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The First Descendant teases new companion arriving with March 13 update

The First Descendant teases new companion arriving with March 13 update


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The First Descendant is about to become even more charming with the arrival of new canine companions in the game’s future update, which will be released on March 13. Following the popularity of Fellow, the beloved German Shepherd-inspired companion introduced in Season 2, developer Nexon is making good on its promise to add more four-legged buddies to the sci-fi looter shooter.

The upcoming addition, a rumored Retriever companion, has fans buzzing with anticipation as they prepare to team up with a new buddy in the game’s vast worlds. The new companion has finally been revealed by Nexon and he’s called Vespers Hunting Dog who is arriving with the update.

The First Descendant is adding new Vespers Hunting Retriever Dog in mid-season update

The official First Descendant X account posted the image of the upcoming companion called Vespers Hunting Dog who has been revealed as a male Golden Retriever dog. The image featured a portrait of the dog with his tongue out and the word “Heh” written next to the “good boy” to resemble a meme.

Vespers Hunting Dog in The First Descendant
A Golden Retriever fellow will be added with the mid-season update. Image by VideoGamer.

According to leaks, the dog is described as a loyal and fierce companion, is supposed to help players scavenge loot and provide tactical support during battle, especially in the Vespers region of the game, similar to Fellow’s popular auto-dismantle and item-pickup abilities. Nexon has teased that Vespers The Hunting Dog will include unique customization choices such as fur colors and accessories, allowing players to tailor their trusty buddy.

As The First Descendant progresses, these canine friends are proving to be more than simply cosmetics as they’re changing the way players approach objectives and manage resources. With the March 13 update quickly approaching, a bunch of stuff has already been revealed to be added in the Season 2 Episode 2 patch. Catch up on everything coming to the game right here in our detailed roadmap hub.



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Monster Hunter Wilds Alerts Players To Glitches That Lock Out Content

Monster Hunter Wilds Alerts Players To Glitches That Lock Out Content


Monster Hunter Wilds has, so far, been an absolutely fantastic game for those who can actually play it. PC players have been complaining of performance issues since launch, and for those on any platform, a handful of glitches have gotten in the way of the hunt.

These complaints have been so omnipresent that the game sits at a “mixed” rating on Steam, despite reviews scoring high from critics and long-time fans alike.

Capcom has released statements on the issue, and are working to fix things behind the scenes – but as with many attempts at bug-squashing, an answer to “when are the fixes coming?” is hard to come by.

Related

Having Performance Issues In Monster Hunter Wilds On PC? Capcom May Have The Solution

Despite shattering Capcom’s sales records, all is not well with the Steam version of Monster Hunter Wilds.

Until then, Capcom wants you to be aware of some of the glitches that may occur. In two posts on X, they highlight specific issues that may be locking some content away from you.

Monster Hunters Wild

The first is a bug involving a tutorial. Specifically, where more-limited tutorial settings aren’t going away when they ought to be.

Hunters, we are currently investigating an issue that can occur when visiting the Smithy.

When this issue occurs, weapon upgrading tutorials are repeatedly shown, disabling certain options in the menu.

Given how important the smithy is for gear progression, this glitch could stop you from getting the most out of every weapon. In a game as number-savvy as Monster Hunter, those looking to min-max their build will be especially impacted.

The second bug causes menu items to fail to unlock, despite the player meeting progression requirements. This one affects the “Grill a Meal” and “Ingredient Center” options.

Hunters, we are aware of an issue occurring for some players where the “Grill a Meal” and “Ingredient Center” features can’t be unlocked, even though the progress criteria is met by the player. We are currently working on this issue and will provide further updates when we have them.

Again, this one’s gonna prevent you from boosting your hunter in certain ways. While Monster Hunter Wilds’ easier gameplay ensures that neither of these bugs are game-breaking, they will have a measurable, negative impact on your hunter’s power should you encounter them.

Despite Issues, Monster Hunter Wilds Remains A Strong Entry In The Franchise

Monster Hunter Wilds Complete Guide & Walkthrough

Though technical problems have been Wilds’ bane – especially on PC – these problems haven’t impacted everyone’s experience with the game.

