TGA 25: How Many Awards Did Expedition 33 Win?

The Game Awards 2025 have come and gone, and honestly, we can't help but feel slightly disappointed in the wake of all the hype. Don't get us wrong: there's been absolutely no shortage of awesome announcements as part of the show, but some were woefully missing still, and the community is woefully recovering from that particular disaster. On the opposite side of the spectrum, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has delivered a crippling blow to game recognizance in 2025, as it's won a frankly astonishing number of awards.

Indeed, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 may well be the single most heavily awarded game of them all in the entire history of The Game Awards, with The Last of Us 2 coming in as a close runner-up. To that end, here's exactly how many awards Expedition 33 won in 2025:

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Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Won 8 Awards in Total!

Yep, you read that right: Expedition 33 has won a grand total of eight awards at The Game Awards 2025, and they are the following:

It's not a wholly unexpected development, granted. Ever since it released on April 24, 2025, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has been hailed as one of the greatest games of all time. It being a re-envisioning of the classic JRPG niche into something Euro-centric and, specifically, exceedingly French, there's merit in this approach and all the kudos go to the team responsible. That's Sandfall Interactive, to be exact, and you may want to jot that down somewhere just so you remember to keep track of their future announcements.

At the same time, seeing Expedition 33 win in not one but two independent categories, and specifically the RPG category on top of being the definitive GOTY choice across the board is bound to cause ripples in a number of gaming communities. Remember, in 2025 alone we've had a frankly ridiculous lineup of releases, and the likes of Hollow Knight: Silksong, Dispatch, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 have arguably got - at least - equal grounds to win in their respective categories as Expedition 33 did. Heck, even the Clair Obscur community feels that way!

All of this should make for a very interesting end-of-the-year discussion in the gaming communities, and we'd like to use the opportunity to congratulate Sandfall Interactive on their incredible achievement. Now, onto the next project, right?

Play the Game of the Year 2025 @ 2Game!

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has swept the floor at this year’s Game Awards, but how many awards did it win, exactly?

Surprise SEGA Game Awards Sale — Huge 2025 Hits Up to 30% Off for 48 Hours

SEGA is crashing The Game Awards with a surprise sale to make everyone feel like a winner. For 48 hours only—from Dec 11th (00:00 CET) to Dec 12th (23:59 CET)—you can grab some of SEGA’s biggest 2025 hits for up to 30% off. Excited? You should be. Here’s what’s cooking:

Two Point Museum @ 20% Off

Two Point’s 2025 release is a beautifully chaotic management sim that lets you build the museum of your dreams (or nightmares).

With Overwhelmingly Positive Steam reviews, you’ll be juggling ancient relics, dramatic visitors, cursed artifacts, and more opportunities for total logistical disaster. It’s classic Two Point energy—witty, weird, and wonderfully addictive.

Two Point Museum: Explorer Edition @ 25% Off

Want all the weirdness plus the extra content? Explorer Edition hands you bonus packs and tools to turn your museum into a multi-wing monster packed with rare exhibits and high-maintenance guests. Basically: the “yes, I’m sinking 200 hours into this” edition.

SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance @ 30% Off

This one hit like a kunai when it launched. Fast, stylish, and unapologetically old-school, SEGA revived a classic with sharp movement, aggressive swordplay, and a modern visual punch. With Very Positive Steam reviews, if you grew up on ninjas, you’re already downloading this.

SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance Digital Deluxe Edition @ 30% Off

Same slick ninja action, now bundled with the bonus cosmetics, soundtrack access, and extra challenges that seasoned players actually care about.

Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds @ 30% Off

A flashy, fast arcade racer that brought Sonic back into the spotlight in 2025 with Overwhelmingly Positive Steam reviews. CrossWorlds nails the feeling of speed and chaos, whether you're drifting through online matches or bullying your friends with perfectly timed items.

Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds Digital Deluxe Edition @ 30% Off

More tracks. More customization. More style. Same supersonic speed. This one’s perfect for players who treat racing games like a lifestyle.

Quick Recap (aka the part where your wallet starts vibrating):

And that’s a wrap. Two days. Big deals. Zero filler. If you're planning to stack your holiday backlog, SEGA just handed you the perfect excuse.

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Don’t miss out!

The Game Awards 2025 – All The Big Reveals!

The Game Awards 2025 are set to kick off on December 11, and - like always - we're going to keep a very close eye on it here at 2Game!

Expect a whole suite of TGA-themed discounts, sale events, giveaways, and other boons across the full spectrum of our social media and content outputs (really, you do want to keep an eye on those), but we're also going to host TGA 25 highlights, OP-EDs, feature articles, and loads more, so we're in for a very exciting weekend!

If you'd like to watch this year's Game Awards, use the YouTube stream embedded below:

Watch The Game Awards 25 on December 11, 2025!

