There is a new Humble Bundle of interest to game developers, the Big Bang Unreal & Unity (and Godot) Asset Humble Bundle. This massive bundle contains a ton of 3D environments, props, SFX and characters for Unreal, Unity and a few for Godot as well. You can also transfer assets from one game engine to another using the guides we provide below. In addition to this new Humble Bundle there are several other game asset bundles for these game engine by Leartes running over on GumRoad: Space Nova Unreal Bundle (Use code SN70) Star Nova Unreal Bundle (Use Code SN40) Unity Space Nova Bundle (Use Code SN70) Unity Star Nova Bundle (Use Code SN40) Godot Star Nova Bundle (Use Code SN40) The Big Bang Unreal & Unity (and Godot) Asset Humble Bundle is organized into the following tiers: 1$ Tier Military Boat SFX CyberpunkZBrush: Beginner to Advanced Course on Three MiniaturesVFX Smoke (Unreal Engine)Water VFX (Unreal Engine)Object Distribution Tool (Unreal Engine)500+ Fantasy IconsCosmos One Month Free SubscriptionCosmos 50% Discount CodeMedian Tier Ultimate Lighting and Camera Tool ( ULCT ) Feudal Japanese CastleStylized Desert BazaarStylized Medieval HouseStylized Magical Haunted VillageThe Gas StationFantasy Mystic VillageMilitary Barriers PackSUV 02 DriveableSFX WinterVFX Dust (Unreal Engine)Substance 3D Painter: A Complete Guide for BeginnersSFX 3 Police Station (SFX)Modeling TutorialPost Apocalyptic Melee Weapons VOL.2Material Assignment Tool (Unreal Engine)Police Character / NPC (Unreal Engine)1950s Mafia Character / NPC / RiggedCyberpunk Holograms / Neon Set ( Set of 33 Holograms )Cyberpunk Street Lights (Unreal Engine)Driveable / Animated Retro Cyberpunk Hover Car 0220$ Tier Miami Club Megapack Ancient Cathedral EnvironmentThe Grand Egyptian TempleThe Carnival EnvironmentUnderwater Sunken ShipHaunted HouseThe Fantastic HillsThe Ancient Library EnvironmentPirate Tavern EnvironmentChinese Alley EnvironmentUltimate Level Art Tool – ULATThe Rally Point EnvironmentJapanese TempleFeudal Japan WarroomStylized House Along RiverModular Stylized Cyberpunk StreetStylized Ice Dragon VillageStylized Perched ChurchStylized Desert MineStylized Sci-Fi Modern CityRetropunk Saloon Environment (Unreal Engine)Cyberpunk Kyiv Street EnvironmentChurch / Cathedral InteriorGothic Street1950s BusinessmanCyberpunk Billboards / Signs Set / 35 Unique Pieces ( Cyberpunk Billboards )Military Exterior PackClassic Sport Car 01Classic Car 02Classic Car 03SUV 03 DriveableFPS 4K Western Guns – VOL.3FPS 4K Custom Modern Handguns – VOL.4SFX Cyberpunk GunsVFX Explosion (Unreal Engine)Creating an Industrial Concept Art in Blender / PhotoshopCreating Abandoned Church 3D Environment in Unreal Engine 5Unreal Engine 5, Blender – Creating a Classroom EnvironmentSFX 1 Warzone (SFX)SFX 2 Soulslike (SFX)VFX 1 Warzone (VFX)Post Apocalyptic Melee Weapons VOL.1FPS 4K Custom Modern Shotguns – VOL.2FPS 4K Western Guns – VOL.2 (Unreal Engine)Stable EnvironmentIf you are looking at using the Unreal or Unity assets in another game engine, be sure to check out the following conversion guides: You can learn more about the Big Bang Unreal & Unity (and Godot) Asset Humble Bundle in the video below. Using links on this page helps support GFS (and thank you very much if you do!)

