The Walking Dead: Last Mile kicked off on July 11, 2022, and is available to take part in for free. All you need is a Facebook account. The next chapter in The Walking Dead series sees players tune into a daily, choice-based narrative experience which is set to take place over the course of the next four months. 

Being developed in collaboration with Genvid Entertainment, Skybound Entertainment, and of course Meta, the idea of the project is that it isn’t quite a game, isn’t quite a TV show, it’s somewhere in between. Players can create avatars to join the universe and make decisions about the adventure unfolding in front of them. The story will also be explored through a series of live streams which are being hosted by actors Yvette Nicole Brown and Felicia Day.

One of the appeals of The Walking Dead: Last Mile (opens in new tab) is that it actually does exist within the wider The Walking Dead universe. So whatever the story’s outcome turns out to be in a few months’ time, it will technically line up with the story from the original The Walking Dead comics. It’s also pretty simple to get involved, all you need is access to either the desktop site or the Facebook app on mobile to join in. 

There’s been a tonne of other The Walking Dead games over the years from mobile games, FPS games, choice-based games, and more. Aside from The Walking Dead: Last Mile though, we’ve also got another The Walking Dead game to look forward to as The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners gets a sequel for PSVR 2 later this year.

If you’re looking for something else to play, take a look at our best zombie games list. 

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As revealed by the achievement tracker website Exophase (opens in new tab) (via Push Square (opens in new tab)), the Annapurna title will have 25 trophies, some of which require you to tap into your inner feline to obtain.

According to the list of trophies, Stray will have not just one, but four cat behavior-related trophies. The most interesting of these is the silver trophy ‘A Little Chatty’ which players can only unlock after meowing as the ginger protagonist over 100 times. Which is about the same amount of times a real-life cat would meow when you’re taking too long with its dinner.

The next of these cat-related trophies is another silver one called ‘Productive Day’ which requires players to sleep for more than one hour, which should be easy for a cat. 

Further down in the list, we’ve also got the bronze trophy ‘No More Lives’ which, you guessed it, can only be obtained after players die nine times in the game. The final trophy worth a mention is the silver ‘Territory’ trophy that requires players to scratch something in every chapter of the game. 

In other Stray news, as also pointed out by Push Square (opens in new tab) (via Orbis Patches (opens in new tab)), the developer behind the feline adventure game, BlueTwelve Studio, has recently uploaded a day one patch to Sony’s servers. The patch contains all the usual improvements and fixes, but also a couple of cat-specific additions too. The patch notes include: “A LOT of collision fixes, naughty cat!” and “some Meows have been totally re-meowed.”

Stray is set to release on PS4, PS5, and PC on July 19, 2022. It will also be available to play for free to PS Plus Extra or PS Plus Premium subscribers. There’s clearly a lot of hype surrounding this game as Stray recently clawed its way up to the top of Steam’s most wishlisted games list, pushing post-apocalyptic MMO The Day Before to second place.

Just can’t get enough of animals in games? From Ghost of Tsushima to Stray, how devs design the most realistic in-game animals. 

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This is the most significant sign of a pulse since 2020 for the Ubisoft title, which popped up in 2017 with the promise of players sailing the seven seas and indulging in some salty naval combat, before disappearing below the waves for half a decade. After its reveal, Ubisoft let press members go hands-on with it back in 2018, but after that things started shifting around quite a bit over at the studio. In a 2020 update, we heard the game had a new vision and was aiming for a 2022 release date. 

Now, however, the tides have turned, and we’ve got a ton of new information about the mysterious and highly anticipated Skull and Bones. We’ve seen gameplay, spoken to the game director, and had a hands-off preview, and we can confidently say we’ve got all the information you’re looking for about Skull and Bones. Read on for more. 

Skull and Bones release date

Before we had a release date, we had rumors. It was revealed during a Ubisoft financial update with investors that the game would be due out sometime in the next year or so. “Skull and Bones will now be released in 2022-23,” it said in its earnings report – but for a while, there was no more information regarding a more specific release window.

Then, a Skull and Bones release date was leaked by a Twitter account just a few days before the worldwide reveal event, and it turns out this leak, in particular, was correct. Skull and Bones is set to release on November 8, 2022. Yes, that is one day before the highly anticipated God of War Ragnarok, so it’ll be interesting to see how both games fare. 

Skull and Bones trailer 

The latest trailer dropped on the same day as the worldwide gameplay reveal, and it will pull you in from the moment it starts. Promising to let you “chart a new course”, the trailer follows an unnamed character as they decide to try out the pirate life, become marooned on an island, and build their own ship to sail safely out of there. It cuts to other pirates in various stages of cool, swashbuckling garb before showing off some epic naval combat. 

Skull and Bones Insider Program

Back before we had a Skull and Bones release date or any idea what the gameplay looked like, we had the promise of the Insider Program, which was announced back in March 2022. After the July reveal event, we have a few more details on that what the program will entail.

We are kicking off our Insider Program, a unique opportunity for a selected few to test early versions of Skull and Bones & share feedback. Apply now if you think you have what it takes!March 9, 2022

See more

According to Ubisoft, the Insider Program is an “ongoing live testing initiative for which we’re inviting carefully selected players to play an early version of our game in real conditions before anyone else. Meaning for the very first time, members of our Insider Program get to play Skull and Bones and get a sneak peek at the work our development team has been doing behind the scenes.” According to the studio, the testing team will remain “relatively small” but if you’re interested you can sign up for the Skull and Bones Insider Program here (opens in new tab).

Skull and Bones 2021 update

We know that Skull and Bones will focus heavily on naval combat thanks to its roots lying in Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag. While working on our five key Skull and Bones questions answered, we spoke with game director Ryan Barnard, who gave us even more details beyond the July gameplay reveal. 

“The team developed their expertise in Naval Combat through their co-development work so we decided to capitalize on that to create a totally new world – the world of Skull and Bones,” Barnard says game director Ryan Barnard. “Since I joined, my focus has been about taking the creative vision to life.” His focus has been on adding  “depth to the naval combat,” the progression system, enemy factions, and crafting. 

Skull and Bones was initially billed as a game that would be made up of two main pillars: a single-player campaign where you play a fully customizable pirate and multiplayer 5v5 tactical naval combat. According to Barnard, the current iteration of Skull and Bones is not a “classic narrative-driven game” but a live game that Ubisoft is committed to working on far into the future. So, should you play it solo? “We want players to have advantages when they group up and pirate together. You can definitely play alone, but part of the risk in our world is that, if you are the lone wolf, you could potentially become prey for other players,” Barnard says. 

Solo play will include leveling up your ship, taking on pirate emissions, and battling on the high seas. It seems like ship customization will be very broad, so expect to see a variety of different vessels on the horizon.

Skull and Bones development issues

The co-director of the game, Antoine Henry, left Ubisoft after 15 years in January 2022, which many worried had to do with Skull and Bones’ development issues. In July 2021 a report from Kotaku (opens in new tab) offered insight into issues behind the scenes that have caused the development process to drag on so long.

The article, which included input from current and former developers on Skull and Bones, reveals constant changes to the game’s direction – like switching between naval combat and survival as the core concepts – and culture clashes on the development team. Three different sources put the cost of Skull and Bones at more than $120 million, and it’s not even finished yet.

In response, Ubisoft put out a statement updating Kotaku on the game’s progress and recent Alpha production milestone. 

“The Skull and Bones team are proud of the work they’ve accomplished on the project since their last update with production just passing Alpha, and are excited to share more details when the time is right. That being said, any unfounded speculation about the game or decisions being made only works to demoralize the team who are working very hard to develop an ambitious new franchise that lives up to the expectations of our players.

Over the past year, we’ve made significant changes to our policies and processes to create a safe and more inclusive workplace and empower our teams to create games that reflect the diversity of the world we live in.”

During the Ubisoft 2020-21 earnings call, chief financial officer Frédérick Duguet had this to say about the game. 

“We strongly believe in the team’s creative vision and they have been given an increasingly ambitious mandate for the game,”

“Production led by Singapore has been advancing well over the past 12 months and the promise is better than ever. The additional time will allow the team to fully deliver on its vision.”

