Section 13 Brings Twin-stick Action, Co-Op Chaos, and Roguelite Replayability

Hyun Joo Kim, Communications Director, Ocean Drive

Summary

Now available on Xbox Series X|S.
Battle through the twisted lab of Section 13, blasting enemies with lead or lasers.
Unlock perks with each run to survive longer next time.

Get ready for precise, fast-paced action, ever-evolving challenges, and a dash of mystery. Section 13 is now live on Xbox Series X|S!

A World of Secrets

What exactly turned a top-tier facility into a paranormal creature-infested zoo? Section 13’s story takes inspiration from SCP-style lore, immersing you in a world of classified experiments, scientific anomalies, and monstrous boss creatures lurking in the depths. Playing as different S2P agents, you’ll not only uncover what happened to Section 13 but also piece together fragments of each character’s past, their connection to the facility, and the ties that bind them together.

Precision Combat Meets Roguelite Mayhem

At its core, Section 13 is all about precise twin-stick controls and fast, responsive combat. The action is quick and chaotic, rewarding sharp reflexes and strategic positioning.

Thanks to procedurally generated map layouts and randomized encounters, no two sessions play out the same way. And when you inevitably fall? Embrace death as an opportunity. Every failure in Section 13 helps to build up permanent rewards such as new weapons, upgrades, and more that make your next run even stronger.

Stay in the Light, Stay in Control

With the facility’s power offline and lighting scarce, the Fear System introduces a new kind of threat: your own panic.

Darkness isn’t just an aesthetic choice in Section 13—it’s a mechanic. Stay in the darkness too long, and you’ll enter a state of panic and accuracy takes a hit as your vision distorts, heart thumps louder, and the walls seem to close in. That’s not all, of course. You also take more damage, reload slower, and can’t regain HP.

To shake off the panic, find a strong light source—not some flickering flashlight, but something bright enough to make your interior designer wince. Step into the glow and get back in control.

Co-Op Mode: Team Up, Watch Your Fire

Fighting through Section 13 alone is thrilling—but bringing a friend (or two) kicks up the action to another level. Teammates boost your firepower but co-op mode plays differently from solo mode, so you’ll need to think twice before spraying bullets.

Online co-op is on the way, with couch co-op to follow. Here are some key changes you’ll be able to find in the updates:

All characters will be unlocked from the get-go.
Friendly fire and ammo limits will be toggleable.
Enemies will be even tougher!
Key resources such as Medkits won’t be shared—anyone can grab them.
No narrative progression will be unlocked.

Whether you’re here for action or the intrigue, there’s always something waiting to be discovered.

Are you ready to face the darkness and uncover the secrets of Section 13?

Section 13

Kakao Games

☆☆☆☆☆
1

★★★★★

$19.99

Get it now

Section 13 is a roguelite twin-stick shooter packed with action and challenges. As an Agent of the S2P Corporation, it’s up to you to investigate a crisis at the most top-secret facility of a company whose whole thing is keeping secrets.

NOTE: Planned feature updates will bring online and couch co-op modes*, with optional friendly fire for maximum madness in the narrow corridors of Section 13!

CONSPIRACIES TO UNCOVER

When an Omega-level containment breach puts an off-the-books company black-site on lockdown, it’s up to expendable peons like you to get to the bottom of it. Literally.

Step into the shoes of Agents Red, Boy Scout, Beaker, and Scalpel, as they fight to unearth the buried secrets of Section 13… and solve a few personal mysteries of their own. Collect data on paranormal entities running amok and find out what it all has to do with you.

TENSE TWIN-STICK ACTION IN THE WEIRDEST WORKPLACE EVER

As a Tier-1 paranormal containment facility, Section 13 is full of unique hazards, and it’s up to you to overcome them with quick wits and reflexes.

Time your dodge-rolls and reloads to stay one step ahead of a horde of hungry monsters. Back against the wall? Pop off with a special ability… or grab a melee weapon and smash your way out.

But keep an eye on your Fear level, or risk a debilitating mid-mission panic attack!

CUTTING-EDGE TOOLS TO MASTER

Add some spice to every run with unlockable (and customizable) weapons, gameplay-altering Synaptic Enhancements, and of course, recreational genetic modification. (Some side effects may apply).