If you’ve been affected by performance issues, then at least you can rest easy knowing that there’s a good game underneath it all. It will, unfortunately, need a bit more excavation to get there.

Related

Dauntless, The Free-To-Play Monster Hunter Alternative, Is Shutting Down

The Shattered Isles will be abandoned at the end of May.

Technical issues are an annoying, but ultimately solvable problem. Complaints about Monster Hunter Wilds have largely centered on these issues. There have been other problems mentioned, but they’re generally eclipsed by “I can’t run the game properly on PC.”

Patience is key, hunters. Whether the bugs are big or small, a quick death by hammer will smash them just the same.

NEXT

Monster Hunter Wilds Hammer Guide: Combos, Tips, and Tricks

The legendary Bonkzilla makes a return.



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Frogger RX – This Arcade-like version of Frogger for the ZX Spectrum is looking good! (+Demo)

Frogger RX – This Arcade-like version of Frogger for the ZX Spectrum is looking good! (+Demo)


When I was growing up I really loved playing the 1981 Arcade game of Frogger by Konami. It had loads of charm, great gameplay for kids and it really made you feel for the safety of those little green frogs as they hopped their way across a busy road, then across a river of logs and Crocodiles to get to the other side. So when happycodingzx announced via itch io about ‘Frogger RX’, which is basically an Arcade-like version of Frogger for the ZX Spectrum, I just had to mention it here on IRN.

And here’s the latest from the itch io page linked (HERE). “This is a free demo of a pre-release version of Frogger RX for the ZX Spectrum. Features include two full game rounds as well as AY sound and music, and most of the features in the arcade.  Still to include are snakes, crocodile in the home squares and otters, as well as beeper sounds for the 48k version and a few other quality of life adjustments. You may find some bugs with the music playback and a few other bits, feel free to report them. The full game will be available to purchase in due course, but is also free to all those who kindly support me on Patreon(link). My full roster of more than a dozen games are included when you sign up”.



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Switch 2 may look conservative, but Nintendo still has space to get wildly creative

Switch 2 may look conservative, but Nintendo still has space to get wildly creative


This story was first published in Switchboard, a newsletter from Polygon that delivers all the latest Switch 2 news, reporting, and rumors directly to your inbox. Sign up here to get it weekly.

In the lead-up to Nintendo’s reveal of the Switch 2 in January, some game writers fretted that the company behind the Game Boy, Wii, and Nintendo DS might be playing it too safe with its next-gen console. All indicators pointed to a more powerful Switch that was, well, just a more powerful Switch.

At Polygon, reporter Ana Diaz wrote ahead of Switch 2’s reveal of her one desire from Nintendo’s next-gen plans: “I hope that at least one thing about the Switch 2 is weird.” Whether a “wonky gimmick to the hardware” or at the very least “an adorable jingle,” Diaz pleaded, “I just want to believe that Nintendo can still make something that is at least a little bit goofy.”

In a similar piece for Kotaku, John Walker praised Nintendo’s “bizarre innovation” and its track record of being “utterly impossible to guess what the company might create next, given the complete surprises of, say, a two-screen clamshell touch-screen portable gaming device, or a gesture-led under-TV console that shines best when the whole family is prancing around together.”

The Verge’s Andrew Webster went so far as to call the Switch 2 “boring.” (He framed that as a positive.)

While the original Switch was a demonstration of Nintendo’s ability to surprise and swerve, the hybrid console was also lacking in some of the personality that made the 3DS, Wii, and even the Wii U appealing. There were no cute Miis, and no earworms to shop to.

But the Switch was weird too, and its successor has ample room in which to get a little funky.

Remembering the ‘bizarre innovation’ of the Switch era

Photo: James Bareham/Polygon

The Nintendo Switch came on the tail of Nintendo doubling down on creativity. During Wii and DS/3DS era, there were dozens of wild experiments that took advantage of motion control and touchscreens, resulting in inventive oddities like Let’s Tap, a game built around never directly touching a Wii Remote; Elite Beat Agents, a musical cheerleading rhythm game; and WarioWare: DIY, a microgame-making toolkit.

