Softpedia News / Global 002873 http://cdn.softpedia.com/_img/spdfavicon.svg http://cdn.softpedia.com/_img/spdlogo.svg https://news.softpedia.com/ Softpedia en-us 2001-2026 Softpedia. All rights reserved. Tue, 28 Apr 2026 13:17:44 +0000 Tue, 28 Apr 2026 13:17:44 +0000 News http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 10 https://cdnssl.softpedia.com/_img/softpedia_logo_rss.png https://news.softpedia.com/ https://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/city-tales-medieval-era-review-538112.shtml City Tales - Medieval Era has been in early access since mid-2025, and it slowly built up to become one of the better city builders of the year. And now that it’s finally out, we get to enjoy its immersive story, complete city building mechanics and some interesting surprises. I was excited to see how City Tales - Medieval Era’s 1.0 would look, and what I saw here impressed me in more ways than expected.

Unlike newer city builders that add a sense of urgency, calamities and so on, City Tales - Medieval Era is more of a chill builder. It’s meant to test your skills in other ways, and rest assured that there are plenty of missions and challenges ahead of you.

Right off the bat, you will notice that City Tales - Medieval Era has a very distinct visual style. They went with a storybook look instead of true realism. And that’s helpful, because it makes the game world feel idyllic, beautiful and serene, exactly something you would take out of a fantasy story.

Additional... (read more)]]> Mon, 27 Apr 2026 18:49:38 +0000 Softpedia News / Global https://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/city-tales-medieval-era-review-538112.shtml Softpedia News (Cosmin Vasile) https://news.softpedia.com/news/hearts-of-iron-iv-peace-for-our-time-dlc-yay-or-nay-pc-538111.shtml The United Kingdom and France are taking their sweet time to really get into World War II. The Czechs man their fortified line, having decided that losing the Sudetenland isn’t acceptable. The Nazis tried to break through for a few months, lost a lot of people and equipment, and are now no longer interested in attacking.

The problem is that the Western Allies are not doing anything to move on the Germans, while the soft underbelly of our own Little Entente, meaning Yugoslavia, is unable to deal with the Fascist Italians. It would have been nice to be able to build some forts to help them out. Without them, I hope my armor and mountain troops are enough to stop the assault. And I would love a way to prod the UK and France into action.

Hearts of Iron IV: Peace for Our Time is developed by Paradox Development Studio and published by Paradox Interactive. This downloadable content pack is labeled as a Focus Pack, designed to create a unique experience for one of the gra... (read more)]]> Fri, 24 Apr 2026 14:04:25 +0000 Softpedia News / Global https://news.softpedia.com/news/hearts-of-iron-iv-peace-for-our-time-dlc-yay-or-nay-pc-538111.shtml Softpedia News (Cosmin Vasile) https://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/replaced-review-538110.shtml Games that have an alternative version of society are always fascinating, because we’re always questioning ourselves “what if” quite often. And in a title like REPLACED, you get to see that brought to life. In this game, the Cuban Missile Crisis brought a nuclear war between Russia and the US, and the Phoenix Corporation is the one focused on resurrecting the nation.

It’s an interesting setting, since the 1980s US has a beautiful, yet rather dark cyberpunk theme. We play the role of REACH, which is an AI who melded with the mind of Warren Marsh, its creator. The Phoenix Corporation ordered an attack on Marsh, which leads to an explosion.

The AI Reach was programmed to think that the corporation was the be all, end all, but throughout the story, it changes its perspectives. That’s where REPLACED manages to serve as a great social commentary tool, reminiscing of today’s society in many ways. The original purpose of Reach was to calculate compatibility between recipie... (read more)]]> Fri, 24 Apr 2026 13:50:50 +0000 Softpedia News / Global https://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/replaced-review-538110.shtml Softpedia News (Cosmin Vasile) https://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/tombwater-review-538109.shtml It’s good that these crazed creatures have trouble with stairs. This means my gunslinger character can often safely use them to execute a tactical retreat, which is great when a group is attacking at the same time. A bit of time allows me to re-evaluate the combat scenario, hack a few of them, gain more bullets, shoot one or two, and then finish the rest without taking damage.

