Author: Game Infliction

MindsEye Dev Says It’s ‘Working Around the Clock’ to Improve Performance Amid ‘Mixed’ Steam User Reviews

The developer of MindsEye has said it’s working to improve the game’s performance after a number of players took to Steam user reviews to complain.

Build A Rocket Boy’s debut title launched on June 10 and has settled on a ‘mixed’ user review rating on Steam, where it also hit a peak concurrent player count of 3,302. Many of the negative reviews focus on MindsEye’s performance problems, which appear to be hitting PC gamers hard. There are also reports on various bugs, glitches, and NPC behavior oddities.

In response, Build A Rocket Boy issued a statement on the MindsEye subreddit, saying its engineering team is “working around the clock” to improve performance. Patch 3 will be revealed soon, it added.

Here’s the statement in full:

Thank you kindly to all of you who joined us as pioneers on day one! We understand that the current minimum spec requirements are very high, but our engineering team are working around the clock to improve performance on mainstream hardware as well as consoles by integrating the performance improvements in Unreal Engine V5.6. We will provide patch 3 update timing, including these improvements, within the next 24 hours. In addition to the main campaign, we would also value your thoughts on Build.Mindseye.

MindsEye, led by former Rockstar North chief Leslie Benzies, has endured a tumultuous run-up to release. Last week, Build A Rocket Boy said fans should wait for MindsEye’s official launch rather than play it before its street date, after early copies made their way into the hands of players.

“We want everyone to experience the story the same way at the same time on day one, without bias,” Build A Rocket Boy said in a statement issued in response to early copies being played. “This means waiting until the official release date to play through the game firsthand.”

Mention of bias in the studio’s statement sparked speculation that the company was referring back to comments made by its co-CEO Mark Gerhard, who suggested there had been a “concerted effort” to “trash the game and the studio” with negative social media posts from paid accounts or bots.

IGN subsequently put this claim to Hakan Abrak, boss of Hitman developer IO Interactive, the company which is publishing MindsEye. His response: “I don’t know. I don’t believe that. I don’t believe that. I just think the game should speak for itself on June the 10th.”

Physical copies of MindsEye also needed a “major” update for “key improvements to ensure MindsEye plays as we intended and to meet all the characters at their best.”

And just days before MindsEye’s launch, Build a Rocket Boy’s Chief Legal Officer and Chief Financial Officer confirmed they had left the company, sparking concern from the studio’s fledgling community.

Steam concurrents do not tell the whole story, of course. MindsEye launched on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S as well as PC, so its true concurrent player count will be higher than that reported on Valve’s platform.

MindsEye carries a $59.99 price tag. At launch, there is a “tightly crafted linear story campaign,” and what’s called “single-player free roam,” but there are also a number of missions: a horde mode mission called “Destruction Site Shootout,” and two combat missions (“Honor Amongst Thieves” and “Friendly Fire”). Also at launch are six races, six checkpoint races, and three drone races. If you get the premium pass, you get an extra horde mode mission and an exotic cosmetics pack.

Following launch, Build A Rocket Boy said it will deliver a “constant stream” of fresh premium content monthly, “ensuring MindsEye is a living, ever-expanding player experience.” This includes new missions, challenges, and game assets. “The continuous stream of studio-developed content, combined with the very best of the community’s own beautiful creations, means that MindsEye will continue to surprise and delight its players for decades to come,” Build A Rocket Boy added.

Build A Rocket Boy also confirmed its 2025 roadmap of content. In the summer there will be community updates, new missions, in the fall new single-player modes, multiplayer, and new missions, and in the winter free roam updates and new missions. Premium pass owners get extra missions and new packs throughout.

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.

Games Workshop Forced to Pull Its Own Website, Warhammer.com, Offline After Scalpers Descended Upon Pre-Orders for a Special Edition Horus Heresy Book

Games Workshop was forced to pull its own website, Warhammer.com, offline after scalpers caused chaos during the launch of pre-orders for the Siege of Terra: End of Ruin special edition book.

The Warhammer maker launched pre-orders for the hotly anticipated special edition of Siege of Terra: End of Ruin, a new anthology of short stories set during the aftermath of the Siege of Terra and the Horus Heresy. For the uninitiated, the Horus Heresy is the Space Marine civil war that took place 10,000 years before the current Warhammer 40,000 setting. It is the foundation of 40K’s grimdark universe, and reveals how the carrion Emperor ended up on the Golden Throne.