Skull and Bones customization

There are loads of ways to customise your ship in Skull and Bones, and it seems that different set-ups will be useful for different scenarios. We see the ability to change sails, weapon set-ups, and figureheads in the demo, but expect there to be loads more options in the final game.

You’ll need to adapt because the conditions of the game will change according to the predictions of a fortune teller. Yes. You’re given an outlook for each session and will have to change your play accordingly – so, for example, high winds mean that there are more merchant ships to plunder, but greater competition for them. Not sure how that correlates, but it’s all in the demo. She’ll also advise on weather and trade routes too.

It’s worth noting that you can also hop off your ship and look around your own private island. Expect there to be plenty of distractions here too.

Why not jump into the best RPGs while you wait for Skull and Bones to drop?

The post Skull and Bones: release date, gameplay reveal, and more appeared first on Game News.

Two Point Campus

Original release: May 17, 2022
Delayed until: Aug 9, 2022 

Two Point Campus – the indirect follow-up to Two Point Hospital from Two Point Studios – was originally set to open its doors on May 17, however classes will now commence on August 9, 2022. When they do, players can expect to become familiar with the student body, because, unlike the many faceless patients of Two Point Hospital, Two Point Campus aims to develop the relationship between the player and the sprites they’ll control. “You’re going to see the students develop and in some cases fail,” studio co-founder Mark Webley told GR+ earlier this year. “It’s about trying to get you to care about them so that they don’t fail and to try and see what the problem is. You’ll be able to take time to nurture and hopefully pull them through the process.”

Life is Strange: Remastered (Switch version) 

Original release: February 1, 2022
Delayed until: TBC 2022

Life is Strange: Remastered is allowing us to once again experience Max and Chloe’s adventures in the first game from Dontnod, and Life is Strange: Before the Storm from Deck Nine. Now launched on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S, an announcement confirmed that the Switch release has been delayed. “We are sorry to share that the Nintendo Switch versions of the games have been a little setback,” the statement from the Life is Strange team said, “and will need a bit more time until they are ready.” While no official release date for the Switch launch has been announced, the news of the delay confirms we can expect to see the games arrive on Nintendo’s console “later this year.” 

Dying Light 2 (Switch Version)

Original Release: February 4, 2022
Delayed until: Early August 2022

Techland announced back in January that the release date for the Switch version of Dying Light 2 needed to be “moved” from its planned launch window. The announcement came by way of an official press release which stated that the Cloud version on the Switch version needs more time “in order to provide fans with the gaming experience at the level they deserve and that Techland wants to provide.” The post-apocalyptic action-adventure game arrived on other platforms on February 4. While no set release date has been announced just yet, the Cloud version currently has a tentative early August 2022 launch date. 

Rumbleverse

Original Release: February 15, 2022
Delayed until: TBC 2022

The upcoming free-to-play “brawler royale” from developer Iron Galaxy and Epic Games has been pushed back from its initial launch date of February 15. Rumbleverse was first announced during the Game Awards 2021, and it was set to go into early access on February 8. In an official post from Iron Galaxy, the development team released a statement explaining the decision, saying: “Having Grapital City filled with Rumblers taught us a lot. We’re excited about the game we’re making – and we’re glad you are, too – but there’s more we want to do to perfect the experience. More than a game, Rumbleverse will be a community that we want to support for a long time. We’re going to take the time to make sure we can get that right.” While no new release date has been revealed, the statement confirmed that players can sign up to take part in a network test of the game on PC on February 12. 

Forspoken

Original release: October 11, 2022 
Delayed until: January 24, 2023

Luminous Productions announced it is pushing back the release date for Forspoken a second time, with a new release date set for January 24, 2023. This news comes after it was delayed from its original launch date of May 25, 2022 to some months later on October 11, 2022. The studio confirmed the new release date in a statement on Twitter (opens in new tab), saying that it has made the “strategic decision” to move the launch date after discussions with key partners. The statement went on to confirm that all game elements for Forspoken are complete, and development is now “in its final polishing phase.” 

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League 

Original release: TBC 2022
Delayed until: Spring 2023

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League has been pushed back from its original launch window. The upcoming action-shooter was initially slated to release sometime in 2022 but is now expected to arrive in Spring 2023. Prior to official confirmation, a report previously surfaced that pointed towards a delay. Rocksteady co-founder and creative director Sefton Hill announced the news on Twitter (opens in new tab), saying: “We’ve made the difficult decision to delay Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League to Spring 2023. I know a delay is frustrating but that time is going into making the best game we can. I look forward to bringing the chaos to Metropolis together. Thanks for your patience.” 

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Sequel

Original release: TBC 2022
Delayed until: Spring 2023

In a video from Nintendo, Legend of Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma announced that the decision to extend the development time for Breath of the Wild 2. As such, the release date for the highly anticipated Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild sequel has now been pushed back to Spring 2023. First revealed back in 2019 with a short teaser trailer revealing it was in the works, Links return was originally set to release sometime later this year. “In order to make this game’s experience something special,” Aonuma said, “the entire development team is continuing to work diligently on this game, so please wait a while longer.” 

Starfield

Original release: November 11, 2022
Delayed until: First half of 2023

Bethesda announced in a statement on Twitter (opens in new tab) that Starfield has been officially been delayed from its original November release in order to deliver the “best, most version”. While no exact amended date was given, the studio confirmed we can expect to see the upcoming space-faring RPG launch sometime in the first half of 2023. While we’ve seen some video interviews from the team behind the project about certain aspects of the game, we’ve yet to see much of what will be the first new IP from Bethesda Game Studios in 25 years. 

Redfall

Original release: Summer 2022
Delayed until: First half of 2023

Alongside Starfield, Bethesda also confirmed that Redfall from Arkane Austin will be release sometime in the first half of 2023. Originally slated to launch as an Xbox exclusive in summer 2022, the publisher stated that the teams behind both Redfall and Starfield have “incredible ambitions for their games”, and that “we want to ensure that you recieve the best, most polished versions of them.” Redfall comes from the same team behind Dishonored and Prey, and is set to deliver an open-world co-op FPS where you play as a team of vampire slayers who go up against powerful bloodsuckers with supernatural abilities. 

Stalker 2: Heart of Chernobyl 

Original release: April 28, 2022
Delayed until: TBC 2023

Near the start of January, Stalker 2: Heart of Chernobyl was pushed back from its initial April release date in order to fulfill the team’s “vision and achieve the desired state for the game.” Then, following the Xbox and Bethesda showcase in June, an infographic for upcoming releases posted on Xbox’s official social media channels appeared to confirm that it has now been pushed back to a 2023 launch window. This comes after news came earlier this year that development was on hold due to the Russian conflict in Ukraine. During the Xbox Games showcase Extended, an update on Stalker 2 was shared of a development diary during the war from the team.  

Advance Wars 1 + 2: Reboot Camp

Original release: April 8, 2022
Delayed until: TBC

Nintendo announced it’s delaying the release of Advance 1 + 2: Reboot Camp. The decision to push back the release from its original April 8 date was confirmed in a statement posted on Twitter (opens in new tab). “In light of recent world events, we have made the decision to delay Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp” the statement reads. No new launch date has been confirmed for the game as of yet, but Nintendo said to stay tuned for updates on the new release in the future. 

Stay on top of all the latest upcoming releases on the way with our round-up of new games 2022. 

The post Every game delay announced so far in 2022 appeared first on Game News.

Below, you’ll find a roundup of all of the upcoming PS5 games on the horizon, with details on PS5 exclusives like God of War Ragnarok to third-party releases like Gotham Knights and Marvel’s Midnight Suns. We’ve also put everything in release date order so you know what to expect first.  Without further ado, here are all of the most exciting upcoming PS5 games on the way. 

