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Starfield’s weirdest ship is officially canon in the space game

One of the most unusual Starfield ships is actually an official creation in the space game, and it’s a pretty clever one at that

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One of the most unusual Starfield ships is actually an official creation in the space game, and despite how impractical it looks, it’s a pretty clever design. Reddit user Morfalath posted an image of their… well, it’s technically a ship, but it doesn’t really look like one, and called it the “Unbeatable Ship” (thanks, GamesRadar).

Morfalath created a giant, hollow cube using what looks like storage modules for most of thebody, along with engines placed in strategic locations and a cockpit in the upper right corner. It looks pretty small, but they said it actually ended up maxing out the allotted length, height, and width in the ship builder. The unorthodox design means Morfalath never has to worry about ship combat, as the enemy AI only ever targets a ship’s center.

the (by AI) unbeatable ship (they shoot through the middle)
byu/Morfalath inStarfield

It turns out Bethesda built something similar, and we even unknowingly got a glimpse of it during one of the Starfield showcases. Reddit user DoragonHunter posted a picture from the showcase where the developers are saying what kind of ships they built. If you zoom in, you can see a ship that’s somewhat similar to Morfalath’s, with room modules forming a broad outline around a more traditional ship-like shape.

So even the Bethesda developers even use/show the center ship exploit. (Shown In Starfield Direct – Gameplay Deep Dive)
byu/DoragonHunter inStarfield

The center is still open, though, despite there being a more recognizable cockpit. One Redditer commented that they built an L-shaped ship with a tower and achieved a similar effect, where the enemy just targeted empty air where the center should’ve been.

Evidently, Starfield’s AI takes size into consideration when deciding where the middle is. Size matters if you want to avoid a fight, though you certainly wouldn’t find any of these in our roundup of Starfield ships with the most rizz.

Written by Josh Broadwell on behalf of GLHF

Meta Quest 3 review: A big leap forward for VR gaming

Our Meta Quest 3 review breaks down what makes the latest VR headset a bit step forward in VR gaming and an improvement over Quest 2

Playing games in VR can be such a hassle. PSVR 2 was a big improvement for Sony, since it required a single wire instead of the original set’s snaking mass of cables stuck to your head. One wire is still one wire too many, though, a tether keeping you tied to the real world, reminding you that you have a massive headset strapped to your face.

The Quest 2 solved this at the cost of losing the visual sharpness of a wired VR set, but the Meta Quest 3 goes a long way toward fixing that. Games look almost as sharp as they do with a premium tethered set.

The first thing you’ll probably notice is the Quest 3’s pass-through. The set’s six outward-facing cameras let you see your surroundings in full color, a substantial improvement over the Quest 2’s otherworldly black-and-white. You can almost read your phone screen without taking the headset off, and it tracks your hand movements, so typing or playing a virtual keyboard is a lot easier. Your vision is, admittedly, somewhat blurry, but it’s a small price for the improvement in pretty much every other area.

When you set your playspace boundary – your safety area, so you don’t go wandering into a wall – the camera automatically picks up objects and blockers with impressive accuracy as you look around the room.

Mixed reality is, unsurprisingly, a big part of the Quest 3’s focus, so it’s a bit baffling that there are so few apps that take advantage of it at launch. Sure, the option is nice to have, but it needs proper support to really get off the ground. On the bright side, there are plenty of VR games to keep busy with.

Red Matter 2 was one of the first games I checked out, a sci-fi puzzler that developer Vertical Robot upgraded with 4K textures for Quest 3. The Quest 3 features dual 2064×2208 LCD displays with 30 percent more pixel density than the Quest 2, which is tech speak for “it looks much better.”. I was genuinely surprised by how sharp it looks compared to the bland, blocky faces you see in games such as Peaky Blinders: The King’s Ransom, which, presumably, didn’t have the benefit of an upgrade for Quest 3.

If, unlike me, you don’t mind the wire, you can also hook the Quest 3 to your PC and bump its graphics capability, which means you can play more demanding games such as Half-Life Alyx and the hit simulator game Microsoft Flight Simulator on Steam, assuming you have a capable PC. Un-wired versions of these would be nice, but I have no idea how possible that even is.

The headset itself feels much more comfortable than its predecessor, thanks in part to its reduced bulk. You can bring the screens close to your eyes or take it further out if you wear glasses. Like the Quest 2, Quest 3 also has a dial that adjusts lens spacing.

