I'm here to tell you that Mario Kart World's free-roam mode is great when there isn't someone yapping in your ear about how "bad" and "empty" it is.

Since its release a few weeks ago alongside the Nintendo Switch 2, the latest installment in the vaunted kart-racing series has had a few more ups and downs than expected. For all the praise the game has accrued--it received a 9 from GameSpot's Steve Watts--Mario Kart World has also gotten its fair share of knocks and detractors, and a great deal of the criticism that's been aimed at it recently has centered on its free-roam mode. Those criticisms claim that the mode (and the world it makes available to players) is largely barren and what activities do fill it are lackluster.

For the uninitiated, Mario Kart World's free-roam mode drops players onto the large interconnected roadways of the newest game. If a player wanted to, they could drive from Acorn Heights, the northernmost track in the game, all the way down to Dino Dino Jungle at the southern tip of the continent. All the while, they can zoom past Toads in cars, buses, and trucks on the highways that connect these courses to one another. Along the way, there are even P-Switches that toggle challenges and races, warp pipes that transport players to hidden rooms, collectable Peach medallions in out-of-the-way spots, and stickers to collect to garnish your player profile. It's simple, uncomplicated, and nice. The mode is exactly what it's been billed as, and I cannot really understand the heat it's getting.

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Terraria is coming to the world of Palworld with a major update. The update will launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC on June 25, developer Pocketpair announced today.

The update will bring a variety of content, including new islands and pals from Terraria. Pocketpair didn't share specific details, instead opting to announce each piece of content over the next week on the studio's social media channels.

Pocketpair has said that players will be able to "catch, train, fight, and work monsters from Terraria" as if they were any other creature from Palworld. Palworld is currently on sale for 25% off its full price on both Steam and the PlayStation Store.

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Elden Ring Nightreign Official Companion Guide (Hardcover)

$45 | Releases September 30

Preorder at Amazon

Elden Ring: Books of Knowledge Vol. 1 - The Lands Between

$50 | Restocked June 2025

See at Amazon

Elden Ring: Books of Knowledge Vol. 2 - Shards of the Shattering

$50 | Restocked June 2025

See at Amazon

Elden Ring: Books of Knowledge Vol. 3 - Shadow of the Erdtree

$45

See at Amazon

Elden Ring Nightreign is getting an official strategy guide on September 30, and preorders are live now for $45 at Amazon. Preorders for Elden Ring Nightreign's Official Companion Guide opened shortly after Amazon restocked the hard-to-find Books of Knowledge guidebooks for Elden Ring. Books Books of Knowledge Volume 1: The Lands Between and Volume 2: Shards of the Shattering had been sold out nearly all of this year and throughout 2024. This is the first restock we've seen since last December, and both books sold out quickly then.

The first two volumes are available for $50 each, which is a bargain compared to many reseller listings over the past 1.5 years. Volume 3: Shadow of the Erdtree rounds out the collection and is available for $45 at Amazon.

Guidebooks published by Future Press tend to remain out of stock for many months after selling out, and there's no guarantee they will return at all. For instance, the Dark Souls Trilogy Compendium has been sold out for over a year, and the Sekiro guide disappeared years ago. But at least Future Press also reprinted the Armored Core VI Pilot's Manual, which had also been unavailable for more than six months. Last year's Bloodborne Complete Guide is also in stock at Amazon.

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In early 2023, Wizards of the Coast canceled at least five video games that were in development, including an unfinished Dungeons & Dragons open-world action RPG by Hidden Path Entertainment. Now, nearly eight minutes of footage from that game have been leaked online, and while the title was far from finished, it shows real promise.

The footage originated from one of the music supervisors of the game (via MP1st), which was known internally as Project Dante. Given the source of the video, it shouldn't be surprising that it puts a spotlight on some of the game's music. The video notes that the score was composed to seamlessly flow from the open-world theme to more specific tracks, including an ethereal theme for a temple and more forbidding notes as the heroes approached a Troll cave. A band of bards even performs an entire song while the main characters listen.

Project Dante's world looks enticing even in this early state, but the combat was clearly a work-in-progress at the time that this footage was made. There's enough here to see that this game had real potential, but it's never going to officially see the light of day. Some Project Dante's concept art has also been shared on Imgur as another glimpse of what could have been.

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Following a recent wave of Borderlands 4 previews, Gearbox boss Randy Pitchford has confirmed that one fan-requested feature will be in the game when it launches in September. While a mini-map won't be in the looter-shooter, a radar will, making situational awareness of a battlefield much easier.

In a lengthy thread, Pitchford spoke about how fans had been asking Gearbox to add this feature to the game--many people from the European, US, and Asian preview tours were advocating for it, Pitchford said--and the studio managed to make this happen.

