It's always good to see a game graduate from early access and join the ranks of fully-released games. Barotrauma, the 2D submarine simulator from Daedelic Entertainment, first appeared as a Steam Early Access game way back in 2019. After several years of updates, Barotrauma has emerged from Early Access and become a full Steam game. This one allows up to 16 online players to pilot a submarine together while dealing with monstrous sea creatures and other threats.

Mike and Nick are reliving their teenage years thanks to the free update to QUAKE. Bethesda and id Software have brought the game into the modern age with high resolution graphics, controller support, and full internet play including cross platform multiplayer.

A few months ago, we heard about a new co-op survival game that tasked you and 15 of your nearest and dearest friends to successfully manage a submarine and navigate the depths of Europa's oceans. Barotrauma arrives today to Steam Early Access, so you can see just how much "Hunt for the Red October" got right/wrong when it comes to submarines.

Soldak's got a new action-RPG, Din's Legacy, and if you've ever played a Soldak game, it's definitely more of that particular style of "cRPG meets aRPG from the late 90s." Basically, if you've ever looked at Path of Exile and thought, "sure, but could there be MORE systems," then you really need to take a look at Soldak's catalog.

Ever since Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime arrived four year ago, seems like we've seen an uptick in co-op games where players work together to manage/pilot a ship, which is A-OK by me! The newest entry in the cooperative ship simulator is Barotrauma, a game from Finnish developers FakeFish and Undertow where players control a submarine as it explores the watery depths of Europa.

Final Days kicked of last week's Monday Night Stream, with Nick and Jason diving head first into the twin stick shooter. The game itself is pretty basic - drop in with you and some friends against a set number of mutant enemies. Clear the enemies, move on to the next stage. 

Paging all Hunters, hop into Monster Hunter: World right now and tackle the newest monster, the golden Elder Dragon Kulve Taroth. This one's a little special, though; it won't just be you and three of your buddies this time around. Kulve Taroth is an especially "big boi" and thus 16 players must team up to bring him down and craft new gear from his sparkly hide.

In more great news from Microsoft, 16 original Xbox games are being added to the Xbox One’s Backwards Compatibility list. All of the titles either need to be purchased and downloaded through the Xbox Marketplace or played with a physical copy in the Xbox One. The first batch of 8 games is set to arrive on April 17th and the later 8 on April 26th. While a number of the games feature some sort of multiplayer, it’s the April 26th release of Star Wars Battlefront (2004) and Star Wars Battlefront 2 (2005) that feature the Co-Op we’re most excited about.

Muse Games' steampunk airship combat title, Guns of Icarus Alliance, is making its way onto the PlayStation 4. When it does, not only will it feature cross-platform play with the Steam version of the game, but cross-platform voice chat as well.

Step aside, non-simulator games.  It's time for some news about games that aren't afraid to show you what it's like in the real world.  These games see the mundane nature of reality and say, "That's just how it is.  Deal with it."  They don't try to butter you up with "high scores" and "experience points".  No way.  They deal with real (virtual) issues and make you handle real (virtual) consequences.

It's been awhile since I thought on Farming Simulator 17, and the terrible things Locke, Mike, and Nick did to my farm/crops... Anyways, if you, too, want to enjoy all the rewards of tilling, sowing, and harvesting without the actual hot, sweaty work, then GIANTS Software has you covered. The Platinum Edition of Farming Simulator 17 arrives next month and brings with it a new location to setup your farm, a new crop, and some new sexy farming equipment.

ArmA 3, a game known for its hardcore simulation of military combat, is shifting its focus slightly with its latest DLC, "Laws of War".  Where much of the base game centers around the moment-to-moment action and tactical decisions required in a firefight, "Laws of War" hones in on the effects of those firefights on both civilians living in the area and humanitarian workers attempting to repair the damage done afterward.