Clair Obscur: Expedition

While traditional role-playing games never disappeared, they did become quite rare for a few years. The release of Clair Obscur: Expedition has managed to remind many people why that style of combat was so beloved. Along with an excellent setting that revolves around serious themes like loss and grief, Expedition also has a solid take on turn-based combat, with every single character in your party having their own bespoke mechanics, be it Maeve’s stance system, how Lune handles elements, or even Gustave’s Overcharge mechanics. Pair this with rewarding high-level gameplay with parries and dodging, and you get one of the best RPGs out there.

Baldur’s Gate 3

Baldur’s Gate 3 finally managed to hit mainstream success, thanks in large part to its strong setting and ambitious design. Baldur’s Gate 3 adapts rules from the 5th edition of tabletop RPG Dungeons & Dragons, and features some of the most interesting and likeable characters that have been featured in games in quite some time. Along with this, it also has an expansive story that kicks things off with a great premise: figure out how to get rid of a parasite in your brain before you end up being turned into a mindflayer. What follows is an epic adventure that carries you through different cities and planes, where countless stories and challenges await.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Edition

What can we say about The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt that hasn’t been said already? An entire decade since its original release, the open-world RPG has continued to be awesome thanks to constant support from CD Projekt RED, not only through the release of excellent expansions—but also through updating the title to make use of more modern hardware with enhanced visuals. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt continues to have an excellent story, with plenty of wonderfully-written sidequests. All of this, paired with a great combat system leads to a generally fun way to spend hundreds of hours.

Elden Ring + Shadow of the Erdtree

In many ways, both Elden Ring as well as its expansion, Shadow of the Erdtree, represents the culmination of everything developer FromSoftware has learned in developing titles since 2009’s Demon’s Souls. Along with the slow-paced but heavy combat that the studio is known for, Elden Ring and its expansion also feature a great open world to explore, some of the best boss fights it has ever design, and some incredibly dense lore available for players who would care enough to pore through the dozens of item descriptions and conversations needed to uncover it all. Pair this with tools that provide plenty of options for players that might want an easier time through the game, and Elden Ring and Shadow of the Erdtree simply prove themselves to be the best that FromSoftware has to offer.

Red Dead Redemption 2

Developer Rockstar has had many great games under its belt, essentially changing the entire concept of open-world games with the release of Grand Theft Auto 3 and its host of follow-ups, but none of them have been as jaw-dropping or awe-inspiring as 2018’s Red Dead Redemption 2. Acting as a prequel to the original Red Dead Redemption, the title puts you into the shoes of Arthur Morgan as he experiences the age of the cowboy coming to an end as a member of the Van der Linde gang. Along with some excellent character-writing and fun missions, Red Dead Redemption 2 also offers dense gameplay, taking on a simulationist approach to even side activities like hunting or train robbing, giving players hundreds of hours worth of things to do in its massive and lush open world.

Days Gone Remastered

While Days Gone was originally a PS4 game that came out to a middling reception, its release on PC has been a glow-up for the open-world zombie title, with modern gaming PCs being more than capable of handling the hordes of zombies that get thrown at you. Sure, the main narrative may not be particularly noteworthy. However, the side-activities, as well as the general gameplay loop encouraged by the fact that upgrading your motorbike is important, make the overall idea of setting out to scavenge from long-abandoned medical facilities or even rival gang camps an enticing idea.

Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition

While its initial release may have been a bit of a mess, in the years since, Cyberpunk 2077 has proven itself to be an excellent open-world action RPG. Taking on the role of V in the year 2077, you set out to become a legend in Night City. However, one of the jobs you take alongside your best friend Jackie goes horribly wrong, and now you’re slowly dying and the ghost of Johnny Silverhand lives in your head. Cyberpunk 2077, along with its expansion Phantom Liberty, tells an excellent story that takes you across Night City’s various districts and social strata as you try and figure out the evil machinations of the megacorporation Arasaka that led to the development of the thing that has been slowly killing you. Along with an excellent main story, Cyberpunk 2077 also features several well-written and fun side-quests that can range from getting into a rivalry with a Japanese pop group to discussing the nature of sentience with an AI taxi service.

Disco Elysium – The Final Cut

Quite easily one of the most interesting takes on the RPG genre that has been attempted, Disco Elysium – The Final Cut puts you in the shoes of a detective. You explore the city of Revachol, which is seemingly in the midst of a cultural upheaval in some parts, alongside your partner Lieutenant Kim Kitsuragi. Disco Elysium focuses more on conversation than it does action, and one of its most unique aspects is the fact that each aspect of the protagonist’s mind and body has a personality of its own. Through these conversations, you learn more about yourself, about Revachol, and about the world at large.

Mass Effect Legendary Edition

Mass Effect is one of those rare video game trilogies that deserves its “legendary” moniker. The three titles tell the story of a galaxy’s fight against a cosmic, existential threat, and puts players in the shoes of human Commander Shepard who must assemble a rag-tag crew of allies from the various species from across the galaxy as they try to figure out the mysteries behind the forces known only as the Reapers. Along the way, in true RPG fashion, there are also plenty of choices that players have to make, with many of these choices having far-reaching consequences for the galaxy as a whole. While the ending of Mass Effect 3 might be regrettable, the rest of the journey still holds up even today as one worth experiencing.

Prey (2017)

While it may not have anything to do with its 2006 namesake, Prey (2017) is an immersive sim that puts players in the shoes of Morgan Yu. Working for the TranStar Corporation on ethically-dubious experiments, you eventually start serving on the Talos I space station. However, these experiments eventually start going wrong, and the space station comes under attack by an alien threat known as the Typhon. The twist is that these aliens can shapeshift, which adds an extra layer of tension to the gameplay. Even when you’re just exploring an office room, one of the mugs might end up being a Mimic-type Typhon that can attack you at any time, after all. What makes Prey especially interesting is the freedom it gives the player in how they choose to tackle any situation, be it stealth, combat, or even something more creative, like building platforms out of nearby furniture and your Goo Gun to avoid any dangers.

The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim Special Edition

Skyrim is still – at the time of publishing – the latest game in The Elder Scrolls franchise, and there’s a good reason that it has been the best-selling one so far. Taking place in the eponymous region of Skyrim, the game puts players in the shoes of whatever character they might like to be and, after a short opening quest, sets them free in the world. What makes Skyrim fun is that it has hundreds of hours worth of content, not only through its main story, but through several side quests as well. Along with this, the game also has an excellent modding community that has constantly worked on adding more content to the game, as well as improving what’s already there. Generally speaking, The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim is the closest thing we have to a game we can play forever.

