For the uninitiated, both Blasphemous games are mostly well-liked side-scrolling Metroidvanias inspired by the Dark Souls series. Developer Game Kitchen released the first game in 2019 and the sequel came out just last year. In a tweet, the studio revealed another project seemingly in the same universe, with a short cinematic simply showing the Mea Culpa sword used by the protagonist in the first game. The sword was replaced by the Veredicto, Ruego Al Alba, and Sarmiento & Centella weapons in the sequel.

"The bells toll again, Penitent One. Your patience has been a virtue, but you need not wait for much longer," reads the tweet.

I'm a little conflicted about what I think this could be. The timing of it being so close to the release of Blasphemous 2 makes me think DLC, especially since the first game has three expansions and the sequel doesn't yet have any, but the use of the sword from the first game trips up that logic somewhat. It definitely doesn't rule out Blasphemous 2 DLC, but it's enough to make me not want to say with any degree of confidence what's being teased here.

I have to admit it's absolutely tickling me watching the devs absolutely starve players desperate for more information using incredibly cryptic in-canon language. In response to one player asking about the appearance of the Mea Culpa and inexplicably lamenting potential new content, the official Blasphemous Twitter account said: "And so I fear...That THY Penance is far from over."

We'll know more when we know more, I suppose.

Looking for some games like Elden Ring? You know where to click.

Gaming content creator JorRaptor recently was able to spend four hours playing Star Wars Outlaws and graciously lent us his insights both in video form and in a comprehensive list on Twitter. There's a lot of juicy info there, but the very first line made me go, "ah darn, that would've been cool."

According to JorRaptor, there's no way to kill or even steal from friendly civilians, event though the game is named, you know, Star Wars Outlaws. I know there's bounty hunting in the game and a reputation system that can lead to some GTA-style chases, but alas, robbing and killing innocent civilians aren't among the crimes you can commit and be held accountable for.

We also spent four hours playing Star Wars Outlaws recently and, somewhat ironically, said it feels like Red Dead Redemption in space, which I suppose is a more fitting description seeing as how game director Mathias Karlson described it as a "full spectrum fantasy" of the "thief, gunslinger, and resourceful underdog".

Regardless of all of this, Dustin seemed to really enjoy his time with Star Wars Outlaws, saying it's "the least Ubisoft-feeling Ubisoft game" he's played in ages.

"By the end of my four hours with Star Wars Outlaws, all I wanted to do was play more," he said. "I've found myself growing increasingly burnt out on open world games over the years, but this open world feels like one of the most complete and coherent I've seen in ages. I'll need a lot more time with Outlaws to know how it measures up against incredible games like Red Dead Redemption and Ghost of Tsushima, but the fact that it's reminding me so strongly of them is a good thing indeed."

While we wait for Star Wars Outlaws to launch on August 31, here are the best open world games to play today.

As revealed in Elden Ring publisher Bandai Namco's first quarter financial results, Shadow of the Erdtree boosted the company's digital operating profit in its entertainment sector by 553% year-over-year, enough to prompt this ecstatic, over-the-top reaction in the document: "On the business side, Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree, the major downloadable content of the home console game Elden Ring, was a hit, contributing to the operating results in the Digital Business."

Elsewhere in the results summary, Bandai Namco showed a 24.8% increase in net sales and a 56.3% rise in profit for the three months that ended on June 30, 2024. It's no coincidence that Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree released about a week prior on June 21.

Of course, none of this is a surprise. Shadow of the Erdtree was an instant success at launch, beating giant full-game releases like Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth in ratings and selling five million units in its first three days. The DLC's success rivals some of the biggest DLC releases of all time, including Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty and The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine. As soon as it became the highest rated DLC for an RPG ever, CDPR even congratulated Bandai Namco with some awesome custom art of Geralt in Elden Ring.

In a different type of numbers game, this Elden Ring sicko takes the limiters off NG+ scaling, cranks Shadow of the Erdtree to NG+ 1,000 and still no-hits a 500,000-HP Messmer.

Remember CrossCode, the 2018 indie action-RPG from Radical Fish Games with great combat and puzzles? Well, the same studio is making a follow-up that looks even better.

