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: Mechanic Escape
Mechanic Escape is a relentless platformer that hurls you into a pulse-pounding chase through a world ruled by ruthless machines. As Mech, a brave TV set on a rescue mission, you’ll sprint through 80 trap-filled levels, dodging high-voltage death traps, outsmarting mechanical foes, and surviving boss encounters that test your reflexes to the limit. With its fast-paced rhythm, hardcore platforming, and quirky visual charm, this game turns every second into a heart-racing fight for survival and freedom.
Deadzone: Rogue: Key Giveaway For Free Subscribers
Deadzone: Rogue drops you into the derelict corridors of the ISS-X, a haunted spacecraft teeming with rogue machines and lost memories. As swarms of biomechanical enemies close in, you’ll scavenge powerful gear, unleash elemental weaponry, and enhance your body with deadly augments to survive relentless onslaughts. With every run offering new weapons, upgrades, and brutal boss battles, this roguelite shooter delivers high-octane action, strategic customization, and a dark mystery waiting to be unraveled.
If you would like to be in the running for a key, hit reply and just put 'deadzone'. We will pick a winner and send over the key in 48 hours
Tempest Rising: Key Giveaway For Free Subscribers
Tempest Rising revives the golden age of classic RTS with modern visuals and fast-paced, base-building warfare set in an alternate-history Earth torn by conflict. Command one of three asymmetrical factions, each with distinct tactics, economies, and unit rosters across two gripping campaigns or intense multiplayer battles. With customizable loadouts, explosive real-time combat, and the mystery of the strange Tempest vines at its heart, this strategy epic blends nostalgia and innovation into a rich, rewarding warzone.
If you would like to be in the running for a key, hit reply and just put 'tempest'. 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!
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered [Steam]
It modernises the 2006 Game of the Year with all-new stunning visuals. $̶̶62.54 $52.80
Night is Coming [Steam]
Survival strategy game set in a fantasy world inspired by Slavic mythology. $̶̶27.86 $9.46
Barotrauma [Steam]
In the not-too-distant future, humanity has managed to fly to Jupiter’s moon, EUROPA. $̶̶28.42 $11.03
Horizon Forbidden West [PS5]
Join Aloy as she braves the Forbidden West, a deadly frontier that conceals mysterious new threats.$49.99 $29.99
High On Life [PS5]
Fresh out of high school, everything changes when aliens invade to get high on humans.$39.99 $23.99
Alan Wake 2 [PS5]
Alan Wake, a lost writer trapped in a nightmare beyond our world, writes a dark story.$59.99 $29.99
Afterlove EP [Nintendo Switch]
A slice-of-life adventure about love, loss and music.$15.99 $19.99
Featured Game Review: The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered drops you back into the heart of Cyrodiil with a fresh coat of Unreal-powered paint and all the glorious weirdness intact. Whether you're closing Oblivion gates alongside a very serious Sean Bean, helping the Prince of Madness sort through his issues in the Shivering Isles, or just poking your nose way too close to NPCs during conversations, it’s a ride that feels both nostalgic and surprisingly lively. This remaster doesn’t reinvent the game, but it makes diving into its world easier than ever, with better visuals, a cleaner UI, and tweaks to systems that needed it most.
For longtime fans, it’s like slipping into a well-worn adventuring cloak that’s finally been patched up. Sure, some of the old jank is still lurking around, and the enemy scaling system remains a bit of a pain, but it’s hard to care when the world is this charmingly odd and full of stories worth chasing. If you missed it the first time, there’s never been a better moment to step into Cyrodiil’s open world and see why Oblivion still casts such a long shadow nearly two decades later.
The systems in this game allow significantly more freedom
What sets Oblivion Remastered apart from Bethesda’s newer RPGS is just how much freedom its quirky, sometimes clunky systems give you. It’s less streamlined than something like Skyrim, but that’s the point—it invites experimentation in a way few modern games do. The standout is spellcrafting: instead of picking from a limited spell list, you can mix effects with sliders and toggles to make spells as practical or ridiculous as you like. Want to create a spell that terrifies NPCs while simultaneously boosting their speed so they flee like cartoon characters? You can—and it’s hilarious. The system might feel a bit dated, but it gives you the kind of hands-on creativity that modern games often avoid in favor of tightly curated options.
This philosophy of freedom over polish pops up everywhere, from weird side quests to the way you level up by doing just about anything. Even simple additions like the new sprint button, which wasn’t in the original game, transform the pace of exploration. Sure, you’ll burn stamina while running, but being able to zip through cities and dungeons without slogging around makes the whole world feel more dynamic. It even makes you think more about stamina-boosting builds, since now that resource matters. Pair that with a much-improved UI, separated meters, clearer menus, and a smarter compass, and you get a remaster that doesn’t just look better, but plays smoother without losing the original’s eccentric charm.
There are a lot of wonky choices in this game
Despite the improvements, Oblivion Remastered still carries its fair share of wonky design choices that remind you just how old the bones of this game are. The quest log still barges onto the middle of your screen at the worst possible times, and the notoriously clunky persuasion minigame returns unchanged, as baffling and unfun as ever. That said, many of the most annoying quirks have been addressed, like the old resource harvesting system, which now gives you ingredients instantly instead of making you gamble with every plant you touch. The levelling system has also seen a smart overhaul, blending Oblivion’s original class-based skill progression with Skyrim’s more flexible “level-as-you-play” model, making progression feel smoother and less punishing. Enemy scaling still has its frustrating moments, but it’s far more manageable now, and while some legacy weirdness remains, most of it feels more like a charming oddity than a true flaw.
Bottom line
Oblivion Remastered brings back the heart of a classic RPG with smarter systems, cleaner visuals, and a welcome dose of modern polish. While some old issues like bugs and awkward enemy scaling remain, the improved levelling, UI, and sheer freedom make this a nostalgic journey well worth revisiting. It’s still weird, still ambitious—and now easier than ever to enjoy.
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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