Fallout 3

What Skyrim does for the fantasy genre, Fallout 3 does for players that might prefer a post-apocalyptic setting. Taking place in and around a post-nuclear fallout Washington DC – referred to in-game as the Capitol Wasteland – Fallout 3 sets you loose in an open world with a single goal: find your father. More interesting than the main story, however, is the sheer amount of side-content that is available right from the get-go. The first-person RPG will have you cover the entire length and breadth of the wasteland as you try and do as many side-quests as possible thanks to the excellent writing. While we’re at it, the gameplay isn’t bad either; it might be dated by modern standards, but the RPG systems in the game allow for plenty of player choice in terms of how you want to define your play style.

Hollow Knight: Silksong

After years of memes making the rounds on the Internet, Hollow Knight: Silksong is finally out. Putting players in the shoes of new protagonist Hornet, Hollow Knight: Silksong features an entirely new world to explore, and tons of challenging boss fights to tackle. Along the way, there are also plenty of new gameplay systems to explore, including the new healing mechanics, as well as the ability to change up Hornet’s entire moveset if you so desire. Much like the original Hollow Knight, Silksong has an easy claim to the crown at the top of the genre.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

While Marvel’s Spider-Man was already a fantastic return of the webslinger to the gaming medium, Insomniac Games has taken everything about the open-world action game and turned it up to eleven with Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. Not only does it feature an even more epic storyline featuring plenty of Spider-Man’s rogues gallery, it also features two whole Spider-Men taking on the threats to New York City – Peter Parker and Miles Morales. Throw on top a fun plot about both of our heroes growing together, as well as the unique personal issues affecting both of them, as well as the threat of the Symbiote over the whole plot, and you get a great time.

Little Nightmares 2

Little Nightmares 2 is an interesting game since, while it might appear like a cutesy platformer from the outside, underneath its adorable exterior lies a dark game filled with a surprising amount of horror. The title revolves around a boy, Mono, who finds a girl, Six, trapped in the basement of a dark and terrible house, and the two must work together to make it out alive.Along the way, they will have to deal with many terrifying enemies and other dark secrets of the main setting of the game – the Pale City – and the title makes heavy use of some psychedelic visuals to hammer home the point that the city is not a welcoming place for wayward children.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2

While most open-world RPGs tend to make use of fantasy settings, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 instantly sets itself apart from its contemporaries by instead making use of real-world place, complete with accurate depictions of historical events. Taking place in the lands of Bohemia, protagonist Henry finds himself and his friend, Sir Hans, the victims of a bandit attack on their way to deliver a message to Trosky. What follows is Henry’s attempts to complete his mission, and along the way, grow as a person. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 takes a simulationist approach to its gameplay, with armours and weapons feeling appropriately hard to find and maintain, and crafting systems that will have you reading instructions from books before you go about mixing potions or forging a sword. The title offers hundreds of hours worth of gameplay, along with some of the best sword-fighting mechanics ever executed in a first-person game.

Alan Wake 2

Alan Wake was a masterclass in horror, but its sequel takes things a step further. In Alan Wake 2, players control multiple characters as they explore genuinely creepy locations, face terrifying creatures, and experience it all with an amazing score and exceptional gameplay. This is what horror games should strive to be, and it leaves us eager to see what Remedy has in store for the inevitable Alan Wake 3.

Death Stranding Director’s Cut

Hideo Kojima’s first major project after his departure from Konami, Death Stranding is a game that is quite difficult to explain. Essentially, you are a courier in a world where a global catastrophe has made humanity spread out far and wide, with little to keep them connected to each other. The core gameplay revolves around you taking on delivery jobs and then figuring out how to cross the terrain to get to your objective. What makes this interesting is that Death Stranding is one of those rare games where terrain is quite important, and you can’t just climb any surface you see. This means that you will have to figure out the best route to take that doesn’t risk too much damage to the cargo you’re carrying. Throw on top a bonkers plot that revolves around the concepts of death, the soul and the body, as well as the general creepiness that the ghost-like BTs exhibit, and you have a fantastic time experience, while long, is well worth it.

The Witness

From the developer behind Braid, The Witness is a strange puzzle game that takes a single mechanic – being able to draw lines – and turns it into the entire game. While most of the title will have you finding screens to then solve logical puzzles with your line drawing powers, the whole game essentially blows open at a certain point when you start to discover that the entire world around you is also a puzzle that can then be manipulated and solved in different ways. Along the way, the game also features narration that explores the nature of the island you’re exploring, and what its true purpose might be. All of this is paired with some wonderful art direction and a vibrant colour palette that makes sure that nothing in The Witness ever looks boring.

Ghost of Tsushima

Ghost of Tsushima is an open-world game where the protagonist – a samurai named Jin Kasai – survives an initial battle against an invading Mongol force, and must rally the citizens and soldiers of Tsushima island to mount a resistance against the invaders. Over the course of the fantastic open-world game, Sakai must also come to terms with meanings behind words like honour, and the caste system that Japan was living under at the time. Ghost of Tsushima features simple-but-excellent combat gameplay, as well as quite a few tools for the player should they decide to sneak around instead, as they go around Tsushima liberating settlements from the Mongols and ultimately figure out a way to get at the primary antagonist – Khotun Khan, cousin of Kubali Khan.

The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered

While the original The Last of Us was a great game with a fantastic story anchored by wonderfully-written characters, The Last of Us Part 2 goes a step further, giving us a darker tale that focuses on two distinct characters and their quest for vengeance and redemption. Along with the larger overall scale of gameplay, The Last of Us Part 2 also tells a grander story, and features some of the most fun boss fights to have been put into a title where the gameplay is otherwise quite realistic. On top of all of this, the Remastered release on PC also has a host of extra content in the form of the roguelike survival mode No Return, where you get to take on combat challenges as the character of your choice in a variety of different levels.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

FromSoftware might be largely known for its slow-paced action RPGs in the Souls series and Elden Ring, but with Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, the studio instead decided to take on a much faster style of gameplay where being on the defensive was punished. Rather than hiding behind a shield, in Sekiro, you are instead forced to learn the timings of various enemy attacks so that you can instead parry them, eventually breaking your foes’ posture to then finish them off with a glorious killing blow. The title still maintains much of the FromSoftware DNA, however, including how death works and the emphasis on smaller-scaled levels that are more dense and intertwining, encouraging plenty of exploration. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, despite its differences from the studio’s other games, can easily be considered one of its best outings yet.

Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection

A collection featuring two games – Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End and Uncharted: Lost Legacy – Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection tells two excellent stories. While one tries to wrap up the ongoing plot of Nathan Drake trying to forge a legacy for himself, the other instead features two supporting characters from preceding Uncharted games in the roles of dual protagonists as they set off on an adventure of their own. Where Uncharted 4 offers a polished take on everything the series has had to offer so far, Lost Legacy instead goes for more experimental game design. All in all, both titles are well worth playing, even if you haven’t been able to play the first three games in the series.

