If you cast your minds back to last year, you may recall Pocketpair releasing a trailer for a dating sim spin-off called "Palworld! ~More Than Just Pals~". This was all part of some good ol' fashioned April Fools Day fun or was it? Read more

Previously promised RoboCop VR game sounds super shady, as development halts following lack of official licenceMurphy's law.Image credit: Coffee Moth Games News by Victoria Kennedy News Reporter Published on March 31, 2025 A previously announced RoboCop VR title has been kiboshed after it transpired that the game wasn't officially licensed before its reveal.RoboCop: Streets of Anarchy, as it was known, was a VR game based on the sci-fi film which first made the rounds earlier this month, when it appeared on developer Coffee Moth Games' website.At this time, the game was said to be being created in partnership with Amazon-MGM and would promise an "original narrative and complex storylines interwoven with bombastic action".This INCREDIBLE Mod Makes HUNDREDS Of Flat Games Support VR! Watch on YouTubeHowever, fast forward a couple of weeks, and those promises are going to have to be left unfulfilled, as it turns out RoboCop: Streets of Anarchy wasn't actually officially licensed before its reveal.An Amazon MGM representative told UploadVR the company never actually entered into any agreement with Coffee Moth Games. "Furthermore, Amazon MGM advised that RoboCop isn't officially licensed with that studio, and the official website page for Streets of Anarchy has since been removed," UploadVR continued.The publication had previously been in contact with Coffee Moth Games, and a representative from the studio revealed they're actually an outsourcing company with no direct relationship to Amazon MGM. However, "the company responsible for contracting the rights from Amazon MGM contacted us for the game's development," the representative said. To see this content please enable targeting cookies.The landing page for RoboCop: Streets of Anarchy and the developer itself is currently locked away behind a password, and therefore can not be accessed by the public (I just tried).Eurogamer has reached out to Coffee Moth Games for further information.

You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games hereAmazon Game Prime gaming has given away the final batch of free games for March 2025, meanwhile, Steam Deck users have some free games they need to claim right now before they expire in just a few days. While Amazon will announce the freebies for April soon, right now Steam Deck users have limited-time remaining to buy one of the scariest horror games of all time for 40% off.Steam Deck users can buy one of the scariest horror games for 40% offOn Steam, there is currently a sale for Visage until April 6th. The sale sees the game priced at 16.67, which is 40% off its regular price of 27.79.As for how well Visage plays on Steam Deck, the game is rated as Gold on ProtonDB, and its official Steam page says it is playable on Valves handheld platform. The games compatibility rating lists the following pros and cons:Pro This game shows Steam Deck controller iconsPro This games default graphics configuration works well on Steam DeckCon Some in-game text is small and may be difficult to readCon Some functionality is not accessible when using the default controller configuration, requiring use of the touchscreen or virtual keyboard, or a community configurationWhile its not a juggernaut name like Resident Evil or Silent Hill, Visage is arguably way scarier, and is considered one of the scariest games of all time. Its an absolutely mind-bending experience with horrifying frights, and its definitely worth checking out if youre a fan of horror.There are very few horror games with as clever scares and spinechilling tension, so we cannot recommend it enough.Another great horror game alternative is Madison. Theres no sale right now, but it is only 29.99, and it is officially verified for Valves handheld system.Related TopicsSteam Deck Subscribe to our newsletters!By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.Share

You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games hereAfter suffering an invasion of Ukraine, a relocation to Prague and a massive office fire, GSC Game World is steadily rebuilding after the release of Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl.Following the games release in November, GSC Game World has continued to hire new employees. With the games massive sales already bringing the project to profit, the studio is sizing back up to continue work on the title post-launch.Stalker 2 devs expand for post-launchWith updates planned to address A-Life issues and reintroduce cut content, the studio is continuing to hire new devs. As the studio continues to hire, a roadmap of updates is also in the works to be more transparent