Apr 13, 20:00


Kotaku Wednesday, April 13, 2022 7:55 PM
    

Heatsinks are great. Not only do they serve an important purpose in keeping our electronics cool and safe, but they've got that neat thing going on where they're all spiky and springy. Have you ever stopped and wondered, though, how a heatsink is actually made? I never had, until today, but am now very glad I know.

Read more...


Kotaku Wednesday, April 13, 2022 3:59 PM
    

While handy as backup against bosses, Elden Ring's summons can be pretty brainless for the most part. But one particularly crafty spirit ash is worth finishing a short quest to acquire, if only to see her unique interactions with the wildlife of the Lands Between.

Read more...


Kotaku Wednesday, April 13, 2022 3:27 PM
    

The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S upgrade for The Witcher 3 won't arrive anytime soon. In fact, CD Projekt Red announced today that it's delayed indefinitely. That follows the decision to bring development on the next-gen version back in house after it was previously in the hands of Saber Interactive's Russia…

Read more...


Kotaku Wednesday, April 13, 2022 3:10 PM
    

Xbox Game Pass is one of the best deals in gaming today. For $10 a month, you get access to a Netflix-style library of video games that you can download and play whenever you want. Some marquee games hit the service the same day they're released, as with Outriders or Rainbow Six Extraction. In other words, it's no…

Read more...


Kotaku Wednesday, April 13, 2022 2:25 PM
    

Read more...


Kotaku Wednesday, April 13, 2022 1:35 PM
    

California's Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) recently lost the top two lawyers in its ongoing gender discrimination lawsuit against Activision Blizzard. The chief counsel was fired by the state governor, Gavin Newsom, while the assistant chief counsel resigned today in protest. The assistant claimed…

Read more...


Kotaku Wednesday, April 13, 2022 12:45 PM
    

Wordle has brought us a lot of wonderfle things, not least a surge of freely available, one-a-day puzzles to enjoy, without the faff of having to install apps or register accounts. Played in a browser, whether on your phone or laptop, Wordle and the many, many games it's inspired have become a part of people's daily…

Read more...


Kotaku Wednesday, April 13, 2022 12:30 PM
    

Ousted esports player Jay "Sinatraa" Won, who was suspended from his Valorant team the Sentinels last year for six months due to sexual assault allegations and failure to cooperate with an investigation, announced a return to the competitive scene. While he hasn't signed to a team, Sinatraa confirmed that his first…

Read more...


PCGamesN Wednesday, April 13, 2022 7:58 PM
     League of Legends patch 12.8 notes – Swain and Olaf update

League of Legends patch 12.8 notes are already offering plenty to eyeball, despite the new update only just hitting the PBE. While LoL patch 12.7 has just touched down on the live servers, Riot Games is wasting no time getting more content ready for the MOBA game as MSI draws near.

Patch 12.7 introduces Arcana skins for champions Ahri, Xayah, Rakan, Ryze, and Hecarim. If some flashy new duds aren't your thing, you'll want to check out the champion changes. While Riot has tweaked a few familiar faces, the most significant change comes to Zeri, who has got a total rework.

As for patch 12.8, though, things are already shaping up for a big update. You've got Solar Eclipse skins for Kayle, Sejuani, and Sivir; Lunar Eclipse skins for Aatrox and Senna; and other unique skins for Gangplank and Yasuo. We've also got our first peep at mid-scope tweaks for Olaf and Swain. It's still early doors for the patch, though, so keep checking back for more changes to eyeball.

RELATED LINKS: Best LoL Champions , League of Legends patch 12.4 notes, LoL tier list

PCGamesN Wednesday, April 13, 2022 6:41 PM
     KOTOR remake studio acquires DnD remaster devs

The studios behind the upcoming KOTOR remake and the Baldur's Gate remasters are becoming one, as Aspyr Media has announced that it's acquiring Beamdog. The deal is still subject to regulatory approval, but once closed, will see Beamdog continuing to operate as an independent sub-studio within Aspyr.

Beamdog recently announced MythForce, an 80s cartoon-inspired take on roguelike games that's set to hit early access next week. Aspyr will "collaborate closely" with Beamdog on the new game. MythForce is Beamdog's first original IP, as the studio - founded by BioWare veterans Trent Oster and Cameron Tofer - was previously focused on remasters of games like Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale, Planescape: Torment, and Neverwinter Nights.

Aspyr is primarily known as a port studio, and has recently worked to bring a host of Star Wars games to modern platforms. The studio's Knights of the Old Republic remake, announced in September 2021, looks to be a much larger project. Aspyr itself is a subsidiary of Saber Interactive, which is in turn part of the Embracer Group, the Swedish holding company which houses Koch Media, THQ Nordic, Gearbox, and many more publishers.

RELATED LINKS: Best Star Wars games

PCGamesN Wednesday, April 13, 2022 5:53 PM
     Historic RPG Expeditions: Rome has new DLC about gladiators

Expeditions: Rome won't be adding NFTs, but it is getting more juicy, history-flavoured content. The turn-based RPG game's first expansion, Death or Glory, is out now, and it adds a new gladiator character class. There's also a bunch of gladiator-type stuff to do, such as fighting lions and tigers and possibly dying for the entertainment of bloodthirsty crowds.

In addition to the new gladiator character class, Death or Glory adds a new arena to each region of the campaign map. Each of those features its own unique questline, in which you'll have to battle new characters in competitions for audience approval. You can play these as part of the vanilla campaign, or you can hop straight into gladiator mode and start fighting it out.