"As me and head of dev, Steve Jones--and some of the other guys--were poking around with producers trying to figure out what it would take to add these features and if we could make it in time to ship or not, something awesome happened," Pitchford explained. "In classic Gearbox style, where we have an ethos of 'they who builds it, wins,' some developers got together and found some time in the margins of their schedules. Some Gearbox heroes did what Gearbox heroes do!"

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NetEase Game has announced a new game called Blood Message, which it describes as its first "AAA" single-player experience that is under development at Naraka: Bladepoint studio 24 Entertainment. Set during the final years of the Tang Dynasty, the game follows a nameless messenger and his young son as they embark on a 1,000 mile journey to Chang'an, the heart of the Tang Empire.

Fraught with peril, the trek sees the hero encounter difficult terrain and brutal sieges unfolding in the land. A trailer for the game featuring a mix of gameplay and cinematics has also been released, and you can watch it below.

NetEase says players can expect "cinematic storytelling" and realistic combat that blends stealth and survival mechanics, as well as expansive landscapes inspired by East and Central Asia. At its core, the company says Blood Message is about how ordinary people leave their mark on history as unsung heroes. The story focuses on a father and his son as they navigate a collapsing world and find themselves torn between duty and family.

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Gamers have been waiting 18 years for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond to arrive, so it was understandable when Nintendo reiterated that the game will be released this year to assuage fears of any further delays. While the game still doesn't have an official release date, there are now ads in the London Underground that state Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is "out now." [Update: As expected, Nintendo confirmed the ad is "incorrect" in a statement shared with VGC.]

A picture of the ad was posted on Reddit, where it's become the topic of speculation. But don't get too excited. It's far more likely that this is a mistake rather than Nintendo shadow dropping one of its most-anticipated titles of the year in the wake of Switch 2's launch without a proper media push.

Nintendo didn't reveal the first trailer for Metroid Prime 4 until earlier this year, and there have only been a handful of glimpses since. Players will once again assume control of bounty hunter Samus Aran as she finds herself trapped on the jungle planet Viewros while facing foes and hostile terrain. Luckily, Samus has also developed some new psychic powers that may give her the edge she needs to survive her latest ordeal.

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Earlier this week, Robin "DarkOne" Scott announced that he sold Nexus Mods to a new owner, ending his nearly 24 years as the leader of the site that he founded in 2001. Scott has indicated that he will remain with Nexus Mods in some capacity while guiding the overall direction of the site. The new owner, Chosen, has also spoken out to assure fans that the valuable resource won't be adding "aggressive monetization" or suddenly place mods behind a paywall.

Referred to by their Nexus Mods names in a statement from Scott, Foledinho (Victor), Rapsak (Marinus), and Taagen (Nikolai) are the three partners in Nexus Mods' ownership under Chosen. This led to fears among players that they collectively plan to monetize the site and exploit the user base for short-term gains. In a post on Nexus Mods, Foledinho told fans that "mods will always be free."

For the most part, Foledinho's message was that few things would change. He went on to say that Chosen doesn't claim ownership of any mods, nor will it charge users to download them. Foledinho indicated that Lifetime Premium subscriptions and free accounts will stay as they are, and he expressed admiration for the way Scott monetized the site in 2007.

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Earlier this week, Robin "DarkOne" Scott announced that he sold Nexus Mods to a new owner, ending his nearly 24 years as the leader of the site that he founded in 2001. Scott has indicated that he will remain with Nexus Mods in some capacity while guiding the overall direction of the site. The new owner, Chosen, has also spoken out to assure fans that the valuable resource won't be adding "aggressive monetization" or suddenly place mods behind a paywall.

Referred to by their Nexus Mods names in a statement from Scott, Foledinho (Victor), Rapsak (Marinus), and Taagen (Nikolai) are the three partners in Nexus Mods' ownership under Chosen. This led to fears among players that they collectively plan to monetize the site and exploit the user base for short-term gains. In a post on Nexus Mods, Foledinho told fans that "mods will always be free."

For the most part, Foledinho's message was that few things would change. He went on to say that Chosen doesn't claim ownership of any mods, nor will it charge users to download them. Foledinho indicated that Lifetime Premium subscriptions and free accounts will stay as they are, and he expressed admiration for the way Scott monetized the site in 2007.

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Earlier this week, Robin "DarkOne" Scott announced that he sold Nexus Mods to a new owner, ending his nearly 24 years as the leader of the site that he founded in 2001. Scott has indicated that he will remain with Nexus Mods in some capacity while guiding the overall direction of the site. The new owner, Chosen, has also spoken out to assure fans that the valuable resource won't be adding "aggressive monetization" or suddenly place mods behind a paywall.

Referred to by their Nexus Mods names in a statement from Scott, Foledinho (Victor), Rapsak (Marinus), and Taagen (Nikolai) are the three partners in Nexus Mods' ownership under Chosen. This led to fears among players that they collectively plan to monetize the site and exploit the user base for short-term gains. In a post on Nexus Mods, Foledinho told fans that "mods will always be free."