Elden Ring Nightreign is a tough-as-nails game that blends the beloved roguelike and soulslike genres into something fans of both should find appealing. However, unlike most games in either genre, this one’s inherently designed around working together in a group of three. So, you may be wondering if you can strike out on your own in Elden Ring Nightreign. While the game is about to get easier for folks who choose to go it alone, right now such a style proves an exceptionally difficult challenge.Suggested ReadingThe Most Sought After Elden Ring Sword Has A Storied History Share SubtitlesOffEnglishview videoSuggested ReadingThe Most Sought After Elden Ring Sword Has A Storied History Share SubtitlesOffEnglish Elden Ring Nightreign solo?Let’s get this out of the way first: Yes, Elden Ring Nightreign offers the option for solo play. To do so, you’ll need to open the expedition menu at Roundtable Hold, then switch over to the matchmaking settings tab. At the bottom of the menu, set the Expedition Type to “Singleplayer.”The real question is whether Elden Ring Nightreign’s single-player experience is manageable or fun, and that really depends on your skill level, class choice, and patience more so than in any other similar game I can remember playing. If you really want to go at it by yourself, [play as] Ironeye or Wylder.Elden Ring Nightreign is already pretty damn challenging when running with a group of three other folks. The game’s sense of randomness adds a lot of unknowns to an expedition, and things can go wrong very quickly. But with a team, you can be revived, have someone else available to take some aggro from you when things get hairy, and use your character’s abilities to complement one another in difficult showdowns. It’s often still hard as hell, but victory usually feels possible even when things don’t go quite as planned.However, when you’re alone…Well, you’re all alone. If you die on a solo expedition, that’s it. You’re done. Back to the Roundable Hold with you, loser.With this in mind, some folks may find the anxiety-inducing pacing and chaotic showdowns enjoyable even while solo; but those who struggle to succeed without a group may find it demoralizing to watch hours go by without making any meaningful progress. And since some classes are much better for solo play than others, it can be even more frustrating to go it alone for someone who prefers to play one of the support-focused classes.If you really want to go at it by yourself, I’d recommend taking a look at Ironeye or Wylder.Ironeye’s ranged playstyle is the safest in the game, giving you a lot of freedom to tackle enemies your own way. For instance, you can take the high ground against some foes to avoid their attacks altogether, or use his sliding ability to dodge an attack and get behind an enemy for better positioning.Wylder, meanwhile, is a jack-of-all-trades character with a solid health pool and balanced stats that make him great at adapting to whatever type of loot a run provides. Simply grab any melee weapon and you’ll probably be doing alright with this fella. Plus, he has some of the coolest skins in the game. That doesn’t help you in battle, but like…come on. He looks rad.In conclusion, while things can certainly go poorly even with a team, I’d argue playing by your lonesome leaves too little room for error for a game that requires such a hefty time investment and minimal payoff for failure. Elden Ring Nightreign is designed from the ground up to be played with others, after all. Your mileage may vary, though, so play however you have fun with it! You can pick up Nightreign now on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows PCs. You’ll have to look elsewhere to pick up two other friends to play with, though.

The Sony Days of Play sale is underway, and it includes the first official price cut for the PS5 Pro. The console has dropped by $50 to $650 in the US for the sale, which runs from May 28 to June 11. This is the first time Sony has discounted its Pro-level console. Retail partners like Amazon are matching the discount as well. If you don't have a PS5 already and can afford the Pro model, it's definitely the way to go to get the best PlayStation experience. It earned a score of 88 in our review, and it might have scored even higher if not for the price and the lack of a built-in disc drive. There are other discounts on consoles in the US and Canada as part of the sale. A bundle of either the standard PS5 or Digital Edition with a copy of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 starts at $400/$510 CAD (for the Digital Edition). Sony says that will save you $120/$160 CAD compared with buying them separately. The PS5 standard and digital versions will be on sale in Europe and Asia too, starting at €400/£340/¥65,980. It’s worth noting that Sony has considered raising the prices of PS5 hardware to offset the cost of tariffs. Microsoft this month jacked up the prices of Xbox consoles recently for that reason. So if you’ve been on the fence about getting a PS5 or PS5 Pro, now might be the time to snap one up. Elsewhere in the Days of Play sale, accessories are getting discounts. You can save on the PlayStation VR2 ($50 off), PlayStation VR2 and Horizon Call of the Mountain bundle ($50 off), Pulse Explore earbuds ($30 off), DualSense Edge controller ($30 off), PlayStation Access controller ($20 off) and the DualSense controller ($20 off). Things like PS5 console covers and external storage drives will get price cuts as well. You will, of course, be able to snap up PS5 games for fewer dollars than usual. MLB The Show 25, the brilliant Astro Bot and Lego Horizon Adventures are among the many first-party games getting discounts. If you haven't played The Last of Us Part II and don't want to wait a year or two before finding out where the story of HBO's adaptation will go after that (somewhat unsatisfying) season finale on Sunday, you might like to snap up the remastered edition of the misery simulator, which will be included in the sale. Hundreds of other