates to a far more palatable $19.99 US Dollars.
Lithuanian indie developer Karaclan is releasing its very first game on November 14th, a choice-driven turn-based RPG called VED. With a gorgeous hand-drawn art style and animation work, VED is certainly a looker, which you can check out in the new trailer below.
In VED, you play as Cyrus, a young man who discovers that he can teleport between two interconnected worlds – the human world, and a magical world full of dangerous beings. Cyrus embarks on a journey based on your choices as the player, which will directly affect the fate of both worlds. VED’s story is non-linear, with every choice you make having potentially irreversible effects or leading to an alternative ending. The developer says that a single playthrough will take around 10 hours, but that one is not enough to see every outcome in the game.
It also features multiple factions which create a dynamic relationship system with other characters based on their views and beliefs. From a gameplay standpoint, VED has a turn-based battle system where positioning is key, and combined with incredible enemy design, it looks quite good.
VED will release on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Xbox.
Spooky season is upon us, Halloween is tomorrow and Bandai Namco has dropped a new trailer for Little Nightmares III. This time around the game follows characters Low and Alone and this trailer shows off a new level, the Candy Factory where Low and Alone have to sneak around while avoiding the watchful eye of "The Supervisor". Check it out below.
Little Nightmares III is launching in 2025 on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Series X, Switch and PC.
Nintendo has been panned for shooting down channels and content, for using their content. The constant cry of the internet is that if Nintendo would give us access to their music, then we wouldn't have this problem. Nintendo broke the 4th wall today, looked dead at the screen and said "Fine. We'll do it ourselves." Welp. You asked for it.
Nintendo Music is here. And yes, it looks just like Spotify and Apple Music, and yes, most of your favorite Nintendo music is here. You can look music up per character, game, and even download the songs to your device for offline play. All your repeat, shuffle, and playlist creations are available, too. You can download this and start playing the Outset Island theme right now, but ONLY if you have a Nintendo Switch Online account. So yeah, like Spotify, or Apple Music. Enjoy.
Pop quiz: Name the effects you get from the six levels of Exhaustion.
Look, I can't either. Here is the old Dungeons & Dragons 5e Player's Handbook chart:
Level | Effect |
1 | Disadvantage on ability checks |
2 | Speed halved |
3 | Disadvantage on attack rolls and saving throws |
4 | Hit point maximum halved |
5 | Speed reduced to 0 |
6 | Death |
And here is the new D&D 2024 Player's Handbook Exhaustion chart:
Level | d20 Rolls | Speed |
1 | -2 | -5 ft. |
2 | -4 | -10 ft. |
3 | -6 | -15 ft. |
4 | -8 | -20 ft. |
5 | -10 | -25 ft. |
6 | Death | Death |
See? Much easier, despite having an extra column.
When looking at the new chart, your d20 dice rolls (called d20 "Tests" for some reason) are affected. When you make a d20 Test—ability checks, attack rolls, and saving throws—the roll is reduced by 2 times your Exhaustion level.
And your Speed is affected. Your Speed is reduced by a number of feet equal to 5 times your Exhaustion level.
Now we have an Exhaustion chart with sensible, easy-to-remember progression. The old 5e method had your d20 Tests split up and affected on Exhaustion levels 1 and 3. Your Speed was affected on Exhaustion levels 2 and 5. Out of nowhere your HP max was cut in half at Exhaustion level 4. It's no wonder nobody liked Exhaustion. Not because it isn't a cool concept. Hitting your players with Exhaustion is an excellent way to take them down a peg when nothing else is working. As with all things: Just be fair about it, Dungeon Master.
I still never liked using the old method because the progression was spiked and inconsistent. My players would be like, "Exhaustion level 1? No big deal. As long as I don't have to make any ability checks, I'm still good."
But with this new method? Detrimental effects start now. It's not crazy, but it's hitting your players with math right away. I've already incorporated into my gameplay twice in the past two weeks. Am I overdoing it? Maybe. But it's too simple and effective to not use now. Regardless, Death awaits at Exhaustion level 6. Not unconsciousness. Not death saving throws. Just:
Death.
Exhaustion is now elegant, usable, and still very dangerous. There are 15 conditions altogether.
Some of those conditions go unchanged since 2014's 5e rules. But Exhaustion, nestled unsuspectingly between Deafened and Frightened, is a big, beautiful change that you should bring back to your table immediately.
The D&D 2024 Player's Handbook launched September 17.