Every Far Cry Game: A Full History of Releases in Order

Far Cry really has done it all: a two-decade-long span of sequels set across the world, a wide range of spin-offs, and a movie adaptation. The franchise even dove into the realm of anime last year, with Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix bringing the neon-tinged, tongue-in-cheek world of Far Cry: Blood Dragon to Netflix. As shown in the trailer video above, we can now celebrate 20 years of Far Cry, revisiting the journey from Far Cry 1 in 2004 to Far Cry 6 in 2021.

The Far Cry series has become a fixture of Ubisoft’s lineup, quickly accumulating a long lineage of games for players to dig through. Below, we’ll carve through this lengthy history, listing every game in release order and offering newcomers a recommendation of the best place to start.

How Many Far Cry Games Are There?

Excluding remasters and ports, there are 13 Far Cry games – 12 on home console/PC and one on mobile devices. Far Cry VR: Dive Into Insanity is also excluded given its lack of accessibility — it cannot be played at home, only at Zero Latency VR locations.

Where’s the Best Place to Start?

Thanks to plenty of ports on modern consoles, Far Cry is a series with a ton of viable jumping-off points. Far Cry 3, 4, 5 and 6 can all be purchased on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, and considering each of these games are very similar in mechanics and design, they should give you a good taste of Far Cry’s approach to open-world gameplay.

That being said, Far Cry 3 and 4 are largely considered the strongest of the bunch and are great entry points for those looking to sink their teeth into the series. Either option will provide a glimpse of Far Cry at its best.

Every Far Cry Game in Release Order

These blurbs contain mild spoilers for each game, including characters, settings, and story beats.

1. Far Cry (2004)

The birth of the series, and the only entry developed by Crytek, Far Cry hit PC in 2004 and later made its way to Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Slotting players into the boots of former special forces operative Jack Carver, Far Cry takes place on a group of remote tropical islands swarming with trigger-happy mercenaries.

Trapped on the sunny locale’s shores after his boat is met with artillery strikes, Jack is forced to face his pursuers and embark on an adventure across the danger-filled archipelago, searching for a journalist he was escorting who mysteriously disappeared. Much like later games in the series, Far Cry focused largely on tense gun fights, stealth, and using open-ended environments to get the drop on enemies.

2. Far Cry: Instincts (2005)

In 2005, Ubisoft Montreal took over development duties on Far Cry, releasing a remake of the original game titled Far Cry: Instincts. It was exclusive to Xbox and followed the same story as the original, albeit with a fresh coat of paint and a handful of new mechanics.

Included was a trap system, which allowed players to booby trap objects to catch enemies by surprise, as well as new Feral Abilities, which gave Jack thermal vision, a powerful melee attack, increased running speed, and several other game-changing perks.

3. Far Cry Instincts: Evolution (2006)

A year later, Ubisoft released the first Far Cry sequel, Far Cry Instincts: Evolution. A direct follow-up to the story of Far Cry: Instincts, Evolution resumes the story of Jack Carver, who finds himself once again stranded on a tropical island after an arms deal gone wrong.

Framed for a murder he didn’t commit, Jack finds himself on a mission to clear his name, going up against a mysterious native chieftain and his band of fierce rebels. Alongside its fresh campaign, Evolution added additional weapons and vehicles, as well as a new slate of multiplayer maps and level-editor items.

4. Far Cry Vengeance (2006)

In December 2006, Ubisoft released its first Far Cry game on the Wii. Titled Far Cry Vengeance, it was something of a reimagining of Far Cry Instincts: Evolution, telling a similar but slightly altered story in which protagonist Jack Carver is arrested before he can make his way to the aforementioned arms deal.

The biggest difference, however, isFar Cry Vengeance offered a full suite of motion controls. Using the Wiimote, players could aim guns and perform melee attacks. The game also featured a split-screen versus mode, although Evolution’s online multiplayer and level editor didn’t make the cut.

5. Far Cry 2

Two years later, Ubisoft Montreal shifted the Far Cry series away from its supernatural origins, opting for a grittier, more grounded Far Cry 2. The sequel took the franchise to an unspecified country in Africa, casting players as a gun-for-hire sent to find and kill an arms dealer known as the Jackal.

Arriving during an ongoing civil war, the protagonist quickly realizes catching the Jackal will require playing both sides of the conflict, prompting them to exploit the power struggle to close in on their target. Far Cry 2 was a major change of pace for the franchise, focusing on brutal combat and tough moral choices within a fully open world. Among the new mechanics was a buddy system, where players could team with AI companions who would assist them on missions.

6. Far Cry 2 Mobile (2008)

A tie-in to the console release of the sequel, developer Gameloft released a mobile adaptation of Far Cry 2 in the months following the base game’s launch. It was a loose retelling of the events reframed as a top-down, 2D shooter.

Much like the original game, players arrive in Africa to take down the Jackal, going on missions and teaming with AI partners. Due to technical restraints, the mobile port of Far Cry 2 doesn’t feature an open world, focusing on linear levels and hubs you can explore between contracts.

7. Far Cry 3 (2012)

Four years after Far Cry 2, Ubisoft returned for the franchise’s most defining entry to date: Far Cry 3. Following new protagonist Jason Brody, the game begins with a holiday from hell, as Jason and his group of friends’ skydiving trip lands them on a remote island occupied by an army of pirates.

Kidnapped by their leader, the eccentric but ruthless Vaas (played by Better Call Saul’s Michael Mando), Jason manages to escape and join up with a local rebel militia opposing Vaas and his men. With his friends still captured, Jason begins an adventure to find them and escape the island in one piece, all the while being relentlessly pursued by Vaas.

Far Cry 3 was, in a lot of ways, a turning point for the franchise, introducing several elements that went on to become staples of the series. From radio towers that reveal the map and enemy outposts the player can liberate, to the introduction of a sinister lead villain that lives to chew the scenery, Far Cry 3 was the foundation of the Far Cry formula as we know it today.

8. Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon (2013)

A year on from the release of Far Cry 3, Ubisoft launched a standalone spin-off titled Blood Dragon. Taking the series in a new, neon-infused direction, Blood Dragon was a tongue-in-cheek parody of cheesy ‘80s sci-fi action flicks, casting players as a one-liner spitting cyborg badass known as Sergeant Rex Colt.

Sent on a revenge mission to kill his former commander, Colonel Sloan, the game drops Colt into an open-world dystopian future, where he uses his arsenal of futuristic weaponry to carve a war path through cyborgs, robot sharks, and dragons that can shoot lasers from their eyes. Blood Dragon was the first of several Far Cry spin-offs which took the series to imaginative new settings. It even went on to inspire an anime series called Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix.

9. Far Cry 4 (2014)

A year after Blood Dragon, Ubisoft released Far Cry 4, the next major installment in the franchise. Set in the snowy Himalayan mountains, players are cast as Ajay. Traveling to the fictional country of Kyrat to scatter his mother’s ashes, Ajay’s journey is cut short after his bus is raided by Pagan Min, a ruthless but immaculately dressed dictator who has a special interest in Ajay and his mission.

Returning to Pagan Min’s palace, Ajay manages to escape, fleeing into the countryside of Kyrat and joining the rebels in fighting back against their oppressor. As his battle against Pagan Min rages on, Ajay uncovers more about his heritage, slowly learning his mother’s past could be directly linked to the war that devastates the country.

Far Cry 4 largely built off the foundation established in Far Cry 3, adding campaign co-op, rideable elephants, a grappling hook, and a helicopter that could be used to raise hell from above.

10. Far Cry Primal (2016)

A spin-off from the mainline games, Far Cry Primal followed in the footsteps of Blood Dragon and reframed Far Cry in a wildly different setting, taking players to the prehistoric age. Centring on a hunter named Takkar, the story begins with the protagonist’s hunting party being wiped out by a sabertooth tiger, leaving him to walk the valley alone.

Determined to reunite with the other members of his clan, he sets forth on a perilous adventure, clashing with two rival tribes seeking to eradicate Takkar and his allies. Taking away the modern technology of previous Far Cry games and limiting players to clubs, bows, and other primitive weaponry, Far Cry Primal forced players to survive deadly animals, hazardous environments, and fierce rival tribes.

11. Far Cry 5 (2018)

With Primal in the rearview mirror, Ubisoft moved on to the next mainline entry in the Far Cry series, Far Cry 5. Moving the franchise to rural Montana, the franchise’s fifth entry unleashed players in the fictional wilderness of Hope County, playing as a nameless police deputy tracking an extremist cult known as Eden’s Gate.

Beginning with a player and a small squad of sheriffs attempting to arrest the cult’s leader – the sadistic zealot Joseph Seed – their mission descends into chaos after Seed’s followers free him and leave the player stranded in the wilderness. Vowing to rescue their allies and bring Seed and his lieutenants to justice, the players begin a journey across Hope County, slowly learning more about the cult’s leaders and the sinister, world-ending plot they’re concocting.

Far Cry 5 introduced several new ideas to the Far Cry formula, with players now able to fully customize their character, complete a non-linear main campaign, and, most importantly, recruit a friendly grizzly bear named Cheeseburger.

12. Far Cry New Dawn (2019)

A direct sequel to Far Cry 5, New Dawn hit consoles in 2019, envisioning an apocalyptic version of Hope County after it was struck by nuclear bombs during the previous game’s climax. Set seventeen years later, the game follows a player-created captain who, alongside other Hope County survivors, belongs to a settlement known as Prosperity.

As New Dawn begins, Prosperity finds its existence threatened by a group known as the Highway Men, who seek to take over Hope County and eradicate its various factions. Searching for a means to fight back against their new enemies, the captain ventures across Hope County, eventually making contact with a powerful hidden settlement led by the man who destroyed the world: Joseph Seed.

Much like Blood Dragon and Primal, New Dawn was a reframing of Far Cry’s formula, this time dropping the game into a post-apocalyptic setting. It included new, mutated foes; the addition of supernatural abilities; and a mode called Expeditions, which allowed players to head to other parts of the U.S. to complete contracts.

