Void and Voltage adds Breaker’s Reach, a new biome with a boss and enemies. You can craft new weapons like the Flamethrower and Minigun or craft new tools with the Advanced Automation Table, including the Robot Farm Arm, Seed Extractor Machine, Shredder, Critter Catcher, and more.

The Switch 2 version offers 60 FPS performance alongside various graphical improvements for the lighting, particle effects, shadows, and more. It also allows for up to eight players in a single co-op session, up from four on the Switch 1, but don’t worry – you can engage in cross-play if a Switch 2 player is hosting.

Stay tuned for more details and check out our review of the base game.

You’ll find her in a new dungeon alongside new cicada enemies (which also pop up in the Azeos Wilderness) and a variant of the Bomb Scarab. Four new bombs are available, while grenades have been added as a new throwable item, allowing you to stun, poison, charm, and even ignite enemies. There are more than 35 new armor pieces, accessories, and weapons to earn.

If that weren’t enough, new Pouches for storing ores, blocks, seeds, crops, fish and valuables have been added. The Mage and Warlock have also received some new features, while Summons can look forward to more aggressive minions. You can even detonate them using the new Minion Detonator.

Check out all the new features below and full patch notes here. Core Keeper is available for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch.

Core Keeper – 1.1.0 Major Update – Bags and Blasts

Gameplay:

• New boss: Nimruza, Queen of the Burrowed Sands. Found in The Desert of Beginnings biome.
• New cicada enemies added in Azeos Wilderness and in Nimruza’s dungeon.
• New enemy variation of the Bomb Scarab. Found in Nimruza’s dungeon.
• New sub-biome: Oasis. Found in The Desert of Beginnings biome.
• New cattle: Drohmble.
• Drohmbles roam in the Oasis and eat crops to produce Blasting Dung.
• A total of over 35 new pieces of equipment, including armor, accessories, and weapons.
• Added 4 new bombs:
• Mouse Bomb;
• Blunder Bomb;
• Proximity Bomb;
• Void Bomb.
• Added new types of explosive throwable consumables: “Grenades”.
• Grenade;
• Stun Grenade;
• Fire Grenade;
• Poison Grenade;
• Charm Grenade.
• Added an “Explosives” skill tree with 8 new skills.
• New inventory-management feature that can come in different sizes: Pouches.
• Ore and Block Pouch;
• Seed and Crop Pouch;
• Fish Pouch;
• Valuable Pouch.
• Mage & Warlock playstyles have been expanded with new features as part of our ongoing improvements, with more to come in future updates.
• New pet: Arcane Symbiote.
• New multi-purpose weapon: Corrupted Meteor Staff
• New offhand: Minion Detonator
• Minions have been made more aggressive: they will now actively pursue and attack enemies.
• New armor sets
• Desert Guardian armor set
• Lily Pad armor set
• Blast armor set
• Tassel armor set
• New seed placement tool: Garden Trowel.
• Added a Content tab to the World Info menu. In this menu, players can opt-in to add new content to their existing worlds created in 1.0 or later, even if doing so may overwrite already explored areas in these worlds. This can, for example, include new boss dungeons that appear in existing biomes. Worlds that don’t opt-in will not see any changes to already explored areas, but might miss out on some of the new content.
• New hotbar swapping feature. The hotbar can be swapped to other rows in the inventory by clicking the new arrows to the left of the hotbar or using the shortcuts.
• Quick stack to nearby chests has been added as a button to the player’s inventory UI. A shortcut can be used to quick stack items to all nearby chests while the UI is closed too.
• New inventory item locking feature. Items in the player’s inventory can be locked using the new lock button in the player inventory UI. Locking an item will block it from being sorted and quick stacked.
• New Workbenches:
• Laboratory Table. Craftable in the Scarlet Workbench.
• Pouch Workbench. Bought from the Bearded Merchant.
• New biome-specific explosive wall variations.
• 2 new paintable decorations:
• Tapestry
• Banner
• 5 new achievements.
• Floracadas are less aggressive towards players until they have been damaged.
• It is now possible to break, pick up and place Cicada Burrows.
• Minion Detonator’s description is now rewritten to reflect how it actually works, by avoiding the word explosion to not confuse it with explosion-type damage.

