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AMD wants to double DDR5 memory bandwidth using clever trick, patent reveals - but this is no SOCAMM rival, and AMD's previous memory project didn't end well

TechRadar News - Thu, 10/02/2025 - 12:32
AMD patent reveals new RAM module design which doubles DDR5 bandwidth using HB-DIMMs, but avoids replacing DRAM chips with entirely new technology.
Categories: Technology

Perplexity's Comet AI Web Browser Is Now Available to Everyone

CNET News - Thu, 10/02/2025 - 12:06
No subscription required.
Categories: Technology

AI might not actually be killing off jobs like we thought - but many businesses are still wary about agents

TechRadar News - Thu, 10/02/2025 - 12:02
AI agents are beneficial, but they’re hardly on track to replace human workers any time soon, research finds.
Categories: Technology

King of Meat offers brilliant combat and dungeon creation, but its platforming ground me down

TechRadar Reviews - Thu, 10/02/2025 - 12:00

This party platformer serves up a steady stream of challenges with buckets of content to unlock, ranging all the way from a robust roster of weapons to neat cosmetics that help you run wild in the excellent character creator.

Personalization and customization are consistent highlights in King of Meat, and when you’re not tackling its wide selection of community-made levels, the expansive dungeon maker gives you a powerful but approachable set of tools for crafting your own.

Review info

Platform reviewed: PS5
Available on: PC, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X, and Series S
Release date: October 7, 2025

It’s a meaty package given the modest $29.99 / £24.99 asking price, but there are some rough edges to bear in mind before you dive in. Its copious animated cutscenes are gorgeous, but the constant parody humor can sometimes grate. It’s perfectly serviceable if you’re willing to regard it with some degree of irony, but hardly entertaining material. The platforming can also be a drag, as it's quite slow and precise - the opposite of what you would usually expect from a colorful multiplayer party game like this.

Pair this with a difficulty level that ranges all the way from a complete cakewalk to unbelievably punishing, depending on the design of your current dungeon, and the experience can often frustrate.

Meat your maker

(Image credit: Amazon Games)

Set in the fantasy kingdom of Loregok, everything in King of Meat is centered around the titular in-universe TV show.

Although online play is the focus, there’s a surprising amount of story here and heaps of voiced dialogue. The handful of vendors in its small hub world frequently dispense world-building lines, and there’s even a pretty solid single-player mode that has you traversing through a series of developer-crafted dungeons as little narrative segments play out.

Despite the reliance on rather passé parody humor, it’s certainly entertaining enough and offers a nice little diversion if you’re waiting for your friends to hop on for a multiplayer session. Reaching new high scores in these levels unlocks loads of neat goodies too, including in-game currency and some nifty cosmetics, giving you a good reason to replay each of them a handful of times.

The star of the show is the multiplayer, though, divided into three distinct leagues that can be tackled with up to three other players. The league tryouts are your beginner levels, intended to be immediately approachable to low-level players. Populated by basic skeleton enemies or simplistic puzzles, they’re not particularly thrilling, leading to a rather weak first few matches, but soon give way to the much more exciting Global League playlist and the super challenging Imperial League.

Global League is where I routinely have the most fun, but enjoyment does hinge heavily on the design of the level that you’re playing. Although there is a fairly large selection of developer-made stages (which comprised the bulk of my early testing time), the community also has the power to create new levels that feed into the mix.

Sizzle reel

(Image credit: Amazon Games)

When you’re playing a well-designed level, everything just clicks.

One particularly memorable example had me completing quite complex spike-based puzzles with a team of randoms, all of us communicating through the in-game chat wheel (populated by barks like ‘nice’ or ‘sorry’) and the quick ping feature.

Carefully timing my position on pressure plates to disable traps so the other players could progress and do the same for me was immensely satisfying and had us all frictionlessly working like a hive mind despite the lack of detailed communication.

Going head-to-head with just the right mix of enemies in more wave-based challenges also helps the shockingly deep combat shine. Chaining different combos together to fill up the on-screen audience excitement meter is immediately rewarding, with more elaborate streaks resulting in louder cheers and higher points.

Best bit

(Image credit: Amazon Games)

The specials mode offers up a platter of limited-time challenges, with some aimed at solo players and others geared towards teams. They’re some of the best levels that I’ve seen, with a good mix of devious traps and combat challenges. Competing in them puts you on a huge leader board, and yes I managed to reach number one a handful of times.