games will be featured. The list includes several Assassin's Creed titles, Grand Theft Auto V, Final Fantasy VII Remake and Rebirth, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and Balatro. On top of that, movies will be on sale through Sony Pictures Core Elsewhere, some PlayStation Plus plans are 33 percent off for new subscribers. Upgrading to the Extra or Premium tiers may cost you a third less than usual as well. That stinks for long-term PS Plus members who’d like to add another year or two (especially after recent price increases in several regions), but that’s standard practice for plans such as these as companies try to boost subscriber numbers. Speaking of which, Sony is adding an extra few games to the PS Plus Game Catalog for Extra, Premium and Deluxe members. They are: Another Crab’s Treasure (PS5, May 29) Skull and Bones (PS5, June 2) Destiny 2: Legacy Collection (PS5 and PS4, June 4) Grand Theft Auto III (PS5 and PS4, June 10) Another Crab's Treasure is a delightful Soulslike that was one of my favorite games of 2024. One of the best things about it is an accessibility option that gives you a giant pistol that can one-shot any enemy. Skull and Bones landed last year after years of delays and I'd say that "at no extra cost" is the best way to try it. Destiny 2: Legacy Collection includes hundreds of hours of gameplay with all of the expansions from the game's Light and Darkness Saga, except for the last chapter, The Final Shape. As it happens, the latest batch of monthly PS Plus games (which all PS Plus subscribers can claim and keep in their libraries as long as they maintain the membership) includes Destiny 2: The Final Shape, which will be available on May 30 for PS4 and PS5. The other titles, which you can claim starting on June 3, are NBA 2K25 (PS5 and PS4), last year's remake of Alone in the Dark (PS5) and the Jet Set Radio-esque Bomb Rush Cyberfunk (PS5 and PS4). That's a solid lineup! In addition, two bona fide all-timers are joining the Classics Catalog on June 5 for PS Plus Premium/Deluxe subscribers. Myst and its sequel Riven will be available to members on PS4 and PS5 at no extra cost. Premium/Deluxe subscribers will have access to two more game trials from May 28: Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 (PS5) and Sid Meier’s Civilization VII (PS5 and PS4). Update, May 28, 12:53PM ET: Sony pushed back the date that it's adding Destiny 2: The Final Shape to the PS Plus Monthly games list from May 28 to May 30. This story has been updated accordingly.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/the-ps5-pro-is-50-off-in-sonys-days-of-play-sale-144517873.html?src=rss

As if early June wasn't already going to be a wild enough time in the gaming world with the arrival of the Nintendo Switch 2, that's also when a whole host of showcases takes place as part of Summer Game Fest. Along with the two blockbuster events — Summer Game Fest Live and the Xbox Games Showcase — there are a bunch of other ones in store, including the always-delightful Day of the Devs. There could be even more on the docket. There's always a chance that Nintendo and Sony will run a Direct or State of Play, respectively, over the next few weeks. Ubisoft hasn't yet announced a Forward event for this year — perhaps because it has delayed a bunch of big games and isn't ready to talk about them.  As things stand, SGF is slated to run from June 6 until June 8. With E3 officially dead (organizer Entertainment Software Association is planning an industry-focused event for next April instead), SGF is now the de facto replacement and the biggest event for announcements and updates this side of Gamescom in August. We'll update this preview as more details about the showcases emerge, including additional events in the SGF nebula. We'll embed videos for each stream as they become available as well. Engadget will be on the ground in Los Angeles for the in-person side of SGF, which is for media and creators. We'll be bringing you hands-on impressions of many of the games that are featured during SGF Live. Most folks will be keeping up with everything from home, though. To that end, here's a breakdown of how to watch Summer Game Fest 2025 and what to expect from the extravaganza (we're bound to get a Hollow Knight: Silksong release date this time, right?!?!). Summer Game Fest 2024 schedule Summer Game Fest Live — June 6, 5PM ET Day of the Devs — June 6, 7PM ET Devolver Direct — June 6, 8PM ET Wholesome Direct — June 7, 12PM ET Women-led Games Showcase — June 7, 1PM ET Latin American Games Showcase — June 7, 2PM ET Green Games Showcase — June 7, 4PM ET Xbox Games Showcase — June 8, 1PM ET Death Stranding 2: On The Beach Live Game Premiere — June 8, 10PM ET How to watch Summer Game Fest Live — June 6, 5PM ET Watch on YouTube or Twitch Putting aside our annoyance at the timing of this showcase — late on a Friday evening in the UK and right when many folks on the East Coast are clocking out for the weekend — Summer Game Fest Live is one of the bigger events in early June. It starts at 5PM ET and will run for two hours. Organizers are promising "spectacular new video game announcements, surprises and reveals." That's pretty compelling, especially since host Geoff Keighley (rightfully) downplayed expectations ahead of last year's show.  We do know about a few games that will appear. SGF Live will include a fresh look at Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, a Soulslike action RPG from Leenzee, a studio based in China. That game will arrive in July. Open-world MMORPG Chrono Odyssey will make an appearance as well. Oh, and Hideo Kojima will be there, of course. SGF Live takes place just a couple of weeks before Kojima's Death Stranding 2: On the Beach arrives, so we'll likely get another peek at that game before a more in-depth event on June 8 (more on that momentarily). Perhaps some of the other projects Kojima's working on will get some time in the limelight too. We’re proud to welcome a record-setting 60+ partners for #SummerGameFest 2025, a global celebration of video games in Los Angeles this June. pic.twitter.com/1TZkEbKlHt— Geoff Keighley (@geoffkeighley) May 28, 2025 Keighley has also released an initial list of partners for SGF. It includes big names such as PlayStation, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox, Steam, 2K, Epic Games and Square Enix. On the list is IO Interactive, so perhaps we'll get more information about the James Bond game that the Hitman studio has been working on for several years.  