After Saber Interactive unveiled its upcoming title Rideshare Stimulater, former lead writer Stella Sacco came forward and said that she had been replaced by ChatGPT during development. Saber CEO Matthew Karch denied Sacco's allegation that she had been replaced by AI, but the company has now shared previously undisclosed details about Rideshare Stimulator's AI usage. Rideshare Stimulator casts players as a driver who can pick up a seemingly infinite number of passengers and interact with them while getting them to their final destinations. According to the new disclosure on the game's Steam page, Rideshare Stimulator uses AI tools for "voice generation and some localization" and AI-generated passenger missions that can be skipped if players only want "human-written narrative content." It also adds that the game will have radio stations with "human-made music and AI-generated music," with the latter being clearly labeled in-game. However, Saber flatly states that "the main campaign story, characters, and dialogue are written by a team of human writers." Earlier this week, Sacco said that she was replaced as the game's lead writer by AI "midway through development." https://bsky.app/profile/antlervel.vet/post/3mssv7pyows2l "They took me off the project to use ChatGPT to write the rest of the text, including planned live updates," Sacco told PC Gamer in a subsequent statement. "If they changed plans in the intervening years, that's great. But again: I was there, and it was my job to write the game, and then it wasn't once Matt Karch decided using ChatGPT would be great publicity for the game." Karch released a statement of his own with This Week in Videogames that added greater controversy to the story by claiming that Stella "violated" her agreement with the company. "Stella who? I had to ask Claude because I have never spoken to her or seen her. We have already said we are using AI for certain parts of the game and will update the Steam page once we have finalized the feature set. Let me clarify that the entire story script, were it to win an award, would go to someone who can walk up on stage and receive it. It was always our intention to reveal this until Stella violated her confidentiality clause and revealed this before we were ready." Karch added his belief that "our use of AI in this particular game, which will be a lower-priced title, [will be a plus] for consumers." So far, the game's potential players don't appear to share that sentiment. The discussions page on Steam has several comments calling out Saber for its AI use on this game. Rideshare Stimulator will be released on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. This game doesn't currently have a release date.

Call of Duty players can expect a brand-new Warzone Resurgence map for Modern Warfare 4, and Infinity Ward has teased a first look at the upcoming location. Players will also be able to go hands-on with the Zodiac map ahead of launch. As shown in the image below, Zodiac is a map that appears to have an industrial setting. The teaser reveals a stretch of road with industrial buildings on both sides, and one rooftop that looks reminiscent of the Factory point-of-interest on Rebirth Island. Several wind turbines also stand in the distance. Warzone's new Zodiac map for MW4 This is one of Warzone's smaller Resurgence maps for respawn modes, but it's impossible to tell the overall size from this one slice of the map. However, it will likely be comparable with the size of existing maps such as Haven's Hollow or Rebirth Island. While this is a Warzone map designed for Modern Warfare 4, players will be able to drop into matches on Zodiac very soon. This new map will be available as part of Modern Warfare 4's upcoming beta, marking the first time Warzone has been included in Call of Duty's yearly beta sessions. Infinity Ward has announced a massive amount of content for the Modern Warfare 4 beta. The early play sessions will include several multiplayer maps and modes, Warzone Resurgence on Zodiac, and even a campaign mission. Those interested can find out how to participate in the MW4 beta here. Players can also expect a new big map to arrive for standard battle royale modes. Infinity Ward confirmed on social media that a larger Warzone map is also in the works, but this could be a map arriving sometime after launch. We'll get more details on the future of Warzone on August 21 with Call of Duty: Next, which is Activision’s annual event to showcase upcoming games. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 releases on October 23 for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Switch 2.