• Still looking for Sony’s new console? Here’s the latest on PS5 restock updates

2022

Stray

Developer: BlueTwelve Studio
Publisher: Annapurna Interactive
Release date: July 19, 2022

In this new adventure coming to the PS5 from BlueTwelve Studio, you play as a cat in a world filled with robots. As a cat exploring this strange world, you’ll gain a unique perspective from the eyes of a feline who can sneak under cars, traverse over rooftops and go about unnoticed. Viv, the game and creative director at the studio, said, “we are inspired every day by Murtaugh and Riggs, our two cats. Most of the team are cat owners as well, giving us all a lot of helpful first-hand references. Cats are always so playful, cute, and lovingly annoying that it’s an endless stream of gameplay ideas for us.”

Two Point Campus

Developer: Two Point Studios
Publisher: SEGA
Release date: August 9, 2022

Running your own hospital was so 2020, so now it’s time for an upgrade. Two Point Campus will see you running your own college, with management including everything from building the college, running the classes, and caring for your students on a more intricate, personal level. 

Rollerdrome

Developer: Roll7
Publisher: Private Division
Release date: August 16, 2022

Following the successful launch of OlliOlli World earlier this year, Roll7 and Private Division are back on the scene with another skating game. Only, you probably haven’t seen one quite like this before. Rollerdrome is a hybrid shooter-skater, which blends high-octane third-person combat with fluid movement and tricking mechanics. Rollerdrome looks absolutely phenomenal, and it’s out later this year.  

Saints Row

Developer: Volition
Publisher: Koch Media
Release date: August 23, 2022

This is a reboot for the tongue-in-cheek Saints Row series, and we’re going all the way back to the beginning. Starting out in the city of Santo Ileso, it’ll be up to you how this crime gang takes shape, from how they build their empire to what they make their money doing. You’ll be leading them once again as the fully customizable Boss, and although it’s new faces and new names there’s plenty of the old Saints Row soul here. Just less of the dildobats.

Soul Hackers 2

Developer: Atlus
Publisher: SEGA
Release date: August 26, 2022

Soul Hackers 2 is looking like it’s going to be one of the key JRPGs of 2022, arriving from developer Atlus and publisher SEGA. This is the long-awaited sequel to Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers – the 1997 RPG for Sega Saturn. Everything has been updated, of course, with Atlus weaving in the Press Turn system from the mainline Shin Megami Tensei games, and the studio striving for a bright and neon visual style. Soul Hackers 2 is set to launch on PS4 and PS5 on August 26, 2022. 

Season

Developer: Scavengers Studio
Publisher: Scavengers Studio
Release date: Autumn 2022

Channelling almost Ghibli-esque vibes, Season is a game about riding around on a bicycle and discovering the world for the first time. You play as a young woman who’s lived in a secluded community, but for some reason is now able to explore, take photos, and make new memories. But, there’s not much time to do any of it in, as a mysterious cataclysm is about to engulf the world for good. But heck is a beautiful way to spend your last season. 

Lord of the Rings: Gollum

Developer: Daedalic Entertainment
Publisher: Daedalic Entertainment
Release date: September 1, 2022

We are all so intrigued to see what a game where you play as the dual-personalities of The Lord of the Rings: Gollum will actually be like. And thankfully, that’s exactly what Daedalic Entertainment is going to give us. The creature starts out as a prisoner in Barad-dûr, a fortress in Mordor, but eventually, you will traverse more of Middle-Earth, with the developer promising “giant, persistent environments, each harbouring several questlines and a range of friendly or unfriendly faces” in an interview with Edge Magazine in early 2020. During that interview the game is also described as a “stealth-action-adventure with an intriguing dual-personality mechanic, gigantic levels, and a densely wrought aesthetic inspired by Tolkien’s own drawings”. 

The Last of Us Part 1

Developer: Naughty Dog
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Release date: September 2, 2022

The Last of Us Part 1 is described as the definitive version of the original game, with updated visuals, facial animations, expanded accessibility options, improved combat, and more. In fact, Naughty Dog says it’s a true overhaul that will bring the journey that first introduced us to Ellie and Joel to the PS5 without “being encumbered by technology”. With a debut trailer at the Summer Game Fest, we’ve already seen glimpses of changes to the character models and more.

Overwatch 2

Developer: Blizzard
Publisher: Activision
Release date: October 4, 2022 (Early Access)

Overwatch 2 is now gunning for an October 4 early access release date – a fact confirmed during the Xbox and Bethesda Games showcase at E3 2022. There, we were treated to some new gameplay footage of the multiplayer team-based first-person shooter, and were likewise shown a new hero expected to make their debut at launch. Junker Queen, a character who’s long been rumored to enter the Overwatch fold, is indeed on their way to Overwatch 2 – packing a shotgun as their primary weapon, and a big two-handed axe as backup. As per the game’s initial reveal way back at BlizzCon 2019, Overwatch 2 is expected to lean heavier on its narrative elements by way of its new Story Missions.  

Marvel’s Midnight Suns

Developer: Firaxis Games
Publisher: 2K Games
Release date: October 7, 2022

Firaxis is bringing us a new strategy game but this time it’s not a new XCOM. Instead, we’re getting a Marvel-themed strategy game called Marvel’s Midnight Suns. Teaming up with 12 of Marvel Comics’ iconic heroes in the roster, you play as The Hunter, the very first customizable character in Marvel history. Together you’ll attempt to take down the Mother of Demons, Lillith, in a XCOM / Marvel fusion gameplay scenario. 

A Plague Tale: Requiem

Developer: Asobo Studio
Publisher: Focus Home Interactive
Release date: October 18, 2022

The Flight Simulator studio, Asobo, is going back to its original series with a sequel – A Plague Tale: Requiem. The game will follow the original heroes Amicia and Hugo in their quest to survive in the rat-infested city and The Inquisition. With literal seas of rats featured in the game’s reveal trailer, we can only imagine that things have got a lot harder for our brother and sister duo. 

Gotham Knights

Developer: WB Games Montreal
Publisher: Warner Bros
Release date: October 25, 2022

The long-awaited WB Games Montreal title is Gotham Knights; an open-world, action RPG set in what the dev is calling the “most dynamic and interactive Gotham City yet”. The big story beat is that Batman is dead, leaving the Gotham Knights (Robin, Batgirl, Nightwing, and Red Hood) to protect the city from its full roster of bad guys. This is a completely original story for the upcoming PS5 games list, rather than any kind of re-enactment of the comics. In terms of villains, we know that the Court of Owls are at least involved, but others including Mr. Freeze will also play a part in the game’s narrative. It features drop-in, drop-out co-op too, with the kind of gameplay you’d expect to see from a Batman: Arkham title. 

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Developer: Infinity Ward
Publisher: Activision
Release date: October 28, 2022

Task Force 141 from the 2019 reboot are back for a sequel in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. We’ll be back with Captain Price and co for a story that continues on from where we left them, with the looming threat of Victor Zakhaev and General Shepherd. Details are light right now, beyond those story details and a release date, so stay tuned. 

God of War Ragnarok 

Developer: Sony Santa Monica Studio
Publisher: Sony
Release date: November 9, 2022

Ragnarok is coming. Yes, a new God of War game is happening and it’s set to land on the PS5 (and PS4) at some point in 2022. During the latest PlayStation September 2021 showcase, we got a proper look at Kratos’ upcoming return in God of War: Ragnarok, and boy was it quite the trailer. Showing a slightly older Atreus, we got to see a host of different creatures, some helpings of combat, and some new characters we’ll meet. In a blog post (opens in new tab), Santa Monica Studio revealed that the realms are harsher, and we’ll be able to test our fighting prowess against new creatures from Norse mythology. It was also revealed that Cory Barlog is not directing this time around, with Eric Williams taking up the helm.  

The Callisto Protocol

Developer: Striking Distance
Publisher: Krafton
Release date: December 2, 2022

The spiritual successor to Dead Space in all but name, The Callisto Protocol is a fresh survival horror game coming from new studio Striking Distance, helmed by none other than Glen Schofield. Its aim is to deliver the most-terrifying next-gen horror experience ever, and from what we’ve seen so far of the game, it’s looking likely to deliver. Set on Jupiter’s moon in 2320, there’s a conspiracy to unfold and horrific creatures to face in this third-person story. A great addition to the upcoming PS5 games. 