VR technology usually goes hand-in-hand with discomfort, but you can easily sit with the Quest 3 stuck to your noggin until its battery drains, which happens to be about three hours into an intensive gaming session. Three hours is more than enough time for most people to spend in VR without feeling ill anyway anyway. We haven’t tested it, but it’d last longer for less intensive apps, such as some of the art or messaging apps.

One unexpected advantage of the comfort and extra mobility is that the Quest 3 actually works as a viable fitness device now. You could easily spend an hour working out on Beat Saber or one of the Quest 3’s dedicated fitness apps. Whether you want to bang drums in Ragnarock or channel John Wick in Pistol Whip, there are plenty of games and apps to work up a sweat with – but you might want to splash out for the optional silicone face pad. That default one gets damp.

Audio springs forth from the set’s side arms and a pair of decent speakers. You get a solid sense of where sound comes from, and while it won’t satisfy those with more particular tastes in audio quality, it’s decent enough that you don’t need to buy a pair of headphones right away.

The Quest 3 is one of the most comfortable headsets we’ve used, and you don’t even sacrifice image quality without the PC cable. While game consoles are seeing dwindling returns and incremental improvements in graphics between generations, VR is likely where we’ll see these huge generational leaps between devices. If Quest 3 is any indication, VR has an exciting future ahead.

Written by Kirk McKeand and Josh Broadwell on behalf of GLHF

Cities Skylines 2 DLC roadmap and expansions

Colossal Order has plenty of Cities Skylines 2 DLC in the works, with small asset packs planned for 2023 and a full expansion in summer 2024

Colossal Order has plenty of Cities Skylines 2 DLC in the works, and some of the simulation game’s expansions are slated for 2023. Like with the original game, CO will release targeted new features in new packs alongside a selection of less expensive DLC with additions such as new radio songs. The Cities Skylines 2 DLC map may look a little sparse compared to the robust selection of expansions for its predecessor, but Colossal Order will continue supporting the game for months and years in the future, including with community mods-turned-expansions.

New Starfield mod takes a creepy Bethesda tradition to space

A new Starfield mod turns every ship in the space game into Thomas the Tank, an old tradition in Bethesda games that might’ve gone too far

A new Starfield mod turns every ship in the space game into Thomas the Tank, a long-running tradition in Bethesda games that might’ve gone too far this time. The “Really Useful Starfield” mod comes from Trainwiz, who took inspiration from Guardly’s “Really Useful Dragons” mod that turns Skyrim dragons into Thomas the Tank (thanks, VG 24/7).

Seeing the dead-eyed Thomas lurking around Tamriel is a bit unsettling, though watching it spew fire does offset the creepy factor a little. It’s just so ridiculous. Starfield Thomas just sort of looms over you menacingly and floats through space as if he’s pondering what crimes to commit next.

“They say that the Tank Engine has been banished to wander the stars forever, unable to satiate his bloodlust and unable to find peace in his heart,” Trainwiz said in the mod description, tapping into the Thomas internet lore that casts the friendly hero of classic children’s stories as some kind of eldritch horror.

“But hey he’s your spaceship now so that’s pretty funny.”

Except it’s only funny until you try to fly a Thomas ship. Aside from distinctly lacking in rizz compared to other Starfield ships, the Thomas crafts have some a serious problem.

Ships in Starfield include multiple parts, with a reactor at the core. Trainwiz turned every reactor into Thomas and expanded the model so it engulfs the rest of the ship. Parts of the actual ship might clip through, but the game still recognizes the Thomas dimensions as solid objects. Starfield was made for sleek spacecraft, not gigantic trains, so flying these things isn’t the easiest. They give your foes a great big monster train-sized hitbox to aim for in dogfights as well, though since they’re also Thomas-sized, the disadvantage goes both ways.

Trainwiz says it’s the price you have to pay, though.

“This mod’s more of a novelty to begin with, so it’s something you have to deal with. Life isn’t always fair.”

Written by Josh Broadwell on behalf of GLHF

Mycelium murder comes to Among Us in new Fungle map

The new Among Us Fungle map is crash landing soon, bringing new tasks, dangers, and more to the deduction multiplayer game

The new Among Us Fungle map is crash landing soon, bringing new tasks, dangers, and more to the deduction multiplayer game. The Fungle map launches for all platforms, including mobile game devices, on Oct. 24, 2023, in a free update.