Dashing at the right time helps. Learning the patterns for all enemy types is even better. And, when no foes have appeared in a while, it helps to be on the lookout for a ranged surprise attack. Dash, preferably avoiding pits, to learn their rhythm and then counter with a bullet or move in for a melee kill. And try to avoid using any precious health items, including the flasks.

Tombwater is developed by Moth Atlas and published by Midwest Games. I played using Steam on the PC, the only hardware platform on which it is offered. The video game combines melee, spells, and ranged combat, with sou... (read more)]]> Thu, 23 Apr 2026 13:49:39 +0000 Softpedia News / Global https://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/tombwater-review-538109.shtml Softpedia News (Cosmin Vasile) https://news.softpedia.com/news/jotunnslayer-hordes-of-hel-conan-dlc-yay-or-nay-pc-538108.shtml Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel has quickly become one of my go-to survivor games because it has close to Diablo-like graphics, amazing visual design, and some really cool characters. Now they added Conan into the mix, an affordable DLC that brings the legendary Conan as a playable character, along with a new realm called Stygia.

I am quite fond of this DLC because Conan is a melee powerhouse, and his abilities are nothing short of impressive. He’s powerful to begin with, his abilities related to swords, and even a bouncing shield which can deal quite a bit of damage to his own.

Conan also has passives, which work with triumphs, and these stack after you meet certain conditions. Triumps are interesting because they negate an incoming blow, which makes Conan more of a tank when compared to the other heroes. It is overpowered at first, but as you ramp up the difficulty, you will find the new map to be quite challenging.
Stygia, the new realm, has quickly become one of my... (read more)]]> Wed, 22 Apr 2026 20:03:26 +0000 Softpedia News / Global https://news.softpedia.com/news/jotunnslayer-hordes-of-hel-conan-dlc-yay-or-nay-pc-538108.shtml Softpedia News (Cosmin Vasile) https://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/minos-review-538107.shtml I made Asterion dig in the wrong place. I focused on resources when I should have been thinking in terms of available trap spots. Now I have two mechanical death devices that will sit in Daedalus’ magical inventory rather than deal damage to the angry Greeks that are coming for the Minotaur. He might have to engage in some hand-to-hand combat.

I get through the round unscathed, and I fill the blood vessel that adds more trap options. I also use my energy to make sure all traps are open. Then it takes five minutes to discover the perfect route for the incoming adventurers. In Minos, perfect means the route where they will be spiked, burned, moved around by my magical power, and generally suffer before they die.

The video game is developed by Artificer and published by Devolver Digital. I played via Steam on the PC, with the title only offered on this hardware. The video game combines trap construction and maze shaping with a rogue-lite core.

The tale of the Minotau... (read more)]]> Wed, 22 Apr 2026 09:14:24 +0000 Softpedia News / Global https://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/minos-review-538107.shtml Softpedia News (Cosmin Vasile) https://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/second-sun-review-538106.shtml These days, there are a lot of hybrids genres, so learning about titles that try to blend FPS and action RPGs is not that far-fetched. Second Sun is a title that tries to bring us such a blend, and I think it succeeds for the most part. In Second Sun, you are a soldier of the Sun Empire, which is a militaristic monarchy battling the order of the Second Sun. That order brought a cataclysm into the mix, and naturally, demon creatures are spread all over the land.

Your focus is to figure out what happened, bring order back into the world, and also stay alive in the process. It’s interesting to see that Second Sun doesn’t borrow story ideas from other games, instead it focuses on having its own identity. You will see some cyberpunk and magic-focused ideas, but at the same time, it’s still a wonderful open world experience with dungeons and everything you would expect from this genre.

Second Sun is more of a boomer shooter. However, it has some great RPG elements and it... (read more)]]> Tue, 21 Apr 2026 09:18:04 +0000 Softpedia News / Global https://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/second-sun-review-538106.shtml Softpedia News (Cosmin Vasile) https://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/constance-review-538105.shtml Constance is a young woman, a digital creative as an artist who is constantly dealing with stress in life, and mental health challenges. She receives a brush that she needs to take with her, and soon she embarks on a journey of self-discovery, while also tackling a variety of interesting missions.