Embark Studios is there as well, and given that there's a lot of hype around its upcoming extraction shooter, Arc Raiders, there'll be high hopes for a release date for that one. On top of that, CD Projekt Red will be at SGF, but it's more likely to be promoting Cyberpunk 2077's arrival on the Nintendo Switch 2 than shining a spotlight on The Witcher 4 (it feels a little too early for the latter after the reveal trailer at The Game Awards in December). You can watch SGF Live on more than 20 platforms, including YouTube (that stream will be available in 4K at 60 fps), Twitch, X, TikTok, Steam and international services. The event will stream live from the YouTube Theater, and you can attend in person, if you like. In any case, we'll be bringing you all the major news from Summer Game Fest Live. We just can't promise we won't have an adult beverage with an umbrella next to us while we're covering the event. How to watch Day of the Devs — June 6, 7PM ET Watch on YouTube (the same stream as SGF Live above) or Twitch  Immediately after SGF Live ends, the YouTube and Twitch streams will segue into the summer 2025 edition of Day of the Devs. This indie-focused showcase invariably has a fantastic lineup of games worth keeping an eye on. Among the games making appearances are Possessor(s) from Heart Machine and "nightmarish RPG" Neverway from Coldblood and co-publisher Outersloth. We'll also see something from House House (Untitled Goose Game) — presumably the co-op "walker-talker" Big Walk that was revealed in 2023. In all, Day of the Devs will feature 20 games.  Last year's show included 2024 game(s) of the year contender UFO 50, the very intriguing platformer Screenbound, survival climbing game Cairn, the delightfully kooky-looking Building Relationships and sci-fi mystery Phoenix Springs. My Steam wishlist somehow expands quite significantly after each Day of the Devs showcase. Weird how that always happens. How to watch Devolver Direct — June 6, 8PM ET Watch on YouTube (the same stream as SGF Live and Day of The Devs above) or Twitch  Sorry to everyone who was hoping for Baby Steps and Skate Story release dates from the SGF edition of Devolver Direct. This installment will be entirely focused on one game, and it's neither of those. Devolver Digital will be showing off a previously unannounced title called Ball x Pit: The Kenny Sun Story. The publisher hasn't revealed any more details about this game yet, but apparently it's one that the Devolver "team themselves can't even put down — hundreds of hours later." Devolver's got a strong track record, so this will probably be worth your attention. How to watch Wholesome Direct — June 7, 12PM ET Watch on YouTube or Twitch Definitely don't overlook the smaller events that take place during SGF, as you can always find plenty of treats among them. One such event is the Wholesome Direct, which will feature around 60 cozy games. It will include world premieres, demo announcements and updates from publishers and developers including Playstack, btf Games, ustwo games and Wētā Workshop (whose Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of The Rings Game arrives in July). How to watch Women-led Games Showcase — June 7, 1PM ET Watch on YouTube This one does what it says on the tin. It's a showcase featuring games from women-led and majority-women studios. Women-led Games will feature 39 titles, including world premieres and release dates. How to watch Latin American Games Showcase — June 7, 2PM ET Watch on YouTube The Latin American Games Showcase will feature more than 50 games, all of which are from Latin American developers, oddly enough. Expect world premieres, game update news and more from this one. How to watch Green Games Showcase — June 7, 4PM ET Watch on YouTube The Green Games Showcase is a new addition to the lineup for 2025. This will focus on the game's industry's "growing commitment to the environment." It will feature games that make direct contributions to green initiatives. Other titles in the showcase center around sustainability, and some are designed to raise awareness or drive action regarding environmental causes. Amazon Games, Skybound Games and Team17 are among those taking part. The stream will include a Q&A about how games can inspire meaningful action on climate change. There will also be a fundraising drive to help plant 50,000 trees. How to watch Xbox Games Showcase — June 8, 1PM ET Watch on YouTube or Twitch (there's a separate ASL stream on Twitch too) What's the over/under on the number of times the phrase "day one with Game Pass" will appear on this stream? That's one phrase you can definitely expect to hear, but Microsoft will have plenty to share here. It's the biggest Xbox showcase of the year. There will be reveals and updates from across Xbox Game Studios, Bethesda and Activision Blizzard. Games that the company has in the pipeline include Fable (2026), Perfect Dark, Gears of War: E-Day, Everwild, State of Decay 3, Clockwork Revolution, Hideo Kojima's OD and Contraband. It feels a little early for an update on The Elder Scrolls 6 since that game is still years away. But we may find out more about those other games and some we don't yet know about, such as whatever Double Fine and Toys for Bob are working on.  