Siege of Terra: End of Ruin is a hugely exciting release for 40K lore fans, but its special edition is even more enticing. It features a leather-effect cover with gold foil details, gilt page edges, and a metal emblem of a ruined Imperial eagle.

Games Workshop had signaled the special edition would be available “strictly while stocks last,” and that it would go on sale at 10am UK time on June 10. It also told fans it planned to use a queue system “to ensure fair distribution.”

Unfortunately, this queue system caused chaos, with fans desperate to pre-order the book unable to make progress. Amid frantic messages of complaint across social media, Discords, and subreddits, Warhammer.com suddenly… stopped. It was offline, and no-one knew why.

And so, it begins
byu/Jello429 inWarhammer40k

Anger grew as those who had carved out time to be there for the pre-order launch were left empty handed. Eventually, Games Workshop issued a statement on the debacle — a rare event in itself — to say it had brought Warhammer.com offline itself because it had noticed scalpers were bypassing its systems.

“Scalpers attempted to use bots to bypass our normal safeguards,” Games Workshop said. “Our eagle-eyed Tech Priests caught this happening in real-time, so we pulled Warhammer.com offline.”

The upshot is that Siege of Terra: End of Ruin is currently unavailable on Warhammer.com, in its place is a page asking for an email for a notification. Games Workshop said the special edition is still coming, “we’re just absolutely determined that real fans get it.”

“All erroneous orders are being purged,” Games Workshop continued. “This is our number one priority. Please forgive us for a delay as we sort it all out.”

The statement has gone some way to calm angry fans who had hoped for a smoother launch of the special edition. Some are calling Games Workshop’s actions here a “small victory” over the scalpers, although there is a healthy dose of skepticism about the company’s efforts to truly combat the bots. Some are calling on Games Workshop to use a raffle system, as other companies do for their high-profile products, or, even better, force interested customers to pass a Horus Heresy test to prove their worth.

In truth, Games Workshop has suffered pre-order problems for years now, and special edition book launches are often plagued by scalpers who go on to sell the products at hugely inflated prices. All eyes are on Games Workshop to see how it handles pre-orders for the Siege of Terra: End of Ruin special edition when they’re eventually re-launched.

And let’s remember that Games Workshop is no minnow. In fact, the Nottingham, UK company is doing so well that it’s handing out £20 million (approx. $27 million) to its staff as a bonus.

Games Workshop’s main business is the sale of miniatures fans assemble and paint for use in tabletop wargames, such as Warhammer 40,000. But it is increasingly an IP business, with huge revenue from smash hit video games such as last year’s Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, and animations, such as Amazon’s Warhammer 40,000 Secret Level episode. Games Workshop and Amazon recently finalized a deal for Henry Cavill’s Warhammer 40,000 Cinematic Universe, which will involve the creation of films and television series. Space Marine 3 is also in development.

Image credit: Games Workshop.

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.

Mad Metal is a wonderfully janky Mad Max-like with a big robot eye that says you need some milk

One minute you’re flicking through Steam’s Next Fest demos, and finding one that looks to be included despite having come out in May. The next, you’re desperately firing missiles into the rear end of giant monster truck, a sole red light glaring out from its metallic behind, as though it’s mega-pissed that it seems to have gotten stuck in a cluster of trees. Given that, it should be easy prey for the ordnance strapped to the bonnet of my very Mad Max-ish muscle car coated in enough sheets of metal to fence off several allotments.

This is Mad Metal, though, an indie game whose murderous enemy cars have minds of their own and move more like automotive animals than simple machines.

Read more

inZoi Publisher Dismisses Plummeting Steam Concurrents, Insists Sales Are a Better Indicator of Performance Because It’s a Single-Player Game

inZoi publisher Krafton has addressed an ongoing debate about its plummeting Steam concurrent player count, insisting that as a single-player game sales are a better indicator of performance.

The eye-catching The Sims competitor launched big on Steam with an all-time peak concurrent player count of 87,377. Krafton announced inZOI sold impressive 1 million copies in a week, the fastest sales milestone ever for a game published by the South Korean megacorp. It rose to number one on Steam’s Global Top Sellers List (by sales revenue) just 40 minutes after release, with CEO CH Kim said at the time that Krafton planned to “foster” the game as a “long-term franchise IP.”