Constance is quite similar to Hollow Knight, since it offers a more open-world approach to platforming, instead of being a linear adventure. And that’s both a good and a bad thing. Instead, you have an entire world to explore and plenty of bosses to encounter. That being said, you will also end up finding many bosses that are a delight to play against, but also some that are truly difficult to deal with.

An interesting thing about Constance is the fact that our titular character will encounter many characters that help them on her journey. Those characters have side quests, which will deepen your connection with them. For me, Constance’s story was interesting, but as you ... (read more)]]> Mon, 20 Apr 2026 14:11:35 +0000 Softpedia News / Global https://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/constance-review-538105.shtml Softpedia News (Cosmin Vasile) https://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/dice-with-death-review-538104.shtml It takes a solid build to deal with the version of Death that has more than 1,000 health. For my first run, I focused on healing, trying to outlast my enemy. I went well for the first few battles; with the relics I chose constantly delivering items that gave me a boost and made my opponent extra vulnerable. But I lost the final battle after failing to find at least a poker pair when rolling four dice.

Now, I’ve picked the poison path, trying to make sure I can stack enough of it to destroy Death before my own health goes under 200. A dice that adds armor helps a lot, more so if I can create solid poker hands without it and get to reroll to gain its effect again. Unfortunately, Death is stealing my own dice for its own turns and has a fumble protection that really works well with its ability to throw extra lucky dice.

Dice with Death is developed and published by Sea Glass Games. I played it on Steam, with the title only offered on the PC. The video game combines di... (read more)]]> Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:25:33 +0000 Softpedia News / Global https://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/dice-with-death-review-538104.shtml Softpedia News (Cosmin Vasile) https://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/war-rats-the-rat-em-up-review-538103.shtml WAR RATS: The Rat em Up is a game that brings you the old-school gameplay we enjoyed in side-scrollers, but also some neat new ideas that make the gameplay feel fresh. It’s an exciting approach towards the genre, because it’s more than killing everything from left to right and going to the next phase. Instead, it focuses a lot on intensity, and it continually pushes the boundaries in more ways than expected.

As someone who enjoys tower defense games, I was glad to hear that WAR RATS adds some tower defense elements. Those are not very complex, but you will be able to have some companions and helpers as you try to eliminate the enemies. Speaking of that, the story in WAR RATS is interesting, as it focuses on the TechnoRats and the fact that they are trying to conquer your home base.

There are some dialogs and a little story, but that usually takes place before you enter a level. Your boss briefs you on the mission, and he will tell you what the main objective is. Af... (read more)]]> Thu, 16 Apr 2026 11:43:36 +0000 Softpedia News / Global https://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/war-rats-the-rat-em-up-review-538103.shtml Softpedia News (Cosmin Vasile) https://news.softpedia.com/news/moves-of-the-diamond-hand-preview-pc-538102.shtml The huge pigeons are watching me. I might not be able to prove their small and beady eyes are tracking my hero, but I can feel their weird stare moving across this train station. I could try to deal with them physically, but I don’t quite have the dice or the modifiers to feel confident about success.

So I move around them and think about other objectives. I’ve already dealt with some screens and aced a few conversations. I have solid dice for both cooking and music, and I could pick some items with my 45 bucks. I’m tempted to boost my Deception and then attempt to pickpocket anyone I can, just to see what I steal and how their conversations change.

Moves of the Diamond Hand is developed and published by Cosmo D Studios. I played the game on Steam, where it is in Early Access. The title continues the tradition of titles like Betrayal at Club Low by combining hot dice rolling action with a weird universe and intriguing narrative beats.

