Category: Video Games

The Horror At Highrook is an occult cardgame set in a Darkest Dungeon-style mansion

Earlier today Tom Betts – founder of Nullpointer and former lead programmer at The Signal From Tolva developers Big Robot – emailed me about his new game The Horror At Highrook. In the space of a single, rollercoaster paragraph, Betts earned my curiosity by describing himself as a fellow Soul Reaver enthusiast, lost it again by criticising Soul Reaver’s camera – such insolence! – and earned it swiftly back by mentioning that he’s from Yorkshire. Then, he upgraded my curiosity into attention by describing The Horror At Highrook as a “clockwork narrative” horror experience that takes inspiration from Poe, Stoker and Lovecraft on the one hand, and from boardgames, wiki-hunting and escape rooms on the other.

This is a heady brew indeed. Also, there appears to be a cat in the game called Mr Tubbs, described as a “portly grey barrel of fur”. I entertain suspicions of Mr Tubbs. What fell secrets lurk behind his perfectly groomed exterior? Anyway, here’s the trailer.

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Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 Season 3 Patch Notes Reveal Significant Gameplay Improvements, Big Fixes, and More

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 Season 3 kicks off today, April 3, and Activision has released patch notes revealing what to expect.

The patch notes, by developers Sledgehammer Games and Treyarch, include detail on the six new 6v6 multiplayer maps for Modern Warfare 3. Three of these maps are brand-new locales and layouts, while the other three are fresh yet familiar experiences. The Emergency 24/7 Playlist launches with the start of the season.

New modes include Capture the Flag and One in the Chamber, while the battle pass unlocks four base weapons, including the MORS sniper rifle and BAL-27 assault rifle from 2014’s Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. There are eight new aftermarket parts, two new equipment items, new perks, new operators, and new events with limited-time rewards.

As expected, there is a sweeping balance pass on Modern Warfare 3 weapons, as well as changes to the feeling of aiming across all input devices. On the latter, the developers have removed “variance” from aimed down sight idle sway, resulting in a “predictable and consistent motion curve.” “This change raises the skill ceiling and rewards players who take the time to master their favorite weapons,” the developers said. As for Zombies, there’s a new story mission, Dark Aether Rift, and a set of schematics coming in-season.

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 Season 3 Multiplayer and Zombies patch notes:

NEW MAPS

Season 3 introduces a total of six 6v6 Multiplayer maps to Modern Warfare III.

Three of these maps are brand-new locales and layouts, while the other three are fresh yet familiar experiences. Look for the Emergency 24/7 Playlist at the start of the Season, with other exciting Playlists to follow in the coming weeks.

  • Emergency
  • 6 Star
  • Tanked
  • Growhouse
  • Grime (In-Season)
  • Checkpoint (In-Season)

NEW MODES

Kick it back in Season 3 with some all-time classics, then prepare for all-new Modes arriving later in the Season.

  • Capture the Flag
  • One in the Chamber
  • Minefield (In-Season)
  • Escort (In-Season)

…and more 🙂

NEW WEAPONS

Progress the Battle Pass to unlock four base Weapons, including the iconic MORS and BAL-27 from Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (2014).

FJX Horus (Submachine Gun)

An ultra-compact SMG with best-in-class CQC damage and mobility.

MORS (Sniper Rifle)

This single-load railgun delivers a high-damage payload with excellent velocity and penetration.

Gladiator (Melee)

A compact, concealable punch knife that was initially used by gamblers and politicians.

BAL-27 (Assault Rifle, In-Season)

A bullpup prototype weapon designed to increase fire rate over time while the trigger is squeezed. The first 4 shots are slower to fire but highly accurate.

NEW AFTERMARKET PARTS

Add some spice to previously mastered weaponry with eight all-new Aftermarket Parts.

JAK Cutthroat

This 3D-printed stock provides an unrivaled combination of speed and stability while aiming down sights.

JAK Revenger Kit

This conversion kit turns the BP50 into a CQC legend. A 9mm caliber conversion with shortened receiver and high-capacity magazine.

JAK Jawbreaker

Converts this Shotgun into a hard-hitting, automatic Battle Rifle.

JAK Shadow Titan Kit

Converts the Bruen Mk9 into a compact and integrally suppressed light support weapon chambered in 300 blackout.

