Premium brands love charging $100, $200, even $300 for Bluetooth speakers but a lot of the time, you’re paying for the label more than the performance. If you want real bang for your buck, the Anker Soundcore 2 is a fantastic choice. Now, with Amazon dropping the price from $45 to just $29, this deal is too good to pass up.
See at Amazon
A Pocket Powerhouse That Delivers Where It Counts
The Soundcore 2 isn’t your average small speaker: Inside its compact body hides a powerful 12W output, delivered through dual neodymium drivers engineered to produce rich sound even at higher volumes. One of its standout features is the BassUp technology which selectively boosts low frequencies in real time and makes bass tones punchier without causing distortion.
One of the big concerns when buying a portable speaker is durability and resistance to weather conditions: The Soundcore 2 handles that with an IPX7 rating of waterproofing. It’s a level of protection that can keep it underwater for full submersion up to 1 meter for 30 minutes. It also makes it easy to clean it up—just wash off and go.
Anker’s famed power management combined with a 5,200mAh lithium-ion battery lets this speaker run for up to 24 hours on a single charge. That’s enough to last a full day of work or travel without constantly hunting for an outlet. Plus, fast charge technology means you’re back to full power quickly and makes it ready for your next adventure.
Portability is never sacrificed: Tipping the scales at about half a pound and measuring small enough to fit into backpacks, purses, or big pockets with ease, it fits easily in your pocket. The looks are clean and minimalist, and the controls are uncomplicated enough that anyone can become familiar with them quickly. And talking of Bluetooth, the new Bluetooth 5.0 standard ensures reliable and low-latency connections with your device and improved range.
If expensive Bluetooth speakers are out of your budget, then this Anker Soundcore 2 deal shows you don’t have to take out a second mortgage on a quality portable speaker that’s rugged, sounds great, and plays all day on one battery charge.
Once upon a time in the world of gaming, the humble single player FPS was king amongst its peers. It was a pretty simple setup, putting the player in the shoes of a central character whose solution was blasting everything in sight to nudge the narrative along. All you had to do was point and shoot.
Nowadays first person shooters can be a little more complex, adding various tactical elements into the mix. Metal Eden is one such example, which feels a bit like if a DOOM game was set in the Forerunner realm from the Halo series.
Metal Eden – blasting!
Project Eden’s Dark Secret
In a universe where it isn’t difficult to see what inspired it, Earth has become uninhabitable. As a result of the impending threat, humanity has developed “Core” technology resulting in a means of storing consciousness. These devices were transferred to Moebius, a floating city in orbit over the planet Vulcan, which happens to hold many valuable resources.
However, Moebius has become a trap, ruled over by a rogue AI and the mysterious “Engineers”. This is where the HYPER UNIT ASKA comes in, who is tasked with rescuing the human cores being held hostage and in the process discovers the shocking truth behind Project Eden.
Despite having the appearance of a standard mech, HYPER UNIT ASKA is special because her phantom core means her body may die, but this is far from the end for her mind. Built to protect, her role is usually to undertake reconnaissance missions.
Although I wouldn’t say that the narrative in Metal Eden is gripping, the dialogue is well written and the sense of mystery kept my interest throughout. Sometimes less is more, and that is certainly the case here as you explore and understand the dystopian world you find yourself in.
Grappling and Grinding
Devices such as ASKA’s grapple make traversing the environment, which is usually suspended many thousands of miles above ground level, a breeze. She possesses many parkour skills, so wall running, jumping and dashing are all in a day’s work. These platforming sections are peppered into Metal Eden to split up the firefights, and are really good fun.
Not only these, but ASKA can make use of ziplines which boost her through the environment, weaving though huge fragmented metal machines and debris. It’s hard not to be impressed with how good it all looks, even if this particular style has been visited plenty of times before.
The understated, yet unearthly use of sound complements the visual style very well indeed. As a player, you can absolutely admire the world of Metal Eden, and feel threatened and uneasy by it at the same time.
Overall the environments are pretty linear with very little room for exploration. There are extra lives scattered about, which immediately regenerate health if you’re “killed” so you can continue from where you left off, keeping the action fast and frantic. Otherwise, there are no other secrets to be found. At certain points, the explorer in me wanted to jump over to what looked like solid ground, only to pass through the platform and freefall. I appreciate that there was no invisible wall, but still.