Frostpunk 2

The original Frostpunk was a fresh take on the city-builder genre with a unique setting where you have to build and manage a city around sources of heat, since the planet has essentially frozen over. Its sequel pulls the camera back a bit, and instead of having you put down individual buildings, you’re now laying out entire districts with a single click. Despite this more zoomed out take on the gameplay, however, Frostpunk 2 still makes the player choose between two horrifying choices for the survival of their city, much like its predecessor, and the general progression of the title has been taken in interesting directions, such as how trade routes are managed and how districts can boost or bring down one another, depending on proximity. All of this is paired with some wonderful visuals and excellent sound design that perfectly manage to bring your cities to life.

A Plague Tale: Requiem

A Plague Tale: Requiem is a direct sequel to A Plague Tale: Innocence, and revolves around the two siblings once more having to travel together again. This time around, Amicia and Hugo de Rune have to travel south in order to try and look for a cure for Hugo’s affliction. On the gameplay side of things, it offers more of a refinement over its predecessor rather than any radical changes. Players take on the role of Amicia while Hugo helps out from time to time. However, both characters also have plenty of new abilities to play around with in combat encounters. A Plague Tale: Requiem also acts as an absolute feast for the eyes considering its incredible level of visual fidelity and strong art direction.

The Rogue Prince of Persia

After having spent several months in Early Access, The Rogue Prince of Persia was finally out a few weeks ago, and the fact that developer Evil Empire took player feedback quite seriously is evident. The title features incredibly-polished side-scrolling and platforming with smooth animations and a great visual style that still manages to work well with the randomly-generated levels. Throw on top some fast-paced combat that rewards quick timing, as well as a large variety of weapons, and you’re going to have a great time as you figure out the time-bending story of the Prince who is trying to save his people after previously having been the unwitting instigator of this doom to begin with.

Middle-earth: Shadow of War

Middle-earth: Shadow of War builds on everything its predecessor did in expansive ways. It brings back the much-beloved Nemesis system, which allows protagonist Talion to face down various kinds of Orc enemies, each with their own unique personalities and fighting styles. On top of this, the Orcs winning the fight also means that they’ll get stronger, making the subsequent rematch even harder. The Nemesis system alone makes Shadow of War worth your time, but if that’s not enough, it also has a fun story exploring an alternate timeline of the Lord of the Rings books where a giant war was waged against the forces of Mordor well before the events of the books take place. The gameplay also serves as an excellent evolution of the classical style of open-world action gameplay we saw over the last couple of console generations.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider

In Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Lara Croft embarks once again on a perilous hunt for a precious treasure. However, in her carelessness, Croft accidentally sets off a chain of events that threatens the world, and now she must find a way to stop the destruction. On the gameplay side of things, it offers fast and responsive gunplay as well as plenty of options for some stealth, including the ability for Croft to cover herself in mud to blend in with her surroundings better. The star of the game is undoubtedly the platforming, and with plenty of tombs for Croft to raid, Shadow of the Tomb Raider offers just about everything you could ask for.

Black Myth: Wukong

Black Myth: Wukong is an interesting take on a classic setting. The game features excellent boss fights, along with some gorgeous visuals. These aspects are further bolstered by the fact that the combat system is incredible and responsive. Even the encounter design deserves some praise, since Black Myth: Wukong has been designed around the idea of making the player use just about every tool they have at their disposal. There isn’t really much else to say that hasn’t already been said plenty of times already. It did, after all, manage to hold on to its concurrent player count records at launch when compared to any game out there on PC.

Mafia: The Definitive Edition

While the Mafia series has seen a newfound level of success thanks to the recent release of Mafia: The Old Country, the original Mafia is still worth revisiting, especially in its Definitive Edition form, since it now features modernised gameplay and combat systems, as well as a massive upgrade in visual quality. The story revolves around humble taxi driver Thomas Angelo in the city of Lost Haven, who finds himself embroiled with the local mob thanks to a recent car chase against a rival mob. Things slowly escalate as Angelo climbs up the ranks of the Salieri family. Interestingly, the story is told in the form of Angelo confessing to his crimes to a detective, with liberal use of flashbacks as the main storytelling device. The title also features a fun open world to drive through, especially since few games ever use the Great Depression as their setting.

Mad Max

Having come out at a time where many players and critics alike were suffering from open-world fatigue, Mad Max was quite overlooked. However, in the decade since, the title has been vindicated thanks to its excellent open world design and strong gameplay. Mad Max is a unique open world game where the player’s vehicle, the Magnum Opus, is an important form of progression. Much of the game will be spent with you, as Max, trying to find parts and blueprints to upgrade the car. Along with this, there is also an emphasis on vehicular combat, as well as good ol’ fisticuffs and some ranged weapons thrown in for good measure.

Hogwarts Legacy

Hogwarts Legacy is an open-world game that perfectly manages to tap into the world of the Harry Potter books. The title takes place a hundred years before the events of the books, and puts players in the shoes of a budding young wizard joining the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As they live out their student life, players will also eventually discover a bubbling goblin uprising, as well as criminal wizards. Hogwarts Legacy is one of those games that any fan of the Harry Potter series owes themselves to play because of just how well it captures the magical feelings of the books.

Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon

While Skyrim might offer a fun take on a fantasy open-world RPG, Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon takes a darker turn. The game takes on the classic tales of Arthurian legend, albeit with its own unique interpretations. Along with its vast open world, Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon also features quite a bit of emphasis on first-person combat, be it with swords or at range with a bow and some arrows. There are also plenty of other things to do while you’re out and about, from gathering crafting materials to simply taking a break by sketching some scenery or fishing by a lake.

Star Wars Outlaws

Star Wars Outlaws stands as a redemption story of its own, overcoming early skepticism to win players over. While the game was a mess when it first came out, the developers have taken quite a bit of player feedback to then introduce a host of fixes to the game, from gameplay aspects like improving how stealth works, to the addition of plenty of story content through the release of two expansions. Star Wars Outlaws is a great way to experience the Star Wars universe without the baggage of having to play as a Jedi.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows

Assassin’s Creed Shadows represents something of a new leaf for the franchise. While many had found the last two releases—Valhalla and Odyssey—a bit too bloated, Shadows pulls its filler and padding back a bit, instead focusing on delivering a few core activities that are actually fun and make the world a joy to explore. It also finally takes the franchise to Japan, and introduces a pair of new protagonists: the stealthy Naoe and the fearsome Yasuke. The two have to work together to figure out the secrets behind Oda Nobunaga’s death, while also dealing with the machinations of an early form of the Templars.

The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered

While Skyrim might serve as a fantastic open-world RPG in its own right, its predecessor, Oblivion, was also a downright excellent game. And now, with the Remastered release, we can once more explore the lands of Cyrodiil as we take on the opening of the Oblivion Gates and a Daedric invasion. Along with this, there are also plenty of side-quests to take on, including a host of factions to join, from the fighter’s guild to the Dark Brotherhood. You can even simply become an arena fighter if that’s all you really want to do, it’s ultimately all up to you.

