Fans of Control may want to take note that there's a new third-person action-RPG that blends magic and gunplay. Nesting Games has announced The Directorate: Novitiate, a game that puts players in control of Kana Luna. By day, Kana is just a normal young woman living in Los Angeles in 2006. But by night, Kana goes by the codename Mercury while working as a magical assassin for the criminal underworld. In the first-look trailer below, Mercury uses her innate fighting and magic skills to take on human foes and otherworldly threats. As Mercury, Kana can upgrade her magical abilities to further refine her combat options. Mercury isn't limited to only using guns in battle, and she can incorporate spells into her offense as well. Additionally, the game will be divided between Mercury's activities after dark--including her hunt for a supernatural serial killer--and her normal life as Kana during the day.Outside of her working hours, Kana can pursue friendships or romance with the people she meets. However, those choices may endanger Kana's loved ones when the two sides of her life collide. According to Nesting Games, players will ultimately have the option of deciding whether Mercury will stay loyal to "the Edicts of the Directorate" or if she will decide to retain her humanity as Kana. Those choices will define Mercury's portrayal in the game.Continue Reading at GameSpot

After a brief tease last week, the Video Game History Foundation has officially thrown the virtual doors open to its massive digital library. Designed to be a free-to-access resource for researchers, historians, and video game fans, the VGHF Digital Library currently offers more than 30,000 curated files spanning 50 years of video game history. Demand is already pretty high, so at the time of writing, you might struggle to access the library. The non-profit group says that visitors will find out-of-print video game magazines, never-before-seen game development assets, artwork, promotional materials, and more gaming relics here, with more than 1,500 of them being full-text searchable."We've been working on this project since we founded the Video Game History Foundation in 2017, so we're extremely proud to start providing access to our digital library and continue our mission to make video game history accessible to anyone," VGHF founder Frank Cifaldi said in a statement. "We believe that with the right tools, anyone can be a video game historian, and we can't wait to see what new stories our archive inspires. We also hope this inspires those in the video game industry to consider the importance of preserving their work and contributing to initiatives like ours."Continue Reading at GameSpot

Warhorse Studios is diving headfirst into the political landscape of medieval Bohemia in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, with the historical city of Kuttenberg taking center stage. While Kuttenberg isn't the only location players will visit in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, it is the largest urban area and the very heartbeat of the game's narrative. As such, players can expect plenty of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2's narrative and gameplay to hinge on the town itself.

After going through the opening area of Poppy Playtime Chapter 4, players will enter the Toy Graveyard area. It's a terrifying location with piles of bloodied toys lined up like trash, with some live ones scampering around the area, keeping a close eye on you. The main objective of this section is to "Find the Entrance to the Prison." Although, there are threats lingering in this area, and it's not long before they come out of the shadows to attack you.

