Lords of the Fallen is a reboot of sorts to a 2014 Souls-like action RPG of the same name. Things are much different this time around, from Adyr resurrecting to cause mayhem in the world of Axiom to players being able to traverse Umbral, the land of the dead. It’s a pretty hefty package, especially for Dark Souls lovers, which has been improved multiple times courtesy of dozens of patches.

If you’ve seen Lords of the Fallen 2, then this is a good way to get on the hype train before its alleged launch in August. As for Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered, it collects all three of Lara Croft’s original adventures into a single package. The visuals have been revamped (though you can still enable the original art style), and there’s even a Challenge Mode with ten new outfits to unlock.

As for Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream, well, it’s SAO. Not much else to expect if you’ve played the previous games, but at least there are 21 different characters, and you can team up in a party of four to undertake a raid that supports 20 players online.

No, not the 2014 title but the more recent 2023 successor developed by Hexworks. Reportedly available on April 7th (with the announcement seemingly set for March 31st), it focuses on the Lamp Bearer. Set in the world of Axiom, which is soon to face the tyranny of Adyr, they can use a special lamp to traverse the land of the dead, Umbral.

The goal is to venture across Axiom and cleanse the five beacons put in place to prevent Adyr’s return, battling monsters and corrupted Sentinels along the way. As a Souls-like action RPG, Lords of the Fallen offers the usual – numerous character classes, tons of weapons, and overwhelming bosses. There have been numerous changes and revamps over the years, including Veteran Mode’s tougher enemies and bosses.

With over 2.5 million copies sold as of February 2026, CI Games is focusing on the next title in the series, Lords of the Fallen 2. It’s out this year for Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and PC (via the Epic Games), and takes place centuries later. Alongside improved combat and more build diversity, it also promises to let you chop off all the limbs from enemies. Stay tuned for more details and an official announcement of its predecessor’s addition to PlayStation Plus Essential.

Both Legacy and Veteran modes have seen upgrades to enemies and bosses, changing their attack timings, improving their behaviour trees, and rebalancing their cooldowns. For example, Pieta makes use of more varied and refined combos, along with her grab being more dangerous. The Congregator of Flesh, on the other hand, has reduced downtime between its strikes. Non-boss enemies have seen adjustments made to their damage values and cooldown timers, making them more responsive to players’ actions, in turn making fighting them deadlier as well.

Completing Veteran Mode comes with its own reward—the Veteran of the Veil warplate. The warplate is a high-end armour set that features increased item drop rates when equipped. The mode also has its own set of achievements and trophies that players can earn. These new trophies, however, aren’t necessary for getting the Platinum trophy. Both Veteran and Legacy Modes can be played in co-op as well as long as both players are on the same difficulty mode.

For more details about all of the changes made to Lords of the Fallen with the 2.5 update, check out the full patch notes below. While you’re at it, check out our review of the game from when it first came out. Also check out the gameplay trailer for Lords of the Fallen 2 that was showcased during The Game Awards 2025.

Lords of the Fallen Update Version 2.5 Full Patch Notes:

Further Changes and Updates

PvP and Consumables

• Added usage caps to key consumables including Heavenly Vials, ammo types, and mana stones.
• Reduced damage on Harrowed Dervla’s Crossbow, Lightreaper Daggers and Flickering Flail’s light attack.
• Increased mana cost of Orius’ Judgment.

Improved Lock-On System

• Refined distance weighting for target selection.
• Fixed several cases where lock-on would fail to register.

Inventory Lock System

• Added the ability to lock favourite items to prevent accidental selling or dropping.

Shop Inventory Sorting

• Added improved shop sorting options, now consistent with the player inventory sorting system.

Quit Game Button (PC Only)

• Added a Quit Game option to the Exit tab of the Pause Menu.
• Players can now close the game directly from the Pause Menu without returning to the Main Menu.

Boss Weapons

Updated animations for several boss weapons to better reflect how their wielders fought:

• Pieta’s Sword
• Punishment and Judgment Hammers
• Flickering Flail

Bosses Enhancements

Pieta, She of Blessed Renewal

Legacy Mode

• Reduced frequency of special attacks to emphasize melee-focused combat.
• Updated combo timing to create clearer, more distinct pacing across each chain.
• Reduced special attack frequency to improve readability.
• Smoother combat cadence for clearer telegraphs.

Veteran Mode

• Includes all Legacy changes.
• Reduced gaps between chained attacks.
• More aggressive light-chain follow-ups.
• Increased HP and damage.
• Stronger pressure during phase transitions.
• Increased damage, expanded combo variety, and more evasive behaviour.
• Light beam variants now differ more noticeably in speed, demanding sharper reactions.
• Longer anticipation on the grab attack with faster travel speed on execution.
• Phase 2 revised to increase combo interruption, grab frequency, and variation in attack sequences.
• Added a new close-range response: two fast swings triggered when the player remains near her for an extended period.
• Added a quicker grab attack that can now occur mid-combo.

Congregator of Flesh

Legacy Mode

• Camera position update.
• Updated animations to reduce downtime and increase overall intensity.
• Adjusted attack-string cadence for more readable punish windows.
• Reduced maximum HP and significantly lowered stagger health to make the enemy easier to stagger. Since he cannot be hit with a finisher, staggering now functions only as a brief interruption.

Veteran Mode

• Includes all Legacy changes.
• Faster recovery on most swings.
• Increased HP and damage.
• Higher chance to chain heavy attacks.
• New combo routes including more chained attacks and additional leap follow-ups after his side flop.
• Adjusted cooldowns and attack triggers to make his offence more relentless.

The Hushed Saint

Legacy Mode

• Retimed all unmounted attack sequences.
• Most attacks are now parryable.
• Reduced the time mounted and increased the time in a blocking stance.

Veteran Mode

• Includes all Legacy changes.
• Increased HP and damage.
• Remixed and extended mounted attack patterns.
• Earlier phase transitions.
• Added new mounted pressure options.

Spurned Progeny

Legacy Mode

• Adjusted animation timings to refine combat tempo, improving readability and reducing floatiness.
• Updated lock-on behavior during certain sequences to better guide player targeting.
• Slightly reduced aggression during ground-floor phases.

Veteran Mode

• Includes all Legacy changes.
• Increased HP and damage.
• Several attacks now generate fire pillars and/or fire explosions.
• Increased overall aggression.
• Adjusted first-floor behavior to reduce early openings.

The Hollow Crow

Legacy Mode

• Improved summoned enemy animations and accuracy.
• Tweaked aggression levels of summoned enemies.
• Reduced HP of summoned enemies, the Daughter, and the Crow.
• Reduced how often the Daughter teleports out of the arena, and the time she remains outside.
• Reduced the number of attacks during phase transitions.
• Crow attacks now damage summoned enemies (but not the Daughter).
• Daughter’s shockwave now damages summoned enemies.
• Increased the number of summoned enemies that can appear at once, while lowering their aggression.
• Reduced aggression of the large axe-wielding soldier enemies.
• Reduced the total number of enemies spawned overall.
• Reduced the size of multiple explosions.