Radical Fish Games has revealed Alabaster Dawn with a shockingly pretty trailer that showcases the studio's knack for creating 2.5D pixel art worlds teeming with as much life and vibrancy as any full 3D AAA game. The studio describes the follow-up as "an Action RPG that builds on the best aspects" of CrossCode, and yet again we're being treated to a "deep combat system, challenging puzzles, and a mysterious world teeming with secrets, all bundled up in an engaging story."

Not much is known about the story at this juncture, but it's definitely distinct from CrossCode if not set in an entirely different universe. Whereas CrossCode takes place primarily inside a fictional MMORPG, Alabaster Dawn centers around a hero named Juno chosen to bring back the former glory of a ruined world she once called her home.

Radical Fish promises a "massive adventure" with 30-60 hours of playtime and seven unique areas to explore. Combat is inspired by Kingdom Hearts and Devil May Cry, and just from the trailer you can see a variety of combos, ranged and melee attacks, and abilities.

There are also eight distinct weapons that can be slotted into any one of four elements at any point throughout your playthrough, and then there are gems you can add to your weapons to unlock enchantments, which can range from basic stat buffs to more targeted bonuses that change the way you engage enemies.

You'll also be able to unlock various combat arts for each weapon's skill tree, and yes, there's a different skill tree for each weapon. Adding to the depth of combat are divine arts, which can be equipped to each element to unlock special spells for taking on the heartiest of foes.

Meanwhile, healing is built into the game's cooking system, whereby you cook all sorts of dishes at resting spots to increase your stock of healing bulbs and unlock temporary buffs. And every time you cook, you increase something called your Palate Level, which further enhances the effects of everything you cook going forward.

Basically, Alabaster Dawn looks like a sequel to CrossCode in all but name, even if it doesn't take place in the same universe. And I mean that as the highest possible compliment. There's no word on a release date yet, but judging from the encouragingly polished gameplay shown in the trailer, it might not be too far off. 

Here are all of the upcoming indie games we can't wait to play.

"I love that Gearbox has allowed us to have this small team to capture that indie feel," design lead Bruno Fontanetti says in an interview with GamesRadar+. "I feel like if we had expanded into a huge team, it would have been harder to carry on the spirit of this thing."

Risk of Rain was created by the two co-founders of original developer Hopoo Games and has since become a modern pillar of roguelikes, especially after Risk of Rain 2 grew into such a co-op hit. One of the first things Gearbox did with the IP was plan a free-to-play mobile spinoff at an external studio which honestly didn't look terrible but ended up getting canceled before it was finished, which didn't fill a lot of Risk of Rain fans with confidence. 

With Seekers of the Storm, Gearbox can demonstrate its dedication to Risk of Rain 2, easily the biggest game in the series, and its handling of the IP as a whole. Fontanetti, who wears several hats on the new, slightly larger but still small Risk of Rain 2 dev team, says the company has been supportive and engaged and has plans for the future. 

"I am super excited for the franchise going forward," Fontanetti affirms. "What Gearbox has allowed us to do and create so far has been incredibly exciting and fun for the team. Every day has been this huge privilege, and it's just a load of fun to work with this IP particularly and the people that are on it. I feel like the future is bright for Risk of Rain and I think fans are gonna really enjoy what we've been working on. I can tell you Gearbox is very interested in continuing this franchise and making more stuff that the fans are going to enjoy. They've really allowed us to continue that spirit." 

Risk of Rain 2 is getting a game-changing new character, a monk-inspired healer called the Seeker, and we've got all the details. 

Seeking a challenge

In an interview with GamesRadar+, design lead Bruno Fontanetti – who heads the small Risk of Rain 2 development team under new owner Gearbox now that original developer Hopoo has sold the IP – walks us through the origins and play style of the Seeker, a support character designed to feel powerful rather than codependent. After digging through her art and kit, I have to wonder if she was inspired by the archetypal RPG monk, viewed through the alien lens of Risk of Rain. 

"You are barking up the right tree there," Fontanetti says. "That's exactly it. I was part of the initial design for Seeker and I have a great love of that kind of ancient monk, soulful kind of character and that's where we started with this Survivor. We wanted somebody that was able to manipulate the soul and have these very Tai Chi, flowing kinds of abilities. That's where the base of this started." 