I have my fingers crossed for more info on the Blade game that Arkane Studios is working on. It's a reasonably safe bet that we'll see something about the next Call of Duty here as well. There's always going to be space for offerings from Microsoft's partner studios and publishers too. Plus, you never know, we might get a peek at what Halo Studios has been cooking up. One game we'll definitely hear more about on June 8 is The Outer Worlds 2. That's getting its own time in the spotlight, with a dedicated event that will start as soon as the main Xbox Games Showcase ends. How to watch Death Stranding 2 Live Game Premiere — June 8, 10PM ET Watch on YouTube Kojima will join Keighley at the Orpheum Theatre in LA to kick off a world tour of events to celebrate the arrival of Death Stranding 2: On The Beach. There will be a panel discussion with some special guests, as well as a live demo of the highly anticipated game. In case you can't make it in person (ticket registration is open now), you can watch the hour-long event live at home.  Meanwhile, several publishers and other organizations are hosting their own shows around SGF. Here's when those will take place:  Access-Ability Summer Showcase — June 6, 11AM ET, on YouTube, YouTube with British Sign Language and Twitch (featuring games made by disabled developers and the accessibility options in each title) IGN Live — throughout June 7 and 8, on YouTube and Twitch Southeast Asian Games Showcase — June 7, 3PM ET, on YouTube Future Games Show — June 7, 4PM ET, on YouTube (featuring more than 40 games)  Frosty Games Fest — June 7, 7PM ET, on YouTube (showcasing "the coolest upcoming and recently released games made in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand") PC Gamer's PC Gaming Show — June 8, 3PM ET, on YouTube (with 50-plus games) Phew. Get ready, gamers. Details on many, many new games are coming your way very soon.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/summer-game-fest-2025-what-new-game-announcements-to-expect-and-how-to-watch-162140617.html?src=rss

It's almost that time of year again. Summer Game Fest starts on June 6. The annual kickoff stream begins at 5PM ET on that date. Yeah, we know. The time isn't ideal for folks with regular jobs, but we'll be in Los Angeles to cover the event in person, so you can just hit up the site for updates. The best way to watch this is likely via the YouTube stream. After all, the event is being hosted at the YouTube Theater. There will also be a Twitch stream for the YouTube-averse. We’re proud to welcome a record-setting 60+ partners for #SummerGameFest 2025, a global celebration of video games in Los Angeles this June. pic.twitter.com/1TZkEbKlHt— Geoff Keighley (@geoffkeighley) May 28, 2025 The organizers, including host Geoff Keighley, are promising "spectacular new video game announcements, surprises and reveals." I like all three of those things. We don't know that much about what games will be discussed during the two-hour event, but we aren't going in totally blind. The stream will feature a new look at Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, which is a nifty-looking Soulslike action RPG. The open-world MMORPG Chrono Odyssey (no relation to Chrono Trigger) is also making an appearance. There's also the Kojima of it all. This event is taking place just a couple of weeks before we get our hands on the long-anticipated Death Stranding 2: On the Beach. The legendary game creator will be on-hand to discuss the title during a dedicated event on June 8, but maybe he'll pop up at the kickoff to give viewers a peek at whatever else he's been working on. However, the kickoff stream is just the beginning. The weekend is host to the Day of the Devs showcase, the Devolver Direct, Wholesome Direct and really so much more.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/how-to-watch-summer-game-fests-kickoff-stream-193047735.html?src=rss

Elden Ring Nightreign is finally out, and while it’s received a pretty positive reception so far, there’s a contingent of players voicing their complaints that the game isn’t balanced well for solo play. The developers at FromSoftware appear to be listening, and they’re set to release a patch next week to make the solo experience a little more forgiving. (Though it’ll surely still be ludicrously difficult. This is FromSoftware we’re talking about.) On launch day, FromSoftware announced on X that Patch 1.02 will drop in the following week, and it’ll bring “several bug fixes as well as improvements for solo expeditions,” including the ability for solo Nightfarers to self-revive “once per night boss battle” and an increase in runes they acquire from defeating enemies. The following improvements for solo expeditions will be added to the game:– The effect "Automatic Revival Upon Defeat", which allows revival once per night boss battle, will be added to solo expeditions.– The amount of runes gained will be increased.Thank you for your support.— ELDEN RING (@ELDENRING) May 30, 2025 Still, Elden Ring Nightreign players will have a difficult time doing their best Let Me Solo Her impression. Nightreign is balanced and designed for three-player co-op, and some bosses will summon groups of enemies to throw at the Nightfarers, which will always pose a challenge for solo players, patch or no patch. Players have also voiced their displeasure at not being able to take on Nightreign in teams of two. As for implementing duos, FromSoftware hasn’t yet announced a formal update to add the option. After admitting a co-op option for duos was “overlooked during development,” Elden Ring Nightreign director Junya Ishizaki said a two-player option is “something that we are looking at and considering for post-launch support as well.” Improved balancing for solo players and adding a duo option will both be boons for the Nightreign community. As pointed out on Reddit, the game’s subreddit is currently looking more like a forum for couples seeking a third for date night. Elden Ring Nightreign distills the Elden Ring experience into 45-minute, combat-focused, roguelite cycles culminating in some of the best boss fights FromSoft has created. Soulslike vets and newcomers alike should read up on tips before they get started with Nightreign, and definitely need to check out its banger of a launch trailer.