Veteran Mode

• Increased HP and damage.
• A Kinrangr Guardian now appears in Phase 2.
• In Phase 3, a Kinrangr Guardian will respawn each time the Daughter returns to the arena.
• During Phase 2 and 3, while a Kinrangr Guardian is alive, the Daughter receives reduced damage.
• Added a visual effect linking the Daughter to the active Kinrangr Guardian to communicate the damage-reduction mechanic.
• The Crow will also attack during phase transitions and when the Daughter is teleported out of the arena.

Elianne the Starved

Legacy Mode

• Improved unique animations not already covered in Pieta’s update.

Veteran Mode

• Includes all Legacy changes.
• Cooldown adjustments.
• Added separate Veteran-specific behavior.
• Added additional complexity and clone-spawn logic (aligned with Pieta-style Veteran design).

Lightreaper

Legacy Mode

• Retimed several attacks.
• Added variations to mounted attack sequences; Lightreaper now performs fewer repeated patterns and mixes between different variants, reducing the time spent mounted and preventing repetitive loops.
• Increased the projectile speed of the half-moon attack.

Veteran Mode

• Includes all Legacy Mode changes.
• Phase transitions occur faster.
• Multiple combos have been remixed for increased pressure.
• Added a new combo.
• Air Devastation moves now occur only in Phase 3.

Sundered Monarch

Legacy Mode

• Reduced HP.
• Added additional collision to close-quarters attacks.
• Reduced cooldowns on several attacks during Phases 2 and 3.
• Updated attack timings for improved pacing.

Veteran Mode

• Includes all Legacy Mode changes.
• Increased tempo of close-quarters attacks.
• Final rage combo now features a different sword-pattern spawn sequence.
• Uppercut now chains into the charge attack.
• Spiraling attack now spawns blades in five circles instead of three, with the final two returning inward.
• Phase 3 triggers earlier.
• Increased HP.
• Increased poise HP.

Rest of bosses

Reinhold the Immured, Tancred Master of Castigations, Harrower Dervla the Pledged Knight, The Unbroken Promise, Judge Cleric the Radiant Sentinel, & Corrupted Judge Cleric.

Legacy Mode

• No Legacy-specific changes.

Veteran Mode

• Increased HP and damage.
• Reduced cooldowns on major abilities.

Full List of Mini-Bosses

Holy Bulwark Otto

Legacy Mode

• Increased damage.
• Faster animation times.
• Shorter cooldown between attacks.
• Fixed instances where the boss appeared to slide across the ground during certain attacks.

Veteran Mode

• All Legacy changes apply.
• Updated cooldown timings.

Scourged Sister Delyth

Legacy Mode

• Small increase to HP.
• Faster animation times.
• Increased aggression.
• Higher damage.

Veteran Mode

• All Legacy changes apply.
• Increased health and stagger health.
• Updated cooldown timings.

Gentle Gaverus, Mistress of Hounds

Legacy Mode

• Increased HP.
• Increased damage dealt.
• Faster startup on attack animations.
• Reduced cooldown of the smoke teleport move.
• Increased HP of summoned Radiant Hounds.

Veteran Mode

• All Legacy changes apply.
• Reduced cooldown timings.

Mendacious Visage

Legacy Mode

• Reduced cooldowns and reorganised the behaviour tree for more consistent pacing.
• Increased damage and faster charge attack.
• Improved animations.
• Added conditions to stop repeated hand-slam loops when the player is too close.

Veteran Mode

• All Legacy changes apply.
• Reduced cooldown timings.

Ruiner

Legacy Mode

• Improved attack animations.
• Cooldown pass.
• Can block more frequently during downtime between attacks.
• Improved combo timing.

Veteran Mode

• All Legacy changes apply.
• Reduced cooldown timings.

Abbess Ursula

Legacy Mode

• Improved attack animations.
• Cooldown balance pass.
• Increased the distance at which she transitions into close-range attacks.

Veteran Mode

• All Legacy changes apply.

Griefbound Rowena

Legacy Mode

• Improved animations.
• Cooldown pass.
• Slight adjustments to attack-trigger distances.

Veteran Mode

• All Legacy changes apply.

Crimson Rector Percival

Legacy Mode

• Retimed animations.
• Reduced stamina damage dealt.

Veteran Mode

• All Legacy changes apply.

Rest of Minibosses

Infernal Enchantress, Kinrangr Guardian Folard, Skinstealer, Bringers Trio, Blessed Carrion Knight Sanisho, Abbess Ursula, Kyra and Lirenne, Rapturous Huntress of the Dusk, & The Sacred Resonance of Tenacity.

Legacy Mode

• Improved animations.
• Cooldown updates.

Veteran Mode

• No further updates.

Regular Enemies Full List

All regular enemies have received increased stats and global cooldown adjustments in Veteran Mode. They have also undergone behavioral changes in both Legacy and Veteran Modes. See the detailed changes below.

Remnant

• Increased damage.
• Faster animation times.
• Shorter cooldowns.

Shrouded Remnant

• Increased damage.
• Faster animation times.
• Shorter cooldowns.

Womb of Despair

• Reduced HP.
• Reduced cooldowns and idling behaviour.

Shrouded Sparrow

• Reduced cooldowns on attacks and emote behaviour.
• Retimed animations.

Mendacious Visage

• Reduced cooldowns and reorganised behaviour.
• Faster charge.
• Improved animations.
• Added conditions to prevent repeated hand-slam loops at close range.

Scarlet Shadow

• Improved attack animations.
• Cooldown updates.

Bringer of Stillness

• Improved attack animations.
• Cooldown updates.

Corrupted Pilgrim

• Increased damage.
• Faster animation times.
• Shorter cooldowns.

Rhogar Hound

• Increased damage.
• Faster animation times.
• Cooldown updates.

Raw Mangler

• Improved animations.
• Cooldown updates.
• Improved attack range to reduce whiffing.

Proselyte

• Increased damage.
• Improved animations.
• More aggression.

Trapper

• Improved animations.
• Cooldown updates.
• Stops firing when the player gets close.

Ruiner

• Improved attack animations.
• Cooldown updates.
• Blocks more often in between attacks.
• Improved combo timing.

Skinstealer

• Cooldown updates.
• Improved animations.

Infernal Enchantress

• Improved animations.
• Cooldown updates.

Seared Soul

• Reduced cooldowns between attacks.
• Faster animations.
• Adjusted attack-trigger distance.
• Improved movement flow after attacking.

Pureblade

• Increased damage.
• Faster animations.
• Increased aggression.
• Improved shield usage.

Crimson Rector

• Retimed animations.
• Reduced HP and damage to stabilize pacing.

Carrion Knight

• Improved animations.
• Improved combo fluidity.
• Cooldown updates.

Sin-Piercer

• Faster attack startups.
• Reduced cooldown on smoke teleport.
• Behaviour tuned to punish players more effectively.

Receiver of Sacred Resonance

• Cooldown updates.

Enslaved Miner

• Cooldown updates.
• Faster animations.

Kinrangr Guardian

• Cooldown updates.
• Improved unique animations.

Kinrangr Hunter

• Improved animations.
• Cooldown updates.
• Improved rotation tracking and close-range behaviour.

Kinrangr Hound

• Cooldown updates.

Shuja Warrior

• Improved animations.
• Reduced cooldowns.
• Runs during attacks instead of walking.
• Uses poison buff only at range.
• Better rotation tracking.
• Higher dodge chance.

Fetid Sacrifice

• Reduced cooldowns.
• Faster attack animations.
• Adjusted attack-trigger distance.