13. Far Cry 6 (2021)

Two years later, Ubisoft moved away from the post-apocalypse and returned for a more traditional mainline entry in Far Cry 6. Taking the franchise to the fictional Caribbean Island of Yara, players assume the role of Dani, a civilian attempting to escape the country due to a fierce civil war ravaging its shores.

Securing an escape route with their family via boat, Dani’s plans are thwarted after the ship is boarded by ruthless dictator Anton Castillo (played by Breaking Bad’s Giancaro Esposito), who is searching for his teenage son, Diego, among the refugees. Enraged at his son’s defiance, Anton sinks the ship, killing Dani’s family and setting the protagonist on a war path. Enlisting with the resistance and fighting against Anton’s regime, Dani joins the war, conquering Anton’s forces in a bid to confront the man himself.

Much like previous games, Far Cry 6 built on the Far Cry foundation, adding customizable vehicles, DIY super weapons, a new gear system, and back mounted rocket launchers.

What’s Next For Far Cry?

As for what’s next for Far Cry, there are currently no future projects confirmed. And, in Nov 2023, Far Cry 6 officially received its last patch after Ubisoft announced it would no longer be updating the game. However, early rumors suggest more Far Cry is likely on the way. In early 2023, two new Far Cry projects were reportedly in development, according to Insider Gaming and Kotaku: a standard sequel and a multiplayer spin-off. That being said, Ubisoft has yet to reveal anything official, so until the publisher is ready, we’ll have to wait and see where Far Cry heads next.

For more lists like this, check out Assassin’s Creed Games in Order, Wolfenstein Games in Order, GTA Games in Order and much more.

Callum Williams is a freelance media writer with years of experience as a game critic, news reporter, guides writer and features writer.

Stardew Valley’s Big 1.6 Update Boosts Its Steam Player Count to Record-Shattering Levels

Stardew Valley Update 1.6 is out now on PC, and it’s already breaking player records on Steam.

Developer Eric “Concerned Ape” Barone launched the content drop today, bringing loads of new additions and tweaks to the beloved farming sim after months of waiting. It’s proving to be a bit of a moment for fans, too, as according to SteamDB, Stardew Valley’s player numbers are soaring to new heights.

At the time of this story’s publication, there are more than 136,000 players currently logged on Steam alone. That number is climbing rapidly, too, burying the previous record of 94,879 in January 2021. It’s also worth noting that Stardew Valley 1.6 is available on GOG, and Barone says that the update will soon make its way to Game Pass, too.

Stardew Valley’s 1.6 might be its most anticipated drop yet, and the lead-up to its launch is proof. Barone helped drum up fan interest by releasing individual lines from the patch notes over the last few weeks. These have ranged from fascinating to hilarious, with some highlights including quality-of-life changes to resource gathering and the added ability to drink mayonnaise (ew). The full patch notes are littered with other interesting alterations, explaining why so many players are choosing now to dive in again or even for the first time.

Stardew Valley is available on mobile devices as well as PlayStation, Switch, and Xbox consoles, but its 1.6 update is not available on those platforms yet. Barone has yet to announce a release date. If you’re one of the thousands of players heading to go spruce up your in-game life today, you might want to read up on the developer’s thoughts regarding modding in 1.6 first. You can also be sure to check out how the game will evolve in the future.

Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.

Be sure to give him a follow on Twitter @MikeCripe.

Bungie’s Classic Marathon Trilogy Is Coming to Steam, Thanks to a Fan Revival

One of Bungie’s defining first-person shooter projects is coming to Steam in the form of Classic Marathon.

It’s an unexpected revival that exists thanks to the community-driven development team at Aleph One Developers. The Steam port is said to bring the sci-fi FPS to players without tarnishing its original look and feel while still providing new features like optional widescreen HUD support, 3D filtering/perspective, positional audio, and 60+ fps interpolation.

Bungie took to X/Twitter to formally reveal the new Classic Marathon Steam page.

“Alien forces have boarded the colony ship UESC Marathon in the Tau Ceti system, in orbit around humanity’s first interstellar colony,” the Classic Marathon Steam description says. “The situation is dire, and as a security officer assigned to the Marathon, your duty is to defend the ship and its crew from the alien threat.”

The original Marathon launched for Mac in the mid-‘90s, and while it was eventually overshadowed in the public eye by projects like Halo and Destiny, it still remains as an important milestone for Bungie. It also went on to receive two sequels in Marathon 2: Durandal and Marathon Infinity, though there’s no word on if they will get the Classic treatment, too.

Aleph One has long been considered one of the best ways to experience the Marathon trilogy on PC, with players still able to visit its website and play today. The series largely laid dormant for decades until Bungie surprise announced a new entry in the franchise in May of last year. Details on the game, simply titled Marathon, are scarce, though players have rallied to uncover clues about it before its eventual release on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X | S.

For more, be sure to read up on how Bungie is shaking up leadership for its new sci-fi reboot.

Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.

Be sure to give him a follow on Twitter @MikeCripe.

Starfield Update 1.10.31 Finally Removes Annoying Penalty in Lockpicking Minigame

After a few weeks in Steam beta, Bethesda Game Studios has released the next update for Starfield across all platforms, with one change addressing the Security minigame.

As detailed in a new blog post, everything in the beta update remains the same in the full version. While we previously pointed out the changes to photo mode and one particular quest missing a key NPC, causing some not to finish the mission, one big change in Update 1.10.31 addresses a tweak in the Security minigame.

Starfield has a lockpicking minigame where you must fit several pieces together to fill holes. These locks can be found throughout the game, notably in safes or computer terminals. Often, this minigame includes valuable loot, such as weapons and credits.

While my colleague Dan Stapleton wrote in his review of Starfield that it might “be the best unlocking minigame [he’s] ever seen in an RPG,” other players criticized the minigame, particularly how you lose a Digipick as a penalty for pressing “Undo” to correct a mistake.

On easier locks, this isn’t quite so bad. But when you’re low on Digipicks (which you need to play the minigame) and are doing one of the higher-difficulty locks, as seen in the screenshot below, making even a small mistake with few Digipicks can be heartbreaking. Some players have even turned to mods to simplify the minigame prior to the release of Update 1.10.31.

You can check out the full patch notes below.

Starfield Update 1.10.31 Patch Notes

Features

  • PHOTOMODE: Added the ability to set Expressions and Poses on player and companions in Photomode.
  • SCANNER: You can now open doors and harvest with the scanner opened.
  • Setting course on an inactive quest will now make it the active quest.
  • Added support for adjusting FOV when using 3rd Person Ship view.
  • Added an Anisotropic filtering quality slider (PC).
  • Removed the digipick cost for using Undo during the Security mini-game.
  • Added an autosave when fast travelling from a planet’s surface to orbit.
  • Updated the Ship UI to perform more smoothly at higher framerates.