Utilize special abilities and unique tactical items to outsmart pissed-off cryptids, navigate a series of shifting levels, and push deeper into the base with every attempt.

Between deaths, you’ll also unlock persistent upgrades that change how you play and radically alter your chances of success.

* Co-op modes will be added as feature updates (online co-op in June 2025 and couch co-op in September 2025).

Online co-op will not support crossplay.

The post Section 13 Brings Twin-stick Action, Co-Op Chaos, and Roguelite Replayability appeared first on Xbox Wire.

Roadside Research is like if Lethal Company were a game where you’re a poorly disguised alien running a gas station

Let’s start this one with a definition: Lethal Company is “one of those kinda games.” By that I mean it’s a four player co-op title that doesn’t really adhere to a particular genre, predominantly prioritising mechanics that allow you and some friends to get up to some shenanigans. Like Content Warning, or REPO, you know, one of those kinda games! Now we’ve got that out of the way, let me introduce you to Roadside Research, one of those kinda games, except this time you are an incredibly poorly disguised alien running a gas station in order to research humans. See what I mean?

Resolution Games has revealed a debut gameplay trailer for Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked, and confirmed a late 2025 release window and launch platforms.

Resolution Games, best known for digital fantasy tabletop adventure Demeo, is working with Wizards of the Coast on the first virtual reality game set in the Dungeons & Dragons universe, called Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked. It’s due out on PC via Steam, and PlayStation 5, with a VR version available on PlayStation VR2, Steam VR, and Meta Quest 3.

Battlemarked adapts D&D classes, actions, and lore to Resolution Games’ Demeo action role-playing system, which is DM-less and focuses on social strategy rather than social roleplay. This, Resolution Games said, encourages group tabletalk focused on tactics and decision-making.

“While the world of Demeo is rich with lore, our previous titles focus primarily on tactical action over motivation and narrative,” said Tommy Palm, founder and CEO of Resolution Games.

Resolution Games is working with story designer Matt Sernett as the project’s narrative lead. Sernett previously worked as a designer of the Dungeons & Dragons tabletop game and contributed to Dungeons & Dragons video games including Baldur’s Gate, Baldur’s Gate 2, and Icewind Dale.

“When Dungeons & Dragons launched fifth edition back in 2014, the first adventure that many players went on ventured into Neverwinter Wood, and I can think of no place better for Battlemarked players to begin their journey,” said Sernett.

“The first adventure in Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked will take players to familiar locations including Cragmaw Castle and Mount Hotenow. The world of D&D is just as much a part of the story as its characters, and we can’t wait for players to immerse themselves in its dangers and delights.”

Battlemarked’s second adventure, which will be included at launch, will be revealed later this year.

Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

What’s next for the Umurangi Generation devs? Why, a game about penguins and people going mad on a mountain of course

How do you follow up a game like Umurangi Generation? Maybe move from photography to videography, or go full shooter (which developer Origame Digital do appear to be making too, that one’s just not had a full reveal yet). Perhaps instead of either of those things, you’ll make a game about penguins, which, yeah, no more beating around the bush, that’s exactly what they’ve done. Introducing: Penguin Colony, a narrative adventure game based on H.P. Lovecraft’s At the Mountains of Madness.

Video: Do You Even Need A Pro Controller For The Switch 2?

Pros and cons.

When Nintendo properly revealed the Switch 2 back in April, it also confirmed that a new Pro Controller would be accompanying the console as an optional peripheral.

Now, most of us here have gone hands-on with the new controller at some point or another, but the lovely Alex has spent quite a bit of time with the ruddy thing playing the likes of Mario Kart World and Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour. In his latest video, he has a good ol’ natter with Felix about whether or not the new Pro Controller is actually a necessity.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Check Out the Adidas x Minecraft Collab

Category: Games

Check Out the Adidas x Minecraft Collab

The post Check Out the Adidas x Minecraft Collab appeared first on Xbox Wire.

Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate — hands-on report

“Why send a train to invite us to a black hole?”

