Kotaku Friday, December 24, 2021 10:30 AM  As the death bell tolls for 2021, Nintendo and a suite of independent publishers have chosen to give us some final indie game sales before sending this garbage year off into that sweet night. All things considered, it's a pretty excellent send-off, composed of many of the last few years' best indie games. If you're… |
Kotaku Friday, December 24, 2021 10:00 AM  In 1991, I pulled a chair up to an Apple II in my first-grade class and inserted a floppy disk with a faded, fraying label: The Oregon Trail. |
PCGamesN Friday, December 24, 2021 7:56 AM  While everyone is understandably excited about Valve's Steam Deck, it's not the only company that's interested in capitalising on the fledgling handheld gaming PC market. Fresh off its first handheld gaming PC, the Aya Neo, Ayaneo is ready to release a new device, currently known as the Ayaneo Next - yes, the names are a bit of a head scratcher. Ayaneo has teased the new device since December 15, and was scheduled to reveal it on December 28. However, "for certain reasons" the company has since pushed back the handheld's reveal date to January 4, 2022, which just so happens to coincide with AMD's Product Premiere livestream event where we suspect team red will unveil its Rembrandt Ryzen APUs. Despite there being no official benchmark data or specs for the upcoming Ryzen chips, it's likely that the Ayaneo Next will offer greater overall performance compared to the Steam Deck, given Valve's device will use a slightly older Van Gogh APU. Nonetheless, we won't know for sure until we get our hands on both handheld gaming PCs. RELATED LINKS: AMD Ryzen 9 3900X review, AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT review, Best CPU for gaming |
PCGamesN Friday, December 24, 2021 7:39 AM  As far-too-short Christmas playlists have taught us, not only is it Chriiiiiiiiiiiiissssstmaaaaassssss, but it is the most wonderful time of the year, mainly as we take a break and dedicate the holiday period to catching up on some of our favourite games. From big open-world games you can play through from morning to night, short narrative driven games to fill the spaces between mince pie feasting, or multiplayer games to play with the family, whether that be online or together on the couch. These games double down on festivities to see us through to the new year, not just adding Christmas updates, but also being wonderfully wintery to play regardless. We like to keep a theme going here at PCGamesN, so this list is all about games that really embrace the winter wonderland that is December. From fictional end-of-year celebrations to rescuing plague-ridden cities, videogames have offered up numerous ways to experience the joy of Christmas. These are our picks of the best of them, starting with... RELATED LINKS: Skyrim mods, Play Skyrim, Games like Skyrim |
PCGamesN Friday, December 24, 2021 6:38 AM  New World's Winter Convergence Festival has begun, bringing wholesome festivities to the isle of Aeternum, along with the expected sinister overtone. This time-limited event is running from December 16, 2021 until January 11, 2022, with various dates and times to make a note of. Playing during this time will net you some pretty impressive and funky rewards, from flashy costumes to decked-out weapons. Alongside the items up for grabs, there are a number of new quests, opportunities to deepen your understanding of New World lore, and special events that are due to take place. With the introduction of the Winter Wanderer and his frosty minions, there is now a whole new chapter in Aeternum's story that features grisly Ice Trolls and Frigid Folk who are here to cause mischief en masse. Fortunately, there is a lighter side to the festival, and one which you are free to embrace, where the long-suffering island residents get a glimpse at happiness and cheer. We've put a quick guide together for those looking to get the most out of this season, be it through free items, quests, or uncovering the icy lore of the Winter Wanderer. RELATED LINKS: New World system requirements, New World beginner's guide, New World review |
PCGamesN Friday, December 24, 2021 5:31 AM  Things may be slowing down for the holidays, but they're picking up for Genshin Impact. Developer Mihoyo has revealed that it's hosting a special livestream on Boxing Day to show what's coming next for the anime game. Genshin Impact's 2.4 livestream starts on December 26 at 4am PST / 7am EST / 12pm GMT. The stream will be hosted on the developer's Twitch channel for the game when the time comes, though you can typically shuffle in a few minutes before things are set to kick off. Mihoyo has kept its cards close to its chest regarding what you can expect to see, though the developer has offered plenty of teases, as it is wont to do these days. We were introduced to new characters Shenhe and Yun Jin on Twitter, with the latter even getting a trailer at The Game Awards. Typically this means they'll come to Genshin Impact in the next update, but that's not confirmed, so keep that in mind. I also suspect we'll get the Genshin Impact 2.4 release date. Mihoyo typically operates on a six-week update cycle, so the new update will likely drop around January 5. RELATED LINKS: Play Genshin Impact for free, Genshin Impact character tier list, Genshin Impact leveling guide |
PCGamesN Friday, December 24, 2021 4:04 AM  The first patch of the League of Legends 2022 season has hit the PBE. League of Legends patch 11.24 has headed to live servers to make its debut on the Rift and, following a bunch of teases from Riot Games on social media, the latest batch of new content has begun trickling onto the testing grounds ready for patch 12.1's arrival in the live game soon. Let's take a look. First up, we've got some new Elderwood skins on the way, this time for lucky champions Gnar and Rek'Sai. Riot also revealed a new skin for Ekko called Firelight Ekko, which is inspired by his style in the tremendously successful LoL spin-off Netflix show Arcane. However, this now won't be shipping with 12.1 as "an unfortunate mistake on [the studio's] part due to a miscommunication internally" means that the skin wasn't given new special effects, which the team now wants to make sure it adds. So, the skin has been taken off the PBE for now and will return in a few patches' time. As is is very often the case when a patch has only just hit the PBE, we don't have many balance changes to check out just yet. However, there are some pretty big changes coming to champion Janna, which you can see below - and you can probably expect a batch of wider changes soon. RELATED LINKS: Best LoL Champions , League of Legends patch 12.1, LoL tier list |