Fixes

  • Art
    • Fixed an area that allowed the player access to the New Atlantis Ship Technician’s vendor chest.Fixed the gap that allows players to access Spacesuits without picking locks of one of the Spacesuit display cases.
    • Fixed an issue that could cause the Fishworker Mask to not be visible when equipped.
    • Fixed a spot where the player could get out of the world on The Siren of the Stars.
    • Fixed a rare issue that could cause the player to remain stuck under an elevator.
    • Fixed a spot where the player could become stuck outside Hopetech.
    • Fixed flickering floors in the aquarium of a Research Station on Altair II.
    • Fixed the text on a sign from being cut off on The Key.
    • Corrected a sign found on The Key.
    • Adjusted the position of a floating speaker at the Nasa Launch Facility.
    • Fixed badly placed objects in the Paridiso Hotel.
    • Fixed a spot players can get stuck in the Lair of the Mantis.
    • Fixed a spot players can get stuck on top of a bookcase in Marco’s room.
    • Fixed a generator intersecting a railing on New Homestead.
    • Fixed disappearing objects on Starstation RE-939.
    • Fixed balloons that were stuck inside each other on the Siren of the Stars.
    • Fixed a spot where players could get stuck on a staircase in New Homestead.
    • Fixed flickering textures in the Vanguard Test Chamber.
    • Adjusted the position of some office objects on a desk in the Abandoned Hangar.
    • Fixed a spot where players could go through the wall in New Homestead.
    • Fixed a chair placement inside of Hopetech.
    • Fixed a spot where players could get stuck in Infinity LTD.
    • Fixed a chair stuck in the wall on the roof of Sonny Di Falco’s Island.
    • Fixed a spot where players could fall out of the world in the Autonomous Staryard.
    • Settled some floating items in the Argos Office of New Atlantis.
    • Fixed some decal placements in an Abandoned Hangar.
    • Fixed a spot where players could see outside the world in Red Devil Headquarters.
    • Fixed a spot where players could get stuck in Londinion.
    • Fixed a stool that couldn’t be sat on in the Red Mile.
    • Fixed a spot where players could get out of the world in the Red Devil Mines.
    • Fixed flickering mats in Neon.
    • Rotated a monitor to face the intended direction in the Deimos Staryard.
    • Fixed placement of some items in the Autonomous Dogstar Factory on Vega II-d.
    • Fixed a sign placement on Tau Gourmet.
    • Fixed a spot where players could get stuck near the Bayu Plaza of Neon.
    • Fixed a spot where player could get stuck underneath metal girders in Neon.
    • Rotated and electrical panel in a starstation.
    • Fixed disappearing decals on a wall in Research Outpost U3-09.
    • Fixed a chair placement that caused an intersection with a computer in a Mining Complex.
    • Fixed missing walls of the UC Syracuse.
    • Fixed floating whiteboard text inside Nishina Research Facility.
    • Fixed a disappearing paper on the wall of the Starstation RE-939.
    • Fixed a gap on the tarmac of Cydonia.
    • Fixed a spot where players could fall out of the world behind Chunks in New Atlantis.
    • Fixed storage bins intersecting at the Lair of the Mantis.
    • Fixed fire extinguishers stuck inside the wall of the Siren of the Stars.
    • Fixed flickering textures found on Mars Mech Factory.
    • Adjusted position of objects on shelves found in Gagarin.
    • Adjusted position of objects in the Akila City Barracks.
    • Settled a floating vent panel in the Infinity LTD HQ.
    • Adjusted position of objects on the Fortuna Spaceship.
    • Fixed a spot where players could get stuck on The Scow.
    • Fixed a spot where players could get stuck in the Vault of the Siren of the Stars.
    • Fixed a flickering sign found in Gagarin.
    • Fixed a disappearing note on a whiteboard found in a Fracking Station on Procyon V-B.
    • Fixed a disappearing painting found in The Lodge.
    • Fixed a spot where players could get stuck in the Bindi Mining Outpost.
    • Adjusted the position of shelves in The Emporium of Neon.
    • Fixed a flickering wall panel in the Deimos Staryard.
    • Fixed weapons placed incorrectly on a display case found in a Civilian Outpost.
    • Fixed object placement on shelves in Akila’s Stone root Inn.
    • Fixed decal issues on whiteboards placed in The Warlock ship.
    • Fixed shelves and objects placement in The Corvus.
    • Fixed items stuck inside shelves in Gagarin.
    • Fixed flickering textures found in New Homestead.
    • Fixed a texture on the tarmac of the Waggoner Farm.
    • Fixed a spot where players could get outside the world at the Bindi Mining Outpost.
    • Adjusted physics on objects found near Alex Shadid’s desk in Akila City.
    • Replaced a missing wall in Gagarin.
    • Fixed physics on some objects placed in New Homestead.
    • Fixed a spot where players could fall out of the world in a Science Outpost location.
    • Fixed an object stuck inside a shelf in MAST.
    • Fixed flickering posters found in The Vigilance.
    • Fixed item physics in cabinets found in Hopetech.
    • Fixed a spot where players could get stuck in The Lock.
    • Fixed a gap underneath the airlock door of a Science outpost on Magnar.
    • Fixed physics on the skull in the Coe Heritage Museum.
    • Fixed a decal texture on a table in The Lock.
    • Fixed a spot where players could see out of the World in The Lock.
    • Fixed physics on objects placed in The Emporium.
    • Fixed cabinets intersecting on Gagarin.
    • Fixed physics on the cabinets found at one of the United Colonies Garrison locations.
    • Fixed a gap in the ceiling of The Lock.
    • Fixed collision on the roof of the Pioneer Tower.
    • Fixed flickering windows at Terrabrew in New Atlantis.
    • Fixed collision on the floor in a Warehouse of Neon.
    • Fixed flickering posters in the Military Wing of MAST.
    • Smoothed out the collision near Madame Sauvage in Neon.
    • Fixed a spot in the Mercury Tower where players could fall outside the world.
    • Fixed disappearing decals outside the Astral Lounge.
    • Fixed disappearing vent frames in Neon.
    • Fixed a Fan position near the Xenofresh sign in Neon.
    • Fixed a shelf intersecting the wall near the UC Distribution.
    • Fixed a spot where players could get out of the world near the door of the Va’ruun Embassy.
    • Settled a floating rope near the Neon Landing Pad.
    • Fixed the collision on a wall in the Ryujin Industries Head Quarters.
    • Fixed spots where players could see outside the world near the pool of the Commercial District.
    • Fixed spots where players could see outside the world on the roofs of the Residential District in New Atlantis.
    • Fixed a spot where players could see outside the world under the MAST bridge in New Atlantis.
    • Rotated a monitor in the Stroud-Eklund Showroom.
    • Fixed a spot where players could fall out of the world near the Fishmonger in Neon.
    • Fixed a gap in the sidewalk and grass in New Atlantis.
    • Fixed multiple spots where players could see outside of the world on the roof of the Pioneer Tower.
    • Fixed a missing wall near the Pioneer Tower.
    • Fixed an issue where characters would suddenly disappear in the Neon elevator.
    • Fixed several spots where players could see out of the world in Neon.
    • Fixed the flickering computer monitors found in Apex Electronics.
    • Fixed a spot where players could see out of the world near the Pioneer tower in New Atlantis.
    • Fixed the netting from disappearing inside Neon at certain viewing angles.
    • Fixed flickering crates in Cydonia’s mine.
    • Fixed flickering textures in the corner of Bayu’s Penthouse bedroom.
    • Fixed gaps in the wall inside Galbank of New Atlantis.
    • Fixed a spot where players could see out of the world in the Trade Authority.
    • Fixed an area that a player could get out of the world in the Generdyne Industries.
    • Corrected a missing wall inside the Mercury Tower Lobby.
    • Fixed a backwards polygon floating outside a Warehouse in Neon.
    • Dropped a floating tree outside the entrance to the Lair of the Mantis.
    • Made it so a mineral resource can be properly harvested near Gagarin.
    • Settled a floating tree found near Remote Industrial Site locations.
    • Settled a floating rock arch near Industrial Mines.
    • Settled a floating tree to the ground at an Abandoned Farm location.
    • Fixed a spot where the player could get out of the world in a cave on Procyon I.
    • Improved LOD for Juniper trees.
    • Improved LOD for Fringe trees.
    • Improved LOD for Swamp Pods.
    • Improved LOD for Hickory trees.
    • Fixed a spot where the player could get outside of the world in a cave on Altair II.
    • Fixed a floating tree near the Lair of the Mantis.
    • Fixed an area that caused the player to see out of the world in the Mining Complex.
    • Fixed flickering bushes seen during Sam Coe’s Matter of the Hart quest scenes.
    • Settled a floating resource stone near Akila city.
    • Settled a floating stone near Gagarin’s Landing Pad.
    • Fixed an area that caused the player to fall out of the world near Gagarin.
    • Fixed floating fungus found on Procyon.
    • Settled floating stone arches near Gagarin.
    • Fixed a texture blend around one of the Wetland biomes.
    • Fixed textures on the leaves of the Sapling Trees.
    • Settled a floating rock near the Landing site on Toliman II-a.
    • Addressed texturing issues on various cave sections.
    • Fixed a few areas that caused the player to fall out of the world.
    • Fixed a spot where players could get stuck outside a mining complex.
    • Dropped a floating tree to the ground near Gagarin.
    • Fixed a spot where players could get stuck outside Cydonia.
    • Settled floating rocks to the ground around Eren’s Camp.
    • Fixed a spot in New Atlantis Spaceport where players could get stuck.
    • Fixed gaps in the caves that allowed visibility outside the playable space in underground caves.
    • Fixed texture issue on the landing pad of the Ranshaw Research Facility.
    • Settled a floating tree to the ground around the Dauntless Crash Site.
    • Fixed a flicker on the Quarantine Isolator.
    • Addressed flickering textures on the faucets in the Lock.
    • Adjusted Briggs pose when holding a weapon (The Showdown).
    • Adjusted assets for the “Living Outside Earth” airlock display (Revelation quest, NASA).
    • Fixed an issue that could cause the player to remain stuck when traversing the collapsed C Block hall near the Armory in The Lock.
    • Fixed an issue that could cause the player to become stuck between rocks near New Atlantis on Jemison.
    • Fixed an issue that could cause the player to become stuck inside the stairs that lead down to the Red Mile.
    • Fixed blast shield occasionally disappearing from landing pad near Nishina research station.
    • Fixed an issue that could cause the player to become stuck after falling down a tube in an Industrial Outpost.
    • Fixed a few landing areas (like Valerie’s Cache) that were too small for some ships.
  • Gameplay
    • Fixed an issue with ship power allocations decreasing unintentionally due to crew member bonuses.
    • Crew bonuses for ship weapon recharge times should now be applied as intended while in targeting mode.
    • Fixed an issue that could turn the player’s head to the left when sprinting in 3rd person.
    • Addressed an issue that could cause artifacts to become inaccessible if the player left their location for a long time without retrieving them.
    • Fixed an issue that could cause the player housing decoration to be lost when there is a state change in New Atlantis.
    • Resolved an issue where Sarah could appear non-interactable if she was assigned to a ship or outpost during a conversation with Walter in the Lodge.
    • Resolved an issue where the player could be affected by weather while inside.
    • Fixed an issue that could prevent the player from getting 100% completion for Niira’s planet survey.
    • Fixed an issue on Heinlein V-A’s moon, which could cause Chlorine gas vent deposits to be extremely rare.
    • Fixed an issue that could cause weather to occur on planets with no atmosphere.
    • Addressed an issue where EM damage wasn’t being applied as intended to robot enemies.
    • Resolved a rare issue where robots might not power down after using the “Disable Robot Workforce” option in a terminal.
    • Minibots should no longer appear to influence the Stealth Meter.
    • Boarding encounters should now have a better difficulty distribution.
    • Fixed an issue that prevented commandeering a smuggler Freestar Rambler after killing all of its crew.
    • Alien Reanimation now works on Aquatic and Flying creatures.
    • Resolved an issue that could sometimes prevent the player from turning invisible when using Void Form in 1st person.
    • Resolved a time scaling issue that could occur if Phased Time was used before waiting/resting.
    • Parallel Self clone should now have the ability to follow the player through load doors.
    • Sunless Space should now be able to deal critical damage.
    • Fixed an issue that could cause allied ships to become hostile when using Anti-grav field inside your ship.
    • Addressed an issue where using a power on a Terromorph in the Red Devil HQ could potentially free it.
    • Resolved an issue with Alien Reanimation which caused it to last longer than intended when used by another character.
    • Fixed an issue with the Scavenging Skill challenge not incrementing when weapon cases were looted.
    • Resolved an issue that could cause Missile Weapon Systems Rank 4 to not recharge as intended.
    • Fixed an issue with Rejuvenation FX remaining active.
    • Fixed an issue where the EM Weapon Systems skill challenge wasn’t tracking EM damage as intended.
    • Fixed an issue where Starborn ship weapons were not being improved by ship skills.
    • Fixed an issue with using the Boostpack in Zero-G Environments counting towards Weight Lifting skill challenge.
    • Fixed an issue where the Wellness skill did not apply actively when leveling up.
    • Fixed a rare issue where Neurostrikes could count a crowd character as a stunned enemy.
    • Fixed an issue with the Neurostrikes challenge progress causing it to be more difficult than intended after the first Rank.
    • Fixed a Rank 4 Concealment issue that briefly made the player undetectable.
    • Contraband is now removed when rejecting a previously accepted smuggling mission.
    • Addressed an issue that allowed attacking the assigned home ship to progresses ship weapon systems skills.
    • Fixed an issue where Mom and Dad could participate in different conversations with each other at the same time.
    • Fixed an issue that could allow unusable ammo to be placed in the world.
    • Fixed an issue where the boostpack could be incorrectly hidden when using boostpack skills.
    • Fixed an issue with damage scaling for critical damage after going through the Unity.
    • Fixed an issue that could cause the Coe Estate to be inaccessible for Sam’s Commitment after going through the Unity.
    • Water in wetlands biomes should now correctly spawn creatures for scanning.
    • Fixed an issue that could occasionally cause swimming creatures to fly above water or appear on land.
    • Fixed an issue where flying creatures could sometimes appear to fall slowly after being killed.
    • Addressed an issue where occasionally a character could clip through the ground when knocked down.
    • Fixed an issue that could cause unstable ragdolls on some mercenaries.
