https://web.archive.org/web/20230810213434/https://www.gamedeveloper.com/culture/research-indicates-china-s-playtime-limitations-are-ineffective-

>Researchers studying China's restrictions on how long young players can play video games found "no credible evidence for overall reduction in the prevalence of heavy playtime." > >As revealed in a new paper for Nature Human Behavior, the researchers studied 7 billion hours of playtime accrued in mainland China between mid-August 2019 and mid-January 2020. Limitations started for the region in late 2019, and later expanded to other parts of the country in mid-2021. > >Under China's then-newly established law, players under the age of 18 were limited to an hour of playtime (from 8 PM-9 PM) on weekends and public holidays. Much as with regulating loot boxes, the aim with limiting play has been to curb video game addiction for younger players. > >Playtime was classified via "heavy" or "non-heavy" groupings, with the former defined as playing for four or more hours a day and six (or more) days a week. Following the hour-long restrictions that started in 2021, the researchers found players would be more inclined for heavy play, and in fact had "significantly more hours" than prior to the adjustment. > >In fact, in the 11-week span before and after adjustments, the odds of an individual player counting as a "heavy player" shot up from .44 percent to .59 percent. Further research showed that individuals were "more likely" to play heavily after the restrictions took place. > > # Do China's playtime limits actually matter? > >Prior to the release of this paper, analytics firm Niko Partners suggested last year that the playtime limits would have a limited effect and were ultimately temporary. Player numbers in China dropped across various demographics, but Niko suggested that by 2026, those numbers would climb back up again. > >This paper not only validates Niko's theory, it suggests that governmental bodies across may not fully know how to regulate the game industry the way they clearly seem to want to. > >As far as why China's policy hasn't yielded many results, the paper speculated that the frequency of public holidays prior to the restrictions may have skewed the numbers. Another potential reason was that the playtime of adults ended up "masking" the playtime for minors. > >Because age information of individual players wasn't given in their data set, it would be difficult to determine if heavy play from adults was hitting simultaneously as decreased play from minors. Future research, they said, must "focus on generating data infrastructure" that allows privacy while providing key demographic information. > >In the end, the paper finds that China's policy (and similar ones on "youth digital behavior") was unable to change already established behaviors of young players. Even so, it thinks the data gathered can be used to study other regulatory game-related efforts around the world. > >More broadly, it could prove as a guideline for "investigating how a broad range of regulatory measures may affect the technology sector." The full paper and other data points (and variables) can be read here.

https://web.archive.org/web/20230810182040/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHxH61UshHk

https://web.archive.org/web/20230810181817/https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/quake-2-remaster-released-includes-quake-2-64-and-new-expansion

>Surprising few but delighting many, id Software and Bethesda have released a Quake 2 remaster to inaugurate this year's Quakecon. An enhanced edition of the 1997 game, it includes the mission packs The Reckoning and Ground Zero alongside a PC version of Quake 2 on N64. All that for £8 or $10, plus a brand new expansion titled Call of the Machine, developed by Wolfenstein: The New Order studio MachineGames. > >While not as beloved or enduring as its predecessor or successor, Quake 2 is one of the Grand Old Shooters. I recall being introduced to it at a covert LAN party in a school IT room, plonking myself down at a monitor and instantly being reduced to a fine red mist (and in the game, etc). The singleplayer campaign had you scrapping across a muddy alien world with shotgun and hyperblaster, with larger levels than in the original Quake, and missions where you'd use heads as keys. > >The game has spawned many celebrated mods, ranging from cartoon lumberjack machinima to a mod in which all players and weapons are crates, with larger fan projects like Action Quake 2 attracting their own thriving communities. The Quake 2 engine is also the foundation for a bunch of commercial games, including Soldier of Fortune, and many Quake 2 modders have found their way into professional development. > >New maps aside, the remaster brings 4K and widescreen resolution support, dynamic and coloured lighting, anti-aliasing and depth of field, together with enhanced models, enemy animations, gore effects, AI and cinematics. It also includes splitscreen multiplayer, on or offline bot support and crossplay. Find more in the patch notes on Steam. > >The Reckoning and Ground Zero mission packs amount to 33 singleplayer levels and 21 multiplayer maps, while the brand-new Call of the Machine expansion consists of 28 new campaign levels, and one new multiplayer map. Here's the blurb for Call of the Machine: "In the depths of Strogg space lies the Machine, a singularity capable of collapsing the fabric of reality. Fight across time and space to find the Strogg-Maker, destroy it, and change the destiny of man and machine." > >Fancy it? The remaster costs $9.99, €9.99 or £7.99, and you can find it on the Xbox Store or as part of the PC Game Pass. If you already own Quake 2 on Steam, however, you'll get all this as a free update, as was the case for 2021's Quake 1 remaster.

https://web.archive.org/web/20230810181420/https://www.pcgamesn.com/baldurs-gate-3/steam-players

>Baldur’s Gate 3 is currently this year’s top-rated RPG game on Metacritic, and it’s not hard to discern why. Larian Studios spent years working to get the game out of early access, and its launch has proved more successful than anyone could have predicted. Baldur’s Gate 3 has not only taken over ratings and scores, though, as it’s absolutely soaring on Steam in terms of player count. Over the past weekend, the Dungeons & Dragons-like game accounted for almost a third of all Steam players. > >As further detailed in our Baldur’s Gate 3 review, the DnD-inspired game has various fun role-playing features and no shortage of adventuring content to offer. From the extensive Baldur’s Gate 3 class choices to the vast amount of questlines to follow, you’ll never run out of things to do in-game. > >Thanks to all of the game’s content and its sheer popularity, Circana’s Player Engagement Tracker has caught an interesting Steam statistic. Baldur’s Gate 3 players took up almost a third of Steam’s total player count over the weekend. “This past Sunday,” executive director Mat Piscatella wrote on Twitter, “Baldur’s Gate 3 play accounted for nearly 28% of total player time spent on Steam.” > >He also stated that Baldur’s Gate 3 was “leading all other titles by far, including CSGO at 5%.” You can check out Piscatella’s post for a more in-depth look at the stats and his follow-up response where he clarifies that the tracker only applies to the United States. “Player Engagement Tracker is US only, and here we’re looking only at % of time played.” > >I’m personally thrilled to see the game soaring on Steam, especially as Baldur’s Gate 3 is the best game of 2023 on Metacritic right now. Larian Studios’ recently launched game has even taken over the likes of Zelda, so you know it’s good.