The Game Awards 2025 are set to begin on December 11, 2025 at 19:30 EST. If you're not sure what that means in your time-zone, we've got just the gadget for you:

This handy little link is going to tell you exactly when this year's TGA stream is kicking off. If, for example, you're in the GMT+1 time zone, expect it to start at 1:30 AM on December 12, and so on.

We're not entirely sure what to expect from TGA 25 just yet, but there's plenty of murmurs about, that's for sure. Just to list a few potential blockbusters, we've already heard about the Tomb Raider reboot, which connects the original story of the old classics to the newer Survivor trilogy. We've also heard about a mysterious statue in the desert that may or may not have something to do with Divinity 3, and the king of all unreleased, mystery titles: Half-Life 3...

Obviously, we're not saying any or all of these will appear. We are saying they might, though! So do stay tuned, all of this should make for a very exciting end of the week.

Top TGA 25 Announcements on Day One

Bradley the Badger

For the more classically inclined, mascot-remembering gamer, Bradley the Badger absolutely seems like one of the most interesting reveals so far. Genre, trope, and 4th wall-breaking, this 3D platformer promises a truly wild take on what a game like this can be, and we can't wait to see how it pans out!

Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic

An almost total unknown as of this time, Fate of the Old Republic poises itself as the spiritual follow-up to some of the best Star Wars games we've ever had. So... uh, let's stay tuned for more news on it.

Toxic Commando

Set to launch on March 12, 2026, Toxic Commando is the next co-op blockbuster from the makers of Snowrunner and World War Z. The neo-Left 4 Dead we all deserve? Sure as heck looks like it. Featuring John Carpenter's writing and soundtrack, this may well be the real deal.

Divinity

Oh, the statue game? Yep, this is the one, and we knew it was coming! Larian Studios' first post-Baldur's Gate 3 release promises the exact same level of cinematic RPG gameplay in a wholly different context. It's disturbing stuff, though, so watcher beware. Oh, and it's not Divinity: Original Sin 3, just Divinity!

4:LOOP

Another co-op shooter? Well, yes, but this one's different, with a time-travel loop and a third-person perspective that seems obviously reminiscent of ARC Raiders. From the makers of Left 4 Dead, in comes 4:LOOP's Roguelite-style alien invasion story.

Coven of the Chicken Foot

A lovingly rendered puzzle-platformer with a delightfully cozy, if grim setting, Coven of the Chicken Foot is our next Slavic-adjacent indie to be on the lookout for! Seriously, it's got all the weird, creepy vibes you could wish for!

Ontos

SOMA devs' next shocking first-person horror game seems more disturbing, darker, and more mind-bending than any of the dev's prior work. That's saying something, right? Stay tuned to Ontos, slated for a 2026 PC release!

Resident Evil: Requiem

What would a Game Awards ceremony be without an inaugural Resident Evil trailer? Poor Grace just can't catch a break, but don't worry: she's not alone in RE: Requiem after all! Leon is back, and he's taking no prisoners on February 27!

Exodus

It's been far too long since we've last had a proper Mass Effect style third-person action RPG, and Exodus is poised to be the next big thing here. The footage shows some minor jankiness, but we're all for it here at 2Game!

Control: Resonant

Remedy Entertainment's Control is back! Not that it ever left, of course, but it's still great to see Jesse Faden back in the limelight. Continue the story of the Hiss and of Alan Wake himself as the Federal Bureau of Control reorients and reorganizes for new world-ending, universe-shattering threats. Oh, did we forget to mention? Jesse's brother, Dylan, is the star of the show this time around, and he's far more brutal and hands-on than Jesse ever was. Due to release in 2026!

LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight

The LEGO rendition of the classic Arkham Asylum titles is due to become the next premiere LEGO title. Can it? Yes. Will it? Oh, absolutely! Featuring a bevy of playable characters and storylines, this is the dream come true for fans of the property. Coming out on May 9th!

Tomb Raider: Catalyst

The true follow-up to Tomb Raider's Survivor trilogy is coming out in 2027, and it's every bit as kickass as we all hoped it would be, however...

Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis

We're also getting a second Tomb Raider game, a full-featured remake of the old 1996 original! Featuring the renewed and re-feathered T-Rex and raptor monstrosities all over again! Legacy of Atlantis is coming out in 2026, note.

Lords of the Fallen 2

This one we all knew was coming, but it's still good to see Lords of the Fallen alive and thriving. Well, depends on your definition of these terms, really, because LOTF 2 is more-or-less Dead Space in fantasy, with its most horrific entourage of monstrosities to brutally finish off. Not bad, right?

Saros

Housemarque is easily one of the most exciting modern alternative gamedevs, and Saros promises to build upon the greatness of Returnal in a phenomenal way. Its story, for one, seems to be even more involved than it was in Returnal, but absolutely not at the cost of awesome bullet hell action. Check it out here.

Total War: Warhammer 40K

It's finally happening, straight from the mouth of the admittedly random David Harbour. Or it would've been random, had Harbour not been cast in the role of... well, we'll have to wait and see. Here's our first look at this hotly anticipated Creative Assembly smash-hit.

Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve

It's frankly shocking how few dogfighting games we get in the mid-2020s, isn't it? In comes Bandai Namco with a curveball: Ace Combat 8!

Star Wars: Galactic Racer

A Star Wars racing game? It's likelier than you think! Lucasfilm Games' new racing title harkens back to an era of arcade racing titles we didn't even know we missed, so we can't wait to see more about this exciting new Star Wars title.

Phantom Blade Zero

A fancy new trailer for the hotly anticipated Phantom Blade Zero? You bet! Nothing game-changing here, really, but it's a good driver of hype for sure. Due to release on 9/9/26.

Megaman: Dual Override

Megaman! He's back! As the star of a brand new flagship action platformer from Capcom, there's hope for this beloved character yet. Stay tuned for more news on Megaman: Dual Override ahead of its 2027 release!

Highguard

From the former devs of Apex Legends comes Highguard, a brave new faux-medieval multiplayer game that's actually coming out rather soon. With a focus on both mobility and destructible terrain, this may well be the next big thing. Due to launch as a free-to-play title on January 26!

The Game Awards of 2025 are officially kicking off on December 11, and you can watch it right here as soon as it goes live!

Who Made Routine Soundtrack?

The Routine soundtrack was primarily composed by Mick Gordon, the acclaimed Australian composer best known for his genre-defining work on DOOM (2016), DOOM Eternal, and Wolfenstein: The New Order. Gordon's involvement with the sci-fi horror title was announced during the game's 2022 re-reveal at Summer Game Fest, and his work remains a significant part of the final release even though he departed the project in July 2024. Nathaniel-Jorden Apostol took over as composer and audio lead for the remainder of development.

Is Routine 2025's Best Horror Game? Find Out!

Mick Gordon's Vision for Routine

Gordon approached the Routine soundtrack with a clear intent to capture the game's 1980s retrofuturistic aesthetic while avoiding the more predictable trappings of synth-heavy horror scores. Lead designer Aaron Foster originally suggested that the music take cues from 1980s sounds, but Gordon was determined to steer clear of synthesizer clichés similar to those found in Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon.

Instead, the creative direction drew inspiration from Stanley Kubrick's The Shining, with the aim of producing a more tangible and low-fi audio experience. This approach complemented Routine's abandoned lunar base setting perfectly, enhancing the sense of isolation and dread that permeates every corridor.

Gordon spent many years working with Lunar Software on the project, creating numerous audio assets and providing invaluable audio direction before his departure. According to the development team, his contributions will be featured prominently in the final game despite his exit.

After Mick Gordon left Routine in July 2024 due to scheduling conflicts, Nathaniel-Jorden Apostol stepped in as composer and audio lead for the remainder of development. Apostol is a UK-based game and audio designer with an impressive portfolio of work, including the award-winning Ether One and The Occupation, both developed by White Paper Games.

The transition was handled carefully by Lunar Software. A new audio design team was assembled to implement Gordon's existing assets while contributing additional material needed to complete the soundtrack. The studio has been clear that Gordon's foundational work remains intact and recognizable throughout the experience.

On Routine's Impeccable Lunar Horror Soundscape

Players have consistently praised the audio design in Routine as one of its standout features. The soundtrack blends atmospheric tension with unsettling silence, using diegetic audio to enhance immersion. Everything in the game hums, creaks, beeps, and drips, and the roar of machinery often gives way to uncomfortable quiet.

The 1980s influence is unmistakable without being overbearing. The audio team successfully avoided the synthwave stereotypes that have become somewhat overdone in recent retrofuturistic games, opting instead for a grounded and unnerving soundscape that feels authentic to the era while remaining genuinely horrifying.

This approach aligns with Routine's broader design philosophy. The game features minimal UI, full body awareness, and no hand-holding, meaning the audio has to do a lot of heavy lifting to guide players and build tension. Based on critical reception, the soundtrack delivers on that front.

Is Routine 2025's Best Horror Game? Find Out!

Routine’s soundtrack and soundscapes are a particularly notable feature of the horror game, especially coming from the creator of DOOM’s awesome music!

Routine Metacritic – The Reviews Are In, and This Lunar Nightmare Was Worth the Wait

With over 1,600 user reviews marked “Very Positive” on Steam, Routine has quietly become one of 2025's biggest surprise horror hits. But it's not just gamers raving about the game. If there’s one thing the Routine Metacritic page makes instantly clear, it’s that Lunar Software’s decade-long odyssey to bring their retro-futuristic sci-fi horror to life has paid off.

So, how exactly are critics responding to this eerie, '80s-inspired sci-fi nightmare set on a derelict lunar base? Overwhelmingly positively. Indeed, with a 78 Metascore, most reviews landing between 70 and 90, and only one single outlier, it’s a strong showing for a debut indie horror.

Get Your Discounted Copy of Routine @ 2Game Today!