Two hundred and thirty cycles. Enough time to drift and wither away in an asteroid belt. To leave footprints, both big and small, in the places we visit and the people we meet. Amending past mistakes and carving a space for a better future at the cost of our own weariness, all for the sake of making a difference in the lives of the people around us.Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector sparks constant reflection on the way we interact with others and the philosophies we choose as our driving force. Much like with its predecessor, the team at Jump Over the Age explores themes around precarity, capitalism, and solidarity, among others, as pillars for the sequel. The addition of a crew and far more punishing mechanics for the use of dice, however, emphasize the stronger need for communion. Even if the ambition behind these additions can sometimes result in the game stumbling upon itself, the protagonists constant need to rely on others, and vice versa, heightens the foundation of the first game.The first Citizen Sleepers depiction of a far-future gig economy was both thematically strong and quite absorbing as a gameplay loop. In selecting from a set of randomly rolled dice for each day (referred to in-game as a cycle), the first game forced you to push your luck in a lite-RPG structure to satiate your hunger and survive. Tasks could involve anything from using a die to work a shift in a kitchen for money to exploring facilities and perilous bars looking for information or making crucial decisions that shape the lives of the characters around you, as well as yourself. It gradually turned into a routine that was hard to abandon, resulting in the equivalent of one more turn, only with cycles. At some point, it became less about the in-game rewards for me, though, and more about closing characters individual chapters, the satisfaction of having helped someone in need felt better than any amount of money people could muster.The sequel doesnt aim for a new structure, but rather iterates on these existing ideas through the eyes of a new Sleeper. If youre unfamiliar with the premise of the first game, which is the same here, you play as an android powered by the emulation of a human mind. The corresponding human, usually in debt, is put to sleep, and the Sleepers sole task is to work away their days until every last zero is paid off. Some of these Sleepers, due to spoiler-y reasons, manage to gain independence from the corporation running the program, as well as from a substance they need to keep their artificial bodies running. Such is the case for the new protagonist. A classic case of amnesia, as well as a bounty on their head, however, set up the stakes for the new story from the get-go.One of the main differences in the way you navigate these ongoing problems is having a crew. Alongside Serafin, a sidekick whos with you from the start, you have the choice to recruit multiple characters throughout the story, either during main or side activities. Each crew member has different skills and aptitudes, meaning that their dice could work best for, say, engineering tasks rather than those that require endurance.Practically speaking, crew members seemed as mere commodities at first. Citizen Sleeper 2 introduces contracts, which are one-off missions located in separate areas from the main hubs you explore. Its in those instances that your crew is most useful you can only bring two characters on a contract with you, and sometimes a slot will be automatically occupied due to story reasons. But the extra dice, no matter the numbers rolled, come in handy. As such, my instinct was to recruit everyone I was able to and complement their stats and expertise with the class I picked for my Sleeper.Yet, it didnt take long for crew members to become yet another narrative layer to contend with. I began to have second thoughts about who exactly I wanted to open the door of my ship to. Should I bring this freelancer with me, after they lied and manipulated the rest of my team, over the promise of some fantasy escape? Do I recruit the sister whos striving for a shot at proving herself, or the overly protective, more experienced older brother?These questions are even more interesting in retrospect, having hit credits and knowing when I would have benefited from the presence of some of these characters. Not just mechanically, but also narratively. Choosing one particular crew member turned out to be a crucial decision for a late-game contract, as they happened to have a backstory with a key person we needed to ask for help. One remarkable feat is that, while I keep mulling over what-if possibilities, the plot always moves forward, regardless of whether or not you experienced the ideal chain of events. My failures, in a similar fashion to the likes of Disco Elysium, granted authenticity to my journey across this universe. Failing usually made return trips much more bittersweet, and the following routine cycles much quieter blunt yet necessary reality checks that not everything works out.But at least youre not alone. Over time, as characters stick around and you help them with their own problems, a sense of community settles in. Its during these Cowboy Bebop-esque missions that the stress mechanic, another addition in the sequel, shines the most. As stress builds up, usually the result of a failed dice check while youre starving, your dice health is affected. If you dont mitigate this, you eventually start to lose access to each die, meaning that you have fewer actions, and therefore chances, to tackle