Shuja Strider

• Reduced dodge cooldown.
• Adjusted dodge trigger distance.
• Reduced idle time between attacks.
• Improved melee and throw animations.

Griefbound

• Improved animations.
• Cooldown updates.
• Adjusted attack-trigger distances.

Accursed Wretch

• Cooldown updates.

Fungal Bowman

• Increased transition distance for close-range mode.
• Cooldown updates.
• Improved attack rotation and animation timing.

Brogid

• Reduced cooldowns.
• Improved close-range movement to be more active.

Deep Sparrow

• Reduced cooldown of attacks
• Increased cooldown of emote action
• Retimed animations

Ice Zombie

• Cooldown updates.

Bug Fixes

• Corrected dual wielding animation issues affecting head movement.
• Additional community-reported fixes and stability improvements.
• Fixed an issue where the game could crash during boss encounters if the host died, particularly when the client was also defeated.

As for the update itself, it brings back the Unlocked Classes feature thanks to the studio having fixed a bug that made classes inaccessible on affected save files. Animations throughout the game for all characters have also been improved, and the rewards for participating in PvP have been adjusted. As for bug fixes, the update solved an issue with Andres of Ebb, as well as an issue with the Fief Door. For more details, check out the complete patch notes below.

CI Games has also stated that it is keeping an eye on balancing for the game’s PvP, as well as for overall stability. For more details about Lords of the Fallen, check out our review.

Lords of the Fallen Version 2.0.55 Patch Notes:

Features & Improvements

• Unlockable Classes Restored: Fixed an issue where certain unlockable classes were inaccessible on affected save files. Players with impacted saves will now have access to these classes upon loading their game.,
• Improved Movement Animations: Enhanced walking and running animations for all characters, providing smoother and more natural motion during exploration and combat.,
• PvP Rewards Rebalanced: Adjusted PvP reward drop rates and loot pools to promote fairness and variety.

Bug Fixes

• Andreas of Ebb Note: Resolved an issue where the note from Andreas of Ebb was missing from its intended location, ensuring players can now collect this lore item as intended.,
• Fief Door Issue: Fixed a bug preventing the Fief Door from unlocking properly, allowing seamless progression through the area.

“Mournstead burns brighter than ever, with over 5.5 million Lampbearers worldwide,” wrote the studio on social media. “Your fierce loyalty, feedback, and passion have helped shape Lords of the Fallen into what it is today… and the exciting chapter that comes next. In light, we walk!”

Lords of the Fallen was released back in 2023 on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. Since its original release (check out our review from back then), the game has continued to see quite a bit of support in the form of major post-launch updates that have brought in more content to the game along with fixing some of its bugs.

One of the biggest updates for Lords of the Fallen came out back in April. Dubbed version 2.0, the update has also turned the game into its Definitive Edition, according to CI Games. The biggest new feature of the update was the addition of full shared progress when playing in co-op. This means that, for up to two players at a time, both players will get to keep their progress as they continue through the game’s main campaign.

The update also brought in a host of new co-op abilities, such as allowing players to revive each other when they get downed. Along with this, both players also get all of the loot they can find throughout the campaign. The new shared progression co-op system is available through both automatic matchmaking, as well as for premade parties between friends.

The update also brought refinements to the game’s core combat, with smoother evasions, improvements to weapon responsiveness, and the lock-on mechanic getting upgraded, giving players prompts for Grievous Strikes when they become available.

Back in January, CI Games senior vice president of development Tom O’Connor revealed that the studio plans on continuing support for the action RPG with more meaningful updates as well as responding to feedback from players. This, according to O’Connor, will help sell more copies of the game.

“To continue maximizing sales of Lords of the Fallen 2023 in line with strategic markdowns and the continued release of meaningful updates up to v2.0 in response to player feedback and external user testing,” said O’Connor when asked about the studio’s business plans for 2025.

Further in the investor Q&A, marketing director Ryan Hill also spoke about the number of updates that Lords of the Fallen has gotten so far, with its Steam User Score having reason during that time. At the time, the game was sitting at a rating of “Very Positive” on Steam. 

“To date, we have released a considerable number of post-launch updates and content drops for Lords of the Fallen, and have observed the direct results by doing so; the recent Steam User Score has been gradually increasing throughout 2024, reaching an all-time high of 80 (very positive) in December,” said Hill.

Since then, however the user scores for Lords of the Fallen have fallen down to being “Mixed” on Steam.

The biggest addition to Lords of the Fallen with its Version 2.0 update is the fact that the game now supports full shared progression when playing in co-op. Available for up to two players at a time, both players part of a co-op campaign will now keep their progress moving forward. Players will also have the option to play standard co-op where the progression isn’t shared, however.

As part of the new shared progression system, players will also be able to support each other in more ways, such as by being able to revive each other when they are downed. They will also be able to get 100 percent vigor and loot in online session. Along with this, the game also supports cross-play through password matchmaking. The new co-op system is available through automatic matchmaking as well as pre-made parties with friends.

To further help the new co-op system, Lords of the Fallen now features a free Friend’s Pass that players can use to play with their friends that don’t already own the game. While a player using the Friend’s Pass will not be able to play the full game solo, they will have access to the full tutorial area in single-player. All progression and loot will also be saved between sessions, and a Friend’s Pass player can also play multiplayer with various friends across different sessions.

The core combat has also gotten more refinements. Building on the changes that were brought in with Version 1.7, the Version 2.0 update brings in improved weapon responsiveness, smoother evasions, and an upgrade to the lock-on mechanic where players will get prompts for Grievous Strike. For more details on all of the changes, check out the full patch notes below.

For more details about Lords of the Fallen, check out our review from back when it first came out.

Lords of the Fallen Version 2.0 patch notes.

Full Shared Progression Co-op

Embark on a seamless co-op journey with Shared Progression Co-op!

• Both players now save all mainline progress.
• Join a fellow lampbearer via automatic matchmaking or adventure with a friend (must be on the same New Game playthrough and have defeated a similar number of bosses, within a margin of one).
• Option to play standard co-op without shared progression.
• Both players can revive each other, collect 100% vigor, and loot in all online sessions.
• Full crossplay support via password matchmaking.

Free Friend’s Pass

• Invite a friend to join your adventure with the Free Friend’s Pass!
• Friends without the full game can play the entire adventure by your side for free across all platforms.
• Single-player access to the character creator and full tutorial area.
• All character progress and loot saved between sessions.
• Play with different friends across sessions.

Refined Combat & Movement

Building on V1.7 improvements, V2.0 delivers the most responsive combat and movement yet:

• Enhanced Combat Mechanics: Improved weapon responsiveness, upgraded lock-on with Grievous Strike prompts, and smoother evasions.
• Improved Combat Audio: Upgraded audio feedback for every clash, parry, and block.
• Faster Soulflay: Quicker Soulflay for more effective combat.
• Smoother Movement: Refined turning and running animations for greater control.

Lamp Guidance

Lost in Mournstead? The new Lamp Guidance mechanic reveals the path to your next Vestige, lighting your way through the winding paths.

Character Creator Overhaul

Craft your ideal Lampbearer with an upgraded Character Creator:

• Improved facial options, textures, and body shapes for more realistic male and female avatars.

