Valve has announced the list of best selling and most popular Steam games of 2022
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- in News
[Update]: Steam Awards 2022 winners have now been revealed, though unfortunately they're somewhat uninspired.
In celebration of all the excellent games released this year, as well as all of the older ones that have managed to stay relevant despite immense competition, Valve has now revealed the most successful and popular titles of 2022. The giant list has been divided into a variety of categories (top sellers, new releases, most played, early access graduates, best of VR and Steam Deck), each one with four different tiers to help organize things. It's well worth mentioning that while the higher tier games are more successful or popular than the ones below them, the exact position of each game within its tier is entirely random.
As for the games themselves, it should come as little surprise to hear that the list of Platinum (1st-12th) top sellers includes a variety of seemingly omnipresent games like Apex Legends, Dota 2, Destiny 2 and Elden Ring. What might come as a bit of a surprise, however, is that Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel and Naraka: Bladepoint are a part of this rather exclusive club despite there being very little talk about them outside of their own communities!
High On Life is a remarkably entertaining (and remarkably insane) FPS game from the co-creator of Rick and Morty
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After messing around with comedy-focused VR games for a couple of years, Justin Roiland's studio Squanch Games have now decided to attempt something a bit more ambitious - an FPS game that blends together fast-paced action and Rick and Morty inspired off-the-wall humor. And you know what? They've done an excellent job at it!
On the gameplay front High On Life is a fairy competent shooter with some fun mechanics to mess around with, though it's nothing too special in the grand scheme of things. What really sets it apart, however, is the sheer amount of creativity that has gone into designing its world, characters and even the weapons. Something insane or stupid happens pretty much every couple of minutes, so even though the gameplay itself might get a bit repetitive after a while, there's very little time to think about any of that because the boss has just shoved a small furry thing into his brainbox!
Arkane's awesome stealth game Dishonored - Definitive Edition is free to grab for a week
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[Update]: The next giveaway has now arrived with the physics-based sandbox Kerbal Space Program and the stealth-focused Shadow Tactics: Aiko's Choice!
If you're a fan of stealth games, of if you would like to become one, you'll be pleased to hear that Dishonored - Definitive Edition is currently free to grab! All you have to do is head on over to the Epic Games Store, add Dishonored to your account, and you'll be good to go after a bit of a download.
Naturally, there is a time limit you'll want to watch out for. The giveaway will only last until January 5th, so do make sure to snag Dishonored before it goes away! Once you've done that you'll be able to play it whenever you want and for however long you want.
Amnesia and SOMA studio's next horror game will be a non-linear sandbox set in a desolate WW1 bunker
- By Ash
- in Indie Games
[Update]: Amnesia: The Bunker has now been unleashed, and so far it's looking quite good! Best of all, there's even a free demo!
Instead of sticking with the familiar formula, Frictional Games are aiming to make their upcoming horror game Amnesia: The Bunker a non-linear experience where no two playthroughs are going to be the same. The key here is the new monster design as it'll not only be an ever-present threat skulking after you through the dimly lit rooms of a desolate World War 1 bunker, but it'll also react dynamically to your actions and thus force you to constantly adapt your playstyle in order to survive.
Combine this with a bit of randomization, a semi-open world to explore, as well as multiple potential solutions to most problems, and it becomes quite apparent that Amnesia: The Bunker is going to be rather different than its predecessors. That said, you can still expect to see some of the Frictional Games staples like a heavy focus on atmosphere and storytelling, physics-based interactions so you can muck around with the environment, as well as plenty of resources and tools to scavenge for as you slowly creep through the ruins.
As a small holiday present, Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning has added a new Arena Mode
- By Ash
- in News
The gift-giving season is well and truly upon us, and so the Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning team has decided to unleash a brand new update for everyone to enjoy. It brings with it a new Arena Mode that will have you, unsurprisingly, fight against hordes upon hordes of challenging enemies across three new arena locations.
The difficulty will increase with each encounter you conquer, as will as the rewards, so do make sure to gear yourself up before you step into the arena. And if you're feeling particularly bold, make sure to complete the various round challenges in order to receive even greater rewards!
Diablo 4 will be launching on June 6th, 2023 with five classes: Barbarian, Druid, Necromancer, Rogue and Sorceress
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[Update]: Diablo 4 has now finally arrived, and while there are some notable issues, it's pretty good fun.
After a whole bunch of previews, teasers and developer diaries, Blizzard has now finally decided to commit to an actual release date. As such, you can look forward to seeing Diablo 4 land unleash hell onto PC and consoles on June 6th, 2023!
Diablo 4 will feature five classes for you to mess around with: Barbarian, Druid, Rogue, Necromancer and Sorceress. The focus is on making each class feel unique and exciting to play, so you can expect to see a wide variety of customization options for them, both in terms of visuals and gameplay. So as long as the balance holds up, Diablo 4 should have a ton of replay value.
CD Projekt Red will be drastically slowing down development on Gwent: The Witcher Card Game in 2023 and beyond
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Despite going through multiple redesigns and many years of updates, it looks like CD Projekt Red's Gwent: The Witcher Card Game has not managed to capture a sizable enough playerbase to warrant pushing it further. As such, CDPR has now announced that they will be drastically slowing down development on Gwent in 2023 and beyond.
It's not all bad news, however, as CDPR is not actually looking to shut their card game down. Instead they're planning to release an additional 72 cards through 3 mini-expansions in 2023, after which they'll switch their focus to maintaining and rebalancing things with monthly, community-guided updates.