Gaming

Ever since I saw Windblown in action at this year’s Game Developers Conference, I’ve been eager to get my hands on it. Motion Twin’s Dead Cells follow-up looked like an entirely different rouguelike on its colorful surface, but I could see the studio’s DNA in its fast action and progression hooks. Now players don’t have to wait long to try it for themselves. Windblown will launch into early access on October 24, and a free demo will be available even sooner on October 14.

Ahead of its launch, I went hands-on with a truncated version of the early access build. I wouldn’t have access to every weapon and I’d only get to explore two biomes (there will be five in the early access version), but that was more than enough to hook me. While it may look like a fairly standard action roguelike on its surface, Windblown’s lightning-fast action demands to be played. Once you do, you’ll immediately understand why it’s likely to become the next great roguelike.

Quick as lightning

Windblown wastes no time getting into the action. I’m immediately thrown into a run after choosing what animal hero I want to play as (I went as an adorable axolotl, of course). From there, I’m introduced to what initially feels like a fairly simple genre loop. I slash rooms full of enemies with my trusty cleaver and collect upgrades that make me stronger in that run. The main difference, especially from Dead Cells, is that I’m doing it in a 3D world that looks like it was pulled from a joyful cartoon. It’s a night-and-day change for Motion Twin, but it nails the vibrant style.

The more I play, the more Windblown unfurls into something special. The star feature is my character’s dash ability. By pressing a button, I can zip forward incredibly fast. That’s not just used for evading attacks; it’s how I navigate levels, which are fractured, floating islands. Even without aiming too precisely, it always feels like Windblown understands where I’m trying to go, creating perfectly smooth traversal. The more confident I get with it, the more fantastic it feels. I can zip around biomes like a lightning bolt, making Windblown a speedrunner’s dream. Battles can fly by just as fast too, as I can bolt away from an enemy to avoid its attack in an instant and just as quickly pop back in to continue my assault.

Not long after getting the hang of that, I really start to see what sets Windblown apart from its peers. At any given time, I can equip two main weapons (as well as two side trinkets that operate on cooldowns, like bombs or a whirling slash). Each weapon is assigned to a button, so I don’t need to swap one out to use the other. They don’t just have different ranges and attack speeds; each one achieves critical hits in different ways. One weapon will only deal critical damage via backstabs. Another, a crossbow, has a rhythm game component to it. If I fire when a circle on the screen lights up, I’ll dish out extra damage.

The combat widens even more when I learn about alterattacks. My two-weapon loadout isn’t just for show. Any pair of weapons I mix and match unlocks an extra attack for each. When I hit a specific attack sequence, a blue marker flashes on screen. For instance, it will always flash after I land two critical hits in a row with my bow. If I attack with my other weapon while it’s on screen, I pull off a bit of a special attack like a massive crossbow shot or jumping spin slash. Both of these twists make combat more rhythmic and strategic, almost like Hi-Fi Rush without the actual beat markers. You can button mash your way through battles if you want, but you’ll dish out far more damage if you actually learn the nuances of each weapon and nail them accordingly.

Even then, that’s not the bottom of Windblown’s deceptively complex combat system. After getting deep into its second biome after a few runs, I unlock a new ability: Crystallize. When an enemy is weak enough, I’ll occasionally be prompted to hit the left trigger. If I do that instead of finishing it off with standard attacks, I’ll slam into it to perform a finisher and get more resources for doing so. It’s another way that Windblown makes players stop and think about their actions instead of hastily spamming buttons. Alterattacks and Crystallization are both split-second decisions that require quick reaction time from players. While I have trouble keeping up with both at first, I eventually find that they become second nature to me as I hit them consistently. I feel like I’m mastering an instrument, going from an amateur guitarist barely being able to strum basic chords to someone capable of nailing a riff without thinking about it.

