Cosmology of Kyoto is a first-person horror exploration game where players navigate a deeply haunted yet surprisingly educational terrain. Originally released in 1993, Cosmology of Kyoto and its disturbing depictions of suffering have since become a cult classic. Roger Ebert, known hater, loved the game so much that he spent weeks playing it. Despite its acclaim, though, the game was a commercial failure and never got a sequel. At least, that’s what many people believed until now. In 2023, a game called TRIPITAKA 玄奘三蔵求法の旅 was listed on Yahoo Japan. The game was sold for $300 to an unknown party who, despite embarking on a bidding war that culminated in hundreds of dollars, didn’t really share anything publicly about it. The transaction was originally noticed by Mark Buckner, who brought it up in a discussion between fans about the original eerie Japanese game. Though diehard aficionados had a suspicion that the Cosmology developers had considered a follow-up, concrete evidence of it was scant. The only apparent mention of a sequel lied in the resumes of two Cosmology producers, Hiroshi Ōnishi and Mori Kōichi. Fans also spotted mention of it in an old website for a 1999 museum exhibition on the Silk Road. Though it was a work of fiction, Cosmology was rooted in the history of 10th century Japan and provided players with an in-game encyclopedia. It would make sense for a potential sequel to have enough an educational focus worthy of a museum exhibition. Despite these rumblings, it was unclear if the game had ever been published, or how far into production it got. Knowledge of the auction prompted video game academic Bruno de Figueiredo to track down the auction winner. The hope was that whoever bought it might share a copy of the game online. After all, up until this point, few knew what this game was and its mere existence lay in doubt. But if it did exist, then it was obviously significant from a historical perspective. Fans would be eager to play it. But getting collectors to share copies of rare games is tricky. If a game is widely accessible, then it’s no longer rare. Holding on to a copy ensures that it retains its aura as a prized possession. Hoarding also means that the value of a game won’t drop — in fact, it might rise. Not all collectors see their possessions as commodities, though. Holding on to a culturally significant game might be motivated by the desire to preserve it for future generations, which is relevant in instances where a copy of a game is still sealed. Uploading a game that you did not develop is also likely to be legally dubious. In this case, the owner declined to share the game in a form that others could play. The collector did however upload an hour’s worth of footage on YouTube. The game was called TRIPITAKA, and though it did not outright classify itself as a sequel, the art style, historical focus, and slightly unnerving vibe placed TRIPITAKA in a similar realm as Cosmology of Kyoto. Fans considered it a spiritual successor. Cosmology itself had been developed with the help of Japanese museums. For some, it was enough to get more of a game they loved. Even if they couldn’t personally control the gameplay, the TRIPITAKA video was lengthy enough to give a sense of what the experience would be like. Others were enraged: Couldn’t the collector see how important this game was? “I cannot understate just how disgusted I am that this piece of culture and art (that I am a huge fan of) isn’t being preserved and spread for the enjoyment of others,” one commenter on YouTube wrote. “Shame on you.” Undeterred by this roadblock, Bruno de Figueiredo continued his pursuit of TRIPITAKA. In 2025, his efforts bore fruit. On X, the expert on obscure Japanese games revealed that he had finally convinced the collector to share the game online after “years of appeals.” Figueiredo has since uploaded a playable ISO of the game online alongside a full three-hour playthrough of a game that had once been considered lost media. Figuerido did not respond to a request for comment. In a blog post, he emphasized the significance of this find by stating that “the importance of this footage could hardly be overstated.” He continued: I am delighted to have played a minor role in the unraveling of this thirty year old mystery, and can hardly contain my enthusiasm, as I now find myself equipped with sufficient information to produce a full post concerning a game about which I could not have written more than a sentence, just last year. Figuerido refers to TRIPITAKA as one of the rarest games ever made, and it’s true inasmuch as there appears to be only one known copy of it. Value and rarity are also fluid concepts that are ultimately determined by interested audiences. At the same time, TRIPITAKA’s fate and availability is shockingly ordinary when you consider how poorly the gaming industry preserves its own history. If the lack of care is evident with significant games that have arguable merit, it’s doubly true for average games. This is how a game with mixed reviews from twenty years ago suddenly starts commanding hundreds of dollars on resale sites; the scarcity happens because nobody felt a game was worth holding on to. “There are many extremely rare (and even lost) games for personal computers which, unlike consoles, don’t have any central control over who can publish a game, or what the minimum number of manufactured units needs to be,” says Frank Cifaldi, founder of the Video Game History foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving video games. Cifaldi notes that games in the 80s and 90s in particular, some of which were self-published and never got widespread circulation to begin with, are particularly prone to the type of obscurity that can lead to only a single copy of a game. “I would further suspect that there were many games and multimedia objects from Japan during this era that are just as rare, but we don’t hear about them because of their lack of historical significance in the West,” Cifaldi says. “I would bet good money that if you surveyed the collection at the Game Preservation Society in Japan, you’d come up with dozens of ‘only known copies’ of 1980s microcomputer games.”

