Dec 16, 22:00


Kotaku Thursday, December 16, 2021 7:35 PM
    

This time last year a group of investors filed a class-action lawsuit against CD Projekt Red over Cyberpunk 2077's disastrous launch, saying the game was "virtually unplayable on the current-generation Xbox or Playstation systems due to an enormous number of bugs".

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Kotaku Thursday, December 16, 2021 6:30 PM
    

STALKER 2 developers GSC Game World announced yesterday that they'd be adding NFTs to the game. Public reception was, as you'd imagine, not kind.

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Kotaku Thursday, December 16, 2021 6:15 PM
    

Animal Crossing: New Horizons' days as a virtual nudist colony are no more. Nintendo has released a patch fixing a glitch that caused villagers to walk around their island paradise in their fuzzy birthday suits.

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Kotaku Thursday, December 16, 2021 6:00 PM
    

Grand Theft Auto Online's relationship with GTA V's timeline and narrative has been weird for years, thanks in large part to continued free expansions that sometimes contradict past updates or events. However, that hasn't stopped Rockstar from trying to connect GTA Online and GTA V's narrative and the latest DLC…

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Kotaku Thursday, December 16, 2021 5:40 PM
    

Thanks to the ongoing covid threat, 2021 was another banner year for sitting inside your house playing with lovely bits of colored plastic and cuddly plushies. That being the case, we thought we'd rustle up our picks for the best action figures, playsets, and building toys of the year, everything from transforming…

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Kotaku Thursday, December 16, 2021 5:15 PM
    

Today, publisher EA released its annual "Year in Gaming" report, which details player behavior from across its portfolio of games. Most of the data are relegated to the realms of sports games, Apex Legends, and The Sims 4, but there are some juicy tidbits for Mass Effect fans, too—specifically, the survival rates of…

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Kotaku Thursday, December 16, 2021 5:05 PM
    

In an industry that can all too often feel like it wants to wring us of every last drop of money, there's a special pleasure in noting those most entertaining of freebies: the games hidden inside other games. For instance, did you know the original Animal Crossing was crammed with classic NES games? We've rounded up…

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Kotaku Thursday, December 16, 2021 3:50 PM
    

Apparently, the rivalry between Twitch and YouTube is so cutthroat that Twitch has dipped into revisionist history with some of its former streamers. Ludwig, DrLupo, and TimTheTatman were removed from Twitch's end of the year celebratory recap event.

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Kotaku Thursday, December 16, 2021 3:30 PM
    

Video games had a lot to be sorry for in 2021, from the usual screenshot apologies over delays and busted launches, to things that actually matter like years of reported workplace abuse. Don't worry though, everyone's trying to do better.

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Kotaku Thursday, December 16, 2021 3:10 PM
    

You may have seen me writing tons of Genshin Impact blogs around here, and that is definitely a free-to-play game that I think is outstanding and deserving of extensive coverage. However, there are actually tons of other great free-to-play games in the mobile gaming ecosystem, too.

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PCGamesN Thursday, December 16, 2021 6:48 PM
     Demeo ditches VR to bring the co-op D&D experience to PC

Demeo caught the attention of VR enthusiasts earlier this year, allowing folks to enjoy the tactile experience of playing D&D at the tabletop through the magic of expensive headsets - and with a ruleset that doesn't infringe on Wizards of the Coast trademarks, of course. Soon that experience will be available to folks without VR, as Resolution Games has just unveiled Demeo: PC Edition.

Demeo: PC Edition wraps up all the content of the VR edition and rebuilds it for a "native PC experience" - one which will feature full cross-play support with VR players. Since its initial launch in May, Demeo has continued to get regular updates with new adventures to play through, and those updates will keep coming simultaneously to both the VR and PC versions.

On April 7, 2022, Demeo: PC Edition will launch into Steam Early Access, and the devs expect it to stay there for about a year. They've already published a roadmap for 2022, including another pair of adventures that'll be available in both versions of the game.


PCGamesN Thursday, December 16, 2021 6:36 PM
     STALKER 2 devs cancel NFT plans after backlash

Yesterday, the devs at GSC Game World announced that STALKER 2 would have NFTs. Today, after intense backlash, they have announced that STALKER 2 will not have NFTs. The announcement comes in tweet posted just one hour after the devs previously took to Twitter defending their use of blockchain tech.

"We hear you," the STALKER 2 devs say in a tweet. "Based on the feedback we received, we've made a decision to cancel anything NFT-related in STALKER 2. The interests of our fans and players are the top priority for the team. We're making this game for you to enjoy - whatever the cost is. If you care, we care too."

In the previous, now-deleted, tweet, GSC Game World said that STALKER 2 is "truly the biggest and the most complex game we ever created. All the funds that we earn during the development process (including the potential income from NFT) will be spent on improving the long-awaited game to make it even better."