This mystery sets the stage for Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate, Bungie’s upcoming expansion to the FPS looter shooter launching July 19. Guardians receive an invite to new planetoid Kepler via a time-displaced train car, seemingly from modern-day Earth. Kepler is precariously held together by a black hole, which threatens the entire solar system if destabilized. The resulting quest introduces time distortions, new enemies, and novel abilities unique to Kepler.

I spent hours with Bungie’s upcoming expansion, which includes a robust single-player campaign and other game-changing updates. I adventured across Kepler testing out a powerful new arsenal, transformed into a nimble ball of energy, teleported through traps, and much more. I also tinkered with Destiny 2’s new Portal system, SoloOps, and Arms Week updates, which will be available to all players (no The Edge of Fate purchase necessary).

Let’s dig into some of the highlights.

Kepler’s unusual terrain: The new planet’s exterior is rocky and dusty, overgrown with a yellow webbing and bulbous growths evocative of alien fungus. Time distortions affect the environment, features abandoned facilities and technology. Trains seemingly from Earth have mysteriously crashed on Kepler, hosting portals into unknown realms.

New friend Lodi: This fresh face greets players on Kepler, who seems mighty interested in the Guardian’s ties to Earth and a possible path back. Consistent with Kepler’s time distortions, Lodi looks and talks more like someone more from our time, dear reader, rather than the world of Destiny. He also serves as a handy narrative device for Bungie to introduce the universe of Destiny 2 to new players.

Explore with Matterspark orb: Guardians can tap new energy reservoirs and hold Square button to morph into a crackling Matterspark orb. This new contextual ability lets you zip around the battlefield, blast enemies with electricity, and explore nooks and crannies. During one combat encounter I disabled a miniboss’s shields by overcharging generator pylons hidden in the battlefield. It’s an energizing and novel change of pace. Guardians can eventually summon this power at will for even more combat and exploration options.

Teleport with the Relocator: This new piece of tech lets you take aim in third-person on distant nodes and create a temporary portal. This transportation tool lets you squeeze through narrow openings or traps, and cross vast distances to continue the quest. Bungie combines this new device with the Matterspark to create fun, inventive environmental puzzles to change up the pace.

Change the environment with Mattermorph: Pluck a chunk of potent fungus to imbue yourself with a curious Dark Matter ability – Mattermorph. Hit R1 (melee) to throw strand projectiles at glowing environmental objects like rocks and wall panels, which morphs them into new pathways through the air and across the environment. Players eventually combine these abilities to assemble craft paths through complex environments.

Potent new Exotic weapons: I experimented with three of The Edge of Fate’s intoxicating new exotics:

Graviton Spike: A hand cannon with arc and stasis modes – one charging the other as you shoot.
New Land Beyond: Stack up precision hits with this sniper rifle to stack up massive damage multipliers.
Third Iteration: My favorite. A heat-vete scout rifle that rewards precision by erupting fallen enemies in a blast of energy and making you temporarily invisible.

Desperate mission to restore power: The “Charge” mission is the latest campaign mission I played, and it was also my favorite. The quest to restore generators is sprinkled with a mix of environmental puzzles and intense fights. Stitching together Matterspark, Mattermorph, and Relocator abilities to power generators resulted in some tricky-yet-satisfying obstacles. The mission culminates in a battle against two bosses with shields that can only be destroyed by the Matterspark’s powered-up overcharge ability, activated with L1 + R1 buttons.

Power Plant siege: The “Transient” campaign mission tasks players to disable the House of Exile’s power plant. This cavernous facility hosts tech drawing energy from the planet’s fungal colonies. At one point in the mission enemies rig explosives that must be defused by defending a radius for a set time period. The ultimate goal is to overload the station’s core to disable an enemy warship with an immense power surge.

Portal menu: This new menu offers all players a new option to dive quickly into Destiny 2’s most popular content. Bungie’s goal is to spotlight modes with guaranteed paths to growing Guardians’ power and arsenal. This quick-play shortcut highlights modes like SoloOps, Fireteam, Pinnacles, and Crucible. The World map still provides the traditional interactive galaxy map Guardians are used to.