Very DOOM-y
Shooting and Stamina: Combat Mechanics and Upgrades
Metal Eden looks pretty but even in performance mode, things got a little sticky at times. When moving at pace, with lots of enemies scrambling to take ASKA down, the framerate did briefly get choppy, but apart from the one time where I had to restart the game, things recovered quickly.
Of course, everything you may have seen regarding Metal Eden will make you realise it’s all about shooting stuff. The gunplay is really satisfying, requiring a mix of weapons to strip armour from enemies then finish them off. Many of the usual suspects can be unlocked, such as an SMG, shotgun, rocket launcher and so on.
Cores and Corruption
However, the two energy weapons that are especially effective against armour are also powerful in their own right. The Striga HS-V became my go to thanks to the ability to decimate enemy shields incredibly quickly, but it’s also useful for picking drones out of the sky. The downside is that ammo depletes quickly thanks to the powerful, concentrated burst of fire it produces. As a result, I regularly switched between this and my SMG to find my perfect balance.
You’ll come up against all sorts of enemies, ranging from cannon fodder to tougher mechs quick on their feet, right up to boss battles. Thanks to ASKA’s movement and combat actions, there’s something quite graceful to her fighting style as she almost dances around her foes, picking them off one by one.
Dust is the currency in Metal Eden, and it is acquired by defeating enemies and collecting vials of the stuff, which can then be used to improve weapons and unlock secondary firing functions at the upgrade stations. There isn’t enough to maximise the power of your entire arsenal, so find your favourites and focus on those.
The gimmick (if you like) in Metal Eden are the cores, which can be ripped out of enemies to finish them off, then chucked at others or consumed. ASKA becomes stronger and more adept for a short time when she absorbs a core. Although, a grim thought which is highlighted by Nexus (the fella calling the shots down your comms system) is that shooting your enemies isn’t the act that kills them, it’s when you rip out their core and harvest it for a brief hit of extra power. Lovely.
Fast paced and engaging
Metroid-Inspired Mechanics
Cores can also be used to upgrade ASKA’s skills, unlocking passive effects and extra abilities. This affects the strategy going into battle, for example with extra health and armour being dropped under certain conditions (such as when enemies are near the scene of a core extraction) to keep the fight going.
In something undeniably reminiscent of Metroid Prime, ASKA can also transform into ball mode, passing through hazardous territory without taking damage. This form is also equipped with the ability to blast enemies with concentrated bolts of energy, as well as firing homing missiles at them. Apart from charging locks to open doors, it does feel this mechanic is underutilised in Metal Eden, despite the devs probably not wanting to slow down the gameplay too much.
A Fast-Paced and Engaging Sci-Fi Adventure
Metal Eden will keep you busy for around seven hours, which given the price tag, some may find a little expensive. Apart from changing up the difficulty, there aren’t many reasons to jump back in apart from if you really enjoyed yourself and fancy another blast. On that subject, there are four difficulty modes which can be changed at any time from the pause menu.
Metal Eden may have clear inspiration, but emerges as an enjoyable adventure in its own right which unfolds at a breakneck pace. The eerily beautiful, mechanical world riddled with danger and intrigue compliments the fluid gameplay, elevating it above a simple shooter.
Important Links
Blast Your Way Through an Adrenaline-Rush – FPS Metal Eden is OUT NOW on Xbox, PS5 & PC – https://www.thexboxhub.com/blast-your-way-through-an-adrenaline-rush-fps-metal-eden-is-out-now-on-xbox-ps5-pc/
Buy Metal Eden on Xbox – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/metal-eden/9pp1whrp17bk
Microsoft has raising the price of the Xbox for the second time this year, specifically in the US. While Microsoft has not blamed the tariffs directly, they are most likely the cause.
“We are navigating an incredibly dynamic environment right now. We’ve assessed the changing macroeconomic environment and addressed the applicable impacts,” Microsoft has said in a generic comment supplied to multiple outlets.