As the video game industry shifts from physical media to a digital future, game preservation is an increasingly relevant topic. Saving the history of the medium is important, and one gaming historian has just successfully preserved one of the rarest video games ever made.Video game scholar Bruno de Figueiredo has announced (via Time Extension) that he has posted the ISO online for TRIPITAKA, the sequel to Cosmology of Kyoto. The original title was released in 1993 in Japan by SoftEdge, and this non-linear adventure game was released in North America the following year where it gained a small following. The sequel is so obscure that only a single physical copy of TRIPITAKA is known to exist.After a long search, uncertain that it even existed, I finally located the CD-ROM TRIPITAKA 玄奘三蔵求法の旅, the elusive sequel to the legendary Cosmology of Kyoto. Here is the ISO for your emulational pleasure.https://t.co/vPtRjuo0BO — Bruno de Figueiredo (@dieubussy) May 22, 2025 The physical CD-ROM for TRIPITAKA was sold via Yahoo Japan in 2023 for just under $300. After nearly two years, Figueiredo successfully convinced the owner to allow him to share the game online for posterity.Continue Reading at GameSpot

The Recluse makes a bunch of cocktails in Elden Ring’s Nightreign, but not the type you’d like to drink. She transforms the typical playstyle of a Soulslike spellcaster and flips it on its head by allowing you access to 14 extra spells through her character skill, Magic Cocktail. Recluse is the perfect character for you if you want to dedicate many hours to mastering a character. In comparison to the other classes, Recluse demands constant management of stamina, FP, and your character skill on top of all the other requirements Nightreign demands of you. If you’re an aspiring Recluse main who wants to get the best out of the character in your future expeditions, this Elden Ring Nightreign guide will show you how to play as Recluse, with a focus on recommendations for her best relics, best teammates, and best weapons, alongside other miscellaneous tips. How to make a great Recluse build in Elden Ring Nightreign As a mage, you want your Recluse build to involve staves and whatever melee weapon you’re most comfortable with. The most challenging part of learning Recluse’s quirks isn’t strictly about managing her character skill but also about keeping your FP high. It’s easy to disregard it and spam the spells of your weapons, but once you run out of FP, you’re out of luck; there is no azure flask to lean on. The only way to restore this vital resource is by using your character skill. This is why a good melee weapon you’re comfortable with matters as you begin to learn. Once you have a good grasp on weaving your skill in between spells, you can prioritize weapons and relics that boost intelligence and improve spellcasting. Best relics for Recluse in Elden Ring Nightreign For Recluse, Intelligence is king! There are many relics to choose from in Elden Ring Nightreign, but as long as your relic has some boost to spellcasting, FP cost, or intelligence, you are in good shape. While playing the game, you’ll unlock some relics that have passives unique to Recluse. As you can probably assume, these are some of her best options. Some of the Recluse’s best options are relics with the following effects: [Recluse] Activating ultimate art raises max HP [Recluse] Collecting affinity residue activates Terra Magica [Recluse] Suffer blood loss and increase attack power upon art activation Magic attack power up + Ultimate art gauge + FP restoration upon successive attacks Improved resistance relics are also grand if you’re able to match them up with the damage type of your chosen expedition’s Nightlord Other miscellaneous relics to prioritize are those that increase vigor, mind, intelligence, faith, or endurance. Recluse is a frail character, so more survivability is always good. Best teammates for Recluse in Elden Ring Nightreign Similar to other less tanky options like Duchess, Ironeye, and