There are loads of weapons to try too, with both a primary and secondary slot. Primaries range from your average medieval fare like swords and hammers to magical knuckle dusters and electric guitars, while secondaries include a bomb launcher and, my personal favorite, a literal gun. Completing challenges with each weapon feeds into a large set of skill trees, with unlocks increasing key stats and improving the efficiency of attacks.

Powerful Glory Moves are charged like an ultimate ability as your brawl, unleashing powerful effects, including healing for your team and an amusing burp that sends enemies flying. It’s all very strong on paper, but the issues start to come to the fore when you’re playing a less well-designed stage.

One random choice dumped me in a long, straight corridor that was just overflowing with super powerful enemies - a wildly unfair slog that saw me losing all five of my lives in a matter of seconds.

(Image credit: Amazon Games)

Platforming is rather slow and cumbersome, too, which makes some of the more parkour-oriented stages feel unfair. Your maximum running speed is a snail's pace, and your jump is floaty and inaccurate. Throw in some consistent issues with hit direction thanks to server latency, and you have a recipe for annoyance when you’re trying to navigate everything from spike pits to moving platforms - which unfortunately are practically omnipresent.

I’m not exactly sure why developer Glowmade didn’t go for a lighter, faster style of platforming here, as it would easily make everything so much more exciting.

Dungeon master

(Image credit: Amazon Games)

Those with a creative streak will likely be able to forgive this, though, as King of Meat doesn’t fall short when it comes to customization.

The character creator is excellent, giving you loads of control over your armored competitor with a variety of outfit parts, plus decals and accessories that you can place anywhere. The unique, almost-modern-but-still-medieval look is cute too, and means that traffic cones and tracksuit bottoms don’t look at all out of place next to suits of armor.

There’s also the superb dungeon creator. It’s not quite as expensive as something like the level builder in Super Mario Maker, as it fundamentally relies on placing pre-set rooms, but you can achieve an awful lot with it. There are loads of decor items to place freely, tons of enemies, special effects, and a robust logic system for those keen to create more adventurous contraptions and puzzles.

The ability to quickly play your dungeon from the start or your current room in order to spot any sore spots is a blessing and makes creation fun and easy. Uploading your tracks for others to try is simple too, and I personally can’t wait to discover what kind of things players will come up with.

All of this leaves me a bit conflicted about King of Meat. The groundwork is all here for a fantastic experience, and the team behind the game has clearly put a huge amount of care and attention into almost all of its core elements - I just wish the platforming and comedy weren't quite so tedious.

Should I play King of Meat?Play it if…

You’re after a new co-op game
King of Meat is fun with friends and supports playing with up to three of them at any one time. Its low asking price makes it an attractive proposition if you’re looking for something to play on your next virtual game night.

You’re wildly creative
From the character creator to the dungeon maker, King of Meat gives you a wealth of tools to express yourself and run wild with creativity. If you’re the kind of person who loves those systems, you’ll get a lot out of this.

Don’t play it if…

You can’t stand the style of humor
There is a surprising amount of narrative content in King of Meat, and a lot of it is filled with annoying parody humor. If that’s not your cup of tea, I’d give it a miss.

You’re in it for the platforming
Combat is exciting, but the slow platforming is one of the weakest parts of the overall package.

Accessibility features

There are loads of accessibility options in King of Meat. This includes a range of speech-to-text options, including narration of the in-game menus and chat box. Subtitles are enabled by default, and you’re free and customize the size, color, and background opacity of them. The controls can also be customized with a huge range of input options that remove the need to hit buttons.

Photosensitive users can remove the screen flash that occurs when you take damage, or disable a selection of other in-game effects.

How I reviewed King of Meat

I played more than ten hours of King of Meat on PlayStation 5 ahead of the game’s launch. During that time, I played a heap of levels both alone and with other players online.

I also had a lengthy co-op session with a colleague in order to assess the game’s potential when you’re playing with friends. I unlocked the bulk of the game’s content, including most of its weapons, and played with all of the ones that were available to me. I became global number one in a handful of the daily challenge levels and also spent some time as the level creator, experimenting with the tools on offer.

Throughout my time with the game, I played it with the standard DualSense Wireless Controller and an Astro A20 X gaming headset for audio.