Game Information --------------------

Game Title: Atlas Fallen

Platforms:

• PC (Aug 10, 2023)
• PlayStation 5 (Aug 10, 2023)
• Xbox Series X/S (Aug 10, 2023)

Trailers:

• Atlas Fallen - Lord of the Sands
• Atlas Fallen - Combat Trailer
• Atlas Fallen - "Behind The Sand" Gameplay Presentation

Developer: Deck13

Publisher: Focus Entertainment

Review Aggregator:

OpenCritic - 67 average - 28% recommended - 52 reviews

Critic Reviews -------------

AltChar - Asmir Kovacevic - 80 / 100

>Atlas Fallen is an action-adventure RPG that evokes a sense of nostalgia for classic hits while also infusing the genre with a refreshing and unique touch.

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Attack of the Fanboy - Marc Magrini - 4 / 5

>Despite all of its flaws in story, visuals, and even design, Atlas Fallen excels simply as a video game.

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But Why Tho? - Abdul Saad - 7.5 / 10

>Ultimately, while Atlas Fallen‘s narrative is a bit of a hit-and-miss, it still offers players, especially action RPG fans, a highly engaging gameplay experience in a well-crafted world.

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CGMagazine - Justin Wood - 4 / 10

>Atlas Fallen is a hard game to recommend. Between janky controls and a really rough-feeling platforming system, it feels like it fights you every step of the way.

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COGconnected - Mark Steighner - 68 / 100

>Like in their earlier games, Deck 13 Interactive is definitely punching above their weight. If this results in some moments of unexpected awesomeness, it also results in some rough patches and missing polish.

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Cerealkillerz - Nick Erlenhof - German - 7.3 / 10

>Atlas Fallen is a difficult case. On the one hand, there's great surfing through the sand, fun-heavy combat and extensive gameplay style customization, as well as all sorts of things to discover in the open world. On the other hand, there are boring characters, a far too serious and predictable story, repetitive mission objectives and artificially difficult battles. Thus, the game can only be recommended if you lower a few expectations and are aware that it gets clunky and lacks variety in some places. Because the fun of the game is really only a layer of sand away most of the time.

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Checkpoint Gaming - Luke Mitchell - 6 / 10

>There are some fundamentally great things about Atlas Fallen, like its gorgeous desert landscapes and its super-satisfying sand sliding, plus combat that has a tonne of options and flows well. But its open world of interesting enemies suffers from a rinse-and-repeat approach, where what was exciting in hour two becomes boring and repetitive by hour eight. It's not that it's poorly made, but its mission structure and by-the-numbers narrative delivered in a boring way make for an adventure that is more generic than unique. Atlas Fallen is much like a mirage in its sandy desert setting; enticing at first, but a bit disappointing once you look closer and realise it's not what you'd hoped.

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Destructoid - Steven Mills - 7 / 10

>I do think there is reason enough to experience Atlas Fallen. Especially if you are a fan of the action RPG genre. It may not leave a lasting impression once you’ve completed the adventure, but it will be enjoyable enough along the way to hold your interest.

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Digital Trends - Tomas Franzese - 2 / 5

>Atlas Fallen has some ambitious ideas for a game of its scale, but its poor presentation holds back a promising combat system.

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Eurogamer - Kaan Serin - 3 / 5

>Atlas Fallen echoes other mid-00s slashers with fun melee combat and cool ideas, trapped in a run-of-the-mill open world.

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GAMES.CH - Benjamin Braun - German - 71%

>With Atlas Fallen, Deck13 delivers a fine and highly customizable hack-and-slay-like combat system. There is generally a great gameplay-flow, too. But with its partly blank game world and weak story the game can't fulfill the highest demands for an action RPG.

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GBAtemp - GoldenBullet (GoldenBullet) - 7.4 / 10

>Atlas Fallen has a unique gameplay loop with its Momentum mechanic that can be addicting but it is lacking in every other area. With the inclusion of campaign Co-Op, this is a solid title that people interested in Action RPGs should check out

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GGRecon - Kiera Mills - 4 / 5

>Atlas Fallen isn’t a game that will push the action RPG genre forward, but it's so much fun to play it doesn't really matter anyway. > >The gameplay loop is satisfying and the aerial dash and sandglider mechanics are smooth enough that you'll be happy just exploring the world of Atlas, even if you're not progressing through the main story. > >Its clunky plot holds a certain charm, and with enjoyable combat and traversal it's worth a look for anyone looking for a meaty adventure before the Fall deluge.

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GameGrin - Artura Dawn - 6.5 / 10

>Atlas Fallen has a great premise with pretty enjoyable old-school combat when it works. Frustrating and unreliable mechanics might be a bit of a hindrance, but it works great as a gameplay-heavy title to pick up and play.

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Gameblog - French - 6 / 10

>Deck13 brings very good ideas, but either it does not go to the end, or it misses in the execution.

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Gamerheadquarters - Jason Stettner - 6.7 / 10

>Atlas Fallen is ambitious being tight in scale and offering some limited scope which was refreshing for an open world game.

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GamesHub - Edmond Tran - 2 / 5

>Surfing through the beautiful world of Atlas Fallen is nice, but unsatisfying combat struggles to keep you invested.

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GamesRadar+ - Jon Bailes - 2.5 / 5

>It's proficient in some respects, adequate in others, and manageable at worst. But that leaves a creative void in its world and the way you interact with it that calls into question the value of the whole endeavour.

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Gaming Nexus - Jason Dailey - 7.5 / 10

>Atlas Fallen might not make any game of the year lists, but its inventive, refreshing combat is worth checking out. It will require a bit of patience, as the opening and closing acts are a protracted slog, in addition to numerous bugs, but the foundation is set for a sequel that capitalizes on the promise of this new IP.

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GamingTrend - David Burdette - 75 / 100

>I wouldn't go into Atlas Fallen looking for a great story, but if you're looking for an interesting world to explore, this might fit the bill. The gameplay is a lot of fun, with foes worth your time to engage, and a fantastic customization system to battle your way. Atlas Fallen fills that old "AA THQ" hole, perfect for what it is.