Revenant, Recluse thrives in a team composition that can take enemy pressure off of her as she applies high magic damage through her spells and skills. The following classes are great for Recluse, and you shouldn’t pick her unless one of your teammates is hovering them. Guardian — Guardian’s ultimate art provides a useful damage negation buff to teammates in its radius, helping Recluse stay alive longer. Raider — Raider easily absorbs enemy attention, allowing for Recluse to damage her targets safely. Wylder — Wylder’s character skill allows him to grapple enemies to him, relieving pressure off of Recluse. His Ultimate Art also deals fire damage, which you can provide fire essence for your character skill. Best Magic Cocktail Combinations in Elden Ring Nightreign Recluse’s character skill is the meat and potatoes of her playstyle. There is no way around it; you have to get comfortable with all 14 of the possible spell combinations. When an enemy or ally takes elemental damage from any source, you can use this skill to siphon the residue of that damage and bank it. Once you’ve banked three element residues, your next cast will cast a unique spell. Every single one has its uses, but some are more practical and usable in nearly every situation. Pure Holy — Enwreathe oneself in holy light, bordering poise and increasing damage negation. Requires 3 Holy residues. Magic & Holy — Cover nearby area with a magic veil, fully conserving FP for self and allies for a short time. Can be used with any combination of Magic and Holy residue. Magic, Fire, & Lightning — Conjure frontwards exploding gravity orb. Gravity orb pulls enemies inward, expands, and explodes, inflicting heavy damage. Requires Magic, Fire, and Lightning residue. Best talismans for Recluse in Elden Ring Nightreign Talismans are some of the rarest gear in Elden Ring Nightreign, but they can be found if you know where to look. They can drop in fortresses and from scarabs, so if you spot one of these, it’s good to prioritize them. The best talismans for the Recluse are the following: Ancestral Spirit’s Horn — Defeating Enemies Restores FP Taker’s Cameo — Defeating Enemies Restores HP Ritual Shield Talisman — Improved Damage Negation at Full HP Blessed Dew Talisman — Continous HP Recovery +2 Viridian Amber Medallion — Increased Maximum Stamina +12% Any talisman that offers FP restoration, HP restoration, damage negation, and stamina recovery is good, as they allow Recluse players some individuality and choice regarding whether they should instead play defensively or offensively. Recluse in Elden Ring Nightreign requires a specific type of player, and with some practice, adaptability, and a good loadout, mastering the mage will be a piece of cake. For more Elden Ring Nightreign guides, here’s a list of all classes, the best class to pick first, how to unlock the Duchess and Revenant, and the best early Duchess build.

News Animals Genetics might save the rare, elusive saola — if it’s not already extinct Environmental DNA could help scientists search for the large deerlike mammals in Southeast Asia The saola “Martha” was captured in Laos in 1996 and survived for a few weeks in a menagerie. She is the only living saola ever seen by Western scientists. World Wildlife Fund By Tom Metcalfe 2 hours ago It’s not looking good for the saola. If it still exists, it is one of the world’s rarest large mammals — a deerlike creature from the mountainous rainforests of Vietnam and Laos that’s been called “Asia’s unicorn” because of its scarcity. But the last living saola (Pseudoryx nghetinhensis) was seen in 2013, in photographs from a motion-triggered trail camera. Even hopeful experts think there are now fewer than 100 still alive. “That number is extremely optimistic,” says University of Copenhagen wildlife geneticist Rasmus Heller. “The real number is probably much lower … and it’s possible that there are actually zero.” Sign up for our newsletter We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.