with fans.Via ITC, the Stalker 2 developer has hired more than 50 developers in the last few months. By the time of the titles Gamescom showing in August 2024, the studio had a total of 220 developers. The studio now has over 270 developers.GSC Game World isnt the only Ukrainian game studio to continue hiring, but it is the most successful. With more than 50 new hires since the release of the game, the studio is a market leader for Ukraine which, lets be honest, is expected of a studio that took down the regions internet on launch day.With millions of players still excited for the future of the game, GSC Game Worlds Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl is a massive success. While the studio is focused on improving the core gameplay for the time being, there are also expansions in the works that will offer fresh perspectives on the Zone.Additionally, GSC is working on more advanced mod tools for the future so that fans can create more powerful mods. Nevertheless, modders are still creating some truly fantastic mods such as Stalker Infinity and the brilliant Desolation pack which makes the game much harder.S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of ChornobylPlatform(s):PC, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series S/X, Xbox Series XGenre(s):Action, Adventure, RPG, Shooter, Survival HorrorSubscribe to our newsletters!By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.Share

The story of this house is a long and winding one, Heidi Caillier says, as she begins describing her latest project. In fact, it almost didnt happen. In 2020, when the Seattle-based AD100 and AD PRO Directory designer first met the clients, a young couple putting down roots in southwest Colorado, she asked them which other designers they were interviewing to reimagine the 70s farmhouse on their 13-acre ranch. I remember thinking Im not going to get this job because were not aligned aesthetically, says Caillier, who is known for her colorful, layered approach. Im not going to do a ton of beige everywhere.Fast forward four years and theres hardly a lick of beige in sight. Ultimately, the designers and clients visions merged into a home that feels both deeply personal and enduring. I think the nice part about a project that has a life cycle thats this long is that it gives the clients a chance to understand who they are in their design aesthetic, Caillier reflects. We really grew together in that way.Building materials with patina, like the reclaimed limestone floors in the entry, were used to give the new build character. The hallway and stairs are swathed in wallpaper by Michael Smith and painted with Farrow & Balls Pigeon. The chair, table, rug, and pendant light are all antique, while the stairwell sconces are from Besselink & Jones.Farrow & Balls Wimborne White casts a soft glow in the living room. A floral Howe sofa upholstered in Rose Macclesfield fabric pairs seamlessly with George Smith armchairs in a C&C Milano textile, while a Nickey Kehoe sofa in a deep blue Zak+Fox fabric adds contrast. Layered lighting includes vintage sconces with Rose Tarlow shades and a Besselink & Jones floor lamp.But getting there wasnt simple. The project began as a renovation, but architectural challengesplus the news that their toddler daughter would soon be joined by twin sisterspushed the clients to scrap the original structure and start fresh. Still, they wanted something that felt like it had been there for generations, rather than a brand-new build dropped onto the landscape. Thats always the challenge with new builds, Caillier says. How do you make them look, well, not new?To ensure the house had a sense of history, Caillier leaned on a familiar collaborator, architect Lauren Crocco, and a design scheme that embraced the imperfect. Rough-hewn reclaimed wood beams, varying door heights, and intentionally mismatched vintage hardware create an authenticity often lacking in new construction. We were getting calls from the contractor every week, saying, Are you sure this measurement is right? Or This has been used, and it looks old, Caillier laughs.Bathed in the earthy green of Farrow & Balls Lichen, this sun-drenched sitting room layers vintage finds with patterned textiles. A custom ottoman in a Guy Goodfellow stripe pairs with an Anthropologie sofa draped in a floral throw, while a vintage rattan chair, reupholstered in Pierre Frey fabric, adds a relaxed touch. The floral armchair, clad in Clarence Houses Dahlia Handblock, lends a painterly flourish beside a vintage side table.The kitchen features a moody paletteFarrow & Balls Brinjal on the cabinetry and Pantalon on the island. Caillier layered textures by mixing marble and walnut countertops with brass fixtures from Waterworks. The oversized pendant lights, sourced from Jamb, add a touch of old-world