The High Praise 90s: Critics Who Were Completely Blown Away

With an impressive 90/100 from four major outlets, Routine sets a high bar for debut sci-fi horrors.

PCGamesN – 90

PCGamesN doesn’t hold back, calling Routine “cassette futurism at its most tactile” and highlighting not just the aesthetic, but the standout CAT tool and next-level sound design. For them, Routine proves that less can absolutely be more when the craft is meticulous.

CGMagazine – 90

CGMagazine describes Routine as retro-futuristic dread done right: “an incredibly engaging and highly atmospheric horror experience.”

Gamekult – 90

“No words can accurately transcribe the primal terror I felt during Routine’s short runtime.” Gamekult summarizes the game as short, terrifying, and unforgettable.

Final Weapon – 90

Framed as an incredible achievement from a first-time studio: “I was enamored from beginning to end with its beautiful aesthetic, terrifying setpieces, and unnerving narrative.”

80s: The Praise With Asterisks

Scores in the low to mid-80s emphasize how well Routine nails its atmosphere, even when certain stylistic choices might not appeal to everyone.

GameStar – 84

Ranking among the reviewer's most immersive horror experiences in years: "I've waited 13 years for this game – now it's my absolute insider tip for 2025."

Hardcore Gamer – 80

Although flagging that Routine’s psychological leanings and slow pacing won’t be universal crowd-pleasers: “It does create something quite special and intense… Cheap jump scares are few and far between, and your brain is left to run rampant and fill in the blanks.” In other words, it's perfect for players who prefer dread over jolts.

Slant Magazine – 80

Successfully placing you inside the protagonist's boots, Slant praises the immersion and the tension built “on the margins” in this atmospheric horror.

High 70s: The Atmosphere That Wins Everyone Over

PC Gamer – 77

PC Gamer praises Routine’s tense, retro-futuristic atmosphere and clever, tactile puzzle design, noting how the CAT tool adds a satisfying layer of interactivity. For them, the story falters towards the end. However, the lunar environments, intelligent Type-05 robots, and constant sense of isolation make for genuinely nerve-wracking moments with “Scary monsters [and] beautiful locations...”

Game8 – 76

Game8 flagged minimalist systems, but found Routine to be an “immersive, tense first-person horror game that excels at atmosphere, environmental storytelling, and stealth-based tension”. It's “highly rewarding” for players who appreciate focused design.

Checkpoint Gaming – 75

Although not huge fans of the characters, according to Checkpoint Gaming, the game’s “sense of immersion and beautiful visuals carry the scares”. They describe it as a great pick for horror fans who enjoy puzzle-solving and immersive worlds.

70s: The Stylish Sci-Fi Horror That Stuck With Them

Even at the lower end of the Metacritic spectrum, Routine’s atmosphere and retro aesthetic don't fail to impress.

Gamereactor UK – 70

Although somewhat familiar, Gamereactor praises Routine as “an incredibly atmospheric journey”, noting that its stylish retelling of sci-fi horror tropes works well.

Critical Hits – 70

Critical Hits notes older-feeling mechanics, but highlights the “tense, visually striking exploration” and calls Routine “a solid experience for fans of atmospheric horror.”

PC Games – 70

PC Games weren't sold on the story or enemy AI, but praised the sound and world design - key pillars of a horror experience.

Across these reviews, the takeaway is clear: Routine’s atmosphere, sound, and visual style are its true stars. Perfect for a love letter to retro sci-fi.

The Outlier: One Critic With Higher Expectations

Routine has one negative review on Metacritic: a 50 from The A.V. Club. But, interestingly, even here, the feedback is far from dismissive.

The A.V. Club – 50

The A.V. Club highlights “flashes of brilliance in its found-footage presentation and lovingly rendered Space Race-era tech,” though they note the game didn’t quite meet a decade-long hype.

That said, Routine is a focused, atmospheric horror experience, not a sprawling blockbuster, and it’s precisely that focus which most players and critics celebrate.

Final Word: Routine Metacritic Shows a Horror Gem Worth Experiencing

With fifteen positive or mixed-positive critic reviews, just one negative review, a Metacritic score of 78, and overwhelmingly Very Positive user reviews on Steam, Routine firmly establishes itself as one of the most atmospheric and stylish sci-fi horror releases of the year.

Deliberate, retro, and unsettling in all the right ways, it's a must-play for anyone who loves moody, tense, slow-burning horror drenched in ’80s futurism - A lunar mission that's absolutely worth suiting up for!

Get Your Discounted Copy of Routine @ 2Game Today!


Scarily good

Routine Game Monster Explained: What Is Up With The Bots?

We'll say it right off the bat: Routine is a wild game. Much wilder than it appears to be on the surface of it, to the point that we'd sooner compare it to SIGNALIS than we would to its basic-level inspiration, Alien: Isolation. Both are very pertinent, though, as you're about to find out. Just to warn you right off the bat, this handy little guide is in fact positively loaded with spoilers, and we'd advise you to consider not reading it if you'd like to experience the story of Routine at your own pace.