Sonic Frontiers

Developer: Sonic Team
Publisher: SEGA
Release date: Holiday 2022

Sonic’s going on a brand new adventure, and this time it’s really, really big. You’ll be speeding through Starfall Islands, the location for the game which SEGA is calling ‘open-zoned’, rather than strictly open world. It’s Sonic, but more beautiful than we’ve ever seen it before. 

TBC 2022

Star Trek: Resurgence

Developer: Dramatic Labs
Release date: Spring 2022

From Dramatic Labs, a brand new studio made up of former Telltale developers, comes Star Trek: Resurgence. It’s a third-person, choice-driven adventure game set within the Star Trek Universe. You’ll play as two characters, First Officer Jara Rydek and Engineering Crewperson Carter Diaz, on the U.S.S Resolute, as they attempt to solve a sinister mystery that involves two alien races on the brink of war. You’ll meet new and returning characters in this tale too, so if you’re a Star Trek fan, this is worth paying attention to.

Final Fantasy 7: Crisis Core Reunion

Developer: In-house
Publisher: Square Enix
Release date: Winter 2022

Square Enix is developing a remaster of Final Fantasy 7: Crisis Core, the beloved Final Fantasy 7 prequel which released for PSP back in 2008. Set to launch later this year, Crisis Core Final Fantasy 7 Reunion is set to feature updated 3D models, HD graphics, full voiceovers, and new music arrangements. 

Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed

Developer: Illfonic
Release date: TBC 2022

Illfonic – the developer behind Friday the 13th game – is delivering another co-op horror adventure, but this time it’s Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed. You’ll have to join up with other Ghostbusters to chase and trap ghosts across a variety of locations before they escape. Players will also be the ghosts, capable of hiding, sneaking, scaring, and more – including some slime action. 

Goodbye Volcano High

Developer: KO_OP
Release date: TBC 2022

The developers behind Goodbye Volcano High announced that the narrative direction of the story has had a reboot (opens in new tab) since we first saw the initial game reveal. Now pushed back to 2022 with a new team of writers, it’ll be exciting to see how the story shapes up. Described as a cinematic, choice-based experience with a non-binary protagonist called Fang and a lovely art style, Goodbye Volcano High looks like one to watch out for. 

Open Roads

Developer: Fullbright
Publisher: Annapurna
Release date: TBC 2022

The latest title from Fullbright (Gone Home, Tacoma) is Open Roads. It follows a mother and daughter who set out on a road trip adventure to discover a series of abandoned family properties to discover a mystery and secrets about their own kin long buried. Like previous Fullbright games, there’s a big emphasis on interactive narrative, but this time we’ll be exploring multiple destinations and chilling in the car en route between them too.

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora

Developer: Massive Entertainment
Publisher: Ubisoft
Release date: TBC 2022

After years of silence, we now have a name, a trailer, and a vague release date for Ubisoft’s Avatar title. Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is coming sometime in 2022 and is a standalone story from any of the movies. This first-person, action-adventure sees you play as a Na’vi and journey across the Western Frontier, which is a part of Pandora not seen before. You’ll have to use your surroundings and try to survive against the onslaught of RDA forces.

Hogwarts Legacy

Developer: Avalanche
Publisher: Warner Bros. Games
Release date: TBC 2022

Set before the events of the books in the 1800s at the famous Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry and the world beyond, Hogwarts Legacy is described as an open-world RPG that will take you on an adventure in the Harry Potter universe. Added to the list of upcoming PS5 games for 2022 after a delay, Adrian Ropp, head of Avalance, wrote in a blog post (opens in new tab) on PlayStation’s official website that the next-gen console will let create immersive experiences that will let “a player practically feel the terror of Inferi bearing down upon them” or “sense the ground rumbling beneath them as a heard of angry centaurs surrounds them”.  

Little Devil Inside

Developer: Neostream Interactive
Release date: TBC 2022

Little Devil Inside first began life on Kickstarter back in 2015. Fast forward five years later and we see a debut trailer during the PS5 reveal stream with the news that it will be a timed exclusive. As an RPG with survival elements, Little Devil inside is set in the “Victorian-like” era in a semi-open world. The trailer showed off a whole host of monsters and also gave us brief glimpses of some of the combat elements and features. It was easily one of the biggest surprises of the recent showcase. 

Forever Skies

Developer: Far From Home
Publisher: Far From Home
Release date: TBC 2022

New studio Far From Home is coming swinging out of the gates with an ambitious project that depicts a world devastated by climate change after humanity’s inaction. Forever Skies sees the player descend into a now environmentally-hostile Earth inside an advanced zeppelin. There will be light combat, but it’s mostly about surviving through resource management, crafting, and puzzle-solving. The aircraft itself will also be key to your survival and could hold the answer to repairing the ecological damage done to Earth. The studio is made up of developers from Techland (Dying Light, Dead Island), The Farm 51 (Chernobylite), Bloober Team (Layers of Fear, Blair Witch), and Larian Studios (Divinity: Original Sin, Baldur’s Gate 3), so plenty of reputable talent is on board, making Forever Skies even more enticing.

2023

Forspoken 

Developer: Luminous Productions
Publisher: Square Enix
Release date: January 24, 2023

Where do we start with Forspoken? This game that was “designed for PlayStation 5,” is a console exclusive from Square Enix, and it looks beautiful. The protagonist is seen leaping across cliffs, attacking huge wolves with tree root-esque abilities, and overlooking a gorgeous cloud-filled landscape from the top of a mountain. What’s more is that famed screenwriter and author Gary Whitta (Star Wars: Rogue One, The Walking Dead) is in charge of a team of “A-list writers” working on the game, which means it could be something very special indeed.

Dead Space Remake

Developer: Motive
Publisher: EA
Release date: January 27, 2023

Motive Studios is bringing us a Dead Space Remake, “rebuilt” from the bones of the source material, aka one of the best horror games of all time. That includes, obviously, beautiful graphics, but also the removal of loading screens. The developer has also clarified it will remain microtransaction-free. 

Resident Evil 4 Remake

Developer: In-house
Publisher: Capcom
Release date: March 24, 2023

Resident Evil 4 is getting a remake and it’s already got a release date. It’s set to be a reimagining of the original game, rather than a like-for-like remake. According to Capcom, the developer is “reimagining the storyline of the game while keeping the essence of its direction, modernizing the graphics and updating the controls to a modern standard”. From the trailer we’ve had so far, it’s going to be stunning – and horrific. 

Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn 

Developer: A44
Publisher: Kepler
Release date: Early 2023

An open-world action role-player, Flintlock is being made by Ashen developer A44. Blending up close and personal melee axe play and firearms at range, this third person adventure looked stunning during its gameplay showcase at E3 2022, and we can’t wait to see more between now and its tentative “early 2023” release date. Starring protagonist Nor and her companion, Enki, the pair are said to “embark on an epic journey of vengeance, gunpowder, and magic in humanity’s last stand.” Sound good? We think so too. 

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League

Developer: Rocksteady
Publisher: Warner Bros
Release date: Spring 2023

Rocksteady is continuing its work on the Batman: Arkham series but taking a detour into Suicide Squad territory. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is a brand new sotry, with 1-4 player co-op, an evil Superman, and four playable characters. These take the form of Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Captain Boomerang, and King Shark, all of which come with their own unique weapons, and the option to switch between them at any time. 

Final Fantasy 16

Developer: Square Enix
Publisher: Square Enix
Release date: Summer 2023

Yes, Final Fantasy 16 has officially been confirmed and it’s set to be a PlayStation console exclusive that will come to the PS5. Produced by Final Fantasy 14 director Naoki Yoshida and directed by Hiroshi Takai, the debut trailer was revealed during the most recent PS5 showcase, giving us our first proper look at the next installment. We don’t know too much about where it will take us just yet, but the trailer does mention how the “Crystals shaped our world.” More information is set to come in 2021. 

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth

Developer: In-house
Publisher: Square Enix
Release date: TBC 2023

Looking to continue the adventures of Final Fantasy 7 Remake? Cloud is set to return in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth in 2023, which is the official title for the second game in Square Enix’s ambitious remake trilogy of the beloved RPG. Information is light on the ground, but the publisher has confirmed that Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth will be out “Winter 2023” for PS5.