    • Resolved an issue that could cause a technician’s body to turn invisible if a manipulated character was instructed to inspect the corpse.
    • Fixed a rare issue that could cause a character to spin when exiting a seated position.
    • Fixed an issue that could cause dead characters on the Red Mile to be standing upright.
    • Characters should no longer share the same chair at the same time in The Rock.
    • Fixed issue that could cause characters to shift out of the world after entering certain poses.
    • Fixed various character head tracking issue that could make some scenes look inconsistent.
    • Reduced the frequency of stun attacks from the Elder Terrormorph during Hostile Intelligence.
    • Fixed an issue that could cause Terrormorphs to not properly ambush during some encounters.
    • Turrets in The Mantis Lair should no longer be invisible after leaving and returning after a long period of time.
    • Boarding Encounter objectives should now be cleared when fast traveling off the boarded ship via the Starmap.
    • Resolved an issue that could cause crosshairs to turn red during combat when not pointing at an enemy character.
    • Fixed Kodama weapon recoil inconsistency between 1st and 3rd person.
    • Resolved an issue where releasing aim while turning in 3rd person could automatically cause aiming to begin again.
    • Aiming through a scoped weapon while attempting to enter dialogue should no longer cause the weapon to become invisible.
    • Fixed an issue that could sometimes cause initial melee attacks to fail after immediately drawing the weapon.
    • Resolved an issue where the player could lose a large amount of Oxygen when using a Power Attack and blocking.
    • Resolved an issue with scopes appearing too low if used in 3rd person directly after landing on a new planet.
    • The Rattler should now use the correct reload animation in zero-g environments.
    • Resolved an issue with the Frenzy Special Effect on the Keelhauler effecting allies.
    • Fixed an issue that could cause the Autorivet to fire in a wider cone when a laser sight was added.
    • Fixed an issue where the Drumbeat Burst fire attachment causing it to fire 3 shots instead of 4.
    • Special Weapon Effects with a damage increase should now function with EM weapons.
    • Fixed an issue with Anti-Ballistic that caused it to not reduce physical damage taken from Particle Beam Weapons.
    • Fixed an issue where EM weapons dealt health damage instead when used by a companion.
    • Added Special Effects to the Old Earth armor set reward.
    • Addressed an issue that could soft lock the player if they interacted with a stun mine in a specific way.
    • Fixed an issue where the player could avoid criminal repercussions by stowing their weapon at a very specific time.
    • Addressed an issue where companions would not be dressed correctly if a stolen outfit was removed due to an arrest.
    • Quest specific companions (such as Emma Wilcox or Walter Stroud) are now prevented from taking weapons from locked chests when they are out of ammo.
    • Fixed crash that could occur when the player holds a corpse in front of a miner.
    • Characters should no longer reaction to older bodies as if they were new corpses.
    • Fixed an issue where Sam Coe could still tell Cora she could try out her joke on a dead character. Tough crowd.
    • Fixed an issue where the player could talk about Adoring Fan’s fandom even though he had never joined the crew.
    • Addressed an issue that could cause the camera to appear detached when immediately boostpacking after entering a Temple.
    • Resolved an issue where using a boostpack while entering zero-g could disable boosting.
    • Ammo packs near Sergeant Yumi during Eyewitness should now provide more ammo.
    • Docking at a station with a stolen ship should now set it as your home ship.
    • Added reward for completing the injured guard activity at the Trade Authority Warehouse.
    • Added loot to a weapon rack hidden behind a Master locked door at the Ship Disassembly Platform.
    • Fixed an issue where a skill magazine could not be acquired in the abandoned farm.
    • Fixed an issue that could cause Havershaw to be tucked away from his desired position in Stroud-Eklund’s Staryard.
    • Removed an invisible collision that partially blocked movement through the plastic flaps at the entrance of The Clinic.
    • Fixed an issue where sometimes a supply shelf would not appear correctly in the Freestar Ranger station in Hopetown.
    • Fixed a texture issue that could occur when the tables in Jake’s bar were shot.
    • VFX and SFX will now occur when player discovers a scanner anomaly even while not directly facing it.
    • Fixed an issue with all guards on The Scow sharing a similar appearance.
    • Resolved an issue that could cause a quest for a legendary ship to not appear during a space encounter.
    • Fixed an issue where helping a Settler by using the Medicine skill in dialogue would incorrectly consume a medpack.
    • Adjusted ownership of Maurice Lyon’s journal so it can be taken without “stealing” in New Homestead.
    • Fixed an issue with the ramp of the Razorleaf that could cause characters pathing difficulty.
    • Fixed an issue could cause enemies in combat to slide between cover spots.
    • Fixed an issue that could cause Vasco to appear incorrectly in the player’s ship.
    • Fixed an issue that could stall character patrols if they spoke immediately before reaching a idle location.
    • Followers should no longer continue their conversations if the player exits a ship while they are speaking.
    • Fixed a rare issue that could cause Homesteaders to attack without provocation.
    • Improved crowd fleeing behavior.
    • Fixed an issue that could cause enemies to spawn on the roof areas of ships.
    • Fixed an issue that could cause a character using a melee attack to get stuck in a floating state.
    • Fixed an issue where Vasco may not path back to the ship through Cydonia when dismissed.
    • Fixed an issue that could leave Followers in zero-g animations if the ship is exited when gravity is being disabled.
    • Fixed an issue with companions jumping that could cause them to become stuck in a floating state.
    • Addressed an issue that allowed players to get into a state where they could wait while standing up.
    • Addressed an issue that could sometimes cause allied ships to not retaliate when being attacked by the player.
    • Fixed the player sometimes being stuck with a pending grav jump.
    • Fixed an issue that could cause spaceships to land slightly above the ground on various planets.
    • Addressed an issue that could temporarily alter the view of the ship in 3rd person after the FOV in Photo Mode was used.
    • Ship weapons should now target the nearest module on an enemy ship instead of the center of mass.
    • Fixed an issue that could sometimes prevent the player from gaining repair parts after helping an allied ship during a space encounter.
    • Addressed an issue that could cause Heller to briefly flicker during the boring machine countdown.
    • Fixed an issue that could sometimes cause characters to double blink during dialogue.
    • Improved an issue that could appear as an odd emotion transition on faces during dialogues.
    • Fixed an issue where characters could reopen their eyes after being killed.
    • Fixed an issue that could cause a character to say a generic greeting instead of a custom greeting.
    • Various fixes for planetary bodies with erroneous orbits.
    • Various stability improvements.
  • Graphics
    • Improved lighting on particles at night when using the flashlight (PC medium / High / Ultra and Xbox Series X).
    • Fixed rare Depth Of Field visual issues.
    • Fixed an issue that could cause the sun’s lens flare to disappear when partially occluded by an object.
    • Fixed an issue causing the sun’s lens flare to have the wrong size when modifying the FOV.
    • Fixed an issue that could occasionally display the sun’s lens flare through opaque objects around the edge of the screen.
    • Fixed a rare issue that could cause shadows or lighting to flicker during sunset and dawn.
    • Fixed an issue in Neon Spaceport that could cause the atmosphere to be overly bright.
    • Fixed occasionally flickering bloom effect that could occur when the sun started appearing behind a planet in space.
    • Fixed occasional screen flickering that could occur when using medium graphics preset with vsync disabled (PC).
    • Fixed an issue that could cause the player view to have a momentary blur after waiting on a chair.
    • Fixed an issue that could display black squares around a planet when other planets rings were visible in the background of the Starmap.
    • Fixed an issue that could occasionally make lightning bolts appear to have missing sections.
    • Fixed occasionally missing lightning effect when the player was inside the ship during a storm.
    • Improved the look of beards and mustaches in the distance.
    • Fixed rare pixelated shadows that could occur on character outfits under certain exterior lighting conditions.
    • Fixed an issue with shadows occasionally appearing inconsistently on asteroids in space.
    • Fixed rare issue that could occasionally display outline on objects when seen through smoke.
    • Fixed rare issue that could lead to displaying wrong colors on smoke effects in Va’ruun Embassy.
    • Fixed fog abruptly appearing and disappearing in the The Lock’s shuttle bay during Echoes Of The Past.
    • Fixed popping smoke emitted from the crashed ship the player approaches during Back To Vectera.
    • Fixed white flickering dots that could occasionally appear on wet surfaces.
    • Fixed an issue that could occasionally make glass objects flicker in the distance.
    • Fixed rare flickering on characters when DLSS was enabled (PC).
    • Fixed flickering lines on the floor when seen through glass in Ryujin (Xbox Series S).
    • Fixed rare cases of flickering with FSR 2 (PC).
    • Fixed subtle flickering that could occasionally occur on the Equinox.
    • Fixed occasional flickering on the Magpulse.
    • Fixed flickering on the Navigator Pack.
    • Fixed an issue where the player’s hair could occasionally clip through the Chunks Cap in third person.
    • Fixed an issue where characters hair could have holes when wearing a cap.
    • Fixed an issue where the player’s facial hair partially disappears when wearing the ‘Fishworker Mask’ while the helmet is hidden.
    • Fixed an issue that could cause a parent planet’s axis to instantly shift at a certain time of day when seen from the surface of its moon.
    • Addressed an issue with electrical shock VFX that could happen at Argos Extractors.
    • Fixed an issue that could appear with Ship trails emitted from damaged ship engines at high speed.
    • Fixed missing VFX on canisters that could occur with certain weapons in the Akila City Prison.
    • Fixed an issue causing exploding tanks to occasionally miss an explosion VFX outside the Kreet Research Lab.
    • Various texture adjustments to fix occasional moiré, flickering and z-fighting issues.
    • Various decals and geometry fixes.
    • Various shadow quality improvements and bugfixes.
    • Various minor performance improvements
  • Outposts
    • Resolved an issue that could make a workbench appear to be obstructed.
    • Fixed an issue with outposts where the player could see an infinite loading spinner while using the fly camera.
    • Resolved an issue with displaying Survey Data on data slate display stands in Outposts.
    • Fixed an issue that could cause items placed on mannequins to be displayed incorrectly.
    • Fixed an issue that could cause objects placed near a connected hallway to disappear if the containing hab module was moved.
    • Tweaked the snap distance for storage containers.
    • Improved visible line for moving around objects for link.
    • Fixed objects stacked onto auto-foundations not moving correctly if the foundation is moved.
    • Resolved an issue where building near a landing zone was prevented if the beacon is placed outside of it.
    • Resolved an issue with moving a Power Management Robot at an Outpost after it was built.
    • Fixed an issue that could cause a wall to disappear when an Industrial Wall Light is placed and then deleted.
    • Fixed an issue that could cause generators to not increase power production after building the Power Management Robot.
  • Save and Load
    • Resolved an issue that could cause bonus skins to appear to be removed from stored items after loading a save.
    • Fixed an issue where loading a save prior to repairing Nia Kalu’s ship could prevent the player from activating the switches.
    • Addressed a rare issue that could cause locations to be positioned incorrectly after loading a save.
    • Fixed an rare issue that could cause the player to appear to be in a falling state, unable to interact with characters or rotate the camera as intended.
    • Fixed an issue that could cause a crash or create a corrupted save file when attempting to sync with 0 local storage available (Steam).
    • Fixed an issue that caused the flashlight to stay on when reloading a save with no helmet equipped.
    • Resolved an issue that could cause characters to try to path through ships after loading a save.
    • Resolved an issue where loading a save could cause characters to shift in the furniture they were using.
    • Fixed an issue where scars and tattoos could appear removed when loading a save made in the Unity.
    • Various fixes for issues when loading saves.
  • Ships
    • Fixed a rare issue where New Atlantis would appear to follow the player ship.
    • Fixed a rare issue where the player could end up in a bad state if task swapping while fast traveling in space (PC).
    • Fixed an issue that could cause furniture to be doubled.
    • Fixed floating items found aboard some ships.
    • Fixed an issue that could result in missing items in ship after a module modification.
    • Addressed clutter items blocking pathways and ladders in ships.
  • Text and Localization
    • Special descriptors in weapon names now appear properly when playing in localized languages.
    • Updated ship persuasion minigame text for localized languages.
    • Fixed various typos and translation errors.
    • Fixed various text display issues.
  • UI
    • Added ability to invert the X-axis on a controller in the Settings menu.
    • Holding RB or Alt on the Starmap will now show the names of all star systems.
    • Fixed an issue that could rarely cause the wrong ship to appear on a landing pad after editing ships.
    • When using a keyboard, the player can now control their ship’s power allocation when pressing the Left Alt key and keys 2, 4, 6, and 8 on the number pad (PC).
    • Addressed some inconsistencies with Character Creation sliders where sometimes switching back and forth would not produce expected results.
    • Fixed an issue where body/face apparel would not be hidden when visiting Enhance.
    • Fixed an issue where the player’s skin tone could appear to change when rapidly scrolling through Apparel.
    • Fixed an issue where pressing certain buttons at the same time could cause the mission objective to remain on screen while the Scanner is closed.
    • Fixed an issue where the calibration image could disappear while adjusting Brightness in Display Settings.
    • Resolved an issue that caused the Incoming Hail prompt to disappear when Photo Mode was entered.
    • Fixed Enable VRS setting not resetting correctly when all Display settings were reset to default.