The gladiator class has three subclasses. There's the Murmillo, a heavily armed variant who's tough as nails; the Provocator, who can manipulate opponents' morale; and there's the Retiarius, a high-mobility class whose greatest weapon is their sharp wits. Between the three, there are a total of 24 new class skills, and you can opt to play as a gladiator yourself, have one of your companions take on the role, or recruit new gladiators into your party.

RELATED LINKS: The best tactical rpgs on PC, The best RPG games on PC

PCGamesN Wednesday, April 13, 2022 6:15 PM
     AEW game release reportedly expected in September

The AEW game release is tentatively expected in September, according to a new report. The wrestling game, rumoured to be called AEW: Fight Forever, has been in development since at least 2020, though we've only seen sporadic glimpses of it since that initial reveal. The game is in development at Yuke's, the studio behind everything from SmackDown vs Raw in the early 2000s to many of the modern WWE 2K games.

The wrestling insiders at Fightful Select report (paywalled, via Reddit) that, according to people familiar with the project, the "tentative release date" is set for September, and that the game has secured a publisher. (The report really emphasises that 'tentative' part.) Just a few weeks ago, WON discovered a videogame trademark labelled AEW: Fight Forever.

The wrestling promotion has only officially referred to the project as the 'AEW console game', distinguishing it from the earlier mobile projects under the AEW Games label. Our last proper look at the game came back in September 2021, with a brief bit of footage showing Darby Allin and Jungle Boy in action.


PCGamesN Wednesday, April 13, 2022 4:17 PM
     Summer Game Fest schedule – every not-E3 press conference

E3 is dead (this year, at least), but the Summer Game Fest schedule will ensure that there's plenty of appointment viewing if you're looking for direct marketing from major publishers on their upcoming PC games. Between the individual events that have already been announced and the usual rumours from the industry's more reliable insiders, we're starting to get a pretty clear idea of what we can expect from this summer's not-quite-E3 press conferences.

Before we get to what will happen, let's talk about what won't. There will be no EA Play this year. EA's annual showcase typically took place just ahead of E3 every year, but the publisher has confirmed there will be no such broadcast in 2022. Instead, individual EA studios intend to bring info about games like Dragon Age and Dead Space through smaller, dedicated info blasts on social media.

EA brings us straight to the rumour mill, too. The sequel to Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is reportedly due for a reveal soon, and insiders expect that to be either on May 4, the semi-official Star Wars day, or sometime between May 26 and May 29, the dates of the annual fan convention, Star Wars Celebration.

RELATED LINKS: Starfield release date, Best space games, Elder Scrolls 6 release date

PCGamesN Wednesday, April 13, 2022 4:47 PM
     AMD Zen 4 CPUs may benefit your overclocked DDR5 gaming PC

The first wave of DDR5 RAM doesn't seem to offer much of a performance uplift for your gaming PC compared to DDR4, but AMD Zen 4 CPUs might change that when they land on shelves later this year. AMD Memory Enabling Manager, Joseph Tao, says that the company's first DDR5-compatible platform, codenamed Raphael, is set to "make a big splash with overclocking" when it lands on shelves later this year.

Tao didn't go into a great amount of detail during the Meet the Experts webinar, simply teasing that "speeds that you maybe thought couldn't be possible may be possible with this overclocking spec." It's anyone's guess as to whether these improved speeds will have any affect on your games since memory frequencies aren't as influential as capacity, but it will involve diving into your motherboard's BIOS to tinker with timings.

AMD is a little behind, given Intel Alder Lake ushered in DDR5 RAM support at the end of 2021, but more time in the oven could be just what the platform needs to rise above its rival.

RELATED LINKS: Zen 4 CPUs - everything we know, RDNA 3 GPUs - everything we know, Best gaming CPU

PCGamesN Wednesday, April 13, 2022 3:58 PM
     Deep Rock Galactic season 2 will add new weapons and robots

Lace up those miner's boots, because a new season is about to arrive in colourful co-op game Deep Rock Galactic. Developers Coffee Stain Publishing and Ghost Ship Games have announced that the Season 2 performance pass will kick off April 28 on PC, and it'll be adding a selection of new weapons, a new robotic rival, and more.

The developers say the Season 2 performance pass offers about double the amount of rewards over the first season pass. You can earn scrip and rank up your performance pass by participating in any mission, or you can jump into the new special season event mission. As the season progresses, you'll be able to spend scrip on new seasonal beards, helmets, weapon frameworks, and more - all found on the season's unlock tree.

The seasonal event is called Rival Signal, and Ghost Ship says it's a race against the clock to interrupt the Rival Communications Router. You'll have to gather the data cell stored in the router and shut everything down before it self-destructs, all the while fending off hordes of the Rivals' angry robots. You'll also have to be on the lookout for a new nemesis, about which Ghost Ship will say little, other than that it's armed with "giant claws."

RELATED LINKS: Deep Rock Galactic gameplay impressions

PCGamesN Wednesday, April 13, 2022 2:18 PM
     Here's why players are talking about the Lost Ark Ark Pass

The Lost Ark Ark Pass is a battle pass-style add-on that's been available in the Korean and Russian versions of the game for some time. Amazon and Smilegate have not announced plans to bring the Ark Pass to the Western version of the MMO, but a new promotional video has offered a hint that it might be coming soon.

The first season of Lost Ark's PvP Proving Grounds went live in March, and a few days ago, the devs published an explainer video on the feature with streamer CyFy. Fans quickly noticed (via MassivelyOP) that a UI element for the Ark Pass was visible in the trailer, suggesting - though certainly not confirming - that the devs are planning on implementing it soon.