Disney Dreamlight Valley

Developer: Gameloft
Publisher: Gameloft
Release date: TBC 2023 (Early Access Beta September 6, 2022) 

Disney Dreamlight Valley is set to let us live our best Disney life as we live alongside and help a host of different characters from Disney and Pixar. With some Animal Crossing vibes to it, you’ll be able to do various activities such as fishing, discover stories, explore, take on quests, and unlock new areas as you try to help the residents who have been affected by what’s known as the ‘Forgetting’. The life sim adventure is set to launch in full as a free-to-play experience sometime in 2023, with an early access beta set to go live in September for those who purchase the Founders Pack. 

Aliens: Dark Descent

Developer: Tindalos Interactive
Publisher: Focus Interactive
Release date: TBC 2023

Aliens: Dark Descent will see you commanding a group of Colonial Marines who are trying to stop a Xenomorph outbreak on Moon Lethe. You’ll not only have to fight the titular aliens though, as you’ll also face rogue operatives from the Weyland-Yutani Corporation and entirely new terrors never-before-seen in the Alien franchise. You’ll need to be strategic with your squad, manage your resources, and weigh up your risks in this strategy game.

Diablo 4

Developer: Blizzard
Publisher: Activision
Release date: 2023

As per its gameplay outing during E3 2022, Diablo 4 looks dark, foreboding and terrifying – which is exactly everything we want from Blizzard’s upcoming dungeon crawling action role-playing game. With five classes available at launch in its Necromancers, Barbarians, Sorceresses, Rogues, and Druids, this looks every bit a sequel ten years in the making, and now with a loose 2023 launch date, we’re certain fans of the series are as excited now as ever. First officially revealed at BlizzCon 2019, expect more and more of this in the coming months as Diablo 4 marches towards launch.

Layers of Fears

Developer: Bloober Team
Publisher: Aspyr
Release date: TBC 2023

Settle in for the evening and prepare for another country retreat in the Layers of Fear universe. Layers of Fears (that’s plural) is an updated and enhanced version of Bloober Team’s OG horror venture from 2016, Layers of Fear, that folds in its ‘Inheritance’ DLC and the original’s indirect sequel, Layers of Fear 2. Built in Unreal Engine 5, the old Shining-esque mansion is more terrifying than you remember, but houses a similar number of melting paintings and mind-bending haunted hallways. Said to expand on the original game’s story, expect even more psychedelic, toe-curling horror when Layers of Fears lands at some point in 2023. 

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

Developer: Insomniac Games  
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Release date: TBC 2023

During the September 2021 PlayStation showcase, a surprise trailer dropped for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, coming exclusively to PS5 sometime in 2023. As a sequel that’s set to continue on the journey of both Peter Parker and Miles Morales, who could forget seeing another very familiar face. Yes, Venom is going to feature as the villain of the new web-slinging adventures. In a blog post (opens in new tab), Sony and Insomniac also confirmed that there will be shiny new suits, new abilities, and a very human story at the heart of your superhero antics. 

Street Fighter 6

Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Release date: TBC 2023

Street Fighter 6 has now had a full reveal, following on from the rather steamy teaser. It’s going to feature three different modes. Fighting Ground is your classic Street Fighter experience, but that’s going to be complimented by World Tour, which is an immersive single-player campaign. There’s also a Battle Hub too, which furthers the multiplayer experience.

Pragmata

Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Release date: TBC 2023

Capcom revealed a mysterious new game called Pragmata that leaves more questions than it answers, but certainly piqued a lot of interest when it was added to the upcoming PS5 games list. Described as a “thought-provoking game”, the trailer shows someone in what looks like a space suit in a futuristic setting, where they encounter a young girl and holo-cat. While it won’t be coming until 2022, we’re certainly eager to learn more about this rather enigmatic adventure. 

Tchia

Developer: Awaceb
Publisher: Awaceb
Release date: TBC 2023

Tchia is a charming indie gem set to arrive on PS5 sometime in 2022. From developer Awaceb, the open-world tropical adventure is inspired by New Caledonia, and includes some very interesting abilities – such a soul jumping power that lets protagonist Tchia take control of objects and animals. During the PlayStation showcase, we got to see how you can become a dog and even a coconut as you explore the sandbox world. Along with free-climbing, and playing a tune on your ukulele, Tchia certainly looks like one to watch out for. 

Alan Wake 2

Developer: Remedy Entertainment
Publisher: Epic Games
Release date: TBC 2023

Alan Wake is finally getting a sequel, and this time it’s going to be a survival horror game, but with a very familiar face and voice returning as the titular hero himself. According to Remedy, you should expect a “chilling experience with familiar psychological horror elements”. 

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

Developer: Respawn Entertainment
Publisher: EA
Release date: TBC 2023

Cal Kestis and BD-1 are back in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, the follow-up to the brilliant Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Set five years after the original game, it seems like something rather sinister is going down in Star Wars town. Although details are light beyond the teaser trailer, it seems Cal’s lightsaber has fallen into the wrong hands, and things aren’t great for our Jedi in hiding. 

TBC

Marvel’s Wolverine

Developer: Insomniac
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Release date: TBC

Undoubtedly one of the biggest surprises of the PlayStation September 2021 showcase came in the shape of those famous adamantium claws belonging to none other than Wolverine. Yes, a new standalone Wolverine game is currently in early development. While we’re light on details for the moment, we do know Brian Horton is Wolverine’s creative director and Cameron Christian is game director. Horton was creative director on Spider-Man Miles Morales and has also worked on games such as Tomb Raider and Rise of the Tomb Raider. Christian previously worked on Spider-Man and Spider-Man Miles Morales, as well as other titles such as Sunset Overdrive.  Insomniac revealed (opens in new tab) its goal is to “respect the DNA of what makes the character so popular, but also try to make it feel fresh” and reflect the studio’s spirit.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Remake

Developer: Aspyr
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment and Lucasfilms Games
Release date: TBC

After many rumors began to circulate, the latest Sony showcase confirmed that a remaster of BioWare’s beloved Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is on the way and it’s coming to PS5. Aspyr and Sony Interactive Entertainment are working with Lucasfilm Games to rebuild the classic adventure, which promises (opens in new tab) to bring KOTOR to a new generation with “modern tech, features, visuals, and more, while maintaining the integrity of the story and characters” so many have come to love. 

Indiana Jones

Developer: MachineGames
Publisher: Lucasfilm Games / Bethesda
Release date: TBC

Bethesda studio MachineGames is working on a brand new Indiana Jones game, in conjunction with the newly established Lucasfilm Games. All we’ve had so far is a tiny teaser trailer, which is more matte painting than gameplay footage. But, from it, we’ve deduced that it’s probably set in Rome in 1937, which would place the game after Raiders of the Lost Ark and the Temple of Doom, and yet before The Last Crusade. It seems to involve ancient stone circles and standing stones, and potentially even a lost race of giant cyclops. Bethesda says we’ll be waiting a while for more info though – including 100% confirmation of whether it is on PS5, seeing as it’s a Bethesda game. 

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2

Developer: Hardsuit Labs
Publisher: Paradox Interactive
Release date: TBC

Looking for a game with a bit of extra bite? Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 puts you in the seedy underbelly of Seattle, which should suit you just fine as a vampire ready to test out your new fangs. Turned as an act of vampire terrorism during the ‘Mass Embrace’, you’ll soon get caught up in vampire faction politics, where you’re still just trying to deal with your new way of life. This is an RPG at its core too, filled with player choices, a strong narrative, and branching dialogue options too. 

Ubisoft’s open-world Star Wars game

Developer: Massive Entertainment
Publisher: Ubisoft / Lucasfilm Games
Release date: TBC

Another fresh title coming out of the new Lucasfilm Games, this is an open-world Star Wars title from Ubisoft’s Massive Entertainment. We don’t know much about the Ubisoft Star Wars game yet, as it’s clearly in very early stages of development, but it will run on Massive’s custom Snowdrop Engine. We’re expecting it to be a photorealistic action-adventure with sprinklings of RPG elements, a la The Division, but obviously set in Star Wars lore. No platforms have officially been confirmed, but expect it to be released on PS5 whenever it does arrive.