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Generación Xbox - Adrian Fuentes Berna - Spanish - 84 / 100

>Atlas Fallen is a game that I wanted to play since I saw the first videos, although once played it does not reinvent the wheel, if it does enough things well to consider it a game to take into account if you like its premises. It is an RPG, with a light combat system like a Hack and Slash, with touches of Darksiders and a great atmosphere.

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God is a Geek - Mick Fraser - 6.5 / 10

>From the outside Atlas Fallen has all the pieces of an open world fantasy epic, but if you look a little more closely you'll see the cracks.

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Hardcore Gamer - Kyle LeClair - 3.5 / 5

>Atlas Fallen is far from a perfect game, but the important thing is that it's still a fun game.

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Hobby Consolas - Ángel Morán Santiago - Spanish - 83 / 100

>Atlas Fallen does not invent the wheel, but it scratches at a good level in almost all its sections, and bets on a charismatic fictional universe (with potential for a sequel). If you like hack and slash, action-RPG or the oddities of the PS3 and Xbox 360 generation, here is one of the surprises of the year.

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IGN - Gabriel Moss - 7 / 10

>Atlas Fallen is a solid open-world action RPG with plenty of platforming and large monsters to fight with a co-op buddy, so long as neither of you cares about story or is a stickler for high-quality textures.

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IGN Italy - Angelo Bianco - Italian - 7 / 10

>Atlas Fallen is a decent action-RPG that, with all its merits and flaws, attempts to emulate God of War with a fun and dynamic combat system. Unfortunately, in addition to the challenging confrontations with the imposing desert creatures Deck13 Interactive's game does not have much to offer from a quality standpoint. An unsteady frame-rate, along with some problems related to enemy lock-on, prevent the developers from taking the next step after the good results achieved with the two chapters of The Surge.

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Kotaku - Ethan Gach - Unscored

>Deck13’s latest can’t get off the ground. Like the sandy ruins filling its world, the best parts of Atlas Fallen feel buried beneath the same open-world junk you’ve already done in a bunch of other games.

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Lords Of Gaming - Mahmood Ghaffar - 8 / 10

>Despite its technical and QoL shortcomings, Atlas Fallen has me excited. The game is a testament to how far AA development has come in recent years. The game does take tired open-world tropes but adds that extra creative and unique layer that AA developers are known for. Atlas Fallen delivers a fascinating, albeit undercooked, world with solid combat and build mechanics. Undoubtedly, Atlas Fallen is another feather in Deck13’s cap.

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Metro GameCentral - Nick Gillett - 5 / 10

>A combat-heavy action RPG with fun fights and spectacular landscapes, that's brought down by glitches, fiddly navigation, and an over-reliance on fetch quests.

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Multiplayer First - James Lara - 7.5 / 10

>There’s a lot of potential in Atlas Fallen that, sadly, feels heavily bogged down by its forgettable and, at times, repetitive story. If you can look past that, you’ll find Atlas Fallen has much to offer. It’s a great callback to classic hack-and-slash titles, filled with hours of senseless, monster-slaying fun that can be enjoyed with another player online. It’s not without its faults mind you, but it does build a great foundation, one I’d like to see built upon with potential sequels.

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Nerdburglars - Dan Hastings - 6.5 / 10

>Atlas Fallen is a mixed bag. It has classic elements that resonate with fans of open world RPGs, clever combat mechanics, and some unique exploration elements. BUT, the repetitive, hopeless world, lacklustre narrative, and often frustrating UX pitfalls temper this potential. Atlas Fallen feels more like a well-made mod than it does a standalone release.

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PCGamesN - Matt Poskitt - 8 / 10

>Atlas Fallen's superb combat, intruiging world, and fluid traversal make up for a play-by-numbers narrative. Thankfully, simple things like surfing the sands of a ginormous desert wasteland and taking on behemoth beasts mean I can enjoy the game for what it is instead of what it could have been.

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PSX Brasil - Bruno Henrique Vinhadel - Portuguese - 65 / 100

>Showing good ideas with poor execution, Atlas Fallen is an action RPG with flaws, strange decisions and an underused universe in many ways. It is a better experience when enjoyed cooperatively, but just a decent game nowadays.

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PlayStation Universe - Timothy Nunes - 7.5 / 10

>Atlas Fallen suffers a few mishaps along the way, with enemies able to do cheap shots, modernized fast travel limitations, and a rather empty map. At the same time, there's a fun story here that keeps you moving forward, and combat itself feels visceral without being over-demanding. This is a great entry point for newcomers to the genre. Atlas Fallen has high fantasy alongside simple but intricate combat. It may not make game of the year by any means, but it certainly makes a good impression.

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Press Start - James Wood - 6 / 10

>Atlas Fallen layers interesting and engaging combat systems onto a lacklustre world and frustrating camera controls making for an uneven and forgettable fantasy action outing. Deck13 continues its work of innovating the genre in interesting ways but there's just a little too much going on for Atlas Fallen to ever find solid ground.

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Pure Dead Gaming - Jim - 7.5 / 10

>For a new IP, and a game that I didn’t know a great deal about prior to playing it, I really enjoyed my time with it. If this is the beginning of a new franchise, then I will look forward to what Deck 13 have to offer as their previous outings in The Lords of the Fallen and The Surge games have certainly cemented them as a solid hand in game development.

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Push Square - Liam Croft - 7 / 10

>It's disappointing to come up against a few too many flaws, but when Atlas Fallen is on form, its marriage of movement and fighting shines through.

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RPG Site - Adam Vitale - 6 / 10

>Atlas Fallen is an average action RPG with some interesting Momentum combat mechanics, a passable open-world, subpar presentation, and a disappointing narrative.

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Rock, Paper, Shotgun - Ed Thorn - Unscored

>An action adventure with endearing six-out-of-ten jank, carried by weighty combat with heaps of style and customisation.

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Saving Content - Scott Ellison II - 3 / 5

>Atlas Fallen is a fun and exciting journey over the sand and under the sun with a combat system defined by enhancements and not the weapons themselves. The story is forgettable, but the experience isn't. It's a game that has a bevy of systems, yet it all feels artificially restrained for unknown reasons. I found the gameplay loop to be enjoyable from start to finish, and the game ended right when it needed to. Atlas Fallen is a little flat in its presentation, but it's a good way to spend a dozen or so hours sand-gliding and fighting as the Summer winds down.