JAK Patriot

Converts the M16 into a fully automatic rifle with a heavy ported barrel built to provide superior recoil control and firing aim stability.

Wardens

Relive the glory days, stir up the hornet’s nest, and take down your enemies, leaving no loose ends with these museum-worthy akimbo lever-action Shotguns.

JAK Atlas Kit

Converts the AMR9 into an extremely lethal and accurate 5-round burst carbine chambered in 556.

Photonic Charge Barrel

This hyper-advanced barrel is more than simply a barrel. Holding the trigger charges the rifle and releasing fires a single, high-power energy projectile.

NEW EQUIPMENT

Try fresh tactics with two new Equipment items arriving later in the Season.

EMD Mine (Tactical, In-Season)

Proximity-triggered mine that sticks to surfaces. Once triggered, the mine shoots out tracker devices that reveal the enemy location and direction until removed.

Enhanced Vision Goggles (Field Upgrade, In-Season)

Toggle between normal vision and enhanced vision with integrated target highlighting. Has limited battery.

NEW PERKS

Tailor your Loadout to your playstyle with all-new Perks in Season Three.

Compression Carrier (Vest)

Assisted healing and gas protection.

Modular Assault Rig (Vest)

Lethal and Tactical scavenger.

Gunslinger Vest (Vest)

Secondary Weapon specialist.

Reinforced Boots (Vest)

Immune to movement reduction effects.

High-Gain Antenna (Gear)

The minimap is zoomed out for you and nearby allies.

NEW OPERATORS

From cultural icons to new friends and foes, a small army of new Operators is on its way to Modern Warfare III.

  • Banshee
  • Hush
  • Snoop Dogg
  • Stasis
  • Cheech
  • Chong

NEW EVENTS

Be on the lookout for Events with limited-time rewards to earn throughout Season Three.

  • Vortex: Vi.Rus Mainframe
  • Call of Duty Endowment: U Assist Veterans
  • Godzilla x Kong: Battle for Hollow Earth
  • Blaze Up

GLOBAL

CUSTOMIZATION

  • Corrected protection with the Aegist Imperials Blueprint to match the base Riot Shield.
  • Resolved an issue causing Blueprints to lose aesthetics when saved as a Custom Mod.

MULTIPLAYER

UIX

  • Added an unlock status and game origin filter for Operators and the ability to sort by latest additions and name.
  • Added a new option to the Settings menu to test all speakers in the current audio setup.
  • Seasonal cinematic cutscenes can now be skipped.
  • Tac-Stance status is now indicated on the HUD in the Firing Range.
  • Weapon Mastery Emblem unlock requirements are now displayed in the Customization menu.
  • Adjusted various Attachment descriptions and Pros/Cons listed in the Gunsmith to better reflect their true attributes.
  • Gunsmith Attachment Filters
    • Changed filter combination logic from AND to OR.
    • Selected filters are now reset after each game session.
    • Removed redundant Locked and Unlocked filters.
    • Filters button now displays actively engaged filters.
  • Bug Fixes
    • Killstreak HUD overlays will no longer persist after destruction by the Stormender.
    • Additional Perk slots are now displayed correctly in the Killcam.
    • Applying certain Weapon filters will no longer unexpectedly kick the player back to the menu.
    • Improved alignment of values in columns on the Scoreboard.
    • Addressed an issue causing Weapon Mastery Challenges to not accurately display the progress of previous completions.
    • Calling Card unlock criteria will now consistently appear upon hover.
    • Resolved an issue preventing certain Emblems from being added to Favorites.

GAMEPLAY

  • Decreased obstructive VFX while firing MWII Weapons to align with MWIII standards.
  • Removed variance from ADS Idle Sway, allowing a predictable sway pattern.

Our next step toward improving the feeling of aiming across all input devices in Modern Warfare III arrives in Season 3. As previously detailed, aimed down sight idle sway discourages players from holding their sights for an extended period of time with a constant, subtle motion that introduces slight inaccuracy.

In today’s update, we’ve removed variance from aimed down sight idle sway, resulting in a predictable and consistent motion curve. This change raises the skill ceiling and rewards players who take the time to master their favorite Weapons.