SoloOps: These new single-player challenges let players customize challenge modifiers (e.g. enemy melee attacks slow you, you take more damage in mid-air, enemies drop fire hazards, etc.) to increase chances for valuable rewards. Below are three of the Solo Ops I played:

The Salt Mines: Hunt and destroy Splinter targets throughout a cavern and blast through a gauntlet of bosses in the final stretch.
The Conflux: Clear entrenched enemies from a cave network, then fight a shielded boss across floating platforms in the final section. Disable its shield by throwing fallen energy orbs at it.
K1 Logistics: Venture beneath the Moon’s surface to exterminate old enemies. Deactivate a series of shielded control panels to carve a path to the end boss.

Armor set bonuses: New set bonuses entice all players to collect matching gear for extra benefits. For example, the Aion Renewal armor characteristic rewards two matching set pieces with a weapon-based speed boost, and four matching set pieces with a reactive speed boost when afflicted with slow or stasis.

Arms Week and the Shooting Range: This event launches shortly after The Edge of Fate, available to all players. The marquee feature is a new Shooting Range on The Tower that lets one to six players test their arsenal, calculating damage numbers as individuals and as a team. Arms Week also features new weapons and mods to chase, events to complete, and more.

Set your Fireteam’s course for Kepler when Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate launches on July 19.

Tales of Kenzera: ZAU dev’s next game is a psychological horror all about the entertainment industry’s dark secrets

Earlier this year, Palworld developer Pocketpair announced their intent to get into games publishing using some of that Scrooge McDuck-size swimming pool of money they’ve acquired over the past year. They already had a game signed up too, from Tales of Kenzera: ZAU developer Surgent Studios, and today said indie dev has offered a small tease of a reveal at their upcoming psychological horror game Dead Take.

The challenge of playing Elden Ring Nightreign solo has been a hot-button issue since the game’s launch, but director Junya Ishizaki has confirmed solo clears are quite doable. He knows, because he’s cleared every boss in Nightreign already, by himself.

Speaking to CNET in a recent interview, Ishizaki was asked whether he has beaten every boss, including the final one, himself.

“Yes. I can hopefully give you reassurance to know that I have beaten all of the game’s bosses,” said Ishizaki. “I’ve seen everything it has to offer, both in multiplayer and as a solo player. So I want you and players to know that this is very possible, and I want you to have the confidence to give it a try yourself.”

CNET followed to clarify that Ishizaki was saying he had soloed every boss in the game. “Yes,” Ishizaki confirmed. “And without relics.”

While that’s a pretty dang impressive accomplishment in and of itself, I do like the notion that Ishizaki’s clears are also meant to be encouraging for other players. If he can do it, essentially, then you might be able to as well. I don’t know about the “without relics” part, though. You can give yourself a little bit of leeway on that.

There have been other players who have been clearing both individual bosses and the full roster of Nightlords solo as well. Still, the solo experience of Nightreign has been under scrutiny, and not just for its difficulty, but also for how some mechanics (like revival) feel more oriented around teamplay than solo.

It’s clear FromSoftware is both hearing and addressing those concerns, too. The most recent patch, 1.01.1, arrived days after Elden Ring Nightreign’s launch and took aim directly at the solo mode, increasing the runes gained by lone players and adding one free automatic revival for night bosses.

Even if the difficulty is getting tuned down, though, Ishizaki’s clears can still be inspiring for those struggling against the Nightlords in their own runs. When the rains pick up and the storm closes in, you can know someone else has already done it, and so can you.

We’ve got plenty of Nightreign tips and tricks to help you take down all the eight Nightlord Bosses, and if you’re wondering how to unlock the two locked Nightfarer Classes, check out How to Unlock the Revenant and How to Unlock the Duchess, plus How to Change Characters.

Eric is a freelance writer for IGN.

The Witcher 4 shows off a swanky UE5 tech demo at State of Unreal 2025, with Ciri hunting monsters and visiting circuses in Kovir

The State of Unreal 2025 showcase has just offered us a first glimpse at what playing The Witcher 4 might look like, via an Unreal Engine 5 demo build that featured Ciri exploring the wilds and a village in Kovir. Kovir was also confirmed to be a location you’ll visit in the final game, so start packing your bags.

Author: Game Infliction