Dedicated Jump Button

Navigate Mournstead’s chasms with a Dedicated Jump Button:

• Jump anytime, anywhere, without sprinting, for precise platforming.

UI Overhaul

Experience a streamlined, modernized UI for easier navigation:

• Cleaner menus and smoother transitions.
• More intuitive navigation across inventory, settings, and map screens.
• Revamped Tutorial and Guidebook
• New to the Umbral realm? Our onboarding is now smoother than ever:
• A revamped tutorial with user-friendly prompts for smoother onboarding.
• An all-new guidebook to revisit prompts anytime.

In a conversation with investors, CI Games’ senior vice president of development Tom O’Connor stated that the plan is to maximize the sales of Lords of the Fallen, which means giving the game more meaningful updates and responding to player feedback.

“To continue maximizing sales of Lords of the Fallen 2023 in line with strategic markdowns and the continued release of meaningful updates up to v2.0 in response to player feedback and external user testing,” responded O’Connor to a question about CI Games’ business plans for 2025.

O’Connor also spoke about other projects that CI Games is working on, including an unannounced game dubbed Project 3, which will be a follow-up to Lords of the Fallen. There is also a title dubbed Project H, currently in pre-production.

“With regards to our titles in development – we have Project 3 in full production, the next instalment in the Lords of the Fallen franchise and during this year, will have extensive player testing to ensure we achieve high-quality and maximize the game’s potential,” he said. “Both Sniper Ghost Warrior Evolved and Project H are in pre-production, and we are closing in on the vision for these titles, with more details to follow at a later date.”

When the company asked about the potential for more free content being added to Lords of the Fallen to help “build positive sentiments” from the game’s players, marketing director Ryan Hill responded by stating that the company has seen positivity about the game on the rise thanks to the release of free updates and DLC over the last couple of years. This also means that the company plans on continuing this strategy.

“To date, we have released a considerable number of post-launch updates and content drops for Lords of the Fallen, and have observed the direct results by doing so; the recent Steam User Score has been gradually increasing throughout 2024, reaching an all-time high of 80 (very positive) in December,” said Hill.

“We also track online sentiment using the Player XP audience sentiment tool; this clearly illustrates a strong ongoing increase in audience sentiment around the LOTF franchise across the online gaming landscape throughout 2024,” Hill continued. “As a result, we will continue with this strategy in 2025 with a robust content roadmap planned for Q1 with the releases of v1.8, v1.9 and v2.0, all of which will bring meaningful improvements to LOTF based on community feedback and external player testing. It is integral that we continue to increase the franchise sentiment ahead of the release of Project 3.”

Lords of the Fallen, not to be confused by the 2014 title of the same name, was released back in October 2023, and was met with a positive response both critically and commercially. The game crossed the 1 million copies sold milestone within its first month and has since seen quite a few updates.

These updates have been a mix of bringing new content to the game and bug fixes and performance enhancements. More recently, Lords of the Fallen got support for the PS5 Pro to make use of its enhanced hardware, as well as adjustments to mob density and improvements to PC performance.

For more details on Lords of the Fallen, check out our review.

Demon’s Souls

What better place to start your journey with some of the best single-player titles on the PS5 than with the remake of a classic that also happens to be a launch title for Sony’s current generation of consoles? Sure, the remake of Demon’s Souls, courtesy of Bluepoint, doesn’t quite nail the intense atmosphere of the original, but the game still happens to be an absolute treat when it comes to visuals, and more importantly, it’s still excellent evidence that FromSoftware – the studio behind the original Demon’s Souls – knew what it was doing when it came to gameplay, combat, and level design, even all the way back in 2009.

Evil West

While the current landscape of video game releases is largely populated by massive big-budget AAA games as well as indie titles made by smaller crews, Evil West manages to prove that there also exists a solid middle-ground. While not polished to a mirror sheen like a AAA title would have been, Evil West is an excellent third-person action-adventure game that, despite looking like it was ripped straight out of the PS3/Xbox 360 console generation, still happens to be a good time even today.

Returnal

Quite easily one of the more challenging games on the PS5, Returnal is a great example of some of the capabilities of the console. Alongside featuring excellent gunplay, Returnal also makes great use of some of the PS5’s core features, including near-instant load times, the use of haptic feedback on the DualSense controller, and even offering resistance through the controller’s triggers to offer up multiple firing modes for your weapons. The plot in Returnal is also quite interesting, playing into some classic tragedies through the lens of a sci-fi time-loop story.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

How does one follow up on what is widely regarded as one of the best superhero titles out there? Why, you make it bigger and better, of course. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 builds on both of its predecessors by featuring multiple protagonists, as well as a whole new set of antagonists Peter Parker and Miles Morales to fight against. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is essentially an improvement over the last couple of games in every way, complete with more content, as well as expanded gameplay features and new abilities. Playing as Venom was just an icing on the cake!

The Last of Us Part 1

While the fact that The Last of Us Part 1 is essentially the third time the same game is being re-released, there is a good reason for this: it’s just an all-round excellent game. Featuring intense gameplay that seamlessly switches between a variety of genres, from running-and-gunning, to stealthily taking out groups of human enemies, to even a fair bit of horror as you try and avoid the horrific cordyceps as you journey alongside Joel and Ellie across America. The story and characters of The Last of Us Part 1 are especially notable, with strong writing and character dynamics good enough that it inspired an HBO adaptation.

The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered

The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered follows up on what is considered by many to be one of the best games ever made by giving us a wide, sweeping story that tells us a story about vengeance, and the cycle of hatred that keeps getting perpetuated. Featuring multiple playable characters throughout the game, The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered goes to great lengths in not only humanizing even the enemies you often end up fighting, but also allowing us to understand their actions, as heinous as they may have been. This is paired with some excellent gameplay that expertly blends melee and ranged combat, as well as a heavy dose of stealth.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake: Intergrade

Final Fantasy 7 Remake kicks off what is set to be a trilogy in retelling the story of the seminal Final Fantasy 7, complete with modern visuals, as well as gameplay that blends the original’s turn-based combat with real-time action in a way that not only feels satisfying thanks to the tactical options it opens up, but also allows for some great gameplay customization. The game is also notable since, rather than just being a 1:1 remake of the original, Final Fantasy 7 Remake is also trying to explore what the very concept of a remake can be, complete with a meta narrative that shifts the core themes and foundations of Final Fantasy 7 in meaningful and interesting ways.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth

Following up on Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth sets players loose in a vast, expansive open world. Picking up right after the events of the first game, Rebirth not only gives us a greater look at the world, but thanks to its many bits of side-content strewn throughout its world, also allows us to understand the various nations, civilizations, and even flora and fauna that dot the landscape. While zooming out for its grand tale, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth also zooms into its individual characters, giving us a much deeper look at various characters like Cloud, Aerith, and Barret.

Astro Bot

While 3D platformers are quite rare outside of the indie space and Nintendo’s platforms, Team Asobi knocked it out of the park with Astro Bot, giving us one of the most fun, endearing, and joyful games on the system. Astro Bot features levels and characters from all over PlayStation’s history, along with a great soundtrack that pays homage to many of these games, as well as fantastic platforming gameplay that, while accessible for just about anyone that might be interested in playing games, can also offer up a decent level of challenge in its later stages.