Players get to name their cha... (read more)]]> Thu, 16 Apr 2026 05:55:40 +0000 Softpedia News / Global https://news.softpedia.com/news/moves-of-the-diamond-hand-preview-pc-538102.shtml Softpedia News (Cosmin Vasile) https://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/headquarters-cold-war-review-538101.shtml The big problem is knowing exactly where the enemy units are. The soviets are hiding among buildings, with two helicopters in the air, taking potshots at any exposed American unit. My own anti-air hardware, which requires trucks to get into position, is struggling to get the sight lines it needs to fire back. I could try to use my three M103s to dash for the final objective I need, but I’m bound to take losses.

So I park my armor force, which dealt with most of the enemy’s tanks, with the backing of my lone artillery unit. And I creep forward with my two Ranger squads, keeping the AA behind them. My special forces deal with two enemy infantry squads and attract attention from the enemy Mi-24.

One quickly loses half of its hitpoints, but on my turn the enemy helicopter goes down after three shots from my anti-air. It takes two turns to bait and eliminate the other Mi, and I lose an infantry squad to an ambush, but the mission is completed, and I have two units with ... (read more)]]> Wed, 15 Apr 2026 14:14:09 +0000 Softpedia News / Global https://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/headquarters-cold-war-review-538101.shtml Softpedia News (Cosmin Vasile) https://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/possessor-s-review-538100.shtml Possessor(s) is a game that tries to bring back the platforming goodness of the 90s, with a twist. It has modern graphics, a gripping story, but also a beautiful world filled with enemies that you’ll have to use all your skills to defeat, and it’s much tougher than you realize.

At its core, the main story of the game focuses on a city that was destroyed due to an inter-dimensional catastrophe. Luca is the most and Rhem is a not-so-cooperative counterpart. The game does a very good job at highlighting the differences between the two, but also how they have to coexist and work together, which proves to be a real challenge more often than not.

One of the core appeals of Possessor(s) is the gameplay, which is not only fast paced, but also very fluid. It’s a pleasure to roam through these levels and kill enemies. Not only is the world beautiful, but the animations are very good as well. It helps that the characters are hand-drawn, because it adds to the beauty of the ar... (read more)]]> Tue, 14 Apr 2026 17:32:27 +0000 Softpedia News / Global https://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/possessor-s-review-538100.shtml Softpedia News (Cosmin Vasile) https://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/pure-pool-pro-review-538099.shtml Pure Pool Pro is the sequel to a very popular pool game called Pure Pool, and it’s coming with some really interesting claims. The title brings hyper-realistic physics, 120 FPS, 4K action, along with realistic lighting and beautiful pool table designs. And it’s quite exciting to play as well. So naturally, with so many interesting ideas, I was very curious to see how many of these things are true, and if the game truly is as good as it claims.

Right off the bat, the game has a very engaging single-player component, in the form of a career mode. There are 3 major difficulties, Amateur, Major and Pro, each with their own different opponents you can face. Each level/opponent can give you up to 3 stars, provided you complete each star challenge. You need to do more than just defeat the opponent, depending on the level you either have to score 3 times in a row, have no fouls and so on.

That’s pretty cool, because it allows you to experiment with the gameplay and try out... (read more)]]> Fri, 10 Apr 2026 19:39:50 +0000 Softpedia News / Global https://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/pure-pool-pro-review-538099.shtml Softpedia News (Cosmin Vasile) https://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/darwin-039-s-paradox-review-538098.shtml The cinematic platformer genre became very popular thanks to Limbo, and since then we’ve seen a lot of titles that emulate Pixar’s visual quality, albeit in a videogame format. Darwin's Paradox is one of the latest titles in this genre, and in it, we follow a smart octopus that gets caught and ends up pulled into a seafood factory.

It tries to get out of the factory, but things are not as easy as you might expect. You’ll encounter a lot of enemies, both on land and in the water, which would love nothing more than to see you dead. The fact that this game is an entirely wordless story is also amazing, because it relies on visuals and environmental storytelling, something you rarely get to see in games.