The Ark Pass as it exists in the Korean and Russian versions comes in two tiers: a free path that gives you materials, and a paid path that gives you double materials and an additional pet or mount. As noted by players on Reddit, the paid tier costs the equivalent of $20 USD, and you can upgrade to a $50 'super' premium tier that includes additional cosmetics.

RELATED LINKS: Best MMOS and MMORPGs on PC, Upcoming PC games, Best fantasy games on PC

PCGamesN Wednesday, April 13, 2022 1:12 PM
     Dragon Age 4 characters will have

We still don't know too much about any Dragon Age 4 characters, returning or otherwise, but at least now we know that BioWare is aiming to give them "more personality" than they had in the previous RPG games. It'll be hard to top Iron Bull, but if they say so.

The latest BioWare blog post is the developer's first 'community update', the first of a series that includes developer comments and details on the state of upcoming games such as Dragon Age 4 and Mass Effect 5. The new post is more of an introduction but does contain a few nuggets about the long-delayed next game in BioWare's fantasy game series.

The most significant detail is from technical director Maciej Kurowski. He talks a little about having "the right tools that best fit our game", but also says how much deeper the characters will be in Dragon Age 4. "We take characters very seriously," Maciej states, "and do a lot of work to give them more personality than they have ever had in the past."


PCGamesN Wednesday, April 13, 2022 1:20 PM
     Best SSD for gaming in 2022

Finding the best SSD for gaming can come with a degree of confusion, given how quickly solid state drives have evolved over the past several years. The familiar 2.5-inch SATA drive is still a viable option in today's gaming PC market, but you'll want to opt for newer, faster NVMe storage solutions for the best possible performance.

Following the release of PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series consoles, more PC games developers recommend you install their games on the best SSD for gaming. In fact, as Microsoft's DirectStorage API becomes more widely used in the best PC games, we may see solid state drives become an outright requirement.

However, before you rush to add the best SSD for gaming on this list to your shopping basket, it's important to understand what your system supports in terms of slots and technology. Make sure to check what your motherboard is capable of before splashing out on an expensive PCIe 4.0 drive that your rig may not be able to make the most out of.

RELATED LINKS: Best SSD for gaming, How to build a gaming PC, Best gaming CPU

PCGamesN Wednesday, April 13, 2022 12:37 PM
     The best Fortnite skins in Chapter 3 Season 2

Want to know what the best Fortnite skins in Chapter 3 Season 2 are? The latest season of Fortnite is finally here, and with it comes a host of changes to the game as well as plenty of new skins. The devs have finally introduced a 'No Building' mode, you can find Fortnite tank locations all over the map, and you can search Fortnite Omni Chip locations to build your Omni sword.

Fortnite is no stranger to crossover characters, but Epic kicked things up a gear with the introduction of NPCs in Chapter 2 Season 5. The Mandalorian plus Grogu, Predator, and even Ellen Ripley from Alien have all debuted in the battle royale game. Season 6 took things a step further, throwing Neymar and Lara Croft into the fray, while Season 7 saw Rick, Morty, and Superman make their Fortnite debuts.

It's easy to get overwhelmed by the amount of characters Epic adds to Fortnite – if you've taken a break from the game and want to know who Epic will add to the Fortnite skin roster this season, we've got you covered. Chapter 3 Season 2 begins with Doctor Strange, and it looks like The Prowler is coming to the battle royale game during the midpoint of the season.

RELATED LINKS: Fortnite V-Bucks, Fortnite Skins, Fortnite Creative Codes

PCGamesN Wednesday, April 13, 2022 2:00 PM
     Elder Scrolls' free retro games are coming to Steam

For over a decade, the first two entries in the Elder Scrolls series have been offered as free retro games through Bethesda's website and, more recently, the Bethesda Launcher. Now that the studio is ending support for that launcher, The Elder Scrolls: Arena and The Elder Scrolls: Daggerfall are finally coming to Steam.

You will be able to transfer your games from the Bethesda Launcher to Steam as of April 27, as the studio confirms in a newly-updated support article. As part of that transfer process, games that were not previously available on Steam, including Arena, Daggerfall, Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory, and Creation Kits for Fallout 4 and Skyrim SE, will be added to Valve's platform.

Arena has been available as a free download from Bethesda's website since 2004, and Daggerfall has been there since 2009. If you don't mind standalone executables, you can grab them without worrying about any launcher migrations. (If you wanna play the best multiplayer game in the Wolfenstein series, too, Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory has been open-source freeware for nearly 20 years.)


PCGamesN Wednesday, April 13, 2022 12:18 PM
     This Elden Ring summon can ride a wolf

It turns out that the Elden Ring summon Latenna the Albinauric has a special power in the fantasy game, as one player discovered. If the archer Latenna is summoned in the presence of a giant Direwolf, she can actually ride on the back of the wolf.

Today on "what crazy thing has an Elden Ring player discovered now" - which includes such delights as hitting a wall 50 times to discover a secret or just pretending to be Will Smith - Twitter user @rasukuclaver found a surprising talent that the Ash Summon Latenna the Albinauric has.

A bit of context - the player can discover Latenna at the Slumbering Wolf's Shack in Liurnia of the Lakes, which can only be accessed by making it through the Lakeside Crystal Cave - a nearly-hidden dungeon on the south side of the lake. She's seen sitting next to a large sleeping Direwolf. Progress through her quest and she will accompany the player as an Ash Summon, and she mostly fights with her bow.

RELATED LINKS: Best Elden Ring settings, Elden Ring bosses guide, The best Elden Ring classes

PCGamesN Wednesday, April 13, 2022 5:53 PM
     Best standing desk in 2022

The idea of a standing desk might feel like a novelty, but it could improve your experience working from home or at an office. Sure, it's hard to imagine playing FPS games on your feet, but getting up from your gaming chair comes with ergonomic health benefits that are sure to make time spent on your surface more enjoyable.