    • Fixed an issue that could prevent landing after binding “Activate” to “X” while using a controller (PC).
    • Fixed an issue that could cause the player to flicker when equipping apparel in the Inventory menu.
    • Fixed special characters from not appearing in Precognition responses in English.
    • Fixed an issue where pressing certain buttons while using a controller could prevent using the Ship Builder (PC).
    • Fuel and distance should now calculate as intended for long grav jumps.
    • Particle Beam weapon kills should now increment Laser Kills in Combat Stats.
    • Fixed an issue where the compass would not properly indicate the player is in combat.
    • Ship Builder Upgrade Mode now highlights both positive and negative stat changes.
    • Fixed an issue with the item card sometimes not appearing after inspecting an item.
    • Fixed an issue that caused tracked resources to not appear correctly on unvisited planets in the same solar system.
    • Fixed text display issues with various scopes.
    • Fixed an issue that could make the player character disappear when Show Character was switched to “On” in Photomode.
    • Adjusted the name of The London Landmark on the planet map.
    • Fixed various icon inconsistencies on the planet map for Landmark locations.
    • Various fixes for Large Menu Fonts.
  • Quests (SPOILER WARNING)
    • A Break at Dawn: Fixed an issue that could get the objective stuck on ‘Find Hugo Fournier at Athena Tower’ if persuasion failed and all dialogue options were exhausted with Hugo.
    • Absolute Power: Fixed an issue where the companion would not go inside the ventilation shaft with the player in Generdyne Industries.
    • All That Money Can Buy: Fixed an issue that could prevent this from starting if all of Ryujin Industries questline was previously completed.
    • All That Money Can Buy: Fixed an issue that could cause the ship and its technician to disappear after getting the ship back from impound.
    • Back to the Grind: Resolved an issue where trying to sit during the “Take a Seat” objective sometimes caused a control-lock.
    • Back to Vectera: Addressed an issue where the player could later become control-locked on the ramp if they missed Lin’s initial greeting and assigned her inside the ship.
    • Back to the Grind: If the TerraBrew Employee is killed while the player is in combat with Tomo, the quest will now properly handle the quest target.
    • Back to Vectera: Fixed an issue where the player could be unable to speak to Lin & Heller and be prevented from recruiting them as Crew.
    • Background Checks: Resolved an issue leaving the area of Ularu’s computer could cause a confusing quest marker.
    • Bare Metal: Fixed an issue at Neon Tactical where Styx still had graffiti despite the player having a dialogue option indicating otherwise.
    • Bare Metal: Fixed dialogue inconsistencies with Frank when talking about Styx.
    • Bone Dry: Fixed an issue where hailing the stranded ship after finishing the initial dialogue could restart the dialogue from the beginning.
    • Breach of Contract: Fixed an issue where Ellie Yankton would not talk to the player if they sat in Barrett’s chair.
    • Breach of Contract: Fixed various dialogue and camera inconsistencies that could occur if the player talked to Ellie before Barrett could enter the room.
    • Breach of Contract: Fixed an issue where canceling the dialogue with Keala could cause the objective to update earlier than intended.
    • Breach of Contract: Fixed an issue that could cause various issues with the objectives when hacking the Security terminal before talking to the community members to find Helgi.
    • Breach of Contract: Fixed a rare issue where Barrett’s quest did not appear in the quest tracker.
    • Breach of Contract: Addressed an issue with the camera panning to Barrett during his dialogue.
    • Castillo’s Revenge: Fixed an issue where canceling out of dialogue did not make Mathis hostile to the player.
    • Commitment with Barrett: Fixed an issue that could cause Ellie Yankton to remain in her apartment after agreeing to have her officiate the ceremony.
    • Deep Cover: Addressed a possible control lock when boarding UC Vigilance after loading a previous save where the player is an enemy of UC SysDef.
    • Delivering Devils: Addressed an issue with an objective not disappearing when speaking to Cambridge after already paying the debt.
    • Delivering Devils: Fixed an issue that could prevent companions from following the player to Percival at the end of the mine.
    • Divided Loyalties: Fixed an issue that could cause zealot ships to not appear during the encounter with Jaeda Huang.
    • Echoes Of The Past: Resolved an issue where failing to pickpocket a Rook inside the Lock could cause Delgado to become inaccessible.
    • Entangled: Fixed an issue that could rarely cause a control lock when Raphael greets the player.
    • Eye of the Storm: Addressed a rare issue that could prevent docking with the Legacy.
    • Eye of the Storm: Fixed a location where the player could get stuck on a section of wires while escaping from the UC Vigilance.
    • Eye Witness: Fixed an issue that could cause members of the Fireteam to run out of ammo.
    • Eye Witness: Addressed an issue that could cause some confusion with incapacitating the Thralls.
    • Eye Witness: Added a message to address possible confusion about why the Lodge is inaccessible.
    • Eye Witness: Resolved a possible progression issue related how Thralls were incapacitated by the player.
    • Eye Witness: Addressed a rare issue that could prevent Yumi from being present at the quest target location.
    • Final Thoughts: Addressed an issue that allowed the player to drop the “For Claire Maensah New Atlantis” dataslate.
    • Find the Missing… : Mission Objective should now complete when the targeted Quest Character is found and healed.
    • Friends Like These: Fixed a turret in the Va’ruun embassy that was always hostile and could not be turned off or turned friendly.
    • Friends Like These: The door inside the Va’ruun Embassy will now be correctly opened if the player left the Embassy and returned later.
    • Friends Like These: The door inside the Freestar Embassy will now be correctly opened if the player left the Embassy and returned later.
    • Fueling Greatness: Purchasing any velocity color from Madame Sauvage should now update the objective.
    • Grunt Work: Addressed an issue that could prevent Hadrian from moving to the microscope if she was downed before the sample was collected.
    • Grunt Work: Fixed an issue that could cause the Terrormorph to idle instead of stalking the player.
    • Grunt Work: Fixed an issue where the objective would repeat to Restore Power to Kill lanes.
    • Grunt Work: Removed an empty dialogue response that could occur after the player knows about Tau Ceti II.
    • Guilty Parties: Fixed an issue that could occur with getting into the Hideout if the player didn’t talk to Dalton.
    • Hard Luck: Clover MacKenna will be downed instead of killed before the quest is completed.
    • Hostile Intelligence: Resolved an issue where Hadrian may not follow the player out of the Steam Tunnels.
    • Hostile Intelligence: Fixed an issue that could cause Toliman II guard ships to repeat the scene after the player had already checked in with Hatoum.
    • In Memoriam: Resolved a rare issue with dialogue near the waterfall that could prevent romance with Sarah Morgan.
    • In Memoriam: Addressed an issue that could prevent progression if the player left Sarah while she was at the Colony War Memorial.
    • Incoming Storm: Fixed an issue that would grant the player double the intended reward.
    • Juno’s Gambit: Added a marker back to Juno if the player chooses to leave before completing the quest.
    • Keeping the Peace: Fixed an issue where attempting to speak to Yumi while ‘Eye Witness’ was active wouldn’t work as intended.
    • Leader of the Pack: Resolved an issue that could occur if Davis died just before the Alpha Ashta.
    • Legacy’s End: Crimson Fleet bounty is now removed if the player sides with UC SysDef since the Crimson Fleet will always be hostile.
    • Legacy’s End: The security door inside the Key will now be opened if the player left the station and returned later.
    • Legacy’s End: Fixed dialogue inconsistencies with Commander Ikande and Lt. Toft.
    • Legacy’s End: Addressed a rare issue that could cause Naeva to remain in the elevator longer than intended.
    • Legacy’s End: Credit cost now appears correctly in dialogue with Lt. Toft after completing the quest.
    • Legacy’s End: Fixed an issue with Bog’s dialogue that could allow it to occur before intended.
    • Lost and Found: Made it easier for the player to find Dirk during the ‘Speak To Dirk’ activity.
    • Mantis Shakedown: Addressed an exploit that allowed access to more credits than intended.
    • Matters of the Hart: Addressed an issue that could occur if progressing ‘Missed Beyond Measure’ simultaneously.
    • Matters of the Hart: Fixed an issue which allowed Neon Security to interrupt Cora’s lockpicking scene.
    • Matters of the Hart: Fixed an issue that could cause the player to arrive in the middle of the Victor compound.
    • Miner Inconvenience: Fixed an issue that could make finding the creatures more difficult than intended.
    • Missed Beyond Measure: Addressed a few issues that impacted other overlapping quests.
    • Missed Connections: Fixed an inconsistency with progressing the quest in a different order than anticipated.
    • New Driver: Fixed an issue where markers would occasionally not appear inside the ship.
    • One Giant Leap: Addressed an issue that could appear to prevent grav jumping when artifacts are split between the ship and an outpost.
    • One Giant Leap: Fixed an issue where companions still wanted to talk about less relevant information after Revelation is completed.
    • One Giant Leap: Addressed an issue that could cause a control lock when attempting to jump to the Unity while in Targeting mode.
    • One Small Step: Fixed an issue that could cause an odd dialogue camera when Walter speaks.
    • Operation Starseed: Fixed an issue where a door would be inaccessible if a crime was committed at Crucible and the player returned much later.
    • Operation Starseed: The door to the restricted wing should now be correctly opened if the player leaves the facility and returns later.
    • Operation Starseed: Resolved a rare issue where the door leading to Franklin Roosevelt was inaccessible on Charybdis III.
    • Operation Starseed: Fixed an issue where the player could be unable to talk to Genghis Khan after the civil war on Charybdis III.
    • Power From Beyond: Fixed an issue that could cause the Temple to not to appear where intended.
    • Power from Beyond: It should now be easier to talk to Vladimir.
    • Prank Caller: Fixed an issue where the joke ship did not grav jump away after finishing the dialogue.
    • Red Tape Reclamation: Addressed an issue that could cause Hank to be away from his desired position.
    • Red Tape Runaround: Fixed an issue with the pirate leader unintentionally changing poses in dialogue.
    • Research Outpost: Addressed an inconsistency that could occur when boarding Dr. Sohla’s ship.
    • Research Outpost: Added the ability to transfer items to Dr. Sohla from the ship cargo.
    • Party Cruise: Addressed some inconsistencies that could occur depending docking and boarding interactions.
    • Revelation: Fixed a rare issue that could cause the quest to not successfully complete.
    • Revelation: Fixed an issue where a guidance path would not appear in the Hand Scanner.
    • Revelation: Resolved an issue where “Activities” would be automatically set to Active after completing Unearthed.
    • Revelation: Fixed a rare issue where the Hunter/Emissary could appear in an unreachable section of the Astral Lounge.
    • Robot Survey Team: Addressed an issue that could lead to inconsistent robot behavior.
    • Rook Meets King: Fixed a rare issue that could cause Naeva to stall during the tour of The Key.
    • Rook Meets King: Fixed an issue where the player could unintentionally get better gear from Dmitri Moldavski.
    • Rook Meets King: The Captain can no longer be Instigated preventing a few inconsistencies.
    • Rook Meets King: Addressed an issue that could prevent travel after dealing with the Ragana in a specific way.
    • Rook Meets King: Addressed an issue with accepting the Ragana’s hail if the system was left and returned to later.
    • Rook Meets King: Addressed an issue with accepting the Astraea’s hail if the system was left and returned to later.
    • Rook Meets King: Fix a dialogue inconsistency that could occur when loading a save onboard the Ragana.
    • Sabotage: Fixed an exploit that allowed the player could avoid arrest after stealing.
    • Sabotage: Addressed an issue that could occur if the player was arrested after using manipulation on Demarcus at Ryujin HQ.
    • Sabotage: Resolved an issue that could occur if combat was started before trying to sit on the Neurosurgery Operating Table.
    • Sabotage: Fixed an issue that could make David Barron difficult to find.
    • Sensible Ship: The “Collect your new ship” objective should now clear if the player destroys the ship first.
    • Supply Missions: Fixed a rare issue that could list unobtainable items as the target.
    • Supra et Ultra: The Quest Marker should now point to intended elevator floors.
    • Supra Et Ultra: Addressed a rare issue that could interrupt Tuala from reaching his mark under the stars.
    • Supra Et Ultra: Fixed an issue with power distribution changing while using targeting mode during the simulation.
    • Supra et Ultra: Fixed a rare issue that could cause John Tuala to not appear at his intended location.
    • Surgical Strike: Ben Armistead should now more quickly head toward Ari Miller.
    • Surgical Strike: Fixed an issue that allowed players to become trapped under the mine elevator in the Bonner Eklund Excavation Site.
    • Survey Says: Fixed an issue that prevented the objective from clearing if the ship was destroyed.
    • The Audition: Addressed an issue with later passing a door if the area was left while Andrea escorted the player.
    • The Best There Is: Resolved an issue that allowed fast travel after the Jade Swan docked.
    • The Best There Is: Fixed an issue that could occur if Jasmine was downed during the dialogue with Naeva.
    • The Best There Is: Added the ability to progress the quest if any ship docked at the Key.
    • The Devils You Know: The door to the cockpit of The Warlock should now be open if the ship is left and returned to later.
    • The Empty Nest: Addressed a rare issue where Sam Coe would sometimes not appear at the Akila Spaceport.
    • The Old Neighborhood: Addressed a rare issue that could cause Sarah Morgan not to speak when traveling to Venus.
    • The Unusual Outpost: Fixed incorrect quest log text.
    • Unearthed: Addressed an issue that could cause the door leading to the Artifact to remain locked if the area is left.
    • Runaway: Should now be visible on the Misc Mission Tab when active.
    • War Relics: Fixed an inconsistency that can occur by trying to find Kaiser before his position is known.
    • War Relics: Addressed a issue with the quest starting if Demeter was dead.
    • Worlds Apart: The door to the Hephaestus Mine H-363 location will now be correctly accessible if the player left the planet and returned later.
    • Fixed various lore issues occurring during the dialogue with Amanda Oxendine.