Darwin the octopus has a great set of moves, he doesn’t have a problem moving around, and throwing ink allows him to hide or go through areas filled with enemies. He’s smart, so his swift movements and finesse set him apart from all the other creatures out there. There... (read more)]]> Thu, 09 Apr 2026 12:47:48 +0000 Softpedia News / Global https://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/darwin-039-s-paradox-review-538098.shtml Softpedia News (Cosmin Vasile) https://news.softpedia.com/news/super-alloy-crush-preview-pc-538097.shtml If you ever played Mega Man X or old-school platformer brawlers, you already know that genre is not as popular these days. But some titles are trying to bring it back, and Super Alloy Crush is definitely one of them. The game is a great 2D roguelike brawler that just entered early access, and you play as Muu or Kelly in your quest to defeat enemies and also acquire Planet AE-38, which is the ultimate cosmic treasure.

Despite the game not being finished just yet, they did an extremely good job at offering exciting and fast-paced platforming, lots of secret areas, and enemies that are both innovative and annoying at times. There’s also a story which is unfinished for now, with a cool anime vibe that helps push the experience forward.

However, in my case at least, the main focus was the gameplay and not the story. The latter is just an excuse for you to go through levels, squash enemies and find all kinds of bosses. I like the game’s fast-paced gameplay and the fact t... (read more)]]> Wed, 08 Apr 2026 19:28:13 +0000 Softpedia News / Global https://news.softpedia.com/news/super-alloy-crush-preview-pc-538097.shtml Softpedia News (Cosmin Vasile) https://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/xenonauts-2-review-538096.shtml The aliens have very good reflexes. One of them, well-hidden inside a crashed UFO, managed to take out two of my troopers as they opened the door and attempted to get a few grenades inside. I didn’t have any armor to protect them from the xeno commander’s plasma shots. It took an assault led by my MARS robot and four other soldiers to neutralize him.

Losing sergeant majors is no joke, especially when most of one’s A-team is already recovering from injuries. If another mission pops up during next week, I might need to throw green corporals at the aliens, which will lead to more death. Even with improved armor and some laser weapons, puny humans are having trouble when the xenos bring in their shock troops.

On the strategic level, I plan to use my influence points to solidify control over North America, even if it means allowing the Doom counter to get a little over 40%. I might also add some medical capabilities to my base. A new funding round is coming up soon, and... (read more)]]> Wed, 08 Apr 2026 18:49:00 +0000 Softpedia News / Global https://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/xenonauts-2-review-538096.shtml Softpedia News (Cosmin Vasile) https://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/sherman-commander-review-538095.shtml M4 Sherman tanks were seen as the backbone of the allied forces, and they have continually been a huge part of WWII since their introduction in 1942. They were not only easy to maintain but also producing them in large quantities was quite easy, too. Many of us would like to control such an amazing vehicle, and with Sherman Commander, our wish is finally coming true.

Unlike other tank games that just focus on the tank itself, this one adds more focus on the infantry, which is definitely something I enjoyed and appreciated a whole lot more than expected. Commanding a tank has never felt more rewarding, and while you can see a third person view of the tank, most of the time you want to focus on the first person view, as it offers a much better perspective and you also have tighter controls that way. But I played in third person during multiple battles, and it felt just fine.

Maps in Sherman Commander are not overly large, but not that small, either. I like the fact t... (read more)]]> Tue, 07 Apr 2026 14:43:00 +0000 Softpedia News / Global https://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/sherman-commander-review-538095.shtml Softpedia News (Cosmin Vasile) https://news.softpedia.com/news/cinderia-preview-pc-538094.shtml Roguelike and bullet hell games go hand in hand, and sometimes they can be magical, which is exactly what happens when it comes to Cinderia. The title seamlessly combined action and roguelike gameplay with the bullet hell genre, thus offering us a very immersive, albeit quite challenging set of gameplay mechanics.

In the game, we enter a land that was plunged into eternal flame by a new queen. It’s our duty to try and stop these issues from happening, and thankfully, the game doesn’t shy away from having its challenges. Every new region you enter comes with great enemy designs, and a boss that will test all your skills.

