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Dec 31, 16:00


PCGamesN Saturday, December 31, 2022 1:02 PM
     Now that's what I call PC games news 2022!

In the world of PC games news, the grind never stops. As our wonderful virtual universe continues to turn on its metaphorical axis, there's a lot to look forward to in the coming year. We've got Hogwarts Legacy, Starfield, Diablo 4, and much more, but it's worth casting our minds back to some of best PC games of 2022. As Christmas draws to a close and fireworks litter the horizon, we've taken the liberty of compiling some of the year's biggest news events in one place - after all, what's not to love about a little bit of nostalgia?

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Diablo Immortal tier list, Diablo Immortal system requirements, Best Diablo Immortal builds

PCGamesN Saturday, December 31, 2022 12:13 PM
     Steam slashes Cult of the Lamb price ahead of new update

Steam has cut down the cost of Massive Monster's Game Award-nominated roguelike game, Cult of the Lamb, which is set to add its first major content update in early 2023. What better way to start off the year than slaughtering innocents using the all-new heavy moves while simultaneously brainwashing cute little forest animals, am I right?

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Upcoming PC Games, Cult of the Lamb beginners guide, How to get lumber and stone in Cult of the Lamb

PCGamesN Saturday, December 31, 2022 9:14 AM
     How the Steam Deck reignited my passion for gaming

Hardware is becoming unwieldy. There, I said it. Consoles like the PS5 and the Xbox Series X are the size of a small house, needing a building permit to actually put inside your property. Gaming PC cases aren't much better. And don't get me started on the chonkiness of graphics cards. This, combined with other factors, had all but destroyed my desire to actually play video games, until I got my hands on a certain portable powerhouse earlier this year: the Steam Deck.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best SSD for gaming, How to build a gaming PC, Best gaming CPU

PCGamesN Saturday, December 31, 2022 9:14 AM
     How to find a Minecraft Ancient City, location, seeds, and warden tips

Where is the Minecraft Ancient City? Sadly, they can be very elusive, but once you know what you're looking for and where, it's a lot easier to dig up this marvellous metropolis. Ancient Cities are spectacular structures buried deep below ground - one of the first underground monuments except for Strongholds, in fact - so now you've got something to look out for while you're digging for diamonds in Minecraft.

Be wary though, because Ancient Cities hold a dangerous mob within their walls - the Warden. This blind but brutal creature is the toughest foe in Minecraft history, but it guards some exciting loot. Here's what you need to know about how to find a Minecraft Ancient City, what to expect when you get there, and some Ancient City Minecraft seeds if you want to skip the hard part.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Minecraft seeds, Minecraft skins, Minecraft mods

Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Saturday, December 31, 2022 11:00 AM
    

As both a parent and the resident news lad here, I probably spend way more time talking and writing about games than getting hundreds of hours to actually play them. While most of the games I've snuck the odd minutes with – I hesitate to say hours – made it onto our Advent Calendar for Horace's approval, the three below were a few that made me and my family smile at different points throughout 2022. Roll on 2023 - and even more games.

Possibly my most magical Christmas as a kid was in 1997, aged 12. I got a Saturn and an issue of the UK's Official Sega Saturn Magazine that had a Christmas NiGHTS Into Dreams disc on the cover. I reckon that it was my favourite, most unabashedly fun time for gaming ever (outside my decades fiddling around on PC, obvs). Indie platformer Lunistice is a blatant love letter to the 32-bit era, and the kind of game that largely skipped the poor old Saturn.

You guide Hana the Tanuki about as she dreams, aiming to get her to the Moon. Hana properly speeds along, bouncing and spinning her tail to thwack enemies with a lovely splat effect. Devs A Grumpy Fox have really nailed the classic 90s platformer vibe, thanks to all the different dreamworlds that Hana gets to careen through. Don't expect something open-world like Sonic Frontiers, because Lunistice is deliberately meant to be a linear, short experience. Good grief, could we use more of those.

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Twinfinite Saturday, December 31, 2022 1:00 PM
     My parents will be so proud of this article.

Twinfinite Saturday, December 31, 2022 12:00 PM
     Who played PI the best in the medium of film?