Halo: Campaign Evolved is set to receive its first major patch next week, one that will give players more control over the game's visuals as well as make improvements to Jackals and Sgt. Johnson. As outlined by the Halo Support X account, a patch coming sometime next week will fix a few pain points for players of Halo Studios' remake. The update should make graphics purists happy, as it will add the ability to disable the game's very noticeable film grain and chromatic aberration. The patch will also include "additional stability improvements across multiple platforms." On the gameplay front, Jackals are receiving some changes so that they can be staggered more reliably when targeting their hands and feet, as has always been the case in Halo. Sgt Johnson is being updated so that he no longer blocks mission progress. This sounds like it will mostly affect the three new prequel missions included as part of the remake, where Johnson occasionally needs to hack open doors before Master Chief can proceed. Marines and Flood Marines will also correctly fire their Assault Rifles with the Magnified Skull turned on. https://twitter.com/HaloSupport/status/2087947309334012346?s=20 It remains to be seen if the patch will address other issues players have spotted since release, including unresponsive enemy AI and cutscenes that lock up and fail to play properly. Halo Studios states there will be more details in the full patch notes when the update is released. It's also worth noting that any mid-mission saved progress will be lost upon downloading the new update, though unlocked missions and rally points will remain. The launch of Halo: Campaign Evolved may not have gone as well as Halo Studios would have liked, with reports indicating the game is off to a slow start on PlayStation 5 and has sold a combined total of 1.2 million copies across all platforms so far.  According to one analyst, Halo: Campaign Evolved's greatest competition, particularly on PC, might be Halo itself. The franchise's compilation package, Halo: The Master Chief Collection, released over a decade ago and contains almost the entirety of the Halo franchise, including online multiplayer, and can be bought for $40 at the high end or much cheaper when on sale. When compared to Halo: Campaign Evolved, which only features the first game's campaign, no multiplayer, and retails for $50, it's not hard to see why some players decided this was a fight that didn't need finishing.  Given the remake's performance, it's unclear what is coming next for the franchise, though Halo: Campaign Evolved does seemingly tease a Halo 2 remake.

Despite first hitting storefronts a decade ago, Stardew Valley still remains king of the farming simulators. Solo developer Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone struck gold when he took the formula established by games like Harvest Moon and improved on just about every facet, weaving charming visuals and music with a rewarding gameplay loop that sees players restore a rundown farm--and town--to its former glory. Since then, many similar games have strived to achieve the same level of ubiquity to varying degrees of success, but 10 years of improvements and updates on an already stellar Stardew experience means most players haven’t had a reason to leave Pelican Town behind. However, one of the latest challengers to the crop collecting crown, Fields of Mistria, feels primed to change everything. After two years in early access, NPC Studio's debut title has officially entered 1.0 and is already garnering critical acclaim. And though there's plenty to love about about Fields of Mistria, its willingness to lean into and remedy some of Stardew Valley’s most glaring weaknesses--weaknesses like its story, surface-level relationships, dearth of diversity, and lack of a world that feels truly connected--make it one of the first farming sims that feels like a true contender against Stardew Valley. A look at a lushly decorated farm in Fields of Mistria. Fields of Mistria has a lot of the gameplay elements invented by Harvest Moon and perfected by Stardew Valley. You move into an abandoned farm and introduce yourself to the two dozen or so characters, many of whom you can romance; You go through four 28-day seasons and attend events and give gifts; You enter the mines to collect ore and fight monsters; And, naturally, you farm. Besides the immediate hit of anime-inspired visuals--the town leader’s pastel-colored hair and bevy of glittery accessories look more like Sailor Moon than Harvest Moon--it might seem like little more than another copycat. It doesn’t take long for those feelings to melt away though. Early on in my playthrough, I donated a worm to the town Museum. The next day, a villager commented on just how bewildering that action was. A few days later, I responded to a simple quest to deliver some copper ore to the town's cranky blacksmith. A few hours after turning the materials in to him, I ran into his older brother, who thanked me. In the city square, NPCs engage in conversations amongst themselves that you can listen in on, while a weekly game of D&D at the inn gives you a look at various group dynamics.  Fields of Mistria allows this web of relationships to be fully explored in a way Stardew never achieved. I know that Penny likes to hang out with Maru, but I’ve never seen her talk to Haley, or Pierre, or the Wizard. In contrast, the world in Fields of Mistria feels more alive. It’s more like a town where everyone knows each other, and not one where everyone just knows you. Romance is one of Stardew’s biggest weaknesses. While the cutscenes surrounding each of the game's marriage candidates are cute and memorable, actual marriage is a bit anticlimactic. Your spouse gets their own room, and sometimes they give you coffee or water your crops (which is usually useless as sprinklers have taken over by that point in the game), but that's it.  