Here are the new prices which will go into effect on October 3rd.
ConsoleNew US price (RRP)Previous US price (RRP)Original Launch Price (US)Xbox Series S (512GB)$399.99$379.99$299.99 Xbox Series S (1TB)$449.99$429.99$349.99 Xbox Series X$649.99$599.99$499.99 Xbox Series X Digital$599.99$549.99$449.99 Xbox Series X 2TB Galaxy Black Special Edition$799.99$729.99$599.99
This has been the first console generation where machines have become more expensive to buy after launch.
The Xbox Series X 2TB Galaxy Black Special Edition only launched a year ago, meaning it has jumped $200 in just one year.
It also makes make the Xbox Series X 2Tb version the most expensive console on the market, a full $50 more than the PS5 Pro.
Fancy playing a new Commodore Amiga game that’s fun for all ages? Then come and check out this new Amiga game called ‘Bouncy Bonzo’s Space Journey’ by Captain-ts. A game in which you play as Bonzo, and must go on a space journey to destroy evil enemies on three different planets. To coincide with this news, Saberman has provided the gameplay footage, and the developer has provided some animated GIFS below.
Here’s the latest from the website. “Bonzo is on a space journey to destroy evil enemies on three different planets. He has a useful ability: He can spin very fast, allowing him to effectively destroy his enemies. But he also has a problem: He can’t stop bouncing. His bouncing limits his movements, so he has to rely on consideration and timing. Join Bonzo on his journey and help him complete his utterly important tasks!”
FEATURES
Old-school platforming action3 unique worlds with 17 different stages + bosses and bonus levelsGreat graphics and animation with parallax and hundreds of colorsHigh quality sound effects and 5 original soundtracksAI-free zone! All assets crafted by the human author
MUST HAVE:
AGA Amiga or capable emulator1,75 MB free chip RAM512K free other RAMHard drive with 6 MB free space (or CD drive)Standard 1-button controller
After a delay due to Hollow Knight: Silksong, the hilarious looking physics walking sim Baby Steps is Steam Deck Verified for the new September 23rd launch.
This really does look like an absolute gem and I can’t wait. I actually adored the challenge of the travel system in Death Stranding with you falling over plenty – and this looks like it turns things up quite a lot. The whole idea and setting of the game just looks completely absurd, to the point that one of the videos publisher Devolver Digital put up recently is how the game has a…breast milk slide — yes, that’s a thing.
Every bit of footage of this game makes me confused, in the best possible way. It really does seem hilarious. The highlights of it make me laugh too, like how it has a “Fully dynamic onesie soilage system”, just how dirty can one man on a walk get?
More about it (from Steam):
Play as Nate, an unemployed failson with nothing going for him, until one day he discovers a power he never knew he had… putting one foot in front of the other.
Explore a world shrouded in mist, one step at a time. Hike the serene mountains by placing each footstep yourself, in original physics-based gameplay from the minds behind Ape Out and Getting Over It. Take in the sights, fall in love with the local fauna, and try to find meaning in a wasted life.
Get ready to fall for Nate, in Baby Steps, a literal walking simulator.
Need to know more? Well, here’s 10 minutes of falling in Baby Steps:
Game Highlights:
Fully-simulated physics based walking.
A world that seems to come alive with a dynamic soundtrack built up out of four hundred and twenty beats and vibes.
A lengthy trek up a mountain-sized mountain that you can explore at your own pace, or slower.
Fully dynamic onesie soilage system.
Non-collectible hats.
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A major change is coming to Fortnite’s creator economy that will completely change how map developers earn money from their content! In a massive move, Epic Games has announced a new system that will allow creators to sell items directly from their islands, which will open up a new revenue stream for everyone.
The new system is a game-changer because it will give UEFN creators a much larger share of the money they earn from their creations. Island creators will get a massive portion of this new revenue stream in addition to the island engagement program.
Fortnite will soon bring new monetization system for creators
Map creators will be able to sell both durable and consumable items directly from their Fortnite islands. For a limited time, from December 2025 through the end of 2026, the creators will get an incredible 100% of the V-Bucks value from all of their sales, which is estimated to be around 74% of retail spending.