PCGamesN Thursday, December 16, 2021 3:58 PM
     Dying Light 2 will need an RTX 3080 to hit 60 fps with ray-tracing at 1080p

Detailed system requirements are out now for upcoming zombie game Dying Light 2: Stay Human. While the barrier to entry to Techland's next parkour-fueled adventure is pretty low, you'll need some top-of-the-line hardware if you want to run it at 60 fps with fancy ray-traced lighting effects enabled.

As long as you can handle 30 fps and graphics options set to low, you'll be able to take to the streets and rooftops of Dying Light 2 with hardware that's more than five years old. With ray-traced lighting off and settings on low, in fact, Dying Light 2 will run on an even older operating system: it's compatible with Windows 7, Techland says.

If you want the glittery ray-tracing effects, you'll have to be quite a bit more current. You'll need at least an Nvidia RTX 2070 for 30 fps, and as you flip on more options, the graphics card you'll need will get increasingly beefy. In the requirements Techland provided, it says you'll need an RTX 3080 with 10GB VRAM for high graphics settings and ray-tracing to run at 60 fps, and that's at 1080p - so unless you're running bleeding edge hardware, 1440p and 4K are probably off the table completely.

RELATED LINKS: Dying Light 2 release date, Dying Light 2 factions, Dying Light 2 trailer reveal

Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Thursday, December 16, 2021 6:26 PM
    

Expeditions: Rome got a release date of January 20th, 2022 just last week. From tomorrow, you'll be able to play four hours of the RPG campaign in a demo that lets you conquer Lesbos.

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Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Thursday, December 16, 2021 6:07 PM
    

Dota 2 has a new event mode and battle pass. Aghanim from last year's Aghanim's Labyrinth event has returned, and this time a "multiverse-melding mishap" has split him into several doppelgängers players must rescue. The event mode is free, but it arrives alongside a new battle pass that'll cost money to enter.

More strangely, today's update also introduces experimental gamepad support.

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Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Thursday, December 16, 2021 5:16 PM
    

Diablo 2's last patch to make changes to class balance was 1.13c, released on March 23rd, 2010. Now Diablo 2: Resurrected is getting new tweaks to class balance, as explained in a Blizzard blog post. Ladder rank play is also on the way in early 2022.

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Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Thursday, December 16, 2021 4:54 PM
    

Update: GSC Game World have announced on Twitter that they're cancelling plans for NFTs in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2.

"Based on feedback we received, we've made a decision to cancel anything NFT-related in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2," reads the post. "The interests of our fans and players are the top priority for the team. We're making this game for you to enjoy - whatever the cost is. If you care, we care too."

Read more


Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Thursday, December 16, 2021 3:02 PM
    

The makers of Arma and DayZ have revealed Enfusion, the new cross-platform game engine they plan to build future games on. No, Bohemia Interactive haven't announced Arma 4, but they do say they would use Enfusion for "any potential new Arma game", so maybe that's something to bear in mind while looking at its screenshots of vast landscapes. While they don't have much more than screenshots and a wee video to show right now (sorry, engine enthusiasts), they do hint that they'll release some sort of "playable demonstration of its features" at some point "soon".

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Twinfinite Thursday, December 16, 2021 8:45 PM
    

Compile Heart released another of its upcoming JRPG Hyperdimension Neptunia: Sisters vs Sisters, showing gameplay and more.

The post Hyperdimension Neptunia: Sisters vs Sisters for PS5 & PS4 Shows Characters & Gameplay In New Trailer appeared first on Twinfinite.


Twinfinite Thursday, December 16, 2021 7:08 PM
    

Today Star Citizen developer Cloud Imperium Games released a new video about the growing space simulator, focusing on the past year and more.

The post Star Citizen Video Reveals the Drake Cutlass Steel & More as Crowdfunding Passes $422 Million appeared first on Twinfinite.


Twinfinite Thursday, December 16, 2021 5:36 PM
    

Today NIS America released a new trailer of the Nintendo Switch version of the upcoming JRPG Crystar, focusing on the character Sen.

The post Crystar For Nintendo Switch Gets New Trailer Introducing Sen appeared first on Twinfinite.


Twinfinite Thursday, December 16, 2021 4:26 PM
    

Earlier today, indie developer Scrambler revealed that they'd be adding a suspicious new playable character and stage would be coming to their platforming fighter Samurai Gun 2. The Imposter Crewmate and The Skeld from Among Us are set to add plenty of fun new features to the game, as you can see in the trailer […]

The post Among Us Joins Samurai Gunn 2 With a New Character & Stage appeared first on Twinfinite.