Mistria’s romances benefit from how connected the world feels, but they take leaps and bounds over Stardew's by allowing you to go on dates with your paramour. It’s not just a little cutscene to raise your heart level; it’s a deep mechanic that requires the player to find the right items to get inspiration for a date, with each successful outing offering a cute (or steamy) picture of your partner as well. Marriage and children are new to the 1.0 release, and while children are just as basic as Stardew at the moment, marriage carries forward the same narrative depth as dating. Wedding dates can be chosen, and details planned with your partner. The wedding itself is a long, interactive cutscene as opposed to the 10-second affair in Stardew.  Marrying March in Fields of Mistria. Mistria's quests also build on each other in a more narratively compelling way than Stardew Valley's plot. In Stardew Valley, the closest thing to an overarching story is told through completing the Community Center (or siding with Joja Mart, if you’re evil), which gradually introduces improvements to Pelican Town. This is done by donating the various things you harvest, fish, forage, and mine to the center, after which you're greeted by a short cutscene and, occasionally, some one-off dialogue from the townsfolk. Stardew's main plotline exists in the background, and is merely meant to guide you through your first couple of years in the Valley.  In Fields of Mistria, going deeper into the mines and improving the town both feature deep questlines with major consequences, rewards, and impacts on the world at large. There is a storyline--storylines, even!--to complete as you develop relationships with the townspeople, upgrade your gear, and expand your farm. Reaching the bottom of the mines, for instance, will unlock special (and marriageable) characters that widen the myth and magic of Mistria. Another questline unlocks new buildings and vendors, and improving the town level high enough leads to requests from King Kelinien himself. I can’t go into details without spoiling some big surprises, but the fact that there’s even something to spoil is a step forward. What most sets these two apart, however, is that Stardew Valley is a farming game with RPG elements while Mistria feels like an RPG game with farming elements, and it's all the better for it. Even Field of Mistria’s farming--though not much different from what we’ve come to expect from farming sims--features RPG elements, allowing players to unlock perks from a decently sized skill tree. Whereas Stardew’s longevity owes a lot to the strength of its farming mechanics, Mistra's focus on roleplaying--on creating a stronger story and more vibrant interactions between NPCs--sets it apart by excelling in areas that Stardew doesn’t. Caldarus mentions feeling increased magic in Mistria. Do I think that Fields of Mistria is better than Stardew Valley in every conceivable way? No, but it’s still early in its roadmap. Stardew has shown how much can be added to a game over the years, both with official post-launch expansions and numerous fan-made mods. If Mistria gets updates for half as long as Stardew has, it’ll be in great shape. I'd argue Mistria still has a lot that can be learned from Stardew, too. For example, I think its narrative and character relationships could be improved even further by introducing conflict, which Stardew offers in spades. And even though Stardew Valley doesn't have a strong story, some of the topics it covers in its Heart Events are much more mature, dark, and nuanced than its colorful, cutesy pixel art suggests. Plus, some people just don't like you upon first meeting, whereas in Mistria, pretty much everyone--minus surly blacksmith March--loves you from the start. While I think some of the Pelican Town residents are a little too rude at the beginning (looking at you, Haley), I think Mistria needs to add complexity to its characters to make them shine beyond just being anime eye candy. Fields of Mistria isn’t a Stardew Valley killer, and it doesn’t have to be. But by dedicating itself to its characters and worldbuilding, it escapes Stardew Valley's massive shadow in a way few farming sims can.

Deborah Ann Woll plays Faye in the upcoming PS5 game God of War Laufey, and she had quite a memorable first day on set. At San Diego Comic-Con recently, she shared a story about how, on her very first day, she broke a famous prop from The Last of Us due to her strength and tenacity--only she didn't know the significance at the time. And now, footage of the event has arrived. "Unbeknownst to me, this was a very famous prop that they had used on The Last of Us," she said, going on to joke that it was "some sort of sporting equipment." It was actually a golf club prop, and you probably know what that means... "They gave it to me and I was supposed to use it like an axe. And I broke it," Woll said. Game director Ariel Lawrence added, "She swung it so hard, it cracked. And it echoed throughout the volume. And we were like, 'Hot damn, let's go.'" https://twitter.com/SonySantaMonica/status/2088280064974635337 God of War: Laufey is in the works now for PS5, and it's arriving in February 2027. Starring alongside Woll is The Boys actor Jack Quaid, who plays a gelatinous cube named Phranque. A new Kratos-led game is coming after that, and it will pick up where Laufey left off.