Atomfall

While Rebellion might be known for its excellent shooter series Sniper Elite, the studio decided to try something different with Atomfall. Rather than taking on Nazi soldiers on covert missions during World War 2, Atomfall instead has you scavenging for resources in a strange world where it is up to you to figure out the game’s story through your own skills of investigation and deduction. While there are plenty of fights you can still get into, you’ll want to be a lot more careful about the kinds of enemies you decide to take on, since you’re a lot more fragile and not as well-armed as you might be in a Sniper Elite game.

Sniper Elite: Resistance

While Rebellion has been experimenting with Atomfall, it still hasn’t left its Sniper Elite series behind. We also recently got the release of Sniper Elite: Resistance, where players take on the role of a brand new protagonist, SOE Agent Harry Hawker, who is taking on missions that run parallel to the events of Sniper Elite 5. Since it is ultimately a spin-off, Sniper Elite: Resistance features primarily the same gameplay as its predecessors, but with quite a bit more refinements in various things, from second-to-second gameplay all the way up to how its missions are structured.

Firewatch

Firewatch is a narrative adventure game where the goal is quite simple; on his first day at Firewatch tower Two Forks, protagonist Henry gets some interesting calls on his radio, which is otherwise only used to contact his supervisor who is based at the Thorofare tower. Things quickly start getting dark, and Henry must figure out who is calling him on the radio, and what exactly is up with his supervisor who he is yet to physically meet. Firewatch doesn’t really feature any combat. Rather, there is a focus on exploration and environmental storytelling, and it’s largely up to the player to figure out where to go and how to get there.

Dying Light

While there have been a couple of sequels out so far, the original Dying Light is still a game well worth playing thanks to its fantastic melee combat systems and parkour mechanics that make travelling through the streets and rooftops of the zombie-infected city of Haran. The story itself is also quite interesting, with protagonist Kyle Crane having been infected with the zombie virus and needing to find a way to curtail its symptoms before he ultimately turns. The title also features an interesting twist on the day-night cycle, with day time being safe for exploration but night time offering far greater rewards at the risk of the player having to deal with incredibly dangerous and more powerful zombies dubbed Volatiles. All of this combined with a fun crafting system that rewards creativity in your weapon choices make Dying Light often feel like it’s still the best game in the series so far.

Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown

Until the release of Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown, the Ace Combat franchise felt like one of the worst-kept secrets in terms of how insane it can be both in terms of quality of gameplay and story. Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown tells a brand new story in the world of Strangereal, with the plot primarily revolving around a massive war between the Kingdom of Erusea and the Osean Foundation. The title features excellent arcade-style dogfighting combat with a host of fighter jets from the real world, as well as quite a few fictional jets for some added fun.

Half-Life 2

Quite an easy contender for one of the greatest games ever made, Half-Life 2 has a sprawling campaign that holds up even to this day thanks to the sheer amount of variety it presents to players, both in the form of different weapons and enemies, as well as the mechanics of various levels. The title was also important in introducing the physics engine that is part of Valve’s own Source engine, and the feature was on incredible display thanks to a weapon like the gravity gun. Throw on top an impressive story that is told in an incredibly minimalistic way without ever cutting to a cutscene, and it’s easy to see why Half-Life 2 is so widely regarded as being such a great game, even in 2025.

Halo: The Master Chief Collection

While PC as a platform is no stranger to first-person shooters, it is hard to argue that the Halo franchise isn’t one of the best that the genre has seen. Thankfully, thanks to Halo: The Master Chief Collection, players can experience almost the entirety of the Halo storyline, starting from the original Halo: Combat Evolved, its sequels Halo 2, Halo 3 and spin-offs ODST, Halo Reach, and even the start of 343 Industries’ (now Halo Studios) run with the franchise, Halo 4. The collection also offers a way to play all of the various games’ levels in remixed orders, following distinct themes like levels that focus on vehicles, for example, to focusing more on certain subplots. Halo: The Master Chief Collection is essentially the best way to experience a seminal shooter series, warts and all.

Monster Hunter Wilds

Quite possibly the most refined gameplay offered so far in the Monster Hunter franchise, Monster Hunter Wilds represents the pinnacle of the series, if not in its smaller roster of monsters when compared to its predecessors, then at least in its gameplay systems and massive, beautiful worlds. Monster Hunter Wilds features a short, fun story that takes you across the Forbidden Lands as you try to get young child Nata back to his family. Along the way you’ll get to take on several monsters, both new to the series as well as returning favourites, using the weapons of your choice out of 14 distinct options. Monster Hunter Wilds features plenty of gameplay refinements as well, including a mount system, as well as the ability to carry around two weapons that you can switch between mid-fight, which is great since each weapon feels like you’re playing a new game altogether.

Returnal

One of the rare instances of a AAA roguelite game, Returnal is an intense third-person shooter that puts players in the shoes of space pilot Selene Vassos who finds herself having crashed on an alien planet named Atropos. What follows is a psychedelic adventure as she tries to find the source of a mysterious signal called the White Shadow, but the twist is that Selene seems to be stuck in some kind of time loop where, every time she dies, she finds herself waking up at the moment of her ship’s crash. The title is filled with fast-paced and tense combat that has you dodging massive projectiles shot by strange creatures, and occasionally also getting your hands on upgrades for your weapons. The story itself is also quite interesting, pulling in plenty of allusions from myths as she tries to make it off Atropos alive.

Sleeping Dogs

Born from the ashes of the long-dead True Crime series of games, Sleeping Dogs is the closest we’ve ever gotten to having a Hong Kong action movie in video game form. The plot revolves around the adventures of undercover cop Wei Shen who must infiltrate a triad gang in order to take it down from the inside. When it comes to gameplay, Sleeping Dogs is an open-world game with several inter-mingling systems, from driving and vehicular combat, to melee combat with slick martial arts moves, and the occasional bouts of ranged combat when you can get your hands on a gun. The game wonderfully realises its setting of Hong Kong, often showing the stark contrasts between the cleaner commercial areas of the city and the but bright and colourful entertainment districts.

Metro Exodus

Whereas the first two games in the Metro series were more focused on offering linear experiences, Metro Exodus broadened its scope by a considerable amount by opting to set players free in more open environments. While far from an open-world game, Metro Exodus still provides quite a bit of freedom to players in terms of how they want to approach any situation. Along with this, the title also encourages plenty of exploration since, in keeping with series tradition, resources are scarce in Metro Exodus. Exploring is also a great way to get your hands on valuable upgrade materials to improve the arsenal of weapons you will ultimately end up using against not only human enemies, but mutated foes as well. The story is also quite interesting, since it revolves around Artyom, his wife Anna, and their friends the Rangers departing the Moscow Metro system in a train to explore the Russian wilderness.