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Spaziogames - Gianluca Arena - Italian - 6.3 / 10

>It's a shame that Deck13 new IP it's so generic and confusionary, because there are also bold new ideas in it. Nonetheless, as it is at the time of writing, Atlas Fallen is a by-the-book action RPG with a problematic targeting system and just a handful of open maps to explore, with so much better choices on the market.

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SpoilerTV - Chloe Curnow - 7 / 10

>Though the story falls short of the mark, stunning visuals help give the game a solid and polished feel. The immersive and dynamic combat gameplay however is the game's best asset, giving players full customisation of their playstyle and bringing the world to life. A good choice for a breezy and fast-paced gaming experience.

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Stevivor - Steve Wright - 7 / 10

>Atlas Fallen‘s core is solid — though combat still needs some work — but it seems a bit sparse.

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TechRaptor - Rutledge Daugette - 9 / 10

>With exploration enhanced by fun traversal, a progression system that doesn't tie you to levels, and combat that never gets boring with flashy abilities and fast-paced movement - Atlas Fallen is definitely worth your time.

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The Outerhaven Productions - Jordan Andow - 3 / 5

>Atlas Fallen is an enjoyable action game. Unfortunately, the story being so uninteresting and the outdated presentation combined with lots of bugs leave this fun moment-to-moment gameplay experience hard to recommend to everyone. At this moment in time, I would only recommend this game to those that are looking for something fun to play in co-op.

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TheSixthAxis - Gareth Chadwick - 5 / 10

>Atlas Fallen is at its best when you're fighting huge enemies with your carefully constructed (by trial and error) build, but when you're repeatedly fighting the same enemies, when the story falls flat, and the environments blend into one, it starts to get dull and frustrating quickly.

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TrueAchievements - Tom West - 7 / 10

>Atlas Fallen is a feast for the eyes and a sand-surfing ride filled with plenty of high-octane combat encounters.

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Try Hard Guides - 4 / 10

>Atlas Fallen is a game that wants to be so many things, but fails to be any of them. It wants to be the next epic fantasy universe, but lacks the originality or compelling writing to do so. It wants to be an action game akin to its inspirations, but can’t quite deliver on the mechanics it’s inspired by. It wants to be an amazing piece of visual art, but delivers stunning vistas alongside jilted animations and boring enemy designs. It’s a game with deceptive marketing, showing off an inaccurate portrayal of the experience ahead, and one that feels like it had too many teams working on it at once. Unfortunately, it’s also one you should probably give a wide berth.

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Wccftech - Francesco De Meo - 7 / 10

>With its unique premise and setting, Atlas Fallen could have been one of the best action games of the year, but its mediocre combat system, dull open-world areas, and lack of interesting characters drag the experience down. The full package ends up being just a decent game for those willing to look past its most critical shortcomings.

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WellPlayed - Kieran Stockton - 7.5 / 10

>While this sandy action RPG is somewhat lacking in technical and visual polish, Atlas Fallen is still a strong outing from Deck13, with the outfit continuing to prove it's got the chops when it comes to crafting interesting mechanics and fun combat.

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XboxEra - Jesse Norris - 6.9 / 10

>Atlas Fallen is close to being damned good. It is let down by a lack of variety in enemy encounters, poor side quests, and dreadful writing. Still, the combat quickly becomes damned fun and with the option of co-op, it’s well worth checking out if you want some God of Crackdown-style action platforming adventures.

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ZTGD - Terrence Johnson - 7.5 / 10

>Atlas Fallen does some things right as a new franchise, the world that the team has made is interesting and begs to be explored, the story is for the most part extremely well told and as I said graphically the game looks great. But the unevenness of the combat just makes avoiding fights more common than facing enemies head on. Which is truly a shame because as I said above, I love action games and had high hopes that Atlas Fallen would stick the landing. I am hoping this is something that can be fixed with a patch, because I did enjoy skating around the sands and exploring the massive levels.

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Game Information --------------------

Game Title: Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical

Platforms:

• PlayStation 5 (Aug 10, 2023)
• PC (Aug 10, 2023)
• PlayStation 4 (Aug 10, 2023)
• Xbox One (Aug 10, 2023)
• Xbox Series X/S (Aug 10, 2023)
• Nintendo Switch (Aug 10, 2023)

Trailers:

• Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical Gameplay Trailer - Future Games Show Summer Showcase 2023
• Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical - Release Date Trailer
• Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical - Teaser Trailer (2022)

Developer: Summerfall Studios

Publisher: Humble Games

Review Aggregator:

OpenCritic - 79 average - 82% recommended - 41 reviews

Critic Reviews -------------

But Why Tho? - Kyle Foley - 8.5 / 10

>Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical does an excellent job of blending video games and musical theater in a way that should appeal to virtually everyone. Excellent storytelling and a masterfully crafted soundtrack combined with incredible visuals give a new take on Greek mythology.

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CGMagazine - Justin Wood - 9.5 / 10

>Stray Gods felt like it was made for me. If you love musicals in the rock opera genre, then dive in immediately as there is a story full of emotion and fantastic music waiting for you.

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COGconnected - Mark Steighner - 84 / 100

>Part murder mystery, part visual novel, Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical is an audacious experiment. Happily, it pays off in a unique video game experience. There aren’t many games that use songs in a theatrical way. Being able to direct the flow of the music in real time is exciting and engaging. Pacing issues aside, it’s a concept that’s definitely worthy of continued development. I hope Wintory and Gaider continue to iterate on this new IP.

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Checkpoint Gaming - David McNamara - 9 / 10

>A wonderfully peculiar blend of visual novel, choice-driven RPG, and off-Broadway musical, Stray Gods embraces the theatrical duality of comedy and tragedy and wraps it into a narrative experience that can be at once gut-wrenching and cheeky. Through some excellently written and performed dialogue, incredible audio production, and effective use of player choice, it provides an intimate and personal music theatre experience. While its semi-animated visual style and simplified gameplay may prove off-putting for some, Stray Gods is a unique and compelling love letter to the theatre kid inside us all.