There are a few qualities to watch out for when hunting for the best standing desk, especially if you use your office for work and play. For starters, most options are height adjustable, and many use electric motors to make switching from seat to feet quick and intuitive. Some stand-up surfaces also come with extras like build-in USB sockets, cable management features, cupholders, and even RGB lighting.

Choosing the best gaming desk is one thing, but the unconventional nature of standing solutions may seem complicated. So, to help you grab a perfect seatless surface, we've picked out the best standing desk options available right now from brands like FlexiSpot, Ikea, and Eureka.

RELATED LINKS: Best SSD for gaming, How to build a gaming PC, Best gaming CPU

PCGamesN Wednesday, April 13, 2022 4:56 PM
     AMD Ryzen Zen 4 CPUs – release date, price, specs, and benchmarks

AMD Zen 4 CPUs are expected to grace gaming PCs and give Intel Alder Lake a run for its money later this year, and we're already hearing whispers of what team red might have in store. As usual, you'll need to take rumours with a pinch of salt until AMD lifts the curtain on its Zen-3 based Ryzen 5000 successor, but Ryzen 7000 chips will duke it out with Intel Raptor Lake for the title of best gaming CPU in the second half of 2022.

When AMD Zen 4 CPUs release, we'll finally see support for PCIe Gen5 and DDR5 gaming RAM on AMD's Ryzen CPUs. This will bring the company's processor offerings in line with Intel, which has supported both technologies since Alder Lake's release in 2021.

However, a combination of 3D V-Cache and a 5nm manufacturing process could see team red's chips outclass those from team blue by a significant margin. This would make Ryzen Zen 4 CPUs the ideal partner to the best graphics cards such as the company's upcoming RDNA 3 components or Nvidia's RTX 4000 GPU line-up.

RELATED LINKS: Zen 4 CPUs - everything we know, RDNA 3 GPUs - everything we know, Best gaming CPU

Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Wednesday, April 13, 2022 5:36 PM
    

Hey, you! Want an absolutely massive SSD? For, you know, keeping all your games installed at once? Or downloading the entire internet, four terabytes at a time? Well, the Crucial MX500, an SSD which received the RPS seal of approval, has reached a new low price on Amazon UK. Having previously retailed for around £310 to £340, it's now been reduced to £284.50, a healthy 10% reduction.

Read more


Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Wednesday, April 13, 2022 4:32 PM
    

The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X is the company's best gaming CPU*, and today it's going cheap at CCL in the UK. They're asking £345 for the 12-core, 24-thread processor when you use code SAVE20 at the checkout, and tossing in three months of Game Pass Ultimate and free next-day shipping to boot. That's £20 cheaper than the current Amazon price, and a massive drop from the £430+ going rate at the beginning of the year.

*OK, the Ryzen 9 5950X is technically faster, but it costs way more and the difference in gaming performance is miniscule. The Ryzen 7 5800X3D also looks promising, but hasn't yet been released and will likely cost more than this 5900X while packing fewer cores.

Read more


Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Wednesday, April 13, 2022 1:08 PM
    

Beamdog, the Canadian studio behind the 'Enhanced Edition' remasters of Planescape: Torment and Baldur's Gate, have announced their first original game: Mythforce. It's a roguelikelike first-person stabber with a striking visual style inspired by 80s children's cartoons. Also, Beamdog are being bought by Aspyr Media, joining the mahoosive Embracer Group as the consolidation of the games industry continues.

Read more


Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Wednesday, April 13, 2022 1:01 PM
    

Miners, how are we? Good, I hope. Soon you'll be even better, as Deep Rock Galactic Season 2 is set to line the caverns with new materials. And robots! Killer robots that resemble glowing chunks of Toblerone. That's the less good part. Still, survive the mechanical menace and you'll earn plenty of new goodies for your dwarven bod. Trust me, I've checked it out ahead of time and have come back pleased, and scratched... and burned.

Read more


Twinfinite Wednesday, April 13, 2022 4:37 PM
     Valorant's Episode 4 has already seen the introduction of one new Agent –Neon, the speedy Philipino duelist–, but there's another on the way soon, and Riot Games has already begun teasing their arrival. Here we'll be recapping everything we know about the new Valorant Agent 'Bounty Hunter,' including all abilities and information so far disclosed. […]

Twinfinite Wednesday, April 13, 2022 4:31 PM
     Today, Ivy Press publishing revealed that a Wordle Challenge book is now available for purchase. Totaling 256, this new brand new item features over 500 titles, allowing players to do as many as they want a day, wherever they want. Much like the game, the book features puzzles that vary from easy to expert, following […]

Twinfinite Wednesday, April 13, 2022 4:07 PM
     Deep Rock Galactic studio Ghost Ship Games released a narrative trailer today showing off a new seasonal event, weapons, and more coming with the second season of content for the game starting later this month. The season will add a new event where players will have to hack robotic equipment to shut it down before […]

Twinfinite Wednesday, April 13, 2022 3:53 PM
     To celebrate the upcoming third anniversary of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, a special stage celebration has been revealed for this weekend. Theprogram will be streamed live and is set to feature the show's cast members, as they perform an exclusive live reading of an original story and a special live dubbing performance. According to […]

Twinfinite Wednesday, April 13, 2022 2:52 PM
     Third-party developers released plenty of new assets related to upcoming add-ons for Microsoft Flight Simulator, and released a new airport.