contract objectives before time runs out. During contracts, theres always a looming hazard or upcoming hostile response to your mission, each cycle getting you closer to a critical point at which the mission has failed. Its crucial to take enough supplies for contracts. But in most cases, I always ran short of them, either due to not having time to prepare in advance nor the funds to do so, or the mission at hand running into complications and extending the expected time.Outside of contracts, you can recover stress by resting in your ships bunks and fix your dice using different supplies. Neither option is flawless. The first is dictated by dice. Sometimes you spend three out of five dice trying to recover from stress and fail every single time, and need to carry that on your shoulders to the next cycle. The supplies needed to repair your buddy are pricey the least expensive option, which is also easier to find, is prone to result in a large number of glitches, which can, well, glitch your dice. A glitched die has an 80% chance of failure upon use, and in my experience, you cant rely on the other 20%. The penalties for stress are dependent on the difficulty option you choose at the beginning of a playthrough. In the second option, called Risky, losing all of my dice resulted in a permanent penalty. I carried two penalties for the majority of the game, and that was being lucky.When youre on a contract, you cant recover stress or fix your dice. Its as tough as it sounds, but the tension that comes from a bad cycle in which most of the dice fail sets the tone for contracts. Contracts always conclude in some way, just not always successfully. You can tell when the odds of a mission are against you and the crew you chose, and its rewarding to either see it through to success or take a few losses along the way. One contract had me setting up a trap for an enemy unit that required me to fulfill three steps. I failed one of them, which was immediately acknowledged by the crew once things got set in motion, and almost jeopardized the entire plan. When the stress mechanics work as intended, they bleed in seamlessly with the story to make for emergent narrative turns. Yet, there were instances in which I wasnt sure if the game had registered a fail state properly, either due to a bug or for story reasons, giving me the item or result I was aiming for despite the fact that I didnt get to complete an objective in time.While not as harsh as it is on contracts, stress does inform how you spend your days in Citizen Sleeper 2. As I alluded to earlier, everything has a monetary cost, from staying fed to fixing your broken dice. Some contracts can net enough of a reward to last for a dozen cycles, but smaller, everyday jobs usually pay like shit by comparison. The game is constantly adding commentary about gig work, sometimes in subtle ways, such as a failed die check saying You swear youll never take another shift, only for you to be back there the following cycle. Deciding how long to starve for and how much stress to keep up with becomes part of the routine as well.As if these conditions werent stressful enough, the bounty on your head is reflected in an ongoing hunt from a certain character. This addresses one of my qualms with the first game, in which, after a certain point in the story, you could pretty much navigate cycles completing tasks without any pressure on you. Here, its constant. It serves as motivation to explore other locations, as doing so reduces the hunt meter. It forces you to be on the run, not being able to call a place home or settle in for too long. A fitting fate for someone who lives contract by contract.Everything new in Citizen Sleeper 2 feels calculated to fill in gaps or improve the overall gameplay loop. When everything works as intended, each mechanic informs the story and your decisions, with ideas coexisting cohesively. The moments of respite are rare, and fleeting, once they come. And that makes them even more precious and hard to let go of. In some instances, a die can be more than just a mechanic to complete a task, but the intercommunicator for your intentions. During a contract, I had fulfilled the main objective and was free to return, but there was a second task, which involved rescuing someone, that I knew I wouldnt be able to afford to spend time and resources on. And I used my last set of dice on it either way, so I could leave that place knowing that I had at least tried.When it was clear that I was approaching the end of Citizen Sleeper 2, I put off finishing it for a few days. As I said, moments of respite are fleeting, and a new threat had already settled in. When I finally returned to finish the game, I tried to close as many characters individual chapters as I could, and be proud of the future that they envisioned for themselves and the people around them. My crew had grown out from mere strangers who lent an extra hand to a community I could rely on. It was reassuring to commiserate on everyday issues, and understand that others shared similar hardships. I spent those 230 cycles making the effort for them. At its heart, Citizen Sleeper 2 is a gentle reminder that, together, we can even the odds.Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vectorwill be released Jan. 31 on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X. The game was reviewed on PC using a pre-release download code provided by Fellow Traveller. Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links. You can findadditional information about Polygons ethics policy here.