charm, complementing the rustic wood beams overhead.An antique dining table and well-worn farm chairs from 1stDibs lend the kitchens breakfast nook a sense of history. A midcentury Italian pendant adds a bold pop of red overhead, juxtaposing the rooms timeworn elements. The built-in banquette is upholstered in a Decors Barbares fabric. The antique cabinet is from Arcadia. The walls are painted in Portola Paints Blondie.Pattern and patina define the dining room, where Morris & Co. wallpaper serves as a backdrop. A custom St. Frank textile drapes the windows. The antique hutch brims with collected ceramics. At the center, a Shoppe Amber Interiors dining table is surrounded by classic Windsor chairs from Shaker Shoppe. Overhead, a rope-wrapped chandelier from Hollywood at Home adds a touch of rustic charm.The living areas draw inspiration from a mix of eras and styles. In the kitchens breakfast alcove, a midcentury Italian light fixture hangs near a rustic country cabinet. While in the dining room, deep red checkered upholstery meets Delft tile and a blue scalloped trim. Every corner brims with custom details. Theres even a hidden passage from the sitting room to the dining room via a jib door, a feature the kids have already claimed as their own secret hideaway.Upstairs, a long hallway with built-in storage separates the girls rooms from the primary suite. We pictured this as their little hangout area, Caillier says of the landing. In the eldest daughters room, a cozy nook is nestled beneath the sloped ceilings swathed in a Robert Kime wallpaper. Its where she reads and the cats curl up. An adventurous mix of fabrics brings warmth to the primary suite, without overwhelming the space. Reclaimed terra-cotta floors ground the adjoining bath, where a vintage dresser became a vanity and a Calacatta Viola shower is framed in a glass and brass enclosure.In the primary bedroom, a custom bed upholstered in Michael Smith fabric is dressed in a Hollywood at Home coverlet, while vintage floral sconces frame the headboard. Matching vintage Paolo Buffa armchairs in a C&C Milano textile create a cozy seating area beside a Westenholz side table, all anchored by a patterned rug from Tibetano. Custom Robert Kime drapery softens the large windows, while the built-in armoire, designed by Caillier, adds storage and a historic feel. The walls, ceiling, and millwork are all painted Farrow & Balls Dead Salmon.A Water Monopoly tub, fitted with Drummonds brass fixtures, anchors the primary bath. A vintage pendant from Obsolete hangs above the tub, while Rose Uniacke sconces flank the vanity. Vintage terra-cotta hex tiles from Cl Tile ground the room in rustic texture, while Heather Taylor Home caf curtains add a touch of homespun charm to the sunlit window. Caillier had an antique English chest of drawers topped with a slab of Calacatta Viola marble to create the vanity. The woodwork is painted in Farrow & Balls Vert de Terre, while Portola Paints Blondie limewash coats the walls.The cabinetry in the airy sunroom is painted in Breakfast Room Green by Farrow & Ball. The floor is composed of reclaimed limstone, and the rug is a vintage find.Both practical and polished, the mudroom is designed to handle muddy boots and overflowing garden clippings in style. The cabinetry, painted Benjamin Moores Dark Olive, contrasts with the warmth of a walnut countertop. Reclaimed limestone flooring and an exposed stone wall offer patina. The brass plumbing fixtures are by Devol. The caf curtains feature Pindlers Danville Natural fabric.A late-stage addition turned into one of the wifes favorite spaces: a greenhouse room tacked onto the primary bedroom, via yet another camouflage door. With its sun-drenched windows and organic connection to the outdoors, the space feels like it was always meant to be there.Now the house is exactly what the clients hoped it would be: a forever home. Its timeless, says the wife. In 10 years, Im not going to want to redo my kitchen. Her husband agrees: Every room feels special. Each space within the home is designed to evolve with their family, aging gracefully rather than feeling stuck in any particular period. We always envisioned passing this house on to our kids and grandkids, the husband says. Thanks to Cailliers deft hand, that dream feels possible.Nestled in the rugged beauty of the familys 13-acre ranch, the newly built home embraces a timeless sensibility with its shingled faade, sweeping roofline, and copper-accented dormers. Earthy tones help the structure blend seamlessly into the landscape, while expansive windows frame panoramic mountain views.In this guest bedroom, Farrow & Balls Setting Plaster envelops the walls in a warm, muted pink. A Chelsea Textiles spindle bed is dressed in a richly patterned antique coverlet and is flanked by Furbish Studios nightstands. A custom Eliko rug