Gaming News

Helldivers 2 Patch Makes Big Balance and Gameplay Changes, New Warbond Has a Space Cowboy Theme

Helldivers 2 has a new patch that makes key balance changes and bug fixes to Sony's third-person co-op shooter. Patch 01.002.200 tweaks the balance on a number of weapons and stratagems. Developer Arrowhead also increased the number of AI calculations the game can perform, which primarily impacts scenarios with a high number of spawned enemies, improving their response times in those situations. However, this comes with a slight trade-off in game performance, Arrowhead said. And here’s a useful improvement: the stratagem loadout menu has undergone an updated categorization of the different stratagem groupings. Meanwhile, publisher Sony Interactive Entertainment announced Helldivers 2’s next Warbond, called Borderline Justice. The...

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Ark: Survival Ascended Expansion Lost Colony Stars Michelle Yeoh, Leads Into Ark 2

Dinosaur survival game Ark 2, which some had suspected might have run into trouble or even been abandoned, is back on after developer Studio Wildcard revealed a new expansion for Ark: Survival Ascended that leads into the sequel. Ark: Lost Colony is the first original expansion pack for Ark 1 remake Ark: Survival Ascended, and its reveal trailer, below, was produced by anime studio Mappa (Jujutsu Kaisen, Attack on Titan, Chainsaw Man) and stars voiceover by the Michelle Yeoh, who reprises her role as Mei Yin from Ark: The Animated Series. Studio Wildcard said the expansion will feature numerous cinema-grade anime story sequences created by Mappa. Here’s the official blurb: In its note to press, Studio Wildcard said Ark: Lost...

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The Best Aussie Big Smile Gaming Bargains for 2025 - Day 1

Welcome to the first day of our living list of smiles and savings! That's right, Amazon's Big Smile Sale is back again from March 18th, 2025 onwards. What on Earth is a Big Smile event? A mini Amazon Prime Day that deceptively sounds like a massive price drop on dentistry equipment. In reality, though, it's the best time for gamers to score on savings for software, peripherals, or creature comfort hardware and/or toys. So let's all dive into our ever-changing lists below to get amongst a bargain! Table of Contents Nintendo Switch Xbox PlayStation PC LEGO Monitors Gaming Headsets Smart Home TVs Wireless Earbuds Micro SDs SSDs Best Big Smile Switch Deals Shin Megami Tensei V (-48%) - A$41.96 Crash Team Racing NF (-49%) - A$35.55...

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AU Deals: The Hottest Bargains From Amazon Prime Big Smile and the Steam Spring Sale Both!

Great gaming bargain seasons don't come around very often, so now’s the perfect time to stock up on some absolute gems. I’ve been deals trawling like a fiend and today’s list nets in the very best catches from both Amazon’s Big Smile Sale and the ongoing Steam Spring Sale promotions. Physical or digital—I’ve got the cheapest must-buys from both! This Day in Gaming 🎂 In retro news, I'm celebrating the 15th birthday of God of War III, a mind-blowing sequel that's still remembered as a high watermark for colossal sized bosses. Case in point: the titanic battle against a 1,600 ft tall Cronos that pushed the PS3 to its limits and still lives rent free in my head. Epic stuff. Aussie bdays for notable games - ActRaiser (SNES) 1993. Redux...

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Mortal Kombat's Bizarre History of Movie and TV Adaptations

It's beginning to feel like the late '90s all over again, what with how Mortal Kombat is all the rage. 2024 saw the release of Mortal Kombat 1, the latest entry in the uber-popular fighting game series. And now MK is returning to the big screen, as Warner Bros. gears up for the release of Mortal Kombat 2, a sequel to 2021's surprisingly solid reboot. In light of all these big developments in the MK world, we thought now would be the perfect time to look back at the franchise's long, colorful and occasionally baffling history in film and TV. Check out our slideshow below or scroll down for a closer look at all the Mortal Kombat adaptations and how closely (or not) they followed the source material. Mortal Kombat (1995) The original...

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Silent Hill f Is Now Available for Preorder

Silent Hill f has been announced for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, with an as-yet-unannounced release date. The game takes place in 1960s Japan, where it will present players with “a beautiful yet terrifying choice.” In the trailer, we see hero Shimizu Hinako encounter the franchise’s famous fog, along with various terrors, as they descent upon the town. The game is now available for preorder (see it at Amazon). Read on for the details. Preorder Silent Hill f PS5 Get it at Amazon - $69.99 Get it at Best Buy - $69.99 Get it at GameStop - $69.99 See it at PS Store (digital) - Not yet available Xbox Get it at Amazon - $69.99 Get it at Best Buy - $69.99 Get it at GameStop - $69.99 See it at Xbox Store (digital) - Not yet available...

