It's undeniable that for throwback 3D retro aesthetics, the original PlayStation and Nintendo 64 are the consoles that most people try to emulate. So I'm always quite chuffed to see a game that takes its visual cues from more recent consoles, like, say, Bel's Fanfare, a very 3DS-era looking Zelda-esque game where you play as a little demon girl who works as a cleaner on a strange, massive ship.
There's an accidental element of roleplaying to the Early Access launch of Menace, the latest turn-based tactics game from Battle Brothers developers Overhype Studios. Like the newly-minted commander of the TCRN Impetus, thrust into leadership after a warp travel accident left everyone on the bridge of the colonial navy ship violently decompressed, I too have very little idea what I'm doing.
While Menace's tutorial walks you through the basics of directing soldiers on the battlefield, there's currently little guidance to the finer details of this strategy game. I'm not going to let that get in the way, however. After all, I'm here to serve as a protecting force in the Wayback system, delivering justice to enemies of the state across its planets.
Take the pirates causing problems on the planet Backbone. Overhype call it a series of procedurally generated missions, I call it on-the-job training. Commence Operation The Pirates Of Menzance.
I'm going to a toddler's birthday party on Saturday and I have it on good authority from Alva's dad that there will be trays of sandwiches and a couple of cakes from M&S. There is no booze provided. I'm not sure if that's because there should be no booze consumed at a two-year-old's birthday, or only that we should bring our own. I guess I'll find out for sure if they frisk on the door. However, if Valheim's latest anniversary update is anything to go by, I am now looking forward to Alva's fifth birthday.
To mark five years in Early Access, developer Iron Gate have released an anniversary patch that is a damn sight better than the prospect of watching a sad looking Colin the Caterpillar cake getting pawed at by hungry toddlers. There are flower garlands, mysterious axe heads, and a steady 60 fps on Steam Deck performance mode. Who doesn't want mysterious blades at a birthday party?
After being accused last week of using AI-generated artwork to promote their store's new year sale, retro game sellers GOG have reportedly addressed the issue in a private Discord server for paying supporters. According to this fresh response from a GOG staffer, the banner was made "with the help of Al tools" and was "mistakenly allowed" to be pushed live on the storefront.
HBO’s The Last of Us TV adaptation is likely ending with its upcoming third season, according to network CEO Casey Bloys. Speaking to Deadline, that boy Bloys used his voice to address the noise that the joys of the Naughty Dog-inspired series would end with season three, saying "It certainly seems that way." Pedro Pascal’s dreams, destroyed.
This week in new PC games: some new PC games. Look, sometimes I have the energy and fortitude to write a 500 word overture about four dimensional tapeworms, and sometimes I look upon the intro as nothing but a hateful chore. I just want to list some games, but internet etiquette requires that I occupy your eyeballs with a proper paragraph or two before we break out the bullet points.
Is this enough of a preamble yet? No? How about now? Come ooooon, there’s a tasty new tactics RPG at the bottom of the page. Scroll down, you apes!
Sundays are for heading into your kitchen at 7am to find the neighbour’s cat squatting with her back to you on the windowsill. The neighbour’s cat spooks easily and every time you scare her away, you worry she’s never coming back. So let’s very quietly make a cup of coffee and ever so softly click on some links to internet articles and read them as frictionlessly as we can manage.
You! I can hear your eyelids squeaking. I can hear the little wheels chewing and rattling between your temples, as you digest these very words. Please wrap some cotton wool around your head before we continue.