Ahead of the Switch launch, some critics of Nintendo unifying its console and handheld gaming business into a machine that could accomplish both at the same time would put its game designers into a tighter box.

But the original Switch fostered wild swings, too, mostly notably in 2018 with the release of Nintendo Labo, a series of build-it-yourself, cardboard-based peripherals that let players drive, fish, and experience lo-fi virtual reality. Two years later, there was Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit, a real-world racing game that let Switch owners turn their console into a controller for an RC car — and terrorize their pets.

Thanks to the detachable Joy-Con controllers, game designers at Nintendo realized you could strap them to your thigh, giving us Ring Fit Adventure, an inventive fitness role-playing game. That idea was later applied to a Wii Sports sequel, albeit less successfully.

On the software front, Nintendo has been exploiting the detachable, motion-controlling Switch Joy-Cons to great (and weird) effect. Even many years into the system’s lifecycle, we got great experiments like Everybody 1-2-Switch, which integrated smartphones to let up to 100 people play that party game, and WarioWare: Move It!, a microgame collection that explored butt-wiggling as a game mechanic.

Nintendo also continued to innovate outside of the Switch’s boundaries during the handheld’s eight years on the market. In the off years, when it wasn’t pumping out Switch variants like the Lite and OLED model, it released interesting hardware: the Super NES Classic Edition retro console, Lego Super Mario sets, and Game & Watch handhelds featuring The Legend of Zelda and Super Mario Bros. Sure, those were less “weird” than they were shrewd business decisions, but those non-Switch hardware releases helped Nintendo’s Switch-era output be anything but stale.

Where Switch 2 can get weird

The black and pink Switch 2 Joy-Con sliding along a glossy surface like a mouse

Image: Nintendo

We’ve already seen one potential gameplay-changer from Switch 2: the Joy-Cons’ new mouse mode. Nintendo has a brief history with mouse controls dating back to the Super NES with Mario Paint, but I expect the company to go further with its new control scheme. While a mouse controller could certainly be additive for first-person shooters and DIY games like Super Mario Maker, but the potential for creativity is what excites me most: Nintendo’s game designers are probably already making hundreds of WarioWare microgame prototypes using mouse movement.

Another rumored feature may be a longshot, but a recently published patent from Nintendo indicates that the console can be rotated, meaning the Joy-Cons can be attached in an upside-down position. While the main purpose of that patent seems to benefit players who might want the system’s ports to be on the opposite side, Nintendo could exploit this functionality for gameplay, à la WarioWare: Twisted! or Pokémon X and Y.

Switch 2 has other hardware features that set it apart from the original Switch, including a new “C” button that might be used for a new social space and a second USB-C port. The latter may be used for something as dull as charging the Switch 2 or for connecting a set of USB-C headphones, but it opens up opportunities for Nintendo to invent weird little attachments.

We can’t discount all the other uses that Nintendo might have for its detachable Joy-Cons. Those tiny controllers are packed with haptics, motion and IR sensors, bigger buttons, and (hopefully) more reliable joysticks. While I don’t expect Nintendo to release Labo 2, it’s barely scratched the surface when it comes to jamming Joy-Cons into other things to make funky controllers.

But yes, like Ana, I desperately want the conservative era of Nintendo to end in one regard: Switch 2 better have a silly little jingle or some catchy, endlessly looping tunes for its version of the eShop.



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Cabernet Switch Review

Cabernet Switch Review


Cabernet is a social RPG. There is no combat, just a lot of talking and acting like a vampire. It plays like a point and click adventure in a lot of ways, but its heavy on the RPG elements too. Instead of strength and speed, you put experience points into things like literature, history and science, which affects your dialog choices. You play Liza, a woman who died and wakes up in an Eastern European town full of vampires… who all speak with American accents. You are a doctor’s apprentice and spend each night doing various tasks related to the characters around you. You must be in your coffin by dawn or you die. You must also drink blood on occasion to keep you healthy. You can also turn into a bat and fly around, and go invisible.