Starting January 1, 2017, the rate will be 50%, which is approximately 37% of retail spending. Epic Games clarified that map creators will be able to use Verse-based API and new UEFN tools to create products, and we’ll get more information about this soon.
Creating islands in UEFN will soon be even more profitable. Image by VideoGamer
Shortly before this monetization feature comes out, Epic will allow Fortnite creators to pay to be sponsored in a special discover row. This will increase their visibility by attracting more players to their maps, and should, in turn, result in more profit.
These changes are a big step for Fortnite’s creator economy and a great way to reward developers for their work. The new system will give developers more control over their content and a much larger share of the revenue, which has exceeded $722 million so far.
Fortnite
Platform(s):
Android, iOS, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X
Genre(s):
Action, Massively Multiplayer, Shooter
9
VideoGamer
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We’re very much on the road to the next The Sims 4 expansion, Adventure Awaits, and Maxis has rolled out a cool new update to hold you over until the big day next month. The new patch is available now on PC, and will arrive on consoles on September 23.
The update has a couple of features worth discussing, and you can see how they lay some groundwork in anticipation of the game’s next, very much on-theme expansion.
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The big new feature in the new update is the Playground Venue, which is a place where sims kids can hang out and play. Because it’s mainly designed for children, it’s a good place to find new friends for your own.
You can create custom playground venues, and share them with other players. Separately, you’ll find an updated UI for Event Planning. You’re now able to filter out the specific venue type you want (libraries only, nightclubs only, and so on), thanks to the new filters.
Another big addition for child Sims is the ability for the little ones to Play Pretend with themselves, or with another child Sim. This new interaction can be found under Friendly > Activities Pie Menu. There are a couple of common – and expected – options to play with, such as Play Fairy Tale Castle, Play House, and Play Pirate Adventure. This being The Sims, of course, all of them have unique VFX.
Image credit: Maxis, EA.
Elsewhere in the update, there’s a new colour variant of the Ecru Slouch Beanie in Create a Sim. Maxis has also tweaked the Soul’s Journey gains and added Satisfaction Point rewards for each tier you complete.
The update’s console release next week will coincide with the launch of a new beta feature that you can opt into if you like. It’s called Memory Boost, and it essentially attempts to improve the game’s performance by optimising memory usage. You’ll find it under the Other tab in Game Options.
Adventure Awaits itself won’t arrive until October 2, but a big reason why this update is out now and not a little closer to that date is that it allows mod creators to update their work so it’s ready for when the expansion drops.
Speaking of which, EA have also created a series of brochures for Gibbi Point, the new world which arrives with Adventure Awaits. It’s a clever idea that lets you see some of the possible getaways you’ll be able to create, and encourages you to check back daily for more inspiration.
While there may not be magic in Hollow Knight: Silksong, Silk Skills are about as close as you’re going to get. These abilities allow you to utilise your precious silk to perform brand-new attacks and tear down your enemies from a distance.
Some silk skills are pretty easy to find, being a part of your main journey, but some are hidden in some pretty devious locations, requiring some serious adventuring to uncover.
Naturally, these are some seriously powerful rewards, and with the right build, the whole of Pharloom will fall before your silken threads.
Silkspear
This is your first skill, and one that you have to unlock as part of the main story progression.
You’ll find this at the top of the Mosshome area, which you can reach after venturing through The Marrow and heading west again. Once you bind this silk skill, you can use it to free the Bell Beast and continue to the Deep Docks.
Thread Storm
This next skill can be found after you’ve activated all the balloons in the eastern area of Greymoor. Of course, before this, you’ll have to venture inside the large building atop Craw Lake and complete the arena battle.
You can equip the Volt Filament tool to imbue your skills with electricity!
Once you exit, Thread Storm can be located at the very top of this main area. You’ll have to bounce off the balloons that are suspended from the chains and work your way up slowly but surely.
Sharpdart
The Sharpdart skill can be unlocked once you’ve defeated the Widow for the Needolin ability and grabbed Clawline from the Underworks.
Head back to the Wormways above Bone Bottom and use a simple key in the door located after the Craggler miniboss. Head west, up and west again, and you’ll find a Needolin Weaver door. Keep going left through this area to find the Sharpdart skill.