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.

Hell Is Us – not a Ubisoft adventure (Nacon) GameCentral goes hands-on with an original sci-fi action adventure where the emphasis is on unguided exploration, with some throwback Zelda inspirations. You might already have heard the name Hell Is Us, as the game was first announced way back in April 2022. We previewed the sci-fi tinged adventure title, developed by Rogue Factor, for the first time last year but now it’s now on the home-straight, with a launch slated for September 4, and it’s shaping up to be a peculiar but intriguing mix of influences and ideas. Our original preview covered the opening portion of the game, so we’ll avoid recycling the same beats here. But for the general gist, you play as a United Nations peacekeeper named Rémi who absconds to the war-torn country of Hadea to track down his parents. A stroll through the tutorial woods later, however, and you realise this isn’t your average civil war.  If you’re a fan of Alex Garland’s Annihilation, the strange, faceless alien from the film’s conclusion seems to have been a major influence here. The Hollow Walkers, as they’re called, are very creepy, as they lurch towards you unpredictably, with morphing limbs which give way to vivid, crystallised attacks or, in some cases, attached entities you have to kill first. Their glossy white exteriors act as a stark contrast to the muted eastern European landscapes and dungeons you explore.  As a game, Hell Is Us is somewhere between Bloodborne and The Elder Scrolls. Combat wise, it’s pulling from the former, as you manage a stamina bar, study enemy patterns for the best moment to strike, and rely on aggressive play to replenish a magic gauge for special skills. You also have access to a drone which has various uses tied to cooldown meters, between distracting enemies for crowd control andmaking a charging lunge to dash across the field.  Rogue Factor has stressed Hell Is Us isn’t a Soulslike though. You’re not scrambling for bonfires or any equivalent, but exploring and chatting with characters to piece together where you need to go next, discovering new places of interest, and encountering side objectives which bleed into the overall experience of navigating each semi-open world area. The ethos behind Hell Is Us is discovery and the organic feeling of finding your feet through clues in the world, rather than using obvious quest markers.  This might bring to mind acclaimed games like Elden Ring and The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild, in their attempt to declutter open world exploration, but the game’s director, Jonathan Jacques-Belletête, believes the roots of what Hell Is Us is aiming for goes much further back. A cosmic horror vibe (Nacon) ‘Honestly, something like Zelda: A Link To The Past is much closer to what we’re doing now than a Breath Of The Wild,’ said Jacques-Belletête. ‘Sometimes people are like: ‘I really can’t put my finger on what kind of game it is, what is it?’ It’s just a bloody adventure game man. Look, you’ve got a combat system, you’ve got enemies, you’ve got a world to explore, there’s a mystery, you’re not exactly sure of this and that, there’s some secrets, there’s some dungeons, we did a game like that. It’s called an adventure game,’ he laughs. ‘There were even side-quests in A Link To The Past that didn’t tell you they were side-quests.’ Hell Is Us might have roots in classic adventure games but Jacques-Belletête, is keen to highlight the fatigue around Ubisoft style open world bloat, where checklists and quest markers are traditionally used in abundance. With the success of Elden Ring, there’s a sense many players are craving a return to the hands-off approach, where you discover and navigate without guidance – something which Hell Is Us is hoping to capitalise on after being in development for five years.  ‘It’s so much of the same thing,’ he says, when talking about Ubisoft style open worlds. ‘It loses all meaning. Things within these open worlds lose a lot of their taste because too much is like not enough. Do you know what I mean? You have to fill up these spaces with stuff and they just become a bit bland. Like once you’ve seen one, you’ve seen all of them.  ‘It’s not Assassin’s Creed, it’s not that, it’s all these things. We’ve all played them. I’ve got hundreds of hours in Elder Scrolls, all the Elder Scrolls, and that’s not the point. It’s not that I don’t like them. It’s just trends do their time and then you have other ideas. It’s a pendulum as well. Games used to be a lot more hardcore that way, we’re trying to go back to that.’ The crux of my time in Hell Is Us is spent in the Acasa Marshes, the second semi-open area where the game lets you off the leash. The swampy lands are crawling with Hollow Walkers in various forms, from hulking monstrosities to mage-like foes that hurl projectiles from clifftops. A swirling black vortex is a key focal point but it’s surrounded by enemies, while a settlement of villagers sits on a hill in the distance.  According to the developer, this area is one of the largest areas in the game, ‘if not the biggest one’, and it seems pretty expansive. We found ourselves heading towards the village, whose militaristic leader points you towards your main objective with only a vague mention of going ‘north east’. You have to dig out your compass to get a grasp on your position, as you try and navigate towards, and identify, the next location based on this information.  The lack of quest markers makes the experience more involving, as you have to pay more attention to your surroundings and what characters say, but I wasn’t entirely sold on the story or writing. It’s something which will hopefully become more engrossing as you get a better grasp of what’s going on, but I wish I was drawn to interact with the characters based on something beyond the need to progress.  