No Man’s Sky is releasing its 4.1 Fractal Update today, bringing along a new Expedition, tons of accessibility options, a VR overhaul, and much more. Developers Hello Games have updated the game so consistently their launch woes are a distant memory, sent to a faraway galaxy. Since then, No Man’s Sky has become a not just a space exploration game, but a city management sim and a generally nice place to chill with your odd alien pets, all in one package.
Magic Week, I wrote about Team Lazerbeam’s upcoming dating sim Wrestling With Emotions: New Kid On The Block (WWE) and how you’re able to romance a beefcake composed entirely of green ooze. There is, of course, far more to it than that. I asked Team Lazerbeam’s Ben Rausch about how it tackles themes of queer identity and diversity in a kickass way, which I highlighted in my post, but wanted to highlight even more here. Their answers were too good not to share.
Elden Ring has officially sold over 20 million copies in less than a year according to Bandai Namco and developer FromSoftware.
The announcement came just days before Elden Ring’s one year launch anniversary on February 25 in a tweet from the game’s official account (below), and an accompanying statement on Bandai Namco’s website. “Our heartfelt thanks for your support and companionship on this journey,” the post said.
We last heard of Elden Ring sales figures in June last year when it had sold 16.6 million units, but the holiday push and perhaps the slew of Game of the Year awards pushed it over the 20 million figure.
IGN awarded it a 10/10, stating that Elden Ring was FromSoftware’s “largest and most ambitious game yet” whose visually and mechanically impressive boss fights and satisfying exploration and combat made it a title that truly moved the genre forward.
Anthony is a freelance contributor covering science and video gaming news for IGN. He has over eight years experience of covering breaking developments in multiple scientific fields and absolutely no time for your shenanigans. Follow him on Twitter @BeardConGamer
Nintendo has announced a brand new Direct presentation for 9th March, focusing on the upcoming Super Mario Bros. Movie.
Kicking off at 2pm PT/10pm GMT (9th March) /8am AET (10th March), this newly-announced Direct will be showcasing the “final trailer” of Illumination and Nintendo’s animated film. And, as with all of these announcements, Nintendo has reiterated that no info on any games will be shown during the Direct.
We’re excited to let you know that today we are releasing our first major update of 2023. We’re calling it Fractal (version 4.1).
The Fractal update introduces the chance to earn a stunning and exclusive new starship, the Utopia Speeder, which allows travellers to skim across planet surfaces at high velocity.
We’re also launching a new Expedition, Utopia, which challenges players to work together and rebuild an abandoned solar system for the mysterious Utopia Foundation. All is not as it seems, and an expedition-exclusive new crafting mechanic will require players to think about exploration, construction and survival in a whole new way. Other expedition rewards include the exclusive new Fearsome Visor helmet, a robotic drone companion, and much more.
Exploration-minded players also have a new tool-the brand new Wonders Catalogue. This shows off your most incredible discoveries, from tallest mountain to strangest creature. This detailed record of your journey not only allows you to easily compare records with fellow travellers, but gives explorers new goals as they set out to find and document the universe’s most unusual sights.
The options menu has also been totally reworked, introducing a raft of new accessibility features and giving players even more control over the way they play and experience the game. What’s more, these new system features and controls are joined by even more in-game quality of life changes and improvements.
2022 was a pretty packed year for No Man’s Sky with major free updates like Sentinel, Outlaws, Leviathan, Endurance, and Waypoint, plus a whole suite of expeditions. We’ve got an even bigger year planned for 2023, with Fractal marking just the starting point.
Thanks again so much for your continued support. It means a lot to us.
No Man’s Sky comes complete with all 21 major updates up to and including Waypoint, our 4.0 update.
Inspired by the adventure and imagination that we love from classic science-fiction, No Man’s Sky presents you with a galaxy to explore, filled with unique planets and lifeforms, and constant danger and action.