Marvels Spider-Man 2 launched on PC on Thursdy, just a day after Sony confirmed its PC specs and dropped the requirement of a PSN account for PC versions of its games. The game is available to buy on Steam and the Epic Games Store.If its a Steam code youre after, weve found a deal that knocks $9 off before tax. Normally, Spider-Man 2 for PC costs $59.99, but you can grab it once youre logged in at Green Man Gaming for $50.99.This deal brings the cost of the PC version more in line with discounts weve seen on the PlayStation 5 version of the title, which currently costs $49.99 at Amazon. Thats great, considering how stuffed full of extra graphical features the PC version is. Insomniac Games and Nixxes Software included ultrawide monitor support, along with a full suite of ray tracing features, from shadows and reflections to ambient occlusion to make NYC look more realistic as you swing around. For PC rigs that could use some extra assistance in the graphics department, you can turn on Nvidias DLSS 3 or AMDs FSR 3.1 for AI-assisted frame generation and upscaling. Intels XeSS upscaling is available for that companys lineup of graphics cards, too.

In the vibrant center of Forl, Italy, within the prestigious Palazzo Calboli dallAste, a penthouse renovation by tissellistudioarchitetti has intersected the past with modernity. Dubbed NAP, this project transforms a 2,152-square-foot space into a residence where bold design choices live happily with historical preservation.At the heart of the penthouse is a sculptural staircase that commands attention from the moment one enters. This new addition replaces the original staircase and serves as both a functional element and an artistic statement. Clad in golden, mirrored surfaces, the staircase reflects the light from the double-height living area, amplifying the sense of verticality and creating a dynamic play of reflections. Its angular forms and gleaming finish establish it as the centerpiece of the home.The living areas warm wooden floors and crisp white walls set the stage for custom-designed furnishings that blend simplicity with sophistication. Descending a few steps leads to the dining room, where reflective elements and colorful accents add a contemporary edge without compromising the spaces understated elegance. Here, a brushed stainless steel kitchen peninsula interacts seamlessly with a matte lacquered wood panel, which cleverly conceals the kitchens functional elements, maintaining a clean and unified look.Throughout the penthouse, materials and finishes are meticulously chosen to echo the dual narrative of history and modernity. The wooden flooring and white surfaces serve as a unifying thread, offering a neutral canvas that accentuates the vibrant mirrored details and bespoke furniture. These design choices ensure that each space flows into the next, creating a cohesive yet dynamic living environment.The private quarters of the penthouse offer equally thoughtful design. The primary bedroom is distinguished by a large window overlooking the adjoining bathroom, fostering a sense of openness and continuity. Skylights bathe the room in natural light, enhancing its serene ambiance. The adjoining bathroom features bold red and mirrored surfaces, transforming a typically utilitarian space into an area of refined aesthetics. Exposed beams in this section further elevate the room, highlighting the perfect balance between functionality and design.This ambitious project was not without its challenges. Situated within a property protected by the Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts, and Landscape, the design team had to navigate strict regulations while introducing innovative elements. The result is a residence that respects its historical context while boldly embracing contemporary design language.Tissellistudioarchitetti, led by architects Filippo Tisselli and Cinzia Mondello, has a long-standing reputation for crafting spaces that merge functionality with artistic expression. Architect Marcin Dworzynski joined the fold in 2011 and adds further depth to the studios expertise. With roots in the local region, the firm is known for integrating international architectural trends into its projects, as exemplified by the NAP penthouse. This latest endeavor reflects their commitment to pushing boundaries while honoring tradition, offering a living experience that is as unique as it is engaging.Have you ever seen a red toilet?!Marcin Dworzyski, Cinzia Mondello, and Filippo Tisselli of TissellistudioarchitettiFor more on the NAP Penthouse and tissellistudioarchitetti, visit tissellistudio.com.Photography by Marcin Dworzyski.

DeepSeek is having a moment: With the release of its impressive R1 model, the AI company overtook ChatGPT (and every other app) to become the number one free app on both the iOS App Store and Google Play Store. If you gave the app a try this week, however, be warned: Your chats may have been exposed. As reported by The Hacker News, DeepSeek left one of its online databases exposed. While the company has issued a fix, this database is a treasure trove of user information. It contains over one million lines of log streams, which includes chat history, secret keys (used to encrypt and decrypt data), backend information, and other important data.As of this article, DeepSeek says they are continuing to investigate the issue, despite implementing a fix on Jan. 29. It isn't clear if any parties gained access to DeepSeek's database while it was vulnerable, but the vulnerability allowed for "complete database control," as well as privilege escalation within DeepSeek's network without any authentication needed.DeepSeek's privacy and security policies have been a point of concern as so many users flock to its service. The platform collects a lot of user data, like email addresses, IP addresses, and chat histories, but also more concerning data points, like keystroke patterns and rhythms. Why does an AI app need to not only know what I typed, but how I typed it, too? As DeepSeek is a Chinese company, it stores all user data on servers in China. As such, the company is beholden by law to share any data the Chinese government requests. These practices are among the reasons the United States government banned TikTok.There's no evidence this has happened, but the whole situation paints a precarious picture for the popular AI startup. If you do want to try DeepSeek, or if you're already using it, it's important to keep these points in mind. Your user data may not be quite so secure with this particular company.

