When I see dirt, I know what I must do: clean. Whether it's in my own, real-life home or in a game, I am compelled to scrub, wipe and tidy - and the oily, purple globs of gunk clogging up Loddlenaut's appropriately named region of Flotsam Flats are just begging to be zapped by my little diver's handy laser gun. With just a single squeeze of the trigger, he sets to work, moving his arm automatically to neatly attack each neighbouring blob without any further prompting or manual aiming. All I need to focus on is getting him close enough to the gunge and he'll take care of the rest. Sure, it's perhaps not quite as involved as your PowerWash Sims and other polish em ups, but the combination of Loddlenaut's lo-fi visuals, comforting score and surprisingly soothing controller rumble all work to give it its own kind of zen-like charm - and it was enough to make me forget the surrounding din of the EGX Rezzed Zone for a very enjoyable 20 minutes or so.

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The first volume of the Handyman Saitou in Another World manga felt aimed at introducing the party over a series of brief stories, while also helping to establish the world with short looks at other adventurers. It was handled quite well and was quite effective at making the world seem appealing. However, it ended with the suggestion that something else might be going on and a hint at greater mysteries. Now that Yen Press published volume 2, more character background is on display, there’s an actual storyline tied to the initial vignettes, and Kazutomo Ichitomo is focusing more on telling a specific story in this entry.

Volume 2 of the Handyman Saitou in Another World manga begins with everyone getting to go deeper into the Great Labyrinth because of Saitou’s discovery in the past entry. Saitou, Raelza, Morlock, and Lafanpan didn’t get to go first, but they’re among the secondary batch heading down into the depths. So are all of the adventurers we happened to see in the past volume, and hey! They get names this time! More characterization too, which is also great. It also means once things get going, it’s actually a more structured and typical story, which is handled well considering how the first volume felt more like a compilation of related short stories.

Remedy Entertainment has confirmed Alan Wake 2 will have "significant" free DLC updates.

Confirmation came via Remedy Entertainment's creative director Sam Lake, who was at EGX this weekend, talking about the return of Alan Wake.

These free DLC expansions come on top of the two post-launch content drops Remedy detailed earlier this year, hinting there'll be plenty to do post-end game after we jump into Wake's new nightmare later this month on 27th October.

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Indie RPG Inkbound has pledged to remove its battle pass and all microtransactions by the end of October.

In a statement posted to Steam, developer Shiny Shoe said the decision came after it noted that "industry and player sentiment is trending against the presence of these features" and whilst it had always tried to be "as generous and straightforward as possible", it had resolved to remove in-game monetisation "completely" by 27th October 2023.

Whilst the team says in-game monetisation supported the ongoing development of the game and was "100 per cent optional", content from the existing battle passes – called Levelling Passes here – will now be turned into cosmetic-only optional "supporter packs" DLCs sold on Steam.

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Sometimes, the ability to push over a tree was inside you all along. Retrieving woodland traversal skills from the depths of memory is key to Pine Hearts, an easygoing adventure/exploration game that I've spent a very relaxing half-hour with in the EGX 2023 Rezzed Zone.

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Sundays are for trying to identify beige biscuit crumbs on an oat-coloured carpet. Before you squint, let's read this week's best writing about games (and game related things).

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Pitched as "a racing game for people who don’t like racing games," Resistor shows an immediate disinterest in tracks, time trials, or even really the cars themselves. This racing game, I’m told as I sit down to play a demo in the EGX 2023’s Rezzed Zone, cares about the person behind the wheel – and their burgeoning camaraderie with a roughneck pit crew.

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Japan, 1993, in the city of Kyoto, and two young men are on a bike. They're on the busiest crossing in the city and clearly, they're drunk. Westerners. Inside their bags, they have papers they probably shouldn't have - confidential papers. Confidential Nintendo papers. And in a few hazy post-pub moments, these papers are about to be all over the floor for everyone to see. One look at them and you'd see the game Nintendo was making next. One look at them and you'd see the 3D chip Nintendo had designed for it. One look, and you would see Star Fox.

"Err it's all lies. Nothing happened," one of the men, Giles Goddard, tells me now. He's smiling. "I don't think we've told Nintendo about this, but yeah, we were taking them home to study over the weekend, and we went to the pub on the way back home.

"Dylan [Cuthbert] didn't have a bicycle," he goes on, "so he was standing on the back of mine. I was pedalling and we went over, right in the middle of the biggest crossing in Kyoto. And we fell over because we were a bit drunk - actually I think it was on the way back from the pub. And all the papers came out of the basket. And it was a windy day so they just started blowing all over the place, and then the light turned green for all the cars to start moving, so we had to scramble and pick up hundreds of pieces of paper for 10 minutes."