However, inZoi’s Steam concurrent player count has dwindled since launch, with a 24-hour peak of 1,477. As TheGamer reported this week, inZoi’s peak concurrent player count even dropped below the 16-year-old The Sims 3 on Valve’s platform.

IGN asked Krafton for comment on the situation, and it responded to dismiss Steam peak concurrent player figures as a barometer of the game’s success because it is a single-player game.

“inZOI continues to steadily generate sales, and as a single-player game, it would be most appropriate to refer to the additional sales count at each major update point as opposed to concurrent player count on Steam in measuring the game’s performance,” Krafton said.

The focus on Steam concurrent player numbers has become a hot topic within the industry in recent years, with a number of developers and publishers insisting they don’t tell the whole story of a game’s performance, particularly for single-player games.

In 2024, John “Bucky” Buckley, community chief at Palworld developer Pocketpair, said our obsession with the concept of the “dead game” and player counts was unhealthy for the video game industry and gamers. And in April this year, Alex Bolle, production director on Helldivers 2, told IGN that Steam concurrents are “a metric among many others.”

As for inZoi, Steam user reviews, which do have a significant impact on a game’s visibility on Valve’s platform, remain ‘mostly positive’ for all reviews, but are on ‘mixed’ for recent reviews. As an Early Access game, it has yet to fully release, a point Krafton made in its statement to IGN:

“That said, Early Access is only the beginning of inZOI’s journey, and in many ways our work is just starting. During this phase, the team’s top priority is gathering player feedback and continuing the development of the game with more enhanced features, improved performance, and an overall immersive and engaging experience. We’re thankful for our dedicated inZOI community and look forward to sharing new content updates over the coming months.”

Meanwhile, Krafton announced inZOI is coming to the Mac App Store and Steam in August. The Mac version of inZOI is optimized for the latest macOS on Apple Silicon, Krafton said, and takes “full advantage” of Apple’s MetalFX and Core ML “to deliver the same great gameplay experience as on Windows.”

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.

Random: Is That The Zelda Triforce In Sonic Racing’s Artwork? No, Probably Not

Sonic experts are on the case.

Last week, SEGA unveiled the first batch of Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds guest characters. This includes not only characters like Hatsune Miku but also Steve, Alex and Creeper from Minecraft. There are some other supposed leaks still doing the rounds as well.

Now, the official Sonic social media account has sent Sonic fans into a frenzy once again, with a new piece of artwork apparently featuring a very familiar-looking symbol. The focus here is on what looks exactly like the Triforce from the Legend of Zelda series.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

The Untethered Meta Quest 3S Is on Sale Today: The Best Headset for New VR Gamers

Starting this week, Meta has dropped the prices on both Quest 3 VR headset options. The 128GB model is $269.99 after a $30 off discount. and the 256GB is $349.99 after a $50 off instant discount. These discounts are honored at major retailers including Amazon, Target, and Walmart. The Meta Quest 3S is widely considered the best value in VR gaming. Not only is it priced hundreds less compared to most other competitors (including Meta’s own Quest3), it’s also a standalone untethered gaming system that doesn’t require a PC or PlayStation 5 to run,,

To sweeten the pot even more, every Quest 3S purchase includes a copy of Batman: Arkham Shadow VR game and a three-month trial of Meta Quest+. In IGN’s 8/10 review, Dan Stapleton wrote that “Batman: Arkham Shadow makes most of the Arkham series’ defining gameplay work respectably well in VR, and its mystery story pays off.”

Meta Quest 3S VR Headset with Batman: Arkham Shadow

The Quest 3S is an improvement over the original Quest 2 in every way and, amazingly, without a price increase. It also adopts many of the same features of the more expensive Quest 3, like the new and improved Touch controllers, the upgraded SnapDragon APU, and support for full color AR passthrough. In IGN’s 9/10 Quest 3S review, Gabriel Moss wrote that “raw processing power, full-color passthrough, and snappy Touch Plus controllers make the Quest 3S a fantastic standalone VR headset that also brings entry-level mixed-reality gaming to the masses for – arguably – the very first time.

What really sets this deal above all other VR deals is that the Meta Quest 3S can be played completely untethered. That means you can play games like Beat Saber or Pistol Whip without having to own a powerful gaming PC or a PlayStation 5 console. Try to find another standalone VR headset at this price and you’ll come up empty.