Angie Best Avatar Thread Ever! Member Nov 20, 2017 49,860 Kingdom of Corona Elden Ring's player engagement is through the roof: Over 45% of its Steam players have played for 100+ hours Click to expand... Click to shrink... Steam accounts for 15.7 million players – 43% of the game's audience – meaning Steam is Elden Ring's biggest platform. PlayStation comes in second with 13.2 million, while Xbox accounts for the remaining 7.4 million: Click to expand... Click to shrink... Elden Ring – and especially its DLC – is hard. While it abandons the linear structure of FromSoftware's previous games, giving players more choice when they're stuck, Elden Ring's bosses are some of the most challenging out there. I'm looking at you, Malenia and Promised Consort Radahn. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Despite the game's mercilessness, 10.9% of Elden Ring players on PlayStation and 10.2% on Steam have unlocked every trophy/achievement in the game. However, just 3.7% of Xbox players managed this feat. Click to expand... Click to shrink... The trophy/achievement data clearly shows that Elden Ring players are dedicated – especially on Steam and Xbox. But looking deeper at Alinea's playtime distribution data reveals just how dedicated they really are: Click to expand... Click to shrink... The results are striking: 64% of Elden Ring players on Steam have played for over 50 hours (versus 49% for PlayStation players) PlayStation players have triple the share of under-5-hours players, signalling that Elden Ring didn't click for everyone on the platform – perhaps due to the difficulty Seven million Steam players – 44.7% of Elden Ring's Steam audience – have played for over 100 hours. That share is 36.7% (almost 5 million players for PlayStation) But perhaps most remarkably of all, almost 700K players across PlayStation (2.7%) and Steam (2.1%) have played Elden Ring for over 500 hours. Talk about dedication! Elden Ring’s player engagement is through the roof: 45% of its Steam players have played for 100+ hours Elden Ring’s player engagement is through the roof: Over 45% of its Steam players have played for 100+ hours Elden Ring is one of the most successful premium games of all time. alineaanalytics.com   OP OP Angie Best Avatar Thread Ever! Member Nov 20, 2017 49,860 Kingdom of Corona Despite the game's mercilessness, 10.9% of Elden Ring players on PlayStation and 10.2% on Steam have unlocked every trophy/achievement in the game. However, just 3.7% of Xbox players managed this feat. Click to expand... Click to shrink... I think this is the craziest stat for me. A game so hard having 10% of the players to unlock all trophies.  Last edited: Today at 5:32 AM Kalentan Member Oct 25, 2017 50,699 2.5 million is still a big gap, but for some reason I thought the gap between PC and PS4/5 sales of the game was like... monstrously bigger, like 6 - 8 million range.   ResetGreyWolf Member Oct 27, 2017 6,768 That's impressive, but also, is this company genuinely calling Silksong a soulslike or am I reading that wrong? What, just because you have to reclaim your money if you die?   dusan Member Aug 2, 2020 6,763 Nightreign trainings begins.   Jolkien Member Oct 25, 2017 4,310 Anchorage/Alaska Angie said: I think this is the craziest stat for me. A game so hard having 10% of the players to unlock all trophies. And that includes the DLC Click to expand... Click to shrink... I mean most game is way under that percentage, that it's close to 10% makes it fairly common. My rarest trophy is the Diablo 2 Platinum at 1.27% rarity. Both Divinity Original Sin 1 and 2 are under 2.50% as well (on PlayStation)  OP OP Angie Best Avatar Thread Ever! Member Nov 20, 2017 49,860 Kingdom of Corona Jolkien said: I mean most game is way under that percentage, that it's close to 10% makes it fairly common. My rarest trophy is the Diablo 2 Platinum at 1.27% rarity. Both Divinity Original Sin 1 and 2 are under 2.50% as well (on PlayStation) Click to expand... Click to shrink... That is why is crazy to me Minecraft Platinum The game not even hard  PlayBee One Winged Slayer Member Nov 8, 2017 6,738 Angie said: I think this is the craziest stat for me. A game so hard having 10% of the players to unlock all trophies. And that includes the DLC Click to expand... Click to shrink... There are no DLC trophies   EvilBoris Prophet of Truth - HDTVtest Verified Oct 29, 2017 18,087 Does steam make this available or is this estimations from sites that look at user activity?   OP OP Angie Best Avatar Thread Ever! Member Nov 20, 2017 49,860 Kingdom of Corona PlayBee said: There are no DLC trophies Click to expand... Click to shrink... The expansion didn't had any Trophy?   