Cross Stitch
This deflection-based ability is received as a reward for defeating Phantom in battle.
To reach the Exhaust Organ where Phantom is located, you’ll first have to head through the mist, accessed from Sinner’s Road or from Bilewater.
When you’re in the mist, play your needolin next to the little butterflies, and they will show you the way to go. After 6 rooms of exploring, you’ll eventually find yourself in the Exhaust Organ, where you can challenge Phantom.
Rune Rage
To find this ability, you’ll first need to get the Key of the Apostate from the Putrified Ducts area. You can reach the Ducts either from Memorium or from Bilewater after killing Groal the Great.
Grab the key from the tunnel above the Huntress and take it to the slab. 2 doors can be unlocked with this key. Use it on the southernmost door and follow the tunnels until you reach the prison of the First Sinner. After defeating this challenging foe, you’ll be rewarded with the Rune Rage silk skill.
Pale Nails
The final silk skill can only be found in Act 3,once you’ve unlocked the silk soar ability.
Head over to the long corridor, just east of where you took the main elevator up to the cradle. You’ll see some debris that has fallen from the ceiling. Use your silk soar to head up and make your way back to the Cradle.
Once you reach the area with the white flowers, head to the east side of the platform and Silk Soar again. Eventually, you will reach Grand Mother Silk’s arena, where you will see a piece of her arm. Use your bind ability and you’ll unlock the final silk skill.
Released
September 4, 2025
ESRB
E10+ For Everyone 10+ // Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood
The internet is a scary place, but not in the way the Boomer generation imagined in the 1990s. In the darkest corners of the World Wide Web, you’re more likely to get radicalized by a podcaster than kidnapped by an anonymous stranger. On those days where the algorithm feels particularly bleak, you may even feel a sense of nostalgia for the spooky old internet of low-res videos and creepypasta forums we once knew. Enter: Shelby Oaks.
From first-time director Chris Stuckmann (best known for his popular movie-review YouTube channel), Shelby Oaks centers on a simple mystery. The hosts of a fictional, early internet YouTube channel named Paranormal Paranoids head off to explore an abandoned amusement park and disappear. A decade later, the world has largely moved on, but Mia (Camille Sullivan), protective older sister of the group’s still-missing leader Riley (Sarah Durn), is determined to solve the mystery.
Image: Neon
Before the movie truly gets going, we’re given all this information via a documentary-style info dump. News reports, home videos, and YouTube clips are interspersed and narrated by Sullivan. Finally, the camera pulls back to show a documentarian who quickly disappears from the plot. The camera refocuses on Sullivan, and, 20 minutes in, Shelby Oaks begins in earnest. While Stuckmann sometimes returns to found footage, he’s never truly commits to the format, instead mixing those moments with traditional horror filmmaking that sometimes feels creative but more often comes across as unsure of himself.
Most of the movie is pretty straightforward. Sullivan slowly makes progress in what everyone else sees as an extremely cold case as she begins to center her search on the nearby ghost town of Shelby Oaks, Ohio. There are plenty of slow and quiet scenes as she explores one abandoned setting after another, punctuated by startling jump scares that make you wonder if Sullivan’s protagonist has discovered the paranormal, or if she’s just paranoid. Shelby Oaks relies heavily on its physical locations — an abandoned psychiatric hospital, an abandoned amusement park, a creepy forest — to sell its story; Stuckmann doesn’t have to do much besides point the camera in the right direction. However, there are moments in the film’s final act where he and cinematographer Andrew Scott Baird pull off some impressive visual tricks to heighten the scariest moments that might remind you of the staccato staging pioneered by horror flicks like The Ring.
Image: Neon
Without spoiling the movie’s biggest twists, I’ll say that Shelby Oaks eventually dips into demonic horror. Stuckmann is smart enough to never show us too much, leaving the audience to fill in those horrifying blanks. However, he’s perhaps a bit too timid in never delivering the big reveal that horror fans likely expect. It’s unclear if that’s a budget issue or a stylistic choice, which suggests it’s probably the latter. (There’s no half-baked CGI monstrosities to be found, if that’s a concern.)