Players can also discover a new sub-biome, the Oasis, within the Desert of Beginnings. It features the camel-like Drohmble, whose material is the base for new mid-to-late game weapons. A new skill tree catered around Explosives and new bomb types are also coming. The former includes eight new skills, while the latter encompasses Void Bombs, Blunder Bombs and even grenades as a new weapon type.

The “Bags” part of the update adds Pouches for carrying seeds, fish, ore and valuables in a separate inventory, thus saving space. You can also choose the inventory row appearing in your hotbar.

New tools (including Garden Trowels), armor sets, weapons, off-hand items, and workbenches like the Laboratory Table are also on the way, so stay tuned. Core Keeper is available for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch. Check out our review for the base game here.

While Core Keeper is getting new updates, Pugstorm is also working on a new side-scrolling sandbox title, Kyora. It’s slated for early access, but a release window is unknown.

While next year looks even more jam-packed with incredible adventures, what are some of the best role-playing games from 2024 that deserve your attention? Join us as we sift through the dozens of choices and present the 20 best RPGs of the year that must be experienced.

Path of Exile 2

For all the complaints against its rewards, end-game, map layouts, etc., Path of Exile 2 is still an incredible action RPG, even in early access. Each class and their Ascendancies presented multiple new options; the Skills are impressive while combat feels visceral; and the bosses present some of the best encounters in the genre. The fact that such a sizable end-game is available right now, complete with pinnacle bosses, is also incredible. Yes, there are plenty of things to improve, but Path of Exile 2 is proving just as addictive as its predecessor and will receive double the amount of content before early access ends.

In a change from Core Keeper, Kyora will be a side-scroller, and has a resemblance to fan-favourite survival/crafting title Terraria. Kyora will allow players to build their own base as they change the world around them with a host of different tools.

Along the way, players will have to also explore the world and deal with various threats, ranging from small creatures to gigantic boss fights. Players will also be able to craft new equipment, allowing them a degree of customisation depending on the biome they decide to tackle.

Alongside its other gameplay features, Kyora will also feature co-op multiplayer for up to 8 players online, allowing players to discover their own various synergies and combinations that help them take on the game’s various challenges.

While it doesn’t yet have a release date, Kyora is slated to get an Early Access release on Steam.

Taking to Twitter, Core Keeper developer Pugstorm has announced that the sandbox survival title has surpassed 3 million players. In November last year, while the game was still in early access, it was announced that it had sold 2 million copies. Following its console release, the game also became available via Game Pass, which is why Pugstorm and Fireshine Games are now reporting player numbers rather than sales. Either way, Core Keeper is continuing to attract a sizeable audience. 

In our review of Core Keeper, we awarded it a score of 8/10, saying, “While the likes of Terraria and Valheim continue to hog headlines, Core Keeper offers strong competition. Its compelling gameplay, excellent art style, and extensive range of content make it worth diving in.” Read the full review through here.

Core Keeper is available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, and launches for PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch tomorrow, on September 17.

Alongside doubling their lifespan, they also cost less mana to summon, meaning less time spent running around, waiting for your meter to recharge. The cost of summoning idols for the Giant Slime, Hive Mother, and Ghorm the Devourer have also been reduced.

Perhaps the best changes are those made to slippery movement, whose effects have been reduced (making The Sunken Sea less painful). Vehicle and boat handling have also seen improvements. Check out the full patch notes below for more details.

Core Keeper is coming to PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch on September 17th. Check out our review for version 1.0 here.

Patch notes 1.0.0.6

Game balance:

• Doubled the lifespan of minions.
• Reduced the mana cost of minions.
• Reduced the time it takes to combine Crystal Skull Shards.
• Reduced the cost of the Giant Slime, Ghorm and Hive Mother summoning idols.
• Reduced the effect of slippery movement.
• Improved boat and vehicle handling.

Performance:

• Detecting which circuit elements need to update each tick is now much more efficient and runs on multiple threads if available. This can give a significant performance boost in worlds with very large circuitry setups.
• Fixed a bug that caused the entire game world to get loaded when entering a world, instead of only loading parts that are nearby to an active player. For large worlds, this fix both improves performance in the moments after the world is loaded, and reduces the memory requirements while the world is open.

