Bloodborne (and More) Throwback Jewel Cases Dip Into PlayStation Nostalgia

Bloodborne From Software PS4 Father Gascione Gascoigne Companion NPC Leak Secret NPC Demake

If you have some of your fondest gaming memories in the 90's, there is just something absolutely nostalgic about old-school crystal cases. And while the new packaging is way less fragile, it's hard not to imagine how the latest PlayStation titles would look in square cases. Thankfully, London-based Etsy creator Jinn Media is making those dreams come true — recreating PS4 and PS5 box arts for games like Bloodborne, The Last of Us: Part II, and Demon's Souls.

News comes from Jinn Media's official Instagram page, where they have been debuting off some of their latest additions to their shop. This includes a recently-revealed Bloodborne crystal case demake:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Jinn Media (@jinn.media)

As you might imagine, this is far from the only version of a demake we've seen from Jinn Media. A quick browse of their dedicated Etsy page shows that they've tackled other projects, including Ghost of Tsushima, Demon's Souls, God of War, and Assassin's Creed: Valhalla. In case you are interested in grabbing any of them for a display case, you can nab one for roughly $30.

Bloodborne TLOU The Last of Us PS5 PS4 Demake PS1 Bloodborne Demons Souls PS5 Demake PS1 Bloodborne Assassin's Creed Valhalla PS5 Demake PS1 Spider-Man Miles Morales PS5 Demake PS1

Jinn Media is far from the first person to take on these kind of projects. A few years back we highlighted the Kingdom Hearts 3 throwback jewel case that grabbed our attention around the launch. On top of that, the community is always looking for new ways to celebrate the game — including making an incredible (and functional) threaded cane.

In recent Bloodborne news, the game is still locked at 30 FPS when playing on the PS5 via backward compatibility. As noted, the game would likely need an update to hit contemporary performance-level standards on PS5.

Bloodborne is available now exclusively on PS4 (and playable on PS5); if you haven't somehow picked up the game, you can grab it on Amazon to help support DualShockers.

The post Bloodborne (and More) Throwback Jewel Cases Dip Into PlayStation Nostalgia by Lou Contaldi appeared first on DualShockers.

Saudi Arabia x SNK Deal Aims to Influence Kids with Japanese Games

SNK Heroines Tag Team Frenzy Mohamed bin Salman SNK Saudi Arabia Crown Prince

Following a string of reports that SNK was receiving heavy investment from Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, many were left puzzled. Why exactly is the Middle East jumping into bed with Japanese developers, and is this part of a broader strategy? Following an announcement from the MiSK Foundation (Mohammed bin Salman's official non-profit), we now know that Saudi Arabia is hoping to gain full control of the company in a bid to influence young audiences.

For those catching up, it was reported earlier this week that SNK was being acquired by Saudi Arabia and the Crown Prince. While those rumors may have exaggerated the 33% minority ownership interest that the Middle East country acquired, there was still some speculation on what the intentions were between the two countries.

As noted above, MiSK Foundation (a non-profit political arm of Saudi Arabia and Mohammed bin Salman) clarified the news following the mixed reports. In a blog post on their page, the Foundation clarified that they currently only have a 33% interest but intend on taking majority control in the near future:

The Mohammed Bin Salman Charitable Foundation "MiSK Charity" announced a strategic investment of about 813 million riyals [$216.8 million], whereby it acquires an initial share in the Japanese games company SNK at a rate of 33.3%.

[The] agreement also stipulates that the corporation will buy another 17.7% of SNK's shares in the future to raise its share of investment in the ownership of the company to 51%.

Speaking to the broader strategy of these investments, MiSK Foundation implies directly it is to engage with youth audiences — mostly in Saudi Arabia — in order to get them more globally oriented and interested in game development. MiSK Foundation cites current programs to develop Saudi youth and develop and hone creative talents.