In No Man’s Sky, every star is the light of a distant sun, each orbited by planets filled with life, and you can go to any of them you choose. Fly smoothly from deep space to planetary surfaces, with no loading screens, and no limits. In this infinite procedurally generated universe, you’ll discover places and creatures that no other players have seen before – and perhaps never will again.
Embark on an epic voyage
At the centre of the galaxy lies a irresistible pulse which draws you on a journey towards it to learn the true nature of the cosmos. But, facing hostile creatures and fierce pirates, you’ll know that death comes at a cost, and survival will be down to the choices you make over how you upgrade your ship, your weapon and suit.
Find your own destiny
Your voyage through No Man’s Sky is up to you. Will you be a fighter, preying on the weak and taking their riches, or taking out pirates for their bounties? Power is yours if you upgrade your ship for speed and weaponry.
Or a trader? Find rich resources on forgotten worlds and exploit them for the highest prices. Invest in more cargo space and you’ll reap huge rewards.
Or perhaps an explorer? Go beyond the known frontier and discover places and things that no one has ever seen before. Upgrade your engines to jump ever farther, and strengthen your suit for survival in toxic environments that would kill the unwary.
Share your journey
The galaxy is a living, breathing place. Trade convoys travel between stars, factions vie for territory, pirates hunt the unwary, and the police are ever watching. Every other player lives in the same galaxy, and you can choose to share your discoveries with them on a map that spans known space. Perhaps you will see the results of their actions as well as your own…
A few years ago, alongside Horizon Forbidden West’s development, Guerrilla and Firesprite began collaborating on a new journey in the Horizon universe. Throughout this time, we’ve worked closely together to develop an innovative and action-packed adventure we’re proud to add to the franchise: Horizon Call of the Mountain, designed from the ground up for the PlayStation VR2 with gameplay that’s satisfying to VR veterans and newcomers alike.
Stepping into the world of Horizon and exploring it from a true first-person perspective is spectacular. Players will interact with the world in a more immersive way than ever before, down to the tiniest detail. Even subtle sensations, like running your hands through a flowing stream, or the tension when you pull back your bow string, can be felt by players through the PS VR2 Sense controllers’ precise haptics.
The journey itself takes place between two quests in Horizon Zero Dawn, transporting players into the shoes (well, climbing gloves) of Master Climber and disgraced Shadow Carja soldier, Ryas. Imprisoned, he hopes to earn his freedom and redemption by investigating a mysterious new threat to the Sundom and the world.
The team did a fantastic job crafting these majestic and deceptively peaceful wilds where deadly machines could lurk around any corner. Players will feel an incredible sense of presence in this wilderness thanks to the PS VR2’s incredibly clear 4K HDR displays and 110-degree field of view. And beyond the environment, there’s truly nothing like seeing Horizon’s awe-inspiring machines up close.
Taking on these ferocious machines will have our players calling on every skill they’ve learned throughout their playthrough, with every attack feeling critical. We’re looking forward to seeing how our community faces up to these formidable challenges.
While combat with deadly machines will make players’ hearts race, the sheer spectacle of Horizon’s striking environments, viewed from the high vantage only a Master Climber could reach, will stop players in their tracks as they take it all in.
We thank the exceptional team at Firesprite for joining us on this wonderful adventure to create a new addition to the Horizon franchise and for all of their expertise and talent. We are proud of the story we have created together.
We’d also like to thank our brilliant cast and crew, the tremendous people at PlayStation Studios and Sony Interactive Entertainment, and all Guerrillas for all of their support and, of course, our wonderful community, who inspire us to keep making new adventures.
We hope you enjoy exploring the wilds through the eyes of Ryas.
“You have walked in the shadows, Ryas. Now, it is time to climb into the light.”
Backpack Hero has been in early access for under a year, and it’s now getting a full 1.0 launch on PC and consoles in May. Backpack Hero has been successful for its three-person dev team and stood apart from other roguelikes with its Tetris-inspired inventory management. You see, success in Backpack Hero is determined by how you organise your bag rather than what you’re actually carrying, as you shuffle items around a grid to create synergies and mod your playstyle.