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Silent Hill f Gets Gruesome New Details in ESRB Rating and Content Warnings

New details about what's in store for the horrors waiting within Silent Hill f have emerged, and they make it clear that developer NeoBards Entertainment is keeping in step with the series' tone. Warning! The following descriptions contain some gruesome details about the content of Silent Hill f, which will entail possible spoilers and mature content. Konami aired its latest Silent Hill Transmission broadcast just last week, sharing more details about the upcoming Silent Hill f. Developed by NeoBards, set in a mountain town in 1960s Japan, and written by Higurashi and Umineko author Ryukishi07, Silent Hill f looks to be an interesting new venture for the horror series. The broadcast didn't include much in the way of gameplay...

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The Boys Star Jack Quaid Says He’d Love to Be in a Bioshock Movie, as Everyone Else Says He Looks a Lot Like Max Payne in New Film Novocaine

The Boys star Jack Quaid has said he’d love to appear in a BioShock movie, saying the much-loved first-person shooter is one of his favorite games of all time. Speaking in a Reddit AMA timed to coincide with the launch of his new movie, Novocaine, Quaid said BioShock has “such a rich lore” that could be explored in a TV or movie adaptation. "I would actually love to be in a live action adaptation of Bioshock - one of my favorite games of all time," he said. "I think there's such a rich lore to that game that could be explored in a TV or movie adaptation." But what are the chances the Bioshock movie actually gets made? In July last year, producer Roy Lee said that, following leadership changes, the video-game-to-movie BioShock...

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Monster Hunter Wilds Fans Notice a Neat Detail Hidden in the Eyes of Its Final Boss

Little details can add a lot of character when it comes to the many monsters of Capcom's Monster Hunter series. When it comes to one of Monster Hunter Wilds' biggest battles, eagle-eyed players have noticed one tiny detail that lends credence to a running theory. It's all in the eyes. Warning! Spoilers for the final boss and story of Monster Hunter Wilds' low rank campaign follow. After fighting through the roster of Monster Hunter Wilds' fearsome foes, including the souped-up Guardians, you'll eventually come face-to-face with Zoh Shia. This enemy is the final bout for low-rank Hunters to clear in Wilds, and it's a doozy. It also might feel a little familiar, if you've played some past Monster Hunter games, and that seems pretty...

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Star Wars Hunters Announces Shut Down Just 9 Months After Launch, Steam Release Appears Scrapped

Star Wars Hunters publisher Zynga has announced plans for the game to shut down entirely just nine months after it was released, and it appears plans to launch a PC version of Steam are scrapped. The NaturalMotion-developed, free-to-download team-based battle arena game launched on Nintendo Switch and iOS and Android in June 2024. IGN’s Star Wars: Hunters review returned a 7/10. We said: “Star Wars: Hunters’ lighthearted PvP fun is like a party at the Death Star: Impressive for a bit, but probably not a place you’ll want to hang around for too long.” It seems the review was prescient, as Zynga announced that “after careful consideration” it had decided the final content update for Star Wars: Hunters across all platforms would be...

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PlayStation Logo Pops Up on Work-in-Progress Starfield Creation, Sparking PS5 Release Speculation

Speculation that Starfield will soon be confirmed for release on PlayStation 5 ramped up over the weekend after fans spotted a PlayStation logo on Bethesda’s official Creations website. The logo was attached to a work-in-progress ship decals Creation for Starfield, and although the Creation was removed, fans are speculating that Bethesda’s so-far PC and Xbox-only sci-fi game is soon set for PS5. Thoughts inevitably turn to whether Bethesda plans a significant content update, possibly even a new expansion, to coincide with Starfield’s seemingly inevitable release on PS5. There’s been little to shout about when it comes to Starfield in recent months, following the launch of the poorly received Shattered Space expansion. Bethesda parent...

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After Announcing a Helldivers Movie, Sony Is Now Officially Rebooting Starship Troopers

Sony is working on a new Starship Troopers movie reboot, according to various Hollywood sources. The Hollywood Reporter said District 9, Elysium, and Chappie director Neill Blomkamp has signed on to write and direct a new adaptation of Starship Troopers, the 1959 military sci-fi novel by Robert A. Heinlein. Deadline and Variety backed up the report. This new Starship Troopers movie is not a continuation of or related to Paul Verhoeven’s cult classic 1997 sci-fi satire Starship Troopers. Rather it is a new adaptation of Heinlein’s novel, and comes from Sony’s Columbia Pictures. News of Blomkamp’s involvement with this new Starship Troopers movie feels puzzling given Sony itself recently announced a live-action movie of blockbuster...