Of course, MiSK Foundation itself is acting as a non-official spokesperson for Saudi Arabia, so there is some broader concern from our staff (and the gaming community at large) on what the actual intentions may be. Saudi Arabia has a storied history of censorship, and their influence on the Japanese market may mean more toned-down games, without as much explicit fan service — looking at you, SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy.

Additionally, Mohammed bin Salman has largely been stained in the United States following the unofficially backed assassination of Washington Post journalist and critic Jamal Khashoggi. There is an argument to be made that the ultimate purpose of these purchases may be to help influence public PR — especially with younger audiences — to a more beneficial relationship with Saudi Arabia

In any case, we will keep you updated with any developments from SNK or Saudi Arabia — we have reached out to the former for comment, and we have not yet got a response.

The post Saudi Arabia x SNK Deal Aims to Influence Kids with Japanese Games by Lou Contaldi appeared first on DualShockers.

A Demon's Souls Player Noticed the PS5 Records Audio When it Captures Trophy Gameplay

Demon's Souls PS5 Gameplay

This is undoubtedly a feature that might go unnoticed to some. The PS5 will record your mic audio when the console is recording a clip after unlocking a trophy. A Demon's Souls player didn't know it was a feature and discovered it after letting out a victorious scream after defeating a boss.

The Redditor u/helloiamjack uploaded the clip to the PS5 subreddit. In the clip, they have just defeated the Tower Knight boss in the newly released Demon's Souls remake. After defeating the brutal boss, u/helloiamjack lets out a loud "yes!" You can watch the clip in the post below.

First time Souls player. I didn't realise that the PS5 records your microphone's audio whenever you get a trophy. Whoops. from r/PS5

The DualSense controller has a surprisingly good microphone inside of it that you can use for party chat and for other things, such as capturing this moment. The mic is turned on by default and can be adjusted in the settings.

If you didn't know that the PS5 captures audio during its trophy recording clips, maybe go back and take a look at some. You might be in for a surprise. Some other folks around the internet have already done so and discoved that they too have let out some screams after finally besting a level or boss. Here is the Reddit user  u/SCOUSETOMO2003 going back to discover a similar moment.

First time Souls player. I didn't realise that the PS5 records your microphone's audio whenever you get a trophy. Whoops. from r/PS5

I am sure this feature is going to capture some great moments. Especially in FromSoftware games. I think you can guess the reason why.

The post A Demon's Souls Player Noticed the PS5 Records Audio When it Captures Trophy Gameplay by Grant Huff appeared first on DualShockers.

An Amateur Game Developer Has Remade the CD-i Zelda Games

Zelda The Wand of Gamelon

What first started off as a joke between friends, has turned into a full-fledged remake for two of the most questionable games to bolster the Zelda name. Those two games: Link: The Faces of Evil and Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon for the Phillips CD-i.

Both of the games were developed by Animation Magic and published by Phillips Interactive media back in 1993. The games might be based on the iconic Nintendo series, but many fans would like to forget that the games exist. Many believe they are the worst games in the franchise and I honestly don't know how anyone would disagree with that statement.

With that said, there was still one amateur developer who wanted to bring these games back to life with a remake. The dev goes by the name Dopply on Twitter. They believed that Link: The Faces of Evil and Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon were great games to learn how to the game engine GameMaker. The process took just over four years, but both titles have now been completely remade.

The dev responded to some questions in a FAQ, mainly responding on why they decided to do it. Dopply stated: ""I wanted to prove to myself that I could make a game. It started as a joke between friends, but then I wanted to see if I could actually pull it off. I've flirted with game making for a while but never finished something. This was my chance to do that (well, over the course of four years, I guess). Over time, remastered versions of these notorious titles was something I wanted for myself as well."

The newly remade games come packed with widescreen mode, subtitles, unlockables, improved sprites, and a remastered mode that improve the quality of play. On top of that, the game was made again from scratch so there will be great improvements to areas that certainly needed them such as enemy spawns and player movement.