PlayBee One Winged Slayer Member Nov 8, 2017 6,738 Angie said: The expansion didn't had any Trophy? Click to expand... Click to shrink... Nope, same with Dark Souls. Bloodborne is the only one that added trophies with DLC   OP OP Angie Best Avatar Thread Ever! Member Nov 20, 2017 49,860 Kingdom of Corona PlayBee said: Nope, same with Dark Souls. Bloodborne is the only one that added trophies with DLC Click to expand... Click to shrink... I was not aware of that. I will edit it out. Always assumed that expansions had Trophies. But I never played them.  southwest Member Sep 15, 2022 2,759 Heh I have it on both Steam and PlayStation. About 95 hours on Steam and 4 on PlayStation.   antitrop Member Oct 25, 2017 14,949 There are only three games I've topped 100 hours on a single playthrough: Elden Ring (110), Baldur's Gate 3 (130), and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (120).   Necron ▲ Legend ▲ Member Oct 25, 2017 9,850 Switzerland 10% got all the trophies/achievements?! [Insanity] I did it for both PC and PS5. 👁️   Mung Member Nov 2, 2017 4,454 PS sales much closer to PC than I expected.   Last edited: Today at 6:00 AM Dyno AVALANCHE The Fallen Oct 25, 2017 16,830 Angie said: I think this is the craziest stat for me. A game so hard having 10% of the players to unlock all trophies. Click to expand... Click to shrink... If anything it says a lot more about how overstated the difficulty is to me. People do it for the bragging rights because it's perceived as hard, but DMC DMD mode etc are far far harder, just they dont have the same hype cycle and rep so people don't try for it as much I guess.   ArjanN Member Oct 25, 2017 11,493 Dyno said: If anything it says a lot more about how overstated the difficulty is to me. People do it for the bragging rights because it's perceived as hard, but DMC DMD mode etc are far far harder, just they dont have the same hype cycle and rep so people don't try for it as much I guess. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Angie said: That is why is crazy to me Minecraft Platinum The game not even hard Click to expand... Click to shrink... Minecraft has the GTA/Skyrim thing, where most of the audience is playing it as a sandbox. I've noticed harder games tend to have a decent amount of self-selection, where a really challenging roguelike or bullethell shmup has higher completion percentages on the harder achievements than a more mainstream game with much lower difficulty.  Last edited: Today at 5:59 AM Menome "This guy are sick" Member Oct 25, 2017 7,133 I've got 280 hours on Steam, about 200 hours on PS5 and I'm likely to start a new full playthrough once the Tarnished Edition contents are available on Steam. Yeah, I kinda like this game.  Creamium Member Oct 25, 2017 10,466 Belgium The high 100% achievement stat is crazy. People really went in on ER. I have 100+ hours on PS5 and once I get a new pc it's pretty likely that I replay this at some point.  Shahadan Member Oct 27, 2017 5,591 I should have been an analyst   Nateo Member Oct 27, 2017 8,987 Because hard games don't just instantly hand you solutions. Games with friction and the need to actually put time in a learn for a majority of people will have high engagement especially if its a good game.   Mr.Deadshot Member Oct 27, 2017 23,203 I put 110h into it and it would have been a lot better if it was half that time. Too much bloat and repetition.   FF Seraphim Member Oct 26, 2017 16,615 Tokyo Holy fuck over 10% of players on both PC and PS5 got 100%? That is a fucking high percentage. God damn. Let me check my stats: Yep 100%, 215 hours as well. Love the game but I didn't expect it to resonate with so many people that that many would get the 100% achievement.  Dyno AVALANCHE The Fallen Oct 25, 2017 16,830 ArjanN said: Minecraft has the GTA/Skyrim thing, where most of the audience is playing it as a sandbox. I've noticed harder games tend to have a decent amount of self-selection, where a really challenging roguelike or bullethell shmup has higher completion percentages on the harder achievements than a more mainstream game with much lower difficulty. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Makes sense tbh. I suppose to a degree that's the pull for some. For example I bought Furi for that OST and what looked like fun combat. By the end I was playing on the hardest difficulty for the thrill of pulling it off to that OST despite no plans to push that deep into the game. I do think the souls series has a certain pull with that kind of audience though, and I suspect half the reason it takes so well is because all the fights are, well in all honesty far from the worst out there. They're mostly fair with the occasional 'cheap' move and beyond learning to work around the few attacks a boss will throw your way that you don't instantly gel with, they're pretty chill. I'd happily argue in favor of something like NG2 being multiple times harder etc. And I think that's why souls games work. They feel hard, but they're pretty lax to overcome too  Redis Member Mar 1, 2025 222 I have 520h+ on PS4/5 (two Platinum trophies, around 8 full playthroughs and two SotE playthroughs+ one rune level 1 run). Also played around 25h on my brother 's Series X. Will definitely replay it on Switch 2 this year. Game is generational.  