Twinfinite Wednesday, April 13, 2022 1:48 PM
     Niantic, the creators of popular AR mobile games Pokemon GO, Pikmin Bloom, and more have announced their next project. Peridot is a virtual pet mobile game that lets you care for, raise, and breed one-of-a-kind creatures. Here's what we know so far about the game: After thousands of years of slumber, Peridots (or Dots for […]

Twinfinite Wednesday, April 13, 2022 1:20 PM
     Got some bad news here, sorry to say. It has been announced that The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Xbox Series X|S and PS5 versions have been delayed, presumably out of the Q2 window they were in. The official Witcher game Twitter account had this to say: We have decided to have our in-house development team […]

Twinfinite Wednesday, April 13, 2022 1:02 PM
     If you're a fan of Japanese developer Vanillaware, you may know GrimGrimoire, originally released in 2007 for PlayStation 2.

Twinfinite Wednesday, April 13, 2022 12:45 PM
     Today's Overwatch 2 trailer focuses on Sojourn — one of the new roster additions that'll be joining the fight in the sequel. The short video gives us a quick look at her backstory and it's narrated by Sojourn herself. She served in the Canadian Special Forces, which is where she first teamed up with Overwatch. […]

Twinfinite Wednesday, April 13, 2022 12:35 PM
     The new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge has received a behind the scenes development video to show off some of the more background aspects to making a new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game while staying true to the history of the series' games. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge is created in partnership between […]

Twinfinite Wednesday, April 13, 2022 12:04 PM
     Earlier today in a press release, Sega of America, Inc. announced their partnership with game developer Gamefam along with the reveal of their new Roblox game titled Sonic Speed Simulator. There are other games with the same title currently on Roblox, but this will be the first one that is officially connected to Sega. Down […]

Siliconera Wednesday, April 13, 2022 2:00 PM
    

TMNT Shredder's Revenge Developer Making-of Video Appears

There's a new TMNT Shredder's Revenge developer video. This is the first in a behind-the-scenes series. Each one will offer insight into the game's development. This first entry involved Dotemu CEO Cyrille Imbert and Tribute Games Co-Founder Jean-Francois Major explaining how they decided to make the game and what they went through to get the license and rights to do so.

In the video, the two noted they wanted the game based on the 1987 aesthetic and classic beat'em ups. Imbert also noted that work on this project began while Dotemu's Streets of Rage 4 was in development. Major mentioned working on the Ubisoft TMNT GBA game.

Here's the first behind-the-scenes TMNT Shredder's Revenge developer video. It's just under six minutes long.

As a reminder, other recent TMNT Shredder's Revenge video releases focused on new characters. The first one showed that April O'Neil would be a playable character. Another confirmed folks can also use Master Splinter. As someone might expect, Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo will all also appear as playable characters.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge will come to the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC via Steam in 2022. There's no exact release date for the beat'em up yet.

The post TMNT Shredder's Revenge Developer Making-of Video Appears appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Wednesday, April 13, 2022 1:30 PM
    

First Sonic the Hedgehog Roblox Game is Sonic Speed Simulator

Sega and Gamefam announced Sonic Speed Simulator is the first official Sonic the Hedgehog Roblox game. People can immediately see the game on the platform. However, the page for it noted that it is in a testing phase, with this being a closed beta with paid access at the moment. It also warns there will be resets ahead of the full launch.

In it, Sonic runs and collects rings while different Chao characters trail behind him. The game keeps track of your level and speed as Sonic runs through an area. A few of the five planned worlds appear in it.

This also won't be a solo experience. If people want, they will also be able to play with other people.

There's already a trailer showing how the game looks in Roblox.

Here are some initial screenshots for the Roblox Sonic the Hedgehog game. Both Sonic and Tails are prominently featured.
[gallery columns="7" ids="924067,924068,924069,924070,924072,924066,924073" link="file"]

Sonic Speed Simulator is in a testing phase on Roblox now. The next entry from Sega will be Sonic Frontiers. It has a 2022 launch window.

The post First Sonic the Hedgehog Roblox Game is Sonic Speed Simulator appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Wednesday, April 13, 2022 1:00 PM
    

Bandai Namco Job Listings Refer to a Nintendo Project

Bandai Namco and Nintendo are apparently working on a project together, according to new job listings. It is looking for a visual artist, person who can work on HD remasters of 3D backgrounds, and a planner. All three roles are available to people in Tokyo, Japan. [Thanks, Resetera and Destructoid!]

All three Bandai Namco job listings note that they are for a Nintendo project. They explain Nintendo contracted the company to work on a title. Each one also mentions the same 3D action game. However, only the one mentions working on backgrounds to remaster them for the game in question.

It isn't unusual for Bandai Namco to work on Nintendo games. It worked on the 3DS, Wii U, and Switch Super Smash Bros games. It was involved with the Wii U and Switch versions of Mario Kart 8 and Pokken Tournament. You can also credit Bandai Namco with assists on sports games like Mario Sports Superstars, Go Vacation, and Wii Sports Club. It developed New Pokemon Snap as well. Not to mention support offered for ARMS and Mario Kart Tour.

There are no hints as to what Nintendo game the new Bandai Namco job listings could be referring to. The last original title Bandai Namco worked on for the company is New Pokemon Snap.

The post Bandai Namco Job Listings Refer to a Nintendo Project appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Wednesday, April 13, 2022 12:01 PM
    

gotta protectors cart of darkness

Is this the time for Gotta Protectors? The franchise has long been underappreciated, launching on the little-used Xbox Live Indies service and following up with a 3DS sequel that made it West a bit too late to find an audience on the platform. The new game, Gotta Protectors: Cart of Darkness? It's on the still-popular Nintendo Switch platform, and a real marketing push means more people will actually know about it. Does the latest entry's gameplay back up this promise?