introduces subtle texture underfoot, and a custom armchair in a Michael Smith fabric offers an inviting corner for reading. The lantern-style pendant overhead is by Jamb.In the guest bathroom, Cl Tile in a checkerboard pattern creates a striking backdrop, with deep plum and chocolate tones. A brass-framed shower enclosure and Drummonds plumbing fixtures add a layer of old-world elegance. Walls painted in Farrow & Balls Tailor Tack soften the look.Lush Pierre Frey wallpaper envelops the powder room, while a pleated Decors Barbares sink skirt adds a romantic, textural contrast. The vintage-inspired Water Monopoly sink is fitted with Drummonds brass fixtures. An antique tramp mirror introduces an element of rustic craftsmanship and is flanked by classic Ann Morris sconces.A Robert Kime wallpaper cocoons the eldest daughters bedroom. The custom bed is upholstered in a Carolina Irving fabric and topped with an ochre John Derian coverlet. Olive-hued Chelsea Textiles nightstands flank the bed. The star of the space is a hidden nook, lined in Robert Kime and Penny Morrison fabrics.The eldest daughters bathroom is defined by its custom shower tile, designed by Caillier in collaboration with Tempest Tileworks. The scalloped vanity from Studio HM is finished with a stone countertop and waterworks brass plumbing. The Nickey Kehoe chair is upholstered in a Rose Tarlow fabric. A gauzy Le Gracieux window treatment and walls painted Farrow & Balls Wimborne White lend the space an airy feel.Another powder room is swathed in Michael Smith wallpaper. A midcentury Italian bamboo mirror is flanked by a duo of antique brass tole sconces. The sink and fixtures are by Water Monopoly.In the twin daughters bedroom, a custom plum-hued wallpaper by Zina Studio is offset by Pierre Frey drapery in a bold buffalo check. Virginia Tupker beds with woven headboards add natural texture, dressed in vintage kantha quilts sourced from Etsy. Lumfardo sconces illuminate a Chelsea Textiles nightstand. The John Derian armchair in a Robert Kime fabric features a sweet stripe.In the twin daughters bathroom, the walls and custom cabinetry are painted in Portola Paints Magic Potion. The wall-mounted brass fixtures are by Water Monopoly. The Urban Electric sconces feature pleated fabric shades. A shower curtain in 36 Bourne Street fabric introduces a subtle pattern.Set atop flagstone pavers, the outdoor dining area is designed for alfresco meals. The custom table is surrounded by modern chairs from DWR.

This time around, she focuses exclusively on strategies relating to water, so vital for life even as its frequently framed as a threat. Included among the case studies are the seasonal weirs that the Baka people of southeastern Cameroon construct out of dead tree trunks, sludge, and plants to trap fish, yielding perhaps the greenest damming system imaginable. Another chapter spotlights the raised fields that the Xochimilca people erected in Mexicos Lake Xochimilco, the organic vestiges of which still grow crops andthanks to the beds combination of living and decaying organic materialcleanse wastewater. Then there are profiles of contemporary architecture projects, such as Chinas Sanya Mangrove Park, one of landscape architect Kongjian Yus sponge city developments. Using a cut-and-fill technique employed by Chinese farmers, he created a series of interlocking pools and embankments that draw water from the nearby bay and thereby prevent flooding.An atoll of Micronesia, home to the floating islands of the Poluwat and Yapese people.Watson, an activist and consultant who lectures on ancestral futurism, hopes the book will inspire educators and designers to use these technologies in their work, and to do so in a respectful and reciprocal way. For her part, she coauthored the sections on TEK systems with members of the Indigenous nations to which they belong, and provides readers with a template for an oral contract ensuring that these communities not only retain ownership of their knowledge, but are justly compensated for its adaptation. This element is a preview of an art piece that Watson and others will debut at Dutch Design Week this fall before it travels to Dsseldorfs K21 museum in Germany.An agricultural canal of Mexicos Xochimilca people.In this way, Watson, who grew up in a house designed by the Australian Arts and Crafts sculptor L.J. Harvey (we used to dig up these porcelain statue heads in the garden) and, for a time, wanted to be an artist, has honored another childhood dream. Though shes the sort to look forward at least as often as she looks back. Watson has dedicated LoTEK Water to her children, Ocean Sy and Cyprian Blue, andin a nod to the time span the Haudenosaunee consider when making decisionsto their next seven generations.This story appears in ADs April issue. Never miss a story when you subscribe to AD.