Taylor is a Reporter at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.

Super Metroid is Still a Genre-Defining Masterpiece 30 Years Later

“The last metroid is in captivity. The galaxy is at peace…”

Super Metroid’s opening is not the most explosive but it’s certainly one of the most iconic. Released in 1994, it was the third game in the series and is when Metroid really hit its stride, so much so it went on to become one of the most influential games ever made. Long before Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls made it cool, it had its own sub-genre (sharing custody with Castlevania: Symphony of the Night which would arrive three years later), one that has spawned countless imitators and become eternal muse to indies with games like Hollow Knight or Dead Cells.

Gated progression, non-linear world design, bonafide action set-pieces… Super Metroid brought a lot of new ideas within its (for the time) technical marvel. Even if you’ve never played it you’ll almost certainly recognise all the staples it popularised. No genre or medium can be traced to a single origin but like Samus Aran herself, metroid DNA is so well blended at this point it is impossible to see where the line of influence ends. You can find traces of it in games as far flung as the Tomb Raider reboots or Alien Isolation, which is fitting given Metroid’s debt to the Alien series.

Yet if all Super Metroid did was be the first to innovate on specific mechanics and design ideas, its influence would likely have become far more obscured over the years. Instead it still feels readily identifiable, because more than anything it created memorable moments. It crafted ambience and atmosphere. From the second players arrive at the main menu they’re given an ominous taste of what’s to come as the sole surviving metroid screeches from within its glass cell in a derelict space station. Over the course of the game it would shift through varying themes and moods, taking Samus from haunted to heroic and back again. Packed in are a dozen, iconic surprises. Nobody ever forgets that one Chozo statue, do they?

Whether intentional or not, I’ve seen Metroid’s influence in countless places. In Halo Combat Evolved’s climactic “warthog run” I see Samus’s desperate escape from the exploding station in Super Metroid’s opening moments; waking up outside the shuttle under the rain in Returnal, I think of those first cautious steps onto the eerily quiet Zebes. How many games still try to put in a sneaky horror level after Super Metroid so expertly deployed its haunted space ship? And how many games can serve up boss encounters that rival the drama of its recurring villain Ridley? Three decades on, games are still trying to fill Samus Aran’s shoes. Perhaps that’s why the series could return so strongly with Metroid Dread, 19 years after its last 2D foray, and not feel like it missed a step. While innovations from the intervening decades are brought to bear in Dread, the essence is classic Metroid.

