Audio player loading… Religious buildings are a common feature of medieval-themed city builders. Games like Banished, Anno 1404, Patron, Foundation, and others include churches, chapels, monasteries, cathedrals (and in Anno's case, mosques), and other religious buildings which typically provide a happiness bonus or fulfill a 'faith need' for citizens and residences built nearby. But you won't find religious buildings in Farthest Frontier, the new medieval-themed early access survival city builder from Crate Software, maker of Grim Dawn. In fact, there's no religion in the game at all. While it includes public amenities like theaters, markets, pubs, and hospitals, there are no churches or chapels to build and citizens have no faith requirements that need to be met. (There is a shrine, but more on that in a bit.) Some players are curious about the absence of religious buildings, while others seem downright annoyed by the omission. " Where is the church? (opens in new tab) … [Read more...] about Farthest Frontier devs didn’t include churches to avoid ‘drama around real world religions’
Here are the games joining and leaving PC Game Pass in August
Audio player loading… It looks like Death Stranding is coming to PC Game Pass. The addition hasn't been announced officially, but the PC Game Pass account (opens in new tab) on Twitter changed its avatar to an image of a Death Stranding vista and posted a tweet that says "sometimes we just like a good landscape picture." Oh you guys. There's some doubt in the tweet's replies as to whether the screenshot was from Death Stranding or another game, but then someone found the rock pictured in the PC Game Pass avatar and posted a screenshot (opens in new tab) of Norman Reedus pissing on it. So, yeah, I think Death Stranding is coming to PC Game Pass at some point. A related but superfluous thought: Last year, Microsoft renamed the PC version of Game Pass, which used to be called "Xbox Game Pass for PC." The old name was bad, but now I'm wondering if this scenario was a consideration, too. Game Pass has always offered certain games on PC only, but Death … [Read more...] about Here are the games joining and leaving PC Game Pass in August
Another crypto game crashes and burns, won’t issue refunds to backers because there’s no money left
Audio player loading… Untamed Isles (opens in new tab) , a "monster-taming turn-based MMORPG" that found major success on Kickstarter, has been put "on hiatus" because of the crypto crash (opens in new tab) —Kickstarter backers are being told that there's no money left for refunds. The 2021 Kickstarter campaign (opens in new tab) for Untamed Isles rang up a remarkable $527,000 in backing—more than four times its initial goal. It promised a fully open world with "unique areas for friends to gather, practice PVP, trade, breed monsters, clear dungeons, and play through the story of untamed isles socially with open voice proximity communications." It also boasted a "play to earn" model in partnership with Direwolf, which would enable most of the items and all of the monsters in the game to be "tokenized" and bought, sold, or traded in various marketplaces or the in-game auction house. Unfortunately, the commitment to crypto is where it all went wrong. … [Read more...] about Another crypto game crashes and burns, won’t issue refunds to backers because there’s no money left
Dead Island 2 is alive and coming in February
Audio player loading… Nine years after its initial reveal, Dead Island 2 will release on February 3, according to a listing for the PS4 version on Amazon. That's naturally subject to change and could just be placeholder—this being Dead Island 2, I wouldn't be surprised—but it does line up with recent hints by Embracer Group's CEO that the open world zombie game will be released in the company's 2023 fiscal year. The Amazon listing (opens in new tab) reiterates some of the points we've known about the game during its long stint in development hell. It's set in a version of Los Angeles "stained with horror", which means you'll get to bludgeon zombies in "the verdant suburbia of Beverly Hills" and "the quirky promenade of Venice Beach". Combat is "visceral and gory", naturally, and there will be "dozens" of different kinds of zombie to eviscerate, all with an LA theme, of course. It's been confirmed since 2014 that Dead Island 2 will have at least four playable … [Read more...] about Dead Island 2 is alive and coming in February
Chrome’s new update patches yet another major exploited vulnerability
Audio player loading… Chrome users may want to get on the latest update as it includes 11 security fixes for the browser. This update may not be as fun as one that has a new logo (opens in new tab) or improves your RAM (opens in new tab) , but for anyone with safety in mind it's a pretty important rollout. According to SecurityWeek (opens in new tab) , one of the security fixes in the 104.0.5112.101/102 update is for zero-day vulnerabilities—ones that are found by malicious parties before the vendor or owner of the software is aware of them. In the case of Chrome's latest update, only one out of the 11 fixes appears to be for a zero-day vulnerability, but this is the fifth such exploit patched by Chrome this year. This marks a surge in zero-day exploits that Google has had to cover for. Other bug fixes in the patch repair several different vulnerabilities regarding use-after-free. This usually refers to programs not clearing memory after use, leaving a … [Read more...] about Chrome’s new update patches yet another major exploited vulnerability