“Get ready to explore a deserted island full of mysterious mushrooms, all-new tasks, and deadly Impostors,” InnerSloth said in the brief announcement. “Tell all your friends, family, and enemies. Mark your calendars. Clean your vents. Scream. Cry. You know, the usual stuff.”

The Fungle is Among Us’ fifth map, and it’s the first one set in the open air rather than on a ship or in a space station. The previous map, The Airship, launched in 2021, with 17 locations, making it the biggest map so far.

Cutscenes take up most of the short map trailer, so while we didn’t get to see just how big it is, we get a small glimpse of what to expect. There’s a new fungus that releases what looks like a spore cloud that you – or an imposter, presumably – can hide in, tasks that seem to include food prep, a lookout station where you can spy on other players, and a fancy new Emergency Meeting animation as well.

Most mushroom forests don’t come fully equipped with ventilation systems, but it looks like InnerSloth worked around that inconvenient fact with plant buds. One brief second in the trailer shows a large plant maw gleefully consuming an imposter, who then appears elsewhere just in time for an Emergency Meeting.

Written by Josh Broadwell on behalf of GLHF

Lords of the Fallen release times on PC and console

Lords of the Fallen release times are coming up fast on PC and console, and you can even play the Soulslike RPG a bit early on Xbox

The Lords of the Fallen release times are coming up fast, and as is usually the case with multiplatform releases, you can access it at different times if you’re playing on PC or console. Xbox players can jump into the Soulslike RPG even earlier with just a little fiddling around with your location setting. Unlike some games that release on multiple PC launchers, you get the same time no matter where you buy it.

New Baldur’s Gate 3 mod adds Frodo and the Lord of the Rings Fellowship

You can simply walk into the Shadowlands with a new Baldur’s Gate 3 mod that brings The Lord of the Rings to Faerun

You can simply walk into the Shadowlands with a new Baldur’s Gate 3 mod that brings The Lord of the Rings to Faerun. Well, maybe not so simply. Setting it up takes a bit of work, but once you have the right mods installed, you can bring Gandalf, Legolas, Frodo, and the Hobbit bunch along for almost the entire journey (thanks, GamesRadar).

NexusMods user Nexus1118 brought the creation to life with a bit of help from the Party Limit Begone mod, which lets you have up to eight characters in multiplayer and 16 in single-player mode. That and Appearance Edit, so they could change Gale, are the only other extra mod you’ll need to get this one working. Nexus1118 says they kept it simple to minimize the chances of BG3 crashing or encountering other issues while your oversized party treks across the world.

Getting this to work was apparently quite the challenge.

“I had to boot 8 copies of the game window in potato mode while logged out of Steam to get the first 8, then swapped to single player and recruited Gale and changed his appearance to be close to Gandalf,” they said. “Current save has Shadowheart, Lae’zel, and Astarion in camp. The classes and appearances are as close as I could get to the movie with BG3‘s limited vanilla character creator.”

The modded save file starts outside the Emerald Grove after recruiting Galedalf as your companion and is bound to Tactician difficulty, as “everything is easy with 9 characters.”

Nexus1118 even gave each character a Middle Earth-themed Guardian. Aragorn gets Arwen, Gandalf has a High Elf, and Galadriel watches over Gimli.

Considering you can develop a BG3 romance with the Guardian, it’s probably best not to think too closely about the rest – Frodo and his uncle Bilbo, Boromir and his father Denethor, and so on. We’ll just assume they take the platonic route and leave that alone forever.

Written by Josh Broadwell on behalf of GLHF

Fan finds sheepish way to get Baldur’s Gate 3’s Minthara and Halsin

One fan figured out how to get Minthara and Halsin in Baldur’s Gate 3 without using mods, and ewe can do it too

One fan figured out how to get Minthara and Halsin in Baldur’s Gate 3 without using mods, and ewe – er, you – can do it too. It’ll take a lot of work, a bit of luck, and one persistent Polymorph spell, though.

Note that mild spoilers for an evil BG3 playthrough follow.

Normally, you can either get Minthara or Halsin as your BG3 companions – but not both. Minthara only joins if you destroy Emerald Grove and facilitate the Tiefling refugees’ murders. Halsin, head druid of said grove, naturally takes a dim view of those actions and refuses to join. The reverse is true as well. Getting Halsin means murdering Minthara and a whole bunch of goblins.

One Taiwanese fan who uses the online handle pao870111 found a way to change that, and Reddit user ZookeepergameDeep360 posted it on Reddit in English for others to try (thanks, PC Gamer).