PROGRESSION

  • Added Party Bonus XP, allowing players to earn more XP dependent upon the party size.
    • 2 Players: +25% Rank and Weapon XP
    • 3 Players: +25% Rank, Weapon, and Battle Pass XP
    • 4+ Players: +30% Rank, Weapon, and Battle Pass XP
  • Added an Armory Unlock Challenge for the Trebuchet Brake Muzzle Attachment.

MAPS

  • Afghan
    • Addressed an exploit that allowed players to hide within geo near the Plane.
  • Das Haus
    • Set factions to Spetsnaz and Rangers, resolving an issue causing missing announcer voicelines.
    • Added spawn points in the Storeroom in Team Deathmatch, Domination, and Free for All Modes.
  • Meat
    • Added spawn points throughout the map in Team Deathmatch, Domination, and Hardpoint Modes.
    • Removed specific spawn points near the Loading Dock to prevent spawning in the line of sight of an enemy.
  • Quarry
    • Addressed an exploit near the Industrial Road that allowed players to exit the playable area.
  • Shipment
    • Renamed Shipmas to Shipment as it is now the permanent experience.
    • Added collision to prevent players from accessing an unintended ledge near the Drug Stash.
  • Skidrow
    • In Hardpoint, players can no longer contest the Destroyed Apartment hill from an unintended location near the window.
  • Sporeyard
    • Players can no longer exit the playable area through the roof of the Red Warehouse.
  • Tetanus
    • Set factions to OpFor and Task Force 141, resolving an issue causing missing announcer voicelines.
  • Vista
    • Added collision to prevent bullet collision through the staircases near the Marketplace and Tower.
  • Operation Tin Man (War)
    • Players will no longer be prompted to use a turret occupied by another player.
    • Players who join a match in progress can now see the control panels during the first objective phase.

MODES

  • Private Match
    • While the CDL Rulset is active, team kill penalties will no longer stack.
  • Snipers Only (Limited-Time Mode)
    • Restricted Killstreaks to UAV, Advanced UAV, and MGB.
    • Disabled melee attacks, including Fists.

WEAPONS & ATTACHMENTS

» Assault Rifles «

  • RAM-7
    • Decreased neck damage multiplier from 1.3x to 1x (-23%).
  • Holger 556
    • Decreased upper leg, lower leg, and foot damage multipliers from 1x to 0.85x (-15%).

The Holger 556 now requires shots to land above the waist for a 4-shot kill.

  • MCW
    • Decreased headshot damage multiplier from 1.3x to 1.1x (+15%).

With the MCW, 1 headshot will no longer result in a 4-shot kill.

  • DG-56
    • Increased sprint to fire time from 178ms to 199ms (+12%).

» Battle Rifles «

  • SOA Subverter
    • Increased sprint to fire time from 256ms to 268ms (+5%).
    • Increased aim down sight time from 270ms to 290ms (+7%).
  • BAS-B
    • Decreased rate of fire from 667rpm to 600rpm (-10%).
    • Decreased recoil center speed by 6%.
    • JAK Outlaw-277 Kit
      • Decreased sprint to fire time from 252ms to 226ms (-10%).
      • Decreased aim down sight time from 300ms to 240ms (-20%).
      • Decreased aim down sight rate of fire penalty from 150% to 135%.
      • Increased medium damage from 74 to 90 (+22%)
      • Increased minimum damage from 70 to 90 (+29%).

The JAK Outlaw-277 Kit is now a maximum of 2-shots to kill to all body locations.

  • Sidewinder
    • Decreased sprint to fire time from 231ms to 210ms (-9%).
    • Increased bullet velocity from 600m/s to 770m/s (+28%).

» Submachine Guns «

  • RAM-9
    • Decreased sprint to fire time from 178ms to 147ms (-17%).
  • AMR9
    • Decreased sprint to fire time from 189ms to 136ms (-28%).
  • Rival-9
    • Increased sprint to fire time from 93ms to 110ms (+18%).
    • Decreased near-medium damage from 27 to 25 (-7%).
    • Decreased medium damage from 25 to 23 (-8%).
    • Decreased lower torso, lower arm, and hand damage multipliers from 1.1x to 1x (-9%).
  • HRM-9
    • Increased sprint to fire time from 94ms to 110ms (+17%).
  • Striker 9
    • Increased sprint to fire time from 100ms to 103ms (+3%).
  • Striker
    • Increased sprint to fire time from 100ms to 110ms (+10%).
  • WSP-9
    • Increased sprint to fire time from 88ms to 110ms (+25%).
  • WSP Swarm
    • Increased sprint to fire time from 88ms to 99ms (+13%).