Siliconera Saturday, December 31, 2022 3:00 PM
    

What's the Worst Game of 2022 Samurai Maiden

Not every game released is going to set the world on fire. Some will be more disappointing than expected. Others could be downright unplayable. So, as we wrap up our game of the year talks for 2022 at Siliconera, we decided to each reveal what the worst games we played were.


It is fresh in my mind, because I just had to play it, but Samurai Maiden. D3 Publisher titles are a guilty pleasure for me, and this one left me disappointed in so many ways. The script is terrible. The controls weren't precise enough. I didn't like how combo and special attack unlocking worked. The enemies were incredibly generic. It felt like a genuine chore to play. If it had been a $20 title, I could have lived with it. But it being a $60 really bothered me too. — Jenni

worst games 2022 callisto protocol

I feel like as I continue to review games, there's always that one that either absolutely destroys my PC, is just middling, flat out awful, or all three. And The Callisto Protocol is that.

Not only did it absolutely destroy my PC resolution after several crashes, which forced me to hard restart my PC, but the combat is a slog and the story is unmemorable. The enemy designs are blasé and totally forgettable, and it feels like a clunky retread of PS3-era horror games like Silent Hill: Homecoming. It's just not great from the foundation upward, technical issues aside. — Kazuma

tower of fantasy

All of the games that came out in 2022 that I personally played had some charm or otherwise redeeming factor to it, except for one game that I would have forgotten about if not for its mention at The Game Awards: Tower of Fantasy. I'm not sure how the game is now after most people abandoned it in favor of the major Sumeru update in Genshin Impact, but when I played it, Tower of Fantasy was an ugly and boring mess. On paper, the story could have been interesting, but in practice, it was impossible to sit through.

Granted, a lot of my ire towards Tower of Fantasy had a lot to do with things outside of the game as well. Some of the things that the development team did (from the Chinese ID controversy to stealing reviews) left a bad taste in my mouth, and the general discussion around it online gave it a fairly bad reputation. Perhaps Tower of Fantasy isn't doing too bad for itself right now, but as it stands, I personally consider it to be the worst game I played in 2022. — Stephanie

FFXIV Emotes and Gear are in Babylon's Fall

It's in my nature to try to find something to like about anything I play, and I'm pretty forgiving of almost any game I'm not professionally obligated to review. I also don't enjoy "hate-playing," which means I usually have little to say when the time comes to throw shade at our least favorite titles. That said, it was more challenging to find that grace for Babylon's Fall, a game that, on most levels, seemed like a bad idea PlatinumGames just couldn't abandon in the womb. The game's inability to muster that sense of motivation and bald-faced chase of live service design trends reminded me of the bad old days of the PS3 era, when global developers aped cover-based shooting games like Gears of War in an attempt to come to grips with era's market-leading designs. The results often felt like inept facsimiles that lacked understanding of why things work the way they do.

Perhaps given more time, Babylon's Fall could've been dragged into the realm of being competent enough to attract a lasting player base. Service games tend to be given many such chances. Unfortunately, Square Enix didn't seem willing to wait, and the game is now due to shut down in February. I'm not so cold as to say "good riddance", but I'd be lying if I said I'd regret seeing it gone. Platinum hasn't given up on the prospects of service games, so I'll leave things on the note that I hope that they take away some positive lessons for the next go-around. — Josh

The post What's the Worst Game of 2022? appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Saturday, December 31, 2022 1:00 PM
    

Square Enix New Year Video Features Naoki Yoshida, Yoko Taro, Yoshinori Kitase

Square Enix released a celebratory video featuring developers from past and upcoming games, with folks like FFXIV Director and Producer Naoki Yoshida, FFVII Remake project Producer Yoshinori Kitase, and NieR series creator Yoko Taro appearing. Most of the messages are general well-wishes. The various members from development teams also thank viewers for past support and asking for the same enthusiasm for upcoming games. As expected, Yoshida mentions FFXIV and FFXVI. Meanwhile, Yoko Taro explained the true meaning of the "happy" in "Happy New Year."