Here's how Seeker's four core abilities work, straight from Gearbox Software: 

• Primary - Spirit Punch: a two-punch combo that propels Seeker forward and is followed up by an explosive third punch.
• Secondary - Unseen Hand: gives Seeker a bit of range by throwing out a giant phantasmal hand from the ground to slow, knock back, and drain health from all that are in range.
• Special - Meditate: allows Seeker to unleash a powerful short-range blast that not only damages enemies, but provides a handy heal for allies. This builds stacks of Tranquility by opening chakra gates, and with seven stacks you get a once-per-stage, team-wide revive that also works during boss fights.
• Utility - Sojourn: take self damage while flying high in the air before colliding into enemies, dealing damage and stunning those in range.

Sojourn uniquely uses health as a resource in place of a traditional cooldown, letting Seeker fly longer distances while ramping up her impact damage and ongoing HP loss after three seconds. It sounds like a powerful movement option, but Meditate is the real show-stopper here. 

Dying in a Risk of Rain 2 co-op session stings because you just end up watching your friends have fun for several minutes, steadily pulling ahead of you in item power, not unlike an old battle royale ghost spectating over the shoulder. A well-timed Meditate from Seeker could fix this pain point, getting everyone back into the fight for loot – or making for a clutch comeback during a late-game boss fight. 

Seeker is obviously powerful, but isn't meant to break the game or feel mandatory. She saw extensive testing and iteration – making a new Survivor can take upwards of three to six months, Fontanetti says, and even that's a ballpark estimate with a lot of room for variance. Pulling off a seven-stack Meditate takes a long time and requires increasingly lengthy, Helldivers 2 Stratagem-esque directional inputs (which Fontanetti says are a total coincidence – this part of Seeker's design was decided before Helldivers 2 took off). It's not something you can pull out on a whim, but it is something you can plan for when things get rough, and that shift in play style is partly what makes Seeker exciting. 

Likewise, Seeker's healing ability is naturally balanced by Risk of Rain 2's Malachite elite enemies and ramping damage, which can respectively disable healing or totally obviate it by just one-shotting you. Seeker may provide a comfier entry point for some players, but she doesn't solve the game outright. 

"It feels good to be able to revive just once per stage, and we don't feel like it's very overpowered," he says. "We've tried to really balance it. The Meditation process is very difficult. It puts you in danger, for one, because you're holding still. Anyone who knows this game well knows if you hold still, you die. You have to get yourself in a safe place and be able to enter a combination of symbols." 

"We're very respectful of Hopoo's creations," he adds, stressing a great relationship with the original devs, who are still consulted on occasion. "With every Survivor that's created, we look at the stats, the health, the damage. We look at everything that's been created before. We look at very powerful characters like Loader and make sure it doesn't surpass that kind of bar. We will see that with Seeker. On paper she sounds really strong but at the same time she's a little difficult to play and there's a lot of risk and reward there." 

The future of Risk of Rain 

Compared to the Hopoo-made DLC Survivors of the Void, Fontanetti says Seekers of the Storm matches it in new content – fresh items, stages, enemies, and so on – while specifically targeting "this path for players to find those god runs," ramping up the roguelike balance of risk and reward in general. "The theme of this DLC is a 'path to godhood' kind of thing," he adds. That may play out as "going into a more difficult path to gain some really amazing items and encounter some mechanics that can help the player elongate their gameplay." Fontanetti notes that players "can potentially play more loops if they do it right," which I know will perk up the ears of Risk of Rain 2 players who regularly hit three hours or more on intense runs. It's me, I'm players. 

Seekers of the Storm will be a big moment for what's still one of the best roguelikes around – not just the first major content drop in years, but also the first Gearbox Software-led Risk of Rain 2 update. It's a chance for Gearbox to prove itself a capable shepherd after the free-to-play mobile game Risk of Rain: Hostile Worlds, which was not only canceled before release, but wasn't what most fans wanted to see after the company bought the IP to begin with. On that front, Fontanetti is more than optimistic. 