» Shotguns «

  • Added Long Haul 50 and Wolfcall 300 Muzzle Attachments to MWIII Shotguns.

» Light Machine Guns «

  • TAQ Evolvere
    • Increased sprint to fire time from 245ms to 257ms (+5%).
    • Increased aim down sight time from 385ms to 415ms (+8%).
    • 7.62 Belt Magazines
      • Decreased neck damage multiplier from 1.4x to 1.2x (-14%).
    • 5.56 Belt Magazines
      • Decreased rate of fire from 857rpm to 789rpm (-8%).
  • Bruen Mk9
    • Decreased aim down sight time from 410ms to 350ms (-15%).
  • RAAL MG (MWII)
    • Increased sprint to fire time from 199ms to 216ms (+9%).
    • Increased aim down sight time from 330ms to 380ms (+15%).
    • Increased neck damage multiplier from 1x to 1.3x (+30%).
    • Increased upper torso damage multiplier from 1x to 1.2x (+20%).
    • Increased leg and foot damage multipliers from 0.9x to 1x (+11%).

» Marksman Rifles «

  • MTZ Interceptor
    • Increased aim down sight time from 280ms to 300ms (+7%).
    • Decreased medium damage from 88 to 83 (-6%).
    • Decreased minimum damage from 84 to 77 (-8%).
    • Decreased near-medium damage range from 44.5m to 38.1m (-14%).

» Sniper Rifles «

  • XRK Stalker
    • Increased aim down sight time from 580ms to 600ms (+3%).
  • KV Inhibitor
    • Increased aim down sight time from 540ms to 580ms (+7%).
  • SP-X 80 (MWII)
    • Increased sprint to fire time from 270ms to 310ms (+15%).
    • Increased aim down sight time from 570ms to 590ms (+4%).

» Handguns «

  • TYR
    • 12.7x55mm Snake Shot Ammunition
      • Increased minimum damage range and bullet termination range from 14.5m to 19.6m (+35%).
  • WSP Stinger
    • Akimbo WSP Stinger Rear Grip
      • Increased rate of fire from 600rpm to 750rpm (+25%).

» Attachments «

  • Added initial aim accuracy benefit to all Heavy Bolts for Sniper Rifles.
  • Cronen INTLAS MSP-12 Optic
    • Laser is no longer visible to enemies at the hip.
  • SL Razorhawk Laser Light
    • Flashlight is no longer visible to enemies at the hip.
    • Laser is no longer visible to enemies at the hip.
  • CS15 Scarlet Box Laser
    • Laser is no longer visible to enemies.
  • Verdant Hook Box Laser
    • Laser is no longer visible to enemies at the hip.
  • VT-7 Spiritfire Suppressor Muzzle
    • Increased sprint to fire speed penalty from 2% to 5%.
  • L4R Flash Hider Muzzle
    • Decreased horizontal recoil control benefit from 13% to 10%.
  • DR-6 Handstop Underbarrel
    • Decreased aim down sight movement speed benefit by 3-4%, dependent upon Weapon Class.
  • Bruen Heavy Support Grip Underbarrel
    • Decreased horizontal recoil control benefit from 12% to 8%.

PERKS

  • Revised Vest descriptions to clarify the max ammo benefit does not apply to Launchers.
  • Quick-Grip Gloves (Gloves)
    • Increased weapon swap speed benefit to a minimum of 40%, differing by Weapon.
  • Ordnance Gloves (Gloves)
    • Added a 20% Equipment, Field Upgrade, and Killstreak use speed benefit.
  • Marksman Gloves (Gloves)
    • Resolved an issue causing the 15% sway reduction benefit to not apply.