Gears of War: Reloaded

When the original Gears of War first came out back in 2006, it was considered a mind-blowing experience for the time thanks to its visuals, as well as refinements over the turn-based shooter mechanics we had seen done much worse in plenty of other games. Gears of War: Reloaded, however, proves that the original title still holds up to this day thanks to its incredible campaign with plenty of set pieces, fun and varied weapons to play around with, and some downright fantastic visual upgrades that have been made to take better advantage of modern hardware.

Dead Cells

Dead Cells is one of those rare indie games that manages to get just about every single one of its aspects right. Even something as simple as movement and exploration feel great in the roguelite action game, and the level of variety on offer with the weapons, as well as the meta progression system that encourages not only mastery of the traversal systems, but also a willingness to explore, make just about every run of Dead Cells feel like a fun time. Throw on top some excellent pixel art that really makes its massive boss fights come to life, as well as the plethora of additional content – ends up making it very difficult to put the side-scroller down for good.

Detroit: Become Human

While games made by Quantic Dream might be quite divisive at times, Detroit: Become Human is outright the best title that the studio has put out so far. Featuring narrative-focused gameplay that largely involves having conversations and making choices at key moments, Detroit: Become Human tells three distinct stories in a world where humanity treats sentient androids that it has developed as slaves. All three stories have the player take on the role of a distinct android, where you have to figure out the complex moral quandaries that take place throughout the storylines.

Portal 2

When the first Portal came out, it was widely regarded as a radical new entry in a genre that was otherwise known to revolve around killing things. It ultimately ended up laying the foundations for what would become Portal 2 – a bigger, grander sequel in every way possible. Portal 2 takes place an unknown amount of time after the events of the first game, and has Chell once more pick up the portal gun to find her way out of the Aperture Science facility she’s trapped in. Along with GlaDOS returning once more as a major character, Portal 2 also features a new character in the form of Wheatley. We also get a lot of storytelling in the game, since quite a bit of it has you exploring ancient versions of the bathroom curtain company that would eventually become Aperture Science.

Outlast

There might be plenty of stealth-based horror games out there, but Outlast manages to be something quite special thanks to its use of some real-world history to build up its scare. Revolving primarily around the MK Ultra experiments that were conducted by the CIA, the game puts you into the shoes of independent journalist Miles Upshur who is trying to get the scoop on Mount Massive Asylum for the Criminally Insane. Unfortunately, owing to unethical experiments, most of its residents have essentially gone insane, and now Upshur must figure out how to survive and get out in one piece while also making sure he gets enough evidence along the way. Outlast also makes use of a handheld camera as its primary PoV device, since it offers a night vision mode. However, players will also have to keep a track of their battery consumption, since you don’t want to be trapped in the dark with murderous people around you.

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

Ostensibly the closest the Metal Gear franchise gets to having a “final” game since it takes place furthest into the future, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is a major departure for the series. It trades in the tactical espionage action in favour of the more bombastic tagline of lightning bolt action, and puts you in the shoes of a fully cyborg-ised Raiden at the peak of his power. Developed by PlatinumGames, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance features a fantastic combat system that has an emphasis on not only long and vicious combos, but also parrying the enemy’s attacks to open them up for massive counter-attacks. This, along with the Zandatsu system that lets you cut just about everything, be it an enemy’s limbs or a bridge’s support, make Revengeance a treat to play. Throw on top an over-the-top but fun story about private military contractors and a cartoonishly evil US Senator and you have an explosive roller coaster.

Resident Evil

Before the remake of Resident Evil 2 back in 2019 was considered the high watermark for video game remakes, the series had already earned similar acclaim for its remake of the original Resident Evil. Originally released on the GameCube all the way back in 2002, the remake of the original Resident Evil eventually made its way to PC, complete with higher-resolution textures and all of the high-quality upgrades that it got over the original. Even after all these years, Resident Evil still manages to feel like a one-of-a-kind survival horror experience, thanks to its tight level design and generally excellent gameplay that melds environmental puzzle solving and tense action sequences, all while keeping you on the edge of your seat thanks to a constant scarcity of weapons and ammo.

Watch_Dogs 2

It’s no secret that the original Watch_Dogs was a bit of a disappointment, both in terms of its visuals, as well as its story and characters. The series’ second stab at the series in the form of Watch_Dogs 2, however, proved to be a much more interesting experience. Rather than focusing on the brooding Aiden Pearce, Watch_Dogs 2 instead stars a group of scrappy young adults as they venture into the real world to start their careers, but find themselves fighting against an authoritarian regime that is making use of high-tech surveillance technology to control the populace. Protagonist Marcus Holloway is a much more fun character than Pearce ever was, and the attempts of his rebel hacker crew, DedSec, to take down ctOS 2.0 are a wild, fun, and often emotional adventure.

Silent Hill f

After the Silent Hill franchise spent over a decade being missing from the overall gaming scene, the series made a bombastic return with last year’s remake of the seminal Silent Hill 2. A year later and now we even have a brand new entry in the stories franchise – Silent Hill f. The game takes place in the unique setting of a quaint Japanese finishing town in the 1960s, where school-going girl Hinako has a strained relationship with her parents and goes to meet her friends for some solace. However, a sinister fog starts covering the town of Ebisugaoka, and Hinako finds herself trapped and fighting for her life. While there is an emphasis on combat this time around, Silent Hill f is still able to effectively pull off the scares and tense atmosphere that the series is known for.

Dying Light: The Beast

The newest entry in the Dying Light franchise is seen as something of a return to form for the series. While Dying Light 2 Stay Human did well for developer Techland, the studio itself acknowledged that it had lost what made the original Dying Light great, and hence we get The Beast. Once more putting us into the shoes of Kyle Crane after the events of The Following, Dying Light: The Beast features improved parkour-based traversal over its predecessor, while also bringing in improvements to both melee and ranged combat, all of which is packaged into a fantastic new open world to explore with plenty of variety, both in terms of zombie types and the scenery.

Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter

A reimagining of an absolute classic, Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter is a ground-up 3D remake of a seminal 2D sprite-based RPG. As its name implies, it is the first part of the expansive Trails franchise, and puts you in the shoes of Estelle Bright and her adopted brother Joshua as they set off as members of the peacekeeping guild, starting out as bracers and slowly working their way up. The Trails series, while long, absolutely features several stories well worth experiencing, and there is currently no better way to start your journey than with Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter.