SPOILERS BELOW

With that all out of the way, we've got to admit that Routine's main narrative was rather shocking. What starts out as a run-of-the-mill AI-gone-haywire type of thing soon devolves into a perspective-shifting realignment of everything the game tells you early on, to the point where you've got to consider who the "good" guy really is here.

The obvious answer is: nobody. The bots are the least of your concerns, if we're being honest and only slightly cheeky, and we'll explain the lore and the narrative payoff behind both of Routine's enemy types in the next couple of paragraphs. Again, though: SPOILERS COMING UP.

Is Routine 2025's Best Horror Game? Find Out!

Routine-Gameplay-Robot1

Routine's 05 Robots Explained

The most heavily marketed and instantly recognizable enemy in Routine is its bevy of ridiculously creepy 05 service robots. These harken back to Routine's initial 2012 announcement, as they - alongside the iconic Cosmonaut Assistance Tool, CAT - were one of the reasons horror fans were so excited about the game.

Now, it should go without saying that 05s don't look like the most helpful bunch. Setting aside the fact they've got ominous eyes and teeth, they very much are trying to kill you for seemingly no apparent reason.

Except, that's obviously not quite it, and it thankfully doesn't take long before we learn why 05s are so interested in taking us down: we're infected. Routine's lunar surface plays host to a strange hybrid of a fungal and floral infection, and the local lunar facility's Automated Security Network immediately tried to contain the growing number of infected humans. Predictably, it didn't take long before 05s got programmed to simply murder the infected on-sight, and that's where we come into the picture, as the player avatar has been infected.

Routine's 05 bots aren't the malicious monsters they might seem to be at a glance, then. Thing is, they're hardly the only thing prowling about the place...

Routine's Organic Enemies Explained

Towards the second half of Routine's campaign, players start to come across a new kind of presence rummaging through the lunar facility. There are at least two entities: one passive, one hostile, and they both have the ability to turn invisible on a whim. Coincidentally, they also spread a bevy of fungal spores wherever they go, making it all but impossible for the infestation to be contained. 05s fall by the wayside at this point, as players start to get stalked by strange amalgamations of human flesh and alien physiology.

Where did these aliens come from, though? Well, from the lunar surface, of course. From the aptly named Canal, where the player's task is to inject a dose of amniotic brine to... well, birth a new creature, presumably. There are several uncomfortable implication made here, and only one of them is the final appearance of the Canal, now riddled with alien flowers and vines. We also learn that Routine's protagonist had been sent on their mission almost a full year before the game takes place, suggesting that this entire game of cat and mouse had been happening over and over again for months at that point. You might even call it routine, we'd say.

The full gist of Routine's lore is still shrouded in mystery, of course, but there are elements of greatness present here regardless. We're certain that there'll be a lot of talk about Routine's story, lore, and enemy creatures themselves as time goes on, but this short primer ought to give you a spoiler-heavy overview of what's happening in this game. Neat stuff, right?

Is Routine 2025's Best Horror Game? Find Out!

Routine’s creepy 05 bots aren’t the only thing crawling across the Lunar surface. What’s up with all that, then?

Routine Elevator Code: How To Get It?

If you've just started Routine and found yourself stuck staring at a locked elevator door with no idea what the code is, you're in good company. Lunar Software's long-awaited horror experience doesn't hold your hand whatsoever, and the first puzzle you encounter is a perfect example of that design philosophy. We're here to help you figure out what the elevator code is and how to find it for yourself.

The good news? Finding the code is straightforward once you understand how your C.A.T. device works. The even better news? We'll walk you through the entire process step by step, but do be prepared to have to do the legwork on your own end. Routine is tricky like that, you see.

The Elevator Code Is Randomized in Routine

Before we go any further, there's something crucial you need to know: the elevator code in Routine is different for every player. The game randomizes several codes throughout each playthrough, meaning you can't just look up a universal answer online and punch it in. What works for one person won't work for another.

This is actually a clever design choice on Lunar Software's part. It forces you to engage with the game's core mechanics from the very beginning rather than simply Googling your way through. That said, the process of finding your unique code is the same for everyone, which means we can't actually tell you the code. Instead, we'll show you to how to get your own!

Is Routine 2025's Best Horror Game? Find Out!

Routine-Gameplay-Robot1

How to Find the Elevator Code in Routine

After waking up and completing the initial registration process at the terminal (printing your ID card, grabbing your helmet, and so on), you'll find yourself in a dark corridor. The elevator you need to access is to your left, but the door is locked and requires a four-digit code.

Here's how to get it:

Step 1: Enter the Conference Room

Instead of trying to brute-force the elevator code, head to the room on the right side of the corridor. This is Conference Room A01. Use the terminal next to the door and select "Open Door" to enter.

Step 2: Pick Up Your C.A.T. Device

Inside the conference room, you'll find your C.A.T. (Cosmonaut Assistance Tool) on a table. This device is your primary tool throughout Routine, and you'll use it for everything from scanning objects to solving puzzles. Pick it up.