Last edited: Today at 6:34 AM Z'ard "This guy are sick" Member Mar 5, 2019 1,550 Ukraine Yeah i have over 500 hours as well and i'll definitely play it again at one point.   thezboson Member Oct 27, 2017 1,380 I have over 1000 hours in ER. I tried runs where I played "traditionally" by not using summons and AoW etc and played it like a Dark Souls game basically. And have to say, for those of us that like to play Fromsoft games that way, ER is by far the hardest game I have ever played. Much harder than Sekiro. Yet, the game is easy enough that 10% can grab the Platinum. A real triumph in game design and my favorite game of all time. I still think of the lore from time to time.  Bede-x Member Oct 25, 2017 12,058 To think there was a time where Steam wasn't included at launch for Souls games and now it's outperforming not just PS5, but two generations of Playstations. So much have changed in the last decade or so and Steam is such a juggernaut now. Seems to have done well everywhere though.  jaymzi Member Jul 22, 2019 7,202 First I thought how is this possible as 45% is more than the amount of people that finished the game. Then I realised Elden Ring can easily take over 100 hours to finish.  onibirdo Member Dec 9, 2020 3,590 GOAT   raketenrolf Member Oct 28, 2017 5,919 Germany Yeah, it's already one of the best games of all time, easily. I need to start Shadow of the Erdtree. But holding off because the Switch 2 is launching soon.  Mephissto Member Mar 8, 2024 1,231 Pretty insane. Considering how much it sold especially.   Rud Member Mar 3, 2025 140 United States Dyno said: If anything it says a lot more about how overstated the difficulty is to me. People do it for the bragging rights because it's perceived as hard, but DMC DMD mode etc are far far harder, just they dont have the same hype cycle and rep so people don't try for it as much I guess. Click to expand... Click to shrink... You don't have to play in that mode though so it doesn't matter how hard it is. With Elden Ring everyone has to play under the same conditions so when you brag to someone else they know what it is that you are talking about.   Gelf Member Oct 27, 2017 6,156 I remember when I finally beat the game for the first time after about a month of solid playing since launch I was impressed by the overall percentage stats of people who had already got the late game achievements. It was higher than many games I've seen that are vastly easier and are over in less than 20 hours. I'm nowhere close to getting 100% though.  Oliver James Avenger Oct 25, 2017 9,838 Is it really that good? I finished De - Da123 Bb, should I play it as a lapsed Souls player?   Dyno AVALANCHE The Fallen Oct 25, 2017 16,830 Rud said: You don't have to play in that mode though so it doesn't matter how hard it is. With Elden Ring everyone has to play under the same conditions so when you brag to someone else they know what it is that you are talking about. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Oh for sure, I just think that as harder games go ER and the souls games are pretty chill. There's a fair push and pull to them and in most cases, reasonable room to recover. It may just be a personal thing but I find in the harder hack n slash game modes losing your rhythm is a death sentence, but the souls games have that bit more time to recover and rethink I suppose and just feel fairly mellow despite the challenge. You're right that the challenge is universal but tbh even that can kinda be defined by the build. My first run of demons was tragic to say the least, then I tried magic on run 2 and had a very different experience  hydrophilic attack went to hypogean jail Member Oct 25, 2017 23,622 Sweden wow that's a big difference in completion percentage between platforms   Western Yokai Member Feb 14, 2025 175 The game is harder than average, the game is better than average, the game let's you play how you find it's better, while puts everyone in the same level of accomplisment in regards of difficulty. Of course people will be engaged to do 100% when they feel they're progressing, and not just beating everything first time, watching a cutscene, hence and repeat.  