Blue Prince

Puzzle games, especially in the indie space, tend to come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Very rarely, however, does one show up that ends up feeling like a revelation. This is precisely what developer Dogubomb achieved with Blue Prince. The premise is quite simple: you are stuck in a mysterious manor – Mt. Holly – where the rooms shift around for no apparent reason. The core of the game is exploring the mansion, but the twist is that the player decides what the next room will be every time they open a door. Blue Prince has a wide gamut of puzzles for players to figure out as they try to make their way to the rumoured Room 46. To throw another wrench in your plans, the house once again shifts its rooms around every dawn. Blue Prince is the kind of game where you can spend anywhere from between 15 minutes to several hours at a stretch as you try to comb through the mysterious rooms of Mt. Holly to find a way to their destination.

Commandos: Origins

While the real-time tactical stealth series Commandos doesn’t really need much of an introduction, the latest release, Commandos: Origins, proves that the genre and style of gameplay still has legs in the modern day. Taking us all the way back to the origin of the World War 2 crew of commandos you play in the original Commandos, Commandos: Origins offers entirely new challenges throughout its various maps, all with more modernised gameplay thanks to updated visuals, as well as a large variety of objective types that will have you make use of just about every ability you and your crew can muster.

In an interview with PCGamer, Eveillé spoke about how expensive the game was to make (seemingly costing more than The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim), and the studio’s reputation of refined video game releases.

“It was a bit strange and weird,” said Eveillé. “I think when Bethesda was looking at the numbers, they thought, ‘OK, Skyrim sold so much. And it cost less than Dishonored 2 to make.’ So they were asking questions. From an executive spending standpoint, it makes sense to ask those questions, ‘Why should we keep going with you?’ But we knew we had a kind of seal-of-quality protection, making what would maybe be considered the most refined games of the whole Bethesda catalogue.”

Eveillé revealed that Arkane’s reputation for developing refined titles “kind of saved the studio.” He also spoke about the departure of founder Raphael Colantionio and how studio director Dinga Bakaba took control. All of these actions contributed to the “future success of the studio.”

While Arkane Lyon hasn’t released any single-player titles since 2021’s Deathloop, its next major is Marvel’s Blade. While few details have been revealed, we know that it will feature a third-person camera – a departure from a studio known for making first-person games.

Since its original announcement, art director Sebastien Mitton has posted a few pieces of concept art for the upcoming game, confirming it will take place in Paris.

Arkane hasn’t yet announced the release date for Marvel’s Blade, but rumours from December 2023 indicate that it’s internally aiming for a 2027 release. If more development time is required, the release window could get pushed back further.

Back in May 2024, when Arkane Austin was shuttered due to the poor sales of Redfall, Arkane Lyon director Dinga Bikaba took to social media to discuss the closure. He also asked executives to not “throw us into gold fever gambits,” among other things while confirming that Arkane Lyon was safe.

For more details on Arkane Lyon’s previous works, check out our reviews of Deathloop and Dishonored 2.

LAYLA AND JACOB

Redfall centers around four primary characters that form the backbone of its story, and all four are also going to be playable, each with their own unique abilities and strengths. First and foremost there’s Layla Ellison, who used to be a biomedical engineering student. She was an intern at a research facility, and after an accident there, she was left with telekinetic abilities. Then there’s Jacob Boyer, an ex-military sharpshooter, who has also been affected by the strange happenings on the island of Redfall, and now finds himself with a far seeing vampiric eye and a spectral raven.

REMI AND DEV

The other two characters in Redfall’s core cast also look quite interesting. There’s Remi de la Rosa, described as a “brilliant” combat engineer who has plenty of experience with firefights. Interestingly, she also has a robot companion named Bribón, though it remains to be seen what role that will play in gameplay and combat. Finally, there’s Devinder Crousley, a cryptozoologist and aspiring inventor who will be taking to fights with weapons of his own making.

SOLO PLAY

Since the moment it was announced, Redfall has been billed primarily as a co-op game, but anyone looking to play it as a purely single player experience will be able to do that. According to creative director Harvey Smith, the game becomes much more focused on stealth and exploration if you’re playing it solo.

“A huge emphasis for Redfall has been the solo experience, in keeping with Arkane’s passions,” Smith says. “Redfall is an open world game, but it can be soloed with any of the heroes. The pace becomes more exploratory; you can use recon and stealth to gather info on encounters and avoid enemies or get the drop on them.”

CO-OP

When you decide to play Redfall with other players, it’ll turn into a bit of a different experience from its solo offerings, in that the game will become much more about facing your enemies head on and less about stealth and exploration. In short, it’ll be much more fast paced and intense. At the same time, using different abilities with different characters in combination with each other will also be an important part of the experience. Arkane also promises a seamless experience where you can hop in and out of co-op whenever you want.

“Whereas playing solo forces you to rely solely on yourself, forming a squad allows you to combine strengths with other players and test out strategies only available when you’re part of a team,” writes Bethesda’s senior content manager Anne Lewis on Xbox Wire. “And, of course, you can change things up at any time. With a seamless blend of single and multiplayer, Redfall gives you the freedom to play with whoever you want. How you choose to face the darkness is up to you.”

VAMPIRES

Vampires are the starts of the show in Redfall. The game is set on the titular island, where these vampires have completely taken over, blocked out the sun, pushed the water away from the island, and cut it off completely from the rest of the world. Arkane insists that these are not regular vampires- made thanks to a science experiment gone wrong, they’re extremely powerful and come in many varieties from “sneaky vampires that grab you and separate you from your team” to “hulking vampires capable of tearing you and your team to pieces” to much more powerful ones that have blocked out the sun, as mentioned earlier. According to Arkane, the vampires of Redfall have a hierarchy of their own, and the higher up the chain you go, the deadlier and more terrifying your enemies will get.

CULTISTS

While vampires are very much the main antagonists of Redfall, they’re not the only threats in the game, and you will be taking on other enemies as well. Those aforementioned vampires have also raised an army of cultists who are well armed and ready to fight and die for their overlords, and are desperate to eventually get turned into vampires themselves. They may not be as deadly and dangerous as the vampires themselves, but cultists will supposedly put up enough of a challenge in their own right as well.

OPEN WORLD

Arkane as a developer has crafted many memorable and expertly crafted worlds in its games over the years- Dishonored’s Dunwall, Dishonored 2’s Karnaca, Prey’s Talos I, Deathloop’s Blackreef island. The island of Redfall will be different from all of those in one crucial way- it’s Arkane’s first open world setting ever. It’ll be much larger, and based on what we’ve seen of it so far, it looks like there’s going to be plenty of environment diversity with various locations popping out in the gameplay demo we recently saw. At the same time, Arkane says the setting will also exhibit the strengths that the studio’s game worlds have always been known for.

“Arkane loves to blend the familiar with the extraordinary when it comes to their worlds, and Redfall is no exception,” writes Bethesda’s Anne Lewis. “The master level designers behind the alien-infested art deco beauty of Prey’s Talos I space station have brought their careful touch to the studio’s most modern setting ever, creating a rich, immersive world for players to get lost in.”