Step 3: Grab a Battery

Your C.A.T. needs power to function. Head through the next door in the room (open it via the terminal) and grab a battery from the recycling station. You may need to crouch down to spot them underneath the shelves.

Step 4: Access the PDA via the Projector Screen

Return to the conference room with the projector screen on the wall. Raise your C.A.T. by pressing the appropriate button (R on keyboard by default), then press the wireless access button, which is the green horizontal rectangle on the device. This connects you to the terminal and displays your PDA menu on the projector.

Step 5: Check the Database

Once the PDA menu appears, you can save your game here if you want. More importantly, click on the "Database" tab. Inside, you'll find your unique elevator access code displayed clearly.

Step 6: Use the Code

With your code in hand, head back to the elevator. Interact with the terminal next to the door, select "Keypad," enter your code, and then select "Open Door." You're through.

What Happens After the Elevator

Once you've unlocked the elevator, interact with the terminal inside and select "Gateway" to travel to the next area. This takes you to the Gateway level, where you'll encounter the ASN terminal (which requires different credentials) and eventually gain access to the Tram Station.

From here, you can travel to either the Mall or the Living Quarters. We recommend heading to the Mall first, as it contains the Ultraview Module for your C.A.T., an upgrade that adds both flashlight and blacklight functionality. Trust us when we say you'll want that before venturing into the pitch-black corridors of the Living Quarters.

Is Routine 2025's Best Horror Game? Find Out!

Can’t figure out how to use your CAT to get the elevator code in Routine? We’re happy to help, and we won’t take much of your time either!

Bannerlord Companions Guide – Your Ultimate Crew for War Sails

OK, so you’ve got your eye on the horizon in Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord – War Sails (released 26 Nov 2025), but even the most heroic protagonist is nothing without a crew you can trust. (Or at least a crew that won’t accidentally torch your caravans).

And that's where our Bannerlord Companions Guide comes in. Here, we cut through tavern gossip, overzealous forum advice, and community myths to give you a practical, and slightly tongue-in-cheek, roadmap for assembling the ultimate band of wanderers.

Play Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord's new War Sails DLC now!

What Bannerlord Companions Actually Do

Companions in Bannerlord are your swiss-army-knife allies - functional, versatile, and occasionally delightfully frustrating. They can tackle quests, lead caravans that rake in trade gold, command your war parties without costing influence, or even govern settlements.

But heads up: cultural mismatches matter. Don’t just plop a proud Nord into a Southern Empire town and expect warm welcomes; loyalty can take a hit faster than a catapulted boulder.

Recruiting Bannerlord Companions

Think taverns are just for drinking questionable ale and swapping war stories? Think again. In Bannerlord, these bustling hubs are also your companion recruitment HQ; The place to handpick the brains, brawn, and cunning you’ll need for your campaigns.

Here’s how to snag the right crew:

Understanding Stats

Every companion comes with a name and a suffix (e.g., “Vasinya the Accursed” or “Mina the Black”). The suffix hints at their general skill archetype, but Bannerlord loves surprises. Procedural generation ensures that even two “Scholars” or two “Engineers” can feel very different in combat, administration, or caravan management.

And remember, community estimates about skill progression (like INT hitting ~7 by level 24) are guidelines, but you should expect surprises. It’s half the fun.

Companions by Role

Picking companions is more than stats; it’s about filling roles that complement your playstyle. Here’s a snapshot:

Pro tip for War Sails: When sending your fleet into battle, pick companions with strong leadership and tactical abilities. There’s no dedicated “naval skill,” so treat your best tacticians as your fleet captains—strategy wins over secret stats.

Building Your Dream Party

Forget chasing mythical “perfect companions.” Bannerlord is about strategy, style, and a little chaos. Your goal is a well-rounded crew that can handle whatever the campaign or the high seas in War Sails throws at you. Here are some guidelines to consider:

And don’t forget the fun factor. Pick companions whose portraits, personalities, or names make you smile. Bannerlord is a story generator, after all, and your party is your cast. Every decision shapes the adventure.

Crew Chemistry, Land or Sea

Bannerlord companions are gloriously unpredictable, endlessly useful, and occasionally infuriating. With War Sails, you now have options on both land and sea, but remember: there are no guaranteed INT caps, and procedural generation ensures each companion has its quirks.

So, recruit wisely, assign smartly, and embrace personalities as well as stats. With the right crew, every battle, convoy, or naval engagement becomes a story worth telling.

Play Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord's new War Sails DLC now!

Build your dream party

Mount & Blade: Bannerlord – Best Mods, Listed

Mods have always been a crucial item on the list of Mount & Blade's features. Bannerlord is thankfully no different, but there are some intricacies to keep in mind about its modding community and offerings. Down below, we've highlighted all the best Bannerlord mods with some explanations of what makes them such a great deal to begin with.

Play Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord's new War Sails DLC now!