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Destructoid - Cody Perez - 7.5 / 10

>Solid and definitely has an audience. There could be some hard-to-ignore faults, but the experience is fun.

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Digital Chumps - Nathaniel Stevens - 9 / 10

>Stray Gods from developer Summerfall Studios and publisher Humble Games is a beautiful and engaging musical branching narrative game that succeeds in delivering a powerful story with compelling characters. While not every song in the game is gold, the music that accompanies the gameplay mixes well and makes for one of the more entertaining gaming experiences of 2023.

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Digital Spy - Jess Lee - 4 / 5

>There isn't really anything like Stray Gods out there right now, and while it falls short of hitting the highs of some of the musicals that served as inspiration for the game, its narrative design and the unique way in which player choice affects the story make for a refreshing and enjoyable ride.

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DualShockers - Matthew Schomer - 9.5 / 10

>A modern-day musical murder mystery in which the Greek gods are living among mortals, and you've just become one of them. DualShockers was provided with a copy of the game for review purposes.

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Eurogamer - Ed Nightingale - 3.5 / 5

>A fascinating but flawed experimental musical game that fails to live up to some heavenly potential.

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Game Informer - Charles Harte - 8.3 / 10

>Overall, Stray Gods rocks. Between the cast's fantastic performances, a fun twist on Greek mythology, and a genuinely novel game mechanic, it's a game I didn't know I needed, but one I'm happy to give a standing ovation to.

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GameGrin - Alyssa Rochelle Payne - 9.5 / 10

>Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical is one-of-a-kind in the best way, excelling on all fronts - narrative and musical. It's a must-play for lovers of theatre, Greek mythology, and story-rich experiences.

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GamePro - Eleen Reinke - German - 84 / 100

>Stray Gods is worthwhile for all fans of good story, multi-layered characters and, of course, musicals. Only the RPG aspects are neglected.

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GameSpew - Richard Seagrave - 8 / 10

>It’s a shame that the songs in Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical didn’t have quite the impact on us that we hoped, but it might not be the case for everyone. Still, while we won’t be rushing to listen to its soundtrack on any streaming platforms, we’ve very much enjoyed our time with the game, and we’ll no doubt be returning to it for another playthrough or two in the future.

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GameSpot - Jordan Ramée - 9 / 10

>Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical is a visual and auditory delight filled with superb musical performances.

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GamesFinest - Vanessa Böttcher - German - 7 / 10

>What Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical is not is a video game with innovative game design or creative game elements. Instead, the title shines with a gripping story, great images, high-quality music and an interesting implementation of the Greek god mythology. So if you like to influence a beautiful story, create your own little musical, and are cool with experiencing a rather passive gaming experience as a text adventure, you won't go wrong here and will have a good time.

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GamesHub - Christie McQualter - 5 / 5

>Stray Gods might not have told me how to get over a quarter-life crisis – unless I can turn into a God sometime soon – but it was an enchanting, emotionally affecting journey nonetheless.

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GamesRadar+ - Heather Wald - 4 / 5

>"While a murder mystery drives the story forward in Stray Gods, Grace, and the role you have in shaping her, is at the heart of the experience."

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God is a Geek - Lyle Carr - 8 / 10

>Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical is full of charming gods and funky songs, and some issues with sound levels aren't enough to ruin that.

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Hardcore Gamer - Kyle LeClair - 4 / 5

>Stray Gods' unique blend of musicals and video games alone makes it worthy of applause, but it's the incredible way that the ear-pleasing, player-orchestrated numbers are weaved into such a well-designed murder mystery which deserves the loudest cheers.

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IGN - Shannon Liao - 7 / 10

>Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical's murder mystery is predictable, but worth playing through a couple of times for its strong voice cast and customizable songs.

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LadiesGamers.com - Mina Smith - Loved

>I cannot recommend this game enough. I won’t even bother with a Cons section in this article because I don’t know what I would even say against it. It’s fun, well-priced, replayable, beautiful, and filled to the brim with gorgeous music. What more could RPG, visual novel, and musical fans want? It’s so well polished that I can’t think of a single thing that I would change or add. > >What a delight from start to finish Stray Gods was. Play it; you won’t regret it!

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MonsterVine - Diego Escala - 4 / 5

>Fans of musicals are going to find a lot to love with Stray Gods and I’m excited to see future games go even further with the idea.

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New Game Network - Alex Varankou - 60 / 100

>Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical is a novel attempt at offering something new to the video game space. But while it has a strong cast and a well-realized setting, the uneven songs, lack of meaningful player choice and a dull narrative bring down the curtain too soon.

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PSX Brasil - Thiago de Alencar Moura - Portuguese - 85 / 100

>Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical is a unique and captivating experience thanks to the strength of its characters and how well-written its narrative is. The very good songs and great work by its cast result in a singular title capable of holding the attention of everyone who gives it a chance.

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Polygon - Josh Broadwell - Unscored

>Stray Gods is ambitious in its goals, and while the road Summerfall and co. take to reach them is rough and uneven, I won’t be forgetting Grace’s tale anytime soon. It’s a clever format, and the unfulfilled potential makes me excited for future attempts to meld games and theater.

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Press Start - Brodie Gibbons - 6.5 / 10

>Stray Gods might be a well-written, narrative-driven murder mystery that drags us to Olympus and back again, but it fails to deliver anything remotely close to an earworm after hours of forgettable melodies. Though Bailey and Baker do enough to earn their flowers, the production itself does little to land Stray Gods a place among the musical pantheon.

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RPG Fan - Audra Bowling - 92%

>Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical is an incredibly memorable visual novel boasting an amusing interactive musical experience.

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RPG Site - Paige Chamberlain - 6 / 10

>While Stray Gods is subtitled The "Roleplaying" Musical, it plays much more akin to a visual novel or adventure game than what one might call an RPG, though the musical part still applies. The music is especially fun and some tracks definitely would have a place in theatre.

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RPGamer - Sam Wachter - 4 / 5

>There is no game out there like Stray Gods, and while its execution has some flaws, its originality shines through. Summerfall Studios has crafted a memorable experience with loveable characters and catchy songs to boot.