Stuckmann’s inexperience as a director is unfortunately the most evident in Shelby Oak’s most crucial moments, which… takes the form of a slideshow. Well, not exactly, but Mia rifling through a series of photographs that perfectly explain the plot and don’t really make sense as a photo album isn’t exactly The Exorcist. Still, in the moment, the adrenaline flowing through my body was enough to keep me engaged.
Image: Neon
Overall, Stuckmann’s directorial debut is a sturdy horror movie from a lover of film who clearly understands the genre. While the involvement of indie distributor Neon and producer Mike Flanagan must have gone a long way (For a sense of what the original version of Shelby Oaks was like, you can read the mostly positive reviews from its initial premiere at 2024’s Fantasia International Film Festival), there’s strong evidence of talent — and cinematic depravity — to be seen.
If Stuckmann decides to continue down this path, I’ll be excited to see what he does next with a bit more experience under his belt. But in the meantime, Shelby Oaks is a worthy meditation on what happens when early internet culture comes face-to-face with modern-day horror.
Puzzle Quest Immortal Edition is a fine name for this, because the original Puzzle Quest is a game that will never die. I’m not talking in terms of World of Warcraft, a live service well beyond its prime. I’m talking Street Fighter 2 or Tetris, games rereleased over and over again for all time. The original PQ released in 2007 for handhelds and was a smash hit, eventually releasing for consoles and PC. PQ: Galactrix released in 2009. PQ 2 released in 2010. Then it went to mobile, only veering off for a PQ 1 rerelease called PQ: The Legend Returns. So this makes it the third iteration(not counting a 2008 expansion).
It certainly looks better than it did, but that’s not saying much.
Puzzle Quest Immortal Edition is a remaster of the 2007 game and includes all the content, plus the Revenge of the Plague Lord expansion(which I never played unfortunately) and the new stuff in Legend Returns. So what exactly is PQ? Its a match 3 RPG where you battle monsters by taking turns matching gems. There are classes and spells and equipment. But instead of spending the next 18 paragraphs going over this in-depth, I’ll just post a portion of the marketing blurb.
Create a Hero who gains skills and spells
Match-3 Battles with varied opponents requiring different strategies
Complete Quests and Side Quests
Meet Companions who will aide you
Learn Spells and collect Items
Build your Citadel – add buildings that grant you special powers
Capture creatures, use them as Mounts and train them
Capture monsters and play the research mini-game to learn their spells
Discover hidden Runes and create magical items in your Citadel Forge
Siege Cities around Etheria to expand your dominion
Got it? Good! Puzzle Quest Immortal Edition is one of those games that hooks you and hours later, you realize you are still playing. Yeah the AI is a bit wonky at times, either decimating you in one go, or making questionable blunders. Still, you’ll be playing this for a very long time.
Get your cunning stat high as possible, going first can make the difference!
However, to be honest, I did not play past the first boss for review. I really didn’t need too. Back in 2007, I squeezed every ounce of game play out of the original. The core game has not changed in Puzzle Quest: Immortal edition. It is still the great game it was. However, The UI has changed, and it is a lot better. The map and graphics in general are also vastly more detailed. The sound design sadly remains exactly the same. There are a lot more side quests this time around, but they don’t set the world on fire, they’re go here and fight that with little elaboration.
Why do I remember a cut scene before the battle that doesn’t exist here?
Chances are, by the time you read this, PQ: The Legends Returns will be removed from the Nintendo eShop. Not surprising at all, why play that when you can play Puzzle Quest Immortal instead? If you haven’t played PQ at all, go play this, it is an awesome game. If you have played The Legend Returns, there’s not really any reason to get this. If you’ve only played the original, it’s entirely up to you if you want to see the new content, keeping in mind the 2 expansions are back-loaded and the new side quests are poorly made. Honestly, I’m going to have to go an unusual route and split the verdict and score here. Puzzle Quest Immortal Edition gets a Your Mileage May Vary Verdict with a 9 score. Whether or not you want to play this quality game is really up to you.
Overall: Puzzle Quest Immortal Edition is the best version of a classic game. But whether you need to play this is completely up to you.