EQUIPMENT

  • Stun Grenade (Tactical)
    • Decreased victim aim slowness duration to 300ms.
    • Removed aim slowness effect on victim’s equipped with Tac Mask (Gear).
    • Victim movement and aim slowness now linearly scales down throughout the stun duration.
  • Decoy Grenade (Tactical)
    • While the Decoy Grenade is active, the player who threw it now gains the effects of Assassin Vest while standing within 20.3m of it.
  • Flash Grenade (Tactical)
    • Decreased close-range stun duration 4s to 3.5s (-13%).
    • Increased medium-range stun duration from 2.35s to 2.75s (+17%).
    • Increased far-range stun duration from 0.45s to 1s (+122%).
  • Frag Grenade (Lethal)
    • Decreased inner explosive damage from 250 to 225 (-10%).
    • Decreased intermediate explosive damage from 150 to 130 (-13%).
  • Thermite (Lethal)
    • Increased incendiary damage tick rate from 2/s to 4/s (+100%).
    • Decreased inner incendiary damage from 38 to 25 (-34%).
    • Decreased outer incendiary damage from 15 to 10 (-33%).

All changes considered, the incendiary damage output of Thermite is increased by 33%.

  • Thermobaric Grenade (Lethal)
    • Increased explosive damage radius from 8.6m to 9.5m (+10%).
    • Increased inner explosive damage from 90 to 100 (+11%).
    • Increased intermediate explosive damage from 80 to 90 (+13%).
    • Increased fire damage tick rate from 4/s to 5/s (+25%).
  • Drill Charge (Lethal)
    • Decreased surface burrowing time from 1.25s to 0.75s (-40%).
  • C4 (Lethal)
    • Detonation can no longer occur until stuck to a surface for 500ms.
    • Increased thrown velocity by 15%.
  • Breacher Drone (Lethal)
    • Increased drone health from 1 to 55.
    • Increased drone velocity by 25%.

FIELD UPGRADES

  • Heartbeat Sensor
    • Addressed an issue causing battery life to be reset to 100% upon being put away.
  • Recon Drone
    • Resolved an issue preventing a warning message when flying out of bounds.

KILLSTREAKS

  • SAE
    • Addressed an issue preventing explosives from damaging players in specific locations.
  • Wheelson-HS
    • Player will no longer become stuck firing their Weapon if killed while controlling the Wheelson-HS.
  • Swarm
    • Decreased minimum delay from target acquisition to attack from 500ms to 200ms (-60%).
    • Decreased maximum delay from target acquisition to attack from 800ms to 500ms (-38%).
    • Increased drone attack velocity by 75%.
    • Increased drone attack damage radius to 8.9m.

Note: Swarm balance adjustments went live in an update prior to Season 3.

MWIII RANKED PLAY

MWIII Ranked Play continues in Season 3 with NEW Seasonal Rewards to earn! Up for grabs is the Pro Issue Rival-9 Blueprint, new Divisional Large Weapon Decal rewards, and more! Below are the Season 03 details to keep in mind for returning competitors!

GAMEPLAY

  • Content Restrictions Update
    • Weapons
      • SMGs
        • FJX Horus
      • Sniper Rifles
        • MORS
      • Melee
        • Gladiator

SR (SKILL RATING) & DIVISIONS

  • End of Season Skill Setback
    • At the end of each Season, your ending Skill Division will determine where you start the following season:
      • Bronze through Crimson I Players are set back three Tiers below where they finished in the previous season.
        • Example: A Player ending Season 1 in Gold III will begin Season 2 in Silver III.
      • Players Crimson II and above will start Season 2 in Diamond I.

