Dauntless has received a major update, adding new content to the free-to-play action game on Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and PC. The new update is called Untamed Wilds, and it adds several new challenges and items to the game.
The major addition is the Terra Escalation, which will be added to the Hunt screen. This takes players to the Arbourhome island chain and takss them with battling their way to–and then defeating–the Agarus Behemoth. You’ll want a good squad to take this beast out, because it’s good at isolating and poisoning Slayers.
The first time I beat the final boss in Hades, I felt an enormous sense of relief. I’d been fighting to see this ending for hours (months, technically, if you count my time in early access), and in roguelikes, it feels better than usual to see an ending. But while I was definitely a little too proud of putting together a set of abilities and perks that shredded the boss after they wrecked me just a few tries ago, that wasn’t why I felt tears welling up. I’d gotten so caught up in the story of my character, Zagreus, and the heroes, villains, and gods that had helped him here that I was elated to have finally gotten him to the end of his journey. What sets Hades apart isn’t just that it’s a great roguelike with the kind of repeatable depth that makes it engrossing to play for hours, but also how it uses its structure to tell an ongoing story about family, secrets, and resolution.
That Hades’ narrative is so entwined with its combat is nothing new for the developers at Supergiant Games, who’ve established themselves as masters of putting your actions in sync with the stories they tell. In a roguelike such as Hades, it means playing as Zagreus, a god of rebirth. Tired of living under his father Hades’ thumb and seeking answers about where he comes from, he sets out to escape to the world of the living, battling various undead monsters, living creatures, and mythological figures on his way out.
Hades captured on Nintendo Switch
Your godliness justifies the endless runs through the depths of the underworld, since dying and coming back to life is par for the course in Greek myth. One of the best parts of Hades, in fact, is returning to the House of Hades time and again after you die. It’s not just a pit stop on the way to the next run–it’s the centerpiece Hades hinges on. There, figures such as Achilles, Hypnos, and Nyx console you after your deaths, praise you for making progress, and confide in you about one another. You chat with them, undertake side quests, and exchange gifts to deepen your relationships. Eventually, they become vital allies on your quest, even if they’re not in the thick of combat with you.
Hyper Scape, the new battle royale game from Ubisoft, is offering a double XP promotion this weekend. Now through Sunday September 20, players on all platforms will be doubly rewarded with experience, so it’s a good time to check out the game or return to it.
Ubisoft also confirmed that the newly revealed Turbo Mode, which speeds up matches by making all loot max level and increasing the speed of health regeneration, will be available throughout the double XP weekend and beyond. The limited-time mode will be available until Tuesday, September 22.
Developer Ubisoft Montreal has been steadily supporting the PS4, Xbox One, and PC game with extra content and new events, and you can check out the mid-season roadmap here to find out what will be available through the start of October.
Fitness Boxing 2 will yet again task you with performing boxing moves in time with music. The game will now let you turn off certain boxing moves that you don’t want to perform, and features new tracks and instructors. There are 66 courses and 23 songs to choose from.
Otherwise, it looks very similar to the first game, but hopefully there will be improvements to motion tracking. Save data carries over, so if Fitness Boxing is part of your fitness routine, you can continue tracking your progress.
Microsoft’s next-generation strategy is not focused around any one console, or even a console at all. While Microsoft is releasing two next-generation systems in November–the Xbox Series X and the Xbox Series S–the company has bolder plans to reach potentially billions of players through its cloud streaming service, xCloud.
Xbox boss Phil Spencer has now spoken more about Microsoft’s approach and how the company does not want to “build walls around Xbox.”
Life is Strange 2 debuted back in 2018, and if you’ve held off on diving in until now, you can check out a full fifth of the game for free now. Episode 1 of Life is Strange 2 is now completely free to download on Steam, PS4, and Xbox One, letting you check the game out and earn Trophies and Achievements at no cost.
In episode 1, brothers Sean and Daniel Diaz are forced to go on the run following a family tragedy. The series deals with some very heavy themes and asks the player to make choices that will impact the narrative.
The first episode debuted September 26, 2018, almost two years ago. It received a 9/10 in GameSpot’s review, with critic Jess McDonell calling it “a triumphant first chapter, featuring a narrative that fearlessly reflects the lives of two Latino brothers living in our politically-charged climate.”
Before you play the first episode of Life is Strange 2 for free, you should check out another free standalone Life is Strange experience–The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit, which is available on the same platforms. It’s a prequel to the events of Life is Strange 2.
Developer Dontnod recently released Tell Me Why, another episode adventure series. Their next game is Twin Mirror, which releases on December 1. If there’s a third game in the Life is Strange series, it will feature an all-new story.
In Spelunky 2, the turkey’s fate is in your hands.
You could hop on the bird’s back, making use of its double jump and Yoshi-like glide to flap your way through your run. For a solid payout, you could return it and the other birds scattered throughout a stage to the turkey farmer who oversees their pen. You could whip it unconscious, throw a bomb next to its body, and eat the resulting Thanksgiving platter for one heart–or you could do that last one in the farmer’s line of sight, prompting him to take up arms against you, “you monster.”
This is the mode that Spelunky 2 constantly operates in. There are always risk-reward choices to make, and death is nearly instantaneous if you choose poorly. Like its acclaimed predecessor, Spelunky 2 is the rare platformer that demands to be played as much like a tactics game as it does like a Mario game. As you learn (or relearn) how to survive, success requires a willingness to think three moves ahead. Some tiles are booby-trapped to shoot arrows as you leap through their line of sight. Some vases summon a relentless ghost when smashed. Some pottery hides snakes and tarantulas. Some spiders hang from the cavern ceilings, hoping you pass by unaware. You really shouldn’t even move from your initial spawn point without pausing for a moment to pore over every treacherous inch of the screen. That is, unless you spawn near a bat, which will swoop down at you–hope you’re quick with your whip.
EA Sports has posted an in-depth gameplay video for NHL 21 that covers a number of the key features and improvements coming to this year’s professional ice hockey game.
Starting with offensive gameplay, EA says the game is inspired by some of the NHL’s flashiest players including cover star Alex Ovechkin, Nikita Kucherov, and Connor McDavid. To that end, a number of new skill moves have been added, including “The Michigan,” the “no move” deke, the behind-the-net bank, and a between-the-legs one-timer. There are also new slip and chip dekes that players can use to get around defenders.
In particular, The Michigan move was performed for NHL 21 by stick-handling specialist Pavel Barber, as you can see in his own post on social media.
The PS2 cult classic Katamari Damacy was reborn for Switch and PC back in 2018, and now the remake is coming to PS4 and Xbox One, too. Katamari Damacy Reroll will hit those systems on November 20, 2020.
A cute new trailer has been released to announce the date, which you can watch below. We knew that the game was coming to these systems in Japan, but this confirms a western release, too.
The trailer does not show any footage, or announce any new content, so we’d expect it to be very similar to the Switch and PC versions, which were both excellent.