Project 007

Developer: IO Interactive
Publisher: IO Interactive
Release date: TBC

IO Interactive is gearing up to tell the origin story for James Bond in a brand new game currently titled Project 007. Although details are scarce, and an official name is yet to be revealed, what we do know is that it’s going to be an entirely original James Bond story – so not tied to the novels or films. Hakan Abrak, CEO of IO says that it is “the most ambitious game in the history of our studio”. Exciting times ahead. 

Elder Scrolls 6

Developer: Bethesda Game Studios
Publisher: Bethesda
Release date: TBC

Ah, the Elder Scrolls 6 (opens in new tab). The 37-second trailer that blew the world’s mind at E3 2018. The game that we know nothing about beyond this same trailer, that is in development somewhere within Bethesda Game Studios along with Starfield. Because it is so far away from release, you can bet your bottom coin that it’s going to appear – at some point – on the PS5 (although hopefully not whatever the PS6 could be). 

Dragon Age: Dreadwolf

Developer: BioWare
Publisher: EA
Release date: TBC

Although technically no platforms have been announced for Dragon Age 4 – or whatever the next Dragon Age is officially called – at this point it would seem odd not to think of it as an upcoming PS5 game. We may not have a release date yet, but at least we know that Solas and co are making a return at some point in the future. What we have seen is some glorious concept art, and the confirmation that it will continue on from where Dragon Age: Inquisition left off. 

New Mass Effect

Developer: BioWare
Publisher: EA
Release date: TBC

It might be quite a way off release, but that isn’t going to stop us being ridiculously overexcited for a brand new Mass Effect game – aka Mass Effect 5. Seemingly picking up after the events of Mass Effect 3, we’ll be seeing some old faces return and some plot lines picked back up. Of course, the big question of whether Shepard will return remains, but we’re ready for everything.

Atomic Heart

Developer: Mundfish
Publisher: Mundfish
Release date: TBC

Horror fans should rejoice to hear that Mundfish is bringing Atomic Heart to next-gen consoles. The wild-looking sci-fi horror game only rears its grotesque head every so often, but when it does, the world collectively gasps with shock and intrigue. Its monsters are unforgettable, we’ve already seen a good range of unique alien weapons, and the story already has us asking more questions than we have answers. Atomic Heart looks incredibly ambitious for a smaller studio, and we can’t wait to see if it lands the jump on PS5.

Quantum Error

Developer: TeamKill Media
Publisher: TeamKill Media
Release date: TBC

A multiple Future Games Show alum, Quantum Error is an upcoming next-gen sci-fi horror shooter coming to PS5 at an undisclosed date. With shades of Half-Life, Doom, and Dead Space, you’ll control a skilled fireman from a first-person perspective as you hack at and blast away deep space mutants. Watching the recent 4K PS5 trailer (opens in new tab) from the Future Games Show, you’d never believe a team of just four developers is working on Quantum Error.

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When did Minecraft Caves and Cliffs part 2 release?

The Caves and Cliffs part 2 update, or Minecraft 1.18, released on November 30, 2021. You can now explore all of the new biomes, taller mountains, and larger caves made possible with this update, and there are plenty of new things to see which we’ll explain below.

There are 8 new biomes available in Minecraft Caves and Cliffs update part 2

One of the biggest sets of new additions that arrived with the Minecraft Caves and Cliffs update part 2 are the eight new biomes that have been added into the game. You can find fresh underground Dripstone Cave biomes, and several new mountain biomes. Aquifers and new cave types have also arrived with this update, to make the subterranean biomes of Minecraft more interesting. Here’s what you need to know about each one:

Noise caves and aquifers are new cave features

Noise caves are a new way of generating caves that leads to greater natural variety out in the world, and there are three food-themed variations of them: Cheese, Spaghetti, and Noodle. Cheese caves, much like real-life Swiss cheese, are large holes that lead to cavern formations of differing sizes. Contrarily, Spaghetti caves are long and relatively narrow paths that go all over the place. Lastly, Noodle caves are very similar to Spaghetti caves except they are thinner and “squigglier”. This new system mixes in with the original cave and canyon generating systems to create much more diverse cave systems found in a world.

Aquifers are another new feature that can be found in caves with the Minecraft 1.18 update. These bodies of water form in noise cave areas with their own local water level that’s independent of sea level. Depending on the size of the cave system, this can result in giant underground lakes, although aquifers can also generate inside mountains and at the surface. You also have a chance of stumbling across a lava aquifer if you’re below y0.

Dripstone Cave Biome

You can find Dripstone Cave biomes underground in the Overworld now the Minecraft 1.18 update has gone live. These biomes are (unsurprisingly) full of Dripstone, a rock block that allows Pointed Dripstone to form beneath it to create stalactite-like formations. Dripstone is mainly used for decoration and occurs naturally in certain cave biomes.

In these Dripstone Cave biomes, you’ll find Dripstone, in both block and pointed forms, abundantly on the floors and ceilings. Dripstone blocks on the ceiling with water above them can form into stalactites, which will then cause stalagmites to form directly below. A pair of these formations can eventually join up to form a Dripstone column. Copper ore and small water pools are also commonly found in Dripstone cave biomes.

Lush Caves biome

As the name suggests, this underground biome type features caves filled with lush plants. Moss covers the floors and ceilings and Spore Blossoms grow on ceilings too. Your path will be lit by Glow Berries that grow on Cave Vines from the ceiling. If you’re exploring the Minecraft Overworld, you’ll know a Lush Cave is below you if you stumble across Azalea Trees as they keep their roots firmly in the caves. As such, Azalea Bushes can also be commonly found in Lush Caves. This new biome also serves as the only place to find axolotls too!

Grove biome

Groves are a new type of snowy biome that commonly occur on high altitude terrain but below mountain peaks or hilltops. You’ll find spruce trees, naturally-occurring powder snow, plus a lot of rabbits, foxes, and wolves in Grove biomes. Make sure you wear Leather Boots to avoid falling through the snow!

Meadow biome

Like Groves, Meadow biomes also spawn at higher altitudes near mountain ranges or up on plateaus. Meadows are full of grass and flowers, but there is a chance that a tall and lonesome oak or birch tree, often with a beehive, will be generated too. In terms of wildlife, you’ll find donkeys, rabbits, and sheep grazing on the meadow grass.

Lofty Peaks biome

The mountains you find in Lofty Peaks biomes are the kind that you might have seen in a nature documentary. They are very jagged and feature snow, stone, and goats making them their home.

Snowcapped Peaks biome

Serving as almost the opposite of Lofty Peaks, the Snowcapped Peaks biome contains smoother mountain peaks with ice as well as snow. However, you will still find goats.

Stony Peaks biome

This biome features lots of stony mountain peaks that vary between jagged and smooth. Like Lofty Peaks, goats are commonly found in Stony Peaks biomes. You’ll also have a chance of finding strips of decorative Calcite blocks within the stony mountains.

Snowy Slopes biome

Snowy Slope biomes are like a more extreme version of Grove biomes. Snowy Slopes generate at higher altitudes beneath mountain peaks and hilltops – just like Groves – except they feature very snowy terrain, so much so that powder snow traps can be hidden within. Leather Boots are essential to traversing these biomes safely. Look out for goats and rabbits on your travels though.

In Minecraft Caves and Cliffs part 2 update, mountains are getting taller and caves are getting bigger

Another big change that’s included with the Caves and Cliffs part 2 update in Minecraft 1.18 is that the world has received a big vertical expansion to accommodate a lot of the new biomes. Minecraft’s in-world Y-axis has been expanded by 64 blocks in both directions, creating a total vertical building range of 384 blocks, up from 256 blocks. In terms of the in-game coordinates, that’s from y-64 to y320.

You’ll notice that generated mountains can now be taller thanks to the taller ceiling, and caves go even deeper – as far down as y-64! With the raised world ceiling, clouds now spawn higher in the sky too, at y192 instead of y128. With these changes and the new biomes in update 1.18, ore veins and ore distribution is getting significant changes too.