Super Metroid told a simple, haunting tale of Samus (and by extension the player) reckoning with their genocidal quest against the titular metroid. It paints a picture of Samus as a character, a no-nonsense bounty hunter whose introspections are gestured at with small but powerful actions. That mood and character is all too easy to shatter, as Metroid Other M showed with infamy. Dread found a much better balance, simply by being truer to the original material. While it is more spectacular than Super Metroid could ever be, its pace and set pieces are all informed by the imagination of 1994. Having Super Metroid director Yoshio Sakamoto back certainly helped.

Super Metroid remains a stand out among stand outs. [But] where every other Metroid is about finding and killing, this one is about saving a life

Which isn’t to say it doesn’t have its own tricks. Each Metroid game stands out for its own spin on the formula. Super Metroid’s descent into Zebes is a contrast with being hunted by Samus’s evil doppler in Fusion. Each of these games are shaped around their themes, happy to shift the tone in one direction or another to serve the story, putting players through set pieces that make them feel the emotional core of each entry. As if declaring this, Dread tasks Samus not with another descent but an ascent, reframing that adventure’s journey as a possibly more heroic quest than her usual, murkier descents.

Super Metroid remains a stand out among stand outs however. Where every other Metroid is about finding and killing, this one is about saving a life. It is easy to forget when facing hordes of space pirates but Samus hasn’t come to Zebes to exterminate. Well, except for all those space pirates but they’re really naughty and are trying to take over the galaxy or something. No, she needs to rescue the baby Metroid she saved at the end of the last game. That little thing represents her last chance for redemption. The urge to protect it and perhaps salvage her very soul is the driving force behind her unbreakable resolve (yeah, Metroid did the whole Baby Yoda thing long before The Mandalorian). Samus’s mission, despite the galactic threat, is intensely personal. That’s what makes Super Metroid special. In Samus’s determined run, in the numerous silences and ever deepening descent, this quest is felt. An economy of storytelling that’s as elegant now as it ever was.

Perhaps the masterstroke of the game (and a benefit for the sequels that would follow) is that Samus ultimately fails in her mission. She defeats the baddies of course but the metroid she fought to save gives its life for her. Robbed of redemption, Samus is forced to sit with the finality of her actions in a way few action heroes are made to. The metroid are truly vanquished from the galaxy, never to return, something the sequels never walked back on. Regardless of whether the player internalised any of its subtext, I think many feel the sadness in that ending. It hangs over every subsequent Metroid and, arguably, the entire sub-genre it created. I’m not sure any metroidvania has given me an experience quite like that.

30 years later, the most remarkable thing about Super Metroid is that everything that made it great then, makes it great now. For all its numerous innovations, both technical and conceptual, it’s the game’s commitment to crafting a specific emotional experience that keeps it feeling fresh. Super Metroid set out to thrill, scare, exhilarate, confound, uplift and ultimately haunt players, and it did so at a bar of quality that remains undefeated.

Exclusive: Connie Booth, One of the Chief Architects of PlayStation’s First-Party Studio System, Is Joining EA

Former PlayStation executive Connie Booth, one of the chief architects of PlayStation’s first-party strategy before her unexpected departure in 2023, is joining EA to help lead its studios amid its ongoing restructure.

Booth’s title will be Group General Manager, Action RPG, with a portfolio that will include EA Motive (Iron Man), Cliffhanger (Black Panther), and BioWare (Dragon Age, Mass Effect). She will report directly to EA Entertainment head Laura Miele.

“Connie spent more than 30 years helping to build Sony Interactive Entertainment’s internal studios and is responsible for guiding the development of some of their biggest franchises, including Marvel’s Spider-Man 1 & 2, The Last of Us, Ghost of Tsushima, Uncharted, Ratchet and Clank, to name just a few,” Miele said in a statement.

“She is known for having created an incredible developer-first culture and supporting creative vision while driving innovation. I have known Connie for many years and have always been impressed by her love and commitment to games. She especially cares about game developers. She has an impeccable reputation within the development community and will undoubtedly have a positive impact on our games.”

Connie spent more than 30 years helping to build Sony Interactive Entertainment’s internal studios and is responsible for guiding the development of some of their biggest franchises

Booth is a member of the Academy of Interactive Arts & Science Hall of Fame, having joined Sony in 1989 and worked especially closely with Naughty Dog. As Direct of Product Development she is credited with helping to build the studio system that has carried PlayStation through roughly 30 years in the console market. She departed Sony in 2023 amid unusual circumstances, with neither Booth nor PlayStation clarifying the reason for her exit. Sony eventually released a statement wishing her well but providing no further details.

Booth’s hiring points to EA’s desire to replicate some of PlayStation’s current exclusives strategy, in which it has found success with large-scale single-player games such as God of War and Spider-Man. In initiating its current restructure, EA has said that it is prioritizing its own franchises and that one of its pillars is “blockbuster storytelling” — an area in which Booth has considerable experience.

One of Booth’s major tasks will be revitalizing BioWare, which is hoping that Dragon Age: Dreadwolf will reverse its fortunes after Anthem and Mass Effect: Andromeda. BioWare suffered painful layoffs in 2023 and its next entry in the Mass Effect franchise remains in pre-production. Elsewhere, Cliffhanger Games is a relatively new studio that opened in 2023 and is working on a new Black Panther game, while EA Motive was founded by Jade Ryamond before her departure in 2018 and is currently working on Iron Man.

Like the rest of the games industry, EA is currently undergoing layoffs as part of its restructure that has resulted in around 670 workers losing their jobs. EA also closed down Ridgeline Games and canceled Respawn’s Star Wars FPS. The layoffs are expected to be completed by the end of the month.

Kat Bailey is IGN’s News Director as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.

Final Fantasy 14 on Xbox Has Unique Currency That Must Be Bought From the Microsoft Store Before Spending In-Game

The Xbox Series X and S version of Final Fantasy 14 has a unique virtual currency that must be bought from the Microsoft Store before being spent in-game.

In a blog post, Square Enix revealed the currency, called ‘FFXIV Coins’, and issued a warning to Xbox players who plan to jump into the long-running MMO when it finally launches on their consoles on Thursday, March 21.

Here’s the info from Square Enix:

Payment for service fees and optional item purchases will require FFXIV Coins, which can be purchased from the Microsoft Store. Please purchase FFXIV Coins before using the Mog Station or FINAL FANTASY XIV Online Store.

After purchasing FFXIV Coins from the Microsoft Store, log into the Xbox Series X|S version of FINAL FANTASY XIV to have the purchased FFXIV Coins credited to your Square Enix Account. You will not be able to use the purchased FFXIV Coins until you log in, so please be sure to log in after purchasing FFXIV Coins.

FFXIV Coins are not used with the PC and PlayStation versions of Final Fantasy 14, which has sparked something of a backlash from the Xbox community. Clearly, the addition of FFXIV Coins complicates matters for Xbox players, but there’s additional confusion around how Xbox players will buy a Final Fantasy 14 subscription. Square Enix’s note mentions FFXIV Coins must be used for “service fees”, which suggests the new virtual currency will be used to buy a sub.

Newcomers playing on Xbox will have three versions to choose from:

  • FINAL FANTASY XIV Online Starter Edition
  • FINAL FANTASY XIV Online Complete Edition
  • FINAL FANTASY XIV Online Complete Collector’s Edition

It’s also worth noting Xbox Game Pass (Core or Ultimate) is required to play, and you need to link your Xbox account and Square Enix account. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers can download the Final Fantasy 14 Online Starter Edition, which includes expansions A Realm Reborn, Heavensward, and Stormblood, for free until Friday, April 19.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Xbox Game Pass March 2024 Wave 2 Lineup Announced

Microsoft has confirmed the second wave of games coming to Xbox Game Pass during March 2024.

Out today, March 19, is open-world farming adventure Lightyear Frontier (Game Preview) (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) as a day-one release. IGN’s Lightyear Frontier Early Access Review returned a 7/10. We said: “Cute and chill, homesteading in your giant mech on Lightyear Frontier’s alien world is already some good and simple fun, even if it currently stops a bit short.”

Also out today is MLB The Show 24 (Cloud and Console) as another day-one Game Pass launch. Coming soon, on March 20, is Supermassive’s The Quarry (Cloud and Console). IGN’s The Quarry Review returned a 7/10. We said: “The Quarry is a fun, bloody thrill ride on your first playthrough, but its lack of interactivity and a lot of little issues drag down the whole.”

A day later, on March 21, Old West adventure Evil West (Cloud, Console, and PC) hits Game Pass. “Evil West is far from the most complex or innovative action game around, but it nails the most important parts of its old-school, monster-killing campaign,” we said in IGN’s Evil West Review.

Sci-fi grand strategy game Terra Invicta hits PC Game Pass on March 26 as part of Game Preview. This one’s from Pavonis Interactive, maker of the popular Long War mod for 2012 game XCOM: Enemy Unknown.

Here’s the big one: Blizzard’s action role-playing game Diablo 4 (Console and PC) launches on Game Pass on March 28. Diablo 4 is the first Blizzard game to hit the subscription service since Microsoft’s $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard. More are surely to come.

Also hitting Game Pass on March 28 is Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 – Turbocharged (Cloud, Console, and PC), and Open Roads (Cloud, Console, and PC). Open Roads is a day-one Game Pass title.

We also have a few Game Pass games coming in early April. Ark: Survival Ascended (Cloud, PC, Xbox Series X|S) launches on Game Pass on April 1, F1 23 (Cloud) via EA Play on April 2, and Superhot: Mind Control Delete (Cloud, Console, and PC) returns to Game Pass on April 2.