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Must-Play Standalone Highlight: Shokuho

Download Shokuho here!

Before we start discussing bespoke upgrades for the base game experience, it's important to note that Mount & Blade: Shokuho may be the ultimate one-stop-shop for you, if you want it to be. This is, unlike most any other mod featured on the list, a total overhaul that features more content than Mount & Blade 2 base game comes with by default.

Yeah, no, you read that right: Shokuho is bigger than Bannerlord proper, and by a fair margin at that, to boot.

This is a historical overhaul that turns Bannerlord into a broadly accurate recreation of 1568 Japan, just as Oda Nobunaga begins his march on Kyoto. First things first, Shokuho has a map about five times larger than Bannerlord, with a grand total of 56 towns and 181 castles to play around with. You also get tiered sieges, duels, naval battles (outside of War Sails' purview!), post-battle looting, and heaps more. Crucially, Shokuho also comes with the phenomenal Diplomacy mod integrated by default: t

his is one of our must-have highlights for Bannerlord as well, so keep in mind that you're not losing out by choosing Shokuho as your baseline mod.

With the obvious must-play out of the way, let's get onto more technical, piecemeal must-haves for any self-respecting Bannerlord modder!

Ultimate List of Best Bannerlord Mods

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Diplomacy

The lightest, yet most necessary of touches: Bannerlord's Diplomacy mod is basically a comprehensive upgrade for virtually every aspect of the game's - you've guessed it - diplomacy and social progression features. Expect NPCs to react more believably and naturally to your behavior, with the same level of complexity in NPC routines you'd expect from STALKER: GAMMA and the like. If you're only looking to install a single Bannerlord mod, make it be Diplomacy. Thank us later.

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Improved Garrisons

Another natural fit for Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord is the aptly titled Improved Garrisons mod. What you're getting here is a comprehensive garrisoning feature-set with advanced options like automated recruitment, garrison training, and custom guard parties with their own AI to defend your properties. We're frankly flabbergasted by the fact that Improved Garrisons' entire scope hasn't been implemented into Bannerlord as a baseline, given what a natural, necessary fit it is to the rest of the gameplay loop.

Top Bannerlord Mods: Hero Pic

Player Settlement

Want some of that Fallout 4 goodness in your Mount & Blade: Bannerlord gameplay loop? No problem! This delightfully simple mod lets you plop down a custom settlement wherever you see fit, with all the customization options you could possibly wish for. As for whether creating a custom settlement wherever you want is a good idea or not, however, that's a decision you'll have to make for yourself. Great choice for role-playing in particular, though!

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Realistic Battle Mod

There's no avoiding open combat in Bannerlord, so why wouldn't you make it better from the ground-up? The excellent Realistic Battle Mod makes a huge number of improvements to combat balancing, health management, unit tactics, and real-time AI - just to list a few of its boons - in an effort to make warfare more realistic, brutal, and gruesome. Yet satisfying! RBM is further broken-down into three separate customization modules (AI, Arena, and Combat) allowing you to fine-tune which tweaks you want to play with at a given time.

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Open Source Armory

What if you're totally uninterested in anything other than content, though? What if you have precisely zero care about the gameplay loop and its quality, and just want to shove as much top-tier armor and weapon assets into Bannerlord as possible? Open Source Armory is the mod for you. Featuring a shockingly large grand total of:

This is the obvious go-to asset expansion for you. Or, y'know, just download it regardless, because having more sword parts never hurt anybody!

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Bannerlord Tweaks

It's no secret that Mount & Blade 2 is quite a finicky, janky experience at large. Such is the cost of making a huge game, really. Thing is, janky games can often use a whole suite of very minor tweaks to the core gameplay loop, and the excellent Bannerlord Tweaks mod delivers precisely just that. Change your stamina, combat rewards, party size, tournament rewards, experience modifiers, hideout combat... the world is your oyster!

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Serve As Soldier

One of the things that Mount & Blade has never handled well is solo, vagabond gameplay. These games always nudge the player towards the command of ever-larger warbands and their exploits, but what if you'd prefer to play as a minor mercenary instead? The awesome Serve As Soldier mod asks that question, too, allowing you to personally join the retinue of actual lords, become a vassal, and do a whole host of things otherwise impossible in the base game. A phenomenal choice for those who don't have the stomach for Bannerlord's more strategic aspects, we'd say.

Play Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord's new War Sails DLC now!

Eager to jump into Bannerlord, but want a handy list of best mods to enhance or totally revamp the experience? Here’s a go-to guide!

Elden Ring: Nightreign – How to Unlock All DLC Characters?

The Forsaken Hollows DLC for Elden Ring: Nightreign dropped on December 4, 2025, and with it came two brand-new Nightfarers to add to your roster. If you're wondering how to unlock the DLC characters in Nightreign, we've got you covered with everything you need to know about getting the Scholar and Undertaker ready for action.

