A big welcome back to all Loot Happens subscribers. Loot Happens is a weekly newsletter that is emailed and posted on LootHappens.com.
It's important to note that for premium subscribers, game offerings and in-game content, every week is different. Sometimes it's in-game codes, Steam keys, and giveaways, but premium members will always get something special every mailing. We also occasionally get mind-blowing early access or premium games that pay for an entire year's subscription.
Each newsletter is generally structured as Premium Loot > Free Sub Giveaways > Game Feature > Game discounts.
Key Giveaway for Premium Subscribers: Jetboard Joust
Jetboard Joust is pure, unfiltered arcade chaos — a jet-propelled blend of 1980s shmup energy and modern roguelike intensity. You tear through alien hordes at blistering speed, juggling absurd weapons and split-second dodges while explosions fill the screen. Every run is a lesson in momentum: leap off your jetboard to crush foes, steal boss powers, and chain destruction across neon planets. It’s loud, fast, and unapologetically old-school — the kind of game that reminds you why arcades once ruled the world.
Half Sword: Key Giveaway For Free Subscribers
Half Sword drops you into the mud and metal of 15th-century Europe — a brutal, physics-driven duel where every swing can decide your life or your limb. You’re no hero, just a commoner clawing through bloody tournaments with weapons that feel heavy, unpredictable, and terrifyingly real. Each fight is a lesson in timing and anatomy, built from real HEMA swordplay and armor physics that punish hesitation. It’s less a power fantasy and more a slow, savage climb toward knighthood — where one wrong parry can end your story, head and all.
If you would like to be in the running for a key, hit reply and just put 'sword'. We will pick a winner and send over the key in 48 hours
Sun Haven: Key Giveaway For Free Subscribers
Sun Haven is a cozy fantasy life sim that stretches far beyond the farm. You can romance 23 characters, raise phoenixes and griffons alongside cows and chickens, and decorate homes across magical cities and underwater realms. With no stamina bar and deeply customizable settings, it’s as relaxed or demanding as you make it — a world where farming, fishing, questing, and love all blend into one sprawling fairytale. Equal parts charm and freedom, Sun Haven turns everyday chores into pure enchantment.
If you would like to be in the running for a key, hit reply and just put 'sun'. We will pick a winner and send over the key in 48 hours
Historically Low Prices
This section of Loot Happens tracks historical discounts right now on games and throughout the industry! Our tireless web crawlers scour the web daily, sniffing out the best deals across the gaming landscape.
These aren't just any games – they're titles we adore and highly respect. And right now, you can grab them at prices we've never seen before!
Tormented Souls 2 [Steam]
The award-winning survival horror classic is back.$̶̶34.77 $17.95
SILENT HILL 2 Deluxe Edition [PS5]
Experience a master-class in psychological survival horror.$79.99 $39.99
Spiritfarer [Nintendo Switch]
Spiritfarer is a cozy management game about dying.$29.99 $4.49
Outlast 2 [Nintendo Switch]
Outlast 2 is the sequel to the acclaimed survival horror game Outlast.$19.99 $4.99
Featured Game Review: Ninja Gaiden 4
Thirteen years later, Ninja Gaiden 4 feels like both a reunion and a reminder. Team Ninja and Platinum Games don’t try to reinvent their shared legacy — they sharpen it. The result is a merciless ballet of blood and precision where every strike sings, every mistake punishes, and every victory feels carved from chaos. It’s a revival that proves old-school ferocity still cuts the deepest, even when wrapped in modern polish.
The combat reforged
When the blades clash, Ninja Gaiden 4 is untouchable. Its speed borders on madness — enemies swarm, adapt, and never wait their turn, forcing constant creativity. Yakumo’s arsenal feels lethal from the first slash: the Flying Swallow, the Izuna Drop, the ultimate techniques that turn essence into spectacle. Platinum’s influence hums beneath the surface in the slick animations and the rhythm of risk-reward combat. The new Bloodraven Form — slower, heavier, devastating — gives every encounter a fresh layer of resource tension. It’s the kind of system that makes you lean forward, sweat a little, and whisper, “just one more fight.
A world less sharp
Step outside the duels, though, and the edges dull. The campaign’s story, another dark-dragon apocalypse, another stoic antihero, never earns its drama. Yakumo’s grunts and brooding don’t fill Ryu Hayabusa’s boots, and even when the veteran ninja returns late in the game, he’s stranded in recycled levels with reduced tools. Environments echo the same rooftops, corridors, and bases until fatigue sets in. Occasional bursts of brilliance — gliding over mountains, grinding rails through neon Tokyo — can’t disguise the repetition.
Challenge and reward
Where the narrative falters, the game’s structure redeems it. Optional side quests and Purgatory Gates inject variety and real stakes, offering brutal tests with self-imposed handicaps and rich payoffs. The new upgrade economy and Berserk Meter complicate the familiar formula in interesting ways — though early hours can feel punishingly stingy if you’re not playing the deluxe edition. Master Ninja mode and 18 post-game combat trials stretch the replay value, demanding near-perfect execution from those hungry to master the blade.
Bottom line
Ninja Gaiden 4 isn’t perfect - the story drags, the levels blend together, and a few bosses overstay their welcome. But once the blades start flying, none of that really matters. The combat is pure adrenaline, balancing Platinum’s flair for spectacle with Team Ninja’s brutal precision. For every dull stretch of corridor, there’s a flash of brilliance sharp enough to make you forget it. This isn’t just a comeback — it’s proof that when it comes to action, Ninja Gaiden still cuts deeper than anyone else.
Next Week
Every newsletter has a lot to look forward to, and we are in active communication with several developers and studios. More to come next week!
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