Rud Member Mar 3, 2025 140 United States Dyno said: Oh for sure, I just think that as harder games go ER and the souls games are pretty chill. There's a fair push and pull to them and in most cases, reasonable room to recover. It may just be a personal thing but I find in the harder hack n slash game modes losing your rhythm is a death sentence, but the souls games have that bit more time to recover and rethink I suppose and just feel fairly mellow despite the challenge. You're right that the challenge is universal but tbh even that can kinda be defined by the build. My first run of demons was tragic to say the least, then I tried magic on run 2 and had a very different experience Click to expand... Click to shrink... Shared experiences are a big difference makers with these games i think. In Elden Ring i never beat that Scarlet Rot Breath Dragon in Caelid despite trying many many times with different strategies and even with the help of online guides, could never beat that thing. If one of my friend told me they beat that guy that would be impressive to me simply because I could not do it but my friend could. Conversely if Elden Ring had diffulty settings and my friend told me he beat that Scarlet Rot Breath Dragon in easy mode than that would mean absolutely nothing to me.... because we're not even playing the same game. Hell if my friend beat that thing in Ultra Hard mode while I could not even beat it in Normal mode I like would have no context of that even means, the difference is unimaginable at that point.... I might be tempted to accuse my friend of trying to flex on me or something ("nobody told you to play on Ultra hard don't try to flex on my like that makes you better" or something like that)  Last edited: Today at 7:17 AM Flying Caterpillar Member Aug 14, 2024 202 I just checked my play time and I was surprised to see it past 500 hours. I still want to do another playthrough of the DLC.  mrmickfran The Fallen Oct 27, 2017 33,239 Gongaga I keep meaning to go for my last trophies too, I just got to do the other ending trophies.   Last edited: Today at 7:19 AM Menchin Member Apr 1, 2019 6,012 Oliver James said: Is it really that good? I finished De - Da123 Bb, should I play it as a lapsed Souls player? Click to expand... Click to shrink... If you liked those games then you'll probably like this too so go for it  Rainer516 Member Oct 29, 2017 1,491 I have it on both Steam and PlayStation. Around 400 hours on playstation and 150ish on Steam. It is my "comfort food" game. I bought it 9n Steam so I could play it on my steamdeck when I travel for work and need to unwind.   RPGam3r Member Oct 27, 2017 16,450 ArjanN said: Minecraft has the GTA/Skyrim thing, where most of the audience is playing it as a sandbox. I've noticed harder games tend to have a decent amount of self-selection, where a really challenging roguelike or bullethell shmup has higher completion percentages on the harder achievements than a more mainstream game with much lower difficulty. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Yeah in games like Skyrim I don't even try for completion on trophies whatsoever. I have 1000s hours in Skyrim and do not have 100% in achievements/platinum trophy. Same for Minecraft.  jotun? Member Oct 28, 2017 5,167 I have 1041h on PS, but I certainly haven't actually played for that much. I have a habit of leaving it on while doing chores and stuff. Also lots of time just waiting for summons/invasions while doing other things. I actually have it up on my second monitor on my desk right now   Altima VII Member Mar 2, 2025 177 To be honest my biggest takeaway from these stats is wondering what ludicrous business decisions are keeping Sony from releasing Demons Souls on Steam.   Kill3r7 Member Oct 25, 2017 29,077 202 hours on Xbox but that includes the DLC.   CladInShadows Member May 2, 2024 292 The overall completion statistics make a level of sense - it's a game where the main appeal is the gameplay, overcoming challenges, etc. If you are enjoying that, why wouldn't you want to experience every challenge the game has for you? The achievement list essentially just becomes a checklist for everything there is to get out of the game. It's a contrast to most modern games where such a big part of the audience is just there for a story, with no intention to fully engage with any mechanics and who'd get upset and give up upon encountering anything they weren't able to beat first try. They're not going to hang around after beating the main story to do any optional side content or challenges that are often tied to achievements. These people probably didn't pick up Elden Ring in the first place.  Sumio Mondo Member Oct 25, 2017 10,753 United Kingdom I don't think it's really sunk in how much of an event this game actually was in the mainstream. So much bigger than their other games.  

Dozens of 'wandering' black holes could be tumbling through our galaxy right now, new simulations hint. Their existence could help solve a longstanding cosmic puzzle.