"I love that Gearbox has allowed us to have this small team to capture that indie feel. I feel like if we had expanded into a huge team, it would have been harder to carry on the spirit of this thing," he says, tipping his hat to the two-man team that first made Risk of Rain (when they were still in college, even). "All of us wear lots of hats; we are level designers, system designers. I have made levels, new monsters, Survivors ... I am super excited for the franchise going forward. What Gearbox has allowed us to do and create so far has been incredibly exciting and fun for the team. Every day has been this huge privilege, and it's just a load of fun to work with this IP particularly and the people that are on it. I feel like the future is bright for Risk of Rain and I think fans are gonna really enjoy what we've been working on. I can tell you Gearbox is very interested in continuing this franchise and making more stuff that the fans are going to enjoy. They've really allowed us to continue that spirit." 

How to earn Mother's Gifts in Diablo 4

To earn Mother's Gifts in Diablo 4, you need to defeat "powerful servants of Hell" including Elites, Champions, Hellborne, and Bosses for them to drop, so to maximize your progress you're looking for methods to reach large numbers of those enemies quickly. At World Tiers 1 and 2, the fastest way to earn Mother's Gifts in Diablo 4 is to participate in Legion Events, so keep an eye out for them appearing on the map as they provide a large number of Elite enemies plus three Bosses to defeat. Although not quite as efficient, you can also earn Mother's Gifts by taking part in Diablo 4 Helltide events when they appear, by heading to areas marked on the map with a red coloring and slaying your way through the various monsters that spawn there.

If you've made significant progress and want to up your game, then at World Tiers 3 and 4, the fastest way to earn Mother's Gifts in Diablo 4 is to participate in Infernal Hordes. This content unlocks in World Tier 3 after completing the seasonal questline, and involves surviving increasingly difficult waves of enemies until your reach the final showdown with the Fell Council, consisting of corrupted priests with unique attacks.

You can also increase your chances of additional Mother's Gifts in Diablo 4 with one of the Season Blessings, so you should allocate the Smouldering Ashes you unlock with your Season progress to the Urn of the Blessed Mother. Each Urn of the Blessed Mother level you activate gives a 10% boost to the chance of additional Mother's Gifts dropping from the sources listed above, and these stack to a maximum boost of +40% at Level 4.

Rewards unlocked with Diablo 4 Mother's Gifts

Istel of the Mother's Triune is found in Zarbinzet, a city to the west side of the Hawezar region, and this contains a portal that you can activate if it isn't already powered up to get there quickly using Diablo 4 fast travel. Once there, you can speak to her to see your current Mother's Gift Rank and how far you've progressed towards the next level, then in the lower section you can claim any of the Diablo 4 Mother's Gift rewards you've unlocked so far. These are divided into 20 tiers as follows:

1. +5,000 Experience, Triune Parcel
2. Triune Crate, The Past Behind Us seasonal side quest
3. Triune Arms Cache, The Seething Mountain seasonal side quest
4. Triune Crate, An Old and Angry Wound seasonal side quest
5. Triune Arms Cache, Sins of the Willing seasonal side quest
6. Sacred Triune Arms Cache, The Wages of Hatred seasonal side quest
7. Triune Crate
8. Infernal Compass
9. Triune Crate
10. Ancestral Triune Arms Cache
11. Triune Strongbox
12. Triune Strongbox
13. Elements of Hatred
14. Triune Strongbox, Abyssal Scroll
15. Triune Strongbox of Endurant Faith
16. Triune Strongbox
17. Elements of Hatred
18. Ancestral Triune Arms Cache
19. Element of Nemesis
20. Greater Triune Arms Cache

Most of these rewards are in the form of caches, which you'll need to open after receiving to drop new items relevant to your current class. Some of the earlier tiers also unlock fresh seasonal side quests, so you can continue to progress the storyline in the Season of the Infernal Hordes.

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.

Game Science's Chinese mythology-inspired action RPG has felt like a long time coming, but it's finally launching on PC and PS5 on August 20 (Xbox fans will unfortunately have to sit tight, with no Series X|S release date confirmed yet). The latest trailer showcases more fast, fluid, and "never-seen-before combat gameplay," tough foes we can expect to take on, and fresh looks at some of the stunning locations we'll soon be able to explore – from a frozen lake to an autumnal, wooded area. We also get given a peek at some story cutscenes and characters.

