CrossCode's 1.1 update gives you critter companions
Yes, you can pet the dog.
Retro sci-fi RPG CrossCode has been bolstered by a big update today, chucking in new quests, S-rank battles, an arena and, more important than any of that, loyal pets who will follow you around on your adventures. CrossCode's already a huge game—and pretty great—but there's always room for pooches.
Dogs are far too precious to fling into battle, of course, so don't expect your pets to get stuck into the extremely brisk real-time combat. They'll just hang back and give you moral support. Remember to thank them once you've killed your enemies.
Next to the pets, the most notable addition is the Rhombus Square Arena. Inside, you'll be able to arrange fights against regular enemies, dungeon enemies and bosses. Each cup contains multiple rounds, either taken on individually or in a rush mode where you do the cup in one go. Medals you win can be exchanged for coins that can in turn be spent on new gear, decorative stuff and pets. The extra step seems a bit unnecessary.
The new combat rank makes enemies respawn faster, so you can try to get longer combat streaks, while the turret defence mini-game now includes a challenge mode and, yes, more rewards.
CrossCode 1.1 is available now. There's also a demo on Steam if you're in the market for a new RPG.
The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
Fraser is the UK online editor and has actually met The Internet in person. With over a decade of experience, he's been around the block a few times, serving as a freelancer, news editor and prolific reviewer. Strategy games have been a 30-year-long obsession, from tiny RTSs to sprawling political sims, and he never turns down the chance to rave about Total War or Crusader Kings. He's also been known to set up shop in the latest MMO and likes to wind down with an endlessly deep, systemic RPG. These days, when he's not editing, he can usually be found writing features that are 1,000 words too long or talking about his dog.
CD Projekt rolls out a new Cyberpunk 2077 beta branch so people can keep playing while modders catch up to the 2.2 update
OG Fallout lead Tim Cain explains just how much thought went into the timeline, and why canned beans were key: 'Post-apocalypse, but not so far post- that everything's collapsed and everyone's dead'