Building on a formula

All of those twists pair with Motion Twin’s genre expertise, building off the foundational Dead Cells. There are tons of progression hooks to chase that already have me popping into runs over and over without a second thought. My accumulated currencies let me unlock more weapons, perks that can appear during runs, and even some permanent upgrades that open up where I can explore — it’s the same Metroidvania hook that Dead Cells uses so well. I still have plenty to unlock after playing for hours, including upgraded healing flask capacity, more starting weapon choices at the top of each run, and more.

The more I’ve unlocked, the more build potential I’ve found. When I unlock the Goo Brush, a paintbrush weapon that makes enemies more susceptible to critical blows, I’m able to pair it with perks that make my goo corrosive. That, combined with a secondary Goo Bomb, meant that I could burn enemy health down quickly with the right strategy.

All of this comes together in co-op play. Up to three players can adventure together and there are lots of little design decisions that buff up that system. One trinket sets an enemy ablaze, but also puts a round aura around me for a short time. Any teammates standing in its perimeter get burn damage applied to their weapon while it’s active. Health flasks also create healing circles that any player can stand in to recharge their health, giving Windblown some light MMO influence.

Even the small touches stand out in co-op. When buying things from shops between biomes, players can actually pool their own resources to help others. In my co-op game, my teammate didn’t quite have enough golden shells to recharge their healing flask. He deposited 275 or so into the shop and then I put in the other 25, letting him take it. There’s a lot of potential for thoughtful team play here.

While Windblown is already winning me over, keep in mind that it’s an early access game. Weapon and perk choices are still limited, which can make runs feel a bit repetitive early on. The first two biomes I played also tended to feel the same from run to run, with a small set of room layouts that shuffled around each run. The early access release will be bigger, though, and Motion Twin will undoubtedly expand the experience based on player feedback on its road to 1.0. If you want to be part of the crowd that shapes it, Windblown is already worth diving into. It’s a blood-pumping bolt of adrenaline that’s destined to help shape the roguelike genre, just as its predecessor did all those years ago.

Windblown launches into PC early access on October 24.

Bloomberg recently reported that Apple is close to releasing an updated iPhone SE, which will be its first update to the low-end model since 2022. According to 9to5Mac, Apple is also planning to use the phone as a launching pad for its in-house 5G modems. The company purchased the majority of Intel’s smartphone modem business for $1 billion back in 2019 after taking steps to be more self-reliant and aggressively recruiting staff to make that happen. But it has yet to release devices that use the modems designed by its internal team.

Apple and Qualcomm have somewhat of a complicated history. Qualcomm sued Apple in 2017, accusing it of violating its patents related to its phones’ ability to quickly connect to the internet after they’re switched on, as well as patents related to battery efficiency, graphics processing and apps’ capability to download data faster. They eventually settled their patent dispute after Apple agreed to pay Qualcomm royalties and to enter a six-year licensing deal, as well as a multi-year wireless chipset supply deal.

At the moment, Apple still equips its devices with Qualcomm-made 5G modems. Qualcomm also announced last year that it will continue providing modems to Apple until 2026. It’s possible that Apple wants to put its in-house modem to the test with just one iPhone first before it puts its technology in more devices.

The iPhone SE 4 will look similar to the iPhone 14 (pictured above), 9to5Mac says, and will be powered by an A18 chip with 8GB of RAM that will make it possible for it to have some Apple Intelligence features. It will reportedly feature Face ID and will no longer have a home button like previous iPhone SEs, and the device will apparently have the iPhone 15’s 48MP wide camera and 12MP front cam. The iPhone SE 4 is expected to be unveiled next year, possibly sometime in the spring.

Astro Bot‘s soundtrack is now available on Spotify, Apple Music, and other music streaming platforms.

The soundtrack is 87 tracks long, the majority of which were composed by Kenny CM Young.

The album features all of the new music included in Astro Bot, as well as the tracks from Astro’s Playroom and Astro Bot Rescue Mission, which also appear in the game.

Additional tracks are contributed by Hirofumi Sasaki, Tadashi Yatabe, Kemmei Adachi, and Sachiko Miyano.