God of War Ragnarok

Following up on the story of the 2018 reboot, Fimbulwintr has arrived, and things are looking quite grim in all the realms. While Atreus has to figure out how he can deal with the coming apocalypse as well as the machinations of their foes, Kratos, on the other hand, has to figure out how to deal with a particularly vengeful mother, while also keeping his son safe. Ragnarok builds on the gameplay foundations laid by its predecessor, bringing with it a large variety in terms of not only combat options, but also enemy types, locations, and challenges that can be taken on.

Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart

An excellent entry in the long-running franchise, Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart brings with it quite a few new interesting gameplay twists that make full use of the PS5’s hardware. One of its biggest contributions to the franchise is the introduction of a new protagonist in Rivet, who, much like Ratchet, is a Lombax that has a knack for using improbable weapons to deal with problems at hand. The game also features excellent visuals, as well as frantic combat thanks to the rift mechanic that allows players to instantly transport themselves between various places during a fight.

Final Fantasy 16

While far from the most-loved game in the RPG genre, Final Fantasy 16 still proves itself to be an excellent entry thanks to its fantastic combat mechanics. Final Fantasy 16 tells the story of former slave Clive Rosfield, who has set out to rid the world of slavery, while also fighting to take on challenging encounters that threatens the existence of all humanity in the land of Valisthea. Along with its fast-paced action gameplay, Final Fantasy 16 players can also expect to enjoy epic boss fights where Eikons clash against each other in arenas of improbable scale and size.

Control Ultimate Edition

Control is quite easily one of the strangest modern games to have been released. Taking place in a mysterious building known as the Oldest House, which also happens to serve as the headquarters for an inter-dimensional government agency known as the Federal Bureau of Control, players take on the role of Jesse Faden, who is exploring the building in an effort to find her long-lost brother. Thanks to a series of strange events, Jesse finds herself becoming the new Director of the FBC, uncovering and using new powers as she continues her exploration. The gameplay in Control revolves around fast-paced shootouts, coupled with players making use of Jesse’s psychic abilities to throw things around and fly in the air.

The Nioh Collection

Two of the most unique takes on the Souls-like genre, both of the Nioh games have an emphasis on precise, fast-paced combat which serves a sharp contrast to the more slow-paced gameplay the genre is known for. Players also have an incredibly-vast arsenal of weapons, each with different movesets that also change depending on the stance the player takes. It’s also worth noting that both games also feature loot-based progression along with character-based mechanics, which encourages further replayability, thanks to the presence of ever more challenging encounters as the players experience their own rise in power.

Baldur’s Gate 3

One of the most celebrated titles of recent times, Baldur’s Gate 3 is an expansive RPG that is absolutely stunning. Playable characters tend to have their own stories, motivations, and goals. The game also features an in-depth turn-based combat system that gives players an immense level of freedom in taking on encounters, which can range from simple hack-and-slash tactics, to throwing your Halfling friend at an enemy Ogre to keep them distracted while you lay explosive traps all over the place.

Elden Ring

FromSoftware’s most recent Souls-like release has essentially become one of the definitive takes on the genre. The game features excellent combat that rewards players striking their enemies with efficiency, along with a large open world that players are completely free to explore, as long as they can survive. Elden Ring got a DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree, which takes place in the Land of Shadows, where players take on a journey to discover why they decided to come to the Lands Between to begin with.

Resident Evil Village

While Resident Evil Village is more action-oriented than its predecessor, it still manages to maintain the classic horror vibes that the series is well-known for. The game puts players in the shoes of Ethan Winters, who has set off to a rural European city to find his daughter. The game features a number of different styles of horror, ranging from classic gothic horror in dealing with Lady Dimitrescu, to more stealth-based body horror when the player finds themselves trapped in that haunted house. Resident Evil Village also serves as an ending to the story of Ethan Winters, complete with an expansion that explores the physical and mental state of a grown up Rosemary Winters.

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth

Following in the foundations of the new gameplay systems laid by Yakuza 7: Like a Dragon, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth once again returns players into the shoes of Ichiban Kasuga, who finds himself traveling to Hawaii because of events that derail his life in Yokohama. The game sees the return of the turn-based combat system from the previous game, but with more gameplay features to make better use of environmental weapons, as well as an expanded list of Jobs that players can switch between for a larger variety of abilities to use in fights. And if that isn’t enough, there’s also an entire Pokemon-style game, complete with its own combat system and storyline.

Alan Wake 2

A sequel more than a decade in the making, Alan Wake 2 is one of the best horror experiences out there. The game features some downright fantastic gameplay, dual protagonists each with their own unique gameplay mechanics, and a story that, while also tying up the threads left dangling by the original Alan Wake, also manages to tell its own tale in a fun way. Alan Wake 2 puts players in the shoes of the titular Alan Wake, as well as FBI agent Saga Anderson, each of whom is trying to solve the mysteries surrounding Bright Falls. A big theme in Alan Wake 2 is light, and along with some great level design and fun combat, the game also features a fantastic two DLCs that are an absolute must play.

Cyberpunk 2077

Cyberpunk 2077 puts players in the shoes of protagonist V and sets them loose in Night City where they aim to build up their own legend and become remembered like the mercenaries of old. The game features a fantastic story that has V grapple with their own mortality, as well as question the very nature of a person’s soul. Along with a fun cast of side characters, including Johnny Silverhand played by Keanu Reeves, the game also got a DLC release – Phantom Liberty – which features a whole new area, as well as a new story, and new characters. Cyberpunk 2077 is also a visual treat, pushing even modern console hardware to its limits in its gorgeous rendition of Night City.

Hi-Fi Rush

Developed by the studio behind The Evil Within and its sequel, Hi-Fi Rush is a bright, cheerful, colourful third-person hack-and-slash action game with a twist: it’s also a rhythm game. The protagonist, Chai, has a music player implanted into his heart, which not only ends up giving the game a rather fantastic soundtrack, but also encourages players to hack-and-slash their way through enemies to the rhythm of the music. The unique title features a fun cast of characters, as well as some rather fantastic boss fights, all with excellent gameplay mechanics.

Dragon’s Dogma 2

Dragon’s Dogma 2 offers one of the most unique open-world RPGs out there. The game features a dynamic combat system that encourages players to come up with their own combinations of attacks and special ability, as well as a progression system that doesn’t limit the player to any single archetype, allowing them to freely switch between ranged combat as a Ranger, to melee combat as a Knight, and even spell-casting. While the game suffered from performance issues at launch, constant updates since then have made playing the title a much smoother experience.

Mass Effect Legendary Edition

While Mass Effect 3 stumbled quite a bit in its storytelling, the original Mass Effect trilogy is still remembered fondly, and the Legendary Edition proves that nostalgia doesn’t have anything to do with it. Even when compared to modern contemporaries, the Mass Effect trilogy features a downright fantastic sci-fi story set in a believable galaxy where humanity finally achieved interstellar travel. The game also presents players with plenty of choices to make along the way, which further define not only how the world reacts to them, but how the story plays out as well.

Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut

Set during the Mongol invasion of the island of Tsushima, Ghost of Tsushima revolves around Jin Sakai, who takes up arms and rallies the survivors into driving the Mongols out. Throughout his time on the island, Sakai is forced to grapple with the duality of the Samurai code of honor, as well as the need to take out powerful enemies stealthily. The game features fast-paced combat, a fun stealth system, plenty of tools to use in and out of fights, and a drop-dead gorgeous island to explore in order to find better equipment and materials to upgrade your swords. It can also often be just as fun to relax in a hot spring, pet some foxes, or write a haiku every once in a while. Oh and don’t miss its fantasy expansion, Iki Island!