In the Gotta Protectors franchise, you play one of a set of classes and defend Princess Lola from waves of goblins and other baddies. You have a host of different attacks, as well as the ability to build and upgrade barricades to hold off foes. Cart of Darkness largely sticks to this formula, but builds levels around a train track. You put Lola in a castle train, and she can ride down the track and ram the opposing castle until it's rubble.

gotta protectors cart of darkness review

The train element seeks to unify the ideas of the first two installments. The first game, Protect Me Knight, featured single-screen stages. The 3DS sequel had much larger maps, driven by the 3DS' individual player screens. To keep the bigger environments but return to shared-screen local play, Cart of Darkness moves you around the map with tracks. You can just push Lola around by herself, if you want! (And you'll need to do it to find secrets, in addition to occasional tactical opportunities.)

Play sessions are crafted in four-stage paths. Rather than persistent leveling, Cart of Darkness lets you invest resources into upgrade trees within a single chapter at intermission screens. This does a few things! First: it puts all players on an even playing field. Those of different play time can join together with no huge balance issues. Second: it recaptures the magic of the original game! Generally speaking, each chapter of Cart of Darkness functions like the full campaign of that short-but-sweet Xbox 360 game. That makes each chapter a satisfying chunk.

Each of the game's classes offers different moves and strengths. Once you've unlocked all the abilities, there's a ton of room to experiment! And maybe even shape a class you like flavor-wise into a play style that better suits you. If there's an acquired taste in the bunch, it's definitely the Old Man, with some tricky-to-use skills and obvious drawbacks. (The online stats agree, as he's used about half as often as the others.) We've been big fans of the Mage setting maps ablaze since the first game, but we've enjoyed trying other schemes. And that flexibility? It also might be nice for those who are less than thrilled with the designs of characters like the Amazon and Ninja. Other characters can manage similar builds.

look at this cool screenshot

Gotta Protectors: Cart of Darkness is at its best with a full complement of friends. The game supports full online and local play options. In our testing, we didn't encounter issues with online play, which is impressive for a dev team this small! However you play, it's fun to split duties and focus on specialties. Are you running a build better for crowd control? Or maximum damage to a boss? Hey, maybe you're the barricade expert. A lot is always happening on the screen, so dividing these responsibilities is a great help.

If you do need to play alone (and we did a lot for this review), you can take advantage of a few things. First: difficulty! The game doesn't really scale to player count, instead offering different difficulties and letting you move up or down to your taste. There's no shame in playing solo on Easy when you need to get through a tough stage.

Also, in all configurations, you choose a team of three characters and loadouts, and you can swap out at any time. This could be helpful in a pinch in multiplayer, too! But it's especially important by yourself, as you can swap to your defense character or DPS build as the situation requires. Intermission upgrades apply to your whole team, too, so no worries there. Through spending in-game gold, you can unlock new loadouts for each class. While they're nice suggestions for play strategies, what's most useful is that all abilities in each are unlocked as options for the "custom" loadout.

gotta protectors cart of darkness review

Aesthetically, Gotta Protectors builds on Famicom/NES nostalgia. Lead developer Makoto "Karu_gamo" Wada, who also dabbles in actual NES work, understands the look and feel. And keeping it simple probably makes it easier to develop! The time in Cart of Darkness was clearly spent on expanding the sheer amount of content in the game, offering dozens upon dozens of levels.

And we can't get through this review without talking about the compositions of Yuzo Koshiro. The Ancient boss has used the Gotta Protectors franchise as a sort of playground, making new retro-style tracks much like the ones that made him a household name. In many ways, Gotta Protectors games are worth it for the soundtracks alone! And this one's no different.

The charm of the game is accentuated by some truly top-notch localization work. Cart of Darkness is laugh-out-loud funny, and it adapts the script to Western nostalgia well. All the cartridges made for a huge undertaking, for sure, but we most appreciate the incidental text and interstitial screens. There's still a place in our heart for the first game's charmingly rough approach, but Cart of Darkness is one of those releases that shouts the value of good localization from the rooftops.

But about those cartridges, though! You can equip them for a minor boost, and that's fun, but you can probably find a handful of helpful bonuses without having to spend hours looking. They're not going to dominate your experience if you don't want to bother. Still, the presence of the one whimsical collectible gives players a lot of opportunities to experiment. You get some hints on how to find them, but largely we found it easiest to just scout out a map and look for suspicious locations. And hey, your reward? A nostalgic chuckle. Not so bad.

Gotta Protectors: Cart of Darkness refines a gameplay system that was already great, and offers a ton of challenges to keep you busy! And hey, maybe this time, more players will be fortunate enough to discover it.

gotta protectors cart of darkness review

Gotta Protectors: Cart of Darkness launches April 14, 2022 on the Nintendo Switch eShop. A physical edition of the game is also on the way from Limited Run Games. For more on Cart of Darkness, check out our interview with the game's creators.

Disclosure: A member of the Siliconera staff contributed to the production of the physical edition of the game. That staff member is in no way involved with the writing or publication of this review.

The post Review: Gotta Protectors: Cart of Darkness' Gameplay Is As Sharp as Its Pixels appeared first on Siliconera.


Destructoid Wednesday, April 13, 2022 7:00 PM
    

The virtual reality Sorcerer's Apprentice gets underway this summer Some games need a little bit of explanation to define, and others, it's...

The post The Last Clockwinder builds a factory of you's later this year appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Wednesday, April 13, 2022 6:30 PM
    

We're going to be hearing it *a lot*, after all EA Motive has been checking in with the Dead Space community...