Xbox Game Pass March 2024 Wave 2 Lineup

Three games leave Game Pass on March 31:

  • Hot Wheels Unleashed (Cloud, Console, and PC)
  • Infinite Guitars (Cloud, Console, and PC)
  • MLB The Show 23 (Cloud and Console)

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Best Three-Player Board Games (2024)

There’s no shortage of two-player board games — you can even find plenty of solo board games. And while you might think a group of three players would pose a challenge for board game night, you’d be wrong. Three is actually the perfect number for many games. It allows for more interesting dynamics than strictly two-player, and it affords a quick tempo with little downtime between turns. In many ways, it’s the best qualities of the two and four player format merged together.

The challenge is in finding the right games. That’s why we’re here with this list offering a series of titles that provide an exceptional experience at the three-player count. No need to fret when your fourth cancels as game night can still be salvaged.

TL;DR The Best 3-Player Board Games

Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion

Gloomhaven has really created a stir the last several years. This RPG-in-a-box spawned multiple offspring, including the more streamlined and accessible Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion. This fantasy adventure game has players cooperating to work through dungeons and defeat an array of enemies. Each character possesses a unique deck with a distinct playstyle. Players must leverage each character’s strengths and manage their hand of cards to optimize each action and defeat each challenge put before them. This is a campaign game that requires a lengthy commitment, but the achievement and rewards are much sweeter when experienced with a couple of friends. For additional information, be sure to check out our review of this game.

Dune Imperium: Uprising

Many leaving the theater after seeing Dune 2 will want more. We are fortunate that one of the most beloved board games of the past few years is set in this universe. This game has players balancing military strength with political power by building a personal deck of cards from a public market. You must also acquire resources and build alliances by placing your workers on a myriad of spaces on the board. Both of these systems combine to create a powerful game loop of improving your engine to yield greater rewards. The payout is tremendous in this nuanced game that rewards strategic play and deeper exploration. Three players works wonderfully as it creates just the right amount of competition over spaces on the board and forces you to adapt to an ever-changing landscape.

Wingspan

The ever-popular Wingspan is a nature-themed game that has players competing to collect an array of various birds by drawing cards and playing them in their sanctuary. The birds come to life with over 170 beautiful illustrations alongside delightful components such as small eggs and attractive resource tokens. Each bird offers a unique ability which interfaces with the rest of your sanctuary to create an emerging combination of effects. This is a very inviting and warm game visually, but it also has some heft to it as a game, offering a satisfying strategic foundation for players to repeatedly return to. Three-players is the ideal count, as it creates some healthy competition by pushing each other to thoughtfully expand your group of birds without hurting the tempo of play. You can read our review of this game here.

Anachrony

An asteroid is going to hit the Earth and you have a limited amount of time to prepare to save humanity — but you want to be the one who’s in charge when the dust settles. The complex game lets you gather resources by deploying workers with their own abilities, including some that will be piloting mechs. You can also speed up your progress by using Time Rifts to grab resources from the future so long as you pay them back before time anomalies form. With many paths to victory and different factions to try, there’s plenty of replayability. If you want to add more complexity, you can pick up the Future Imperfect and Fractures of Time expansions.

Azul

Quick and easy to learn, Azul is a great board game to play with your kid or someone you’re introducing to board gaming. Each player is working to form the most beautiful mosaic by drafting tiles from the central market to place on their board, scoring points based on how many you can connect. Full rows, columns and sets of the same type of tile earn big bonus rewards. The beautifully detailed pieces are satisfying to play with as you slide them into place, carefully considering the best move of the moment but also what other players are likely to pick so you don’t lose points from getting stuck with tiles you can’t use.

Cascadia

This soothing family board game challenges players to build a thriving ecosystem based on the Pacific Northwest. Each session is different thanks to the variety of scoring goals, which reward points based on the relative placement of animal tokens. In one game you may try to ensure red tailed hawks are flying solo and in another that they have an unobstructed view to their potential mate. The tiles you draft not only represent where each type of animal can live but different terrain types, and building unbroken expanses of mountains, wetlands and forests can be worth just as much points at the end of the game as having the right animal patterns. Add in pinecones that can be used to mix up the token and tile pairs during drafting and you’ll have plenty to think about each turn.

Cthulhu: Death May Die

Most games based on Lovecraftian horror are about preventing Elder Gods from setting foot on Earth, but it’s already too late for that in Cthulhu: Death May Die. Instead your goal is to arm yourself well enough to be able to shoot the monster in the face. There’s a high level of replayability to the cooperative game thanks to the variety of investigators players can control and the threats of the different Elder Gods and their minions, who are represented through impressively detailed miniatures. Three players gives you a nice variety of character archetypes without making the game take too long, which can happen when there are five people choosing the best way to take their actions. You still need to be careful though, since the game ends if a single investigator is eliminated before the Elder is summoned.

Lords of Waterdeep

Lords of Waterdeep provides an excellent introduction to the worker placement genre and is especially fun for D&D players who will recognize the references to the Forgotten Realms. Players take on the roles of secret Lords of Waterdeep, each with their own strengths, and will try to establish influence over the City of Splendors by recruiting various types of adventurers to send on quests. Some quests provide powerful boosts that will make it easier for you to gain more resources throughout the game while others are worth a huge amount of points, so you’ll have to think carefully about your priorities as the rounds progress. Players can also build new locations on the map that they can use themselves and they’ll rake in rewards when a rival takes advantage of them. If you prefer a more competitive experience or want to play with a bigger group, pick up the Scoundrels of Skullport expansion.

Lost Ruins of Arnak

Fusing worker placement and deckbuilding, Lost Ruins of Arnak tasks each player with learning the secrets of a mysterious island. There are so many ways to earn points that it’s a real challenge to figure out which is best to pursue, especially since you’re directly competing with your opponents to be the first to nab bigger rewards. You can focus on exploring new areas and fighting fearsome guardians, conduct research, try to improve your deck, or recruit assistants that will make your work easier. The game board is tailored based on the number of players so it’s as well balanced for three as it is for two or four. There’s a solo variant if you want to play alone or are looking for a good way to practice strategies.

Raiders of the North Sea

Be a Viking with this worker placement game, where you’ll need to put together a crew and gather enough resources to successfully raid increasingly well-protected settlements. You’ll collect silver to hire crew members, who will help determine your strategy since they can give you bonuses when attacking specific targets. They can also die and become Valkyrie that will earn points you need to win. You also have to take the time to convert your plunder into offerings for the chieftain, though the amount of favor you’ve earned is kept a secret until the end of the game. Choose your actions wisely as the game can end quickly as players rush to make offerings and launch their boats deeper into the territories at the bottom of the board.

Splendor

This fast game is easy enough for kids to learn but satisfying for players of all ages, making it a good board game for families. Compete to build a thriving jewelry business by gathering gem tokens which can be used to purchase developments and win the favor of nobles. You’ll want to try to take actions as efficiently as possible, keeping track of what resources your opponents are gathering and when they are likely to purchase a development so you don’t miss the opportunity or get stuck waiting for them to stop hoarding a key resource. You also should plan long term, looking at the bonus gems needed to attract each noble since you can only pick up one per turn and their high point values can be the difference between winning or losing.

Vienna Connection

Feel like a spy with Vienna Connection, where players work together to uncover a mystery in Cold War Europe. While the game can be played solo or with two players, the difficulty is meant for three or more people putting their heads together to solve puzzles, which can involve cracking codes, remembering details from cards, and even conducting research on the internet into real world history. The game is played over the course of four interconnected missions so you’ll want to have a group that’s committed to seeing the case through to the end. You’ll store your progress with a companion website that also plays audio and video to make the gameplay more immersive.

Viticulture

You’ve inherited an unimpressive Tuscan vineyard and you have to build it up into something to be proud of in this charming strategic game that takes place over a series of seasons. In summer you’ll deploy workers to plant vines, build structures and sell grapes, while in winter you’ll harvest crops and start aging your wines. You can develop more complex and valuable varieties based on the types of grapes you grow and how much work you’ve done in your cellar, which you can then use to fulfill orders and earn more money to make additional improvements to the vineyard. Pop open a bottle of wine and settle in to learn a bit about how it’s produced as you play.

For a wide variety of additional roundups, check out our picks for the best board games for 5 year olds, plus the best Warhammer alternatives and the best war board games.

Stardew Valley Creator Gives Words of Advice for Mod-Loving Players Hours Before 1.6 Update Release

Stardew Valley creator Eric ‘ConcernedApe’ Barone has given words of advice to players planning on using mods with the game after the highly anticipated 1.6 update releases on PC later today.

“PSA for people who use mods: A ton of mods are already updated for 1.6 (check out https://smapi.io/mods),” said Barone in a recent X/Twitter post. “Also, I’ve added a public steam branch that will let you stay on version 1.5.6 if you choose. I recommend trying out 1.6 without mods, but it’s up to you.”

As highlighted by Barone, links for a wealth of supposedly compatible (and broken) 1.6 mods are available to browse on the Stardew Valley mod site SMAPI, which allow players to do everything from tweaking core gameplay mechanics and aesthetics to implementing cheats.

Meanwhile, the 1.5.6 branch of Stardew Valley that will be available through Steam after the update drops will be a saving grace for any player who, for one reason or another, isn’t yet ready to embrace the changes brought in with the new update. The option to stick with the earlier version of the game is particularly useful for those who have grown accustomed to using specific mods that aren’t immediately compatible with 1.6, and for others hoping to complete their current games before experiencing the new content offering.

I recommend trying out 1.6 without mods, but it’s up to you.

Barone explained back in January that starting a fresh save may provide a better experience over continuing an old playthrough once 1.6 drops, as it would allow the new content to be accessed in the correct order. “It’ll be fine to play on an old save,” said Barone in a post on X/Twitter at the time. “But I’d probably recommend a new save just to experience everything in context, otherwise you’ll unlock a bunch of stuff right away when you load up your old save.”

The developer has also assured fans ahead of the update that the 1.6 content will be coming to both Mac and Linux versions of the game. Barone had previously stated that console versions of the update will follow, and that he is striving to avoid large gaps between platform releases, which had in his own words proven to be “a nightmare” in the past.

Be sure to check out IGN’s Stardew Valley 1.6 patch notes guide for all the details on the update. In the meantime, browse our list of the best mods available for the 1.5 version of the game.

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