OPEN WORLD ACTIVITIES

And what exactly will you be doing in this open world? Well, quite a lot, apparently. You can expect to be exploring a lot, of course, which goes without saying for any open world game, but there are supposedly going to be plenty of activities on offer as well. In addition to main quests and story missions, players will be able to take control of neighbourhoods back from the vampires to restore order to the island bit by bit, clear out cultist bases and strongholds, head into twisted psychic spaces called Nests, and more.

WEAPONS

Redfall is also promising quite a bit of variety where its weapons are concerned as well, which should combine nicely with the unique abilities and upgrades for each of the four characters. In addition to finding and unlocking weapons likes shotguns, sniper rifles, and what have you (each with randomized traits), players will also be able to create weapons of their own using resources and components found in the world. Meanwhile, Redfall will also feature some specialized vampire hunting weapons like a UV beam, a stake launcher, and more.

STEALTH

Stealth, too, is going to be an important part of Redfall, especially if you’re playing solo. While Arkane hasn’t gone into too much detail on that front, the studio says players will want to make sure they’ve got the right gear in their loadout to ensure that they’re well equipped for any situation. Meanwhile, some characters will obviously be better suited to stealth than others- for instance, Jacob can use his raven to scout out areas and spot enemies.

Here’s what creative director Harvey Smith says on the topic of Redfall’s stealth: “Redfall is a game where stealth can be used to get the drop on an enemy, reach a good vantage, or avoid a combat encounter altogether. It’s not a pure stealth game, but a stealth-enabling shooter. We love that because having AI with simulated hearing and sight always leads to interesting dynamic gameplay moments. Creeping up on enemies, avoiding notice, using the right weapons and damage types, choosing when to employ your crazy powers, knowing when to break off combat and stake a vampire that’s been petrified by UV light, all of that is part of Redfall’s tactically expressive gameplay.”

Redfall will feature four unique playable characters, each with their own abilities and playstyles, but when you’re playing 4-player co-op, your squad can be composed however you want. That means that if all four players want to play as the same character, that’ll be completely possible. Arkane is, of course, known for offering complete freedom in its games to players in terms of how they want to play and approach situations, so it’s good to know that that’s being extended to the game’s co-op side as well.

Redfall is due out sometime in 2023 for Xbox Series X/S and PC.

https://twitter.com/playRedfall/status/1536710105772744704

Plenty of combat is shown off, showing off the different weapons and abilities that you’ll have access to as different characters, and how players will be able to work with each other when playing the game co-operatively. Plenty of different locations are also shown off, and of course, there’s no shortage of different vampires on display as well. Check it all out below.

Redfall is in development for Xbox Series X/S and PC. Originally due out this year, the game was recently delayed into the first half of 2023.

In his LinkedIn post, Capron says he was “feeling the need to try something new” and to spend more time with his family. While he doesn’t talk about what exactly is next for him, he says he wants to “keep on helping video game companies, and others, to make their creative vision become a reality.”

Capron says that following his departure, Arkane Lyon will be headed up jointly by technical director Hugues Tardif, executive producer Morgan Barbe, Deathloop game director Dinga Bakaba, and art director and creative director Sébastien Mitton.

Deathloop launched last month for PS5 and PC. It will remain a PlayStation console exclusive until September of next year, which will be a year after its launch.

Microsoft’s $7.5 billion acquisition of Bethesda has now been officially finalized, but funnily enough, even so, Bethesda’s next two big releases, Deathloop and GhostWire: Tokyo, are going to be console exclusives for the PS5. Microsoft has given assurances previously that in spite of its acquisition of Bethesda, those exclusivity deals will be honoured, and in case there was ever any doubt, that’s now been reconfirmed.

A statement from Bethesda in the latest issue of Game Informer (which features Deathloop as its cover story) clarifies that the Microsoft’s hasn’t had an impact on the upcoming Arkane shooter’s development, and that it’s still going to launch as a console exclusive for the PS5 (via VGC). “The acquisition hasn’t affected day-to-day development of Deathloop, which we’re developing exclusively for PlayStation 5 on console and also PC,” said a Bethesda spokesperson.

Deathloop launches for the PS5 and PC on May 21. It’s been previously confirmed that the game’s PS5 console exclusivity will last for a year.

Make sure to check out an overview of Deathloop and everything that it’s about in a recent video through here.

While Bethesda has some of the biggest franchises in the industry – Fallout, and, of course, The Elder Scrolls (the latter being so big that basically an interactive GIF of a tentative logo for a new game can make the internet melt down in enthusiasm), some of its other properties don’t quite sell that well.

Notably, even though Bethesda has a vast repertoire of IP and games – in the last few years, their slate has expanded to include Dishonored, DOOM, Wolfenstein, Quake, The Evil Within, Prey, and Rage – their other games don’t seem to do quite as well. For example, last year, Bethesda made some of the best games of the year, with Prey, Dishonored: Death of the Outsider, The Evil Within 2, and Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus all being put out by them. And yet, none of them managed to do very well, commercially speaking.

Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, who promoted him on the disparity between the sales of these games, versus the sales of something like The Elder Scrolls and Fallout, Bethesda’s VP Pete Hines noted that most games do not in fact sell at that level- and Bethesda needs to be careful to have the right expectations for how each game will perform, rather than expecting all of them to perform like, say, Skyrim.

“Lots of things don’t sell as well as Fallout and Elder Scrolls,” he said. “Our belief is that we want to aim for the right goal of what we’re making and what those franchises can do. If you hold up every game as if it’s gotta do what Fallout and Skyrim did, then you’re [not] gonna make many games because very few games will do that. Like, DOOM didn’t do that but DOOM still sold awesome so it’s just about what’s the right size dev team, dev cycle, size of the audience and are we doing a good job of delivering that.”

It makes sense, too- it’s a shame that the other games apparently didn’t do as well as The Elder Scrolls or Fallout would do, but at the same time, it’s pretty clear Bethesda seems to be okay with that, too- because they’re sensible enough to have the right expectations from their games, if nothing else.

If you liked playing through Prey, but have also been wanting to try out something different, then the new Mooncrash DLC for the game will be perfect for you. It is set on the moon and features some roguelike elements so every playthrough is bound to be unique and different. The campaign is infinite replayable and over time, you will be able to unlock quite a few characters whom you can use to open up different paths through the campaign.

Although every playthrough is bound to be different, there are some things you will have to get right if you want to successfully escape from the moon base, and also make it out alive with the different characters. This DLC content can certainly be quite challenging for those players who seek out the more difficult routes. The following video walkthrough will help you finish the campaign at least once. The rest is up to you!

If you’re ready, then let’s get started!