Where others failed, this mod finally adds a 3rd dimension to Doom’s enemies
Audio player loading… Voxel Doom, a graphics mod for the original Doom that turns the game's various sprites into full-on 3D voxel models, released its 1.0 version (opens in new tab) today. Made by a modder named Cheello (opens in new tab) , the mod affects everything from the game's legioned demons to its ammo pick-ups, adding a sense of depth and—get this—letting you view its once-obstinately flat 2D sprites from different angles. Angles! We've been keeping our eye on Voxel Doom (opens in new tab) here at PCG for a while now, but the Doom modding community has been talking about the idea for even longer. The problem was about both artistic capability and technical capacity: any project that was going to try replacing Doom's sprites would need to walk a tightrope over the uncanny valley, making sure that the models it created weren't incongruous with Doom's much-beloved art style. Voxel modelling—a technique that uses 3D cubes instead of traditional 2D … [Read more...] about Where others failed, this mod finally adds a 3rd dimension to Doom’s enemies
Where to find Kame House in Fortnite
Kame House is the latest point of interest in the new Fortnite x Dragon Ball event (opens in new tab) , which runs until September 17. As part of the new Power Unleashed challenges, you'll need to visit a familiar training location . This training location is, of course, Kame House, which doubles as a hiding spot from opponents if the area is quiet. It's relatively easy to find and once you're there, you'll meet a familiar face who'll have some special abilities on sale that could make or break a match. Where to find Kame House It's up to you whether you want to set a waypoint for Kame House before you begin a match or forge a path there if the closing circle allows it. Kame House can be found in the east of the battle royale map on its own little island. It's a hotspot for players right now, so be careful and try to avoid being blasted by a Kamehameha (opens in new tab) . Once you arrive at Kame House you'll find Bulma walking around. She has a speech … [Read more...] about Where to find Kame House in Fortnite
After eight years, the space MMO where players create the ships launches next month
Audio player loading… Developer Novaquark has announced that the ambitious, player-driven MMO Dual Universe will launch on PC September 27. The game's been in development for eight years and the pitch is essentially a player-created EVE Online, with a flexible voxel-based crafting system that allows players to build more-or-less what they want. Dual Universe has been in beta for the last two years, over which time it's gradually implemented stuff like space warfare, asteroid mining, and space markets, without the whole galaxy collapsing. The launch will also feature a new first-time player experience (something that EVE itself has, somewhat belatedly, become obsessive about in recent years). The developer claims that this features some of "the most advanced voxel technology ever created", and that player creation is only one part of the game's appeal: the point being that most systems are down to players. The economy is player-driven and the idea is that every playstyle … [Read more...] about After eight years, the space MMO where players create the ships launches next month
Microsoft Xbox Adaptive Controller support is coming to Linux
Audio player loading… Since late 2018, the Microsoft Xbox Adaptive Controller (XAC) has been making PC gaming more accessible for gamers with disabilities and injuries. Now, thanks to the wit of one software engineer, XAC drivers will soon be coming to Linux. With its incredible ability to adapt to each individual user's needs, the Xbox Adaptive Controller (opens in new tab) has given those PC and Xbox users who lack the full range of movement a chance to enjoy their favourite games. That's without having to MacGuyver game controller solutions out of random household objects, or resign themselves to not playing games at all (a true travesty). With the help of software engineer and co-author of The Definitive Guide to Linux Network Programming (opens in new tab) , Nathan Yocom, Linux users will soon be able to enjoy the freedom the XAC's modular gaming setup can bring, too (thanks Phoronix (opens in new tab) ). In order to bring Xbox Adaptive Controller … [Read more...] about Microsoft Xbox Adaptive Controller support is coming to Linux
Humankind’s cities can now be turned into gargantuan cakes
Audio player loading… Humankind is celebrating its first anniversary by giving out hats and turning cities into giant cakes. This sounds like something Lex Luthor would do on his birthday, but who am I to judge? I just drink too much and cry about the inevitability of death. These hats can be stuck on your custom avatar, and there are new hairstyles to choose from as well. More impressive is the project that allows you to turn your cities into giant celebratory treats. Would Carthage look better as a cake? That's up to historians to decide. Old in-game events are also returning, so it's a good time to hop in and see what you've missed. By completing them, you can earn rewards like new avatars and player icons. And if you've played through them already, there's also something new: the 100 Years War scenario, where you'll fight the English as the Franks on a map of France. Humankind has also released a couple of culture DLCs since we last checked in, adding a variety … [Read more...] about Humankind’s cities can now be turned into gargantuan cakes