The method starts at the Goblin Camp in Act 1. You’re meant to kill all three leaders or help them, but Pao turned on the non-lethal attacks passive and only knocked Minthara unconscious before ending the other two leaders in the usual way. Minthara appears again, alive and well, after a long rest. Leave her alone, and head into Act 2. Halsin will join, since you killed the goblins, and the Tieflings will show up in the Shadowlands as usual.

Recruit Minthara and save Tieflings both without Mod/CE
byu/ZookeepergameDeep360 inBaldursGate3

After you activate the Moonrise Towers waypoint, Pao says you need to travel back to the Goblin Camp, where Minthara still waits. Use the Polymorph spell to turn her into a sheep and the Dominate Beast spell to make Minthara join your party. Both spells require concentration, so you’ll need to split them between two spellcasters.

Take Minthara-the-sheep to Ketheric’s throne room in Moonrise Towers to trigger her trial scene. This is an ordeal in itself. You need to drink an Elixir of Hill Giant Strength and pick Minthara-sheep up using the Improvise Weapon command. Place her gently in the throne room to avoid causing damage and turning her into an enemy. There’s a careful balancing act of disengaging when the sheep spell ends and keeping her safe from the guards. If she takes damage, she’ll probably run into the shadow-cursed lands and die.

Once she gets sent to jail, you can rescue her like normal in an evil playthrough, and her story and yours proceed like normal. You’ll miss the first BG3 romance scene with Minthara, though, since she won’t be your ally at the end of Act 1.

That’s a lot of effort to make everyone happy. Considering how that one branch in the first act alters almost everything in the game, it’s no surprise players are finding inventive ways to get around the game and find new ways to bring the band together.

Written by Josh Broadwell on behalf of GLHF

Genshin Impact, BG3 voice actors star in new cyberpunk visual novel

Gods of the Twilight, a new cyberpunk visual novel, is entering early access soon, and Volutian Design revealed the headline voice actors

Gods of the Twilight, a new cyberpunk visual novel, is gearing up for early access soon, and developer Volutian Design just revealed the headline voice actors. Kelsey Jaffer (Yaoyao in Genshin Impact), stars as Althea, one of Gods’ dual protagonists, while Amina Koroma (Dark Breaker Mikki Kori and others in Baldur’s Gate 3) is her bodyguard Lt. Komani.

Award-winning actor Atli Oskar stars as Farkas, the second of Gods of the Twilight’s dual protagonists. You can have a listen at the trio in action in the new trailer below.

Gods of the Twilight takes place in the far distant future in New Reykjavík, a city-ship dripping with advanced technology – and even further advanced social and ecological decay. The world’s last days are fast approaching, and it’s up to Farkas and Althea to navigate New Reykjavik’s dark secrets, save the city, and maybe find a bit of companionship in the process.

“This project is the brainchild of two friends who share a deep love for roleplaying and immersive storytelling,” Leandro Zantedeschi, Volutian Design co-founder, said in a press release. “We spent years working on it, improving it slowly and steadily by our own efforts and those of the talented artists, voice actors, and other collaborators we hired to help us. And we did so because we believe in it–we’re driven to create something heartfelt, with complex characters and themes, for an audience that shares our passion and enjoys the world we’re creating as much as we do.”

Your choices as Varkas and Althea determine how their relationships develop – or don’t – with other citizens and even each other. Every character has romance options with multiple genders, and polyamory may also be possible depending on your choices. Decisions carry over between chapters, and individual choices stack up and influence how the story branches on the road to one of Gods of the Twilight’s many endings.

Gods of the Twilight’s first five chapters launch Steam in early access for PC via Steam on Nov. 14, 2023. If you’re keen to try it out sooner, Volutian included a Gods of the Twilight demo in the October Steam Next Fest.

Written by Josh Broadwell on behalf of GLHF

Assassin’s Creed Mirage release times on PC and console

Assassin’s Creed Mirage release times are coming up fast, and you can even play the stealth game series’ latest a bit early on Xbox

Assassin’s Creed Mirage release times are coming up fast, and you can even play a bit early if you’re on Xbox. The latest Assassin’s Creed game from Ubisoft is starting to roll out across the globe, and while console launch times are pretty straightforward, the PC launch is a little more complicated. When you can play actually depends on which storefront you bought the game from. If you purchased it on the Epic Games Store, you’ll have to wait a little longer than everyone else to dive into Basim’s big adventure.