We’ve seen countless MMORPGs all vying to be the one that excels in terms of giant raids, precision combat, and engaging progression. Singularity 6’s first game, Palia, taps into a different kind of loop. Instead of being focused on character progression by means of weapons, armor, and dragonslaying, Palia aims to get players invested in the charms of farming, relationship building, and decorative finesse. If Palia sounds like Stardew Valley or Animal Crossing meets MMO to you, you’re not far from the mark. Pre-alpha access is scheduled to land this summer, and you can sign up here. Check out the announcement trailer!

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In Palia, you play as a human in a fledgling world ready for you to shape. And how can you shape it? It starts with your living space, naturally. Every player has their own plot to advance and customize, with over a thousand decoration items available at launch. Naturally, you can invite your friends over to hang out and take in the scenery. Whereas traditional MMORPGs have guilds or clans to join, Palia has neighborhoods. In Neighborhoods, you can group up with other players to take on bigger tasks and objectives and reap the rewards.

While the focus is absolutely on the various tasks of fantasy life like bug catching, hanging out around the campfire, and fishing, there are opportunities for adventurers to go out and mess around with more dangerous fare in the areas outside the complete safety of the village. How deep the battles or hunts with the denizens outdoors go is up to players to decide, but it’s safe to say that the core focus of Palia lies within the social structures and cozy customization options that are in place for a more relaxed playstyle. There may be a wolf or some other nasty causing trouble far outside town, but you won’t have to worry about one of those critters coming in and messing up S’more night with the gang.

Right now, the pre-alpha access is only scheduled for PC, and we’ll have to wait to see if it will come to any other platforms as it gets on a path to release.

Bend Studio, the team behind Days Gone and Syphon Filter, has announced it's working on a new IP. The studio shared the news on Twitter yesterday with an open letter to fans. The reveal doesn't share any details regarding what sort of game it is, when it's expected to release, or much else beyond "we're working on something." The news comes after a recent report that the studio isn't moving forward on production of a Days Gone 2 (much to the chagrin of fans). 

Despite the lack of substantial details, it's always exciting to see a studio delve into something new, especially if you're a fan of its previous works. You can take a look at the announcement in the embedded tweet below. 

pic.twitter.com/JE3vDqHCTq

— Bend Studio #DaysGone (@BendStudio) June 2, 2021

If you’re unable to follow the link, here is the transcribed text:

"We are beyond grateful for your support with Days Gone and are truly honored by the amount of passion our community has shared with us for our world and characters. Your enthusiasm motivates us to continue to improve and create experiences that will last a lifetime. From the Syphon Filter series to Resistance: Retribution, to Uncharted: Golden Abyss, and Days Gone, we are very excited to announce today that we are expanding the Bend Studio portfolio with a brand new IP. We hope you embark on this new journey with us, and we can’t wait to show you what we’ve been working on."

Naturally, we’re all curious about what sort of game the team is working on but I’d wager it will be at least a year or two before we get any real inkling about what the project entails. Since it’s a new IP, that of course means it won’t be a follow-up to any existing series in its portfolio (sorry Syphon Filter fans). The only real guarantee is that whatever this is will be a PlayStation exclusive since Bend is a first-party Sony developer. 

The last game that Bend shipped was Days Gone in April 2019. Despite releasing to middling to average reviews it’s returned to the spotlight as of late. The game recently arrived on PC, and Days Gone’s director and former Bend employee Jeff Ross recently shared that a sequel was pitched to Sony that would feature a shared co-op universe. Unfortunately for fans, Sony allegedly turned it down. That hasn't stopped enthusiastic Days Gone players from petitioning Sony to greenlight a sequel.  

Bend Studio’s next project could be literally anything. Given the developer’s past works, what sort of game would you like to see from it? Something within its wheelhouse or would you like to see the team tackle a new genre? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Mass Effect Legendary Edition offers newcomers and veteran fans alike a chance to enjoy the beloved BioWare trilogy on this generation of consoles with all of the previously released story DLC. With so many new players boarding the Normandy for the first time, longtime fans are getting to experience that excitement once more vicariously through a new wave of fans. That being said, there are still secrets being found. Secrets like this Mars Rover Easter egg in Mass Effect 3. 

I remember finding this cute little guy a few years ago and I had no idea that it wasn't something people knew about. This has been an Easter egg that has gone largely undiscovered for over ten years, and with all of the news about Mars in real life? It's pretty heckin' cute. Check out the adorable little clip in the tweet below: 

so this has been a thing all along and i only found out about it today? ?#MassEffectLegendaryEdition pic.twitter.com/XUjcrGq7Kf

— Emma Vakarian-Theirin (@Emma_Vakarian) May 31, 2021

Emma later added that she learned how to spot this curious little Rover by finding a thread over on Reddit: 

? that's how i discovered it!

— Emma Vakarian-Theirin (@Emma_Vakarian) May 31, 2021

The Reddit thread, found here, shows off how players can find this clever NASA Easter egg. It gained traction in the Mass Effect community, with other players sharing their own surprise over the discovery. "10 years ago I put an easter egg in the mars mission of ME3, and as far as I know no one ever stumbled upon it," said former BioWare designer Richard Boisvert. "At the beginning of the mars mission, feel free to walk through the nearby solar panel array in the following way to see it."

The more you know!

Want to know even more about Mass Effect Legendary Edition? Be sure to check out our game hub here for features, guides, news, exclusive interviews, and so much more! Be sure to also drop some of your favorite Easter eggs in the sci-fi trilogy in the comment section below! 

E3 2021 is almost here! This year has flown by so fast, and just next week we are kicking off a whole new wave of gaming announcements and reveals. With the festivities jumpstarting on June 12, ESA has revealed the full schedule for this year's showcase, starting with Ubisoft and Gearbox. 

Hosted by Alex "Goldenboy" Mendez, Jacki Jing, and Greg Miller, E3 2021 begins on June 12 and will run until June 15. There are other showcases around that time as well, including Geoff Keighley's own Summer Games Fest and a few individual streams as well. This year is also all-digital, so anyone can tune in to see what's in store. 

June 12

• Pre-show at 10 a.m. Pacific / 1 p.m. Eastern
• Ubisoft
• Gearbox Entertainment
• Devious Eye Entertainment

June 13

• Pre-show at 8:45 a.m. Pacific / 11:45 a.m. Eastern
• Microsoft + Bethesda 
• Square Enix
• The PC Gaming Show
• Future Games Show
• Warner Bros. Games and Back 4 Blood
• 24 Entertainment

June 14

• Pre-show at 8 a.m. Pacific / 11 a.m. Eastern
• Take-Two 
• Mythical Games
• Freedom Games
• Razer
• Capcom
• Verizon 
• Intellivision
• VENN

June 15

• Pre-show at 8 a.m. Pacific / 11 a.m. Eastern
• Nintendo 
• Bandai Namco
• Yooreka Games
• GameSpot

June 15 will also host an awards ceremony meant to celebrate everything shown off during the upcoming whirlwind week. You can learn more about the upcoming event through ESA right here. The adventure kicks off soon, are you ready?

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What are you excited to see the most at E3 2021? Any rumors you're hoping to see some validation for? Sound off with your thoughts in the comment section below!