If you do decide to jump into the two remakes, I wouldn't expect for your mind to be blown. What do they always say? You can't polish a turd. With that said though, the game will certainly be improved in areas that it needed it. What does Dopply think of it though? He stated: "I think they're alright. These new versions definitely improve them, in my humble opinion. They have a terrible reputation, save for the hilarious cutscenes (which I adore and never got old throughout hundreds of hours of testing, by the way) but as far as games, if you give them non-horrific control schemes and decent performance, they're fine. As a connoisseur of bad and weird games, I've most definitely played worse."

But Dopply does have some positive reflections on certain aspects of the remakes. "I also think the background art is genuinely gorgeous, and the music is fantastic. I'm excited for people to experience the excellent soundtrack for the first time."

I am astonished someone took the time and effort to improve these games. I am sure many of us Zelda fans out there would like to forget that they exist. But the Zelda community is a special one that loves to preserve the history of the franchise, even if the said franchise has had some dark moments.

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Genshin Impact: Zhongli Gacha Banner, Drop Rate Boost Characters Guide

miHoYo announced the fourth limited gacha banner in Genshin Impact (PC, PS4, PS5, Mobile, Switch soon), with Zhongli as the featured character. Saying more about Zhongli would be spoilers. Genshin has an incredibly fun story so far and I sure hope you guys aren't skipping the dialogues in 2020. In the best dub, Zhongli (pronounced Shouri in Japanese and called "Shouri Sensei") is voiced by Tomoaki Maeno, who most notably voices Hiro Hayami in Pretty Rhythm, the best anime of the past decade. Maeno also voices Ash Carbide in the Kiseki / Trails series. Needless to say, I highly respect the work of Keith Silverstein and of all the English cast as well. Yes, this guide wasn't written by a robot, and includes opinions. Be warned.

"Vago Mundo" Zhongli is a five star Geo user, and a Polearm user. His Elemental Burst most notably lets him petrify enemies.

The Zhongli banner in Genshin Impact, Gentry of Hermitage, will begin on December 1, 18:00 (server time). The banner will last till December 22, at 14:59:59 (server time).

First, the pity counter transfers from one Limited banner to another. Secondly, the pity counter limit is still 90. At your 90th pull, you'll get a guaranteed 5 star, with a 50% chance to get the feature character. If you don't get them, next time you reach your 90th pull, it's guaranteed to be the feature character. This also carries over. For example, if you reached your 90th pull on the Childe banner. But didn't get Childe. You are guaranteed to get Zhongli on your next 90th pull.

Talents Guide For Zhongli

Genshin Impact Zhongli normal attack guide Genshin Impact Zhongli Elemental Burst guide

miHoYo published official visual guides depicting Zhongli's skills. Zhongli's Elemental Skill is Dominus Lapidis. With a tap, it summons a Stone Stele. Can be climbed and used to block attacks. It deals AoE Geo DMG, and also resonates with other Geo constructs. Additionally dealing more Geo DMG.

When charged, Dominus Lapidis creates a shield, with DMG Absorption scaling with Zhongli's max HP. Moreover, it absorbs Geo DMG 250% more, and deals AoE Geo DMG on trigger.

Regarding Zhongli's Elemental Burst, there's been some controversy following Ver 1.2 leaks. Personally, I believe you should wait and see until Zhongli is actually in the game instead of making assumptions. There's zero guarantee what was leaked is what will be in the main game. Especially seeing miHoYo's reaction.

Other Characters On The Banner:

As usual, three four star characters also have a drop rate boost. This time, it's "Blazing Riff" Xinyan (Pyro, Claymore). "Frozen Ardor" Chongyun (Cryo, Claymore). And "Wolf Boy" Razor (Electro, Claymore).

Xinyan is a brand new character, and we detailed her Elemental Skill and Elemental Burst.

