Crystal Project is a non-linear JRPG developed by Andrew Willman that combines storytelling from the Final Fantasy universe with gameplay in Minecraft. Players explore a vibrant world, encountering Crystals that unlock various classes and abilities. The game emphasizes player agency, allowing choices to shape the experience, and caters to different playstyles, including combat and crafting. It is currently available for free on PlayStation 5 for a limited time.
Minecraft is launching its Tiny Takeover campaign on Twitch on April 6th at 9am PT, allowing streamers to earn up to ,000 by streaming Minecraft gameplay. Viewers can receive exclusive rewards such as the Baby Chick Chat Badge, Hatchling Hat, Turtle Tunes, and Bunnie Beanie for participating. Streamers must stream at least 1 hour of Minecraft to qualify for rewards, and the campaign is first-come, first-served with limited availability. Participating channels will be featured on the front page from April 6-8, and earnings will be reflected in the revenue dashboard within a week.
The Kickstarter campaign for PlanetSmith has raised over £26,700, surpassing its target of £4,314. The project is led by Kenneth Ward, also known as Incandescent Games, who has spent five years developing the game. PlanetSmith aims to enhance the sandbox experience by allowing players to explore alien planets, build structures, engage in battles, and launch into space. Alpha access is scheduled to begin in April, and the campaign has 23 days remaining.
Mojang released a hotfix for Minecraft, designated as Bedrock 26.12 (console users recognize it as update 3.36/1.046), addressing several gameplay bugs, including an issue with the Members tab in Realms Stories and an allowlist problem for servers. The Java edition also received a hotfix (26.1.1) that fixed a bug preventing chat messages from being reported. The previous Bedrock 26.11 update improved mouse camera sensitivity for Windows users. Upcoming features include the golden dandelion dropping from moobloom, enhanced utility for the Clock, and increased functionality for Bats, among others.
Recent benchmark results show that Linux, specifically CachyOS, outperforms Windows 11 in various modern gaming titles. Tests conducted by NJ Tech used identical hardware configurations, including an AMD Ryzen 5 5600X processor and a Radeon RX 6700 XT graphics card. In the game Crimson Desert, CachyOS achieved 63 FPS compared to Windows 11's 59 FPS, and in Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, CachyOS delivered 81 FPS versus Windows' 68 FPS. In Red Dead Redemption 2, CachyOS averaged 85 FPS while Windows recorded 81 FPS, and in Cyberpunk 2077, CachyOS reached 98 FPS compared to Windows' 91 FPS. Overall, Linux showed frame rates approximately 3 to 10 percent higher across multiple tests. However, in The First Descendant, Windows outperformed CachyOS with 63 FPS to 54 FPS, and in The Division 2, both platforms had identical average frame rates of 128 FPS, though Windows had slightly more stable lows. All games on Linux were run using Proton, which has evolved into a robust solution for running Windows games on Linux. The results indicate that the performance gap between Linux and Windows in gaming is narrowing, with Linux capable of matching or surpassing Windows in certain scenarios.
NihonGame will release the Hiryu no Ken Collection, featuring four classic NES titles, on April 15, exclusively on PC via Steam. The collection includes:
- Hiryu no Ken
- Hiryu no Ken II: Dragon no Tsubasa
- Hiryu no Ken III: Gonin no Ryusenshi
- Hiryu no Ken: Special Fighting Wars
These titles are straightforward ports without any remastering or enhancements. The Hiryu no Ken series originated in arcades in 1985, and the last entry was released on the Game Boy Color in 2000. The collection will only support Japanese language, which may limit its appeal to players outside Japan.
Apex Legends has removed Storm Point from the map rotation due to crashes occurring on certain devices. This decision was made just two weeks after Storm Point's reintroduction. In its place, E-District (daytime) has been added to the rotation. EA stated that they are working on a permanent fix for the crashes and will provide updates as they become available. E-District has been well-received by players for its competitive environments and design.
Lucas Pope is a notable game developer known for creating "Papers, Please" and "The Return of the Obra Dinn." He has since worked on smaller projects, including Mars After Midnight, but has not released anything on Steam recently. During a podcast, Pope expressed concerns about the impact of artificial intelligence on game development, particularly regarding idea theft and the potential for his work to be copied or imitated. He feels uneasy discussing ongoing projects due to these risks and reflects on the pressure of following up his previous successes. Despite these worries, Pope's reputation allows him to avoid some challenges faced by less-known developers, and his next project is expected to generate significant interest.
Steam users can download four new free games this week:
1. Them's Tale - The Road To Her - A horror game featuring Reddit-style storytelling with fictional eerie mysteries.
2. Beat Survival - A 2D pixel action-adventure survival game with single-player and co-op modes, allowing resource gathering and monster fighting.
3. Off Course - A puzzle game set on a pirate ship in a time loop, focusing on solving puzzles to stop a possessed captain.
4. Keg & Quest - An idle RPG where players build heroes, join guilds, and engage in PvP battles and world boss events.
All four games are available for free download on Steam.
