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.