How to Get Zhongli

Genshin Impact is a gacha, so there's no method to it. It's entirely luck, unless you have enough Primogems to hit the pity counter.

You should have stacked a lot of Primogems if you were waiting for Zhongli and didn't pull on the Childe banner at all. The Unreconciled Stars event helped to get some Primos as well.  Moreover, I wouldn't recommend aiming for duplicates for Constellations. Getting Zhongli more than once would require you to be incredibly lucky. Or to be whaling harder than Japanese fishers violating international law.

A new weapon banner, Epitome Invocation, will be launching too on December 1, 1800 (server times):

Exclusive 5-star weapons Vortex Vanquisher (Polearm) and The Unforged (Claymore) have a drop boost on it. As usual, I definitely wouldn't recommend pulling on the weapon banner. Getting new characters is way more fun. If you pull, there's a change you'll pull the 5 star weapon type you didn't want. It's too dangerous. Moreover, rather than getting 5 star weapons, I'd recommend focusing your efforts on getting Artifacts with good substats. It's your choice though. You can definitely see no issue pulling like crazy if  you're loaded like a Saudi Prince. No wonder he's buying SNK.when he's eliminating his criticizers faster than Geese would back at South Town.

The first part of Zhongli's character quest will be coming as well: Historia Antiqua:

Genshin Impact Zhongli Character Tales Trailer

As of now the gameplay video detailing Zhongli wasn't published yet by miHoYo.

At the end of the day, don't forget Genshin is a game and about having fun. Ultimately, you should be making your own decisions for your own enjoyment. Instead of following SEO driven guides like this one, streamers and VTubers.

The post Genshin Impact: Zhongli Gacha Banner, Drop Rate Boost Characters Guide by Iyane Agossah appeared first on DualShockers.

Pokemon Face Masks are Here and Available in 151 Different Patterns

android, Game Freak, iOS, Nintendo, Pokemon, Pokemon Shield, Pokemon Sword, Pokemon Sword and Shield expansions, Pokemon: Let's Go, Switch, The Crown Tundra, The Isle of Armor, the pokemon company

What products can't the franchise juggernaut Pokemon churn out? Because now we have another example of how flexible this billion dollar brand is with the reveal of official Pokemon-themed face masks. Available in 151 unique and absolutely stunning patterns styled after the original Kanto critters, they're sure to please most:

pokemon masks

According to the Original Stitch site, you first choose a pattern and then the color of the mesh material that goes underneath. It comes in two sizes, medium and small, and will ship in approximately 5-6 weeks from the order date. Currently masks only ship to the following regions: Japan, United States, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, India, Indonesia, United Kingdom, Spain, Germany, Italy, France, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. You can order your own mask here.

In recent news, the official Pokemon Twitter account announced that the franchise will hold some sort of "celebration" in 2021 to mark the series' 25 year anniversary. And until November 30th, as part of the Crown Tundra promotional event, players can still obtain Pikachu wearing the original, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, Kalos, Alola, and Partner caps by using different codes.

Two new expansion packs for the mainline games, called Isle of Armor and the Crown Tundra, both released this year. The former launched in June 2020 and the latter launched on October 22nd. A remake of Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX for Nintendo Switch also released in March — you can read our review here.

According to Nintendo's recent financial results, Pokemon Sword and Shield are now the third best selling Pokemon games of all time. The pair have now sold 18.22 million copies in just nine months and sit just behind Gold and Silver in the lifetime sales chart. And if you're one of those buyers, reading up on our guide on how to train Pokemon EVs and breed perfect IVs for competitive play is a great way to learn how to strengthen your team.

From Nintendo's nine-month earnings report, it was revealed that Sword and Shield has sold more than 16 million copies since its November release, becoming the biggest highlight in an already strong fiscal year for the company. The latest NPD data, the latest installment in the long running series has the highest launch month dollar sales in Pokemon franchise history. And for the month of November, Sword was the third best selling game, the double pack including both titles ranking at fourth place, and Shield being in fifth place. However, if you combined those sales then total it would bring them to the number two spot.