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown provides a platforming experience that would rival some of the best titles in the genre. The game puts players in the shoes of Sargon, who finds himself trapped in a temporal labyrinth. In his quest to discover the mysteries surrounding the kidnapping of a certain character, Sargon must fight his way out of the labyrinth as he explores the game’s intricate world and unlocks new powers to unleash on his enemies.

Stray

Far from a high-stakes action game like many other titles in this list, Stray is a more relaxing adventure title where players take on the role of a cat that is trying to get back to their family. The game focuses more on environmental storytelling than using traditional methods, and has players explore an intricately-made cyberpunk world where humans don’t seem to exist anymore, and the world is instead populated by robots.

Jusant

A unique title about self-discovery, Jusant is a game about climbing. Taking on the role of an unnamed boy, players will get to work, climbing up a gigantic rock tower. As they get higher and higher, players will discover just what happened to the world through environmental storytelling, as well as notes or pieces of art left behind. Interestingly, players can’t really die in Jusant, which acts as encouragement to continue exploring and discovering the secrets of the tower.

Horizon Forbidden West

A follow-up to Horizon Zero Dawn, Forbidden West once again has players take on the role of Aloy who must respond to a new threat, since the Derangement hasn’t yet stopped. As its name might imply, the game takes place in the lawless land in the west, where Aloy is equipped with new abilities and tools at her disposal to explore, as well as take on new machines. Along the way, Aloy will also find new technologies, as well as secrets about her own past. Its expansion Burning Shores is a visual masterpiece and something you should not miss.

Lost Judgment

While protagonist Takayuki Yagami developed quite a bit thanks to the events of Judgment, Lost Judgment puts his convictions to the test with an intense story about schoolyard bullying gone too far, and resulting in a series of deaths. The game takes place in Yakuza 7: Like a Dragon’s setting of Yokohama, revolving around the local high school. When it comes to gameplay, Lost Judgment features a number of enhancements to its combat system, including new stances that Yagami can learn to help him better take on enemies through either counter-based gameplay, or straight-up boxing.

Lies of P

While most Souls-like games tend to be more inspired from titles like Dark Souls, Lies of P instead decided to take its lessons from Bloodborne. Taking on the role of a Pinocchio in a dark retelling of the classic tale, players will explore the city of Krat as they try and look for Mr. Geppetto. The game features an intense, fast-paced combat system that also has players mix-and-match between various weapon parts to violent results.

The Quarry

The first standalone game by developer Supermassive Games since it started its Dark Pictures Anthology, The Quarry is a throwback to classic horror movies of old. The game puts players in the shoes of a number of teenagers who manage to find themselves at the mercy of a mysterious, seemingly monstrous killer on their last day as camp counselors. As they play through the game’s story, players will find themselves making choices that not only affect the story in minor ways, but will also essentially decide who survives the whole ordeal. It’s worth noting that The Quarry has quite an impressive cast, played by actors like David Arquette, Ted Raimi, and Justice Smith.

Black Myth: Wukong

Set some time after the events of the Journey to the West, Black Myth: Wukong puts players in the shoes of the Destined One. His enemies launch an assault on the monkey people, which prompts the Wukong, into action. Along the way, players will have to take on several challenges, including combat against mysterious creatures. The graphics are outstanding, the gameplay is simply superb and there are a ton of secrets to be found. Quite easily, Black Myth Wukong is this year’s game of the year contender.

Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon

Taking place in a distant future full of giant mechs, Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon puts players in the shoes of a mercenary Armored Core pilot that is taking on missions from the highest bidder in order to carve out a place for themselves in a war scarred world. The game features fast-paced mech combat that not only rewards reflexes, but also strategy thanks to the in-depth mechanics of your mech’s loadouts. The game also features an intricate story that tells the grand story of an epic war through the lens of the various missions you take on.

System Shock Remake

While it doesn’t really deviate too much from what the original System Shock, the remake certainly manages to make itself the definitive way to experience the classic first-person horror title. Not only does it feature more modern gameplay, complete with a redesigned HUD, it also expertly simulates the original’s visual style in a modern way by making use of high-resolution visuals that somehow look retro in all the best ways. System Shock Remake is one of those rare remakes out there that manages to hang on to its roots, while also bringing in more accessible gameplay that would allow more players to experience the classic.

Nobody Wants to Die

A narrative adventure game, Nobody Wants to Die is a cyberpunk noir story that puts players in the shoes of James Karra, a detective with the NYPD’s Department of Morality. Karra is tasked with figuring out the secrets behind a murder of an important person in a world where dying – especially for the rich – isn’t really a problem anymore. As players uncover layers of conspiracies happening all around them, they will also find themselves making choices that affect the world, all while they’re hot in the trail of a serial killer that is targeting the elite of New York.

Dead Space Remake

Dead Space Remake manages to be more than just a fresh coat of paint. While it manages to hang on to the original’s core identity, the remake also brings with it a host of changes to various aspects, including a better-balanced arsenal that protagonist Isaac Clarke has more reason to use, as well as some impressive gory visuals thanks to how detailed the horrifying necromorphs can look at times. The Dead Space Remake is definitely well worth your time, especially if the thought of dismembering your enemies from a distance sound like an appealing prospect.

Sniper Elite 5

Taking place directly after the events of Sniper Elite 4’s Deathstorm DLC, Sniper Elite 5 once again puts players in the shoes of Karl Fairburne as he takes on Nazi forces. The game takes place before the events of the infamous Normandy’s landing on D-Day, with players tasked with taking out key targets and gathering intel that will allow the allied powers to take on the Nazis. While a third-person shooter, Sniper Elite 5 places a heavy emphasis on scouting and sniping enemies, as well as stealth–based gameplay. Much like other titles in the franchise, Sniper Elite 5 also features the special camera angles that allow players to see exactly how they’re killing enemies from a distance.

Sifu

An intense martial arts experience, Sifu tells the story of a student who sets out to avenge the murder of their master. The game features a unique mechanic where, the more the player dies, the older their character gets, allowing them to do more damage. On the other hand, being older also means that you have less health, and can’t take as many hits from enemies. The game’s fast-paced combat system allows players to live out their favourite martial arts movie fantasies, allowing players to take on enemies with quick hand-to-hand combos, intricate grapples, and even improvised weapons grabbed from all over the level.

Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy

Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy has players taking on the role of Star-Lord, joined by other members of the eponymous Guardians, including Gamora, Draxx, Rocket Raccoon, and Groot. The game features a unique combat system that has players make use of all of their crew members’ various abilities, each with unique effects, along with a fun story that could just as easily be ripped right out of the pages of a comic book. The game is well-regarded for its excellent dialogue and writing, and the scoring system manages to keep the combat interesting throughout its runtime.

Kena: Bridge of Spirits

Developed by a studio known for its work in animation in the film industry, Kena: Bridge of Spirits is definitely a visual treat. The game features some downright wonderful art and animations that could just as easily be ripped out of a big-budget animated movie, while also featuring good action gameplay. The story revolves around the titular Kena, who is on a journey to uncover the secrets of an old abandoned village. Kena: Bridge of Spirits features fast-paced combat, adorable critters, and downright jaw-dropping visuals and animations.