Even if the game does have some English translation issues, this is Early Access and those problems will most likely get solved. But what matters in Cinderia is the gameplay, and it truly is one of the best I’ve seen in this genre. You will access all kinds of accessories to bolster your power, and various abilities that you can even upgrade to make... (read more)]]> Tue, 07 Apr 2026 14:06:10 +0000 Softpedia News / Global https://news.softpedia.com/news/cinderia-preview-pc-538094.shtml Softpedia News (Cosmin Vasile) https://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/screamer-review-538093.shtml Milestone is a developer widely known for their racing titles, so when I heard a revival of the Screamer IP is coming from them, I was very excited. This new version of Screamer has a very interesting story shared by anime characters, and controls that will take some getting used to. But what really matters is the gameplay, which is very fun, and no matter if you play online, in the arcade or story mode, you’ll find yourself staying on for one extra race.

The Tournament mode is the game’s campaign, but also the introduction to the characters and systems offered by the title. Especially in the beginning, this mode is very dialog-heavy, and they are introducing multiple characters, which do feel overwhelming. What’s interesting is that none of the characters feel very subtle, they all have their reasons to enter the tournament, and they do want to win at all costs.

While there are some soap opera elements, I think the story is decent, and I like the overall pacing th... (read more)]]> Mon, 06 Apr 2026 09:26:52 +0000 Softpedia News / Global https://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/screamer-review-538093.shtml Softpedia News (Cosmin Vasile) https://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/project-songbird-review-538092.shtml Dakota is in trouble, the kind that arrives at night from behind a red door. To be fair, I decide to press E and go through that door, so part of the responsibility for the torment lies with me, the player. Now I need to move around carefully, avoiding the light and making sure I don’t make noise. The monster might be weirdly made out of bark, but I wasn’t able to chop it down with my trusty ax.

It takes five minutes to get past the creature while navigating the desk maze, but I have a fuse, and I proceed to light the place up. I also have a picture that, apparently, serves as a sacrifice. And electricity means that more are probably hidden an elevator ride away. Dream logic, even when tinged with horror, is weirdly consistent.
I hope to make Dakota wake up soon. A new day will mean another set of records to listen to. And, with a bit of luck, an easy puzzle and then a chance to work on some new music, layering instrumental tracks and maybe a few environmental recor... (read more)]]> Fri, 03 Apr 2026 13:50:57 +0000 Softpedia News / Global https://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/project-songbird-review-538092.shtml Softpedia News (Cosmin Vasile) https://news.softpedia.com/news/field-of-glory-kingdoms-burghers-and-bombards-dlc-yay-or-nay-pc-538091.shtml The Mongols are having a great year. Their big armies are trampling over opponents, the Europeans seem unready once we swing over their way, and we’re bringing in a ton of gold. Sure, the empire will break up once Chinggis dies, but investing in the lands of the future Golden Horde will surely set it up for success. But fast conquest, even with plenty of aid from unique buildings, will make it hard to keep the lands together later.

In an alternate version of history, Poland is barely holding on, struggling to gain authority while remaining peaceful. We might get Mazovia as a vassal soon, but Silesia is playing hard to get. Burghers are powering a booming economy, but I struggle to get my equipment and metal production to keep pace.

Field of Glory: Kingdoms - Burghers and Bombards is developed by AGEOD and published by Slitherine Ltd. This second downloadable content pack is, as the name makes clear, set to introduce more mechanics and campaigns.
Players can now cho... (read more)]]> Thu, 02 Apr 2026 16:38:17 +0000 Softpedia News / Global https://news.softpedia.com/news/field-of-glory-kingdoms-burghers-and-bombards-dlc-yay-or-nay-pc-538091.shtml Softpedia News (Cosmin Vasile) https://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/mega-man-star-force-legacy-collection-review-538090.shtml Capcom’s focus on bringing Mega Man games to every platform continues, and with the Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection, we finally have the great series on PC, along with some other modern platforms. Here you get 7 games in total, although it’s basically just 3 distinct Star Force games and a few variants. Regardless, there’s a lot of content here, and if you love the series, you’ll find yourself playing for many hours on end.