Cabernet is decent I have to say. It does what it does well, its a social game, and pretty slow one at that. Don’t go in expecting high octane action, this isn’t that kind of game. And that is perfectly fine. Although, I have two complaints. The first are the accents which I mentioned. The game takes place in Eastern Europe, but because everyone talks like they aren’t in Eastern Europe, it takes me out of the setting, which is important for a game like this, The second is the opening trigger warning:

Cabernet is a game about vampires. Unless we’re talking Twilight, dark themes come with the territory. Do we really need a trigger warning? The game even lacks sex and gore. But that is a minor nitpick really. Overall, I give Cabernet a Recommended with an eight back-end score. It is a good social RPG that does what it does well. Don’t go in expecting a “Hard R” experience, and you’ll be fine.

Overall: Cabernet is a social RPG, meaning heavy on the dialog and characters, combat non-existent. Fine for what it is.

Verdict: Recommended

eShop Page

Release Date2/20/25Cost$19.99PublisherAkupara GamesESRB RatingT

P.S. For another supernatural game aimed at women, trying the Visual Novel 9 RIP.

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Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles 2 announces Western release date | TheSixthAxis

Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles 2 announces Western release date | TheSixthAxis


While it might be the weekend, news waits for no one, and this Saturday the latest out of Sega is that arena fighter Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles 2 is all set to release this summer on the 5th of August, 2025. As part of the announcement, they also dropped a brand new trailer, showcasing how the District Art Area is depicted in the game.

This looks like another great digital version of the animated show, and for fans it’ll have been a long wait since the original game’s release in 2021. Sega also dropped a whole host of information about the different versions of the game, so you can start to plan ahead just what flavour of edition you might want.

Digital pre-orders start Monday, March 3 for PlayStation, Xbox, and Steam platforms, with the Nintendo Switch version to follow later.

Digital Deluxe Edition (£64.99 MSRP)

Those who order the Digital Deluxe Edition will unlock the following:

Base game2 Kimetsu Academy Character Unlock Keys – Kyojuro Rengoku and Tengen Uzui4 Character Unlock Keys – Tengen Uzui, Obanai Iguro, Sanemi Shinazugawa, and Gyomei HimejimaVS Mode System Voice: Upper Rank Demons Set – Akaza, Daki, Gyutaro, Gyokko, and Zohakuten3 Battle Attire Costumes – Tanjiro Kamado’s Kimono (Entertainment District), Inosuke Hashibira’s Kimono (Entertainment District), and Tengen Uzui’s Shinobi AttirePre-order bonuses: Advanced Access* – The ability to play the game starting on July 31, 2025, and 2 Character Unlock Keys** – Muichiro Tokito and Mitsuri KanrojiDigital Standard Edition (£54.99 MSRP)

The Digital Standard Edition features the following:

Base game2 Kimetsu Academy Character Unlock Keys – Kyojuro Rengoku and Tengen UzuiPre-order bonus: 2 Character Unlock Keys** – Muichiro Tokito and Mitsuri KanrojiPhysical Edition (£54.99 MSRP)​​​A physical edition for The Hinokami Chronicles 2 will also be available to pre-order. This version includes:

Base Game2 Character Unlock Keys*** – Muichiro Tokito and Mitsuri Kanroji*Must pre-order the Digital Deluxe Edition prior to August 5, 2025. Not available for Nintendo Switch.​**Only available until the game launches on August 5, 2025.​***Only available in the limited time launch version of the physical edition.

Bonuses for Linking Save Data

Finally, the following bonus items will be available for those with save data from either Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles or Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- Sweep the Board!.