There are generally two types of Kirby games: the standard platformers where Kirby copies enemy abilities across easy-to-complete stages, and the more unique adventures that break wildly from that formula. Kirby’s Return to Dream Land has been solidly in the former camp since its original release on Wii in 2011, making its Deluxe rerelease on Switch recognizable in more ways than one. Strong platforming fundamentals, creative late-game level design, and some worthwhile new content still make it worth revisiting, but it’s a more appealing package for newcomers than those who have already gone on the original adventure.
Like those aforementioned traditional Kirby platformers, the first few worlds in Kirby’s Return to Dreamland Deluxe are so remarkably unchallenging that they strip away any sense of resistance and, frankly, fun to be had. Flashy Super Abilities, which allow Kirby to do things like roll enemies up into a giant snowball or slash a massive sword across the screen, often start as almost automated sections that require very little player input. It’s important to have games that welcome newcomers, but it takes at least a couple of hours before this adventure begins to feel even remotely interesting, regardless of if you’re playing solo or with friends.
However, once you reach that latter half of the campaign, Return to Dream Land begins to reveal what it’s really about. The platforming stages start relying upon Kirby’s copy abilities more heavily, like using the Water ability to skim across fiery blocks, or the Jump ability to soar to new heights by letting him leap vertically and knock enemies out of his way. And it does all of this while throwing increasingly difficult challenges in your path, whether those are (often repetitive) mini bosses fighting you on screens with pitfalls and other dangers in the way, or platforming challenges that have you escaping a wall of death with creative obstacles to scurry around.
The final stretch of Return to Dream Land, in particular, feels like the original developers were able to let loose with a relatively challenging (but never frustrating) conclusion that’s filled with creative levels and enemies alike. The finale in particular is a wild ride, standing tall with surprising twists and genuine challenge. In all, it took me about six hours to float through the main story of Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe, and over half of that runtime felt well worth the journey.
There’s plenty of fun to be had just goofing around levels with a few friends.
Then there’s the multiplayer of it all. Up to three friends can hop in and out locally at any point. They’ll play as either Meta Knight, King Dedede, or Bandana Waddle Dee, who essentially take on one distinct copy ability apiece (Sword, Hammer, and Spear, respectively) and can stack on top of each other or be carried across stages. Playing with this many players blunts some of the finer details of the level design, as it quickly becomes a chaotic game of trying to quickly clear enemies and get to the goal first – a section where you are supposed to time your movements to avoid boulders can quickly just become… run through the boulders and hope someone gets to the other side. Boss patterns can also essentially be ignored as each character pummels the enemy to oblivion. Stages in general feel designed specifically around single-player, but still work with a bigger group if that’s how you choose to play.
However, like similar multiplayer platformers, there’s plenty of fun to be had just goofing around levels with a few friends. The multiplayer is probably best served as a sort of “guardian mode” where you can have a less experienced player tag along and play with you, giving Return to Dream Land yet another way to welcome newcomers.
A Welcome Return
So that’s the original Return to Dream Land, but what the heck is new to this Deluxe version? The most obvious improvement is the graphical overhaul – outside of 2022’s Kirby and the Forgotten Land, this is easily the best Kirby has ever looked, with character models, environments, cutscenes, and everything else looking remarkably improved over the 2011 Wii original. It’s also filled to the brim with charm and small details, like cowboy Kirby walking with a bit of a strut when he’s using the Whip ability.
New abilities fit in so well that I would have just assumed they were always there.
Then there are a few additions to the adventure itself. Three new abilities have been added for Kirby to wreak havoc with: Sand, Mecha, and Festival. Sand allows Kirby to form flurries into objects like sand castles and fists to smack opponents around with. The Mecha ability lets Kirby fly around the screen quickly, shoot off lasers, drop deadly mines, and fire rockets at foes above – it’s probably the most powerful copy ability in Return to Dream Land Deluxe, and my personal favorite. They’ve also brought the Festival ability over from Star Allies, which turns enemies on screen into point stars and health-recovering food items. They fit in so well that had I not known any better, I would have just assumed they were always in the original release as well.