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Rock, Paper, Shotgun - Jon Bailes - Unscored

>Filling a game based on dialogue trees with mythological musical numbers turns out to be an inspired idea in Stray Gods, as it has the quality of writing, composing and character design to pull it off. Its bulges with both comedy and tragedy, and while some of the songs lack punch, overall Stray Gods puts on one hell of a show.

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Screen Rant - Deven McClure - 4.5 / 5

>One playthrough of Stray Gods takes about five hours, but one of the most impressive things about the game is its immense replayability. Different dialogue choices coupled with the huge amount of musical permutations mean that no two runs are the same, and it's hard to resist going back for more even after the mystery is solved. The title certainly isn't for everyone - those who completely abhor anything even adjacent to musical theater are certainly not the target audience. However, Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical presents an engaging story and song mechanics that feel beautifully personal, making it worth looking into even for players who don't consider themselves musical lovers.

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Shacknews - Ozzie Mejia - 8 / 10

>With a multitude of choices and possibilities, Stray Gods gives players plenty of reasons to stick around for an encore. The show doesn't always have to end when the curtain goes down.

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Spaziogames - Nicolò Bicego - Italian - 8.5 / 10

>Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical is a must-play for visual novel lovers, thanks to an engaging story, a rich cast of characters and a compelling original soundtrack.

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Stevivor - Steve Wright - 6 / 10

>Stray Gods is truly a mixed bag, full of strong actors, average singers, clever storytelling and weak songs. There are points of brilliance mixed with cringe-worthy presentations, making this one hard to recommend because of its inconsistencies. If you’re itching to play regardless, I’d strongly suggest those players pick it up on either PC or Switch because of the one-two punch of visual and interface issues. I can certainly vouch for the issues plaguing the Xbox version, and I’d wager the PlayStation version would be similar.

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TheGamer - Jade King - 4 / 5

>Stray Gods can be inconsistent in its musical numbers at times and presents a selection of irksome technical issues, but these foibles are trivial to overlook when Grace’s journey fires on all cylinders. It is marvelously written with a beating heart lined with poignancy, which at every turn expresses the joy, fear, and unpredictability of human life you can’t help but feel represented by. Much like Grace, I’m a lost, lost girl with little direction in life, but sometimes a game like this comes along and convinces me it’s only a matter of time until I’m found.

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TheSixthAxis - Adrian Burrows - 4 / 10

>When I first heard of Stray Gods, I was intrigued. A video game musical might not totally work, but at least it would be interesting to play, I thought. How wrong I was. The concept of Stray Gods is the most interesting thing about it, but the execution is boring to the extreme. If you want a fun musical video game experience, you're better off watching Singing in the Rain whilst repeatedly changing the volume on the remote. That way you'll have better songs, a more enjoyable story, more interactivity, and a greater sense of player control than Stray Gods provides.

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Try Hard Guides - Christian Harrison - 8.5 / 10

>While it’s unlikely to win any Tonys, Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical is a great attempt at bringing soulful ballads and endless drama to games. Summerfall Studios has captured the magic and emotion of its actors, creating a world that’s ripe with possibilities. Those who are interested in either musicals or Greek mythology will likely find something to love about Stray Gods.

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VideoGamer - Odhran Johnson - 7 / 10

>Stray Gods is at times a heartwarming and expertly crafted musical experience. However, certain narrative choices, along with some minor audio and performance issues, leave the game feeling like it could have spend a little more time in the oven.

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WellPlayed - 6 / 10

>Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical has a sharp eye for aesthetics and a kind heart but its ambitious concept buckles under uneven implementation and a lacklustre sound.

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WhatIfGaming - Rizwan Anwer - 8 / 10

>Stray Gods does stray from the path of its competitors by doing a lot of new and unique things and it does so with pride. With a great cast of voice actors, a memorable story, and a unique dialogue system, the game truly stands out in the genre. However, the lack of ability for players to explore the world on their own outside of a static scene feels awkward at times, particularly when the world looks stunning.

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Worth Playing - Cody Medellin - 8.5 / 10

>Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical isn't the roleplaying experience its title and marketing would have you believe it is, but the game commands your attention to the end. The story is a good, old-fashioned murder mystery with Greek gods. The various characters keep the tale feeling fresh and moving along at a good pace. The comic book look is striking, and the songs are outstanding, but the story and various choices grant the game longevity that endures beyond the novelty of using songs in almost every scene. Visual novel fans will love this title, and music lovers will be entertained by how the story doesn't slow down the proceedings. Players who are slightly curious about the visual novel gameplay style will find Stray Gods to be a good gateway.

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https://web.archive.org/web/20230809222832/https://www.pcgamesn.com/baldurs-gate-3/best-pc-game

>Baldur’s Gate 3 is my favorite RPG game of all time, and it’s only been out of early access for a few days. I haven’t slept for any of them. Larian Studios poured its heart and soul into the Dungeons & Dragons-style game, making Baldur’s Gate 3 one of the most immense releases of 2023 yet. It looks like I’m not the only player who feels so strongly about Baldur’s Gate 3, though, as it has just taken the number one spot as this year’s top-rated PC game on Metacritic. > >As further detailed in our Baldur’s Gate 3 review, this D&D game is one of the best of its kind. From its quirky cast of characters (yes, Baldur’s Gate 3 romance is exceedingly fun) to its massive world, you’ll have a difficult time putting the game down or finding any shortage of content to play through. It looks like PC gamers all over the world would agree with this, judging by user scores across Metacritic. > >Baldur’s Gate 3 is tied with Zelda for the top-rated spot across all platforms with a score of 96. However, if you look at just PC scores rather than including console, you’ll see that Larian Studios’ masterpiece is number one. It now stands with a score of 97, beating out Street Fighter 6 which has a Metascore of 92 itself. If it keeps soaring on the Steam charts, Baldur’s Gate 3 may actually end up the best game of the year on any platform, whether that be console or PC. > >You can view the full list of 2023’s best games on Metacritic here for a more in-depth look at the scores. The second big post-launch Baldur’s Gate 3 patch also just dropped, which means Larian Studios is still hard at work on the game. As long as the content and fixes keep on coming, I personally don’t see this digital D&D icon slowing down any time soon. > >I enjoy so many of the tabletop features Larian Studios implemented into its new game, like the dice rolling and the dungeon master-esque narration. The extensive Baldur’s Gate 3 class system is also, in my opinion, unrivaled by any other D&D PC game. Keep an eye on Metacritic’s overall scores for 2023, you may just see Baldur’s Gate 3 overtake Zelda and hold a top-rated spot in multiple categories.