Bug fixes:

• Enemies and objects are now correctly marked as destroyed if they reach zero health just as they are about to get unloaded because they are too far from any active player. This would previously cause several issues, including invulnerable enemies and ore boulders flashing on/off after having their resources exhausted.
• Fixed an issue where worm-like enemies couldn’t be hit while their head was inside a wall.
• Starting a session with crossplay enabled should no longer decrease the audio quality when a bluetooth headset is in use.
• Scrolling through the hotbar is now disabled while quick-swapping to a torch, to avoid unintentionally rearranging items on the hotbar.
• The Glurch waypoint no longer spawns within view of The Core.
• The client now correctly predicts health after damaging walls, which previously could cause a visual glitch where the player was inside the wall for a few frames.
• Fixed an issue where pets would not gain experience from range player attacks.
• Fixed an issue where pets would not gain experience from minion attacks.
• Amoeba bombs no longer cause double explosion effects.
• Hatching an egg no longer shows the wrong inventory sprite for one frame.
• Leashes no longer go crazy when the player teleports using the rift offhand item or enters a minecart.
• Dynamite explosions now chain correctly.
• Dynamite Packs no longer drop several times after being destroyed by Ghorm.
• Fixed mannequin position glitch.
• Stone Turrets no longer spawn facing the wall in desert mazes.
• Entering the game while guest mode is active no longer makes the player immune to damage.
• Players added as admins no longer have inventory restrictions when guest mode is active.
• Dropped items are no longer attracted to guests while guest mode is active.
• Connecting with a new character to a server with guest mode enabled no longer breaks the intro sequence.
• Added missing “user connected” message translations.
• Trying to recreate the game ID before the backend Playfab login was successful no longer causes an error.
• Fixed an error when a client got disconnected while the player stats window was open.
• Added missing UI when receiving certain network errors.
• Fixed a bug where the connection error popup sometimes would not be displayed.
• Fixed a crash when trying to place some invalid objects.
• The Great Wall no longer reappears in some very old classic worlds.
• The Tome of the Dead item description no longer incorrectly claims that minions are targetable.
• Doors now correctly revert to their open/closed state if it is mispredicted by the client.
• Switching from mouse to gamepad while in a menu no longer leaves the menu with no selected option.
• Cattle are no longer visually behind the Feeding Tray when eating.
• Sledge hammers are now affected by the self-mending alloy skill.
• Fix some mods making the game unable to start.
• Steady Feet talent now correctly reduces slippery movement.
• Pets and minions now correctly attack vulnerable hydra bosses
• Removed loot drop delay from destroying single hit objects and enemies.

Other:

• The game audio now keeps playing if the game window loses focus, except when using the non-borderless fullscreen display option.
• Fixed several text and translation issues.
• Dedicated servers now accept general text as world seeds. They are treated identically to the seed you specify when creating a world in the normal game client.
• Updated dedicated server README with instructions for creating a world with custom world generation parameters.

However, PugStorm’s Core Keeper succinctly encapsulates it – and several others – while presenting its own procedurally generated twists and turns. Available now on all platforms after entering early access years ago, the premise is simple. As part of a group of explorers, you discover a mysterious unknown object – interacting with it results in a trip down the cavernous depths of who-knows-where.

"Once you’ve secured some materials, set up some torches, and crafted some chests for your ever-burgeoning collection of goods and wares, Core Keeper provides the most basic guidance for what you should do."

From there begins the journey to escape, as you progress from basic survival to base-building and establishing your presence in these seemingly unending catacombs. Meanwhile, the Core at the center of the map continues quietly pulsing, watching your every move and seemingly waiting for…something.

The genre isn’t known for its story-telling, so don’t expect to be inundated with cutscenes. Yet Core Keeper does present extensive lore through its various item descriptions – of other explorers who somehow ended up in this predicament or long-gone civilizations and their devices, seemingly flourishing in the depths. How it all ties together is somewhat fun to piece together, but the basic plot is very straightforward, with a twist that you may see coming from a mile away. As such, those expecting a narratively rich experience should look elsewhere.

The gameplay loop is simple: Mine, uncover resources and materials, craft gear and weapons to boost your survival, and repeat. Once you’ve secured some materials, set up some torches, and crafted some chests for your ever-burgeoning collection of goods and wares, Core Keeper provides the most basic guidance for what you should do. Three biomes await, each with a unique boss. Defeat that boss and return their key item to the beginning.

