Tag: gaming

Cryptic Studios Launches “Quick Start” Event Across 3 MMOs, Unveils New Roadmaps & Partnership

RYPTIC STUDIOS LAUNCHES “QUICK START” EVENT FOR ALL PLAYERS, UNVEILS CONTENT ROADMAPS & NEW PARTNERSHIP

“Quick Start” Event Accelerates Progress for New and Returning Players Across Cryptic Studios’ Long-Running MMOs

Roadmaps Released for Star Trek Online and Neverwinter, Revealing What’s Coming Up for These Epic MMOs

Cryptic Studios Partners with Beadle & Grimm’s on Star Trek Games Kickstarter Campaign

LOS GATOS, Calif. – April 21, 2026 – Following the return of Cryptic Studios veterans like CEO Jack Emmert, Arc Games and Cryptic Studios are excited to announce three major updates for the long-running MMO studio:

  • “Quick Start” Event: This limited-time event across the studio’s epic MMOs (Star Trek Online, Neverwinter and Champions Online) gives players permanent access to a high-level character for free, so they can experience the content in each MMO with ease.
  • Roadmap Releases: 2026 content roadmaps for two of its flagship games, Star Trek Online and Neverwinter, have been revealed.
  • Partnership with Beadle & Grimm’s: A champion of tabletop game experiences, Beadle & Grimm’s has recently launched a Kickstarter for two new Star Trek games and Star Trek Online is teaming up with them.

This limited-time event for each of Cryptic Studios’ games lets all players – from newcomers to returning players across PC, PlayStation and Xbox – jump straight into the heart of the action. Experience everything the games have to offer and go on epic adventures with a fully equipped, high-level character.

For the next 30 days, starting today until May 21, every player can log in and claim a high-level character designed to give players a streamlined tutorial and a refresher on the game. Experience each game’s content at ease; from content geared towards beginners all the way to the content aimed at high levels. This high-level character will be available to claim for a limited time during the Quick Start event, but once claimed, it’ll be a permanent character that a player can keep forever after the event ends.

Check out the Quick Start Sizzle Trailers for Star Trek Online, Neverwinter and Champions Online:

And check out the latest Star Trek Online, Neverwinter and Champions Online dev blogs for more details on the event per title.

With the Quick Start event starting today across Star Trek Online, Neverwinter and Champions Online, players have access to:

  • High‑level Character: Available to claim for all players who log in during the time of the Quick Start event! Once claimed, players can keep the character permanently, and players will find the character has the following:
    • Pre‑equipped endgame gear,allowing players to easily experience all the content in each game
    • Streamlined onboarding,including a focused tutorial tailored for advanced play
    • All content unlocked,meaning players can go on any adventures they’d like – including all content available in each game, even the most recent content
  • Notes for the character:
    • One‑time claim per account per game, with the character being kept permanently once claimed
    • Dedicated character slot included with the claim, additional character slot granted if the player is already at maximum capacity
    • Permanent retention of the bonus character slot, even if the Quick Start character is deleted
    • For Neverwinter, players must have an existing level 16 character to be able to have access to and claim the high-level character that’s part of the Quick Start event

“When I returned to Cryptic, the first initiative I wanted to kick off right away for our games was this Quick Start event,” said Jack Emmert, CEO of Cryptic Studios. “One of our key initiatives this year and beyond is to make our epic worlds even more accessible and welcoming to every type of player – whether you’re a new player who’s just starting your adventure or a long-time veteran player who’s played our games since launch. By offering a fully equipped, high‑level character that players can keep forever, we’re removing long‑standing barriers and giving returning veterans, curious newcomers, and time‑strapped fans a direct path to the heart of our games. At the end of the day, we want players to experience the pinnacle of what our MMOs offer — without feeling like they have to climb a mountain to get there.”

Future 2026 Roadmaps Revealed for Star Trek Online & Neverwinter

In addition to the exciting Quick Start event introduced across Cryptic Studios’ titles, the studio is thrilled to unveil content roadmaps for the next several months of this year for their Star Trek MMORPG, Star Trek Online, and Dungeons & Dragons MMORPG, Neverwinter.

For this year, the studio plans to continue to be committed to bringing popular properties to life with innovative content inspired by franchises that players love. Star Trek Online is celebrating Star Trek’s 60th Anniversary with a year-long, timeline-order set of releases themed around the history of the show, including starships, characters, locations and so much more – along with quality-of-life updates that will improve the overall experience for players. In Neverwinter, adventurers will encounter Dungeons & Dragons-inspired content, including adventure zones, dungeons, heroic encounters, and more – and also quality-of-life improvements to make adventuring even better. An exciting future awaits for both titles, and stay tuned for what’s to come for Cryptic Studios’ superhero MMO, Champions Online.