https://web.archive.org/web/20230809222607/https://www.pcgamesn.com/octopath-traveler-2/denuvo

> Octopatch Traveler is one of the most unique RPG game series to date with its whimsical pixel art and well-written cast of characters. The Octopath Traveler sequel was released earlier this year, taking fans of turn-based battle games by storm as it hit a perfect 10/10 rating on Steam. Despite its overwhelmingly positive reviews, some players have worried about the game’s integration of Denuvo, an anti-tamper and DRM system. Square Enix has now dropped the software from Octopath Traveler 2 on Steam. > > When you check the game’s change history on Steam, you’ll see that Square Enix removed a “third-party DRM” from Octopath Traveler 2. The change log then specifies which software this was, naming “Denuvo Anti-tamper” as the axed anti-tamper tool. Square Enix hasn’t provided any reason for the removal as of now, but it could have to do with alleged performance issues caused by Denuvo. > > Despite the anti-tamper software’s declaration on the matter, in which they detail why Denuvo exists both “to the benefit of the game publishers” as well as the players, some fans are still unconvinced. You can view the Steam database finding for yourself here, where you can also see other game changes. > > Multiple triple-A games have launched with Denuvo recently. Redfall launched with Denuvo, as did Street Fighter 6, while other upcoming games like Tekken 8 won’t feature Denuvo. > > Square Enix is also not the only developer or publisher choosing to remove the software later on following a game’s launch, as Resident Evil Village removed the technology after release. If the studio behind other mammoths such as Final Fantasy speaks out on why Denuvo is no longer servicing Octopath Traveler 2, we will update you here with any statements.

https://web.archive.org/web/20230809210847/https://kotaku.com/resident-evil-re7-village-re4-sale-humble-steam-pc-1850722773

>Have you been wanting to play (or replay) all of the main entries that make up Capcom’s long-running horror series, Resident Evil? Well, buddy, I got a deal for you: A new bundle available until later this month combines 11 Resident Evil games, plus some DLC, into a $35 package. > >With the release of the very first Resident Evil game in 1996, the survival horror series has become one of Capcom’s biggest series and one of the most popular horror franchises in the world. Since that original hit game—featuring what would become series staples, like creepy monsters, zombies, and lots of tasty herbs— Resident Evil has expanded to include numerous movies, comics, and of course, plenty of video game sequels and spin-offs. Not all of what’s come out was great, sure, but it’s helped the franchise grow bigger and bigger. And now you can get a large chunk of some of the best Resident Evil games ever made for half of what it costs to buy a new, next-gen video game. What a deal! > >A newly released Humble Bundle packages the entire main series, including what’s considered the chronologically the first entry, Resident Evil 0, and newer games like Resident Evil Village. (No Code Veronica, though.) This package is only for PC gamers with a Steam account. The deal ends on August 23. > >Here’s the full list of what you get for $35, but keep in mind that all of the classic games listed here are the modern remakes, with the exception of Resident Evil 4. > >- Resident Evil 0 >- Resident Evil >- Resident Evil 2 >- Resident Evil 3 >- Resident Evil 4 (2005) >- Resident Evil 5 - Gold Edition >- Resident Evil 6 >- Resident Evil 7: Biohazard >- Resident Evil: Revelations >- Resident Evil: Revelations 2 - Deluxe Edition > >While some may prefer the original games, I think the modern remakes—especially Resident Evil 2—are fantastic and wonderful ways to revisit these beloved interactive horror adventures. I’m also happy to see the Revelations series included here. Those games aren’t as fancy or big as other mainline entries, but they are campy fun. Plus, 2’s co-op gameplay is unique as only one player has access to guns or combat.

https://web.archive.org/web/20230809185615/https://www.gamesindustry.biz/granblue-fantasy-versus-moves-1m-units-news-in-brief

> The medieval fighter reaches the sales milestone three years after launch

https://web.archive.org/web/20230809104243/https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/it-costs-100-to-unlock-all-of-street-fighter-6s-tmnt-content/

It costs around $100 to unlock all of Street Fighter 6‘s new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles content, with individual outfits costing up to $15.

Capcom announced on Monday that the game would be getting a TMNT crossover, which would include new costumes, accessories, emotes, stamps and more.

At the time of the announcement Capcom neglected to including pricing information, but now that the new content is available in the game its various costs are clear.

Players can buy four full Turtle costumes for their in-game avatar, with each costing 750 Fighter Coins, which are the game’s premium currency. If they just want the coloured Turtle masks for their avatar, those cost 250 Fighter Coins each.

The game also includes sticker sets (priced at 100 Fighter Coins), taunts (250), in-game camera frames (100) and in-game device wallpapers (100), at a total cost of 1300.

In all, then, the total cost of all the TMNT content is 5300 Fighter Coins. While these can be earned, they’re mostly bought with real money.

Fighter Coins are sold in bundles of 250, 610, 1250 and 2750. Assuming a player has no Fighter Coins, then, the cheapest way to buy all the TMNT content would be to buy two bundles of 2750 Fighter Coins.

This has a total cost of $99.98 / £79.96, significantly more than the full game’s price of $59.99 / £54.98.

A player wishing to buy a single Turtle costume at 750 Fighter Coins would have to buy three bundles of 750, costing $14.97 / £11.94.

It should be noted that these costumes aren’t new playable fighters – instead, they’re skins for the player’s avatar, who’s mainly used in the game’s World Tour mode.

In comparison, when the TMNT were added to Warner Bros‘ DC fighting game Injustice 2, the fighter pack cost $19.99 / £15.99 and contained all four Turtles as separate, fully-fledged fighters, as well as two extra fighters, Atom and Enchantress.