Do that, and the Core will awaken, allowing you to access the Outer Wall. Once you arrive at the outskirts of the map and break through, the game begins in earnest. The objective is to take down six Titans and harness their Souls. Multiple new biomes open up throughout – Azeos’ Wilderness, with its disarming beauty that hides snipers and dangerous plants; The Sunken Sea, with its mix of threatening tentacles and the Forlorn Metropolis with its hostile mages; and the Desert of Beginnings, where Bomb Scarabs and assassins await. Throughout the experience, you cross paths with different hostile Cavelings, each with unique fighting styles, whether it’s brute force and magic or nimble dagger strikes.

"Whether you’re dropping bombs to stop Ghorm the Devourer from running around the map or navigating a hellacious inferno against Malugaz the Corrupted, the bosses provide some hefty challenges."

Of course, there are several other threats to beware from Shroomans and Larva to various kinds of Slimes. Defending yourself means embracing different combat styles, from axes and swords to ranged weapons like bows, crossbows, and staves. It’s also possible to dip into summoning, conjuring bats and ghouls to fight on your behalf. This is where the “feel” of Core Keeper’s gameplay shines, with attacks and traversal feeling responsive. Parrying feels crisp, and though movement options are initially limited (the top-down perspective means you can’t jump or fly around), you eventually unlock off-hand equipment for dashing and short-range teleports.

As you hack and slash through the hordes, setting down different tiers of crafting tables, stronger equipment is available to leverage, including gear sets. They’ll unlock different bonuses depending on the pieces equipped. Every action performed also unlocks points for passive skill upgrades, be it increased melee and ranged damage, adding a percentage of mining damage to your melee attacks, etc. The combat is pretty good, and while the average enemies can make for a harrowing experience – sometimes a little too excessively, even with decent armor – the bosses shine.

Whether you’re dropping bombs to stop Ghorm the Devourer from running around the map or navigating a hellacious inferno against Malugaz the Corrupted, the bosses provide some hefty challenges. That only becomes more apparent when dealing with the Titans, especially the Hydras, as each subsequent fight results in another head to deal with. Perhaps the only downside to the Hydras is how annoying they are to track down, especially if you haven’t spent the better part of that biome mining out paths to intercept where they might pass.

You also have optional bosses, even if four are different variants of giant Slimes. Perhaps the standout among them is Urschleim, who resides in The Passage since the fight constantly has you on the move to avoid being run down while targeting its weak spots. It’s perhaps the most challenging boss in the game, even compared to the final boss (which still provides a noteworthy but somewhat sobering conclusion to the story).

"Alongside the gameplay feel, the presentation keeps me coming back, from the gorgeous 2D visuals to the soundtrack, alternating between happy-go-lucky synth and epic orchestral tracks."

That brings us to one of the biggest issues with Core Keeper – it’s seemingly over too soon. Comparisons to Terraria may crop up, especially since the latter offers much more content, but it’s also been around for much longer. Even while taking my time to gear up, fishing around, constructing admittedly annoying-to-control Go-Karts, and spending hours finding pitiful amounts of materials to craft boss-detecting items, I still got about 40 hours of enjoyment from the experience.

Note that this is without defeating all optional bosses, constructing the Legendary sword, opening those odd indestructible doors, or cooking every recipe in the book. There’s also a frighteningly extensive automation element to the game – that could potentially drain tens of hours or more, though it’s far from necessary for success.

Some elements, like the skill progression, could be improved. After the final boss fell, there were still multiple late-game skills that I had yet to unlock, not for lack of killing, cooking or mining things. Nevertheless, it’s nice to see quality-of-life features like Quick Trash (only discovered after finishing the game, ironically enough) and crafting from storage, though the chest must be situated next to the crafting table in question.

Alongside the gameplay feel, the presentation keeps me coming back, from the gorgeous 2D visuals to the soundtrack, alternating between happy-go-lucky synth and epic orchestral tracks. The use of lighting is incredible, as you mine through caves, and the glow from your equipment naturally illuminates fresh passageways. Each biome is also visually distinct, utilizing various colors that pop without overwhelming too much. Also, the Core’s eye visibly tracking your movements as you walk past it is a nice touch.

"If nothing else, the only real downside is that the experience leaves you craving more."