When you are exploring aimlessly though, Hell Is Us offers some captivating chaos – even if some areas did appear to be gated off. We fought our way to the aforementioned swirling black vortex, encountering enemies beyond our skill level, only to find it was inaccessible due to not having a specific item. We later found an underground tunnel filled with enemies, where an individual connected to a side0quest was trapped at the other end.  Surprises lurk in the marshes (Nacon) Along with these open areas, Hell Is Us also offers dungeons built around puzzles and combat encounters. Aside from the opening introduction, we were shown a later example in the Lymbic Forge, which offered a nice dose of visual variety, with flowery gardens surrounding the boggy marshes. We didn’t get a whole lot of time to explore, but it did highlight the breadth of the combat upgrades and customisation with late-game weapons.  Hell Is Us is a melting pot of influences, and while we’re not sold on everything it’s trying to accomplish, it’s certainly another AA game with big, exciting ambitions – a trend amplified this year by the success of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. For the game’s director, who has a long history in the AAA space working at Eidos Montreal, the jump to AA, with a smaller team and less financial pressure, means you have a better chance of striking gold.  More Trending ‘Look at what’s happened to the industry over the past few years,’ Jacques-Belletête said. ‘Everything is crumbling. The big ones are crumbling. It’s unsustainable. And the games are so bloody bland, man. Everything is starting to taste the same.  ‘I find there’s nothing worse than starting a game and right away, in the first two minutes, you know how everything’s going to work. You know how every single mechanic is going to work. They might have a little [extra] in how it’s going to feel, or this and that, the user interface will change a bit, but you’ve gone through the ropes a dozen times.  ‘A game has to occupy a space in your brain that your brain can’t really compute just yet. When you turn your console off and it stays there, that’s because something is going on. Your brain is processing. And I think that’s a lot easier to do in the AA space than the AAA.’ Formats: Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PCPrice: £49.99Publisher: NaconDeveloper: Rogue FactorRelease Date: 4th September 2025Age Rating: 16 The combat it(Nacon) Email gamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter, and sign-up to our newsletter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader’s Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. GameCentral Sign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

Since its reveal, Hell is Us has been something of an enigma. As an action-RPG that hones in on detective-style investigations within a hauntingly alluring world filled with weird monsters to explore, it's a type of game that tasks players to meet it on its strange and unorthodox terms. For its developers, Hell is Us also represents a game that pushes back against contemporary trends of gaming that places its story and gameplay in a neat package and instead trusts players to piece together just what the hell is going on within the corrupted land of Hadea, and how to survive it.After playing several hours of the opening of Hell is Us along with some mid-game dungeon crawling, I came away with a clearer idea of developer Rogue Factor's new-weird-influenced take on an action-adventure game that pushes players to mind the finer details of the world and maintain poise during some of the intense engagements. So far, Hell is Us is a game that makes charting out into a familiar yet deeply alien world feel captivating.Hell is Us - May 2025 ScreenshotsHell is Us takes place in an alternate 1990s where the fictional European country Hadea is in the midst of a civil war following the events of a mysterious, supernatural incursion known as the "calamity." Playing as Remy, a United Nations peacekeeper and former resident of Hadea, he's detained by a mysterious organization following his mission into Hadea to find his parents. With the organization and its leader pressing down on Remy, he has to recall the fateful decisions he made with the surviving factions and how he fought off the seemingly otherworldly creatures known as Hollow Walkers.The main plot of Hell is Us reminded me of a mix between Death Stranding and Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time.“The main plot of Hell is Us reminded me of a mix between Death Stranding and Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, which focuses on immersing players into a world that takes a sudden and violent turn to the weird and with a seemingly unreliable protagonist recounting his interpretation of events. Hell is Us fully commits to its premise of a bleak setting and being a stranger in an even stranger land, one that feels familiar with its backwoods and small towns clinging onto survival, but feels so disorientingly strange with the rise of Hollow Walkers and portals that have turned the European countryside into an alien landscape.PlayWhat immediately drew me into Hell is Us was its unusual approach to storytelling and immersing players within its strange world. The sense of mystery is palpable in Hell is Us, and I was constantly walking into areas that had grotesque monsters or strange anomalies that drew my eye. I was especially taken in by the plight of the surviving characters, who struggled to endure in their ramshackle sanctuaries held together by duct tape and dwindling hope. This story very much chucks you into the deep end with its narrative and gameplay flow as you explore the different open zones filled with their puzzles and points of interest.What I found most intriguing, and what I suspect many players will have to come to grips with, is how Hell is Us takes a largely unguided