Twinfinite Thursday, December 16, 2021 4:12 PM
    

For those of you considering picking up Dying Light 2 on PC, Techland today released the minimum and recommended PC specs for their upcoming parkour-zombie-survival game. Check them out below. The minimum requirements seem fairly reasonable. You'd have to be running something quite old in order to not run Dying Light 2 at all. You […]

The post Dying Light 2's Minimum & Recommended PC Specs Have Been Released appeared first on Twinfinite.


Siliconera Thursday, December 16, 2021 5:00 PM
    

The necklaces range in price from around $150 for silver to over $1,000 for white gold.

The post Tales of Arise Necklaces Will Be Made by U-Treasure appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Thursday, December 16, 2021 4:00 PM
    

A Cris Tales update is out and adds a new character to the cast, a new dungeon to explore, and a new ending. It also fixes Switch load times.

The post Cris Tales Update Adds New Character, Dungeon, and Ending appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Thursday, December 16, 2021 3:00 PM
    

Yu-Gi-Oh! Rush Duel: Dawn of the Battle Royale!! is a fresh start for Yu-Gi-Oh!, with new cards and faster play. But it needs help to be fun.

The post Yu-Gi-Oh! Rush Duel Is Flawed, But You Can Make It Better appeared first on Siliconera.


Destructoid Thursday, December 16, 2021 7:30 PM
    

I see what they did there I'm always on the hunt for some cool new indie games. I want something...

The post Get ready for the zany sleuthing adventure Loco Motive in 2022 appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Thursday, December 16, 2021 7:05 PM
    

Egg meet face Stalker 2 NFTs? Well, not anymore! In what is becoming an increasingly teachable moment for game studios, Stalker...

The post STALKER 2 developer goes all in on NFTs, gets dunked on, then cancels them appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Thursday, December 16, 2021 7:00 PM
    

A not-so-sneaky addition in update 2.0.4 In classic Nintendo fashion, this week's update 2.0.4 for Animal Crossing: New Horizons stamps...

The post Gyroid fragments can wash up on your beach in Animal Crossing: New Horizons appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Thursday, December 16, 2021 6:30 PM
    

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can win you a chicken dinner The battle royale trend may...

The post Babble Royale turns Scrabble into a heated battle royale appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Thursday, December 16, 2021 6:00 PM
    

The developers discussed feedback and changes they're making to the event pass The Fracture: Tenrai event for Halo Infinite is currently...

The post 343 Industries discusses changes coming to Halo Infinite Tenrai event appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Thursday, December 16, 2021 5:30 PM
    

Square Enix is freezing newcomers to help out the old-timers The Final Fantasy XIV expansion Endwalker is out for everyone, and servers have...

The post Final Fantasy XIV temporarily halts new sales to help with server congestion appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Thursday, December 16, 2021 5:00 PM
    

Retrospect in a pandemic The following contains major spoilers for the main story of Insomniac's Spider-Man (2018). You have been...

The post Insomniac's Spider-Man hits different in 2021 appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Thursday, December 16, 2021 4:30 PM
    

Save $10 on PC games that are $14.99 and up, or just hop in for 15 days of free games...

The post Epic Games Store has $10 coupons again for the Holiday Sale, and there are daily free games appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Thursday, December 16, 2021 4:03 PM
    

2042's PC-only free-play event is already here Battlefield 2042 is looking to climb up Steam's concurrent-player chart this weekend as...

The post Battlefield 2042 is free for the weekend on Steam with a trial event appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Thursday, December 16, 2021 3:30 PM
    

Also, Dungeon Munchies As we near the end of any given year, game releases slow down a bit. Though we...

The post Nintendo Download: Chicory: A Colorful Tale appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Thursday, December 16, 2021 3:00 PM
    

I should just 'remaster' last year's text Well, it clearly isn't a fad. As Destructoid's annual nominees have frequently shown,...

The post Nominees for Destructoid's Best Remaster/Remake of 2021 appeared first on Destructoid.


PC Invasion - FeedDDD Thursday, December 16, 2021 5:30 PM
     Shenmue 3 free Epic Game StoreWhen Shenmue 3 originally came out, I was very fond of it. Honestly, it's the best of the Shenmue games, offering better combat, more content, and the most believable world of any game in the series. But it's also very dedicated to being a Shenmue game, which annoyed people who either didn't like the other ones so much or whose nostalgia glasses kept them from remembering what the first two games were actually like. Thanks to Epic Games, however, everyone on PC can now give the game another shot because Shenmue 3 is free on EGS. Starting today, Shenmue 3 can be added to your Epic Games account, either through the client or on the site. This is a great chance for people on the fence to actually give the game a fair shake. Granted, it also means people who haven't played a Shenmue game are going to try it, which might backfire. While I love the game, it's meant for a specific niche. It isn't built for people who like to roam around empty, open maps ...

