Though I’m by no means an expert on Warhammer 40K lore, I’ve played enough Tomb Kings in Total War: Warhammer 3 to recognize dusty old Necron activity when I see it. So imagine my surprise when, far from the splendor of Avarax and sprawling jungles of Kadaku, Space Marine 2 revealed that the Chaos-warped planet Demerium was actually a Necron tomb world, just one of many places in the universe where millions of ancient alien-android warriors lie dormant. During the level Dawn’s Descent, telltale hieroglyph-style markings adorn a dig site far beneath the planet’s surface, and inquisitive marines can find data slates that suggest something very angry has been awoken by the Adeptus Mechanicus. For those who don’t follow 40K too closely, the dingy tunnels are merely a nice change of pace from the rest of the game – claustrophobic and almost creepy, it’s one of the few instances where it feels like something tougher than a space marine is lurking just out of sight. For those aware they’ve walked into a tomb world, though, that tension is amplified tenfold. But, as creative director Oliver Hollis-Leick and game director Dmitriy Grigorenko tell GamesRadar+, squeezing in this Necron homage was an effort in itself. Sleeping beauties Rough and tumble Space Marine 2’s game director knows Chaos isn’t as fun to fight as Tyranids: “I don’t think we did a good job in the end, but maybe next time””It would be fair to say that Dmitriy and I had to fight quite a lot for that to be in there, because there was a concern raised by one group at one point that we were putting too much into the game,” explains Hollis-Leick. “It was almost becoming a kind of 40k fancy dress party in their mind.”But the creative director argues that on the flip side, being able to hint at a looming presence without diving into them outright lends itself well to establishing the size and age of 40K’s universe, areas that the pair didn’t want to shy away from in Space Marine 2. Note: spoilers regarding the campaign’s Project Aurora are below. “One of the great things about putting that [level] in there is it demonstrates the sheer age and scale of this universe,” Hollis-Leick explains. “You know, you could be having a huge battle on the surface of a world, and then you dig down underneath, and there’s something that’s been there for millions of years before human beings ever existed, and that technology is very much a part of the Mechanicus’ approach – you know, the Blackstone obsession that the Mechanicus have and all that. So I’m really glad that Dmitriy pushed for that, because I think it adds that extra dimension to it. But it wasn’t easy to get it.””Now people are disappointed that we don’t have Necrons,” says Grigorenko, laughing. The game director agrees that fighting for the tomb world’s inclusion “was a good thing,” but acknowledges that making a Warhammer game suitable for both newcomers and lore hounds is a “challenge”. “While we know that this game is for fans, we knew a lot of players would come and play this game as a shooter-slasher,” he explains. “Things we use in our narrative, like Blackstone and Necron Obelisks […] the majority of non-Warhammer fans don’t know what that is. Things like reversing the polarity of Blackstone, closing the Great Rift, they don’t know that! So it was very difficult to find this balance – and if we didn’t show this, it would be kind of weird to mention it and never show it.” Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter
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Space Marine 2’s directors had to “fight quite a lot” for one level to be included, as some people thought the game was becoming a “40K fancy dress party”
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Let me preface this with a disclaimer: I don’t hate Christmas. Nor am I a Christian. I admit that, in my house, the holiday has slipped into a somewhat gothic reflection of a dust-choked tradition that we like to call Cryptmas, but that doesn’t mean I’m not one for taking part in the festivities. And what better way to get in the mood for roast chestnuts and big, beardy blokes sneezing their way down my chimney than a yuletide gaming session? At least, that’s what I had in mind before my “Best Christmas Games” research hit a distinctly glittery wall.Seriously, why are there no good Christmas games out there? Take a look for yourself – there are countless YouTube videos outlining the so-called best Christmas games, but not a single one captures the true essence of what I want from a Christmas game… that is if you can call most of them Christmas games to begin with.Backlog burning merrily Festive fun If it ’tisn’t the season in gaming, how about watching one of the best Ch…
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Almost two years after it was originally filed, an antitrust lawsuit against Microsoft filed by a group of gamers has reportedly been dismissed for good.Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision faced a lot of pushback from the likes of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) when its plans were announced, but one group that didn’t give up even after the buyout went through was the team behind the so-called ‘gamers’ lawsuit,’ known officially as Dante DeMartini et al v. Microsoft Corporation. As its unofficial name suggests, this antitrust lawsuit was filed by a group of regular ol’ gamers, who sought to block the acquisition on the grounds that the merger could harm competition in the games industry – the same sort of concerns echoed by the FTC. Now though, The Hollywood Reporter reports that as of yesterday, the case has been settled, and reportedly dismissed permanently, so it can’t be filed again later down the line. It’s not been revealed what the terms of the agreement were, bu…
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Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered – Announce Trailer – YouTube
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The Silent Hill 2 Grand Market keypad code can be found close to the locked door, but you won’t that know until you get it. Even then you won’t find a lock combination, just a note narrowing down your number options. If you want to open the door and get inside the Grand Market, which is an optional objective, here’s what to look for. After finding the Silent Hill 2 Auto Parts key to get into town, this is probably one of the first things you’ll find as you explore. Silent Hill 2 Grand Market Keypad code The Silent Hill 2 Grand Market Keypad code is 4444 and can be found by a blue truck not that far from the Market itself. The location of both the Silent Hill 2 Grand Market Keypad and code are here: The keypad code for the Grand Market in Silent Hill 2 is only a little way away from the door, but with little to connect the lock with the location where you find the combination clue, it could be easy to miss. Head to the keypad code note location on the map an…
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Best Tonic Upgrades
Act 1 Tonic Upgrades
You’ll get Destiny 2 Tonic Upgrades for Eido’s lab as you complete Major Fieldwork quests, but you’ll want to unlock the best ones first. These first five upgrades in Revenant Act 1 mainly focus on bolstering your ability to gather reagents, letting you get these crucial Destiny 2 brewing ingredients from things like bounties and dismantling weapons, but the most useful upgrade improves your chances of discovering new tonic recipes, which has many long-term benefits. With all that in mind, here are the best Destiny 2 Tonic Upgrades to get first as well as what they all do.Best Destiny 2 Tonic Upgrades If you just want to know which Major Destiny 2 Fieldwork quests to complete first to get the best Tonic Upgrades early, here’s the order I recommend:Extraordinary Tonics: Hugely useful for discovering more tonic recipes which will help you unlock Minor and Major Fieldwork quests faster.Blood Drive: S…
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