Abiotic Factor's next update brings in an upgrade system, a chilly new zone, and best of all, functioning bins

Right, anybody fancy a new Abiotic Factor update? Well, it's not ready just yet, but developer Deep Field Games did share a look at the game's upcoming Cold Fusion update that looks like it'll be a beefy one. As you can probably guess by the title of the update, there's a bit of a chill coming, specifically in a new area called the Residence Sector. This new locale has "something" going on that's making it a bit too cold for anyone to hang out in, though the mystery behind it is something you'll likely have to play to discover.

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The first trailer for The Binding of Isaac devs' next game Mewgenics answers none of the many questions I have

I think if you were to show someone the trailer for Mewgenics, complete with cats you-know-whating, a musical number, and a poop joke, they'd probably be taken quite aback. However, if you were to tell them that it's from the same people that made Super Meat Boy and The Binding of Isaac, I'm sure they'd be able to understand much quicker. Aside from coming from some pretty notable indie devs, there still might be the question of why it's such a big deal that Mewgenics finally got a trailer, and the answer to that is (kind of) simple: it was announced 13 years ago.

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Fallout 76 is currently testing the one thing that makes every game better: fishing

Fishing! It's a feature that's been included in many games over the years, one that varies in quality from game to game. Sega Bass Fishing? Probably top of the line, as long as you have that unique fishing rod controller. Stardew Valley? I like it, but I know plenty of people that hate it. Personally I normally find it quite a relaxing thing to do, particularly in games that are otherwise combat focused. Fallout 76 is one such game that's more about shooting rather than chilling out, but over on the public test server you can now try out its version of fishing.

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What are we all playing this weekend?

This weekend, readers, there's an extra challenge for you. In addition to the excellent tales of game-playing and cat-contentedness we always get, I'd like anyone who's interested in partaking to tell me: what's the very best thing about that genre you don't like? What is it that always draws you back in before you remember that these aren't your sorts of games? For instance: Counter-Strike-style shooters. Clean, low time-to-kill gunplay: yes yes yes! Having to rely on belligerent teammates: no no no.

While you ponder, here's what we're all clicking on this weekend!

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Sea of Thieves crossing over with Destiny doesn't make a lick of sense, but here it is anyway

Everything is IP, all of the time, everywhere you look now, because big wigs in suits have got it in their heads that original, uniquely appealing content just can't win over a combination of pixels that resemble something someone already likes. Sea of Thieves is no stranger to crossovers, with big, thematically relevant ones like Monkey Island and Pirates of the Caribbean, as well as some smaller ones like Halo and Banjo Kazooie. Today's crossover is one of the smaller ones, this time with, uh… Destiny. The sci-fi, first-person shooter. Huh.

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Tomb Raider and Perfect Dark devs Crystal Dynamics cut staff, promising that current projects are unaffected

Tomb Raider, Soul Reaver and Perfect Dark developers Crystal Dynamics are laying off 17 "talented team members" in order "to better align our current business needs and the studio's future success". According to a social media statement, they "did not take this decision lightly". Oh, and "this change does not alter our current project plans."

It's not clear who exactly has lost their jobs, but going by this Xitter post, senior combat designer Mark Vernon is one of them. "Call me Mark S the way I just got severed, from employment," he writes. Best of luck finding your way to the black elevator hall, Mark V. (If you haven't watched Severance, I promise this reference is more hopeful than it sounds.)

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Minecraft's "vibrant" update has me thinking about video games as time capsules

In the latest Minecraft Live, developers Mojang revealed a "Vibrant Visual" overhaul for a game that is now older than many (most?) of the people playing it. Initially planned for the game's Bedrock edition, with a Java version update to follow, it garnishes Minecraft's blocky wilderness with directional lighting, volumetric fog and other gimcrackery you might recognise from more recently published open worlders.

Back when I was a mod-phobic Vanilla player, I would have sneered at all this. Minecraft is not supposed to have "subsurface scattering", whatever that means to regular mortals. It is not supposed to look high fidelity, or high tech. It is supposed to look like, well, Minecraft. These days, my reaction is less outrage and more curiosity, mingled with vertigo at the entangling of these trendy flourishes with the pixelgrain of what is still, on some level, Infiniminer touching grass. Whatever you think of these Vibrant Visuals, it's interesting to follow Mojang's efforts to tinker with and flesh out an aesthetic that was arguably 'perfected' in 2009. It’s also interesting to think about what “vibrant” might look like, 16 years from now.

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