HOW TO ESCAPE WITH THE VOLUNTEER

The Volunteer is the first character you have unlocked to play through the campaign. Once you unlock other characters, you will be able to continue a simulation through them even after a character’s death. However, each character gets only one life, so keep that in mind! One of the most important things to try and achieve with the Volunteer is to try and find fabrication blueprints as these will help you bring more items into future simulations at the cost of some resources.

As soon as you start with the Volunteer, make sure you get the Silenced Pistol fabrication blueprints from the dead body nearby. In the next room, you will see a Typhon Gate. Interact with it to see all of the Typhon organisms in the area. Defeat these in order to proceed through the gate. Once you get to the Crater, you will be able to find quite a few useful items and weapons such as the Charge Pistol, Typhon Lure, EMP Charge, and more. Once you have this, access the security workstation.

Try and find a Neuromod before going underground so that you can get the PSI Blast ability which will come in use. Once you get underground, use the ability to destroy Cytoid nests. You will find some useful items on the security desk and on the Security Workstation. Check escape pod status now and you will find that there is a pod available in the crater.

Once you get back to the Crater, you will come across a Typhon gate. You can either sneak by using EMP or you can choose to defeat the enemies. Either way, once you’re past the gate, you will be able to access the Escape Pod and complete the mission.

HOW TO ESCAPE WITH ALL 5 CHARACTERS IN A SINGLE RUN

You will have to escape with all 5 characters in a single run if you want to gain the ‘No One Left Behind’ trophy. There are five escape methods available and once one of them is used, it will no longer be available to use for other characters. This means that each character has to use a different escape method.

There are some items you will have to bring for almost every run in order to succeed. This includes the following.

• 1 Silenced Pistol and 90 Pistol Ammo
• 3 PSI Stims
• 3 Medical Kits
• 4 EMP Charges
• Artyx Propulsion System
• 3 Typhon Lures

Before we get started, it will also be useful to keep in mind to try and kill the Moon Shark and also to power up the Trams and power up facilities you need which will make your run easier.

The Custodian’s Escape

For the Custodian, you will have to escape using the Mass Driver escape method. You will have to find the following items for this run:

• 5 Food items
• 1 Anti-Rad
• 5 Non-alcoholic drinks

You can also purchase the necessary fabrication plans if you can afford them so that you don’t have to find these aforementioned items.

First of all, get to the Power Control Room and make sure that both Moonworks and Pytheas Labs are powered. Next, get to Pytheas Labs and once there, make your way to the Isolation Chamber area. Here you will first have to hack the workstation for the Typhon Portal escape and then go up to the Executive level.

In the Conference Room, you will be able to find the necessary food items and drinks. As for Anti-Rads, you can find them in the Trauma center near the Tram Station in Crew Annex. Once you have all the required items, place them in the cargo container in the Moonworks and then activate the launch sequence to escape. Once you’ve started the launch sequence, you have 60 seconds to get to the cargo container.

The Engineer’s Escape

With the Engineer, you will have to escape using the Typhon Portal. To unlock this escape method, you will have to find a recording on a corpse in the Isolation Chamber! Since the workstation would have already been hacked by the Custodian earlier, you won’t need to worry about that now!

With the Engineer, you will have to repair the broken panel on the side of the Isolation Chamber. The Engineer will have enough parts to finish the repair. During the Engineer’s run, you should also try and repair any broken doors you come across to make things easier for the next runs. Anyway, once you repair the broken panel, you will be able to escape using the Typhon Portal.

The Director’s Escape

This escape method is Consciousness Emulation and it is only usable by the Director. Make your way to Riley Yu’s office and access the workstation. Since the Director knows the password, switch to channel 0 and you will receive a message.

When you first try to upload the data, you will receive an error, but you’ll also receive the location of the volunteer’s corpse. You should have the Phantom Genesis 2 unlocked and you should now use it on the Volunteer’s corpse. Don’t kill the corpse! Instead, use your lure and then scan it with the Psychoscope. Once you’ve done this, you can get back to to the Data Vault! Once here, get the Operator on the shaft, and then proceed to escape by emulation the character’s consciousness.

The Security Officer’s Escape

Get o the Crater and then go to the Power Control room. Once there, power up the Crew Annex if it isn’t already. After you’ve done this, go up to the Shuttle Station. Since you are not here for your first time, you would have already found the Pilot 1 ability from Angela Wagner’s corpse earlier on! Just use EMPs to get past typhon gates and then get on the shuttle to esscape!

The Volunteer’s Escape

The Volunteer will be escaping using the Escape Pod. It is recommended that you buy the Navigation Chip fabrication plan beforehand for this run. Also, bring lots of medkits and EMPs.

Now you need to travel underground to the Power Control area and then use the workstation to locate the Escape Pod. In case you don’t have a Navigation Chip, you can find one in a broken Escape Pod, so look around to find it. Once you have this, just make your way to the Escape Pod, and escape!

HOW TO UNLOCK THE CUSTODIAN

The Custodian is otherwise known as Claire Whitten and she’s quite a useful and powerful character. You will probably unlock her last and to do so, you will have to finish the Security Officer’s story objective.

As the security officer, find the Memory Marker in Crew Annex and then use it relive past memories. Next, you will have to locate Claire Whitten using a workstation. She’s in the Moonworks area and you will have to get there through the Crater since the Tram won’t be functional.

Just as you’re about to enter the area where she is hiding out, you will be attacked by some enemies. Once you defeat them, use the file on the computer. However, you will be infected with a nerve agent at this point because of a trap placed by Claire Whitten.

You can find a cure for this and you can also choose to blow up her escape pod by using a workstation in the Control Tower. Regardless of whatever you do, Claire Whitten will now be unlocked as a playable character in the game.

HOW TO GET THE PSYCHOSCOPE

To get the psychoscope, you first have to go to the Pytheas Labs area and then use the lift to get to the Executive level. From here, go upstairs through the locked door and make your way to Riley Yu’s office. In the place where you find Riley Yu’s body, you will be able to pick up the Psychoscope Fabrication blueprints from the floor. The Psychoscope itself can be found on Riley Yu’s corpse. Getting the Psychoscope will also unlock Riley Yu as a playable character in the game.

HOW TO GET THE PSI BLADE

You will be able to find the Psi Blade once you have full access to the Moon base. Just go to Pytheas Labs and go to Floor 1 and then to the Typhon Sciences section. From here, go on to the Psychometrics Office and you will find a container with a melee weapon. Use the Workstation to unlock the container and you will be able to gain an Elite version of the Psi Blade.

The Psi Blade is a very powerful weapon and apart from normal attacks, it can also launch PSI projectiles which travel through barriers.  It can also send out a powerful blast when charged. Keep in mind that only one character can keep this weapon, so choose carefully! However, a non-elite version of this weapon is automatically a part of the Custodian’s loadout.