Kotaku Saturday, May 14, 2022 10:00 AM |
Kotaku Saturday, May 14, 2022 9:30 AM  Once, long ago, buying and playing a video game was pretty easy. You bought the disc or cart, stuck it in the console, and hit play. Not so much anymore. Case in point: The not-so-great cloud-streaming-only versions of Kingdom Hearts released on Switch earlier this year recently got an update, and now feature a… |
PCGamesN Saturday, May 14, 2022 1:25 PM  A month after Square Enix shut down the ability for players to buy houses in its MMO game, producer Yoshi-P has finally confirmed the Final Fantasy XIV Housing Lottery return date for later this month - with maintenance and testing kicking off on Monday. As of patch 6.1 with the Endwalker expansion, the Final Fantasy XIV team introduced a housing system for the Empyreum residential district. This is governed by a lottery system where players get randomly chosen for a plot of land, which worked well - until it didn't, choosing the winning number of zero despite no players being able to select it. In a new update, producer Naoki Yoshida confirms that the team has finally "completed preparations to implement our fixes and restore lottery data". The team will conduct maintenance to restore the correct lottery results this Monday, May 16, and any "temporary suspensions" on buying plot purchases and relocations will be lifted. Winners will have until the next lottery cycle to claim their plots of land, and even if their ticket was refunded they'll still be able to finalise the purchase - although Yoshida asks that players kindly return their refunded deposit voluntarily. RELATED LINKS: The best MMOs on PC, FFXIV Reaper job guide, FFXIV Sage job guide |
PCGamesN Saturday, May 14, 2022 12:32 PM  As revealed in a company presentation this week, it sounds like some big Paradox Interactive acquisitions "might be" coming in the next few years, which includes both companies and IP. Beyond that, Paradox is also doubling down on its core strategy games and management games too - like the upcoming Victoria 3. 2022 seems to be the year for major studio acquisitions. Most notably, Microsoft is set to buy Activision in a massive $70bn deal, and as a counter to that, Sony is buying Destiny 2 studio Bungie. Earlier this month, the Embracer Group took various studios - including the developers behind Tomb Raider and Deus Ex - off the hands of Square Enix. Now, in a company presentation held earlier this week, Paradox Interactive CEO Fredrik Wester confirmed that the publisher "might be doing some acquisitions of companies or IPs throughout the coming year or years". He didn't give any particular names or details but did say these acquisitions wouldn't be "the main focus of our operations." RELATED LINKS: Victoria 3 release date, The best grand strategy games on PC, The best strategy games on PC |
PCGamesN Saturday, May 14, 2022 11:18 AM  A new The Callisto Protocol reveal is coming "next week" according to the studio's founder and Dead Space creator Glen Schofield, so we'll finally get some news on the upcoming PUBG horror game - even if it's just a tease for a gameplay showing at Summer Game Fest next month. Last month, Striking Distance Studios CEO and founder Glen Schofield confirmed that it was "almost time" for the full reveal of its first game The Callisto Protocol - a horror action-adventure game set in the PUBG Battlegrounds universe, which was announced at The Game Awards in 2020 and we haven't heard anything about it since. Given that Striking Distance Studios includes several members of the ex-Visceral team that made Dead Space, including Schofield, anticipation is high for The Callisto Protocol - especially as the game's teaser trailer made it look highly Dead Space-inspired. Well, Schofield has narrowed that reveal even further with his latest tweet, promising "some news next week" - alongside a closeup shot of a horrifyingly meaty creature. |
PCGamesN Saturday, May 14, 2022 10:01 AM  When we first heard about The Wayward Realms last year, we reckoned that investors and publishers would be clambering over each other to get a piece of that action. Surely even the suits in their glass-and-steel towers can see that a spiritual successor to The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall with a huge systems-based world is a wonderful idea? Apparently, however, it's not quite so easy to find funding for an RPG game, as The Wayward Realms is still seeking investors to truly get the project off the ground. In our chat with the fantasy game's technical director, Julian Le Fay, he told us that "the big issue with the game is the fact that it still lacks funding, it certainly doesn't lack volunteers and people enthusiastic about it… but with volunteers, you can't just be like 'OK, I need you to do this and finish that by Wednesday' or whatever so it becomes a little more complicated to manage." Community manager Victor Villarreal isn't concerned, saying that the studio is "in active talks with several potential investors", even though it hasn't actively sought any out yet. "Our game is very ambitious," Villarreal adds, "and we want to take advantage of this time that we have to build a strong foundation - not only in terms of tech, but in world-building and game design as well." |