PCGamesN Friday, December 24, 2021 7:42 AM  Third time's the charm, right? 2020 didn't exactly pan out all that well for the world, 2021 has gone much the same way, so 2022 has surely got to be the year we get things back on track as a species. Thankfully, we've had videogames to steer us through the hard times, and while there have been duds - and we mean duds - many more releases have raised the quality bar for their respective genres. We've had one of the best couch co-op games of all time, a card game that defies description, a new peak for MMO storytelling, and finally, a good videogame adaptation of Groundhog Day. And to think, Elden Ring, Dying Light 2, and Total War: Warhammer 3 were all originally slated for 2021, too. Before we dig into the picks, let's go over the methodology behind our selection. Every PCGamesN staffer had free reign to select their favourite five games of the year. Their top pick got five points, second place four points, and so on. We tallied up the points for all of the submitted games (sorry, Riders Republic, I really tried), logged it in a spreadsheet, added some pointless formulae for style points, and emerged with a very clear winner - followed by nine games that are also really good. So what you're about to read is a list of the best PC games of 2021, as determined by mince pie-fuelled mathematics. RELATED LINKS: Deathloop review, Pre-order Deathloop, The best FPS games on PC |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Friday, December 24, 2021 10:32 AM  Today I made a life-changing discovery. Takaya Kuroda, the man who voices Yakuza's beloved protagonist Kazuma Kiryu, is also the lead singer of a band. They're named Takaya Kuroda & Goodfellas and they have a Christmas song out. Not only is this excellent news, I can't get over the fact it straight up sounds like Kiryu delivering some festive cheer. So get comfy, bang this on, and let Kiryu's warm tones wash over you like mulled wine. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Friday, December 24, 2021 10:00 AM  Right now Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker is so popular you can't buy it anymore. To prevent overcrowding and crashing servers, Square Enix have had to halt free trials and new sales to keep the game stable after an unprecedented surge in popularity this summer. Between that and the global shortage of materials to add more servers, it may be quite some time until new players are able to experience it. If you have an active subscription and manage to brave the long queues however, you're one of the lucky few who get to experience something truly special. For everyone else: hang in there, it will be worth the wait. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Friday, December 24, 2021 9:00 AM  MERRY CHRISTMAS YA FILTHY ANIMALS! This time of year can be one that feels particularly apocalyptic, as well as, you know, good will to all I guess. If I have to. The indie games I've been playing recently all have a bit of an end-of-the-world flavour to 'em, whether literal or metaphorical or by your own hand, if you feel like it. I dunno, I actually found them strangely relaxing, as a sort of counterpoint to the chaos of my own life during the holiday season. See what you think. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Friday, December 24, 2021 8:00 AM  It's the last day of the RPS Advent Calendar. This is it. It's all been leading up to this door, a wooden cabin door that's a bit tough to open. Wait, when did you put a pair of pliers in your pocket? |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Friday, December 24, 2021 7:37 AM  The latest free game giveaway in GOG's winter sale is an unexpected one for the festive season, but perhaps a game which captures the feeling of being trapped at a seemingly endless Christmas lunch with awful relatives: I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream. Nothing says 'bad family Christmas' like being tortured for 109 years by a sentient supercomputer which nuked humanity and keeps only five people alive to torment. The 90s point 'n' click adventure game is a grim one (so grim!), but one which does have its fans. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Friday, December 24, 2021 6:29 AM  In a special Christmas message from three of the NieR series' development stars, creative director Yoko Taro has announced that NieR is over. No more NieR games for us... unless he receives a massive pile of money. Quickly, it becomes clear he's just joshing around. Another classic ruse from the man in the Emil mask, and a subtle hint that they may have something new in the works. Plus, it's just a really delightful video and you should all watch it. |
Twinfinite Friday, December 24, 2021 10:21 AM For those looking forward to Bokeh Game Studio's debut title, Slitterhead, you may want to tune into the team's latest dev diary featuring the one and only Silent Hill composer, Akira Yamaoka. The video goes into lots of detail shedding light on the creative process behind making music for Konami's revered horror franchise, as well […] The post Silent Hill Audio Mastermind Akira Yamaoka Details the Creative Process Behind Making Music for Slitterhead appeared first on Twinfinite. |
Twinfinite Friday, December 24, 2021 8:11 AM 'Tis the season to be jolly, and to celebrate developer Alkimia Interactive and publisher THQ Nordic have dropped a festive video wishing all their fans out there who're patiently waiting for the upcoming Gothic remake happy holidays. Go ahead and feast your eyes on said clip down below: As you can see in the footage […] The post Gothic Remake Gets a Festive Video Wishing Fans Happy Holidays appeared first on Twinfinite. |
Siliconera Friday, December 24, 2021 10:30 AM The suitcases will be available in five different designs based on Kingdom Hearts' main characters. The post Kingdom Hearts Suitcases Will Appear in June 2022 in Japan appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Friday, December 24, 2021 9:00 AM The Kids We Were is a game that can feel charming and nostalgic, even if you're unfamiliar with the time period or Japanese culture. The post The Kids We Were Relies Heavily on Nostalgia appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Friday, December 24, 2021 7:30 AM Behold the Crypto-Molcars. The post Pui Pui Molcar NFT Added to LINE Market appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Friday, December 24, 2021 6:00 AM Shhhhh! The post Among Us Nendoroid Pre-Orders Open appeared first on Siliconera. |
Destructoid Friday, December 24, 2021 8:00 AM (Unless you already own everything, like me) This is how we know it is officially The Most Wonderful Time of... The post The Steam Winter Sale is live for your spending spree needs appeared first on Destructoid. |