Partnership with Beadle & Grimm’s on Star Trek Games Kickstarter Campaign

Cryptic Studios is excited to partner with Beadle & Grimm’s on their Kickstarter campaign to help bring two new Star Trek murder mystery and escape room games to life: Deep Space Nine: Holosuite Homicide and Lower Decks: Chaos Protocol. As part of the Kickstarter campaign, Beadle & Grimm’s is collaborating with Star Trek Online to create exciting offers for fans of all types of Star Trek games. Kickstarter backers will gain access to a complimentary Hysperian Intel Battlecruiser Pack if they pledge at the Kickstarter’s higher tiers.

Check out the Kickstarter campaign here for more details: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/beadleandgrimms/star-trek-murder-mystery-escape-room-games-ds9-lower-decks

Weapon-building Metroidvania Clockwork Ambrosia launches May 12th on Steam

Indie developer Realmsoft, in partnership with OI Games, today announced that weapon-building metroidvania Clockwork Ambrosia will officially launch May 12th on Steam. Blending fast-paced 2D action with deep weapon customization, Clockwork Ambrosia invites players to build their own arsenal through a wide range of modular upgrades, from screen-filling shot splitters to devastating missile barrages and precision sniper rounds.

“After 14 years of development, seeing Clockwork Ambrosia finally launch is incredibly meaningful for our team,” said Nathan Hiemenz, Founder and Developer at Realmsoft.“We set out to create a metroidvania where creativity is at the core of the experience, and May 12th marks the moment players can finally explore that vision for themselves.”

Players step into the boots of Iris, an airship engineer stranded on the mysterious island of Aspida following a near-fatal crash. What begins as a fight for survival quickly turns into a deeper mystery, as Iris uncovers a world where the island’s population has vanished, replaced by hostile machines and strange creatures.

Set across a richly detailed steampunk world, players will explore diverse biomes ranging from sky cities above the clouds to overgrown mushroom forests and the depths of sunken ruins. Along the way, Iris will encounter a cast of eccentric characters, from rogue AI allies to curious inhabitants, all while piecing together the truth behind Aspida’s downfall.

With its blend of classic metroidvania exploration and modern customization systems, Clockwork Ambrosia offers a fresh take on the genre, combining discovery, experimentation, and fast-paced combat.

Clockwork Ambrosia features:

  • Side-scrolling action platformer with an authored, interconnected world to explore
  • Six vastly different weapons, each offering unique mechanics
  • 150+ modifications for simple and intuitive weapon-customization, offering endless experimentation
  • Snappy crafting system lets players unlock new powers and abilities at their own pace
  • Beautiful hand-drawn art bringing the world and characters to life
  • Original score composed by Johnny Stixx
  • A story of mystery, friends, robots, and at least one mysterious robot friend!

First Tropico 7 Gameplay Teaser Revealed – The Island Awaits Its President

Features: 

  • Lead your nation to new heights: Tropico 7 tells El Presidente’s continuous success story across 5 campaign maps – starring himself, Penultimo and a new nemesis: Victoria Guerra. 
  • More is more: Archipelagos, with the biggest islands ever in the series, await your rule, expanded with 10 extra scenarios, more than 20 sandbox maps, and endless possibilities with a random map generator.  
  • Move mountains – literally: Erase them, create beaches, or even create entirely new islands! The new terraforming feature brings your megalomaniac dreams to life. Start that mammoth project – NOW! 
  • Bollocks uhm… Politics: Navigate the snares and pits of internal politics, when you summon the different factions to your council, a new way to meet them face to face while you pulverize their dreams – or use them for a BIG DEAL to your own advantage.  
  • Make the world your playground: Elections, election speeches and a vast portfolio of edicts depending on your political standing spice up your daily rule while you juggle foreign affairs and occasionally steal… uhm relocate a landmark to revel in its benefits.  
  • Built to prosper: Strategically place buildings to make use of synergy effects, keep citizen satisfaction high, and fill any unused plots of land with beautiful parks in a freely customized size.  
  • Generalissimo No. 1: Eliminate those pesky rebels and fend off foreign threats with a reworked military system enabling more direct control of your military units.  
  • Always judge a book by its cover: Customize the appearance of your palace and El Presidente with new and creative options.  

Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City

Resident Evil has never been bigger with the overwhelming success of Resident Evil Requiem as well as the remakes and the hype buzzing around Zach Cregger’s new film reboot. So what happens when you try to be faithful to the games that started it all on a shoestring budget and a even more half-ass understanding of the source material then the Paul W.S. Anderson movies that came before?

Claire Redfield has returned to Raccoon City in search for her estranged brother Chris. Raccoon City is a near dead town overseen by the Umbrella Corporation. Chris, a member of the police’s S.T.A.R.S team is sent to investigate trouble in the Spencer Mansion in the Arklay Mountains while trouble begins in town. A sickness is spreading and Claire’s only companion is bumbling rookie cop, Leon Kennedy. Zombies, monsters, secrets-what is really going on in Raccoon City?

This movie frustratingly tries biting off more than it can chew by combining the stories of the first two RE games into one and fails pretty miserably at it. There are names and easter eggs galore from the games but none of it is implemented well. Chris is a smarmy pro Umbrella crybaby, Leon is a dumbass who only was only a cop because his daddy pulled strings, Wesker is a chilled out bro, and Lisa Trevors is a friendly ghoul secretly living in the orphanage. The shoestring budget is pretty apparent. The zombies, what very little their are, don’t even look like zombies, the monsters except for the licker look like they were ripped off of the sci-fi channel, and the city itself looks like a small town instead of a bustling city. There are a few great sets like the mansion and the police station that made me happy but feel really out of place. What makes this movie entertaining unfortunately is how unintentionally hilarious the movie comes across. There’s one scene Savior and I watched on repeat for almost twenty minutes because we couldn’t stop laughing- just watch the flaming zombie scene and thank us later. In the end, if you’re a die hard RE fan avoid this movie like the plague. If you want something to rip on with your friends and few beers, this is for you. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Saint Slayer: Spear of Sacrilege PlayStation 5 Review

Saint Slayer: Spear of Sacrilege was sent my way by Lillymo Games, and not only am I grateful they sent it, but I am also grateful that I decided to take a step out of my comfort zone and play this one. See, I love retro-style games, but I am not really a fan of Castlevania-style games. This one wears the Castlevania homage not only on its sleeve, but it also waves a huge flag for it.

That isn’t to say it is a rip-off of that game, not by a long shot. This isn’t even in just small ways; this game features full co-op from the moment you boot the game up. All 21 levels can be played with your friend. Fight all 7 bosses with your best friend sitting right next to you in old school couch co-op, chugging monster, and eating pizza just like your school days all over again.

While the game is done in 8-bit chiptune sound we love, and the NES graphics, many of us miss, there are some things you will want to be warned about. Many people who didn’t grow up playing games like this will want to be warned that when you die, you will be starting the game over again. This game is truly retro in many regards, including a password system. I won’t spoil what that does for you.

The controls are nice and better than I expected. Many of these games forget that while people love retro games, we don’t miss the stiff controls. While certain things do come with the graphics, things like input lag are not one of them. I feel like Saint Slayer does an amazing job of walking this line.

You may have noticed I still haven’t mentioned the story, and that is because, honestly, that is where the game is probably weakest. A long war has just ended, and your character has returned home just for that short peace to be shattered by an evil force he must now fight. It is very basic and been there, done that. While far from bad, it isn’t new or special. Saint Slayer Spear of Sacrilege is a must-play retro-style title, however. 9/10 for fans of this type of game, best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Sente Demo and Announcement Trailer OUT NOW

Experience the strategic depth of Sente, a simultaneous turn-based board game where every decision unleashes a cascade of electrifying reactions. Built for 1-6 players, this is the final battleground of humanity against AI supremacy. Check it out on Sente Steam now.

Legacy of Kain: Ascendance PlayStation 5 Review

Legacy of Kain: Ascendance Legacy of Kain: Ascendance was sent to me by the fine folks over at Crystal Dynamics, and I always like to give a shout-out to them and be up front with people when I get review copies of games.

The first thing you need to know, if you are new to the Legacy of Kain series, you can absolutely start here. The game starts as a prequel and assumes no knowledge of the other games in the series. You should also know that if you are a fan of the series, this one is a 2D side-scroller. It is fast-paced and has multiple playable characters, and you will see the story unfold in multiple chapters from different perspectives.

The game also has some choices in difficulties; for example, if you just want to see the story, it has a story mode that says you can’t die. I haven’t tested this, however. I doubt they would lie or lock the ending this way, but it has been done by companies before. The hardest difficulty is quite challenging.