Pokemon Sword and Shield released for Nintendo Switch on November 15th, 2019. Meanwhile check out our in-depth review for the game here, in which the News Editor states that "Sword and Shield are a lot of fun, even if the series is experiencing growing pains with the transition to home consoles." You can purchase Sword here and Shield here.

The post Pokemon Face Masks are Here and Available in 151 Different Patterns by Allisa James appeared first on DualShockers.

Final Fantasy XIV Upcoming Announcement Showcase is Sure to Reveal Something Juicy

Final Fantasy XIV Patch 5.4 screenshots 2 pretty boys BL undertones

The official Final Fantasy XIV Twitter account posted a status update that has fans already excited for next year: on February 5th, 2021 at 5:30pm PST (February 6th, 2021 at 1:30 GMT) will be an Announcement Showcase. According to the tweet below, they'll be "announcing cool things":

While no other information has been given other than event details, there's a very good chance that a brand new patch will be revealed during this showcase. Considering that event plans for Final Fantasy XIV had been scaled back or cancelled due to the pandemic, it's great to receive any exciting news regarding the MMORPG.

For those who have already invested in next-gen consoles, Producer and Director Naoki Yoshida has revealed his desire for the title to come to PS5 and he believes it could still come to Xbox consoles according to an interview published in July.

The most recent patch, Patch 5.4, will add several new quests and dungeons including a fight against Final Fantasy VII endgame superboss Emerald Weapon. Patch 5.2, Echoes of a Fallen Star, released on February 18th and featured new main quests, a new raid dungeon, new general dungeons, and VII's other endgame superboss Ruby Weapon. The previous Shadowbringers update, titled 5.1 "Vows of Virtue, Deeds of Cruelty," introduced a brand new NieR Automata-themed patch featuring new gear, a new dungeon, new game+, and the Fellowship.

Announced by Square Enix and Producer/Director Naoki Yoshida via a press release, Final Fantasy XIV has now surpassed 18 million registered players in total. This number is comprised of players across all of the game's platforms which include PS4, PC, Mac, and even the PS3.

Meanwhile, be sure to check out our official review of Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers here, as well as our E3 2019 interview with Final Fantasy XIV director Naoki Yoshida here. Shadowbringers is available now for PS4 and PC on Amazon.

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Soul Calibur VI Reveals Classic Soul Edge Fighter Hwang in New Trailer

Bandai Namco, character creation, hwang, PC, PS4, Soul Calibur VI, Xbox One

Hwang, who made his debut in Soul Edge and (including that first appearance) has only been playable in three main Soul games, finally makes his triumphant return in Soul Calibur VI. He's also the fighter who served as the basis for Yun-Seong, another wielder of the Chinese sword.

However, as shown in the trailer above, their fighting styles are completely different. Hwang is faster, tighter, and more polished compared to Yun-Seong's largely self taught style.

Launching on the same is DLC pack 14, which will feature brand new content for the character creation mode. And beside that release will be free content update 2.20 featuring a brand new stage, battle adjustments for all characters, Seong Mi-Na's classic costume parts, even more Tekken themed outfits, new Mitsurugi and Nightmare episodes, and more.

In other Soul Calibur VI news, both Setsuka and Princess Hildegard von Krone was revealed to be coming to the game as its latest DLC fighter, as a part of the Season 2 DLC pass. Other returning fighters from the franchise include Yoshimitsu, Voldo, Seong Mi-Na, and Astaroth (who were revealed during EVO 2018).

2B from Nier: Automata also made an appearance in the weapons-based fighting game. 2B is an android and the protagonist of NieR: Automata. She wields two swords as her primary weapons, although she also wields spears and combat bracers. Her pod support system helps her in battles by allowing her to glide, and attack enemies from a distance.