approach to gathering intel and charting out to complete quests with no mini-maps or waypoints to help you in your trek. This very '90s adventure game approach puts the onus on players to listen to the details that the surviving characters bring up in conversations and read the well-organized intel from Remy's personal datapad. It's the type of game that demands a certain level of attention, or else you can find yourself wandering at length to figure out where to go next.PlayOuter Wilds is a particular example that inspired the dev team for its approach to a largely unguided adventure game that gradually expands in scope as more players use their growing knowledge. Speaking with creative director Jonathan Jacques Belletête, the approach the devs took with Hell is Us was all about trusting players with figuring out the mystery and embracing the campaign's more methodical approach to progression.Hell Is UsRogue FactorSep 4, 2025"So at first we really wanted to go full hardcore with this game, like players would have a little notebook and a pen to write notes, because that's where we came from when we played games in our youth, but what inspired us was the general fatigue we've felt with this new contemporary era, like games should never have a problem too big for players to solve because you have to reach every type of player possible," said the creative director. PlayHell is Us is equal parts an investigation game and an action-RPG, and there's a surprising amount of combat to engage with while you're on the desolate road. On the surface, Hell is Us has the makings of a soulslike – and it certainly has some of those elements under the hood – but it goes in a direction with combat and power progression that's more about managing your poise and picking the best moments to strike against enemies that can easily take you out. Some of my favorite moments came using my powered-up weapons to dish out some chunky damage while sending in my drone to stun other enemies off in the wings.Hell is Us is equal parts an investigation game and an action-RPG, and there's a surprising amount of combat to engage with while you're on the desolate road.“The Hollow Walkers in Hell is Us are some of the most visually distinct and unnerving video game enemies I've seen in a long time. They're highly aggressive and can come in large numbers. Still, things get more unnerving once you face off against the powered-up walkers that can summon support enemies that were very much giving The Angels from Neon Genesis Evangelion vibes. Once these enemies appear, you'll have to switch up to take them down fast before you can finish off the main walker.PlayMuch like a souls game, stamina management is critical for survival, and I found myself constantly having to be decisive with my skills so as not to overexte nd myself against unforgiving enemies. One interesting wrinkle that took me time to get used to was the fact that health and stamina share a single bar. With your health being your primary source, the more health you lose in a fight, the less stamina you'll have to fight.While you have limited health items, the Lymbic Pulse skill is the best way to help you stay in the fight. Similar to Nioh 1 and 2, activating the pulse immediately after seeing a glow around Remy will instantly restore health and stamina based on the attacks you dish out. It's a very risk-reward approach to combat, and depending on how intense the combat gets, it can be easy to forget to hit the pulse and lose out on health. I found the engagements surprisingly challenging and unrelenting, yet I still felt good about scraping through once I figured out how best to clear out the foes.PlayCombat took the most time for me to get used to, as it's far more survival- and resource-driven than Dark Souls or Elden Ring. Some battles were so unforgiving that I felt unfairly outmatched by the numbers and aggression of the walkers. Still, I managed to rally and rethink my approach by going for it. According to the creative director, he likened their approach to combat with the act of boxing, which is also about managing stamina and dealing with decisive blows when you can."This is us trying to put our own spin on third-person melee combat, and we're always a bit inspired by From Software, but it was important for us to put our spin on," he said. "Like in real life, you pretty much just have one hit point, right? It's all stamina, and when once you're tired and you get hit, you're done. Like, I boxed for a very long time, and when your stamina is done, you're done. So that's where we were coming at it. The more damage you take and the more health you lose, that'll directly affect your efficiency in combat, but we also added in our balance to that with the Lymbic Pulse, to help your restore your health when you do take those risks to lay in damage – and that gives us a bit of a signature to the game as well."PlayI was thoroughly impressed with the visuals and atmosphere of Hell is Us, and it presents such a compelling yet still bizarre mix of fantasy and science fiction. Along with the other games mentioned, another piece of media that served as a key influence was Alex Garland's 2018 film Annihilation, which dealt with exploring an environment that underwent radical and violent change. It presents such an intriguing setting, but at times, the hardened and traditional adventure game approach Hell is Us takes to taking in the details and surviving this world felt a bit too stoic for its own good.Still, I was very invested in the bizarre, new-weird setting that Rogue Factor has crafted, and it so far has the makings of being one of 2025's more original and creative takes on the action-RPG experience. Given that this year saw the rise of Blue Prince's reinvention of a roguelite puzzle adventure, it'd be fitting for Hell is Us to succeed with its own reinvention with its new type of role-playing experience.