Facepunch Studios has updated the default citizen characters in s&box to include necks and non-frowny faces after player feedback consistently criticized the neckless design. The game creation platform, billed as a spiritual sequel to Garry's Mod, now includes sliders for neck size, chest, waist, nose, and eye color so players can customize their avatars.
Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve launches Thursday with a pre-order bonus that has drawn nearly 1,000 negative Steam reviews. Players who bought the game for the included Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War say the store page originally advertised it as a standalone application, but it now requires the full 140 GB install to play the 3.2 GB classic.
Bandai Namco's handling of the Ace Combat 0: The Belkan War pre-order bonus has triggered a wave of negative Steam reviews for Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve, pushing its overall rating to Mixed despite praise for the core gameplay. The classic PS2 title was advertised as a standalone application but launches as DLC requiring the full 150GB installation.
A viral playtest for Needle In A Haystack Simulator attracted 23,000 players and sparked a flood of copycat games on Steam, with at least five needle-in-haystack titles launching or announcing within weeks. The phenomenon highlights how quickly viral indie concepts attract opportunistic clones that dilute the storefront.
Clear River Games announced Lufia I & II The Sinistrals Saga during the Tokyo Game Show PC Gamer presentation, marking the first official re-release of both Super Nintendo JRPGs. The dual package arrives on PC next year with a pixel-faithful presentation. Collectors have long paid premium prices for original cartridges, making this the first legitimate way to play both titles in decades.
Bulkhead's ambitious all-out warfare FPS Wardogs launches in early access on Steam today for $39.99, but console players face a long wait. The studio has confirmed Xbox and PS5 versions targeting a 2028 release window, suggesting the 1.0 launch aligns with the console debut.
Capcom's Onimusha: Way of the Sword surged from No. 6 to No. 1 on Steam within 24 hours of launch, drawing over 74,000 concurrent players on its second day. Critics have given the action game an 85 on Metacritic, praising its combat depth while flagging repetitive content and pacing issues that stretch a tight 12-hour experience to 25 hours.
Pinetrail brings a peaceful twist to the delivery genre with a winged rickshaw truck, hookshot climbing, and boat mode for river traversal. The game launches on PC in Q2 2027 and is available to wishlist on Steam now.
Steam recorded 720 game releases in a single week for the first time, yet 74% of those titles attracted fewer than ten reviews. The milestone underscores growing discoverability challenges as the platform heads toward 20,000 annual releases.
Alive In's promising Soulslike Metroidvania Vapor World: Over The Mind entered early access on August 19 with 100,000 wishlists but quickly drew overwhelmingly negative Steam reviews focused on AI-generated cutscenes. Studio director Young Kim acknowledged the backlash and committed to replacing the cutscenes by the weekend, though the launch reputation has already suffered.