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Today at New York Comic Con, it was revealed that voice actor Matt Mercer, perhaps best known as the Dungeon Master of popular actual-play webseries Critical Role, will be starring as gunslinger Vincent Valentine in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, the second chapter in Square Enix’s ongoing remake of the classic ‘90s…

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Welcome to the latest edition of the Giant Bomb Community Spotlight! I, @zombiepie, am once again honored to be your host as we look back at the best community creations from the previous week.

First off, in case you missed it, it was recently Jan's birthday! Feel free to wish him a belated birthday if you haven't done so already by either using the link to his Tweet or drop a supportive comment here.

Hopefully you enjoyed the return of Friday Night Forkin'. For those wondering, the video archive version of debut episode of season three is available on Twitch, but technical issues have prevented a proper upload elsewhere. Also, due to Grubb's vacation, normal programming was delayed or put on hiatus until next week.

Michael Higham's mother passed away. If you have enjoyed his appearances on GB or his work on GameSpot, consider sending Michael your condolences. The link also provides access to his family's funeral GoFundMe page.

Finally, in response to recent events, Tamoor is raising money for Medical Aid for Palestinians, a British charity that works with NGOs to deliver aid to Palestinian civilians. It is a charity organization that is supported by the UK Government (DfID), the European Union and other international aid organizations and delivers medical supplies and services to civilians.

One of Yen Press’ more recent pick-ups is The Reformation of the World as Overseen by a Realist Demon King manga. As you might expect from the long title, it’s an isekai series and we’re following a lead who’s a villain. What ended up fascinating me about this series, and making me think it’s something more people should considering checking out, is that him being a realist who is determined to use all of his intelligence and questionable tactics to succeed means seeing that plotting makes the first volume a real page-turner. 

Astaroth is a the newest and weakest demon king after being established in another world following his death. Rather than wonder about the situation or consider going back, the man who was once Ast is a realist. He’s focused on moving forward, avoiding pitfalls, and using his intelligence and determination to survive to succeed. (His nature as a realist is even why he was “picked” for this “role.”) We begin right away as he’s attempting to take on another demon king for glory and increased power, then flash back to see how he got to this point and see the results of his plotting and planning.

Lords Of The Fallen has issued a major performance patch for the technically troubled Soulslike, helping its Steam reviews to escape their early ‘Mostly Negative’ rating as developers Hexworks resolve a number of the biggest problems on PC.

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Lost Ark is getting into the spooky spirit with its new October update, Monster Bash.

Live now, the new Monster Bash update gives players "scary new customisation options" and the chance to dress up as witches and demons, as well as new weapons "guaranteed to scare their enemies".

Perhaps best of all, however, you get to do all that with your own Little Ghost Pet.

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The makers of fresh Soulslike Lords Of The Fallen have taken a strong position against the use of digital rights management software Denuvo, promising players that the game will never dabble with the controversial anti-piracy tech.

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Among Us is preparing to drop the first new map for the viral game of tasks ‘n’ traitors in over two years - and there’s a bit of a Mario vibe to its world of strange beaches and mushroom jungles.

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Sony may be soon implementing trophies for the PC versions of its games.

That's according to True Trophies, which asserts that its own scanners have picked up "new evidence" to suggest PS5 games available on PC may soon support PlayStation trophies, enabling PC players to pick up the bronze, silver, gold, and platinum awards regardless of what platform they use.

According to True Trophies' scanners, a new platform called "PSPC" recently popped up alongside a new trophy list simply entitled "Trophy Set". Depending upon who you listen to, the "PSPC" could stand for "PlayStation PC" or "PlayStation Studios PC" – right now, we just don't know.

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The Tekken series has been ruling for years as the uncontested king of 3D fighting games, and Tekken 8 is a few months short of releasing to prove once and for all who is the King of the Iron Fist Tournament. During a special preview event at Bandai Namco Entertainment in Tokyo, Japan, I had the chance to play an early build of the game, which included 16 characters out of the promised 32 roster on release.

While I haven’t played Tekken since its sixth entry released for PS3 and Xbox 360 in 2009, I’ve kept up with the climactic story of the Mishima family in Tekken 7, as I’ve always had a vested interest in the characters. The promise of more dramatic Mishima action, and the canonical return of fan favorite Jun Kazama in Tekken 8 have kept my interest in the next entry high. But it wasn’t until playing it myself that I was fully converted.

Blizzard has taken down a Diablo 4 video after fans pointed out several bizarre mistakes and inaccuracies within it.