Core Keeper is an interesting anomaly in the sandbox genre – it doesn’t reinvent the wheel but still offers a fresh approach to the formula, complete with exceptional boss battles, great combat, memorable biomes with solid world generation, and gorgeous visuals. It may not unseat Terraria right out of the gate, but it does provide a compelling experience to sink dozens of hours into.

Whether you’re designing the perfect base with decorations from all over the map, trying to piece together the mysteries surrounding the Core, or methodically upgrading equipment, Core Keeper is a polished, addictive title. Perhaps the best part of it all is that never-ending sense of wanting to see what each new section of the map holds, even when your end-game path is set. If nothing else, the only real downside is that the experience leaves you craving more.

This game was reviewed on PC.

NOTE: This interview was conducted prior to the game’s 1.0 release.

"The Early Access period was crucial in shaping Core Keeper. Community feedback directly influenced key design decisions, guiding us in refining mechanics and expanding the game’s content."

How has the Early Access period benefited the development of Core Keeper? Has the dialogue and feedback from the community influenced the direction the game took in a major way?

The Early Access period was crucial in shaping Core Keeper. Community feedback directly influenced key design decisions, guiding us in refining mechanics and expanding the game’s content. The game’s success also allowed us to broaden its scope significantly. Players’ interactions with the game provided invaluable insights, particularly in balancing and setting priorities for updates.

As we approached 1.0, our focus naturally shifted to finalising the core progression, but we also made sure to enhance the entire gameplay experience—from early game to late game. This includes adding more varied items and tools, as well as introducing new areas to explore. Our goal has been to keep the journey through Core Keeper fresh and engaging throughout. We believe the improvements in 1.0 significantly enhance the depth and diversity of the experience, making progression more rewarding at every stage.

What new content and features can players expect in the 1.0 release compared to Early Access?

The 1.0 release is packed with new content and features that expand the game in exciting ways. Players can look forward to exploring new areas, including The Passage, a biome that introduces some experimental elements. We’ve also added new tools, materials, and crafting options that encourage more creativity and strategic play, such as magic and new playstyles. Additionally, there are new enemies and bosses to challenge players, along with fresh narrative elements that further enrich the lore of the game.

Will players’ progress from Early Access carry over into the 1.0 release?

At the 1.0 launch, all Early Access worlds will transition over to what we are calling ‘Classic Worlds’. While Early Access players will still be able to access their Classic Worlds after the 1.0 update, we strongly recommend starting a new game, as much of the 1.0 content will not be accessible in Classic Worlds.

"The 1.0 release is packed with new content and features that expand the game in exciting ways."

This 1.0 release also marks your launch on consoles. How was the experience of developing for consoles different from PC development for a game like this?

Developing Core Keeper for consoles brought its own set of challenges and opportunities. One of the key differences was optimising the game to maintain a stable and high frame rate across various hardware specs, ensuring a smooth experience on all platforms. These challenges also presented opportunities to refine and optimise the game, which has positively impacted the PC version as well. We’ve enhanced the visuals with improved graphics and lighting, including the use of path tracing without requiring an RTX graphics card, while increasing frame rates for all players.

What kinds of things do you have planned for the game’s future? Should players expect a continued rollout of new content for the game following its 1.0 release as well?

While our focus is on delivering the best possible 1.0 launch, we’re committed to supporting Core Keeper well beyond its release. We see 1.0 not as the end, but as an important milestone. The community’s creativity and enthusiasm continue to inspire us, and we plan to build on the game’s foundation. The adventure in Core Keeper is far from over—we’re excited to see where it takes us next.

The other blockbuster addition is the early access open beta for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. Available to download starting August 28th, the beta will be playable from August 30th to September 4th. Since one must otherwise pre-order the title to obtain access, this is a pretty sweet deal for Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers.

Other noteworthy releases include Core Keeper, a sandbox survival adventure for Xbox Series X/S, PC, and cloud on August 27th (the same day it exits early access). Star Trucker also arrives on September 3rd for cloud, console, and PC. Xbox Game Pass Core subscribers can also look forward to Cities: Skylines, SnowRunner, and Control: Ultimate Edition on August 21st.

Check out the titles leaving the service on August 31st:

• Atomic Heart (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Guilty Gear Strive (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• NBA 2K24 (Cloud and Console)