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Horizon Actor Ashly Burch Says Sony's AI Aloy Video Left Her Feeling 'Worried About Game Performance as an Art Form'

Horizon actor Ashly Burch has addressed the AI Aloy video that leaked online last week, using it to call attention to the demands of striking voice actors. Last week, The Verge reported on the emergence of an internal Sony video showing off tech that uses Aloy from the Horizon series to demonstrate AI-powered characters. Sony has yet to respond to IGN’s request for comment. In the now deleted video, Sony Interactive Entertainment director of software engineering, Sharwin Raghoebardajal, has a conversation with an AI-powered Aloy via voice prompts and AI-generated speech and facial animations. Raghoebardajal asks Aloy how she's doing, to which she responds: "Hello, I'm managing alright. Just dealing with a sore throat. How have you...

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AU Deals: Steamy Spring Sale Must Owns, Console Store Gift Cards Reduced, Dirt Cheap AAAs, and More!

Who’s ready to sprint-slide into some ripper deals? Whether you're after demon-slaying RPGs, chaotic kitchen co-op, or open-world adventures, this week's gaming bargains have you covered. Of particular focus is the ongoing Steam Spring Sale. It’s currently destroying my wallet. Allow me to help it eviscerate yours too. This Day in Gaming 🎂 In retro news, I'm celebrating the 25th anniversary of Fear Effect, a four-discer I adored at launch and would kill to see revived again. The formula was basically an early Resi Evil/fixed camera affair that had more engaging stealth/gunplay, actually decent voice acting, a badass cyberpunk setting, and adult imagery galore. The latter made it reminiscent of early '90s anime for me—sweary...

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Why Assassin's Creed 2 and 3 Had the Best Writing the Series Has Ever Seen

One of the most memorable moments in the entire Assassin’s Creed series happens near the start of Assassin’s Creed 3, when Haytham Kenway has finished rounding up his band of assassins in the New World. Or at least, the player is led to believe they’re assassins. Haytham, after all, uses a hidden blade, is just as charismatic as previous series protagonist Ezio Auditore, and has – up until this point in the campaign – played the part of a hero, busting Native Americans out of prison and beating up cocky British redcoats. Only when he utters the familiar phrase, “May the Father of Understanding guide us,” does it become clear we have actually been following our sworn enemies, the Templars. To me, this surprising setup represents the...

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Gears of War: E-Day Co-Developer People Can Fly Signs New Project With Sony, Codenamed Project Delta

The developer of Bulletstorm and co-developer of Gears of War: E-Day, People Can Fly, has signed a deal with Sony Interactive Entertainment to develop a new game, codenamed Project Delta. This comes from a report published by People Can Fly describing the agreement, which stipulates Project Delta will be made as a work-for-hire game, but does not provide further description of the project. People Can Fly is currently developing a large number of projects with similar codenames, including Project Gemini with Square Enix (which saw 30 developers laid off last year), Project Echo with Krafton, Project Red (also seemingly with Sony), and the VR Project Bison, which People Can Fly announced just yesterday would be its final VR project...

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God of War Ragnarok Celebrates Franchise's 20-Year Anniversary With Dark Odyssey Cosmetic Update Next Week

Sony and game developer Santa Monica Studio have revealed the Dark Odyssey collection, a God of War Ragnarök update coming to players next week that features in-game equipment themed after one of the franchise's most iconic outfits. Sony detailed all of the goodies included in its God of War 20th anniversary plans in a PlayStation.Blog post. Dark Odyssey is the real headline here, as it includes a war chest of cosmetic treats for all God of War Ragnarök owners across PlayStation 5 and PC. It’ll arrive as a free update March 20. Everything included in Dark Odyssey features a clean, black-and-gold look that will no doubt have Kratos and co looking better than ever as they tear their way through Norse mythology. Atreus and Freya both...