The Street Fighter 6 collaboration is designed to tie in with the release of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, the latest TMNT feature film, which is currently in cinemas.

https://web.archive.org/web/20230809054654/https://insider-gaming.com/gta-6-2024-release-date-2/

> Take-Two Interactive has once again reported that the company expects a signficatant increase in revenue for FY25, suggesting that GTA 6 could release in 2024. > > In the latest earnings call, Take-Two CEO and chairman, Strauss Zelnick, said, “we [Take-Two] remain confident that we are positioning our business for a significant inflection point in fiscal 2025, which we believe will include new record levels of operating performance”. Take-Two’s Fiscal Year 25 runs between April 2024 – March 2025. > > Whilst to some the news might just be buzzwords for investors, Take-Two is expecting a total of $8 billion in Net Bookings next year. This means versus the current fiscal year prediction of $5.5 billion, Take-Two is expecting an increase of $2.5 billion next year. > > If the publisher’s prediction is because of the long-anticipated GTA 6, not only could a reveal date be imminent, but we could expect GTA 6 to release somewhere around September – October 2024. > > Judging by past reveals and releases of Rockstar Games, the developer behind GTA 6, it’s likely that the announcement of GTA 6 will be made around October 2023. We can then expect the game to launch around 12 months later. It should also be noted that Rockstar Games and Take-Two Interactive have a tendency to delay their games, too. > > In 2021, I reported via sources on my YouTube channel that GTA 6 was scheduled to release in 2024-2025. In 2022, a massive leak of GTA 6 material, including videos and images confirmed the majority of the information. > >

https://web.archive.org/web/20230809032322/https://kotaku.com/rdr-red-dead-redemption-switch-ps4-port-50-value-ceo-1850719244

https://web.archive.org/web/20230809015829/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7usG2oKONE

> An all-new adventure begins. > > Experience the next chapter of the Overwatch saga in Invasion Story Missions, unleash solar power as the newest Support Hero Illari, fight for control of two new maps in the new permanent game mode Flashpoint, and so much more. > > New ways to play await in Overwatch 2: Invasion, launching Aug 10 at 12pm PT.

https://web.archive.org/web/20230809031257/https://www.gamesindustry.biz/valve-begins-selling-refurbished-steam-decks

> Valve has announced that it is now selling refurbished Steam Deck devices. > > The company said that each handheld console has been "thoroughly tested." > > "All refurbished units meet or even exceed the performance standards of new retail units. Although they may have minor cosmetic blemishes, they provide a reliable, high-quality gaming experience at a lower cost," said Valve in the announcement. > > The cost of the refurbished models is listed below: > > Steam Deck 64 GB - Valve Certified Refurbished - $319 > Steam Deck 64 GB - Valve Certified Refurbished - $419 > Steam Deck 64 GB - Valve Certified Refurbished - $519 > Valve added that the systems will include a warranty and have the same customer support as consumers with new units. > > In April, an Omdia report estimated that the lifetime sales count for Valve's Steam Deck would reach over 3 million units in 2023.

https://web.archive.org/web/20230808183432/https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/-i-zoeti-i-combines-monsters-and-poker-into-a-fantasy-roguelite-deckbuilding-game

Zoeti is a roguelite deckbuilding game that sees you fighting fantasy monstrosities with magical powers, all fueled by poker rules and hands. Playing for your life can be a bit more exciting than playing for money, after all.

Game Developer spoke with the team at Dusklight to learn more about how they used the known rules of poker to create interest in the game and its systems, how they needed to tweak poker rules to make the game more compelling for players, and the thoughts that went into making the playing cards look interesting without taking away from their readability.

https://web.archive.org/web/20230808122055/https://www.gamesindustry.biz/new-zealand-approves-microsofts-acquisition-of-activision

> Microsoft's proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard has been approved by New Zealand's Commerce Commission. > > As shared on its website, the competition regulator ruled that the merger was "unlikely to substantially lessen competition in any New Zealand market." > > The Commerce Commission added that it reached this decision by focusing on "the importance of Activision games to New Zealand gamers," naming Call of Duty, Overwatch and World of Warcraft as examples, and whether Microsoft was likely to "stop rivals like Sony and NVIDIA from offering those games on consoles and on cloud platforms." > > "While Activision games, in particular Call of Duty, are popular with New Zealand gamers, our enquiries did not find that they are likely to be 'must have' in order to compete with Microsoft in New Zealand," said the organisation's chair, Dr John Small. > > Reacting to the decision on social media, Microsoft president Brad Smith said: "With today’s approval from New Zealand, we’re cleared to move forward with our acquisition of Activision Blizzard in 41 countries. We will continue to work to resolve outstanding concerns and bring this deal to a close." > > A spokesperson from Microsoft also told Press Start: "We appreciate the thoughtful consideration by the New Zealand Competition Commerce Commission of our acquisition of Activision Blizzard and welcome their its [sic] decision to clear the deal unconditionally. This acquisition will ultimately benefit the gaming industry and gamers and we will continue to work toward closing the deal." > > Last month, Microsoft and Activision Blizzard announced they had extended the deadline for the acquisition to October 18.

https://web.archive.org/web/20230808090638/https://www.gamedeveloper.com/pc/valve-asks-i-dota-2-i-players-to-stop-monetizing-their-custom-games

> Several custom games for Dota 2 have gone offline after Valve asked players to put an end to the monetization within those modes. > > As spotted by PCGamer, SteamDB creator Pavel Djundik revealed creators of these modes were contacted by Valve in recent weeks. The developer's notice requested their custom monetization be shut down by next Thursday, August 17. > > "The license provided for the DOTA Workshop is strictly non-commercial," reads Valve's notice. "We have to ask that you stop selling virtual items for your custom game immediately and report to us the scope of your monetization, broken down by territory and payment method." > > Notably, this extends to player-made battle passes (which Valve officially ended in June), subscriptions, and even third-party payment methods. Dota 2's workshop has been around for years, and several of its games allow for players to pay for items using real world money via Patreon or PayPal. > > While plenty of online games like the Halo series allow for player-made modes to be created and shared by the community, not all of them let players make money off them. It presents a potential legal issue if things were to get out of control, which may explain why Valve has suddenly cracked down. > > Valve used to be hands-off with the Workshop's monetization, like it was for similar economies within Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Team Fortress 2. But this and the recent focus by Twitch to curb gambling in Counter-Strike signify a change Valve and unofficial money-making ways.

https://www.paradoxinteractive.com/games/cities-skylines-ii/features/climate-seasons