PC Invasion - FeedDDD Thursday, December 16, 2021 5:00 PM
     intel driver support 2025 gpu cpu new DG3An Intel driver has been spotted that will support GPUs and CPUs due for release in 2025. This information comes via VideoCardz and Twitter user KOMACHI. Intel's accidentally released driver indicates support through 2025. This was discovered when Intel accidentally released an Intel Graphics DCH driver for future GPUs. The driver in question was for an integrated GPU that has yet to be announced. It's also been revealed that these integrated GPUs will be used alongside several future CPU architectures. This isn't exactly a rare sight when it comes to any kind of technology. Developers are constantly tweaking and tuning support for future products, long before they see the light of day. After all, it takes a long time to ensure integrations and stability so that said new products work at release. It just so happens that, this time, someone spotted what they were up to.   Intel's plans for future GPUs and CPUs The driver that accidentally got released was...

PC Invasion - FeedDDD Thursday, December 16, 2021 4:30 PM
     Final Fantasy XIV queue libraryRecently, players of Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker have experienced incredibly lengthy queue times due to overwhelmed servers. To make up for these queue times, Square Enix allowed players to experience a week's worth of free game time while it attempted to resolve the issue. This certainly came across as a nice gesture, but unfortunately, the problems with the servers have only grown worse. According to Final Fantasy XIV director and producer Naoki Yoshida, the queue times ended up becoming so bad that Square Enix decided to temporarily stop giving away free trials, and it even halted the sales of Final Fantasy XIV Starter Edition and Complete Edition for now. Yoshida's latest news blog post on the matter stated that after "nearly two weeks since the start of Early Access," players have still regularly encountered "substantial congestion when logging into the game." Because of this, Square Enix will now provide an extra seven days of free game tim...

PC Invasion - FeedDDD Thursday, December 16, 2021 4:00 PM
     Halo Infinite Tenrai Event cosmeticsThe multiplayer scene of Halo Infinite hit an early slump when it launched into beta last month. Players bemoaned the mind-numbing grind, and its first event left many feeling disappointed. Fracture: Tenrai brought samurai-themed items to the game, but many of the fancier cosmetics were locked behind paywalls. The Halo Infinite Tenrai event is returning in January, and 343 Industries plans to make it better by offering up more cosmetics as opposed to other awards. The developer announced the changes in a recent Holiday 2021 livestream. The head of design, Jerry Hook, was on hand to go over things. Many of the paid cosmetics are breaking out of store jail. The company is exchanging XP Boost and Challenge Swap awards for the items, allowing players to actually earn some of the cosmetics through playing — instead of with their wallets.   Much of the frustration came out of the way the Fracture: Tenrai event was marketed. Months ago, 343 showed off a Spartan decked out in ful...

PC Invasion - FeedDDD Thursday, December 16, 2021 3:00 PM
     back 4 blood offline campaign updateBack 4 Blood got its anticipated December update today, finally allowing players to enjoy the campaign offline with progression unimpeded. However, that change is merely the tip of the corpse pile. The update is massive, including a new card type, a seasonal holiday event, and three new cards. The meat of the patch consists of bug fixes and changes, with a focus on the campaign mode. It also updates how Special Ridden spawn into the game, decreasing their numbers and adding a cooldown. Offline campaign with progression has been a top concern for developer Turtle Rock Studios. Solo players felt burned by being unable to make their way through the story without it feeling like a punishment of sorts. Sure, you could play the game offline, but you couldn't earn progression points. But all that changes today. Hopefully, going through the game won't be too challenging with quite possibly the dumbest bots in recent gaming memory. Of course, changes to Special spawns should help...

Tabletop Gaming News Thursday, December 16, 2021 6:00 PM
    

Tabletop Gaming News Thursday, December 16, 2021 5:00 PM
    

Tabletop Gaming News Thursday, December 16, 2021 4:00 PM
    

Player Assist | Game Guides & Walkthroughs Thursday, December 16, 2021 5:17 PM
     With powers beyond mortal limitations, players can use objects and the world as weapons while fighting in Control. From trash cans to bottles, nothing is off-limits when your enemies are terrifying to confront. And speaking of challenging enemies, Tommasi is one of the bosses that can kill you quickly. Although the fight is a daunting […]

Player Assist | Game Guides & Walkthroughs Thursday, December 16, 2021 3:17 PM
     Tanks of various makes and types come together in World of Tanks to battle each other. Players can pick their favorite designs to pilot on the battlefield, but you'll first have to get the vehicle in your inventory. In 2019, the developers introduced the Blueprint system to make unlocking new tanks easier. Players new to […]

Latest Games on Play iDev Games Thursday, December 16, 2021 5:25 PM
     Have you ever wanted to experience the thrill of skimming stones but from the comfort of your own home? Well... Now you can!...