Not having played any Mega Man Star Force game, I was not sure what I was getting myself into. But the overall experience and story was pleasant, although you feel that these games were made for the DS platform. Yet despite that, the games are very playable on PC, they look great for their age, and I didn’t encounter any crashes or performance problems, either.

We follow Geo Stelar, a young child from the 23rd century. It’s a strange place because aliens exist and the world has electromagnetic waves connecting our planet with another dimen... (read more)]]> Thu, 02 Apr 2026 16:28:55 +0000 Softpedia News / Global https://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/mega-man-star-force-legacy-collection-review-538090.shtml Softpedia News (Cosmin Vasile) https://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/aether-iron-review-538089.shtml Gia is ruthless when she has to, consequences be damned. A former partner tried to pull a fast one, using her skills to complete a tough job, only to then abandon her. I was more than happy to allow her to turn the tables and leave him to his fate, choosing to focus on future challenges and new relationships rather than dwell on the past. Rolling the dice just right during conversations helped.

Now, she’s unafraid to trade shogun and machine gun fire with the enforcers of a local baron, while driving at speed through the islands of New York. Companion Cress is providing healing, while dealing damage by bumping into all enemies that get close. I’ve aced previous car battles, using a mix of aggression and avoidance, but this one is giving me trouble. When five or six enemy cards gang up on Gia during one turn, it’s easy for her light speeder to be destroyed in one turn.

The key seems to be using environmental hazards and area-of-effect attacks to nullify numerical ad... (read more)]]> Wed, 01 Apr 2026 17:34:42 +0000 Softpedia News / Global https://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/aether-iron-review-538089.shtml Softpedia News (Cosmin Vasile) https://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/legacy-of-kain-ascendance-review-538088.shtml The Legacy of Kain series is coveted for its great story and revolutionary gameplay. And while we had remasters over the past few years, we didn’t get any new entries for over 20 years now. But right after the successful Defiance remaster, we are getting Legacy of Kain: Ascendance, a 2D action platformer that tries to fill in some lore gaps, while also offering some new story tidbits for the existing fans.

Legacy of Kain: Ascendance features 12 levels, which vary quite a bit in length and style. One of the things I liked the most about this game is that it never tries to stick with a single formula for each level. Sure, some of them will have the platforming sections and a boss at the end. Others will focus more on lore sections with very little platforming. Despite that, it all feels very cohesive and during the 2-3 hours of play, it ends up being very satisfying, especially towards the end.

The game’s story is also interesting, because it focuses a lot on Raziel’... (read more)]]> Tue, 31 Mar 2026 15:38:54 +0000 Softpedia News / Global https://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/legacy-of-kain-ascendance-review-538088.shtml Softpedia News (Cosmin Vasile) https://news.softpedia.com/news/bloodletter-preview-pc-538087.shtml The villagers need more health, but I’m better equipped to purify their spirit. The cosmic demon we’re up against is using disease to try to kill them, and distrust to make it harder to actually help them. I might have to abandon one of them, which feels pretty bad. But it might be the only way to extract all bloodstones and banish this creature.

I use an upgraded card to boost both health and purity for the seamstress, whose trust I already have. I will use her ability this evening to improve my deck, while also gaining a new card. She still has two levels of disease but should be OK for a few turns. I also help the butcher as much as possible, even if I lack the cards to make him trust me. Unfortunately, the herbalist might be doomed, unless I get someone’s health to 100 and get the right blessing.

BLOODLETTER is developed and published by ALDAMAMI GAMES. I played it on Steam, where the title is in Early Access. The video game combines card-driven action and a ru... (read more)]]> Tue, 31 Mar 2026 14:22:00 +0000 Softpedia News / Global https://news.softpedia.com/news/bloodletter-preview-pc-538087.shtml Softpedia News (Cosmin Vasile) https://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/greedfall-the-dying-world-review-538086.shtml When the first GreedFall launched, it was very promising for an AA action RPG, and it delivered on most fronts. People were expecting a sequel, but instead of having something that would continue the story, we got a prequel in the form of GreedFall: The Dying World. However, even if The Dying World starts 3 years before the first game’s events, it catches up to them since the story is running in parallel.