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.For those looking for affordable smart security without monthly fees, the TP-Link Tapo D225 Video Doorbell is now $79.99 (down from $99.99). It covers all the basics, plus a few features that even pricier models skip, earning itself an Editors Choice award from PCMag. At about 6 inches tall, the Tapo D225 isnt the slimmest doorbell out there, but its built to handle the elements with an IP66 water-resistant rating. And should someone try to steal your doorbell, its built-in 98dB siren is loud enough to scare off intruders. Tapo TP-Link Smart Video Doorbell Camera with Chime, Battery or Wired, 2K QHD Color Night Vison, 180 Ultra-Wide Head-to-Toe View, Ring Call, Smart AI Detection, 2-Way Audio, Up to 512 GB SD, D225 $79.99 at Amazon $99.99 Save $20.00 Get Deal Get Deal $79.99 at Amazon $99.99 Save $20.00 Power options are flexible. You can either go battery-powered (with up to eight months per charge) or hardwire it with your existing wiring (8-24V) and record 24/7 footage. During the day, colors look sharp and well-saturated. At night, the black-and-white vision holds up well, though the color night vision isnt as vibrant as daytime footage (but thats typical for many cameras in this range), notes this PCMag review. Its 2K camera (20fps) with a 180-degree field of view gives you a full head-to-toe image of whoevers at your doorits intelligent motion alerts accurately distinguish between people, vehicles, pets, and packages, helping to cut down on unnecessary pings. Plus, it comes with a plug-in chime, so you dont have to rely on phone notifications alone.Unlike many video doorbells at this price, the Tapo D225 supports local storage with a microSD slot (up to 512GB, sold separately), letting you save footage without a cloud subscription. If you prefer cloud storage, subscribing to Tapo Care Premium ($3.49/month) gives you 30 days of video history for one camera. The doorbell connects via 2.4GHz wifi and works with Alexa and Google Assistant, though it doesnt support Apple HomeKit. However, if you use IFTTT, it can integrate with other smart home devices for added automation. You can manage and control the D225 using the TP-Link Tapo mobile app, including streaming live video, recording manually, setting motion zones, using two-way audio, enabling motion tagging, and more.

Back in December, Sony announced the limited availability of PS5 themes that captured the retro-goodness of old-school PlayStation consoles. That availability window closes at the end of January, which is a bummer, but the company just said that the classic PlayStation, PS2, PS3 and PS4 limited-time console themes will be coming back in the months ahead.Theres no specific time frame here, as Sony notes that it has to do some work behind the scenes to make this happen. However, its good to know that January 31 will not spell the end for these nostalgic themes.Thank you for the fantastic response to the classic PlayStation, PS2, PS3, and PS4 limited-time console themes, which will be leaving tomorrow. Due to the positive response on these 4 themes, were doing some work behind the scenes to bring these special designs back in the pic.twitter.com/KYk5DHQ3wO PlayStation (@PlayStation) January 30, 2025 The bad news? Those hoping that the positive response to the four retro themes would lead to Sony making more unique backgrounds could be out of luck. The company said there arent plans to create additional themes in the future. There goes my dream of a PSP theme, complete with those cute bubbles.Sony first introduced these themes to celebrate the PlayStations 30th birthday. The company also took this opportunity to sell limited-edition PS5 consoles that look like the original 1995 machine. As expected, they sold out in a flash. It did something similar ten years ago for the consoles 20th birthday.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/sonys-retro-ps5-themes-are-disappearing-but-not-forever-175304974.html?src=rss