In line with Return to Dream Land being an entry-level platformer, Deluxe also adds an easy mode called Helper Magolor. This character from another planet tosses Kirby helpful items (including health-doubling potions) and saves him when he falls into bottomless pits. While most people probably won’t need this mode turned on, it’s a great option for new or young gamers to help get their feet wet.
Magalor Magic
Speaking of Magolor, he’s the star of Deluxe’s single biggest addition – Magolor Epilogue: The Interdimensional Traveler. In this roughly two-hour mini adventure, you control an interplanetary character, who begins by being stripped of all of his powers, á la Metroid. But through collecting magic points across brand-new stages, you can purchase increasingly powerful abilities, like bombs you can gleefully rain down upon your enemies.
Kirby’s signature ability to copy powers is missed in this mode.
This mode starts a bit slow, with Magolor being intentionally sluggish and relatively weak, but by the end of the journey he can become a downright powerhouse. The stages themselves are about the same quality as what’s seen in the main game, with challenge levels available to unlock if you’ve already purchased their corresponding abilities. Kirby’s signature ability to copy powers is missed in this mode, but it’s fun to get a taste of what a Kirby-style platformer that unfolds with more progression would play like.
True to its name, the Magolor Epilogue can only be played after the main story is finished. Narratively this makes sense, though let’s be honest: nothing in a Kirby game’s story is particularly groundbreaking, and not letting returning players jump right into it feels a little unnecessary. Along those lines, Deluxe includes the original’s Extra Mode, which is a much more difficult version of the main story that gives Kirby less health, adds more enemies to deal with, gives bosses more challenging forms, and more. However, it also cannot be accessed until after the main mode is finished, which seems silly for a Deluxe version that plays almost identically to the original.
Let’s be honest: nothing in a Kirby game’s story is particularly groundbreaking.
There’s also Arena Mode, which similarly unlocks following the main story as a boss rush of sorts to further test your skills. While those certainly pad out the overall play time, I would have preferred access to them right off the bat. New to the package is Merry Magoland, a theme park filled with “sub-games” that put you against other players. In the original Wii version, Magolor’s ship (the Lor Starcutter) housed several of these minigames, but now they also exist in this colorful area, and there are two new minigames to play around with in addition to the original eight.
The minigames themselves are well-made but relatively shallow, reminding me of the time I spent playing Pokemon Stadium’s minigames with my friends as a kid. They range from the star-throwing Ninja Dojo, where you try to hit moving targets either using button presses or motion-controlled throws with their Joy-Con, to the classic Samurai Kirby, a dueling minigame where each player attempts to slice as quickly as possible when prompted. They can all be played through in about half an hour and don’t add a huge amount of value to the package, but earning cosmetic masks through Magoland and playing with them in the main game can be a fun diversion.
podcast Indiescovery and this week the team got into the Valentine’s Day spirit and had a long chat about our favourite indie game romances (any excuse to gush about how hot the characters are in Hades, really). We get gabbing about our favourite game OTPs, the fabulous representation of queer romances in indies, and then finish with a cursed (not horny) Cosmo-style dating quiz.
No Man’s Sky is releasing its 4.1 Fractal Update today, bringing along a new Expedition, tons of accessibility options, a VR overhaul, and much more. Developers Hello Games have updated the game so consistently their launch woes are a distant memory, sent to a faraway galaxy. Since then, No Man’s Sky has become a not just a space exploration game, but a city management sim and a generally nice place to chill with your odd alien pets, all in one package.
Magic Week, I wrote about Team Lazerbeam’s upcoming dating sim 
Yakuza (or Like A Dragon) docuseries that just debuted on 
Backpack Hero has been in 
podcast Indiescovery and this week the team got into the Valentine’s Day spirit and had a long chat about our favourite indie game romances (any excuse to gush about how hot the characters are in Hades, really). We get gabbing about our favourite game OTPs, the fabulous representation of queer romances in indies, and then finish with a cursed (not horny) Cosmo-style dating quiz.