Gaming

Capcom I never had reason to give much thought to fast travel in games before starting Dragon’s Dogma 2. In most open-world games that include the feature, the only requirement for accessing it is reaching points of interest. Once players do so, they are generally free to zip from point to point around the map with little to no inconvenience. That isn’t how Dragon’s Dogma 2 operates — fast travel is based around a limited currency called Ferrystones — and it has completely changed my mindset on the mechanic as a…

THQ Nordic While Nintendo’s February Direct Partner Showcase included a few unexpected games, nothing was more surprising than the return of Epic Mickey. The Nintendo Wii adventure is something of a cult classic among Disney fans thanks to its unique painting hook and some clever 2D levels that pay tribute to classic Mickey Mouse cartoons. Though it’s beloved by some, reviews at the time were mixed due to some clumsy Wii-era motion controls and a poor 3D camera. Thankfully, the Disney adventure is getting some…

Nintendo Last year, Nintendo brought Mario back to his 2D roots with a surprise new game, Super Mario Bros. Wonder. The critically acclaimed platformer was an instant crowd-pleaser thanks in no small part to its namesake feature, Wonder Effects. These power-ups completely transformed Mario’s world, letting its developers experiment with wacky ideas from wiggling pipes to singing Piranha Plants. The notoriously secretive Nintendo has now peeled back the curtain on how those creative swings came to be. The company…

Tomorrow Corporation When I sat down to demo World of Goo 2 at this year’s GDC, I noted to the developers on hand how surprising it was to see a sequel after so long. “It’s been, what? Ten years?” I said. I was very far off the mark: They noted that the original World of Goo launched in 2008. After playing a few levels (and having an existential crisis over time’s rapid passing), I’d find myself wondering how such an obvious slam dunk didn’t come sooner. Like its predecessor, World of Goo 2 is a physics-based puzzle…

Love crossword puzzles but don’t have all day to sit and solve a full-sized puzzle in your daily newspaper? That’s what The Mini is for! A bite-sized version of the New York Times’ well-known crossword puzzle, The Mini is a quick and easy way to test your crossword skills daily in a lot less time (the average puzzle takes most players just over a minute to solve). While The Mini is smaller and simpler than a normal crossword, it isn’t always easy. Tripping up on one clue can be the difference between a personal best…

There are a lot of new additions in Stardew Valley 1.6 and one of them is Trinkets. These can be found only after completing Combat Mastery, and when equipped in your star slot, each Trinket offers a unique perk.  This is a growing list that will be updated regularly moving forward, but so far, I’ve managed to find and test a fair number of Trinkets during my adventures in the Mines. They mostly drop from defeated creatures, although they can sometimes be found in chests and boxes. Trinkets come at any level between one…

Following the announcement that The Final Shape got postponed, Bungie has slowly been cooking a free interim content drop, Destiny 2: Into the Light. Drenched in nostalgia, Into the Light has a slew of returning content, but an all-new set of Destiny 1-inspired armor isn’t on the docket after all. This clarification comes after the latest TWID blog post, where Bungie said that its next Destiny 2: Into the Light livestream – slated for March 26, 10 AM PT – would discuss the all-new Brave weapon set, which may or may not…

Konami has confirmed the latest round of its new “club event” competition, with eFootball fans able to represent Arsenal in a global contest. eFootball’s championship club event competition launched at the start of the year, and will see four regional contests take place for each partner club, meaning fans from around the world can take part. “After the 3 online rounds have been completed, all regional winners will congregate for an offline final to decide who will represent each partner club in the World Finals held in…

With the 1.6 update recently rolling out for the PC version of Stardew Valley, many of you will have been basking in all that delicious new content. Actually, I’m surprised anyone is reading this instead of leisurely skipping through Ferngill Republic. If you are here (first of all, thanks), then you’re probably wondering about the mod situation. When the new patch was sent out, there may have been some concerns that any mods you had installed for the game would be immediately rendered non-compatible. I did a story…

A surprise hit with a cult following, Lawn Mowing Simulator has made the jump from consoles to virtual reality, launching on Meta Quest 3, Meta Quest 2 and Meta Quest Pro. Described as a peaceful, zen-like experience, the game tasks players with mowing lawns and strimming grass in a series of stunning locations. It's better than the real thing and nowhere near as messy, dropping players into a world where the sun is always shining and you don't have to pick up loads of dog poo and cat droppings before you get started. …