Things kicked off with Yoshida. He mentioned FFXIV A Realm Reborn celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2023. He also reminded people FFXVI will launch in June 2023. At the 4:49 mark, Kitase appeared to remind people FFVII Rebirth is coming. At the 5:16 mark, Yoko Taro shows up with NieR series Producer Yosuke Saito. After Saito reminds people about NieR Automata's fifth anniversary and Switch port and the Voice of Cards releases, Yoko Taro explains why each new year is "happy."

Here's the full video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCAEY-ApJn8&ab_channel=SquareEnix

Square Enix's next game will be Forspoken. It will appear on January 24, 2023 on the PS5 and PC. Other expected 2023 releases include Final Fantasy XVI, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Theatrhythm Final Bar Line, and the console release of the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster series.

The post Square Enix New Year Video Features Naoki Yoshida, Yoko Taro, Yoshinori Kitase appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Saturday, December 31, 2022 12:00 PM
    

Fate/strange Fake Whispers of Dawn Teaser Shown Ahead of Summer Debut

The Fate series continues to go into 2023 with new announcements and news. Among them is a new look from Aniplex at the Fate/strange Fake Whispers of Dawn OVA, as a new teaser trailer appeared. The almost seven minute video overs a hint as to what to expect from the presentation starring Tiné Chelc and Gilgamesh. There's also a new release window for the special. It will now launch in Summer 2023.

Editor's Note: There may be some Fate/strange Fake spoilers if people aren't familiar with the light novels.

The video begins with a Mage attempting to make Gilgamesh his Servant for the new Holy Grail War. However, the two are interrupted. That's when another Mage named Tiné Chelc appears. After that, there's a summary of what's happening with the Holy Grail War in Snowfield and a peek at some of the major figures involved.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGD1NPn0kGg&ab_channel=AniplexUSA

This news comes after a brief delay. The OVA, which shows what happens when a failed attempted at a Holy Grail War is held in America, was supposed to air on December 31, 2022. Instead, development issues pushed it back. Aniplex promised new footage before 2022 ended. Now, on what was supposed to be its release date, new footage appeared.

The Fate/strange Fake Whispers of Dawn OVA will air in Summer 2023.

The post Fate/strange Fake Whispers of Dawn Teaser Shown Ahead of Summer Debut appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Saturday, December 31, 2022 11:25 AM
    

Koei Tecmo's New Fate Game is Fate/Samurai Remnant

There's a new action-RPG based on the Fate series of games on the way. Koei Tecmo announced it is working on Fate/Samurai Remnant. The title will release worldwide in 2023. People will be able to play it on the PS4, PS5, Switch, and PC. An initial trailer is available. There is also an official website open.

Details about what to expect are vague. Type-Moon and Aniplex are involved in the game's development. Type-Moon's role is clarified as a supervisory one. The announcement clarified that this will tell the story of a different Holy Grail War than the one's we're familiar with. At the end of the footage, it appears that a version of a Servant who could be Saber Miyamoto Musashi shows up. (That character appeared in other games, like Fate/Grand Order.)

Here's the Fate/Samurai Remnant trailer teasing the new Fate game. It doesn't show any gameplay footage, but does show the main character meeting his Servant and the altercation with Saber Miyamoto Musashi.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PazfxkDW3RU&ab_channel=KOEITECMOAMERICA

The official website also noted the different companies involved. A logo for Omega Force, known for the Musou series, appears at the bottom. Type-Moon is supervising. Aniplex is helping Koei Tecmo produce it. Kou Shibusawa's name also appears at the bottom of the site. Previously, he worked on Nioh and Nioh 2 as a producer and quite a few Nobunaga's Ambition games.

Koei Tecmo, Type-Moon, and Aniplex's Fate/Samurai Remnant will come to the Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, and PC in 2023.

The post Koei Tecmo's New Fate Game is Fate/Samurai Remnant appeared first on Siliconera.


WGB, Home of AWESOME Reviews Saturday, December 31, 2022 9:44 AM
     Holy shit, it's New Year. How the fuck did that happen? Another year has hurtled past my eyes like my dog running toward the muddiest puddle he can find, and like my dog it was kind of dirty and in dire need of a wash. At the ripe old age of 31 (stop sniggering) I'm beginning to appreciate the concept of time seeming to pass quicker and quicker. I hadn't even got used to being 30 before my birthday snuck up on me like it was planning to sexually assault me in an alley.