MWIII RANKED PLAY REWARDS

Breakdown: Rewards

  • Reminder: Players can earn MWIII Ranked Play rewards in three ways.
    • Rank Rewards: Available at launch and can be earned in any Season.
      • Players can continue their previous Rank grind in Season 3.
    • Season Rewards: Available at the start of a Season and only available in that Season.
    • End of Season Rewards: Rewards that are awarded after the Season has ended and represent either your highest attained Division or an active placement in the Top 250 Division.
      • Season 3 brings new Seasonal Large Decals to unlock in MWIII Ranked Play!
  • New Season 3 Rewards
    • Throughout Season 3, players can earn the following rewards:
      • 5 Wins: ‘MWIII Season 3 Competitor’ Weapon Sticker
      • 10 Wins: ‘Pro Issue Rival-9’ SMG Weapon Blueprint
      • 25 Wins: ‘Absolute Banger’ Weapon Charm
      • 50 Wins: ‘Hold This L’ Large Weapon Decal
      • 75 Wins: ‘MWIII Ranked Play Season 3’ Loading Screen
      • 100 Wins: ‘MWIII Season 3 Ranked Veteran’ Weapon Camo
  • New End of Season Rewards
    • At the end of each Season, players will be awarded Skill Division rewards that represent their highest attained Division that Season or an active placement in the Top 250 Division.
      • Season 3 Division Rewards
        • Bronze: ‘MWIII Season 3 Bronze’ Emblem
        • Silver: ‘MWIII Season 3 Silver’ Emblem
        • Gold: ‘MWIII Season 3 Gold’ Large Weapon Decal and Animated Emblem
        • Platinum: ‘MWIII Season 3 Platinum’ Large Weapon Decal and Animated Emblem
        • Diamond: ‘MWIII Season 3 Diamond’ Large Weapon Decal and Animated Emblem
        • Crimson: ‘MWIII Season 3 Crimson’ Large Weapon Decal and Animated Emblem
        • Iridescent: ‘MWIII Season 3 Iridescent’ Large Weapon Decal and Animated Emblem
        • Top 250: ‘MWIII Season 3 Top 250’ Large Weapon Decal, Animated Emblem, and Animated Calling Card
        • Players must finish in the Top 250 Division to qualify for these rewards.
  • Seasonal Division Operators
    • Earn a Skill Division Operator Skin for use with both CDL Male & Female Operators on both Factions to represent your highest Skill Division. Once the Skins from one Skill Division have been unlocked they can be permanently used in following Seasons in Modern Warfare III and Warzone:
      • Gold – Iridescent: Earn the applicable ‘Gold Competitor’, ‘Platinum Competitor’, ‘Diamond Competitor’, ‘Crimson Competitor’, or ‘Iridescent Competitor’ Operator Skin set based on your highest Skill Division reached over the course of the Season.
      • Top 250: Unlock the ‘Top 250 Competitor’ Operator Skin set by finishing a Season in the Top 250 Skill Division.
        • Players must finish in the Top 250 Division to qualify for these rewards.
  • Ranked Play First Place
    • The player who finishes Season 3 in the #1 position on the Top 250 Leaderboard will receive an animated unique, one-of-a-kind Calling Card and Emblem for ultimate Season 3 bragging rights

ZOMBIES

NEW CONTENT COMING IN-SEASON

A NEW Story Mission, Dark Aether Rift, and set of Schematics are on the horizon. Check out the Call of Duty Blog for more details on what to expect later in Season 3.

GAMEPLAY

  • Perk-A-Colas
    • Aether Shroud
      • Addressed an issue that allowed Aether Shroud visual effects to remain on an Operator in Third Person for longer than intended.
    • Acquisitions
      • Removed the ability to apply Aether Tools to Vehicle Turrets.
        • Note: While players could elect to use the tool on the Vehicle Turret, the damage would not scale properly which would waste the Aether Tool.

WEAPONS

» Wonder Weapons «

The V-R11

  • Addressed an issue that prevented the V-R11 from transforming Warlord Bodyguards into Zombies.

ATTACHMENTS

  • JAK Purifier
    • Decreased the amount of damage that the JAK Purifier does to Elite and Boss enemy types.
      • The JAK Purifier was overperforming with the previous tuning against more difficult enemies.
      • With this new tuning, players can still utilize the attachment to manage large groups of lesser enemies in all Threat Zones and use different tactics to engage more difficult foes.

CHALLENGES

  • Prestige Challenges
    • Unlock new Prestige Calling Card Challenges at each level of prestige reached, and select up to five challenges to track, including any from across the game.

UI/UX

  • Addressed an issue where the Containment Level would overlap the amount of customization options in the Recruit Operator selection menu.

STABILITY

  • Added various crash and stability fixes.

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.

Red Faction: Guerrilla dev’s barmy physics sandbox Instruments Of Destruction leaves early access in May

Do you remember the noughties fan warz over which game had the best terrain destruction physics? The victors of that particular forum skirmish were probably DICE’s Battlefield games, with their woozy Frostbitten cinematography and dependable multiplayer tactic of having a whole team focus fire on a single capture point, gradually reducing it to stumps of foundation. But leftier souls may have preferred Volition’s (RIP) Red Faction series, the third of which, Red Faction: Guerrilla, featured a granular demolition engine that you bash apart whole bases with a sledgehammer.