The gameplay is exactly what you would expect, and changes depending on who you play as. Playing as a vampire, for example, lets you drain enemies of their blood and regain health if you are quick enough. On the flip side, touching any fire will damage you. Humans can set vampire characters on fire to destroy them.

Seeing how the Legacy of Kain series started is interesting for fans of the series, something I have never been. Worse, it seems to be more connected to the comic than the game series itself. While it isn’t a bad side scroller by any means, it is a very basic one. Fans of the series may enjoy it, but everyone else won’t really find much here. It is a 6/10 title that might be worth it on sale. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Tiny Bookshop Xbox Review

Tiny Bookhop was sent to me by Skystone Games, and I always appreciate it. Now there are cozy games, then there is Tiny Bookshop. If you don’t believe me, it is part of Game Pass. Try it. I don’t think I have ever been less stressed playing a game in my life. The concept is simple: you move to a town with a trailer to sell books from. You set up shop daily at a place of your choice, and people come and buy books. Occasionally, people will ask you for a recommendation. They tell you what they like and you help them choose from what you have in stock.

Occasionally, you will unlock new items to decorate your little bookshop, which will make people more likely to buy certain genres. Now these will change how much it costs you to keep the doors open, but honestly, between buying used books and my upkeep, I never felt like I was low on money or running out of books.

Do not misunderstand, none of this should be mistaken for me saying the game is easy and money is infinite. It is not; I found myself not buying things I wanted right away for obvious reasons, and there are plenty of people asking for help that you need to keep track of. It is a cozy game, not a boring game. There is plenty to do and keep you busy beyond selling books.

The real question you have to ask yourself before picking this one up, and I mean this honestly, is, do you care to spend your time relaxing, selling books? It is worth mentioning that you do not even have to run the cash register. Tiny Bookshop has truly mastered the art/ of a cozy shop sim, but how fun that is remains a real question. It is still an 8/10 experience. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Skautfold: Moonless Knight Xbox Review

Skautfold: Moonless Knight is a semi-open world game sent to me by Red Art Games. I find myself having a hard time truly describing this one. I feel like Soul Like gets tossed around far too easily these days, but I feel like not using the term also would be dishonest. With a system that relies heavily on your ability to guard and dodge, and will both punish and reward you for doing so. I would almost say the game may be unbeatable if you can’t manage these systems well.

The story, however, is still the main selling point here. You play as Gray, a 2nd Knight from Brittania. You are sent to aid in a negotiation in Japan that quickly goes badly when a cult that is well known to both sides decides now is the time to kill the Emperor. Your mission quickly becomes to aid the Dawn Empire in freeing the castle from the clutches of this evil cult and the magic they have trapped you all in.

Now, if you are looking for something new from this Metroidvania, you won’t really find it here. The combat, story, and graphics are all things we have seen in some capacity before, if I am being truly honest here. How many times have most of us shot a zombie or killed a Nazi in WW2, however? These things exist because they are fun and they work or challenge us. That is where Skautfolt: Moonless Knight shines. It takes all these things and puts them into a tight package you can enjoy at a nice $15 price point.

While the game will feel unfair to many in terms of difficulty, for those who enjoy a challenge, it offers a story worth seeing. It is a 7/10 title that could use a few tweaks, but is well worth the price asked. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Ereban: Shadow Legacy PlayStation 5 Review

Ereban: Shadow Legacy was sent to me by Baby Robot Games, and I always appreciate that. The story is very basic but intriguing; you play as the last known member of a race that can literally become one with the shadows. You can use these powers to either kill or simply hide from enemies and make your way through levels and discover what really happened to your people.

There are a few things I didn’t care for, but let’s start with what I liked. First off, as far as a port from a PC game goes, it was really well done. Playing on the base PS5, it was really well done. I never experienced any frame rate drops, and graphics maintained their beautiful cell-shaded look without popping in or out.

The game’s stealth is also really well done, to the point that it won’t allow you not to use it. Killing enemies must be done from stealth; if you try to just run in and stab someone, you will fail. The flip side of this is that the game makes the stealth controls and functions very well. I never felt like I was guessing if an enemy would see me or if I were in shadow.

As for the thing I didn’t like, well, for starters, the game might be 6-7 hour and this is without knowing where I was going. The dialogue also leaves much to be desired. It isn’t the worst I have heard, but it wasn’t great. None of that should be taken as the game is bad; I still had fun with it. It is a solid 7/10 that stealth and even platformer fans will want to pick up. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.