First reviewed September 2025

Categories: Reviews

King of Meat offers brilliant combat and dungeon creation, but its platforming ground me down

TechRadar News - Thu, 10/02/2025 - 12:00
King of Meat has a lot going for it as a co-op party game, but awkward humor and underwhelming platforming disappoint.
Categories: Technology

The Energy Department canceled billions in funding. Democrats say it's retribution

NPR News Headlines - Thu, 10/02/2025 - 11:37

Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought said the funding was for projects in 16 states, all of which voted for former Vice President Kamala Harris.

(Image credit: Godofredo A. Vásquez/AP)

Categories: News

Sony WF-1000XM6 earbuds may yet launch this year with a nice sound upgrade, while the XM5 buds and XM6 headphones just got a useful free update

TechRadar News - Thu, 10/02/2025 - 11:35
New Sony earbuds are incoming, and existing headphones get some useful improvements
Categories: Technology

Sean Combs, in custody for a year, to face sentencing on split verdict

NPR News Headlines - Thu, 10/02/2025 - 11:17

The music mogul, who was convicted on two counts of transportation for prostitution but acquitted of more serious charges, will be in court on Friday, Oct. 3 for a sentencing hearing.

(Image credit: Mike Coppola)

Categories: News

Is Peaky Blinders getting a sequel season or movie? The answer is both, and I’m beside myself

TechRadar News - Thu, 10/02/2025 - 11:15
Not only are we getting a Peaky Blinders movie, but Netflix has confirmed two sequel seasons of the original hit show.
Categories: Technology

I’m seriously tempted by the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft – but its predecessor’s $100 / £110 early Prime Day discount has made me think twice

TechRadar News - Thu, 10/02/2025 - 11:13
This bargain $100 / £110 discount on the Kindle Scribe (2024) makes me wonder if the stunning Colorsoft offers the best value.
Categories: Technology

Major data breach at dealership software firm exposes 766,000 clients - here's what we know

TechRadar News - Thu, 10/02/2025 - 11:13
Names, addresses, and more exposed in a major attack against a popular dealership software provider.
Categories: Technology

Marvel Rivals Season 4.5 arrives next week and finally adds cross-progression and the long-awaited, confirmed Duelist, Daredevil

TechRadar News - Thu, 10/02/2025 - 11:06
NetEase Games has revealed the details for Marvel Rivals Season 4.5, which will introduce a new hero, mode, and the long-awaited cross-platform progression.
Categories: Technology

Europa League Soccer: Livestream Feyenoord vs. Aston Villa Live From Anywhere

CNET News - Thu, 10/02/2025 - 11:00
The tournament favorites head to the Netherlands for this Week 2 match.
Categories: Technology

Which Apple Watch Should You Buy? Apple Watch Series 11, Ultra 3 and SE 3 Compared

CNET News - Thu, 10/02/2025 - 11:00
Apple revamped its smartwatch lineup, including a new SE model, with a mix of dramatic and subtle changes from previous versions.
Categories: Technology

Sora 2 has arrived - can the uncanny valley explain why AI images and videos feel so weird?

TechRadar News - Thu, 10/02/2025 - 11:00
Social media is full of AI-generated images and videos that may look flawless but feel off. Experts say the uncanny valley might explain our uneasy reactions to them.
Categories: Technology

Apple has reportedly abandoned the Vision Pro 2 to make smart glasses, but I'm worried they'll repeat the same mistakes

TechRadar News - Thu, 10/02/2025 - 10:53
Apple smart glasses could be the best gadget of 2027, or the most disappointing – there’s no inbetween.
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If you buy any OLED TV this Prime Day, it should be the LG B5 for only $699.99

TechRadar News - Thu, 10/02/2025 - 10:36
If you buy any OLED TV ahead of this year's Amazon Prime Day sale, it should be LG's 48-inch B5 OLED TV on sale for an unbelievable price of just $699.99.
Categories: Technology

Lots of LG TVs are getting a great free upgrade – here are the models it's coming to, including OLED and QNED TVs

TechRadar News - Thu, 10/02/2025 - 10:33
LG's webOS 25 is now arriving on a range of TVs, depend on how old your TV is
Categories: Technology

Hulu gets a global launch – as Disney+ reveals 3 big changes coming to your homescreen

TechRadar News - Thu, 10/02/2025 - 10:29
Hulu is set to replace Star in the Disney+ app as of October 8 – and your Disney+ homescreen will get a few upgrades in the process.
Categories: Technology

South Park season 27 is delayed again, but episode 6 has the best-timed break yet

TechRadar News - Thu, 10/02/2025 - 10:29
South Park season 27 episode 6 is delayed again, but there's never been a better time to have a break.
Categories: Technology

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