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 here Epic Games finally brought Fortnite back to iOS in the United States! The game was banned from Apple’s App Store for nearly five years, as players were stuck in Chapter 2 – Season 3. Now, it’s time for a new era, as the dispute between the two companies has nearly come to an end. To celebrate the return of Fortnite to iOS, Epic will bring back its iconic skin, Tart Tycoon. This anti-Apple skin marked the beginning of legal dispute between Apple and Epic, so it makes sense for the game creator to bring it back. According to a leak, the skin will be free once again. Fortnite is bringing back its ultra rare Tart Tycoon skin The trouble between Apple and Epic Games started brewing in August 2020 when the Fortnite developer added a third-party payment processor to the game. This resulted in Apple taking Fortnite off the App Store and banning it. As a result, Epic took the tech giant to court and began a lengthy legal battle that lasted for almost five years. Now, the game has returned to iPhones and iPads, but only in the US. Earlier this year, Epic brought it back in the European Union, and the United Kingdom is expected to get the game in the second half of 2025. According to Hypex, the most popular Fortnite leaker, Epic will bring back Tart Tycoon, one of the rarest skins of all time, to celebrate the return of the game. Tart Tycoon was first available in 2020. Image by VideoGamer The skin was released in August 2020, and players were able to win it by scoring 10 points in the #FreeFortnite Cup. It had unlimited quantities, so it was available to everyone who played a game or two. In addition to this, Epic Games also gave out some valuable rewards to more than 20,000 players, including a hat, Xbox One X, Nintendo Switch, phones, and more. The start date and time of the Tart Tycoon Cup haven’t been leaked or revealed yet. However, with the Galactic Battle season ending in early June, we expect it to come out within a week. Fortnite Platform(s): Android, iOS, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X Genre(s): Action, Massively Multiplayer, Shooter 9 VideoGamer Subscribe to our newsletters! By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime. Share

Baby KJ after a gene-editing infusion with researchers Rebecca Ahrens-Nicklas and Kiran MusunuruChildren’s Hospital of Philadelphia A baby boy with a life-threatening genetic condition has become the first person to receive a bespoke CRISPR gene-editing treatment, giving a glimpse into what the future of medicine might look like. It’s the first time anyone has been given a gene-editing treatment designed to correct a disease-causing mutation found only in that individual, Rebecca Ahrens-Nicklas at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, told a press briefing. “He’s showing some early signs of benefit,” she says, but it is too soon to tell how well the treatment worked. Advertisement The researchers published the details as soon as possible in the hope that it will inspire others, says team member Kiran Musunuru at the University of Pennsylvania. “We very much hope that showing that it’s possible to make a personalised gene-editing therapy for a single patient in several months will inspire others to do the same,” he says. “I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say that this is the future of medicine,” he says. “This is the first step towards the use of gene-editing therapies to treat a wide variety of rare genetic disorders for which there are actually very few treatments currently in development at all.” The boy, KJ, inherited mutations in each of his two copies of a gene for a liver enzyme called CPS1. Without this enzyme, ammonia builds up in the blood when proteins, including ones we eat, are broken down, damaging the brain. More than half of children born with a CPS1 deficiency die, says Ahrens-Nicklas. Get the most essential health and fitness news in your inbox every Saturday. Sign up to newsletter She and Musunuru have been developing treatments for this kind of condition that target the liver, allowing them to rapidly create a base-editing therapy – a form of CRISPR – that corrects one of KJ’s two copies of the CPS1 gene. The team contacted US regulators early on. “They recognised that this was an unusual circumstance,” says Musunuru. “KJ was very, very sick, and there wasn’t time for business as usual. When we formally submitted our application to the FDA [Food and Drug Administration] when KJ was 6 months of age, the FDA approved it in just one week.” KJ was given a low dose of the treatment in February 2025 when he was 6 months old, followed by larger doses in March and April. He is now able to eat more protein than before, despite taking lower amounts of other medications to manage his condition. Ideally, children would be treated even earlier to prevent the long-term damage conditions such as CPS1 deficiency can cause. As New Scientist reported last year, Musunuru aims to one day edit human genes before birth. Other gene-editing therapies are designed to work for many people, regardless of the specific mutation causing their condition. For instance, the first ever approved gene-editing treatment, for sickle cell disease, works by turning on the production of fetal haemoglobin, rather than by correcting the mutations in adult haemoglobin that cause the condition. Despite being a “one-size-fits-all” treatment, it still costs £1,651,000 per course of treatment in England. KJ with his family after the treatmentChildren’s Hospital of Philadelphia Personalised treatments are likely to be even more expensive. Musunuru says he can’t put a number on KJ’s treatment, because the companies involved did much of the work for free. But the price will come down, he thinks. “As we get better at doing this, economies of scale will kick in and you can expect the cost to come down orders of magnitude,” he says. One reason personalised gene-editing treatments haven’t been developed before is that regulators have regarded therapies targeting different mutations in the same gene as separate, meaning companies would have had to restart the approval process from scratch for every different mutation. But there is now a move towards what is called a platform approach, where regulators will give broad approval to a therapy for a condition, whichever mutation is targeted. “Platform-based approaches, like genome editing with CRISPR – as we’re seeing with KJ’s treatment – offer a scalable way to treat even the rarest diseases,” says Nick Meade at the Genetic Alliance UK, a charity that helps people with rare diseases. “This at last makes treatment a realistic prospect for thousands of families.” Journal reference:New England Journal of Medicine DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2504747 Topics:crispr