Well, Guerrilla’s lead tech designer Luke Schneider is still in the architecture-ruining business: his and Radiangames’s latest, the hopefully self-explanatory Instruments Of Destruction, leaves Steam early access on May 10th, 2024. Here’s the 1.0 trailer.

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Exclusive: Farm With Frogs In ‘Kamaeru: A Frog Refuge’ On Switch This Year

Ribbit-ing stuff.

Do you love frogs? Have you ever wanted to raise an army of the little hoppy creatures? Developer Humble Reeds’ Kamaeru: A Frog Refuge is a ribbit-ing farm sim that’ll let you live out that fantasy.

Originally only coming to PC, we can exclusively reveal that Kamaeru will also be hopping onto Nintendo Switch in 2024 — at the same time as the PC release. With beautiful watercolour visuals and a cute little premise, the game looks pretty irresistible if you like your faming sims, or a just a big frog lover.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Diablo 4’s First Public Test Realm Let’s Players Try Season 4 Early

Diablo 4 players impatiently waiting to try Season 4 can now do so thanks to Blizzard releasing the game’s first Public Test Realm (PTR).

Blizzard initially announced the PTR in late March, revealing that it would run for a limited time, starting on Tuesday, April 2, and concluding on Tuesday, April 9. However, a week-long PTR is not the only thing limiting this PTR, as Blizzard already confirmed in the same announcement that it would only be available to players with a PC Battle.net account.

Nevertheless, if you are eligible for the PTR, you will gain access to test updates and features before Season 4 officially launches. Alongside allowing certain players itching to try the new season, this PTR will also allow the development team some time to consider and implement any player feedback gained from this testing period, allowing them to incorporate it into the forthcoming season.

The release of the PTR was part of a bigger announcement from Blizzard, revealing that the team had to delay Season 4. The season was originally supposed to launch on April 16, but during the most recent episode in the Campfire Chat series, Diablo Community Lead Adam Fletcher revealed that it had to delay the fourth season until May 14.

Diablo 4 is already being touted as the biggest post-launch update for the game yet. While Season 3 introduced some things, most notably Class Changes, Blizzard pledged that the next season will rework itemization, changing the entire framework of how loot impacts the overall gameplay experience.

For who recently jumped in thanks to Blizzard bringing its most recent project to both Xbox Game Pass for consoles and PC Game Pass, there are a few caveats: there is no Xbox achievement support, and if you are playing the PC Game Pass version, you need to install Battle.net.

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

Content Warning devs fixing mic, video and connection problems after “wild ride” of a launch

It’s a fond hope, a fool’s hope, but perhaps 2024 will be remembered not as the year of Yet More Layoffs, but the year of Unexpected Hits. Surprise record-setters like Palworld, which I don’t especially like, Helldivers 2, which I rather enjoy, and now Content Warning, which I’m still figuring out. If you missed it, the co-op horror game released on Monday with a temporary free promotion, and racked up a 200,000-player Steam concurrency last night. Published by Totally Accurate Battle Simulator outfit Landfall, it’s sort of like Lethal Company in being about venturing into horrible places as a wibbly-wobbly defenceless explorer, but rather than gathering scrap for resale, you’re filming yourself and the monsters in a bid to publish a viral “SpookTube” video, with tuber celebrity translating into cash for new equipment.

Each video is edited together automatically from your footage and accompanying voicechat, once you return from each trip to the Old World, and you can watch it all on an in-game monitor with a mocked-up chat feed and viewcount. It’s a pungent, potted commentary on the machinations of Youtube celebrity, with heady notes of “cautionary tale about algorithmic content generation” and “cautionary tale about people endangering or hurting themselves being a dependable source of views”. Urgh, I can feel an op-ed coming on. In the meantime, here’s how the developers – a team of only five – are updating Content Warning following its launch success.

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Lovely free Lovecraftian first-person parkourer Grimhook to become a “complete” game

“It almost feels like proof-of-concept for a first-person Prince of Persia game, with an ever-so-gentle dusting of Portal,” our Edwin said after playing free first-person platformer Grimhook when it launched in December. It’s a cracking little game, parkouring about with the help of supernatural powers and a grappling hook, but ends right as it feels like it’s getting started. I’d certainly be up for three hours of this, so how splendid to hear that the developers are planning to make a “complete” and fancier experience.