Bonuses for The Hinokami Chronicles save data:6 Kimetsu Academy Character Unlock Keys – Tanjiro Kamado, Nezuko Kamado, Zenitsu Agatsuma, Inosuke Hashibira, Shinobu Kocho, and Giyu TomiokaBonuses for Sweep the Board! save data:1 Character Unlock Key – Hinatsuru, Makio, and SumaAll three serve as one playable character3 Battle Attire Costumes – Hinatsuru (Meal Prep), Makio (Meal Prep), and Suma (Meal Prep)Please note the respective save data must be linked through the same platform users purchase The Hinokami Chronicles 2.

Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles 2 is scheduled to be released in North America and Europe on August 5, 2025, for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Steam, and the Nintendo Switch family of systems.



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Space Marine 2 Dev Apologizes To Players, Says The Game Won’t Become A Live-Service Title

Space Marine 2 Dev Apologizes To Players, Says The Game Won’t Become A Live-Service Title



Warhammer 40,000: Space Marines 2 was a hit out of the gate last fall, but that doesn’t mean its most devoted players love everything about it. Many fans are especially vocal against the idea of Space Marines 2 turning into a live-service game, especially after Focus Entertainment and developer Saber Interactive introduced community events seemingly as the only way to get desirable items that are only available for a limited time. This time, the pushback has been so intense that Focus has apologized to fans and assured them that a live-service transformation isn’t in the cards for Space Marines 2.

In this week’s community update, Focus Entertainment shared the following statement: “We have noted that the Community Events have received cold feedback since we introduced them as an additional way to unlock cosmetic items. We saw that many of you mentioned FOMO generated by the events. Rest assured, we are not looking to transform Space Marine 2 into a full live-service game. The items available through events WILL be available later, for everyone. We want Community Events to be a way to unlock the items in advance, for the most dedicated players, and not to be a source of frustration and stress for everyone.

“However, that means we must provide a smooth experience in unlocking said items, which has not been the case so far. We deeply apologize for the trouble, and are currently working on a simplified process to unlock the items, to make the experience less constraining.”

As a way to make it up to fans, the emblem-less Mk VIII Errant Helmet will now be available for free to all players who link their PROS account to Space Marine 2. Before this change, the helmet was only going to be given to players who had victories in each of the six classes in Operations mode before the Imperial Vigil community event came to an end.

Earlier this year, Focus Entertainment shared its roadmap for Space Marine 2’s “substantial” updates throughout 2025. Outside of the game, Amazon Prime Video’s Warhammer 40,000 live-action series may finally be going forward with Henry Cavill in a leading role.



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IGN Live is back for a second year in 2025, partly filling the gaping hole in all of us left by an absent E3

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IGN Live is back for a second year in 2025, partly filling the gaping hole in all of us left by an absent E3


Look, we all know E3 is dead. Well, at least the event that we knew as E3 is dead – there’s something called Iicon that’s strutting arond wearing the dead E3’s clothes but we think it’s liable to be something of an imposter. It’s a pruely B2B event, for a start.

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But we’ve, at least, got alternatives. There’s the Keighley-backed Summer Games Fest that’s growing and growing every year (even if it doesn’t yet hold a candle to our dearly departed Electronic Entertainment Expo). Then there’s also IGN Live. Aimed more at fans than it is at journos and businessmen, IGN Live will return this June for a second year, and it plans to be bigger and better as a physical event than last year’s Los Angeles-based blowout.

IGN Live will once again be based at LA’s Magic Box downtown event space, and will feature hands-on oppurtunities for unreleased games, a stage with fresh reveals and trailers, interviews, and celebrity panels. It’s like all the bits you cared about at E3 without any of the backroom deals where execs would shake hands and waggle on about games that would probably never get released.

The big higlights that stick out from last year include an interview with The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’s cast, an interview and sneak peek for the upcoming Borderlands movie, and some fresh Greedfall 2 gameplay.

If you want to go and see what all the buzz is about for yourself (and nab yourself some more details on dates and tickets when they’re available), simply head over to this link.

Disclaimer: IGN Live is hosted and organised by VG247 and Gamer Network’s parent company, IGN.