How Is the Quest 3S Different from the Quest 3?

Even at retail price, the Quest 3S comes in at $200, or 40% cheaper than the $500 Quest 3. Obviously, some compromises were made to get the 3S to its competitive price point. The spec comparisons are listed below:

Quest 3S vs. Quest 3 Similarities

  • Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 processor
  • Touch Plus controllers
  • 120Hz refresh rate
  • Mixed reality passthrough (same cameras, different layout)

Quest 3S vs. Quest 3 Differences

  • Lower per-eye resolution (1832×1920 vs 2064×2208)
  • Fresnel lens vs. pancake lens
  • Lower FOV (96°/90° vs 104°/96°)
  • Smaller storage capacity (128GB vs 512GB)
  • Longer battery life (2.5hrs vs 2.2hrs)

For the price, the Quest 3S is a better value than the Quest 3, and the best choice for gamers who are just starting out in the world of VR and want to test the waters. It is hands down a major improvement over the Quest 2 that it replaces.

Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn’t hunting for deals for other people at work, he’s hunting for deals for himself during his free time.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition Review Update

I’m deep into my Switch 2 review, and with Mario Kart World and Welcome Tour being the only two first-party exclusives, a big part of that process has been looking back at the upgrades existing games got. We’ve already taken a look at Breath of the Wild, but I spent the weekend revisiting the stunning sequel I reviewed back in 2023. And not only does The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom still hold up as a game I can’t wait to lose a few dozen more hours in, the updates and additions made to the Switch 2 Edition make it feel like this is the way it was always meant to be played.

Before we dive to the depths below, lets look back at what I said about Tears of the Kingdom in my initial review:

That’s just as true today as it was then, and I wouldn’t second guess the 10 I slapped on it in 2023 for a second. Tears of the Kingdom may not have been the completely table-flipping revelation its predecessor was, but the way it expanded both that formula and the world was truly staggering. There’s a ridiculous amount of stuff here, and almost none of it is less than amazing. But what about the changes in the Switch 2 Edition specifically?

HDR is an absolute game changer in the Depths

Perhaps the most jaw-dropping thing that is part of this update is the Switch 2’s ability to take advantage of HDR displays. The increased framerate and resolution are nice enough on their own, but exploring the dark of the Depths with the benefit of HDR is, forgive the pun, a night-and-day difference. Uncharted areas are still pitch black until illuminated, so it’s not like exploration there has been made entirely trivial, but areas with low light are suddenly so much clearer than they used to be. It takes out some of the frustration of stumbling around in the dark without removing the tension.

Tears of the Kingdom doesn’t lag anywhere anymore

Alongside those visual improvements comes improved performance. Tears of the Kingdom was never terrible in this regard, but it did slow down or start to hitch in busy moments from time to time on Switch, and that’s completely gone on Switch 2. Similarly, diving from the sky straight into the Depths could occasionally pause for a quick second to let the world load, but I never once saw that happen on Switch 2.

Building is finally buttery smooth as well, as using your Zonai abilities was another one of the moments you could potentially see things start to chug. Once again, that’s all slick and clean here. These aren’t the most monumental of improvements for an update upgrade that does cost money (if you don’t have the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pass), but they make Tears of the Kingdom feel like it has finally reached its final form – and they are helpful enough that I am seriously considering playing a lot more of this game than I initially thought I would have when I decided to revisit it.

Load times are super fast now

Speaking of performance, a special shoutout should go to the load times specifically. They are now ridiculously fast. The loading screen has always had this little animation where your icon blips out on the map, which then scrolls over to your new location, and then you finally blip back in. The Switch 2 Edition load times are so fast you barely even have time to watch the icon vanish before you are back into the action. It rocks.

It shares a lot of its biggest updates with Breath of the Wild

Both Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom were able to benefit from the Switch 2’s beefed-up hardware to make these technical upgrades, but the two games also share a lot of new integration with the Nintendo phone app. The addition of audio logs that you can find at certain locations and listen to on your phone is a neat touch, as is being able to store and share items in a way that is effectively a massive increase to your inventory size.