For the most part, Foledinho's message was that few things would change. He went on to say that Chosen doesn't claim ownership of any mods, nor will it charge users to download them. Foledinho indicated that Lifetime Premium subscriptions and free accounts will stay as they are, and he expressed admiration for the way Scott monetized the site in 2007.

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The Switch 2 is Nintendo's first console to support HDR, but the implementation of the feature leaves much to be desired. Here is a look at why games on the Switch 2 can wind up looking worse in HDR--and what to do to fix it.

YouTuber HDTVTest has done a deep dive into the Switch 2's HDR capabilities and settings, to discover why HDR is leaving so many players' games looking washed out. He identified a number of issues with the way Nintendo has implemented its HDR, mostly coming down to confusing UI and a lack of clear instruction.

The first issues come from the settings menu that prompts you to calibrate HDR for a new display. In a familiar screen showing two identical icons, players are asked to adjust a setting until one disappears and the other stays visible--which will set the maximum tone map luminance or MaxTML. HDTVTest has discovered that this setting only works as designed for displays that support HGIG tone mapping, with results on non-HGIG supported devices prone to blowing out.

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The Switch 2 hasn't even been out for a month yet, but Nintendo is already taking strong measures to make sure pirates can't use the company's new console. Switch 2 owners are sharing stories online that their systems have been banned after using a third-party cartridge that some players have reportedly used for illegal ROMs.

As reported by The Verge, Nintendo has been targeting systems that have used a MIG Switch cartridge, which can store ROMs that were either illicitly obtained or downloaded from players' personal libraries. Nintendo doesn't appear to have drawn a distinction about how the ROMs ended up in players' hands. If Nintendo detects the MIG Switch, the consoles in question are banned from going online forever.

The YouTube channel Scattered Brain shared its own report about the issue, and notes that even restoring the Switch 2 to factory settings can't undo the ban. Nintendo considers using the MIG Switch cartridge a violation of the Switch 2 End User License Agreement, and the penalty is a pricey lesson for anyone who doesn't heed the warning.

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The Switch 2 hasn't even been out for a month yet, but Nintendo is already taking strong measures to make sure pirates can't use the company's new console. Switch 2 owners are sharing stories online that their systems have been banned after using a third-party cartridge that some players have reportedly used for illegal ROMs.

As reported by The Verge, Nintendo has been targeting systems that have used a MIG Switch cartridge, which can store ROMs that were either illicitly obtained or downloaded from players' personal libraries. Nintendo doesn't appear to have drawn a distinction about how the ROMs ended up in players' hands. If Nintendo detects the MIG Switch, the consoles in question are banned from going online forever.

The YouTube channel Scattered Brain shared its own report about the issue, and notes that even restoring the Switch 2 to factory settings can't undo the ban. Nintendo considers using the MIG Switch cartridge a violation of the Switch 2 End User License Agreement, and the penalty is a pricey lesson for anyone who doesn't heed the warning.

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The Switch 2 hasn't even been out for a month yet, but Nintendo is already taking strong measures to make sure pirates can't use the company's new console. Switch 2 owners are sharing stories online that their systems have been banned after using a third-party cartridge that some players have reportedly used for illegal ROMs.

As reported by The Verge, Nintendo has been targeting systems that have used a MIG Switch cartridge, which can store ROMs that were either illicitly obtained or downloaded from players' personal libraries. Nintendo doesn't appear to have drawn a distinction about how the ROMs ended up in players' hands. If Nintendo detects the MIG Switch, the consoles in question are banned from going online forever.

The YouTube channel Scattered Brain shared its own report about the issue, and notes that even restoring the Switch 2 to factory settings can't undo the ban. Nintendo considers using the MIG Switch cartridge a violation of the Switch 2 End User License Agreement, and the penalty is a pricey lesson for anyone who doesn't heed the warning.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Bygone Dreams is a high fantasy action adventure with RPG elements set in a surreal dream world. The dream land of Lume, under the protection of its matron deity, is being threatened by a terrible Nightmare. Embodying the spirit known as Wa, you are the world's last hope for survival. To aid you in your quest, you must seek out the world's Guardians - powerful creatures worshiped and revered in times long before the corruption seeped in. However, the task ahead is anything but easy, as the Guardians themselves succumbed to the Nightmare.

BitCraft is a sandbox MMORPG which encourages many different play styles ranging from farming, hunting, and crafting to city-building and social strategy, rather than emphasizing combat alone. The game incorporates elements of sub-genres such as survival games, sandbox games, role-playing games, city builders, and strategy games. The game takes place in a single, massive, editable sandbox world for all players to interact with and to permanently change. Players awaken as a mystical being in the middle of the wilderness and will need to build shelter to survive. BitCraft has a skill system which lets players master their skills as they practice them. All characters begin as a blank slate and players build up experience in the aspects of the game they like to spend time with.