Rick Lane
Latest articles by Rick Lane
![Idris Elba in Phantom Liberty looking at camera while seated at upscale restaurant](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/tpFzaJiiKQMYApmdftPpwS-320-80.jpg)
Cyberpunk's quest director says CD Projekt Red has experimented with generative AI, but there's still a 'gigantic, really long way to go' before AI NPCs are as good as scripted characters
By Rick Lane published
News "The gap in quality, specifically, is huge. It's like a canyon," says Pawel Sasko.
![Final Fantasy 16 concept art Clive](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/MQZXSGkbbNDetBFt4rnj4N-320-80.jpg)
A demo for Final Fantasy 16 is reportedly coming to PC soon, as producer Yoshi-P says work on the port is 'going smoother than we thought it would'
By Rick Lane published
News Still no confirmation of a release date, however.
![A Digger fighting off a horde of bugs in Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Lxho59KPPVHkBJ6w3qUmx5-320-80.jpg)
Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor sells half a million copies in its first week of early access as developer Funday Games reveals plans for the future
By Rick Lane published
News Big yields.
![DayZ](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/b52qJ2PAmAqELDeB7ndx6W-320-80.jpg)
Bohemia Interactive reveals plans for DayZ in 2024, building toward 'a colossal milestone and an exhilarating moment you won't want to miss'
By Rick Lane published
News Brand of the dead.
![Temtem Swarm](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/zMZqEE7m9LqNYTCxzLPswa-320-80.jpg)
Temtem: Swarm is a mashup of Pokémon and Vampire Survivors in which you blast cute critters by the hundred, if you're looking for a post-Palworld slaughterfest
By Rick Lane published
News Murdering adorable video game animals is all the rage these days.
![Little Devil Inside](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Vhqo499eCbMUL6R6RLRE9m-320-80.jpg)
A decade since it was announced, the elusive Little Devil Inside resurfaces with a new 6-minute gameplay video and an apology from its developers
By Rick Lane published
News "In all efforts to making a great game, many great people have come and gone".
![Assassin's Creed Mirage — Basim leaps into combat with sword and dagger.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/pP4idKwBFCH9vGLkf6g87c-320-80.jpg)
Assassin's Creed Mirage adds a permadeath mode that deletes your save file if you die or commit crimes
By Rick Lane published
News No illusions.
![A statue of the Emperor with a hooded skull](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/LZmhWJJDeaCiF8GgzWNRUo-320-80.jpg)
Warhammer 40k: Rogue Trader gets a 'gargantuan' patch that makes over 1,800 changes to the game, in an overhaul so drastic it gives you a free shot at respeccing your party
By Rick Lane published
News Patch notes are 17,000 words long.
![](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/KKPLTpcPVg2MRYDCLZ4T7N-320-80.jpg)
Get every Rocksteady Arkham game for the price of a takeout as Steam celebrates Bruce Wayne's birthday
By Rick Lane published
News Deals on Batmobiles.
![Deep Rock Galactic's doughty dwarf miners](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/F4WSgaBAKCUuBWgRW3sbgS-320-80.jpg)
Deep Rock Galactic just got a prop hunt minigame triggered by drinking transmutative beer
By Rick Lane published
News Deep Rock Kafka-ctic.
![I'll be good, honest.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/NaCyHbHiNN9t98xf5CX8vN-320-80.jpeg)
Open world Terminator survival game set for full reveal at Nacon's Connect event later this month
By Rick Lane published
News Publisher showcase will also dish details on Greedfall 2 and the next Test Drive Unlimited game.
![Baldur's Gate 3 wizard Elminster](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/iy9CMnTKX3taN3Vu9NYeHY-320-80.jpg)
Baldur's Gate 3 player beats the game in Honour Mode by exclusively casting one of the worst spells in D&D 2,469 times
By Rick Lane published
News True grit.
![Promotional screenshot of Dragon's Dogma 2](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/RtxY8gqDmDZ6k9BeK2DQp8-320-80.jpg)
A Dragon's Dogma 2 demo may be on the way, if the prophecy foretold by SteamDB proves true
By Rick Lane published
News But how long will it drag-on?
![helldivers 2](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/NfjGZiKZMvR8ukD9ZRNGHA-320-80.jpg)
Helldivers 2 patch makes its absurdly hard defence events easier, but ups the challenge at higher difficulties
By Rick Lane published
News Devs acknowledge server issues remain "highest urgency".
![](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/RguASKJEfCnSru22xSaywn-320-80.jpg)
The Epic Games Store gave away nearly 586 million games in 2023, as 40 million new PC users joined the platform across the year
By Rick Lane published
News Epic aims to add a new download manager and support for third-party subscription services to the storefront in 2024.
![Call of Duty's Ghost](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/SGz6vqfnn4u7xXFjrSStuc-320-80.jpg)
Top Call of Duty esports players sue Activision for $680M in damages, alleging the publisher has an unlawful monopoly on the game's esports scene
By Rick Lane published
News Activision dismisses the lawsuit as 'meritless'.
![Helldivers 2](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/HbqrEZ6oxLpiw24pDZffAW-320-80.jpg)
Helldivers 2 roadmap is 'very out of date in comparison to what we now want to do' according to Arrowhead's CEO, as the game's stratospheric launch brings new ideas and ambition to the studio
By Rick Lane published
News "I am completely exhausted by the success".
![Alan Wake, a writer in a snazzy black suit, gives his all during The Herald of Darkness music video from Alan Wake 2.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ReVY6H8vKvkiuYPuH984Ed-320-80.png)
Alan Wake 2 battles through the Dark Place to become Remedy's fastest-selling game with over 1 million copies sold, although a happy ending remains unwritten as it is yet to turn a profit
By Rick Lane published
News Remedy's sequel has seen substantially faster sales than Control.
![Helldivers 2 art](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/aaXowF5PND9H8Fx5NHCUTW-320-80.jpg)
Helldivers 2 blasts to the top of Steam's global top sellers chart, becoming Sony's biggest PC release as it launches alongside PS5
By Rick Lane published
News Over 80,000 PC Helldivers joined forces to defend Super Earth on launch day.
![Half-Life 2](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/q2wj4cdGkQGjgKtXD2AibZ-320-80.jpg)
Data strings in the latest Counter-Strike 2 update hint at two new Valve games, and one of them might just be Half-Life related
By Rick Lane published
News String theory.
![mei overwatch 2](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/YBndYmtNYSRnCHgVbZuHjk-320-80.jpg)
Former Overwatch 2 artist alleges shocking mistreatment by Blizzard management: 'I spent most of a year stressed out of my mind'
By Rick Lane published
News "Blizzard had every opportunity to do the right thing, and they continually failed at that."
![](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/qNzVYpVYhHY3Kvyot8wsqV-320-80.jpg)
Discworld rerelease is 'on the cards' according to the original game's director, but is 'a complicated process' because King Charles may own 50% of the IP rights
By Rick Lane published
News Equal Rites.
![Jagged Alliance 3 key art](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/s5btX5ZejbZDb4JrHZDLkn-320-80.png)
Jagged Alliance 3 promises to let you 'rebuild most aspects of the game' using all-new rulesets and mod tools
By Rick Lane published
News Change of plan.
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