As Game Science writes on Twitter, excitingly, all of the footage showcased in the latest trailer is taken from "the actual PC version" of the game, which in theory should mean that what you see is what you get. You can take a look below.

Despite allegations of sexist remarks being made by some individuals at Game Science, which surfaced last year via a report from IGN, Black Myth: Wukong has managed to hold the attention of many since its reveal. Even Hideo Kojima has expressed excitement about it, and in June said it's "been on my mind since I saw the first trailer about three years ago." 

Based on hands-on previews of the game, the gameplay itself certainly sounds promising. GamesRadar+'s very own Austin Wood spent two hours playing Black Myth: Wukong during Summer Game Fest, and was full of praise for both its detailed visuals and satisfying movement, adding that it was "easily one of the best things at SGF."

Anyway, with Game Science confirming that its development is all wrapped up, "and the game will be released as scheduled," it's just a waiting game now – we'll soon find out if the action RPG will be able to meet expectations. 

I was the first Black Myth: Wukong player at Summer Game Fest to beat this freaky optional boss, and I don't know how I'm gonna fit my ego through the door.

Following a Steam stats comparison on Twitter between Palworld and Helldivers 2, one user coins the age of "meme gaming," where you "seek to burn bright and strong" but you know you'll "burn up fast no matter what."

It is, simply, not something Bucky is here for. Alongside discarding either game being a 'meme,' he says that both enjoy healthy player bases - even if they're smaller than their post-launch highs, which is just about the same for any game, really.

"Both offer a fun experience that a lot of people enjoy, and both still enjoy a very healthy player base," he says. "Palworld isn't even a live game and can be enjoyed alone or with friends in co-op, so does CCU even matter?

"Have we really 'burned up'? Has Helldivers? As long as both games continue to be developed, and as long as someone is enjoying them then surely it's a win? Why even compare them?"

Bucky goes on to say that he doesn't know what the "negativity is for," as people "had fun" and continue to do so. "As game devs, isn't that literally all we ask for? People to enjoy our games," he adds.

The highs and lows of concurrent player counts have long fascinated folk trying to wager from afar whether a game is successful or will continue to be. Many believe the right conclusions aren't always drawn – it's fine if someone plays something and then moves on until an update comes along, for example – though it's something Bucky has spoken on before, in part as Palworld boomed with among-record-high Steam player counts at launch before settling into a lower-but-healthy average.

As with other developers and outlets who weigh in on the topic, the short version is that a declining player count after launch is mostly normal - especially for something that isn't live service - so you may as well "just play the games you like," and not worry about it.

After using generative AI in a co-op painting game 2 years ago, Palworld studio CEO wants to keep "a healthy distance from technological advancements."

Bandai Namco's That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Isekai Chronicles is out today, August 8, across PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch. Over on the PlayStation Blog, the developer and publisher revealed that the brand new action RPG actually features original storylines from author Fuse.

This is actually in tandem to replaying the overarching events of the main manga series itself. That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Isekai Chronicles follows the founding of the Jura Tempest Federation by Rimuru Tempest, in its journey from a fledgling goblin village all the way to a proud nation.

The PlayStation Blog post unfortunately doesn't elaborate on which stories in particular Fuse has devised, but thanks to a press release we know the game will feature two stories from the manga author. These will see Rimuru confront a "powerful new enemy." 

Back in April we noted that the That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime game looked pretty stellar, standing out from a swarming sea of anime adaptions as action RPGs. That's partly because it's actually a city-builder, letting you choose how you want to construct the Jura Tempest Federation and with what sort of buildings. 

The different buildings you construct can then feed back into gameplay boosts, including increased attack power, reinforced defensive stats, enhanced luck rates, and more. The weapons stand improves your attack power, for example, while the hot springs enhances luck for one random character.

If you're curious about the anime adaption of That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, then I've got good news, because both seasons and the anime movie are available on Crunchyroll right now, and the third season is currently airing weekly on the streaming service.

Take a look at our new games 2024 guide for an overview of all the other new titles launching this year.