Astro Bot will receive 5 new speed run levels later this year.

The DLC will consist of 5 new online speedrun levels. Speaking on the PlayStation Blog, director Nicolas Doucet said”Many of you asked for the return of speedrun levels so we hope you enjoy those. Time to sharpen those jumping skills and shave milli-seconds at every turn,”

10 new cameo bots will also be included in the DLC, including bots based on Helldivers and Stellar Blade.

Astro Bot has been critically acclaimed, earning it a score of 94 on the review aggregation site Metacritic. VGC’s Astro Bot review called it “the best 3D platformer in a decade”.

VGC recently got the chance to visit the studio behind Astro Bot, Team Asobi, for an inside look at the game’s development and the franchise’s history.

Marvel’s Avengers will forever be remembered as one of history’s most expensive and embarrassing gaming flops. Coming off the heels of the widely successful live-action Avengers films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Square Enix partnered with Marvel Games to bring Earth’s Mightiest Heroes to the video game format.

The project had the advantage of the Marvel brand, a plethora of popular heroes, and more; however, it failed spectacularly. The gaming community had high expectations for this game and thought it would be on the same caliber as Marvel’s Spider-Man from Insomniac Games, but it was the complete opposite.

Three years after launch with a lackluster sales reception, a low player count, and technical drawbacks, the game developers decided to pull the plug.

The game was initially called The Avengers Project and was teased in 2017. Fans of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes were ecstatic after the announcement that a triple-A Avengers video game was in the works and the final product was extremely underwhelming. While the game did have a few redeeming factors, like the gameplay and characterization of each Avenger, that was about it.

Everything else fell apart quickly, especially when the developers envisioned this project to be live service.

Even the live-action version of Ms. Marvel didn’t really enjoy playing the game as much as she thought she would. After she pointed out the lack of enemy variety, Iman Vellani’s complaints and criticisms are all relatable.

Even Marvel’s Spider-Man, a game about one playable hero, had that in spades, especially with the supervillains whereas the Avengers had only Taskmaster, Abomination, and MODOK. The gameplay was extremely repetitive without value as players go through one A.I.M. facility to wipe out hordes of enemies and whatnot; it is all button mashing.

The game developers reused the same assets from each map, slightly redesigned them, and thought no one would notice.

Each mission has the same objectives of standing in a circle until the meter is filled like capturing the flag in some other live-service game like Destiny, destroying each module to liberate captured Inhumans, or saving rogue A.I.M. scientists. The mission structure is not conducive to the setting, gameplay, and combat.

The developers prioritized making a live service video game with superheroes in the mix and thought it was a billion-dollar idea. Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics had to learn the hard way that this is not what the gaming community wanted, and it shows after players are propelled into the multiplayer feature after beating the campaign.

While the studio promised free post-launch support like constant updates, patches, new story content, and Avengers, it did not take long to fall apart.

The player base was not fond of spending extra money on cosmetic items. Most of the Avengers, like Captain America and Iron Man, have an extensive wardrobe inspired by their outfits from the live-action films and comics.

While there are more original and cheaper skins to purchase through the in-game currency that can be obtained by opening chests and lockboxes containing gear, it is not worth the hassle.

The gear system is tedious and players were not having fun with the individual itemization of whether to upgrade or scrap a piece for extra storage. In the end, the developers gave away all the skins for free, leaving those who paid full price on the short end of the stick.

The newly added Operations, like Taking A.I.M. featuring Kate Bishop followed by Future Imperfect with Clint Barton’s Hawkeye, were both terrific DLCs; however, they were extremely short and not entirely worth the wait.

Fans thought the developers were shifting gears after the War for Wakanda expansion was released and had a decent campaign along with new supervillains to fight. Unfortunately, these efforts could not save the game and other plans, like the additions of She-Hulk, Captain Marvel, Doctor Strange, and other heroes, will never see the light of day.

Ultron was meant to be added into the game in a future operation and the work had already been done. It is a shame that players never experienced it before the game was shut down permanently and removed from all storefronts.