"Check out some of the best quality-of-life changes coming with Season of Blood," the Diablo account said on its Twitter/X account alongside a two-minute-long video that showcased some of those changes… so people did. And some, like streamer and YouTuber Taxxanterax, had a lot to say in response.

As spotted by PCGN, shortly after the video was posted, streamer and YouTuber Raxxanterax posted a video offering some "constructive feedback" after noting several mistakes, including inverted before/after map layouts, and a side-by-side comparison of what is described as "improved" horse speed that looks almost identical.

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Ahead of Diablo 4’s jump from Battlenet onto Steam in just a few days’ time, Blizzard has confirmed that its demon-slaying action-RPG will be fully Steam Deck Verified when it lands.

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The PC and Switch versions of Sociable Soccer 24 – the arcade football game from the creator of Sensible Soccer – will be released on 16th November, 2023.

The PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and last-gen console versions – as well as boxed physical versions – will be available in the first few months (Q1) of 2024.

The announcement accompanies news that the series has secured a licensing deal with FIFPRO – not to be confused with football associations of similar names – that developer Tower Studios says makes Sociable Soccer 24 "the only FIFPRO-licensed arcade action football game currently available on the market for PC and console" and provides the game with over 10,000 licensed players from around the world.

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Brace yourself, Mario fans – unsanctioned footage from the highly-anticipated new Super Mario Bros. adventure has leaked online days ahead of its official release date.

According to commenters in the Gaming Leaks and Rumours subreddit, it seems as though the game is circulating illegally via ROM sites, with various comments and posts that seemingly shared links to the pirated software deleted from the thread.

"Who tf cares about spoilers in a Mario game," posited one commenter. "It's not like the story is important lol."

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Apex Legends' Doppelgangers Collection Event will launch next week.

Running from 17th October to 31st October inclusively, the time-limited event will include in-game consumable candy that grants EVO points, ultimate charge, and Shield Healing, After Dark map variants, and the Trick N' Treats Trios game mode, which enables players to "gain extra abilities from different legends".

You can get an early teaster in the action-packed teaser below:

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A lot of romance manga can, well, feature a lot of drama. There’ll be all sorts of  rivals, characters can have misunderstandings, and it can be a lot. Sure, it gets the reader invested in a way. Especially when cliffhangers get involved. But sometimes the “will they or won’t they” gets to be a lot. That’s why I loved the execution of the first volume of The Ice Guy and the Cool Girl manga, as is a romance that is pleasantly free of things that can get exhausting about other series.

The Ice Guy and the Cool Girl is set in a world where supernatural beings exist. Himuro is descended from one of them. A yuki-onna is in his family, which means he also has some ice abilities influenced by his emotions. For example, if he gets nervous his whole body can become trapped in ice, and being really enthusiastic or happy about something can cause a snow storm inside or out. His coworker is Fuyutsuki, a woman who seems very cool and stoic, even though she’s warm inside as well. The two are working together at the same company, and we get to watch short vignettes of their developing relationship.

Square Enix is offering an "expanded free trial" for Final Fantasy 14 fans who've yet to give Stormblood – or indeed, any of the earlier expansions – a try.

With "no restriction on playtime", you can join the 27 million other players and jump into Final Fantasy 14 and try A Realm Reborn, Heavensward, and Stormblood for free, and keep playing until you hit level 70. The free trial also includes 16 different jobs "including some fan favourites from throughout Final Fantasy history".

"Hydaelyn – a vibrant planet blessed by the Light of the Crystal. Amid azure seas, encompassing the westernmost of the Three Great Continents, there lies a realm embraced by gods and forged by heroes," Square Enix teases. "Her name...Eorzea. It is here that your tale unfolds. Beckoned by the Mothercrystal – the source of all life – you must embark upon a quest to deliver the land from an eternity of Darkness."

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I love XCOM's Second Wave options almost as much as I love XCOM itself, which is quite a lot. Second Wave is a suite of design choices that were added to XCOM: Enemy Unknown in order to make the game harder, less predictable, a bit more weird. All of this, though, at the discretion of the player. Second Wave put a lot of power in the players' hands.

Powers like Damage Roulette, which does exactly what it sounds like: weapons would suddenly inflict a wide variety of different damages. New Economy, meanwhile, did something very similar for XCOM funding - you might get huge amounts of money from the council, and then you might get pretty much zip. Elsewhere, Not Created Equally gave rookies a random selection of initial stats, which made a surprisingly massive impact on the game, moment to moment. Onward and outward - those are just the first three options Second Wave offered.