Conscript

A unique take on the horror genre, Conscript throws players into the trenches of the World War as they take on not only enemy soldiers, but also try and scavenge for supplies. The game features pixel-art visuals that, despite their simplicity, do a great job of instilling a sense of dread and urgency in players. As they continue their journey of survival through the trenches, players will also find themselves trapped in an intricate web of trenches and bunkers that they must navigate if they want to have any hope of surviving. There is also quite a bit of replayability, thanks to additional difficulty options, as well as endings to unlock.

Stellar Blade

A stylish sci-fi action game Stellar Blade, the player is tasked with reclaiming Earth for humanity. The game features fast-paced combat, and players will take on a variety of different enemies with various weapons and abilities that they find throughout their time.

Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster

A remaster of a game originally released on the Xbox 360, Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster has players take on the role of reporter Frank West, as he sets out to investigate the mysterious events surrounding a mall in Willamette, Colorado. The game features a unique gameplay structure where players are expected to make slow progress, often involving dying and restarting, and finding more powerful improvised weaponry, as they take on massive zombie hordes in a mall. The game also features a 72-hour time limit, giving players a sense of urgency in their hunt for answers and fight for survival.

Until Dawn Remake

While the original PS4 release is well-regarded in its own right, the remake for Until Dawn allows more players than ever before to experience the classic schlocky slasher horror story. Featuring a memorable cast and crew, the actions of whom lies in the player’s hands depending on the choices they make, Until Dawn also promotes replayability thanks to the fact that the story and endings can change in interesting ways depending on who lives and who dies throughout the harrowing encounters the game offers.

Silent Hill 2 Remake

Developed by Bloober Team, the remake of Silent Hill 2 pays homage to the seminal PS2 horror game while still maintaining its own identity. While it focuses on retelling the story of protagonist James Sutherland who has reached the eponymous town in search of answers to mysterious questions, the remake features a number of new gameplay elements, including a new over-the-shoulder camera, as well as brand new visuals and voice acting that aim to give a new life to what is widely regarded as one of the greatest horror games ever made. And boy, it succeeded with a bang!

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

A follow-up to Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Survivor once again puts players into the shoes of Jedi Knight Cal Kestis. The game takes place five years after the original, with Kestis taking the responsibility of rebuilding the Jedi order on his own shoulders. The title features the same gameplay as Fallen Order, along with new additions, including the ability to make use of different types of lightsabers, including the iconic dual-bladed lightsaber first introduced in the hands of Darth Maul in A Phantom Menace. The game also features new force abilities, as well as additional lightsaber stances that players can make use of to take on the various combat challenges the game throws their way.

Hitman: World of Assassination

Hitman: World of Assassination allows players to play through the entire storyline of the Hitman games, complete with new gameplay mechanics. Taking on the role of Agent 47, players will travel to various locations as they take on contracts to eliminate key characters in a vast criminal conspiracy. The game also features its own unique take on the roguelite genre in the form of the Freelancer mode, which gives players randomised targets and methods of assassination as they build up their arsenal of weapons, tools, and even disguises by making money.

Hogwarts Legacy

Widely accepted as one of the first great games set in the expansive Harry Potter universe, Hogwarts Legacy divorces itself from its source material by taking place in the past, well before the events of the original books take place. As a fresh transfer to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, players will have the chance to create their own character and live out their fantasies of learning magic among the school’s iconic teaching staff. Along the way, players will also take part in magical duels, as well as take on threats including a goblin uprising, as well as wizard criminals.

Dead Island 2

In Dead Island 2, players take on the role of one of six survivors who find themselves in Los Angeles. The world has moved on from being scared of the walking dead, and some people have even found themselves enjoying the carnage that results from fighting the shambling hordes. The game features crazy weapons, as well as a host of new tools and items which will allow you to pull off some crazy zombie kills.

Oxenfree II: Lost Signals

Taking place six years after the events of the original Oxenfree, Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals is a brand new coming-of-age story, this time around focusing on Riley Poverly, who is investigating a mysterious radio interference coming from Edwards Islands. Players have to explore the island while completing their mission of placing transmitters at key locations, and ultimately deal with a malevolent force that is threatening the world. Much like the original, gameplay in Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals once again revolves around the player interacting with the locals as they try and figure out what is happening on the island.

Viewfinder

A unique game that relies more on the player’s sense of perception and logical puzzle-solving than their twitch action reflexes, Viewfinder gives players a camera and sets them loose in a virtual reality world. The game features many themes, especially ones dealing with environmental issues, as players are forced to deal with the problems created by man-made structures, including a weather-control machine that might end up being the solution to the global problem of climate change.

Lords of the Fallen

Lords of the Fallen is a unique take on the Souls-like genre. Lords of the Fallen takes place in a Mournstead that is on the brink of collapse. The player, referred to in the game as the Lampbearer, has to travel between the material and Umbral world as they take on the hellish new challenges throughout the land. The game features an excellent combat system that gives players a greater level of freedom in how they tackle enemies.

Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection

Featuring Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End and Uncharted: Lost Legacy, Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection is a bundle that tells the story of the final adventure of series protagonist Nathan Drake, as well as a side adventure featuring characters that Drake has encountered throughout his different games – Chloe Frazer from Uncharted 2 and Nadine Ross from Uncharted 4. While featuring the same over the top action that the series is well-regarded for, the duo of Uncharted games in the bundle also feature their own unique twists in the series, including the addition of a small, open world in Uncharted: Lost Legacy where players have more freedom to take on objectives in a variety of different ways.

Dying Light 2: Stay Human

Taking place in a time well after the zombie apocalypse has ravaged mankind, Dying Light 2: Stay Human puts players in the shoes of Aiden Caldwell, who finds himself in the city of Villedor in search of his missing sister. The game features a number of new gameplay mechanics over its predecessor, supplementing the melee combat and parkour-based movement with a variety of new abilities, including a glider and a grappling hook that greatly increases the mobility offered to players. The game also got a series of DLC releases, each of which added new gameplay elements as well as new story content for players to experience and earn epic loot in.

Ghostwire: Tokyo

A single-player action-horror title, Ghostwire: Tokyo is an interesting game thanks to the unique look it offers players with Tokyo’s famous Shibuya district. The city has been struck by a strange fog that has allowed spirits to roam its streets, and the protagonist, Akito, finds himself torn between the living and dead thanks to the machinations of the spirit KK. The game features a dense open-world where players can explore the various nooks and crannies of Shibuya to their heart’s content, while also taking on malicious spirits with a host of spiritual weapons. The game also got a DLC in the form of Spider’s Thread, which brought with it a new map, along with new abilities, and even a new roguelite game mode.

Grand Theft Auto V

Sure, the game might be more than a decade old at this point, but few other titles out there can provide players with the same experience as Grand Theft Auto 5. The single-player campaign of the game puts players in the shoes of Michael, Trevor and Franklin as they pull off a series of escalating heists, all of which ultimately pits them against more conspiratorial forces, while also making each one of the characters question their loyalty to each other. GTA 5 also features the multiplayer Grand Theft Auto Online mode, which allows players to become the ultimate crime boss in Los Santos, while also teaming up with, or fighting off other players with similar aspirations.