Both of these new classes bring something genuinely fresh to the table. The Scholar fills a support niche that was previously missing from the base game roster, while the Undertaker is an aggressive damage dealer that can absolutely shred through boss health bars when played correctly. Here's how to get your hands on both of them.

Play Elden Ring: Nightreign's Forsaken Hollows DLC now!

Prerequisites: Getting the DLC

It ought to go without saying, but you need to actually own The Forsaken Hollows DLC to participate in this guide. This is available as part of the Digital Deluxe Edition, or you can purchase it separately for around $15 using the link featured above (and below!). As for whether it's a worthwhile purchase for you, specifically, we can help with that as well.

One thing worth noting: if you already purchased the DLC through a Deluxe Edition or pre-order, you'll likely need to manually download it. On PlayStation, search for "ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN The Forsaken Hollows" in the store. On Xbox, navigate to My Collection, find Nightreign, press the Menu button, and check the box under Manage Games & Add-ons. Steam should handle this automatically, but you can verify through the game's properties in the DLC tab.

You'll also need Update File 1.03 installed, which was released alongside the DLC launch. Most of you will have already sorted this out, but just for the sake of posterity.

How to Unlock Scholar and Undertaker in Nightreign

The good news is that unlocking both DLC characters is pretty straightforward once you've got the expansion installed. Here's the step-by-step process:

Step 1: Defeat Tricephalos

You need to have beaten Tricephalos, the game's first Nightlord boss, at least once. If you've been playing Nightreign since launch, there's a decent chance you've already done this. If not, that's your first order of business.

Step 2: Return to Roundtable Hold

After defeating Tricephalos and returning to the Roundtable Hold, speak with the Iron Menial. He'll relay a message from the Small Jar Merchant asking you to visit the Small Jar Bazaar. If the Iron Menial doesn't appear, head directly to the Bazaar.

Step 3: Follow the Merchant's Lead

Head over to the Small Jar Bazaar and talk to the small jar merchant. You'll get a cryptic indication about a door nearby.

Step 4: Face the Dreglord (Don't Worry About Winning)

Here's where things get interesting. The door behind the merchant will open, leading you to an encounter with the Dreglord. This is designed to be a losing fight for first-time players. Getting defeated triggers a cutscene, and that's actually how you're supposed to progress.

Step 5: Return to the Chapel

After the cutscene plays out, head back through that same door. You'll now find both the Scholar and Undertaker standing in a chapel area. Talk to each of them, and they'll be added to your roster as playable Nightfarers. You can swap to them at the bell in the Roundtable Hold, just like your other unlocked characters.

The Scholar: Arcane Support

The Scholar is a support-focused Nightfarer, which is a pretty significant addition to Nightreign's roster. According to Bandai Namco, he's "an academic who walks the Lands Between, and a member of the School of Hierodas who seeks knowledge through travel."

His stat spread leans heavily into Arcane (S-tier scaling), making him excellent at applying status effects like Scarlet Rot and Poison. He favors Thrusting Swords, which complement his technical, spacing-focused playstyle.

The Scholar's standout feature is his passive ability, Bagcraft. This lets him carry additional items per inventory slot and increases consumable effectiveness the more you use them. His Character Skill, Analyze, allows him to study enemies to apply debuffs or scan allies to provide buffs. The longer he observes, the stronger the effects.

His Ultimate Art, Communion, links enemies together so that damage dealt to one is shared across all linked targets. This is particularly devastating against groups and can turn the Scholar into a surprisingly potent damage contributor despite his support designation.

The Undertaker: Faith-Based DPS

The Undertaker takes a completely different approach. She's an abbess with A-tier scaling in both Strength and Faith, making her a hybrid powerhouse focused on aggressive melee combat. Her default weapon is a cudgel-like hammer that hits hard and fast.

Her passive ability, Confluence, is where things get interesting for team play. Whenever a nearby ally activates their Ultimate Art, the Undertaker can immediately use her own Ultimate Art for free, regardless of how full her gauge is. This can lead to some absolutely ridiculous burst damage in coordinated groups.

Her Character Skill, Trance, buffs her movement speed, eliminates stamina consumption while sprinting, increases her poise and combo attack power, and transforms her dodge into a snappy dodge-step. If you activate Trance while your Ultimate gauge is full, you get even stronger bonuses plus the ability to survive one lethal hit.

Her Ultimate Art, Loathsome Hex, launches her toward a target with impressive range, dealing heavy damage on impact. Combined with Confluence triggering off ally ultimates, you can spam this ability multiple times in quick succession during boss fights.

Unlocking the New Boss Content

If you want to access the full scope of The Forsaken Hollows content, including the new Balancers boss expedition and The Great Hollows Shifting Earth event, you'll need to go a bit further:

Once these conditions are met, you'll be able to challenge the new DLC bosses and access all the expansion content. Next step? The Balancers, if you dare.

Play Elden Ring: Nightreign's Forsaken Hollows DLC now!

Elden Ring: Nightreign’s new Forsaken Hollows DLC comes with two new characters! Here’s how to get both of them unlocked quickly.