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Just 66 titles saw 80 percent of all playtime in 2023, most older games like Fortnite or GTA 5

The PC and console market grew by 2.6% to $93.5 billion in revenue last year, according to a new report by video games date company Newzoo (cheers, Kotaku!) That’s good, right? Growth is universally a good thing, otherwise all those nice, dead-eyed men in suits wouldn’t keep saying it was. You can’t just lie about growth, that’s a business crime. However, here’s some slightly more worrying news, depending on how much you value new ideas: Of all the game time that gamers spent gaming in quantifiable Big Year for Gaming 2023, just 20% of that time was gamed on games other than the 66 specific games mentioned in the report.

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Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom Uniqlo Range Officially Announced

A Link to the Peng (sorry).

Japanese clothing retailer Uniqlo has announced a new range of t-shirts based on The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (thanks, VGC).

Launching in Japan on 26th April, 2024 at ¥1,500 (roughly $10 / £8) each, the range consists of six designs based on Nintendo’s sublime sequel to Breath of the Wild, which launched on the Switch in May 2023. No Western release for the range has been confirmed at the time of writing, but based on previous collaborations, we’re confident that Uniqlo will bring them over shortly after the initial Japanese launch.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Atari Buys RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 Publishing Rights for $7 Million

Atari has bought the RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 publishing rights from Frontier Developments for $7 million.

Atari, which has a long-term RollerCoaster Tycoon licensing agreement with franchise creator Chris Sawyer, said it is now the sole publisher of all major titles within the RollerCoaster Tycoon franchise, including Rollercoaster Tycoon Classic, Rollercoaster Tycoon 2, Rollercoaster Tycoon 3, Rollercoaster Tycoon Deluxe, Rollercoaster Tycoon Joyride, Rollercoaster Tycoon World, Rollercoaster Tycoon Puzzle, and Rollercoaster Tycoon Touch.

The hugely successful Rollercoaster Tycoon 3 was developed by Frontier Developments, the UK studio behind Elite: Dangerous and Zoo Tycoon, and released in 2004. It’s available now on PC, Mac, iOS, and Nintendo Switch, but Atari said it plans to expand digital and physical distribution, and “explore brand and merchandising collaborations as part of a long-term plan to bring the franchise to new heights.”

“As we celebrate the 25th anniversary of Rollercoaster Tycoon with Chris Sawyer, I am really pleased that we can unite this important and successful title in the series with the rest of the franchise,” said Wade Rosen, Chairman and CEO of Atari. ”This is going to create new opportunities for Atari as we continue the great work done by Frontier, and bring benefits to the fans of games across the Rollercoaster Tycoon franchise.”

The sale brings in much-needed cash for Frontier, which has struggled in recent years after a string of games failed to hit sales projections. In November, Frontier issued a trading update following poor launch sales of its real-time strategy game Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin. The studio has also suffered a round of layoffs.

In a trading update issued this week, Frontier said sales of its games since January have been “in-line with expectations”, with Jurassic World Evolution 2 and Planet Zoo leading the charge. The recent console release of Planet Zoo saw “strong player engagement”, with total sales up to and including the day of release greater than the sales achieved by Planet Coaster when that game came out on consoles in November 2020.

According to Frontier, publishing RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 generated $1.5 million in profit per year since the company acquired the rights in 2018. The $7 million sale is made up of $4 million of up-front cash and $3 million of deferred cash. “The proceeds of the disposal will be utilized by the Company for general working capital purposes,” Frontier said.

Frontier’s cash position grew to £23.4 million as of March 31, 2024, up from £19.9 million as of December 31, 2023. Cash received during that three month period included the $4m of up-front consideration due from the sale of the RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 publishing rights and the first tranche of the video games tax relief cash credit related to the FY23 UK tax returns, Frontier said.

As for the future, Frontier said it “remains comfortable” with its previous guidance. In a previous update, Frontier said it was refocusing on creative management simulation games (CMS). With this in mind, Frontier has confirmed three future CMS games, with one releasing in each of the next three financial years. Alongside this it will continue to develop and support its existing portfolio of games, including Elite Dangerous, F1 Manager, and Realms of Ruin.

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.