While the game is no longer available for purchase online, the only way to play Marvel’s Avengers is through a physical copy that is likely sold for dirt-cheap. Crystal Dynamics released a final patch allowing players to replay all the campaigns in the best condition possible.

If you want to play a game that allows you to become your favorite superhero for a low price with all the suits from the films, then Marvel’s Avengers is worth grabbing today. There are no more future expansions, meaning there is no reason to rush through the brief campaign and DLCs.

Square Enix fumbled hard after forcing this game into the live service structure, not putting enough content in the single-player mode, and being plagued with bugs. Hopefully, future superhero games will look at this as a cautionary tale.

Have you played Marvel’s Avengers? Let us know in the comments section below!

There are a ton of different heroes in this game, so it can be hard to figure out what the best ones are to use but some are definitely more effective than others. Plus, putting the right heroes into your squad can make or break a game and mean the difference between winning and losing.

Batman is one of the world’s most beloved superheroes, so it goes without saying that a new entry in the long-running Arkham franchise is exciting for fans. The VR-only title Batman: Arkham Shadow sees players take control of The Dark Knight himself in a new adventure on Meta Quest 3, giving you the chance to live out your first-person fantasy of beating down Gotham City’s worst baddies. But if you’re curious about whether the game will ever make it to other headsets like PSVR2, you may be a bit disappointed… at least for now.

Is Batman: Arkham Shadow ever coming to PSVR2?

It appears unlikely that Batman: Arkham Shadow game will make its way to Sony’s PSVR2 (or any other VR headsets) anytime soon. That being said, while developer Camouflaj currently maintains that the game is a Meta Quest 3 exclusive, it’s always possible that this exclusivity could be timed. There is no evidence of the game coming to PSVR2 yet, but given the popularity of Batman as a superhero, it’s reasonable to assume that the caped crusader’s VR-centric title could make it to other headsets, including PSVR2, at some point down the line.

Additionally, it’s worth noting that Batman: Arkham Shadow is also not available on older Meta Quest headsets, meaning you’ll be required to own a Meta Quest 3 or Meta Quest 3S to play the game. However, those who buy one of these two headsets between September 25, 2024, and April 30, 2025, will receive the game as a free pack-in. So if you haven’t picked up Meta’s popular VR headset yet and want to slink around in the shadows as Batman, now is a great time to make it happen.

I’d be cautious with your software updates if you’ve got a Galaxy phone with a 2019 vintage. An update rolling out from Samsung is reportedly bricking devices from the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy Note 10 series of phones. 9to5Google reported some users had the same issue with Galaxy M51 and A90 models. The Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+ are five years old, running Android 12 and circling an age where they may not support updates.

Affected devices were apparently trapped in a bootloop and could not fully turn back on. Don’t factory reset your device, though, as you’ll lose data.

Was this a dark plot to force you to buy a new Galaxy foldable? No. Samsung has now and shared a newer version (2.2.03.1) without the issue — make sure you check that update number.

— Mat Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed

The lawsuit comes barely a month after the state enacted the law.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against TikTok, claiming the company violated a new child privacy law in the state. It’ll be the first test of Texas’ Securing Children Online Through Parental Empowerment (SCOPE) Act. It requires social media platforms to verify the ages of younger users and offer parental control features, including the ability for parents to opt their children out of data collection.

Paxton alleges TikTok’s existing parental control features are insufficient, lacking “parental tools that allow them to control or limit most of a known minor’s privacy and account settings.”

Continue reading.

The update will triple the length to three minutes.

Starting on October 15, YouTube is increasing Shorts video limits from one to three minutes. For reference, TikTok, arguably its biggest competitor, has allowed users to share 10-minute videos for over two years. The company is working on letting you pull clips from across YouTube through the Shorts camera and make remix clips. If Shorts aren’t your thing, it will also be easier to skip them as YouTube is introducing a tool to show fewer Shorts, although this is only temporary.