On the official Japanese website, Bandai Namco warned players about NSFW creations, specifically that if you make an inappropriate character in the Create a Soul mode, you may get banned from online play.

Dualshockers very own customizable characters Bowsette and Boosette were a very big hit, with players crying out asking where they can find a guide for the two characters for a Soul Calibur VI build so they could do it too. You can check out our guide on how to make Bowsette and Boosette in Soul Calibur VI's character creator here. You can also check out our review of the game here, which declares that it's "undoubtedly one of the finest fighting games of this generation."

Soul Calibur VI is available right now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One and you can pick up your copy by heading over to Amazon.

The post Soul Calibur VI Reveals Classic Soul Edge Fighter Hwang in New Trailer by Allisa James appeared first on DualShockers.

Here is How Cross-Gen Saves Will Work for Cyberpunk 2077

Cyberpunk 2077, CD Projekt Red

Many people out there might be treating the release of Cyberpunk 2077 as a next-gen game since it is releasing after the launch of both the Xbox Series X|S and PS5. However, there are still plenty of folks out there who will still be playing on their trusty Xbox One or PS4. With that said, if they were to upgrade their hardware sometime in the middle of their playthrough of Cyberpunk 2077, here is how they would transfer over their saved data to a new system.

The Cyberpunk 2077 Twitter account shared some details on how to transfer over saved data for both the PS4 and Xbox One systems.

For Xbox One players who have upgraded to the Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S, the process is incredibly simple thanks to Microsoft always being an innovator in cloud saves and Smart Delivery. All players will have to do is to make sure that they are connected to the internet so that their saved data will be uploaded to the cloud or connect both connect both consoles to the same network and use the system network transfer option.

For Playstation owners who have upgraded to the PS5, there are three different options to transfer over save data. The first is to connect to your PS Plus account and to upload your saves to cloud storage. Then on the PS5, download that saved data from the cloud onto the console. The second option is to transfer the data via a LAN cable or WiFi connection. The final option would be to use a compatible storage device to copy and transfer over the data to the same account on the PS5.

Cyberpunk 2077 releases for the Xbox One, PS4, and PC on December 10. A version of the game that has been optimized for the Xbox Series X|S and the PS5 has been announced, but an official release date has not been provided. The optimized version will be free for all owners of the game.

The post Here is How Cross-Gen Saves Will Work for Cyberpunk 2077 by Grant Huff appeared first on DualShockers.

PS5 Owners Are Reportedly Getting Banned For Selling PS Plus Collection Access to PS4 Users

PS5 PS Plus Collection

The PS Plus Collection is a new deal PlayStation is providing its PS Plus subscribers. The service provides subscribers with a "greatest hits" selection of games to play. It is such a good deal, users have been selling offer their access to the service via a loophole.

The loophole tasks PS5 owners with logging into the user account of PS4 owners on the PS5. After doing so, the collection of games will then automatically unlock for the PS4 owner.

VGC pointed out that in Sony's Marketing for the PlayStation Plus Collection, the service is only intended for owners of the PS5.

eBay users have begun to sell access to the subscription. A user has already made over £100 by charging £5 to unlock the PS Plus Collection on other user's PS4's.

According to a popular Chinese forum, Sony has already begun to bring the hammer down on people in the region for utilizing this loophole. Both the ones selling access to it as well as the PS4 owners who are purchasing access to it.

Users have stated that the bans will last two months and any PS5 console that was involved in the loophole has been blocked from using any network services.

The PS Plus Collection has a fantastic catalog of games to play. Whether it's The Last of Us Remastered, Persona 5, Bloodborne, or God of War, there is no wonder PS4 users would want to take advantage of this loophole. Those were some of the best games of the generation!

If you are currently a PS5 owner and a member of PS Plus, then you have access to the subscription service.

The post PS5 Owners Are Reportedly Getting Banned For Selling PS Plus Collection Access to PS4 Users by Grant Huff appeared first on DualShockers.