Sword and Fairy: Together Forever

A unique take in the RPG genre that makes use of the developers’ East-Asian influences, Sword and Fairy: Together Forever sets players free in a world that mixes classical Asian aesthetics with ancient stories. The game features a whole party of unique characters, each with their own personalities, motivations, and abilities, as they take on the massive challenges that will ultimately decide the fate of the game’s world. Despite being the latest entry in a long-running franchise, Sword and Fairy: Together Forever is meant to be a good point of entry for newcomers to the series, featuring a standalone story that doesn’t rely on a player’s knowledge of the previous titles.

Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time

Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time is the first mainline entry in the classic platforming franchise since all the way back in the PSOne days. Featuring the return of classic mascot character in Crash Bandicoot and his friends, the game involves players trying to fix a hole in the space-time continuum that was caused due to the events of Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped. The game features excellent platforming gameplay that players expect from the series, along with new gameplay mechanics, as well as incredibly trippy visuals.

A Plague Tale: Requiem

A follow-up to A Plague Tale: Innocence, Requiem once again puts players in the shoes of Amicia and Hugo de Rune in their journey through hell. The game picks up right where its predecessor left off, with the two siblings trying to find the cure for the ailment Hugo is suffering from. A Plague Tale: Requiem will have players fight and sneak their way through plague-infested locations, while making use of Amicia’s new abilities thanks to her experience in dealing with fraught situations in the first game. And the rat hordes…those are hordes are absolutely massive this time around.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard

Although admittedly not Bioware’s best work, Dragon Age: The Veilguard is a decent action role playing game that will give you dozens of hours of gameplay. Sure, the game has issues but it features excellent combat mechanics, beautiful graphics and great looking environments that are filled with details. If the developer had put in more work into the game, The Veilguard would have surely been a better game but as it stands right now, it’s a fine single player experience that is fun in more ways than one.

Those facing trouble when platforming in Pilgrim’s Perch can look forward to better indicators while PvP has received balance adjustments for spells and magic-infused arms. PvE remains unchanged, though. Soulflay and Syphoning now have tutorial spots in Redcopse for a less stressful learning environment. The Lightreaper is also gone from the tutorial area, though he’s still present in New Game Plus.

If that wasn’t enough, the enemy spawn curve has been paced better in Umbral, and players have more time to explore the realm before the Scarlet Shadow gives chase. PC players can also look forward to “performance enhancements” in the more “graphically demanding areas.”

Check out all of the changes below. Lords of the Fallen is available for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. Check out our review here.

Version 1.6 Notes

Gameplay Improvements

We’ve implemented further gameplay adjustments informed by community feedback and extensive playtesting. It’s rewarding to see our Steam ‘Recent Review’ score rising, reflecting the positive impact of these ongoing improvements, and we’re committed to continuing this journey with your valuable input.

Highlights include:

• Mob Density: Based on your feedback, we’ve fine-tuned certain mob encounters to create a smoother, more immersive combat experience by isolating instances to prevent mobs from stacking up. Returning players may find it worthwhile to start anew, as we’ve added a few fresh surprises along the way! (Original enemy distribution and density can still be accessed via NG+ modifiers.)
• Ranged Enemies: We’ve adjusted the perception of certain ranged units to correct instances that felt unfair or unrealistic.
• Jumping: Platforming in Pilgrim’s Perch has been refined with improved indicators, making jumps clearer and navigation smoother.
• PvP Scaling: To elevate skill-based play in PvP, we’ve rebalanced scaling mechanics, particularly where magic-infused weapons and spells are concerned. These tweaks apply exclusively to PvP, so PvE players can continue with their current builds unaffected.
• Attack Displacement: Some weapon attacks have received slight adjustments to reduce displacement, providing a greater sense of control while preserving effectiveness and supporting your playstyle.

Enhanced Tutorialisation, Onboarding, and Start-Up Experience

We’ve taken steps to further enrich the onboarding experience for new players in Lords of the Fallen, building on feedback from our veteran Lampbearers. We want every new player to feel empowered on their journey, and we understand that some early tutorials may have presented a steep learning curve. Here’s what’s new:

• Improved Lighting in the Defiled Sepulchre: Enhanced lighting and visual adjustments make this initial tutorial area clearer and easier to navigate.
• Gradual Umbral Tutorialization: Core abilities like ‘soulflay’ and ‘syphoning’ now have dedicated tutorial spaces later in Redcopse, allowing new players to engage with each feature more gradually.
• Simplified First Jump Tutorial: We’ve refined the jump tutorial to be more accessible (hands up in the comments if you cleared it on the first attempt!).
• Lightreaper Boss Adjustment in NG0: To clarify the intentional design of this encounter, we’ve removed the Lightreaper boss fight from the tutorial area for NG0 players. Rest assured: the Lightreaper still lurks within Mournstead and will make a return as a surprise in NG+.

A More Immersive Umbral Realm for Explorers

Umbral, the parallel realm intertwined with the living world of Axiom, is accessible at any point in the game, offering an expansive world of alternate pathways, hidden treasures, and secrets. We know how much you enjoy exploring Mournstead, and many of you have asked for a more exploration-friendly Umbral realm. Embracing this idea, we’ve made some tweaks to enhance its immersive vibe while preserving its mysterious, challenging nature.

While Umbral remains intentionally hostile, we’ve made adjustments to its sounds, visuals, and enemy spawn curve. Now, the threads (Umbral natives) are slower to detect your presence, allowing you some precious time to explore before the realm’s haunting intensifies. Eventually, the Scarlet Shadow will appear, forcing you to decide: escape or engage in an epic showdown.

These changes make Umbral better suited for exploration while preserving its eerie intensity and challenging atmosphere:

• Dynamic Ambient Sound: Initial entry into Umbral is now accompanied by subtler soundscapes, building in intensity as you remain longer, reaching a crescendo before you must find an exit, or risk facing the Crimson Reaper.
• Adjusted Enemy Spawn Curve: Enemy appearances are now better paced to create a smoother, gradual build-up of tension.
• Increased Delay for Scarlet Shadow: You’ll now have more time to explore before the Scarlet Shadow emerges, enhancing the suspense.
• Reduced Vignette Effect: Based on player feedback, the vignette effect has been softened to improve visibility while exploring Umbral.
• Clearer Umbral Eggs: We’ve added a special VFX to eggs set to spawn Umbral natives, as we noticed some players had difficulty distinguishing between active and inactive ones.

These updates create a richer exploration experience within Umbral, preserving its dark allure and escalating tension for daring adventurers.

Performance Improvements

We’ve implemented additional performance enhancements across several of the game’s more graphically demanding areas, optimising the experience for players with lower-spec computers.

In a press release, the developer promised a “40 percent increase” in pixel density. It confirmed that Performance Mode runs at 60 FPS and renders at 1440p and outputs at an upscaled 4K on the PS5 Pro. Meanwhile, Quality Mode offers native 4K at 30 frames per second. Further details on improvements to visual fidelity and detail remain to be seen when the PS5 Pro launches on November 7th, so stay tuned for more.

Lords of the Fallen is available for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC – check out our review. It sold one million copies within the first ten days of launch, with publisher CI Interactive projecting $100 million net revenue from the title in the next few years. A sequel is also in the works, launching in 2026 with Epic Games publishing the PC version. Stay tuned for more details in the coming year.