+25% Trump on car tariffs: I couldnt care less if they raise prices Consumers will have to pay the price of the president's unnecessary trade war. Jonathan M. Gitlin Mar 31, 2025 9:09 am | 80 Credit: Getty Images Credit: Getty Images Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreLate last week, President Donald Trump decided to upend the automotive industry by levying a new 25 percent import tariff on all imported cars, which goes into effect on April 2. An additional 25 percent tariff on car parts is set to go into effect within the next month, which promises to make US-made cars more expensive as well, as many parts and subassemblies used in domestic manufacturing come from suppliers in Canada or Mexico.During the election campaign (and in the years preceding it), Trump repeatedly claimed that the cost of tariffs would be borne by the exporters. But tariffs don't work that waythey're paid by the importer, at the time of import.The White House does not appear to have any concerns about this, despite a report in The Wall Street Journal last week claiming that Trump had warned automakers not to pass the costs on to their customers.Relying on only anonymous sources, the WSJ quoted "people with knowledge of the call," saying that the president told them to be grateful for eliminating a so-called EV mandatereally just tougher emissions and fuel economy standards that Trump and his party opposeand then followed that with "a lengthy pitch for how they would actually benefit from tariffs."However, those claims were directly contradicted by Trump this weekend."No, I never said that. I couldn't care less if they raise prices, because people are going to start buying American-made cars," Trump told an NBC interviewer."The message is congratulations, if you make your car in the United States, youre going to make a lot of money. If you dont, youre going to have to probably come to the United States, because if you make your car in the United States, there is no tariff," Trump said, apparently unaware that even the Teslas built by his benefactor Elon Musk in Texas and California contain a significant percentage of parts made in Mexico and Canada, parts that will cost 25 percent more as of next month.Trump also told NBC that his tariffs will be permanent, although in the past we have seen the president flip-flop on such matters. Analysts are still trying to reach consensus on how much the Trump tariff will add to the prices of domestic and imported cars, but expect prices to rise by thousands of dollars as automakers and dealerships try to preserve some of their profit margins.Jonathan M. GitlinAutomotive EditorJonathan M. GitlinAutomotive Editor Jonathan is the Automotive Editor at Ars Technica. He has a BSc and PhD in Pharmacology. In 2014 he decided to indulge his lifelong passion for the car by leaving the National Human Genome Research Institute and launching Ars Technica's automotive coverage. He lives in Washington, DC. 80 Comments

Microsoft released a new Windows Insider build of Windows 11 to its experimental Dev Channel today, with a fairly extensive batch of new features and tweaks. But the most important one for enthusiasts and PC administrators is buried halfway down the list: This build removes a command prompt script called bypassnro, which up until now has been a relatively easy and reliable way to circumvent the otherwise mandatory Microsoft Account sign-in requirement on new Windows 11 PCs and fresh installs of Windows 11 on existing PCs.Microsoft's Windows Insider Program lead Amanda Langowski and Principal Product Manager Brandon LeBlanc were clear that this change is considered a feature and not a bug."Were removing the bypassnro.cmd script from the build to enhance security and user experience of Windows 11," Langowski and LeBlanc write in the post. "This change ensures that all users exit setup with internet connectivity and a Microsoft Account."Of course, the removal of bypassnro makes life harder for people whowant to exit Windows setup without Internet connectivity or a Microsoft Account. You might be setting up a computer in a place with no Internet connection, or you might simply prefer a local user account like the ones that all past Windows versions allowed you to use.There are benefits to a Microsoft Accounteasy access to any existing Microsoft 365 or OneDrive subscriptions, automated encryption for your local disk and backup of your drive's encryption key for recovery purposes, and syncing of certain settings between PCs. But using a local account reduces the number of notifications and other upsells that Windows 11 will bother you with. Whatever your reasoning, you'll need to find a different workaround for future Windows versions.

