The headlining feature of the update is the new U-Bahn questline, which revolves around the player discovering secrets hidden beneath the game’s setting of Grand Chien since World War 2. The quest brings with it new challenges for mid-game, as well as new scenarios that players can take on in their late-game campaigns.

Along with the new questline, the update also brings with it a new underground transport system, seven new maps within a laboratory complex, a new revamped Conflict screen, the ability to select multiple items in the inventory, an overhaul to the Sector stash, tweaks to Operators, and general fixes and adjustment.

Jagged Alliance 3 has been out on PC since July, with a release on consoles coming in November. For more details on the game, check out our review.

There are two trailers, with one showcasing the Xbox controller and the other showcasing the PlayStation controller. Both videos essentially act as tutorials for how the game will play without the use of a mouse and keyboard combo. This ranges from explaining camera movement, to more minute aspects like navigation, conversations, and even the use of the Command menu.

The console release for Jagged Alliance 3 was announced back in September. The release will include cross-generation multiplayer, allowing PS4 and PS5 players to play together, and similarly, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S players to play together.

For more details on the original PC release of Jagged Alliance 3, check out our review.

The console release of Jagged Alliance 3 will include cross-generation multiplayer, which allows PS4 players to play with PS5 players, and similarly, Xbox One players can play with Xbox Series X/S players. Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be an option for cross-platform multiplayer.

Jagged Alliance 3 is the first major release in the franchise since Jagged Alliance 2 over two decades ago. While there have been smaller releases in the Jagged Alliance franchise between the release of 2 and 3, they have been largely forgotten due to middling critical and commercial response.

For more details on Jagged Alliance 3, check out our review of the original PC release of the game.

Alongside its release on PC, the studio has also revealed that Jagged Alliance 3 is fully playable on the Steam Deck, stating that it works perfectly well and smoothly on the handheld PC gaming platform.

This marks the first new major release in the Jagged Alliance franchise in over two decades. While the franchise has seen a few releases since then, they’ve mostly been forgotten due to middling critical and commercial response.

Jagged Alliance 3 hopes to bring back the brutal gameplay from its predecessors to a modern audience. It taps into the more comedic side of the action genre, featuring just about every trope and cliche you can think of to add some levity to the game’s otherwise-brutal combat.

For more details, check out our review of Jagged Alliance 3.

In its interim financial report for January to March 2021, Paradox Interactive revealed an interesting stat for Surviving Mars. The colony builder, which first released in 2018 for PC, Xbox One and PS4, hit five million unique players. It also reiterated plans to showcase new content being developed by Abstraction Games with “several content releases” planned in the coming year.

Paradox also sees “great opportunities” in the game becoming part of its “core portfolio.” Such is the company’s focus that it revealed the cancellation of further development on two unannounced titles from other external studios. Originally, development for Surviving Mars was handled by Haemimont Games which released the last expansion Green Planet.

However, in March 2021, Paradox would restart development under Abstraction Games and confirmed that a fully-featured expansion was in development. Free content like the Tourist Update which adds new buildings like Hotels and Holiday Experience ratings. The developer also recently released the In-Dome Buildings Pack, developed in collaboration with a community modder named Silva, that brought eight new buildings and other options for housing to the game.

The year is fresh and new once again, and it’s time for new games, and there are so many different services nowadays for all the players out there. One of those is PlayStation Now, Sony’s original streaming service that can sometimes go a bit under the radar. But there’s lots of titles there, and today we have three more.

The Crew 2, Ubisoft’s acclaimed racing title, is the headline game as you race against land, air and sea with a variety of vehicles from cars to bikes to boats. Next up is Surviving Mars, where you must build a sustainable and comfortable colonization on the red planet. On the opposite end is Frostpunk: Console Edition, where it’s not about comfort but surviving the extreme cool and try to maintain a steam-fueled city among a narrative of corruption.

The Crew 2, Surviving Mars and Frostpunk: Console Edition are available now on PS Now. You can read the full details through here.

Another week has turned over, which means it’s another week of some free games for PC players on the Epic Games Store. This week we see Surviving Mars, a colony simulation game that challenges you to, you guessed it, survive the harsh environment of Mars.

The game tasks you with building a colony on mars, but it won’t be easy. As the title implies, it’s all about doing everything you can to maximize your survival, as you must micromanage the citizens of your colony.

Next week will dare you to survive in two different ways with a pair of survival horror titles. First is Alan Wake’s American Nightmare, a spinoff/sequel to Alan Wake where you must fight waves of ravenous enemies. Second is Observer, a much different title where you find yourself defenseless in a terrifying futuristic world, as you are being watched and must escape through various horrors.

Surviving Mars is free from now until October 17th on Epic Games Store, and then Alan Wake’s American Nightmare and Observer will take its place.

The newest free game is now available on the Epic Games Store, and it’s Devolver Digital’s Minit. As an overhead action adventure game, similar to old-school Zelda titles, it focuses on 60 second playthroughs as you unravel the world’s mysteries. Minit will be free until October 10th for PC, so grab it quick from Epic’s store.

Next week’s offering will interest city-builders – it’s Haemimont Games’ Surviving Mars. It sees players traveling to Mars, establishing a colony, and doing everything possible to advance their society. Rival colonies will sprout up, and you can either work with them or trudge on alone.

Check out our review for Surviving Mars here. That’s only for the base experience – numerous updates and DLC have been released since then to make it a more well-rounded experience. Surviving Mars is also available for PS4 and Xbox One if you prefer a console experience. Stay tuned for when it’s free on the Epic Games Store.

Say what you will about Electronic Arts, but EA/Origin Access continue to be a solid deal. To further sweeten the pot for Origin Access Premier subscribers, EA has been adding more recent big-time releases to its Vault. This week, we get Haemimont Games’ Tropico 6 and The Bearded Ladies’ Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden.

Tropico 6 sees El Presidente returning to prominence ane managing a slew of islands across different eras. Election speeches are back, the Caribbean music is as swanky as ever, and the freedom to rule your way is fairly strong. Check out GamingBolt’s review here.

Meanwhile, Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden presents real-time isometric exploration, but turn-based tactical battles. Commanding a squad of three, it’s possible to ambush your enemies or sneak by them undetected. Along with a free challenge mode, the title also has a free demo available on Steam.

If neither of those suits your taste, then there are four other titles which are also available to Origin Access Basic subscribers. These are Into The Breach, FTL: Faster Than Light, Shift Quantum, and Detention. Check out the Origin Access updates page for more information.

We’ve had a string of months where some excellent titles have been added to the Xbox Game Pass catalog, with both March and April seeing some strong games joining its ever-growing library. May is looking similarly exciting, and offers a number of great games. Of the eight games being added, the most notable is Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus, which is probably among the best stories and single player campaigns you’ll find in a first person shooter.

Chucklefish’s recently released turn based strategy title Wargroove also joins Game Pass. With solid gameplay, a decent campaign, and excellent creation tools, it’s a great game regardless, but at the price of free, it’s an absolute steal. Also part of the new games is Fullbright’s excellent science fiction adventure title Tacoma, while Paradox Interactive’s unique simulation game Surviving Mars joins the library as well.

Deck13’s Soulslike sci-fi title The Surge is also coming to Game Pass, while the recently released Xbox One version of the MMO Black Desert, Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham, and strategy RPG For the King are included as well.

You can get the details on exactly when each of the eight titles joins the Game Pass catalog below:

• Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus – May 2
• Wargroove – May 2
• Surviving Mars – May 9
• Tacoma – May 9
• Black Desert – May 9
• For the King – May 10
• The Surge – May 16
• Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham – May 16