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Avowed’s Best Bow Is Bought From A Posh Shop Right At The Start

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Avowed’s Best Bow Is Bought From A Posh Shop Right At The Start


Screenshot: Obsidian Entertainment / Kotaku

Avowed’s selection of unique bows is well-rounded, but one known as The Long Touch is perhaps the best choice for most Rangers. While you could argue that the Ancient Alacrity is truly the best, it can’t be obtained until the final stretch of the game’s main story, making it a difficult recommendation. Meanwhile, The Long Touch can be found early and should make for an excellent weapon throughout the majority of your adventure. Here’s what you need to know about it and where to find it.

The Long Touch passive bonus and enchantments

The Long Touch comes with the Lesser Opening Strike passive bonus, which grants +5 percent damage when hitting foes with full health. This mediocre bonus isn’t the bread and butter of this bow, so it’s not something to think too much about.

The Long Touch comes with the Grim Focus enchantment, which gives you +10 percent critical hit chance when fine aiming. You can choose one of two permanent upgrades to this enchantment:

Lethal Focus – Increases the critical chance to +20 percent when fine aiming.Thrill of the Hunt – Gives you 10 percent extra attack damage and 20 percent extra attack speed for 6 seconds after killing an enemy.

Where to find The Long Touch

An image of a map showing the location of The Long Touch bow in Avowed.

Screenshot: Obsidian Entertainment / Kotaku

The Long Touch is available very early in the game, after you gain access to Paradis within the first region of Dawnshore. Unlike many unique weapons, this one is purchased from a nameless militia merchant in Northern Paradis (also known as Hightown). She can be found within the Militia Headquarters, which is located in the northeastern segment of this upper-class area.

The militia merchant sells The Long Touch for 4,320 coins, which is quite a lot of dough early in the game. Sell anything you don’t need from your adventures and try to save up for it if necessary. You should find plenty of gems and weapons even during this opening part of your journey, so you’ll be able to snag it in no time. I believe in you.

With The Long Touch now in your possession, head on back into the great big world of Avowed and start sniping bonces. And don’t forget to use those Power Shots for faster speed and fine aiming for more crit chance!

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Monster Hunter: Wilds Draws Over A Million Players On PC In Just One Day

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Monster Hunter: Wilds Draws Over A Million Players On PC In Just One Day


It looks like Capcom’s latest entry in the wildly popular Monster Hunter franchise is already gunning to be one of the biggest releases of the year, drawing in record numbers on Steam.

As I write this, Monster Hunter: Wilds has just peaked a staggering 1,065,140 concurrent players on Steam, and that number is still rising. It will likely grow even larger as we enter the weekend proper and more people get a chance to play.

To put that into some perspective, that’s enough to make Monster Hunter: Wilds the 7th biggest game on Steam in terms of concurrent players, beating Cyberpunk 2077 which has been relegated to 8th. Next up is DOTA2 at 1,295,114.

Top of the leaderboard is still PubG at 3.2 million, followed by Black Myth: Wukong at 2.4 million and Palworld at 2.1 million.

As for the other Monster Hunter games, Monster Hunter: World (2018) was the last mainline entry in the series and peaked at 334,684, while Monster Hunter: Rise (2023) hit 334,684.

Of course, it goes without saying that concurrent player counts do not directly equate to sales numbers. However, they are a fairly decent indicator of how popular a game is and Monster Hunter: World’s million plus players show that at least 1 million people have bought the game on Steam so far. On top of that, there’s the Xbox and PlayStation versions to account for, boosting the numbers even higher.

Unfortunately, there is some bad news as well as the game has launched to a “mixed” rating on Steam, currently based on over 6,000 reviews. Almost all of the reviews are praising the gameplay, but the biggest issue appears to be optimisation with a lot of negative reviews citing how badly the game is running. Interestingly, many of them note that the game ran fine for them during the beta and when using the seperate benchmarking tool.

As one user named Sgt. Walker Rhymes says: “very immersive game. you can cook a well-done steak on your GPU while you play and the hot blasts of air from your PC fans truly make you feel like you are in the desert. keep a bag of sand by your desk and periodically toss handfuls of it into the air to really complete the experience”



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