Minecraft Caves and Cliffs part 2 update introduces large ore veins and new ore distribution

With the underground world of Minecraft expanding vertically down by 64 layers, loads of opportunities for even more mining of ores and materials will open, but the task of finding exactly what you need might be a bit trickier. In Minecraft update 1.18, new large ore veins can be discovered underground. These winding formations are rare but contain a lot more of a particular ore than usual. Mine between y0 and y50 to find Copper veins with Granite mixed in, and search within y-8 and y-60 to find Iron veins with Tuff.

Ores as a whole have seen lots of redistribution with this update, largely to compensate for the huge increase to the vertical world size. One of the key general changes to ore distribution is that individual ores have more specific layer ranges to generate in, so there won’t be a particular Y level that is good for all ores. Here’s a list of where you can find ores as of the Caves and Cliffs part 2 update:

• Iron Ore: Below y72 with a strong bias towards y16. Also generates above y112, with increasing iron ore deposits the higher you go.
• Copper Ore: Between y0 and y96 with a strong bias towards y48. Also look in Dripstone Cave biomes underground.
• Lapis Lazuli: Below y64 with a strong bias towards y0. Lapis Lazuli below y-32 or above y32 can’t generate in open air and can be found buried or in water instead.
• Coal: Above y0 with a strong bias towards y96 and above. It has reduced air exposure, so it is also more commonly found buried or underwater.
• Gold: Below y32 with a strong bias towards y-16. Extra Gold can still be found in Badlands biomes.
• Redstone: Below y16 and increases as you go below y-32.
• Diamond: Below y16 with more Diamond the further down you go. Like Lapis and Coal, Diamond has reduced air exposure and is commonly found either buried or underwater.

Candles have been added for all Minecraft players in the Caves and Cliffs part 2 update

Having only been in the Java Edition of Minecraft for about a year and in beta versions of the Bedrock Edition for several months, candles are finally available for all players now Minecraft update 1.18 has released. These light sources can be crafted with a Honeycomb and a piece of String, then dyed to change their color. You can also add one on top of an uneaten cake to give it a true celebratory feel.

The new Warden mob is coming in a future update

Unfortunately, the new Warden mob was delayed out of the Minecraft Caves and Cliffs part 2 update, but since the Minecraft The Wild update launched, it’s in the game along with the Deep Dark.

Wardens and the Deep Dark biome aren’t the only things that didn’t quite make the cut for the 1.18 update, however. Archeology, bundles, and goat horns won’t be in Minecraft just yet either, but will come in a later update.

For those not in the know, Archeology will allow players to use a copper brush to reveal items buried in Sand, Gravel, or Dirt Blocks found within a new Archeology Site structure. Goat Horns have a chance to drop from goats after they charge into a solid object and can be used by the player to make sounds. Finally, Bundles are craftable sacks that take up one inventory slot but can hold several items of different types – useful for long journeys and extensive mining expeditions where food and material storage is essential.

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Minecraft Respawn Anchor explained

Minecraft Netherite

Look out for Ancient Debris to craft Minecraft Netherite while in the Nether

If you’re a Minecraft veteran, you’ll know that beds do not work in the Nether. In fact, they blow up if you try to use one. However a Respawn Anchor allows you to set a spawn point within the Nether and, best of all, it doesn’t explode. Using a Respawn Anchor makes the Nether a little more habitable, particularly for anyone embarking on lengthy Nether trips.

When you’ve got one (details on how to craft a Respawn Anchor in Minecraft below), you need to charge it with Glowstone. One Glowstone block is equivalent to one respawn and you can add up to four blocks, meaning you can respawn four times before needing to replenish the Respawn Anchor. You do need to ensure the surrounding area is not obstructed however, otherwise you’ll see “You have no home bed or charged respawn anchor, or it was obstructed” when you die.

Interestingly, Hoglins will flee from Respawn Anchors, meaning you don’t run the risk of one being next to you when you respawn. Using a Respawn Anchor in the overworld will cause it to explode though, so don’t even test it out. 

Minecraft diamonds

Make sure you know how to find Minecraft diamonds

To get Crying Obsidian, you need to find a Ruined Portal, and they can be found in either the Overworld or the Nether. They can be found in every biome in both dimensions and there’s also a 5% chance it’s a Giant Ruined Portal. Once you’ve found some blocks, just mine it with a Diamond Pickaxe like normal Obsidian. Blocks of Crying Obsidian can also be found in Bastion Remnant chests, and can be obtained through bartering with Piglins when you give them a Gold Ingot, although the chances are quite low.

To get Glowstone, you need to mine it in the Nether and is frequently found hanging from ceilings in large clusters. When you mine it with a regular pickaxe, it’ll turn into Glowstone Dust, but four bits of Glowstone Dust can be reformed into a Glowstone Block. If you’ve been doing some Minecraft enchanting and have a Silk Touch pickaxe, you can mine the Glowstone without breaking it down into dust.

The Respawn Anchor is currently the only use for Crying Obsidian, other than as a decorative block. As long as you don’t explode it in the Overworld, one Respawn Anchor will suffice for a while if you keep restocking it with Glowstone.

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Earlier today, June 30, Square Enix revealed that Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin is getting some DLC in the form of the Trials of the Dragon King expansion. After heading straight to the official Strangers of Paradise website (opens in new tab) though, one games journalist noticed that there was a video embedded into the site, but it wasn’t the trailer they – or others (opens in new tab)– were expecting. 

Straight after this VG24/7 and RPGSite’s Alex Donaldson put out a tweet (opens in new tab) urging Final Fantasy fans to check the website. One person responded to Donaldson (opens in new tab) with a video of themselves accessing the website revealing that instead of a DLC trailer, Square Enix had actually just linked to Rick Astley’s iconic Never Gonna Give You Up music video. Meaning Square Enix literally just rickrolled a bunch of Final Fantasy fans. 

ain’t no way https://t.co/kKlKtEON1X pic.twitter.com/a0OtJfdTRIJune 30, 2022

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Whether this was intentional or simply just a placeholder is still up for debate but we’re sad to report that the website has since been updated, and now actually contains the proper Trials of the Dragon King DLC teaser trailer – which you can watch for yourself below. The first ever expansion for the game will add three new missions titled Trials of the Dragon King, Wanderer of the Rift, and Different Future and is due to release on July 20, 2022.

Stranger of Paradise and Rick Astley aside, It’s never been a better time to be a Final Fantasy fan. Not only is Square Enix still regularly rolling out updates for Final Fantasy 14 – including the soon-to-be revealed 6.2 patch – but the developer also recently announced that Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2: Rebirth is due to launch in winter 2023.

But that wasn’t all that Square Enix wanted us to know about the Final Fantasy 7 Remake as it was also revealed that Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 is now in active development. If you don’t think you can wait that long to dive back into Midgar though, the good news is that we’re also getting a Final Fantasy 7: Crisis Core remake this winter, as well as Final Fantasy 16 which is due next summer. Phew, that’s a lot of Final Fantasy news. 

Need something to play whilst you wait for the Stranger of Paradise DLC? Take a look at our list of games like Final Fantasy for inspiration. 

The post Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin fans thought they were getting a DLC trailer and instead got Rick Astley appeared first on Game News.

During yesterday’s Nintendo Direct Mini it was revealed that Square Enix’s action-RPG NieR: Automata is getting a full Nintendo Switch port. Although great news to those who want to take 2B’s post-apocalyptic adventure on the go, some Kingdom Hearts fans can’t help but feel a bit bitter after Square Enix only released Cloud versions of the Disney-themed RPG to the Nintendo console earlier this year. 

The biggest gripe fans have with the Kingdom Hearts ‘Integrum Masterpiece’ collection for Nintendo Switch is that – generally – the games don’t perform very well on the system. In fact, on the collection’s release day Square Enix had to put out a day one patch as some players couldn’t even access the titles due to a bug that prevented the games from launching upon start up.

Not only this, but the fact the Nintendo Switch has to be connected to the internet in order for players to even gain access to the Cloud versions of the games kind of defeats the purpose of having the Kingdom Hearts series on a handheld, and therefore transportable, console. 