PCGamesN Saturday, May 14, 2022 8:01 AM  A proper Marvel Midnight Suns release date is edging ever closer, as the long-awaited Marvel XCOM meets card game - the next game from the creators of XCOM: Enemy Unknown - has been rated in South Korea, so the turn-based strategy game seems likely for 2022. Marvel's Midnight Suns was announced in August last year as a tactical RPG game from Firaxis, the studio behind the XCOM and Civilization games. It was originally down for a March 2022 release, but just two months after the announcement Midnight Suns was delayed to "late 2022". We're now close to the second half of the year and Marvel's Midnight Suns still doesn't have a release date - but it looks like an announcement is imminent, since the strategy game was just rated for sale in South Korea (as spotted on Reddit). It was rated 15, a relatively high rating mostly because of "violence and blood toward living things", according to Google translate. While this doesn't guarantee a release soon, hopefully it's not too far off. RELATED LINKS: The best tactical RPGS on PC, The best RPG games on PC |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Saturday, May 14, 2022 1:55 PM  Another Crab's Treasure is in some ways the most grimdark Soulslike yet. It's about a cute crab battling other crabs at the bottom of a colourful sea, sure, but the different shells and the weapons you and your enemies are wielding are made from trash dumping into that colourful sea by humans. It's still cute, though. There's a reveal trailer below. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Saturday, May 14, 2022 1:26 PM  The name "Gunbrella" might already tell you everything you need to know about Gunbrella, a game in which you wield a gun which is also an umbrella. Announced this past week, it's a 2D "noir-punk" action game published by Devolver, about floating like Mary Poppins and stinging like, I dunno, a shotgun. You can find the announce trailer below. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Saturday, May 14, 2022 12:40 PM |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Saturday, May 14, 2022 11:44 AM  Earlier this week, Activision Blizzard published a post on their website about their "Diversity Space Tool". Developed by subsidiary King, it's a tool for rating video game characters along certain axes in order to rate their relative diversity. Several people then pointed out that sounded mildly dystopian. Yesterday, Activison Blizzard responded, saying that the "prototype is not being used in active game development", and was designed as an optional supplement to other work. |
Twinfinite Saturday, May 14, 2022 3:48 PM Today third-party developers had announcements and reveals to share about upcoming add-ons for Microsoft Flight Simulator. |
Twinfinite Saturday, May 14, 2022 2:16 PM Today Neon Doctrine hosted a livestream to celebrate its 8th anniversary, and had quite a few reveals to make. |
Twinfinite Saturday, May 14, 2022 1:47 PM Today Blackmill Games and M2H revealed new videos of Isonzo, the upcoming FPS set in the trenches of World War I. |
Twinfinite Saturday, May 14, 2022 1:22 PM Today a new Pokemon video was published, and it's a rather cute one, focusing on the weight of some of the popular Pokemon. |
Twinfinite Saturday, May 14, 2022 12:49 PM Today Mages released a new trailer and showcased plenty of gameplay of its upcoming game Alice Gear Aegis CS: Concerto of Simulatrix. |
Siliconera Saturday, May 14, 2022 3:00 PM
The first release in the efforts to build a spiritual successor to Suikoden, spinoff Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising, is out this week. What games have been the best spiritual successors? Why? Here are our picks. While nearly two decades old, Haunting Ground remains my favorite spiritual successor. Anyone who has even remotely had a brush with the Clock Tower series will see that Haunting Ground takes some of the best concepts and builds upon them in fantastic ways. It even shares similar music cues! And features the protagonist running from a series of stalkers. But what Haunting Ground has one up on Clock Tower is Hewie, an adorable German shepherd that serves as the player's companion. Outside of being an incredible psychological horror title, Haunting Ground expands upon some of Clock Tower's best mechanics and general Italian-horror-inspired weirdness to create a title worthy of being the successor to a previously iconic series. — Kazuma
While Haunting Ground was definitely my first thought for best spiritual successor, I'm actually an even bigger fan of another horror game: Siren. The original Siren was a spiritual successor to Silent Hill. What made Siren more appealing to me personally was that it told its story through the views of multiple protagonists instead of just one. This helped to weave a complicated plot and make you emotionally invested after spending so much time navigating Hanuda as these characters. Due to the larger cast, there is also more character-driven drama. This lends itself to the game being that much more memorable than Silent Hill. (And then just like what happened with Silent Hill, those Americans RUINED Siren with the PS3 remake). — Stephanie
I have to go with Odin Sphere. See, before it existed, Vanillaware's George Kamitani made a game called Princess Crown. It is also an elaborate, lavish, 2D, side-scrolling action game relying on combos to defeat foes. It follows multiple characters too! There are four scenarios following different important characters. Once you beat those? The fifth "ending" one unlocks. Sound familiar? Sadly, Princess Crown never ended up localized. Which is especially unfortunate, as a PS4 port appeared in Japan alongside 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim! (Are you going to localize and finally release this piece of history worldwide, Atlus? Huh?) — Jenni
Too much time has passed since the last Armored Core came out, and former From Software member Kenichiro Tsukuda went to Marvelous and created Daemon X Machina to fill the gap. I'd say it's not only a spiritual successor to Armored Core, but also a general celebration of the mecha and military genres. Daemon X Machina combined Armored Core's mech action and customization with a soundtrack made by Bandai Namco's Ace Combat composers. It also featured characters and mechs designed by Yusuke Kozaki and Macross' Shoji Kawamori, respectively. To top it all, the Japanese cast list included the voice actors of Amuro Ray and Char Aznable from the Gundam series. It's truly a match made in heaven. — Kite What do you think are the best spiritual successors? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter! And read our other handy roundtables for more thoughts from the Siliconera team. The post The Best Spiritual Successors appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Saturday, May 14, 2022 1:00 PM