En GuardIt turns out the only thing the nu-Doom formula needed to draw me back in is a crunchy, satisfying parry system, and Doom: The Dark Ages has absolutely nailed itDoom: TDA knows that a single-player-only game with the largest and most complete campaign experience in the series needed a killer hook.Image credit: VG247 Article by Dom Peppiatt Editor-in-chief Published on March 31, 2025 Doom Eternal was a great game, but it was a huge departure from Doom 2016. The run and gun behaviour that wed been conditioned into over the course of the reboots 13 spectacular levels was traded in for 2020s follow-up. What once was a heavy, brutal campaign of destruction and violence was now a floatier affair. Resources became more limited. You were forced to be more mobile. Double jumps, dashes, strafing, and platforming became essential.It split the fanbase in half. An axe-blow to the center of the Doom faithful. I liked Eternal, for what its worth, but I got tired of the connective tissue that bridged the gaps between combat encounters. Im all for sniffing out secrets, but FPS platforming is a hit-or-miss game, and I think that Eternal often missed its designs. It made the heartbeat of the game irregular and arrhythmic, hobbling that wonderful pace and fluidity that everyone fell in love with in 2016.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Doom: The Dark Ages, for me, is more in line with 2016 than it is Eternal. The combat is designed to have you stand and fight, not run and gun. The biggest gimmick compared to the two other games in the trilogy is the shield - a ripsaw-modified aegis that sits on your right arm and changes the game in a couple of fundamental ways.Firstly, you can eat up the attacks and projectiles of fodder enemies. Soaking up weak attacks like this means youre free to focus on the big bastards that are raining death upon you from afar. Theres a shield bash that locks onto targets and rushes you to their location (it actually reminds me of the Devil Bringer from the Devil May Cry games - thats high praise, for what its worth). So, pair these things together, and youve got a very simple premise: the little guys are there to give you health, ammo, and armour back. The big guys are there to stop you. Every battle feels intense. | Image credit: BethesdaStomping around the map, you feel like a rook in a game of chess. Moving in bold, strong lines and absolutely obliterating anything in your path, the power fantasy of the Doom Slayer comes back to life. I think in 2016, you felt like a knight; flexible, unpredictable, dangerous. In Eternal, you were a bishop; floaty, mobile, but operating under intense restrictions. Now, in Dark Ages, youre a rook. A hard bastard. The Danny Dyer of the chessboard. Emboldened to swagger up and headbutt whatever stands in your way, with myriad responses to whatever feeble attempt at revenge they may conjure.As you move to a new location, you have options: shoot, guard, or melee. The melee is very powerful in Dark Ages, and as such its got charges now. You cant just wang your mace about at will. But that means youre encouraged to use your shield to attack - itll refill charges. So a standard encounter might look like this: you slam into a group of enemies, guard their melee attacks, mow down the fodder with a gun, refill your melee, then splatter the big guys with your mace.But wait, theres more. Maybe theres a group of shield-carrying enemies over there - your bullets wont do anything to them. So you warm them up a bit with your projectiles (heating up their armoured elements), and then you slam into them with your shield. The resulting impact will detonate them all, in a sense, and one well-deployed bit of strategic thinking will bust their defensive line wide open. There are some stellar setpieces in the game, too. | Image credit: BethesdaDestroying armoured enemies will give you armour, too. Meaning you can risk getting a face full of fireball and dive into another combat encounter quicker, removing the need for the footsies youll play with your shield. Using your mace to tenderise flesh will give you back ammo, and shooting guys in the face refills health. So, as with Eternal, youre encouraged to rotate the deadly arms of your arsenal in order to prolong your survival.But it feels less beholden to the flow chart than Eternal did. More than once, I found myself on the back foot (I was playing too aggressively and wasnt watching the odd hit chip at my health). But I rallied, because of the games best mechanic: the parry.Oh, the parry. Now, Ive written at length about the joy of a good parry (see; Bloodborne), and its really not something I expected to see in an FPS, of all things. But Id has nailed it. In Dark Ages, anything green is your friend; whether its a p**sed-off minotaur firing green projectiles at you, or a revenant attacking you physically with a green tinge, anything green can be parried. Anything. A simple tap of the shoulder button is enough for you to activate the parry - and you can even alter the timing window in the settings if youre a bit slower.Parries are the lifeblood of the game, as far as Im concerned. They give you great incentive to acutally put yourself into the middle of the melee (like a rook) and they power you up, too. So in reflecting damage and really hurting an enemy, you actually do a little bump of violence amphetamine yourself. Unsurprisingly from Id, this one's a looker. | Image credit: BethesdaI found myself storming around the battlefield intentionally baiting out green attacks; tempting enemies to get in my space to attack me, and positioning myself in their line of fire to get my parry on. It feels so good. It adds another layer of agency to you as a player, making you think about which route the flowchart can go and how you can power yourself up, instead of relying on Doom Eternals flowchart which was just do this, then this, then this.It forces you to be tactical and aggressive on a macro level; every single second of a combat encounter makes you feel like youre making a decision that matters. There are always options open to you, and even being forced into a corner feels exhilarating. The best offense is a good defense has never been more valid.Doom: The Dark Ages is a return to form. As the Doom Slayer, you feel heavy and deadly. If you die, it feels fair. Enemies fall apart like meat in a slow cooker when you run into them, and even something as simple as landing from a big jump has a weighty satisfaction that lives up to the power fantasy of being a horrible bastard in power armour.After playing for just four hours, Doom: The Dark Ages went from being something I was vaguely curious about to one of my most anticipated games of 2025.Doom: The Dark Ages launches on May 15, and itll launch on Xbox Game Pass for PC and Xbox Series - but itll also come to PlayStation 5.