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Helldivers 2 Players Are Looking For Hidden Messages Amid Black Hole Disaster

Easter eggs and secret messages are old hat for many ongoing games, and Helldivers 2 is no stranger to them either. So it's little surprise that amid an ongoing, calamitous conflict with the Illuminate, players are poring over the messages for hidden details. If you're not caught up with the running narrative in Helldivers 2, here's a quick catch-up: developer Arrowhead has the Illuminate back and pushing the lines of galactic warfare as the latest threat to Super Earth. The eerie foe is using a massive black hole to slowly consume entire planets, pushing it to Angel's Venture and, now, Moradesh. Ironically, the black hole was initially created on Meridian by Super Earth, in an effort to wipe out a Terminid Super Colony. Arrowhead's...

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Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Remake Developer Insists 'Everything We Have Talked About Is Still in Development'

Saber Interactive has insisted all its previously announced games are still in development, despite the radio silence around high-profile titles such as the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic remake. Hot on the heels of the announcement of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 3, Saber Chief Creative Officer Tim Willits tweeted to reassure the studio’s fans that everything it’s announced is still in the works. “Saber Interactive is one of the largest independent developers in the world,” Willits said. “We are working on numerous games across many different genres. Everything that we have talked about is still in development. We will share information on upcoming games when we have something cool to share.” The most obvious subject of...

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Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 3 Is Officially in the Works — So Which Chapters Could It Feature, and Which Enemy Factions Could You Fight Against?

The surprise announcement that Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 3 is officially in development, coming just six months after the record-breaking release of Space Marine 2, has certainly got fans excited. Now the dust has settled on the news, thoughts inevitably turn to where the heroic Demetrian Titus will head next on his third video game adventure. Warning! Spoilers for Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 follow. Let’s briefly recap the events of Space Marine 2 before we go on to speculate about what Space Marine 3 might have in store. Space Marine 2 sees Titus of the Ultramarines go up against the Tyranids and the Thousand Suns Traitor Legion in a campaign that ends up with a massive battle against a demon army and even a trip to the...

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Rockstar-Owned Modding Team Working on Official Grand Theft Auto 5 Enhanced Conversion Tool

Rockstar has given the go-ahead for an official conversion tool to help modders update their mods to work with the all-new Grand Theft Auto V Enhanced. As custom assets used on FiveM and GTAV Legacy are not natively compatible with the recently released enhanced PC game, Cfx.re — the team behind the biggest Rockstar roleplay and creator communities FiveM and RedM and hired by Rockstar back in 2023 — announced it is working on a new tool to "assist the modding community in making their assets compatible with the new upgrade." Rockstar rarely officially supports the modding communities behind its games, so the news is being welcomed by GTA 5 modders who are hoping it's a signal of better things to come for Grand Theft Auto 6. The...

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Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster Hits 5 Million Sales, Final Fantasy Franchise Now Up to 200 Million Sold

The total sales across the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster series have topped 5 million copies worldwide, Square Enix has announced. Taking to X/Twitter, Square Enix said Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster's success had pushed sales for the entire Final Fantasy series — that's all Final Fantasy games, not just the pixellated ones — up to a staggering 200 million copies. Given Square Enix revealed Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster had reached three million copies sold in September 2023, that means the bundle has sold another two million copies in around 18 months. Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster bundles together the first six Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster games as well as a 20-track soundtrack and 14 wallpapers. The bundle boasts universally updated...

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Commandos: Origins Refreshingly Brings Back the Stealth-Tactics Marriage

The classic Commandos series was all about cleverly commanding a squad to pull off some daring operations aimed at crippling the Nazi war machine and putting a real stick in the eye of the empire. But it's also a series that's been in relative dormancy for some time, leaving other games like Shadow Tactics and Desperados to pick up the torch and offer a similar blend of real-time strategy and stealth gameplay that's all about pulling off some slick, decisive strategies. With the upcoming Commandos: Origins from developer Claymore Game Studios, the series finally gets its long overdue successor following the 2006 FPS spin-off, marking a return to the original's old-school perspective and brutal difficulty. I recently got to play the...

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The Atomfall Developers Knew It Would Be Compared to Fallout as Soon as It Was Revealed, Average Playthrough Around 25 Hours

At first glance, you might mistake Atomfall for a Fallout-style game. Perhaps, even, an actual Fallout game set in a post-apocalyptic England rather than a post-apocalyptic America. Atomfall is first-person, it’s post-nuclear (it’s called Atomfall for a reason), and it has an alt-history design, as Fallout famously does. Ryan Greene, art director at developer Rebellion, totally understands where the Fallout comparisons are coming from. Not only that, but the development team knew Atomfall would be compared to Fallout as soon as it was revealed. “Once you play the game, you realize it's not Fallout, but yes, we knew,” Greene told IGN. “And one of our owners, Jason Kingsley, he's a big Fallout fan, so inevitably there was going to be...