Following yesterday’s announcement, the Kingdom Hearts subreddit (opens in new tab) is now populated with a variety of memes which, in one way or another, pokes fun at Square Enix’s preferential treatment of NieR: Automata. Of course, you could argue that it is a lot more work to port all 10 games in the ‘Integrum Masterpiece’ collection than the one NieR Automata game but, as many fans have pointed out (opens in new tab), a lot of the games in the collection were originally PS2 and Nintendo DS games. 

sorry_kh_fans_you_deserve_better from r/KingdomHearts

Twitter shows much of the same vibe with Twitter users such as @MomoPkmn95 (opens in new tab) saying: “I have every reason to be mad that Nier gets to be on the Switch physically and digitally with no cloud version while Kingdom Hearts Only gets the Cloud Version. Unacceptable.” 

Another Twitter user @SkywardWing (opens in new tab) also vented their frustration with the Cloud ports by saying: “Nier and Persona 5 are running on the Nintendo Switch. Natively. While Kingdom Hearts has been reduced to a cloud port.”

I have every reason to be mad that Nier gets to be on the Switch physically and digitally with no cloud version while Kingdom Hearts Only gets the Cloud Version. Unacceptable.June 29, 2022

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Nier and Persona 5 are running on the Nintendo Switch. Natively. While Kingdom Hearts has been reduced to a cloud port 😭 it’s a struggle lol pic.twitter.com/niAOH1bcNQJune 28, 2022

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Here’s hoping that Square Enix decides to fully port the entire Kingdom Hearts series onto Nintendo Switch eventually, hey maybe it’ll even be done before Kingdom Hearts 4 releases?

If you’re now considering trying out the whole series yourself (Cloud versions or not), find out how to get started with our how to play the Kingdom Hearts games in order guide. 

The post Kingdom Hearts fans decry Cloud versions – again – after NieR: Automata gets a full Switch port appeared first on Game News.

• What is Minecraft Realms?
• How much does Minecraft Realms cost?
• How to start a Minecraft Realm
• How to invite friends to your Minecraft Realm
• How to backup your Minecraft Realm

Minecraft Realms and Minecraft Realms Plus explained

Minecraft Realms are private multiplayer servers that allow you to invite ten other players, giving each of them access to the always-online server. You can either create a new world as a Realm or convert one of your existing worlds into one. However, Realms are a premium feature and you must pay a monthly subscription to keep the Realm open to other players. Depending on your subscription, you can also get new content each month, including maps, mini-games, and character skins.

Your Realm will be online 24/7, so anyone that you’ve invited to join you will be able to play for free whenever they choose, regardless if you’re there or not. Because you have full control over who can play on your Realm – you can revoke access at any time – it’s also a safe space for younger gamers to gather and play with friends without the worry of who they may be interacting with.

Minecraft Realms is available on PC, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and mobile devices, and you can access your Realm from any of these provided you have signed in with the same Minecraft account. Crossplay is also enabled for Realms using the Bedrock Edition of Minecraft, allowing you to invite friends no matter what platform they are playing on. Be aware that crossplay does not work between the Bedrock and Java Editions of Minecraft, so if you are a Java Edition PC player, you cannot join the Realm of a Bedrock Edition Xbox Series X or PC player, for example.

Another point to note is that Minecraft Realms – for either Minecraft edition – do not currently support mods. Bedrock Realms Plus includes an array of Marketplace packs and supports user-created content, while Java Realms includes community-created content but does not support the Minecraft Marketplace. If Minecraft mods are something you care about, you may have to look for an alternative.

Minecraft Realms price and what is included

As mentioned, you pay a monthly fee to keep your Minecraft world open as a Realm. However, there are three versions of the Realms subscription, each with their own benefits, which are listed below: 

• Realms (Bedrock Edition) = $3.99/£3.29 per month
  The basic Minecraft Realms for Bedrock Edition costs $3.99/£3.29 a month and allows you to invite two more friends to gain access to your private online world. This subscription also supports Minecraft Marketplace, includes three World Slots, supports user-created content, and has crossplay across Bedrock devices and consoles.
• Realms Plus (Bedrock Edition) = $7.99/£6.69 per month
  Minecraft Realms Plus is the enhanced version of Realms and includes all the benefits of that subscription, as well as monthly Minecraft Marketplace content and access to over 150 Marketplace packs. The other big benefit is that you can invite up to 10 other players to join your Realm. You’ll get a 30-day free trial too if you’ve never previously signed up to Realms and start a Minecraft Realms Plus subscription.
• Realms (Java Edition) = $7.99/£6.69 per month
  The only Java Edition option costs the same as Realms Plus but offers a lot less. You still get to invite up to 10 Java Edition friends to join your private Realm server, 24/7 access to that server, and three World Slots, but Java Edition does not support Minecraft Marketplace. This means you can’t buy or use anything from the marketplace and you won’t get access to the monthly updates and over 150 content packs. Instead, Java Edition Realms gets free community-created content. 

Remember, for any of these subscription tiers, there’s always the option to cancel later if you feel you’re not getting much use from it. After cancelling your subscription, you’ve got 18 months to download your Realm worlds before they are permanently deleted. If you sign up for Minecraft Realms again, you can replace your new world with the downloaded backup of one of your previous Realm world – more on that further down.

If you’ve opted for the 10-player subscription to Realms Plus, you should keep an eye out for the monthly updates. New maps, character skins, and mini-games are constantly being added and as they’re available for free with Realms Plus, it seems silly not to at least check out what’s on offer.

It’s worth mentioning that if you have an Xbox Game Pass or PC Game Pass subscription, you can play Minecraft for no additional cost, but you still need to pay for Realms. You can also play Minecraft for free in a limited browser-based version of the game.

How to set up Minecraft Realms

Best Minecraft seeds

Find out about the best Minecraft seeds here

If you want to start from scratch and create a new world in Realms, go ahead and start setting up the world as you want it, with difficulty, mode (Survival, Creative), along with any other options you want to add. Once you’re happy with your settings, select the ‘Create on Realms Server’ button. You’ll then be given the option of a 10-player Realm or a 2-player Realm. Once you’ve accepted the Terms and Conditions and finalised the transaction, you’ll be able to access your new Realm – and Marketplace goodies if you selected the 10-player option – straight away.

If you want to change your current Realm world setting, you can click the ‘Edit’ button next to the name of the Realm to bring up the game setting menu. From there, you can make adjustments such as game mode, difficulty, change the name of the world or add cheats. You also get three World Slots as part of any Minecraft Realms subscription, so you’re not just limited to one world either.

How to invite friends to your Minecraft Realms

The good news is that friends that you want to invite to your Realm don’t need their own Minecraft Realms subscription to join you. To invite friends to your Realm, click the Edit button next to your Realm world, then select ‘Members’. Here you’ll be able to invite other players and manage those that already have access to the realm. You can ‘uninvite’ players if they’ve outstayed their welcome or haven’t been active for a while on this page too.

It seems that the number of invites you can send out is almost limitless but the people that can play on your Realm simultaneously will be limited by your subscription type.

How to back up or replace your World in Minecraft Realms

You don’t have to stick with the same World when using Minecraft Realms. If you want to start a completely new World or if you want to replace your current one with another, you can do that too. But you might want to back up your current World before doing so, otherwise you’ll lose any progress you’ve made on it.

To back up your existing World on Minecraft Realms, click the ‘Edit’ button next to your Realm world and select ‘Download World’. This will save the World to your device and you’ll be able to play it locally or re-upload it again later if you change your mind.

To replace your current World on Minecraft Realms, again click ‘Edit’ next to your Realm world and select ‘Replace World’. You will be then asked to confirm this action before being presented with a list of available worlds to replace it with. Once selected, the new world will be uploaded and you’ll be ready to go.

Minecraft download | Minecraft cheats | Best Minecraft servers | Best Minecraft mods | Best Minecraft shaders | Best Minecraft skins | Best Minecraft texture packs | Minecraft Forge | Minecraft The Wild update 

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