I think I love Second Wave not just because I love chaos, and because some weird, difficult part of me wants a cruel game to be that bit crueller still. I love Second Wave because it feels like a great compliment to the player to be offered it. You, Second Wave suggests, are a player of great creativity and attention to detail. You're in the kitchen up to your elbows in spaghetti sauce. You leave Post-it notes to yourself about home bio-hacking projects and you do your own translations of the classics. None of this is remotely true of me, but I want it to be true, and fiddling with Second Wave makes me feel a bit more discerning, a bit more detail-oriented. It's gorgeous stuff.

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No chit-chat. This is serious. If you survived Friday the 13th, you'd be wise not to push your luck. I mean this: Tell us your weekend gaming plans and I won't egg your windows. You heard me. Hop to.

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As Final Fantasy VII Rebirth’s February 29 release date grows ever closer folks are getting antsy about seeing beloved characters like Cait Sith (pronounced “Kate Sihth,” apparently) Vincent Valentine, and Cid party up with Cloud. Although creative director Tetsuya Nomura has already confirmed that the aforementioned…

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Grand Theft Auto Online’s latest update unleashes ghosts across the world of Los Santos, letting players track down and photograph them for rewards. And one of these ghosts might look kinda familiar if you’ve played GTA IV’s Lost and the Damned DLC…

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Diablo 4 is just days away from launching on Steam, and one obvious question that's arisen following the news of its storfront jump - will it work on Steam Deck? - has finally be answered by Blizzard. And it's good news, taking the form of a 'Steam Deck Verified' yes.

I'll be honest, I've not actually played Diablo 4, but its predecessor was an absolute treat to have readily, portably to hand on Switch, so I can very much see why fans of Blizzard's latest would be keen for news on its Steam Deck compatibility.

And, thankfully, Diablo's global community development director Adam Fletcher had good news to share when he broached the topic in response to fan queries on social media. "We can happily say," Fletcher wrote, "that Diablo 4 will be Steam Deck Verified starting next Tuesday with the launch of the game on Steam and the start of Season of Blood!".

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If you're a Counter-Strike 2 player with an AMD GPU, pay attention: Valve has warned that the company's latest GPU driver has introduced a new feature that, if activated, will result in a Steam VAC ban. So, basically, proceed with caution.

Here's what's going on; AMD's newly released Adrenalin Edition 23.10.1 driver adds, among other things, Anti-Lag+ support for Counter-Strike 2, which, on the face of it, seems like an entirely positive thing. After all, who wouldn't want less lag in their fiercely competitive online shooty game?

Unfortunately, the way the Anti-Lag+ feature works - it does its job by "detouring engine dll functions", according to Valve - can have serious consequences for Counter-Strike 2 players who opt to turn it on.

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The Wii U was certainly not the most successful console Nintendo’s ever released, and while some may fondly remember it in 2023, at least one person actually bought a brand new Wii U from a store as if it was 2013 all over again.

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At New York Comic Con on October 13, Crunchyroll announced Kaiju No. 8, a popular Shonen Jump sci-fi monster fighter series, will come to the anime streaming service exclusively next spring.

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This week on All Things Nintendo, it's a slow news week, so we just jump right into Marcus Stewart's Sonic Superstars review. Following an in-depth discussion, we throw to an interview recorded this past summer with Sonic Team's chief brand and business officer, Ivo Gerscovich. Finally, the show wraps up with a Definitive Ranking featuring 2D platformers and an eShop Gem that came out this week.

If you'd like to follow Brian on social media, you can do so on his Instagram/Threads @BrianPShea or Twitter @BrianPShea. You can follow Marcus on Twitter: @MarcusStewart7.

The All Things Nintendo podcast is a weekly show where we celebrate, discuss, and break down all the latest games, news, and announcements from the industry's most recognizable name. Each week, Brian is joined by different guests to talk about what's happening in the world of Nintendo. Along the way, they'll share personal stories, uncover hidden gems in the eShop, and even look back on the classics we all grew up with. A new episode hits every Friday!

Earlier this week, Sony officially revealed the smaller and sleeker PlayStation 5 “slim.” Sure, the console looks a hell of a lot thinner than its gargantuan predecessor, but the PS5 slim’s white void-ass production shot doesn’t do gamers any favors in guesstimating exactly how much space they’d save by purchasing the…

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Update 10/13/2023 3:25 p.m. ET: The speculation surrounding who voices Mario has been brought to an end. Kevin Afghani, who also voices Arnold in Genshin Impact, confirmed on X (formerly Twitter) that he had stepped into the plumber’s boots.

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The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam will no longer offer its Pokemon x Van Gogh Museum promo card featuring Pikachu. This card depicted Pikachu in the style of Van Gogh’s infamous Self-Portrait with Grey Felt Hat painting. According to the museum’s FAQ page, it’s pulling the card due to safety concerns.

You can see the full announcement below: