AMD has provided an updated overview of what it’s doing to protect customers from Spectre, saying there’s a new patch included in Microsoft’s recent Patch Tuesday roll out. Users should also be on the lookout for updated BIOS releases. “AMD customers will be able to install the microcode by downloading BIOS updates provided by PC and server manufacturers and motherboard providers. Please check with your provider for the latest updates,” AMD said. As for Variant 1 (also Spectre), AMD says mitigat

Last night they did it again, and while they didn’t attract the same number of viewers, Drake did say that he’ll drop some Fortnite into his next album—if Epic hands over the bling first. I say when Epic gives me the emote—when Epic gives me the Hotline Bling emote—I’ll do it. It’s not like it hasn’t been done previously—Bungie dropped a Hotline Bling emote (minus the name) into Destiny two years ago—nor is this some kind of underground campaign that hasn’t been widely noticed. During the same s

When I first sampled Battletech at last year’s Gamescom, I learned, pretty quickly, not to underestimate its Death From Above attack. Both Chris and Evan have since regaled us with hands-on tales of warring mechs and unique internal structures—but I’ve equally enjoyed learning why Battletech’s world is at war. “It’s a wonderful way to get a true, classic Battletech story,” says Weisman. “This really opens it up for the player to extend their own story of their mercenary unit, in whichever direct

In an attempt to crack on conditional warranty coverage, the FTC sent letters outlining its concerns over warranty clauses to six “major companies,” and it specifically mentioned those stickers. The FTC is concerned that companies might be violating the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, which is a law that governs consumer product warranties and prohibits certain restrictions. With regard to the warranty stickers, companies often place labels over screws or other parts of hardware that inevitably end

After a few hours with the game I’ve learned to watch my back in Total War Saga: Thrones of Britannia. Thrones also takes place on a much denser map than other Total War games. In your first role as game director, what was it you wanted to change or refine about the Total War formula? You’re going to lose some settlements, and you’re going to have to take them back. Total War Saga: Thrones of Britannia in out on May 3.

Kinggath’s Sim Settlements mod changed the way I play Fallout 4 by simplifying its colony system. Mr Jose Cuervo’s Sim Settlements City Plan Disaster Pack add-on mixes things up by introducing catastrophe scenarios. Mr Jose Cuervo’s Sim Settlements City Plan Disaster Pack then gives your settlers’ work purpose, and a reason to keep on building. In the Abernathy Air Tragedy, for example, settlers must help Blake Abernathy rebuild his life in the wake of his daughter’s death. More of this please,

Un Je Ne Sais Quoi is a French indie outfit co-founded by Cannes award-winning animation director Cédric Babouche. The studio’s debut project is the wonderfully-named Mr Tic Toc & the Endless City—a gorgeous painterly adventure about time travel and solving puzzles. I mean, look at him, Mr Tic Toc, with his poncho, dashing top hat, and hipster beard and glasses combo. Messing with the past and future can have “drastic consequences”, says developer Un je ne sais quoi. Mr Tic Toc & the Endless Cit

And this is when it struck me that Telltale games are best enjoyed if you think about the journey, not where they’re heading. Altering the tone of the story, and how the protagonist makes their way through it, is really what Telltale games excel at. Altering the tone of the story, and how the protagonist makes their way through it, is really what Telltale games excel at. The problem is, Telltale tries to make it seem like its games are much more than that. So I don’t think it’s a problem that Te

The latest expansion set for The Elder Scrolls: Legends, The Houses of Morrowind, arrived last week. Traditionally in card games, you want to stick to the bare minimum when it comes to deckbuilding. It’s taken what other digital card games have done well and added onto it. That doesn’t, however, change the success of Hearthstone or the potential success of Artifact, Valve’s own upcoming digital card game. If you’re a TESL fan, an Elder Scrolls fan, or simply a fan of card games, I’d definitely r

Dauntless, the co-op action-RPG about turning giant monsters into stylish hats, will enter open beta on May 24, developer Phoenix Labs announced today. More than 100,000 players have so far taken part in the closed beta that’s current underway, and the studio said that another 700,000 have signed up for the open beta. The game takes players to the Shattered Isles, a sort of land-that-time-forgot overrun by giant, vaguely dinosaur-like beasts. You can sign up to take part in the Dauntless open be

In The Piano, the accused, failed pianist John Barnerway finds himself wandering the streets of post-war Paris, trying to find answers and… make shadows explode? As well as being a murder mystery, The Piano also dabbles in survival horror, which is presumably where the shadow creatures—perhaps a hint that our pal John isn’t quite all there—come in. Like The Piano it’s a supernatural murder mystery and adventure game, complete with ghosts and creatures from the other side, including the very same

Overkill’s long-delayed but soon-to-appear cooperative zombie romp has been on the go for long enough so that someone really should have come up with a better name, one that won’t be confused with Telltale’s The Walking Dead. AMC’s The Walking Dead, Telltale’s The Walking Dead, Overkill’s The Walking Dead. Two years of delays have tempered my enthusiasm, but unless Valve announces Left 4 Dead 3, Overkill’s The Walking Dead still might fill a big gap. And like Overkill’s other co-op FPS, Payday,

Still trying to take down Far Cry 5’s boring cult? If you’ve not yet left Montana, you might want to hop into the Arcade for the Arcade Dawn live event between now and April 17, at least if you want a really ridiculous little gun and some equally ridiculous clobber to go with it. And while you’re there, why not do a bit of community service? During the event, if the Arcade is visited a not insubstantial 1,200,000 times, the Arcade Pro outfit, with colours to match your new gun, will be handed ou

Is the process of uncovering cut content in Dark Souls 3 at all similar to that of Bloodborne? Absolutely yes, Dark Souls 3 uses an engine that was forked from a very early build of Bloodborne, so interestingly, there’s actually content that was cut from Bloodborne inside Dark Souls 3. You’ve so far taken on Oceiros from Dark Souls 3—do you have any idea/are you able to say what you’ve got planned for the Souls series beyond that? Will you also delve into Dark Souls and Dark Souls 2? Dark Souls

“Each nick and stain tells a story.” I’ll get to test my barter banter soon enough, too, as Moonlighter hurtles towards its release date of May 29. Moonlighter’s set in a little town that became a commercial centre when various gates to loot-filled, supernatural dungeons appeared nearby. Trying to make up for a life spent dutifully looking after the shop for his family, he now splits his life between fighting through dungeons and selling the loot. In dungeons, Moonlighter becomes an action-RPG a

Valve has updated Steam’s Profile Privacy Settings page, with a new range of control options for how users’ information is displayed in the Steam client. But according to Steam Spy operator Sergey Galyonkin, one new change to Steam’s privacy settings has rendered the popular stats tracking site useless. “Valve just made a change to their privacy settings, making games owned by Steam users hidden by default,” the Steam Spy Twitter account tweeted. As for other Steam privacy changes, a new “invisi

Until, that is, I visited the rolling pastures and shimmering beaches of Stardew Valley. With its rows of corn, baby chickens, and charming librarians to woo, Stardew Valley has uniquely tapped into the sense of pride that comes with a hard day’s—and a hard year’s—work. If there’s one thing real life has over Stardew Valley’s small-town charm, it’s that my doctor is infinitely more available. I’m sure the protagonist of Stardew Valley had their share of questions (both actual and existential) wh

Alternatively, you can dive straight into a look at the game in action courtesy of today’s launch trailer, called “Penetrate the House” for some reason, which showcases adversaries, exploration, beguiling followers, and the Moonlit Road. Cultist Simulator is the first game from Weather Factory, a studio launched by Fallen London creator and Failbetter Games founder Alexis Kennedy. Kennedy left Failbetter in 2016, after which he contributing writing to Stellaris and BioWare’s next, still-unannoun

Enter the Gungeon’s Gungeons & Draguns update was announced in August 2017 and was set to land sometime in early 2018, so hopefully we’ll see it any day now. I got in touch with developer Dodge Roll for details, and they confirmed The Exotic’s Ammonomicon entry (above). Image via DestinypediaGjallarhorn is an Exotic-grade rocket launcher that fires homing rockets which split into tiny ‘Wolfpack Rounds’ on impact. Happily it sounds like the Gungeon’s Exotic has taken that mentality on board. Have

In a 2018 interview with Weekly Famitsu, as translated by Gematsu , Dragon Quest 11’s designers explained why the Japanese version wouldn’t have voiced characters. The English version of Dragon Quest 11, however, will have character voices when it releases this September. Producer Hokuto Okamoto told me that part of the reasoning goes back to Dragon Quest 8, which also released with English voices. As far as PC-specific features, assistant producer Hikari Kubota didn’t have many specifics to sha