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AU Deals: The Absolute Must Buys From the Steam Spring Sale, AAA Console Greats Reduced, and More!

Thank your own personal deity—possibly Kratos—it’s Friday! Even though it’s Autumn for Aussies, it’s time to spring into ludicrous Spring Sale savings on Steam. If the picks of that litter don’t interest you, I’ve sniffed out console-based bargains on grand adventures, pulse-pounding action, or quirky indie gems; there’s a little something for everyone. This Day in Gaming 🎂 In retro news, I'm (somehow) celebrating the 23rd birthday of the OG Xbox, a console that blew my mind at launch (even though I was happily married to a PS2). This was the chunky vehicle that brought Microsoft into the console gaming world. And while it didn't have the prettiest design or the greatest library of games, it gave us two important contributions to...

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$1 Million Roblox The Hunt: Mega Edition Event's Games Revealed

Earlier this month Roblox announced that its The Hunt: Mega Edition Event would come with a $1 million grand prize for one super skilled gamer, and today the event officially started, revealing the 25 different Roblox experiences players will need to compete in to walk away a millionaire. Roblox's last event, The Hunt: First Edition, attracted 34 million users without promising enough money to buy 1,428 PlayStation 5 Pros and still have money left over for a decent library of games, so expect The Hunt: Mega Edition to be the focus of the Roblox community until the event hits its live-streamed final in April. For that final the top ten The Hunt: Mega Edition competitors will be invited to Roblox HQ for their shot at the jackpot. The...

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Split Fiction Hits 2 Million Sales After Just 1 Week

Hazelight Games says its latest co-op adventure game Split Fiction is continuing its roaring start after selling 2 million copies in just one week. The dual-protagonist story dropped March 6 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S and quickly managed to secure itself as yet another success story for the studio. Hazelight took to social media to celebrate the strong launch, saying that it’s “blown away” by the support from fans both new and old. The team’s previous update on Split Fiction sales numbers revealed that a whopping 1 million players picked up Mio and Zoe’s sci-fi story only 48 hours after its initial launch. That means another million have each picked up a copy in the five days since. Meanwhile, Split Fiction’s...

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Rainbow Six Siege X First Hands-On Preview: The New Dual Front Mode Reinvigorates the 10-Year-Old FPS

When I was in high school, I would stay up ‘til all kinds of ungodly hours of the night playing PC games. I even stayed up five days straight once, just to get to the end of Baldur’s Gate II ‘Throne of Bhaal,’ but what fascinated me about PC games most was how inventive they could be. One that struck my imagination powerfully was Red Faction, which caught my eye because it had some of the hallmarks of DOOM (a high-tech, first-person shooter set on Mars, you say?) yet it added an essential wrinkle; terrain deformation. Red Faction is set in the mines of Mars, and I could fire explosive weapons at walls, creating holes or destroying them, and even tunneling through rock to circumvent checkpoints. It was all about charting your own course...

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Drill Digging Simulator Codes (March 2025)

Last updated March 13, 2025: Checked for new Drill Digging Simulator codes! If you're after some powerful new drills or additional pets in Drill Digging Simulator, you've come to the right place. Below, we've listed all of the active codes for the Roblox tunneling game, so you can get your hands on some extra cash without having to put in all that extra manual labor. Active Drill Digging Simulator Codes (March 2025) Below, you'll find all of the currently active and working Drill Digging Simulator codes in March 2025 that you can redeem for free rewards: Adventurer - $250,000 (NEW!) HelloWorld - $100,000 (NEW!) Drill - $150,000 (NEW!) Expired Drill Digging Simulator Codes There are currently no expired Drill Digging Simulator...

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Capybara Evolution Codes (March 2025)

Last updated March 13, 2025: Checked for new Capybara Evolution codes! Looking to earn some useful potions in Capybara Evolution? You've come to the right place. Below, you'll find all the currently active codes in Roblox's adorable evolution game, as well as a rundown of exactly how to redeem them. Active Capybara Evolution Codes (March 2025) Below, you'll find all of the currently active and working Capybara Evolution codes in March 2025 that you can redeem for free rewards: Brrrra - 2x EXP Potion (NEW!) NEWUPD1 - 1 EXP Potion capycode289 - 1x EXP Potion I2PERFECT - 1x EXP Potion Release - 1x Wins Potion How to Redeem Codes in Capybara Evolution To redeem Capybara Evolution codes, boot up the game and, once you’re in, follow...

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