Continue reading.

The James Webb Space Telescope captured the image.

The James Webb Space Telescope has captured a supernova three times, at three different periods during its explosion, in one image. The image could help scientists better understand how fast the universe is expanding. One image, above, captures a streak of light with three distinct dots that appear brighter than the rest of it. As Dr Brenda Frye from the University of Arizona explained, those dots correspond to an exploding white dwarf star. It is also gravitationally lensed — there’s a cluster of galaxies between here and the star, which bent the supernova’s light into multiple images.

Continue reading.

Helldivers 2 has been one of the biggest games of 2024. Although it garnered widespread acclaim at launch, the game has suffered from significant player drop-off, community backlash, and a series of poorly received updates. While it may have made a comeback with recent updates, Sony’s handling of the game has been sloppy. Especially considering the PSN fiasco.

For these reasons, while Helldivers 2 might be popular, it shouldn’t win Game of the Year. Allowing it to do so would send the wrong message to the gaming community and enable companies to overlook player needs.

Helldivers 2 initially blew up and went viral with its gameplay and co-op PvE design, attracting a substantial player base. The game peaked with nearly 500,000 active players, a clear showing of its initial success. By mid-2024, player numbers had drastically dwindled due to repetitive gameplay mechanics and a lack of new content.

So Arrowhead’s CCO has been posting quite the storm over players’ less-than-impressed feedback over Helldivers 2’s “balancing”.

Which is kind of exacerbated when many watched the devs stream their gameplay and…failing hard even on D7.

Helldivers 2 reviews have also officially… pic.twitter.com/kXUzDoD7gR

— Perma Banned (@GiveMeBanHammer) August 31, 2024

Arrowhead’s inability to maintain player interest was a part of this falloff. The game’s community was huge, but there was nothing to keep players playing. The initial success, boosted by popularity on social media and community memes, could not sustain the long-term excitement necessary for a live-service model.

Moreover, Arrowhead’s struggles were compounded by Sony’s controversial decision to require a PlayStation Network (PSN) account for Steam players. Announced in May 2024, this move triggered a massive backlash, with the game receiving over 200,000 negative reviews on Steam within days.

The player community’s reaction was swift and severe, leading to review bombing and widespread criticism. This drastic change not only affected Helldivers 2 but also cast a shadow on Sony’s understanding of its player base’s needs and preferences.

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The backlash forced Sony to reverse its decision swiftly, but the damage was already done. The incident highlighted Sony’s disconnect with its player community and its failure to anticipate the implications of such a policy, especially in regions without PSN availability, where the game was delisted in 177 countries.

Despite a brief resurgence following a recent update, the game’s troubles are far from over. Helldivers 2‘s latest patch did help in bringing back some players, with the peak player count on Steam tripling post-update. However, this uptick might be temporary as it largely addressed existing issues rather than introducing new content.

We’re so back 🔥
byu/ironhead50 inHelldivers

Giving Helldivers 2 the GOTY award would not only validate Sony’s mishandling of the title but also send the wrong message to the industry at large. It would suggest that companies can get away with launching unfinished or poorly managed games and still receive accolades based on initial success.

Sony’s handling of the PSN account linkage and Arrowhead’s constant missteps should also be considered in the thought process. Rewarding Helldivers 2 would undermine the importance of consistent quality and player satisfaction throughout a game’s lifecycle.

Moreover, Sony’s heavy-handed tactics are a reminder that platform holders must be held accountable for how they treat their players. Sony showed a willingness to sacrifice player experience for corporate gain. And that isn’t very democratic for Helldivers 2.

What do you think of the game’s journey in 2024? Let us know in the comments!

“The Osaka-based (Japan) indie games publisher PLAYISM and indie games developer Lizardry, are today very happy and thrilled to announce that their adventure game hybrid “Refind Self: The Personality Test Game”, is now available for the Nintendo Switch via the Nintendo Eshop (the game is also available for PC and mobile).” – Jonas Ek, TGG.