Keep Your SecretsMy favourite thing about Doom: The Dark Ages so far? Its open areas tell you when theres a point of no returnCompletionists and 100% sickos take note, Doom: The Dark Ages is looking out for your compulsive interests.Image credit: VG247 Article by Dom Peppiatt Editor-in-chief Published on March 31, 2025 In Doom 2016, there were over 650 secrets to find. Doom Eternal had even more. Whether they took the form of toys, codexes, albums, secret encounters, or slayer gate, you could never really be sure you had found everything in a given area before you passed some sort of threshold or point of no return - locking you out of exploration and often meaning youd have to play through a whole level again in order to locate everything you wanted to see.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Well, it looks like Id Software and Bethesda have learned their lesson in Doom: The Dark Ages. Whether youre playing through the more straightforward levels or exploring the well-put-together open-ended areas, the game will throw up a warning whenever youre about to cross a threshold and leave an area.This means, thanks to a little icon exactly where the game changes you over into a new area or world state, you will always be able to tell when your last opportunity to nab any secrets in a given area will be. If youre a 100% fiend (like me) that likes to lick all the gravy off the bones before you move onto a new meal, Doom: The Dark Ages is going to make things a little easier for you. The slayer won't keep any secrets from you. | Image credit: BethesdaEven in a short four-hour demo of the game at an event in Germany, this tiny little quality of life change saved my ass two or three times. There is no mini-map (this is a good thing), so if youre navigating a large area, you need to bring up the big, multi-layered map from the menu. Playing through the more standard linear parts of the game, this feels like needless busywork; the paths are fairly straightforward and if youve got a secret-sniffing instinct in your bones, youll know when to drop off a ledge or bust down a wall to find that extra loot.Except even the best noses are sometimes a little off, arent they? So, during the second level of the game, I was about to head down some medieval-inspired path, and all of a sudden I get this little logo saying oop, its the end of the level! I kick up the map and notice one tiny little unfinished bit of the hologram so I turn about face, head back into the level, and nab me a nice little toy. Success! Thanks, UI designer, youve saved minutes of my life.Its only a little thing, but in a game as obsessed with secrets and collectibles as Doom is, it shows the developers are as interested in making sure that element of the game has as much attention and production value as the amazing combat. After all, if the devs have pumped hours and hours into making a gnarly little combat encounter in a secret courtyard, it makes sense theyll do everything in their power to make sure you see it, right?Its even better in the massive, open-ended levels. I played through one of these (it took up most of the play session), and knowing that I had free reign to sniff absolutely everything out before the game spirited me away to some ludicrous Atlan-focused set-piece well, it was great. There's plenty of game to explore. | Image credit: BethesdaI got a little frustrated with finding all the collectibles in Doom Eternal, so Im really hoping these little touches in Doom: The Dark Ages make the overall experience a little less frictious. Well see if it works as well in the final game as it does the demo when Doom: The Dark Ages launches on May 15 for PC, Xbox Series X/S, and PlayStation 5.