The post Dead Space remake revises Plasma Cutter audio after fan feedback appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Wednesday, April 13, 2022 6:00 PM
    

Get ready for a whole new adorable adventure I feel like Niantic is one of those studios you don't often...

The post Niantic announces Peridot, a real-world adventure pet game appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Wednesday, April 13, 2022 5:30 PM
    

Keep talking and the spaceship might not explode When I first saw Fueled Up, I let out a "Dude, yes!"...

The post Fueled Up nails the Overcooked vibe with spaceship-repairing co-op appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Wednesday, April 13, 2022 5:00 PM
    

A whole new way to play an old favorite Ah, Scrabble. How many boards have been overturned, how many friendships and...

The post An official Scrabble browser game launched today on Scrabble Day appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Wednesday, April 13, 2022 4:30 PM
    

A top lawyer for the state resigns in protest A new wrinkle has emerged in the California Department of Fair...

The post California lawyer resigns, alleges governor interfered in Activision Blizzard case appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Wednesday, April 13, 2022 4:00 PM
    

The robo-revolution is on hold for now As some of you may have read previously, I've been pretty fascinated with...

The post Nacon's Steelrising has been delayed to September 2022 appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Wednesday, April 13, 2022 3:30 PM
    

One RPG studio will bring in another Beamdog has more news than just a new game. Today, Aspyr Media announced...

The post Aspyr Media set to acquire MythForce developer Beamdog appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Wednesday, April 13, 2022 3:00 PM
    

Mighty new studio expected by 2028 Nintendo, never shy of a few bob, has lightened its wallet to the tune...

The post Nintendo drops $40 million on site for new R&D department appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Wednesday, April 13, 2022 2:30 PM
    

Sony will pester you before you're charged, and Nintendo will turn it off by default Subscription auto-renewal practices, in an...

The post Sony and Nintendo are changing their subscription auto-renewal rules appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Wednesday, April 13, 2022 2:00 PM
    

CD Projekt Red is finishing the project in-house Fans eager to dive back into the world of The Witcher 3...

The post The Witcher 3's PS5 and Xbox Series X versions are slipping out of Q2 appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Wednesday, April 13, 2022 1:30 PM
    

It starts on April 21 The Genshin Impact 2.6 Phase 2 schedule has been revealed, and it'll run from April...

The post Here's the Genshin Impact 2.6 Phase 2 schedule appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Wednesday, April 13, 2022 1:00 PM
    

Assemble a space pirate crew in the new update Hello Games keeps on expanding the universe of No Man's Sky. Today,...

The post No Man's Sky gets into smuggling and solar ships with the Outlaws update appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Wednesday, April 13, 2022 12:30 PM
    

Test Your Metal is still due in June There's a small Fallout 76 patch out this week, which, naturally, addresses...

The post Fallout 76 is getting a small patch this week ahead of the huge update appeared first on Destructoid.


PC Invasion - FeedDDD Wednesday, April 13, 2022 7:40 PM
     Genshin Impact Clash Of Lone Blades Guide TaroumaruNew activities are being added to Genshin Impact as part of the Hues of the Violet Garden or Magnificent Irodori Festival. One of these has you battling various elite samurai in duels. Here's our Genshin Impact Clash of Lone Blades guide to help you defeat opponents such as Taroumaru, Mishima Michitoshi, and more. Note: For more information about the game, check out our Genshin Impact guides and features hub. You can also take a look at our main guide for the Magnificent Irodori Festival.   Genshin Impact Clash of Lone Blades guide To gain access to the Clash of Lone Blades in Genshin Impact, you'll first need to complete True Tales Act 3: A New Painting in Pale Scarlet. The quest, similar to others before it, requires you to talk to characters (i.e., Kazuha and Ayaka). When that's done, you'll receive another quest called Go Forth, Golden Whirlwind. You'll then need to head to an island that's northwest of Ritou. There, you'll talk to an ...

PC Invasion - FeedDDD Wednesday, April 13, 2022 7:15 PM
     Eiyuden Chronicle RisingCalling all JRPG players: deep down, you know you've wanted to build that perfect JRPG town, with farms, vendors, and food stalls abound. If you've had that oddly specific fantasy before, then you're in luck. Publisher 505 Games and developer Rabbit & Bear Studios announced a release date for the upcoming RPG town building game, Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising. Headed by Suikoden creator Yoshitaka Murayama, you'll be able to dive into some chaotic RPG combat while reconstructing the town of New Nevaeh back to its former glory. Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising will serve as a prequel game to another JRPG coming soon, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes. In the game's story, a gigantic earthquake shakes the town of New Nevaeh to its core, revealing Runebarrows for adventurers and merchants to seek. Different characters from all over come together; some seeking riches, and some seeking to rebuild the once-beautiful town.   Build up those walls The game will feature...

PC Invasion - FeedDDD Wednesday, April 13, 2022 6:15 PM
     Galactic Civilizations IV release navigatorsAnnounced back in May of last year, Galactic Civilizations IV represents the latest in developer Stardock's critically acclaimed turn-based strategy series. Like any sequel, it intends to iterate upon the series' formula with a whole host of new features, including multi-sector maps, a new quest system, and internal factions, among others. Just today, Stardock announced an official release date of April 26 for Galactic Civilizations IV, so longtime fans of the series should definitely take note. According to a press release, Galactic Civilizations IV sees players assume the role of an "all-powerful leader of a spacefaring civilization" who aims to see everything the subspace realm has to offer. Players can pick one of over a dozen civilizations at the start of the game, and they can even craft entirely new civilizations from the ground up if they wish. This means that multiple playthroughs can turn out very differently from each other, which should augment ...