Tears gets one unique ability, though: you can save your builds as QR codes and then share them between friends so you can quickly reconstruct each other’s stuff. That’s a cool idea, but I was a little disappointed that it lacks any sort of built-in sharing or discovery tools to go with it. If you want to see what other people have made, you pretty much have to seek codes out on forums or social media, and I think more likely I just won’t get much use out of this function at all as a result.

Now is the time to actually beat Tears of the Kingdom

Finally, while not specifically relevant to the updated version of this game, a quick PSA/desperate plea from me: please beat Tears of the Kingdom if you haven’t already! The ending is so good. If you beat Breath of the Wild, its okay ending might make you think there’s similarly not much to see here – but the end of Tears is genuinely incredible. The final fight is possibly my favorite in any Zelda game, and the places its story goes are as unexpected as they are awesome. With all these improvements, there’s never been a better time to discover what you missed if you didn’t see it to the end two years ago.

That’s my quick look at The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’s Switch 2 Edition, though I’m certainly excited to see more of it after what I played this past weekend. Once again, this really does feel like the way this game was always meant to be played, and I’m thrilled by the idea of a new generation discovering it for the first time. It’s sure to keep you more than busy until I’m back with my final Switch 2 review in the next week or so.

Maxroll’s Wizard of Legend 2 Database and Guides

Wizard of Legend 2 is an indie Roguelike from Dead Mage, the studio behind Children of Morta, published by Humble Games. You play as a Wizard attempting the trials to become Wizard of Legend. Gather your Arcana, grab a relic, and wear your medallion of choice as you brave the challenges ahead.

Getting Started in Wizard of Legend 2

To help you get started, take a look at Maxroll’s Wizard of Legend 2 beginner’s guide. The guide explains the different starting loadouts (don’t worry, you eventually unlock all the spells anyway) and you’ll learn all about the game’s combat system; how to navigate the trials, use your Arcana to defeat foes and unleash powerful ultimate spells!

As you make your way through the game, you’ll meet a variety of NPCs along the way. Some of them are vendors within the Trials, whereas others provide access to metaprogression systems in the main hub. In addition to these friendly NPCs, there are several formidable bosses to challenge, including powerful creatures and wizards who have mastered their element of choice.

Wizard of Legend 2 Metaprogression Systems

The metaprogression systems in Wizard of Legend 2 include Medallions, Runes, Arcana, and Relics, each of which contributes to your character’s power. You gain more Arcanas and Relics during the run, but can only select Medallions and runes before starting out. Check out Maxroll’s Metaprogression systems guide or learn more about individual topics with their deep dives below:

Wizard of Legend 2 Events, NPCs, and More

You’ll encounter a variety of events within the trial. This can include defeating challenging foes or helping a fellow Wizard. Complete events to earn a variety of rewards, including Relics, Arcana, Arcana Enhancements, or a boost to maximum health. In particular, keep an eye out for purple portals, as they often have lucrative rewards. Learn more with Maxroll’s Events Guide.

There’s a wide variety of NPCs and Vendors to interact with in Wizard of Legend 2. Several are found in the game’s main hub; interact with them to unlock Runes, Medallions, starting Relics, and Arcanas.

There are also vendors within the trials who sell you Arcanas, Relics, and Arcana Enhancements. Save up your gold to purchase something and give yourself an edge in combat — learn more with Maxroll’s NPCs and Vendors guide.

You’ll also need to know about Afflictions, status effects that deal additional damage to enemies or provide beneficial crowd control effects: check out Maxroll’s Afflictions Guide for more information.

Wizard of Legend 2 Boss Guides

During the Trials, you’ll face off against a series of wizards who have all mastered a different element. If you can defeat them, you’ll earn a powerful Forgotten Variant for your Arcana. Check out these boss guides from Maxroll:

Wizard of Legend 2 Zone Bosses

Each zone in Wizard of Legend 2 culminates in a battle against a powerful boss, and the final stage ends in a fight against Hieronymus himself. Learn the boss’s patterns, or check out tips and tricks to defeat them with Maxroll’s boss guides.

Wizard of Legend 2 Database

Maxroll’s Wizard of Legend 2 Database has information on all of the Arcanas, Relics, Runes, and Medallions. You can browse Arcana by type and learn about the Forgotten Variants available for each spell. Relics are broken down by category; we recommend you keep an eye out for Legendary Relics, which are made by obtaining all of the Relics from a set.

Written by IGN staff with help from Maxroll.