Right off the bat, the idea of controlling a native of the Teer Fradee that’s captured and taken to the old continent of Gacane felt refreshing. Since last time we played as the colonizers, having a different perspective was quite interesting here. The main character’s name is Vriden Gerr, or Rootless, as he is known within his circle. Firstly, you must graduate to sage, and that means solving all kinds of issues happening inside the village.

Unlike the first game where you controlled a single character alongside AI companions, here you can switch between companio... (read more)]]> Mon, 30 Mar 2026 17:00:24 +0000 Softpedia News / Global https://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/greedfall-the-dying-world-review-538086.shtml Softpedia News (Cosmin Vasile) https://news.softpedia.com/news/hordes-of-fate-a-hand-of-fate-adventure-preview-pc-538085.shtml My hero is a skeleton destroyer with very bad luck. His magic attack is demolishing enemies, especially when paired with the extra batarangs I recently picked up. I’ve managed to keep his health high and have picked up quite a few shards and extra upgrade cards while exploring the level.

But my attempts to get a ton of treasure were stymied by an inability to pick the right card when playing four-card monte. The bad luck also led to some hit point loss that required a detour and some extra fighting. Now I’m close to taking down the level boss and already evaluating when upgrades I need to deal more damage faster.

Hordes of Fate: A Hand of Fate Adventure is developed by Spitfire Interactive and published by Spicy Koala. I played a demo of the title on Steam. The video game combines card mechanics with core mechanics inspired by Vampire Survivors.

The world is similar to that of classic Hand of Fate, a high-fantasy one where an arch narrator challenges players to ba... (read more)]]> Fri, 27 Mar 2026 04:57:26 +0000 Softpedia News / Global https://news.softpedia.com/news/hordes-of-fate-a-hand-of-fate-adventure-preview-pc-538085.shtml Softpedia News (Cosmin Vasile) https://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/the-spirit-lift-review-538084.shtml My teenagers have either very short memories or bad cases of amnesia. They are willing to explore this haunted hotel even after dying gruesomely at the hands of weird carousel horses, angry mirrors, and grass-covered vampires. Right now, my trio of heroes is fighting against some trippy, shattered mirrors.

I’m running a team focused on dodging, healing, and reflecting damage. The last one tends to be high risk but can quickly deal with capable enemies. Sako is contributing plenty of dodging, as well as hitting multiple enemies with her racket card. Quintin never deals too much damage, but his Flash Camera both stuns and curses enemies.

Maria has an upgraded Compact Mirror, with a 50% chance to reflect damage. Getting the card in hand and playing it at the right moment is the tricky part. Fortunately, I don’t need it to deal with the mirrors.  Damage over time from curses and direct physical attacks, including a broken bottle, takes them out. Let’s hope that the min... (read more)]]> Fri, 27 Mar 2026 04:44:28 +0000 Softpedia News / Global https://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/the-spirit-lift-review-538084.shtml Softpedia News (Cosmin Vasile) https://www.softpedia.com/reviews/mac/finetune-review-538083.shtml Let’s say you have a bunch of audio devices connected to your Mac. Maybe some wired headphones, some Bluetooth speakers or earbuds, and the Mac’s built-in speakers. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to send audio from certain apps to specific audio devices, and control their volume independently? Surprisingly, these are two features macOS still does not offer.

FineTune is an open-source app that handles both of these use cases, adding much-needed functionality that’s already available on Windows. It allows you to route app audio to selected output devices, manage audio device priority, and control app volume independently, even if the app in question lacks a volume slider. It also comes with an equalizer, volume boosting, and some other cool features.

Send app audio to specific output devices

This is the feature I got the app for, and it’s so incredibly useful. Any app playing audio will show up in the FineTune window, and you can select which output... (read more)]]> Thu, 26 Mar 2026 10:55:00 +0000 Softpedia News / Global https://www.softpedia.com/reviews/mac/finetune-review-538083.shtml Softpedia News (Catalin Chelariu)