Mt. Rainier coffee will provide people in Japan with a link to soothing Seaman ASMR tracks when they scan a QR code on the company's drinks. The deeply soothing water-themed ASMR sounds are meant to help with those stressed from the COVID-19 pandemic. Seaman will emerge occasionally with various sayings. There will be a total of four different ASMR codes. [Thanks, Dengeki Online!] The water ASMR is courtesy of award-winning aquascaper Takayuki Fukada. As well, you will be able to use the QR code to access AR images of various Japanese cities at night. As for Seaman, he will appear randomly, giving various pearls of wisdom. It is unknown if Seaman will insult the listener in the ASMR as he occasionally does towards the player in his original game. Seaman is a virtual pet simulator that originally launched on Dreamcast before being ported to PlayStation 2. It involves players raising and caring for a Seaman in real time. Like a frog, the Seaman goes through various developmental stages with differing appearances. Unlike a frog, the Seaman can understand human speech, giving "advice" and learning about the player through conversation. The Seaman and aquascape ASMR QR codes are available on Mt. Rainier coffees in Japan. This is not the first QR code promotion that Japan has held. Craft Boss coffee also provided QR codes for Green Greens arrangements during the Kirby 30th anniversary. The post Seaman ASMR Will Provide Soothing Audio for Stressed People appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Saturday, May 14, 2022 11:00 AM
The Quintessential Quintuplets and Sanrio collaboration merchandise will appear for a limited time from May 27 until June 15, 2022. Stores will pop up in Tokyo and Japan, and goods include items such as acrylic stands and towels. They are also available for purchase from the Animaru! online store. Ichika is paired with Pompompurin, while Nino joins Kuromi. Meanwhile, Miku teams up with Tuxedosam, Yotsuba's partner is Keroppi, and Itsuki joins Hello Kitty. Aside from the Nakano sisters posing with the Sanrio characters, they also wear something that symbolizes the mascot. For example, Nino's butterfly hair ornaments also have Kuromi's ears protruding from them. For goods such as acrylic stands and can badges, they are available individually. You will not be able to purchase a full box of them all. Items include:
[gallery columns="5" link="file" ids="926965,926966,926967,926968,926969,926970,926971,926972,926973,926974"] The Sanrio items are part of a promotion for the upcoming The Quintessential Quintuplets movie. It will premiere in Japan on May 20, 2022. There's no news yet about an international release. The Quintessential Quintuplets and Sanrio merchandise will be available from May 27 until June 15, 2022. The post The Quintessential Quintuplets x Sanrio Goods Revealed appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Saturday, May 14, 2022 9:00 AM
Nintendo released more information on how Shez will play in Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes, including their unique class. The player avatar character will use twin blades and specialize in fast moves. Like with Byleth in the original game, you will be able to choose whether you wish to play as a male or female Shez. The Shez unique class is the Flugel, which seems to act similar to a Thief class. They wield two blades at the same time, and can move quickly through the battlefield. Like previous Fire Emblem protagonists before them, Shez has other hidden powers that the Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes Twitter page will reveal at a later date. https://twitter.com/FireEmblemMusou/status/1525038143665209345 Tasuku Hatanaka will portray male Shez. Hatanaka previously voiced Yuma in Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal, Gorou in Genshin Impact, and Reki in SK8 the Infinity. Miyu Tomita will provide the voice for female Shez. Previous roles from Tomita include Riko from Made in Abyss, Ebisu in Dorohedoro, and Kafka in Arknights. While characters from the previous game will appear with new visuals in Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes, it is unknown what role Byleth will play. Byleth does provide the main motivator for Shez, as Shez once lost to the Ashen Demon (Byleth's nickname) and trained hard in order to get revenge. Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes will launch on Nintendo Switch on June 24, 2022. The post Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes' Shez Will Have Unique Class appeared first on Siliconera. |
Destructoid Saturday, May 14, 2022 3:00 PM Looking back at one of the best game adaptations of all time I vaguely remember watching the Pokémon anime when... The post All these game adaptations could learn something from the Pokémon anime appeared first on Destructoid. |
Destructoid Saturday, May 14, 2022 1:00 PM Ain't no shame in the SP game It may not be the Virtual Console setup I loved on my Wii... The post EarthBound Beginnings on Nintendo Switch Online needs an SP version appeared first on Destructoid. |
Destructoid Saturday, May 14, 2022 11:00 AM Point and Shoot It's been a long time coming, but a new update for Arkane's chrono-shooter Deathloop has finally arrived,... The post Deathloop update adds accessibility options and photo mode appeared first on Destructoid. |
Destructoid Saturday, May 14, 2022 9:00 AM It's hard to walk away from a game at your peak It's a simple question, but your answer might a... The post Are you a New Game+ sorta person? appeared first on Destructoid. |