PC Invasion - FeedDDD Wednesday, April 13, 2022 5:30 PM
     Genshin Impact Story Trailer Five KasenThe pen is a powerful asset in Genshin Impact, with legendary poets and authors making their mark on Teyvat culture. HoYoverse is ready to uplift these literary geniuses with a brand new story trailer that follows the legacy of the legendary Five Kasen in Genshin Impact. The Five Kasen are a group of legendary poets that made their mark in Inazuma. They also have a story presence in the latest Hues of the Violet Garden event. The Hues of the Violet Garden event centers on several of the game's most literate characters coming together to investigate a strange case. Playable characters Xingqiu, Kazuha, Ayaka, and Venti have made the most of their screentime in this event, and the story is coming to a bustling conclusion as they gather together at the Irodori Festival. It's a grand event for those who are fans of the game's many characters.   The Irodori Festival In the trailer, the aforementioned characters revel in the lore of the Five Kasen. The story revolved ar...

PC Invasion - FeedDDD Wednesday, April 13, 2022 5:00 PM
     Elden Ring How To Beat Sir Gideon Ofnir The All Knowing Boss FightWith Maliketh defeated, you make your way back to Leyndell, now a city coated in ash from the burning Erdtree. Before you can face your final challenges, a familiar form stands in your path. Sir Gideon Ofnir, who once begrudgingly welcomed you to the Roundtable Hold, now attempts to block your progress. This isn't a hard fight, however Sir Gideon is equipped with some impressively powerful spells. This guide will help you figure out how to beat Sir Gideon Ofnir, The All-Knowing, and put his ceaseless quest for knowledge in Elden Ring to end for good. Note: For more information, check out our Elden Ring guides and features hub.   Elden Ring boss guide – How to beat Sir Gideon Ofnir, The All-Knowing I'll be frank: Sir Gideon Ofnir won't be the toughest boss you've faced in Elden Ring. If you've managed to "do well" up to this point, he's fairly easy. In fact, you should be able to finish this fight in one go, so long as you don...

Gamer Empire Wednesday, April 13, 2022 2:42 PM
    

The Rapport system in Lost Ark allows you to increase your reputation with a specific NPC to build your relationship. Building Rapport with NPCs unlocks new questlines and useful rewards, including Skill Point Potions and gold. Recommended Read: Lost Ark – Gear Honing Guide You cannot build Rapport with all NPCs in the game, only […]

The post Lost Ark – Rapport System Guide: How It Works, Wiki appeared first on Gamer Empire. It was written by Tim Stadel Clausen.


Tabletop Gaming News Wednesday, April 13, 2022 6:00 PM
    

Tabletop Gaming News Wednesday, April 13, 2022 5:00 PM
    

Tabletop Gaming News Wednesday, April 13, 2022 4:00 PM
    

Tabletop Gaming News Wednesday, April 13, 2022 3:00 PM
    

Tabletop Gaming News Wednesday, April 13, 2022 2:00 PM
    

Tabletop Gaming News Wednesday, April 13, 2022 1:00 PM
    

Player Assist | Game Guides & Walkthroughs Wednesday, April 13, 2022 4:30 PM
     Minecraft can seem like a soothing and calm sandbox game where players can freely go on an adventure and build anything they want on the surface. But unbeknownst to most of the new players in the game, this is not the case in a survival game mode in Minecraft. Even when a player starts on […]

Player Assist | Game Guides & Walkthroughs Wednesday, April 13, 2022 2:20 PM
     Pokemon Legends: Arceus is set in the old times in the Pokemon world at a time when it was rare to find harmony between people and Pokemon. Set in the land of the Hisui region, modern-day Sinnoh, you will join the Galaxy Expedition Team (Galaxy Team for short) as a member of the Survey Corps […]

Player Assist | Game Guides & Walkthroughs Wednesday, April 13, 2022 1:14 PM
     Bind's narrow entryways and alleys help accentuate Viper's venomous kit. With these One-way Smokes on Bind, you can turn Viper into a defensive juggernaut. As a stark contrast to the standard tactical shooting game map layouts of old, Bind is a simple A-site and B-site map with no middle lane. Middle lanes are essential spaces […]

Player Assist | Game Guides & Walkthroughs Wednesday, April 13, 2022 12:08 PM
     Pokemon Legends: Arceus is set in the old times in the Pokemon world at a time when it was rare to find harmony between people and Pokemon. Set in the land of the Hisui region, modern-day Sinnoh, you will join the Galaxy Expedition Team (Galaxy Team for short) as a member of the Survey Corps […]

Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Wednesday, April 13, 2022 4:14 PM
    

Xseed Games releases its lineup for PAX East

The post XSEED Games Reveals Pax East 2022 Lineup appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism.


Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Wednesday, April 13, 2022 3:42 PM

Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Wednesday, April 13, 2022 2:49 PM
    

The new No man's sky update brings tons of new features

The post No Man's Sky Outlaws Update Now Live appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism.


Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Wednesday, April 13, 2022 1:24 PM
    

Action RPG Steelrising has been delayed

The post Action RPG Steelrising Delayed to September 8 appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism.


Level Up Wednesday, April 13, 2022 2:00 PM
     It is important to keep in mind what is going on within Activision Blizzard at…

Level Up Wednesday, April 13, 2022 1:30 PM
     Game publisher Aspyr has announced that it will be acquiring development studio Beamdog. The news was…

Level Up Wednesday, April 13, 2022 12:45 PM
     The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on in-person events for a couple of years now.…